Ares Warbander

**Ares Warbander** is a neutral character in *Villainy & Virtue*, created and portrayed by NathanielCoran.

A warrior king who left his tribe after disgracing himself and leading them to ruin, Ares wanders Heartania in search for an opportunity to reclaim his honour and create his destiny.

## Biography

Born in the mysterious land known as the Wastelands, Ares was the son of the heroic chieftain of the Warbander clan, Darkin Warbander. As the future chief, Ares was raised to be a skillful warrior and talented commander, learning the art of the war from a very young age.

Ares was, as a teenager, unmatched by his peers in single combat, but also a dedicated scholar devoted to learning the theoretical side of warcraft. Although he spent his young adult years undefeated, he was nearly bested once when challenged by the future chieftain of the rival Warhammer clan, Bellona Warhammer. In the end, Ares won the hours-long duel only through taking advantage of Bellona's fatigue.

Shortly after coming of age, Ares was thrust into responsibility with the disappearance of his father during an expedition into the city of Heartania. With Darkin presumed dead, Ares was named the new chief of the Warbander clan, and immediately found himself leading the tribe in battle to conquest the many smaller break-off tribes that had deserted the Warbanders to reclaim their once great warhost, in the process losing his humanity to his lust for war.

In the year 2063, with an army of nearly eight dozen warriors at his back, Ares made the most important move of his life: he attacked Heartania head on in a ballsy assault that would change the fate of the Warbanders forever.

During the assault, Ares and his army suffered great losses at the hands of the East City Rooks, and were forced to retreat to their makeshift homebase at the Heartania City Mall. While licking his wounds, the final nail for Ares came in the form of the Shadow Fixer challenging him to a duel. Having never faced an opponent as unique as Cooper, Ares was defeated swiftly, and, in a state of disgrace, the man left his clan behind to declare himself exiled.

In the aftermath of his departure, Ares met the demon Ryleh, who struck a deal with the former chieftain: in exchange for Ares' soul upon his death, Ryleh gave him the fabled *Excalibur* from Arthurian legend, a new weapon with which to carve his new path. With *Excalibur* by his side, Ares set out in search of a new destiny.

## Appearance

Ares is tall and muscular in build, dwarfing most other men at 6'5" in height. His size is his greatest advantage in combat, lending him incredible strength and durability. To emphasise his build further, Ares wears decorated bronze armour that covers his torso and legs but leaves his arms bare, with large pauldrons that bulk his shoulders out to even greater scale.

On his back hangs a golden-brown fur cape hanging to his waist, serving to conceal his shape and provide warmth when needed. By his side, a sheath laced with gold that holds the blade of kings, *Excalibur*. In place of a helmet, Ares wears on his head the hard skull of a draconic wasteland beast as a symbol of power, with his own blood staining the face like tear tracks to remind him of his fall.

## Personality

Ares has a warm demeanour most of the time, one of gentleness and wisdom, but one that is quickly dropped when his quick temper gets the best of him. Wanting nothing more than to prove himself a true warrior in his own right rather than through his lineage, Ares is quick to accept any challenge regardless of his chances of success.

Above all else, Ares values his personal code of honour, choosing to always take the path most honourable whenever it presents itself. Being fully aware of the monster he had been while under the influence of his bloodlust, Ares strives to prove to himself more than anyone that that is not the man his past would suggest.

## Abilities

### Artisan of War

Having been trained to both fight and to lead from a very young age, combat is the only world Ares truly knows. An incredibly talented combatant, especially in single combat, Ares uses a combination of brute strength and cunning creativity to overwhelm his foes, often resorting to using an opponent's patterns and tactics against them to make up for his lack of specialization. Although he is more comfortable in the dirt sparring, Ares is just a competent behind the battle, leading soldiers through clever strategy and inspiring them with his unyielding honour as a symbol of courage.

### Berserker Cry

Ares was born with a far more subtle supernatural ability than some of his fellow warriors. When a battle seems particularly hopeless, Ares is capable of letting out a roar that riles up both him and his followers into a state of true fury, allowing them to strike harder and faster and tolerate pain that would make any normal man faint without so much as flinching. During his time as chieftain, the Warbanders won many a battle thanks to the superhuman power Ares' warcry granted them, but it came at a cost: the bloodlust that the cry gave him began to seep into Ares' head, burying his humanity and turning him into an insatiable warmonger. It wasn't until his fall that Ares was able to reclaim his former level-headed mindset, and he has since refused to use this ability in fear that he will revert all the effort he has put into rebuilding his honour.

## Paraphernalia

### *Excalibur*

Given to Ares in a contract with the demon Ryleh, *Excalibur* is indeed the same sword wielded by King Arthur in legend. Its properties are mostly unknown to Ares at this point in time, but he has been told by Ryleh that as he proves himself through his deeds (or misdeeds), the sword will learn and grow in power, eventually becoming a weapon that sits unmatched by any mortal blade.

## Relationships

### Bellona Warhammer

As Ares' oldest rival, Bellona has always sat on his horizon as a figure to beat, or at least match. The two first met when they were teenagers, engaging in a duel that lasted hours, ending in Ares using Bellona's fatigue against her (a feat likely attributed to his then dormant berserker fury). Since that day, the two have remained distant but used the duel as a reference for what a truly worthy opponent is like.

After his fall, Ares sought out Bellona, trusting that she could aid him in the search for a new path. Greeting him as an enemy, Bellona reluctantly agreed to give Ares a home among her city-dwelling Wastelander community in exchange for his sworn loyalty (and a good helping of hard labour). In the two months that have passed since that day, the two have clearly grown closer, with Bellona addressing Ares with far more respect than she would before.

## Trivia

* Ares' design is heavily influenced by similar warrior-like characters from the game *League of Legends*. His post-fall personality, appearance and the official name for his *'Artisan of War'* spec are all inspired by the champion Pantheon, while his pre-fall personality and backstory are loosely based on another champion, Tryndamere.
* Although it would seem that Ares is named for the ancient Greek god of war, it has been revealed that in Wastelander folklore there is another 'Ares' after whom Ares Warbander is named: Ares the Dragon, a fabled warrior who walked alone into the Endless Desert to challenge a bandit warlord that had been terrorising his village. It is this folktale that inspires Ares Warbander's strict personal code of honour, believing that if he cannot live up to the courage of his namesake, he doesn't deserve the name at all.
* Creator NathanielCoran has stated that Ares is his favourtie of all his characters on many occasions, and is the character whose past and future he has put the most effort into.
* Ares is one of two characters in Villainy & Virtue to officially have three specialisations, the other being Luke Jones. This has been permitted since Ares' third spec (Excalibur) was granted to him through the natural flow of the RP rather than being part of his application.