Etheridus

### Distinctive Marks:

small facial scar (chin); lash marks (back); encircling 'ring' scars x2 (left arm, bicep)

**Etheridus** is a senior guardian, supervisor to Mitch and a major guardian in general. He holds the rank of *Acri Nom*, or 'holy knight' of Purgatory.

His mature, fatherly demeanor earned him the nickname "Papa," due in part to his habit of telling people what to do. Mitch simplifies it to "Pops." If there is a problem to be solved or a decision to be made, Etheridus is the one to do it.

## Personality

Etheridus is the self-identified "old man" of the regulars, acting as the voice of reason in most situations. When that fails, he is more than willing to step up and respond with his fists. His experience as a guardian trainer and an older spirit lead him to taking command in bad situations. Most folk fall into step, as his experience and strength often see him leading the winning team. Etheridus does not lose. It is not an outcome he is willing to accept.

While generally level-headed, he has a nasty temper, and has been known to resort to extreme measures when pushed. His protective, self-sacrificing nature often leaves him injured, a state he regularly conceals to avoid worrying anyone. He's been known to walk around with broken bones and claim he's fine. Etheridus can be extraordinarily stubborn, especially regarding his own state of being--a feature often attributed to his being "old-fashioned." In reality, he is just hard-headed, and he knows it as well as anyone. His seriousness lends itself to jokes on his behalf, which he reluctantly bears with. He doesn't mind being teased by those he cares about. Their happiness trumps his pride every time.

## Trivia

* Etheridus started with a *destructively* bad temper. It's taken him centuries to get it under control, and even then, he sometimes struggles with it.
* When backed into a corner, Etheridus can surround himself in spectral fire, casting it outward and incinerating everything in the area. This is called "Phoenixing." It is critically draining for him, but universally deadly for hostile targets.
* Etheridus is shockingly handsome, a fact that is regularly remarked upon. He deeply dislikes having attention brought to his looks, and disapproves of them being discussed. (Even here.)
* Sweetheart was his guardian when he was alive. As a result, she tends to treat him like a bad kid when things get rough, down to full-naming him, as a mother to her son. As much as he resents it, she is one of the few people he will heed when in a bad mood.
* He and Ravyn disliked each other initially, but have developed a relationship similar to brothers over time. Though he hardly needs it, Etheridus is protective of him. Ravyn is one of the few people who can tell Etheridus what to do, and will do so to his face.
* Etheridus is one of the tallest known guardians, second only to Mathias (6'5") and Jordan (7').
* He does not like sugar, having never developed a taste for it. He does, however, like red meat.
* Etheridus has no attention-span for modern media, considering things like movies and video games "time-wasters." Despite that, he will sit through a movie if so inclined, if only to humor others. He does like books, though.