Duncan Heyward

Duncan Heyward, at an Unknown Time

"If I am to die, let it be a forgettable death."

"Forget, so that you may continue to live. There is not a single thing in this world that you truly understand."

"I have a responsibility to this world, and a promise I must keep. I can never respite so as long as the foundations of stone themselves do not falter.

## Overview

Duncan Heyward is the most paramount figure in all of Pacifica, well known to be hundreds of years old with some people claiming he has lived through the Great Calamity, having been born in the Old Age. He is a mysterious man with very little known about his history, but it is said that a select few people in this world, such as his First Mate Chingachlook, may have been his companion for hundreds of years and might consequently hold the knowledge of who Heyward truly is. His presence and word is eminent, and there is not a single person in all Pacifica who can command more respect and dominance. Heyward is described to be collected, thoughtful, disciplined and highly intelligent, but in recency has been described as "brooding, almost tortured," contrary to earlier records indicating his charm and generally "bantersome" nature. He typically wears some form of a plain, brown coat, with his signature brown hat, which many note is unseen in all of Pacifica (so many infer correctly it must be a design from the previous age), and he carries a modified Arquebus (rifle) he names "Le Vent," (The Wind) a rare weapon that is possessed by very few people in Pacifica (which he is extremely adept at, with many claiming he never misses). He is also recognizable for his disheveled, brown hair, exceptionally tall height, and numberous scars upon his face. He is typically seen drinking and smoking from a pipe. Of all things, Heyward is very secretive, and some speculate that he may hold knowledge about things in this world that if revealed publicly, could have calamitous results.

## Summary of Heyward's Life

Heyward presumably was born sometime before the Great Calamity, and not much is known of his early history. For hundreds of years of his life before 300 AC, practically nothing is known of his whereabouts or general existence. That being said, it is common knowledge that Heyward was the leader of the First Expedition out of Colombo in 310 AC, organizing ten thousand people to sale across the treacherous Western Seas to an island known as Panacea, where the first colony of Pacifica would be established. He gathered people from all walks of life willing to leave behind their toilsome lives in Colombo, and conquered "El Kalamitas" (a reference to the endless storms of the Western Seas), in order to sail across the seas to settle this new land, fertile and abundant in resources. He oversaw governance and construction of the island for its first sixty years, before eventually delegating oversight to the populace and withdrawing himself partially from the the forefront of Pacifican affiars. During these years he drafted the sacred "Law of the Sea," which acts as the most important legal document in all of Pacifica, and established all fundamental structures of running the island of Panacea, from currency to legislation to infrastructure and management of finances. Since the year 310 AC Panacea has grown massively, and this has prompted large populations to explore new horizons themselves resulting in hundreds of colonized islands all around Pacifica by the year 480 AC, holding a population numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Heyward continues to take a backseat role, stepping in only when necessary and making his presence known at the annual "Council of Pirate Lords," where the twelve primary factions of Pacifica gather to discuss internal affairs and relations. He has mitigated many conflicts and disasters throughout the years, tempering storms, famines, and many wars, and has earned himself an absolute reputation that leaves him unconditionally respected, feared, and unchallenged by all of Pacifica,even the Pirate Lords themselves. In the present day, although it is viewed that he spends most of the days sailing with his pirate crew aboard the ship, "Bloody Mary," attending to his own personal whims and drinking frequently, he still keeps a vigilant eye on the affairs of Pacifica, and will interfere should the situation deem it necessary.

## Trivia

* Heyward was one of Howard's first characters; the name was directly copied from the novel "Last of the Mohicans (similar to Chingachlook), but realistically speaking Heyward has nothing in common with the actual character of Duncan Heyward from the novel, though he was partially inspired by the "Scout" character, who was notably extremely accurate with his rifle, similar to Heyward in "To Eventide."
* Heyward in his very first iteration, was a time traveling Cyborg from the 5th millennia AD, and Howard would carry a tannish army soldier piece to high school and suggest that this was Duncan Heyward.
* Duncan Heyward in "2052" was almost the same exact character, so very little had to be changed in the transition to "To Eventide."
* Heyward's first design was that of a rugged, frontiersman, similar to the current design, but there was a previous design had him dress up more like a stereotypical pirate, except with a bright sea blue cloak, but this was eventually changed back to the original conception.