Erasmus Talbot

**Erasmus Talbot** (Glameow) is a main supporting character in Bandits of the Forest. He is the eldest prince and former heir to the throne of the Senbo Kingdom.

## History

### Before BOTF

When he was young, Erasmus was said to be a uniquely keen child gifted with incredible eyesight, making it next to impossible to hide secrets from him. He and his brother, Dimitri, shared these enhanced senses and often used them to ambush their father in the dead of night to prank him. He was incredibly shrewd for his age, often evading his caretakers to galivant in the capital. He was soon placed into the care of Gaufroi Burchard, who was far more effective at keeping up with the energetic prince.

When he was ten, Erasmus wandered out into the capital as usual when he encountered a couple civilians bullying a young Kecleon. He intervened and scared off the bullies before tending the scared girl, Adenine. He wished to make up for her terrible start in the capital by giving her a private tour.

Sometime down the line, they remained in touch through letters, with Adenine visiting him in secret. Over several years, they've grown closer as friends and eventually developed mutual feelings for each other. They agreed to keep their relations secret in fear of the backlash by society, with only his trusted guard keeping their silence and watching out for them.

During the negotiations with the Verde Kingdom, Erasmus agreed to be married off to the kingdom's princess to merge both kingdoms together. He eventually told Adenine, who was heartbroken by the news, though he assured her his heart will always belong to her.

## Personality

Upon introduction, Erasmus is incredibly vain and egocentric, believing himself to be the most important thing in Virdis. He declares that it is an honor for others to be graced by his presence and boasts of his brilliance. However, his egotistical nature isn't fueled by malice or pride. It is more or less a front created to ensure the morale of his subjects. If he believes he is brilliant, his subjects will he inspirited by his confidence.

Erasmus is caring and insightful. He doesn't look down on others, believing that disregarding the talents of others is foolish. Though he doesn't see most as his equal, he acknowledges the worth of his subjects and close allies, the efforts they put into a prosperous kingdom. Erasmus maintains a civil demeanor when interacting the common folk.

Due to his upbringing in the Senbo Kingdom, Erasmus has adopted their suspicious nature of outsiders, though he does try to quell this part of himself. He is very sharp and lingers on details that catch his attention, though often tries to disregard them if seeking the truth doesn't align with the wishes of his father. Erasmus struggles with maintaining the pride of his beliefs and helping his father expand Senbo's influence.

## Abilities/Skills

**Overall Abilities**- As a prince, Erasmus was trained by the best instructors in the art of combat. Forgoing the noble practices of maintaining claws, Erasmus keeps his claws sharpened and uses them in combat adeptly. He's remarkably fast and skilled enough to battle against other trained swordsman.

**Sharp Eyes**- Thanks to his Keen Eye ability, Erasmus' eyes are incredibly precise when absorbing information. He can see the finest details with ease and react to oncoming danger, even contending with Jason Stormbreaker himself.

### Moveset

**Ability**- Keen Eye

* Psych Up
* Slash
* Fury Swipes
* Hypnosis
* Sucker Punch
* Foul Play

### Enhanced Moves

* **Eyes of the King**- A combination of Hypnosis and Sucker Punch. When Erasmus' eyes glow, his sclera turns blue, and irises turn sky blue. When gazing at a target, Erasmus implements a near untraceable hypnotic suggestion that compels the target to waver, making it seem like their attack somehow missed. Erasmus can strike so fast that cuts don't immediately register against the opponent.
* **Flawless Blade**- A combination of Slash and Foul Play. Erasmus' claws are empowered in a blazing purple aura. The power of his claws increases in proportion to his target's strength.
* **Pure Whirlwind**- A combination of Slash and Fury Swipes. Erasmus unleashes a furious storm of slashes at his target. Brief contact is enough to cause serious damage.
* **Perfect Parry**- A combination of Sucker Punch and Foul Play. Erasmus baits the target into attacking and blocks. Using the tension in his claws, he counterattacks with an explosive force of dark energy.

## Trivia

* "Erasmus" is derived from the Greek *erasmios,* meaning "to love, beloved". His family name, "Talbot" means "messenger of destruction", coming from the elements *tal* (destroy) and *bod* (tidings, message).
* Erasmus Talbot and Darby Tetrarch were originally the same character in the early drafts of BOTF, a smug, "charming" Riolu prince who was to marry Melissa. However, the character's attributes were split in two. Erasmus was given the role of a supporting character with all the prideful attributes given to him.