Callixtus

According to the archive of the House of Julius, Callixtus Thornbiter (colloquially known as **Callixtus**) was a High Elven General and soldier whose service in the Battle of the Thousand Crests would make him into a member of the Four Horsemen.

His rise to prominence also denoted a shift in the ideology of the House of Julius, rendering it a more-religious group rather than one that sought to enforce an already set-in-stone ideology, such as the House of the Imperator. Following his work with his three other high-ranking comrades in the Battle of a Thousand Crests, Callixtus became an icon for The Resurrection, a spiritual movement which had been set in place by the Prince of the House of Julius during his lifetime.

Though it is disputed whether or not Callixtus actually held any rank in the D'lanastion Monarchy, many individuals involved in the houses contained within its structure view him as an honourary son, having bestowed the title of 'Sanguine Lord' on him postmortem.

## Early Life and Service

Callixtus was born in 1,000 A.F on November 3rd in Heran, a coastal city contained within the province known as The Blackwald. His father, Danus Thornbiter, and his mother, Rusia Blackhelm, were poverty-stricken merchants who had also had two sons prior-to Callixtus' birth, yet the former ones had died by illness. Living in one of the poorest districts of the small city, Callixtus grew up hungry. He was a small, malnourished boy, barely able to hold a pencil, let alone any sword. For the first ten years of his life, these things would remain the same. On his 11th birthday, his mother passed away from a terminal illness which had gone untreated due to the family's lack of funds. His father would later remarry, but not until Callixtus' 16th birthday.

Throughout the duration of his pre-pubescence, Callixtus would never attend any formal schools. Instead, he lived the majority of his life on the streets, begging and stealing from other local merchants. He soon became a notorious swindler and con-artist, not trusted by the majority of the residents. Able to feed himself through the money he obtained by pick-pocketing and thievery, he began training with daggers and short swords, eventually mastering the art of both, as well as general fencing.

At the age of 18, Callixtus enlisted into a local militia in Heran, quickly rising to the rank of officer by his 23rd birthday.

## Further Service and Crimes Against Humanity

Though he was known as a bold and ambitious young man, Callixtus often abused the powers which he had obtained throughout his service to the militia in Heran. After five decades of service, he was formally discharged by his superiors on his 53rd birthday in 1,053 A.F. Upset with rage and resentment, he quickly set out to find a new seat of power, eventually working his way into the Heran Guard, the formal protection of the entirety of the city and its outskirts. Stating that his rank in the militia provided him with a complete basis of operation and experience, he demanded to be promoted immediately rather than serve as a grunt, as was customary. The Captain of the guard obliged, allowing him to obtain an officer rank upon his enlistment. For the next ten years, whilst the militia was away in the outskirts of Heran and by its shores preparing the navy to sail to Valentinus, Callixtus would spend his time doing away with his superiors by assassinating them in their sleep. For that reason, he became known as the 'Boogey Man' and the 'Shadow Man' following his trials. Eventually, by the aid of the system of succession, Callixtus became the Lieutenant to the aged Captain, guiding his movements throughout the city and how the laws were enforced.

In 1,072 A.F, when the militia of the town arrived back from Valentinus after a long period away to aid the capitol of Thebes, Callixtus murdered the Captain, taking his place. Once the militia had fully re-stationed themselves in the city, he ordered that the whole of the Heran guard bring them to the main government building, and that they should all be imprisoned for their 'secretive' work in the province from which they had just come. Forced to abide by his orders, the guard seized the militia men - totaling 500 - and brought them to the government building, where Callixtus declared them all 'secret agents' of a mercenary group in Valentinus. When pressed for answers, Callixtus turned the argument back unto his own accusers, stating that their guilt was evident through their resistance. He ordered the rest of the guard to begin preparing the town square with decorations and gaudy things, stating that over the next week, the men of the militia would all be executed for their crimes against the city and the province.