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Personality:
Some people are born destined for greatness, and Lukas definitely isn't one of them. The mild-mannered, second son of a (barely) noble family, his older brother forces him to enlist on the losing side of a war, fully expecting to take credit for Lukas's success or—more likely—see him killed in the process. Either way, his best case scenario is to fade into his family's legacy, a blip written out of history.
And that almost seems to suit him. Despite being a soldier, Lukas doesn't cut a very imposing figure at first. He speaks softly, polite and with an air of gentle supportiveness. His amiable nature isn't just skin-deep, either; he looks after his own and they're worth dying for, no question. He's the mature, mom friend, and in his army? That's an undertaking.
But his personality doesn't exactly win him favors with his peers in command, and neither does being from the boonies; he's routinely made fun of for being a hick, and he doesn't have the hotheaded pride or drive that proper knights do. Nothing about him lines up with the idea of a valiant warrior in legend. Even he admits to his friends that he'd rather have spent his childhood with a good book rather than a spear, and his strict, military training was forced on him by his father—and yet, he barely seems resentful of him or his brother. It'd be easy to mark him as a pushover.
Except despite all that, he's a model soldier. Because past his courteous, helpful demeanor, Lukas isn't that softhearted. Or softhearted at all, really. He has a gentleness about him that belies what his commander calls his greatest asset: he's a cold, detached observer. Behind his polish is an unemotional, calculating mind that aggressively keeps him one step ahead of his enemies, largely fearless and willing to take risks for it. Shrewd and tactical, he puts his scruples aside for the sake of efficiency; he won't go charging in somewhere to play hero if he doubts victory, and his plans can be unusually underhanded for a knightly figure. At one point, he suggests taking a swathe of civilians hostage to ensure safe passage out of a dangerous situation, and barely seems troubled when his plan actually works.
So in actuality, Lukas isn't exactly a warm mother hen, he hasn't forgiven his family out of the goodness of his heart, and he doesn't put up with the jeering through any angelic patience. It's safer to say he's good at stomaching everything because he simply doesn't feel much to begin with. Being softspoken doesn't make him meek, and he rarely backs down from a challenge; even if his irritation is lowkey, it certainly exists, and in reality he's just as strong-willed as any other knight. His dry sense of humor and insults are there as well, if wielded with moderation.
But that doesn't mean he's some full-blown psychopath pretending to be a Nice Guy. He's genuinely approachable and values his friendships, and he looks after others without prompting. And though his comrades view it as his strength of character, Lukas is discomfited by how impersonal he is, worrying that something is fundamentally wrong with him and how he interacts with the world. Being hugely self-aware of how emotionally stunted he is helps keep him in check, and he doesn't hold himself as a norm; for example, he's usually the first to recover from loss, but he gives others time to grieve as necessary. A lower-ranking soldier mentions that Lukas seems like "one of the guys," and though he can be strict, he doesn't view himself as better than anyone else for being a noble or a pragmatist.
If anything, it's the opposite. In lieu of having honor of his own, Lukas admires it in others.
"You have the right of it. This is not the path I chose. But I have no home to return to, so I intend to see where the path leads. Do not mistake me for a man that needs pity. If I die along a road I never chose, then so be it."
-polite
-kind???
-strict
-intellectual
-calm
-cold
-patient
-practical
-serious
-unemotional
-distant
-brave
-thrillseeking
-calculating
-tactical
-resigned
-responsible
-proud
-indecipherable
-clever
-idk this all sounds so stoic but he's really nice, somehow
Some people are born destined for greatness, and Lukas definitely isn't one of them. The mild-mannered, second son of a (barely) noble family, his older brother forces him to enlist on the losing side of a war, fully expecting to take credit for Lukas's success or—more likely—see him killed in the process. Either way, his best case scenario is to fade into his family's legacy, a blip written out of history.
And that almost seems to suit him. Despite being a soldier, Lukas doesn't cut a very imposing figure at first. He speaks softly, polite and with an air of gentle supportiveness. His amiable nature isn't just skin-deep, either; he looks after his own and they're worth dying for, no question. He's the mature, mom friend, and in his army? That's an undertaking.
But his personality doesn't exactly win him favors with his peers in command, and neither does being from the boonies; he's routinely made fun of for being a hick, and he doesn't have the hotheaded pride or drive that proper knights do. Nothing about him lines up with the idea of a valiant warrior in legend. Even he admits to his friends that he'd rather have spent his childhood with a good book rather than a spear, and his strict, military training was forced on him by his father—and yet, he barely seems resentful of him or his brother. It'd be easy to mark him as a pushover.
Except despite all that, he's a model soldier. Because past his courteous, helpful demeanor, Lukas isn't that softhearted. Or softhearted at all, really. He has a gentleness about him that belies what his commander calls his greatest asset: he's a cold, detached observer. Behind his polish is an unemotional, calculating mind that aggressively keeps him one step ahead of his enemies, largely fearless and willing to take risks for it. Shrewd and tactical, he puts his scruples aside for the sake of efficiency; he won't go charging in somewhere to play hero if he doubts victory, and his plans can be unusually underhanded for a knightly figure. At one point, he suggests taking a swathe of civilians hostage to ensure safe passage out of a dangerous situation, and barely seems troubled when his plan actually works.
So in actuality, Lukas isn't exactly a warm mother hen, he hasn't forgiven his family out of the goodness of his heart, and he doesn't put up with the jeering through any angelic patience. It's safer to say he's good at stomaching everything because he simply doesn't feel much to begin with. Being softspoken doesn't make him meek, and he rarely backs down from a challenge; even if his irritation is lowkey, it certainly exists, and in reality he's just as strong-willed as any other knight. His dry sense of humor and insults are there as well, if wielded with moderation.
But that doesn't mean he's some full-blown psychopath pretending to be a Nice Guy. He's genuinely approachable and values his friendships, and he looks after others without prompting. And though his comrades view it as his strength of character, Lukas is discomfited by how impersonal he is, worrying that something is fundamentally wrong with him and how he interacts with the world. Being hugely self-aware of how emotionally stunted he is helps keep him in check, and he doesn't hold himself as a norm; for example, he's usually the first to recover from loss, but he gives others time to grieve as necessary. A lower-ranking soldier mentions that Lukas seems like "one of the guys," and though he can be strict, he doesn't view himself as better than anyone else for being a noble or a pragmatist.
If anything, it's the opposite. In lieu of having honor of his own, Lukas admires it in others.
"You have the right of it. This is not the path I chose. But I have no home to return to, so I intend to see where the path leads. Do not mistake me for a man that needs pity. If I die along a road I never chose, then so be it."
-polite
-kind???
-strict
-intellectual
-calm
-cold
-patient
-practical
-serious
-unemotional
-distant
-brave
-thrillseeking
-calculating
-tactical
-resigned
-responsible
-proud
-indecipherable
-clever
-idk this all sounds so stoic but he's really nice, somehow