Damien Andrano

Damien Andrano is a Half-Drow arcane archer and a member of the adventuring party known as the Celestial Syndicate. He is played by Jacob Gonzalez.

Appearance
Damien is a twenty-one-year-old Half-Drow, with the majority of his features resembling that of his Drow side. He has stark white hair that he keeps side parted, and pale grey skin with purple, amethyst-like eyes. Damien wears a set of black studded leather armor that he uses to help him blend in with the shadows. The longbow on his back, given to him by the Order of the Arcane eye, is a similar black coloration. He keeps his quiver of arrows on his back, which light up with arcane energy upon using one of his 'arcane shots'.

Personality
"My father’s missing. The only person who’s ever cared about me, who’s ever taught me anything, who’s ever given me the time of day is gone and he’s probably dead. So...so if I jump to conclusions or if I have my guard up, I just want you to know that [it’s because], the only person who has ever cared about me, I’m probably never going to see again. And if someone hurts someone that I care about, I am not going to just stand around. I’m going to do whatever I can to keep them safe because I have no-one to do that for me anymore, and now that it’s just me, I don’t want anyone to get hurt. So I’m sorry...but I can’t apologize for trying to keep people safe because in every book, in every legend, in every story I’ve ever read, that’s what heroes do. So I’m going to do that." - Damien to Cassia

Damien is an impulsive and brash individual with a tendency to show off. However, beneath this confident, cocky behavior lies a deeply insecure individual who desperately wants to prove himself. Damien can come across as arrogant and rude, but only uses these tools to prevent anyone from getting too close. Realizing that those closest too him continue to elude him, he has a tough time letting people in. However, when someone ears his trust, Damien won't fail to open up.

Damien realized at a young age that sharp wit was more powerful than brute strength. Committing himself to his studies, he kept himself busy by reading as many books as he could from his personal library. He tends to keep a cool and rational frame of mind, keeping himself together in risky situations.

Damien has a dry, snarky attitude and a quick and practical approach to problems. He tries to have a plan for everything but in some cases, that's easier said than done. When battling enemies, he tries to take the best course of action to ensure that no-one gets hurt. Damien thinks ahead in situations, realizing that the creatures that he and his adventuring party battle can be extremely dangerous to the unprepared. Because of this, he won't hesitate to neutralize his enemies if he believes that it'll save lives in the long run. That being said, his ever rising body count doesn't fail to take a toll on him.

Equipment and Items
Black Sketchbook of the Order of the Arcane Eye - A black sketchbook that allows Damien to communicate with and receive missions from the Order of the Arcane Eye. What is written in the book appears in the books possessed by other members of the Order.

Necklace of Adaptation - a mesh/webbing necklace that allows the wearer to breathe in any environment, be that underwater or buried in snow or more.

Unbreakable Arrow - a single magical arrow that is completely indestructible.

The Token of Luck - A seemingly non-magical dual-faced coin. On one side is a skull with the lower jaw replaced by fungus and on the other side, written in Sylvan is the phrase “May she reign.”

(Formerly: The Ring of Mind Shielding - a ring that utilises abjuration magic to protect the mind/spirit of the wearer. If the wearer dies their soul can be stored in the ring even after their passing. Damian no longer possess this item as he gifted it to Estel Yanza, believing it should belong to her given that it was previously the possession of her mother, Krym.)

Birthday and Star Sign
Damien, born Florum 13th is also a Feysa like Cassia. Said to be agreeable and lucky and with a Pixie guardian. The birthstone is an emerald.

Childhood
Damien Andrano is from a trading town named Driftshyre near Solarus in the Fulcrum. His father Cronan was a member of the Order of the Arcane Eye.

Tragedy struck the moment Damien was born. Damien's mother, Thea, died in childbirth, leaving him to have no-one but his father to care for him.

As a child, Damien was a skinny, short, and cocky boy who purely wanted to live his life to the fullest. One day, he found himself hanging out with the wrong group of kids and stepped in when his so-called "friends" picked on a little girl of his same age. Upon being punished by his former friends for defending her, Damien was left bloodied and beaten. However, fate was not entirely cruel to him that day.

The girl he defended, introducing herself as Sierra, thanked Damien for his brave act. Instantly, Damien saw her as the most beautiful person he'd ever met. The girl hugged him tightly, and thanked him for what he had done. Realizing that she had lost her family in a tragic accident, Damien took her back to his house, introducing her to his father. His father allowed her to stay with them for a few days, which eventually became a few years. This led to an unbreakable bond between the two.

Training
By eight years old, Damien and his new partner-in-crime began learning the basics of weapons training from his father. The lessons began with simple movements and stances, starting off with things such as: lunges, parries, and other maneuvers. But while Sierra naturally excelled in her swordsmanship, Damien had a much harder time. Seeing this, Cronan decided to have his son focus on something else. A much more delicate yet just as deadly art. Archery.

This was where Damien began to shine. Within his first year of training, he could hit a precise shot at nearly 30 meters away consistently. And though Damien and Sierra continued to train side-by-side, their training regiments began changing drastically soon after.

Over the years, Damien and Sierra began to grow apart, though she never left his mind. In his teenage years, he began to realize that his affection for her went deeper than a friendship. But even so, he refused to act on it. He didn't want to ruin what they had, and he especially didn't want to be crushed if she said she hadn't felt the same way. So he kept it in. Bottled up. And still does to this day.

On Sierra's eighteenth birthday, Damien was forced to say goodbye. Destiny had set them off on two different paths, and though Damien still wasn't exactly sure what he wished for his life, his former partner had already made up her mind about hers. Sierra had always talked about pursuing a career in the Royal Guard, and though she knew it might take a while to achieve such an honor, she decided to start as early as possible. Damien was crushed to see her leave, though he once again refused to show his true feelings. And as they said their final goodbye, Sierra placed a kiss on his cheek. Something to remember her by.

Damien doesn't know what has happened to her since.

Over the years since, Damien continued to help his father in whatever he needs. He had learned many things from his dad, though much about him remained a mystery. He was told stories of where his father lived before, a strange place that he dubbed "The Underdark". This, apparently, is where many of the Dark Elves originated, though Damien had never been there himself.

Religion
Cronan taught him of two Dark Elven deities: Lolth and Eilistraee. Lolth, described as the Queen of Spiders, had been an oppressor in the Underdark, where Cronan had been raised. He told Damien that she committed horrible acts, though he wouldn't name exactly what. Many Drow blindly followed Lolth, but he refused to do the same.

He primarily spoke of this Eilistraee, another powerful being who held domain over the underdark. He did not talk all too much about her but often noted that she "helped him start a new life on the surface". These two beings are not well known in the surface world, and the only word Damien had ever heard of them was from his own father.

Session Zero
Before meeting the rest of the party, Damien was recruited into the Order of the Arcane Eye, told that his father, Cronan Andrano, had chosen him as his successor. Given a black sketchbook and a new longbow, Damien set out to find answers, and do some good in the world.

Soon enough, he encountered Cassia North, who were then attacked by a pack of Gnolls hunting in the midst of night. Damien was heavily injured, only to be saved by his newfound companion, and eventual best friend. They then travelled to Opaz to pursue Damien's first mission as a member of the Order.

Cronan and Thea Andrano
Cronan and Thea were Damien's parents. Cronan was a field agent in the Order of the Arcane Eye. Sadly, his mother died in childbirth. Damien had a happy childhood in the trading town of Driftshyre, raised singlehandedly by his father. His father taught him everything he knew. From weapons training, to reading books, to playing ball, they did it all.

Every so often, Damien would catch his father writing into a black sketchbook with some sort of "special ink". And though Cronan was a great father, he found himself away on "business trips" more often that not. When his father mysteriously went missing, Damien discovered his father's membership in the Order of the Arcane Eye, and acted as his successor within the order.

Sierra Rose
Sierra was adopted into the Andrano household as a child, and became Damien's partner-in-crime and eventual crush. The two trained together for years, until Sierra eventually left to pursue a career within the Royal Guard. She excelled in her swordsmanship, while Damien excelled in his archery. Damien quickly caught feelings for her through their time spent together, but refused to confess his feelings. He didn't want to risk ruining what they had, and dreaded the thought of getting his heart broken even more.

Cassia North
Damien and Cassia are best friends and love each other unconditionally, whether Damien would admit it or not. They met when they were both going through very difficult times, and have supported each other throughout their journeys, helping each other overcome many obstacles. The two have been overly protective of each other since meeting the rest of the adventuring party.

Damien cares a lot about Cassia. Seeing her improving in her magic, he's been very impressed and proud of her. Though sometimes jealous of her innate magical ability, Damien can't help but watch as she grows stronger.

Malik Silverleaf
Damien and Malik are great friends. Damien has a high respect for Malik's intelligence, enjoying their conversations about theories and possible solutions to the problems that they're presented with. Though their ideologies conflict at times, Damien considers him a very good friend, second to only Cassia in the party. The two get into much trouble together, with the rest of the party dreading the duo's adventures.

Damien loves talking to Malik about what he thinks is going on at large, creating large conspiracy theories; some which are outlandish, and some that are more rooted in reality.

Blitz of Shelburn
Damien and Blitz are good friends. Although their relationship had a rocky start, they quickly realized their similar ideologies and found themselves on the same side in several group arguments. Damien believes Blitz to be headstrong and too confident for his own good, believing that to be the reason that he gets injured so often.

That being said, he admires the man's leadership and bravery in intense situations. Despite the rough start to their friendship, Damien helped Blitz learn to read, teaching him quickly and efficiently. In addition, Damien became very angry after Piety stabbed Blitz in the back, saying "...if someone hurts someone that I care about, I'm not just going to stand around...".

Myria Amaranthis
Damien and Myria's relationship is limited, but Damien still refers to her as a friend. Not believing that she could see the dead, Damien ridiculed her, saying "The girl's insane!". Over time, however, he's apologized for this statement, telling her that he was wrong. Their interactions together are limited, but Damien sees her as an invaluable asset. Her stealth and agility are very useful in combat, and Damien respects her for it.

Damien has tried to use Myria's shapeshifting abilities to his advantage, testing it by having Myria transform into a spitting image of him. Though it worked for a moment, it caused the girl immense pain, causing Damien to tell her to not do it again.

Blomf Vald
Damien has a high respect for Blomf. Though he feels that the two don't interact often, he admires the man's bravery, and not being afraid to go all-out in the midst of combat. Damien looks up to Blomf's adherence to his code, advocating for "fair fights" in moments when advantages would have helped him a lot in the long run.

The two's few conversations are memorable, with Damien telling Blomf some of his ideas for weapons and battle strategies that he had been thinking of for a while.

Trivia

 * Damien's name was inspired by Batman's son, Damian Wayne, who has been commonly described as "difficult" and "hot-headed".
 * Damien's fighting style stems from Jacob's love of archery.
 * (Damien's Father) Cronan's name means "dark one".
 * (Damien's Mother) Thea's name comes from the Greek Goddess of the same name.
 * Damien's birthday is the 13th of Florrum.
 * Damien and Cassia have the same star sign.