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Duske Merloci portrait

Classical portrait

Duske IV

Duske concept A

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Joshua Ward

Freelance artist working with illustrations, cartography, concepts and design. I spend my time on personal projects creating stories, whether short stories or comics. · Hire Me

Duske Merloci (Act I)

Posted 1 year ago

Ira's life begins as the son of a Surlvhalian noble and his maidservant. For political reasons, he couldn't allow a bastard child belonging to a nation the land was currently at war with be. His mother fled with Ira learning of this. At the end of their flight into Keldrian territory, Dinah contracted Breahs. A kindly well-to-do farmer took them in, but sheltered them in the barnhouse because of the contagious disease.

For the short time they were there, Ira became familiar with the Messipi children, the daughter being another child, a Penumbra, taken in years ago. When both he and his mother were stricken with Breahs, Mila tended to them. When the assassin's finally located the pair, the Messipi farm was burned to the ground, only Ira and Mila surviving after being rescued by a trainee group of Isalmian soldiers camped nearby.

The next chapter in Ira's life was as her adopted son by the name of Duske Merloci. Grateful to her for what she had done, he kept his emotions distant, Mila being the closest to them. Taking time to adjust to the strangely assorted family, his sense of loyalty led him to train under Rema and do the same for others that had been done for him. Joining Isalme military to fulfill this oath did little to qualm the shadows forming within.

Before being accepted into Ematus Sercia's order, Duske trained in the cursed forest of A Piedi del Morto, where he encountered the Daemon Wolf, Heraphent. Unable to overcome it nor withhold the enmity it sought to exploit, Duske was possessed.

It would not be until Ez'eliazar Catacombs where he faced Asad of the Hasheek Tabalket that Alastor/Heraphent made himself known to Dusk. Before confronting the rest of the Transients at Ematus Sercia HQ for their involvement with Surlvhal's plot against the king, Duske took the glyph meant for him, the Eye of Abaron; it's uncertain if this was of his own will or influence of Alastor.

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