Played By: MrBones
Race: Nord
Age: Unknown
Gender: Male
Element: 
Residence: Knochenstadt
Alignment: High Law
Occupation: Konungur of the Empire and de facto ruler of IGNOLand
Height: 6 feet, 6'8'' in Bone Armor form
Weight: 150 lbs, 265 lbs in Bone Armor form
Figure/Build: Viking male of tall slender but fit stature
Hair: Long flowing brown mane
Eyes: Piercing blue eyes with the slightest glint to his divine nature
Skin: Light but average toned
Bones is a demigod who has not aged since his divine awakening, and his true age is unknown (though estimated to be around 70). Physically he appears to be roughly 26 years old. He is almost never seen without his signature crown and flowing red cape.
Bones is a man of great ambition. When he sets a goal for himself, he will achieve it, no matter what. Not the type to let others stand in his way, Bones quickly rose to power by unifying the scattered settlements of IGNOLand into a grand empire many decades ago. He is a benevolent dictator, ruling his provinces in a strict but fair manner with his
iron fist fluffy hugs. Though he is ruthless to those who oppose or betray him, Bones is willing to go to great lengths to protect his citizens and friends alike.
Bones is also a notorious charmer, and has broken the hearts of many a ladyfriend (and the occasional manfriend). He is not one to be tied down by ideas of monogamy and commitment. However, this does not mean he is incapable of love - in fact, Bones is quite the romantic. It's simply rare for someone to come along that makes him feel strongly enough to pursue them for more than a one-night stand. His flirting tendencies remind one of Zapp Brannigan, though he's much more naturally charismatic and successful in his romantic ventures.
Bones acknowledges Rainbowism as the major religion of the continent and participates in various ceremonies and celebrations related to it publicly, as a sign of good faith to his subjects. In truth, Bones is a believer in the Old Gods of the Nordic pantheon, and practices the religion of his people privately. This is one of the reasons the holiday of Christmas - based on the Nordic Hátíð Vetr, or Wintertide - is such an important holiday to him, and why he has repeatedly involved himself in battles to protect it.
● Born to ordinary human parents in the Nordlands, a continent to the north of IGNOLand
● Lived an average life until his teenage years when he began sailing the seas with his pirate crew, doing piratey, vikingy things
● When he hit his mid-20's, something known to only him happened that caused Bones to become aware of his divine heritage. Despite his human parentage Bones had been shaped specifically by the gods, and it was his destiny to rule and accomplish great works
● Sailing with his crew to the south, they docked on the shores of IGNOLand. Finding a desolate area to the east of the Bloodlands, Bones set out to prove his superiority by shaping the wasteland into a proper kingdom by building it up from nothing
● A few short years later, Bones had created the kingdom of Knochenstadt, having dug great canals through the Ice Plains to allow easier passage between his new and old homelands; in the process he befriended the narwhals who lived in the icy seas and they now willingly serve him as companions
● Not long after settling in his kingdom was Bones visited by a vampire paladin from the neighboring Bloodlands; it seemed she had a similar goal of forging a civilization in these untamed lands and was fighting for the rights of Shadow beings. The two struck up an alliance and became fast friends, agreeing to let each other carry out their ambitions with Bones not laying his hands on the already-claimed Bloodlands (soon to be renamed Blood Country) in exchange for the new nation's political and military support
● Blood Country aside, Bones set his sights on ruling the rest of IGNOLand by unifying the many scattered settlements into a single grand Empire, which he saw as his Divine Right
● The Outback resisted, declaring themselves an independent nation by virtue of not being physically attached to the IGNOLand continent, and war broke out between the two lands
● The war carried on for 6-8 years (scholars disagree on exactly when it began), before it was brought to an abrupt end due to the interventions of The Overman. The exact events will be detailed more in two upcoming stories
● More than 40 years have passed since the war ended, yet tensions between The Empire and Outback remain. However ever since the war ended Bones has been more preoccupied with what he dubs 'The Neutral Threat' brought about by The Overman than The Outback itself
Recent Events: Christmas 2015
Fed up with the heavy commercialism of the holiday, Bones found himself longing for a simpler Christmas more like the traditional Wintertide of his home country in the Nordlands. As though granting this wish, Bones and his friends soon found themselves transported to a mysterious quaint village the likes of which should not have existed in IGNOLand. Though they found themselves enjoying the simple pleasures of an old-fashioned holiday, eventually it began to feel as though they were stuck in a loop of the same old scripted events. It turns out that they were actually trapped inside an enchanted snowglobe by Linda, queen of the Pixies, to keep them distracted and out of the way while Krampus carried out his plan to destroy Christmas. The days he had spent under Linda's spell left him falling in love with her, and the revelation that it was all a lie left him feeling broken and betrayed as much as he was furious for being tricked.
Though the IGNOites eventually managed to escape and defeat Krampus once more, Bones spared both his and Linda's lives. He spent the next year in a depressed state, pining over Linda and left wondering if they could ever build a future together...
Recent Events: Heart of Bone - Cardioskeletal
Bones ventured into the heart of the
Wayward Woods to meet Linda personally, both to confront her and confess his feelings. Bones and the small group with whom he traveled were shrunken down to pixie size and welcomed into the kingdom as guests for a few days. What happened between Bones and Linda during those few days is known to only them, but it would seem that it only strengthened both Bones' feelings for her, as well as the rift in their romance that could never be.
Recent Events: Christmas 2016
One year after the snowglobe incident, Linda made a personal journey to Knochenstadt to ask Bones for a favor - to save Krampus. Bones could tell from the events a year ago that the two seemed to have a history together, and it was clear that Krampus meant a lot to her. For her to come such a long way to request this favor of him personally, Bones could not refuse. Though to his friends this was just another quest to save Christmas, to Bones it was much more personal...though he had his own issues with Krampus, he wanted to make Linda happy.
During the final battle against the transformed Super Santa Claus, Bones was faced with a complex moral decision - would he choose to fight for the sake of Linda, whom he loved? Or for Krampus, whose true character he had come to understand? Ultimately, Bones chose to protect both, and quickly came up with an alternative plan for defeating Santa Claus. With the battle won, Krampus was now - for the first time in centuries - truly free. Though Linda and Krampus had to go their separate ways, Bones could feel now more than ever the extent of her feelings for him. Thus, finally, he was able to release the past year's worth of feelings he had built up...and let her go.
But Linda is not the only one with whom Bones' story intertwined this fateful Christmas. In the final act, Bones revealed to Azaran that he knew of his secret identity as Penguinman, vigilante crime fighter of IGNO City. In exchange for calling in a favor, Bones promised to call of his hunt for the elusive hero, and to allow him to operate legally within his Empire. In addition to that, Bones offered an extremely generous donation from his own pocket to the Sanctuary, the homeless shelter in IGNO City that Azaran regularly volunteered at. These acts both left Azaran questioning his original perception of Bones' character, though Bones simply played it off as a seasonal gift and walked away.
Bones also seems to have formed a truce with Bradios, claiming he would not hold Bradios' actions during the battle with Santa Claus against the Neutral Nation. It is yet unknown if this truce was temporary.
It is unknown what path Bones will walk going forward, though these experiences have left him feeling a refreshed sense of purpose.
Skills: Can transform into an armored berserker known as his Boneserker form (or simply Bone Form). A hard exoskeleton of multilayered green bone forms up around his flesh body with a white skeletal pattern on it. In this form he is impervious to most physical attacks and has incredible strength of his own, turning him into a nigh-invincible and unstoppable fighting machine.
Weaknesses: Taking on his Bone Form is very strenuous to maintain and requires a lot of energy. Bones needs to be at full health in order to transform, so he will typically take it on at the very start of battle before he can be injured. Furthermore, if his stamina is pushed to its limit, he will revert back to his normal form where he will be exhausted and vulnerable. Bones has trained his stamina to be able to stay in this form for a long time, which is typically plenty to deal with most foes...though stronger opponents may be able to outlast him and cause him to revert.
He is also susceptible to the charms of a lovely lady, and this is one of the few things that can cause him to let his guard down.
Weapon/Combat Power of Choice: In human form he wields a large flaming battle axe called Beinskerandi (Bone-Splitter). When he takes on his Boneserker form the axe splits and becomes Tvær Skeri (Twin Splitters). He also carries a shield and crossbow when he wants to be especially prepared.
Bones' Fire element is seen as unusual among his kind, as Nords are most commonly born of Ice or Water - both Fire's opposites. It is believed that this was a sign from his divine makers from the time of his birth, bestowing upon him an element so unusual in his homeland to show he was different. His body is always radiating a faint heat, which kept him warm even in the cold climates and frigid seas of his homeland. As a result he tends to prefer cold weather, unlike most Fire users who favor the warmer regions.
Like most Nords, Bones is not a lover of magical arts. He will usually use his Fire element only to enhance his physical abilities, such as Beinskerandi's flames.
Blood Kaiser Karma
Bones and Karma met around the time that Bones had finished building his nation of Knochenstadt. Though he had believed the adjacent Bloodlands were nothing more than an untamed wilderness crawling with undead, Karma had been steadily building it up into a proper and unified nation under her rule. Her dream was to eventually have a full-fledged country in which all beings of the Shadow element could live free from the negative reputation that often followed them...but since zombies tend to be pretty slow, it was taking her some time to achieve this. Nevertheless, since she had been here longer than Bones, he respected her claim on the land and her right to continue ruling it, agreeing not to interfere or conquer. In exchange, Karma offered her loyalty to his own goal of building an Empire, becoming the first member of his eventual pantry as Konungur. And indeed, Blood Country fought alongside the Empire during the Great Empire-Outbackian War. Nowadays Karma is not only a valued and powerful political and military ally, but also a close personal friend to Bones.
SG2
It's unknown exactly when or how they met, but Bones and
the tiger have been close companions for a long time. SG2 is seen as Bones' most trusted advisor and member of his personal pantry, and is often called upon to perform minor law enforcement duties that don't justify Bones acting directly. While this often makes SG2 complain that he's just shoving off his duties onto her, in reality this is a sign of how much Bones trusts her to act in his place, and she is one of the first people he will contact in times of trouble.
Reese
How and when Bones and
Reese met is a story known only to the two of them, however he now makes up the third member of Bones' trusted pantry. Reese was appointed control over
his own small province in the Ragged Wastes region of IGNOLand in which he is able to study and practice the arcane arts free of disturbance, with Bones willingly turning a blind eye to his activities so long as Reese does not take hostile action against the Empire. Bones is also given free access to the various magical reagents native to the Roost, should he require them. Political affiliations aside, Bones and Reese are good friends, and some say they have even sensed some romantic tension between the two (particularly SG2, who seems to ship them).
Bradios
Bones' relationship with
Bradios, on paper, is that of enemies. Bradios is the result of the Overman Project, an experimental effort by The Outback to create a warmachine to turn the tide back during the war. Though Bradios defected from his creators and went rogue, he declared open hostility against the Empire as well, claiming many of Bones' former subjects as new members of his Neutral Nation and threatening to attack should Bones ever attempt to interfere. Furthermore, the floating landmass Bradios claimed for this nation -
Bradios Banks - was once part of Empire soil, furthering the grudge Bones holds against him. Bones considers the Neutrals and their leader to be enemies of the state, with Neutral conspirators found in the Empire susceptible to capital punishment if discovered. However, while he wouldn't necessarily consider Bradios a
friend, the two have fought side-by-side on more than one occasion, and Bradios is always given a personal invitation to Bones' famed Christmas Parties. It would appear that, political tensions aside, the two are able to get along.
Azaran
When Azaran took up the mantle of the vigilante hero Penguinman in IGNO City, Bones was furious. Vigilantism of any kind in the Empire is against Bones' laws, and Penguinman flagrantly violated those laws time and time again. Many efforts were undertaken to capture and detain Penguinman, but he repeatedly managed to evade Bones' grasp and stay one step ahead. This made Bones all the more determined to stop him, and the longer he went unable to only made him look more inept as a ruler.
During the fight against Super Santa, however, Bones revealed that he had discovered that Azaran was Penguinman all along, and enlisted his help in saving Christmas. In exchange Penguinman would be officially licensed to fight crime in IGNO City, provided he operated within the law. Bones even offered a substantial donation to the homeless shelter Azaran volunteers at, greatly challenging the teen's perceptions of this supposedly heartless dictator. As of now the two are seen as being on good, if distant, terms.
Krampus
Krampus had been a long-time enemy to Bones. As a nord, Bones was well familiar with the legends of the beast who terrorized his homeland long ago, and the heroics of Kristof Kringle in binding him. However, until arriving in IGNOLand himself, Bones was never certain whether these tales were true. It's unknown for how long exactly Bones and Krampus had been clashing over the fate of Christmas - a holiday very dear to Bones' people - but at some point in time Bones came to see it as something of an annual duty to put the monster in his place. And given the torment that Krampus had put him and his friends through so many times, it was understandable that Bones would see the creature with nothing but contempt.
That all changed when Linda brought him Krampus' journal and asked Bones to save him. Though he was mostly helping for Linda's sake, Bones came to feel somewhat sympathetic to Krampus after learning about the current Santa Claus' corruption and the way Krampus' heart had changed over the years - he was no longer the man-eating beast that was told about in the nord legends. Ultimately Krampus played a crucial role in saving Christmas from the corrupt Santa once and for all, and in the end was finally freed from the curse that had bound him to eternal life. As Krampus decided to set sail and see the world, Bones gave the creature his blessing. Though it is doubtful that their paths will ever cross again, Bones and Krampus parted on good terms and will surely never forget each other.
Queen Linda
Linda filled Bones with feelings of love that he had not felt in some time, at the very least since he became ruler of the Empire. His emotions had gradually turned from contempt at her betrayal, to inexplicable longing for the woman who had bested him, and eventually to his own idealized vision of a humble future together with her. However, this future was not what Linda desired. Bones had fallen for a fabrication, a role she had played, inside the snowglobe world...and this character was influencing Bones' visions of their potential life together. The real Linda was a proud and independent queen devoted to her people, with no intention of becoming a kept woman - even if it was as wife to the most powerful man in IGNOLand. And beyond that, though she wound not say, she clearly had feelings for Krampus.
Though only Bones or Linda themselves could tell what transpired during the few days Bones spent at the Pixie Kingdom, it appears to have been quite passionate, enough to make even Linda question her feelings. However, ultimately, she and Bones wanted different things. Upon seeing her reunite with Krampus at the end of their battle with Santa Claus, Bones finally understood this as well, letting go of his feelings for her. Though the settlements of the Wayward Woods do not accept Bones' rule over IGNOLand (and Bones is unwilling to interfere with such an ancient and magical place), Bones is considered an ally of the Pixie Kingdom out of respect for helping Linda in her goal to save Krampus from his curse. It is unknown what the future holds for the two nations, but with any luck these rulers can remain friends without feeling awkward.
The Outback
When Bones set his sights on conquering IGNOLand, the Outback resisted his rule. Being an island nation they considered themselves to be separate from IGNOLand and asserted the right to self-government, unwilling to bow down before his iron fist fluffy hugs. Thus the two nations went to war, with many lives being lost on both sides. Though the war was brought to an abrupt end by the intervention of the Overman, tensions remain high between the two countries, each worried that hostilities may break out again from the other side. However, Bones' primary focus at this time is not on the Outback itself, but on the Neutral Nation. Still, the Outback is considered an enemy, and Outbackians are subject to strict screening processes before entering Empire soil.
