!OOC: Application
Application
PLAYER
Name: Rosh
Personal Journal: mydarkrosaline
Contact Info: butterflyedge22 [AIM] | mydarkrosaline.livejournal.com [EMAIL]
CHARACTER:
NAME: Anton Herzen
SERIES: Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box
HISTORY: Anton Herzen was born in the town of Folsense, England. Whilst growing up, he was close to his younger brother, Frederich, and respectful of his position as elder brother of the Herzen household. His father, the Duke Herzen, became very rich by mining the gold from under the town. As a result, Anton grew up as a rich child, and was expected to go to social gatherings.
It was at one of these that he met Sophia, with whom he fell madly in love. Despite his father not exactly approving of the match, the two had eyes only for each other and were rarely seen apart from that moment on. Eventually, they became engaged, and Anton had a box made for Sophia. The box was known as the Elysian Box, cast in gold and precious stones, with the Herzen family emblem on its lid. There were two ways to open it; the lid was one, and the other a secret way devised by Anton and Sophia, with the only clue being “The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows you will know my heart.”
Their relationship was as strong as ever, but misfortune began to sweep through Folsense, earning the town a reputation for being cursed. People began to die left and right, or see horrible monsters and ghosts. When it was announced as a punishment for the greed of the town, Duke Herzen was expected to withdraw from mining. He did not, and continued to do so. Frederich had a major argument with their father and left Folsense. He was not the only one.
Anton began to worry for his town, but he was not truly struck by the gravity of the situation until Sophia told him she was leaving. He could not understand why she would, and saw it only as betrayal, believing that she had left him to be with another man.
When Anton’s father died, he assumed the title of Duke Herzen and continued to live in Folsense, mourning the loss of Sophia and hating her for leaving him. He sent the Elysian Box with a traveler containing a message meant only for Sophia, but though he waited months and even years, he never heard back from her.
Years passed, and rumours grew in Folsense about the vampire of Herzen Castle. The town was considered little more than a ghost town, though it was lit up brightly and still inhabited. Residents claimed to see many ghosts, and the photographs taken seemed to show very little time passing. Occasionally, people seeking the Elysian Box (which rumours had come to say would kill who ever opened it, and was nicknamed ‘Pandora’s Box’) would find their way to Anton, but leave in terror, claiming to have barely escaped with their lives and furthering the vampire rumours.
Fifty years later, Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, found their way into Folsense and up to Herzen Castle, following the lead of the Elysian Box themselves. Anton greeted them, seemingly untouched by the years, and invited them to stay the night in his home. However, he later imprisoned them deep in the castle’s cellars, claiming that he would come for them later.
It is at this point that I am going to take Anton into the game, however I will continue his history, as it contains fact relevant to explaining his character even at this point. There are spoilers for Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box from here on out, so be warned.
Professor Layton and Luke escaped, meeting up with a young woman called Katia, whom they had met earlier in their journey.
Encountering them again, Anton mistook Katia for Sophia, as the two bore incredible likeness. As if frightened by Anton, Katia hid behind Layton, causing Anton to lose all sense of reason and attack the professor madly, thinking that he was the man who had stolen his love. His skill with a sword was impressive, but he began to become fatigued within minutes of fighting. He eventually had to stop, at which point Katia revealed to him that she was his granddaughter, and that Sophia left Folsense carrying his child for fear of what would happen to it if she stayed. She raised their daughter and Katia before dying.
Layton adds to the revelation by explaining that, while mining for gold, the miners hit a vein of hallucinogenic gas that spread throughout the town. This was the reason for the perceived ghost sighting, and also for Anton’s illusion of truth, such as his youth, the town being inhabited, and even the rumours of death to whoever opened the Elysian Box (traces of gas were left on and in it).
Anton refused to hear the truth, and started to attack wildly, not seeming to care if it was Layton or the surroundings. He eventually cut down the massive chandelier in the entrance hall, causing the castle to crumble. Katia, Layton and Luke helped him escape while everything began to fall into the open mine, blocking off the gas from the surface.
Anton was then revealed as he truly is - an old man in his twilight years - and then revealed the secret to opening the box. Inside, he found letters written by Sophia, where she explained that she had never stopped loving him, and had only left to ensure the safety of their daughter, and to tell him about Katia, their granddaughter. He decided to spend the remainder of his life getting to know Katia, and returned with her to her home town, also being reunited with his younger brother along the way.
PERSONALITY: Anton is a romantic, often deluded, passionate fool. He is a charming man, for whom airs and social graces seem to come easily, but it doesn’t stop the fact that he can blind himself to truth. He seems pleasant and polite to those he talks to, and also holds an air of mystery around himself that he wears to great effect. Able to act and hide his emotions, he found himself able to play the role of vampire and monster quite well.
He is a man of deep passions. When he feels something, he feels it with incredible intensity. He loves people with everything he has - both in romantic and platonic or fraternal ways. He loved his young brother dearly and was torn when he left, and of course, his love for Sophia was enough to continue for many years after she parted from him. His anger when spurned is great - the people of Folsense seem to speak of him as a man who does not forgive nor forget betrayal. He is exceedingly single-minded in this regard.
Determined and, indeed, honourable are also words which could be used to describe Anton. He decided to uphold the duties given to him as the oldest son of the house, despite what he lost. He was also determined to keep people away from the rumours of great wealth in Folsense, thus keeping any more misfortune from coming to the town, that he ostracized himself and played the part of a monster (though Folsense was in fact abandoned, he did not believe it to be, and thus kept the town he thought he lived in safe). He also kept people from becoming to curious of the Elysian Box, though whether that was out of respect for their lives, the privacy of Sophia or selfishness on his part is something up for debate.
His emotions carry into and are threaded through obsession; he was so obsessed with Sophia and her leaving him that he didn’t seem to comprehend that the passage of time would have any effect other than what it meant in regards to his loss. His actions towards Layton and Luke were never meant to actually put them in danger, but the moment he suspected Layton of being the man Sophia left for, he began to attack him wildly, not caring to hear anything else and only stopping because he had to.
He is also the type to languish and lament. Though he made attempts at seeking Sophia, he never seemed to attempt anything new when nothing came up the first time. Entries in his diary mention how he longs for her, and how even thinking of her with another hurt him too greatly, and were a large part in his playing up the vampire rumours of the town.
His sense of delusion is exceptionally strong. As said before, once he becomes obsessed with something, he will refuse to hear other ideas or theories, despite their truth or even despite their sense. If pushed, especially about something he feels very deeply for, he will fly into a rage that is difficult to get him out of.
As with EVERYONE in the game Anton is fond of puzzles - most especially setting them and watching others solve them, but it is very likely that he enjoys solving them himself.
BIGGEST FEAR: Anton's biggest fear would definitely be the revelation of his life. He would be terrified to know that he has lived fifty years in utter delusion without Katia there to soften the blow. It would utterly destroy him.
Of course, the above is not exactly a conscious fear. Anton also expresses dislike for the mine under Folsense. While this is most likely due to what it signifies to him, I believe such a thing would grow on a mind like his and become something to be frightened of. As such, Anton is scared of wide, gaping holes that lead beneath the earth. He is fine in basements, but put him in a tunnel, a mine, or something of that nature, and he'd begin imagining things, and considering the gas that he surrounds himself with, that would definitely make them something to be scared of.
POWERS: As said before, Anton is a very determined man, and this single-mindedness can last for years. It can be a good thing in that he can be very protective and very strong in what he believes. He is also, for a man as old as he is, very skilled with a blade. He is also able to be very charming, which he can use to his advantage, and is quite an actor.
While it is not a strength of his, I would like to request that Anton arrive with traces of the (colourless, odorless) hallucinogenic gas on his hair, clothes and skin, as well as a cloud of it dispersing into the apartment he wakes up in. Anyone who is affected by this gas will be extremely susceptible to mental persuasion - for example, if they believe they see a monster, they will see a monster, etc. This would only be if a lot of it is inhaled or lived around; for a smaller dosage, only the illusion of Anton’s youth would likely stay.
Please keep in mind that Anton’s youth is an illusion - if he were asked to do any strenuous physical activities for any length of time, he would quickly become exhausted.
THIRD PERSON SAMPLE:
She had left him.
His feet followed the line of carpet from his room to the stairs, his hand touching the wall as he walked along the hall. Every step he took was muffled in the thick carpet, still as plush and vibrant in colour as it had been in the days when they had ran along it, uncaring, stealing a kiss here and then a kiss there. If he truly strained his imagination, he could hear the damped thump of their running steps, hear her laughter silenced abruptly as he kissed her…
But that was a long time ago, and he was alone now.
How many days had it been, now? It felt as if they had stretched into years. That was what waiting did to a person, he supposed, and oh, how long he had been waiting now; waiting for a reply to be found in the Box, from his Sophia. It would answer all of his questions, he was sure - the why and the how and the are you happy wherever you are, Sophia?
…Do you miss me, Sophia?
He shook his head, descending the stairs now, slowly, carefully. Sometimes, and he never understood why, but sometimes his legs would ache if he took the stairs too quickly. It was likely the chill rising from the gaping maw of the mine.
How he hated that mine.
He heard Nigel leading the guests into the entrance hall. Two sets of footsteps; a man and a boy, if he could distinguish them correctly. For a moment, he was reminded of his young brother, and walking with him. Was that what they would have sounded like?
No matter. Wherever he had got to, Anton could think about him later. For now, there were those two to deal with. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long.
He entered the dining hall, his feet now tapping on the patterned tiles. The windows overlook the lit-up town of Folsense, gleaming like jewel catching the sunlight though it lay deep within a well. Too much had happened to this cursed little town - too much had been sacrificed - to let the greed of others hurt and corrupt it all the more.
The door opened behind him, and he turned, smiling.
“Good evening. Welcome to my house.”
FIRST PERSON SAMPLE
What…
What madness is this?
Where is Folsense? The castle? Nigel? What is this house that I’ve - [A grunt as he throws something away from himself - likely the communicator, as there is also a fairly loud CLUNK not moments after.] Eugh!
[There are some deep breaths taken, gradually growing calmer, more collected, and footsteps can be heard. The communicator is lifted, and the voice which comes over the feed is much smoother, all velvet and silk, but with a threat of steel under it.]
Oh? And what would this be, now?
[A silence as he turns it over and over in his hands.]
What exactly is this, then…
[And then there’s a chuckle, rueful. It’s a nice sound, rich and pleasant.]
Of course. This is a dream. There’s no rhyme or reason to it - what else could it be? [Another chuckle.] Ah, foolishness. I do wonder if my guests have managed to escape yet…
[The feed rolls for a moment, and then cuts out.]
NOTES: The hallucinogenic gas makes people see what they think is there, or not see what they do not think is there. It does not, however, make something appear or disappear - it only alters perception, not fact.
PLAYER
Name: Rosh
Personal Journal: mydarkrosaline
Contact Info: butterflyedge22 [AIM] | mydarkrosaline.livejournal.com [EMAIL]
CHARACTER:
NAME: Anton Herzen
SERIES: Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box
HISTORY: Anton Herzen was born in the town of Folsense, England. Whilst growing up, he was close to his younger brother, Frederich, and respectful of his position as elder brother of the Herzen household. His father, the Duke Herzen, became very rich by mining the gold from under the town. As a result, Anton grew up as a rich child, and was expected to go to social gatherings.
It was at one of these that he met Sophia, with whom he fell madly in love. Despite his father not exactly approving of the match, the two had eyes only for each other and were rarely seen apart from that moment on. Eventually, they became engaged, and Anton had a box made for Sophia. The box was known as the Elysian Box, cast in gold and precious stones, with the Herzen family emblem on its lid. There were two ways to open it; the lid was one, and the other a secret way devised by Anton and Sophia, with the only clue being “The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows you will know my heart.”
Their relationship was as strong as ever, but misfortune began to sweep through Folsense, earning the town a reputation for being cursed. People began to die left and right, or see horrible monsters and ghosts. When it was announced as a punishment for the greed of the town, Duke Herzen was expected to withdraw from mining. He did not, and continued to do so. Frederich had a major argument with their father and left Folsense. He was not the only one.
Anton began to worry for his town, but he was not truly struck by the gravity of the situation until Sophia told him she was leaving. He could not understand why she would, and saw it only as betrayal, believing that she had left him to be with another man.
When Anton’s father died, he assumed the title of Duke Herzen and continued to live in Folsense, mourning the loss of Sophia and hating her for leaving him. He sent the Elysian Box with a traveler containing a message meant only for Sophia, but though he waited months and even years, he never heard back from her.
Years passed, and rumours grew in Folsense about the vampire of Herzen Castle. The town was considered little more than a ghost town, though it was lit up brightly and still inhabited. Residents claimed to see many ghosts, and the photographs taken seemed to show very little time passing. Occasionally, people seeking the Elysian Box (which rumours had come to say would kill who ever opened it, and was nicknamed ‘Pandora’s Box’) would find their way to Anton, but leave in terror, claiming to have barely escaped with their lives and furthering the vampire rumours.
Fifty years later, Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, found their way into Folsense and up to Herzen Castle, following the lead of the Elysian Box themselves. Anton greeted them, seemingly untouched by the years, and invited them to stay the night in his home. However, he later imprisoned them deep in the castle’s cellars, claiming that he would come for them later.
It is at this point that I am going to take Anton into the game, however I will continue his history, as it contains fact relevant to explaining his character even at this point. There are spoilers for Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box from here on out, so be warned.
Professor Layton and Luke escaped, meeting up with a young woman called Katia, whom they had met earlier in their journey.
Encountering them again, Anton mistook Katia for Sophia, as the two bore incredible likeness. As if frightened by Anton, Katia hid behind Layton, causing Anton to lose all sense of reason and attack the professor madly, thinking that he was the man who had stolen his love. His skill with a sword was impressive, but he began to become fatigued within minutes of fighting. He eventually had to stop, at which point Katia revealed to him that she was his granddaughter, and that Sophia left Folsense carrying his child for fear of what would happen to it if she stayed. She raised their daughter and Katia before dying.
Layton adds to the revelation by explaining that, while mining for gold, the miners hit a vein of hallucinogenic gas that spread throughout the town. This was the reason for the perceived ghost sighting, and also for Anton’s illusion of truth, such as his youth, the town being inhabited, and even the rumours of death to whoever opened the Elysian Box (traces of gas were left on and in it).
Anton refused to hear the truth, and started to attack wildly, not seeming to care if it was Layton or the surroundings. He eventually cut down the massive chandelier in the entrance hall, causing the castle to crumble. Katia, Layton and Luke helped him escape while everything began to fall into the open mine, blocking off the gas from the surface.
Anton was then revealed as he truly is - an old man in his twilight years - and then revealed the secret to opening the box. Inside, he found letters written by Sophia, where she explained that she had never stopped loving him, and had only left to ensure the safety of their daughter, and to tell him about Katia, their granddaughter. He decided to spend the remainder of his life getting to know Katia, and returned with her to her home town, also being reunited with his younger brother along the way.
PERSONALITY: Anton is a romantic, often deluded, passionate fool. He is a charming man, for whom airs and social graces seem to come easily, but it doesn’t stop the fact that he can blind himself to truth. He seems pleasant and polite to those he talks to, and also holds an air of mystery around himself that he wears to great effect. Able to act and hide his emotions, he found himself able to play the role of vampire and monster quite well.
He is a man of deep passions. When he feels something, he feels it with incredible intensity. He loves people with everything he has - both in romantic and platonic or fraternal ways. He loved his young brother dearly and was torn when he left, and of course, his love for Sophia was enough to continue for many years after she parted from him. His anger when spurned is great - the people of Folsense seem to speak of him as a man who does not forgive nor forget betrayal. He is exceedingly single-minded in this regard.
Determined and, indeed, honourable are also words which could be used to describe Anton. He decided to uphold the duties given to him as the oldest son of the house, despite what he lost. He was also determined to keep people away from the rumours of great wealth in Folsense, thus keeping any more misfortune from coming to the town, that he ostracized himself and played the part of a monster (though Folsense was in fact abandoned, he did not believe it to be, and thus kept the town he thought he lived in safe). He also kept people from becoming to curious of the Elysian Box, though whether that was out of respect for their lives, the privacy of Sophia or selfishness on his part is something up for debate.
His emotions carry into and are threaded through obsession; he was so obsessed with Sophia and her leaving him that he didn’t seem to comprehend that the passage of time would have any effect other than what it meant in regards to his loss. His actions towards Layton and Luke were never meant to actually put them in danger, but the moment he suspected Layton of being the man Sophia left for, he began to attack him wildly, not caring to hear anything else and only stopping because he had to.
He is also the type to languish and lament. Though he made attempts at seeking Sophia, he never seemed to attempt anything new when nothing came up the first time. Entries in his diary mention how he longs for her, and how even thinking of her with another hurt him too greatly, and were a large part in his playing up the vampire rumours of the town.
His sense of delusion is exceptionally strong. As said before, once he becomes obsessed with something, he will refuse to hear other ideas or theories, despite their truth or even despite their sense. If pushed, especially about something he feels very deeply for, he will fly into a rage that is difficult to get him out of.
As with EVERYONE in the game Anton is fond of puzzles - most especially setting them and watching others solve them, but it is very likely that he enjoys solving them himself.
BIGGEST FEAR: Anton's biggest fear would definitely be the revelation of his life. He would be terrified to know that he has lived fifty years in utter delusion without Katia there to soften the blow. It would utterly destroy him.
Of course, the above is not exactly a conscious fear. Anton also expresses dislike for the mine under Folsense. While this is most likely due to what it signifies to him, I believe such a thing would grow on a mind like his and become something to be frightened of. As such, Anton is scared of wide, gaping holes that lead beneath the earth. He is fine in basements, but put him in a tunnel, a mine, or something of that nature, and he'd begin imagining things, and considering the gas that he surrounds himself with, that would definitely make them something to be scared of.
POWERS: As said before, Anton is a very determined man, and this single-mindedness can last for years. It can be a good thing in that he can be very protective and very strong in what he believes. He is also, for a man as old as he is, very skilled with a blade. He is also able to be very charming, which he can use to his advantage, and is quite an actor.
While it is not a strength of his, I would like to request that Anton arrive with traces of the (colourless, odorless) hallucinogenic gas on his hair, clothes and skin, as well as a cloud of it dispersing into the apartment he wakes up in. Anyone who is affected by this gas will be extremely susceptible to mental persuasion - for example, if they believe they see a monster, they will see a monster, etc. This would only be if a lot of it is inhaled or lived around; for a smaller dosage, only the illusion of Anton’s youth would likely stay.
Please keep in mind that Anton’s youth is an illusion - if he were asked to do any strenuous physical activities for any length of time, he would quickly become exhausted.
THIRD PERSON SAMPLE:
She had left him.
His feet followed the line of carpet from his room to the stairs, his hand touching the wall as he walked along the hall. Every step he took was muffled in the thick carpet, still as plush and vibrant in colour as it had been in the days when they had ran along it, uncaring, stealing a kiss here and then a kiss there. If he truly strained his imagination, he could hear the damped thump of their running steps, hear her laughter silenced abruptly as he kissed her…
But that was a long time ago, and he was alone now.
How many days had it been, now? It felt as if they had stretched into years. That was what waiting did to a person, he supposed, and oh, how long he had been waiting now; waiting for a reply to be found in the Box, from his Sophia. It would answer all of his questions, he was sure - the why and the how and the are you happy wherever you are, Sophia?
…Do you miss me, Sophia?
He shook his head, descending the stairs now, slowly, carefully. Sometimes, and he never understood why, but sometimes his legs would ache if he took the stairs too quickly. It was likely the chill rising from the gaping maw of the mine.
How he hated that mine.
He heard Nigel leading the guests into the entrance hall. Two sets of footsteps; a man and a boy, if he could distinguish them correctly. For a moment, he was reminded of his young brother, and walking with him. Was that what they would have sounded like?
No matter. Wherever he had got to, Anton could think about him later. For now, there were those two to deal with. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long.
He entered the dining hall, his feet now tapping on the patterned tiles. The windows overlook the lit-up town of Folsense, gleaming like jewel catching the sunlight though it lay deep within a well. Too much had happened to this cursed little town - too much had been sacrificed - to let the greed of others hurt and corrupt it all the more.
The door opened behind him, and he turned, smiling.
“Good evening. Welcome to my house.”
FIRST PERSON SAMPLE
What…
What madness is this?
Where is Folsense? The castle? Nigel? What is this house that I’ve - [A grunt as he throws something away from himself - likely the communicator, as there is also a fairly loud CLUNK not moments after.] Eugh!
[There are some deep breaths taken, gradually growing calmer, more collected, and footsteps can be heard. The communicator is lifted, and the voice which comes over the feed is much smoother, all velvet and silk, but with a threat of steel under it.]
Oh? And what would this be, now?
[A silence as he turns it over and over in his hands.]
What exactly is this, then…
[And then there’s a chuckle, rueful. It’s a nice sound, rich and pleasant.]
Of course. This is a dream. There’s no rhyme or reason to it - what else could it be? [Another chuckle.] Ah, foolishness. I do wonder if my guests have managed to escape yet…
[The feed rolls for a moment, and then cuts out.]
NOTES: The hallucinogenic gas makes people see what they think is there, or not see what they do not think is there. It does not, however, make something appear or disappear - it only alters perception, not fact.