Starcatcher

Lightning Pearlcatcher --- --- [ House Router ] [ First Generation ] (He/Him) --- --- Supervillain, Duke to House Router (Second Union), and First Consort to Queen Silkrouter --- ---

The noble Starcatcher was the third eldest of a litter of five, born to the famed parents of Circuit and Dana in the the Tempest Spire of the Shifting Expanse. Starcatcher had two older siblings, the first unnamed and the second named Summit. He also had two younger siblings, the first unnamed and the second named Sienna. Starcatcher was born beautiful, just like the rest of his siblings. Using his beauty and charm, Starcatcher was easily able to make a life for himself as a powerful public figure within the Shifting Expanse. He became notorious for being an information broker, gaining fulfillment from spreading illicit information across the Expanse. This is what led to his service as a powerful diplomat in his early adulthood. Famous for making peace between warring clans, Starcatcher's career as a politician looked to be very bright as he grew older.

With his later years of adulthood, Starcatcher had come to find that his family's interest in him and his endeavors were waning. His position in the political sphere became static, with not much hope of moving any further upwards. Threatened by the loss of his financial prospects as a result of his family pulling away, Starcatcher decided to do something drastic. He used the trust certain clans had placed in him to instigate wars over fake reasons; raising his credibility by sharing secrets borne through conflicts he had created. It was not long before he was caught in the act, and cast out of the political sphere of the Shifting Expanse. His reputation ruined, Starcatcher hid away amongst the dark shadows of the Expanse out of shame. After a few years of hiding, he reemerged, his confidence restored. Insisting that his pearl had been thoroughly cleansed of sin over years of reflection, he began working his way back up the political ladder from the very bottom.

Due to his prominence, Starcatcher was easily able to integrate into the budding House Router of the Shifting Expanse. Requisitioned as part of strategic expansion of the clan, Starcatcher was brought aboard to help the Routic Imperium form alliances with other clans. However, he was soon designated to become the First Consort to Queen Silkrouter. This put a hitch in his political aspirations, as a Consort had no real power within the Imperium. It was arranged for him and the Queen to sire a second litter of children to strengthen the royal lineage; an event to take place after the hatching of House Abyssal's eggs. Becoming thoroughly integrated into the politics of the Routic Imperium, House Router gifted Consort Starcatcher a Flamescale Venomcaster to watch over and protect him. Having never received such a heartfelt gift before, Consort Starcatcher was very moved by the gesture. He named the Flamescale Venomcaster Voidsilence, and promised to keep it by his side at all times. Eventually Voidsilence proved to be a valuable tool for gathering information and keeping undesirable dragons away from Consort Starcatcher. With Voidsilence helping him manage his official duties, Consort Starcatcher had become a rising star within the political sphere once again. While it satisfied him to be joining such a noble bloodline, Consort Starcatcher aspired to attain real power within the clan's hierarchy. Once settled into House Router, Consort Starcatcher began connecting with the prominent dragons of the clan and its allied clans; understanding that the key to power is through connections with other dragons. His natural tendencies tempted the Consort to exploit his position to gain more power. However, he wielded his sentimentality against himself and hoped that would be enough to reign himself in. Consort Starcatcher valued the affection he was given as a part of House Router and did not want to betray the trust that had been placed in him. Unfortunately, as time went on, the itch began to grow. He did not want to remain static, to fade away into the background as a normal dragon. Consort Starcatcher aspired to become something greater, and not even he could stop himself from achieving such a fate.

As a result of his aspirations, Consort Starcatcher sought to make connections with high-ranking members of allied clans. He soon began a correspondence with King Bluegolem I of the Allied Die Kingdom. The two often exchanged secrets and information from the clans they hailed from, forming a powerful and hidden alliance. Several months into their correspondence, King Bluegolem revealed that King Silkdice I of the Allied Die Kingdom was growing impatient with his sister, Queen Silkrouter. Their clan was providing the Routic Imperium with resources, but had yet to see the results he was looking for. Knowing that Consort Starcatcher desired to climb the hierarchy of the clan, King Bluegolem pushed him to oust King Guapostrider I of the Routic Imperium; hoping that with someone on the inside to keep Queen Silkrouter in-check, they would see more favorable results. In-return, King Bluegolem promised that Consort Starcatcher would be given a high-ranking position within the Allied Die Kingdom he would be helping to create. This pleased Consort Starcatcher immensely. After the clan was requisitioned near The Source of the Shifting Expanse, decided to begin Consort Starcatcher negotiations with Queen Silkrouter. He requested to have his future children take priority when deciding the line of succession to the Router Throne. This posed an issue, as Prince Guaporouter and Princess Lapis had already made plans to wed and ascend the throne. Intrigued by the proposal, Queen Silkrouter agreed to not let Prince Guaporouter and Princess Lapis immediately ascend the throne after their marriage; giving Starcatcher's future children the chance to prove themselves as worthy heirs. Consort Starcatcher hoped that having his children be first in line to succeed the Router Throne would put more weight behind him if he tried to oust the current King (a plan he was still trying to work out). If things didn't pan out the way he hoped, whichever child became the next regent could still serve as a useful pawn. Working closely with King Bluegolem, Consort Starcatcher was certain that all of his political ambitions would soon come to fruition.

Once House Abyssal's eggs were hatched, the time came for Queen Silkrouter and Consort Starcatcher to mate and hatch a new litter of heirs to the Router Throne. Together, they hatched two new members of the royal family: Prince Starrouter I, and Prince Starfern I. Albeit expecting offspring bearing more extravagance, Consort Starcatcher loved his new sons as dearly as any parent could. He immediately sought the Queen about their placement in the line of succession, eager to get the ball rolling on his grand scheme. However, having just been confronted by the King himself about how he believed Prince Guapostrider should remain the next heir, Queen Silkrouter decided that Consort Starcatcher's children would not be prioritized over Guapostrider's children in the line of succession. This development had upset him, but not as much as he originally thought he would. He found himself feeling a little bit relieved, even. As much as he wanted to be rich and prominent, he was unsure how he really felt about backstabbing his newfound family in House Router. With all of these mixed up feelings, a war began to brew inside of him... After reporting this news back to King Bluegolem, Consort Starcatcher soon discovered that the Allied Die Kingdom was not very happy with him. They began to doubt his abilities as a politician, and Starcatcher grew anxious that he would find himself back at the bottom of the ladder once again. Desperate to buy himself more time, Consort Starcatcher found himself allied with Paladin Ashenidol. Ashenidol dreamed of rising to power just as Starcatcher did. He proposed that if she were able to mate with Prince Guaposilver and sire children with him-- then the two of them could force Queen Silkrouter and King Guapostrider off of the Router Throne. Consort Starcatcher would then assassinate Guaposilver and marry Ashenidol as the new King. Paladin Ashenidol found herself pleased with this idea and agreed to seek out Prince Guaposilver at his encampment outside of the clan's territory. What Consort Starcatcher did not tell her, however, was that once he was made King he would be ceding the Routic Imperium to the greater authority of the Allied Die Kingdom.

When the time came for Prince Guaposilver and Paladin Ashenidol to announce their marriage and claim to the throne, Consort Starcatcher worked furiously to rally support for the couple within House Router. He talked extensively with Prince Starrouter, Prince Starfern, and Prince Guapocherry about the benefits of living under the rulership of Prince Guaposilver. The sly pearlcatcher convinced the three of them that if Prince Guaposilver came to power, the three of them would become strong contenders for higher positions, such as Chief Warmaster or Psionic Mage. The three of them liked the sound of this idea, and put their weight behind Guaposilver and Ashenidol. This happened to do a lot of the citizens of the Routic Empire, whose trust for Prince Guaposilver began to rise. Consort Starcatcher had to be smart about this, however. He did not want the new King to be too popular, as his intention was to have the King assassinated. Consequently, he decided to give funds under the table to other political figures campaigning against him. By the end, Consort Starcatcher had gained control over the campaigns for both sides-- as well as the Routic Imperium's media cycle.

Consort Starcatcher's plan eventually came to fruition-- with King Guaposilver and Queen Ashenidol ousting the old rulership and becoming the new high authority within the Imperium. The birth of their children ushered in a new era over the whole of the Routic Imperium (later dubbed the 'Opposition Era' by its citizens). As he had been working closely with Queen Ashenidol, she decided it would be fair to promote Starcatcher to the position of Duke to House Router; at least, until his time to become King had come. Duke was a new positioned created by the King and Queen to serve as the mediator between a House and its assets, and the imperial rulership. Duke Starcatcher was absolutely overflowing with glee, as his plan was coming together perfectly and he was already reaping the rewards. However, the sudden disappearance of the previous Queen, Silkrouter, (as well as his two sons, Princes Starrouter and Starfern) had left him worried. He feared that he was tearing his newfound family apart, that his actions would cause irreparable harm in-exchange for his ascent to power. He reasoned that if nobody really knew it was him, it couldn't be too bad... right? Duke Starcatcher continued to experience deep turmoil over this subject; to the point where it invaded his dreams. To make matters worse, King Bluegolem I praised Duke Starcatcher for his swift takeover of the Routic Imperium. Singing his praises, King Bluegolem promised him that he would be rewarded for his virtue; offering to create a special position within the Allied Die Kingdom that would allow him to rule just below the Kings, themselves. Duke Starcatcher was hooked on the praise and validation he received from King Bluegolem. To him, there was nothing better to him than a successful political alliance. Despite the Duke's doubts, he decided to double down and support the Allied Die Kingdom. this meant that he had to commit to the assassination of, the now King, Guaposilver. He had always assumed that he would be able to carry it through-- but now that he was closer than ever he was beginning to doubt himself. He had watched Guaposilver grow up, he was almost like a son to him (and he was as distant to him as his two actual sons). Duke Starcatcher tried to steel his nerves, swallowing his fear and pressing forward to do what was necessary. He could not fall out of the limelight. Not when he was this close. Not again.

The Duke began meeting up with Queen Ashenidol in secret, beginning a few weeks after her inauguration. He was eager to become King, proposing all sorts of schemes to carry out King Guaposilver's assassination. Despite the Queen's intention to stay cautious, the Duke was getting nervous. She did not understand why, but she could tell that there was something about the current situation that seemed to be pressing on him. Duke Starcatcher expressed that he would like to take the throne sooner rather than later-- suggesting that there were time-sensitive political alliances he was hoping to form once he rose to power. In-reality, his potential alliances were frustrated with him. King Bluegolem had grown tired of waiting for the Duke to carry out his plan; beginning to dole out threats if he did not accomplish his task on time. King Bluegolem told Duke Starcatcher that he would soon be gathering soldiers for an army tasked with occupying the Routic Imperium. He made sure Duke Starcatcher understood that if the army arrived and he had yet to become King-- it would be his head the army would be bringing back with them.

It wasn't long before Duke Starcatcher caught wind of an opportunity: King Guaposilver was seeking a private audience with the former King, Guapostrider. It was to be the two of them, alone with the protection of a regiment of Paladins. Duke Starcatcher began to reason with himself that it might be the opportune time to strike-- as not only would the King's guard be down, but he could easily pin the blame on one of the other parties present. Additionally, his prominence and control over the media of the Routic Imperium gave him the confidence to begin the execution of his plan. He passed this information over to Queen Ashenidol and King Bluegolem, requesting that they begin preparations as he planned to make his move. Duke Starcatcher soon petitioned King Guaposilver to allow him to accompany him to his meeting with King Guapostrider. Given that he was designated as the mediator between the imperial rulership and house Router, he argued that it was in his jurisdiction. King Guaposilver reluctantly agreed, though he was a bit happy to have someone he was at least sort of close with to be there to comfort him (although he wasn't really there for that). Once the time was right, King Guaposilver, Duke Starcatcher, and a group of seven armored Paladins head to the manor of Prince Guaporouter and Princess Lapis. Once they arrived, they forced their way into the building to find King Guapostrider; lying weakly in his bed, clearly much less healthy than he had been when he left office... the last time Guaposilver had seen him. King Guaposilver rushed over to his father's side, trying to figure out what had happened to him. The former King solemnly explained that ever since he had left the throne, he had lost both his wife and his secret lover. He had found himself all alone, surrounded by a family that was tearing itself apart over political aspirations. His depression had overcome him, and he could barely take care of himself. The fact that he was an aging Fae did him no favors either. The Duke was sad to see his peer in such a sorry state, he kept a stern face. He did not want to show weakness.

When pressed about the note he had made in the drafts of the El Guapo Expeditions, the former King grew angry. He was upset that King Guaposilver had made enemies of Prince Guaporouter and Princess Lapis, and he was upset that the first time he had come to see him in such a long time was because he needed something from him. The King refused to tell him anything, stating that Project EDEN was bigger than both of them. He did not trust Guaposilver with the details behind the Project, believing that he would use it for his own personal gain. King Guapostrider denounced the Silver Gear Company and said that King Guaposilver had strayed far from the freedom-loving kid he had used to be. King Guaposilver simply responded that he was not a child anymore, and that he had to do what was best for his people and for his family. Even if they didn't believe it to be so, he had felt there were deep issues with the way that the Imperium had been run up until now-- and it was his duty to see that they were resolved. He argued that if he was going to be regarded as an outcast to society no matter what, he was going to do his best to help them rather than harm them. The King stormed out-- vowing that his father would regret his actions; with Duke Starcatcher trailing behind.

When the King turned to leave the room, Duke Starcatcher decided it was time to make his move. A bolt of lightning surged through his right arm, silent and deadly. He blasted the King in the back with a powerful electrocution spell, throwing him into the wall with a loud, thundering, CRACK! Using his last few moments of focus, he moved the magical energy residue to the front of the doorway leading into King Guapostrider's chambers-- framing him from the attack. Once all of the Paladins had registered that the King was in dire straits, Duke Starcatcher did his best to appear taken aback; standing as far away from where the spell was cast as he could possibly be. All of the Paladins immediately accused King Guapostrider of harming the King, who denied everything that they threw at him. Given that he was the most plausible suspect, the former King was thrown into the dungeon underneath the main castle to rot in the darkness. Duke Starcatcher felt sick to his stomach, but he knew that there was no going back now. He was destined to become King. Once that was all said and done, Duke Starcatcher returned to Queen Ashenidol to share what he had overheard. He admitted that he was responsible for the attack on the King, and that it put her in a very favorable position. With Queen Ashenidol intrigued, Starcatcher explained that he had overheard that King Guaposilver saw that King Guapostrider was aware of a hidden project known as Project EDEN-- something the Queen had been trying to uncover for a while. With King Guapostrider incriminated, and sitting alone in the dungeon, she could interrogate him for the details and finally uncover the secrets behind the project. This pleased the Queen greatly, although she was very sorry to inform the Duke that his assassination attempt had failed. Surprised by this development, Duke Starcatcher stormed off-- fearful for what might happen if King Bluegolem were to find out. Even worse, the fact that King Guaposilver was still alive and now grievously wounded mean that he might actually have to face the consequences of his actions; to actually see the result of the damage he's caused. It had always been abstract to him, always happening to someone else in a room he's never in. It was real now... and it drove. Him. Mad.

The day after Chief Warmaster Zephyrbone left the castle to begin the first wave of the El Guapo Expeditions, Duke Starcatcher decided to visit Psionic Mage Cherry's chambers. It was where King Guaposilver was being kept, slowly recovering from his wounds. When he arrived, he found himself walking into the middle of a heated battle. Prince Blackrose and former Psionic Mage Canyondust were attacking Psionic Mage Cherry-- attempting to kidnap the injured King Guaposilver. While this could have been favorable to him, he realized that the two attacking dragons were members of the Birthright Faction of the Routic Imperium. Knowing that if they gained any amount of power over the imperial rulership that it could spell trouble for all of them, Duke Starcatcher leapt forward and performed a surprise attack. He quickly slashed Prince Blackrose across the face with his claws, pushing the assailant to the floor and giving Psionic Mage Cherry the distraction she needed to strike Canyondust down with a magical spell. Together, the two of them took the two revolutionaries down.

Unfortunately, Prince Blackrose was carrying a dagger with him. He stabbed Duke Starcatcher in the abdomen and kicked the pearlcatcher off of him. Canyondust used the distraction to break free from Psionic Mage Cherry's grasp, picking up the slumbering King Guaposilver and running off after Prince Blackrose-- who was already making his escape. Before he could get away, Cherry shot a lightning bolt through Canyondust's heart, stopping him in his place. As the former Psionic Mage fell, he threw King Guaposilver into Prince Blackrose's arms. This allowed Prince Blackrose to escape with King Guaposilver as Canyondust was captured and arrested. Duke Starcatcher was deeply wounded by the Prince's attack, and was one of many casualties that day; a day that would later come to be known as the Birthright's Bloody Dawn. Duke Starcatcher stayed with Psionic Mage Cherry for a while, letting her heal his wounds as she lamented over the loss of the King that she had seen as her son. The Duke cared naught for this, taking the first opportunity to leave her chambers and seek out Queen Ashenidol. Despite still being wounded, he was able to make his way to her chambers and seek a private audience with her. This is where she revealed to him the details behind the attack. Apparently the Birthright Faction had attempted a coup, but the Queen had already hired House Opal to infiltrate the faction. She was able to intercept them in-time and arrest nearly all of the dissenters. With King Guaposilver out of the picture, Duke Starcatcher proposed that it might be time for them to be wed and he be crowned King. Queen Ashenidol did not agree with this, deciding that she would consolidate power unto herself as an Empress-- inaugurating Duke Starcatcher as King later down the line, after her power was cemented. The Duke resisted this idea, which the Queen responded by pushing him onto the floor, crushing his rib cage with her foot. Queen Ashenidol claimed that she held all of the cards now, especially now that she had uncovered the secrets behind Project EDEN. All he could do was scamper away from her. His hands tied, Ashienidol made her demands: she wanted him to be more open with her. She wanted him to prove himself as a worthy romantic partner before she would wed him. She feared that all he cared about was himself. Duke Starcatcher didn't know how to react to this. He soon shut himself way in his chambers, fearful and completely alone.

Finding himself without allies, Duke Starcatcher sought out the Psionic Mage, Cherry. The last time he had seen her was during the attack, and he hoped that the shared experience would make her sympathetic to him. The Duke felt like the whole Imperium was against him, that he had nowhere else to turn. When he came to visit her chambers, he found Cherry to be despondent and inattentive-- barely noticing that he had even entered. As the two talked, Psionic Mage Cherry revealed that she had seen Queen Ashenidol (who had now claimed authority as The Empress) attacking Queen Silkrouter, Prince Starrouter, and Prince Starfern on the night before her inauguration; right before they disappeared. When King Guaposilver, who she had come to see as a son, was kidnapped on Birthright's Bloody Dawn, she felt like she had failed once again. She blamed herself for all four of their disappearances, sending her spiraling into a depression. Understanding her pain, Duke Starcatcher confessed to her that he also felt like he was continually failing. He wanted to comfort her. Cherry was the only connection he was able to make now. He worried she would find out the truth about him.

Using the information that Psionic Mage Cherry had given him, Duke Starcatcher began to construct a plan. Donning a burlap hood, the Duke decided to sneak out of the Routic Imperium. Despite being under Empress Ashenidol's close watch, he managed to escape into the shadows in the dead of night. With the help of Psionic Mage Cherry, he was able to deploy a spell that made him temporarily invisible. Once he was out of the Imperium, he used a map of Sornieth to determine the direction that the Allied Die Kingdom's soldiers would be arriving from. Duke Starcatcher planned to intercept the armed forces that King Bluegolem had sent. It took him three days to meet up with them, hoping that he could convince them to team up with him in-an effort to depose Empress Ashenidol. The Duke was met with immediate hostility, with the Allied Army claiming that their orders were to eliminate Starcatcher. Using his silver tongue, Duke Starcatcher was able to convince them to give him 10 additional days-- after which they would descend upon the Routic Imperium. If Starcatcher was ready, and he had gained access to the throne, they would help him wrap up. If not, they would kill Duke Starcatcher and attempt to take the castle by force. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could manage. Once he had taken care of the impending invading army, Duke Starcatcher set out on his real quest: recovering King Guaposilver.