Profile

[Name]
Daemyn

[Nickname]
'Dae' (Given to him by Dancer)
'Olaf' (Given to him by Malkavian)

[Age]
Birth: Spring, 365
At the time of joining the group: 35
Currently: 36

[Gender]
Male - Stallion

[Rank]
Rook

[Orientation]
Demisexual

[Relationship]
None - Though searching for someone. He's feeling increasingly lonely as friends find their perfect partners all around him. 

[Breed]
Shire mix, lots of heavy horses in his lineage. Thick bones and fluff aplenty. 

[Faction]
Olde Herd. Born and Raised. Would never dream of leaving. 

[Rank]
Rook

[Personality]

| Loyal | Kind | Gentle | Religious |
| Slow | Dumb | Aloof |

- Loyal: Daemyn is loyal to a fault towards every member of his herd, friends doubly so, family even more and Vasska, the herd leader, placed at the very top. There is nothing he wouldn't do for the herd, even going so far as to place himself in direct danger.
- Kind: He is a kind soul, willing to offer his help where ever needed, as long as it does not conflict with his sense of loyalty and unspoken duty. Need you a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen or a sturdy back to carry that really amazing and artistic root you found just over yonder, Daemyn is the stallion to go to.
- Gentle: The large shire mix has a very gentle nature about him. He sees no need for conflict or anger, as the world has not really given him any reason to develop such feelings. Often he will attempt to bring down more hot-headed members of the herd, appealing to them with his gentle, although slow, approach.
- Religious: He believes blindly in the Unicorns. He knows they exist with every fiber of his body and that they will return one day. It may not be in his lifetime, but eventually the Gods will walk with the herd once more.
- Slow: Daemyn is heavyset, a mixture of both muscle and fat. He is slow, usually just lumbering about at his own pace, but he is also slow of mind. Slow to come to obvious conclusions, slow to realize a prank has been pulled on his expense, and slow to (if even capable of) picking up on the political working of the clan. Not that he has any interest in them anyway. He's slow to emotions too, especially anger.
- Dumb: Not the brightest creature to ever skip about on four hooves, Daemyn falls for pranks and jokes time and time again. He will believe any story told to him with just a grain of truth, although he remains skeptical of any unicorn-sighting claims.
- Aloof: It's like... the lights are never truly on. His mind often wanders from the present, and he loses track of conversations in large groups. Detached and distant most of the time, its not that he has no interest in the situation, but when large words are brought into play, or topics he has no knowledge of are discussed, it is just so much easier for him to drift off. And seeing that knowledge isn't exactly his top score... he drifts off a lot.


Recent events (The War)

- Depressed: When his herd needed him the most (The War Objective), Daemyn thought he'd be coming through for them all and show them that he was just as much a Knight as his father. However, although Daemyn made it into the thick of the fight facing a Bachelor, he did not make it through. The thought of losing and the consequences it may have had for his herd, fills him with horrible depression that has sapped his otherwise cheerful nature. 
- Self Hating: Tied into losing his battle against Grange, Daemyn has developed some serious self-loathing, believing that he is indeed just a big Oaf, not worthy of his herd. He hates himself and finds new things daily to hate.
- Angry: Constantly angry after his loss, the shire mix's cheerful nature is all but gone. He'll snap at friends and strangers alike, because deep down he doesn't find himself worthy of anyone. 

---

History

Pre-Group History

- Child
Daemyn was born to a pair of shire-mix breeds: mother Amelia, and father Gavin. They were as picture perfect an Olde Herd family as one could ever imagine. Loving, devoted parents who were religious to a fault and trusted the leadership blindly with their lives. It was to be a good life for little Daemyn and was so for several months, until he fell dreadfully ill. An otherwise harmless tick-bite to the tail had somehow turned into an infested, open sore which the fluffy golden hair had concealed well for a long time. When the colt finally began to complain about aches and pain, infestation was spreading rapidly into healthy tissue.
The following days and night were near unbearable for his parents, fretting at his declining health. Fever soon took a hold and eventually it was decided that his tail must be removed to stop the infection from spreading and claiming his young life. Herbs kept the young one drowsy and drugged as the bloody act was carried out, but his squeals of pain haunted his mother for many a dark night.
Daemyn's health returned slowly, his life had been saved and that was all that mattered to his doting parents. The colt himself recalled little of his brush with death.

- Teenager
Healthy and full of life, Daemyn grew into a sizable teenager, clearly taking from his father's impressive side of the family. He grew tall and muscular, but his mind never seemed to follow his impressive physical stature. Amelia feared that the fever many years back had managed to wound his brain and damage his mental capabilities, but she never stopped loving her child, no matter how slow or dumb he turned out to be.
Gavin, then a proud Knight of the herd, turned to a strict, no-nonsense approach, spending as much time with his son as possible, to pass on his knowledge and to prove to the herd, that his offspring was not mentally challenged. He made sure that his son entered into rookship, wishing desperately to see the training help and hoping Daemyn would eventually graduate as another proud Knight to follow in his hoofsteps. Yet, as most could have told Gavin, Daemyn made slow progress, very, very slow progress. 
Gavin grew frustrated, then irritated and finally gave up when nothing except Unicorn tales stuck with the young boy.

- Young adult - Adult
Gavin passed away when Daemyn was in his mid twenties, leaving his mother alone and wrecked with sorrow, never to take another mate again. Daemyn himself never really came to terms with the loss, burying it deep inside rather than confronting it. His demeanor changed, his mind began drifting and he paid less and less attention to important facts and knowledge. All of this 'learning' constantly brought up his father's presence in his mind, so he subconsciously chose to cut it off completely. He struggled as a rook and was close to being kicked from the program many, many times. In most cases he was save by his mother's influence. It all came down to 'giving him a little more time' and that 'he would come around soon.'
It was during his young adulthood that he truly became cemented as dumb and slow, yet lovable and kind. Everybody knew not to expect any golden facts to drop from his lips, but he still rated as comfortable company.
All in all he lead a surprisingly quiet and normal life.


Group History

- At the Edge of the World (Objective 2)
When the Prayer Pool turned red and Eiru's prophecy took the Olde herd to the rising landbridge, Daemyn expected to see the Exiles and for the odd situation to be dealt with swiftly and with words. While the red water had rattled him, he simply could not fathom the possible danger. This lack of understanding was partly why he volunteered to scout along the exposed sand, breaking the most holy of laws in the process. He also sought to remain close to his foalhood friend Ziara, to keep her safe. They were joined by Charlie (another close friend since they were both small), Ciarra and Kasai, a small team meant to simply label the strangers.
The strangers were Bachelors and Daemyn got his first real taste of what true cruelty could be like. He'd never before faced such hostility and it shook his otherwise gentle core and shocked him profoundly. Now he suddenly understood the stories and the fear which had always eluded him. Sure he had shivered at the tales but he hadn't really understood! He did now. These horses would kill without hesitation. 
As history would tell this landbridge-meeting heralded war. Neither Vasska nor Klaus would be reasoned with and as Daemyn retreated at the back of the group, he narrowly escaped the crumbling bridge.

Daemyn spend a good amount of time reflecting upon what he had witnessed, taking the first step towards burying his foalish naivety. 

- Searching for Supplies (Objective 3)
With the whole thought of war still not quite sunken in, Daemyn joined the search for supplies that could be used in the upcoming conflict. Alongside the King himself, Vasska was Tamera, Marianela and Cybele. It was a fairly straightforward task, that allowed the small group some reprieve from their troubles. The search was a success! Not only did they find items they could use, but Daemyn managed to push his worries fully aside. War was a scary word, but all would be well! Of that he was certain.

-The War (Objective 4)
Except all wasn't well. When the inevitable clash of giants finally did happen, Dae believed himself prepared. He wanted to prove himself desperately, to show the herd that he was more than the bumbling, silly giant, that he could be a knight and be worthy of his deceased father. He even won the initial sparring which landed him a spot on the battlefield... where it all fell to pieces. He clashed against a smaller Bachelor, one Grange who proved to be a deadly opponent. He managed to wound Daemyn significantly and combined with the heavy rain and thick mud which chipped away at both horses' stamina, Daemyn eventually fell.
While he survived his wounds, he was left with physical and mental wounds alike, plunging him into a deep, dark depression. Instead of proving his worth he felt he'd cemented his place in the herd as an oaf, undeserving of calling himself an Olde horse. His situation was not aided by his mother's failing mental health, which caused her to lash out at him time and time again. 

To this day Daemyn struggles with his failure. Unicorns willing, he'll find a way out of the dark.

---

Notes

 Daemyn has the unfortunate tendency to develop romantic crushes on pretty/beautiful/handsome horses (which is of course all in the eye of the beholder, as what others deem attractive may not fall within Dae's tastes) or those that show him exceptional kindness and empathy. Most of these crushes are never more than 'puppy love', especially since he never makes them known. 

 Dae will never pursue another simply for sex! His mind just doesn't work in those lewd patterns. He's a healthy stallion, so the thought does cross his mind, but he could never be intimate with someone whom he has not already given his heart. Neither will he feel any lust. Romance and Love definitely triumphs over Lust with this guy.

 He absolutely loves being around foals and young ones, finding their ways easier to connect with. He's perfect for foal-sitting (and promises that he won't accidentally stomp on your young!) and is largely regarded as a giant playmate by the young of the herd. 

---

Voices murmured softly all about him, the nightly prayer to the Unicorn gods drifting to the sky. He stood next to his mother, flanks touching in a gentle, constant reminder that he was there for her. Solid, secure, a protector. His blue eyes briefly drifted to her face, old and worn by age, wind and loss. She had never been the same since his father's passing.
Daemyn knew the sacred prayer by heart, could (and sometimes would) mumble it in his sleep. As he regarded his old mother, his lips moved, forming the sacred words which drifted and mingled with soft voices. It was comfort to his ears, one of many constants that he lead his life by. It soothed him and his heart fluttered briefly, knowing how grateful and pleased the Unicorns were, to hear the devoted words.

The prayer ended and he hung his head in the following silence before the herd began to spread, to settle for the night. He turned to nip gently at his mother, smiling warmly as she acknowledged him with a surprised blink, then leaned in to nuzzle his neck as she always did. The big shire heaved a massive sigh and followed behind her to where-ever she chose to rest. There was no need to speak, the ritual was the same. The same patch of grass (more or less), she drifted off almost instantly, and Daemyn was left to eye the sky on his own.
He was lucky this night. The clouds had been stripped away by a brisk, northern wind, leaving the heavens a glittering ocean of stars. Around him bodies settled to rest, breathing slowed down and a few young ones annoyed their elders enough to warrant a sharp 'shush!' The golden shire-mix smiled to himself and wondered what secrets the skies held.

That night he dreamt of roaming through dark fields sprinkled in silver stars. He ran alongside a dark figure which had his father's wise eyes and he was happy.