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11:31 AM
Application
⬢ Name: Jen
⬢ Over 18? Yes
⬢ Contact
⬢ Characters Currently In Game: n/a
⬢ Name: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
⬢ Canon: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
⬢ Canon Point: Post-game, Azure Moon route, prior to any epilogues having taken place.
⬢ History: HERE. Reference "Azure Moon" for the route Dimitri hails from.
⬢ Personality:
(cw: mentions of violent murder, survivor’s guilt, and ptsd symptoms)
On the continent of Fódlan, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is renowned for its knights. Representative of chivalry, loyalty, and honor, the Blaiddyd royal family is also expected to reflect, if not encapsulate, these traits tenfold. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, whose narrative begins as the crown prince of the nation, is emblematic of these expectations — well-spoken, earnest, instilled with a sense of duty and a seemingly unwavering moral compass. Loyal, helpful, and studious, he possesses no inclination to lord his title over others, but instead understands the obligation he's under to aid his peers, friends, and country. The archetypical prince, one might think, with all the archetypical traits that go along with it, without noticeable fault.
And to a reasonable degree, none of this is an exaggeration. Dimitri is as described, subverting initial expectations of keeping up royal appearances. He is honest and earnest almost to a fault, often speaking his mind to their Professor, Byleth, whether it’s commenting on their assigned monthly missions or seeking advice. Unerringly loyal and defined by a rather stark view of moral lines and where they should not be crossed, he is quick to share his opinion of this much, as well, and possesses a very strong sense of disdain against those who would abuse their power to take advantage of the weak. He carries himself well, constantly looking to improve himself in an academic setting — especially in matters of warfare or personal training — and there is very little he will not offer to others before tending to his own needs. Even his glancing faults, such as his inability to perform delicate work, or to handle heated temperatures, or his sometimes too-serious demeanor, are often readily admitted to by none other than Dimitri. Though he paints a perfect picture of himself in the beginning, he will be the first to say that he is decidedly not; this is proof of his straightforward nature, if not a splash of foreshadowing of what is to come.
When asked by Byleth to tell them about himself, Dimitri does not mention any of the above, but rather references the tragedy of his past, hoping that they can see beyond it regardless. While the narrative carries forward despite this, it is admittedly odd for a person to define themselves by one singular terrible event. It soon becomes apparent why that is, the truth of the matter simple: Dimitri does more than just define himself by the tragedy that stole his friends and family from him, he allows it to utterly subsume him, instilling traits and motivations that he is never dishonest about, though they require external factors to illuminate.
Years prior to the start of the game, Dimitri bore witness to the murder of his family, friends, and many knights loyal to the Kingdom in an event called the Tragedy of Duscur. The sole royal survivor of this regicidal, successful assassination attempt, he watched helplessly as his friends were cruelly slaughtered, his father decapitated, and everything around him set aflame to burn. This left Dimitri highly traumatized and plagued with survivor’s guilt, experiencing its effects for the years following. From either the stress or injuries obtained (or more likely both), he was left with no sense of taste and intermittent headaches. He suffered from nightmares, hampering his sleep. He began to recall with clarity the agonized voices of the dead, sometimes even hallucinating them in his waking hours, and intermingled with poignant guilt, these same voices and visions began to ask him what right he had to survive, and how he might correct their wrongful slaughter by the procuring vengeance against those who murdered them in order to finally seek closure.
This is where Dimitri’s greatest flaw lies — his guilt. He does not believe himself worthy of having survived, and processes the onus of being alive by satisfying (what his mind perceives as) the desires of the dead. At his core, this deep-seated guilt and his uselessness during the Tragedy of Duscur manifest as self-loathing and deprecation, but are similarly connected to his positive traits mentioned prior; he is studious, eager to improve, so he can exact his vengeance more effectively when the opportunity presents itself. He despises those who trample over the weak, giving them no moral leeway, because he had once been in the shoes of someone young, weak, and unable to fight back. He puts his friends ahead of himself, going to great lengths to aid them if necessary, as a consequence of believing he does not deserve the same effort. Borrowing the anger of the dead, Dimitri later states that it was the only motivation that kept him living, despite quietly keeping the majority of all that ails him to himself. He is conscientious of how unflattering it is, cognizant enough to not let it all spill out in an ugly mess, but it yet remains deeply affecting.
These two sides of the young man — the chivalrous prince and the silently suffering survivor — may seem contradictory, but they are both legitimate halves of Dimitri. In fact, as the story progresses, the pendulum swings from one side to the other. After the Remire mission, having watched innocents killed and the village set on fire, his composure begins to fray. Dimitri's classmates remark on his ailing appearance (he is suffering again from constant headaches), and he is dead-set on killing those responsible, the idea itself bringing him satisfaction. And with the reveal of Edelgard as the Flame Emperor, working in-tandem with those he believed had a hand in murdering his friends and family, his goal of revenge resurfaces as something close and obtainable, causing him to disregard all else. Delighted at the idea of finally quelling the expectations and voices in his mind, his anger at Edelgard’s betrayal mixes with this perpetual goal, turning him brutal in his pursuit of it. Stubborn and determined, we see this shift with jarring clarity, something having once lain dormant but now brought forth via opportunity.
Unfortunately, the events that followed continued to take their toll on Dimitri’s psyche. Faced with years of isolation, having severed himself from any support system via circumstances and choice, his vengeance unsatisfied, Dimitri becomes colder, crueler, and believes he has no reason to live beyond killing those he deems as monsters through the years in countless number, ranging from bandits and thieves to Imperial forces. Aware that this makes him no better than a monster himself, Dimitri simply accepts this reality, which throws him deeper into bouts of guilt, self-loathing, and depression; the voices become louder over the years, more likely to manifest as waking apparitions. When Byleth and his old comrades find him years later, he is quite the broken man — he views his friends as nothing more than tools to further his motivations, uncaring and unwilling to return to his responsibilities as rightful heir. He refuses to form personal connections (this is even reflected in gameplay, where he will not further supports with anyone), treats his allies coldly, throws himself into danger with more fervor than before, and admits openly of his hatred for Edelgard and the Empire.
It takes months for this to change, and only with the application of constant concern and questioning from the Professor and his allies. Even then, it requires yet one more traumatic event for Dimitri to clearly register — and care about — the true consequences of his actions. After Rodrigue gives his life to protect him, making it obvious that the young royal's actions are affecting more than just himself, Dimitri hits a second breaking point, questioning whether or not he has a right to live after all he’s done. He is told to forgive himself, something he never once considered in the past, so that he might move on and choose to look towards the future instead of chained to the will of the dead. With the aid of the Professor and his friends to pull him out of the mire, Dimitri decides not only to live for himself, but to atone for the years of blood on his hands and the neglect of his duty to his Kingdom.
This does not erase his trauma, nor his guilt, so much as it grants him a lifeline that pulls him forward so he does not drown in it. He still lives with the voices, still admits to hearing their cries for blood, still has trouble sleeping. But given something to live for, defined now by his want to atone and be a good man, Dimitri’s determination shifts from self-centered revenge to trying to do right, to be a good leader, by everyone. He arguably trades one responsibility out for another, but at least this one allows him to grow as a person rather than remain lost in the memory of the past.
It is this Dimitri that we are left with, a balance between his teenage self and the man who wanted nothing more than to spill the blood of his enemies. He has shifted back to retaining his more positive attributes; earnest but more somber than before, steadfast in his beliefs and accepting of the role he must play for the sake of his people and nation. And though even he will admit that he still feels anger and hatred towards Edelgard and those who wronged him, Dimitri even attempts to reconcile their opposing views, offering her an olive branch before the final encounter. It's a gesture he never would have considered before, showing just how much he's willing to turn away from the dark path he tread, even if he can still feel the demons at his back. He's a little sadder, a little more exhausted from the passage of unkind years, but he's also willing to put in the effort to make up for his missteps and guide his Kingdom to peace and prosperity. In general, his most important character shift is his focus from revenge to atonement, granting Dimitri differing motivations if not the same determination to see it through to the end.
And though he at times remains uncertain, still feeling unworthy and guilty despite the forgiveness he has granted himself, Dimitri takes solace in knowing that it’s not a path he would have to walk alone — proven to him again and again by his comrades-in-arms and closest friends.
⬢ Powers:
THE TEMPEST KING — Dimitri is very skilled with both the lance/spear/polearm and sword, though he shows a clear preference for the first archetype. In canon, during the years in which he roamed the land killing Imperial soldiers, he cultivated a rather infamous reputation of being a One Man Army. As such, he is able to take on multiple trained opponents at a time, relying on both his skill and strength to come out on top — and if not that, at least remains a stubbornly durable and challenging opponent against any he might meet in battle. He is also knowledgable about weapons in general (barring anything too modern, of course), one of his interests being their upkeep and histories.
STRENGTH — A trait passed down through the royal bloodline, Dimitri possesses inordinate strength, bordering on superhuman. It is the reason why he dislikes delicate work, because he is always breaking the items required to perform these tasks. It is mentioned in-game that he can easily lift wagons on his own, that his boyhood training encapsulated that he run around in the woods all night in heavy armor, and that he once snapped a sword in two by swinging it too hard when he was just a child. His dialogue in the Fire Emblem: Heroes mobile game reveals that he could easily snap his lance in half by merely becoming startled. While “look at Dimitri break everything” is utilized more as a running joke, it does accurately reflect this same strength seen in battle. Thankfully, he is able to mostly keep it under control outside of it occasionally hampering his daily activities as per Rule of Funny.
MINOR CREST OF BLAIDDYD — Another trait passed down through the Blaiddyd bloodline, Dimitri possesses a minor Crest bearing his family name. Though not a passive ability, it does grant him a special attribute in battle when it “activates”. Dimitri’s crest occasionally doubles his attack in-game; in RP terms, this means that his already substantial strength becomes borderline monstrous with a single strike directed at an object or enemy. This boon only applies once per attack, and activates at random intervals. To make it easier for myself and others, I would prefer to play it as activating only during particularly intense situations in the middle of battle, and limited to once per confrontation. As explained below, his Crest also synergizes with his lance, Areadbhar.
AREADBHAR — While his lance functions exactly as a lance would, in Dimitri’s hands (in conjunction with his Crest) its latent power activates, granting him the ability to use the combat art “Atrocity”, which deals high damage against all enemy types. Again, translating this into RP, this would cause some of Dimitri’s strikes with Areadbhar, specifically, to land harder and deal more serious damage than normal. This is an ability he would be able to activate when he chooses, though OOCly I would like to keep it limited to infrequent use per “scene”.
LEADERSHIP — Not really a power, per see, but worth mentioning. As King of Faerghus, and previously its crown prince, Dimitri has grown up under the expectation of one day becoming a leader, and he fits that mould well. He is well-spoken and, when assured and determined, charismatic enough to lead many into battle with him. Though he would not describe himself as such, he is even accused of possessing a silver tongue, and will rally forth motivation to fight for a cause when it's needed the most.
HORSEBACK RIDING — Dimitri is a skilled rider. If this ever comes into play, he can fight competently from horseback with a lance, granting him more mobility.
⬢ Inventory:
Areadbhar, his personal lance. A small whetstone. His clothing and armor. I would like options 1 and 2 for his t-shirts, please! As for his second outfit, something casual much like this! White long sleeved button-up shirt/high waisted trousers/simple boots combo.
⬢ Sample 1: [TDM toplevel]
⬢ Sample 2: [Network thread (musebox)]