EDIT: Slight expansions to Iten's story and personality description.

EDIT 2: I just noticed that Myriad was misspelled in the title after all this time. How lame is that?

The character I'm entering in the Myriad Path Character Tournament: Iten

For what I think could have become a much better but not dynamic picture of him, look here: [link]

Story:

“In the vast land of Hyrule exist many temples to the three golden goddesses. They were erected to pay tribute to the great beings that created the beautiful land and its inhabitants. Each temple is considered sacred and watched over by priests and priestesses who value them dearly.

“In one such Temple near the northern border of the country lived a beautiful woman. She was a priestess to the building, but had lived there alone since she was young and had taken its care into her responsibilities after her father had died and she was adopted by the priests. Once they had died as well she was left alone. Each day she would walk through the temple, pray, give thanks, and ultimately think about nothing more than her duties.

“One fateful day a man entered the temple during one of her usual prayer sessions. He was young and handsome and introduced himself as a messenger of the goddesses who travelled the lands outside of Hyrule to learn about other deities and help forge strong friendships between the heavenly beings’ followers when he could. Having come back from a long trip he was offered respite and stayed in the temple with the priestess for a few days.

“During those days the woman was blissfully happy to suddenly have such companionship after such a long bout of loneliness as the two gave thanks to Din, Farore and Nayru together. In a few short days that seemed like a mere moment to her, he left on another journey. It wasn’t until after he was gone that she felt just how lonely she really was.

“After a week the man returned seeking haven once more and the priestess’ eyes lit up at the sight of him. He stayed another few days before departing. It soon became a cycle for him to arrive for a short time, leave for an extended period, and then he would return to start it all over again. During these times the priestess grew closer and closer to the man, feeling the pain of his absence more and more each time.

“Eventually the traveller did not appear in the temple for two months. The priestess had begun to cry herself to sleep at night. She soon found her prayers consisted only of wanting to see that man again. On the day he did come back she was unable to contain her joy, embracing him and crying out her pent-up frustrations.

“It was then that he asked her if she would prefer if he never left. After recovering from the shock of his question she admitted her selfish desire with an affirmative response. The next question from the man’s mouth was a proposal.

“The two lived together in the temple for some time and eventually the woman became pregnant. A few days later while her husband was out she remembered an old ceremony for the Goddesses’ blessing on children. She prepared the ritual and was about to begin when the man appeared and interrupted her forcefully, accidentally splashing holy water on himself rather than on the priestess as the process intended. He screamed in pain as it burned him and she was forced to watch in horror as his form changed from human to inhuman. In the end he stood before her as he truly was, a demon from Hyrule’s underworld. No different from the poes that haunt graveyards or the lingering redeads and gibdoes, merely of a different breed.

“Unable to accept the truth she fled into the temple basement but followed her without hindrance. He told her that she should be honoured to bear him a son. He had been seeking out Hylians of high spiritual power and building and army of warrior sons to serve him in his ultimate goal. Her son was to be but one of many that already existed.

“The crying priestess was reminded by his words of the strength she once had before she had begun to fall to this monster’s influence. There, in the lowest chamber of the temple, she showed why he had chosen her in the first place. Her incredible spiritual power. With it she activated a special sealing technique from the magic circle inscribed upon the floor. The demon was trapped and horrified as the lights created a barrier around the two. The woman, however, found that she could not bring herself to condemn her only son and seal him away with his terrible father, but neither could she curse him with the life of a monster.”

“Why are you telling me all this!?”

It was nearing the climax of the sunset in the distance as a lone child stood atop a cliff overlooking the sea. The view of the dying red light was perfect but he had no time nor care to enjoy it.

The boy appeared about ten years old He wore a ragged brown robe and had short, spiky red hair. His pointed ears indicated a belonging to the Hylian race.

The boy had woken up some time ago in a village that was in ruins. Buildings were decimated and fires roaring everywhere. Anywhere he ran for help, however, the villagers had turned against him and called him a monster. He had run for a half hour out of the populated area before collapsing here, completely exhausted. When he had awakened several hours later, a voice he could not pinpoint had begun telling him a story.

“In order to give her son the chance to live and not have to pay for her own mistake,” the voice continued, she opted to make the ultimate sacrifice. Using her vast power and the arts of the seal she formed the flesh and bone of herself and the demon into a container that would house both of their spirits, forever mixing the two into one. Her son was left behind after her own body was changed, the baby boy lying at the center of the magic circle with a silver bracelet around his tiny wrist, the container for his parents’ combined soul.”

The listener’s eyes opened wide before looking down at his own right wrist. A silver bracelet was clamped around it.

“So long as the bracelet remained with the boy, his own spirit would be balanced by the harmony of light and dark within the seal he wore, allowing him to exist as a man instead of a monster.”

“…what happened?” the child asked, still looking at his wrist in disbelief. His voice was quiet, as if begging for answers.

“The sealing technique created a noticeable burst of magical energy, so some residents of a nearby village came to investigate. They found the baby alone and returned him to their home. However, not long after someone removed the bracelet from the baby’s wrist. It was no longer a human child, but transformed into a monster that wreaked what would seem like and endless path of destruction. Sometime during the chaos it happened to come into contact with the seal item once more. The darkness was suppressed and the child was left alive and Hylian once more, though his body had aged ten years because of the unnatural changes.”

The boy stayed silent for a long time.

“Who are you?”

“I am the voice of your parents as one.”

“Who am I?”

“…”

“I see…”

The boy held his silver-covered wrist in his left hand with his eyes closed, lost in thought.

“So I’m a monster…not fit to live…”

“I exist so that you could have a chance to live.”

“And what am I supposed to do with that life!?” he questioned angrily. “I’m all a…wait…”

The child’s eyes opened in revelation.

“I…have brothers?”

“Correct. Nine half-demon Hylians with control over their massive power. They will carry out your father’s will to sink all of Hyrule into the underworld.”

“Is that so…?”

The redhead looked to the sky mournfully.

“I don’t think I deserve to live…but if I don’t then neither do they!”

He held his right arm out straight ahead of him and spoke to his personal seal.

“I’ll become strong and send them all to the underworld first.. and then… then I’ll join them. That will be my reason to live. That will be the cause my mother died for.”

The child closed his eyes.

“Iten.”

There was a flash of light that temporarily blinded the boy after the voice spoke one last time. When he opened them the bracelet was gone, but in its place he was holding the hilt of a silver sword that felt as light as air to him.

“Iten?” he asked, but there was no longer a response. The seal had changed shape as a symbol of the child’s will, becoming a weapon with which to become strong and live the life he was given with purpose rather than regret.

Over the next years the boy who now called himself Iten trained hard and fought many battles. His body was unusual. Though the seal kept his soul stabilized his body suffered from being thin and frail. In order to make up for his lack of power and durability, Iten focused everything on becoming faster and more skilled. His light body eventually became a blur when he ran and his weak joints were found to be easily bent or dislocated at his will for contortion of his body. He also discovered that he had a natural aptitude for magic thanks to his two lineages, though he has yet to practice with it yet. His sword, which he calls Tenron, has proven to be light as air to him but as durable as any steel. Its blade possess the ability to cut through magical forces. Iten knows that should he ever not be touching Tenron as then his soul would be thrown out of balance once more. In battle he grips it tightly as if frozen in death despite his low physical strength.

Emotionally the man couldn't be considered well-rounded. Never able to interect with people for long his social skills are extremely lacking, appearing rude even when he isn't trying to be. He thinks about his purpose twenty-four seven without anything having distracted him in all the years he trained and fought the monsters that roam Hyrule. In a way one could say he inherited his mother's aspect of working each day for his duty without any regrets or second thoughts. You could also say he inherited his father's thirst for power, though he has a different reason for his need.

Occasionally he was beset by bandits or even well-intentioned knights who hunted him since the night of his birth. In combat against Hylians, humans and other sentient races he always fought ruthlessly and with a cold demeanour as if he were a true demon, but he has never yet taken an innocent life since he recieved his parents' soul's sword. In his mind only his family must be the one to die by Tenron's blade with himself being the final victim.

Now a grown man Iten has entered a tournament for powerful warriors, hoping for nothing more than to test his merit and whether or not he can truly be considered ready to track down his brothers. His determination is fierce, as he knows that time is running out.

Iten's Stats:

Strength: 2- Childlike: Able to lift/ press mass, but not as much as a normal mortal of their respective species.

Agility/ Speed: 7- Able to contort into any position/ Speed reaches near precognition

Stamina: 4- Able to perform an intensive amount of exercise / battle for up to an hour before tiring.

Durability/ Physical Resistance: 2- Poor- Able to take some abuse but anything above a beating could seriously injure them.

IQ/ Mental Strength: 5- Hardened- Advanced knowledge of combat, confused very slightly.

Energy Projection: 1- No physical or magical energy attacks, but can learn them in the course of the tournament.

Fighting: 6- Expert- Been through many battles and has picked a number of tricks along the way, but can be overconfident at times.

Determination: 6- Stubborn- Relentlessly pursues foes and not easily shaken.