Alfiere Di Gallo

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

The Crimson Bishop
Alfiere Di Gallo
Player: SomeKindaLizard
Origin:	Confidential
Archetype:	Confidential
Threat Level:	Confidential
Personal Data
Real Name:	Ennio Di Gallo
Known Aliases:	Alfiere, The Knight of Pride, the Crimson Bishop
Species:	Human
Age:	Unknown
Height:	6'1"
Weight:	173 lbs
Eye Color:	Blue-Green
Hair Color:	Blond
Biographical Data
Nationality:	Italian
Occupation:	Former Knight and Military Commander, later Rebel Leader
Place of Birth:	Italy (Somewhere in Tuscany)
Base of Operations:	?
Marital Status:	?
Known Relatives:	Bonifacio Di Gallo (father, deceased), Cormorán de la Torre (blood-brother, deceased), Sarah Marceau (alleged daughter)
Known Powers
Alfiere has no superhuman powers
Known Abilities
Trained soldier
Equipment
Unknown
Unknown.

Originally conceived as part of Rook the Vaulted and Sarah Nightingale's backstory, Ennio "Alfiere" Di Gallo's own story became increasingly more complex to the point where it now stands on its own. Arrogant, self-obsessed and amoral, Alfiere led a revolution in a European kingdom solely to fulfill his own prideful ambitions. He attracted like-minded individuals, and his army was filled with greedy, power-hungry thugs. This eventually became his undoing, as his closest allies were bought off, and Alfiere was betrayed to the royal government. While he was rescued from execution, he disappeared with little trace afterwards, his revolution failed and his army all but demolished.

Contents 1 Personality 1.1 Character History 2 Civil War and the Crimson Banner 3 The Players 3.1 The Rebels 3.2 The Royal Army 3.3 Alfiere's Fate? 4 Other Notes and Trivia 5 OOC Notes

Personality

• "Enough talk. Send me to hell already, so I can kill the devil and take his throne!"

-Alfiere's intended last words, prior to his rescue (displaying his audacious nature)

Alfiere Di Gallo was driven by pride and high ambition, and defined by his incredible arrogance. He believed himself to be superior to other people, and to that end, saw himself as the only one worthy enough to rule the kingdom. Mostly, though, Alfiere was known for his charismatic personality. He appeared to be friendly, polite, and sincerely willing to help others. His revolution was driven almost entirely by force of personality, and as long as he remained confident and optimistic, so did his men. He often invited his subordinates to come to him and discuss their problems with him not as their commander, but as their friend. However, even then, it was no secret that he wanted power. Alfiere reminded his followers, and the people of the kingdom, that he sought to end the King's tyranny and bring a true era of peace and justice to the old country, and that he was best suited for the task.

These were all lies, of course. Alfiere was a sociopath; he cared only for himself, and he saw people as either tools to be used, or as threats to be destroyed. Allegedly, the only person he ever genuinely cared about was his blood-brother, Cormorán de la Torre, but even he was often used as a thug. Almost every single member of his army was considered disposable. Some, in fact, were marked for death from the beginning (such as Captain Zaldun). Most of his inner circle saw through the facade, but they didn't care- Alfiere had surrounded himself with people who weren't actually interested in his revolution. He knew that despite this, he could still keep them in line by appealing to their own selfish ambitions. Eventually, this would backfire, but Alfiere was so confident that he could continue to buy their loyalty that he never considered the possibility that someone else would do the same.

It was Alfiere's own excessive pride that often thwarted him. When meeting with his lieutenants, Alfiere couldn't stand to be told that his plans were flawed. His men had to be extremely carefully about the way they worded their disagreements... if angered, Alfiere's charismatic mask would disappear, and he would show his true ruthless face.

Character History

• "He struts around like a damned rooster. I'd hate him if he weren't my best friend."

-Cormorán de la Torre, describing his friend Ennio

Hailing from a Tuscan village in Italy, Ennio Di Gallo was the only son of Bonifacio Di Gallo, a humble beef farmer. Though never a spoiled child, Ennio always seemed intent on having his way, believing that it truly was the only way. Bonifacio did what he could to teach the boy humility and respect, but all he did was inadvertantly show Ennio how to use his natural charisma to manipulate others. Bonifacio and Ennio later left Italy, seeking better opportunities. Bonifacio believed he had found it in the country ruled by King Karalius, and enrolled Ennio in state schools.

As a student, Ennio always excelled, but his teachers worried about his social development. Ennio often formed cliques around himself, effectively using his so-called friends as pawns. He never did anything illegal, but still, his presence made the faculty nervous. Among Ennio's earliest friends was Cormorán de la Torre, a Spaniard he met in his fencing class. In Ennio's own words, Cormorán seemed to be in a constant state of indignant anger, "like some waiter spilled soup on him and he's still taking it out on everyone around him." Ennio's persuasive nature allowed him to befriend Cormorán, who he initially saw as no more than a bully he could manipulate. However, Cormorán proved to be a fiercely loyal ally, and Ennio saw him worthy of genuine respect. Years after Cormorán's death, Ennio would recall him as "the only real friend I ever had."

As they grew, Ennio and Cormorán both enrolled in a military academy (where they were notorious as the resident hellraisers). Upon graduation, they served in the Royal Army. Though their superior Captain Anseris was sincere in his patriotism, many within the army only enlisted because they wanted power. Soldiers were often compared to gangsters, often bullying civilians and using their ranks to extort money from them. It was rare that they were ever called to actual service. However, when a rebellion broke out, they were sent to quickly end it. It was during this early rebellion that Ennio and Cormorán truly shone as warriors. The duo combined their squads and often led the charge, and the two quickly became heroes within the army, respectively referred to as the Knights of Pride and Wrath (as most of their men believed it was only a matter of time before they were knighted). It was during this conflict that the two became blood-brothers. Once the rebellion was defeated, King Karalius himself selected them for knighthood. Now leading their own armies, Ennio and Cormorán continued to work closely together, so much that their men sometimes had trouble remembering which of the two armies they actually belonged in. Among Ennio's soldiers was the gold-loving Avaricio Zaldun, someone who (like Cormorán in his younger days) Ennio saw as an easily manipulated bully. Zaldun quickly became his second-in-command, and effectively made the duo into a trio. Ennio would jokingly refer to him as the Knight of Greed as a reference to their wartime nicknames.

But for Ennio, being a Knight wasn't enough. He still answered to other people, people he felt didn't deserve to command someone of his caliber. There was only one logical solution: Ennio had to be at the very top. And in order to do that, he would have to become King.

Civil War and the Crimson Banner

• "I want what anyone else wants for this country... freedom, equality, justice... all of that. But you see, my friends, nobody has the courage to make that happen. Except for me. You will join me then, yes?"

-Alfiere, making a typical speech

In 1990, Ennio gathered his most loyal men and declared his intention to overthrow Karalius and take his place, re-titling himself "Alfiere." Zaldun remained his top lieutenant, though Cormorán (who by then had become a governor) only supported the rebellion in secret, providing the finances. Alfiere donned a red coat which would become a trademark of his: only the King was allowed to wear a red cape, and this was a gesture of blatant defience on Alfiere's part. The red coat became so symbolic to the rebels that they started calling it the Crimson Banner. Alfiere liked it so much that he would continue using the phrase throughout the war, and the rebel army unofficiall became known as "the Crimson Banner."

Soon, Alfiere gathered an "inner circle" of commanders, chosen as much for their poster-quality as for their actual skill. They included photographer-turned-sharpshooter Eagle Eye Evelyn, the arrogant medical prodigy Roy LeCygne, weapons expert Ganso Wright and the ambitious intelligence expert Lia Ierunca. Zaldun was often seen with Alfiere, though Cormorán very rarely appeared at their meetings, due to the nature of his role. Only a year and a half into the rebellion, Alfiere's army suffered two consecutive losses: his blood-brother Cormorán was mysteriously murdered, and shortly afterward, Eagle Eye Evelyn abruptly left. Nobody knows why she left, though Alfiere told his men that she was assassinated, effectively making her a martyr.

With Cormorán's death, Alfiere's band had trouble securing resources. For several years, the war was waged off-and-on, with lulls lasting so long that the Royal Army would sometimes wonder if the war had already ended. But ever determined, Alfiere didn't let his lack of funding get in the way. His recruitment efforts never faltered; with the addition of filmmaker Ilario Struzzo to the inner circle, Alfiere was able to expand his propaganda campaign. Despite the glorification of the rebels, new recruits were often called on to finance themselves. This had somewhat disastrous results, as they often had to use low-quality weapons and were forced to eat questionable rations. About the only thing that saved the rebels was their decrease in strength; within those years, King Karalius focused less on what he saw as an increasingly impotent rebellion, and at one point, commented that they weren't even worth his personal attention. When asked why he didn't simply give up on that country and try somewhere else, Alfiere insisted that it had become a matter of pride; he had set his sights on Karalius's throne and nothing would sway him from that goal, no matter how long it took.

In 1999, a frustrated Alfiere took a brief leave from the war, leaving Zaldun in charge. At some point during this sabbatical, Alfiere met with Arachnos representives and successfully negotiated for their support. Arachnos would partially fund the war (though they would not provide any additional manpower), and though they never specified what it was they wanted, Alfiere knew that Arachnos sought to have a ruler in the region under their influence. However, Alfiere was running out of options, and he figured that he could find a way out of the deal later. From that point on, the Arachnos representative Crystal Ibis became his shadow, a constant reminder of the organization's power. Before returning to the kingdom and the war, however, Alfiere made a brief detour in Spain to recruit a sharpshooter who had been terrorizing Andalusia. Though the young sniper's name remains unknown, Alfiere took to calling him "Corvo."

He returned to find that Zaldun had almost driven the army to the ground. He considered simply executing him, now considering him to be more trouble than he was worth, but a significant portion of the army was still loyal to Zaldun (largely because he let them do whatever they wanted). Alfiere reluctantly had to allow Zaldun to remain, though his own return (complete with funds and weaponry), helped to reinvigorate the war. Alfiere also found that his rebellion had produced a hero: Aldric R. Rikis, a grunt who had been with the rebellion from the beginning, but until that point had done nothing of note. Rikis had been captured, but masterfully pulled off a prison break that not only raised the faltering morale of the rebels, but forced Karalius to reconsider his leniency towards them. Not wanting to be upstaged, Alfiere was quick to publicly congratulate and revere Rikis, holding him up as an example that all of his men should aspire to. Though Rikis was given a token command position, Alfiere never thought very highly of him, and Rikis had little real power, being more celebrity than commander.

The rebels quickly gained ground, taking several towns and two provinces under their control, effectively ruling nearly thirty percent of the kingdom. Alfiere's greatest victory and greatest mistake both came in 2001: the assassination of King Karalius. With the ten-year-old Prince Sotilas unable to rule, the chief advisor Lady Banrigh became interim ruler. Previously, Banrigh had seemed to be nothing but a bureaucrat, but once forced into the role of a queen, Banrigh showed a previously unhinted brilliance. Under her orders, the Royal Army became much more aggressive than they had under the aging Karalius. That alone would not have been a problem, however, if Lady Banrigh hadn't also exploited the army's greatest weakness: its upper ranks were filled with greedy, power-hungry thugs who would easily stab each other in the back given the right incentive. Banrigh's agents approached several of Alfiere's men, including second-in-command Zaldun, and offered them pardons and material rewards if they cooperated in Alfiere's capture. By mid-year, Alfiere was in the Royal Army's custody, along with several of his lieutenants.

Alfiere was quickly tried and sentenced to death by firing squad for his treason. His death was scheduled only a month after his trial, and it was to be a public spectacle both to entertain the loyal subjects and to deter the remaining rebels. But, there were still those loyal to Alfiere. Several of the remaining rebels (including Zaldun and other traitors, whose greed was once again used to motivate them) raided the execution grounds, causing a riot. As the guards and soldiers fought each other, Alfiere made his escape. Some rebels were captured, while several more were killed. Among those captured were Zaldun, Corvo, Roy LeCygne and Aldris Rikis. Recently discovered records show that they were taken to a maximum-security prison, famously referred to as the "Vault" by the rebels.

Though the Crimson Banner was essentially defunct following Alfiere's capture, his rescue is considered to be the true end of the rebellion. Alfiere seemingly vanished after that, and most of the commanders were dead or in Lady Banrigh's dungeons. The remaining rebels were too demoralized to continue fighting, and did their best to pick up their lives before they joined Alfiere, hoping the Royal Army would overlook them.

In 2008, the kingdom was at last liberated by an invading peace-keeping force from a major democratic nation. Lady Banrigh and Prince Sotilas (who was less than a year from his coronation) fled to avoid persecution. The survivors within the kingdom's prisons were then released, and have since gone their separate ways. Their movements have since become difficult to follow. As for Alfiere, nobody knows what became of him. Allegedly, he may have escaped across the Atlantic with the help of the Marcone family, or Arachnos. Whatever the case, Alfiere's defeat may have wounded his pride so severely that he retreated from the public eye entirely.

The Players

The Rebels

((Yes, I know having Alfiere here again is redundant, but it just looks so complete... plus, it's a nice summary for those who don't want to read the entire profile list above. All info below is easy to find IC, but also included are some "interesting trivia" that aren't meant to be public, or at the very least, would be very hard to find.))

• Ennio "Alfiere" Di Gallo- A former member of the King's Guard and a ranked Knight, Di Gallo was not happy simply being a high servant to the King. While his rebellion took several years to get any results, Alfiere's greatest victory was the murder of King Karalius. The king's chief advisor, as acting ruler, used the rebellion's greed against itself, offering a reward and a pardon to anyone who would help bring Alfiere to justice. Predictably, several answered this call (including second-in-command Av Zaldun), and Alfiere was captured and sentenced to death. However, on the day of his public execution, Zaldun and several of his men arrived to rescue him. In the ensuing fight, Alfiere escaped, though several of his men (including Zaldun) were captured. Alfiere's whereabouts following this escape remain a mystery, but he is rumored to have traveled to America, allegedly with the help of the Marcone family.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Nothing here, it's all up there.

• "Eagle Eye" Evelyn O'Connell- Native to Ireland, Evelyn O'Connell made a living as a photographer. While touring Europe, Evelyn eventually entered the land of King Karalius, and soon discovered that his control of the kingdom was so complete that no word ever reached the outside world of his oppression. By this point, Alfiere Di Gallo had begun his revolution, and unable to escape the kingdom, Evelyn was caught up in it. Taking up a sniper rifle, her unexpectedly precise aim earned her the nickname "Eagle Eye Evelyn," and she was one of the few true idealists in Alfiere's army, concerned with the liberation of the people. This caused some tension among the rebels, as Evelyn frequently clashed with the greedy Zaldun and the temperamental Cormorán, forcing Alfiere to mediate. Rumor has it she and Alfiere grew close, but for unexplained reasons, she left the war effort. Most of her allies believed she had been killed by the King's men, and she was martyred as a hero of the revolution. However, she was later discovered in Paragon City, now married to bank manager Harold Marceau, and apparently denying any involvement in the civil war. She and Harold were later killed by an ex-Freakshow thug, leaving behind a daughter, Sarah Marceau.
• Status- Survived the war and retired in exile; later killed by Mower Sarco.
• Interesting Trivia- Evelyn was the first to discover Cormorán de la Torre's dead body, and waited several minutes before informing her comrades. She is one of two people who know the identity of de la Torre's murderer (the other being the actual murderer). For reasons unknown, Evelyn chose not to share this information with anyone, instead simply reporting the body's location.

• Captain Av Zaldun- The Basque-descended Avaricio "Av" Zaldun was always known for his unsatiable greed. A petty gangster, he caught the attention of the Knight Ennio Di Gallo, and after some time in his service, followed him into rebellion. Jokingly called the "Knight of Greed" by Alfiere, Captain Zaldun (who gave himself that rank) was effectively the military leader of the rebellion, and controlled most of Alfiere's troops. Alfiere was able to keep his greedy second-in-command in line with promises of treasure and reward once the king was overthrown. However, once the King was assassinated, his chief advisor took over and quickly bribed Zaldun and several others. Despite his betrayal, Zaldun was convinced by Alfiere's loyal men to help them rescue him from executin, agreeing only because he wanted Alfiere to tell him where he kept the treasures he had promised. During the rescue, Zaldun was captured and imprisoned. Though he readily gave the King's men information on Alfiere and his possible whereabouts, none of that helped him, and he remained a prisoner for seven years (at one point losing his arm as punishment for killing a cellmate). Following his release, he sought out Alfiere, obsessed with collecting his promised treasure.
• Status- Alive; Currently working for Black Tie.
• Interesting Trivia- Alfiere never intended for Zaldun to survive the war. Zaldun's unscupulous military tactics would provide a quick victory, and once Alfiere seized power, he would "suddenly" discover evidence of Zaldun's war crimes and sentence him to death, thus publicly absolving himself of Zaldun's atrocities.

• Cormorán de la Torre- Like his blood-brother Di Gallo, Cormorán was a Knight in the King's Guard. A short-tempered, cruel, and violent man, he was nicknamed the "Knight of Wrath," and he was notorious for tormenting commoners and finding any excuse to attack and torture them, famously striking with the ceremonial rapier that was awarded to him along with his rank. In battle, Cormorán was vicious and brutal, often frightening his own men (and Evelyn once famously said that having a conversation with him was like "walking through a minefield with a bomb strapped to yer back"). His friendship with Alfiere is long-standing; both were classmates before joining the Royal Army, where Ennio's intelligence and Cormorán's brutality made them a lethal duo... and even moreso when they were Knighted and given an army to command. Satisfied with his peace-keeping abilities, King Karalius further promoted Cormorán, and appointed him governor of the West Province. With such power, Cormorán saw no need to follow his friend Di Gallo into a revolution... at least, not in public. Secretly, the wealthy Cormorán provided Di Gallo with funding, and it was no surprise that the rebels found it easier to move through his territory. Early in the war, during an arranged meeting with Cormorán, Alfiere found his home empty, and his men apparently oblivious to their lord's disappearance. After some searching, Eagle Eye Evelyn discovered his body in his own bedroom, stabbed through the chest. Cormorán's murder remains unsolved, but Alfiere believed that the King had discovered his treachery, and silenced him for good.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Cormorán had a son by a woman with whom he had a brief tryst; she later sent the infant to Cormorán and was never heard from again. The boy was never legally adopted and the mother never shared any of his birth records. Following Cormorán's death, the boy spent time with Alfiere's band before he was sent back to his native Spain, so as to spare him from the war.

• Roy LeCygne- Son of prominent French doctors, Roy joined Médecins Sans Frontières as part of his studies. When they attempted to enter Karalius's kingdom, they were turned away and told that the rumors of people in need of medicine were untrue. Curious, Roy snuck in anyway and discovered what Karalius was doing to his own people. It wasn't long before he joined Alfiere's struggle against the king. Though relatively inexperienced in medicine, Roy was a genius compared to the largely uneducated rebels, which quickly went to his head, causing him to behave more like a rock star than a doctor. Initially, Roy held a very carefree attitude, which annoyed some of his comrades, who accused him of not taking the war or his patients seriously. By the end of the war, however, Roy was unrecognizable- his face was badly burned and he grew morose and antisocial. His own poorly self-prescribed medication made him twitchy, paranoid, and sometimes violent, and according to his subordinates he was frequently losing touch with reality. Though Alfiere knew this made him even less reliable as a doctor, he had no better alternative, and allowed Roy to continue treating soldiers, often with disastrous results. Though he participated in Alfiere's rescue at the end of the war and was later confirmed to have been re-captured, his fate is unknown. He was known to have carried on a relationship with Lia Ierunca.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Evelyn turned to Roy for help when she began to experience unexpected symptoms, which Roy confirmed were signs of pregnancy. Thus, aside from Evelyn and Alfiere, Roy is the only other person who knew about this.

• Natalia "Lia" Ierunca- The Romanian-descended Lia experienced the cruelty of Karalius's regime first-hand as her village was taxed to poverty and her family punished harshly for minor crimes. From a young age, Lia dedicated herself to combat training, swearing that she would one day assassinate the king. As she grew older, Lia attempted to join Alfiere's rebellion, but was turned away by his recruiters. One day, she infiltrated the camp of Alfiere Di Gallo himself to personally ask for his invitation into the army. Alfiere's men were alarmed that she had gotten past them unnoticed, but Alfiere saw potential in her, and recruited her as a spy and assassin. In just a few months, Lia's skill and experience led to her appointment as head of Alfiere's intelligence agents. While her subordinates were reluctant to follow a woman, she soon gained their respect. Some claim that by the end of the war, these agents were more loyal to her than to Alfiere himself. Lia was among the rebels captured alongside Alfiere, though several of her agents participated in Alfiere's rescue. She managed to escape execution, and currently runs her own mercenary group.

She was known to have carried on a relationship with Roy LeCygne, which continued even after his disfigurement.

• Status- Alive and active.
• Interesting Trivia- Lia considered herself Alfiere's right-hand agent, and frequently saw her fellow commanders as rivals. In particular, she loathed Zaldun (whom she saw as incompetant, barbaric and unworthy of his rank) and Corvo (whom she felt didn't deserve to be as close as he was to Alfiere). Few people know that she lost her eye to a sniper; throughout the war, she would become angry if anyone asked how she had lost it.

• Cleavant "Ganso" Wright- A Jamaican army mechanic, Wright (nicknamed Ganso by his Brazilian mother) was discharged for frequently joyriding helicopters. Disappointed, Ganso sought work in the US... where he was deported for frequently joyriding tanks. On advice from underground sources, Ganso applied and was accepted into Karalius's army... where he had nothing to joyride, but nonetheless borrowed rifles often, and was imprisoned. Ganso was freed during one of Alfiere's early prison raids, and agreed to provide the rebellion with his weapons expertise. Ganso was not a loud or especially extroverted man, and his sole ambition seemed to be simply to play with big toys. By the end of the war, Ganso practically lived inside a tank he had stolen and customized. He was one of several rebels sold out to the government, and was scheduled to be executed with Alfiere. He is known to have escaped from the execution grounds, and as of 2009, works as an arms dealer in Port Oakes.
• Status- Alive and active.
• Interesting Trivia- Ganso helped Evelyn leave the country when she decided to leave the war, making him the only person aware that Evelyn was still alive. However, he's not aware of what motivated her to leave, and felt it really wasn't his business to pry- nor was it his business to tell the others that she had secretly fled and was not killed, as they believed.

• Corvo- A late arrival to the revolution, Corvo's first documented appearance wasn't until 1999. Since the departure of Eagle Eye Evelyn, Alfiere was disappointed with the poor performance of his sniper squads. Upon hearing rumors of criminal sniper in Spain, Alfiere arranged for him to join his rebellion. The sniper said little to anyone, including his name, though Alfiere began to call him "Corvo," leading to speculation that his origin was actually Italian- something Corvo never confirmed when asked, though most people agreed that his slight accent was likely Italian. While a capable marksman, Corvo's distant nature made him a poor leader for the sniper squads. Instead, Corvo became a lone agent answering directly to Alfiere (seriously annoying his intelligence chief, Lia), sometimes unofficially referred to as "Alfiere's right-hand man." If Corvo was indeed Italian, it would lend credence to the notion that Alfiere held them in higher esteem- Corvo was considered his right hand man, and he seemed to put a great deal of trust in fellow Italian Ilario Struzzo. Corvo participated in Alfiere's rescue at the end of the war, where he was captured by the King's men. His fate is unknown, but evidence suggests Corvo was the cellmate killed by Zaldun while imprisoned, which led to the removal of Zaldun's arm as punishment.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Corvo had been systematically killing fellow prisoners and planting evidence pointing to the already disgruntled and violent Zaldun, and even went as far as to provoke Zaldun into a rage and allow himself to be beaten. His motive remains unknown.

• Aldric Rodrigue Rikis- Once a soldier under the command of Cormorán de la Torre, the Lithuanian-born, French-raised Rikis's severe facial scarring served as evidence of de la Torre's violent temper. Later, Rikis joined the rebellion, serving under Captain Zaldun as one of many unremarkable troops. Rikis did not become a noteworthy member of the revolution until he was captured by the King's men, and then engineered a jailbreak. This caught the attention of Alfiere himself, who welcomed Rikis back into the army and gave him a command position.. While originally an idealist like Evelyn O'Connell, her death started Rikis on a path to cynicism. By the end of the war, Rikis was so jaded by the greed of his comrades that he fell into it himself, and even seemed to relish his gangster behavior, telling his subordinates to call him "Vautour." He intended to let Alfiere conquer the nation and do the hard work, allowing Rikis to then murder him and take everything that belonged to him, including the throne. Rikis was later captured and scheduled to be executed with Alfiere. The journal of Aldric R. Rikis, discovered in a Royal prison sometime in late 2008, would eventually provide a great deal of information about the rebel army
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Despite his plans, Rikis turned down an offer by the government to betray Alfiere, believing the plan would fail and Alfiere would reward him for showing loyalty where others had sold out. Obviously, this backfired. His journal reveals that he was also in love with Evelyn, and maintained a somewhat close friendship with her.

• Ilario Struzzo- An Italian filmmaker, Struzzo was recruited into the rebel army to help document their struggle... effectively making him Alfiere's propaganda minister. From the beginning, it was obvious that Struzzo was not a soldier, often whining about conditions or complaining that his clothes were getting dirty. He had few real friends among the rebels due to his condescending, snotty, and sexist attitude, but nonetheless, Alfiere ensured that nobody tried to take their frustrations out on him (which sometimes led to accusations that Alfiere had a bias for his fellow Italians). Struzzo neither betrayed Alfiere, nor took part in the rescue. However, those who believe Alfiere left the country have guessed that Struzzo helped him due to a little known-secret: Struzzo's family had connections to the Marcones across the Atlantic. He was founded dead from a lethal stab wound through the heart in his apartment in 2004.
• Status- Confirmed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Struzzo's family did have a minor connection to another family working within the Marcone mob, but even they had little patience for Struzzo. If Struzzo played any part in Alfiere's alleged arrival in America, it was likely very small.

• Crystal Ibis- The agent code-named Crystal Ibis had no actual commanding role within the rebellion, but nonetheless, even Alfiere had to show her proper respect. Following Cormorán's death, Alfiere struggled to find the financing and resources to continue his war. Eventually, help came from an unlikely and even unwelcomed source: Arachnos. The organization was willing to partially fund and arm the rebels, though they never stated what they wanted in return. Alfiere wisely assumed that they wanted him under their thumb once he became king. Ibis was there to monitor Alfiere's progress and to supervise the use of Arachnos's resources. Many of Alfiere's subordinates offered to kill her when it became clear how much he despised her presence, but he refused. She was later captured along with Alfiere, and Di Gallo took quiet satisfaction in knowing that Arachnos would disavow knowledge of her and allow her to be executed. Her fate following the rescue is unknown.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- Ibis was not a legitimate member of Arachnos. She was a member of a clan of magic-using mercenaries, sent to infiltrate Arachnos to gain information. She grudgingly accepted the job of overseeing resources for Alfiere's army because her clan believed they might be able to turn that war to their advantage somehow. Alfiere himself didn't learn of her true loyalties until after his escape. Ibis never actually fought for the rebels, mostly because that wasn't her job. Incidentally, 'Crystal' is an adjective, and she is properly addressed as Ibis.

• Muirgenne Colombe- An oddity among the rebels, Muirgenne Colombe first entered the rebel army at the young age of seven, and remained a part of the war until at least 1999. She worked with the medical corps under Roy LeCygne, but her rumored metahuman abilities led to more important assignments. Muirgenne mostly kept to herself, and could often be seen with her sketchpad. Notably, she is said to have made friends with the otherwise reclusive Corvo.
• Status- Missing, presumed dead.
• Interesting Trivia- No actual records exist of Muirgenne... in fact, the only modern source to even acknowledge her is Av Zaldun, who has only vague recollection of her, based around memory of a single confrontation with her. Zaldun will not admit that this sole memory involves Muirgenne humiliating him and forcing him to beg for his life.

• Bonifacio Di Gallo- An old farmer, Bonifacio was content to remain in his village and live of a life of quiet humility. His son Ennio, however, always sought greatness, despite his father's warnings that his ambitions would get him into trouble. When Alfiere began his revolution, Bonifacio saw only his son's lust for power. Despite his misgivings, Bonifacio began a campaign to help Alfiere's image, traveling the country to convince the people of Alfiere's noble intentions. Bonifacio painted his son as a glorious liberator and a champion of freedom, even though he knew these were lies. The elder Di Gallo was quickly arrested and executed for conspiring to commit treason. It is unknown how Alfiere reacted to this news.
• Status- Executed by the King's men.
• Interesting Trivia- Alfiere had every opportunity to save Bonifacio from both imprisonment and execution, but deliberately chose not to, feeling the old man simply wasn't worth the trouble.

There were several other lieutenants among the rebel army, but many were unremarkable or had too little influence to be listed here. However, those listed here comprise the entirety of Alfiere's inner circle, and as such, were the most sought-after by the Royal Army.

The Royal Army

• King Karalius- A corrupt tyrant, King Karalius of the Peleda Family cared little for his people and sought only to extend his own power and wealth. Ironically, his greatest challenge came not from people seeking their freedom, but from thugs who wanted to take his power and riches for themselves. Though he hand-picked Ennio Di Gallo for the rank of Knight, he later considered this his greatest mistake, as it gave Alfiere everything he needed to start his own bid for power. Throughout the war, Karalius's opinion shifted constantly; sometimes he considered Alfiere's revolution to be a serious threat, and other times, he considered it a small annoyance. Karalius found it amusing that Captain Zaldun's own brutal tactics were actually worse than anything the Royal Government did, and used that for his own propaganda. He couldn't honestly admit to any of his own crimes, but secretly had agents spread word that Alfiere's own reign would be worse. While the war lasted longer than either he or Alfiere had anticipated, ultimately Karalius did not live to see its end- he was assassinated by Alfiere's agents, or possibly by Alfiere himself. Whatever the case, Alfiere took full credit for the assassination, and would regularly boast about it.
• Status- Assassinated by Alfiere's agents... as you just read.
• Interesting Trivia- The King maintained such heavy control over his country that most of the world was unaware that he was fighting a civil war. Karalius feared other countries would side with the rebels, and so never sought to involve anyone else. Many official records of his reign were hastily destroyed when the country was liberated in 2008, leading to speculation that he had much worse things to hide.

• Prince Sotilas- The young heir to the throne, Sotilas was only ten years old when his father was murdered. Until he came of age, Lady Banrigh would make all decisions. Shortly after the end of the war, the kingdom was invaded by a larger country, which finally liberated the people and brought democracy, ending any chance of Sotilas becoming king. Curiously, his current whereabouts are unknown...
• Status- Missing, but most likely still alive.
• Interesting Trivia- Sotilas remained distraught by the loss of his father for years. Following Alfiere's escape from execution, it was largely as an attempt to appease the Prince that many of the captured and re-captured rebels were subjected to long periods of torture. Sotilas would admit to Lady Banrigh that it made him feel a little better to know that the people who aided in his father's assassination were suffering for it.

• Lady Banrigh- Chief Advisor to King Karalius, Lady Banrigh became the interim ruler when His Majesty was murdered. Under her leadership, the civil war finally ended, though Banrigh only continued the king's corrupt policies. Despite appearances, she was not addicted to power, and simply felt she was doing her job, and had every intention of turning power over to Prince Sotilas when he came of age. However, rumors persist that she had much greater influence over both the King and the Prince than anyone could imagine. When the kingdom was at last overthrown, Lady Banrigh fled, presumably to evade trial for war crimes. Her current whereabouts are unknown...
• Status- Missing, but most likely still alive.
• Interesting Trivia- Very little is known about Banrigh, but the remains of some official government records indicate that she was at the very least fascinated with magic.

• Warmaster Anseris- Minister of Defense for the kingdom, Leon Anseris was a proud patriot and loyal to King Karalius. He was not blind to the king's corruption, but Anseris placed service to his king above service to his people. Prior to his appointment, General Anseris was a Knight, and Ennio Di Gallo's superior. Once Alfiere began his revolution, Anseris became Minister of Defense. As time went on, Karalius had to use harsher tactics, which included intimidation. Anseris's title was thus changed to Warmaster, and three generals were appointed to help fight the rebels, all chosen more for their ability to frighten their enemies than for any genuine combat skill. Anseris accompanied King Karalius on the day of his assassination, and gave his life in a vain attempt to protect his king.
• Status- Killed by Alfiere's agents.
• Interesting Trivia- Anseris was often mocked behind his back by citizens and even his own troops through the use of quacking noises and goose honks. He never quite understood what that was supposed to mean, but after a while, decided to simply ignore it.

• General Neophron- When Karalius stepped up his campaign to fight the reinvigorated rebel army, he commissioned three generals to serve under Warmaster Anseris. Among them was Anker Neophron, a soldier who had previously been discharged after he was severely maimed in battle. Undergoing cybernetic reconstruction, he was reborn as an invulnerable machine and fitted with a horned skull mask for maximum intimidation. General Neophron survived the war and was credited with numerous victories. With all other generals dead, he was promoted to Warmaster. However, following the war, Lady Banrigh had him quietly killed, uncomfortable with his strength.
• Status- Secretly assassinated by Lady Banrigh
• Interesting Trivia- Despite his frightening appearance, Neophron was a surprisingly passive person outside of battle, and enjoyed writing poetry in his spare time. He secretly resented his role in the war, but like Anseris, was driven by loyalty to the crown. He also sometimes complained that the horns on his mask were too heavy.

• General Urvogel- A foreigner who was simply at the right place at the right time, the mysterious General Urvogel's origins remain unknown. Though he claimed to be human, he had distinct reptilian features, and experts now believe he may have been a mutant. Though he was self-conscious about his face, he would usually remove his mask and hood at critical moments in an effort to startle and frighten rebel enemies. The tactic usually worked; however, the rebels quickly learned that despite his intimidation factor, he was a very poor strategist, and was easily distracted. After a while, simply showing his face wasn't enough to frighten them, and Urvogel was killed while attempting to retreat from a losing battle.
• Status- Killed by rebels.
• Interesting Trivia- Urvogel himself often brought up his own lack of military skill during meetings, but was assured that intimidation was a powerful enough weapon to cover for his weaknesses. He often clashed with Anseris, who would go as far as to call him a "useless animal."

• General Hokioi- A reclusive mystic, General Hokioi was specifically sought out by Lady Banrigh to join the Royal Army, apparently having prior acquaintence with her. Hokioi was usually very quiet, but could be very destructive on the battlefield, making use of various magical abilities, the most common of which was the power to conjure green fire. Though his supernatural abilities made him more frightening than any of the other generals, he was never promoted beyond his position because he regarded it with apathy. He would sometimes comment that this was only a job to him, and he had no real loyalty to the King. Karalius wanted him executed for this, but Lady Banrigh assured him that Hokioi could only be an asset, and would never turn on him. True to her word, Hokioi continued with the Royal Army until the war's end. Believing his job to be fulfilled, Hokioi simply left. His whereabouts are still unknown.
• Status- Missing, but most likely still alive.
• Interesting Trivia- Hokioi was known to have Mu ancestry. His previous connection to Lady Banrigh strengthens claims that she was interested in magic, or that she may have used it herself.

• The Interrogator- This wasn't a single person, but many using the same uniform to present the illusion of a single interrogator. They were part of the staff at a maximum-security prison referred to as the Interrogation Department, but famously called the "Vault" by the rebels because it was said that no one could ever escape from it. Located entirely underground, the Vault was more or less an extensive torture chamber, making use of various tools as well as psychological techniques, which included rooms designed with particular aesthetics (pictured is one such room, designed to look like a horror movie torture shop to maximize prisoner discomfort). Following the country's liberation, the Vault was shut down and its prisoners freed. Most of the interrogators were captured and tried for human rights violations. Allegedly, several throughout the Vault's history were executed for failure.
• Status- Various; Most Interrogators are in prison, or dead.
• Interesting Trivia- The Vault is currently being used as a large storage space. One room that housed a multi-armed torture robot is now used to store boxes of Christmas decorations.

Following the end of the war, the Royal Army continued to maintain its own standard of peace. Under Lady Banrigh, however, they became more aggressive towards potential dissenters, often making public spectacle out of their executions. But still, the government was often asked what became of Alfiere Di Gallo; if they had re-captured him, surely they would have announced it, and re-scheduled his execution. But, Lady Banrigh never gave any concerete answer, knowing that admitting that Alfiere had eluded her would only embolden any remaining rebels. She was unaware of how demoralized they really were; even if Alfiere returned, his rebels were unlikely to follow him again, following the spectacular failure that ended the civil war.

Alfiere's Fate?

Following his rescue from execution, Alfiere vanished. Some believe he is likely dead, but there are other theories.

• Alfiere is dead, but the rebels kept it secret- One possible explanation for Alfiere's sudden disappearance is that he was mortally wounded during his escape, or that he was killed shortly after by guards in pursuit. The remaining rebels may have kept this a secret to keep their own morale up, or to rob the royal government of its final victory. However, the civil war effectively ended with Alfiere's capture, and the remaining rebels gave up and went their separate ways.
• Alfiere is dead, but the government kept it secret- Similarly, the government may have kept Alfiere's death a secret, though nobody can explain why they would do that, considering his execution was intended as a public event.
• Alfiere was killed by Rook the Vaulted- The mercenary Rook the Vaulted appears to have a connection to Alfiere. Av Zaldun believes that Rook killed Alfiere and took everything he had, including his apartment, his treasure, and even his daughter. Rook himself claims he has killed Alfiere, but offers no further details.
• Alfiere is Rook the Vaulted- A theory formed by Bad Dream as an alternate interpretation of what Zaldun has learned. Allegedly, Alfiere came to America looking for Evelyn and his estranged daughter Sarah. Upon learning of Evelyn's murder, Alfiere took revenge on her killer, and afterwards decided to continue as an assassin, using the alias of Rook the Vaulted to protect both himself and Sarah, now in his care. As further protection, Rook has distanced himself from his former identity, even going as far as claiming he is Alfiere's murderer.

Other Notes and Trivia

• ((Working on it!))

OOC Notes

• Credit where credit is due: MoonlightMuse has been co-authoring the character and the civil war backstory, and she's done a wonderful job of designing both 1991 and 2001 versions of these characters. And she's still not done! Now we need to flesh out the Royal Army a bit. Also, I probably wouldn't have been as motivated to write any of this out if Talisien hadn't asked questions about Rook the Vaulted's backstory that I had no answer to, which eventually led to fleshing out even the parts that had nothing to do with Rook. So, thanks for keeping me on my toes and forcing me to stay a step ahead.
• The kingdom where Alfiere's civil war took place is intended to be a fictional country, but its name and location are omitted to avoid clashing with any in-universe continuity and geography. It's somewhere in Europe, and just to make its location even more ambiguous, the participants in this war come from various regions of Europe. The fact that most people have never heard of this war can be explained by the King's draconian control of information, preventing news of his oppression and the ensuing rebellion from reaching the outside world.
• An official record of who designed who:
  • SomeKindaLizard designed Alfiere Di Gallo (1991), Av Zaldun (present and 2001), King Karalius, Cormorán de la Torre, Lia Ierunca (2001), Aldric Rikis, Corvo, and all four Royal Generals.
  • MoonlightMuse designed Eagle Eye Evelyn, Av Zaldun (1991), Lia Ierunca (1991), Roy LeCygne (both), Ganso Wright (both), Aldric Rikis (his 1991 cameo in Zaldun's image), Ilario Struzzo, Crystal Ibis, and Lady Banrigh (both).
  • MaelinaHeil created and designed Muirgenne Colombe.
• And since we're here: most characters within the Rook/Nightingale circle (excluding those created by other players, obviously) are named after birds. This extends to the characters from the civil war, some of whom are named after chess pieces as well. In detail:
  • Alfiere Di Gallo- Gallo is Italian for "rooster." In Italian, the bishop chess piece is called "alfiere."
  • Eagle Eye Evelyn- Obviously, her nickname references the eagle.
  • Cormorán de la Torre- Cormorán is Spanish for "cormorant." In Spanish, the rook chess piece is called "torre."
  • Karalius and Sotilas- "King" and "pawn" respectively in Lithuanian and Finnish. The family name Peleda means "owl" in the same language.
  • Banrigh- Gaelic word for "queen." Like Rikis, Banrigh has no bird-name at this point. Hell, this isn't even her real name.
  • Roy LeCygne- LeCygne is French for "the swan." His first name inadvertantly references "roi," the French word for king.
  • Lia Ierunca- Ierunca is Romanian for "hazel grouse."
  • Ganso Wright- Ganso is "goose" in Portuguese (and incidentally, Spanish as well).
  • Aldric Rikis- Rikis is the Lithuanian term for "bishop." His nickname, "Vautour," is French for "vulture."
  • Ilario Struzzo- Struzzo is "ostrich" in Italian.
  • Crystal Ibis- Ibis, of course.
  • Corvo- Italian for both "raven" and "crow."
  • Muirgenne Colombe- Colombe is French for "dove."
  • Anseris- Named for the order "anseriformes" which includes ducks and geese... hence the quacking and honking noises people make behind his back.
  • Urvogel- German for "early bird," and often used to describe the extinct archaeopteryx, usually considered to be the first bird.
  • Neophron- The genus name for the Egyptian vulture, and coincidentally, also the name of a an ancient Greek dramatist.
  • Hokioi- The Maori name for Haast's Eagle.