Grand Crusader Sun. Picture taken by Evan Haas.
Sun Rocket is a human male character with heritage split between Asgarnian and Fremennik. He was born in Asgarnia and is occupied at present as the Grand Crusader of the Order of Light.
Appearance[]
Sun has always stood at about average height. He has a fairly heavy build to him having fought/trained with heavy weapons/armor his entire life. Due to his life as a Paladin he doesn't have many notable scars, having been able to heal wounds or have others heal them for him.
When he was younger he had dark brown, very unkempt hair and beard. In his old age he now has a dark shade of grey for hair color, but his hair and beard are still shaggy and messy.
Sun now is around ninety years old, his great affinity for Holy Magic having helped ward off natural disease and decay to help him live a long and healthy life. Though he is quite old, he looks more like a man in his sixties, and is still able to fight well. Despite his gift of long life, time is taking it's toll on him, and he is no doubt beginning to unwind, much like his best friend Ryan.
Grand Crusader Sun without his helmet.
Sun is rarely seen wearing anything but his Paladin gear. This consists of a full suit of blessed, reinforced steel armor painted white, his holy Cape of Saradomin, and various weapons. Sun's main weapon is his massive Saradomin Greatsword, a twohanded Icyene sword that has been reforged and upgraded heavily to be much like a Saradomin God Sword. He usually carries this on his back, sheathed on a strap that holds his Blisterwood Polearm and his reinforced steel shield painted with the Star of Saradomin. As a sidearm Sun carries a heavily blessed silver longsword, usually sheathed on his left side. On his right he has a small stake of blisterwood he uses as a dagger in tight situations. He also has another dagger strapped to his right leg plate for incredibly close ranged scenarios. Also strapped to his belt is his old and battered Holy Prayer Book he has had since the original Order of Paladins, and a bottle of holy water. In short, Sun is a heavily armored and armed tank.
The rare occasions that Sun does not wear his usual gear he wears simple monk robes with a hood, keeping his longsword and blisterwood stake with him.
Abilities, Strengths, and Weaknesses[]
Sun has been a Paladin since he was in his mid twenties. He has had much training and practice in Holy Magic as a result, and is exceptionally skilled in it. He is regarded as one of the best users of Holy Magic.
Sun is also well trained in melee combat, having been trained at a much earlier age, and used much more often then holy magic. He fights well with longswords and shields, daggers, and spears, but he is best with two-handed weapons.
Sun is very strong having lived a life of constant fighting using heavy weapons and armor. Though his strength is by no means out of normal human bounds he would likely be able to overpower most men, or people of human strength. This strength also makes him quite resilient, and he is often able to shrug off pain to get the job done.
Sun can be fairly agile when he isn't in his heavy armor, having had very basic assassin training, but he rarely uses this and would be rather rusty if provoked to use agility in a fight.
Sun has almost no magical ability other then Holy Magic. The closest thing to normal magic he uses are Teleportation Tablets.
Sun has no training in long ranged fighting whatsoever. He cannot use a bow, crossbow, darts, slings, or cannons. The only form of "ranged" combat he uses is throwing his own weapons at the enemy (which tends to end badly so he avoids doing this), and casting Holy Magic (which he generally does at close range anyway).
Some would consider Sun's sense of honor a weakness, where others would consider it a strength.
| “ | Because he's the hero Morytania deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, they'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's the silent guardian. The watchful protector. The Holy Knight. | ” |
–Morzina Darkon, On the way back to Paterdomus | ||
Sun's Background[]
Very little is known about Sun's family background, only vague details having cropped up from old records of who Sun only guesses was his father, based only on mediocre descriptions and surviving mission documents that link up with dumbed down stories he heard his father tell as a child. It is believed that many of the deeds Sun's father performed in the White Knights are highly classified, which is why Sun can find little concrete info on him.
Sun's family has a long history in the White Knights. Sun's father was also a White Knight, who gained much respect within their ranks due to his long life of service and great deeds during this time. His father married a Lunar Mage that he met on a mission that had never been documented as well. At an old age, Sun's father retired, and settled down in a small unknown town in Asgarnia with his wife.
History - Childhood[]
Only three years after having their son, the town his parents had settled down in was ransacked by what Sun remembers vividly to be Black Knights. Many died in the attack, including Sun's parents. He was rescued by a Paladin who had happened to be staying in the village at the time, traveling on a long pilgrimage. The Paladin left the young child in an orphanage in Falador. Sun was too young to remember his full name, and called himself the only name he knew himself by: Sun. Of course, his young mind did not differentiate the two different meanings of "sun" and "son", and having often been called "son" or "sonny" or "sonny boo boo", he assumed this was his actual name. Thus he donned the name Sun.
In the orphanage he met his lifelong best friend Ryan. The two grew up together as best friends, always at each other's backs. When they both hit the age of sixteen together, they agreed the best choice of action would be to become squires in the White Knights: Sun having a vague memory of his father talking about them, and having a driving desire to enact revenge on the Black Knights for their crimes. The two became squires in a White Knight branch led by Master Knight Maxamillion Waryoir.
History - The White Knights[]
Sun and Ryan trained hard and diligently for their five years of being squires. Their tasks consisted of little more then accompanying the Knight they were assigned to, and helping them with odd jobs. Sun was assigned to a knight he knew as Sir Spartas. Ryan was paired with a man by the name of Sir Maticus, someone both Ryan and Sun loathed at the time with a passion for his arrogance, belittlement of them, and the enjoyment he took in requiring them to do every mundane or useless task he could think of (Sun remembers quite clearly being forced to tie the man's boots four times because he was "unhappy with the quality of the knot"). Despite their hate of Sir Maticus, they both looked up to and respected Sir Spartas. They saw him as a loyal, honorable man that would never let his comrades down.
After their five years of training, both Sun and Ryan were knighted, and became full fledged White Knights. Before then, the two had very little contact with Master Knight Maxamillion (whom everyone just referred to as Max). They both saw him in a mysterious, yet respectable hard working and honest light. He had a quiet charm to him, and those who did not know him well admired the mysterious leader. As they were forced to see him more often as knights, Sun realized just how mysterious this man was. None could guess at the type of personal life this man led. He was often quiet, and when he spoke it was in definitive unquestionable orders. There was a certainty that despite his vagueness and lack of explanation that he knew exactly what he was doing. As a result, people followed his word without question.
Not long after they were knighted, Sun and Ryan were placed into a squad together. The squad after their induction consisted of six people: Master Knight Match (the Squad Leader, with Commander Rank within the branch), Sir Spartas, Lady Sylvia (head of intelligence in the Squad, with Lieutenant Rank within the branch), Sir Tedo, Sir Sun, and Sir Ryan. The Squad was indeed, so Sun thought, an excellent grouping. The Squad worked well together, completing tasked set to them by Max in a timely and efficient manner. It was not long before the Squad grew close bonds.
The beginning years of Sun's career as a White Knight were definitely a high point in his life. Not even a year after he became a White Knight however, he soon discovered on a mission to the border of the neighboring land of Kandarin the establishment from which the man who saved his very life as a child hailed: the Holy Paladin Order.
History - The Holy Paladin Order[]
The moment Sun found the Order, he knew he wanted to join it. He was able to make an agreement with both Max and his Squad leader so that he could learn the ways of the Paladins, and still be a White Knight. The agreement was simple: he would be allowed to train as a Paladin, and he would use his training to benefit the White Knights and his Squad. He would still be required to do whatever was told of him by the White Knights, but seeing as the two factions' goals did not differ heavily at the time, this was not all too difficult for him. Of course, Ryan joined the Order too under the same agreement that Sun was under. Even their fellow Squad mate, Sir Tedo, took up the agreement and became a Paladin.
The Order of Light.
The Order of Paladins during this time was a much more lenient establishment. Having been strong since the God Wars, there was little fear of the Order's destruction, especially from the inside. As a result, it was quite easy to excel within the Order. They divulged their secrets much more easily, and taught their most powerful secrets to lower ranking members. It was easy for Sun and Ryan to rise in ranks quickly within the Order, Sun seeming to have a natural ability to master Holy Magic.
It is about this time when Sun met a woman by the name of Elizabeth Ceres. She was a farm girl who lived with her family on a farm not far from Falador. One day, the farm had been attacked by a few low ranking black knights looking to stir up trouble. They began to ransack the house, destroying everything within sight. It was not long before the violence was directed at the inhabitants of the house. Elizabeth had received a nasty wound on her arm from one of the knights while trying to flee. Lucky for the family, Sun and his Squad were patrolling the area at the time, and immediately intervened. The rowdy knights were dealt with quickly and easily, while Sun healed the injured Elizabeth with his new powers.
The two quickly became good friends, and Sun and Ryan found themselves visiting the small farm house often during their free time. It wasn't long before the two obviously fell in love, however Sun being a Paladin, was forced to keep the relationship at a friendly level. The Order had a rule that forbade Paladins from having relationships with others (much like priests), and Sun wishing to remain a Paladin above all else, kept his oath to the Order. This did not extinguish his growing love for her though, and he would go out of his way to spend as much time with her as possible.
It was also around this great time in Sun's early life that he began to rise within the ranks of the White Knights. Max had begun to take notice of the exceptional knight and the effort he put in to better their Branch. Their Squad had completed many missions by this time with striking success, and soon Sun was promoted to Officer rank.
Alas, the good days of his life as a White Knight did not last for much longer. At the age of about thirty, a series of events occurred that would change Sun's life forever...
History - Tradgedy[]
Not long after Sun received his Officer rank did tragedy strike his life. It as during this period of time that the Order of Light had been betrayed by one of it's own: Mourgraine. With his followers, both outsiders and members of the Order, he led a campaign against the Paladins, utterly slaughtering them. Most of the Paladins during this time were slain, people Sun knew well. Some survived, going into hiding as Mourgraine's Dark Paladins began openly hunting members of the former Order. Those that fled were usually ashamed of their cowardice and forever gave up the life of a Paladin.
Sun, Ryan, and Sir Tedo were amongst the survivors, having been on a mission for the White Knights. Upon their return they were devastated to learn of the Fall of the Order. They realized soon however, the danger they faced, being surviving Paladins that would surely be hunted by Mourgraine's followers. To protect themselves they pretended to have no more affiliation with Paladins: never using their powers or even speaking about the Order. It was a trying time for Sun, who like many others, considered himself a coward for his actions.
They remained hidden for a bit but the Dark Paladins soon caught up with them. Sir Tedo had been discovered, and was soon captured and taken away by Mourgraine's followers. Sun and Ryan followed suit, but it was no good; when they found their friend he was bound to a Zamorakian altar, and decapitated before their very eyes. The Dark Paladins at this point teleported, leaving Sun clutching the headless body of his former comrade and dear friend.
Though Sun seemed to be taking these hard times the worst, they were no easier for Ryan. It was around this time that his brother, Marcus, had turned to the Dark Paladins, donning the name Exziela. The two vowed to kill the traitor if they ever crossed paths again.
Sun's descent into madness and depression was sadly only just beginning. Almost right after the Fall of the Order all hell would begin to break loose in the only place left he could find peace, friendship, and a home: the White Knights.
History - Betrayal[]
Strange things began to happen in Max's branch of the White Knights. People were leaving randomly, there was a rise in recorded KIAs, and people were simply disappearing with no further trace. Among those who left were Sir Spartas, the man Sun looked up to as and respectable squad leader, person, and father figure. He urged Sun to escape while he still could, speaking other treasonous words such as "Max is evil. He is killing us, he's gone mad Sun!" Feeling both outrage and personal pain at this betrayal, Sun ordered Sir Spartas off the grounds, threatening him with execution.
Despite Sun's continuing loyalty to his leader and his branch, he could not dispute the fact that something strange was indeed happening. Spartas was by no means the only one who left with a warning. In fact, his was quite subtle compared to the displays other deserters put on, such as running through castle and city grounds shouting treasonous statements that ended with their formal execution. Besides the constant desertions, killings, and disappearances none could deny that Max was acting strange himself. Even more secretive and seclusive then normal, at times he was caught muttering things to himself. His interaction with the lower ranking Knights was at this point nonexistent. Missions became either simpler or just plain nonsensical, for example, sending people trekking into the jungle looking for not even rumored "magic artifacts". If people returned from failed missions often the more gruesome punishments were inflicted on them, and sometimes people were even killed.
The squad, despite the chaos, continued to function. However, Lady Sylvia seemed to be incredibly skeptical of Max during this time. The others began to worry that her continued suspicions would get her killed like the others, and tried their best to keep her quietly passive. It wasn't long before she too unexpectedly disappeared, and the now three-man squad suspected the worst.
Alas, they moved on. Sun however, was continuing to spiral into madness as chaos continued to ensue in the Branch. He watched passively as former friends were tried and killed for treason, as they disappeared overnight with no further word or clue of where they went, as they died on seemingly pointless and ridiculous missions and were deemed "untraitorous heroes who died for a truly good cause," as Max had stated multiple times. But Sun was determined to believe in his leader, to stay loyal to the only family he had left. This drove him only further into madness as he struggled with himself, lying to believe in his leader and his fellow knights.
Finally, Sun was driven to his breaking point. One day after his extensively long guard duty (mind, he was an officer at the time) he decided to pay a visit to Elizabeth to hopefully calm a bit of his tension, and confide his worries. When he arrived to the farm, the door was open, and the inside was disheveled as if someone had broken in. Sun frantically searched the house for any signs leading to what had happened. To his horror, he found Elizabeth's parents slain brutally. Upon further search he finally found a clue, nailed to a dresser, with spots of blood covering parts of it. It read:
"The resident of this home, Elizabeth Gabrielle Ceres, has been suspected of treason to the White Knights, current overseers of the land of Asgarnia. The accused shall be taken into custody for questioning and a formal trial. Any resistance from the residents of this home will result in death.
Master Knight Maxamillion Waryoir, High Commander of the 31st White Knight Division"
Sun's only thought at this point was saving his beloved. The thought of her actually being a traitor was preposterous: everyone was a traitor in Max's eyes. No longer did he forgave Max or the White Knights for their obvious faults. "She must be at the castle now, being held in the dungeons," he thought frantically. He did not delay, racing as fast as he could back to the castle. He had to save her. He would help her escape and neither would return. They would leave Falador, and perhaps Asgarnia and live in peace forever. Would Ryan and the Match understand finally what was really happening as he had? He made his way to the dungeons only just in time to witness the most horrible sight he could have ever imagined.
His worst fears did not come true, but what he saw was hardly far from it. Max had been holding a bound and gagged Elizabeth down, obviously attempting to defile her. For a moment Sun only stood there, awe struck and speechless. Finally, his senses kicked in. Not having been seen or heard, Sun grabbed the nearest metal instrument and struck Max clean on the head with it, knocking him out cold instantly. Sun freed the bound, tear and blood soaked Elizabeth, and they both escaped.
History - Cooper "The Dog" dePatz[]
Lady Sylvia's disappearance, it turned out, was not nearly as bad as the the Squad had thought. As Sun and Elizabeth made their way to find Ryan, they were approached by her. She came bearing unpleasant news: she had concrete proof of Max's evils and betrayal to not only the White Knights, but Asgarnia as a whole, and Saradomin himself. She told the two how she had been gone, looking into what has been going on, believing the Branch to have been dying quickly, and that she needed to help save it. What she found only shook Sun's already broken mind more.
She presented him with formal documentation detailing an agreement made between Max and the Black Knight General Bidicus, Slayer of Three-Thousand Men. On top of this, she explained how she had been spying secretly on both Max and Bidicus. Max had been sending his soldiers on suicide missions, trying to undermine the White Knight's strength and reputation. He wished to weaken the forces of Falador enough to allow a bloody and successful take over by the Black Knights in the name of Zamorak.
Sun was horrified, and both Sun and Elizabeth made a vow to help bring down the evil man. When Sylvia left to continue her work, Sun and Elizabeth went to Ryan. When presented with all the evidence and a recount of the events, Ryan was as eager as the rest to get revenge on Max for his crimes. The next person they came to was Match. He was indeed loyal, but not a fool. When Sun presented him with these facts, he too found it disturbing. Unlike the others, he was calm and collected. He simply nodded to the others when they suggested he should leave as soon as possible, clearly deep in thought.
It was at this fateful and opportune moment that the three (being Sun, Ryan, and Elizabeth) came upon certain man. On the outskirts of the city in their escape, they were approached by this person, a masked shady man in dark clothing who had long shaggy black hair. Despite this appearance, he had a definite look of determination and courage in his eyes. "You're Sun?" he asked in a hushed, but still determined voice. "Yeah, and who the hell are you?" retorted Sun, openly suspicious of the man. "I know what you've been through, and I know you want revenge. I can help you with that," he then lowered his mask to reveal a sinister smile. "I want Max dead as much as you do. He's a tyrant, and he's running this city into the ground. It's time for him to die. Are you in?" Sun looked back at his companions; Elizabeth looked worried, and Ryan looked skeptical. Sun however had a crazed grin when he turned to face the man again. “I’m in,” he replied. They found out not long after that this man was an assassin by the name of Cooper dePatz, aka “The Dog”. Cooper taught Sun, Elizabeth, and Ryan the basics of being an assassin. For 2 months they were trained until Cooper believed the three were good enough to get the job done. Though Ryan and Elizabeth seemed to grasp being an assassin, it did not come naturally to Sun. Sun was often farthest behind in the group when it came to training, being far more attuned to heavy combat, rather than quick and agile hit and run tactics.
Once their training had been completed it had been time to begin their mission: to bring down Max Waryoir
History - Vengeance[]
It was time for the four to begin planning the assassination on Max. Coop devised a number of plans, all based around a rule of limited casualties. Coop proved to be a very respectable man with a clear conscience and moral code. It was his goal to take down Max, and open his high position to someone far more suitable for the good of Asgarnia; nothing more, nothing less. He refused to kill anyone unless it was totally avoidable.
Sun and Ryan however, had a very different ideal. Both blinded by their rage, they sought revenge above all else. Under the banner of liberation they enacted their killings. When sent on missions they often killed whoever stood in their way without remorse or care; usually former friends of theirs who were simple, unaware guards. Sun, Ryan, and Elizabeth would sometimes go away on their own missions to kill high ranking members of Max's branch.
Coops plan's however, did not work out well. Max's paranoia made him a hard person to track down, not to mention eliminate. Often Coops plans ended almost disastrously. With each failed assassination attempt, he only became a tougher target. He became more and more protective of himself, and soon wanted posters of the four could be found all around the city (among many other former White Knights too). But with each failed attempt Coop only became more determined to end Max.
These failures did not have the same effect on Sun or Ryan though. If anything, it only made them more crazed and blood thirsty, angry that they could not exact revenge on the one they wanted to kill the most. This was an anger they took out on the White Knights as a whole with even more brutality. It got so bad that Elizabeth began to worry about the two and their bloodlust. She, unlike Ryan and Sun, had a policy much like Coops: keep as many people alive as possible (though she was not as strict about it as Coop as she had quite a personal grudge against Max and his men as well).
Coop was not happy as their deeds became more obvious and much worse. "Our mission is to save the White Knights from Max dammit! Not make things worse!" He would tell them often, but they did not listen, or believe him. They thought anyone loyal to Max deserved death, and constantly told themselves that killing them was for the best. Thus the killing continued.
History - The End of a Chapter[]
For about a year the group continued their war on Max. As assassination attempts continued, so did public executions of suspected criminals. It was a dark time in Falador's history as people were killed in cold blood almost constantly: whether they be citizens killed by Max, or Knights killed by Coop's gang (and often Max killed his own knights). Falador as a whole was weak, and it seemed as if Max's plan of weakening Falador was coming into beautiful fruition. Black Knight spies had been spotted inside the city, or around it's walls far too often for comfort around this time. The population was now in a general state of fear, both from within and from the outside world.
Finally, Coop found a perfect opening. He was dumbfounded when he caught word of Max attending one of the many public hangings. Apparently they had caught two of Max's greatest traitors, and he wished to be there to witness their deaths and his victory. It was an opportunity Coop was not willing to pass up.
Coop assembled the party and they worked out a plan. They knew it would not be easy, Max was sure to have an entourage of guards around him, constantly vigilant. It would be a dangerous mission with a high potential of failure, but still better chances then many of their other attempts.
The hanging was to take place in Falador Square (where the statue of Saradomin used to be). Coop and Elizabeth (the best marksmen of the group) were going to be stationed on opposite roofs, Elizabeth on the Rising Sun's roof, Coop on the blacksmith. Ryan would be in the alleyways, ready to jump out and strike. Sun would be hiding close by, waiting for the signal. Coop and Elizabeth would pick off some of the guards, clearing and immediate path for Sun and Ryan. At that point Sun would charge out of hiding, heading straight for Max. Ryan however, would dart out of cover, ahead of Sun, and intercept and guards close to Max, distracting them while Sun went in for the kill...
The group was satisfied with the plan, but no doubt nervous. This plan was not as safe as previous plans; if something went wrong it was likely that at least one of them (if not all) would die (or even worse, be caught). The night before the attack, Elizabeth came to Sun, expressing her worries about the attack. She no doubt feared the worst. Sun did his best to comfort her, but he was anxious as well. That night the two made love, both fearing it was the last night they would be together.
Everyone woke early without hesitation, and made their way to the designated positions before the sun rose. They used the early morning darkness to sneak their way past the city guards and hide. It wasn't long before preparations for the execution began, and soon a crowd gathered. The group was in position as everyone arrived to witness the death of two great traitors; everyone but Max and his victims.
Finally, with an entourage of White Knights guarding him, Max arrived from the long bridge leading to Falador Castle. In front of him being forced forward by a cluster of guards were the victims, their heads covered by burlap bags. Sun waited anxiously for the signal as Max addressed the crowd, recounting the crimes of the victims as they were lead to the gallows set up in the center of the square.
All fear was behind him now. It was finally his chance to end the bastard that ruined his life. He glared at the back of Max's neck with a crazed lust, imagining what it would be like to finally stick a knife in it. The only emotion he felt now was a mixture of crazed anxiety and a cruel satisfaction...Up until the victims were unmasked. At the gallows he saw the two faces he knew so well, a look of pure fear on each of their faces. They were none other than Match and Sylvia.
Every emotion he felt prior to that moment had been instantly wiped away. A boiling rage he had never felt erupted from him. Now he only felt pure anger. Already one thing in the plan had gone wrong: Max had already ordered the execution. Coop had planned for a drawn our monologue, in a hope to save the two prisoners. Sun watched as two of his best friends fell limp, their necks broken, dangling from the gallows.
Coop cursed, the plan already off to a bad start. He turned to face Elizabeth on the opposite roof, and signaled to her "stick to the plan". Tears streaming down his face, Sun let out an animalistic cry, leaping from his cover and running straight towards Max, forgetting everything about the plan in his blind fury. Almost immediately Coop noticed this. He turned to Elizabeth and called out "Abort mission! Abort mission! Get down there and get him out of there!" but she was already climbing down the building. Ryan having noticed this almost immediately as well, burst out of his hiding spot after Sun.