COMMODUS

And with tears of blood he cleansed the hand,
The hand that held the steel:
For only blood can wipe out blood,
And only tears can heal:
And the crimson stain that was of Cain
Became Christ's snow-white seal.
In Reading gaol by Reading town
There is a pit of shame,
And in it lies a wretched man
Eaten by teeth of flame,
In a burning winding-sheet he lies,
And his grave has got no name.
And there, till Christ call forth the dead,

In silence let him lie:
No need to waste the foolish tear,
Or heave the windy sigh:
The man had killed the thing he loved,
And so he had to die.
And all men kill the thing they love,
By all let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword.

-Oscar Wilde,
The Ballad of Reading Gaol

Commodus is thin and wiry, standing 5'9" tall. He wears leather riding boots most of the time and carries a riding crop tipped with nasty metal barbs. His straight dark hair is shoulder length and often pushed back and held in place by a black ribbon. He often wears a fawn leather jerkin over the dark silk shirts he prefers, so that he can keep his favourite silver pocket watch within easy reach. His blue-grey eyes are said to pierce the very soul. His complexion is pale and hairless, giving the impression of youth.

Commodus is an upright, confident young man who seems to enjoy his reputation for wanton acts of destruction against the enemies of the crown. Though some blame his temper, he is in fact difficult to provoke, preferring to be a catalyst for other people's displeasure. If he thinks someone has slighted the Shogun, for example, he will do his utmost to teach them a lesson. This usually involves persecuting those who are unable to protect themselves, hence his whispered nickname among the peasantry: "King of Pain." He was an enthusiastic exponent of the purge of House Helgram.