~A general of The
Iomad, Ainessa's army, and member of Ainessa's council of lords, The Aonad.
~Regin is egocentric
end result to generations of financial prosperity and governmental distinction.
He's a lord and statesman by birthright, and a reverential military officer
by less conventional means. Despite his particularly auspicious lot in life,
he's more cursed than blessed by his celebrity-like status and lofty level
of intellect-making relationships on a personal level rather problematic,
and leaving him with a condescending and oftentimes apathetic attitude.
In his young adulthood, Regin fully exploits his wiry charm by the most disruptive
means possible, aided by his equally unabashed companion, Cullen. With his
superiors, he habitually tests his boundaries, using an invective tone and
wry wit to be as insulting as possible. With women, his approach is equally
cavalier but significantly more popular. He plays the part of the passionate,
roguish lover for amusement's sake while, in actuality, being cruelly detached
from his numerous acquaintances.
After involuntarily joining the ranks of The Iomad, Regin stumbles his way
into obligation and responsibility and remains there for a number of years,
eventually bowing out into premature retirement. At this later point in life,
though, he loses the enthusiasm and moxie that had accompanied him in his
earlier endeavors--maintaining only his indifference and a strangely unshakable
deference to Leandra Aneasta that keeps him perpetually but grudgingly at
her service. She is frequently the only witness to detectable levels of sincerity
from him.
Amongst
the more vexing personalities Regin confronts is Fox, who is essentially just
as grim and unapproachable as he is. The greatest rift between the two is that
Fox is desperate to receive some confirmation on his position with Regin, and
Regin (apparently oblivious) is unsure how to treat someone who is, fundamentally,
his manufactured mimic. Their relationship (if it could even be called that)
is painfully awkward and, much to Fox's frustration, he is shelved with the
rest of the many bewildered personalities, all wholly unsure where they stand
with Regin.
Where he lacks in relational skills, Regin compensates with boundless charisma
(so long as his position remains magnanimous and personably separate from the
masses). Transitioning nonchalantly from rugged partisan to polished sophisticate,
he's merciless, devastatingly intelligent and impeccably composed--easily Leandra's
most effective instrument.
~I'm
not sure what to say about Regin…not for lack of material, but for a plethora
of it. I have to refrain.
Despite his very early start as a supporting character, he's now a focal point-probably
more so than any of the other characters. A majority of the plot points and
themes can be traced directly back to him. I'm uncertain as to how that happened,
or what suddenly sparked my interest in him, but he gradually became the domineering
force. Such is his personality, I suppose. I think he shoulders that burden
rather well.
I'm occasionally asked which character is my favorite. Quite frequently, it's
Regin (although, in all fairness, I can't pinpoint an exact favorite). Everything
about him appeals to me-he's the product of pure indulgence in what I find charming,
attractive and interesting as far as personalities are concerned (oddly enough).
I've been told uncountable times that he resembles any given lead male actor
(Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds, Sam Neill, Tom Selleck, and Harrison Ford have
all been mentioned). I get the impression he has that particular look to him,
but I take comfort in believing he's more differentiated than those intentionally
vague lead personalities--the sort that Joe Anyguy is intended to relate to.
I have always had more of an affinity for villains than heroes, so although
Regin is technically a protagonist, I couldn't help but implement a devilish
streak. In fact, he was a villain I transferred over to this project from a
previous project I had worked on and abandoned years ago. He's a real bastard.
I love that about him.
The only other place the name 'Regin' appears (that I'm aware of) is in Scandinavian
mythology-it's the name of a conniving little dwarf, actually. I took my pronunciation
from 'Regan', however-particularly because it sounds like the word 'regal' (and
also means regal according to some sources). His last name, Faolan, doesn't
resonate particularly well with is first name, but I felt compelled to use it
nevertheless. It's an old spelling for the surname 'Fallon', derived from the
Gaelic word for wolf, 'faol.' In his previous character design, he was an anthropomorphic
wolf, but the symbolism has since fallen to a more discreet level. Similar to
Regin's character, wolves are frequently perceived both as villains and as noble
icons. I suppose the less literal use of the term 'wolf', in our modern vernacular,
is fittingly reminiscent of his amorous, springtide escapades as well.
