(Age: 41)
Elio Coin is the youngest of Arnot’s four vassal kings, a man who rose from street-legend thief to merchant prince and sovereign of trade. Born without a house, he carved his place in the empire through cunning, audacity, and sheer willpower. At a youth, he was reputed to be the best thief in Arnot, his exploits whispered in every port, marketplace, and shadowed alley. His notoriety reached the ears of Emperor Ephram when he stole from Ephram’s pirate crew, and only Achilles’ might brought him to near-death. Yet even as bloodied and beaten, Elio refused to yield—a defiance that showcased a will as sharp as any sword.
Recognizing his potential, Ephram invited him to join the crew. Three years later, Elio transformed from thief to master of commerce, using his connections to bring merchants from across Paradise—and even beyond—to trade with Arnot. With Mitera’s trade networks, he converted his cunning into empire, becoming King of Coins, a man who now commands wealth beyond measure.
Build: Slightly above average for Arnothi standards at 12 feet, lean but muscular. Agile as a predator, his movements are precise, economical, and deceptively strong.
Face: Sharp-featured, with dark hair slicked back and amber eyes that sparkle with calculation and mischief. A faint scar crosses his left cheek, a souvenir from Achilles’ brutal introduction to the Arnot elite.
Attire: Rich fabrics dyed in golds and blues, adorned with sigils of House Coin. A cloak of merchant silk falls behind him, with hidden pockets for both coin and weapon. He carries no traditional weapon, instead relying on hidden daggers, mechanisms, or the loyalty of his fleets and mercenaries.
Cunning Visionary: Elio sees opportunity where others see risk. Every negotiation, theft, or trade agreement is part of a long game—profit and power intertwined.
Soft but Calculating: Outwardly diplomatic, charming, and approachable, he is often underestimated by rivals who mistake wealth for weakness. In truth, his mind is as lethal as any blade.
Adaptive Will: Once a street thief, Elio knows the art of survival and improvisation. His experiences with Ephram and Achilles taught him that true strength is resilience, not force alone.
Master of Illusion: He allows the Free Cities to believe they govern themselves, all while secretly controlling the wealth, trade, and mercenary fleets that guarantee his rule.
Merchant Sovereign: Controls a council of coastal city-states, each seemingly autonomous, while his vault—the size of a mountain—backs every coin in circulation and guarantees dominance.
Fleet Strategist: Commands trading fleets that double as mercenary navies. Their loyalty is to coin, and they can match or surpass many military forces.
Subtle Dominance: Prefers influence over force. A word, a shipment, or a contract can topple rivals faster than any army. Yet when necessary, he can unleash wealth as a weapon—mercenaries, sabotage, or siege engines funded entirely through trade.
Vault of a Mountain
Concept: Wealth as ultimate power.
Effect: Financial dominance allows him to manipulate markets, bribe armies, or fund entire wars at will.
Signature Use: Overturning a siege by paying off defenders, mercenaries, and merchants simultaneously.
Trade Web
Concept: Network mastery.
Effect: His merchant routes cover every coast and port, providing intelligence, movement of troops, or supplies at a moment’s notice.
Signature Use: Moving an army across Paradise using commercial caravans as cover, arriving where enemies least expect.
Coin’s Edge
Concept: Precision through deception.
Effect: Elio strikes through influence, espionage, and cunning rather than direct force. His decisions preempt rivals’ actions.
Signature Use: Turning allies against each other before a battle ever begins, leaving opponents bankrupt in both coin and trust.
Silent Armada
Concept: The mercenary fleet as an invisible hand.
Effect: His privately-owned ships and soldiers appear where needed, striking with devastating efficiency.
Signature Use: Blotting out a port in force without warning, dismantling defenses before the city realizes it is under attack.
Shadow of Freedom
Concept: The illusion of autonomy.
Effect: Free Cities believe they act independently, while every trade, fleet, and tax passes through House Coin’s control.
Signature Use: Maintaining decades of influence without rebellion, the cities unaware that their “freedom” is carefully curated.
Master of Trade and Wealth: Without Elio, the Free Cities’ economies would falter. His strategies make Arnot richer, stronger, and more stable than any other empire of the region.
Economic Shield: While Achilles and Mitera manage war and survival, Elio ensures that the empire’s financial backbone never breaks.
Manipulator of Cities: His subtlety is unmatched. He prefers to control entire populations with coin, contracts, and networks rather than armies—but when forced, his mercenaries act like a storm of iron.
Rising Legend: From thief to king, he is proof that will and ingenuity can rival blood and brawn.
⚔️ Style Note:
Elio Coin is the mind of commerce, Mitera the eye of strategy, Achilles the hammer of war, and Ephram the thunder of will. Together, they form the Council of Kings, four pillars of Arnot’s dominance—each supreme in their domain, each complementary, each terrifying in their own right.