Thaddeus Locke

Master Sergeant Thaddeus Locke is a soldier serving in the First Regiment, Elwynn Brigade, of the Stormwind Army. Enlisting in July, 38 LC, Thaddeus has since seen combat in the Blood War, fighting with the regiment in Kul Tiras, Zandalar, and on the home front. As such, Thaddeus' potential as a leader has shone through; with his recent promotion to the non-commissioned officer rank of Master Sergeant, he aims to lead his comrades by example and with a tactical nous forged on the battlefield.

On top of his military career, Thaddeus is a two-sport professional athlete both in mixed martial arts and marmotball. He currently holds the title of GFC Champion while also captaining the Westridge Chevrons marmotball team.

Description
Thick, rich hair sits atop Thaddeus' head, a messy crown of short waves and curls that seldom feel the teeth of a comb. Each strand appears as a stark brown unless caught by the Sun, which reveals dark auburn undertones. His face is a masculine composite of angular features such as a hawkish nose, high cheekbones, strong jawline, and dimpled chin and cheeks, all of which work well in unison alongside his natural charm. He is difficult to hold eye contact with; the predatory gaze of his stunning light green eyes would intimidate if it wasn't for the way the corners of his eyes crinkle when he oft flashes his endearingly crooked smile. A light stubble often creates an island of his full lips and covers the dimples and contours of the lower third of his face. Overall, he is a fairly attractive man who takes after neither his father or mother in appearance; not quite average and not quite a stunner respectively.

Thaddeus stands tall with a straight backed posture and a caramel complexion; his 225 lbs athletic frame reaches 6'5" when drawn to full height. As such, a muscled neck sits atop his very broad, bullish shoulders, each ending in a bulbous deltoid. Sprouting from the sternum and clavicle lies a barrelled chest, matched on the posterior by the thick muscles between and around the shoulder blades. Wide, triangular lats flare upward from the waist, creating a muscular taper from shoulder to hip. Rippling oblique and serratus muscles as well as a very prominent Adonis belt frame the octuplet of sculpted abs and dense muscles of his lower back, the marks of a true athlete. His arms are long and powerful; an immense wingspan of 7’2” with corded muscles enveloping the humerus and forearm. His thick wrists give way to huge, calloused palms and long, dexterous fingers; each hand capable of a crushing grip and hefty punch, or fine writing and delicate plucking of instruments. His entire posterior chain is a collection of powerful, fast-twitch muscles; beneath his large, rounded backside are the long, mighty legs of a sprinter. Strong, muscular thighs entrap his femurs, and below the knee lie bulging, defined calves, each inserting fairly high on his leg as is common among most runners. Tapering down the tibia is a well-proportioned ankle and a large foot; unsurprisingly he is naturally fleet-of-foot, graced with a swift running speed and an especially light step. Most of his dark skin is covered by the bodily hair of a young adult, their sparsity perhaps in contrast with the muscular development of his body.

Punctuating Thaddeus' right cheek is a jagged scar that splits through his beard on the occasion that he is unshaved. Similarly, a second small scar portions a quarter of his right eyebrow away from the rest, which could be mistaken for a fashion choice if not for the way the top of the mark crests just onto the skin of his forehead. A third facial scar separates the hairs of his stubbled mustache as well, ending just on his upper lip. Down his entire posterior chain are a series of burns that change the pigment of his skin and stop the growth of bodily hair in the area. These burns reappear on his hands, giving them a vitiligo-like appearance. Even more fresh is a cog-shaped brand burn on the muscular flesh of his right thigh.

Equipment
Lately, with the improvement of his salary, Thaddeus has started to wear more fashionable casualwear when not in uniform. His uniforms range from immaculately pressed dress blues to the true-blue platemail of a Stormwindian footman. In battle his primary weapon is a halberd, while a broadsword and combat knife act as the secondary and tertiary arms respectively.

In the past, regardless of what garb or armor he donned, a simple silver and wooden rosary hanged from his neck as a testament to his deep-seated religious beliefs. Now with the weakening of his connection to practiced religion --and the ruining of his rosary during recent operations in Zandalar-- his neck is bare of all jewelry.

Personality and Beliefs
Though he was considered by many --himself included-- to be a man unsuitable for the soldier's life, it is clear that war has tempered Thaddeus into an effective killer thus changing his personality in spades. Once warm-of-heart, Thaddeus now almost perennially sits inwardly on the spectrum of anguish and fury, reverting back to his friendly nature far too sparingly for his liking. Now a skilled combatant --a far sight from what he was upon first enlistment-- Thaddeus has developed an inspiring bravery in battle befitting of a Sergeant. Consequently, as a believer that the concept of honor is arbitrary, Thaddeus' time in the army has instilled a ruthless orientation towards its goals. Thus, he is prone to adopting a brutal ends-justify-the-means method at times.

Despite this, Thaddeus is often viewed as a comparatively relaxed Sergeant; at least against his direct peers. This speaks nothing to his efficacy as a combat leader though, as Thaddeus is a man well-liked by his comrades for his excellent understanding of strategy and direction just as much as his unflappable demeanor and penchant for humor. As a true student of the dichotomy of leadership, Thaddeus knows how to walk the fine line between friendship and tyranny towards his subordinates, and isn't afraid to lend himself to either side if the situation calls for it.

No matter the circumstance, Thaddeus has a quiet yet supreme confidence in himself in almost all areas. Perceived as arrogance by some, Thaddeus would say he knows the feats he is capable of and the limits he has been subjected to, and can therefore act above and beyond them.

Once a staunch believer in the Holy Light, Thaddeus' relationship with religion has become more and more shaken as his experiences of war grow. Unsure where he really stands, Thaddeus still labels himself as a believer yet will question the Light just as soon as pray to it.

Family History & Heritage
Thaddeus Edmund Locke was born on November 19, 16 L.C. in Nine Oaks, Westridge, as the first child of Atticus Locke, a woodsman, and Esmé Pascelaar, a clothworker. On his father's side he is of Stormwindian descent, with the Lockes inhabiting County Mirwood as far back as anyone can remember. The name "Locke" is said to have been given as a jeering moniker to a distant ancestor, such is the legacy of the family's involvement in Elwynn's petty crime. The familial mythos is disputed, saying that it comes from either the breaking of locks in burglary, or being locked up in dungeons; with no clear records it is impossible to tell. On his mother's side he has primarily Lordaeronian ancestry to which he owes his darker complexion; Esme herself was born and raised in the North. The Pascelaars were a fairly wealthy tailoring and clothwork family that lost all in the razing of Southshore and headed South for new beginnings following the end of the Second War. They eventually settled in the quiet lands of Westridge and aided in the reclamation of the Southern kingdom, becoming one of the only clothworking families in Nine Oaks' markets.

Atticus and Esme met when they were in 7 L.C. when the pair were both entering adolescence. As the town of Nine Oaks was --and still is-- a fairly isolated settlement and its inhabitants have largely remained immersed in the same gene pool as the fair haired and skinned early humans of Elwynn, Esme received fierce bullying from other town children on account of her educated Northern accent, ebony skin tone, and tightly curled hair. Unlike the others, Atticus became fascinated with Esme's looks and --as a shunned child himself because of his family's reputation-- adopted her into his small and motley group of friends, almost out of necessity than anything else.

The duo quickly became the best of friends as they shared complimentary senses of humor and personalities. The relationship naturally progressed to a sexual one with age and maturation, and by the time they reached adulthood the pair had long since been in love. With one another's support, Atticus was able to curb his family's reputation and go into the honest career of a woodsman while Esme followed her family footsteps to enter the tailoring trade. By 22 their first child was on the way and the couple married; Esme gave birth to Thaddeus shortly thereafter.

Early Life
As the eldest child in a young family, Thaddeus was given a lot of responsibility in the care of his siblings from an early age. Many of his siblings passed away in infancy or in childbirth due to disease and poor access medicine in the country; as such he developed a particularly close bond with Saoirse as she was the second eldest to survive. The pair would fight often but were nigh inseparable in their youth.

Thaddeus was put to work from a young age as his peasant family was too poor to afford formal schooling. In what doctors called a miracle, Thaddeus seemed to know how to read before he could even talk (see trivia), and would often steal books from where ever he could find them just to sate his desire for knowledge. When not reading, the majority of his time was spent working on the family's small vegetable farm, or joining the woodsmen in felling trees for local mills. Because of the at-times-Draconian rule of his father over the household, Thaddeus developed a rebellious streak that would only grow as he aged. This further strained the relationship that Thaddeus already viewed as almost loveless, putting the pair at odds from a very early age.

As he grew into his teen years he became a fine athlete, with natural coordination and physical abilities. Always a tall, athletic kid, Thaddeus used his genetic gifts to great effect, competing primarily in footraces and boxing/wrestling competitions, utilizing an apparent size and power advantage to achieve victory and to attain money for the family. He also found work chiefly as a log driver in those days, further developing his strength and balance, and bestowing upon him an exceptional navigational skill of Elwynn's Western streams and rivers.

In his seventeenth year, Thaddeus made the decision to join his infamous uncle Elias Locke on his smuggling ventures, using his knowledge of Westridge's waterways to bring all sorts of illegal goods into the kingdom's heartland, often on the underside of the logs he was rafting towards mills. He quickly became one of the best smugglers in Western Elwynn, taking goods from numerous organizations from the coast further inland. Though the work was less than legal, Thaddeus' desire for wealth was justification enough in his mind, and as such Thaddeus began to go against and neglect those at home. This alienated Thaddeus from his parents, particularly his father, who was a staunch loyalist and had long since been estranged to his criminal younger brother Elias.

Thaddeus finally left the business shortly after his twenty-first birthday after his Uncle's network was uncovered by guards in Bridgeport. Thaddeus immediately fled and cut ties with his uncle, avoiding arrest and returning to legitimate work on the logging camps. Upon returning home, Atticus threatened to inform the guards of his son's involvement in the criminal underworld, stopping only out of a buried love he stubbornly refused to show. Uncle Elias was arrested, meanwhile, and is still serving his time in the Stormwind Stockade.

After leaving the smuggling business, Thaddeus experienced a change in values; though he always loved his family deep within, personal gain was the goal in his mind during his late teens. He grew up though, coming to realize that staying loved in the minds of those you hold dear is far more important than any sum of money, and that he had come dangerously close to losing the loving family he had been born into. Subsequently, when the Blood War broke out and the Horde destroyed Teldrassil, Thaddeus enlisted in the Stormwind Army in an effort to win back the pride and approval of his family, especially of his tough-but-fair father Atticus.

Relationships
As a soldier of the crown, most of Thaddeus' friends these days come in the shape of his coworkers; fellow soldiers from Honor Company, Seventh Battalion, First Regiment. Thaddeus is closest with his fellow non-commissioned officers --many of whom have climbed the ranks alongside him-- and at times sees himself as the intermediary between disagreeable personalities within the senior enlisted brotherhood.


 * Abigail Potter: Acting at times as Thaddeus' closest friend and confidant, then as a fierce almost-hated adversary in debate, Abigail and Thaddeus' friendship is enigmatic to say the least. The two ranked up from Recruit to Sergeant together, and have shared practically all the battlefields and experiences of war that have come their way. There is a myth amongst the men of Honor Company that the two are a couple --much to their combined chagrin-- but the rumor is yet to be dispelled as it is seen in good humor. Whatever happens, Thaddeus knows Potter to be a dependable and staunch friend --as well as a tough critic.


 * Demritz Sontaur: The closest thing Thaddeus has to a brother-in-arms, Demritz is a man who Thaddeus once thought little of. After Demritz saved him from a burning building, and the pair getting captured and sent to a P.O.W. camp in Zandalar, Thaddeus has the utmost respect for the Corporal, particularly impressed by his resourcefulness and grit. Gifting him the jocular nickname of "Sonny" in stark contrast to his sarcastic disposition, Thaddeus finds great amusement from the man's whip-like wit and penchant for scathing remarks. The two are entering the elite division of Ducal Guards together, though their brotherhood has long been cemented from their shared experiences of the worst that war has to offer.


 * Grilem Silverlight: As Thaddeus' first bunkmate, Grilem is something of a kid brother to Thaddeus --and indeed to all of the NCOs. He is a man who won Thaddeus' respect on the sports ground and the battlefield. Thaddeus sees him as the closest thing to an heir to his marmotball crown, giving him the moniker of "Bulldog" after a particularly impressive performance in game. Thaddeus and Grilem share a similar sense of humor, and often end up as the butt of one another's jokes when in environments fit for such things. Knowing Grilem to be arguably the best person he knows, Thaddeus quietly relies on the young man's good heart to keep himself sane at times.


 * Tyrone White: A man of similar background both in heritage and social class, Tyrone White is simultaneously one of Thaddeus' closest friends and greatest rivals. Since the beginning of their GFC careers, the two have often been at odds; their second championship fight ended up as one of the greatest fights of all time. Despite this, Thaddeus and Tyrone have been able to bond over the somewhat-cliched life experiences of their shared backgrounds, and are even coincidentally similar in stature and athletic prowess.


 * Vicas Aubron: Thaddeus' choice drinking buddy of all whom Honor Company has to offer, Vicas and Thaddeus' friendship is one built on the solid foundation of soldier's respect. Vicas is oft seen as the hardest bastard in the Regiment, and game appears to recognize game; as such, Thaddeus is one of the few who gets to see what the one-armed man is really like on civvie street. Both are men of few words at times, and the extent of their interactions are often a silent shared cigarette or brewed coffee --though neither of them would have it any other way.


 * Valrik Gallaghan: A man whom Thaddeus disagrees with on everything from religion to troop discipline, Valrik is still seen as a respected figure in Thaddeus' eyes. Despite viewing the Paladin as a touch over-zealous with his application of the Light at times, Thaddeus cannot dispute Valrik's intrinsic knowledge of warfare. Regarding him as a veteran to be respected and leader of men, Thaddeus is prone to taking a page from Valrik's book when on the battlefield --though he would never admit to such.

(MORE COMING SOON)

Athletic Career
"Perhaps the most technically gifted fighter on the roster, Thaddeus "Caramel Killer" Locke is an exceptionally athletic fighter with a well rounded skill set that centres primarily around world-class striking. Using his massive 86 inch reach to his advantage, Locke's game centres around his masterful feints of the hands, shoulders, and hips. After reading his opponent's every flinch and movement, he usually throws well put together Elwynn-style combinations, making use of both hands, elbows, knees, and shins. His expert footwork, trunk flexibility, untouchable head movement, and low guard allow him to bait his opponent into striking at thin air while he moves into infuriating striking angles in either orthodox or southpaw stance; as such, he has developed his game as a slick counter-striker. His ridiculous athleticism is merely the icing on top, providing an intense speed to his strikes as well as a ceaseless reserve of stamina.

''His ground-game cannot be ignored either, as Locke is one of the best Stranglethorn ground-fighters that the organisation has had to date. With a feared defensive wrestling style to boot, Locke's grappling prowess most often serves as a tributary of his striking over an outright offensive weapon. Still, he has been known to chain takedowns --or at least, takedown feints-- into his strikes, depending on the opponent across the ring.''

But make no mistake: the GFC's first ever champion has freakish power that belongs with much heavier men, and a rage boiling in his blood that sometimes leaves him open to a slugfest when provoked --which can work both in his favor and against." - Roe Jogan, Commentator

Thaddeus' background as a local fighter before enlistment has lead him to join the Garrison Fighting Championship --a mixed martial arts fighting organization within Westbrook Garrison that is supported by command as a way to keep soldier morale and fitness-- as a way of continuing his career. With a foundation from youth to adulthood in wrestling and Elwynn-style kickboxing, Thaddeus and his compeers have brought new levels of athleticism and skill to the fighting organization. Thaddeus served as the inaugural champion after choking out Tyrone White in a masterful display of ground-game, only to be knocked out by the man in their second bout --which was one of the craziest and best fights to ever grace the organization.

In order to improve his skills and win belts, Thaddeus has recently joined the Stormwind Kickboxing Academy gym to come and the coaching and tutelage of renowned fighters, physical trainers, and nutritionists.

Orders, Decorations and Medals
Joint Service Decorations and Medals Grand Cross of Service

Kingdom of Stormwind Decorations and Medals Conspicuous Service Cross  Prisoner of War Medal  Meritorious Conduct Medal  King Anduin Coronation Medal

Unit Citations Stormwind Royal Unit Citation  Grand Alliance Unit Citation  Meritorious Unit Citation  Distinguished Service Unit Citation

Campaign Medals Blood War Campaign Medal

Gallery
(WIP)

Trivia

 * Thaddeus is a lifelong amateur marmotballer, and despite becoming the Captain of the Westridge Chevrons he actually has supported Old Town Athletic Club since he was a child.
 * Despite a lack of formal educatuon or tutelage, Thaddeus seemingly knew how to read as soon as he was able to think and speak. Unbeknownst even to himself, he was a hyperlexic child and had an unfortunately vast-but-unrealized natural inclinations towards academia.
 * Following suit on the topic of untapped potential and natural intelligence, Thaddeus once took magical aptitude tests and scored off the charts in every category including mana reserves and arcane alignment. (This was done in a d20 event where I rolled nat 20s or 19s every single time!)