Name: Anguis Insidior
Species: Goblin
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Appearance: Anguis is not a tall man, standing at only about 5'10, but his carriage is what makes him seem towering and formidable. His back is never stooped, his shoulders never slumped, his square jaw always determinedly forward, his luminescent turquoise eyes always level and steady. In fact, one would almost say that Anguis were handsome, regal, breathtaking, if it weren't for his other features that counteract gracefulness he might have had. His thick black brows overshadow his eyes in a permanent frown, his nose is long and hooked, and his long raven hair tends to hang in his face, all combining to add a sense of furtiveness to the Goblin's appearance. His skin is a deep bottle-green, and still soft and unwrinkled, whether from good breeding or magic, opinions never agree on.
Personality: If Anguis has any defining trait, it's that he's slippery as an eel. Nothing ever really seems to be his fault; catch him red-handed, and he'll calmly explain to you that the crimson on his hands is the wrong shade to convict him, and you'll be convinced. Anguis may not come out of every situation smelling like roses, but he always comes out. He may not be the most charming or the most likeable, but he's the certainly the most clever, and that's what makes him the first pick as advisor.
And though he may not seem it, always prefer the study to the battlefield, Anguis is as ruthless as he needs to be. And in his eyes, great ruthlessness is often necessary. In Anguis's eyes, for hundreds of years, the world treated his people as outsiders and enemies, and he sees no reason that that should have changed now that the Goblins have power- it's just more tactical. The Goblins have always been outsiders, and the only way outsiders survive is by staying together. Assuming that everyone is hostile to him is how Anguis has stayed alive this long in the tumultuous position of the court. He has worked hard to distill the same distrust and readiness to strike in his children, and he will be as harsh as necessary to ascertain that the lesson sticks. In Anguis's eyes, it would be better to be hated by his living children, then loved by his dead ones.
Backstory: Anguis grew up in the court, studying avidly under his father, never once having a doubt as to which path he'd take; Anguis always had a fascination with the power that knowledge of spells, runes, and poisons gave him, and it got him far in life, even if the fascination was somewhat morbid. Anguis married at the age of eighteen, and though he was never one to gush about it, was very much in love with Arachna.
Anguis was closest to his father Venifer, which is why the man's death hit him with such force. The young Goblin refused to believe that his father would take his own life, and became convinced that something fouler was involved. Maybe it was that moment that hardened him into the man he is now, because his children, born in the same year, he insisted upon naming Poison and Viper. He was never going to let anyone forget that in this world, there would always be someone who wanted to kill them, so they had to kill first.
Externally, Anguis seemed almost shockingly unaffected by the death of his wife, save to be even harder on his children, hellbent on raising them to be as hardened as he could. Internally, Anguis never recovered.
The extent of his involvement in the discovery of the supposed plot against the Emperor Balsam is unclear; the only things known for sure are that he did discover it, and that he urged the Emperor to have all the suspects executed as quickly as possible. As always, kill first.
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