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 Post subject: Character History.
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:36 pm 
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Noxius
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Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 5:43 pm
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Location: Uk - Nottingham
I wanted to make myself a little list of all of the characters and their backgrounds, so I did alot of copying and pasting from various parts of the kickstarter updates to gather all of the characters backgrounds and put them into on place. Then I thought I'd as Falk's possible name meanings just for good measure. Then thought hey, why not share it with all the other fans. If you see anything I've missed let me know, otherwise, here is all of the character history I could find in one place. :)

Name = possible meaning.
'Back story.'


Aquila = Eagle, named after the standard of the legions.
'A regal embodiment of the ledionary standard, Aquila fights in the arena with a pride and savagery inspiring to onlookers. Hand-picked by the head of Ludus Britannicus, this promising youth is destined for great things.'

Urbicus = Quintus Lollius Urbicus campaigned against the british tribes - fits with his history of campaigning far from home.
'A former legionnaire, Urbicus has embraced a career of survival, delivering others to the jaws of death in his place. Finished with campaigning far from home, he has brought his talents into the arena as a way to stay close to his family and provide a better life for them with his winnings.'

Viatrix = ancient form of Beatrix, means "blessed woman."
'Viatrix has embraced the heart of what it is to be a gladiator. Crowds love watching the provocatrix drive her foes to clumsy rage. Flawless execution of the lessons learned in her relentless training allows her to capitalize on the errors of others and win the day.'

Aemilia = Name of one of the most ancient patrician houses at Rome. Aemulus means "rival."
'Aemilia has abandoned the dull promise of a sedate life as a dutiful aristocratic daughter, having gotten a taste of the wilds on hunts in the northern reaches of the empire. She has chosen instead to embrace the thrill of the hunt and test her mettle in the arena, flowing away from the strikes of one adversary and into the position to strike down another.'

Marcus Furius = Marcus derived from Ares, God of war. Furius is another patrician house of Rome.
'As a youth, Marcus Furius spent much of his time herding livestock on his family's estate in Etruria. Later falling to raiding and banditry in the hills north of Rome, he developed a taste for notoriety that led him to the arena. Now, he misdirects and snares opponents for even greater reward.'


Lupa = female wolf, such an animal plays an important role in the founding legend of Rome.
'A spectacle and executioner, Lupa is often brought into the arena to finish off foes who have been condemned, or to rouse a crowd when their interest is flagging. Crushing the heads of the fallen with great strokes of her hammer, or toying with opponents by incorporating elaborate flourishes, she ensures that even the most lackluster opponents will be drawn into a great show. Adept at creating a captive audience, Lupa ensures that the crowds always leave satisfied. '

Iason = Hero of greek mythology, name means "healer" or "physician."
'Trained in the arts of the arena from boyhood, Iason strikes with leathal grace and precision. Because of his lithe form and sinouus taunts and strikes he is often likened to a dancer on the sands.'

Infelix = means "the unlucky."
'The shifting sands of the arena are never an issue for infelix. Accustomed to the rolling seas, he was condemned to the arena for piracy. Rather than awaiting his approaching death with a handful of fellow noxii, he gutted the man nearest to him, claimed his weapon, and struck at his executioners in the space of a breath.'

Noxius = translates to "criminal" or "guilty", fitting the back story.
'A captive too unruly for slavery and condemned to death in the arena, this man bears no name to speak of, and no tongue to speak it. He makes do with minimal equipment granted only for the sake of spectacle, and continues to survive despite terrible odds.'

Ban-Luca = Tricky one. Haven't quite figured it out and maybe there is nothing to figure out. It might be a play on San Luca, an italian town, or Lucania. Luca is the italian version of Luke, meaning "man from Lucania". In the british context, Ban was the father of Sir Lancelot in the King Arthur story. All not very satisfying ideas, but most of the LegioXIII has connection to the arthurian legend...
'A loyal companion to Aquila from childhood, Ban-Luca is the favored daughter of a skilled military smith. Her childhood oath to always defend Aquila in battle has never wavered, and her father has despaired of keeping her from harm’s way. Instead, he outfits Ban-Luca with his most cunning armor designs to ensure her safety.'

Hermes = greek god of transitions and boundaries and conductor of souls into the afterlife. Most scholars derive "Hermes" from Greek herma (a stone, roadside shrine or boundary marker).
' Having won his freedom years ago, Hermes has embraced the sands as his home. Peerless when he was in his prime, crowds still swell when Hermes is scheduled for a match. He helped build Ludus Magnus to its pinnacle of prestige, and continues to heap laurels upon it through his performances.'

Tiet-Khebi = Tiet is a symbol of Isis, supposed to represent eternal life and ressurection. Khepi seems to be the assyrian word for harvest.
'Years of discipline have made this woman a formidable force. Uniting the role of ceremonial priestess and gladiator, Tiet-Khebi’s role is to shed as much sacrificial blood in the munera as possible. It is thought that this will speed the spirits across the threshold of life and death, and ensure their power in their next life.'

Vargr = means "Wolf.“
'From the exotic lands beyond the Atlantic, Vargr always preferred the excitement and adventure of hunting, combat, and scouting to the long-winded wisdom of the elders. Growing up in a mixed trading settlement Vargr heard unbelievable stories from the “old world” of undying warriors drenched in glory, and unimaginable beasts offering challenge. When the brothers came calling he leapt at his chance. Drawn to the arena for the glory and contest, Vargr relishes his time on the sands.'

Frigge = Frigg is Odin’s wife and the mother of Baldr. The name means „beloved lady“
'Raised from birth within the brotherhood, Frigge Eiriksdottir has been a terror since the age of two. Many of the Blood Brothers’ favorite stories of Frigge involve her childhood escapades throwing tantrums and stealing weapons twice her height. This continued until her demands were met and she was presented with a child’s wooden sword to match her brother’s. Her father knew that day that his only daughter was a warrior-born and the rest of the brotherhood had best try and keep up.'

Sven = Young warrior
'A patient warrior who favors maneuvering around his opponents and exhausting them before closing in for the kill, Sven treats even his human foes more like dangerous predators than proper enemies. He prefers to keep his opponents at bay with the reach of his spear and sword, trusting in his reflexes and the precision of his strikes to ward him more surely than armor or a shield. Hard hours of training and focused preparation from childhood ensure that his sister Frigge has a constant rival for any title within the ludus.'

Mago = Magician/Conjurer, funnily also the name of a genus of south-american spiders.
'A rising star of the Antonian Guard, Mago is one of the few elite guardsmen allowed to participate in the munera. Combining the exotic styles of his birth with the traditional garb of the Retiarius, Mago presents something both new and familiar to the delight of the crowds. Wielding new and trident in a ruthlessly efficient and tactical manner, most assume Mago is a clear successor for the Captain of the Antonian Guard.'

Urien = Urien Rheged, was a late 6th century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom, who later became "King Urien of Gore" in the arthurian legend, husband of Morgan le Fay.
'The northern kings bitterly resisted the Gallo-Roman tide in the early days of the Imperium. Though they were defeated in the end, it never broke their pride. Now a pillar of the legions’ strength, these regions produce some of the finest military minds and most stubbornly loyal infantry in all of Gallo-Rome. From the line of those ancient kings comes Urien; unyielding and pragmatic as his forebears, he was raised from childhood in boots and a helmet. He has been assigned to Legio XIII to cool the heat in his blood and temper him for greater command.'

Othos Mentulus = Otho was a very unsuccessful roman Emperor who ruled for three months before committing suicide. Othos is also a town in Greece. Mentulus means Cock.
'Brutal and unforgiving, Otho Mentulus dominates his foes in the arena and demoralizes them both with the power of his blows and the disdain he shows for any form of showmanship. The shrewd application of violence in and out of the arena has earned the beast of a man a sizeable fortune, which he uses to grow his renown and feed his vices.'

Micon = name of an artist from ancient Athens and still in use as a family name. Couldn't figure out the meaning.
'A Freedman accustomed to poverty, Micon learned early that not having a weapon was not the same as being unarmed. Years of quarrying stones and field work have layered dense muscle onto his naturally imposing physique. Pounding stones to dust or pounding noxii into a bloody mess in a similar process for Micon -- one just pays better.'

Gaius Pallidus = Gaius is a common roman name with unknown origin. In this context it might be the male form of Gaia, greek goddess of the Earth. Pallidus means pale.
'A warrior to make the stoutest of men quail, Gaius Pallidus was struck down in battle as the Gallo-Roman legions brought “peace” to the Isle of Hibernia. Nearly decapitated and abandoned with the dead, he was found and subjected to the prayers and healing arts of a local druid. With renewed and surprising vitality, he continues to shrug off wounds that would be mortal to others, and turns the cries of his opponents from triumph to terror. '

Bjarrhvit = hvit means white, Bjare is a danish variant of Bjorn, meaning bear. So her english name could be "White Bear."
'A huntress and trapper from the twilight north, Bjarrhvit made her way to Atlantis on the wings of rumors. Plentiful furs, a bounty of game, and untouched wilderness to lose herself in sounded like a paradise. The reality of warring tribes and greedy traders kept her in the wilds except for necessity, until one day she returned to trade on a local day of spectacle. The exotic beasts of the arena drew her in, and she swiftly became the premiere handler and trapper for Ludus Fratrum Cruore. '

Ur-Kek = Kek is the egyptian name for the primordial darkness, depicted as a frog-headed man or a snake-headed woman. „Ur“ as a suffix means "the Elder.“
'A trainer for the Morituri, Ur-Kek never lost his taste for competing in the arena, and regularly joins his charges on the sands. His skills have been tempered by years of experience and refined with the intricate knowledge of combat that comes from having to train others. It seems there is no trick he has not seen in battle -- he has used most of them himself. Unimpressed by the ceremony and fanfare of the munera, Ur-Kek lives only for the opportunity to dominate worthy foes in single combat. '

Septimus & Nero = Septimus means "the seventh". Nero means "the black one."
'A wicked pairing of man and beast, Septimus and Nero are united in purpose on the sands. Only the most willful daredevil could survive such a mass of muscle and rage as Nero, let alone direct him. Septimus embraces the bull’s violent charges and unpredictability to strike viciously at those who escape being gored by his steed. It is hard to say whether the man or the bull has more kills in the arena, but their shared thirst for the razor-edged chaos of battle ensures the unspoken competition between them will continue.'

Leo = means "lion."
'Known for savaging not only arena combatants, but feeders and handlers, Leo has slain hundreds on the sands, and dozens in his pen. This king of beasts lives up to his reputation in every outing, satiating the crowd’s bloodlust while he feasts on his kills.'

Euryale = One of the gorgons in greek mythology, name means "far-roaming" or "she of the wide briny sea."
'Constantly being transported to far-flung arenas, the stunning Euryale is a vision of beauty, grace, and poise that distracts from her monstrous nature just long enough for fools to wander close enough to strike. Her lilting calls and statuesque appearance transform to blood-curdling bellows and sinuous fury as she joins battle, within an instant shedding her appeal and becoming a vortex of terror and carnage. Her cries of rage stun spectators and foes alike, and can drown out even the most boisterous crowds. The cost of drawing her to the arena was considerable in both currency and lives, and the cost of keeping her there is even more so.'

Wendigo = malevolent cannibalistic spirit from nativ american legends that could possess humans or a monster that humans could physically transform into.
'Rumors tell of a longship gliding into a misty fjord with only a small, wide-eyed boy on board. There was no sign of the crew, and the severely malnourished boy died within days. Food and fire did nothing to fill his belly or warm his blood. Soon after, men and beasts began disappearing, with nothing but piles of cracked and gnawed bones ever recovered. Tales of a dark spirit from Atlantis began to circulate, and strange sightings began to occur -- occasionally one of these ravenous creatures can be drawn into the arena to shock and terrify the crowds.'

Proximo = "the next“ or "the most recent“. Proximos appereance is inspired by the Questing Beast of the arthurian legend.
'Wild and exotic creatures are often sought after for the arena, and none are wilder or more exotic than Proximo. It can take years of pursuit to finally ensnare one of these elusive beasts in the forests of Gallo-Rome, but the prestige gained by bringing one to the arena ensures that ventures to procure them are always underway. Their strange barks and even stranger appearance transfix crowds, and their panoply of natural weaponry means that only the most skilled and adaptable can stand against them.'

Zahra & Sereqet = Zarah is a derivate of Sarah, meaning „lady“ or „princess“. It is intersting that a egyptian fighter bears a hebrew name. Sereqet is an alternative form of Serket, the goddess of healing poisonous stings and bites in Egyptian mythology, originally the deification of the scorpion.
'Giant scorpions have long been revered by the desert tribes for their hardiness, and prized by the rich for their rarity and supposed medicinal value. Riding them in the open desert has become a rite of passage for the sandborn, and driving one to a city where a buyer awaits can mean a windfall for the tribe. While they can be trained, they can never be tamed -- the difference is seldom apparent to fools, and experience comes too late to guide them in the afterlife. Thankfully for Zahra, she is no fool, though some would call her mad. The breathtaking awe inspired by the great arthropods and the luxuries traded for them struck her as an opportunity, even as a child. She chose to break from her tribe in the depth of the desert, and turn her rite of passage into a gamble for independence. She sought the most vicious scorpion of the dunes, and guided it into the arena herself. '

Hroka = means "Crow.“
'After losing her brothers and father in raids by another nation, Hroka joined battle herself to honor them. Her badly outnumbered tribe rallied around her fierce fighting and drove back their foes at great cost. Though they were never married, she now considers herself the widow of the bravest warrior in that battle, after he took to heart her own drive for vengeance and saved her life in doing so. Soon after, she departed the lands of her own tribe in mourning for the family she had lost. Hroka wandered eastward along the lakes on her brave husband’s horse and bearing her eldest brother’s spear. Her solitary sojourn ended when she came upon a trading settlement and discovered the arena. Seeing the way the gladiators toyed with their opponents and counted coup against them for the cheers of the crowd and hearing tales of great games given in funerary celebration, she knew that the rest of her life would be a series of battles for glory to honor her dead.'

Thoth = unknown.
'Thoth has taken for himself the mantle of lawgiver, and often acts as a ceremonial executioner for the publicly condemned. He sees fighting in the arena as a form of devotion to the ideal of balance, a threshold between the immediacy of life and the eternity of the afterlife.'

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 Post subject: Re: Character History.
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:15 pm 
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Noxius
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Posts: 79
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Very cool, thanks for posting this! ;)

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"He vows to endure, to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword." -The gladiator's oath

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 Post subject: Re: Character History.
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:51 pm 
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Noxius
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Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 4:32 pm
Posts: 92
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Thoth is the name of an Egyptian diety,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth

god of knowledge and writing.

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 Post subject: Re: Character History.
PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:42 pm 
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Noxius
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Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:53 pm
Posts: 3
If you're up to date in literature of the middle ages. Gaius Pallidus struck me as a stand in for "The Green Knight". The developers even said that Legio 13 is based off Arthurian legend in some spots and all I could think of the first time I fought ole' Gaius was "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight".


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