Original Design by: King Balberith
Golden Virtue
Former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Starswirl’s School of Gifted Unicorns. 1826-1831, 1863. Current whereabouts unknown.
Date of birth unknown
Unicorn | Male | Age Indeterminate
Family
Saraph (Sister), Constelo (Boyfriend),
Friends
Constelo, Calliah, Helios
formerly friends with Ceres, Echo Sounds, Stella
Personality
Justice-Driven, Stoic, Idealistic, Polite, Withdrawn, Ambitious, Caring, Manipulative
Biography
Golden Virtue was born in the Equestrian North to a massive family blessed with great ambition, and terrible misfortune. Of his seven uncles, three aunts, two sisters and six brothers, only himself and his younger sister, Saraph remain.
This familiarity with death combined with him assisting his healer mother and soldier father exposed him to the worlds suffering at an early age. With his mother, he tended to the sick. With his father, he followed along watching the stallion protect the weak. His parents instilled within him a strong sense of justice and a philosophy he came to live by- the good of the many outweighs the needs of the few. Though originally a motto explaining his parents self sacrificial nature, he took this to mean far more than they intended.
He gained his cutiemark when he altered his mother’s energy transference healing spells. Where his mother could only give of herself to heal, Virtue was able to move aspects from one vessel to another- like pulling dark magic out of a pony and sealing it within a crystal. He first used this ability to heal an injured rabbit by drawing out life energy from his mother’s garden, and giving it to the animal instead. Though it resulted in quite the scolding, it was nonetheless a pivotal moment for the young boy.
By his teenage years, things had become relatively stable, the family at peace; with the passing of his father he became even closer with his mother and younger sister. He honed his craft in healing, and began to delve into combating the dark arts. After yet another personal tragedy, Virtue decided that he could no longer stay in his childhood home and began to travel in order to share his gifts, better help ponies around Equestria, and finally make a change in the status quo.
He traveled around the northern stretches of Equestria for some time using his own personal brand of magic to heal ponies of curses and rid villages of various demons and creatures of darkness. After several years of watching his crystal collection stockpile, he began to feel an emptiness, a stagnation like none of his efforts mattered. No matter what he did, there was always another fight, another village he failed to protect. In his travels, he'd discovered that corruption wasn't limited to dark magic alone. Ponies fought over territory, stole for greed alone, murdered over petty squabbles- and when he traveled south he found slavery going unpunished; these ponies weren't plagued by curses to have them act this way, they simply did this on their own. He realized he simply was not strong enough as he was to save everypony; and those who were strong enough did nothing.
With the rise of Nightmare Moon, he became even more cynical in his view of the princesses. To him, Luna had turned on her ponies over petty jealousy and selfishness- an example of the inefficiency of the princesses. Ponies were left to suffer with no aid, and the princesses squabbled over ‘popularity’. There needed to be change, and Virtue would to be the one to deliver it- though he did not know how.
Starswirl’s
1826-1831
Upon being given the opportunity to become a professor at Starswirl’s School for Gifted Unicorns, he immediately joined in hopes that he could pass on his knowledge to make a positive change in the world. Soon, however, he became aware of a strange presence within the school; a voice in the night that promised the ability to right the wrongs of Equestria and turn it for the better.
Virtue became entangled with the threads of both love and fate all at once when he came to the school. On one hoof, a romance had blossomed between himself and the Astronomy professor, Stella. On the other, he had discovered strange murmurings in his dreams, calling to him through the depths of the tunnels below the school- promises of exactly what he wanted for his whole life.
Virtue quickly connected the voice to the presence of a strange shadow he had seen flitting about the school. He began to pour over texts of magic, records of the school’s history, and tomes and tomes of ancient knowledge to uncover what this thing could possibly be.
Virtue was no fool. He knew well that the calls came from a foul, dark magic- yet he was unshaken in his desire to conquer it. He also knew that it would only be a matter of time before the others noticed the shadowy figures hauntings, as well as the voices. He had to act fast to take it for himself, for most of the other professors would surely wish to destroy it. There was one, however, who Virtue feared had their own plans for the power; this only fueled his need to find it first.
He confided in Stella his plans to retrieve the source of the whisperings in the walls, and to put it to use for good- he simply needed the time to discover it and the support of his beloved in such times. Once he had the power, they could together reshape the world into something greater. Alas, it was not meant to be. After a long day of research at trying to decipher the puzzles of the chambers, Virtue exited the tunnels into the Hall of Memories. Waiting before him were four professors, horns at the ready- and in their lead was Stella.
It was a combination of the sudden shock, his ambitions being threatened, and the severing of the closest tie he had ever had to another pony before that led him to his actions that night. In that moment he felt no remorse; if his love has left him, then all that remained for him to hold to was his dream.
He reserved the worst punishment for the traitor.
—
1863
Being celebrated as a hero for driving off Ceruisam and the dark forces that had killed the four professors within the Hall of Memories, as well as being a friend of Echo's- Virtue was quickly invited back to teach for the school’s reopening. It was not easy returning, but he had long before learned how to control his emotions. This would be no different. Virtue returned to his routine of teaching classes, refining his skills, and exploring the tunnels- until once again he became entangled.
Strangled again by the threads of fate that pulled in opposing directions, it was as if he was chasing a ghost: wisps of what had once been, and the promise of what could have been. The same lopsided smile, the same odd humor, the same passion for the heavens above. Of course- he was not the same stallion; but Virtue felt in many ways his new love was irrevocably tied to his old. He could not have the same pain happen again. He could not make the same mistakes. He could never tell Constelo of his plans, fearing he may even share his reaction with Stella.
The shadow, it seemed, had grown far stronger in the time of Virtues absence. It was of utmost importance that he find the source soon, before more ponies would be hurt. Once it was under his control, he knew that there would be no more danger, and that he would have the means of which to achieve his final goal. A combination of his own haste, the meddling of both students and teachers, his sudden reemerging emotions, and the escalation of the shadows attacks caused him to slip up several times, his once structured plans becoming fuddled and chaotic as the school year dragged on.
Deciding he had to act immediately, he took a risk in enlisting the help of students to help him solve the tunnels secrets- a decision he would later come to regret as the same students would try and stop him on the night of the ball.
He had finally cleared the way to the source- a crown that held an ancient dark entity within it, and an enchantment that would grant him powers far beyond his usual abilities. He attempted to slip from the ball unnoticed to finally collect it, but one of the spirits told Headmaster Sounds of his treachery all those years ago, how he, not Ceruisam, had murdered the professors in 1831. There was a brief duel, a terrible distraction made out of Echo, and then a flight to the chamber below the Hall of Memories.
Virtue dueled for some time with the students before finally obtaining the crown and escaping through a tear- a portal of sorts, Calliah following with him.
His whereabouts are currently unknown, but he has reportedly been spotted traveling across Equestria, and his name can be heard in hushed, secretive whispers in the darkest corners of many cities.
Additional Info
- Has 3 borzoi: Purity, Patience, and Perseverance
- He’s prone to brief flashes of anger, but always tries his best to keep his emotions contained
- Generally, Virtue is able to remain calm unless reminded of his own weaknesses and shortcomings
- Collects lithographs and etchings as a hobby
- Stifling his emotions is essential to his being, as he would not be able to cope with his actions otherwise
- Fond of rose-flavored things
- Likes slow waltz music
- He will sing when he believes he is alone
- Loves the art of the Romantic movement, prefers Enlightenment ideals