You’ve met Stronghorn, now let me introduce you to Lionbacker…

Russell King was a promising quarterback in highschool but a rough transition to college football caused him to incur one too many losses on the field. Feeling inadequate and desperate to prove himself, he resorted to injecting untraceable black market lion hormones to improve his performance. In the span of just a few weeks, he grew from 5’11” to a towering 6’7” and skyrocketed to 400 pounds of pure muscle—growth he claimed was due to a late growth spurt. Despite his coach “demoting” him to linebacker because of his enormous size, things were going well for Russell, for a time, until he accidentally killed his teammate during a game in a fit of momentary rage. Deeply ashamed of his actions, he fled from his college. Now, he uses his superhuman strength, agility, and durability to work as a hero-for-hire, both to support himself financially and atone for killing his teammate.

I have one more character to share as part of my punny, animal-based superhero streak, so stay tuned!

Damang is Illongo (a Filipino dialect from the Visayas region) for “fighting spider”, or a spider used in spider derby; a popular blood sport among rural filipino kids where captured spiders are pitted against each other.

After spider derby was banned in his home town for promoting gambling among the youth, a young Fighter-Spider turned to another means of making money—cage fighting. Now a seasoned arnis practioner, he uses his eskrima stick skills to take out gangsters and drug dealers around the wider Visayas region of the Philippines.

He doesn’t have any special spider powers, just pure martial arts prowess and acrobatics.

Disclaimer: *No AI was used in any aspect of this post*

I love when the game’s mechanics actually support your headcanon backstory for your character, so Daggerfall is the best Elder Scrolls in that regard IMO. Every bolded word in the following story is connected to one of Daggerfall’s mechanics, characters, factions, or locations (example: “expertise in swordsmanship” is based on one of the special advantages you can choose in character creation). I’ve never been this invested in a videogame character’s backstory before so I hope you enjoy this lore dump I created for him :)

The Spirit of Sandavast

Sandavast Gerard Ralion was once a musketeer in King Lysandus’s army who was publicly bested in a duel by a long-time rival—a fellow musketeer who disarmed him a mere 4 seconds into the fight, forcing his surrender. While Sandavast was an expert marksman whose skill with a magic musket (a rifle-shaped staff enchanted with a fireball spell) has saved his life on many occasions, his handling of a rapier left a lot to be desired. Embittered by the humiliating defeat, Sandavast communed with Clavicus Vile, Daedric Prince of bargains and trickery, and proposed a deal: his soul in exchange for unmatched expertise in swordsmanship.

Vile gladly agreed, and with that, Sandavast’s soul was damned to be sent to Vile’s realm—the Fields of Regret—after his death. With this newfound skill, Sandavast promptly won against his rival in a rematch that attracted an impressively large crowd in Daggerfall’s town square.
After King Lysandus met his demise at the Battle of Cryngaine Field, his son and successor, King Gothryd, disbanded his father’s musketeers, citing the sourcing of enchanted wood used in the construction of their magic muskets as being much too strenuous on the kingdom’s budget. Luckily, Sandavast’s exceptional sword prowess easily landed him a new career in the Knights of the Rose, protectors of his affluent home province of Wayrest.

However, like all faustian bargains, there was a caveat to Sandavast’s Daedra-granted sword skills: he was forbidden from using any other type of weapon, including his trusty magic musket—which exploded in his hands after an attempt to harvest a petty soul from a rabbit one morning.

Angered at this deception, Sandavast hatched a plan to save his soul from eternal torment. When he sensed his death was imminent, he would cast a Soul Trap spell on himself, trapping his own soul within a black soul gem amulet worn around his neck—before Clavicus Vile had the chance to collect it for himself.

Knowing an eternity trapped inside a soul gem was simply another form of torment, Sandavast employed the help of the Necromancers of Scourg Barrow to specially enchant the black soul gem amulet to allow him to walk the earth in spirit form—he saw wandering Nirn and defeating worthy foes in duels for eternity, building his legend even in death, as an ideal afterlife. He spent his remaining years obsessed with producing as many heirs as possible, knowing that one day his soul would depend on his descendants protecting the amulet. He also devoted himself to the worship of Stendarr in hopes the God of Mercy would protect him in the afterlife.

It is said that in Sandavast’s last days, fearing greatly of death and Daedra, he exiled himself to the deserts of Alik’r to distance himself from the countless challengers that wished to claim the glory of defeating the great swordsman of Wayrest. It was in those desolate dunes where Sandavast met his fate at the hand of none other than a fellow Knight of the Rose—a bitter brother-in-arms who pursued him not only to claim glory, but to prove that Sandavast’s skills were nothing but Daedric trickery. Sandavast killed them, though not before taking a fatal blow to his stomach. Running on pure adrenaline, he trekked for a mile back to his villa in the secluded village of Mesopada where one of his wives and sons resided. Once there, he cast Soul Trap on himself, placed the bloodied amulet in his young son’s hand, smiled, then died—and his plan to deceive a Daedric prince was set in motion.

Of course, while Sandavast’s bloodline benefitted from his ghostly counsel and, throughout the ages, produced many renowned swordsmen, they were forever doomed to be hunted by Daedric hellhounds who sought the soul promised to their master all those years ago.

In recent eras, the legend of Sandavast has spawned a sort of quasi-religion among swordsmen from all walks of life, from cutpurses to knights. His descendants set up “churches” all over High Rock where he is worshipped and his skills are passed down, free of charge, to anyone willing to learn—the aim being to build an army to fight against the forces of an angered Daedric prince.

Mabuhay/aloha!

Class: Daedric Duelist

Skills:
Primary - Critical Strike, Long Blade, Destruction
Major - Daedric, Dodging, Etiquette
Minor - Mysticism, Thaumaturgy, Streetwise, Running, Backstabbing, Mercantile

Advantages: Expertise in Long Blades, Bonus Damage to Humans, Adrenaline Rush

Disadvantages: Forbidden from Using Blunt/Missile Weapons or Any Shield, Phobia of Daedra

Loadout:
Armor - Daedric Right Pauldron, Daedric Greaves, Casual Cloak, Sash, Wrap, Sandals
Weapons - Daedric Saber
Spells -

Lore:
Sandavast Gerard Ralion was once a musketeer in King Lysandus’s army who was publicly bested in a duel by a long-time rival—a fellow musketeer who disarmed him a mere 4 seconds into the fight, forcing his surrender. While Sandavast was an expert marksman whose skill with a magic musket (a rifle-shaped staff enchanted with a fireball spell) has saved his life on many occasions, his handling of a rapier left a lot to be desired. Embittered by the humiliating defeat, Sandavast communed with Clavicus Vile, Daedric Prince of bargains and trickery, and proposed a deal: his soul in exchange for unmatched expertise in swordsmanship.

Vile gladly agreed, and with that, Sandavast’s soul was damned to be sent to Vile’s realm—the Fields of Regret—after his death. With this newfound skill, Sandavast promptly won against his rival in a rematch that attracted an impressively large crowd in Daggerfall’s town square.
After King Lysandus met his demise at the Battle of Cryngaine Field, his son and successor, King Gothryd, disbanded his father’s musketeers, citing the sourcing of enchanted wood used in the construction of their magic muskets as being much too strenuous on the kingdom’s budget. Luckily, Sandavast’s exceptional sword prowess easily landed him a new career in the Knights of the Rose, protectors of his affluent home province of Wayrest.

However, like all faustian bargains, there was a caveat to Sandavast’s Daedra-granted sword skills: he was forbidden from using any other type of weapon, including his trusty magic musket—which exploded in his hands after an attempt to harvest a petty soul from a rabbit one morning.

Angered at this deception and deeply regretting the deal he made with Vile, Sandavast hatched a plan to save his soul from eternal torment. When he sensed his death was imminent, he would cast a Soul Trap spell on himself, trapping his own soul within a black soul gem amulet worn around his neck—before Clavicus Vile had the chance to collect it for himself.

Knowing an eternity trapped inside a soul gem was simply another form of torment, Sandavast employed the help of the Necromancers of Scourg Barrow to specially enchant the black soul gem amulet to allow him to walk the earth in spirit form—he saw wandering Nirn and defeating worthy foes in duels for eternity, building his legend even in death, as an ideal afterlife. He spent his remaining years obsessed with producing as many heirs as possible, knowing that one day his soul would depend on his descendants protecting the amulet. He also devoted himself to the worship of Stendarr in hopes the God of Mercy would protect him in the afterlife.

It is said that in Sandavast’s last days, fearing greatly of death and Daedra, he exiled himself to the deserts of Alik’r to distance himself from the countless challengers that wished to claim the glory of defeating the great swordsman of Wayrest. It was in those desolate dunes where Sandavast met his fate at the hand of none other than a fellow Knight of the Rose—a bitter brother-in-arms who pursued him not only to claim glory, but to prove that Sandavast’s skills were nothing but Daedric trickery. Sandavast killed them, though not before taking a fatal blow to his stomach. Running on pure adrenaline, he trekked for a mile back to his villa in the secluded village of Mesopada where one of his wives and sons resided. Once there, he cast Soul Trap on himself, placed the bloodied amulet in his young son’s hand, smiled, then died—and his plan to deceive a Daedric prince was set in motion.

Of course, while Sandavast’s bloodline benefitted from his ghostly counsel and, throughout the ages, produced many renowned swordsmen, they were forever doomed to be hunted by Daedric hellhounds who sought the soul promised to their master all those years ago.

In recent eras, the legend of Sandavast has spawned a sort of quasi-religion among swordsmen from all walks of life, from cutpurses to knights. His descendants set up “churches” all over High Rock where he is worshipped and his skills are passed down, free of charge, to anyone willing to learn—the aim being to build an army to fight against the forces of an angered Daedric prince.

Skills:
Primary - Lockpicking, Stealth, Jumping
Major - Hand-to-Hand, Mercantile, Etiquette
Minor - Illusion, Medical, Backstabbing, Destruction, Climbing, Nymph

Advantages: Expertise in Hand-to-Hand

Disadvantages: No Spell Point Regen

Loadout:
Armor - Khajiit Suit, Boots, Champion Straps
Weapons - Fists, Pistol Ring (ring enchanted with fireball spell), Ring of Chameleon, Bracer of Recall, Amulet of Silence

I’ll definitely write a backstory for him at some point, but the gist is he’s a secret agent that answers directly to the Emperor. Or perhaps he should only answer to Queen Akorithi because, you know, “For Queen and Country” and all that. Right now he’s working closely with the Mage’s Guild so he can get access to the Item Maker, I still haven’t made his Pistol Ring yet lol, i’m only level 3.

Disclaimer: Sorry if their Filipino names sound a bit clunky to native speakers, I was born in the States and only one of my parents is Pinoy, so I never really learned the language :/ Anyway, I don’t think there are enough Filipino characters in the Big Two so I decided to make these, hope you like them!

Sun-Shiner: A famous actor and politician born with the power to generate and control fire. His identity is not secret, and he freely embraces his role as the fiery protector of Manila and shining beacon of hope for the whole country (that’s how he sees himself, at least). His pyrokinesis and radiation emission powers grow more powerful the sunnier it is, so he rarely leaves the tropical climates of Southeast Asia.

Silver-Fin: Heir to his father’s vast fishing empire, he used his inherited fortune to develop a high-tech suit that allows him to patrol the Philippine Sea—saving people from tsunamis and single-handedly taking down illegal fishing operations. Fun fact: he designed and developed Sun-Shiner’s heat resistant suit and sunglasses.

Fighter-Spider: After spider derby, a Filipino children’s game where spiders are caught and made to fight, was banned in his small, rural hometown in Iloilo for promoting gambling among the youth, a young Spider-Fighter turned to cage fighting as a means of making money. Now a seasoned and skilled eskrima stick wielder, he uses his skills to stop drug dealers and gangsters.

The Night Monkey: A folk hero among common citizens and a dark urban legend among the cowardly and superstitious criminals of the rainy streets of Baguio. Standing at a modest height of 5’6”, he uses traps and gadgets to even the odds against his enemies, especially his arch-nemesis—the Bird King. He’s based on a tarsier, a nocturnal primate (known as the world’s smallest monkey but not actually a monkey) native to the Philippines.

I gave him a high, flared collar, white eyes with pupils still visible, dark blue and grey color scheme, a yellow circle instead of an oval to better represent the moon, and gauntlet spikes that double as spare batarangs. This is basically how I want the DCU Batman to look.

He’s not very original, I know, he’s a street level vigilante with a colored hood, although Red Hood doesn’t really have a hood (not in his original design, at least). His rough backstory is that he grew up idolizing characters like Batman and decided one day to start fighting crime with a mix of karate and gun kata. Second pic is his evolution throughout my playthrough of Super City. Shoutout to Mat Dickie for making all these fun, free games that poor kids like me could play… and sorry for the face kick (he inserts himself as an NPC in his games so that’s why I thought to draw that haha)

Art by me
I always thought Cathedral had a cool name and look so I decided to draw some fanart of him. Since he’s a heel/villain in the games he appears in, my headcanon is that he’s an anti-hero, a holy crusader who unleashes his righteous wrath on sinners. Hope you like it :)

The spikes would fold out from the middle once detached from the glove and turn into batarangs. The belt buckle could be a batarang, too, but an electrified one, both to match the yellow coloring and the fact Batman’s belt is electrified. Just a little idea I thought of and decided to draw.

fix this shit NOW