character spotlight – Stonewall

Chad White, model and visual inspiration for Stonewall. No apologies for the shirtless pic. 😍

Stonewall in Catalyst Moon:

At the start of Incursion, (Book 1), Stonewall is approximately 24 years old. He has black hair and brown skin, with light brown eyes. He’s of an average build, (height and weight), but a lifetime of training for physical combat has given him an appropriately muscular physique.

Stonewall is not his given name; he chose the name after he joined the sentinels and took his first Burn. (His first true dose of the magic-dispelling hematite.) Stonewall’s birth name is Elan, and he was born in the southern province of Indigo-By-the-Sea, in the coastal city of Pillau. The second youngest of four children, Elan never knew his father and his mother, Nimah, died when he was about four years old. All but one of his other siblings died as well, leaving Elan and his older brother Bahar, (later named “Drake,”) orphans on the city streets. The two young boys spent several years fighting for survival; Elan grew to depend on his older brother for protection and guidance, while Bahar devoted his life to his little brother’s well-being. The boys joined the sentinel order when Elan was about nine summers, and Bahar was 12.

After a lifetime of chaos and uncertainty, Elan took to the discipline of sentinel life with eagerness. Along with regular meals, shelter, and proper training, he found the camaraderie he’d missed after his and his brother’s family had passed into their next lives. Naturally talented at sword and dagger-play, Elan honed his skills as he grew into manhood.

When he became a true sentinel, (after taking his first dose of hematite), Elan took on the name “Stonewall” and fully invested himself in the sentinel oath: Honor. Service. Sacrifice. His brother’s unexpected death left him reeling and he spent several years drifting between garrisons. He met Kalinda Halcyon about three years after his brother’s death.

Stonewall is a stern young man, outwardly solid as his namesake. He lives by a strict internal moral code that leads others to mock him at best and hate him at worst. Trust is difficult for Stonewall to come by; he only truly trusts the gods. Following Drake/Bahar’s death, Stonewall convinced himself that he was supposed to walk this world alone, and thereby shut out all other people. Because of his stern, often austere manner, most other people are glad to leave him alone. Except, of course, for Kali.

Stonewall knows in his heart that he was granted this life to serve the gods and maintain a strong moral character, to better help those in need. Stonewall is an introverted, stern, and overly-righteous young man, but there is a warm humor within him, one that emerges only when either goaded, (as Kali is wont to do), or when he feels a close connection with another person. Often, it takes him a while to decide on a course of action, but when he sets his heart on something, he does not relent.

Background:

Some characters take years to mature in the writer’s mind. Stonewall took minutes. Of course, he has gone through some changes as I’ve written him over the years, but overall…he’s pretty much the same as the clone trooper who used his helmet for a drum. As I have mentioned before, both he, Kali, and Milo originated in my Star Wars fanfiction. Kali and Milo’s development took a long time; Stonewall pretty much popped into my head as-is, name and all. (And no, I’m not a Civil War buff.) He started as a minor character in one of my older fanfics and basically refused to leave me – and Kali – alone. I don’t mind, though, because as frustrating as he is sometimes, (my favorite nickname for him is “noble idiot,”) he’s also rewarding beyond measure and hella fun to torture write.

Just for fun, here are some more pics that have inspired his character:

Captain Keeli, of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This was the first major inspo for Stonewall. What can I say? I love a man in uniform.

This guy. Artist if Even Ventrue.

For more images that remind me of Stonewall, check out this Pinterest page. 🙂