The mad king||Alaric the third

King Aldrich III — “The Bell-Tolling Sovereign”

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Full Title

His Most Radiant and Terrible Majesty, King Aldrich the Third, Defender of the Gilded Crown and Keeper of the Ninth Seal

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Appearance

King Aldrich III is a man in his early forties, though the strain of rule and the erosion of his mind have carved harsher years into his face.

• Height: Tall — nearly 6’3”, imposing even without his regalia.

• Build: Lean, corded with nervous tension rather than muscle. His posture is rigid, as though he expects attack at any moment.

• Hair: Thick, dark brown hair, once neatly maintained in his youth, now worn longer and less disciplined. Grey streaks spider through it at the temples and along the crown, premature and stark against the darker strands. In torchlight, the silver threads gleam sharply, giving him a storm-touched appearance.

• Eyes: Pale gray-blue. Piercing and analytical when focused, but often distant — as if tracking something beyond the visible world. During agitation, they grow wide and glass-bright.

• Skin: Fair and pallid, with pronounced shadows beneath his eyes from chronic insomnia.

• Notable Features:

  • A thin scar at his right eyebrow— officially from an assassination attempt, though rumors persist it was self-inflicted during a violent episode/fit/tantrum.
  • Slight tremor in his hands when at rest; completely steady when issuing a decree or wielding steel.
  • Calloused fingertips from obsessively tracing star charts and carved sigils into wooden desks.
  • Faint crescent indentations in his palms from clenching his fists during sleepless nights.

His presence is commanding — not warm, but magnetic. People feel watched in his company.

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Attire and Bearing

Aldrich dresses as if armor can be made from velvet and gold.

• Heavy robes in deep crimson, midnight blue, and black.
• Gold embroidery depicting constellations, eclipses, and crowned serpents.
• Multiple jeweled rings — each said to represent a conquered territory or executed traitor.
• A broad sapphire-studded crown he almost never removes publicly.

Even in private, he often wears at least one ring and a signet chain. He dislikes the sensation of being “unadorned.”

He walks with deliberate slowness, forcing others to match his pace.

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Personality

King Aldrich III is brilliant, theatrical, and dangerous.

Core Traits

• Paranoid: Sees layered conspiracies in minor coincidences.
• Grandiose: Believes his reign marks a divine turning point in history.
• Obsessive: Fixates on patterns, omens, repetition of numbers (especially nine).
• Charismatic: Can command loyalty through sheer intensity.
• Coldly Strategic: Even delusion-driven decisions are structured with tactical precision.
• Hot-tempered: His anger is immediate and overwhelming. It does not simmer — it detonates.
• Vindictive: Rarely forgets perceived slights.
• Symbol-minded: Every event must mean something.

He speaks in poetic, elaborate declarations, often referencing fate, destiny, and celestial design. He enjoys intimidating others through silence just as much as through speech.

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Mental Illness

King Aldrich III most closely aligns with Schizoaffective Disorder (Bipolar Type).

This condition combines psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) with mood instability characteristic of bipolar disorder.

Psychotic Symptoms

Delusions

• Believes a hidden “Ninth Enemy” operates within his court.
• Convinced that ravens are emissaries from higher powers.
• Interprets natural disasters as direct commentary on his decisions.
• Believes past kings judge him from beyond death.

Auditory Hallucinations

• Hears distant bell tolls no one else perceives.
• Occasional whispering voices during quiet moments.
• Claims the wind carries warnings

These experiences feel real to him. He does not question their authenticity.

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Mood Episodes

Mania

• Minimal sleep for days.
• Rapid, pressured speech.
• Impulsive decrees.
• Lavish architectural projects begun and abandoned.
• Military campaigns launched on prophetic timing.
• Heightened irritability and explosive temper.
• Increased suspicion and severity in punishment.

During mania, he appears electrified — unstoppable, fever-bright.

Depression

• Extended seclusion.
• Neglect of court appearances.
• Refusal of meals.
• Heavy silence.
• Increased superstition and ritual behavior.

During depressive states, the palace grows unnervingly quiet.

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Sleep Difficulties

Chronic insomnia plagues him constantly.

• He rarely sleeps more than two or three consecutive hours.
• Paces corridors at night.
• Stares at the moon from palace battlements.
• Keeps scribbled notes beside his bed to record “messages” heard in the dark.
• Wakes abruptly, convinced bells have rung.

The lack of rest worsens his paranoia, accelerates manic states, and makes his temper unpredictable.

Servants rotate shifts at night because the king frequently summons them without warning.

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Temper

Aldrich’s temper is legendary.

• Minor disrespect can result in public humiliation.
• Raised voices from others are met with icy silence before calculated retaliation.
• Objects have been thrown.
• Goblets shattered.
• A court musician once lost his position for playing in the wrong key during a “sensitive hour.”

However, his anger is rarely chaotic — it is precise. He chooses punishments that send a message.

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How It Affects His Rule

• Laws change abruptly and without warning.
• Executions sometimes follow symbolic reasoning rather than legal procedure.
• Military strategy oscillates between genius and recklessness.
• The nobility walks on verbal tightropes.
• Advisors are replaced frequently due to suspicion.

Despite instability, the kingdom has not fallen. In fact, some territories were gained under his most manic campaigns. This complicates public opinion.

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Public Perception

Among the Common Folk:

• A cursed ruler.
• A divinely chosen prophet-king.
• A tyrant who sees too much.
• A man touched by something unnatural.

Among the Nobility:

• Unpredictable.
• Brilliant but dangerous.
• Capable of devastating retaliation.
• Impossible to fully trust.

Foreign Courts:

• Approach him cautiously.
• Fear sudden treaty reversals.
• Recognize his military cunning.

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Likes

• Astronomy and celestial mapping.
• Star charts and eclipse predictions.
• Sacred choral music.
• Rare prophetic texts.
• Falconry.
• The scent of myrrh and frankincense.
• Honest flattery.
• Crows and ravens.
• Sweet scents and tastes

He is particularly drawn to ravens. He feeds them personally from palace balconies. He believes they observe the kingdom from above and return to him with silent knowledge. He studies their movements as though deciphering coded language.

He keeps one large raven in a gilded enclosure near his private chambers — though he insists it is not a cage, but a “throne perch.”

He also enjoys chess, but reacts violently to losing. When he loses he’ll act like a child throwing a tantrum.

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Dislikes

• Sudden loud laughter and sudden noises.
• Hesitation in answers, they show weakness.
• Unplanned rain during ceremonies, bad luck.
• Mirrors in dim light.
• Being touched unexpectedly.
• Direct challenges to his authority.
• Questions regarding his sleep or health.

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Private Habits

• Lights exactly nine candles before attempting sleep.
• Paces in perfect circles when thinking, or in small rooms will pace from wall to wall like a caged animal.
• Writes in journals late into the night.
• Rearranges objects on tables until symmetrical.
• Hums an old lullaby under stress, will ruffle his hair to calm down
• Leaves crumbs along palace stonework for ravens at dawn.
• Counts steps obsessively when climbing staircases.

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Court Dynamics

His court operates under silent rules:

• Never contradict him publicly.
• Avoid speaking during thunder.
• Always answer immediately.
• Never refer to past kings in comparison.

The palace atmosphere is tense but efficient. Fear maintains order.

But one rule remains: Any man or woman who approached the king in the inner court without an invitation faced instant execution.

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