Roleplay Type: World of Equestria RP Name: Polaris Sex: Male Age: Stallion Species: Unicorn Coat Colour: Midnight blue Mane/Tail/Markings, Colour and Style: Polaris' mane and tail are both a solid black. He keeps them both coiffed perfectly straight and uses a rich purple ribbon to keep his tail under control, given its distressing tendency to curl if not restrained. Eye Color: A deep and stormy purple. Cutie Mark: A silver scroll, half-unrolled towards the onlooker. Polaris got his cutie mark from peacefully resolving a serious dispute between five of his friends without hurting anypony's feelings or pride. Physique: Slender; Polaris isn't much of a one for weightlifting – it's doubtful he's even felt a pannier's weight before, let alone had to pull a cart or something similar. Even so, he watches what he eats, and how much of it, too, so his stomach doesn't swell to gross proportions. Despite being health-conscious for much of the time, the noblepony has a dreadful sweet tooth, especially for chocolate confections of all kinds. Origin: Polaris was born to his doting parents in their country home of Fetlock Hall, near Manehattan. Occupation: Diplomat and courtier to the Princesses, hereditary Duke of Equinia (commonly called the Duke of Manehattan). When not called abroad by duties to Equestria, the Court often sends him travelling around the kingdom to informally study the happiness and harmony of the realm. Motivation: Polaris works to keep the peace between ponies and everyone else, in order to preserve the carefree life that most of the ponies in Equestria enjoy. He loves to resolve disputes – whether between friends or nations – for the joy of the compromise and also the influence each successful resolution brings. Likes: The finer things in life; exquisite food and drink, beautiful music – especially the opera – fine clothes, literature and storytelling nonpareil. Chocolate and sugar also feature prominently; Polaris is rarely happier than when elegantly nose-deep in fine confectionery. Dislikes: Polaris simply cannot abide rudeness, from noblepony to common colt alike. He also dislikes ponies who are proud of their ignorance, for whatever reason; education is a blessing, not a curse, or something to be avoided. He has a peculiar dislike for celery sticks, too – which is a shame, since it's the food his doctor tends to prescribe when the noble stomach starts to swell. Misers, too, attract his ire; he likes money as much as anypony, but more for the things it brings – fine artwork, land, wine – than the dubious joy of piles of bits in the vault. People who hoard and scrimp and save every day of their lives, for no real purpose, offend him. Character Summary: History: Polaris has split his time equally between Canterlot and Manehattan for most of his life. He was born in the grandeur of Fetlock Hall, the family's country pile near Manehattan, and spent much of his early childhood romping in the vast acreage around it, a land of rolling hills and sculpted woodlands, with occasional trips to the bright lights of the city. As he grew slightly older, however, the family began to bring him more into the circles he would be expected to move in; he began to spend half the year in their Canterlot residence of Hoofburgh House, in the most select of city districts, as befitted the noble Dukes. His childhood was spent with other noblecolts and fillies, from the finest families of Equestria, at a succession of parties and dances held all over the kingdom, but his family made sure that he could connect with the more rural, down-to-earth ponies of the realm, making regular visits to the villages attached to the Fetlock Hall estates, and allowing him to play with them as well as the noble friends he was expected to cultivate. Parents: Both of Polaris' parents were quite old when their only child was born; consequently, he was a source of great joy to them both. His father, Silver Speech, was a trusted aide to Princess Celestia, making sure the Court ran smoothly and that the wheels of governance turned without hindrance to everypony, and was proud to see his young son following in the family tradition of courtly service – although, in the event, in a more public role than Silver Speech himself. Old Duke Silver Speech passed away several years ago, as silvery as his namesake and after many, many years of service to the Court, happy to see his son slip smoothly into the harness with nary a slip between bit and lip. His mother, a famous racer in her day, named Auriga, was perhaps less happy about her only son's choice of profession; the fire of competition and racing still burned in the old pony, long after she'd retired from racing to play society hostess, and she'd perhaps wanted to live vicariously through Polaris' (inevitable, in her mind) successes on the racing track. That he instead liked to just talk to ponies, whickering on about land disputes and border regulation and how Duke So-and-So snubbed Lady What's-Her-Name at such-and-such a function, rankled somewhat. Nonetheless, Polaris is still her son and she is proud of, if somewhat mystified by, his accomplishments to date. Having a son who could casually add to a conversation 'as the Princess was saying the other day...' rather puts a spring in the old mare's step, too, and the way he can enthusiastically talk about diplomatic minutiae reminds her fondly of her late husband and his passion for his work. Cutie Mark Story: Polaris came into his cutie mark at a fairly young age, precipitated by a furious argument between five of his friends – three nobleponies who'd come to stay at Fetlock Hall, and two others from the small village that directly serviced the Hall. The dispute was over who could use a rather fine treehouse and folly that was in the grounds; his noble friends wanted to use the place as a base of operations whilst they were at the Hall, whilst the village colts and fillies protested vociferously, having maintained the place as their own private clubhouse until that point. It looked as though it would come to a tussle, at the very least, before Polaris intervened, pointing out to his noble friends that the villagers had put a lot of their effort and time into restoring the treehouse and its artful attached folly, but also pointing out to the local ponies that his city friends were guests, and they wouldn't want to give them a bad impression of country hospitality, now would they? Further negotiations ensued, and in the end each party arrived at an agreeable compromise – the city noblecolts could come and go as they pleased, as could the country ponies, and each would help the other in making it the best treehouse in Equestria! As the two ringleaders, formerly engaged in a battle of wills, put up their hooves in cameraderie, along with Polaris, a blaze of light signalled the arrival of his cutie mark – and cued the celebrations, especially by his father, organizing an impromptu cutie-ceañera on the Fetlock Hall lawns for everypony present or who could be invited at short notice. Flaws: Polaris is a proud pony – both of himself and his family. This can set him at odds with the more unusual or riotous ponies, since they're less likely to behave as he expects, still less appreciate his talent for talking – which can sound like a rather mundane skill to many. This pride can alienate some, and has cost him friends before now, some of which still refuse to have anything to do with the young stallion. This has, however, taught him the value of true friends, of forgiveness, mercy and tact, too – those who've stood by him through thick and thin, through unwittingly-insensitive comment or action, he now values above almost all else. Polaris is also vain, however – his clothes are of the very finest bespoke tailoring and materials, for one, and, while somewhat shortsighted, he's far too proud of his looks to wear glasses or a monocle to correct it. Personality: Polaris is a gentlepony through and through, both by personal inclination and years of education. He takes ponies as he finds them, in the main, not rushing to conclusions as he used to as a young colt, although this trait can lead him to come off as somewhat standoffish and cold – at least at first. Once he counts a pony as a friend, he is generous to a fault, although his job has rendered him rather slow to trust anypony, so becoming a 'friend' rather than a 'close acquaintance' – in Polaris' head, at least - is rather a feat.
