Sir Desmond Blackstone

A member of a noble house in the Glorin Empire. His name is a Glorinfied version of the proper Vongta pernunciation Bl&apos;ck St&apos;n Ds&apos;mnd. He is the youngest son in his family and per tradition he has no claim to the family fortune.

His only option being a life in the clergy or the military he choose to join the imperial fleet. But, instead of actually participating in military action, he found himself at various times in a postion to stop plots against the Empire. It is discovered in the book Palace  of Doom, that he has been put in these positions by the Grey Man. A shadowy agent of dubious motivation. In several of his early adventures he did signifigant service for the Imperial family and was offered the rank of Captain in the Blood Guard. A mostly ceremonial post though he found himself becoming a pawn of, and working against the Grey Man again.

It was when he found the Blood Guard duty to protect the Imperial family conflicted with his desire to serve the Empire that he resigned his commission. This has caused him many enemies in the court. Not the least of which is Baron Knaff.

Rejoining the fleet as a commder he thought at last he could finally be a simple military man. Placed on the ship Trinity he was to be at the head of a charge to put down a rebellion. But on the eve of lauch it was discovered that the entire opreation was a plot to kill him. In the 3 weeks it took to get to the area of engagement he subverted the command of his captain and brokered a tentative peace accord with the Ateno rebels.

This adventure earned him a knighthood. Recently he has been confronted again by the Grey Man, and solving his puzzle was put in charge of his enemies vast criminal empire. The two have reached an uneasy peace working together for the betterment of the empire.

The Blackstone family belongs to a racial minority in the Empire. They are Vongta. A people who come from an equitorial region of their home planet Calafia. He is also a member of the Shintaru class. It doesn&apos;t translate well into Glorin. It is a type of warrior cast that exists among the noble families. One can not become a Shintaru. One is born into it. As such, due to breeding and training he is a superior physical and mental speciman.

By some of his superiors he is called "Longhair" or "Slave" which are common racial epithets for a Vongta. Since at one time the Vongta were slaves of the Glorin Empire, and their nobles commonly have long hair.

Personality

Lord Blackstone is a rigid and unyeilding man with a strong sense of personal honor. He is considered old fashioned in his almost pathological need to do any assignment the correct way. It is this slavish devotion to detail that in the past allowed him to uncover covert plots that would have passed by the notice of lazier men. He is considered by many of his contemporaries to be too strict in his devotion to duty and a bit of a bore.

But, most agree, that in an emergency there is no one they&apos;d rather have by their side than Lord Blackstone.

He is above all a patriot. He believes in the Empire and the saftey and stability it brings. He considers a life of service to be the highest goal a man can aspire to.