the good, the bad, his hopes and dreams, every decision he had made; they all lead here, to this moment. it was a turning point, a cog in the wheel that would either push him to greater heights or end his journey altogether. he stared up at the towering dragon and a memory flashed before him: elwood, in his chair near the window, fitting in one last sentence before the end.
"you're what the world needs, stephen."
for the first time, he unsheathed his blade. along its path, shadows trailed behind. blood-red electricity sparked across its body. it pulsated in his palms as if it had a heartbeat, as if it were alive. it screamed at him to move, to fight, and he obeyed, his mind occupied by thoughts of the past—of what could have been.
his legs moved instinctively. the battlefield approached swiftly, a warzone of glowing weapons and flashing lights. the dragon was unbothered by their flurry of strikes and slashes. what was man to a god but insignificant?
even so, he pushed on. the blade's whispers were unintelligible, yet he understood them. a connection between it and its wielder had formed, not so much a bond as it was codependency; he required it to survive and it required him to feast.
the voice grew louder and louder until he found himself in front of the dragon. steel touched flesh and the red pixels that flew from the wound were absorbed by the blade. it hummed, growing heavier by the second. he felt it too, a sort of pleasure that he could only describe as hunger being quenched and followed by a sudden emptiness. his mind went blank.
and for a short second, there was no dragon, no teams, no battle. he was home and surrounded by faces he recognized. family.
then, his cold gaze met wushen's.
BIO
Hide contents
Stephen Star was the son of world-renowned actors, Keith and Olivia Star. He lived a hectic and isolating lifestyle, being born into the spotlight of his parents.
Expectations were what he grew up with. From the day he was born, he was molded into the child actor his parents wanted him to become. He moved from audition to audition, trying out for whatever big movies or television shows were being made; unlike his parents, all he wanted was for it to stop.
His relationship with his mother and father differed greatly from each other. His father was stern and rigid in his rulings while his mother always did the best she could to understand him.
He despised the way he was shown in the public eye as if he was some sort of ideal person. Fake smiles and laughs were static in his life and even when he wasn’t being cast for a film, it felt like he had to bring forth a perfect scene. He was expected to succeed and it weighed down on him like stones on paper. He was trapped in a life he had never asked for.
For his nineteenth birthday, Morningstar's present from his parents was an all expenses paid trip to Japan. It wasn’t uncommon for them to take trips to foreign countries but Asia was a place he had never had the opportunity to visit. On top of that, they had decided to buy him his first video game console in years: the NerveGear, a Virtual Reality system, and Japan's latest technological leap.
During the plane ride, they revealed their true intentions. Their vacation was a mask for yet another audition. After a short discussion, he obliged.
The audition was one of his worst. His energy and commitment weren’t there, although they hadn’t been for quite a while. That night, he argued with his father about the outcome of the audition.
Stephen stormed off to his room, fuming at his father’s ignorance. Instead of sleeping, he gave his new headset a shot and entered Sword Art Online. In this virtual world, Stephen took on a new name: Morningstar.
Time and time again, the world would challenge Morningstar to pick between two futures: victory or death.
VIRTUES & VICES
Hide contents
HUMBLE Considering his upbringing, it wouldn't be a surprise to hear that Stephen has an astronomically large ego. He was born a rich kid—he went to a fancy school, he dressed expensively, and opportunities seemed to magically fly his way. It should have been impossible for him not to be conceited. But he wasn't. His humility was a gift that came from his time spent alone in thought as well as the lack of pride he had for his achievements as an actor.
ANALYTIC Games were a norm in Stephen's life. Strategy games, puzzles games—anything that challenged his critical-thinking and deduction skills. This, alongside burying his head in books, helped him become more analytical in stressful, high-pressure environments
CONFIDENT Confidence was a must-have for Stephen, being an actor. He lives his life according to his own rules and values, rarely stopping to care about any opinions about him, negative and positive. His confidence comes off, sometimes, as arrogance; but, he doesn't mind.
RECKLESS Morningstar is prone to danger. While a certain amount of risk is assumed in a world such as Aincrad, he tends to pick fights where he is the underdog. His duels with The Forgotten Time King and Halador of the Mountains are prime examples of this.
# #
# #
HISTORY
Spoiler
| unwritten history
Morningstar joins Sword Art Online.
Morningstar copes with the loss of his old life.
Morningstar meets LexaNPC.
Morningstar takes LexaNPC to the Frostbite Lake. A relationship blossoms.
Morningstar begins training to join the frontlines
Morningstar plans to propose to Lexa after buying them a house.
Morningstar and Lexa are trapped in a low tier dungeon. LexaNPC is killed by Cave Lizard.
| tier 1
Morningstar takes his first quest. Participants include NIGHT.
Morningstar meets ElwoodNPC and JoaquinNPC.
| end of [2.6]
| beginning of [3.0]
Morningstar trains his fundamentals and meets JuliusNPC.
Morningstar becomes an Appraiser.
Morningstar has a heart-to-heart while hunting Minotaurs. Participants include Rebekah.
Morningstar signs up for a Valentine's Day tournament to test his combat skills.
Morningstar wins his first match. Participants include Hirru.
Morningstar socializes in between matches. Participants include Jomei, Freyd.
| tier 2
Morningstar wins his second match. Participants include Astreya.
Morningstar struggles to fit in amongst strangers. Morningstar makes new friends. Participants include Astralin, Astreya.
Morningstar loses his third match. Participants include Astralin.
The tournament comes to an end. Morningstar winds down with the rest of the participants.
Morningstar goes to the Paradise Islands to think.
Morningstar helps a friend tame an owl. Participants include Rebekah.
Morningstar helps train Snowball. Participants include Rebekah.
Morningstar investigates player disappearances on Floor Three. Participants include Oji, Monarch.
Morningstar joins Joaquin's guildmates on a waltz through the desert. Experiences his first player deaths since LexaNPC.
| tier 3
Morningstar defeats the Monkey King.
Morningstar and ElwoodNPC share a touching final reunion. Morningstar receives the title, Lightbringer. ElwoodNPC dies.
Morningstar is wounded by the losses he has inflicted. Participants include Bahr.
Morningstar sets out on a mission to save Fonsa.
Morningstar attends a second Valentine's Day event—this time, on an airship. Pirates attack.
Morningstar becomes a pirate for the day during a quest unrelated to Valentine's Day. Participants include Jomei, Nari.
Morningstar and JoaquinNPC hunt for KatarNPC. On the way, they take down Cerberus.
Morningstar buys a stranger a drink. Participants include inkylore.
Morningstar goes ghost hunting. Participants include NIGHT, Rencesvals, Seul.
| tier 4
Morningstar hunts a player killer called Glitch.
Morningstar defeats the Butcher in the Sands.
Morningstar gets looped into conversation with strangers. Participants include Raidou, fauxkiller.
Morningstar defeats the Forgotten Time King. Morningstar meets WillowNPC.
For the first time in years, a labyrinth guardian has been defeated. Morningstar attends the raid meeting.
Morningstar shuts down a safehouse full of Razwell loyalists. Participants include Freyd.
Morningstar hunts a variety of field bosses in preparation for the twenty-seventh boss fight. Participants include Freyd, Nari, Katoka.
The day of the boss raid has arrived and Morningstar is stopped by ridiculous antics. Participants include Freyd, Vigilon, Krysta.
Morningstar is among the first to arrive to the labyrinth, but the guardian won't budge. The raid party works to gain access to the boss room.
Morningstar and his team face Wushen, the Elemental Warlord. Participants include Freyd, Hirru, Katoka, Mina, Elora.
The raid party is victorious. Morningstar accepts an invitation to attend a private summit between three guilds.
Artifacts have been hidden throughout the game, rumored to return a select few to the real world when all seven are collected. The hunt begins.
Morningstar spends a day at the Lake of Reflection. Participants include Freyd, Vigilon, Kyo.
Morningstar stops by the town of Rig on his search for the second artifact. The mayor hires him to take down a two-headed snake.
Christmas has come and Morningstar hosts a party at his beach house.
Morningstar is introduced to RenflowNPC. The two of them, along with WillowNPC, search the Rough Mountains for the second artifact.
Morningstar defeats Halador, the Mountain King. Halador gives Morningstar the title of Mountain King.
The Soulcursed Blade shows its true nature. Morningstar defeats the Gemini and buries the sword. It calls to him from beneath the earth.
Morningstar trains a newbie. Participants include Wulfrin.
Morningstar defeats Death. Participants include Freyd, Nari, Katoka.
Morningstar finds a friend in Nemo, The Wind of Gaia.
Morningstar defends a caravan. Participants include Wulfrin.
A strange dungeon appears. Morningstar comes to the rescue. Participants include Freyd, Nari, Wulfrin.
Morningstar investigates corruption at the Ladonian Skyport. Dockmaster Ryland is killed. Participants include Nari.
After escaping from Span 17 of the Skyport, Morningstar intercepts a cargo ship being raided by pirates. Participants include Nari.
# pending more pirate shenanigans
Morningstar meets one of Sword Art Online's oldest players. Participants include Kingsley.
Morningstar escorts a newbie through her first quest. Participants include Etherial.
Years after their first meeting, Morningstar reunites with an old acquaintance. Morningstar goes witch hunting. Participants include NIGHT.
The Chief of Marsonia has been betrayed by his lieutenant, Uso-Tsuki. Morningstar is hired for a stealth mission.
Uso-Tsuki's forces dwindle, but the mission advances. Morningstar returns to the palace to stop the assassins.
Morningstar defeats a much stronger Cerberus. Participants include Freyd, Zandra.
Morningstar meets KentNPC. They team up to investigate a string of disappearances in Taft.
Morningstar defeats the Titanium Warden. Participants include Freyd.
Morningstar visits Glyndebourne, a town that is not as it seems. Participants include Freyd.
Morningstar and Freyd are separated. Morningstar, a criminal under Glyndebourne law, goes on the run. Participants include Foyle.
The Story of Morningstar
in Journal
Posted · Edited by Morningstar
M O R N I N G S T A R
PROFILE
NAME Stephen Star
AGE 19 ⮞ 21 ⮞ 28
GENDER Male
RACE American
HEIGHT 181cm
WEIGHT 80kg
BIRTHDAY May 21
ORIENTATION Heterosexual
[♬]
[♬]
[♬]
[♬]
the good, the bad, his hopes and dreams, every decision he had made; they all lead here, to this moment. it was a turning point, a cog in the wheel that would either push him to greater heights or end his journey altogether. he stared up at the towering dragon and a memory flashed before him: elwood, in his chair near the window, fitting in one last sentence before the end.
"you're what the world needs, stephen."
for the first time, he unsheathed his blade. along its path, shadows trailed behind. blood-red electricity sparked across its body. it pulsated in his palms as if it had a heartbeat, as if it were alive. it screamed at him to move, to fight, and he obeyed, his mind occupied by thoughts of the past—of what could have been.
his legs moved instinctively. the battlefield approached swiftly, a warzone of glowing weapons and flashing lights. the dragon was unbothered by their flurry of strikes and slashes. what was man to a god but insignificant?
even so, he pushed on. the blade's whispers were unintelligible, yet he understood them. a connection between it and its wielder had formed, not so much a bond as it was codependency; he required it to survive and it required him to feast.
the voice grew louder and louder until he found himself in front of the dragon. steel touched flesh and the red pixels that flew from the wound were absorbed by the blade. it hummed, growing heavier by the second. he felt it too, a sort of pleasure that he could only describe as hunger being quenched and followed by a sudden emptiness. his mind went blank.
and for a short second, there was no dragon, no teams, no battle. he was home and surrounded by faces he recognized. family.
then, his cold gaze met wushen's.
BIO
Stephen Star was the son of world-renowned actors, Keith and Olivia Star. He lived a hectic and isolating lifestyle, being born into the spotlight of his parents.
Expectations were what he grew up with. From the day he was born, he was molded into the child actor his parents wanted him to become. He moved from audition to audition, trying out for whatever big movies or television shows were being made; unlike his parents, all he wanted was for it to stop.
His relationship with his mother and father differed greatly from each other. His father was stern and rigid in his rulings while his mother always did the best she could to understand him.
He despised the way he was shown in the public eye as if he was some sort of ideal person. Fake smiles and laughs were static in his life and even when he wasn’t being cast for a film, it felt like he had to bring forth a perfect scene. He was expected to succeed and it weighed down on him like stones on paper. He was trapped in a life he had never asked for.
For his nineteenth birthday, Morningstar's present from his parents was an all expenses paid trip to Japan. It wasn’t uncommon for them to take trips to foreign countries but Asia was a place he had never had the opportunity to visit. On top of that, they had decided to buy him his first video game console in years: the NerveGear, a Virtual Reality system, and Japan's latest technological leap.
During the plane ride, they revealed their true intentions. Their vacation was a mask for yet another audition. After a short discussion, he obliged.
The audition was one of his worst. His energy and commitment weren’t there, although they hadn’t been for quite a while. That night, he argued with his father about the outcome of the audition.
Stephen stormed off to his room, fuming at his father’s ignorance. Instead of sleeping, he gave his new headset a shot and entered Sword Art Online. In this virtual world, Stephen took on a new name: Morningstar.
Time and time again, the world would challenge Morningstar to pick between two futures: victory or death.
VIRTUES & VICES
HUMBLE Considering his upbringing, it wouldn't be a surprise to hear that Stephen has an astronomically large ego. He was born a rich kid—he went to a fancy school, he dressed expensively, and opportunities seemed to magically fly his way. It should have been impossible for him not to be conceited. But he wasn't. His humility was a gift that came from his time spent alone in thought as well as the lack of pride he had for his achievements as an actor.
ANALYTIC Games were a norm in Stephen's life. Strategy games, puzzles games—anything that challenged his critical-thinking and deduction skills. This, alongside burying his head in books, helped him become more analytical in stressful, high-pressure environments
CONFIDENT Confidence was a must-have for Stephen, being an actor. He lives his life according to his own rules and values, rarely stopping to care about any opinions about him, negative and positive. His confidence comes off, sometimes, as arrogance; but, he doesn't mind.
RECKLESS Morningstar is prone to danger. While a certain amount of risk is assumed in a world such as Aincrad, he tends to pick fights where he is the underdog. His duels with The Forgotten Time King and Halador of the Mountains are prime examples of this.
# #
# #
HISTORY
| unwritten history
| tier 1
| end of [2.6]
| beginning of [3.0]
| tier 2
| tier 3
| tier 4
RELATIONSHIPS
PARTNER Willow NPC
CLOSE FRIENDS Joaquin NPC
FRIENDS Freyd • Wulfrin • Nari-Lanreth • Renflow NPC
ACQUAINTANCES NIGHT • Rebekah • Bahr • Krysta • Vigilon • Jomei • Katoka • Hirru • Tricolor_Mina • Raidou • Zandra • Ciela
OTHER Katar NPC • Asphodel NPC • Caesar NPC • Greymore NPC
DECEASED Lexa NPC • Elwood NPC
NOTES
DOCUMENTS
ALT CHARACTERS