|
"All of creation cares not whether you live or die."
|
| “ | I am the Master of Blades. And all that remains of a warrior once called Draven from the Kingdom of Man. — Draven |
” |
Draven or Draven the Blademaster is a human warrior who stays in the Eternal Throne and aids Death in his quest to revive the human race.
Biography
Origin
| “ | I should have passed through the Well of Souls long ago. But I won my freedom in the Arena, only to fall beneath the Dead King's whip! — Draven, speaking about his past |
” |
Draven's life as a human is mostly unknown beyond him being a very skilled warrior from the Kingdom of Man. Supplementary conversations with him and weapon descriptions also reveal that he intended to build an army that would conquer all of Earth, but was betrayed and killed before it happened.
When he died and entered the Kingdom of the Dead, he was given a chance to escape the grave. To earn this privilege, he was told to conquer the arena. Even though Draven emerged victorious, he was betrayed again, being made a servant to the Dead King instead - a fate he considers worse than death.
Darksiders II
| “ | Draven: Did the Chancellor send you? Well, Horseman, I've beaten death once. And I can do it again. Death: I have no idea what you're talking about. Draven: Of course not. You still reek of hope! You couldn't have met the Chancellor... — Draven and Death upon first meeting |
” |
Draven was the first resident of the Eternal Throne Death encountered. When they first met each other, the undead warrior believed the Horseman was sent by the Chancellor to fight him. When Death expressed his confusion, Draven elaborated his disdain for the undead advisor.
After Death's meeting with the Chancellor, Draven gave information about the Arena Champion, Gnashor, and an opportunity to take part in hunting the Bloodless. Draven was eager to slay the Bloodless as the Dead King was very fond of them, and seeing the Dead King upset was an opportunity too good for him to pass up.
Death came to respect Draven and offered to free him from the Dead King's service through death, but Draven refused. He'd bide his time for revenge, either by killing the Dead King himself or taking his crown.
Personality
| “ | No, I will embrace this living dream for now, and dream of Vengeance... I will have the Dead King's head... or his crown. — Draven, speaking after the Bloodless quest |
” |
It is unknown what Draven was like prior to life as an undead. However, Draven possesses great ambition matched only by his anger, as he hoped to return from the grave and lead an army that would conquer all and demonstrates pride in earning his title as the Master of Blades. In his unlife as a servant to the Dead King, Draven develops a bitter outlook with a desire for revenge against those who betrayed him.
Shown to be short-tempered, he was quite cross as too when he had corrected Death for saying the Chancellor "didn't sound like much."
He was also presumably quite pragmatic. The bladesmen initially thinking the pale horsemen an enemy but warming up to him once he saw the possibilities in collaboration. Despite his bitterness, Draven came to embrace his situation, calling it his "living dream," likely referring to his goal of killing the Dead King and/or assuming his throne - being in the same place as your target is convenient.
He holds a level of knowledge and respect for Death, as he aided him on his quest by offering new combat techniques.
Trivia
- The name "Draven" may be a reference to the Eric Draven, the protagonist of The Crow. Michael Wincott, the voice of Death, played Top Dollar, the antagonist of The Crow.
- There's an engraving of Draven with Lilith on the door to the Well of Souls. Whether this signifies a history between them is unknown, but it's possible, as in the engraving Draven lacks all the weapons skewering him and his clothing isn't tattered.
- On New Game+, Draven gives Death a pair of angelic scythes, the Static Blades. Due to that, Draven is in a sense the only character who has ties to each of the major realms: Heaven, as he has the scythes, Hell, for his supposed involvement with Lilith, Earth, for being born there, the Kingdom of the Dead, for being the Dead King's slave, and the Maker's Realm, in which his Dark Avenger buckler can be found.
- He's heavily implied to be from medieval times, possibly Great Britain. He occasionally adopts a flowery speech pattern and his gestures are typically very formal. Furthermore, he speaks in a distinct British accent.
- Draven is one of the few characters Death isn't brutally sarcastic towards.
- Draven is possibly a homage to a character from the Nintendo 64 game 'Mace -The Dark Age' where a skeletal knightly swordsman of the name 'Dregan' plays a primary role.