Julien Davinos

Julien Davinos
Official art of Sir Julien Davinos, cropped from a larger image, by Loren Hontanilla.
Type	Player Character
Actor	Matthew Mercer
Character Information
Pronouns	he/him
Titles	Sir
Creature type	Humanoid
Race	Human
Class	Fighter Rogue
Age	Around his thirties
Languages	Common
Place	Dol-Makjar, Kahad
Family	House Davinos General Raimond Davinos (father, deceased)
Connections	Seekers (current adventuring party) Sundered House of Royce Aranessa Royce Thjazi Fang (enemy, deceased) Barrowguard Alogar (apprentice)
Profession	Knight of the Vassal House Davinos
Status
Status	Alive
Stats
Level	3 (fighter 2/ rogue 1)
HP	39
AC	16
DC
Str	15
Dex	18
Con	18
Int	11
Wis	8
Cha	16
Reference(s)
Appearances
First seen	"The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01)
Last seen	"Branching Paths" (4x05)
Stream	Campaign Four (5 episodes)

Sir Julien Davinos is a human fighter/rogue played by Matthew Mercer in Campaign Four.

Description

Official art of Sir Julien Davinos, by Loren Hontanilla.

Appearance

Sir Julien is a man of lanky, compact build and long curling black hair. He wears the reinforced leather military uniform of House Davinos: dark purples and gray with red trim. Covering his left shoulder is a dark green short cape with a detailed motif of vine and flowers sewn into it. His armor includes two prominent items of intricate silver: a pauldron on his right shoulder and on his left hand a full gauntlet of dark silver that is heavy enough to make him seem unbalanced. He carries a rapier.

His shadow looks darker and deeper than normal, a sign of him being cursed.

Personality

Julien seems to care deeply about honor, mentioning several times it as a point of dislike towards Thjazi Fang, someone he felt had little honor in his life. Julien indulges frequently in worldly delights such as local taverns and brothels.

Matthew Mercer described Julien as a person shaped by privilege, arrogance, and bacchanalian embracing of his position, with a lot of dangerous impulses based in both security and insecurity. His loyalties lie with Lady Aranessa, one of the few figures in his life that he truly believes he can trust. Thjazi Fang shaped much of his father's life, and it heavily impacted Julien's life at a very formative age. "The intricacies of how he got to where he is and how it's changed the dynamic within and outside of his family leaves him with somebody he has to blame."

Biography

Background

Julien was born the eldest son of Lord Raimond Davinos, and grew up in close contact with House Royce, becoming a childhood friend of Aranessa Royce. He spent time in the Golden Orchard where he befriended Jahar, Ilondria, and Mardonus, who remained his companions for many years.

Later in his life, his father "threw his family into the mud" by being close to Thjazi Fang (who had saved a relative of theirs once); Julien pulled them back up, becoming the hero of the battle of Maharlian Falls, and the man who brought Thjazi to heel for his rebellion against the Sundered Houses. Although the rebel had been shown clemency at first, Julien contributed to him becoming a prisoner of House Tachonis (going against his own father's wishes), which led to his execution. Julien saw Thjazi's choices as him prioritizing pride over love and causing Aranessa deep unhappiness, and felt only satisfaction while watching the orc's hanging.

"The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01)

Julien escorted Lady Aranessa to Thjazi's funeral, attempting to comfort her by telling her that when he died, Thjazi was no longer the man she had loved, and that he, Julien, would protect her from her own unnecessary emotional pain. The plants magically enhanced by Thaisha Lloy withered when he approached, and Thaisha watched him with hatred when he entered. While everyone was distracted by a new arrival, Julien approached the corpse, telling him: "The only shame is that I couldn't watch you die twice," and spit on it. Later, as he exited the house to talk with Thaisha, a shadow followed him, unnoticed; outside, he and the druid had an argument about his presence there, given his hatred for Thjazi, and he assured he was only supporting Lady Aranessa.

"Broken Wing" (4x02)

Julien and Aranessa were still at the funeral when upstairs a noise was heard. The knight declared that if it was something dangerous they could leave, but that caused his friend to make a comment about his bravery; minutes later he joined other guests in the second floor, as they checked on Thaisha, who was on the floor after being harmed by a mysterious relic. Julien helped her get up, and she reluctantly accepted his help, holding his hand very tight. Shortly after Julien and Aranessa said goodbye to the Fangs and left, with Julien's attitude becoming more somber when the noblewoman mentioned his father.

Fan art of Julien's morning, by Elaine Tipping.

The night spent the rest of that night in a brothel, sharing his bed with a man and a woman, and sleeping until he was awakened by the arrival of General Raimond Davinos. Julien joined him on a carriage ride to a meeting with Lady Aranessa, and on their way there they discussed the son's attitude and the father's past ties with Thjazi Fang. When they were with Aranessa they talked about some issues, including rumors about a failed attempt to rescue Thjazi, and House Tachonis trying to find one of their members, Occtis. They agreed that Julien should try to find him first, for his safety, and seeing that he was still somewhat tired, Raimond splashed him with water, reminding his eldest son that he loved him, and telling him to go fulfill his mission.

"The Snipping of Shears" (4x03)

While Julien was looking for Occtis he found Teor Pridesire on his way to the Mercanaud Couturier; they exchanged tense greetings, and although Sir Julien was aware of the reputation of the place the nama was about to visit, he decided it wasn't his problem, so he continued his mission. Near Hal's home he found Thimble, Vaelus, Kattigan Vale, and another man who looked similar to the ranger. Julien asked the pixie if she knew where Hal or Thaisha were, and expressed his disappointment when she didn't provide useful information; she, in turn, took that chance to tell him that Thjazi didn't deserve his hatred; when the knight moved her away, she told her to keep running, and when he asked her to be respectful, she replied she didn't have to watch her language in front of someone that wasn't her better. Julien grabbed her by the wings, and that caused one of the older men present to demand him to release her with a surprisingly young voice that didn't match his appearance. Sir Julien (after letting the pixie go, telling her to learn some respect while she insulted him) told the group that he was looking for Occtis because he might be in danger, before moving away; he stayed nearby, however, and listened to them talking until Occtis finally approached, without his Disguise and accompanied by Vaelus. The knight made some questions about the young wizard's contacts with his family, and understanding his desire to stay away from them; after reminding Occtis that the worst elements of House Tachonis were looking for him, he convinced him to go talk to his liege lady.

When they arrived to the Palazzo Davinos, Occtis left with Lady Aranessa, and Julien asked Vaelus to stay in the garden, since even though she was collaborating they didn't know each other that well. He had a brief chat with his father, in which he congratulated him for fulfilling his mission, and informed him that some of his courtiers were in the Palazzo as well. Jahar, Ilondria, and Mardonus were waiting for Sir Julien and asked him to come drink with them, but he told them to be patient, since he wasn't quite done with his job yet. When he saw Vaelus waiting next to the open door he approached and asked her what she was doing (she simply said she was waiting for a wolf). Sir Julien confided in her, sharing some of his concerns and stating he had a bad feeling, as he sensed something shifting. Before anyone could do anything, the two of them saw how General Raimond, who was approaching to talk to his son, was brutally murdered by Primus Tachonis.

"Stone-Faced" (4x04)

Julien, after a few moments of shock, threw himself against Lord Tachonis; he hesitated for a moment, trying not to step on his father's corpse, but he still wounded the enemy with his rapier, causing Primus to declare that despite what was happening he had no ill will against House Davinos. The sorcerer then vanished in the shadows before reappearing and casting Circle of Death, which both Julien and Thaisha (who had just arrived) managed to resist; other people around them, however, started dying as shades and specters crossed the veil. Sir Julien, witnessing so many of his friends being killed, grabbed and threatened Lord Primus with death; he, in response, declared that he was merely threatening him with "home", and although he had been wounded again, he disappeared once more using the shadows (that caused Julien to realize that as powerful as that sorcerer was, he was mortal, moving away because he knew the knight could kill him).

Fan art of Sir Julien fighting, by Hugo Cardenas.

The shadows swarmed Sir Julien, but Vaelus started attacking them, giving him the chance to move away and run towards the stairs as he called for Aranessa. His liege lady responded, and when they finally saw each other, she commanded him to defend his home as she cast Haste on him; with that surge of energy (and feeling the weight of his station for the first time in years), the knight massacred the ghouls still present in the area. In the meantime, Aranessa moved away and cast Healing Word on Thaisha, asking Julien to help her too, after which she started Druidcrafting a sapling; Julien was accidentally hit by Thaisha's Thunderwave, but despite that they managed to deal with the remaining monsters in the area, and Aranessa gave them a way out with Tree Stride. They appeared with Occtis's body (who had been killed by Ethrand Tachonis) next to an ash tree near the bridge, where the veil between life and death was stronger; however, Julien stayed to help Vaelus, and although Thaisha tried to persuade him to start moving towards the bridge (casting Cure Wounds on him), the shades were too many. Vaelus and Julien started fighting the undead together, trying to convince each other to leave, both without success; however, when the elf declared that even if they destroyed all the enemies that wouldn't make Julien feel better, the latter agreed to leave with her. Before doing so, however, he ran towards his father's body and, making an effort not to look to his dead face, took his gauntlet with him.

All of them managed to flee successfully, and took refuge in the Lloyd Estate. Out in the garden, while Thaisha and Aranessa tended to Occtis's body, Vaelus and Julien were keeping watch, with the latter making an effort not to break. They were joined by Bolaire Lathalia, Murray Mag'Nesson, Hal, and Azune Nayar, and they learned about what had happened in the Palazzo Davinos; while the others were talking Bolaire approached Julien, and after noticing something in his shadow declared that there was something attached to him, and that they would have to deal with it. They then focused on the dead man, and combining Bolaire's tools with Murray's Mage Hand and Portent, and supported by Hal's Bardic Inspiration and Thaisha's Guidance, they successfully removed the Stone of Nightsong from inside Occtis, and he started breathing again as the ground shook and his body started repairing itself. Everyone was happy, but Sir Julien was furious and suspicious, so he faced the resurrected necromancer and demanded answers from him, threatening him with his sword and resisting Murray's Hold Person; Occtis tried to explain that he didn't have any answers about his family's plans, and apologized. When Sir Julien moved towards the young wizard, Thaisha moved, trying to stop him; even though he was willing to stab her and she was willing to let him, Aranessa stepped between the knight and the druid, and told Julien that even if both of their houses had fallen and their "allies" had betrayed them, they still had strength, resources, and fights ahead of them, and that they would find answers. Then, in a calmer manner, she asked Occtis to share with them whatever he remembered from his time on the other side of the veil, since that would help everyone.

"Branching Paths" (4x05)

Fan art of Azune's conversation with Julien, by Hugo Cardenas.

Azune convinced Julien to walk outside the estate so that they could make sure they hadn't been followed, and to give the knight a chance to calm down; there, he told him that while he admired his forthrightness about Occtis and his family, he was also being reckless, and that at that moment, instead of antagonizing everyone, he should make the active choice of trusting the rest of the group, letting them earn that trust in time. As a gesture, Azune revealed that he had known Sir Julien for a long time, since he was at Thjazi's side at the end of the Falconer's Rebellion, but during that encounter the knight hadn't looked at him even once, being too focused on Thjazi. Because of it, Azune expressed his willingness to speak in favor of Julien if he ever decided to speak about the past; however, the latter bitterly answered that the Arcane Marshal was probably glad to see him and his family so low, and when Azune tried to explain that wasn't the case, Julien waked back inside, and the paladin followed. In the period before dawn, the group discussed Occtis's status and the implications for House Tachonis, as well as the repercussions for other political forces in the city; they gradually defined a plan, with the newly resurrected necromancer leaving Dol-Makjar with an escort to seek answers about his post-mortem visions, while the rest stayed behind to sound out the Sundered Houses and look for ways to weaken them. Julien informed Occtis that he would go with him, not only because Aranessa wanted to stay with the wizard, but because he was certain that House Tachonis would eventually come back for him, and when that happened the knight would be ready. At the end of that conversation Azune formally introduced himself to Julien, who didn't know his name, but when he asked for his, the knight replied that they would see who he was when he returned to Dol-Makjar. After that, Sir Julien left with Aranessa, Occtis, Thaisha, and Vaelus with the steeds Rohor brought them.

Relationships

Aranessa Royce

Aranessa of House Royce is a childhood friend of Julien's. Their relationship seems to be that of a knight with his lady, courteous and formal, but at the same time the two are able to be open and honest with each other. Julien clearly cares for Aranessa and does not want her to be hurt emotionally or otherwise.

Thjazi Fang

Julien clearly disliked Thjazi in life, a fact that did not change after Thjazi's death. Julien defeated Thjazi during the Falconer's Rebellion and brought him to justice, but Thjazi was given clemency. This seems to be a point of irritation for Julien, who went so far as to spit on Thjazi's corpse during the funeral held at Halandil Fang's home.

Julien felt that Thjazi was not a man of honor, and resented him for, as he sees it, betraying House Royce and for what he put Aranessa Royce (Thjazi's wife) through with that betrayal.

Alogar

Despite not being in the best terms with his family, Sir Julien has become the mentor of this young orc as part of the Barrowguard, and considers him a very promising student.

Occtis Tachonis

Before his death and resurrection Occtis didn't have a particularly strong connection to Sir Julien, but after the Halovars killed Julien's father Raimond Davinos, that changed: Julien started seeing Occtis as both a person to blame and a lingering thread linking House Tachonis and the fall of House Davinos. Because of this, when it was decided that Occtis had to stay alive and travel seeking answers, Sir Julien declared himself his second shadow, intending to utilize him to find other members of the Tachonis family when they inevitably came looking for their wayward son.

Character information

Notable items

• Rapier
• Demi-gauntlet
• His father's gauntlet

Abilities

Unless otherwise noted, the following abilities are assumed from the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook

Human abilities

• Resourceful
• Skillful
• Versatile

Proficiencies

• Skills: Acrobatics, Perception

Fighter abilities

• Fighting Style
• Second Wind (2/rest)
• Weapon Mastery: Vex, Sap
• Action Surge (1/rest)
• Tactical Mind (2/rest)

Rogue abilities

• Expertise
• Sneak Attack (1d6)
• Thieves' Cant
• Weapon Mastery

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign Four
  • "The Fall of Thjazi Fang" (4x01) (first appearance)
  • "Broken Wing" (4x02)
  • "The Snipping of Shears" (4x03)
  • "Stone-Faced" (4x04)
  • "Branching Paths" (4x05)

Quotations

• (looking down at Thjazi while he is laid to rest) "The only shame is that I couldn't watch you die twice." (then spits on him)
• Julien: (to Primus Tachonis, after he killed General Raimond Davinos) Whatever it is you worship, I will send you to an oblivion where you can't even find that.
  Primus: (seconds later, as they fought, before merging with the shadows) Oblivion. You said oblivion. You threaten me with sending me home.

Trivia

Fan art of Julien and his wine, by Hugo Cardenas.

• Julien's name is derived from the Latin Julian, meaning "youthful, joyous, and downy-bearded", which is very similar to Julien's demeanor and the soft, light beard he wears. Additionally, the name shares its roots with Jove, which is a name often given to the Roman god Jupiter in reference to his youthful joy.
• Having been in close contact with Tír Cruthú, Julien sometimes senses "shifts" in the environment and has learned to recognize them as omens.
• During Julien's fight against Primus Tachonis, Brennan Lee Mulligan told Matthew Mercer that, from a certain point forward (after Julien dealt enough damage to realize Lord Tachonis was a powerful but very much mortal man), every attack made against that enemy while he had less than half of his hit points would be made with advantage.

References

Art: