Dane

Dane is an incredibly powerful and mysterious male Duelist whose motives are unknown, for the moment. He is a central character in Saiba Aisu's Yu-Gi-Oh Fan Fic, Days of the Black Apple.

In Japanese, his name has been written as デーン. Like many of the other aspects concerning Dane, it is unknown whether or not he has a surname.

Character Design
Dane is described as a tall, muscular, and imposing man who appears to be around thirty-five, with stormy gray eyes and pale blond hair that he keeps in a short ponytail. His usual outfit consists of a black coat, matching black boots, and a similarly-colored hat. One of his trademark accessories is an odd pair of spectacles, cut from the finest sapphire and polished to reflect to the sun; these spectacles allow Dane to view the world around him on a spiritual level and detect most forms of supernatural activity. He uses an extremely customized Duel Disk with strange golden characters from another language etched along its side, and carries his Deck with him at all times.

Character Biography
Very little is known about Dane regarding his past or his motivations. In the Prologue of Days of the Black Apple, he is portrayed with several other people, who are discussing the Shir'tugal and the role they will play in the upcoming battle. With this portrayal in mind, is is possible to theorize that Dane has some sort of specified motive for tracking down each of the Shir'tugal, although for the moment, this reason is unknown.

Even though he has only made an appearance within the story for a short amount of time, Dane is noted for his stern, disciplined character and implacable seriousness. He has little tolerance for trickery or any other form of misbehavior, and is renowned for his venerable temper. Most specifically, he dislikes any form of activity that is not actively useful or productive - in most cases, activities that do not fall under those conditions are contemptuously viewed as a waste of valuable time and effort.

During the day of a special sale at the Morrow and Co. Bookshop in Neo Checker Town, Dane appears and approaches the store's owner, Marren Hunter. He warns her that she is now in grave danger from sinister enemies who have been watching her for the entirety of her young life, and that he brings a special message for her. In addition, Dane mentions that he is searching for a certain book, whose name was forgotten long ago by mankind and whose power is incomparable. He then challenges Marren to a Duel, claiming that his "message" cannot be related by words; instead, it must be learned. Although Marren plays well and puts up a fair fight against Dane's powerful Deck, she is eventually outmaneuvered and trapped by his signature monster, Archangel Dragon. Just as Dane is about to claim victory, Marren's ability activates, allowing her to adjust her strategy to avoid her opponent's ploys and claim victory, a fact which greatly pleases Dane, since she will apparently have to depend on that ability in the upcoming struggles that await her. After the Duel, Dane expresses regret that he could not prepare her any better for the forthcoming danger that will soon threaten her, and with a final warning to not stray too far from the bookshop for fear of the people searching for her, Dane leaves Marren confused and exhausted after their match, disappearing without a trace.

Deck
Dane plays an Archangel Deck, with strong connections to the themes of light, justice, and God. His Deck is heavily centered on Summoning and taking advantage of his signature creature, Archangel Dragon. To this extent, many of his Spell, Trap, and even Monster Cards have powerful, useful effects that facilitate this process, especially ones that increase the ATK of his own monsters. Most of the cards that Dane keeps in his Deck are very fast-paced, and every card he draws, he makes use of, even if it's to send it to the Graveyard to fuel another card's effect. This ruthless style of play is rewarded, though, since many of his cards - most notably Archangel Dragon - have effects that activate in the Graveyard, permitting him to gain even more advantage over his opponent.