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When his father, King Alaric III was lost at sea during the Tyde Rebellion, King Alaric IV was just a boy- a boy who greatly resented the regency of Duke Gabriel Bisland, a duke who had no intention of attempting to shielding the young boy from the harsh realities of rule, but wound up alienating his ward. After Alaric IV's majority when he came of age at 18, he dismissed Gabriel as regent, ruling as a well liked but intensely frivolous king, who had little interest in the advice of sober ministers and listened to corrupt flatterers- ultimately resulting in the King's Rest, when his tragic trip to the Night Grove resulted in the death of his entire royal retine, and his coma for three years. Finally freed from his illness, the King of the Compact is determined to make right for the sins of the past and prove himself a true king, leading with strength and wisdom as he rules over a hard won peace. A peace that almost certainly will not last.

With his golden hair and strong-jawed, attractive features typical of the male line of descent from Queen Alarice the Great, King Alaric the Fourth looks every inch the classic Grayson monarch. Vibrant in a way that makes him seem taller than his six feet of height, he has not a single ounce of fat on his toned and impressive frame. Since the days of the King's Rest, subtle changes mark his passage through that terrible trial; he's cut his hair down to a more mature yet still stylishly moppy length, and he now effortlessly possesses a sober and regal bearing that commands a room. Yet in his less guarded moments, hints of the frivolity of his younger days still shine through: his easy, infectious smile, the twinkle in his eye when he makes a playfully subtle joke.

Turns out that having a soul trapped in a horrifying mindscape for years tends to mature someone that was callow and irresponsible. Remarkably, he doesn't seem very haunted by his experiences except in least guarded moments. He's still personable, friendly and warm, with an energy that few can match. There's still hints of the man that deeply wanted to be liked, but with his marriage to Symonesse he seems to have gained much more balance and confidence, and is comfortable with showing restraint and delegating from the top. Very slow to anger, he's learned the lessons of acting rashly or speaking without great care for his actions- rarely one to give offense, nor one to overlook what needs doing.