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Of all the orders of the Realm, perhaps the Scholars of Vellichor are the most respected. Every great house welcomes the men and women who dedicate themselves to learning, to the safeguarding of knowledge, and to the healing arts under the auspices of the Faith. And of that revered order, none are as held in as great esteem as the first of their order, the Archscholar of Vellichor. Aldwin has been acting as Archscholar for at least a generation, and is such a fixture at court giving his kind, reasonable and wise counsel that more than one peer jokes that the man has always been there. He is perhaps the only significant political figure without any true enemies- after all, the man offers his advice to any that seek it without reservation, is conscientious to a fault, seems to have no political ambitions whatsoever, and his order has no interest in power at all. A kindly old man that offers no threat to anyone is not likely to make very many enemies, and more than one high born noble thinks of the gentle elderly scholar as a sweet old grandfather (which, knowing the life most nobles lived, is odds on more likely kinder than any grandfather they ever knew themselves).

Though he walks with a slightly stooped posture, and moves with the slow, deliberate gait of the elderly, Aldwin's presence defies age or era. His stark white hair hangs a little longer than is fashionable for the youthful, and he keeps his beard neat, but lengthy, as a badge of office for his many years. His sharp blue eyes sparkle with good humor and a keen intellect above a mouth that never ceases to have at least a hint of a smile. While one would not call him the pinnacle of warrior health, the old man doesn't quite have the frailty of most that live as long as he has, seeming simply to take his time with his movements, rather than awkwardly shuffling about.

For most, providing counsel and perspective to potential enemies would make someone an enemy themselves, mistrusted and suspect beyond redemption. Aldwin escapes all that, perhaps simply by sheer longevity. Few people could be as devoted to the Realm as a single entity, even beyond the King himself, than the Archscholar of Vellichor. In his eyes, every living, breathing soul has as much right to learn, grow, and succeed as any other, so all that come to him are met with unfailing kindness, wisdom, and a perspective that would not otherwise be considered. He treats young nobles as if they were his own grandchildren, and older ones, well, pretty much the same way. He's not reluctant to call out folly, but does so in a way that edifies, rather than tears down the student he instructs. His only ambition seems the betterment of the Realm and those who walk through his doors.