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List of results

• Edda Greenwood  + (Enigmatic when it comes to her past, Edda …
  Enigmatic when it comes to her past, Edda was originally an Abandoned tribesman from the darkest parts of the Deepwood Marches; before the era of tribal integration with the nobles and citizens of the Twainfort, she lived a solitary lifestyle as a ranger in the ancient forests there. Once the tribes began the slow work of coming to terms with their new standing, she stood with them even though she may have chosen to remain an unknown. The matter was bigger than any one person, and she understood this quite well; though standing alongside her tribesmen, this didn't mean that she was eager to leave her home nor assimilate to the lifestyle at the Twainfort. Alliance aside, Edda remained a ranger, living and working from the forests until there came a reason to leave; that reason came in the form of her lord at the Twainfort. A visitation by another ranger tuned her in to the search for guards at the seat of Riven house. In the beginning she was passingly interested-- curious enough to go to the city and seek out more information. Tribal unrest alongside the citizens of the Riverlands was still an issue, thanks to so many years of the latter driving off the former. There was still much work to be done. Seeing that for herself, Edda felt inspired to help to change it. Perceptions and interaction were everything, and though she was by nature lonesome, it never meant a lack of compassion. It only ever meant that she had yet to find a place to direct it. Inspired by the path of her people and stirred by the need for a bridge between them, Edda joined the house guard; though at the time lacking in certain training, she was a large survivor with a gentler soul than her frame might suggest, and this would lend itself greatly to her finding an ability to make connections with others. Learning the finer points of guardsmanship would come with time-- what led her there was neither power nor influence, but the desire to help in holding some semblance of cornerstones on massive shoulders. As time moved on she became accustomed to the role, rising steadily through ranks until she became the head of guard for the Riven House.. It meant hard work, but it also meant that for years she worked alongside citizens of the Twainfort in keeping them safe. She was regarded as a trusted figure, despite her origins as a tribal Prodigal. Wherever the riverlands found its banners called, Edda followed.
  s found its banners called, Edda followed.)
• Charlotte Wyrmguard  + (Enough was never really enough for Charlot …
  Enough was never really enough for Charlotte. Growing up with six siblings in a backwater like Apsfel Falls was just dull. A cadet branch of the illustrious Wyrmguard family should have given her excitement and prestige, but their family was poor. So very poor, and all their wealth went to keeping their patch of land operational. The infrequent trips to Blancbier were the only bright spots of her youth. That and her twin sister Yessica. Together they would dream up the life that they would lead when they were older. Traveling from city to city, rubbing elbows with Princes and Princesses, catching the eye of a dashing Duke... it was going to be amazing. Reality, however, was not as kind. When she was eighteen she was married to Tymer Sanna, now Tymer Wyrmguard. The man was a brute and practically a savage. He had a wandering eye, a coarse manner, he as everything Charlotte did not want. But she married him anyway. Because a Wyrmguard puts family first, and this was a duty to be borne with dignity. And the occasional screaming fits punctuated with flying vases. The marriage was a seven year war of silence. When word came that Tymer would be fighting in Stormwall, there was a part of her that rejoiced at the forced absence. When word came weeks later that Tymer died, there was a small part of Charlotte that felt actual relief at the news. She grieved as was proper, and then promptly sent a letter to Yessica saying that she was going to move to Arx, to get to know the extended Wyrmguard family, and if that didn't work, they had a sister, Reigna, living there too. Charlotte has a chance to capture her childhood dreams, dreams she spent a life preparing herself for. Fancy parties, fancy people, fine wine and ballgowns. She has a wealth of political game (she thinks) that she is eager to put to the test. She is ready to take her life into her own hands. With Yessica at her side, the city of Arx should be put on notice! The Wyrmguard twins are going to take the city by storm! ...Is that too soon?
  e the city by storm! ...Is that too soon?)
• Enri Jaeggere  + (Enri was groomed to be a knight from a you …
  Enri was groomed to be a knight from a young age, as part of a family of knights serving the Cliffmore scions. This filled the young man with a sense of duty for the family and his fealty as a whole, while hoping that he would someday get to see a larger fraction of the world. As a squire, he proceeded to devour all pieces of knowledge that reached his hands, which led him to study more about the 'mad mage of the North.' Immediately identifying himself with the legendary god, Enri was fascinated by the philosophy of freedom of choice and allowing others to live their lives as they pleased. However, his experiences as a squire during the Silent War shaped the man so that he understood that true freedom would only be achieved when the enemies of the Compact are utterly defeated. As such, there's a desire in him to know the truth about the world and why so many seek to destroy the Compact. After the war, he joined what was left of the Cliffmore family to serve under the Acheron banner, eventually moving with the family to Arx, where he hopes he can keep them safe. That should also give him a chance to learn more about the world and perhaps find others with a similar mentality.
  haps find others with a similar mentality.)
• Eos Saik  + (Eos' childhood was nothing out of the ordi …
  Eos' childhood was nothing out of the ordinary for a boy born to a noble house. He was raised alongside his younger sister Kima, five years his junior. As children, they were very close and competative with each other. When it came to the likes of sparring, he frequently had the advantage and he never let her win, insisting that the men in the world would always be bigger, and that they would not let her win either. As they grew older, approaching adulthood and responsibility began to invade their happy little life to pull their closely twined paths apart. It began when Eos first set off to begin his formal training as a knight, something he proved to have a natural talent and zeal for. It continued later when Eos was informed by his parents at the age of twenty that he needed to marry. He had some say as to whom he found the most agreeable of a small number of young noble women, but it ultimately came down to which was the most likely to help improve the Saik family status and coffers. Still, Eos sought counsel with his younger sister before making that final choice, trusting her judgement despite her years when she agreed his choice, a woman by the name of Rosalynn, would be good for him. Who knew him better than Kima? In a stroke of favor from the gods, he found genuine happiness with his wife, and in short time, a true love. In the two years to follow, he kept his fights close to home, never gone for more than a few weeks at a time with the small company of fighters from his father's lands that rode with him. His son, named Vomas, would be born when Eos was twenty-two, and everything flipped on its head. Rosalynn struggled with the birth of their child, and very nearly bled out. The physicians were able to save her, but her health never did fully recover. A deep depression took her that neither husband or child could lift. The toll of her worsening health, mental and physical, became more than the woman could bare. While Eos was away on another small campaign, before the first birthday of their son, she simply walked off a tower in the dead of night. Losing his wife broke something in the young man, and the man he is today began to form then. He left his son in the care of his family, a nanny, and a tutor, and threw himself even more fervently into any battle or fight he could find. He had always been a fearless combatant, but he became an eager one as well, developing a fierce bloodlust that gave rise to unsettling rumors of the man taking slices of fallen enemies' flesh to eat or collecting their teeth as trophies. His visits home, however strongly he loves his son, now ten years of age, and his sister, the two things which might anchor him to a less blood soaked life, stretched further between while he sought to find an answer to his pain in the visceral world of war. It was not something that could rage forever, however. In the ten years since, his years and experiences have finally started to see him to something resembling stability again. He returned home to assume the responsibilities to House and kin that had been set to the wayside while he found his way back to himself, only to find those responsibilities sending him to Arx..
  hose responsibilities sending him to Arx..)
• Ephraim Mercier  + (Ephraim came as an unexpected suprise to h …
  Ephraim came as an unexpected suprise to his parents. His mother was betrothed to the son of a wealthy Lycene merchant and certainly was not supposed to be involved with his father, but one thing led to another and their affair was eventually discovered. The impending nuptials were called off amid the small scale scandal, but to recompensate for the botched business deal the Mercier family agreed to a marriage contract instead. He arrived a few scant months later to bring panic and terror to the young and unprepared couple. Young Ephraim was a handful growing up. He was far too clever for his own good and routinely tested the boundaries of what he could get away with. Initially his flustered parents didn't know what to do and often handed him off to the servants to care for, but three more children followed and they gradually adjusted to parenthood and attempted to reign him in. Intense arguments were common between them, and when Ephraim was thirteen he was kicked out of the home for cutting his sister's long braid as a malicious prank. He spent a few days learning how to survive on his own, and while he was allowed to return, the wanderlust bug had already bitten. As his teenage years dragged on, Ephraim spent an increasing amount of time away from home, and befriended the hunters who frequently travelled through the wooded areas around Clemenstone. He began to accompany them. The time in the woods provided him with something more than useful skills - it provided him with freedom and solace. He had a natural talent for archery even as a boy and as he grew in years and practice that talent was honed. When he became an adult, he promptly left home for good to pursue new horizons and expand his knowledge of the world. The last several years were one adventure after the next, until he ended up in Arx with the city in unrest and not a silver to his name. When inquired upon, he's rather vague with the details...
  pon, he's rather vague with the details...)
• Tris Magaldi  + (Equally, Tris gives nothing to her crew ab …
  Equally, Tris gives nothing to her crew about her youngest years or true port of origin. She doesn't feel she owes any of them anything but her share. She's never drunk, for whatever reason she gives at the time. So there is little doubt she lies to everyone about what she does mention of herself- supposedly or allegedly. Where she will start her story is Port Defiance. She was promised a new life and got abandoned. That place was no paradise, and she had no picnic. When word that her old Captain legitimized and left it to the winds to inform her, she wanted her accounts settled. Arriving in Arx, she followed his trail and made her demands. In some turn of events, she joined the Pravus Navy and quickly climbed the ranks to become a First Mate under that damned Admiral.
  me a First Mate under that damned Admiral.)
• Erela Blackhurst  + (Erela Blackhurst was orphaned on the steps …
  Erela Blackhurst was orphaned on the steps of the Cathedral in Arx on a lightning filled night. The dark haired infant was unusually quiet and found only when one of the priests were returning from a late night. There was no crying from the bundle, so he feared that the child was dead, but after being picked up, the green eyes focused on the man. Hed never seen anything quite like the child before. Erela was taken in and raised by the priests until the found a family to settle her with. An older couple that couldnt have children. The Blackhurst family treated her like she was their own, but she always felt like an outsider. She was knocked down because of being an orphan. Kids taunted her mercilessly for it. When she got older she retaliated though and ended up knocking teeth out of one of her taunters mouth. Which amused more than one person. Her adopted father taught her the blade and to temper her anger, to use it when it was needed. He told her to use it at the right time. That is eventually what lead her to the Kings Own. Erela was twenty nine when she took her oaths to the Kings Own and became on of the 100. She figured with no real family, no titles and nothing else to focus on, that she could focus on protecting the King or Queen. That was eight years ago. So far shes still alive.
  eight years ago. So far shes still alive.)
• Eric Thrax  + (Eric was always an adventurous kid - nearl …
  Eric was always an adventurous kid - nearly having gotten himself killed in his adventures as a little kid, he has always been attracted to the sea and it's mystery. He learned what he needed to be a proper sailor. He is a fierce fighter and brave to the point of foolishness at times, but he is fiercely loyal to his men and his house, never swaying from his command and always ensuring everyone gets their fair share.
  s ensuring everyone gets their fair share.)
• Erik Grimhall  + (Erik{_Grimhall{_is{_the second{_eldest{_ch …
  Erik{_Grimhall{_is{_the second{_eldest{_child{_of{_Abram{_Grimhall{_and{_his{_wife{_Alina{_Darkwater, along with his twin sister Sanya.{_In{_his{_youth{_he{_saw{_the{_many{_changes{_that{_Islander{_nobility{_went{_through,{_including{_the{_transfer{_of{_power{_in{_his{_own{_family{_several{_times{_over,{_as{_well{_as{_the{_issues{_of{_succession{_in{_Thrax.{_He{_was{_a{_studious{_young{_man,{_observing{_the{_ways{_of{_the{_world{_not{_with{_the{_usual{_fire{_and{_fury{_that{_his{_family{_often{_appeared{_to{_expect,{_but{_with{_a{_measured{_consideration.{_He{_understood{_that{_war{_and{_violence{_were{_the{_way{_of{_the{_Mourning{_Isles{_and{_he{_had{_a{_role{_to{_play{_in{_that{_as{_an{_eldest{_son,{_yet{_he{_also{_wanted{_more.{_{/{/It{_was{_no{_easy{_task{_to{_persuade{_his{_parents{_to{_allow{_him{_the{_opportunity{_to{_leave{_Grihem's{_Point{_in{_order{_to{_study{_among{_mainland{_academies,{_yet{_he{_did{_so.{_On{_the{_condition{_that{_he{_also{_continued{_to{_practice{_daily{_with{_a{_skilled{_arms{_master{_and{_spent{_half{_the{_year{_in{_the{_Mourning{_Isles{_in{_order{_to{_make{_sure{_that{_he{_maintained{_his{_'sea{_legs'{_(and{_was{_not{_overly{_influenced{_by{_mainlander{_ways{_of{_thinking){_he{_convinced{_his{_parents{_to{_allow{_him{_to{_study.{_And{_study{_he{_did.{_{/{/Erik{_put{_his{_mind{_to{_all{_sorts{_of{_topics.{_War{_was{_one{_of{_them,{_but{_not{_the{_details{_of{_battle{_and{_war{_craft{_alone,{_it{_was{_philosophy{_he{_was{_interested{_in{_as{_well.{_What{_was{_the{_purpose{_of{_violence{_between{_nations{_and{_how{_often{_was{_it{_served.{_What{_other{_means{_could{_be{_used{_to{_attain{_those{_desired{_ends?{_These{_were{_but{_a{_few{_of{_the{_things{_he{_put{_his{_mind{_to,{_and{_yet{_he{_did{_well{_with{_those{_studies.{_As{_he{_grew{_older{_and{_his{_education{_continued,{_he{_was{_invited{_to{_take{_a{_place{_among{_the{_Scholars{_of{_Vellichor.{_It{_was{_not{_ideal{_according{_to{_his{_parents,{_and{_more{_than{_a{_few{_heated{_arguments{_resulted{_from{_this{_invitation.{_Yet{_somehow{_he{_convinced{_them,{_and{_so{_it{_was{_he{_began{_studying{_in{_more{_depth{_in{_the{_city{_of{_Arx.{_{/{/Which{_is{_not{_to{_say{_that{_he{_did{_not{_take{_his{_proper{_place{_during{_battles{_where{_Grimhall{_was{_called{_to{_arms.{_Too{_young{_to{_fight{_in{_the{_Tyde{_rebellion{_he{_nevertheless{_heard{_about{_it,{_and{_was{_motivated{_by{_the{_stories.{_He{_has{_joined{_countless{_expeditions{_to{_quash{_pirate{_activity{_throughout{_the{_Isles,{_often{_placed{_as{_advisers{_to{_Admirals{_and{_Generals{_and{_considered{_for{_such{_positions{_himself.{_It{_was{_the{_war{_in{_Setarco{_that{_most{_recently{_brought{_him{_back{_from{_his{_studies{_with{_the{_Scholars,{_and{_has{_him{_seeking{_to{_reconnect{_with{_his{_family{_in{_Arx{_and{_serve{_as{_he{_may.
  _family{_in{_Arx{_and{_serve{_as{_he{_may.)
• Eris Ibrianis  + (Eris Ibrianis, born to a brood of mixed so …
  Eris Ibrianis, born to a brood of mixed sons and daughters, was raised in a particularly martially inclined family. Ibrianis roots can be traced back to the very origins of Ostria, one of the first families to pledge themselves in service to the Mazetti family. They've had various reputations over the ages, but their claim to fame stems from their forging of House Mazetti's diamondplate sword, Allegiance. Rather than hang their hat on one accomplishment, the Ibrianis expanded over the generations to incorporate a vast number of skilled crafters mixed in with a particularly dedicated branch of soldiers. Into the latter does Eris fall, having decided young that her talents lay more in destruction than in creation. From an early age, Eris was taught under a particularly strict tutor regarding her duty to House Mazetti and to the protection of Ostria as a whole; these lessons she took to heart with all the preternatural sobriety of a youngster feeling a calling. The martial training that followed upon reaching adulthood indicated that while she was not fit to be a Glaivedancer, she proved in the early years that she was a talented swordswoman on her own accord. Thus began a brutal and utterly ruthless training regimen for the future Ostrian soldier. She worked slavishly and with great dedication alongside the young and precocious Mazetti duelist, Theron. They would later develop a friendly rivalry in their military training that would follow them well into their adulthood. When the Tor-Southport conflict occurred - in no small part due to the machinations of the former married-in member of House Mazetti, Lucien - Eris was goaded by Theron's early volunteership to sign up to military service as soon as she came of age to do so; she would die before letting him go off to battle without her. Together, they fought in the final stages of that brutal and senseless war, coming out the other side alive but marginally subdued. It was at Theron's recommendation that Eris was formally knighted post-combat and took her vows as one of the special Guardians. Afterward, she was assigned to protect then-magistrate Giulio, Theron's younger brother. The last handful of years since her assignation has seen Eris at Giulio's side and in his service. No longer destined just for the battlefield, the Ibrianis woman has slowly come into her own as more than a mere sword and shield; she has taken on the role of companion, confidante, and more.
  e role of companion, confidante, and more.)
• Eskandar Whisper  + (Eskander was not born into the ranks of th …
  Eskander was not born into the ranks of the courtesans or the diplomatic; rather, he was a bit lower. His family were mostly common-folk and he was one of the middle children, in theory doomed to learn his family's trade (his father was a rather middling merchant) and to toil out his life without ever really achieving anything of note. Eskander ultimately had other ideas. He was fortunate in that he was naturally rather intelligent and that he picked up the tools of his father's trade quickly as he grew, running errands nad messages, and helping with keeping the books straight. Of course, not being one of the eldest, he likely wasn't going to inherit anything (aside from more work) when he came of age. So Eskander applied himself and as he grew older tried to turn what he had into something more. He developed his own contacts, determined to make his own way eventually - and this brought him to the attention of the Whispers. While at the time he wasn't precisely the best of material, he had potential and in a way, he saw that house of courtiers as a way out of his situation. So he applied. Rough around the edges and still needing refining, he wasn't (at first) successful - but perseverance and a burning ambition and desire to better himself have managed to secure him a spot within their ranks.
  d to secure him a spot within their ranks.)
• Eshken Greenblood  + (Eskhen Greenblood is a young prodigal man …
  Eskhen Greenblood is a young prodigal man of the Greenblood family. He and his twin sister, Emele, were not even teenagers when their tribe was torn in two and his parents-- rebels --left it to join house Riven and bend knee to Grayson. His parents took the two young twins with them when they went. Eshken, being young, acclimated to life in Riven well. He threw himself into studies and learning of the new cultures. His sister also took very well to their new life. She found art and painting, and threw herself into it. Eshken being the more practical begged her to pick up a profession that would allow her a better income than painting. She apprenticed to a blacksmith and began to make armor. Shortly before his 20th birthday he met another prodigal of another tribe-- Lillian Leafchaser --she was a scout for Riven forces and he fell for her quickly. Just after he turned twenty and she twenty-one they married. Their daughter, Elia, was born eight months later. Lillian died two years later in an ambush by bandits while on a scouting mission. Eshken had just been apprenticed to Nigel Riven in matters of stewardship and finance. He threw himself into that work and to taking care of his daughter. He's utterly devoted to his daughter and to bettering her life. When the new Barony of Whitehawk was create he saw a chance for himself and his family. He offered to become the Steward of Whitehawk for Baron Silas.
  the Steward of Whitehawk for Baron Silas.)
• Esoka Greenblood  + (Esoka Greenblood grew up as the granddaugh …
  Esoka Greenblood grew up as the granddaughter of the Elder of her tribe, which lent her a certain status even in amidst the fluctuating lifestyle of her people. It came with a sense of responsibility, of the duty to serve her people as the Elder served her people, of the need to be well-behaved. Although war leadership was not hereditary, it was simply considered that there was going to be some kind of greatness in her future because there was some kind of greatness in her blood, passed down generationally and with wisdom. So it was a fairly structured childhood, built on expectations and hopes for a future that shattered in disaster when the tribe fragmented while Esoka was a teenager. It took her structured life and threw it into chaos and upheaval. Why she chose as she did -- to follow the rebels rather than stay with her family -- is a complex tangle of emotions for her even now, years later. But whatever the reasons she chose, she did. Young, and fierce, and too young to fight, she nevertheless followed, swore herself in defiant loyalty to Thesarin, and never looked back ... for long. Accustoming herself to a completely new set of disciplines and structures was very difficult for Esoka. The social mores of the Count's people were a struggle. Worse, her own position seemed to fluctuate and change with passing years. When she was 22, Count Thesarin knighted her. To this day, she still is uncertain why -- there were excuses given at the time about her great service to the countship, but she always had the sneaking suspicion that this was some kind of politically oriented compromise between Count Thesarin and Countess Mia about who was going to take up arms and serve the Twainfort under the aegis of knighthood. Hungry to prove herself, Esoka sought out ways to make herself critical to the county, and ended up making more mistakes early on in her service than she would have liked. The first time she was forced to face down former members of her tribe who had been raiding the fishing villages along the Daughter, she could not bring herself to raise her weapon, and stood behind her men while she sent them on ahead to take care of it. It was a 'cowardice' that she felt incapable of living down for years afterwards. She tried to resign her knighthood, but this was refused. Her need to prove herself has never gone away, not even with subsequent successes bolstering her military career and making it clear that Thesarin's judgment in raising her to a knighthood was not so strange as all that. Her early mistakes and confusions haunt her.
  r early mistakes and confusions haunt her.)
• Esra Wyrmguard  + (Esra was born in Arx, the only child of a …
  Esra was born in Arx, the only child of a Scholar in a lesser branch of House Wyrmguard, second cousins to the current ruling branch. Bright, insightful and curious, the young Esra soaked up all the knowledge his parents had to offer, and then when he exhausted that his scholar father brought him to the Great Archive and so began a love story between Esra and all the ideas, facts and stories he could read. And read his way through the Great Archive he did, for years. Yet for all the Archive has to offer, Esra kept finding questions to which there were no good answers. Chasing answers is what got Esra out of the Archive in his late teen years, when he began spending a lot of time chasing down subject matter experts and witnesses of interesting events. Exploring and talking to people became as important as reading to expanding the young scholar's knowledge. It wasn't terribly surprising when Esra opted to join the discipleship of Vellichor at 19. His take on the religious side of matters is somewhat cerebral. He feels that ritual and liturgy are tools that people use to help reassure themselves, rather than something the gods need or demand for their own sake. He is honestly bored by ritual and less interested in the trappings of religion and the typical work of priests than he is in the ideals the gods advocate living up to. Esra believes that the domains chosen by the gods mean they want humanity to always be bettering themselves and enjoying the beauty to be found in creation. Thus his belief in the importance of going out and bettering the world directly. Esra's career has focused on field scholarship, and his penchant for resolving outstanding questions caught the leadership's eye even before his cousin Bianca achieved the Archlectorship. Today he works closely with Bianca as a reliable field scholar and has been known to gather information for other Archlectors and agents of the Crown. He is particularly interested in cases related to threats to the whole of the compact, mysterious deaths, and reported occurrences that don't make any sense.
  ted occurrences that don't make any sense.)
• Essmor Siril  + (Essmor was born and raised in the Lower Bo …
  Essmor was born and raised in the Lower Boroughs, and lived an early life full of strife and hardship. His parents were mostly irrelevant to his situation, giving birth to him was the one and only gift he received. But despite this difficulty, he learned early that those that worked hard for themselves could readily find a place in the world. Quick to make friends, he used his skills in observation to find those in the community that could help him better his situation, and never stopped. From there, especially as he grew older, he gathered a reputation for knowing people. If something needed to be found, he might know someone who could find it. A product needs to be purchased? Essmor was the man to ask. He happily positioned himself as a bridge between the lower classes and the higher, searching for any opportunity to gather the attention of those that might provide him a chance to better his lot in life. Though still working on it every day, he works hard to become someone of note.
  , he works hard to become someone of note.)
• Estelle Blackram  + (Estelle grew up a quiet girl, often keepin …
  Estelle grew up a quiet girl, often keeping to herself and the occasional book that she was able to procure for perusal. As much as the cousin of the noble Blackram family enjoyed the indoors, she was hardly blind to the beauty of the surrounding wild lands. Often she could be found alone either atop a tower or among the tall trees near the keep. These excursions were particularly common during the transitional seasons of Autumn and Spring, giving her the chance to observe the many little changes nature wrought during such times. It wasn't until she was older that the young woman was brought nearer the aftermath of the frequent raids upon her family's lands upon her request. Driven by curiosity regarding the frequent skirmishes at the borders, Estelle couldn't bear to see the wounded soldiers in pain and did what little she could to help. Frustrated at her own unlearned skill, she turned her studies towards remedying that gap and even turning it into a focus. Finding a calling in easing the ailments of others as well as her fondness for observing changes ultimately culminated in her swearing to serve the Gods above all others, and Lagoma's service in particular. Still rather new to the Mercies, she is no stranger to orthodoxy given the militarism she grew up within, even if it never really took ahold of her own heart.
  never really took ahold of her own heart.)
• Estil Navegant  + (Estil knew that she would never rule after …
  Estil knew that she would never rule after Valors passed on, even with Turo's lack of interest being Admiral of the fleet. It wasn't so much resignation to the fact of simply accepting that she will have to do something else to make herself stand out. She wasn't a fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but she was smart. A sharp mind to match her scathing wit. If nothing less, she would make herself a powerful opponent in the realm of politics. So she poured herself into the academics, or ruling an estate. While she might never be Countess, she could hope to at least assist whoever became Count. There may be a bit of resentment at the fact that she was passed over, but love for her family usually wins out. Dogedly pragmatic as the rest of the children, she's used to fending for herself and relying on her wits. While she was content to stay in Escuma, she felt somewhat left out when her father requested Turo to Arx, with her sister Regla, who she often bickered with, followed after him a month or so later. This left Estil in Escuma alone. Eventually this solitude got the better of her, and thinking that her two siblings would do well with her calm hand, decided to head to Arx herself, seeking out her family to bring prestige to the Navegant name.
  ly to bring prestige to the Navegant name.)
• Ethan Merari  + (Ethan was an orphan who grew up in a child …
  Ethan was an orphan who grew up in a children's home. He has no memory of his parents, and his surname was something he chose himself when he got older. Hunger, it's been his companion through life. He knows what it's like to be on the bottom, scrapping with castoffs that no one else wanted. He knew at a young age that he was going to get out of the Lowers, by any means necessary. He fell into a gang of pickpockets, got himself in trouble with the Iron Guard. Luckily, the guard recognized the boy's actions were more out of desperation than criminal intent. He got the boy transferred to a better group home. Then he started checking in on the boy, making sure he had clothes and got him enrolled in school. Ethan, not being a fool, saw his lessons as an opportunity. He applied himself vigorously to his studies. He got into a university on scholarship. Applied himself fiercely even as he worked at the Courts running messengers. When he graduated, he got a job as a clerk and continued to work hard. Recently, he got a chance to meet a young lady, Baroness Skye Blackshore, through processing some of her paperwork. After a few conversations, he convinced her to take him on as a lawyer. It's his first big shot at serving a family and he intends like all this other stepping stones, to use this wisely.
  other stepping stones, to use this wisely.)
• Eugene Caylerth  + (Eugene found himself moving from town to t …
  Eugene found himself moving from town to town in the Oathlands, given his father's trade as a wandering blacksmith. Home was never really home for long as demand kept the Caylerth family on the road for weeks at a time. When he was of fine age, it was Eugene's turn to help where his brothers had; one having been enlisted in the provincial militia and another to a pox. Training abroad found Eugene taking up the family trade while his father ensured that old military contacts would be able to train his son in the ways of war.
  able to train his son in the ways of war.)
• Eurion Ashford  + (Eurion, as a child, was kind of a troublem …
  Eurion, as a child, was kind of a troublemaker, but the kind of troublemaker who is so cute about it that he only rarely actually faces consequences for his evildoing. Whenever he hurt someone's feelings, he was always so genuinely surprised -- and genuinely apologetic -- that his spontaneous gestures to fix it were generally accepted. It was not until he was a much older boy and his grandfather -- first of his close and beloved relatives to die -- died in front of him that he began to understand that there are powers in the world that one cannot out-charm or de-consequence. Still, he was a happy child, all told, so it was mind-boggling to most of his family when he suddenly -- after reaching the stubborn-jawed age of 15 -- ran away. It's not actually that unusual for young men and women of Ashford blood to think that adventure is their birthright and that they need to charge out into the world and take it, but it is a little unusual for them to do so while still too young to actually make a bank draw on their own. An Ashford cousin rescued him from himself, pulling him out of a fix that was almost entirely of his own making, and he was brought home and put to work as a scribe and squire, learning from Ashford's knights as best he could. It was during this period of time, where he was trying to prove to anyone at all that he could be well-behaved even for short periods, that Eurion spent half a summer learning what he could from the then-admiral of Ashford's navy. He was assigned as adjutant and gopher, and then as summer became autumn, he wheedled, begged and persuaded as best he could to take a position as a sailor. He was only 17, and no one would let him formally join a ship's crew until he was 18 and an adult, but he managed to earn himself an "apprenticeship" aboard a ship in the family that was, apparently, exactly the same as being a sailor aboard the ship except that he had to be supervised pretty much at all times. The open sea was Eurion's favorite, and although the hard, hard labor of a man aboardship was a huge eye-opener for the privileged son of generations of nobles, it did him good in terms of his personal growth and the strength of his muscles. Though it was a few years coming, eventually one of the ships that House Ashford commissioned was granted to his command - the STAR KNIGHT - and he has been sailing for the Ashfords' navy ever since.
  sailing for the Ashfords' navy ever since.)
• Evangelina Masque  + (Evangelina never knew her parents, from wh …
  Evangelina never knew her parents, from what she's gathered she'd been born to a sailor that'd perished at sea. Turned over to well-meaning priests at the next port of call on the shining shores of Setarco, she lived a childhood full of happiness and laughter, a lucky lot in life for a motherless child, she knows. Despite being raised by the faithful, she's a bit of a curious sceptic, and believes that life, love, and happiness are what you make for yourself. The stories of the gods are beautiful still, in her opinion, and like all things beautiful, she collects them as she can, though she's far from an academic. After coming of age, she became the apprentice of a smith, attracted to the proposition of making beauty with her own hands. As adept at working precious metals as she was at stringing shells onto cord to sell to visitors on the beach as a child, she soon decided to make her way to Arx, where her beautiful creations could be worn by the most beautiful and powerful people of the Compact. Who knows, maybe one day her jewellery could even be worn by the king himself, if she talks herself up enough. Modesty is, after all, overrated.
  enough. Modesty is, after all, overrated.)
• Evangeline Whisper  + (Evangeline crashed onto the shores of Seta …
  Evangeline crashed onto the shores of Setarco with not much to her name. In fact, she did not even have that! A tangled mess of seaweed, salt encrusted hair, and long, awkward limbs caught the attention of local sailors who eventually dubbed the young woman Evangeline.{/{/She never seemed to remember anything prior to arriving to the main island of the Lycene sea and never seemed to let it affect her as it would some others. Evangeline took it as the blessing of a new life and put herself straight to work. She proved to be useful and resourceful. Working in silk shops was a wonderful experience but the young woman did not enjoy staying indoors all day long. She had a stint working at the docks but that also proved to not keep her attention. When it was discovered that she had lovely penmanship, she was often asked to pen love letters in exchange for silver. She worked this little business of hers with glee. Evangeline was able to set her own hours and be her own boss; sort of.{/{/She drew the attention of a mysterious proprietor who inquired about the letters she wrote for people. It had never dawned on her that this lucrative job might require her to be exquisitely discreet. Letters between lovers often came with complications. Secrets that could become the ruin of a person or an entire house if she was not careful. There was a lot of power in the palm of her hand and some people were taking notice. This proprietor offered Evangeline the opportunity to study in the Courtier House right there in Setarco. He would pay for her education and she would have protection in the House as opposed to being on her own. Evangeline jumped at the chance. She had visited the house on occasion, delivering letters to and from the lead courtiers of Setarco.{/{/The rest, as they say, is history. Evangeline excelled in all of her studies and proved to be quite an asset to the house and for the other courtiers. She even assisted in the tutoring of some of the apprentice courtiers when they first arrived to the house, drawing on her own experiences from when she was an apprentice.{/{/Since her time in Setarco, Evangeline has done quite a bit of traveling and of all the places she's been to, it's amazing she's never been to the city of Arx before, and her extensive experience and talent in Setarco as a courtier leads her to believe she is prepared to join the Whisper House. She is ready for the challenges and the political intrigue that awaits in the Capitol.
  tical intrigue that awaits in the Capitol.)
• Evaristo Arterius  + (Evaristo hasn't visited his parents since …
  Evaristo hasn't visited his parents since he left home at the age of seventeen, stowing away on a ship after running afoul of his stepfather - something having to do with stealing money, supposedly. When he was found, he managed to ingratiate himself with the captain and convinced the woman to keep him on her crew as a sailor. There he stayed for several years, travelling the world on a cargo ship which sailed the seas of the Saffron Chain. In late 1002 AR the ship was attacked by shav pirates intent on seizing the cargo. Evaristo and a handful of the crew managed to escape via life boat and swimming to a nearby island - thankfully the shavs had little interest in pursuing them. There they were stranded for four months, and Evaristo finally began to contemplate his life choices. They were eventually found and rescued by a passing Thraxian vessel and brought to Darkwater Watch. He made his home there for a couple of years, making silver by taking odd jobs and finding a new crew: his own. He accumulated enough money to build his own small ship and made enough "friends" to man it, and he was on the beloved sea once more. Trips to Arx have proven to be particularly profitable these days, and he finds the citizens of the Lower Borough to be his kind of people. Perhaps there are opportunities to be found...
  aps there are opportunities to be found...)
• Evelin Culler  + (Evelin was born as one of many in the gutt …
  Evelin was born as one of many in the gutters of Setarco in the Lyceum, a poor street urchin surrounded by the resplendent wealth and decadent lifestyles of the nobility that called the Silken City their home. She could only admire them from afar, and was too proud (or embarrassed), to beg from them. She watched the Ladies and courtiers with fascination, and while most would have loathed them, Evelin came to adore them. At the age of 17 she'd been dancing in dingy bars for years, but she knew she couldn't make a living in Setarco. Determined she set out to make a name for herself in the capital. Despite her work, she was still as poor as she was before, and with nowhere else to go the young woman turned to the Cullers in the Lower Buroughs. She had talent, and it wasn't long before she was adopted into their fold. They were not the only ones to notice her talents. While performing in a small darkened club in the Buroughs she was noticed by the stunning Belladonna Pravus. One thing led to another, and Evelin was employed by the Velenosean house, and sent back to Setarco not as a beggar, but as a student of the Courtier school. She would come to excel there, and now she's returned to the capital as a resplendent, shimmering dancer and performer for House Pravus' numerous parties, stealing hearts and wowing her audiences. All the while remaining loyal to those in the Lower Buroughs who supported her all those years.
  uroughs who supported her all those years.)
• Antonio Velenosa  + (Even as a child, Prince Antonio Velenosa f …
  Even as a child, Prince Antonio Velenosa felt drawn to the sea. He'd spend time by the shores near Lenosia, watching the ships come to port, and panic his house hold servants and guards by giving them the slip and swimming in the sea alone. There are secrets in the dark waters of the sea, hidden beneath the fathomless depths but not everyone can see them. For some, they're lost beneath the crash of the waves and the bright light of the sun, but for others... For others they can hear the voices lost to the waves, the whispers that come in the night. They understand what it is to look upon those dark waters and know that more, so much more, rests beneath the surface. Prince Antonio Velenosa was one who could look upon the waters and know that there was more. He could hear the Siren's song from the depths, understand the nothings that she whispered in his ear and it was her song that lured him to the shores, invited him deeper so that the urges that followed him in childhood, to spend all his time about the waves, carried him into adulthood. From a boy on a skiff, to a Captain at the helm, Prince Antonio has known a life of adventure. He made a name for himself as a young captain of royal blood escorting Lenosia shipping to Arx and the homes of the great houses, fearlessly meeting threats head on. Whether pirate or storm, the bold captain seemed to take any danger in stride, and his daring always seemed to carry the day when more timid men might have been lost. Unfortunately, it seemed his good fortune couldn't hold forever, and the entirely-too-bold captain may have underestimated how many enemies among pirate shavs he had been making, as a flotilla he was leading to the Darkwater Reach was ambushed by an exceptionally well organized and far more numerous force of Shavs. While House Velenosa stood by its prince, and claimed no one could have acquitted themselves better by escaping with as many ships as he did from the trap, the losses and embarrassment of the defeat have left the bold prince chastened and looking for redemption. That redemption wouldn't come at sea, but at the court of Arx, where a bold young captain with now an underserved reptuation for recklessness could prove to the Lyceum he had sound judgment and even temperment. If he can just stop himself for strangling any smug nobles asking about how he lost to shavs, of course.
  ing about how he lost to shavs, of course.)

• Rhea Acheron  + (Even as a child, Rhea was bossy and very f …
  Even as a child, Rhea was bossy and very focused on guiding other people, just rarely in a way they'd want their guidance. No, Rhea, you can't help Riagnon toughen up by filling his mattress with rocks. No, Rhea, don't cut your uncle's armor straps because he hasn't realized he's grown too fat for them. No, Rhea, you should not be ordering those obviously satirical self-help books from the Great Archive and be giving them to people you don't like. Attempts to curb this behavior backfired, but the worst of it seemed to bleed out of her over the years, until she drank a bit too much at a diplomatic dinner and threw her goblet on the guest of honor. A decision was made to huck her off to Nightgold's cadet branch. Within three months, it came out the head and only other member of that cadet branch was actually a long lost prince. He went home. Oops. After a month of waiting for a long lost Aviaron to appear in similar fashion, she declared herself Marquessa.
  r fashion, she declared herself Marquessa.)
• Cesare Whisper  + (Even at a very young age, Cesare stood out …
  Even at a very young age, Cesare stood out as an exceptional talent. While most boys his age in the Lyceum were already playing with swords, Cesare had a single passion that consumed him, with every waking thought dedicated to it and it alone: music. Every day he would toy with a new instrument or he would listen to the singers around the shrine of Jayus in his native Setarco, learning the same songs and then improving upon the delivery. The words just always came naturally to him, the music flowed through him and he had a voice that made crowds gather. First he attracted the notice of the disciples of Jayus and priests of the Faith of the Pantheon, who eagerly encouraged a young man with such obvious talent. Then he attracted nobles, who made a point to visit the young man's performances. Before long, he became known as 'the Singer of Setarco' or 'the man with the perfect voice'. The fame meant nothing to him, and he barely noticed it- he was tireless in seeking out new forms of music, in cultivating each and every aspect he could find, in the hope to finally capture something truly sublime in music. He still hopes to find a perfect moment that captures the essence of Jayus for all the world to hear. Unfortunately, he couldn't linger in Setarco. He didn't realize how truly popular he had become until he was forced to flee the city as noblewomen who all seeked to patronize the talented young man became increasingly dangerously jealous over his lack of reciprocation of their affections. He was informed in no uncertain terms that he was likely to wind up dead as a result if he didn't flee, and has since made his way to Arx, more than a bit wiser at how dangerous spurned passion truly is. To that end, he has become a much sought after courtier, currently employed by the Whisper House, entertaining the greatest and most powerful women in the Compact, with the same respect and protections associated with other courtesans. He's still seeking that perfect song, but he's deciding there's sublime beauty in other parts of life as well.
  ime beauty in other parts of life as well.)
• Mae Culler  + (Even for a Culler it can be catch as catch …
  Even for a Culler it can be catch as catch can in the Lower Boroughs, especially if a person is born the seventh of eight children. Her Mam wasn't much interested in being a mam by the time her last few pups were spawned; the rearing of the little ones was often left to their elders, who were even less fit to serve as surrogate parents. Not a fan of being cuffed upside the head and ordered to stay put, keep her mouth shut, do what she's told, Mae quickly learned to skirt the authority of her older siblings. Her small size and agility developed into an early reputation as an escape artist and it became a common refrain around their shack that, "Mae's on t' roofs again!" From her earliest years, she was no more respectful of other people's property than she was of familial attempts at laying down the law, such as it was among the gutter clans. For all the heart attacks she provoked among her relatives for her high-climbing ways, her youthful escapades often ended with a carrier pigeon in the cook pot or an extra blanket plucked from a drying line to lay over their beds, so complaints were half-hearted at best. If the clan needed a thing and Mae could find the thing, take the thing, and carry home the thing, then clearly the thing ought to have been theirs in the first place and its original owner should have kept a closer eye on it. Wrath was kept to a minimum due to the process sometimes happening in reverse, with gifts laid on the steps of those who'd suffered her light-fingered ways previously. It helped too she never took anything -dire-, and diligently avoided the notice of the official authorities and their harsh law-blessed hands. It was a Boroughs matter, and she knew the lines that shouldn't be crossed against her own because they were bred in the bone, channeled in her blood. Childish recklessness of Mae's sort is often turned to harder crimes as the years wind on but there her luck held true as well. Instead of being swept into the greater organizations whose deeds stepped well over the line into darkly illegal, she detoured into reputable work as a messenger, running scraps of paper for pennies to begin. Eventually, her reputation for reliability (and ultraquick service!) saw her client base expanding until finally, her name came to the notice of the Black Rose Mummers. The numbers of messages flying to and from their theatre is prodigious, the correspondence between the actors and their fans a close rival for the missives arranging and organizing new performances. A trial period became regular employment and since then, Mae's not wanted for much else in the world.
  e's not wanted for much else in the world.)
• Aedin Blackwood  + (Even the wildest tribes have need of gifte …
  Even the wildest tribes have need of gifted souls able to read the wishes stored in the hearts of men. Whether determining if a treaty will hold or trading fox pelts, that talent sometimes spells the difference between a hard winter and a good one. The Blackwoods had their reputation for holding peace between tribes of the mountains and the sea, and Aedin's mother, a comely lass with golden hair and eyes like fire, caught her father's eye. Their marriage supposed peace, but their daughter surpassed them both for grace and wit. As a child, Aedin enchanted her playmates. Not for her, getting in trouble or torn dresses. She stayed close to her mother's side and honoured the tribe's shamans, often tending to the delicate tasks that earned her approval and favours. Let others barter in coin. She amassed obligations and debts of other kinds, wielding a silent power. Marriage offers spilled in soon as she was old enough, but she denied them all. A greater world waited. Patiently Aedin bided her time, and her exasperated father was none too willing to give up his precious treasure. She knows the ways of the wilds -- no Abandoned turned noblewoman in the North can avoid that -- but so too she learned the quieter secrets, the way of whispers and trade. But the world grew circumscribed. She hungered for the sea and larger markets. The people in the woods pleased her more than the wild wood itself. When the Blackwoods knelt to the Crovanes, she was one of the first to brave the strange world of beyond. Her exoticism lured in the unexpected, and she started up exactly as she had before, acquiring favours and exchanging debts, building on an intricate web of social graces that made her a merchant princess in the most unexpected ways. It wasn't long thereafter a party breezed through her adopted city, seeking someone to speak for them, a diplomat with a keen sense of value and a talent for appraisals. A wide-eyed, electric speaker, Aedin charmed them as much as her new crew laid out a fascinating future. Never one to back down from daring, she took them up, and so sails to Arx and points beyond under the leadership of Arthen Dayne. What's life for if not excitement?
  Dayne. What's life for if not excitement?)
• Elloise Leary  + (Even though she was born smack dab in the …
  Even though she was born smack dab in the middle of several siblings, Elloise had no trouble standing out. From a young age, she was always a little .. quirky. In another family, that might have been rooted out by her tutors and governesses but her idiosyncrasies were nurtured by the curiosity-inclined Learys. Intellectually, she was running before before she could walk; Elly was an enthusiastic sponge: she wanted to learn EVERYTHING. Due to this, she quickly emerged as a dabbler -- she picked up a bit of this, she became somewhat skilled at that, she knew a tidbit of just about everything. She was always looking to the horizon for discoveries and developed a habit of taking a little bit from Knowledge Column A, mashing it together with some of Knowledge Column B, and standing back to watch what happened. Sometimes, it ended up being a disaster and she would burn her eyebrows off. But occasionally it worked out and she would discover something AMAZING and hey! What's a little temporary hair-singeing in the name of progress? Elloise was always up to something -- if it wasn't one of her experiments, then it was building elaborate inventions. They were usually unnecessarily complicated for the problem they were solving -- like an intricate mechanism of pulleys, levers and various moving parts just to crack a hard-boiled egg -- but always flawlessly engineered and beautifully built. Her parents were equal parts patient with and protective of her: they gave her space to learn and create but feared that she was rather too naive to be given much freedom in the larger world. As such, Elly had a rather controlled upbringing: she associated mostly with family and had few friends her own age. That all changed when she was 15. A distant relation -- a second cousin's uncle's niece's third-husband's nephew's cousin-in-law once removed something something something or other -- came to stay with them for a while. He was a Sanna and so exciting! He was a hunter! And an explorer! And he believed in spirits! He was around the same age as Elloise and very different from her but because they were both so passionate about their respective interests, they immediately hit it off. They would spend countless hours together -- she showing off all her inventions and experiments, him telling her all about his life up North. They became quite a pair, the two of them. He would go out and hunt ingredients for her; she would design better ways for him to do so (with varying degrees of success but heck, failure is its own sort of progress). It opened her eyes to a whole world of possibilities and made her yearn for more outside of her sheltered existence. When he left and returned home a year and a half later, she recruited her younger sister, Arcadia, to fill his role. A wide-eyed adventurer, Cady was more than happy to scamper off to chase after whatever Elly needed. Eeeeeexcellent. After years of begging (and staging meticulously planned presentations on why this would be a Very Good Thing which included points such as 'Joining The Scholars: A Journey Through Knowledge', 'Perfume or Poison: Finding Out at the Apothecary College', 'OUCH!: New Interrogation Devices for the Inquisitor On-the-Go' and 'Inventions for the Crown: The Dawn of Possibilities' -- what sort of inventions for the Crown? I don't know, mom. STUFF. THINGS. I will know when I invent them), Elloise convinced her parents to let her travel to Arx. This was allowed mostly because they trust Fairen to look out for and keep a handle on her. Hopefully. Dear gods, please: don't let her accidentally set her hair on fire again.
  r accidentally set her hair on fire again.)
• Elloise Stormbreak  + (Even though she was born smack dab in the …
  Even though she was born smack dab in the middle of several siblings, Elloise had no trouble standing out. From a young age, she was always a little .. quirky. In another family, that might have been rooted out by her tutors and governesses but her idiosyncrasies were nurtured by the curiosity-inclined Learys. Intellectually, she was running before before she could walk; Elly was an enthusiastic sponge: she wanted to learn EVERYTHING. Due to this, she quickly emerged as a dabbler -- she picked up a bit of this, she became somewhat skilled at that, she knew a tidbit of just about everything. She was always looking to the horizon for discoveries and developed a habit of taking a little bit from Knowledge Column A, mashing it together with some of Knowledge Column B, and standing back to watch what happened. Sometimes, it ended up being a disaster and she would burn her eyebrows off. But occasionally it worked out and she would discover something AMAZING and hey! What's a little temporary hair-singeing in the name of progress? Elloise was always up to something -- if it wasn't one of her experiments, then it was building elaborate inventions. They were usually unnecessarily complicated for the problem they were solving -- like an intricate mechanism of pulleys, levers and various moving parts just to crack a hard-boiled egg -- but always flawlessly engineered and beautifully built. Her parents were equal parts patient with and protective of her: they gave her space to learn and create but feared that she was rather too naive to be given much freedom in the larger world. As such, Elly had a rather controlled upbringing: she associated mostly with family and had few friends her own age. That all changed when she was 15. A distant relation -- a second cousin's uncle's niece's third-husband's nephew's cousin-in-law once removed something something something or other -- came to stay with them for a while. He was a Sanna and so exciting! He was a hunter! And an explorer! And he believed in spirits! He was around the same age as Elloise and very different from her but because they were both so passionate about their respective interests, they immediately hit it off. They would spend countless hours together -- she showing off all her inventions and experiments, him telling her all about his life up North. They became quite a pair, the two of them. He would go out and hunt ingredients for her; she would design better ways for him to do so (with varying degrees of success but heck, failure is its own sort of progress). It opened her eyes to a whole world of possibilities and made her yearn for more outside of her sheltered existence. When he left and returned home a year and a half later, she recruited her younger sister, Arcadia, to fill his role. A wide-eyed adventurer, Cady was more than happy to scamper off to chase after whatever Elly needed. Eeeeeexcellent. After years of begging (and staging meticulously planned presentations on why this would be a Very Good Thing which included points such as 'Joining The Scholars: A Journey Through Knowledge', 'Perfume or Poison: Finding Out at the Apothecary College', 'OUCH!: New Interrogation Devices for the Inquisitor On-the-Go' and 'Inventions for the Crown: The Dawn of Possibilities' -- what sort of inventions for the Crown? I don't know, mom. STUFF. THINGS. I will know when I invent them), Elloise convinced her parents to let her travel to Arx. This was allowed mostly because they trust Fairen to look out for and keep a handle on her. Hopefully. Dear gods, please: don't let her accidentally set her hair on fire again.
  r accidentally set her hair on fire again.)
• Jennyva Shepherd  + (Even when she was very young, Jennyva real …
  Even when she was very young, Jennyva realized her father wasn't the greatest of rulers. Duke Gregor Shepherd, called 'the Butcher of Graypeak', was certainly widely feared. Respected as an extremely capable battlefield commander, relentless in his warring against shavs... and completely indifferent to politics ("the idle sport of courtiers", he said) or the importance of balancing the demands of different vassals ("they are vassals and I rule, there is nothing more to it", he said). Jennyva's mother Irene was every bit a soldier like Gregor, but understood political realities in a way he never would, and privately confided to her daughter that she was quietly certain she had kept House Shepherd out of senseless wars with other houses at least three times, and encouraged Jennyva to follow in her footsteps. Duchess Irene's tragic death in battle against shavs, a death that almost certainly would have been prevented if Gregor hadn't offended two other houses that had offered support, changed House Shepherd. In Duke Gregor, it hardened his resolve against Abandoned into an unreasoning blood feud beyond all reason. In Jennyva, it made her convinced she had little choice but to master politics or House Shepherd was doomed. To Jennyva's considerable surprise, she actually enjoyed it. Politics was like a vast puzzle of endless contradictory goals of scores of competing factions, a vast tapestry she could unravel. Her father largely ignored it, but while barely an adult she mended House Shepherd's acrimonous relationship with its vassals, saw the resentful loyalty owed her house turn into something like real comraderie, and started to make inroads to establishing some true resolution of disputes with other noble houses of the Crownlands. She also started to realize she could manage people so deftly it almost became second nature. It was obvious to her what they wanted, and how to reach something mutually satisfactory, how to explain away something belligerent and moronic that her father said, how to play off the biases of different competing factions to get an agreement settled at the table. She was, all agreed, going to be a spectacular ruler. And then her father ennobled his oldest friend from a long disgraced branch of House Shepherd and made a technically older cousin she had never met heir. Yes, yes, Jennyva knows her father rambled on and on about house honor and erasing stains and righting a terrible wrong and being the proper reward for a lifetime of service and yada yada yada but it was SO like him to spectacularly screw things up right as he died. But Jennyva ultimately realized it doesn't really matter all that much who has the title- she can work with this. This is fine. Everything's fine.
  ith this. This is fine. Everything's fine.)
• Hamil Fidante  + (Ever since he was able to walk, Hamil Fida …
  Ever since he was able to walk, Hamil Fidante has been interested in horses and the joust. His mother is a Devotion of Limerance and cousin of Calista Fidante and his father is a knight of the Wyrmguard who had married into the family. When he was young, Hamil's parents would take him to the jousting tilts and challenges of the knight. From stick horses and wooden swords as a child to charging coursers and large spears in his teenage years, Hamil was always going to be a Knight. He had plans to be a Knight of Devotions to Limerance with dreams of accepting the favors of ladies, and fighting for the honor of his house. When he was eighteen, he fell hard for a Lady from Velenosia that he met at a party. After what was a whirlwind romance, it seemed that the negotiations for a marriage contract were well underway. But then Hamil went off to defend the Compact against the Gyre. In the battles that followed, Hamil acquitted himself well. During one of the last battles of the war, Hamil was in full charge when a Gyre spear caught him beneath the chin and it was only fortune that kept him from having his head removed. Thrown from his horse and injured heavily, it was assumed that Hamil may never fully recover. That was the first time that love did not come to his aid. The Velenosian Lady asked her family to call off the contract and broke off contact. While this hurt Hamil, it drove him harder to recover from his injuries. It was a months-long process and when he had healed fully, Hamil had decided on a new path. If he could not have his idea of true love, he would at least uphold the honor of it -- as a member of the Champions, the bloodied rose took to the field again. For honor. For entertainment. To find a reason to be and for being.
  ent. To find a reason to be and for being.)
• Matilde Redrain  + (Ever since she was old enough to be outsid …
  Ever since she was old enough to be outside by herself, Princess Matilde had a bow in one hand and the reins of a horse in the other. Target practice on the grounds of the manor house eventually spread beyond the gates and into the woodlands where she took up hunting astride a Redrain saddle. She had mentors that taught her the basics of archery, hunting game, caring for and riding horses, and one such mentor was Duchess Fianna Crovane. Matilde spent time in Stormwall to learn from and study with her mentor, only to return home and work her knowledge first hand with the war horses of Farhaven. She raised and trained them for Redrain's cavalry and she never forgot the lessons that were taught to her even after the Duchess Crovane went missing. There was a stretch of time after the news reached home when Matilde split her focus between the stables and taking up her bow for hunting game. More and more of her time was spent target practicing until she eventually decided to blend her two passions into one as rider-archery. What was meant as a short term distraction turned into a new passion for the princess over the years that followed. Word of recent trouble brewing in and around the Mourning Isles brought Matilde to the city of Arx with an overwhelming urge to be closer to her family. She made a promise to herself to continue training war horses for Redrain's cavalry as rumors of strange happenings reported in the north motivated her to do what she could to help keep her fealty safe. Needing answers, Matilde knew that guidance would soon come to her with a little help and time.
  n come to her with a little help and time.)
• Everett Malere  + (Everett was born to a common family living …
  Everett was born to a common family living a wealthy life upon a successful farm. The Maleres were well known for their incredibly fertile land, which yielded enough crops each harvest to sustain the Oathlands year-round. From his youth, Everett developed a sense of deep, unwavering responsibility for this farm. As the eldest of two sons, the land would inevitably be passed down to him; it was in his best interest to ensure its success for future generations. At the age of twenty-five, Everett married his childhood friend, Adrienne, and thereafter welcomed the arrival of their first and only child, a boy named Tristan. They lived and worked together peacefully on the farm for nine years, and then everything changed. It was a lovely summer's day that Everett took Tristan to the borders of Acorn Hill, deep within the woods, for a fishing lesson along the banks of a rushing river. When the trip came to a close and it was time to return home, they discovered all roads leading to the town were blocked by debris and littered with the bodies of dead soldiers bearing the sigil of House Moore. Panicked and fearing the worst, Everett cut a way through the debris and discovered the whole barony had been utterly decimated by an invading clan of shavs, and all those present had been killed, including his father and his sweet, innocent wife. With his home and livelihood in ruins, and a young son depending on him alone for survival, Everett had to settle and find work elsewhere. He enlisted with the Keaton Timberwolves, serving for over a year to defend Oakhaven and its forests from invasion by shav tribes and serving justice to those he believed destroyed his home and family. After a year of soldiering, and when it seemed at last all hope of returning home was lost forever, Everett learned that a surviving member of House Moore surfaced, pressed a claim for the barony, and led a successful expedition to reclaim and restore Acorn Hill to its former glory. Everett immediately reached out to his brother, Breccan, and together they committed to speak with the new Baroness of Acorn Hill about resettling on their former lands in the hopes of reviving their family legacy and starting anew.
  ing their family legacy and starting anew.)
• Juniper Whisper  + (Every child goes through a truth-telling p …
  Every child goes through a truth-telling phase. "His nose looks like a dry toad, she's bow-legged as my pony!" they say. Then they grow up. Juniper also grew up but she never lost her preference for adhering to the truth as she saw it. Child of a father who worked in the mines and a mother who carried shield and spear to protect others, Juniper was the cuckoo in the next of their little family. Her parents and her siblings were all large, healthy, stoic people; no one quite knew what to make of their small, sweet and social child-- especially as she was prone to pointing out the realities of the world and people around them. But she was endearing in her own way. As she grew older, she earned a string of successively ridiculous nicknames like Pebble, Slip, Fidget and Flop, all of which broadcast the bemused love her family had for her and her curious ways. They went above and beyond to secure her a life more appropriate to her needs, with small, slender strings pulled by her mother to secure her a place as bodyservant to Rhea Nightgold. There, they hoped, she could receive the education best suited to her particular strengths. And there, in spite of humble beginnings and her preference for unabashed honesty even in refined company, she excelled. So much so that when Rhea was transported to Arx, it was determined Juniper would go with her as a "positive influence". What the social soothsayers did not expect was that Juniper, though still adoring of her mistress, would be lured away to join the Whispers. The new heir smell hadn't even worn off of her lady yet! But there she is, ensconced as fresh-faced and earnest courtier in a city where lies are frequently used as currency and her tendency towards truth-telling may carry a distinct liability.
  th-telling may carry a distinct liability.)
• Juniper Crown  + (Every child goes through a truth-telling p …
  Every child goes through a truth-telling phase. "His nose looks like a dry toad, she's bow-legged as my pony!" they say. Then they grow up. Juniper also grew up but she never lost her preference for adhering to the truth as she saw it. Child of a father who worked in the mines and a mother who carried shield and spear to protect others, Juniper was the cuckoo in the next of their little family. Her parents and her siblings were all large, healthy, stoic people; no one quite knew what to make of their small, sweet and social child-- especially as she was prone to pointing out the realities of the world and people around them. But she was endearing in her own way. As she grew older, she earned a string of successively ridiculous nicknames like Pebble, Slip, Fidget and Flop, all of which broadcast the bemused love her family had for her and her curious ways. They went above and beyond to secure her a life more appropriate to her needs, with small, slender strings pulled by her mother to secure her a place as bodyservant to Rhea Nightgold. There, they hoped, she could receive the education best suited to her particular strengths. And there, in spite of humble beginnings and her preference for unabashed honesty even in refined company, she excelled. So much so that when Rhea was transported to Arx, it was determined Juniper would go with her as a "positive influence". What the social soothsayers did not expect was that Juniper, though still adoring of her mistress, would be lured away to join the Whispers. The new heir smell hadn't even worn off of her lady yet! But there she is, ensconced as fresh-faced and earnest courtier in a city where lies are frequently used as currency and her tendency towards truth-telling may carry a distinct liability.
  th-telling may carry a distinct liability.)
• Eddard Clement  + (Every family needs their blacksheep, and E …
  Every family needs their blacksheep, and Eddard comes from the Clement branch's black sheet. It's said that SOMEWHERE in this particular branch a great-grandma had a one night stand with a family that eventually left the Compact. It was never something said openly to Eddard's face, but family gatherings always had a few whispers about the not-so-secret shame. It was in that shadow that Eddard grew up. From an early age he decided that if the family was going to expect the worst from him anyway, he might as well deliver. While most Clements are hardworking and diligent, Eddard went firmly to the other end. He drinks more than one cup of wine at dinner and does everything he can to get out of //work//. During one work-dodging session he quite by accident stumbled onto a true talent with music. He found himself a halfway decent teacher and actually applied himself for once. Working with both voice and lute Eddard carved himself out another niche within the family. Everyone enjoyed a bit of music in the gatherings and thus some of the black sheep whispering faded out. When news of strange Uncle Norwood's new barony, Eddard seized on it as his chance to escape the rural life and head to Arx. There he can accomplish a few goals. First, never touch another beehive. Second, seek out a real teacher to help him foster his musical talent. Finally, enjoy the pleasures of Arx.
  lent. Finally, enjoy the pleasures of Arx.)
• Shade Ulbran  + (Everyone in the Lower Boroughs has a sob s …
  Everyone in the Lower Boroughs has a sob story, and Shade's sob story is not much more interesting than the rest. Anyway, no one wants to hear it. No one cares about who Shade Ulbran was -- they care about who she is now, because who she is now is Power. Authority. Protection. She rules her little corner of the Lower Boroughs like a queen, sovereign and strong. She protects and serves her people, like any queen should. Is mighty and beautiful, as queens are. Yet, if she is a queen, she is a queen who has carved out her empire upon the blade of a knife. She fought for her throne, she killed for it; she will fight and kill to keep it.
  or it; she will fight and kill to keep it.)
• Vincenzo Villente  + (Everyone knows that Lina Velenosa died in …
  Everyone knows that Lina Velenosa died in the company of her cousin Vincenzo. Everyone knows the story. The young, beautiful Princess brutally stabbed, her cousin, Prince Vincenzo mute and bloody, cradling her form. Suspicion fell to him, of course it did -- there was no one else seen anywhere near by. Who else could it have been? Odd, certainly that no murder weapon was ever found, though the guards combed the area more times than they could count. Still, the preponderance of evidence was against him, and Vincenzo Velenosa was a Prince no more. In the ten years since, he's found his way becoming a purveyor of fine couture. He'd always had a way of putting things together and with several years apprenticeship under his belt he's starting to make a name for himself. Vincenzo Villente, tailor extraordinaire. He has finally scraped enough together to open up his own shop in Arx.
  h together to open up his own shop in Arx.)
• Evonleigh Whitehawk  + (Evonleigh Mercier was born the third of fo …
  Evonleigh Mercier was born the third of four children in the merchant family, sister to Delilah, Kenna, and Gaius, and cousin of Silas Mercier, who would one day be ennobled as Lord Whitehawk. Evonleigh was always just a little dramatic, with a flair for tantrums or flights of fancy. She was fond of writing and putting on little plays for her sisters and cousins to perform -- a common hobby for many children, it became something she was rather good at. As she had no head for business, it was little surprise that she chose to become an actress rather than follow in the mercantile footsteps of her parents. Evonleigh joined an acting troupe that traveled extensively, though she stayed in close contact with her family. She forged a close, if tumultuous, relationship with the leader of the troupe. The two usually played opposite one another in the leads of the plays they performed, and their chemistry on stage and off was undeniable. It was rumored they might become betrothed. She chose at first not to join her siblings in her cousin Silas' House, because she was so in love with the actor Aurelius. Unfortunately, he proved less devoted than she, making excuses for putting off engagement while soaking up the attention of his fans wherever they traveled -- there were whispers of indiscretions, a "woman in every port" so to speak. Evonleigh, heartbroken, confronted him at a party in a bit of a tantrum. After a heated argument, he stormed off. It was the last she saw of him alive, because Aurelius died later that night -- intoxicated, he fell down a long flight of stairs to his death. Luckily there were many witnesses, and Evonleigh nowhere near, for otherwise Evonleigh might have been a suspect. The last words Evonleigh had spoken to the man had been unkind ones, but that seemed to make her grief all the deeper, full of regrets and guilt. The troupe disbanded without their leader, and, along with the loss of Aurelius, Evonleigh lost some of her friends as well -- those who felt he might not have died if she hadn't fought with him that night. The feelings of loss, betrayal, hurt and guilt were a complicated mix that she hasn't truly dealt with. She shut herself away for a time, returning to her childhood home, before accepting the invitation to join her siblings in Arx as a Lady of Whitehawk, eager to put the past in the past.
  tehawk, eager to put the past in the past.)
• Ewen Masque  + (Ewen's journey to self-discovery began wit …
  Ewen's journey to self-discovery began with a personal tragedy: the loss of his parents. Successful merchants from the southern city of Lenosia, they were a loving family and well-off, encouraging and supporting him in his education. Ewen never doubted, even as he came of age, that making his parents proud would be his life goal, and he excelled in legal studies motivated by the knowledge that a career as a lawyer would bring his family honor and prestige. But he had only been practicing as a defense attorney in Lenosia for a few short years before a freak accident sent his parents' wagon crashing into a ravine. All at once Ewen was faced with an existential crisis. Without his parents' eyes on him, what did he value and what purpose was there in his existence? For perhaps the first time, his penetrating insight turned decisively inward. He concluded that behind his passion to please his family had been a dark truth: that he had been afraid to think for himself or consider what else he could become with his talents. This realization of the darkness within him, and of the willful ignorance upon which his previous convictions were based, turned him to interest in the Mirrormasks and devoted study of the teachings of the Thirteenth. Having inherited his family's comfortable wealth, he has traveled to the capitol city of Arx to decide if he will try to become an official disciple of the Thirteenth. In the meantime, he broods on his purpose and mingles freely with all, commoner or noble alike, and he still practices his trade, willing to defend the accused for little or no pay (though he picks his clients more carefully than before). He is no hero and he is not particularly righteous, being willing to countenance the self-justifications of those whom others might find monstrous. But his relentless questioning has given rise to a deep sort of personal integrity, and he will face danger if it means learning what he's truly made of.
  it means learning what he's truly made of.)
• Wash Kennex  + (Expectation weighs heavily even on the lan …
  Expectation weighs heavily even on the landless scions of lesser lines of the Grayson family, but expectation without direction is a cocktail that deadens the bravest heart. As a boy, Washburn hated all his lessons and escaped them by passive resistance as much as possible. As a young man, the burdens of rank made him surly and depressed and a burden on his house. In his manic phases, he self-medicated with wine and occasional outbursts of near-violent passion and almost-deaths in hunting accidents. In his depressive phases, he slept for whole days at a time or funked out of training until a stalwart man at arms forced him into an icewater bath. In short, Washburn was a handful: a prince who didn't want to be a prince, who dared scandal at every turn. He drank too much, he engaged in extreme sports - boar hunting! cliff climbing! whatever he could get into. He flirted daringly with throwing it all off and becoming Crownsworn. Yet he never quite took the plunge. His turning point was the lure of the salt. Washburn met Lady Catalana Kennex at the height of a fever pitch manic phase and threw himself into maniac pursuit of her. Their passionate affair was the talk of the capital. After several months of intense passion, Washburn knew what he wanted for the rest of life, and stowed away on the transport ship as she and her family sailed back to Stormward. The results of this were twofold: he was discovered a day out of port and put to willingly to work by her family's crew as a ship's hand as punishment for his stolen passage, and he discovered a hitherto unknown love of the ocean, which dazzled all his senses. Washburn was desperate for this life. He proposed to Catalana. Stormward offered Bastion a contract that would have made Catalana a Princess of Grayson, and all the arrangements were made, but Washburn was unsatisfied. Lost to another funk, he defied convention and invited scandal by throwing all of that aside and begging Catalana to marry him not as Prince Washburn, but only as Lord Wash. Many of the Graysons were furious, but King Alaric was temporarily moved by - or possibly distracted and not paying attention to - Wash's desperate plea to become a lord of the waves, and agreed. After serving with the Marquis Ford Kennex in the Thirteen Hammers operation, Wash was named Admiral of the Stormward Fleet, Marshal of the March, and summoned to Arx to assist House Kennex, House Thrax, and the Compact.
  ouse Kennex, House Thrax, and the Compact.)
• Ezra Riven  + (Ezra found his place at a young age, or so …
  Ezra found his place at a young age, or so he thought. His parents seemed to be cultivating him to help run the Twainfort. No doubt his sister would have needed help and second sons always seemed to find positions of influence and power, if never quite the title. He enjoyed the opportunity to get out with his father, Laveer, on the hunt and relished the closeness of their bond. About the time when Ezra felt that he was really starting to get into the heart of what a man ought to learn and to be, he had the opportunity to visit Pridehall. The intention was to get a feel of the larger world and build what could become important connections with their banner lords before focusing in on the needs of the Twainfort. It happened that while he was fostering with the Bislands, the Abandoned slaughtered his family in a brutal attack that left few survivors. Few things really left him feeling alone as hearing his family has been butchered and having no one else, none of his kin, there to comfort him. When it was finally deemed safe to return home, so much had changed that he felt out of place. Newly-made Prodigals seemed to be everywhere and his own sister had married one of them. It's not to say that Thesarin wasn't kind to him but it was the wrong age for him to be deprived of the father that he idolized and unlike his younger brother, he couldn't turn to this stranger to replace him. Though he tried to learn to serve the Twainfort and what was left of the House he knew as best he could, he always felt disconnected, out of place. It wasn't any fault of the people there, but it was a home that he didn't quite feel a part of. In the end, Ezra found more comfort in the forest. The woods provided a welcome respite from all of the clashing sounds and strange customs of so many new people where he doesn't quite feel natural, doesn't quite feel like himself. Better yet, he could find some lingering memory of times spent with his lost father there, and so as the boy grew into a man, he more and more his days went to stalking among the trees, seeking... who knows what as often as he was hunting down the night's supper. Peace. Or a sense of home maybe, except that home no longer really exists. His wandering uncovered long-abandoned places that left him wondering about what was and what could have been, stumbled into secret hiding spots that left him with more questions than they did answers. But at least those long, solitary days tracking a deer through the brush or scouring the ruins along the County's edge made him a fine explorer and an even finer scout. The latter is finally a role he can fill for his family and his House, a convenient middle-ground where he can rest instead of being torn between his unwavering loyalty to them and feeling as though nothing is ever quite still enough for him to settle into for very long. It hardly helps that Riven is changing still, always rushing on like the rivers they're named for.
  hing on like the rivers they're named for.)
• Faelan Navegant  + (Faelan is neither the oldest, nor the youn …
  Faelan is neither the oldest, nor the youngest, of Dion and Annika Navegant's children. As such, there was really no expectations placed on him beyond being happy, and allowed to do what he wanted to with his life. Which was sail As a child he would accompany his mother and father out on the ships when they went, explored much of the Mourning Isles this way before many of the boys his age. When he was roughly ten years old he went to foster with Grimhall in some sort of inexplicable agreement that his parents made. Which, ultimately worked out for him for the best. See, Faelan was a little more aggressive, and surprisingly more traditional about some things, like raiding, than the others in Navegant. He ended up flourishing under the guidance of Grimhall, and has in fact spent the last decade of time sailing with them. With the rising trouble in the Darkwater Deep, and the attacks in Arx, he has been called to the capital to aid family and fealty against the Compact's enemies.
  and fealty against the Compact's enemies.)
• Fairen Leary  + (Fairen's older sister Hianara was the Marc …
  Fairen's older sister Hianara was the March. Throughout their childhood, she was an active, aggressive child, with ambitions to leadership, cavalryship, generalship. Fairen studied quietly a lot, and although he enjoyed walking outdoors amidst the trees and occasionally growing things in little garden plots on his own, he was disinterested in most of the rougher games the other children played, finding more solace in books and in the teachings of the priests and in the quiet of the stone passageways beneath the fort. As an adult, the military pursuits that had always intrigued his sister drew Fairen hardly at all. The human drama behind the history of warfare drew his attention far more than anything related to strategy or tactics. Hianara married a young Malvici cousin and began right away on the task of making new heirs only to lose her first two children still in the womb. Fairen was almost married out into the Oathlands due to an arrangement with the Laurents, but it didn't work out for a couple of reasons; the first was that shortly before the treaty signing, Hianara died in a brutal and bloody battle with some Shav'Arvani. So instead the Laurent cousin in question married in instead, tying herself firmly to the new March and essentially proving essential in teaching him to rule and lead. For the first few years of their marriage, their relationship has been one of crisp, competent tolerance, cut with occasional furors of rage-fueled drama and what Fairen testily refers to as "hullaballoo". With the Grayson banners called and war and disaster brewing on the horizon, though, even a kind-of mismatch like Fairen and Iliana must learn to set aside their differences and work together.
  aside their differences and work together.)
• Baelor Keaton  + (Far from the chance to inherit, Baelor gre …
  Far from the chance to inherit, Baelor grew up knowing that he had flexibility in the decisions he would make in adulthood. Of course, he would squire. Sent to Bastion at the age of 15 to find himself a squire for a Prince of some repute. He was knighted at the age of eighteen and was Knighting about for Keaton while Marquis Kael was still a young pup. He joined a knightly order in his youth, spending most of his time with the organization until his marriage sent him south into Velenosa. Two childless years before his wife passed away from a wasting disease that swept the county. He spent another few years there before moving back to Keaton Keep.
  s there before moving back to Keaton Keep.)
• Modi Blackpelt  + (Far in the northern reaches of Arvum is wh …
  Far in the northern reaches of Arvum is where Modi came into the world. He was born the only child of a Shav'arvani mother and father, committed to the clan known as 'The Blackpelts'. They were a martial people, with deep superstitions rooted in spiritual belief. Modi was raised on the oral traditions of the clan, marring his childhood in hunting and shamanistic ritual. He was destined to one day take his place within their hierarchy as a leader in the physical trials and the occult. However, such a fate was pushed to the side entirely when the one they called the Horned God arose. Soon their tribe was beset by the whispers and machinations of that terrible force. Faced with their enslavement, Modi and his peers traveled into the snow-covered forests to beseech the spirits for guidance. They returned with claims that their survival hinged upon finding solace within the Compact, with which they had lived independent of for generations. Few would accept this stipulation. Their idleness allowed the seeds of doubt to grow. One by one, they followed the call of the Horned one. The Blackpelts were no more. Modi was one of the few to flee from the chaos, running south after his home gave in to darkness. He boldly claims that the predictions given to him had led him down this path. He'd never looked back until he made it to the city of Arx, where he bent the knee to the Compact's way of life. Though the life of a prodigal has won him little happiness, it has kept him alive. Everyday is a new challenge in adapting to this strange land. It is a trial that he's taken head-on, spending his time tutoring with the Whispers in learning proper etiquette and sociability. Along with offering his skills as a hunter to the common-folk of the city. His intent is to be useful, as useful as he possibly can be to his new people.
  l as he possibly can be to his new people.)
• Cleo Frost  + (Far to the north of Whitehall in the depth …
  Far to the north of Whitehall in the depths of Everwinter where nights and days can last weeks or even months with the turning of the seasons livesa tribe of Shav'Avani called The Children of the Sun and the Moon. The tribe has over the millennia developed a number of particular standards and rituals that vary greatly from those used of the more Southern Shav'Avani which differe even more from the tribes that have sworn fealty to and become Houses of Redrain. The Children of the Sun and the Moon are mostly nomadic, moving as dictated by the Weather and the Seasons to either follow their prey or return to their ancestral homes for shelter. They have developed a regimented culture where one is either Hunter, Gatherer, Raider (Sun), or Hearthkeeper (Moon). Those who follow the Sun, and the Moon, are generally formed along gender lines but gender is a choice to the Children of the Sun and the Moon and thus both physical sexes are accounted for in both. Born amongst the Children of the Sun there was always more to Cleo's life, odd things happened around her constantly both good and bad. There was hardly a dull moment around her life and she never fit in due to it, kept separate a lot, which suited her just fine. She spoke to the spirits as they would speak back and when it came time for her to pick her focus she chose none, and was sent to the Walkers Inbetween. There she found who she was, which was neither, and both, all the same and she partook of the rituals, sacrifices, and alchemical potions that discovered her true self and stabilized it permanently. Never Sun. Never Moon. Always Sun. Always Moon. She had found her place, and she made friends during her training, but one of the younger Walkers she knew during their apprenticeship ended up leaving the tribe and headed south soon after she succeeded in her tests. Cleo wonders and waited to hear news of the return of Cybele, but when no news came Cleo began to worry. Asking the spirits for guidance Cleo was told that Cybele still lived, far to the south in the land of warmth and green. So too did Cleo tell the Elders that she would go check on Cybele, and see if she was unwilling, or unable to return. The trek was not an easy one but Cleo endured, sneaking south past Whitehall, and into the lands of Redrain where she finally was caught by House Nightgold and very nearly put to the sword but the young shaman was able to get the spirits to speak of her quest and intentions. She was forced to bend the knee of course, and she did so gladly if it would allow her to continue on to find Cybele. After the long walk and through those dangers she finally came to Arx and learned of many wondrous things... it was no wonder why Cybele did not come back, there was to much to learn before she could go home.
  to much to learn before she could go home.)
• Faruq Seraceni  + (Faruq was born to a long-lived and a fierc …
  Faruq was born to a long-lived and a fierce line of Ischia corsairs. His father, Abin Faruq, was sword before him and served the Seraceni family with similar tenacity as his son. Although the family was not originally related by blood to the Seracenis, Faruqs ancestors were raised to nobility many generations ago for their loyal service. This is something their branch of the family has been very proud of in their heritage, and now being truly a part of the family The title of Sword has been passed down through six generations of this family. Faruq was taught a blade and expected to continue the line of succession and he has proven worthy of the title and honor. When his father retired following the death of the old Marquis and Marquessa, Faruq took up the responsibility. He is also a capable sailor and commands his own ship and is a feared corsair. Not particularly religious, Faruq finds his own way through duty to his liege and his House. The man took charge of his lieges safety upon the death of the Marquis of Seracenis parents and acted much as an older brother to Dario as the young man came into his own. Faruq's younger sister, Malika is the only other person beside his Marquis that he is deathly loyal to. While he is fond of his brother, Nadir, he cannot help but be a little displeased that the younger man did not follow their family into martial pursuits.
  follow their family into martial pursuits.)