Search by property

This page provides a simple browsing interface for finding entities described by a property and a named value. Other available search interfaces include the page property search, and the ask query builder.

List of results

• Sonnet Crown  + (Her mother claims Sonnet fell off the back …
  Her mother claims Sonnet fell off the back of a turnip cart when she was a baby and the grocer was gone before the woman could give her back, so she raised little Sonnet to be a skilled assassin and sent her to murder the errant grocer as her first kill. It's probably true, too; Sonnet's mother believed heartily in the satisfaction of a long con.
  eartily in the satisfaction of a long con.)
• Valery no family  + (Her mother was a beautiful woman, and her …
  Her mother was a beautiful woman, and her father was a jealous apothecary. Valery lived locked in the store most of her life, leaving just when the whole family would go out together. Once her mother died, this chances decreased terribly and she almost never was allowed to leave the house. She learnt all she knows about herbs, remedies, parfums and poisons by looking at her father work on his store. One day she just got fed up of the situation, stole her father's money and left the house, running away to never come back.
  he house, running away to never come back.)
• Valery Frost  + (Her mother was a beautiful woman, and her …
  Her mother was a beautiful woman, and her father was a jealous apothecary. Valery lived locked in the store most of her life, leaving just when the whole family would go out together. Once her mother died, her chances decreased terribly and she almost never was allowed to leave the house. She learned all she knows about herbs, remedies, perfumes and poisons by looking at her father work on his store. One day she just got fed up of the situation, stole her father's money and left the house, running away to never come back.
  he house, running away to never come back.)
• Emily Deepwood  + (Her mother's father was a Deepwood, first …
  Her mother's father was a Deepwood, first cousin to the main Deepwood lineage, who married into the Grayridge family two generations ago. The Grayridge holdings were so far from the seat of Deepwood that neither Emily nor her mother ever went on Deepwood lands, but even so she knows that's her heritage. "Be as serene as the deepest wood," her mother told her often, and she tried to take that to heart as she explored the woods in the Barony of Grayridge. But she always wanted to be more than the daughter of a minor noble, destined for obscurity and trying desperately to resign herself to that fact. And then Samantha Deepwood came to Arx and was recognized as a noble there - and Emily knew this was her moment. This was her moment to come to Arx and claim her ties with the Deepwood family. She could be something here, and she could be more important than a minor noble in the middle of nowhere, marrying and living her life without ever traveling, or adventuring, or seeing anything new. And so she came, and now she's here with a wanderlust and a curiosity about life and everything to do with Arx. She's ready to make her name as Lady Emily Deepwood. She's ready to take her place among the rangers of the Deepwood that Rymarr has so painstakingly trained. She's ready to stand against ancient threats and current enemies alike. She'll be brave, and bold, and forge right on in to this new place and family. And nothing's going to stand in her way.
  . And nothing's going to stand in her way.)
• Hickson Gales  + (Hickson was born in Darkwater Watch, the f …
  Hickson was born in Darkwater Watch, the first of five children. His father was a trader and a seaman, and his mother worked in the Darkwater household as a servant. When he was old enough, Hickson joined his father as a cabin boy aboard a trading vessel bound to Arx. It was attacked in route by pirates, but he was recovered by a ship flying the banners of House Seliki, and transported safely to his original destination. Once in Arx, he was delivered into the care of the representatives of House Darkwater. Hickson decided to remain in the city, and, after his experience on board the ship, he turned his attention to assisting the Iron Guard with criminal matters, and found himself well suited to information gathering. He has since dedicated himself to serving the Sentinel and the people of Arx.
  erving the Sentinel and the people of Arx.)
• Ilsa Innes  + (Hillward. A town in the Oathlands of littl …
  Hillward. A town in the Oathlands of little renown. But it was home. From the moment of Ilsa's birth, a place of hard work and graft, of joy and delight. A place of simple pleasures for simple folk. Folk who knew the wisdom of the woods and who gave thanks for the gifts they were given by the gods. Ilsa was born into a house of wise women, her own mother, having lost her husband soon after her daughter was born, lived with her sister's family, with her mother and aunts. A family of women tending to their own. From her youngest days, she trailed at the heels of these wise women, learning their ways, learning the secrets of herb and flower. The power of poultice and potion. The wisdom of speaking to the gods and to the spirits of the land. And when she came of age, she took her place as a wise woman herself, tending to the needs of the town and of the countryside. Knowing, always, that the day would come when she would find her way to the wider world, to places of greater renown and grander vistas. A place where she could ply her craft and hone her skills. And now, her chance has come. And Arx awaits.
  now, her chance has come. And Arx awaits.)
• Taldolf Ridge  + (His family came to the Marche almost the s …
  His family came to the Marche almost the same year it was formed and thus Taldolf has always had a legacy of involvement with House Sanna and some might think a tradition of honoured service through his family. Ever since a young age, due to him always being quite strong and agile, he was trained in a very militarized fashion. And as he grew older he was honed and refined for field combat. His commanding voice and composed nature as made him quite the asset in Giant's Reach. Now he is coming to the city to offer what aide he and his troops can give to the Marquis.
  he and his troops can give to the Marquis.)
• Jozef Blackram  + (His father is a noble man known for his sk …
  His father is a noble man known for his skill with forging blades, a skill he had to put aside once he became more known in the court, from Sanna in Redrain who married a Valardian lady from Blackram in the Oathland. When Jozef was born they moved south to Cloudspine, where he was raised, learning their customs and religion in favor of his father's. With a bright education from a university in Artshall under his belt, Jozef became a squire of Duke Edmund Laurent, serving under the man for many years, and eventually becoming a knight himself. Then his mentor died from illness and Jozef, stricken with grief, left Artshall and the Oathland to never be heard from again. He fled north where he took on his father's trade, as a blacksmith, and camouflaged as a courtier inside the Sanna court. During his time in the north, he met a Patheon missionary and the two came to be close friends. The priest helping him practice their religion. Jozef also learned about the stars from the priest. He became obsessed with the notion that stars could fall on Arvum, that he wanted to see one himself. So much, in fact, that he left home for a second time, this time though to chase falling stars. The wilderness was cruel but Jozef had to learn to live off it as the clans do. After many years in the wild, looking up for falling stars, he returned to the court to look for his priest friend, and hearing that his friend was among the clans, trying to convert them, he ventured to track him only to encounter what was carnage left behind by wild shavs. His priest friend left on a cross for the birds to eat him alive. The sight was so intense that it buried an image into his mind. He brought the priest down, giving him a proper burial. Nowhere else to go, he came back to Cloudspine, his mother's house, to face her and his father for the shame he brought when he left the service of house Laurent. He swore vengeance through duty and to appease his family, offered himself as a potential bachelor for house Blackram to dispose of in an advantageous marriage.
  to dispose of in an advantageous marriage.)
• Nicos Ulbran  + (His father was Marcus, and his mother was …
  His father was Marcus, and his mother was April, but he never truly got to know them. When he was 12 years old, his parents had to flee Arx due to owing money to all the wrong people. He was always good with numbers, math, talking to folks, always one step ahead, so when they bailed on him, getting himself a job at a local store, doing the finances. He was able to carve out a name for himself as a wiz of financial means, also was friendly enough to get a job working at a local shop doing the finances. Through giving up his pay, he was slowly able to pay back his family debt. His folks have never returned to Arx, seeming to have vanished off the face of the earth. But, after a few years, he has a handful of clients working at their backrooms. Making a name for himself as a crack accountant can help anyone no matter how poor be able to budget.
  yone no matter how poor be able to budget.)
• Jasper Steelhart  + (His father, Lord Aaron Steelhart was cousi …
  His father, Lord Aaron Steelhart was cousins to Roslyn, Frederik, and Gregor Steelhart. A minor lord, he supported the main family by manning his fortress by the sea and assisting his cousins with protecting the shoreline. He married to Lady Lilian Ashford, while still in his mid-twenties and bore Jasper shortly afterwards. The oldest of three, he often found himself the protector of his two sisters. With his mother's tales of knights and valor, bolstering his Valardin heritage, and his father's fine example, Jasper knew that more than anything he wanted to be a knight. For many years, Jasper's life was consumed with his training. He excelled with not only the joust but also in melee with his sword. He even had an opportunity to foster with Frederik, developing connections with his other Steelhart clan. He spent time with Lionel and Sara. Even Padraig and Seth. When news of their betrayal that led to Lionel's death and Lady Lydia's suicide, he was devastated. His loss did not stop there. His parents were murdered at the Tragedy of Sanctum, suddenly trusting him sooner than he wanted into being the head of the family and caring for his little sisters. He met a woman, claiming to be Lady Blackshore, who was suddenly there as a friend, a confident. She had recently lost her fortunes and being the kind host, he offered sanctuary to the woman until she could contact her family. With all the pressures, he found himself leaning on her more and more. Obligation become love and finally he proposed marriage. Everything moved quickly as his bride urged him not to wait, to move forward. Eager to start his own family, he went along. Except the wedding never happened because his bride disappeared the night before their wedding day. He contacted the authorities, fearing the worst had happened to his bride, only to find this woman never existed. She was false in her words and took advantage of a young lord. Jasper learned a hard lesson on trusting others. The next several years were spent getting things back in order, rebuilding his finances and seeing to the education of his sisters. Dreams of being that dashing knight were put aside for more practical matters. Although, with the recent rumblings of war and call to banners, Jasper has felt the stirring once again. He finds himself in Arx to find husbands for his sisters and perhaps become the knight he originally put aside to see to his family.
  originally put aside to see to his family.)
• Holden Morgan  + (Holden's life has been one of expectation. …
  Holden's life has been one of expectation. The Morgan family has a long history of distinguished service for House Valardin, and this weight settled most squarely on Holden's shoulders as the oldest of seven. He was born to Hardwicke Morgan, Captain of the Guard at Sanctum, and his wife Symanthe, first of a long string of children over the years that followed: Elise, Sergio, Aleksei, Warrick, Sasha, and Briseis. Although his mother was a bright, vivacious, and somewhat dorkily-humored sort of woman, it was his father that Holden rather quickly took after: stern and serious, with a constant weight of responsibility on his shoulders. While all of his siblings (save Aleksei) took on the general mantle of expectation to serve responsibly and productively as commoner vassals of the Valardins, no one took it quite as seriously as Holden. He grew up with a sword in his hand and served as a guard, soldier, and man-at-arms -- whatever was needed at the time -- for the Valardins. He earned commands of his own by his actions in the field, recognized quickly for a clear natural aptitude for leadership and an unwavering sense of dedication and loyalty that outstripped his skill with a blade, and he was a friend and ally to the Valardin heir, Prince Vance. It was no surprise that he proved himself a hero at the Tragedy at Sanctum, saving many lives at the risk of his own. The knighthood that he earned for his actions -- a recognition he would once have been so humbled by and proud of -- was little solace for the fact that his own husband and child were among those who died that day, as well as his friend and compatriot Prince Vance. He continued to serve, as life can only move forward, but recovery has been a slow, private process. And now, with Bringers at the door several years later, he has been sent to Arx to continue his service for the High Lord and the rest of the family there.
  igh Lord and the rest of the family there.)
• Holt Weaver  + (Holt was born and raised in Sanctum, a poo …
  Holt was born and raised in Sanctum, a poor kid to poorer folks he was as common as they come. A couple siblings and parents who existed to labor away for what they could scratch together for necessities. Growing up in some of the roughest parts, he learned quickly that ending a fight quickly was the shortest path to success, educated only as far as the Vellichoran scholars were able in the squalor of his neighborhood, most of his experience came from life. There were a few ways to make it, start in on the more frowned upon pursuits of a young man in a bad area or try to make a life elsewhere. He spent several years trying his hand at the former, more comfortable with the physical nature of some of his tasks. A call too close to losing his pretty head was enough of a call to expand his horizons as any. So he took to the road, muscle for hire to caravans, traders and travelers, his path eventually taking him into Grayson lands. He's spent more than a decade in the Crownlands, eventually making a name for himself as a sellsword and champion for hire. A short stint for a Grayson princess landed him his current fealty to the house, though his association with the great house has otherwise been loose. His return to Arx and the Champion's guild finds him seeking work once more on behalf of those slighted and looking to prove a point. A particularly sharp point.
  prove a point. A particularly sharp point.)
• Dmitry Grimhall  + (Honesty was Dmitry Grimhall's vice, accord …
  Honesty was Dmitry Grimhall's vice, according to his father. His father, Duke Taras Grimhall, was a famously cruel and abusive man, with the sort of malevolence that even made House Thrax uncomfortable and consistently caused issues with the other houses, including completely unnecessary skirmishes with Redrain vassals that threatened to break into all out war. Dmitry never quite learned to not question what he saw as the dishonorable, brutish and stupid nature of his father's reign... resulting in him being passed over as heir for his younger (and far crueler) brother Eugine, as well only kept in the family to torment. Dmitry, a grimly determined man who took his vows of loyalty to family and liege with unshakeable loyalty, endured slight after slight, being kept by his father and younger brother seemingly just to mock and toy with. Through it all, the honorable Grimhall ignored it all, silently showing himself as a fearsome combatant on the field in the Tyde rebellion with acts of heroism that were praised throughout House Thrax and ignored or mocked at Grimhall's home of Grihem's Point. After the death of Duke Taras, the title of Duke passed to his younger brother, Lord Eugine, who sought to outdo their father in wastefulness and wanton cruelty. Many of the other lords in the Mourning Isles urged Dmitry to contest the claim, some all but promising him military support to depose his brother, but the famously honorable Dmitry pointedly refused every entreaty and served his brother Eugine without a word of complaint at the continuing abuse heaped upon him. Most of the lords of the Mourning Isles were aghast at the honorable Grimhall just ignoring the barrage of slights from his brother, save where his daughter was concerned. It seemed that Dmitry was not particularly a traditonalist, largely turning a blind eye to his daughter Cordelia's rebellious ways, and it was rumored that Dmitry and Duke Eugine nearly came to blows over it. Fortunately for the Mourning Isles, Duke Eugine's ship was lost at sea recently, dying without a decreed heir, which caused the title to pass to Dmitry. Any death of a duke is suspicious, but frankly the Mourning Isles houses were too glad to see Eugine gone to pay it much heed.
  ad to see Eugine gone to pay it much heed.)
• Bruce Valardin  + (Honor. Honor above all. Born on May 26th, …
  Honor. Honor above all. Born on May 26th, 985 AR to Prince Robert Valardin and Lady Helene Telmar, Bruce was the firstborn but grew up knowing he'd never inherit title or land. Instead, he was prepared for a life of chivalry, nursed by tales of Oathlands heroism and knighthood. He was riding by the age of five and learning how to wield a longsword by eight. At ten, he became the squire of Lord Gregor Steelhart the Chillhearted, a renowned knight and swordsman. It was a busy childhood of martial training, studying warfare, extensive conditioning and prayer. Though even now, he holds those hazy memories close of warm summers spent at the river with friends and family outside of the Capital, and along the coast outside of High Hill. His peaceful childhood was not to last. Knighted at sixteen, Bruce took up the sword for his family and began his career in earnest. It was only a year later when the Tragedy in Sanctum occured. His mother and father lay dead, along with Prince Radley Valardin and most of his immediate kin. The newly knighted Oathlander had been away in the Gray, partaking in Compact operations against hostile abandoned. When the news reached him, it changed the young man forever. 1006 AR. Bruce was a mounted knight in the Silent War, twenty one years old. He fought in countless skirmishes in the Northlands, the Gray, and finally in the Crownlands, culminating in the Siege of Arx. Months of his life had been spent waging war against Tolamar Brand and his forces. Yet there was never any respite. The following years were spent in small campaigns among Valardin forces, the Compact and Templars, fighting hostile Abandoned and cultists throughout central and western Avrum. A week before his birthday, in May 1008 AR, Bruce served under High Lord Edain Valardin in the Gyre War. Though the city burned and the losses were extraordinary, the battle-hardened knight survived and rode down the Gyre's fleeing troops alongside his comrades. In less than three years, he had participated in two grand wars that shaped the future of the Compact. And he lived. Bruce had earned a name for himself with his exploits among knightly circles and Valardin forces; a veteran of wars, countless campaigns and dozens if not hundreds of skirmishes with abandoned and brigand alike. He gave the Pantheon praise, Oathlands Orthodox through and through, living without a fear of death after experiencing so much in his young life. It took the Battle of High Hill Crossing to humble him. He was twenty six years old, a small unit commander among the united forces of Valardin and Telmar. He had recently learned of High Hill's fall to shav forces, and the massacre of House Steelhart; so many friends, comrades, good men, dead. He yearned for revenge. In his anger, he forgot the Faith's teachings. And he payed. Nearly a thousand allied troops died in that ambush, among them Prince Caius Valardin and Duke Arn Telmar, both kin to Bruce. His leg was shattered in battle by a mighty blow, a serious injury that would fully heal, but that left him bedridden for the better part of a year. His countenance grew more serious, stern. He lost that youthful charm and cocky posture. Prayer was his solace. He thought of all the brothers and sisters in arms that he had lost throughout the years. Slain family members, allies, friends, fellow knights and Oathlanders. It's during this time in which he realized that for him, war would never be over. In the years since, Bruce returned to combat and his knightly pursuits, training and assisting in the Compact's campaigns against abandoned and foreign foes whenever able. And now, he has traveled to Arx in order to get more directly involved in the coming wars. Foes surround Avrum, the Compact, Valardin. From within and without. Bruce wants to play his part; for the sake of honor, virtue, justice. He will lead his people to victory.
  stice. He will lead his people to victory.)
• Hope Sovlik  + (Hope was born to Ariana and Siro Sovlik, t …
  Hope was born to Ariana and Siro Sovlik, three years before her sister Lucina was born. As a child, she was outgoing and loved to play games with other children. She loved music, reading, and learning the art of healing, be it herbs, potions, or by other means. While her parents were away on business or one thing or another, she would spend hours locked in her room, learning what she could via scrolls, tomes, and books. Her sister, Lucina, would study with her from time to time. When not reading or playing the violin, she would train in combat with the others. Though her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams, many weren't so keen with some of the choices she made. At the age of eighteen, she was well on her way to becoming a great healer. During that time, she also witnessed the death of one of her closest friends. She found him late one night, bleeding out on the street, but she was too late to save him. Devastated and angry beyond belief, she vowed that one day, she was going to get her revenge on whoever had slit his throat and left him for dead. She had seen her fair share of deaths, but none of those deaths had involved a friend she had considered as dear to her. From that day onward, she became more aloof and more determined than ever to become better in combat. She was also determined to master medicine, even if that meant delving into some unsavory things to do it.
  elving into some unsavory things to do it.)
• Rhiannon Ashford  + (House Ashford has few traditions its child …
  House Ashford has few traditions its children embrace with more vigor than the tradition of the tree scouts, and Rhiannon's first soaring heights began when she was very young. Born of a cadet branch of the family that should never have expected the responsibility of rule, Rhiannon was raised to the spirit of adventure that is an Ashford's birthright, tempered by duty and strength, and the focused attention of parents and instructors that knew that a noblewoman must have a grounding in many topics in order to be successful. Many nobles are reared with the certainty that their primary duty to the house will be as marriage bait, but Rhiannon's parents especially knew that the military tradition of a ducal house would be where they would aim their daughter, especially when she saw how quickly and delightedly she took to climbing trees as a tiny child. Hide and seek in the woods was the best game that they played as father and daughter, and they would play it for hours, on camping trips that her father insisted on taking the time for despite the demands of house and Compact that should have required him to spend more time elsewhere. Rhiannon's father made the time, no matter what. And this, too, was a lesson that Rhiannon learned well. If something's important, you will find the time ... and there is nothing more important than your family. As a teenager, Rhiannon awkwardly skipped past adolescent rebellion. At a time when girls and boys her age were lashing out at their parents and flaring out at their instructors, Rhiannon was buckling down and learning all the harder, weighted down by duty and trust and finding her outlet in nights spent running through the trees, swinging through the canopy, and learning the ways of the woods. The first time she visited Arx as a teenager, she fled a dance party to climb the trees of Ashford Park and hide there, and honestly, there are times that now, adult Rhiannon, a woman nearing 30 and commanding troops, might be tempted to do the same. But she earned her command, her mettle tested by several years of hard service among the scouts of the woods with the rest of the Ashford tree scouts, and she earned the respect of the men and women who follow her, and with that respect, their love and affection. It's a lesson she has tried to apply to other social areas. If they respect your competence, they are more likely to recognize your worth in other ways, too.
  o recognize your worth in other ways, too.)
• Lailah Bisland  + (House Bisland has a proud tradition of bei …
  House Bisland has a proud tradition of being the most steadfast vassals of House Grayson, staunchly supporting them in war and peace. While certainly not every noble follows martial pursuits, Lailah still stunned her parents when she made quietly clear she intended to embrace the Faith of the Pantheon and not just as a priestess, but one of the scholars of Vellichor. While the clergy, including the scholars, is considered a well respected and honorable profession, House Bisland has never been known for its great religious devotion, and her parents clearly expected the charming young woman to follow her mother's footsteps in dealing with courtly politics and diplomacy. Lailah was a gifted singer, after all, but they didn't realize that her appreciation for bardic songs was a deep interest in the history of the Realm and an introvert's fascination for well-crafted stories. As far as Lailah is concerned, becoming a scholar is by no means neglecting her responsibilities as a noblewoman. Quite the opposite, in fact. She loves a good song more than most, but she never failed to notice the subtle creep of hyperbole and fiction infesting supposedly historical pieces, and she firmly believes that safeguarding the truth for future generations is every bit as vital to the safety and security of the Realm. She is a woman that firmly believes in pursuing the truth for its own sake and harbors more than a passing suspicion that in a snake-pit of deception such as Arx, that is by no means a safe or mild occupation.
  is by no means a safe or mild occupation.)
• Gabriel Bisland  + (House Bisland's proud lion banners have lo …
  House Bisland's proud lion banners have long been recognized as one of the most steadfast stalwarts of House Grayson, and none exemplar that as well as Duke Gabriel Bisland, the Crown's Lion. As a lifelong friend of the old king, King Alaric Grayson III, they were nearly inseparable in youth and the old king had told Gabriel on more than one occasion he was his brother in soul, if not in blood. A talented and famous knight, he was so trusted by Alaric III that he often led all of House Grayson's forces in battle and has spent the better part of two decades crushing the attempted incursions by Shav hordes trying to test the borders of the crownlands, and much of the stability of recent years was done by his tireless work on the king's behalf. More than once, Gabriel was the only vassal trusted enough to offer counsel to Alaric III, though he is as excruciatingly uncomfortable giving his opinion on the murky, shifting politics of the Compact as he is confident and dauntless when it comes to war. Perhaps his largest regret then is not accompanying King Alaric III when his majesty traveled east to visit House Thrax and try to put an end to the bloody slaughter of the Tyde Rebellion. The arguments at the time made sense- the king wasn't traveling to battle after all, just to speak to warring subjects and bring them to heel, and Gabriel needed to deal with some shav clans striking out of the Gray Forest at fringe settlements on Bisland land. After Alaric III's ship was lost at sea, Gabriel even briefly stood as regent for the king's young son, Alaric IV, and ruled with the concurrence of the five high lords until Alaric IV came of age. Since Alaric IV assumed his responsibilities as king, Duke Gabriel has returned to leading House Bisland and helping his godchild the elder illegitimate daughter of Alaric III, Lady Dawn, rule House Grayson's holdings while Alaric IV saw to the Realm as a whole. In 1015 AR, when the now awakened King Alaric IV found himself under threat by Eurusi and seditionists claiming to support his shockingly alive father, Duke Gabriel announced he was giving up his title and dedicating his life to the safety and success of King Alaric IV. Joining the King's Own, and serving as one of the King's personal bodyguards and advisors.
  e King's personal bodyguards and advisors.)
• Radhilde Acheron  + (House Cliffmore was a barony of little con …
  House Cliffmore was a barony of little consequence once sworn to House Aviaron and its later incarnation, House Acheron. They could trace their family lineage back not to some neonoble clan bending the knee, rather the daughter of a proud Northern Duchess proven worthy by deeds and gifted lands for her sacrifices to family and Compact. Winters are harsh in the mountains. With already treacherous passes blanketed by snow, it's easy to fall out of contact for weeks or months on end. House Cliffmore built much of their wealth by policing the trappers and furriers operating in their territories, but this meant frequent skirmishes with ambitious Shavs at times when allies were not always close at hand. In the interim period between Prince Ettore setting the rule Aviaron's Peak aside and Marquessa Rhea picking it up, during which House Cliffmore was without a direct liege, the systems in place that might have protected them were allowed to go lax. Their cliffside stronghold was overrun by a band of Abandoned warriors. The singular tomb of both warring groups was sealed by sound of their own steel, which prompted a series of terrible avalanches each more brutal than the last. Their distress beacons were never seen. When the snows were finally cleared away and help arrived, rescuers were met with the vision of a winter siren. They identified her as the Baroness's youngest daughter, Lady Radhilde. First accounts say she was dressed in fine fur-lined silks and icey jewels, with her hair loose about her shoulders. Had it not been for the grime caked beneath her nails, she might have been ready to present at court that very afternoon. With the perpetrators having expired along with any opportunity for justice, the Marquessa needed to improve the situation's optics. She elected to adopt the girl, naming her a beloved little sister and opening the doors of the Glacial Fortress to her. Of course, the two never actually met. Aviaron's Peak is impossibly far from Arx. Don't look at that map! It doesn't account for inclines!
  that map! It doesn't account for inclines!)
• Radhilde Tyde  + (House Cliffmore was a barony of little con …
  House Cliffmore was a barony of little consequence once sworn to House Aviaron and its later incarnation, House Acheron. They could trace their family lineage back not to some neonoble clan bending the knee, rather the daughter of a proud Northern Duchess proven worthy by deeds and gifted lands for her sacrifices to family and Compact. Winters are harsh in the mountains. With already treacherous passes blanketed by snow, it's easy to fall out of contact for weeks or months on end. House Cliffmore built much of their wealth by policing the trappers and furriers operating in their territories, but this meant frequent skirmishes with ambitious Shavs at times when allies were not always close at hand. In the interim period between Prince Ettore setting the rule Aviaron's Peak aside and Marquessa Rhea picking it up, during which House Cliffmore was without a direct liege, the systems in place that might have protected them were allowed to go lax. Their cliffside stronghold was overrun by a band of Abandoned warriors. The singular tomb of both warring groups was sealed by sound of their own steel, which prompted a series of terrible avalanches each more brutal than the last. Their distress beacons were never seen. When the snows were finally cleared away and help arrived, rescuers were met with the vision of a winter siren. They identified her as the Baroness's youngest daughter, Lady Radhilde. First accounts say she was dressed in fine fur-lined silks and icey jewels, with her hair loose about her shoulders. Had it not been for the grime caked beneath her nails, she might have been ready to present at court that very afternoon. With the perpetrators having expired along with any opportunity for justice, the Marquessa needed to improve the situation's optics. She elected to adopt the girl, naming her a beloved little sister and opening the doors of the Glacial Fortress to her. Of course, the two never actually met. Aviaron's Peak is impossibly far from Arx. Don't look at that map! It doesn't account for inclines!
  that map! It doesn't account for inclines!)
• Leo Fidante  + (House Fidante's long held position as the …
  House Fidante's long held position as the closest rival to House Velenosa in terms of power and prestige in the Lyceum has much to do with the city state of Tor's key strategic location between the westlands controlled by House Valardin and the rest of the Lycene city-states. While Tor enjoys the same dubious reputation for deceit and treachery shared by all of the Lyceum, its closeness to the westlands had a formative effect on the young Lord Leo, who grew up admiring the chivalry and knightly virtues of the West even as he learned much about the art of proper rule from his mother, the Duchess of Tor. His mother recognized his romanticized love of honorable ideals and sent the young Leo to foster with House Valardin, in large part to ease growing tensions between House Valardin and the border city-states of the Lyceum, and secured a betrothal for the future duke with a Valardin princess (distant from the line of succession, but still carrying the prestige of the family name). Years later, his mother's kindness still fills Leo with guilt. While the prince was living in Sanctum and spending his teenage years growing up among knights, his mother remarried to the Count of Southport, a match that Leo to this day blames himself for not being present to prevent. Barely a few months had gone by after his mother's new marriage before she suffered an extremely suspicious accident while riding and died, and her new husband declared that Leo was an illegitimate child of the Duchess (and claimed he had a confession from the now dead Duchess to that effect), and therefore the Count would have to act as regent and rule over Tor until Leo's infant sister came of age. Even among the treacherous Lyceum city-states, it was a particularly blatant power grab to seize control of the Fidante family and the city of Tor, but the much younger Leo was shocked how many seemed prepared to let an ambitious and ruthless man murder his mother and lie about his claim. Leo was stunned how many of his relatives in the Fidante family were willing to support Count Lucien of Southport in his bid for a regency, and the wealth surrounding the man raised an army of sell swords and bought him scores of allies among the surrounding other city-states. Nonetheless, Leo's marriage to House Valardin gave him sufficient voice to ask the Prince of Sanctum for aid and returned home to Tor with an army of Valardin knights to contest his claim. The Tor-Southport War that followed shattered any romantic notions of war and combat for Leo, and even by Lycene standards was an ugly war. Leo raised much of the commons of Tor to his cause, becoming close friends with many of the more powerful commoner families, and he had to witness first hand the butchery of many men and women he came to care deeply about as the war progressed. Though he feels his cause was just, and ultimately led him to killing Count Lucien in single combat and slaying an evil man, he still wonders if the justice and regaining his claim was worth the thousands of lost and shattered lives that he witnessed. Now much older and wiser, Duke Leo Fidante, the Duke of Tor, is a rarity among the Lycene Houses as a man of dignity and honor and one whose word carries weight and meaning. He stands as a stark contrast in a man that speaks truthfully and acts honorably, and is deeply dedicated to the well being of his people. In his mind, he has an enormous debt that was bought in steel and blood, and has a lifetime of just rule to attempt to pay for it.
  ime of just rule to attempt to pay for it.)
• Petraea Livy  + (House Livy of Cardia is an old and powerfu …
  House Livy of Cardia is an old and powerful family that has stayed near the top of the heap for centuries, a position maintained by a great amount of wealth thanks to their lucrative vineyards and a web of connections to House Tullus through generations of marriages and alliances. Yet, they have never been particularly influential in the political arena, lacking ambition for anything other than making money and maintaining their position in Cardian society. At least until Petraea Livy began to distinguish herself as one of the rising stars in Cardian politics as a staunch and rather ambitious member of the Scales faction. Her rise started with winning the position of Tribune with the backing of House Tullus, a militaristic position that few Scales have held in recent memory. From there, she has steadily gained power and influence, enough that she was sent to the wilds of Arvum to deal with the diplomatic mess that Marcus Sulla made. At least, that is what the official line is. More politically savvy minds think she is attempting to take Sulla's spot as Praetor, something that her fellow Scales seem to be watching carefully though the fact that such a move could anger far more than just the Senate means she is supported quietly and cautiously. In Cardia, Petraea Livy's drive and ambition is admired but also feared, even amongst her supporters.
  also feared, even amongst her supporters.)
• Roxana Grayson  + (House Malvici is unique in aspects among t …
  House Malvici is unique in aspects among the other Houses of the Lyceum. They are one of the more powerful families as holders of a duchy as well as the largest and most well trained army in the Lyceum, making them key players on the table at every conclave and often suspected of an eventual plan to crave even more power than they already possess. Yet as ever among the competitive city-states there is no role for military prowess that would not be served well with silk as well as steel. Lady Roxana Malvici was the 'baby' of the family and still enjoys the moniker even at the age of 33. Growing up among so many strong willed individuals all with exceptional talents, Roxana did all she could to show that she was just as exceptional (and more than just as strong-willed). She was never going to be much of a warrior, even when taught by the finest money could by. Though she picked up a few skills, for the most part because of the family's insistence, it was not long until it was apparent that other gifts of Roxana's could serve Malvici just as well as the clash of a blade. Thus she became that gentle touch, working to advance diplomatic meetings and to navigate court intrigue in Malvici's best interests. She also discovered a penchant for espionage, though most are not certain whether that claim has any basis in truth. Known is some circles as 'The Jewel of Southport", Roxana's reputation for charm and beauty eventually spread beyond the Lyceum and among the nobility within Arx itself. It was this moniker that led Prince Albion Grayson to determine he must make her acquaintance. Roxana had always understood that securing an important alliance such a this was crucial both for Malvici and for herself. Prince Albion wasn't quite as charming as his second cousin the future King, but he was thoughtful and poetic, at times even romantic. So it was that late in her 23rd summer she found herself planning an exclusive and breathtaking wedding.The title 'Highness' certainly suited Roxana beautifully, as did lavish apartments various palaces and a wardrobe filled with the lastest one-of-a-kind fashions that spared no expense. Albion enjoyed spoiling her in the easiest ways he could...with jewels and trinkets that made golden-green eyes dazzle. Their son Frederic was born after the first three years of marriage, followed shortly after by a stillborn daughter who caused both parents great grief. Yet deeper tragedy would not permanently alter the family until Frederic was 8 years old. Albion Grayson passed away very suddenly one winter morning, with his cause of death sometimes referred to as mysterious and other times quite natural if unexpected. Albion left Roxana a widow. It was through the mercy and generosity of her cousin-in-law King Alaric Greyson (before slipping into his slumber) that she was promised a permanent home among the Grayson family and the title of Princess. Thus Princess Roxana Grayson has determined it time to move to the city of Arx, the better to support both her ancestral family and her married one in all possible endeavors, as well as see that the stage is set for her son's own illustrious future. The boy Frederic is currently being fostered deep in the Crownlands until old enough to begin his role as a courtier in the bustling capital. In the meantime, intrigue and ambition have lured her with their siren song, and she intends to follow.
  eir siren song, and she intends to follow.)
• Jephray Pike  + (House Pike was one of the larger houses on …
  House Pike was one of the larger houses on Tyde and within it two contentious brothers, Hudson and Jameson Pike. though Jameson the eldest ruled most of the family split itself in loyalty to either the Lord or the Captain Hudson. It was into this simmer conflict that Jephray was born. Like his father he was made for the sea and spent his youth on deck moreso than land. He learned to swim, fight and Captain a boat. Both father and mother made sure he worked for his want to instill responsibility and grit. The eldest, Jeph surely was the grittiest. by eighteen he was Captain of his own ship and by 19 set to be engaged to a Wake of Tyde. But such joys would not be realized. For rebellion lay in the Fishes that grew too bold. Tyde rebelled and with it came half the banners of Pike, the family torn as Hudson preached caution and loyalty. Jameson would have none of it. While Hudson gathered his fleet for his overlords Jameson struck his brother at his costal garrison. His ships sank, and family butchered in their beds. Jephray was first hung then drowned and left to the see before his father and mother before they were similarily executed. The same followed for his siblings by cousins and kin. It was known as the Salting as Hudson and his wife were sent in salted barrels to Tydehall as signs of loyalty. Jephray however survived, his body picked up by fishermen and taken down to the Thrax once the situation could be sussed Given that his father still had survivg loyal men who could attest to the deed, Jeph was given a ship and sent back to aid Victus Thrax in the salting of Tyde. By ship and by field Jeph brought his Hurricane to bare. Jephray lost an eye in the great battle in which Victus slee the Duke of Tyde, but he gained a knighthood. An honor it is to serve as a house knight and Captain for house Thrax. Exiled by the surviving member of his house, Jeph who styles his colours with a Black fish instead of red on a field of blue and green is ever Thrax's man. There are rumors he might be offered a marriage of a lowest cousin, but his loyalty was sealed with water in his lungs a long time past.
  with water in his lungs a long time past.)
• Salvador Seraceni  + (House Seraceni and the isle of Ischia has …
  House Seraceni and the isle of Ischia has always needed keen engineering. Sal descends from the Costello family the designed for Braiga and his family line has typically served as keepers of the civil engineering for the volcanic island. Sal was particularly brilliant and began his work as a shipwright and improved upon designs over the years of the Saraceni fleet. During an accident he lost his arm in a mishap with a ship that fell from its hoist and crushed his arms. He built himself a crude prosthetic but often finds challenges with having only one truly functional arm. He is trusted also with the overall leadership and engineering for the capital, he is responsible for the upkeep and design on the inner island gates, walls, and fortifications. He has come up from a simple commoner to being on the edge of deserving elevated status into peerage. Sal has a had a close friendship and association with Appolonia Seraceni and has often discuss with her the ambition to build bigger ships. Vessels that would make the trip to distant lands and Eurus easier. He has had loose designs but never focussed or had the resources to settle on the project long enough to make headway. It is understood that Sal holds the keys to the defense and well being of House Seraceni. He is rewarded, well regarded, and often treated more like family than an outsider. He appreciates the recognition of his contributions and he seeks to find more ways around intellectual problems through engineering and other sciences to solve problems. Sal is given a generous operational stipend and there is talk of making the man a minister within the family. He is on the cusp of making things happen.
  He is on the cusp of making things happen.)

• Shreve Tyde  + (House Tyde wielded enormous influence as t …
  House Tyde wielded enormous influence as the most powerful of House Thrax's vassals, but simply possessing the name by itself won family little. Lord Shreve Tyde was a very distant third cousin of the current Duke of Tydehall, and his impoverished very minor branch of the noble family tree raised him as an exceptionally hungry and bitter little man. While the exact sequence of events aren't well known outside of House Thrax, during the Tyde Rebellion which resulted in the complete destruction of House Tyde, Shreve may have lost his noble title from the family being attainted but he did not suffer the same fate that saw most of the ancient house flayed living and crucified by the sea. Shreve himself was in Arx and never went to his family's defense, and as a junior member of the inquisition even seized some Thraxian commoners that were sympathetic to House Tyde and put them to the question. While his loyalties are uncertain, he saw a steady rise through the inquisition to become the newest Master of Questions.
  to become the newest Master of Questions.)
• Noelle Pravus  + (House Valardin is known for being exemplar …
  House Valardin is known for being exemplars of honor, paragons of virtue, and standard-bearers of all that's chivalric. House Pravus was, and is not, given the same description. Instead, they are known for their passions, their boundary-pushing. It would be difficult to pick two more opposite Houses in the Compact. One would expect that where these two meet there would be explosions. But that was not the case with the first several meetings of Gerard Valardin and Taziana Pravus. Their first encounter was a joust in Arx where he rode by and so chivalrously asked for a Favor to wear and she obliged. Aas Taziana found quite a bit of passion to be enjoyed in things such as jousts and melees she followed the circuit for the year. And each time he jousted, Gerard would come to ask her favor. By the end of the year, they were wed with Prince Gerard Valardin becoming Lord Gerard Pravus. Less than a year after that: Noelle, named for her Valardin grandmother. Noelle was a pain for her tutors. Smart, but unwilling to apply herself. She was a pain for her tailors, uncaring about fashion. She would spend winters in Sanctum, enjoying things like ice skating but being horrible at things like riding horses or using weapons. Most of the year she would just people-watch in Setarco. And there were people to watch! Finally something changed in the girl. Oh, she still preferred to watch people, but after one particular carnival, she became obsessed with street magic, the kind used by performers to the delight of audiences. Her parents were both dismayed, but at the same time glad she took an interest in something. So they gave her six months. If she could master a certain number of tricks in six months, they'd let her continue; and if she couldn't, then she was going to learn to be a knight. It took her five. Five months and she had mastered the basics of sleight of hand, enough to avoid having to learn to fight. It'd take her years longer to be a true master but in these tricks, Noelle found something she had been lacking: Confidence. She took the lessons of misdirection to heart and made them part of herself. She learned to use them to get around, not over, the awkwardness of new friends. And she found a thrill in pickpocketing. Uusually that was just a way to make an introduction. Pick a pocket, then, "Oh, sir, you must have dropped this," and start a conversation. But that's not to say she doesn't have a collection of secret treasures of things that never made their way back home. The only time this has really been a problem was when she picked the pocket of a passing priest, pulling a coin. She turned to try to give it back to the older gentleman and he was gone. She couldn't find him! That's her bad luck coin. Ever since then she's just had huge runs of bad luck and knows they won't end until she can give the coin back. And now that Noelle's back in Arx, she thought her luck was going to change. She saw the old priest at the Queensrest.... the night he was killed and called a false dominus. Well, now what?
  nd called a false dominus. Well, now what?)
• Sophie Valardin  + (House Valardin of all the great houses has …
  House Valardin of all the great houses has the greatest representation among clergy in the Faith of the Pantheon, so it comes as no surprise when a prince or princess of the Oathlands feels drawn towards the Faith. However Princess Sophie surprised her parents and siblings not just by being devout, but by the much rarer choice of feeling called to serve as a disciple of a specific goddess, announcing even as a teenager that she intended to become a Mercy of Lagoma. Her decision was driven by the first time she saw the aftermath of a battle, as a young niece of Prince Radley accompanying the high lord to inspect a skirmish against shavs, and she witnessed white robed members of the Faith giving care to not only the soldiers of House Valardin who were wounded, but even to the dying shav enemies who had been left lying upon the field. The agony of the dying tore at her soul, and she'll never forget the humanizing compassion in each of the Mercies of Lagoma's actions. She remembers a pair of Mercies struggling fiercely to save the life of a desperately wounded shav, and she remembers so very keenly that courageous members of the Faith refused to allow stricken enemies to be massacred by vengeful Valardin knights and faced their swords until Prince Radley told the knights to stand down. Sophie saw a sort of courage in those unarmed healers that resonated with her, and her mind was made up from that moment on. As a very young adult, after extensive training as a Mercy in Blancbier, she traveled to Arx to study with the Faith. This put her on the path to becoming godsworn, giving up her family and potential titles and become sworn only to the gods and the crown while serving as the Mother Mercy of the Mercies of Lagoma of Arx. She knew how powerful the Valardin name is, and she knew she is in a unique position to be the one to speak for the defenseless, the sick and the injured. She knew full well that she could be the one woman in white whose voice can be heard by the truly powerful, and she felt she owes it to Lagoma and to the defenseless to be the one to speak it. But having established herself firmly in Arx, Princess Sophie Valardin felt it was time to become Sister Sophie Valardin, and she intends to leave the world in a better place than she found it. As of the summer of 1006 AR, following the still unsolved murder of her predecessor, she ascended to the position of Mother Mercy of Arx. So far, her tenure has seen to the development and implementation of the Harrowed Heart initiative, which treats post-traumatic stress. Improving the lives and the care of the denizens of the Lower Boroughs and the refugees in Arx continues to very much be a keystone of her service to Our Lady of Change.
  tone of her service to Our Lady of Change.)
• Alantir Valardin  + (How Alantir survived the Tragedy at Sanctu …
  How Alantir survived the Tragedy at Sanctum remains to this day a mystery. He has the scars to show for it, of course -- the raised and discolored tissue marring the majority of his bare chest and back. But the memories, beyond crawling from beneath a pile of corpses and burning debris? Hidden behind an impenetrable veil that obfuscates even his unconscious mind from uncovering the truth beneath. He talks about the event rarely, opting instead to busy himself with tasks entrusted to him on behalf of his family and its dignitaries. Outside of this blemish on an otherwise perfect record, he is very much the honor-bound and chivalrous knight one would expect to find bearing the crest of the White Dragon -- though perhaps with a negative predisposition toward the shav'arvani due to the great pain the Abandoned inflicted upon the Valardin psyche.
  ndoned inflicted upon the Valardin psyche.)
• Kael Keaton  + (How does one hide a noble child? An heir? …
  How does one hide a noble child? An heir? For Countess Nadine Keaton the answer was found by claiming the babe stillborn, and ghosting him away into the night to be raised by a loyal governess and keep hidden his identity. The plan was always to have him summoned after the danger (rumored to be Kael's Blackshore sire) passed. Except Nadine Keaton fell, the story saying she took her own life, and her sister Lady Margerie - not wise to the plan - reluctantly took the mantle of Countess. It was a great time later that she found out the truth and summoned the boy, now a man, to take his rightful place. The year was 1005 AR when Kael Keaton agreed to become Count, and began his transition. For months he spent time with tutors and agreed to a political marriage of his Aunt's arrangement. In 1006 he came to Arx, married Reigna Wyrmguard, and the pair began building. In 1009 AR the Count was granted the title of Marquis for steadfast work and expansion of their domain as well as contributions to the Compact. Now experienced in leadership, with numerous losses (the worst, if you ask him, the loss of his wife in 1017 AR) and triumphs under his belt, Kael continues to be a steady traditional presence in Arx as well as Oakhaven.
  ional presence in Arx as well as Oakhaven.)
• Ian Kennex  + (Ian was born the third son of a lesser bra …
  Ian was born the third son of a lesser branch of the family, far from power... but nevertheless, he seemed destined for greatness. He was hardy, athletic, and fearless, and he added to that a focus and ruthless drive that was almost inhuman. He found his calling at a mere five years old, the first time that he picked up a blade. From that moment on, he turned all of his being towards honing his skill, making himself into a more efficient weapon and, as he got older, a better killer. Ian followed his brothers Aethan and Porter to sea when he was nine. For his first few years, they stayed on relatively safe convoy duty, until it was judged that Ian, at fifteen, was ready for more. He'd already killed, after all, two years before -- the only one who was worried about him was Aethan, and only because Ian had handled that experience a little too well. With the youngest of them ready, the Brothers Kennex were transferred to hunting pirates. Intense Aethan, affable party boy Porter, and calm, driven Ian were making a name for themselves. It was with them that Washburn Grayson, soon to be Wash Kennex, learned to sail. Ian was starting to be acknowledged as one of the best swordsmen in the Isles. Aethan even gave him commands of his own from time to time. Only prize ships, but a real command was sure to follow. And then his life came crashing down. He was seventeen. Aethan had given him command of a prize ship they'd taken earlier that day. They set off for home together, but Ian's ship, severely damaged, fell behind. As darkness closed in that night, a powerful storm overtook them, and Ian soon realized that unless a broken line high in the rigging was spliced, the ship wouldn't bear the strain of the wind, and would sink... and the only person he was sure could get that line spliced was him. With the mast swaying wildly, he managed to repair the line, but on the way down, he fell. At first everyone thought he'd died, and maybe he should have had the sense to do so. If he had, he would have died a hero, instead of living his days as half a man, a paralyzed cripple. But Ian's focus and drive hadn't deserted him. Feeling started to come back after a little over a year, and he pushed himself the way that he always had, determined to walk again. It took years, but walk he did, and as soon as he could move around he was sent away to Arx, where he would find "more opportunity". There, his healing continued; under the tutelage of Duke Harald Grimhall and Duke Arn Telmar, he picked up a weapon again, and after that there was no stopping him. He led the Grim Fleet home after Duke Grimhall's injury at the battle in the north, and guarded a critical asset during the Pirate War in Setarco. He'll never again be the warrior he was, but in these desperate times, what he's become will have to do. Things are looking up for Ian. Prince Galen, the Warlord of Thrax, has put him in command of Thrax's special forces. He's married to Lady Zoey, formerly of Bisland -- a match far better than he had any right to expect -- and has even reunited with Wash, and with his brothers. War looms on the horizon, but Ian is a man more comfortable at war than at peace, and he's ready to fight.
  ar than at peace, and he's ready to fight.)
• Ianthe Artusio  + (Ianthe's only knowledge of the mother that …
  Ianthe's only knowledge of the mother that gave her life is the account of an Abandoned ship captain who found her mother adrift at sea, clinging to her newborn daughter. The man assumed that the woman was a thrall given her condition and the weak, incoherent pleas she made as she handed him her screaming baby. The woman died on the ship a couple days later. Knowing that a boat was no place for a baby, the captain made a hasty port and passed the infant off to be fostered by a merchant family he had had dealings with in Setarco. The man asked them to call the child Ianthe after his own dead daughter. Ianthe grew up in a happy home, learning the family silk trade. Occasionally, her savior would come to visit while he was in port, igniting a longing to see the world in little Ianthe. As soon as she could, Ianthe boarded the first ship out of Setarco. By pure luck, Ianthe happened to fall into an apprenticeship with an old trader who taught her how to trade raw materials from around the world to the best artists and then sell those items to customers who were willing to pay a pretty penny for beauty. He taught her to read, to write, and the manners she needed to deal with the more genteel clients to which he catered. When he died, Ianthe inherited his client list and has been doing a brisk trade ever since. She returns to her family on occasion to share the proceeds of her business, but doesn't stay rooted in any one place for too long.
  stay rooted in any one place for too long.)
• Ida Ferron  + (Ida Ferron is a skilled blacksmith, hailin …
  Ida Ferron is a skilled blacksmith, hailing from a small hamlet not far from Sanctum, and had spent as much time making and fixing arms and armor as she had repairing plows and horse shoes. She married young and had children young. Two boys and a girl. Her husband was a soldier in the Valardin army, and though theirs was no great love, he was good to her and honored her and she has no regrets. That their marriage was very cordial and polite, made his death in combat five years after they wed easier to bear. At a glance the strong woman is the very image of a hardworking, polite, plain spoken Valardin commoner. Her profession was not her true love though. Ida was the premier Pugilist of the West Marches. A student of what the Valardin like to call 'the sweet science' she was recognized as one of the very best bare-knuckle boxers in the West. After dusk there were many a night where she would fight all comers by flickering lamp light, and while her record was by no means perfect, if you were to ask someone to name a fighter that's beat her twice, they probably could not give you a name. Even now, she is notable for not only her raw power, gained from working steel between hammer and anvil, but also for her technical precision, and for having a sense of showmanship that does not come at the cost of fair play and sportsmanship. In short, she is the perfect fighter to appeal to Valardin sensibilities. She was much loved because of it and basked in the attention, which lead to great success as a smith because there are quite a few knights and lords that want to say their sword was crafted by a champion. Even Prince Edain was an ardent fan in those seemingly simpler times. Her children grew old enough to become apprenticed and moved on to live with their respective masters, and with little desire to remarry, she decided it was time to live a little and see how good she could really be before age could catch up to her and younger fighters passed her by. In 1003, she accepted a job to be one of the Valardin smiths in the City of Arx, and planned to work hard, play harder, and prove she was one of the best fighters in the land. Despite the dark times that were just beginning to dawn on the horizon, Ida couldn't help but smile and look forward to the adventures she would find. The years in Arx have treated her well. Knighted by Prince Edain, now Highlord of the Oathlands, in May of 1005, he named her the Hammer of the West. Her shop prospered early on and she has made great strides in perfecting her craft. She still fights, but her times in the ring aren't what they had been several years ago. Ida is more often seen teaching others the sweet science than going toe-to-toe with them. That isn't to say she wouldn't get into the ring, by any means; it's more that the course of her life has changed. Between being knighted and the requests for weapons from some of the city's greatest citizens, the time for late night brawls by lamp light has grown slim. She has served as an Assistant Guildmaster for the Crafter's Guild, forged House weapons, and become a Knight of the Templar Order. Her cast iron integrity and passionate devotions to both Jayus and Gloria seem to be leading her ever onward. There is still much work to be done, but then Ida is no stranger to hard work.
  but then Ida is no stranger to hard work.)
• Orvyn Harthall  + (If ever there was a man born to be a merch …
  If ever there was a man born to be a merchant, it is Orvyn. Trading and exploiting his cousins and other kids his age, or older during his childhood to trade up and cash in, whenever it was possible, and sometimes even when it was not. Routinely setting up schemes by which to make some money for others, but mainly himself, he became known as the one the other kids would go to to get things that their parents would not get for them themselves. It was clear, as a second son, that Orvyn's talents were to lay outside the keep, and instead of learning the nuances of court life, he set out upon the sea, Captain of one of the family's trading ships. He travelled all around Arvum, trading where he could, opening new contracts and learning about all sorts of foreign ideals and customs. It was early on in his trading life that he met with the Laurent family and it was not much longer that the courtship with Sunniva began. While his trading kept him away for most of the days, there were still the cherished few that he was able to visit and meet with her, growing to know her in small increments over the course of two years before they were finally married. Of course that was the happy news of the year, and as all good merchants know, good things always come with a cost. Later that year, his older brother, the heir apparent was killed during a bad horse accident, forcing Orvyn into the role of heir for the family's March and all their agreements without. Troubled at the loss of his brother, he returned home, new bride with, and stepped off his ship for what became quite an extended stay in Fair Harbor. Slowly learning the required skills and acclimatizing himself to the world of nobles and functions both from the aid of his father and from his wife, Orvyn began to gain some rudimentary aptitude for dealing with the day to day running of the march. Figuring the man still had much more time to learn, he did not throw himself too deeply into his studies, still longing for the sea and all the adventure that it held. This longing is what distracted him and caused him to be caught completely off guard when his father passed away suddenly, thrusting Orvyn immediately into rule. Now he is struggling to catch up, through plying the skills that he had learned long before he had an inkling he would be a Marquis.
  e he had an inkling he would be a Marquis.)
• Sameera Coldrain  + (If there is anything that Sameera hates it …
  If there is anything that Sameera hates it is gambling. It is the bane of her life because her mother, Strega, was a gambling addict. Strega took her gambling to extremes. Not a day went by, while Strega was alive, that Sameera did not hear of the ill fortune that Count Dravor Darkwater brought up Strega. While Sameera despises the name she was named for, she despised her mother just as much as she loved her, no, let there be a correction, she hated her mother more than she loved her. To explain why Sameera felt this way the story of her mother's, a merchant from Eurus, slightly younger life must be told, in brevity. Strega was always a gambler, a heavy one, and lost more than she won. It was a curse upon her life. Strega had a streak of luck one night, against Dravor, or so she though. Sure, it started out as luck but when Dravor saw how easily this pretty gambler was taken with winning he decided to take amusement in making her think she could defeat him. While in the process of throwing hands in the game they were playing he urged her to bid higher and whispered the sweetest of words into her ears, making her believe that even if she were to lose big he had a way to assure she did not end up a thrall. She believed him and the price she paid was her freedom for despite his honeyed words sleeping with him did not grant her freedom. Instead it gave her a daughter and she became indentured. Her gambling addiction did not help her get out of being a thrall, in fact it likely made things worse. Eventually the work she had to do between raising her child, gambling what little money she could get her hands on, and just the chore of living with little to no freedom eventually drove her insane then to her death. Sameera, you see, had to hear the tale of how her father betrayed her mother and manipulated her very often, almost daily. Once, when she was quite young Sameera saw her father, he had cruelly come to mock her mother and seduce her with his words once more and, like previously, Strega fell victim to it and Sameera was lucky she did not end up with another sibling as a result. To pay off the debt that Strega had fostered upon her with her death Sameera took up smithing jewels. It didn't net her much to live on, for most of it went to paying off her debt and getting supplies, but she found she could relax doing it. Escape the reality she lived in for a little while. Imagine the shock that she felt when her brother found her contract and set he free. His actions were met with mistrust, doubt even. Who's she to know if he was different than his father? Besides, he must be similar, since he simply freed her and did not acknowledge her as his sibling. He could say all the pretty things he wanted but she had decided to hold her joy at being freed and serve as a servant of his family until she has figured out the legitimacy of his actions and silken words. His summoning her to Arx was simply all part of her being a family servant, surely.
  art of her being a family servant, surely.)
• Iliana Leary  + (Iliana Laurent was born the younger cousin …
  Iliana Laurent was born the younger cousin of a lesser Laurent line and expected to be used in a number of ways: as a soldier and as marriage fodder. Life met up with her expectations in each of these ways, if not in the way she initially expected. She trained as a squire to a commoner knight in service to the Valardin, an unusual arrangement born in part from her family's practical, workhorse approach to life generally. She earned her military service the 'right way', so to speak. She was the subject of marriage negotiations with the Marquis of Leaholdt, where the brother of the sitting Marquis would join her in protecting her home and providing more Laurent heirs. Iliana didn't care particularly who she ended up marrying at that point; she was without romantic interests of her own, after having had only a few passing flirtations with fellow soldiers that never went anywhere dramatic or soul-filling. What came as a shock, however, was a few days before the ink was likely to be put to contract, the Marquis died, and her brother became, unexpectedly, the new Marquis of Leaholdt. Iliana prayed for guidance, not sure what else she could do. She dreamed of riding through the woods with her spear in hand, and took it as a sign -- whether it was or not -- that she should go through with it anyway, despite the dramatic overturn of her fortune and future. She had met Marquis Fairen Leary only a few times and found him quiet, not very military, and neither particularly interesting nor particularly objectionable. She married him for duty, and expected no love. What reality did not prepare her for was the shape of that middle ground. Fairen alternated between being aggressively competent (fine) and deeply annoying (not fine). She never hated him, but sometimes she wanted to hit him with a brick. They have yet to successfully create an heir, although not for lack of trying (on A SCHEDULE with CALENDAR DATES highlighted in COLORED INK are you even SERIOUS yes, yes apparently he is oh my god).
  IOUS yes, yes apparently he is oh my god).)
• Ilinca Corvini  + (Ilinca was born to the ruling family of a …
  Ilinca was born to the ruling family of a noble House. The eldest daughter, it was intended from the very moment that she came into the world that she would one day wear the mantle of leadership, overseeing all that belonged to the Corvini. For most born into such a position, this would mean a life of duty and expectation, yes, but also a life of wealth and of privilege. Not so for her. On the contrary, the life that the Corvini carved out for themselves after fleeing their lands three centuries ago was not an easy one. The new lands that they claimed on the far western shores of Arvum were neither lush nor welcoming, and for each year of living memory, they had only grown harsher and less hospitable. The time they had left was limited, their strength waning, and they knew it. And so her family had one expectation of her and it was always quite clear. Ilinca's duty was to ensure that her people survived -- by whatever means necessary. The question was how? Asking it - over and over and over again - soon became the center point of her life. It resulted in an insatiable appetite for answers and an education that could be called "unusual" at the very best - and even then, only if the speaker was feeling particularly kind. The problem was one to be examined from every possible again, with every possible solution considered and every bit of Corvini's past learned at the knees of the family matriarchs that came before her. What she had not expected was the solution that they found - or, rather, the solution that sailed into their port one still spring morning, bearing what seemed to her to be half the flags of the Houses of the Lyceum. Marriage. The Corvini would return to the Compact, and in order to seal the bargain between them and their would-be liege-lords, their heir apparent would wed Giulio Mazetti, a Lycene lord she'd never so much as seen, let alone spoken to. Her feelings on the subject were her own - and entirely irrelevant. This was the solution that they needed, the solution that would guarantee her House's survival. So when her mother but the question to her, she agreed with nothing more than a long, sober moment of reflection and a silent nod. Now she finds herself in Arx - a city she knows almost nothing about, save for what scholars could scrape together from their small library, with its books that are a few centuries out of date. She is surrounded by that seem not so very different from her own one moment and entirely foreign to her the next. And she has no idea precisely what her place is here, save that she is supposed to be securing safety and prosperity for Iasu. Thank the gods for sending so many of her kin along with her; her brothers and her cousins may well be the only allies she'll have.
  s may well be the only allies she'll have.)
• Ilira Whisper  + (Ilira came to Arx as a shadow of herself. …
  Ilira came to Arx as a shadow of herself. She needed both a soft place to land and something to rebound off, a new opportunity, and the capital never disappoints. The life she has led the last few years is distinctly different from the one before, of which she rarely speaks in more than vague terms. She'll tell freely of her childhood, her abandonment to a shav tribe of the Saffron Isles, of her years in Setarco she spent as a youth to hone graces practiced and innate. The details thin as the recount progresses. By sixteen, she was traveling on her own up and down the Chain and beyond, known to all for her beauty and vivacity. "Ilira the little sun," many called her. And then something happened at eighteen: she disappeared. For months, there was a search to no avail, until, one day, she reappeared on the shores of her island by the same tree the shav had found her beneath as a newborn. When asked where she had gone, she only said, "A place afar," with a conspiratory smile for the horizon itself. She did not linger in the place she once called home long. Life and adventure awaited her beyond, and she went forth into the world to pursue it. The gaps between contact grew longer and longer. The people who knew her would notice changes each time she returned--a new skill or a fresh look, or simply the experience that weighed behind her eyes. But the last return was different. She seemed half of herself, withdrawn and solemn in a way completely uncharacteristic to the scintillant girl of before. She retired to that island a while, contemplating her next steps and deriving comfort from her old home. It was in this time that she first set her sights on the capital--the fresh start it presented. So late in spring, right around the formation of the whirlpool, she readied herself to sail north. Ilira slipped into life here with quiet, delicate ease. She joined the Bard's College first, the Whispers second, serving her role as courtier with grace and subtlety for three years. Some of her greatest talents were kept all but to herself in this time. But gradually, through connections, resources, and support, she shed that reservation and rediscovered her fire, a phoenix's change from the person she arrived as. She thirsts to live and do and be all that she may, and everything cultivated to this point is just a beginning. So the question remains: a beginning to what?
  the question remains: a beginning to what?)
• Dawn Grayson  + (Illegitimate children of nobility have sca …
  Illegitimate children of nobility have scandalously existed since time immemorial, though the Grayson Dynasty has mostly avoided embarrassment since the time of Alarice the Great. Lady Dawn Baseborn despises the circumstances of her birth being a rare exception to that, and her stature as the only elder sibling to King Alaric Grayson IV put her firmly in a painful spotlight. Her father King Alaric III refused to ever discuss her commoner mother with anyone, giving Dawn the less than satisfying answer that he would talk to her 'when she was older', a claim he never made good on before his death. The unanswered questions eat at her, in the rare moments she has to dwell upon it. She knows her father would have loved to legitimize her, and make her a formal Grayson, but was afraid to take the risk that her claim would be contested after his death. She had hoped her half-brother when he became king would finally make her a Grayson, but he has repeatedly delayed until he has an heir. Despite this, Dawn is not a bitter woman. Her father raised her at court, taking great pains to instill in Dawn and her brother the responsibilities of leadership, an ironclad sense of duty towards their subjects, and a great sense of integrity and personal honor. Dawn, at least, took the lessons to heart and the young woman represents a far closer ideal to Grayson Monarch virtues than her brother ever has. 'Lady' Dawn is accustomed to the carefully crafted slights and barely masked derision of other nobles, including ones who might dare to refuse to grant her the courtesy title of a lady, for the young woman possesses both the foresight and propriety to know how disasterous responding to those provocations might be. Many in House Grayson at least recognize the young woman's levelheaded judgement and extreme competence, and some even forget her illegitimate status and mistakenly call her Princess Dawn Grayson or 'your highness' without thinking of it. Her brother granted her the authority to act as High Lord of House Grayson in his stead, an unheard of honor for a bastard child, though Dawn knows that it was largely because Alaric the younger simply did not want to deal with the work of high lordship when he could be spending his time with courtesans or attractive young women at court. She took the responsibility of rule fully knowing her brother will take any credit and glory that she wins in the position. She can abide that. She's her father's daughter, after all.
  t. She's her father's daughter, after all.)
• Imane Zeva  + (Imane Zeva was raised in Arx and her child …
  Imane Zeva was raised in Arx and her childhood was pretty normal. Her mother was a seamstress and her father was a broker. She lived happily in a little two room home above the shop her parents worked in. She managed to get a decent education, and her mother taught her how to sew and design clothing when she caught her daughter taking bits of fabric to sew into doll clothing. When she came of age, her parents had saved enough to buy a modest farmstead outside of the city, and they began to pack up to move. Imane decided to stay, the city is what she knows, and she isn't ready to leave yet.
  e knows, and she isn't ready to leave yet.)
• Imi Deadfall  + (Imi Deadfall is the last of her line, the …
  Imi Deadfall is the last of her line, the daughter of a Baron whose stand was epic, noble, and yet ultimately one that brought about the fall of House Deadfall. She was raised in the lands of ice and snow, far to the north where the sway of the Compact comes to its most tenuous end. In the frozen plains, under the shadow of tall mountains, Deadfall eeked out a living in leather trade and ice-shipments to lands further south and kept guard on the northern most frontier for their liege. The only daughter born to the Baron, Imi was raised with affection and a great deal of indulgence. Squiring with the Sword of Deadfall, Imi learned the arts of war and battle. Studying under the priest of their village, she picked up the rudiments of Pantheonic religion. And watching her father at court, the young woman was tempered with a sense of true justice...and later learning that being truly just is a difficult road to walk when politics requires greater flexibility. When the Bringers of Silence began their march, Deadfall was in the way. Betrayed by Tolamar Brand the village was overrun while trying to buy time, to delay the Bringers from marching through the pass that the Deadfalls held. Imi wanted to stand next to her father, but was instead sent away, to the south. She would have protested harder, had she not been charged with seeing the defenseless to safety. So she road south before the battle, leading the way on a hell-bent charge to safety. It wouldn't be the first ride south, as she had to keep going before each new onslaught. The people she lead south grew with each village they went through, until finally Arx was in sight. But Arx did not provide safety, and Imi got her wish to stand in defense of the defenseless, to try to exact justice on the Bringers. For her valiant efforts in the Siege of Arx, and recognizing her family and holdfast were gone, Imi was offered a chance to join the King's Own and take up the silver sword. It's an opportunity she accepted, and has served them without complaint since then.
  served them without complaint since then.)
• Charis Durant  + (In Oakhaven, it's a common jest that Simon …
  In Oakhaven, it's a common jest that Simon and Thais Durant could populate their own crafters' guild with their extended family alone. Theirs is a line known to be called to Jayus' service and they've answered that call, both individually and as parents. Simon, a woodworker, and Thais, a glass-blower, number four children of their own, and countless cousins, nieces and nephews sponsored, fostered and apprenticed through the years. Of these, Charis was third-born of their own brood and most easily distracted in her youth. She was inclined to daydreaming through windows (many of them constructed by her parents) when she should have been minding the lessons of her master tailor aunt, Dorcas. When a motley band of ruin-explorers and relic-hunters rolled through Oakhaven on the way to adventure, the Durants didn't stand a chance of competing. A wink, a crooked grin and a beckoning wave were all it took. Charis abandoned her studies and left home. Being neither scholar nor adventurer, she took up training with the mercenaries who were hired on to watch the backs of the less robust members of the group. She flourished, living, laughing, loving. Fighting. Years passed. And then they ventured into the wrong ruins, sought out the wrong relics. When Charis returned to Oakhaven, she was older and scarred. She did not or could not tell her family what happened but they opened their arms to her all the same. She resumed her apprenticeship with Aunt Dorcas, took up needle and thread again. Years passed, but they were spent in quietly, in study, in renewed devotion to her craft. In time, when her skill with those tools passed what skill she'd once possessed with her swords, she was recognized as a master in her own right, committed to the promotion of Oathlands fashion as rival to even the Lyceum and its artisans.
  rival to even the Lyceum and its artisans.)
• Teagan Blackram  + (In a family that prides itself on its clos …
  In a family that prides itself on its closeness to the land, Teagan Blackram grew up in the shadow of her more physical and agrarian brother. It is a matter of fact that so did everyone else, so Teagan reasoned that this was a Reasonable Thing and thus not worthy of fuss. In many ways she found this rather liberating, as her brother being responsible for matters of defense and diplomacy left her free to study economics and law, in her mind the two great constants of the universe. Indeed, she grew up a largely quiet and studious child, though many suspected this was an act of rebellion in deciding to be agreeable before it was demanded of her. This would prove to be an elaborately crafted masque for she studied only up until the point she was able to prove she was superior to the family steward by leaps and bounds, thus replacing him in matters of finance and personell within the Blackram household. While never quite seen as a likeable or particularly charismatic figure, her ability to be both fair and practical (if never generous) with funds allowed the Blackram family to not only survive but prosper in the face of yearly Shav raids and the expectations of a populace that saw their lieges as more friends and neighbors than landowners. With the death of their father just two years ago the Blackram siblings have settled into a pattern: he the head that commands and the hands that execute, but she provides the framework that these decisions require to be effective. More than one suitor has been lured in by her intelligence and beauty only to be financially ruined and facing legal sanction, as she has deigned that only a man able to profit in spite of adversity shall have her hand.
  in spite of adversity shall have her hand.)
• Damaris Arenir  + (In less than a generation, Damaris Arenir …
  In less than a generation, Damaris Arenir has gone from her grandfather's farm in the hills of central Arvum to walking the halls of some of the greatest noble families of the land. It's a rise that would be dizzying if she stopped to long to think about it -- but fortunately, she excels at not thinking too much about uncomfortable things. Her mother Alysse was a sheepfarmer's daughter who ran away from home to fight for House Bisland during the campaigns against the Shav incursions. Not the most auspicious start, but she proved to be a good soldier, and, when she had the opportunity, she turned out to be a /great/ soldier. The Duke of Pridehall himself tapped her shoulders with his sword and made her a knight, and, when Alysse perished in his service, he repaid her for her loyalty by making sure her young daughter would be trained as a knight in turn. Damaris has done everything in her power to avoid giving him reason to regret it. She's worked hard at every turn to make herself into something her mother would be proud of. Whatever she's asked to do, she does, and, if she's ever said a word against the Duke, his family, or his lieges in House Grayson, she's done so where no one could hear her. If you didn't know any better, her manners and her fighting skills are polished enough that you might think she was born to knighthood. But she knows better, and she never forgets it.
  he knows better, and she never forgets it.)
• Tempest Fuller  + (In practicality Tempest is a bastard, his …
  In practicality Tempest is a bastard, his birth planned by his parents but without consent of the families involved. He was officially acknowledged but his parents were never married and their dreams of a marriage of love, forced by the birth of their child were never realized. The boy was raised largely by both, shuffled about from relative to relative until he was twelve and sent to train in the art of swordsmanship, a page to a minor knight. He could not say he loved the man, nor mourned his eventual passing but it bought him his spurs and the white belt of a Knight and escape from the family which found him to be an awkward addition no one quite knew what to do with once his parents were safely(if not happily) wed to others. He has spent much of his time now alone, honing his own sense of justice within the mountains, returning only to the settlements and cities when called to his duties as a Knight.
  ies when called to his duties as a Knight.)
• Geraint Blackwood  + (In the bleak climate of the stormwall, the …
  In the bleak climate of the stormwall, the Blackwood tribe has ever stood betwixt other tribes of Abandoned, holding the peace by strength of arms and sheer determination. It was to these people, in the shadow of the blackwoods trees, that Geraint was born. The blood in his veins was that of a ruler, his father the chieftain at the time, but it afforded him little softness or coddling - unlike the nobles of some 'civilized' lands, he was expected to stand as strong as any of their warriors or laborers, and faced as many hardships as they had to test and temper his body and resolve. When time came for war, he was expected to take up arms and prove himself the leader he was born to be - and he did, time and again, blood shed by his hands earning him the respect of the warriors and his people. He wed a woman by the name of Angharad, their first daughter born early in their marriage, and their fiery relationship was as vibrant and heated as the rest of the life that he lived. When the time of his father's death came, he was ready to step up to the task, with his aging mother Mati to advise him and his people behind him. He ruled the tribe in peace - and in war - and life was good, for a time, and the tribe prospered. It was only with the birth of his third child, a son, that things began to darken rather than the celebration it should have been. It was a hard birth, and Angharad did not survive - and to compound his sorrow, the old shaman spoke that it was an ill omen of times to come. It was the shadow that lingered still upon his brow that made him listen when his eldest daughter Ysbail came to him, when she spoke of a dark time coming for the tribes, of fire and blood and slavery that would rain upon them. When she spoke of the nigh-unthinkable - bending knee and joining the Compact that their ancestors had turned their backs on. Her foresight led the tribe to be ready when Brand's forces marched, and despite his pride he knelt to their Crovane neighbors for protection as Prodigals. With the aid of his daughter, after the Siege of Arx, they united what remained of the tribes and clans surrounding their ancestral lands, and he was named Marquis of Stormarch - and led his people into a new future.
  ch - and led his people into a new future.)
• Castor Redwind  + (In the quiet farming village north of Ston …
  In the quiet farming village north of Stonedeep, nestled in the mountains, known as Redhaven. It guards Redhaven's Pass, by far one of the most treacherous was to get to Whitehold and rarely used. The lowly Baron Dominic Redwind, former Lieutenant of the army, retired to married life with Haruka Devonshire, a courtier vassal of the Grayson family. He has come to the city in hopes of proving himself somewhat worthy to be heir. Cas has come to Arx with his mother's assistance to seek knowledge and better himself for the road ahead. He has much self learning to do.
  ad ahead. He has much self learning to do.)
• Rand Pirran  + (In the relatively recent past, Rand would …
  In the relatively recent past, Rand would occasionally talk of his prosaic upbringing as the son of a miller. While growing up, he showed unusual skill in the popular, rough and tumble boyhood games aping combat. He would dominate the mock fights with sticks, standing unchallenged right up to the point when he became aware that others were watching, whether with amusement or true interest. Then he would either wander away to more solitary pursuits, or participate in a greatly less effective and enthusiastic manner. His mother would tell him, "No one is watching you in particular. Don't worry about it." His father would tell him, "Of course they're watching. Be your best and revel in it." I suppose no one really knows which parent he believed more. In any case, neither were particularly thrilled when, as a young man, he chose to become a Godsworn Templar. He, himself, was heedless of the risks that paralyzed them and continued onto a path that soon saw him ensconced in Arx itself. Having survived the Siege of Arx, Rand traveled back to check on his parents with a comrade from nearby lands. The night they arrived was the night that Rand's parents and his comrade all died. Some have said that things might have turned out the same for his parents even if the two Templars had not arrived at that time, but Rand thinks differently. He believes that the people he fought and killed that night, the same night his parents were killed and all their possessions put to the torch, were mad cultists who would not have attacked in his absence. Perhaps it's even true. What is certain is that Rand's journey had to be changed to include burying three bodies. And he doesn't talk much about the past anymore.
  doesn't talk much about the past anymore.)
• Leonel Velenosa  + (In the wake of her first-born disappearing …
  In the wake of her first-born disappearing into the world abroad, Emma Velenosa had already begun to dig her nails into what had swiftly become the more treasured and lauded of her sons. Born either from wracking guilt of her mishandling and her error regarding Gaspar or perhaps simply out of a selfish desire to have at least one child that, in her eyes, succeeded how and where he was expected to, Leonel was coddled, spoiled, and cloistered away for what his mother discerned to be a proper upbringing. Much of his early life was spent under her enforced and gruelling regimen; long hours of tutelage with accomplished scholars, training with swordsmasters, and under his mother's own wing in the finer points of courtly conduct. She worked tirelessly to try and sharpen his mind beyond what dusty tomes could manage, and impart a measure of cunning and guile in him - to impart knowledge of secret, and whispered games that the Peerage play behind closed doors. Despite thriving under the wing of a loving - albeit overbearing - mother, Leonel's life had been plagued by a simple question that burned in his mind; the whereabouts and circumstances of his elder brother's departure. Though he knew him little, and had been without him for more years than with, it was that nagging curiosity and desire to reconnect that brought him out into the world, beyond his high walls.
  out into the world, beyond his high walls.)
• Leonel Inverno  + (In the wake of her first-born disappearing …
  In the wake of her first-born disappearing into the world abroad, Emma Velenosa had already begun to dig her nails into what had swiftly become the more treasured and lauded of her sons. Born either from wracking guilt of her mishandling and her error regarding Gaspar or perhaps simply out of a selfish desire to have at least one child that, in her eyes, succeeded how and where he was expected to, Leonel was coddled, spoiled, and cloistered away for what his mother discerned to be a proper upbringing. Much of his early life was spent under her enforced and gruelling regimen; long hours of tutelage with accomplished scholars, training with swordsmasters, and under his mother's own wing in the finer points of courtly conduct. She worked tirelessly to try and sharpen his mind beyond what dusty tomes could manage, and impart a measure of cunning and guile in him - to impart knowledge of secret, and whispered games that the Peerage play behind closed doors. Despite thriving under the wing of a loving - albeit overbearing - mother, Leonel's life had been plagued by a simple question that burned in his mind; the whereabouts and circumstances of his elder brother's departure. Though he knew him little, and had been without him for more years than with, it was that nagging curiosity and desire to reconnect that brought him out into the world, beyond his high walls.
  out into the world, beyond his high walls.)