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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

• Pietro Igniseri  + (Pietro Igniseri was born second, seven min …
  Pietro Igniseri was born second, seven minutes after Vincere, the first son and technically the heir. When the twins were born, the Marquesa Igniseri of the city-state of Granato was married to the Marquis Igniseri, and their first few years of life were fairly normal. But the Marquis -- a much older man -- died in Arx when the twins were but three years old, and their mother left them in care of their nurse to pursue the goals of House Igniseri herself. She married again when they were 7, a lesser count who pursued her relentlessly. There were rumors that the count was the author of their father's death, and Pietro grew up especially resentful of the man, who was unusually bookish and intelligent for a noble and spent many hours doing his best to ingratiate himself with the boys by teaching them things. Vincere was more receptive than Pietro to the contents of books, which did not move around or go hunting enough for Pietro's tastes. When the promising young boys were 13, their stepfather died in an "accident" in the Lycene countryside on a trip to Granato. Rumors abounded about how it happened, but an investigation by their aunt turned up significant evidence that their mother, the Marquesa, was responsible. She lost significant reputation capital, and in part to keep her family intact, she agreed to a fosterage contract with House Rubino so that her boys could be raised through their teen years as wards of her liege. This was done to keep the woman whose reputation grew over the years as the Badger of Granato in line. Training with their liege-lord's children, the Igniseri twins grew more capable. Their training separated them somewhat -- Pietro could not get enough of battle and action, while Vincere grew subtler and quicker to grasp the greater needs of a commander -- but both were united, over time, in both their loyalty to each other and their hunger to improve their family's fortunes after their mother's mismanagement. The Badger remarried again. The knight she married, Sir Jalawyn, was little better than a commoner, although he was unusually handsome. She mainly kept in touch with her sons via correspondence -- once they attained their majority they returned to Granato to manage the city-state and develop the family fortune. They both learned much of the military arts and Pietro especially took troops of men out onto the roads to Gemecitta and beyond to hunt brigands and glory and anything else he could stab appropriately. (Vincere rode out sometimes, too, but honestly he just had better things to do most of the time.) But when Marquis Sir Jalawyn Igniseri died six months ago -- poisoned, though the Badger still swears it wasn't by her hand -- she did not remarry, but found herself strongly advised by her fellow Lycenes to leave Arx and send her perfectly capable heir in her place to manage for the Igniseri fortunes. Her capable son of course is Vincere, but Pietro will never leave his side ? so the two of them ventured to the capital to turn this ship around and sail their disgraced family into better fortunes.
  eir disgraced family into better fortunes.)
• Podraig Gwent  + (Podraig was born and raised among the shav …
  Podraig was born and raised among the shav'arvani people of the Shadowood. The clan Gwent were hunters by renown, but often served as warriors to help defend neighboring lands when called for. He had the typical upbringing a young man of his clan received: training with a short-spear, how to move quickly and quietly through the forest, and a wealth of knowledge about the Shadowood. While he proved a talented hunter, Podraig was always more inclined to keep to himself and wasn't big on words. He didn't complain when they assigned him to night watch duty as it gave him the many hours of quiet contemplation that he enjoyed. He was a touch too sober for his brothers, sisters, and cousins so it was best for all. After an encounter with Natalia Whisper, Podraig agreed to return to Arx with her to work as her bodyguard. It was also an opportunity for the shav'arvani man to experience life in the city. After over a year in her service, she convinced him to join the Compact. He approached House Keaton and swore his fealty, to which the Marquis accepted.
  his fealty, to which the Marquis accepted.)
• Darby Grayhope  + (Poor families perpetuate across Arx and Da …
  Poor families perpetuate across Arx and Darby was born to a mother who soon abandoned him with his charming scoundrel of a father. A large babe, then an imposing kid, he was bullying the neighborhood with gusto since he could spit in someone's general direction. Learning was for people who couldn't punch hard enough, and reading and writing fell aside before his other talents, most of which aren't very nice. He spent a life enforcing the wills of others, content to stand in the way of trouble, which has battered and mangled him. Fresh off a sour deal, the last man standing has come to Arx under the verbal impression that he's related to the Grayhopes and that hopefully they will fare better.
  and that hopefully they will fare better.)
• Poppy Stahlben  + (Poppy had a wonderful childhood. Just ask …
  Poppy had a wonderful childhood. Just ask her about it. While her brother and cousins were busy learning about spirits, the sword and leading, she was allowed the freedoms to follow her heart. Whether it was to wander the forests and look after wounded animals she'd come across or listen to the stories of the elders, nothing was off limits for this girl. As she blossomed into a young lady, studies about healing and religious rituals captured her attention. Those tender cares she gave the animals as a small child turned to helping people and learning about Lagoma from the visiting knights of Solace and Mercies, a curious passion for a shamanistic tribes member. Her life was idyllic and set to become the medicine woman for her people until Tolmar Brand swept through their lands. In an instant, her charmed life ended. She watched her parents die, her cousin become a leader, her brother take up arms and then her people cry in fear every night. Day by day she watched the population of her home dwindle. She finally learnt what fear and anger felt like, which only made the relief when Magnus bent and Houses Halfshav and Sanna came to rescue them. Seeing her cousin become count and watching him leave for the compact inspired her to follow close behind with grand plans on how she will be able to help save her family and bring all the new healing arts to her people.
  ng all the new healing arts to her people.)
• Nathaniel Vaughn  + (Possessed of some notable skill as a jewel …
  Possessed of some notable skill as a jewelcrafter, Nathaniel rose from humble origins to gain the patronage of a count sworn to the service of Valardin. In this capacity, despite earlier dealings with rough-and-tumble folk, his future seemed assured. Fate had other things in mind: In a disastrous turn of fortune, the count seized Nathaniel's holdings and banished him from his lands, over a trespass known to few. Undeterred, the man has wandered to a few places since, calling in favors and making connections, before at last landing in the capital city, where he aims to amass a boundless fortune.
  here he aims to amass a boundless fortune.)
• Deoiridh Unknown  + (Precious little is known of the huntress t …
  Precious little is known of the huntress that goes by the name of Deoiridh, apart from her evident Shav'arvani origins. Tight-lipped, she rarely speaks of her erstwhile tribe and home amongst the Abandoned, least of all with strangers. What /is/ known, however, is that she was brought into the civilised world - into the Compact - through indentured servitude. Whatever the details of such an arrangement might be remains anyone's guess, though doubtless it is known to her and perhaps to her original captors, whoever they may have been.
  ginal captors, whoever they may have been.)
• Dagon Thrax  + (Prince Dagon Thrax, heir to the House Thra …
  Prince Dagon Thrax, heir to the House Thrax and future Prince of Maelstrom, is not what most Thrax expected and very few wanted. Most in House Thrax are weaned upon tales of hard men in hard times, pragmatic men who brutally do anything necessary for victory. Dagon's father Elton was instead a more gentle sort, much to the consternation and disappointment of Dagon's grandfather, Prince Donrai Thrax, who is every bit as brutal and ruthless as any Thraxian vassal could hope for. But Prince Elton was a quiet dreamer who raised Dagon upon tales of knighthood, chivalry and honor, hoping to not have a brutish reaver as a son, though it is doubtful he ever could have suspected how closely his lessons would have been taken to heart. Dagon grew up a true idealist, one who is determined to change the way that House Thrax is perceived and rule with honor, dignity, compassion and justice... much to the consternation of many of his fellows in House Thrax. After his father's death during the House Tyde rebellion, the very young Dagon dedicated himself to knightly ideals. He -never- lies and is visibly uncomfortable with anything like a half-truth, and takes honesty to a fault. He is unfailingly polite in a true courtly fashion, standing in marked contrast to the crass way his fellows comport themselves in House Thrax, though he never attempts to shame them and conducts himself with the quiet humility that doesn't pass judgment on his fellows. He is dedicated to the defense of the weak and helpless, taking this to the old fashioned and romanticized ideal as a defender of women, and placing great value on chastity and purity. He does, however, take his vows of loyalty and service to his family extremely seriously, and while he might wish to reform the House and address its injustices, he takes a measured and honorable approach that does not ever risk breaking any of his sacred vows. His honor is that of the diligent paragon so rarely seen in House Thrax, and while he might work to further the ends of a House often seen as heartless or cruel, he hopes to eventually win over the doubters.
  hopes to eventually win over the doubters.)
• Donrai Thrax  + (Prince Donrai Thrax has been the ruler for …
  Prince Donrai Thrax has been the ruler for House Thrax so long that many throughout Arvum think of him and House Thrax interchangeably, which is just how the ancient prince likes it. Ascending to high lord at a young age, several generations of Thraxians have only known his coldly capable, ruthlessly competent rule. Donrai has never set out to be loved by his people, and there's little doubt in that he has succeeded- but he is respected, as a cold and relentlessly determined leader ever seeking to carve out greater strength for House Thrax no matter the cost to others.
  House Thrax no matter the cost to others.)
• Enoch Grayson  + (Prince Enoch Grayson was born as the secon …
  Prince Enoch Grayson was born as the second cousin to King Alaric Grayson IV and cousin to Princess Lark Grayson. As he grew up, he appeared to take a significant respect to the Gods of the Pantheon. While not much is known from how he was raised aside that he had been training to be a knight since a very young age, what is known is that despite his class in life, he //loves// the people, down to the lowest commoner. He often hung around the Lower Boroughs as a result. However, despite a promising life of a noble, he saw that in these troubling times, the pawns must protect the king and queen, much akin to a game of chess. Thus did he focus the majority of his life to his knighthood. Eventually, due to his skill and loyalty, despite his young age, he was given an offer to join the King's Own, the personal and elite guard of the King himself. The highest honor a knight could achieve. Thus, despite his royal bloodline, Enoch gave up his rights of nobility and joined the King's Own, where he walks this road to wherever that road will take him.
  road to wherever that road will take him.)
• Grimgar Redrain  + (Prince Grimgar Redrain, or as some call hi …
  Prince Grimgar Redrain, or as some call him when he is not around 'Prince Grim', he is a cousin of the main Redrain family raised mostly with his own family. As a child he was sickly, dangerously so. His mother doted on him and his father worried for his survival. As the boy grew up has was followed by a healer who was hiered to follow him everywhere. It annoyed Grimgar at first and more so when he started training to fight. They did not want to give him weapons training but in the end he won that battle. He trained his weak body into something strong. Now he is bigger than his father and twice as healthy. Now he rides for Arx, taking with him a new healer, not because he needs it but to ease his mothers worries about him. Grimgar wants to make a name for himself as a warrior and maybe even find someone to marry at some point...maybe.
  nd someone to marry at some point...maybe.)
• Jameson Valardin  + (Prince Jameson never wanted the greatness …
  Prince Jameson never wanted the greatness he was born into. He was (And is) expected to take up his role to go forth and shake hands and make friends and lead in the way he is meant to...and he wants none of it. Some day he might, of course, but currently he wants other things. He was always at home in the wild, and he would constantly sneak out either on his own, or convince his hunters and guards to take him out. He was a natural with a bow and the wild, and became skilled there while still lacking many of the normal social niceties his position expected. He is educated, as well, to a point. Skilled from many private tutors, he often takes a book with him into the wild, to read in the 'silence' of it all. During the recent wars he aided his house, not as some metal-clad knight, but as a leader of the scouts and wilderness spies. He found great use there. Recently, he was promoted to Master of the Hunt.
  ly, he was promoted to Master of the Hunt.)
• Leonidas Thrax  + (Prince Leonidas Thrax was born to Draco Th …
  Prince Leonidas Thrax was born to Draco Thrax and Evelyn Grayson in their home. Born as the second oldest child after Lilith, Leonidas was perhaps the most brash and socially aggressive of his siblings. He always got into heated arguments and often times solved them with his commanding presence or with the age-old Thraxian tradition of punching someone else in the face. Nevertheless, when he came of age, Leonidas immediately set out to the seas to seek his oppurtunity in the world. Since, Gods know, he hated being handed //anything//. He had to earn it. He wanted to earn it. And he did earn it. Pillaging many ships at sea and earning some amount of renown, Leonidas never quite found love or anyone to end his slight degree of loneliness. But, to steal a sailor from the sea is a heinous crime indeed. Alas, now 26 years old and an experienced captain on the high seas and in commanding his ragtag motley crew, Leonidas returns to the Compact, hoping to bring honor to his House as a Prince of Thrax. Oh, the adventures yet to come!
  f Thrax. Oh, the adventures yet to come!)
• Rian Velenosa  + (Prince Renzo Velenosa always sworn that hi …
  Prince Renzo Velenosa always sworn that his first and only love would always be the sea. That was before he met a beautiful lady of a minor house name Elestia. She stole his heart and he made sure to do the required tasks that her father demanded so that he could marry her and take her back to Lenosia. And she was well accepted and soon with child and born is Prince Rian Velenosa. And many younger siblings came to follow. After since he could crawl, he had a fascination with the sea and sailing. There were even a few times that as a child he snuck aboard his father's ship as a stowaway and when found, Renzo wasn't upset, instead her encourages his son's curiosity in the sea and sailing, teaching him all that he knows himself. And as he grew he enlisted within the ranks of the fleet and worked his way up to being one of the senior captains. Now arriving in Arx to offer what aid he can.
  arriving in Arx to offer what aid he can.)
• Tristram Valardin  + (Prince Tristram, the Prince in Purple, the …
  Prince Tristram, the Prince in Purple, the Champion of Arlenwood, eldest son of Alareon, is a man spurred to heroism and gallantry by the sort of guilt only an older brother can bear. When his brother, Aurelian, was kidnapped, the seven-year-old Tristram was whisked away from the bandit attack by guards before he could bring his wooden sword to bear against the assailants. Despite his protests, he was not allowed on the subsequent expedition that saved Aurelian; and he firmly believed that had he been there, his brother would not have been so sad, so stripped of his childlike sense of adventure. This would have been bad enough, until his mother as well as his childhood crush Sasha were slain and his sister Malorie abducted when he was 16. His father, whom he would hold in contempt and anger for many years thereafter, had allowed himself to be wheedled by Malorie to go off on a sailing trip with what Tristram would consider inadequate protection. Such grim events left Tristram devastated, but rather than succumb to his grief, he drove himself to the task of finding what happened to Malorie and bringing justice to the murderers and kidnappers who had struck that day. Confiding only in Aurelian in a tearful farewell, he took up sword and bow and rode the Oathlands with but a small retainer, determined to get to the bottom of the assault on his family. His father had to rely on the occasional message from a retainer to know what his son was up to, as Tristram wrote only rarely, and even then only to Aurelian. Travelling far and wide, he found little evidence of what had happened to Malorie in his pursuit of justice. On his travels, he took to the life of a knight-errant well, not allowing himself to be claimed by the darkness of vengeance, he developed a sense of gallantry and chivalry and a deep love for the commonfolk. Over the years, he earned accolades while dealing firmly but fairly with the marauding bandits he would come across. Years passed as he searched, until he heard of a Chieftain who had come to lead three notorious shav tribes and who Tristram thought might lead him to his mother's killer. Just as Tristram was devising a way to approach him, the chieftain, growing bold, dared to strike at the village of Arlenwood in which Tristram was staying. Riding forth with but a small band of retainers, Tristram ended the chief's ambitions--and those of his sub-chiefs--with three near-impossible arrow shots that passed through trees and branches to slay them in rapid succession, earning the gratitude of the villagers in what came to be known as the Battle of the Three Arrows. Unfortunately for Tristram, the surviving shavs did not lead him any closer to his sister. When word reached him of the death of his father and the events of the Tragedy, he was shocked; when he heard that his sister had returned, he was amazed. Spurring his horse towards Arx, the Prince-Errant rode hellbent for leather to rejoin the family and lend his aid in its restoration. While chafing somewhat at the barrier that relocating to Arx places on his taste for adventure, he is well aware that Valardin needs as many examples of hope in this time of turmoil as possible, and strives to rise to the challenge.
  ble, and strives to rise to the challenge.)
• Valerion Valardin  + (Prince Valerion is the firstborn son Princ …
  Prince Valerion is the firstborn son Princess Rayna Valardin and a match with a noble of a minor house, with his father joining the Valardin family. He was born in White City in the summertime on the same day as a great tragedy within his family. Though his father was a valiant knight with fierce skill in battle he died tragically during the Tyde Rebellion, the Thraxian conflict that took the life of King Alaric III, the father of the sleeping king. As a child he read obsessively, to the point that jests were made about his habits. He became a noted warrior later in his teen years, although he did not initially seem inclined to martial habits. However, apparently from something he had read, Valerion became motivated to become a warrior and like all things he set his mind to he excelled at it. At the age of thirteen, Valerion was briefly squired with Lord Commander Dayne Valardin, and from all reports began to grow into a highly skilled and capable fighter, with the potential to distinguish himself well at tournaments, although he has shown little interest in entering the lists - he never loved the song of swords the way that valiant men like his cousin, Prince Edain did. Valardin men will say that Valerion loves his books more than anything else. Prince Valerion often likes to visit the grave of long dead ancestors of Valardin with only his harp and when he returns he sings songs of such beauty they could reduce women to tears. Although Valerion is often dour, private and bookish, the Valardin perhaps notice that when he takes to the listing the cheers from women of all stations in life can be thunderous. It is as if he inspires the people with his very presence and doesn't seem to notice. Valerion has never once accepted a marriage proposal that was presented. He almost never states why that is but it seems that he is more dedicated to his duties to his House and family than anything else. More than once he has simply abandoned a courtship that seemingly was going well, and his mind seems drawn to martial matters, even if he takes little pleasure in it. The forces of Valardin are quite large and the house has no shortage of skilled fighters. His mind for strategy and his ability to improvise in combat has made him a valuable leader. When in battle it is usually within his honor to lead the vanguard, and he does so effectively - suffering minimal casualties and using his forces to the utmost precision.
  using his forces to the utmost precision.)
• Ailys Grayson  + (Princess Ailys Grayson, daughter of Prince …
  Princess Ailys Grayson, daughter of Prince Rodric Grayson and Lady Daniela Bisland, was born with all the patience and composure that her oldest brother, Ainsley, would prove to lack. Those present for the event later joked that she came out of the womb with more poise and grace than even the most veteran of diplomats. So, of course, it is to everyone's dismay that she refused to become a politician, instead applying those gifts to perfecting her bedside manner in the field of medicine. She knew early on that she would need to learn how to mend flesh and bone; after all, her siblings were always getting hurt in their training. Providing assistance in those moments came naturally. She instinctively tended to cuts and scrapes. It started with Ainsley but soon encompassed all of the children that trained under her uncle, Duke Gabriel Bisland, as well. By the age of ten, she was watching a sparring match between two hot-headed young men, no adults in sight, that ended with one of the boys getting a particularly bad knock to the head! Ailys calmly took control of the situation, seeing to the injured party before getting her uncle's physician involved. Said physician was so impressed by her handling of the mishap that they took her on as an apprentice. From that day on, she received expert instruction in the healing arts. By the time she reached the age of majority, she was deemed competent enough to act unsupervised. Ailys garnered an impressive reputation as both a trusted healer and a much beloved Grayson princess, devoted to both roles with humility and the utmost decorum. That is why it came as such a shock to the people of the Crownlands, in the shadow of the Sack of Bastion, she set aside all titles and noble privileges to live as a commoner. 'Such a sensitive soul,' the scholars wrote, cherishing her all the more for it.
  wrote, cherishing her all the more for it.)
• Caith Thrax  + (Princess Caith Thrax, the first daughter o …
  Princess Caith Thrax, the first daughter of her mother Alyona's second marriage, followed by two other younger sisters -- ack, sisters everywhere, even an older half-sister from her mother's previous marriage, though she and Cassima were too many years apart to be truly close -- until her mother finally gave up and admitted that there just weren't going to be any sons. According to the marriage contract between Thrax and Leary, the daughters of the marriage would be fostered at the Leaholdt, due to some ideas both Caith's father Edouan Leary and his family had about what happens to women in the Mourning Isles. It's strange to think that your summers by in the woods were paid for essentially by a great many lumber concessions made in a trade negotiation before you were born, but Caith loved her time with her Leary uncles and aunts, and she loved, especially, her time on the ships sailing back and forth from the spar at Brighthold to the south of the Leaholdt to her real family's home at Maelstrom. She would stand at the prow of the ship, letting the sea spray splash on her face, and pretend that they were sailing -- not the simple route with which she was familiar -- but to wild, faraway, or just straight up fantastically made up places. For Caith's whole life, there were two things she loved best: being outdoors where her imagination could run away with her and escape, and being indoors, surrounded by paper and ink, breathing in the words written on the page so that ... her imagination could run away with her and escape. There was a vivacious, infectious energy about her that enabled her to share her wild flights of fancy with the other children, sometimes even those serious children who would ordinarily be more interested in other things. A born storyteller and a winsome speaker, Caith learned to spin her tales for others and learned to listen well; it became a skill as she grew older that also became excellent for derailing burgeoning conflict, a master distraction artist that would make her namesake proud.
  artist that would make her namesake proud.)
• Lark Grayson  + (Princess Lark Grayson is perhaps best know …
  Princess Lark Grayson is perhaps best known for her philanthropic endeavors and at times, her austere idealism concerning the less fortunate. Noble not only by birth but by personal virtue, Lark first became preoccupied with using her station for the betterment of her fellow man from a very young age. Although she may not have ever been adventurous in any conventional meaning of the word, she proved herself to be bold in her own manner. As she grew into a young woman, she often utilized her naturally analytical mind and innate comprehension skills to hatch any number of charitable schemes whether they be in response to acts of man or nature. Among the Graysons, it isn't uncommon to spot her toting around or bending over backwards to accommodate some new cause. It also shouldn't come as any surprise when Lark turns up her nose at any form of frivolity or subterfuge. She'd sooner be involved in managing contributions to a failing orphanage or shelter.
  butions to a failing orphanage or shelter.)
• Minka Grayson  + (Princess Minka Grayson lives to make the H …
  Princess Minka Grayson lives to make the House Grayson the very best. Something that is not very difficult due to the Grayson't track record. As it stands for the majority of her life, Minka might be a noble in name but in reality behaves more like a Knightly Crusader, whose goal is to keep her House and all its vassals to always come on top, thus her specialization in combat. She has denominated herself a Crusader for the Grayson family, and she lives by the Family's greatness. At only eighteen years old, the Princess has studied up her in combat making her quite proficient. Still as a Grayson, she also keep herself aware of the political intrigue that surrounds the Compact. At all times Minka's loyalty is to the Grayson, and she does anything in her power to keep the Grayson's on top of their game.
  o keep the Grayson's on top of their game.)
• Sasha Sanna  + (Princess Sasha is the third born daughter …
  Princess Sasha is the third born daughter of Prince Vincenzo Valardin and Princess Cassandra Grayson, her mother marrying into the Valardin family to strengthen ties between the two royal families. Her father was a skilled commander while her mother was more a scholar type. She spent most of her time following her mother around and developed a love for books and studies. Exploring new sciences, arts, books, and anything artist caught her interest. And her interests only flourished further from that. She has always been weaker than her other siblings however, though it rarely stops her from attempting to tag along wherever they went though most of the time they would tell her to just go home and read. They weren't trying to be mean but protect her instead, and as she grew older she began to understand that. The resentment and grudge she may have had for her siblings now gone. Once she arrived within Arx, she was often helping others with their research while researching for her own cure. Then one magical day, she found the poem that spelled out how to cure herself. That journey involved beautiful but terrifying unicorns, cleansings and finally gaining aid from the Marin'alfar. Not long after her marriage to Marquis Cirroch Sanna she began to collect all the various ingredients she needed. Her cure was finally a reality and made in a very special location then drunk and she was healed! Now able to actually run and jump and even lift up swords if she so pleases! Now with her obsession with curing herself out of the way, she can now focus upon other matters. Like that of the Marin'alfar and being their co-ambassador. Now having returned from Giant's Reach to get matters with the children settled, she is eager to help others.
  dren settled, she is eager to help others.)
• Sasha Valardin  + (Princess Sasha is the third born daughter …
  Princess Sasha is the third born daughter of Prince Vincenzo Valardin and Princess Cassandra Grayson, her mother marrying into the Valardin family to strength ties between to two royal families. Her father was skilled commander while her mother was more a scholar type. She spent most of her time following her mother around and developed a love for books and studies. Exploring new sciences, arts, books, and anything artist caught her interest. And her interests only flourished further from that. She has always been weaker than her other siblings however, though it rarely stops her from attempting to tag along where ever they went though most of the time they would tell her to just go home and read. They weren't trying to be mean but protect her instead, and as she grow older she begin to understand that. The resentment and grudge she may have had for her siblings now gone.
  he may have had for her siblings now gone.)
• Valencia Redrain  + (Princess Valencia has had terrible luck wi …
  Princess Valencia has had terrible luck with names. To start with, she was born Princess Valencia Velenosa, and to be a noblewoman of House Velenosa should have meant by virtue of her name she could enjoy a idle lifestyle being ridiculously wealthy (which she was), sleekly fashionable (of this there was no doubt), spoiled (absolutely), and without demands placed upon her (this is where it failed). In her opinion, it is not in the least bit her fault that when she was asked to meet with different vassals of House Velenosa as a diplomat and to strengthen bonds to the family that she might have taken some small steps to make the exceedingly boring duties a bit more entertaining. Valencia was, of course, completely blameless in the sordid affair involving a certain count dueling a certain marquis over the right to court her, and the tragic death that resulted was certainly unfortunate, but it was grossly unfair that her aunt the Archduchess Carlotta Velenosa seemed to hold her accountable. After a few more minor incidents, aunt Carlotta made it clear that Valencia was going to be married off to get her away from Lenosia and to keep her out of trouble. Without even having met the man, Valencia was betrothed to a nephew of the high lord, Prince Sherrod Redrain- just because her name reminded them of 'Valeria', one of the great heroes of Redrain history. Valencia was a bit offended; she had many wonderful qualities. She was gorgeous, cunning, had the admirable ability to get others to do what she wanted, always (very) fashionable, and never dull. And it was just her name that had her married off to this Prince Angus Redrain and sent to the cold and barbaric northlands. To her considerable surprise, she rather enjoyed the north. It wasn't the least bit stuffy and they were as charmingly uninhibited as the Lyceum even if some of them were hopeless at social graces, and quite a few of the men were endearing(ly easy to manipulate). She even found herself genuinely liking Angus, the delightfully boorish oaf, since what Lyceum man would have killed a bear with his own hands for her? Certainly not one of the counts that had dueled for her affection. Tragically, marital bliss was short lived. Angus was acting as sworn shield to his uncle Sherrod at the time of the King's Rest and killed by... whatever it is that killed all of them. Valencia even sincerely mourned him, even as she was faced with the unfortunate circumstances of being a foreign now-widowed princess in a family that was not her own. But all's not lost. Her cousin-in-law Darren, the new high lord, doesn't seem like a man with much patience for political intrigue, and she can help her new family, House Redrain at court for her own political power. And maybe get the better of her cousins in House Velenosa. They did marry her off, after all, and if the best revenge is living well, spiteful success is surely a close second.
  spiteful success is surely a close second.)
• Valencia Velenosa  + (Princess Valencia has had terrible luck wi …
  Princess Valencia has had terrible luck with names. To start with, she was born Princess Valencia Velenosa, and to be a noblewoman of House Velenosa should have meant by virtue of her name she could enjoy a idle lifestyle being ridiculously wealthy (which she was), sleekly fashionable (of this there was no doubt), spoiled (absolutely), and without demands placed upon her (this is where it failed). In her opinion, it is not in the least bit her fault that when she was asked to meet with different vassals of House Velenosa as a diplomat and to strengthen bonds to the family that she might have taken some small steps to make the exceedingly boring duties a bit more entertaining. Valencia was, of course, completely blameless in the sordid affair involving a certain count dueling a certain marquis over the right to court her, and the tragic death that resulted was certainly unfortunate, but it was grossly unfair that her aunt the Archduchess Carlotta Velenosa seemed to hold her accountable. After a few more minor incidents, aunt Carlotta made it clear that Valencia was going to be married off to get her away from Lenosia and to keep her out of trouble. Without even having met the man, Valencia was betrothed to a nephew of the high lord, Prince Sherrod Redrain- just because her name reminded them of 'Valeria', one of the great heroes of Redrain history. Valencia was a bit offended; she had many wonderful qualities. She was gorgeous, cunning, had the admirable ability to get others to do what she wanted, always (very) fashionable, and never dull. And it was just her name that had her married off to this Prince Angus Redrain and sent to the cold and barbaric northlands. To her considerable surprise, she rather enjoyed the north. It wasn't the least bit stuffy and they were as charmingly uninhibited as the Lyceum even if some of them were hopeless at social graces, and quite a few of the men were endearing(ly easy to manipulate). She even found herself genuinely liking Angus, the delightfully boorish oaf, since what Lyceum man would have killed a bear with his own hands for her? Certainly not one of the counts that had dueled for her affection. Tragically, marital bliss was short lived. Angus was acting as sworn shield to his uncle Sherrod at the time of the King's Rest and killed by... whatever it is that killed all of them. Valencia even sincerely mourned him, even as she was faced with the unfortunate circumstances of being a foreign now-widowed princess in a family that was not her own. But all's not lost. Her cousin-in-law Darren, the new high lord, doesn't seem like a man with much patience for political intrigue, and she can help her new family, House Redrain at court for her own political power. And maybe get the better of her cousins in House Velenosa. They did marry her off, after all, and if the best revenge is living well, spiteful success is surely a close second. More recently in September of 1006 AR, Valencia decided to return home to the Lyceum.
  ncia decided to return home to the Lyceum.)
• Valencia Pravus  + (Princess Valencia has had terrible luck wi …
  Princess Valencia has had terrible luck with names. To start with, she was born Princess Valencia Velenosa, and to be a noblewoman of House Velenosa should have meant by virtue of her name she could enjoy a idle lifestyle being ridiculously wealthy (which she was), sleekly fashionable (of this there was no doubt), spoiled (absolutely), and without demands placed upon her (this is where it failed). In her opinion, it is not in the least bit her fault that when she was asked to meet with different vassals of House Velenosa as a diplomat and to strengthen bonds to the family that she might have taken some small steps to make the exceedingly boring duties a bit more entertaining. Valencia was, of course, completely blameless in the sordid affair involving a certain count dueling a certain marquis over the right to court her, and the tragic death that resulted was certainly unfortunate, but it was grossly unfair that her aunt the Archduchess Carlotta Velenosa seemed to hold her accountable. After a few more minor incidents, aunt Carlotta made it clear that Valencia was going to be married off to get her away from Lenosia and to keep her out of trouble. Without even having met the man, Valencia was betrothed to a nephew of the high lord, Prince Sherrod Redrain- just because her name reminded them of 'Valeria', one of the great heroes of Redrain history. Valencia was a bit offended; she had many wonderful qualities. She was gorgeous, cunning, had the admirable ability to get others to do what she wanted, always (very) fashionable, and never dull. And it was just her name that had her married off to this Prince Angus Redrain and sent to the cold and barbaric northlands. To her considerable surprise, she rather enjoyed the north. It wasn't the least bit stuffy and they were as charmingly uninhibited as the Lyceum even if some of them were hopeless at social graces, and quite a few of the men were endearing(ly easy to manipulate). She even found herself genuinely liking Angus, the delightfully boorish oaf, since what Lyceum man would have killed a bear with his own hands for her? Certainly not one of the counts that had dueled for her affection. Tragically, marital bliss was short lived. Angus was acting as sworn shield to his uncle Sherrod at the time of the King's Rest and killed by... whatever it is that killed all of them. Valencia even sincerely mourned him, even as she was faced with the unfortunate circumstances of being a foreign now-widowed princess in a family that was not her own. But all's not lost. Her cousin-in-law Darren, the new high lord, doesn't seem like a man with much patience for political intrigue, and she can help her new family, House Redrain at court for her own political power. And maybe get the better of her cousins in House Velenosa. They did marry her off, after all, and if the best revenge is living well, spiteful success is surely a close second. More recently in September of 1006 AR, Valencia decided to return home to the Lyceum.
  ncia decided to return home to the Lyceum.)
• Prisila Seraceni  + (Prisila's father was always known for his …
  Prisila's father was always known for his love of the high seas. Rarely was he at port and if he could have his feet on the deck of his ship then that was where he'd be, such is the joy of being the seventh son. He would inherit nothing but his father's keen sense of sailing, his love of women and his powerful physique. So it's no surprise that his daughter would be born to an Eurusi mother in the hull of his cog. Even worse was the fact that her birth was relatively unknown until they berthed, three years later. As a result, there were whispers about her legitimacy and whether or not this woman who had died at sea was actually of noble blood at all. Such a thing isn't always easy to shake and throughout her childhood it was a running theme. 'Sila was never one for staying on land, some say it's because she was born at sea while others would point out the never ending similarities between father and daughter. After all she was his favorite daughter and her sister never quite got past that, which formed a rift between them that was too difficult to mend. When she was deemed old enough the Seraceni corsair took up her sword, bow and leathers and took to the sea and no one could blame her for the escape. Only when she had a plethora of new tales to tell or scars to show off did she return to port, the latter being rarer than the former. Still, every noblewoman realizes they have a duty and so she married to satisfy her familial obligations and bore a daughter soon after. Prisila's husband was a terrible drunk and a gambler and often found himself waking up in an alley reeking of cheap wine and rum, so it was no surprise when the man ended up dead in the Murder -- ironic but not unusual. The Iron Guard figured that one out pretty quickly, you can only shirk your debts for so long before someone comes to collect. Whether this incident or the difficulties 'Sila had with staying out of trouble were simply too much she took to the open seas and didn't return for ten years. Her family grieved, friends mourned and even her daughter believed her dead. So it's easy to see why everyone might be so surprised to hear that the prodigal daughter has returned after all those long years. Prisila arrived in time it seemed or her father hung on all those years for his cherished daughter to return before he died. Some might see this to be a blessing but still she reels from the startling deathbed confession of her mother, an impossibly beautiful woman who was not quite as dead as she had always believed.
  quite as dead as she had always believed.)

• Pyotr Federov  + (Pyotr)

• Qaali Shav  + (Qaali didn't know her parents well. Life a …
  Qaali didn't know her parents well. Life as a Shav, and nomadic, means some murky records on heritage. But her dark skin has helped narrow down some interesting possibilities. Her clan had practical ideas on whom should do the child rearing and who should take up sword or bow. In general, it always fell to those with the proper talents to take on the proper responsibilities. Qaali and the group of Shavs she is with have moved into the recently converted Greenmarch lands. She's always been good with a bow, especially when tasked with hunting or defending the group as it traveled. Qaali is also a tad naive. While she's quick on the draw in physical contest, in the social arena, or telling lies from facts, she's not as great. Tending to be drawn to powerful and confident people, she'll most likely fall in line with someone who is powerful, charismatic or confident. She has skills, she just has to find someone willing to pay for them and point her towards a target.
  y for them and point her towards a target.)
• Quirin Navegant  + (Quirin has ruled his holdings for longer t …
  Quirin has ruled his holdings for longer than many other current nobles have been alive. His boisterous youth has long since given way to a determined, prolonged, pragmatic adulthood in which his family's fortunes have only benefitted from his steady leadership. His measured responses have ensured that discipline has been applied when and where necessary to quell further uprisings, neither more nor less. In this way, his power and influence have lingered but not spread, since his glory in battle has been curtailed wherever it was unneeded. He and his wife have been blessed with a throng of children, though his eldest son died some years ago, leaving two small children as heirs. Though Quirin knows his officers and his people would never revolt against him, it is of some concern to him what might happen to his first grandchildren should he die before they come to something passing for maturity. Thus, they live with him in Arx, away from the potential plotting of their uncles. Quirin loves his family but hardly expects them to be angels.
  mily but hardly expects them to be angels.)
• Raffe Fahenir  + (Raffe is the son of two late lowly nobles; …
  Raffe is the son of two late lowly nobles; he is the last connection of his lineage, thus the last bastion of his name, after both parents were killed in a mysterious assassination. He has come to Arx to try and further the status of his family - and survive.
  er the status of his family - and survive.)
• Raimon Thrax  + (Raimon Fidante had a fairly typical childh …
  Raimon Fidante had a fairly typical childhood. He was often in the shadow of his brother and Cousins growing up, which suited him just fine. He was a quiet child, serious even at a young age. Despite often overlooked he was always close to his brother. It was said the only think he loved more was fighting. As soon as he was old enough he trained in the Fidante yards, preparing himself should the need be called on to defend against invading Oathlanders. An opportunity that he dearly hoped for. He served his family with distinction, a ferocious warrior on the field of battle. He took to the field in both the Silent War and the Gyre War. When his brother died he was despondent for a few days before reporting back to the training grounds once his mourning was done. It seemed he was set to train and to fight until the end of his days. Politics seemed to have other ideas. If he had any complaint about his betrothal to Princess Vega Thrax, he gave no inclinations of it. He faced down his new wife and the wedding with as much stoic determination as he faced anything else. Now he serves House Thrax and awaits the chance to be unleashed on their enemies.
  e chance to be unleashed on their enemies.)
• Raisa Crown  + (Raisa grew up without the hope of freedom, …
  Raisa grew up without the hope of freedom, and without memory of it as she was too young to remember much of her life before her parents were taken by Thraxian Reavers. Their debts were claimed by House Grimhall and the family was split up. She has no idea what's become of them and if she misses them, she's never told a soul. At first, she served as a house servant but as she grew older, Eugene Grimhall took notice of her and she found herself almost solely in his service as a messenger and guard of a sort. He was not a kind man in the slightest, though she knew when to bite her tongue - so the worst of his wrath was avoided. The two of them made a hell of a team, they found out, as then Lord Eugene began to fall victim to the siren's song of his vices: gambling, drinking, and poor decision making. Maybe they employed a few less than honest tactics - she would remain sober and count cards or have a glimpse at others' hands while he drank and attempted not to rack up debts - and that quickly came back to bite them. They were caught counting cards during a particularly successful night and to make amends without making a scene, he gave Raisa over to the casino to pay off their debt. The casino used her for a number of years allowing her at first to only wait tables, then gradually she became another pair of eyes on the floor. Eventually, she found herself running games. Since the casino was on a ship, she got to travel, never in one place for too long and got to see many places. She was one of the lucky thralls if there was ever such a thing - she had it good compared to most. Better than what she had under Eugene's thumb that's for sure. A few years passed when a unique opportunity came up for her to win her freedom and as luck (or keen eyesight) would have it, she managed to win herself outta there. Three years later and she's resurfaced in Arx mysteriously missing an eye, and has begun to find her footing and restart her life. Even more recently, she's gotten a job at Crossroads Casino running games as a croupier.
  sroads Casino running games as a croupier.)
• Swift Grayhope  + (Raised a Thrall, Swift was trained to get …
  Raised a Thrall, Swift was trained to get the best deals at the market for her masters, travelling with them around the Compact. When her master married she was made to learn the art of alchemy so her master could keep his new bride happy with gifts of unique scents and beauty creams along with those expensive baubles and gowns. Her skills allowed the pair to live well and travel without care. The announcement of the end of Thralldom saw Swift's contract unexpectedly bought out, leaving her free but adrift in the world. She continued to travel for a time, meeting a number of interesting people along the way, including the Grayhope family. Brought into the fold and adopted into their ranks, Swift has finally started to come into her own.
  has finally started to come into her own.)
• Ven Orphan  + (Raised a foundling orphan in the Lycene, V …
  Raised a foundling orphan in the Lycene, Ven learned early to be self reliant in life. Studious and diligent, he went into the merchant's profession first as the apprentice of a scribe and then as a book seller who specialized in rare volumes and traveled extensively seeking them. Being born without family led Ven to realize in early adulthood that in order to have people in his life that he could trust he would have to build those relationships himself. Building business relationships and friendships all over Arvum didn't come as naturally as his studies or travel, but Ven has worked hard at it and been rewarded with contacts all over the continent as a result. Aside from seeking out and selling books Ven fell into the role of an information broker and point of contact between people of different social classes and professions. When people around the continent need to know something or have interesting knowledge to sell they come to Ven.
  esting knowledge to sell they come to Ven.)
• Domonico Malvici  + (Raised as one of the standard bearers of t …
  Raised as one of the standard bearers of the Malvici banner, Domonico was treated roughly on purpose. The family wanted him to lead troops and be ready to battle anything from abyssal creatures to political maneuvering of the Lyceum. It developed a heated temper from him at a young age, proving his backbone and dedication to the family before most kids his age had a personality. Eventually it got him in trouble and sent to the Malvici fleet so the trouble he got into could be limited to the ship he was on. It proved a good move and his temper has faded somewhat over time, replaced with a steel determination that comes with a sea-borne swordsman. He is said to be a rising star in the Malvici fleet with three ships under his command. Its rumored he wants eventual command of the fleet, as well. In the meantime he has taken to mentor those younger members like he had once been, developing strength and ability out of rough stone. The whispers about the trade routes and the Empyrean have brought him to Arx to prove that he is capable of not just command and leadership, but that he can hold it in waters he has not even explored himself - political and literal.
  explored himself - political and literal.)
• Domonico Magnotta  + (Raised as one of the standard bearers of t …
  Raised as one of the standard bearers of the Malvici banner, Domonico was treated roughly on purpose. The family wanted him to lead troops and be ready to battle anything from abyssal creatures to political maneuvering of the Lyceum. It developed a heated temper from him at a young age, proving his backbone and dedication to the family before most kids his age had a personality. Eventually it got him in trouble and sent to the Malvici fleet so the trouble he got into could be limited to the ship he was on. It proved a good move and his temper has faded somewhat over time, replaced with a steel determination that comes with a sea-borne swordsman. He is said to be a rising star in the Malvici fleet with three ships under his command. Its rumored he wants eventual command of the fleet, as well. In the meantime he has taken to mentor those younger members like he had once been, developing strength and ability out of rough stone. The whispers about the trade routes and the Empyrean have brought him to Arx to prove that he is capable of not just command and leadership, but that he can hold it in waters he has not even explored himself - political and literal.
  explored himself - political and literal.)
• Zacharie Pravus  + (Raised as the third born boy to a Duke of …
  Raised as the third born boy to a Duke of Pravus, Zacharie was spare to the spare, which suited him well enough from a young age. Though the siblings were close, there were a good many of them, and peace and quiet could be found in the libraries and gardens of the sprawling estate. By the time he was a teenager he had shown an aptitude for many of the subjects young noblemen are expected to master, as well as an impressive amount of focus towards whatever goal he set before him. During the summer of his twentieth year the family agreed it was time for him to find a match and settle into the work of the statesmen, to prepare to serve at his brother's side. Both of them, actually, for Niccolo gave up his inheritance to find love at Carlotta's side, and found himself Archduke-Consort just before Piero was crowned Duke of Setarco. Zacharie's lot was to find a beneficial marriage to handle the details of household management while he worked on Pravus' behalf. Carole Blancharde, the daughter of the Count Blancharde. A match between the Oathlands and Setarco was puzzling at first. Until one met the rebellious and beautiful Carole, who was as comfortable as a socialite in Setarco as she never would have been as anything in the Oathlands. The match brought favorable trade agreements and a coil of power in an area where Pravus is usually bereft. Over time it became affectionate, even loving, and stood as an example of what noble matches done with Limerance in mind might achieve. So these families continued through the triumph and tragedies of the Lyceum over the next years. Niccolo would lose a wife, a daughter, another wife. Zacharie would have three fine sons in succession, a break of six years, and a pale ginger daughter. Piero would lose his life in a coup, and subsequently Zacharie would lose his eldest to execution. Though Duchess Belladonna banished Zacharie, his wife, and remaining sons from the heart of court at Setarco, they were never investigated nor punished further, and in time did what they could to throw support behind the new Duchess to prove their loyalty. Zacharie must have impressed her, for Belladonna has not only lifted any remaining exile placed on his family, she has asked for Zacharie to come to Arx and be of use to her and to Pravus.
  to Arx and be of use to her and to Pravus.)
• Brigid Moore  + (Raised at Acorn Hill, Brigid grew up stead …
  Raised at Acorn Hill, Brigid grew up steady and strong like the many mighty trees that surrounded her home. The forest pathways became so familiar she could traverse them blind, chuckling rivers guided her ears, and she learned to appreciate the land in which she resided. The land that her family cultivated was perfect for grazing and housed a large stable where visiting households were known to stall their mounts given the skilled reputation for quality care. With a father who was versed in the various use of weaponry and a mother who was born to the saddle, it left an impression on their only child. Molding both their teachings, Brigid grew into an accomplished equestrian and swordswoman training herself up to both protect the ruling house and assist the nearby military outpost where her cousin, Rane Keaton commanded a stalwart militia. It was what granted her the title of House Sword for her ruling Moore cousin of Acorn Hill and it was one she had planned on devoting her life to - that was until tragedy had struck her home. While having been granted leave to deliver mounts to the nearby Keaton outpost, a rider delivered the news that everything and one she had sworn to protect had been decimated by an outside force with not a soul left alive. With direction having gone askew, Brigid remains to help see her home set to rights and to redeem herself in the eyes of the family she had failed.
  in the eyes of the family she had failed.)
• Brigid Inverno  + (Raised at Acorn Hill, Brigid grew up stead …
  Raised at Acorn Hill, Brigid grew up steady and strong like the many mighty trees that surrounded her home. The forest pathways became so familiar she could traverse them blind, chuckling rivers guided her ears, and she learned to appreciate the land in which she resided. The land that her family cultivated was perfect for grazing and housed a large stable where visiting households were known to stall their mounts given the skilled reputation for quality care. With a father who was versed in the various use of weaponry and a mother who was born to the saddle, it left an impression on their only child. Molding both their teachings, Brigid grew into an accomplished equestrian and swordswoman training herself up to both protect the ruling house and assist the nearby military outpost where her cousin, Rane Keaton commanded a stalwart militia. It was what granted her the title of House Sword for her ruling Moore cousin of Acorn Hill and it was one she had planned on devoting her life to - that was until tragedy had struck her home. While having been granted leave to deliver mounts to the nearby Keaton outpost, a rider delivered the news that everything and one she had sworn to protect had been decimated by an outside force with not a soul left alive. With direction having gone askew, Brigid remains to help see her home set to rights and to redeem herself in the eyes of the family she had failed.
  in the eyes of the family she had failed.)
• Ringvald Clearlake  + (Raised by a strong Jastvotn warrior, Rangv …
  Raised by a strong Jastvotn warrior, Rangvald was a disappointment for a fair amount of his childhood. He didn't have the physique of those around him, or the close ties to their shamanistic traditions. Instead, he invested in his mind, and the kind of things one could do with it by adapting what others brought forward, a cocky boy who liked to poke holes in the ideas of those who knew better than him. As he got older though, these ideas manifested in new ways. He, like anyone, was taught to hunt for the furs and meat that kept his tribe going, but often couldn't be bothered to dirty his hands with blood, resulting in an early reputation as a coward. Instead, Rangvald would place traps before his bait, often ones as simple as a pitfall beneath hanging berries, where he could return later to poke his prey with something pointy and save the effort of chasing it. The introduction of outside peoples seemed to turn gears in the young man, seeing their fine metals, or even the simplicity of their cart construction. Fascinated with the methods of the civilized people, Rangvald took it on himself to try his best to learn to read and write so he could learn their ways, earning redemption from just adapting their way of treating hides to ensure they would stand the tests of time, or the use of an object they called a 'plow' to help grow crops when game wasn't as easy to find. Being one of the few to have not only a working, but solidified knowledge of how the economy of using coins works, he is sent to Arx with the name of Clearlake like some before him to help manage the importing and exporting of supplies to their distant home.
  porting of supplies to their distant home.)
• Martino Malvici  + (Raised closely to Eirene, Martino was one …
  Raised closely to Eirene, Martino was one of the boys that stood out early for his competence for the blade and use rather than sheer skill with the art. His father had intended for him to become an officer and leader of battlefield formations, but a doting mother directed him, her firstborn, to receive more schooling. He honed his education not just with Malvici but also with other families for as long as six months at a time so that he might study the ways of other families - especially those outside the Lyceum. While he did this, he spent a lot of time playing logic puzzles and learning how to adapt to sometimes difficult circumstances. Knowing how to read a situation became something of a sixth sense to the young man. His mother's instinct paid off in dividends for the man who would grow to not just steward often for the house, but also work as a Minister. As Martino has gotten older, he has become a weapon of the House. While he tends to have a much more laissez faire attitude contrasting to the somber of Malvici, he has proven to be valuable in that others can and will work through him to help establish diplomatic and political ties to a family that can otherwise be somewhat distant or difficult to penetrate. At the same age as Duchess Calypso, the two are extremely different people but there does seem to be a respect built there because despite his playboy attitude, there is a reason he is still a recognized representative of the House.
  a recognized representative of the House.)
• Ilva Fidante  + (Raised in a low-class household, she was t …
  Raised in a low-class household, she was the second of five children, and she spent much of her childhood rounding up her siblings and helping her mother. An inquisitive soul, she took what scraps of knowledge she could find in the form of stories and books. It was not uncommon to find her listening to the anecdotes and tales of an elder or a world-weary soldier. Ever seeking knowledge, she chafed at the mundanity of her childhood surroundings. When she was old enough, she left, seeking answers to questions she had yet to even ask.
  wers to questions she had yet to even ask.)
• Cillian Weatherwood  + (Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blac …
  Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blackwoods, Cillian grew up learning the ways of the wild. For the most part, his adopted family and the tribe survived the squabbles and land struggles between tribes. His village was always under assault by monsters and so from a young age he learned the bow and became a protector. It earned him the nickname among his people as "Guardian of the woods" When the Blackwoods took in the last of the Thunderoaks people and ultimately they all bent knee together to the Crovane his tribe did so as well by then he was in his teens and chose to stay out in the woods protecting it knowing the dangers out in it. But now he has been told the truth and much of what he knew was false so now he goes to Arx to search out that feeling he has always felt, that feeling like a part of you is missing and so now he finds himself in the city and finds himself very guarded.
  n the city and finds himself very guarded.)
• Eilonwy Thunderoak  + (Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blac …
  Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blackwoods, Eilonwy grew up learning the ways of the wild. For the most part her family and the tribe survived the squabbles and land struggles between tribes. When Brand began his recruiting in the north her tribe and family were slaughtered down to a few men and woman. That was the first she ever held a blade. The Blackwoods took in the last of her people and ultimately they all bent knee together to the Crovane.
  hey all bent knee together to the Crovane.)
• Eilonwy Blackwood  + (Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blac …
  Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blackwoods, Eilonwy grew up learning the ways of the wild. For the most part her family and the tribe survived the squabbles and land struggles between tribes. When Brand began his recruiting in the north her tribe and family were slaughtered down to a few men and woman. That was the first she ever held a blade. The Blackwoods took in the last of her people and ultimately they all bent knee together to the Crovane.
  hey all bent knee together to the Crovane.)
• Emlyn Blackram  + (Raised in the Northlands largely, Emlyn wa …
  Raised in the Northlands largely, Emlyn was born to a Northern baroness and a Blackram lord. He was the runt of the litter in his family, so to speak, and he never grew as strapping or muscular as his brothers - let alone his sisters. All in all, that never stopped him from running and playing hide and seek. Some reckoned he was the best as it. It was his love of finding places to hide, as well as his mother's encouragement to explore the wild that led to his career as a scout. What led to his career as a scholar was growing ill one winter - a winter that he nearly did not make it back from. He was close to being on the other side, and his mother proclaimed him touched by the Spirits. His father said that was poppycock (though not in front of his mother) and peppered the boy's recovery with books of every subject. Emlyn's desire to learn every nook and cranny of everything impressed his father. While his brothers and sisters were off fighting great battles, it was Emlyn who was scouting for them, assessing threats, studying enemy tactics and the wilderness around them, and calling upon the Spirits and Gods alike for their blessings and help. Emlyn has come to the city in hopes of rejoining his Blackram family and seeing about his societal debut; with most of his brothers and sisters married off, there is slight pressure from the family to do the same - though Emlyn is more curious about what knowledge and mysteries the city has to offer rather than the dating pool.
  has to offer rather than the dating pool.)
• Waldemai Isenhu  + (Raised in the city, Waldemai is a smith because his father was a smith like his father before him. He learned his craft when he was knee-high to a grasshopper and has been at it since.)
• Ysbail Blackwood  + (Raised in the harsh climate of the Stormwa …
  Raised in the harsh climate of the Stormwall, Ysbail's tribe made their home amongst the blackwood trees on the edge of Crovane Lands. As the eldest daughter of the tribe's Chieftain, she was raised under the tutelage of the tribe's Shaman to better help guide her people. Like many of the Abandoned, she was taught to hunt and as a Northerner, she learned how to survive the harsh climate. As such, she has a slightly skewed perspective on life and embraced her way of life wholeheartedly. Loving nothing more than wandering the wilds to seek out enlightenment amongst the spirits of the natural world. That changed, when something happened which drove the young Shaman to plead with her father to seek the protection of the Compact that their ancestors had turned their backs on. Her foresight allowed the tribe to be ready when Brand's forces marched. After the Seige of Arx, she aided her father in unifying the remaining tribes decimated by Brand's recruitment tactics which lead to the Blackwoods' rise as a March, her father Geraint was named Marquis of Storm March, leading his people into a new future. The life of a Shaman, however, is rarely easy. And it was her duties as a shaman that directly resulted in the breaking of her engagement to the Crovanne Duke Asger. She returned briefly, and she was called away again shortly after Marquis Geraint Blackwood named Eilonwy as his Heir, granting her the Blackwood name after his mysterious death in 1010 AR in the Grey Forest. This time is no different, as her duties both as a shaman, and advisor to the Blackwoods and the Crovannes pulls her once more to Arx in a no less turbulent time than before. Determined to make a difference.
  before. Determined to make a difference.)
• Valda Nylund  + (Raised in the northlands, under House Redr …
  Raised in the northlands, under House Redrain, Valda showed the curiosity, spirit, intelligence, and memory necessary to become a Shaman. While mere commoners, her clan raised her as a shaman, and as a shaman she showed promise to the local noble families. Her education was supplemented by one of these families - a smaller branch of the Halfshav family - giving her a fair familiarity with how the higher classes live. Upon completing her education, a process that took some years of her adulthood, she became employed as an in-house shaman to that same distant branch of House Halfshav. Her employment was successful, and she became trusted with caring for the younger members of the home. Now, more recently, she has arrived in the capital. One of the wilder children of the house has been sent with her, under her care and guidance, to learn to be properly civilized in the home of the Crown. It is Valda's honor and duty to see that Rona Halfshav is molded into a proper young woman.
  fshav is molded into a proper young woman.)
• Merida Grimhall  + (Raised in the notorious house of Grimhall, …
  Raised in the notorious house of Grimhall, she does much to bolster its bloody reputation. While some thuggish types hide their noble birth, she does little to hide it. Well, not that she does much to hide anything. As a Grimhall's daughter, she was looked upon with the same disappointment and handled with the same hand that most women of the Mourning isles are, the hand that intends to mould them into the classic visage of a woman seen, but not heard. That is, until she bit it. Took a chunk right out of it. When all attempts to reign her in were met this way, her parents simply gave up trying to control their bloodstained blacksheep. Who could blame them, everyone was just a little bit afraid of her. And with that, she took off to live amongst a crew of pirate bandits. She trained with men, fought amongst them, and drank with the best of them, living off the spoils. And they never looked down upon her, at least not there. She was too scary for that, and it made her an excellent pirate. Now, she's returned to the Mourning Isles and the house of Grimhall, ready to see if their views of women has changed enough for her.
  views of women has changed enough for her.)
• Merida Thrax  + (Raised in the notorious house of Grimhall, …
  Raised in the notorious house of Grimhall, she does much to bolster its bloody reputation. While some thuggish types hide their noble birth, she does little to hide it. Well, not that she does much to hide anything. As a Grimhall's daughter, she was looked upon with the same disappointment and handled with the same hand that most women of the Mourning isles are, the hand that intends to mould them into the classic visage of a woman seen, but not heard. That is, until she bit it. Took a chunk right out of it. When all attempts to reign her in were met this way, her parents simply gave up trying to control their bloodstained blacksheep. Who could blame them, everyone was just a little bit afraid of her. And with that, she took off to live amongst a crew of pirate bandits. She trained with men, fought amongst them, and drank with the best of them, living off the spoils. And they never looked down upon her, at least not there. She was too scary for that, and it made her an excellent pirate. Now, she's returned to the Mourning Isles and the house of Grimhall, ready to see if their views of women has changed enough for her.
  views of women has changed enough for her.)
• Taranis Grayhope  + (Raised mostly at the Murder of Crows, and …
  Raised mostly at the Murder of Crows, and taken out on the road with his mother for the spring and autumn caravans, Taranis Grayhope was a blithe and lively spirit with a fondness for learning weapon-play and horsemanship. Taranis grew into a sturdy lad, and when he reached his majority joined Meranthe's caravans as a guard, soon achieving her trust. Knighted in the aftermath of the siege of Bastion, in which he distinguished himself by saving civilians in front of a nobleman, Sir Taranis was rather bemused by the whole thing but took it in stride. The recent upheavals in the Grayhope family's fortunes has brought him back to Arx with his mother, pitching in where he's needed to help out.
  pitching in where he's needed to help out.)