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A list of values that have the property "Background" assigned.

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  • "Her father was a cousin from a cadet bran
    "Her father was a cousin from a cadet branch of the Nightgold family out in Stonedeep. Her mother was a from a similarly distant branch of the Hawkmours that had come from Brassfall March. North met south in the capital city one summer and unified in a marriage of mutual love and desire to ally, creating their own small family: Nighthawk. By that winter, on an evening that heralded the birth of their only child, Vesper, Lord Nighthawk gained his heir - but lost his wife. Vesper entered the world, squalling, and covered in the blood of her dying mother. Her father was taciturn and serious, but he probably had one soft spot -- and one that he was overly protective -- his daughter. The son he wanted turned into the daughter he had but that still did not stop him from ensuring she knew how to protect herself. If she were to be his heir she would know how to balance being a Lady and being a Knight. So, she learned to fight with a sword as well as dance. She was taught history and religion, though a broad overview of both the Pantheon and shamanistic practices, not one specifically, so she could know enough of the Faith and bargain well with the Abandoned. Like her father she was an intimidating woman when she needed to be and he found, when he let her take up some of the trade bargaining, that she had a good intuition and perspective for judging people. Of course, teaching her was a problem when she was not sneaking away to listen to the rangers talk about the best places to go hunting and learning various survival skills if she were to be caught out on her own. One even took up teaching her to ride while fighting, and a bit of brawling -- but her Father did not want to know about that. Sometimes, her father would wonder, behind that stern countenance, if she had any heart at all anymore. Then he would catch her in moments when she thought she was alone ? singing off-key while she strummed a broken mandolin with two strings, that she found out in the woods chasing a deer on horseback. Yes, his little girl was quite a thing and... he was proud of her. She would make a wonderful woman, with no regrets that she is not the proper Lady. With her father's blessing, Sir Nighthawk sets out to return to the capital city of Arx to seek her future as a knight or Sword to her mother's Hawkmour kin if they have need - or seek a new venture for herself as a mercenary for hire. More recently, she embraced the Knights of Solace, and took her vows as a godsworn knight placing her family behind her, and joining the Faith of the Pantheon."
    r, and joining the Faith of the Pantheon."  +
  • "I can barely remember the Saffron Chain.
    "I can barely remember the Saffron Chain. I was but a small child when my family came to the city. My father was a merchant, patriarch of the family. He sought to bring his business here to make a name for himself and the family. Unfortunately, he never quite made it as big as he had dreamed. We really cannot complain though, we have shelter and food. We do not go without our needs. Though,he had always dreamed of more. Mother had a talent with cooking and she always seemed to enjoy providing for the family. She always did father's biding with a smile on her face. Many men envied him for the wife he had. However, she took ill and died when I was twelve. Since then, father was not the same. He drank. He lost interest in the business. The family began to suffer for it. One thing I learned from mother was how to sew. I am actually quite good at it. The actors and actresses come to me for their costumes when putting on their plays. People around the city seek me out to make new garments for them. I have used this to help build the family back up. It all goes back to the family.
    y back up. It all goes back to the family.  +
  • "Let the silver fall, boy!" The echoes of
    "Let the silver fall, boy!" The echoes of Ajax's father still crawling through his skull. He was a surprisingly happy child before the fall of Tyde under the strict tutelage of his father and mother both well respected if not ruthless merchants of the realm which led to an unfortunate bit of scrutiny on the otherwise happy go lucky child. As he aged into the world properly he never found himself taken with further education provided by his parents and as he simply seemed to lack the patience required to be a merchant. In his teenage years, he spent time away from his mother and father to learn the art of sword play from a distant uncle. Learning chivalry, and the art of the sword spoon fed the tales of war and adventure against the elves. Ajax was being prepared for service to a knight when Tyde had fallen. When the news had reached the land he had disappeared only being spoken of in rare passing. During the start of Ajax adulthood he would be found amongst the Redwood mercenary company, often guarding the roads, fighting in small skirmishes for coin. Eventually, parting to earn his own way in the world. While those who encounter him claim he cares for little for status, he seems content in his own dreams in hording a large stockpile of coin
    reams in hording a large stockpile of coin  +
  • "Poetry" is not a word that most outside o
    "Poetry" is not a word that most outside of the Mourning Isles would associate with the place, but it does exist there. When he was a young boy, Griffin Redreef displayed a remarkable ability to compose verse, to the point that his first collection was published when he was only twelve. That collection, and several subsequent folios, received widespread acclaim around the Isles, and he was hailed as an emerging virtuoso, who in time would perhaps become the defining poet of the Isles. His parents, Dua and Spencer Redreef, were happy that their youngest son was bolstering the family's reputation, but honestly weren't terribly interested in a poet. They're part of the most staunchly traditionalist branch of the Redreef family tree, and were far more keen to lavish attention on their two older children, Gehenna the diplomat and Nimue the horse-breaker. Perhaps that's what seeded Griffin's progressive leanings. As he grew of age, Griffin became more and more willing to speak out in favor of progressivism in the Mourning Isles. When Baron Landis Redreef died, his brother Tiberius laid claim to Redreef Shores, but this claim was contested by Landis's daughters, Ember and Marina. When the swords were drawn, Griffin sided with Ember and Marina, to fight for the progressive ideals he believed in. Griffin fought valiantly, even though his prowess was much more 'acceptable' than 'exceptional.' Still, he survived. But for him to survive, others had to die. Griffin slew six men on the battlefield over the course of the drawn-out conflict, and he remembers each of them clearly, and the looks on their faces as life left them. He also remembers the looks on the faces of those on his side who were cut down, and the smell of dirt made wet with blood, and what it was like to walk around in the quiet after a battle, looking for the remaining pieces of bodies that used to be his friends. When Ember won the conflict and established herself as Baroness, Griffin thought he was ready to return to poetry. He imagined that he would compose an epic about the struggle, but when he sat at his desk to write, no words came. As months passed, he found no words coming to him about anything else, either. His gift felt as though it must still be there within him, but always just out of reach, taunting him with potential. In the absence of writing, Griffin took to reading. He became a ravenous autodidact, exploring whatever took his fancy, particularly as it pertained to Death, the Wheel, and other things that weighed heavily on his mind after his time fighting. This led to his initiation into the Harlequins, where he hopes that in helping others and sifting through the legends, his inspiration will return to him.
    gends, his inspiration will return to him.  +
  • "Since I were a child I have no family to
    "Since I were a child I have no family to relate. Raised by a drunk oldman I had to work everyday and struggle to keep my life. I learned how to fight in the street to keep my coins. Early I found a sage and he taught me how to read. Since then I collect books to get the most knowledge and skills I can. I became attached to heroic stories, moral issues, logic, occultism. My physics are just a little above average. But my mind is sharp. I acquired a lute wich I started to learn, since the songs can calm the beasts. I have a short sword wich I can handle in an avarage manner. I'm always with a book wich I trade every time I finish. I have no home, so the book serves me as pillow too. To survive I'm always finding freelances and tasks people needs other people to do. My work is honest though. I seek for the world mysteries while trying to find my own path to my destiny."
    trying to find my own path to my destiny."  +
  • "Such a clever girl." That was often heard
    "Such a clever girl." That was often heard in regard to Tescelina from a very early age. The sole daughter of Baptiste and Antoinette Wyrmguard. She possessed -- besides a love of star-gazing and reading for long hours in the library -- a fierce sense of right and wrong. Throwing herself into harms way on numerous occasions for relatives and close friends. Her father put her on the path to becoming a knight, which she accomplished by the age of 18. Alas, she had gone questing from her home only two years later and taken up residence in House Bellerive's county during the height of the turmoil regarding the Great Road. Reports of these events are scarce. However, while visiting a small villa, it was beset by attackers late in the evening. By dawn's light, only Tescelina remained alive. Wearing her night clothes, drenched in blood, and clutching her sword while standing in the villa's expansive sunflower field. She could not and would later be unable to recall what transpired. But all were found brutally mutilated. This is believed to have been Abandoned before they were driven to the border. Some speculated that she was the slayer but this could not be proven. For despite her appearance, her sword had not a drop of blood on it. They began, in whispers, to simply refer to her as the Knight of Sunflowers. She has come to Arx after a few months of recovery and /encouraged/ to take the trip by her parents who believe that the city will do her good -- and keep her out of the minds of those back home in the Oathlands.
    minds of those back home in the Oathlands.  +
  • "Why do the sun and the moon constantly sw
    "Why do the sun and the moon constantly switch places?" a young girl asked her tutor. "Why can't they be out at the same time?" The girl pulled a flower blossom from one of the vines growing in the palace garden, studying it carefully while dismantling the bloom one petal at a time. The blossom began to turn to ash in the girl's hand and the tutor looked down on her, reflecting back her own face in his mirrored mask. "Death does not want anything to live eternal, so it kills the sun and the moon and makes them to be reborn each day in their time." It's later, years later, and a different robed figure in a different mask guides an older girl through some labyrinthine hallways. Through the wooden door they pass a woman screams, heart-wrenching and piercing. "Why do they always scream?" the girl asks her current tutor. "Because they have been brought near to death through their injuries, and now must be yanked back from the claws of that jealous Goddess," the Magister answered. And so went Jasra tutoring for years. Each week she would spend time with tutors who would show her how to be a diplomat, and an equal amount of time being shown the religion of the Silent City. This was the life of a Princess of the Silent City. Until one day the question became, "Why do I have to leave?" and the answer was, "Because the Dune Emperor will not leave you alive if you do not flee." Since then Jasra has been running. Running until there was vast water between her and man that supposedly wanted her dead. Running until she was working for the Skal'dajans under a false name. Running until she was able to be 'liberated' by the House or Pravus. And now Jasra is just another refugee. Another exotic face and voice clogging up the streets as she looks for a way to retake what was hers, seeking out others she's heard of that may have similar goals. But that's not enough for her mind; it's needs challenges. So she's joined the Faith as a Mirrormask, ready to put her questioning mind to use.
    ready to put her questioning mind to use.  +
  • "You've got no right, with you head lost i
    "You've got no right, with you head lost in stories... put that daft book down and help me wash these floors, Ori." - Mama Orick was born to an unhappy tavern wench on a cold and dreary autumn evening in the worst part of Tor. He was a very inquisitive child and yet he possessed a certain caution from a young age, getting himself into perilous situations and almost always scraping by without being caught. He often stole food from the kitchen where his mother worked and when he got a little older he stole books and others things from the patrons in the tavern. Orick had limited formal schooling but his natural talents as an autodidact made it possible for him to absorb things through trial and error or mere observation. When he was nine years old he stole a book from a member of the Faith without realizing who he was trying to rip off. Before young Orick could even read it the victim of the crime was pitching a fit to the owner of the tavern. Fed up with the boy's antics, the tavern owner made Orick return the book and then fired his mother from her position at the establishment. Times were tough after that and it was a very harsh winter but eventually his mother found work as a scullery maid in the kitchens of a Fidante household. His father was an unreliable drunk who became more estranged as the years drifted on until he was a mere memory from childhood. Living a servant's life in a noble house gave Orick better access to books and he absorbed the knowledge around him at every opportunity. At age seventeen he sought a place in the College of Apothecary. Orick offered to work as a doctor, apothecary and general alchemist for the Fidante family if they would help finance his education. That was over a decade ago and now he works as a professor at the college and a private alchemist and medical consultant for the Fidante family.
    medical consultant for the Fidante family.  +
  • %T Lissa Ardellian's history is unexceptio
    %T Lissa Ardellian's history is unexceptional. That isn't to say it's boring, but in a land ruled by turmoil and the constant machinations of a strange political machine, the life of a peasant is a very meager one in comparison. The young knight-aspirant isn't really too eager to tell of it, either. Maybe one day, there'll be a tale or two spread about her time weeding the farm or rooting up potatoes. Maybe.
    ng the farm or rooting up potatoes. Maybe.  +
  • %T Raknorauth was born in the furthest nor
    %T Raknorauth was born in the furthest north, deep within the Everwinter Wood where the souls of men are rarely welcome. In such climates, men have no time for foolishness or flights of fancy, for every hour wasted brings a lazy soul three steps closer to death. But even in such an environment, curiosity can bloom. It is said, mostly by himself, that the first word he spoke as a babe was 'Why', and in the years since, his innate curiosity has only grown. %T Though he warred and clashed with other tribes, worked hard to survive every Deep Freeze, and strove not to disappoint his tribe, Raknorauth could never quite rid himself of his constant need to understand things. So, at the conclusion of his 26th Deep Freeze, he packed up his few belongings, called to his dog, and set off south to find the answers to his questions. Many among his people called him a traitor, others a fool. he was forbidden ever to return. But still he left, convinced that if he were ever to learn what the world was, and why, he would have to look elsewhere. %T For three long, dangerous years he traveled through the Shav lands. Often he came close to death, many a night he spent cold and hungry. But eventually he made it. And after a brief adventure and short brush with death, bent the knee to House Redrain and the Crown, swearing to abide the laws of the pact in exchange for acceptance into this new and exciting culture.
    ptance into this new and exciting culture.  +
  • %TAs a child of a Child of the Sun and Moo
    %TAs a child of a Child of the Sun and Moon, Behtuk and his father were nomadic travelers. About wenty years ago, when Behtuk was only a child, their tribe came across an abandoned vessel on the ice. In the course of looting this vessel, they came across a dying man. Behtuk and his father stayed behind to nurse the man back to health as thanks for bringing them the bounty of the vessel. %TThe stranger learned their tongue, and taught them his. He taught Behtuk the trick to forging steel, for in his homeland he was a smith of renown. When the stranger recovered from his wounds, he took his leave of Behtuk and his father, claiming that it was too dangerous for him to stay as he was a hunted man. He was only too right. %TWithin a single moon of the strangers' departure the hunter came. Behtuk's father said: 'This is a demon, run! Don't look back.' And Behtuk obeyed. He returned a day later to find his father dead, and all their supplies stolen. Behtuk was unprepared to care for himself in the unforgiving North and he did not know how to rejoin his nomadic tribe. %TSo Behtuk left the North, travelling to the land the Stranger was from, someplace where he would be able to hide his crimes. When he entered Redrain he found it welcoming. He already spoke the language, and he was able to apprentice as a smith with the knowledge the Stranger had given him. For the past twenty years he has served as an apprentice or journeyman. It was slow going, but he has just completed his masterwork and come to Arx to support his House and ply his trade. If he still holds onto the knife the Stranger gave him and secretly hopes to meet him again in Arx. He is uncertain though whether he owes the Stranger a debt, or if the Stranger owes him one for his father's death.
    anger owes him one for his father's death.  +
  • %TBecka spent the first ten years of her l
    %TBecka spent the first ten years of her life growing up in the march of Fair Harbour. Her parents were merchants and took the best care they could of the girl. She had a good childhood, but that all changed once her parents left to Arx for a new opportunity and different life. On the trip over they all became ill, and Becka barely survived the death of her parents. Orphaned and left alone, the girl found her new home on the streets, where she remains today. The only difference now is that she is the one helping the misfortunate children.
    the one helping the misfortunate children.  +
  • %TKyden started life as an orphan in Arx,
    %TKyden started life as an orphan in Arx, though she remembers little of the city she's recently returned to. She was adopted at an incredibly young age for the sole purpose of being raised as a deckhand upon a ship that ended up being owned by pirates. Whether this was charity, or some sick plan to breed the perfect sailor is unknown, as the ship in question crashed along the shore of the Navegant when she was but 13 years old. She washed ashore on the island of Escuma, where she spent most of her time living off charity and theft. %TNot much is known about her time amongst the pirates, nor her time spent upon Escuma, but it is there that she began to sculpt. Obsessively. Ceaselessly. There were natural resources nearby, but she soon grew tired of raw clay and mud. She began to steal more and more, but amateur criminals do not last long in such small populaces, and soon she was being shipped off to spend some quality time as a Thrall in Donrai's workgangs. %TUnfortunately, she had little desire to work on anything but her mad art, and her insolence had her in and out of the dungeons, until one day, she simply disappeared...
    , until one day, she simply disappeared...  +
  • %TLuck rarely seemed to be on the side of
    %TLuck rarely seemed to be on the side of Nottie, especially as an orphan that was born to parents of the Redrain fealty, who lived in the Lower Boroughs. Her parents died when she was but a tot, her relatives that were to take care of her abandoned her to live in the streets and she had no siblings. This made life for her rough but she managed to scrape by with the kindness of those with more means than her. %THowever, her luck continued to fail her as quite often she fell ill or someone she was close to fell ill. If it was not an illness it was someone from the Boroughs robbing her quite blind. Truly, life was rough for poor little Nottie. During her time growing up in the Boroughs Nottie had a run in with the leader of the Ulbran family, much to her fear. She had been with someone he knew and she was telling the person of things that happened to her. Theodoric thought she was taking this person for all he was worth but, somehow, she managed to get some of the luck that keeps missing her. He didn't do anything ill towards her and, instead, took her into his family. She thought her luck was changing for the better when she found her husband but, alas, it did not for very soon after they were married he was made a Thrall to some noble within the Thrax family with a debt quite high. So, she has been working on raising funds to help buy his freedom back.
    aising funds to help buy his freedom back.  +
  • %TMarcus was the sort of boy that could be
    %TMarcus was the sort of boy that could be found more often in the fields with the animals and crops then learning the needful things a nobles son might be required to learn. Something that was of little concern at the time being from the 'off' side of the family. And there was always plenty of work to be done. %TWhen duty fell apon Marcus's family after the Tor-Southport war it seemed a heavy burden. Still his father raised no dogers of duty in his household and Marcus set about doing as he must to befit this sudden new station he found himself in. %TSent off to learn the ways of war, the gentle hearted young man found himself to be a disapointment to warriors and of great boon to the healers. Offered the role of medic he eagarly chose that role instead, starting to add to his decent store of knowledge about plants and animals as well as friendly brawls with his fellow soldiers. Eventually earning himself a name as a great fighter with his fists and feet.
    s a great fighter with his fists and feet.  +
  • %TThe remnants of the Morien family has al
    %TThe remnants of the Morien family has always told stories that before the Reckoning, they were a great clan with land, but they were mostly slaughter by the White Legion, and their lands overrun. The family never achieved the power that they once had, and was one of the dozen clans that were crushed in battle that led to the formation of the House of Halfshav. Morien family is now a collection of distant cousins scattered around the north. %TThis "interpretation" of their family history inspired Tarik to want to be more than simple commoner like the rest of his family, even if he didn't completely believe in the story himself. He realizes at a young age that he would never be able take over his mom's duties as a weaponsmith, so he decided to use the weapons that his mother designed to find his way in life. His mother wishing to encourage her son decision to find his own path would give her customers' discounts if they would teach her Tarik to fight. By the time he reached 18, he felt that he had enough basic skills to begin his life as a sellsword. Tarik's first job was being a guard for some caravans. He was so excited, until the other guards betrayed the caravans to the bandits. Tarik had to fight the other guards and the bandits to protect the caravans. He saved the caravans, but he still supports a visible scar from that battle by his ear and neck. He received the other guards share of the money, there was no other rewards, no songs of glory, and only the slightest gratitude offered in the appreciation of his efforts. When he was counting his extra coin, he learned in that moment that to achieve his goals in life that just being lucky or good with sword was not enough. As a sellsword, he has done a stint in the military, he served as a body guard for merchants, protecting caravans, and has even helped find "missing" people. He tries to keep himself very busy by immediately looking for another job. once the previous one has ended.
    ther job. once the previous one has ended.  +
  • %TToste Redrain grew up in Farhaven with t
    %TToste Redrain grew up in Farhaven with the other Redrain children and spent most of his early childhood running around the surrounding forests hunting imaginary wolves or bears and occasionally much fiercer things with wooden sword in hand. Brave and loyal to a fault, he had a strong sense of right and wrong and more than once he ended up getting in trouble, or a bloody nose for sticking up for one of the smaller kids. %TOnly ever an average student, Toste discovered his passion when he was presented with his first horse on his ninth birthday. He quickly showed promise as a rider and throughout his teenage years trained rigorously with the spear and threw himself into a study of tactics, becoming a capable cavalry officer. %THe never lost that idealistic streak though. Raised on stories of questing knights, he regularly competed in tourneys and the like, even winning a few, though he's now setting his sights on bigger things. Tired of chasing shavs around the Northlands and small tie local tourneys, he's set his sights on Arx and dreams of winning glory and renown.
    rx and dreams of winning glory and renown.  +
  • 'Born to House Malgentilega - a vassal hou
    'Born to House Malgentilega - a vassal house under House Pravus - Farrah grew up among the spoiled and feckless youths of high society. Granted every desire, and shielded from the consequences of her mistakes, she didn\'t quite understand life. Her mother died when she was young and her father might have wanted to keep her innocent of the world, but in truth he was inattentive and busy with his own social and financial ambitions. He believed that money was an acceptable substitute for love and did not pay attention to Farrah as long as she did not cause a serious embarrassment for the House. As might be expected, Farrah\'s freewheeling lifestyle led her into trouble. When she was fourteen years old, she was already involved with drinking and carousing with the children of other nobles. By this age she was almost considered an adult and given considerably more freedom than she enjoyed as a child. Her associations and revelries bored her eventually. She sought out more exciting pastimes and found herself gradually associating with a rougher crowd. Many of her friends at this time were nobles also seeking excitement, but into this circle of friends came some who were more interested in her money than her friendship. One of these suggested that thievery would be very exciting and enticed her into the trade. Her early failures were covered over by her family, or by "friends" in high society, and eventually she grew more skilled. But, fate took a hand as she turned nineteen years old. She planned a robbery of a temple, and during this daring raid her partner abandoned her. She was caught and created a tremendous scandal for her family. After paying a hefty fine and receiving widespread scorn, her inattentive father decided she needed to be ironed out with something to keep her out of trouble, and she was given a choice: travel to Tor and agree to study at the renown Apothecary College to learn a craft to worship Jayus and learn some discipline, or be cast out of the family and left to fend for herself as a commoner. To someone like Farrah, it wasn\'t much of a choice. She went to Tor and studied under her strict, no-nonsense uncle for three years. She grew to accept routine and the temptations which usually led her astray were removed. When she returned home her father was delighted by her progress, but Farrah had little interest in becoming a Mercy or scholar and found herself directionless once again. She reacquainted herself with the intrigues of the court, and she kept her eyes and ears open, occasionally selling information to a small group of influential clientele. Eventually, through her contacts and information brokering, she caught the eye of one of Setarco's foremost courtiers. Seeking a new thrill and being naturally suited to the profession, she traveled to Setarco and became a lovely courtier of modest noble birth, much to the chagrin of her parents who wished for her to avoid intrigues that could tempt her into scandal. But at least she was home, and she wasn\'t stealing any more. As far as they knew. House Malgentilega was destroyed along with its liege House Argento by House Pravus for treason in the fall of 1006 AR. While her father was found guilty of the same crimes of his brethren and executed, she and her siblings were given a choice to join him or to bend the knee to the new Count Amadeo due to their blood ties with House Pravus. Farrah wisely decided to do the latter, seeking to stay on House Pravus\'s good side even in spite of the family\'s losses. Farrah began to look for a way to better her social standing among her peers outside of being a courtier, and started marriage negotiations with several prominent families. In the end, however, those within the Lyceum were reluctant to commit so soon after the downfall of Argento and its vassals and Farrah began to look elsewhere. She traveled to Arx and situated herself at court, and eventually she found herself a husband in the newly ennobled Baron Silas Whitehawk.'
    the newly ennobled Baron Silas Whitehawk.'  +
  • *Background: * For the first many years o
    *Background: * For the first many years of his life, Estaban grew up in the Saikland Greens where he stayed and learned to hunt and cared for his family, learning the basics of diplomacy from the noble around him. While he was a boy he learned how to hunt and helped teach his sisters how to enjoy nature, putting them in trees, having mud fights with them, and doing other fun children things with his siblings. When Estaban was fourteen years old his parents sent him off to foster his sense of adventure and desire to be on a boat. He sailed with many people but while his sister, Arcelia, was in Nilanza he often traveled with Argento sailors so that he could frequently visit her. He eventually taught his sister how to sail when her own curiosity consumed her. When Arcelia left the care of the Argento's he went to spend time with the Malvici where he spent four years learning more about the military arts.
    rs learning more about the military arts.   +
  • A Malvici cousin raised in Southport, the
    A Malvici cousin raised in Southport, the former Lady Amanita Malvici, now just Amanita - was raised with an extensive emphasis on both knowledge and fighting. It was an exhausting childhood. Her mother, who came from Valardin stock, was a renowned alchemist and healer who named Amanita herself after a type of mushroom. Her father was a soldier who rarely spent time at home but doted on Amanita and her siblings when he was there. Between schooling, learning how to fence, learning which dinner fork to use, how to dance, and what to wear to which occasion, Amanita found herself in want of something more than the life of a noble - particularly a Lady. Despite the relative freedom that her mother was granted, she still found it too restrictive, and the prospect of arranged political marriages scared her. As some of her siblings got married off, Amanita realized that her time would likely come sooner than later and with some finessing, she talked her parents into sending her to courtier training. A gawky, uncoordinated teenager went into a school - and a tall, slightly better coordinated young lady came out. After spending some time as a courtier in Southport, Amanita has made her way to Arx to seek out her fortune and join the renowned Whisper House, hoping to glean more education from them and perhaps become a great Whisper in her own rite. At the very least, her extended family is in the City, and she'd like to visit.
    y is in the City, and she'd like to visit.  +
  • A Prodigal from the Mourning Isles, Claude
    A Prodigal from the Mourning Isles, Claude is rather private about much of his history. This much seems to be true: once upon a time, he was a shav carpenter with a family. His tribe's village was one of the many that fell to the Gyre, and whatever family he had was lost. He made it to Arx during the Silent War, but moved on quickly enough to Old Oak after befriending Dame Zhayla, House Deepwood's Sword. It was the tragic death of that same friend that eventually brought him back to Arx, seemingly renewed in his desire to do some good amidst all of the dangers facing the world. At least as much as a quiet, artistically-minded carpenter can do. He'll make a start by joining the Faith's disciple ranks as a Liberator of Skald, serve as a vassal of House Deepwood, and go from there.
    ssal of House Deepwood, and go from there.  +
  • A Ravenseye cousin, Jayden grew up in Stor
    A Ravenseye cousin, Jayden grew up in Stormheart as a quiet, content and attentive child. He was an imaginative young man, often just staring at the cold wind as it rustled through the winter trees around the, lost in something that mesmerized him. His father taught him when he was old enough to hold a knife steady how to carve and widdle, intending it to just improve his reflexes and the strength of his hands, but little did the man know but he was dedicating his son to a future of art and beauty. That's not exactly typical for the his house. Sailors and the like for the most part, the life never suited Jayden. As he grew older, he became fascinated with the idea of instruments-- wood and wind, his favored spirits-- and turning his creative talents into making them. He came to Arx a couple years ago, and has made a name for himself for the quality of his instruments that he makes, names, and then gifts to those who are of need or worthy.
    gifts to those who are of need or worthy.  +
  • A Redrain prince, born to shepherd the nor
    A Redrain prince, born to shepherd the north, and be a blade at the front. From a young age, it was clear that Leif had a wisdom most children his age did not. He was both empathetic and patient, even as a bratty child, that often drew respect from his elders. As he grew this only increased, Leif began to train as a warrior, though many turned to him for his point of view and perspective. He often was able to see the issue from both sides, and mediate whether it be for peer or elder. He approached issues with a calm, and open demeanor which garnered him respect from both the warriors that were under him and led him. Leif's younger sisters were a prize to him. He spent as much time as he could with them when he was not being called on for his warrior or princely duties. The young Redrain prince was becoming something quite promising, an inspiration to his people, a strong blade, and a kind and wise man. At one point Leif's popularity was nearly unrivalled at one point, there were simply not many that could find a quarrel with the man. Of course you cannot be all things to all people, but it was hard to dislike a man who only poured out kindness and loyalty to those around him. And then Stormwall happened. The Pirate King attacked the Compact, and of course Prince Leif Redrain was amongst the warriors who defended the city from the attack of the undead. He cut down many of the enemy but eventually was separated from the rest of his forces. Early on, it was thought that Leif perished in Stormwall. Until it was later revealed that the Prince did in fact survive, rescued by a company of Templar. After he returned, there was a short amount of time until Leif no longer practiced shamanism. And only a short amount of time after that, did Leif renounce his title as a prince and take vows as a Godsworn Templar in the Faith of the Pantheon. His decision was pretty unpopular in the north, and despite the criticism that he has received, Leif has maintained a deep love and respect for his people. He has a deep respect for their history and their roots of shamanism, but he cannot deny the path and the calling he has found from the Gods. Adamant and passionate about his new solidified faith he has determined, it is the way forward. And so, Leif reports to Arx as a Godsworn Templar. While some will say he has abandoned his family, and others will call him a brave hero for his choice, Leif maintains that he must love and protect both sides. Hated or loved, he is called to serve, and he will not turn from that calling.
    e, and he will not turn from that calling.  +
  • A brother of Kastelon, Kendrick joined him
    A brother of Kastelon, Kendrick joined him in helping protect the people of Oakhaven. While he was inclined to become a huntsman alongside him, he quickly noticed the difference between him and his sibling. He realized that he would be an ideal fit for a Knight - the strength of arm and personality that were required were clearly found in him. Growing up with his brother, they diverged paths, with Kendrick realizing he had a different plan to serve the Keaton family, and the Compact at large. As a young adult, he serves House Keaton, protecting Oakhaven with his martial prowess, obtained through years of training. He continues to grow in strength, hoping to achieve his goal of obtaining Knighthood.
    achieve his goal of obtaining Knighthood.  +
  • A child of the Mourning Isles, Lora was bo
    A child of the Mourning Isles, Lora was born and raised in Grimhems Point, where trying to Out Thrax House Thrax is no rumor, it is the way of life for House Grimhall. She is one many children between Anton Grimhall and his wife, Helena Grimhall nee Hawkmour. From a very young age, Lora exhibited her love for the arts, specifically music. Before she learned to speak, she was humming the songs her nannies would sing in order to lull her to sleep. By the time she was three, she could play simple tunes on the piano. The dull, overcast skies would suddenly brighten whenever Loralei would entertain her family with music. She has a way about her, an energy, an aura, that draws others to her and as a result can count on many she considers friends. Like her siblings, Lora spent many years under the tutelage of myriad instructors. Her training, while mainly consisting of social graces, often dabbled in a few lessons that focused on the high seas and adventure. It is no surprise then that the young Grimhall lady often jumped at the opportunity to join her mother during diplomatic visits to the Lyceum. The Southern city-states held an exotic flavor to them that resonated deeply within Loralei. Tor in particular held her interest with their rich history, their location on the opposite side of the Lycene split, world renown roses, emeralds, and apothecaries, one can say the city seduced her and she found herself quickly married to Nico Fidante, cousin to former Duke Leo and his sister Calista Fidante. It was a gorgeous ceremony that took place in Spring proper while all of the roses were starting to bloom. Like most marriages, Lora and Nico fulfilled a political arrangement, but there was genuine affection between them as well. As a Fidante, Lora continued to excel in all areas of social decorum. It has been noted quite a few times that her style and fashion is copied time and time again. As for her love of music, she founded a small school of the arts in Tor that provides education for less fortunate children. When Nico died at sea during one of the heinous battles against the Gyre, Loralei was heartbroken. The story of a young widow is sadly not an uncommon one. After what seemed like an appropriate time to mourn her husband, Loralei set off to Arx from Tor to reinvent herself, offer her assistance to her Fidante family, and keep her promise to Nico that she would accomplish all the things she originally set out to accomplish while they were married. A transplanted rose from the Mourning Isles by way of Tor can surely set roots in the capital city. Come abyss or high water.
    he capital city. Come abyss or high water.  +
  • A child of the Oathlands, born in Oakhaven
    A child of the Oathlands, born in Oakhaven to a pair of Keaton Trackers, Apollo might have had an idyllic childhood in the woods. But while traveling between Lyon's Redoubt and Keaton Keep when he was six, he and his parents were ambushed by bandits. His parents were killed, and he was kept; life as a bandit would have been an ironic twist for the child of peacekeepers. But other Trackers eventually found the hideout, and Apollo, recognized, was taken to Keaton Keep, where Countess Margerie took him in. Nigh silent, owlish, grieving, the genial warmth and friendships he found in Oakhaven nurtured him from near mute to merely skittish. His early artistic impulses were noticed, and connections made with local artisans; when he found tanning, he found his first love. He swiftly rose to local prominence for his craft, and Marquis Kael tapped him to come to Arx. He might have been a big fish in a small pond - but he wasn't. Apart from exceptional tradecraft, his care for his liege house, his customers, and his fellow crafters had him lending an ear, a set of armor, or assistance as often as he was taking commissions. And then more often. He became Co-Guildmaster of the Crafters Guild of Arx, a position he held for more than two years. Though often uncertain about his skillset and utility, his time bent toward diplomatic and economic work, outreach with Abandoned, and cultivation of ties between crafters, houses, and organizations for projects and mutual assistance. He took up with Whisper House, first as an associated courtier, then Apprentice Whisper, leaving House Keaton to serve as a Whisper in mid-1014 after a successful diffusion of tensions in the Oathlands. Then in 1015, in answer to his service to House Darkwater and its vassals, he was offered ennoblement. He accepted, stepping down as Guildmaster and retiring as a Whisper, though his ties to both organizations remain. In truth, though his life has changed to a vast degree, much remains. He is a maker of art and a builder of connections, and it is rare a day that passes without some of both. Now, after a brief, quiet betrothal, he's joined House Malespero as Marquis-Consort, where he'll doubtless bring those same instincts to the people of Nilanza. And where better for an orphan like himself?
    d where better for an orphan like himself?  +
  • A child of uncertain parentage, Rylan was
    A child of uncertain parentage, Rylan was born in the year 983 on the island of Nilanza and fostered amongst a family of scribes in service to House Argento. Never quite one of the family, he was yet raised well, with food in his belly and kind words when they were earned, and given an education in all the things a scribe should know - at the least a neat hand and a good memory. He never quite took to the notion of being quiet and unobtrusive in the manner of a discrete scribe however, finding far more joy in hearing tales from the many visitors to the island, not to mention drinking and gambling with them. While he did serve Argento as a scribe in some small matters in his mid to late teens, the vocation never really 'stuck'. During the destruction of the treacherous House Argento in 1006, he chose to leave the island and seek his fortunes elsewhere, intending to send earnings home to his foster family who found themselves abruptly out of work - at least until House Malespero was formed and took their place. By that time he was already situated in Arx, having held a dozen simple jobs over the years - a labourer at the docks, serving drinks at any number of bars, carrying messages for merchants and more, and continued to do so until he reached the age of 30. Each job teaching him something new, but nothing that could be called a career or vocation. Finally in 1013 he decided that he should put his people skills to good use, taking up as an apprentice with Whisper House, learning to serve the great and the good. And everyone else at that.
    t and the good. And everyone else at that.  +
  • A childhood spent growing up on one of the
    A childhood spent growing up on one of the lush fragrant vineyards that surround the village of Saikland Greens sounds idyllic, a vision painted in dreamscape. In truth it was incredibly dull. Nothing of note happened throughout Saedrus' youth. Much of it he spent working on the family land, small as it was, with his six sisters and little else. They were a close family for many years but slowly one by one their numbers drew short as each of his sisters wed and started their own families leaving Saedrus to care for the vineyard alone, what with his father's failing health. It all came to an end when his father passed. Saedrus had the choice then to keep making some of the most tantalizing wine as his father had done, and his father before him, or he could become more than a simple farmer. Wanderlust had always been in his heart but it was not until responsibility to his family had faded that the want for adventure became unbearable, that and the group of troubadours passing through Saikland Greens added just enough push to drive Saedrus towards his ambitions. He stayed with the troupe for some months, travelling through the south and with them began his love for the arts, specifically music and dance. There would be more to learn though, and he could not stay with the musicians forever. The search for adventure and all the knowledge that comes with it saw Saedrus travel much of the continent in the first handful of years, never staying long enough to grow roots in one place. What called to him in all of his travels though were the schools of Courtesans where beauty and talent were drawn by the same brush and wrapped in silken finery; that was where he wanted to be. Where he could pursue his great love for performance and could bring that splendour to others, bring just a little colour and wonder into the darkness of the current state of the world. For the last four years he's studied at a small variety of schools along the eastern coast on a path that has lead him back to Arx. Saedrus has passed through the city on countless occasions, who knows how long he might stay this time.
    ho knows how long he might stay this time.  +
  • A country cousin from a lesser branch of H
    A country cousin from a lesser branch of House Zaffria, it's fairly well-known that the former Lady Magden Zaffria is a bit soft in the head. Her home near Gemecitta employed a rather skilled -- some might say renowned -- apothecary and physician to tend her mother's poor health. Though her mother died when Magden was still a child, the physician remained, taking the young girl on as a promising pupil. When her father died and her older brother had no interest in being responsible for her, she was taken in by the Rubino-Zaffrias in Arx. Unfortunately, Lady Magden's mental condition deteriorated while she was in Arx, resulting in a number of embarrassing public incidents. Her moments of fractious indelicacy and blindness to protocol made her relationship with her house particularly tense. Shortly after a disastrous duel to settle a matter of insult between herself and Duchess Nightgold, Lady Magden made a proclamation officially renouncing both her title and the Zaffria name. Why //specifically// this was done is a matter for speculation. She herself, now simply Magden, will often answer inquiries with wild and impossible tales -- or not at all.
    ild and impossible tales -- or not at all.  +
  • A cousin fairly far down the line of succe
    A cousin fairly far down the line of succession, Edwyn hasn't accomplished anything feast-worthy since birth, save perhaps for that time he'd managed to eat twenty bacon muffins the fastest. Like most of his kin, he was behooved to partake of the knightly tradition although despite his physical talent he has no particular love for the art of war, disdaining the troubles of hard campaign and the chore of having to chase down Shavs. %T Fortunately, he's been saved from further responsibility in Sanctum to find instead his own calling in Arx. He doesn't exactly know what it'll be, but who knows. It could be books, adventure, love, storytelling, getting shitfaced in the other wards, anything except counting coins for the Valardin and riding out in patrol, please, Edwyn's happy enough without that.
    please, Edwyn's happy enough without that.  +
  • A cousin to the current Duke, Baldwin was
    A cousin to the current Duke, Baldwin was from the start a deeply spiritual individual. It was this spirituality of his, this faith, that tempers the occasional impulses for which he was known in his childhood. After all, what little Baldwin loved more than to hear the stories of warfare and House Fidante's many glories was to brawl his relatives, or play-pretend with wooden swords a little too aggressively. As he grew, a certain contemplative nature also came about, and he would often be found in the various temples, meditating and praying when he wasn't compulsively training for what he believed was his true calling. He was fostered with a Southerner Knight Templar, then, both to complete his training and to assist the man in his fight against the Abandoned menace. Many years were spent as the young man flourished into a martially-inclined, highly competent adult, thanks to the spartan upbringing that ensued. Once he was knighted, following a particularly harrowing attack by the Abandoned at a westward holy site the newly-made knight decided to ride back south, after hearing of unrest in Tor. Once there, he joined forces with the Duke against the pretender Count. His training paid off; riding at the vanguard, his mettle was proven again and again in the field of combat, although some whisper of carefully measured brutality visited upon the foe, concealed beneath the veneer of valor at arms. Once Duke Leo was reinstated, he pledged his sword to him, willing to serve House Fidante against enemies without and within, as his liege requires.
    without and within, as his liege requires.  +
  • A daughter of a dying House - her father w
    A daughter of a dying House - her father was a Count within the Oathlands before his death. He always intended for her to marry someone influential to stave off the death of their House - she always refused. When he died, her older brother took his position, and she left. As her older brother had no children at the time of her departure, she is technically next in line for the County - but she refuses to have any part of it. Instead, she enjoys her status as a noble wanderer - intending to live her life in freedom and go with whatever comes her way.
    reedom and go with whatever comes her way.  +
  • A distant cousin of the Darkwater Family,
    A distant cousin of the Darkwater Family, distant enough to be considered fully out of the line of succession, Eamon was left on his own to come up with a way to make a living. Enrolling in the Navy, his connections let him rise through the ranks quickly - backed by his sharp mind and keen ability to turn conflicts around. As he was trusted with greater and greater command, his aptitude only grew, and soon word started to spread about the man, with many nicknames given - but none seeming to stick. He seemed to have hit the height of his progression without formal rank right before the Pirate King appeared and the war began in earnest. Darkwater Watch was ravaged. Even Eamon's mind wasn't enough to pull out a miracle, and when he found his ship surrounded, there was nothing he could do but barely manage to survive on a piece of driftwood until he was picked up by a passing merchant ship. But out of chaos, opportunity arises. With Darkwater's ranks severely depleted, his opportunities have skyrocketed, and so Eamon heads to Arx to make the connections needed to make his family strong once more.
    eeded to make his family strong once more.  +
  • A former lower class who was knighted upon
    A former lower class who was knighted upon loyalty and commitment in bringing in criminals of the Crown by working with the Knights and using his lower class status to go undetected mostly. Picked up his skills from a young age, fending for himself and making the most of his circumstances. Strong willed.
    most of his circumstances. Strong willed.  +
  • A foundling, originating in mystery and no
    A foundling, originating in mystery and no closer to clarity than when she began, Segrid grew up the ward of a certain nobleman since he discovered her in a port city on the far edge of the continent. Blonde and green-eyed, dressed in exotic tatters and utterly mute, she was able to capture something in him that compelled his care. Having been well-educated and trained, she has grown into a cultivated and sophisticated young woman with enough personal charms to recommend her to a good position. Mute until she was nearly adult, she seems unlikely to spill secrets even now.
    seems unlikely to spill secrets even now.  +
  • A frequent face around the Bank of Arx, He
    A frequent face around the Bank of Arx, Herbert Gavius is one of the type of men there that would live his entire life surrounded by other people and could disappear without a trace without any notice at all. With no friends or social ties whatsoever, he is many ways a perfect banker- he goes in, does work with the Bank of Arx, leaves, and it is as if he ceases to exist outside the confines of the Bank. Bland, reliable, and utterly forgettable.
    Bland, reliable, and utterly forgettable.  +
  • A heedless but handsome fellow. Was having
    A heedless but handsome fellow. Was having a stroll when suddenly all went black. The next thing he came to feel, was the intensive throbbing pain and the crusty rinlet of blood coming from the back of his head. Without having a clue as to where he is, nor where he came from, he's seeking out for someone who might be able to give him some guidance. He has a thing for good literature and some talent for finding lost stuff. He's also a goodhearted fellow and usually honest. Even though he might not be able to remember much as to who he was, before he woke up bleeding and in pain, at least he still knew his name. Not knowing where to go, he sets out to find civilization and get at least some basic wound treatment.
    d get at least some basic wound treatment.  +
  • A humble family whose matriarch is a seams
    A humble family whose matriarch is a seamstress in a barony outside of Bastion, the Rosens are no strangers to hardship. Jay was born a middle child in a household of four other children while his mother did her very best to keep them all sustained with her occupation. She is credited for keeping her family together after her husband died unexpectedly while on a winter trip to the Northland. Jay's sisters found jobs as soon as they were old enough and he did most of the manual labor whenever a repair around the house needed to be done. He was no stranger to gardening, building fences, stable duty, or cooking while his mother worked. In his youth, Jay discovered a talent for mending his own clothes whenever he found a tear in his pants or shirt from outdoor work he had been doing. Needlework brought a sense of deep satisfaction whenever he could repair a garment and save it from being tossed out. When he was of proper age he acquired an apprenticeship at a local tailor's shop where he learned the basics of running a business. In addition, the proprietor introduced him to the art of fashion and that's when he found his one true love: making clothes. He began to design and sew his own clothing, only to branch out and tailor for others when his confidence and experience grew. The more clothes he made, the clearer his vision became: he knew he was meant to become a Disciple of Jayus, join the Crafters Guild, open his own shop, and create clothes for all in the city of Arx.
    create clothes for all in the city of Arx.  +
  • A humble family whose matriarch is a seams
    A humble family whose matriarch is a seamstress in a barony outside of Bastion, the Rosens are no strangers to hardship. Joel was born a middle child in a household of four other children while his mother did her very best to keep them all sustained with her occupation. She is credited for keeping her family together after her husband died unexpectedly while on a winter trip to the Northland when her children were young. Joel's sisters found jobs as soon as they were old enough and he did most of the manual labor whenever a repair around the house needed to be done. He was no stranger to gardening, building fences, stable duty, or cooking while his mother worked. During that time, Joel discovered a talent for mending his own clothes whenever he found a tear in his pants or shirt from outdoor work he had been doing. It was by pure happenstance when he began to barter with local shopkeepers for yards of fabric to bring home that it all made perfect sense to him. Rather than save something old, why not obtain something new through trade? Bartering was a skill that he sharpened over the years and his path eventually led him to the city of Arx where the opportunity to open his own shop as a clothier beckoned to him.
    is own shop as a clothier beckoned to him.  +
  • A lawyer and dabbling-merchant specializin
    A lawyer and dabbling-merchant specializing in maritime affairs, Lord Alecto Threerivers served as Voice to the late Count Trevor Threerivers and momentarily as Count-Regent in the days immediately following that man's death and prior to the new Countess of Highrock announcing herself. That Alecto sided with Magaen's succession claim over that of her sister in what he charmingly refers to as 'the trouble with having twins' was considered a big coup for her by outside observers, but privately the pair had been quietly allied for quite some time. Much of the influence Highrock enjoys on the system of nearby riverways crisscrossing the Northern-Oathlands border can be attributed to Alecto's efforts on behalf of his former house. It gives him no satisfaction to see that influence wane in the absence of his nuanced stewardship. Now, Alecto has the prosperity of Glacial Grove to concern himself over. With House Charon inheriting a virtually uninhabitable tower castle, decrepit defensive walls, a crumbling infrastructure, and a withering Prodigal population, the newly conquered holding is bound to keep this consummate worrier up at night.
    keep this consummate worrier up at night.  +
  • A love match, rather than a strictly polit
    A love match, rather than a strictly political marriage, brought a Blackram woman to take the name Sanna and move into the Redrain fealty. On paper, Peyton Blackram secured the use of some minor mountain causeway for trade that would extend Sanna's reach through the winter, but outside of the official story everyone knew that the marriage was going to happen or a bastard was going to a stain. So it was that just a week after the vows had been said, Peyton and Benedikt welcomed their baby boy, Corwin, into the world. They said from the start he could scream loud enough to start an avalanche. When it came to his lessons, things involving reading were not high on Corwin's list. Once he learned how to get out of those lessons, usually by sneaking or just not showing up, he tended to go missing at least four times out of ten. He hated being indoors, and the tutors never wanted to be out of doors. It was, really, just a match asking to fail. When it came to going with Benedikt on a hunt, or working with a weaponsmaster, or learning to stalk a beast, that's when Corwin paid attention. The outdoors, the thrill of tracking something, of catching it, gavae him something that made his blood stir. And on the days when he was really on his game, the wind seemed to always be at his front, keeping his scent away from the prey and making his cloak billow dramatically. As he grew, it became clear that Corwin was not going to be learned, merely adeequate. He was, instead, destined for the life of a ranger. He'd spend his days out of doors, leading hunting parties, skirmishing with shavs, tracking warbands to relay back to the armies. And as long as he was outside, he was perfectly fine. Now he's been summoned to Arx and he's about to find out just host much outdoor camping one can do in a city.
    much outdoor camping one can do in a city.  +
  • A man of humble birth and family. He alway
    A man of humble birth and family. He always had a fine curiosity in the natural and unnatural around. How the most simple and complex things growing around us all can be used to aid and for intrigue. Much of his craft was learned from his own personal reading along with lengthy testing. His family was encouraging in Terno's studies but they did know know all of his mischievous pondering.
    now know all of his mischievous pondering.  +
  • A man who grew up in dire straits, Kador.
    A man who grew up in dire straits, Kador. He did whatever it took to survive, as he did not have much family growing up. All he had was his size to help him. It didn't take long before a band of mercenaries picked him up, helping him on his way to become a warrior for pay. He grew into a very large, strong man, who knew how to hold his own in a fight. For years, he stayed on this path of his, never straying for long.
    this path of his, never straying for long.  +
  • A member of a lesser known barony in the M
    A member of a lesser known barony in the Mourning Isles, the barony of House Morewind, it was a surprise for many among the peerage when Duke Trevor Helianthus took the enigmatic noble woman as his wife. The domain seems to have thrived since she joined Helianthus and she -is- a noble woman right? so there's little reason for any concern. Of course, there are whispers that she was never seen in the domain of House Morewind in the decades prior to her marriage. Even if the family do claim her as their own.
    n if the family do claim her as their own.  +
  • A member of one of the lesser houses of th
    A member of one of the lesser houses of the Lyceum, Leonora was a sickly young woman. Often bed-ridden and secluded, the noblewoman lived predominantly through books and the vicarious tales of her friends who came to visit on occasion. Yearning for a chance to be a part of the society she so often heard of, she saved all her allowance and paid an old woman -- a traveling alchemist -- in hopes of a miracle cure. The alchemist provided a potion for her, and soon Leonora found her strength increasing. While she never will be fully hale and hearty, the potion she was given gave her a new lease on life. And so Micaela decided to join the lands with those of House Malespero, Leonora came along as well, hoping to make a new life within the capital city of Arx. As for the alchemist who had so helped her? Though she's searched, Leonora has found no sign of the woman.
    d, Leonora has found no sign of the woman.  +
  • A member of one of the lesser lines, Vega
    A member of one of the lesser lines, Vega was shown from a young age that if she wanted something better than to be just another princess, she would have to find a way to make it happen. So she went into the study of people. She practiced through trial and error in her younger years, found older girls who knew more and begged, blackmailed, or pulled rank on them to get them to teach her what they knew. As she grew, matured, and learned, she realized the mistakes she was making and starting correcting them. With a sister and two younger brothers, she had plenty of subjects to test her wiles out on. As she got older and her skills refined further, she started putting them to use for her family. Helping negotiate deals, brokering treaties, keeping hard-won peaces... her delicate hand was there, her patient smile suggesting she has all the time in the world. When she reached the age of marriage, Vega began looking for a suitable match. The right House, the right man, the right contract. She went through three courtships early on, none of them ending in marriage. By the time she turned twenty-five, her parents stopped pushing young men at her. But she didn't stop looking. Vega Thrax found her match in Raimon Fidante, just months after her 30th birthday, long after her family had given up hope. While visiting Tor, she met Raimon, sized him up, then requested a courtship period. At the end of three months, a contract was drawn up, and the pair were quietly married in Tor. Newlywed to a man that seems her opposite in every way, Vega and her new husband head for Arx to join the family once more.
    head for Arx to join the family once more.  +
  • A middle child among a gang of six sibling
    A middle child among a gang of six siblings, Delfina grew up half-wild, learning stubborn resistance to bullying and bossiness as well as how to charm gifts from adults even before younger, cuter children. The siblings were raised in an environment of benevolent neglect in a small but firmly established noble House in the Lyceum, with a father who attended to the business of the vineyards under the family's control and a mother often abed with a chronic illness. Extended family taught the children as it amused them, some with lessons far too mature for their tender years. Delfina learned discipline only as a teen when an uncle took her under his wing to teach her swordsmanship, finally managing to harness her drive and intensity. She seemed clever enough that he first thought she might make a good military commander, but it was one-on-one where she really came to shine. Under his guidance, she began to learn when to shove and when to smile, when the point of a pen might be more useful than the point of a sword. She came to love puzzles and secrets, in the way information might sometimes be used as a weapon to greater effect than force. She was on the cusp of departing the family villa for a grand adventure, perhaps going to Arx itself, when her great uncle the Count informed her of a political match to be made with a House in the Mourning Isles. No tears or wheedling would change his mind, so it was a stubborn and resentful woman who showed up on the docks of Darkwater Watch, loudly complaining of the damp and the chill. Was she disappointed when she first laid eyes on the lean, tumble-haired antiquarian who was to become her husband? For a few years, they managed to develop what seemed to be a companionable relationship. Delfina spent her free time honing her skill with the sword, becoming a knight sworn to House Darkwater. She took the opportunity to travel on House business, seeking the adventure she had wanted since childhood. Until, that is, the journey she took made her seem to vanish from Arvum entirely. It was years later that she returned to Darkwater Watch, unwilling to speak much about where she had been, but quick to rededicate herself to rebuilding what was destroyed in the Pirate War.
    ding what was destroyed in the Pirate War.  +
  • A native of a hamlet outside of Tor, Cato'
    A native of a hamlet outside of Tor, Cato's early life was identical to that of his forefathers for generations: The halcyon existence of a goatherd. A poor but idyllic life was his for some time, until his father perished in a riding accident when he was 16, and his mother died five years later to a pox. With no family and few prospects, Cato sold off the last of the family's assets set off for the city to find work. At 22, he found work as a drover; at 24, he found love, and a wife in the Corsetina family. A few short years later, war found him. The Tor-Southport conflict kicked into high gear, and Cato was among many of the eligible young commoners levied for the troops of the Fidante. The mud on his hands was traded for blood, and Cato found no glory or happiness in combat. Fortunately, he discovered something else: An uncanny knack for gambling and reading eyes at the card table. This skill would stay with him for life; gambling remained a side hustle for him throughout the campaign and after it. At the conclusion of the war, Cato ended his service at the earliest possible opportunity, eager to return home, only to find that his wife had perished in childbirth, along with their unborn child. Widowed, childless, and now out of a job, Cato's fortunes were only improved by profits from war spoils, and his veteran's dispensation. These, he used to return to a life familiar to his old one; at 31, he purchased the beginnings of a goatherd, and worked a spit of land just outside the city. Time and patience brought rewards; for the past two decades, he has tended and expanded his goatherd, and brought up small pools of other livestock as well. The wheels of his progression have been greased considerably, however, by the card table. Huddled over eights and aces, Cato came to rub shoulders with the jacks, queens, and kings of Tor's lower elements, and in place of a second marriage, he became wedded to complex trade networks which shy away from prying eyes, from Arx to Tor and back. It was here that Cato began to shine. After all, when the guards were searching for smugglers, why would they suspect the old guy who sold them their evening mutton? All the better for him; at 53, Cato has already outlived both of his parents, and for all the connections and satisfaction his day and night jobs bring him, he still has no legacy to show for it. Who shall tend to his goats when he passes? Who shall manage his complex finances? To whom shall he teach which guards to bribe and which to blackmail? And most of all, who's gonna look after his dang horse? Cato's made his life by reading eyes at the card table, but the glassy gaze of Arvum is, so far, opaque. And worst of all, the gambler's temptation never fades. There is always more to be won. Perhaps, in his twilight years, it's finally time to double down...?
    ears, it's finally time to double down...?  +
  • A near-brother (cousin) to the king of Esw
    A near-brother (cousin) to the king of Eswynd, Haakon grew up on the sea. Being of noble blood among the Abandoned meant being a warrior, and he was raised with callouses on his hands from oars, rigging ropes, and spear hafts. Never able to openly challenge the Thraxian navy, his people were raiders of the reavers, striking any merchant ships or fishermen who fell within their reach, and fleeing from any war fleet. Twice he was part of a battle against Thrax warships; neither could be called a victory. The Darkness in the Deep was known to the Eswynds for many years. At first, Haakon and his kin had been all too willing to accept bloody silver to hunt the Arvani (they did that, anyway) but as the shadows spread and tales of the blood madness trickled out, Eswynd's old allegiance to Marin grew dangerous. When Margot Tyde and her diplomats came to them, offering alliance and protection, backed by the threat of destruction before a united Thraxian fleet, the Eswynds accepted There were noises made about honor and their ancestors in protest, but for such things "the wind does not care." All that mattered was surviving the coming storm. His near-brother the king (now Marquis) married an Arvani woman to seal the alliance and remained in their home island, making heirs. Haakon and his people took their small fighting ships to sea for battle among the Tyde fleet, and did their duty against the Gyre. After the war, Haakon was sent to Arx on Eswynd's behalf, to represent his people in the court of their ancient enemies, now overlords. What could possibly go wrong?
    w overlords. What could possibly go wrong?  +
  • A nephew of Duke Vercyn Halfshav through h
    A nephew of Duke Vercyn Halfshav through his mother, Celina, and father from House Redrain, it was fully expected that Otakar's upbringing would be a martial one, battling the tribes of the Shav'arvani under his uncle. And indeed, he fulfilled that expectation with the grim resolve demanded of him, although he took time between his military training to learn much from books both his uncle and mother had sent up to Whitehold. Once he could patrol, he spent time making sorties against the Abandoned on the outskirts of the Everwinter - and then came the battle of Stormwall. Taking to the field with his uncle's forces, the Northern knight acquitted himself bravery, if what he saw there changed his life dramatically. Now, in Arx, he has come to join the Duke's retinue and help battle future enemies to come.
    ue and help battle future enemies to come.  +