Search by property

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

List of results

• Persephone Galani  + (She started life as Lady Persephone Galani …
  She started life as Lady Persephone Galani, only child of Count Ladon and Countess Iole Galani. She was raised as any Thraxian noblewoman up until her 8th year. That was when her House, her family, was found guilty of treason. Rather than go quietly to the blade, her family rose up and fought, bringing about the complete and utter destruction of her House. As a mere child, found hidden away in a stinking fish basket after the battle was over, Persephone was allowed to live. Stripped of title and nobility, she was raised as a commoner in the Thrax household. Within a few years, she had learned to hate her traitorous family and threw her lot in wholly with the Thrax. She learned to sail and to fight, and set herself apart as a particularly steadfast crewman willing to do whatever it took. She gained a reputation for being harsh, even cruel, though she would call it 'pragmatic'. A few years back, her hard work and steadfast loyalty paid off, landing her a captaincy and a ship of her own. During the latest months, she was kept busy running supplies and people into and out of Arx through the siege. After a slight reprieve to repair and replace lost crew, Persephone has returned to Arx for orders and is ready to sail straight into the heart of Hell once more.
  straight into the heart of Hell once more.)
• Ann crovane  + (She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princes …
  She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact.
  mily navigate the politics of the Compact.)
• Ann Redrain  + (She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princes …
  She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact.
  mily navigate the politics of the Compact.)
• Ann Rivenshari  + (She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princes …
  She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact.
  mily navigate the politics of the Compact.)
• Cydra Corroda  + (She was born an only child in the City of …
  She was born an only child in the City of Arx to a poor family, her mother being a tavern maid and her father being a dock worker. It was a difficult life growing up, getting her in to a lot of scrapes and trouble with the law - much to the frustration of her parents. She wasn't bad - simply headstrong and willful - but those two traits tended to rub the wrong people the wrong way. She helped her father at the docks loading and unloading heavy crates, far preferring that to the tiring social setting of a tavern, but she didn't have hope of much of a future beyond the simple life her parents have. Wanting much more than to be poor and pregnant, she hopped at the chance to join Arx's military, serving several years as a common man-at-arms.
  ing several years as a common man-at-arms.)
• Eleanor Allenatore  + (She was born on a ship, a trading vessel o …
  She was born on a ship, a trading vessel of the Velenosa. Her mother was a sailor who loved nothing as much as she loved the sea. Her father was a sailor too, and though her parents were rarely together, still they made what time for her that they could, when both ships happened to be in the same port or when there was time for her to run from one port to the other for a visit. But as much as she loved the sound of the waves and the gentle rocking of the ships on which she and her mother worked, she knew early on she was destined for something else. For aslong as she can remember she has wanted to be a Knight. And not just any Knight - a Knight sworn to protect the King, one of the Silver Swords. She doesn't remember the bulk of her early years, but she remembers the first moment when she saw them marching by, their armor gray against the blue sky as they protected the King. In fact, she measures her life by these defining moments - her first sight of the King's Own was followed by watching the tournament where Dayne Valardin won the title of Lord Commander. Then not long after that, she watched as Princess Leona Thrax was escorted to the edges of the Thrax holdings and turned out, no longer a Princess so that she could join the King's Own. At fourteen she walked with her mother to the gates of Crownguard Tower, and held her breath waiting for the answer to her demands to be let in to train. And she remembered the weight of the belt and chain, the moment the legendary sword of the King's Own dubbed her a Knight, the pride swelling in her chest. Her father was killed in the Tragedy of the Harbor when a third of the Thrax vessels were pulled down into the water. He would never see her be a Knight, but she knows he was proud of her. And still there is her mother, grief-stricken but safe, still comforted by the love of the sea and refusing to make a more permanent home near her only daughter. Even so, the King's Own is the family she longed for and she has vowed to be the best Knight she can be, no matter what it takes.
  night she can be, no matter what it takes.)
• Sheena Coldrain  + (Sheena's parents, in her eyes, were good p …
  Sheena's parents, in her eyes, were good people who just made some bad choices with their life To Sheena it was not their fault they got the debt. They were only trying to help those they considered to be in more need than them. Alas, this kindness was also their downfall. Someone swindled them out of everything they owned and so they could not pay money they owed to their Lord Edward Redreef, who is now Baron Edward Stormbreak. The debt was not for ill reasons but simply because they borrowed a great deal from him to establish their family business and a little home. Sheena's Parents, Sharice and Bruce, took a loan from him to help with the establish of their merchant shop, selling baked goods and beautifully made clothing. The loss was too great for the Baron to let slide so he, unbendingly, turned her parents into thralls. They could not fault him for it, as they were the ones who did not meet the agreed upon conditions. And so, they were made thralls. Alas, their health, unbeknownst to them as well as Edward, was failing and but a year after they were made thralls their deaths took them. So, Sheena took upon the debt her parents had gained. She had trained at the knee of her mother to be a skilled seamstress. She was, perhaps, even better than her mother. Her treatment as a thrall indebted to Edward was not all that rough. When he was no longer Redreef she was brought with him, as her debt was to him personally. She continued to work off her debt as a thrall of his. Since his treatment of, at least her, was not rough Sheena did not really see the rougher side of Thralldom. When the debts of children who inherited their parents debts, as part of the Thursday's Child campaign, were bought out by Princess-Consort Alarissa Thrax Sheena was among them, to her surprise, as she thought she would be passed over with her age of Majority coming upon her soon. When given her freedom Sheena was faced with a world of options that she never had before. She might not have been one of the thralls with a rough life but she was still a thrall. She, with her freedom of choice, opted to stay with the Stormbreak as a commoner vassal. Sheena, after all, was more sheltered than one would expect of someone who was a Thrall. Not long after her freedom was granted to her an older couple, who had been adopted by the Coldrain family, offered to take her in. Not as her parents, they were far too old for that, but as their grandchild. So many choices. So may decisions. After some thinking and getting to know the older couple Sheena agreed to be their grandchild, as they had none. In the time since she was freed from Thralldom Sheena has gotten married to Dylan and become the protege of Edward. She spends more time playing around with the market than designing clothing.
  d with the market than designing clothing.)
• Sidney Whisper  + (Sidney is the kind of man who can answer " …
  Sidney is the kind of man who can answer "Where are you from?" with either a succinct answer or an accurate one. He usually errs on the side of brevity, painting his past with broad strokes and tailoring the details to the particular interests of his audience. Locals might appreciate hearing that he was born in the capital city proper, while immigrants tend to relate more to his stories of an adolescence spent in the Lyceum. Scholars are offered the name of the highly respected scribe he apprenticed under in Lenosia, while artists are given a romantic summary of his brief time among the brutal cliffs and pirate bands of the Mourning Isles. All or none of it might be a fabrication, and he is rarely precise about dates. What is clear is that he returned to Arx at eighteen and was brought under the wing of the Whisper House shortly thereafter. At twenty, he has still not quite refined himself to their standards.
  quite refined himself to their standards.)
• Sienna Malvici  + (Sienna was raised a Malvici noble with all …
  Sienna was raised a Malvici noble with all the appropriate educations and privileges that come with being one. She is the second youngest of her siblings, and the twin to Sierra. Her parents are Tatiana Malvici and Montresor Malvici (former Igniseri) III. For a little while Sienna travelled the lands over seen by Malvicis but the moment she was able to Sienna joined the military. While she rarely, if at all, held back against the 'enemy' she was considered a skilled soldier who left a trail of her enemies behind her. She gained ranks in the military decently quick and was always on the frontlines with those under her command. Rumors, for those bold enough to listen to them about a Duchy, of her being involved in the more darker actions of the Malvici spread but it was hard to put faith in them due to her charitable and kind personality. Sienna never one considered leaving the military, but she did decide to travel to Arx with her twin Sierra. Not to long before she left Malvici lands to come to Arx, Sienna became a Champion and joined the Champions Guild.
  a Champion and joined the Champions Guild.)
• Sierra Malvici  + (Sierra is the youngest of her siblings, he …
  Sierra is the youngest of her siblings, her twin sister older than her by mere minutes. She is the child of Tatiana Malvici and her father, a former Igniseri, Montresor III. As one might expect, Sierra got the education one would expect of someone of the Malvici family. She started to travel as much as she could, with a chaperone before she was age then independently when she was of age. This was in interest of expanding the people she knows and helping forming alliances for the Malvici family. She travelled for a bit before she was conscripted into the Malvici military for a spell. This is when she truly realized she wanted to be a healer. Previously she had just been casually learning from her aunt, Eirene, mostly in preparation for the fact she knew she would eventually be made to serve in the military. Once Sierra was able to leave the military she did and instead focused on improving her medical capabilities. She decided to join the Mercies and the Phyicians. In recent times Sierra married Morven Kennex, now Morven Malvici, and has been married to him for a little over a year. During that time Sierra decided to join the clergy of Lagoma as a Disciple. With her sister Sienna and her husband Morven, Sierra moved to Arx to stay with the family members there.
  Arx to stay with the family members there.)
• Signe Nightgold  + (Signe was born as a third child to Osmond …
  Signe was born as a third child to Osmond Nightgold, younger brother of Duke Neddim Nightgold. It is said that her mother was screaming so loudly whole night that even nigh-legendary metalsmithing forges seem to be quiet like a windless ocean. The birth was very hard and troubling. Lord Osmond Nighthold was asked to visit his wife's chambers that night to make the hardest decision possible. The midwife said that just one life can be saved: a mother's or a baby's. Lord Osmond Nighthold loved his wife, but she was ready to leave. It is said that the woman pleaded for the man to accept the baby and never blame the baby for her death, love the baby with all his heart and let the baby see the beauty of life. It is said that the man prefered that his wife would be saved, because then they could have thousands of chances to make other babies, but he submited to his wife's will, and holded her hand until a tiny baby girl was born and his wife let out the last breath. Signe was a high-spirited hell-raiser and mischief maker in her childhood and adolescence. She was growing up with three Mountain men: father and two older brothers. She always wanted to be somewhere out with them, she wanted to participate in their trainings, and she loved following them, imitating them, spying on them. However, even if she had a strong love for mountains and the strong wind in her hair, possibility to look over the horizon from the top of the mountain, the love for forest and nature was much greater in her heart. She loved wandering in the forests, gathering herbs, learning what those herbs may do. Even more, she loved watching animals, following them, spying on them, imitating them. Mostly, she loved dogs. The young lady befriended almost all homeless dogs in Stonedeep and she used to spend a lot of time around breeders of their famous hounds. Rolling in the mud with a puppy while it licks her face was something what draw a large smile in her pale features. Of course, she also had to interract with humans and some of them were her cousins like Nadia and Lydia. Signe always saw them as a true image on how a lady should act. She knew that she has to learn from them, but it was kind of boring. So, she used to run somewhere away from her tutors for as long as her brothers and father didn't learn about it. Though, scolded by authority (her beloved father or one of the beloeved brothers), Signe was quick to calm down and get back to her studies, lessons and more proper behaviour. Though, if someone ask who is Signe's most favorite person without her father and brothers, the young woman would definitely mention Princess Drea Redrain. Of course, she did not have a possibility to interract with the royalty much. However, she saw High Shaman from afar and really wanted to follow in her footsteps. Signe can not understand those who follow unknown Gods. They seem unreal and they are strangers to her, nothing more. However, the nature is something special. It is real and it does control our life and we shall pray to is, because it actually has influence on our life. We have to take care of the nature and follow it's rules. That is why young Signe believes that she should become Shaman herself one day. Though, the night is young and it is not yet sure what waits for Signe in there. However, for now she is just excited to travel to the Capital, where she has never been before. She will have so many new places to explore, and maybe she will meet Princess Drea Redrain, and she will re-unite with her cousins, and she just hopes that her father and her brothers will soon join her on the Arx too, because even if she is wild and a true adventurer, she still madly loves her family and not places, but people are her home.
  y and not places, but people are her home.)
• Silana Halwen  + (Silana grew up in Arx, indeed she has rare …
  Silana grew up in Arx, indeed she has rarely ever been outside the city. Her father is an apothecary and alchemist of some skill, mostly making tinctures and salves to sell to physicians. From an early age, the curious girl would take an interest in her father's trade, and he taught her many things, considering it an idle indulgence. When she came of age, she became engaged to a merchant's son, much to the pleasure of her parents. But when her fiance discovered that she had had a brief but passionate affair with a stable boy, he cancelled the engagement forthwith. Her aprents were deeply angry, and she in turn exchanged some heated words with them. In the end, she left her parent' home, taking little with her but some money that her father had given her out of last minute pity. The alchemical knowledge she had gleaned from her father now turned out to serve her well. She began creating makeup and other cosmetic products, as well as herbal tonics supposedly meant to help men and women alike to maintain a healthy and beautiful body. She was fortunate enough to find a few wealthy patrons, enough to establish herself as an independent businesswoman.
  h herself as an independent businesswoman.)
• Silas Mercier  + (Silas is the middle child and second son o …
  Silas is the middle child and second son of a well-to-do wine merchant. He grew up in a lofty manor with servants who were more attentive towards him than his parents. He was close to his brother and sister, but both were more suited than he was for the family business. He always had a fondness for athleticism and 'hands-on' activities, and got on well with the other troublesome youths in the city. With his brother being groomed to follow in the footsteps of his father, Silas was given the freedom to pursue the path he wanted to take, which inevitably led him into knighthood... and the Iron Guard of Arx.
  o knighthood... and the Iron Guard of Arx.)
• Silas Whitehawk  + (Silas is, or rather was, a scion of the we …
  Silas is, or rather was, a scion of the wealthy Mercier family. He grew up in a lofty manor with servants who were more attentive towards him than his parents, resulting in a childhood rife with mischief and trouble. It wasn't long before it was clear he wasn't suited for the family business, and his father focused on grooming his other two children instead. Upon watching his first tournament, Silas decided he was going to become a knight. He was happily sent away to squire for a knight sworn to House Decalmbre. After making it clear he had no experience with handling a sword in spite of his assinine teenage confidence, Silas was quickly chastened and slowly adapted. He learned the previously alien concepts of honor, patience, virtue... and losing and getting back up. He returned to Arx still green, but greatly changed and finally with a solid sense of what he wanted to contribute to the world. He joined the Iron Guard and eventually got himself made a Knight of the Compact. His youth paired with his status as a commoner made it difficult for him to climb the ranks, but his friendliness made him well-liked among his colleagues and among the commoners he mingled with on the streets. Then, like a dam giving way, everything seemed to happen all at once. Silas became the benefactor of the people around him screwing up spectacularly, in spite of his adjacency to such scandals: in fact, perhaps -because- of it. In the summer of 1005 AR, his Lord Commander turned on the Lady Regent when she attempted to have him arrested for conspiring against the Compact and being involved in the murders of deaths of several prominent nobles. A third of the Iron Guard turned on the rest and fled the city, leaving blood and chaos in their wake. At the Assembly of Peers following the betrayal, Silas was nominated and appointed Lord Commander of the Iron Guard, at the age of 22. Tolomar Brand loomed on the horizon, and Silas was tasked with whipping the remainder of the Iron Guard into shape and oversaw a recruitment drive which replenished their ranks and then some. The Iron Guard still saw grievous losses during the Siege, but ultimately survived stronger than ever - or at least in recent memory. In the spring of 1006 AR, his brother Lazarus's ongoing feud with House Grayson spilled into the public eye after his family was reprimanded for their involvement in a dispute over post-siege alcohol. Though supportive of his brother's decision to part ways with House Grayson, Silas's oaths as a knight made it impossible for him to follow, which ultimately lead him to being publically disowned by his older brother. Then, in an awkward and sudden turn afterwards, he was ennobled by House Grayson and given a castle in the northern reaches of the Crownlands. He was named Baron Silas Whitehawk of Hawkhold. A cavalcade of young Mercier cousins soon arrived to help Silas with the stewardship of his lands, and House Whitehawk became a full-fledged neonoble family.
  awk became a full-fledged neonoble family.)
• Silvana Fidante  + (Silvana is the youngest child of Vicente a …
  Silvana is the youngest child of Vicente and Sandra Fidante, having been born not very long before her mother died by the light of her oil lamp. She doesn’t remember her mother, outside stories told to her by Fidantes, her father, and her older sister. Though she doesn’t remember Sandra it has caused Silvana to be a little more inward focused, due to her not wanting to die by a freak accident like that. Nor did she want to live like her father, cut off from most people. She might adore Vicente but she, really, does not want to end up so very serious like him. He is the, currently, most important man in her life, after all. Growing up Silvana had a pretty typical life of a Fidante noblewoman. She was given the proper education and tutoring in her interest in alchemy. She, more or less, gained the skills needed for a noble of the Fidantes. Outside her education she socialized with other nobles and got to know them. She made friends with some and argued with some. There were those that didn’t believe she should be putting herself before pretty much everyone, especially as a noble. It was from those that didn’t like her that Silvana learned of the rumors and stories of her father as the ‘Rose of Cinders’. Some even mocked her about the rumors that her father might have killed her mother. Silvana was having one of these petty jabs at her via stories of her family. Rather than let it get her down it inspired her to shoot for the stars and work at making her family even more powerful than it already was. Being of the Lyceum it was likely unsurprising that Silvana sought out the advice of the Mirrormasks. Initially it was to speak about ways to help her father and to stop the rumors of her family. It gradually grew into her understanding that being who she is, both sides of herself, important. It didn’t matter, regardless of those that thought ill of her, if people disapproved of some of her decisions and prioritizing herself. The more time she spent with Mirrormasks the more she was interested in getting involved with them. Although she didn’t join the Mirrormasks until she arrived in Arx she spent time with the ones in the Lyceum. She decided to come to Arx after rumors of some issues some of her family members were having, including her father. Helping her family was one of the things that Silvana was interested in doing, at least as long as it didn’t hurt her goals and dreams. It was during her stay in Arx that Silvana got to know people. At one point she was considering returning to Tor but after getting to know more people she decided that staying around Arx and continuing to explore and get to know people was a lot more interesting. He desire to stay and enjoy Arx also made her decide to officially join the Mirrormasks over just being involved with everything she could with them.
  olved with everything she could with them.)
• Silvio Rubino-Zaffria  + (Silvio was the quieter child, the dutiful …
  Silvio was the quieter child, the dutiful child, the careful, measured, considered child. It's not that he didn't play, but even as a young boy, he was too clever for most of the simple games, and tended to follow adults around and absorb their conversations like a sponge, which made him a remarkably useful boy for his mother to keep at her side, both for his adorableness -- a not inconsiderable factor -- and for his astonishing ability to retain information. When his mother died, though, he was a seven-year-old left bereft, in the shadow of a tragedy that formed and shaped him. His father grew more remote and bitter, and his training was largely placed into the hands of other relatives. But the Archduchess found his ability to retain information very useful, and the Archduke and his other cousins became -- as he grew older and more acute -- his instructors, his mentors. As a teenager, he was already ruthless: as a lover, as a gossip. Merciless, as only the deeply passionate can be merciless. Wound him not, or regret it. A young courtier from Setarco made the mistake of toying with his affections, and while publicly their breakup left Silvio entirely untouched, the Lyceum did notice that the young man's social connections were completely over afterwards, and that the young woman that he had left Silvio for broke it off with him mere months later. By the time the young man died -- later, in combat -- he was so completely forgotten by society that barely anyone noticed. Silvio first joined the social scene at Lenosia and then, over time, completely took it into his possession, and by the time he was 21, he basically owned it entirely, his influence on the world of fashion and the world of social gossip second only to the Voices of his House. Each tragedy that struck the Velenosas, from the death of Carlotta, to the death of Esera, to the vanishing of Niccolo's new wife: none left him untouched. But he never made any political moves to become more central to the family even as the power vacuum struggled and the Lycenes scrabbled for position. He was loyal to Niccolo as one can only be loyal to one's personal mentor -- not uncommon in the family -- but moreover, he had learned the very Lycene lesson that the hot seat is, itself, an invitation to tragedy. Better to stand just to the left of power and advise power gently on her exquisite tailoring, thanks. Born a Prince, Silvio Velenosa wed Lord Lysander Rubino, bolstering the decimated noble ranks of the Rubino house, and making a union with the royal house of Velenosa.
  a union with the royal house of Velenosa.)
• Silvio Velenosa  + (Silvio was the quieter child, the dutiful …
  Silvio was the quieter child, the dutiful child, the careful, measured, considered child. It's not that he didn't play, but even as a young boy, he was too clever for most of the simple games, and tended to follow adults around and absorb their conversations like a sponge, which made him a remarkably useful boy for his mother to keep at her side, both for his adorableness -- a not inconsiderable factor -- and for his astonishing ability to retain information. When his mother died, though, he was a seven-year-old left bereft, in the shadow of a tragedy that formed and shaped him. His father grew more remote and bitter, and his training was largely placed into the hands of other relatives. But the Archduchess found his ability to retain information very useful, and the Archduke and his other cousins became -- as he grew older and more acute -- his instructors, his mentors. As a teenager, he was already ruthless: as a lover, as a gossip. Merciless, as only the deeply passionate can be merciless. Wound him not, or regret it. A young courtier from Setarco made the mistake of toying with his affections, and while publicly their breakup left Silvio entirely untouched, the Lyceum did notice that the young man's social connections were completely over afterwards, and that the young woman that he had left Silvio for broke it off with him mere months later. By the time the young man died -- later, in combat -- he was so completely forgotten by society that barely anyone noticed. Silvio first joined the social scene at Lenosia and then, over time, completely took it into his possession, and by the time he was 21, he basically owned it entirely, his influence on the world of fashion and the world of social gossip second only to the Voices of his House. Each tragedy that struck the Velenosas, from the death of Carlotta, to the death of Esera, to the vanishing of Niccolo's new wife: none left him untouched. But he never made any political moves to become more central to the family even as the power vacuum struggled and the Lycenes scrabbled for position. He was loyal to Niccolo as one can only be loyal to one's personal mentor -- not uncommon in the family -- but moreover, he had learned the very Lycene lesson that the hot seat is, itself, an invitation to tragedy. Better to stand just to the left of power and advise power gently on her exquisite tailoring, thanks. Born a Prince, Silvio Velenosa wed Lord Lysander Rubino, bolstering the decimated noble ranks of the Rubino house, and making a union with the royal house of Velenosa.The two have since divorced.
  e of Velenosa.The two have since divorced.)
• Simon Hillock  + (Simon's gift has always been the ability t …
  Simon's gift has always been the ability to tell the right story. When he was young, growing up an orphan inside the Tragedy in the Lower Boroughs, he remembers being able to weave a compelling story to the other children about who his parents might have been, great heroes in the Tor-Southport war that were tragically lost, that won the respect and admiration of other children and thus saved himself from surly bullies. As a young adult, he was known as Simon the Beggar Author in the Lower Boroughs, for his ability to tell the most heartwarming and sympathetic tales to the more fortunate, so they might give some coin. What started as a way to survive quickly became something else, as he saw it as an entertaining challenge and his start as a true entertainer. It also became second nature to stretch the truth for what would make for a better tale, and before he knew it he was making a comfortable trade as a merchant in haggling and bartering, enjoying the give and take and well respected lies at the bazaar of Arx, and started to travel as a trader. And his ship was promptly attacked by pirates, and he was kidnapped by Grazagh the Incoherent, the Abandoned Chieftain of the Deeptides clan. Simon was the sole survivor of the attack, as day after day, he was able to forestall his execution by telling another amusing tale that delighted Grazagh and his cutthroats. After a month of captivity, Simon realized one night that someone was spying their camp, and he distracted all the Abandoned with a rousing tale, which in turn let an entirely different band of pirates attack with an element of surprise, and led to his rescue at the hands of Bonnie Shepherd, a dashing pirate who also quickly became a fan of Simon's work, and became fast friends. She, looking to get out of the pirating business, started a sellsail mercenary and sometimes adventuring company with Simon and some friends and family called the Valiant Effort. It has been, as Simon would say, a long story. And yet more turns keep coming. After some time as an adventuring company, with Simon taking his hand at being a true author and detailing their work, his good friends' estranged father apparent was posthumously ennobled and left a duchy to them. Not one to miss a good story, Simon followed them to Arx without a second thought.
  owed them to Arx without a second thought.)
• Sina Izetta  + (Sina Izetta is the only child of long-dead …
  Sina Izetta is the only child of long-dead Darya Izetta, captain of the Kraken's Mistress, and a thrall upon the ship named Pecha, who was sold off when her daughter was only a toddler. As the captain's daughter, she was a veritable princess aboard the ship, resented by much of the crew and taught many a skill meant for young ladies on the mainlands; she learned quickly the arts she was exposed to as well as those she wasn't. When the Kraken's Mistress was sunk by the vessels of House Thrax, Sina was taken in - not as a member of the family, but as a member of the staff. At the tender age of ten, she worked within the kitchens, eventually drawn up from the position of house servant to serve Princess Donella at the whim of the late Prince Elton Thrax. Always known to be a quiet girl, she grew alongside the future Voice, six years her junior and readily attached into her later years. With the Queen's death, and the presence of Princess Donella within Arx, she got her true taste of the mainland city. She served Donella faithfully until the Princess married Prince Darren Redrain, becoming the Princess Consort of Farhaven. Though they remain friends, something seems to always keep Sina tied to House Thrax in one way or another. Out of this sense of loyalty to House Thrax, and because the terrifying Prince Donrai was killed and no longer such a strong presence in the House, Sina remained behind and took up service with Princess Alarissa, Princess Consort of House Thrax, instead. While serving as Alarissa's handmaiden, Sina flourished as a Scholar, Explorer, and handmaiden as well. She was given freedom to pursue her own interests in her free time, such as her art and exploration. Meanwhile, she accompanied the Princess Consort on various occasions, served in the household with a diligent and quiet demeanor, and attended the Princess on occasions such as social functions to a tour of the Mourning Isles. There, on this tour, Sina met Seraph Ailith, who became an inspiration and a beacon for her, and it is here she found her voice. Inspired to join the Faith not just as a Disciple of Vellichor, she eventually sought and received the blessing of House Thrax to take the vows of the Godsworn. Inexplicably, Sina rose rather quickly through the ranks of the Scholars, eventually being named Prelate by then-Archscholar Bianca Wyrmguard after the death of Brother Driskell. She was Prelate for only a very short time, a matter of a couple of months, before Archscholar Bianca was raised and annointed as Legate of Creation, putting forth Sina's name as her successor as Archscholar with the blessing of Dominus Orazio and that of former Dominus Aldwin. Thrown unexpectedly into this position of responsibility and even a certain amount of power, and unaccustomed to such, Sina takes her new duties very seriously, yet struggles sometimes with the nuances of leadership. The former handmaiden and servant now strives to set aside her servile ways in order to prove herself a capable leader, that she might guard and protect the Great Archive as she has sworn to do. Perhaps the youngest ever to be named Archscholar, it will be interesting to see where she takes the discipleship in the times ahead.
  takes the discipleship in the times ahead.)
• Oddmun Sanna  + (Since he was a boy, Oddmun Sanna spent a l …
  Since he was a boy, Oddmun Sanna spent a lot of time outside. His father was a more politically interested man than he, a man who understood what it meant to keep the realm together, but Oddmun always felt somewhat outsidered from that by the knowledge that the boy who would be march lived, as did his little sister, and both were strong children on their own. He spent time with the shamans out in the snows and in the depths of the caves, learning what he could from quiet and silence; he spent time in the stables, underfoot as a boy who loved the animals and was not doing anything useful. When he reached adulthood, he began to put all of his allowance -- and, indeed, the sale of some of his personal effects -- towards improving the breeding stock in the Sanna stables. His goal was to develop horses for the cold, and for the mountains, but also for their beauty and temperament. He spent most of his days either with the animals indoors or out of doors, and let everything else fall by the wayside. He let at least one potential marriage arrangement lapse entirely due to his disinterest. Only loyalty to his house and the threat of crisis -- and the possibility of trade arrangements with other houses for horseflesh -- eventually drew him south to the capital to lend whatever aid he could to his house and to his liegelords.
  could to his house and to his liegelords.)
• Isabetta Gilden  + (Since very young, Arianna's older sister m …
  Since very young, Arianna's older sister made it very clear she had no desire to inherit. Isabetta didn't wish to lead, she wished to experience life. When they were both young, they used to engage in mock swordfights and terrorize the maids, and Isabetta was always a little stronger, a little better at climbing those trees. Then Arianna's health began to decline, and Isabetta found herself without a partner in crime when it came to her adventures outdoors, but with as much interest in exploring the wild lands around Caith. Growing up did nothing to settle this appetite, but it did expose her to a number of other comforts that she came to enjoy just as much. She spent a number of her teenager years in Lenosia, learning etiquette and refinement with members of the Velenosa family. Diplomacy never became a good subject for her, with her tongue just being a little too sharp at times but she did establish strong bonds, in particular with the heir to the Velenosa throne, Esera. They became good friends, even if she often delighted in terrorizing that boy, Talen, just to see Esera fawn all over him. When she returned to Caith after her studies and time with the Velenosa family, she became the Mistress of the Hunt under Baroness Alessandra, and after her disappearance and that of her guards, she was instrumental in helping rebuild the Gilden House Guard, dedicating her life to hunting down criminals that tried to use the chaos of those time to escape into the lands around Caith. The awakening of things of myth, the threats the Compact is facing and the recent death of her friend, the Great Duchess Esera have led her to Arx, where perhaps she can understand better what happened to her dear friend.
  d better what happened to her dear friend.)
• Sinclair Melaeris  + (Sinclair was born to the melaeris nobility …
  Sinclair was born to the melaeris nobility and as such had a somewhat privleged upbringing of simple walks on the beach and mind-numbing tutors. That all changed when Sinclair met Edra Hasavar, His mind was opened by this Law tutor he spoke of the freedom inate in every human soul and the great power of the free people. After his time with Edra Sinclair became a dutiful and frothing student of abolition and the rights of man, with this knowledge of philosophy he became a lawyer. His studies of law have been quite dull but he has attempted to learn as much as he can as he feels that knowledge of the law will allow him to push his radical agenda.
  will allow him to push his radical agenda.)
• Sinhoc Marylis  + (Sinhoc's tribe assimilated into the Compac …
  Sinhoc's tribe assimilated into the Compact after enduring years of starvation by the needs of the nearby Superpower. Before this, Sinhoc was a healer among his people, despite his fierce anger management issues. Although not inept at the more accepted trade of raiding and participating in small-time feuds among the Abandoned, he saw less reason in the sacrifice of life and limb, and more in its preservation. As his clan entered a decline due to the increasingly well-equipped transport of goods and overhunting by tribes in a bid to kill each other off, Sinhoc's clan sought refuge in the Compact, many among them swearing allegiance to their ancestral enemies to save their own lives. Sinhoc was among them. As he was soon discovered to own some degree of medical talent, along with an adjustable anger, he was pipelined into a position in priesthood, to nuture pre-developed notions of servitude to higher powers. The act of prayer came to him like smoke to fire, and he mellowed from the experience, coming to love his new place in society.
  , coming to love his new place in society.)
• Siobhan Moonwrought  + (Siobhan grew up in the far north, along th …
  Siobhan grew up in the far north, along the coast amongst the Ravenseye tribe, the daughter of one of their shipwrights. She followed in her father's path, making longships for the tribe, and soon her skill surpassed her teachers, with her innovative designs being highly prized among her own tribe, and others besides. Her childhood was still somewhat rough, however, as there were rumors about her mother. They said she was from a cursed line, and many shunned her. As such, they shunned Siobhan as well, happy to commission her ships, but never becoming more than business acquaintances. All but the Ravenseye family themselves, who ignored the rumors, and accepted her among them happily, with open arms. When the Ravenseye bent the knee, and came to Arx, Siobhan went with them as their finest craftswoman of the tribe's--now County's--ships.
  woman of the tribe's--now County's--ships.)
• Stanley Cooper  + (Sir Stanley was born a peasant's son, and …
  Sir Stanley was born a peasant's son, and he grew up learning the trade of barrel-making from his father, the village cooper. When bandits came to the village he hid, but when his lord's men came to take the bandits on, Stanley pointed the way, then promptly stole his father's old spear, took the village's plough-horse, and followed on. There's no way that a cooper's son with no training should have been able to turn the tide of a small battle - but he did, and he won himself a place with the Baron's armsmen. It was soon apparent that Stanley was destined for more. He took to an armsman's training with such panache that within weeks he was sparring with the Baron's daughter and heir; on realising the nature of the young man, the Baron gave him a knight's training, with the idea that Stanley would be his daughter's protector. Sir Stanley excelled, until the point at which the Baron's heir died of a sudden fever. Shortly after the Baron's lord summoned her banners, and Stanley marched with the host. During the first of several battles Stanley came to the eye of one of the King's Own, and a month or so later - after several more fights - Stanley found himself offered a place with the Silver Swords. And that's where Stanley has served for the last thirty years, rising slowly through the ranks.
  ty years, rising slowly through the ranks.)
• Thorley Sandreef  + (Sir Thorley Sandreef is a sailor from the …
  Sir Thorley Sandreef is a sailor from the Westrock Reach. He was born and raised in the shadow of Lightsreach Keep as an orphan adopted by the Sandreef family. For most of his life he'd been looked at with knowing looks, pity, and sometimes derision for how much he looked like the former Duke of Westrock Reach. Thorley shrugged off most of it, and spent his life learning to sail the merchant boats that the Westrock Reach was known for. In his late teens he met his wife-- Abigail. They married after a short romance. Less than a year later, they had a daughter, Lysa. For six years, the pair built upon a partnership, but she and their daughter died when one of their merchant vessels were attacked by pirates on their way to trade with the Laurents. He took to his drink after that. For nearly a decade, he lost himself into the abyss of the bottle, drowning in the darkness and content to do so. That is until the old duke became ill and for some reason the duke's nephew, Ryhalt Farshaw, approached Thorley. Ryhalt pulled Thorley out of the drink, and had him squired to the Sword of Westrock Reach. In 1002, when Duke Warwick perished, and Duke Ryhalt came to power, the old sword retired and Thorley became Sir Thorley, Sword of Westrock. For whatever reason he know serves Duke Ryhalt as faithfully as he can. Having started his knighthood late in life he's not as polished as most Valardin Knights, but he tries.
  ed as most Valardin Knights, but he tries.)
• Thorley Farwatch  + (Sir Thorley Sandreef is a sailor from the …
  Sir Thorley Sandreef is a sailor from the Westrock Reach. He was born and raised in the shadow of Lightsreach Keep as an orphan adopted by the Sandreef family. For most of his life he'd been looked at with knowing looks, pity, and sometimes derision for how much he looked like the former Duke of Westrock Reach. Thorley shrugged off most of it, and spent his life learning to sail the merchant boats that the Westrock Reach was known for. In his late teens he met his wife-- Abigail. They married after a short romance. Less than a year later, they had a daughter, Lysa. For six years, the pair built upon a partnership, but she and their daughter died when one of their merchant vessels were attacked by pirates on their way to trade with the Laurents. He took to his drink after that. For nearly a decade, he lost himself into the abyss of the bottle, drowning in the darkness and content to do so. That is until the old duke became ill and for some reason the duke's nephew, Ryhalt Farshaw, approached Thorley. Ryhalt pulled Thorley out of the drink, and had him squired to the Sword of Westrock Reach. In 1002, when Duke Warwick perished, and Duke Ryhalt came to power, the old sword retired and Thorley became Sir Thorley, Sword of Westrock. For whatever reason he know serves Duke Ryhalt as faithfully as he can. Having started his knighthood late in life he's not as polished as most Valardin Knights, but he tries.
  ed as most Valardin Knights, but he tries.)
• Svoli Volkov  + (Sister to Aahana, Svoli steadfastly claims …
  Sister to Aahana, Svoli steadfastly claims to be the elder twin, despite being the smaller of the pair and their births only being a short span apart. Svoli is most certainly harder to understand than her sibling. She is the proud daughter of the brazen and ferocious Horselords of Volkov and, as with her elder brother, her heart lies in that wild heritage. But even the traditions did not explain away her nature. It was whispered within the nomadic tribe that their Horselord's child - one of the twin girls he had sired - had an unusual way about her. People, she would disregard, seeming almost to look through those who attempted to engage her as a youngster. But animals she would converse with freely. While other little girls sought company and playmates, or were taught the typical skills of womanhood, Svoli would wander off into the wilds as she pleased, disappearing for days at a time and returning with, when pressed to converse, tales of the creatures she claimed to have befriended. The steeds those of House Volkov stake much of their livelihood upon are an extended part of Svoli's personal family - she speaks to each of them, and know them for their quirks and subtle differences in temperament. While her family may consider her something of a dolt in social aspects, she more than makes up for it with her uncanny understanding of and control over many varieties of beast, not only those of equine origin. More often than not, this means Svoli is regarded with wary uncertainty by most; a feral, unsettling oddity to the minds of even her own people. She has, of course, done nothing to dismiss her reputation. It's perfectly possible she hasn't even noticed. Her affinities aside, she has come to grudgingly concede learning the more civilised aspects of her family's trade, as well as cultivating and rearing them. Politics and courting are of no import to her, and she still far prefers her solitude in the wilds to the overwhelming bustle of Arx. But times change and one must adapt. As for her brother's decision in bending the knee, following the death of her father, Svoli is indifferent. She only hopes that this change in political stance will mean that fewer wild beasts will be unnecessarily hunted. Her love for animals could become a serious concern for some, as in certain situations her ferocity in defending them can turn violent - such justice of course being reserved for those animals closest to her, or those she may feel empathetic toward at the time.
  he may feel empathetic toward at the time.)
• Skaldia Harrow  + (Skaldia is the younger of twins born to th …
  Skaldia is the younger of twins born to the Harrow line, following after Scipio as the sixth of the seven siblings. Born in the Lowers to Herman and Mathilda, Iron Guardsmen both, and raised after their deaths by their grandfather and older siblings. Skaldia was often restless even as a child. While not as outwardly boisterous as her older siblings, she took to the family practice of service and martial prowess with no less enthusiasm. Frequently overlooked by the more boisterous family members and preferring the peace of the woods over the noise of the family home, her love of animals and the woods began early, nursing injured birds and befriending wayward rabbits, as a young girl more than one 'family dinner' was pardoned by Skaldia before it ever reached the table. Though practicality and acceptance of Death's place in the cycle of life tempered her desire to save the animals, it became that which would guide her to become part of the Lodge of Petrichor at a young age.
  of the Lodge of Petrichor at a young age.)
• Skye Blackshore  + (Skye Blackshore came into this world on a …
  Skye Blackshore came into this world on a rocking ship in the middle of a storm that almost split her father's ship in two. Lady Florence Blackshore was sick from the rocking and had to give birth to the fiery little baby that roared her way into this world. That moment in time seemed to set a precedence because she took her toddler years by storming, making her mother fear that the little girl would pitch overboard if she took her eyes off her. She used her two older brothers to help reign the little hellion in. Her father, Lord Cornelius Blackshore, served as a naval architect for House Thrax so his duties took him all over the Mourning Isles. To Skye, he was the hero who loved his wife deeply and took them with him wherever he went so he wouldn't have to be parted. While she did find land when he would consult with the different ports, she spent most of her childhood on the water. She dressed like breeches and chased after her two brothers. Her mother desperately tried to get her to be a little lady but the tom boy inside Skye would have none of that. Her mother's declining health and father's distracted parenting left the girl more often than not to hang on the sailors on her father's ship and learn a host of profanity that no little girl should know. When she turned eleven, Skye's life took a drastic change. Her mother's waning health got bad enough that Cornelius could not in good conscious keep her on the boat. He deposited mother and daughter at his family estate and then took her brothers with him so in one fatal swoop, the little girl lost most of her family to the sea. Her mother and her took residence in the tower at Blackshore Keep, Skye becoming a nursemaid to her ailing mother. The frustrated pre-teen only got relief in the library that had all kinds of books on nautical subjects and her father's journals on his early ship designs. She memorized the drawings, started to make some of her own. Her absentee father came when his schedule would permit but it was months at a time that she would not see him. Instead Uncle Oswald, the Baron of Blackshore, took the authority figure. His strict discipline insured that this wild hoyden turned into a beautiful young lady. While at first, he was a gruff, but loving uncle. Over time, as his madness set in, he was prone to vicious displays of violence that scared the young lady. It wasn't until Blackshore Keep was destroyed by dragon fire that she was forced to come to the city after taking her mother's ashes to her childhood home. Count Turo Navegant, her cousin, took the young lady in as his ward. While attempts were made to find other members of the Blackshore family, none could be found. Skye still holds out hope that her father and brothers will be found, but as time passes that hope has started to fade. Recently Skye was named heir to Blackshore, making her Baroness. An expedition sponsored by the Society of the Explorers, lead by Sparte Fatchforth, found that while 5-mile radius around Blackshore Keep was destroyed, there is still viable 95-mile radius of land that can be rebuilt on. She has established an outdoor shrine to the gods and dock at the future site of New Hope. In the coming year, once things have settled, she will start the journey of rebuilding her barony. Perhaps find a husband that will marry into the family and help her breed the next generation of Blackshore.
  r breed the next generation of Blackshore.)
• Sloane Starling  + (Sloane is a commoner whose family probably …
  Sloane is a commoner whose family probably died in a plague or in a shav attack or some war or another. Regardless, she travels alone, having settled for some years in Bastion the great seat of House Grayson to ply her trade. A barkeep, a caretaker, nothing has brought Sloane quite as much infamy as her fortune telling reputation. She promises that with nothing more than a touch and a card she can predict a person's future. It's surely nothing more than a way to entertain travelers during a snowy winter's eve - or on one occasion, spark a fight. Sloane hated the drudgery of working day in and day out to keep a roof over her head and food in her belly. She craved more. And when that craving became overpowering, she picked up her belongings and moved to Arx, there to apply for training as a Whisper and find a life of luxury and affluence.
  r and find a life of luxury and affluence.)
• Sylvi Thrax  + (Slyvi has always been a sickly child, ever …
  Slyvi has always been a sickly child, ever since the day she was born. It was considered a small miracle that she had managed to survive her first few years at all. She frequently fell ill, and was confined to a bed as often as not. Because she was so rarely able to move, she found herself escaping into books in the family library. In her time, she grew fascinated with the secrets of the world around her. The unexplained mysteries of the time of the Reckoning capturing her interest in particular. Unfortunately, she didn't socialize much at a young age, relying on visitors at her bedside for company, of which there were very few outside of her family, but she always loved to receive visitors, anybody to tell her stories about the things that were happening outside of the walls that she was too weak to see for herself. As years went by, she managed to gain more strength, she began to explore the library on her own, finding new and exciting books. She spent most of her teenage years in the library, searching through every corner for anything of note. Finally able to move freely through her home, she began meeting everybody, and learning what would be expected of her as a Thrax Princess, but she always tried to find ways out of rather awkward situations. She knew her place was among the Scholars of Vellichor, and that was where she found herself as often as she was able. She distracted herself with studies while her life was torn apart by conflict and death, just trying her best to keep busy and out of the way. She very nearly missed hearing about her brother's return to Arx, and decided it was time to go back out to find him. After convincing her family that she was healthy enough to travel, she made her preparations.Relocating to Arx would be perfect for a family reunion. And of course the archives of Arx are unmatched anywhere else in the world. Certainly there will be plenty for her to discover in time.
  ill be plenty for her to discover in time.)
• Macda Grayson  + (So here is the thing about growing up in B …
  So here is the thing about growing up in Bastion, as a daughter of Grayson, in the House of Grayson. Everything around you has a great deal of weight to it. The weight of expectation. The weight of history. The weight of legend. Especially for a little girl who has been named so obviously for a Hero of Yore, as Macda was: Macdon's tale being a favorite of her father's, she grew up hearing ever more elaborate ballads of it, around the table and among the others. And here is the thing about growing up under all that weight. You either bend, twist into the shape that they want you to mold into, or you don't. Macda was pressed, shaped, and folded -- until she could be pressed, shaped, and folded no more, and burst into her teen years like a geyser of rebellion. Skinned knees, scored knuckles, on one memorable occasion a lord's son's broken teeth, mud tracked everywhere: these are aspects of childhood, maybe, but aspects of childhood that most young people leave behind eventually. At 16, Macda was living out loud, recklessly making more scrapes for herself than ever. Ride hell for leather, start brawls in the pub, dangle your little sister over a brook by her feet, sing bawdy songs in the street at the top of your voice at two o'clock in the morning: life is too short to be well-behaved. With age came temperance because if it hadn't, she might've driven her family to throw her out. Love is the tie that binds duty even to the least dutiful daughter of a house, and Macda was never short love. She loved fiercely, just sometimes stupidly and without as much guilt as most people develop over the course of their young lives. Acting without thinking was second nature. Thinking... took time to develop. Macda is sure she'll never stop being a hellion. It is not in her to grow into a lady of dignity. But there's a way to be a grown adult person about it. A way to recognize boundaries and limits. Sometimes she is still working on it, but she really does mean well.
  king on it, but she really does mean well.)
• Gisele Aurum  + (So many Aurums join the ranks of the Schol …
  So many Aurums join the ranks of the Scholars that it was no surprise to the family when Gisele pledged herself as an acolyte. What did surprise them was her leaving the order instead of continuing on with her training. She's been reticent to speak of why but claims to be satisfied with the course her life took afterward: she opened a small shop that sold books and writing materials to the public. It has never been a booming business, not exactly, but between sales and the work she does illuminating manuscripts for select clients, she's made enough to keep a roof over her head and food on the table.
  roof over her head and food on the table.)
• Sabella Grayson  + (So the family story goes, Sabella's mother …
  So the family story goes, Sabella's mother was at the theatre when the infant princess decided to make her way into the world, and so compelled, she was named for a character in the evening's performance, Sabella Langlier, a wealthy heiress in love with a troubled knight. Perhaps performing is in her blood, or perhaps her fate was guided by too many tellings of the same tale. Whatever the case may be, Sabella tends toward drama as a personality trait. She can shed tears on demand that could soften even the blackest heart, her smile incites men to violence as they compete for her favor, and even the faintest sigh has servants scurrying to make things right. Sabella doesn't see anything wrong with wanting her life to be more like the performances she can't seem to get enough of, she's in line for the throne after all... if dozens of Graysons with a better claim all mysteriously died, of course - and how exciting would that be! After the events of the King's Rest, Sabelle maneuvered her way into being relocated to Arx for her greatest role yet - maintaining a pretty, charming face for the Grayson family amidst the turmoil of politics. And perhaps at the same time, she can hone her craft by getting involved with the Blackrose Theater in Arx - surely there are mummers out there in need of an enthusiastic patron, after all.
  need of an enthusiastic patron, after all.)
• Solomon Venwich  + (Some children grow up wanting to be heroes …
  Some children grow up wanting to be heroes, and Solomon wasn't any different. Born to a pair of commoners in the Lower Boroughs of Arx, they started him early on the tales of those worth remembering. Trips to the Hall of Heroes were frequent when he was old enough to actually understand the stories being told, and with a little bit of youthful wonder he was convinced that one day he'd be able to become just like them. He wanted to be a Knight, to fight for the weak and defend those that needed defending. And he was certain he was going to do it, too. But Solomon was a rowdy child, with a loud voice and an inability to keep his opinions to himself. He didn't like it, uncertain of how to actually stop himself from getting into trouble, but his major problem was that the other people around him didn't like it much either. By ten he'd made a reputation as the punching bag his peers would use whenever something didn't go their way. Or, just as likely, whenever Solomon drove them to it. So he fought, and he fought, and he fought. And at no point did he actually get better. For the next few years he spent every day training, fighting, and working to better his lot, but in the end, he just didn't have the body for it. That made him bitter. He was already an ill-tempered child, but once he realized that his potential to actually do something was fading away faster than he could catch it, he internalized that anger. He never stopped fighting, but he never stopped losing either. If he's anything, he knows how to to take a beating. By his mid-teens something shifted in him. The mouthiness never stopped, but people started hitting him less as a result of it. Turns out, he has something of a knack for fixing people up. He figured it out early, mostly by force, as he refused to find a Mercy to fix those broken bones or fingers that he'd developed on his own. But it progressively got harder for him to avoid having to help people, as the violence in the Lowers proved to be a perfect testing ground for bandaging, balancing humours, and general practice. Over the next few years he got good at it, extremely good, and now it serves him to trade his practice for booze and passes for those beatings he still somehow manages to accrue. If there's one thing that drives him more than anything else, it's that for some reason or another the people he helps usually make it. Save for the particularly bad wounds or vital areas being destroyed, his patients pull through. He was never a particularly pious person, embittered by the destruction of his dreams early on, but he's quite proud of the fact that the infected wounds he treats clear up, the broken bones he effectively sets heal properly, and the worst-case scenarios sometimes turn out to be completely fine. If anything, it's his only point of pride, and he's quick to make sure everyone knows about it.
  uick to make sure everyone knows about it.)
• Sparzla none  + (Some fifteen years ago there was a mighty …
  Some fifteen years ago there was a mighty fierce winter storm, and a strange looking ship from far distant shores was brought in on the unrelenting winds - only to be smashed to smithereens against the welcoming rocky arms of the Bay of Thrax. There were no known survivors, only a few broken pieces washed up on the shores. A little while later, a little girl, hardly more than a toddler, was left abandoned in a tavern. As she refused to speak, and seemed both mute and deaf, the only clue to her origins was the exotic garments she was wrapped in. With noone to speak for her she was given over to the Tragedy orphanage, and some time later the clothes were gone. As it turned out there was nothing wrong with her ears, though she stayed seemingly mute for far longer. She grew quickly, and always seemed to be hungry. Eventually she discovered she could find more to eat by her own power outside the orphanage walls than she could waiting inside, and one day she simply stopped going back. She started out doing odd jobs, but with her size and strength those were often more combat oriented than not - and usually shady. At one point she decided to try and go against the growing tide and got herself in as an apprentice to a local smith, Sumakre. It was two good years, but then he started acting strange. Nervous, fretful, almost scared of the dark. Sometimes he said he'd found something he shouldn't have, and he'd go on weird rambles to her about not looking into things needlessly. He started drinking, and money started getting scarce. Then one day he told her to stay away from the smithy for the next week or so, as he'd gotten a special order for his eyes only, and that this was the big one that would turn their luck around. She did as told - and the next night the smithy was ablaze. Sumakre's body was found inside, a charred skeleton broken by something more than just fire. Whispers went around about smiling shadows. It's been less than a year since, and Sparzla's been sort of adrift ever since. She is back to taking the odd jobs, part-time bouncer at local taverns, makeshift bodyguard, grim-faced looming muscle.
  hift bodyguard, grim-faced looming muscle.)
• Solene Valardin  + (Some little boys and girls receive dolls o …
  Some little boys and girls receive dolls or painted blocks for their earliest birthdays. Others receive thick books filled with stories of knights and honor and the the solemn promise that one parent or another would be there to read one story a knight to their daughter? Do you want to guess which of the two fit Solene's upbringing? Some children are allowed to run through the woods or over the plains, swinging sticks and growing their imagination as they battle mythical gnolls instead of just their friends. Others are given their first set of armor and a dagger as soon as they are able to stand with that much weight. Solene was the latter. Some younglings attend the services of the Faith when there's a holy day, or when they have some need to speak to a priest. Not Solene, she was sent to the chapel ever morning and night. If nothing else she was to give thanks for waking and having the chance to sleep once more. All of this made for a rather serious you know knight who took her share of prizes from tournaments among squires, and was knighted without a blemish to be found on her record. She spent a few years among her family, rising to lead patrols and skirmish with the shavs. But something about it didn't feel right. Without the least bit of arrogance she told her parents she was meant for more. She felt a calling. Not one to make hurried decisions, especially ones that permanently change her life, Solene spoke with the local Templars and began working as a disciple of Gloria. She'd service their armor, ride with them, and each activity lead to a greater feeling of fulfillment. By 25 Solene was sure and she gave up her title and took her oaths to the Faith. Since then Solene has served with distinction. It's not just the use of her weapon that has helped her grow, but the way she learns a lesson from each new outing and comes back time-tested and tempered, wrapping her zealotry in an impenetrable shell of experience. It's how she's taken her time with the templars to learn to be more than a weapon, but how to lead and form plans as well.
  n, but how to lead and form plans as well.)
• Rook Grayward  + (Some men always hunger for something more. …
  Some men always hunger for something more. Rook knows he should have been born to nobility, to exercise the sort of power and control derived from that accident of birth, but he's not about to let that stop him. He had at least the minimal good fortune to be born to wealthy merchant vassals of House Grayson, allowing the ambitious young man to deftly dodge all attempts to saddle him with the family business and smoothly transition to the capital city of Arx to move ever closer to power. Once there, it was a simple matter of charming the right people in the right places, saying all the right things to the potential patrons to become a well-liked courtier at court. Rook's burning ambition to make a name for himself was not about to be satisfied with being a liked courtier, and he has steadily expanded his circles of acquaintances to continually include potentially useful individuals to make ever elusive power all the more obtainable. Whether he's doing work with the Whisper House acting as an escort for high born noblewomen, or acting as a patron of the arts for the Black Rose Mummers, Rook seems to have a hand in just about everything.
  s to have a hand in just about everything.)
• Rook Valardin  + (Some men always hunger for something more. …
  Some men always hunger for something more. Rook knows he should have been born to nobility, to exercise the sort of power and control derived from that accident of birth, but he's not about to let that stop him. He had at least the minimal good fortune to be born to wealthy merchant vassals of House Grayson, allowing the ambitious young man to deftly dodge all attempts to saddle him with the family business and smoothly transition to the capital city of Arx to move ever closer to power. Once there, it was a simple matter of charming the right people in the right places, saying all the right things to the potential patrons to become a well-liked courtier at court. Rook's burning ambition to make a name for himself was not about to be satisfied with being a liked courtier, and he has steadily expanded his circles of acquaintances to continually include potentially useful individuals to make ever elusive power all the more obtainable. Whether he's doing work with the Whisper House acting as an escort for high born noblewomen, or acting as a patron of the arts for the Black Rose Mummers, Rook seems to have a hand in just about everything.
  s to have a hand in just about everything.)
• Rook Champagne  + (Some men always hunger for something more. …
  Some men always hunger for something more. Rook knows he should have been born to nobility, to exercise the sort of power and control derived from that accident of birth, but he's not about to let that stop him. He had at least the minimal good fortune to be born to wealthy merchant vassals of House Grayson, allowing the ambitious young man to deftly dodge all attempts to saddle him with the family business and smoothly transition to the capital city of Arx to move ever closer to power. Once there, it was a simple matter of charming the right people in the right places, saying all the right things to the potential patrons to become a well-liked courtier at court. Rook's burning ambition to make a name for himself was not about to be satisfied with being a liked courtier, and he has steadily expanded his circles of acquaintances to continually include potentially useful individuals to make ever elusive power all the more obtainable. Whether he's doing work with the Whisper House acting as an escort for high born noblewomen, or acting as a patron of the arts for the Black Rose Mummers, Rook seems to have a hand in just about everything.
  s to have a hand in just about everything.)
• Margot Tyde  + (Some nobles are raised to meet the expecta …
  Some nobles are raised to meet the expectations of their house out of pride or obligation, striving to be the perfect scion cast in the mold of their ancestors. Lady Margot Tyde, on the other hand, was raised believing that her life literally depended upon how well she could hold up to the Thraxian ideal for a noblewoman. Her father, Duke Titus Tyde, was the second most powerful noble inside the Mourning Isles and rebelled against his liege, Prince Donrai Thrax. As little more than a child, she remembers the utter destruction of her house as House Thrax crushed her family, putting everyone she knew and loved to the sword... save her. As her family's holdings passed to the control of House Thrax, and its vassals all bent the knee, no explanation was ever offered for why her life was spared. It was made privately clear that she would be raised as a ward of House Thrax and her continued status as both a noble and non-corpse was largely dependent upon her behavior. But Lady Margot Tyde is certainly a survivor. To survive, she relentless pursued Thrax's ideal for noblewomen. A true lady of Thrax is the charming diplomat, the convincing apologist for Thraxian excesses that wins concessions where brutish threats fail. A true lady of Thrax skillfully supports the lords and sways others to the cause, but demurs from wielding political power in her own hand. A true lady of Thrax disarms foes with clever games of charm, needing no other weapons. A true lady of Thrax should be ambitious for the success of her house, with a carefully cultivated fire, even as she defers the prizes to men. All this was expected of her, and Lady Margot became what she needed to be, never giving a single dangerous hint of the sort of desire for revenge that would have doomed her while living among the men that killed her family. She would do anything to survive. Anything to succeed.
  anything to survive. Anything to succeed.)
• Sable Greenmarch  + (Some of Sable's earliest memories are of t …
  Some of Sable's earliest memories are of tending to her mother's arrows. Archery is in her blood; her mother was a huntress, and her mother was a huntress, and so on and so forth. As soon as she could hold and draw a bow, she knew what she was and where she wanted to be: a huntress, in the woods. The Greenwood was her home for many years. She saw numerous battles with other shav'arvani and Valardinians both. In truth, she still sees House Valardin as more foe than friend, though she has, of course, bent the knee. She would have stayed in the woods forever, but a bad break of her leg that never quite healed properly has curtailed her activities somewhat. She's still good with a bow, however, and she can make them quite well. The city intrigues her, and while she'll never be entirely comfortable in urban environments, it was time for a change.
  an environments, it was time for a change.)
• Ysabel Gilden  + (Some people are born to great feats of mar …
  Some people are born to great feats of martial pursuits, others to inspired diplomacy and etiquette. Then there are those like Ysabel who simply see the world as one big library. Rarely seen without a book in hand, from the time she was very young, Ysebel could not bear to not try to take apart any situation, any object, simply to learn how it works. Nothing sates her curiosity in full, because there's always more questions, always more to understand. The world wouldn't be so vast, after all, if it wasn't filled with secrets and meant to be understood. Her place as the youngest sibling of a Barony like Caith meant she had more than enough free time to find herself holed up somewhere with a book, or climbing into some cave just to see what was in there. Once, on a trip to Lenosia, Ysabel found herself without any particular duties or need to be noticed, so she made her way into a vast library. She expected no one else to be there, but the youngest Velenosa princess, Isolde, was there, hiding away, reading. The two found each other companionable, usually quietly reading, occasionally engaging in lively debates throughout her trip. That night was the Mirror's Masquerade, and... something happened. Ysabel watched as her new friend danced, and for some reason, knew she had to figure out what just was going on.She knew there was more in the world happening than what she could find in her books. After Alessandra disappeared, and stories of contact with the Nox'alfar reached Caith, Ysabel knew that Arx was her destiny, hoping to help the family there, and reconnect with the Velenosa family to begin the work she knows needs to be done, hoping a position as a lady in waiting will afford her the opportunity to continue her quest for discovery.
  unity to continue her quest for discovery.)
• Darian Malespero  + (Some people have rotten luck, and they cru …
  Some people have rotten luck, and they crumble beneath the weight of all that bad luck. But not Darian. Despite being the youngest son of a now defunct and dead noble family he has never let these facts get him down. When he was young, roughly five or so as near as he can remember, his family as a whole was slaughtered. It was messy, and there was no pretense at hiding the fact they were kiled for a reason instead of it being just casual accidents. Darian could not tell you how it was he managed to survive, and escape, what was the ruins of the rest of his family. Eventually he resurfaced on another island, the ward of another noble family. THe knew he was an orphan, and although he wasn't treated badly he was not given all the nice trappings of the birth children of that family either. He worked for his keep, joining the family militia, training to be a soldier with them, even learning some ways of ship-board war when it was required. Despite all this hardship he remained positive, he new that one day he'd get what he was searching for. THe set sail with many of his brothers-in-arms to fight in Setarco, seeing things there that he would swear were not real if it had been months before. But he saw them, and it has opened his eyes to a great many things, a reality that life was once more changing for him. After the battles, during the clean up efforts he parted ways with the family that had sheltered him since he was a child, setting sail for Nilanza and the rumors that he heard about the remains of what was House Argento's holdings. It was there that he met the Marquessa, and was extended an invitation that seems impossible for him to refuse. Swearing his heart to the family, as well as his sword-arm, he went to work helping to rebuild, eventually sailing for Arx itself.
  ebuild, eventually sailing for Arx itself.)
• Dominique Wyrmguard  + (Some say that there is no family more hono …
  Some say that there is no family more honorable in all of the Oathlands, no vassal house more loyal to Valardin, no truer knights than the sons and daughters of House Wyrmguard. Marquessa Dominique Wyrmguard attempts to embody this well. She regrets the circumstances surrounding her inheriting the title so young, with her famous father perishing at the Tragedy at Sanctum to a surprise attack by bloodthirsty shavs, but she has been preparing her whole life for the moment she would find the burden of rule. Raised on the ideals of chivalry and just rulership, her march stands as one of the oldest and most stalwart backers of House Valardin against the Abandoned that threaten all of the Compact. Her childhood was spent with one lesson after another from her father about the way that terrible men can abuse power and imbued in her an ironclad devotion to high minded principles. Unapologetically idealistic, she realizes that a very black and white approach makes her a poor fit for the treacherous political waters of Arx and is happy to defer the games to her sister Desiree, but never loses sight that the burden of the difficult final decisions must fall upon her shoulders.
  al decisions must fall upon her shoulders.)
• Gwendolen Blackram  + (Some time before her birth, Gwendolen's pa …
  Some time before her birth, Gwendolen's parents struck out from their ancestral home at the Cloudspine and set out to make their names on the frontier. When her mother's pregnancy became apparent, they still persisted with their nomadic lifestyle. Gwendolen was born amid their quest for fame and fortune. Long periods of time spent in the wilderness and among the village-folk did little for the girl's noble graces, but they did imbue her with practical knowledge. From a young age, she learned to ride a horse, hunt animals, and survive without the amenities of a city. Some time later, when Gwendolen was a teenager, her family decided to return to their former lives in the Cloudspine. They had not achieved notoriety, and instead earned the ire of their relatives for shirking their noble duties. Gwendolen was taken in by her grandmother and formally educated, but she didn't take the lessons well. Instead, she entertained herself with stories of adventure and came to idolize the figure of the knight-errant. At the age of 14, Gwendolen forced herself into the company of passing knights in the hope that they'd take her on as a squire. Her opportunity came some years later, when she was old enough to participate in the hunts. A passing knight, known only as Sir Wymar, was impressed with her ability and took her as his shield-bearer. During her time with Sir Wymar, Gwendolen became well-acquainted with the wider Oathlands. She put her survival skills to use and proved herself a valuable asset to her mentor. In return, he educated her in matters of chivalry and swordplay. One day, when traveling the road between Greenhaven and Highhill, the two were set upon by a band of shavs. Gwendolen took up a spear from Wymar's pack and pack and aided him in combat. She spotted a shav preparing to strike her mentor from the side, and quickly ran him through. Sir Wymar dispatched the other two with his sword. Following the battle, the old knight dubbed her on the field. By the time that Gwendolen left her mentor's employ, she was a proud knight. When she returned to the Cloudspine, she enlisted in her family's army. Gwendolen proved herself a capable soldier, and became intimately familiar with the heft of a halberd. Her unit saw combat during the construction of the Great Road, often deployed to combat bands of hostile Abandoned. Gwendolen earned a name with herself during a skirmish that took place in a peasant village. A host of shavs appeared in the night and began to set houses alight. The watchmen roused their comrades from slumber and Gwendolen took command, leading her retinue into combat. They were far outnumbered and pushed back into the center of the village, where they formed a barricade and held out. Gwendolen sent one runner to call for reinforcements, which arrived at the break of dawn. They pushed back the raiders in the morning, and her unit was finally relieved after hours of fighting. Tale of their stand must have reached the ears of her fellow knights. In the month that followed, while Gwendolen recovered from her injuries, she received an invitation to be inducted into the King's Own. She was more than eager to accept.
  's Own. She was more than eager to accept.)
• Miska el-Can  + (Sometimes the story changes, but it usuall …
  Sometimes the story changes, but it usually goes something like this: Miska doesn't know where her mother came from. Either she was Lady of House Pravus at the time seeking to quell some raids by an Abandoned tribe along Setara's shores, or she was one of the Abandoned from the Saffron Chain trying to sell Dust on the Setaran shores. As far as Miska knows, neither one got her special treatment where she lived, in the City of Chains, so one was as good as the either and neither was worth talking about. Her father was a Eurusi slaver that earned a gold star on his record for having captured two ships at once (he was a small-time slaver at the time). Miska would live out most of her life in the City of Chains, learning the harsh lessons of a slave and doing the tasks of one. She, at least, was a favored slave. Pretty, quick-witted, able to make a deal and thus make her father's family richer. And so while life was rough, she witnessed rougher. At least she was never sent to the fighting pits. But one more thing she had: a facility for languages. It was her ability to pick up and speak the tongues of the Arvani, the shavs of the Saffron Chain, and the Eurusi that would have her sent back from Skal'daja by the age of eighteen. She's spent the rest of her years in the Saffron Chain, moving from one outpost or ship to another, treating with one shav clan or another, to keep the slaves flowing into the great markets. All this changed when House Pravus crushed the slavers' fleet and freed so many Eurusi. Miska found herself being ushered to Setarco and later to Arx. She found herself being told she was free to make her own choices, choose her own life. And she was free to contemplate what that even meant. For Miska, it meant starting with more of what she knew: learning markets, making deals, and taking care of the basic hierarchy of needs. That's how she fell in with the Grayhopes; they offered her a roof, protection, food. They offered her time to find out if she was just another Eurusi refugee, a prodigal, or a princess.
  Eurusi refugee, a prodigal, or a princess.)
• Alecstazi Thrax  + (Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Th …
  Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Thrax, Alecstazi was born into power. Or at least within the aura of it. Even as a child he was measured, perceptive and quick to learn the art that was surviving in Donrai's court. He studied his uncle well, and modeled himself after the most successful courtiers in the Mourning Isles. He did not speak unless spoken to, his answers were short, accurate and politely given. He studied the way of the sword and hid his dislike of boats, because showing weakness was not the path to victory. And victory? Meant surviving. Alecstazi was twelve years old when the Tyde Rebellion began and Donrai's fury threatened to turn the seas permanently red. Too young to fight, Alecstazi studied the battle reports, drank up stories of the fighting, listening at Donrai's knee. Three years later, he was horrified to discover that his father, Weylan and his older brother Rotan were traitors, working to try to smuggle some of the last remaining Tyde children to freedom. He immediately called for guards and told his uncle of his father and elder brother's crimes. The sentence was to be death, but at Alecstazi's suggestion, he had them made thralls instead. Death is a swift punishment with no chance to really atone for one's betrayals, he reasoned. Thralldom... well. Isn't that the worse punishment? Apparently, Donrai agreed. Alecstazi earned his uncle's favor and was able to navigate that into being allowed (with no small amount of eye rolling) to cultivate a small number of cavalry soldiers in Maelstrom. Again, he argued, if ever there was a need to fight on the mainland, better to have an idea and some preparedness than be caught flatfooted and landlocked. He enjoyed the benefits of Donrai's favor, cultivating his persona at court, continuing his education in martial training, tactics and doing his cavalry drills. When the old man died and Victus defeated Dagon, that was a blow that left him reeling. He's continued to work towards the betterment of Maelstrom, though the direction the fealty has been taking, the move away from tradition has been growing more and more concerning. This last proclamation, about the end of thralldom, well. Things have got to stop. It is time for Alecstazi to head to Arx and see for himself what is going on.
  Arx and see for himself what is going on.)
• Alecstazi Halfshav  + (Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Th …
  Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Thrax, Alecstazi was born into power. Or at least within the aura of it. Even as a child he was measured, perceptive and quick to learn the art that was surviving in Donrai's court. He studied his uncle well, and modeled himself after the most successful courtiers in the Mourning Isles. He did not speak unless spoken to, his answers were short, accurate and politely given. He studied the way of the sword and hid his dislike of boats, because showing weakness was not the path to victory. And victory? Meant surviving. Alecstazi was twelve years old when the Tyde Rebellion began and Donrai's fury threatened to turn the seas permanently red. Too young to fight, Alecstazi studied the battle reports, drank up stories of the fighting, listening at Donrai's knee. Three years later, he was horrified to discover that his father, Weylan and his older brother Rotan were traitors, working to try to smuggle some of the last remaining Tyde children to freedom. He immediately called for guards and told his uncle of his father and elder brother's crimes. The sentence was to be death, but at Alecstazi's suggestion, he had them made thralls instead. Death is a swift punishment with no chance to really atone for one's betrayals, he reasoned. Thralldom... well. Isn't that the worse punishment? Apparently, Donrai agreed. Alecstazi earned his uncle's favor and was able to navigate that into being allowed (with no small amount of eye rolling) to cultivate a small number of cavalry soldiers in Maelstrom. Again, he argued, if ever there was a need to fight on the mainland, better to have an idea and some preparedness than be caught flatfooted and landlocked. He enjoyed the benefits of Donrai's favor, cultivating his persona at court, continuing his education in martial training, tactics and doing his cavalry drills. When the old man died and Victus defeated Dagon, that was a blow that left him reeling. He's continued to work towards the betterment of Maelstrom, though the direction the fealty has been taking, the move away from tradition has been growing more and more concerning. This last proclamation, about the end of thralldom, well. Things have got to stop. It is time for Alecstazi to head to Arx and see for himself what is going on.
  Arx and see for himself what is going on.)

• Adalmus Nightgold  + (Son of Rognan Nightgold, cousin to Mydas.)

• Flynt Myrt  + (Son of a commoner, who enlisted on a merchant ship and sailed the world in order to escape abuse at home.)
• Ciriel Whitehawk  + (Son of a local blacksmith, he was always f …
  Son of a local blacksmith, he was always frustrated with the kind of work that was done in his father's shop. Working schedule did not permit for anything more than tools, horseshoes and nails. He always had the passion for anything out of the ordinary, anything clever. Be it practical or not. After his father's retirement he took over the shop and took a wife. Soon after there was an accident and all that was left of his previous self, was his passion for novelty trinkets and odd items. Alienated from his previous life an unable to practice his trade, he decided to go on the road and pursue his passion.
  to go on the road and pursue his passion.)
• Katryn Blanchard  + (Song and story, legend and hymn: what make …
  Song and story, legend and hymn: what makes a knight in the Oathlands grin? Prayer and focus, derring and do, she raises her spear and charges true! Raised as a daughter of a cadet branch of the Blanchard family, Katryn had few marital ambitions, even though they were to what she ought to have been born. Though her duty was to her family, even as a very young girl, she embraced legend and tale, dreaming of paladins. Boldness was her favored trait in the heroes she worshipped, but not only bravery but the panoply and pomp of knighthood. Parades lured her whenever there was one, and whenever she could wheedle campaign tales from soldiers and cavalrymen around the holding, she would carefully sit by the fire and illustrate them with colored ink and paper, her imagination free-wheeling far beyond the truth of the matter into the fantastic. The embrace of religion need not be the embrace of dourness. There is a beauty in service, and a wondrous inspiration that can come of serving something greater than you are, and it was these that drew Katryn to the Church. It was a sad parting, from her family, but not an unexpected one, for her many hours at prayer and illustration were consistent, and any ambitions her family might have had to make an advantageous match were thwarted by the driven passion of Katryn's own will. As a young templar, she cut her teeth in conflicts with the Shav'Arvani, and the glowing pennants of her optimism were cut with the shade of reality; in her years of service since she has taken her oath, she has come to understand the darker side of war, the parts of the story soaked in blood and sorrow. But never has she lost the glamour of the knight, nor the brilliance of her dreams of Gloria. Story and legend, power and song, how does a Templar right what's wrong? Faith and fierceness, honor beheld, she stands and fights til the enemy's felled.
  stands and fights til the enemy's felled.)
• Sorina Bianchi  + (Sorina's history is not particularly well- …
  Sorina's history is not particularly well-known, save for the titles and positions which she's fulfilled on behalf of other families and other Houses. A ladies' maid here, a seamstress there. Once, even a governess at a great estate in Lenosia. A less than impressive career, some might say -- or perhaps her true talents have simply gone unused and unnoticed up until now. That her life began in the Lyceum, at least, can be of little doubt. Her accent is too obvious for that. Since having been selected by Lord Giulio Mazetti -- now Count Giulio Corvini -- as part of his entourage, she has served as gracious hostess and planner, as well as from time to time entertaining with poetry and song. She has even participated in several plays -- typically minor comedies or tragedies. She's quite good at it, really, and took to each of her theatrical roles well. (Of course, there have always been rumors about why the Mazetti lord might hire someone to serve in such a capacity when he rarely hosts parties' but it is minor gossip at best.) With his recent marriage, Sorina has been assigned to Countess Ilinca Corvini as a lady-in-waiting, ostensibly to help teach the nuances of the Compact's society to the new Countess.
  the Compact's society to the new Countess.)
• Luciano Fidante  + (Spare child syndrom was a thing others tal …
  Spare child syndrom was a thing others talked about, not the first born, not in line to anything, a cousin of a cousin, or just a random branch of the family. These were issues that others had, never Luciano. While not being the oldest, or in line for any title or land, he has made the best of his life and has enjoyed every moment of is, and the freedom not having any of those things afforded him. When he was young he set sail with a distant cousin, working aboard his merchant ship in the short hops between islands, and then back to Tor. His education began there, and it continued there for years to come. He worked his way up in position on the ship, learned how to navigate, to tie knots, to read the temperment of the sea. Eventually he was gifted his own ship, and the title of captain that came along with it. Unlike the ships he served on growing up, he did not turn his hand towards being nothing more than a merchant. He took up arms, he went exploring, went after pirates that would attack merchant ships. He lived the exciting life that one would imagine, both the goods and the bads. With the trials and tribulations that are facing both family, the Lyceum and the Compact as a whole, he has been called to Arx by the current Duchess to pitch in.
  to Arx by the current Duchess to pitch in.)
• Rendyl Blackram  + (Spawned from a branch off of the main line …
  Spawned from a branch off of the main line of the Blackram family, Rendyl was born a bastard in the Cloudspine, the son of a lord and a common woman. He was afforded some care from his father - never officially acknowledged as a son, but he and his mother never struggled for a day they lived in the Stoneburner Hills. A small stipend of gold allowed him to live along the wealthier edge of the common folk, supplied with a soldier's education in combat so that he could serve in the troop commanded by his lord father. He even recieved training in the family art of greatsword combat while his comrades stuck to their pikes. Despite the comforts afforded to him, Rendyl was mostly known in the Cloudspine for being a nuisance - a pest, afforded protection by the unspoken fact that he lived under his father's watch. Well, that is to say, he DID live under it. He disappeared shortly after turning twenty. Promoted to command a small unit, he brought his score of pikemen out beyond the walls of Cloudspine for a tracking exercise. He instructed his men to wait five minutes before pursuing him. Unfortunately, they never found him - instead, Rendyl's men were slaughtered by the Abandoned hiding in the forests. Though the commander was presumed dead, he was never found. Bits and pieces of the story regarding his years away from the Cloudspine have filtered out over time, but Rendyl has never been eager to speak of it himself. He was taken for a noble - kidnapped, his sword stolen, intended to be ransomed - though if such a thing occured, there's no record of it among the Blackrams. He returned to the Cloudspine one day, though he was.. changed. He had been lively and jovial, beloved among the soliders despite his elevated status. His mother said the Shavs had stolen the light from his eyes. He doesn't deny that his experience affected him - only the severity to which it did. His father was apparently quite moved by what had happened - the day Rendyl return was the first day his father had publicly acknowledged him as a son. He took him in more closely - the bastard had turned out to be his only child, and he relished the opportunity to play father on his second chance. The two were inseperable for a good while. The boy proved himself worthy in combat with his lord father, and was eventually legitimized, taken as a knight of house Blackram. The boy's father took him on a celebratory hunt shortly after the occasion - revelling in the fact that his boy was once again brave enough to venture beyond the walls of the Cloudspine. Fate was not kind to Rendyl, however - and his father, too, was ambushed in the hills. He refused to let the northern Abandoned take his son again, choosing instead to fight while the younger man fled. Thus leaves Rendyl with his father's name and assets, the small branch he had fell from now left with him as the lone inheritor. Thankfully, it was enough to take him to Arx, in pursuit of a place among the other Blackrams under the new Marquis.
  the other Blackrams under the new Marquis.)
• Raemond Dredcall  + (Spending much of his youth as the runt of …
  Spending much of his youth as the runt of the family, Raemond was bullied as a child well into his adolescence. Despite the opposition, he trained with his cousins and pushed as hard and harder than they, striving to rise above them in any way he could. As he grew and time blessed him with a frame to match his ambitions, Raemond wasn't above crushing those that sought to hold him down, and he grew with an especial dislike of oppression. An excellent swordsman and an experienced sailor, Raemond has used his tactical mind for his people on more than one occassion, and was never above brutal tactics to see the job done. There is nothing too under-handed that couldn't be used as an advantage, and in his career as a soldier he's proved how true this is again and again.
  s proved how true this is again and again.)
• Staci Silvman  + (Staci's mother married down, not much bute …
  Staci's mother married down, not much butenough to make a difference. She grew up as a merchant's daughter. As the eldest she had a bit more responable and her mother wished her to better the family name. Taught reading, writing and figures Staci was on her way towards being taken on as a scribe when disaster struck the village and her family. The only to survive of her family she became one of many refugees.
  er family she became one of many refugees.)
• Courage Pie  + (Stanley 'Courage' Pie was born a farmer, l …
  Stanley 'Courage' Pie was born a farmer, lived a farmer and would probably have died a farmer on Fidante land if it wasn't for the Valorous Few recruiter who came through his village. He was the only one to join up, and his reason had absolutely nothing to do with being sick of being the butt of everyone's jokes and wanting to get away from it all. No sir.
  d wanting to get away from it all. No sir.)
• Stygia Ulbran  + (Stygia was born and raised in the docks of …
  Stygia was born and raised in the docks of Arx though for much of her life she stuck to the shadows and flew low and under the notice of most of the Lowers. Her mother worked at a tavern and it was rough, but not rougher than most stories that start down there. All of her young life she was fed tales of success and adventure from sailors passing through so it was no surprise when she turned old enough to pass for old enough that she bolted to the sea. She remained there for a number of years, though she's been back in the area for nearly a year now, picking up where she left off as a tavern frequent, staying low in the shadows. She has made the docks her home, not taking any more long voyages but instead cultivating her reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
  reputation as a force to be reckoned with.)
• Styx Whisper  + (Styx was known to be a studious kid from a …
  Styx was known to be a studious kid from a young age; She was always interested in technical and how-to books, asking adventures and knights stories about their travels and their oaths. But the one theme that stuck was the gods and the Mirror. She'd often ask why people were afraid of mirrors, they only reflect back what's already in front of them after all. When she became older, she found out a good way to learn from others is by being a messenger and being a diplomat, why ask people when you can get them to tell you out of their own will? Up to this point, her life didn't lead her into any real issues or complications until one night she dreamt of a mirror. A large, wide imposing mirror that you'd mistake for rippling if you stared at it for too long. In this dream, she walked up and placed her hand on the mirror glass, but instead of touching something solid she fell through, she closed her eyes as she melted into the mirror not knowing what would happen. Then she opened her eyes, and she was on the floor of her room, disorientated and confused about what happened. Ever since that night, she's been doing what she can to learn more about this mirror, and what it meant for her.
  ut this mirror, and what it meant for her.)
• Sunniva Harthall  + (Sunniva grew up fostered in the Laurent Ho …
  Sunniva grew up fostered in the Laurent Household not as a blood relative but a ward that the Duke took into his household and made one of his own family. Granted the family name she was raised as a sibling since before she can remember. The ideals of the house became her own and a powerful force in creating who she later became. She was oft by herself, reading a book, painting or taking walks on her own. A gentle child she had little use for the shows of prowess or strength that many can be given to. Instead she spent her time learning the native plant life and eventually learning how they applied to healing. Her place in the family also gave rise to her tutelage in caring for the household both in organizing, throwing events, etiquette and performing. All practical useful things in a noblewoman's role who is set to be the center of the household's heart. Though her heart was set in the care of others she found there were ways she could do so even by merely speaking and sharing company - how just the compassionate presence of another can change the demeanor of a person. When she was eighteen, she began her courtship to Lord Orvyn Harthall, set up between the Duke and the Marquis of Harthall the two were familiar with each other from the Valadrin gatherings. It began with simple visits and over time Sunniva became fond of the Lord Harthall. He indulged her own interests and she found his own quiet reserve to be something of an appeal, a gentle hand and a warm smile. She could have done far worse and knew it. They were married in the late Spring of 1004, with the intention of traveling on his merchant vessel to see other harbors. They got five or six months into their travels when word finally found them that the current heir, Orvyn's brother was broken in a horse riding accident which several days later claimed his life. This brought their tour to an end and the two returned together, Orvyn now the intended heir and no longer able to see to the ships he loved. Sunniva grieved for the change of position and what had done to her husband in tethering his free spirit. Sunniva and Orvyn spent years preparing, learning and understanding the state of House Harthall and its holdings, adjusting and attending functions so that they could be known and it was definitely more of a need than they would realize. The Marquis passed for sudden reasons, a brain aneurysm. It put Orvyn directly in his place and Sunniva who never thought to care for more than her immediate family took hold of Harthall and carefully steered it as best she could.
  nd carefully steered it as best she could.)
• Syd Volkov  + (Syd's one of those people who's done a lit …
  Syd's one of those people who's done a little bit of everything. He served his time under the Horse Lord, fighting to defend his family name. He's bred the horses the Volkovs are known for. He can cook a little, he can paint a little, he knows a bit of carpentry, and on and on the list goes. He was married for some untold number of decades, but his wife awaits him in the next life now. Never one for many of the trappings of high society and noble politics, he is known as somewhat of a private person, and even moreso after his wife's passing. He comes to the city of Arx simply following the younger, more spritely members of his clan, offering his own wacky brand of sage advice, whether solicited or not.
  of sage advice, whether solicited or not.)
• Sylvie Rubino-Zaffria  + (Sylvie was born the only child of the powe …
  Sylvie was born the only child of the powerful Zaffria family. It is fairly known that she was a doted on and indulged child, raised as the acknowledged heir to her father Duke Marco Zaffria, co-ruler of the city-state of Gemecitta. A rather brilliant if mercurial child, it is said that it was only desperation that drove Marco to agree to marry his only daughter to Rubino's heir and eldest son, Zaccheri, though it was a lovely celebration for nobles and commoners alike. It was a passion-filled two years of marriage, with just as many public fights as there were displays of affection. Yet, after two years, Zaccheri died suddenly and left Sylvie a widow and his younger brother, Valkieri, the heir. With a future that seems destined to be intertwined, Sylvie was sent with Valkieri to Arx to represent their houses. Valkieri soon ascended to the title of Duke after a tragic, unforeseen accident on his father's part and Sylvie's father soon announced his abdication of his title right after. They seemed to alternate between ruling together and in contention thereafter. That is, until one day, Sylvie seemed to evacuate the city as the Bringers of Silence gathered to approach and abdicate her own title in favor of her cousin Dafne, without word of warning or without being seen again, even when Valkieri died in Gemecitta months later. No real sight or word of Sylvie had passed in the city or the Compact, until 1016; now, as the moon hangs in the sky during bright summer days, she has returned to Arx and has taken up residence not within the palazzo of Gemecitta, but in the Nox'alfar embassy, with the explanation that she has become part of their court since she left her title and life behind a decade ago.
  ft her title and life behind a decade ago.)
• Tabitha Mercier  + (Tabitha was born the second child of Bened …
  Tabitha was born the second child of Benedict Mercier, raised alongside three siblings within their manor in Clemenstone Vale. From a young age her parents could sense she was different from most children: she cried far more often, she laughed far more often, and she rarely slept. She was tiring to raise, but developed a close bond with both of her parents, and they doted on her shamelessly. Her relationships with her siblings, on the other hand, were far more complicated. Her older brother was outright jealous of her arrival, and picked on her relentlessly. As they grew up Tabitha gradually began to understand her brother's nature and envy, but all her attempts to comfort him were spurned. One day, after a quarrel over a broken hairpin, her brother cut her long hair in retribution as she slept. The parents were not amused, and her brother Ephraim was banished from the manor. It was the last time she had a conversation with him... Tabitha got along well with her younger siblings, Priscilla and Horatio, and began to flourish as an artist when she grew into a teenager. Her father would begin to show her portraits to guests who would visit the manor, and soon they expressed interest in buying them. She was allowed to travel with her father and his retinue whenever she desired, and made ample use of her time seeking inspiration for her paintings. Now a full-fledged adult, Tabitha has left Clemenstone Vale for Arx, seeking new muses and wanting to know just what happened to her little brother...
  ust what happened to her little brother...)
• Tabitha Whitehawk  + (Tabitha was born the second child of Bened …
  Tabitha was born the second child of Benedict Mercier, raised alongside three siblings within their manor in Clemenstone Vale. From a young age her parents could sense she was different from most children: she cried far more often, she laughed far more often, and she rarely slept. She was tiring to raise, but developed a close bond with both of her parents, and they doted on her shamelessly. Her relationships with her siblings, on the other hand, were far more complicated. Her older brother was outright jealous of her arrival, and picked on her relentlessly. As they grew up Tabitha gradually began to understand her brother's nature and envy, but all her attempts to comfort him were spurned. One day, after a quarrel over a broken hairpin, her brother cut her long hair in retribution as she slept. The parents were not amused, and her brother Ephraim was banished from the manor. It was the last time she had a conversation with him... Tabitha got along well with her younger siblings, Sapphira and Horatio, and began to flourish as an artist when she grew into a teenager. Her father would begin to show her portraits to guests who would visit the manor, and soon they expressed interest in buying them. She was allowed to travel with her father and his retinue whenever she desired, and made ample use of her time seeking inspiration for her paintings. Now a full-fledged adult, Tabitha has left Clemenstone Vale for Arx, seeking new muses and wanting to know just what happened to her little brother...
  ust what happened to her little brother...)
• Tabitha Ashford  + (Tabitha was born the second child of Bened …
  Tabitha was born the second child of Benedict Mercier, raised alongside three siblings within their manor in Clemenstone Vale. From a young age her parents could sense she was different from most children: she cried far more often, she laughed far more often, and she rarely slept. She was tiring to raise, but developed a close bond with both of her parents, and they doted on her shamelessly. Her relationships with her siblings, on the other hand, were far more complicated. Her older brother was outright jealous of her arrival, and picked on her relentlessly. As they grew up Tabitha gradually began to understand her brother's nature and envy, but all her attempts to comfort him were spurned. One day, after a quarrel over a broken hairpin, her brother cut her long hair in retribution as she slept. The parents were not amused, and her brother Ephraim was banished from the manor. It was the last time she had a conversation with him... Tabitha got along well with her younger siblings, Sapphira and Horatio, and began to flourish as an artist when she grew into a teenager. Her father would begin to show her portraits to guests who would visit the manor, and soon they expressed interest in buying them. She was allowed to travel with her father and his retinue whenever she desired, and made ample use of her time seeking inspiration for her paintings. Now a full-fledged adult, Tabitha has left Clemenstone Vale for Arx, seeking new muses and wanting to know just what happened to her little brother...
  ust what happened to her little brother...)
• Takruid none  + (Takruid was born and raised in a small tow …
  Takruid was born and raised in a small town of Three Trees. As with most people from a small town it takes a good bit of hardwork to get by. Takruid got through it by picking up odd jobs here and there before taking an apprenticeship with the local butcher. That how's he ended up being the go to for hunters and trappers alike, cleaning their kills for those around town not as willing to hunt their supper.
  town not as willing to hunt their supper.)
• Talia Crucible  + (Talia was a delicate baby, born to a groom …
  Talia was a delicate baby, born to a groom in the stables of Bastion. She hardly cried even on entering the world, a weakness of the lungs that saw her sheltered indoors growing up. The kindness of the Graysons extended to their servants. Her brother, Tristan, was a shadow in the stables and a close companion to the crown prince. Stuck inside, she could only watch, but she was given a place in the castle to learn, her lessons ever practical and her education focused on things that would server her well towards finding a path in life. Needlework, embroidery, this is what she was taught. She was fine at it, just perfectly adequate for the purpose of creating clothing for those in Bastion. Yet, not quite three years ago, the young woman blossomed into her craft. Suddenly, she was churning out amazing designs, sought after by the nobles near and wide. It is this demand that has seen a patron sponsor her journey to Arx to find her place in the city of the court.
  o find her place in the city of the court.)
• Taliene Deepwood  + (Taliene Valardin was a child of the White …
  Taliene Valardin was a child of the White City, and grew up pampered amongst the old stones of an ancient fortress that has never fallen to a siege. The youngest daughter of a cadet branch of the House, Taliene was raised a little differently than her siblings. By agreement, she was sent young to Gemecitta, fostering with her grandparents. Though raised far from Sanctum, as a trueborn daughter of Valardin, expectations for greatness were heaped on her. She turned a brilliant and precocious mind to learning as much as she could. Like Talwyn, she loved to lose herself in books. Her days were filled with whispering parchment, books of history, songs, lineages, battles, and more. Like Terese, she pursued all things martial, war, swordplay, the art of conflict. But she was like neither of them, something essential keeping her apart. A strange, bright alloy of her elder siblings. Talwyn and Terese were visiting Taliene in Gemecitta when the Tragedy fell on Sanctum. She had invited them to attend her first falconry exhibition and in accepting, they were spared. Eventually they all returned to Sanctum to rebuild. Taliene began to study war in earnest with Sanctum's best tutors and strategic minds. She showed promise, surprising tutors who frequently discounted the colt-like girl who wouldn't meet their eyes. She was rapt for tales of war from Knights and soldiers and enthusiastic in worship of Limerance, and might have become a knight herself, or Godsworn, but tread a different path. In Sanctum, she grew from a rangy, awkward girl into a striking young woman, long and tall, who learned to harness her natural grace into all the pursuits expected of a scion of Valardin: martial training, artistry, scholarship. Despite being raised in the Lyceum, she found she was not meant for political maneuvering of any sort, but did recognize the value of her blood to forge ties with the Crownlands. She learned her lessons and traveled as much as possible. A quick mind is her blade, her body its expression, her insight into others her armor. As is often the case with younger princes and princesses, she was married out of Valardin to ensure ties to other fealties. For Taliene, Valardin to the Crownlands by marriage into Deepwood. It is hard to say if the marriage would have been a good one, Bennet died fighting in the Saffron Chain, They produced no offspring, but Taliene remained in Deepwood, learning from Marquis Rymarr until his death. She is taking great strides on the path of learning how and when to bend, when to attack, when to send a scout instead of a warrior, when to take a loss to ensure a greater victory.
  o take a loss to ensure a greater victory.)
• Tallius Penrose  + (Tallius Oakheart is the only son of Arnell …
  Tallius Oakheart is the only son of Arnell and Dellia, northern shavs who were granted the family name Oakheart when they bent the knee and became prodigals, shortly after discovering that Dellia was with child. Swearing oath to the House of Redrain, the pair settled in a village on the southern edges of Redrain territory. Tallius took after his father, and learned the crafts of hunting and fletching, becoming a skilled archer from a very young age. He spent much of his childhood in the woods near the village hunting and collecting pieces of wood, learning to carve during the winter months. It was a good, if simple, life and he grew up happy in that small village. Unfortunately, war came to the village, in the form of the advance of the armies of Tolomar Brand. When the village was overrun, Arnell and Dellia stood with many of the other elders of the village, fighting fiercely to try and buy time. When Tallius attempted to stay and fight, his father commanded him to go, pushing the bow he had helped Tallius to build into his hands and telling him to watch after the others. Knowing he would never see his parents again, he embraced them for the last time and joined those fleeing. The journey was arduous and long, and beset constantly by the attacks of the foul creatures of the invading horde, but eventually the refugees stole through and achieved the safety of Arx. Of the thirty who fled the village, only a handful remained, Tallius and his childhood friend Petal amongst them. The scars of the battle, and of the long flight to the dubious safety of Arx, are etched deep into Tallius.
  fety of Arx, are etched deep into Tallius.)
• Talwyn Valardin  + (Talwyn Valardin was a child of the White C …
  Talwyn Valardin was a child of the White City, and grew up pampered amongst the old stones of an ancient fortress that has never fallen to a siege. The son of a cadet branch of the house, the weight of expectation was as distant upon him as the might of the rest of the Compact. He was sheltered, but well educated, and his education was partly so extensive because he showed such an aptitude for it. Books and stories fired his imagination; song and poem fired his heart. As a boy, this was where he found his freedom, upon the written page, and he spent so much time in the library at Sanctum that it was generally anticipated that he would not be one for the court, but for the Faith. Yet as he grew older, the gods did not seem to call him anywhere near as much as other things. Romantic literature, songs of derring do and chivalry, travelogues, anything that was about the world beyond -- music that freed the spirit and the feet for dancing. It might have been than in a world where the Faith was more relaxed a priest might have been able to catch his attention and harness him towards disciplehood, but his youth was powerful with the need to be free, and at Sanctum, that freedom was far, far from temple walls. So he learned, and learned well, but always his eye wandered towards the harp strings, or the section of the library where stories and histories were kept. Music brought out a passion in him, as little else did, and fired his imagination. He learned to play several instruments, and began to write companion pieces to popular novels. With his musicality, his popularity grew, and he developed as a student of both the social game and as a performer. As a young man among Sanctum's elite, he became not only well-known, but a Person to Know. But a chance trip with his sister to visit relations in the Lyceum was all that saved him from the disaster of the Tragedy at Sanctum, and in its wake, he saw the youth of his generation struggling to come to grips with the weight of new responsibility, and Talwyn worked to express that in musical composition. Not for him the poetic scansion of the lyricist, but the purity of instrumental composition. He became one of the most well-known of composers as well as one of the most well-known of gentlemen, always the height of fashion, in demand and, of course, by the time he set forth to join his family in Arx to serve House Valardin, an extremely eligible bachelor whether he wanted to be or not.
  e bachelor whether he wanted to be or not.)
• Talwyn Saik  + (Talwyn Valardin was a child of the White C …
  Talwyn Valardin was a child of the White City, and grew up pampered amongst the old stones of an ancient fortress that has never fallen to a siege. The son of a cadet branch of the house, the weight of expectation was as distant upon him as the might of the rest of the Compact. He was sheltered, but well educated, and his education was partly so extensive because he showed such an aptitude for it. Books and stories fired his imagination; song and poem fired his heart. As a boy, this was where he found his freedom, upon the written page, and he spent so much time in the library at Sanctum that it was generally anticipated that he would not be one for the court, but for the Faith. Yet as he grew older, the gods did not seem to call him anywhere near as much as other things. Romantic literature, songs of derring do and chivalry, travelogues, anything that was about the world beyond -- music that freed the spirit and the feet for dancing. It might have been than in a world where the Faith was more relaxed a priest might have been able to catch his attention and harness him towards disciplehood, but his youth was powerful with the need to be free, and at Sanctum, that freedom was far, far from temple walls. So he learned, and learned well, but always his eye wandered towards the harp strings, or the section of the library where stories and histories were kept. Music brought out a passion in him, as little else did, and fired his imagination. He learned to play several instruments, and began to write companion pieces to popular novels. With his musicality, his popularity grew, and he developed as a student of both the social game and as a performer. As a young man among Sanctum's elite, he became not only well-known, but a Person to Know. But a chance trip with his sister to visit relations in the Lyceum was all that saved him from the disaster of the Tragedy at Sanctum, and in its wake, he saw the youth of his generation struggling to come to grips with the weight of new responsibility, and Talwyn worked to express that in musical composition. Not for him the poetic scansion of the lyricist, but the purity of instrumental composition. He became one of the most well-known of composers as well as one of the most well-known of gentlemen, always the height of fashion, in demand and, of course, by the time he set forth to join his family in Arx to serve House Valardin, an extremely eligible bachelor whether he wanted to be or not.
  e bachelor whether he wanted to be or not.)
• Tania Peake  + (Tania was born in the lower boroughs near …
  Tania was born in the lower boroughs near the docks to an unnamed father. Her mother worked as a jeweller on the dockside and made trinkets from the bounty of the sea. Her father was a sailor, she was told, but he ran out on them both when Tania was still little. Although her mother tried to provide as best she could, she didn't want to choose between her dream and providing Tania with a good life, so she was fostered with a local tavernkeeper. From a young age she learned to scrub mugs and plates, and grew accustomed to the rowdy element of the city. Rather than being hardened by it, she grew attached to the patrons and celebrated their unique character of spirit. Although the tavern she worked at burned down, she still pursues work as a barmaid at locations all over Arx.
  rk as a barmaid at locations all over Arx.)
• Tanith Grayhope  + (Tanith is one of the many Grayhope 'cousin …
  Tanith is one of the many Grayhope 'cousins', she's worked for one family business or another since she was a teen. She has been employed at the Murder in some capacity or another, from dishwasher to server to cook, and so on. Now she mans the bar, an illustrious position if ever there was one, and doubles as the muscle when things get exciting. Her hobbies include bottle-smashing, embroidery, arm-wrestling, and learning about new kinds of bludgeoning weapons (or what can make a good bludgeoning weapon), and baking.
  ke a good bludgeoning weapon), and baking.)
• Tatyana Grimhall  + (Tatyana Grimhall was born sixth in Harald …
  Tatyana Grimhall was born sixth in Harald and Anneke Grimhall’s large brood, a position that put her comfortably in the middle of her siblings. She was brought up in the manner of the traditionalist house most well known for ‘Trying to Out-Thrax the Thraxians”. This meant that though part of a close-knit family, she spent more time with her mother and sisters than her father and brothers. The girls were educated to be scholars, lawyers, philosophers, and the power behind the greatest houses. The boys raised to fight and reave and govern, but all of the children understood that their places in the world depended on one another. It was easy to be overlooked as the sixth child of a cousin of the Ducal line. It was less easy to overlook such a child when she proved to be a quick study of people, history, politics, and any other subject she put her mind to. When the Grim Duke Harald took his position as head of house and Duke of Grihem’s Pont, Tatyana was growing up, and watching wide-eyed as her immediate world changed so drastically. Her mother was quick to make Grimhold the family seat and to conduct herself in a manner befitting a Duchess-Consort, and she raised her daughters to the very same. Poised, learned, Tatyana poses a challenge to those who assume that Islanders are anything less than a diverse people with strong values and ironclad traditions. It is in her study of the law that Tatyana finally realized what her role would be in continuing those traditions. She would be the greatest legal scholar of her time, not only serving her role as lawyer in the courts, but in advising those creating and refining law in Grihem’s Point. Now poised to take her place in history, Tatyana joins her family in Arx.
  history, Tatyana joins her family in Arx.)
• Tavish Lelander  + (Tavish was born to merchant class parents …
  Tavish was born to merchant class parents in the far north duchy of Whitehold. He grew up like most do in the north learning how to fight and protect his family. He was taught all the survival skills necessary to make it on his own in the wildness. One day when he was around twelve years of age he set off with a group of friends for a spring camping trip. While the snow never truly melts in Whitehold, the spring is at least the sign of the beginning of a thaw. A time when traveling out in to the world becomes possible again. Unfortunately, Tavish and his friends we caught up in a freak blizzard that swept through the mountain passes with a vengeance. They were lost in the drifts for nearly a week. Of the five of them that set out on their trip, one of which was a Halfshav cousin, only Tavish returned. His cheerful smiles were dampened by the tragedy and loss after that week. He doesn't like to talk about what happened in the snow. After what happened, Tavish put up his swords and adventurous tendencies and decided to dedicate his life to the service of others. He learned how to keep an orderly house and serve nobility. No chore too low, no task too demanding, Tavish learned to do it all. He served as valet in the Halfshav Estate in Whitehold for nearly a decade, learning to love the family as his own. When House Halfshav called for a Steward to see to the family living in the city of Arx, Tavish knew his time had come and ceased the opportunity.
  time had come and ceased the opportunity.)
• Nierzen Grayhope  + (Technically, Nierzen's father was supposed …
  Technically, Nierzen's father was supposed to have taken vows and avoided marriage, but the weaknesses of the flesh are many. He eventually forsook his vows for Nierzen's mother, who died shortly afterwards, because that's basically how life works. Nierzen grew up as a cousin to the main branches of the Grayhope family, not necessarily in crushing poverty, but not entirely too far from it. His father mostly worked as a scribe and scrivener up until he passed away from drug-related complications while Nierzen was around 9. Nierzen ended up attached along with several other orphans, but himself, as one of the best educated ones, ended up aimed for Vellichor and the archive. He was cynical very early and never entirely dropped the habit. He married young and madly in love only to lose his wife to complications from the "family business": a sales operation gone wildly, horribly wrong. This left Nierzen young, widowed, and /even more clear eyed than before/. He harbors a low misanthropy for basically everyone in general but a special one for his family in particular, yet finds himself inextricably bound up with the ties that hold family together because they are his connections to the world outside the archive. It leads to a snarky, bitter, macabrely hilarious existence. His restlessness has grown with each passing year since his wife's death. Maybe he'll find a way to turn the social order upside down and put himself at the top of it. In the meantime, he'll keep making fun of the people who don't.
  l keep making fun of the people who don't.)
• Teela Blackram  + (Teela was always something of a typical pe …
  Teela was always something of a typical personality for the Blackram family. She was serious, dedicated, an avid fan of the outdoors, and very inclined towards the martial skills as opposed to the more scholarly pursuits of some. The oldest of five, she was expected to fill several different roles in her life; a warrior amongst the family, a wife, a mother, an older sister, and potentially any number of other things as the situations might demand. When she was seventeen her father, Rogar Blackram, entered into negotiations with a member of one of the minor fealties of House Grayson, a young man named Eirskeen. The courtship was to be two years long, during which time her intended was to foster at Blackram and she went to stay with his family and learn about them. In addition to this, trade agreements were set in place and things proceeded rather well. The times when they met they found they tolerated each other's company, although there was never any hints of love. Loyalty, understanding, even compassion, but never love. When the wedding occurred it was a very simple moment, nothing fancy, nothing overly complicated about it. It was then Eirskeen came to be a part of the Blackram family and they proceeded to settle into a rather simple life. By all accounts it was a loveless marriage, but they were at least respectful and fond of each other in a way. Although, that comfortable marriage would soon end when during an encounter with some of the local Shavs, he was killed, and Teela was injured. She survived, although she was stuck recovering both physically and mentally for some time. Not long after she got back on her feet, she decided that she needed a change of environment. New people, new places, things that didnt remind her of the fact she felt she had failed in that encounter. Thus, she has decided to come to Arx.
  ter. Thus, she has decided to come to Arx.)
• Teldan Whitesurf  + (Teldan Whitesurf is one of that fleet of e …
  Teldan Whitesurf is one of that fleet of endless minor nobles from endless minor Houses with few prospects and fewer ties. He's one of the ones who don't get involved in anything more than mild debauchery; he's skilled with a blade and has refined tastes, but in general he's pretty much a nonentity. There are no great legends in his wake, no star-studded stories, just a minor lordling like so many others wandering around enjoying wine, adults, and amateur dramatics.
  oying wine, adults, and amateur dramatics.)
• Tenebrae Staldotter  + (Tenebrae was born into a group of Abandone …
  Tenebrae was born into a group of Abandoned freebooters from the north who long held a desire to return to Prodigal status. From birth she was expected to contribute and survive - not a lot of mollycoddling in her life. When she was eight the prospects for their leader, Trogen, improved when he married a captive from Pravus - Sudara. Tenebrae's mother was appointed Sudara's pesonal bodyguard so she soon grew accustomed to 'civilized' ways - though none of it really rubbed off on her. She is a warrior first and foremost and that was never allowed to be affected by soft Lycene ways. When Tenebrae's mother died, she took on the mantle of Sudara's bodyguard - swearing oaths to protect her no matter where, when or why. And oaths are very important to Tenebrae and her people. They are not give lightly but followed to the end. Even with this new closer connection to her mistress, Tenebrae has failed to become /too/ polished. She is still considered a savage by most Lycenes and is quite proud of that. The death of Trogen convinced her that 'civilization' was not to be trusted but her oaths that bond her to Sudara were not broken by the event. They are never broken. So she has travelled to Arx to continue her role as bodyguard and hopefully stop trouble rather than start it.
  pefully stop trouble rather than start it.)
• Teodoro Whisper  + (Teodoro is an unacknowledged bastard, alth …
  Teodoro is an unacknowledged bastard, although his paternity is not one of the great mysteries of his life. His mother has given him a few possible names and admitted it was a time of her life that she was being pretty free-spirited and Lycene. There was probably more to know about this, but Teodoro has chosen to spend his life in other ways than in determination of his paternity. His immediate aptitudes when he was a child were for music and learning, and his mother -- as a craftswoman skilled in woodworking -- had sufficient funds to obtain tutors for him. One of his tutors was a courtier in Arx, who trained him up in music, and in other areas. He showed great aptitude both for being a performer and being a listener, and he began to pursue the life in earnest, seeking to make connections with nobles of high value and artistic appreciation. At the age of 21, he played a private concert for the Radiant and at the end of it, he was invited to join House Whisper. He leaped into this life with no regrets.
  He leaped into this life with no regrets.)
• Terese Valardin  + (Terese Valardin was a child of the White C …
  Terese Valardin was a child of the White City, and grew up pampered amongst the old stones of an ancient fortress that has never fallen to a siege. The daughter of a cadet branch of the House, Terese was weaned on tales of duty and chivalry, and never lost her taste. From the first day that she was old enough to read, she devoured stories and histories at every opportunity. If there was a song of heroism, she wanted to know it. Really, if there was a story of heroism, she wanted to live it. There was no ambition dearer to her heart as a young woman than to die young, tragically and romantically, saving the world. She grew older and trained harder in the courtyards and stableyards of Sanctum, and studied under the tutelage of the priests and Templars who resided with her family. While her brother learned the graces of the court and excelled at them, Terese found the social games of society to be pointless. Leading men and women in battle or defeating Shav'Arvani in single combat struck her as entirely more of a lure than the structured dances and concerts and 13-hour worship sessions that were the highlights of the Sanctum political game. However, as a young woman, even though she had seen battle, her first taste of true reality was when the Tragedy of Sanctum struck. Sometimes, you are fencing with your cousins under the warm Lycene sun, and that is when reality strikes. There was nothing Terese could have done. If she had been there, she probably would have died with both her parents. Yet still, it was an awakening. The part of the Hero story that is the least best to live through; the part where she is powerless to impact the outcome. It was from this tragedy that she learned a lesson that many young knights do not: to die for a cause is easy. To live for a cause is hard. And the harder task is the more worthwhile. It is with a warrior's strength and a paladin's passion that she swore herself to the service of her family and the Compact with renewed vigor, and now she rides to join the Valardins at the Arx court with all her faith and fierceness brought to bear.
  her faith and fierceness brought to bear.)
• Terell Hawkeye  + (Terrell was born into a family that lived …
  Terrell was born into a family that lived in a small village deep within the lands Redrain's had claimed. It wasn't an easy life by any stretch of the imagination. His family worked hard to farm their little bit of land while his father would hunt for food and money. Its from his father that he learned to hunt and it was needed once his mother passed away while he was still fairly young. Spending that time with his father trained him not only in the ways of the hunt but brought in much needed food and money for the struggling family. He met his wife Rosemary while they were both in their teens. He'd have her sell meat and hide from his hunts, sharing some of the money and food with her for her family. They were wed and had twins and after a short amount of time decided to travel to Arx with their children.
  ided to travel to Arx with their children.)
• Tesha Telmar  + (Tesha may have been born the second child …
  Tesha may have been born the second child of Tanya Telmar, but she has played the part of the protective elder sibling for as long as she can remember. After the passing of her father at a young age, her mother became a recluse, refusing to attend family meetings and cutting off virtually all social interaction. And so it was, at barely twelve years of age, that Tesha assumed the role of primary caretaker for her siblings. The young Telmar adroitly managed the family's affairs and business, all under the guise of providing direction from her pining mother. There was scarcely time to mourn her mother's passing, some three years later, as the family's affairs now formally passed to the responsibility of the young Telmar noblewoman. For the next several years, Tesha quickly garnered attention among the rest of the Telmars for her skill and competence in managing her family's affairs, assuming increasing levels of responsibility in managing business on the House's behalf. With her older brother always trying to hide his nose in a book, Tesha took a more hands-on approach to learning the intricacies of businesses and alliances, skillfully weaving economic webs and trade agreements that turned the Telmarch from merely a strategic military holding to a prosperous hub for trade and business in the Oathlands. As the first members of the family began departing the Telmarch for Arx, Tesha was among the first to join up with the Telmar contingent headed for the capital. She knows there's no chance her brother makes it a week without her around to keep an eye on him, and is eager to turn her mind to extending the family's economic reach to the economics of the capital city. She's confident that her skills and expertise will be gratefully received by the residents of the Tower.
  ly received by the residents of the Tower.)
• Tessa Moore  + (Tessa's parents were cousins of a baron th …
  Tessa's parents were cousins of a baron that was barely more than a peasant himself and as a result, Tessa and her brother really grew up 'nobles in name only' dragged about from the generosity of one rich relation to the next as they grew. For Tessa it drove home the lesson early on that if you're adorable and you smile just right, those with more than you will give you some. Unfortunately what she did not learn is that when you get older people expect that you will do more than smile, and confronted with the expectation of doing something productive with her life, Tessa balked. And so at the age of 18 she tried to run off to be a Whisper, thinking 'oh my pretty face will be invaluable here!' and 'Oh I will be paid lavishly to attend parties with fancy people'. A ruder awakening came when she was given books to read and told to gain a 'skill' or learn a 'talent'. Being herself was her talent! Reading is boring. Making things takes time and breaks nails and learning an instrument requires discipline. Boring. Boring is the bane of Tessa's existence! But worse, the true horror was learning she wasn't even the prettiest girl in all the land (though she will NEVER admit that she realizes that to anyone). Returning home, having failed at her efforts to make something better of herself than a poor girl with nothing but a title, Tessa found her brother struggling with similar issues. And so when he decided to go to Arx to 'make something of himself' she insisted on tagging along. After all, that's where all the (Single) Handsome Princes are? right?
  the (Single) Handsome Princes are? right?)
• Thantrel Honor  + (Thantrel was always more aloof than his pe …
  Thantrel was always more aloof than his peers, usually more interested in tucking his head inside a book than running around with others his age. He had little family growing up, his mother having passed away when he was but a babe, with any other distant relations having long severed ties with his family's house. His father was a minor member of the nobility but spent more time drowning himself in a bottle of ale than being any real kind of father figure to his son. This suited him fine, however, as he was typically more interested in his studies than any other frivolities. When he came of age, he didn't have much of an inheritance to work with but there was enough to provide him with a proper education. Due in large part to a lonely childhood, Thantrel threw himself into his studies and graduated with a strong background in the humanities. He eventually found a position as a royal litigator, spending most of his days reviewing legal documents and making his presence known to the constabulary, who often considered him more of a nuisance than a significant figure in the legal field.
  n a significant figure in the legal field.)
• Neviah Ciardha  + (That winter had been particularly cruel an …
  That winter had been particularly cruel and unforgiving. The wind, for three months, drove the snow to sound like abrasive sand against the windowpanes of the cottage, nestled in the depths of the Gray Forest. When the cry of a baby rose above the howling wind one fateful night, she thought for sure it was a mountain lion and let it be? When the cries hadn't relented after an hour she ventured forth into the heart of the blizzard. What she found swaddled and placed delicately in the heart of a hollowed out tree astonished her: a tiny, underweight babe; near death from exposure and cold. She hadn't expected it to last the night, let alone that first year. The child never thrived or recovered from that night in the blizzard, but it did persevere. It survived. It turned out to be a curious thing and quick witted and eventually came to call the woman 'Ouma', or Old Mother. Many years passed and soon the Silence came to the Gray Forest. Ouma did not outlast the Silence, but the child now a woman, survived. When the blight came to the Gray Forest, Niveah had to move on. Her livelihood was in the forest and the Earth. She wandered and never put down roots. It didn't take her long to realize that she didn't have the strength to carry on. She returned to the cottage to find it had burned down many seasons ago and so had no choice but to come to Arx to start her life.
  oice but to come to Arx to start her life.)
• Vashtalyn Andalashari  + (The Anadalashari clan of the nomadic, free …
  The Anadalashari clan of the nomadic, free Ravashari people, traveled long ago from the far northern reaches of the Red Mountains, down into the more fertile valleys below the mountains of Graypeak. After their people took up the Pact, it was the horses that led them southward, the wild and beautiful animals that seemed to lead their people to where they eventually found a home within the plains and foothills of Graypeak. A home, of a sort, at least, for they could not remain in one place. The horses moved about often, grazing here and there, and then running with wild abandon across waving fields of tall grasses, to find another place to settle for a time. So, too, did the Anadalashari, who chose to follow the horses, that they might form a kinship with them. They learned the art of carrying their encampment with them wherever they went, following the grazing patterns of the wild horses that led them first to these lands to begin with. For the Anadalashari were known to have a knack and a way with horses, and such became their primary trade - the training and breeding of these fine steeds, and trading them, very selectively, only to those who would honor these noble steeds as friends, rather than use them solely as beasts of burden. However, as the influence of the Compact grew, the Andalashari found themselves with a difficult choice to make. They found themselves being chased from place to place by those who did not want them in lands they were attempting to conquer in the name of the Compact. The Faith had little love for their shamanistic ways, and they found themselves driven further and further from civilization, while their wild horses were systematically captured and tamed and taken away by these invaders. They were considered an Abandoned clan, and therefore, to be conquered or driven away. They were told they must bend the knee, or leave the land they had come to love. Forced to interact with the encroaching civilization of the Compact, the Andalashari did make a choice - they made a bargain with House Shepherd, and only House Shepherd - to trade with them exclusively the wild horses that they trained and bred, in exchange for safe passage within the open plains and foothills beneath Graypeak. It was a tenuous relationship at first, for the people of House Shepherd had to be made to understand that these wild horses were free spirits, and they could not be fully tamed. That they were a symbol of freedom for the Anadalashari people, and must be treated with respect and friendship. There was much bargaining to be done, and the Andalashari were shrewd bargainers. In time, they reached an agreement, and eventually they agreed to bend the knee, in exchange for their freedom to roam Shepherd lands. They became prodigals, though they did not want any part of forming a noble house, or joining civilization. All they wanted was freedom to roam, and to choose. Always. In time, a permanent village was set aside for them, to always return to should they choose to do so, though they rarely settled there for long, save in the cold winter months, where even the Andalashari could not pass up the warmth of hearth and home. It was to these Andalashari that Vashtlalyn was born. Her mother gave birth to her in a field of tall grasses, while they were traveling from one place to another, and there was much joy, for she was born under an auspicious sign - one of the Andalashari mares was foaling at the same time. There was much celebration, and many offerings of thanks wer given unto the spirits. The clan traveled onward. Vashtalyn's mother was a dancer of some renown among the Ravashari, and her father was one of the clan elders, and a shrewd merchant. They lived free, one of the many Ravashari clans that roamed the world. As Vashtalyn grew, she developed an affinity for her mother's dance craft, and during the great Andalashari horse fairs, as she grew older still, she learned the arts of performance and entertainment that would draw the curious to their Anadalashari stock and trade, as well as the skill of bartering and trade. As the years drifted by, the Andalashari became aware of dangers roaming the world. Strange cultists hidden in the secret places, called to mind stories of their long ago ancestors, and the shaman of Vashtalyn's clan began to see the signs of something greater afoot. The construction of the Great Road was a great devastation for the Andalashari, for it cut a path straight through the lands their horses depended upon. This also displaced numerous other shav'arvani tribes, driving them higher into the foothills. Here, the Andalashari encountered a number of unsavory peoples, and they found it necessary to defend their families and loved ones. Their encampments were attacked more frequently, until one day, one devastating attack by these opposing shav'arvani tribes took the life of Vashtalyn's father, her older brother, and two of her uncles, among many others. Knowing that they must do something to preserve their way of life, the Andalashari found themselves retreating to the village that had been set side for them, and built up its defenses, seeking the promised protection of House Shepherd. Here now they linger, and some have been sent off into the world, to roam it freely, and bring back news of what is transpiring. For never again do the Andalashari wish to be caught unawares. At age twenty two, Vashtalyn was one of those sent forth into the world, to gather news, and bring it back to her clan. Bringing with her only her talent, her fellow entertainers, and her skills as a merchant, Vashtalyn arrives in the strange and vast city of Arx, to see what she can learn of current happenings. Her first order of business is to find a place to settle in and venue in which to perform. When not performing, she plans to set up her own business as a tailor, for performing alone will not provide much of a living, after all. Skill with needle and thread is prized among her people, and experience making her own costumes and jewelry may lend her somewhat of an edge in this competitive market.
  hat of an edge in this competitive market.)
• Ansgar Blackram  + (The Bear Shepherd, that is what Ansgar was …
  The Bear Shepherd, that is what Ansgar was often fondly or not so fondly called in his prime. When Ansgar was young and was the military commander in charge of the Blackram Pikesman, he was loudest, largest and fiercest man on the field. He was a trusted commander, and not only for Blackram forces, more than once in his life Ansgar found himself leading Telmar forces in assistance to the Valardin house. This was his prime, the time he was at his best, but sadly that was short-lived. When Ansgar was 45 he was leading 500 pikesman in a fight against a shav raiding party who had been attacking Valardin and Redrain parties and in his moment of glory, as his 500 pikeman attacked the group of 1000 shav fighters, Ansgar was unable to clearly lead the attack, he could not remember critical planned timeframes to send groups into the attack, and because of this, his pikeman were pushed back, losing 100 men, with Ansgar's own giant horse killed from under him. It was rumored that after a long recuperation from a broken leg he might have been not of a stable mindset to be leading the attack. Despite this, as time went on, it became quite obvious that Ansgar was becoming of less fit mind as years went by and could not be trusted to lead troops into battle. When he was 50, his family managed to talk Ansgar into joining the Knights of Solace, feeling the old Knight could serve the Faith and protect those who needed protecting. Where his mind has weakened, and his speed in battle may not be as great as it once was, Ansgar is still strong of body. As the years progress, the move to the Knights of Solace seems to be a perfect fit for the knight. He seems to more often feel he is 20 years old again, heading into battle to save the damsel in distress or the men who ride alongside him are those he is leading to fight shav forces once more. He is often heard shouting orders on whatever he deems to be his battlefield, even if it were the training yard with a blunted weapon.
  e the training yard with a blunted weapon.)
• Adora Bell  + (The Bell family of Arx was once known for …
  The Bell family of Arx was once known for making, you guessed it, bells! But it turns out the demand for such things isn't as great as one would think since they're mostly made to last. As a result, luckless Abrahall Bell (who everyone just called A as a sly joke), decided to strike out on his own and found a brewery! Sadly, he was not very good at it yet he was extremely stubborn that one day Bell Beer would take off, and so it wasn't long before he and his young new family found themselves in the Lower Boroughs, not quite struggling to survive thanks to small stipends sent by other more successful family members, but close enough. Two children were born of his marriage to wife Barb: Silver, a sickly young boy and Adora, who her mother swore never smiled until she was three years old and learned to push her brother down. Adora embraced the lawlessness of the Lower Boroughs early on, sneaking away from her family to roughhouse with the local kids and inevitably being taken in by the Ulbrans, who recognized a little thug when they saw one. She took to petty thieving like she was born to it and by the time she was a teenager had many run-ins with the Iron Guard, most of which she was able to talk her way out of. Not all. At a loss, her parents tried to steer her towards something that wouldn't end up with her at the end of a noose or worse, and thus a love of whittling was born. From there it was a short leap to carpentry. She loved the feeling of assembling something from nothing and loved the feel of coin in her hand even more. Coin that the Iron Guard couldn't question her about! By the time she hit her twenties, she was on the straight and narrow--at least by all outside appearances--looking to open her own shop and start raising her family out of the Lower Boroughs once and for all.
  ut of the Lower Boroughs once and for all.)
• Adora Ulbran  + (The Bell family of Arx was once known for …
  The Bell family of Arx was once known for making, you guessed it, bells! But it turns out the demand for such things isn't as great as one would think since they're mostly made to last. As a result, luckless Abrahall Bell (who everyone just called A as a sly joke), decided to strike out on his own and found a brewery! Sadly, he was not very good at it yet he was extremely stubborn that one day Bell Beer would take off, and so it wasn't long before he and his young new family found themselves in the Lower Boroughs, not quite struggling to survive thanks to small stipends sent by other more successful family members, but close enough. Two children were born of his marriage to wife Barb: Silver, a sickly young boy and Adora, who her mother swore never smiled until she was three years old and learned to push her brother down. Adora embraced the lawlessness of the Lower Boroughs early on, sneaking away from her family to roughhouse with the local kids and inevitably being taken in by the Ulbrans, who recognized a little thug when they saw one. She took to petty thieving like she was born to it and by the time she was a teenager had many run-ins with the Iron Guard, most of which she was able to talk her way out of. Not all. At a loss, her parents tried to steer her towards something that wouldn't end up with her at the end of a noose or worse, and thus a love of whittling was born. From there it was a short leap to carpentry. She loved the feeling of assembling something from nothing and loved the feel of coin in her hand even more. Coin that the Iron Guard couldn't question her about! By the time she hit her twenties, she was on the straight and narrow--at least by all outside appearances--looking to open her own shop and start raising her family out of the Lower Boroughs once and for all.
  ut of the Lower Boroughs once and for all.)
• Chrysanthia Chatreuxe-DeVirre  + (The Brindleberry Wood is a place of myster …
  The Brindleberry Wood is a place of mystery and wonder. Many people don't even know of it or where in the Lord of the Deep Wood's name it might even be but boy do the stories come a pourin' out of /that/ place. People say a lot of things about the kooky Baroness; she's a reclusive hermit, she's eccentric, she throws exclusive tea parties with thee most interesting guests, she's crazy. The list of things goes on but all of them are usually very nice. People kiiiiind of laugh at the Chatreuxe-DeVirre's because their lands are all primal forests and beautiful glades filled with people who don't like to wear clothes. Or, maybe even worse, people who like to spend more time with plants than people (which is nothing to judge anyone for) and not a single soul in her Court ever comes to the city. The Peerage all think they're mostly a rumor but when Chrysanthia showed up wearing the mauve & green sigil of the Brindleberry Wood, well, it becomes quite clear that it is -not- a joke. Nobody can really say much about who or what the Spring Knight of the Hedge has been up to, but she's really bizarre and seems to have a passion for plants, animals, and people. In that order.
  lants, animals, and people. In that order.)
• Sylvana Leporidae  + (The Brindleberry Wood is a place of myster …
  The Brindleberry Wood is a place of mystery and wonder, like many of the beauteous regions of the Gray Forest. Many people don’t know where the exact location of the Crownsworn barony and some say that is by design. The inhabitants are known to be reclusive hermits who don’t like to be bothered by outsiders and tend to keep to themselves. With their holding being built in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hundreds of miles of trees and no roads in or out, at first glance, it makes sense that they largely go unnoticed. Sylvana is a native to the wood, the eldest daughter of the eccentric Baroness Hope Chatreuxe-DeVirre. Although her family never leaves the wood she tends to be much more adventurous and outgoing, always chasing some new thrill or daring venture - usually against her mother’s wishes. Without a doubt she is a wonderful, fun-natured, good-hearted person but she has been known to cause trouble. After spending her bachelorette years going from one adventure to the next or mapping out regions not traversed in ages she decided to set aside her reckless ways and pursue more responsibility. In the last few months, her mother decided this was an excellent opportunity to seal an alliance and make new friends outside of the wood for the first time in centuries. Sylvana was entered into an arranged marriage and ended up in Tremorus where she has taken to the mountain with gusto and a natural grace to be expected of an adventurer like herself. Her wife, Lady Nephele of the principle House, is a wonderful partner who has been drawn out from her own hermitage which has only further endeared Sylvana to the Leporidae and their Proscipi cousins.
  the Leporidae and their Proscipi cousins.)
• Sylvana Proscipi  + (The Brindleberry Wood is a place of myster …
  The Brindleberry Wood is a place of mystery and wonder, like many of the beauteous regions of the Gray Forest. Many people don’t know where the exact location of the Crownsworn barony and some say that is by design. The inhabitants are known to be reclusive hermits who don’t like to be bothered by outsiders and tend to keep to themselves. With their holding being built in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hundreds of miles of trees and no roads in or out, at first glance, it makes sense that they largely go unnoticed. Sylvana is a native to the wood, the eldest daughter of the eccentric Baroness Hope Chatreuxe-DeVirre. Although her family never leaves the wood she tends to be much more adventurous and outgoing, always chasing some new thrill or daring venture - usually against her mother’s wishes. Without a doubt she is a wonderful, fun-natured, good-hearted person but she has been known to cause trouble. After spending her bachelorette years going from one adventure to the next or mapping out regions not traversed in ages she decided to set aside her reckless ways and pursue more responsibility. In the last few months, her mother decided this was an excellent opportunity to seal an alliance and make new friends outside of the wood for the first time in centuries. Sylvana was entered into an arranged marriage and ended up in Tremorus where she has taken to the mountain with gusto and a natural grace to be expected of an adventurer like herself. Her wife, Lady Nephele of the principle House, is a wonderful partner who has been drawn out from her own hermitage which has only further endeared Sylvana to the Leporidae and their Proscipi cousins.
  the Leporidae and their Proscipi cousins.)
• Sarra Cherrane  + (The Cherrane family has always known life …
  The Cherrane family has always known life in Fair Harbour. Sarrac, her father and namesake, kept the family clothed and fed as a fisherman on the port, while her mother, Celesse, was a seamstress. Still, most of the means were meager and they raised their daughters, Sarra and Lylian, to the best of their ability. Both daughters took work young around the island, but Sarra truly enjoyed the land work over taking to the seas. She became a part of the islands efforts to reduce the overcrowding deer population. Seeing her daughter's focus on such a task, as she was always so focused, even as a babe, Celesse harbored this interest into something Sarra could use later in life. Trading some wares in exchange for lessons, she made sure her daughter received tanning lessons, so that the animals that were hunted did not go to waste. Sarra took to it immediately, enjoyed the work, as she made leather sets of armor more geared to teenagers and adolescents. While Sarrac and Celesse did their best, they saw a fire in their daughter than they could not fully satisfy. Seeing how driven she was, and Sarra's growing distaste for living life on the secluded island, they proposed an idea: a patronage with the local nobles, the Harthalls, to provide services and send her to Arx. While Sarra hated this idea initially, she reluctantly agreed and the Harthall's happily took on the leatherworker. There was a chance for a bigger life in Arx, even if she wasn't a city girl in even the remotest sense. She would join the Crafter's Guild to learn how to manage her own business, to, as her father put it, "have a better life than we could ever dream."
  e a better life than we could ever dream.")
• Ignacio Fidante  + (The Citadel of Tor is home to many, many F …
  The Citadel of Tor is home to many, many Fidantes, most of whom grow up together as brothers and sisters and regarded one another as such despite being cousins. Ignacio was for a lack of better words, a wild child. He could never sit still long enough to take his academic lessons seriously and longed for the moments when he could be training with his sword. He craved physical activity from the moment his feet touched the ground until he passed out for the evening. In between those times, when he grew bored, he was a master of practical jokes and pranks. No one was safe from Ignacio Fidante. From tacks on his professors chairs to toads in his beloved sibling and cousins beds, to buckets of water teetering on tops of doors waiting for some poor unlucky person to cross the threshold. His name was often yelled in anger throughout the halls.{/{/As he grew a bit older, jokes turned to magic tricks in order to woo the girls, but he was still a clown at heart. His room was always a mess, he could never keep things straight. He had trouble concentrating and when he became frustrated, Ignacio would be very quick to anger. He also developed something of a nasty temper and was caught more than once starting brawls in the classroom until the Fidante's sword instructor took the young, fiery Ignacio under his wing. The physical practice of mastering the sword and studying warfare is what ultimately saved Ignacio from himself. No one knows for certain what the Instructor did to produce such an impressive turn around, but Ignacio's family was grateful their son found some order in his life.{/{/Ignacio remained in Tor while Leo and Dante went off to train in the Oathlands but when his cousins returned, Ignacio was more than ready to fight alongside his family for Fidante Honor against Lucien Malvici and the evils that attempted to take over Tor. When Lucien was defeated, Leo became Duke and Dante was named Sword of Tor. Ignacio was also gifted with a title of Knight-Captain of the order of The Knights of Roses, the elite house guards for House Fidante. For years, Ignacio has spearheaded the Knights in Tor and remained behind when Leo and Calista traveled to Arx. As the Arx came under threat and the leadership of House Fidante spent more and more time away from Tor, Ignacio assisted as the political liaison for his cousins in Arx and the Fidante family home in Tor, often sending correspondence and keeping both Leo and Calista informed of situations in Tor.{/{/Ignacio and his sister have since arrived to Arx to assist the new Duchess in her role, offer the moral and emotional support Calista might need since Leo's disappearance. Ignacio deeply regrets he missed the end of the Siege of Arx, while he was focusing on the defense of Tor, and now has come to lead the Knights of Roses here in Arx. There is so much opportunity. One only needs to be bold enough to seize it.
  only needs to be bold enough to seize it.)
• Iskander Dawkins  + (The Dawkins were once the Duquenso, a nobl …
  The Dawkins were once the Duquenso, a noble House of some standing in the Lyceum whose seat was razed to the ground, its peers stripped of their titles, holdings, with any claim to nobility some ten or more generations ago. There are no known records of what caused this fall from prominence, those records were destroyed or perhaps the story is just that - a story. Iskander was born into service of House Inverno. His father's father was a gentleman's gentleman, to quote a notable Steward. He was tapped very young to assist with and manage House affairs, groomed and schooled, trained and, eventually, made himself indispensible to Ludovico even as Tessera was learning her role to lead the House. In no small part, Iksander is why Caina survived the brief leadership of Contessa Tessera and Count-consort Mario. They have disappeared into wine-soaked reverie, and he remains.
  into wine-soaked reverie, and he remains.)
• Branan Dominici  + (The Dominici family of Lenosia has never e …
  The Dominici family of Lenosia has never excelled at anything in its existence. It has always been a line of consistent mediocrity. Although gentry and wealthy enough for being gentry, the family has never so wealthy as to advance its station significantly, but also never too poor to slide down the rungs of society. They have never been beloved In politics or reputation, but again neither terribly disliked. As gentry, the Dominici have always been a family of courtiers that never gain royal notice, yet even without it, they continue to receive invitations to the balls and events of court. Such a family gives scant space for greatness to arise. Instead, you get men like Branan. Capable with a quill, educated but not being courted out of school by powerful trading houses, royal families or the church. The most remarkable thing that Branan has ever done in his life, is refuse to join his father and brothers in the family cloth reselling business, and choose to try to make a career of his poetry. This single act of rebellion, of choosing a dangerous new path, cost him his families good will and his very modest students stipend. Cut off and with dwindling cash reserves, Branan set out on a traders ship for Arx, intent on finding a patron who will be pleased with his skills and services. Someone who will be pleased to have a capable scribe and assistant who occasionally writes poetry of some quality.
  ccasionally writes poetry of some quality.)
• Leandre Dureaux  + (The Dureaux family have been known for one …
  The Dureaux family have been known for one thing for very many years. What is that one thing? Procurement! The Dureaux specialize in procuring whatever one may need, provided it is legal of course. If it can be bought or sold, the Dureaux can get you what you need.
  ld, the Dureaux can get you what you need.)