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Aleksei was born a middle-child to a well-respected commoner family serving in Sanctum which a long history of service for House Valardin. While his father had earned a place of trust and respect as Captain of the Guard in the city, and several of his children siblings seemed certain to follow in similarly honorable footsteps, Aleksei was -- a bit of a trouble. He took to the sword with a truly obnoxious amount of skill, but by the time he was sixteen he had grown too restless under the pressure of potential honor; he packed his things and left. Over the years since he traveled up and down Arvum, serving as a mercenary, man-at-arms, random muscle, and general adventurer. As luck would have it -- and luck often seems to have it where Aleksei is concerned -- he was back in his homeland of the Oathlands when he rather inadvertently ended up saving the children of one of the smaller noble houses there. It was their gratitude that had them thrusting a knighthood upon Aleksei; it was not long at all after saying the vows (vows?!) that he was making a break for his next adventure, heedless of whether he'd be confirmed by the high lord or not. It was Arx that he eventually made his way to; it had enough diversity and diversions to satisfy his cravings for a few years serving as a duelist, Champion, and occasional instructor for those with less skill and more money than him. It was something of a shock when he decided to take his vows and join the Faith as a Godsworn seemingly out of nowhere. Sir Aleksei became Brother Aleksei, despite all previous evidence of irresponsibility and general distraction from any matters of the divine. There were even some rumors around the end of the Siege of Arx in 1006 that he served as some sort of Paladin against Tolamar Brand, leader of the Silent Army, but what exactly that entailed is less than clear. It wasn't long after the siege ended that he was named Archlector of Skald, one of the three newly-returned Lost Gods of the Pantheon. To a lot of the senior Faith, the appointment came rather ridiculously early in his career -- particularly for someone who wasn't exactly known for his devoutness before taking his vows -- but they couldn't exactly refuse the decision from the Dominus himself. He's taken to some parts of the priesthood...more than others. During his tenure as Archlector, he raised millions of silver the Faith used to liberate some several thousand thralls and set up a new Faith initiative to help care for all those freed from bondage moving forward: a chance to start their new lives with Faith support wherever in the Compact they chose. It didn't make him many friends among the Mourning Isles, but it did help prepare the Faith to be able to respond when House Kennex suddenly abolished thralldom in their lands. In January 1009, Legate Orazio announced Aleksei's resignation from the Faith "due to certain personal needs." The announcement was rather sudden and without warning, as well as less formal scuttlebutt that a hitherto unknown son might the catalyst of the decision, and brought with it thirteen days kneeling in front of the Shrine of Limerance as penance. In the end, he returned to the life of a commoner, now without rank or title, to start the next chapter of his life.

The brightness of fair skin and clear blue eyes provide an air of youthful energy that seems to highlight and encapsulate Aleksei's spirit. The straight slope of his nose suggests he hasn't had it broken nearly as often as he deserves, and he has lips well-suited to smiling which are generous in their frequent curves. His gaze remains eloquent when his wits fail; fringed with black eyelashes, set beneath dark eyebrows, his bright blue eyes are expressive and lively. Their suggestion of energy is echoed in the rumpled tousle of short, dark hair and the coiled strength of his body. His air is one of poised grace and easy athleticism that has come from a lifetime of physicality. While he sports fewer visible scars than his appearance of martial competence might suggest, there is a small but clear line, white-pink and slightly sunken, across the hollow of his left cheek, partially obscured by the close crop of a well-trimmed full beard across his jaw

It's a wonder that Aleksei hasn't been throttled yet. Bright and gregarious, he can be the life of the party, but he has a remarkable habit of high-level obnoxiousness combined with a frequent inability to even know what he did to piss someone off. That said, he can be quite charming, and there's a draw to his energy. A natural thrill-seeker, he's certainly not a coward; he's just spent most of his life allergic to responsibility. While he likes to eschew his Oathlander roots and all of the stereotypes they involve, he has a core of morality and honesty that belies his protests.