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List of results

• Aureth Grayhope  + (A younger son of a branch off the main lin …
  A younger son of a branch off the main line of the Grayhope family, Aureth was an odd child: quickfingered and resourceful, the middle class child of an artisan with questionable ties, his most frequent punishments were from wandering away from the family and being a focused observer of the human animal. Apprenticed early to an older woman who decided his powers of observation might be useful, she taught him to tell fortunes. When she grew too old to patter convincingly, he eventually inherited some of her customers and made a name for himself as a predictor, a card player and a source of sensible advice to those who knew to ask the right question. Unlucky in love (or resistant to social pressure), he claims he just hasn't met the right girl.
  claims he just hasn't met the right girl.)
• Aahana Volkov  + (Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan V …
  Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend.
  w ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend.)
• Aahana Malvici  + (Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan V …
  Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend.
  w ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend.)
• Aahana Magnotta  + (Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan V …
  Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend. During her time within Arx she made many a friend and ally. Then there was Domonico, there was something about him that caused her to become smitten, so smitten she sworn off shamanism and worked diligently to become a token prodigal. Her work paid off as when she married him to become Lady Aahana Malvici, it was deemed true. There the birth of their precious daughter Palania on the tenth of April in 1011. Then the unthinkable happened when she was travelling to visit her family with the baby. They disppeared just has the massacare of Volkov Woods happened. For those two years, it was though that both were dead. However the unthinkable happened. Aahana and baby Palania returned to arx unsathed and unaged on the sixteenth of March 1014 AR. She is still playing catch up but intends to help the now Count Domonico and the isles of Cyrto Major with all her being.
  e isles of Cyrto Major with all her being.)
• Abbas Thrax  + (Abbas's mother, Princess Marjory Thrax, wa …
  Abbas's mother, Princess Marjory Thrax, was no proper Thraxian woman in the eyes of Donrai Thrax. With far too much interest in sailing, Princess Marjory defied her father by accompanying a daring expedition to sail east to the rarely contacted continent of Eurus on a perilous voyage. Worse in the eyes of his grandfather, not only did Marjory have the temerity to succeed, but she returned with a husband, married without permission of her family, to the exiled Prince Asad of Petrioch, a royal fleeing a lost war of one of the distant Dune Kingdoms of Eurus. Prince Donrai Thrax had little choice but to recognize the marriage of the royals as Marjory was already with child, but it proved short lived- Prince Asad was found complicit in the plotting of the Tyde Rebellion and was executed by House Thrax, and Princess Marjory Thrax was all but exiled, married off to a Lord of House Pravus and unwelcome to the family. This provided the Thraxian child with a difficult life ahead where his mother and father were considered traitors to Thrax. Abbas Thrax dreamed of a life of reaving to prove himself true to Thrax and at a young age the man took to battles and studies. His focus was complete and nothing else even remotely entertained him as a child that was not anointed in violence and his grandfather (Donrai Thrax) encouraged and aided in molding the man into a callous butcher. Abbas barely related to other young children nor did he possess friends. His was a singular desire to rise and lead the Thraxian fleet into glory and to earn a proper Thraxian heroes death. Individual fights quickly bored the mind of Abbas. And he began to listen and put himself in a position to learn of fighting at a higher level. There was not enough glory in hand-to-hand slaughter; tactics and strategy became his religion. Abbas lied about becoming a man in order to fill his urge to oar and sail upon the endless Salt. This led to his early years as a reaver being rough and he danced with death being overpowered, outmatched, yet he rapidly became addicted to the spilling of life and the riches of taking from the sea what you wanted. The young man was ruthless and fate saw him survive his first few overmatched raids; where the physically weaker Abyss was forced to kill against the odds. Abbas was hardened to the "Salt Life" early to the life of taking captives and using them as thralls. He possessed a strange affinity for understanding currents and sailing in an uncanny way. The Thraxian quickly distinguished himself and became a very young (perhaps one of the youngest) captain as a teenager. Abbas began to build a reputation early on. He would systematically target islands and begin to kill the elderly and snuff out the wisdom to make future raids easier. As the younger generations aged absent the wisdom of their more wise leaders he began to wear down the defenses. His brutality earned him a fierce reputation and soon after a couple of years many village and settlements would simply pay tribute to avoid the Thraxian wrath. Abbas fame and renown began to grow and the Thraxian was afforded more authority and allowed to operate autonomously. When Abbas was called to Arx two years ago he arrived with little experience but that of reaving and killing. It was a rough adjustment for the Prince but soon circumstances found him rising quickly in the ranks of the military. Abbas found himself upon the death of Donrai in a position to support the new Thraxian High Lord; Victus. Victus anointed Abbas as Warlord and gave him control of the Thraxian military. Abbas at the age of twenty-four is likely the youngest Warlord in living memory to lead the Thraxian war machine. Abbas ruthlessly secured Victus' power and was brutal in his tactics once more. Those who spoke against the new High Lord or loyal to Donrai were flayed alive. The military was used to brutally stop any insurrection and Abbas earned the title of the Bastard's Butcher. A campaign against the abandoned tribes on the periphery of the Gyre that threatens Thrax and the compact has thrust Abbas into heavy controversy. Abbas purposefully spread disease and plague amongst the abandoned populace to quickly end the fighting to those who did not bend the knee. The body count was unheard of as he systematically depopulated the islands of abandoned and quickly put an end to a prolonged war. This met with outcry and the hatred of many in Arvum, as the genocidal tactics were seen by the vast majority of the Compact as dishonorable and an offense to the goddess Gloria. During the siege of Arx Abbas was able to return the fleet to join the war due to his questionable strategy. He led the fleet from shore to rush through; relieving the Seawatch Gate and filling a hole blown in the wall of Arx where the Bringers sought to put an end to the Compact. With the help of the Redrain the Warlord was able to hold the wall at a great cost of life, winning that part of the battle. Though he distinguished himself well, he remains an extremely controversial figure- respected in the Isles, admired by many who hate shavs with geonocidal fury, but viewed as murderous and dangerous by most.
  viewed as murderous and dangerous by most.)
• Abigail Lyonesse  + (Abigail's family is well known to some, at …
  Abigail's family is well known to some, at least the name. Her father, Treveus, is Uncle to Marquessa Demura Lyonesse, and his wife Isabella married into the family. While she may have not be so called 'noble' before her marriage her family was not the normal or complete commoner either, just a lower rank. Abigail's father was and still is a most trusted and well known Knight for his family name, though age has started to catch up to him and that is the only thing possibly slowing him down. Her mother was a archer of high skill and quality, her knowledge with herbs was also high as her family was well know in the art of herbal healing. Isabella trained and taught her daughters to carry on the skills she had taught and to never forget them. Abigail has four siblings all sisters, she being the youngest of the bunch. Sundari and Idrissa are her elder twins sisters, and then there is Roselin and Jaelynn. When it comes to handling a bow Abigail is on par with her mother having picked up the skill rather easy. During a hunting trip, Abigail's mother was killed and many felt it was staged but others have said the woman took on too much, thus being cut down by the prey she was tracking. Abigail and Roselin were with her at the time and while her daughters have called for something to be done it is still being overlooked. Since this has happened Abigail was sent to stay with her cousin Demura Lyonesse by her father and Roselin is set to join her in the coming months. Abigail is attempting to keep an open mind and move on but it is hard with she knows something has happened to her family and she wants answers.
  pened to her family and she wants answers.)
• Adalbern Rimeheart  + (Adalbern was born in the hills surrounding …
  Adalbern was born in the hills surrounding Bonespire, just south of the Everwinter to a warrior of the Stahlben clan, and a woman he'd taken to wife from the Everwinter Shav. Sadly, he never knew his mother as she died shortly after, his birth a difficult one. His father raised the boy as best he could, but he was often away and unable give the proper attention necessary for a young troublemaker. The boy spent much of his youth exploring the crags and tundra near his home, learning the ways of the mountains and the frozen north; largely unsupervised and turning into quite the little savage until his father decided he was an of an age to start training with the other young warriors-to-be of the clan. As he started spending more time amongst the others of his people, he met the girl who would grow to be his wife, Skada. Once the two were of age, they soon married and it wasn't long before a little one was on the way. It wasn't meant to last, however. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Vigga, the Undying and their servants spilled forth from the Everwinter. Skada was lost during the first rush of the horde, though Vigga managed to escape into the mountain stronghold that her father would help to defend. A part of Adalbern seemed lost, and he flung himself into the battles of his clan even more fervently than before, leaving Vigga to his wife's parents at the time. When Magnus bent the knee to Sanna, Adalbern decided to uproot himself and Vigga from the Bonespire and the memories it held, and now they seek a new life in Arx and the Compact.
  ey seek a new life in Arx and the Compact.)
• Adalyn Clement  + (Adalyn was the one child born of the marri …
  Adalyn was the one child born of the marriage between Sir Norwood Clement and his late wife. She was treasured and adored by her father and didn't lack for love in the slightest in those regards. An argument could be made that he shouldn't have gone carting her around to /quite/ so many of his knightly duties however. She spent hours watching him train Jael and Klaus Laurent, picking up bits and pieces of swordsmanship from observation alone. Yet he was reluctant to give his own daughter the same instruction, despite her pleas. She was too young! It was too soon! He didn't want her learning the blade .But Adalyn would have her own way about this. Because all that adoration and time spent indulging her, it had made her a little spoiled and all too stubborn. So at ten years old, she began 'training' on her own. With a heavy stick and some pots worn for helmets she sparred against one of the other children in Artshall. It was all going fine until she brained him nice and good and knocked him unconscious. Thankfully, he was fine. But poor Norwood was forced to admit that wasn't going to be able to deter her from her wishes, so he might as well train her. Before someone /really/ got hurt. Over time, she has grown into quite the talented warrior. She has more swish and swagger than her father might care for and her showmanship truly grates on his nerves sometimes. She often makes grandiose remarks of how she'll take that sword from him someday! Before laughing brightly and jumping into a tale of her latest escapade. And there are many, many escapades. Her current plot to cause her family distress has been to runaway from the Oathlands and appear in Arx, unprompted. She's decided she wants to join the Champions Guild! And that mercenary group, but no, not the one run by Duke Telmar's son! The one by that Lycene Baron! The Valorous Few! He seems like fun.
  aron! The Valorous Few! He seems like fun.)
• Adelais Savatier  + (Adelais was born out of wedlock, the produ …
  Adelais was born out of wedlock, the product of a young dalliance between a merchant-prince and a middling serving girl. Fortunately for her, she (and her mother) were set up by her father's family in a town near the family's sprawling estate once they realized what their reckless son had done. The family resisted the pressure for marriage, but they did their best to accept her and her mother into their family - albeit still beyond that inner ring. Still, she had a decent education and a decent life growing up, living in relative comfort with her mother and provided for by an extended family that she didn't quite understand until she grew older. As she grew, she felt awkward and a touch out of place, especially when her father married and had another child: a younger half-sister named Mateline, who stood to inherit. Their relationship wasn't always good, but Adelais did her best to be a decent elder sister. However, determined that she wasn't going to rely solely on the largesse of her extended family, she left home once she came of age to seek her fortune as a soldier. She spent five or six years of her life training with the blade and working as a sellsword, despite her mother's worries over her new station in life.In a way, it helped her purge her private demons and she learned a great deal about the uglier side of the world and the power of violence. Adelais eventually returned to her extended family when she heard that her father was dying of a wasting disease and despite her misgivings, found that she couldn't simply leave her younger half-sister to pick up the pieces by herself. Since then, she's essentially bulled her way back into the family business ,serving as a bodyguard and the right-hand woman for Mateline, dealing with some of the more unsavory aspects of the business and arranging protection for their business interests whenever necessary. If she has anything to say about it, they'll prosper.
  anything to say about it, they'll prosper.)
• Aine Halfshav  + (Adelie Pravus, second wife of Ahern Halfsh …
  Adelie Pravus, second wife of Ahern Halfshav, was unhappy in Whitehold from the moment she arrived following her marriage to the widowed lord. Khanne and Arik were never really hers and this world was cold and miserable. It was likely that there would have been a divorce, but then Aine arrived in a screaming bundle on one rare, gloriously warm day in the far north reaches. And Adelie had something of her own, which Aine was raised to be. She was not raised with or like her half-siblings, allowed to form their own paths in the wilds, especially after Ahern's death. She was raised as a Southern lady, her mother's own little audience just as trapped as Adelie felt but in a different way. The call of her Northern blood was a thing to be ignored as she studied and worked on her wits and charm. It's only as Khanne rises that Aine has found an escape. She has been allowed to come to Arx, to see the city for the first time, and notable without her mother in attendance. There's hardly a party, or event in the bustling capital that Aine isn't attending. If she wants to make it somewhere in this world, she knows that she's going to make the right connections. Sister of a Duchess is not all that she wishes to be.
  Duchess is not all that she wishes to be.)
• Adrian Beeler  + (Adrian avoided influence of his avid famil …
  Adrian avoided influence of his avid family. His father worked as a carpenter and was widely social and his mother worked in an inn and had the same effect. He himself, however, avoided such and focused on a sort of self study, whatever he could get with what little he had from both of his parents. This sort of thing continued on until he decided to stay on his own.
  ed on until he decided to stay on his own.)
• Adriel Glynn  + (Adriel was raised, along with his twin sis …
  Adriel was raised, along with his twin sister and best friend, Korka, by parents whose first loyalty was to the Telmars, and that loyalty is generational. But while his twin sister was constantly sticking her nose in things and getting into trouble, Adriel toed the line: a conscientious, well-behaved child, who was only very rarely drawn into hijinx past Korka’s ability to talk them both out of it. An able and attentive listener, he learned quickly at his lessons and served as soon as he was old enough in the forces of his lords’ retainers, learning a spear and shield along with the rules and laws of the regiment.
  g with the rules and laws of the regiment.)
• Neilda Saik  + (Adventure, of one sort or another, has alw …
  Adventure, of one sort or another, has always been in Neilda's blood. Though humble for nobility, her family comes from a long line of warriors and knights, and she grew up on stories of their grand adventures and courageous deeds. She also grew up on stories of those from her family who strayed from the warrior path, and got into exploration. Her uncle Carmello told her about how he got stuck in a cave on an island for several months, surviving only on the edible mosses and mushrooms inside, and then before he fuond his way out he found the buried treasure of a pirate. Inside that treasure he found an tiny stone that glowed that made him feel stronger for touching it, along with a journal that suggested the stone might have other unusual properties. He's long since lost the stone and the journal, and often grumbles about having his ship boarded by pirates and how they stole it back from him. What was the stone? Why did it glow? And, more importantly, why was it stolen back from him? Of course, the family passed his stories about the stone and the theft of it off as tall tales and superstition. Stones don't just glow. But, her uncle hasn't stopped thinking about it, and neither has Neilda. So no one was really surprised when a 10 year old Neilda one day declared that she was going to be an explorer herself, obsessed with the story of the stone, and other stories like it she's discovered since the tale her uncle told her. She put everything she had into learning how to be the best and brightest adventurer she could be, and while this may have dismayed some, hoping for another fighter in the family, no one ever tried to quell her adventurous spirit. She would often bug her brother Estaban, or her cousin Kima, begging them until they'd give in and teach her the skills she needed to survive. She thrived under their training, and as soon as she was old enough and able, she set off on the first boat she could to Arx where she heard about the Society of Explorers in Arx. She's been busy doing expeditions and missions for them for the last year and a half, and has finally decided to stop and take a bit of a break and check on how her family is doing.
  reak and check on how her family is doing.)
• Aela Velenosa  + (Aela grew up invisible as the youngest of …
  Aela grew up invisible as the youngest of 3 children. Her sister was adored by all for her other-worldly beauty while her brother was praised as a scholarly genius from a young age. Aela was, indeed, smart and beautiful, but in the eyes of her parents, she paled greatly to her siblings. Neither a disappoint or a child to pay attention to, Aela grew up mostly isolated from her busy siblings and with generally anything she needed, except the love from her parents. During her lonely childhood, she would often sneak out and explore the city and make friends with the unknowing commoner children. From them, she learned the cunning ways of the streets, the beauty of music, and the fun of adventures.
  eauty of music, and the fun of adventures.)
• Aelius Mercier  + (Aelius was born into a minor branch of the …
  Aelius was born into a minor branch of the Mercier family, to traditional scions who were interested in keeping the family business on wedding wines alive and well. His father, Vibius, was a dedicated merchant, often assisting to the former head of household in meetings and contacting relevant people to the trade deals. However, a young Aelius wasn't meeting up to the expectations of his father, preferring to spend his time studying scholary matters and painting, instead of learning the family business. Naive as he was, Aelius spent most of his time daydreaming of buildings he would create, tall creations that would impress The Pantheon themselves and he planned to dedicate such buildings to them. It was only when his father suffered a severe disease that Aelius realised his role in the family, he would spend his days trying to learn as much as he could from his dying father, working to fill up his boots and setting his dreams aside, at least for now, so he could help the cause of the family. Vibius passed away around Aelius' 27th Summer and Aelius decided it was time to put his ideas forward and advance the family business to a next level.
  vance the family business to a next level.)
• Aery Ashford  + (Aery's been an orphan from a young age and has as such never been able to learn many good skills. Despite all of this, she's remained a positive outlook on life, somehow managing to stick to living through odd ends here and there.)
• Aethan Kennex  + (Aethan, the oldest of three brothers, has …
  Aethan, the oldest of three brothers, has always felt the oldest child's weight of responsibility, and it only got heavier with time. He went to sea at sixteen, followed soon by his brother Porter, and then by nine year old Ian. Not yet twenty, he found himself wearing the hats of brother, of father, teacher, and guardian. He drove himself hard, taught his brothers to do the same, and by the time they'd graduated from escorting merchant ships to hunting pirates on a ship that Aethan himself captained, the brothers Kennex were a force to be reckoned with, a force forged from the strength of the oldest brother's will. Aethan got so much respect for how well he taught his brothers that he was the one tasked with teaching the ungovernable Washburn Grayson to sail, more responsibility that he bore without breaking. These few years, riding high on the waves with his brothers by his side, were the happiest of Aethan's life, and they ended too soon when Ian, while trying to sail a prize ship through a storm, fell from the rigging and nearly died. The fall left Ian paralyzed -- and Aethan knew that it was his fault. He should have seen the signs that the storm was coming. He should have checked the prize ship's rigging. Unable to stomach the guilt, unable even to look at his broken little brother, Aethan lost himself in the bottle. He also lost himself in the comfort of a woman. Invierna Winter, the daughter of a wealthy Thrax-sworn merchant, came to him in that darkest night and soothed him. Only weeks after meeting her, they were married. Aethan loved her ardently enough that, at least for a couple of years, he was able to drown out his own self-loathing. But this moment of peace was ephemeral. Aethan lost his father, his mother, and his wife all in quick succession -- his father died of a lingering illness that had plagued him for months, and then a few weeks later, his mother and wife died suddenly during the same night. The Aethan who turned up in Arx weeks later was a shadow of the man he had once been, held together by copious amounts of alcohol and little else. He was reunited with his brothers, and as they gradually healed their relationship, he began to heal, as well. He became admiral of Stormward's fleet and served with distinction, spearheading the House's efforts to rebuild into something even stronger than it had been before the freeing of the thralls had driven it to the edge of ruin. Then he was needed for a greater and weightier calling -- Duke-Regent. It wasn't a responsibility that he was comfortable with shouldering, but he did it anyway, just like he always has done. If he's not equal to the task, he'll just have to force himself to rise to it.
  just have to force himself to rise to it.)
• Natasha Thrax  + (After Prince Argus Thrax's affair that led …
  After Prince Argus Thrax's affair that led to the birth of a bastard, Prince Drake Thrax gave his brother an ultimatum. Marry politically or be cast from the house. Argus obeyed and a match was secured. Princess Natasha was born years later from the connection, the younger half-sister to Victus Baseborn. Her youth was often spent being tutored in matters of law, stewardship and scholarly pursuits, as is tradition for Thraxian women. Natasha took to her studies naturally, soon becoming the honor student for her teachers and a shining example of Mourning Isles discipline. Prince Donrai soon ascended to High Lord of the Mourning Isles, he ensured Princess Natasha would be set on the path of law and order. Into her teenage years and onward, she was groomed to act as a magistrate for Maelstrom's needs. Natasha took to the role with frightening efficiency. Solutions were devised of a purely pragmatic approach, earning her praise and ire from those effected by her contributions. Her desire for the perfection of justice eventually led her to taking up a discipleship with the Faith, after meeting the Palace Seraph Ailith by chance. She came to venerate the Sentinel. The Faceless God was fairness in its purest form, something she aspired to in all of her responsibilities. Through the years, she has been a constant creator of order for the Mourning Isles. Lawlessness and chaos were the two things she abhorred the most and she sought to make it right wherever she went. Several Islander peers have had her assistance in managing their domains. Surprisingly for one so driven to constant improvement of one's House, she even eschewed taking a political match as to not interfere with her duties. Instead of searching for alliance, Natasha took up a role with the Inquisition. Dedicated to rooting out trouble and madness through her individual merit. The death of Donrai and the raise of a usurper was a frightening prospect. To her, it was perhaps the worst crisis that could've befallen her home. Natasha sought to maintain cohesion and stability as best she could through a turbulent time, a role she played well into the wars of Tolmar Brand and the Gyre. Ensuring that the institutions that protected her people would be safe, through and through. The Princess was a bedrock of tradition and a force of consistency through hardship. In recent times, Natasha finds herself growing too sedentary. Rumors and tales of myth and legend have begun to circulate back to her ears. People who speak of demons, of Abyss, of apocalypse and ruin. What were once simple stories are taking shape as real, physical concepts among the populace. What's more, reformation and change has begun sweeping through the Isles to a tune of uncertainty. The world she'd known for so long has begun to quake and shadows fall in its wake. Unsatisfied with remaining on the Isles with such growing tension in the back of her mind, Princess Natasha has sailed to Arx to join the rest of the world. In search of answers and devising a solution.
  search of answers and devising a solution.)
• Carissa Malespero  + (After being sent off to become a scholar o …
  After being sent off to become a scholar on a far-flung island as an extra lady who was too rebellious for the Argento family, Carissa heard what happened to the nobles of Arx and returned in a panic a few years too late, after the Gyre had been defeated. Her family mostly dead, and her March given to Lianne, she yearned for something to do to gain back some measure of trust for herself and the name Argento. However, after learning some hard truths about that name, Carissa is humbled, thankful, and even grateful to Lianne for welcoming her home with open arms and kindness. She is working hard to regain herself, after so many years of anger. She's always been rebellious, it's true, but now she's trying to live up to the new family name she proudly wears.
  to the new family name she proudly wears.)
• Ruslan Volkov  + (After the sudden and tragic passing of his …
  After the sudden and tragic passing of his father, Ruslan Volkov rose to power, claiming the title of Horselord. He had spent his entire life preparing for the position and now a wicked fire burnt in his ice blue eyes. His first year of rule was tumultuous. The Horselord bent the knee, becoming a vassal underneath the Compact and sending waves through the tribe. To this day, he deals with the aftermath of his decision. Yet, Ruslan doesn't see it as an act of weakness. Rather, the way forward into a brighter future.
  r, the way forward into a brighter future.)
• Razija Lyonesse  + (After twenty-six years of marriage, her pa …
  After twenty-six years of marriage, her parents hadn't expected a sudden conception of a daughter. Neither did their House, but everyone was thrilled for the marriage of the retired general Cristofer Lyonesse, then 53, and his wife Merylda (nee Bisland), 44, to finally bear fruit. While doting parents (they had waited a very long time for her) it's hard to be the only daughter of a general as anyone can guess but it's probably harder to be the only daughter of a retired general, who has nothing better to do but to turn his beloved daughter into a miniature version of himself. As she grew older, and especially after her mother died when she was 10, the two were inseparable, realizing that her father's days were likely numbered as well. Seeing to her education himself, even their time marked for recreation had an educational bent to it. Camping trips were focused on hunting and survival and visits to ally lands were always accompanied by drills. From the ages of 13 to 17, her summers were spent with the Bislands as a foster though her overprotective and widower father was known to accompany her on these trips. Most of his time, however, was preoccupied with catching up with Duke Gabriel Bisland - a man he had worked and served with off and on throughout his youth and respected and admired greatly - leaving the Bislands to do their job fostering her. When she finally came of age, she began to serve House Lyonesse proudly and had only begun to find her feet when her father passed on and left a hole in her life. Somewhat lost, her attempt at forging her own path manifested in the first step of heading to Arx to be with the family in a time of crisis as the Compact braces for war with Apostates and foriegn forces. It seemed like the job she was meant to do.
  t seemed like the job she was meant to do.)
• Agostino Alonso  + (Agostino was born to one of the barmaids a …
  Agostino was born to one of the barmaids at the Black Fox tavern, a lively woman named Marina Alonso, some time ago. Her family had lived in the Ward of the Lyceum for two generations, tracing their blood back to servants who accompanied members of house Argento to Arx as servants from Nilanza. An only child, he fell in easily with some of the troublemakers in the Ward as he grew older, running the streets with them and getting into all manner of mischief. Though he never missed any of the lessons with the Scholars that his mother insisted on, otherwise he could be found all over the city by the time he had reached his teen years. His knowledge of the streets of the city became increasingly valuable as he approached adulthood, beginning with working in the same tavern as his mother, carrying messages for the customers. This quickly translated into more silver for him when he realized that the value of the content of some of those messages, to the right sort of people, was quite high. Along with what he learned from the Scholars, he developed a strong appreciation for knowledge of all sorts, particularly the sort that was risky or difficult to obtain. Over time, he developed a reputation for having access, or gaining it, to all sorts of interesting tidbits, and for years, he did so freelance, selling what he found to the highest bidders. Most of his customers were Lycene, though, given where he grew up, and many considered it merely a matter of time before he was hired by one of them. This happened only recently, however, with the formation of house Malespero, in a way bringing him full circle, since they now have control of the city his own family originated in. It took him some time to get used to the idea of having an employer, but now he has settled into his role within the household comfortably.
  his role within the household comfortably.)
• Ahmar Nightgold  + (Ahmar grew up in Stonedeep and was closest …
  Ahmar grew up in Stonedeep and was closest to his sister Azolla. Because of her illness as a child, and his lack of social skills and book smarts, he took to training, telling himself that at the very least he could keep his little sister safe. Once he became older and Azolla began to flourish more he began branching out a bit, offering his spear, sword, or axe to any who needed it. He see's it as his duty to keep the people of the north safe. He saw many battles in his time up north. Most of which ending in him being injured so bad that most people wouldn't think a human could survive, but be it luck, the spirits, the gods or /something/, he always managed to make it out the other side without permanent damage, some of course requiring more recovery time than ever. Despite this, it never stopped him from picking his weapons and armor back up and going back at it. More recently his sister came to Arx, and being distrustful of people he doesn't know, he decided to follow, just in case.
  know, he decided to follow, just in case.)
• Ahriman Grayson  + (Ahriman Pravus (married Grayson) was born …
  Ahriman Pravus (married Grayson) was born the fourth sibling and he was a long way from inheritance of the Pravus leadership which meant outside of treachery he was never going to sniff much significance with Setarco and it seemed he was destined to be marriage fodder. Ahriman was left to find his way through military conquest and focused on the sea. A cunning man he was seen as ambitious om his pursuit of sailing; yet perhaps lacking in the Lyceum manner of doing whatever it takes to move upwards within the ranks. He quickly found himself captain upon the High Seas and earned a small measure of prominence through his exploits and leadership. By his siblings and family he was seen as a distant threat due to his familial loyalty and nature. He was never seen as possessing the cunning treacherous aspirations stereotyped within the Lyceum. When Ahriman was married off (sight unseen) to Princess Alarys Grayson the marriage was a suitable match for him. Ahriman married up due to the need of the Grayson fleet of capable commanders. Secondarily the marriage would help tie and improve relations between the Lyceum (and their massive fleets) and the Grayson family. And when viewed through the lenses of Thraxian instability and rebellion that left the seas volatile and unruly; the marriage was a perfect opportunistic match of the time. And so he was content to marry up and the man found himself enjoying his newfound family and position. Ahriman showed his prowess at sea and as he sailed and led Grayson ships to war the man earned notoriety and was seen as a great rising commander whose sights were set upon command and control of the Grayson fleet. At home his marriage blossomed and the birth of his first daughter (Lou Grayson) and concluding with his third and youngest daughter (Reese Grayson). All of whom favored their mother's lighter complexion. He was a firm yet caring father full of energy and warmth to his children and his family. He grew to love his wife very deeply. Ahriman was far more reserved outside of this circle behind closed doors and was perceived at times to be a bit cold and firm in his person outside of his closed circle. He was very much a firm authoritarian in his personality when removed from the presence of the joys in his life. Ahriman was next in line to inherit the Grayson fleet when he sailed out with a small number of ships on a searcg mission into Abandoned waters in 994 AR in search of the lost Alaric III. The small contingent of vessels never returned and many considered Prince Ahriman Grayson a casualty caught up in either a victim of piracy or having been lost to violent storms that were reported in the area. No word of the presumed dead Prince surfaced for many years until recently. Rumors began in late 1009 AR of a man found many leagues into Abandoned and Gyre waters that capture a barely sailable skiff and found refuge in Lyceum waters near Setarco. Weak, gaunt, and barely alive he was taken to the Mercy's where he was nourished back to health until only recently did he regain consciousness. That man has identified himself as Prince Ahriman Grayson. He remembers little or nothing of what happened seventeen years ago on his voyage. His life the last seventeen years was spent as a slave in Abandoned lands he recalls well. It was not until disease wiped out his captors (one his Arx immunities saved him from) that he found and eventually won his freedom. The layers of scars and whip marks upon his flesh validate much of his claim along with the clear aged deformation around his throat due to his slave collar. Now Prince Ahriman has returned to Arx to see what became of his daughters, his wife, and his Grayson family. He has been reported to be distant and if not a little troubled from his ordeal but mostly of sound mind and body. His physical prowess though has waned given his captivity and torment.
  has waned given his captivity and torment.)
• Ahrsen Damane  + (Ahrsen was born on a tiny island to the so …
  Ahrsen was born on a tiny island to the south. Expansion pushed larger houses outwards, and those, in turn, pushed smaller houses even further out. Soon the tiny island was usurped by a greater house and made into a barony after a terrible battle that saw most fighting men dead. The boy's mother would sing to him at night and tell him stories of the old kingdom and what it was like to be a part of his people. Having fled their little island the boy and his mother grew up in relative peace until he came of age. It was around the age of 14 or 15 that Ahrsen begins to show an interest in a sailors life. He threw in with mercenaries early on and soon was sailing the clear blue waters of the south seas and raiding. Within a matter of years, he soon had a ship of his own and a loyal crew. His silent, brooding nature and short way of speaking garnered a fair amount of loyalty and respect from his crew, and they were feared in those waters. The captain was in it for the money and glory, nothing more. As a captain, Ahrsen learned more things than the art of sailing and combat. He learned things like music and poetry, things he had no skill at but grew on him. A love of animals, wildlife, and art also entertained his thoughts. All these things were as much a part of his adventures as they were the upbringing by his mother, a lady who had once had great influence on the little island where he was born. His mother passed shortly after his 20th year but not before giving a ring that belonged to his father. The mercenary group had turned into a sizeable fleet after some time, and they begin to run into trouble as they gained a little too much attention. Rather than fight to the bitter end or be captured and imprisoned, Ahrsen and his crew sold their ship, disbanded most of the crew and then purchased a new one. In that vessel, they sailed to Arx with plans to do business closer to the capital. For now, they have been raiding Abandoned and doing mercenary jobs, the Captain waiting for the right time to take in a big haul.
  for the right time to take in a big haul.)

• Aibek Grayson  + (Aibek Grayson is the youngest child of Rod …
  Aibek Grayson is the youngest child of Roderick Grayson and Daniela Grayson nee Bisland. A scion of both House Grayson and House Bisland. He studied combat under his uncle duke Gabriel Bisland along with his older brother Ainsley. But he leaned more toward smaller, faster blades than his older brother. His parents had all but given up on getting one of their children to be a politician by the time that Aibek was old enough to start being guided in life, so while he was given tutelage and taught how to be a noble as all members of his family-- he was also somewhat spoilt by his parents. He was allowed to put his attention more toward the physical, becoming quite acrobatic. But he also had a wanderlust, and he ended up travelling for some time with a relative, and then joining the Knights of Solace as a disciple. Squaring with a knight for a time to help protect travelers.
  ight for a time to help protect travelers.)
• Aindre Grayson  + (Aindre Grayson was a bold and capable soul …
  Aindre Grayson was a bold and capable soul from his youngest years, always a strong-willed handful and into everything. His parents and teachers realized early on that his liveliness of spirit would need to be channeled into something productive. The sword was a natural fit and he was allowed to pursue it so long as he gave an equal amount of dedication to his lessons in strong leadership, sound diplomacy and whatever else his parents thought to be the hallmarks of a great political figure. This left him with the well-rounded education a prince should have, but anyone could see that while it was duty which drove him to learn the importance of maneuvering through the political machinations of the realm, his training in arms was where his passion was allowed to blossom. Between the excessive number of exceptionally talented members belonging to both halves of his Grayson and Bisland lineage, Aindre was never at a loss for older role models nor was he ever lacking in extraordinary cousins to test himself against in matters of the sword or the silver tongue. A veteran of two wars - the Silence and the Gyre - it was only a matter of time before his duties carried him to Arx on a more long-term basis in the Spring of 1012 AR at a point when tensions were high, the last of his siblings to do so. How his story unfolds from there is anyone's guess, but Aindre Grayson cut his teeth on tales of his family's storied history and the words of his House might as well be etched into his soul, so many in Bastion expect even greater things from him. No pressure, right?
  eater things from him. No pressure, right?)
• Aisha Inverno  + (Aisha was one of several siblings and a m …
  Aisha was one of several siblings and a member of the Inverno family. She was expected to uphold the traditions of her family as well as be a proper woman of the Velenosa fealty. Duty was hammered into Aisha since birth. This sense of duty never escaped her even as it became clear as she grew that she was a person who got lost in her own thoughts far too much. However, she never failed to take up her duties. One is not noble, according to Aisha, and forgets their duties towards their family, their fealty, and their Gods. That is the way of things. At one point in her life Aisha realized she, like many of her family seemed to be inclined, wished to become a Mirrormask. She realized her more notable personality traits were at odds with each other, just as a reflection typical is.
  ch other, just as a reflection typical is.)
• Aksel Nygard  + (Aksel hails from a commoner family Nygard …
  Aksel hails from a commoner family Nygard that has been loyal to the Nightgolds for as long as anyone can remember. Like the clan of enterprising shavs so many generations ago, they too bent the knee to Arx and its rulers. The Nygard clan ended up being small, but proud family of miners, which they had done for generations before being brought into the fold of Nightgold. Good work, hard work, but fulfilling work. They worked the mines, were paid decently for their services and really couldn't be asked for much else. They were neither popular or disliked, the Nygards were seem more as a staple and anchor in Stonedeep. So long as a Nygard worked the mines, all would be well. Aksel, in the beginning, barely entering his teen, joined in the family work, taking up the pickaxe like his father, brothers, and ancestors before. In his clan, it was something as priviledge, grateful to the mountain that allowed them to take their bounty from it. Aksel's life took a turn for the different, the day a tribe of shavs, still unwilling to bend knee and finding the hold of Stonedeep and affront to their way of life, attacked one of the mines worked by the Nightgold. Aksel's father older brothers were there that day, and were killed in the resulting cave-in that ensued, created by the attacking shavs. For all his life, Aksel had intended on just being another miner, an everyman, a common man, and was content with this. But now being the eldest of the family and burning with anger at the family taken from him, he enlisted in the duchy's armies to serve his cause and get his revenge after the tribe led to the collapse of a mine tunnel, entombing his father and eldestborn brothers with in it. Come to his surprise, his more than anyone else's, he had a knack for combat. It came naturally to him as it did taking a pickaxe to ore. And this talent was picked out by the Nightgolds, one of their elder soldiers having an eye for raw, but bursting talent when she sees it. She took young Aksel under her wing, having him train alongside Nadia and her elder brother Dustin. A rather odd thing to do, which made Aksel nervous to no end, not thinking he should be anywhere near them, but oddly enough, the three of them formed a bond and fast friendship between them. And so the training and fighting continued, Aksel, somehow making a name for himself as one of the better soldiers in Stonedeep, a point of contention the man always denies, having no want or need for songs sung or ballads told about him. Which really, only endeared him more to common folk of Stonedeep, being his humility and the simple statement that he was only doing his job. It was, and still is, something he hasn't gotten used to, being the center of attention. He's more happy to stand in the background and let the nobles have their fun. His likes are simple ones, such as his hobby of carving jewerly from soapstone. Years and personal accolades later, Duke Neddim Nightgold goes on one of his "famous walks" that he was known to do and never comes back. Weeks pass, and after enough fretting and worrying, Dustin and a number of other Nightgold family members and soldiers go after him in search and end up missing as well. Some time later, a sack is sent to doors of Stonedeep. Inside the bag is nothing more than a number of severed, frostbitten and bloated hands back with rosegold signet rings. None of them were the duchal ring, which meant there was chance Duke Nightgold still lived, resulting in Princess Nadia to send a war party out for blood and take revenge. She appointed Aksel, her friend, to led that war party, though word is he requested to lead it because of his friendship with Dustin. The shavs, and it was shavs who committed the act, were killed to the man, Aksel as the one who killed their chieftan in single combat, leaving the latter dead and former with a scar on his face for his efforts. It was to be this story that would be told for some time. Rescuing the Duke Nightgold and avenging the losses of the house, Princess Nadia named Aksel Sword of Stonedeep as a title, and giving him the relic weapon which represented that house. And yes, to this day, Aksel still downplays his involvement. He's just a soldier, even if these days Nadia keeps dragging him along in whatever she happens to get wrapped up in.
  whatever she happens to get wrapped up in.)
• Alayne Frost  + (Alayne's history, since childhood, was lac …
  Alayne's history, since childhood, was laced and tied to calamity that was no public secret. Her father, a famed alchemist under the hire of a now diseased vassal of Redrain, practiced his trade openly in the red ward of its fealty. A particularly treacherous night called for the explosion of his laboratory, a combination of fire; of nameless concoctions with terrifying, gaseous nature spelling the doom of him, his Lord and his family name. Alayne was cast aside as one of the few surviving elders of her already shattered family. The youngest were taken in as wards of the surrounding houses- pages, squires, or stableboys. The relatively older Alayne, however, shed her name and took to the only thing she knew; mixing potions and working her father's trade as yet another nameless figure in patchy browns amongst the many, chasing battlefields and death to ply medicine and healing. As an omen of strife to surely come, it is no secret why the woman has returned to Arx.
  secret why the woman has returned to Arx.)
• Alban Farshaw  + (Alban Farshaw is a cousin of the Duke of W …
  Alban Farshaw is a cousin of the Duke of Westrock Reach, slightly out of line of succession given his age. His mother was the youngest sister of the old Duke of Westrock, who died without an heir of his blood-- passing the duchy to Ryhalt. Alban has never been concerned with the line of succession for the duchy, however. His concerns have always been on the troops of Westrock. At a young age it was decided he would become the General of Westrock-- his father, after all, was the previous once. So when he was old enough he was sent to the mainland and to Sanctum to squire with a knight there. He took the lessons of honor, chivalry, and fealty quite to heart. When he graduated from his squirehood and was knighted he returned home to take over the duties as Minister of Warfare for Westrock Reach. While he's still a young commander he's got a natural charisma and calming quality to him. He's a staid and serious young man. He is dedicated to his family and to his troops.
  dedicated to his family and to his troops.)
• Aleksei Morgan  + (Aleksei was born a middle-child to a well- …
  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.
  le, to start the next chapter of his life.)
• Alessan Fidante  + (Alessan's beginnings were quite humble. H …
  Alessan's beginnings were quite humble. He was born to a father who was a fledgling poet and a mother who worked as a seamstress fashioning dresses that some of the members of the ruling family wore from time to time. If it had been up to his mother, he might have found himself in the life of a crafter, but there was another path for him. He grew up on his father's poems and stories and they fascinated him, there was always something about the construction of a poem could convey so many more meanings than the words themselves could. As he reached his adulthood, he struck out from Tor to travel around the duchy in order to experience what life had to offer. He spoke to everyone he could in order to discover their own life experiences and in one small village he came across a bard. The man was older and had a way of entertaining folk with stories, song and other small tricks. Alessan found himself captivated by the older man and set off from the village with him. Their travels took them all over the lands of House Velenosa, but Tor was always home for Alessan and after ten years of travelling with the old bard, he returned home and began to make a name for himself around the city and the duchy with the skills he picked up on the road. He's spent some years doing this, but now he finds that the call of Arx is loud and he wants to see what new adventures his life has to offer.
  what new adventures his life has to offer.)
• Alessandro Velenosa  + (Alessandro was a youth who pushed limits. …
  Alessandro was a youth who pushed limits. He got into trouble a lot, and set his overbearing will against the dominance of his elders generally and his parents in particular. He was a handful, a struggle; generally, a big pain in the neck. As he grew older, his mischief grew more obscure and intellectual. His favorite game began to be pitting his intellect against that of instructors he believed couldn't keep up with him. Of course, when he was 12, it turned out he was rarely right about this -- the amount of knowledge an active preteen can absorb, no matter how much time he spends in libraries and harassing scholars for information, is not really a match for most trained adults. But he never really lost his taste for the game. He hated sword lessons. He hated learning about poisons and antidotes. He was fortuitously allergic to horse dander and exaggerated his allergy to get out of more and more things so that he could spend more time with his books. He learned etiquette and mastered it expressly so that he could push the limits of being rude, and, enchanted with his own cleverness, earned himself several enemies in Lenosia's court. At least one of them is dead now, and it can't actually be traced to Alessandro at all, but he's always been on the lucky side. Theology lured him, especially the theology of doubt, and while his cousin Isolde soared into the panoply of the Mirrormasks and reached heights of elevation as a disciple leader, he personally found much more lure in the practicum of their craft, and focused himself almost entirely on the scholarship of law and politics. By the time he defended his first case as a Mirrormask serving in the Court of Lenosia, he was certain he couldn't lose, because he knew the law that well. It turns out there is more to defending a case than being right, though, and Alessandro learned some humility in practice that he had never had before. A perfect record is impossible as a defense attorney, but defending the indefensible is the greatest challenge of Faith for a Mirrormask, and Alessandro grew skilled in the balance of ego and humility, doubt and certainty, necesssary for the work. He also learned very valuable lessons from his family about the critical impact that sartorial perfection can have on one's effect.
  orial perfection can have on one's effect.)
• Alessio Moretti  + (Alessio Moretti was born in the twin citie …
  Alessio Moretti was born in the twin cities of Gemecitta as the third and last child to Niccolo Moretti, a kind and passionate jeweler of some renown, and Fiore Moretti, a struggling artist with a big heart and a frail mind. It was a tumultuous childhood at the best of times for young Alessio. Between his apprenticeship in his fathers shop, a mother who was slipping into her own world for long periods of time more and more frequently and a sister who had inherited her mothers fragile psyche and was more or less constantly depressed and needed taking care of, there wasnt much time for friendships or fun. One of the few friends he did have was Vittoria, the daughter of a tailor living only a few houses down the street from his own. Their fathers were good friends and her mother often came over to help with things around the house, bringing Vittoria with her. They quickly bonded and the bond only grew tighter as the years passed, the two of them spending most of their waking hours together when daily work and chores had been seen to. She was four years his younger but every bit as smart, a sharp-minded and determined young woman even from an early age. His father was a warm and kind man, but also a ruthless perfectionist when it came to his craft and it wasnt easy being his apprentice. It was, however, a highly effective way of learning, even if it meant many sleepless nights studying or trying to perfect yet another of the delicate techniques needed for the craft to meet his fathers expectations. The rigorous training and mentoring proved not to be lost on Alessio, as he quickly rose in both skill and understanding of the art of jewelry making. At age twelve the first creation made by his hand was sold in his fathers shop and at the age of 15 he was starting to rival even the skills of his father and mentor. As the years passed, little changed save for Alessios ever increasing skill at his craft and his bond with Vittoria growing closer and into something more than just friendship. He would work, take care of his mother and sister and spend what free time he had by Vittorias side. But then, one day, things suddenly did start to change. The relationship between himself and Vittoria had kept growing and had evolved into more than mere friendship to a degree where none of them could hide or deny it any longer. Roughly 4 years ago, shortly before his twenty-eighth birthday, they were married after a very short period of being together as a couple. They didnt need more time, they already knew everything about each other from a life spent by one anothers side. Not long after the marriage, Fiore, Alessios mother, recovered from her ailments seemingly overnight, returning to the real world once more and not long after that, his sister started to recover, even if at a more modest pace than their mother. No one could fully explain how, but the little family didnt seem to care about such things as why or how, too busy caught up in the joy of finally having mother and wife, sister and daughter, returned to them. It was a happy time and the following years went by fast. About two years ago, Vittoria approached him with the idea of Moving to Arx to start their own business and their own family. To get a new start in a new place, to define a future for themselves, a future forged by their own hands. Alessio was hesitant and not immediately ready to leave his home and family, still unsure whether his mother and sister would remain in good health and continue their recovery from all those years lost to them. He wasnt completely opposed to the idea, he just.needed a little more time. Vittoria didnt give up or abandon the idea, however, and over the following two years she slowly convinced him that it was the right thing for them to do. With his mother and sister not showing any signs of relapse and the increased passion and longing in his the eyes and words of his wife, he finally agreed. And so, the two of them would set out on the longest journey either of them had ever undertaken, traveling halfway across the country to the capital city of Arx to start their new life.
  pital city of Arx to start their new life.)
• Alexander Wyrmfang  + (Alexander and his twin sister, Alexis, wer …
  Alexander and his twin sister, Alexis, were born to Alphonse Wyrmfang, then the Sword of Blancbier. Coming from a respected family of Knights, both of the siblings were raised in the martial tradition, destined to become Knights in their own time, and the importance of the family traditions of honor, loyalty, and service were drilled into them at a very young age. Alexander was always the more skeptical of the two, and tended to take the tales they were told with a grain of salt, though the lessons they were designed to impart were certainly not lost on the deep thinking young man. When not out on the training field, Alexander could usually be found in his youth with his nose buried in a book - the older the better. History and philosophy fascinated him from a very young age, and he studied both topics intensely, sometimes even to the detriment of his other training responsibilities. This isn't to say, by any means, that he didn't take his martial training serious as well. He has, for as long as he can remember, been a natural with a blade in his hand, and has always tended towards smaller, faster weapons, making good use of his keen agility and long reach. Coming to Arx after the death of his father, Alexander has every intention of pursuing both his martial and intellectual skills, set on finding a place and position where he can make good use of both talents. He intends to do whatever he can to help and support his twin as well, who, after the death of their father, was named the new Sword - a fact which has garnered no ill-will from Alexander. He had resigned himself at a very young age to the fact that he would not be named as the Sword, and truthfully, has always felt his sister to be better equipped to handle the charge.
  o be better equipped to handle the charge.)
• Xander Trevisani  + (Alexander, or rather, Xander to everyone n …
  Alexander, or rather, Xander to everyone not his mother, came from a poor family, barely more than serfs that lived on the outskirts of Southport. And like many famlies, he came from a large one, with a rather inordinate amount of mouths to feed. Xander, who was the eldest, was listless in his youth, unmoved by any particular direction to go in. Until one day, at supper, seeing the meager amount of food they were given to eat, realized that if he gave his portion to the rest of his siblings, they'd eat better than him. Which was the point he realized he needed to do what he could to not be a drain on his family's income. He joined the Southport military the next week, to join the rank and file of a man-at-arms, like so many others. Instead of doing it out of the mandatory elistment for all young men and women, he joined before it was his time, and sending his payment of service to his family, putting the food they needed on the table. It was not out of patriotism or some kind higher call. He was just a young man doing what he could to provide for his family that scaped by payday to payday. The Tor-Southport war his first taste of life of war that would eventually become a career spanning over twenty years. And in those twenty years, he often found more strife than easy times. And a great deal of sacrifice. When he lost his arm, his first thought was not if he would die, only how would he be able to do the job that he come to do very well, and had been, at that time, on a list of short names to become the next Sword of Southport, one of the few swordsman in the city who excelled with a blade to a degree to be considered one of the best. Those dreams were dashed the moment the surgeon removed the infected limb from his body. But Southport military is not one to toss away a valued asset, especially when that asset has no desire to see early retirement. And Xander did all but beg to stay on as a Sergeant within the ranks. While he had no desire to be removed from the front lines, a position offered to him by the Duchess Malvici to come to Arx as a drill instructor was a chance to keep earning his pay while still doing his duty. But the alternative was much more bleak. With no other options left to him, Sergeant Trevisani left for the great city.
  ergeant Trevisani left for the great city.)
• Alexandros Dawnbringer  + (Alexandros once strived to be a sterotypic …
  Alexandros once strived to be a sterotypical boyscout. He was polite, honest, brave, and obedient to his social superiors. He served a few years as a rather unremarkable though dogged Templar, often going on pilgrimages to help those in need and to right perceived wrongs, only it's become apparent to those who know him best that he's withdrawn into himself and is now an empty shell of what he used to be. Where he was once a cheerful lad with dreams of heroism, he's become something of a crestfallen recluse that seems to be married to his letter of his job and has grown oddly apathetic and listless to the spirit of it.
  pathetic and listless to the spirit of it.)
• Alheri Deepwood  + (Alheri was born to the Melaeris family, fa …
  Alheri was born to the Melaeris family, far from Old Oak. Her mother served as lady-in-waiting to Princess Kellen Grayson, and when the Princess married the Marquis Melaeris, Lady Maira struck up a friendship with his cousin, Maleck. After a few years there was a proper courtship - and after that, a marriage and eventually four children, of which Alheri is the oldest. And then there was the tragedy of Old Oak. For as long as she can remember, Alheri has faced various disappointments in life - early dreams of romance were quashed by the pragmatic love her parents held for each other, and for their children. Her desire for a sister never quite manifested. She didn't quite have the aptitude for blade and battle that would let her be a storybook knight. And her friends would fail her in various ways as well. In short, Alheris accentuated the negative. The world was a disappointment. Only in her dreams - and in her ideals - could she find the perfection she craved. But even that wouldn't last long. She had a natural touch for brush and clay, but despite others declaring her genius, she could always find a flaw. Always find something to be unhappy with. She has striven for all of her (admittedly short) adult life to chase perfection. Eventually, she decided that she'd rather seek it at Deepwood. The Conscience of the Peers was far from perfect, but in Samantha, Alheri saw someone who might wish to attack the flaws she saw, rather than be made uncomfortable with them. Besides, Deepwood needs the numbers, and Alheri is happy to oblige. And her family, of course, were happy to return her and strengthen the bonds between Melaeris and Deepwood, and the two fealty chains (in theory). Alheri has barely been in Old Oak for a year, but she's ready to make changes. And ready to assist the Marquessa in making changes. And maybe, just maybe, she'll set aside some time for herself, to chase perfection. Arx is the melting pot of the Compact. If it can be found anywhere, it can be found here. Right?
  und anywhere, it can be found here. Right?)
• Alina Redreef  + (Alina was born to an unimportant branch of …
  Alina was born to an unimportant branch of House Redreef and raised in an almost painfully ordinary manner, as befits any noblewoman from the Mourning Isles. When other children played outside, she was taught to balance ledgers. When her siblings went out sailing, she stayed and studied the great lawgivers. And so it was that when a great dispute arose one day, between two utterly unimportant members of the nobility, Alina Redreef stepped forward to settle the dispute. And there it was that a great secret was revealed to all: Knowing a lot about the law doesn't mean that you know the first thing about people. After the great embarrassment that was her first foray into society, Alina's parents discreetly shipped her off to Arx. Returning without substantial improvements in station, it was quite strongly implied, was not an option.
  quite strongly implied, was not an option.)
• Alise Farshaw  + (Alise is the youngest of three daughters, …
  Alise is the youngest of three daughters, one of which has married into the Thrax fealty and another into the Grayson fealty. Her mother was a Lycene Lady, and as such, she was sent to foster in the Lyceum when younger. She was to marry a Fidante, when she was sixteen, a contract involving a route to trade roses and pomegranates in the offing but since the recent skirmishes between the Lyceum and the Oathlands sprung up, the contract has been annulled before they were properly wed, and she caught the first ship to Arx to get out of the islands before things could escalate. She cannot help but think of those years as the best of her life, but cannot even bring herself to take pride in that side of her heritage of late, and wants even less to be married into a future there. She has opted to keep some of the fashion, but has a deep seated loathing for the /expected/ treachery of the politics, viewing it as dishonorable and beneath anyone aiming to call themselves noble. This is something of an irony as she has the unfortunate reputation of haggling like a fishmonger. This is actually rooted in her refusal to make it look like she is not involved in anything she is involved in. In fact, she has a tendency to both macromanage and micromanage coin around her, and feels that using a go between to make it look like she doesn't is just dishonest.
  t look like she doesn't is just dishonest.)
• Haati Wavehowler  + (All he has ever known or more can remember …
  All he has ever known or more can remember is the house of Thrax, from when he was very young he had been taken and placed as a thrall in the service of one lord or another until he reached ten. Only then was he placed with the man that would be his adopted father later in life Torvin Wavehowler. Torvin was a blacksmith, his specialty was weapons, but he had some skill with armor as well. It was a hard place to be for someone so young, but over the next five years he toiled and sweated under Torvin's tutelage, thinking he wasn't doing more than manning the fire and fetching tools. At fifteen years Torvin put him in front of the anvil and a hammer in hand. He was amazed how much strength he had built up over the years and in a short time having watched so long, sometimes only listening, that he was able to craft decent weapons. After anther five years he had made enough weapons and become good enough with other materials other than steel that he had earned his freedom. It wasn't only his freedom, Torvin himself adopted him and kept him working at the weapon shop he owned. Torvin never had children and Haati was more a son by that point then he would ever have born from another. It started showing when he began growing weaker and a few years later could not even hold a hammer. They didn't know what was wrong, but he died soon after taken to being bedridden, the life, his craft and he could not do it, crushed him. The shop was owned by the local lord and he wouldn't recognize Haati's inheritance of it. Things will be and things that are, his skill was useful on the for the Thrax ships he found himself a mariner, pirate to some, employing what skill he had with a bow and his weaponsmithing to good use on the oceans that were so close to what he had called a home. He spent his time on the waves, on a ship, an archer for higher and a weaponsmith t keep the money in his pocket flowing. He acquired a taste for the hopping from one wharf and docks bar to another carousing and drinking. So until recently he has done mostly what he wanted, but then House Thrax had came to him and made an offer he could little refuse. To take up shop in Arx, support their interests and he would receive all he ever desired.
  and he would receive all he ever desired.)
• Leta Broadbent  + (All too common, Leta's family just barely …
  All too common, Leta's family just barely a step above the rabble of the slums, and clung to that hint of respectability even when coin was all too scarce. She'd had a few surviving siblings, all older than her, and all seemed destined for a dreary life of menial labor, aspiring to some lesser craft at best. Her mother worked in a tavern, and the time Leta spent there and the colorful folk who'd come by instilled in her an admiration for the loud and bold warriors and adventurers who'd return from the field with pouches full of coin to spend. She learned the rudiments of swordplay from some of the regulars, and one day she was off to join a mercenary company. It wasn't easy to talk them into taking her on, and it wasn't easy to earn her place, but over the last few years she's proven herself, if largely against bandits and in minor disputes between lesser nobles.
  d in minor disputes between lesser nobles.)
• Althea Pravus  + (Althea was born to House Pravus and set he …
  Althea was born to House Pravus and set herself apart for all the wrong reasons. In her youth she took more interest in helping her siblings, cousins, and other family members in their studies. She was punished for her lack of killer instinct and her drive for cooperation over competition, but it did little to curb her "unnatural" impulses. Those most generous to her were certain that she would grow out of it once puberty hit. They swore that there had been Pravus before who came to their senses as a coming-of-age rite: Some psychic wound or personal loss would harden her heart to the world. Puberty came and went, and the weight of family ambition did little to crumple the butterflies and daisies flitting in her heart. If anything, it seems to have reinforced them. Althea became the black sheep of the family, but she was still *family*. Instead of puzzling out how to change her, they instead decided to use her love of charity and helping others to their own less-than-innocent goals, and innocent Althea goes along with it none-the-wiser, ever trusting in her darling family.
  iser, ever trusting in her darling family.)
• Triscali Grayson  + (Although born a Grayson, Triscali was of n …
  Although born a Grayson, Triscali was of no special status or importance within the family. What was special about her, though, was her gift for magic, and it was on account of that gift that Triscali left her family to train as a mage with the Metallic Order. Before she could take her Name or forsake her family, circumstances called her back to the Compact, to become Queen-Regent. It turned out, she was a more powerful Queen-Regent than anyone bargained for, could not very well be controlled by the Great Houses of the Compact, and did, in fact, a great deal more controlling herself. A Queen of iron will is difficult to reckon with; a Queen of iron will AND powerful sorcery is entirely impossible. History remembers her for many things (or it would, if the Despite would allow it): for the breaking of writs in the Compact, for the wars with Cardia that followed. For her love of Macdon, and her grief at his loss. For her disdain of nobility, for her Black Rose Theatre. It remembers her, in the end, not as Queen-Regent, but as Queen -- though she left the world heirless, and gave up power of her own accord, to disappear into the annals of history (and then to disappear entirely, when that history was all but devoured).
  , when that history was all but devoured).)
• Lianne Pravus  + (Although she was born three years later th …
  Although she was born three years later than her elder sister Viviana, in many ways the siblings were cut from the same cloth. They looked similar and both had a restless nature about them that made them ill-suited to the life of a typical lady. Yet where this led Viviana to seek physical challenges, it led Lianne in the opposite direction - to seek mental ones. Even from a young age, it was rare to be able to walk into Liannes chambers without having to step around scattered diagrams and models, or to not find her hard at work dissecting some sort of animal or another upon her fine, mahogany armoire. She was never able to settle on just one discipline, bouncing from one to the next almost every month, but her keen mind devoured them all. When she blossomed into a beautiful young lady, her mother was initially keen to marry her off for political advantage. Yet whenever a marriage offer seemed close, Lianne would instantly turn her mind to aiding in issues of politics, government or economics and prove so valuable that the marriage would be put off. Of course, this would last only until the risk was gone, to the great exasperation of her mother, before shed return to her books and personal studies. She was largely uninvolved in the crisis that occurred during and immediately after the reign of Piero as Duke, happily working on her research. But in the aftermath, she was called upon by Belladonna to do her duty and use that keen mind to help rebuild the House to glory.
  n mind to help rebuild the House to glory.)
• Lianne Malespero  + (Although she was born three years later th …
  Although she was born three years later than her elder sister Viviana, in many ways the siblings were cut from the same cloth. They looked similar and both had a restless nature about them that made them ill-suited to the life of a typical lady. Yet where this led Viviana to seek physical challenges, it led Lianne in the opposite direction - to seek mental ones. Even from a young age, it was rare to be able to walk into Liannes chambers without having to step around scattered diagrams and models, or to not find her hard at work dissecting some sort of animal or another upon her fine, mahogany armoire. She was never able to settle on just one discipline, bouncing from one to the next almost every month, but her keen mind devoured them all. When she blossomed into a beautiful young lady, her mother was initially keen to marry her off for political advantage. Yet whenever a marriage offer seemed close, Lianne would instantly turn her mind to aiding in issues of politics, government or economics and prove so valuable that the marriage would be put off. Of course, this would last only until the risk was gone, to the great exasperation of her mother, before shed return to her books and personal studies. She was largely uninvolved in the crisis that occurred during and immediately after the reign of Piero as Duke, happily working on her research. But in the aftermath, she was called upon by Belladonna to do her duty and use that keen mind to help rebuild the House to glory. In the years since, Lianne has taken over leadership of the march of Nilanza, formed her own house, abandoned her Pravus legacy to remain with the Lyceum and even married well. Who knows if her mother is proud.
  ed well. Who knows if her mother is proud.)
• Amalthea Crown  + (Amalthea is a paranoid woman of the woods …
  Amalthea is a paranoid woman of the woods from a remote farm whose production is lead by crops and horses that were broken by her. She is a survivalist whose skills revolve around her knowledge of the harvest and hunt. No last name meant no family, she doesn't remember any either.
  o family, she doesn't remember any either.)
• Amalthea  + (Amalthea is a paranoid woman of the woods …
  Amalthea is a paranoid woman of the woods from a remote farm whose production is lead by crops and horses that were broken by her. She is a survivalist whose skills revolve around her knowledge of the harvest and hunt. No last name meant no family, she doesn't remember any either.
  o family, she doesn't remember any either.)
• Amber Mondegreen  + (Amber is one of those rare Arvum dwellers …
  Amber is one of those rare Arvum dwellers who has spent time on the continent of Eurus, and even farther to the east - all the way towards the far sea - in the kingdom of Daobujin Bo. There she met her husband, Nisoi. Foreign stranger or not, he fell hard for Amber's exotic coloring and her soft, sweet laugh, and she was just as taken. Together, they dreamed of finding a safe route through the vastly uncharted seas to reach Arvum, opening up lines of trade between the distant, distant peoples. Nisoi died before that dream could be realized, but Amber made it home to Arvum, to the forests around Bastion. She's still committed to the dream she had with her love, and bears a few treasures from Daobujin Bo to sell so she can finance it.
  Daobujin Bo to sell so she can finance it.)