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

List of results

• 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.)
• Tove Clearlake  + (Amongst tribes that are full of strong hun …
  Amongst tribes that are full of strong hunters and warriors, Tove is a bit different. Where strength is valued, she uses intelligence. It's never been a particularly easy path, but having proven more than useful to the clan with her ability to help heal the wounded and aid the sick, she's made herself an asset rather than a liability. With the ability to handle herself with the traders made her place amongst her people all the more solid.
  ace amongst her people all the more solid.)
• Amorria Arterius  + (Amorria's parents traveled a great deal, m …
  Amorria's parents traveled a great deal, mainly to sell what they had made from what they gathered along their traveled. As a wanderer in her own sense, Amorria often would pretend to be more than just the commoner child she was. She would save every bit of nice looking fabric she had and drape herself in the knotted together scraps to form dresses and outfits that she imagined was the most beautiful. Her parents sheltered her for the most part, her father always being close by her side even as she grew into a young woman. Her mother, more often ashamed of her child's whimsical nature would often be seen walking in front or a few steps behind her husband and her daughter. Unless it was just herself and Amorria, in which case Amorria would be seem close by her side but with her head down and curious eyes never turning up from looking at her own feet. There is very little known about her family, or her, only that they never lingered long in more than one place and Amorria was not always seen in their company.
  rria was not always seen in their company.)
• Lola Tragedy  + (An Orphans life is, generally speaking, no …
  An Orphans life is, generally speaking, not a very nice one. The Tragedy Orphanage of the lower Boroughs is definately no exception. Overcrowded and underfunded, no one was happy to have another mouth to feed. Those who can afford to adopt rarely do, and those who do adopt usually do so out of necessity for an extra pair of working hands. As lovely as Lola was she became just another face shunted from house to house and back to the Tragedy again. Her only exception to the rule is that she was always happy to go, and always just as happy to return. Sometimes she would be fostered out for months, working with a fishmongers wife to gut and scale the catch of the day and she was happy for the work, for the new faces and the change of scenery. However, she was rarely kept for too long as food and money would simply become too meager to keep her on, so back she went. She loved the other children of the Orphanage and plied them with exagerated stories and little gifts whenever she could. If she ever had the fortune of coming across any kind of money, it was usually spent on them. She was simply a happy girl with a generous heart. She never had grand ides of where she came from or who she was. She was Lola of the Boroughs and that suited her just fine. As she grew older and began showing promise of a sharp intellect and various interests was taken on as apprentices by various shops around the city. She was always pleased to help out, and any coin she was given for her exceptional standards was almost immediately spent on clothes or books for the younger children of the orphange. Her only flaw, and one that proved to be dissapointing to many a merchant, was her complete and incompetent awkwardness when any of the Nobility entered a shop. She could barely string two words together and proved herself to be hopeless as a shop girl. Everyone hated sending her back to the orphanage, but they would often have no choice. They would give her what goods they could so she never returned empty handed - but she soon began to despaire of a future for herself. Then a stroke of luck was offered to her and she found an apprenticeship with Ferron Arms and Armor. Under the tutelage of Ida Ferron she found a niche that kept her just out of the limelight of the gentry and gave her hands something lovely to create. Despite her small build and frame she showed promise at smithing and hopes to one day be as skilled as Ida herself.
  s to one day be as skilled as Ida herself.)
• Kanduo Enlau  + (An immigrant, hailing from the poorest rea …
  An immigrant, hailing from the poorest reaches. Another man looking to make his share in Arvum. Primarily working as a carpenter, but, often works small and frequent tasks and errands around town. He doesn't particularly specialize in much, and his life is mostly mundane, and so he's often been known to make his way through taverns and pubs and stir fights and chaos as a form of amusement to break up the monotony of peasantry life.
  o break up the monotony of peasantry life.)
• Enya Blackram  + (An old commoner focused primarily on shamanism and mystical assistance, Enya was adopted into House Blackram as a mystical advisor after giving spiritual council to a member.)
• Nimm Urist  + (An only child, Nimm fled from an abusive h …
  An only child, Nimm fled from an abusive home at the young age of ten. He was taken in by Delando, a travelling merchant who sold leather goods. During their seven years together, Delando taught Nimm the craft. Sadly, Delando was killed by highwaymen two years ago. Nimm narrowly escaped, and has a long scar on his left forearm to prove it.
  long scar on his left forearm to prove it.)
• Halsim Duskwave  + (An orphan of Abandoned raids, the boy who …
  An orphan of Abandoned raids, the boy who would become known as 'Halsim' was taken in by the Darkwaters at a young age. Becoming one of the young house staff, assisting where requested. With so many different parts of the Redoubt accessible, it was only a matter of time before the young boy wanted a slice of the life the 'nobility' had, and started to pilfer little things here and there to sell. Becoming a skilled thief and spy, the boy built a reputation among the black market of the Darkwater domains over his teenage years. Sure, people noticed when things went missing, but the boy had learned the nooks and crannies of the Redoubt... and his small body allowed him to reach places the adults could not... so the game of cat and mouse that occasionally broke out continued. People took to calling him 'the wraith' for the way he just... disappeared. This, of course, came crashing down around him. One slip. All it took was one slip. By the time he was eighteen, he had outgrown one of his hiding places. It didn't take long for the Darkwater Guard to catch him, and for Draevor Darkwater to have him brought to him. Instead of executing the almost adult thief though... Draevor asked him if he was 'the wraith', that had been terrorizing his domain for years. The boy said nothing, but a momentary flinch told Draevor all he needed to know. So, he gave the boy a choice; only those guards in the chamber and Draevor himself knew he was caught. Renounce the petty thievery and learn the tradecraft of spies for the betterment of House Darkwater, or be put to the axe in a public execution a week from now. With little choice, Halsim accepted... and disappeared from the public eye. His old name? Forgotten. His old life? Forgotten. He was House staff once upon a time, but eventually, 'Halsim' emerged into the public eye two years later. Now a House scribe to the public, Halsim became one of Draevors spies... and within a year, his unofficial spymaster. This continued for a few more years, until a scandal was pinned of himself, and suddenly he was without a patron. Sensing it was time to move on, Halsim instead disappeared from the Darkwater lands and went to the Inquisition, having the talent and purpose of serving the Compact. In the decade that followed, Halsim has served the Compact and Inquisition well.
  s served the Compact and Inquisition well.)
• Halsim Darkwater  + (An orphan of Abandoned raids, the boy who …
  An orphan of Abandoned raids, the boy who would become known as 'Halsim' was taken in by the Darkwaters at a young age. Becoming one of the young house staff, assisting where requested. With so many different parts of the Redoubt accessible, it was only a matter of time before the young boy wanted a slice of the life the 'nobility' had, and started to pilfer little things here and there to sell. Becoming a skilled thief and spy, the boy built a reputation among the black market of the Darkwater domains over his teenage years. Sure, people noticed when things went missing, but the boy had learned the nooks and crannies of the Redoubt... and his small body allowed him to reach places the adults could not... so the game of cat and mouse that occasionally broke out continued. People took to calling him 'the wraith' for the way he just... disappeared. This, of course, came crashing down around him. One slip. All it took was one slip. By the time he was eighteen, he had outgrown one of his hiding places. It didn't take long for the Darkwater Guard to catch him, and for Draevor Darkwater to have him brought to him. Instead of executing the almost adult thief though... Draevor asked him if he was 'the wraith', that had been terrorizing his domain for years. The boy said nothing, but a momentary flinch told Draevor all he needed to know. So, he gave the boy a choice; only those guards in the chamber and Draevor himself knew he was caught. Renounce the petty thievery and learn the tradecraft of spies for the betterment of House Darkwater, or be put to the axe in a public execution a week from now. With little choice, Halsim accepted... and disappeared from the public eye. His old name? Forgotten. His old life? Forgotten. He was House staff once upon a time, but eventually, 'Halsim' emerged into the public eye two years later. Now a House scribe to the public, Halsim became one of Draevors spies... and within a year, his unofficial spymaster. This continued for a few more years, until a scandal was pinned on him by Count Draevor to avoid public embarrassment, and suddenly he was without a patron. Sensing it was time to move on, Halsim instead disappeared from Darkwater lands and went to the Inquisition, having the talent and purpose of serving the Compact. In the decade that followed, Halsim has served the Compact and Inquisition well. Then Maxmillian Darkwater recalled Halsim back to House service just before the Silent War, and was convinced by the Count to investigate various matters for the House with a delicate hand. For various reasons, Halsim agreed, and his investigations commenced for many a month. Eventually though, he found what he was looking for; Soon after, Blackshore Keep was razed to ashes, with Max inside. Halsim has since returned to the business of safeguarding the Compact against threats both internal and external... and been adopted into House Darkwater as a proper Lord.
  ted into House Darkwater as a proper Lord.)
• Wynna Crown  + (An orphan that knew no parentage, Wynna gr …
  An orphan that knew no parentage, Wynna grew up a street urchin that persisted off the generosity of others on Arx's streets. When she became old enough to get by without one guardian or another, she became a cut-purse that ran with multiple youth gangs as needed, drifting between the roles of distraction and thief in equal measure. It was here that she learned best how to keep herself subtle, manipulate people into getting what she wanted, and when all else failed how to run quickly. Things changed when she was attempting to steal the purse of an older Scholar of Vellichor - his spectacles had fallen and shattered in the attempt, and Wynna was struck by a bad case of sudden empathy. Abandoning her gang's scheme, she escorted the old fellow, Tristan, back to the Archive, where he proceeded to reveal that he knew her game, to question her unfortunate lot in life at such an early age. Influenced by his words and bearing (and importantly his not throwing her to a guard), she needed little convincing to take up an offer to learn to read and write. While she never quite lost her more conniving touch and her thrill for various rushes of dexterity or fast-talking, Wynna swiftly transformed into an insatiable amateur scholar. Obsessed with all things having to do with reading and writing, she savored the written word like drops of water to a woman dying of thirst. History became a passion as she learned of old places that were ill-visited, of tremendous events occuring in the past and how they may influence the future. She committed names to memory, dates and stories, much to the humble pleasure of her older tutor. While Tristan had to eventually move on to other pursuits and students, it was with some pride that he left Wynna to pursue her own ambitions of learning. Not content with simply being a scholar, Wynna yearned to experience adventure as well - to find the old places she learned of and to uncover their secrets, and to reveal things forgotten so that they might never be again. Her survival instinct as a former thief might yet save her life when her scholarly drive gets the better of her.
  er scholarly drive gets the better of her.)
• Lot Medraut  + (An unusual man with a very common origin, …
  An unusual man with a very common origin, Lot isn't very forthcoming about his youth, but most believe he was born to a family of farmers in some unremarkable barony of the Grayson fealty. There was nothing notable about him other than being an especially big peasant boy, and there is no mention of him in any rolls until the Silent War. Among the masses of peasantry displaced by the advancing army, Lot reported for the levy as was his duty. He was good at soldiering. Most of it was just waiting around doing nothing: stand where you're told, wait there without fleeing, and if the other side came close enough, hit them until they all went away. He didn't overthink things. After the siege of Arx, he and his family went back home and found their village utterly gone. There were survivors who were intent on rebuilding, but having left his village for the first time and seen Arx, Lot wasn't enamored of the prospect. Having had a taste of the military life in the larger world, he wanted more. After growing up on a farm, the notion of being paid to just stand around and be bigger than everyone else was an alluring one, and Lot promptly fell in with a mercenary company he had met during the Great Siege. With typical middling peasant wit, he was oft nicknamed "A whole Lot" or "A-hole Lot" depending on the mood of the big man and his fellows. He's followed by a number of colorful rumors ranging from the curious (he once cut a horse in half with one swing, he sank a rowboat by stepping into it and refuses to fight on a ship again, he's a former Shav king) to the fantastic (he's descended from actual ogres, and his ancestors were cast out as traitors by an ancient king), but this much is true: if you've coin, Lot Medraut is for hire.
  : if you've coin, Lot Medraut is for hire.)
• Anders Nightcove  + (Anders was born a lord of House Nightcove, …
  Anders was born a lord of House Nightcove, a vassal of House Helianthus. He's spent his years in the loyally serving the Marquis of Eastcrest and rising steadily to the position of Voice and admiral of his family's naval forces. He has an immaculate and impressive career, and is personally responsible for claiming significant tracts of land for his house.
  significant tracts of land for his house.)
• Andrel Monteaux  + (Andrel was born the middle son of the Mont …
  Andrel was born the middle son of the Monteaux family. He was considered the golden child of his family, and paraded around as the jewel of the Monteaux sons from his promising physical stature to his honorable demeanor. Despite this, when their father perished on a hunting accident, it was his older brother, ever envious of Andrel, that received the family wealth, and estate. He ensured Andrel received only enough to live on his own, but now Andrel has set off to make a name for himself in the Kingdom greater, independent of his brothers.
  gdom greater, independent of his brothers.)
• Andrina Thornburn  + (Andrina is the daughter of Andrew and Anas …
  Andrina is the daughter of Andrew and Anastasia Thornborn-- a wealthy baker and his iron guard wife. Her mother and father pampered her and spoiled her (by commoner standards). She grew up in a nice home in the upper boroughs with a sheltered and rather idyllic life. Her parents encouraged her to follow her passions. She flittered around in several apprentices as a teenager before she finally landed on her true passion-- painting and sculpting. She knows how to sew, melt down an ingot, and how to tan leather but she doesn't really have much interest in it. No, instead, she would rather be reading stories of larger than life heroes and bringing those tales to life on a canvas or in marble.
  se tales to life on a canvas or in marble.)
• Andromeda Leporidae  + (Andromeda has always been athletically inc …
  Andromeda has always been athletically inclined, coordinated and possessed of a strong build. Her resilience, however, was something that needed work. She'd always been described as soft of heart, and while her mother assured her there was nothing wrong with that, she warned her about kindness and mercy. These are principles that warriors of Andromeda's caliber simply can't afford. Everyone who knew her growing up remembers a time in which the apprentice Sword was idealistic, maybe even naive. That all changed when she was taken captive during a battle waged against the enemies of Tremorus. A particularly brutal tribe of Abandoned spent months torturing her for information they could use to fight against their enemies in turn. She was never allowed a moment of peace, but they knew that at the very least their "noble" hostage needed to remain whole enough to be used in negotiations if it came down to it. Andromeda managed, after a lengthy confinement, to trick her gaoler into letting her out. When she got her hands on a sword, it was only a matter of time. She slaughtered everyone who got in her way, and then she slaughtered everyone else at the holding. They call it the Night of Long Screams, and it is a tale that has endured in the history of the Proscipi. When Andromeda returned to her people she wasted no time in informing her kinsmen of the knowledge she had gathered while being kept prisoner; enemy movements and other inside information that allowed them to smash the opposition on every front. In the final battle she fought their Champion one on one with the stipulation that the victor takes all -- despite the protestations of her brother Remus who felt it was pure folly. Andromeda's cold methodology and skill with a blade allowed her to carve through him like a cake. After which, of course, the rest of the clan quickly disarmed and bent the knee. The shattered blade of her foe remains on display in the museum of the Leporidae and since then she has become something of a ruthless pragmatic. After Tremorus and Leporidae bent the knee, she was introduced to the concept of the Champion's Guild, which quickly caught her mind, and fascinated her. It wasn't long before the Prodigal Champion joined their ranks, eager to find new ways of testing herself, and of emerging victorious.
  sting herself, and of emerging victorious.)