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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

• Markos Leporidae  + (Born the first son of a cadet branch of th …
  Born the first son of a cadet branch of the Leporidae nobility, Markos always had a wild streak even as a child. Quick to get in trouble or to find himself in mischief, the young lord simply always had a penchant for finding himself beneath the disapproving gaze of his mother. But then again, the quiet chuckles and hair ruffles his father would give when his mother wasn't looking was hardly the disciplinary action to set him on the 'right' path. Markos never had much care for academics or the finer points of etiquette. He would much rather spend his time watching the Arakkoan feats of strength and athletic competitions, often at the expense of his studies. It is perhaps little wonder then, that as he grew older he naturally gravitated toward such things. Archery, methods for surviving the wilds, and studies of the various animals that inhabit Dawnsend would all come to the young lord as easily as if they were ingrained within his flesh and bones. In his late teens Markos would sneak out of the city for the first time, determined to find adventure since it wasn't obviously wasn't going to find him behind the city walls. He never did forget the rush of adrenaline as he crept past the city guard and out into the undergrowth surrounding the city... or the bruises he would have after a rather unfortunate misstep sent him tumbling and sliding down a steep hill to crash into a stony creek. He learned so much on that first trip, aided by the fact that he got lost in the jungle for four days and was forced to learn to survive amid predators and the other dangers that await around every corner in the untamed wilderness of Dawnsend. But that feeling that came to him, the feeling of belonging, is something that would light a fire beneath him, a fire that couldn't be quenched even beneath the lashing his father gave him when he would stumble back into Tremorus four days later, cut and bruised by alive with purpose. And thus has Markos spent the last several years of his life, ranging the wilds beneath the shadow of the mountain, seeking adventure and the promise of danger wherever it might be found. Working as a liaison between the noble family Leporidae and the various barbarian tribes found in the region, a guide through the wilds, and as an animal handler for the family, Markos has lived a happy life of his own making. It is this thirst for adventure that brings him after his family members to Arx, seeking what new wonders might be found within a suddenly much wider world.
  found within a suddenly much wider world.)
• Ywaine Telmar  + (Born the illegitimate son of a sibling of …
  Born the illegitimate son of a sibling of Arn Telmar thirty five years ago. He was raised away from the bustling compound of the noble family. By his pre-teen years he was a strong, fast lad - adept at running and loving time in the woods, along creeks and staying over night under the stars. At eighteen and a full grown man he joined the Iron Guard, serving for 15 yrs with distinction. Retiring as a Captain under his Uncle Everard - although he didn't know the truth, then. He retired to join Tobias Telmar's Crimson Blades, a small battalion of sell swords. Hired as the sergeant of the scout platoon, he's served in that stead since then. An acknowledged expert in tracking, archery and combat with his axe, he's found the new vocation exciting. In the last year his mother died; with that came the truth of his heritage. An investigation, research and discussion later he was recognized as the illegitimate heir to his father and enobled in the Telmar family. Now Lord Ywaine, he's spent the last year trying to adjust himself to his new lifestyle. His younger cousin Tobias expects no special treatment of his older cousin and Ywaine asks for none, used to making it on his own by now.
  none, used to making it on his own by now.)
• Kutazer Sanna  + (Born the middle child in the frozen wastel …
  Born the middle child in the frozen wasteland of Giant's Reach, Kutazer seems liked from birth he was destined to be a warrior. Unlike his older brother, Cirroch who was trained in the ways of being a ruler, he was trained exclusively in the ways of being a warrior. It helps that his disposition ever since he was a child did not lead him to a world social grace, he finds he is much better at handling arguments with overwhelming aggression and less diplomatic measures. Due of an incident in his teen years, where he had to protect some defenseless villagers from some cannibalistic raiders. That is when he realized he wanted to aide in protecting the weak and unarmed. This was the push that helped him to realize that without those who are just and strong, the world will crumble and fall victim to all the evil within. As he grew older, so did the rivalry between the brothers and his protective ways of his younger sister Tila. And now he hears what all is occurring within the city of Arx from his oldest brother Cirroch, he decides that it is time for him to finally make his appearance and mark in history.
  y make his appearance and mark in history.)
• Aiden Grayson  + (Born the middle child of Prince Rodric Gra …
  Born the middle child of Prince Rodric Grayson and the Lady Daniela Bisland, Aiden Grayson was raised alongside siblings Ainsley and Ailys in Bastion. From the start Aiden was a quiet child and often considered the 'odd duck' by the others, adult and child alike. Friendship wasn't easy for a child who would barely manage to speak a word under pressure; a problem which often escalated into him becoming a target to be pushed around.
  him becoming a target to be pushed around.)
• Aiden Rubino-zaffria  + (Born the middle child of Prince Rodric Gra …
  Born the middle child of Prince Rodric Grayson and the Lady Daniela Bisland, Aiden Grayson was raised alongside siblings Ainsley and Ailys in Bastion. From the start Aiden was a quiet child and often considered the 'odd duck' by the others, adult and child alike. Friendship wasn't easy for a child who would barely manage to speak a word under pressure; a problem which often escalated into him becoming a target to be pushed around.
  him becoming a target to be pushed around.)
• Iosif Grimhall  + (Born the middle child of three to Velmund …
  Born the middle child of three to Velmund Helianthus and Alvilda Helianthus (nee Wesgard), he grew up in Sungreet in the House of his family with many cousins, aunts, and uncles around him. Iosif was always the lone wolf, the deep thinker, and the odd one of that generation's litter and to no one it was more apparent than him. His family indulged him and his brothers would tell you that it was because of this precocious, solitary nature that his mother adored him the most. If it was true though, she would never let on. It was this nature that led him to find his camaraderie in the kennels his family kept. From a young age, he found more of a kinship with those dogs than most humans he encountered. It was here that he began to learn the basics of animal husbandry and by the time he was barely a man, he was a master of the art. Which is of course, why they let him take his dogs out on the water with him. While he was a good and adept sailor and reaver, affording him the opportunity to sail alongside more than a few well known Thraxian reavers, it was his command of the dogs as soldiers that made him stand out. He could head out alone with his dogs on a small boat with only a sword and a pair of oars and could overtake a large ship. (And to be honest, the dogs were a whole lot less trouble than most Thraxian sailors and were far more welcome in most establishments they stopped at, besides). Recently, the Mourning Isles has passed leadership of House Thrax from Donrai to Victus and with him, Victus has brought no small amount of social upheaval. Not that he cared for politics even in the slightest, of course, but he supported the Compact in the Silent War, then the Gyre War. He never expected to be in a position where he would be able to influence politics even within his family but as fortune would have it, his mother approached him with the opportunity to marry Sanya Grimhall. The match would promote peace between Grimhall and Helianthus and help to formally cement the relationship between the two Houses, as it began to look like the Mourning Isles might see civil war. He rose to the challenge. After a three month courtship, they were married. Then, as they were establishing themselves in Grihem's Point and introducing his parents to hers, the now famous Battle of Sungreet took place. His cousin Duke Ivan Helianthus, and brother, Jovian Helianthus, lost their lives. It took him some convincing but he persuaded his parents to stay at Grihem's Point in the relative safety of neutrality where together they could still affect positive change in the Isles. The tides of change have come again, as they always do, and now he and his new wife, Sanya, rise to new challenges on the horizon ahead.
  se to new challenges on the horizon ahead.)
• Meabh Clearlake  + (Born the oldest daughter to her father, Fe …
  Born the oldest daughter to her father, Fearghas, and her mother, Siofra. While her father was built like a bear, her mother was the taller of two, lithe and willowy. An elegance to her mother, a natural with a spear, and a warrior at heart, where her father was a shaman of the tribe, seeing to the spiritual health and well being of them. It was no surprise to really any one that Meabh took after her mother, and assumed the role of protector of her two younger siblings. Meabh grew up a bit wild, and very fierce, learning the skills of a warrior from her mother, as well as her aunt, both women fierce warriors in their own rights, and amazing role models, at least in Meabh's eyes. Her father tried many times to get Meabh more interested in the more spiritual side, but she always grew restless during her father's lessons. Not that she didn't want to learn, or didn't like what he had to teach, but rather she strained at having to learn them in a simple hut, when there was a whole world out there to explore. As such, she had a tendency to wander off, into the wilds to explore and learn on her own. At first her family worried over her random disappearances. Soon, however, they learned that she would eventually make her way back home to them. Often with new little treasures she had found during her little adventures, usually a new animal friend. And a new scar or two. Never really explaining the scars. To her father's surprise perhaps, those same explorations helped do what all of his lessons could not, and awakened in her a spiritualism and respect for the clan's shamanic traditions that she holds dear to this day. At first when Clearlake bent the knee, Meabh remained in the North. Now however, her wanderlust has brought her south to explore, and eventually into Arx itself, where she seeks to help protect her family here, as she did back home.
  ect her family here, as she did back home.)
• Aerwan Valardin  + (Born the only son of Bernh Valardin after …
  Born the only son of Bernh Valardin after years of attempted conception, to say that Aerwan was considered a blessing from the divine would be an understatement. A celebration was had on the day of his birth, offerings were made, praise was given, and a prince's get was watched over like circling hawks by the family staff as he grew up into a young boy, especially when try as they might over his formative years father and mother found themselves incapable of producing a spare to their heir. For the young Aerwan, life was an adventure, and there was no grander aspiration than to be a valorous knight upholding the honor of his family and bringing glory to the Pantheon - which his father was inclined to encourage - while escaping his minders at every opportunity to hare off and recreate such escapades with whomever he could wrangle into the process. There were no shortage of tutors and trainers to mold and refine the child into a young man capable of doing proud by his father, but that changed with the Tragedy. They were off on holiday during the massacres, and it was a weight that settled heavily on a tender young heart. But where it was the sort of thing that sparked a flame in many to only drill them deeper toward the sword, for Aerwan it had the opposite effect - lost in the malaise of mourning kin, the youth began to question his path and his purpose. There were always going to be times and places where arms were the only option.. but this was their result. What other options were there? It was while trying to find these answers that Aerwan began truly diving deeper into looking at the Pantheon as a broader picture to life instead of his younger zeal solely for Gloria, inquiring with priests of all of the divine, and in the process took his first steps on a different path, even if it wasn't what he would have hoped for. There was never any shortage of work to be done for the Faith, and so he spread whatever help he could advocate for with his family to the causes that called to him for action. There was still honor and glory to be found, but solace, too. The canonizing of the Lost was a particularly special time for the young man, and in the years since he has come to ponder on and search for more of Aion in particular, but also investigating other beliefs with an open, critical eye while rooted in his own faith. His own wandering pursuits to find knowledge and provide relief have recently come to a halt, returning for the first time in many years to Arx at the call of the Dragons to deal with the Skal'dajans. For all that he may be incapable in warfare, he has experience providing a helping hand - and there may be no shortage of need for those.
  here may be no shortage of need for those.)
• Amir Melaeris  + (Born the only son of the Marquis Lyron' de …
  Born the only son of the Marquis Lyron' dear, widowed sister, Amir lead a privileged life. His mother was sickly but doting, making sure that her son had only the best tutors and wanted for nothing. And when she died, he was taken into Lyron' care and raised alongside the his youngest daughter. For all intents and purposes, the two children were treated like siblings--sharing playmates, eating dinner together, and reading eachother's diaries aloud to friends. As a young teen, Amir's raw talent with a blade quickly became apparent. So much so, that the Marquessa-Consort, arranged for him to be tutored in martial subjects by the House's previous Sword. Youthful cockiness and pride hampered his early years of training but by the time he was in his early twenties, Amir had learned to temper his emotions and master his movements. Even if the old Sword could still knock him on his ass. He was biding his time, hoping to be appointed the new house Sword as his mentor aged, when Marquis Lyron passed. A storm had taken the life of his uncle and the entirety of his ship to the ocean floor. The new Marquis was quick to stir up the ranks, putting fresh faces in new positions. Including Amir. For the next few years, he would serve as House Melaeris' faithful and occasionally outspoken Sword. Many a white journal was put up decrying the practice of Thralldom or naming and shaming those who mistreated their thralls. Not a single soul was surprised when Amir would later go on to become a disciple of the newly discovered Skald and a Liberator. Or that he supported the reforms on the laws concerning thralls--even if he contested they weren't good enough. Still, even if he objected to many of Thrax's policies, he still fought dutifully for the Great House during the siege of Arx and later during the war against the so called Pirate King.
  the war against the so called Pirate King.)
• Lucie Laurent  + (Born the second daughter to a cousin of th …
  Born the second daughter to a cousin of the late Duke Edmund Laurent, Lady Lucie's upbringing had all of the trappings one would expect of a ducal house in the Oathlands. She was taught proper etiquette, how not to be embarrassing in court, and how not to draw shame upon herself personally. All in all, a very standard childhood that she did just fine with. But it wasn't in the softer sides of nobility that she excelled but in her martial training. Lucie trained with some of Artshall's best knights and she had a true talent for it from a young age. She could dance circles around the other squires in the sparring ring, nimble and quick, she was also strong and bold. It became a point of pride to take her on in practice, whether you lost or won, because you were going to leave that experience with a number of very colorful bruises. Her upbeat attitude and boundless enthusiasm also made her quite popular in other ways. She displayed a natural disposition toward leadership. She could not only command effectively by making smart and calculated decisions, but people /wanted/ to follow her. They felt a bone deep loyalty to her and by the time she was assigned her own troops, she already had a solid following of knights clamoring to be in her unit. Lucie has since spent the last several years traipsing about the Oathlands with her cadre of knights, fighting with honor and distinction everywhere that she goes. Travelers through Artshall feel a little safer knowing that the Lady Knight Commander of the Laurents is out there, quick to lend a hand with her sword, and even quicker to offer up a drink or a bite of food and a place at her fire.
  or a bite of food and a place at her fire.)
• Jurn Thornhall  + (Born the second of four children to the Sh …
  Born the second of four children to the Shaman of a nomadic tribe of people. He was always a boy of nature, and he took liking to the hunters of the tribe from the time he was old enough to help carry their quivers. Though if ever inquired that's all he really remembers...he calls it a 'Stress induced forgetfulness'. Though what is known is that Jurn Thornhall was a survivor of the Thraxian genocide, and believed to be the sole survivor of his once proud nomadic tribe, though the facts of that are uncertain. He was taken in by house Deepwood as a Prodigal, and has developed himself from his natural adoration for the hunt into being an astounding member of the elite Deepwood Rangers. His attention to detail and committed drive to succeed have elevated him to become an officer of the Rangers and recently requested of his presence in the city of Arx to provide as a liaison for the training of units.
  de as a liaison for the training of units.)
• Ademar Napolitano  + (Born the second son but fifth born to the …
  Born the second son but fifth born to the Napolitano merchant family, he was able to really choose any path he desired for himself. But the natural grace and silver tongue his father had, he inherited and was a naturally born merchant. As he aged, his skills were honed and then opportunity showed its hand. Caer Morien, lands that were newly being broken. He was given the money to set up a business venture there and set off from the city state of Rivincita. Soon arriving within the lands just as Domonico became the new Count of Caer Morien. With cocoa plants thriving on the isles, this business venture is going to be very prosperous.
  ss venture is going to be very prosperous.)
• Corban Telmar  + (Born the second son of Lucas Telmar, Corba …
  Born the second son of Lucas Telmar, Corban grew up the nephew of Duke Arn Telmar in the hostile, unwelcoming Duchy of the Telmarch. From an early age, Corban showed an affinity for martial skills, training alongside his cousins Ansel and Tobias, the two treated more like brothers than like cousins, given the common hardship that the three faced under the stern tutelage of the Duke Arn Telmar. After the passing of Lucas Telmar, Corban's mother decided to return to her family to assume a modest station as a deputy minister, leaving the young Telmar to be raised alongside his cousins by Duke Arn and the rest of the Telmars. As a young leader with the Telmarch army, Corban was already a favored captain of the Telmar armsmen, knowing the lord would always be the first sword rushing into the most dangerous frays. He quickly grew a reputation as one of the Telmarch's most capable military commanders, assuming increasing levels of responsibility within the powerful duchy, leading the forces of the Telmar and their vassals to break the shav hordes crashing against the Telmarch fortress walls. Now older, and with years of experience leading men into battle, Corban has come to the city to lend his sword to his family's assistance. With dark times on the horizon, he knows it may well be needed, and he plans to do fulfill his duty to his house.
  plans to do fulfill his duty to his house.)
• Sigurd Nightgold  + (Born the second son of Osmond Nightgold, y …
  Born the second son of Osmond Nightgold, younger brother of Duke Neddim Nightgold, Sigurd had a relatively uneventful birth, although it was, of course, celebrated. For it meant that the family line was truly secure on this branch. And that is how young Sigurd was raised, to be a 'sturdy branch' for the family to rest upon. Developing a keen appreciation for the arts of the wilderness and the martial aspects of his duties, he has been, almost since being a toddler, groomed to be a leader of military men. It is hoped that, in time, he may even take his place as leader of his cousin Nadia's armies. To this end, he has been tutored in weaponry, riding, and archery all, as well as command and the responsibility of it. This, and his duties to family and realm, have been drilled into him since he first learned to speak. This has led to a rather outwardly reserved, polite demeanour, but it is merely that, an outward appearance. In his spare time, he enjoys wandering the wilds, and adores wildlife in all forms, particularly dogs, an affection he shares with his younger sister, Signe. Always very close, both as children and now as adults, Sigurd and Signe would often roam the wilds together, the younger sister mimicing his martial and wilderness training to his endless amusement (and occasional annoyance). He is a Man of the North, and thus holds family, independence, and resourcefulness in high esteem. However, his grooming and constant drilling of duty mean he is able to hold his own in polite society as well, but does not conceal his northern roots and is proud of them. He can wear his silks, but it is clear that he prefers the practical over the fine, when given a choice.
  ctical over the fine, when given a choice.)
• Rufio Proscipi  + (Born the second son of a cadet branch of P …
  Born the second son of a cadet branch of Proscipi, Rufio’s younger years were spent in the shadow of his older brother Markos. With only two years separating the two brothers, their younger years saw both the tight bonds of friendship and imagined adventures that one would expect of such close siblings, as well as the strife and competition between the two as both sought to outshine the other, particularly so in the case of Rufio. As they grew into their teenage years and Markos chose to walk his own path in the jungles outside Tremorus, Rufio would instead stay the path and work to prove himself as a proud son of their father. As Rufio entered into his later teen years, he would find himself conscripted into the Tremorus armies, just like every other able bodied citizen of the Saffron city-state. It was here that he would feel that he’d found his true place beyond any other calling in his life. He would spend the next many years of his life remaining in the Tremorus army far after the years required of every citizen, fighting to keep the city-state safe both against barbarian invader that threw themselves senselessly at the impenetrable walls of his home, and abroad in skirmishes with other clans before they bent the knee to the Compact. He proved himself as a distinguished commander in both the War of the Two Queens as well as in the Siege of Tremorus, where the united barbarians and Eurusi Taskmasters of Skal’daja would break the city walls and take the fight into the streets. Willing to die fighting for his home, Rufio fought alongside his countrymen and somehow managed to survive. Promoted to command within the Tremorus army, Rufio has been dispatched to Arx to help his cousins in the Compact’s capital.
  help his cousins in the Compact’s capital.)
• Zale Verus  + (Born the second, unwanted, son of a minor …
  Born the second, unwanted, son of a minor Lyceum family in Lenosia, Zale spent most of his early youth riding horses and goofing around, climbing and later cliff-diving, taking slowly greater risks and staying away from home as long as possible. It wasn't long that he was considered almost unmarriable and given over to the Velenosa military where he earned a position as a scout and, all things being Lyceum, spy. Recently he has been moved to Arx, somewhat against his will, to await further instructions and training from House Velenosa.
  ructions and training from House Velenosa.)
• Miles Lockton  + (Born the seventh and last child of a Count …
  Born the seventh and last child of a Count and Countess sworn to House Laurent, Miles Lockton was destined to always finish last or be considered an expendable bargaining chip by parents who already had an heir, a spare, and many more available in the event of tragedy. Eventually becoming a page to one of his family's sworn knights, then a squire, eventually Miles became a knight in his own right. While never the most expert swordsman, Miles was in possession for an affinity for service. Not only to himself or his liege, but to the injured. He comported himself with valor when, as a knight himself, he was in battle with a number of shav'arvani, his own mentor was seriously injured. Not only did Sir Miles Lockton fight off the three shavs who would have no doubt killed the knight who trained him, he hoisted the fully armoured man onto his shoulders and trudged off the battlefield with him to seek immediately attention. At 24 years old, that singular act of valor and dedication drew the attention of the Crown. Which resulted in his invitation to join the King's Own, the royal guard of the Sovereign his or herself. Since that time Sir Miles has witnessed many knights come and go within the King's own, more often than not when they've met their end, yet Sir Miles continues on. Some claim he's unkillable - yet more claim that it's because he's too stubborn and crotchety to die. Some say the gods don't want to deal with his heavy sighs and disappointed frowns. Sir Miles has witnessed a great deal and even tended to the minor injuries of a young Leona Thrax, who herself would one day become a Lord Commander of the King's Own, at the behest of Lord Commander Dayne Valardin. Youth is taking over the King's Own, yet Sir Miles refuses to fade away.
  s Own, yet Sir Miles refuses to fade away.)
• Sabrina Inverno  + (Born the sole child of Vayla Pravus and Au …
  Born the sole child of Vayla Pravus and Augusto Inverno's marriage, Sabrina Inverno was very young when she first showed signs she would be a bright little star in Caina. Extremely intelligent, the young girl would sit on her mother's lap and almost seem to understand the heavy tomes Vayla read so often, dark eyes taking on every word as if she could see the hidden meaning behind every poem, the twist behind every mystery novel. Childhood, however, seemed to distract little Sabrina, and thoughts of books and mystery gave way to dresses, galas and her family, both of them. She would write to Setarco and play with the other young children of Caina, always the soul of any activity she was part of. Wherever she went, even in the dangerous alleys of the Shark-dominated country, Sabrina Inverno was welcomed and beloved. Life was good, for a while, and just as the young woman was fully blossoming, and in the final talks to arrange a marriage with Elonso Pravus, the duke's youngest son, Sabrina appeared to decide it was time for a change yet again. Expensive gowns were turned into a pyre outside her home in Caina, talks of marriage were abruptly shut down, and all letters from the girl would cease for months. Where she was once a beloved, smiling beacon of Caina that uplifted all in her path, Sabrina emerged from her latest metamorphosis a true Shark, and everything in her path was fair game to be criticized, scrutinized or otherwise prodded for falsehoods and weakness. Abrasive as she was in comparison to the sweet girl she had been, however, results were immediate, and after unearthing conspiracies and crime syndicates, the Inverno saw they had lost their bright little star, and gained a sharp-toothed Shark in her stead. That exchange was acceptable to House Inverno, and Sabrina quickly rose within the ranks despite her eccentricities. Now, as the new countess Tyche rises to proeminence, Sabrina takes the opportunity to leave Caina and put some distance between her and that land, all while assisting the countess, and seeing her sister again.
  the countess, and seeing her sister again.)
• Rasteon Masque  + (Born the sole fatherless child of the trib …
  Born the sole fatherless child of the tribe's most skillful tailor, Rasteon faced many trials as a youth. Having no Father willing to step forth and claim him, he was never granted his second name, and thus doomed to live forever with some small amount of shame. But even worse, as the only child in the tribe with dark hair and eyes, and with no men sporting either trait, he was further ostracized for being the clear result of demonic tampering. Called a demon spawn and a child of ill fates, he was forbidden to play with the other boys, refused all work and activities, and shunned in all communal gatherings. For the first 10 years of his life, the only person willing to show him any kindness was his mother. At the age of ten, Rasteon's mother took ill and died. This would have left him completely alone and without allies, had not the tribe's leader stepped in to adopt the boy. Seeing a great rage growing within him, the chief chose to harness that hate, rather than allowing it to fester. For long years he encouraged the boy in the ways of violence, teaching him patience and cunning, instilling him with discipline and providing him the tools to control his wrath. Wanting to keep him close, he assigned the growing teen the position of bodyguard to himself and his household. For 19 long years Rasteon has been the personal bodyguard for the Volkov family. He has watched Ruslan Volkov grow from an infant to manhood. he was there for the birth of each younger sibling. To the Volkov children he has been a quiet, protective presence ever vigilant and dependable. To the people, however, he is a much different beast. Thought of as the violent attack dog of the chief, he has been responsible for the bloody end of three separate coups, and thwarted no fewer than 13 known attempts at assassination. When he is released upon the public it is never a good thing, and his presence alone is now capable of discouraging all but the most desperate of attempts on the Marquis's life, at least when plotted by those who know the cost.
  t when plotted by those who know the cost.)
• Ilvin Steadworth  + (Born the son of a Grayson man-at-arms and …
  Born the son of a Grayson man-at-arms and a knight, Ilvin was a fish out of water early on. He was the second child, and his sister showed every sign of the warrior temperament. Born early and a little undersized, his parents didn't really have the money but hired a wetnurse and a nanny for him that they couldn't really afford to watch him. He was a happy, adventurous baby that grew into a happy, imaginative child, but he found more allure in books and stories and daydreams and songs than he ever did in running around and playing with the other children outside, and because of a tendency towards wheezy lungs, he spent most of his time following the seraph of Bastion around, when he wasn't stealing time in the libraries or listening to the songs and stories of the Devotions of Limerance. His parents were never sure what to do with him. He showed no aptitude or interest in weapons or hunting or outdoor pursuits. He had a head for figures and he liked pages. If you brought him a book, he could entertain himself with it for weeks! It was Ilvin himself who came up with the idea, a solemn thirteen year old with a hint of what would one day become a telltale twinkle in his eye, when he asked his parents about what it took to become a Devotion. Ilvin's education continued. He was ravenous for information but more he was ravenous for human stories. As a teenager, he tried to hear everything without creating a stir or causing problems for others. He became godsworn young, and threw himself into his work. The Faith needs people who are good at figures and can parse sentences as well as it needs people who can listen with an open heart. It was a good choice of profession for him. He did not choose Limerance as first in his heart lightly; it was more that he loved all the gods, but the devotion that needed him most, and his good humor and his complacent legal understanding and his open, open heart, always seemed to be Limerance. When he became Archlector of Limerance, it was not so much the culmination as any great ambition as the fact that the job had become open, somebody needed to do it, and it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that it should be Ilvin. He stepped up with grace.
  should be Ilvin. He stepped up with grace.)
• Zakar Culler  + (Born the son of a perfectly ordinary black …
  Born the son of a perfectly ordinary blacksmith, Zakar was set up to follow his father's example and enjoy a life of moderate comfort and respectability as a skilled tradesman. The boy took to metal and crafting precociously, displaying both an uncommon passion and rare skill for forming crafts out of molten metals and materials. As he grew older, this interest quickly manifested itself in more...experimental designs that would better serve a more clandestine user than a knight in shining armor. Once announcing his intention to specialize in the craftsmanship of weapons, his father could not have been more pleased with his son's prospects, and quickly arranged for an apprenticeship under an Iron Guard smith, where the boy would have plenty of practice at making arms and armor. Well, as it turns out, the Iron Guard was not particularly fond of their newest weaponeer's proclivity for nefariously-purposed equipment, which only accelerated as the young man aged and grew in skill. And so it was that Zakar, having only just begun his apprenticeship with the Guard, found himself suddenly displaced, untrained, and unemployed. After being tossed out of his former employ, one of the guardsmen introduced Zakar to a "friend" of his from the Culler family, who had apparently taken an interest in the stories of the Guard's nefarious little smith. Enough of an interest, it seems, to arrange for Zakar's immediate apprenticeship under the Grayhope's master weaponsmith. Zakar remained gladly in the Grayhope's employ for the next decade, continuing to ply his craft, encouraged to experiment as much as he saw fit. When the Grayhopes were called into service against the Gray Forest shavs, it was Zakar who was brought along as the force's armorer, where he continued to gain notoriety for his experimental and creative approach to weaponsmithing. Now, having returned from service to the Grayhopes, the smith is eager to repay his debts to the Culler family, who gave him a second chance when he needed it most.
  im a second chance when he needed it most.)
• Gerard Dastrid  + (Born the son of a reasonably successful bl …
  Born the son of a reasonably successful blacksmith, Gerard abandoned his apprenticeship at the age of sixteen in order to heed the call to enlist as a Telmar armsmen and do his duty to his House. Long hours spent hammering metal translated well to swinging large swords and carrying the weight of heavy sheets of plate mail. And so it was that Gerard found himself rising quickly through the ranks of the Telmar military, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best young swordsman in the Telmar ranks. He continued his service well past his initial enlistment, his skillful swordsmanship eventually earning him selection to the Duke Telmar's personal guard. A few years later, during a visit by Prince Radley, Gerard found himself riding out with Duke Arn and the Prince of Sanctum in order to quell a small shav incursion into the Oathlands. The invading force was larger than originally anticipated, and the Duke ordered his personal guard to reinforce a crumbling flank, placing Gerard in charge of the detail. When the dust finally settled, and the shavs routed, Gerard was found badly wounded, surrounded by a dozen shav corpses who feel victim to the armsman's dancing blade. Passed over by the first wave of medics, Gerard was left on the battlefield for dead, picked up almost by chance by another passing healer. After recovering from his wounds, Gerard was knighted by Duke Arn for his bravery in combat, and given the honor of serving as the Telmar family's personal sword instructor, responsible for teaching young Ansel, the future Sword of Telmarch, how to dance with a blade. Becoming known around the Telmarch as the Telmar's dance instructor for the armsman's graceful swordsmanship, it's to this assignment that Gerard has committed himself for the past decade. With the majority of the House now located in Arx, Gerard is eager to continue to serve his family in their new home, and to make sure that future generations of Telmars do not forget their proper forms.
  Telmars do not forget their proper forms.)
• Pasquale Malespero  + (Born the third son of a rather forgettable …
  Born the third son of a rather forgettable baron, Pasquale was never meant to rule. Born with a chronic, nagging sickness of the lungs, he'd never be riding into battle. Born with a sharp mind and decided hunger for knowledge, his family was eager for him to join the Faith, but he never much wanted that. No, Pasquale grew up bedridden and passed the days reading books of war, and history, and politics. He wanted to lead armies, not save souls. And after pushing hard enough, his father granted him command of a unit, called The Knights of the Chalice. The Knights of the Chalice sounds important and meaningful, but it's anything but. To the north of the barony, in wine country, a small unit of soldiers was assigned to guard the place. There never was anything to guard against, and mostly the soldiers lazed about, got drunk, and harassed the farmers and vinters. Pasquale was undeterred. Hard work, determination, and a mind for leadership paid off, and this unit slowly became one of the best trained units in the barony, and all were fiercely loyal to their commander. When scouting reports came in with news of the Gyre's scouting fleet approaching, the barony's army was mobilized. Pasquale begged to move his unit south, where a band of the enemy was set to land, but his father and brothers ordered him to stay put. He obeyed orders, until news reached him that the defenses of the family estate had been breached. Pasquale rushed south and managed to ambush the Gyre's substantial forces. With a well-trained unit, a vast knowledge of warfare, and no small amount of Lycene trickery, Pasquale crushed the Gyre's force. Sadly, The Knight the Chalice arrived too late to save the baron and his wife. Pasquale's older brother also fell. His middle brother was left to inherit the throne, and in an underhanded effort to restore the family reputation, he blamed the deaths on Pasquale. It was a bitter, frustrated, pariah of a man that Marquessa Lianne found, when touring the damage to her holdings. Pasquale is no liar and not prone to exaggeration, and she believed the man, and promptly offered to adopt him into the newly made Malespero family, as her general. It was finally the chance he felt he was entitled to, and he grabbed hold with both hands. Now, Pasquale wants nothing more than to make Nilanza's forces into something truly feared. His mind is on training his men, researching military tactics, and pursuing some of these rumors of ancient, mystical weaponry. He's come to Arx to meet with his Marquessa, to meet the rest of the leaders of Velenosa, and just recently joined the Scholars.
  sa, and just recently joined the Scholars.)
• Udell Alban  + (Born the third son of a tailor in Bastion, …
  Born the third son of a tailor in Bastion, Udell was drawn to the Faith from a very early age. Intelligent and warm, he wanted to become a Mercy when he grew up - and when he grew up, he did. He became a Mercy when he turned eighteen, and Godsworn on his twenty-first birthday; after a perfectly ordinary apprenticeship he became a full physician, specializing in battlefield medicine and end-of-life care. Many years - and many battlefields - later, he found himself leading the Mercies of Bastion. Rumors of the rediscovery of the Lost were swiftly followed by more information; wary at first, it took him some time to investigate - but when he did, he realized that he’d been serving Death as well as Lagoma for quite some time. Escaping the sack of Bastion thanks to the help of some of those present for the Seraph’s retirement party, Udell made his way to Arx, where he spent time meditating in the shrine of Death as well as in the shrine of Lagoma. Hearing stories of Udell's service attending at the bedsides of those the Mercies couldn't save, it was Dominus Aureth himself that approached Udell about serving as Archlector to the Queen of Endings, the post empty since the passing of the last who held it. A humble man, Udell saw the potential of such a position, namely in spreading word of Her reclaiming and furthering the proper practice of compassionate vigil. His acceptance was subtle, but his presence and service has remained anything but.
  nce and service has remained anything but.)
• Matteo Pravus  + (Born the third son of a third son to Zacha …
  Born the third son of a third son to Zacharie Pravus and Caroline Pravus nee Blanchard, Matteo never expected to be in line for much of anything but a political marriage and a lifetime to idle nobility. That, he fulfilled well. He studied and learned as was expected of him, but he flitted from the sword to wordplay, to the theater and back again to brawling in the streets. He never settled on any one thing to be, except himself. He was mercurial, flighty, and certainly not part of any part to lead a coup against Duke Piero. Nevertheless, when his brother was captured and found to be involved, he was banished just the same. Only now he returns, due to his parent's support and the goodwill of Duchess Belladonna, still with no part of his own. With a new tan and the same carefree attitude, he returns to Arx with the same expectations: to lead a life of idle nobility and perhaps make some political advantagous marriage for Pravus.
  political advantagous marriage for Pravus.)

• Malik Whisper  + (Born the third son of a wealthy silk merch …
  Born the third son of a wealthy silk merchant in the Dune Kingdoms of Eurusi, Malik was born among a caste that allowed for a life of relative luxury and ease. Growing up in the water kingdom of Petrioch, he was acutely aware early in life that inheritence of the family business was likely not in his future. It was likely why he first took up the brush, though natural talent aided turning hobby into a profession. His canvases were always the unusual sort - first, upon the silks that his father sold at market, which earned him the attention of Eurusi nobility. This helped catapult him into court, where he took his brush upon the skin of the dancers at the King's palace, creating scenery which was often just as captivating as the dances themselves. After a few years of entertaining those in Petrioch's palace, Malik left Petrioch in the company of another palace worker and was said to have disappeared completely. Then again, who cares about the fate of two simple commoners? It was only recently that Malik has returned - not in the Dune Kingdoms, no, but in Arx proper, settling into the Whisper House. It was said he became a Whisper in Setarco and arrived in Arx thereafter, though these are the sorts of stories which are often ambiguous in nature. His brand of art often trades between brush and needle, regularly offering designs ranging from simple to sophisticated upon skin in the form of temporary or permanent tattooing, though his art will often find its way upon other forms of canvases as well.
  way upon other forms of canvases as well.)
• Augustus Grayson  + (Born the younger brother of King Alerius I …
  Born the younger brother of King Alerius II and Tommen Grayson, and the youngest son of Thalia Grayson, Augustus was trained as an administrator and academic rather than a warrior or an heir. Constantly engrossed in books, texts of all kinds, and the sheer environment of academic learning, Augustus did not entirely shirk his martial duties either - though his education has lead him to be more of a strategist than a combatant. Unlike most Graysons, Augustus was not born in the Crownlands and was instead born when his royal parents were conducting a tour of the vassal princedoms. It was during a stop in the Lycene capital of Lenosia that Augustus was brought into the world. As it was that Augustus was destined for a life of courtly matters and intrigue, it was decided at some point during his youth that he would be sent to Lenosia to continue his education. Whilst in Lenosia the young Augustus, a gentleman of around twelve years of age at the time, met Livia Velenosa, a young princess of the Grand Duchess' extended family. The two had been betrothed since birth, an attempt to show the continued Grayson support and admiration for the Lycene people and the Velenosa specifically. The pair were not an ideal match when they married several years later. They knew each other well and their personalities could not have been more different. Where Augustus was a cooler, analytical sort Livia fancied herself a patron of the arts, investing great sums in poetry, songs, and the like; much to the consternation of her young husband. The pair eventually, after some great difficulty and perhaps with the aid of a good-natured spirit of some kind, came to fall very much in love. So much so that many bardic songs exist of their romance and their treasuring each other long after their children had grown. Together they had three sons, Aberforth, Aerys and Tiberias, along with three daughters, Matilda, Elysia, and Cassandra. Their marriage would come to an end in the sixty-first year of Augustus' life with Livia's death at fifty-eight.
  s' life with Livia's death at fifty-eight.)
• Annika Navegant  + (Born the younger sister of Quirin, Annika …
  Born the younger sister of Quirin, Annika had a very clear path ahead of her, and she followed it, for the most part. She was not a rebellious child, but she also had some ideas of her own, thankfully ones that fit in just fine with the typical Thraxian ideals of female nobility. When she was a young woman she showed an aptitude for the healing arts, and learned what she could of medicine from the family priest she was unable to pursue her studies further while at home. To that end they decided that she should travel to Arx and study there until such time as she was satisfied with her studies, and came home. She eventually came home, but was never satisfied with her studies. It was while in Arx that she met Dion Stonewood, who would turn her head with tales of adventure and romance, and eventually marry her. They have primarily called Escuma home for all these years, but neither have been stuck on the island. When younger they would adventure, or sail with the fleets. As they had children and gew older they lingered at home until it was decided that they were needed in Arx once more.
  ed that they were needed in Arx once more.)
• Ivy Blackram  + (Born the youngest child of the youngest si …
  Born the youngest child of the youngest sibling to the ruling line of Blackram, Ivy is secure in the knowledge of her relative unimportance to the continuance of the family line. It also allowed her the luxury of largely doing as she pleased growing up. Oh she attended her lessons and learned all the usual subjects for a lady of a noble family. She also escaped every chance she got to go racing around the Cloudspine, especially with the goatherds. Blackram's goats fascinated her since her youth, especially those bred towards size and power. Bullying those in charge of them into teaching her the vastly fascinating subject of war-goat training, Ivy was a quick study. While she has some basic skill with polearms, she would never count herself a soldier, vastly preferring the commonsense healing techniques learned in the stables. When her talent for medicine became known, her mother was quick to have her train with the Mercies, grooming her towards joining them. Ivy disappointed her mother in that, her bedside manner not up to standards despite their best efforts. She returned happily to the Cloudspine and the goats, bringing in more training that she applied towards the care of the animals. There Ivy would have stayed, too, had it not been for the growing popularity of the goats in Arx. She set forth to handle their care personally, leaving the bulk of the herd in the capable hands of the Blackram goatherds.
  e capable hands of the Blackram goatherds.)
• Ouida Harthall  + (Born the youngest of the three children of …
  Born the youngest of the three children of Marquis Tibalt and Marquessa Owenna Harthall, Ouida as a spare of the spare was allowed to have her vocation molded to her inclinations, rather than the other way around. Close enough in age to have been more of a companion/partner in crime to Orvyn than annoying hanger on, the two siblings were very close growing up in the shadow of the heir Odhran. From the start she was much more inclined to athletic and adventurous pursuits than the intellectual. She may not have been able to argue her way out of anything, but that's what fists are for! Luckily her energies were quickly channeled into preparation to become a knight, and that finally gave quite a bit of discipline and structure (and infected her with quite a sense of courtly chivalry) before she became too much of a bully. Her knighthood came on the field, and she has a strong reputation for seeing the objective completed and targets protected first and foremost above personal glory, eschewing the flashier trappings of knighthood. Until the untimely deaths of her eldest brother and her father, and Orvyn's rise to Marquis, she spent most of her teen and adult years in the company of knights and soldiers, highborn and commoner alike, fighting and learning from the many minor skirmishes on the mainland. When Orvyn called her to higher service, she answered, and later led some of Harthall's efforts in the Silent War, Gyre War, and the Defense of the Lodge, as well as putting down continuing shav'arvani, bandit, and pirate threats in Fair Harbour. When Orvyn and Sunniva established their household in Arx, she followed in service. Once famed for her pursuit of courtly love in all forms, especially amongst a wide variety of ladies and a few lords, someone quick to carouse and laugh, the last few years of increased duties both within her family and outside of it, seem to have taken their toll, crafting someone far more deliberate and measured and calm. Surely that earlier fire still burns within, but it is kept very carefully under a shield of Valardin reserve.
  efully under a shield of Valardin reserve.)
• Asger Crovane  + (Born the youngest son of the Crovanes of t …
  Born the youngest son of the Crovanes of the far north, Asger has found his place in the family on the battlefields against the Abandoned clans around them. The man betting his life on the outcome of every raid, skirmish, and patrol, reveling in those narrow moments when he dances a hairsbreadth away from losing it all. The glee and laughter he displays in the face of his enemies, and his blood soaked appearance earning him a rather barbarous reputation. Even as a child growing up he displayed a penchant for brawling with his peers, gregarious and quick to forgive whatever slight real or imagined might have spurred the fight to begin with.
  ight have spurred the fight to begin with.)
• Marzio Mazetti  + (Born to Benedetto and Osanna Mazetti, Marz …
  Born to Benedetto and Osanna Mazetti, Marzio is the middle of three siblings. A healthy child, he seemed to spend more time outdoors than he ever did inside. He was a quick enough learner when it came to his schooling, but spending his days with his nose buried in a book was never a thought that occured to the boy. Rather, whenever his mother did not make him, Marzio would be out visiting the stables to admire the horses bred within the walls of Ostria. His father had been a cavalryman in his younger years, and so he found himself to be a welcome enough hand around the stables. In his mid-teens, Marzio "liberated" a particularly fine black stallion from a stable stall and ventured out beyond the city walls. He can still recall the feeling of the wind in his hair, and the thunder of his mount's hooves along the roads leading away from the city and along the coast... as well as the stripes on his backside that his father gave him when he inevitably had to return. Nevertheless, he continued to venture to the stables every day until on his sixteenth birthday his family gifted him the horse which he had stolen. From then on, Marzio's life seemed to follow a path of its own creation. He joined the Ostrian Cavalry, seeming to follow in his father's footsteps. Climbing through the ranks, he soon found himself to be in command of a unit of horsemen patrolling the trade roads along the coast, as well as safeguarding the areas near Ostria, spending his nights beneath the stars within the call of his beloved home.
  stars within the call of his beloved home.)
• Reiker Wyrmguard  + (Born to Damien and Annaliese Wyrmguard, Re …
  Born to Damien and Annaliese Wyrmguard, Reiker is the oldest child of the lesser part of his family. Raised as a knight, the boy showed an odd aptitude in his young age, favoring a long spear rather than a sword. Though mocked at first by some, he was earily efficient with the weapon, claiming that he didn't want to be touched by such useless people. At first this seemed to be a thing of pride, though outside of fighting, he had no problem entering contact with commoners, he merely liked to get into his opponents head by looking down on them. A lively, happy child quickly turned stern as his first sibling was born, Reiker was serious about always listening, and took it very much to heart when told he had to be an example for them. He didn't play often as a child, but devoted his time to studying, to fighting better and harder under the impression that the better he could be, the better his siblings would be. His love was harsh, during the middle child's training Reiker often would smack their hand and trip them, regardless of the skill difference and unfairness. He would insult them, force them to study, and to sleep the proper time if they resisted. Once he felt that they were too old to need him, Reiker set out to spend some years wandering the world to perform his duties to it. He couldn't learn anything more sparring at home with the same people he'd been facing for years. He went to learn new ways people might try to harm him, to study societies, shavs, and different battlefields took the young knights help graciously. He returns to Arx a grim man, with his head held high and a spear still at his side, hoping to become more than he has been the past 30 years so he can continue to try and be something to look up to.
  nue to try and be something to look up to.)
• Ainsley Grayson  + (Born to Daniela Bisland and Rodric Grayson …
  Born to Daniela Bisland and Rodric Grayson, Ainsley Grayson is a distant cousin of the Crown Prince. His parents tried to groom him for politics and the spotlight. Wanting him to shine like a star. They had many a plan for him. He created for none of them. As a boy he was far more interested in being outside in the training yard. As he grew he found it far too exhausting to deal with politics. Don't say this, don't do that. Pretend you like that person, don't talk to that person even though you like them. Why can't he just tell people whether or not they are annoying him? Why does he need to act a certain way? His parents saw it as a rebellion when he pursued a career in the Iron Guard. He saw it as a way to still do the Grayson name proud, without spending all that time exhausting himself trying to weave political webs. He'd rather just be himself. So he has thrown himself into the Iron Guard. He wants to do the Grayson motto justice: 'None greater than Grayson'. He wants to the best knight in the Iron Guard. His parents eventually found peace with his choice in life, and have stopped putting as much pressure on him to be some political maestro. He was, aside from his parents expectations, quite spoilt as a child. He spent time as a child with his Bisland cousins but his Grayson ones as well. Though most of those connections have not been very strong. Connecting with his family is something he looks forward to in the future.
  mething he looks forward to in the future.)
• Islin Harthall  + (Born to Duncan and Onora of house Harthall …
  Born to Duncan and Onora of house Harthall, Islin was one of several children. He grew up among the nobility, learning the arts needed to be a proper gentleman. That said he was always an adventurous sort. He learned to fight with a sword, favoring quickness over pure brute strength in most cases. He was a lean and quick sort, his body being just as quick as his tongue in most cases. Learning how to sail and command the attention of his fellow men he wound up becoming a captain in the Harthall merchant fleet by the time he turned twenty. He developed a bit of a reputation among his fellow sailors for being willing to take risks no one else would go near and come out mostly unscathed at worst. He was followed through life with a rather random sense of luck that in some cases that was balanced by occasional periods of time where people swore he was cursed. Still his ability to fight and talk his way out of tricky situations has served him well...so far. Now he has come to Arx and rumors have it that his family may be seeking a marriage match for the wild hearted Lord.
  marriage match for the wild hearted Lord.)
• Cirdan Halfshav  + (Born to Riker Halfshav and Triana Tessere …
  Born to Riker Halfshav and Triana Tessere a year after his older brother Reve, Cirdan was given much of the same upbringing. While his martial training proved to be lackluster and was soon abandoned once the basics were covered, he proved especially skilled in more social settings, quickly making friends and earning no small amount of popularity among certain circles. It proved to be especially beneficial when he was sent to be fostered within his mother's family, soon at home within a land quite different from the one he had grown up in. He quite enjoyed his time in Iriscal, though he was ever quick to leap at any opportunity to travel to new locales and courts, his curiosity insatiable. He knew to make new friends even in what amounted to short visits and maintained these links through active correspondence, somehow managing to fit those in between lessons and other social adventures. There were certainly times of tension, however, though none so great as when Reve declared, once his fostering was finished, that he would not return to Whitehold. While Cirdan was still a year away from the end of his own fostering, it was deemed preferable to escort Cirdan back home to finish his studies there, lest he get any ideas about following his older brother's example. Cirdan didn't mind, but things didn't quite go as planned. While a day away from Whitehold, his group was ambushed by bandits. The bandits proved to be a shav tribe and they took him prisoner, the intent to ransom him off. What followed is the subject of speculation. He appealed to his guards. He seduced the chief's daughter. The story's varied over time. Nonetheless, somehow, Cirdan escaped and managed to make his way to Whitehold and alert his family. Now with Halfshav's forces, he returned to negotiate the release of those who had been traveling with him. The more romantic storytellers like to add that he also negotiated for the chief's daughter to come with him. Yet if such was the truth, it led to tragedy as the negotiations broke down and violence was the ultimate solution. While peace did not reign that day, the experience shaped and motivated him. He dedicated himself to master both law and diplomacy in service to his House. It is for that purpose that he now travels to Arx, after news of his brother's return have reached him.
  of his brother's return have reached him.)
• Casiar Cross  + (Born to Silvia and Daren Cross, Casiar gre …
  Born to Silvia and Daren Cross, Casiar grew up as an only child. His primary interests were academic, where all of the other kids his age he knew were more focused in the pursuits of physical prowess. Though most would speak to him, and he wouldn't ignore them or shun his peers, he did have some trouble in his mid-late teens with a few of the boys he grew up around. One in particular, a young man by the name of Rowen, had apparently decided that it was his place to "toughen him up", and his way of doing this was to knock Casiar around at every possible opportunity. many of Casiar's books, though worn and old already, fell to the destructive tendencies of Rowen and his ilk, as they pushed him around, tripped him, and even went as far as to break his nose more than once. Other than these encounters, Casiar's childhood was unremarkable in almost every way. Having become a scholar at the age of twenty-two, Casiar was forced to take a few months away from his studies only half a year later when he received word that his father had passed away unexpectedly. During his time back at home with his mother, while putting what little his family had in order, She too grew ill. After only two weeks from her diagnosis she too passed, while Casiar sat on her bed cradling her head in his lap. It was evident to all of his friends and fellow scholars that this experience took a heavy toll on him. While never outright dismissive or disrespectful of his fellows, Casiar was, prior to the loss of his parents, always more focused on his studies than on anything else, though after his return from his temporary leave, and the subsequent loss of both of his parents, Casiar spoke little. The easy smiles he always had for his friends were gone, his eyes were rarely focused unless the subject was a book or tome he was reading. He became introverted and quiet, obsessed with work and solitude. Those who called him a friend prior to his time away slipped from his notice, even a young woman he had grown close to could not get him to speak or take time away from his books. It has been over a decade since his tragic loss, and while Casiar has begun to come away from his studies more often than any time in the past ten years, he is still mostly quiet and heavily introverted. He has started to try to make new friends, as all those he once had have moved on to other appointments, married and moved away, retired or passed on themselves. At the age of thirty-four, with no prospects for marriage, and no sign that this is particularly bothersome to him, and with a head full of all the writing he devoured throughout the years, Casiar has started to venture out and interact with people more and more. Though still fairly shy and soft spoken, he hopes to put his knowledge to use for the benefit of The Crown.
  ledge to use for the benefit of The Crown.)
• Skapti Waters  + (Born to Thraxian Thralls, Skapti's childho …
  Born to Thraxian Thralls, Skapti's childhood was a hard one, and he didn't do himself any favors when he joined with a crew of raiders as a young teen to earn what he could to pay of their debt before it became his own. Every copper he made off plunder went back to his family to pay off the debt in hopes to free them from Thralldom. By the time he was an adult, he was a seasoned veteran, and no one could mistake him for a soft man. It wasn't enough, however. He freed his mother, but his father was still deep in debt when he passed. When they came back from a raid, he heard the news. Some sort of farming accident, it seemed. What happened next, Skapti never would have imagined from a group of hard bitten killers. Rather than lose their comrade to Thralldom himself, each of them offered up the lion's portion of their own share and bought out his freedom. The luck was too good. The next raid they set out on was disastrous. It had been bold, perhaps too bold, but it had had to be to be profitable. To make up for his freedom's price. Almost to a man, they were slaughtered, and Skapti barely mananaged to escape himself, eventually finding himself in Arx. Since coming to Arx, the man has worked a slew of jobs, going work is available, some legit and some... Less so. Bouncer to merchant's guard, deck hand to smuggler, leg breaker to ditch digger.
  to smuggler, leg breaker to ditch digger.)
• Rosalie Redtyde  + (Born to William and Eleanor Redtyde, Rosal …
  Born to William and Eleanor Redtyde, Rosalie was barely more than a baby, a toddler of three when the troubles with the Thrax began. Her parents, in their concern for their child, sent her to foster with her mother's family, the Redwood County, in Grayson lands. While the contract stipulated a term no longer than five years, within the year of being sent off her parents were killed in the massacre that wiped out the Redtyde family. Rather than turn her over, her uncle and his family took on Rosalie as a ward of the Redwood's. She was raised by her uncle's family all throughout childhood, cautioned to be careful and not to stir the pot. She was able to keep her family name as a ward, but was told stories of what might happen if she were to wander too far outside of the Crownlands. When she was old enough to start learning beyond what her aunt and uncle could teach her, they paid for her to attend a school in Arx. It was a few years after that the Redwood family was slaughtered, leaving Cedar Vale abandoned and open. The Stonewood Marquis appointed his bother the new Count and the Fireviper County was born, leaving Rosalie once more a ward, but this time to strangers. She made herself an asset to them, applying her skills learned in Arx to aid the Fireviper and Stonewood families in their various needs. Now, however, the Redtydes are re-asserting themselves, and it may just be time for Rosalie Redtyde to step out from the safety of her wardship to rejoin her birth family.
  f her wardship to rejoin her birth family.)
• Anton Kennex  + (Born to a Kennex father and Lycene mother, …
  Born to a Kennex father and Lycene mother, Anton was an only child and doted upon accordingly, both parents quite willing to spoil the indolent, if brilliant, boy. While he excelled at his studies and took to the sea well enough, a pronounced aversion to anything martial was observed with dismay by his family. However, forced to not be defenseless at sea, the young Kennex Lord had some skill with a crossbow drilled into him before he was allowed to much more in the way of sailing. Once done, he availed himself of the opportunity to visit the various locales in the Isles, observing their architecture and fortifcations, then came home to figure out how best to put this knowledge to use. It is likely he would have remained content in Stormward, working at the drafting table and overseeing construction - if not for the Gyre War. Pressed into service to fight at Setarco, his parents both were killed and Anton gravely wounded. Once recovered, his life in ruins, he made his way to Arx to see the building styles of the grand capital.
  the building styles of the grand capital.)
• Audgrim Veilandir  + (Born to a Knighted couple in a small baron …
  Born to a Knighted couple in a small barony in the Crownlands, Audgrim grew up in a happy home. From an early age he loved the forest, and joined the scouts and rangers working for the baron. He learned to survive and hunt this way, and when old enough he took employ in the ranks of the rangers. His parents were proud of him, and they also saw to him getting training with weapons and armor, to give him a chance for a career as a Knight or at least a soldier. Life in the barony was mostly peaceful, the occasional skirmish with abandoned or bandits being the worst that happened. But then the Silent War began and everything changed. Banners were called, and Audgrim's parents were to join the army against Tolamar Brand and his forces. The baron also dedicated his trained rangers for scouting, Audgrim included. So, leaving his family behind, including his fiancee since only a month, he and his fellow rangers took off to scout for the main forces, while the baron gathered up troops on his land to move to the frontlines. What was not expected was that The Silent Army was moving through the forest and came straight at the barony and the small town where the mansion was. When Audgrim and his fellow scouts realised this, they turned around and rode as hard as they could back home, but they arrived to death and oblivion. The silent army was still there and captured the rangers after a short skirmish where it was clear to Audgrim that they never stood a chance. About a week later, Audgrim awoke alone on a small strip of beach by a small, dark lake. He did not know where he was or what had happened. There was no sign of anyone or the silent army, or his fellow rangers. The area was silent and the forest dying around him. He stumbled away and managed to make it back to the mansion where he proceeded to bury everyone he loved, including his fiancee. He walked away, and stayed in the forest for years, banding together with others of similar fates, hunting and taking on mercenary work for villages having trouble with bandits. But they stayed on the fringe of society, earning a reputation as a fearless and cunning band of a semi shady reputation. They avoided entanglement with Compact forces and were called the Woodsmen. Many years like this ended when Audgrim and his band ended up in trouble that caught the interest of people from Arx. Audgrim decided to go to Arx and look for answers and to start another life. There are always those in need of a ranger and hunter, whether of beast or man.
  anger and hunter, whether of beast or man.)
• Leland Specter  + (Born to a Merchant Lord and a Court report …
  Born to a Merchant Lord and a Court reporter in one of the smaller islands of Stormward territory, Leland and his family moved to Arx at a very early age. He spent his early years following his father around at the Crown court while he worked, opening his eyes to the world of the Law. Leland was fascinated by courtroom drama. Two champions entered the ring and only one emerged victorious. Little Leland wanted all of that, he wanted to be the champion who always walked out victorious. When he was old enough, he went to law school and worked harder than any other student there, earning him special honors. Immediately out of school he worked for a time in the Crown Magistrates office doing small claims and disputes. Eventually, he branched out, leaving the Crown Magistrates office to open his own firm.
  n Magistrates office to open his own firm.)
• Helvetius Nightgold  + (Born to a Moreau and Nelly Nightgold, Helv …
  Born to a Moreau and Nelly Nightgold, Helvetius was raised in the typical noble fashion. He was taught manners, rhetoric, arithmetic, and some of the soft sciences at an early age. Really, despite his intelligence, he puts it to little use and would rather laze about under the sun than go do anything of note. That is the reason why he is not often given the chance to lead any of his family's operations. Really, he is just a nuisance overall. He can often be seen lounging about in taverns for both the high and low born.
  in taverns for both the high and low born.)
• Vayne Godsworn  + (Born to a certain Valardin noble family, V …
  Born to a certain Valardin noble family, Vayne was nothing less than a child prodigy. His early blooming and ravenous appetite for new knowledge saw him sent to Sanctum to study with the Faith before even ten summers had passed. When he arrived there, he won over the skeptics with his precocious insight, his unflinching courage in his convictions, and his continual drive to challenge and refine his ideas in ethical debate. Thrilled at reports coming home about their rising star, his family gave him the sobriquet of "the Incorruptible" to the annoyance of his siblings and cousins, forced to compete with an absentee golden child. Vayne's eighteenth birthday was to be the capstone and a triumphant occasion for his family, where he would leave them to take his Godsworn vows but surely begin a meteoric rise up the ranks the Faith, perhaps even to become the Dominus. Instead, it was the beginning of the end. Always a believer that true dogmatic beliefs will stand up to any amount of scrutiny, Vayne began to focus on the concepts of Tehom worship as a Godsworn, calling the 'split' in the Pantheon the fundamental theological issue of the Arvian religion. The leadership was uncomfortable with Vayne's study of an issue they felt was /very/ settled, but confident that he would draw the proper conclusions. Instead, his determination shook Sanctum like a thunderbolt: the traditional Oathlands proscriptions against venerating the Thirteenth were in fact prejudicial and incorrect, he said. In disbelief that one of their brightest hopes was suddenly on the verge of heresy, the Sanctum leadership even requested help from his former House in turning Vayne away from his course. But the very qualities for which he had always been praised now stood as implacable opposition. Even if a whole fealty stood against him in disapproval, Vayne would not relent to family or social or political pressure, only rigorous theological argument. None could craft such a one strong enough to dissuade him. Before things came to a final head, however, one day Vayne was simply... gone. In his quarters he left a note. "The gods do not have dominion over only parts of the world lovely to behold. To turn away from hard truths is to surrender control to them, to let them dictate how we do or do not act. A light necessarily casts a shadow, an assertion must have a negation. If we are to make the best world that we can, we must first accept the truth of the world as it is in all its aspects. Our Dark Reflections are created with us, as part of who we are. To deny Tehom is to remain willfully blind to our true natures. But if I am to truly help others find their way, then I must first understand myself, in all of my facets. May the wisdom of all the Pantheon bless us all." For the next fifteen years, Vayne was a cautionary tale. He ceased to go by his given name, and fell into obscurity. Occasionally some rumors or fanciful tales would surface of individuals resembling Vayne, or resembling what people thought Vayne would look like at the time, no one could say for certain. Some were that he had found a niche with a fringe cult, others claimed he had let himself go to dissolute or even outright criminal behavior. His House practically declared him dead and moved on. The story was over, until many years later the man in the mirrored mask arrived in Arx. He seemed generally uninterested in his past apart from reclaiming his given name, merely referencing a long and challenging journey of self-discovery and that he was ready to resume his duties. Despite his clear fealty to Tehom there was little question that Vayne was a true priest of the whole Pantheon conversant in its ritual and dogma, and he gained a grudging if uncertain respect among the clergy of Arx. Ironically, upon establishing himself in Arx he began the quick rise up the ranks of the Faith that had so long ago seemed to be all but a preordained thing. The last step came when Vayne presented incontrovertible evidence of the previous Archlector's financial corruption and violation of his oaths; crushing his largest block of internal political opposition in the process. Ascendant to the Archlectorship of Tehom, Vayne felt the delightful rush of triumph, the sweet vindication, the tickling satisfaction of looking down at every close-minded person who had called him heretic, sneered at him while blind to their own arrogance, slighted or betrayed him while he sought to understand his own self and his own darkness, worked to undermine his ambitions to drag the discipleship of the Thirteenth into ending its exile and realizing its full potential kicking and screaming if necessary... he savored it all, he exulted in it all, he felt it all to the very depth of his bones. And then he banished it to memory, and got to work. The Faith of the Pantheon exists to bring the will of the gods into the world, and the most devoted of Tehom will not settle for anything less than his flock's rightful place among them.
  han his flock's rightful place among them.)
• Kaine Algair  + (Born to a common family in the Crownlands, …
  Born to a common family in the Crownlands, Kaine Algair's lot in life was meager at first. The seventh-oldest of ten children and farmhands-to-be, the beginning of Kaine's story is often that of a common farmer. However, Kaine saw a need to stand out. From as early as five years old it was clear that he would be bored with the simple peasant life. As he grew a bit older he preferred fixing and building things around the house, helping make clothing for himself and his siblings, and fitting horses with horseshoes. Watching a few of his elder siblings leave for Arx, Kaine knew that a brighter future waited in the city for him. As a young adult, Kaine prepared to set out and earn an apprenticeship with a craft guild, promising his parents that he would visit and bring home silver for them from time to time. Kaine slowly learned a wide variety of crafts, but his lack of dedication meant that a guild was reluctant to help him. For most of the time he spent in the city, Kaine focused on teaching himself, and impressing potential customers with his works.
  essing potential customers with his works.)
• Ardee de Lire  + (Born to a commoner family with too many ch …
  Born to a commoner family with too many children, Ardee spent the first few years of her life mostly under the radar. She was cared for by her siblings until she was old enough for the family to realize that she was going to grow up to be a 'looker'. It was decided for her quickly that her lot in life would be to go to school and learn to be a Courtesan. She could make decent enough money that way, and would be able to help 'pitch in' by looks and wiles. She went to school, began to learn the tricks of the trade and started planning on how to escape the hold of her family. She wanted more out of life than to live to support her family. The answer came through death, her entire family ending up victims of the Silent War. She only escaped the same fate through the school she'd been attending when tragedy struck. Though nearly a victim herself, she was taken in as a refugee and eventually pledged her services to the de Lire family. She serves as the family's Chief Librarian.
  he serves as the family's Chief Librarian.)
• Ashur Sanna  + (Born to a distant cousin of the then Count …
  Born to a distant cousin of the then Count of Seliki, Ashur was raised with a bow in his hand and an adventure in his heart. And even when there was no true adventure to be had, he made up his own. An independent boy, he explored the woods outside his home, the beaches and caves along the coast. He found treasures everyday: long abandoned chests that surely held goblets of ancient, though none were ever found inside, books with pages torn out that undoubtedly once contained mystical spells. At the age of 18, Ashur's father, a minor lord, brokered a deal to have him married into the Sanna family. He didn't want to, but was talked into it with language like 'duty' and 'family needs'. A trip was organized not long after the nuptials and he was dragged to a distant-relation's estate; some aunt's cousin's third husband's grandfather's sister's niece. It was revelatory. His exploration, up until that point, had been external, always looking for answers elsewhere. But this young girl, with her brilliant mind sought answers to things inside her laboratory, inside her mind. He showed her some of the weaponry he used, some of the tools that he believed could detect spirits, which they both believe in! He told her of his wild stories that most people never believed, of the places he went that were not marked on any map. And she showed him her inventions and experiments, things he didn't necessarily understand all of the time. But she explained her need of things. Rare flowers, fancy metals. Who better to find those things than him?! Ashur would chase things for Elloise and bring them back to her. Together, they worked on new ways to create things that had made this way for generations. They grew fond of each other and were inseparable in that limited time they were able to spend together. But the trip had to end sometime and he returned home. Within a year of his marriage, a strange, undiagnosed disease struck his wife. He heard legend of someone that would have been able to save his wife, that had never failed to heal any sick person. He lost himself in the search. He was away from his wife and home for months, but each clue led to another hint and eventually, he found the person; a 'witch' in the deepest, darkest part of the woods. He brings the 'witch' to their estate after another week's journey home and is told upon arrival that his wife had passed away the night before. Grief overwhelmed him. He fled from his home, from those that knew him and he lost himself in travels until a letter from Elloise recently arrived...
  a letter from Elloise recently arrived...)
• Ulfric Ravenhelm  + (Born to a family of meager legacy, Ulfric …
  Born to a family of meager legacy, Ulfric was raised on a commoner's farm owned by his father. His progenitor was a strong man, newly retired after decades of military service, but he was not a decent man. Often unsupervised and ignored, Ulfric grew up in rags and earning his meals on fishing vessels that came and went from his little village. The boy had come to know many men during that time whom he would call father, men who taught him how to live proper and fend for one's own pride. Lessons were taught throughout his childhood and adolescence through experiencing them firsthand, soon growing into his own man for the day he'd finally step away from home. But he was not content with simply surviving day by day, not if it meant there would be nothing sweeter to find at the end of every trial and punishment. As soon as he was able, he took to the seas under a noble's banner. Stricken to forge his own prestiege, one that he could pass on to a kin of his own with pride. He has long been content with earning his keep through the swing of his swordarm.
  is keep through the swing of his swordarm.)
• Chiara Tavetti  + (Born to a family of merchant sailors in Ni …
  Born to a family of merchant sailors in Nilanza, Chiara is the middle child of three; her parents, Marcel and Ilena, were much of the opinion that their children should all be involved in the family business with the goal of eventually succeeding them, but perhaps unsurprisingly Chiara begged to differ, having not properly been consulted in the matter prior to her birth. While both her older sister, Denora, and the youngest, Linette, have been more than happy to follow in the footsteps of their parents, Chiara has spent as much as time investigating the destinations of those goods shipped as the shipping process itself, occasionally disappearing mid-trip, much to the exasperation of her family - perhaps all the more so because she is actually quite competent at her trade. Surprising absolutely no one, the restless Chiara ultimately left the confines of what protection her family could give her and has spent the past few years traveling; due to such she has certainly seen her share of good and bad. Thankfully, either through sheer luck or quick thinking, she's managed to extricate herself from the worst of those situations, leaving her with an appreciation for what could have been, but not resulting any obvious dampening effect on her enthusiasm. With the Marquessa having made it known that she is looking for native Nilanzans to help support the growing House Malespero - and perhaps due to a little bit of trouble with the locals in the most recent port she'd been carousing in - Chiara has made her way to Arx to settle there, at least for a short while.
  settle there, at least for a short while.)
• Breccan Malere  + (Born to a family of successful farmers, Br …
  Born to a family of successful farmers, Breccan grew up understanding and learning the land like all people of Acorn Hill. But what developed was a deeper understanding of nature itself and more often than not the impressionable youth found his time idling out into the woods where he was oftentimes scolded for being so careless by his father who compared him often to his older brother, Everett, as the eldest took to the agriculture life and found it suitable. It was after a fight that resulted in blows, the brashness of youth calling his old man out, that he ran off to the woods and wasn't heard from in weeks. What happened exactly was unknown but Breccan came back changed, throwing himself headlong into the family affairs but from a different angle. Instead, his charm and good nature was put forward to help bring prosperity and trade, having made several connections throughout Arvum- houses ranging from Setarco to Clearlake. It was after the death of his father, that Breccan told his brother the truth of where he had been for those many weeks ( as it had always been a mystery ) and it is with the passing of their father that he now must devote his life to another path for something is coming that will test their family and all of Acorn Hill. That something did come, however, it came with the arrival of shavs who destroyed all of Acorn Hill. It was luck that had Breccan away, devoting his life to helping build Lodges of Petrichor in other areas that he deemed would need the protection.With a brother and nephew still alive, he aims to devote his life to Pretrichor and seeing the land of forest and homestead safe from any that would defile it.
  estead safe from any that would defile it.)