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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

• 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.)
• Giada Morello  + (Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosi …
  Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosia, Giada was raised quick to understand that money makes life possible in the city. She was a quick student, picking up tricks and tips with alacrity. She was, however, too independent to stay at home, contented to run a market stall. She started branching out into other business ventures, eventually finding her way towards marketing her services to various mercenary outfits that would pass through to resupply. Their stories awakened a wanderlust in her that had probably been there all along, and she travelled with one of the companies to Arx. There, she came across a recruitment drive for The Redwood Mercenary Company, and they needed a quartermaster. She didn't even hesitate. So now she's in Arx and gainfully employed, looking forward to the next challenge.
  ed, looking forward to the next challenge.)
• Giada Godsworn  + (Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosi …
  Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosia, Giada was raised quick to understand that money makes life possible in the city. She was a quick student, picking up tricks and tips with alacrity. She was, however, too independent to stay at home, contented to run a market stall. She started branching out into other business ventures, eventually finding her way towards marketing her services to various mercenary outfits that would pass through to resupply. Their stories awakened a wanderlust in her that had probably been there all along, and she travelled with one of the companies to Arx. There, she came across a recruitment drive for The Redwood Mercenary Company, and they needed a quartermaster. She didn't even hesitate. So now she's in Arx and gainfully employed, looking forward to the next challenge.
  ed, looking forward to the next challenge.)
• Thena Grayhope  + (Born to a life of moderate poverty in a la …
  Born to a life of moderate poverty in a large family with Grayhope connections, Thena showed early aptitude for sneaking about and relieving people of their possessions and was fostered out to some other Grayhope cousins who 'encouraged' this aptitude and a few others (stabbing) that might help her help them with the family business. Petty theft as a child and pre-teen led to more lucrative and dangerous operations, and it was during one such that she was betrayed by her partner and left to die in the gutters of the Lower Burroughs, where an elderly disciple of Lagoma named Petrae found her. The woman, a talented healer, patched her back together and eventually convinced her that she was meant for more than a short drop and sudden stop, so eventually Thena left 'home' to stay with Petrae in a cottage in the Gray Forest, a few miles outside of Arx. Petrae taught her healing arts and some rudiments of the Faith, especially worship of Lagoma, and, having never known real safety or parental care before, Thena finally started to thrive. When Brand and his army began to make their way toward Arx, Thena left her oasis to seek help from someone in the city. She became trapped there by the Siege, and, unsure of the reception she might receive from the Grayhopes in the city, signed up with the Iron Guard as a means to keep herself sheltered and fed. When the Siege lifted, she made her way back to the cottage in the company of a couple of heavily armed friends, only to find that Petrae had been tortured and murdered. Devastated and bereft, Thena sought consolation in the Faith and eventually took vows to become Godsworn. She currently serves in the Knights of Solace and finds some comfort in carrying out her duties, specifically those duties that involve slaughtering anyone and anything remotely linked to her mentor's death.
  ing remotely linked to her mentor's death.)
• Harrow Steelhart  + (Born to a line of nobility of the House St …
  Born to a line of nobility of the House Steelhart, Harrow was a big and healthy baby with two older brothers and one sister. At the age of four, he was already physically bigger than most of his peers, and was trained by his father - a Knight and famed sword of the Kingdom - in the art of swordplay. A natural at it, Harrow was able to best his father at the age of nine and then squired to one of the comrade at arms of his father. Trained by the sergeant at arms of their land, Harrow began taking part in tourneys and jousts at the age of thirteen. Unhorsing adult Knights and battering them down at foot, he was a natural - and soon enough victory after victory followed. One particular accomplishment was when the boy at age sixteen was able to best a Knight of the King's Own, gaining the attention of the Lord Commander and catching many eyes at the time. The young squire, when he turned eighteen, was soon enough Knighted and served in many campaigns in the name of the King for years. It did not take long before the accomplished Knight was admitted into the ranks of the King's Own.
  admitted into the ranks of the King's Own.)
• Dusa Iaso  + (Born to a merchant and a physician. Was lo …
  Born to a merchant and a physician. Was locally renowned for being deeply in-tune with others, quickly becoming an object of affection during schooling and apprenticeship. Wished to become a chirugeon and apprenticed beneath an old battlefield doctor. During adulthood, received a surprising amount of marriage proposals: All of which were denied. Much to the surprise of Dusa's peers, a sharp intellect gleamed beneath those hazel eyes, taking to learning the medicinal arts rather quickly while under the tutelage of the battle-worn doctor. What followed as a shock to everyone: A sudden wanderlust. Leaving everyone behind in search of something greater, with enough scrolls and tomes tucked away to ply the medical trade wherever needed, affording a transient, yet comfortable life.
  fording a transient, yet comfortable life.)
• Zuraida Drugain  + (Born to a nomadic tribe that claims their …
  Born to a nomadic tribe that claims their origin to be from the area of The Red Run, near Farhaven from their earliest recollections (though during their travels many people from all over Arvum joined them, leading to many varied and mixed histories), Zuraida led a life of wanderlust with her family. Performers, sooth-sayers, musicians - they were a wide and varied bunch and their colors rubbed off on her in the womb. As a result of these travels and her family's penchant for their arts, her family is rather well known in the North - even respected in some circles. But her life hasn't always been sunshine and bliss. Her life was significantly changed when her twin brother died of natural causes when she was only 5 and an accident left her stricken blind in her teens. She comes to Arx as a refugee, saved from the wilds of the Gray Forest by Fergus and Freja from the Silent War after having been a victim of a Shav/Bringer ambush that stole her family away from her. She was so overcome with gratefulness that she bent her knee and swore her fealty to Redrain.
  her knee and swore her fealty to Redrain.)
• Vandred Crown  + (Born to a pair of commoner parents who owe …
  Born to a pair of commoner parents who owed some debts that they couldn't pay, Vandred had an OK start to life. Sure, it was rough and horrible trying to figure things out in the beginning, but when you notice that people don't pay attention to the dirty little beggar, it gets easier to make sure you have something to fill your belly at night - and then a little more for some warmth at night, and then something to keep people looking elsewhere while you made sure you had a full belly and a warm night.
  ure you had a full belly and a warm night.)
• Vandred  + (Born to a pair of commoner parents who owe …
  Born to a pair of commoner parents who owed some debts that they couldn't pay, Vandred had an OK start to life. Sure, it was rough and horrible trying to figure things out in the beginning, but when you notice that people don't pay attention to the dirty little beggar, it gets easier to make sure you have something to fill your belly at night - and then a little more for some warmth at night, and then something to keep people looking elsewhere while you made sure you had a full belly and a warm night.
  ure you had a full belly and a warm night.)
• Winthrop Unknown Peasants  + (Born to a poor family in a nondescript vil …
  Born to a poor family in a nondescript village, Winthrop has only known struggle. Being very small for his age, a genetic fluke, he learned very quickly that he will never quite make it by through brute force. So, he learned how to trick and confuse very early on so he could get by on his brains alone. His mother left the village when he was very young, and his father died in a drunken brawl, so he has been on his own for as long as he could remember. And, as far as he is concerned, it's better that way. He now travels around, following the flow of coin from crowds of travelers to line his own pockets.
  owds of travelers to line his own pockets.)

• Egon Maw  + (Born to a rather poor family on the Mourni …
  Born to a rather poor family on the Mourning Isles, Egon had spent his youth as a sickly boy, incapable of aiding his family in much of their day-to-day living. The family was large; his four siblings had quickly learned to take care of themselves and eventually forged their own paths with some of them, namely his brother Maris, following the path of their fisherman turned sellsword father. Egon had kept to himself during his youth, looking inward rather than outward for inspiration. As days turned to years, he had eventually grown out of his sickly phase into a relatively hale individual and spent the majority of his teens at home, taking up various practices and disciplines in an attempt to aid his destitute mother. Life was difficult on the Isles, and, coupled with his odd appearance, it was made isolating. Despite it all, he had learned a great deal from its harsh lessons. After a time, his mother had decided that he needed to leave for Arx with the hope that he could find a better life there than what was available to him.
  life there than what was available to him.)
• Mallory Davos  + (Born to a smaller household just outside C …
  Born to a smaller household just outside Caithe, Mallory had always longed for adventure. Early tales of reavers and pirates, privateers and derring-do on the high seas had sparked her young imagination to take flight. Sadly, as with most children, her dreams of sailing and adventuring were crushed when her parents informed her that she would be schooled to learn a 'proper' trade. With little choice between being castt out or falling in line, Mallory began her path of education. She would sneak away every chance she got, heading to the beaches to fantasize and play pretend. The young scamp even blackmailed one of the household's young men into teaching her how to fight! But there was little doubt, after years of training, that her dreams were just that. So it was that Mallory Davos began her career as a steward. Her quick mind and keen wit were well-suited to the job, she was efficient and honest in her work. But always she longed for excitement in her life beyond figures tirelessly scratched into a ledger or settling disputes between tenants. Her days were filled with tallies and taxes, running the household.. and daydreaming. She still kept those dreams of grand adventure in the back of her mind to be called up on a whim. All was fine and perfectly /boring/, until the day the pirates attacked. They raided the small household and its tennants, looting and plundering anything not nailed down. While the ladies of the house cowered in a closet, Mallory crept about in hopes of catching a closer glimpse of the pirates that had lived in her dreams for so long. The reality was a shock, of course, and as she was caught and listening to them debate what was to be done with her... Mallory offered them a deal borne of desperation. To her complete shock and surprise, they accepted it, and she was taken back to the ship with the rest of the booty and dumped at the captain's feet. She worked her way up on that ship, from cabin boy to deckhand to navigator to bos'un to first mate. After a time, she fell in with the captain as well, absorbing everything he would teach or tell her like a sponge. When the captain died in a raid a few years later, Mallory was elected the new captain by the crew. Having kept her eyes and ear open through the last few months, the newly minted Cap'n Davos declared they would be legalizing their endeavors and she sailed that ship right into the harbor at Arx and set up a meeting with Salazar Argento. She and her crew of ne'er-do-wells have been sailing under his flag ever since, and now that he's returned to Arx under his House banner, she's answering the call to duty.
  banner, she's answering the call to duty.)
• Evelin Starborn  + (Born to a strict Valardin family, Evelin w …
  Born to a strict Valardin family, Evelin was raised as a single child fussed over by her parents. Stifled and locked down, she spent more time working than playing, and could only watch children her age play from afar. Her noble family had served the nobility for generations, and she was expected to do the same, learning much about politics and the struggles of court life. But the adolescent woman despised this life, and when she became the ripe age of 20, her rebellious streak reached a fiery crescendo. Inspired by a band of wandering lycene ravashari she took off with them, nonchalant of her parents scorn, and took to living amongst the wilds, travelling between the great cities and learning much in the way of magic.
  ies and learning much in the way of magic.)
• Samuele Rubino-zaffria  + (Born to an offshoot line of Duke Rubino of …
  Born to an offshoot line of Duke Rubino of Gemicitta, Samuele, was focused on his life working to be a knight, training to defend the house and his older sister and brother. But even so, he always stood out not only because of his size but because of his combat prowess, along with a distinct lack of skill in leadership. He was always known to compare himself to the sword, rather than the arm swinging it. Still, after he had been knighted at the age of twenty-two he took up residence with the Rubino family in the city and works to defend his house while his sister is left to the decision making. As for his eldest brother lysander, He indulges the artistic man, enjoying his company and others of the family.
  ying his company and others of the family.)
• Sedna Redreef  + (Born to an underpopulated house already sa …
  Born to an underpopulated house already saturated in daughters, Sedna got her artistic start early on as a girl. Slipping away from her lessons in arithmetic and diplomacy, she developed a liking for the uniquely intricate glass and mineral formations created when lightning struck the sandy shorelines near her ancestral home. As the years passed, she was inspired to craft towering elemental figures out of carefully affixed portions of those same substances. In time, this evolved. Through the use of thinly-veiled fabric and applied torchlight, she learned to give her creations the suggestion of movement and dance. Coaxing fragile, rigid structures into the appearance of uncharacteristic acts of play and whimsy, her exhibitions both delighted and transfixed. Testaments to Mangata's domain, supporters whispered. She married relatively young. It was a strong arrangement that served the house. For Sedna, it served to alleviate any scrutiny that her creative hobby might have conjured up. The two were amicable but lived mostly separate lives, his predictably ending somewhere out at sea. When Lord Tiberius sought to claim rulership of Redreef Shores following the death of Baron Landis, Sedna was ambivalent with leanings in his favor. He was, after all, the next male in line! She was not at all appreciative of the familial tumult that followed. She proved abundantly cautious, careful not to be overheard uttering an unkind word for Tiberius or his rivals except for by the shrewd ear of a servant, perhaps. From that safe social and political distance, she watched the regime change in her family's leadership and bided her time. When the moment came for Sedna to swear loyalty to the victor, it was done with as little certainty as the occasion would allow. The infighting had already broken Sedna's confidence in her family's stability. As a spur of growth hit their region in the wave of anti-thralldom progressiveness, it came as a mild surprise to Sedna that visitors stopping to port at Redreef Shores appreciated her art more for its novelty and entertainment value than for the spiritual significance it held for her. Sedna ultimately resisted change. She responded by showcasing less and less for strangers, adding one more layer of tasteful mystique to already favorable accounts of her.
  ique to already favorable accounts of her.)
• Brogan Nightgold  + (Born to be a duke's younger brother, Broga …
  Born to be a duke's younger brother, Brogan expected his lot in life from an early age, and threw himself into it with a will. Marriage for politics, maybe -- he was a dutiful son, and he expected that even when he was a young teenager -- but that was nothing to put a damper on his lust for life. Marriage did nothing to stop him from running amok amongst the common folk, or among the other similarly ranked nobles, for that matter. He drank, hunted, punched and gambled his way through every keep in the North and brought with him wild volume, laughter, and just an inordinate supply of delightful bullshit. His wife was another count's daughter, from the Oathlands, and she died giving him his firstborn daughter, who died a few years later. It was the kind of tragedy that could have brought a lesser man down. For Brogan, it made him live harder, live wilder. He disappeared into the snows and got in touch with the mountain's icy roots, bringing himself to the shaman's path and hunting for blood, life and happiness in his own way. When he returned, it was as an uncle to the new Duchess Nadia, as a frequent inebriate and a roaring soldier who drank as much as he punched. Bare fist fighting was his specialty (and remains so) and while in coming to Arx as part of the Nightgold retinue has made him miss the snows, he came ready to throw himself into the uproarious life of a lesser nobleman in the capital.
  life of a lesser nobleman in the capital.)
• Hazel Helianthus  + (Born to one of the Isles' most traditional …
  Born to one of the Isles' most traditional noble houses, Hazel knew early on that she wasn't going to be the proper young lady that tradition demanded. She studied law and diplomacy, of course - but she studied swordplay as well, watching her brothers' lessons and practicing with sticks, despite the family disapproval for those who stepped outside their appointed places. It all came to a head when in her teens, Hazel lost her temper, picked up a practice sword and gave her brother a humiliating defeat; refusing to be cowed by the threat of denoblement, Hazel left the Isles to make her own way in the world. As a commoner she took the rough with the smooth and trained with the Knights of Solace, though never took the Godsworn vows; after excelling time and time again, and demonstrating loyalty as well as skill during the battles of the Gyre War and at Bastion, she was invited to join the King's Own. The honour given a King's Own knight has persuaded her family to award her their name again, as even if she will never again be a Lady she is at least acknowledged as someone to be proud of across most of Arvum.
  meone to be proud of across most of Arvum.)
• Morrighan Frost  + (Born to one of war-like tribes of the Aban …
  Born to one of war-like tribes of the Abandoned, the typical convention of brutality and savagery was a poignant reality to Morrighan. Through the ongoing blood feuds between various clans, her parents were lost shortly after her birth, leaving her rearing to the tribe as a whole. She didn't experience a typical childhood for most, existing alone was sheer survival. The more knowledged and skilled members of the group taught her what they could, starting her crude, rudimentary education at a young age. She learned with the volatile state and the constant raids it was kill or be killed, fight or fall, to never give up in the face of adversity and to stand one's ground. For the most part, this served her well, for many a year, in fact - until the pirates came. With the ongoing fighting, chaos flourished, giving the corsairs an opportunity they couldn't ignore. They raided the settlement, pillaging and taking anything of value they could, cutting down anyone who got in their way. Still just a sprite of a child on the cusp of her pre-teen years, Morrighan fought to the best of her ability, though ended up in enemy hands. The scoundrels found her fiery, combative temperament amusing, furthering their resolve to drag her along back to the ship, where she was put to work as a scullery maid. Needless to say, being the hellion she is, a lot of plates were broken, and food may or may not have been tampered with. Time passed and was largely unmeasured, how long exactly she was aboard the vessel is unknown. Eventually, with a misguided sense of assuredness and egotism, the pirates moved to raid a ship in Redrain's coastal waters. It all went awry, ending as what one would describe as a failure of epic proportions. For their crimes of piracy, the crew was hanged; Morrighan was spared. Prince Sherrod of House Redrain took mercy on the young Abandoned, offering to take her in as a ward. With her life spared, she gave an oath of fealty to the noble house that saved her and swore to serve in whatever capacity that was required. The transition was a bit of a shock, a far cry from her life in the tribe and her time aboard the corsair vessel - but she found it terribly intriguing. Despite her place as a servant, Morrighan remained mostly uncultured and somewhat uncivilized, but she learned enough of social etiquette to know when to keep her mouth shut, lest her behavior reflect poorly upon the man that took her in. It was a new world, a foreign environment, and she had to learn a new set of skills in order to survive.
  n a new set of skills in order to survive.)
• Morrighan  + (Born to one of war-like tribes of the Aban …
  Born to one of war-like tribes of the Abandoned, the typical convention of brutality and savagery was a poignant reality to Morrighan. Through the ongoing blood feuds between various clans, her parents were lost shortly after her birth, leaving her rearing to the tribe as a whole. She didn't experience a typical childhood for most, existing alone was sheer survival. The more knowledged and skilled members of the group taught her what they could, starting her crude, rudimentary education at a young age. She learned with the volatile state and the constant raids it was kill or be killed, fight or fall, to never give up in the face of adversity and to stand one's ground. For the most part, this served her well, for many a year, in fact - until the pirates came. With the ongoing fighting, chaos flourished, giving the corsairs an opportunity they couldn't ignore. They raided the settlement, pillaging and taking anything of value they could, cutting down anyone who got in their way. Still just a sprite of a child on the cusp of her pre-teen years, Morrighan fought to the best of her ability, though ended up in enemy hands. The scoundrels found her fiery, combative temperament amusing, furthering their resolve to drag her along back to the ship, where she was put to work as a scullery maid. Needless to say, being the hellion she is, a lot of plates were broken, and food may or may not have been tampered with. Time passed and was largely unmeasured, how long exactly she was aboard the vessel is unknown. Eventually, with a misguided sense of assuredness and egotism, the pirates moved to raid a ship in Redrain's coastal waters. It all went awry, ending as what one would describe as a failure of epic proportions. For their crimes of piracy, the crew was hanged; Morrighan was spared. Prince Sherrod of House Redrain took mercy on the young Abandoned, offering to take her in as a ward. With her life spared, she gave an oath of fealty to the noble house that saved her and swore to serve in whatever capacity that was required. The transition was a bit of a shock, a far cry from her life in the tribe and her time aboard the corsair vessel - but she found it terribly intriguing. Despite her place as a servant, Morrighan remained mostly uncultured and somewhat uncivilized, but she learned enough of social etiquette to know when to keep her mouth shut, lest her behavior reflect poorly upon the man that took her in. It was a new world, a foreign environment, and she had to learn a new set of skills in order to survive.
  n a new set of skills in order to survive.)
• Raigner Redrain  + (Born to the cold of the frozen north, Raig …
  Born to the cold of the frozen north, Raigner began his life of one of the most very base and simple ones. His father was a commoner, having never risen up in his area of the world more than needed to sustain the lowest requirements life could offer to keep a family. Raigner took to a life of manual labor just as his father did, practicing his ability to live off the land, sew, hunt and eventually learned woodworking. This was found to be his stride, and he began working in carpentry to some success, getting a low level of recognition and affiliation with the family Redrain for his skills in architectural departments, and for his get-it-done mentality. This progressed soon into ship building, and he learned a fair bit on how to operate on the sea, as well as how to hold his own against the unkempt kind often found travelling the water with an aged, trusted axe.
  lling the water with an aged, trusted axe.)
• Destin Saltshore  + (Born to the constable of a fishing village …
  Born to the constable of a fishing village not far from the Grimhall residence at Grihem's Point, Destin was brought up with a healthy respect for the gods, in particular the Sentinel, as well as for the traditions of the Mourning Isles. Thus it was quite the shock when, during his training to take over for his father when the current constable retired, he assaulted the noble that Duke Grimhall had appointed to run the village. In an effort to make an example, showing that no one is above the law, Destin was sentenced to thralldom and his debt purchased by the duke's family. Destin served the family faithfully, mostly without complaint, serving as a model example for other thralls as to how Mourning Isles traditionalists believe that they should act. And ultimately, it was this devoted service that led to him to having his debt absolved by Harald Grimhall, the successor of the duke who had originally sentenced him. Not long after the ascension of the current Grim Duke, Destin put his own life in jeopardy to save the life of one of Harald's younger children when a large, rabid dog attacked her. It would have been difficult for him to return to his old life, though, given that both of his parents had passed on, and a new constable for the village had already been selected. So when Harald offered him a place in the family's house guard, he readily accepted, and continued to serve house Grimhall. It did not take him long to work his way up to commanding the family's guards, leaving him in charge of keeping those of the house who visit Arx safe.
  ing those of the house who visit Arx safe.)
• Gio Malvici  + (Born to the indomitable Adona Malvici long …
  Born to the indomitable Adona Malvici long enough after his older brother Hadrian that he might have been an 'oops' baby, Gio's path was marked at birth right on his body. Being born with a twisted spine in any family is difficult, but in the Malvicis, with their emphasis on strength, he was a liability. He learned to walk late. As he grew taller in his teens, his spine twisted further. The pain was constant. Military service was out of the question, and for a member of the ducal line not to do their customary two years of military service was a source of poisonous gossip. At this point, his mother saw the danger for him: her compassion for her youngest son was starting to be perceived as a weakness, and that made him a target. So she did the only thing she could, the best thing she could, for Gio, and also for herself: she declared publicly that because he could not serve in the military, he was no Malvici, and then she sent him away. Privately, Adona and his siblings cared about Gio just as much as they ever had. He was sent away to finish his schooling in a country estate where he wanted for nothing, far enough out of sight that he remained out of the minds of the schemers who might try to use him. Gio had always had a quick mind and a razor wit, but here, with no distractions, he developed these into an education that was both broad and deep. His mother rarely visited at first, but did so more often after she handed the reins of power over to Hadrian. Hadrian defied convention by turning up from time to time even while he was Duke. Calypso, with few worries about politics, came by often to banter and sometimes ask for advice... until she didn't. Gio understood why Calypso stopped showing up after she was thrust into the position of Duchess, a place where he knew very well she would struggle, but he worried about her, especially after her letters stopped coming. Then, one day, the Duchess herself turned up unannounced with a swarm of servants who went about packing Gio's things. When he asked what she was doing, she told him she was done trying to live up to the way their mother wanted the head of Malvici to rule. She was going to do this her way. And she needed him in Arx. Now. So get moving. In that moment, he was more proud of his older sister than he'd ever been, but he was also a little bit worried about her recklessness... worried for her, and worried for himself.
  worried for her, and worried for himself.)
• Vasile Corvini  + (Born to the ruling family of Iasu, Vasile …
  Born to the ruling family of Iasu, Vasile learned early on both the value of valor and the value of cunning. Like the land of his birth, he grew into a hard man, first as a squire, then eventually as a 'knight' (though the Oathlands may scoff at the concept of an Abandoned 'knight'). If a word were to be given to Vasile, it would be resilient. He has led and fought. He was won and he has lost. But with every defeat, he takes time to learn and to study. The harsh land and the consequences of failure have made him aware of the fact that lives rest in his hand every day. Now, with the death of his father, he has been thrust into the role of primary commander of the Corvini army and is... still grasping at what he might do.
  is... still grasping at what he might do.)
• Amund Frost  + (Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has lear …
  Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has learned from an early age that hardship and misery is the staple of living on the frontier with the Everwinter. The months of famine would bring sickness, the sickness would bring death. His parents fastidiously thought to spare him the worst parts, often to their own detriment. One night, a band of aggressive shavs took the village by storm. The emaciated villagers fought their best, but ultimately they could not stop the wave of violence that would see babies wrenched from mothers' breasts and dashed against walls, fathers put to the sword and mothers speared through their skulls, hanging like ragdolls in the winter snows. The boy, barely twelve, wasn't noticed from his perch on the roof of his house. With nowhere to go, he was forced to fend for himself. Out in the wilds he set out to avoid bands of raiders, foraging what he could from the woods until he found shelter in the next village. After a month of slow and painful recovery from frost exposure, he was nursed back to health and taken in by the village's mayor as a ward. Eventually he became part of the watchers of the town, trained in the sword and the axe before a band of sellswords showed up in town and, after saying his goodbyes to these Whitehold-affiliated villagers, he signed up with them. Their fight against the shav'arvani became ever more violent after he was recruited. Whereas the lieutenants would have consternation for his methods, they couldn't deny that they were effective. Slowly he crawled up the ranks until he made it to Lieutenant. When the general of the company died from a fever, the company disbanded. He became a Champion in ducal courts, his style a favorite of Northern nobles for its sheer ferocity and his disregard for the opponents' safety. If the fight ended in one blow and the opponent lived, then it didn't matter if it was a stab to the gut or a sliced vein that did it. His money was earned, win or lose, and it was time to part ways. But that, too, became a boring endeavor. But the opportunity for money rose again when lord after lord would call for free swords to fight for them in the Silent War. And fight he did. There may have been unspeakable horrors in the line of battle, but he resolutely pressed on and took the fight to them. His remarkable versatility helped make himself quite the name in the field of battle. Once the battle was joined, win or lose, he gave his best; consummate professional that he is, the outcome didn't matter so much as the payment. If the bands of shav'arvani aligned with the Silence were slaughtered to a man, who cared? Moreover, there were times he sought out these tribes in diversion, intent on bleeding their numbers dry. Once again, in the Gyre War, Amund distinguished himself with a seasonal contract with the Setarco military. For those battles, he proved himself gritty enough to be offered a renewal of his contract by a serjeant, which he declined. The lure of fighting against shav'arvani drew him to Arx. So he packed his bags, hoping for business that marries his hatred for the Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.
  e Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.)
• Amund Honor  + (Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has lear …
  Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has learned from an early age that hardship and misery is the staple of living on the frontier with the Everwinter. The months of famine would bring sickness, the sickness would bring death. His parents fastidiously thought to spare him the worst parts, often to their own detriment. One night, a band of aggressive shavs took the village by storm. The emaciated villagers fought their best, but ultimately they could not stop the wave of violence that would see babies wrenched from mothers' breasts and dashed against walls, fathers put to the sword and mothers speared through their skulls, hanging like ragdolls in the winter snows. The boy, barely twelve, wasn't noticed from his perch on the roof of his house. With nowhere to go, he was forced to fend for himself. Out in the wilds he set out to avoid bands of raiders, foraging what he could from the woods until he found shelter in the next village. After a month of slow and painful recovery from frost exposure, he was nursed back to health and taken in by the village's mayor as a ward. Eventually he became part of the watchers of the town, trained in the sword and the axe before a band of sellswords showed up in town and, after saying his goodbyes to these Whitehold-affiliated villagers, he signed up with them. Their fight against the shav'arvani became ever more violent after he was recruited. Whereas the lieutenants would have consternation for his methods, they couldn't deny that they were effective. Slowly he crawled up the ranks until he made it to Lieutenant. When the general of the company died from a fever, the company disbanded. He became a Champion in ducal courts, his style a favorite of Northern nobles for its sheer ferocity and his disregard for the opponents' safety. If the fight ended in one blow and the opponent lived, then it didn't matter if it was a stab to the gut or a sliced vein that did it. His money was earned, win or lose, and it was time to part ways. But that, too, became a boring endeavor. But the opportunity for money rose again when lord after lord would call for free swords to fight for them in the Silent War. And fight he did. There may have been unspeakable horrors in the line of battle, but he resolutely pressed on and took the fight to them. His remarkable versatility helped make himself quite the name in the field of battle. Once the battle was joined, win or lose, he gave his best; consummate professional that he is, the outcome didn't matter so much as the payment. If the bands of shav'arvani aligned with the Silence were slaughtered to a man, who cared? Moreover, there were times he sought out these tribes in diversion, intent on bleeding their numbers dry. Once again, in the Gyre War, Amund distinguished himself with a seasonal contract with the Setarco military. For those battles, he proved himself gritty enough to be offered a renewal of his contract by a serjeant, which he declined. The lure of fighting against shav'arvani drew him to Arx. So he packed his bags, hoping for business that marries his hatred for the Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.
  e Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.)
• Amund Masque  + (Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has lear …
  Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has learned from an early age that hardship and misery is the staple of living on the frontier with the Everwinter. The months of famine would bring sickness, the sickness would bring death. His parents fastidiously thought to spare him the worst parts, often to their own detriment. One night, a band of aggressive shavs took the village by storm. The emaciated villagers fought their best, but ultimately they could not stop the wave of violence that would see babies wrenched from mothers' breasts and dashed against walls, fathers put to the sword and mothers speared through their skulls, hanging like ragdolls in the winter snows. The boy, barely twelve, wasn't noticed from his perch on the roof of his house. With nowhere to go, he was forced to fend for himself. Out in the wilds he set out to avoid bands of raiders, foraging what he could from the woods until he found shelter in the next village. After a month of slow and painful recovery from frost exposure, he was nursed back to health and taken in by the village's mayor as a ward. Eventually he became part of the watchers of the town, trained in the sword and the axe before a band of sellswords showed up in town and, after saying his goodbyes to these Whitehold-affiliated villagers, he signed up with them. Their fight against the shav'arvani became ever more violent after he was recruited. Whereas the lieutenants would have consternation for his methods, they couldn't deny that they were effective. Slowly he crawled up the ranks until he made it to Lieutenant. When the general of the company died from a fever, the company disbanded. He became a Champion in ducal courts, his style a favorite of Northern nobles for its sheer ferocity and his disregard for the opponents' safety. If the fight ended in one blow and the opponent lived, then it didn't matter if it was a stab to the gut or a sliced vein that did it. His money was earned, win or lose, and it was time to part ways. But that, too, became a boring endeavor. But the opportunity for money rose again when lord after lord would call for free swords to fight for them in the Silent War. And fight he did. There may have been unspeakable horrors in the line of battle, but he resolutely pressed on and took the fight to them. His remarkable versatility helped make himself quite the name in the field of battle. Once the battle was joined, win or lose, he gave his best; consummate professional that he is, the outcome didn't matter so much as the payment. If the bands of shav'arvani aligned with the Silence were slaughtered to a man, who cared? Moreover, there were times he sought out these tribes in diversion, intent on bleeding their numbers dry. Once again, in the Gyre War, Amund distinguished himself with a seasonal contract with the Setarco military. For those battles, he proved himself gritty enough to be offered a renewal of his contract by a serjeant, which he declined. The lure of fighting against shav'arvani drew him to Arx. So he packed his bags, hoping for business that marries his hatred for the Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.
  e Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.)
• Amund  + (Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has lear …
  Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has learned from an early age that hardship and misery is the staple of living on the frontier with the Everwinter. The months of famine would bring sickness, the sickness would bring death. His parents fastidiously thought to spare him the worst parts, often to their own detriment. One night, a band of aggressive shavs took the village by storm. The emaciated villagers fought their best, but ultimately they could not stop the wave of violence that would see babies wrenched from mothers' breasts and dashed against walls, fathers put to the sword and mothers speared through their skulls, hanging like ragdolls in the winter snows. The boy, barely twelve, wasn't noticed from his perch on the roof of his house. With nowhere to go, he was forced to fend for himself. Out in the wilds he set out to avoid bands of raiders, foraging what he could from the woods until he found shelter in the next village. After a month of slow and painful recovery from frost exposure, he was nursed back to health and taken in by the village's mayor as a ward. Eventually he became part of the watchers of the town, trained in the sword and the axe before a band of sellswords showed up in town and, after saying his goodbyes to these Whitehold-affiliated villagers, he signed up with them. Their fight against the shav'arvani became ever more violent after he was recruited. Whereas the lieutenants would have consternation for his methods, they couldn't deny that they were effective. Slowly he crawled up the ranks until he made it to Lieutenant. When the general of the company died from a fever, the company disbanded. He became a Champion in ducal courts, his style a favorite of Northern nobles for its sheer ferocity and his disregard for the opponents' safety. If the fight ended in one blow and the opponent lived, then it didn't matter if it was a stab to the gut or a sliced vein that did it. His money was earned, win or lose, and it was time to part ways. But that, too, became a boring endeavor. But the opportunity for money rose again when lord after lord would call for free swords to fight for them in the Silent War. And fight he did. There may have been unspeakable horrors in the line of battle, but he resolutely pressed on and took the fight to them. His remarkable versatility helped make himself quite the name in the field of battle. Once the battle was joined, win or lose, he gave his best; consummate professional that he is, the outcome didn't matter so much as the payment. If the bands of shav'arvani aligned with the Silence were slaughtered to a man, who cared? Moreover, there were times he sought out these tribes in diversion, intent on bleeding their numbers dry. Once again, in the Gyre War, Amund distinguished himself with a seasonal contract with the Setarco military. For those battles, he proved himself gritty enough to be offered a renewal of his contract by a serjeant, which he declined. The lure of fighting against shav'arvani drew him to Arx. So he packed his bags, hoping for business that marries his hatred for the Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.
  e Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.)
• Amund Monrosa  + (Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has lear …
  Born twenty-five years ago, Amund has learned from an early age that hardship and misery is the staple of living on the frontier with the Everwinter. The months of famine would bring sickness, the sickness would bring death. His parents fastidiously thought to spare him the worst parts, often to their own detriment. One night, a band of aggressive shavs took the village by storm. The emaciated villagers fought their best, but ultimately they could not stop the wave of violence that would see babies wrenched from mothers' breasts and dashed against walls, fathers put to the sword and mothers speared through their skulls, hanging like ragdolls in the winter snows. The boy, barely twelve, wasn't noticed from his perch on the roof of his house. With nowhere to go, he was forced to fend for himself. Out in the wilds he set out to avoid bands of raiders, foraging what he could from the woods until he found shelter in the next village. After a month of slow and painful recovery from frost exposure, he was nursed back to health and taken in by the village's mayor as a ward. Eventually he became part of the watchers of the town, trained in the sword and the axe before a band of sellswords showed up in town and, after saying his goodbyes to these Whitehold-affiliated villagers, he signed up with them. Their fight against the shav'arvani became ever more violent after he was recruited. Whereas the lieutenants would have consternation for his methods, they couldn't deny that they were effective. Slowly he crawled up the ranks until he made it to Lieutenant. When the general of the company died from a fever, the company disbanded. He became a Champion in ducal courts, his style a favorite of Northern nobles for its sheer ferocity and his disregard for the opponents' safety. If the fight ended in one blow and the opponent lived, then it didn't matter if it was a stab to the gut or a sliced vein that did it. His money was earned, win or lose, and it was time to part ways. But that, too, became a boring endeavor. But the opportunity for money rose again when lord after lord would call for free swords to fight for them in the Silent War. And fight he did. There may have been unspeakable horrors in the line of battle, but he resolutely pressed on and took the fight to them. His remarkable versatility helped make himself quite the name in the field of battle. Once the battle was joined, win or lose, he gave his best; consummate professional that he is, the outcome didn't matter so much as the payment. If the bands of shav'arvani aligned with the Silence were slaughtered to a man, who cared? Moreover, there were times he sought out these tribes in diversion, intent on bleeding their numbers dry. Once again, in the Gyre War, Amund distinguished himself with a seasonal contract with the Setarco military. For those battles, he proved himself gritty enough to be offered a renewal of his contract by a serjeant, which he declined. The lure of fighting against shav'arvani drew him to Arx. So he packed his bags, hoping for business that marries his hatred for the Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.
  e Abandoned with a desire for new thrills.)
• Mathias Coaldust  + (Born within the Lower Boroughs, Mathias Co …
  Born within the Lower Boroughs, Mathias Coaldust lived in squalor for most of his early life. Both parents were poor, both drunk incompetents who couldn't give their children the small mercy of never having been conceived. He was more of a father and mother to his younger brothers and sisters than their parents ever were. While they drank their pay, Mathias worked hard, even as a child, for every scrap of food to feed his family, every piece of cloth to keep them warm in winter. Still, through the hardships, he learned to thrive. The harder it got, the more he pushed back. Must have done something right, for he grew up into a tall, strong man, enough so to catch the attention of a sellsword captain, willing to hire the boy into his company. He learned the trade during that time, till he left to make his own way. With the Lower Boroughs never far from his mind, still he strives ever forward, intent on giving the rest of his siblings a good life, or at least a fair chance at one.
  od life, or at least a fair chance at one.)
• Erika Blackwood  + (Born within the Shav tribes of the Northea …
  Born within the Shav tribes of the Northeast, Erika was the apple of her father's, Ingemar Blackwood, eye. She looked so much like her mother, who had died giving birth to her. He held no resentment for his wife's death, and while it was hard and clumsy being a single parent, he raised her the best he could, refusing to give her up. And while most would have scorned her reckless childhood adventures, he praised her for the fire of her soul. He taught her everything she knows about surviving in the wilds, and discovering her affinity with animals, assisted her in honing her skill. It resulted in the young girl growing wildly, with strength and passion, and at the early age of 18 she began to assist in hunting, gathering, and exploring the wilds to protect against the dangers of the Heralds, which were a prominent danger. Her journeys away from home alone would grow longer and longer as she honed her skills at survival, but it was on such a journey that Brand and his army came for the Shavs. Her father was killed for opposing him and his barbaric recruitment methods, and Erika returned home too late. Devastated and consumed by rage, the ranger agreed to travel with her cousin Ysbail to the Capital, bringing the tribes with them, to seek justice and rid the world of the evil that preyed upon them. Living in Arx, Erika frequently retreats to the forest to feel closer to her father, and be enveloped by the familiarity of the wilds. But that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate the civilised world of Arx and its less wild people.
  sed world of Arx and its less wild people.)
• Bosco Caputo  + (Bosco had a good upbringing with a family …
  Bosco had a good upbringing with a family on the very fringe of nobility in a minor house sworn to Velanosa. An able warrior, he was always quick to the blade and to the fight and learned martialry from his father, and crafting from his mother. He dreamed of being a knight and earning this through valliant effort. And he did. Everyone was proud; young, capable and destined for greatness. It didn't quite work out that way though. Fortunes come and fortunes go, and after an early swing to favour there followed an equally potent downward spiral. A mix of bad decisions, inpugned honour, and a haze additiction culminated (in a long, drawn out episode) in being disowned. There followed a trying period, kicked out of house and home and left to wander. The money dried up, and the addiction couldn't be fueled and hard choices had to be made. The swinging of the pendulum of fortunte led to an apprenticeship with an old master northlander smith in Ischia; the man was childless, and took pity on Bosco, guiding him out of the deep hole he'd fallen into. They developed a mutually beneficial arrangement and Bosco plied a trade as muscle and arms while mastering his trade in the small and soon to be terminated Caputo family. Good times come to an end though, and with the passing of the old man after extended illness, Bosco was left with skills but no venue or patron. He has ultimately travelled to Arx to seek fortune or favour - without the social skills to pursue a business venture of his own, and having a most unfortunate past, he's left to hope that fortune is ready for an upwards swing.
  hat fortune is ready for an upwards swing.)
• Braelynn Deepwood  + (Braelynn Deepwood comes from a long ling o …
  Braelynn Deepwood comes from a long ling of people comfortable with the woods and the forest. Though most of her family chooses to remain homebound, Braelynn found at an early age that she enjoyed walks through the forest and learning about the various trees and other plants that grew there. She would often reference them as her "Serenity Walks" and indeed would come back refreshed and relaxed after. Over time that interest in the forests and plants in general only deepened and now she finds herself the go-to expert for all things horticultural among her family and extended family. She was close to her cousin Joxur, and as he moved to the city she enjoyed receiving letters from him. She was particularly proud when he was named Sword of Deepwood, and wrote him a glowing letter of congratulations. But gradually her walks in the forest for serenity proved to not give her the calm she wrapped around her like a cloak, and she grew more and more restless. Until at last she decided the only solution was to go visit her extended family and explore new horizons and new forests - and so she came to Arx.
  and new forests - and so she came to Arx.)
• Bran Ravenseye  + (Bran became the chieftain of his tribe at …
  Bran became the chieftain of his tribe at a young age, and married young as well, having fallen head over heels for one of the tribe's young shaman's and talented weather eye. A beautiful redhead, Gudrun; charming, and bright. For a few years everything seemed great for them, their raids on the Northlanders and Thrax successful, with few casualties and a decent amount of plunder returned with them. They weren't immune from other tribes and clans raiding them, however. It was not long after the birth of their first child, a daughter, Aella, that his wife was taken. He spent a few years trying to find her, not ready to give up. All the while Sorcha, Gudrun's younger sister was helping to raise Aella. Eventually, he was convinced that she was lost, likely dead. And he remarried, taking Sorcha as his new wife. With Sorcha, he had other children, though most didn't have Aella's fiery temperament. Still, he loved them all. Roguish Cadern, inquisitive Rosalind, and collected Triton. He led his tribe as best he could, settling disputes with his neighbors with trade and diplomacy as often as the sword, or at least he tried. When Crovane and Blackwood bent the knee to Redrain however, he sensed the change in the times and knelt with them, before abdicating in favor of his eldest, Aella. It was time for the younger generation to take charge, though he would shepherd them along.
  arge, though he would shepherd them along.)
• Branimir Eswynd  + (Branimir has outlived his father, the firs …
  Branimir has outlived his father, the first War Chief he served, and then his older brother, and now he serves his nephew. All these lords change like the tides but Branimir is the rock that has seen it all and survived it all. Alongside his male kin he's survived 2 wives and a handful of children, though as many still remain and he's content with that. In younger years Branimir was a creature of great violence, he desired blood, victory, and most of all GLORY, until in the same raid that took his brother, he took an axe to the face, lost an eye and nearly died. Something changed while he lay bleeding on the ground trampled by friend and foe both. His blood lust finally quenched while he soaked in his own. After that, he saw the world differently, and where many reavers are consumed by gloom after such grave injuries, Branimir was filled with a new vigor. He also awoke with a belief in the Spirits, leading many of his kin to worry that so nearly dying had cracked Branimir's mind as well as cutting out an eye. He still fights when he must, but rather than being the one to advocate for the sword first, he became the one to call for it last, and there are few whose calls are louder than Branimir One Eye!
  se calls are louder than Branimir One Eye!)
• Branwen Stormfeather  + (Branwen has no memory at all of her format …
  Branwen has no memory at all of her formative early years, knowing only what she's been told from those of House Ravenseye. Nearly all of their clan in one night was wiped out, decimated by another tribe of crazed Abandoned. That they obviously weren't sane was probably the only reason she and a very few others survived the massacre. Each of them were hidden underneath the bodies of others, or fallen debris. And made neither a sound, or moved, out of fright and shock. It was a group of scouts from the Stormheart that found them, surveying the damage as they swept through the next day hot on the trail of the perpetrators. Instead of chasing after them though, they stopped to rescue the survivors and brought them back; and now, the Ravenseye are her family. Her quiet, perceptive nature, and her love of solitude brought her under the wings of the Shaman in the group. She took to it quickly, learning both to tend to spiritual ills and those of the body. And when the calling of the Tribe was to come to Arx as ennobled Prodigals, she too bent the knee so she could follow her adopted family and tend to them there. Where she is sure that she will be busy given rumors of things that have happened in and around the city.
  that have happened in and around the city.)