U
2006
Property:Background
This is a property of type Text.
Pages using the property "Background"
Showing 100 pages using this property.
A | |
|---|---|
| Aahana Magnotta + | Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend. During her time within Arx she made many a friend and ally. Then there was Domonico, there was something about him that caused her to become smitten, so smitten she sworn off shamanism and worked diligently to become a token prodigal. Her work paid off as when she married him to become Lady Aahana Malvici, it was deemed true. There the birth of their precious daughter Palania on the tenth of April in 1011. Then the unthinkable happened when she was travelling to visit her family with the baby. They disppeared just has the massacare of Volkov Woods happened. For those two years, it was though that both were dead. However the unthinkable happened. Aahana and baby Palania returned to arx unsathed and unaged on the sixteenth of March 1014 AR. She is still playing catch up but intends to help the now Count Domonico and the isles of Cyrto Major with all her being. + |
| Aahana Malvici + | Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend. + |
| Aahana Volkov + | Aahana is the youngest sibling of Ruslan Volkov which gives her the title of baby sister. Perhaps her being the youngest out of so many is what makes her shy to new people at first, tending to always prefer familiarity to something new or unusual. She has really been like that since she was old enough to crawl. Most consider her shy but in truth she likes to observe before acting upon things. As she grew up one of only two woman in the family she tended to be fiercely protected by her brothers and elder sister. This just aided in her quiet observing all the time. Even when they would occasionally go into town she was study over the nobles and watch their interactions more than anything else. And as she aged, she would eavesdrop upon lessons in economics and diplomacy. Often she would masquerade as a noble to learn what little etiquette she could before she would be found out and having to vanish. When Ruslan bent the knee, there was a lot of unrest among the tribe. Some of the family liked it, some didn't. Aahana was more excited than the others in truth though she did her best to hide it. And now that her eldest brother has sworn their family to the fealty of Fidante and in turn Velenosa, she is determined to try and keep her family out of trouble while they all adjust to the new ways of Arx. No more needing to pretend. + |
| Aaron Blackburn + | Fate and the Gods dealt Aaron Blackburn a hand both sweet and sour. The gregarious boy grew up amidst the Ashfords, his family being vassals of theirs for time out of mind. Adventure was in his blood, in his soul, and he hungered for it the way a drought thirsts for rain. Among their ranks he served, at first running messages, mending clothes, and then, finally, joining expeditions. He adventured for several beautiful, glorious years. Exploration was his adrenaline, his drug, and Aaron was addicted. But addicts get careless. They push ever further, ever harder. And eventually, they crash. Aaron crashed hard. Out searching for the ancient and unfindable, he found a treacherous crag and a life-altering knock to the head at the bottom. His equilibrium was never the same. His memory would not recover. Swinging a sword, climbing a tree or a mountainside were no longer in the cards for the sweet, devil-may-care Blackburn. Instead, Aaron was relegated back to Arvum where he struggled with his inner demons and emerged seemingly victorious. He took up a position as Lighthouse Keeper, and turned back to mending clothes. And mending clothes became, slowly, creating outfits and styles. Eventually, Aaron Blackburn became a tailor in his own right. Mens clothing, mostly, but there are always special cases to be made. Of course, The Lighthouse is appointment-only. Surely you've heard? + |
| Abbas Thrax + | Abbas's mother, Princess Marjory Thrax, was no proper Thraxian woman in the eyes of Donrai Thrax. With far too much interest in sailing, Princess Marjory defied her father by accompanying a daring expedition to sail east to the rarely contacted continent of Eurus on a perilous voyage. Worse in the eyes of his grandfather, not only did Marjory have the temerity to succeed, but she returned with a husband, married without permission of her family, to the exiled Prince Asad of Petrioch, a royal fleeing a lost war of one of the distant Dune Kingdoms of Eurus. Prince Donrai Thrax had little choice but to recognize the marriage of the royals as Marjory was already with child, but it proved short lived- Prince Asad was found complicit in the plotting of the Tyde Rebellion and was executed by House Thrax, and Princess Marjory Thrax was all but exiled, married off to a Lord of House Pravus and unwelcome to the family. This provided the Thraxian child with a difficult life ahead where his mother and father were considered traitors to Thrax. Abbas Thrax dreamed of a life of reaving to prove himself true to Thrax and at a young age the man took to battles and studies. His focus was complete and nothing else even remotely entertained him as a child that was not anointed in violence and his grandfather (Donrai Thrax) encouraged and aided in molding the man into a callous butcher. Abbas barely related to other young children nor did he possess friends. His was a singular desire to rise and lead the Thraxian fleet into glory and to earn a proper Thraxian heroes death. Individual fights quickly bored the mind of Abbas. And he began to listen and put himself in a position to learn of fighting at a higher level. There was not enough glory in hand-to-hand slaughter; tactics and strategy became his religion. Abbas lied about becoming a man in order to fill his urge to oar and sail upon the endless Salt. This led to his early years as a reaver being rough and he danced with death being overpowered, outmatched, yet he rapidly became addicted to the spilling of life and the riches of taking from the sea what you wanted. The young man was ruthless and fate saw him survive his first few overmatched raids; where the physically weaker Abyss was forced to kill against the odds. Abbas was hardened to the "Salt Life" early to the life of taking captives and using them as thralls. He possessed a strange affinity for understanding currents and sailing in an uncanny way. The Thraxian quickly distinguished himself and became a very young (perhaps one of the youngest) captain as a teenager. Abbas began to build a reputation early on. He would systematically target islands and begin to kill the elderly and snuff out the wisdom to make future raids easier. As the younger generations aged absent the wisdom of their more wise leaders he began to wear down the defenses. His brutality earned him a fierce reputation and soon after a couple of years many village and settlements would simply pay tribute to avoid the Thraxian wrath. Abbas fame and renown began to grow and the Thraxian was afforded more authority and allowed to operate autonomously. When Abbas was called to Arx two years ago he arrived with little experience but that of reaving and killing. It was a rough adjustment for the Prince but soon circumstances found him rising quickly in the ranks of the military. Abbas found himself upon the death of Donrai in a position to support the new Thraxian High Lord; Victus. Victus anointed Abbas as Warlord and gave him control of the Thraxian military. Abbas at the age of twenty-four is likely the youngest Warlord in living memory to lead the Thraxian war machine. Abbas ruthlessly secured Victus' power and was brutal in his tactics once more. Those who spoke against the new High Lord or loyal to Donrai were flayed alive. The military was used to brutally stop any insurrection and Abbas earned the title of the Bastard's Butcher. A campaign against the abandoned tribes on the periphery of the Gyre that threatens Thrax and the compact has thrust Abbas into heavy controversy. Abbas purposefully spread disease and plague amongst the abandoned populace to quickly end the fighting to those who did not bend the knee. The body count was unheard of as he systematically depopulated the islands of abandoned and quickly put an end to a prolonged war. This met with outcry and the hatred of many in Arvum, as the genocidal tactics were seen by the vast majority of the Compact as dishonorable and an offense to the goddess Gloria. During the siege of Arx Abbas was able to return the fleet to join the war due to his questionable strategy. He led the fleet from shore to rush through; relieving the Seawatch Gate and filling a hole blown in the wall of Arx where the Bringers sought to put an end to the Compact. With the help of the Redrain the Warlord was able to hold the wall at a great cost of life, winning that part of the battle. Though he distinguished himself well, he remains an extremely controversial figure- respected in the Isles, admired by many who hate shavs with geonocidal fury, but viewed as murderous and dangerous by most. + |
| Abby Laurent + | Born into the ducal line of House Laurent, Abby had been pegged as something of an 'odd duck' from her early childhood. With so many siblings ahead of her, the threat of inheritance was almost moot. Allowing her the luxury of living a comfortable life, albeit an uneventful one. She'd most commonly spent her time around the chapels, becoming a regular thorn in the side of Artshall's clergy. Bombarding them with questions or asking to assist in every little task well into her teenage life. It came as no surprise when she set on the path to be Godsworn the moment she'd come of age. It'd be a few years before she found a proper discipleship to settle into. With the addition of the Queen of Endings to the Pantheon and the creation of the Harlequins, Abby directed her passion toward reverence of the Goddess of Death. Her attitude made a very stark contrast to her macabre interests. Strangely, the skulls seemed to suit her. Bit more than the bees did, anyway. + |
| Abellus Ironfoot + | Being born into the Ironfoot clan meant being as hard as the metal from their namesake. His ancestors got their name because they were of Iron, unbent by war or bloodshed. They were a proud family with a strong heritage. Abellus has tried his whole life to live up to his name. Being the first son of Tuscak, an Abandoned shav traditionalist who was fed on the fires of hate for the Compact, he bore the same hatred for those that would try to break the Abandoned Tribes and force them on their knees. His mother was a wise woman who had her man's back. She never let him cry as a child, and made sure he would be as strong as his father. Yes, the early years of training and fists were hard but they forged him to be stronger, better than the weak Oathlanders that hide behind their armor and castle walls. When his father taught him in all manner of weapons, from the bow to the great sword. He favored the great axe in his mighty hands. Brand was a plaque upon the Abandoned Tribes of the Oathlands. He took the fuel of hate that lived in the Ironfoot's hearts and fanned it out of control. Abellus was there along side his father and brother, possessed by the dark magic to deal death to the citizens of Arx. He felled many that day. But the Gods that protect the Compact managed to break Brand and release the Abandoned tribes that were under his sway. Leaving the once proud tribe broken, leaderless. His father was angry the day the Oathlanders came to the encampment to gloat over their handiwork. He urged Abellus and his brother to enter the crowds, warning others not to listen to the false promises that bending knee would bring. He watched as his cousin was brought on stage, a boy too young to be cheiftain. Then he was betrayed by another Abandoned, arrested and brought to prison before he could blink. An Oathlander with the help of Rivenshari arrested his brother and himself. He was sent to prison with the outrageous crime of trying to murder his own cousin. He was caged with his brother for months, even after his father died in a trial by combat. It was during his captivity that he learned the proganda, the story of how his father tried to get his cousin to light himself and his sisters on fire to protest the Compact. How his father tried to start war again before his people had even recovered. While he did not wish to see his cousin die, he does not hate his father for his desperate actions. When they were brought to trial, to speak to the tribunal, Kanean denounced what his father had done and gladly bent on knee to Count Athaur Rivenshari. He took an oath that would bind him to the Compact that they once fought. Abellus was forced to make a decision. He could refuse and die. Or he could swallow his pride and go on bended knee. Even though he knew his father was rolling in his grave, he knealt and took an oath so that he could continue to watch out for his brother. He will keep his oaths because he is a man of honor. + |
| Abigail Lyonesse + | Abigail's family is well known to some, at least the name. Her father, Treveus, is Uncle to Marquessa Demura Lyonesse, and his wife Isabella married into the family. While she may have not be so called 'noble' before her marriage her family was not the normal or complete commoner either, just a lower rank. Abigail's father was and still is a most trusted and well known Knight for his family name, though age has started to catch up to him and that is the only thing possibly slowing him down. Her mother was a archer of high skill and quality, her knowledge with herbs was also high as her family was well know in the art of herbal healing. Isabella trained and taught her daughters to carry on the skills she had taught and to never forget them. Abigail has four siblings all sisters, she being the youngest of the bunch. Sundari and Idrissa are her elder twins sisters, and then there is Roselin and Jaelynn. When it comes to handling a bow Abigail is on par with her mother having picked up the skill rather easy. During a hunting trip, Abigail's mother was killed and many felt it was staged but others have said the woman took on too much, thus being cut down by the prey she was tracking. Abigail and Roselin were with her at the time and while her daughters have called for something to be done it is still being overlooked. Since this has happened Abigail was sent to stay with her cousin Demura Lyonesse by her father and Roselin is set to join her in the coming months. Abigail is attempting to keep an open mind and move on but it is hard with she knows something has happened to her family and she wants answers. + |
| Acacia Culler + | To be a member of the Culler family makes things easier in the Lower Boroughs as you grow up, but there's an enormous difference from 'easier' to 'easy'. Acacia has been a fighter all her life, getting into scrapes and petty crimes all through her youth at the behest of the family and watching in dismay as fortunes finally turned against her parents. After the deaths of her father and mother, she left the city of Arx to put as much distance between her and that crime ridden cesspool of the Lower Boroughs as she could. Becoming a sailor wasn't an easy life, and the shipping routes between Arx and the Lyceum were extremely dangerous, but compared to trying to survive in the Lower Boroughs it was downright relaxing. After time at sea learning to be a competent sailor, she's returned to Arx and reconnected with her family, and the Culler family has profited immensely from it. Since her return, Acacia has been cultivating the reputation as being the woman to talk to for the odd, hard to find (and sometimes prohibited) goods, seeming to always know exactly how to get those most elusive items. Life in the Lower Boroughs hasn't gotten any safer for her since she returned, but she's a spirited young woman that is determined not only to survive, but to thrive. + |
| Acantha Clearlake + | The classical stories of an ugly duckling growing up to be something beautiful, the same stories could be told of Acantha Clearlake. When she was a child she was chubby, dirty and poor. Growing up with two older brothers did not make this any easier. Especially when she wasn't their real sister. Acantha was abandoned on an very cold night and her adopted mother found her and brought her in. She loves her older brothers though, she even took after them a bit. On the fighting side of things of course. She was taught to use a sword. She was also taught to get herself out of confrontations. As well as her brothers when they can't talk themselves out of things. It became clear to her 'parents' that she had a brain between those ears of hers that was best put to use. Acantha Clearlake is one of the younger members of the Clearlake retinue that has come to Arx and bent the knee to House Halfshav. Though she shares the name it's clear when first meeting her that she's taken the task of fitting into the Compact a bit more seriously than some. Another thing that is clear is that she's wanting to make a better name for the Clearlake House since they haven't been the most warm welcomed. She's well spoken and charming, but she's also been known to show her more savage side when it needs to come out. + |
| Achard de Ange + | He is a poor country boy taken in by a poor country knight, Sir Reggie de Ange of Sanctum, after the boy's family was killed by forest bandits. Growing strong and healthy, a quick study, he eventually was accepted as a squire to Sir Reggie. He grew into his 20's as a man-at-arms under the knight, patrolling the forest roads north of Artshell. One day, against bandits, Sir Reggie was unhorsed and the younger man fought over his knight's stunned body, finally killing three bandits while wearing only leather armor and wielding a club. Reggie advocated for the boy and Achard was knighted. Present day, the young man is 33 and has been a knight for maybe eight years, gradually gaining a reputation as a skilled and strategically clever warrior. + |
| Aconite Fidante + | Her father was a Eurusi warlord wannabe who decided to harass a Fidante trade vessel. Then he hounded it. Then, with men, he boarded it during the night and took it captive for ransom. Fidante's response was to find out who this man is, hunt down his family, take his daughter, and offer HER as ransom for the ship. The story gets muddled but, some say he cracked immedietly. Others, that he denied her existence and caused the deployment of some secret strike force. Others still, that he yielded, but upon seeing how Eurusi are treated by other Eurusi, the Fidante in charge did not let her go, sent a strike force to destroy the enemy, and decided to keep her as one of their own. To do her a kindness. + |
| Aconite Unknown + | Her father was a Eurusi warlord wannabe who decided to harass a Fidante trade vessel. Then he hounded it. Then, with men, he boarded it during the night and took it captive for ransom. Fidante's response was to find out who this man is, hunt down his family, take his daughter, and offer HER as ransom for the ship. The story gets muddled but, some say he cracked immedietly. Others, that he denied her existence and caused the deployment of some secret strike force. Others still, that he yielded, but upon seeing how Eurusi are treated by other Eurusi, the Fidante in charge did not let her go, sent a strike force to destroy the enemy, and decided to keep her as one of their own. To do her a kindness. + |
| Adalbern Rimeheart + | Adalbern was born in the hills surrounding Bonespire, just south of the Everwinter to a warrior of the Stahlben clan, and a woman he'd taken to wife from the Everwinter Shav. Sadly, he never knew his mother as she died shortly after, his birth a difficult one. His father raised the boy as best he could, but he was often away and unable give the proper attention necessary for a young troublemaker. The boy spent much of his youth exploring the crags and tundra near his home, learning the ways of the mountains and the frozen north; largely unsupervised and turning into quite the little savage until his father decided he was an of an age to start training with the other young warriors-to-be of the clan. As he started spending more time amongst the others of his people, he met the girl who would grow to be his wife, Skada. Once the two were of age, they soon married and it wasn't long before a little one was on the way. It wasn't meant to last, however. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Vigga, the Undying and their servants spilled forth from the Everwinter. Skada was lost during the first rush of the horde, though Vigga managed to escape into the mountain stronghold that her father would help to defend. A part of Adalbern seemed lost, and he flung himself into the battles of his clan even more fervently than before, leaving Vigga to his wife's parents at the time. When Magnus bent the knee to Sanna, Adalbern decided to uproot himself and Vigga from the Bonespire and the memories it held, and now they seek a new life in Arx and the Compact. + |
| Adalmus Nightgold + | Son of Rognan Nightgold, cousin to Mydas. + |
| Adalyn Clement + | Adalyn was the one child born of the marriage between Sir Norwood Clement and his late wife. She was treasured and adored by her father and didn't lack for love in the slightest in those regards. An argument could be made that he shouldn't have gone carting her around to /quite/ so many of his knightly duties however. She spent hours watching him train Jael and Klaus Laurent, picking up bits and pieces of swordsmanship from observation alone. Yet he was reluctant to give his own daughter the same instruction, despite her pleas. She was too young! It was too soon! He didn't want her learning the blade .But Adalyn would have her own way about this. Because all that adoration and time spent indulging her, it had made her a little spoiled and all too stubborn. So at ten years old, she began 'training' on her own. With a heavy stick and some pots worn for helmets she sparred against one of the other children in Artshall. It was all going fine until she brained him nice and good and knocked him unconscious. Thankfully, he was fine. But poor Norwood was forced to admit that wasn't going to be able to deter her from her wishes, so he might as well train her. Before someone /really/ got hurt. Over time, she has grown into quite the talented warrior. She has more swish and swagger than her father might care for and her showmanship truly grates on his nerves sometimes. She often makes grandiose remarks of how she'll take that sword from him someday! Before laughing brightly and jumping into a tale of her latest escapade. And there are many, many escapades. Her current plot to cause her family distress has been to runaway from the Oathlands and appear in Arx, unprompted. She's decided she wants to join the Champions Guild! And that mercenary group, but no, not the one run by Duke Telmar's son! The one by that Lycene Baron! The Valorous Few! He seems like fun. + |
| Adelais Savatier + | Adelais was born out of wedlock, the product of a young dalliance between a merchant-prince and a middling serving girl. Fortunately for her, she (and her mother) were set up by her father's family in a town near the family's sprawling estate once they realized what their reckless son had done. The family resisted the pressure for marriage, but they did their best to accept her and her mother into their family - albeit still beyond that inner ring. Still, she had a decent education and a decent life growing up, living in relative comfort with her mother and provided for by an extended family that she didn't quite understand until she grew older. As she grew, she felt awkward and a touch out of place, especially when her father married and had another child: a younger half-sister named Mateline, who stood to inherit. Their relationship wasn't always good, but Adelais did her best to be a decent elder sister. However, determined that she wasn't going to rely solely on the largesse of her extended family, she left home once she came of age to seek her fortune as a soldier. She spent five or six years of her life training with the blade and working as a sellsword, despite her mother's worries over her new station in life.In a way, it helped her purge her private demons and she learned a great deal about the uglier side of the world and the power of violence. Adelais eventually returned to her extended family when she heard that her father was dying of a wasting disease and despite her misgivings, found that she couldn't simply leave her younger half-sister to pick up the pieces by herself. Since then, she's essentially bulled her way back into the family business ,serving as a bodyguard and the right-hand woman for Mateline, dealing with some of the more unsavory aspects of the business and arranging protection for their business interests whenever necessary. If she has anything to say about it, they'll prosper. + |
| Adelphie Harthall + | A product of Oathlands custom, Adelphie's story does not deviate far from the ideals held high there. While a penchant for trade and commerce might have just as likely pleased her kin, her appetite for combat proved too great to overlook. There are few memories of her youth beyond the backdrop of the training yards or dining hall, fueling up to get right back out there. Amidst troubles associated with the Great Road, the Adelphie crossed paths with some Knights of Solace and felt compelled by duty and faith to help them in their task. This is how she found herself in Arx, having chaperoned a group of travelers to safety. Well, let's be honest... relative safety. + |
| Ademar Napolitano + | 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. + |
| Adora Bell + | The Bell family of Arx was once known for making, you guessed it, bells! But it turns out the demand for such things isn't as great as one would think since they're mostly made to last. As a result, luckless Abrahall Bell (who everyone just called A as a sly joke), decided to strike out on his own and found a brewery! Sadly, he was not very good at it yet he was extremely stubborn that one day Bell Beer would take off, and so it wasn't long before he and his young new family found themselves in the Lower Boroughs, not quite struggling to survive thanks to small stipends sent by other more successful family members, but close enough. Two children were born of his marriage to wife Barb: Silver, a sickly young boy and Adora, who her mother swore never smiled until she was three years old and learned to push her brother down. Adora embraced the lawlessness of the Lower Boroughs early on, sneaking away from her family to roughhouse with the local kids and inevitably being taken in by the Ulbrans, who recognized a little thug when they saw one. She took to petty thieving like she was born to it and by the time she was a teenager had many run-ins with the Iron Guard, most of which she was able to talk her way out of. Not all. At a loss, her parents tried to steer her towards something that wouldn't end up with her at the end of a noose or worse, and thus a love of whittling was born. From there it was a short leap to carpentry. She loved the feeling of assembling something from nothing and loved the feel of coin in her hand even more. Coin that the Iron Guard couldn't question her about! By the time she hit her twenties, she was on the straight and narrow--at least by all outside appearances--looking to open her own shop and start raising her family out of the Lower Boroughs once and for all. + |
| Adora Ulbran + | The Bell family of Arx was once known for making, you guessed it, bells! But it turns out the demand for such things isn't as great as one would think since they're mostly made to last. As a result, luckless Abrahall Bell (who everyone just called A as a sly joke), decided to strike out on his own and found a brewery! Sadly, he was not very good at it yet he was extremely stubborn that one day Bell Beer would take off, and so it wasn't long before he and his young new family found themselves in the Lower Boroughs, not quite struggling to survive thanks to small stipends sent by other more successful family members, but close enough. Two children were born of his marriage to wife Barb: Silver, a sickly young boy and Adora, who her mother swore never smiled until she was three years old and learned to push her brother down. Adora embraced the lawlessness of the Lower Boroughs early on, sneaking away from her family to roughhouse with the local kids and inevitably being taken in by the Ulbrans, who recognized a little thug when they saw one. She took to petty thieving like she was born to it and by the time she was a teenager had many run-ins with the Iron Guard, most of which she was able to talk her way out of. Not all. At a loss, her parents tried to steer her towards something that wouldn't end up with her at the end of a noose or worse, and thus a love of whittling was born. From there it was a short leap to carpentry. She loved the feeling of assembling something from nothing and loved the feel of coin in her hand even more. Coin that the Iron Guard couldn't question her about! By the time she hit her twenties, she was on the straight and narrow--at least by all outside appearances--looking to open her own shop and start raising her family out of the Lower Boroughs once and for all. + |
| Adrian Beeler + | Adrian avoided influence of his avid family. His father worked as a carpenter and was widely social and his mother worked in an inn and had the same effect. He himself, however, avoided such and focused on a sort of self study, whatever he could get with what little he had from both of his parents. This sort of thing continued on until he decided to stay on his own. + |
| Adriana Fieldstone + | Born in Elmhurst to a farming family, Adriana soon found herself seeking employment in the only tavern in town. She much prefered hauling barrels and trays over farming out in the warm Oathland sun. She found she had a natural talent for people, being able to get them what they needed rather than what they wanted. Adri found she loved to flirt with the handsome farmer's lads (and the not so handsome ones if they could charm her) and enjoyed making their time in the tavern that much more enjoyable for her cheerful temperment and charm. After her uncle's farm was burned to the ground and her cousin Jonathan went off to the big city, she decided she would follow him. Her dream was to one day own her own tavern and she would never be able to make that kind of money at home. Not only did she want her own tavern, she wanted her own cow too. Fresh milk and butter and cheese, and then get bread freshly baked every morning, and make sure her guests had everything they needed to be comfortable. Clean beds without any bugs in them, even. She wants -everyone- to get along and be happy and healthy. + |
| Adriel Glynn + | Adriel was raised, along with his twin sister and best friend, Korka, by parents whose first loyalty was to the Telmars, and that loyalty is generational. But while his twin sister was constantly sticking her nose in things and getting into trouble, Adriel toed the line: a conscientious, well-behaved child, who was only very rarely drawn into hijinx past Korka’s ability to talk them both out of it. An able and attentive listener, he learned quickly at his lessons and served as soon as he was old enough in the forces of his lords’ retainers, learning a spear and shield along with the rules and laws of the regiment. + |
| Adrienne Pravus + | Bright, charming, born to Valardin, and gifted with a beautiful voice, Princess Adrienne might have been a storybook princess come to life. She knows, however, that fairy tales are for children. This knowledge has been painfully earned, brick by brick, as she has attended to the aftermath of raids and massacres, wars and illness with a Mercy's training so easily acquired in Sanctum. Adrienne left a courtier's life to others of her family and joined those with their hands in the dirt: a duty to her family name and a calling - or better perhaps described as a prayer - to be able to prevent suffering before it strikes. She has travelled the Oathlands to maintain her family's presence, listening to the needs of the many vassals and small villages in her purview. She has also studied wherever time and location would permit. Sanctum is a haven of knowledge, but the many Valardian domains have also invested heavily in education. Ignorance, when such resources are available, is a terrible sin. There is still work to be done in the Oathlands, but as the world turns its eyes to Arx, so must Princess Adrienne Valardin. Trouble brews. She would go there to stop it if she can. + |
| Adrienne Valardin + | Bright, charming, born to Valardin, and gifted with a beautiful voice, Princess Adrienne might have been a storybook princess come to life. She knows, however, that fairy tales are for children. This knowledge has been painfully earned, brick by brick, as she has attended to the aftermath of raids and massacres, wars and illness with a Mercy's training so easily acquired in Sanctum. Adrienne left a courtier's life to others of her family and joined those with their hands in the dirt: a duty to her family name and a calling - or better perhaps described as a prayer - to be able to prevent suffering before it strikes. She has travelled the Oathlands to maintain her family's presence, listening to the needs of the many vassals and small villages in her purview. She has also studied wherever time and location would permit. Sanctum is a haven of knowledge, but the many Valardian domains have also invested heavily in education. Ignorance, when such resources are available, is a terrible sin. There is still work to be done in the Oathlands, but as the world turns its eyes to Arx, so must Princess Adrienne Valardin. Trouble brews. She would go there to stop it if she can. + |
| Aeden Grayhope + | It can be tough being a Grayhope when you're growing up. It's certainly not the Lower Boroughs, but the whispers follow the children of this house from birth to death. Growing up, Aeden was intensely curious, voracious in his consumption of knowledge and sharper than a kid his age should've been. His words got him in trouble as often as not, but his family's relative prominence for a commoner family is what provided the resources for him to go beyond a basic education. Becoming a disciple of Vellichor was an absolute calling to a young man so sure of the direction his life would take. He was a Grayhope, however, and that has had complications of its own, the association with his family hindering him as often as, paradoxically, his faith. He truly believes Vellichor's teachings have become diluted since the Reckoning and his course in service at the Great Archive has followed that path. Knowledge must not be allowed to disappear and hidden knowledge is far more likely lost. As Prelate of the Black of the Great Archive, it is his role to push back against the Censor Librorum and the dangerous loss of knowledge that is hidden. Doesn't particularly ingratiate him with the higher ups, but he's good at what he does. + |
| Aedin Blackwood + | Even the wildest tribes have need of gifted souls able to read the wishes stored in the hearts of men. Whether determining if a treaty will hold or trading fox pelts, that talent sometimes spells the difference between a hard winter and a good one. The Blackwoods had their reputation for holding peace between tribes of the mountains and the sea, and Aedin's mother, a comely lass with golden hair and eyes like fire, caught her father's eye. Their marriage supposed peace, but their daughter surpassed them both for grace and wit. As a child, Aedin enchanted her playmates. Not for her, getting in trouble or torn dresses. She stayed close to her mother's side and honoured the tribe's shamans, often tending to the delicate tasks that earned her approval and favours. Let others barter in coin. She amassed obligations and debts of other kinds, wielding a silent power. Marriage offers spilled in soon as she was old enough, but she denied them all. A greater world waited. Patiently Aedin bided her time, and her exasperated father was none too willing to give up his precious treasure. She knows the ways of the wilds -- no Abandoned turned noblewoman in the North can avoid that -- but so too she learned the quieter secrets, the way of whispers and trade. But the world grew circumscribed. She hungered for the sea and larger markets. The people in the woods pleased her more than the wild wood itself. When the Blackwoods knelt to the Crovanes, she was one of the first to brave the strange world of beyond. Her exoticism lured in the unexpected, and she started up exactly as she had before, acquiring favours and exchanging debts, building on an intricate web of social graces that made her a merchant princess in the most unexpected ways. It wasn't long thereafter a party breezed through her adopted city, seeking someone to speak for them, a diplomat with a keen sense of value and a talent for appraisals. A wide-eyed, electric speaker, Aedin charmed them as much as her new crew laid out a fascinating future. Never one to back down from daring, she took them up, and so sails to Arx and points beyond under the leadership of Arthen Dayne. What's life for if not excitement? + |
| Aedric Blackshore + | Born in the shadow of Cornelius and Oswald, Aedric developed an immediate aversion to court politics and family diplomacy. Opting instead to follow in his bloodline's rich history of mercantilism and exploration, he spent most of his childhood pouring over textbooks, joining vassals and fishmongers on their expeditions to sea, and memorizing naval trade routes. The older he grew, the less time he spent ashore -- missing even the marriages of his brothers and births of his nieces and nephews. Rather than utilize the resources granted to him by noble privilege, he worked tirelessly to establish commercial and personal relationships throughout Arvum. + |
| Aela Velenosa + | Aela grew up invisible as the youngest of 3 children. Her sister was adored by all for her other-worldly beauty while her brother was praised as a scholarly genius from a young age. Aela was, indeed, smart and beautiful, but in the eyes of her parents, she paled greatly to her siblings. Neither a disappoint or a child to pay attention to, Aela grew up mostly isolated from her busy siblings and with generally anything she needed, except the love from her parents. During her lonely childhood, she would often sneak out and explore the city and make friends with the unknowing commoner children. From them, she learned the cunning ways of the streets, the beauty of music, and the fun of adventures. + |
| Aelgar Navegant + | Growing up a noble son in Escuma, Aelgar was lucky to have House tutors and a physically active rural lifestyle in a relatively invasion-free location. He survived childhood uninjured and healthy in the unremarkably active way of country children. Of note, though, is that his curiosity was often commented by adults and his interest in learning occasionally drew ridicule from his peers. He eventually came to the attention of the Disciples of Vellichor, or, perhaps they came to his attention, so precocious was he. As the years passed, he became a student and then an acolyte and, finally, a priest. Along the way, his curiousity and cultural tradition also pushed him to explore the island, wrestle with his peers, learn horses and dogs, and otherwise soak up the normal learning for a boy of his station. As a priest, he carried on the tradition and taught children himself, and then adults, mostly about thinking clearly and critically on topics like medicine and ruling. Over time, the scholarly thinker received some acceptance as a man with a good head on his shoulders and even became respected by some for his contributions. Eventually, though, he became restless with the offerings of his island home. He decided to travel to Arx with a letter of introduction to the church and another for distant relatives living there. + |
| Aelius Mercier + | Aelius was born into a minor branch of the Mercier family, to traditional scions who were interested in keeping the family business on wedding wines alive and well. His father, Vibius, was a dedicated merchant, often assisting to the former head of household in meetings and contacting relevant people to the trade deals. However, a young Aelius wasn't meeting up to the expectations of his father, preferring to spend his time studying scholary matters and painting, instead of learning the family business. Naive as he was, Aelius spent most of his time daydreaming of buildings he would create, tall creations that would impress The Pantheon themselves and he planned to dedicate such buildings to them. It was only when his father suffered a severe disease that Aelius realised his role in the family, he would spend his days trying to learn as much as he could from his dying father, working to fill up his boots and setting his dreams aside, at least for now, so he could help the cause of the family. Vibius passed away around Aelius' 27th Summer and Aelius decided it was time to put his ideas forward and advance the family business to a next level. + |
| Aella Ravenseye + | The firstborn of Chieftain Bran Ravenseye, Aella has always been on a path toward leading her clan of hardy, stalwart seafarers. Graced with rich red hair at birth, the girl was raised hearing murmurs about the blood that runs through her and similarities to her mother - Gudrun - and grandmother. A talented shaman of the Ravenseye people, Gudrun tragically disappeared during a raid by a rival Shav'arvani clan when Aella was just a baby. Bran searched for several years, finding no trace of his wife. Eventually, he remarried, which resulted in Aella gaining three siblings. Cadern, Rosalind, and Triton are all so different from her - and each other, but she loves them all and would do anything in her power to see them succeed. Of the four, Aella took to sailing the best, and she spent as much time as she could learning the ropes and gaining experience to earn being called 'captain' upon reaching her 18th year. And though her people needed to raid to survive, she developed a distinct hate for pirates before her people ever joined the Compact. Like so many others, Ravenseye faced tough choices during the SIlence War. Following their old ally, Clan Blackwood, Ravenseye bent knee to the Compact as their vassal. The addition of the seafaring people to the Northlands brought naval expertise and opportunity to Redrain. Soon after, Bran abdicated his rule to his eldest, believing that it was time for the new generation to lead his people down this new path. Aella had attained her birthright. It hasn't been the smoothest transition. Social missteps, accidental heresy, culture clash, and anti-Prodigal sentiment have dogged her steps over the years. Yet, through it all she has worked hard to show that her people are a benefit to the Compact, growing Stormheart and lending aid during the Gyre War and multiple engagements with Isles Traditionalists and Skal'dajans. She may be a reluctant countess, but Aella Ravenseye stands ready to weather any storm that comes. + |
| Aerandir Elensar + | One unaffiliated with seafaring would likely know little regarding the man that goes by the names of Aerandir Elensar. Nonetheless, should one inquire enough in dockside taverns, inns, and any harbours scattered about the continent of Arvum or the Mourning Isles; knowledgeable sailors, venerable innkeepers and the like may claim him to be a marine of Southport origin recognised for serving aboard a naval vessel called the Lusty Mermaid - which under the vassalage of House Grayson frequented many a harbour throughout the decades. Rumour has it, however, that the Lusty Mermaid - during a voyage through the Darkwater Reach - was sank, its crew slaughtered along with the civilian ship's it was escorting. The disgrace and ignominy following such colossal failure as the commanding officer and sole survivor of the vessel ensured his service's end, though his life was spared in recognition of his and his family's lengthy, formerly immaculate history of servitude. What transpired that day is anyone's guess, but what is certain is that the hedge knight now roams the lands as Crownsworn - bereft of the honour he once bore in service to one of the greatest houses of the Realm. + |
| Aerwan Valardin + | 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. + |
| Aerwyna Froic + | Growing up to a pair of farmers, her family were poor but not the poorest out there. But Aerwyna knew one day she wanted to be well off financially so she was encouraged to find a way to make money and an old family friend showed her the basics of sewing. She hopes to either join the crafter's guild or make it on her own. + |
| Aery Ashford + | Aery's been an orphan from a young age and has as such never been able to learn many good skills. Despite all of this, she's remained a positive outlook on life, somehow managing to stick to living through odd ends here and there. + |
| Aeryn Laurent + | As the youngest sister of Cristoph, Jael, and Cassandra she was free of much responsibility and was free focus on whatever it was at the moment that captured her fascination. For a while she thought she might be a singer or something like a bard. The next, a lawyer. The next focus was animal husbandry and then maybe even medicine. While she shied away form the martial aspects of life, she excelled at whatever she put her mind to. More recently, her father has died and Cristoph has taken the reigns over Artshall and while her heart broke for her father she couldn't be prouder of her older siblings. Now, having come of age she's been loosed upon Arx to find her path and her footing. + |
| Aethan Kennex + | Aethan, the oldest of three brothers, has always felt the oldest child's weight of responsibility, and it only got heavier with time. He went to sea at sixteen, followed soon by his brother Porter, and then by nine year old Ian. Not yet twenty, he found himself wearing the hats of brother, of father, teacher, and guardian. He drove himself hard, taught his brothers to do the same, and by the time they'd graduated from escorting merchant ships to hunting pirates on a ship that Aethan himself captained, the brothers Kennex were a force to be reckoned with, a force forged from the strength of the oldest brother's will. Aethan got so much respect for how well he taught his brothers that he was the one tasked with teaching the ungovernable Washburn Grayson to sail, more responsibility that he bore without breaking. These few years, riding high on the waves with his brothers by his side, were the happiest of Aethan's life, and they ended too soon when Ian, while trying to sail a prize ship through a storm, fell from the rigging and nearly died. The fall left Ian paralyzed -- and Aethan knew that it was his fault. He should have seen the signs that the storm was coming. He should have checked the prize ship's rigging. Unable to stomach the guilt, unable even to look at his broken little brother, Aethan lost himself in the bottle. He also lost himself in the comfort of a woman. Invierna Winter, the daughter of a wealthy Thrax-sworn merchant, came to him in that darkest night and soothed him. Only weeks after meeting her, they were married. Aethan loved her ardently enough that, at least for a couple of years, he was able to drown out his own self-loathing. But this moment of peace was ephemeral. Aethan lost his father, his mother, and his wife all in quick succession -- his father died of a lingering illness that had plagued him for months, and then a few weeks later, his mother and wife died suddenly during the same night. The Aethan who turned up in Arx weeks later was a shadow of the man he had once been, held together by copious amounts of alcohol and little else. He was reunited with his brothers, and as they gradually healed their relationship, he began to heal, as well. He became admiral of Stormward's fleet and served with distinction, spearheading the House's efforts to rebuild into something even stronger than it had been before the freeing of the thralls had driven it to the edge of ruin. Then he was needed for a greater and weightier calling -- Duke-Regent. It wasn't a responsibility that he was comfortable with shouldering, but he did it anyway, just like he always has done. If he's not equal to the task, he'll just have to force himself to rise to it. + |
| Agatha Redrain + | The wealth and privilege of the North do not always manifest in the same ways as the wealth and privilege of the South. Farhaven is not remote to the point of being entirely uncivilized, and yet there is still a brusque forthrightness that its children grow famous for, a wildness of the blood, sometimes coupled with a clarity of vision, that those who are more accustomed to the obfuscations of politics might not be able to channel. In youth, Agatha developed a headstrong nature early, and never abandoned it. For many children, a fall from a horse is reason to avoid horses; for Agatha, a fall from a horse was a reason to bloody well conquer the entire stable. Failures -- in the practice yard, in the schoolroom, in the woods and on the mountainside -- did nothing to deter her from her goals, whatever they were. They were merely added incentive to succeed on the next try. Agatha did not actually set a record for broken bones in the course of her training, but her knight trainers consistently told her that she was at risk of doing so. Yet she healed well and quickly, apparently by applying her force of will to her body, or maybe just by nagging so hard and so aggressively that finally she was permitted to leave the infirmary and get out into the world again regardless of how ready she ought to be for it. Warcraft lured her with her own aptitude -- her strength and acumen with weapons made her want to get out into the world and demonstrate her prowess and earn glory for her house, but meanwhile she struggled with history and mathematics and the things that make a war leader instead of a knight. Yet she applied her focus and her determination to these things as much as to her training, because she simply refused to fail, and she breached the walls of adulthood as a young knight with a fierce desire to prove herself and defend her family from all comers. Originally she was going to spend more time working with the troops in Farhaven and defending the home guard, but as several of her relations of the blood fell in battle or out of it, she determined it was time to join her family in Arx and lend her spear to the defense of the Compact. + |
| Agnarr + | Of common, albeit healthy stock, Agnarr tired of work on the farm and sought to relieve his family of the burden of his appetite, as well as strike out on his own. He stole away in the night with one of the farmstead's felling axes, offering service as a caravan hand - and eventually that grew to caravan guard, until he'd earned enough coin to purchase a proper panoply for himself. With a fair amount of experience underneath his (surprisingly trim) belt, he seeks work rather more in the southern reaches. + |
| Agnarr Frost + | Of common, albeit healthy stock, Agnarr tired of work on the farm and sought to relieve his family of the burden of his appetite, as well as strike out on his own. He stole away in the night with one of the farmstead's felling axes, offering service as a caravan hand - and eventually that grew to caravan guard, until he'd earned enough coin to purchase a proper panoply for himself. With a fair amount of experience underneath his (surprisingly trim) belt, he seeks work rather more in the southern reaches. + |
| Agostino Alonso + | Agostino was born to one of the barmaids at the Black Fox tavern, a lively woman named Marina Alonso, some time ago. Her family had lived in the Ward of the Lyceum for two generations, tracing their blood back to servants who accompanied members of house Argento to Arx as servants from Nilanza. An only child, he fell in easily with some of the troublemakers in the Ward as he grew older, running the streets with them and getting into all manner of mischief. Though he never missed any of the lessons with the Scholars that his mother insisted on, otherwise he could be found all over the city by the time he had reached his teen years. His knowledge of the streets of the city became increasingly valuable as he approached adulthood, beginning with working in the same tavern as his mother, carrying messages for the customers. This quickly translated into more silver for him when he realized that the value of the content of some of those messages, to the right sort of people, was quite high. Along with what he learned from the Scholars, he developed a strong appreciation for knowledge of all sorts, particularly the sort that was risky or difficult to obtain. Over time, he developed a reputation for having access, or gaining it, to all sorts of interesting tidbits, and for years, he did so freelance, selling what he found to the highest bidders. Most of his customers were Lycene, though, given where he grew up, and many considered it merely a matter of time before he was hired by one of them. This happened only recently, however, with the formation of house Malespero, in a way bringing him full circle, since they now have control of the city his own family originated in. It took him some time to get used to the idea of having an employer, but now he has settled into his role within the household comfortably. + |
| Agric Leary + | Like most of the Leary family, Agric spent many of his years in Leaholdt under the vast tutelage of the many scribes and scholars, even at an early age. This paired with strict parents who drilled into him the need for the methodical progression of your intentions, leads to the sort of well-mannered young man who garners the support of many Elder Learies. Let it not be said that his studies failed to grant him expertise either. When Agric came of age, he quickly left his studies at the Leaholdt Academy, only to move up in the world and find a position on their staff. For three years, Agric lingered on the staff of the Leaholdt Academy, learning administration and governance carefully. He focused on the areas of law in order to better assist his family in their dealings, but these were not his passions. Not exactly, even if he did put a proper amount of effort into it as was expected. In reality, what truly grasped his heart was the arts. All of them. Every. Last. Single. One. Agric has a deep love of painting, drawing, and any other number of mediums. He throws himself into learning their intricacies with a passion he doesn't really show anything else. + |
| Ahmar Nightgold + | Ahmar grew up in Stonedeep and was closest to his sister Azolla. Because of her illness as a child, and his lack of social skills and book smarts, he took to training, telling himself that at the very least he could keep his little sister safe. Once he became older and Azolla began to flourish more he began branching out a bit, offering his spear, sword, or axe to any who needed it. He see's it as his duty to keep the people of the north safe. He saw many battles in his time up north. Most of which ending in him being injured so bad that most people wouldn't think a human could survive, but be it luck, the spirits, the gods or /something/, he always managed to make it out the other side without permanent damage, some of course requiring more recovery time than ever. Despite this, it never stopped him from picking his weapons and armor back up and going back at it. More recently his sister came to Arx, and being distrustful of people he doesn't know, he decided to follow, just in case. + |
| Ahriman Grayson + | Ahriman Pravus (married Grayson) was born the fourth sibling and he was a long way from inheritance of the Pravus leadership which meant outside of treachery he was never going to sniff much significance with Setarco and it seemed he was destined to be marriage fodder. Ahriman was left to find his way through military conquest and focused on the sea. A cunning man he was seen as ambitious om his pursuit of sailing; yet perhaps lacking in the Lyceum manner of doing whatever it takes to move upwards within the ranks. He quickly found himself captain upon the High Seas and earned a small measure of prominence through his exploits and leadership. By his siblings and family he was seen as a distant threat due to his familial loyalty and nature. He was never seen as possessing the cunning treacherous aspirations stereotyped within the Lyceum. When Ahriman was married off (sight unseen) to Princess Alarys Grayson the marriage was a suitable match for him. Ahriman married up due to the need of the Grayson fleet of capable commanders. Secondarily the marriage would help tie and improve relations between the Lyceum (and their massive fleets) and the Grayson family. And when viewed through the lenses of Thraxian instability and rebellion that left the seas volatile and unruly; the marriage was a perfect opportunistic match of the time. And so he was content to marry up and the man found himself enjoying his newfound family and position. Ahriman showed his prowess at sea and as he sailed and led Grayson ships to war the man earned notoriety and was seen as a great rising commander whose sights were set upon command and control of the Grayson fleet. At home his marriage blossomed and the birth of his first daughter (Lou Grayson) and concluding with his third and youngest daughter (Reese Grayson). All of whom favored their mother's lighter complexion. He was a firm yet caring father full of energy and warmth to his children and his family. He grew to love his wife very deeply. Ahriman was far more reserved outside of this circle behind closed doors and was perceived at times to be a bit cold and firm in his person outside of his closed circle. He was very much a firm authoritarian in his personality when removed from the presence of the joys in his life. Ahriman was next in line to inherit the Grayson fleet when he sailed out with a small number of ships on a searcg mission into Abandoned waters in 994 AR in search of the lost Alaric III. The small contingent of vessels never returned and many considered Prince Ahriman Grayson a casualty caught up in either a victim of piracy or having been lost to violent storms that were reported in the area. No word of the presumed dead Prince surfaced for many years until recently. Rumors began in late 1009 AR of a man found many leagues into Abandoned and Gyre waters that capture a barely sailable skiff and found refuge in Lyceum waters near Setarco. Weak, gaunt, and barely alive he was taken to the Mercy's where he was nourished back to health until only recently did he regain consciousness. That man has identified himself as Prince Ahriman Grayson. He remembers little or nothing of what happened seventeen years ago on his voyage. His life the last seventeen years was spent as a slave in Abandoned lands he recalls well. It was not until disease wiped out his captors (one his Arx immunities saved him from) that he found and eventually won his freedom. The layers of scars and whip marks upon his flesh validate much of his claim along with the clear aged deformation around his throat due to his slave collar. Now Prince Ahriman has returned to Arx to see what became of his daughters, his wife, and his Grayson family. He has been reported to be distant and if not a little troubled from his ordeal but mostly of sound mind and body. His physical prowess though has waned given his captivity and torment. + |
| Ahrsen Damane + | Ahrsen was born on a tiny island to the south. Expansion pushed larger houses outwards, and those, in turn, pushed smaller houses even further out. Soon the tiny island was usurped by a greater house and made into a barony after a terrible battle that saw most fighting men dead. The boy's mother would sing to him at night and tell him stories of the old kingdom and what it was like to be a part of his people. Having fled their little island the boy and his mother grew up in relative peace until he came of age. It was around the age of 14 or 15 that Ahrsen begins to show an interest in a sailors life. He threw in with mercenaries early on and soon was sailing the clear blue waters of the south seas and raiding. Within a matter of years, he soon had a ship of his own and a loyal crew. His silent, brooding nature and short way of speaking garnered a fair amount of loyalty and respect from his crew, and they were feared in those waters. The captain was in it for the money and glory, nothing more. As a captain, Ahrsen learned more things than the art of sailing and combat. He learned things like music and poetry, things he had no skill at but grew on him. A love of animals, wildlife, and art also entertained his thoughts. All these things were as much a part of his adventures as they were the upbringing by his mother, a lady who had once had great influence on the little island where he was born. His mother passed shortly after his 20th year but not before giving a ring that belonged to his father. The mercenary group had turned into a sizeable fleet after some time, and they begin to run into trouble as they gained a little too much attention. Rather than fight to the bitter end or be captured and imprisoned, Ahrsen and his crew sold their ship, disbanded most of the crew and then purchased a new one. In that vessel, they sailed to Arx with plans to do business closer to the capital. For now, they have been raiding Abandoned and doing mercenary jobs, the Captain waiting for the right time to take in a big haul. + |
| Ahven Granger + | When Ahven was very young, her parents moved the family from Artshall to Sanctum. Or, they meant to. They were involved in an accident on the road, leaving Ahven to be escorted back to Artshall by a Knight of Solace - now an orphan. Her closest living relative there was the Seraph, and while he could not adopt her, he did make sure she was provided for and well educated as a ward of the local nobility. Her memories of that trip are faint and fractured, but the impression of the heroic Knight who found her and carried her home never left her. She grew up torn between her desire to follow in her Knightly hero's footsteps and her desire to honor the memory and legacy of her family. One does not simply forget when one is the last known living descendant of the Very First Champion. Luckily, in the Oathlands, these two dreams can be entwined and chased together, and that's what she's done, barrelling through her adolescence and teenage years, leading with her head. It's the hardest part of her body. + |
| Aibek Grayson + | Aibek Grayson is the youngest child of Roderick Grayson and Daniela Grayson nee Bisland. A scion of both House Grayson and House Bisland. He studied combat under his uncle duke Gabriel Bisland along with his older brother Ainsley. But he leaned more toward smaller, faster blades than his older brother. His parents had all but given up on getting one of their children to be a politician by the time that Aibek was old enough to start being guided in life, so while he was given tutelage and taught how to be a noble as all members of his family-- he was also somewhat spoilt by his parents. He was allowed to put his attention more toward the physical, becoming quite acrobatic. But he also had a wanderlust, and he ended up travelling for some time with a relative, and then joining the Knights of Solace as a disciple. Squaring with a knight for a time to help protect travelers. + |
| Aiden Grayson + | 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. + |
| Aiden Rubino-zaffria + | 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. + |
| Ailith Ethere + | For those of humble birth among the many vassals of House Valardin, the dream of being one of their gallant knights may forever be out of reach. But Ailith as a commoner sought martial training regardless, accepting she might raise no higher than a simple footsoldier among the house guards of the tiny barony of her birth if that was the price she might pay for a chance to strike at the evil foes that threaten home and hearth. She feels it was the will of the gods to spare her from a boring backwater, however, when her barony found itself on the front against an Abandoned warband, a shockingly large makeshift army of several barbaric clans who sought to raid and plunder the weaker borders of House Valardin's holdings. Ailith still remembers the looks of terror on her fellow soldiers faces on the eve before battle, and the disappointment she felt when she realized the seraph assigned to her barony was a terrified old priest who never expected to speak on the eve of a battle. The young woman still recalls being able to all but smell the fear from her fellow soldiers, sapping their resolve, and then something like a whisper to her... something only she could hear, that spoke words of iron and triumph. Ailith, the youngest soldier and lowest of the guards out of the hundreds, addressed her unit. She spoke movingly of faith, of duty, of honor, and what it meant to be a child of the gods and a servant of Gloria. She remembers the fear melting away from her fellow soldiers, the growing cheers as those men and women found their courage and their resolve, and of the fervor that gripped them all as they then faced the screaming hordes of the Abandoned the following day and smashed the enemy host while greatly outnumbered. A lone knight of solace who had been at the battle declared it no less than a miracle, and all but demanded that Ailith be sent to Arx to meet with the Faith and consider joining one of the militant orders serving the gods. Though she was expecting to become a soldier serving with the Knights of the Temple, a meeting with the Dominus himself convinced the young woman otherwise. The earthly voice of the gods spoke movingly of the importance of priestesses that can inspire and remind the faithful of what the gods require of them and to not break when the time comes for their tests of faith. He convinced her that one who can speak with divinely inspired words can do more good in the halls of power than a thousand steadfast soldiers, and assigned her as the personal priestess to the royal family: the palace seraph. Ailith is not entirely comfortable with a role that keeps her from the fighting, but she nonetheless recognizes its importance. How few commoners get the chance to talk to kings, and counsel them on what their faith asks of them? As the palace seraph, it is precisely her task, and she can do no less if that is the path the gods have set before her. + |
| Ailys Grayson + | Princess Ailys Grayson, daughter of Prince Rodric Grayson and Lady Daniela Bisland, was born with all the patience and composure that her oldest brother, Ainsley, would prove to lack. Those present for the event later joked that she came out of the womb with more poise and grace than even the most veteran of diplomats. So, of course, it is to everyone's dismay that she refused to become a politician, instead applying those gifts to perfecting her bedside manner in the field of medicine. She knew early on that she would need to learn how to mend flesh and bone; after all, her siblings were always getting hurt in their training. Providing assistance in those moments came naturally. She instinctively tended to cuts and scrapes. It started with Ainsley but soon encompassed all of the children that trained under her uncle, Duke Gabriel Bisland, as well. By the age of ten, she was watching a sparring match between two hot-headed young men, no adults in sight, that ended with one of the boys getting a particularly bad knock to the head! Ailys calmly took control of the situation, seeing to the injured party before getting her uncle's physician involved. Said physician was so impressed by her handling of the mishap that they took her on as an apprentice. From that day on, she received expert instruction in the healing arts. By the time she reached the age of majority, she was deemed competent enough to act unsupervised. Ailys garnered an impressive reputation as both a trusted healer and a much beloved Grayson princess, devoted to both roles with humility and the utmost decorum. That is why it came as such a shock to the people of the Crownlands, in the shadow of the Sack of Bastion, she set aside all titles and noble privileges to live as a commoner. 'Such a sensitive soul,' the scholars wrote, cherishing her all the more for it. + |
| Aindre Grayson + | Aindre Grayson was a bold and capable soul from his youngest years, always a strong-willed handful and into everything. His parents and teachers realized early on that his liveliness of spirit would need to be channeled into something productive. The sword was a natural fit and he was allowed to pursue it so long as he gave an equal amount of dedication to his lessons in strong leadership, sound diplomacy and whatever else his parents thought to be the hallmarks of a great political figure. This left him with the well-rounded education a prince should have, but anyone could see that while it was duty which drove him to learn the importance of maneuvering through the political machinations of the realm, his training in arms was where his passion was allowed to blossom. Between the excessive number of exceptionally talented members belonging to both halves of his Grayson and Bisland lineage, Aindre was never at a loss for older role models nor was he ever lacking in extraordinary cousins to test himself against in matters of the sword or the silver tongue. A veteran of two wars - the Silence and the Gyre - it was only a matter of time before his duties carried him to Arx on a more long-term basis in the Spring of 1012 AR at a point when tensions were high, the last of his siblings to do so. How his story unfolds from there is anyone's guess, but Aindre Grayson cut his teeth on tales of his family's storied history and the words of his House might as well be etched into his soul, so many in Bastion expect even greater things from him. No pressure, right? + |
| Aine Halfshav + | Adelie Pravus, second wife of Ahern Halfshav, was unhappy in Whitehold from the moment she arrived following her marriage to the widowed lord. Khanne and Arik were never really hers and this world was cold and miserable. It was likely that there would have been a divorce, but then Aine arrived in a screaming bundle on one rare, gloriously warm day in the far north reaches. And Adelie had something of her own, which Aine was raised to be. She was not raised with or like her half-siblings, allowed to form their own paths in the wilds, especially after Ahern's death. She was raised as a Southern lady, her mother's own little audience just as trapped as Adelie felt but in a different way. The call of her Northern blood was a thing to be ignored as she studied and worked on her wits and charm. It's only as Khanne rises that Aine has found an escape. She has been allowed to come to Arx, to see the city for the first time, and notable without her mother in attendance. There's hardly a party, or event in the bustling capital that Aine isn't attending. If she wants to make it somewhere in this world, she knows that she's going to make the right connections. Sister of a Duchess is not all that she wishes to be. + |
| Ainsley 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. + |
| Aisha Inverno + | Aisha was one of several siblings and a member of the Inverno family. She was expected to uphold the traditions of her family as well as be a proper woman of the Velenosa fealty. Duty was hammered into Aisha since birth. This sense of duty never escaped her even as it became clear as she grew that she was a person who got lost in her own thoughts far too much. However, she never failed to take up her duties. One is not noble, according to Aisha, and forgets their duties towards their family, their fealty, and their Gods. That is the way of things. At one point in her life Aisha realized she, like many of her family seemed to be inclined, wished to become a Mirrormask. She realized her more notable personality traits were at odds with each other, just as a reflection typical is. + |
| Aislin Ashford + | As a girl, Aislin demanded tales of adventure in which the pretty princess was the heroine and the dashing prince was the plucky sidekick, and side by side the two of them would take on the world, seeing the sights and mapping the secrets of Arvum. As a woman, Aislin isn't wasting her time waiting for the dashing prince to accompany her on her adventures, and instead of having tales recounted at her bedside, she is living her dream. An explorer with impressive locales under her belt, Aislin is her own hero. She's blazed mountain trails and mapped coastlines, categorized artifacts and delivered manuscripts to the Scholars of Vellichor, though her fierce independence has thus far kept her from outright joining their order. She does spend quite a bit of time in Arx however, seeking out like-minded scholars and explorers to exchange stories and obscure bits of lore, and sometimes to team up with those self-same people for further adventuring. + |
| Ajax Tyde + | "Let the silver fall, boy!" The echoes of Ajax's father still crawling through his skull. He was a surprisingly happy child before the fall of Tyde under the strict tutelage of his father and mother both well respected if not ruthless merchants of the realm which led to an unfortunate bit of scrutiny on the otherwise happy go lucky child. As he aged into the world properly he never found himself taken with further education provided by his parents and as he simply seemed to lack the patience required to be a merchant. In his teenage years, he spent time away from his mother and father to learn the art of sword play from a distant uncle. Learning chivalry, and the art of the sword spoon fed the tales of war and adventure against the elves. Ajax was being prepared for service to a knight when Tyde had fallen. When the news had reached the land he had disappeared only being spoken of in rare passing. During the start of Ajax adulthood he would be found amongst the Redwood mercenary company, often guarding the roads, fighting in small skirmishes for coin. Eventually, parting to earn his own way in the world. While those who encounter him claim he cares for little for status, he seems content in his own dreams in hording a large stockpile of coin + |
| Akamos Cyrto'ani + | Most of the Abandoned that can be found in the islands of the Cyrto Arch to the far South West of the Lyceum Sea are part of a clan known as a Pol, lead by a Polmarkh. They vary in nature with some living in scattered towns and villages with others preferring to live behind the protection given by the walls of their fortified towns. Akamos was born and raised amongst the Pol of the Mountain, on Cyrto Major, the largest isle in the Cyrto Archipelago. Rare amongst the Pols of the Cyrto Arch, that of the Mountain had a strong shamanistic tradition, one that Akamos never truly felt satisfied him. As a child he enjoyed the life that he had, helping his father with the fishing and enjoying the praise from his parents when he performed his chores to their satisfaction. When he was twelve his life was changed drastically when his parents were both killed in a raid orchestrated by another Cyrto Arch faction, the Pol of the Reef, a particularly aggressive and warlike Pol. He was then taken in as a ward of Arkhos Arminius, the second to Polmarkh Kassandra and war leader of the Pol of the Mountain. His day to life changed completely as he was more or less in service to Arkhos at that point, the veteran war leader training the boy hard in the ways of combat. However hard he may try in his training and tasks, Akamos never got any praise from Arkhos and it was only the occasional positive words from his cousin Kia that gave him any sense of self worth. Then the Malvici lead expedition came to Cyrto Major in friendship to the Pol of the Mountain. They defeated the rival Pol of the Great Bay and established House Magnotta, Akamos got to see other types of warriors and fighting and vowed to emulate and impress them and over the following years he became a rising name amongst his people and the settlers from the mainland. A short while ago however he was responsible for defending a group of travellers out of Caer Morien from a savage attack by the Pol of the Reef. Akamos was at the forefront of the battle and was cited as being responsible for routing the attackers. Word of his feat spread until it reached the ear of the new Count Domonico Magnotta, who then summoned him to offer this warrior the position of Sword of Caer Morien. + |
| Akio Nagamine + | By thirty-five, Akio should have been someone. He should have married for the honor of his house or to stir his own ambitions and climb the social ladder. He should have been among the ranks of the Children, running across the rooftops of the capital city. By thirty-five, Akio's name should be known to more than just his family and friends, but to his father's disappointment it was not. Akio seemed to have none of the same ambitions that had driven his family the ranks of middle nobility in the Undying Empire. This was not to say that Akio had done nothing with his life. He had spent it as a scholar, chasing a discovery that might one day put his name on the tongues of important people. The problem he found was that most of the important discoveries in the Empire had already...well, been discovered. At least that was his excuse. The beaurocracy made sure everything was well documented. The scribes of Vellichor picked up what slack was left. If you wanted to know something, you just went to the library. Then came Arvum. Then came Copper's death and the year of mourning, and everything for Akio changed. Suddenly he had a chance to docment what the Empire did not have. Suddenly he had a chance to study what Platinum did not already know. And maybe if he could return home with the results of the Platinum Shift documented, then he could find a reward worthy of his father's praise. And so he was sent with Xia, Jian, and Nyima as part of the delegation to Arx. Now he serves as Chronicler and Accountant while working his private research. + |
| Aksel Nygard + | Aksel hails from a commoner family Nygard that has been loyal to the Nightgolds for as long as anyone can remember. Like the clan of enterprising shavs so many generations ago, they too bent the knee to Arx and its rulers. The Nygard clan ended up being small, but proud family of miners, which they had done for generations before being brought into the fold of Nightgold. Good work, hard work, but fulfilling work. They worked the mines, were paid decently for their services and really couldn't be asked for much else. They were neither popular or disliked, the Nygards were seem more as a staple and anchor in Stonedeep. So long as a Nygard worked the mines, all would be well. Aksel, in the beginning, barely entering his teen, joined in the family work, taking up the pickaxe like his father, brothers, and ancestors before. In his clan, it was something as priviledge, grateful to the mountain that allowed them to take their bounty from it. Aksel's life took a turn for the different, the day a tribe of shavs, still unwilling to bend knee and finding the hold of Stonedeep and affront to their way of life, attacked one of the mines worked by the Nightgold. Aksel's father older brothers were there that day, and were killed in the resulting cave-in that ensued, created by the attacking shavs. For all his life, Aksel had intended on just being another miner, an everyman, a common man, and was content with this. But now being the eldest of the family and burning with anger at the family taken from him, he enlisted in the duchy's armies to serve his cause and get his revenge after the tribe led to the collapse of a mine tunnel, entombing his father and eldestborn brothers with in it. Come to his surprise, his more than anyone else's, he had a knack for combat. It came naturally to him as it did taking a pickaxe to ore. And this talent was picked out by the Nightgolds, one of their elder soldiers having an eye for raw, but bursting talent when she sees it. She took young Aksel under her wing, having him train alongside Nadia and her elder brother Dustin. A rather odd thing to do, which made Aksel nervous to no end, not thinking he should be anywhere near them, but oddly enough, the three of them formed a bond and fast friendship between them. And so the training and fighting continued, Aksel, somehow making a name for himself as one of the better soldiers in Stonedeep, a point of contention the man always denies, having no want or need for songs sung or ballads told about him. Which really, only endeared him more to common folk of Stonedeep, being his humility and the simple statement that he was only doing his job. It was, and still is, something he hasn't gotten used to, being the center of attention. He's more happy to stand in the background and let the nobles have their fun. His likes are simple ones, such as his hobby of carving jewerly from soapstone. Years and personal accolades later, Duke Neddim Nightgold goes on one of his "famous walks" that he was known to do and never comes back. Weeks pass, and after enough fretting and worrying, Dustin and a number of other Nightgold family members and soldiers go after him in search and end up missing as well. Some time later, a sack is sent to doors of Stonedeep. Inside the bag is nothing more than a number of severed, frostbitten and bloated hands back with rosegold signet rings. None of them were the duchal ring, which meant there was chance Duke Nightgold still lived, resulting in Princess Nadia to send a war party out for blood and take revenge. She appointed Aksel, her friend, to led that war party, though word is he requested to lead it because of his friendship with Dustin. The shavs, and it was shavs who committed the act, were killed to the man, Aksel as the one who killed their chieftan in single combat, leaving the latter dead and former with a scar on his face for his efforts. It was to be this story that would be told for some time. Rescuing the Duke Nightgold and avenging the losses of the house, Princess Nadia named Aksel Sword of Stonedeep as a title, and giving him the relic weapon which represented that house. And yes, to this day, Aksel still downplays his involvement. He's just a soldier, even if these days Nadia keeps dragging him along in whatever she happens to get wrapped up in. + |
| Alantir Valardin + | How Alantir survived the Tragedy at Sanctum remains to this day a mystery. He has the scars to show for it, of course -- the raised and discolored tissue marring the majority of his bare chest and back. But the memories, beyond crawling from beneath a pile of corpses and burning debris? Hidden behind an impenetrable veil that obfuscates even his unconscious mind from uncovering the truth beneath. He talks about the event rarely, opting instead to busy himself with tasks entrusted to him on behalf of his family and its dignitaries. Outside of this blemish on an otherwise perfect record, he is very much the honor-bound and chivalrous knight one would expect to find bearing the crest of the White Dragon -- though perhaps with a negative predisposition toward the shav'arvani due to the great pain the Abandoned inflicted upon the Valardin psyche. + |
| Alaric Grayson + | When his father, King Alaric III was lost at sea during the Tyde Rebellion, King Alaric IV was just a boy- a boy who greatly resented the regency of Duke Gabriel Bisland, a duke who had no intention of attempting to shielding the young boy from the harsh realities of rule, but wound up alienating his ward. After Alaric IV's majority when he came of age at 18, he dismissed Gabriel as regent, ruling as a well liked but intensely frivolous king, who had little interest in the advice of sober ministers and listened to corrupt flatterers- ultimately resulting in the King's Rest, when his tragic trip to the Night Grove resulted in the death of his entire royal retine, and his coma for three years. Finally freed from his illness, the King of the Compact is determined to make right for the sins of the past and prove himself a true king, leading with strength and wisdom as he rules over a hard won peace. A peace that almost certainly will not last. + |
| Alarie Harall + | "I can barely remember the Saffron Chain. I was but a small child when my family came to the city. My father was a merchant, patriarch of the family. He sought to bring his business here to make a name for himself and the family. Unfortunately, he never quite made it as big as he had dreamed. We really cannot complain though, we have shelter and food. We do not go without our needs. Though,he had always dreamed of more. Mother had a talent with cooking and she always seemed to enjoy providing for the family. She always did father's biding with a smile on her face. Many men envied him for the wife he had. However, she took ill and died when I was twelve. Since then, father was not the same. He drank. He lost interest in the business. The family began to suffer for it. One thing I learned from mother was how to sew. I am actually quite good at it. The actors and actresses come to me for their costumes when putting on their plays. People around the city seek me out to make new garments for them. I have used this to help build the family back up. It all goes back to the family. + |
| Alarissa Thrax + | No matter how adept Princess Alarissa manages to be at getting her way, it always seems like the world conspires to ruin her victories. Ever since she was very young, the ambitious young woman felt she was destined for glory. She was born too distant from the crown to rule Grayson by inheritance, of course, but she had almost neatly circumvented that nuisance of birth by showing Alaric IV just how obviously lovely and charming she was, and had juuuuuust about gotten a betrothal when frustratingly wiser heads snatched him away and gotten the distantly related dolt to agree to marry a Thraxian instead. Yes, yes, putting an end to centuries of unrest and blood is simply wonderful for those worried about that sort of thing, but Alarissa would have been a marvelous Queen for a pure Grayson match. Instead, Alarissa was forced to pivot from being the perfect potential match for King Alaric into being the perfect potential match for some high-lord to be or other. So she arranged to 'accidentally' meet Prince Vance Valardin, the disturbingly pious and stalwart son of the Prince of Sanctum and future ruler of the Oathlands, and she had to awe him with her numerous virtues, foremost that she looked absolutely stunning in white. It wasn't too long before she was betrothed, and not much longer until she was married and finally in a position to be the wife of the future Prince of Sanctum, and then all her plans needed to be thrown into ruin once more. Her husband (along with most of his family) were killed at the Tragedy at Sanctum, leaving Alarissa an extremely young window without issue among her new family in House Valardin. While she appreciates that he died heroically protecting his extremely gorgeous and charming young wife, she would have much rather he heroically barred the door until help arrived rather than leaving her alone to consider her next move. It is most irritating. That next move would take nearly five years. But good things come to those who wait and the Usurper of Maelstrom reached out with an offer. A political marriage. They were in need of her Grayson blood and Valardin connections. The hindrance was the status as enemies, both houses. But! She had a solution to that. Why wouldn't she? Nothing was going to get in her way. Oathlanders keep their promises after all and Alarissa had no qualms about leveraging a promise made by the Prince of Sanctum. It was a pairing that brought no small amount of shock and in a circuitous fashion Thrax and Grayson back again. A quiet marriage of just Godsworn and themselves, knee deep in water and the deed was done. The mainlander bride of the High Lord of Thrax. Whether this would last, who knew. She had adaptability going for her. A Grayson flower in the tidal pools of Thrax. Time would tell. And it has thus far. At his side and working hand in hand, Thrax has begun to really prosper. The Gyre dispensed with, Thralldom reformations in place - attributed to her despite that in truth it's Victus but that's perfectly fine with her. A truce between Valardin and Thrax that has settled in, a renewed strong alliance between the Lycene and Mourning Isles. There is little that has failed to be accomplished when Alarissa has put her mind to it. Heirs provided, including the future first High Lady of Thrax, everything seems to be going well on the outside and the marriage going strong. But she's still young in that marriage, in helping rule and her status as one of the most talked about women in the city and the compact brings no small amount of jealousy or admiration from it's populace. She still has a long way to go and many more moves. + |
| Alarissa Valardin + | No matter how adept Princess Alarissa manages to be at getting her way, it always seems like the world conspires to ruin her victories. Ever since she was very young, the ambitious young woman felt she was destined for glory. She was born too distant from the crown to rule Grayson by inheritance, of course, but she had almost neatly circumvented that nuisance of birth by showing Alaric IV just how obviously lovely and charming she was, and had juuuuuust about gotten a betrothal when frustratingly wiser heads snatched him away and gotten the distantly related dolt to agree to marry a Thraxian instead. Yes, yes, putting an end to centuries of unrest and blood is simply wonderful for those worried about that sort of thing, but Alarissa would have been a marvelous Queen for a pure Grayson match. Instead, Alarissa was forced to pivot from being the perfect potential match for King Alaric into being the perfect potential match for some high-lord to be or other. So she arranged to 'accidentally' meet Prince Vance Valardin, the disturbingly pious and stalwart son of the Prince of Sanctum and future ruler of the Oathlands, and she had to awe him with her numerous virtues, foremost that she looked absolutely stunning in white. It wasn't too long before she was betrothed, and not much longer until she was married and finally in a position to be the wife of the future Prince of Sanctum, and then all her plans needed to be thrown into ruin once more. Her husband (along with most of his family) were killed at the Tragedy at Sanctum, leaving Alarissa an extremely young window without issue among her new family in House Valardin. While she appreciates that he died heroically protecting his extremely gorgeous and charming young wife, she would have much rather he heroically barred the door until help arrived rather than leaving her alone to consider her next move. It is most irritating. + |
| Alayne Frost + | Alayne's history, since childhood, was laced and tied to calamity that was no public secret. Her father, a famed alchemist under the hire of a now diseased vassal of Redrain, practiced his trade openly in the red ward of its fealty. A particularly treacherous night called for the explosion of his laboratory, a combination of fire; of nameless concoctions with terrifying, gaseous nature spelling the doom of him, his Lord and his family name. Alayne was cast aside as one of the few surviving elders of her already shattered family. The youngest were taken in as wards of the surrounding houses- pages, squires, or stableboys. The relatively older Alayne, however, shed her name and took to the only thing she knew; mixing potions and working her father's trade as yet another nameless figure in patchy browns amongst the many, chasing battlefields and death to ply medicine and healing. As an omen of strife to surely come, it is no secret why the woman has returned to Arx. + |
| Alban Farshaw + | Alban Farshaw is a cousin of the Duke of Westrock Reach, slightly out of line of succession given his age. His mother was the youngest sister of the old Duke of Westrock, who died without an heir of his blood-- passing the duchy to Ryhalt. Alban has never been concerned with the line of succession for the duchy, however. His concerns have always been on the troops of Westrock. At a young age it was decided he would become the General of Westrock-- his father, after all, was the previous once. So when he was old enough he was sent to the mainland and to Sanctum to squire with a knight there. He took the lessons of honor, chivalry, and fealty quite to heart. When he graduated from his squirehood and was knighted he returned home to take over the duties as Minister of Warfare for Westrock Reach. While he's still a young commander he's got a natural charisma and calming quality to him. He's a staid and serious young man. He is dedicated to his family and to his troops. + |
| Alberic Laveer + | For all that may be concerned, Alberic may as well have been born of the sea. When he was found on the shores of Brighthold County, he was a speechless waif with no family or friend. His life became one of quiet survival and wit. He grew up there, as all in Brighthold did, as was needed to survive. He traded service for a place to sleep or a meal to eat, coming and going by different means at different times. Despite the tragedy of his coming to Brighthold, he never feared the planks of another ship, and made much of his young life as a fishing hand or guide. %TThis was his life and his world until he became a man. Life on the sea had given him a knowledge of rig and sails, and most importantly, wind. Conscripted to serve under the sails of the Laveer, Alberic adapted to a life of military defense in the popular waterways between Brighthold and Arx. Being an accomplished captain and swordarm defending the people adeck the Laveer ships was a fine way to earn a living, and it paid off for Alberic end-over-end. Being handy with a bow or spear eventually lent itself to a command over others wielding the bows and spears. Eventually, this grew to a command of Captains and Commanders of vessel and force, with Alberic being raised to a position within the Laveer house as not only an adopted son, but Admiral. + |
| Aldwin Aurum + | Of all the orders of the Realm, perhaps the Scholars of Vellichor are the most respected. Every great house welcomes the men and women who dedicate themselves to learning, to the safeguarding of knowledge, and to the healing arts under the auspices of the Faith. And of that revered order, none are as held in as great esteem as the first of their order, the Archscholar of Vellichor. Aldwin has been acting as Archscholar for at least a generation, and is such a fixture at court giving his kind, reasonable and wise counsel that more than one peer jokes that the man has always been there. He is perhaps the only significant political figure without any true enemies- after all, the man offers his advice to any that seek it without reservation, is conscientious to a fault, seems to have no political ambitions whatsoever, and his order has no interest in power at all. A kindly old man that offers no threat to anyone is not likely to make very many enemies, and more than one high born noble thinks of the gentle elderly scholar as a sweet old grandfather (which, knowing the life most nobles lived, is odds on more likely kinder than any grandfather they ever knew themselves). + |
| Aldwulf Unknown + | Little is known about Aldwulf's younger days. He makes claims to being from nobody farmer parents whom he barely remembers, found deep within a minor barony owing allegiance to Ashford. When he was old enough to make his own decisions, he left because the farming life just wasn't for him. His first stop was the watch stations that dot the Ashford lands. Two years of that was more than enough for the man who developed wanderlust at a young age. After that, it was time to travel. A young man with very little money set out. Apparently, he picked up some classical education at some point (perhaps a mentor while he served in the watch, perhaps through an individual after his military career), because odd jobs like cartography and archeology lept out at him and he was able to do more than other typical poor hires. These were the type of things he would seek, serving as a helper or a short-lived apprentice before moving on to the next thing. It was during this time that he developed his explorer skills, whether it was unmapped lands or runes of cultures just after the Reckoning, Aldwulf was drawn to them. It's known that he wants to become famous, to discover things that others haven't and write about them. Arx has called to him as a place that perhaps he can make this happen. Other than that, it's also known that Aldwulf tends to live outside of his means. He is a regular at the inns, wearing clothing of quality that is higher than a commoner's wear, but older, perhaps even a little threadbare. He is a gambler and loves to learn new games. His time as an explorer has turned him into a bit of a risk-taker, whether with dice or deep in the woods. + |
| Alecstazi Halfshav + | Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Thrax, Alecstazi was born into power. Or at least within the aura of it. Even as a child he was measured, perceptive and quick to learn the art that was surviving in Donrai's court. He studied his uncle well, and modeled himself after the most successful courtiers in the Mourning Isles. He did not speak unless spoken to, his answers were short, accurate and politely given. He studied the way of the sword and hid his dislike of boats, because showing weakness was not the path to victory. And victory? Meant surviving. Alecstazi was twelve years old when the Tyde Rebellion began and Donrai's fury threatened to turn the seas permanently red. Too young to fight, Alecstazi studied the battle reports, drank up stories of the fighting, listening at Donrai's knee. Three years later, he was horrified to discover that his father, Weylan and his older brother Rotan were traitors, working to try to smuggle some of the last remaining Tyde children to freedom. He immediately called for guards and told his uncle of his father and elder brother's crimes. The sentence was to be death, but at Alecstazi's suggestion, he had them made thralls instead. Death is a swift punishment with no chance to really atone for one's betrayals, he reasoned. Thralldom... well. Isn't that the worse punishment? Apparently, Donrai agreed. Alecstazi earned his uncle's favor and was able to navigate that into being allowed (with no small amount of eye rolling) to cultivate a small number of cavalry soldiers in Maelstrom. Again, he argued, if ever there was a need to fight on the mainland, better to have an idea and some preparedness than be caught flatfooted and landlocked. He enjoyed the benefits of Donrai's favor, cultivating his persona at court, continuing his education in martial training, tactics and doing his cavalry drills. When the old man died and Victus defeated Dagon, that was a blow that left him reeling. He's continued to work towards the betterment of Maelstrom, though the direction the fealty has been taking, the move away from tradition has been growing more and more concerning. This last proclamation, about the end of thralldom, well. Things have got to stop. It is time for Alecstazi to head to Arx and see for himself what is going on. + |
| Alecstazi Thrax + | Son of Donrai's youngest brother Weylan Thrax, Alecstazi was born into power. Or at least within the aura of it. Even as a child he was measured, perceptive and quick to learn the art that was surviving in Donrai's court. He studied his uncle well, and modeled himself after the most successful courtiers in the Mourning Isles. He did not speak unless spoken to, his answers were short, accurate and politely given. He studied the way of the sword and hid his dislike of boats, because showing weakness was not the path to victory. And victory? Meant surviving. Alecstazi was twelve years old when the Tyde Rebellion began and Donrai's fury threatened to turn the seas permanently red. Too young to fight, Alecstazi studied the battle reports, drank up stories of the fighting, listening at Donrai's knee. Three years later, he was horrified to discover that his father, Weylan and his older brother Rotan were traitors, working to try to smuggle some of the last remaining Tyde children to freedom. He immediately called for guards and told his uncle of his father and elder brother's crimes. The sentence was to be death, but at Alecstazi's suggestion, he had them made thralls instead. Death is a swift punishment with no chance to really atone for one's betrayals, he reasoned. Thralldom... well. Isn't that the worse punishment? Apparently, Donrai agreed. Alecstazi earned his uncle's favor and was able to navigate that into being allowed (with no small amount of eye rolling) to cultivate a small number of cavalry soldiers in Maelstrom. Again, he argued, if ever there was a need to fight on the mainland, better to have an idea and some preparedness than be caught flatfooted and landlocked. He enjoyed the benefits of Donrai's favor, cultivating his persona at court, continuing his education in martial training, tactics and doing his cavalry drills. When the old man died and Victus defeated Dagon, that was a blow that left him reeling. He's continued to work towards the betterment of Maelstrom, though the direction the fealty has been taking, the move away from tradition has been growing more and more concerning. This last proclamation, about the end of thralldom, well. Things have got to stop. It is time for Alecstazi to head to Arx and see for himself what is going on. + |
| Alecto Charon + | A lawyer and dabbling-merchant specializing in maritime affairs, Lord Alecto Threerivers served as Voice to the late Count Trevor Threerivers and momentarily as Count-Regent in the days immediately following that man's death and prior to the new Countess of Highrock announcing herself. That Alecto sided with Magaen's succession claim over that of her sister in what he charmingly refers to as 'the trouble with having twins' was considered a big coup for her by outside observers, but privately the pair had been quietly allied for quite some time. Much of the influence Highrock enjoys on the system of nearby riverways crisscrossing the Northern-Oathlands border can be attributed to Alecto's efforts on behalf of his former house. It gives him no satisfaction to see that influence wane in the absence of his nuanced stewardship. Now, Alecto has the prosperity of Glacial Grove to concern himself over. With House Charon inheriting a virtually uninhabitable tower castle, decrepit defensive walls, a crumbling infrastructure, and a withering Prodigal population, the newly conquered holding is bound to keep this consummate worrier up at night. + |
| Alejandro Rossetti + | Born in the city of Tor to a house servant of House Fidante, Alejandro Rossetti was the first of three children born within three years of his parent's marriage. Precocious from a young age, he was considered by some to be a musical prodigy at the age of four. There was talk that the Whisper house in Arx was interested in him but by that time his path had already been laid out before him. By luck and hard work he was being raised with Lady Calista, the very young daughter of Duchess Giancinta Fidante. There was tragedy that saw Giancinta killed and Calista's brother Leo eventually becoming Duke but neither Alejandro nor Calista could well remember those times. He was raised and educated by the same tutors she was and the pair grew close. The boy's musical talent blossomed and he became well known in the gardens of Tor for practicing his guitar and trying out new songs on both the Duke's sister and anyone else that would come past. His relationship with Calista grew to one of constant companion and confidant. A convoluted series of events saw more change come to House Fidante when Alejandro had moved to Arx and Calista ascended to her brother's seat as ruler of Tor. The Duchess of Roses, they called her. Numerous were the songs he wrote in honor of his friend and now liege. Alejandro is content with his life of service and is honored with the role he plays for the young duchess, chief among them being friend. + |
| Aleksei Morgan + | Aleksei was born a middle-child to a well-respected commoner family serving in Sanctum which a long history of service for House Valardin. While his father had earned a place of trust and respect as Captain of the Guard in the city, and several of his children siblings seemed certain to follow in similarly honorable footsteps, Aleksei was -- a bit of a trouble. He took to the sword with a truly obnoxious amount of skill, but by the time he was sixteen he had grown too restless under the pressure of potential honor; he packed his things and left. Over the years since he traveled up and down Arvum, serving as a mercenary, man-at-arms, random muscle, and general adventurer. As luck would have it -- and luck often seems to have it where Aleksei is concerned -- he was back in his homeland of the Oathlands when he rather inadvertently ended up saving the children of one of the smaller noble houses there. It was their gratitude that had them thrusting a knighthood upon Aleksei; it was not long at all after saying the vows (vows?!) that he was making a break for his next adventure, heedless of whether he'd be confirmed by the high lord or not. It was Arx that he eventually made his way to; it had enough diversity and diversions to satisfy his cravings for a few years serving as a duelist, Champion, and occasional instructor for those with less skill and more money than him. It was something of a shock when he decided to take his vows and join the Faith as a Godsworn seemingly out of nowhere. Sir Aleksei became Brother Aleksei, despite all previous evidence of irresponsibility and general distraction from any matters of the divine. There were even some rumors around the end of the Siege of Arx in 1006 that he served as some sort of Paladin against Tolamar Brand, leader of the Silent Army, but what exactly that entailed is less than clear. It wasn't long after the siege ended that he was named Archlector of Skald, one of the three newly-returned Lost Gods of the Pantheon. To a lot of the senior Faith, the appointment came rather ridiculously early in his career -- particularly for someone who wasn't exactly known for his devoutness before taking his vows -- but they couldn't exactly refuse the decision from the Dominus himself. He's taken to some parts of the priesthood...more than others. During his tenure as Archlector, he raised millions of silver the Faith used to liberate some several thousand thralls and set up a new Faith initiative to help care for all those freed from bondage moving forward: a chance to start their new lives with Faith support wherever in the Compact they chose. It didn't make him many friends among the Mourning Isles, but it did help prepare the Faith to be able to respond when House Kennex suddenly abolished thralldom in their lands. In January 1009, Legate Orazio announced Aleksei's resignation from the Faith "due to certain personal needs." The announcement was rather sudden and without warning, as well as less formal scuttlebutt that a hitherto unknown son might the catalyst of the decision, and brought with it thirteen days kneeling in front of the Shrine of Limerance as penance. In the end, he returned to the life of a commoner, now without rank or title, to start the next chapter of his life. + |
| Alessan Fidante + | Alessan's beginnings were quite humble. He was born to a father who was a fledgling poet and a mother who worked as a seamstress fashioning dresses that some of the members of the ruling family wore from time to time. If it had been up to his mother, he might have found himself in the life of a crafter, but there was another path for him. He grew up on his father's poems and stories and they fascinated him, there was always something about the construction of a poem could convey so many more meanings than the words themselves could. As he reached his adulthood, he struck out from Tor to travel around the duchy in order to experience what life had to offer. He spoke to everyone he could in order to discover their own life experiences and in one small village he came across a bard. The man was older and had a way of entertaining folk with stories, song and other small tricks. Alessan found himself captivated by the older man and set off from the village with him. Their travels took them all over the lands of House Velenosa, but Tor was always home for Alessan and after ten years of travelling with the old bard, he returned home and began to make a name for himself around the city and the duchy with the skills he picked up on the road. He's spent some years doing this, but now he finds that the call of Arx is loud and he wants to see what new adventures his life has to offer. + |
| Alessandro Velenosa + | Alessandro was a youth who pushed limits. He got into trouble a lot, and set his overbearing will against the dominance of his elders generally and his parents in particular. He was a handful, a struggle; generally, a big pain in the neck. As he grew older, his mischief grew more obscure and intellectual. His favorite game began to be pitting his intellect against that of instructors he believed couldn't keep up with him. Of course, when he was 12, it turned out he was rarely right about this -- the amount of knowledge an active preteen can absorb, no matter how much time he spends in libraries and harassing scholars for information, is not really a match for most trained adults. But he never really lost his taste for the game. He hated sword lessons. He hated learning about poisons and antidotes. He was fortuitously allergic to horse dander and exaggerated his allergy to get out of more and more things so that he could spend more time with his books. He learned etiquette and mastered it expressly so that he could push the limits of being rude, and, enchanted with his own cleverness, earned himself several enemies in Lenosia's court. At least one of them is dead now, and it can't actually be traced to Alessandro at all, but he's always been on the lucky side. Theology lured him, especially the theology of doubt, and while his cousin Isolde soared into the panoply of the Mirrormasks and reached heights of elevation as a disciple leader, he personally found much more lure in the practicum of their craft, and focused himself almost entirely on the scholarship of law and politics. By the time he defended his first case as a Mirrormask serving in the Court of Lenosia, he was certain he couldn't lose, because he knew the law that well. It turns out there is more to defending a case than being right, though, and Alessandro learned some humility in practice that he had never had before. A perfect record is impossible as a defense attorney, but defending the indefensible is the greatest challenge of Faith for a Mirrormask, and Alessandro grew skilled in the balance of ego and humility, doubt and certainty, necesssary for the work. He also learned very valuable lessons from his family about the critical impact that sartorial perfection can have on one's effect. + |
| Alessia Mazetti + | For Alessia, one of her happiest days came at thirteen. A precocious child, Alessia had always known she was destined for great things. Becoming a glaivedancer was just the first step on that path. The years of training required, however, tempered that youthful pride with instruction that shaped core virtues rather than simply training the body in the ways of a warrior. Today, Alessia knows that greatness doesn't come without hard work and dedication - whether in the field, or in the court of politics. There have been setbacks, of course, such as that time when her scheme to win favor with a particular lord fell into disarray when he discovered she had been seducing his son as well. She admits that it was poorly done, but surely the man should have known not to conflate business with pleasure. Then there was the time Vitalis asked Dianna to travel with him into that Shav-infested valley and didn't ask her...but they have agreed not to talk about that any more. These days, Alessia has set her sights on Arx. With a few of the Mazetti doing the unprecedented and leaving their beloved Walled City on the Sea, she has made sure that her uncle includes her name in that number. After all, they couldn't possibly get by without her. + |
| Alessio Moretti + | Alessio Moretti was born in the twin cities of Gemecitta as the third and last child to Niccolo Moretti, a kind and passionate jeweler of some renown, and Fiore Moretti, a struggling artist with a big heart and a frail mind. It was a tumultuous childhood at the best of times for young Alessio. Between his apprenticeship in his fathers shop, a mother who was slipping into her own world for long periods of time more and more frequently and a sister who had inherited her mothers fragile psyche and was more or less constantly depressed and needed taking care of, there wasnt much time for friendships or fun. One of the few friends he did have was Vittoria, the daughter of a tailor living only a few houses down the street from his own. Their fathers were good friends and her mother often came over to help with things around the house, bringing Vittoria with her. They quickly bonded and the bond only grew tighter as the years passed, the two of them spending most of their waking hours together when daily work and chores had been seen to. She was four years his younger but every bit as smart, a sharp-minded and determined young woman even from an early age. His father was a warm and kind man, but also a ruthless perfectionist when it came to his craft and it wasnt easy being his apprentice. It was, however, a highly effective way of learning, even if it meant many sleepless nights studying or trying to perfect yet another of the delicate techniques needed for the craft to meet his fathers expectations. The rigorous training and mentoring proved not to be lost on Alessio, as he quickly rose in both skill and understanding of the art of jewelry making. At age twelve the first creation made by his hand was sold in his fathers shop and at the age of 15 he was starting to rival even the skills of his father and mentor. As the years passed, little changed save for Alessios ever increasing skill at his craft and his bond with Vittoria growing closer and into something more than just friendship. He would work, take care of his mother and sister and spend what free time he had by Vittorias side. But then, one day, things suddenly did start to change. The relationship between himself and Vittoria had kept growing and had evolved into more than mere friendship to a degree where none of them could hide or deny it any longer. Roughly 4 years ago, shortly before his twenty-eighth birthday, they were married after a very short period of being together as a couple. They didnt need more time, they already knew everything about each other from a life spent by one anothers side. Not long after the marriage, Fiore, Alessios mother, recovered from her ailments seemingly overnight, returning to the real world once more and not long after that, his sister started to recover, even if at a more modest pace than their mother. No one could fully explain how, but the little family didnt seem to care about such things as why or how, too busy caught up in the joy of finally having mother and wife, sister and daughter, returned to them. It was a happy time and the following years went by fast. About two years ago, Vittoria approached him with the idea of Moving to Arx to start their own business and their own family. To get a new start in a new place, to define a future for themselves, a future forged by their own hands. Alessio was hesitant and not immediately ready to leave his home and family, still unsure whether his mother and sister would remain in good health and continue their recovery from all those years lost to them. He wasnt completely opposed to the idea, he just.needed a little more time. Vittoria didnt give up or abandon the idea, however, and over the following two years she slowly convinced him that it was the right thing for them to do. With his mother and sister not showing any signs of relapse and the increased passion and longing in his the eyes and words of his wife, he finally agreed. And so, the two of them would set out on the longest journey either of them had ever undertaken, traveling halfway across the country to the capital city of Arx to start their new life. + |
| Alexander Wyrmfang + | Alexander and his twin sister, Alexis, were born to Alphonse Wyrmfang, then the Sword of Blancbier. Coming from a respected family of Knights, both of the siblings were raised in the martial tradition, destined to become Knights in their own time, and the importance of the family traditions of honor, loyalty, and service were drilled into them at a very young age. Alexander was always the more skeptical of the two, and tended to take the tales they were told with a grain of salt, though the lessons they were designed to impart were certainly not lost on the deep thinking young man. When not out on the training field, Alexander could usually be found in his youth with his nose buried in a book - the older the better. History and philosophy fascinated him from a very young age, and he studied both topics intensely, sometimes even to the detriment of his other training responsibilities. This isn't to say, by any means, that he didn't take his martial training serious as well. He has, for as long as he can remember, been a natural with a blade in his hand, and has always tended towards smaller, faster weapons, making good use of his keen agility and long reach. Coming to Arx after the death of his father, Alexander has every intention of pursuing both his martial and intellectual skills, set on finding a place and position where he can make good use of both talents. He intends to do whatever he can to help and support his twin as well, who, after the death of their father, was named the new Sword - a fact which has garnered no ill-will from Alexander. He had resigned himself at a very young age to the fact that he would not be named as the Sword, and truthfully, has always felt his sister to be better equipped to handle the charge. + |
| Alexandre Redtyde + | Born between his siblings Reiker and Sorrel, Alexandre proved to be difficult to predict as to what kind of a man he would become. Displaying admirable intellect from a young age, medicine proved to be an early passion for the young Wyrmguard. It would not be altogether uncommon to find him in the company of Mercies, with questions aplenty about something he'd read, or about their current work. Such curiosity in the youth was encouraged, and might have led him down the path of becoming a Mercy himself, had it not been for a fateful day. Fateful, for on that day the young Alexandre witnessed an injustice. He was still young, and had not yet learned the harsher truths of the world, when he beheld such. An older boy, more man than child in physique, the reverse in spirit, bullying a younger and far smaller girl. Alexandre didn't ask what it was about, and certainly didn't ignore it. Instead, he threw himself at the boy, intent on fighting the boy off. Predictably, it didn't go well. Alexandre had yet to receive any martial training, and the boy had the advantage of size, strength and experience. Still, Alexandre never yielded once throughout his trashing, getting back up every time he was slammed down. It might have continued, and might have caused permanent harm, had someone not saved him. Dame Anna Redwood, Godsworn Knight of Solace, quickly broke up the fight, and once Alexandre had said who he was, escorted him back to his family. On the way there, she faced the usual deluge of questions the child usually kept for Mercies, about who she was, what she did, and interrogations about the Knights of Solace that his education had not yet covered. Her answers found a receptive mind, and by the time they reached his parents, he had asked her to teach him, and made the same request to his parents when they arrived, a tad worried to see their son in such a state. Dame Anna could not stay, of course, but she made a promise. She would return when she could and, if Alexandre's parents allowed it and he was still interested, would teach the young Lord and, when he was older, would take him on as a squire. Children being what they are, perhaps those involved expected Alexandre to discard this momentary distraction with time and return upon what truly interested him. Yet the opposite occured. He was still interested in medicine, devoted much of his time to it still in fact, but it was now equalled to more martial pursuits. Even as his understanding of the healing arts grew, so did his understanding of riding, the sword, and matters of war and leadership. His education was completed by Dame Anna's visits, when, as promised, she would further not only his understanding, but the virtues of the Pantheon, nurturing the compassion and kindness she saw in him, as well as the protective nature that had made her notice him. Time passed, and eventually, the time came for the second part of Dame Anna's promise to be fulfilled. Alexandre left his family and Blancbier at the age of fourteen, to serve as the Dame's squire. From her, he learned not only the duties and demands of knighthood, but also the dangers that awaited the those traveling upon the Compact's roads and paths, dangers the Knights of Solace were sworn to guard against. It was a harsher life than the one he had lived thus far, yet Alexandre only seemed to thrive, the fire within him brightening. It was during that period of time that he would visit the Cedar Vale most often, whenever Dame Anna would visit her Redwood family. These were pleasant times, and even to this day, Alexandre cherishes their memory. Yet all good things must come to an end. Eventually, Alexandre became a man, and it was time for the Lord, no longer a squire but not yet a knight either, to return home. There, he spent the next few years serving his family and Blancbier, his concern for the people seeing him involved in not only charity, but tangible efforts to improve their lot as well. Indeed, he'd often be seen joining the city patrols on their rounds within the fortress city and beyond. He also joined the Knights of Solace at the time as a disciple, though he did not see Dame Anna Redwood again, not till the Silent War begun. At once, Alexandre volunteered to join the Compact's efforts against Brand, and actively participated within the war, one among countless others fighting back against the evil that had spilled forth from the North, and threatened the Compact itself. Refugees came in drove, often sick and wounded, requiring Mercies and the Knights of Solace to care for them. It was during one such event that Alexandre and others, including Dame Anna, were tasked with sheparding such refugees to a local haven, where Mercies awaited with supplies. Unfortunately, the enemy was aware, and sent a force far outmatching the Knights of Solace and the local garrison to destroy the haven and take its supplies. Shav forces struck at dawn, and though the defenders rallied to face the attackers, they were outmatched. One after the other, Alexandre saw his brothers and sisters in arms fall, the burden to protect weighting heavier on the survivors with every death. For they knew those within would find no mercy. The enemy had come to kill, the only thing they would take with them were the supplies. Evening came, and of the local forces, few remained. The Knights had been reduced to two, Dame Anna and Alexandre. Hope was bleak, even as the enemy pulled back, giving defenders some respite. Not for long. The next clash saw Dame Anne Redwood die, slain by an archer with too much luck or skill. The last of the defenders were forced to push back into the local shrine of Lagoma, the only stone building large enough to contain the refugees and the Mercies that still stood. Alexandre felt despair then, for the first time in his life. He knew he would die. Knew there was no hope, no way out. Thoughts of flight crossed his mind, desperate plans to escape. And as the dread threatened to overwhelm him... He saw them. Families clinging to each other, parents comforting their children though they knew what awaited. And the Mercies, still taking care of their charges, even now holding true to their oaths. Moved by the light of Gild and the warmth of Laghoma, by the selfless sacrifice of those dead and those that yet lived, Alexandre strode forth, and met the enemy's full might in battle. He spoke to his fellow defenders with such conviction, that when he told them to hold the line, they did. Against the Abandonned intent on the destruction of those they were charged to protect, they held the line. Against the horrors of Silence, they held the line. One after the other, they fell. But they did so holding the line. Yet it was enough. When reinforcements came to the rescue, they found Alexandre wounded and battered, his sword broken, more dead than alive. But still holding the line. Alexandre collapsed soon after being told the area was safe, and for a time, it was uncertain whether he'd live or not. Yet he recovered, sent back to Blancbier after the war's end. It was there he was knighted for his actions, though he did not remain for long. New threats arose, banners raised to face the Gyre, a Holy War proclaimed against those that would bring an end to not only the Compact, but the Faith itself. He joined others from the Oathlands to defend Stormwall, surviving the costly victory as far too few did. Now, he has come to Arx. With a light and fire brighter rather than dimmed, he comes to serve House Wyrmguard, the Faith and the whole of the Compact. Not as the sword to pierce the black hearts of demons, but as a shield. To protect all beneath the Compact's aegis, and hold the line. + |
| Alexandre Wyrmguard + | Born between his siblings Reiker and Sorrel, Alexandre proved to be difficult to predict as to what kind of a man he would become. Displaying admirable intellect from a young age, medicine proved to be an early passion for the young Wyrmguard. It would not be altogether uncommon to find him in the company of Mercies, with questions aplenty about something he'd read, or about their current work. Such curiosity in the youth was encouraged, and might have led him down the path of becoming a Mercy himself, had it not been for a fateful day. Fateful, for on that day the young Alexandre witnessed an injustice. He was still young, and had not yet learned the harsher truths of the world, when he beheld such. An older boy, more man than child in physique, the reverse in spirit, bullying a younger and far smaller girl. Alexandre didn't ask what it was about, and certainly didn't ignore it. Instead, he threw himself at the boy, intent on fighting the boy off. Predictably, it didn't go well. Alexandre had yet to receive any martial training, and the boy had the advantage of size, strength and experience. Still, Alexandre never yielded once throughout his trashing, getting back up every time he was slammed down. It might have continued, and might have caused permanent harm, had someone not saved him. Dame Anna Redwood, Godsworn Knight of Solace, quickly broke up the fight, and once Alexandre had said who he was, escorted him back to his family. On the way there, she faced the usual deluge of questions the child usually kept for Mercies, about who she was, what she did, and interrogations about the Knights of Solace that his education had not yet covered. Her answers found a receptive mind, and by the time they reached his parents, he had asked her to teach him, and made the same request to his parents when they arrived, a tad worried to see their son in such a state. Dame Anna could not stay, of course, but she made a promise. She would return when she could and, if Alexandre's parents allowed it and he was still interested, would teach the young Lord and, when he was older, would take him on as a squire. Children being what they are, perhaps those involved expected Alexandre to discard this momentary distraction with time and return upon what truly interested him. Yet the opposite occured. He was still interested in medicine, devoted much of his time to it still in fact, but it was now equalled to more martial pursuits. Even as his understanding of the healing arts grew, so did his understanding of riding, the sword, and matters of war and leadership. His education was completed by Dame Anna's visits, when, as promised, she would further not only his understanding, but the virtues of the Pantheon, nurturing the compassion and kindness she saw in him, as well as the protective nature that had made her notice him. Time passed, and eventually, the time came for the second part of Dame Anna's promise to be fulfilled. Alexandre left his family and Blancbier at the age of fourteen, to serve as the Dame's squire. From her, he learned not only the duties and demands of knighthood, but also the dangers that awaited the those traveling upon the Compact's roads and paths, dangers the Knights of Solace were sworn to guard against. It was a harsher life than the one he had lived thus far, yet Alexandre only seemed to thrive, the fire within him brightening. It was during that period of time that he would visit the Cedar Vale most often, whenever Dame Anna would visit her Redwood family. These were pleasant times, and even to this day, Alexandre cherishes their memory. Yet all good things must come to an end. Eventually, Alexandre became a man, and it was time for the Lord, no longer a squire but not yet a knight either, to return home. There, he spent the next few years serving his family and Blancbier, his concern for the people seeing him involved in not only charity, but tangible efforts to improve their lot as well. Indeed, he'd often be seen joining the city patrols on their rounds within the fortress city and beyond. He also joined the Knights of Solace at the time as a disciple, though he did not see Dame Anna Redwood again, not till the Silent War begun. At once, Alexandre volunteered to join the Compact's efforts against Brand, and actively participated within the war, one among countless others fighting back against the evil that had spilled forth from the North, and threatened the Compact itself. Refugees came in drove, often sick and wounded, requiring Mercies and the Knights of Solace to care for them. It was during one such event that Alexandre and others, including Dame Anna, were tasked with sheparding such refugees to a local haven, where Mercies awaited with supplies. Unfortunately, the enemy was aware, and sent a force far outmatching the Knights of Solace and the local garrison to destroy the haven and take its supplies. Shav forces struck at dawn, and though the defenders rallied to face the attackers, they were outmatched. One after the other, Alexandre saw his brothers and sisters in arms fall, the burden to protect weighting heavier on the survivors with every death. For they knew those within would find no mercy. The enemy had come to kill, the only thing they would take with them were the supplies. Evening came, and of the local forces, few remained. The Knights had been reduced to two, Dame Anna and Alexandre. Hope was bleak, even as the enemy pulled back, giving defenders some respite. Not for long. The next clash saw Dame Anne Redwood die, slain by an archer with too much luck or skill. The last of the defenders were forced to push back into the local shrine of Lagoma, the only stone building large enough to contain the refugees and the Mercies that still stood. Alexandre felt despair then, for the first time in his life. He knew he would die. Knew there was no hope, no way out. Thoughts of flight crossed his mind, desperate plans to escape. And as the dread threatened to overwhelm him... He saw them. Families clinging to each other, parents comforting their children though they knew what awaited. And the Mercies, still taking care of their charges, even now holding true to their oaths. Moved by the light of Gild and the warmth of Laghoma, by the selfless sacrifice of those dead and those that yet lived, Alexandre strode forth, and met the enemy's full might in battle. He spoke to his fellow defenders with such conviction, that when he told them to hold the line, they did. Against the Abandonned intent on the destruction of those they were charged to protect, they held the line. Against the horrors of Silence, they held the line. One after the other, they fell. But they did so holding the line. Yet it was enough. When reinforcements came to the rescue, they found Alexandre wounded and battered, his sword broken, more dead than alive. But still holding the line. Alexandre collapsed soon after being told the area was safe, and for a time, it was uncertain whether he'd live or not. Yet he recovered, sent back to Blancbier after the war's end. It was there he was knighted for his actions, though he did not remain for long. New threats arose, banners raised to face the Gyre, a Holy War proclaimed against those that would bring an end to not only the Compact, but the Faith itself. He joined others from the Oathlands to defend Stormwall, surviving the costly victory as far too few did. Now, he has come to Arx. With a light and fire brighter rather than dimmed, he comes to serve House Wyrmguard, the Faith and the whole of the Compact. Not as the sword to pierce the black hearts of demons, but as a shield. To protect all beneath the Compact's aegis, and hold the line. + |
| Alexandros Dawnbringer + | Alexandros once strived to be a sterotypical boyscout. He was polite, honest, brave, and obedient to his social superiors. He served a few years as a rather unremarkable though dogged Templar, often going on pilgrimages to help those in need and to right perceived wrongs, only it's become apparent to those who know him best that he's withdrawn into himself and is now an empty shell of what he used to be. Where he was once a cheerful lad with dreams of heroism, he's become something of a crestfallen recluse that seems to be married to his letter of his job and has grown oddly apathetic and listless to the spirit of it. + |
| Alexio Donatti + | Born and raised on the streets of Southport, Alexio was the youngest of three siblings. His mother passed with his birth, leaving his father to raise him and his siblings. Work on the docks of Southport hardly paid well, and the silver that it did pay didn't go far when the first thing on his father's priority list was booze, and not his children. Alexio and his siblings pretty much raised themselves, for better or worse. With no authority figure at home, it is little surprise that the three children ended up on the streets. Alexio himself developed a certain knack for the acquisition of things he did not have through particularly sticky fingers. As he got more skilled with his thievery, and what he sold became more valuable, he turned to selling the things that he nicked, rather than simply for survival. What started as a means of survival, soon turned into a means of helping himself and his siblings attain the things that had evaded them for so much of their lives. As he came of age, he learned to use the skills that he had learned on the streets in matters of more legitimate trade, and soon discovered that he had a knack as a businessman. As such, he has made the journey to Arx where he hopes to expand upon his business opportunities and see what he can make of himself. + |
| Alexis Wyrmfang + | Legend has it that a century or three ago, Wyrmfang split off the main March of Wyrmguard as a cadet branch, slowly diminishing in importance from second sons and third daughters, until they were far enough removed to in essence become a highly respected family of knights. For the last few generations, ever since one Cristoph Wyrmfang turned an-almost defeat into an astounding victory, the Wyrmfangs have also had the honour of holding the Sword of Blancbier for the Wyrmguards. Alexis and her twin brother was born to the then-Sword of Blancbier, Alphonse Wyrmfang, and the children were raised on the family traditions of loyalty and steadfast service, served up with constant tales of Oathlands chivalry and ambitions, of meritorious rises and rewards for serving the ideals that the gods of the pantheon represent. And Alexis swallowed it all rather wide-eyed. When she was nearly old enough, she became rather insistant on squiring, including at one point running away from home to find herself adventure (and a knight to squire to), and eventually her father acquiesced. Small, but fierce, she favoured larger weapons such as two-handed swords and glaives in combat, which may in part have been inspired by her father's position. She was overjoyed when, for about a year, she spent time in the same group of squires as one Princess Alis Valardin, and the even smaller woman left a deep impression with her tenacity. One duty that Alexis picked up as a squire was the mending of armour, and to this day she uses the beating of steel as a form of meditation, slowly learning the craft of the smith. Her knighting ceremony took place at her 18th birthday, while she was part of the force protecting Blancbier and anxiously awaiting news from Arx about the siege and the Army of Silence. In the last battle of the siege, her father took a grave wound protecting the Marquessa. The wound festered, and Sir Alphonse was sent home to Blancbier, but expired on the way. When the Marquessa Dominiqe next visited Blancbier, there was a small ceremony in which Alexis found herself becoming the keeper of the Wyrmguard heirloom blade, as her father, and her father's mother had before her. She swore the oath to protect her family gladly, and now, after having grieved and seen her father to his final rest, she comes to Arx. An untested blade, but eager to prove herself. + |
| Alfio Donatti + | Born and raised in the city of Southport, Alfio was the middle child of three siblings. His mother passed away after giving birth to his youngest brother, and his father was pretty much absent --spending most of what he earned on drinks. Practically an orphan, just like his siblings, he did whatever he could to survive. + |
| Alheri Deepwood + | Alheri was born to the Melaeris family, far from Old Oak. Her mother served as lady-in-waiting to Princess Kellen Grayson, and when the Princess married the Marquis Melaeris, Lady Maira struck up a friendship with his cousin, Maleck. After a few years there was a proper courtship - and after that, a marriage and eventually four children, of which Alheri is the oldest. And then there was the tragedy of Old Oak. For as long as she can remember, Alheri has faced various disappointments in life - early dreams of romance were quashed by the pragmatic love her parents held for each other, and for their children. Her desire for a sister never quite manifested. She didn't quite have the aptitude for blade and battle that would let her be a storybook knight. And her friends would fail her in various ways as well. In short, Alheris accentuated the negative. The world was a disappointment. Only in her dreams - and in her ideals - could she find the perfection she craved. But even that wouldn't last long. She had a natural touch for brush and clay, but despite others declaring her genius, she could always find a flaw. Always find something to be unhappy with. She has striven for all of her (admittedly short) adult life to chase perfection. Eventually, she decided that she'd rather seek it at Deepwood. The Conscience of the Peers was far from perfect, but in Samantha, Alheri saw someone who might wish to attack the flaws she saw, rather than be made uncomfortable with them. Besides, Deepwood needs the numbers, and Alheri is happy to oblige. And her family, of course, were happy to return her and strengthen the bonds between Melaeris and Deepwood, and the two fealty chains (in theory). Alheri has barely been in Old Oak for a year, but she's ready to make changes. And ready to assist the Marquessa in making changes. And maybe, just maybe, she'll set aside some time for herself, to chase perfection. Arx is the melting pot of the Compact. If it can be found anywhere, it can be found here. Right? + |
| Alina Redreef + | Alina was born to an unimportant branch of House Redreef and raised in an almost painfully ordinary manner, as befits any noblewoman from the Mourning Isles. When other children played outside, she was taught to balance ledgers. When her siblings went out sailing, she stayed and studied the great lawgivers. And so it was that when a great dispute arose one day, between two utterly unimportant members of the nobility, Alina Redreef stepped forward to settle the dispute. And there it was that a great secret was revealed to all: Knowing a lot about the law doesn't mean that you know the first thing about people. After the great embarrassment that was her first foray into society, Alina's parents discreetly shipped her off to Arx. Returning without substantial improvements in station, it was quite strongly implied, was not an option. + |
| Alis Valardin + | Like every scion of House Valardin, Alis was weaned on the stories of high chivalry and heroism that have been core to the identity of the great house since time immemorial. There have been great heroic female warriors of House Valardin from history, such as the famed heroine Dame Sugan who saved the West during the Reckoning, but yet there was still a continued pervasive discouragement from young women pursuing martial careers and being expected to serve the House as diplomats or priestesses. Alis, born of short stature and a slight frame that her lord father found extremely ill-suited for the rigors of the field, found far more discouragement than most from her dreams of knighthood. But she would not be dissuaded. As a teenager, she was the most willful of all her siblings, rebelling constantly against the lessons and continually demanding to be given the same training as a squire. Of all her siblings, she was the only one that dared to get into screaming matches with her lord father, and he once declared in exasperation that she was the most willful person in the entire Oathlands for him to deal with. Her father became resigned to her determination and gave her his extremely reluctant blessing to train as a knight. It still felt something like a punishment to be sent to Arx to do so, an exile away from her home, even if she could hardly complain about training under Dayne Valardin, the Lord Commander of the King's Own and best knight of the realm. The training made her keenly aware of her shortcomings, but ferociously determined to make up for them. Though she'd never admit outwardly that maybe her parents had a point about her physically being better suited to non-martial service for the family, she is all-too-aware of how hard she's had to train to compensate. As she neared the end of her training and wrote to her lord father in the hope he would visit Arx and personally attend her being dubbed a knight, she read the reply in disbelief: her parents and all of her siblings save Edain had been slain fighting a barbaric tribe of Shavs. She returned home a knight, and knows it is irrational to feel guilty that she wasn't there when her family was attacked, knows it is foolish to think one extremely young newly minted knight would have made any difference when hundreds of soldiers did not, but she can't quite help it. The deaths might have aged her in many ways, but she is still young enough where she thinks in bold absolutes. She is a princess of House Valardin, and a knight. She will protect what remains of her family and her people. That's what knights are for. + |
| Alise Farshaw + | Alise is the youngest of three daughters, one of which has married into the Thrax fealty and another into the Grayson fealty. Her mother was a Lycene Lady, and as such, she was sent to foster in the Lyceum when younger. She was to marry a Fidante, when she was sixteen, a contract involving a route to trade roses and pomegranates in the offing but since the recent skirmishes between the Lyceum and the Oathlands sprung up, the contract has been annulled before they were properly wed, and she caught the first ship to Arx to get out of the islands before things could escalate. She cannot help but think of those years as the best of her life, but cannot even bring herself to take pride in that side of her heritage of late, and wants even less to be married into a future there. She has opted to keep some of the fashion, but has a deep seated loathing for the /expected/ treachery of the politics, viewing it as dishonorable and beneath anyone aiming to call themselves noble. This is something of an irony as she has the unfortunate reputation of haggling like a fishmonger. This is actually rooted in her refusal to make it look like she is not involved in anything she is involved in. In fact, she has a tendency to both macromanage and micromanage coin around her, and feels that using a go between to make it look like she doesn't is just dishonest. + |
| Alistair + | It is far from easy for an orphan to grow up amidst the poverty of the Lower Boroughs of Arx, but for a prodigal to survive it requires a powerful will to survive. 'Prodigals', the exceedingly rare handful of barbarous Abandoned who have returned to the civilization of the Compact of Arvum, are not well cared for by society at the best of times, and Alistair's situation was a far cry from that. Born among the Gray Forest Howlers has seen first hand the kind of brutal savagery embraced by the most terrifying tribes of the Abandoned, watching as a child as the Howlers preyed upon travelers daring to penetrate the depths of the Gray Forest. Even as a child, he felt the murderous savagery was wrong, but when the chieftain declared after a fruitless raid that their dark gods needed a blood sacrifice and selected Alistair as the offering, the life threatening predicament added an extra incentive for the young man to make his escape from the tribe as barely a teenager. He eventually wound up in Arx still as a teenager. Life in Arx was harsh and unforgiving, though he was able to survive partly by hiring himself out as a tracker and hunter to the city folk as well as begging in the streets. Despite his miserable existence, he still remembered the face of evil he'd witnessed as a child and was determined to grow up and make a difference, somehow. That drive to combat the demons of his past pushed him to a very unlikely calling- the Inquisition. Of course, Alistair learned very quickly that he might be one of the very few 'true believers' inside the entire Inquisition. He rapidly learned as a confessor, the grunts that aid inquisitors in their bloody work, that very few members of the Inquisition think something like 'demons' exist and are quite comfortable being members of a political organization. On one occasion, Alistair enraged his superiors by declaring a rich merchant innocent of all charges of witchcraft, after discovering the merchant's only crime seemed to be possessing no political patron or allies that could protect him while hurting the business interests of some powerful lords. Alistair was given poor assignments afterwards for a time, assigned as a liaison to the Iron Guard in their investigations who famously have contempt for the corrupt Inquisition. If their goal was to have Alistair have an accident, though, it might have backfired. He has one of the rarest reputations- that of a conscientious, honest inquisitor. It might not really be the life Alistair was looking for, but it's the one he has, and at least his reputation is judged useful by his organization. + |
| Alistair Crown + | It is far from easy for an orphan to grow up amidst the poverty of the Lower Boroughs of Arx, but for a prodigal to survive it requires a powerful will to survive. 'Prodigals', the exceedingly rare handful of barbarous Abandoned who have returned to the civilization of the Compact of Arvum, are not well cared for by society at the best of times, and Alistair's situation was a far cry from that. Born among the Gray Forest Howlers has seen first hand the kind of brutal savagery embraced by the most terrifying tribes of the Abandoned, watching as a child as the Howlers preyed upon travelers daring to penetrate the depths of the Gray Forest. Even as a child, he felt the murderous savagery was wrong, but when the chieftain declared after a fruitless raid that their dark gods needed a blood sacrifice and selected Alistair as the offering, the life threatening predicament added an extra incentive for the young man to make his escape from the tribe as barely a teenager. He eventually wound up in Arx still as a teenager. Life in Arx was harsh and unforgiving, though he was able to survive partly by hiring himself out as a tracker and hunter to the city folk as well as begging in the streets. Despite his miserable existence, he still remembered the face of evil he'd witnessed as a child and was determined to grow up and make a difference, somehow. That drive to combat the demons of his past pushed him to a very unlikely calling- the Inquisition. Of course, Alistair learned very quickly that he might be one of the very few 'true believers' inside the entire Inquisition. He rapidly learned as a confessor, the grunts that aid inquisitors in their bloody work, that very few members of the Inquisition think something like 'demons' exist and are quite comfortable being members of a political organization. On one occasion, Alistair enraged his superiors by declaring a rich merchant innocent of all charges of witchcraft, after discovering the merchant's only crime seemed to be possessing no political patron or allies that could protect him while hurting the business interests of some powerful lords. Alistair was given poor assignments afterwards for a time, assigned as a liaison to the Iron Guard in their investigations who famously have contempt for the corrupt Inquisition. If their goal was to have Alistair have an accident, though, it might have backfired. He has one of the rarest reputations- that of a conscientious, honest inquisitor. It might not really be the life Alistair was looking for, but it's the one he has, and at least his reputation is judged useful by his organization. + |
| Alistair Masque + | It is far from easy for an orphan to grow up amidst the poverty of the Lower Boroughs of Arx, but for a prodigal to survive it requires a powerful will to survive. 'Prodigals', the exceedingly rare handful of barbarous Abandoned who have returned to the civilization of the Compact of Arvum, are not well cared for by society at the best of times, and Alistair's situation was a far cry from that. Born among the Gray Forest Howlers has seen first hand the kind of brutal savagery embraced by the most terrifying tribes of the Abandoned, watching as a child as the Howlers preyed upon travelers daring to penetrate the depths of the Gray Forest. Even as a child, he felt the murderous savagery was wrong, but when the chieftain declared after a fruitless raid that their dark gods needed a blood sacrifice and selected Alistair as the offering, the life threatening predicament added an extra incentive for the young man to make his escape from the tribe as barely a teenager. He eventually wound up in Arx still as a teenager. Life in Arx was harsh and unforgiving, though he was able to survive partly by hiring himself out as a tracker and hunter to the city folk as well as begging in the streets. Despite his miserable existence, he still remembered the face of evil he'd witnessed as a child and was determined to grow up and make a difference, somehow. That drive to combat the demons of his past pushed him to a very unlikely calling- the Inquisition. Of course, Alistair learned very quickly that he might be one of the very few 'true believers' inside the entire Inquisition. He rapidly learned as a confessor, the grunts that aid inquisitors in their bloody work, that very few members of the Inquisition think something like 'demons' exist and are quite comfortable being members of a political organization. On one occasion, Alistair enraged his superiors by declaring a rich merchant innocent of all charges of witchcraft, after discovering the merchant's only crime seemed to be possessing no political patron or allies that could protect him while hurting the business interests of some powerful lords. Alistair was given poor assignments afterwards for a time, assigned as a liaison to the Iron Guard in their investigations who famously have contempt for the corrupt Inquisition. If their goal was to have Alistair have an accident, though, it might have backfired. He has one of the rarest reputations- that of a conscientious, honest inquisitor. It might not really be the life Alistair was looking for, but it's the one he has, and at least his reputation is judged useful by his organization. + |
| Allegra Pravus + | It is never easy being the youngest daughter of a dynasty, but when it comes to a House like Pravus that is an understatement. Growing up, Allegra felt outclassed just about everywhere, simply too late to make a splash in a court filled with brilliant scions of a legacy older than the Reckoning itself. Condemned to be the second best, if she was lucky, Allegra knew she had to do something dire if she wished to fight her fate. Much to the woe of her family, Allegra chose the books. Not occult knowlege, nor erotica or religion. Allegra just randomly selected a book each week, and ravenously learned it. Although her sisters and cousins found it strange, and many thought such a beautiful woman should have sought the ways of a courtier, Allegra paid them little heed, and kept reading and when Pravus Keep library dried up, she had her beloved father expand it, twice and, a year later, three times its size. By then, many had pegged young Allegra as a sure-to-be disciple of Vellichor, but the girl was not ready to commit to the Faith just yet. Time passed, and it was during one of her many trips to lands under Pravus rule that Allegra heard of House Argento's uprising and their assassination of Duke Piero. More troubling still was the fact her hosts, local merchants in Bravura, chose to throw their lot with the rebelling family. Suddenly, Allegra became a prisoner, and for much of the war, that is what she remained. She would enter her imprisonment at the age of 13 and would spend the next five years at her captors mercy. It would take the fall of House Argento and Lady Celeste Pravus' marching down onto Bravura for Allegra to be released from captivity. Since then, Lady Allegra Pravus has been an eerie reminder of the ugliest sides of war, a young beauty sapped of her grace as tortures visited upon her have the girl walk with a limp to this day. Now fully healed, in mind and body, as well as she will ever be, Allegra joins her family in Arx, part of their court and by her family's side, where is her place to be. + |
| Alrec Magaldi + | One of many sons of sailors born in the docks of Darkwater, Alrec's early life was a predictable one. From child to cabin boy, from cabin boy to sailor, and eventually from sailor to Captain. He acquitted himself well on the high seas, sailing in support of house Thrax with other Vassal crews during the Tyde war before returning to the business of pirate hunting and a little discreet piracy on the side the Darkwater are famed for. All that changed however when he ran escort for a merchant vessel taking cargo to Setarco, the Silken City. The Merchant ship was held for repairs and he and his crew enjoyed two weeks living in the most decadent city in all of Arvum. Two weeks was more than enough and the Captain found a member of the Pravus family and promptly offered his allegiance. The half of his crew that remained loyal to Thrax were ruthlessly butchered by the Captain and just like that he became a loyal retainer of house Pravus. As long as they could keep him in the women, drink and other vices he desired, they had his sword. With his superior naval combat experience from serving the Thrax he was able to greatly improve many aspects of the Setarco navy and he was named Admiral of their, admittedly small fleet. His defection might be a sore point amongst many of the Thrax, particularly those from Darkwater but thus far they haven't assassinated him. Most recently he's come to Arx in order to advise the House Pravus leadership on matters martial and naval. + |
| Alrigo Donatti + | Born further out from the main Donatti family, Alrigo had instilled in him by mother and father the need to always do better. The family worked the docks of Ischia for years and, working around the rougher parts, Alrigo quickly learned how to survive on his feet and use that honey-dipped tongue to escape signs of trouble. After Alexio began building his business in Caina, Alrigo aided the contacts needed in Ischia to start. Here he found some success, a little bit, but soon he knew to make even more money he needed to start growing the business in Arx itself. Here he worked from the bottom and gradually started to build up, learning his tailoring trade, to a point which has caught some attention for just how this man from the docks of Ischia has ended up wearing fine clothes and looking like a cock among hens. Obviously, from Alrigo, he tells the brilliant tale about how the family that was too poor to even eat on some days - ended up being who he is today. A few hearts open up to that, melting in his hands. The story of how this lad from Ischia, who never even once picked up scissors, was able to craft fine jackets for the commoners and once even a Baron. Eyebrows raised. What did he know about fashion? Using that honey-dipped tongue of this, Aligro has since discovered ways to talk himself out of most problems in life, flipping the issue on its head, and pointing at someone else as being the reason it all went wrong. This helped him build up contacts that gave him the ability to open up coffers of silver to fund the family's business - Donatti Imports & Exports. + |
| Althea Pravus + | Althea was born to House Pravus and set herself apart for all the wrong reasons. In her youth she took more interest in helping her siblings, cousins, and other family members in their studies. She was punished for her lack of killer instinct and her drive for cooperation over competition, but it did little to curb her "unnatural" impulses. Those most generous to her were certain that she would grow out of it once puberty hit. They swore that there had been Pravus before who came to their senses as a coming-of-age rite: Some psychic wound or personal loss would harden her heart to the world. Puberty came and went, and the weight of family ambition did little to crumple the butterflies and daisies flitting in her heart. If anything, it seems to have reinforced them. Althea became the black sheep of the family, but she was still *family*. Instead of puzzling out how to change her, they instead decided to use her love of charity and helping others to their own less-than-innocent goals, and innocent Althea goes along with it none-the-wiser, ever trusting in her darling family. + |
