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2006
Property:Background
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| Anders Nightcove + | Anders was born a lord of House Nightcove, a vassal of House Helianthus. He's spent his years in the loyally serving the Marquis of Eastcrest and rising steadily to the position of Voice and admiral of his family's naval forces. He has an immaculate and impressive career, and is personally responsible for claiming significant tracts of land for his house. + |
| Andreas Donatti + | Born and raised on the streets of Southport, Andreas was the eldest of three siblings. His mother passed away with the birth of his youngest brother Alexio, 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. Andreas 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. Andreas, personally, developed a certain knack for the discreet transport and exchange of goods through witty and stealthy means. As he got more skilled in the fishy business, and what he transported became more valuable, he turned into carrying rather than simply for survival. What began as a means for sustenance, soon turned into a means of helping himself and his siblings attain the things that had evaded them for so much of their lives. The lad was around his mid-twenties when he managed to procure a ship of his own somewhere in the Lyceum. The nature of the vessel's acquisition remains a mystery to many; but, one thing is for sure, Andreas' face was nowhere to be found for some time in the south. Some say it was mere coincidence, while others insist it was not; but, not long after he left, rumors of a merchant having been swindled off his boat would have been running around the many markets of the hundred cities. Of course, there was no way to prove Andreas was the culprit. Not when the affected merchant had been allegedly drinking his fill on the night of the unfortunate event, and both Alexio and his other sibling were convincingly playing as the eldest Donatti's alibi. He spent his days supposedly transporting goods and people, legally, from one place to the other as a common carrier for various parties. It is said it was through these means that he made his small fortune - although, some dare argue the small fortune might be a bit bigger than it should. Nonetheless, now that his youngest sibling has successfully established his Import & Exports business in the shining city of Arx, Andreas has been said to have docked his ship in the Capital's port. Word on the street says he has been hired by Alexio as a private carrier of goods. + |
| Andrel Monteaux + | Andrel was born the middle son of the Monteaux family. He was considered the golden child of his family, and paraded around as the jewel of the Monteaux sons from his promising physical stature to his honorable demeanor. Despite this, when their father perished on a hunting accident, it was his older brother, ever envious of Andrel, that received the family wealth, and estate. He ensured Andrel received only enough to live on his own, but now Andrel has set off to make a name for himself in the Kingdom greater, independent of his brothers. + |
| Andrina Thornburn + | Andrina is the daughter of Andrew and Anastasia Thornborn-- a wealthy baker and his iron guard wife. Her mother and father pampered her and spoiled her (by commoner standards). She grew up in a nice home in the upper boroughs with a sheltered and rather idyllic life. Her parents encouraged her to follow her passions. She flittered around in several apprentices as a teenager before she finally landed on her true passion-- painting and sculpting. She knows how to sew, melt down an ingot, and how to tan leather but she doesn't really have much interest in it. No, instead, she would rather be reading stories of larger than life heroes and bringing those tales to life on a canvas or in marble. + |
| Andromeda Leporidae + | Andromeda has always been athletically inclined, coordinated and possessed of a strong build. Her resilience, however, was something that needed work. She'd always been described as soft of heart, and while her mother assured her there was nothing wrong with that, she warned her about kindness and mercy. These are principles that warriors of Andromeda's caliber simply can't afford. Everyone who knew her growing up remembers a time in which the apprentice Sword was idealistic, maybe even naive. That all changed when she was taken captive during a battle waged against the enemies of Tremorus. A particularly brutal tribe of Abandoned spent months torturing her for information they could use to fight against their enemies in turn. She was never allowed a moment of peace, but they knew that at the very least their "noble" hostage needed to remain whole enough to be used in negotiations if it came down to it. Andromeda managed, after a lengthy confinement, to trick her gaoler into letting her out. When she got her hands on a sword, it was only a matter of time. She slaughtered everyone who got in her way, and then she slaughtered everyone else at the holding. They call it the Night of Long Screams, and it is a tale that has endured in the history of the Proscipi. When Andromeda returned to her people she wasted no time in informing her kinsmen of the knowledge she had gathered while being kept prisoner; enemy movements and other inside information that allowed them to smash the opposition on every front. In the final battle she fought their Champion one on one with the stipulation that the victor takes all -- despite the protestations of her brother Remus who felt it was pure folly. Andromeda's cold methodology and skill with a blade allowed her to carve through him like a cake. After which, of course, the rest of the clan quickly disarmed and bent the knee. The shattered blade of her foe remains on display in the museum of the Leporidae and since then she has become something of a ruthless pragmatic. After Tremorus and Leporidae bent the knee, she was introduced to the concept of the Champion's Guild, which quickly caught her mind, and fascinated her. It wasn't long before the Prodigal Champion joined their ranks, eager to find new ways of testing herself, and of emerging victorious. + |
| Andry Bayweather + | Another day, another orphan, another life into the Lowers. Perhaps Andry's parents are some line of royalty, perhaps great nobility runs through his blood, perhaps he's a bastard child of a former king, perhaps there's magic in his blood! Or perhaps his parents were just no ones who got ran off or killed and he's just another baby in the Tragedy of the Lowers. One of those being more likely than the others, Andry lived his life with pragmatism. An urchin and an orphan in the Lowers, Andry was quick to learn he couldn't make it alone. Not being a sizeable boy, he was not one who would survive many of the scraps that took place in the Lowers. So he found himself a big boy, an older boy, and endeared himself to him. Jeffeth Bayweather. The two took on the same surname, both of them without real families, two orphans decided they could be their own family. With Andry's wit and Jeffeth's brawn the two were able to survive the lowers and grow well enough. While Jeffeth was swayed by the stories of the Knights Solace, Andry made sure they had solid connections to the Cullers, a family with known criminal connections in the Lower Boroughs. He always appreciated the thought of just taking what you want in this world. And so he made sure to endear himself to the Cullers, that they would look upon him kindly. But when his adoptive brother became a fully Godsworn knight, Andry wasn't far behind. Becoming Godsworn meant a life being taken care of. Of course he had to become a bit more in tune with the Gods that he was originally inclined, and eventually he took a great liking to Gild. Feeling more of a kinship with the Goddess than he expected. While still much was expected of Andry, it was never very hard for him. Looking after his pocket of trusted individuals, Andry became a well known Knight of Solace, famed for his keen eye and sharp wit as well as the edge of his blades. Andry is always sure to keep those he is close to happy and safe. While they may be on either side of the tracks, Andry feels deeply indebted to both the Cullers and the Knights of Solace. Though now, his duty is to protect those who could not protect themselves. And hey, make some money on the side. + |
| Angelica Sanna + | Angelica comes from a branch of the Sanna family split free, obscurely referenced in Farshaw and fairly unremarkable. Several generations back, they settled in a small village north of the Redrain capital, called to an obscure purpose and excelling at it, tending sheep, mining, and joining the locals in their trade of bookbinding. Their success is a little above modest, the village able to support itself without much interference from the outside world, encouraging a work ethic that's reflect in their respected goods as well as their day to day. Angelica is a product of such a community, her calm demeanor rarely ruffled, her focus intense on whatever she sets herself to. + |
| Angelo DiFidante + | The son of a lesser Fidante line, first cousin to Duke Leo and Lady Calista, Angelo was born to be a superfluous son, and like many, found expectation suggested him for soldiery or the priesthood. He lacked interest in spilling blood, and he lacked the devotion of the early priestbound. As a youth, he was irresolute, frustrated, sometimes reckless. He defied expectation in every way he could think of. He eschewed parties for books. He eschewed priestly training for quiet, private meditation. He eschewed dueling and getting in people's faces by being more than ordinarily diplomatic. When assigned military tasks, he would generally find ways of fulfilling a support role: aiding in quartermastery rather than combat, for example. When he just coming of age, his father got stabbed in the chest during the Tor-Southport War, returning home alive but with troubles breathing and many fits of illnesses which he fought through for the following decade. Despite the struggles of a kind of depressed and reactive teenagerhood that he mainly spent getting in the way and being discontented without particular aim, Angelo began to develop a direction despite himself, mainly inspired by spending time devoted to his dying father. That direction became the laity. A little disturbed by the mirrormasks, perhaps because of spending too much time near the Oathlands, he nevertheless grew in his heart a fascination for the reflection and for Tehom. Spare nobleman that he is, he has flirted with becoming godsworn, but never gone through with it. Skillful diplomat that he is rumored to be, mainly because of the deftness of his vocabulary and the imaginative and deeply perceptive nature that one develops when they have listened to many stories and many problems, he never quite decided to opt that way. Some say that he didn't have a good time in Tor, and it could be true: when his father died two years before the King's Rest, his reaction was to seclude himself in his chambers and the number of public appearances he could be counted with a couple of hands. It was until mid-1005 AR, when he traveled to Arx at the sudden request of Duke Leo Fidante, who was in need of diplomats for the Voice of the Compact and had heard rumors of his cousin's vague interest in diplomacy. Like many other times when Angelo finds something that fascinates him, it might seem like the chance to escape from Tor, from his past, has made him truly engaged with the idea of putting his empathy and vocabulary to the service of House Fidante and the realm. Just prior to House Volkov's destruction, Angelo was there as a diplomatic envoy. Perhaps he felt responsible for their fate, because not long after the new Difidante cadet house was established, Angelo entered these lands again, and vanished for a month. Wardens within the cadet house found him, thin and haggard and wandering, with long-dried blood on his hands and arms, and not a mark on him personally. They took him in let him recuperate in silence, and he emerged much as he had been, a bit remote and thoughtful and verbally gifted, but thinner, more haunted, restless, as if awoken by some impulse that would neither let him withdraw or rest. + |
| Angelo Fidante + | The son of a lesser Fidante line, first cousin to Duke Leo and Lady Calista, Angelo was born to be a superfluous son, and like many, found expectation suggested him for soldiery or the priesthood. He lacked interest in spilling blood, and he lacked the devotion of the early priestbound. As a youth, he was irresolute, frustrated, sometimes reckless. He defied expectation in every way he could think of. He eschewed parties for books. He eschewed priestly training for quiet, private meditation. He eschewed dueling and getting in people's faces by being more than ordinarily diplomatic. When assigned military tasks . . . he proved to have a mind for strategy and organization. He was credited for creating new moves in strategic games like Stones and became involved despite himself in hosting tournaments which brought some of Arvum's most brilliant minds to Tor. When he was just coming of age, his father got stabbed in the chest during the Tor-Southport War, returning home alive but with troubles breathing and many fits of illnesses which he fought through for the following decade. Almost by accident, Angelo began to develop a real direction, mainly inspired by spending time devoted to his dying father. He began writing his father's accounts of war. When his father died, he secluded himself in his chambers and completed the biography. When he emerged, it was with the finished text and a certain restlessness. He traveled to other fealties to gather the stories of other war veterans. And as he traveled, he explored other areas. Deepened his skills for diplomacy and counsel, developed his imaginative and deeply perceptive nature. He traveled to Arx at the request of then Duke Leo Fidante to serve as a diplomat, but he has branched into other interests. He is still prone to traveling and gathering stories, while retaining his fascination for strategy and study. He finds ways to commit himself completely to his duties wherever he is. He's agile enough for that. + |
| Anisha Whisper + | Who is Anisha Whisper? That might depend on who and when you ask. She joined Whisper House after time as a courtier in Setarco, offering a differing story to whomever asked - though a common signifier she left in is that she's a former noble who left her family in some disgrace. The noble house is always anonymous and unnamed, though the fealty frequently changes. For now, she insists that she has found her purpose in life as a Whisper and a Mirrormask, and that it was only a matter of time before her journey led her to Arx. + |
| Ann Redrain + | She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact. + |
| Ann Rivenshari + | She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact. + |
| Ann crovane + | She was born Ann Moriah Redrain, a Princess with her nose buried in books and planted firmly at the feet of wise elders of the North, absorbing their tales, or off having adventures. Her childhood was indeed full of these - crossing into a spooky copse of trees or venturing upon high mountain peaks for the sheer exhilaration of it. As she grew into womanhood, these adventures became a little less childish and a little more odd. Always the one to goad into temptation, once she heard tales of wondrous relics or academic tomes, Ann (or sometimes Moriah, depending on her mood) would plead, coax, and cajole an intrepid (or sometimes reluctant) member or two of Redrain to accompany her to explore the tale. Among her favorite to pull to these adventures were her three brothers: Valerian, Torrus, and Angus - all three having perished, the latter valiantly so in the Night's Grove with the King and Sherrod. Within the Silent War, Princess Ann Moriah Redrain found herself taking vows to Duke Asger Crovane on the ashes of the once proud city, laid low. Together they rebuilt the city from inside out. Together they had three children, each showing small hints of personality of both mother and father. Shortly after the twins were born, Duke Asger Crovane was poisoned by an unknown assassin while visiting the County of Coastside to talk to House Crackneck. Devastated, Ann stepped down from being Duchess to allow the Crovane family to have the direct bloodline at head of the house. With no title nor succession for her children, she returned to Redrain to take up her position as Princess again. Seeking new adventures, and helping her family navigate the politics of the Compact. + |
| Annabella Grimhall + | Annabella was fortunate enough to have been born to the Grimhall family, and as such her upbringing was a bit more fortunate than a commoner child. Through she was raised with the proper etiquette and formalities of a noble, Annabella never much cared for the supposed worth in her noble blood, and instead found solace in libraries and apothecaries, where she could gather as much knowledge on healing and medication as possible, as she quickly found this to be her true passion. In her hands, the tools to save a life are just as valuable as the tools of war most of her Grimhalls employ in their tactics. Where that fails, she isn't too bad with a knife. + |
| Annika Navegant + | Born the younger sister of Quirin, Annika had a very clear path ahead of her, and she followed it, for the most part. She was not a rebellious child, but she also had some ideas of her own, thankfully ones that fit in just fine with the typical Thraxian ideals of female nobility. When she was a young woman she showed an aptitude for the healing arts, and learned what she could of medicine from the family priest she was unable to pursue her studies further while at home. To that end they decided that she should travel to Arx and study there until such time as she was satisfied with her studies, and came home. She eventually came home, but was never satisfied with her studies. It was while in Arx that she met Dion Stonewood, who would turn her head with tales of adventure and romance, and eventually marry her. They have primarily called Escuma home for all these years, but neither have been stuck on the island. When younger they would adventure, or sail with the fleets. As they had children and gew older they lingered at home until it was decided that they were needed in Arx once more. + |
| Ansel Telmar + | Ansel knows that many are extremely jealous of any noble that has the good fortune to be born the son of a powerful and influential duke, but all things the same he would have been much happier being raised a farmer's son. Duke Arn has a reputation as gruff, mean spirited, painfully blunt, callous, ruthless, often dishonorable, and unrelentingly unlikeable. And those are by his allies. Ansel, on the other hand, is the Duke's son who was born after a disappointing string of older siblings (who Arn never forgot to inform them of such) and then finally settling on his bookish, good natured, and gentle-hearted son. Those traits, of course, would simply not stand. Ansel's earliest memory was his first kindly tutor being put in stocks and publicly whipped before being exiled from the Telmarch for having the audacity to suggest that Ansel, with his love for book loving, would make a wonderful Scholar of Vellichor. It was a slight to suggest that any son of Arn's (and, still to date and much to Ansel's dismay, since his elder brother Tobias feld he receives most of this attention), would be anything but a ferocious warrior and ruthless knight to carry on the battle legacy of House Telmar and defend the Telmarch. Briefly, Ansel had the fond hope that his uncle Lord Everard would keep the position of Sword of the Telmarch and remain champion of the house, and allow Ansel to do anything but train relentlessly in the questionable art of killing people with sharp objects. Sadly, his father Duke Arn dashed those hopes, and made certain that Ansel knew (and repeatedly reminded him every day during brutal drills) that the sword was just in his uncle's keeping, and Ansel would be a great warrior and the new champion of the house when he came of age whether he liked it or not. And would of course represent the family in duels of honor and fights to the death if need be. And Ansel had better like it. The thing that really disturbs Ansel the most is he might even like being a knight if it wasn't for his father. Training with swords is fun, even if he prefers books and could probably have done without his father graphically describing just the best way to end an opponent's life in the most unnecessarily vivid detail. But even though he didn't ask for it and didn't particularly want it, he still he feels he could be a better Duke of the Telmarch on that fateful day when Arn finally dies, if for some reason the Duke passes over his siblings. He hopes he can be a better man. Ansel is pretty sure he can't be much worse. + |
| Ansgar Blackram + | The Bear Shepherd, that is what Ansgar was often fondly or not so fondly called in his prime. When Ansgar was young and was the military commander in charge of the Blackram Pikesman, he was loudest, largest and fiercest man on the field. He was a trusted commander, and not only for Blackram forces, more than once in his life Ansgar found himself leading Telmar forces in assistance to the Valardin house. This was his prime, the time he was at his best, but sadly that was short-lived. When Ansgar was 45 he was leading 500 pikesman in a fight against a shav raiding party who had been attacking Valardin and Redrain parties and in his moment of glory, as his 500 pikeman attacked the group of 1000 shav fighters, Ansgar was unable to clearly lead the attack, he could not remember critical planned timeframes to send groups into the attack, and because of this, his pikeman were pushed back, losing 100 men, with Ansgar's own giant horse killed from under him. It was rumored that after a long recuperation from a broken leg he might have been not of a stable mindset to be leading the attack. Despite this, as time went on, it became quite obvious that Ansgar was becoming of less fit mind as years went by and could not be trusted to lead troops into battle. When he was 50, his family managed to talk Ansgar into joining the Knights of Solace, feeling the old Knight could serve the Faith and protect those who needed protecting. Where his mind has weakened, and his speed in battle may not be as great as it once was, Ansgar is still strong of body. As the years progress, the move to the Knights of Solace seems to be a perfect fit for the knight. He seems to more often feel he is 20 years old again, heading into battle to save the damsel in distress or the men who ride alongside him are those he is leading to fight shav forces once more. He is often heard shouting orders on whatever he deems to be his battlefield, even if it were the training yard with a blunted weapon. + |
| Antea Mazetti + | The youngest daughter to Bacchio and Joye Mazetti, Antea was born to the couple late in life, something of a surprise to her parents. She was born early and while surviving, the girl child was quite frail throughout childhood. Antea even had her own personal physician that could be seen haunting her every step through her Ostrian home. Given her deficiencies, she was quickly given over to the best tutors her family could find to begin her schooling rather than risk the girl's health in combat training. As she grew, her body strengthened, thankfully. And while she will never be the most robust of Mazetti, Antea was able to begin her battlefield training in earnest. Apprenticed in an advisory capacity to General Nico Scale of the Third Legion at the age of 15, Antea spent the rest of her teen years learning practical application of all her earlier lessons. Once she reached maturity at 18, she was sent to join her first cousin Valerio Mazetti in the Second Legion as one of his Captains. It was during the Gyre War that Antea Mazetti truly came into her own, however. Sent to Setarco to help command the Mazetti forces there, Antea proved herself a capable leader and tactician. Her battleplans and strategies ensured that while Mazetti's troops suffered as heavy of losses as anyone, without her guidance it would that been much worse for them. That lead to her being named the new General of the Third Legion after Nico Scale's retirement from the position. Antea served her House well as General despite her youth, commanding the respect and fellowship of those in her command. When Valerio fell in battle far from home and Mazetti found itself in need of a new Marshal, it was perhaps a surprise for some that Antea Mazetti was picked but the young woman accepted the honor (and responsibility) with the dignity and gravity she'd become known for. For the first time since the Gyre War, the young Marshal has left Ostria to join the family in Arx and take her place at their side. + |
| Anton Kennex + | Born to a Kennex father and Lycene mother, Anton was an only child and doted upon accordingly, both parents quite willing to spoil the indolent, if brilliant, boy. While he excelled at his studies and took to the sea well enough, a pronounced aversion to anything martial was observed with dismay by his family. However, forced to not be defenseless at sea, the young Kennex Lord had some skill with a crossbow drilled into him before he was allowed to much more in the way of sailing. Once done, he availed himself of the opportunity to visit the various locales in the Isles, observing their architecture and fortifcations, then came home to figure out how best to put this knowledge to use. It is likely he would have remained content in Stormward, working at the drafting table and overseeing construction - if not for the Gyre War. Pressed into service to fight at Setarco, his parents both were killed and Anton gravely wounded. Once recovered, his life in ruins, he made his way to Arx to see the building styles of the grand capital. + |
| Antonia Amadeo + | With the Princess of Velenosa being established, Antonia has been placed in the new appointment to ensure that Saoirse represents a vision of the future, a new Arx, enlightened and prosperous. Antonia's external sole mission is to ensure the prosperity and elevation of Saoirse in all things, especially fashion and event planning. For her own devices, gatherings serve as an opportunity to learn more about the attendees, interactions and associations that Durate may find worthwhile. + |
| Antonio Velenosa + | Even as a child, Prince Antonio Velenosa felt drawn to the sea. He'd spend time by the shores near Lenosia, watching the ships come to port, and panic his house hold servants and guards by giving them the slip and swimming in the sea alone. There are secrets in the dark waters of the sea, hidden beneath the fathomless depths but not everyone can see them. For some, they're lost beneath the crash of the waves and the bright light of the sun, but for others... For others they can hear the voices lost to the waves, the whispers that come in the night. They understand what it is to look upon those dark waters and know that more, so much more, rests beneath the surface. Prince Antonio Velenosa was one who could look upon the waters and know that there was more. He could hear the Siren's song from the depths, understand the nothings that she whispered in his ear and it was her song that lured him to the shores, invited him deeper so that the urges that followed him in childhood, to spend all his time about the waves, carried him into adulthood. From a boy on a skiff, to a Captain at the helm, Prince Antonio has known a life of adventure. He made a name for himself as a young captain of royal blood escorting Lenosia shipping to Arx and the homes of the great houses, fearlessly meeting threats head on. Whether pirate or storm, the bold captain seemed to take any danger in stride, and his daring always seemed to carry the day when more timid men might have been lost. Unfortunately, it seemed his good fortune couldn't hold forever, and the entirely-too-bold captain may have underestimated how many enemies among pirate shavs he had been making, as a flotilla he was leading to the Darkwater Reach was ambushed by an exceptionally well organized and far more numerous force of Shavs. While House Velenosa stood by its prince, and claimed no one could have acquitted themselves better by escaping with as many ships as he did from the trap, the losses and embarrassment of the defeat have left the bold prince chastened and looking for redemption. That redemption wouldn't come at sea, but at the court of Arx, where a bold young captain with now an underserved reptuation for recklessness could prove to the Lyceum he had sound judgment and even temperment. If he can just stop himself for strangling any smug nobles asking about how he lost to shavs, of course. + |
| Anwen Ravenseye + | A noble family member of the Ravenseye tribe, Anwen was born in the Redrain holdings. She has never forgotten this, nor has she forgotten the Shamanistic origins of her people. Her first love is the sea, and while she prays to Mangata, she respects the ancient traditions of the Path of the Elders as well. Anwen has spent her life near the sea, on the sea, and in it. When spending too much time on land, she grows restless. + |
| Anze Malvici + | The north is harsh and it quickly forges those who live their to be strong. Anze never had time for the matters of court and intrigue, not that it was exactly a problem in Farhaven. He was focused on the blade and on war. He grew honing those skills, always a year and a step behind his brother Fergus and always trying to catch up. Anze wasn't the sword of the north, but the way he practiced and fought showed that one day he intended to be. Campaign after campaign, raid and duel after duel his skills were honed through blood and sweat. If there is one thing that can be said though it's that the glory of war quickly fades. No longer does he fear combat, but no longer is he eager for it either. The practicalities and brutalities of martial combat grant one perspective. The singlehanded desire to become the greatest swordsman in the north and thus a peer that could show himself an equal to his elder brother, Prince Fergus the Sword of Farhaven, has become tempered over time. There is still that desire there, smoldering in his heart, but losing friends and family makes one realize perhaps life shouldn't be all about war and every once in awhile we should stop and smell the roses. He still wishes to be great, and worthy of respect equal to Fergus, but he doesn't seek to replace him. It would be enough to be seen as an equal. + |
| Anze Redrain + | The north is harsh and it quickly forges those who live their to be strong. Anze never had time for the matters of court and intrigue, not that it was exactly a problem in Farhaven. He was focused on the blade and on war. He grew honing those skills, always a year and a step behind his brother Fergus and always trying to catch up. Anze wasn't the sword of the north, but the way he practiced and fought showed that one day he intended to be. Campaign after campaign, raid and duel after duel his skills were honed through blood and sweat. If there is one thing that can be said though it's that the glory of war quickly fades. No longer does he fear combat, but no longer is he eager for it either. The practicalities and brutalities of martial combat grant one perspective. The singlehanded desire to become the greatest swordsman in the north and thus a peer that could show himself an equal to his elder brother, Prince Fergus the Sword of Farhaven, has become tempered over time. There is still that desire there, smoldering in his heart, but losing friends and family makes one realize perhaps life shouldn't be all about war and every once in awhile we should stop and smell the roses. He still wishes to be great, and worthy of respect equal to Fergus, but he doesn't seek to replace him. It would be enough to be seen as an equal. + |
| Aodhan Crovane + | Born of the Crovane line in the far north, Aodhan was born and bred to fight, or so he would tell someone. He was a gentle child, but don't let it fool you: he could brawl as well as the other kids, if not better. He especially got into many good fights with his cousin Asger, as it strengthened their bond as family. Despite this, as a child he was always the one to want to mend wounds, rather than cause them. Thankfully, he grew out of that trend. While he was still gentle as a man, he loved to fight. HE loved to train. He loved to win. He would brave the harsh winters and even volunteer to fight hostile Abandoned just to test and improve his skills. As he grew older, his sense of pride and honor officially arrived, growing a deep love for his family. To him, nothing was more important. He serves his family proudly, while all the while wanting to constantly prove himself as a true Crovane. Little did he know, his adventure was just beginning... + |
| Aonghus Seliki + | It is no secret that the man worked forges for the Gyre before swearing his Oaths to the Compact and House Seliki, but since weapons he crafted spilled Compact blood and armor he crafted turned Compact blades, he is understandably reluctant to speak on it. It should come as no surprise, that life under The Gyre was unpleasant. Aonghus is glad to have those dark days behind him. The only family he has left in the world anymore is his sister Olin. With her help, he was able to come to Arx. The two of them have sworn Oaths the Compact and House Seliki. His thoughts are turned to the future and the path before him - now his own at last! His accent is a strange unplaceable amalgam. + |
| Apollis Malvici + | Apollis was born in Granato and became the eldest brother of four. Through his whole childhood he'd have to endure constant scrutiny and suspicion, much deserved. He was a hellion and rabble rouser. He was often the one inciting others to fight rather than being the one to get into a fight. Then during the chaos he'd make off with the coin purses. He'd often go off on his own urban 'adventures' where he'd come across 'hidden treasure' just sitting around. While his sisters were content with a different kind of adventuring he was often playing with Abandoned children and getting into places he had no business being in. After growing up a little the boy mostly put aside his troublemaking ways but his path was definitely chosen. He wasn't going to be a stuffy noble do-nothing. He was going to go out and experience things. That's why his match to his Malvici love was so opportunistic. They both shared a love of treasure hunting - some might call it grave robbing and ruin looting. They traveled all over Arvum together before she was suddenly befallen with a strange illness. In a matter of days she had died in the Northlands during one of their adventures. Once again Apollis was met with scrutiny and suspicion on his eventual return to Southport. He wondered if he'd ever live it down or if anyone would offer him the comfort he needed in his time of mourning. Unsatisfied with how he was being treated he left once again to find his fame and fortune in Arx. + |
| Apollo Malespero + | A child of the Oathlands, born in Oakhaven to a pair of Keaton Trackers, Apollo might have had an idyllic childhood in the woods. But while traveling between Lyon's Redoubt and Keaton Keep when he was six, he and his parents were ambushed by bandits. His parents were killed, and he was kept; life as a bandit would have been an ironic twist for the child of peacekeepers. But other Trackers eventually found the hideout, and Apollo, recognized, was taken to Keaton Keep, where Countess Margerie took him in. Nigh silent, owlish, grieving, the genial warmth and friendships he found in Oakhaven nurtured him from near mute to merely skittish. His early artistic impulses were noticed, and connections made with local artisans; when he found tanning, he found his first love. He swiftly rose to local prominence for his craft, and Marquis Kael tapped him to come to Arx. He might have been a big fish in a small pond - but he wasn't. Apart from exceptional tradecraft, his care for his liege house, his customers, and his fellow crafters had him lending an ear, a set of armor, or assistance as often as he was taking commissions. And then more often. He became Co-Guildmaster of the Crafters Guild of Arx, a position he held for more than two years. Though often uncertain about his skillset and utility, his time bent toward diplomatic and economic work, outreach with Abandoned, and cultivation of ties between crafters, houses, and organizations for projects and mutual assistance. He took up with Whisper House, first as an associated courtier, then Apprentice Whisper, leaving House Keaton to serve as a Whisper in mid-1014 after a successful diffusion of tensions in the Oathlands. Then in 1015, in answer to his service to House Darkwater and its vassals, he was offered ennoblement. He accepted, stepping down as Guildmaster and retiring as a Whisper, though his ties to both organizations remain. In truth, though his life has changed to a vast degree, much remains. He is a maker of art and a builder of connections, and it is rare a day that passes without some of both. Now, after a brief, quiet betrothal, he's joined House Malespero as Marquis-Consort, where he'll doubtless bring those same instincts to the people of Nilanza. And where better for an orphan like himself? + |
| Apollo Oakwood + | Born in Oakhaven, to parents who were both Trackers, Apollo should have had an ideal childhood. But fate was less than kind to him, and at the tender age of six, while traveling between Lyon's Redoubt and Keaton Keep, he and his family were ambushed by a group of bandits looking to thin the packs of hunters after them. Apollo's parents were killed in the conflict and the boy was taken, the plan to rear him as a bandit, the irony found to be delicious. Weeks passed, but eventually another pack of Trackers discovered the location of the bandit's hideout and cleared the lot of them out. When Apollo was found, one of the huntsmen recognized the boy and took him home to Keaton Keep where the child was raised in the court. As an adult, he is fiercely loyal to the Keaton family. Eschewing the path of his parents, he learned the special art of tanning and leathercraft Oakhaven has become known for. The secrets of its manufacture are now his. When Kael left Oakhaven to come to Arx, he tapped his best leatherworker to come with him to see about making a name for themselves in Arx. + |
| Appolonia Seraceni + | Appolonia is the daughter of Isabella Pravus, a minor daughter of that great house, and Admando Seraceni, a seasoned corsair who died of an infection in war with the Argento. From a young age, Appolonia struggled against the restraints of knowledge. What happens when we grow older? Why are some things hidden from us, for "when we are older" or never at all? What dangers does such information hold? How can we prepare for these dangers if we don't know any better? (Such latter lines of thought spoke of a budding talent for social manipulation.) Appolonia sought to spite her tutors, learning more by her womanhood than many of the highborn learn in their entire lives. She soon exhausted the stock of common knowledge, although she retains it and deploys it at her command. She sought the restricted, the unknown, the hidden. To know that which few, or no-one else knew. It was the only way to be... Safe. Mother encouraged this. Mother helped her daughter learn the hidden ways, such as they were. Some people in Seraceni raised their eyebrows, but Isabella's grace and charm poured oil over ruffled feathers. (Is that the analogy? Ducks have oil, you know, in their tails. When they preen, they're smearing it over themselves.) Appolonia struggled with the new Marquis, Dario, on this matter. Her occult studies were a rift between them. Of course, such matters have moved along, although she is often feared in a subtle way within the household. Whispered about, but never to. Less cryptically, Appolonia is also fascinated with tales of foreign lands, although she has taken a special interest in Eurusi culture and fashions and more. She is fluent in the Eurusi language (if perhaps not perfect - few people to practice with in Arx) and hopes to travel the world, one day - perhaps simply as a tourist, perhaps as more. Appolonia wants to find something - not simply power, or wealth, or even love, though she is no ascetic. She seeks something else. She herself has trouble articulating it... or reluctance; and the two are awfully hard to tell apart. + |
| Arcadia Leary + | Arcadia, Cady to her family, had the misfortune of being born into an incredibly loving family who had the bad grace to be uniformly bookish and scholarly. Where her family enjoyed lengthy dinner discussions about the newest research one of her siblings was engaged in, Arcadia thought she would much rather stab herself with a fork repeatedly; at least it would be more exciting. She had the best of tutors, so long as the tutoring was in history or science or theology. Instead, she longed for tutors of her own choosing: swordmasters, adventurers, hunters, sailors, knights! Over the years (and often with the help of formal presentations created by her sister Elloise), Arcadia would lobby her well-meaning parents to allow her one of these. Any of these! Just pick one! And they finally relented. A bit. Arcadia was allowed to train once a week under one of Leaholdt's hunters. Off with him in the woods, a bow in her hand, stealthy and on the hunt - that's where Arcadia spent her happiest childhood years. But still, she longed for more. More to do! More to see! More to try! As Cady got older, Elloise started recruiting her for help with her scientific experiments. Cady didn't particularly care about the experiments or their results, but she was all too happy to run off to hunt down whatever rare ingredients her sister might need for them. An adventure! Or as much adventure as one can get in Leaholdt, anyway. And when Elly started petitioning their parents to send her to Arx, Arcadia threw herself in with her. "It will be fine!" she promised. "Elly and Fairen will make sure I stay out of trouble!" Arcadia knows it's only because of Elloise and Fairen that she's being allowed to go, but who cares! She's on her way! An endless world of possibilities await her, and a city full of people to teach her things! + |
| Arcadia Stahlben + | Arcadia, Cady to her family, had the misfortune of being born into an incredibly loving family who had the bad grace to be uniformly bookish and scholarly. Where her family enjoyed lengthy dinner discussions about the newest research one of her siblings was engaged in, Arcadia thought she would much rather stab herself with a fork repeatedly; at least it would be more exciting. She had the best of tutors, so long as the tutoring was in history or science or theology. Instead, she longed for tutors of her own choosing: swordmasters, adventurers, hunters, sailors, knights! Over the years (and often with the help of formal presentations created by her sister Elloise), Arcadia would lobby her well-meaning parents to allow her one of these. Any of these! Just pick one! And they finally relented. A bit. Arcadia was allowed to train once a week under one of Leaholdt's hunters. Off with him in the woods, a bow in her hand, stealthy and on the hunt - that's where Arcadia spent her happiest childhood years. But still, she longed for more. More to do! More to see! More to try! As Cady got older, Elloise started recruiting her for help with her scientific experiments. Cady didn't particularly care about the experiments or their results, but she was all too happy to run off to hunt down whatever rare ingredients her sister might need for them. An adventure! Or as much adventure as one can get in Leaholdt, anyway. And when Elly started petitioning their parents to send her to Arx, Arcadia threw herself in with her. "It will be fine!" she promised. "Elly and Fairen will make sure I stay out of trouble!" Arcadia knows it's only because of Elloise and Fairen that she's being allowed to go, but who cares! She's on her way! An endless world of possibilities await her, and a city full of people to teach her things! + |
| Arcelia Navegant + | Arcelia was born in the Saikland Greens to Giovanna and Aaron Saik where she was raised until she was twelve years old, spending a couple months a year down in Southport. During her early childhood it was discovered that she had a talent for performance, specifically dancing. The lady was a fun loving type of woman and being raised as a noble around many warriors she developed a love for being beautiful and for adventure. She loved playing in the mud, throwing it at anyone she wanted to get to play with her. Likewise, she enjoyed climbing trees and jumping out of them at her friends. And eventually she learned to enjoy sailing as well. She loved playing with the other Malvici and Saik children when she was able, tagging along with the older kids and terrorizing some of them with mud when she was able. She was attentive and loved to learn but she could never sit still, swaying and dancing while she listened to lectures. Though, this did not stunt the woman's ability to pick up the skills she needed and in fact made it easier for her to learn. Arcelia had a strong relationship with her two siblings growing up. Estaban developed a very protective side for Arcelia, his beloved outlook on her always keeping danger away. Even from lovers in her teen years. She was close to her sister as well, the two of them being close enough in age to have played with one another in their youth. When she was twelve years old she moved to Nilanza where she was fostered by the Argento. Salazar Argento seeing that she got a good education so that she could be a future diplomat. She had some rare but very valuable encounters with Venta Darkwater(Venta Argento), seeing the woman for some of her educational needs whenever the woman was there and available to tutor the young girl. She learned how to sail with the Argento as well, Salazar being one who ensured she was able to nourish her adventurous side. Estaban Saik and two women assisted in teaching Arcelia when they were in the area as well. The two women teaching Arcelia how to be a stronger woman as she faced dangerous storms and lecherous sailors. During Arcelia's time in Nilanza she met many people and created many bonds. She became known there for being overly curious and difficult to keep a watch on, the girl sneaking out to spend time away where she could explore and learn about the world. Though by the time she was sent home Arcelia was a bit more tame, time having taken its course in helping her grow up a bit... but only a bit. When Arcelia was sixteen years old she returned to the Saikland Greens and her family. It was felt that her education there was complete and that the best way for her to continue her growth was to go out and test her skills directly. She was told to be patient and seek out a good mentor for future training, someone who would help give her real experience as a diplomat. Over the years she has never attempted to approach anyone, so far as it is known, about this. When Arcelia was back home again she spent a lot of time missing Nilanza and the friends she had made there. As a result, she went through a small period of depression, adapting again within a few months and finding the joys once experienced as a young girl. Arcelia refused any conversation of marriage for years, only coming to terms with the idea in recent months. Though, the idea of falling in love was one she openly said she did not want to do, going as far as to beat a boy who spoke to her in poetry until he agreed not to pursue her heart anymore. She had no desire to marry and would do so only for her family and love was a scary thing that caused her friends and family pain, she vowed that she would not fall in love until she was married. It was the silly hope of a naive young girl who did not understand that the heart has no master. While she was in the Saiklands, Arcelia did a lot of volunteer work. She helped secure resources and jobs for people in need. Food, water, and medicine being brought to people directly by the young noble. She even helped people find jobs and shelter and watched over children when their parents were ill, finding them new homes when parents passed away. Recently, Baroness Kima called for Arcelia to join her in Arx, the woman having some plans for the girls future. There are whispers that the young Arcelia is here to search for a husband as well as aid her family in diplomatic matters. + |
| Arcelia Saik + | Arcelia was born in the Saikland Greens to Giovanna and Aaron Saik where she was raised until she was twelve years old, spending a couple months a year down in Southport. During her early childhood it was discovered that she had a talent for performance, specifically dancing. The lady was a fun loving type of woman and being raised as a noble around many warriors she developed a love for being beautiful and for adventure. She loved playing in the mud, throwing it at anyone she wanted to get to play with her. Likewise, she enjoyed climbing trees and jumping out of them at her friends. And eventually she learned to enjoy sailing as well. She loved playing with the other Malvici and Saik children when she was able, tagging along with the older kids and terrorizing some of them with mud when she was able. She was attentive and loved to learn but she could never sit still, swaying and dancing while she listened to lectures. Though, this did not stunt the woman's ability to pick up the skills she needed and in fact made it easier for her to learn. Arcelia had a strong relationship with her two siblings growing up. Estaban developed a very protective side for Arcelia, his beloved outlook on her always keeping danger away. Even from lovers in her teen years. She was close to her sister as well, the two of them being close enough in age to have played with one another in their youth. When she was twelve years old she moved to Nilanza where she was fostered by the Argento. Salazar Argento seeing that she got a good education so that she could be a future diplomat. She had some rare but very valuable encounters with Venta Darkwater(Venta Argento), seeing the woman for some of her educational needs whenever the woman was there and available to tutor the young girl. She learned how to sail with the Argento as well, Salazar being one who ensured she was able to nourish her adventurous side. Estaban Saik and two women assisted in teaching Arcelia when they were in the area as well. The two women teaching Arcelia how to be a stronger woman as she faced dangerous storms and lecherous sailors. During Arcelia's time in Nilanza she met many people and created many bonds. She became known there for being overly curious and difficult to keep a watch on, the girl sneaking out to spend time away where she could explore and learn about the world. Though by the time she was sent home Arcelia was a bit more tame, time having taken its course in helping her grow up a bit... but only a bit. When Arcelia was sixteen years old she returned to the Saikland Greens and her family. It was felt that her education there was complete and that the best way for her to continue her growth was to go out and test her skills directly. She was told to be patient and seek out a good mentor for future training, someone who would help give her real experience as a diplomat. Over the years she has never attempted to approach anyone, so far as it is known, about this. When Arcelia was back home again she spent a lot of time missing Nilanza and the friends she had made there. As a result, she went through a small period of depression, adapting again within a few months and finding the joys once experienced as a young girl. Arcelia refused any conversation of marriage for years, only coming to terms with the idea in recent months. Though, the idea of falling in love was one she openly said she did not want to do, going as far as to beat a boy who spoke to her in poetry until he agreed not to pursue her heart anymore. She had no desire to marry and would do so only for her family and love was a scary thing that caused her friends and family pain, she vowed that she would not fall in love until she was married. It was the silly hope of a naive young girl who did not understand that the heart has no master. While she was in the Saiklands, Arcelia did a lot of volunteer work. She helped secure resources and jobs for people in need. Food, water, and medicine being brought to people directly by the young noble. She even helped people find jobs and shelter and watched over children when their parents were ill, finding them new homes when parents passed away. Recently, Baroness Kima called for Arcelia to join her in Arx, the woman having some plans for the girls future. There are whispers that the young Arcelia is here to search for a husband as well as aid her family in diplomatic matters. + |
| Archene Clearwater + | Archene is a thrall from Cielos Encantadores, an island that is part of Darkwater Reach. Son of an apothecary and a dockworker, he was apprenticed to his mother, from whom he got his love for perfumes above other crafts a proper apothecary must learn. During his childhood, he met and befriend the local Lord's youngest daughter, Ariel Darkwater, who was only a years younger than himself. After years helping his mother, he soon obtained enough to buy his way out of thralldom. And having heard that his noble childhood friend moved away to Arx, he gathered the resources he accumulated for a few months before setting off. + |
| Archeron Tyde + | Archeron was born about 15 minutes before his sister Lethe, and thus, born both the oldest and a Tyde Lord, the mantle of 'being the responsible one' was given to him at birth by both his mother and father. From infancy the notion that he is would be responsible for caring for and protecting the family imbued all of his early life lessons. When the twins were 6 years old, their mother Lady Gilda, took them to visit her birth family the Ashfords just before the onset of the Tyde Rebellion and upon hearing of the death if their father, Lord Raymond Tyde, the three were all quietly absorbed into the Ashford family without a word to anyone and there they stayed for the next 13 years. For entirely different reasons than his sister, Archeron flourished in the Grey Forest, there seemed to be something right to him about steady ground under his feet that he had never experienced in the unsteady world of ships and sea. He climbed trees with his cousins, learned to hunt and track game as a boy and for many years it seemed as he would fall comfortably into the life of a ranger and warden. And then the Silence came to the Grey Forest. Archeron served with the rest of the Ashford rangers to stave off the vile corruptions that wished to destroy his home and for this he is marked forever having gotten caught up in the thorny whip wielded by one of their Shav minions before he was able to put an arrow in underling's eye. When the war ended, the world changed again when word reached them that their father's family had been restored under the union of his cousin Duchess Margot and the former prince and heir to Maelstrom and Archeron's mother asked that he go with his sister to Arx to rejoin their birth family, saying that their opportunities may be better there where they can be what they were board to be. The truth is Archeron aches for the forests he knows and understands already but he knows that his reprieve is over, it is time to pick up the role he was born for to be the protector of not just his sister but his family again. + |
| Archibald Kitt + | Having been a successful teacher serving the King's Own, Archibald's early life was pleasant. He served well and even earned a parcel of land to call his own. During what had been a successful retirement, his land was raided. Though he fought to stop the raiders, he was left for dead and all of his family slaughtered. Permanently lame in his leg, he went to request aid from the crown, but it was determined resources could not be spared and he was given a token gift to assist him in his hardship. Crippled, alone, and feeling betrayed, he has lived the rest of his existance in the lower boroughs teaching riff-raff instead of soldiers. + |
| Ardee de Lire + | Born to a commoner family with too many children, Ardee spent the first few years of her life mostly under the radar. She was cared for by her siblings until she was old enough for the family to realize that she was going to grow up to be a 'looker'. It was decided for her quickly that her lot in life would be to go to school and learn to be a Courtesan. She could make decent enough money that way, and would be able to help 'pitch in' by looks and wiles. She went to school, began to learn the tricks of the trade and started planning on how to escape the hold of her family. She wanted more out of life than to live to support her family. The answer came through death, her entire family ending up victims of the Silent War. She only escaped the same fate through the school she'd been attending when tragedy struck. Though nearly a victim herself, she was taken in as a refugee and eventually pledged her services to the de Lire family. She serves as the family's Chief Librarian. + |
| Ardoin Valardin + | Growing up in a provincial cadet branch of the Valardin family, Ardoin is the second son and initially was allowed to indulge in scholarly pursuits while soaking up stories of the family's honor and piety. After the Tragedy at Sanctum, though, his remote chance of succession to the high duchy got bumped up a few places and his father demanded Ardoin take up the blade. And he did - with enthusiasm, taking the vows of knighthood at sixteen. His life became an endless quest to protect the commoners and peasants from bandits and Abandoned raids, his idealism as much of a weapon as a blade. Over time, his voracious reading habits combined with his steadfast beliefs in honor and nobility, created the unpleasant idea that the nobility ought to not only protect and control the commoners with an iron fist, but also provide them with greater education, land, and economic opportunities - from the pockets of the peerage. Needless to say, this disconcerting belief caused concern within the family, whereupon his father sent him off to Arx to serve the Crown and the interests of House Valardin - and hopefully smarten up in the process. + |
| Argos Seraceni + | Argos is from humble beginnings, but all he has really wanted to do in his like is to become a knight. He left his family's farm the first shot he got to start training, despite his father's protests. He has spent his whole life training for the chance to show some noble that he is better than any knight despite his rank. He quickly developed his fighting abilities and got noticed by a guard. He then got proper training and a job. After a year or two he left this post to seek out a proper lord to serve. To Argos nothing is more important than the his duty. + |
| Ari Corsetina + | Born Arrigo Corsetina to a poor but large family in Setarco. No one-- /no one/ --calls him Arrigo, however. His name is Ari. He considers this so much his name that when he had a daughter he named her after himself and her mother. Who was Miraya, a lovely girl who flunked out of the Setarco school for Courtesans-- she just wasn't suited to that life. She was too carefree and flighty. She met Ari when he was naught but nineteen and was just about to go on his first tour sailing with the Pravus navy. Their was a fierce, passionate romance that ended with them married within three months. By the time that Arrigo returned from his tour at twenty his daughter-- Mirari --had been born. He managed to take assignments that kept him nearby for two years. Watching his daughter grow. However, he got an offer he could not pass up and he sailed out for a longer tour. Officially, his ship was lost at sea. In truth, his ship was raided by pirates and Ari was forced into piracy. The next eighteen years were spent with him slowly gaining the trust and loyalty of the rest of the crew-- until he could finally lead a mutiny against the pirate captain. As soon as this happened he set sail for Setarco, and flying the Pravus colors came to port to find his wife long dead of a lung sickness, and his daughter "gone". His wife's family wasn't very forthright about what happened to his daughter... Gone somewhere. He agreed to join the Setarcan navy as way to sail the world looking for his daughter. Never meeting the Duchess, never quite making the connections that would allow him to see that his daughter was closer at hand that he ever realized. In recent years he was called to serve with the Setarcan navy against the Gyre. His ship and crew distinguishing themselves in a small skirmish, and after the battles were done he was called to Arx to receive an honor from the Duchess. + |
| Aria Gilden + | Aria was the sort of child who loved to swordfight with sticks, sneak into the pantries, terrorize the maids, and climb the trees. Her health declined as she grew toward the age of ten, however, and as she spent less tiem outside she spent more studying and endearing herself with the household. She's become a conscientious woman who often acts in her uncle's stead as a representative of House Gilden or manages the household when he is away. Arianna is one of the likely choices for heir as he seems unlikely to have children. Much remains to be seen, of course. She is known to be dependable and conscientious, as well as bright. While she'll never be athletic Arianna's health seems to have improved and she'll take walks and join for parties that she didn't as a youth. + |
| Arian Brand + | Little is known of Arian's origins. As far as anyone knows, the formidable young man has forsaken the path of his family and refused a life of serfdom. Although of common blood, swirling dreams, radiant energy and aristocratic ambition emanant with his every move. Abandoning menial work in the Crownlands, Arian came to Arx to seek his fortune and roll the dice of life. While familiar with a plough and scythe, his apparent skill with a blade interests some and makes others wary. + |
| Arianna Fireviper + | Arianna is the only daughter in the Stonewood family. She was born to her mother who was a proper Lady from a vassal house in the Lyceum, Lady Vayla Pravus. Her father being the Count of Stonewood himself, until he died and her eldest brother Malesh inherited the title. She grew up with a fascination for culture and anthropology. Always a people watcher and a clever girl from the start, she learned how to read before she was able to walk and she spoke quite early. She was pale of skin and fair, her family could not be more proud of their newest addition. Though she was never directly subject to the pressures of her family, their reputation as the reigning house from Pride Hall to Whitehawk was an immense weight to bear. Arianna learned the subtlies of people's mannerisms and customs, the way they held themselves when they were proud or broken. The little tells that people had when they were lying. All of these aspects of psychology intrigued her and she quietly learned by throwing herself into the proverbial lions den. Having been born to the courts and becoming intimately familiar with it, she realized her natural talent at finding out what people needed and providing it for them. Arianna cultivated favors like a farmer cultivates his crop. While the young woman had briefly considered many different vocations, none was more intriguing than that of truth seeker. Or scholar. Though that didn't stop her from also being intrigued by the possibility of becoming a linguist, diplomat, expert on esoterica, or an investigator and skilled in martial pursuits. All in all quite an eclectic array of interests for someone so young, but none the less she has used her talents to further her family's ambitions. While she traveled Arvum for the first time she discovered many interesting things but truly only ended up with more questions than answers. Ever loyal to the causes she devotes herself to, in the time that she has come to the city she has joined several organizations and devoted herself to helping the city thrive after it's most recent tragedies. + |
| Arianna Pravus + | Arianna was born the only daughter in the Stonewood family, born to a Lycene mother from Setarco. Lady Vayla Pravus instilled a lot of herself in her daughter and insisted on raising her child in the Lyceum. It was an unusual request, all things considered, seeing as it was in Lenosia and not Setarco that the girl was raised. Alongside other notables within House Velenosa like her Pravus cousins and Luca, the little Crownlander existed practically as a member of the fealty. She spent summers in Setarco and learned about the paramount House of the Silken City while she did so but rarely did she ever return to the lands of the House which she and her mother owed fealty. Her brothers and cousins in House Stonewood were not too keen of this but her father did not seem to mind it so and nothing was done about it until the man died and the Marquis Malesh took his place. She was summoned back to the House and parted ways with her mother who did not wish to return to a that House when she was welcome back in Setarco. Arianna's return was met with mixed feelings but her clever ways and principled upbringing in the Lyceum made her savvy and a useful advisor to her brother whom soon after appointed her his Voice. For a long while she did an excellent job at this, staying out of court politics and tending to the affairs of her lands that had belonged to her father. She was unhappy with her place in life and took to many hobbies to fill the voice, in time these hobbies became pursuits and these pursuits into careers. Trained in the Ministry of Defense as an Agent, working as an Investigator with the Iron Guard, spending time in the archives with Scholars, and even going so far as joining a company of sellswords that fought in many of the Compact's most recent wars. Being a famous sellsword and having a penchant for dark humor didn't win her many friends, but since she did so well in her duties as Voice that the public backlash for her activities and penchant for scandal washed over her brother like water off a duck's back. Of course, this put tension on the relations between native Stonewoods and this Lycene girl in Crownlands clothing. Inquiries were made and loyalties were tested and ultimately the House was better served without her leadership, and even if her brother hadn't decided on this for her - the Pravosi girl threw in the chips and stepped down not just in Stonewood but elsewhere. She withdrew from the world at large and returned to Stonehearth to, presumably, attend Reform School. It's the worst kind of punishment for Lycene, especially when attending an institution with dour matrons and delinquent Crownlander nobles. Suffice to say upon her return Arianna was quite well behaved and leaned even more so upon her Lycene upbringing. She left Stonewood to join Fireviper as the Sword of Cinder at her brother Gailin's request but even still she grew more distant from the Crownlanders and looked to home. Eventually the Count of Fireviper released her from her oath of fealty so she could return to Pravus and so she did. + |
| Arianna Stonewood + | Arianna is the only daughter in the Stonewood family. She was born to her mother who was a proper Lady from a vassal house in the Lyceum, Lady Vayla Pravus. Her father being the Count of Stonewood himself, until he died and her eldest brother Malesh inherited the title. She grew up with a fascination for culture and anthropology. Always a people watcher and a clever girl from the start, she learned how to read before she was able to walk and she spoke quite early. She was pale of skin and fair, her family could not be more proud of their newest addition. Though she was never directly subject to the pressures of her family, their reputation as the reigning house from Pride Hall to Whitehawk was an immense weight to bear. Arianna learned the subtlies of people's mannerisms and customs, the way they held themselves when they were proud or broken. The little tells that people had when they were lying. All of these aspects of psychology intrigued her and she quietly learned by throwing herself into the proverbial lions den. Having been born to the courts and becoming intimately familiar with it, she realized her natural talent at finding out what people needed and providing it for them. Arianna cultivated favors like a farmer cultivates his crop. While the young woman had briefly considered many different vocations, none was more intriguing than that of truth seeker. Or scholar. Though that didn't stop her from also being intrigued by the possibility of becoming a linguist, diplomat, expert on esoterica, or an investigator and skilled in martial pursuits. All in all quite an eclectic array of interests for someone so young, but none the less she has used her talents to further her family's ambitions. While she traveled Arvum for the first time she discovered many interesting things but truly only ended up with more questions than answers. Ever loyal to the causes she devotes herself to, in the time that she has come to the city she has joined several organizations and devoted herself to helping the city thrive after it's most recent tragedies. + |
| Arianwen Grayhope + | Arianwen can be maddeningly tight-lipped about her past, but can anyone really blame a Lower Boroughs girl for her privacy? Especially one that grew up in the rowdiest and darkest slums in the lowliest section of Arx? Nevertheless, most know by now that Chanse Grayhope either practically raised her, or perhaps he just happened to be nearby while she grew up on her own. Whatever the truth, she often casually introduces herself with the Innkeeper's family name appended. Regulars at the Murder of Crows would have also heard something terribly unkind occurred to her biological parents, which caused her to experience a short stint as a street urchin before her double digit years, and before appropriating a room at the inn. These days, she's happy to make a living as the preeminent tavern maid for the underbelly of Arx - singing numerous merry tunes, demanding the compliance of drunken ne'er-do-wells, and making a pretty penny washing clothes or tending to bar brawl injuries on the side. Famous for her beauty and the melodramatic stories sung of her by sea-bound sailors, it is the rare individual that dares to truly harm the beloved Star-Eyed River Nymph of Arx. + |
| Aric Keaton + | It's hard to look on life with regrets when you get to live it exactly how you want to, but it wasn't always that way. Growing up the first born son of one of the greatest legal minds in the House Keaton, Aric felt extraordinary pressure to succeed and follow in his father's shadow and eventually to eclipse him when he finally retired. Two years of legal studies was enough for him to know this wasn't what he was meant for and after many fights with his father, Aric left for parts unknown. Rumors have him seen in every direction, just the way he liked it. His education in legal matters may have halted but with what he did know, he started carefully smuggling goods and providing other services just this side of the line. True, his family had some money, but nothing like what he was able to make working the grey areas and sometimes dark shadows of the lands. Most anyone in any tavern will vaguely recall Aric buying them drinks and leaving with a morally bankrupt woman or two at the end of the night. He's kept himself busy for the last decade and away from his family and all the life in House Keaton and considers himself better for it, but a recent spot of trouble with the wrong Baron has started pushing him back to build bridges and mend fences with family once more. This is not going to be pretty. + |
| Ariel Darkwater + | Ariel is the the youngest daughter to a Lord of Darkwater and a Lady who was from the noble family of Moonriver. She has an older sister and an older brother but sadly their mother died while birthing little Ariel. Their father, Santiago, had much sorrow when this occurred. Due to the sadness that was caused by the loss, the fact they were living at Darkwater Watch made things easier for her father, Ariel took up dancing as her passion. Now her father has sent her to Arx to assist her cousin Max with whatever he will need. She is quite excited to explore the city, though not to eventually seek out a husband as he father wishes. All on her mind is family, dancing and the sea being her only mistresses for the time being. She is quite the little social butterfly and absolutely adores throwing parties. + |
| Ariel Stonewood + | Ariel is the the youngest daughter to a Lord of Darkwater and a Lady who was from the noble family of Moonriver. She has an older sister and an older brother but sadly their mother died while birthing little Ariel. Their father, Santiago, had much sorrow when this occurred. Due to the sadness that was caused by the loss, the fact they were living at Darkwater Watch made things easier for her father, Ariel took up dancing as her passion. Now her father has sent her to Arx to assist her cousin Max with whatever he will need. She is quite excited to explore the city, though not to eventually seek out a husband as he father wishes. All on her mind is family, dancing and the sea being her only mistresses for the time being. She is quite the little social butterfly and absolutely adores throwing parties. + |
| Ariella Igniseri + | The eldest daughter a lesser line of the March of Granato, Ariella's ambition was never for political power or material wealth -- as such -- because both seem likely to encompass the kinds of responsibility she never really wanted. It's actually hard to quantify for certain whether she is the eldest for certain, but she was removed from her mother's belly first when she had to be cut open so that the children could be removed, so she is the eldest for all practical purposes. As a girl, she was a hellion and a troublemaker, but learned when to behave herself: when her auntie, the Badger of Granato, was in earshot, primarily, or under the glares of her Rubino or Zaffria lieges. The rest of the time? Screw it. Ariella was not a well-supervised little lady. She frequently slipped her minders and ran among the tiered streets of Granato until she reached the rocky shores. Often underfoot for the sailors and merchantmen who peopled the docks and the drinking houses nearby, she developed early on the kind of uproarious temper and _awful mouth_ that makes one ... unlikely future princess material ... to say the least. It didn't help that her aunt, the Countess of the March ... always seemed at least a little amused. Still, these habits forced Ariella into aggressive etiquette lessons that she hated. H A T E D. Her true love was the freedom and the salt and the wind on the verge of the sea, and this was a tendency that only grew as she aged. She managed to bully, cajole, and adorable her way into a role on one of the ships of the Granato navy whose principal duty was guard escort for the merchantmen who sailed back and forth on a route primarily between the Lyceum and the capital in Arx. After she learned the sailor's trade, she managed to bully, cajole, and adorable her way into a claim on her own ship: Lady Captain Ariella Igniseri, QUEEN OF THE WAVES. Since then, it's all been clear sailing. More or less. + |
| Arielle Rivera + | Born in Arx to a pair of high class merchants Arielle Rivera was the third born of four children. The Rivera family was common but decently wealthy and catered to nobility with their goods. Arielle grew up with a good education in addition to learning how to sew and tailor garments from her mother. The young girl found herself desiring to make a name for herself in the fashion world. To start trends that would be seen throughout the Compact and be worn at all the best parties. However she found limiting herself to cloth was confining. Arielle had skilled hands and was often put in charge of the more delicate work with embroidery and weaving. One day while helping her mother style her hair for a social event she got an idea. From that idea sprang a new career for Arielle. No longer was she simply a tailor, now she was a stylist. She studied the art of cutting and styling hair. Of applying cosmetics in a fashion that flattered ones face and matched ones attire. And finally at almost twenty years old she began searching for a shop where she could ply her trade officially. + |
| Arik Halfshav + | To hear his father tell it, Arik was born in the coldest hour of the coldest night of the year, the temperature so low that the boy came into the world coated in ice that never melted from his gray eyes. An unlikely tale, but it can certainly be said that Arik was built for the rugged cold of the North. A born warrior, Arik led men into battle against tribes of Abandoned as young as 14 years of age, collecting victories the way some boys collected bruises, and he certainly collected his fair share of those. No tactical genius, his talents rested more squarely in the realm of physical combat, his unrelenting determination driving him forward against crushing odds. This proficiency at head to head combat earned him the respect of warriors that came before him, and so it was that Arik was named Sword of Whitehold, the heirloom weapon passed down from father to son, an unorthadox move as the title is generally not hereditary. Champion of his family name, Arik wields the sword against those Abandoned tribes cultured enough to respect the rite of duel to settle conflict. Oft-victorious, still this appointment did not come without its trials. Arik has long-suspected that his uncle, the Duke of Whitehold, doubts his accomplishments are truly worthy of the title of Champion. Seeking to prove himself, Arik found himself in a duel against a knight whose fealty was sworn to Valardin, and after much boasting and blustering, the long and horrifically fought bout was called in a draw. After the bout, and after seeing the other fighter and realizing she was both younger than him and not as physically strong as him but significantly more trained, he realized he had to refocus his efforts to be the best warrior he could be. He has since headed to Arx, allegedly to seek refinement in his craft to complement the brute strength he already wields for the glorious honor of Whitehold. + |
| Arion Harrow + | Arion Harrow is the youngest of a rather large family with ancestors who were Prodigal. Growing up in the Lower Boroughs with his siblings and grandfather after his parents died was exceptionally hard on the gentle tempered yet sharp minded boy. He was often the target of the other boys who found the weak bodied Arion and his long red hair all to easy to pick on. However the crimson haired boy was fast on his feet and charming enough to convince some of the older boys to 'discourage' his bullies. Arion learned at an early age to be creative and charming to get things done. An inquisitve child Arion often found himself exploring outside of the Lower Boroughs. The fact that his kneen sense of smell and vanity drove him to take great pains to keep his appearance clean and neat helped him not look too out of place as he explored the finer parts of the city. He managed to catch the attention of a local apothecary who worked in the Ward of the Compact and after a few years of running errands and doing chores, the man finally agreed to teach the young Arion his art Arion enjoyed learning. It started a near obsessive desire for knowledge in his mind and after his mentor taught him how to read and write he began exploring every text he found interesting. His mentor had studied several subjects and Arion enjoyed learning about as many of them as he could The next few years were spent in quite study until the young man came of age and was deemed a proper apothecary in his own right. Now he is trying to make his own way, either by starting up a shop of his own once he has the funds or by offering his services to another. While he remains somewhat untraditional for a Harrow, he has still kept good relations with most of his siblings as well. Now he just has to make a name for himself and prove that even though he has no desire to oin the Iron Guard like his ancestors he can still be useful. + |
| Arman Velenosa + | For as long as he can remember, Prince Armando Velenosa, or Arman as he prefers to be called, has been responsible for keeping a gentle pulse on all of the Lycene houses. That, as one can imagine, is quite a task. Arman was born into a branch of the Velenosa house that prides itself on its intrigue work ? not spies, no, never call them spies! But they are close to the crown and they are close to all the other houses. It's imperative that the other houses of the Lyceum kowtow to Arman and his branch; after all, one word from Arman and the other houses are subject to repercussions from House Velenosa. And no one wants that. He was brought up to take over the family business, which he dutifully did, and Arman found he very much enjoyed it. Early on in his career, Arman earned a reputation that follows him to this day. The circumstances remain shrouded in mystery; all people know is that one humid summer night, a coordinated assassination sting took place all over the Lyceum. Commoners and nobles alike never made it to morning. One notable nobleman was arrested and brought to Arman himself. After several days, the noble was mysteriously found in a seedy part of town with a vacant stare ? he never spoke again. Not long after these events, Arman announced his engagement and the Lyceum began to tremble at the very mention of his name. He married for duty and Miranda gave birth to son after son, but only one lived: Theo. Arman took that child under his wing and raised a fine young man who carries on the family tradition. Arman would never say as much, but he is proud of Theo. Then Miranda became pregnant again. Arman had his son and the boy had lived into his teens; there was no danger or need for another. Miranda died shortly after the birth and left Arman saddled with another baby. The daughter, Saoirse, was shuffled off to nannies and never wanted for anything, but Arman had bigger things to do than raise another child on his own. He and Theo poured themselves into their work in intel; they have a good system, where Arman commands behind the scenes and Theo runs contacts as sort of "boots on the ground". And now they've uncovered something ? it is time to head to Arx. + |
| Armand Farshaw + | The younger brother of the Duke Ryhalt, Armand was once known as a kind-hearted, generous man, of honest heart and word. Chivalry was an ideal to aspire to, Gloria's teachings a way of life. His faith and devotion were such that more than one assumed he would be taking the vows of the Godsworn, and become a Templar, if familial duty allowed. These expectations were checked when one tragedy after another struck the Farshaws, and Ryhalt became the unlikely Duke of Westrock Reach. Armand's duty was to stay, and support his brother in his new rule, and hear the call of duty he did, staying till the rising of Brand reached them. Sent by Ryhalt to aid in the war effort, Armand left his home with the firm intention of doing his brother, family, Compact and Gods proud, and smite the enemies that would see them all destroyed. It didn't work out as intended. While Armand was an excellent knight, it didn't make him invincible. An ambush saw him receive grievous wounds that not only brought him low, but sent him in a coma form which he did not wake up from, not even when he was returned to Westrock Reach. It was only through the efforts of the House's doctor, and prayer from the priests, that Armand eventually opened his eyes once more. Weakened, certainly, but healed and whole... mostly. The long convalescence did not leave him without marks. The trauma of the experience had changed him, turning the idealistic virtuous knight into a fatalistic, reckless man whose impulses led him to laughter or wrath with distressing unpredictability. His body recovered, but his mind never returned to what it once was, leaving his future and destiny in the murky waters of uncertainty. It is under these circumstances he has come to Arx, accompanying the rest of his family... though whether for duty or on a whim is difficult to ascertain. + |
| Armani Gilden + | Armani is one of the children of Kordelia Gilden. She was, most assuredly, a child of the seas. Almost before she could walk and talk Armani was making her way onto boats and trying to travel out to the seas, to feel the wind on her face and to taste the salt on her tongue. Her life was devoted to becoming a Captain of the Sea, though, her mother felt the need to assure Armani had a feminine touch to her and built up her interest in shiny things as well as got her into scholarly things. This divided Armani's love into four things: jewelry, the sea, reading, and writing. As she proved to be a skilled seaman she quickly rose through the ranks of the Gilden naval forces to become the Admiral of the fleets. + |
| Armel Godsworn + | Born in the city of Sanctum, Armel early on heard the clarion call of the Gods, often spending much time in the numerous chapels and temples of the city, and was utterly fascinated by how the priests could deliver such powerful messages with such few, strong words and convictions. With the messages of strength through mercy and protection through faith. When he was a young man of fourteen, his family decided to move to Arx, to hopefully continue his father's business as a carpenter, while his mother found side work as a gardener and servant. They were poor, but rich in spirit as folk. It was on the way that the family was accosted by desperate, hostile shavs, and both of his parents and his toddler sister were killed. Young Armel barely managed to escape with his life, and still bears the scars of that assault upon his face and spirit. From that moment on, as he wandered into Arx maimed and dispirited, he dedicated his life to that of the Godsworn. He became a Knight of Solace, traveling the roads of the Compact and protecting all travelers and pilgrims that wished to use them. It was not an easy life, and he has seen death in almost every form that can be offered by the hearts of men, and some that cannot, in any sane universe. For his years of service to Gild and to his Order, he was Knighted several years ago, and is now Sir Armel, such as it is, a title he received with a low, amused grunt and a simple 'I'll be'. He has now come to Arx, for the need for his Order here is great, and he wishes to be of service in whatever capacity he can, learning from those in the Order and those around, for veteran that he is? There is still much to learn in life. Always is. + |
| Arn Telmar + | There are many stories about Duke Arn. It is said he is a usurper just like his father Laegan. That he is a duplicitous, conniving bastard only out for his ends. Many have said that that is he is but the enemy you keep closer than a friend. A few know the truth though. His Honor has ever been to pay that price his Prince cannot. His father, Duke Laegan, was every folk story villain you ever heard about by the firelight. He was the kind of man to whom Honor was just a word, a means to an end. Vicious in battle and graceful in court they called him the Titan of Telmarch. His son turned out to be his short, ill tempered and socially curt. They called Arn the Troll of Telmarch to mock him, but it is a moniker he eventually wore with pride. Prince Radley, the father of Prince Edain saw something in him that others did not. When Arn learned his father had ambitions to conquer another Duchy to gain more power and a bigger army, he went to Radley. They both feared, rightly, that with that much power, Laegan might one day try and challenge the High Lord. Though Radley could not personally intercede until Laegan made a direct move agains the crown he secretly supported Arn deposing his father, and taking his place as Duke. Not long after that Prince Radley succeeded his mother as the next High Lord of Valardin, and Duke Arn became one of his most trusted generals. Everyone told him he could not trust the usurper, that he would one day turn on him. But Radley knew the value of general and advisor that could do the nasty things he couldn't for the good of the crown and of his people. Arn became what he beheld, but while many say his honor is stained, the few that know him well, or simply who are able to piece together what really happened, realize he has forgotten more about honor than most will ever know. Decades later, the choices he has made have left him bitter, and caustic, having been widowed, and disappointed in his children. A daughter insisted on marrying into the new Greenmarch family for reasons he still doesn't quite agree with, and his oldest son tries to always have his nose in a book. Now he has lost the only man that ever truly called him friend, and he intends to honor his oaths and keep that Valardin line strong, come hell or high water. + |
| Arta Fatchforth + | Arta Fatchforth, a daughter of the industrious Fatchforth family. She was born and raised in a farming community among farmers. Her education and skills have been very much effected by this, she is also the adoptive big sister of Sparte Fatchforth whom she used to torment relentlessly during their time together most often beating him in a competition or another being six years his senior. Growing up she became a stablemaster of some skill and renown for having a natural way and a bond with animals. She was also more or less skilled in herblore which led to her developing a secondary career in medicine. However her medical career wasn't as prominent as her stable. + |
| Arthen Dayne + | Arthen Dayne's life was always going to be a thing of stories, whether he was telling them, or part of them, or chasing them into the wild forever of the great unknown. Even his origins were a mysterious thing, brimming with potential for tales. Quite simply, he showed up at the front door of an orphanage in Arx, swaddled in wool and furs, with a small pouch of silver and a short note that was light on helpful information and a bit thick about pleading to the establishment that he should be taken care of. And so he was. Mostly. At least until he could get around on his own. Arthen grew into a child full of questions, held captive by the wonder of the world around him. No rock ever went unturned, even if the better of some of those rocks ended up in his pocket for the sake of mischief or self-defense. It can be hard being half-raised by the streets, and harder still when your natural inclination is to get into anything you shouldn't. As much as curiosity was a part of his life, so too was trouble. Even so, while the ruffian's want for answers would carry him across the width and breadth of Arx, it would carry him also into books, and those books would carry him across the rest of Arvum, in time. Though a young Arthen Dayne loved daring stories of adventure, it was the histories that really set him on his path. Or rather, the realization that they didn't just lie in dusty old tomes, but happened out in - and as part of - the world, and so many of those histories were unfinished, forgotten, or just plain wrong. If there were things yet left to be discovered or corrected, Dayne decided he would be the one to do it. His intentions were entirely altruistic and for the sake of knowledge, no matter what some rumors said or how many times he might have secretly fenced off an importart part of cultural history to a private collector for considerable sums of silver. A man has to eat, after all. Years before those with an exploratory bent were formalized into an actual society, Arthen's tenacious hunger for glory and uncovering the lost past brought him to all corners of Arvum, mostly working independently for the highest bidder so he could afford to also work on his own personal projects. Eventually a chance encounter and some shared stories with Darren Redrain would land the lifelong adventurer a place in Redrain's fealty as a personal historian and acquisitions specialist for the north's Greatest House. During the Siege of Arx, Dayne disappeared without a word, presumed dead, and remaining as such until the Winter of 1009 AR, when he returned more full of tales than ever. Though he looked a bit older, and life had roughed him up a little, that was all that had changed. No danger was still too great for him, no mystery too small, and he carried a thirst to uncover them all. To the last. + |
| Arthur Russo + | Arthur Russo was born into a very impoverished part of Southport. His father was a brute, thief and compulsive gambler, while his mother was addicted to a handful of very terrible drugs. The fact that he managed to get out of that life and into a better one is a miracle in and of itself, since he knowsd of more then a few people from his old home that never did. When he was about seven the abuse got too rough, and he finally fled home. He ended up an urchin, begging and stealing and doing odd jobs to live. During one especially rough winter he snuck into a leatherworker's home and tried to steal some food. He was caught by the man and his wife. They took pity on him and brought him in. They had been trying, unsuccessfully, for children for several years, and saw this as a chance. The two were stern, but loving, and Arthur became the man's apprentice. It turned out Arthur was a natural, and he loved the work. He adored other forms of creation as well, whether cooking or other things, and he took strongly to the faith of Jayus. He considers him a personal patron, and he tries to live his life by his teachings (Though he charges for his work). Eventually he was doing many of the more intense works for his 'father', though often the credit was given to his master, since he was a credited leatherworker, and not some young apprentice. Eventually a member of the Malvici came to the area, and he made her an incredible set of leathers. She discovered it was really Arthur that did the work, and she made a mental note of it. Years later, Arthur began his military service, and the Malvici saw some of his more recent work. She arranged things for him to serve the House as a smith for his military service, and now here he is... + |
| Artorius Magnotta + | Artorius grew up in Southport along with the rest of his Malvici cousins and his sister Caelis. Like all who grow up in this regimented military meritocracy, he easily found his way to the sword. Childhood was fairly easy for him, but that all changed during the Tor-Southport war. Not quite old enough to fight, and not young enough to forget, Artorius was permanently shaped by the events of that conflict. As time moved on and Artorius' travels eventually lead him to the southern end of the Gray Forest, where he had the fortune to run into a Lady Victoria Ashford. She with her sly passionate way about things seemed to lure him in almost immediately. It wasn't long before the two of them were wed. Their marriage was blessed with a child shortly thereafter. A little girl they named Serah. Only two years after Serah's birth, Lady Victoria Ashford contracted an illness and died. Her death left Artotius absolutely heartbroken. He wandered Arvum for a few years, coming home to visit with his daughter as often as his broken heart would allow. It was only when he had heard his sister was called to help the Malvici family in Arx that he too decided it was time to pick up his blade in service of the family once more. Taking Serah with him this time, her journeyed to Arx in hopes of making a difference on the Compact's war efforts. + |
| Artorius Malvici + | Artorius grew up in Southport along with the rest of his Malvici cousins and his sister Caelis. Like all who grow up in this regimented military meritocracy, he easily found his way to the sword. Childhood was fairly easy for him, but that all changed during the Tor-Southport war. Not quite old enough to fight, and not young enough to forget, Artorius was permanently shaped by the events of that conflict. As time moved on and Artorius' travels eventually lead him to the southern end of the Gray Forest, where he had the fortune to run into a Lady Victoria Ashford. She with her sly passionate way about things seemed to lure him in almost immediately. It wasn't long before the two of them were wed. Their marriage was blessed with a child shortly thereafter. A little girl they named Serah. Only two years after Serah's birth, Lady Victoria Ashford contracted an illness and died. Her death left Artotius absolutely heartbroken. He wandered Arvum for a few years, coming home to visit with his daughter as often as his broken heart would allow. It was only when he had heard his sister was called to help the Malvici family in Arx that he too decided it was time to pick up his blade in service of the family once more. Taking Serah with him this time, her journeyed to Arx in hopes of making a difference on the Compact's war efforts. + |
| Artur Redrain + | Artur was a happy child, with the joy and energy of a young boy raised by parents with a good balance of benevolent distance and bland-edged discipline. His closest supervision was from a crotchety old shaman whose stories evolved as Artur aged, retaining his attention cleverly by incorporating more boogers and farts once Artur reached a certain age, and peppering his storytelling with blood and guts liberally throughout his childhood. Indoors, Artur had a little sister to equal parts torment and defend; outdoors, he had worlds to conquer, many of them entirely fueled by his own mind. As a boy, every day of his was filled with imagination games. One day he would be an evil wizard bent on world domination -- "please make sure you clean your hands and wash behind your ears when you're done building your sorcerous tower, dear" -- and the next day, a shining beacon of purity and light, showing the world the benefits of a true paladin -- "what a clever sword, Artur, did you make it from a stick?" -- and the day after, a secretly infiltrated dwarf agent, stealthing through the manor with daring surreptitiousness -- "we can see you hiding under the table, my prince, as I'm afraid your boots are sticking out." As he grew and learned his lessons and studied with swordmasters and trained in (oh no) etiquette like a good prince, his imagination games grew no less colorful, if they grew subtler; in his teen years, his flights of fancy he kept to scribblings in his journal, artistic translations of this visiting diplomat into an elven infiltrator bent on seducing his mother, or that complex arithmetic economics problem being illustrated with dragons and eggs instead of sacks of grain. He doodled constantly, and made stories in his head, and although he wasn't secretive about them, he became aware as he moved towards adulthood that they were -- if not childish things to be put aside -- private treasures to be kept to those he trusted. "Today, I shall go on a hunt," would be his itinerary, and then instead, while hunting pheasant he would imagine himself agriffonback, chasing the winged terror of a dragon marauding the countryside. "Today, I shall go with my father to an important meeting," would be the plan, and in his head, one of the councillors was replaced by a luring mirrorborn with destuctive appetites (the drawing from that day was paticularly spooky and splendid). Yet still, even as he grew to adulthood, his imagination pictures stayed with him. Even today, as he rides towards the capital, he imagines himself alive with derring-do, questing for adventure, rather than doing what he is supposed to do exactly, which is go to Arx and support the North's political, economic and military goals potentially by securing an alliance somewhere in the Southlands. + |
| Arturo Grayhope + | Arturo's sire was a drifter, and drift he did. He was in Arx just long enough to knock up Arturo's mother, a lower-class Grayhope. His mother was a performer, singing in taverns, acting small parts in the theatres, and cooking and cleaning when she needed more to feed herself and child. Despite the reputation of her family, Arturo's mother never was one to dabble in the shady side of things. As a youth, he shared his time between roaming the streets and following in the footsteps of his mother, learning to sing, read music, and play instruments. He grew talented at it, as well, earning enough to make his way as a poor bard. He had the potential to attract a patron, and continue such a career. And then he smoked his first bowl of dust... Everything changed after that. No amount of coin could keep enough of the drug for him, and the poor income he earned from being a bard certainly couldn't. Situation forced his hand. It was at that point that Art turned to his cousins, seeping into the darker side of the Grayhope family. Addiction fueled him. Always desperate for his next fix, he became willing to do whatever was asked of him. + |
| Arya Gilden + | With older children to be saddled with training to lead the House and younger children to be coddled, Arya was often left to her own devices, just as she preferred it. With such liberty, she was able to cultivate her own interests; the pursuit of the fantastical, and fiction-writing thereof. Hours would drift past as she lost herself in her own imagination, penning tales of talking creatures, woods with secrets unknown, and battles between forces of light and darkness. Oh sure, she learned to socialize and she likes a bit of courtly gossip as much as the next young noblewoman, but the unreal has always been her passion. Thus, when word began to circulate through the noble houses of the return of magic and visitors from other lands, she wasted no time setting off for Arx with a sturdy quill and an iron will, determined to seek out the fantastical happening all around herself right under the very nose of the Compact - and she'll write it all. + |
| Asger Crovane + | Born the youngest son of the Crovanes of the far north, Asger has found his place in the family on the battlefields against the Abandoned clans around them. The man betting his life on the outcome of every raid, skirmish, and patrol, reveling in those narrow moments when he dances a hairsbreadth away from losing it all. The glee and laughter he displays in the face of his enemies, and his blood soaked appearance earning him a rather barbarous reputation. Even as a child growing up he displayed a penchant for brawling with his peers, gregarious and quick to forgive whatever slight real or imagined might have spurred the fight to begin with. + |
| Asha Espina + | Asha grew up as the daughter to a favored Champion in Lenosia, but never the less a commoner. Through the relative fame of her mother, she grew up comfortable and although at first her mother intended for her to learn another craft, when she got into her teenage years there was no question Asha sought to follow in the footsteps of her mother. The scars she wears today are a mark of her early days in the guild back home, but with time she too earned herself a reputation. Taking up the way of the spear, the serpent's dance as she calls it she lingered in Lenosia for sometime, but it proved difficult to manage in the shadow of her mother, the famed Sara the Serpent. She has travelled across all of Arvum since then, mainly seeking cities as that is where a Champion will find work. And eventually Arx, for where are there more nobles in petty disputes than in the capital? + |
| Asher Grayhope + | Born poor, raised poor, and currently poor. That's most of the Lower Boroughs for you. Most go hungry, some starve. It's the wonderful city of commerce and wealth! But for those who desire to rise up from the muck, it's a difficult trek, and a dangerous one at that. Asher, for his part, has thought to make his way by joining with the Grayhope family. At least, working for them. In whatever they need. Secrets and information can be a dark business, and all the muck passes through the shade of the Lower Boroughs. + |
| Asher Morrlin + | Born poor, raised poor, and currently poor. That's most of the Lower Boroughs for you. Most go hungry, some starve. It's the wonderful city of commerce and wealth! But for those who desire to rise up from the muck, it's a difficult trek, and a dangerous one at that. Asher, for his part, has thought to make his way by joining with the Grayhope family. At least, working for them. In whatever they need. Secrets and information can be a dark business, and all the muck passes through the shade of the Lower Boroughs. + |
| Ashkyr Elensar + | Likely an unknown man from Southport save for those knowledgeable in seafaring, Ashkyr was the younger brother of Aerandir, and his second in command aboard the Lusty Mermaid - a naval vessel under House Grayson that frequented many harbors throughout its decades of service. Rumor has it after a colossal failure by the brothers, the Lusty Mermaid was sank during a voyage through Darkwater Reach, along with the civilian ship it was escorting. Both crews were lost in the slaughter, the only survivors being the familial pair. Despite the failure, historic service by their family saw their lives spared, although their careers ended. He now roams the lands as a Crownsworn, much like his brother, and works tirelessly to not only find his way in this world, but restore his family's name. + |
| Ashlinn Speare + | Lin Farmer was born in a smaller-than-small village in the middle of nowhere in the Telmarch called Rivlet. So named because it was close to a river and that's what one can expect out a village where the thatcher is named Thatcher, the tailor is named Tailor and, of course, the farmer is named Farmer. Her mother Lin was a hardy woman and her father Hamish was a hardy man and neither of them were interested in life beyond the till and the harvest. Neither were bad people and the life wasn't terrible, but neither cared much about the world beyond Rivlet and while they might enjoy a night of drinking and music at the local inn (run by Robett Innman) but once they were back home the stories the passing bard or troubador may have shared didn't stick with them. Tales of the great heroes, of Dame Sugan and Prince Cerdic, Queen Alarice and Sir Lionel, may have made for an evening's distraction, but for her parents the doings of heroes were things that happened long ago and far away and the fall planting was something that needed to be done now. They appreciated that their daughter had a head for adventure and stories, but there was a job that couldn't be shirked. Still, when she could get away she would do so, running through the woods and pretending she was a knight, swinging a stick and playing at war and heroism. She had friends in the other village children, though as they all aged Dacey Smith was called by her father to the forge and Llew Hunter was called by his mother to the bow. Eventually it was just her, resisting the call to the field. When she was sixteen years old her mother was killed during a shav raid. Her father grieved, but grief can only get one so far when the village will expect your grains to get them through the winter and you will need their beer and meat in return to get you through winter, so after a day Hamish was back to work. The event was enough to set Lin on the path she would follow for the rest of her life. Perhaps she could have fought off the shavs if she were more than she is? Perhaps they all would have been safe had they left this backwater town for a place with tall walls and burly guards? No matter the case, Lin had had enough of being a farmer and one night, without so much as a goodbye to her father, she left Rivlet and ran. Running took her to the river, which took her to Riva, a bigger city than anything she'd ever seen in her life, and from there to Sanctum. If Riva was a shock, Sanctum redefined her concept of the world. In Sanctum she joined the city guard for a time, learning to fight from the best they had to offer and in turn helping to keep the order. Still, as much as life in the city had amazed her, she yearned for more. She rode with the Knights of Solace for a time as an assistant and prospective disciple, but ended up leaving them to join a band of mercenary adventurers out of Arx. With them she saw Arvum, fighting shavs in the North and pirates in the South, protecting villages in the Isles and never quite making it back home. It was somewhere in this period that she let the name Lin Farmer die in favor of something that more suited a dashing adventurer and became Ashlinn Speare, embracing her favored weapon (though she still used a sword when she HAD to) and giving her birth name a little more heroic flair. Ashlinn was in Arx when the Bringers marched on the city. Her company was one of those that joined the Iron Guard and, now a lieutenant in the company, led sorties against the shavs, but there was no stopping them. During the siege she was among those trying to hold the wall in the Thrax ward, trying to live up to her heroic ideals and putting herself between the enemy and fleeing citizens. During a particularly rough engagement, her people having fallen, she found herself fighting side by side with a half-dozen Silver Swords. When that battle was done she'd earned the notice of one of the knights who found herself impressed enough by the Oathlander's skill, determination and dedication to honor, heroics and common damn sense that she decided to keep an eye on the girl. When the siege was broken and Brand killed the knight of the Hundred, or rather the Lord Commander of the King's Own, offered her knighthood and a place in the Silver Swords. This was her dream realized and Ashlinn did not hesitate to accept. It has been going on a decade since and Dame Ashlinn has time and again acquitted herself with valor, her service to the Crown seeing her fighting in Setarco against the Pirate King as the city was evacuated and standing with her fellows against yet another shav army (and other things) when the Gray Forest was threatened by the chieftain called the Horned God. Her greatest honor, and greatest pride, in life comes from her service to the King and his silver swords. That her father recently showed up in the city and is suddenly not only a godsworn but an archlector is a strange wrinkle, sure, but duty comes first. + |
| Ashlyn Velenosa + | Ashlyn Velenosa was born Princess to the family of the Lyceum. A bit of a hot-tempered child she was sent off to boarding schools and recently a propierty school. She grew up amongst the nobles, used to getting what she wanted but through schooling learned that making a fuss was not the way to get those things. If anything the schools taught her how to be proper and how to walk amongst the peers as an adult. She's just recently returned to be set out into the world as a Princess ready to be beholden to the proper man. + |
| Ashlyn Velenosa/Reflection + | Ashlyn was born to Camilla Velenosa and raised by servants and maids, never truly knowing her father and his lack or presence. Naturally she was spoiled as a child with a bit of a temper, thinking she could get whatever she wanted. She was sent off to boarding schools to learn that this behavior was not okay. Her brother Jarek is a wandering priest who well left the city and many heartbroken in his wake. Ashlyn has just recently returned from a propriety school educated and well mannered to maneuver her way through society. Like a ghost forgotten she seeks new connections and to learn more about the others and the city. + |
| Ashur Sanna + | Born to a distant cousin of the then Count of Seliki, Ashur was raised with a bow in his hand and an adventure in his heart. And even when there was no true adventure to be had, he made up his own. An independent boy, he explored the woods outside his home, the beaches and caves along the coast. He found treasures everyday: long abandoned chests that surely held goblets of ancient, though none were ever found inside, books with pages torn out that undoubtedly once contained mystical spells. At the age of 18, Ashur's father, a minor lord, brokered a deal to have him married into the Sanna family. He didn't want to, but was talked into it with language like 'duty' and 'family needs'. A trip was organized not long after the nuptials and he was dragged to a distant-relation's estate; some aunt's cousin's third husband's grandfather's sister's niece. It was revelatory. His exploration, up until that point, had been external, always looking for answers elsewhere. But this young girl, with her brilliant mind sought answers to things inside her laboratory, inside her mind. He showed her some of the weaponry he used, some of the tools that he believed could detect spirits, which they both believe in! He told her of his wild stories that most people never believed, of the places he went that were not marked on any map. And she showed him her inventions and experiments, things he didn't necessarily understand all of the time. But she explained her need of things. Rare flowers, fancy metals. Who better to find those things than him?! Ashur would chase things for Elloise and bring them back to her. Together, they worked on new ways to create things that had made this way for generations. They grew fond of each other and were inseparable in that limited time they were able to spend together. But the trip had to end sometime and he returned home. Within a year of his marriage, a strange, undiagnosed disease struck his wife. He heard legend of someone that would have been able to save his wife, that had never failed to heal any sick person. He lost himself in the search. He was away from his wife and home for months, but each clue led to another hint and eventually, he found the person; a 'witch' in the deepest, darkest part of the woods. He brings the 'witch' to their estate after another week's journey home and is told upon arrival that his wife had passed away the night before. Grief overwhelmed him. He fled from his home, from those that knew him and he lost himself in travels until a letter from Elloise recently arrived... + |
| Aslaug Winge + | When asked where she comes from, if she can be coaxed into saying anything at all, Aslaug may tell one soul she washed up on the beach of Arx in a spring storm, another she may whisper to that she wandered down a mountain in a snow storm, or that she simply sprouted one spring. Each of these explanations delivered as a matter of fact - as if everyone has a similar story behind them. What is clear is that she commits to no origins. Some amongst those who owe their allegiance to Redrain have seen the wanderer about, passing through their various holdings, and often attending Shamanistic gatherings generally hovering at the periphery of such gatherings. Her arrival in Arx coincided with the influx of nobility following the start of the King's slumber and since she may be found wandering in some strange places, typically with her hat pulled low over her eyes and her head bowed down. Most often she can be sighted in the Low Borough or the Redrain quarter, though many have spotted her in the wilds around the city as well. + |
| Asphodel Leary + | A sunny and precocious young woman of a Leary branch, Asphodel could be found wherever there was merriment. A roadside inn at harvest-time was such a place one evening, with Asphodel laughing among and enjoying the company of common folk. All shared song, drink and warm jests. Asphodel, always sharp-tongued but kind enough with it, made a jape about a man's fashion, setting the room to laughter. Most would laugh it off. But some innocent mockeries cut more deeply than the dealer could ever expect, and the hearts of men can be both bitterly vengeful and shockingly explosive. Asphodel had visited the inn without a guard. Foolish. Outside, as the night's festivities waned, the mocked man pulled Asphodel from the palfrey she'd mounted to depart, threw her to the dirt, and buried a hand-axe in her face with a choice word shouted. He would have struck again, had a wayfaring Knight of Solace not been stepping from the inn just then. The knight arrested a second axe stroke and saved Asphodel from death, but not from a lightning bolt of shattering pain, her darkest year to come, and a life forever changed. All due to a thoughtless joke. She awoke days later. Medicine cured the infection, but could not make her whole. Ahead lay a year of shadows in a shut room, each day a series of objects thrown in anger, curses, desperate prayers, wailing and sobs with enough pain to drive the servants from hearing. But after months of anguish came an equilibrium of silence. Books and a quill saved her from worse. In solitude, she exhausted the library, as servants pleased to see her occupied brought tomes to her room on request. She devoured history, legend, poetry, philosophy and fiction. Unsatisfied, she began to add her own work, but given her limited experience, mustered only critiques of certain dated historians and poets. Foremost of her learning was that she had so much more to learn, and that one library could not satisfy. She needed more to read, and more to write. Where to find it? She'd read of Arx. With a year passed, she at last left her room, more pale than before, more inquisitive, and altogether changed, for the city. + |
| Asralyn Venac + | There's a small village north of Farhaven that if you searched for your whole life, might never come close to brushing its borders. The world is a big place. This Asralyn has always known, sitting on the cliffs that look toward the endless reams of pole-pines that stretch to the sea. By this time, at the age of twelve, she knew her life would not end in this place. The kiss of the wind lured her away. At sixteen she quit her home as pressure mounted from her parents to settle down. She sought the edge of the world and came to it on the coast of the Eventide Vast and the next chapter in her story; pirates in a cove unloading their bounty and hiding from the wrath of the navy in dogged pursuit. They thought her some feral Shav at first, especially when she lunged a knife into the throat of a sailor who tried to take her aboard their ship. Down a man, the Captain saw fit to offer her a job instead. This disreputable life she led for some years, until their crew came upon the shadow of the Gyre. Asralyn and two others were the only survivors. She parted ways with them, however, and instead took up her spear in the name of whoever paid her wage. For a long time it has been this way, a rough and violent life. A life whose purpose is as transitory as the adventurer who lives it; and now in these interesting times, it has led her to Arx. + |
| Asriel Darkwater + | Asriel Darkwater has ever been a notoriously private person. Still, not every facet of his long life has been masked by the sort of mystery he so often cultivates around himself. What is it they say in the law courts of Arx? Just the facts, please. Asriel was known to be a precocious child, nobody would argue that. A noble's education and a hunger for knowledge would find him growing into a young lord of House Darkwater with a brilliant mind and a bright - if sometimes questionable - personality full of idiosyncracies. Yet no amount of radiance would help him to escape from beneath the long shadow cast by his brother Draevor, a man who better espoused the qualities a Darkwater was thought to need at the time. It could be fair to think that because of this, a younger Asriel Darkwater might have already harbored a healthy resentment for his more brutal brother even before whatever passed between them that would cause an informal falling out. In the years leading up to Draevor's death, a distance grew between Asriel and his family at Darkwater Watch. Where once he had put his keen mind to use handling finances and other important details for his House, more and more he failed to come home altogether. Every stretch of absence was longer than the last, until one day he disappeared entirely. Before he seemingly fell off the face of Arvum, Asriel had been pursuing the life of an antiquarian. Though the return of the Darkwater lord wasn't inevitable, it wasn't an accident either. It was by the hand and efforts of the newly-elevated Countess Carita that the letter which would finally convince Asriel to come home would reach him. While he isn't always quite the outgoing socialite he once was, his philanthropic nature and driven curiosity has remained intact through whatever ravages time has brought down upon him. Many of the Peerage expected that perhaps Draevor's brother might pose a challenge to the latest Countess to grace the head of House Darkwater's table, being the neo noble that she is, but to their surprise his return has found him steadfastly vocal about his support for her. + |
| Asterion Havmarke + | Asterion Havmarke is the firstborn and last living child of Dallon and Odelia Havmarke, and the only remaining scion of the Havmarke line proper. Two younger brothers and a sister were born after, though both younger boys faced health complications that led to early deaths. Like his father before him, he was a farmer by birth and by profession, and was resigned to such a life long before he ever reached adulthood. An avid reader, he consumed every bit of ink and parchment he was able to get his hands on, primarily via discarded missives and historical texts. It was this sharpening of his mind that led to a surprisingly competent military career. It served as an escape from the monotony of agriculture and a method to elevate his own station, eventually resulting in a commission to officer. It was at this time that he took a wife, Vorina, and soon after inherited his family's lands after illness claimed the lives of his parents. She too would be taken by ailing health, accelerated by a complicated pregnancy that left Asterion widowed and without any progeny. Rather than fall into any despair, he threw his life into duty - cultivating his lands, serving his commission, and reigniting a passion for literature, now with the agency to acquire proper books to expand his library. Eventually, his military service was ended by injury and subsequent illness that threatened to claim him just as it did the whole of his family. It was this distinguished military service, though, that led House Byrne to invite Asterion to serve as a steward and agent of Cedar Vale following his recovery, a role that he has acted in with ruthless efficiency. The duty would carry him to Arx to serve the Vale from afar, and so it was that he escaped the destruction of Cedar Vale at the hands of the Abandoned. He returned when the County was given to Lord Gailin Stonewood, seamlessly transition from service of House Byrne to service of the newly created House Fireviper. So it is that he has carried on in stewardship of House Byrne, then Fireviper, and now Byrne again. He has remained through it all in a number of capacities, the only consistency a loyal and steadfast service to Cedar Vale and to the House that holds it. + |
| Astor Larrant + | Astor grew up in a family of simple farmers and ranchers on House Grayson's lands. Harboring greater ambitions than a typical farmer's son, Astor decided the best thing to do was to give up his claim on the family business and start one of his own. He apprenticed under a traveling merchant who dabbled in alchemy until he was old enough and knowledgeable enough to set off on his own. He made his way around for a few years, and after a string of run-ins with bandits and scammers, he decided it was best to find a place to settle down. Now that he's in Arx proper, he's not quite sure what to do, at least not yet. He does at least believe that he's wise enough to figure it out, though. + |
| Astraea Redrain + | Astraea was born mere minutes before her twin sister but the two might often go back and forth on who was actually the first brought into this world. Though she may be identical in looks to her sister they are quite different in some ways. Astraea is the more thrill-seeking, physical type who enjoyed tussling with the boys and getting dirty. Unafraid of a little danger, she always managed to find herself getting into trouble. Her mother was afraid of losing her daughter to the wiles of her whimsy and did her best to reign her in. There was no way in hell that Astraea would ever enjoy embroidery or needlepoint. Knowing her daughter well, the Igniseri noblewoman managed to procure the services of a well known sellsword from a foreign land. Due to her natural inclination toward athleticism she was an excellent student and picked up swordplay quickly. This only bolstered her eagerness to partake in dangerous ventures for that rush of adrenaline. Storm-chasing, rock-climbing, extreme sports, diving, exploring, and just about anything that risks life and limb was on her checklist. Astraea managed to undertake many exciting adventures but her career as a daredevil came to an end when she got married. It was politically motivated and she had never met her intended before they were engaged. As she got to know him it seemed alright and the Igniseri girl felt like perhaps she might even grow to love him. It was with a heavy heart that she left her family and home in the Southern isles to go and live in the icy north. Life can be good, but it isn't always happy endings and for Astraea this was quite the case. Her husband died three years into their marital bliss, his body was found terribly mangled and the cause of death was never discovered. In the weeks following the investigation into the Redrain Prince's death the grisly details were kept from his widow. After the news was delivered to her, Astraea sunk into depression and mourning, thus shattering the hopes and dreams of the southern-but-northern princess who had expected to live a long life with her Prince Charming. Many long months have gone by since then and once again Astraea has fallen prey to her wanderlust and taste for a good fight. Ever a devotee of Gloria, this princess is highly devout and her love of the Gods is second to none. It's no secret that she walks with the Sentinel and has a special place in her heart for the Queen of Endings but she carries a flame of passion in her heart and soul for each member of the Pantheon; finding their combined philosophies and teachings the most beneficial to the soul. Strangely enough she is not actually a member of any single discipleship but the Redrain princess frequents the shrine and the Cathedral. When she isn't pursuing a life of piety, Astraea pursues her interests quietly and tends to avoid the politicking of Arx. Her sister, Aurelia, and her spend a great deal of time together and tend to be synchronous with their moods. This doesn't always mean the pair of them are in agreement but even in their discordance they manage to echo one another's thoughts and feelings as if they share a soul or at the very least a mind. There are no limits on her love for family and the people, all people. Some might see this as naivete or weakness but Astraea has always seen the best in humanity and has an amazing capacity for love. She enjoys meeting people with warmth and open arms, and though she may not always see eye to eye with someone she does her best to keep an open mind. How she arrived in the city is a bit of a mystery, but the why is something she hasn't been quite forthcoming about either but she has set about throwing all of her efforts into maintaining the peace and bringing down the Compact's foes. + |
| Astraea Valardin + | Astraea was born mere minutes before her twin sister but the two might often go back and forth on who was actually the first brought into this world. Though she may be identical in looks to her sister they are quite different in some ways. Astraea is the more thrill-seeking, physical type who enjoyed tussling with the boys and getting dirty. Unafraid of a little danger, she always managed to find herself getting into trouble. Her mother was afraid of losing her daughter to the wiles of her whimsy and did her best to reign her in. There was no way in hell that Astraea would ever enjoy embroidery or needlepoint. Knowing her daughter well, the Igniseri noblewoman managed to procure the services of a well known sellsword from a foreign land. Due to her natural inclination toward athleticism she was an excellent student and picked up swordplay quickly. This only bolstered her eagerness to partake in dangerous ventures for that rush of adrenaline. Storm-chasing, rock-climbing, extreme sports, diving, exploring, and just about anything that risks life and limb was on her checklist. Astraea managed to undertake many exciting adventures but her career as a daredevil came to an end when she got married. It was politically motivated and she had never met her intended before they were engaged. As she got to know him it seemed alright and the Igniseri girl felt like perhaps she might even grow to love him. It was with a heavy heart that she left her family and home in the Southern isles to go and live in the icy north. Life can be good, but it isn't always happy endings and for Astraea this was quite the case. Her husband died three years into their marital bliss, his body was found terribly mangled and the cause of death was never discovered. In the weeks following the investigation into the Redrain Prince's death the grisly details were kept from his widow. After the news was delivered to her, Astraea sunk into depression and mourning, thus shattering the hopes and dreams of the southern-but-northern princess who had expected to live a long life with her Prince Charming. Many long months have gone by since then and once again Astraea has fallen prey to her wanderlust and taste for a good fight. Ever a devotee of Gloria, this princess is highly devout and her love of the Gods is second to none. It's no secret that she walks with the Sentinel and has a special place in her heart for the Queen of Endings but she carries a flame of passion in her heart and soul for each member of the Pantheon; finding their combined philosophies and teachings the most beneficial to the soul. Strangely enough she is not actually a member of any single discipleship but the Redrain princess frequents the shrine and the Cathedral. When she isn't pursuing a life of piety, Astraea pursues her interests quietly and tends to avoid the politicking of Arx. Her sister, Aurelia, and her spend a great deal of time together and tend to be synchronous with their moods. This doesn't always mean the pair of them are in agreement but even in their discordance they manage to echo one another's thoughts and feelings as if they share a soul or at the very least a mind. There are no limits on her love for family and the people, all people. Some might see this as naivete or weakness but Astraea has always seen the best in humanity and has an amazing capacity for love. She enjoys meeting people with warmth and open arms, and though she may not always see eye to eye with someone she does her best to keep an open mind. How she arrived in the city is a bit of a mystery, but the why is something she hasn't been quite forthcoming about either but she has set about throwing all of her efforts into maintaining the peace and bringing down the Compact's foes. + |
| Astrid Ulbran + | Mother? Father? These are terms that Astrid's familiar with but not questions she can answer about herself. She was taken in by the Ulbran family when she was found as a three-year-old orphan in the alleys of the Lowers and was raised with ample cousins, aunts, and uncles but never knew a mother or father per se. At an early age she was taught some lessons that carry through to today: how to read people, how to make impassioned arguments, how to navigate the Streets and its culture. And she was also taught lessons she tries to forget: nimble fingers, insincere speeches, and the brutality of man. Astrid was twenty before she would find someone outside of the family she had known to inspire her to be something more. A priest of the Pantheon had been spending time in the Lowers, working on some pet project about documenting the histories of the common people. He was always kind to her, always lacking in judgement, and frequently finding an excuse to provide a little coin for a proper tour guide. Through their conversations over the course of a year, Astrid was encouraged to try something new, to embrace Lagoma's change and put what the priest recognized as a sharp mind and indomitable will to work. Over the next decade, Astrid would study with the aging man, turn her life around (according to the views of most) and leave behind a path that was sure to see her in the stockades to become a Priestess of the Pantheon. Now she still visits the place where she was raised, but she does so with an eye towards proving there's a chance for anyone to do anything if they just give it a real try. And who knows? Maybe one day she'll even be an Archlector. Others have risen to such heights! + |
| Astyr Vanha + | When the Bringers of Silence carved their way across Arvum, they left ruin in their wake. Astyr is a refugee, holding and people lost, who knelt and found refuge in the Compact. In the years since Brand's advance, Astyr has shaped herself into the image of a proper Prodigal. She could pass among the citizens of Arx unnoticed, without tattoo or piercing, and has worked to tame even her accent. She's passed through the great cities and holdings of the north, through the Oathlands and the Crownlands. She respects the stability of the Compact, that it endures even in times of chaos -- that it even prospers. She could use some of that. + |
| Aswin Ulbran + | Aswin doesn't really know if he was born an Ulbran, or if he simply fell in with the family around the time that he took his first steps. He has no memories of his mother or his father, they simply were never there. The streets of the Lower Boroughs are a tough place for a child to grow up, especially by themselves, and while his parents were not there the Ulbrans were. Survival became not only possible, but he learned at the instruction of his family how to thrive in the dangerous streets. As soon as he was able, he was put to work as a lookout and pickpocket, the innocence of his youthful appearance presenting an opportunity that was not to be wasted. And then by the time that he entered into his teens he was being trained to fight and sent along on more dangerous work, a life that Aswin took to quite well. Now in his twenties, he fills whatever role the family needs of him. + |
| Athaur Rivenshari + | The Rivenshari Abandoned were never one of the bigger tribes in the Oathlands, but they were always a tight knit group of sailors that manned their boats up and down the waterways. A branch of the nomadic ravashari and smugglers, his family resisted the efforts of House Valardin to bring them to heel until Brand's dark magic enslaved his people and forced them to fight a battle that was not theirs. Many Rivenshari were struck down by House Thrax's navy the day Brand tried to breech Arx's walls. But a select few survived. Athaur and his younger sister, Eshra, will ensure the thrive now that they've bended knee to their former enemies. Born into a large family, Athaur never thought he would have to take the mantle of leader. His father, Aegis, and mother, Triega, had two older sons, Gavier and Raqui, who were meant to help lead their people. This left their third son to focus on what he did best, thieving and smuggling. Quick with his hands, even quicker with a blade, he became a skilled thief early on. His sailing skills rival those in House Thrax. His passion for the guitar, an outlet when things life troubled him. He was the reckless one, the man that took chances. His luck always paid off. Nobles would well to beware challenging this ravashari to a game of dice or cards. Closest to Eshra, who followed him by birth three years later, she has always been the one to temper his impulses. His advisor, his voice, it is she who consuls him to take a longer path. He thanks the spirits every day that Brand's darkness did not take her and Mattheu, his youngest brother, from him. He mourns the loss of his father, former leader of the Rivenshari, his mother, former Voice, and two brothers. Their losses have tempered some of his impulsiveness. Now he plays a longer game to see that his family thrives in Arx. + |
| Atherton Galeren + | Atherton's origins are mostly unknown beyond the past few years. A few whisperings of offering his services to the Abandoned linger. In the more recent past he's been seen doing mundane work such as escorting merchants about, intimidating young bandits off farmers' property, and the like. + |
| Atreylan Hollowood + | A sharp wit and a tactful tongue can carry a young man far in this world, given the right encouragement and resources. Atreyan was blessed to find both from birth. While not of the finest blood, his parents had means and desire to see themselves elevated in time. His father was an able-bodied man of the Iron Guard, and his mother put hand to gem, selling fine jewelry to nobility. Through their professions, they saw the privileges of the nobility in all things, and wished for their son to be better positioned to move within greater circles. To that end, they put their resources to education and betterment of the boy. He took to words, etiquette, and new knowledge with vigor- taking great joy in every sentence he constructed. Words yielded to him in a way that nothing else ever would, and before long he was surpassing his tutors. From there, it was a matter of what paths would offer him the greatest opportunities- and to further his abilities he was sent forth to the City-States of the Lyceum in the midst of his adolescence. Where a more militant boy might squire and aide to a warring man, he worked briskly in the trades of courtly stewardship, learning the proper way to guide a book and to assist lowly Lords with their correspondences. Many a letter was written in his hand, and by his mind, with another name attached. The intrigues of the Lyceum also bred in him a healthy paranoia for unsigned gifts, and a respect for the viciousness of the nobility. He was ever the respectful servant, and worked as honorably as anyone within the Lyceum may. By the time of his return to Arx, his sharply-educated mind had been honed by the practical rigors of his vocation. Within Arx, Atreyan found his greatest challenges being the de jure colliding with the de facto. Outside of the Compact, the laws of the realm are as varied as its people, and exceptions grow like weeds to every writ. Over the last few years, he's worked as a steward for a variety of well-off merchant families- ensuring that their trades adhered to the laws of the land, and doing what he could to give them an edge over their competition. + |
| Atria Ulixes + | Atria is the second of three children, the middle child that's always so troublesome. Her eldest brother was trained to be lord of the manor and now rules House Ulixes. Her youngest sister was married off at an early age to secure trade agreements to grow the house's trade port which it so desperately depends on for life. And Atria? Well, her early years were a mix of being taught to be 'the spare' to having her time left to her own devices. She would spend many of those free hours playing the drums, for which she would find her lessons banished to the far side of the manor for the first year. She would spend other hours going to the Senate with her father and brother, listening to what she felt was worse caterwauling than anything she was mangling with her drums. The years would pass and Atria's ability to keep a beat, to lead a song or the cadence of war band would grow. And her interest in the Senate would sharpen as she realized these sometimes vitriolic proceedings held sway over countless lives. Not only that, she understood why her father took her and her brother, and not just the heir. The work their house would do could never be handled by just the Head of House; her brother would need her help. At the young age of 22, Atria lost her father. He went to Eurus, and he's never been seen or heard from again. His ship did not return and it's believed he was lost to attack. Since that time, Atria's served as the right hand to House Ulixes. Which made it not at all odd when the family contingent that arrived in Arvum included its calm right hand. + |
| Atrid Darkwater + | Atrid is of House Darkwater The son of A Darkwater nobleman and a Grimhall noble woman. When his mother married his father they went back to his fathers keep south of Darkwater along the deeps. It was on an Island in the middle of the deeps. The keep itself was a lighthouse the Island was called La Isla De Muerte Negro. When Atrids mother left the she brought her body guard to help keep her safe when her husband had to be away. Over the years with his mother and fathers influence and teaching he became a good and charismatic if not strict leader, learning from his mother and her body guard the arts of warfare and the brutality often times needed "the ends justify the means" right? And from his father he learned more of the sleight of hand and trickery, also inheriting the more liberal way of looking at those below his station. Through his teen years he decided to start following in his fathers footsteps hed turn out the lighthouse light allowing a cargo ship here or there to wreck on his island and pillaging the goods and money from it. Now hes left to seek out his fortune and carve his place in the world to leave his own legacy. + |
| Auda Crown + | There are always people that slip through the cracks. An unwanted child, or perhaps one who's parents died to some illness or political machination. Maybe even a child squirreled away, tucked into hiding where no one would ever look. Auda doesn't know where she falls in that, she just knows that she's always been alone. Memories of a warm place and caring adults are vague at best, though she doesn't suffer some sort of amnesia. The memories are just hazy, lost to strong emotions, hunger, a need to survive more than a need to remember. Her fiesty temperament is probably what kept her alive. Being full of fight means she wasn't afraid to dabble in some rougher jobs, though most of her youth has been spent in kitchens or cleaning, odd jobs at the docks or running messages. Whatever would get her the silver to get her through another day. Now she's an adult, and still running the same lifestyle. + |
| Auda Florin + | There are always people that slip through the cracks. An unwanted child, or perhaps one who's parents died to some illness or political machination. Maybe even a child squirreled away, tucked into hiding where no one would ever look. Auda doesn't know where she falls in that, she just knows that she's always been alone. Memories of a warm place and caring adults are vague at best, though she doesn't suffer some sort of amnesia. The memories are just hazy, lost to strong emotions, hunger, a need to survive more than a need to remember. Her fiesty temperament is probably what kept her alive. Being full of fight means she wasn't afraid to dabble in some rougher jobs, though most of her youth has been spent in kitchens or cleaning, odd jobs at the docks or running messages. Whatever would get her the silver to get her through another day. It wasn't until she was a young adult herself that she ran into an old friend who'd struck riches. She didn't have to live day-to-day any more, and Auda finally had time to figure herself out. What she wanted, who she wanted to be. She learned how to keep a small House's finances as a way to earn her keep, and started to dabble in alchemy. It wasn't long before she went from taking classes to opening a shop of her own. finding a home of her own. Still in the Lowers, of course, but now it's on her own terms. + |
| Auda Waters + | There are always people that slip through the cracks. An unwanted child, or perhaps one who's parents died to some illness or political machination. Maybe even a child squirreled away, tucked into hiding where no one would ever look. Auda doesn't know where she falls in that, she just knows that she's always been alone. Memories of a warm place and caring adults are vague at best, though she doesn't suffer some sort of amnesia. The memories are just hazy, lost to strong emotions, hunger, a need to survive more than a need to remember. Her fiesty temperament is probably what kept her alive. Being full of fight means she wasn't afraid to dabble in some rougher jobs, though most of her youth has been spent in kitchens or cleaning, odd jobs at the docks or running messages. Whatever would get her the silver to get her through another day. Now she's an adult, and still running the same lifestyle. + |
| Audgrim Veilandir + | Born to a Knighted couple in a small barony in the Crownlands, Audgrim grew up in a happy home. From an early age he loved the forest, and joined the scouts and rangers working for the baron. He learned to survive and hunt this way, and when old enough he took employ in the ranks of the rangers. His parents were proud of him, and they also saw to him getting training with weapons and armor, to give him a chance for a career as a Knight or at least a soldier. Life in the barony was mostly peaceful, the occasional skirmish with abandoned or bandits being the worst that happened. But then the Silent War began and everything changed. Banners were called, and Audgrim's parents were to join the army against Tolamar Brand and his forces. The baron also dedicated his trained rangers for scouting, Audgrim included. So, leaving his family behind, including his fiancee since only a month, he and his fellow rangers took off to scout for the main forces, while the baron gathered up troops on his land to move to the frontlines. What was not expected was that The Silent Army was moving through the forest and came straight at the barony and the small town where the mansion was. When Audgrim and his fellow scouts realised this, they turned around and rode as hard as they could back home, but they arrived to death and oblivion. The silent army was still there and captured the rangers after a short skirmish where it was clear to Audgrim that they never stood a chance. About a week later, Audgrim awoke alone on a small strip of beach by a small, dark lake. He did not know where he was or what had happened. There was no sign of anyone or the silent army, or his fellow rangers. The area was silent and the forest dying around him. He stumbled away and managed to make it back to the mansion where he proceeded to bury everyone he loved, including his fiancee. He walked away, and stayed in the forest for years, banding together with others of similar fates, hunting and taking on mercenary work for villages having trouble with bandits. But they stayed on the fringe of society, earning a reputation as a fearless and cunning band of a semi shady reputation. They avoided entanglement with Compact forces and were called the Woodsmen. Many years like this ended when Audgrim and his band ended up in trouble that caught the interest of people from Arx. Audgrim decided to go to Arx and look for answers and to start another life. There are always those in need of a ranger and hunter, whether of beast or man. + |
| Audrey None (formerly Valardin) + | The tale is well-known by those in the Oathlands: Princess Marianne Valardin was an infectiously charismatic daughter of Sanctum, someone different from most her fellow White Dragons. She was unafraid of pushing social boundaries to the very extremes, always mingling with the Commonfolk and defying her family whenever she felt was right. Next to her the Valardin were seen as stuffy, and Princess Marianne as someone who put in full display just how pleasant a White Dragon could be. So wild was the Princess that she clashed against expectations and challenged tradition to marry for love, her husband a Lycene merchant named Marcello, a simple commoner. The crowds erupted in jubilation at wedding and the chaos in the White City that day was legendary, and it was to this legacy that Audrey, the first of four children, was born. Although she loved her parents very much, Audrey always had a favorite. Marienne was just enthralling, more friend than mother as she taught Audrey how to dance, sing and ride a horse. The young girl eventually grew up to be just as full of joy as her mother, and possessing a strong sense of right and wrong, something that would serve her well in the years after the Tragedy. When the Tragedy struck, Audrey's immediate family was thankfully spared from the carnage. The eldest of her siblings, she remembers as her parents argued over what to do next, and while Marianne was against leaving their children Marcello decided to help the surviving Valardin. Peeking out a window, Audrey watched her father mount his horse in the dead of night to ride to Sanctum, a decision that claimed his life. His death at the hands of the Malardin brotherhood cursed Audrey's family, and marked them for a dark fate: weeks later, in a night not unlike the one that saw Marcello leave, Audrey was found in a pool of Princess Marianne's blood, holding a kitchen knife, weeping over her dead mother. In the wake of the travesty, many expected - many hoped - the Kinslayer to be put to the sword by then-newly elevated Highlord Edain. In a crowd that rivalled that of Marianne's wedding in size, the Commonfolk demanded blood, and Audrey seemed to agree with them. Highlord Edain, however, stayed his blade, not executing the young girl. The Kinslayer was allowed to live, albeit without her family name, and trusting his guidance, the Valardin's own fury was placated even if the Commonfolk would never forgive Audrey. Marianne was a larger-than-life character, and for all her shortcomings, the lively Princess did not deserve to die by the hands of her daughter. This sin has walked with Audrey ever since as she swore her sword to the Valardin and took it upon herself to ride alone at the Oathlands for years, hunting evil whenever it manifests, until now. As the White Dragons find themselves readying for war, Audrey finds herself in Arx, heeding the call for those who have swore to defend the Great House and facing her family once more. + |
| Audric Crown + | Audric changes his background story with every telling, lying for sympathy or just because he finds it wildly entertaining. In the (very) rare cases when he is forced to be honest, such as talking to the high and mighty of society who could have the rogue hanged under the entirely correct assumption he must be guilty of something or other, Audric would be forced to admit that he grew up in the rough Lower Boroughs of Arx untroubled by burdens holding him back such as parents, a family, or basic human necessities. Audric contends that while being a waifish urchin was a promising career track, he quickly discovered the far more lucrative field of talking oneself in and, more importantly, out of trouble. Noticably vague about how he first learned swordplay and made the acquaintance of other sellswords, the scoundrel quickly learned that a captain of a sellsword company is not so much the best swordsman as a leader of other soldiers. Or, in Audric's far superior case, someone who can present a reasonably facsimile of a leader while cashing in big on the work that mercenary groups are hired to do while trying to avoid the work of actual bothersome fighting. Also extraordinarily vague on the real details for how he came to be the head of the Valorous Few sellsword company, which is neither few in number nor anything resembling valorous, he has a remarkable talent for being hired while never actually fighting. It's not easy to be an honorable man, which is why Audric is devoutly glad he is instead profoundly not that. + |
| Audric de Lire + | Audric changes his background story with every telling, lying for sympathy or just because he finds it wildly entertaining. In the (very) rare cases when he is forced to be honest, such as talking to the high and mighty of society who could have the rogue hanged under the entirely correct assumption he must be guilty of something or other, Audric would be forced to admit that he grew up in the rough Lower Boroughs of Arx untroubled by burdens holding him back such as parents, a family, or basic human necessities. Audric contends that while being a waifish urchin was a promising career track, he quickly discovered the far more lucrative field of talking oneself in and, more importantly, out of trouble. Noticably vague about how he first learned swordplay and made the acquaintance of other sellswords, the scoundrel quickly learned that a captain of a sellsword company is not so much the best swordsman as a leader of other soldiers. Or, in Audric's far superior case, someone who can present a reasonably facsimile of a leader while cashing in big on the work that mercenary groups are hired to do while trying to avoid the work of actual bothersome fighting. Also extraordinarily vague on the real details for how he came to be the head of the Valorous Few sellsword company, which is neither few in number nor anything resembling valorous, he has a remarkable talent for being hired while never actually fighting. It's not easy to be an honorable man, which is why Audric is devoutly glad he is instead profoundly not that. + |
