U
2006
Property:Background
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Pages using the property "Background"
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| Baldwin Fidante + | A cousin to the current Duke, Baldwin was from the start a deeply spiritual individual. It was this spirituality of his, this faith, that tempers the occasional impulses for which he was known in his childhood. After all, what little Baldwin loved more than to hear the stories of warfare and House Fidante's many glories was to brawl his relatives, or play-pretend with wooden swords a little too aggressively. As he grew, a certain contemplative nature also came about, and he would often be found in the various temples, meditating and praying when he wasn't compulsively training for what he believed was his true calling. He was fostered with a Southerner Knight Templar, then, both to complete his training and to assist the man in his fight against the Abandoned menace. Many years were spent as the young man flourished into a martially-inclined, highly competent adult, thanks to the spartan upbringing that ensued. Once he was knighted, following a particularly harrowing attack by the Abandoned at a westward holy site the newly-made knight decided to ride back south, after hearing of unrest in Tor. Once there, he joined forces with the Duke against the pretender Count. His training paid off; riding at the vanguard, his mettle was proven again and again in the field of combat, although some whisper of carefully measured brutality visited upon the foe, concealed beneath the veneer of valor at arms. Once Duke Leo was reinstated, he pledged his sword to him, willing to serve House Fidante against enemies without and within, as his liege requires. + |
| Baltus Darkwater + | Baltus Darkwater was born to the life of the sea, like many of the Saffron Isles. Being a man of the sea goes is in his blood for it goes back generations. His love of the waters might be aided by the fact he was born on the Isles, more specifically Cielos Encantadores. There he was raised, mostly by his mother, along with his siblings. He was taught a mix of being a proper nobleman and sailor, making him both regal and crude, yet charismatic as a leader. When he was old enough he started travelling with his father on the seas, learning the way of a future captain of a ship. He spent his times in port in the arms of a woman he could seduce with his confidence and charm, though, because he was on the more serious side his choices were limited despite his looks. When his mother died at the birth of his youngest sibling Baltus and his father agreed that Baltus would spend a little more time on shore attending to his siblings to assure they were properly raised. He still spent time on the sea but less until his younger siblings were old enough to take care of themselves. During one of his times at port in Arx, a very brief port, Baltus met his wife to be. A Whisper and the epitome of beauty, at least to him. During his time in Arx he spent every available moment with her, trying to woo her. He managed to woo her enough to get her to agree to keep in contact via letters and to meet each time he managed to get to Arx. Baltus took every trade he could to get to Arx and spent his time there with the Whisper, Carita, and with her he built a grand romance. He had to fight to make Carita his wife, for she was common - even though she was a Whisper. Carita was his grand love. With her he has, thus far, had one child. And yet things took a dark turn soon enough, and they went from a grand romance, to estranged, to divorced. Still she remained a Darkwater, something very difficult for Baltus to understand - particularly when she was made a Voice over him. But all of that seemed less important after Darrow died defending Darkwater against the Fleet. Though Carita had ordered the place evacuated, still this was his home, and now he has determined to spend his efforts showing what a true-born noble can do - rebuild his home, strengthen his people, and lead well into the future. + |
| Barbrey Blackwood + | Nearing her seventh decade, Barbrey has lived a long life of courageous feats. Born near sixty years ago as the younger child of the Chief of the Blackwood Tribe in an age remembered by few in the realm. A proper woman of the north, she took to the sword and spear as soon as she was six: and with such skill and valour she did. Inspiring awe in her clan from her adolescent years, all were sure that she would be the one to lead her brother's armies to battle, and defend the Blackwoods with courage and passion once he inherited. And so they were right -- a barbarian strength, sheer willpower and devotion to the spirits led her as an advisor first to her lord brother, and then after his passing, to his son Geraint. She never married, nor had children, but nonetheless remained a valiant figure in her house. Blackwood's bending of the knee to the Crovane duchy, however, is a recent move that Barbrey is somewhat divided over. While she respects the spirits and knows there must be practicality in these hard times-- she is a traditionalist at heart and finds a pride in her millennia-old lineage, who never bent the knee to the Compact or anyone else. Still, she tries to devote herself to her house and family as much as she can. + |
| Barik Reed + | Barik's life begun in the Western oathlands that belonged to the Kingdom. His family was one of proper means- his father an auspicious, and beloved bard who went from home to home leaving little crumps of happiness, and sometimes more than that. His mother wouldn't complain, he always came home with coin, and for a woman who had spend her whole life in poverty it was sufficient for her. The inherently independent Barik took to hunting rather than singing; he took to trekking through the wilderness and adventuring to far-gone townships rather than inherit the legacy set by his lascivious father. Since his departure from family grounds, Barik has been on a quest of acquiring meaning- meaning that hasn't been manifested, yet hopes to find in the very Capital of the continent. + |
| Barric Grayson + | To be born royalty is a dream for most, with all the pampering and easy life that entails, but it never suited Prince Barric Grayson. Barric was a driven young man, who from his earliest memories badly wanted to rise to the equal of the greatest knights and heroes of the Compact. He remembered the mutters of the men-at-arms and commoner soldiers as some of his relatives (including the crown prince, Prince Alaric IV) would ignore practice and embrace idolent passtimes and worthless pursuits, while the true warriors would drill for future battles with the shavs. He remembers the other soldiers holding their peace but clearly regarding their future king as a faineant, while Barric and his cousin Dawn would drill relentlessly with Duke Bisland or Lord Commander Dayne Valardin. Moreover, Barric saw first hand the inspiring mettle of the forces of the Faith, the templars and the knights of solace, working alongside the forces of House Grayson to drive back brutal shav forces from the Gray Forest and noted how it seemed like so few of the commanders came fro the highest of noble blood. It was crushingly depressing to Barric to see how many vassals of House Grayson clearly idolized Duke Gabriel Bisland or servants of the crown, or had great veneration for the old king Alaric III, but or had tremendous respect for the old king's illegitimate daughter Dawn, but no true born Grayson of the newest generation was inspiring that same loyalty. It drove Prince Barric with a grim determination to be the equal of the great knights that had come before, and he took shameless advantage of being distant enough from the line of succession as a mere second-cousin to the king to be bold on the field of battle. A campaign against the shavs of the Gray Forest was enough to win Prince Barric the renown and respect from Grayson soldiers, and personally slaying a shav warchief in single combat earned him a truly embarrassing amount of praise and recognition from his distant cousin, King Alaric IV. Barric didn't particularly want fame and didn't desire anything more than to become a great knight, but Alaric IV almost capriciously named him the Sword of Bastion, making him the ceremonial champion of House Grayson. In many ways, it was everything Barric ever wanted, but in other ways it almost infuriated him. He's now wielding the same sword as Queen Alarice the Great and he felt all he had to do it was to kill one drunken Abandoned chief in a duel. He took the sword, but having that high an honor bestowed upon him just so Alaric IV could win more applause from the people of Arx still grates upon him, feeling like he could hear the whispers of the common soldiers how he got the honor too young and too fast just because his last name was Grayson, and maddening to Barric knowing that it was partly true. But he took the sword, and now he'll show that he is worthy of it. + |
| Bashira Ru-Taul + | Bashira was a Thrall, much like her brother, Caspian. As were her mother and father. Her parents died and they inherited their debt. To say that their life was not easy was an understatement. But there was a light in the form of Princess Donella Thrax releasing them from their Thralldom. Bashira was sixteen and Caspian was nineteen. Going from life as a Thrall was not hard for her, that was until Caspian said that he was going to leave for Arx and become a mercenary. This did not upset her. Her brother needed to walk his own path and he had taken care of her. She was a bit upset with him when she found out that he'd changed his last name, but, she let it go. She stayed in the Mourning Isles, determined to find out more about their Tribe. Wanting to find some remnant of their family. But that turned out to be far more difficult. So she started to learn a trade, working on merchant ships as a sailor. When she wasnt working, she was doing her best to absorb every bit of knowledge she could about the Island Shav culture and things related to it. Caspian wrote her diligently. Through these she learned more of what he was doing, but she knew something was amiss. Call it sibling intuition. She continued to work hard though, finally going back to learning new skills. She was surprised recently by a letter from her brother, asking if she can meet him when he visits the Mourning Isles on the Champions Tour. + |
| Basilio Cabral + | Basilio or "Basi", as his crewmates call him for shorter name convenience, is not one with much to be recorded in the annals of history. Hailing from the Saffron Chain, grown up around Darkwater docks, he had neither memory nor keepsake of either of his biological parents as he was thrust into this world of salt, sea, and scoundrels. He was taken in and raised by a crusty old cook who lived in the company of the tropics' Lower natives and worked on a Thraxian ship. While occasionally a pilferer when the need or urge arises, Basilio thrives more when able to jump from one odd job to the next. As such, he has garnered a bit of a reputation back home as "that boy who can probably do the thing". His foster father managed to squirrel him into some more stable employ on the same sailing vessel as a rigger. The ship has recently docked in Arx but, unfortunately, some political issues surrounding their current Captain and Quartermaster have left the crew in shambles and Basilio without a job (because good cooks are always in demand). + |
| Bastien + | Bastien came to Arx as a young man in his early twenties with far more pride and attitude than the silver in his pockets warranted and with ambition of great artistry. Surprisingly -- to Bastien, at least -- these ambitions were not /immediately/ fulfilled by wild success and acclaim. He's been toiling away, mostly in the underbelly of the city, but eventually towards more of the mediocre middle once he found enough steady work over the past decade. The focus of his work is in playwrighting, and he became known -- at least within a small community of arts lovers -- for having a particular affection for plays of political and cultural commentary with a taste for the avant garde. Of course, sometimes he just needs to write a comedy where everyone gets married in the end, if for no other reason than to pay the bills. But he doesn't do it /gladly/. + |
| Bastien Crown + | Bastien came to Arx as a young man in his early twenties with far more pride and attitude than the silver in his pockets warranted and with ambition of great artistry. Surprisingly -- to Bastien, at least -- these ambitions were not /immediately/ fulfilled by wild success and acclaim. He's been toiling away, mostly in the underbelly of the city, but eventually towards more of the mediocre middle once he found enough steady work over the past decade. The focus of his work is in playwrighting, and he became known -- at least within a small community of arts lovers -- for having a particular affection for plays of political and cultural commentary with a taste for the avant garde. Of course, sometimes he just needs to write a comedy where everyone gets married in the end, if for no other reason than to pay the bills. But he doesn't do it /gladly/. + |
| Baz Thornburn + | Baz is a Thornburn, and she couldn't have been born into a better family. Full of artists already, it's how the woman's writing was nurtured, and so one can't say lack of nurturing is why Baz turned into an acerbic recluse, obssessed with finding the perfect muse, with writing plays that shape the Dream itself. She's had critical acclaim, she's tasted the dizzying, drugging heights of seeing her work spread across the land. But the mercurial playwright has also sampled the bitter dregs of bad reviews, has fallen into black despair at the smallest criticism, hiding herself away in her family home back in Arx, chainsmoking and writing drivel for months until the cycle repeats. + |
| Beatrice Malespero + | Beatrice's parents ran a shipping business out of Caith. The family did well enough, though at any given moment their entire fortune was wrapped up in some expedition or another, or it was drained to repair a ship, or something else meant constant scrimping and saving. As she grew, she watched her parents celebrate new deals and weep when a ship was lost. She saw how the pair went to bed every night exhausted. She watched as years and years of grueling, painful work netted them almost nothing. Beatrice decided that was not the life for her. The woman was allowed out of the warehouses and away from the ledgers when she turned seventeen. It wasn't that she wasn't an excellent bookkeeper, she just wanted to see more. She was soon first mate aboard one of her mother's ships. At twenty-one, after a most unfortunate accident during a storm, Beatrice's ship was out a captain, and she was quick to take the job. By twenty-three, Beatrice was soon raking in piles of silver, all off the books and without her parents' knowledge. Beatrice had learned quickly the fine art of smuggling. She had fallen in with the Argento family, who ruled Nilanza back then. After financially supporting a failed attempt to overthrow the Pravus family, Argento was hurting for funds. They turned to illegal goods, and Beatrice became their primary mover. It was good, easy, fun work. In the next couple of years, Beatrice left her family's company to work exclusively for Argento and oversee their ports and smuggling operations. Things were going well, until it seemed the Pravus family had figured out everything. Fearing Beatrice might flip on Argento, the family ennobled her. If she was an Argento herself, they reasoned, she'd be seen as guilty. She would be unable to turn against the family without getting herself imprisoned or worse. And they were right. Beatrice fed information to the Pravus family. She saw the coming wave. She knew this would only end one way. And when the soldiers came to collect her, as they came to collect every Argento, she went into her cell with chin held high. A year later, Beatrice has emerged from the dark of her imprisonment. In that time she not only convinced Marquessa Lianne that she was the one who had turned against her oath-breaking family, but that she was also ready to serve once more... not to mention too useful to have locked away. Beatrice was declared innocent of treason, and the time she served plenty to cover her other misdeeds. She surely wouldn't pick back up her old illegal ties, not after being granted her freedom! No, surely not. Now, she is still a noble, sworn wholly to House Malespero, and eager to get Nilanza back in proper order. + |
| Beatrix Corsetina + | Beatrix and her twin sister Margaux were born in the beautiful city of Tor to a branch of the Corsetina family. Unfortunately for them, their youth was during the troubled time of the Tor-Southport War, when Count Lucien Malvici had usurped the rule of the Fidante family, and their early years was spent evading the horrors of war, the cruelty of the well born, and dreaming of one day having the peace and luxury of the nobility for themselves. As women the two sisters rose notoriety. Beatrix was a well-known muse to many artists in the city, her dalliances with upper crust commoners and even some nobles sparking many rivalries and a lot of drama, her ambition and boldness unafraid to make the occasional enemy. Margaux's fame was darker, the shadowy woman having become a criminal of ill-repute who avoided capture time and again, ahead of those who set themselves to catch her every time. Their paths diverging, the elite called Beatrix their White Thorn, bright and perfect, and in time a noblewoman of the Fidante vassal of House Floris was so taken by Beatrix, the noble asked her in marriage, giving up rank and title (if not wealth) to join in marriage. The tragedy that followed quickly became the talk of some of some of the Lycene city-states, and the common consensus was the following drama occured: Feeling like she had been left behind by her sister, the violent Margaux murdered Beatrix's wife a day after their wedding. The White Thorn woke up that morning by her dead spouse's side, the former noble's chest carved open by with a single, bloody white rose stuck into the exposed heart. The noblewoman-turned-commoner's former House couldn't accuse Beatrix of the deed as she would be the one to lose any benefits gained from tying herself, even if haphazzardly, to nobility. The answer was obviously Margaux, and the hunt began immediately. Beatrix, alone and afraid, worried that once the Floris were done hunting down Margaux they could come for her. She was just a commoner, after all, why would they stay their vengeance and stop at one Corsetina? With the heat too much for to handle in Tor Beatrix left for Arx where she has since found and sought refugee with the rest of her family, hoping she can rebuild her life away from Tor and her sister. But Beatrix is already recovering. Bloodied and hunted she might be, she's still the ambitious young woman that was unafraid of obstacles in her path. She'll have her wealth and safety again, and woe be to those who stand in her way. + |
| Beaumont Valardin + | It is all but expected for a prince of House Valardin to become a knight, an exemplar of chivalry and paragon of virtue. At a very early age, Beaumont developed a far more cynical view of that particular path, getting to see an entirely too upclose look at some of the hypocrisy of celebrated knights. He remembers feeling the crushing disappointment when his uncle, Lord Commander Dayne Valardin, was forced to admit to Beaumont that 'not all knights are worthy of their title'. If the greatest knight in all the realm was willing to admit something that obvious, what was the point of becoming a knight at all? Beaumont saw another clear path towards glory and fame- a curvy and slightly disreputable path to be sure, but one far more honest about its dishonety which was immensely preferrable to the young man. Better to be a roguish scoundrel than a bright and shining hypocrite, as far as he was concerned. So with that in mind, he became an extremely high born champion. Beaumont didn't mind at all joining the assorted ranks of sellswords and other rogues for hire popular among western noblewomen looking for champions to duel for their honor (and any assorted slights). As far as Beaumont sees it, just the simple fact he is a prince lends a proposterous air of legitimacy that he is happy to exploit shamelessly, and it gives him a special sense of glee that it is a source of some embarrassment to his stalwart cousins in Sanctum. Not that non-lethal dueling for sport is entirely a scathing social commentary by him on the shortcomings of chivalry- he quite enjoys the adoration of the masses when he draws a show against another champion and uses his impressive talents for another victory. It's not quite the fortune that good Valardin princes are raised to pursue, but he never claimed to be a -good- Valardin prince. For the last couple years, he's been spending far more time at court in Arx than other Valardin high nobles. Being closer to the heart of politics gives a well-born champion many opportunities to grab glory in front of adoring crowds, but truthfully Beaumont is there to also lend aid to his sister, Isabeau. Beaumont might be something of a black sheep for becoming a champion with negotiable loyalty rather than a knight in shining armor, but he'll still be there when they need a skilled duelist to settle the questions of the day with a sword, rather than words. And look very, very good doing it. + |
| Becka Honor + | %TBecka spent the first ten years of her life growing up in the march of Fair Harbour. Her parents were merchants and took the best care they could of the girl. She had a good childhood, but that all changed once her parents left to Arx for a new opportunity and different life. On the trip over they all became ill, and Becka barely survived the death of her parents. Orphaned and left alone, the girl found her new home on the streets, where she remains today. The only difference now is that she is the one helping the misfortunate children. + |
| Bedivere Whitehawk + | Bedivere Tyndall is a retired general known for commanding the 8th Lancer Unit of the Bisland army during many skirmishes against hostile shav'arani tribes in the Crownlands. A son of Sir Harry "the Hotspur" Tyndall, Bedivere was groomed for command at an early age and distinguished himself apart from his peers once he joined the ranks of the Bisland military, at the ripe age of eighteen. He made friends and quickly ascended the ranks, culminating in him becoming one of the youngest generals to ever be appointed. He developed a reputation as an expert horseman and set an equestrian high-jump record that stood for almost 15 years. Ahead of him seemed to be a promising military future -- one likely to be longer than that of his notoriously hot-headed father. That is, until he suffered his first true loss on the battlefield and was captured by a particularly vindictive chieftain. For having slaughtered his sons, the chieftain refused to execute Bedivere outright, and instead severed his right hand, killed his men in front of him, and proceeded to torture him for weeks on end. He was saved by another unit, and he recovered physically, but the mental scars were permanent. In anguish, Bedivere retired from the military at the age of thirty and returned to his home in Old Oak, where he married his childhood sweetheart and began a family. He attempted to become a farmer to acquire the income to support his family, but his injury made him heavily reliant on paid help, and the fickleness of the harvest made their financial fortunes precarious at best. In early 1006 AR, his wife Lynette fell ill and unexpectedly passed away, leaving him to raise his two children alone. As fortune would have it, his nephew would be ennobled later the same year, and offered him a position as Marshal of Hawkhold -- and with it ennoblement and enough silver to comfortably provide for his family. Bedivere accepted, his mind still sharp as ever, though his reflexes notably less so. Upon visiting the city for the first time in many years, Bedivere accepted a position within the Knights of Solace, seeking a position to re-train his rusty skills and lend his assistance to a worthy cause when his duties at Hawkhold do not overwhelm him. + |
| Behtuk Sanna + | %TAs a child of a Child of the Sun and Moon, Behtuk and his father were nomadic travelers. About wenty years ago, when Behtuk was only a child, their tribe came across an abandoned vessel on the ice. In the course of looting this vessel, they came across a dying man. Behtuk and his father stayed behind to nurse the man back to health as thanks for bringing them the bounty of the vessel. %TThe stranger learned their tongue, and taught them his. He taught Behtuk the trick to forging steel, for in his homeland he was a smith of renown. When the stranger recovered from his wounds, he took his leave of Behtuk and his father, claiming that it was too dangerous for him to stay as he was a hunted man. He was only too right. %TWithin a single moon of the strangers' departure the hunter came. Behtuk's father said: 'This is a demon, run! Don't look back.' And Behtuk obeyed. He returned a day later to find his father dead, and all their supplies stolen. Behtuk was unprepared to care for himself in the unforgiving North and he did not know how to rejoin his nomadic tribe. %TSo Behtuk left the North, travelling to the land the Stranger was from, someplace where he would be able to hide his crimes. When he entered Redrain he found it welcoming. He already spoke the language, and he was able to apprentice as a smith with the knowledge the Stranger had given him. For the past twenty years he has served as an apprentice or journeyman. It was slow going, but he has just completed his masterwork and come to Arx to support his House and ply his trade. If he still holds onto the knife the Stranger gave him and secretly hopes to meet him again in Arx. He is uncertain though whether he owes the Stranger a debt, or if the Stranger owes him one for his father's death. + |
| Bell Cleck + | Bell Cleck (not his original name) is one of the many Eurusi refugees settled in the wake of the "freeing folk in the Saffron Chain" matter, and one who chose to go Crownsworn rather than settle on holdings as a serf. He says little about his old life. He's about looking forward. While he dabbles, generally, with selling and reselling, his key focus is on his apothecary business. As he will say with a gently sardonic smile, "Any slave worth his salves learns how to cover up the scent of blood." + |
| Belladonna Pravus + | The Lyceum has a reputation as a den of machiavellian scheming at best of times, but Belladonna is well aware that in her home city-state of Setarco it is more deserved than most. Her family House Pravus, has ruled Setarco, the city famous for its influence over the silk trade, since the time of the Reckoning nearly a thousand years ago. And yet it seemed that in the past generation that nearly everything they have held dear was lost. Belladonna's famous uncle Duke Niccolo was the one groomed to rule and lead House Pravus to glory once more, but passed on the burden of rulership so he might follow his heart and marry his future liege, the Duchess Carlotta Velenosa. This very unfortunately forced the mantle of Duke of Setarco onto Piero, Niccolo's younger brother and Belladonna's father. Belladonna's father was a kind, generous man, soft-hearted and wishing more than anything simply to be loved. Belladonna now knows that few personalities are as ill-suited to rule the snakepit of competiting Lyceum families as one such as he father's. She watched as her father tolerated much and more, small slights as other lesser vassals tested her lord father to see precisely how much they could get away with, outright ignoring orders and making House Pravus a laughingstock. What's worse, her father never saw the danger in this. Instead of winning their love, it emboldened the most ambitious and won only scorn and contempt for her father's weakness. And as her father's eldest daughter, she was caught right in the middle of the plots of the vassals who had lost all respect for her lord father. She tried at first to be good, she really did. She warned her father, she tried reason to make it clear how much his good heart was costing House Pravus, how none of these men were in any way his friends and that trying to win their love was only destroying her family. He just wouldn't listen, it was simply too easy to turn a blind eye to the men and women walking all over the Duke of Setarco. But as her lord father ignored slight after slight, and she watched arrogant vassals 'jest' they would marry her and take Setarco away from House Pravus for good and all to make things right again, she knew she could wait no longer. She quickly discovered that most of the arrogant men trying to undermine her father were not half as clever as they thought they were, and the proper word into the perfect ear, the right amount of charm to the right person, and a bit of sly manipulation could be wielded to a more devastating effect than all the soldiers under her father's control. Her enemies never quite guessed how much guile lurked behind the eyes of the very young noblewoman, as she used grace, beauty and charm to set her enemies against one another. Her one regret was she waited so late to act, since she had no idea that one of her father's most powerful vassals had already decided it was time to lead an uprising and replace him. She discovered the plot in time to crush the rebellion in its infancy, House Pravus soldiers catching the ringleaders in a meeting that resulted in more than a few executions for treason... but she did not know about the plot to assassinate her father, and returned home to Setarco to find the city in mourning and her as the newest Duchess of Setarco and head of House Pravus. The lovely young woman has been hardened by events, and possesses a wisdom far exceeding her years in the ruthless politics of the Lyceum. With wit, charm and ruthless determination she fully intends to restore House Pravus to its glory and will harbor few regrets about using any means necessary to accomplish her goals. + |
| Bellamy Redrain + | Bellamy Redrain is the-later-in-life-child of a Laurent Lady turned Redrain Princess. As an infant they were concerned that she would not survive. For the first months of her life she struggled to draw enough air to breathe, but somehow she made it into her first year and then beyond. Her mother would remark that has a baby she was utterly determined to live... She should have grown into a woman with a steel spine. She should have grown up with the same sort of dogged determination as her older sister. She didn't. Nor did she grown into a person with the sense of adventure and wonderment that her older brother did. No, instead, a cossetted, pampered, and perhaps just too sheltered, childhood lead to a soft, sensitive woman. In childhood while many Redrain princesses might have trained with the sword, or shield and spear, or perhaps an axe... She was not. She took an interest in it once, and it took quite the argument and persuasion with her mother to allow her to even begin her lessons. And as soon as she got the fainted of scratch (and started crying over it) she was forbidden to try again, and the tutor given a stern lecture. And this was how it was for every thing that Bellamy might have pursued. As soon as it became a touch difficult she was either forbidden by her mother to continue or was allowed to stop because her mother couldn't bear her tears. And so, the only thing she became good at were non-dangerous things or things she had a natural aptitude to for; such as research (strictly in the archives, of course), and social interactions with others. Indeed, if she weren't so kind hearted she might make a skilled diplomat. However, even The Softest Princess can ignore the call of adventure and the excitement of Arx for so long... and after a year of fighting with her mother she was allowed to travel south and join her older siblings in the great city. + |
| Bellona Deucalion + | Nearly a child when her small clan of Ravashari, House Deucalion, was caught in the fires of the Tyde Rebellion, Bellona learned at an early age the ways of the world, the suffering of coin and the bitter wine of the campaign. Her family, a troupe of carefree entertainers, were at Tyde Hall when the warships of House Thrax arrived and watched as the friendly noble house that had once tolerated them was ruthless purged. Bellona witnessed much of her family become slain or put in chains. She speaks little of those difficult years as a thrall, and not at all about the circumstances of how she became a free woman living in the slums of the Lower Boroughs of Arx, but she has only admitted to her name since House Tyde was restored- and very old allies have been reborn once more. + |
