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2006
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| Demura Lyonesse + | The third child of six, Demura Lyonesse grew up with two older brothers and a host of younger sisters. The knights of the Oathlands marching to and fro, shining and resplendent in their armor elicited a reaction in a young Demura. She didn't dream of someday growing up and marrying a knight or prince, she didn't dream of some day fanning herself while a handsome knight jousted in her honor. She dreamt of a future when she would take up the sword, don her own armor, and ride off to battle with her family, at the side of their liege: House Valardin. She began her adventure into the future as a page within the Valardin court and after some years moved on to become a squire with the knight who trained both of her older brothers; Sir Jak Whitemane, a knight and retainer loyal to House Valardin. Eventually, she would become a knight herself even though it was wrought with hardships and despite the advanced age of Sir Jak at the time, he was a forceful teacher who pulled no punches, just as had been done with both of Demura's older brothers; Marcorr and Rymarr. Being a younger sister and less physically imposing than her elder brothers she worked tremendously hard to have herself taken every bit as worthy and formidable on the field, working tirelessly so her prowess would be taken seriously. It was after knighthood that her oldest brother, Marcorr, died; kicked by his own horse, shattering a rib and puncturing a lung. While Demura lamented the loss of her oldest brother, who was destined to lead the family into the future and hopefully beyond the supposed curse that the family so often felt afflicted by; there was still hope in Rymarr, the second eldest of the six Lyonesse children. That is, until Rymarr was offered an opportunity to join the King's Own and he took it, leaving Demura to assume his place as the newly appointed Marquessa Demura Lyonesse of Lyon's Redoubt; guarding the Tristfell March, past the Valardin Forest and Lyon Wood; nestled at the tip of the central fork of the Lycene Split. It is only recently that Demura has chosen to turn to Arx, along with an entourage of family, retainers, and loyal vassals. The call for banners has been made with threats looming on the horizon and House Lyonesse will answer. While not a savvy politician, she believes strongly in leadership by example and fully intends to present herself on the battlefield to show that her family remains relevant to their liege and the Compact itself. + |
| Denica Thrax + | Denica cannot remember much from her earliest childhood, but she does remember the feelings of love and encouragement freely given from two kindhearted parents. She can also recall a sense of shattered joy when her parents were killed in the Tyde rebellion, and the years it took to recover from a malady of muteness. During that time, she learned to appreciate the beauty of the world, and how to capture such beauty for all eternity. Painting became a favorite hobby, but sculpting and carving and sewing also enchanted her for numerous long hours of her life. Upon reciting written lyrics in the middle of Thraxian court, the curse of shy silence had been lifted. Soon enough, it was the odd noble that didn't come away from her grandfather's palace without a trinket or two made by the artistic princess. As if trying to experience all her lost childhood in one go, Denica also began painting pictures on guest's blankets or stealing favorite rings from jewelry boxes. A girl on a mission to wreak mischief, she interrupted important meetings and frightened the servants with her theatrics more than once. Occasionally, she gallivanted into the city, causing nearly as much havoc as back home. She quickly earned herself the charming moniker of the 'Little Devil of Thrax.' However, with that nickname, many guardsmen and local nobles soon wizened to her schemes, and even Grandfather Thrax brought her before the throne for a stern lecture. Throughout the chaotic era of her life, Denica's antics burned away most of the sympathy accumulated by her previous morose condition, leaving only a few close friends. With maturity came an epiphany, a realization that she lived almost entirely outside the social sphere. Partly out of a desire to fit in, but mostly because she wished to be more than a mere 'wild child,' she at last tempered into something vaguely resembling a proper Thraxian noblewoman. Brash recklessness developed desperately into clever charm and a keen insight of the human mind. In appreciably subtler ways, she displayed her artistic talents and devious intellect for the benefit of acceptance and even admiration among her peers. For her nineteenth name day, she managed to convince her grandfather that she could be safely seen in the wider public, allowing her to take an adventurous trip to the grand city of Arx. + |
| Deoiridh Unknown + | Precious little is known of the huntress that goes by the name of Deoiridh, apart from her evident Shav'arvani origins. Tight-lipped, she rarely speaks of her erstwhile tribe and home amongst the Abandoned, least of all with strangers. What /is/ known, however, is that she was brought into the civilised world - into the Compact - through indentured servitude. Whatever the details of such an arrangement might be remains anyone's guess, though doubtless it is known to her and perhaps to her original captors, whoever they may have been. + |
| Derovai Voss + | One of many to settle in Arx under the ward of Valardin, the Voss family has had little claim to fame. At least not in any particularly public capacity. Derovai's father was granted knighthood after serving his time as a squire, and has been supporting his family quietly as such ever since. While warrior knights and famous champions hold a certain appeal, Derovai gravitated readily toward more scholarly pursuits. Most of his time was spent in Arx, but he traveled often in search of this or that, earning something of a reputation for himself. Shortly after the Tragedy at Sanctum, Derovai went there to discover what he could from the city and its surrounding vassals. Now he's returning to Arx to report to his Highlord and make himself as valuable as he possibly can during this tumultuous time. + |
| Desiree Wyrmguard + | Many nobles born as the younger sibling, destined to never inherit, are bitter about their lot in life. Desiree thinks those individuals are whiny idiots. She is ecstatically grateful that she was born as the younger (and prettier) daughter of Marquis Denis Wyrmguard, unlike her poor sister Dominique. Her sister afterall was subjected to unending tedious lessons in becoming a paragon of virtue, knightly chivalry, moral leadership and similar excruciatingly boring subjects of little interest to Desiree. Desiree, on the other hand, was able to gain an education in how to best remain charming and likable while being incredibly spoiled, and how to avoid working too hard while getting everything she wants. In this manner of education, she has succeeded admirably, and has thought about writing books on the very subject for the Scholars of Vellichor. Unfortunately, the tragic death of her father has put an equally tragic end to her appropriately indolent lifestyle, and she has found herself forced to finally help the family. Her sister, as the honest, honorable, diligent paragon of virtue is of course uniquely unsuited to actually talk to other nobles who are anything but a single one of those virtues in Desiree's opinion, which leaves the wily younger woman as the one dealing with politics, and attempting to put her fine skills in convincing others to do what she wants to perfect use. It's not the worst outcome, really. Desiree will still do almost everything she wants, just it will (probably) benefit the family as well. Probably. + |
| Desma Magnotta + | Desma came into the world rather unexpectedly to parents who believed their family was complete with their first-born. The second daughter of Darko Blackram and Wendy Malvici, she was born at the Cloudspine where the family had retreated to following the outbreak of the Southport-Tor war. A handful of years younger than her sister, she grew up in Dora's great golden shadow, but whereas her sister had been doted upon as a single child and had duly become somewhat spoiled, her parents were better prepared a second time around. Despite the heavier hand that her parents took in her raising, it'd be fair to say that Desma lacked for nothing in her formative years. Her tutors saw to it that she was pushed in her in scholastic and physical endeavours, and she enjoyed the love bestowed upon her by parents that all too often despaired of her sister's behaviour. She saw first-hand the misery and embarrassment that her sister visited upon her parents with her reckless behaviour, and she resented her for it. It was a resentment that was, in no small part, due to the fact that Desma also possessed an adventurous soul, but thanks to Dora's wild ways her own adventures were curtailed to days in the forests with huntsmen and wardens. She took what she could however, knowing that her own time would eventually come, and she learned to shoot a bow true, and to track and hunt the animals of the forests that lay around their home. It was on one such trip as she neared her seventeenth birthday that she found a fledgling osprey which she'd go on to take home and raise by hand. It would be difficult to say who is more devoted to who; the bird to Desma or Desma to the bird, but one thing is certain and that is that he is next to useless for hunting anything but fish. She's been told far too many times by her reckoning that she should have found herself a kestrel or a hawk, a bird that'd be useful, but those that suggest such find themselves on the receiving end of her ascerbic wit or subjected to a look that could kill. So it was with Desma, as with others of the Malvici line, that she enrolled for her military service at the age of eighteen. Her affinity with a bow placed her firmly amongst the ranks of the Southport army archers and she served time on many occasions on the Southport Fleet. It would come as no surprise to anyone that sailing with the fleet would throw her directly into the path of her cousin Domonico, and she naturally held a great depth of respect for him, not only as her cousin, but as Admiral of the fleet. Gradually she saw where her future would lie. She wasn't content to wallow as a mostly insignificant and distant relative within House Malvici, so set her sights on being a bigger fish in the smaller pond of House Magnotta. Like her sister before her she pinned her colours to her cousin's house, but whereas Dora hadn't committed herself heart and soul, Desma did. She bears the name of Magnotta with pride and comes to Arx determined to do her utmost to see the small island cluster on the southernmost reaches of Arvum thrive and flourish. + |
| Destin Saltshore + | Born to the constable of a fishing village not far from the Grimhall residence at Grihem's Point, Destin was brought up with a healthy respect for the gods, in particular the Sentinel, as well as for the traditions of the Mourning Isles. Thus it was quite the shock when, during his training to take over for his father when the current constable retired, he assaulted the noble that Duke Grimhall had appointed to run the village. In an effort to make an example, showing that no one is above the law, Destin was sentenced to thralldom and his debt purchased by the duke's family. Destin served the family faithfully, mostly without complaint, serving as a model example for other thralls as to how Mourning Isles traditionalists believe that they should act. And ultimately, it was this devoted service that led to him to having his debt absolved by Harald Grimhall, the successor of the duke who had originally sentenced him. Not long after the ascension of the current Grim Duke, Destin put his own life in jeopardy to save the life of one of Harald's younger children when a large, rabid dog attacked her. It would have been difficult for him to return to his old life, though, given that both of his parents had passed on, and a new constable for the village had already been selected. So when Harald offered him a place in the family's house guard, he readily accepted, and continued to serve house Grimhall. It did not take him long to work his way up to commanding the family's guards, leaving him in charge of keeping those of the house who visit Arx safe. + |
| Deva Redrain + | Despite the best efforts of Deva's parents and dedicated legions of servants, the young Redrain princess was always an unruly wild child. Deva learned early on that her father found her outbursts and fits of rebellion privately hilarious and adorable, even if his responsibilities as the Prince of Farhaven and high lord of House Redrain meant he was well aware how problematic the young hellraiser might be in the future. By her teenage years, Deva's mother had finally managed to find tutors that could make limited strides towards turning the young hellion into a 'proper young noblewoman', though it's still a rare individual that risks the fiery princess' temper by telling Deva she cannot do something. Though she'd never admit it, her parents efforts were far more effective than they know. Deva has a firm awareness of the responsibilities of a high born princess of House Redrain, and knowing that the wrong word or scandal could bring down ruin upon her house weighs heavily upon the fiery young woman's mind. But she rankles under the notion that she has to become as repressed and boring as every stodgy southerner, and she can't help it if shocking their sensibilities is hysterical. House Redrain did not become one of the five great houses and control the North by meekly copying southern fashions, as far as Deva's concerned. While she might vehemently deny caring what southerners think about her, she has been careful to avoid creating too embarrassing of a scandal. While publicly Deva might give her twin brother Darren grief for possessing the audacity to be born a few minutes before her and rob her of a chance of ruling over House Redrain, privately the young woman knows that heavy is the head that wears the crown. More to the point, watching her father constantly get into exhausting meeting after exhausting meeting, being high lord seems like no fun at all. Just no one better tell her that she's incapable of leading if she wanted to. That would sound suspiciously like a challenge, and Deva likes nothing more than a challenge. + |
| Deva Velenosa + | Despite the best efforts of Deva's parents and dedicated legions of servants, the young Redrain princess was always an unruly wild child. Deva learned early on that her father found her outbursts and fits of rebellion privately hilarious and adorable, even if his responsibilities as the Prince of Farhaven and high lord of House Redrain meant he was well aware how problematic the young hellraiser might be in the future. By her teenage years, Deva's mother had finally managed to find tutors that could make limited strides towards turning the young hellion into a 'proper young noblewoman', though it's still a rare individual that risks the fiery princess' temper by telling Deva she cannot do something. Though she'd never admit it, her parents efforts were far more effective than they know. Deva has a firm awareness of the responsibilities of a high born princess of House Redrain, and knowing that the wrong word or scandal could bring down ruin upon her house weighs heavily upon the fiery young woman's mind. But she rankles under the notion that she has to become as repressed and boring as every stodgy southerner, and she can't help it if shocking their sensibilities is hysterical. House Redrain did not become one of the five great houses and control the North by meekly copying southern fashions, as far as Deva's concerned. While she might vehemently deny caring what southerners think about her, she has been careful to avoid creating too embarrassing of a scandal. While publicly Deva might give her twin brother Darren grief for possessing the audacity to be born a few minutes before her and rob her of a chance of ruling over House Redrain, privately the young woman knows that heavy is the head that wears the crown. More to the point, watching her father constantly get into exhausting meeting after exhausting meeting, being high lord seems like no fun at all. Just no one better tell her that she's incapable of leading if she wanted to. That would sound suspiciously like a challenge, and Deva likes nothing more than a challenge. + |
| Dianara Whisper + | Dianara was born one of half a dozen children to a successful smith in Sanctum but showed no particular aptitude toward the craft. Her clever nature seemed to suggest a career in the Faith for the girl and was definitely the course her family intended for her. Yet, before any vows could be taken, her own drive took her in the direction of the Whisper House to which she arrived with nothing but the clothes on her back and an eagerness to be trained. She learned quickly and developed a reputation for good humor and pleasant company. Eventually, her career took her in the direction of teaching. For a decade, she has traveled the length and breadth of Arvum, finding many noble and wealthy common families across all the fealties who desired a Whisper for instruction on etiquette and good manners. Her genial nature and thorough instruction have earned her a stellar reputation and her services have been in very high demand. Yet, despite that popularity, Dianara has decided to return to Arx and the Whisper House with the twin aims of offering her support and assistance to the new Radiant while also renewing her acquaintances in the city. + |
| Dianna Mazetti + | Dianna was born just as the sun was cresting the horizon, and her mother always said that the birth of her and her sister - who was just moments away - truly brought light into her life. As far as childhood goes, the twins had something approaching idyllic. Of course, this was shattered with the onset of the Tor-Southport war, though not in ways dramatic or outlandish. While the Mazetti suffered loss and hardship, what stood out most in Dianna's mind was the new found grimness of her older relatives, and a sudden lack of what had formerly been abundant. It took some growing for either herself or her sister to truly comprehend the cost the war had demanded of all those it affected, but it was a grim lesson of life that Dianna never let part from her. At thirteen, Dianna and her sister were introduced to an ancient, highly respected institution amongst House Mazetti: the glaivedancers. They were not members, not even close. It would take years of rigorous training in both the mental and the physical before they were finally inducted into that exclusive body of men and women. When that day came, however, it was a proud moment for the twins, as well as for their family. While her main duties typically saw her remaining in Ostria, with the rest of the Mazetti, Dianna has accompanied Vitalis on two of his more wild (dangerous) adventures. She was more than glad to prove that a glaivedancer is not simply a warrior one calls upon to cut down obstacles, but also an individual capable of employing a mixture of diplomacy and charm to win through tense situations. Her latest challenge has come in the form of leaving Ostria behind to engage in the game that is life in the capital of Arvum. Dianna, naturally, is confident that she will prove herself more than capable. As any change in circumstances may inevitably have unforeseen results, the return to Arx has had a greater impact on the woman than any may have ever suspected, and circumstances have led Lady Dianna Mazetti to trade of her duties as a glaivedancer in exchange for oaths of a higher nature - as a godsworn Mirrormask, extremely rare in the city. Reactions by her family have been varied, but resulted, inevitably, in Dianna’s surname being replaced by ‘Godsworn’; and, with the release of her duties to family, Dianna is embarking upon profoundly new territory in service to the Faith. + |
| Diego Leary + | Diego always had a good head for maths. He liked to build things with blocks and, at one point, attempted to dig a giant tunnel fort into the earth at the estate of Southport. It's not really clear what he planned to /do/ in this tunnel fort, beside lay traps for the unwary -- the building was the thing. That and getting himself as covered in dirt as possible, as far as his nannies and watchers were concerned. Much of his childhood was like this, building forts, making them defensible-- His youth was shattered by war and chaos in snapshots as a young teenager, as war in the Lyceum raged between Tor and Southport, but Diego was too young to fight, and not fierce enough to pretend to adulthood. He spent the days of the war being nervously squirreled from place to place. Perhaps it was the memories of this that would make Southport eventually seek marital, martial alliance with allies beyond the Lyceum. The first time he was at Arx with his mother, it was winter and it SNOWED, which provided ample opportunity for snow warfare. Diego loved the city and he loved the cold, and romanticized it for the rest of his life. Maybe that was why he was so ready and willing to sign a marriage contract that would send him to the Learies in his twenties -- although, of course, part of that had to do with becoming the consort of a March rather than the younger cousin of a March. Social ambition was never Diego's pinnacle, but it remained a lure. He did not love Hianara Leary, particularly, but he thought they could grow to enjoy each other in time. Their marriage was short, though, before she died, and they had no heirs. Diego remained with his new family, finding he could be of great practical use to the armies of the March, and also finding that the stable vassal relationships between Leary, Laveer and Ashford were ... so much safer than what he could remember from his youth. + |
| Dierdre Fallow + | Dierdre grew up the child of spice merchants who made their home in Westrock Reach. They had a decent amount of money and she didn't want for a lot or education. While her parents wanted her to follow in their footsteps, she found other passions. On voyages she preffered to spar with the men on deck than pour over columns and tables for supplies or do math with her father. Her distaste for the business of merchanting got to the point, when she was younger anyway, that she started throwing screaming tantrums. It didn't last long. Rarely does a child enjoy being lowered in a harness, while at sea, to scrub the sides of the boat. Realizing their daughter would be hard pressed to take over they focused on her younger brother instead. Who was much more apt and interested than she had ever been. This left her free to pursue her martial training. It was in her teen years that the family had to hire protection during a particularly problematic priate epidemic. So they hired a squadron of Crimson Blades mercenaries. Dierdre took to them instantly, asking questions, mimicing their strict and regimental behavior. On their off time the hires marines sparred and told her stories. To say she was hooked was an understatement. So as soon as she could she joined and prove an apt student. But where her true talent lay, she soon found, was in teaching and helping her fellow Blades improve their own skills. So she was assigned to Iron Company eventually. Spending most of her time in Arx, when not out on a contract, she does travel back and forth training and working. But she is no stranged to actual conflict as well. + |
| Dimitri Velenosa + | Born a minor Lord of House Pravus, Dimitri's life was never pre-destined to be anything but what he wanted to be. Far removed from any chance of ruling his House, the young Lord was afforded the opportunity to grow and prosper as he saw fit. Of course, this didn't stop various members of his family from trying to guide him in one direction or another, but ultimately, he would find his own path in life. And what a life it was. At a young age, it was easy to see that Dimitri would never be skilled in any form of the martial arts. Sure, he received some training in how to use a blade, but he's as equally likely to hit a friend as he is a foe. Coupled with his just plain .. disdain for learning such things, he found himself avoiding any such teachings. Instead, his love seemed to come from socializing. From spending time with people from all walks of life. From brash to kind to stoic, the young lord never seemed to have an issue with trying to make a new friend. But one can not spend all their time merely lounging around, no matter how much they may wish to do so and with Dimitri's apparent natural skill at talking with others, he found himself inadvertantly settling disputes amongst his friends. Playing the role of mediator and calming tempers was something that came naturally, it would seem, and as the years progressed, so did this ability. It wasn't long until he found himself being called upon by others to aid in matters of diplomacy and with his love of talking and socializing, it seemed as if he had found a calling, at least one that he could stand to do. It was during an event in Lenosia that his life really took a twist, in so much as he stumbled upon a Velenosian Princess, Cerys, who drew his eye almost immediately. Although the pair couldn't have been more different, where she was a skilled warrior and he was a minor diplomat, an easy friendship was struck. With House Pravus preparing for elevation to the status of Great House, it was the perfect opportunity to see one of their Lords married into House Velenosia, to try and strengthen a bond that would no doubt be strained as vassal became an equal. A whirlwind courtship was arranged and blessed and afterwards, the pair were married. Now, with the honeymoon phase having come to an end, the pair have made the choice to start their new life together in Arx. + |
| Dino Corsetina + | Bernardino Corsetina will be the first to admit that he's not pure of heart, selfless, or has any pretentions to be a hero, but then go right along in deeds that might amount to doing just that. As a very young man, he was listless and flighty, first thinking he'd become a great courtier, charming everyone at court when he finally got the chance to visit Arx, and maybe even becoming a Whisper. Then the dream was to be a scholar. And then he was studying swordsmanship under every local bravo he could in his tiny village of Setara Downs, a few leagues outside of Setarco. Unlike his flashy cousins making names for themselves in Arx, the young man found himself trapped in a provincial life and refused to be satisfied, much to the exasperation of his seamstress mother and scribe father. Tragedy changed all that. His latest whimsy had been studying with the Faith as he considered becoming a mirrormask, but all that came to a sudden halt when his parents were murdered during a festival for the Eclipse of Mirrors, underneath the light of the bloodmoon. Dino doesn't speak about the incident save that it haunts him that he could not save his parents, but it caused him to immediately set out for Arx, and swear to protect his family. The young man still has a bit of flighty behavior to him, and an optimism that borders on the naive, but it's tempered with a new determination. He might not call himself a hero, but he'll fight for his family, and to never be helpless again. + |
| Dio Seraceni + | Little is known about the true origins of Dio, who claims, or at least fails to deny, that his father was Count Paolo Seraceni. His name is first associated with an enrollment in the School of Steel and Silk in Setarco, where he studied under Captain Guelio Busemi in the arts of naval warfare. According to official school documents, he killed another student in a tavern brawl, and was expelled from school. He was given the choice to serve in the Setarco navy or to rot in prison. After surviving the devastating battle against the forces of the Gyre, Dio was under consideration to become an officer of the Pravus navy, but was captured by a group of Lycene pirates off the coat of Ostria. After apparently managing to murder the captain and dive overboard, he survived four months on a small island near Esterhold, before being rescued by Seraceni sailors and brought to Morisco, where Prisila greeted him as a brother, and granted him command of a ship to sail under the Seraceni banner. After meeting a woman formerly of House Blanchard while on shore in Ischia, it is said that Dio offered a mountain of silver to Count Philippe, with the promise of much more to come for the hand of Lady Imogen. The offer was accepted, and it was only shortly after that news of Prisila's passing reached Ischia, setting into motion a series of events that culminated in the newly married couple being named Marquis and Marquessa. + |
| Dion Navegant + | Born a Stonewood, Dion had adventure on the brain from a very early age. He was the oldest of his siblings, and should have had a better sense of responsibility but he was far more interested in what was over the next hill, hidden in those trees, or written in code in that book. So as soon as he was old enough he left home, and hasn't looked back since. Not because he didn't love his family, he did. But he wanted more than just staying at home, doing his duty. It was during a trip through Arx on his way somewhere, from somewhere else, that he met Annika Navegant and swept her off her feet. Together they have roamed around the east, but alone he has ventured further across Arvum, delving into whatever he could find. As age started to overtake him, he began to roam less and less, turning his attenion to collecting his own adventures in the pages of books, but also others. He'd read, write, and listen to the stories of those that can roam further than he can these days. Because of this, when his wife suggested they head to Arx he lept at the chance to return, and to take part in new adventures there. + |
| Dismas Scratch + | Dismas grew up in a remote, no-name village within the county of Oakhaven, born to a man good with his hands and a woman good with her words. When he was twelve, a terrible illness swept through the village, claiming the life of his father and rendering his mother sickly. He'd already learned enough from his father about family and work ethic to understand that it was his responsibility to take care of his mother and little sister from then on. Despite her lingering illness, his mother continued--and continues to this day--to serve as a voice for their village, helping to lead their people. As he grew older, ready to set down his own path, this duty to watch over those he loved limited his options, denying him the chance to become a proper knight as any oaths of service he would be required to swear would keep him from his family for extended periods of time. So, he turned to odd, short-run jobs which would see him returning back to his village quickly enough, usually guarding caravans. When other, more lucrative--and less strictly legal--opportunites presented themselves, allowing him to make more silver and spend more time back home? How could he say no. If he was able to pick up a trinket for his momma and sister on each run, all the better. He'd been running with the same crew for years when they fell on bad luck, most turning up dead or disappeared in the sort of way that sometimes happens when the Inquisition gets involved. Rather than stick around and try to find work after that fiasco, he finally took off to forge his own path, trusting his mother's caretaking to his little sister. Arriving in Arx, he's signed on with the Champions, ready to train and to prove himself, ready to make something better than the life he left behind. + |
| Dmitry Grimhall + | Honesty was Dmitry Grimhall's vice, according to his father. His father, Duke Taras Grimhall, was a famously cruel and abusive man, with the sort of malevolence that even made House Thrax uncomfortable and consistently caused issues with the other houses, including completely unnecessary skirmishes with Redrain vassals that threatened to break into all out war. Dmitry never quite learned to not question what he saw as the dishonorable, brutish and stupid nature of his father's reign... resulting in him being passed over as heir for his younger (and far crueler) brother Eugine, as well only kept in the family to torment. Dmitry, a grimly determined man who took his vows of loyalty to family and liege with unshakeable loyalty, endured slight after slight, being kept by his father and younger brother seemingly just to mock and toy with. Through it all, the honorable Grimhall ignored it all, silently showing himself as a fearsome combatant on the field in the Tyde rebellion with acts of heroism that were praised throughout House Thrax and ignored or mocked at Grimhall's home of Grihem's Point. After the death of Duke Taras, the title of Duke passed to his younger brother, Lord Eugine, who sought to outdo their father in wastefulness and wanton cruelty. Many of the other lords in the Mourning Isles urged Dmitry to contest the claim, some all but promising him military support to depose his brother, but the famously honorable Dmitry pointedly refused every entreaty and served his brother Eugine without a word of complaint at the continuing abuse heaped upon him. Most of the lords of the Mourning Isles were aghast at the honorable Grimhall just ignoring the barrage of slights from his brother, save where his daughter was concerned. It seemed that Dmitry was not particularly a traditonalist, largely turning a blind eye to his daughter Cordelia's rebellious ways, and it was rumored that Dmitry and Duke Eugine nearly came to blows over it. Fortunately for the Mourning Isles, Duke Eugine's ship was lost at sea recently, dying without a decreed heir, which caused the title to pass to Dmitry. Any death of a duke is suspicious, but frankly the Mourning Isles houses were too glad to see Eugine gone to pay it much heed. + |
| Doll + | Said to be born to the very worst alley in the very worst part of the Lower Boroughs, this girl's been a punk from the moment she had a hand big enough to form a proper fist with. An early bloomer that grew up small and scrawny, adolescence treated her magnificently. Over a swift couple of years, she was taller and stronger than most other youth her age. By that time, the ones she wasn't larger than she was just meaner than. Still young, she's blossomed into a young woman that could be called "striking" in more ways than one, but to date the only future attributed to her is how long she'll muscle, sleaze, and score her way to more coin before she winds up dead. + |
| Doll Crown + | Said to be born to the very worst alley in the very worst part of the Lower Boroughs, this girl's been a punk from the moment she had a hand big enough to form a proper fist with. An early bloomer that grew up small and scrawny, adolescence treated her magnificently. Over a swift couple of years, she was taller and stronger than most other youth her age. By that time, the ones she wasn't larger than she was just meaner than. Still young, she's blossomed into a young woman that could be called "striking" in more ways than one, but to date the only future attributed to her is how long she'll muscle, sleaze, and score her way to more coin before she winds up dead. + |
| Dominic Thrax + | Firstborn of Tyrgar Thrax, father of our beloved Queen, Queen Genevieve Thrax. Dominic was born a large baby. The birth full of complications that later manifested into the waning health of his mother. His father died young, falling over the side of a ship in rubicund full-plate armor. Forever lost to the sea. With his mother too weak to raise him and his sister, they moved and lived on Maelstrom with Prince Donrai Thrax. Already a large boy at a very young age, Dominic took quick to training and alongside Elton and Victus was given a teacher to hone his combat skills. There were issues with his schooling. Dominic had no intention of sitting down in one place for too long so when it came to his other education, he did not participate. Instead, Dominic found his time elsewhere among Donrai's horses and dogs. The hound master took on the task of training Dominic in lieu of his court education. When Dominic came of age, he was given a ship and a small command but unlike his cousin Elton, who stayed back to administer the house with his father, Dominic left to sail his ship alongside Victus'. It was during this time that he made a name for himself. His superstitions and mastery over the hounds he fitted ships with, the way he used a pack of man-eating dogs and unleashed them through the decks of his enemy ships', and the madness of using his ship as bait to take damage while the reavers supporting him moved to flank their victims, all earned him notoriety as a mad and cruel captain. Right before the war with Tyde, Dominic began to change the way he operated from the average reaper. Instead of making his ships long and fast, they were large and with multiple decks. Some were converted to serve as floating prison and thrall ships and others fitted with medical bays, well decks, storage, and birthing. Prince Dominic maintained his cruel notoriety and when news of Elton's death arrived him, the prince's madness came out to bare. Turning from hunting thralls, Dominic joined Victus in the war. His place in it, a personal one. The war came to an end with the end of the Tyde house. His bloodthirst squelched, Dominic took a ship and his crew out the jungles where he vanished for years, left for dead. There were rumors of him found in raided villages and destroyed ships but it wasn't until recently at the death of his sister Genevieve that Dominic resurfaced in Redrain with enough loot from his raiding of shavs to equal to him enough silver to operate a ship and reach Arx where he declared a hunt for the killer of his sister and to serve House Thrax by contacting his cousin, Victus. + |
| Dominique Wyrmguard + | Some say that there is no family more honorable in all of the Oathlands, no vassal house more loyal to Valardin, no truer knights than the sons and daughters of House Wyrmguard. Marquessa Dominique Wyrmguard attempts to embody this well. She regrets the circumstances surrounding her inheriting the title so young, with her famous father perishing at the Tragedy at Sanctum to a surprise attack by bloodthirsty shavs, but she has been preparing her whole life for the moment she would find the burden of rule. Raised on the ideals of chivalry and just rulership, her march stands as one of the oldest and most stalwart backers of House Valardin against the Abandoned that threaten all of the Compact. Her childhood was spent with one lesson after another from her father about the way that terrible men can abuse power and imbued in her an ironclad devotion to high minded principles. Unapologetically idealistic, she realizes that a very black and white approach makes her a poor fit for the treacherous political waters of Arx and is happy to defer the games to her sister Desiree, but never loses sight that the burden of the difficult final decisions must fall upon her shoulders. + |
| Domonico Magnotta + | Raised as one of the standard bearers of the Malvici banner, Domonico was treated roughly on purpose. The family wanted him to lead troops and be ready to battle anything from abyssal creatures to political maneuvering of the Lyceum. It developed a heated temper from him at a young age, proving his backbone and dedication to the family before most kids his age had a personality. Eventually it got him in trouble and sent to the Malvici fleet so the trouble he got into could be limited to the ship he was on. It proved a good move and his temper has faded somewhat over time, replaced with a steel determination that comes with a sea-borne swordsman. He is said to be a rising star in the Malvici fleet with three ships under his command. Its rumored he wants eventual command of the fleet, as well. In the meantime he has taken to mentor those younger members like he had once been, developing strength and ability out of rough stone. The whispers about the trade routes and the Empyrean have brought him to Arx to prove that he is capable of not just command and leadership, but that he can hold it in waters he has not even explored himself - political and literal. + |
| Domonico Malvici + | Raised as one of the standard bearers of the Malvici banner, Domonico was treated roughly on purpose. The family wanted him to lead troops and be ready to battle anything from abyssal creatures to political maneuvering of the Lyceum. It developed a heated temper from him at a young age, proving his backbone and dedication to the family before most kids his age had a personality. Eventually it got him in trouble and sent to the Malvici fleet so the trouble he got into could be limited to the ship he was on. It proved a good move and his temper has faded somewhat over time, replaced with a steel determination that comes with a sea-borne swordsman. He is said to be a rising star in the Malvici fleet with three ships under his command. Its rumored he wants eventual command of the fleet, as well. In the meantime he has taken to mentor those younger members like he had once been, developing strength and ability out of rough stone. The whispers about the trade routes and the Empyrean have brought him to Arx to prove that he is capable of not just command and leadership, but that he can hold it in waters he has not even explored himself - political and literal. + |
| Donaldo Velenosa + | Blessed, or cursed, with being one of many cousins from a great big old family, there's little fear Donaldo will ever have any real responsibility. Or Power. There's a name and a title, sure, but there are more siblings and cousins than there are crowns and ministers. Bounced around from task to task as a youth, never really finding something that held his heart long enough to make a life with. Former Apprentice Cartographer, Former Apprentice Botanist, Former Apprentice Scribe, the list goes on and on. Somehow after wearing so many hats, he finally found a hat he could keep on for more than a year. For some years now, he's made his way as an explorer. Having gotten quite good at this, path-finding and plotting out things and discovering other things, he has come to Arx to expand his network. It's an interesting hobby, some will whisper, but if the specimens he manages to collect and the artifacts and tomes he uncovers keep his travel accounts full, then for once at least he can commit to being one thing for once. + |
| Donato Inverno + | Donato was born a whole three minutes before his sister, which makes him the oldest. However, unlike her he's a little bit less invested in staying put, and has been prone to getting into wild adventures from an early age. When he was fourteen he ran away from home, joined a crew sailing out of Nilanza and went by the name Vinnie for several years before putting in to port at home in Caina once more. By then he'd explored the islands, fought his share of battles, and lived a rather colorful life. However, the whole time he maintained contact with his sister, sending her letters whenever he could, even though he never told her where he was, he always told her where to send the next letter so he could pick it up. When Argento fell, he was there, but he was not part of the fighting itself. His sister refused to allow him to participate, and he didn't want to break her heart by ending up the way the Argento's did anyways. + |
| Donella Redrain + | Anywhere else in the Compact, Donella would have been born the heir presumptive to a great house. But she was not born anywhere but Maelstrom, and to no other family but Thrax in a time when only sons would rise. All the same, before the untimely deaths of good Prince Elton and Princess Dena, she was well-educated and trained to exemplify Thrax virtues. She learned to embrace ALL her heritage with clear-eyed realism, and learned statecraft, diplomacy, and economics, while her siblings were allowed more idealistic pursuits. Amongst a generation of war-orphaned princes and princesses, Donella showed the most early promise as an administrator and politician... or simply provided the best means to shame the princes, as Prince Donrai made her his Voice. Probably, some expected her to end as a cautionary tale, but instead she proved resilient. Her leadership went a long way toward stabilizing the Isles after her grandfather's death and the rise of another High Lord; one who also made her Voice, and later heir. Her time as Voice opened the way for women, as a proponent for the measured undoing of customs serving only to weaken, and divide the Isles from the rest of the Compact. It seemed Donella might standing behind the throne in the Isles forever, until she unexpectedly accepted an offer of marriage from Prince Darren Redrain of Farhaven. A smart match made, they say, for love of all things. + |
| Donella Thrax + | No woman in House Thrax or any of its vassals in the Mourning Isles is ever raised with the expectation that they might rule. It simply is not part of the culture, with women expected to defer to men and inheritance following a strict male primogeniture that stands apart from the rest of the Compact. Donella knew, even at a young age, that her father was treating her differently than the rest of House Thrax might have approved, such as insisting he explain his motivations to her when he took a course of action in governance as the heir apparent of House Thrax. While her mother and the other ladies of House Thrax made certain she still received all the tutoring expected of her as a princess of Thrax, receiving all the exacting lessons in grace and refinement, her father broke from tradition and carefully explained politics to her time and again while her younger brother was captivated with stories of heroism and glory rather than pragmatism and rule. Her parents' tragic deaths, murdered by the traitorous Duke of Tyde Fall to start the Tyde Rebellion, ultimately left House Thrax in a far stronger position but with looming questions on succession. Her grandfather, Prince Donrai Thrax, still yet rules with the brutally capable ruthlessness for which he is renowned, but Donella's brother and heir apparent... is not quite the man her grandfather would have hoped for in a successor. An honorable, good man that wants to reform the Mourning Isles, but in the eyes of her grandfather to give away much of the power and prestige that House Thrax has bled for in the name of honor and amends. It still shocked her when she was quietly instructed that in light of her grandfather's ailing health and advanced age that she would act as a Voice of House Thrax inside Arx, representing the family in political decisions. Women, by and large, simply did not -do- that for House Thrax, and she cannot hold the title if her grandfather dies. But for the time being, she speaks with the voice and authority of House Thrax in the capital, second only to her grandfather, and she is coldly determined to put her father's teachings to use and grow the power and prestige of the house. For herself, for her family, and for the realm... in that order. + |
| Donovan Grayson + | Anyone could forgive Donovan's extended family, those countless cousins, aunts and uncles, if their memory of the little Prince is somewhat lacking. It is easy to overlook a quiet younger sibling in the presence of their older, more socially apt and bright brother; not that Donovan was ever bitter over this fact. Donovan was never far from his brother's side, or just an arm's reach behind him, keeping quiet and trying to emulate even just a sliver of Calarian's gift with people. Children grow up though and Donovan eventually found his own fascination, and talent, in law. Lacking the usual Grayson heroic streak, Donovan wasn't interested in the 'guards and robbers', 'good guys catching the bad guys and being a hero' sort of law; rather the 'you know about this loophole, right?' sort. That he was exceptionally good at it came with its drawbacks; sharp wit and legalese made his adolescence almost unbearable for his parents. As an adult he refined his knowledge, and honed his wit for the benefit of his family acting as legal counsel on various affairs, all of which were handled with due discretion and settled quickly. He moved about the Crownlands with it, dealing in disputes and minor conflicts between vassal houses within the realm of the family's holdings. He may not have always made friends, but then, Donovan squared with himself a long time ago he is not here to be friends with people -- he is here as a representative of the law, and the law does not yield to emotion. Anyway, a person doesn't become a lawyer to be popular, do they? The city of Arx offers a great deal of opportunity for a young Prince, one of which, would be to make a name for himself outside of his own family within the various courts of the Compact. This at least, was what his mother informed him. Donovan is not quite so convinced; what with Calarian already present, being wonderful and casting an obnoxiously long shadow to stand in. + |
| Donrai Thrax + | Prince Donrai Thrax has been the ruler for House Thrax so long that many throughout Arvum think of him and House Thrax interchangeably, which is just how the ancient prince likes it. Ascending to high lord at a young age, several generations of Thraxians have only known his coldly capable, ruthlessly competent rule. Donrai has never set out to be loved by his people, and there's little doubt in that he has succeeded- but he is respected, as a cold and relentlessly determined leader ever seeking to carve out greater strength for House Thrax no matter the cost to others. + |
| Dora Malvici + | Her father was Darko Blackram and mother was one Wendy Malvici. A second cousin among a sea of cousins. She was raised going between Southport and the Cloudspine, her parents intent on exposing her to both of her heritage. When she was two the Southport-Tor war broke out and they were on their first trip to the Cloudspine. It was a lucky thing for the family and they managed to avoid some of the upset. During time spent in Cloudspine they were free to lavish attention on the girl. Being far from home, everyone went out of their way to make her happy. Perhaps that was a bad idea. From a young age she was always wandering off. It terrified her parents and they did their best to have her under careful watch. After all, they had tried so very hard and struggled to have her. But it became a game to escape and run off on the governesses and nurses tasked with her. As she grew older she grew bored with just running off. The thrill less. And so she got into other trouble. Mostly pulling pranks on anyone who wasn't careful, or filling her little treasure chest with stolen knick knacks. When they returned to Southport in 995 they hoped that, perhaps, the militant training would work. If anything it only made her rebel worse. Oh she took to the lessons, and was skilled as any Malvici might be expected to be, but she made it clear this was not what she wanted to do. And so she wouldn't, except when she did. It led to many headaches and pains for her parents. It was only when a group of explorers came through, hosted by her parents, that some hope of reining in the wild child came. They stayed for a month and promises of tales are all that got her going to the academy regularly. Yet it wasn't what he parents hoped. At 13 she stowed away on the explorers ship and managed to hide for nearly a month. There was no turning back, only apologies to be made. True to her stubborn nature it took wile and three years before the crew were able to get her back to Southport. And her rather infuriated parents. But she was unrepentant, even bearing a tattoo hiden beneath her clothes, and all around behaving little like the lady they had hoped. It drove a huge gap between herself and her parents. During her travels she had picked up a fascination for alchemy, specifically in its use for body inks. When she returned they put her under house arrest. It started a battle of wills that drove her mother to drinking and ended with Darko sending her off a few years late. It was a desperate attempt to temper her. In 07 she went to Caer Morien just after Artorius was made its Count. Little did they realize the delight Dora would find in the native people and their own traditions. Without meaning too she managed to learn something of their culture. In so doing she helped to bridge some of the gaps between House Magnotta and the prodigals. Too bad she got bored again... + |
| Dorian Champions + | Dorian shamelessly garners sympathy from noblewomen by casting himself as a victim of circumstance, but few of the women that fall prey to his charms ever realize just how willingly the rogue embraced those exact circumstances. Born the son of a knightly paragon of chivalric virtue, the rogue realized very early that unless he acted quickly he'd wind up doomed to an extremely tedious and quite possibly fatal existence as a nameless man-at-arms in some lord's service or if he tried excruciatingly hard like his father, another nameless knight to die in some backwater fighting shavs. That was not in the least bit appealing to Dorian, who realized that while fighting skills could certainly be handy, who he knew and who he could win over seemed to matter an awful lot more... especially if he became a champion. To the rakish young man, it was the perfect calling. Gorgeous (and rich) women looking for men to fight their honor against foes of questionable quality, and if he put on a show, it would just win over more. Just defeating a few louts in 'honorable combat' and duels for show gained him far more than soldiering ever would, and he hardly sees having to spend time with noblewomen over soldiers as a drawback. No, he might never be hailed at the newest and greatest knight, but if it wins over someone beautiful, well born, and willing to marry a commoner...? He'd take being a champion any day. + |
| Drake Wyrmguard + | The youngest brother of Richard Wyrmguard, Drake has always been the mischevious sort. It was only his admiration for his father and his uncle Marquis Denis Wyrmguard, that his natural inclination towards mischief and trouble was tempered. Still, he got along well, and has always been a bit of a charmer, and the stories of knights and how people responded to such stalwart protectors of the land is what drove him through his training. He was always close to his family, as loyal as any Wyrmguard can be, but there was an untapped wanderlust that drove him to explore the city of Arx and other lands much sooner than his big brother. It was there that he learned and trained to be a champion as well, often leaving a trail of broken hearts along the way. On one such encounter, he met Prince Luca, and was trained in showmanship. He was fond of the older man and eventually joined the Champions guild as a result, befitting his talents. After the reclamation of Highhill, Drake found himself with new responsibilities as, first, the Sword of the newly renamed Wyvernheart house. One responsibility lead to another, and the once-carefree younger brother found himself newly driven to take on a leadership role both in and out of battle. He's been newly appointed Count and steward of the land. Though he doesn't have much head for numbers or details his personality drives him to inspire others, and he has his family to keep him grounded about the important things. + |
| Draven Bruvir + | Draven was born into one of the great tribes that Volkov oversaw and cared for. Then the rival tribe came riding in and destroyed everything, leaving very few survivors. With Draven being one of them and only a young boy, he was taking in by the main family of the Volkovs and trained to become a house servant. Over time he was assigned to tend to and look after Aahana since she was often sneaking away from the camp to eavesdrop on her lessons. And as time grew, she encouraged him in his experimenting and dabbling in the apothecary things. She even sent him to the apothecary college with hopes that he would be able to create something absolutely amazing with his schooling. Now that Aahana is in Arx and his schooling is far completed, he is coming to aide her and the rest of the Volkovs within the city of Arx. + |
| Drea Redrain + | Few outside the North could ever understand it the way Drea does. While the wars against the Abandoned wage on in every region with every great house, none of the other great houses fight the shav'arvani with the same brutal intensity as House Redrain and its vassals in the North. Lady Drea knows this far better than most, as long before she married into House Redrain, she was born to the northern house with arguably the most bloody feuds with the barbaric northern Abandoned tribes, House Halfshav. She grew into a young woman in a house that has acted as House Redrain's strong right hand against the most brutal of the shav tribes, driving back groups such as the cannibals of Clan Bonegnaw. Every member of her family was trained for war, and she was no exception, but the young Drea felt a very different calling that still is uniquely of the North. The North might be a savage land of restrained barbarism, kept in check by the might of House Redrain, but Drea doesn't that feel way about her home. It's beautiful to her in a way that others just can't understand. The snow covered mountains, the deep groves hidden from human eyes for centuries at a time, the vales unmarked by any arvani whether shav or civilized, Drea sees the North as a gorgeous bastion of nature from the excesses of mankind despite its bloody history. Ever since she was a child, she's felt a deep connection with those primordial depths of wild, untamed territory that she swears she can hear whisper to her, so it was natural for her to become one of the few shamans in the North. It is the old religion of men that far predates the worship of the Pantheon, long before the great houses came to be, and it's never been quite surrendered in the North. She knows it creates frictions with the south, particular the most fervent worshippers in House Valardin, but Drea intends for the North to never, ever surrender its heritage. It isn't as if shamans embrace blood rites anymore... at least those that aren't members of barbaric shav tribes, anyways. + |
| Drifa Seraceni + | Drifa was a young girl upon a shav longship when the Seraceni corsairs boarded the small vessel. She had been a capture prize from a neighboring small village that had been wiped out from the raiding party. Led by the father of the Marquis of Seraceni she was taken in and afforded the protection of the House. As far as Drifa knows, she is the last of her village to survive and so she stayed with the Seraceni and learned their ways. Drifa mourned the loss of the Seraceni Marquis and Marquessa. She was frequently used by the family to scout and steal when necessary against Corsair targets. She became a capable corsair herself and was given her own longship to crew and command. Drifa owes her life to the Seraceni. She is loyal and does her best to not let the wild ways that still linger in her disposition to reflect poorly on her House. Although at times this can be a struggle as she has grown older she has also grown a bit more accepting. Drifa is loyal to the family and dependable. She also loves being a Corsair and depriving people of their fancy goods whenever possible. She has become a trusted ward of the family. + |
| Driskell Stillwater + | Thralldom is often thought of as a dark pit without the opportunity for redemption, but when you're down in the darkest of pits that small beacon of light which is the exit can burn as bright as a supernova. Driskell's parents were prisoners of war, taken by Thraxan reavers and their debts claimed by the Darkwater family while Driskell was but a fledgling boy. He remembers the calamity brought on by the dark boats, how the waves broke across the bows and the reavers that poured out of the ships and through the village. He remembers most though in the fire and horrors of how organized the chaos was from the Thraxans versus how everyone fought for themselves in his own village. Split from his parents, the young boy took all his whippings and punishments without a sound uttered in defiance, instead using it all to strengthen his resolve. It was a fluke, really, when Driskell learned of Tehom and embraced all he could of the Thirteenth. His knack for knowing when his masters would need him, the young boy learned all he could from those in the household. Soon, he was noted as being quite intelligent and understanding the tides of politics and the terrors of the deep that is courtly life. He was able to pay off his thralldom but chose to stay with the Darkwater family to serve them willingly, nothing else in life mattered to him except that family. When the young Maximilian was sent off to serve with the warlord Victus, Driskell found himself sent along to protect and look after Max's needs for a decade. Ten long years reaving and Driskell witnessed again firsthand many times the controlled chaos like the smashing of waves against the shore and came to admire the man he was sent to look after. Driskell now serves at the Darkwater estate in Arx, a testament to a free man that became a thrall who became once more free. There's whispers that while the silent steward is always in control, perhaps there is nothing he wouldn't do to protect or carry out the wishes of the Darkwater family. + |
| Drusila + | Little is known about the woman called Drusila, but there is a version of her story that those near the Pravus family of Setarco have come to know. Born in Luciva, Setarco's most famous pirate city, she served the local seafaring lords as a seneschal. Prized for her penchant for numbers, the young woman would not only be spared by the Pravosi forces when Luciva was finally conquered, but was approached by the Duchess Pravus herself, offered a spot in court as the personal assistant of the ruler of the Silken City. Ever since, she has been a fixture of both Luciva and Setarco, never leaving the Duchess' side. Drusila has been at the heart of the many changes recently going through the Sins and their lands, and many attribute to her some contribution for the immense wealth accrued by the House in recent years. The woman's own aims and ambitions, however, remain a mystery to most. + |
| Drusila Masque + | Little is known about the woman called Drusila, but there is a version of her story that those near the Pravus family of Setarco have come to know. Born in Luciva, Setarco's most famous pirate city, she served the local seafaring lords as a seneschal. Prized for her penchant for numbers, the young woman would not only be spared by the Pravosi forces when Luciva was finally conquered, but was approached by the Duchess Pravus herself, offered a spot in court as the personal assistant of the ruler of the Silken City. Ever since, she has been a fixture of both Luciva and Setarco, never leaving the Duchess' side. Drusila has been at the heart of the many changes recently going through the Sins and their lands, and many attribute to her some contribution for the immense wealth accrued by the House in recent years. The woman's own aims and ambitions, however, remain a mystery to most. + |
| Drusila Pravi + | Little is known about the woman called Drusila, but there is a version of her story that those near the Pravus family of Setarco have come to know. Born in Luciva, Setarco's most famous pirate city, she served the local seafaring lords as a seneschal. Prized for her penchant for numbers, the young woman would not only be spared by the Pravosi forces when Luciva was finally conquered, but was approached by the Duchess Pravus herself, offered a spot in court as the personal assistant of the ruler of the Silken City. Ever since, she has been a fixture of both Luciva and Setarco, never leaving the Duchess' side. Drusila has been at the heart of the many changes recently going through the Sins and their lands, and many attribute to her some contribution for the immense wealth accrued by the House in recent years. The woman's own aims and ambitions, however, remain a mystery to most. + |
| Duarte Amadeo + | The third son of a cobbler and his wife, Durate Amedeo had an unremarkable early life, but he did learn extremely important lessons quickly. His father was mysteriously assassinated after he had loudly spoken insults about a merchant prince whose wealth he resented, his eldest brother was killed in a duel, and his second older brother was forced to flee Setarco in a hurry after he insulted the wrong people. These lessons gave Duarte a profound appreciation for the weakness of an uncontrolled temper coupled with a careless mouth, and he quickly decided he would take his life in a rather different direction. Duarte spent time with courtesans and courtiers attempting to appeal to the famously fashionable and charming nobility of Setarco, those who tried desperately to win the approval of House Pravus. Duarte quickly learned that charm and grace was useful and admirable, but what really could win over the nobility was simply useful information acquired through the right words and catching the right whispers. Duarte quickly gained a reputation as a charming young man who knew so much, and soon found himself in the employ of House Pravus itself. He was acting as the ears of the former Duke of Setarco inside Arx, and even joined the Inquisition for a time, using the contacts there to keep the southern house informed of the goings on in the capital. It infuriates Duarte that he was not in Setarco to help Duchess Belladonna when she set her house to rights against plotters and schemers, and he feels more than a little ashamed and frustrated his talents were not in Setarco when it was needed the most. He resigned his post in the Inquisition in order to devote himself once more to House Pravus, redoubling his efforts to insure that the duchess to whom he owes his devotion is never again surrounded by her enemies. He might operate with a smile and a laugh, but more than one enemy of House Pravus has underestimated that smile to their downfall. Along those lines, he more recently helped oversee the destruction of the treasonous House Argento, a powerful vassal of House Pravus that was plotting against Duchess Belladonna. Though the nature of his actions are not publicly known, he was rewarded with a Peerage following the conquest of the city-state of Nilanza, being named Count Duarte Amadeo, the Count of Bravura. + |
| Duarte Amedeo + | The third son of a cobbler and his wife, Durate Amedeo had an unremarkable early life, but he did learn extremely important lessons quickly. His father was mysteriously assassinated after he had loudly spoken insults about a merchant prince whose wealth he resented, his eldest brother was killed in a duel, and his second older brother was forced to flee Setarco in a hurry after he insulted the wrong people. These lessons gave Duarte a profound appreciation for the weakness of an uncontrolled temper coupled with a careless mouth, and he quickly decided he would take his life in a rather different direction. Duarte spent time with courtesans and courtiers attempting to appeal to the famously fashionable and charming nobility of Setarco, those who tried desperately to win the approval of House Pravus. Duarte quickly learned that charm and grace was useful and admirable, but what really could win over the nobility was simply useful information acquired through the right words and catching the right whispers. Duarte quickly gained a reputation as a charming young man who knew so much, and soon found himself in the employ of House Pravus itself. He was acting as the ears of the former Duke of Setarco inside Arx, and even joined the Inquisition for a time, using the contacts there to keep the southern house informed of the goings on in the capital. It infuriates Duarte that he was not in Setarco to help Duchess Belladonna when she set her house to rights against plotters and schemers, and he feels more than a little ashamed and frustrated his talents were not in Setarco when it was needed the most. He resigned his post in the Inquisition in order to devote himself once more to House Pravus, redoubling his efforts to insure that the duchess to whom he owes his devotion is never again surrounded by her enemies. He might operate with a smile and a laugh, but more than one enemy of House Pravus has underestimated that smile to their downfall. Along those lines, he more recently helped oversee the destruction of the treasonous House Argento, a powerful vassal of House Pravus that was plotting against Duchess Belladonna. Though the nature of his actions are not publicly known, he was rewarded with a Peerage following the conquest of the city-state of Nilanza, being named Count Duarte Amadeo, the Count of Bravura. + |
| Dulcinea Telmar + | Lady Dulcinea Telmar is the youngest of Duke Arn's children. From the time she could toddle, she was stuck to her brother Ansel and sister Lily like a chubby, determined little burr, throwing appalling tantrums when they would leave her behind on their adventures. All the more reason to become more capable, sooner. She got a pony and a little bow, determined to be the finest horsewoman and archer in any land -- if only so she could go slay dragons with her siblings. In time, she learned there were adventures -- of a sort -- to be had;she enjoyed them, exploring and mischief making with her siblings... but there were no dragons. No call to fell a dire bear at 900 feet. Alas. Too late. The fierce love of riding and the bow, the hunt, was in her bones. The absence of mythic beasts deterred her not at all. By the time she was a young woman, she was well on her way to the goal she'd set with her little bow and pony, but she never thought much of it again. She rides and hunts magnificently but for her own pleasure, usually alone. She adores her siblings and spends time with her family whenever she can. She attends balls and dances and laughs, blithe a spirit as was ever in the world. At night, however, she dreams of the Telmarch and her people. She dreams of the shav raiders, the burned houses, the screaming mothers and the crushed babes. She dreams of war unending, claiming the sons and daughters of every generation. And she yearns to put her bow to better use. + |
| Duncan Hawkmour + | Duncan Hawkmour inherited the House from his father at the age of 22. Eldest of four children, though only one of his brothers and his only sister remain alive, Duncan has been raised to his position from his first breath. Admittedly..he did not always see eye to eye with his father, the most public instance of such disagreement having been around the Tor-Southport War. A war that his father had only desire to stay neutral in. Duncan, friends with Leo, and with a sense of 'right' that gave him no other choice, left to support his friend in the war and eventually his father was forced to declare Hawkmour's full partisanship. Both his parents succumbed to the same sickness, some four years apart, his mother dying not long after Duncan's 18th birthday and his father on the day of his 22nd. His brother, Erik, nearest in age to him died in the Tor-Southport war, leaving him with a brother and sister remaining: Thomas and Sarah. + |
| Dusa Iaso + | Born to a merchant and a physician. Was locally renowned for being deeply in-tune with others, quickly becoming an object of affection during schooling and apprenticeship. Wished to become a chirugeon and apprenticed beneath an old battlefield doctor. During adulthood, received a surprising amount of marriage proposals: All of which were denied. Much to the surprise of Dusa's peers, a sharp intellect gleamed beneath those hazel eyes, taking to learning the medicinal arts rather quickly while under the tutelage of the battle-worn doctor. What followed as a shock to everyone: A sudden wanderlust. Leaving everyone behind in search of something greater, with enough scrolls and tomes tucked away to ply the medical trade wherever needed, affording a transient, yet comfortable life. + |
| Dustin Nidhogg + | Dustin does not know much of his people but he remembers his father, uncles, his aunts, siblings, and his mother. The way they wore the dirt on their skin and walked the earth barefoot from island to island. Always on the move, it was crucial that he and all of those in his family knew how to haggle and while Dustin was too young at the time to hold any real responsibility, the children of the family were always kept close for them to learn. They found the hospitality of a mountainous clan who unknown to them were amidst a dispute with Donrai's Thrax over ownership of a neighboring mining colony. Overextending themselves, the Clan attacked the mining colony only to be wiped out by Thrax's retribution. Dustin's family found themselves caught in between the two, unable to get away. Those that were not killed, were thralled and put to work in the mines. From a child to an adult, this was Dustin's life. He rose up before the sun and left home after nightfall. Living hard sharpen Dustin and made his skin thick but even when he could barely afford a candle a night, he worked on his mind, engineering ways to make their life easier. He was rewarded with more books and the more he read, the more he yearned for the world and to be outside in the sun. He used his strength to compete among the other thralls and their wardens, knowing that fighting in the pit was the only real way of leaving this life behind because you either left in a coffin or were savage enough for an Islander noble to take notice of you. Still young, he established himself as an up and comer, only for the fight of his life to be canceled after the news of the abolishment of Thralldom reached their colony. Unable to support itself, the mining colony collapsed and the miners were given the option of taking some silver as reparation and a free boat ride to Arx. Knowing that someone like him had work anywhere, he took the silver and left his old life behind, hoping to learn more about designing and smithing to make a profession and a name for himself. + |
| Dycard Blackshore + | Lord Dycard Blackshore was born in between the oldest, Romulius, and his baby sister, Skye. As second born, he was expected to follow in his brother's shadow, knowing that he was a spare to the heir. At least that was his father's ambitions since Baron Oswald Blackshore never married and produced any official heirs. He enjoyed the life of a noble, getting the best education and exposed to many exotic places since his father was always traveling as the Naval Architect to House Thrax. He took his family with him so the young boy spent more time on the rolling planks than in a drawing room. Of course being exposed to so many places, so many different people gave Dycard a chance to observe and read other's motives. Dycard was close this mother, preferring her gentle ways than the harsh, exacting standards of his father. Nothing was ever good enough for Cornelius, and unlike Romulius, Dycard didn't bother to try to fit into his father's expectations. Instead he adopted a devil-may-care attitude that just infuriated his father. When his father would drag the family to Blackshore Isle to curry favor with their mad uncle, Dycard would turn on his charm even if the face of that vicious brute's callousness. When things would get too difficult, he would let his older brother come in and play the shield. There were many times that Romulius took a belt meant for him and there's guilt there for letting his brother take on so much. When their mother fell ill, Dycard did his best to help his sister care for her. Skye had the lighter hand but he could bring in the water and help tend to the nastier infections. His skilled hands that could lightly hold a sword were adept at also holding physician's tools of the many doctors that Cornelius sought at the different ports for his ailing wife. Finally, when Florence became too much of a burden, his father dumped his mother and Skye with that mad uncle, Oswald. Dycard was horrified but there was little he could do to help either. He was trapped just as Romulius was to continue on at sea with the cold man he called father. The occasional visits he got with his mother and sister made him angry and even more frustrated because he could tell that Oswald didn't treat them well. His reckless behavior got him into more than one scrap, but with his brother at his side, he feared nothing. It was them against the world, even their father. When their ship was attacked and their father decided to save his own skin, the two brothers learned to depend on each other even more. Captured by pirates, thrown in the brig, it was a horrible ordeal that the young man refuses to discuss. However, there's a gleam in his eyes when he talks about the last years that Dycard had his lean on his own charm and natural dexterity to avoid death many times. He even took up reaving with his captors, using his skills at the blade to keep his brother's stubborn honor from getting both of them killed. It wasn't until Romulius managed to escape from these bastards that Dycard was no longer blackmailed in serving these pirates. He was able to jump ship and make his way home. + |
| Dylan Coldrain + | As the oldest of many siblings Dylan took life seriously as a child, learning to be a sailor just like his father and his father before him, and so on, but it didn't take Dylan long to realize that I was not what he wanted to do with his life. So, against the wishes of his father Dylan went off adventuring to find just where he wanted to be in life. It didn't take Dylan long to discover it. Alcohol. Brewing it, more specifically. He ran into a brewmaster in his travels across the Compact lands and from him Dylan learned how to make a variety of drinks. It proved to be quite the enjoyment for him. His training to be a sailor, at least the strength, came in handy for lifting the heavy barrels to move them to storage and what not. Dylan spent much of his adult life training in brewing so that he could be an expert at it. Once he learned all he could from his mentor Dylan travelled once more, learning different styles of brewing and learning of the land to best know what would optimize his brews. During these travels he met the woman who would eventually marry. It was just after she had been freed from Thralldom, still a child. She was timid and content to hide in a little corner sewing. Sheena. At the time she had no name but she was eventually adopted by Coldrains. It took him many months just to get into her affections. He knew very well she did not talk much, if at all, of her relationship with him. So, his convincing her to marry him took several months. It was not that she objected to him or his desire to wed her, it was her extreme shines and timidness. Eventually, though, he reached her enough to get her to agree. As in it was just days before he decided to join her in Arx. September 1009. That is when he finally wed her . He met her in the Mourning Isles to make it happen then joined her in Arx. + |
E | |
| Eamon Darkwater + | A distant cousin of the Darkwater Family, distant enough to be considered fully out of the line of succession, Eamon was left on his own to come up with a way to make a living. Enrolling in the Navy, his connections let him rise through the ranks quickly - backed by his sharp mind and keen ability to turn conflicts around. As he was trusted with greater and greater command, his aptitude only grew, and soon word started to spread about the man, with many nicknames given - but none seeming to stick. He seemed to have hit the height of his progression without formal rank right before the Pirate King appeared and the war began in earnest. Darkwater Watch was ravaged. Even Eamon's mind wasn't enough to pull out a miracle, and when he found his ship surrounded, there was nothing he could do but barely manage to survive on a piece of driftwood until he was picked up by a passing merchant ship. But out of chaos, opportunity arises. With Darkwater's ranks severely depleted, his opportunities have skyrocketed, and so Eamon heads to Arx to make the connections needed to make his family strong once more. + |
| Echo Redrain + | Echo was born into a large family, the youngest of five and fourth of four daughters. She idolized her older siblings, who doted upon her in turn. She became a steady fixture in their lives, a constant loyal shadow trailing them from dawn until dusk. The sound of her tiny feet pattering behind them from room to room became commonplace. None of her siblings can agree upon which of them first called her Echo, but Echo -- their constant following companion -- she remained. From Amarantha she learned the importance of doubt. That nothing should be taken at face value and that the world can be more cruel and dark than a child could imagine. From Astraea she learned the value of kindness. That in a world brimming with pain and injustice, kindness is a rare strength and, more than that, a duty. Apollis taught her that life is short and deserved to be enjoyed. He taught that all things should be questioned. Her eldest sister Avaline's influence left her with a sense of determination and the motivation to never back down in the face of defeat. So it was no surprise to anyone when she answered the call to take up arms like her sisters. Nor was it startling when she eventually came to love and marry a northern man. Tragically, like, the majority of her siblings, her marital happiness was short-lived. Within half a year of their wedding, her husband lost his life on a wilderness scouting mission. The world can be cruel. But when the months of mourning had passed and the sun rose for her again, Echo stepped back out into the world determined more than ever to be stronger and kinder than it could be cruel. + |
| Ectorion Valardin + | The fifth child of a Valardin branch family, to say that Ectorion was far down in the line of succession would be a fairly extreme understatement. His mother Lyllindyl Valardin was of a scholarly disposition though, and in addition to the traditional Knightly training, he received a strong education, particularly in the subjects of mathematics and engineering, for which he showed a strong affinity. His life seemed destined for the scholarly pursuits, and his contribution to his family likely to be in that field. But, like so many people, war changed the course of his life forever. In his twentieth year, the coming of the Bringers of Silence called him from his designs and calculations, and to the battle lines of the growing conflict. His skill turned out to be formidable, and he distinguished himself on the battlefield. Tragedy was to strike though, for while he was away from Valardin lands, he lost his childhood friend and betrothed, Allissa. The death of his beloved had a deep and profound impact on the young Knight, and many claim that it is what made him the quietly brooding man he is today. When Prince Edain called for volunteers to reinforce the greatly reduced ranks of the King's Own, Ectorion stepped forth and went into the service of the King more directly, where he served during the events of the Siege. He was among those who stood upon the bridge with Dame Leona, when the Master of Questions made a bid to grab power, fearlessly fighting at her side. It was after that battle that his 'loan' service with the King's Own became formal, as Edain released him from his oath and he took the oath of the King's Own. + |
| Edain Valardin + | Edain is a knight. For all his life, that is all he dreamed of being and all he dedicated his training towards, and he never imagined he would be anything more than another proud knight in the service of his family. True, he was born the son of the high lord of House Valardin, the ruler of all the Oathlands and one of the five greatest nobles in the land. But he was born as a fourth child and he was quietly grateful that he was so far from the crushing responsibility of rule, that he could embrace the simple purity of service with a sword and that he could win glory and honor in the name of his house. That he could be a knight. That was before the Tragedy at Sanctum. Edain didn't truly grasp how easy his life was before the attack, the popular and handsome prince that had no greater designs than serving as a knight. He never imagined that he could one day rule. He never imagined that his elder siblings and parents could all be slain in one devastating attack that would leave him as the new high lord, the Prince of Sanctum. He never spent a day training for the possibility, never joined his elder brother in all the lessons from his father on how to properly rule or to deal with House Valardin's vassals, he never even expected to sit upon the Assembly of Peers and watch the political turmoil of the Realm. Then all at once, in one bloody night, it was his responsibility. His duty. He wishes it was not so. He never wished to rule, he never wanted the responsibility or burden of leadership, but it is his now and he takes his obligations seriously. He'll lead House Valardin to the best of his abilities and try to become better with each passing day. He just wished that the confidence he felt as a swordsman extended to how he felt as a ruler. + |
| Edda Greenwood + | Enigmatic when it comes to her past, Edda was originally an Abandoned tribesman from the darkest parts of the Deepwood Marches; before the era of tribal integration with the nobles and citizens of the Twainfort, she lived a solitary lifestyle as a ranger in the ancient forests there. Once the tribes began the slow work of coming to terms with their new standing, she stood with them even though she may have chosen to remain an unknown. The matter was bigger than any one person, and she understood this quite well; though standing alongside her tribesmen, this didn't mean that she was eager to leave her home nor assimilate to the lifestyle at the Twainfort. Alliance aside, Edda remained a ranger, living and working from the forests until there came a reason to leave; that reason came in the form of her lord at the Twainfort. A visitation by another ranger tuned her in to the search for guards at the seat of Riven house. In the beginning she was passingly interested-- curious enough to go to the city and seek out more information. Tribal unrest alongside the citizens of the Riverlands was still an issue, thanks to so many years of the latter driving off the former. There was still much work to be done. Seeing that for herself, Edda felt inspired to help to change it. Perceptions and interaction were everything, and though she was by nature lonesome, it never meant a lack of compassion. It only ever meant that she had yet to find a place to direct it. Inspired by the path of her people and stirred by the need for a bridge between them, Edda joined the house guard; though at the time lacking in certain training, she was a large survivor with a gentler soul than her frame might suggest, and this would lend itself greatly to her finding an ability to make connections with others. Learning the finer points of guardsmanship would come with time-- what led her there was neither power nor influence, but the desire to help in holding some semblance of cornerstones on massive shoulders. As time moved on she became accustomed to the role, rising steadily through ranks until she became the head of guard for the Riven House.. It meant hard work, but it also meant that for years she worked alongside citizens of the Twainfort in keeping them safe. She was regarded as a trusted figure, despite her origins as a tribal Prodigal. Wherever the riverlands found its banners called, Edda followed. + |
| Eddard Clement + | Every family needs their blacksheep, and Eddard comes from the Clement branch's black sheet. It's said that SOMEWHERE in this particular branch a great-grandma had a one night stand with a family that eventually left the Compact. It was never something said openly to Eddard's face, but family gatherings always had a few whispers about the not-so-secret shame. It was in that shadow that Eddard grew up. From an early age he decided that if the family was going to expect the worst from him anyway, he might as well deliver. While most Clements are hardworking and diligent, Eddard went firmly to the other end. He drinks more than one cup of wine at dinner and does everything he can to get out of //work//. During one work-dodging session he quite by accident stumbled onto a true talent with music. He found himself a halfway decent teacher and actually applied himself for once. Working with both voice and lute Eddard carved himself out another niche within the family. Everyone enjoyed a bit of music in the gatherings and thus some of the black sheep whispering faded out. When news of strange Uncle Norwood's new barony, Eddard seized on it as his chance to escape the rural life and head to Arx. There he can accomplish a few goals. First, never touch another beehive. Second, seek out a real teacher to help him foster his musical talent. Finally, enjoy the pleasures of Arx. + |
| Edelma Pierce + | Edelma was born the daughter of a commoner knight, a riding valkyrie in service to the Sannas. There were rumors, especially due to a few suggestive lines of facial structure, that her father was not actually her father, but the rumors of her bastardy were never brought to the fore as anything more than whispers, in part because her father and her mother seemed to love each other so devotedly, and more, because they never seemed to love the March's family any less. If there was something there, it never caused any kind of rift between their families. It was at her parents' hands that she received her first training, and as she grew, she showed a natural inclination for weapons and along with a natural bravery that made it supremely easy for her to join the scouts of the snows riding out as soon as she was old enough in service. The old Sword of Giant's Reach, Sir Jolor, was an institution of the mountains, essentially, a man who had held the post so long that few could imagine anyone else in it. Young and fierce, Edelma found his years rendered him too slow to act in defense of the House. Generally he was left alone while other, younger knights did the real work of defending Giant's Reach, but the passivity of this position was too much for Edelma. In one battle with a tribe of Shav'Arvani on the mountainside, Edelma saved Jolor's life by fighting off two who were attacking him and covering his retreat. When they were alone, she demanded his recognition of her bold act, and out of shame that so young (26!) and comparatively small a fighter (a full foot shorter than he) had so plainly surpassed him, he refused. Edelma challenged him to a duel for the insult to her pride and defeated him handily. After he lost this public duel, Jolor knelt before her and asked March Cirroch to transfer his ancestral Sword to Edelma. It was done, and she took the role with pride and strength, and began working to train young squires and knights of the March into a squad to follow her into battle and share the Sword's acclaim. She called them the Axes of Giant's Reach, and they became among the most loyal young fighters in the March. + |
| Edith Foxwood + | Unsurprisingly, Edith grew up in a small town outside Bastion-- near a particular patch of forest known for housing plenty of foxes. Her family was hunters and trappers for generations, doing the quiet work of commoners. Their furs and meats were sold to merchants, and the family rarely saw cause to go to the bigger towns and cities. They were content in the woods. Edith joined the discipleship of Petrichor as young as she could, diving head first into the work expected of her. The Silent War tore almost everything from her. Edith's entire family was wiped out when the Silent Army swept towards Arx, and she immediately swore herself to the Gods and the Faith. She's been serving ever since, moving wherever she's needed without hesitation or complaint. There's no longer a reason for her to stay in the woods outside Bastion, and after the fall of that great city and reclamation, she's finally found herself in Arx. + |
| Edris Elwood + | Growing up as a second child of a third child in a small county of the North, Edris had duties to keep him busy, but his personal aspirations were largely his own, without the weight of impending rule. As a result, he was able to largely focus his education and activities on that which he was most inclined. An avid outdoorsman and capable leader, he seemed to have the workings of an excellent ranger; though when his father died when Edris was in his late teens, his focus naturally fell to stepping into a more traditional path that he felt would honor him--he was knighted in his late adolescence and then served capably within the patrols and defenses as well as military campaigns both in and out of the Northlands; and when left to his own devices, spent many days or weeks wandering, hunting, and bringing back trinkets and treasures to his sister, cousins, and lady mother as he always had, a way to use solitude and communion with the mountains and wilds to heal some of the echoes of un-unseeable things of war, as well as a way to keep tabs on the local shav'arvani, with his trusted companions. About 5 years ago his mother and Lord Acorn Hill negotiated a marriage contract for his sister Elin to marry Lord Rylan Moore, it was Edris that was chosen to accompany her south, first to visit his father's family, the Keatons, while Elin and Rylan courted. He fit in well with his sister's soon to be family; there were new wild places to explore, after all. New bands of shavs and prodigals to learn about. A beloved sister to see happily settled. Keaton cousins to become reacquainted with. And increasingly, a camaraderie amongst the Acorn Hill Moores as well. He was invited to stay longer, all the better to cement the new bond between houses, both due to his parents' marriage and the new one with the Moores. After six months, news of his mother's sudden illness had him making his way home, when word reached him on his travels of the slaughter at Acorn Hill. Nearly mad with worry, he rushed back, only to find that she and her new husband and many of those he'd enjoyed getting to know slain. His deep and near-destructive grief was only compounded when he learned that his mother had also died of her illness soon after he received word of it at all; but rather than drown his sorrows in drink or other vices, he threw himself completely into helping to lead what remained of the scattered and decimated forces, aiding in the rebuilding efforts of the remaining family, hunting down of likely perpetrators or shavs trying to take advantage of the weakness. It was grueling, uphill work, but those underneath him thrived under his leadership, and both houses continued to benefit from a bond. It might have been cemented by another marriage, his own, to one of the surviving Moores. But plans for that died the night the rest of the surviving family was butchered while he was away ranging, hunting down the location of another group of shavs who had been a thorn in the side of one of the villages. Deep in yet another round of grief, and needing to work though what surely must have felt like yet another failure, he immersed himself in yet more work. He had built a strong relationship with many of the commoners there, especially the youngest survivors of the initial massacre at Acorn Hill over the years. He continued to range and considered renouncing his title and joining the faith. But the kinship he now felt in this land not of his birth stayed his hand as he wrestled with what to do. The answer came not from his prayers, or the quiet and calm of the forest but from a missive waiting for him at the inn he'd taken up residence at. It did not come with an offered hand of a wife, but he was given the opportunity to keep fulfilling the promises between houses first made those four years ago, and join the new Barony of Elwood. He had been serving the people there out of grief and honor--now he would be able to honor the names of his sister and friends that spilled their blood on these lands by being claimed as one of their own, Lord Edris Elwood, Sword of Arden. + |
| Edward Redreef + | While at times I might consider them half-wits that is only the perspective of someone from the family than it is a reflection of the truth. Or perhaps they are a whole wit together. That would be the more logical perspective to have on the pair at times. It is not like Ember and Marina are easily separated - given that they are twins of course. Now oftentimes I try to be the wise older cousin, given that I'm one of the few people who seem to get along with them. And perhaps it is for this reason I pen this letter while rocking back and forth on this rickety ship on my short journey to answer their summons of me. Whatever could they want, of which I have only guesses. My best guess is one or both of them have almost certainly gotten themselves in trouble with a magistrate and need me to talk their way out of it. Now of course one might wonder why I might rush to the aid of two cousins I might possibly maybe consider a whole wit with both of them put together. It is not out of familial duty or love. Perhaps a little of it, but more because I crave an adventure and those two have a knack for finding something. That something is often trouble but they may just happenstance upon an adventure. And if nothing else I'll have interesting stories to tell when I'm infirm and unable to remember to get up to hit the privy and soil the bed for whatever caretaker suffers through my final years. It is a tragedy of course their father died. Perhaps their summons is about this. Or maybe its about the the fact that they are in this limbo of inheritance and they need a man for the sake of appearances. Oh wouldn't that be quite delightful. A house steward might be a good job for me in the shortterm. Lets me make use of my skills at procurement and topics of discussions on which I get to use the silver tongue mother said I was gifted with. And the call to land has been sounded. Surely I will maintain my dignity as I get off this rickety bucket that leaks more than a chef's sieve and has more bung holes than a vintner's cellar. + |
| Edward Stormbreak + | Dwindling in familial size, the Redreefs were not a populous House, having lost a great many of its members to piracy, accidents, and murder over the years; leaving just Tiberius and his brother - the former Baron of Redreef. Tiberius' marriage to Martha, a merchant with the power of a lord, brought in a merchant fleet to the House to help increase its economic weight, and to try and shed House Redreef of some of its pirate past. + |
| Edwyn Valardin + | A cousin fairly far down the line of succession, Edwyn hasn't accomplished anything feast-worthy since birth, save perhaps for that time he'd managed to eat twenty bacon muffins the fastest. Like most of his kin, he was behooved to partake of the knightly tradition although despite his physical talent he has no particular love for the art of war, disdaining the troubles of hard campaign and the chore of having to chase down Shavs. %T Fortunately, he's been saved from further responsibility in Sanctum to find instead his own calling in Arx. He doesn't exactly know what it'll be, but who knows. It could be books, adventure, love, storytelling, getting shitfaced in the other wards, anything except counting coins for the Valardin and riding out in patrol, please, Edwyn's happy enough without that. + |
| Egil Frost + | Born amidst the beautific rose-gold arches and stone masonry of Stonedeep, Egil was orphaned, or, perhaps, abandoned -- he was never really sure -- to a life of filth, squalor, and blood. Wading clear of it didn't come easy, especially as an orphan, and were it not for the conjunction of his scrappy cunning, wanton savagery, and the favoring of fortune, he may well have never acceded to adulthood. It was in his teens that he first found his calling, earning coin by acting as servant to mercenaries, bands of men dedicated to wiping out troublesome villages of Shav'Arvani. The heat of combat soon propelled him from a mere servant to a fighter in his own right, and he earned his keep in adulthood by hunting and claiming bounties. While tracking a particularly problematic group of blood-drinking Shav'Arvani, he encountered Duchess Nadia Nightgold. After a dispute with the Duchess regarding his rights to claim the bounty he'd been hunting, they came to terms, and he aided her in tracking down the remnants of the tribe. Offering him handsome pay, she invited him to travel to Arx and enter her service. + |
| Egon Maw + | Born to a rather poor family on the Mourning Isles, Egon had spent his youth as a sickly boy, incapable of aiding his family in much of their day-to-day living. The family was large; his four siblings had quickly learned to take care of themselves and eventually forged their own paths with some of them, namely his brother Maris, following the path of their fisherman turned sellsword father. Egon had kept to himself during his youth, looking inward rather than outward for inspiration. As days turned to years, he had eventually grown out of his sickly phase into a relatively hale individual and spent the majority of his teens at home, taking up various practices and disciplines in an attempt to aid his destitute mother. Life was difficult on the Isles, and, coupled with his odd appearance, it was made isolating. Despite it all, he had learned a great deal from its harsh lessons. After a time, his mother had decided that he needed to leave for Arx with the hope that he could find a better life there than what was available to him. + |
| Eilonwy Blackwood + | Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blackwoods, Eilonwy grew up learning the ways of the wild. For the most part her family and the tribe survived the squabbles and land struggles between tribes. When Brand began his recruiting in the north her tribe and family were slaughtered down to a few men and woman. That was the first she ever held a blade. The Blackwoods took in the last of her people and ultimately they all bent knee together to the Crovane. + |
| Eilonwy Thunderoak + | Raised in a small tribe allied to the Blackwoods, Eilonwy grew up learning the ways of the wild. For the most part her family and the tribe survived the squabbles and land struggles between tribes. When Brand began his recruiting in the north her tribe and family were slaughtered down to a few men and woman. That was the first she ever held a blade. The Blackwoods took in the last of her people and ultimately they all bent knee together to the Crovane. + |
| Einarr Charon + | Einarr is the last of the Bjornkrigare shav clan, called the Bearwarriors,a warrior clan who worship the bear and fight with nearly no regard to themselves. They are the masters of the bjorn svettes, an alchemical mixture of narcotics and stimulants that allows the warriors to feel no pain during battle. They train in the snow and ice to toughen their bodies, and are trained from a very young age. His particular clan was wiped out while he was a young man of 15 and he has been on his own ever since. Einarr was found by Tigarus Charon in his travels, he was near mortally wounded in a battle with dire wolves in the wilds of the Northlands. Einarr, in debt for owing his life to Tigarus, has pledged himself to House Charon. + |
| Eiran Laurent + | Eiran grew up without much expectation of responsibility: a child of privilege and wealth, a child of parents who were also children of privilege and wealth. He never found much interest in duty, for all the workhorse reputation of his family and the long line of duty-bound Oathlanders that surrounded them. As a boy, he liked to play. As a young man, he still liked to play. He was only middling in most areas of his education because he was irresolute and lacked focus, and no one really forced him to be attentive to any of his lessons. The only area of his real focus was one of his tutors, who instructed him in language and the arts, and he primarily was interested there because the said tutor was _incredibly attractive_. He became fascinated with love as game and machination and source of artistry, and the courtly ballad, sonnet, and the kind of magic that comes in the right word in the right place became his study. That was how he ended up becoming a Devotion of Limerance. It was another infatuation that encouraged him to apply himself to the art of the sword -- really, the art of the mace and shield, a satisfying and pounding combination with a heavy crack of one on the other -- and really that has been the entire pattern of Eiran's life: ridiculous crush on someone, throw himself whole-heartedly into a new life path. Who knows what will come next? Maybe one day he'll fall in love in a direction that encourages him to make the most of himself. You never know, right? + |
| Eirene Malvici + | Malvici's sons and daughters are usually raised as warriors. Eirene is no different although she found a different path- Eirene was tutored in the usual martial arts and strategy as all her kin, younger sister to Adona and aunt to the current Duke. She found her passion for medicine at eleven years of age after a sparring partner broke his leg and the surgeons reset it. The sight of blood didn't repulse her and the fact he could walk again afterward impressed on her the usefulness of the skill. She began her studies then; medicine being less a science and more a skill. Clean wounds heal faster than bloody ones. Maggots will eat dead tissue. Leeches can help in -some- cases when blood pools in a bruise. Stitches can mean the difference between healing or losing a limb- and she wasn't afraid to take a leg if it was the best way to save the patient. Southport's medicinal gardens became a second home. And the war with the Fidantes was all the hands on training she would ever need. Eirene does not care for the politics her nephew the Duke has to muddle through. She's never been approached by the family to marry and by all accounts doesn't take lovers. Intimacy isn't something she can afford. Nor is her persona conductive to sweet courtship and romance; she's a jaded curmudgeon of a woman who will laugh at a funeral and roll her eyes at a wedding. She dislikes nobility who coast by on the deeds of dead ancestors and don't respect and care for the peasants and serfs under them. Eirene oversees the training of new field medics for Malvici's standing army and ensures each is as capable a soldier as they are a physician. After all- who is to say that field hospitals won't be attacked? And those who know how to heal often know how to do the most harm... + |
| Eirik Coldrain + | {/Eirik was born to a common family on the 23rd day of the 8th month. He's never been a stranger to war and combat. In all honesty his father died in a battle serving as a sell sword to a ship in some thraxian fleet or another. Eirik was to young to know or remember.{/A few years later as Eirik started getting closer to adulthood his mother died too leaving him alone and broke. Like his father he had skill with a sword, but as of yet was unproven in battle and let's face it no one hires an unproven swordsman. So he set off on his way trying to make some coin some how. After weeks and months of barely being able to break even or eat some weeks he finally made a tough decision.{/Eirik voluntarily became a thrall in Kennex lands. It gave him steady work food and a place to live. Let's face it when it came down to it he didn't think it was all that bad. He stayed a Thrall for quite some years before Kennex decided to just up and "free" all the Thralls. Eirik was angry he didn't want to have to go back out into the world and find some way to earn his living again after all it didn't work so well for him the first time. It was during this time, during his anger and rage that Sameera found him. She took Eirik in and let him take the name Coldrain. Now he's attempting to make his way and a living learning how not to be just a Thrall.{/ + |
| Eirlys Greenmarch + | Eirlys has been used to a life of independence and a measure of self-sufficiency for as long as she can remember. Her mother died when she was little more than a babe in arms, and with her father having suffered crippling injuries in a battle a number of years prior, she was allowed to run a little wild and largely decided for herself the path that her life should take. As befitting a resident of the Greenwood, she learned the use of a blade, and fervently defended her clan's home from those who might seek to usurp the lands they had held for centuries. Yet, while is proud of her heritage, she saw only opportunity when the Greenmarch Abandoned bent the knee in fealty. She had always been fascinated by the idea of the city of Arx and loved any stories that she heard about what life was like there. Now, she gets to see for herself the reality of the place, fully embracing this new adventure and prepared to realize all the potential she believes she was born to - without ever forgetting who she is. + |
| Eithne Thornburn + | Being one of seven children has its challenges. For starters, if you're not the oldest or the youngest, you might end up blending somewhere in the middle. Eithne blended into the mix for many of her formative years until she decided enough was enough. Her mother always wanted her girls to pick up a trade and be skilled. Her father didn't seem to care what they wanted to do. When Eithne decided on following in her father's footsteps, it irritated her mother who doesn't think a woman's place is in a forge but her father couldn't be more thrilled. He took her under his wing and showed her everything he knew. A father couldn't be more proud of his child when Eithne not only learned the trade but excelled. It wasn't long before Eithne was showing her old man a few tricks of the trade. Born and bred in Arx, Eithne's family the Thornburn's are from the Upper Boroughs. Her siblings are all pretty successful in their own ways. These days, Eithne has herself a great clientele of customers who live and breathe in their armor. She's even secured a few who are daring enough to be 'guinea pigs' for some prototypes she's been working on. Nothing concrete yet, nothing that she can actually sell or market, but at least she's innovative! I comparison to most young women her age, Eithne isn't interested in marriage or children at the moment. She's very focused and driven on her career. There are so many other more important things to do than to be tied down, barefoot and pregnant. For example, learning how to fight and competing in amateur competitions or spending all night playing cards at the local tavern. + |
| Elara Helios + | Life for Elara has been full of loss and pain. Born the bastard child of a minor nobleman of House Thrax, she was quickly given up by her prodigal mother. Elara does not know much about her birth mother, just that she was formerly a Northern Shav and an entertainer in Port Stormbreak. Though she was given up by her mother as a babe, Elara was not raised by her disgraced father. Instead he 'fostered' her with a Kennex noble and his wife. The couple's family being quite huge, they were nowhere in line for inheritance nor did they have a need, or want, for children. The only reason they took Elara was because of the shame created by her father, and wishing to avoid the dishonor on the rest of the family. Raised as more of a nuisance than a wanted child, Elara quickly learned the art of being silent. The girl had a keen mind and enjoyed reading. And since it kept her out of their hair they encouraged it. She also had a talented gift for embroidery. And that was a thing her foster mother and she bonded, though slightly, over. At the age of 17 her father arranged a marriage to a much older Kennex man out in the Mourning Isles. The wedding was on her birthday, the day she turned 18, and she tried to be happy. They left for his holdings in the Mourning Isles the morning after. Not ten months later she had her first child. And her first loss. The baby girl was born blue and still. Elara, however, managed quite well despite having few people to confide in on the remote holding. Unfortunately this would not change much over the next few years. Their next child survived their first year, a boy, who was named Erik, till a horrid fever took him. It would have been soul-crushing to many, but Elara held up strong. Never seeming to break even though she lost five children total, most in their first year of life, during her marriage. The most recent loss, two years ago, was a miscarriage at five months when someone poisoned both her and her husband. Her husband perished and she suffered for several months the effects of the lingering poison, but eventually recovered. Widowed as she was and free of needing to stay in the Mourning Isles she returned to Port Stormbreak and the closest thing to family she had, the Kennex. Yet with the approaching horrors and the problems at sea she has, with others of the house, retreated to the safety of Arx. While it is not her first visit to the city, it has been some time. Elara has found herself to be of use to her house using her talents with needle and thread. + |
| Elara Kennex + | Life for Elara has been full of loss and pain. Born the bastard child of a minor nobleman of House Thrax, she was quickly given up by her prodigal mother. Elara does not know much about her birth mother, just that she was formerly a Northern Shav and an entertainer in Port Stormbreak. Though she was given up by her mother as a babe, Elara was not raised by her father, Baron Dorian Helios, the Baron of Helion Rock. Instead he 'fostered' her with a Kennex noble and his wife, an old ally of her father's from the Tyde Rebellion days. The couple's family being quite huge, they were nowhere in line for inheritance nor did they have a need, or want, for children. Baron Dorian was childless besides her, and with Thrax succession at the time precluding women from rule, there was concern that if he fully legitimized her, that she would be used by another house to try to take Helion Rock after his death. Raised as more of a nuisance than a wanted child, Elara quickly learned the art of being silent. The girl had a keen mind and enjoyed reading. And since it kept her out of their hair they encouraged it. She also had a talented gift for embroidery. And that was a thing her foster mother and she bonded, though slightly, over. At the age of 17 her father arranged a marriage to a much older Kennex man out in the Mourning Isles, both to get her far from any succession issues and to stifle criticism of him by the Faith that made it extremely difficult for the man to rule when he failed in his responsibilities as a father. The wedding was on her birthday, the day she turned 18, and she tried to be happy. They left for his holdings in the Mourning Isles the morning after. Not ten months later she had her first child. And her first loss. The baby girl was born blue and still. Elara, however, managed quite well despite having few people to confide in on the remote holding. Unfortunately this would not change much over the next few years. Their next child survived their first year, a boy, who was named Erik, till a horrid fever took him. It would have been soul-crushing to many, but Elara held up strong. Never seeming to break even though she lost five children total, most in their first year of life, during her marriage. The most recent loss, two years ago, was a miscarriage at five months when someone poisoned both her and her husband. Her husband perished and she suffered for several months the effects of the lingering poison, but eventually recovered. Widowed as she was and free of needing to stay in the Mourning Isles she returned to Port Stormbreak and the closest thing to family she had, the Kennex. Yet with the approaching horrors and the problems at sea she has, with others of the house, retreated to the safety of Arx. While it is not her first visit to the city, it has been some time. Elara has found herself to be of use to her house using her talents with needle and thread. + |
| Eleanor Allenatore + | She was born on a ship, a trading vessel of the Velenosa. Her mother was a sailor who loved nothing as much as she loved the sea. Her father was a sailor too, and though her parents were rarely together, still they made what time for her that they could, when both ships happened to be in the same port or when there was time for her to run from one port to the other for a visit. But as much as she loved the sound of the waves and the gentle rocking of the ships on which she and her mother worked, she knew early on she was destined for something else. For aslong as she can remember she has wanted to be a Knight. And not just any Knight - a Knight sworn to protect the King, one of the Silver Swords. She doesn't remember the bulk of her early years, but she remembers the first moment when she saw them marching by, their armor gray against the blue sky as they protected the King. In fact, she measures her life by these defining moments - her first sight of the King's Own was followed by watching the tournament where Dayne Valardin won the title of Lord Commander. Then not long after that, she watched as Princess Leona Thrax was escorted to the edges of the Thrax holdings and turned out, no longer a Princess so that she could join the King's Own. At fourteen she walked with her mother to the gates of Crownguard Tower, and held her breath waiting for the answer to her demands to be let in to train. And she remembered the weight of the belt and chain, the moment the legendary sword of the King's Own dubbed her a Knight, the pride swelling in her chest. Her father was killed in the Tragedy of the Harbor when a third of the Thrax vessels were pulled down into the water. He would never see her be a Knight, but she knows he was proud of her. And still there is her mother, grief-stricken but safe, still comforted by the love of the sea and refusing to make a more permanent home near her only daughter. Even so, the King's Own is the family she longed for and she has vowed to be the best Knight she can be, no matter what it takes. + |
| Eleyna Velenosa + | Eleyna Velenosa started her life as just another Princess in a very large family, destined to be offered in marriage to create treaties between the House of her birth and its chosen allies. With no living mother and a mostly disinterested father, she was at the mercy of her ambitious aunt. Three times, she served in such a role. Three times, it ended in tragedy. Even the most spotless reputation cannot withstand the rumors that accompany three dead husbands. In the Lyceum, they called her the Black Widow of Lenosia. They sought to shame her for the tragedies that befell her. Eleyna took an insult meant to humiliate her and turned it into something to fear. If they wanted her to be a spider, she would be a spider. It was the spider's machinations that brought her to Arx in the wake of the King's Rest. That same spider built webs to climb from disgraced Princess to valued Voice and, eventually, all the way to the Grand Duchess' throne. It's amazing how power seems to wash away the sins of past. So, while the sharp mind and ambitious nature remain, the Black Widow is no more now that Eleyna has both remarried and ascended to the pinnacle of power within her House and within the Lyceum. Lenosia is the City of Flowers, so it makes sense that Eleyna would be the White Lily, the palest of blooms but also the one symbolizing rebirth for her and her people. + |
| Elfriede Waters + | Born across a salty shore of Thraxian domain, for the longest of whiles; for the lengthiest passings of time as child, Elfriede only knew salt. And blood. She was peddled around as child like useful product when her known-parents were slaughtered beneath a raid after having survived many from a ship of black and crimson colors on a serpentine stretch for sigil. Too young to serve as an adult, yet too old to be flung into the sea as burden, she was raised in a kitchenette jury rigged together beneath the quarterdeck of a Thraxian boat. Made to wash, clean and rinse the dirt of sailors since she has known memory, with callouses to speak of it, when time begun to develop her the few remaining women in the ever-dwindling kitchen of the declining pirate coordination smuggled her back inland; back into the several holdfasts that stand at the feet of the Maelstrom. Life in the Mourning Islands was hard. She no longer cleaned for anything other than herself, but food; but production and want for a thrall of so-few skills then made her a target - it made her a victim - and victimization became her life in such teen years while living in a society where the hope of end's meet came at the expense and compromise of her values. What few she had left. Inevitably, violence returned to her life. And it did so in storm- she worked the streets as thief and eyes alike; she shared her perceptiveness with those that'd dare purchase it. Experience taught her the networked ecosystem of 'knowing' - and through this knowing she thrived as young as she was. In this life of humble burglary, she finally came upon a man; an old, hardy Knight born in the Oathlands. Happenings led them to strike an odd friendship, for none would dare claim they fit. He called her squire. They travelled long, and left the lands of Thrax together to reach the capital under the care of this knightly old thing. Age took him from her not too short after arrival beneath the wary trip, and Elfriede now finds herself roaming the streets in search of purpose, like one too many. + |
| Elgana Redrain + | The younger daughter of a lesser line of a royal House has obligations, different obligations than those closer to the hot seat of the actual Prince(ss) of the Northlands, but obligations nonetheless. Elgana was trained to be a proper lady, but as a young girl found ways to approach at a gentle skew; not so far askew as her older sister, a human battering ram and spear warrior, nor so dedicated as some of her family who seemed to take to heart that it was duty and to the matter born. Yet if you are supposed to learn to dance, why not learn to make your own choroegraphy? If you are supposed to learn needlework, why not stitch up a banner that looks like it is oozing blood from every corner? If you have to learn history, why not write parody filks of ancient ballads and leave them lying around in ambush for your instructors? If you need to learn to ride, why not insist on sleeping overnight in the stable with your pony and treating it like your best friend? If you are supposed to learn to fight ... well, there wasn't much she could do about that aside from demonstrate very little natural aptitude and a tendency to whine and make sad faces about the bruises. As she blossomed into a lovely young woman, Elgana learned new ways of making her own way and having it her way. While her sister ramrodded through obstacles, Elgana danced and flirted and laughed her way around them: a much easier, friendlier, and better angled kind of life. Though she never entirely lost her ability to tilt issues at a slight skew from the ordinary, she learned to temper and sheath this inside the bounds of etiquette, and apply imagination to life as her personal arsenal, along with a careful hand at fashion and the ability to make her eyes really sparkle with eye makeup. She already owns Farhaven as adorably as possible and now it is time to apply that sparkle to the rest of the Compact! + |
| Eliana Steinmaison + | Eliana was born to a couple of bakers. They were poor, but happy. She has three brothers and a sister, and she's the youngest of them all. The baby. Fortunately, all of her brothers and her sister were very capable. They grew up to help the parents take over the business, and sprout wings and become successful in the many endeavors they attempted. They were all sharp, intelligent, and capable. Unfortunately, Eliana was not able to bloom in the manner her parents wished. She has the worst luck anyone has ever seen. If something bad will happen, it will happen over 90 percent of the time for Eliana. She's come to expect bad things occuring. She trips constantly, always has scrapes due to falling or running into something or something falling on her randomly. People consider her a clutz. There is nothing she can do about how people perceive her, so Eliana decided at a very young age to ignore them and to just look at the good things in life. There's so much bad that she's overwhelmed by it, the good is much more interesting to her, it also helps her to stay happy. Once, when she was in the kitchen attempting to help her mother bake some bread, she turned to grab a spoon, knocked over the container onto a lamp that just happened to be by there, shattering it and sending oil everywhere, which just happened to fling a drop towards the lit fire on the stove, and caused a chain reaction that literally exploded nearly the entire kitchen. Her parents have banned her from the kitchen since that time. She's too dangerous to be in there, she might kill someone someday with her luck. With all the whispers, and wards against evil signs against her, Eliana had a lonely childhood. Nobody really wanted to be her friend, so she grew up entertaining herself, and learning new things. She enjoyed figuring things out, it was something she was actually good at, and for once, it felt good to be good at something and not just a walking disaster. So, while she may have been lonely, she was never bored, she always had interesting and new things to do and explore, which made her quite the cheerful child. Her parents loved her, but she is hard to deal with sometimes. When Eliana turned 21, her parents were in a deep depression on what to do with her. They had no idea how to turn her into a successful person and nobody was interested in taking the 'Cursed Baker's Daughter' as a wife, so she still lived at home, turning into an old maid. Her parents could not really afford a freeloader like her, especially when she destroyed almost everything she touched. She was expensive! On one day, an Inquisitor came in for some baked goods and they had a discussion about the latest escapades of Eliana. She was becoming a town legend in her own right, just from her awful luck. The inquisitor suggested that he send her to them, to become an apprentice. She'd make good money, and her mind was sharp, she would do well and support herself as well as help the parents. At least repair the latest stove she destroyed. Her father agreed, very happy with the idea, and soon enough, Eliana was sent off to become an apprentice Inquisitor! She has absolutely no idea what she is getting into, but she trusts her parents, and feels very guilty about being at home. This is a new opportunity for her, and she's eager to do well and prove that she's good at -something-! + |
| Elias Leary + | Growing up with a knightly mother of Oathlands orthodox values and a stereotypically eccentric Leary father proved to be a bit of a thorn in Elias' younger years. A black sheep, Elias never put much thought into the Gods, nor did he in his studies. Despite not following closely in his parents footsteps, Elias naturally met them halfway as he made a name for himself as a hunter - whenever the motivation struck. Typically, the motivation was a diminishing purse of silver or, more often, a mystery that caught his attention just right. Whenever that desire struck, he became as fierce a warrior as his mother and as dedicated a scholar as his father. As a child, these endeavours usually involved sneaking out of the house late at night to explore old and abandoned houses, or to investigate and document strange sightings in the neighboring forests. So all it took was one little intriguing story; a secret untold, and Elias set off on spontaneous adventure. A long adventure. For an entire year. His path never circled back to the Oathlands, and instead he found himself a home with his distant Leary family in Arx while he dug up more mysteries to pick at. + |
| Elio Tortorici + | Though Elio grew up as an Abandoned, his people were relatively new additions to that title after the House has been exiled from the Compact for the sort of political and religious arguments that only make prideful old nobles angry. His upbringing was thus not that much different from a noble of some + |
| Elise Whisper + | Little is known of Elise's past, likely due to the fact that she never speaks about it. + |
| Elisha Falle + | A sickly child from the Lowers who nobody much noticed for his first ten or twelve years. Parents dead, or dusted? Fostered into a family? Something like that. Too week to grow into a proper earner, but a disgraced clerk, charlatan, or addict--or all of the above--took pity on the clever, often-bedridden boy and taught him. Maybe from kindness--maybe hoping for a better income from an educated Elisha. In any case, the boy took refuge in the written word more than the spoken one. Though when he does talk, he talks fancy, as educated as a silk--'uppity little shit,' the neighbors mutter, with more than a hint of pride. He makes the odd coin working as an unofficial scribe in the rare case that someone nearby needs reading or writing done, as he is extremely literate. Elisha is known to tell fantastical stories to his neighbors, sometimes in exchange for a bite to eat, tales which the kids occasionally spread throughout the Lowers. He's also known to beg from the silks if he gets hungry enough. + |
| Eliza Lavann + | Eliza was born in Arx, to a moderately successful shopkeekper and his wife. At a young age, she began to be tutored by a priest of Vellichor, who saw great potential in the clever young girl. But while she proved an avid student, her original ambition to join the Scholars of Vellichor eventually came to naught: she was too undisciplined, too unfocused to truly be an ideal scholar. So instead she took various jobs as a scribe and tutor to earn her living, all the while continuing her personal study of folklore, which had always been a passion of hers. Then, the strange happenings around the Silent War began to reveal that the old tales of magic might not be mere myth. Even though Eliza was only able to snatch second-hand rumors at first, she was nonetheless deeply fascinated, and her personal studies took a decidedly occult bend. + |
| Elizabetha Grayson + | Born for royalty, Elizabetha grew up in a dream as reality. She found it terribly romantic to be a princess, a damsel, her favorite archetype in the stories she adored throughout childhood. This sparked an early romanticism, which she first expressed on canvas and stage. Innately an actress, she took to performance around age 5, when a Grayson dinner party was witness to an impromptu song and dance atop the table. Art, nevertheless, she names as her true calling. Her work won a plethora of contests, competitions, submissions throughout her years, her growth evinced in each flux of style. Eventually, her touch was lent to halls of marble and gilt. In adolescence, she maintained all that life and vibrancy, with a newfound curiosity that rooted itself in something beyond the typical: the study of alchemy. Her interest budded from a yearning to push the boundaries of painting, but progressed into a deep love of knowledge and academia. Her pursuits led her to experimentations, often safe enough, though she did pick up a few of the less acceptable practices-tattoo artistry a result. Moreover, she adapts the science into her art, the product either disastrous or ingenious. As she matured, Eliza began to note the world around her, the potential it held for her. A budding hunger for exploration drew her from her gardens and halls, to the place where all converge: the capital. Arx is her canvas and her stage, hers the next mark to sweep its expanse. + |
| Elloise Leary + | Even though she was born smack dab in the middle of several siblings, Elloise had no trouble standing out. From a young age, she was always a little .. quirky. In another family, that might have been rooted out by her tutors and governesses but her idiosyncrasies were nurtured by the curiosity-inclined Learys. Intellectually, she was running before before she could walk; Elly was an enthusiastic sponge: she wanted to learn EVERYTHING. Due to this, she quickly emerged as a dabbler -- she picked up a bit of this, she became somewhat skilled at that, she knew a tidbit of just about everything. She was always looking to the horizon for discoveries and developed a habit of taking a little bit from Knowledge Column A, mashing it together with some of Knowledge Column B, and standing back to watch what happened. Sometimes, it ended up being a disaster and she would burn her eyebrows off. But occasionally it worked out and she would discover something AMAZING and hey! What's a little temporary hair-singeing in the name of progress? Elloise was always up to something -- if it wasn't one of her experiments, then it was building elaborate inventions. They were usually unnecessarily complicated for the problem they were solving -- like an intricate mechanism of pulleys, levers and various moving parts just to crack a hard-boiled egg -- but always flawlessly engineered and beautifully built. Her parents were equal parts patient with and protective of her: they gave her space to learn and create but feared that she was rather too naive to be given much freedom in the larger world. As such, Elly had a rather controlled upbringing: she associated mostly with family and had few friends her own age. That all changed when she was 15. A distant relation -- a second cousin's uncle's niece's third-husband's nephew's cousin-in-law once removed something something something or other -- came to stay with them for a while. He was a Sanna and so exciting! He was a hunter! And an explorer! And he believed in spirits! He was around the same age as Elloise and very different from her but because they were both so passionate about their respective interests, they immediately hit it off. They would spend countless hours together -- she showing off all her inventions and experiments, him telling her all about his life up North. They became quite a pair, the two of them. He would go out and hunt ingredients for her; she would design better ways for him to do so (with varying degrees of success but heck, failure is its own sort of progress). It opened her eyes to a whole world of possibilities and made her yearn for more outside of her sheltered existence. When he left and returned home a year and a half later, she recruited her younger sister, Arcadia, to fill his role. A wide-eyed adventurer, Cady was more than happy to scamper off to chase after whatever Elly needed. Eeeeeexcellent. After years of begging (and staging meticulously planned presentations on why this would be a Very Good Thing which included points such as 'Joining The Scholars: A Journey Through Knowledge', 'Perfume or Poison: Finding Out at the Apothecary College', 'OUCH!: New Interrogation Devices for the Inquisitor On-the-Go' and 'Inventions for the Crown: The Dawn of Possibilities' -- what sort of inventions for the Crown? I don't know, mom. STUFF. THINGS. I will know when I invent them), Elloise convinced her parents to let her travel to Arx. This was allowed mostly because they trust Fairen to look out for and keep a handle on her. Hopefully. Dear gods, please: don't let her accidentally set her hair on fire again. + |
| Elloise Stormbreak + | Even though she was born smack dab in the middle of several siblings, Elloise had no trouble standing out. From a young age, she was always a little .. quirky. In another family, that might have been rooted out by her tutors and governesses but her idiosyncrasies were nurtured by the curiosity-inclined Learys. Intellectually, she was running before before she could walk; Elly was an enthusiastic sponge: she wanted to learn EVERYTHING. Due to this, she quickly emerged as a dabbler -- she picked up a bit of this, she became somewhat skilled at that, she knew a tidbit of just about everything. She was always looking to the horizon for discoveries and developed a habit of taking a little bit from Knowledge Column A, mashing it together with some of Knowledge Column B, and standing back to watch what happened. Sometimes, it ended up being a disaster and she would burn her eyebrows off. But occasionally it worked out and she would discover something AMAZING and hey! What's a little temporary hair-singeing in the name of progress? Elloise was always up to something -- if it wasn't one of her experiments, then it was building elaborate inventions. They were usually unnecessarily complicated for the problem they were solving -- like an intricate mechanism of pulleys, levers and various moving parts just to crack a hard-boiled egg -- but always flawlessly engineered and beautifully built. Her parents were equal parts patient with and protective of her: they gave her space to learn and create but feared that she was rather too naive to be given much freedom in the larger world. As such, Elly had a rather controlled upbringing: she associated mostly with family and had few friends her own age. That all changed when she was 15. A distant relation -- a second cousin's uncle's niece's third-husband's nephew's cousin-in-law once removed something something something or other -- came to stay with them for a while. He was a Sanna and so exciting! He was a hunter! And an explorer! And he believed in spirits! He was around the same age as Elloise and very different from her but because they were both so passionate about their respective interests, they immediately hit it off. They would spend countless hours together -- she showing off all her inventions and experiments, him telling her all about his life up North. They became quite a pair, the two of them. He would go out and hunt ingredients for her; she would design better ways for him to do so (with varying degrees of success but heck, failure is its own sort of progress). It opened her eyes to a whole world of possibilities and made her yearn for more outside of her sheltered existence. When he left and returned home a year and a half later, she recruited her younger sister, Arcadia, to fill his role. A wide-eyed adventurer, Cady was more than happy to scamper off to chase after whatever Elly needed. Eeeeeexcellent. After years of begging (and staging meticulously planned presentations on why this would be a Very Good Thing which included points such as 'Joining The Scholars: A Journey Through Knowledge', 'Perfume or Poison: Finding Out at the Apothecary College', 'OUCH!: New Interrogation Devices for the Inquisitor On-the-Go' and 'Inventions for the Crown: The Dawn of Possibilities' -- what sort of inventions for the Crown? I don't know, mom. STUFF. THINGS. I will know when I invent them), Elloise convinced her parents to let her travel to Arx. This was allowed mostly because they trust Fairen to look out for and keep a handle on her. Hopefully. Dear gods, please: don't let her accidentally set her hair on fire again. + |
| Elonso Pravus + | As a clever, quiet child, Elonso learned the value of patience young. A confidante is not really something that exists within the watchful walls of House Pravus, but a co-schemer and willing tool? That is what Elonso became for Belladonna at a very young age. While their father's compassion and weakness slowly eroded the legacy of House Pravus in Setarco, Belladonna was not content to sit idly by and watch her birthright sink into the sea, and neither was Elonso, as her shadow. He had innocent eyes and good ears, and he was small and slight, clever enough to fit into small places, and his coloring was inobtrusive enough to make him not above playacting and pretending to be less than the son of a duke. Elonso learned the dangers of kindheartedness. He learned the dangers of a loose tongue. He learned the hazards of ambition overweening caution. He learned all this watching the mistakes of his father's vassals as his sister schemed, arranged, and reforged power that might have been lost. As a young adult, with his sister serene in her new post, Elonso thrived under the mantle of her authority, spreading his artistic talents, focusing on his religious pursuits as a mirrormask, and learning to apply himself for the power of House Pravus in subtle, interesting ways. It might be that in another life he would have been an actor (or a bartender). But in this one, Elonso was born to be a politician. + |
| Elora Ravenseye + | The fourth, and youngest child in her family, Elora was given a little more free reign than her brothers and sisters. She was spoiled in warmth, love, and safety. Growing up in on the family farm, she learned some of the tools of the trade, but they quickly discovered that she had a way with the animals, spending most of her time working alongside them. There was never much responsibility placed upon the young girl's shoulders, but even so, she was taught the value of hard work and the important of family. Thanks to the lack of responsibilities, Elora was able to focus on the things that she loved; Animals and healing. Given the chance, the girl will spend her time in the forest with the animals over a court full of people. With pressure from her family having become nobles, she has been looking to grow more involved, using her animal handling skills and medical knowledge in order to try to find work at the kennels. She hopes to prove herself worthy and make her family proud. + |
| Elora Whitehawk + | The fourth, and youngest child in her family, Elora was given a little more free reign than her brothers and sisters. She was spoiled in warmth, love, and safety. Growing up in on the family farm, she learned some of the tools of the trade, but they quickly discovered that she had a way with the animals, spending most of her time working alongside them. There was never much responsibility placed upon the young girl's shoulders, but even so, she was taught the value of hard work and the important of family. Thanks to the lack of responsibilities, Elora was able to focus on the things that she loved; Animals and healing. Given the chance, the girl will spend her time in the forest with the animals over a court full of people. With pressure from her family having become nobles, she has been looking to grow more involved, using her animal handling skills and medical knowledge in order to try to find work at the kennels. She hopes to prove herself worthy and make her family proud. + |
| Elpenor Ru-Taul + | Elpenor was born to a couple of Thralls in service of Redreef. He had earned his freedom and joined up with a crew of pirates quickly earning their trust and friendship through his good humour and hard working attitude. He is fiercely loyal to his crew and was even appointed to be the ship's quartermaster. After some time as quartermaster the ship received letters of marque making them privateers and also the crew given pardons for any and all past actions. + |
| Elrych Holzfahller + | Elrych was second born to house Holzfahller, the head family belonging to a small nomadic clan of woodsmen and warriors who wandered the Oathlands. His people were superstitious and weary of outsiders though still retainers to the House of Lyonesse. Long ago the Lyonesse were in battle with one of the other five Great Houses. Elrych's people were sought for removal and genocide. The Lyonesse helped them fight off their would be conquerors and as thanks and tribute, all non-heirs were to serve the Lyonesse and report to Lyon's Redoubt to train as Knights and Warriors and serve in the Oathlands armies under their Liege's command. Elrych spent his first 12 years learning the ways of his people, as was customary. He was expected to make his family proud when he went off to Lyon's Redoubt as generations did before him. His previous experience allowed him to excel among the other students rousing admiration and respect in some, and Disdain from those with more privileged backgrounds. Regardless of how many fights he got in, he was able to overcome and make the best of the situation. He was offered leadership positions in his units all throughout his squiring. Finally graduating, he was assinged to a detatchment and marched around the Oathlands with the Army. Making his way up the ranks and gaining experience in combat and leadership. Now, upon his 26 years--he is a veteran Knight loyal to the Lyonesse, wise with years of combat and ready to take on the challenges presented to him by his Liege. + |
| Elsa Shepherd + | Elsa began life as a Laurent, a cousin to the Duke, but far enough removed from the line of succession that she could largely do as she please. Provided she attended to her lessons as any proper Oathlands lady should, of course. Which gave her free reign to ride her horse across the fields of Artshall and plan hunting trips to the woods around Acorn Hill and what is now Duskshire. Her youth was very nearly idyllic, so far as Elsa was concerned. It was a shame adulthood had to go and ruin it. Her father arranged a match for her with a perfectly pleasant, if bland, young man from the Shepherd duchy... in the Crownlands. While she really had no interest in marriage or in leaving her home, she would never in a millenia dare to go against her responsibilities as a noblewoman. Her adult life was largely filled with gatherings, parties, the duties of a wife and soon enough, a mother. But she never quite lost that love of the wilds, of a fast horse or a good hound, of a falcon sent skyward. She merely shifted her focus, turning towards the breeding and training of the Shepherd duchy's stock. As her children grew, so did her freedom and Elsa found herself once more able to slip away to ride and hunt. The woods were farther away this time, limiting her trips to once or twice a year. But it was during one of those that her husband, having come along, suffered a fatal accident. A sudden attack by a wild boar left their horses startled. Elsa's mastery of her mount allowed her to retain her seat, but her husband fell from his stallion as the fierce beast reared and stomped at the boar, snapping his neck instantly. After the funeral, Elsa and her children stayed close to home, and while she helped to train the Shepherd troops in how to handle their mounts in battle, she never went into battle herself. The Silent Wars largely passed her by, though after, she did decide to bring her children to Arx to help round out their education, and bring herself closer towards the Gray Woods and the Lodge of Petrichor just outside the city. When the Gyre War came around, once again, Elsa helped to train Shepherd troops, but stayed home and ran fundraisers to help cover costs. When the Lodge was attacked, Elsa finally said enough was enough and joined the ranks of the archers helping to defend the Lodge. She took some hits, garnered a few scars, but came out the other side still breathing. + |
| Elsbetta Farshaw + | Elsbetta Farshaw is the younger sister of Duke Ryhalt Farshaw, a Lady of Westrock Reach. She serves as the duchy's Minister of Morale. From an early age she was an optimistic child; bright and cheerful. Happy in all of the things that she did. However, as she grew and she began observing the world around her she began to understand the darker side of life. Before her uncle Warwick Farshaw died and her brother inherited the Duchy, she was witness to an uprising against one of their vassal houses. A local Baron had been mismanaging Barony, and had been acting somewhat tyrannical. Her uncleHer uncle felt that it was properly the duty of the Count the Baron was sworn to, and so did not intervene until there was a mass revolt and the Baron was killed by an angry mob. This left a lasting impression on her young self, convincing her of the importance of keeping up the morale and trust of the people. When she was old enough she began to work with the new Baron and the people of that Barony to build trust back up in the nobility. It was this work that let her to petition the King for a place in the Observers. It is also this work that has lead her to be the Minister of Morale for Westrock Reach. She knows very much the cost of low morale and distrust of the people for the nobility, and she does everything in her power to prevent this lost of trust. + |
| Elyid Acheron + | As a boy, Lord Elyid was sent to populate House Acheron as another ward of his cousin Mydas. Following the revelation of his caretaker's princely status, it was decided that Elyid would remain at the Glacial Fortress for stability's sake rather than return to Stonedeep. Despite not being much older than him at all, Marquessa Rhea came to be Elyid's legal guardian until he came of age. It was, according to Elyid, the longest three and a quarter months of his entire life. Despite no sibling or parent bothering to share a similar claim, Elyid enjoys anecdotally touting out dramatized rumors of his familial relation to the fallen House Aviaron. While it could be argued that ANYONE with Nightgold blood could make such statements regarding Aron Nightgold's fallen line, nobody's ever bothered to contradict Elyid on his insinuated exclusivity. Oh, it's never the same! Sometimes he's a third cousin and sometimes, he's a second cousin once removed. The important thing to remember is that Rhea's got his total support. She's, uh, like a mother to him! With the construction of the Whisper Palace of Aviaron's Peak, Elyid has taken full advantage of his family's position. He's among the first crop of Northerners to receive an education in refinement, beautification, and diplomacy there. Instructed to glide on the palace's gilded ballroom floor and to entertain beneath the music conservatory's canopy of hand-painted nightingales, the courtier-in-training now travels leisurely back and forth between the picturesque Crimson Peaks and Arx, where reside many of his kin and the legendary Whisper motherhouse. + |
| Elyse Crown + | Elyse was born pretty poor, her father worked in a stable in the Lyceum and her mother had died when she was fairly young. It was a day to day struggle to get by, and Elyse fell in with a bad crowd fairly quickly, one that she honestly really never moved away from. There was two problems with this. Elyse felt she was too smart, and too clever, to waste her life away clawing and digging for even enough to survive. And two, well, two and one are really one in the same. Because of that, she joined up with the Valorous Few as soon as she was able to. Glory, money, adventure? It was the best options that she saw for the direction she wanted her life to go in. She cut her teeth on the jobs they had in the Lyceum, and then left with them when they moved on to different jobs. She started saving her money, determined to never be poor again. Admittedly, after Audric moved up to the Captain-General, she's gotten a little more free with her spending. But even still, she's fairly close-fisted with her money. + |
| Elysio Forza + | The heirloom weapon of Iriscal is not a sword, it's a hairpin. Diminutive and ornate, it represents yet one more granule of salt on an ancient wound. House Tessere's betters long ago saw fit to melt down that once-proud object, halving it and halving it again. Fitting that the young man who now wields it is as much a courtier as he is a knight. It's as if to say, 'What threat anymore are we who entrust our honor to one who favors beauty over bloodshed?' Dressage darling of Forte Carizzo, Lord Elysio Forza was summering at the finishing school of his childhood when word came of the attainder suffered by his head of house. In its broad strokes, the condemnation touched even him and he soon found himself a young Lord no more. It was the late Lucrezia Tessere, wife of Elysio's paternal uncle, who took the boy underwing. House Tessere was good to him. In exchange, Elysio endeavored to be a most steadfast servant and protector. Following the sudden demise of his long-time patron, Elysio has as much reason as anybody to seek answers. + |
| Emara Grayhope + | Emara's life started in the Lower Boroughs, the daughter of a Grayhope and a woman she knows very little about except she had a brief relationship with a married man and left her newborn daughter in his care before skipping town for parts unknown. For all that rough beginning, her childhood was a happy one since her father and his wife accepted her into their family without a qualm and raised her alongside their own daughter, Tanith, born only thirteen days after she was. Growing up in the Lowers meant that Emara had to learn to think fast, especially since she developed a smart mouth along with a quick mind. While she never really learned to avoid revealing her observations to the world, especially the less pleasant ones, she did learn how to fight and how to run. In order to keep out of trouble, much of Emara's early life was spent in the family garden, particularly once she showed evidence of a talent for getting things to grow. As she grew older, her skills in the garden were coupled with training as an apothecary and an ambition to become the foremost perfumier in the Compact. That ambition meant traveling to various locales in search of rare scents and flowers to add to her intoxicating concoctions. With her rarified sense of smell, she never lingers around cities for long since she finds them a little unbearable, but for her family, she makes exceptions. + |
| Ember Redleaf + | Born as the twin sister to Marina Redleaf, Ember Redreef endured the prejudice that left her and her sister treated like property by her father. She fought long and hard against the cage she was forced into, both in the social and martial worlds, spending a great deal of time outside the Mourning Isles learning the sword before finally returning after Thrax changed the law to allow women to hold lands and titles. Despite her small stature, Ember quickly grew a reputation as a frightening woman to spar against, having gravely wounded men who underestimated her without even a hint of remorse. Eventually, she and her sister found themselves as sailors on a ship, where they got their taste for adventure, working as an unparalleled team. + |
| Ember Redreef + | Ember and Marina were born twins, daughtering a father who needed someone to inherit. The politics of the question were always a struggle, and it was always his plan to marry in men for the twins and ensure the continuation of the bloodline. Still, his legacy was very important to him, and both his daughters were aggressively competent, defying convention to learn to fight as well as administrate land. When her father died, he was still daughtered, and although Ember was not the rightful heir under the law of the land, she held the land by virtue of the loyalty of her father’s men, and through political sway and fierce intensity managed to have herself declared ‘regent’ for her father’s spendthrift brother. She held the barony by the skin of her teeth, defeating two duellists on her uncle’s behalf who challenged her claim, and under her iron grip Redreef thrived. While her sister captained the first ship of the Redreef fleet with skill and verve to fight off all comers, Ember held her ground and held the land. When the law of the land changed and women were deemed eligible to inherit land under the Mourning Isles, hers was the first suit — by blood and by the choice of the Baron — in the Court of the Mourning Isles to confirm her claim. The case was settled in a publicly vaunted occasion for trial by combat, and Ember personally defeated her uncle’s chosen champion in a fight to the death, against all odds. Her uncle yielded and retired in ignominy, while Ember solidifed her rule and developed her reputation crushing revolts against her authority with an even-handed fist and the aid of her sister as her strong right arm. + |
| Emberly Crovane + | Youngest daughter of Emmeline Farshaw and Jacques Blanchard, Emberly showed a passion for the sea at an early age, though she was called back to land before she became lost to it. She was off sailing ever chance she could between lessons in ediquette. Emberly loves music and the art of subtility, she was keen to study under Marquessa Sunniva Harthall and her husband Marquis Orvyn Harthall. Here she has learned more about her passion for alchemy and intrigue. She is close to her brother Alban and talks to him often, this shy youth is still coming into herself. + |
| Emberly Crown + | Youngest daughter of Emmeline Farshaw and Jacques Blanchard, Emberly showed a passion for the sea at an early age, though she was called back to land before she became lost to it. She was off sailing ever chance she could between lessons in ediquette. Emberly loves music and the art of subtility, she was keen to study under Marquessa Sunniva Harthall and her husband Marquis Orvyn Harthall. Here she has learned more about her passion for alchemy and intrigue. She is close to her brother Alban and talks to him often, this shy youth is still coming into herself. + |
| Emberly Farshaw + | Youngest daughter of Emmeline Farshaw and Jacques Blanchard, Emberly showed a passion for the sea at an early age, though she was called back to land before she became lost to it. She was off sailing ever chance she could between lessons in ediquette. Emberly loves music and the art of subtility, she was keen to study under Marquessa Sunniva Harthall and her husband Marquis Orvyn Harthall. Here she has learned more about her passion for alchemy and intrigue. She is close to her brother Alban and talks to him often, this shy youth is still coming into herself. + |
| Emele Greenblood + | Emele Greenblood is a young prodigal woman of the Greenblood family. She and her twin brother, Eshken, were not even teenagers when their tribe was torn in two and her parents-- rebels --left to join house Riven and bend knee to Grayson. Her parents took the two young twins with them when they went. She remembers tribal life but feels that life with Riven fits her better. As the daughter of a Tribe elder she felt stifled by responsibility. She was going to be raised to hold some sort of power, like her older cousin Esoka-- but she just didn't /feel right/. She would have rather been out picking flowers, carving things, or playing in streams. As she grew up in Twainfort she was introduced to paintings, and she realized what she had been missing her short life. She took to painting like a fish to water, and saw potential in other materials, as well. Her twin, Eshken, is her rock and her anchor. When she started getting older he urged her to take on a creative profession that would also earn her money, so at eighteen she became an apprentice smith, specializing in armor. Since then she has only improved her smithing, until she was acknowledged a Master Armorsmith by the Crafter's Guild. She far prefers working on armor, finding the intricacies and the potential for self-expression much more appealing than other forms of metalworking, though weapons and jewelry are also tempting. When she can get away with it she adds a fantastical bent to her armor creations. Wings, feathers, beautiful etchings. Emele couldn't think of a world where she was not close to her brother and her niece-- Elia --so when he joined Whitehawk she went as well, offering her services as a smith to Baron Whitehawk. With her own shop in Arx and full membership of the Crafter's Guild, she's very much an asset to the Whitehawks, and she knows it. + |
| Emeline Smith + | Emeline is a criminal, plain and simple. She was born to a single mother who was an apothecary. While growing up in the lower boroughs she got in with the wrong crowd when she wasn't learning from her mother how to make perfumes and poisons. As she grew older she honed her skills in making poisons, deciding they would be quite handy should the need ever arise. Now in Arx she is trying to see who just so happens to be the criminal king pin. + |
| Emeric Redrain + | Life for Emeric has been an average one for a man of his upbringing. He was given the appropriate education and was taught the way of life he should be. Emeric, however, rarely puts his education and upraising to good use. Instead, he spends all his time having a good time and seeing what trouble he can cause. After all, what is the point of being born 'important' if one spends all their time working hard. He has two siblings, Nalea and Nathaniel, twins and his parents have passed on. + |
| Emery Ojitfor + | A young woman of new Imperial province Tongdjiyi, purportedly half-elven, if not, in fact, a byblow of the Horned Traitor. Haunted by abyssal whispers encouraging her to let go of her name and her loyalties to her people, she accepted a writ of the Undying Empire. She is grateful for the protection, and the silence in her mind. She travels the province and beyond, searching for other of half-elven blood who might be vulnerable to the influence of the Abyss. She's also training to be an adept. Word is. + |
| Emilia Godsworn + | They say that at a very young age of 14, Emilia, bruised and dirty, wandered onto the fields of battle against an Abandoned wartribe, hoisting an old war banner. As she did so, a single ray of sunlight pierced the overcast sky, and illuminated the golden and blue banner, and the soldiers took this as an omen from Gloria, that their battle would go favorably; and indeed, so it did. Emilia's story, of course, did not begin here, but more importantly, neither did it end. After the battle, Emilia approached a Knight of Solace, and asked him to escort her on a pilgrimage that will lead her all across of Arvum, and then to Arx. She warned the Knight of Solace that on this journey he will die. The Knight of Solace, nevertheless, agreed, even though he believed that the warning was true. Almost two years later, Emilia arrived at Arx, alone, the grieving bearer of tragic news about the Knight's demise to the Grandmaster of the Knights of Solace. She did not speak much of her journey, except that she tried her hardest to take the Knight's place- but he would have none of it, and defended her from the Abandoned until his last breath. Shortly after, refusing the hospitality or the company of the Knights of Solace, Emilia once more went to Pilgrim, insisting that she must go alone. Years have passed, and only rumors, for those interested in her whereabouts, existed of her deeds. She had pilgrimed the lands, giving away much of her wealth that she earned during her travels-- she was often seen at the sites of battle, as if uncannily guided there, inspiring the righteous to fight on and to struggle, and when the battle was over, she was gone. Knowing only her appearance, but not identity, had inspired a small folktale by itself, and she came to be referred to simply as the 'Paragon of Gloria'. A few years later, she was at the Siege, in the mien of a renown Godsworn Templar Knight fearlessly charging under the banners of her own unit-- the Strifebearers-- and breaking into the ranks of the Silent Army. Finally, heeding the summons, she relocated to Arx. + |
| Emilia de Lys + | They say that at a very young age of 14, Emilia, bruised and dirty, wandered onto the fields of battle against an Abandoned wartribe, hoisting an old war banner. As she did so, a single ray of sunlight pierced the overcast sky, and illuminated the golden and blue banner, and the soldiers took this as an omen from Gloria, that their battle would go favorably; and indeed, so it did. Emilia's story, of course, did not begin here, but more importantly, neither did it end. After the battle, Emilia approached a Knight of Solace, and asked him to escort her on a pilgrimage that will lead her all across of Arvum, and then to Arx. She warned the Knight of Solace that on this journey he will die. The Knight of Solace, nevertheless, agreed, even though he believed that the warning was true. Almost two years later, Emilia arrived at Arx, alone, the grieving bearer of tragic news about the Knight's demise to the Grandmaster of the Knights of Solace. She did not speak much of her journey, except that she tried her hardest to take the Knight's place- but he would have none of it, and defended her from the Abandoned until his last breath. Shortly after, refusing the hospitality or the company of the Knights of Solace, Emilia once more went to Pilgrim, insisting that she must go alone. Years have passed, and only rumors, for those interested in her whereabouts, existed of her deeds. She had pilgrimed the lands, giving away much of her wealth that she earned during her travels-- she was often seen at the sites of battle, as if uncannily guided there, inspiring the righteous to fight on and to struggle, and when the battle was over, she was gone. Knowing only her appearance, but not identity, had inspired a small folktale by itself, and she came to be referred to simply as the 'Paragon of Gloria'. A few years later, she was at the Siege, in the mien of a renown Godsworn Templar Knight fearlessly charging under the banners of her own unit-- the Strifebearers-- and breaking into the ranks of the Silent Army. Finally, heeding the summons, she relocated to Arx. + |
| Emily Deepwood + | Her mother's father was a Deepwood, first cousin to the main Deepwood lineage, who married into the Grayridge family two generations ago. The Grayridge holdings were so far from the seat of Deepwood that neither Emily nor her mother ever went on Deepwood lands, but even so she knows that's her heritage. "Be as serene as the deepest wood," her mother told her often, and she tried to take that to heart as she explored the woods in the Barony of Grayridge. But she always wanted to be more than the daughter of a minor noble, destined for obscurity and trying desperately to resign herself to that fact. And then Samantha Deepwood came to Arx and was recognized as a noble there - and Emily knew this was her moment. This was her moment to come to Arx and claim her ties with the Deepwood family. She could be something here, and she could be more important than a minor noble in the middle of nowhere, marrying and living her life without ever traveling, or adventuring, or seeing anything new. And so she came, and now she's here with a wanderlust and a curiosity about life and everything to do with Arx. She's ready to make her name as Lady Emily Deepwood. She's ready to take her place among the rangers of the Deepwood that Rymarr has so painstakingly trained. She's ready to stand against ancient threats and current enemies alike. She'll be brave, and bold, and forge right on in to this new place and family. And nothing's going to stand in her way. + |
| Emlyn Blackram + | Raised in the Northlands largely, Emlyn was born to a Northern baroness and a Blackram lord. He was the runt of the litter in his family, so to speak, and he never grew as strapping or muscular as his brothers - let alone his sisters. All in all, that never stopped him from running and playing hide and seek. Some reckoned he was the best as it. It was his love of finding places to hide, as well as his mother's encouragement to explore the wild that led to his career as a scout. What led to his career as a scholar was growing ill one winter - a winter that he nearly did not make it back from. He was close to being on the other side, and his mother proclaimed him touched by the Spirits. His father said that was poppycock (though not in front of his mother) and peppered the boy's recovery with books of every subject. Emlyn's desire to learn every nook and cranny of everything impressed his father. While his brothers and sisters were off fighting great battles, it was Emlyn who was scouting for them, assessing threats, studying enemy tactics and the wilderness around them, and calling upon the Spirits and Gods alike for their blessings and help. Emlyn has come to the city in hopes of rejoining his Blackram family and seeing about his societal debut; with most of his brothers and sisters married off, there is slight pressure from the family to do the same - though Emlyn is more curious about what knowledge and mysteries the city has to offer rather than the dating pool. + |
| Emma Valardin + | Emma was born in a line of heroes who seldom married outside the Valardin or Wyrmguard families, at least until Prince Sherrod Redrain and Prince Radley Valardin decided to marry her parents in an effort to ease the tensions between the Oathlands and the North. A full year of courtship later and Princess Larra Redrain married Prince Lyonis Valardin. Their story of duty and, some say, even love, saw the birth of three children and ended in the Sanctum decades later with the Tragedy. During her formative years Emma was touted as a bright star and hero-to-be within her household, and even though she excelled with a sword it was the people of the Oathlands who held her attention. Spending time among them she was close to their plight and while many wished she took her swordsmanship more seriously, it was in helping the downtrodden that Emma put much of her efforts, silently mustering the courage to declare to her parents a future among the Mercies of Lagoma. Her lofty moral standards and effortless grace had Emma clashing with her sisters often, all falling way too short of what Emma saw the Valardin should aspire to be. And then, the Tragedy hit. Unlike Gwenys and Damiana, she was not in Sanctum when it happened. Emma was far away delivering food and supplies to villages near Blancbier, and the guilt of not being with the Valardin in that moment completely changed Emma. Even though she immediately returned to Sanctum she did so to find Gwenys still missing and Damiana blinded, her parents dead and almost all the Valardin slain. At first she tried to stay true to herself, offer succor to the survivors, but searching deep in her heart Emma found nothing. She found herself empty of anything good, not a single word of wisdom to placate the despair of those around her. Everywhere she looked the Valardin were in pieces, and at the time, she felt completely hopeless they would ever return to former glory. Leaving Gwenys and Damiana she left Sanctum and rode to her family's home, unable to be around their suffering, unable to add anything but grief. Instead of hurting with them Emma had other plans. Those who knew Emma then and see her now are completely in shock. The woman who was once one of the most gifted singers of Sanctum, one of the most kind and warm Princesses of the Oathlands, and she has turned her gentle embrace into a furnace of righteous fire. Having abandoned the drapings of a healer, she rapidly ascended as a commander over the following years, her former training as a leader of war not forgotten, but left unused as she flirted with the life as a Mercy for so many years. All those who see the banner of her knights on the horizon know to hide their sins and failings for Dame Emma Valardin has sworn to be the cure to the disease the Mercies try to placate. + |
| Emmelline Harthall + | On the 22nd of October, Emmelline Harthall was born to Lord Edward Harthall, and Lady Jane Harthall. The baby of the family, Emmelline was given a good deal of attention by her parents. Sticking to family traditions, Emmelline learned to sew, cook, draw, and various other diversions to make her a well rounded noblewoman. Her easy temper, and amiable nature made it easy for Emmelline to befriend her governesses and tutors. She was encouraged to learn how to defend herself, but in the end, Emmelline's amiable nature made it rather difficult to learn. Eventually, she abandoned the attempt altogether, saying that it did not suit her in the least. + |
| Emmerly tyde + | Emmerly's memories of the days before the fall of Tyde are filled with shouted arguments between the father who died for the rebellion, and the mother who took her child away from it. Her mother found a couple fellow soldiers willing to sell their skills, and raised her child to follow in the same path. When she was a teen, her mother's small group merged into the Redwood mercenaries, and Emmerly joined at adulthood. After several years of competition and comparison with her mother, Emmerly accepted an invitation to join her old friend Ajax, jumping at the chance for a new start out of her mother's shadow. + |
| Emrys Whisper + | Emrys' arrival to the Whisper House is well documented. A young novice, arriving with the means to fulfil his education as a Whisper, and the talents to achieve it. His origins before that are less known, the man rarely speaks of it, and those in the know have either kept his confidence, or spoken only of fragments. Either commoners of high means, or low nobility, is the usual understanding. The man himself has never bothered correcting educated guesses, and besides, his rise to fame was always more interesting to follow than some nebulous origins. For indeed, Emrys' rise was spectacular. Finishing his education with the high regard of the current Radiant, he soon stole the hearts and minds of court. Ambitious, he rose to the highest heights, not just a star but the sun, shining bright without any rival to give him umbrage. In his twenties still, he took on the mantle of Radiant, and would keep it for a decade, till something peculiar happened. Having achieved his place in the heavens, now Emrys found fame... boring. The adoration of crowds left him indifferent, the countless requests for a companion from the highest of Peers, a chore. His interests had changed, and it was without regrets that he relinquished his title of Radiant at the earliest opportunity, choosing instead for himself the work of diplomat and teacher. It would be the path he followed for the next decades, working tirelessly to keep the peace and ensure the next generations of Whispers to enter the world stage prepared to face its challenges and bring honour and regard to the Whisper House. Now, as the world changes around him, the Whispers' patriarch must look not only to the preservation of th grandiose legacy left behind since the days of Alarice, but also to aid in ensuring that whatever future awaits the foremost courtiers of Arvum, that it lies under a bright, shining sun. + |
| Enid Frost + | Enid is not one to speak of herself often and so not much is known of the shaman's past beyond rumors that dance on the lips of the locals of Stormheart. Some say she was born of the sea and emerged from its depths on the guidance of a stormcrow. Others spin tales that she was raised by a feral pack of dire wolves in the high mountains surrounding Stormheart, driven to civilization out of hunger and a particularly harsh winter. The most broadly accepted version of her past is most mundane in its depiction of her life: a child of a nomadic tribe long lost to memory, its destruction founded at the blade's tip of a roving bandit group. Even so, Enid has stood as a beloved spiritual leader of her people for over a decade and a tie between the Stormheart of today and the traditions of its prior generations as house shaman for House Ravenseye. In that role, Enid decided it was time to expand beyond the known of Stormheart and learn what it truly means to be a part of the Compact so as to better assist her people and find the combining vein between the tenets of the Compact and the traditions she so fervently values. + |
| Ennettia Igniseri + | Growing up, Ennettia was overshadowed by her brilliant, talented older brother Karadoc-- and she loved him dearly for it. It removed all pressure from her to be outstanding. Sure, their parents encouraged her to apply herself, but in the end...everyone knew who the future of their Saik branch depended on. Instead, from an early age Ennettia knew precisely what she wanted from her place in the family: out of it. It wasn't that she had any problems with her family members. It's just that Ennettia longed for a more luxurious existence, and while she admired her family's ability to be satisfied and comfortable in their genteel poverty, she firmly decided such things were not for her. Of course her family did their best to instill good values into her... but she still insisted she was better off married to someone wealthy. And so in the midst of growing frustrations with their son's apathy towards his future, Ennettia was happily shipped off in marriage to Ilsoreno Igniseri, and moved to Granato. She had quite a comfortable, pleasant life, happily spending her husband's money and supervising the nannies raising their son. Until, unfortunately, the death of her husband in by opportunistic thieves threw a wrench in her plans to live the pleasant life of an elegant leech. Between the Arxian Siege, Ilsoreno's ill-organized records, and the lost of the Igniseri heirs in battle, Ennettia, with much lamentation, applied herself to making sure her husband's businesses did not fall. As the business recovered in the following years, Ennettia choose to relocate to Arx... and for whatever reason, also applies - and is accepted - into the forces of the Inquisition. This was as short-lived as her time in Arx, and she left a while later, back to her estate with her son. Only years later did she return, son in tow, back to Arx - apparently still on a whim. + |
| Enoch Grayson + | Prince Enoch Grayson was born as the second cousin to King Alaric Grayson IV and cousin to Princess Lark Grayson. As he grew up, he appeared to take a significant respect to the Gods of the Pantheon. While not much is known from how he was raised aside that he had been training to be a knight since a very young age, what is known is that despite his class in life, he //loves// the people, down to the lowest commoner. He often hung around the Lower Boroughs as a result. However, despite a promising life of a noble, he saw that in these troubling times, the pawns must protect the king and queen, much akin to a game of chess. Thus did he focus the majority of his life to his knighthood. Eventually, due to his skill and loyalty, despite his young age, he was given an offer to join the King's Own, the personal and elite guard of the King himself. The highest honor a knight could achieve. Thus, despite his royal bloodline, Enoch gave up his rights of nobility and joined the King's Own, where he walks this road to wherever that road will take him. + |
| Enri Jaeggere + | Enri was groomed to be a knight from a young age, as part of a family of knights serving the Cliffmore scions. This filled the young man with a sense of duty for the family and his fealty as a whole, while hoping that he would someday get to see a larger fraction of the world. As a squire, he proceeded to devour all pieces of knowledge that reached his hands, which led him to study more about the 'mad mage of the North.' Immediately identifying himself with the legendary god, Enri was fascinated by the philosophy of freedom of choice and allowing others to live their lives as they pleased. However, his experiences as a squire during the Silent War shaped the man so that he understood that true freedom would only be achieved when the enemies of the Compact are utterly defeated. As such, there's a desire in him to know the truth about the world and why so many seek to destroy the Compact. After the war, he joined what was left of the Cliffmore family to serve under the Acheron banner, eventually moving with the family to Arx, where he hopes he can keep them safe. That should also give him a chance to learn more about the world and perhaps find others with a similar mentality. + |
| Entropoly Ulbran + | They were born to social trash and grew old among poverty and strife. Their parents were without remorse in their sloven care of their child, and the world around that bubble of family did not care for what happened within it. Food was scarce and often ill prepared if prepared at all, and absentee caretakers would likely have been an improvement from the illusion of care that she must have received. From such foul ground grew an equally foul woman, remorseless for her own acts in what was likely a false sense of entitlement and revenge to a world that had provided little care back. Money has changed hands for acts of violence and vandalism before to keep this woman's life going. + |
| Enya Blackram + | An old commoner focused primarily on shamanism and mystical assistance, Enya was adopted into House Blackram as a mystical advisor after giving spiritual council to a member. + |
| Enyo De Lire + | Growing up as a single child inbetween two sets of twins was not ideal, especially considering that both her parents were dead in two different kinds of tragedies, leaving her older siblings and the rest of the family to pick up the slack. Growing up she had moments of not feeling like she belonged, that somehow she was the oddity in the family, but instead of letting that turn her bitter and angry, it made her work harder to fit in. For years she did her very best to be just like her siblings, her cousins, aunts and uncles, everyone that she could she would go out of her way to emulate her family. She learned to fight, she sharpened her mind and her body. As she grew older, however, she realized that being like everyone else (as she saw it in her head) wasn't going to make her fit in any more with the family. She was never not part of it, afterall, it was just her childhood impression of things. So she began to decide on who she was, who she wanted herself to be. There were plenty of aspects of people she had emulated that she loved, such as being active, reading, and getting into as much mischief as she could. But she had to do it her own way, to be true to who she was herself. Due to this, after fulfilling her duties to the family in service to the military she decided that she wanted to see the rest of the Lyceum, then after that she decided she wanted to see the rest of the islands that she could reach, then the mainland. Every time she went somewhere new, there was just one more new place to go after that. Eventually, though, she realized that she needed to come back home to the family and do more than just wandering around on her own. + |
| Enyo Gilden + | Growing up as a single child inbetween two sets of twins was not ideal, especially considering that both her parents were dead in two different kinds of tragedies, leaving her older siblings and the rest of the family to pick up the slack. Growing up she had moments of not feeling like she belonged, that somehow she was the oddity in the family, but instead of letting that turn her bitter and angry, it made her work harder to fit in. For years she did her very best to be just like her siblings, her cousins, aunts and uncles, everyone that she could she would go out of her way to emulate her family. She learned to fight, she sharpened her mind and her body. As she grew older, however, she realized that being like everyone else (as she saw it in her head) wasn't going to make her fit in any more with the family. She was never not part of it, afterall, it was just her childhood impression of things. So she began to decide on who she was, who she wanted herself to be. There were plenty of aspects of people she had emulated that she loved, such as being active, reading, and getting into as much mischief as she could. But she had to do it her own way, to be true to who she was herself. Due to this, after fulfilling her duties to the family in service to the military she decided that she wanted to see the rest of the Lyceum, then after that she decided she wanted to see the rest of the islands that she could reach, then the mainland. Every time she went somewhere new, there was just one more new place to go after that. Eventually, though, she realized that she needed to come back home to the family and do more than just wandering around on her own. + |
| Enyo Malvici + | Growing up as a single child inbetween two sets of twins was not ideal, especially considering that both her parents were dead in two different kinds of tragedies, leaving her older siblings and the rest of the family to pick up the slack. Growing up she had moments of not feeling like she belonged, that somehow she was the oddity in the family, but instead of letting that turn her bitter and angry, it made her work harder to fit in. For years she did her very best to be just like her siblings, her cousins, aunts and uncles, everyone that she could she would go out of her way to emulate her family. She learned to fight, she sharpened her mind and her body. As she grew older, however, she realized that being like everyone else (as she saw it in her head) wasn't going to make her fit in any more with the family. She was never not part of it, afterall, it was just her childhood impression of things. So she began to decide on who she was, who she wanted herself to be. There were plenty of aspects of people she had emulated that she loved, such as being active, reading, and getting into as much mischief as she could. But she had to do it her own way, to be true to who she was herself. Due to this, after fulfilling her duties to the family in service to the military she decided that she wanted to see the rest of the Lyceum, then after that she decided she wanted to see the rest of the islands that she could reach, then the mainland. Every time she went somewhere new, there was just one more new place to go after that. Eventually, though, she realized that she needed to come back home to the family and do more than just wandering around on her own. + |
| Eos Saik + | Eos' childhood was nothing out of the ordinary for a boy born to a noble house. He was raised alongside his younger sister Kima, five years his junior. As children, they were very close and competative with each other. When it came to the likes of sparring, he frequently had the advantage and he never let her win, insisting that the men in the world would always be bigger, and that they would not let her win either. As they grew older, approaching adulthood and responsibility began to invade their happy little life to pull their closely twined paths apart. It began when Eos first set off to begin his formal training as a knight, something he proved to have a natural talent and zeal for. It continued later when Eos was informed by his parents at the age of twenty that he needed to marry. He had some say as to whom he found the most agreeable of a small number of young noble women, but it ultimately came down to which was the most likely to help improve the Saik family status and coffers. Still, Eos sought counsel with his younger sister before making that final choice, trusting her judgement despite her years when she agreed his choice, a woman by the name of Rosalynn, would be good for him. Who knew him better than Kima? In a stroke of favor from the gods, he found genuine happiness with his wife, and in short time, a true love. In the two years to follow, he kept his fights close to home, never gone for more than a few weeks at a time with the small company of fighters from his father's lands that rode with him. His son, named Vomas, would be born when Eos was twenty-two, and everything flipped on its head. Rosalynn struggled with the birth of their child, and very nearly bled out. The physicians were able to save her, but her health never did fully recover. A deep depression took her that neither husband or child could lift. The toll of her worsening health, mental and physical, became more than the woman could bare. While Eos was away on another small campaign, before the first birthday of their son, she simply walked off a tower in the dead of night. Losing his wife broke something in the young man, and the man he is today began to form then. He left his son in the care of his family, a nanny, and a tutor, and threw himself even more fervently into any battle or fight he could find. He had always been a fearless combatant, but he became an eager one as well, developing a fierce bloodlust that gave rise to unsettling rumors of the man taking slices of fallen enemies' flesh to eat or collecting their teeth as trophies. His visits home, however strongly he loves his son, now ten years of age, and his sister, the two things which might anchor him to a less blood soaked life, stretched further between while he sought to find an answer to his pain in the visceral world of war. It was not something that could rage forever, however. In the ten years since, his years and experiences have finally started to see him to something resembling stability again. He returned home to assume the responsibilities to House and kin that had been set to the wayside while he found his way back to himself, only to find those responsibilities sending him to Arx.. + |
| Ephraim Mercier + | Ephraim came as an unexpected suprise to his parents. His mother was betrothed to the son of a wealthy Lycene merchant and certainly was not supposed to be involved with his father, but one thing led to another and their affair was eventually discovered. The impending nuptials were called off amid the small scale scandal, but to recompensate for the botched business deal the Mercier family agreed to a marriage contract instead. He arrived a few scant months later to bring panic and terror to the young and unprepared couple. Young Ephraim was a handful growing up. He was far too clever for his own good and routinely tested the boundaries of what he could get away with. Initially his flustered parents didn't know what to do and often handed him off to the servants to care for, but three more children followed and they gradually adjusted to parenthood and attempted to reign him in. Intense arguments were common between them, and when Ephraim was thirteen he was kicked out of the home for cutting his sister's long braid as a malicious prank. He spent a few days learning how to survive on his own, and while he was allowed to return, the wanderlust bug had already bitten. As his teenage years dragged on, Ephraim spent an increasing amount of time away from home, and befriended the hunters who frequently travelled through the wooded areas around Clemenstone. He began to accompany them. The time in the woods provided him with something more than useful skills - it provided him with freedom and solace. He had a natural talent for archery even as a boy and as he grew in years and practice that talent was honed. When he became an adult, he promptly left home for good to pursue new horizons and expand his knowledge of the world. The last several years were one adventure after the next, until he ended up in Arx with the city in unrest and not a silver to his name. When inquired upon, he's rather vague with the details... + |
| Ephrath Drake + | When she was but a small girl, Ephrath didn't speak. Her parents, thinking her simple, sent her off to the village smithy where she would at least be useful in assisting around the shop. Whether it was the older man's gentle ways or Ephrath's interest in his work, she eventually began to speak to and with him. After some time, he took her on as an apprentice rather than simply someone tending to cleaning the shop and around the forge. While Ephrath did take to the basics of forging, it was the smaller things she found skill at. When people would bring jewelry to be repaired, it was often Ephrath who did the work (even if none but the smith himself knew). She had a knack for it, particularly under his tutelage. When he passed away, another came to take over his shop and assumed the girl came with it. They had no time nor care for her 'playing' at the forge nor the pets (snakes, mostly) that she kept. Ephrath lost her voice again. When the new smith turned out to be an abusive taskmaster besides, Ephrath simply left. She was not beholden to him in any way: it was a job. And she felt herself skilled enough to find a job anywhere. 'Anywhere' turned out to be more difficult than she initially thought: most towns, villages, and even ships in the Isles having no need (or want) for her. So she turned her attention to Arx, opting to take the risk so many have before her. + |
| Erasmus Tyde + | Lord Erasmus Tyde was a legend. In his youth, the dashing captain and brother of Duke Victor Tyde was as respected through the Mourning Isles for his great talent as a sailor as he was for his honorable devotion to his family. Hardened in a decade of battles, he became most famous for bravely leading Tyde and Thrax forces into battle against the Pirate King Cordereon, serving as the overall commander for highlord Drake Thrax and Duke Victor Tyde at the Battle of Gray Ice Point. He distinguished himself well enough, but it was his actions after that made many of the hardened reavers take notice. It is said that Erasmus personally met with every family of every fallen Islander to relay his condolences privately, all because of a casual, offhand promise he made to deliver news to families if the worst should happen, and he was a man of his word. From then and half a hundred times since then, he showed his devotion to those that served under him. A devotee of Limerance, when he gave his word, it was certain. Well regarded throughout the Isles, he helped teach the young heir to Maelstrom, Prince Donrai Thrax, how to sail, though the lessons came to an end after Lord Erasmus respectfully disagreed with Donrai's callous treatment of commoners serving under them. "Nobles have their ranks and privileges due to our duty to serve our people," Erasmus had said to the young prince, and an argument with the heir apparent of the Mourning Isles left the two not on speaking terms. Not long after their quarrel, Lord Erasmus Tyde volunteered to lead an expedition into the Darkwater Deeps to attempt to rescue a galley of Tyde commoners who were blown off course by a storm and thought to have ventured into it by accident. He promised he would return, and the devotee of Limerance always had kept his word. Decades later, sailing out of the Darkwater Deeps, a man claiming to be the same legend has returned. While almost no one from his time period still lives, some of the oldest claim he does resemble Lord Erasmus Tyde, the great uncle of the current Duchess of Tydehall, Duchess Margot. While most think the story preposterous and he's clearly an imposter, the man has no claim to the duchy nor has he made any attempt at one- he promised always to serve the rightful head of house, which Margot clearly is, and the man keeps his promises. + |
| Erela Blackhurst + | Erela Blackhurst was orphaned on the steps of the Cathedral in Arx on a lightning filled night. The dark haired infant was unusually quiet and found only when one of the priests were returning from a late night. There was no crying from the bundle, so he feared that the child was dead, but after being picked up, the green eyes focused on the man. Hed never seen anything quite like the child before. Erela was taken in and raised by the priests until the found a family to settle her with. An older couple that couldnt have children. The Blackhurst family treated her like she was their own, but she always felt like an outsider. She was knocked down because of being an orphan. Kids taunted her mercilessly for it. When she got older she retaliated though and ended up knocking teeth out of one of her taunters mouth. Which amused more than one person. Her adopted father taught her the blade and to temper her anger, to use it when it was needed. He told her to use it at the right time. That is eventually what lead her to the Kings Own. Erela was twenty nine when she took her oaths to the Kings Own and became on of the 100. She figured with no real family, no titles and nothing else to focus on, that she could focus on protecting the King or Queen. That was eight years ago. So far shes still alive. + |
| Eric Thrax + | Eric was always an adventurous kid - nearly having gotten himself killed in his adventures as a little kid, he has always been attracted to the sea and it's mystery. He learned what he needed to be a proper sailor. He is a fierce fighter and brave to the point of foolishness at times, but he is fiercely loyal to his men and his house, never swaying from his command and always ensuring everyone gets their fair share. + |
| Erik Grimhall + | Erik{_Grimhall{_is{_the second{_eldest{_child{_of{_Abram{_Grimhall{_and{_his{_wife{_Alina{_Darkwater, along with his twin sister Sanya.{_In{_his{_youth{_he{_saw{_the{_many{_changes{_that{_Islander{_nobility{_went{_through,{_including{_the{_transfer{_of{_power{_in{_his{_own{_family{_several{_times{_over,{_as{_well{_as{_the{_issues{_of{_succession{_in{_Thrax.{_He{_was{_a{_studious{_young{_man,{_observing{_the{_ways{_of{_the{_world{_not{_with{_the{_usual{_fire{_and{_fury{_that{_his{_family{_often{_appeared{_to{_expect,{_but{_with{_a{_measured{_consideration.{_He{_understood{_that{_war{_and{_violence{_were{_the{_way{_of{_the{_Mourning{_Isles{_and{_he{_had{_a{_role{_to{_play{_in{_that{_as{_an{_eldest{_son,{_yet{_he{_also{_wanted{_more.{_{/{/It{_was{_no{_easy{_task{_to{_persuade{_his{_parents{_to{_allow{_him{_the{_opportunity{_to{_leave{_Grihem's{_Point{_in{_order{_to{_study{_among{_mainland{_academies,{_yet{_he{_did{_so.{_On{_the{_condition{_that{_he{_also{_continued{_to{_practice{_daily{_with{_a{_skilled{_arms{_master{_and{_spent{_half{_the{_year{_in{_the{_Mourning{_Isles{_in{_order{_to{_make{_sure{_that{_he{_maintained{_his{_'sea{_legs'{_(and{_was{_not{_overly{_influenced{_by{_mainlander{_ways{_of{_thinking){_he{_convinced{_his{_parents{_to{_allow{_him{_to{_study.{_And{_study{_he{_did.{_{/{/Erik{_put{_his{_mind{_to{_all{_sorts{_of{_topics.{_War{_was{_one{_of{_them,{_but{_not{_the{_details{_of{_battle{_and{_war{_craft{_alone,{_it{_was{_philosophy{_he{_was{_interested{_in{_as{_well.{_What{_was{_the{_purpose{_of{_violence{_between{_nations{_and{_how{_often{_was{_it{_served.{_What{_other{_means{_could{_be{_used{_to{_attain{_those{_desired{_ends?{_These{_were{_but{_a{_few{_of{_the{_things{_he{_put{_his{_mind{_to,{_and{_yet{_he{_did{_well{_with{_those{_studies.{_As{_he{_grew{_older{_and{_his{_education{_continued,{_he{_was{_invited{_to{_take{_a{_place{_among{_the{_Scholars{_of{_Vellichor.{_It{_was{_not{_ideal{_according{_to{_his{_parents,{_and{_more{_than{_a{_few{_heated{_arguments{_resulted{_from{_this{_invitation.{_Yet{_somehow{_he{_convinced{_them,{_and{_so{_it{_was{_he{_began{_studying{_in{_more{_depth{_in{_the{_city{_of{_Arx.{_{/{/Which{_is{_not{_to{_say{_that{_he{_did{_not{_take{_his{_proper{_place{_during{_battles{_where{_Grimhall{_was{_called{_to{_arms.{_Too{_young{_to{_fight{_in{_the{_Tyde{_rebellion{_he{_nevertheless{_heard{_about{_it,{_and{_was{_motivated{_by{_the{_stories.{_He{_has{_joined{_countless{_expeditions{_to{_quash{_pirate{_activity{_throughout{_the{_Isles,{_often{_placed{_as{_advisers{_to{_Admirals{_and{_Generals{_and{_considered{_for{_such{_positions{_himself.{_It{_was{_the{_war{_in{_Setarco{_that{_most{_recently{_brought{_him{_back{_from{_his{_studies{_with{_the{_Scholars,{_and{_has{_him{_seeking{_to{_reconnect{_with{_his{_family{_in{_Arx{_and{_serve{_as{_he{_may. + |
| Erika Blackwood + | Born within the Shav tribes of the Northeast, Erika was the apple of her father's, Ingemar Blackwood, eye. She looked so much like her mother, who had died giving birth to her. He held no resentment for his wife's death, and while it was hard and clumsy being a single parent, he raised her the best he could, refusing to give her up. And while most would have scorned her reckless childhood adventures, he praised her for the fire of her soul. He taught her everything she knows about surviving in the wilds, and discovering her affinity with animals, assisted her in honing her skill. It resulted in the young girl growing wildly, with strength and passion, and at the early age of 18 she began to assist in hunting, gathering, and exploring the wilds to protect against the dangers of the Heralds, which were a prominent danger. Her journeys away from home alone would grow longer and longer as she honed her skills at survival, but it was on such a journey that Brand and his army came for the Shavs. Her father was killed for opposing him and his barbaric recruitment methods, and Erika returned home too late. Devastated and consumed by rage, the ranger agreed to travel with her cousin Ysbail to the Capital, bringing the tribes with them, to seek justice and rid the world of the evil that preyed upon them. Living in Arx, Erika frequently retreats to the forest to feel closer to her father, and be enveloped by the familiarity of the wilds. But that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate the civilised world of Arx and its less wild people. + |
| Eris Ibrianis + | Eris Ibrianis, born to a brood of mixed sons and daughters, was raised in a particularly martially inclined family. Ibrianis roots can be traced back to the very origins of Ostria, one of the first families to pledge themselves in service to the Mazetti family. They've had various reputations over the ages, but their claim to fame stems from their forging of House Mazetti's diamondplate sword, Allegiance. Rather than hang their hat on one accomplishment, the Ibrianis expanded over the generations to incorporate a vast number of skilled crafters mixed in with a particularly dedicated branch of soldiers. Into the latter does Eris fall, having decided young that her talents lay more in destruction than in creation. From an early age, Eris was taught under a particularly strict tutor regarding her duty to House Mazetti and to the protection of Ostria as a whole; these lessons she took to heart with all the preternatural sobriety of a youngster feeling a calling. The martial training that followed upon reaching adulthood indicated that while she was not fit to be a Glaivedancer, she proved in the early years that she was a talented swordswoman on her own accord. Thus began a brutal and utterly ruthless training regimen for the future Ostrian soldier. She worked slavishly and with great dedication alongside the young and precocious Mazetti duelist, Theron. They would later develop a friendly rivalry in their military training that would follow them well into their adulthood. When the Tor-Southport conflict occurred - in no small part due to the machinations of the former married-in member of House Mazetti, Lucien - Eris was goaded by Theron's early volunteership to sign up to military service as soon as she came of age to do so; she would die before letting him go off to battle without her. Together, they fought in the final stages of that brutal and senseless war, coming out the other side alive but marginally subdued. It was at Theron's recommendation that Eris was formally knighted post-combat and took her vows as one of the special Guardians. Afterward, she was assigned to protect then-magistrate Giulio, Theron's younger brother. The last handful of years since her assignation has seen Eris at Giulio's side and in his service. No longer destined just for the battlefield, the Ibrianis woman has slowly come into her own as more than a mere sword and shield; she has taken on the role of companion, confidante, and more. + |
| Esera Velenosa + | From her very earliest memories, Esera was being groomed to rule. For other great houses, such as the bores in House Valardin that drone endlessly on about honor and chivalric virtues, the grooming could have meant careful instruction on the proper morality and dignity expected of a just ruler. In the Lyceum and as the first child of the Archduchess of House Velenosa, that meant something rather else. Esera remembers childhood games based around guessing the motivations of other players, games of trickery and deceit. She remembers the pride of her mother when she managed even simple manipulation, and the lessons of her father that the other great houses respect strength and strength alone and remain vassals of House Velenosa only due to respect and fear. She remembers the lessons discussing other leaders that failed to heed those lessons, and how they brought ruin onto themselves and their families due to not being clever enough, not being strong enough, not being ruthless enough. Duchess Esera has never stopped learning such lessons. House Velenosa possesses neither the strongest army nor the largest coffers. They are surrounded by enemies wearing the masks of friends. But Esera knows despite that, the Fox is still feared, and that is solely due to their well deserved reputation for mastery of devious intrigue and sheer cunning. Even at a young age, Esera feels worthy of that birthright. She has a positive talent for understanding the complicated motivations and intricate interactions between all the noble houses that comprises the political sphere of Arx and her keenly agile mind has an intuitive grasp for the most beneficial way to position her house to take advantage of nearly any conflict. And if she is talented at managing groups, she is an utter master at the manipulation of individuals. Everyone has some weakness that's exploitable, has something they want. She'll find it, she'll use it, and it will be without apology or regret. She has to, after all. House Velenosa cannot afford weakness, and if she falters, they likely all die. Though perhaps it would be rude to admit that she actually rather enjoys playing the game, because she is so damned good at it. So she'll play it, and play to win... for herself, for her family, for her city, and for Arvum, but certainly in that order. + |
| Eshken Greenblood + | Eskhen Greenblood is a young prodigal man of the Greenblood family. He and his twin sister, Emele, were not even teenagers when their tribe was torn in two and his parents-- rebels --left it to join house Riven and bend knee to Grayson. His parents took the two young twins with them when they went. Eshken, being young, acclimated to life in Riven well. He threw himself into studies and learning of the new cultures. His sister also took very well to their new life. She found art and painting, and threw herself into it. Eshken being the more practical begged her to pick up a profession that would allow her a better income than painting. She apprenticed to a blacksmith and began to make armor. Shortly before his 20th birthday he met another prodigal of another tribe-- Lillian Leafchaser --she was a scout for Riven forces and he fell for her quickly. Just after he turned twenty and she twenty-one they married. Their daughter, Elia, was born eight months later. Lillian died two years later in an ambush by bandits while on a scouting mission. Eshken had just been apprenticed to Nigel Riven in matters of stewardship and finance. He threw himself into that work and to taking care of his daughter. He's utterly devoted to his daughter and to bettering her life. When the new Barony of Whitehawk was create he saw a chance for himself and his family. He offered to become the Steward of Whitehawk for Baron Silas. + |
| Eshra Rivenshari + | Born into a large family, Eshra had three older brothers, Gavier, Raqui, and Athaur, to watch out for her when she took her first steps. While she loved her father, Aegis, she was closest to her mother, Triega, and learned about the spirits and ways of navigating for their people. Instead of pulling ropes and setting sales, she was looking at maps, measuring distances and following the stars at night. For the rivers and sea were her home, and dry land was something she rarely touched. Growing up among ravashari smugglers, Eshra remembers a time when House Valardin were the enemy and tried to bring them to heel. They would try to stop their efforts to move goods for the other Abandoned Tribes. She liked nothing better than outwitting the stuffy Valardin knights who tried to enforce their rules on the Free. Of course Freedom comes with a price and she remembers the day Brand's dark magic enslaved her people and forced them to fight a battle that was not theirs. She lost many friends and family when House Thrax's navy struck down her people on the day Brand tried to breech Arx's walls. She mourns the loss of his father, former leader of the Rivenshari, his mother, former Voice, and two brothers. Their losses were devastating for the young woman. If not for Athaur and their younger brother, Mattheu, then she would have lost the will to live. When he to her and asked her help to rebuild Rivenshari, she accepted without second thought. Of course, she never realized her brother meant to take bended knee to House Greenmarch, so they would now serve their former enemy, House Valardin. At first she tried to fight it, but once it became clear that it was her only option, she put aside her differences and stood by her brother's side when he pledged to House Greenmarch. + |
| Eskandar Whisper + | Eskander was not born into the ranks of the courtesans or the diplomatic; rather, he was a bit lower. His family were mostly common-folk and he was one of the middle children, in theory doomed to learn his family's trade (his father was a rather middling merchant) and to toil out his life without ever really achieving anything of note. Eskander ultimately had other ideas. He was fortunate in that he was naturally rather intelligent and that he picked up the tools of his father's trade quickly as he grew, running errands nad messages, and helping with keeping the books straight. Of course, not being one of the eldest, he likely wasn't going to inherit anything (aside from more work) when he came of age. So Eskander applied himself and as he grew older tried to turn what he had into something more. He developed his own contacts, determined to make his own way eventually - and this brought him to the attention of the Whispers. While at the time he wasn't precisely the best of material, he had potential and in a way, he saw that house of courtiers as a way out of his situation. So he applied. Rough around the edges and still needing refining, he wasn't (at first) successful - but perseverance and a burning ambition and desire to better himself have managed to secure him a spot within their ranks. + |
| Esme Fidante + | The youngest child of Luzio Fidante and Amelia Lyonesse, Esme grew up in the city of Tor like almost all Fidante do. To say her childhood was a charmed one is an understatement. Whatever her heart desired was always at Esme's fingertips. She did not take these things for granted though and while some of her other family members might be spoiled and bratty, she was always humble and thankful for the opportunities that were given to her. There was always a strong sense of doing what was right, just, and noble within her. Though it was at a celebration for Limerance that took place around her birthday one year that truly opened her eyes, mind, and heart.{/{/They called themselves Devotions of Limerance and their songs and poetry about love, honor, and fidelity sung straight to Esme's heart. She flung herself into the studies and decided after some time of careful consideration, she would devote herself to Limerance and be one of the Devotions. She found a way to marry her passions together as she was already a champion equestrian and knew she would one day follow in her brother Ignacio's footsteps to train as a Knight - Esme founded the Calvary of Roses whose oath is to maintain Limerance's virtues. House Fidante has always been different from the other houses of the Lyceum and their moral compass of slightly more North plays well with Esme's vision for her Calvary. Leo was more than happy to see his cousin's vision come to life. The Chivalrous Duke backed the Calvary of Roses and saw to the training of Knights who wished to be mounted warriors. Esme has been working diligently on the cavalry in Tor for the past few years but when her brother Ignacio suggested they come to Arx after Leo's disappearance to offer their assistance and guidance to the new Duchess, Leo's sister, Calista, Esme knew this would be the right thing to do. + |
| Esoka Greenblood + | Esoka Greenblood grew up as the granddaughter of the Elder of her tribe, which lent her a certain status even in amidst the fluctuating lifestyle of her people. It came with a sense of responsibility, of the duty to serve her people as the Elder served her people, of the need to be well-behaved. Although war leadership was not hereditary, it was simply considered that there was going to be some kind of greatness in her future because there was some kind of greatness in her blood, passed down generationally and with wisdom. So it was a fairly structured childhood, built on expectations and hopes for a future that shattered in disaster when the tribe fragmented while Esoka was a teenager. It took her structured life and threw it into chaos and upheaval. Why she chose as she did -- to follow the rebels rather than stay with her family -- is a complex tangle of emotions for her even now, years later. But whatever the reasons she chose, she did. Young, and fierce, and too young to fight, she nevertheless followed, swore herself in defiant loyalty to Thesarin, and never looked back ... for long. Accustoming herself to a completely new set of disciplines and structures was very difficult for Esoka. The social mores of the Count's people were a struggle. Worse, her own position seemed to fluctuate and change with passing years. When she was 22, Count Thesarin knighted her. To this day, she still is uncertain why -- there were excuses given at the time about her great service to the countship, but she always had the sneaking suspicion that this was some kind of politically oriented compromise between Count Thesarin and Countess Mia about who was going to take up arms and serve the Twainfort under the aegis of knighthood. Hungry to prove herself, Esoka sought out ways to make herself critical to the county, and ended up making more mistakes early on in her service than she would have liked. The first time she was forced to face down former members of her tribe who had been raiding the fishing villages along the Daughter, she could not bring herself to raise her weapon, and stood behind her men while she sent them on ahead to take care of it. It was a 'cowardice' that she felt incapable of living down for years afterwards. She tried to resign her knighthood, but this was refused. Her need to prove herself has never gone away, not even with subsequent successes bolstering her military career and making it clear that Thesarin's judgment in raising her to a knighthood was not so strange as all that. Her early mistakes and confusions haunt her. + |
| Esra Wyrmguard + | Esra was born in Arx, the only child of a Scholar in a lesser branch of House Wyrmguard, second cousins to the current ruling branch. Bright, insightful and curious, the young Esra soaked up all the knowledge his parents had to offer, and then when he exhausted that his scholar father brought him to the Great Archive and so began a love story between Esra and all the ideas, facts and stories he could read. And read his way through the Great Archive he did, for years. Yet for all the Archive has to offer, Esra kept finding questions to which there were no good answers. Chasing answers is what got Esra out of the Archive in his late teen years, when he began spending a lot of time chasing down subject matter experts and witnesses of interesting events. Exploring and talking to people became as important as reading to expanding the young scholar's knowledge. It wasn't terribly surprising when Esra opted to join the discipleship of Vellichor at 19. His take on the religious side of matters is somewhat cerebral. He feels that ritual and liturgy are tools that people use to help reassure themselves, rather than something the gods need or demand for their own sake. He is honestly bored by ritual and less interested in the trappings of religion and the typical work of priests than he is in the ideals the gods advocate living up to. Esra believes that the domains chosen by the gods mean they want humanity to always be bettering themselves and enjoying the beauty to be found in creation. Thus his belief in the importance of going out and bettering the world directly. Esra's career has focused on field scholarship, and his penchant for resolving outstanding questions caught the leadership's eye even before his cousin Bianca achieved the Archlectorship. Today he works closely with Bianca as a reliable field scholar and has been known to gather information for other Archlectors and agents of the Crown. He is particularly interested in cases related to threats to the whole of the compact, mysterious deaths, and reported occurrences that don't make any sense. + |
| Essmor Siril + | Essmor was born and raised in the Lower Boroughs, and lived an early life full of strife and hardship. His parents were mostly irrelevant to his situation, giving birth to him was the one and only gift he received. But despite this difficulty, he learned early that those that worked hard for themselves could readily find a place in the world. Quick to make friends, he used his skills in observation to find those in the community that could help him better his situation, and never stopped. From there, especially as he grew older, he gathered a reputation for knowing people. If something needed to be found, he might know someone who could find it. A product needs to be purchased? Essmor was the man to ask. He happily positioned himself as a bridge between the lower classes and the higher, searching for any opportunity to gather the attention of those that might provide him a chance to better his lot in life. Though still working on it every day, he works hard to become someone of note. + |
| Estaban Saik + | *Background: * For the first many years of his life, Estaban grew up in the Saikland Greens where he stayed and learned to hunt and cared for his family, learning the basics of diplomacy from the noble around him. While he was a boy he learned how to hunt and helped teach his sisters how to enjoy nature, putting them in trees, having mud fights with them, and doing other fun children things with his siblings. When Estaban was fourteen years old his parents sent him off to foster his sense of adventure and desire to be on a boat. He sailed with many people but while his sister, Arcelia, was in Nilanza he often traveled with Argento sailors so that he could frequently visit her. He eventually taught his sister how to sail when her own curiosity consumed her. When Arcelia left the care of the Argento's he went to spend time with the Malvici where he spent four years learning more about the military arts. + |
| Estelle Blackram + | Estelle grew up a quiet girl, often keeping to herself and the occasional book that she was able to procure for perusal. As much as the cousin of the noble Blackram family enjoyed the indoors, she was hardly blind to the beauty of the surrounding wild lands. Often she could be found alone either atop a tower or among the tall trees near the keep. These excursions were particularly common during the transitional seasons of Autumn and Spring, giving her the chance to observe the many little changes nature wrought during such times. It wasn't until she was older that the young woman was brought nearer the aftermath of the frequent raids upon her family's lands upon her request. Driven by curiosity regarding the frequent skirmishes at the borders, Estelle couldn't bear to see the wounded soldiers in pain and did what little she could to help. Frustrated at her own unlearned skill, she turned her studies towards remedying that gap and even turning it into a focus. Finding a calling in easing the ailments of others as well as her fondness for observing changes ultimately culminated in her swearing to serve the Gods above all others, and Lagoma's service in particular. Still rather new to the Mercies, she is no stranger to orthodoxy given the militarism she grew up within, even if it never really took ahold of her own heart. + |
| Estil Navegant + | Estil knew that she would never rule after Valors passed on, even with Turo's lack of interest being Admiral of the fleet. It wasn't so much resignation to the fact of simply accepting that she will have to do something else to make herself stand out. She wasn't a fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but she was smart. A sharp mind to match her scathing wit. If nothing less, she would make herself a powerful opponent in the realm of politics. So she poured herself into the academics, or ruling an estate. While she might never be Countess, she could hope to at least assist whoever became Count. There may be a bit of resentment at the fact that she was passed over, but love for her family usually wins out. Dogedly pragmatic as the rest of the children, she's used to fending for herself and relying on her wits. While she was content to stay in Escuma, she felt somewhat left out when her father requested Turo to Arx, with her sister Regla, who she often bickered with, followed after him a month or so later. This left Estil in Escuma alone. Eventually this solitude got the better of her, and thinking that her two siblings would do well with her calm hand, decided to head to Arx herself, seeking out her family to bring prestige to the Navegant name. + |
| Ethan Merari + | Ethan was an orphan who grew up in a children's home. He has no memory of his parents, and his surname was something he chose himself when he got older. Hunger, it's been his companion through life. He knows what it's like to be on the bottom, scrapping with castoffs that no one else wanted. He knew at a young age that he was going to get out of the Lowers, by any means necessary. He fell into a gang of pickpockets, got himself in trouble with the Iron Guard. Luckily, the guard recognized the boy's actions were more out of desperation than criminal intent. He got the boy transferred to a better group home. Then he started checking in on the boy, making sure he had clothes and got him enrolled in school. Ethan, not being a fool, saw his lessons as an opportunity. He applied himself vigorously to his studies. He got into a university on scholarship. Applied himself fiercely even as he worked at the Courts running messengers. When he graduated, he got a job as a clerk and continued to work hard. Recently, he got a chance to meet a young lady, Baroness Skye Blackshore, through processing some of her paperwork. After a few conversations, he convinced her to take him on as a lawyer. It's his first big shot at serving a family and he intends like all this other stepping stones, to use this wisely. + |
| Etienne Telmar + | Born as third child to a branch family of the honorable and historic Oathlands House of Telmar, Lord Etienne Telmar was very well aware that no matter how clever or competent he was (and from an early age, he possessed a great measure of both these qualities), his most likely outcome would be as trusted adviser or Minister for his more prestigious relatives. It was not enough, and so the young Telmar convinced his parents to support his induction into the Faith at the quite young age of eighteen. There, he discovered that his intelligence and familiarity with the movement of money gave him a gift for uncovering when the Faith's funds had been embezzled, stolen, or otherwise misappropriated. After a few years of instruction and training, he found himself often assigned to suspicious parishes across the Valardin lands, where he would plot out the flow of funds and discover any misuse of them. In the process, this ended up restoring a significant amount of charitable funds to their rightful recipients. This made Etienne quite popular in some quarters (particularly those priests who valued the charitable works of the Faith, and the recipients thereof), which he parlayed into increasing roles of responsibility. But not a Seraph's position, as that would have chained him to a single parish, rather than allowing him to expand his knowledge of how the Faith was run. At least, until the Seraph of the Telmarch was discovered to be in conspiracy with the White Stewards, a secret cult which had a major part in starting the Silent War. This, and the accusations of collusion with the traitor Telmar in command of Arx's Iron Guard, could have drowned Etienne's career in suspicion and shared guilt. Instead, the priest thrived through his clear outrage and immediate request to help the Faith purge itself of other Steward collaborators. In the aftermath, he was appointed Seraph of the Telmarch, and it was thought that he would serve in that post for years before seeking another promotion. However, after the resignation of Archlector Caras, Etienne quietly called in a number of political markers in the Faith to make it clear that not only was he interested in the post of Archlector of Gild, but that he was clearly the best candidate for the job. No one is quite sure if this is simply an ambitious priest taking advantage of a shift in leadership of the Faith, or if he has a personal goal which requires him being in the heart of the Faith. + |
| Eudence Ghedren + | The last remaining member of her family, Eudence has outlived both parents, a sickly younger brother, and her husband, all while managing to spawn no children. Though her family had generally been known only as servants and stewards to the families of the west, it became an easy choice for her to abandon the name and swear herself a servant to the gods once she was left alone. Once, she was known to be a rather bright young lady, sharp of wit, graceful, and wise even in her youth - though any who knew her could remember her downfall, as her bright blonde locks faded to grey, she was left a widow, childless and alone. Despite her dashed hopes, the woman seems to have very little in the way of grand ambitions, seeming simply content to perform in the name of the gods rather than her own name. + |
| Eugene Caylerth + | Eugene found himself moving from town to town in the Oathlands, given his father's trade as a wandering blacksmith. Home was never really home for long as demand kept the Caylerth family on the road for weeks at a time. When he was of fine age, it was Eugene's turn to help where his brothers had; one having been enlisted in the provincial militia and another to a pox. Training abroad found Eugene taking up the family trade while his father ensured that old military contacts would be able to train his son in the ways of war. + |
| Eurion Ashford + | Eurion, as a child, was kind of a troublemaker, but the kind of troublemaker who is so cute about it that he only rarely actually faces consequences for his evildoing. Whenever he hurt someone's feelings, he was always so genuinely surprised -- and genuinely apologetic -- that his spontaneous gestures to fix it were generally accepted. It was not until he was a much older boy and his grandfather -- first of his close and beloved relatives to die -- died in front of him that he began to understand that there are powers in the world that one cannot out-charm or de-consequence. Still, he was a happy child, all told, so it was mind-boggling to most of his family when he suddenly -- after reaching the stubborn-jawed age of 15 -- ran away. It's not actually that unusual for young men and women of Ashford blood to think that adventure is their birthright and that they need to charge out into the world and take it, but it is a little unusual for them to do so while still too young to actually make a bank draw on their own. An Ashford cousin rescued him from himself, pulling him out of a fix that was almost entirely of his own making, and he was brought home and put to work as a scribe and squire, learning from Ashford's knights as best he could. It was during this period of time, where he was trying to prove to anyone at all that he could be well-behaved even for short periods, that Eurion spent half a summer learning what he could from the then-admiral of Ashford's navy. He was assigned as adjutant and gopher, and then as summer became autumn, he wheedled, begged and persuaded as best he could to take a position as a sailor. He was only 17, and no one would let him formally join a ship's crew until he was 18 and an adult, but he managed to earn himself an "apprenticeship" aboard a ship in the family that was, apparently, exactly the same as being a sailor aboard the ship except that he had to be supervised pretty much at all times. The open sea was Eurion's favorite, and although the hard, hard labor of a man aboardship was a huge eye-opener for the privileged son of generations of nobles, it did him good in terms of his personal growth and the strength of his muscles. Though it was a few years coming, eventually one of the ships that House Ashford commissioned was granted to his command - the STAR KNIGHT - and he has been sailing for the Ashfords' navy ever since. + |
| Evaine Silverhand + | The granddaughter of prodigals, Evaine has cultivated an air of culture, education and grace that pair well with the statuesque physiology that particular heritage has given her. She was born and raised poor, in the lower boroughs, her mother a washerwoman and her father working on the docks. They died fairly young, as people who work hard for not much money often do, and Evaine has been on her own since her early teens. They taught her well, though, and she did fine for herself through a combination of wits and training in a hand-to-hand style of combat her grandmother had brought from her tribe, taught to her own children, who in turn taught Evaine. Her beauty and grace made acting a natural choice of profession, and so she joined the Black Rose mummers and in a few years, she has risen to the very top. This is not to say she always plays the lead role in their productions, but she does oversee the booking of their gigs, vet scripts, hire and discipline actors and stagehands alike, and is the public face of the company among the citizenry. + |
| Evander Kennex + | For the first seven years of Evander Kennex's life, almost every letter sent from Stormward included the words: "And young Evander still lives." He was sickly from birth, and was so often ill and so weak even when he was well that everyone expected him to die in childhood. But year after year, somehow, he hung on. Evander's parents, maybe trying to insulate themselves from the inevitable pain of losing him, were never terribly close to him. Oh, they went through the motions, certainly, but there was almost a reluctance to it. And then Evander's mother, Lady Girasol, went missing when he was still only five years old. No one ever accused Evander to his face, of course, but still it was whispered that Lord Wayne's second wife had been unable to bear her son's sickly nature, and had thrown herself from the cliffs into the ocean in despair. But if he lacked in parental affection, his older half-sisters Catalana and Jan doted on him. Catalana was as much a mother to him as an older sister, always checking up on him, always seeing to his needs, and Jan protected him from more than one would-be bully through the judicious breaking of noses. He spent the days when he was well enough to leave his room in the library with Niklas and Elara, although he was always too ill to go with them on their various adventures. Evander grew up with the grim understanding that because of his poor health, most of the wide world would be forever closed to him, and because of this, while Niklas' interests veered towards legends and fantastic tales, Evander devoured non-fiction. History, travelogues, current events, practical books of instruction in esoteric subjects, it didn't matter. He read it all. He didn't expect his life was going to be a long one, and wanted to experience as much of the world as he could in the time he had, even if he could only experience it through books. Against all expectations (even his own), the years ticked by and somehow Evander didn't die. He got close more than once, but either through Victoria's stubbornness and skill or his own iron will, he always recovered. He even felt well enough to travel. Just a short jaunt to a neighboring island, but still the first time he'd ever left Stormward. It was a mistake that almost cost him his life. Evander was on that island, visiting what amounted to a Kennex country home, when Ford freed the thralls with the stroke of a pen, and without warning anyone. The island he was visiting held a large plantation where the thralls rioted, and violence consumed the surrounding countryside. Evander's guards were able to spirit him away in a daring escape just as the rioters closed in, but the whole experience was too much for his fragile health. He caught a fever that came as close to killing him as anything he ever had. But the experience left him more determined than ever to conquer his poor health and to use all of the knowledge he'd built up over a lifetime of reading to help his family. With the death of the Marquis, Evander has decided that it's time to make the journey to Arx, where he hopes to make himself useful -- assuming he can just catch his breath for a moment. + |
| Evangelina Masque + | Evangelina never knew her parents, from what she's gathered she'd been born to a sailor that'd perished at sea. Turned over to well-meaning priests at the next port of call on the shining shores of Setarco, she lived a childhood full of happiness and laughter, a lucky lot in life for a motherless child, she knows. Despite being raised by the faithful, she's a bit of a curious sceptic, and believes that life, love, and happiness are what you make for yourself. The stories of the gods are beautiful still, in her opinion, and like all things beautiful, she collects them as she can, though she's far from an academic. After coming of age, she became the apprentice of a smith, attracted to the proposition of making beauty with her own hands. As adept at working precious metals as she was at stringing shells onto cord to sell to visitors on the beach as a child, she soon decided to make her way to Arx, where her beautiful creations could be worn by the most beautiful and powerful people of the Compact. Who knows, maybe one day her jewellery could even be worn by the king himself, if she talks herself up enough. Modesty is, after all, overrated. + |
| Evangeline Whisper + | Evangeline crashed onto the shores of Setarco with not much to her name. In fact, she did not even have that! A tangled mess of seaweed, salt encrusted hair, and long, awkward limbs caught the attention of local sailors who eventually dubbed the young woman Evangeline.{/{/She never seemed to remember anything prior to arriving to the main island of the Lycene sea and never seemed to let it affect her as it would some others. Evangeline took it as the blessing of a new life and put herself straight to work. She proved to be useful and resourceful. Working in silk shops was a wonderful experience but the young woman did not enjoy staying indoors all day long. She had a stint working at the docks but that also proved to not keep her attention. When it was discovered that she had lovely penmanship, she was often asked to pen love letters in exchange for silver. She worked this little business of hers with glee. Evangeline was able to set her own hours and be her own boss; sort of.{/{/She drew the attention of a mysterious proprietor who inquired about the letters she wrote for people. It had never dawned on her that this lucrative job might require her to be exquisitely discreet. Letters between lovers often came with complications. Secrets that could become the ruin of a person or an entire house if she was not careful. There was a lot of power in the palm of her hand and some people were taking notice. This proprietor offered Evangeline the opportunity to study in the Courtier House right there in Setarco. He would pay for her education and she would have protection in the House as opposed to being on her own. Evangeline jumped at the chance. She had visited the house on occasion, delivering letters to and from the lead courtiers of Setarco.{/{/The rest, as they say, is history. Evangeline excelled in all of her studies and proved to be quite an asset to the house and for the other courtiers. She even assisted in the tutoring of some of the apprentice courtiers when they first arrived to the house, drawing on her own experiences from when she was an apprentice.{/{/Since her time in Setarco, Evangeline has done quite a bit of traveling and of all the places she's been to, it's amazing she's never been to the city of Arx before, and her extensive experience and talent in Setarco as a courtier leads her to believe she is prepared to join the Whisper House. She is ready for the challenges and the political intrigue that awaits in the Capitol. + |
| Evaristo Arterius + | Evaristo hasn't visited his parents since he left home at the age of seventeen, stowing away on a ship after running afoul of his stepfather - something having to do with stealing money, supposedly. When he was found, he managed to ingratiate himself with the captain and convinced the woman to keep him on her crew as a sailor. There he stayed for several years, travelling the world on a cargo ship which sailed the seas of the Saffron Chain. In late 1002 AR the ship was attacked by shav pirates intent on seizing the cargo. Evaristo and a handful of the crew managed to escape via life boat and swimming to a nearby island - thankfully the shavs had little interest in pursuing them. There they were stranded for four months, and Evaristo finally began to contemplate his life choices. They were eventually found and rescued by a passing Thraxian vessel and brought to Darkwater Watch. He made his home there for a couple of years, making silver by taking odd jobs and finding a new crew: his own. He accumulated enough money to build his own small ship and made enough "friends" to man it, and he was on the beloved sea once more. Trips to Arx have proven to be particularly profitable these days, and he finds the citizens of the Lower Borough to be his kind of people. Perhaps there are opportunities to be found... + |
| Evelin Culler + | Evelin was born as one of many in the gutters of Setarco in the Lyceum, a poor street urchin surrounded by the resplendent wealth and decadent lifestyles of the nobility that called the Silken City their home. She could only admire them from afar, and was too proud (or embarrassed), to beg from them. She watched the Ladies and courtiers with fascination, and while most would have loathed them, Evelin came to adore them. At the age of 17 she'd been dancing in dingy bars for years, but she knew she couldn't make a living in Setarco. Determined she set out to make a name for herself in the capital. Despite her work, she was still as poor as she was before, and with nowhere else to go the young woman turned to the Cullers in the Lower Buroughs. She had talent, and it wasn't long before she was adopted into their fold. They were not the only ones to notice her talents. While performing in a small darkened club in the Buroughs she was noticed by the stunning Belladonna Pravus. One thing led to another, and Evelin was employed by the Velenosean house, and sent back to Setarco not as a beggar, but as a student of the Courtier school. She would come to excel there, and now she's returned to the capital as a resplendent, shimmering dancer and performer for House Pravus' numerous parties, stealing hearts and wowing her audiences. All the while remaining loyal to those in the Lower Buroughs who supported her all those years. + |
| Evelin Starborn + | Born to a strict Valardin family, Evelin was raised as a single child fussed over by her parents. Stifled and locked down, she spent more time working than playing, and could only watch children her age play from afar. Her noble family had served the nobility for generations, and she was expected to do the same, learning much about politics and the struggles of court life. But the adolescent woman despised this life, and when she became the ripe age of 20, her rebellious streak reached a fiery crescendo. Inspired by a band of wandering lycene ravashari she took off with them, nonchalant of her parents scorn, and took to living amongst the wilds, travelling between the great cities and learning much in the way of magic. + |
| Evelynn Helianthus + | A member of a lesser known barony in the Mourning Isles, the barony of House Morewind, it was a surprise for many among the peerage when Duke Trevor Helianthus took the enigmatic noble woman as his wife. The domain seems to have thrived since she joined Helianthus and she -is- a noble woman right? so there's little reason for any concern. Of course, there are whispers that she was never seen in the domain of House Morewind in the decades prior to her marriage. Even if the family do claim her as their own. + |
| Everard Telmar + | As the youngest brother of the Duke of Telmar, Lord Everard Telmar strove to be the honorable paragon that was everything his elder brother was not. He clung hard to a knightly ideal, gaining the respect of the forces of the Telmarch as he helped lead them in battle, and quickly rose to being a well-respected knight all throughout the Oathlands. Briefly, he even held the sword of the Telmarch in his stewardship, until Arn's own son came of age to wield it as the Champion of House Telmar and the Sword of the Telmarch. Lord Everard served loyally and honorably in the wars against the Shavs for many years, before recently coming to Arx at Prince Radley Valardin's suggestion and due to his influence was appointed the Lord Commander of the Iron Guard by King Alaric Grayson IV. As Lord Commander of the Iron Guard, he has a reputation for honesty and integrity that stands in marked contrast to the sometimes corrupt reputation of the guardsmen that might abuse their rank and privileges over the lowest in Arx. While the Iron Guard is by no means perfect, Lord Everard has resolutely sought to combat their excesses and make them a force for law and order. + |
| Everett Malere + | Everett was born to a common family living a wealthy life upon a successful farm. The Maleres were well known for their incredibly fertile land, which yielded enough crops each harvest to sustain the Oathlands year-round. From his youth, Everett developed a sense of deep, unwavering responsibility for this farm. As the eldest of two sons, the land would inevitably be passed down to him; it was in his best interest to ensure its success for future generations. At the age of twenty-five, Everett married his childhood friend, Adrienne, and thereafter welcomed the arrival of their first and only child, a boy named Tristan. They lived and worked together peacefully on the farm for nine years, and then everything changed. It was a lovely summer's day that Everett took Tristan to the borders of Acorn Hill, deep within the woods, for a fishing lesson along the banks of a rushing river. When the trip came to a close and it was time to return home, they discovered all roads leading to the town were blocked by debris and littered with the bodies of dead soldiers bearing the sigil of House Moore. Panicked and fearing the worst, Everett cut a way through the debris and discovered the whole barony had been utterly decimated by an invading clan of shavs, and all those present had been killed, including his father and his sweet, innocent wife. With his home and livelihood in ruins, and a young son depending on him alone for survival, Everett had to settle and find work elsewhere. He enlisted with the Keaton Timberwolves, serving for over a year to defend Oakhaven and its forests from invasion by shav tribes and serving justice to those he believed destroyed his home and family. After a year of soldiering, and when it seemed at last all hope of returning home was lost forever, Everett learned that a surviving member of House Moore surfaced, pressed a claim for the barony, and led a successful expedition to reclaim and restore Acorn Hill to its former glory. Everett immediately reached out to his brother, Breccan, and together they committed to speak with the new Baroness of Acorn Hill about resettling on their former lands in the hopes of reviving their family legacy and starting anew. + |
| Evonleigh Whitehawk + | Evonleigh Mercier was born the third of four children in the merchant family, sister to Delilah, Kenna, and Gaius, and cousin of Silas Mercier, who would one day be ennobled as Lord Whitehawk. Evonleigh was always just a little dramatic, with a flair for tantrums or flights of fancy. She was fond of writing and putting on little plays for her sisters and cousins to perform -- a common hobby for many children, it became something she was rather good at. As she had no head for business, it was little surprise that she chose to become an actress rather than follow in the mercantile footsteps of her parents. Evonleigh joined an acting troupe that traveled extensively, though she stayed in close contact with her family. She forged a close, if tumultuous, relationship with the leader of the troupe. The two usually played opposite one another in the leads of the plays they performed, and their chemistry on stage and off was undeniable. It was rumored they might become betrothed. She chose at first not to join her siblings in her cousin Silas' House, because she was so in love with the actor Aurelius. Unfortunately, he proved less devoted than she, making excuses for putting off engagement while soaking up the attention of his fans wherever they traveled -- there were whispers of indiscretions, a "woman in every port" so to speak. Evonleigh, heartbroken, confronted him at a party in a bit of a tantrum. After a heated argument, he stormed off. It was the last she saw of him alive, because Aurelius died later that night -- intoxicated, he fell down a long flight of stairs to his death. Luckily there were many witnesses, and Evonleigh nowhere near, for otherwise Evonleigh might have been a suspect. The last words Evonleigh had spoken to the man had been unkind ones, but that seemed to make her grief all the deeper, full of regrets and guilt. The troupe disbanded without their leader, and, along with the loss of Aurelius, Evonleigh lost some of her friends as well -- those who felt he might not have died if she hadn't fought with him that night. The feelings of loss, betrayal, hurt and guilt were a complicated mix that she hasn't truly dealt with. She shut herself away for a time, returning to her childhood home, before accepting the invitation to join her siblings in Arx as a Lady of Whitehawk, eager to put the past in the past. + |
| Ewen Masque + | Ewen's journey to self-discovery began with a personal tragedy: the loss of his parents. Successful merchants from the southern city of Lenosia, they were a loving family and well-off, encouraging and supporting him in his education. Ewen never doubted, even as he came of age, that making his parents proud would be his life goal, and he excelled in legal studies motivated by the knowledge that a career as a lawyer would bring his family honor and prestige. But he had only been practicing as a defense attorney in Lenosia for a few short years before a freak accident sent his parents' wagon crashing into a ravine. All at once Ewen was faced with an existential crisis. Without his parents' eyes on him, what did he value and what purpose was there in his existence? For perhaps the first time, his penetrating insight turned decisively inward. He concluded that behind his passion to please his family had been a dark truth: that he had been afraid to think for himself or consider what else he could become with his talents. This realization of the darkness within him, and of the willful ignorance upon which his previous convictions were based, turned him to interest in the Mirrormasks and devoted study of the teachings of the Thirteenth. Having inherited his family's comfortable wealth, he has traveled to the capitol city of Arx to decide if he will try to become an official disciple of the Thirteenth. In the meantime, he broods on his purpose and mingles freely with all, commoner or noble alike, and he still practices his trade, willing to defend the accused for little or no pay (though he picks his clients more carefully than before). He is no hero and he is not particularly righteous, being willing to countenance the self-justifications of those whom others might find monstrous. But his relentless questioning has given rise to a deep sort of personal integrity, and he will face danger if it means learning what he's truly made of. + |
| Ezekiel + | There is very little to tell of the man named Ezekiel. Few records mention him at all, and those, almost exclusively in the Oathlands -- yet those that know him, would never think such. Perhaps its another fellow with a similar name? Perhaps he's a hidden identity, perhaps a host of other things. He makes his way in the world mostly as a teller of tales and occasional troubadour, yet, he's also some talents with dueling, or at least, that's what is said. He's served from time to time as a Champion for those with a need for such things, prepared as well as he might be for such things. + |
| Ezekiel Crown + | There is very little to tell of the man named Ezekiel. Few records mention him at all, and those, almost exclusively in the Oathlands -- yet those that know him, would never think such. Perhaps its another fellow with a similar name? Perhaps he's a hidden identity, perhaps a host of other things. He makes his way in the world mostly as a teller of tales and occasional troubadour, yet, he's also some talents with dueling, or at least, that's what is said. He's served from time to time as a Champion for those with a need for such things, prepared as well as he might be for such things. + |
| Ezmeralda Leporidae + | There is a song about a House Leporidae in the annals of pre-Reckoning Arvani history, an influential ducal power that had risen to rival House Pravus during the time of the Hundred Cities, before the creation of the Lyceum. Bards embellish a tale of romance turned sour and a tryst between the two houses that resulted in a violent, bloody conflict on a tiny nameless isle near Setara. The name of this war has been lost to history but the Leporidae were thought extinguished, holdings ground to dust, island razed and survivors scattered to the winds. What remained of the once proud House retreated far, far away into the Saffron Chain, vanishing during the time of the Reckoning. Ezmeralda is the last true blooded scion of the House Leporidae, a family reduced greatly in status and protected within a powerful Abandoned enclave, the Saffron Chain's city-state of Tremorus. For centuries, it was tradition that the ruling House Proscipi would marry a Leporidae into their lineage in order to strengthen their bloodline during times of great turmoil, but the numbers of the Leporidae continued to wane through the generations. The chaos in the Saffron Chain with its new Arvani conquerors from House Pravus saw turmoil in the Abandoned city-state, with the current Prefect of House Proscipi hoping ancient, ancestral ties might win favor with the new Arvani conquerors. In this time the starlit beauty was kept secured in Tremorus where she held out hope that perhaps the Pravosi might forgive her family and the last scion of Leporidae might be invited back into the fold. In order to avoid great bloodshed it was decided that Ezmeralda would be married to a Proscipi of her choice and the great city-state along with their vassals would be sworn to a new House beneath the banner of Pravus or rather, the return of a principle power in the far southeast of the Saffron Chains; House Leporidae. + |
| Ezra Riven + | Ezra found his place at a young age, or so he thought. His parents seemed to be cultivating him to help run the Twainfort. No doubt his sister would have needed help and second sons always seemed to find positions of influence and power, if never quite the title. He enjoyed the opportunity to get out with his father, Laveer, on the hunt and relished the closeness of their bond. About the time when Ezra felt that he was really starting to get into the heart of what a man ought to learn and to be, he had the opportunity to visit Pridehall. The intention was to get a feel of the larger world and build what could become important connections with their banner lords before focusing in on the needs of the Twainfort. It happened that while he was fostering with the Bislands, the Abandoned slaughtered his family in a brutal attack that left few survivors. Few things really left him feeling alone as hearing his family has been butchered and having no one else, none of his kin, there to comfort him. When it was finally deemed safe to return home, so much had changed that he felt out of place. Newly-made Prodigals seemed to be everywhere and his own sister had married one of them. It's not to say that Thesarin wasn't kind to him but it was the wrong age for him to be deprived of the father that he idolized and unlike his younger brother, he couldn't turn to this stranger to replace him. Though he tried to learn to serve the Twainfort and what was left of the House he knew as best he could, he always felt disconnected, out of place. It wasn't any fault of the people there, but it was a home that he didn't quite feel a part of. In the end, Ezra found more comfort in the forest. The woods provided a welcome respite from all of the clashing sounds and strange customs of so many new people where he doesn't quite feel natural, doesn't quite feel like himself. Better yet, he could find some lingering memory of times spent with his lost father there, and so as the boy grew into a man, he more and more his days went to stalking among the trees, seeking... who knows what as often as he was hunting down the night's supper. Peace. Or a sense of home maybe, except that home no longer really exists. His wandering uncovered long-abandoned places that left him wondering about what was and what could have been, stumbled into secret hiding spots that left him with more questions than they did answers. But at least those long, solitary days tracking a deer through the brush or scouring the ruins along the County's edge made him a fine explorer and an even finer scout. The latter is finally a role he can fill for his family and his House, a convenient middle-ground where he can rest instead of being torn between his unwavering loyalty to them and feeling as though nothing is ever quite still enough for him to settle into for very long. It hardly helps that Riven is changing still, always rushing on like the rivers they're named for. + |
F | |
| Faelan Navegant + | Faelan is neither the oldest, nor the youngest, of Dion and Annika Navegant's children. As such, there was really no expectations placed on him beyond being happy, and allowed to do what he wanted to with his life. Which was sail As a child he would accompany his mother and father out on the ships when they went, explored much of the Mourning Isles this way before many of the boys his age. When he was roughly ten years old he went to foster with Grimhall in some sort of inexplicable agreement that his parents made. Which, ultimately worked out for him for the best. See, Faelan was a little more aggressive, and surprisingly more traditional about some things, like raiding, than the others in Navegant. He ended up flourishing under the guidance of Grimhall, and has in fact spent the last decade of time sailing with them. With the rising trouble in the Darkwater Deep, and the attacks in Arx, he has been called to the capital to aid family and fealty against the Compact's enemies. + |
| Fairen Leary + | Fairen's older sister Hianara was the March. Throughout their childhood, she was an active, aggressive child, with ambitions to leadership, cavalryship, generalship. Fairen studied quietly a lot, and although he enjoyed walking outdoors amidst the trees and occasionally growing things in little garden plots on his own, he was disinterested in most of the rougher games the other children played, finding more solace in books and in the teachings of the priests and in the quiet of the stone passageways beneath the fort. As an adult, the military pursuits that had always intrigued his sister drew Fairen hardly at all. The human drama behind the history of warfare drew his attention far more than anything related to strategy or tactics. Hianara married a young Malvici cousin and began right away on the task of making new heirs only to lose her first two children still in the womb. Fairen was almost married out into the Oathlands due to an arrangement with the Laurents, but it didn't work out for a couple of reasons; the first was that shortly before the treaty signing, Hianara died in a brutal and bloody battle with some Shav'Arvani. So instead the Laurent cousin in question married in instead, tying herself firmly to the new March and essentially proving essential in teaching him to rule and lead. For the first few years of their marriage, their relationship has been one of crisp, competent tolerance, cut with occasional furors of rage-fueled drama and what Fairen testily refers to as "hullaballoo". With the Grayson banners called and war and disaster brewing on the horizon, though, even a kind-of mismatch like Fairen and Iliana must learn to set aside their differences and work together. + |
| Falak A'Sib + | Very little is known about Falak'a'sib, the so called Eye of the Prophet, save that he is a member of the Magisters of the Mirror, and that his arrival in Arx from Eurus was not spotted at all, which makes little sense with how much the tall, crippled Magister of the Mirror would stand out in the city. + |
| Farrah Whitehawk + | 'Born to House Malgentilega - a vassal house under House Pravus - Farrah grew up among the spoiled and feckless youths of high society. Granted every desire, and shielded from the consequences of her mistakes, she didn\'t quite understand life. Her mother died when she was young and her father might have wanted to keep her innocent of the world, but in truth he was inattentive and busy with his own social and financial ambitions. He believed that money was an acceptable substitute for love and did not pay attention to Farrah as long as she did not cause a serious embarrassment for the House. As might be expected, Farrah\'s freewheeling lifestyle led her into trouble. When she was fourteen years old, she was already involved with drinking and carousing with the children of other nobles. By this age she was almost considered an adult and given considerably more freedom than she enjoyed as a child. Her associations and revelries bored her eventually. She sought out more exciting pastimes and found herself gradually associating with a rougher crowd. Many of her friends at this time were nobles also seeking excitement, but into this circle of friends came some who were more interested in her money than her friendship. One of these suggested that thievery would be very exciting and enticed her into the trade. Her early failures were covered over by her family, or by "friends" in high society, and eventually she grew more skilled. But, fate took a hand as she turned nineteen years old. She planned a robbery of a temple, and during this daring raid her partner abandoned her. She was caught and created a tremendous scandal for her family. After paying a hefty fine and receiving widespread scorn, her inattentive father decided she needed to be ironed out with something to keep her out of trouble, and she was given a choice: travel to Tor and agree to study at the renown Apothecary College to learn a craft to worship Jayus and learn some discipline, or be cast out of the family and left to fend for herself as a commoner. To someone like Farrah, it wasn\'t much of a choice. She went to Tor and studied under her strict, no-nonsense uncle for three years. She grew to accept routine and the temptations which usually led her astray were removed. When she returned home her father was delighted by her progress, but Farrah had little interest in becoming a Mercy or scholar and found herself directionless once again. She reacquainted herself with the intrigues of the court, and she kept her eyes and ears open, occasionally selling information to a small group of influential clientele. Eventually, through her contacts and information brokering, she caught the eye of one of Setarco's foremost courtiers. Seeking a new thrill and being naturally suited to the profession, she traveled to Setarco and became a lovely courtier of modest noble birth, much to the chagrin of her parents who wished for her to avoid intrigues that could tempt her into scandal. But at least she was home, and she wasn\'t stealing any more. As far as they knew. House Malgentilega was destroyed along with its liege House Argento by House Pravus for treason in the fall of 1006 AR. While her father was found guilty of the same crimes of his brethren and executed, she and her siblings were given a choice to join him or to bend the knee to the new Count Amadeo due to their blood ties with House Pravus. Farrah wisely decided to do the latter, seeking to stay on House Pravus\'s good side even in spite of the family\'s losses. Farrah began to look for a way to better her social standing among her peers outside of being a courtier, and started marriage negotiations with several prominent families. In the end, however, those within the Lyceum were reluctant to commit so soon after the downfall of Argento and its vassals and Farrah began to look elsewhere. She traveled to Arx and situated herself at court, and eventually she found herself a husband in the newly ennobled Baron Silas Whitehawk.' + |
| Faruq Disowned + | Faruq was born to a long-lived and a fierce line of Ischia corsairs. His father, Abin Faruq, was sword before him and served the Seraceni family with similar tenacity as his son. Although the family was not originally related by blood to the Seracenis, Faruqs ancestors were raised to nobility many generations ago for their loyal service. This is something their branch of the family has been very proud of in their heritage, and now being truly a part of the family The title of Sword has been passed down through six generations of this family. Faruq was taught a blade and expected to continue the line of succession and he has proven worthy of the title and honor. When his father retired following the death of the old Marquis and Marquessa, Faruq took up the responsibility. He is also a capable sailor and commands his own ship and is a feared corsair. Not particularly religious, Faruq finds his own way through duty to his liege and his House. The man took charge of his lieges safety upon the death of the Marquis of Seracenis parents and acted much as an older brother to Dario as the young man came into his own. Faruq's younger sister, Malika is the only other person beside his Marquis that he is deathly loyal to. While he is fond of his brother, Nadir, he cannot help but be a little displeased that the younger man did not follow their family into martial pursuits. + |
| Faruq Seraceni + | Faruq was born to a long-lived and a fierce line of Ischia corsairs. His father, Abin Faruq, was sword before him and served the Seraceni family with similar tenacity as his son. Although the family was not originally related by blood to the Seracenis, Faruqs ancestors were raised to nobility many generations ago for their loyal service. This is something their branch of the family has been very proud of in their heritage, and now being truly a part of the family The title of Sword has been passed down through six generations of this family. Faruq was taught a blade and expected to continue the line of succession and he has proven worthy of the title and honor. When his father retired following the death of the old Marquis and Marquessa, Faruq took up the responsibility. He is also a capable sailor and commands his own ship and is a feared corsair. Not particularly religious, Faruq finds his own way through duty to his liege and his House. The man took charge of his lieges safety upon the death of the Marquis of Seracenis parents and acted much as an older brother to Dario as the young man came into his own. Faruq's younger sister, Malika is the only other person beside his Marquis that he is deathly loyal to. While he is fond of his brother, Nadir, he cannot help but be a little displeased that the younger man did not follow their family into martial pursuits. + |
| Fatima Thrax + | Many would expect Princess Fatima Thrax to be a depressed, somber young woman, haunted by her tragic upbringing. She is more than willing to let anyone think that, and then take advantage of that perception with shameless abandon. The ambitious and ruthless granddaughter of Donrai Thrax certainly would have ample justification to have turned out meek, considering the execution of her father and the banishment of her mother, but perhaps she inherited far too much of the spirit that doomed her parents combined with her grandfather's calculation. Fatima's mother, Princess Marjory Thrax, was no proper Thraxian woman in the eyes of Donrai Thrax. With far too much interest in sailing, Princess Marjory defied her father by accompanying a daring expedition to sail east to the rarely contacted continent of Eurus on a perilous voyage. Worse in the eyes of Fatima's grandfather, not only did Marjory have the temerity to succeed, but she returned with a husband, married without permission of her family, to the exiled Prince Asad of Petrioch, a royal fleeing a lost war of one of the distant Dune Kingdoms of Eurus. Prince Donrai Thrax had little choice but to recognize the marriage of the royals as Marjory was already with child, but it proved short lived- Prince Asad was found complicit in the plotting of the Tyde Rebellion and was executed by House Thrax, and Princess Marjory Thrax was all but exiled, married off to a Lord of House Pravus and unwelcome to the family. Fatima, however, is not bitter that she never really knew her parents. The half-eurusi princess was spoiled constantly by the many servants of House Thrax who sympathized and had loved Princess Marjory and Prince Asad, and she quickly learned how laughably easy it was to twist those sympathies to her own ends while seeming an utterly proper Thrax princess. As the princess grew, sometimes tutored in politics by her heartless grandfather, she saw the awe and sheer respect granted to the highlord by all of his vassals and quickly realized how vulnerable many of those same men were to deft manipulation. And oh, did she grow deft. A true princess of Thrax could never wield political power directly, of course, but why would she ever need to do so? The games are so much more entertaining with her controlling the pieces indirectly. + |
| Fawkes Laurent + | Growing up as the oldest son there was a lot that was expected of him. Having grown up in the Laurent holdings of Artshall, Fawkes, like the rest of his family, took part in the business of breeding and selling horses. A family business which his own Father and Grandfather had started. Fawkes would argue that he knew how to ride long before he knew how to walk, and might actually feel more comfortable on the back of a horse than on his own two feet in some situations. His father joined the military, while Fawkes was still young, giving the boy something more than horse breeding to fill his dreams with. Dreams of combat, fighting, sword play, and all those other adventurous, romantic notions that a child might have of what it means being an Oathlander, being a knight, being a soldier. His father eventually died in battle, leaving to to fall upon his shoulders to step up and be the man of the family. Upon hearing of his father's death, Timothy Laurent, whom only ever came to his father when his steed needed care beyond that of what his stable hands were capable of, took pity on the family and offered Fawkes the chance to become his squire, giving the family another source of income and greater social backing should they have need of it. While still alive his father would often return home from war and encourage Fawkes' dreams of joining the cavalry and becoming a knight; taking a hand in teaching him to wield a weapon, or to behave in the way many felt appropriate for a knight, or future knight. Upon being given that offer by Timothy, Fawkes at first tried turning it down, saying he needed to stay and help out his family, but it was his mother who nudged the young man into accepting and being able to actually chase after his dream. His time with Timothy was spent training to be part of the Laurent cavalry, and learning the ways of being a knight. Another war broke out in the region during this time, forcing Fawkes to join in the fighting alongside Timothy. Fortunately the campaign was short lived and successful, after which, Timothy having been impressed by Fawke's deeds worked to finish his training and further the process of getting him knighted. + |
| Fawkuhl Valardin + | Younger children of great houses that are extremely unlikely to ever sit as high lord are often encouraged to pursue other avenues for power for their families, and Fawkuhl felt an extremely early drive to make his mark in the Faith of the Pantheon. A precocious child that was marked by an early fervor for the Faith and the theology behind the different gods, he became a priest of the Pantheon while still a teenager. Even though in theory all priests of the Pantheon are equal and renounce their ties to their families as they take their vows, being the younger brother of a high lord cleared the way inside an institution that had historically been dominated by House Valardin. A popular, effective orator that was well regarded, he was still a surprise nomination for Dominus by the Legates when the previous elderly Dominus died of heart failure, but not before specifically adopting Fawkuhl as a protege and saying he 'saw the mark of the gods in him'. He was appointed Dominus unanimously by the Convocation of the Faith. + |
| Faye Ruger + | Despite growing up a commoner, Faye Ruger was treated with a degree of respect and even fear that she never could grow accustomed to. The daughter of the previous Master of Questions of the Inquisition, her father was responsible for ferreting out the threats to the Compact and bringing the enemies of the Crown to justice, and Faye quickly learned as a child just how feared the Inquisition truly was. It pained her to see innocent men and women legitimately afraid of the institution, and deeply offended her that some would imagine that her good and honorable father would be capable of the kind of arbitrary maliciousness that some ascribe to the Crown's investigative arm. Certainly the Inquisition has to make difficult, even cruel choices at times for the good of everyone, but she never saw her father be capricious or unjust, and she grew up expecting to follow in his footsteps to safeguard the Realm. Her father Berthold Ruger's death a decade ago solidified that vague expectation into a burning desire, and there's perhaps no more dedicated investigator inside the entire Inquisition. Certainly that's what her partner and constant companion Prince Laric Grayson feels about her, with his freewheeling and imaginative nature a perfect match for her dedicated, calculating resolve. It's not easy, and she's had to do plenty of things to protect the realm that can make one lose sleep at night, but this is what she was born to do. + |
| Fecundo Rubino-Zaffria + | Fecundo has a good sense of humor about his name. His mother named him thus because she had so much trouble getting pregnant that she was certain he would be her only child, and thus he would need to give her all of the grandchildren in the world. Naturally, his younger sister Miranda was born not even two years later. Nevertheless, in his mother's mind, he was the perfect child, the favored one, and the world revolved around him, and anything Fecundo wanted he could have. This might have ruined someone less good-natured than he, but despite being spoiled, Fecundo is a charming and friendly sort. As a boy, he traveled to Southport to train militarily with his father's family. Before he left, his mother made sure he had the best armor and the best weapons a boy could possibly want. Yet he wrote home at least three times, begging for another sword, claiming his had broken. In reality, he'd given them away to fellow squires who were not as fortunate as he because he knew his wealthy mother would indulge him in anything he asked. He had to swear his little sister to secrecy so that she wouldn't squeal on him, but since he presented her with one of the nicer swords, she was quite mollified and has kept his secrets to this day. Fecundo sought out the knighthood because he thought it would be an opportunity to learn new and interesting things. He went with Gemecitta's troops to Setarco and saw some awesomely weird things, so he's quite interested and very excited about seeing more of the world. One of the reasons he set out for Arx was because there are so many bastions of learning there -- and it was also an excellent opportunity to get away from his stifling crazy mother. Good with a sword and a bit of a show-off, he's always kind to those in need. He's slightly overwhelmed at the number of opportunities available in Arx, but he's drawn to the throngs of people and the endless possibilities. + |
| Fecundo Valardin + | Fecundo has a good sense of humor about his name. His mother named him thus because she had so much trouble getting pregnant that she was certain he would be her only child, and thus he would need to give her all of the grandchildren in the world. Naturally, his younger sister Miranda was born not even two years later. Nevertheless, in his mother's mind, he was the perfect child, the favored one, and the world revolved around him, and anything Fecundo wanted he could have. This might have ruined someone less good-natured than he, but despite being spoiled, Fecundo is a charming and friendly sort. As a boy, he traveled to Southport to train militarily with his father's family. Before he left, his mother made sure he had the best armor and the best weapons a boy could possibly want. Yet he wrote home at least three times, begging for another sword, claiming his had broken. In reality, he'd given them away to fellow squires who were not as fortunate as he because he knew his wealthy mother would indulge him in anything he asked. He had to swear his little sister to secrecy so that she wouldn't squeal on him, but since he presented her with one of the nicer swords, she was quite mollified and has kept his secrets to this day. Fecundo sought out the knighthood because he thought it would be an opportunity to learn new and interesting things. He went with Gemecitta's troops to Setarco and saw some awesomely weird things, so he's quite interested and very excited about seeing more of the world. One of the reasons he set out for Arx was because there are so many bastions of learning there -- and it was also an excellent opportunity to get away from his stifling crazy mother. Good with a sword and a bit of a show-off, he's always kind to those in need. He's slightly overwhelmed at the number of opportunities available in Arx, but he's drawn to the throngs of people and the endless possibilities. + |
| Felicia Harrow + | With ancestors who were Prodigal and growing up in the Lower Boroughs, life was far from easy for Felicia. Despite the hardships that the family faced, she and her ancestors did willingly serve the Crown in the form of the Iron Guard. Her great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, all the way down to Felicia and one of her other siblings. Service has been something which the family has conducted with stringent adherence to the simple concept: to integrate and find acceptance, one must be willing to serve. And serve the family has, for a number of generations in concurrence. It was only recent history when a fire broke out in the Ward of the Crown one evening while Felicia and a small number of the Iron Guard were on patrol. A home within the palace's ward was on fire and the majority of the Iron Guard in her presence froze. Notably at least one of them ran off to raise the alarm, but the rest stood marvelling at the flames. Felicia didn't have time for that, she wanted to get home and attend to her little garden, and have a stiff drink. She put boot to door and disappeared inside. Over the course of nearly ten minutes and multiple trips, Felicia was able to recover at least a half dozen nobles from indoors ranging from small children to adults. Covered in soot and reeking of smoke, Felicia had put herself at enormous personal risk on a whim. As happens when people of merit put themselves at risk for little noticeable gain, it gained the notice of some. In this case it was someone intimately familiar with the Ward of the Crown and that at least held a tacit relationship with the Iron Guard through mutual service. The First Captain at the time of the King's Own, Rymarr, reached out to Felicia. An offer was made, an offer was questioned. She was no knight and the King's Own were a collection of talented knights of varying degrees of skill but most assuredly known for their many acts of bravery and valor throughout the centuries. Rudimentary training was provided by a number of noteworthy names within the King's Own, prior to Felicia taking her oath. Bringing her to speed for the Silver Swords, instilling in her the importance of their duty, their professionalism, and ultimately the demand for their unified front again threats to the Crown. The price was high, without a doubt, but Felicia became Dame Felicia Harrow. Cast aside some of her obligations and ties beyond the King's Own, but in doing so earned the ability to call herself a knight of the King's Own. Which has also had the fortunate side effect of rarely wanting for at least basic needs. The palace baths? Too die for. Palace food? Amazing. The past few months has been completely worth the need to lay her life on the line in protection of the Sovereign. + |
| Felix Meadson + | Felix's mother was a barwench, and his father the bartender of a lower class hole in the Thraxian capital city. Everyone assumed Felix would become your typical ne'er-do-well, or wretch of a human being. No one expected a damned thing from him. Except one person. That one person saved Felix from a destiny of mediocrity and made him great. Everyone called him Ol' Jann. Most considered him to have the illustrious title of the Town Drunk or Crazy Old Man. He was the butt of jokes, the cautionary tale, and the constant in a seaside town full of fishermen. No one knew how old he was, but he was always there. Felix was just a kid, not old enough to hold a broom when he came upon Ol' Jann, sleeping it off in the waste behind the tavern. Felix watched him for a little while, before getting his stuffed animal and tucking it under the man's arm. Ol' Jann woke up as Felix was walking away and called after the boy. He had an old, old stuffed bear in his pack, and asked Felix if he wanted to hear a story. Ol' Jann told the best stories. Stories of glory days, of mighty battles, pirates, reaving up and down the coasts. He told stories of the mighty weapons, the heroes of legends, the great and the gory. Felix ate everyone up. He loved the stories, would often act out his favorite parts, much to the old man's amusement. He used sticks as weapons and one day, confided that he wished he could afford a real sword, so he could be a real pirate. Ol' Jann said four words that changed his life forever. "So make one, boy." Make one. So simple, so brilliant. Felix watched a blacksmith through the window one night, and thought it looked pretty easy. He snuck in and started pounding, which obviously woke up the blacksmith. Even more obviously, he was pretty angry, but saw what this kid had done, and how quickly, he cuffed the boy on the ear, told him he was doing it wrong, and showed him how. The blacksmith saw what Ol' Jann saw. There was something about this kid. Felix caught on quickly, and within the first year of his apprenticeship, the local garrison would only get their weapons repaired by the blacksmith and Felix. By the fifth year, the Commander of the garrison commissioned a weapon from Felix specifically. Soon after, the Royal Family commissioned swords from the boy, and moved him to Arx, to tend and craft for the royals there. Three months into his apprenticeship, Felix crafted his first blade, fashioned after a story Ol' Jann told about his very first sword. It was a plain thing, but heavy and sharp, and the boy rushed to present it to the old man who kept him from a life of nothingness. He found him in bed. Ol' Jann looked at the boy, and looked at the sword. He smiled, patted his hand, and then died, a look of pride on his face. Felix didn't cry. Thrax men don't cry. He left his sword under Ol' Jann's arm. The whole town showed up for the funeral of the man that had always been there, and to this day, they tell the story of the fine sword he went to the sea with, and the boy who made it. Felix never tells that story, only the ones he collects now, knowing how the world can change, because of them. + |
| Fenia Unknown + | A wanderer, Farmhand, Traveling companion of a minstrel, and village midwife for a time. Can ride well and is a decent shot with a bow and arrow, oddly enough, but her main talent is in persuasion and a knack for planning. + |
| Fergus Redrain + | Few warriors in the Northlands had as bright and promising start as Prince Fergus Redrain. Wild, bold, and a natural born talent with a blade, the prince accompanied high lord Sherrod Redrain on his first campaigns against the shavs, letting the the young man win the acclaim of his uncle and liege in battle. At first, Fergus loved the wars, winning the renown for his talents and ferocity and delighting in the honors heaped upon him, even as he was named Sword of Farhaven and champion of House Redrain. Fergus always expected the first few victories against worthy foes would be the end of it, but there never was an end. Battles dragged on, he lost more and more friends, and started to see things he had turned a blind eye to or did things he deeply regrets. Then he served with Duke Vercyn in some of the most brutal and bloody campaigns, helping 'the hungry wolf' crush some of the worst enemies in the Northlands in ways few couldn't label atrocities. That was enough to get Fergus to swear off the blade, and talented champion or no, he wanted nothing more to do with it and turned his uncle down on an offer to come to Arx, preferring to live a quiet existence up in Farhaven. And now there's more guilt for Fergus to live with. The retired champion was in Farhaven during the King's Rest, when forces unknown slew Prince Sherrod Redrain and put the king of the entire Compact into a coma. Fergus was arguably the strongest warrior in the entire north, the Sword of Farhaven, and he wasn't there. He should have been, he hates that he wasn't, but now there's no helping it. He's taken the sword again, and headed south to help his cousin Prince Darren, the new Prince of Farhaven and high lord of House Redrain. He doesn't even know who is responsible yet or who he'll be fighting, but all he can hope is he gets a chance to make amends for what's gone before. + |
| Ferrando Artiglio + | The Lyceum is renowned (infamous, from some perspectives) for its cultural bent towards a certain pragmatic flexibility in comparison to the rest of the Compact's norms and traditions. Every culture has its outliers, however, and Ferrando to his mild chagrin has turned out to be one of them. It's not that he doesn't take pride in being a Lenosian or love and appreciate his family. He is simply the kind of confident idealist that will stand up for what he thinks is right no matter the odds, and thusly is absolutely terrible at the hallmark pragmatic flexibility of the south. Growing up as an Artiglio and a prodigiously big, tough, and strong one at that, it was only natural that like his famed Captain of the Guard uncle Giovanni he would be fast tracked into the Lenosian Guard himself. Not only just because he was big, tough, and strong, but because it was also fairly clear early on that he did not have a merchant's aptitude for either wheeling or dealing or maximizing profit margins in general. Unfortunately, his tenure in the Guard was largely a debacle in the end. It wasn't because he wasn't any good at being a guard, per se; he took to armsmanship like a prodigy and went on longer patrols and worked harder than anyone. What he wasn't very good at, however, was following rules and authority. Or rather, he was when he thought they were good rules and good orders but unhesitantly went off-script when he didn't. The Guard was there to keep order, Ferrando was there to help people and lay the smack down on anybody who tried getting rough, and if that resulted in slightly less order on balance he was not bothered by it at all. He simply wasn't having any part of participating in the casual corruption or letting the minions of powerful people get away with things. Needless to say, this sort of loose cannon cop do-gooding did not exactly play well with either the criminal gangs or his superiors and Ferrando racked up a collection of immensely irritated enemies in a few short years. It was at this point that the Artiglios decided to pull some strings before Ferrando pushed somebody too far, and so he was for all practical intents and purposes kicked out of the Guard and sent to Arx. Ironically enough, he quickly thrived in Arx. As per usual, his sticking up for random strangers earned him a job when he came across someone being threatened by a minor noble and intimidated the noble into backing off. Said someone turned out to be a Whisper, and just like that he was a "remedial etiquette instructor" (i.e. bouncer) at the Whisper House with a steady salary and an excellently furnished suite to stay in, and from there soon enough rose to be the House's head of security. For a time, he also held a bit of a side hustle/hobby of "independent security consultant" (i.e. bodyguard) on a few expeditions here and there, but the return of Skald to the Pantheon of the Faith filled a hole he was never quite able to articulate before; the primacy of choices, and the importance of choosing to being true to yourself no matter if it means you stand alone. He became one of the founding Liberators of the Discipleship of Skald, and often spends time at the shrine having found it a way to help people that doesn't necessarily oblige him to intimidate bad guys (or punch them in the face) in the process. He also met the fiery forgemistress Eithne Thornburn, and over time ended up settling down with her to raise their daughter Carson together. It's an unconventional path for a kid from Lenosia, but he's made it work out, and it's worked out rather well for him at that. + |
| Ferris Ulbran + | Born an Ulbran on the streets of the Lowers, Ferris soon proved that he was never going to be a pickpocket or a sneak thief, and temperamentally he just wasn't suited to the criminal life - so his mother found him an apprenticeship with a smith, and he found himself enjoying it. After mostly churning out nails for the dockyards for a few years, he decided to take to the road and learn more; nails became horseshoes, arrow heads and tools, and Ferris wandered the breadth of Arvum as a travelling smith. After the first few crude bits of plate armour left his anvil he realised that that was what he most enjoyed making, and sought further training; after spending time with the armies of various Highlords, and more importantly with their smiths, he found himself supplying the soldiers retaking Bastion. In the wake of that conflict - and with a good purse of money in his favour - he's returned to Arx to rejoin the family and set up shop as a professional armoursmith. After all, everyone knows how much money you can make in Arx if you're good enough, and Ferris is entirely confident that he's good enough. + |
| Fiachra Greenmarch + | With a father crippled in battle prior to his birth, and a mother who fell to illness when he was but five, Fiachra grew up with the kind of fierce independence expected from those who had self-responsibility thrust upon them from youth. He always had a strong affinity for the Greenwood, and came to know its paths and all the variety of flora and fauna that called it home. Over time, he became a skilled woodsman and aided in the defence of the lands that his clan had held for centuries against all threats. Honestly, he probably would have been content living out his days there, but change is inevitable, especially as a nephew of the Greenmarch chief, Marcel. When the Greenmarch Abandoned bent their knee and became members of the Compact, the ability to be flexible in one's worldview became a trait necessary for survival. In truth, of all his immediate family members, it's probably his younger sister that most embodies that particular quality. She's headed now to Arx to embrace this new world of opportunity that has opened up to them, and their father has tasked Fiachra with accompanying Eirlys to keep watch over her. + |
| Fiachra Valardin + | With a father crippled in battle prior to his birth, and a mother who fell to illness when he was but five, Fiachra grew up with the kind of fierce independence expected from those who had self-responsibility thrust upon them from youth. He always had a strong affinity for the Greenwood, and came to know its paths and all the variety of flora and fauna that called it home. Over time, he became a skilled woodsman and aided in the defence of the lands that his clan had held for centuries against all threats. Honestly, he probably would have been content living out his days there, but change is inevitable, especially as a nephew of the Greenmarch chief, Marcel. When the Greenmarch Abandoned bent their knee and became members of the Compact, the ability to be flexible in one's worldview became a trait necessary for survival. In truth, of all his immediate family members, it's probably his younger sister that most embodies that particular quality. She's headed now to Arx to embrace this new world of opportunity that has opened up to them, and their father has tasked Fiachra with accompanying Eirlys to keep watch over her. + |
| Fianna Crovane + | Fianna was an impish child that delighted in jokes and pranks of a good-natured variety. She was instilled with a love of nature and animals from a young age by her family. While her older brothers were training with swords and axes, young Fianna could be found playing with the hunting dogs, visiting the stables, or climbing trees in the forest. There many an afternoon when her family would be forced into an impromptu game of hide and seek to coax her indoors for meals. As she grew however, her hoydenish ways became tempered as she spent more and more time working with the animals of Crovane. Her favorite lessons came from the stablemaster, learning to tame and train new horses, and later, how to breed them. Even as her eldest brother took on the mantle of Duke, Fianna stuck to her own little world of hunting and training animals. When Somhairle died and Asger was elevated to the title, she made him a promise that she would breed and train the best warhorses and hunting dogs in all of Arvum. Its a promise that she has worked hard to keep ever since. When her home was threatened by dark forces, she sent her beloved animals to the Ducal estate in Arx, hoping for a quick resolution so she could return to her self-appointed task. With Stormall in ashes, the young noblewoman finds herself shellshocked and making her way south to Arx. + |
| Fianna Volkov + | Fianna was an impish child that delighted in jokes and pranks of a good-natured variety. She was instilled with a love of nature and animals from a young age by her family. While her older brothers were training with swords and axes, young Fianna could be found playing with the hunting dogs, visiting the stables, or climbing trees in the forest. There many an afternoon when her family would be forced into an impromptu game of hide and seek to coax her indoors for meals. As she grew however, her hoydenish ways became tempered as she spent more and more time working with the animals of Crovane. Her favorite lessons came from the stablemaster, learning to tame and train new horses, and later, how to breed them. Even as her eldest brother took on the mantle of Duke, Fianna stuck to her own little world of hunting and training animals. When Somhairle died and Asger was elevated to the title, she made him a promise that she would breed and train the best warhorses and hunting dogs in all of Arvum. Its a promise that she has worked hard to keep ever since. When her home was threatened by dark forces, she sent her beloved animals to the Ducal estate in Arx, hoping for a quick resolution so she could return to her self-appointed task. With Stormall in ashes, the young noblewoman finds herself shellshocked and making her way south to Arx. + |
| Fidel Charon + | Lord Fidel Threerivers' childhood was defined by the beginning of his lifelong fascination with shamanism. Where did that fascination begin? Well, that's guaranteed to be a good story if the way the Threerivers' older generation quickly smiles, deflects, and pivots on to the next topic is any indication. Or, for that matter, the handful of his early years where not a single one of them, not even his father the late Count of Highrock, deign to mention him in their white journals at all. Those minor details aside, he seems to have had a productive adolescence and spent years traveling throughout the northlands with a more worldly aunt, acquainting himself with the land and its people, not that he ever became a shaman. They tended to find his interest uncomfortable, if not altogether off-putting. By sheer dumb luck or some vague misfortune, Lord Fidel was away from Highrock when the short but bloody conflict with House Bellerive began, serving as a wilderness guide for Scholars studying unique fauna a month out from his ancestral home, only returning as the last body was buried beneath the earth. The weeks following were something of a helpless whirlwind for poor Fidel. Uninvolved as he was in governance due to certain gaps in his education, Fidel found himself losing his cool more than once in angry tirades and rants that likely complicated the peacemaking process rather than bringing his feuding older siblings back together in friendship as he would have liked. Before long, he found himself swept away to the newly founded House Charon to serve as his sister Magaen's advisor on all matters pertaining the superstitious common-folk of their new holding. Not that he prescribes to any of it himself, of course! Let's change the subject, shall we? + |
| Filshiar Shieldborne + | Filshiar was a third son of a second son, and in many respects, no one special. His mother was a blacksmith who worked long hours at her smithy, serving the scouts of Farhaven and the knights of the House of Redrain; his father was a shaman and a healer who worked closely with the Mercies of Lagoma at Farhaven. As a boy, he trained aggressively, showing early aptitude for the blade. He was the strongest of the young boys his age, consistently; the fastest, consistently; and a stalwart influence on the youth and the squires who trained together. He was a firm hand to keep the strong from mocking the weak, gently insistent and too large and disciplined even in youth for even the sharpest young bully to defy him. It was this consistent attitude, as well as his strengths in the practice yard, that drew the attention of the knight who eventually took him on as squire. The boy whose instincts are to protect the weak until they grow stronger is a good boy to train. He spent long hours in the wilds as a squire and scout, listening carefully to the forest and learning the ways in snow or sunshine. He was never particularly boisterous, inclined to an introverted reserve, but his smile was always warm, and he made strong connections with the other squires, and as he grew older, with the other knights. His aptitude could not be denied. He was strong, and fast, and sure; and more than that, he was dedicated. He was a warrior, and an able one, who proved himself time and time again in the practice yard, and whose swordwork left nothing to be denied in the field, either. Filshiar drew many eyes by virtue of his prowess in the field and by virtue of his looks, but though he was not averse to warming the bed of this person or that, he found true connection elusive. The grand passion and romance of the storybook was simply not to be found for him in the arms of a pretty maid or a rough young scout, no matter how he tried, and he found that it made less heartbreak for others if he began to turn down advances. He focused on service and spent more time walking alone in the woods, listening to the sound of the wind in the trees, and thinking about how it could sound like music. He was in his twenties by the time he was assigned to travel to the South, part of Prince Darren's detachment to Arx, and bore quiet witness to many strange and interesting things. Already tested at the time of the siege of the Silence, he made himself impossible to overlook in battle against the Bringers, in an epic fight that should have been his last stand but for a combination of his abilities and some damned good luck. It was not the first or last time he would distinguish himself before the eyes of the Compact, but it was certainly one of the most memorable, and after it, the first overture was made to suggest that he might -- maybe, just maybe -- have the stuff to serve as a Knight of the King's Own. Someday. Someday came sooner than expected when a series of events and circumstances led him to take a warrior's samaritan aid to the King's Own in holding a bridge, during an attempt upon the life of His Majesty staged by corrupt influences within His Majesty's Inquisition. It was after that fateful day that Filshiar shyly accepted and took oath with the finest knights in Arvum. + |
| Filusae Tyde + | As a very young child the memory of screaming, jostling and the scent of just everything that can burn blazing away - Filusae still stares into the dark at night, remembering the dim gloom of days being carried away by frantic hands and a trembling voice she can only remember as Mother's. The sound of cracked lightning and feeling constantly soaked upon a small, questionable vessel through dark waters and heavy rains. Clammy hands, attempting to be comforting only creating a more horrifying experience to gaze upon a once serene face tear-stained with pale hair disheveled. Where was father? What was happening? The capacity to understand escaped her, only to be brought to light as she grew in the home of her Mother's inlaws, among House Groverfield, far from the destruction of the Sack of Tydehall and the fall of House Tyde. Murmurs through the years from her mother revealed that maybe it could have all been different if her grandfather were alive, were there. While the years passed by, Filusae was brought up fairly sheltered but well educated in things that brought her interest, taking a past-time in collecting objects that would shine or make pleasant sounds she naturally found an appreciation for coin and dealing with it. Only twice did those in the home she was raised by and with attempt to take her near the docks and ships, ending in a wildly violent exchange with some staggering away nursing scratched arms or a face. The absolute panic of being so near a ship for so little a reason as 'a fun trip' did not strike her well; Maybe just being at the docks would not have been so bad were it not for the intent to convince her to board the vile ship for such an unacceptable reason. Maybe were it to visit a pen-pal, one of two she would have been encouraged to try. Maybe. Recently a worn-looking old man has come to the door, blue eyes as so many. She shut the door in his face, a hint of unease settling over her. Only later to find the very same man in the parlor with her mother looking pale and confused... What grandfather? Who? That man would be ancient and was supposed to be long-assumed dead. + |
| Fiora Laurent + | Fiora is the eldest child of Lord Romeo Malvici, the younger brother of Duchess Adona Malvici and consequently the first cousin of the sitting Duke. Her childhood, for the most part, was consistent with those of most noble children - save for the Malvici fixation on martial pursuits, unique within the houses of the Lyceum. Fiora discovered early she had neither the bulk nor the drive to become a conventional sword and board warrior, and instead began to focus her training on archery and fencing with lighter blades and armor. She was naturally nimble, with the nearly poetic grace of a cat, and her regime was tailored to take advantage of such natural talent. When it rains, however, it pours. Her mother passed after a difficult birthing of a set of twins when she was nine, and a war between her family and the Fidantes engulfed Southport shortly afterward. Her father fell in one of the ensuing battles and she was nearly killed after a poorly thought out quest for vengeance. By age twelve, she was a significantly more sullen girl. She took her vow to mother to look after her siblings to heart, but it was difficult to do in lieu of her own emotional turmoil, especially as a teenager. No one doubted her intentions were noble, but she lashed out frequently, in public and in private. Adulthood has given her more patience and a longer perspective, but the hurt little girl is still there beneath the surface, seething and threatening to come out when she becomes overwhelmed. She is an enigmatic combination of ice and fire, and nobody is quite sure if there's more of one or the other. She served dutifully as a Voice for House Malvici for many years before the completion of the Great Road brought about a series of tense and uncomfortable situations along the border of the Oathlands and Lyceum. It was in the resolution of those burgeoning brushfire wars that she became better acquainted with the leadership of House Laurent, the Malvici's neighbor to the west. A marriage of duty was forged between herself and one of the many perfectly acceptable (and perfectly dull and utterly obsessed with horses) cousins of the duke. Since then she's been known as Lady Fiora Laurent and enjoys a position of trust within her married family. Sadly, her husband was one of those lost in an attack upon the keep that saw not only his death, but that of the duchess and several other nobles of the house. + |
| Fiora Malvici + | Fiora is the eldest child of Lord Romeo Malvici, the younger brother of Duchess Adona Malvici and consequently the first cousin of the sitting Duke. Her childhood, for the most part, was consistent with those of most noble children - save for the Malvici fixation on martial pursuits, unique within the houses of the Lyceum. Fiora discovered early she had neither the bulk nor the drive to become a conventional sword and board warrior, and instead began to focus her training on archery and fencing with lighter blades and armor. She was naturally nimble, with the nearly poetic grace of a cat, and her regime was tailored to take advantage of such natural talent. When it rains, however, it pours. Her mother passed after a difficult birthing of a set of twins when she was nine, and a war between her family and the Fidantes engulfed Southport shortly afterward. Her father fell in one of the ensuing battles and she was nearly killed after a poorly thought out quest for vengeance. By age twelve, she was a significantly more sullen girl. She took her vow to mother to look after her siblings to heart, but it was difficult to do in lieu of her own emotional turmoil, especially as a teenager. No one doubted her intentions were noble, but she lashed out frequently, in public and in private. Adulthood has given her more patience and a longer perspective, but the hurt little girl is still there beneath the surface, seething and threatening to come out when she becomes overwhelmed. She is an enigmatic combination of ice and fire, and nobody is quite sure if there's more of one or the other. She served dutifully as a Voice for House Malvici for many years before the completion of the Great Road brought about a series of tense and uncomfortable situations along the border of the Oathlands and Lyceum. It was in the resolution of those burgeoning brushfire wars that she became better acquainted with the leadership of House Laurent, the Malvici's neighbor to the west. A marriage of duty was forged between herself and one of the many perfectly acceptable (and perfectly dull and utterly obsessed with horses) cousins of the duke. Since then she's been known as Lady Fiora Laurent and enjoys a position of trust within her married family. Sadly, her husband was one of those lost in an attack upon the keep that saw not only his death, but that of the duchess and several other nobles of the house. + |
| Flavien Laurent + | Flavien was born second to an offshoot of the Laurent clan. While his older sister Lireth focused on the more political arts, Flavien was given to train as a knight to an elderly sort young. While no less grueling a curriculum, Sir Jarrek focused on imparting his wisdom to his student. As such, Flavien ended up being caught up in more intellectual pursuits by and large than the wars occurring around. While off handling some minor skirmish off for his mentor, there was some oddity at the family home. When his sister fell ill unders strange circumstances, he begged to be let back. While there were strange rumors surrounding the illness, an execution of a suitor presumably poisoning the woman seemed to allow her to come back to full health. At such a point, however, Flavien was asked to move on from this service. As such he petitioned a relative, Cristoph, to come and serve under this branch of the family should he have him. + |
| Flora Sanna + | A younger daughter of a lesser line out of Giant's Reach, Flora was called, young, to the Pantheon, in a holding that where shamanism was predominant. It wasn't that Flora felt any need to neglect the spirits particularly, but somehow she knew, Knew, with a whole heart, very young, that the gods were real, were necessary, were critical to her existence. Of course-- especially young children in an area of the North that could be scrappy, well, she ended up in a lot of ... scrappy little fights. Young and fierce, she drew the attention of a knight who was there with an entourage of Oathlanders who were seeking to potentially court one of the Marquis's family for a marriage alliance, and somehow, what with one thing and another, it was agreed that she would squire for him. Flora worked very hard as a squire, in service to Gloria and the Sentinel. It was the culmination of her life's work and her life's faith when she finally was sworn a knight before the Grandmaster of the Templars. She is still young and new to this career, but loves it with the fullness of her heart. + |
| Flynt Myrt + | Son of a commoner, who enlisted on a merchant ship and sailed the world in order to escape abuse at home. + |
| Forato Fidante + | Born a Fidante 23 long years ago, this lad fell into the hands of a southern tribe of Abandoned during the Tor-Southport war when but a toddler. Sold as a slave for a few years he ended up in the service of a Witch Doctor who was steeped in the Demonic traditions. While never truly allowed to forget his place as a slave, he gained great knowledge of the enemies of the Compact, of their religions and their tactics. For some reason the Witch kept him always near but never allowed him to be taught any vocation other than that of a menial servant. When found and rescued in a raid only a year ago, the young Fidante finds himself in a world he had only really been able to imagine, or dream of based on his most distant memories. Now suddenly a noble, instead of a slave. The fated Fidante has his future to find. + |
| Ford Kennex + | Sent away at an relatively early age to school and study in both Southern and Oathland cities, Ford gained unique and certain sensibilities from those 'mainlanders'. It is there he learned the nuances of politics and how to present one's self. It's also where he didn't grow the prickly, stereotypical Thrax exterior and interior. In a way he's a child of two worlds. This, was by the design of his father, Denholm Kennex knew what Thrax politics were like. His father knew that Thrax begets Thrax in an ever spinning wheel. So Denholm endeavored to take the Thrax out of his son, he needed a Thrax that wasn't Thrax to rule Stormward. And that's exactly what he got. When Ford returned to Stormward after word his father had passed in his sleep, the hold itself was already being courted for coup by an overeager captain with ambitions far larger than his status. The captain having positioned his ships in a way to blockade Stormward from the rest of the world. It's unknown precisely what happened, but within a week's time, the captain and all his ships had disappeared. While it was initially thought the would-be usurper and his cohorts had fled, months passed with no trace of them, and servants in Stormwald have refused to ever speak of what occurred. + |
| Fortescue Antoni + | Fortescue was born the middle child of three to a close side branch of the Antoni merchant family in Southport. Due to the family's relative privilege as commoners, he was afforded a solid education. He never worried about going hungry, always had a warm bed and a roof overhead. In fact, if you ask him, the great tragedy of his life was how utterly predictable and unmysterious his early years were. But things get hazy around his 14th birthday. He started realizing he could trade information for favors among the customers at his mother's shop. And then he ran afoul of the son of a smuggling operation, which - perhaps luckily - resulted in him being recruited to their cause for a little while. When he turned 16, his father enrolled him in the Southport Academy for military training in an attempt to straighten him out. It was a dismal failure. While he gained only minimal military prowess during his time at the academy, Fortescue did have the opportunity to meet Lord Martino Malvici. Seeing some potential in him, Martino agreed to take Fortescue on as a student once he completed the requisite two years at the academy. The Malvici lord brought the merchant's son in as one of the stewards and coached him on improving the skills he would need. It wasn't long after that Martino took on Lady Medeia Saik as a student, as well. In a wondrous turn of events, Fortescue and Medeia got along great! While Medeia stayed in Saikland Greens and only visited Southport on occasion, the pair exchanged friendly letters to help one another through various concerns about their studies or challenges they were facing. It took several more years, but when Medeia was called to Arx by her baroness, Martino saw the Saik Lady would bee in need of a solid assistant - who better than someone who already understood her? So, he arranged for Fortescue to travel to the city, too. With the pair reunited, they got right to work, with him supporting her efforts to host exciting events, keep a finger on the pulse of the city, and pitching in with the Saik staff. With Medeia poised to marry out, and the timely departure of the former head of staff of Saik Tower, Fortescue has found a new role to step into. How will the city treat him, now? + |
| Fortunato Grayhope + | Fortunato has always been a watcher and a sketcher, although the compulsive drawing was less charming on the household walls. And compulsive curiosity is not always charming when it involves prying into the kind of everyday secrets adults keep from children. But Fortunato survived childhood and his artistic skill got him an apprenticeship quite early. That he then learned what he thought he could from his mentor and promptly struck out on his own may be a factor in being less than financially successful. Fortunato remains on the periphery, if it's an oddly well-connected, adventuresome periphery. (Rumor has it he even ineffectually went after a Bringer or two with his staff.) Other than producing the occasional art show or temple mural, his primary public role is that of a disciple of Lagoma, and he does find fulfillment in helping people with the shifts and storms of their lives. For all his drive to know and experience, he seems to lack any ambition for personal advancement, anywhere. All that matters is the next epiphany, either for him or someone else. + |
| Fortunato Whisper + | Fortunato has always been a watcher and a sketcher, although the compulsive drawing was less charming on the household walls. And compulsive curiosity is not always charming when it involves prying into the kind of everyday secrets adults keep from children. But Fortunato survived childhood and his artistic skill got him an apprenticeship quite early. That he then learned what he thought he could from his mentor and promptly struck out on his own may be a factor in being less than financially successful. Fortunato remains on the periphery, if it's an oddly well-connected, adventuresome periphery. (Rumor has it he even ineffectually went after a Bringer or two with his staff.) Other than producing the occasional art show or temple mural, his primary public role is that of a disciple of Lagoma, and he does find fulfillment in helping people with the shifts and storms of their lives. For all his drive to know and experience, he seems to lack any ambition for personal advancement, anywhere. All that matters is the next epiphany, either for him or someone else. + |
| Franco Gilden + | Originally, Franco's family might've carried high hopes for him. He was far from the ruling line and didn't need to worry about a place of power, but he was intelligent and quick-witted enough to incite hopes of being someone truly accomplished. But too many pressures, too much fighting, and too many expectations finally began to take a toll on him. When he finally got his first taste of freedom - he took it and didn't look back. Signing up with an unruly crew of mercenaries, Franco's price for such a lifestyle was integrating himself into the darker rungs of society and travelling wherever the next wind would carry him. His contact with his family during those days were minimal, but he never completely lost touch. Stefano's understanding of his own wanderlust cemented a bond between them, even if they were rarely compared. When Alessandra disappeared and the guards that served her, obligation finally steered him closer to his roots. The death of the Archduchess Esera and the darkness hounding the walls of Arx had him abandon his more selfish intents and travel to Arx. He's picked up a variety of skills along his unconventional path, but intends to use them now to help safeguard his family. Maybe some sense of obligation reawakened in him with the recent strife. The surge of excitement in the City isn't likely to have dissuaded him near as much as it has drawn him back in, though whether or not he'll forever be able to steer away more selfish intents may prove difficult. + |
| Fray Tirkah + | Fray was born and experienced their early childhood in the slums, having to fight for scraps of food and clothing that could barely be called either. She kept to herself but was easily angered when provoked by others, which made some of the kids weary and left her alone, or others that purposely provoked her knowing she'd lose her temper easily. She lived like this for a while until about her early teens when a weathered-looking Knight who belonged to an Order called The Cleansing Blades, who looked the opposite of pristine caught her beating up other kids with a big stick. After it was over the Knight asked the girl why she was beating up the other kids, and she answered that she did it to stop them from harassing others and that she finally had enough of them provoking her and messing with others. The Knight admired her will to seek action and punish who she deemed guilty, so he took her back to his lowly, small, but recognized Order of Knights. She spent the rest of her childhood and teenage years there learning to be a Knight within The Cleansing Blades. There she was taught that everyone aside from the Crownship and gods themselves should be treated equally in the eyes of Justice. She was taught that her existence is to now defend the weak and punish the corrupt using her own judgement. + |
| Frederik Steelhart + | The middle child of his predecessor, the true heir, Roslyn Steelhart, died sick in bed after she took with an illness that to this day could never be truly diagnosed by even the best physicians in the Oathlands. Frederik never had ambitions towards the Highhill seat, but took to it dutifully, despite his younger brother, Gregor, being the favored son. Ruling the Steelhart lands with a patience few others could muster, Frederik served the Oathlands and Highhill both on the field of battle and as a shrewd statesman. On the eve of his fiftieth birthday, the nearest fishing community to his lands were attacked, and while his son Lionel and Gregor went to fight off the Shav raiders, Frederik's nephews attempted a coup in favor of their father. While the younger and cowardly of the two, Seth, thought his wife Lydia and daughter Sara easy targets, the older, Padraig, drew his sword against the Count, forcing an honor duel to the death. After killing Padraig and being badly wounded in the process, Frederik found Seth subdued by his wife, while his brother Gregor carried his son's corpse home. These events define the state of the Steelhart family now, a bitter sadness and resentment that led to Lydia's suicide. The Steelharts are loyal dogs however, and with the Tragedy at Sanctum still lingering in the minds of Oathlanders everywhere, their differences have been put aside to unite as servants to the Valardins first, and maybe, someday, a family again. + |
| Fredrik Redtyde + | Born as the third son to the Redtyde March, Fredrik was in no place to inherit any lands or real sense of political power, but he was blessed with a rather keen sense of observation and an attention to detail. And so he was often given the House's paperwork and left to tend to their businesses from as early an age as 16, a task he relished and embraced. And in time, he even married, a minor lady from a barony under Tyde, and they had two children, Garon and Alrik. Unfortunately, all of that was lost when the Tydes rose up in rebellion, washed away with the coming of thraxian banners. The Redtydes refused to abandon their liege lords, and were among the first houses wiped away in the Thraxian march to the Tydes. Fredrik managed to escape, but his wife and children, visiting the Tyde House at the time, were killed along with the rest once it was broken open and laid waste. Fleeing into hiding, Fredrik carried with him a bastard child of Tyde, along with a commoner child, and set to work disguising himself, posing as a merchant and eventually securing his own boat. He did all he could, never abandoning the Tyde cause and raising the children as his own. But many years have passed, and Tyde is reborn! After much caution and deliberation, Fredrik has come forth to meet with Margot, who he has been in contact with for many months, hoping to taie his place under the protection of House Tyde, and give his adopted children the home they deserve. And to serve. Always to serve. + |
| Freja Acheron + | A woman not made for courtly graces, Princess Freja Redrain has always felt at home in the wilds past Farhaven, prowling the wilds with a talent few can match. While many in House Redrain train for martial prowess, most of those soldiers become knights or commanders, as those of royal blood stand for the leadership for the House and rally all the northlands among them. Princess Freja pursued an entirely different calling. Something about Aunt Drea's teachings on shamanism and the old ways of the Northlands resonated deeply with the young woman, as she was raised on stories of Valeria and other women of cunning and strength and how they survived in the deep wilds. She started to train as a scout, an occupation far more frequent with commoners due to its immense dangers, and the bold and utterly fearless woman has showed little regrets of her choice. On more than once, she's led small, highly capable teams of Redrain soldiers patrolling the deep places where the shav forces hide, and leading nimble forces in dangerous games of cat and mouse agaisnt other stalkers in the wilds. As the daughter of Torrud Redrain, the former Sword of Farhaven and champion of the house, and sister to the current one, a degree of courage is expected from her. But the wild woman takes the fearlessness to a degree that catches enemies of House Redrain offguard, and is utterly relentless in seeing the North is safe and respected. + |
| Freja Nightgold + | A woman not made for courtly graces, Princess Freja Redrain has always felt at home in the wilds past Farhaven, prowling the wilds with a talent few can match. While many in House Redrain train for martial prowess, most of those soldiers become knights or commanders, as those of royal blood stand for the leadership for the House and rally all the northlands among them. Princess Freja pursued an entirely different calling. Something about Aunt Drea's teachings on shamanism and the old ways of the Northlands resonated deeply with the young woman, as she was raised on stories of Valeria and other women of cunning and strength and how they survived in the deep wilds. She started to train as a scout, an occupation far more frequent with commoners due to its immense dangers, and the bold and utterly fearless woman has showed little regrets of her choice. On more than once, she's led small, highly capable teams of Redrain soldiers patrolling the deep places where the shav forces hide, and leading nimble forces in dangerous games of cat and mouse agaisnt other stalkers in the wilds. As the daughter of Torrud Redrain, the former Sword of Farhaven and champion of the house, and sister to the current one, a degree of courage is expected from her. But the wild woman takes the fearlessness to a degree that catches enemies of House Redrain offguard, and is utterly relentless in seeing the North is safe and respected. + |
| Freja Redrain + | A woman not made for courtly graces, Princess Freja Redrain has always felt at home in the wilds past Farhaven, prowling the wilds with a talent few can match. While many in House Redrain train for martial prowess, most of those soldiers become knights or commanders, as those of royal blood stand for the leadership for the House and rally all the northlands among them. Princess Freja pursued an entirely different calling. Something about Aunt Drea's teachings on shamanism and the old ways of the Northlands resonated deeply with the young woman, as she was raised on stories of Valeria and other women of cunning and strength and how they survived in the deep wilds. She started to train as a scout, an occupation far more frequent with commoners due to its immense dangers, and the bold and utterly fearless woman has showed little regrets of her choice. On more than once, she's led small, highly capable teams of Redrain soldiers patrolling the deep places where the shav forces hide, and leading nimble forces in dangerous games of cat and mouse agaisnt other stalkers in the wilds. As the daughter of Torrud Redrain, the former Sword of Farhaven and champion of the house, and sister to the current one, a degree of courage is expected from her. But the wild woman takes the fearlessness to a degree that catches enemies of House Redrain offguard, and is utterly relentless in seeing the North is safe and respected. + |
| Furio Rossetti + | Rossetti was a name that carried influence in Tor. The leaders of the family all served the ruling house of Tor, Fidante, in some capacity or another as servants, but when a prominent leader of the Rossetti house was arrested for treason by Lucien, those that oppose the sentence split off from the spotlight and vanished into the darkness, intent on rescuing their elder. Furio was born among the sons and daughters of a generation that only knew two things; the shadows and vengeance. Independent of what the main branch of the Rossetti was doing, these cousins began to establish themselves as ruthless gangsters in the streets of Tor. Furio grew up on those streets alongside other kids, some siblings and cousins, who prowled the street like hungry and wild dogs. Mostly kids, they were spared when collected by the city authorities. Furio himself was picked up by his uncle Vulpiano who had finally gotten his freedom and returned to work for the Fidante household and vassal DiFidante. Disciplined and trained, Furio studied under the tutelage of Vulpiano, diverting from his studies to become a gardener. With the connections of his uncle, he was able to attend a prestigious university in Tor and upon graduation, he was recruited to work on Fidante's rose garden until he met the Duchess of Tor, Calista Fidante, one evening, and earned her appreciation, taking him with her to Arx. + |
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| Gabriel Bisland + | House Bisland's proud lion banners have long been recognized as one of the most steadfast stalwarts of House Grayson, and none exemplar that as well as Duke Gabriel Bisland, the Crown's Lion. As a lifelong friend of the old king, King Alaric Grayson III, they were nearly inseparable in youth and the old king had told Gabriel on more than one occasion he was his brother in soul, if not in blood. A talented and famous knight, he was so trusted by Alaric III that he often led all of House Grayson's forces in battle and has spent the better part of two decades crushing the attempted incursions by Shav hordes trying to test the borders of the crownlands, and much of the stability of recent years was done by his tireless work on the king's behalf. More than once, Gabriel was the only vassal trusted enough to offer counsel to Alaric III, though he is as excruciatingly uncomfortable giving his opinion on the murky, shifting politics of the Compact as he is confident and dauntless when it comes to war. Perhaps his largest regret then is not accompanying King Alaric III when his majesty traveled east to visit House Thrax and try to put an end to the bloody slaughter of the Tyde Rebellion. The arguments at the time made sense- the king wasn't traveling to battle after all, just to speak to warring subjects and bring them to heel, and Gabriel needed to deal with some shav clans striking out of the Gray Forest at fringe settlements on Bisland land. After Alaric III's ship was lost at sea, Gabriel even briefly stood as regent for the king's young son, Alaric IV, and ruled with the concurrence of the five high lords until Alaric IV came of age. Since Alaric IV assumed his responsibilities as king, Duke Gabriel has returned to leading House Bisland and helping his godchild the elder illegitimate daughter of Alaric III, Lady Dawn, rule House Grayson's holdings while Alaric IV saw to the Realm as a whole. In 1015 AR, when the now awakened King Alaric IV found himself under threat by Eurusi and seditionists claiming to support his shockingly alive father, Duke Gabriel announced he was giving up his title and dedicating his life to the safety and success of King Alaric IV. Joining the King's Own, and serving as one of the King's personal bodyguards and advisors. + |
| Gabriella Pravus + | Gabriella is the oldest daughter of Tiberio Pravus, a Sword of Setarco known for his skill and charisma, and a few days after her fifth nameday, she was taken by a deadly malady. Despite all the efforts of House Pravus, and the mountains of silver offered, no physician gave Gabriella a chance. Her mother, Lady Aurora Pravus, would not have it. The headstrong woman gathered her personal guard and rode out of the Silken City and would not return for three weeks. What happened nobody knows, but Gabriella returned sleeping soundly in her mother's arms, resting peacefully for the first time in months. She was cured, a miracle, and Lady Aurora never spoke of it again. From that point forward a fire lit up in the girl. She and her sister Lucrezia were wild together, and Gabriella would find herself desiring to fight. The sisters planned their future together, and while Lucrezia loved the waves, Gabriella dreamt of the battlefield. She would be knighted at the age of seventeen by the ruling Duke then, in the same day her father and the duke were assassinated, and her sister Lucrezia vanished, all thanks to House Argento's machinations. The remainder of the House had no option but to fight back. Viviana would become Sword to protect the new Duchess, the inexperienced Belladonna, while Gabriella took over the command of the Swords of the Evening, her father's men. Consumed by a desire for revenge, Gabriella was vicious in the invasion of Nilanza. None were as cruel or violent as the daughter of Tiberio, something that earned her the title The Butcher's Daughter. War washed her father's honor, but it put a stain on Gabriella's soul. She has become more of a recluse in Setarco, and some say her disease, the one that almost took her life when younger, has returned, but the knight does not confirm or deny it. In the field she looks as healthy as ever, a deadly sin, so what gives? + |
| Gael + | This is the story of a man who, fattened by decadence and luxury, fell to his unconventionally extravagant ways from a high, high perch. Variations in public knowledge leave behind an obfuscated tell to the background behind the man named Gael, but if the right Faithful is prompted - especially if hailing from the Mourning Isles while under some measure of duress - they'll be given a story that leaves little space for envy or admiration alike. But before he was man, he was boy, and as a child he wanted little. Gael was born a royal to Thrax in a night of stormy Winter. Her mother oft told of how the windows cracked to the adversity of his arrival beneath the mighty hail, covered in verglas and piled snow that too mired the moorland surrounding Maelstrom in a sea of white arsenic for but a day. Some would see this as a vile and presagious portend of doom to come, but little Gael arrived fat, his skin was pink, he had five fingers in each hand and five toes in each foot, and so his parents cared little. Not an ailment upon his body, no stigmata of the eyes, markings, nothing; Gael was just a child, like every other, and Thrax embraced him happily for it. In the halls of Maelstrom he grew, joined by other contemporaries to his age in sinister but childish acts of naughtiness all thorough the domain. He grew without sisters or brothers, but with enough cousins to fill a Cathedral, how could he care? They were the siblings he needed. Like all sprouts when dutifully watered and fed, he then grew. And quickly, too. Too quickly. Coming into his teen years destructively like the very storm that bore him, Gael distanced himself from the usual family with which he mingled when much younger by deciding that a life of violence and martial training wasn't to his taste. That like his mother, coincidentally of Lycene roots, he'd partake in things seen as deviant to some and unlike the cultural expectation of Thraxian lifestyle according to his father. And so it was that he began a life of excess in every regard. He set aside the sword, the shield and duty, to care for only himself and his needs... soon learning, that though long years may seek to separate them, action and consequence will invariably have their dreadful reunion. War came to the Compact and, consequently, Thrax. While different and more selfish than his average peer, Gael loved his family and wouldn't dare be one of the only few in his kine to be left behind, regardless of having discounted for most of his life conventional training and tutors in leadership and command. Against his mother's sheltering wishes, when the call to arms came he answered, and the day the Army of Silence came upon Arx, there on the battlements was one unprepared and unreadied Prince Gael Thrax. The war bore many heroes, but he was not one of them. He, like most, was just another sacrifice. While he had proven to have an instinct towards the sword, a predisposition for violence even if he had been escaping it his whole life, it only served in keeping him yet living inside the shuffle of his mortal coil. Having gazed upon the Archfiend's herald with his own eyes and witnessed a darkness beyond the veil if for but a fleeting moment, something broke in the mind of the then young Prince. Something in his psyche that'd never return. He sailed back to the Mourning Isles hailed as a hero like many others, with many less cousins than he had when he left. Friends, colleagues made and lost. Once again, he turned to the things he once did for dalliance, but now out of need. Wine became an escape, luxury a hideout, fleeting companionship an excuse. He swum and waded through these three in superfluity, earning a reputation as cantankerous and fond of extremes. His respite was short-lived. It turns out the war wasn't finished, and the fleets of the Gyre marched upon the Compact yet again. Technically still tied to his duties, and crestfallen from the cling of life altogether, Gael was given command of a small armada - no more than a hundred - to lead a westerly flank of Thrax in defense of the Lyceum, an act merited to having 'proven' himself in the defense of the Capitol. In truth, his only true achievement had been survival and nothing more. The flotilla in his charge would never arrive to Lenosia. Ambushed while crossing across some straits near Setarco, by an eastern boundary, a fleet twice his number came out the dark of night in a hail of fire arrows and drums of war. Gael had proven an incompetent leader, more fond of hiding in his cabin in the company of alcohol and delegating every minute task to his officers than see to their refinement himself, so when the sound of alarm - like a clarion from hell - rung across the fleet's various bells, he panicked. And fled. He deserted his post, escaping the violence of the battle in a small but speedy cog commanded by a single other sailor. The sailor told on him, for no other witness living were left, and he was tried an abandoner, a shame to the household, and made a pariah. In his shame, Prince Gael Thrax turned to the waters and drowned with said shames and his dishonor. The man who has now surfaced in Arx once more in service of the Inquisition as Confessor must be someone else with a likeness of bearing and name only merited by fate, and to suggest any different is nothing short of lunacy. + |
| Gael Crown + | This is the story of a man who, fattened by decadence and luxury, fell to his unconventionally extravagant ways from a high, high perch. Variations in public knowledge leave behind an obfuscated tell to the background behind the man named Gael, but if the right Faithful is prompted - especially if hailing from the Mourning Isles while under some measure of duress - they'll be given a story that leaves little space for envy or admiration alike. But before he was man, he was boy, and as a child he wanted little. Gael was born a royal to Thrax in a night of stormy Winter. Her mother oft told of how the windows cracked to the adversity of his arrival beneath the mighty hail, covered in verglas and piled snow that too mired the moorland surrounding Maelstrom in a sea of white arsenic for but a day. Some would see this as a vile and presagious portend of doom to come, but little Gael arrived fat, his skin was pink, he had five fingers in each hand and five toes in each foot, and so his parents cared little. Not an ailment upon his body, no stigmata of the eyes, markings, nothing; Gael was just a child, like every other, and Thrax embraced him happily for it. In the halls of Maelstrom he grew, joined by other contemporaries to his age in sinister but childish acts of naughtiness all thorough the domain. He grew without sisters or brothers, but with enough cousins to fill a Cathedral, how could he care? They were the siblings he needed. Like all sprouts when dutifully watered and fed, he then grew. And quickly, too. Too quickly. Coming into his teen years destructively like the very storm that bore him, Gael distanced himself from the usual family with which he mingled when much younger by deciding that a life of violence and martial training wasn't to his taste. That like his mother, coincidentally of Lycene roots, he'd partake in things seen as deviant to some and unlike the cultural expectation of Thraxian lifestyle according to his father. And so it was that he began a life of excess in every regard. He set aside the sword, the shield and duty, to care for only himself and his needs... soon learning, that though long years may seek to separate them, action and consequence will invariably have their dreadful reunion. War came to the Compact and, consequently, Thrax. While different and more selfish than his average peer, Gael loved his family and wouldn't dare be one of the only few in his kine to be left behind, regardless of having discounted for most of his life conventional training and tutors in leadership and command. Against his mother's sheltering wishes, when the call to arms came he answered, and the day the Army of Silence came upon Arx, there on the battlements was one unprepared and unreadied Prince Gael Thrax. The war bore many heroes, but he was not one of them. He, like most, was just another sacrifice. While he had proven to have an instinct towards the sword, a predisposition for violence even if he had been escaping it his whole life, it only served in keeping him yet living inside the shuffle of his mortal coil. Having gazed upon the Archfiend's herald with his own eyes and witnessed a darkness beyond the veil if for but a fleeting moment, something broke in the mind of the then young Prince. Something in his psyche that'd never return. He sailed back to the Mourning Isles hailed as a hero like many others, with many less cousins than he had when he left. Friends, colleagues made and lost. Once again, he turned to the things he once did for dalliance, but now out of need. Wine became an escape, luxury a hideout, fleeting companionship an excuse. He swum and waded through these three in superfluity, earning a reputation as cantankerous and fond of extremes. His respite was short-lived. It turns out the war wasn't finished, and the fleets of the Gyre marched upon the Compact yet again. Technically still tied to his duties, and crestfallen from the cling of life altogether, Gael was given command of a small armada - no more than a hundred - to lead a westerly flank of Thrax in defense of the Lyceum, an act merited to having 'proven' himself in the defense of the Capitol. In truth, his only true achievement had been survival and nothing more. The flotilla in his charge would never arrive to Lenosia. Ambushed while crossing across some straits near Setarco, by an eastern boundary, a fleet twice his number came out the dark of night in a hail of fire arrows and drums of war. Gael had proven an incompetent leader, more fond of hiding in his cabin in the company of alcohol and delegating every minute task to his officers than see to their refinement himself, so when the sound of alarm - like a clarion from hell - rung across the fleet's various bells, he panicked. And fled. He deserted his post, escaping the violence of the battle in a small but speedy cog commanded by a single other sailor. The sailor told on him, for no other witness living were left, and he was tried an abandoner, a shame to the household, and made a pariah. In his shame, Prince Gael Thrax turned to the waters and drowned with said shames and his dishonor. The man who has now surfaced in Arx once more in service of the Inquisition as Confessor must be someone else with a likeness of bearing and name only merited by fate, and to suggest any different is nothing short of lunacy. + |
| Gage Grimshaw + | Gage comes from the Oathlands, born to poor peasant farmers with little other than the land they tilled to their name. He was the Grimshaw's family only child. His childhood was often spent under the beating heat of the sun, toiling away at the soil and carrying out labor-heavy tasks that eventually formed him into a strong young man. The environs housed other families of whom came one of Gage's earliest friends--the peasant son of another family named Jacobus. He and Jacobus would spend their off-time from work fooling around, and this would continue on for several years as the boys grew up alongside each other. One day, when they were both sixteen, they decided to run off and go on a grand, foolish adventure. They didn't get far into journeying through the wilds before Gage's friend was wounded on the trail, and with the little supplies they had Jacbous could not be saved. When his friend fell, instead of returning home to face his family and the family of Jacobus he continued on roaming and fell in with a mercenary group in time. Years passed as Gage climbed the ranks and accrued the skills necessary for survival. Deciding to call it quits with the group he ran with, he decided to break off from them in the dead of the night one day and traveled to make his fortune in Arx. + |
| Gailin Fireviper + | Gailin is the second born child of House stonewood. From a young age he knew he wasnt going to be marquis but he was always strong of mind spirit and body. Great with a sword, while his older brother was being prepped for taking on the duties of the head of the house Gailin focused on Martial training. Gailin gained all the skills he needed for warfare strateg and tactics. Now that his brother has taken over the head of house Gailin followed his older brother becoming the Sword of Stoneheart. + |
| Gailin Stonewood + | Gailin is the second born child of House stonewood. From a young age he knew he wasnt going to be marquis but he was always strong of mind spirit and body. Great with a sword, while his older brother was being prepped for taking on the duties of the head of the house Gailin focused on Martial training. Gailin gained all the skills he needed for warfare strateg and tactics. Now that his brother has taken over the head of house Gailin followed his older brother becoming the Sword of Stoneheart. + |
| Gaius Whitehawk + | Gaius is the eldest child of Jerome and Helen Mercier and the only son of the brood. As a result, all the tricks of the Mercier trade were impressed on him as soon as he was old enough to learn them, and he was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his mercantile-inclined ancestors who came before him. It turned out to be a natural fit for him, but a small part of him always insisted on doing things his own way - and he did, when he decided to invest in a troupe of actors and build his own theatre on the south bank of the Gray River as one his first significant business ventures. The theater proved to be a resounding success, and Gaius's property purchases and investments indicate that his association with the troupe made him an independently wealthy man. A few years later he bought one of the largest manors in Bastion. Unfortunately, a fire lit to the thatch of the building and burned the theater to the ground, forcing the company to relocate to Arx's Blackrose Theater and merge with the Black Rose Mummers. Gaius severed his ties with the company, looking to fortify his fortune elsewhere... His next venture saw him building a fleet of sturdy riverboats and trading luxury goods such as gems, silks, furs along the Gray River, which he often bought opportunistically through researching market trends. It went well for him, until 1006 AR brought a trade embargo on Mercier goods in the city of Arx due to the family publically cutting ties with House Grayson, and the family's reputation fell as a result. In response, Gaius adapted and switched gears again: he sold his lofty manor and offered his services as a merchant to his now-ennobled cousin in exchange for joining House Whitehawk. After months of correspondences and negotiations, his cousin finally accepted, and he became Lord Gaius Whitehawk, Treasurer of Hawkhold -- and joined his sisters in Arx. + |
| Galatea Pravus + | Librarian. Archivist. Alchemist. Galatea has been called all of these things. From a young age, she showed affinity for all that was written down in books, and at the Pravus estates, she found herself more often at the margins than in the limelight. This suited her just fine: for she is not a Pravus, not exactly, and there were those who would not let her forget it. The product of one of lord Tiberio's infidelities with a nameless highborn of Valardin fealty, Galatea would elsewhere have spent her life swept under the rug. Indeed, her Valardin mother did exactly that: she sent her away to Setarco, where Tiberio was more indulgent, arranging for the girl to be raised in court, even if as an unlegitimized, fostered commoner. Her questionable circumstances led for some to shun her socially, and she had to learn to entertain herself on her own terms. This she did most notably under a senior archivist, whose protege the young girl soon became. Intimately familiar with pen and ink, learning how to mix the latter led to the wider world of tincture and tonic, and so she has become a quietly confident young alchemist. The one thing she has inherited from her mother--rumored to send her rare, anonymous letters--is the importance of honor, accountability, and dignity. Galatea aspires to be the very picture of decorum and grace, and has worked long hours at protocol. Recently summoned to the crownlands, it remains yet uncertain just what she will make of herself. + |
| Galavan Vizier + | Galavan Vizer never knew his father, but always wondered if he would hate him as much as his mother Tessa, if he met him. Tessa the Cold was a strong willed, intelligent woman of charisma. But as one of the very few survivors of the destruction of Tyde she was also extremely bitter, pessimistic and hateful. Most of this ire was directed at House Thrax for the direct actions, but the hatred that pained her was the complicity of the Crown which did nothing to save her nation or any of the many people who were killed that she called her friends. This rage spilled out into her upbringing of Galavan, who in turn inherited many of her nastiest traits and resented her for it. In rebellion of his mother, he studied the religion of the pantheon, becoming fascinated with the power and reverance of the gods. When he became of age he left for Bastion to become a priest, hoping to wash his identity of anything that reminded him of his vicious mother, and re-model his image into something more beneficial for his desires. + |
| Galen Thrax + | Galen has always been far too refined for a Prince of Thrax, at least in his family's eyes. Growing up he was particular about his armor and particular about his appearance and particular in so many ways - but his weapon of choice and his skill with it made many teasing comments go unsaid. He built up a particular fondness for a large heavy warhammer that makes his opponents shudder and very often reconsider slights given. He grew up strong and stubborn and, in a final despairing effort to turn him into a proper Thrax man was sent to sea as a sailor on a ship. The ship disappeared in a storm, only to return eight years later with Galen at the helm as Navigator. He has seen the world, or more of the world than most people would, and it has only enhanced his determination to be the voice of civilization in the heart of Thrax proper. + |
| Gareth Grayson + | Dashing young Prince Gareth Grayson was another bright royal scion, a rising knight looking to make his mark in the most prestigious House in all the realm. Bold and reckless, Prince Gareth was eager to take the fight to enemies of House Grayson, to remind everyone just why House Grayson was the greatest house. He felt immortal as many young soldiers do, and took to patrolling the barely civilized borderlands with a relish, fighting back against the shavs attempting to prey on distant vassals of House Grayson. Initially he found great success, was wildly popular with the men under him, and couldn't even see why so many helpless peasants were so terrified of the hardscrabble Abandoned that turned to brigandry and would melt back into the Gray Forest after their raids. And one fateful day, responding to a minor raid, he lead his detachment into the heart of the Gray Forest to ride down the raiders... and found himself and his twenty men surrounded by hundreds of Gray Forest Reapers. It was a massacre, and Gareth himself was only spared because apparently the Reapers knew 'an idiotic prince' was headstrong enough to run right into a trap. He was beaten, tortured, and in the end had the humiliation of being ransomed after a captivity that saw the bright and bold optimist die and something far harder be reborn in its place. Gareth was left scarred and broken, his constitution never quite recovering, and his dreams of being a great knight forever shattered. In its place, the sickly and infirm Prince Gareth surprised his relatives in House Grayson by deciding he would pursue a different calling that traditionally no Grayson had embraced- the Inquisition. His body might have been shattered, but his mind was far sharper and more dangerous than it had ever been before his captivity, and he showed an alarming eagerness to turn that mind against the enemies of the Compact. As far as Gareth is concerned, no bards will ever compose songs about the jobs he now chooses to do, and there might be stories, but they'll be the ones children are told to get them to behave. Someone has to do the dark work for the Compact. + |
| Garnet Navegant + | Garnet grew up loving beautiful things. Whether it was art, fashion, nature, or people, Garnet would most often be found trying to make things around him as beautiful as possible. Growing up, he was the life of the party, creating events for his friends from a young age, and seeing nothing as impossible if it brought people together. None of this changed as he grew up, save that he also developed a social awareness that further motivated him to host amazing events for charity. The masque he hosted in Escuma in honour of the orphans of war in 1005 is still being talked about as setting the bar for events. If there is a party happening, Garnet is almost certainly either attending or planning it. For many years, it was assumed his destiny lay in becoming a Whisper, but Garnet's also fiercely loyal to his family and made the decision to forego that noble profession - he still does love hanging out with Whispers, though! Moving to Arx is the fulfillment of a dream for Garnet. He's with his family, whom he loves dearly, and he gets to be in the centre of arts and culture and parties! + |
| Garret Navegant + | Garret grew up loving beautiful things. Whether it was art, fashion, nature, or people, Garret would most often be found trying to make things around him as beautiful as possible. Growing up, he was the life of the party, creating events for his friends from a young age, and seeing nothing as impossible if it brought people together. None of this changed as he grew up, save that he also developed a social awareness that further motivated him to host amazing events for charity. The masque he hosted in Escuma in honour of the orphans of war in 1005 is still being talked about as setting the bar for events. If there is a party happening, Garnet is almost certainly either attending or planning it. For many years, it was assumed his destiny lay in becoming a Whisper, but Garnet's also fiercely loyal to his family and made the decision to forego that noble profession - he still does love hanging out with Whispers, though! Moving to Arx is the fulfillment of a dream for Garret. He's with his family, whom he loves dearly, and he gets to be in the centre of arts and culture and parties! + |
| Garza Crown + | Most people don't ask, they just assume. On assumption, then, that you heard it from your sister's friend's chatty aunt - and doesn't she just know everything? - Garza grew up in the Lower Boroughs. His pa was a good and upstanding working man, saw him every day down at the docks, loading and unloading ships. Was some real rough chuckles, too, that day when they found him in the gutter with his skull busted in. And his ma, why, she died of the bloody wheeze, and all his li'l brothers and sisters, too. Just leaving Garza to fend for hisself. Bless him, bless him. Somewhere in the interim of boy to man, Garza fell in with the Valorous Few. He's seen at least two leaders prior to its current Captain-General, with many and more sellswords coming and going (leaving and dying) as they are wont to do. During that time he's acquired a whole host of useful skills, the least of which are his penchant for smoking and the ability to read what good. + |
| Gaspar Tessere + | The life of a young prince was exactly what one would expect. Catered parties with food too rich for a child to enjoy, endless lines of Lycene Peers visitng and chatting, remarking on how 'big' he's getting. It was all as mother, Emma Velenosa, wanted. "Nobody pays attention to children" she would remark, when instructing Gaspar to listen for bits of intrigue at each gala they attended. Unfortunately, "nobody" included his mother for many years, when she wasn't teaching him to spy on her peers. Political manuevering left her unable, or more likely unwilling, to properly raise Gaspar. Nannies came and went. Boarding schools both near and far were his home just as much Lenosia had been. But it was at those schools, in those different places that he reinvented himself each time. A new persona for new classmates and teachers. There is only one place to put those new talents to use, one court where the posturings of peer and person will require focus and patience. With a new Archduchess in control, it's nothing less than his familial duty to aid her and the rest of his kin in Arx. + |
| Gaspar Velenosa + | The life of a young prince was exactly what one would expect. Catered parties with food too rich for a child to enjoy, endless lines of Lycene Peers visitng and chatting, remarking on how 'big' he's getting. It was all as mother, Emma Velenosa, wanted. "Nobody pays attention to children" she would remark, when instructing Gaspar to listen for bits of intrigue at each gala they attended. Unfortunately, "nobody" included his mother for many years, when she wasn't teaching him to spy on her peers. Political manuevering left her unable, or more likely unwilling, to properly raise Gaspar. Nannies came and went. Boarding schools both near and far were his home just as much Lenosia had been. But it was at those schools, in those different places that he reinvented himself each time. A new persona for new classmates and teachers. There is only one place to put those new talents to use, one court where the posturings of peer and person will require focus and patience. With a new Archduchess in control, it's nothing less than his familial duty to aid her and the rest of his kin in Arx. + |
| Gaspard Blackram + | Growing up in the Blackram family meant that rough was a way of life, and lessons that anything worth having was worth struggling for, and anything given to you wasn't really worth much. Gaspard learned quickly that a people did well when everyone determined what they were good at, and did that, for the good of all. Merchants traded, bakers baked, sailors sailed, and of course, the warriors fought and protected. When Gaspard excelled in his fighting training as a child, he threw himself into his study and workouts and stopped considering anything else. He joined the rest of the family's fighters in Cloudspine leading pikemen in defending the marches, and earned a few scars and his Knighthood in action there and at Gyre, as well as a name for dependably being at the front of battle. Gaspard saw himself as staying there until he finally caught a blade or an arrow and died honorably defending his people and the lands. Perhaps unfortunately for his plans, it has been made clear to him that a Knight is expected to set an example OFF of the field as well, and if the younger Marquis can be a shining example, then damned well can travel to Arx and support him. + |
| Gaston Blackram + | Gaston, it was said, heard and understood the tongue of beasts and wild places before he formed his first syllables. Born months after his sister, he grew much more quickly than his siblings, though his elder brother would eventually overtake him. Quick to fight but even quicker to laugh, he was adored and feared in equal measure. For a time Gaston himself despaired, the boy concerned that he was too quick to anger, that he would cause great harm to someone due to his great size and physical cunning. However, his concerns and a great deal of his ferocity seemed to evaporate when allowed to wander the hills and mountains of Stoneburn, or down in the forests west of the River Gray. At the age of fourteen he left the Blackram stronghold, and for several weeks it seemed as if the boy had disappeared, never to be heard from again. Gaston returned however, wrapped in the pelt of a great wolf, his face stained with blood, the majority of which was not his own. Although his parents and his siblings worried for Gaston, they eventually came to terms with his need for solitude and to be away from civilization, and weeks turned to months turned sometimes to as much as a year away from home, returning with the results of great hunts, journals filled with illustrations of beasts, plants, and natural formations of where he had been. He became something of a local legend, alleged to know every trail and footpath north of the Lycene Split and west of the Gray River, able to find concealment in a shadow half a normal man's size, and routinely wrestled bears. One particularly fantastic story claimed that all of the wolves of Valardin and Redrain recognized him as their king. Though Gaston did his best to repute these rumors, the folk of Stoneburn do love to spin a good yarn, and it seemed to be more important to them to believe the narrative they had spun around him. As mortifying as it was, he dealt with it, and was just starting to feel it was time to return to society and attempt to become the best noble he could be when he heard of his father's death. While he sometimes misses the wilds and the serenity he tried to find there, he doesn't miss the bleak loneliness, and looks forward to trying his hand at becoming a true noble of the Compact and a peacemaker that can win stability and honor for his house. Time to be a real noble and a good man. He spent enough time in the wilds to know that the lone wolves die first, after all. + |
| Gavin Reed + | Gavin's father was a carpenter by trade, and taught him a fair bit before he died in a fire. He only has his sister now, and will protect her with every fiber of his being. + |
| Gavin Surname TBD + | Gavin's father was a carpenter by trade, and taught him a fair bit before he died in a fire. He only has his sister now, and will protect her with every fiber of his being. + |
| Gawain Blanchard + | Gawain never expected a knighthood. He never expected to be Count'sVoice. He never expected to be in line for the Countship. He expected to run amok in the fields with the other younger sons, become a horse trainer, become a soldier, and live a quiet life, marry somebody, have kids, settle down, et cetera. What stood in his way, of course, is Gawain. He was just too awesome to be held back. He had a natural knack with the horses, a ready athleticism as a boy that had him winning most of the races, and then there was the whole deal where the main line seemed not to be producing any likely heirs, which just seemed to bring greatness trippingly into his path. His brother died in a Shav'arvani raid, and Gawain earned a knighthood rescuing other Wyrmguard vassals from a great fire -- which he ran inside a burning building to do, not because he wasn't afraid of fire but because somebody had to do it and by gods, he was the fastest, what was he going to do, let people die? Gawain was toying with a religious bent, as a lay devotee of Gloria, in his youth, but when his brother died, the young knight had to step up to the plate, taking on a role as heir presumptive to his uncle, Count Blanchard. If anything, the new attention only made him want to shine harder and brighter. His uncle is super boring and he's super awesome and hilarious. His real ambition may be to social climb with a glorious princess -- duchess? who knows, who cares -- but he also has hopes of proving himself in war, and maybe rounding out the trifecta by becoming ... no, he hasn't figured that out yet! + |
| Gehenna Redreef + | Gehenna hails from what could be called the 'very traditionalist' branch of the Redreef family tree. She embraced this identity from a young age, far moreso than either of her two siblings. When Baron Landis Redreef died, and his brother Tiberius's claim to the Barony was challenged by Landis's daughters, Ember and Marina, Gehenna was a young woman freshly arrived in Arx. She had excelled in what the Mourning Isles saw as 'women's work' -- administration and diplomacy. Through that talent and her family connections, she had secured a plum role as a diplomatic representative of Redreef Shores in Arx. She was quite certain that Tiberius would make short work of Landis's unruly daughters, that tradition would be upheld, and that things would all go back to normal very quickly. Gehenna was so certain of it, in fact, that she said as much to anyone who asked. The conflict between Tiberius and the daughters of Landis was a long, grueling one, and one that Tiberius eventually lost, after Ember slew his champion in a duel to the death. With Ember firmly established as Baroness, it was more than just an embarrassment to Gehenna -- it was the loss of her job. Gehenna was recalled to Redreef Shores, and since she had been so vocal in her support of Tiberius, she was effectively kicked back down to the bottom of the administrative ladder. As the years passed and Redreef steadily became one of the Mourning Isles' most progressive Houses, Gehenna was aghast. However, that displeasure with the new status quo only fueled her. She worked harder and pushed herself to be more clever than the rest, and climbed back up to the position she once held. Now, having returned to Arx after years away, she is once again a diplomat in the service of Redreef Shores. As she sets foot in the city again, the Mourning Isles is caught between tradition and progressivism, and Gehenna knows which side she'll try to tilt things toward. + |
| Gelassen Whisper + | Gelassen came to the Whisper House after several years serving as something of an advisor and companion to a Baron in the Oathlands. He doesn't speak much about his family or past, always gently (and skillfully) turning the conversation back to those he speaks with. This, he says, is a skill he learned during his advisorship, helping the Baron deal with some of the more unruly elements of his demesne (and family). + |
| Gemma Glass + | The first years Gemma can remember were spent among the other orphans of the Tragedy. It's so easy to be overlooked when there are so many others in the same proverbial boat to nowhere. Usually the smallest of the bunch, she had to fend for herself with an oversized personality to ward off trouble and stand her ground. All she ever wanted was for a family to take her in, and she /almost/ got her wish. Taken in by one of the less-than-reputable criminal organizations of the lower boroughs, she spent several years picking pockets and irritating guards and merchants with slingshots. It was an encounter with one of the Knights of Solace that changed her life for the better. Recognized as one of the wayward orphans, who now demonstrated a keen eye and a knack for landing small targets, she was swept into the fold and (mostly) reformed of her troublemaking ways with a little bit of care and warm meals. She has since pledged the rest of her life to serving Gild and the common good. Although a part of her will always long for a life of personal prosperity, she finds meaning in the aid of those with similar circumstances. She has high expectations of the wealthy, and is not too shy to publicly nudge them toward charitable acts. + |
| Genevieve Waldenwyn + | Born in an unremarkable farming village to an unremarkable family, Genevieve always wanted more from life. Although she could appreciate the wholesome routines of her rural community for what they were, she nonetheless found them tedious and uninspiring -- a never-ending cycle of ploughing fields, harvesting crops and foraging for food, occasionally broken up by a rustic festival or a wagon ride to the market in the nearest town. The only activity that really gave her some pleasure and made her feel alive was training in the village militia, but even then she found herself wanting for more discipline and more advanced tutelage than the local watchmen could provide. At the age of 18, Genevieve left her home village and set out on her own path. She would see sights beyond the fields and pastures with a sword on her belt and a bow slung across her back, seeking adventure and coin. + |
| Genevra Artiglio + | Genevra Artiglio was born into the family of Lenosia's loyal Hounds, meaning that any career she chose would likely be heavily influenced by the city's reigning House. Some might have chafed at that, but Genevra found herself to be quite happy learning to fight with the House Guard with her ultimate goal being to one day lead them as their Captain. She worked hard and mostly maintained discipline. There were a few scrapes here and there, mostly involving some of the involved pranks she would pull. Training and working left Genevra little time to start a family of her own, but she found satisfaction in doing her job well. By the time she was promoted to Captain in her late twenties, fewer people were poisoned in the palace under her watch than had been in generations! Genevra was considered quite success by anyone's terms and settled into a comfortable position in maintaining her charges and continuing to serve with diligence. Then, Archduchess Carlotta Velenosa was killed. Genevra remained in Lenosia to protect the family there. Then, Archduchess Esera Velenosa was killed. Still, Genevra remained where she was, believing that she could best serve the Velenosa by protecting their home. When Archduchess-Consort Deva Velenosa went missing, Genevra struggled to believe that she was more helpful in Lenosia instead of in Arx, where clearly the House Guard was failing in their one, most important task. After hearing more rumors of injury and death befalling members of the Velenosa family, Genevra requested a transfer to Arx to take over from the clearly incompetent House Guard Captain at the Velenosa Estate in the capital. + |
| Georgine Dubois + | Georgine Dubois comes from a wealthy merchant family in Sanctum, one that deals in the kinds of luxuries and trends that makes an apprenticeship with a jeweler just part of the family business. Even as a child, she always had her head in the clouds, spending hours just doodling pretty things like dresses and tiaras. It was not uncommon for the girl to be carried through the workshops by her father, and she grew into a creative and inspired designer of jewelry. After several years, she decided to leave Sanctum for the very first time. The news of the Cathedral's sad state after the Heretic, Georgine travelled to Arx with no thought but to lend her hands to the effort. + |
| Geraint Blackwood + | In the bleak climate of the stormwall, the Blackwood tribe has ever stood betwixt other tribes of Abandoned, holding the peace by strength of arms and sheer determination. It was to these people, in the shadow of the blackwoods trees, that Geraint was born. The blood in his veins was that of a ruler, his father the chieftain at the time, but it afforded him little softness or coddling - unlike the nobles of some 'civilized' lands, he was expected to stand as strong as any of their warriors or laborers, and faced as many hardships as they had to test and temper his body and resolve. When time came for war, he was expected to take up arms and prove himself the leader he was born to be - and he did, time and again, blood shed by his hands earning him the respect of the warriors and his people. He wed a woman by the name of Angharad, their first daughter born early in their marriage, and their fiery relationship was as vibrant and heated as the rest of the life that he lived. When the time of his father's death came, he was ready to step up to the task, with his aging mother Mati to advise him and his people behind him. He ruled the tribe in peace - and in war - and life was good, for a time, and the tribe prospered. It was only with the birth of his third child, a son, that things began to darken rather than the celebration it should have been. It was a hard birth, and Angharad did not survive - and to compound his sorrow, the old shaman spoke that it was an ill omen of times to come. It was the shadow that lingered still upon his brow that made him listen when his eldest daughter Ysbail came to him, when she spoke of a dark time coming for the tribes, of fire and blood and slavery that would rain upon them. When she spoke of the nigh-unthinkable - bending knee and joining the Compact that their ancestors had turned their backs on. Her foresight led the tribe to be ready when Brand's forces marched, and despite his pride he knelt to their Crovane neighbors for protection as Prodigals. With the aid of his daughter, after the Siege of Arx, they united what remained of the tribes and clans surrounding their ancestral lands, and he was named Marquis of Stormarch - and led his people into a new future. + |
| Gerald Wilkerson + | Gerald Wilkerson has worked his entire life in the business of business. Buying when buying is good, selling when selling is good. Losing it all. Regaining it. His life is tale of ups and downs as can happen with one over the years in a variety of fashions. Still, he takes it with equanimity, being the sort that is rather good at landing back on his feet. Most recently, he has landed in Arx -- not so much retired from business as accepting the fact that he simply doesn't have the desire or, frankly, the stamina to do the sort of running around he might have done in the past. Travel is just not so fun anymore. + |
| Geralt Crovane + | The North breeds hard men, but no men are harder than those born to the Stormwall. At least, that is Geralt's not-so-humble opinion. Born the younger brother of the former Duke Crovane, Geralt was seeped in the rich history and heritage of the far North, always aware of the potential of inheritance while doing what he could to ensure that potential did not come to fruition. Geralt and his brother both were natural born leaders, but that was where the similarities began and ended. While his brother took to etiquette and politics, Geralt took to the axe and sword, educating himself on the nature of the world through war and bloodshed. When his brother ascended to Duke after the death of their father, he granted Geralt an army and commanded he travel forth to extend the boundaries of Crovane land by whatever manner of force he deemed necessary. The force was almost always excessive. Geralt and his merry band of brothers became adroitly adept at extermination of threats to Crovane - both internal and external - and gained more than some notoriety with Abandoned tribes in the far reaches of the North. When he reached his early thirties, his group pushed even further and spilled out into the Everwinter on the behest of his brother, spending many a year combing the deep, unforgiving snows. He did not return to the Stormwall until long after the untimely death of his brother, and only then it was for a brief sojourn to report to the new Duke, before he returned to his men. Geralt and his men were called back during the battle of Stormwall, but even they could not prevent the subsequent burning of the city. He meant to return to the Everwinter soon after, but a call from his nephew - the new, new Duke, Asger Crovane - brought him to Arx instead. But of course, that call to Arx brought with it a heavy burden - the position of Asger's General, and Frostsea, the Great Sword of Stormwall. + |
| Gerard Dastrid + | Born the son of a reasonably successful blacksmith, Gerard abandoned his apprenticeship at the age of sixteen in order to heed the call to enlist as a Telmar armsmen and do his duty to his House. Long hours spent hammering metal translated well to swinging large swords and carrying the weight of heavy sheets of plate mail. And so it was that Gerard found himself rising quickly through the ranks of the Telmar military, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best young swordsman in the Telmar ranks. He continued his service well past his initial enlistment, his skillful swordsmanship eventually earning him selection to the Duke Telmar's personal guard. A few years later, during a visit by Prince Radley, Gerard found himself riding out with Duke Arn and the Prince of Sanctum in order to quell a small shav incursion into the Oathlands. The invading force was larger than originally anticipated, and the Duke ordered his personal guard to reinforce a crumbling flank, placing Gerard in charge of the detail. When the dust finally settled, and the shavs routed, Gerard was found badly wounded, surrounded by a dozen shav corpses who feel victim to the armsman's dancing blade. Passed over by the first wave of medics, Gerard was left on the battlefield for dead, picked up almost by chance by another passing healer. After recovering from his wounds, Gerard was knighted by Duke Arn for his bravery in combat, and given the honor of serving as the Telmar family's personal sword instructor, responsible for teaching young Ansel, the future Sword of Telmarch, how to dance with a blade. Becoming known around the Telmarch as the Telmar's dance instructor for the armsman's graceful swordsmanship, it's to this assignment that Gerard has committed himself for the past decade. With the majority of the House now located in Arx, Gerard is eager to continue to serve his family in their new home, and to make sure that future generations of Telmars do not forget their proper forms. + |
| Gerrick Bradshaw + | Gerrick Bradshaw was born to Gabriella Bradshaw of Okahaven, and an unknown man from... somewhere. Growing up without a father, Gerrick would watch the other children interacting with their dads and often come home to pester his mother with his hundred and one questions about his father. Gabriella was always patient and she would spin the most fantastic tales of the man, his deeds and adventures. There was no question she did not have an answer for and Gerrick took these tales to heart, believing in them so completely it fostered in him a nascent belief of the unrealistic and the ability to accept things some others might reject out of hand. As he grew older, instead of abandoning the stories of his youth, he set out to prove them all true. Knowing he would need a specific set of skills to accomplish this, he volunteered to join the Keaton Trackers. His inventive mind was an asset, and he often saw connections that others might have missed. He had a knack for stumbling into clues, and though his interpretation was often... unusual, it typically worked for him. His reputation as oddly effective gained him the attention of Margerie Keaton who had him transfered to her personal guard. She shared with him her belief of the Keaton Curse, and Gerrick's fertile mind dug into the story. He became her personal investigator, looking into stories of Keatons past, hunting down rumors and trying to prove (or disprove... but totally prove) the Keaton Curse was real. When his lady and the new young lord were making plans to relocate to Arx, there was no way the faithful Gerrick was going to let them out of his sight in the big bad city. + |
| Gerry Taken + | He's a shady trader, the kind who doesn't ask where the goods come from. From some of his scars and his stance, he knows how to handle himself in a tough spot. He arrived in Arx not long ago, less than a year, and has made his business mostly in the Lower Boroughs. With hm he brought his daughter, Catryn, for whom he has a real protective eye. Already a few wandering hands have resulted in quiet retaliation in a back alley until the word's spread that he doesn't take kindly to showing her disrespect. + |
| Gertrude Grayhope + | Gertie was born into a common family. She was quite sickly and frail growing up, so she spent a lot of time at home, reading. All that time spent not feeling well seemingly sparked plenty of inspiration to become an Apothecary. Anyone meeting her for the first time probably won't hear her shut up about it, the girl clearly very passionate about her work, dreaming of one day making a big breakthrough. + |
| Gesa Whisper + | Gesa's life, she has always said, was shaped by the bad habits of her ancestors. Somewhere down the line there was a drunkard gambler who managed to get him or herself enthralled. She doesn't know who, and as far as she knows her family always served House Kennex of Stormward. She was born a week before Lord Aethan Kennex, and her mother served as his wetnurse and then nursemaid. Because of this she was always close to the family, but also very separate. She may have played with them, but birth had destined her to a different path. It was a path she had no interest in walking because who wants to walk when one can laze about? Gesa knew she didn't want to toil her life away as a thrall, mostly because she hates toil, and she always envied her noble masters for the fine things they had. Her path became clear at seventeen when a traveling entertainer came to Stormward. There was her easy life, she decided. She would escape and become an entertainer. Escaping wasn't difficult. She stowed away on a merchant ship heading towards Setarco. No one missed her until it was too late. They assumed she was hiding to avoid work as was her habit. Stowing away wasn't so hard, either. Gesa is very good about lazing about, and did so about the cargo. She is also good at making friends and flirting. She secured a friendship with a young sailor and with a few suggestive comments she had no intention of following through with she managed to gain food and water for the duration of the trip. Setarco was rough at first, but it also provided her with a place to learn the skills she needed to be an entertainer. She learned to sing, dance, and tell stories. She also learned how to smile even when it's hard so she could get what she wants. And if you're sad? Well, there is plenty of things to do or take that can be distracting enough to put a smile on your face. + |
| Gesa none + | Gesa's life, she has always said, was shaped by the bad habits of her ancestors. Somewhere down the line there was a drunkard gambler who managed to get him or herself enthralled. She doesn't know who, and as far as she knows her family always served House Kennex of Stormward. She was born a week before Lord Aethan Kennex, and her mother served as his wetnurse and then nursemaid. Because of this she was always close to the family, but also very separate. She may have played with them, but birth had destined her to a different path. It was a path she had no interest in walking because who wants to walk when one can laze about? Gesa knew she didn't want to toil her life away as a thrall, mostly because she hates toil, and she always envied her noble masters for the fine things they had. Her path became clear at seventeen when a traveling entertainer came to Stormward. There was her easy life, she decided. She would escape and become an entertainer. Escaping wasn't difficult. She stowed away on a merchant ship heading towards Setarco. No one missed her until it was too late. They assumed she was hiding to avoid work as was her habit. Stowing away wasn't so hard, either. Gesa is very good about lazing about, and did so about the cargo. She is also good at making friends and flirting. She secured a friendship with a young sailor and with a few suggestive comments she had no intention of following through with she managed to gain food and water for the duration of the trip. Setarco was rough at first, but it also provided her with a place to learn the skills she needed to be an entertainer. She learned to sing, dance, and tell stories. She also learned how to smile even when it's hard so she could get what she wants. And if you're sad? Well, there is plenty of things to do or take that can be distracting enough to put a smile on your face. + |
| Giada Godsworn + | Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosia, Giada was raised quick to understand that money makes life possible in the city. She was a quick student, picking up tricks and tips with alacrity. She was, however, too independent to stay at home, contented to run a market stall. She started branching out into other business ventures, eventually finding her way towards marketing her services to various mercenary outfits that would pass through to resupply. Their stories awakened a wanderlust in her that had probably been there all along, and she travelled with one of the companies to Arx. There, she came across a recruitment drive for The Redwood Mercenary Company, and they needed a quartermaster. She didn't even hesitate. So now she's in Arx and gainfully employed, looking forward to the next challenge. + |
| Giada Morello + | Born to a humble merchant family in Lenosia, Giada was raised quick to understand that money makes life possible in the city. She was a quick student, picking up tricks and tips with alacrity. She was, however, too independent to stay at home, contented to run a market stall. She started branching out into other business ventures, eventually finding her way towards marketing her services to various mercenary outfits that would pass through to resupply. Their stories awakened a wanderlust in her that had probably been there all along, and she travelled with one of the companies to Arx. There, she came across a recruitment drive for The Redwood Mercenary Company, and they needed a quartermaster. She didn't even hesitate. So now she's in Arx and gainfully employed, looking forward to the next challenge. + |
| Gian Fuller + | The son and grandson of clothmakers, he grew up among relative comfort in a rather well-off peasant family in Gemecitte (Crowned Hill side). A second son, marked by youthful curiosity as well as a strong back, when levies were called, years ago, Gian stood forward for his family, and marched off behind the knights and men-at-arms to do his feudal duty. Many found the expedition against an Abandoned tribe to be terrifying, but for Gian it was a thing of fascination. His mind was riveted by the sheer logistics of moving so many men, so many wagons for tents and food, not to mention smiths, cooks, and healers. Then the fighting came. More of a chase than a battle, he was in youthful awe of the knights on their chargers, running ahead of his fellow peasants in an effort to keep up. Once, a knight dropped her sword, and Gian was near enough to hand it back up. At the time, hed never been more proud. On the march home, two of the grooms ran off, and Gian begged and pleaded for the chance to take the runaways place. This was how he first joined the retinue of the Duke of Zaffria. In the near 20 years since, he has served as a groom, a common infantryman, drill master, man at arms, and finally as an officer. He has spent more of his life under arms in service to the Zaffria family than he has spent outside of it. + |
| Gianna Corvo + | Gianna doesn't speak much about where she's from. Refuses to, really. She sounds and looks Lycene, so that's probably a safe bet. If she has any brothers or sisters, she hasn't said. If her parents are still alive, she hasn't said. If she has any children, she hasn't said. While she arrived in Arx, she spent time playing songs and singing in various inns, taverns, and other public places where passersby might spare a little coin. Gianna quickly made a name for herself by becoming a Whisper and then founding the Bard's College, a social organization for singers, musicians, those hoping to better their musical skills, and supporters of such artists. Her rough edges (mostly) smoothed over, Gianna continues to strive for recognition and riches. Gianna has an eye for shiny things, and is unapologetic about her plans to obtain them. + |
| Gianna Delvecchio + | Gianna doesn't speak much about where she's from. Refuses to, really. She sounds and looks Lycene, so that's probably a safe bet. If she has any brothers or sisters, she hasn't said. If her parents are still alive, she hasn't said. If she has any children, she hasn't said. While she arrived in Arx, she spent time playing songs and singing in various inns, taverns, and other public places where passersby might spare a little coin. Gianna quickly made a name for herself by becoming a Whisper and then founding the Bard's College, a social organization for singers, musicians, those hoping to better their musical skills, and supporters of such artists. Her rough edges (mostly) smoothed over, Gianna continues to strive for recognition and riches. Gianna has an eye for shiny things, and is unapologetic about her plans to obtain them. + |
