Search by property

This page provides a simple browsing interface for finding entities described by a property and a named value. Other available search interfaces include the page property search, and the ask query builder.

List of results

• Eirlys Greenmarch  + (Eirlys has been used to a life of independ …
  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.
  n to - without ever forgetting who she is.)
• Eleyna Velenosa  + (Eleyna Velenosa started her life as just a …
  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.
  ymbolizing rebirth for her and her people.)
• Eliana Steinmaison  + (Eliana was born to a couple of bakers. Th …
  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-!
  and prove that she's good at -something-!)
• Eliza Lavann  + (Eliza was born in Arx, to a moderately suc …
  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.
  onal studies took a decidedly occult bend.)
• Elpenor Ru-Taul  + (Elpenor was born to a couple of Thralls in …
  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.
  iven pardons for any and all past actions.)
• Elrych Holzfahller  + (Elrych was second born to house Holzfahlle …
  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.
  challenges presented to him by his Liege.)
• Elsa Shepherd  + (Elsa began life as a Laurent, a cousin to …
  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.
  t came out the other side still breathing.)
• Elsbetta Farshaw  + (Elsbetta Farshaw is the younger sister of …
  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.
  n her power to prevent this lost of trust.)
• Elyse Crown  + (Elyse was born pretty poor, her father wor …
  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.
  she's fairly close-fisted with her money.)
• Emara Grayhope  + (Emara's life started in the Lower Boroughs …
  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.
  but for her family, she makes exceptions.)
• Ember Redreef  + (Ember and Marina were born twins, daughter …
  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.
  aid of her sister as her strong right arm.)
• Emele Greenblood  + (Emele Greenblood is a young prodigal woman …
  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.
  asset to the Whitehawks, and she knows it.)
• Emeline Smith  + (Emeline is a criminal, plain and simple. S …
  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.
  st so happens to be the criminal king pin.)
• Emma Valardin  + (Emma was born in a line of heroes who seld …
  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.
  to the disease the Mercies try to placate.)
• Emmerly tyde  + (Emmerly's memories of the days before the …
  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.
  or a new start out of her mother's shadow.)
• Emrys Whisper  + (Emrys' arrival to the Whisper House is wel …
  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.
  that it lies under a bright, shining sun.)
• Enid Frost  + (Enid is not one to speak of herself often …
  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.
  nd the traditions she so fervently values.)
• Edda Greenwood  + (Enigmatic when it comes to her past, Edda …
  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.
  s found its banners called, Edda followed.)
• Charlotte Wyrmguard  + (Enough was never really enough for Charlot …
  Enough was never really enough for Charlotte. Growing up with six siblings in a backwater like Apsfel Falls was just dull. A cadet branch of the illustrious Wyrmguard family should have given her excitement and prestige, but their family was poor. So very poor, and all their wealth went to keeping their patch of land operational. The infrequent trips to Blancbier were the only bright spots of her youth. That and her twin sister Yessica. Together they would dream up the life that they would lead when they were older. Traveling from city to city, rubbing elbows with Princes and Princesses, catching the eye of a dashing Duke... it was going to be amazing. Reality, however, was not as kind. When she was eighteen she was married to Tymer Sanna, now Tymer Wyrmguard. The man was a brute and practically a savage. He had a wandering eye, a coarse manner, he as everything Charlotte did not want. But she married him anyway. Because a Wyrmguard puts family first, and this was a duty to be borne with dignity. And the occasional screaming fits punctuated with flying vases. The marriage was a seven year war of silence. When word came that Tymer would be fighting in Stormwall, there was a part of her that rejoiced at the forced absence. When word came weeks later that Tymer died, there was a small part of Charlotte that felt actual relief at the news. She grieved as was proper, and then promptly sent a letter to Yessica saying that she was going to move to Arx, to get to know the extended Wyrmguard family, and if that didn't work, they had a sister, Reigna, living there too. Charlotte has a chance to capture her childhood dreams, dreams she spent a life preparing herself for. Fancy parties, fancy people, fine wine and ballgowns. She has a wealth of political game (she thinks) that she is eager to put to the test. She is ready to take her life into her own hands. With Yessica at her side, the city of Arx should be put on notice! The Wyrmguard twins are going to take the city by storm! ...Is that too soon?
  e the city by storm! ...Is that too soon?)
• Enri Jaeggere  + (Enri was groomed to be a knight from a you …
  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.
  haps find others with a similar mentality.)
• Eos Saik  + (Eos' childhood was nothing out of the ordi …
  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..
  hose responsibilities sending him to Arx..)
• Ephraim Mercier  + (Ephraim came as an unexpected suprise to h …
  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...
  pon, he's rather vague with the details...)
• Tris Magaldi  + (Equally, Tris gives nothing to her crew ab …
  Equally, Tris gives nothing to her crew about her youngest years or true port of origin. She doesn't feel she owes any of them anything but her share. She's never drunk, for whatever reason she gives at the time. So there is little doubt she lies to everyone about what she does mention of herself- supposedly or allegedly. Where she will start her story is Port Defiance. She was promised a new life and got abandoned. That place was no paradise, and she had no picnic. When word that her old Captain legitimized and left it to the winds to inform her, she wanted her accounts settled. Arriving in Arx, she followed his trail and made her demands. In some turn of events, she joined the Pravus Navy and quickly climbed the ranks to become a First Mate under that damned Admiral.
  me a First Mate under that damned Admiral.)
• Erela Blackhurst  + (Erela Blackhurst was orphaned on the steps …
  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.
  eight years ago. So far shes still alive.)
• Eric Thrax  + (Eric was always an adventurous kid - nearl …
  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.
  s ensuring everyone gets their fair share.)

• Erik Grimhall  + (Erik{_Grimhall{_is{_the second{_eldest{_ch …
  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.
  _family{_in{_Arx{_and{_serve{_as{_he{_may.)
• Eris Ibrianis  + (Eris Ibrianis, born to a brood of mixed so …
  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.
  e role of companion, confidante, and more.)
• Eskandar Whisper  + (Eskander was not born into the ranks of th …
  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.
  d to secure him a spot within their ranks.)
• Eshken Greenblood  + (Eskhen Greenblood is a young prodigal man …
  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.
  the Steward of Whitehawk for Baron Silas.)
• Esoka Greenblood  + (Esoka Greenblood grew up as the granddaugh …
  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.
  r early mistakes and confusions haunt her.)
• Esra Wyrmguard  + (Esra was born in Arx, the only child of a …
  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.
  ted occurrences that don't make any sense.)
• Essmor Siril  + (Essmor was born and raised in the Lower Bo …
  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.
  , he works hard to become someone of note.)
• Estelle Blackram  + (Estelle grew up a quiet girl, often keepin …
  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.
  never really took ahold of her own heart.)
• Estil Navegant  + (Estil knew that she would never rule after …
  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.
  ly to bring prestige to the Navegant name.)
• Ethan Merari  + (Ethan was an orphan who grew up in a child …
  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.
  other stepping stones, to use this wisely.)
• Eugene Caylerth  + (Eugene found himself moving from town to t …
  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.
  able to train his son in the ways of war.)
• Eurion Ashford  + (Eurion, as a child, was kind of a troublem …
  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.
  sailing for the Ashfords' navy ever since.)
• Evangelina Masque  + (Evangelina never knew her parents, from wh …
  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.
  enough. Modesty is, after all, overrated.)
• Evangeline Whisper  + (Evangeline crashed onto the shores of Seta …
  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.
  tical intrigue that awaits in the Capitol.)
• Evaristo Arterius  + (Evaristo hasn't visited his parents since …
  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...
  aps there are opportunities to be found...)
• Evelin Culler  + (Evelin was born as one of many in the gutt …
  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.
  uroughs who supported her all those years.)
• Antonio Velenosa  + (Even as a child, Prince Antonio Velenosa f …
  Even as a child, Prince Antonio Velenosa felt drawn to the sea. He'd spend time by the shores near Lenosia, watching the ships come to port, and panic his house hold servants and guards by giving them the slip and swimming in the sea alone. There are secrets in the dark waters of the sea, hidden beneath the fathomless depths but not everyone can see them. For some, they're lost beneath the crash of the waves and the bright light of the sun, but for others... For others they can hear the voices lost to the waves, the whispers that come in the night. They understand what it is to look upon those dark waters and know that more, so much more, rests beneath the surface. Prince Antonio Velenosa was one who could look upon the waters and know that there was more. He could hear the Siren's song from the depths, understand the nothings that she whispered in his ear and it was her song that lured him to the shores, invited him deeper so that the urges that followed him in childhood, to spend all his time about the waves, carried him into adulthood. From a boy on a skiff, to a Captain at the helm, Prince Antonio has known a life of adventure. He made a name for himself as a young captain of royal blood escorting Lenosia shipping to Arx and the homes of the great houses, fearlessly meeting threats head on. Whether pirate or storm, the bold captain seemed to take any danger in stride, and his daring always seemed to carry the day when more timid men might have been lost. Unfortunately, it seemed his good fortune couldn't hold forever, and the entirely-too-bold captain may have underestimated how many enemies among pirate shavs he had been making, as a flotilla he was leading to the Darkwater Reach was ambushed by an exceptionally well organized and far more numerous force of Shavs. While House Velenosa stood by its prince, and claimed no one could have acquitted themselves better by escaping with as many ships as he did from the trap, the losses and embarrassment of the defeat have left the bold prince chastened and looking for redemption. That redemption wouldn't come at sea, but at the court of Arx, where a bold young captain with now an underserved reptuation for recklessness could prove to the Lyceum he had sound judgment and even temperment. If he can just stop himself for strangling any smug nobles asking about how he lost to shavs, of course.
  ing about how he lost to shavs, of course.)
• Rhea Acheron  + (Even as a child, Rhea was bossy and very f …
  Even as a child, Rhea was bossy and very focused on guiding other people, just rarely in a way they'd want their guidance. No, Rhea, you can't help Riagnon toughen up by filling his mattress with rocks. No, Rhea, don't cut your uncle's armor straps because he hasn't realized he's grown too fat for them. No, Rhea, you should not be ordering those obviously satirical self-help books from the Great Archive and be giving them to people you don't like. Attempts to curb this behavior backfired, but the worst of it seemed to bleed out of her over the years, until she drank a bit too much at a diplomatic dinner and threw her goblet on the guest of honor. A decision was made to huck her off to Nightgold's cadet branch. Within three months, it came out the head and only other member of that cadet branch was actually a long lost prince. He went home. Oops. After a month of waiting for a long lost Aviaron to appear in similar fashion, she declared herself Marquessa.
  r fashion, she declared herself Marquessa.)
• Cesare Whisper  + (Even at a very young age, Cesare stood out …
  Even at a very young age, Cesare stood out as an exceptional talent. While most boys his age in the Lyceum were already playing with swords, Cesare had a single passion that consumed him, with every waking thought dedicated to it and it alone: music. Every day he would toy with a new instrument or he would listen to the singers around the shrine of Jayus in his native Setarco, learning the same songs and then improving upon the delivery. The words just always came naturally to him, the music flowed through him and he had a voice that made crowds gather. First he attracted the notice of the disciples of Jayus and priests of the Faith of the Pantheon, who eagerly encouraged a young man with such obvious talent. Then he attracted nobles, who made a point to visit the young man's performances. Before long, he became known as 'the Singer of Setarco' or 'the man with the perfect voice'. The fame meant nothing to him, and he barely noticed it- he was tireless in seeking out new forms of music, in cultivating each and every aspect he could find, in the hope to finally capture something truly sublime in music. He still hopes to find a perfect moment that captures the essence of Jayus for all the world to hear. Unfortunately, he couldn't linger in Setarco. He didn't realize how truly popular he had become until he was forced to flee the city as noblewomen who all seeked to patronize the talented young man became increasingly dangerously jealous over his lack of reciprocation of their affections. He was informed in no uncertain terms that he was likely to wind up dead as a result if he didn't flee, and has since made his way to Arx, more than a bit wiser at how dangerous spurned passion truly is. To that end, he has become a much sought after courtier, currently employed by the Whisper House, entertaining the greatest and most powerful women in the Compact, with the same respect and protections associated with other courtesans. He's still seeking that perfect song, but he's deciding there's sublime beauty in other parts of life as well.
  ime beauty in other parts of life as well.)
• Mae Culler  + (Even for a Culler it can be catch as catch …
  Even for a Culler it can be catch as catch can in the Lower Boroughs, especially if a person is born the seventh of eight children. Her Mam wasn't much interested in being a mam by the time her last few pups were spawned; the rearing of the little ones was often left to their elders, who were even less fit to serve as surrogate parents. Not a fan of being cuffed upside the head and ordered to stay put, keep her mouth shut, do what she's told, Mae quickly learned to skirt the authority of her older siblings. Her small size and agility developed into an early reputation as an escape artist and it became a common refrain around their shack that, "Mae's on t' roofs again!" From her earliest years, she was no more respectful of other people's property than she was of familial attempts at laying down the law, such as it was among the gutter clans. For all the heart attacks she provoked among her relatives for her high-climbing ways, her youthful escapades often ended with a carrier pigeon in the cook pot or an extra blanket plucked from a drying line to lay over their beds, so complaints were half-hearted at best. If the clan needed a thing and Mae could find the thing, take the thing, and carry home the thing, then clearly the thing ought to have been theirs in the first place and its original owner should have kept a closer eye on it. Wrath was kept to a minimum due to the process sometimes happening in reverse, with gifts laid on the steps of those who'd suffered her light-fingered ways previously. It helped too she never took anything -dire-, and diligently avoided the notice of the official authorities and their harsh law-blessed hands. It was a Boroughs matter, and she knew the lines that shouldn't be crossed against her own because they were bred in the bone, channeled in her blood. Childish recklessness of Mae's sort is often turned to harder crimes as the years wind on but there her luck held true as well. Instead of being swept into the greater organizations whose deeds stepped well over the line into darkly illegal, she detoured into reputable work as a messenger, running scraps of paper for pennies to begin. Eventually, her reputation for reliability (and ultraquick service!) saw her client base expanding until finally, her name came to the notice of the Black Rose Mummers. The numbers of messages flying to and from their theatre is prodigious, the correspondence between the actors and their fans a close rival for the missives arranging and organizing new performances. A trial period became regular employment and since then, Mae's not wanted for much else in the world.
  e's not wanted for much else in the world.)
• Aedin Blackwood  + (Even the wildest tribes have need of gifte …
  Even the wildest tribes have need of gifted souls able to read the wishes stored in the hearts of men. Whether determining if a treaty will hold or trading fox pelts, that talent sometimes spells the difference between a hard winter and a good one. The Blackwoods had their reputation for holding peace between tribes of the mountains and the sea, and Aedin's mother, a comely lass with golden hair and eyes like fire, caught her father's eye. Their marriage supposed peace, but their daughter surpassed them both for grace and wit. As a child, Aedin enchanted her playmates. Not for her, getting in trouble or torn dresses. She stayed close to her mother's side and honoured the tribe's shamans, often tending to the delicate tasks that earned her approval and favours. Let others barter in coin. She amassed obligations and debts of other kinds, wielding a silent power. Marriage offers spilled in soon as she was old enough, but she denied them all. A greater world waited. Patiently Aedin bided her time, and her exasperated father was none too willing to give up his precious treasure. She knows the ways of the wilds -- no Abandoned turned noblewoman in the North can avoid that -- but so too she learned the quieter secrets, the way of whispers and trade. But the world grew circumscribed. She hungered for the sea and larger markets. The people in the woods pleased her more than the wild wood itself. When the Blackwoods knelt to the Crovanes, she was one of the first to brave the strange world of beyond. Her exoticism lured in the unexpected, and she started up exactly as she had before, acquiring favours and exchanging debts, building on an intricate web of social graces that made her a merchant princess in the most unexpected ways. It wasn't long thereafter a party breezed through her adopted city, seeking someone to speak for them, a diplomat with a keen sense of value and a talent for appraisals. A wide-eyed, electric speaker, Aedin charmed them as much as her new crew laid out a fascinating future. Never one to back down from daring, she took them up, and so sails to Arx and points beyond under the leadership of Arthen Dayne. What's life for if not excitement?
  Dayne. What's life for if not excitement?)
• Elloise Leary  + (Even though she was born smack dab in the …
  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.
  r accidentally set her hair on fire again.)
• Elloise Stormbreak  + (Even though she was born smack dab in the …
  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.
  r accidentally set her hair on fire again.)
• Jennyva Shepherd  + (Even when she was very young, Jennyva real …
  Even when she was very young, Jennyva realized her father wasn't the greatest of rulers. Duke Gregor Shepherd, called 'the Butcher of Graypeak', was certainly widely feared. Respected as an extremely capable battlefield commander, relentless in his warring against shavs... and completely indifferent to politics ("the idle sport of courtiers", he said) or the importance of balancing the demands of different vassals ("they are vassals and I rule, there is nothing more to it", he said). Jennyva's mother Irene was every bit a soldier like Gregor, but understood political realities in a way he never would, and privately confided to her daughter that she was quietly certain she had kept House Shepherd out of senseless wars with other houses at least three times, and encouraged Jennyva to follow in her footsteps. Duchess Irene's tragic death in battle against shavs, a death that almost certainly would have been prevented if Gregor hadn't offended two other houses that had offered support, changed House Shepherd. In Duke Gregor, it hardened his resolve against Abandoned into an unreasoning blood feud beyond all reason. In Jennyva, it made her convinced she had little choice but to master politics or House Shepherd was doomed. To Jennyva's considerable surprise, she actually enjoyed it. Politics was like a vast puzzle of endless contradictory goals of scores of competing factions, a vast tapestry she could unravel. Her father largely ignored it, but while barely an adult she mended House Shepherd's acrimonous relationship with its vassals, saw the resentful loyalty owed her house turn into something like real comraderie, and started to make inroads to establishing some true resolution of disputes with other noble houses of the Crownlands. She also started to realize she could manage people so deftly it almost became second nature. It was obvious to her what they wanted, and how to reach something mutually satisfactory, how to explain away something belligerent and moronic that her father said, how to play off the biases of different competing factions to get an agreement settled at the table. She was, all agreed, going to be a spectacular ruler. And then her father ennobled his oldest friend from a long disgraced branch of House Shepherd and made a technically older cousin she had never met heir. Yes, yes, Jennyva knows her father rambled on and on about house honor and erasing stains and righting a terrible wrong and being the proper reward for a lifetime of service and yada yada yada but it was SO like him to spectacularly screw things up right as he died. But Jennyva ultimately realized it doesn't really matter all that much who has the title- she can work with this. This is fine. Everything's fine.
  ith this. This is fine. Everything's fine.)
• Hamil Fidante  + (Ever since he was able to walk, Hamil Fida …
  Ever since he was able to walk, Hamil Fidante has been interested in horses and the joust. His mother is a Devotion of Limerance and cousin of Calista Fidante and his father is a knight of the Wyrmguard who had married into the family. When he was young, Hamil's parents would take him to the jousting tilts and challenges of the knight. From stick horses and wooden swords as a child to charging coursers and large spears in his teenage years, Hamil was always going to be a Knight. He had plans to be a Knight of Devotions to Limerance with dreams of accepting the favors of ladies, and fighting for the honor of his house. When he was eighteen, he fell hard for a Lady from Velenosia that he met at a party. After what was a whirlwind romance, it seemed that the negotiations for a marriage contract were well underway. But then Hamil went off to defend the Compact against the Gyre. In the battles that followed, Hamil acquitted himself well. During one of the last battles of the war, Hamil was in full charge when a Gyre spear caught him beneath the chin and it was only fortune that kept him from having his head removed. Thrown from his horse and injured heavily, it was assumed that Hamil may never fully recover. That was the first time that love did not come to his aid. The Velenosian Lady asked her family to call off the contract and broke off contact. While this hurt Hamil, it drove him harder to recover from his injuries. It was a months-long process and when he had healed fully, Hamil had decided on a new path. If he could not have his idea of true love, he would at least uphold the honor of it -- as a member of the Champions, the bloodied rose took to the field again. For honor. For entertainment. To find a reason to be and for being.
  ent. To find a reason to be and for being.)