[b]Name:[/b] Hector Sibassius. [b]Age:[/b] 36. [b]Gender:[/b] Male. [b]Race:[/b] Colovian Imperial. [b]Appearance:[/b] Tall and broad-shouldered, Hector is a man who takes pride in his appearance. He is strong and healthy, and his enthusiasm for physicality has not diminished with the years. Hector's body speaks volumes about his experiences in life; the myriad of small scars are souvenirs from his previous adventures and his hands are the rough hands of a man who has to fight to make a living. The most distinctive disfiguration is found on his back, where a long, gleaming scar stretches from his right shoulderblade to his left hip, telling the story of a blow that almost disemboweled him. Hector's face is broad and expressive, sporting a strong jawline, pronounced cheekbones, a heavy brow and a noble aquiline nose. His deep-set eyes are cobalt blue, like gems glittering in the dark of an underground ore vein. Nord blood in his heritage has given him blond hair, but he wears in the short hairstyle, cropped close to his skull, that is so typical of the Imperial race. The only noticeable scar on his face is a small cut above his left eye, splitting his eyebrow in two. Usually, his expression is softened by a small smile playing around his full lips, creating the impression he is mildly amused about something without revealing what exactly. [b]Personality:[/b] Back when Hector Sibassius served in the Legions, his comrades and subordinates would always refer to him as 'agreeable'. Blessed with a mild temperament and a lot of patience, Hector can usually avoid unfortunate misunderstandings and defuse tense situations. This personality also allows him to stay calm in the heat of battle; keeping his cool in mortal danger is what has kept him alive this far. Because of these traits, many people naturally gravitate towards him and look to him for leadership or justice, which he dispenses fairly in equal measure. Despite his resignation from the Legions, Hector has the Empire’s best interests at heart and will go out of his way to protect her and her citizens from danger, but war jades every man’s soul at least a little bit and Hector isn’t one to cry over spilled milk. While superficially friendly, if a little stoic and authoritative, he may seem aloof to people who deal with him for an extended period of time and he is slow to share personal details. This, combined with his tendency to move around a lot as an adventurer, means he has few long-term friends. However, he isn't immune to loneliness, and this new opportunity to go adventuring with a group of like-minded individuals has lifted his spirits. [b]History:[/b] Hector Sibassius was born in Sentinel, one of High Rock's various city-states. His parents had moved from Cyrodiil to High Rock for financial reasons: his mother was a tapestry weaver and his father was a potter and they discovered there was simply a bigger market for these things in High Rock than in Cyrodiil. Someone has to create all the tapestries that decorate High Rock's many castles, after all, and Bretons are fond of painted jugs and vases. Perhaps out of inherent childlike rebellion against everything one's parents do, Hector had zero interest in learning the trades of his parents. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem: Hector had two older sisters who were both willing to take up the crafts of their parents and continue the family business. As such, Hector was allowed to forge a future for himself. Unfortunately he was never able to settle on anything in particular that kept his attention, and as time came and went he turned eighteen without having any idea of what he wanted in life. In an attempt to force him to choose something, his parents gave him a deadline: he had to leave the house and live on his own in three weeks time. As many disillusioned and uninspired young men do, Hector turned to the Legions. This wasn't exactly what they had in mind, but it was already too late. Hector's papers had been signed. To leave now would be desertion. Besides, Hector told his parents (and himself), serving his Emperor was a noble cause that was sure to bring much honor to their family. The Ruby Ranks taught Hector how to fight. His training taught him how to march, how to maintain his equipment, how to sharpen a blade, how to occupy a territory and tell citizens to stay put, how to kill and maim and erect fortifications on corpse-strewn ground, how to bind wounds and stem the bleeding, how to steel his soul in the face of overwhelming odds -- and Hector returned the favor by becoming an exemplary soldier. Within five years, Hector Sibassius had become a Captain of the Legion, fulfilling his promise of bringing his family much honor. For many years, Hector served dutifully. In the aftermath of the Great War, which had occurred in the years shortly before his birth, Hector almost exclusively saw action in domestic disputes, like the Bravil riots in 4E 188 in which he almost died to a cowardly attack from behind. It wasn't until the Stormcloak Rebellion that Hector participated in an actual war, even if it was a civil one. The bitterness and unbridled warrior spirit of the Nord peoples of Skyrim that fueled the rebellion meant that the Empire was forced to strike the Stormcloaks down like the wrathful hammer-vengeance of Ebonarm himself. The brutality was shocking. Hector spent much of his time trying to convince the locals to take the Empire’s side, especially in contested areas near Dawnstar and Whiterun, and his attention was equally divided between helping out those who needed a soldier’s assistance and actually fighting the Stormcloaks. And it was that conflict that convinced him to eventually resign from the Legion. Despite his best efforts, the war culminated in the savage sacking of Windhelm, led by the Dragonborn himself raining fire and death from the skies atop Odahviing’s back. Ulfric Stormcloak’s summary execution was the final trigger. It was too much like the stories Hector had heard about the sacking of the Imperial City at the hands of the Thalmor. Hector requested to be relieved of his duty and in acknowledge of his service he was honorably discharged. After sixteen years in the Legion, Hector suddenly found himself free to do whatever he wanted. However, his only practical skills were combat- and survivalist-related. His career prospects were slim. It was either soldier-for-hire or... adventurer. After a short sabbatical in Whiterun Hector procured a new set of steel armor for himself and traveled to Falkreath, where he has learned about an undisturbed Nordic tomb in the forests and met a few skilled, like-minded individuals who are willing to join him and split the loot evenly. [b]Skills:[/b] [i]Major:[/i] [indent]- Long Blade: Hector is a trained Legionnaire with almost two decades of fighting experience. He is a very competent swordsman and practices a patient, calculating style that involves lots of parries and counterattacks. He knows he can't match the blistering speed and flourish of the naturally talented Redguards or the brute strength of the Orcs, and the Legions always emphasized strategy over glory, so Hector fights with his brain and not with his heart. - Speech: Despite coming from a humble background Hector's voice commands all the authority and respect of a powerful aristocrat. He is good at knowing when to speak and when to listen in order to get people to spill their secrets, and when to bark or softly request a command. In battle Hector is like a walking battle-standard, rallying his allies to fight harder, better, faster and stronger. He is also quite the ladies man, even if he doesn't indulge very often.[/indent] [i]Minor:[/i] [indent]- Blocking: Like every Legionnaire Hector knows how to use a shield. The fine art of shield-use is lost on him, however, and he simply uses it to augment his swordplay and to block blows he's reluctant to parry with a blade. The spike on his heart-shaped shield is an interesting addition to his arsenal and Hector is still experimenting with its use in combat. - Heavy Armor: Used to wearing a lighter set of leather-and-mail armor in his time among the Legions, Hector is still warming up to wearing a heavier set of steel plate armor -- but he's beginning to get the hang of it. - Alchemy: Hector's knowledge of alchemy is restricted to a few basic potions to restore & fortify his health, eradicate his fatigue and augment some of his skills (namely swordplay), but he brews them well and knows all the necessary ingredients off the top of his head.[/indent] [b]Equipment:[/b] Hector's most prized possession is his master-crafted steel longsword, a gift from one of his commanding officers after the end of the Stormcloak Rebellion. It is forged in the Cyrodiilic style with a long, slim blade, sharp point and T-shaped crossguard & grip. A ruby is set into the pommel. The most notable fact about it is its enchantment; the blade burns with fierce heat and sets fire to anything it strikes. Hector carries a few filled soulgems with him to power the enchantment whenever it runs out of charge but does not know how to replenish that reserve without spending gold. As for armor, Hector ditched the gear of the Legionnaires when he resigned and procured a set of Cyrodiilic steel armor reminiscent of the knights of the third era. He wears a hooded brown traveling cloak over his armor that evokes the image of a paladin of the Imperial Cult and simple, comfortable clothing beneath the steel plate. Rounding out Hector's wargear is a heart-shaped steel shield with a large spike on it; useful for bashing enemies. Other items on his person include a map of Tamriel, vials and basic alchemy ingredients, a pouch filled with septims, dried meats and supplies to patch up his gear, all of which he carries in a leather satchel slung across his back. [b]Birthsign:[/b] The Lord. [b]Miscellaneous:[/b] Sibassius is a skilled chess player and likes to challenge his allies to a match whenever the opportunity arises.