[hider=Jersch of House Tovorn][centre][b]Name[/b] Jersch of House Tovorn [b]Age[/b] 39 [b]Sex[/b] Male [b]Race[/b] Dwarf [b]Class/Sub-class[/b] Warrior/Champion [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/16/69/b5/1669b53a48318e4786be5f8739ccb08d.jpg[/img] [b]Abilities[/b] Mighty Blow [b]'In essence, I can strike my foe with such power and precision to render them totally incapable. In other words, I hit them with a sodding great axe and then they die. This is essentially the basis of all dwarva martial arts.'[/b] To the Death [b]'By ruthlessly mocking the enemy's parentage and/or face, you can goad them into attacking first. They come at you stupid, you knock 'em off balance, one less idiot.'[/b] Jersch has perfected the art of relentlessly taunting his foes to the point that they go for him over softer targets, purely to shut him up. [b]Personality[/b] Irritable, cynical and sarcastic are the best words to describe Jersch. Conflict is a hobby for him in all its forms, from a simple argument to full-on warfare. It is not that he is particularly competitive, rather that he simply enjoys testing himself against others, be it verbal or physical. Jersch has served under many banners since coming topside and has developed a degree of disdain for pretty much everyone who doesn't hail from Orzammar. Surface dwarves, humans, elves, mages, Templars... They all lack a sense of pragmatism, of practicality. So many would rather fight for a banner or for honour, but at the end of the day, what good is honour and altruism against cold hard cash? Last but certainly not least is a deeply ingrained loathing for all things demon-related. Mages who toy with the Fade, abominations and blood mages... Any sensible person would realise that playing with fire gets you burnt- or cleaved in two by a pissed off dwarf. [b]History[/b] House Tovorn of the Warrior Caste is well-known for providing some of the finest officers in Orzammar's army. While the main and close branch families have traditionally had the most successful careers, there are a number of cadet branches that have been... less fortunate. Jersch was born into one such cadet family, heirs to only modest holdings in the city and low ranking soldiers in House Tovorn's forces. As the third son of a minor branch, Jersch never had much chance of inheriting lands or achieving anything significant until the ascension of King Bhelen to the throne of Orzammar. Bhelen's progressive policies and meritocratic ideals meant that for the first time, lesser family members had a chance to prove themselves as capable warriors and commanders. This eventually led to an expansion of the Deep Roads campaign, with many more independent parties being sent into the tunnels. House Tovorn sent three such excursions, one under the command of Jersch's father and in which he served. Several factors combined to ensure that they failed in their mission of reclaiming a lost thaig, including political intrigue, bad intelligence and overall stupidity on his father's part. However the party was saved from total annihilation by the decisive actions of Jersch and his older brother Jarehk, as they rallied their House's forces during an ambush to withdraw. This came to the attention of King Bhelen, who had been searching for young and talented commanders to lead up a new initiative on the surface; the fact that the Tovorn brothers were almost unknown and therefore expendable probably helped. They were chosen to form and lead a mercenary band of House Tovorn soldiers shortly before the end of the Fifth Blight. Bhelen intended to set up a system of tributary mercenary bands roving southern Thedas, sending a percentage of their profits back to Orzammar in return for equipment and supplies. The Tovorn Company was to be proof of the system's viability. By the time the newly christened Company set out from Orzammar, the Blight had already ended, leaving them to take up small-time contracts across Ferelden until the Mage Rebellion kick-started the mercenary economy. With dozens of clients suddenly calling for experienced troops, Jersch was able to negotiate a lucrative contract with a splinter group of the rebel mages from the Circle in Ferelden. The company did very well of the work, charging a high price for a high standard of protection, all the while running lyrium to both sides of the conflict. During the course of the contract the Tovorn Company routinely locked horns with the renegade Templar Order, with both sides scoring equal honours. Even a few Inquisition agents found themselves on the end of a Tovorn blade after poking around the wrong abandoned fortress. Ultimately though, the mages succumbed to the temptations that all rogue mages do, leaving the dwarves with an awkward choice of protecting a pack of deranged demon-worshippers, or reneging on their contract. The brothers disagreed on which course to take, violently. Jarehk valued loyalty and honour above all else and as such felt compelled to follow their contract to the letter, whereas Jersch was of the opinion that demons were quite open about betraying people. The Company split, with Jarehk's half holding up inside the mage's fastness while those loyal to Jersch (and perhaps common sense) left to seek a safer contract. That safer contract was found with the Inquisition. While Jersch disapproved of the organisation's quasi-religious rhetoric and pro-mage sympathies, he did rather like their killing-things policies. The Company served for some time as part of the Inquisition's army, at least until the rebel mages were welcomed into the fold by the so-called Herald of Andraste. Remembering the dangers posed by rebel mages, Jersch immediately pulled his support, marching his men away from Haven and east. Word eventually reached him of his brother's unsurprising demise, murdered in unimaginable ways by abominations in the mage's holdfast, carried by a handful who fled the scene while they had the chance. He was left with two options; return to Orzammar with the vast riches he had earned, enough to live like a king for the rest of his days... or go get some payback. Sufficed to say, every drop of dwarven blood was paid back with interest. In interior of the mage's fort, already decrepit and crumbling, had warped into a nightmare. Jersch has never spoken of the horrors he found within those walls, but his hatred of demons and those who cavort with them began that day. With the fort cleared, the Tovorn Company claimed it as their own and set about rebuilding it in true dwarven style. It took several years to establish but once completed, Fort Jerehk became a symbol of dwarven military prowess throughout Ferelden and an important hub for mercenary activity in southern Thedas. The Tovorn Company, now well-known as the finest dwarven sellswords in the land, were eventually approached by a Chantry emissary and contracted to support the combined Southern Army in their new war. Jersch, along with a handful of his most trusted agents, was personally hired to join a special task force put together by the Divine Victoria herself... Working with religious nutjobs is hardly his idea of a good time, but you can't beat cold hard cash.[/centre][/hider] [s]One cynical dwarf.[/s] Strike that, pulling out. Sorry.