“Purses and pints, they’re better when they flow over.”Keys is an older man with a weatherworn face concealed by a dark beard and a thinning shock of black hair. His eyes are pale blue and emanate disarming warmth. His frame is solid, barrel chested with a bit of healthy weight that stuck to his middle and never came off. A little taller than the average man, Keys would cut an imposing figure if most didn’t know about his soft hands and gentle nature.
He dresses modestly in comfortable, loose clothes of earthy colors. Always pragmatic, they serve a more utilitarian function than a fashionable one. His boots are always cared for, as a soldier’s feet are his best friends. 【
Full Name】
Eiham Cyser
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Aliases】
Keys, but he is formally known as Sir Eiham Cyser of Witches’ Crest for those who are not into brevity.
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Age】
32
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Sex】
Male
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Religion】
Monarchism, more by inheritance than faith.
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Family】
Keys has no living relatives he cares for. His father, a wandering beekeeper, won accolades and a knighthood in the siege of Jawai al-Qasar, where he was first through the breach.
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Birthplace】
Witches Crest, Murkran. Keys used to live at Cyser Meadery, a meagre estate compared to many others in the kingdom, the land was awarded to Key’s father, Sir Cyser, after the siege of Jawai al-Qasar. The meadery is located miles from Witches’ Crest. It holds vast tracts of land used for the apiaries and apple orchards that supply most of Broacien with its honey and mead, and apples.
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Societal standing】
Son of a lowborn landed knight, Keys has little standing in high society. He is tolerated in Witches’ Crest for his father’s achievements and the large amount of land he holds. The meadery is a major source of income for Murkran, and Keys is seen more as a rich merchant than a knight or lord.
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Former employment】
As a knight, Keys has military training and tactical knowhow. He also worked as the steward of Witches’ Crest. If he were to be honest, though, he really prefered running his meadery.
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Rank and role】
Knight, man-at-arms.
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Personality】
A modest man with an even temperament, Keys is hard to anger. He’s affable, generous, and mostly loyal. He maintains that the only legitimacy that the king holds is through his marriage to the queen, whom Keys regards with the utmost respect.
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History】
Keys was born to wandering beekeeper and seamstress. His early youth was an experience in poverty that Keys hazily remembers in dreams. When he was five his father, the beekeeper, had become a knight in the siege of Jawai al-Qasar. He was given large amounts of land outside of Witches Crest to tend to, so doing what he knew best, he started an apiary.
Four years of peace were interrupted by Restwaerd’s invasion of Witches’ Crest. Keys father answered his lord’s call and came to the land’s defense. Keys never saw his father again. No one knows where or when he fell, if he ever did at all.
Keys grew up like any other knight’s son, all hard work and discipline, church and school. When he came of age Keys squired for a fat veteran from the castle and earned his own knighthood at the second siege of Witches’ Crest. Keys had sworn the oath to King Tristan himself, he had never been so excited in his young life. The next day he saw his king die. His taste for glory soured over the years, the duel haunting his thoughts and spreading doubt. If a pious man, a royal man, a victorious man, could die like any other, then what was the point of glory?
Queen Ella was crowned the year Keys and his mother built the meadery. While Keys’ father had only sold honey, his mother had been making mead for their personal consumption for years. Together they perfected a recipe for the mead, mixing the honey wine with apple cider. But their experiments earned them ire of the zealous populace of Mukran. By the time bastard of King Tristan came, the meadery was in full swing, and Keys had been to known boast that it was his honey wine the Queen-to-be drank at the on the day of her wedding.
When the desert lords attacked again, Lord Griven of Witches’ Crest brought Keys into his retinue to oversee coins. Not the most glamorous job, but Keys was happier counting coins than counting bodies. He left the meadery to his mother and rode with Lord Griven. The campaign began, and it ended. There were no glorious tales for the steward of Witches’ Crest, just the cheerful plinking of the new king’s face and tally marks..
Keys’ mother died a few years later. She’d gotten sick and did not live long after. Politics at court in Witches’ Crest were getting dangerous as well. Rumors of Keys moving money out of the castle led to an investigation. At the hearing Lord Griven deemed the amount of coin found at the Cyster Estate was in excess of what he should have possessed, therefore concluding the coin was stolen. The meadery and surrounding lands were seized and Keys was put into the Black Shields, at the king’s service for seven years.
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Dreams, short term goals, and fears.】
Keys wants his old life back, and he’s willing to keep his head down for seven years to see if it will. He knows that reinstatement to his estate is unlikely, but dreams are what they are.
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Skills】
Keys is an accomplished business man and a brewer of mead, cider, and beer. He knows how to grease a palm and how to haggle. Lying has always come naturally to him, but the morals the church instilled in him stuck, and he doesn’t abuse his skill.
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Martial prowess】
A trained knight, Keys has moderate skill with a sword, shield, spear, and bow. While many of his peers attend their training yards like they do the chapels, Keys had transformed his training yard into a garden and had swung nothing but a spade there since.
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Combat style】
Admittedly not the best fighter, Keys is cautious, patient, and deliberate. He waits for the opening in an attack, and exploits sloppy swordplay with somewhat less sloppy swordplay. Keys wields a bastard sword and often ignores his shield, opting for two-handed combat.
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Weaponry】
His father’s bastard sword. A weapon meant for functionality over show, it is of a dull luster and kept in fine condition.
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Armor】
Keys was trained in the use of heavy armors and shields. His armor is mostly comprised of ringmail with a beaten breastplate and a visored helm.