[hider=Darius Arenar] [center][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Ramsay_Bolton-_-Iwan_Rheon.jpg[/IMG] [hr][hr] [h1][color=Green][b][u]Darius of House Arenar[/u][/b][/color][/h1] [/center][hr][hr] [color=Green][b][u]Name[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Darius Arenar[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Age[/u][/b][/color] [indent]19[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Gender[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Male[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Relationship Status[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Single and Reluctant to Mingle[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Job[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Lower Nobility, Eldest Son, Squire to a Knight[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Element/Abilities[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Earth. His primary focus is Earth Manipulation, but he has also dabbled somewhat in Seismic Sense.[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]In-Depth Appearance[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Darius stands at an imposing six foot five, with medium length black hair and bright blue eyes. He has a light skin tone that is a bit on the pale side. He has no facial hair, having been urged to shave his stubble before embarking on the trip (and he had been trying so hard to grow a beard...) Moving down to the rest of his body, he possesses a strong build due to his years of martial training, although he had not taken to it with as much enthusiasm as one would have liked. He has a small scar underneath his left eye from a training accident. As for his actual clothing, the outfit Darius brought to the capital is rather... ornate for his taste, but his parents had insisted it would help him make a good match. He wears a white silk shirt, and a fine green coat with a golden trim, with matching green pants and fine leather boots with golden buckles. In order to show off his background in combat, the outfit also includes the outfit also includes one gilded steel vambrace on his left arm, and a gilded shoulder plate on his left shoulder. Only his left side - his right side is unarmored. Utterly impractical. Well, he does have a gilded steel greave on his right ankle... but not one on his left. There's also a golden half-cape over his right shoulder. Some might find him fashionable, but he finds it ridiculous. But his parents insisted it was fashionable, and could barely afford it, so he wears it... for now. When he actually has a chance to change, he will likely ditch the armor and the half-cape.[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Likes[/u][/b][/color] [list][*]Skepticism. [*]Intelligent Debate. [*]History/Literature. [*]Military Strategy and Tactics. [*]Philosophy. [*]Minor Rebelliousness. [*]Keeping to himself. [*]Moving on from Tradition. [*]Loyalty. [*]Humility. [*]Independence [/list] [color=Green][b][u]Dislikes[/u][/b][/color] [list][*]Blind Obedience. [*]Misinformation. [*]Deception. [*]Pointless socializing. [*]People who can't control their emotions (he will forgive serious cases though.) [*]Large gatherings. [*]Over-compliance to Rules or Codes. [*]Over-reliance on tradition. [*]Abuse of authority. [*]Boasting. [*]Absolutes. "You MUST do this. This is the ONLY way. You HAVE to go here." [*]Music/Dancing [/list] [color=Green][b][u]Biggest Fear[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Darius's biggest fear is that he will let his family down. More specifically, he will die without improving the House's fame or fortune, leaving his family in an even worse position than they were when he inherited the land. Although he was hardly a model child growing up, frequently quarrelled with his parents, and was never overly close to two of his three siblings, he still cares about the future of his House and wants them to have a legacy.[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Personality[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Darius is an introvert. It isn't that he's socially awkward, it's just that he doesn't like to engage in subjects he has no interest in - his contributions tend to be minimal, often described as cold and distant. Should the conversation turn to what he deems to be more practical fields (see: likes), he can talk a mile a minute, provided the person he is conversing with is fairly intelligent and at least somewhat informed on the issue. He is not a snob; he respects people who admit they are ignorant on a certain subject, and he is more than happy to fill them in, but what he truly despises is people who know nothing about a topic and try to pretend that they do. He tends to keep his emotions closely guarded, and frequently asks questions in a mature and clinical manner. Usually, its out of a simple desire for more information, other times the questions are framed as criticism, and on other occasions he is trying to find a more efficient way of doing something (or at least find out why a more efficient way doesn't exist.) He believes it is important to criticize those around you and listen to criticism from others. When not in a conversation, he's usually off away from the crowds, reflecting on his day or pondering something he read about, and will usually wait to be approached unless he sees a friend. When it comes to the Destined legend, he has some skepticism and reservations towards it, but ultimately believes that at least some of what he heard must be true, so he is willing to give it a shot. Although not a romantic at heart, if he finds someone he will truly be happy with, he will embrace it.[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Background[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Darius was born as the eldest son of House Arenar, one of the poorer noble houses of the realm with very little in the way of wealth or renown, but they still had enough income to educate their four children. Growing up, Darius had always been a well-read boy, and spent most of his time in his father's library while his siblings were playing. Once he had poured through every book, he went through them all again, and began to question things he had not noticed the first time. For fictional literature, he pondered the true moral of a story. For military history, he questioned why a general employed a certain move. And for history in general, he wondered if that was truly how it happened or if it was just propaganda made up by the victors. His most prominent interest was philosophy - why were we here? What is our purpose? All of these questions were asked at a very young age, surprising even his parents. Eventually, his parents came up with a plan to make their house more renowned. His father was good friends with a knight - Sir Gerald of House Vendal, who agreed to take Darius on as a squire. His parents already believed Darius would be an excellent estate manager, but they wanted him to learn combat, leadership, chivalry, and courtly graces as well. They also managed to squeeze in some time for him to practice his magic. Unfortunately, Darius did not change as much as they had hoped. The knight he served had a library even larger than his father's, so when he wasn't training or learning chivalry and etiquette, he was there reading and isolating himself from the rest of the world. His training taught him the basics of etiquette and courtly behavior, but the words and motions came awkwardly and without grace. They tried to teach him of honor, but he frequently questioned and even criticized parts the knightly code - mainly, the restrictions they placed on fighting and tactics. But he still managed to become a skilled swordsman and a half-decent horseman. He did not wish to be a knight, not truly - he would have instead preferred the role of scholar or historian, and often thought of getting up and leaving. He stayed only because the knight he served had been good to him, and his parents had insisted it was for the good of the House. He still has a few years to go before he is ready to reach knighthood. Unfortunately, the Festival for the Destined has interrupted his training. As usual, he is somewhat skeptical of the idea, but if it is the only way to develop his powers and form a good match then so be it. Part of him actually looks forward to it.[/indent] [color=Green][b][u]Extra[/u][/b][/color] [indent]The Arenars control the Barony of Darwick. Their 'seat of power' is a small town named Daralt, where they rule from a fortified manor on a hill, but it is not overly lavish or decadent. Daralt has a population of 2,000. The only other settlement in the Barony is a village known as Elkwood, with a population of 400. The two settlements are separated by a river, which a bridge has been built over. It is not located near any major cities or along any major trade routes, so it does not receive much traffic. Their chief export is lumber cut from the local forests, but they also have some farmland along the river and roads. Colour = 008000, FC = Iwan Rheon[/indent] [/hider]