[hider=Cedric Amberstone]
Name: Cedric Amberstone

[u]Gender[/u]: M

[u]Age[/u]: 25

[u]Role/Position[/u]: Longbowman

[u]Appearance[/u]:
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[img]http://magicartworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Monarch-Archer-man-02-600x1085.jpg[/img]
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Cedric stands at 5'11" and weighs 190 lbs, much of which is lean upper-body muscle. He is surprisingly pale for someone who should have spent so much time outdoors. His hair, which is straight and nearly shoulder-length, is a dark brown, with equally dark eyes and furrowed eyebrows that suggest he is constantly in thought. Though he bears no blatant scars, there is an ugly red burn along his left forearm, reminding him of the time he gripped his bow incorrectly and the bowstring raked a good six inches of his skin. The mark is now covered by a long glove (see Equipment) that he refuses to take off.

[u]Personality[/u]: Cheerful and optimistic, Cedric tries his hardest to find some good in whatever the situation. He has a great deal of respect for those older than him, as they are more experienced and hardened than he is, and trusts them to make the difficult decisions. He never shows a great deal of enthusiasm or excitement, as his time with the Fools has taught him that the world is a bit dimmer than he had initially believed, but he does his best to enjoy his work, and will always manage at least a grin.

[u]History[/u]: If one were to look up the definition of "common peasant," they would find an excellent description of the first twenty years of Cedric's life. He was a farm boy, raised on a small farm on the western outskirts of the woods between Forlinger and Greenwick, that provided just enough of a profit to keep him from severe poverty. He took to archery at a young age, since wild game was a major source of food. He soon learned how to string, unstring, draw, and maintain a bow, as well as craft and carve arrow shafts and forge arrowheads (given the proper tools, of course). Survival was nearly as critical, since wild animals did not have a habit of sitting about, waiting for you to shoot them, and no one else was going to clean and cook your kill for you.

Two days after his 20th birthday, Cedric left home, travelling west and taking only his equipment with him. The reasons for this are an absolute mystery to anyone else, since it is the one and only subject Cedric refuses to expound on. The location and health of his parents and siblings (if he had any) are well-guarded secrets to him. All that is known for sure is that he has not returned to his home since he left five years ago.

Cedric had never much liked the idea of roving, moving from town to city and taking anything a stranger would hand out, but that is what he found himself doing. It was not a pleasant life, but there were always farmers looking for a good set of hands to help with work, so he always managed to find a reasonable place to sleep. He worked any odd job he could find, including a few months as a blacksmith (from which he learnt almost nothing and enjoyed none of it). He saved up a good bit of money by choosing to hunt rather than buy food and sleep at his place of employment rather than an inn. 

His luck expired during the second winter, at which point the work seemed to dry up and he found himself paying out of pocket to stay somewhere warm. Desperate, he took a try at gambling, where he discovered that he was absolutely incapable of bluffing and lost every coin within an hour. One of the gamblers felt a faint tug of remorse and return a single gold coin to Cedric before he left. It was a hard lesson, one that he would never forget.

On his way out, he encountered another archer who looked surprisingly similar to him. Cedric recognized the other man's longbow and kit and struck up a loose conversation. Cedric asked if he was some sort of guardsman, as he had seen no other guards armed with such a weapon. It was here that he learnt of the existed of the Band of Fortune and the benefits that came with it. Cedric had never dealt with mercenaries before, though he had heard both good and bad stories of their behavior, but any decent source of food merited investigation. Curious, and completely out of other things to do, Cedric asked around the town for information.

"Oh, I've heard of them," a stranger said, whom Cedric later realized was an existing member. "But these days, they're called the Band of Fools."

Cedric couldn't resist a smile as he tossed the man his sole remaining coin and asked if they could use one more fool.

[u]Skills and Abilities[/u]: Many years hunting wild game has given him tremendous skill with a longbow, though a normal bow will do if he has no other option. He is an excellent hunter, a skill that includes tracking, cleaning, and cooking. His strongest trait is his eyesight, and he has the ability to see small movements at a considerable distance, though his sense of hearing is nearly as sharp. He has a peculiar habit of cocking his head to the left and narrowing his eyes when he hears something.

[u]Weakness(es)[/u]: Though he has some skill with a hand ax, Cedric is completely untrained in using his fists or his knife as anything but a tool. He has poor endurance and stamina and cannot run at full speed for very long. In the realm of war and death, he is still very ignorant, having never set foot on a front line. He is also incapable of bluffing or lying in the sense that he just cannot keep a straight face.

[u]Equipment[/u]: A steel-plate brigandine, steel greaves, and a studded leather bracer on his right forearm, with the left sporting a [url=https://www.etsy.com/listing/483619705/woodland-brown-leather-arm-guard-bow?ref=shop_home_active_5]leather arm guard shooting glove[/url]. He totes along a steel [url=https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-87491460501412/functional-16g-open-face-celeta-steel-helmet-3.gif]sallet on a leather strap[/url] for actual combat. He carries a [url=https://www.etsy.com/listing/238860432/robin-hood-longbow-and-arrows-35-lbs?ref=shop_home_active_17]longbow (120-lb draw weight)[/url] and [url=https://www.etsy.com/listing/225931328/brown-leather-quiver-right-side-reverse?ref=shop_home_active_6] reverse-draw quiver[/url] for combat, along with a small one-hand ax with a hook on the opposite side. For cleaning and skinning animals, he carries a [url=https://cdni.llbean.net/is/image/wim/298434_116_41?rgn=0,0,1950,2250&scl=4.202586206896552&id=w-wqX3]large hunting knife in a sheath[/url] on the back of his belt.

His horse, Maggie, is a red-brown thoroughbred mare with a black mane and tail, a wide white blaze, and a white sock on the front left leg.
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[hider=Relationships]
[i]Lemenuel 'Lem' Arronson[/i]: Cedric respects Lem greatly. As someone far more experienced in war and life as a whole than himself, he is fully at Lem's command, regardless of rank. His hope is to learn the lessons Lem has already learned without going through so many of the hardships himself. Cedric honestly doesn't know if he could handle the things Lem has handled, or even survive them. He knows he would do well to heed any warnings or advice that Lem provides, though he really doesn't get to spend a lot of time around him, as Lem has more important things to do than simply give life lessons to a young man. Fortunately, Cedric's keen eyesight lets him pick up on Lem's mannerisms and behavior in adverse situations, allowing him to glean some knowledge without being formally taught.

[i]Il Sposoletto[/i]: Il is the exact sort of fellow Cedric has an odd feeling about. While he is certainly easy to get along with, Cedric has caught a glimpse or two of Il's more aggressive, controlling side. As a whole, though, Cedric sees him as an intelligent, capable man, who would likely not abuse any control granted him. He has never asked or ordered Cedric to do something against orders given by a superior and doesn't seem like the sort of man to spread rumors or undermine authority, which ultimately overrules any discomfort Cedric may feel. After all, this is a hard, dangerous life, not suited for sophisticated folk of soft speech. Everyone has their rough edges, himself included, and if it came down to it Cedric would trust him with his life.

[i]Baldric Durant “Baldy”[/i]: Baldric's experience and age has given him a healthy share of respect from Cedric, to the extent that he never uses the man's nickname in or out of his presence. Nothing about his gruff personality hinders this respect, and Cedric would just as soon stay completely out of Baldric's way if he were in a foul mood. He learned early on that Baldric does not share his sense of humor or optimistic tone and subsequently does his best to refrain from appearing so in front of him, though at times he does give a half-hearted attempt to cheer the man up, even though it is painfully obvious that Baldric will have none of that. He is the kind of man who will only ever be impressed by one's skill in battle. Maybe Cedric will have something to show for him someday.

[i]Berislav Dąbrowski[/i]: Berislav is, among all the men, the one Cedric most wants to work with. They are particularly close in age and height, to the extent that he has on occasion been mistaken for the other man from behind. Berislav is certainly a talented, capable hunter and scout, and Cedric secretly hopes to someday outperform him if just for the sake of it. He has felt it slip into their work, something that Berislav does not seem to appreciate, but Cedric enjoys the challenge nonetheless, as long as the men in charge don't notice. He has caught on that the archer prefers to be alone, and tries to allow him to be, but it is rather difficult to stay away from someone you would love to go toe-to-toe with in an archery match. Besides, they are in this together. If he's persistent, perhaps he can draw Berislav out of that state of mind.

[i]Sister Margaret of the St. Paciomios Monestary[/i]: The nun is a bit of a mystery to Cedric. Why she would choose to be out here in the wilds with such a rowdy bunch of folk is beyond him. He has heard her reason and isn't quite sure if he believes it. What sane man would send such a person to the Band of Fools? He has heard her doctrine and has displayed some interest in it, but he has never really gone any further than that. Her God must have some merit if she trusts Him enough to protect her here. Of course, despite their age difference, Cedric can't help but see her as a beautiful, single young woman. He is not openly flirtatious, well aware that such behavior would be a great offense to her. Cedric's duty to his Band outweighs his attraction to the lady, and he forces himself to focus on the priorities, but he wonders in his heart if he could ever get to know her just a little better.

[i]Branimir Bradford[/i]: Cedric sees Branimir as exactly what he is: a leader, and a good one at that. Branimir displays all of the traits of an excellent commanding officer, and if he could grow up to have the traits of any man here, it would be him. And, as with any other man of war, Branimir has stories to share, often with a moral of some kind at the end. His dramatic character and openness make him the most interesting person to listen to when it comes to campfire stories, though he can't help but wonder if they are embellished just a bit. Even if they are, though, that's just a part of good storytelling. Unfortunately, Cedric often considers him outmatched by Brádach. 

[i]"Sir" Wulfric York[/i]: The only real time Cedric encounters Wulfric is when he needs the dents hammered out of his greaves or the arrowheads of his arrows sharpened up. He seems to be a kind enough fellow, but frankly Cedric just does not know him well enough to form a real opinion of him. He infrequently chides himself for not doing so, but it always seems to take second place to something else.

[i]Brádach 'The Piper' MacShana[/i]: If anyone in the company can provide valuable lessons, it would be this very man. Where some see a grizzled old man who can't stop playing shrill music, Cedric sees an abundance of priceless information. Cedric rarely speaks to him, preferring to listen to anything he may have to say. He appreciates the efforts Brádach goes through to set an example to the younger members of the band, going as far as to reel in the feistiest of them. Brádach has made it clear on many occasions that Cedric must "prove himself" to him to truly earn his respect and affection, though Cedric isn't entirely sure what that means. Prove himself in battle? In humility to authority? Perhaps even in piping? Whatever the man's definition may be, Cedric intends to earn that respect in spades.

[i]Gerard Gast[/i]: The important thing that Cedric tries to remember is that he himself is not exactly a big, brave adult either. He can't help but notice the negative impact Gerard's personality seems to have on the older men, who don't seem to share the joy and bravado that Gerard so readily displays, especially since his dear old man is within arm's reach. Either way, Cedric tolerates him, even returning the brash attitude as an encouragement. He can't help but worry that all of that will vanish someday on a field of battle, and doubts that he will be able to sustain himself if his father passes. Regardless, Cedric knows he is in no position himself to scold the young one, so he refrains from doing so, even though he has on multiple occasions heavily implied to Gerard that he ought to be elsewhere.
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