[hider=Lycaon Issorat] [b]Name:[/b] Marquis Lycaon Issorat [b]Age:[/b] 36 [b]Gender:[/b] [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Straight [b]Position:[/b] Grand Master of the Holy Order of Saint Elenor Many years ago Lycaon founded the Holy Order of Saint Elenor in honor of the blessed saint and martyr of the same name. Though originally only a knightly order, and knights still dominate the organization, the order has allowed non-knights to join the order as well, transforming them into a more typical Holy Order. Lycaon’s goal is, as a pious believer in the gods, to restore the Church’s former power and glory. He knows that the only way to do this is through the King and the high nobles. [b]Personality:[/b] In public life Lycaon plays up his reputation as a hero, and acts friendly, amiable, and helpful with all that he congregates with. This is partially the reason that the poor treat him like a saint and hero. The other part is that he not only listens to them, but actually helps them. However, like a true saint he is never emotional, and though his words are passionate, like a true saint his expression remains stoic save for the gentle smile he wears on his face. The masses have never accused Lycaon of insincerity. Perhaps this is due to their ignorance of many of his previous actions. In court he is always as polite as possible, always remaining calm, and presenting himself as an upstanding man of chivalric virtues. It is important to notice that Lycaon is not boisterous or animated, but calm and agreeable. He is trying to be seen as a paragon of chivalry, saintly and unconquerable, not a jovial fool. It is not rare for him to unnerve people. No doubt this limits any charm he may have. Lycaon himself knows he is not a saint, and does not concern himself especially with the veracity or depths of his actual goodness. He is in fact far more ambitious than he would have most believe. After having sat on the sidelines for so long, he is now ready to begin holding real influence. He understands that drastic measures will have to be taken. However, his chief concern right now is not becoming King. Rather, his current wish is to restore the power of the Church to its original position. Lycaon knows that that is no easy task. The Church has effectively fallen from favor for a long time, and the current Church is decrepit and corrupt. However, because atheism or monotheism (Lycaon has read that, scandalously, some philosophers have taken this latter position) has not been allowed to take hold, Lycaon believes the Church can regain its old position. Unlike many other nobles, Lycaon is a genuine believer in the gods. Despite this, he does not follow everything the Church preaches. He finds the idea that one cannot engage in sexual intercourse on feast days and on service days to be ridiculous, and does not follow it, just like everyone else. Though Lycaon knows that he is no saint, as the masses believes, he does not think that he is misleading them too greatly. Any misdeeds he does he either brushes off as unimportant or as necessary sacrifices for a greater future. He is not an artificial man, and actually believes that he has many noble attributes in himself. Though his morality his certainly suspect, he does genuinely believe that he is moral, though he has not studied the matter, and believes he has done and will do nothing which makes him bear any great burden of guilt. He is very confident in himself, and flirts with the idea that Timtos himself favors him. Though he knows his physique is not comparable to many others on the battlefield, he is confident in his own skills to demonstrate his superiority, and show his inner strength. For what it’s worth, he is genuinely loving towards his wife and his family. Lycaon does value the people, but he generally does not think about them in the way in which they would wish to. He often thinks of them in terms of religion. Lycaon, a warrior for the Church, would naturally be aided by an army of the faithful, which are the ever-pious masses, and he understands just how powerful a tool they can be, especially if there is popular discontent against the ruling monarch. His intentions for aiding the poor cannot be said to be altruistic or even truly to their benefit, as the people of Nyhem have not improved their state of living at all since Lycaon came to help them. Lycaon privately admit that he has learned some things from the masses, even though he is above them in all aspects. He has observed that though they are pious worshippers of the gods, they are not high-strung, prudish, or puritanical, but rather quite the opposite. He has observed that of all the types of people in the world, the poor are without a doubt the least corrupt of all, and that their indomitable spirit in the face of hardship and adversity ought to make any noble grudgingly nod his head in grudging respect. Lycaon has genuine bravery, and will not shirk away from fighting. He has fought at or near the frontlines in numerous battles, even though it has resulted in a number of injuries in the past. Additionally, Lycaon has moderate or liberal opinions of magic and mages. He has no problem with either mages and magic, and believes that mages should live without persecution and the Mage’s Circle should continue to be given the state’s support. He thinks that there is no reason to be suspicious of mages, and that they hate black magic just as much as any non-mage. [b]Weakness:[/b] Though Lycaon declares himself to be strong, he is actually of lower-than-average physique when compared with the average knight. He is quite insecure over this fact, and hates the very idea of being overpowered in any way. Though the thought angers him, it also frightens him. Lycaon has a weakness to women, and not just in the traditional sense. He, for some reason, cannot help but find them naturally innocent and pure. While this does not mean that he trusts every woman, it does mean that he will trust them when there is real no reason to. Lycaon normally remains calm, but there is one thing he simply cannot abide. If someone attacks his war record and calls him an incompetent commander he will become so enraged that he will be unable to keep his calm. Perhaps he would ask them for a duel. His extraordinary calmness and stoicism tends to make some uncomfortable with him. [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d2/1c/93/d21c935893d5295c79cc0eced378911f.jpg[/img] Lycaon wears standard and state-of-the-art heavy plate armor for battle. Though it is polished and shiny, and fit for the noblest of men, it is also unadorned with jewels or gold, and is fit for battle. He does not only wear his armor in battle, however. When he congregates among the people he is always wearing his shining armor, which simply adds to their view of him as a saintly chivalric hero. Even in court he will wear his armor, both for intimidation and to make him appear as more a military man than a church man. When it is improper for him to wear his armor, he wears the proper attire of the military officers. His face is clean-shaven, and his hair long and pale. Though he no longer has the beauty he once had in his youth, he remains handsome, and his face still has signs of his beauty from youth. For a knight he noticeable few muscles, but still has greater physique than regular people, though it is not as if such a thing could be noticed through plate armor. He has a number of scars, most notably the remnants of a gash below his cheek, but the greatest of his scars is the remnants of the wound inflicted by a war-axe inflicted in the Battle of Uzgob. [b]Background:[/b] Lycaon was born the eldest son of Duke Percival II of the Issorat Dynasty, whose family had faithfully served the Du Paraquettes for nearly two centuries. Being born into the high nobility, Lycaon was given every luxury, and in return he had to both learn the strict manners of courtly life and meander through the cutthroat politics of the nobility. Not even children were free from the intrigue of the court, especially when their father was so closely connected with a king. So he spent his childhood in luxury, trying as hard as he could to stay alive. His childhood is considered to have come to an end when he was ten years old, when his father began to have him trained as a proper heir. He was put under the tutelage (at least in education) of Hanot Plasait, who had extensive as a soldier and a mercenary, and taught him martial arts, swordplay, and archery. His wife, Yzebel Plasait, taught him in rhetoric, oration, and poetry. She failed in the last one. When he was fourteen, a peasant uprising occurred in one of the counties of his father’s duchy, and Lycaon was given a regiment of soldiers and sent to crush it. His role was mainly a formality, a peasant-born officer doing the real commanding, but it helped to establish Lycaon’s reputation as an able and noble young commander. It was not until after this that Lycaon was actually instructed in strategy, by a retired general, Count Ernst Harnish, who had previously served for decades as a general. Soon after he returned from crushing the revolt, Lycaon realized he had grown incredibly weary of the intrigue of the court, and hastily left for the capital. His father disapproved, but Lycaon was able to convince him when he spoke to him of how much safer he would be in the capital against assassins. So Lycaon left his home of Linsdorf at the age of fifteen for Nyhem, taking Ernst Harnish, Hanot Plasait and his wife Yzebel wife with him. Though he arrived at Heylot’s court when he first arrived, he was hesitant to return, as it was quite clear that the King was mad. He stayed active in the lavish affairs of the nobles, but for the most part was an unremarkable presence, and his greatest achievement during this time was avoiding the attention of the mad tyrant Heylot. He remained quiet, and spent a considerable amount of time reading (Chanson de Geste mostly) and perfecting his martial arts. He used his considerable wealth to donate to the Church, marking his first contact with the Church in Nyhem, and established him as a friend. As a result, he created close ties with members of the local Church of the capital, and began to meet regularly with a priest named Farseth. Though Lycaon knew him to be corrupt, he was knowledgeable, so Farseth began to teach Lycaon religion and theology. Lycaon was enthusiastic and learned much, though he was always to be far from a theologian. When he eighteen he was briefly recalled back to his home in the Duchy of Linsdorf, as his father, Duke Percival II, was concerned that his heir was still unmarried. Percival made it clear that he wished to marry his cousin, Felise of Dagensbourg, who was renowned for her beauty. However, his father overturned his request, and was instead told that he was to marry Pylia Thaner, the daughter of a powerful and rich nobleman. However, Pylia instead married the heir of a wealthy Telmarian duchy, with Lycoan being passed over. So Lycaon was allowed to marry Felise of Dagensbourg, though not without silent accusations that he wasted the opportunity to create an alliance with another noble house. He decided to stay at Linsdorf for the time, and this state of affairs remained for two years, when he was nearly assassinated. The killer-for-hire managed to sneak into Lycaon’s bed while he was sleeping, and stabbed him. The wound was far fatal, and although the official story was that Lycaon valiantly beat the assailant into submission while injured, the truth is that he screamed and a guard heard his scream and killed the assassin with his pole-arm. The plot was traced back to none other than Lycaon's own younger brother, Raimbaud. Lycaon was infuriated when he was only exiled, not executed. When Lycaon recovered completely, he announced that he was going to be relocating to the capital permanently, and would be taking Felise with him. [img] https://paysdepoesie.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/jw-waterhouse-1-i9hhlaucmv-1024x768.jpg?w=290[/img] Felise of Dagensbourg Once he arrived, Lycaon not only continued to be a generous and beloved benefactor of the Church, but also did the unthinkable of going among the populace. These two were intimately connected, as the Church was intricately connected to the people. If the clergy are the generals of the Church, then the people are the soldiers. This made Lycaon very popular among the commoners of the capital. Nobles lived in what seemed to be a world apart from the peasants, and normally treated them with disdain whenever they did happen to come across the masses. Because Lycaon not only walked among them and spoke to them, but also offered them aid, he was seen to them as a hero, and after months and eventually years passed they began to love and adore him. Though the last years of King Heylot the Mad would hardly seem to be the time to be causing such a stir, Lycaon was himself unusually loyal to the crown, and repeatedly spoke to the masses of loyalty and stories of brave knights who had unconditional loyalty to their king, so he was not considered a threat. During this time he was far from only engaging in charity with the poor. About four months after Lycaon returned to Nyhem, Yzebel Plasait, who had given Lycaon all of his mature intellectual education, became gravely ill and died, and Lycaon mourned her deeply. However, Lycaon moved on. He travelled back to the Duchy of Linsdorf, and founded an Order of Knights, called the Holy Order of Saint Elenor, in honor of the famous saint and martyress, and Lycaon’s father granted him a March, making him a Marquis, enhancing his prestige. A number of knights came from Linsdorf, while others were “holy warriors” with connections with the Church. The chief reason knights joined the order was that it brought financial stability and connections with the Church, as Lycaon had intricate and intimate relations with the Church. When tempers finally rose and the country seemed to be on the warpath, Lycaon was a consistent loyalist to King Heylot, as mad and tyrannical as he was. When the Remonnet-Manshrew Civil War began, Lycaon fought on the side of Remonnet against House Manshrew. He fought with distinction in the war, bringing alongside his order of knights along with him. The Order experienced high casualties, Hanot Plaisat himself being killed in battle, and as result Lycaon opened the order to include more than simply knights and regular nobles, welcoming many who worked for and with the Church especially. Lycaon participated in the war, and was injured a plethora of times. At the Battle of Uzgob, Lycaon served as a commander and held a general’s rank along with his friend and mentor Ernst Harnish, who also served as a general. Lycaon, initially on the offensive, eventually had his position overwhelmed when the battle turned against the loyalists. Lycaon did not despair, however, and held out for such a considerable amount of time that the opposing regiment feared this would have an effect on the whole of the battle. However, eventually the Manshrewists charged Lycaon’s center and knocked Lycaon from his horse, and overwhelmed Lycaon himself. Lycaon, after engaging with the enemy in combat, was greatly outnumbered and eventually received a clean hit to the chest by a battle-axe, which pierced even through his thick breastplate of plate. Lycaon’s knights quickly surrounded themselves around the commander, carried him away, and promptly retreated. Though Lycaon was injured, it was only really a minor injury, and he would live to fight another day. Ernst Harnish himself was not so lucky, and was killed in battle. After King Heylot was killed by Andrew Manshrew, Lycaon was driven into the countryside, and he promptly retreated to Sypius. Soon after he recovered he was attack by the forces of Patrick de Reimer, and although he survived he would never forget the horror of the battle his Order faced there. To this day Lycaon harbors a personal grudge against House de Reimer. Nonetheless, peace finally came when Patrick took Nyhem, Andrew Manshrew capitulated (at least in Lycaon’s opinion), and John Remonnet became King. After enthusiastically supporting John Remonnet as the new King, Lycaon faded from any sort of prominence. He did not disappear, however. He knew that despite the strange victory and continuation of the Remonnet dynasty, a new order was emerging. He did not find this odd, as such a thing had happened under every monarch. However, Lycaon suspected that he still had powerful enemies, and would have to lay low until it was tenable for him to actively return to the royal court. However, Lycaon did not cease to going among the people. Now years have passed since the war’s end, and Lycaon, having gone among the people, spoken to them, and having aided them in their plight, has become something of a saint and a hero to them. The war caused the Order of Saint Elenor to grow rapidly, and in the post-war period it has only continued to grow. With his rising prominence, Lycaon’s ties to the Church have only grown, and Lycaon now has personal connections to the Grand Cleric herself. Lycaon has since began to rejoin the royal court, but he comes not as an aristocrat or heir of a duchy, but as the chivalric Grand Master of an order of knights and holy men. [b]Skills:[/b] [b]Swordplay: Tier 5 - Expert[/b] Lycaon was taught by Hanot Plasait, veteran soldier and his martial teacher, starting when he was only ten. He has since had plenty to improve his skills, as he has had over twenty years to practice, and used his skill when he participated in the Civil War. [b]Other Weapons: Tier 7 - Average[/b] Hanot Plasait gave Lycaon thorough training, teaching Lycaon how to handle other types of weapons, and not only the sword. [b]Hand-to-Hand Combat: Tier 7 - Average[/b] Lycaon is knowledgeable and skilled in martial arts. However, this undercut by the fact that many on the battlefield tend to have greater strength and muscle than him. [b]Horsemanship: Tier 3 - Master[/b] Lycaon is extremely skilled in horsemanship, and has successfully tamed a unicorn. This unicorn, by the way, only adds his mystique among the populace. [b]Strategy and Tactics: Tier 4 - Adept[/b] Lycaon was taught strategy by Ernst Harnish, a former general, and distinguished himself in a number of battles in the Civil War. Nonetheless, he has suffered a number of defeats, most notably in the Battle of Uzgob. It is worth noting he has never served as the head of his own army. [b]Intrigue and Cunning: Tier 5 - Expert[/b] Lycaon was born and raised in a world where it was necessary to outmaneuver one’s rivals in court politics. Even one’s very life was often at stake. Year after year of this have made Lycaon well-accustomed to the intrigues of the court. [b]Theology: Tier 8 - Rudimentary[/b] Lycaon has received some instruction by a knowledgeable clergyman in theology. This has given Lycaon knowledge about his religion and allows Lycaon to follow the conversation and argument of a theologian, but not more. [b]Oration: Tier 4 - Expert[/b] Yzebel Plasait’s intellectual training has allowed Lycaon to cultivate considerable oratorical skill. Unlike some orators, he is not merely fiery and bombastic. Though he knows how to be a polemical and powerful when necessary, when he speaks he tends towards a soft, but definitely not quiet nature. This has aided him greatly, both with the higher classes and with the masses. [b]Poetry: Tier 10 - Poor[/b] Lycaon is poor at poetry. [/hider] [hider=Other Characters] [hider=Sir Daeleth] [img]http://i.imgur.com/DDP62ip.jpg[/img] [b]Name:[/b] Sir Daeleth Brucas [b]Age:[/b] 47 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Bisexual [b]Position:[/b] Commander of the Holy Order of Saint Elenor [b]Personality:[/b] Daeleth is rough around the edges; he has a tendency to be brash and impulsive in normal life. He has little patience for the manners and illusions of aristocratic society. This is due his lower-class, criminal upbringing. However, in military matters he is different, having a natural affinity for military tactics that has resulted in a natural ability as a commander. [b]Weakness:[/b] As it was mentioned, he is impulsive. This occasionally steeps into his tactical skills as well. He is unable to hold himself well in court. [b]Appearance:[/b] Though he is an older man now, Daeleth still highly resembles his old self. He has long black hair, and somewhat pale skin. He often wears his suit of iron armor, which is adorn with a thick fur cape in the back, for he feels at home in his armor. [b]Backgroud:[/b] Daeleth was born in the city of Nyhem, the son of two young urbanites. Both his parents died when he was very young. This was not unusual, for the living conditions were so bad. He grew up an orphan, a hard life. He knew that if he were to survive he would have to do what was necessary, and so took to a life of crime. He began with petty theft, and then the thefts got larger. This is eventually turned to robberies and mugging. Having made a living off of crime, he began to make his way into the seedier districts of the city, where Daeleth first began his ties into the criminal underworld. He became a thug for hire, helping out in illegal operations until one mission-gone-wrong resulted in Daeleth committed a murder. It is unlikely that an investigation would have ever been launched, but Daeleth was guilt-ridden from the act. The first chance he got he joined a mercenary Corp, The Iron Immortals. In those days war had come to Formath. Civil War between King Heylot and Manshrew’s forces had emerged, and Iron Immortals fought on the side of the rebels, and were notorious for war crimes. Daeleth was rapidly promoted due to the fact of his natural cleverness, and due to the fact that many of the officers in the Iron Immortals were being killed. In a battle against the Order of Saint Elenor the Iron Immortals were decisively defeated. However, Lycaon subsequently absorbed the Iron Immortals into his own order, and since then Daeleth has been one of Lycaon’s top lieutenants. [b]Skills:[/b] Swordplay: Tier 5 - Expert Other Weapons: Tier 5 - Expert Tactics and Strategy: Tier 5 - Expert [/hider] [hider=Fenick of Uzgob] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Bernardino_Pinturicchio_-_Saint_Jerome_in_the_Wilderness_-_Walters_371089.jpg/168px-Bernardino_Pinturicchio_-_Saint_Jerome_in_the_Wilderness_-_Walters_371089.jpg[/img] [b]Age:[/b] 55 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Homosexual [b]Position:[/b] Monk, Hermit, Ascetic [b]Personality:[/b] Fenick has a very fiery soul. He is never afraid to speak his mind, and cares little for those claim to speak with authority. He has the soul of a poet, and the voice of an orator, so people flock to him when they hear him speak. He is outspokenly and constantly puritanical, constantly chastising others, whoever they may be, from deviating from what he sees as the proper morality. However, he is clearly also half-mad at the very least. He has a tendency to ramble and speak in riddles, and believes that the goddess of life herself and the prophet constantly visit him, imparting wisdom to him. He is kind and grateful to those to who favor and follow him, imparting sagely yet often incomprehensible advice, but is rude and chastising to those who criticize him. He is a dedicated ascetic who lives out in the wilderness of the desert, living off of wild berries and bugs, and drinking only water. He fasts often, going days without food, and sometimes without sleep, often experiencing religious ecstasy as a result. He lives alone in the desert, only occasionally having company, this company being visitors who wish to gain wisdom from this strange desert hermit. He abstains from all pleasures, such as good food, excessive sleep, and the pampering of the body with lavish clothing, but he regards the worst of all the human pleasures to be sex. Fenick would gladly say that he has never engaged in such an ill practice. As regards Fenick’s other opinions, he despises what is called the Church for their opulence and immorality. [b]Appearance:[/b] Fenick has a haggard and scruffy appearance. He is skinny, and with little hair on his head except for his mustace and beard. He was simple, rather worn clothes. [b]Background:[/b] Fenick was the eldest child of a noble house of moderate importance in Rathikun, the Verinaia, and from the time of his birth was chosen to eventually inherit his father’s considerable wealth and land. Fenick’s early life was a comfortable one, where he was spoiled with gifts from his loving parents, and was surrounded by friends. His life changed not long after his eleventh birthday, when suddenly a spark came out from his hands. Fenick was surprised and afraid, and found himself unable to stop the fire from coming out, and by the time he was calmed down and the magic ceased coming from his hands a quarter of his family’s manor had already succumbed to flames. The Verinaia would have to build a new one. Fenick apologized profusely. His father forgave him, but it became obvious to his father that he would have to send him to the Circle. Fenick’s departure was not honestly the most heartfelt. They sent him off quickly, as if he was going off on a vacation. His parents both found this sort of departure normal. They had both been sent away from their families fairly early in life in order to get an education. When Fenick first arrived at the University he was nervous and out of his element, even though he had considerable talent at it. That was until he met a fellow mage apprentice, Simon, who was three years older than him. Simon befriended him, and helped Fenick to learn to adapt to the new, unfamiliar environment in the Circle. As a result, they became the closest of friends, and often studied together. Years passed, and Fenick focused his studies on destruction magic, and demonstrated great talent and ability. The only problem was that he absolutely hated it. Fenick would look at the peace in the Circle’s gardens, and would then think of the destruction that his magic had brought, and would despair. Nonetheless, he continued his studies and his life at the Circle, because he saw no other choice, and because he had Simon by his side. When Fenick was sixteen years old, he confessed to Simon that he was in love with him. Simon was unsure of what to do, and could only reject Fenick. Fenick understood, but could not bear to stay in the Circle, since he felt like he was throwing his life away there. Soon after, Fenick managed to escape from the Circle, and decided to go to the very opposite extreme. Lately, Fenick had been going through a religious phase, and wanted know more of the gods, and he wanted to be rid of his life he experienced in the Circle, which he had hated. So he saw no choice but to suppress his birthright and renounce his existence as a mage, and go to the Church. He joined an order of monks located at St. Carmya Monastery, headed by Abbot d’Oleron. D’Oleron discover who Fenick had been and was particular hard on him. However, it was not only d’Oleron’s harsh treatment that made Fenick disenchanted with the mainstream Church. Even in the monastery he could not escape from the corruption of the Church, and saw no real asceticism from d’Oleron and the higher echelons of the monks, only opulence. However, d’Oleron’s “training” did not have a profound effect on Fenick. He was forced to commit extreme asceticism, including self-flagellation, and had his past as a mage ousted, and was forced daily to speak of the “depravities” of his “sinful” past. He did not spend long at St. Carmya, and was still sixteen when he left. As he wandered the countryside, a kind family took him in and nursed him to care until the wounds and fatigue from St. Carmya were recovered. Then he went to Nyhem, and after proving his identity was allowed to enter into the University. He studied first the Liberal Arts, and became Master of the Arts (the equivalent of gaining a degree) and then was allowed to move on to theology. This was a grueling program that took ten years to complete, and Fenick never finished. Once he was twenty-four he left, taking only the copies of books he had personally handwritten, the clothes on his back, and some money. He left for the hottest region of the Uzgob Desert in order to become an ascetic, and nearly died twice due to heat exhaustion. Yet in the end his body got used to it, and he successfully became a severe ascetic, who only ate to survive. He would often go on extensive fasts, and would receive visions of the gods and the saints as a result. Sixteen years ago, Rhodanthe was in the desert, not far from his cave, when he had found an abandoned baby in a basket, together with a piece of parchment with the name “Rhodanthe.” He saw it as a holy event, and raised the child (see Rhodanthe’s entry). However, he has never claimed the child as his own, and she has always called him “Gramps.” Nonetheless, in his heart she is his daughter. Though Rhodanthe lives simply as well, she is not an ascetic, so Fenick sees that most of the food goes to her. [b]Weakness[/b] His lifestyle makes it so that Fenick has very little physical strength. He is not tactful, and does not care if the one who he speaks out against and offends is far more powerful than him. [/hider] [hider=Johannia of Telmarion] [img] http://www.stlouiscarmel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pazzi2.jpg[/img] [b]Age:[/b] 44 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Sexual Orientation[/b] Bisexual [b]Position[/b] Scholastic theologian (former), theologian and preacher of the Monadic Movement [b]Personality[/b] Johannia is very studious and well-read, and in general prefers reading and writing to public speaking and public events. That is not to say that she is shy, however. She has the ability to be fiery, often too much so for the scholastic world she served as a scholar in. Her outspokenness and fierce criticism of people more popular with the authorities caused her constant problems. Outside polemic and academic debate is usually of a quite quiet demeanor, and has few close friends. She is genuinely pious, and often ponders on morality, and believes herself to be deeply concerned with purity of character and action. Yet the truth of the matter is not as simple as Johannia would like to believe, for though she tries to control herself as well as she can and follow her ethical code, she is quite easily seduced into pleasure. Johannia loves nature and art. [b]Weakness[/b] Johannia has no tact and badly overestimates her own leverage and power in a situation. This is why in the past when she served as a Scholastic she was nearly declared a heretic several times and had to recant several times. Therefore, she is lacking any skill in politics. She has no combat ability. [b]Appearance[/b] Johannia is a plain woman with black hair and light, whitish skin. She is thin, with small, skinny fingers. Her body is usually mostly covered, excepting her face and fingers, by her religious habit. [b]Background[/b] Johannia was born in the capital of Telmarion to a house of minor noble blood. The third child, of her parents, it was expected that, unlike her brothers, she would pursue a career in the Church rather than in the military. The young Johannia had no problem with this, and was sent to a cathedral, where her uncle served as an abbot, where she spent her later childhood. There at this abbot Johannia learned grammar, arithmetic, and astronomy, as well as the Holy Books. Johannia became enthusiastic about joining the Church, but it was not the Church career that her parents wished for. Johannia wished to become a friar, rather than an abbot or bishop. This did not go well with Johannia’s parents, especially her mother. So Johannia, along with several friars, left under the cover of night, headed towards a friary. However, one day while Johannia was drinking water from a spring her brothers seized her and took her back to the castle of her family. Johannia was put under detention, and confined to her room. Nonetheless, Johannia was steadfast in her choice. She would become a friar, and would not relinquish this wish no matter what. In an attempt to persuade her, her brothers sent Johannia a prostitute to show her what she would be missing if she took the oaths of a friar, though the prostitute was male rather than female due to a mistake on her brother’s part. Johannia would later claim she chased the prostitute away with a red hot iron poker, but this is simply not true. The prostitute and Johannia slept together that night. Nonetheless, this changed nothing, and Johannia claimed to her brothers she had chased the prostitute away. After a year Johannia’s mother saw that there was no hope to convince Johannia of falling in line with her parents, and allowed to escape under the guise of night, for this was less damaging than an open surrender to the friars. Johannia then henceforth joined the Order of St. Zedaiya, a mendicant order. Her first responsibility was to be properly trained in the theological and philosophical sciences to serve as a defender and propagator of the faith. To do this Johannia attend the University of Nyhem, where she excelled in her studies. She studied first the Liberal Arts, and then moved on to theology. After her studies were completed, she gave her inaugural lecture on the fifth book of the prophet, and was henceforth named a Doctor of Theology. She began her career with fairly innocuous commentaries on the holy books, which were received as informative and lucid. The only objector was Bernarda Avicebrol of Yannis, who claimed there was heresy hidden in the commentaries. However, the religious authorities decided sided with Johannia. This began a long rivalry between the two. Johannia, disappointed in the rather passive interpretation of her commentaries, wrote a four-book long work, [i]Elaborations and Elucidations on My Commentaries on the Holy Books[/i], which was not very well received. Bernarda claimed that her accusations against Johannia had been vindicated, and she immediately wrote a polemic against Johannia, accusing her a heresy, with the intention of invoking a trial against her. Johannia badly miscalculated her position, and was overly bold and combative with her opponents, such as Johannia, and in an ensuing trial Johannia was forced to recant positions of hers deemed heretical. Her defeat may have been due to a heavily damaging rumor (which was actually true) that she had been involved in a one-night affair with a fellow cleric. Johannia was embittered at her defeat, though she continued to hold Bernarda in high esteem as a theologian and defender of the faith against the philosophers. She soon became completely disillusioned with the Church, and even more radical in her theological beliefs. The rest is history. [/hider] [hider=Rhodanthe] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c1/38/66/c13866979694ab09d6a82f87af458a6f.jpg[/img] [b]Age:[/b] 16 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Straight [b]Position:[/b] Proselytizer [b]Personality[/b] Her personality and mannerism is rough. She is unused to and uncaring about the courtly etiquette of higher society. She is not good with new people, and has a problem with reading people. Nonetheless, she is compassionate, full of caring for those she knows need the sentiment, and horrified by oppression and poverty wherever she sees it. She is brave, perhaps recklessly so, for even though she knows her body is weak she is never afraid to stand up and fight for what she thinks is right. She is genuinely religious, but she does not put much stock in the traditional religion of the Church or the new religious movement of Johannia. She is more of a henotheist than Johannia, and prays at night to a heavenly father, god among gods. [b]Appearance:[/b] Rhodanthe is of a frail appearance, being skinny and delicate-looking. Her skin is pale and white. She has slim eyes, with deep, dark brown eyes. She has relatively short hair that not quite reach to the bottom of her neck. Her hairstyle is unadorned and simple, round in appearance, and shiny and soft. [b]Background:[/b] Neither Rhodanthe nor Fenick know anything about Rhodanthe’s birth, or her biological parents. All that is known is that when Rhodanthe was still a babe she was left in a basket outside of Fenick’s cave. Fenick never saw the person who left her there, and has always claimed that it was through a miracle of the gods that she came to his home. Rhodanthe was raised by Fenick in an unorthodox upbringing, always living simply. Though Fenick never called her his child and she never called Fenick her father aloud, the sentiment is there in both of them, and she affectionately calls him “Gramps.” Fenick has raised Rhodanthe in a pious “household,” teaching her to always honor the gods and uphold the vow of chastity. Fenick, being a hermit who shuns society, never goes into regular society. Rhodanthe, however, feels differently than Fenick. She is adventurous, is not content with living in a cave all her life, and wants to explore the world. So Fenick allows her to make irregular trips to the city on his horse, Belliante. Now unrest has come to the Church, Fenick has sent her to Nyhem, under the command to always serve the gods and her vow of chastity, but to become her own person, for she is now a woman, not a girl. She was saddened that she had to leave the man who raised her, but happy that she now could see a little more of the world. [b]Weakness:[/b] Rhodanthe is physically weak, and does not have much tact in dealing with complex and explosive situations. [/hider] [hider=Tydeus] [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Wycliffe_by_Kirby.jpg/458px-Wycliffe_by_Kirby.jpg[/img] [b]Name:[/b] Tydeus of Acrana [b]Age:[/b] 50 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Homosexual [b]Position:[/b] Scholastic political philosopher and theologian; unofficial theologian of the Holy Order of Saint Elenor [b]Personality:[/b] Tydeus has a strong, gruff personality. He in general is a very bold individual, who is not afraid to speak his mind. For just as a philosopher must always impose and uphold virtue, so Tydeus will not shrink from speaking against even the power. He possesses a natural genius in academics, which is how he has become a prominent political philosopher. [b]Weakness:[/b] Tydeus, as it was mentioned, does not have the proper tact to become very popular among the higher classes. He has only the average physique of a man his age who does not exercise. [b]Appearance:[/b] He is heavily bearded. He generally takes proper care of his appearance. He usually is seen in his ecclesial brown robes. [b]Background:[/b] Tydeus, the son of an innkeeper and waitress, was born in a small village. He was naturally religious, and was immediately drawn to the mendicant orders. He became a priest who specialized in evangelizing and theology at the age of twenty-one. At the age of twenty-five – already having a thorough training through systematic theology – he learned philosophy at University. His early philosophical background was metaphysical, where he dealt with the perennial philosophical problems of what Being is, and the Problem of Universals. However, he eventually dedicated himself to political philosophy and ecclesial reform, attracting controversy, although it wasn’t an abnormal for a political philosopher. Later, he became well-known as a university lecturer on political questions, which led to his status as a political advisor for high-ranking noblemen. However, he fell from favor due to his own brashness, and as a result instead became closer to the Holy Order of Saint Elenor. He has since practically become the Order’s spokesman-theologian. [/hider] [/hider]