[h2][center]Herman, the Old Mercenary[/center][/h2]
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Name: Herman Cyrasse
Player: Nerdy Reference
Gender: Male
Nicknames: Old Man, Sir, Old Ironspine, The Siegebreaker (at the height of his fame)
Race: Human
Class: Knight/Scout
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Deity: 
Age: 48
Size: Medium
Body Type: Aging, but athletic 
Height: 6'2
Weight: 195
Complexion: Fair
Hair: Grey
Eyes: Blue
Handedness: Right
Scars: Numerous old flesh wounds, a distinctive cut on his left cheek.
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Possesses confidence and caution born of experience. Never raises his voice, but rarely goes unheard. Always honors a contract, though if he finds his employer lied to him or otherwise acted unprofessionally he never works for them again. When not on the job, he's quiet, preferring the company of a full tankard to other people. Always polite, but never really social.
Mannerisms: Always sits facing the door, unless the only seating is outside, then he remains standing or leans against a nearby wall. Rises early; makes a deliberate point of being up before others when in the field. When he's drinking, it's wise to step loudly and slowly; the deeper in his cups, the quicker he is to pull a blade on any perceived threat. In battle, he's decidedly grim in word and action, only speaking to give orders and always striking to kill.
Likes: Drinking, getting paid, honest work, minimal risk to himself, a good brawl
Dislikes: Assassins, stale beer, being left for dead, being bothered during a meal, low-class brothels, dishonorable behavior
Sexual Affinity: Heterosexual
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Description
[img]https://i.imgur.com/5LHEeiX.jpg[/img]

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Connections:
-Old Comrades: Herman has served in many campaigns and completed countless contracts. In most cities and some small towns, there's bound to be at least a couple favors he can call in if the situation demands.
-Ironheart Company: Reputation matters for a soldier of fortune. The Ironheart Company is one of the more respectable mercenary bands out there, selling their skills to nobles and citizens of note, and, when he was young, Herman fought under their banner. He left to seek his own way in the world, but his sword-arm and integrity left him many friends among his old band. Given a worthwhile cause, they'd gladly fight alongside him.
Friends:
Marissa 'Mage-Hunter' Walker: Sometimes, competition fosters camaraderie. Both Herman and Marissa were hired to put down a group of renegade mages that had taken up residence near Plainsborough. Payment was by the kill and both went all out for top score. In the end, it was a draw with the final foe dying to the near-simultaneous strikes of Herman's blade and Marissa's crossbow. Nearly two decades his junior, Marissa regards him as a example to work towards and worries for the old man.
Enemies:
-Griswold Blackblade: A grizzled, brutish mercenary. Herman and Griswold have crossed blades in many campaigns, and their spectacular duels over the years are popular bar-talk for young adventurers and old soldiers. As they've aged, they've come to respect each other and, though he'd gladly chop off Herman's head, Griswold grudgingly admits to himself that it'd be hard to move on after losing such a skilled and persistent rival.
Family: None, Herman was an only child; his parents were unremarkable farmers tending a homestead that's long since been razed by bandits. 
Acquaintances:
-Satisfied Customers: It's hard to dislike someone who's good at their job. Herman has worked for members of all walks of life, and he can usually count on someone in major cities having work or leads for him.
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Descriptive Songs (Optional!)
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkvScx3Po8I[/url]
Herman's no hero. He's a blade for hire who happens to be very good at his job, or at least very bad at dying. While he has a code of professional conduct, he's no saint and has fought for less-than-noble causes when money was tight and food scarce. He'll stand by those who fight beside him, but, at this point in his life, all that matters to him is pressing on towards the end of a long, bloody road.

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Biography

In an uncertain world filled with threats both mundane and magical, mercenaries are a fact of life. Most are cannon fodder, bought en masse to win some skirmish or prove a point. Rarely, one rises above the common sellswords and emerges a champion. Nobles bid for their skills, nations rise and fall by their blades, and bards sing of their triumphs. Herman Cyrasse is one of these.
Well, he has been. In his prime, there were none who could challenge him. Even as age catches up with him, he's a force to be reckoned with not only due to his skill in battle, but also the experience of a true survivor. That said, he's kind of been looking forward to dying in battle, not eager by any measure, but he'd much rather go down fighting than in a bed.
With hair the same steely gray as his massive two-handed sword, Herman looks every bit the old soldier. Numerous scars on both his body and gear serve as clear indicators to all who see him: This old man won't go down quietly.
Recent tensions on the Island of Fray have drawn the aging sellsword like a fat buck does a huntsman, and he's rather curious to see who'll pay the most for his services once it all boils over.



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