Name: Crom Vastil

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Crom's appearance presents an image of a once proud man who has, through a number of debacles, fallen from grace, leaving only a shadow of his former prestige. He's relatively tall, standing a few inches over six feet, and still appears to be somewhat fit, despite his lack of recent activity. He has dark skin, scarred heavily through years of combat, and fierce blue eyes that seem to conceal the memories of a thousand agonies. His sandy blonde hair is shaggy and unkempt and hangs slightly past his shoulders. Years of stress have forged cracks of gray between his golden locks, and slight wrinkles cover his face, focused heavily around the eyes. A thin beard, scarcely more than stubble, covers his chin.

 Crom's garments are a far cry from the golden armor and brilliant cloak he once wore. His chest is wrapped in a black leather tunic. The leather is thick, and lined with a layer of chain mail. Even so, it provides scarce real protection, and could likely be pierced fairly easily. Crom's pants are simple and made of black cloth. On each foot, Crom wears a thick black leather boot, a sturdy article of clothing to be sure, but battered and worn down from extensive travelling. Around his waist, Crom wears a simple belt with sheaths attached for his sword and dagger. A large flask is also affixed to the belt, and is commonly filled with the strongest of intoxicating drinks.

 Over his other clothes, Crom wears a dingy gray cloak. The cloak is quite thick, and has a fur-lined hood for keeping it's wearer warm, as well as concealing his face. The garment is tattered and threadbare from years of traveling.

Weapons: Crom's blade is the only fragment left of his time in Esterl. His blade was specially crafted for him when he became captain of the lord's guard. The weapon is a long double-edged sword. It's length is comparable to a bastard sword, but the blade is significantly thinner, making it incredibly light. The blade is a testament to the skill of Esterl's blacksmiths, as it would be nearly impossible to make such a thin weapon durable. The thin, sharp blade is extremely sturdy, and is highly effective for thrusting attacks, though it could easily be used for slashing as well. The hilt is adorned by a brilliant golden crossguard and pommel, engraved with fine tracings of vines. The guard provides excellent balance to the weapon, as well as showing it's prestige and value. In his prime, Crom's sword accented his high station. Now, it tends to cause assumptions that he stole the weapon. Crom's only other weapon his a simple single-edged knife that is more often used for utility than for combat.
 
Personality: On the outside, Crom seems to be a rather simple man. He is a bit rough, and speaks very little of his past. Despite this, he is relatively sociable, and tends to have an easy time making friends, especially in taverns. He is known for his love of humor and sarcasm. Crom is rarely seen without a drink in his hand, a habit that masks the troubled man behind his facade. In truth, Crom drinks heavily to numb the pain of his past failings. He is scarcely able to live with himself while sober, especially if he is alone. 

Short history: Crom was once a noble knight from the island of Esterl. He was knighted at sixteen, and widely renowned as the finest swordsman on the island. He rose quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming captain of the lord's guard by the age of twenty-one. He served the king well for five more years, until his entire world was brought down upon him.

 The Lord of Esterl, though an effective ruler, had made many enemies in his rise to power. These burned bridges would prove to be his ultimate downfall. One night, while standing guard over the lord's palace, Crom was distracted by a woman of the court. She seduced the young knight, convincing him to leave his post with her. Little did Crom know, that she was part of a plan to assassinate the Lord. When he finally returned, Crom found a bloodbath. The lord and his entire family had been butchered in their beds.

 All the blame for the tragedy fell upon Crom. As leader of the lord's guard, he was supposed to have been the shield for the ruling family, Instead, he left his post and allowed them all to die. The lord's brother, the only member of the family to survive due to his absence from the palace on that night, took over his brother's position, and stripped Crom of his rank and household, and exiled him from the land.

 Crom blamed himself for his failure to protect the lord and his family, and traveled far from his homeland, descending into a life of endless wandering. He began drinking heavily, unable to deal with the guilt of his blunder. He continued traveling, from tavern to tavern and from country to country. Despite his vagrant lifestyle, deep inside he had a hope, that someday, somehow, he would manage to at least partially repair his honor.