Apoalo

Skyfall: A Coming of Age Story

Mikhah the Perceptive Noble

Character Details:

Name: Mikhah
Age: 16

Extra Images

Personality:
Mikhah is an interesting enigma of a teenager. He's filled with the classic teenage angst and attitude yet he tempers it with an intelligence beyond his years. He's always willing to learn something new and has a knack for staring and absorbing various activities that he sees done around the large house. Just in case he should he ever have to do the task himself. A firm believer in knowledge being one's best weapon Mikhah spends a lot of time reading and learning and shows thoughtfulness for others. He was raised as a gentleman and he understands how the 'game' is played, knowing that all his words carry weight. He has struggled with anxiety for some time and to combat it, as it goes against his nature of being the 'perfect' son, he started training in the practice field with sword and shield when not in the library. Mikhah developed a style of his own with Mathus, a guard captain, whom he opened to about his struggles. He developed this style by using his brain along with his speed, and it relies on using his opponent's attacks against them, feinting and outsmarting his opponents into making mistakes that he can capitalize on with ripostes and crisp blade work. Like with his other activities it's his 'true sight' that allows him to perform with this style so well, able to truly observe every move his opponent is making and foresee their next moves based on previous information. The result is a very defensive and very calculating game of cat and mouse, that is until Mikhah figures out his opponent's fighting style. At that point, it's usually too late.

All in all, Mikhah is a teenager in the midst of many changes. He's dealing with trying to keep his family supported, and to perfect his own duties which he's still trying to figure out. He's a mess of anxiousness, tempered by an older instructor who has taught the young man to forge that anxiety into positive energy and to attack the world with boldness instead. You never know what to truly expect from him when you pass him in the hall and even though he's mature for his age he will still break down when he feels overwhelmed and required a sincere support system. He may hate it, and will never show said weakness unless he trusts the person unconditionally.

Background:
Mikhah was born to a wealthy family, a family that served the rulers of the land for centuries or more, their loyalty proven on many occasions as the Kingdom went through the trials of the new landscape. Mostly serving as advisors and military leaders the Aparo name is synonymous with chivalry, respectability, and law. Their lands are noted for minerals and the blacksmiths some of the best in the Kingdom able to use advanced techniques to create patterns in the blades. They are proud and prestigious, and all of that rich history was imparted into the head of the first-born son of Calipsu and Isak Aparo, Mikhah, who is the current heir to the House.

Mikhah grew up wanting for nothing and given everything he could possibly need to be a happy child. Thought as his parents like to say, with great power and privilege came extreme responsibility. In addition to the usual activities of a child, Mikhah spent a large portion of his time studying with tutors and scholars from all around the Kingdom and sometimes beyond. Taught his letters, and how to speak properly the boy was being groomed for a life leading the House and grew addicted to books and learning. Unfortunately, he was combating growing anxiety as he aged into the double digits. At ten he understood the reality of the expectations upon his shoulders. It ended up threatening to burst which was the perfect time for his parents to give him an outlet and contracted a Guard Captain named Mathus to begin teaching the boy how to defend himself.

Instruction started off simply, with standard parries and feints but quickly grew to be quite brutal. Mathus taking the stance that the young man should be prepared for all kinds of fighting, and not what he called 'playing'. As Mikhah grew so did the savagery of the training, and so did the weight of other studies. The pressure was all around but blowing off the steam helped quite a bit. Surprisingly the now teenager found a true calling to the Longsword and with Mathus's help created his own fighting style which has proven many times to be quite a challenge for even some seasoned fighters. Hailed as a gifted youth, Mikhah was placed in a pool of others from around the Kingdom just in case the need should arise.

During his time going about his many lessons and emotions, he met a younger boy who had been wandering around the forests outside the family home. The two struck up an easy friendship that just felt 'right' and after a year the boy or Eidolon revealed his true nature and attaching himself firmly to Mikhah. It was a strange partnership as Lanthiel, the Eidolon's name was determined to be human and to learn their ways. He was unlike any other Mikhah had heard of but the two had grown closer than brothers, and after some consideration by his parents, Lanthiel was allowed to stay.

The day after Mikhah's sixteenth birthday the need for the gifted youth did arrive after a shooting star was seen overhead. And Mikhah now finds that instead of preparing for his test of courage has been summoned to investigate along with the other gifted youth and their Eidolons. Mikhah is eager to prove himself and is eager to get started serving his Kingdom while Lanthiel is excited for his human but also as the chance of adventure and to see how other humans act. His thirst for knowledge and learning as equal, if not more so than his humans own.


Skills:

• Diplomacy: Mikhah has been trained and schooled to negotiate with even people he normally would dislike and hate with a burning passion. In control of his emotions at the table, he is a talented and skilled diplomat already having been sent by his family to treat with other noble families. Mikhah's talent at 'seeing' through people's actions and get a feel for his environment has helped him in this endeavor and the combination of his youth and oddity of an Eidolon has made many people underestimate those talents.
• Perception: Ever since he could walk Mikhah has been curious about the world and searched for answers. An inquisitive mind that always asks why and calculates Mikhah looks at things and can see past what others may have missed, or passed over as unimportant. To Mikhah, everything is important and he files it away in an excellent memory for later. His perception has become a part of his very being and is used in all other traits. Mikhah would consider this to be his fundamental trait and the one that any others are built upon.
• Swordplay: Trained to fight not just other noble fighters but everyday bandits, larger men, shorter men, and multiple opponents. How to move, where to place his back, under-handed tactics to watch out for, and the necessity for keeping ones cool Mikhah is a well oiled and drilled fighters that also has a true talent for swinging a blade. His swordsmanship is a sight to behold, elegant and deadly but also careful and planned. He's a dangerous fighter as he has developed a style to use his enemies' weaknesses and strengths against them.

Gear:

• Longsword named Tamerlein which has been in the family for four decades after being gifted to them by a Master Blacksmith. On his left hip.
• Arming Sword on his right hip.
• Dagger behind his back, leaning towards the right for ease of access.
• Many sets of clothing. One for more political aspects, one for traveling, and one for fighting. His court clothing is a mix of gold, blue, and silver which are the Aparo colors while his traveling clothing is a simple soft blue leather suit with some chain mail underneath. Finally when knowingly entering combat his combat attire consists of a mix of cloth gambeson, chain mail hauberk, leather, and scale with a tabard and cloak displaying the Aparo eagle in either direction but also to hide his footwork from his enemy.
• Large travel pack with food rations, his spare clothing, and water canteens.

Misc.: Enjoys singing and has a decent singing voice. Also can play the violin and read music. Color code: color=1E90FF

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Eidolon Details:

Name: Lanthiel the elf! HUMAN! He meant human of course...
Appearance: Standing at exactly four feet, the Eidolon appears a young squire to his 'master' while he wears hoods and his hair is kept long to hide the points.

Lanthiel

Abilities:

• Elven Agility: Lanthiel is fast and agile making him extremely difficult to hit. So fast that it seems he becomes a blur for a time. Pay no attention to the muttered words at the start... He isn't using magic you are!
• Healing Magic: Lanthiel is able to call upon the forces of the earth to accelerate and mend wounds, draw out infections and poisons, as well as slow blood flow to form clots and prevent one from bleeding out. The more he heals the more exhausted he becomes, as channeling elemental forces can be tiring as a young Eido-human...
• Nature Manipulation: Lanthiel has a strong bond with the elements, and can call upon them to aid him or Mikhah if required. Stronger spells require more power but most of these abilities strength come from nature giving willingly and as such is less taxing than channeling the power into someone else.

Skyfall: A Coming of Age Story

Mikhah the Perceptive Noble

Character Details:

Name: Mikhah
Age: 16

Extra Images

Personality:
Mikhah is an interesting enigma of a teenager. He's filled with the classic teenage angst and attitude yet he tempers it with an intelligence beyond his years. He's always willing to learn something new and has a knack for staring and absorbing various activities that he sees done around the large house. Just in case he should he ever have to do the task himself. A firm believer in knowledge being one's best weapon Mikhah spends a lot of time reading and learning and shows thoughtfulness for others. He was raised as a gentleman and he understands how the 'game' is played, knowing that all his words carry weight. He has struggled with anxiety for some time and to combat it, as it goes against his nature of being the 'perfect' son, he started training in the practice field with sword and shield when not in the library. Mikhah developed a style of his own with Mathus, a guard captain, whom he opened to about his struggles. He developed this style by using his brain along with his speed, and it relies on using his opponent's attacks against them, feinting and outsmarting his opponents into making mistakes that he can capitalize on with ripostes and crisp blade work. Like with his other activities it's his 'true sight' that allows him to perform with this style so well, able to truly observe every move his opponent is making and foresee their next moves based on previous information. The result is a very defensive and very calculating game of cat and mouse, that is until Mikhah figures out his opponent's fighting style. At that point, it's usually too late.

All in all, Mikhah is a teenager in the midst of many changes. He's dealing with trying to keep his family supported, and to perfect his own duties which he's still trying to figure out. He's a mess of anxiousness, tempered by an older instructor who has taught the young man to forge that anxiety into positive energy and to attack the world with boldness instead. You never know what to truly expect from him when you pass him in the hall and even though he's mature for his age he will still break down when he feels overwhelmed and required a sincere support system. He may hate it, and will never show said weakness unless he trusts the person unconditionally.

Background:
Mikhah was born to a wealthy family, a family that served the rulers of the land for centuries or more, their loyalty proven on many occasions as the Kingdom went through the trials of the new landscape. Mostly serving as advisors and military leaders the Aparo name is synonymous with chivalry, respectability, and law. Their lands are noted for minerals and the blacksmiths some of the best in the Kingdom able to use advanced techniques to create patterns in the blades. They are proud and prestigious, and all of that rich history was imparted into the head of the first-born son of Calipsu and Isak Aparo, Mikhah, who is the current heir to the House.

Mikhah grew up wanting for nothing and given everything he could possibly need to be a happy child. Thought as his parents like to say, with great power and privilege came extreme responsibility. In addition to the usual activities of a child, Mikhah spent a large portion of his time studying with tutors and scholars from all around the Kingdom and sometimes beyond. Taught his letters, and how to speak properly the boy was being groomed for a life leading the House and grew addicted to books and learning. Unfortunately, he was combating growing anxiety as he aged into the double digits. At ten he understood the reality of the expectations upon his shoulders. It ended up threatening to burst which was the perfect time for his parents to give him an outlet and contracted a Guard Captain named Mathus to begin teaching the boy how to defend himself.

Instruction started off simply, with standard parries and feints but quickly grew to be quite brutal. Mathus taking the stance that the young man should be prepared for all kinds of fighting, and not what he called 'playing'. As Mikhah grew so did the savagery of the training, and so did the weight of other studies. The pressure was all around but blowing off the steam helped quite a bit. Surprisingly the now teenager found a true calling to the Longsword and with Mathus's help created his own fighting style which has proven many times to be quite a challenge for even some seasoned fighters. Hailed as a gifted youth, Mikhah was placed in a pool of others from around the Kingdom just in case the need should arise.

During his time going about his many lessons and emotions, he met a younger boy who had been wandering around the forests outside the family home. The two struck up an easy friendship that just felt 'right' and after a year the boy or Eidolon revealed his true nature and attaching himself firmly to Mikhah. It was a strange partnership as Lanthiel, the Eidolon's name was determined to be human and to learn their ways. He was unlike any other Mikhah had heard of but the two had grown closer than brothers, and after some consideration by his parents, Lanthiel was allowed to stay.

The day after Mikhah's sixteenth birthday the need for the gifted youth did arrive after a shooting star was seen overhead. And Mikhah now finds that instead of preparing for his test of courage has been summoned to investigate along with the other gifted youth and their Eidolons. Mikhah is eager to prove himself and is eager to get started serving his Kingdom while Lanthiel is excited for his human but also as the chance of adventure and to see how other humans act. His thirst for knowledge and learning as equal, if not more so than his humans own.


Skills:

• Diplomacy: Mikhah has been trained and schooled to negotiate with even people he normally would dislike and hate with a burning passion. In control of his emotions at the table, he is a talented and skilled diplomat already having been sent by his family to treat with other noble families. Mikhah's talent at 'seeing' through people's actions and get a feel for his environment has helped him in this endeavor and the combination of his youth and oddity of an Eidolon has made many people underestimate those talents.
• Perception: Ever since he could walk Mikhah has been curious about the world and searched for answers. An inquisitive mind that always asks why and calculates Mikhah looks at things and can see past what others may have missed, or passed over as unimportant. To Mikhah, everything is important and he files it away in an excellent memory for later. His perception has become a part of his very being and is used in all other traits. Mikhah would consider this to be his fundamental trait and the one that any others are built upon.
• Swordplay: Trained to fight not just other noble fighters but everyday bandits, larger men, shorter men, and multiple opponents. How to move, where to place his back, under-handed tactics to watch out for, and the necessity for keeping ones cool Mikhah is a well oiled and drilled fighters that also has a true talent for swinging a blade. His swordsmanship is a sight to behold, elegant and deadly but also careful and planned. He's a dangerous fighter as he has developed a style to use his enemies' weaknesses and strengths against them.

Gear:

• Longsword named Tamerlein which has been in the family for four decades after being gifted to them by a Master Blacksmith. On his left hip.
• Arming Sword on his right hip.
• Dagger behind his back, leaning towards the right for ease of access.
• Many sets of clothing. One for more political aspects, one for traveling, and one for fighting. His court clothing is a mix of gold, blue, and silver which are the Aparo colors while his traveling clothing is a simple soft blue leather suit with some chain mail underneath. Finally when knowingly entering combat his combat attire consists of a mix of cloth gambeson, chain mail hauberk, leather, and scale with a tabard and cloak displaying the Aparo eagle in either direction but also to hide his footwork from his enemy.
• Large travel pack with food rations, his spare clothing, and water canteens.

Misc.: Enjoys singing and has a decent singing voice. Also can play the violin and read music.

---

Eidolon Details:

Name: Lanthiel the elf! HUMAN! He meant human of course...
Appearance: Standing at exactly four feet, the Eidolon appears a young squire to his 'master' while he wears hoods and his hair is kept long to hide the points.

Lanthiel

Abilities:

• Elven Agility: Lanthiel is fast and agile making him extremely difficult to hit. So fast that it seems he becomes a blur for a time. Pay no attention to the muttered words at the start... He isn't using magic you are!
• Healing Magic: Lanthiel is able to call upon the forces of the earth to accelerate and mend wounds, draw out infections and poisons, as well as slow blood flow to form clots and prevent one from bleeding out. The more he heals the more exhausted he becomes, as channeling elemental forces can be tiring as a young Eido-human...
• Nature Manipulation: Lanthiel has a strong bond with the elements, and can call upon them to aid him or Mikhah if required. Stronger spells require more power but most of these abilities strength come from nature giving willingly and as such is less taxing than channeling the power into someone else.

The Satsuma Rebellion - A Magical Incursion RP

ꝀȺɨɍø ȺħmȺđɨ

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_{Interacting With: @Hedgehawk/Melville/Aloysius}

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The blinking of a damaged sign reading 'No Board' is what captivated Kairo's attention. When not on duty and in a crowded location, such as a bustling airport with hundreds of potential flyers, Kai liked to lose track of the world for a little bit. A stark contrast to the constant head-turning, crowd checks, and contingency plans when he was on duty. It was the lack of work that had made him nervous in the first place, he had just been assigned to his assigned VIP, and not even a month later he was forced to separate to another flight so as to, 'not draw suspicion'. With a soft yawn, Kairo stood and gave a stretch and smoothed his hair on its left side above the ear. He was a mix of bored, frustrated, and relaxed and all of them were new emotions more or less. He made his way to his gate and plastered a fake smile onto his face as he greeted the ticket collector who blushed and looked down as she checked his ticket and then gave a wink when she noticed he was in first class. Briefly, Kairo considered flirting back but the gravity of the situation in Japan had ruined his mood and so he just widened his smile a little and started heading onto the plane proper.

Truth be told, Kai was lucky he had been allowed first-class. The Guild kept things simple, off the grid, but he had managed to get the ok after casually mentioning that he would have more time to prepare in a first-class seat and have a semblance of privacy instead of being locked shoulder to shoulder with a stranger that could be anybody. The guild relented and here Kairo was, settling into his seat and smirking softly as he brought out his laptop and typed in a coded phrase into a chatbox, 'Passing Herod.' There was a moment of quiet before a gentle ding informing of a message and Kairo glanced down to see a response. 'Copy, passing Herod. The package was delivered successfully. Safe flight.' Kai smirked and exited the chatroom before breathing out a sigh and closing his eyes. When he opened them next he found that the trip was already halfway over and that it was dark outside. With a large stretch and a stifled yawn, Kai took stock of his surroundings and decided to stretch his legs and use the little agent's room. As he was passing by other sleeping first-class fliers he took note of the time and chuckled a bit, he must have been more tired than he had thought. It didn't really matter, the trip was going to be spent doing nothing anyway so catching up on missed sleep was a blessing really but still, Kai didn't like succumbing to any weakness and the need for sleep was one of those.

In the end, however, after taking care of other mortal needs such as the bathroom, Kairo returned to his seat and once again passed out and didn't wake again until he felt hands gently shaking him. Coming out of his sleep he froze, muscles tensing and eyes dilating as a rush of adrenaline ran through him until he managed to gain control. He had to relax each muscle slowly and let himself wake before opening his eyes and forcing a smile when he noticed the same attractive blonde attendant hovering over him. She seemed hesitant and apologetic for startling him but Kai just poured on the charm and made sure to ease the situation to not make a scene. He also quietly cursed his exhaustion and for not waking earlier. He could just hear his old instructor in his head. 'Don't you DARE ever lose focus, at any time!' With a sigh, he gathered his belongings and after the plane touched down and began taxiing to an available gate, Kairo opened his laptop and opened a chat program and winced as he noticed the latest message. 'Safehouse has been compromised. No more safe houses left. Go to this address instead. Equipment stash secure.' The situation had deteriorated quickly then which meant that the rebellion was far more organized than most and that the local guild was more or less out of existence. Kairo and the team he was with were alone with no Operating Base and no support.

With the situation so hostile, Kairo was looking forward to retrieving his supplies and making contact with Melville. He knew that his charge's plane would have already landed which meant that the Louis was in the area with no one to help should he need it and if he was being honest with himself that put Kai on edge. He hurried through the luggage line to pick up his other bag, passed through inspection and customs, and then headed to the vehicle rental service. Inside was a black Lexus GS with his name on it, and Kairo once again had to smirk at the reach his family and the Guild had. He turned the ignition and patted the dash as the vehicle purred to life and as the car came to life the viewscreen went instantly to the map mode where coordinates had been programmed in. Kai nodded and took a few breaths before making his foray into Japan proper. He was a seasoned driver, the skill being one of many that had been ingrained into him by the Ahmedi family tutors and trainers who wished to ensure any of their members assigned to a Louis family member would be able to engage in vehicular skirmishes and knew defensive driving techniques. It was a bit different to be in a country he was unfamiliar with, but in the end, he made it to the address and peered at the unassuming warehouse.

Paranoia caused him to park the Lexus in the back, a tarp covering a pallet of supplies also being placed over it. He didn't necessarily think he could be compromised but one could never be too careful. After ensuring that his habits were followed he made his way into the warehouse and began searching. After ten minutes of searching, he came to a room marked with the Ahmedi crest and within a locked closet door. For Kairo, that door didn't stand a chance after having been taught Ahmedi locks and after a short time, the tell-tale 'click' of a lock opening followed by the 'clang!' of it hitting the ground was heard. Kai smirked and opened the closet to see a large black box standing up in the closet. It was about six feet tall and about as wide as Kai was and all total it had that 'heavy' look to it. Kai drug it out and then let it fall, the box making a loud boom throughout the warehouse and he mentally kicked himself for being so careless. His inner paranoia made him do a quick check to make sure no one heard before returning and typing in a four-digit code on the front. A hiss of compressed air was given before the locks clicked open and Kai had a wide grin on his face as he opened the box and revealed the treasures inside. Those 'treasures' included an HK MK23 side-arm complete with a flashlight, laser dot sight, and speed-loading magazine, an HK 416 Assault Rifle with full attachments, a shoulder holster, a hip holster, a tactical knife, high-powered flashlights, a black watch, pliers, extra magazines, his kevlar, and a tactical kit.

Kairo kept his smirk and went ahead and placed his shoulder holster on under the sports coat and as soon as he placed the MK23 and felt the familiar weight he breathed much easier. The rest of the gear he stowed away into the large unassuming grey backpack that was placed in the back of his car and once finished stood and took a deep breath. He pressed a button on the watch and a secure network was setup which he used to send an encrypted message from his phone while connected. 'Passing Jericho.' He disconnected from the network, pressed the button again, and then walked out of the warehouse with much less paranoia. He had heard horror stories of Ahmedi Agents being ambushed at an equipment drop site and with how this mission was turning out Kai wouldn't have put anything out of the frame of mind. As that thought passed by however it made him want to reach the residence as soon as possible. He secured his bag in the back, jumped into the driver's seat and sped off after inserting the address of his new home away from home.

All in all, the trip didn't take to long but would have been faster had he taken the train. He wasn't used to the traffic in the area and as such he hit a few jams that he notated for future information. He memorized what roads he could, and took in the landmarks he passed. He was in full mission mode and even his eyes had slightly narrowed as the serious face took over his face. Upon arriving, Kai passed the home twice to scope out any potential vehicular surveillance, and only when he was sure that things were clear did he park the Lexus in the driveway. He locked the vehicle down after exiting and then took a good look at the house. It actually wasn't terrible, and much better than Kai was expecting. He glanced around before sighing to himself and performing a full perimeter patrol... Three times, taking in escape routes in the adjoining yards, which roads went where, and the general escapability of the house overall. When he was finished he had four working full retreat options and defensive siege positions. Only then did he permit himself to return to the Lexus, haul the bag onto his back and make his way to the door.

He didn't bother knocking but tested the door to see if it was unlocked and sighed to himself when he noticed that it was, in fact, unlocked for any average joe to walk in on. He gently opened the door and crept in, locking it behind him. When he wished, Kai could make his footsteps quiet as a mouse and he glanced around the home for a moment and nodded, impressed at the size and relative neatness. Not half bad for a rapid job, and once again flexing just how much reach the Guild had around the globe. Part of him wanted to put his defensive plans into actions and start mapping the home, but as he heard Melville's voice from further inside Kai's smirk grew into a playful one and he crept further in. "Sorry Aloysius, I just love making you jump. Keeps you on your toes." Kai then took a deep breath, placed his bag down beside him, and then charged the couch, activating his anti-magic on his charge to make sure no accidents happened before yelling out.

"YOU LEFT THE DOOR UNLOCKED AND ARE NOW DEAD!" It was fast and meant to startle and perhaps make Mel fall off the couch or scream. Oh, that would be good.

Melville was just about to reply to Aloysius when the sudden yell came from behind. On instinct, he went to raise the nearest object he could see but realized that he couldn't. Turning around fully he could only see the blur of the figure approaching him. It was at this point he realized exactly who it was. "Nice try. If I really wanted to I could have smashed you into the wall." Melville commented as he crossed his arms. Aloysius in the background however couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Luckily for Kairo, he was good as stopping quickly and so he simply flipped over the cough and landed beside Mel with a growing smirk and shrugged. "You could have tried yes." He gave a wink and then noticed Aloysius and grew a bit more serious. "Ah, sorry about that. Was just trying to shove home basic home defense. You know how it is these days with getting people to lock their doors." He gave a shrug and folded his arms behind his head.

"It is fine. Just don't trash my childhood home. I do still occasionally go there." Aloysius commented as he finally got around to putting his bowl of cereal down. Melville didn't respond, instead deciding to go back to sitting on the couch. 2 I left it unlocked so that you guys could walk right in. I highly doubt that the rebels even know this place exists.

Raising an eyebrow, Kai peered towards the screen and nodded. He had assumed the house was a quick back-up plan and supposed that it still was but still, knowing Aloysius had a personal attachment to it made Kai like the man all the more as he was willing to let them use it for the mission. He then glanced towards Mel and sighed a bit and nodded. "We can't assume anything with the local guild losing all of their holdings. Just, do me a favor and wait for me to arrive before losing protective habits eh?" He tried to brighten his facial structure but probably only succeeded in looking weird. It was still a bit awkward talking to Melville, the two having only recently been forced to spent time together as Kairo was assigned to him. He was still figuring the Louis heir out and was forced to guess on most interactions how to react.

"I still find it funny that an heir to one of the four great families needs a bodyguard." Melville said in a whimsical tone. He was about to speak when Aloysius interrupted him.

"At least you get a bodyguard. Me and Salem don't"

"Yeah, but you have a literal arsenal of weapons and Salem has her father."

"Just because my great grandfather started a weapons business doesn't mean I let it go to my head"

Kai opened his mouth to respond and just remained quiet instead, he also didn't really understand. It was one of the biggest questions he had as a child going through the regimented training and constant tests. He supposed it was mostly about appearances, having Anti-Mages guarding you tended to at least give potential Assassins pause, throw in a childhood of martial arts, weapons, and tactical training and you have yourself a pretty decent guardian. His father however told him that there was more to it, it allowed the heir and then ruler to have someone they trusted to carry out orders. A friend when everyone else wanted for power. Kai could understand that, and so that was what he was striving for with Mel.

"We're more than just bodyguards you know, and you not worrying about yourself lets you focus on throwing things at the enemy. And either way, neither of us have a real choice. It's a tradition at this point. Besides, I'm not that bad. Right?"

"You aren't bad in any way shape or form. You are an extremely helpful person." Melville remarked, making sure to focus on Kai rather than focus on the television screen. "You wouldn't have been chosen for this if you weren't good enough."

Kai opened his mouth to respond and then just nodded. He needed to hear that honestly but wouldn't let it go to his head. He gave a half-smirk and nodded over to Mel in thanks before standing and rolling his shoulder. "Er, thanks. I'm going to go and park near the door and verify everyone coming in. Let me know if you need anything?"

The Satsuma Rebellion - A Magical Incursion RP

Kairo

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Ⱥƀđ Ⱥł ĦȺꝁɨm ꝀȺɨɍø ꝖȺŧȺɍħ ȺħmȺđɨ

_{"I go along with having no freedom or choices so that others can. The end-goal is peace, and security, and I'll pay any price for it."}

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Character Summary

Name: Full name is Abdul Hakim Kairo Qatarh Ahmadi. He goes by Kairo or Kai.
Aliases: Kai, Kairo
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Power:

Anti-Magic

ANTIMAGIC: The ability to cut-off and drain the power of other Mages to negate their ability to use or summon their magic. Kairo has three manifestations that he has found out about and practiced. The most common form is a sort of passive resistance around himself that prevents him from being directly affected by debilitating magical attacks such as mental, emotional, telepathic, and other forms of control. He cannot prevent physical magical damage such as a lightning bolt, a fireball, etc. He can then with the nod of a head nod or by extending a hand send out an invisible force that when directed at a Mage will block them from accessing their powers. There are some limitations to this. The target must be in visual range for this ability to work and even then the range seems to max out at around 30 feet or half that if nullifying three people at once. In addition to this, he has to remain focused, and if interrupted the blocking ends. Kairo has perfected this form of manifestation and can block and protect himself at the same time.

The second manifestation of the power consists of a simple 'charged' area of effect field that localizes where Kairo is standing. The result is a field of about 6 feet that negates ALL powers of those within it, friendly and enemy alike. While keeping the field active Kairo is unable to do anything else magically but can. The process of maintaining the area does prevent heavy physical activities such as running, jumping, or fighting however and most instances require him to be protected as if he's distracted the field will fall. In addition, if used on a large enough group or if drained enough Kai can and will pass out. The largest field he has so far been able to push 15 feet on all sides but this manifestation is the newest and as such the least fleshed out.

The third manifestation and most potent is physical contact. If able to touch another Mage Kai is able to completely, totally, and instantly drain connection to magic and has been known to leave a feeling of lethargy, white-hot pain, and the taste of metal in the mouths of victims. This manifestation is the most powerful but also requires the most risk as Kairo must commit to getting up close and personal.

Limitation(s) | Added into each power manifestation.

Weaknesses | For most if not all of the manifestations, he must focus which means he has to adapt to each and every new situation. If taken by surprise they are an easy take-down. He lack of any offensive ability other than Anti-magic. Generally not trusted and side eyed due to horror stories of physical draining.

Family:

Ahmedi Family

Calla

Mother: Calla- Water Mage, politcian.

Saeed

Father: Saeed- Head of the Family, a very powerful and capable Anti-Mage

Eko

Brother: Eko (11)

Lachlan

Brother: Lachlan (9)

Tattoo:

Kai's Tattoo

Kairo's tattoo manifested on the same location almost all Ahmedi Anti-Mage's tattoo's manifest, which is upon the right fore-arm. The tattoo is that of a small black dot where the original freckle is located, and then above it a small triangle under a larger triangle signifying Ahmedi obedience and loyalty to the Louis. Another triangle outline signifies the individual Anti-Mage's loyalty and finally a third which wraps around the full arm signifying the length of service the Ahmedi's have to the Louis family.

Favorite Season: Autumn

---

---

Appearance

Height: 5'11" 181.5 cm
Weight: 158lbs 71kg
Body Type: Slim yet wiry, toned but lacking wide shoulders. A swimmers build.
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black with some dark brown strands
Skin Tone: Dark skin tone, tans quite well when exposed to the sun.
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: None.
Personal Style: Usually seen in easy to move around in clothes that can double as stylish. Dueling jerkins, and overcoats. For pure formal occasions a full tuxedo will be seen, with a purple vest and tie combo instead of the traditional black. Has a hand-gun located in a shoulder holster on him at all times. During more court appearances he and most other Ahmedi Security can be seen in sports coats and button-ups.

---

---

Psychology

Dedicated * Arrogant * Loyal * Overprotective * Adaptable * Unyielding/Stubborn

Sexuality: Bi-sexual
Relationship Status: None
Personality: Kairo has been raised to be nothing more than a loyal soldier, one that would protect the Louis family and their interests no matter what. However, being around the political scene has meant that his blinding loyalty has been tempered with lessons on politics where he has been able to make his own opinions on things, and more importantly how to hide those inner feelings. He has grown into someone who can adapt his personality based on the current need and can go from a charming court politician to a stone-cold soldier within seconds. He's also distant, finding that liking anything or anyone too much can be a sure weakness. He keeps everything at arms reach, never liking anything too much or too hard.

He's intelligent, especially when it comes to political maneuvering and tactics. But its rarely seen, hidden under a mask of blank expressions and emotions that would take minutes to cut through in a discussion. He has the drive to make his family proud and to live up to the impressive pedigree that the Ahmedi family has built has in service to the Louis House.

On the opinions of Mage's and how they are treated, Kairo has quite a bit of hidden feelings. He continues to think about how the Mages were betrayed by the humans and feels like had the Guild not been weakened from protecting the humans from Corpus they could have beaten the non-mages back and taken over where the world would be a better place overall. His training however has ensured that while his opinions are his own, he understands how the world works and doesn't bother complaining, he has a job to do.

He can be quite stubborn and unyielding at times, especially when it comes to tactics and planning but it generally only takes an elder to put their foot down for Kairo to drop it.

Habits:

• Taps his foot or finger when he gets bored
• Shifts constantly if standing in one spot for too long
• Messes with his hair right above his left ear unconsciously, and randomly

Hobbies:

• Practicing his marksmanship and martial arts
• Chess
• Running
• Sleeping
• Sparring
• Violin

Fears:

• Drowning
• Being trapped in one place. Or being trapped in general.
• Being helpless
• Disrespecting his family
• Making a fool out of himself

Likes:

• Books and learning
• Guns
• Martial Arts
• Running during the evening
• Experimenting with his magic
• His Violin

Dislikes:

• Not a huge fan of dogs
• Laziness
• Disrespect
• Ill-informed, and naive non-mages talking like they know anything.
• Summer

---

---

Skills

General Skills:

• Exceptional Marksman
• Has a great mind for tactics
• Organization drill
• Martial Arts, and acrobatics
• Very high IQ that allows him to process information quickly and adapt
• Can play the Violin, Cello, Guitar, Piano, Trumpet, and Baritone as well as being able to read and write music.

---

---

History

Biography: The Ahmedi family has served the Louis Family since they came to power and every generation of Ahmedi's since has had a member inside the Louis' Guard or as leaders of their enforcers. The family headquarters with the Louis family in Europe but has members in all of the Operational Areas to better respond to calls of assistance. All to increase the Louis family's prestige of course. The Ahmedi's are one of the only bloodlines that consistently create Anti-mages on the male side while the Female side tends to produce water or air Mages. Most of the female Ahmedi's are married off to secure alliances and political maneuvers with other magical families, some even within the power base of the other great families. Many have attempted to marry into the family to produce an Anti-mage for themselves and while it's generally successful for a generation or two, the Ahmedi remains the only family to not only consistently produce them for all of history, but to even have a tattoo that signifies them as fully Ahmedi and as such has taken it to a new level. The level of power of non-Ahmedi Anti-Mage's has also been notated.

Some would think that being born into such a family meant that he would have an easy ride, that he would be spoiled and want for nothing. Well, those people would be wrong. Kai was thrown into 'training' the moment he turned four years old. He was sent tutors and specialists whose job it was to turn him into a deadly weapon. He was trained in martial arts, boxing, wrestling, and weapons four days out of seven. Two were spent with school work, and one was spent learning the skills he'd need to be an heir that the family needed.

This routine continued for his entire pre-teen and teenage life, and he became a machine that could not only shoot, and wield martial weapons, but was extremely skilled in various martial arts. Kairo was raised with three words ingrained into him. Loyalty, Duty, and Respect and those three words defined his entire childhood. He spent everyday training, whether it be with swords, guns, the staff, or his hands. He was trained in basic tactics with other children of the Ahmedi family and their retainers and would be pitted up against the other young children. It was a savage training, and no punches were held, no mercy for the weak, and those that could not make it were thrown to the other sections of the family, barely alive. Kairo however thrived in such an environment, showing a particular affinity for the Rapier and Martial Arts. He was what was called 'Ahmedi Chosen' which meant that if powers of Anti-magic were shown then he'd be sent to the Rapid Response Teams and if they weren't he was to be placed as a spy into the non-mage world.

Now at eighteen years old, and having passed 'basic training' as the Ahmedi's call it Kairo did, in fact, show an affinity for Anti-magic, an affinity that rivaled even his own father, and was placed into an RRT (Rapid Response Team) based in Europe. The team's mission was to answer any call in that operational area (Europe) and to deal with threats posed by less than happy Mages potentially exposing the Guild. Kairo, as an anti-mage Kai was able to handle these situations quite well and most of the time could quell the fired up Mages just by appearing and activating his power for a moment. He was used to the glares of Mage's and had heard all the names they called him, including soul-sucker, honor-less cur, traitor, the list goes on. This hands-on learning allowed him to get a good grip on his powers so that now turning 22 he would be ready for his assignment to the Louis family member he would spend the rest of his life defending. A certain Melville Louis.

Dreams and Goals: He wants to become a worthy heir, and a guard that whoever he's assigned to can look back on and call a friend. Hopes to see the world return to a fully peaceful co-existing world.

---

---

Additional Information

Theme Song: Rise
Font Color: =#58FAD0
Other/OOC Notes: The Ahmedi family is still being fleshed out and worked on, but if anyone wished to play a relative/retainer to the family we can definately discuss!

The Satsuma Rebellion - A Magical Incursion RP

Kairo

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Ⱥƀđ Ⱥł ĦȺꝁɨm ꝀȺɨɍø ꝖȺŧȺɍħ ȺħmȺđɨ

_{"I go along with having no freedom or choices so that others can. The end-goal is peace, and security, and I'll pay any price for it."}

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Character Summary

Name: Full name is Abdul Hakim Kairo Qatarh Ahmadi. He goes by Kairo or Kai.
Aliases: Kai, Kairo
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Power:

Anti-Magic

ANTIMAGIC: The ability to cut-off and drain the power of other Mages to negate their ability to use or summon their magic. Kairo has three manifestations that he has found out about and practiced. The most common form is a sort of passive resistance around himself that prevents him from being directly affected by debilitating magical attacks such as mental, emotional, telepathic, etc. He can then in the of a head nod or by extending a hand send out an invisible force previously hugging his form that when directed at a Mage will block them from accessing their powers. There are some limitations to this. The target must be in visual range for this ability to work and even then the range seems to max out at around 30 feet or half that if nullifying three people at once. In addition to this, he has to remain focused, and if interrupted the blocking ends. Kairo has perfected this form of manifestation and can block and protect himself at the same time.

The second manifestation of the power consists of a simple 'charged' area of effect field that localizes where Kairo is standing. The result is a field of about 6 feet that negates ALL powers of those within it, friendly and enemy alike. While keeping the field active Kairo is unable to do anything else magically but can. The process of maintaining the area does prevent heavy physical activities such as running, jumping, or fighting however and most instances require him to be protected as if he's distracted the field will fall. In addition, if used on a large enough group or if drained enough Kai can and will pass out. The largest field he has so far been able to push 15 feet on all sides but this manifestation is the newest and as such the least fleshed out.

The third manifestation and most potent is physical contact. If able to touch another Mage Kai is able to completely, totally, and instantly drain connection to magic and has been known to leave a feeling of lethargy, white-hot pain, and the taste of metal in the mouths of victims. This manifestation is the most powerful but also requires the most risk as Kairo must commit to getting up close and personal.

Limitation(s) | Added into each power manifestation.

Weaknesses | For most if not all of the manifestations, he must focus which means he has to adapt to each and every new situation. If taken by surprise they are an easy take-down. He lack of any offensive ability other than Anti-magic. Generally not trusted and side eyed due to horror stories of physical draining.

Family:

Ahmedi Family

Calla

Mother: Calla- Water Mage, politcian.

Saeed

Father: Saeed- Head of the Family, a very powerful and capable Anti-Mage

Eko

Brother: Eko (11)

Lachlan

Brother: Lachlan (9)

Tattoo:

Kai's Tattoo

Kairo's tattoo manifested on the same location almost all Ahmedi Anti-Mage's tatoo's manifest, which is upon the right fore-arm. The tattoo is that of a small black dot where the original freckle is located, and then above it a small triangle under a larger triangle signifying Ahmedi obedience and loyalty to the Louis. Another triangle outline signifies the individual Anti-Mage's loyalty and finally a third which wraps around the full arm signifying the length of service the Ahmedi's have to the Louis family.

Favorite Season: Autumn

---

---

Appearance

Height: 5'11" 181.5 cm
Weight: 158lbs 71kg
Body Type: Slim yet wiry, toned but lacking wide shoulders. A swimmers build.
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black with some dark brown strands
Skin Tone: Dark skin tone, tans quite well when exposed to the sun.
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: None.
Personal Style: Usually seen in easy to move around in clothes that can double as stylish. Dueling jerkins, and overcoats. For pure formal occasions a full tuxedo will be seen, with a purple vest and tie combo instead of the traditional black. Has a onyx jeweled rapier on his left hip most of the time, with a gauche knife sheathed behind his back. During more court appearances he and most other Ahmedi Security can be seen in sports coats and button-ups.

---

---

Psychology

Dedicated * Arrogant * Loyal * Overprotective * Adaptable * Unyielding/Stubborn

Sexuality: Bi-sexual
Relationship Status: None
Personality: Kairo has been raised to be nothing more than a loyal soldier, one that would protect the Louis family and their interests no matter what. However, being around the political scene has meant that his blinding loyalty has been tempered with lessons on politics where he has been able to make his own opinions on things, and more importantly how to hide those inner feelings. He has grown into someone who can adapt his personality based on the current need and can go from a charming court politician to a stone-cold soldier within seconds. He's also distant, finding that liking anything or anyone too much can be a sure weakness. He keeps everything at arms reach, never liking anything too much or too hard.

He's intelligent, especially when it comes to political maneuvering and tactics. But its rarely seen, hidden under a mask of blank expressions and emotions that would take minutes to cut through in a discussion. He has the drive to make his family proud and to live up to the impressive pedigree that the Ahmedi family has built has in service to the Louis House.

On the opinions of Mage's and how they are treated, Kairo has quite a bit of hidden feelings. He continues to think about how the Mages were betrayed by the humans and feels like had the Guild not been weakened from protecting the humans from Corpus they could have beaten the non-mages back and taken over where the world would be a better place overall. His training however has ensured that while his opinions are his own, he understands how the world works and doesn't bother complaining, he has a job to do.

He can be quite stubborn and unyielding at times, especially when it comes to tactics and planning but it generally only takes an elder to put their foot down for Kairo to drop it.

Habits:

• Taps his foot or finger when he gets bored
• Shifts constantly if standing in one spot for too long
• Messes with his hair right above his left ear unconsciously, and randomly

Hobbies:

• Practicing his swordsmanship and martial arts
• Chess
• Running
• Sleeping
• Dueling
• Violin

Fears:

• Drowning
• Being trapped in one place. Or being trapped in general.
• Being helpless
• Disrespecting his family
• Making a fool out of himself

Likes:

• Books and learning
• Fencing
• Martial Arts
• Running during the evening
• Experimenting with his magic
• His Violin

Dislikes:

• Not a huge fan of dogs
• Laziness
• Disrespect
• Ill-informed, and naive non-mages talking like they know anything.
• Summer

---

---

Skills

General Skills:

• Exceptional Swordsman and Duelist
• Has a great mind for tactics
• Organization drill
• Martial Arts, and acrobatics
• Very high IQ that allows him to process information quickly and adapt
• Can play the Violin, Cello, Guitar, Piano, Trumpet, and Baritone as well as being able to read and write music.

---

---

History

Biography: The Ahmedi family has served the Louis Family since they came to power and every generation of Ahmedi's since has had a member inside the Louis' Guard or as leaders of their enforcers. The family headquarters with the Louis family in Europe but has members in all of the Operational Areas to better respond to calls of assistance. All to increase the Louis family's prestige of course. The Ahmedi's are one of the only bloodlines that consistently create Anti-mages on the male side while the Female side tends to produce water or air Mages. Most of the female Ahmedi's are married off to secure alliances and political maneuvers with other magical families, some even within the power base of the other great families. Many have attempted to marry into the family to produce an Anti-mage for themselves and while it's generally successful for a generation or two, the Ahmedi remains the only family to not only consistently produce them for all of history, but to even have a tattoo that signifies them as fully Ahmedi and as such has taken it to a new level. The level of power of non-Ahmedi Anti-Mage's have also been notated.

Some would think that being born into such a family meant that he would have an easy ride, that he would be spoiled and want for nothing. Well, those people would be wrong. Kai was thrown into 'training' the moment he turned four years old. He was sent tutors and specialists whose job it was to turn him into a deadly weapon. He was trained in martial arts, boxing, wrestling, and weapons four days out of seven. Two were spent with school work, and one was spent learning the skills he'd need to be an heir that the family needed.

This routine continued for his entire pre-teen and teenage life, and he became a machine that could not only shoot, and wield martial weapons, but was extremely skilled in various martial arts. Kairo was raised with three words ingrained into him. Loyalty, Duty, and Respect and those three words defined his entire childhood. He spent everyday training, whether it be with swords, rapiers, the staff, or his hands. He was trained in basic tactics with other children of the Ahmedi family and their retainers and would be pitted up against the other young children. It was a savage training, and no punches were held, no mercy for the weak, and those that could not make it were thrown to the other sections of the family, barely alive. Kairo however thrived in such an environment, showing a particular affinity for the Rapier and Martial Arts. He was what was called 'Ahmedi Chosen' which meant that if powers of Anti-magic were shown then he'd be sent to the Rapid Response Teams and if they weren't he was to be placed as a spy into the non-mage world.

Now at eighteen years old, and having passed 'basic training' as the Ahmedi's call it Kairo did, in fact, show an affinity for Anti-magic, an affinity that rivaled even his own father, and was placed into an RRT (Rapid Response Team) based in Europe. The team's mission was to answer any call in that operational area (Europe) and to deal with threats posed by less than happy Mages potentially exposing the Guild. Kairo, as an anti-mage Kai was able to handle these situations quite well and most of the time could quell the fired up Mages just by appearing and activating his power for a moment. He was used to the glares of Mage's and had heard all the names they called him, including soul-sucker, honor-less cur, traitor, the list goes on. This hands-on learning allowed him to get a good grip on his powers so that now turning 22 he would be ready for his assignment to the Louis family member he would spend the rest of his life defending. A certain Melville Louis.

Dreams and Goals: He wants to become a worthy heir, and a guard that whoever he's assigned to can look back on and call a friend. Hopes to see the world return to a fully peaceful co-existing world.

---

---

Additional Information

Theme Song: Rise
Font Color: =#58FAD0
Other/OOC Notes: The Ahmedi family is still being fleshed out and worked on, but if anyone wished to play a relative/retainer to the family we can definately discuss!

The Satsuma Rebellion - A Magical Incursion RP

Count me as interested!

cancelled.

Leo 'Leonard' Chaucer || Sixth

L E O	❂	☾	F O X G L O V E
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔: To go into Magical Law Enforcement, as an Auror. Or to be a Spellcrafter.	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx LEO 'LEONARD' CHAUCER 16 || 23 October || HE/HIM || 6th 𝑽𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒆𝒔: ↠ Intelligent ↠ Loyal ↠ Adaptable ↠ Detail Oriented 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔: ↠ Arrogant ↠ Stubborn ↠ Verbose ↠ Socially Awkward 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒘: PRIDE	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx PUREBLOOD • WIZARD Unicorn Hair || Aspen || 12" 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒔: ↠ Enchantments ↠ Defense Against the Dark Arts ↠ Transmutation x 𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔: ↠ Astrometry ↠ Magic History ↠ Herbology x 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔 & 𝑩𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒕: LEOPARD || HEADLIGHTS	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔: Drowning, Dragons, Failure, Disappointing his Family, Something hurting his family.

𝑼𝒑𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈:

Leo was born in Wales into the pureblooded House of Hastings on his mother's side, and House Chaucer on his fathers. Both families are older pureblooded families and each has their history. For Leo however, it meant that he and his twin brother Liam were the heirs apparent to either family. As with most pureblooded heirs, this meant that a heavy dose of etiquette lessons, private tutors, and a ton of pressure were constants. Leo himself was found to have a natural affinity for charms, like some others in the Hastings line. Beyond that, the family Wand consisting of Aspen wood seemed to always find its way into Leo's room. It was a sure sign that the boy was meant to have it but Aspen wands had a legend to them, and this one, in particular, was passed down to the premier duelists of the Hastings line. After the great wizarding war, the Chaucers were sent to America to be diplomats and after a time fully emigrated to the States where both of Leo's parents were given positions in the government.

Sandstorm || Leo

S A N D S T O R M

L E O

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

FELIS CATUS 11 || CAT/BENGAL || FEMALE 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 Sandstorm is an extremely intelligent cat, so much so she seems to be able to easily understand human interactions and moods. She is Leos cat first and foremost but isn't afraid to give other attention. She's playful when needed but usually tends to match Leo's own mood. 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒌𝒔 Sandstorm tends to enjoy reading... 𝑫𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 The cat has had no formal training, but that doesn't seem to matter to her. She -could- do whatever is asked of her. Will she? Who knows.

Leo's Deep Dive

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Leo 'Leonard' Chaucer

_{Dueling is a lot like life. You're constantly trying to find that perfect moment to lunge, only for the riposte to catch you in the chest.}

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Character Summary

Name: Leonard 'Leo' Chaucer (Prefers Leo and uses Leonard as a middle name.)
Aliases: Leo, Chaucer
Age: 16
House: Foxglove
Wand:12 inches, Aspen wood, Unicorn Hair
Gender: Male
Family:

Chaucer Family

Isabella

Mother: Isabella- Welsh Quidditch Pro, Charms tutor

Henry

Father: Henry Chaucer- Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation

Hudson

Brother: Hudson (11)

Lachlan

Brother: Lachlan (9)

Zara

Sister: Zara (9)

Favorite Season: Autumn

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Appearance

Height: 5'11" 181.5 cm
Weight: 150lbs 65kg
Body Type: Slim yet wiry, toned but still growing.
Eye Color: Blue/Gray
Hair Color: Dark Brown, some random darker Blonde thrown in
Skin Tone: Olive skin tone, tans quite well when exposed to the sun.
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: None.
Personal Style: Tends to wear loose scarves despite the season, wears loose fitting dueling jerkins and breeches when he knows he will be fighting. Other than that he keeps to the dress code.

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Psychology

Intelligent * Arrogant * Loyal * Verbose * Adaptable * Unyielding/Stubborn

Sexuality: Homosexual
Relationship Status: None
Personality: When one first introduces themselves to Leo, the first thing they'll notice is how unsure the young man is about the whole situation. He's not a very big talker and tends to be shy and hesitant in social situations. His eyes take everything in and hyper analyze before he says a word. It's a methodical process and one that the Foxglove uses as both a defense mechanism and a learning one. New situations scare him, and he has to find his place in them before he's comfortable. He's very observant and Intelligent and his everyday movements are a testament to that fact. Once you break through that mechanism though you will find a rather lonely young man who has been waiting for people to give him a chance. He's loyal, not to the zeal that a Hufflepuff from England would have, but loyal nonetheless and once you're his friend he will have your back, through thick and thin. He's exceptionally adaptable as well, his skill at watching and absorbing his schoolmate's interactions allowing him to handle simple conversations as if he was a pro, which is a stark contrast to his actual feelings on meeting new people. He holds this façade over his defensive analyzation as an extra layer of defense.

When not confronted by direct human contact, such as classroom settings, and the dueling ring his personality shifts to a more serious side. He lets his hubris show through with his arrogant stances and underestimation of his opponents. It's a serious flaw and one that he recognizes as a problem and as such is one he's actively working on fixing. He's also extremely verbose for no reason other than to show off and takes pride in trapping his classmates in verbal traps or talking them in circles with long-winded answers. He also doesn't admit that he's wrong unless one literally is holding a blade to his neck and is threatening to slice his throat. He thrives in chaotic situations as his mind works insanely quickly, and goes over data stored in his brain at a rapid-fire pace. This is exceptionally powerful due to the fact that he boasts a photographic memory. He's also a very defensive person, preferring to exhaust his opponents into making a fatal mistake before ending the fight. He lacks power but more than makes up for that with his wit and his unique style which uses his opponent's strengths against them.

Habits:

• Twirls his wand and makes sparks when bored
• Shifts constantly if standing in one spot for to long
• Twitches and grips his wand or shoots it from his holster when startled

Hobbies:

• Reading
• Chess
• Running
• Quidditch
• Dueling
• Violin

Fears:

• Drowning
• Anything that resembles headlights
• Dragons
• Something happening to his family

Likes:

• Books
• Classwork
• Dueling
• Quidditch Practice
• Exercise
• His Violin

Dislikes:

• Bullies of any kind
• Laziness
• Disrespect
• Pretentious snobs
• Winter

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Skills

General Skills:

• Powerful Charms caster
• Is very good at intertwining spells, and inventing new ones
• Organization
• Adaptable, his mind is his best weapon and it works fast
• Has a photographic memory
• An excellent aerial athlete.

General Weaknesses:

• Struggles in conversation
• Will blank out when startled
• Suffers from panic attacks
• Can get very lonely, since he's hard to make friends with
• Anxious, and paranoid at times

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History

Biography:

House Chaucer Background

The House of Chaucer is an old one, a House that originated in England but left when the British Empire began sending groups to Australia. They were one of 8 pureblooded wizard families that settled upon the pacific island and have great prestige on the opposite side of the world. They are renowned for their supportive tendencies, be it mapmaking, diplomacy, defense, exploration, secretaries, or even magistrates. They have a history of being unbiased and the Ministry of Magic within Australia has had its fair share of Chaucers in the seat of Minister.

But while the family is prestigious it didn't start gaining global reputation until one Henry Chaucer, born in 1965. Henry as a child was extremely well behaved and was the perfect pureblood, but had much empathy as well for one so young. He started schooling in 1976 in Australia and received top marks throughout his career as a student. When he graduated in 1982 he was accepted into the Ministry and into the Foreign Affairs office. His first position? That of liaison to Great Britain itself. Henry was an instant favorite within the British Ministry and also made good allies with many of the Pureblooded Houses that called England home. One family, in particular, stood out, as Henry fell deeply in love with one of its members. One Isabella Hastings.

House Hastings History

The House of Hastings originates in Wales, an old House, and very spiritualistic. It was founded after General Maximus left Britain in a bid for Imperial power and left his father in law in control of the provinces. Many Welsh tribes formed and House Hastings was formed as stewards and servants for the most powerful. They became advisors, shamans, generals, attendants, and the House flourished. As the world changed House Hastings did not, continuing to serve the ruler of Wales which, soon enough, was the English King. They are well known in the wizarding world as master Charms masters, duelists, and spell-seers, understanding magic on a deep and spiritual level. They have a bond with magic, a pact that has been passed down from the early shamanistic rituals to the current modernization of the Ministry. They are a fierce vote within the Wizengamot and control a powerful Party to themselves that is dedicated to archiving wizarding history and respecting magic as a whole.

The Wizarding wars showed that House Hastings were not pacifists however, as many of their number served as Aurors and unspeakables. They were fiercely patriotic and formed a safe zone around the mansion of the Hastings family for wizards and witches of Wales to hide out and be safe. Recently the House has had fame thanks to Isabella Hastings, a Hogwarts graduate who became a Quidditch professional in the Welsh premier league. Isabella was a Hufflepuff while in school and was an extremely gifted student. She received top marks in her OWLS, and NEWTS and could have had any job she desired, as such she worked a part-time job as undersecretary for the Department of International Magical Cooperation, which is where she met Henry Chaucer of Australia and fell in love.

Leo was born in 1990, fifteen minutes before his twin Liem, and even then was enraptured with the world around him. He was raised in Wales, inside the Hastings Mansion which was located deep in the dense forests and was surrounded by ancient magic. The Hastings family took over his and Liem's tutoring in the younger years, helping their parents raise them and engraining the Hastings family's beliefs, of respecting magic and nature, into them. The twins were good students and soaked in the knowledge even if Leo seemed to understand things a bit easier. It was found the boy had a photographic memory during a lesson in Charms when Jax could recite the entirety of the Hogwarts First Years spell list.

The twins lived happily, stress-free, and enjoying life until their parents were both sent to be the United States as diplomats. Leo was seven at the time and the year was 2011, however, the Hastings family had made many enemies during the Wizarding War and some of the outcasts had bided their time and waited for the perfect time to strike. They intercepted the family enroute to the airport and attacked the family. Both Leo and Liem were heavily wounded and traumatized from the event, but were saved from death through rapid response Auror's and the skill of their parents. The boys were moved to Australia and to the Chaucer estate where they began the slow process of healing. Quidditch was Leo's healing technique and he poured his time into the air with his Mother, who had taken a break from the professional scene, and the diplomatic world while her husband worked in California. For an entire two years, the twins recovered from their wounds and breathed much easier afterward though trauma still remains.

Henry and Isabella, the twin's parents left the children in Australia again while they returned to the British ministry and left them in the care of the Chaucer's. At this point the family had grown, Leo and Liem were now 8, while their younger brother Hudson was 5, and the second set of twins Lachlan and Zara were 3. Leo was given new tutors and taught of the Chaucer side of his family and all of its history. He flourished with his studies but spent much of his time flying. He had become a much quieter boy after the attack and flinched at the slightest startle. His brother Liem was even worse off and had to continue therapy to even function. They both lost sleep and couldn't stand being apart from each other for even a few minutes.

It took two more years to finally break them of this, two years to heal to a liveable situation and now armed with the knowledge of both sides of their families the twins were moved to California, to a new Manse being built in the California country. His father took over as a Department leader in International Magical Cooperation in America and his Mother returned to Professional Quidditch. Things began to look up for the twins and the following year they were both accepted into American wizarding school as neophytes. It was a time of pure delight and the previous darkness seemed to be being put behind them, even if some of the healing needed to still be done. Sorting for the twins was an interesting affair, Leo was placed in Foxglove almost instantly but his twin was a sorting stall. For fifteen minutes deliberations occurred until finally Liem was placed in Nighthound. It was the first time the twins would be separated in a living environment and they struggled at the beginning.

Leo lost a lot of sleep, though kept up with his schoolwork thanks to his tutoring and mind. He also couldn't really release any stress since he wasn't allowed to fly as a first-year. As such he instead turned to Dueling, and threw himself into learning combative magic. He was determined never to be a victim again and spent tons of his time and his sleepless nights studying spells and improving his stances. His schoolwork was robotic and lacked any emotion, but it was good and he achieved top marks in all classes at the end of the year. The second-year was much better for the twins as both had started getting accustomed to life without the other. Liem flourished in Nighthound and had many friends while Leo simply had study mates but tempered his lack of 'friends' with Dueling and Quidditch. He was accepted as a Substitute Chaser on the Foxglove team but performed so well in practices and had such drive he was moved to a starter. He employed his strategies with the Captain and helped come up with many team plays. In school, he had begun to improve from a robot into an actual student in some lessons but still put it as a backdrop to his Dueling and Quidditch play.

Third-year, and Fourth Year were both simply rapid-fire routines of the second. Leo was an extremely accomplished student duelist at this time and his flying improved drastically as he grew up. He was the Co-captain in his Fourth Year and was the go-to strategist for the team. He had been targeted by the other teams a few times but his skill with defensive Charms usually led to the attackers being served detention and himself getting a pass as he never attacked back. He spent all of his free time in the library to keep up his high grades and had a triumvirate of expectations for the two years. First was Dueling, second was Quidditch, and third were his classes of which he had added Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Friends were a low totem pole item and he continued to simply exist in the castle.

Going into the Fifth Year his parents had requested that he actually try and become social as they were worried about their son who still wasn't fully healed like his twin from the childhood trauma they received. Liem had become a social butterfly and a heartbreaker around the Castle while Leo was the one nobody really seemed to want to approach. But Leo promised his parents he would try and reorganized his lists a bit. He would put friends up in the same category as his others so he could continue focusing on what he loved while hopefully finding people that also loved them. It didn't go as badly as he expected, starting his social experiments with others in the duelist club and quidditch teams. He's now preparing for his sixth year and looks to continue growing.

Dreams and Goals: He wants to become a Spellcrafter and Auror, or a Quidditch Pro.

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Additional Information

Theme Song: Human
Font Color: =#58FAD0
Other/OOC Notes: Twin brother will not be a player character, if someone wanted to play them they are more than welcome to PM me! Otherwise, he'll just be a backdrop character!

Let me know if anything needs to be changed!

A Song of Ice and Fire: Wakening

Ashton II

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Fallow Hill, the Riverlands

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Ashton walked out of the war council feeling much better than he had going in. He had fretted non-stop at what his father would do and say when coming face to face with Ashton’s management of the House. As it was, things seemed just fine for the moment and with Edwyn back it meant that Ash could finally breathe clearly. He made his way to his room, calling for one of his servants to prepare a hot bath for him to actually enjoy this time. He entered his room proper and threw himself onto his bed, breathing in and out over and over again with a wide grin on his face.

The relaxing bath was very much a gift from the seven and Ashton savored it until the water was ice cold, even with Tristam, Ashton’s servant, refilling it many times. With all good things however, it had to come to and end and Ashton frowned as he stepped from the water, wrapping a cloth around his waist and drying his dripping body slowly. While drying the young Landry couldn’t help but yawn repeatedly and realized he had kept his emotions hidden and beat down for so long. He was exhausted, mentally and physically and he made an important mental note to find some excuse to go and visit with Ariella later that night, perhaps after supper… For now though, a nap would be perfect.

Said nap ended up taking away the entire afternoon and Ash would have would probably slept through lunch, the night, and most of the following day if Tristam didn’t start shaking his shoulder to wake the sleeping teen for supper. “Come on little Lord, and don’t fight me. I’ll toss ya off this bed if I have to.” Ash simply groaned and slammed his head back into the pillow and ever so slowly pushed himself up with his arms. He threw himself sideways and almost fell as his legs protested to being used so soon after waking. Tristam just rolled his eyes and put out a simple yet formal looking tunic and breeches.

“Thank you Trist.” Came the teen’s voice and Tristam just nodded and closed the door. Ashton dressed himself quickly and after tucking in his tunic he strapped on his sword belt once again and exited his room, his feet taking him unconsciously upon the memorized path to the Great Hall. As he entered he found servants all over preparing for the first time every Landry would sit at the same table. Every Landry but one… He thought with a sad grimace as his mind went to bring up Morgain.

“Ashton,” Lord Edwyn spoke, abruptly interrupting the thoughts of his youngest son. The riverlord’s strides were long and swift; he had likely just arrived from his study. Despite his demeanour being no less stoic than the norm, he seemed less formal than he had in the meeting room a few hours prior. He was no longer addressing the acting Lord of House Landry; he was addressing his son. “Are you well?” His question was broad and unspecific, but clearly sincere.

Ash pulled himself together in record fast time, forcing the grimace away and replacing it with a blank face. He turned to his father and nodded a few times, of course he was ok. “Father, yes I’m fine. I was just thinking that we’ll still have one empty chair at the High Table tonight, despite so many homecomings.” He gave a soft shrug and hoped his exhaustion wasn’t so evident, or the fact that he had slept for most of the day.

Edwyn’s eyes fell upon the hall’s interior as he listened. It was larger than the average castle’s. Old and stalwart, it’s mighty beams seemed unbreakable; if there was ever a quake of some kind, this would be the last building to fall. Two parallel rows of tables filled the room, with four on each side. There was space for ten at each table, with the hall having a maximum capacity of eighty, excluding the high table. The front right table was traditionally where the children of the lord would sit, along with any members of the extended household, such as Liliana. Morgain had always sat in the furthest-left forward-facing seat at this table. Ever since he left, it had remained untouched. This was the table the was currently being prepared for supper.

The high table was at the front of the hall; anyone who laid eyes on it would immediately notice the great mahogany seat that’s back stretched triple the length of any chair in the hall. This was Edwyn’s seat. It was the central of five at the high table; with Maester Oylen typically seated to Edwyn’s immediate right, and then Ser Baldric. Lady Priscilla would usually sit to Edwyn’s immediate left, with Ser Tristifer then next to her.

“Everyone keeps telling me of how well you’ve handled your circumstances,” Edwyn allowed for a strained smile to grace his mouth as he spoke. Now was not the time to speak about Morgain. But then again, there had never been a time to speak about Morgain for Edwyn, at least with his sons. He had discussed the disappearance with Ariella a handful of times, and his wife too, but even on those occasions he had held himself back emotionally. Never had he bared his thoughts on the subject to Ashton or Edmund. “I must admit, I am impressed you managed to keep this place from falling apart. I’m sure it took its toll.” Edwyn saw the fatigue in Ash’s face. He knew it too well. It was the same fatigue that he had felt intensely for the first few years of his lordship, and in times like this.

With a small nod Ashton accepted his father’s praise, taking it as such anyway and leaned against the wall as the servants continued to bustle about, all of them bowing when they caught sight of Edwyn. “I didn’t do anything special, only what I was taught father.” He was taken off his guard, not expecting the Lord Landry to express his praise this openly. Then again, they were alone and Ash had done a good job. It simply made him feel silly for worrying so much about the man's return to the Castle. “I’m fine father, no need to worry about me.” He refused to look weak when he was so close to finishing out this night and decompressing, just had to get through this dinner and it was clear sailing. “I just don’t know how you do it all the time.” The words came quickly, and Ash knew he was exhausted at that point if his usual filter wasn’t working. He had never been very talkative with Edwyn, had never expressed anything other than a loyal son but here he was...

“Just know there may be little time to relax going forward.” Edwyn's face turned colder. Ashton had been in command of the castle for the past week, so he would understand what his father meant by this. “Enjoy tonight. I need you back out in the yard training tomorrow. I'll not have you underprepared for the ambush,” and the war that may be to come he had thought, but not said. Setting his eyes on the table, which was now in the final stages of being prepared, Edwyn spoke curtly. “Let's sit.”

Ashton knew exactly what his father meant and the potential moment between father and son was shattered as Edwyn spoke on preparing for the ambush. Ash felt a small bit of relief as the ship was sent into safer and normal waters and he gave a firm nod of his head to his father. “I’ll be stealing Axell from you for most of the day tomorrow if that’s ok father, we were going to spend the day sparring. He’s getting some volunteers to fight against us, I figure if it’s going to be a battle, best train for one.” He nodded again as he finished speaking. He followed Edwyn into the hall proper and stared at the table, wondering who would sit where...

“Aye, it's better that he's prepared for the skirmish,” Edwyn glanced to his boy. “That you both are.” Edwyn's eyes shifted to the doors of the hall, hearing movement.

Edmund had left Priscilla after they chatted for a time like they often did. Leaving her to take care of a few things which included the savory smell of meat roasting that was calling to him. Nodding to his father.

"Ash I hear you've done good." Giving him a large pat on the back. "I did the family well at the tourney. I humbled Ser Symon and did well against Ser Gregor 'The Mountain'.” Edmund didn't embellish as much as he wanted with his father around.

“Quite the feat indeed,” Ariella added, coming into the Great Hall on Edmund’s heels. She had changed out of her riding clothes and into a slightly more regal burgundy gown, bishop sleeves hiding the sharpness of her elbows and wrists. “Though I’m somehow more impressed by the idea of knocking Symon into the mud.”

She wore something of a mischievous grin, but schooled it into a more polite smile as she curtseyed to her father, remembering his gentle reprimand from earlier. She hoped to lighten the mood, though; as much as she enjoyed getting the family together once in a while, she wasn’t looking forward to the tension that usually followed. Combined with the funny looks and gentle chastising she even for eating so little, dinners like these could sometimes be tiring.

Spotting her youngest brother, and subsequently the exhaustion on his face, her own expression softened. She’d watched those dark circles forming over the past few months as he acted as the head of household, but he’d done her proud standing strong against the wind. “Ashton, I haven’t seen you all day.” she gently chided, offering a warm smile, “I do apologize for missing court this morning, I’m afraid it slipped my mind.”

“I saw him.” Lilliana spoke up as she strolled cheerily over to the few gathered members of the Landry family [color=f6989d]“He wasn’t too bad…I suppose.”[color=f6989d] She grinned teasingly at Ashton, knowing full well that he had performed very capably but not wanting to give him too much praise. She did still owe him a bit of payback afterall.

The young Blackwood had returned to the Great Hall after having stored her new gifts in a hidden spot, taking care to make sure that no-one had spotted her with them. At least not yet. She had, after a brief squabble with Beatrice, also changed from her day clothes. Now she donned a dark blue dress, whose corset tied at the back instead of the front, the sleeves of which were only long enough to cover her shoulders. Her hair also hung loose in casual waves brought about by her braid. having run away before her handmaid could alter it.

“I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely Lord Edwyn.” She added to the head of the house, nodding politely as she spoke, having not yet seen him since he and Edmund arrived back at Fallow Hill.

”Thank you, my dear,” the riverlord spoke softly, leaving it at that. He had always been kind and gracious to Liliana, but ever distant, as with most.

Ashton gave a genuine smile as his family began to trickle into the Great Hall. He gave a final nod to his father and grinned ear to ear as Edmund spoke about the tourney. With a playful punch of his brothers arm Ash stood and nodded to him. ”Forget about me, you’re going to have to tell me everything.” He was broken out of his thoughts on King’s Landing and the bright armor by Ariella entering and speaking to him. He knew she could read him like a book so he didn’t bother to try and hide anything and just nodded at her words. ”I was in meeting most of the day sister, and then spent some time cleaning up. And no worri-” He cut himself off as Lilianna then made an appearance and he stuck out his tongue playfully as she spoke about his performance with the smallfolk. ”Great words of praise coming from a Blackwood!” He chuckled and gave Lili a wink and elbowed his brother in the chest, looking for support.

"Everything, how about just the best parts." Giving his little brother a hearty pat on his back as he could only smile at Ashton's excitement.

"I'm on her side now Ash. So watch out." Edmund offered a slight grin knowing Ash's reign as the prankster was coming to an end. Ash would know one day when he was to betrothed to a young woman that was to be his match. "Once we eat I will tell you all about knocking Ser Symon in the mud in front of King Robert no less and taking on Ser Gregor Clegane." Edmund remembered his father's light scolding earlier but Ashton was his brother and felt like he needed tell him the embellished version of the story. He felt that as a brother he needed to exaggerate some.

Ash just grinned widely and shrugged happily. He was quite more animated than he had been recently, and it showed just how much he still needed his family. All of them had a role to play in Ashton’s life and losing one could throw a wrench in everything. Though, as shown with Morgain’s disappearance all of the Landry’s could be resilient. The talk was cut short as the food arrived, carried in by five different servants and then another five carrying drinks. Boar, venison, and fish were placed upon the table sitting on large platters. Vegetables, and fresh baked bread came after and then a glass of wine (for the elders) or water came last.

Ashton nodded respectfully to the servants and gave a soft thanks as the last one began to file out before he looked back over his family and to Edwyn who would start the feast when he desired.

”Now,” Edwyn glanced over to the steaming boar. ”We will sit, and wait for Lady Landry,” Edwyn gracefully moved towards the table, where an additional seat had been placed at the end - a makeshift ‘head’ for the table fit for the lord. He gestured to his issue and the young Lilliana to sit. He’d had a fine meal in King’s Landing for the tourney, and been fed well in Pinkmaiden and Riverrun, but the best meals he could hope for were cooked in the kitchen of Fallow Hill.

After taking his seat, Edwyn ushered for one of the serving girls to fill the goblet that was laid out for him. Wine, Arbor Gold. The lord glanced over the children. By their age, Ariella, Edmund, and Lilliana were free to make their own decisions when it came to drink; at least in his household. Ashton, however, was still a boy in the eyes of most. ”I’ll allow for one glass, if you thirst for it,” he spoke, eyeing his youngest. ”Any more and your mother would surely object.”

Watching the food being brought in Edmund eyed the boar especially. Savory aromas would draw him to the meat when they all decided eat. Taking his prospective seat next to Liliana since it would be expected of him to sit next to his betrothed. Offering to help her into her seat before he took his own in turn.

It wasn’t until his stomach let loose several grumbles as telltale sign of his hunger. In terms of wine Edmund wasn’t one for a sweet wine like the one Edwyn had chosen but instead opted for a sour Dornish Red instead, the bitter taste would compliment the boar being served in his opinion. Edmund was ready for the food but his father was right, they needed to wait for their mother...Where was she anyways? “Where is mother anyways?” He’d wait for his mother on the food but the drink was a different story, sipping once from the goblet as everyone was getting situated.

Ariella sat daintily as the rest did, though she politely refused the servant’s offer of wine, taking water instead. Despite not having eaten much all day, the smells of the feast before her, tantalizing to most, nearly turned her stomach. Eating had been a chore ever since Morgain’s disappearance, and already in her head she was working out an excuse should her father or one of her brothers question her nearly-empty plate. But for now, they would wait for the assuredly joyous arrival of Lady Landry, a blessing only in that it allowed Ariella a little more time before having to force herself to eat something.

She looked over to Edmund at his question, but could offer little more than a shrug. “I saw her earlier, but I can’t speak to where she went next,” she replied, before looking to Liliana.

“But Liliana,” she began, giving the girl a coy look, “You must be so happy to have Edmund back!” She laughed a little, giving Ed a teasing look. “Knowing him, he probably brought back a lion cub from King’s Landing as a gift.”

Liliana turned to Ariella as she addressed her, eyeing her over the small goblet which was now cupped between her hands. “I wish! Though he clearly knows me better than to trust me with anything so lethal.” She cast a sideways glance at Edmund, raising her eyebrows playfully. At least she knew better than to mention his actual gift in front of his entire family... “Besides, I prefer ravens...” Lili commented as she took a small sip of her own wine. “..less chance of getting bitten!” She smiled lightheartedly, her gaze following one of the servants as they placed a dish containing an assortment of vegetables near her, the tables nearly full to the brim with food.

The Master-at-Arms oversaw the dismantling of the archery range. The several bales of hay used as targets were loaded onto wagons and driven back up to the castle. The arrows were gathered back up and returned to where they belonged. Those who borrowed bows from the armory were gathered up by the Master-at-Arms’ apprentice, his son, Mace. The young man then returned them to their proper place.

Once Ser Baldric returned to his quarters at the keep, he changed his attire to include a forest green silk doublet with a white snow shrike over the left breast; the sigil for House Durant. He was permitted to wear the sigil for House Landry and indeed wore the dull yellow otter from time to time, but occasionally, he fashioned himself with the deadly snow shrike of the north men.

Upon entering the great hall, Ser Baldric Durant strode with a purpose towards his seat near Ser Edwyn Landry. Before taking his seat, he greeted the head of the house, “Lord Landry,” with a nod of his head, which the lord returned. Then he pulled out the chair and deposited his large frame into the wooden seat. It was understood that he had been working with the archers on hitting targets at long distance. At least that was his excuse for being late to dinner.

“Edwyn,” a voice came from the doorway. Maester Oylen stood, a sullen look on his face. He quickly adapted it into a polite smile. “I am sorry to interrupt, but you are needed. There’s been a raven from the capital. Lady Priscilla opened it, and well…” He peered over. “You are required. Again, I am sorry.”

Edwyn glanced over at the Dornishman. He knew whatever the raven had brought for him, it wasn’t good. He sighed and nodded, rising to his feet. For once he’d felt comfortable and able to let his guard down around his children, but quickly, it fell apart. Predictable. Nonetheless, he had a duty. ”Very well,” Edwyn sighed, glancing over to Baldy. ”Baldric, if you would keep an eye on the children for me? Make sure they do not consume too much red.”

Shooting a disappointed look at each of his children, Edwyn gave a slight dip of his head, drowned the last of his wine, and marched out of the hall.

Of Blood and Magic

𝔏𝔲𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔲𝔵

Lucan stared at Damien for a long moment before he nodded. ” Go ahead and then go and sit at that table.” He pointed to the table to their right which was close to the entrance before turning and giving a glance over of the lunchroom. It was a practice and reflex to scan a room for threats at this point in Lucan’s unlife and once he was confident everything was secure for the moment he relaxed slightly and moved to sit at the end of the table. He was stopped however by the sight of Leander coming his way. Luc smiled and inclined his head respectfully at his old comrade and shook hands. ”Leander, you have lunch duty today I suppose hm?” The vampire nodded and turned to put his back to the last table so he could see the rest of the cafeteria.

“Yea, I drew the short straw. I have it for the entire first semester, you can blame Callum since he stole my original straw.” Lucan grinned and nodded over to his old friend before turning as well and crossing his arms.

”I can’t stop feeling like I’m working Leander. Can’t shake the desire for structure and a set duty. I’m a soldier, always have been, I hate living this civilian life.” The other Vampire nodded and gave a shrug, eyes narrowing as more and more entered the lunch hall.

“It’s been almost 50 years since my own civilian life, and I can’t imagine trying to integrate again. You have my sympathies, Sir.” Lucan gave a small roll of his eyes, which pinpointed where Damien was before going back to browsing.

”I know I told you to stop calling me Sir at one point, please don’t start now.” Leander simply shrugged again and placed his own hands behind his back. He looked quite more professional than Lucan did in the crisp uniform of the Academy, and Luc quickly wished he was wearing something of the same sort.

“That might have worked when you were my superior, but now you’re a student and you know the rules. Have to address all students by their titles if applicable. Just be glad I’m not calling you ‘Sir, the Knight of the Evening.’ Not that anyone has time for all that anyway, except those heralds all you fancy Vamps have.” The smile Lucan had grown larger as Leander spoke and he nodded towards the end.

”Don’t even call me by that full title, I’ll stick to being happy with Sir. I wanted to ask you, my new Mage. He’s going to cause trouble, mind telling the other lads to keep an eye on him for me. I’m going to have my hands full regardless, but I’d feel better knowing my old teammates had my and his back. Leander considered for a minute before nodding.

“Can’t speak for anyone else but Callum and I will keep an eye out when we can. But most of the security forces have been preparing fo-.” He cut off and groaned a bit before raising his radio. “Samael is already bloody at it, making a scene in the lunch hall. Going to need some additional officers.” He clicked the radio off and shrugged over at Lucan. “I’ll talk to you later, going to go babysit.” Lucan just chuckled and was glad that Eris Samael never decided to enroll when he himself was a guard. He continued scanning the room and made note of Aaron leading a little pack of mages. He smiled in spite of himself and was glad to see the Starag doing well so far. He took out the schedule he had printed off from blackboard and saw that he was to be going to have Human Psych. He was just plotting a course in his mind when he heard his phone ding, which prompted the vampire to remove it. He spotted a message from the administration stating that his class was now going to be held in Nightingale Hall instead of Mockingbird and started rerouting…

Damien was off like a shot as soon as Lucan said go ahead, weaving through the room with little grace and plenty of apologies sprinkled throughout. He poked his nose around every option, stomach growling in protest. Damien agreed though; how did anyone expect him to choose one thing when he wanted all the things. But Mr. Stick in the Mud back there would probably find something to object about so he settled on pot roast, plenty of meat and veggies to hopefully keep the overbearing vampire off his back. He had entertained the idea of bringing back nothing but desert―he was an adult and come make those decisions!―but he was 2000% sure grumpy grandpa would get on his case. So instead he satisfied his sweet tooth with a slice of chocolate cake and zipped…

Damien narrowed his eyes thoughtfully for a second. He remember Lucan saying something about a table but the whole food thing demanded his attention at the time. He frowned, trying to remember but he was drawing a blank. So now he had two options. First, pick a random table and hope that was right or two, admit he wasn’t paying attention and get ripped a new one for a second time that day. He bounced a little on his feet, looking around for Lucan and slinking over to him.

“So hey buddy, old pal, old friend! Not that I’m calling you old, just a mortal thing and all that but uh where are we sitting again? May not have heard that little detail.” Damien admitted sheepishly.

Lucan was taken from his mental road map by Damien returning. The vampire looked him up and down and gestured to the table literally behind him and nodded. ”This one is fine until you make some friends anyway. I assume that’s your goal?”

"Yeah, I guess. Probably should be huh? My step 1 was figure out something about this magic shit but that's a way better idea." Damien agreed as he sat down, biting into his food with a satisfied groan. "This is so fucking good! I'd offer you some but man, the shitty part of the immortality, blood sucking thing. You really don't know what you're missing." He kept his mouth covered but continued chewing as he spoke until he abandoned an attempt at conversation and buried himself wholeheartedly into his food, plenty of satisfied groans and sighs accompanying it.

”I’m glad you seem to be enjoying the food. I’ll be sure to let Administration know should they ever ask that my Mage finds it to be exquisite and a true travesty to miss such sustenance.” His voice never wavered and it would be very hard to tell if Lucan was serious or not. ”I will direct you to your next class when you’re finished.

“I feel mocked. Are you mocking me? I feel like you are but I’m too dumb to tell.”Damien glared at Lucan, continuing to shove food in his face at record pace. Back at home if you wanted seconds, you finished first and Damien always wanted seconds. Eating when you could was the defining lesson of Damien’s younger years and it was a habit that he wasn’t likely to grow out of anytime soon. He stayed quiet the rest of his meal, focusing on inhaling his food, and slapping his silverware into his bowl with a loud clatter once he finished.

“Alrighty Count Doom-and-Gloom. Lead the way to dump this tray and off we go again!” Damien beamed at his little rhyme.

”I suppose it’s possible that you’re being mocked, though hard to tell I suppose. I’ll have to consider this and get back to you at a later point when you’re not eating the heavens own food.” He nodded and removed a handkerchief from his front pocket, taking a moment to dust off some dust from his outfit before replacing it.

He waited until Damien was finished eating, his eyes browsing the rest of the students one by one until Damien let it be known he was ready to go. ”Perhaps you can make a rhyme any time if you continue to practice.” He moved towards the door quickly before Dame could say anything though the vampire did throw a ‘come along now’ motion towards the mage.

Luc made for a clear courtyard that had visual sight of Onyx Hall and then stood patiently while Damien caught up. ”That building.” He pointed to Onyx, ”that will be where your class is being held. I will go and collect you afterward, so don’t go and run off. You’re not quite ready for that yet, and I don’t want you to offense the wrong party quite yet.”

"You are fucking mocking me! Dude, I don't know if I should faint or yell. Lord seventy names made a joke?" He considered for a moment before shrugging. "Unless you're being a dick about it then not cool man but I'll assume not!" He followed Lucan dutifully, looking around at everything as fast as he could. Everything was new and exciting and, as hella terrifying as it was, Damien was excited.

"Gotcha! Play huge game of hide and seek, sounds like a plan!" Damien waved before sprinting into Onyx Hall. What class this was, who knew? Probably should have asked Lucan about it. Maybe he should actually get his schedule from the vampire. Thats a future Damien issue.

Luc watched his charge run off and let out a heavy unnecessary sigh, That boy was going to be the death of him, but hopefully, the plans he put into motion earlier with the mage’s family would make things a bit easier. And if not, well Lucan was nothing if not patient. He turned and headed for his own class, right hand resting on the hilt of his Rapier and a glint in his eye.

Varis made his way from the library to his next class, Human Psychology. In his opinion, this was another class he should have exemption from but Ryner would shut the idea down instantly if he said anything. His time in the library had been productive but aggravating. The four artists he’d contacted had given him reponses full of complaints about the window but inevitably agreed to display their work at the event. Varis wanted to strangle them; if anyone knew how short noticed this way, it was him. Six months to plan and organize. If had been anyone but that woman, he would have shot down the request immediately.

He wove through students, briefcase in one hand and tablet in the other. Years of practice made reading some of the news he hadn’t had the time for in the morning while navigating the walksways practically easier than not. Another scandal―boring. Eris’s dramatic reveal―expected. A merger and a new publicly traded company. The Sinnenodel sent the articles to Eloise, confident she’ll handle it appropriately. It’d been awhile since she’d been tested after all. He’d keep an eye on his investments to see how she adjusted.

Lucan was an old pro at moving about through crowds unnoticed. He seemed to just have natural camouflage and this coupled with his ability to ‘surf’ the crowd meant that he spotted Varis moving towards the same building rather quickly. A few brief thoughts crossed Luc’s mind but in the end, he decided to at least try and have a conversation with the Sinnenodel.

He approached from behind and after a brief hesitation fell into perfect step at Varis’s side and inclined his head respectfully when the other vampire glanced over. [color=#9932CC]”Count, I didn’t expect to see you on this path towards the class. Coming from the library I suppose, already have lunch?”[/color His tone was polite and formal, though he allowed a bit of the inflection to seem quite conversational and not political to let the experienced court vampire know that he wasn’t looking to play the game at the current moment and that it was truly a coincidence to see him. ”Looking forward to the lesson? I doubt you or I really need it, but a refresher can always be useful!”

“Ser Lucan, the Knight of the Evening.” The Count paused for a moment before he spoke, considering the interruption and letting the brief flash of irritation fade away as he turned his attention away from his tablet fully. “Too much to do and far too little time. Despite my attendance at the Academy, my responsibilities to my house demand my attention. Lunch is simply a luxury I cannot afford unless circumstance demands it. I prefer to feed earlier in the evening anyway.” Varis eyed Lucan carefully, thinking a moment. He found it odd; they’d met here and there at appropriate functions but nothing more than a few exchanged pleasantries. There was little reason for the other to call out to him and although his tone was cordial, Varis knew better than to trust it.

“If this lesson is like the other drivel the Academy offers, I’ll likely ignore it.” Varis groused dryly before looking over at Lucan. “It’s a shame you missed the Princess’s invitation last night. It was quite the turn of events, the Spellman boy stripping himself of his rights and my mage both defying my orders and breaking protocol. However, I mostly missed the opportunity to inquire about the Starag boy’s aptitude with a blade. Her royal highness mentioned her studied under your tutelage and I wanted your opinion. The boy found a sparring partner whose meager skills do nothing for his own education―I suspect his mortals desires motivated that particular decision. What do you recommended the boy need to further hone his skills?”

Lucan allowed his face to remain passive as he walked along, nodding respectfully when required to show that he was, in fact, listening to the other vampire’s words. The world of politics could be made or broken by the slightest facial twitch and as such Lucan always preferred total passivity. It made courtiers question themselves which was always better than trying to outsmart them. Varis, in particular, was a worthy diplomatic adversary within the court.

”Unfortunately, I was called away for work. It was a true shame as I was so looking forward to having a night to relax and enjoy the fine company. I did, however, hear of my late Mage’s display and must admit that I never was truly able to get to know the boy.” He let a flash of consideration into his mask and nodded a few times.

”As for the Starag, he was given the traditional training that the Bordeleux’s hand out to human trainee’s. He is a capable master with his chosen weapon which was the Longsword and can hold his own with most vampiric threats. That’s not too say he won’t eventually be outlasted but the tactics taught will at least give would be assailants pause, and that’s before adding his magic into the mix. In addition to swordplay, martial arts and perception were also drilled into him. As far as opponents go I would recommend keeping with vampiric opponents where possible or a true human blademaster. A fighter is only as good as his competition after all and if you train below your level then you will ultimately decline in skill.”

He tilted his head in genuine thought and then nodded once more. ”I will be one of the instructors for combat training so if you’d like I can ensure Mr. Starag is placed with an opponent I believe will continue to grow him. Otherwise, I can personally continue training him under your supervision if you desire it. My father and family are fond of saying ‘that all of society would benefit from understanding combat on a deeper level’.”

"The boy trained under you for five years, if I recall properly. It's likely time he find someone new. The boy seems prone to complacency and I'd rather not find myself suffering for it.” Varis gramced at Lucan’s last statement. An absurd claim. Sticking each other with pointy things only made things worse in his opinion. “Interestingly enough however, the Spellman was gifted to the new Astorio. A council headhunter of some sort. He’ll sort those issues out one way or another.“ Varis stepped into the hall, eyes sweeping over the class and settling on the instructor with the fainstest grimace.

“Goodbye, Ser Lucan. I appreciate your insight into my bumbling mage.” Varis swept down the hall and settled into the Sinnenodel seat without a backwards glance.

Lucan kept his smile civil in return and inclined his head respectfully. ”Always a pleasure Count.” He found a seat near the back with a clear view of both the windows, the rest of the class, and the door and settled into a comfortable sitting position to listen as the instructor began to drone on. To be honest Lucan didn’t think that the Dame was the right person to teach such a class and found her ideas on how to bend a Mage to her will stomach churning.

But, the Knight of the Evening listened intently, only occasionally brushing off his outfit with a handkerchief. He said nothing, asked nothing and counted down the minutes when the class would be over.

A Song of Ice and Fire: Wakening

Tenses are my archnemesis. Feel free to point them out if you see me swap randomly.