Name: Tarquin Brantimokem Kleist of Riedbrune
Race: Half-Elf (human father, elven mother)
Class: Sorcerer
Age: 75
Appearance:As a half-elf, Tarquin possesses traits of both races. He has, however, not inherited the characteristic elven ears. On the outside he looks far more human than elven, the true manifestation of the latter lying in his ability to wield magic and his lack of cuspids (canine teeth). Fortunately for his dealings with the world, he smiles rarely, thus keeping his dental handicap hidden. From his father, a baron holding lands in the vicinity of Riedbrune, hail the strong facial features and distinct red hair, whereas his mother has blessed him with eyes of a piercing blue colour.
Tarquin is a man of tall stature with a wiry built. He is by no means extraordinarily muscular but clearly takes care of his physique. Underneath his clothes, -usually in shades of blue, white, black and gold, he has several tattoos of swirling symbols and ancient runes; the latter often containing coded enchantments and formulae. As both a mage and half-elf, Tarquin appears to be in his late thirties.
Personality:Tarquin is a very proud man for conflicting reasons. Firstly, he is a scion of human nobility. Secondly, -in spite of the condemnation usually befalling his kind, being a half-elf ties him to the Aen Seidhe; the elves of old. These original reasons aside, Tarquin is a young sorcerer but incredibly gifted which infuses him with perhaps a higher than recommended dosage of pride.
Intelligent and learned, like most sorcerers, he is a man of the world having chosen to expand the knowledge he gathered from books with the hard truths of reality. While initially being a very idealistic individual pursuing peace and serenity, Tarquin has been distancing himself from his old beliefs. War, racism and violence have disillusioned him greatly. Though he still maintains many of his original ideals and ideas, the half-elf mage has turned to a more Machiavellian and utilitarian way of seeing things. While he has never had the reputation of being friendly, he has grown increasingly stern in later years. In short, he has become more independent and ruthless.
Additionally, Tarquin of Riedbrune has interest for poetry and prose, not solely focussing on academic writings.
Tarquin is a calculated man with a penchant for strategy and control. Though not without patience, his passions continuously bubble just below his skin. While appearing distant, he seems to possess an attraction to people, able to be extremely persuasive due to his natural charm, charisma and the power he wields.
Weapons:In the traditional sense of weaponry, Tarquin has managed to learn the way of the sword. By no means is he an expert swordsman like the famous Geralt of Rivia or other renowned fighters, but –with the sword he inherited from his later father baron- he is able to use one reasonably well.
His main weapons consist of his knowledge of the world and magical properties, as well as his ability to wield them. Known as a gifted user of sorcery and powerful spells, he is said to become one of the more important magicians. Though he can draw power from all elements –like almost all wizards, he has deliberately chosen not to draw from fire too often. Fire is the best but simultaneously most dangerous elemental source to draw power from. Mages who specialize in the magic of fire often achieve great power, but they pay a price for it: as fire addicts, they often suffer burns or even die engulfed in flames. The essence of fire becomes their essence, which makes them vulnerable to water. Instead, Tarquin seeks to master the mysteries of the arcane.
Bio:He was born in 1199 as the illegitimate son of an Angren baron and scullery maid. There is some doubt whether he came into the world in 1199 or 1200, for his mother gave birth to him on the night of the turn of the century –something Tarquin would later interpret as a portent of design and power. During his early years he grew up among the residents of the castle at Riedbrune, working in the kitchens or stables. These menial labours annoyed him to no end, for it became clear that even at a young age he was a proud and gifted individual.
When a decade later there was no more denying that he was his father’s son, the castellan expelled them from the keep. The baron had married and it would be ‘unseemly’ to keep the blame and shame too close to heart, lest it poison his new union. Tarquin’s mother subsequently installed herself just outside of Riedbrune, in the village huddled close to the castle’s walls. She taught her son the ways of the forest and Aen Seidhe, so that he could help her managing her new business. The expelled elf had become a wisewoman, dealing herbs and infusions that combatted illnesses of all kinds.
Four years passed when it was discovered Tarquin possessed the Gift. Exposed as a Source, the young half-elf was frisked away by agents of Ban Ard to aid him in mastering his unexpected abilities. Years of rigorous training and studying followed within the walls of the magic school of Ban Ard in Kaedwen.
By 1250, Tarquin had passed from being an adept of sorcery to a sorcerer in his own right. He did however study for several more years under Radcliffe of Oxenfurt, who taught him about arcane magic.
It proves difficult to trace his steps during the period of 1250 to 1262, though it is certain he spent some time at the university in Oxenfurt for its library, as well as returned to Ban Ard to teach new adepts. Reputedly he also visited his mother at Riedbrune on various occasions whenever his personal responsibilities and ambitions allowed.
However, in July 1262, Nilfgaard invaded the Northern Kingdoms without much warning. Tarquin urged the mages of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers to take action, but seeing as he was not a member of the Chapter, nor the Council, his voice meant little. While Vilgefortz of Roggeveen expanded his influence within the Brotherhood, prior to intervening in the First Nilfgaard War, Tarquin acted as an independent agent for the Kingdom of Angren.
In one of the battles between Angren forces and Nilfgaardian detachments, Tarquin’s father was wounded. On a previous occasion he had been able to save the baron, but had not been close when a Nilfgaardian bolt pierced his father’s gorget. Either through chance or planning, he was in time at the old man’s deathbed, receiving a signet ring and ancestral sword as his inheritance.
After the defeat at Marnadal, the Slaughter of Cintra ensued, leaving the Northern Kingdoms disheartened. Not long after, with the backing of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, the monarchs doubled their efforts, leading to the Battle of Sodden Hill. Radcliffe of Oxenfurt reconciled Tarquin with the rest of the mages prior to the battle. Though he fought and participated in the battle and campaign, Tarquin was not one of the twenty mages holding Sodden Hill. Instead he was active on various fronts of the battlefield, keeping Nilfgaardian forces at bay on the flanks lest they capture the hill whereupon the mages were making their stand.
Following the conclusion of the First Nilfgaard War, Tarquin attempted to pacify unruly elements in Angren to prevent further bloodshed. The kingdom had managed to hold back the Nilfgaardian invaders, at great cost, but wished to continue the war-effort to free Cintra.
Two years later, in 1264, events would take an alarming pace. Hostilities between the halted Nilfgaardians and bellicose Northern Kingdoms rose quickly due to provocative actions on and from both sides. Tarquin knew another war was imminent and moved quickly to gather support among the Brotherhood for a more timely intervention than the last time. However, by now Vilgefortz was firmly rooted within the organisation of mages and staged a coup on Thanedd Island. Tarquin survived but was shocked by the sudden betrayal. He blamed Vilgefortz, who was in league with the Emperor, for forcing him to fight his friends and colleagues, as well as the kin of his mother –for elves, backed by Nilfgaard, had participated in the coup.
While Radcliffe attempted to reorganise the mages, Tarquin set out on his own. Vilgefortz of Roggeveen had escaped with his life, after wounding Geralt of Rivia, famous Witcher. Nonetheless, his victim hunted the wizard down and slew him, depriving Tarquin of his vengeance. The sorcerer returned home, finding that confidence in the sorcerers had dropped. Many of them were expelled from the royal courts.
Subsequently the female wizards banded together to form the Lodge of Sorceresses. In vain Tarquin attempted to reconcile the monarchs and rulers with the sorcerers, participating in the Battle of Brenna. He grew bitter when his efforts were ignored and the Lodge took credit for brokering the Peace of Cintra in 1268, concluding the Second Nilfgaard War. Radcliffe, Tarquin’s mentor, retreated to his private property to avoid the outside world.
To pile calamity onto catastrophe, Angren was annexed by the Empire of Nilfgaard and the plague swept across the lands. Increasing racial tensions resulted in pogroms, which Tarquin tried to prevent. However, when in 1272 the Witch Hunts commenced perhaps the greatest personal blow was struck against the half-elf sorcerer. Being an elf and called a witch, his mother was swiftly arrested and executed by the governor of Angren and his lackeys.
For the following two years Tarquin occupied himself with personal matters and lobbied for a restitution of a Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Unsurprisingly he was present at the talks at Loc Muinne in 1274 and helped the monarchs escape after the attack of the dragon. He now also saw the Lodge of Sorceresses as an enemy of both himself as well as the class of mages in general. There were too many egotistical and dangerous women holding power. Tarquin held them responsible for all the evil befallen the Northern Kingdoms after the Thanedd Coup in 1264.
Tarquin is currently preparing to reinstate a society of sorcerers to combat both the warmongers, xenophobes and ambitious sorceresses.
Other:Whenever in a pensive mood –which is frequently the case, Tarquin rubs the tip of his thumb and middle finger together.
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