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[07 Jul 2009|07:29pm] |
IC
Name: Prince Ithacles of Faustben, Son of Ithunvel.
Age: 122
Race: Three quarters High-Elven, One quarter human.
Current Residence: As Prince of Faustben, Ithacles makes the Falcon's Stone his permanent residence.
Current Occupation: Captain of the Faustben Reavers, an elite light cavalry and reconnaissance unit designed to patrol Faustben's borders.
Religious Following: As a product of both human and elvish heritage, Ithacles worships both Armas and Lorien. He observes all holy days and refrains from using their names to utter curses.
Family: Queen Tuilelaith of Faustben (mother, living), King Ithunvel of Faustben (father, recently deceased), Pathacles (elder brother, long deceased), Lethe (elder sister, living).
History: Ithacles is the youngest child and second son of King Ithunvel of Faustben. He was born in the dead silence of a mountain winter on a night without stars. His father was away aiding his High Elven allies on a campaign against the drow, and his brother Pathacles was in the lands of those same elves, learning the ways of their knights so that he might better understand the culture of their kingdom‘s closest friends. Queen Tuilelaith, sister of Lord Eibhear Caoimhin, gave birth to her third child without much fanfare. She had always been a quiet, strong woman. He was given a human name like his brother and sister, to fully remind the people of Faustben that their royalty may not be fully human, but they were still fully theirs.
Most of the days of his youth were spent much like his first; he saw very little of his father and brother. Because of this they were almost as heroic to him as they were to the common man. Ithacles listened to his tutors because if he did well in his lessons, his father was sure to hear of it. And time spent with the King was rare, so one must make the things said important, relevant, and true.
The young Prince also paid close attention to the lessons of his father’s men-at-arms. If he excelled at the sword and bow, his brother was sure to hear of it. And of course he did, but being that they were some twenty years apart in age, Ithacles could never truly best the heir to the throne. This made him train harder and longer. He became known for his willingness to learn and the exceptional speed with which he acquired new talents like boxing, wrestling, falconry, horsemanship, and trapping.
His education began to move away from the books and tomes of his youth. He had already learned enough of language and history to be considered properly learned, and it seemed as though he preferred being out in the field where one learned through experience. He learned to hunt, track, fish, and navigate. He was being groomed as the man who would be the family’s presence among their subjects.
It was during his seventeenth year alive that Ithacles met his cousin, Flaithriaoh. He had heard much about him from Pathacles and from his Aunt Etain (who frequently visited), but had never laid eyes on him. Supposedly he was even better with the sword than Pathacles, and had even killed one of his own kind in a duel. This duel was actually the occasion which they planned to celebrate; even though the fight had been between two noble houses of the elves, Pathacles had played a part in the events. And, because Flaithriaoh’s fight was to the death, it was seen as a showing of loyalty between friends and family.
Pathacles spoke little during the banquet. His arms were only recently healed from the skirmish which preceded Flaithriaoh’s duel, and priestesses had yet to cure the blindness in his eye. Ithacles decided to take advantage of the situation and held his fully elven cousin’s ear for much of the night. He discovered that they held almost all of the same interests and for the first time he felt as though instead of another hero, he had a friend.
Unfortunately, Flaithriaoh truly was a hero. In fact, according to the elves, he was the hero. And this led to much chaos in the coming years. During these years Ithacles himself was knighted and made a lieutenant in the Light Reavers of Faustben. Being related to the Leironuoth was a great honor, but it soon revealed itself to be a great burden; even though Ithacles never called it that. Even when Pathacles was murdered in cold blood, Ithacles did not doubt his cousin. Even in their short visits he had learned enough about the paladin to know his heart, and murder was not in it.
There were some within the court who believed Leironuoth had been the one to kill Pathacles, and others who said it wasn’t possible. Some wanted to go to war with the elves, while others thought it impossible.
And so, while Ithunvel’s advisors squabbled, Ithacles acted. He assembled a small core of his Reavers and rode like the wind. Down the mountains, through their snowy passes, over the plains and straight into the heart of the Elven kingdom. He rode under the guise of justice, telling those who would listen that he wanted to see the one responsible for his brother’s death hanged. And this was true: but he didn’t think this man was Leironuoth. Those who imprisoned his cousin never expected Ithacles to attempt something so brazen and daring, which is exactly why it worked. He and his men leveled the guards outside Leir’s cell and under cover of dark sped him from the city which meant to hang him as a heretic.
Ithacles had been forced to act quickly. He never properly mourned his brother’s death, and was never fully out of his shadow. He was however able to convince Ithunvel of Leir’s innocence, and soon all of Faustben followed suit.
Much time passed. Battles were fought and won, some even lost. He traveled the borders of his Kingdom with his Reavers, and further beyond without them. When he was absent they were commanded by his closest Lieutenant, a strong veteran named Apkolin. He never talked with his men about what he did during these travels, and he didn’t have to. The loss of his brother had left him with a wanderlust and anxiety which none of them could understand, except for the man he had rescued, Flaithriaoh. They fought side by side through skirmishes with drow, pirates, and orc. Ithacles met many citizens of the world, from all walks of life; gamblers, priestesses, thieves and harlots. Yet always he returned home to Faustben, the land of his heart and heritage.
Homeland: Faustben is a mountainous land of bitterly cold, howling winters and mild, cloudless summers. While most of its villages and hamlets lie within mountain valleys, its populace also includes those that dwell in her lowlands and foothills. Those who wander within her borders are as likely to see an avalanche as a manticore; it is not a safe realm.
Four centuries ago it was a land of men broken into eight clans which warred with one another, pausing their raids only long enough to repel invasions of orc and goblin. It was King Ithunvel’s grandfather, Lord Glaucus, who first united the eight clans into a territory which resembled modern Faustben.
He did so with the help of High Elven Lords and soldiers who wanted a stable territory to their north, one which would be a strong ally against the hordes of ogres, goblins, and orcs which so frequently spilled over those high mountain tops. This alliance began the tradition of human nobles of Faustben taking elven women for their brides. While lesser nobles and commoners may resent being ruled by non-humans, Faustben is actually its own independent nation and retains its own culture of men. The official God of the country is Armas.
Castle Faustben, or the Falcon’s Stone, sits in a bowl-like valley nestled within the many peaks of the surrounding mountains. It is beautiful in a grim way, with ribbed angles and high steeples. Stone griffins guard the drain spouts, their heads crowned with feathers so wonderfully carved that the beasts seem real at first glance. The bright yellow banner which flutters above the castle’s highest steeple is the tallest thing for miles; its crest is a black falcon with stylized wings spread wide.
Faustben was treated with relative kindness by the breaking. Because her borders were so well guarded there was little chance for invasion (though some might call the influx of refugees an assault in its own right). Certainly villages and towns were lost in great avalanches and rockslides, but her main city and castle still stand proud. What denizens of evil did make their way into her lands were handled as quickly as possible by the Reavers; though spread thin, Faustben’s soldiers were a never-say-die bunch.
Physical Description: Ithacles appears to be a man in his late twenties or perhaps early thirties. He is obviously not fully human, in fact he is mostly high elven. However, he is still considered to be the “typical” standard of appearance for his nation: he has icy blue eyes, golden blonde hair, and stands an even six feet tall. His human heritage, however small, has still expressed itself: he is more well muscled than an elf, even a Caoimhin or sylvan, and weighs 185 pounds.
Personality Flaws: Ithacles tends to dislike individuals before he has figured out why. He doesn’t go out of his way to abuse these people, which can usually be attributed to how aware he is of his station and title.
Dislikes dwarves, greatly.
Ithacles often feels overwhelmed by his position and heritage, despite his many accomplishments. He sometimes dwells on the fact that Pathacles was supposed to be inheriting the crown, and feels pulled between two worlds. On one hand he is the Prince of a young nation, and yet on the other he is a knight and adventurer. While Ithacles does make very good decisions in the heat of battle, he often feels unsuited for making more “civilized” decisions. He tends to rely on his sister’s advice when concerned with matters of diplomacy and organization.
Personality Strengths: Ithacles has inherited his father’s ability to find compromise and to bring out the best in those around him. Because of this, he excels in his role as a Captain; he can quickly diffuse squabbles between his men and inspire them to great bravery. He is thought of as a “soldier’s officer;” someone who will bleed beside his men on the field and drink with them in the tavern. He is so good at this that in fact most of his men tend to forget that he is royalty.
Ithacles is steadfast in his love for his family and country. He does not hesitate to defend them, in name or presence. That being said he is very even of temper and does not enter battle hastily. He is quite capable of waiting for the proper, strategically sound moment to strike if someone has wronged him or those he holds dear.
Ithacles is easy to approach and polite. He frequently observes social customs and etiquette that one might not expect of the average warrior. He is not a bold flirt or even quick to approach women, but is seen as so genuine and sincere that he is attractive in his own right.
Natural abilities: While he is mostly elven, the presence of human blood dilutes most of the natural abilities found within his cousins. He is blessed with an extraordinarily long lifespan and can see quite well in the dark (but not as well as a true elf). The elvish talents of will and ambidexterity have lent themselves well to his boxing, but many would simply consider this martial talent. He cannot use heat vision.
Skills:
* Magic: Ithacles is not trained in any form of magic. He is, however, excellent at sleight of hand tricks.
* Combat: Ithacles is, first and foremost, a dedicated warrior and knight. On horseback he uses a light lance and shield, while on foot he prefers a slightly curved, heavy sword with a single edge known as a hangar. He has been taught to wear full plate armor and has ridden into battle more than once in such kit; however, as a member of the Light Reavers, he more often than not will be found in mail such as chain.
He is proficient enough with the longbow of Faustben’s hunters and trappers to regularly place within the top 5 contenders at archery tournaments. However this tall weapon is difficult to use from horseback, so he rarely brings one to battles or raids.
His unarmed fighting style is typical of his people. Rarely using his feet, he prefers to box and wrestle. He has “hands of stone” and has been known to knock men down with a single punch. He has a solid chin and terrible will, allowing him to stand up even when most men his size would have been rendered unconscious.
* Other: Ithacles was taught his lessons in both Common and High Elven. He also speaks a human dialect known as “Alberich.” This is a language originally spoken by the clansmen of the mountains, and shares a linguistic ancestor with Common. It is still spoken in secluded areas of Faustben, and is used almost exclusively within the ranks of the Reavers as a mark of patriotism.
As a member of the Royal family and Captain in her military, Ithacles has authority to preside over trials of law if a proper judge is unavailable (he can also grant pardons to those found guilty). He is also granted the power to marry or divorce a couple should they ask him.
Has a pet bear he caught and tamed himself named Tiger. Tiger stays in his habitat in the gardens of the Falcon’s Stone, which is a fenced in area that includes a cave and stream. He also has six trained falcons, as falconry is his favorite sport (and the sport of his countrymen).
OOC
Character PB: Ryan Phillipe
Player Name: Andy Himself
Time Zone: Eastern
Will you be sending in any other forms? Detailed Faustben info (eventually, w/ Ali‘s help).
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