Name: Maria ''Sevy'', real surname ''De Tonnancourt''
Age: 26
Race: Human
Nationality: Born in Valania
Allegiance: The order of St. Melitas and Valadia's true King
Appearance:

Maria is a bit above average height compared to other women of Valania. She has an athletic, yet slender build that shows off she's damn well able to take care of herself in life. She have dark brown eyes that have a serious look about them, and always keep her hair, also brown. at shoulder length, conformed to the order's code. While she is 26 years old, Maria lived as a soldier all her life and it shows on her physic, making her look about 2 to 3 years older, if not more. She have scars on multiple parts of her body that she wears with pride. Maria value practical thinking over all else, including clothing. She will choose practical cloths over femininity or fancy stuff at any given time. That is, when she is not wearing a chain mail, or part of or her full body armor. She has decorated her armor herself by engraving parts of the order's creed, as well as Augurian prayers, on it. She would wear her armor at any given time, but duty and official meetings, and the such, required of her to wear more formal clothing at times, which she finds very uncomfortable.

Maria is serious, most of the time, and tend to relax only when off duty and surrounded by her sisters-in-arms. Having a hard time trusting strangers, she remains tense and ready around them. With anyone that is not part of the order, Maria keep her wits about. Extremely pious, she often trusts in her faith to tell her if someone is to be trusted or not by obeying the signs the gods sends her way.

I loved the idea of Romaneck about the 'General Feel' stuff, so I am stealing it. Full credit to him. ( I also suck at description by words of a person's physic, but found no right images )


Profession: Valkyrie Apostle for the Sororitas Melitas
Biography:

To Maria, she was born a soldier and will die a soldier. In reality, Maria was born within a wealthy and noble family of Valania known as Gilders. Her father had a place within the old royal family's closed circle of nobles and advisers, meaning that Valania's fading chances of survival was in direct correlation to their own. Both her parents failed to see a future where Valania fell and their King was dead or taken prisoner. They preferred to take their own lives along with that of their daughter. However, a servant witness the horrible act and kept the now mad parents from killing off their own child, aged of 11 years old at the time, and fled the house with Maria. The servant walked far and wide until she found a family that accepted to raise the child as their own, and then died.

The family buried the servant's body close by and kept on their promise of raising the girl as their own since they had no other. Things took a turn for the worst yet again, a few years later, when the couple's wife died, rendering the husband mad with sadness. Abused and beaten, Maria fled the adopted house at the age of 17 years old. She wandered the land, not knowing where she was or where she was going, barely living out of what people accepted to give her. No matter how hard it was, she never stole nor food, nor money from anyone. The girl remained lost until she stumbled upon the steps of the Order's citadel, hungry and on the brink of death. A shield maiden took her in what would become her first true home.

Anger at life was the fuel driving her through the first few years of being an initiate. As she began reading the holy writings and focusing on her duty as a member of the order, anger slowly turned to acceptance as Maria's faith grew. Her undying loyalty to their faith, her sisters and herself made for a will of steel. She used this will to master the art of fighting, above all else, in all of the order's ways. She mastered horseback fighting above all else and, once she became a full fledged Shield Maiden, Maria was one of the best rider under her superior. She embraced the life of a Shield Maiden with all of it's duty, faithfully obeying any orders given.

At one point she and her group were attacked while escorting pilgrims. The battle took a grim turn of events as they suffered many losses. Maria's horse had died in battle, and she had been fending off enemies for quite some time when she spotted her direct superior encircled and wounded. She rallied a few sisters on her and managed to save her superior, pushing back the enemies until, finally, the day was won. On that day, Maria was promoted to Valkyrie Apostle and given command of a group of Shield Maidens under the officer who's life she saved.

Notable skills/abilities: Maria is an incredibly talented heavy cavalryman. She fights with a flail and shield, which makes for a fearful combo, but also carry a long two-handed sword sheathed on her back. Her skills with a two-handed sword are also well known among her group, even if she uses it only in dire situations.

A bad peace is worse than a good war
When I go more than ten miles out of the city, the love and loyalty of friends comes to an end
All citizens must place the common good before the private good

Double post, sorry.

I'll use it to say here's my character. I hope it sounds okay? Sorry for the time it took to get her here. ._.

Maximilian Armor best armor.

Three-quarter has a special place in my heart, however.

There is something cool about the New World Cuirassers, its like this bridge between the plate knight and the flintlock rifleman

Dearest lord, Morions. Ugliest design.

To continue the tradition of image dump, here's totally a rendition of Korkud after an expedition on another tribe, and definitely not a drawing of Angus McBride made to represent the foes of Tamerlane.

Here's my CS; I like stories of the political strife among nobility in the Middle Ages, so I incorporated a bit of that into my backstory. Hope it works with the setting!


Name: Guillaume de Labourd, Count of Selenia

Age: 40

Race: Human

Nationality: Valanian, (Vectian by marriage)

Allegiance: Le Crosse Royal Family, (As Above)

Appearance:
Guillaume stands just over 5’8”, a rather unimposing stature. His body is solid and toned as a result of the training undergone as part of his knightly duties. He bears scars from battle around his lower jaw, and from his brief captivity under Hadim al-Nurr. His eyes are set deeply and high above his nose, while his chin tapers to a rounded point. His cheekbones are prominent, giving him a gaunt visage. He wears a dark beard from ear to ear, culminating in a downward-pointing moustache.

Profession: Valanian knight and military commander

Biography: Guillaume was the firstborn son of Charles de Labourd and Alix of Malmaines, birthed in the commune of Loriet. His family was of minor noble origin, which had inherited and managed the fiefdom of Loriet for several generations. The seigneurs of Loriet were traditionally staunch supporters of the royal family, which earned them a positive reputation in Voltas, in spite of their lesser birth relative to Valania’s counts and earls.

Guillaume served Jean de Bois early in his career as a squire, participating in offensives against Philip, the rebellious Duke of Auray. Valanian King Lothair le Crosse gave his support to De Bois in this endeavor, intending to bring the duchy of Auray back under control. Guillaume’s servitude was rewarded some time later, when repelling an attack on Lorainne Castle by rebel forces. De Bois knighted Guillaume for his endeavors during the Aurayan Succession, conferring on him an estate on his manor in the northern region of the Duchy of Bois. As the Succession came to an end, Guillame had achieved a name for himself by killing Albret of Sully, a knight fighting under Philip of Auray, and capturing two others.

De Labourd would continue to fight for his duke, this time against the Sarifes in a series of border clashes foreshadowing the eventual defeat of Valania. His performance reached the notice of King Lothair, who tasked him with subjugating Henry d’Albert, who aimed to claim the Duchy of Valois for his own. Guillaume met the Valanian-Albert army at L’Anguille, and forced Henry’s forces to rout after a decisive countercharge from his retinue of men-at-arms. Henry’s defeat enabled Lothair to entrust Valois to his ally, Geoffrey de Clari.

Jean de Bois would ask for his aid again, who was hard-pressed to stave off a Sarife advance into northern Valania. At the Battle of Rochelle, De Bois would be killed in action, and his army defeated by a wise Sarife commander, Hadim al-Nurr. Guillaume fought on until he was cornered, forced to surrender his arms and taken prisoner. King Lothair ransomed him for 100,000 pieces of coin, who did not want to lose the man’s prowess to the Sarifes. Hadim al-Nurr eventually marched his army back across the border, having sustained too many losses to press on further.

Guillaume would command men against minor Sarafid incursions and traitorous nobles some months following his return to Valania, but by this time, the kingdom was facing the crises of corruption, bankruptcy, drought and other threats to its prosperity. Rebel barons had largely diminished King Lothair’s sphere of influence and were dividing Valania among themselves. Disaster struck the loyalists when the royal family was assassinated, and the Sarifes capitalized on the kingdom’s sorry state to annex its lands soon after. Guillaume led a small contingent of men at the Battle of Vercelli Heights, however, bickering amongst the commanders and their ineffectual leadership took their toll on the army’s performance. Despite his pleas, the higher nobles in command refused to heed De Labourd’s advice. When the fighting turned sour, Guillaume refused to waste any more of his men’s’ lives in a hopeless battle, and ordered them to flee the field. With little in the way of allies to call on for help, Guillaume rounded up the assets of his estates and his vassals, retreating south to Vectis.

In Vectis, De Labourd consolidated his resources, meeting with nobles of the kingdom who were sympathetic to Valania’s plight. The Vectian Senate saw fit to grant him and his vassals refuge, in return for his service to the Winsgates. Eventually, Guillaume married a prominent Vectian noblewoman, Agnise of Selenia. This had secured him holdings in the Vectian duchy of Ferregio.

Following the annexation of Valania, De Labourd keeps a watchful eye on the situation in his former kingdom. Althought he has not been able to confirm it with his own eyes, news has reached him of Prince Lucius escaping death at the hands of the Sarafids and leading pockets of resistance against the Imperials garrisoned in Valania. Renewing his lineage’s vow to serve the Valanian royalty, he has appealed his allies in Vectis for aid and marches across Valanian’s border once more.

Notable skills/abilities: Guillaume is a proficient swordsman, rider and military leader, having experience pre-annexation against unruly nobles and Sarife skirmishes. His training as a knight has honed his fighting skills to excellence, and he has had a fair share of time in the courts of his lords. He enjoys the loyalty of his vassals, having been safely relocated under the protection of Vectis and accompanying him on many of his victories.

Other Notes:
TBA

No 'pissing contest' intended; merely that that particular trope (that's so untrue) is a particular peeve of mine.

Anyways, no, aside from the grittiness seemingly juxtaposed onto a character of a status where it did not belong, I did not see any particular problem (albeit I haven't ready any of the css in full yet, that one included). Ecthelion was just something I noticed.

Also, a guide to general pronunciation-'i' rarely says the 'i' sound. It predominantly indicates 'ih' or 'ee'.

Pictures are awesome-although, brigandines were actually a later armor (there was one shown in the 'over time' picture) that it and variations of it were particularly popular during the 16th century. It, and the one shown (the large plates though definitely not full-plate) were two of the most common basic armor outfits.

I don't really like the Maxamillian style of full plate, honestly. It's cool to see someone who does, though.

pfft, who needs heavy armor when you can wear funny looking clothes

All those armors are pretty cool...I searched for a long time for a cool one with that style, but did not find anything that suited my liking. So I settled for something more old styled, I guess.

It also reminds me...not having any sort of firearm is probaly suicidal at this point, is it not?

No, it's not. It's late Middle-Ages and Renaissance with perhaps a few Early Modern elements-not late Early Modern Period. Ie, firearms have not fully supplanted armor and melee by any means and far from every man-at-arms would have one. And at this point, a firearm would be a primary weapon-it would replace a spear or halberd, not be a sidearm, really.

TL:DR No, you don't need a gun by any means.

Nevis said
No 'pissing contest' intended; merely that that particular trope (that's so untrue) is a particular peeve of mine.Anyways, no, aside from the grittiness seemingly juxtaposed onto a character of a status where it did not belong, I did not see any particular problem (albeit I haven't ready any of the css in full yet, that one included). Ecthelion was just something I noticed.Also, a guide to general pronunciation-'i' rarely says the 'i' sound. It predominantly indicates 'ih' or 'ee'.Pictures are awesome-although, brigandines were actually a later armor (there was one shown in the 'over time' picture) that it and variations of it were particularly popular during the 16th century. It, and the one shown (the large plates though definitely not full-plate) were two of the most common basic armor outfits.I don't really like the Maxamillian style of full plate, honestly. It's cool to see someone who does, though.

That's technically not brigandine but a coat of plates. They existed as early as 1361.

I personally don't like Maximilian armor below the waist. That's where three-quarter armor comes to play for me. Though in the end, for me, nothing beats plated mail.

Good god...I go to my local Oktoberfest for two days and OOC blows up. I will console myself knowing i had some great craft beers.

Interesting conversation to read through though.

So Ecthelion is in charge of the coal company right? Is the coal company just the name of the merc group, or do they actually have something to do with coal?

Konica said
So Ecthelion is in charge of the coal company right? Is the coal company just the name of the merc group, or do they actually have something to do with coal?

Ecthelion is indeed in charge of the company

As for the name it is merely figuratively until I come up with something else, but Coal is reliable, it is meant to be used and discarded but it undeniably will leave you dirty afterwards.

There is something there but I cant quite pin point it, besides Ecthelion and the Coals could not have been without the proper inspiration of Glenn Cook`s Black Company (fascinating book, should read it is short and rich) and since coal is black... yea

@ Ivory - Please read the Rules and GM Notes!

Glad you could join us, Ivory! Aside from reading the Rules and GM Notes. This is nothing serious, but I'd like to request a minor change, particularly Maria's last name to something more French sounding due to Valania's mostly Ancien Régime French inspirations. That being said, this is a very minor request to an otherwise worthy character!

@ Aristo - Guillame is approved!

Wow that was fast! Same as I told Ivory in that you'll want to change around the naming, particularly Agnise von Breuburg and the Duchy of Oppenheim. Agnise's last name and estate are remarkably German sounding and Vectis is primarily based on the Western Roman Empire so I must request changes for Agnise' surname and estate to something ancient roman sounding.

I blame myself for not emphasizing this, but be aware that the Vectisian Legions swear fealty to King Winsgate II and would not march across the border without widespread Senatorial approval or the King's approval. Otherwise, Guillame is very approved 8)

@ Fern - The sky's the limit so don't feel shy to throw something out. Doesn't matter if it's 2 or 3 paragraphs; just write from the character's perspectives and enjoy it!

@ Konica - I think the Coal Company's merely Etchelion's company name, but Romaneck would ultimately know best.

@ Skulls - I'm so jealous. Work on the weekends always stifle weekend festivities like Oktoberfest or the Ren Faire. I'm curious about what your favorite craft beer anyways?

---

Working on a post as we speak so just wanted to let y'all know. Just wanted to say that y'all have some nice armor references! Actually did some research and I found munition and almain rivet/half armor fascinating, especially given they were mass produced. What're your thoughts, Nevis, Peik?

Ah well...I have many favourites, depends on my mood. I like stouts or baltic porters, style wise. My favourite brewery is probably Nickel Brook here in Ontario, followed by Smuttynose in New Hampshire.

My go to beer, my current favourite is a baltic porter from Trois Mousquetaires in Quebec.

Oktoberfest was put on by a local craft brewery called Beau's. They put a heck of a party on.

I write a craft beer blog that reviews events so I attend a lot of beer festivals. Thank goodness I have a day job that doesn't include weekend classes.

Sure, no problem! I'll get on it shortly.

Eh. I don't drink.

I actually hadn't come across the rivet armor before-though that does explain a few things. I will say that I adore tassets, especially large ones, so I find the ones here that I initially mistook for a fauld really cool.

The styles of the 16th century are odd, certainly. A lot of the stuff looks extremely bad to me-yet, on occasion, I come across something that's entirely characterstic of the early/middle part of the century that I find to be among the most beautiful art from Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern Europe. I am especially fond of the styles used for arms and armor of the time-aesthetically, full-plate and brigandine are my favorite types of armor.

What's also funny is that the one of the colorful landsnechts (I think I mispelled that) is probably the best representation of mercenaries and men-at-arms of the time because they totally dressed like that. Albeit, the colors would likely be a bit more faded than in that picture-nonetheless, the bright colors, contrast and, to most people today, gaudiness, was entirely characteristic of the Germans and particularly mercenaries.

Anyways, I'll have my cs rough draft up soon. Prepare for the bastard prince!

Sounds like you know your taste, Skulls! Had no idea you had a craft beer blog or that you like dark styled beers. Personally, I'm more of a fan of the lighter, fruitier beers, but that's really just me because I like my sugared wheat flavors, hahaha. I gotta tell you peeps, some breweries draft some really good quality drinks. But hey! Skulls, you should forward a link so we can tap your beverage wisdom 8)

Nevis, interestingly the Reisläufer and Landsknechts held a fascinating rivalry during their heydays. To my understanding the Landskechts were in much greater numbers and availability while Reisläufers were generally preferred when available. At any rate, you seem to know your armor so you can tell us your thoughts on the dress patterns between the two. Also looking forward to that CS, Nevis!

- Swiss Reisläufers

Huh, I hadn't come across that name for the Swiss mercenaries before. Yes, though, there was an intense rivalry between the Swiss and German mercenaries. Initially, the Swiss were generally thought of as the most elite mercenaries in Europe-however, after one battle (it's been a while, I don't recall which one) a force comprised of Germans defeated the esteemed Swiss pretty handily-and the German's had habits that were much more useful than the Swiss's to employers. Namely, the Swiss would only sell out to one side, whereas the Germans would not only sell their services to two conflicting sides in a war-even a single guild would sell services to both forces. In essence, the Germans were 'I'm a soldier who will do anything if you pay me' with the strength to back it up epitomized, whereas the Swiss were more the true, though less convenient, elite.

I do know that they would often have greaves, though, which is missing on those-perhaps those are from a later year. They look almost late 16th century or even 17th century, and they're wielding what looks to be halberds, whereas the Swiss were particularly famous for their skill with pikes.
As for landsnechkts, they were much more individualized than the Swiss mercenaries were in terms of equipment. They usually bought their own equipment and worked in a wider variety of guilds and so on, thus, their equipment and non-battlefield clothing varied a lot more as far as I can tell. Myself, I think their aesthetic style look as ridiculous as a clown-to each their own, though.

Anyways, for my favorites, for chest, brigandine, for helmets, certain sallets and close helmets, waist, fault or tassets. For clothes, I like clothes (and especially torso clothing) that are very thin and hang close to the body, especially at the side-so the wide, draped styles common among many of the nobles at the time I find very not to my taste. I also prefer narrow shoulders aesthetically, so the wide, masculine shoulder styles also aren't an element I enjoy, either.

For armor-there's a lot of things there that I don't know about, actually. Generally, I have more of a general view of things, rather than too specific details. Armor, I'm actually also much less familiar with than with weapons, so there's that as well.