Name: Aulus Granus Eskandar
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Position: Noble
Background: Born in 484 A.R to Lord Granus Eskandar and Lady Arvay Eskandar of Castle Cramz, Aulus looked set on following in the rather undistinguished footsteps of his forebears. His father, however, had different ideas. A close friend of Daeron Humber, he had been infected with a sense of dignity and ambition - a desire to be useful to his liege-lord and carve the name of House Eskandar in the stars. His ambition got him, and all his brothers, killed at Helmar's Heath in a made - if heroic - charge.
Til then a rather normal child, the death of his father - closely followed by that of his mother - as well as the loss of all his family had an understandably negative effect on the boy. Taken in by Daeron Humber - who has raised him like his own son - Aulus proved unwilling to do anything he did before. Sitting with instructors brought on painful memories, and so he avoided lessons. Staying too long in Castle Calchester reminded him of his Castle Cramz, and so he generally snuck out and whiled away his days with the lower classes - and as he grew, he frequented inns and was a general nuisance. When being less of a nuisance he picked up the art of the bamboo flute from a local lumberjack, named Grun, who frequented the inns after work - he found the instrument oddly appealing, and Grun was only too happy to snap at the boy and thwack him every time he made a mistake!
Despite his general avoidance of Daeron's instructors, Aulus never missed an opportunity to swing a sword around. Indeed, fencing instructors have constantly noted his skill and knack for the sword. Though Helmala preferred the clunky mace - and by furious Timtos could she swing it! - Aulus took more to the refined rapier, the trusty knightly sword, and other such swords widespread in Coruneon and Rathikun. He has also always had an affinity with animals - particularly horses. While he was surrounded by the animals before his father's death, this affinity only true developed afterwards. As a result of it, his riding skill is as impressive as his skill with sword. Perhaps, somewhere deep in his subconscious, there is a desire to prove that his father had not been wrong and that House Eskandar can create knights to rival the best Formaroth has to offer. Whether this is the case cannot be ascertained, for Aulus is unconcerned with such things as any Grun in an inn.
As a result of his infantile antics, Aulus' relationship with Daeron has been rather strained over the years, and more recently Helmala has proven equally disapproving. So concerned was Daeron that he decided against sending Aulus back to Castle Cramz, when he turned sixteen, where he could take up his ancestral title and land. Aulus for his part loves his adoptive father and sister, and cannot understand for the life of him why they are so stiff.
'You're a nobleman, not some lowly bumpkin!' Daeron would berate him, 'get yourself together boy!'
'We're not children anymore, Aulus,' Helmara would chastise him, 'we are surrounded by dangers on all sides. You can't be acting like you do.' But despite their words, Aulus would chuckle or laugh and wave them away - the world was depressing enough without him going out of his way to make it more so! While Daeron has noted Aulus' skill, the boy has consistently refused to be sent into battle or to fight alongside his adoptive father.
'I need a man by my side!' Daeron would decalre angrily, 'Helmara is more of a man than you!'
'What do I want with these things?' Aulus would retort, 'can't you find something better to do than fight all the damn time?'
'You think I want this boy!' the old man would roar, slamming a table or the wall, 'we must war that there might finally be true peace! If the gods didn't put people like me on this earth and all were like you, then the mad king would never have fallen! And now Duncan...'
'Alright alright, you go off and have your fun. I'll be having mine,' and Aulus would run off despite Daeron's demands that he return.
Personality: Aulus is undeniably intelligent. He is also undeniably carefree and happy-go-lucky. Wholly unconcerned about anything in general, his intelligence comes in more handy in coaxing himself out of sticky situations than doing anything truly useful or of weight.
He prefers the easy company of the common man to the restricted and prim life of the nobles - and it's lucky that House Eskandar is not of much significance, and it is lucky that he's had little responsibilities, for his antics are able to go on and no one loses greatly due to it.
If ever on his own, Aulus can prove quite reflective - which isn't great! The flute proves a useful escape from any thoughts that attempt to disturb his blissful existence. It's not that he's afraid of what his thoughts might come with...it's not that somewhere deep down he's ashamed that he has let his forefathers down...nothing of the sort...
Description: A well-built young man, appearing to be around twenty years of age. He is not overly tall, coming at 5'10", or 180 centimetres. He weighs at 75 kilograms. His physique is ectomorphic, and his muscles are small and built for speed and power rather than brute strength. He is rather flexible, though not unnaturally so. His hair is red-brown and is shoulder length, and is generally left loose and messy. His beard is large enough to cover his face completely, but not quite long enough to be gripped. His skin is a light olive due to exposure to the sun. His eyes are a dark green and his nose is long and straight, though slightly wide and not pointed. In general, he's real eye candy! Such a pretty boy...
He has some very minor scars on his hands, wrists, and upper arms earned during duelling practice and foolish fights with the scoundrels he has tended to associate with.
He can usually be found dressed in a
large, loose, light brown tunic tied at the waist with a belt. He wears black
canvass pants on his lower body and and
locksley boots.
His face carries an easy, instantly friendly smile. He appears carefree and generally after a good time.
Skills: If there is one thing Aulus ever took seriously, it was his fencing lessons. Not only is he a natural, but he has learned from the very best instructors of Lord Humber's household. While he - unlike Hemala - never took to the heavy, clunky mace, his ability with rapier and other swords is at the very least impressive. The time he spent truanting his others lessons he spent with lowlives in inns and on the streets - where he developed quite a love and skill for the humble bamboo flute. He also has a love for horses and is a very skilled rider - a skill that has helped him out of many sticky situations!
Weaknesses: For a noble, Aulus knows very little - he has not properly developed skills such as reading and writing, and his understanding of mathematics, history, politics and whatnot are severely lacking. This is due to a generally irreverent character and a lack of concern with what others deem as 'greater' matters. He does not realise his importance as a feudal liege-lord and - perhaps due to his thus far sheltered life - has no understanding for how to rule and command men. For this reason, he cannot always understand Daeron's frustration with him, and Hemala's disappointment. What is life if you are always stiff about it and don't have some fun, after all?
While no coward, Aulus does have a...heightened sense for self-preservation. Ahem. This is perhaps due to his association with the lowlives who frequent inns and fight in dark alleys after dark. If something is dangerous and not fun, then he is very unlikely to want in. On the other hand, if something looks exciting he would not think twice about jumping in!
Due to the above, Aulus is heinously unaware of the situation in Formaroth. He knows that people are fighting and whatnot, and that it's all very bad (obviously) but he is otherwise very unconcerned. I mean, it's not like anything is going to change
that much, right?
