Goodness, all it takes is one long nap and I'm already at the bottom of the stack - y'all are quick!
I'll get out my CS within the day, hopefully my prospecting Hundi character gets to be in the running.

Name: Katerina Valentina

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Race: Half-Elf

Appearance:




Standing at 5'11.5" with an athletic build to her, Katerina looks the part of a well-kept knight when in casual attire. Sporting dark viridian hair that reaches down to her mid back, she usually keeps at least part of it braided or tied, out of the way of her emerald eyes. She seems rather attentive even in her neutral pose, as if making mental notes of specific details or another.

Personality:

Katerina held a lifelong suspicion that most people had thought of her as either banal or revolting, through most who had met her as an affable and sharp woman, if possessive of a grim sense of humor. While usually agreeable in small talk and casual conversation, Katerina can get very protective about things she has grown fond of, whether that be her steward approach when dealing with those she considers close to her or her rather territorial approach when she sees her interests being interfered upon. At first, Katerina often views other with some caution, though if there's any consolation in the matter, when she does eventually open up they will likewise find that she values tranquility and periods of independence. She can also be fiercely stubborn, difficult to change her mind or talk her out of something once she's made her mind up.

If one should wish to test out the limits of her defensive posturing, call her a "witch".

Brief Backstory:

Katerina was born on the borderlands of Velt to a human wizard and an elven traveling bard. Her early life was mired with ceaseless household troubles, the result of both her parents free-spirited personae and the chaotic lives with which they both lived brought no shortage of conflicts between the two. The last memory that she had of her father was when she was six years old -- her parents were engaged in one of their usual mutually-drunken arguments, one last remark had seen the two through, and father packed up his belongings and sang to his daughter "Farewell My Darling" while her mother threw shoes at him. In the words of one of her tutors, her mother was, "A good woman who could not be a good mother" -- as Katerina grew up, she commented that this translated as, "A deadbeat mom with extra steps".

Though she had a great natural inclination to magic from a young age, Katerina lived most of her early life in the accompaniment of her mother's bardic troupe -- in practice, this meant flinging her between the houses of friends and acquaintances. Katerina leveraged whatever tutelage she could find for magic, often of dubious safety and highly varying in quality. She had many mentors throughout her early pedagogy, and although she had constantly petitioned her mother to be sent off to a proper magical school, Katerina's mother insisted that she had neither the resources nor the peerage to enroll her. As such, Katerina had to get crafty with her magical studies, and often learned from secondhand sources, such as other magical students around her age, old manuscripts, and the like.

At the onset of the War of the Red Flag, Katerina found herself pressed into service within the ranks of a clerical corps, whom were to travel alongside bands of soldiers to provide care and medical service, after she had been in the study of a pastor for a few weeks. She was less than pleased about the fact at first, but as disaster after disaster ran through the course of the war's chaotic onset, Katerina proved to have an uncanny knack for persevering through sticky situations, as she provided an invaluable bulwark in poorly-organized retreats. When asked about where she received her knowledge of magic, Katerina often jokingly answered, "The College of the Verdant Weald" -- that is to say, witchcraft. Much to her chagrin, she received the moniker, "The Witch Knight" on account that she had never given any consistent answer as to where she received her magical training.

After the war, Katerina would find some difficulties finding permanent employment, even as her mother -- believing that her newfound title had meant she had made quite the amount of fame and fortune -- constantly made attempts to hit her up for currency. She found inglorious work as the bodyguard to a renowned alchemist supplier, and although the postwar realities were rather unkind to his supply chains, Katerina had managed to surprise him time and time again when tasked to protect shipments or retrieve alchemy ingredients. Though he could not offer her much in the way of direct advancement, he saw the displeasure in Katerina at her current life situation, and at his recommendation he had vouched to her that she should join a knightly order. At first, she believed that he had simply grown tired of him and was looking to be rid of her, but soon after came around to the idea and had been ensquired unto the Iron Rose Knights.

Equipment:

Katerina's armor is a simple breastplate adorned atop some mage's robes, now bearing the insignia of the Iron Rose. Accompanying her are a few magical talismans, most evidently include an incense censer and a deck of cards with align themselves with magical insignia. To battle she carries a steel flanged mace, adorned with a spike atop the hammerhead. She also carries a thin, puncturing dagger with a single bladed edge.

Skills:

Kateria's magical education came from whichever sources she was able to find, and has at least a dabbling proficiency with all but the most obscure or profane of magical schools. With such a patchwork field of magical expertise, Katerina has eventually refined her magical skills into proficiency with life magic. In particular, she is quite knowledgeable with healing magic -- of which she has had ample expertise in dealing with since the years of her line of work. She also has some knowledge regarding the application of and dispelling of hexes and curses as a result, though most of the more direct applications of putting curses onto things or people are beyond her area of expertise: Katerina is more used to ridding people of hexes than giving them out. In addition, she's quite the hand with pyromancy and electromancy -- which she's had plenty of time to refine both during and immediately after the war. Although she's quite athletic and in good shape, Katerina has not had much direct weapons training beyond the basics of combat instruction, and instead prefers to utilize a stripped-down array of simple, effective techniques than apply any advanced combat maneuvers.

Outside of battle, Katerina is quite fond of most card games, and dabbles in literature and horticulture. She's also a fantastic cook: Her lamb casserole is to die for.

Name: 'Lein'

Age: 20

Gender: M

Race: Hundi



Personality:
Lein is possibly the furthest you can get from the stereotype of the honourable Hundi. He's sarcastic, disquiet and arrogant, holding no true reverence to no creed nor code and an open displeasure at notions of romantic chivalry. Although he knows when to shut up and sit still when it counts, there's always an undercurrent of wild mischievousness to much of what he does. As soon as Lein's superiors look the other direction, he's always looking for ways to tug the end of his chain, make a quick pocket of coins and slack off when he can't do either.

Despite this usual mischief, Lein does have a strong sense of kinship, however, and though in rather unconventional, round-about ways, Lein always strives to return a favour when he is granted one. He's likely to deflect with a cynical remark when pressed about his loyal side.

In a rather odd turn, he has a strange obsession about always having enough food to eat, even willing to carry more than his fair share of cargo if it means they are well-supplied.

Backstory:
Of the many banners that adorned the Hundi castles, the blue and gold banner of House Estouls was once counted as among the greatest. Following a strict code of traditionalism and ceremony, those who held its crest were seen as exceptional combatants that frequently 'conquered' smaller Houses through duel-marriage pacts. But this was a long time ago, and decades of political sabotage, mismanagement and inflexibility led to the pitiful decline of the Estouls name.

Lenivicus ves Estouls was the youngest of the House, but for his exceptional talents in marksmanship, was regarded as the future of the House. So it was impressed upon him the value of holding honor above all else, and the weight of his life would be measured in the laurels of the Estouls banner. But as his many siblings were 'conquered' by other Houses one by one, Lenivicus also taught himself the price of that honor, slowly eating away at his family one by one.

And so Lenivicus developed different ideas. He spent much of his nights looking up at the skies and dreaming of claiming dominion over the stars that had thus far been so maligned for his family. His aloofness conflicted with his family's priorities of preservation and tradition, and no amount of cajoling or berating could stop Lein from sneaking out from his training grounds to watch the stars. Ceremonies often devolved to arguments between Lein and the few remaining House members over the point of all the empty seats at the table. When Lenivicus was denied his Rite of Passage and was ordered to remain within the House grounds to train, Lenivicus was outraged at this display of hypocrisy from the 'traditionalist' Estouls. He renounced his House and stormed off in a Rite of his own declaration.

In the next couple of years, 'Lein' made his way through the world, eventually resorting to thievery with the occasional piracy. At this point, Lein's retelling of his next couple of years before he was impressed into the Roses become... messy. On some days, he regales locals about how he fought bears for a living, others he describes in flush detail how he took up work as the bodyguard of a mysterious elven lord. None of these tales explain how he lost his right arm, nor where he even got the prosthetic to replace said arm. Some way or another, he showed up in front of the Knights' keep one day and asked to be taken in, claiming he "lost a bet". After showing off his skills,

Ever since, Lein had become quite good at performative brinkmanship; lax just enough to annoy his superiors but never enough to be kicked off.

Equipment:
Enchanted scarf: An enchanted scarf with a series of bells attached to the end of it. Given to Lein as per tribal custom, it has natural cleansing wards that filters any air passed through it. The bells chime at the presence of significant wind in a distinct pattern attributable for each scarf.
Fancy tail brush: For the sophisticated and vain.
Worn Estouls crest: Lein keeps this hidden away, even if he's always tempted to throw it away.
Ironripping shortbow: A reflex bow with high tensile strength, designed for fast knocking and incredible penetrative power at short ranges. Operated with a thumb ring, it can either be loaded with regular arrows or steel darts to further enhance its short-range potential.
Advanced steel arm prosthetic: An astoundingly intricate invention of artificery. Composed of carefully shaped iron and encased in enchanted steel, it is quite durable and only slightly heavier than a regular arm, whilst its rope operated ivory fingers allow for accurate dexterity. It seems far too expensive for some common rogue to get their hands on, but any sign of its maker has been long since scratched off. Hidden compartments contain a few spare steel darts and a small blade.

Skills
Having been raised as an heir to the Estouls, Lein's not too bad at the standard knightly affairs, being familiar with the ins and outs of horse riding and courtly manners (though it's been quite the while since he's bothered), as well as some familiarity with swords and shields. If someone were to force him to act the part, he probably could, grudgingly. That being said, he finds comfort in the wild, equipped with a long-cultivated repertoire of survivalist skills, scavenging and animal tracking to keep him sustained.

Lein's marksmanship make quite clear why he was laden with so much expectation from his House; he can knock and fire arrows at a frightening pace, pelting his enemies while maintaining a taunting distance with alacritous dodges. Paired with his strengths in endurance and tracking, he was often relegated to scouting and message carrying duties in training.

As a regular bar patron, Lein's quite good at dice games, especially cheating at them.

@Aeolian

Hi-hi, friendly neighborhood depravity loving GM here~

Aside from whatever else that Vita mentions when she makes a post here I'd just want to mention a few things myself.

First, lemme say the sheet as a whole isn't bad. Powers and personality seem to fit the setting well enough. What doesn't though, is the backstory you've mentioned.

Yeah, the city Leannan probably wouldn't exist in Thaln. How would a classless city would necessarily come around in a kingdom that is heavily feudal based in the first place? I feel personally its a bit of a contradiction to say its classless and then immediately say that they have a ruling party, though this nitpicking is kind of a small thing on my part. The biggest issue is that the city just likely wouldn't exist in Thaln in the first place.

Secondly...there's...some information missing I'd like explained. Summoning is fine...but what malicious and bad things has his parents done? It seems like you mentioned it in a single sentence and then never again. Feels like a missed opportunity and should really be explained further since well, it could really mess with both the backstory itself as well as the family ICly.

Thirdly - yeah and this is my opinion and not sure what Vita thinks of it - I don't think being the reincarnation of the moon goddess would probably be a thing people talked about. Pretty sure the Goddess herself may take offense to it since she still exists.

@Aeolian: @Rune_Alchemist already mentioned it, but I just want to back up those points by saying I can't see Leannan existing in Thaln in that state, as it should still be subject to Thaln's government. Additionally, it's unlikely that the "reincarnation of Mayon" thing would fly with the church, given Mayon is very much still around. If you want to keep some element of that point, maybe instead frame it as a 'beloved of Mayon' or something? I also think it's important to note what his parents did, as their abusive actions would presumably have repercussions.

Adittionally, while summoning is a thing in the setting, it's one of the least-fleshed out parts of the magic system admittedly. Still, if you're going to be using it I think you should probably define what he's summoning a bit more, since there's fae, other kinds of spirits, and demons(don't summon these) among other things. I also think full flight is a bit much, maybe something a bit more along the lines of air-jumping?

@Psychic Loser: Accepted.

@Richard Horthy: Accepted.

@PigeonOfAstora: A couple things here. Hundi aren't a tribal society, rather culturally they're almost excessively knightly and place a high amount of focus on honor and bravery. All their culture heroes are knight errant types, that kind of thing. Ithillin is essentially France for reference, though Hundi have some Spanish vibes. That being said, I do like the idea of someone disillusioned with with Hundi culture. Though, to capitalize more on making him hundi, I think it might not be a bad move to have him deep down still have some lingering love for those traditions and the heroic stories he likely heard in his youth that he's buried under his cynicism, to set him apart from similar human characters, even if he refuses to acknowledge or admit it.

Also going to be closing the RP to more players now. However, if you have already expressed interest, have a bio in progress, or you're in the discord server, you're in.

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

Thank you both for the great feedback. Sorry for some of the inaccuracies, still learning more about this unfamiliar world.

I will make the adjustments to the character sheet as soon as I get home from work.

Cheers! :)

Sorry for the double post.

Here is the revised character sheet. Hope everything checks out.

@Aeolian: Okay so, backstory seems a lot better.

I'm a little concerned about his skillset being a bit too broad, maybe focus on like one other specific thing outside of the summons?

@VitaVitaAR

I think it's all set.

1. Reduced the other magics to just the protective forcefields/barriers (what Hope learned at Mage college).
2. Added another non-combat summon (cannot be used in fights).
3. Added an armour reference (realized I was missing one).

Hope it all check's out now.

Cheers!

@Aeolian: I think he's in the clear now, but since I woke up much later then I wanted to an am still kind of groggy I want my co-GMs to take one last look before he moves over to the character tab.

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist

@Aeolian

Sorry for taking awhile to respond, was dealing with a mild headache today~

But if Vita has no more problems I see nothing else that I think requires addressing.

@Rune_Alchemist

That's okay! I hope you feel better!

And thanks. I guess I'll wait for Raineh to confirm and then put the CS over once I get the final okay.

@Aeolian: With confirmation on the discord, acceptance is go.

Gonna speed through some relationships stuff here.

Cecilia: A magical artifact is a rare thing indeed, doubly so when it belongs to someone who claims to be just a mercenary. Serenity has her suspicions, especially when the woman's skill with the bow matches, and perhaps even surpasses, the capabilities of the Autmere scions. Subsequently, Serenity keeps this touchy-feely rogue at an arm's length, but respects her skill, regardless or whether or not it's truly hers.

Renar: Renar is likely the person that Serenity spars the most with, and she regularly seeks the bastard out for more duels, finding his seemingly bottomless bag of dishonorable tricks fairly important to pick up. So far, her losses have been pretty tragic, but she's a quick study: the moment he runs out of schemes is the moment she runs him through. Figuratively.

Shanil: Serenity recognizes that a different sort of fire drives Shanil, and has fundamentally decided that they were incompatible. Their interactions are likely curt and business-like, but there will be some amount of curiosity regarding the oddities of her Shadow Magic, considering the obscurity of such arts to begin with.

Tyaethe: There's a certain amount of respect reserved for the First and Youngest of the Iron Rose Knights, but that's fundamentally something that's reserved only for Tyaethe's deeds in combat. Otherwise, Serenity is simultaneously disappointed and disgusted in this lazy traditionalist of a knight, whose only merit is in a battlefield...and even then that's questionable. Never meet your heroes and all.

Gerard: His juxtaposition, that of an admiration for chivalry matched with the savagery of a common mercenary, interests her, but after the first couple of duels with him, Serenity has settled into a bit more of a teaching role with him, having personally concluded that there's nothing worth learning from Gerard that she could instead have learned from Renar. She likes people with ideals though, which is why she deigns to teach him little ways to reach his ideals to begin with.

Lucas: Tyaethe can risk being an idiot. She wouldn't die unless you crushed her head or tore out her heart, and she had two centuries of experience to make up for her emotional deficiences. Lukas is 17 and is going to die. Serenity perhaps has some amount of pity for him, but one could only remain fearless for two reasons: either they were ignorant or they craved death. She suspects the latter, for martyrdom is preferable to obscurity for children with fantastic aspirations.

Fionn: Mutable, and reliable when it matters, with a fervor for service that puts some priests to shame. Serenity has no particular interest in involving herself with such a man, but will watch him from a safe distance. Paladins, true paladins, have a curious way of drawing forth more trouble that its worth to become their close associate, but she won't turn down any request of help from him either. Good to have favours owed from people like that, after all.

Fanilly: You know full well what their relationship is.

Fleuri: Loyalty to Reon whilst joining a formerly-Mayonite order of knights is curious. Loyalty, indeed, is a troublesome thing. But it's useful too. Whereas Renar grants opportunity to learn, and Gerard grants opportunity to teach, Serenity sees Fleuri as the Flower of the North, regardless of how he may consider himself a changed man. His skills make him what he is, and she will be more than happy to take everything he possesses and make it her own. After all, he's the charitable sort, isn't he?

Morianne: There's always a need for storytellers to record and recite the great deeds of knights, and for that alone, she's amiable with the elf bard. Serenity has made her own preferences clear with Morianne, however. In no case will her strengthening spells be placed upon Serenity. There's plenty of more enthusiastic targets anyhow.

Katerina: A multi-talented practitioner of magic, and a fun friend to whittle away the time with. Serenity doesn't eat Katerina's cooking if she can help it during expeditions, but when in the keep, will occasionally spoil herself by enjoying a meal. Learned fairly early on to reign in her own competitive spirit when it came to card games though: against the green-haired bitch, games of chance were never so.

Hope: A man. Apparently. Serenity is convinced he's lying. How is it even possible that a man prettier than more than half the female knights in the Iron Rose (Serenity, of course, is in the cohort that's prettier than Hope) can achieve such status without any makeup at all? That naturally has to be a lie. His magic is useful though, she'd give him that. Summoning is certainly a rarer art than the usual techniques of a war mage. She won't go out of her way to tell him that though. Their predilections are diametrically opposed, and she doesn't care for the air of intrigue he's so obsessed with radiating either. Doesn't make him special, after all. Everyone's got their traumas.

Tyaethe's relationships are comparatively way less detailed, but also because that's kind of a characterisation thing. xD

Which is, to put it simply, that none of the PCs have been around for long enough she feels anything more than obligation to not let them die pointlessly. Fanilly gets this a lot more actively, particularly with the last captain dying because of a poisoned injury of all things despite winning, but she's pretty much resigned herself to most people leaving in what feels like increasingly brief amounts of time.

And, y'know, the cast is full of recent recruits.

Fionn's relationship stuff is pretty easy to figure out.

Fionn towards Renar and Gerard: (incomprehensible but seemingly happy yelling)

Fionn about all the others but also about Renar and Gerard:

@VitaVitaAR

I've updated Lein's backstory with a couple adjustments! Let me know if there should be further updates.

@PigeonOfAstora: I think you're good now!

Relationship shit:

Fanilly: Untested and unproven. Frankly, the only reason Renar doesn't actually disapprove of her is because he knows she didn't have a single choice in the matter. There's no point in hating someone for something that they didn't choose for themselves. Renar would be an utter hypocrite to do so otherwise. He's entirely willing to assist and guide her as best as he's able, because helping her means helping himself. The prestige of the Iron Rose would be damaged greatly by an incompetent captain, and thus would damage his own goals.

Tyaethe: The legends never mentioned that the most enduring symbol of the Iron Rose was also a shockingly lazy layabout. Still, if anyone's actually earned that privilege, Paladin Tyaethe certainly has. Renar will respect her skill if nothing else, and uses her as a metric to measure himself against. If he can manage to provide a challenge to her in one of their spars, then he could die happy regarding his skill.

Cecilia: Clearly knows what she's doing, given that she won her glory in the war. Even with her lack of discipline and work ethic, she gets results where it counts: on the battlefield. In short, she has Renar's appreciation, though she could stand to stop trying to pawn her work off on others. Unlike the First and Youngest, Cecilia can't get away with that shit by virtue of not having ungodly might.

Shanil: Renar can recognize that she bears some sort of grudge, and he respects that. After all, he's fueled by spite in part himself. Still, he knows that whatever past she certainly hasn't shared is likely tragic, and doesn't pry. Likely tries to train against her often enough, just to get in practice against magic wielders.

Gerard: A good man, especially with his low birth. Hell, Gerard is a more noble man than most bluebloods Renar is acquainted with. Many of the trueborn knights Renar knows are little more than killers and opportunists deluding themselves into a sense of superiority, but Gerard genuinely seeks to live up to the ideals of their shared station while also having seen the realities of the battlefield. And for that, he won't deride Gerard's idealism as he would to so many others. Being around a true idealist is a refreshing change of pace, and besides, it's nice to dream.

Lucas: Why is he even here? How did an untested boy somehow slip into the Iron Rose? Renar is not pleased that this boy rode the coattails of a better man straight into the same order that he had to slay an orc warchief all by his lonesome to receive an invitation to. The order is for knights that have proven themselves already, not green boys with potential. Until Lucas proves himself, Renar regards him as little more than a waste of the Iron Rose's collective time and resources.

Fionn: A fine man of true faith and a finer veteran of war. As with Gerard, Renar appreciates those who have seen the worst life has to offer while remaining decent people, because he certainly can't manage such himself. Good company as well, though Renar has a hell of a time keeping an eye on the man to make sure he hasn't wasted his stipend, or goddesses forbid, lost it again.

Fleuri: The Flower of the North is a man who's lived the life Renar wishes he had. Or until he threw it all away, that is. The Iron Rose is but a stepping stone to Renar's goals, and yet the man who already had all the glory, recognition, and honors Renar wanted traded all that just to serve. Unlike with his commoner training partners, Renar just can't understand this one. Mostly because those two still managed to advance their lot in life, which is something he understands, despite being good men. Someone just discarding all that is completely alien to him.

Serenity: Renar knows when he's being used. In this instance, he doesn't really care. She can see his entire bag of tricks if she wants, he's improving as well by facing someone with incredibly solid fundamentals and technique. Serenity is fine company and a finer training partner, keeping him on his toes and offering decent conversation with an acerbic wit. Of course, he can tell she has some sort of grudge against Fanilly going, and it's piqued his curiosity.

Morianne: A complete bitch, yes. But Renar's learned to more or less tune it out unless she actually has some valid criticism for once. Still, he understands a cynic, being one himself, and agrees with her more often than he should. Unless it pertains to him. But even then, there's still something useful to be gleaned.

Katerina: Neutral to affable. Decent companionship, and certainly a very good cook. Renar makes a point of staying on her good side, if only so she doesn't tamper with any meal she serves to him.

Hope: If he wanted to help people directly, he should have stayed in the capital. In Renar's opinion, Hope's talents, while certainly appreciated, are wasted as a knight. The man would do more of the good he sought by continuing to heal the sick and feed the hungry than killing what the crown bid them to. Also doesn't appreciate him being a mother hen. Renar can take care of himself, thank you very much. He always has.

Did an overview as well.

Cecilia: Archers were always valuable in any military cohort, and Franz's Faceless were no different, snapping up any where they showed interest regardless of persona. As such, Gerard finds Cecilia to fall quite neatly into the familiar role of "mouthy, sometimes lazy backliner", though he couches such descriptions in the spirit of intra-company banter and stereotype. Her ability with the bow is no joke, and thus far her penchant for petty thievery and mischief hasn't earned her any real ire— if she's nicked something from him, she's made sure it wasn't of import first. He can appreciate that, just as he appreciates having her watching over he and his fellows in the vanguard.

Renar: Going beyond their shared commitment to training? It's hard to believe the wealth of dirty tricks Renar's worked out, and Gerard's erstwhile line of work saw underhanded tactics as the name of the game. There's really no end to the devious stratagems and gambits spinning away in the head of the "Bastard of Brias", and each one is made in the name of stacking the odds most heavily in his favor— a merciless drive Gerard can't help but respect. Not only is the man's unfettered will to earn glory and legitimize himself a daring dream in the vein of Gerard's own, but on a much, much simpler level... Renar gets it. You've gotta do what you've gotta do. Whatever danger his plans may involve, and whatever disagreements they may politely nurse on ideals like chivalry and a proper, knightly image, Sagramore trusts Renar's judgement with his life.

Shanil: To be blunt— Gerard had never met an elf in his life until he joined this order. His impression of them had grown out of a heady mix of childhood fables from the border to Velt, bawdy drinking songs he'd long learned to take with the next month's shipment of salt, and rumors and campfire stories passed around his corps, usually taken with the next two. When he first encountered Shanil, he found her to be... hard to read, beyond the surface. Beautiful like the stories, sure, and seeming to be haughty like the scuttlebutt... yet, not exactly so. Too melancholy was the air that hung about her, and it reminded Gerard of the curt brusqueness he'd come to learn he possessed in speech, a carelessness of the tongue stemming from a mind that had seen much. She's made it clear he's not allowed to pry further, and he respects it, content with letting her be hard to read so long as he can count on her as a comrade.

Tyaethe: The First and Youngest is in her own right a legendary figure within and without the Order, and as such is due all respect. Hailing from an age when men cracked mountains, Gerard simply weathers whatever indifference she has for him and his capability, seeing her two hundred years of experience as a valuable perspective to listen for— and moreover, a summit to reach. While he implicitly understands it's a rare threat he'll meet that she can't handle, no real knight would sit by and let someone else, vampire or no, take care of things forever. Additionally, while he quickly managed to dampen Reon's taught opinion on vampirism after a little logic to the tune of "she's faithfully served this order as a Paladin of Lady Mayon, you know this", he's quite spooked by the idea of having his blood drank—a hypocrisy he doesn't acknowledge, given how freely he would spill it to spill more of an enemy's.

Gerard: His own worst enemy, a man to be cast into the hellish flame of training's crucible and hammered into better, more proper shape by learning's watchful eye. Gerard sees himself for exactly what he is— a farmer turned mercenary, learning only now what it means to be a knight, cutting above the grim trade he plied before with true virtue and dignity, with Justice and perhaps even Honor. He must do all he can to be a good, proper student, and weaponize the skills that got him here to their fullest while he learns everything else. Fierce, Rageful, and No Longer Expendable, he navigates the battlefield on the edge of his blade— and it can only get so far on its own.

Lucas: Something like a little brother. A very eager one, at that, always seeking to mimic and follow Gerard's lead. The man honestly doesn't know what to do with him, despite being the second-eldest of four siblings on his homestead— the younger sisters always found their little ways of keeping his head from getting too big, whereas Lucas seems to exist in adulation of him. If anything, it disquiets the same man who knows how to blink away sprays of blood and bone: for all of Lucas's natural agility, dexterity, and potential, trying to fight like Gerard would get him killed before long. He's tried to impress upon the younger man to play to his strengths and dial back the effusive praise he (in his mind) doesn't deserve, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Fionn: A man after his own heart, and proof his dream, in some way, is no lie. Fionn's extensive mercenary background and tireless honing of skill and strength forged a fast commonality and friendship between the pair, being one of the few knights the younger truly loosens up around. If Fionn can survive, make merry, and keep his past where it belongs, than surely Gerard can manage the same, if not even more. Interestingly, the Veltic man also seems to be a natural counterweight to him— a devout Mayonite rather than Reonite, a patient fighter who would rather work off the counter and wait for the right opening rather than force one onto his opponent, a protector to shield the innocent rather than a furious sword raised against the wicked. That balancing force might prove crucial, and Gerard's happy he's found it in a friend.

Fanilly: Unproven. Hell, unknown. Gerard's opinion of Fanilly is that of a patient, cautious hire, waiting to get an idea of how his new boss operates. He of course has full respect for her office, and will ultimately follow whatever orders the Knight-Captain doles out with full focus on their objective, but he can't see the point of the tradition that anointed her to begin with. To exacerbate matters, he regularly needs to check his observations against those of Serenity, a truly unforgiving voice in his ear.

Fleuri: If the image of the aspirations Gerard holds must be chosen among the Knights of today, Fleuri would doubtless find himself a frontrunner. The son of House Jodeau ticks all the boxes— a gallant and courageous fighter, a devout Reonite having squired beneath a Paladin, and loyal to the cause without question, upholding virtue with a cool head atop his hot blood. Someone worth watching very closely. A Knight Exemplar if there ever was one, Gerard sees only Fleuri Jodeau, Knight of the Iron Rose— The Flower of the North must be a shackle whose binds the man has shaken, lest the Black Regiment shackle Gerard.

Serenity: Polished and razor-keen everywhere you could think to ask, Gerard was initially quite shocked at how well the young noblewoman handled herself in the early bouts they shared after his recruitment into the Order, faultlessly honed skill belying her youth and navigating the gulf between his experience and hers. Had he any more an ego, his pride might have stung at the thought of trading exchange for exchange with one so blue-blooded and "untested", but he felt the weight and breadth of her training. It's as undeniable as the bruiser's bulging on her knuckles— Just as Renar, her drive is to be respected. Just as Fleuri of House Jodeau, Serenity of House Arcedeen is in the running for an image of what knighthood is meant to be. She even takes it a step further than the Reonite— offering cues and corrections on the finer details of the new station Gerard finds himself in, every now and again. Familiar enough with the type of dry, acrid wit she appreciates from his past, Gerard sees these small charities for what they are, and makes every effort to be a diligent student.

Morianne: The troubadour is in many ways an oddity to Gerard, weaving magic through the air with the medium of music and carrying what seems to be an attempt at weaponizing a lute. He understands well that the realms of the arcane are beyond his ken, however, and is hard-pressed to deny the unique rushing strength her spells can impart upon him— whatever cutting words she might launch his way, he's spent six years filtering out. In this case, it's nice that they'd be coming from a force so game-changing for infantry like him. No doubt about it, whatever personality she may have, she's kept her role here far longer than he has.

Katerina: The healer, the chef, more than likely the most crucial cog in the machine of any expedition save the captain herself, Gerard can overlook far more than an unfamiliar accent and penchant for black comedy. Katerina is someone who is in all respects a lifesaver— and Gerard knows without a shadow of a doubt that he has a responsibility to not give her fits in that. The food would suffer if she was mad at anyone. Beyond that, she's agreeable and forthcoming, if at times stubborn— nothing he'd have the right, let alone desire to complain about. His regard for her roles can't be overstated. He knows firsthand just what her grim punchlines feel like when people like her aren't around.

Hope: Confusing. Not just because he's a man in spite of his ethereal, almost waifish beauty, but also more fundamentally so— his mother hen routine runs aground against the rocky coasts of everything Gerard has learned to do. A man of action, work, and adrenaline, Gerard sees this dreamlike state of contemplation and demureness that Hope almost floats through life with as unfortunately ill-founded in combat, where decisive action and quick reaction is key. Atop this, Gerard's internalized expendability leads him facing danger head-on for victory's sake, which lies in direct opposition with Hope's patience and care. He understands readily the good soul Hope has, and holds the many kindnesses in high regard... but is quietly flummoxed whenever he's their recipient. It ought to be something worth moving past. Maybe that's on him.