Name: Iowerth (Iolyn) Rhydderch
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance:
Personality: Good natured, but with a scathing wit, Iolyn has been known to get on just as many peoples' good side as bad. It's hard to tell, at first glance, when his dislike of someone is genuine or feigned, as he seems to treat both people he likes and hates equally poorly. While perhaps not making him the most popular knight in the order, his criticisms are at least usually full of genuine advice.
His quest for knowledge is voracious, at least concerning the history of Thaln and the wider world. From his traveling days he is fairly well acquainted with the customs and history of the other nations and races of the world, at least those that could be approached without dismembering him on sight. If left with free time, he can usually be found either pouring over research or writing down his own findings.
Brief Backstory: The Rhydderch family is an old noble line with no small amount of power in Thaln, and thus Iolyn was afforded an upbringing of luxury, where he could focus both on training his mind and body instead of learning a craft to make a living. From a young age he was captured with a sense of wanderlust and curiosity to see the world, and as a fourth son with very few hopes of having to inherit the family lands and estates, he was encouraged to leave and make his own way in the world. As soon as he felt able to, Iolyn set for other lands with a thirst for adventure and discovery.
Life as a wanderer quickly hardened the young noble, casting aside much of the romance and fantasy his passion had instilled in him. Still, with a noble's training and equipment, he was well able to defend himself against many of the more violent sorts he encountered during his journey, and the hardships did not deter him from his chosen path. For years he traveled, visiting as many notable landmarks as possible. From Taderia (although he studied from afar, not daring or foolish enough to venture inside) to the gates of Draz'khzidra and back. Along the way he wrote
Myths of Thaln: Accurate Accounts of Historic Locations which became a minor success amongst the nobility, and afforded him the luxury of his own house and small library in Tennelberg.
However, this house was not located in the... nicest part of the city. Eventually, catching word of his wealth, a gang of thieves broke into Iolyn's house, taking the man by surprise. Unarmed and outnumbered, he was quickly overwhelmed. Only intervention from a Knight of the Iron Rose, who happened to hear the commotion from the street, saved his life. The encounter, particularly when the knight refused payment afterword, rekindled Iolyn's long lost passion, and he almost immediately set about joining the order as a personal sort of repayment to the knight. While not a knight himself, his family blood and experience in combat ensured that he was quickly accepted.
That was over half a decade ago, and he has proven himself a useful asset on many occasions.
Equipment:
Zidra - His oldest travel companion. The horse has seen much of the world, including the Dwarven city in which she was named. While not as heavy and capable of a charge as some stallions bred for war, Iolyn has yet to see a horse she can't outrun.
Iolyn's Kriegsmesser - While able to be wielded with a shield, Iolyn prefers a more aggressive two-handed style.
Iolyn's Crossbow - Light enough to be used on horseback, it remains Iolyn's preferred way to engage an enemy. This crossbow and Zidra have felled many a foe together.
Iolyn's Armour - Lighter than that of most knights, his preference for boiled leather and mail is yet another holdover from his traveling days.
Skills:
Horseback Archery - As a wanderer, Iolyn found himself beset more than once by bandits. He very quickly developed a hit-and-run combat style to help deal with their numbers, and escape. To this day he remains deadly accurate even at full gallop.
Knowledge of... - Between his travels and his research, there doesn't seem to be much Iolyn doesn't know. This is notably useful in dealing with those from different cultures and regions. Either helping to negotiate with them, or knowing how they prefer to fight.
Noble Training - While most experienced in fighting with his own blade, his upbringing afforded him experience in using most weapons. He is not afraid to arm himself differently if he knows what foes he will face ahead of time.
