Name: Brendan d'Ardfert, Baron of Sharnhelm and Lord Protector of White Haven
Race: Breton
Age: 38
Birthsign: The Lord
Physical Description: Brendan is a handsome Breton, built relatively small and thin. He wears his straight and sandy hair (only just beginning to thin) short, and does not wear a beard or other facial hair out of a deep-set abhorrence of lice. His features are thin and refined, even his typically Breton snub-nose. His eyes are bright green. Though thin, he is well-toned, with a warriors build. His hands, though heavily callused have long and beautiful fingers. The pinky finger of his right hand is missing, a memento from a duel in his firebrand youth. He has only the lightest of tans.
History: Brendan's father, Brennus d'Ardfert, was a high-ranking noble in the court of the Sharnhelm who married Elena Vintinia, sister of the late Baron of Sharnhelm, Cadwallace Vintinia. Cadwallace had received a spear thrust to the groin as a youth, and was impotent as a result ? a fact which shamed him and led him to divorce several wives. Young Brendan was therefore Cadwallace's heir and very close to his uncle, a bond which grew only closer when Cadwallace adopted him at the age of nine after Brennus was killed in a messy hunting accident.
As Brendan grew older, he also grew more wild. His life as a youth consisted mostly of long hunting trips and lavish feasts in castles all across High Rock. Though his mother and his uncle tried to restrain him, he heeded their chidings not at all. He fought a number of duels during this time, and is said to have lost only once - to Francis de Guiralle (OOC: if, of course, Blademaster agrees) who would one day be the Lord of Northpoint.
In his eighteenth year, Brendan married Antonia Livilla, the daughter of a wealthy Colovian merchant. Though Brendan at the time questioned to advisability of marrying a commoner, Antonia's good looks (and her father's large fortune) quickly swayed him. Brendan and Antonia were married happily for seventeen years and had three children, before she succumbed to tuberculosis.
When he was twenty, Brendan lost three close relatives ? his uncle and adopted father Cadwallace, his father-in-law Drusus Livilla, and his mother Elena. These three deaths marked the end of Brendan's tumultuous youth, as after them he began to settle down and make good on his triple inheritance. His reign over Sharnhelm has now lasted eighteen years of relative peace and prosperity. Brendan has sought to expand his influence north of Sharnhelm's traditional borders, making tensions tight between Sharnhelm and Northpoint and even sparking a brief but vicious border war some years ago.
Weapons: Brendan is comfortable fighting with most bladed weapons, but prefers the cavalry sabre.
Armor/Clothing: Brendan is accustomed to wear a light suit of mithril chainmail into battle. His boots and gauntlets are both made of leather. He typically also wears a light blue cloak.
Companions: Cadwallace d'Ardfert ? Brendan's first and only son (age 19) is named after his late uncle. Like his twin sister, Cadwallace has Brendan's pale skin and slender frame but their mother's dark hair and eyes. Cadwallace is somber, serious, and studious. He is calm and collected and has a strong sense of honor. He will one day be the Baron of Sharnhelm.
Diana d'Ardfert ? Brendan's older daughter (age 19) may resemble her twin brother in looks, but hardly does in temperament. Diana is fiery and rash, a real tomboy, who enjoys hunting and hawking. Brendan worries about who will marry Diana ? though attractive, she tends to scare off suitors. Case in point: a popular rumor in Sharnhelm holds that she once castrated a man who sought to woo her.
Livia d'Ardfert ? Brendan's youngest child is his daughter Livia (age 17). Livia is slim and pale like her siblings, but has Brendan's fair hair and sparkling green eyes. Unlike Diana, Livia is a proper Bretic lady, content with the inanities of court life and the trashy romance novels that make their way north out of the Imperial Province.
Faction Name: Barony of Sharnhelm (14300)
Rank: Brendan d'Ardfert, Baron
1500 Sharnhelm Knights ? The Knights of Sharnhelm are equipped somewhat more lightly than the standard Bretic knight. Though still mounted on powerful destriers, Sharnhelm's knights are clad in steel chainmail and fight with light steel lances and double-bladed cavalry sabers to allow slightly more maneuverability on the battle ground.
500 Knights of the Clouded Mirror ? Sharmhelm's elite martial order, the Knights of the Clouded Mirror are not really knights at all, but rather mounted battle-mages. Equipped like the standard Sharnhelm Knight (but without the lances) these mages are experts in Destruction magic. Most also have some background training in Restoration and Alchemy.
5000 Pikemen ? Trained in the use of the long pike and used to the pike square formation developed by the central Bretic cities, these professional soldiers make up the majority of Sharnhelm's infantry. They are also snazzy dressers, wearing elaborate doublets, jerkins, and flat beret-type hats with tall feathers under their steel briastplates.
2300 Doppels?ldner ? These infantrymen are experienced warriors trained in the use of the eight foot halberd. Armored like the pikes, they fight in the frontline, throwing enemy cavalry and pikemen into disarray.
2000 Swordsmen ? These swordsmen are the cr?me de la cr?me of the Sharnhelm infantry. They are highly skilled in the use of the Zweih?nder, a double-handed sword. They are again armored like the other infantry units, and fight in the front lines like the Doppels?ldner. They are especially useful against enemy spear and pike formations.
3000 Bretic Longbowmen ? These Bretic archers are trained in the use of Bretony's most dreaded weapon ? the longbow. They are armored in simple leather doublets, so they can be mobilized quickly and efficiently. In addition to their well crafted longbows, they carry quivers of between 20-25 arrows, and have dirks or long-bladed daggers in case they are obliged to engage the enemy in close combat.
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:40 am