Richard Anderson

[Richard Anderson]

Richard Anderson Syliran Squire Basic Information Race: Human Birthday & Age: 492 AV / 18 Years Old Gender: Male Physical Description Standing at six feet and weighing one hundred and eighty pounds it could easily be said that he was noticeable in a crowd of humans, but a few are guessing he will still grown an inch or two more as he ages, and he doesn't seem to have the muscle to match his height. It's clear to those that look closely enough that he is still getting used to his height and reach. The thing noted after his height is always his eyes, faded gray and piercing, never one to shy away from staring into the eyes of another. His intense gaze is mistaken often as disrespectful or threatening, but his actions have yet to prove this perception true. Typically he will wear simple clothes, preferring earth tones, rarely wasting money on them until he is told that it is disrespectful to keep wearing nearly worn out clothes. He would disagree with the perception, but he was already viewed as disrespectful so he has kept his wardrobe relatively acceptable. When training he has all but openly denounced the use of plate armor in favor for hardened leather, worn over chain mail, which in turn is is worn over his simple tunics to keep his skin from being rubbed raw. Lower body is similarly lightly armored, wearing leather over simple cloth, with plain leather boots to keep the restrictions on his movement to a minimum. His daggers are slipped into place at the leather belt at his waist. His axes are kept strapped to his shoulders like they were spaulders, facing backward, so he can reach up and pull them out easily. A broadsword would be kept to one hip, although he would consider wearing another if he expected a real battle. Head: Dark brown hair, almost unkempt, medium length. Eyes of gray that gradually fades away from the iris. Strong features, with stubble shaping along his jaw and around his mouth, marking him with an air of mature intensity a few years beyond his actual age. Torso: Toned sinew runs along the length of his torso. Holds only a few scars, a notable scar from an attacker that had cut across his stomach when he was younger. A long scar running from his shoulders down to his waist in almost a straight line, from when a careless squire lost his grip of a halberd. He was told he was lucky he wasn't standing any closer to the lad then he was, or it would've cleaved into his shoulder rather then along the front of it. Arms: Lengthy arms, all solid bones and lean muscles with only the smallest amount of fat. The muscle tone shown is deceptive, showing it's strength only when being actively used, making it easy for him to hide his strength when wearing his roomy tunics. Hands: Tendons are drawn tightly over his knuckles, showing the bone structure underneath slightly more then most. This gives him the ability to strike with bone instead of the meat of the fingers, makes his fist look all the more threatening, and makes his grip a little more intense. The palm of his hand have grown rough from use, as is to be expected of one who holds a weapon so frequently. Legs & Feet: Legs, being longer then torso itself in almost all cases, make up a good amount of his height. Therefor its only right he needed to keep them in good shape. Muscles rises from his bones, surprisingly tight and lean. His feet, like his hands, have hardened on the soles, the reason for this is that given any opportunity he would go barefoot. Character Concept Personality- From a distance, literally or figuratively, he can seem very cold and unapproachable. However this is a perception based on his appearance more then his nature, and in reality he is a friendly enough individual. He enjoys quick quips and intellectual duels as much as he enjoys psychical ones, and it has been known to get him in trouble with friends and superiors who find his timing inappropriate. Richard is someone who knows the value of truth, but has not yet fully learned when it is appropriate to demand it. Which of course also puts him at odds with those that cling to lies that comfort them, it took some time for him to learn how to present the truth to not sound as though he was intending to cut others with it. It's something he is still tempering, and can occasionally cut more deeply then he realizes. Ethics- Despite the people around him he views the world in his own way, and refuses to let his perceptions be bent by anything but absolute truth and logic. He generally enjoys conflict with others, but is learning when it is not appropriate to engage. If he sees an evil act, even if it is socially unacceptable to confront it, he will. Evil is not an abstract concept, but something to be battled on every front wherever it is found. Likes: Training, debates, riding, solitude. Dislikes: Solitude, heavy armor, being unarmed, being lied to, being ordered. Character History Richard was born to a Mother and Father he no longer recalls the name of. The pair were living on the outskirts of Sunberth, spending their lives as farmers. It was a dangerous place to be, but from what little information Richard has of his youth he had gathered that his Father thought he could handle himself well enough to protect his family. Slavers had come through some time during his fifth year, dishonorable as they were they didn't think much of cutting down Richard's father while he ran to get his broadsword from the wall furthest from his bed. That, and the blood he watched seep into the floor, were the most of what Richard remembered from his youth. He had no recollection on why he wasn't taken or killed, or where his Mother had gone. What he learned of this singular event was retold from what another pieced together upon stumbling across the scene, a Syliran Squire on his first quest had stopped to ask for a nights shelter in exchange for a few coppers when he found the small farm. From what he had been told, Richard had been sitting quietly next to his father, his hand stained red as he rested it on his father's shoulder. The Squire swept him out of the house and placed him next to the door, and went about the grim work of burying the father while Richard looked on in silence. After the work was done he asked a few questions, to which Richard had no answers, and dutifully returned to Syliras with him. Richard was made the charge of a man named Roland, who looked after him well enough, but never really showed all that much love to him. Not that the man didn't love Richard, it was just not his way. When it came time for him to be a Paige he was shown his heirloom, and along the hilt of the sword was etched Ander. Upon realizing this Roland put the name to his charge to connect him to his past. And so Richard Anderson went to do all the errands that were expected of him, keeping mostly to himself, but being a pleasant enough boy. The time went by without much thought, it was all work that didn't require much of it anyhow, but he was reserved to the point where he was thought to be cold. When he came of the age to be taken as a squire by one of the Knights he didn't show too much interest, and with his seemingly cold demeanor not many were leaping at the chance to take him under their wing. The Knight who eventually took him, nearly the end of his thirteenth year, found him during an errand. The reason wasn't because Richard seemed dutiful, but that when he bumped into the man he glanced up and fixed him a stare that held no fear or awe. The knight had crouched down some and clapped him on the shoulder, grinning at some joke Richard didn't seem to get, and asked if he was a Squire. Richard pointed out that he would be brandishing a sword instead of a loaf of bread if he was a Squire. The Knight barked out a hearty laugh and the matter was settled. It was really only through him that Richard seemed to lose his cold indifference to his daily tasks, and started taking up several interests. One of which was challenging his nerves with more quips then the Knight could, at times, handle. But whatever chafing his sense of humor caused was more then made up for by his tireless resolve and strong work ethic. After a days work as a Squire many limped back to their beds and collapsed in exhaustion. Richard on the other hand would go to a practice ring and put in a minimum of two more hours of combat training before he would retire for the night. This habit lead to one of his few friendships, with another Squire who trained with him on occasion, meeting him during the sessions. The only real trouble he caused was his belly aching over the use of a shield and plate armor. He despised them both quite thoroughly, and while he could always lay out his logical hatred for using either it always felt like he was only brushing the outer layer of his reasoning. During the evening he would train with unconventional weapons, and abandoned plate and shield in favor for a single handed style with various weapons not often used by his trainer. It made him appear weak with the sword and shield, even with light armor, and with the bow. But in his evening training his friend learned that it only made him more unpredictable when he was fighting with his own arsenal, and all the more troublesome to defeat because of it. There was other things that he chafed against in his service as a Squire, but he rarely brought the issues up as the setting always seemed inappropriate. Training:   Combat (Sword) - 15 pts (Axe) - 15 pts (Shield) - 5 pts (Dagger Throwing) - 10 pts (Archery) - 5 pts (Horse Riding) - 10 pts   Social (Leadership) - 5 pts   Language (Common) - Fluent (Kontinese) - Basic   Lore Lore - Weakness in Plate Mail Lore - Principles of Tyveth Equipment and Possessions o 1 Set of Clothing (beige tunic, brown breeches, leather belt, underclothes, brown cloak, leather boots) o 1 Waterskin o 1 Pack which contains: o 1 Set of Toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap) o Food for a week or 1 bottle of embalming fluid (for Nuits) o 1 eating knife o Flint & Steel o Sword, Broad, Heirloom Ledger 100 gold rimmed mizas Thread List