Aderyn Castillon

[Aderyn Castillon]

Aderyn Castillon Appearance Race: Human Gender: Male Age: Twenty-Nine Birthday: 52nd of Winter, 485 A.V. Birthplace: City of Zeltiva, Sylira Appearance: Aderyn stands at 6'0'' in height, with a stocky, strapping build. He possesses a slight tan due to his frequent hikes in the mountains surrounding the city of his birth. His face chiseled and rugged, made all the more so by the beard he sports. His hair is an earthen color, though it does possess hints of grey due to a defect that ran in his family. He keeps his hair fairly well groomed and trimmed, always making sure to keep it short, tidy, and combed. His face is bereft of dirt, oftentimes, as Aderyn bathes regularly. His eyes, meanwhile, are a deep blue. Aderyn is almost obsessed with keeping a prim, proper appearance, and often fixates on vestments and adornments of a particularly fetching quality. However, he also knows his desire for well sewn, dashing clothes is near impossible due to his lacking in a steady form of income. What he does wear is form fitting, often containing reds, blues, and other dark, solid colors. His hands are calloused and worn from his five years of infrequent gardening work, as are the soles of his feet. He carries himself in a stately, authoritative manner more often than not, and he rarely ever slouches, except during his bouts of depression. Character Concept Aderyn isn't the sort of man to openly show his emotions in the face of adversity, and will oftentimes suppress his feelings unless under duress. In such an event, he will lash out haphazardly at those closest to him, thus alienating himself. Also, he will become introverted and quiet during his bouts of depression, which occur at seemingly random intervals. When he is actually in a jovial, almost glad mood, his dry sense of humor becomes more prominent. Alternatively, he can also be very serious and therefore either become offended or take seriously what was intended to be a joke or jest. However, he does express a form of caring and compassion to those he considers "friends", or rather "acquaintances", as he considers friends those you confide in with nary a hint of remorse or doubt for having done so. Yet, such a person has never come along; not at present. Character History Born upon a cold, wintry evening in the easterly coastal city of Zeltiva, Aderyn Castillon was brought into the world with only a mother to care for him. He was as anyone would expect a newborn babe to be, healthy and strong. His infantile years were spent in a small crib or at his mother's breast, and his mother worked constantly to care for herself as well as her child. She worked mainly as a seamstress, selling and/or trading her craft yet not receiving a steady rate of payment. Regardless, she was able to procure a simple, if somewhat aged cottage along the southern shore. It wasn't the greatest of accommodations, and all it held was the bear minimum of provisions and furniture. However, 'twas all a simple seamstress could afford on a paltry salary. Despite her meager funds, she tried to provide for her child as best she could, with the only option being in the form of an old colleague of hers. The friend was the daughter of a local merchant, and as such she was given the education Aderyn's mother could only wish she had. Regardless, the two were still on speaking terms, and with a bit of coaxing, Aderyn was given the opportunity to study under the tutelage of that friend while his mother continued to save and garner pay. At first, the task of learning to read was tackled, and Aderyn took to it almost immediately. He reveled in reading of Mizahar before the Valterrian, of the Suvan and Alahean Empires and their downfall, and of the land being torn asunder before being rebuilt to some semblance of order and stability. However, he also learned of his own city, of its history, as well as its general layout, though the maps provided were fragmented at best. Writing was more a challenge, as it required the actual creation and refinement of penmanship, something Aderyn found less than enjoyable. Regardless of his feelings on the subjects, he learned, improved, and perfected his reading ability and writing style as the years progressed, eventually developing a fairly verbose vocabulary, as well as a love and an undying appreciation for the written word. His appreciation was so deep, in fact, that he longed to learn of other subjects, of other cultures, locations, times. However, his wants and desires were put on hold as he reached adulthood, for his mother had contracted a disease that had left her bedridden. Stopping all efforts at further improving his education, Aderyn soon devoted his time to caring for and embettering his mother's overall health. He followed the advice of a local apothecary, resulting in his buying another bed so as to keep his distance from his ailing caregiver. Also, he purchased an assortment of herbs and medications to lessen and abate the symptoms of her illness. Sweetblossom Tincture was used to cure her of her debilitating diarrhea, Mandrake Tonic for her horrid coughing fits, Hista Balm for her aching and pained joints, and the leaves of the Bon'mur plant for her fever. Her condition seemed to improve over the ensuing weeks, as the symptoms grew less and less prominent. However, the season of Winter soon set in, leaving the possibility of further shipments being delivered all but probable. Running low on funds, Aderyn waited helplessly as his mother's health slowly deteriorated to being even worse than when she initially showed symptoms of the ailment. Several weeks passed, and yet still nothing. He stayed at her side nearly the entire time, except when he would perform jobs around the town for coin. After waiting for nearly half a season, a shipment carrying Bon'mur Leaves finally arrived. Yet, despite having bought up as much as he was able, it proved moot. For, when Aderyn returned to the decaying cottage, he found his mother's still corpse, an expression of pain and fatigue painting her countenance. Aderyn was distraught, to put it lightly. The funeral service that was held was simple, with few, save Aderyn and a few neighbors, in attendance. She was buried in a mass, unmarked grave with several other unknown bodies. He returned home a broken man. At first, in order to repress his feelings of grief, he, with the aid of his neighbors, took up various hobbies and occupations, some of which being hiking, gardening, and even applying for a position at the University of Zeltiva. However, his denial of her death soon turned to anger, as he lashed out at those who tried to help him come to terms with his grief, thus alienating him from those he used to know. Anger gave way to depression, which has been a mainstay in Aderyn's life since that horrid winter. In the years since his mother's death, his life has been a constant back and forth between depression and an attempt at acceptance. Yet, as his 30th winter came and went, he discovered in a chest of his mother's personal effects a letter, addressed to him. From the manner in which it was written, it sounded like a letter of departure, like the individual who wrote it was, in fact leaving and would never return. The letter ended thusly: Nothing would bring me greater pleasure and joy than to see your face. I hope to see what a strapping man you've become sometime soon. But not yet. No. I shan't explain my reasons for leaving, as it would endanger both you and your mother if I did. Please stay safe. I hope to meet you in the flesh, Aderyn, and when I do, I know I'll be proud to call you "son". Your Father, Richard Dumbfounded by what he'd just read, he knew not how to proceed. For several days afterwards, he mulled and brooded over the letter and the ornate cloak that came with it. What intrigued him the most was not its fine quality, but what was emblazoned upon the broach: a silver sword engulfed in flames. Aderyn grief turned into bitter hatred. In that moment, he knew what he had to do. He needed to track this "Richard's" whereabouts, so as to have him answer one simple question: "Why?" Language Fluent Language: Modern Common Skills Skill EXP Total Proficiency Weapon: Dagger 15pts. SP 15/100 Novice History 15pts. SP, 15pts. RB 30/100 Competent Intelligence 10pts. SP 10/100 Novice Gardening 5pts. SP 5/100 Novice Endurance 5pts. SP 5/100 Novice Lores Lore of Zeltiva Streetplan Lore of History of Zeltiva Possessions Purchase Cost Total -Simple Maroon Cotton Shirt Starting Package 100 gm -Simple Brown Linen Pants Starting Package 100 gm -Simple White Cotton Undergarments Starting Package 100 gm -Simple Black Hooded Linen Cloak Starting Package 100 gm -Simple Leather Boots, Low Starting Package 100 gm 1 Waterskin Starting Package 100 gm 1 Backpack which contains: Starting Package 100 gm -Comb (Wood) Starting Package 100 gm -Brush (Wood) Starting Package 100 gm -Soap Starting Package 100 gm -Razor Starting Package 100 gm -Balanced Rations (1 Week's worth) Starting Package 100 gm -1 eating knife Starting Package 100 gm -Flint & Steel Starting Package 100 gm -Embroidered Blood-Red Silk Cloak, Large (Heirloom) Starting Package 100 gm Bed, Average -10 gm 90 gm Dagger, Steel -2 gm 88 gm Scabbard, Dagger -2 gm 86 gm Royal Blue Linen Doublet -4 sm, 5cm 85 gm, 5 sm, 5 cm White Cotton Shirt -1 sm, 3 cm 85 gm, 4 sm, 2 cm Leather Belt w/ Iron Buckle -4 gm 81 gm, 4 sm, 2 cm Black Linen Pants -8 sm 80 gm, 6 sm, 2 cm Brown Leather Shoes -6 sm 79 gm, 2 cm Heirloom: Embroidered Blood-Red Silk Cloak, Large (Found within a chest of his mother's personal effects) Housing Location: Zeltiva, a small cottage located on the southern edge of the shore. House: One basic 20x20 Single Room (400 sq. ft.) Cottage with a Hearth, a Bed of average quality; a Chest, Chair, and a Small Table. Ledger Purchase Cost Total Starting +100 GM 100 GM On Creation -20 gm, 9 sm, 8 cm 79 gm, 2 cm Thread List Link your current & past threads here!