Long, sorry, I know... I basically took the bios I'd written (or JennyHallu, whose character Lin was originally, or LMP who obviously had Wenna) already and tweaked them for current accuracy.
I will be writing Degas and Wenna regularly. I doubt Lin will show up at all, but since Degas will most likely be pining over her a bit, I wanted to make sure everyone knows who she is. Farahil and Adragil are Lin's very protective older brothers, nephews of Imrahil. While I'll probably leave Adragil at home in Gondor, I intend to bring Farahil to Scarburg.
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NAME:
Degas of the Folde
AGE: 19
RACE: Rohirric
GENDER: male
WEAPONS: A heavy sword with distinguishing marks that he wields effortlessly, yet rarely carries; it matches a thin dagger possessed by his twin sister. His own dull dagger serves less for cutting or stabbing than for random prying; he’s been looking to replace it, but only half-heartedly, as it was a gift from his sisters that he received when he was about ten. Keen enough with a bow, but prefers no weapons. Trained by commoner friends to hand-fight when he was about 14. His lean muscular frame is suited for quick hits that carry a lot of power.
APPEARANCE: About 5’11”, broad shoulders, dark red hair that’s long and tied into a horsetail at almost all times. Handsome with devilishly twinkling eyes. Has skin that’s darkened slightly after a childhood spent wincing over sunburns.
PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: A sweet and caring musician, he loves his twin sister Saeryn more than anybody else, and would not have returned from his prolonged stay as a singer and musician in Minas Tirith if it had not been for her continued residence in Rohan.
Upon his return, he met and fell in love with Linduial of Dol Amroth, the niece of Imrahil and cousin of Queen Lotherial of Rohan. Knowing that as a younger son with no money he could not hope to provide her with a life her family would agree to, he nevertheless rode to Linduial's family home in Southern Gondor to ask for her hand in marriage. He was, quite frankly, baffled that he was given the family's okay as long as Lin wanted to marry him.
While it is now assumed that Degas and Linduial (who lives for now with her cousin, the Queen, in Edoras) will wed, it will not happen soon since Fenrir was killed in a peasant uprising and Degas refuses to bring a new bride to the lands he has just inherited, possibly against the will of the people who live there. While he's glad that he can now provide his wife-to-be with lands and some wealth, he is more interested in providing stability and is overlooking her training in diplomacy, thinking chivalrously that he must keep her safe.
Degas has had to grow up very quickly, transforming all but overnight from a cocky flirt who adorned Aragorn's court as a musician and could often come across as abrasive, impulsive, and condescending into a forthright young man who must bring the mutinous peasantry of his family's lands back under his control.
As dowry for Saeryn, Degas swore an oath to Eodwine that they would be brothers, coming to the aid of one another, and that should Eodwine die, Degas would care for Saeryn and her children as Eodwine would. He did not take this oath lightly.
Degas's new responsibilities weigh heavily on him, as does impatience to be married. In being forced to wait ever longer to wed Linduial, as well as tending to the charred lands and buildings destroyed in the uprising, trading and begging with others to provide goods to keep his people alive over the winter, Degas has begun to truly prove himself as a man, showing leadership and strength that would not have been expected of him before he met Lin.
HISTORY: The younger son of a noble house of Rohan, Degas is the twin of Saeryn and brother of [deceased] Caelwyn and [also deceased] Fenrir. With parents of a liberal persuasion, Degas and his siblings were allowed to wander through the Folde, mingling with those of all stations, learning from the most distinguished guests of their parents as well as the roughest of wanderers, and playing. Taught both statecraft and how to deal with commoners on their own level, the children were fast able to act appropriately in all situations.
After their parents’ tragic death, Degas and his siblings were cared for by Fenrir, who was quite a bit older. Their freedom was remarkably lessened by Fenrir’s ambition and desire for noble propriety. The girls were kept within the walls of their home for the most part, though Degas was still allowed to adventure. With his twin sometimes disguised and in tow, he did so, consorting with all folks of the Folde and beyond, developing, as he went, many friendships and a strong love for music. He learned to play sad melodies of the forgotten South from traveling minstrels even as he learned quick fingered skylarking dance tunes from country men around bonfires at night.
At age 17, Degas left home and traveled south to Minas Tirith to learn more about music while claiming that his travel was to educate himself further upon the details of statecraft. Successfully fulfilling both his claim to the public and his promise to himself, he much enjoyed life as a visiting lord in a country full of lovely raven-haired maidens fascinated by a fiery northern redhead with an enchanting singing voice and love of adventure.
When he received word at 18 that his elder sister had died, he left Minas Tirith and traveled north, seeking his twin. Reaching home, he found her gone, their brother enraged. Discovering that she’d run away, Degas left in search of her, throwing Fenrir off of his trail, understanding that if Saeryn had ran away from home, she had been running away from their brother. Serendipitously finding her settled at The White Horse Inn in Edoras, he joined her, leaving now and again to tend to business elsewhere. After one such disappearance, he returned to find the Inn in the hands of the newly lorded Eodwine and in the midst of being converted to a fully fledged Mead Hall. Shortly thereafter, he met Lady Linduial of Dol Amroth.
Degas is now 19 and Saeryn is his only surviving family member. He and Linduial are to be wed once Degas brings the Folde back under the control of the realm.
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NAME:
Rowenna (Wenna)
AGE/GENDER/RACE/WHERE FROM: 20, female, Eorling, from the southeasternmost farmlands of the West Emnet.
APPEARANCE:
- for starters...just not so exaggerated. More athletic than she appears.
BITS OF CHARACTER/HISTORY YOU FEEL MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN DEFINING THE CHARACTER: Serious, ambitious, thoughtful, secretive, an eavesdropper. Was abducted by brigands 2 years ago, her farm ransacked and her widowed father killed in cold blood. She had been the brigands' slave at first, was forced to kill her first two infants, as well as two other abducted women in order to survive the harsh life of the brigands. Not above causing trouble for another if it improves her own position. She has begun to plan how to achieve the role for herself of Eorl Eodwine's wife.
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NAME:
Linduial of Dol Amroth
AGE: 18
RACE: Human
GENDER: Female
APPEARANCE: Tall and slim, with dark hair and sea grey eyes. The female version of her uncle Prince Imrahil’s classic features.
PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Very intelligent and good-hearted, but somewhat spoiled. Occasionally impulsive. Trained to statecraft and diplomacy, her words are likely to prove her greatest asset.
HISTORY: Lin has grown up fully aware of her position as niece of Prince Imrahil, and the dangers and responsibilities that entailed. She always believed herself prepared for what life threw at her, thanks to her father’s trust and the careful training given her by her father’s steward, as well as a multitude of tutors. However, when her father began planning her a betrothal to a dull but well-connected young man, Lin managed to end the idea by suggesting a prolonged visit to her cousin in Rohan.
In Rohan, Lin found herself the guest of Eodwine in his newly constructed Mead Hall. She and Saeryn became fast friends and she found herself flirting with Saeryn's charismatic twin, however he was too young, she thought. Yet after he returned from an unexpected and rather long trip, Linduial found Degas to have changed, to have become both more grounded and more determined.
While she had been fond of him before, after his return from Gondor, Linduial began to seriously consider him as a husband. Upon learning that Degas had sought her father Farien's approval, Lin was shocked by Degas's daring, but still hesitant. As the niece of Imrahil, she could not bear to marry simply anyone. However upon the death of Fenrir and Degas's inheritance of his family's lands, villages, and wealth, Linduial found that the boy she had foolishly fallen in love with had transformed before her very eyes into a serious young man who would provide her with both love and a challenging life. If only they could actually make it to the point of marriage.
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NAME:
Farahil son of Farlen
AGE: 29
RACE: Gondorian; of Dol Amroth
GENDER: male
WEAPONS: Trained in the use of every weapon he comes across, Farahil is proficient in all, studying to perfect each before continuing to the next. He is an extremely formidable opponent on the battlefield and his reputation tends to precede him.
APPEARANCE: 6'1", muscular. Broad shouldered, but not imposing. Walks silently, with footfalls especially light for his large frame. Often seen with a small child on his shoulders when at home, whether a relative or one of the wee ones of the household. Straight black hair that falls past a strong jaw line. Usually combed into a horsetail like those of the Rohirrim of the north, though if a strong wind blowing across the deck of a ship happens to pull his hair from its tie, he will let the wind take it. Farahil presents a rather dashing image of a sailor. A quiet smile often adorns his lips, his dark grey eyes lighting softly. He is most comfortable in commoners' clothing and wears it when adventuring, though even a blind man could see blood of the noblest lines in his visage.
PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Though he is a younger son, Farahil has never begrudged his older brother the position of heir. He appreciates his ability to adventure with nearly unlimited funding, yet he owns the sort of disposition that might have been happier in another life without the obligations that come from carrying certain blood within his veins. Farahil is a sailor at heart, and a fighter, and though his self control is too strong for something like pacing, at heart? Farahil paces when he's stuck indoors.
He is uncomfortable at formal occasions. While he attends those events deemed important by his sisters, and dresses impeccably for them, Farahil is no more social than strictly necessary and eagerly awaits any opportunity to leave. If he happens to be away from home during such things, he is not in the least bit perturbed. He is most comfortable on a ship, sailing in the late afternoon sun while lazily glancing at the endless waters, pondering what new treat will most easily draw a smile from his younger sister, for he is very fond of Linduial. His discovery that she is a fair shot inspires his continued collecting of bright feathers for quiet evenings spent fletching while she chatters happily away; though she lives now in Rohan, Farahil still habitually collects feathers for a time when they might sit together again.
Though quieter and more reserved than his older brother, Farahil's very presence is reassuring and he is a favorite of all. Many people do not fully understand him, yet children are drawn to him and strangers find themselves telling him their life stories over a quiet drink. The men that sail under him are loyal beyond the understanding of most, confident in his ability and trusting in both his leadership and friendship. Though Farahil has noble bearing, he treats all as equals and is more comfortable laughing over bawdy jokes in sea-side taverns than politely discussing the state of the weather with visiting dignitaries over dinner. He has a knack for seeing people's strengths as well as their weaknesses and placing them in situations where they will flourish.
HISTORY: The younger son of Lord Farlen, Farahil spent his childhood as the youngest child in the family. With his brother, Adrigil, eight years his senior and his sister, Azranala, three years so, he often struggled to keep up, though if they had been matched in age, he certainly would have matched his siblings in strength and wit, respectively. As playmates of Imrahil's sons and daughter, the children often shared tutors and had adventures within the ancient walls of the castle when they were kept indoors.
Trained early in both statecraft and weaponry, Farahil immediately preferred the latter, studying diligently with the arms masters in hopes of perfecting each weapon. With his twelfth year came the birth of a baby sister, Linduial, and he was fascinated by her. While his older sister was lovely in her own hard-edged way and was certainly proper and could negotiate a horse from beneath his rider while convincing, whether the rider liked it or not, that it was for his own good, Linduial was tiny and porcelain. He was nervous holding her, afraid that she would break, but her bright eyes and happy gurgle instantly stole the very heart that the death of Farahil's mother had broken. From the day she was born, Farahil was protective of her, finding excuses to spend time with her, delighting in eliciting smiles from her. Teased by his peers for his constant thought of his baby sister, he began to keep more to himself, surprising Linduial as she grew with small treats and the like, while beginning to adventure further from home.
As Farahil entered his later teens, after the War of the Ring, his brother, already grown, began to take him on sailing adventures and Farahil developed a keen love of the sea, more even than he had had for the view from the castle walls of the glimmering blue. Whether working in the sweltering sun on the deck of a fishing ship or captaining a crew of traders or adventurers, Farahil was happiest on the water. As he got older, he became less tied to his home and began to enjoy the freedom of the sea more and more, yet he still thought of his little sister, strong as steel and fragile as silk. He brought her tokens after every adventure, sharing stories even as she told him of her latest exploits at home.
These days, Farahil avoids marriage, fearing to bind a woman to him in troth and still feel the call of the sea. When home, he plays with his nieces and nephews, spoiling them with gifts from distant lands, and he seeks out his little sister, now grown. Hearing of Lin's desire to travel, he wished to ride with her as a guard, but knew that it would defeat her purpose to escape the constraints of home for a time. She had spoken to him of her wish to escape the lad that Farlen had in mind for her, and Farahil knew that his beloved little sister would fade if forced to stay. Secretly he sought out his father and spoke with him, asking leave for Lin to go even before she asked it herself.
Though it was partly of his doing that Linduial was allowed to travel to Rohan to visit Lothiriel, he misses her terribly. He sees clearly that which surrounds him: his older siblings married with families, his baby sister having adventures of her own.
When Degas arrived to Farlen's home to ask for Linduial's hand in marriage, it was Farahil's influence that allowed for the family's blessing: he knew that Lin would never be happy in a traditional marriage, and that this young man with his fiery hair and his almost foolhardy honesty would be good for her both as a husband and friend.
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NAME:
Adrigil son of Farlen
AGE: 37
RACE: Gondorian; of Dol Amroth
GENDER: male
WEAPONS: A scimitar acquired from a sleazily ethic'd Umbarian trader, a razor-sharp black dagger from Khand, a potentially Elven bow and quiver given as a token of thanks from an otherwise nefarious pirate whose lady Adrigil saved from near drowning on the high seas.
APPEARANCE: 6'5", well-tanned, straight black hair currently shaved bald from a far southern ceremony involving details that he refuses to divulge. High cheekbones and grey eyes. Impressively muscled upper arms play host to intricately designed tribal tattoos, black ink tracing delicate knots across and around his biceps; his arms are inked from shoulder to elbow.
PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Adventurous with a strong love of learning new things. Travels as frequently as his duties as father, husband, and heir allow, picking up new talents like wood carving, staff fighting, deep sea fishing and more. Speaks many languages fluently. Has friends scattered about Middle Earth with whom he communicates by long letters frequently. Has no qualms about using profanity, but only when women and children (and in this category, he does not count his sisters or cousins) are not present. Having the first voice one hears when they walk into a room, Adrigil is rather booming, a bit intimidating, and immediately likable as he holds no noble pretensions. Rather is it that he is fully aware of the power that comes with his name, as are all, to be honest, and so he feels no need to compensate for it. Very strong, he has to take care not to hurt anybody accidentally. Has a strong love of tournaments and other such events that allow him to show off. Learned to ride among the Rohirrim, learned to fight from locals of every place he's been, and is very much a cuddly teddy bear of a man when in the privacy of his home, no matter what his gruff demeanor elsewhere. Madly in love with his wife, Adrigil has settled a lot in the past seven years; ever since his first child was born.
HISTORY: Adrigil spent his childhood playing Pirates and King's Guard with his cousins on the high walls of Dol Amroth. With a special knack for discovering adventures where parents had hoped there to be none, Adrigil often found himself in the midst of a good story to tell later, when Mother wasn't around. His younger sister Azranala often took it upon herself to keep Adrigil behaving even as she continuously bossed young Farahil around. Farahil listened, sometimes, and Adrigil humored his motherly little sister until she left him alone more than a few seconds.
As soon as he could, Adrigil talked his mother and father into allowing him to travel at sea with their men. Spending his teenage years in and out of Dol Amroth learning to fight and to command with the captain of the fleet, Adrigil was self-sufficient early. He spent his time at home teasing Azranala, who retorted quite as quickly as she received her brother's taunts, and sharing travel stories with Lothiriel who he was always very fond of.
At 20, Adrigil was already experienced in the ways of the world and so when his mother died in childbirth, he was crushed, though not as heart broken as his 12-year-old brother. He humored the 15-year-old Azranala more now, seeing her attempts to fill the void, and he cossetted the new baby, Linduial, named for their dead mother, always more gentle with her than with any others.
He rode with Imrahil's forces to Minas Tirith during the War of the Ring, though he did not ride to the Black Gate. Instead he followed his uncle's very firm advice to stay and guard the city lest it otherwise fall. After the war, seeing the fatherless children weep and the husbandless wives carry on heartbroken with their lives, Adrigil resolved that no child should feel the loss of a parent and began to spoil the very young Linduial all the more, buying her pretty items that had no particular use, but that he knew his mother would have cherished and shared with the fussy little girl.
Through his 20s, Adrigil explored Middle Earth, taking Farahil along with him, finding true adventures and acquiring stories only half-believed by those left at home. Always an excellent fighter, he honed his skills with local secrets after gaining acceptance no matter what it took, no matter where he went. Though loud as well as tall and muscular, Adrigil's dark eyes and burnt golden skin were welcoming more than alarming and he was well-liked.
Marrying a pretty young woman when he was nearly 30, Adrigil began to slowly settle, giving up his life on the road (or at sea) to enjoy the quiet family life that he noticed many men enjoying. It lasted about a year before he went nearly stir-crazy and his wife told him to go off on an adventure or she would. Kissing her passionately goodbye, he sailed the coast of Middle Earth for several months, dealing with pirates where they were causing trouble, helping rebuild where storms had caused damage, and generally being helpful to the coastal cities and merchant sailors. Returning home, he discovered that his wife was right in telling him to go; he could never be content without a struggle. Loving her all the more, he settled into an almost structured life of stay at home and be a good husband and heir during the winter and go out and be a good man of Gondor, saving people during the summer.
At 30, Adrigil's first child was born; a son. In the following years, his wife bore him two daughters and another son, all black haired and all cheerful, the girls slender and pretty as their still young aunt Linduial, the boys much like Adrigil's father, wise and doting and strong.
As years passed, Adrigil continued to adventure and to stay at home in intervals, coming home with lavish gifts and wonderful stories, loathe to leave for long stretches of time where he was content to do little but play with his children, dote upon his wife, and spend time with the residents of his home.
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LINKED ~*~ Pio