Avouleance
Studying to better see and share the beauty
Name: Duke Ruphenk Kaljos, The Talon of Urlan
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Occupation: Duke, Also South Guard of the kingdom
Appearance:
A tiny man, scarcely half the height of most. Pale skinned with a copper sulphate blue eye and a little remaining wiry bronze hair. He’s clearly past his prime and starting to gain weight that he’s no longer able to work off. He dresses formally, usually in his family’s indigo and silver and with at least two blades hidden on his person. The hat he wears to cover his bald spot is well worn by now and he’s had an eye sown onto his eye patch. He walks with a slight limp, especially when trying to move as quickly as he used to.
Personality:
He’s a serious man, preferring not to be the centre of attention, which is easy when you’re small and quiet. He tends to listen much more than he talks and doesn’t express emotion easily. He’s not known for being sociable and has only one known personal relationship (an adopted daughter).
History:
In his youth when Ruphenk came to power, he tried to cement his support by invading the king’s lands to the north. He proved to be a powerful leader able to expand his boarders quickly. But he was significantly less good at holding onto land, one war and one eye later Ruphenk was backed up into his home, the Urlan River Valley in the cold south. Ruphenk had to learn to slow down, making use of the highlands and mountains that lined his lands as protection from the King’s Larger armies (it helped to have fertile river banks for food as well).
The siege eventually ended, as it inevitably would, with the Duke and King meeting to talk. Ruphenk had come to respect the King greatly and there were whispers that the two were physically intimate. Eventually they came to an agreement, the Duke’s lands would be cut back to the Valley and its surrounding mountains and the Duke would serve as southern guard and first line of defence against any aggression from the south.
After the war Ruphenk adopted a child, a girl who spends half her time with the Duke and the other half in the King’s court. Ruphenk has spent years trying to arrange a marriage between his daughter and one of the princes.
Abilities:
As ruler of the Urlan River Valley (the southernmost point of the kingdom) he holds a small but highly defensible territory, in addition to its fertile lands. His army is small as there are very specific rules governing how much he can rebuild; he’s also forced to hold at least half of his army on the southern bank of the Urlan River (while his capital is north of it). Personally while old and small he was an accomplished fighter in his youth, there are stories of him climbing opponents to reach their neck for stabbing and he’s still know to wrestle. His tolerance for pain and the frigid conditions of his home are well known. As is his ability to reason, after all his mouth stopped the King from executing him (there are many tavern jokes about it as you can imagine).
Items:
The jewel of his kingdom is his castle/ capital built around a waterfall, using its flow as a source of power. He has an ancestral dagger (there were two but the other now belongs to the king). He’s made a lot of money selling food, and providing consultation to other local lords, as he can’t have much of an army of his own he gets his kicks from advising others.
Other: TBA
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Occupation: Duke, Also South Guard of the kingdom
Appearance:
A tiny man, scarcely half the height of most. Pale skinned with a copper sulphate blue eye and a little remaining wiry bronze hair. He’s clearly past his prime and starting to gain weight that he’s no longer able to work off. He dresses formally, usually in his family’s indigo and silver and with at least two blades hidden on his person. The hat he wears to cover his bald spot is well worn by now and he’s had an eye sown onto his eye patch. He walks with a slight limp, especially when trying to move as quickly as he used to.
Personality:
He’s a serious man, preferring not to be the centre of attention, which is easy when you’re small and quiet. He tends to listen much more than he talks and doesn’t express emotion easily. He’s not known for being sociable and has only one known personal relationship (an adopted daughter).
History:
In his youth when Ruphenk came to power, he tried to cement his support by invading the king’s lands to the north. He proved to be a powerful leader able to expand his boarders quickly. But he was significantly less good at holding onto land, one war and one eye later Ruphenk was backed up into his home, the Urlan River Valley in the cold south. Ruphenk had to learn to slow down, making use of the highlands and mountains that lined his lands as protection from the King’s Larger armies (it helped to have fertile river banks for food as well).
The siege eventually ended, as it inevitably would, with the Duke and King meeting to talk. Ruphenk had come to respect the King greatly and there were whispers that the two were physically intimate. Eventually they came to an agreement, the Duke’s lands would be cut back to the Valley and its surrounding mountains and the Duke would serve as southern guard and first line of defence against any aggression from the south.
After the war Ruphenk adopted a child, a girl who spends half her time with the Duke and the other half in the King’s court. Ruphenk has spent years trying to arrange a marriage between his daughter and one of the princes.
Abilities:
As ruler of the Urlan River Valley (the southernmost point of the kingdom) he holds a small but highly defensible territory, in addition to its fertile lands. His army is small as there are very specific rules governing how much he can rebuild; he’s also forced to hold at least half of his army on the southern bank of the Urlan River (while his capital is north of it). Personally while old and small he was an accomplished fighter in his youth, there are stories of him climbing opponents to reach their neck for stabbing and he’s still know to wrestle. His tolerance for pain and the frigid conditions of his home are well known. As is his ability to reason, after all his mouth stopped the King from executing him (there are many tavern jokes about it as you can imagine).
Items:
The jewel of his kingdom is his castle/ capital built around a waterfall, using its flow as a source of power. He has an ancestral dagger (there were two but the other now belongs to the king). He’s made a lot of money selling food, and providing consultation to other local lords, as he can’t have much of an army of his own he gets his kicks from advising others.
Other: TBA