Cedric Anstaph, Husband of Alora Wyen
Description
Anstaph is a stocky man of medium height and, it appears middle age. He
is
about 5"10, perhaps 200 pounds. His black hair and beard are flecked
with
streaks of silver, his face has the weatherbeaten look of a man who has
rarely lived under a roof. His eyes alone might give away his true age,
as
they look as they have seen far too many winters. His hair is long, and
cut
haphazardly, as if out of necessity. He is wrapped in a dirty and
weatherbeaten cloak which once might have been brightly colored. Under
the
cloak he seems to be dressed in rags, as bits of grey cloth is wound
around
his limbs and body as if he were extremely cold. You notice even his
boots
are wrapped. Under the cloak and rags, dented and scarred, is some
ancient
armor, older by far than any sold in Lensmoor. When he moves, it is
with an
almost sidhe-like grace, making almost no sound though he wears armor
and
weapons. Two scabbards, equally grubby and rag-wrapped are at his left
side, and a dagger, open and bright, is on his right. Handing from his
neck, on a gold chain, is a jade hand, carefully tended, a symbol of
his
faith and path.
Anstaph smiles easily and laughs loudly, and seems slow to anger,
though
his face bears many marks of episodes where his faith exceeded his
wisdom.
Still his eyes contain a haunting fey look, as if he has seen his own
doom
and awaits it calmly.
Personality
Anstaph is generally a fair and decent person, growing up eldest in a
large
hardworking family. His father died when he was young and he has
had to be
responsible for the welfare of others most of his life. He truly
longs to get
away from that responsibility, though a lifetime of training means that
when a
need for responsiblity arise he steps forward.
He was bigger and stronger than his brothers and most of the town, and
this
has given him a lot of (unwarranted) confidence in his own
abilities. He
dislikes school, and considers himself 'finish' before he often
understands
the deeper workings of any subject he takes on. Even when he
realizes his
shortcomings, he often would rather learn from his own mistakes than
admit
to anyone that he needs more instruction.
While he is rash and arrogant when attempting a task, he finds the
wider world
into which he has stepped daunting and scary. Sometimes his
bravado is a mask
for a deep uncertainty.
The death of his friend, and the injustice of the world, have left him
with an
anger at fate that gives him a rage he cannot control in battle.
The death and
devastation he has seen has also left him with a fey certainty that he
will
meet his death violently and young.
Anstaph spent many years wishing for his father to come back, and when
he
finally was able to wander the world, he saw the reality of the dead
brought
back to life. Necromancy. It filled him with a horrible
revulsion at this
twisted attempt to cheat death. He rarely misses an opportunity
to clear the
world of the living dead, and their masters. It is a never ending
war, in
the night, in the dark.
When he started out from home, he wanted to be a paladin, noble, pure
and just.
The reality of combat, the responsibility for those around him, has led
him to
question the code some paladins espouse. His quests have led him,
often alone
into dark places, and he has learned to survive there by passing
unseen, and
using whatever he can to fight from advantage. Still pure of
purpose and
result, he walks a fine line between rage and healing, between the
shadowy
skills of the underground world and the noble calling to which he is
drawn.
The most major recent change is his willingness to take on a true
teacher
and to admit that his understanding is lacking. While this was
originally
mostly to become truly skilled at enchanting items. He has found
that his
teacher's wisdom and experience are valuable across a whole range of his
endeavors. It has given him a new perspective, and he is much
more willing
to take direction than he ever was able to before. Perhaps his
desire to
create things will take him on different paths than he ever imagined.
Background
Anstaph grew up on a farm north west of New Lensmoor. He was the
oldest of
six children. His father died was he was only twelve, and he
spent the next
six years taking care of the farm and providing for his family.
With his brother old enough and (though Anstaph would never admit it)
more
skilled at farming, Anstaph felt that he could finally leave
home. Discontent
with farming, he and his best friend, Kestrel, left their home town
(really
little more than a cross roads) to help Kestrel's cousins who had
written
asking for help. Armed with ancient and decrepit swords and and
unwarranted
confidence in their own abilities the two boys set off. They
never made it
past Chancy. Beset by goblins, Kestrel was killed and Anstaph was
left for
dead. He personally remembers little or nothing of the encounter,
recall only
that he awoke in the middle of Chancy after having been dragged there
by some
of the townspeople.
He stayed in Chancy for a while, hunting Kestrel's killers and taking
solace
in the mad abandon of battle. He has moved from troubled place to
troubled
place finding cities in need of a sword such as Mirarend and
Tome. He now
follows Gelare's call, and can sometimes be found healing the wounded
about
Lensmoor. In addition, he has become enthralled with the skill of
enchanting
and is willing to practice what enchanting he knows at the drop of a
hat.
Still, he wears a haunted look about him, and he fights a quiet,
violent, and
undeclared war, alone, against the evil things that inhabit some of the
darkest places of Lensmoor.