Aelfraed Pendrake

"The Right Honourable Viscount of Abcona Isle, Lord of Caer Castelier, Admiral of the Twenty-Sixth Fleet, Knight of the Realm of Drustvar, Lord of the Gilded Drake, Liege to the House of Crawham and its lands, the Heretic Lord of Drustvar."

description

"I know my place in the world. I am a warmonger, a monster to many, -the Heretic-. But in your judgement, you have thrown only stones, and done no honour, no justice, nor good. I have become righteous, I have become the defender of the weak, and when the Forest will claim me, I will lay in a gilded grave."There once was a patch of grass in his garden. A little over a metre wide and formed a perfect circle. The blades within were wilted, mostly grey embroidered by specs of obsidian. It was at the garden's midpoint like a full moon in the twilight heaven, speckled by stars in the shape of forlorn blue flowers. The reason, was the desecration of a man's meditations.Cursed by twain enemy and heritage, the dark magicks that resided within him were expelled within his rituals of clarity. The armour he adorns hides the Drust tattoos that litter his frame from toe to neck, and extending the length of his arms to the apex of his digits. They brim whenever their magick is called, and even though his gait is nigh soundless, the stormsilver breastplate that often resides above the gambeson that protect him, it idly rattles through his movements. Upon his back rests an ancient longsword, Caledllwyn, pulled from the roots of Drustvar's forests and laden with runes and its crossguard enwrapped with briar and vines. Twice cursed alas, below his left eye rests a carved rune of rough lines, forced upon the man's very skin that once held the very curse that made him a wraith and remnant of who he once was are now but faint white lines of a scar. Curlicue locks of auburn rests as his crown that oftentimes find themselves recklessly resting athwart his forehead and gaze.The eyes he adorns are explosions of auric sunshine, pooled like a set of suns within his phlegmatic countenance. On either his surcoat or his gambeson's thoracic region rests a set of distinguishments; a rank patch of his position as Admiral in Kul Tiras' Twenty Sixth Fleet, and a pin of the Ember Order. Above it hangs a set of necklaces, one of gold and the crest of his house, a drake ouroborus; beside it, an archaic string with the obsidian skull of a crow. The man has lived a life of hatred and violence, bruises and lacerations, anger and alcohol. It has worn him down, despite blessed with youthful features, barely making him seem like his age without the trimmed beard, that's nigh untamed stubble; and of a lithe, balletdancer-esque physique. He's nary the peak of attraction, bereft of blemishes athwart his features, or the description of perfection.For it all, from the darkness that is rooted so deeply within him and a past of horrors and cruelty, with a burning desire to change the foulness associated with his name, they call him the Heretic, a name that may never leave him.

weapons

The Pendrake Sabre

Seldom kept by his flank, is a fine scabbard attached to his belt by leather straps. Upon it is the embroidery of gilded drakes. Within the scabbard itself lie a light sabre. Silver-lined against the foes of Drustvar, the hilt is formed by gilded metals in the shape of a dragonkin's head.

A strange ring

Worn upon his left-hand pinky is a strange ring with a string attached to the ring itself. The string appears to enter into the Heretic's bracer nigh his radial artery; a hidden weapon, perchance.

Caledllwyn

A longsword pulled from the roots of a nigh three-millenia old tomb. Lined with silver, the hilt is enwrapped with roots and vines, either crooked or clean. Attuned to the Heretic, when the sword leaves his person, it enwraps itself in thorned roots; impossible to tear from the ground if not by his hand. It reeks of necromancy and nature interlinked in a constant struggle betwixt life, death, and rebirth.

inventory

House Pendant

A golden pendant of a drake ouroborus. Shaped as the Pendrake crest, the golden meddallion never leaves the Heretic's neck from the chain in which it is attached. Whilst not perfect in its shape, it has been crafted with love and deep intent by each Pendrake when they come of age. In the House of Pendrake's seat is a crooked tree whereupon the pendants of all Pendrakes hang from its branches; from their early days of subjugating drakes on the mainland, to the settling of Kul Tiras, and now; a family of fighters and warmongerers.

Viscount's Coronet

Occasionally adorned by a golden coronet, it marks the Heretic's noble status as a Viscount. Crafted by heavy gold, gems, and pearls; the latter of which a homage to his heritage: Kul Tiras.

Soulcatcher

By his belt hangs a Drust soulcatcher, wrought of wicker, wildlife bones, and hair-strings with a raven's skull kept in its centre. There, it dangles ominously, waiting.

Raven's Skull Necklace

Hanging by a beaded, leather string, is the skull of a raven; given as a gift to Pendrake as a reminder of the raven Eithin that once occupied his shoulder.

Raven Brooch

Fastened by the Heretic's thorax remains an aureate brooch, passerine in its deftly crafted shape, resembling that of a raven. A singular diamond adorns the raven's gaze, glimmering radiantly amidst rays of light, gifted to him by Rowan.

Dragon Claw Dagger

Given to the Heretic by a War-Seer is a weapon oft hid within his garments. Likely given due his inherent paranoia to the new 'allies' that call themselves Dracthyr, is a dagger carved from the claw of a dragon. Tapered nigh the hilt are gilded patterns culminating towards the hilt in a firm, crimson leather grip - A weapon to break through dragon-scales.

Carved Wooden Pendant

Beside his House Pendant rests one carved in wood as well. A gift most dear to the Heretic, it is worn proudly around his neck.

Tools

Folded together within the Heretic's gambeson is a white cloth with a snip for cutting small items, a leather box of needles, and a roll of thread alongside flint and steel for starting fires.

Waterskin:

A waterskin of leather and soaked in pitch hangs by his sword belt.

Lady Rowan Kimbolton

- the inamorata -

An old friend becoming something far more. An achor among a sea untamed. None but her have laid claim to the Heretic's heart as she has. Through thick and thin, cursed from both blood and darkness, Aelfraed has come to truly believe that their souls may be entertwined. To think that something so encapsulating had been right in front of him all this time, and he had missed it until only very recently.

Lord Scott Morrow

- the lord hand -

A best, loyal, and true friend. Even the Heretic, as distrusting as he may be, trusts this man the most. From having served together for many a years, the Baron has ascended to being the Heretic's very own right hand, both in the realms of nobility, to the terror of battle, and the happenings of the regular world.

Lady Ashley Signorell

- the sacriligeous -

The Heretic would have done the same, if not worse, were he in her shoes. Now his apprentice in the dark arts of what lay beyond the veil of death and a risen to Countess through the Heretic's partial influence and assistance. Through his symapthy for Alterac's position, they have become close as they have through the blood they have shed together.

Sir Arthur Wittebane

- the eternal squire -

The first Squire the Heretic took under his gilded crest and taught him the ways of the gentry and peerage. Now serving the Heretic as his First Knight, Sir Arthur Wittebane, whilst they seldom relate, is one the Heretic trusts more than a lot others to do his bidding: At least, only when it comes to the matters of court and sieges.

Miss Marian Hart

- the phantom -

A relation made through his Lord Hand, Scott Morrow - The Heretic has come to find a modicum of fondness in the company of the Captain, Miss Marian Hart, even though this relationship is still forming, there is still time for the Heretic to find a reason to want to throttle her.

Corletta de Leon

- the loyalist -

One of the Heretic's closest among his ranks. Entrusting nigh everything to Corletta, the reason for their closeness comes from a distinct approval of her professionalism, which has landed her among his favourites that serve his crest

Alyth Moonbryn

- buns -

An excellent baker, there is one constant yearning that seldom leaves him; and that is the longing for Alyth's most amazing buns. Alyth's buns are the best.

Grethlem Meltherne

- geriatric furbolg -

Connor Pickens

- the leftenant commander -

Another staunch traditionalist. Whilebeit their relationship is new, the Heretic has found his professionalism approving and thus not wishing to throttle the man.

Camille Bellfleur

- the cleric -

Bethinking the Cleric - who has been bequeathed the nickname 'Bell' by the Heretic - an airhead, she reminds him of him of his daughter-like Ward, Luciana; and has found her remarkably endearing.

The House of Pendrake

Born to as a Pendrake on Mount Cortis, Drustvar; before their current ascension to the gentry and peerage, the Pendrakes were rumoured to be elusive and stoic witch hunters with a strange affinity to the Forest, and oft led them to reclusiveness.

The Murder of a Toff

At a young age, Aelfraed was caught amidst the scum of Boralus’ underground. First as a territory scout due to his sleek and slender physique and ability to hide and sneak, later a runner of contraband, and lastly as a collector of debt. In a fit of rage, Aelfraed was caught red handed slaying a noble in Upton. Stabbing the man fourteen times who was unwilling to give back his debt, Aelfraed was imprisoned and sentenced to the gallows.

The Penal Squad

Following the killing of a toff, Aelfraed’s sentence to the gallows changed one night as a high ranking member of the Admiralty visited his cell and bid him serve until death as part of a penal squad in Kul Tiras’ First Fleet. Choosing service over death, he served many years as part of the fleet, raking through towns and villages without a care in the world, hoping and thinking that he’d die in battle as nothing but an Able Mariner with his childhood friend, Blaise.

The Reconquiesta of Drustvar

When the Waycrest Guard was at their lowest, Aelfraed was sent from the fleet to serve Drustvar, his home region. Becoming part of the Ember Order, Aelfraed carried the same belief of serving to die in battle, which subsequently led to him going off alone to kill and destroy any semblance of the Coven with reckless abandon.

A Knight of the Realm

For his service to the Reconquiesta of Drustvar, Aelfraed was recognised for his unyielding service as that was all he lived for. Yet, even though he was Knighted by the House of Waycrest, he still retained the ideal of serving to die.

The Blackened Coat

The Slaughter of Abcona

The Chivalric Order

Following the discontinuation of the Blackcoated, Aelfraed saw what he believed to be ignorance and incompetence of the highest order among Alliance officials. Following this sight, and a want to change from the terrible man he had become, he founded the Chivalric Order of the Heretic’s Cross. This became his way of repaying for the terrors he had committed until war broke out between his House and a Duchy in Drustvar, Rowyth.

The Rise of the Gilded Drake

Through war, through hatred, and an unyielding need to liberate the oppressed, the Chivalric Order became the Gilded Drake, an Order of elites serving the House of Pendrake in pursuit of bringing down any, and all, who dare use their power wrongly against the smallfolk of Kul Tiras; against the unjust and sinful, the greedy and the cruel - those have become his sworn enemies, no matter where they reside, Kul Tiras, the Mainland, or all of Azeroth.

The Admiralty

From a young age, the Heretic was inveigled into service of the Admiralty. To serve for a cruel crime, the Heretic struck a deal in lieu of the gallows. Yet, with proud service to Kul Tiras, he served the First Fleet from his early days to the Battle of Dazar'alor ere being called to serve the Inquisition in Drustvar. Now, years later, he serves as the Admiral of one of Kul Tiras' many fleets; the twenty-sixth fleet, comprised of one man-of-war, the Jutlandia; three destroyer class frigates: The Tide's Viper, Pendrake's Resolve, and the Drakefyre; and mercantile ships that have taken the name 'The Gilded Fleet' below the rule of the Heretic Lord.

Patriarch of the House of Pendrake

Patriarch of the House of Pendrake, Lord Aelfraed Pendrake is known mostly through his Drustvari holdings: A Mountain Manor, and a Viscounty off the South-Western coast of Kul Tiras. The former recently burnt to the ground and the hitherto seat of the Pendrakes, a family of ruthless witch hunters with close connections to the magicks of Drustvar; twain dark and good. The latter, a mountainous island of the Twenty-sixth Fleet of Kul Tiras and vast exports in rum, molasses, tobacco, sugar, and gold. Knighted to the Realm of Drustvar following his service as an Inquisitor during the Inquisition, and later given the title as a Baronet for years of service to Drustvar, laid the path for the Heretic's remaking of the Pendrake Dynasty. Surfacing through controversy, and rumoured slaughter on an island, the Heretic laid claim to it and rose from his peerage as a Baronet, to that of a Viscount through the settling of baronies twain: Port Honour, and Auric Rest. A mercantile fiefdom led by a warmongerer. The House of Pendrake's current seat now lay in Drustvar, nigh the western coast, and close to the Crimson Forest in a fortified black castle: Caer Castelier.