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Erwin Therrien, Duke of Wulfbauer

Started by Cambie, February 23, 2014, 07:51:57 PM

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Cambie

__________________QUICK SUMMARY
Name: Erwin Therrien
Pronounced: (TEH-ree-en)
Aliases: Captain Serious
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Connlaothian
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 195 lbs
Occupation: Duke of Wulfbauer, Knight
Residence: Wulfbauer, Connlaoth

__________________IN-DEPTH

Physical Description
Erwin is a tall and handsome man. Possessed with rugged good looks, broad shoulders and lean muscle, he always commanded attention from young ladies at upper-class social gatherings. His eyes are a piercing light blue and his hair is often neatly combed back. As a trait of his lineage, his light brown hair began to turn silver at a very young age; it now has a salt-and-pepper look about it, in stark contrast with his youthful looks. He has a chiseled jaw occasionally covered in a light scruff of hair and a hair-trigger grin, though catching him with a full smile upon his face is as rare as finding a white stag in the forest. The only real blemish on his face is the tiny scar on the side of his neck, running parallel to his jawline.

In the field he wears the captain's tabard over his light chainmail armor and his uniform, adorned with the insignia of Wulfbauer. With this attire, he looks every bit a knight and soldier. Away from the battlefield, his clothing reflects the finer tastes of fashion among nobles, albeit in the more muted and reserved colors of dark blue and grey, the traditional colors of the Duchy.

Personality
Away from the battlefield and the political world, and in private, Erwin is amicable, perhaps even relaxed. He is a notorious bachelor and womanizer, having never settled down or even considered taking a wife. However, now that he was unexpectedly thrust into the role of Duke, his womanizing ways have been curbed somewhat as pressure mounts for him to take a wife from a good family. He has a knack for conversation and a keen eye for artwork. He loves riding. He is known as a teetotaler.

However, as the Duke of Wulfbauer, he must put on a face for his people. The Duke is consummately a soldier's man in the traditional sense, and a man of Wulfbauer. Courageous, cool-headed and fearless under fire, Erwin values loyalty and military perfection above all else, and has especially little patience for incompetent subordinates or junior officers that do not do their work properly. He also looks poorly upon those men in Wulfbauer who fail to honor their military obligations in times of conflict. Early in his military career, his strict demeanor, coupled with his greying hair, landed him the moniker "Captain Serious."

Ever the soldier's man, he is popular among the soldiers for his willingness to mingle with them, share their fires, trade stories. His reputation among officers and advisors was less stellar, given his penchant for dismissing those that failed to live up to his expectations. Still, most of his subordinates give him a measured amount of respect for his perfectionism. The Duke still prefers to lead by example, actively participating in his duchy's military affairs rather than sitting in Wulfbauer Keep and governing from the safety of its walls.

As a former high-ranking officer, he is mostly closed off to objections to his plans. Ironically, he also possesses a great deal of moral courage, having the strength to contradict direct orders to him when he perceives them to be flawed or impractical. When it comes to the well-being of Wulfbauer, Erwin can be especially critical of other nobles and lords, perhaps even the Grand Duke himself. Erwin showcases disdain for unnecessary loss of life. Never strictly an opponent of mages (indeed, he occasionally admits being intrigued by them), he sees the summary deportation of mages as a massive waste of available manpower in a time of winter and famine.

His leadership, both on the battlefield and as Duke of Wulfbauer, is characterized by his drive. As a military commander he was known for his brazen tactics and formations, and was not afraid to risk the entire battle on a single decision. He took quite a few gambles in his lifetime, and some are amazed that he managed to live through them all, the successful ones and the failed ones likewise.

His largest shortcoming has to be his complete lack of experience in diplomacy and politics, two of the most important skills that a Duke requires. He tries his best to issue edicts for the betterment of the people of Wulfbauer, but he often does not recognize the dangers or risks of his decisions. Because of his lack of experience, he has plenty of advisors to counsel him in the ways of provincial administration. Unfortunately, this also makes it very easy for people to feed him the wrong information, leading to rulings and decisions favorable to them.

Abilities
Erwin is a capable enough combatant, having been trained in the use of sword, spear, and bow. He is also a known sharpshooter, often preferring to ride into battle with his dragoon cavalry wielding gun, saber and lance. As a tactician, he is more than proven. As a military leader, he operates with precision and daring.

Coming from Wulfbauer, he is also a renowned horseman and sportsman, and is an excellent falconer. Indeed, he owns an entire stable of steeds, and grew up riding them every day on his estates. He has a way with animals, owning several dogs that he takes with him when hunting.

Erwin is an accomplished artist. Indeed, he can often be seen sketching with charcoal pencils high up on a hill overlooking a battlefield on the eve of battle, or painting on an easel set up under an arbutus tree at his estate.


Relationships

Constance Therrien* - wife, and Duchess of Wulfbauer
*depending on timeline

Duke Marsden Therrien, father (deceased) - briefly Duke of Wulfbauer
Chantal Therrien, mother (deceased)
Kristian Therrien, brother, 26 – a knight, now Lord of Arbutus Vale
Marcel Therrien, brother, 22 – an aspiring knight
Adette Therrien, sister, 16 – unmarried
Marietta Therrien, sister, 14 - unmarried

History
Arbutus Vale, the ancestral estate of house Therrien, takes up several hundred acres of land in the Duchy of Wulfbauer and is known for its extensive arbutus groves. The Therriens have always been an important, if lesser, family in Wulfbauer, for generations owing direct fealty to the Carwicks. Indeed, old Marsden was the Master of Horse to Duke Harlow Carwick, and a trusted advisor.

Growing up as the first son in a noble house, it was always expected of Erwin to follow the traditions of his ancestors and inherit the household on the passing of his father. Along with his training in swordsmanship, history, and other such indulgences of upper-class children, young Erwin was also taught to ride and to shoot, skills that would serve him well later in life. In his adolescence Erwin decided to pursue a life in the military, leaving home at 16 to attain his knighthood and become an officer in the army of Wulfbauer. He won his spurs not long after and was appointed a captain. He took command of a newly formed corps of dragoons, heavy cavalry who fired their wheel lock guns from horseback before engaging in melee combat.

Erwin's time in the military was characterized by a rapid rise among the ranks, his leadership earning both the admiration of his comrades in arms and his fellow officers. Known for his daring and aggressive gambles and his propensity for hardly ever making tactical mistakes, he soon became one of the most respected soldiers in Duke Carwick's forces. His demeanor, always demanding perfection in his comrades and having no patience for incompetence, landed him the moniker "Captain Serious," a nickname which he never really cared to dispel. He left his duties to Arbutus Vale mostly in the hands of his mother.

When the civil war erupted, Wulfbauer was quick to declare for the Grand Duke. Old Duke Carwick was assassinated in the course of the war by a rogue band of extremists and his de facto heir, his first cousin once removed Avery Carwick (which whom Erwin had served in the military) assumed the mantle of Duke. It was evident that the exchange of power also brought about a marked contrast in Wulfbauer's policies, especially with regard to the systematic ousting and deporting of all mages. Erwin never outwardly opposed such a scale back (having more intrigue than fear of the magical), but privately lamented such waste of valuable manpower.

Tragically Duke Avery Carwick was killed in battle less than a month after assuming the duchy's seat of power. His brother Caspian, a horseman under the command of Erwin, was killed not much later, leaving the duchy in a state of limbo with no successor to carry on the Carwick dynasty. After weeks of posturing among the noble houses, it was determined by acclamation and by royal decree that Marsden Therrien would assume the Dukeship.

Erwin was suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the uncomfortable position of being Lord of Arbutus Vale, without any real experience in politics. His father had always been in good health, and nobody had seen it necessary for the eldest son to return home and learn how to rule a province. He took the job in good stride though, splitting his time between his ancestral home and his military post.

As fate would have it, his father took ill only two months after the severing of the Carwick line. Nobody could provide a credible explanation for Marsden's sickness, but within the week he, too, was dead, leaving Erwin Therrien as the new Duke of Wulfbauer and the duchy in chaos.


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