Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2014 21:56:04 GMT -5
Player: Lahariel
Best Contact Method(s): PM me for best results
Character Name: Marcus Romanov
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Birthdate: January 26th, 1400 - Aquarius
City / Region: Vanderhall, Vasile
House: Romanov
Played by: Torrance Coombs
Appearance:
Marcus stands at an average 5'10" in height and an athletic build. He's a man of decent taste, caught between the air of sophistication and that rogue-like charm. Any formal tunics and other accoutrements often have a button or two loosened, as he wears formal attire with casual ease. There's always a little bit of scruff for facial hair, and the fact that he appears just a wee bit unkempt is often part of what makes him the attractive sort.
Personality:
Marcus is one of those individuals where you feel like he could be your best friend for life. He’s an easy-going person who likes to see both sides of the coin and is seen as a man who is wise beyond their years to some degree. Like all Romanov family members, he is a young man with a penchant for learning and testing the limits of human capacity. Marcus is already an exceptionally well-traveled individual, having visited foreign kingdoms abroad as well as several regions of Archades. He considers himself a student of the world, and lives without regret or hesitation in most circumstances.
But he is not a saint either. His exploits with drunken debauchery gets him into some trouble from time to time giving him the reputation of being a party-boy who’s too smart for his own good. Put him in a house’s court, however, and watch him shine like a political star! It’s easy to see that he was born with the gift of a silver tongue needed to survive the complex waters of an Archades Kingdom. His ambition knows no boundaries, and there's always a method to how he plays the game of life.
Whether you love him or hate him it's hard to ignore Marcus Romanov. Coincidence may have given him the position of being the Duke of Vasile, but he wears his power in a manner that is most cunning. Though he appears to be skirting some of his most important responsibilities such as marriage and children, make no mistake that he covets his title fiercely and has no intention on passing it over or giving it up.
Background:
Born the second son of a second son never held any kind of significant meaning. Like any Romanov, Marcus was the inquisitive sort and always enjoyed exploring boundaries and breaking rules. His father, Viktor, seemed to live in some kind of personal shadow with Sebastian, making nothing short of pure perfection something he demanded of his children. While results varied among his other siblings, the giant rift of comparison had always been him and Darius. His older brother was physically stronger, faster, smarter (or so their father thought), and better in just about everything there was to compare to. After a while Marcus realized that no matter what he did, it would never please his father, and for some reason Viktor seemed particularly hell bent on picking on him.
So Marcus eventually quit trying.
He skipped whatever classes were assigned to him in exchange for things that he wanted to learn instead. He explored the seedier areas of Vanderhall and play games of luck and chance, befriended ruffians and other unfavorable individuals. It wasn’t long until he lost his virginity to a serving girl at fourteen and was caught by his father during the middle of the whole escapade. The beating he received was beyond severe but by then Marcus already made up his mind that it was worth every moment. There was no turning back after that point. If he was already marked as a black sheep of the family when he was trying to behave then why bother at all?
As the years progressed he mastered art of getting away with just about anything. Flying under the radar was kind of a specialty, and by then his father was already too engrossed betrothing Darius to some wealthy merchant’s only child and daughter. Especially after their mother, Isolde, died from waning health several years after Elsa’s birth, Viktor had little time to spare on anyone past Darius and his baby girl. The more Viktor ignored Marcus, the more Marcus was able to mold himself into the kind of free-spirited man he wanted to be. Often times he would bring his younger brother Wilhelm with him on some of the exploits. His cousin, Brent, was also game for just about any mischief or mayhem that could ensure from gallivanting off into the unknown taking risk after risk and coming back with some amazing adventures along the way. By the time he was twenty, Marcus had been to every city in Vasile, and was already exploring other regions of the Archades kingdom. It wasn’t long into his twenty-first birthday that his friendship with Reed Gardiner solidified more, and soon it was as if Marcus didn’t really live in Vanderhall at all. But that wasn’t entirely true. Despite the fact that he was out exploring what life had to offer, he was very much aware of the events that were transpiring at home.
Though Sebastian may have been the first of Octavian’s line he certainly wasn’t the luckiest, and that lack of luck only seemed to further trickle into Marcus’ family soon after. Both Sebastian and his wife were plagued with health issues, providing only one son out of the entire marriage which was Lucien. But even though Lucien was able to produce three children out of his marriage, it seemed that the sons would never survive. Oliver was stillborn, and Artur died at the age of two when, during a picnic, he wandered out into the river only to be swept away and drowned. The loss of two sons was something that took its mental toll on Lucien. His wife found him dead, locked in the study. Lucien had committed suicide by placing a blade through his belly. When Viktor took the mantle of Duke, he had Lucien’s wife and daughter shipped back home to their original family with a marginal dowry to Elena’s name as a gesture of good will (or good riddance).
With Viktor’s firstborn son, Darius, already married with a son it appeared that the family jewel was about to take a place in the sun for all to see him sparkle. Naturally Marcus held little interest in the whole affair, choosing to spend his time with courtesans on the day of his father’s coronation. But Viktor’s ideal dreams seemed to remain just that: A dream. During the Feast of Warriors, Darius participated in the joust as he always did each year. When it was his turn to face Sir Bogdan Ionescu, the match ended with a strike to the face that went through the eyes of the helmet. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Darius Romanov’s dead body was investigated to find that the jousting spear was tipped with metal war point under a larger false blunted one. Despite Sir Bogdan claiming he was innocent, the knight was executed on the spot for murder, judged by Viktor’s blind rage.
Marcus simply watched on, visually shocked, but on the inside he was glad to finally be bereft of Darius, the Perfect Son. From there it all went downhill. Viktor took to his drink on a nightly basis in levels of excess that were unnatural. Instead of sticking around to be the target of his obscene tirades, Marcus went with Wilhelm and sometimes Claudia into the city to escape into a world of fun and debauchery. Elsa, unfortunately, was always left behind. Given that she was daddy’s little girl, Marcus held no feelings of obligation in yanking his baby sister from whatever storm of emotions their father had succumb to. After a few months of Viktor’s drunken exploits, the man imbibed himself to death and once again Marcus felt the weight on his shoulders get surprisingly lighter.
Now his sister-in-law, Adelaine, was losing her mind. Her only child and son, Dimitrius, was now the Duke of Vasile. But with death after death plaguing the Romanov family she turned to paranoia as her one and only friend. Shutting herself away with Dimitrius, it would be many months until one of her friends managed to finally lure her out of the darkness and go for a picnic while Dimitrius’ caretaker, Jaquelyn Forrester stayed behind to watch the toddler. Marcus had gone riding for the day with Wilhelm, Claudia, and a few of his other cousins. When they returned later that evening the whole castle was in chaos, and Jaquelyn was pleading for forgiveness.
Confused, Marcus watched as his grandmother sentenced Jaquelyn to death for negligence which lead to the untimely demise of Dimitrius Romanov. For some reason the caretaker fell asleep, and the young child managed to climb upon on windowsill and fall to his death. Marcus was still trying to sort out the details of what happened when later that night the sound of a high shriek echoed in the middle of the night. Adelaine’s body was found dangling outside of the window that once belonged to her son, Dimitrius. Overwhelmed by grief, the woman tied the bed sheets together, wrapped them around the bedpost on one end and around her neck on the other, and jumped out the very window that claimed her son. Her suicide marking yet another untimely death that was beginning to cast a very ominous cloud over the family lineage.
In the throes of this chaotic situation, it wasn’t until Anselm barged in on him in the middle of a very intimate romp with one of the Guardians of Arcandus that it was forced into his skull very suddenly: Marcus was now the Duke of Vasile. At first it seemed a bit crazy. After all, Marcus was never really groomed for the position so he didn’t try to achieve any of the things that Lucien or Darius sought to master. The family was quick to want to assemble a coronation ceremony but Marcus had something different in mind. Instead he sought the wisdom of the four Temple Priestesses to see what could be done to lift the spirits of the people and to see if his taking of the title was just one more lamb to the slaughter. After several nights of discussion and waiting for the right moon cycle to perform the divination rituals that would give him the answers, the priestesses came back with good tidings and specific instructions.
On the morning of Nastere, Marcus was in Munte de Fae and taken to a secluded part of the forest where the coronation rites were performed in front of immediate family. All four priestesses blessed the ceremony before the Temple Priestess of Nashala took him privately into a deeper part of the forest to complete the ritual. When he returned to Vanderhall, during the beginnings of spring, the people were given a formal announcement that he was now the Duke of Vasile, anointed by the gods. Marcus’ claim to the title was done during a time of new beginnings and hope.
With Vasile under his command for several months, Marcus still hasn’t given up his life of careless debauchery and other antics. However no terrible tragedies have befallen the immediate duke the way the rest had. With every passing week, the people are beginning to believe that the black clouds that once plagued the Romanov family have finally cleared for the time being. Instead, other challenges await the newly minted Duke of Vasile. Time will only tell if he’ll outlive his recent predecessors.
Writing Sample:
The Friesian horses snorted as they trotted back up the river from having spent most of the day riding. Marcus suddenly halted at the lead as they were closer approaching Vanderhall to hear the sound of the death knell ringing from the bell tower. His blue eyes staring intently about the gates as they could see the people within shuffling about quickly.
“What in Revanine is going on now?” Claudia grumbled softly before riding up next to her older brothers, “Marcus?”
It seemed that not a month went by without them hearing the chimes of another Romanov meeting their untimely demise. Likely Claudia knew exactly what this meant, and Wilhelm’s grim features already gave away the fact that he was aware of the implications. The only real question to answer was ‘who’? Though Marcus had a pretty good idea, he kept his features unflinching as he replied, “Another family member has died again.”
Taking in a deep breath, he looked at his siblings and cousin with a serious expression on his face. “Whoever it is, they’re still family. We won’t like hearing the news. You better prepare yourselves for the worst.”
All of them nodded in agreement before Marcus nudged his horse forward and the others followed. This was the day it would all change. A new path of destiny was going to be carved, and Marcus Romanov would be its successor.
Best Contact Method(s): PM me for best results
Character Name: Marcus Romanov
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Birthdate: January 26th, 1400 - Aquarius
City / Region: Vanderhall, Vasile
House: Romanov
Played by: Torrance Coombs
Appearance:
Marcus stands at an average 5'10" in height and an athletic build. He's a man of decent taste, caught between the air of sophistication and that rogue-like charm. Any formal tunics and other accoutrements often have a button or two loosened, as he wears formal attire with casual ease. There's always a little bit of scruff for facial hair, and the fact that he appears just a wee bit unkempt is often part of what makes him the attractive sort.
Personality:
Marcus is one of those individuals where you feel like he could be your best friend for life. He’s an easy-going person who likes to see both sides of the coin and is seen as a man who is wise beyond their years to some degree. Like all Romanov family members, he is a young man with a penchant for learning and testing the limits of human capacity. Marcus is already an exceptionally well-traveled individual, having visited foreign kingdoms abroad as well as several regions of Archades. He considers himself a student of the world, and lives without regret or hesitation in most circumstances.
But he is not a saint either. His exploits with drunken debauchery gets him into some trouble from time to time giving him the reputation of being a party-boy who’s too smart for his own good. Put him in a house’s court, however, and watch him shine like a political star! It’s easy to see that he was born with the gift of a silver tongue needed to survive the complex waters of an Archades Kingdom. His ambition knows no boundaries, and there's always a method to how he plays the game of life.
Whether you love him or hate him it's hard to ignore Marcus Romanov. Coincidence may have given him the position of being the Duke of Vasile, but he wears his power in a manner that is most cunning. Though he appears to be skirting some of his most important responsibilities such as marriage and children, make no mistake that he covets his title fiercely and has no intention on passing it over or giving it up.
Background:
Born the second son of a second son never held any kind of significant meaning. Like any Romanov, Marcus was the inquisitive sort and always enjoyed exploring boundaries and breaking rules. His father, Viktor, seemed to live in some kind of personal shadow with Sebastian, making nothing short of pure perfection something he demanded of his children. While results varied among his other siblings, the giant rift of comparison had always been him and Darius. His older brother was physically stronger, faster, smarter (or so their father thought), and better in just about everything there was to compare to. After a while Marcus realized that no matter what he did, it would never please his father, and for some reason Viktor seemed particularly hell bent on picking on him.
So Marcus eventually quit trying.
He skipped whatever classes were assigned to him in exchange for things that he wanted to learn instead. He explored the seedier areas of Vanderhall and play games of luck and chance, befriended ruffians and other unfavorable individuals. It wasn’t long until he lost his virginity to a serving girl at fourteen and was caught by his father during the middle of the whole escapade. The beating he received was beyond severe but by then Marcus already made up his mind that it was worth every moment. There was no turning back after that point. If he was already marked as a black sheep of the family when he was trying to behave then why bother at all?
As the years progressed he mastered art of getting away with just about anything. Flying under the radar was kind of a specialty, and by then his father was already too engrossed betrothing Darius to some wealthy merchant’s only child and daughter. Especially after their mother, Isolde, died from waning health several years after Elsa’s birth, Viktor had little time to spare on anyone past Darius and his baby girl. The more Viktor ignored Marcus, the more Marcus was able to mold himself into the kind of free-spirited man he wanted to be. Often times he would bring his younger brother Wilhelm with him on some of the exploits. His cousin, Brent, was also game for just about any mischief or mayhem that could ensure from gallivanting off into the unknown taking risk after risk and coming back with some amazing adventures along the way. By the time he was twenty, Marcus had been to every city in Vasile, and was already exploring other regions of the Archades kingdom. It wasn’t long into his twenty-first birthday that his friendship with Reed Gardiner solidified more, and soon it was as if Marcus didn’t really live in Vanderhall at all. But that wasn’t entirely true. Despite the fact that he was out exploring what life had to offer, he was very much aware of the events that were transpiring at home.
Though Sebastian may have been the first of Octavian’s line he certainly wasn’t the luckiest, and that lack of luck only seemed to further trickle into Marcus’ family soon after. Both Sebastian and his wife were plagued with health issues, providing only one son out of the entire marriage which was Lucien. But even though Lucien was able to produce three children out of his marriage, it seemed that the sons would never survive. Oliver was stillborn, and Artur died at the age of two when, during a picnic, he wandered out into the river only to be swept away and drowned. The loss of two sons was something that took its mental toll on Lucien. His wife found him dead, locked in the study. Lucien had committed suicide by placing a blade through his belly. When Viktor took the mantle of Duke, he had Lucien’s wife and daughter shipped back home to their original family with a marginal dowry to Elena’s name as a gesture of good will (or good riddance).
With Viktor’s firstborn son, Darius, already married with a son it appeared that the family jewel was about to take a place in the sun for all to see him sparkle. Naturally Marcus held little interest in the whole affair, choosing to spend his time with courtesans on the day of his father’s coronation. But Viktor’s ideal dreams seemed to remain just that: A dream. During the Feast of Warriors, Darius participated in the joust as he always did each year. When it was his turn to face Sir Bogdan Ionescu, the match ended with a strike to the face that went through the eyes of the helmet. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Darius Romanov’s dead body was investigated to find that the jousting spear was tipped with metal war point under a larger false blunted one. Despite Sir Bogdan claiming he was innocent, the knight was executed on the spot for murder, judged by Viktor’s blind rage.
Marcus simply watched on, visually shocked, but on the inside he was glad to finally be bereft of Darius, the Perfect Son. From there it all went downhill. Viktor took to his drink on a nightly basis in levels of excess that were unnatural. Instead of sticking around to be the target of his obscene tirades, Marcus went with Wilhelm and sometimes Claudia into the city to escape into a world of fun and debauchery. Elsa, unfortunately, was always left behind. Given that she was daddy’s little girl, Marcus held no feelings of obligation in yanking his baby sister from whatever storm of emotions their father had succumb to. After a few months of Viktor’s drunken exploits, the man imbibed himself to death and once again Marcus felt the weight on his shoulders get surprisingly lighter.
Now his sister-in-law, Adelaine, was losing her mind. Her only child and son, Dimitrius, was now the Duke of Vasile. But with death after death plaguing the Romanov family she turned to paranoia as her one and only friend. Shutting herself away with Dimitrius, it would be many months until one of her friends managed to finally lure her out of the darkness and go for a picnic while Dimitrius’ caretaker, Jaquelyn Forrester stayed behind to watch the toddler. Marcus had gone riding for the day with Wilhelm, Claudia, and a few of his other cousins. When they returned later that evening the whole castle was in chaos, and Jaquelyn was pleading for forgiveness.
Confused, Marcus watched as his grandmother sentenced Jaquelyn to death for negligence which lead to the untimely demise of Dimitrius Romanov. For some reason the caretaker fell asleep, and the young child managed to climb upon on windowsill and fall to his death. Marcus was still trying to sort out the details of what happened when later that night the sound of a high shriek echoed in the middle of the night. Adelaine’s body was found dangling outside of the window that once belonged to her son, Dimitrius. Overwhelmed by grief, the woman tied the bed sheets together, wrapped them around the bedpost on one end and around her neck on the other, and jumped out the very window that claimed her son. Her suicide marking yet another untimely death that was beginning to cast a very ominous cloud over the family lineage.
In the throes of this chaotic situation, it wasn’t until Anselm barged in on him in the middle of a very intimate romp with one of the Guardians of Arcandus that it was forced into his skull very suddenly: Marcus was now the Duke of Vasile. At first it seemed a bit crazy. After all, Marcus was never really groomed for the position so he didn’t try to achieve any of the things that Lucien or Darius sought to master. The family was quick to want to assemble a coronation ceremony but Marcus had something different in mind. Instead he sought the wisdom of the four Temple Priestesses to see what could be done to lift the spirits of the people and to see if his taking of the title was just one more lamb to the slaughter. After several nights of discussion and waiting for the right moon cycle to perform the divination rituals that would give him the answers, the priestesses came back with good tidings and specific instructions.
On the morning of Nastere, Marcus was in Munte de Fae and taken to a secluded part of the forest where the coronation rites were performed in front of immediate family. All four priestesses blessed the ceremony before the Temple Priestess of Nashala took him privately into a deeper part of the forest to complete the ritual. When he returned to Vanderhall, during the beginnings of spring, the people were given a formal announcement that he was now the Duke of Vasile, anointed by the gods. Marcus’ claim to the title was done during a time of new beginnings and hope.
With Vasile under his command for several months, Marcus still hasn’t given up his life of careless debauchery and other antics. However no terrible tragedies have befallen the immediate duke the way the rest had. With every passing week, the people are beginning to believe that the black clouds that once plagued the Romanov family have finally cleared for the time being. Instead, other challenges await the newly minted Duke of Vasile. Time will only tell if he’ll outlive his recent predecessors.
Writing Sample:
The Friesian horses snorted as they trotted back up the river from having spent most of the day riding. Marcus suddenly halted at the lead as they were closer approaching Vanderhall to hear the sound of the death knell ringing from the bell tower. His blue eyes staring intently about the gates as they could see the people within shuffling about quickly.
“What in Revanine is going on now?” Claudia grumbled softly before riding up next to her older brothers, “Marcus?”
It seemed that not a month went by without them hearing the chimes of another Romanov meeting their untimely demise. Likely Claudia knew exactly what this meant, and Wilhelm’s grim features already gave away the fact that he was aware of the implications. The only real question to answer was ‘who’? Though Marcus had a pretty good idea, he kept his features unflinching as he replied, “Another family member has died again.”
Taking in a deep breath, he looked at his siblings and cousin with a serious expression on his face. “Whoever it is, they’re still family. We won’t like hearing the news. You better prepare yourselves for the worst.”
All of them nodded in agreement before Marcus nudged his horse forward and the others followed. This was the day it would all change. A new path of destiny was going to be carved, and Marcus Romanov would be its successor.