Post by Josh on Jul 23, 2014 17:13:59 GMT -5
Player: Josh
Best Contact Method(s):Gmail!
Character Name: Alexander Romanov
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Birthdate: March 20th, 1387
City / Region: Vanderhall, Vasile
House [ Birth, Marriage if applicable]: Romanov
Played by: Jeremy Northam
Appearance:
Alexander stands an inch under six feet with squired shoulders and an aloof stance. The look on his face betrays no emotion, no thought and barely betrays his age. The dark hair on his head contains further evidence of that with a few wisps of grey here and there, mostly at the temples. A well trimmed goatee completes the look of a man that looks entirely too serious. The cut of his cloth is the only sign of his noble standing, but one can tell he does not overly care how he appears.
Personality:
Cold, calculating, and aloof. These are the traits that best describe Alexander Romanov. He is a consummate natural philosopher, using his keen eye to make astute observation and thoroughly record his findings. Alexander feels more at home in his study or out in the field than he does amongst those he considers family and friends. Any strangers who encounter him will likely receive short, blunt and calculated statements. To Alexander, conversation is simply a means of exchanging information and should never be a waste of time.
That being said, Alexander is fiercely loyal to his family and their way of life. He takes great pride in their status as the academics and scholars of Archades. Those around him consider him to be an expert on natural philosophy, particularly the traits and identification of plants, fungi and animals on the kingdom. He also turned that observant eye on people, whom he considered to be an additional high functioning animal. The patterns found in the wild can easily be spotted in the politics of humans.
To that end, however, Alexander has remained largely aloof from the actual politics and goings on of his house. The deaths of the house leaders were, indeed, rather strange. Yet, for reasons that he could not adequately explain, he did not delve too deeply into their mysteries. Alexander eventually tallied their deaths to the eventual randomness and chaos of life. Or, at least, that is what he tells himself.
As for the rest of the family, Alexander is something of an enigma and prefers to keep it that way. Since his parents focused so greatly Simone and Remus, he did not foster strong relationships with them. After all, what place did he really have in their lives? The fact that his father bartered him off to marry a rich merchant’s daughter for her dowry was telling enough of Alexander’s importance. Thanks to the loveless and uncivil marriage, Alexander grew more reclusive and distant. This quality became worse, oddly enough, when she died.
Another important figure in his life is one Annemarie Gardiner, his protégée. Annemarie had come to foster at House Romanov to further her skills as an herbalist and healer, which Alexander found peripherally interesting. Alexander was determined to make not just a healer out of her, but an observant one as well. Their relationship is often rocky, and yet Alexander has a hidden and untold fondness for the young woman. Not that he would ever admit to such.
Alexander is a man on the brink. One the one hand, he is a brilliant scholar and keen observer. On the other, he’s a quiet, unhappy man who does not feel the value of his life. Which way could he end up going?
Background:
Alexander was the last child born to Anselm Romanov. While the two were pleased to have another child born to the family, they were just as pleased to finish having children. Alexander was tended to like any baby was: well-fed, kept safe and warmed and comforted when needed. Yet, most of Anselm’s attentions were focused on his elder children and getting them situated in their lives. Alexander had not been planned and thus Anselm had difficultly exactly placing his youngest son’s future. This was both a blessing and a curse.
The blessing was that Alexander was allowed to pursue what he wished, while Simone and Anthony were arranged in carefully negotiated marriages. Alexander soon found comfort in the company offered by animals and plants of the island, begging his tutor to hold lessons on the plains and forests of their lands. Alexander cared little for the history and civics on the land, finding himself far more curious about how the world around them worked. There were too many similar qualities between animals and humans for Alexander to ignore: similar bones, blood, eyes, and needs. There had to be more.
Thus, Alexander threw himself into his studies. As the years went on, his stack of notebooks and observations grew ever higher, managing to cajole his parents into allowing him a study on the main estate so that he could further his studies. He received a relatively unused room which he quickly made his own. Alexander was content with is life, even happy. His relationship with his family improved, and they were surprised that Alexander could actually be charismatic and encouraging. All was well with him.
Until his father was struck with a whim. A wealthy merchant was looking for a husband for her daughter. Anselm used the promise of a connection to House Romanov to further the merchant’s influence in court and on the island. A deal was struck without Alexander’s consultation and it wasn’t long before he found himself married to one Corinne deFleur.
They hated each other from the first moment. They were polar opposites in personality, but Corinne was far more obnoxious about it. When Alexander preferred the solitude of his study, Corrine demanded to be shown around the island, attend festivities and, essentially, revel in the wealth of her father. Alexander had no such interests. Their differences led to heated arguments, their hatred of each other growing with each passing day. They never shared a bedroom.
For ten years, Alexander suffered through his marriage with his wife. The hatred seemed to change him completely. Alexander went from a shy, quiet, but happy scholar to one that was cold, distant and completely immersed in his studies. Acting on a vain hope, his mother arranged for Annemarie Gardiner to be fostered at their estate. It was her thinking that a protégée, eager to learn how the world worked would spark life in him.
It both did and did not work. Annemarie was determined to learn all she could from him, while Alexander taught… but remained coldly distant. Or, at least, he tried. The influence of Annemarie and a curious relationship with his distant cousins, Marcus and Elsa. However, one day, his wife died after a particularly pitched argument. It was a simple enough accident: she fell down a flight of stairs. Yet, Alexander blamed himself because he wished for her death. He wished to be released from her.
As the years passed, Alexander continued to fill himself to self-loathing and doubt. To distract himself, he focused on his research and tried not to be alarmed at the constantly shifting leadership of House Romanov. That the Duke and his myriad of heirs suffered such untimely deaths was something of an enigma to Alexander. Rather, he focused on the tasks that had been set before him: to observe the natural world, the advance scientific causes and serve as an adviser on Marcus's Council.
Yet, there was something more for which Alexander yearned... but he could not quite put his finger on it.
Writing Sample:
Nature granted a great deal of introspection. The pond was a good example of this. It was breeding season for the local fish populations and he had learned a great deal about them, indeed. Typically, the females laid egg clusters near each other for a greater chance of protecting them against predators. Then, the males competed for the egg clusters, the victor spreading their seed over the eggs. However, one day, Alexander noticed something rather interesting and amusing. While the larger males were dueling for control over the egg clusters, smaller males would sneak in and deposit their seed. They frequently went unnoticed.
Humans, he realized, could do something very similar. Not in a literal sense, of course. What it told Alexander, however, was never to underestimate the small and unseemly. They frequently saw things larger people did not and pressed their advantages accordingly. He idly wondered if that theory would ever hold up in Court. He would have to make a note to observe the comings and goings of people.
Settled into his study, he finished his notes on the matter of the fish and then closed that particular book. Just as he did so, he heard a yell from beyond the door. The expression on his face immediately became tired, looking wearily toward the only obstruction keeping them apart. It soon burst open, revealing an enraged Corinne.
Why won't she just die and leave me in peace...
Best Contact Method(s):Gmail!
Character Name: Alexander Romanov
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Birthdate: March 20th, 1387
City / Region: Vanderhall, Vasile
House [ Birth, Marriage if applicable]: Romanov
Played by: Jeremy Northam
Appearance:
Alexander stands an inch under six feet with squired shoulders and an aloof stance. The look on his face betrays no emotion, no thought and barely betrays his age. The dark hair on his head contains further evidence of that with a few wisps of grey here and there, mostly at the temples. A well trimmed goatee completes the look of a man that looks entirely too serious. The cut of his cloth is the only sign of his noble standing, but one can tell he does not overly care how he appears.
Personality:
Cold, calculating, and aloof. These are the traits that best describe Alexander Romanov. He is a consummate natural philosopher, using his keen eye to make astute observation and thoroughly record his findings. Alexander feels more at home in his study or out in the field than he does amongst those he considers family and friends. Any strangers who encounter him will likely receive short, blunt and calculated statements. To Alexander, conversation is simply a means of exchanging information and should never be a waste of time.
That being said, Alexander is fiercely loyal to his family and their way of life. He takes great pride in their status as the academics and scholars of Archades. Those around him consider him to be an expert on natural philosophy, particularly the traits and identification of plants, fungi and animals on the kingdom. He also turned that observant eye on people, whom he considered to be an additional high functioning animal. The patterns found in the wild can easily be spotted in the politics of humans.
To that end, however, Alexander has remained largely aloof from the actual politics and goings on of his house. The deaths of the house leaders were, indeed, rather strange. Yet, for reasons that he could not adequately explain, he did not delve too deeply into their mysteries. Alexander eventually tallied their deaths to the eventual randomness and chaos of life. Or, at least, that is what he tells himself.
As for the rest of the family, Alexander is something of an enigma and prefers to keep it that way. Since his parents focused so greatly Simone and Remus, he did not foster strong relationships with them. After all, what place did he really have in their lives? The fact that his father bartered him off to marry a rich merchant’s daughter for her dowry was telling enough of Alexander’s importance. Thanks to the loveless and uncivil marriage, Alexander grew more reclusive and distant. This quality became worse, oddly enough, when she died.
Another important figure in his life is one Annemarie Gardiner, his protégée. Annemarie had come to foster at House Romanov to further her skills as an herbalist and healer, which Alexander found peripherally interesting. Alexander was determined to make not just a healer out of her, but an observant one as well. Their relationship is often rocky, and yet Alexander has a hidden and untold fondness for the young woman. Not that he would ever admit to such.
Alexander is a man on the brink. One the one hand, he is a brilliant scholar and keen observer. On the other, he’s a quiet, unhappy man who does not feel the value of his life. Which way could he end up going?
Background:
Alexander was the last child born to Anselm Romanov. While the two were pleased to have another child born to the family, they were just as pleased to finish having children. Alexander was tended to like any baby was: well-fed, kept safe and warmed and comforted when needed. Yet, most of Anselm’s attentions were focused on his elder children and getting them situated in their lives. Alexander had not been planned and thus Anselm had difficultly exactly placing his youngest son’s future. This was both a blessing and a curse.
The blessing was that Alexander was allowed to pursue what he wished, while Simone and Anthony were arranged in carefully negotiated marriages. Alexander soon found comfort in the company offered by animals and plants of the island, begging his tutor to hold lessons on the plains and forests of their lands. Alexander cared little for the history and civics on the land, finding himself far more curious about how the world around them worked. There were too many similar qualities between animals and humans for Alexander to ignore: similar bones, blood, eyes, and needs. There had to be more.
Thus, Alexander threw himself into his studies. As the years went on, his stack of notebooks and observations grew ever higher, managing to cajole his parents into allowing him a study on the main estate so that he could further his studies. He received a relatively unused room which he quickly made his own. Alexander was content with is life, even happy. His relationship with his family improved, and they were surprised that Alexander could actually be charismatic and encouraging. All was well with him.
Until his father was struck with a whim. A wealthy merchant was looking for a husband for her daughter. Anselm used the promise of a connection to House Romanov to further the merchant’s influence in court and on the island. A deal was struck without Alexander’s consultation and it wasn’t long before he found himself married to one Corinne deFleur.
They hated each other from the first moment. They were polar opposites in personality, but Corinne was far more obnoxious about it. When Alexander preferred the solitude of his study, Corrine demanded to be shown around the island, attend festivities and, essentially, revel in the wealth of her father. Alexander had no such interests. Their differences led to heated arguments, their hatred of each other growing with each passing day. They never shared a bedroom.
For ten years, Alexander suffered through his marriage with his wife. The hatred seemed to change him completely. Alexander went from a shy, quiet, but happy scholar to one that was cold, distant and completely immersed in his studies. Acting on a vain hope, his mother arranged for Annemarie Gardiner to be fostered at their estate. It was her thinking that a protégée, eager to learn how the world worked would spark life in him.
It both did and did not work. Annemarie was determined to learn all she could from him, while Alexander taught… but remained coldly distant. Or, at least, he tried. The influence of Annemarie and a curious relationship with his distant cousins, Marcus and Elsa. However, one day, his wife died after a particularly pitched argument. It was a simple enough accident: she fell down a flight of stairs. Yet, Alexander blamed himself because he wished for her death. He wished to be released from her.
As the years passed, Alexander continued to fill himself to self-loathing and doubt. To distract himself, he focused on his research and tried not to be alarmed at the constantly shifting leadership of House Romanov. That the Duke and his myriad of heirs suffered such untimely deaths was something of an enigma to Alexander. Rather, he focused on the tasks that had been set before him: to observe the natural world, the advance scientific causes and serve as an adviser on Marcus's Council.
Yet, there was something more for which Alexander yearned... but he could not quite put his finger on it.
Writing Sample:
Nature granted a great deal of introspection. The pond was a good example of this. It was breeding season for the local fish populations and he had learned a great deal about them, indeed. Typically, the females laid egg clusters near each other for a greater chance of protecting them against predators. Then, the males competed for the egg clusters, the victor spreading their seed over the eggs. However, one day, Alexander noticed something rather interesting and amusing. While the larger males were dueling for control over the egg clusters, smaller males would sneak in and deposit their seed. They frequently went unnoticed.
Humans, he realized, could do something very similar. Not in a literal sense, of course. What it told Alexander, however, was never to underestimate the small and unseemly. They frequently saw things larger people did not and pressed their advantages accordingly. He idly wondered if that theory would ever hold up in Court. He would have to make a note to observe the comings and goings of people.
Settled into his study, he finished his notes on the matter of the fish and then closed that particular book. Just as he did so, he heard a yell from beyond the door. The expression on his face immediately became tired, looking wearily toward the only obstruction keeping them apart. It soon burst open, revealing an enraged Corinne.
Why won't she just die and leave me in peace...