Gregoryan A. Archambeau
The Mute Knight
Gregoryan Alain Archambeau, The Mute Knight
| Age 29 |
| Gender Male |
| Origin North Ilica |
| Occupation Traveling knight, sellsword, or bodyguard for hire |
Born to a pair of farmers, Gregor desired more in life. He sought to become a knight, one of those famed soldiers of the sword who earned fame and prestige in the tourneys. He would conduct mock jousts with his siblings when his parents weren't looking and the days' work was done. He would fell the dragon, one of his brothers, and rescue the princess, one of his sisters, and return her to her parents, the king and queen, the two remaining siblings. The roles would rotate, though he was always the knight and never of higher stature in their adventures. He did not dream of such things. He knew his place and hoped one day to earn the favor of a noble lady in a joust, winning a tourney with her colors proudly displayed for all to see.
During one of the harsher summer rains, his brother slipped on the edge of one of the rivers and was dragged downstream. He was later discovered by one of the fishing folk, his body caught against one of the piles of debris that caught on one of the rocks. His parents mourned the loss of one of their sons and his father pulled him aside, sternly lecturing him on the realities of life and encouraging him to get his head out of the clouds.His aspirations in life should be simple, find a woman, have a family and till the land.
On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, a wandering hedge knight passed through his town. He followed the knight, peppering him with questions about his adventures and the glories he had obtained. He begged for the privilege to be the man's squire. The hedge knight, on the way to a tourney, took pity on the young farm boy, already of considerable size if not quite filled out all the way, and accepted his pledge of service. He made Gregor walk behind him and his horse, perform the cooking and cleaning, sharpening of his sword and see to the tack and gear. After a year or two, Ser Travis the Short began to educate him in the way of the sword, teaching him simple parries and thrusts. The boy's strength was becoming surreal and Travis would more often than not end up losing the bouts due to the boy's sheer relentless attacks and brute force.
The duo traveled the land, Ser Travis joining in several tourneys and gradually allowing the boy to practice his horsemanship when they camped for the night. One eve, Ser Travis was summoned to the local lord. A summons had been issued for all able-bodied men to sally forth and assault a small fort, housing a local band of criminals and cutthroats who were disrupting the local trade routes. The sizable force marched in formation, banners flapping, horses neighing - a truly glorious sight. The skies began to darken and soon a torrential downpour began. An ominous omen among some of the more pious of the force, several of the other hedge knights vanished in the night. Come morning, a far smaller force began the assault.
Gregor was given a spear and told to join the other squires in the assault on the breach of the gate. War was ugly, cruel and far from the glorious ballads he had dreamed of and heard wandering bards sing of in local taverns. Men died, crying for their mothers, spilling their steaming guts on the ground as their stomachs were cut open. The clash lasted for several days until a bloodied, bruised and weary force returned to the local lord's holdings. His spear having broken, Gregor had his throat sliced, his vocal chords severed and only a last minute change of trajectory as he'd fallen over a dead body saved him from death. He had bled like a stuck pig for several days and fought infection and fever for several weeks.
On the third month, he rode forth from the lord's holdings, gifted a horse of his own and a newly minted chain-mail hauberk, covered by a new tunic bearing his chosen sigil, a headless gryphon bearing a sword and shield in its talons. Ser Travis the Short had been slain in the battle, his sword now resting in the scabbard on Gregor's hips. From the forge of the battle a new hedge knight had been born. He found a blacksmith and spending some of his new coin, had a special hand a half or bastard sword crafted, its ornate pommel the head of a gryphon.
During one of the harsher summer rains, his brother slipped on the edge of one of the rivers and was dragged downstream. He was later discovered by one of the fishing folk, his body caught against one of the piles of debris that caught on one of the rocks. His parents mourned the loss of one of their sons and his father pulled him aside, sternly lecturing him on the realities of life and encouraging him to get his head out of the clouds.His aspirations in life should be simple, find a woman, have a family and till the land.
On the eve of his sixteenth birthday, a wandering hedge knight passed through his town. He followed the knight, peppering him with questions about his adventures and the glories he had obtained. He begged for the privilege to be the man's squire. The hedge knight, on the way to a tourney, took pity on the young farm boy, already of considerable size if not quite filled out all the way, and accepted his pledge of service. He made Gregor walk behind him and his horse, perform the cooking and cleaning, sharpening of his sword and see to the tack and gear. After a year or two, Ser Travis the Short began to educate him in the way of the sword, teaching him simple parries and thrusts. The boy's strength was becoming surreal and Travis would more often than not end up losing the bouts due to the boy's sheer relentless attacks and brute force.
The duo traveled the land, Ser Travis joining in several tourneys and gradually allowing the boy to practice his horsemanship when they camped for the night. One eve, Ser Travis was summoned to the local lord. A summons had been issued for all able-bodied men to sally forth and assault a small fort, housing a local band of criminals and cutthroats who were disrupting the local trade routes. The sizable force marched in formation, banners flapping, horses neighing - a truly glorious sight. The skies began to darken and soon a torrential downpour began. An ominous omen among some of the more pious of the force, several of the other hedge knights vanished in the night. Come morning, a far smaller force began the assault.
Gregor was given a spear and told to join the other squires in the assault on the breach of the gate. War was ugly, cruel and far from the glorious ballads he had dreamed of and heard wandering bards sing of in local taverns. Men died, crying for their mothers, spilling their steaming guts on the ground as their stomachs were cut open. The clash lasted for several days until a bloodied, bruised and weary force returned to the local lord's holdings. His spear having broken, Gregor had his throat sliced, his vocal chords severed and only a last minute change of trajectory as he'd fallen over a dead body saved him from death. He had bled like a stuck pig for several days and fought infection and fever for several weeks.
On the third month, he rode forth from the lord's holdings, gifted a horse of his own and a newly minted chain-mail hauberk, covered by a new tunic bearing his chosen sigil, a headless gryphon bearing a sword and shield in its talons. Ser Travis the Short had been slain in the battle, his sword now resting in the scabbard on Gregor's hips. From the forge of the battle a new hedge knight had been born. He found a blacksmith and spending some of his new coin, had a special hand a half or bastard sword crafted, its ornate pommel the head of a gryphon.
Appearance
| Height 6'10" |
| Build Strong/Bulky |
| Hair Black |
| Eyes Pale blue |
- Gregor has horrific scarring on his throat and jaw, a result of his substantial injuries on the battlefield in his youth - leaving him permanently mute. He currently grows out a thick beard to the best of his ability to try cover most of it, though some of the beard grows in patchy in some areas along the length of the scar.
- Pale, piercing eyes the color of the sky.
- Near giant of a man, Gregor stands at nearly seven feet tall.
- He travels clad in a newly minted chain-mail hauberk, covered by a new tunic bearing his chosen sigil, a headless Gryphon bearing a sword and shield in its talons. Pieces of plate have been crafted on to his shoulders and elbows and during battle, he shields his face with a helmet with curling ram horns.
- When his armor is being repaired, he wears a long-sleeved tunic and pants with a belt.
- Despite the prominent scarring on his throat and upper chest, he has countless nicks and scars over his body.
- He has callused fingers from years of swordsmanship.
Personality
Gregor is the very personification of loyalty, to a fault. He has served good lords and ladies and bad. If they pay fair and on time, his sword is theirs and he will fight to his death, the terms of their contract completion or upon the cancellation of his oath by his lord or lady. He is steadfast, a veritable force of nature on the battlefield. He does his best to exemplify the tenets of chivalry: valor and courage, honor and integrity, loyalty, courage and justice, courtesy and good manners, pious and devout and generous.
Likes: Poetry, the smell of spring, freshly cooked venison stew, the thrill of testing one's mettle against another, and the quiet of solitude.
Dislikes: Socializing, intrigue, the manipulations of court, cheating, and foul play
Likes: Poetry, the smell of spring, freshly cooked venison stew, the thrill of testing one's mettle against another, and the quiet of solitude.
Dislikes: Socializing, intrigue, the manipulations of court, cheating, and foul play
Skills
Near martial expert - Wields hand and a half sword as his primary weapon, has extensive training with it and is most comfortable wielding it. Proficient in sword and shield, though he tends to exhibit more weaknesses with it, preferring to use the shield to bash with his considerable strength and bulk.
Near expert horsemanship - Regular of the jousting tilts astride his massive warhorse Steadfast, he is proficient with lance and his primary sword. He can ride in a cavalry charge, controlling Steadfast with his knees through their long-term bond. He can ride most other horses with a few weeks to understand their temperament and bond with them.
Near expert horsemanship - Regular of the jousting tilts astride his massive warhorse Steadfast, he is proficient with lance and his primary sword. He can ride in a cavalry charge, controlling Steadfast with his knees through their long-term bond. He can ride most other horses with a few weeks to understand their temperament and bond with them.
Art Credit: https://www.2moonsai.com/free-photo-prompt/a-fierce-kind-male-barbarian-in-fantasy-medieval
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