Basic Information Full Name: Armin Aechter Age: 25 - 282 AC, April 12 Gender: Male Race: Ailor - New Regalian Sexuality: The Empire Skill Information Total Points: 25 +10 Blades +5 Shielding +5 Frontline Combat +5 Perception +10 Marshal Knowledge - (Ailor, New Regalian Bonus) Prefered Weaponry: The combination of a board and sword - a heater shield accompanied with an Arming Sword of Anglian origins (Type XIV). The sword hangs upon the left side of his waist, while the shield is slung over his head and rests behind him. Body Shape: Physical Stat Body Shape: Athletic Body Fat: Low Stats: 20 Languages Alt-Regalian (Fluent, Native Language - Maternal & Paternal) Common (Fluent - Dominant Second Language) Visual Information Eye Color: Light Blue - #5588EE Hair Color: Black - #242424 Hair Style: Meticulously groomed, kept short, rarely reaching past his brows or ears. Skin Color: White, but tanned from long exposures to the sun. Clothing: A simple common outfit befitting his status. Or a uniform of his affiliation. Height: 187cm Spoiler Welcome to the inner working of the mind Personality| Experiencing Fear | Suppress and Compose Armin cannot afford to falter in the face of fear and adversity, being a frontline officer of the Harhold Retinue, falling prey to these volatile emotions would see him dead in the midst of combat. He does, like most people, still experiences fear - though in his own right, his duty comes before all else, which leads him to put on an alternative visage. Mentally, Armin’s thoughts vanish, he finds himself incapable of forming together sentences coherently, his coordination worsens and he usually wishes to retreat to a private location. Visually, astute observers may spot some involuntary movements; shaking of a hand, frantic gaze of the eyes, the nervous pattering of a foot, heavy breathing - other than those minor implications, Armin persists in his attempt to fabricate a stoic and steadfast attitude, at the worsening of his own mental state. | Experiencing Stress | Those without stomach for this place must move on Stress is no foreign emotion to Armin, having been dealt the worst of it. But just like the issue with handling fear, he cannot afford to balk under pressure. Those of acute making may notice a few peculiar habits Armin might portray under the effect of stress; the lower lip twitches, biting of the thumb occurs, the clenching of a fist repeatedly. | The foremost insecurity | Himself, self-doubt Armin struggles with finding any worthwhile qualities within him - he is constantly skeptical about the decisions he makes, and can overthink himself to exhaustion as he attempts to figure out superior alternative outcomes. A bonafide pessimist. | The foremost fears | Death, decay and the unknown Above all else, Armin fears death the most - the end all to every ambition, every meaning and purpose. He fears wasting his life on frivolities, frightened by the aspects of acedia. He fears becoming a decrepit man, rendered useless, bedridden and incapable of caring for himself. | The Law and its Authorities | Ask not what the Empire can do for you, but what you can do for the Empire The Law is the guiding hand of the Empire - without it, there is chaos, and anarchy. Those who carry out the will of the law are righteous agents, but one must be wary of those sinful few who would warp the rules to their favour. | Foreigners, non-Ailorians | Meritocracy does not abide discrimination Armin holds no true feelings towards members of other races or foreigners in general, for he values the model of meritocracy above all else. If an individual is useful, regardless of their making, it is deemed worthy enough for Armin’s attention. He does contain a special dislike for the Altalar of Teled Methen. | Religion and Faith | As the Emperor protects, so must we A devout follower of Unionism, Armin has been indoctrinated into the beliefs and practises of Sancellism early in his life. Thought not of fanatical standing, his devotion is still strong, attending most sermons and services. | The Arcane Art and the Realms of Magic | Piqued Curiosity Ever curious about the obscured machinations of this world, Armin’s interest into the matters of the Arcane has always been hindered. He had always valued his obligations first prior to delving into the matters of Magica. Perhaps with his newfound enlistment into the Crimson Inquisition, this curiosity can be satiated. | Expressing Happiness | A troubling concept to grasp Sentimental behaviourism is not one of Armin’s forte. He feels incapable of cheering and other joyful actions in public settings. He keeps his emotions to himself, bottling it all inside - failing to comprehend how he could be capable of portraying feelings of contentment. He finds minute joy in his service to the State, and responds to such feelings by operating on a timely manner befitting a model citizen, paying taxes, and helping out his fellow countrymen. | Relations to the Family | No interest Being born third of his family, little familial attention was delivered to Armin in comparison to his older siblings. Being left partly to his own free will spurred rebellious tendencies in his youth, leading to a rift between Armin and his family which still persists. | Foremost Pride | Service to the State Armin’s pride and joy is his servitude to the Duke of Vlissinghelm, Hengest Harhold. His diligence and attentiveness are the qualities that every New Regalian man finds pride in. | For the betterment of life | Duty and obligations Believing that his obligations to the state as a citizen is the salvation to his life, Armin wholeheartedly delves into this. Truth be told, he has no understanding of how to achieve peace of the mind, the belief that his service brings him joy is a fabricated myth conjured by Armin during the deepest pit of despair he was in. He is a hollow husk, with a fraud like perception of life. Life Story Childhood (0 - 13) | 282 - 295 AC Born in the Capital of the New Regalian people, Calemberg, Armin was thrusted into the life of wealthy privileges; his status derived from his father, Frederick the Elder, the patriarch of an affluent metropolitan family of textile origins. Such a birth gave way for an easy, sheltered childhood, from which Armin had little access to the outside world, stunting his social growth. During his childhood youth he made no friends, his daily scheduled structured by his father’s strict and rigid oversight - the ones he interacted with the most were his tutors and family servants. Though this was of no issue to the boy, he found interest in his studies. He was routinely drilled in the matters of academics, and later on would be taught rudimentary martial arts, as customary of a New Regalian boy. Despite this life of luxury, Armin was the third child of the family, and as such, was expected to enroll into one of the many Regalian Military Academies while his elder siblings enjoyed their continuous pleasures - He would have to muck about with the common soldiery eventually. With the family’s involvement in the manufacturing of clothing textiles within Calemberg, a fair amount of funds were already set aside for Armin’s education, leading to many proverbial doors opening. Which lead to the boy being instructed by members of the Tenpenny School of Warfare. It was not expected for Armin to exceed anything further than low-ranked officer positions, therefore the Tenpenny Doctrines were a worthy enough choice. This new directive led him on course to the Capital of the Empire, Regalia. Though Calemberg was certainly a worthy enough of a City for Armin to be taught the matters of war, it still could not amount to the Imperial Capital - the epicenter of all Governmental business, civilian and military. Adolescence (14 - 20) | 295 - 302 AC Within his stay in the City of Light, Armin grew to have a strong affection for the vibrant life, for it was entirely different from what he had experienced so far. The adolescent was mesmerized by the sheer size of it all - from its illustrious architecture, to the people inhabiting its streets, Armin fell in love with it. Enough to even forget about his own homeland. His absence from Calemberg was accepted, for it was expected of him to remain focused in his studies, travelling constantly around the Empire would impede such attempts. So for a vast majority of his life, Armin resided within the quarters of the Imperial Capital, reveling in its splendor. During this time, Armin had come to excel in the arts of martial combat for someone his age, and proved adept in his academics. Such success garnered the attention of Charles Montagaard, who at the time was seeking soldiers to server under him as he maintained the County of Gaekraan. The promise of good pay (his own money, not his families') and a chance to acquire glory allured the young man. Armin was quickly scooped up by the Anglian Noble upon mentioning his interest, and now found himself attached to one of the Montagaard bannermen, Hengest Harhold. Swearing himself under these Anglian Nobles brought about great discord to the Aechter family, for it was expected that Armin would serve someone of Calembergian origins rather than some far-flung foreign noble, but the man was in his prime age for rebellion, and so revolted from his father's wishes, now a properly inducted Montagaard soldier. Adulthood (21 - 25) | 302 - 307 AC Armin had no issues with following his Hengest’s successes, he seemed content with simply being of use to his mentor, the Harhold abrasiveness unaffecting the New Regalian man. Armin’s diligent, no-nonsense attitude acquired him the respect of the prominent lordling, but he still found himself victim to his cruel japes nonetheless. Armin’s fortitude would be tested as he is sent along with the Montagaard Armies in to the lands of Teled Methen - the war against the Elves renewed. It was however, a tragically short lived campaign for Armin - Elvish guerilla fighters having proved their worth, annihilated the Regalian Armies and subsequently killed the Ironfisted Undercrown, Charles Montagaard. Armin was lucky enough to be spared, for he had been tasked with the objective of scouting along with a dozen light cavalry. They scoured the jungles to the best of their capabilities, but found nothing within, the floral overgrowth confusing many of the scouts. Either by sheer luck or orchestrated will on the Altalar part, the Regalian scouts completely missed any signs of their foes, it was too late for Armin’s outriders, once they realized the errors of their ways, the sounds of battles were at an all time high. They made for a dash to the source of the conflict, but upon coming into an opening in the jungle, they were devastated upon sighting the outcome. The Elves had their way with the Montagaard army, and summarily executed it to the last man, - a mixture of panic and fear made the outriders rout from the field, they fled as far as they could. Their frantic flight still did not save them from the wrath of the Altalar. Knowing the terrain far better than the Regalians, they quickly chased down Armin’s party, besetting them on three side and inflicting heavy casualties in a deadly ambush. The original twelve dropped down to four in the span of a few hours - three had remained behind to hold off their enemies for as long as they could, while the other five were taken by surprise in the aforementioned ambush, now deceased and riddled with arrows. Only through raw tenacity and a will to survive, did the remainder manage to escape the imminent clutches of death. But now they were faced with another great ordeal. The surviving members had terrible injuries; an arrow was lodged into Armin’s left shoulder, stuck in between the shoulder blade. Another comrade would later succumb to his wounds, as he bled out over his horse with an arrow punched through his chest, which dropped the band to its last three members. The survivors gathered the last of their equipment and decided the fastest way to safety was to head north, into the lands of Daen - a long and arduous trek ahead. It was decided days later, when the last three riders felt safe enough, that they would proceed with extracting the arrow out of Armin's shoulder. He was sat upon a log, and given a branch to bit down upon as they extracted the shaft and the arrowhead. The pain was unlike anything Armin had ever experienced in his life, his mind went blank and he eventually lost his senses, falling unconscious. Awaking from what seemed to be an eternal slumber, he found himself strapped to the mane of his horse as a familiar companion tugged the steed and the Armin along - he was told that he had been out for two days and that they made a significant amount of distance since they last stopped, the jungle seemed never ending however. With Armin’s senses returned, he utilized his intellect to navigate the crew out of the woods. Using the rise and direction of the sun’s setting, the observing of certain floral activity, and other general tips, they made their way to the coastline rapidly. Eventually coming upon a coastal village, they were brought in by curious hard working simpletons. Believing the villagers might have been hostile to Regalians or foreigners in general, Armin spun a tale of deceit, introducing themselves as Adventurers that got lost in an expedition within the jungle, but it proved unnecessary, the villagers having been receptively amiable. The band of three spent a few weeks amongst the people of the village, breaking bread and sharing homes. They worked alongside side the fishermen, helping them catch their bounties from below the waves - but it ended as soon as they were all recuperated. After a farewell feast, Armin's crew was sent up north along the coast, reaching a larger settlement that contained a proper harbour with ships from around Aloria. A charter was eventually garnered and they would set sail for the Crown Isle of Regalia. Expecting a disgraced return, Armin readied himself mentally, but instead they were welcomed back amiably, commended for their abilities to survive a slaughter of epic proportion. Not all was this simple; the botched mending of Armin’s injuries partially immobilized his left shoulder permanently, the tendons and muscles having been severely damaged, and incorrectly mended - it rendered him incapable of participating in hard labor for the next couple years as he was undergoing rehabilitation. He was taken in by his old mentor, Hengest Harhold, with the promise of shelter and all other amnesties, as long as long as he served him only. The dazed and stunned Armin accepted wearily. Hengest however, had no use for Armin at this time - he simply afforded the man lodging and food, expecting nothing in return. The injury manifested in more than just the physical also - the slaughter of his Regalian compatriots, the chaos of battle, the dead and dying deeply scarred the psyche of Armin, and his injury served to fuel his growing discontent with life. His moods swung and worsened significantly, to the point where he could resemble his Harhold peer, lashing out in bouts of anger. Not even the dismantling of the Montagaard Regime and the diaspora of his fellow compatriots bothered him. The end of the war against Teled Methen and pesky Dragons wrecking havoc were not even enough to stir the broken Armin. He kept himself isolated for long durations of times, wallowing in regret as he mulled over the choices he had made in his life that brought him to this point, escaping solitude occasionally to drown his sorrows in wine and ale. Only through the means of his fellow comrades was he capable of escaping poverty, for they constantly put Armin back in his place. Most primarily, Hengest Harhold, his old mentor, now becoming a prominent figure in Anglian politics. In his typical fashion, Hengest one day barged down the door to Armin’s chambers, proceeding to slap the drunkard some sense. He dragged the man from his comforts and forced him back to work, leading to Armin’s enrollment into the reformed Crimson Inquisition.
