CHARACTER BIO: Basil Gavras
PLAYED BY: Andrez “Peanut” Beltran
GENDER: Male
CLASS: Cleric
AGE: Early Thirties
RACE: Human
HAIR: I wish (black)
EYES: Brown
OCCUPATION: Militia member of the Order of Arnath’s Light
KNOWN SKILLS: Hit things with stuff. Teach people to hit things with stuff. Good strategist and tactician; loud voice that sometimes stays on key
BIRTHPLACE: Unknown. His mother was refugee during the War on Faedrun. Eventually settled near Celestial Mountains and the Order Fortress
APPEARANCE: Short; dark skinned; handsome beyond reason.
NOTABLE TRAITS: Darker skin than most on Mardrun. Ancestry may be closer to warmer climates. Also bald.
RELATIONSHIPS: Follower of Order of Arnath’s Light. Respects the Clerics as he grew up hearing tales of their heroics and exploits. Respects the Vandregonians for their part in the destruction of the May’Kar Dominion. Dislikes Bos Mezar as they are affiliated with May’Kar.. Doesn’t trust Ulven leadership due to Civil War; not xenophobic due to his time as a refugee
RUMORS: Tries a bit too hard to act like an Order Cleric even though he isn’t.
BIO / BACKGROUND HISTORY:
Basil is a young man in his early thirties. Born in the mid 230’s, his mother was a refugee of the War on Faedrun; his father unknown. During the early years of his life his mother moved from place to place trying to avoid the war and did what was needed to survive. Eventually the pair managed to make it to one of the many villages in the Celestial Mountains by 245 and settled there.
Basil came to revere the Order of Arnath’s Clerics as they battled the Undead. The gleaming rows of Clerics and Lay Order as they marched to war. He dreamed of being one, but was too old to be given to the Order by that time. He instead set his sights on the Militia.
This was not to say the boy was unskilled in the way in fighting; growing up a refugee with a single mother, he was an easy target. His smaller stature and different skin only exacerbated it. He quickly learned to take his beatings and return the favor. Most quickly learned the hard way of the boy’s ability to take punishment and come back day after day. By the time he was settled in his village, he was a stout boy with hard fists and a knack for fighting many opponents.
It did not take long for a member of the Militia to notice him. Between the rumors of his fighting and the way he hung around the known officers, he quickly drew attention. Unfortunately, some thought it was because of his attractive mother. Either way, the boy quickly became a servant to the militia members by day and was instructed in the way of fighting at night.
When the first battle barges left for Mardrun, his mother packed them up and went with them. The boy protested, as he wished to follow his idols into combat with the Undead. His mother wisely overruled him as he was still too young to fight. The boy would resent her at the time, but later look back on it as a blessing.
The trip to Mardrun was a perilous one. The conditions on the battle barges were claustrophobic and harsh. Order Clerics enforced law where they could, but there was simply too many people. The boy dealt harshly with those who looked to prey upon him and his mother, and eventually any he could find.
This brought him to the attention of the Order Clerics on board, as a number of his victims reported him as the abuser. Brought before a group of clerics for judgment, the boy made quite the fool of himself with passionate speech and no evidence. Luckily, his mother was of cooler head and brought many witnesses. His accusers were then convicted and punished. The Clerics, however, did not lose sight of the boy and brought him into the ranks of the Militia. The boy had reached his goal.
However, the trip was not all happy news. The confines led to the easy spreading of disease. His mother, unfortunately, contracted a virulent plague that swept the ship. For two weeks she was on death’s door while the plague took many of the passengers. The Clerics did what they could, but there was never enough of them or supplies. Finally, his mother managed to pull through. However, she was never as healthy afterwards.
After landing in Mardrun he helped with the long journey to Starkhaven. His now official role in the Militia left him little time to see his mother, though he did so at every available opportunity. As the new colonists settled in, he was given some polish by the senior members of the Militia; namely, how to be a good soldier outside of taking care of himself. He learned unit tactics, strategy, and how to lead and take care of men.
During his first years on Mardrun, the young man did not see much action. He mostly patrolled roads, helped his unit, and served diligently. During that time he was ever the dutiful son, never looking for companionship. This started some rumors within Starkhaven, but most thought it a good mark on his character.
As Basil barely passed into manhood, so did his mother pass from the world. Her funeral was well attended as they were well respected. She was cremated on a funeral pyre; a strange concept in Starkhaven, but was waved away as old habits from the Fall.
The loss of his mother hit him hard. He took up drinking and brawling among the Militia members and townspeople. Repeated punishments from his superiors did not curb his destructive behavior. He also volunteered for duties that might be dangerous, but quickly was denied those as he was more of a danger to his team.
When all else had failed, his superior called in a favor. An Order Cleric was brought in to talk to the young man. Though he listened more respectfully than previously, the words did not sink in. As a last resort (as they did not want to lose the young man due to growing tensions on Mardrun), the Order Cleric challenged him to a trial of combat. Arnath would show him the way.
It went about as well for the young man as expected. Though skilled with arms, the Cleric easily beat the young man. Not one to quit, he kept coming back for more punishment until the Cleric beat him into submission. Taking the wearied young man back to his home, the Cleric and his superior made to visit him the next morning to heal his wounds and speak.
What they found was the young man in good health and decent spirits. Apparently, the fight had shown him back to the path of Arnath. What disturbed the Cleric more was the disappearance of his wounds. Some magic had to be at play. The young man confessed to be able to channel the divine powers as had his mother before him. When they questioned why he had not shown this talent before, the young man simply stated that life had taught him not to reveal all of his skills. Though there were some that had benefited from his and his mother’s skill, they had been sworn to secrecy. After a drumming by both the Cleric and his superior, the young man promised to put his skills to better use.
He did not have to wait long. Tensions flared in Mardrun not soon after. Though he was eager to prove his worth again, his superior often relegated him to more mundane affairs while using other militia members to support the Order. To his great shame and frustration, he was not with the force that went to hunt the Lich in the Dirge Swamp and to this, wonders if he had been there would more of his comrades returned.
The Order did not have the ability to keep him out of the fighting during the Civil War. His unit was deployed to patrol roads, guard convoys, and even support the Order on some missions. It was here he picked up disdain for the Ulven Clan leaders as he lost many friends over what he deemed petty reasons.
With the losses the Order sustained, his unit was slowly pulled back to Starkhaven. He found it much more worn and empty than previously. The corruption and infighting was also a shock to him, and his disgust for it fueled the fire.
One of the few remaining experienced members of the Starkhaven militia, Basil has thrown his efforts into rebuilding the settlements glory. He yearns to get out into the world and may soon have his chance.