Post by phrostphyre on May 19, 2011 19:48:42 GMT -5
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Name: Earl of Kintail, Sir Alasdair Andrew Pádraic MacKenzie, usually goes by Black MacKenzie or Alasdair Dubh.
Age: 29
Race:Human
Occupation: Hive Associate quite loosely. The Count of Teirm pays Alasdair and his crew for various duties. Other than that, Alasdair is a pirate.
Allegiance: If need be, the Hive. His clan, but as it’s scattered, he can’t really do anything for it. Other than that, Alasdair is a pirate, and the Count of Teirm pays him and his crew not to attack Itasan ships, perform escort duties for any ships Genji designates, not raid Teirm itself or the area around it, and to use Teirm as a home port, so the gold his crew earns goes back into Teirm’s economy.
Physical Description:The Black in Alasdair’s nickname does refer to his hair, at least partially. Warm, deep-set green eyes that show open friendliness hide many things. Numerous scars decorate his back, leaving only the areas of the kidneys unscarred. His chest, stomach, arms, and legs, are not nearly as heavily scarred, but Alasdair bears several on them.
A slightly crooked nose, broken at least twice, shows Alasdair knows his way around a fistfight. Long black hair obscures his ears, but a gold hoop through the right ensures his burial if he washes up on land dead, and a silver hoop in his left constantly reminds him of his dead sisters. His cheeks are broad, and combined with his eyes give him a haunted or hunted look that only disappears when fighting or sleeping.
Alasdair could be described as large, intimidating, or imposing. All are true. He stands at six feet, four inches, and two hundredweight. Not an ounce of that is fat; Alasdair prides himself for being alive at twenty-nine, not looking forty-five, and not being ill all the time.
As a Gael, Alasdair wears the tartan of his clan, MacKenzie, but only the hunting tartan or dress tartan. His shirt is a full sleeved, white, with lacings at the neck, for formal occasions, to be worn with a dark blue or black double breasted coat, and a Balmoral cap with clan crest and three eagle feathers.
A warrior and pirate, Alasdair would be nowhere without his weaponry and shield: Alban targe, Alban dirk, sgian dubh, and basket hilted broadsword. All are beautiful, for weapons of war, but they are not things of beauty, as is the usual standard definition of beautiful. In fact, Alasdair's weapons have seen action many times, in many places, and not just as a pirate.
His sword's basket hilt has red velvet lining the inside, and a red tassel hanging from the pommel. At thirty-five inches long, the sword is purpose made for hacking and slashing at an enemy shield or uncovered flesh. The dirk is not so simple as that. Intricate decorations upon the two round protrusitions which keep the hand from sliding down the blade when stabbing tell a story with pictures, of Alasdair's descent into piracy. The sgian dubh is what the name suggests: black knife. Meant to be hidden in the pleats of a kilt, boots, or the hose worn with certain shoes, the sgian dubh functions as a last resort weapon, but also as a utility knife or eating utensil. The targe is a nasty piece of work. Seventeen inch diameter, with a four inch spike in the center of the circle shield, to complete the wooden shield's dedication to causing damage while defending, it is embossed with small, round, almost rivet like, pieces of metal. These are meant to catch a sword, axe, or spear upon them, either deflect them, or catch the enemy weapon and tangle and confuse the enemy. They're surprisingly effective.
Personality: Not quite charismatic as some, but more so than most, brutally violent, startlingly intelligent, skillful at politics, a genius at naval warfare, a bold risk taker, and completely off the deep end, Alasdair is the embodiment of ‘pirate king’, save he doesn’t have a kingdom. Alasdair MacKenzie’s nicknames, Black MacKenzie or Dubh Alasdair also refer to the color of his soul and heart, unless he’s in the company of a woman. Then, Alasdair is a charming gentleman from the Highlands of Alba. Unfortunately for him, he’s a coward when it comes to relationships and is a hopeless romantic. For male adults, Alasdair doesn’t believe in mercy. For children, or whole families, the story is different, but only if they have children.
As a leader of brutal men, Alasdair has to be willing to prove he’s their rightful leader. That requires charisma, and a degree of brutality Alasdair doesn’t quite naturally possess. He had to learn the brutality necessary to keep rough men respectful of his position. Although brutal at times, Alasdair generally possesses a sense of humor that is at odds with his position, past, and probable future: dancing the gallows’ jig, to the pleasure of a port town crowd. This doesn’t bother Alasdair; instead of for piracy, he probably would have faced the same in Alba if he ever returned there. Having narrowly avoided death several times, Alasdair figures his time is coming, but if it does, he’s going to have fun going out.
When he’s not being deadly serious or attempting to romance some lady, as Alasdair puts it “Life is but a game, to be enjoyed while it lasts. Hang the consequences, if I’m tae hang in Alba, why not everywhere else?” This means he gambles when drunk stupid, drinks to blind stupidity when sad, and steals any and every loose coin, herd, or singular livestock he can get his hands on. Although a warrior, Alasdair was something of a scholar in his teens, and managed to pick up Gallic, Dansk Tunga, Deustch, Lingua Latin, and at least three more languages. After reading about the cultures that spoke them, Alasdair needed a native speaker to learn from. Colum acceded to this request, and bought several poly-lingual slaves, where Alasdair learned faster from them than a book.
History: The short, stocky, red haired chief of Clan MacKenzie, the Earl of Kintail, and Lord Protector of Alba was a good man, but his wife had borne him no sons. To that end, Colum ban Campbell MacKenzie, a stout forty-five year old man, set out to find a son to adopt. He found Alasdair MacKenzie, no relation to Colum, yet, a ten year old in a small fishing village at the ends of his lands, fighting a fifteen year old lad twice his size, four stone heavier, and with a dirk. Colum stayed out of sight, observing Alasdair handle himself. Instead of thinking about attempting to close with the other lad, Colum saw Alasdair pick up a stone, nail the lad in his softer stones, then close while he was bent double, and proceed to knock him down and pound his face until the larger boy surrendered his dirk to Alasdair. Colum stepped in and as chief of Clan MacKenzie, ordered Alasdair to return the dirk. Upon seeing the purple in the MacKenzie tartan, denoting the chief, Alasdair promptly did so. Colum inquired as to Alasdair’s home life, and was moved enough to take the boy back to Kintail, to be his heir, for he recognized a fellow fighter, after he heard Alasdair’s story. What follows are Alasdair’s direct words to Colum.
“Weel, sirrah, me mam was a whore and died of the pox about seven years back. My da was a member of your personal guard, when ye were visiting Inlochaber, (the fishing village) and left mam pregnant. I was born about ten years back, as far as I ken.” At this point, Colum inquired as to how a three-year old weanling had survived on its own. “Stealing, sirrah. Stealing. Stole food, picked sporrans and pockets for coin, and stole my own sgian dubh, which is all I have. I was taught it by an older lad that used me as a stalking horse.” Here Colum asked why Alasdair sounded more like a Cyrmuman than an Alban Highlander. “I lived with a man from Cyrmu for aboot twa years. He taught me my archery, sirrah. After Pen Draeg left, I stole myself a bow and poached your rabbits and the Rí’s rabbits. I learned the words for a gralloch by teaching myself to read by breaking into the kirk. The priestess found me and after smacking my bum several times, she helped me learn to read. I taught myself the gralloch to keep my meat unspoiled.” Here Colum sputtered in disbelief. Alasdair MacKenzie had taught himself to read, hunt, and steal successfully? He didn’t believe it, and said so. Alasdair was quick on the reply: “My mam was nae a poxed whore, ye bastard! At least I dinnae look like a bloody wee barrel, on fire at the top!” Colum laughed, and offered the boy with so much fire, courage, and intelligence the chance to become his heir. Alasdair readily agreed, his only reasoning being his future meals would be assured, at least for the next four years, by this barrel with fire on top.
They journeyed back to Castle Leod, where Alasdair was given his own weapons, and a warhorse, a stallion. Alasdair took to Donas instantly, and would refuse to ride another horse. He was a voracious learner; Colum’s library was huge, and Alasdair didn’t shirk himself the responsibility of learning his duties, as his adoptive father’s heir. His education, quite severely lacking his first ten years of life, was made up for in four years of non-stop reading in the mornings, and weapons and horsemanship practice in the afternoons. As the moon hit the peak of the sky those nights, Alasdair would sneak out of his bed, and make his way to the roof of the castle, where he would sit upon the stone, and try to remember his mother and younger brother, both dead in the same day.
Alasdair’s Trial of Manhood at fifteen was hard and long. It was the longest one required by Alban law. A month among the wild crags of Crag Dubh left him with the scars upon his legs and the gash along his stomach. He returned to his adoptive father’s castle, with a mountain lion, wolf, and bear skin, when only a mountain lion or wolf had been required.
When Alasdair hit sixteen, he was a Master in the Order of Alban Blades and a Knight-Guard in the Alban King’s Companions, virtue of his skill as a swordsman, and his courage, or stupidity depending on how one looked at it, in battle. Life seemed good, for the young man. He had a meal every day, he had his own horse, and when Colum died, he’d have a castle, and all the lands that Colum owned. A dark cloud, was brewing, however: the blood feud between MacKenzie and MacDonald, and the MacDonald allies, the Grants, would catapult Alasdair from son, to soldier, to outlaw, to soldier again, and finally to pirate.
In his eighteenth year, the two between sixteen being spent amusing himself with cattle raids, learning how to sail, and being lovestruck, Alasdair’s father died, leaving Alasdair as Earl of Kintail and Chief of the MacKenzies. All seemed golden, except the Lord Lyon Court of Arms refused to issue Alasdair with the proper titles, held in trust for Colum’s heir. The MacDonalds and Grants seized upon this and asserted themselves by attempting to push a puppet forward as the true heir, a lowly MacLeod. A civil war ensured, between the three clans. Alasdair was touched that most of the MacKenzies would fight for him, a whoreson in the literal sense, but didn’t want leadership of the clan to stay his if meant men and women dying for him. He met with the MacDonald and Grant, for negotiations, but they fell apart when the MacDonald and Grant attempted to kill the now twenty year old man. Alasdair turned the tables, and killed both. The guards, both MacDonald, claimed the other two chiefs died in self-defense. Alasdair was forced to flee for his life after seven hundred lashes, which very nearly killed him. Afterwards, he fled the execution planned for that morning. In the process of fleeing, he obstructed ‘justice’, committed theft, arson, more murder, horse-stealing, and stowing-away. If Alasdair ever steps foot onto Alba again, his life is forfeit.
Alasdair fled to the land of what seemed to be promise: Alagaësia, and enlisted as a soldier in the Broddring army, in a foreign auxiliary unit, as the Savage Faithful was full. Alasdair had nearly made it to Sergeant four years later, but a plot by MacDonalds and Grants in the same unit forced him to kill them in self-defense, and again, Alasdair fled. This time, he fled to the open ocean and signed a contract with a pirate captain.
The captain was a cruel man, and for three years Alasdair and the rest of the crew suffered on the brig Vengeance. Eventually, they mutinied and elected Alasdair captain, for it was his sword that struck the killing blow upon the captain. It was only in the last year or so that Alasdair struck his deal with Count Genji of Teirm, which has proved to be profitable for all parties involved.
Roleplaying Sample: N/A
Notes: Because Alasdair does not actually control his Earldom, he simply uses it as a false title. However, he should technically be addressed as "Sir Alasdair MacKenzie, Pretender to the Earldom of Kintail, Knight-Guard of the King of Alba's Companions, and Master in the Order of Alban Blades." when in a formal setting or at an occasion of formality.
Name: Earl of Kintail, Sir Alasdair Andrew Pádraic MacKenzie, usually goes by Black MacKenzie or Alasdair Dubh.
Age: 29
Race:Human
Occupation: Hive Associate quite loosely. The Count of Teirm pays Alasdair and his crew for various duties. Other than that, Alasdair is a pirate.
Allegiance: If need be, the Hive. His clan, but as it’s scattered, he can’t really do anything for it. Other than that, Alasdair is a pirate, and the Count of Teirm pays him and his crew not to attack Itasan ships, perform escort duties for any ships Genji designates, not raid Teirm itself or the area around it, and to use Teirm as a home port, so the gold his crew earns goes back into Teirm’s economy.
Physical Description:The Black in Alasdair’s nickname does refer to his hair, at least partially. Warm, deep-set green eyes that show open friendliness hide many things. Numerous scars decorate his back, leaving only the areas of the kidneys unscarred. His chest, stomach, arms, and legs, are not nearly as heavily scarred, but Alasdair bears several on them.
A slightly crooked nose, broken at least twice, shows Alasdair knows his way around a fistfight. Long black hair obscures his ears, but a gold hoop through the right ensures his burial if he washes up on land dead, and a silver hoop in his left constantly reminds him of his dead sisters. His cheeks are broad, and combined with his eyes give him a haunted or hunted look that only disappears when fighting or sleeping.
Alasdair could be described as large, intimidating, or imposing. All are true. He stands at six feet, four inches, and two hundredweight. Not an ounce of that is fat; Alasdair prides himself for being alive at twenty-nine, not looking forty-five, and not being ill all the time.
As a Gael, Alasdair wears the tartan of his clan, MacKenzie, but only the hunting tartan or dress tartan. His shirt is a full sleeved, white, with lacings at the neck, for formal occasions, to be worn with a dark blue or black double breasted coat, and a Balmoral cap with clan crest and three eagle feathers.
A warrior and pirate, Alasdair would be nowhere without his weaponry and shield: Alban targe, Alban dirk, sgian dubh, and basket hilted broadsword. All are beautiful, for weapons of war, but they are not things of beauty, as is the usual standard definition of beautiful. In fact, Alasdair's weapons have seen action many times, in many places, and not just as a pirate.
His sword's basket hilt has red velvet lining the inside, and a red tassel hanging from the pommel. At thirty-five inches long, the sword is purpose made for hacking and slashing at an enemy shield or uncovered flesh. The dirk is not so simple as that. Intricate decorations upon the two round protrusitions which keep the hand from sliding down the blade when stabbing tell a story with pictures, of Alasdair's descent into piracy. The sgian dubh is what the name suggests: black knife. Meant to be hidden in the pleats of a kilt, boots, or the hose worn with certain shoes, the sgian dubh functions as a last resort weapon, but also as a utility knife or eating utensil. The targe is a nasty piece of work. Seventeen inch diameter, with a four inch spike in the center of the circle shield, to complete the wooden shield's dedication to causing damage while defending, it is embossed with small, round, almost rivet like, pieces of metal. These are meant to catch a sword, axe, or spear upon them, either deflect them, or catch the enemy weapon and tangle and confuse the enemy. They're surprisingly effective.
Personality: Not quite charismatic as some, but more so than most, brutally violent, startlingly intelligent, skillful at politics, a genius at naval warfare, a bold risk taker, and completely off the deep end, Alasdair is the embodiment of ‘pirate king’, save he doesn’t have a kingdom. Alasdair MacKenzie’s nicknames, Black MacKenzie or Dubh Alasdair also refer to the color of his soul and heart, unless he’s in the company of a woman. Then, Alasdair is a charming gentleman from the Highlands of Alba. Unfortunately for him, he’s a coward when it comes to relationships and is a hopeless romantic. For male adults, Alasdair doesn’t believe in mercy. For children, or whole families, the story is different, but only if they have children.
As a leader of brutal men, Alasdair has to be willing to prove he’s their rightful leader. That requires charisma, and a degree of brutality Alasdair doesn’t quite naturally possess. He had to learn the brutality necessary to keep rough men respectful of his position. Although brutal at times, Alasdair generally possesses a sense of humor that is at odds with his position, past, and probable future: dancing the gallows’ jig, to the pleasure of a port town crowd. This doesn’t bother Alasdair; instead of for piracy, he probably would have faced the same in Alba if he ever returned there. Having narrowly avoided death several times, Alasdair figures his time is coming, but if it does, he’s going to have fun going out.
When he’s not being deadly serious or attempting to romance some lady, as Alasdair puts it “Life is but a game, to be enjoyed while it lasts. Hang the consequences, if I’m tae hang in Alba, why not everywhere else?” This means he gambles when drunk stupid, drinks to blind stupidity when sad, and steals any and every loose coin, herd, or singular livestock he can get his hands on. Although a warrior, Alasdair was something of a scholar in his teens, and managed to pick up Gallic, Dansk Tunga, Deustch, Lingua Latin, and at least three more languages. After reading about the cultures that spoke them, Alasdair needed a native speaker to learn from. Colum acceded to this request, and bought several poly-lingual slaves, where Alasdair learned faster from them than a book.
History: The short, stocky, red haired chief of Clan MacKenzie, the Earl of Kintail, and Lord Protector of Alba was a good man, but his wife had borne him no sons. To that end, Colum ban Campbell MacKenzie, a stout forty-five year old man, set out to find a son to adopt. He found Alasdair MacKenzie, no relation to Colum, yet, a ten year old in a small fishing village at the ends of his lands, fighting a fifteen year old lad twice his size, four stone heavier, and with a dirk. Colum stayed out of sight, observing Alasdair handle himself. Instead of thinking about attempting to close with the other lad, Colum saw Alasdair pick up a stone, nail the lad in his softer stones, then close while he was bent double, and proceed to knock him down and pound his face until the larger boy surrendered his dirk to Alasdair. Colum stepped in and as chief of Clan MacKenzie, ordered Alasdair to return the dirk. Upon seeing the purple in the MacKenzie tartan, denoting the chief, Alasdair promptly did so. Colum inquired as to Alasdair’s home life, and was moved enough to take the boy back to Kintail, to be his heir, for he recognized a fellow fighter, after he heard Alasdair’s story. What follows are Alasdair’s direct words to Colum.
“Weel, sirrah, me mam was a whore and died of the pox about seven years back. My da was a member of your personal guard, when ye were visiting Inlochaber, (the fishing village) and left mam pregnant. I was born about ten years back, as far as I ken.” At this point, Colum inquired as to how a three-year old weanling had survived on its own. “Stealing, sirrah. Stealing. Stole food, picked sporrans and pockets for coin, and stole my own sgian dubh, which is all I have. I was taught it by an older lad that used me as a stalking horse.” Here Colum asked why Alasdair sounded more like a Cyrmuman than an Alban Highlander. “I lived with a man from Cyrmu for aboot twa years. He taught me my archery, sirrah. After Pen Draeg left, I stole myself a bow and poached your rabbits and the Rí’s rabbits. I learned the words for a gralloch by teaching myself to read by breaking into the kirk. The priestess found me and after smacking my bum several times, she helped me learn to read. I taught myself the gralloch to keep my meat unspoiled.” Here Colum sputtered in disbelief. Alasdair MacKenzie had taught himself to read, hunt, and steal successfully? He didn’t believe it, and said so. Alasdair was quick on the reply: “My mam was nae a poxed whore, ye bastard! At least I dinnae look like a bloody wee barrel, on fire at the top!” Colum laughed, and offered the boy with so much fire, courage, and intelligence the chance to become his heir. Alasdair readily agreed, his only reasoning being his future meals would be assured, at least for the next four years, by this barrel with fire on top.
They journeyed back to Castle Leod, where Alasdair was given his own weapons, and a warhorse, a stallion. Alasdair took to Donas instantly, and would refuse to ride another horse. He was a voracious learner; Colum’s library was huge, and Alasdair didn’t shirk himself the responsibility of learning his duties, as his adoptive father’s heir. His education, quite severely lacking his first ten years of life, was made up for in four years of non-stop reading in the mornings, and weapons and horsemanship practice in the afternoons. As the moon hit the peak of the sky those nights, Alasdair would sneak out of his bed, and make his way to the roof of the castle, where he would sit upon the stone, and try to remember his mother and younger brother, both dead in the same day.
Alasdair’s Trial of Manhood at fifteen was hard and long. It was the longest one required by Alban law. A month among the wild crags of Crag Dubh left him with the scars upon his legs and the gash along his stomach. He returned to his adoptive father’s castle, with a mountain lion, wolf, and bear skin, when only a mountain lion or wolf had been required.
When Alasdair hit sixteen, he was a Master in the Order of Alban Blades and a Knight-Guard in the Alban King’s Companions, virtue of his skill as a swordsman, and his courage, or stupidity depending on how one looked at it, in battle. Life seemed good, for the young man. He had a meal every day, he had his own horse, and when Colum died, he’d have a castle, and all the lands that Colum owned. A dark cloud, was brewing, however: the blood feud between MacKenzie and MacDonald, and the MacDonald allies, the Grants, would catapult Alasdair from son, to soldier, to outlaw, to soldier again, and finally to pirate.
In his eighteenth year, the two between sixteen being spent amusing himself with cattle raids, learning how to sail, and being lovestruck, Alasdair’s father died, leaving Alasdair as Earl of Kintail and Chief of the MacKenzies. All seemed golden, except the Lord Lyon Court of Arms refused to issue Alasdair with the proper titles, held in trust for Colum’s heir. The MacDonalds and Grants seized upon this and asserted themselves by attempting to push a puppet forward as the true heir, a lowly MacLeod. A civil war ensured, between the three clans. Alasdair was touched that most of the MacKenzies would fight for him, a whoreson in the literal sense, but didn’t want leadership of the clan to stay his if meant men and women dying for him. He met with the MacDonald and Grant, for negotiations, but they fell apart when the MacDonald and Grant attempted to kill the now twenty year old man. Alasdair turned the tables, and killed both. The guards, both MacDonald, claimed the other two chiefs died in self-defense. Alasdair was forced to flee for his life after seven hundred lashes, which very nearly killed him. Afterwards, he fled the execution planned for that morning. In the process of fleeing, he obstructed ‘justice’, committed theft, arson, more murder, horse-stealing, and stowing-away. If Alasdair ever steps foot onto Alba again, his life is forfeit.
Alasdair fled to the land of what seemed to be promise: Alagaësia, and enlisted as a soldier in the Broddring army, in a foreign auxiliary unit, as the Savage Faithful was full. Alasdair had nearly made it to Sergeant four years later, but a plot by MacDonalds and Grants in the same unit forced him to kill them in self-defense, and again, Alasdair fled. This time, he fled to the open ocean and signed a contract with a pirate captain.
The captain was a cruel man, and for three years Alasdair and the rest of the crew suffered on the brig Vengeance. Eventually, they mutinied and elected Alasdair captain, for it was his sword that struck the killing blow upon the captain. It was only in the last year or so that Alasdair struck his deal with Count Genji of Teirm, which has proved to be profitable for all parties involved.
Roleplaying Sample: N/A
Notes: Because Alasdair does not actually control his Earldom, he simply uses it as a false title. However, he should technically be addressed as "Sir Alasdair MacKenzie, Pretender to the Earldom of Kintail, Knight-Guard of the King of Alba's Companions, and Master in the Order of Alban Blades." when in a formal setting or at an occasion of formality.
