Profile
Information
Overview
Sir Ferrand Afloz–first of his name–is the Knight Commander of the Kingdom of Scaesia’s Knight Corps. Despite rumors of his previous gruesome wartime feats, Ferrand is known throughout much of at-peace Scaesia as a true example of chivalry and the very tenets of knighthood. A nearly-tragic fiery incident in his youth left him heavily scarred but did not deter his unyielding sense of justice and ambition. Circumstances saw him from humble, farmboy beginnings to the capital of the kingdom, where he would join the Knight Corp and move up through the ranks with impressive speed, eventually appointed as the then-crown prince’s personal guard.
His gruff nature and resting impassive expression bely a depth of kindness and strong moral compass, making the common-born knight a subject of much royal court gossip and admiration. His resistance to most forms of Spark-based magic and his honed combat prowess make him a formidable ally and a fearsome foe.
- Spark Immunity
- Survival & Combat
- Leadership
- Hard to Agitate
- Hardworking
- Sturbborn
- Not Booksmart
- Destructive Anger
- Oblivious
- Wrong Place, Wrong Time
- Hard Outside Soft Inside
- Good with Kids
- Woodcarver
- Good Baker
- Unlucky in Gambling
Stats
Skills & Abilities
Notes
- Hearing a good story
- Quiet moments in nature
- A solid spar
- Routine
- Fresh baked bread
- Noble arrogance
- Misuse of power
- Doubt of his loyalty
- Small spaces
- Useless politics
Background
Born under strange circumstances in the Republic of Nizfeld and soon abandoned by his birth parents as a result, a very young Ferrand and his twin sister were taken in by a pair of mothers residing in the Northern Isles, in a town along the sea. Originally a family of all women residing on a bustling farm, Ferrand found comfort in masculinity and was soon recognized as the only boy among seven sisters. His twin, Isolde, discovered her Spark while still young, associated with metalworking, and soon devoted all her time to studying, while Ferrand drifted willingly towards taking care of the farm’s veritable menagerie of animals alongside his other siblings and mothers.
Around his teens, an encounter with Scaesian knights during a festival tournament left young Ferrand with a sense of wonder and direction, and he soon left his hometown for the Scaesian capital with the hopes of one day wearing the armor that marked these individuals as skilled and proud defenders. After becoming a stable boy for the Knight Corp, Ferrand befriended a rehabilitated golden griffon that he bonded with, despite none of the other knights nor stablehands being able to even approach it out of fear of being attacked. In a catastrophic fire, Ferrand insisted on making sure all other people and creatures were safe, resulting in him becoming trapped in the burning building, hurriedly dragged out by his griffon companion. The resulting recovery would leave him heavily scarred all over his body and out of commission for months, despite magically assisted healing appointed by the old king as recognition of his bravery.
This act caught the eye of several knights higher in command, and would fastrack Ferrand’s eventual recruitment into the Knight Corps. Once there and fully recovered, he would quickly prove that pity wasn’t needed, surpassing his peers in combat training, due to both natural talent and diligent, disciplined practice. He also became quite an efficient and deft tactician, despite little formal training, surprising his superiors with an eye for strategy. The prodigious knight-to-be caught the eye of the crown prince during a training exercise meant to serve as an exhibition for the young royal to choose a personal guard as he neared his coming of age, and the prince immediately felt drawn to the young, handsome recruit, especially after hearing of his deeds.
This eventually led to his appointment as Pazkhal’s personal guard, and the two grew closer and closer, eventually falling for one another. Ferrand remained in this position even during wartime, following the prince and protecting him whenever necessary, alongside regular military duty when required. There have been reported incidents of Ferrand performing rather gruesome acts against other soldiers, enemy and ally alike, when confronted with perceived vile behavior against civilians, both Scaesian and Esnarin. When the king died quite suddenly during the campaign, slain by his own general, Pazkhal was quickly crowned and the new king moved to put the war to rest. Ferrand was there for him during this tumultuous time, both as protector and confidant as Pazkal worked tirelessly to reform the kingdom and its infrastructure. Once the treacherous general was sentenced, Ferrand received a major promotion to Knight Commander, due both to King Pazkhal’s considerable influence and the respect of the remaining soldiers. With this came the assignment of a noble title, to Ferrand’s exasperation and gratefulness.
In peacetime, Ferrand maintains high standards for the troops under his command and accompanies the king on diplomatic missions as needed. He bears little patience for the bureaucracy and pomp of the court and often appeals for the needs of the common people throughout Scaesia.
Ferrand has taken to touring the kingdom and surveying improvements and repairs to damaged infrastructure, especially along the border with former enemy nation Esnari. He is well-respected by Scaesians at large, and somewhat feared by neighboring people as a rumored “demon” in battle. He was recently given an assignment from the king himself: track down a recently exiled Esnari refugee who just happens to be a rather skilled Weaver, rumored to have assassinated a prominent Esnarin noble. Ferrand takes Pazkhal’s order to take the Weaver in as peacefully as possible with great seriousness.
Inventory
Wardrobe
Ferrand is rarely seen out of armor on official business, unless on special formal occasions. He has more everyday armor that lacks much embellishment beyond draping and marking that identifies him by his rank and affiliation with the King, usually in the deep blues and greens the King’s court is known for. This is sometimes worn with a short cape and his infamous winged, blue-plumed helmet, or, during the cold season, a fur and a heavy cloak. Semi-formal occasions (or perhaps times where he needs to appear even more imposing) call for his specially-commissioned armor, featuring much more embellishment, mostly wing and griffon themed, including asymmetric pauldrons and somewhat clawed greaves. The royal crest is emblazoned across the chest piece of this decorative armor, but it is just as functional as his normal wear.
When out of armor, Ferrand tends to dress very simply, much to the dismay of his beloved King (and eventually beloved Weaver). Common dressing down usually involves a simple tunic, trousers, and boots, all in earthy, plain colors. In privacy, he wears a shirt as sparingly as possible. During the rare formal occasion that he can’t wear armor to, he usually trusts Pazkhal to choose his outfit, which often results in elegant fashion in blues and golds that Ferrand tries not to complain too much about.
Allies & Enemies
Once simply serving as the young prince’s personal guard, Ferrand was mostly oblivious to Pazkhal’s efforts to woo him. Eventually, though, the two young men grew closer and explored budding feelings for one another. After tumultuous times and much built trust between them, Ferrand is both Pazkhal’s most loyal protector and his beloved. Pazkhal is the whimsy to his serious outlook, and in turn Ferrand tempers some of Pazkhal’s impulsiveness. Their relationship is not necessarily public knowledge, but it is the subject of mostly fond rumors around court, as well as some plays and songs known in the capital. After all, what could be more romantic than a king and his dear knight?
Originally very much at odds due to how Masarec came to live in the Sky Fortress, Ferrand butted heads with the wily Weaver on more than one occasion. At Pazkhal’s request, however, Ferrand tried his best to set aside any lingering prejudice and began to see some kinship in a fellow orphan. Ferrand holds a great deal of respect for Masarec’s skill and the way they handle the court. Nobles who pay close enough attention during council meetings can catch a shared glance between them every now and then. The two continue to grow closer, and court rumors swirl about Ferrand’s possible involvement with Masarec, and Masarec’s involvement with the king, as well.
