aurthias [mae]

Overview

Aurthias is a wizened old centaur who lives at the Cinderfall Estate in the Hollowlands. He resides there with Silverwyrm and Snag, both of whom he considers his niblings. He spends much of his time studying different creatures and making taxidermies of them.

Background

A long, long time ago, Aurthias was the owner of the Cinderfall Estate with his sisters and his niblings. He loved them all dearly; they meant the entire world to him. He especially had a soft spot for his youngest niece, Aldiatha, who liked to follow him around, absolutely fascinated by his work. At the time, the Estate was a bumbling, busy place, being a resting stop between a few different regions in the Hollowlands. It featured the centaurs' mansion, with a library so huge it has its own wing; a tavern, inn, and a vast orchard (primarily of cocoa beans), as well as a small village for the workers. The Estate was famous for its chococolate-related goods, including hot chocolate.

Unfortunately, at some point, Aurthias' family died in a tragic accident, and he was left completely by himself. He isolated himself in his mansion, locked it all up, and never came out. The Estate fell into neglect over the coming months and years: the workers left, with nobody to pay them; the buildings crumbled and the orchard withered; scavengers picked the place apart, scaring off any travellers, though they more-or-less left the mansion alone. the Estate was a ghost town for several decades.

Personality

Aurthias may seem gruff and sharp-tongued, but he is truly a soft, caring sort who is very, very lonely; he's just out of practice for social interactions. He's very well studied and has a wide array of knowledge of all sorts of subjects. he's prone to severe bouts of forgetfulness, and he sometimes thinks his family is still at the mansion and will go around calling for them; on particularly bad days he completely forgets who Silver and Snag are.

Trivia

• Aurthias' lost family members are his sisters, Selvia and Kyne, and his niblings (from eldest to youngest): Mulbert, Valdric, Wynn, Cassian, Judel, and Aldiatha.
• the Cinderfall Estate was named for the constant bouts of cinders and ash that would rain from the sky, perhaps carried there from a distance volcano. It made keeping the place clean a pain.