Vicentius Morrington

[Vicentius]

Name: Vicentius ‘Tius’ Morrington
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Height: 6’
Weight: 170 lbs
Profession: Clerk in the Residential Magstrate’s Office, Department of Civil Obedience

Description:
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Six feet in height with a slim build and strong shoulders, Vicentius has all the physical hallmarks the Morrington family have borne throughout the centuries. Piercing blue eyes gaze out from a well-defined, angular face with close-cropped, dirty-blond hair held in a Utilitarian style. But there the similarity ends. Vicentius’ entire being seems closed and guarded, with a constantly measuring gaze and fleeting smile that rarely reaches his eyes. Clear voiced and well spoken, he has a dancer’s grace and dextrous hands. Also in contrast to the rest of his family, he spurns outward displays of wealth, his only concessions to this being a simple silver signet ring bearing the Morrington family motto (By our hand alone or none. ) and a stylized V and M superimposed over each other that he has had since he was a boy. The rest of his possessions are utilitarian and well made, following a simple yet elegant aesthetic. Thus most of his clothing is simple, practical and black, yet well-tailored and stylish. Beneath his attire, however, his body bears the scars and marks of severe beatings that have long since healed.

Possessions:
Slim Sword and matching dagger– Simple weapons very in keeping with his overall aesthetic, they are slim blades in the style of Eastern Tian Xia. Unadorned, the polished steel blades are encased in sheaths of smooth polished ebony, with the grips and sheaths having been made from a single piece of wood. His possession of such weapons rather than blades forged in Marn is a subject of quiet controversy among the upper classes. As he has no skill with the sword, he keeps it in his home for when he meditates. The dagger he carries with him for protection.

Harpsichord – A talented, if private, musician, he took to the instrument as a younger man, admiring the precision and coordination it required, as well as the clean, defined sounds it produced.

Writing Kit – Old and battered, but still serviceable, it has been in Vicentius’ possession since he first learned his letters.

Home – Vicentius rents a small room in a boarding house overlooking the memorial, containing little more than a narrow bed, a table and two chairs and a wardrobe.

Horse – Vicentius owns a Roan mare of Samaran stock called Artha, whom he is fond of riding. Stabled at a private livery off the main thoroughfare.

Dog – Vicentius owns a Wire-Haired Vizsla called Shen that he brought back with him from his travels that he often goes hunting with. It usually stays with him at all times.

Strengths:

Intelligent - A prodigious intellect from a young age, Vicentius' mind has been further honed by his researches and long study.

Well-Travelled - Vicentius, due to his travels, has a basic grasp of the major cultures and trends of Eyropa and Tian Xia.

Well-Connected - Though far from liked, Vicentius knows people in almost every branch of government and is always willing to help out for a favour in return. He also keeps in touch with those he met throughout his travels, using them as a steady source of news from the world.

Prudently Invested - As an avid reader of trends and people, and a man with an eye for what's going on outside Marn's borders, Vicentius has always made himself available to those members of the Merynir family looking for an edge in the market. He is a partner and part owner of several successful businesses in Marn and receives a steady, if unexciting income from these, which he invests back into Marn's economy.

People's Voice - Though not an important member of the noble houses by any means, his habits of living modestly and listening to those with questions have made him perennially popular with the working classes of Marn, some of whom see him as a man to call on when you have difficulties. This image has been helped by the fact that he has represented some of these causes to the judges, pleading for leniency.

Weaknesses:
Unsettling – Vicentius is very much a political animal and it’s very hard to know where you stand with him at any given time. As such, very few are comfortable around him. He’s hard to like, but easier to respect. None dispute his acumen but many agree that he is a dangerous person to anger.

Independent – A firm and fierce proponent of the Morrington family motto “By our hand alone or none,” Vicentius is fiercely proud and independent. As such he is extremely reluctant to ask for help, a tendency which has gotten him into bother more than once.

Puritan – Though not vocal about it, Vicentius is teetotal and sparing in his appetites, preferring simple, nourishing food and boiled water to the lavish fare enjoyed by others of his station. This sets him apart immediately in a social setting where his fellows consider him to be judgmental and aloof.

Dark Humour – Vicentius’ train of thought is unconventional at best, and his sense of humour even more so. He is never openly antagonistic towards anyone, but more often hints and uses barbed comments and double meanings much to the chagrin of his contemporaries, who find his oddities and his passive aggressive manner offensive.

Mentalist – Many of the noble classes’ pleasures run to the unconventional if primarily physical. Vicentius’ kicks are more cerebral in nature and people are the greatest puzzles of all. As such he is wont to push people into unfamiliar situations and question their beliefs to see how they will react. People seldom react well to this.

Past – A former opponent of Marn’s secular traditions and closed society, while he has since turned his views around remarkably, the spectre of his past stance will always come back to haunt him. The fact that he once left Marn for a number of years is also a subject of dark and scandalous rumour in social circles. The fact that a number of his detractors have met swift if suspiciously innocent ends has not helped his reputation.

Selective law enforcement – Though nobody can prove it, it is rumoured that Vicentius has a habit of nudging the legal process in directions that suit him and his interests. There are also rumours that he has helped poorer residents of Marne get out of expensive legal trouble and helped businesses fast track the registration process, but that is just malicious gossip.

Morrington – Politically savvy, Vicentius is also fiercely loyal to his family, as such, he does his best to conduct himself in a manner that will advance his family’s interests as well as his own, conscious of the doors that this closes. While he does his best to be civil with all factions and extend olive branches where he can, he is aware of the restrictions of family history and his efforts have earned him a mix of respect and ire from varying families, depending on whom you ask.

Black Sheep – Despite embracing the Puradyne traditions of the Marn loyalists whole heartedly since his return, he still considered the black sheep of his family, nor has he completely forgiven his parents, his father in particular, for the vicious beatings he received as a child which were intended to cure him of his unorthodox thinking.

Family – Vicentius is fiercely protective of his siblings, particularly his youngest sister and his nephews and niece. Any perceived threat or insult to them he treats as an insult to his person and responds accordingly.

History:
The eldest of four children and firstborn son of Raemes Morrington and his wife Sythra, Vicentius was always an unusually bright and curious child. His father, a proud and influential Puradyne and Marn Loyalist, expected him to follow in his footsteps, but Vicentius seemed destined to disappoint. Though studious and clever, he made few friends at school, constantly questioning and testing his peers and his teachers to see what they would do, earning their ire on more than one occasion. None could move against him however, as he always positioned himself so that he was too valuable to more powerful factions. He took the dislike of his fellow students with a certain amount of grace, knowing that they could not truly harm him, nor would he have minded if they could. It was all a learning curve; and he loved to learn. When they began to vent their frustrations on his younger siblings, however, things changed. One by one, his detractors began to fall mysteriously ill and more than one suffered unfortunate accidents. None of it could be traced back to Vicentius, but they knew to keep their distance.

Having long questioned his family’s stance on the issues plaguing Marn, he began to seek out more and more proscribed knowledge, saying he wanted an informed opinion. His father, long weary of his attitude, came to believe that there was some abnormality or illness plaguing his son’s thoughts, and took it into his own hands to cure him lest his illness become public and stain the family name. Vicentius bore every painful beating and treatment without complaint and never changed his tune. Marn, he claimed, was dying. How could the others not see it? Someone had to save Marn. At thirteen, he was already studying in the university, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge pulling him through the pain of his daily treatments.

Against all the warnings of his elders, he began to read books of Tian Xian philosophy and Eyropan tactics. As his writings and speeches began to stray further and further from acceptable and sane opinions, his father realized that he had little choice but to commit the boy to the asylum. He was clearly insane. His freedom at stake and unwilling to give up his search for answers, he did the unthinkable and fled, shaking off his wardens and running to the woods. Free and exhausted, he resolved to follow the paths of the great thinkers and not to return to Marn until he had found a way to save it. He was fifteen.

Walking West, he took work where he could find it, amazed at how things were beyond Thar Shaddin. He travelled through Eyropa, working for whoever would hire him and moving on when he could. In Ciasse, he studied the shifter clans, observing how their animal nature affected their interactions. Travelling south he followed the stories of Theogios and the great heroes of the Empire, doing his best to trace their steps. In Vitalis, Poznan and Athena, he listened in the atriums as the thinkers debated philosophy. Later, he participated himself. In Keltaris, he learned of the great Samaran philosophers and the tales from the cradle of civilisation. As he worked on the docks, he realized that Eyropa had turned around long before. A new day was dawning, and he could not pinpoint where it had begun. Seeking out another contrast, he resolved to go East to Tian Xia, hoping that the Eastern Empire would hold the answers he sought.

Tian Xia was as strange to him as human form was to the shifters, yet wonderful also. Their system was simple in concept but infinitely complex in execution. For all that, and for all that the West scorned them, it worked, and it worked well. Adopting their fashions, he sought to instil in himself the purity of thought and purpose that they embodied. Confident of his choice, he threw himself into learning. In the plains and unending snows of the north, he walked with the voidgazers to read the words of the heavens, standing under the light of the long dead in utter stillness. He climbed the mountains with the pilgrims to read and touch the ancient wisdoms carved into the living rock. He travelled with the wandering masters, seeking inner peace through oneness with the sword and the hand. Though he did indeed glimpse the promised peace, he was hampered by a lack of talent and resolved himself to observing once more. Labouring on the plains, he studied the caste doctrines and the peace of utter certainty they promised. In Yulongjing, he stood outside the Audience Hall and listened as the Emperor held court. He studied in the libraries and argued with the philosophers who were amused by this brash young man from the land of fools. But for all his efforts, he could find no answers to his questions. He still did not know how to save Marn. In desperation, he applied for an audience with the Emperor, but was turned down. Crestfallen, he took his belongings and headed further east, wanting to see the ocean. When he reached the sea, he stood beneath the cherry blossoms but he still found no great insight. Frustrated, he spoke his concerns to a blacksmith he met in passing. He had only meant to vent, but everything came pouring out. The man listened and when Vicentius had finished speaking he simply laughed. The laugh was so heartfelt, long and loud that Vicentius, though shocked, could not help but join in. They laughed until the tears ran down from their faces and they ran out of breath. When the laughter had subsided, the man put a hand on his shoulder and turned to him. “You seek to make your world as water, ever changing and adaptive, but you are as stone unmoving and hard. How can you expect others to let you into their hearts when you let no-one in to yours? Your answer is not out there, boy, it is in you.” Puzzled, Vicentius walked under the night sky and drank deep of potion meant to inspire visions.

In the haze that followed, he saw his journey, he saw himself and he saw his city, hard and uncaring. It would listen to none but itself. In that moment, he knew where he had gone wrong. He had tried to get it to listen to someone else. If it was to hear him, he would have to become it. How then could it refuse itself? Elated, he returned to the blacksmith and thanked him for his counsel. Looking down at his hands, he recalled the peace he had felt in learning the sword and, as a way of remembering the man's advice; he bought two blades for himself from the man. As he prepared to leave, he thought over his plan once again, wondering if it was a betrayal of what he stood for. He also wondered that it had taken him so long to reach such a simple truth. Taking what little money he had, he began to plan properly, investing where he could and earning trust as he travelled. If he was to return to Marn, he needed a firm foundation upon which to build. Sowing seeds of trust and influence, he slowly wound his way back towards his homeland.

Leaving Tian Xia by the southern trade route, he crossed the Sooqui Plain and headed to Madaal, stopping only when he reached Keltaris. There, he bought new clothes and a horse, sending letters to his acquaintances across Eyropa to see who still remembered him fondly. Confident in his preparations, he thanked Teodinus for shaping him into what he needed to be. As he made ready to leave Keltaris, he came across a pup sat by the ruin of an old cottage, and took it for his own. Heading north and east, soon Thar Shaddin lay before him once again. With each step towards his home, he felt his doubts gnaw at him, but he pushed them aside. He could not doubt, nor could he waver. Not anymore. He arrived at his father’s house just as the Elder Morrington was returning for the evening. In the silence that followed, Vicentius leapt from his horse and ran to his father, begging his forgiveness. He had been so wrong, he said, tears streaming from his eyes. How could he have doubted the wisdom of years of tradition? All he wanted now was a chance to make things right. A chance to be the son his father deserved. Raemes was sceptical, but moved all the same, and when Sythra beheld her long lost son home once more after six years, Raemes had little choice but to accept his return.

To his surprise, Vicentius found that returning would not be as difficult as he had thought. His family, unwilling to let rumours of an escaped madman taint the family reputation, had covered up the fact of his flight from the Asylum. Now, with a little expense, he was able to buy his return to proper society. Swallowing his pride, he bowed his head and let them lead him on. At his father’s urging, he took a small post in the Ministry of Civil Obedience, copying warrants and files for the Residential district magistrate. As he worked, he applied to finish his course at the University, passing with full honours. Despite his promising intellect, suspicion about him was rife and he rose slowly, making little headway in his career. A skilled negotiator, he branched out, making alliances where he could and mapping out a path to power. It would be long and difficult, but it was achievable. An outspoken puradyne and Marn loyalist in public, he used his contacts throughout Eyropa and Tian Xia to help expand the holdings of the Merynir family, buying his way slowly into the fold. It was nothing exciting or well praised, but the income was stable and it made him look good. Using his talents for reading people, he set himself up as an advisor, using his experience as a sometime outsider to help the lesser members of the noble families navigate the tangled web of Marn politics safely in return for the promise of future favours. His path was clear. If he was to save Marn, he needed to get into power. For him to get into power, Morrington needed to rise once again. In his own slow, subtle way, he has done all he can to ensure this, securing his own position in the process. This often brought him into conflict with Sofi Oslun, whose ambition matched if not outshone his own, and whose honour would not brook any perceived underhandedness. It also bothered him that he had suffered so and rose so slowly, while she rose on a swell of natural charisma and talent, though he often chastises himself for such pettiness.



Family:
Raemes Morrington – Father (52) – Senior Clerk in the Ministry of Finance, Business License Fees Assessment Office
Sythra Morrington Nee Merynir – Mother (49) – Senior Clerk in the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Music Division
Xythen Morrington – Brother (23) – Clerk in the Ministry of Culture, Race Relations Office, Ombudsman and liaison with the Elves Union. He has two sons Fael (5) and Hanas (2) with Yidia Merynir (24), a Senior Clerk in the Ministry of Culture, Race Relations Office.
Krycla Moryldar Nee Morrington – Sister (21) – Soprano with the Marn Opera Guild has one child, a daughter Nelesi (4), by Zeger Moryldar (22) a Clerk in the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Music Division, Orchestral Office.
Cisme Morrington – Sister (18) – Student at Marn University studying business law.

[Saruna]

Approved.