Just a quick update!
I'm going to start putting up some character profiles periodically. To start off, here are Linus and Ari, two characters who's relationship will be central to the plot.
***
Linus Milhaven
Son of Lord Teign and Emily, Linus is a bright and charming 12-year old boy with a wide spectrum of interests and opinions about the world. Wise beyond his years, Linus was born during a time of peace in the empire and unlike other members of his family, who have historically been brought up to become great knights and generals, the boy has decided to walk an entirely different path.
Although very young, Linus considers himself an intellectual who possesses an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Though he is studious and prone to get lost in his own head at times, Linus is no wilting wallflower. He is a sociable and charming boy who delights in meeting new people while using his razor-sharp wit to talk his way out of most bad situations he finds himself in. Indeed, it is said that there is no one who Linus hasn't met that he can't succeed in befriending.
Due to the events that led to Lord Teign's current comatose condition, Linus and his brother Ari have been left without a father. Seeing Lord Teign, a once heralded soldier now confined to a bed who can no loner speak, hear, or see, Linus abhors the concept of war and how it ruins the lives of those it touches. Owing to this, Linus has somewhat naively vowed to never raise up arms against another human being. A childhood spent reading and internalizing anti-war propaganda has only added to Linus' strict pacifist stance.
Linus possesses a deep interest in foreign cultures and plans on going on a grand odyssey throughout the world some day with his brother Ari when the two are older. He has already begun to learn several foreign languages in anticipation of this great journey.
Ari Milhaven
Ari, Linus' twin brother, is a 12-year old boy with an unconquerable spirit. Brave and heedless to danger, Ari is a quiet and somber boy who refuses to allow the hand life has dealt him affect his dreams and goals.
Born at death's doorstep due to a mysterious illness that almost claimed him in the womb, Ari has always been a frail and sickly boy. The disease that sleeps in his blood severely weakens his immune system, thus Ari must suffer every scrape and scratch sustained while playing in the dirt as though they were mortal wounds, for his blood does not clot as it should and he is more prone to sickness and injury than other children.
Ari has had a procession of doctors treat him throughout the years, yet none have found a cure for his illness. Despite this, there burns a fierce determination in Ari that has allowed him to endure his sickness with a brave face. When it comes to his personality, Ari is the polar opposite of his twin brother Linus. He is often quiet and reserved, and must be convinced by Linus to participate in their activities. While Linus is generally cheerful and quick to laugh, Ari is often moody and angry, a trait which Linus pokes fun of by way of giving Ari the nickname 'Lord Grumpy'. Still, despite the differences in their temperaments and the fact that they can rarely agree on anything, Ari loves his brother and would defend Linus from anyone who would ever dare hurt him.
Unlike his brother, Ari finds an enduring inspiration from the tales that the manor guards tell of his father's unrivaled fighting skills and of Lord Teign's exploits during the war. A childhood spent being enraptured by these tales has led to Ari adopting a seemingly impossible dream-- to become a knight as renowned and skilled as his lord father.
Ari has a deep obsession with horror fiction, and has an unabashed love for stories about zombies, demons, and vampires.
***