» Fri May 27, 2011 3:44 am
NAME: Roland Childe
AGE: 41
RACE: Imperial
GENDER: Male
CLASS: Knight
EQUIPMENT: A set of blades armor and Dai-Katana
SHORT BIO: Roland was born to a poor family in the heart of the Imperial City. Life was hard on Roland's family and by the time he was 6 both his father and mother were dead. With no one to care for him, Roland became a ward of the state and was soon shipped to Morrowind as a servant to a garrison commander. Roland's life in Morrowind was difficult but gave him an iron will and sense of duty. When he reached his 18th birthday his service to the Empire was finished, but to Roland it was the only family he had ever known. Roland spent the next few years being transferred from posting to posting, and slowly crawling his way up the hierarchy dominated by nobility. His military career was ended when he insulted a young upstart noble who served under him in Skyrim. The nobles father, a large stock holder in the East Empire Company, pulled every string available to see Roland dishonorably discharged. He was 32 years old and for the first time in his life, he was unemployed. He drifted from odd job to odd job, trying not to stay in one place for too long. A year after his discharge, he received a letter that told him nothing but to travel to Bruma and await further instruction. Upon arrival he was meet by a messenger who told him to travel along an unnamed trail. Roland was amazed to find a fortress at the top of the mountain and no less surprised to discover it was that of the Blades. Upon accepting an invitation to join, Roland once again used every fiber of his body to serve the Empire. He trained night and day, waiting for any challenge to the Emperors rule. That challenge came in the form of fire and death, and he was lucky to escape with his life. During the Oblivion invasion, Roland spent his time aiding Captain Steffan with securing Cloud Temple Rulers defenses. During the Battle of Burma, Roland watched as the men he had fought and lived with for so many years were cut down like grass in the wind. He lost his right eye at the battle and he was lucky that was all that was taken from him. He spent the next few weeks immobilized in Cloud Temple's infirmary. When word reached him of Martin's trip to the Imperial City, Roland sneaked away in the night to make the long trip home. But when he arrived he found his home in ruin. He arrived too late to save Jauffre and Steffan but he was witness to Martins transformation and Dagons demise. The crisis was over, but he still was not allowed to rest. The Blades were leaderless. On his return to Cloud Temple, he was thrust into a position he did not expect. The remaining Blades named him as their Captain, to keep the fortress safe until a new leader could be chosen.
IC: It was a cold night as Roland paced the high walls of Cloud Temple Ruler, his left eye scanning the horizon, his right eye socket laying empty behind a thin white cloth that was wrapped around his head. He had put Cyrus and Fortis on watch, but he was restless and needed to get out of the great hall. For the past two days blades had been returning home from all over the Empire. The great hall had not been this festive in years, though the weight of recent affairs hung over them all still. The Blades sat leaderless and useless. The Elder Council had tried to elect a new Grandmaster, a spineless fool from High Rock who sat in the Councils pocket, but the Blades would not accept him or the Councils wish to control them. They served the Empire and answered only to the Emperor, without one they answered to no one. So a call went out, calling members back to their home, to decide for themselves who should be their leader. The outcome did not surprise him, the candidates did.
"What are your orders, Captain" Roland looked back behind him, and the warm face of Caroline looked back at him.
"Keep the watch and make sure no unwelcome guests are wandering around in the night. There is important work to be done in the next few days and I would rather not have any surprises." Although the treat of the Dagon's deadric army was long gone, member of the Mythic Dawn still lurked in the dark corners of Nirn. Once a Grandmaster had been chosen, they would be hunted down but for now there was more important things to be done.
"If you need me I shall be inside keeping our guests company."
"Yes Captain."
He walked from table to table, greeting everyone but watching them closely. There were a lot of people coming arriving and it would be easy for an uninvited guest to crash the party. He introduced himself to all the candidates, he was after all going to serve one of them by the end of the week. He sized them all up as he talked to them and the only one he watched with a careful eye was the Argonian Sickle-Tongue. Something did not sit right about him. After the introductions were made he retired to a corner of the hall, watching the party unfold. There were smiles on the faces of his brothers and sisters, this pleased him. He was afraid that recent events had hardened them all, turned their hearts as cold as his. To see them enjoying themselves showed him that the Blades would never die as long as one member still lived. As long as the beating heart of the Empire still lived, the Empire would endure. His concentration was broken as the doors of the great hall launched open. He immediately drew his Dai-Katana and launched himself forward.
"I have returned to claim the title that is rightfully mine! The title of Grandmaster!" Roland knew this fool at once. He was once a Blade who had served under him, a traitor to the very name. He betrayed his oath and left to sell his skills to the highest bidder. He had no honor and would never bear the title of Grandmaster while Roland still drew breath. Behind Adrian stood his 20 men who acted like they had strolled into a common tavern.
"What do you want done Captain?"
"Tell the traitor he can stay but his men are not allowed to stay on Temple's grounds. I do not care if they freeze outside in the cold, they can not observe the proceedings and are not allowed on these grounds. Also tell our friend to watch what he says."
"Yes Captain." Roland looked back over the room. The Blades sheathed their weapons and were returning to their conversations. They were all still on edge, Roland could see it in their faces and in the way their eyes shifted around the room. They would sleep with one eye open tonight, there was no doubt in Roland's mind. Sleep, there was a thought. The moon was even begining to return to her bed and before long the sun would emerge from over the horizon. The same thought appeared to be crossing the rest of their minds as well. At first a small number of Blades retired but before long the great hall was quite and empty, the silence a comforting friend in the dark as the fire slowly died down. His left eye gazed into the heart of the dieing embers, slowly growing dark as the shadows encroached. The next few days were going to be interesting, to say the least.
"What are your orders Captain?"
"Have a note written up and sent to the candidates that I want to see them in my room an hour after first light. Also relieve the current guard and assign Ferrum, Pelagiuis and Jena to duty. I am going to turn in, your in command Piner."
"Yes Captain."