User:Xenophile/sand box

Public History (third person - removed from Blake page)

Blake is the second youngest of nine children of Nicolo, head of his branch of the Benneset family. Once an influential noble family with a seat in the Noble House of government, the Bennesets' last century has been one of great decline.

Blake's mother died of the Spite when he was only a few years old. Clearly he has never forgotten who was responsible for the plague that killed her. His feud with the Sereg'wethrin continues, and even his wedding reception was marred by an attack that left his wife and guests taking cures for fear of contracting Spite. While it is an impersonal affair for the black elves, whose aim is destroy human-kind in general, Blake takes it personally.

The death aside, childhood was a quiet, studious time for Blake, under the stern watch of his father and tutors. He rarely left the Noble district then, or saw how the "other half" lived. Moving to help manage his uncle's wine shop opened the figurative gates of Limbo for him. He found himself a teenager with free access to alcohol and Mikona's seedier districts. The little supervision he had were from an ailing uncle, and his black sheep of a brother, who would spend time in prison, then disappear entirely during this period.

From this boisterous young adulthood of partying, traveling, and other extravagant and escapist pastimes, Blake went through a "serious" phase. In respect for family tradition, he directed his ambition towards M'Chekian politics. Pursuing membership in different Mikonan institutions, he kept public company with a variety of seemingly contradictory acquintences, from across social classes. He worked with Kered Rose's Golden Path party, enlisted in the M'Chekian Army, and was close to Mikon's Council of Balance. His naive attempts at diplomacy between factions in M'Chek and Elysia were met with hesitancy at best, and animosity at worst.

Blake proposed to his long-time travelling companion Kate in front of a shrine of Kelvos. They were married next to a pond near Mikona, in a Mikonite ceremony. Although he isn't the best husband due to his own weakness of character, he is known to be both loyal and devoted to her. The Bennesets are vocal about their plan to buy back Blake's childhood manor home and make it their own. Blake and Kate are the only Bennesets remaining in Mikona at this time; the rest of the family relocated to Andarr in 2160.

While he always lives a spendthrift lifestyle, it is clearly not funded by his family's exhausted treasury. For explanation, he sometimes brags of far-fetched adventures, grand battles, and recovering lost treasures. But his eyes and tone of voice leave the impression that there's more to the story than he tells. There are rumors around Mikona of his having a criminal history, a mysterious wealthy patron, or connections to a foreign government, but few could confirm or deny this gossip.

Blake returned from attending to his father's death in Andarr a changed man. While he showed less interest in politics, and spoke ill of the gods and their religions, his mood seemed lighter than ever. His oldest friends recognized this simply as the return of his younger self.

But before long, he had traded this freedom of spirit for slavery to the dangerous substances sold in the darkest corners of Mikona's Docks district. The occasional reports of his recent sightings bring concern to his friends: old finery torn and unmended, or clothed in hunter's leather; eyes reddened with mellowsmoke, or crazed with wizard's spice; eloquence replaced with muttering, or outright nonsense. He has clearly fallen on hard times. Rarely does he walk the streets of Mikona or care for his family now. Instead, travellers mention seeing him in Ferrell's shadier haunts, or across the wilds without apparent pattern. Has another of M'Chek's rising stars burned itself out?

Outline for Memoirs (first person journal entries, possibly to be written)

Family

Always in Someone's Shadow

(brother/mentor - childhood stories)

The Debt

(mother's death of Spite - stories of the Sereg'wethrin - early encounters with them)

The Last Benneset

1/06 threatening note - moving the family to Andarr - the trip north, notes on cities visited

Kate

(wedding 3/18/06 - Apr 19 2161 in game)

Changes in Andarr

(sister's wedding, father's illness and death - wolf lycanthropy - business deal soured)

Philosophy

Extremes

(Paladins and Blackguards - Hert Snyder's advice - training with the Paladins - always end up in a room alone with paladins - Storm manor - adventurers with the Reavers - the ogre hunt - in the ruins with the high reaver - Cromodon - Nox)

Balance

12/2/05 (first Council of Balance Invitation - adaptation of Mikonite philosophy - family tradition - Grag's idea - diplomacy)

Dark Hearts and Dread

(ritual murders - investigation - The'ton's church - the coincidence - mastering fear - leaving it behind)

Alchemy

12/3/05 (joined the AKN; alchemy in general - metaphor for life)

Adventures

The Lure of Shining Things

10/21/05 (joined the Golden Path)

Jack's Hideout

11/20/05

Free Blades

2/15/06 (published first recruitment poster)

Blackhawk Company

3/5/06(promotion to Corporal 3/10/06)

Rats

(lycanthropy - Kate's infection - Blake's own - Black Cult of Xenon 4/2/06 wolf attack)