(Just for the record, I am Shell's sister)
Your Name ∙ Christie
Contact Information ∙ PM and c-box
Time Zone ∙ EST


Character’s Name ∙ Kenn of Linden
Age ∙ 26
Gender ∙ Male
Residing ∙ The Palace, Corus
Character Class ∙ Noble
Occupation ∙ Knight


Sexual Orientation ∙ Heterosexual
Overall Personality ∙ Kenn is an even-tempered man, and has always been. He never raises his voice, lashes out with harsh words or with harsh fists. Kenn is not one to pick a fight or even participate in one, but never hesitates to stop or prevent one. All his life nothing ever seemed to bother him; he would shrug at yells, turn away at insults, and laugh along with jeers and teases. Throughout his life it has bothered people to no extent; they figured he was too arrogant or cocky to believe what they said about him, or they were just unnerved by his unusually calm disposition. For this reason the knight has not had many friends, close or not, through the course of his life. Kenn doesn’t mind; he believes that if he had to change himself and act more like other people so that they will like him, why should he want them to befriend him? This being said, Kenn is not unfriendly, per say, but he is not overtly friendly to other either. The few friends that he has been able to make have learned to live and even enjoy his unique personality, but it took a lot of time and effort from both parties. Kenn is positively unexcitable, another factor that turns people off towards him. When presented with news, good or bad or amazing or dreadful, he tends to show hardly any reaction. This is not to say, however, that his is like the Yamani where they show no emotion. He is not similar to the Yamani in this respect, for they train themselves to exhibit no emotion while he genuinely is just imperturbable.

Kenn is not one to pick a fight or even participate in one, but never hesitates to stop or prevent one. Some perceive this as noble; others see it as annoying. Kenn is all about chivalry; protecting the weak, serving his country, aiding those in need, being gentle and proper with women, serving one’s overlord with undying loyalty, the works. He tries his best every day to uphold the high standards that, as a knight, he has a duty to uphold.

• soft-spoken
• protective of sister; loves family
• close to sister & brother
• indifferent about marriage
• intelligent
• prefers solitude or small groups
• not competitive, but loves the feeling of accomplishing things, which is the main reason he stays fit, waste of training to be unfit
• serious
• diligent
• trustworthy
• responsible
• finally realized that he needed, not to forget Miriam, but to move on




Height ∙ 6 feet and 2 inches
Weight ∙ 169 lbs
Overall Appearance ∙ Rather than the large, burly, commanding appearance of many knights, Kenn lies on the other side of the spectrum, with a lean, tightly muscled, agile body. Being naturally thin in his stature, the young knight has never tried to bulk up in size, but merely played off of his strengths. While he is not able to charge down on people with the force burly men have, Kenn is light on his feet and able to dodge in and out of combat, tiring out his opponents before going in for the kill. Over years of practice, Kenn has managed to build up and maintain a considerable large stamina. Despite his height and physique, Kenn has never been one to be described as gangly or awkward.

His rugged, dark hair falls to just above his broad shoulders, combed once a day but always taking upon itself the usual unkempt nature that many men suffer from. A layer of scruffy dark stubble is almost always found on his jaw and lower cheeks, defining his pronounced cheekbones but partially concealing his sharp jaw line. His brows are not bushy, as many men’s are, but rather nice-looking considering the fact that, as a male, he never prunes, plucks, or tries to ‘tame’ them. They are naturally arched over his bright, sad, startlingly blue eyes. Thick, albeit short, lashes frame them, only adding to their blueness. Positioned naturally under these is a well shaped nose, however with a sharp point on the end. Being the kind that never got into fights, it has never been broken or tampered with in any way; therefore, it has kept the same shape since his birth, again, unlike many of the other knights that surround him. His lips are full but pale in color, a fact not helped by the dark hair surrounding it. A mouth that rarely curves into a genuine smile, it is usually sitting in a position akin to a frown or pout, deep lines surrounding it’s entirety but almost invisible through his stubble. Along with his mouth, a somber expression naturally occupies his face, though not for lack of happiness.

He dresses for the occasion: fancy, more intricately made clothes for social functions; the regular breeches, knee-high boots, shirt, and tunic for everyday use; his riding get-up when riding; old, worn clothes for training. Tailors find him quite peculiarly built with his broad shoulders and back, which flow into surprisingly narrow waist and hips. His hands are large, with wide, long palms to match his long, shapely fingers. His arms, for a tall man, suit him quite well, and are in proportion to the rest of him. However, he has a smaller torso and very long legs with wide, large feet stabilizing him. Kenn enjoys being clean, and bathes at least once a day, washes his teeth, and combs his hair. This is not to say that he spends hours over a mirror or balks at activities that put him in a position to get dirty. Instead, he merely cares enough about other to make himself presentable. In spite of all his ‘hard work’, the fact that he doesn’t bother shaving everyday gives him the gruff, nearly messy look rather than one who cares about his appearance.




Family History ∙ Long ago, around the time the Conté’s took the throne, Linden aided and supported them wholeheartedly throughout the whole process, gathering supporters and giving troops and spreading good words about the Contés. Thus when the Conté's finally completed their conquest, Linden was duly rewarded for it's extensive efforts. Granted them were the gem mines lying a little distance from their eastern border. The Crown, of course, maintained a share of the profits, and the whole thing turned our rather lucrative, as one might expect. To this day, Linden still trades in both cut and uncut gems, and is quite wealthy.
Family ∙ Father: Alan of Linden – (deceased)
Mother: Nellie of Linden – (deceased)
Wife: Miriam of Linden – (deceased)
Daughter: Susan on Linden – (deceased)
Brother: Lexis of Linden – (deceased)
Brother: Brett of Linden – 28
Sister: Valerie of Linden – 17
Birthplace ∙ The Master Suite, 2nd floor, Linden Castle
Background ∙ Nellie and Alan’s marriage was nothing more than an arranged one, and rather than Nellie marrying into Alan’s family, the Hayrse’s, Alan married into Nellie’s, the Linden’s. Nellie was the eldest child in her family, and had been followed by three more sisters. Much to the dismay of Nellie’s parents, Jared and Lara, they were unable to produce an heir to their precious line, and so they found a suitable husband to marry their eldest, and had her carry on the family name. Many families wanted their sons to marry into the well-known, respected, and rather wealthy line of the Lindens. Lara and Jared spent weeks talking, arranging, declining, and contemplating various suitors, and finally came across two positively delightful parents with a charming, slightly older than they had wanted, man. They were from Hayrse, they said, and Alan was their youngest son; he was not needed to carry on the family name, but would be able to bring them riches through his new wife. After a few more weeks of socializing and finalizing their plans, the whole thing was arranged. A mere month later the two were wed.

At first, Nellie did not know what to think of her husband; he was several years her elder, came from a small family, and seemed awfully quiet. Despite his towering height and large stature, she managed to not be intimidated by him, and looked at the better qualities in him. Over time she found that he was very kind and considerate of her feelings, charming, and just as nervous as she. Their relationship improved over the first weeks of their marriage, but it was one more of close friendship rather than one of love. It was clear as their time together increased that their relationship would not progress any further than extremely close friends, of which their feelings towards each other eventually became. However, after half a year, Nellie discovered that she was pregnant. Nellie’s pregnancy was a hard one, and she spent most of it in bed, sickly and weak. Seven months later (she had been two months along), she gave birth to an equally sickly child, whom the parents named Lexis. Lexis struggled for his life for several weeks, refusing to eat, and got progressively worse. After a time, he finally took to his mother’s breast, and started to gain weight quickly. Soon, he was as healthy as could be expected, as was his mother. The weeks flew by, both grandmother’s fawning and fussing over him constantly. Misfortune fell upon the family once again when Lexis fell ill in the cold winter months, confining the young child to his bed for weeks. Occasionally he would be strong enough to crawl around, but as he had never learned to walk he could never do much more. When the child was one year old, he died.

Nellie was devastated, and Alan was sad; constantly assuring his wife that Lexis was in a better place, and that he was no longer suffering. Nellie’s parents were saddened as well; they had just lost their first grandchild. Alan’s parents were no longer at Linden, and they sent their condolences along with promises to come as soon as possible. They were able to make it there soon enough for the burial, but did not stay longer after. Even though the event was tragic, life went on, and things started to get back into the swing of things. Alan and Nellie spent most of their free time together; when they weren’t together Nellie was either alone or being comforted by her mother while Alan learned the works of a fief through Nellie’s father.

After about a year of this routine, Alan and Nellie decided that they wanted to try for another baby once again. Half a year later, Nellie found that she was pregnant for the 2nd time. They were thrilled, as per usual, but scared that she would produce an equally sick child as Lexis had been. Her pregnancy, granted, was not as difficult as her first had been, but she was still unable to do really anything that required any physical work; like walking. Despite their fears, when their 2nd child was borne, he was as healthy as anyone could have hoped. Alan was thrilled that Nellie had produced him a 2nd heir to the line, and Nellie was thrilled that she had made Alan happy. They dubbed the newly borne child Brett, after Alan’s father. As the first heir to Linden had died, that made Brett the person of inheritance, so, he would inherit everything. The gem mines, the money from the gem mines, the land, the castle, the servants, everything.

Alan and Nellie loved their child, and doted on him greatly, always giving him the best that money could buy. Life was pleasant and lively once again, until sadness befell the small family yet again. Two years after Brett’s birth, Nellie’s father wound up in a horrible riding accident and, in his old age, was unable to recover. He died from various injuries a week after the incident, and was buried next to Lexis. Nellie’s mother was stricken with grief and denial, refusing to believe that her beloved husband was actually dead. She was also quite old, and her mental and physical state deteriorated by the day, until, a few months after her husband’s death, she too passed away. A month after her mother’s death, Nellie found that she was pregnant. Although times were hard on the Alan and Nellie, they couldn’t help but get sucked into the joy of having another child. Brett had been a wonderful and intelligent child, and they had no doubts that his new brother or sister would follow in his footsteps.

And in the blooming season of spring, their 3rd son was borne. He was named Kenn, after Alan’s grandfather this time. He was a long, thin baby, measuring 6 lb 5 ounces, and was 21 inches long. It was no matter to his parents though, and they were overjoyed to have made another healthy baby. He was moved into the same routine as his brother, and shared everything his brother had received. Unlike many children Brett’s age, he did not resent or dislike his brother for being borne; he did not see Kenn as someone who was taking away his attention and toys, but rather as a new playmate. However, it was quite some time before the two were permitted to play with each other because of their young ages.

The two boys grew quite close to one another, one never seen without the other. On their insistence, they took the same classes at the same time instructed by the same teachers, and as they were only two years apart their learning capacities were very similar. They were schooled in the regular studies of noble children, each taking to it in different ways. Brett seemed to like information, but only so that he could outsmart others and show off his intelligence. On the other hand, Kenn liked to learn for that very reason; he just loved learning new information. His mind was very able to grasp new concepts and ideas quickly and with full understanding, as was his brother. And so, the two brothers studied often and enjoyed their frequent lessons, much to their parents’ pleasure. When they were old enough, they learned to ride and the basics in defensive combat, wilderness survival, a small amount of cooking, medicine, and other such skills. From the time he knew what a knight was, both of the boys had thought of becoming nothing else. They longed to be strong and noble like knights they had heard of in tales, again, both for different reasons. Brett wanted the glory and recognition; Kenn wanted to protect his country and be of some use in the world.

When Brett was ten, he was shipped off to the Palace to being his training. Kenn missed his brother dearly, but managed without him, continuing his life as usual. That was, until, his mother got pregnant for the fourth time. The new babe was borne a few months before Kenn’s ninth birthday, and turned out to be a screaming baby girl. She was quite the typical baby, sweet and adorable. But she had an aura about her that was inviting and made anyone around her coo and smile with delight. Kenn took to his new sister as well, if not better, than Brett had taken to him when he was borne. When he was not studying, he was most often found in the company of his sister and her governess, holding her, feeding her, playing with her, or rocking her to sleep. He showed more affection than the usual nine year old boy, and he was quite regretful to leave home when he turned ten. But, the though of his elder brother waiting for him soon overpowered thoughts of his baby sister and parents.

Their reunion was a happy one; the brothers were elated to be in one another’s company once again. Of course, Brett became Kenn’s sponsor, and showed him the ropes and rule of a page’s life. He warned him about certain teachers and their habits, about which ones were strict and which ones were lax. He told him about the other pages and their life stories, which ones were cool to hang with and which ones he should stay away from. It was never until then that Kenn appreciated the fact that his brother had gone to the Palace before him; had he not than no one would have been able to show him so much and explain everything so clearly. It was clear that his brother had changed and matured over their two years of separation; but there is only so mature a twelve-year-old boy can be. His parents wrote him often, and when Valerie, his sister, was old enough, she wrote him as well. Her letters were always the sweetest. After all, what letter written by a four year old isn’t adorable? He always wrote them back, and appreciated their letters. He was baffled by their affection; they already had an heir to their line, and so why did they spend so much time and money on their second, or really third, son? Kenn knew as well as anybody that he had nothing to gain from them after their death; Brett would get every copper and every acre and every mine. This thought was rather disheartening at times, but it gave him more vigor in his training. If he had to make a living for himself, what better way than as a knight? He would serve the crown to his best abilities, and so he trained and studied hard.

Kenn’s teachers noticed his studiousness, and commented on his diligence from time to time. He had to admit, it felt good to have his hard work recognized. Perhaps that was the feeling Brett got all the time, ones of praise. Brett had taken to training very well, excelling in almost everything. Kenn also had to admit that it was difficult to follow in his praised brother’s footsteps, but he was almost equally as good in most areas. He was a quiet boy for the most part, and got teased and picked on by many of his fellow pages. Kenn, on the other hand, never got angry or hurt by the words of the other boys, and rather than lashing out shrugged it off or laughed along with them. This was unnerving to some of the more bully-some of the boys, and instead of holding off on the teasing as the others had done, they tried, in vain, to provoke some violence or retaliation out of Kenn. It did bother Kenn to some degree, but he learned to think of it as a way of life, and never once retaliated with his fists, or mouth for that matter. Violence was not the solution to his problems. Slowly, they gave up and went onto other pages. His four years as a page passed by without much difficulty, but with much work. At the end of Kenn’s fourth year he passed the test, and became a squire.

Throughout His squire years, his brother and his spent much time together, mostly just gallivanting around and doing whatever they liked. That was, until they both found knight masters. ____ of ____ was a burly knight, tall and commanding, with quite the wit and way with women. He was in his late thirties, and despite the age difference the two developed a special bond of friendship. ___ of ____ was a good knight, there was no doubt, and aided, criticized, and gave pointers to Kenn throughout his years as a squire. Any input the man had to offer was taken with eagerness by the Kenn, and he worked most of his suggestions, harsh or quiet, into his fighting style. Most of his page friends had given up on him; Kenn was not easily excitable, and rather than talking about girls and such, he preferred intelligent talk about politics, history, and other such things.

A few of his closer chums still made time to spend with him, and they seemed to appreciate his calm, almost stoic, personality more than the others. When he was not with his friends, he was training with his knight master, studying on his own, in the training yards, or spending time with his brother. He still wrote to his family on occasion, but mostly to his sister. They exchanged countless letters, and through mail, they grew very close. The poured out their feelings over letters, which may seem strange, but it was much easier to open up to someone when they weren’t right there to judge you. Two years into his Squiredom, his brother went through his ordeal. Brett tried to act nonchalant about it, and most bought into his weak play, but Kenn knew him well enough to see through his façade. Brett was just putting on his act, as was his nature, but was horribly terrified. He had had no reason to fear, for he passed his Ordeal and was knighted. It was a great occasion; his parents and sister came down and he was able to see Valerie for the first time in eight years. The reunion was pleasant, however short, and passed more quickly than anyone would’ve hoped.

Two more years passed; Kenn turned eighteen. He received many magnificent gifts from his parents, in person, but nothing less could’ve been expected. His family had come down for his Ordeal, as they had for Brett. Most seemed to think that it would be easy for Kenn; he didn’t seem to fear anything, be moved by anything, or run from anything. His Ordeal was quite the curious one, of which he never spoke of, as was custom. But he did pass it, and was knighted later in the week. He was elated to have passed and finally earned his shield openly showing his happiness, one of the few times in his life that he ever seemed excited about something. He found that life as a knight was much the same as being a page and squire, but without any rules or teachers. He still trained everyday, with his brother and knight master; he still studied to his heart’s content; he still wrote letters; he still did everything that he had ever done. But it was a good life, with virtually no restrictions. Brett loved it. Kenn merely enjoyed it. The brothers continued to reside at the palace, doing their duties as knights.

One day, while the brother’s were playing a hearty game of chess, a servant came to them with a missive that stated a horrid sickness had struck Linden, hitting most the very young and very old. Many had died, and in their old age, Nellie and Alan had been two of the one’s taken. The brothers were stunned by the news; it had happened so suddenly. They hadn’t even been told that they had been ill, only that they had died. They made their solemn trek back to their home at Linden to attend the funeral; of course, it was a sad affair. Kenn was sad, yes, but had never been particularly close to his parents. As the middle child, his attention had always been shared with another, and he had never spent much quality time with his father or mother. Brett was sad as well, Kenn could tell, but tried to keep his emotions in. Valerie, only nine at the time, took it the hardest, clinging to Kenn and Brett and crying throughout the entire ceremony. Brett told her to be strong, and not cry for her parents; they were better off. Kenn, on the other, allowed himself to hold his sister close and let her cry silently onto his shoulder. He could tell if was hard for her to lose the two of the closest people in the world to her, and as her age, parents were still important. Their time at Linden was longer than expected; Brett had many things to attend to as he was the new owner of the fief. Kenn spent most of the time comforting his sister, mainly reading to her or taking walks with her. Despite the added duties, the time flew by, and soon the brother’s found themselves at the palace once again. Unsurprisingly to Kenn, life went by as it always had without his parents as it did without.

The years flew by as they always had, and one fateful night at a court function, and Kenn was introduced to Miriam of Distart, by none other than his brother, who thrived in such surroundings. He was instantly smitten with the young, lovely maiden, which was highly unusual for Kenn; he had never even had a crush before. Miriam was young and, being only a few months from the convent, eager to try her hand at courting and wooing, as only a woman can do. She flirted carelessly with Kenn and toyed with him as any young noblewoman would do, and Kenn went along with just as much enthusiasm. About a month after their first meeting, Kenn asked her permission to court her formally. Miriam brought the life out of him; he found himself happier and more openly emotional than he had ever been; thus he felt that she was the one for him. She accepted. Thanks to his family’s riches and trade, Kenn was able to gift his love with breathtaking beautiful jewels inset in a variety of jewelry: necklaces, brooches, combs, earbobs, rings, and bracelets. Miriam looked splendid in everything he ever gave her, and he loved the fact that she seemed to wear his tokens of love with pride. Soon the two young lovebirds were wed, in a much more joyous occasion that Kenn’s parents had been.

Stars were still in the newlyweds’ eyes, and their first few weeks together were nothing short of bliss. But life soon took a turn for the less happy when the war started, and Kenn was called away to do his duty. He would have loved nothing more than to deny his country and just run away and live happily ever after with Miriam, but that was not his way. A week before his departure, Miriam found that she was pregnant with their first child. It was extremely hard for the both of them, neither of them sure if he would return at all or in good health. During the war, he received only one letter from his wife, which he read and re-read constantly. He yearned for more, but knew that it was almost impossible to get letters to the soldiers, and made himself grateful for the one that she had managed to get to him. Two years passed, and finally, the warfare part of the war ended, and he was allowed to return home. He was giddy with the prospect of seeing his wife again and his child for the first time. All the way home he thought of Miriam’s worry; that he would die during the war. Well, he had not died, albeit he had a few battle scars but that was all. Upon his return to Linden (Miriam had stayed there during his absence), he was greeted with solemn faces and devastating words. Miriam had died in childbirth, and the babe had been lost. It was ironic, that she had been the one worrying about him dying, when she had been the one to die.

He couldn’t stay at Linden, where so many of his family members lay peacefully under the ground. He did go to where they were all buried before he left; and just stood and stared, clutching Miriam’s letter in one hand and a handful of her favorite flowers in the other. He laid them atop his wife’s grave, calla lilies, and placed one on top of his daughter’s, then turned and never looked back. Kenn returned to the palace and found it quite the same as it had always been. He wrote to his sister every day, and she had the heart to reply to every letter. A year passed and she was let out of the convent, and immediately went to the Palace. Since then Kenn spent as much time as he could with his little sister, trying his best not to get in the way of her own life. Now approximately a year and a half after the news of his wife’s death have passed, he is finally trying to get back into his old habits and ways, attempting to live life as he did before he even met Miriam.




By submitting this application, I am also stating that I have read, and understood, the forum rules, and that I agree to follow them.

--Christie