Your Name ∙ Shell
Contact Information ∙ PM, e-mail, or c-box
Time Zone ∙ EST


Character’s Name ∙ Brett of Linden
Age ∙ 28
Gender ∙ Male
Residing ∙ the Palace
Character Class ∙ Nobility
Occupation ∙ Count of Linden/Knight


Sexual Orientation ∙ Heterosexual
Overall Personality ∙
To those around him, Brett is strong in every aspect – his opinions, his beliefs, his will, his decisions, even his physical stature. When he thinks something should be a certain way, he will go to great lengths to make it so, though he knows when it’s time to quit or if doing such would be impossible. It is quite hard to get him to change his mind about something, or convince him that that his beliefs/perceptions/opinions are wrong or flawed. A part of this is because he is so often right, that it’s hard for him to admit it when he’s wrong, and also in many situation he is still correct, though others try to persuade him otherwise. He’s very self assured, which sometimes causes others to believe him arrogant. Brett does not, however, feel that he is superior to others, though his supreme confidence appears to some as haughtiness or pride. When confronted with actual evidence, he will readily admit his fault, and act accordingly from then on.

In contrast to his brother, Brett often does things for the glory, respect, and prestige, all things that are important to him. He feels that such things, when duly earned, show a man’s character and that it is good for men to be so in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. He’s also quite responsible, taking all tasks given him seriously (unless, of course, otherwise indicated by the task-giver), and strives to execute them to the best of his ability. It is a point of pride to him that he be responsible and reliable, so that others can always count on him to pull through and be there for them.

Brett is very charismatic and friendly, charming others with wit and enthusiasm. He’s always willing to have an interesting conversation or share a laugh. Energetic and fun-loving, Brett loves to spend time with people and do whatever the occasion calls for – and sometimes things that it doesn’t. He enjoys sparring, hunting, going on trips into the city, talking, flirting with ladies, playing games… his energy seems to be boundless. Brett has the tendency to also be flamboyant sometimes – both in his manner or in his dress. The size of the group he is with doesn’t matter in the slightest to the Count of Linden – large or small, he always ends up having a good time.

Where Kenn has a seemingly endless temper length, Brett’s is moderate, not really short but neither is it really all that long. Small and trifling things he can bear with extreme patience, but insults to his or his family’s honour grate on Brett so much that he can snap rather swiftly. When only irritated, he’s short with people and quite touchy, but more or less silently contains his anger. When actually provoked or pushed past annoyance, Brett is a terror. He becomes rash and liable to do anything to get back at the offender, and sometimes, often to his regret later, takes out his rage on those near him, whether friend or foe. Over the years, he’s sort of developed a way to cope with his extreme fury – if at all possible, Brett grabs his brother and they seclude themselves somewhere quiet and private while Brett seethes until his anger is spent. Kenn provides several useful tasks: someone to stop him from running off and committing murder or some other heinous act; someone who is calm and not judging and doesn’t cause Brett to become even angrier because of that; he’s so composed and restrained that Brett will often come to his senses more swiftly out of sheer desire to not feel so awful about being so…emotional, while his brother sits in stoic silence.

Brett cares very much for his family. He is closest to Kenn, and the two spend a great deal of time in each other’s company, talking, hunting, sparring, playing card or board games, and just hanging out. In some ways he sort of admires his younger brother; his patience and self discipline seem to be second to none. It hurt Brett deeply when Miriam died, for he could see how much pain and sorrow her passing brought to Kenn – Kenn had never been one to express his feelings or be overly talkative or open or so close with anyone but himself, Valerie, and Miriam. When she died it was like a slap in the face to his younger sibling, and Brett felt awful for a time for being the one to introduce him to her. He’s still not sure if Kenn not meeting Miriam would have been better because of all the grief that’s come of it, but is unable to wish that their romance had never been because Kenn had been so happy with her.

While Brett loves Valerie, he doesn’t know her nearly as well as Kenn does, and so is not as close to her as he is to Kenn. He wasn’t there for her birth and early life, and even later life. She was five the first time he met her, during his squire years when he was free to travel to his home, and then he only stayed a few days. Valerie was seven the next time, after he passed his Ordeal, and nine the next two times – first after Kenn’s Ordeal and then at their parents’ funeral. He tried to be there for her after their parents died, but it was Kenn who was close enough to really comfort her. Still, he came to know her a little bit better during those trying weeks after the burial, and they started writing letters to each other now and then. They’re still nowhere near as close as Kenn and her, but they know each other more than they did before.

As the oldest surviving child, his parents doted on his and strove to be a part of his life – and while he was at home, they were. He would go to them with his problems and troubles, wounds and woes, and confide in them his desires for his shield and other dreams. But as he grew older and had Kenn to talk to, he grew more and more detached from them, and while he still loved them very much, didn’t go to them with everything. It caused him much sorrow when he learned, rather abruptly, of their deaths and his sudden ascension to Count of Linden. It was hard for him to think of never receiving another letter detailing Valerie’s progress and his mother’s many badgerings for him to get married.

Brett is quite intelligent, like his younger brother, but while he more or less enjoys learning, he feels it’s a good thing only so long that it is practical. Practical, to Brett, can mean something for everyday use, something he might plausibly need to use, something he can just generally apply, or something that he can use to show off and impress people. Other than that, he doesn’t bother too much about gaining new knowledge. When he does desire to learn some particular thing, or become well-versed about some topic, Brett throws himself into learning it with a fury, as to cut down study time and as quickly as possible start applying it. This, coupled with his large learning capacity and intellect, allows his to learn new things very rapidly.

The count enjoys flirting with women and charming them, though he never takes any of it past a few stolen kisses. He doesn’t want to compromise their virtue, or give himself an unsavory reputation, and he just isn’t that sort of person. He has yet to find a woman he’s taken with enough to marry, and without older relatives to heckle him, is taking his sweet time about it. He knows that he really should get on the married men bandwagon, but seeing the grief it’s brought his brother and the lack of women who interest and charm him enough to want to marry them, Brett is rather reluctant.

For a number of reasons, Brett is good leader. He has charisma to spark passionate devotion, intelligence to make informed and acuminous decisions, and swift adaptability when something goes awry. He listens to those who he knows know more than he does, and he pays attention to those under him. Brett takes the time to know as many of his subordinates as he can, and to treat them with respect. When he can, he gives reasons for his orders and suggestions, which is useful later when decisions need to be made quickly – those beneath him understand that he has a good reason for commanding whatever it is he’s commanded, he just doesn’t have the time to spell it all out for them.


Height ∙ 6’ 2”
Weight ∙ 231 lbs.
Overall Appearance ∙
Brett is neither hulking and burly nor thin and wiry, falling somewhere between the two. Years of knight training have caused him to bulk up some, develop considerable strength, and painstakingly build up a large amout of stamina. He is a solid mass of tightly packed muscle, not as agile as leaner men but not as limited in movement as other, more brawny knights. He is broad-shouldered and rather tall, equal in height to yet wider in breadth than his brother. He has big, calloused hands that fit nicely on the ends of his long arms. His feet are also on the large side of the scale. Interestingly enough, while he is proficient with the sword, the weapon of a proper knight, Brett is best suited to the ax. Due to the fact that the ax is considered by some to be a common man's weapon, Brett does not often use it - when in combat however, he sometimes overlooks better manners.

He keeps his dark brown hair cut short for various reasons, some being that it's easier to keep clean and take care of, it doesn't get in the way, and it makes hot days, as well as rainy ones, more bearable. He does his best to stay clean shaven, but when running drills or out on duty, or simply feeling lazy, Brett lapses in that department. He has a long nose that arches slightly near the bridge, and a broad jaw that sharpens to a narrow and round chin. During his page years, when he just began his training, Brett was in many a fight, in one of which his nose was broken. While it healed quite well, if one were to examine it very closely, one could see where it had broken and that it isn't entirely straight. Brett has brown eyes that are in proportion to the rest of his face and are framed by short lashes. Above them are thick eyebrows. His lips are neither thick nor thin, rather light in color, and are usually found in the shape of a smile.



Family History ∙ When the nobles of Conté risked all to overthrow the royal family and seize Tortall’s throne, the Linden’s were right behind them. Steadfast supporters, the nobles of Linden provided soldiers, money, provisions, and enlisted the aid of other fiefs and countrymen. Loyal servants throughout the entire campaign, when it was over, they received their just reward. To the east of their borders lay extensive gem mines, previously unused. These were granted the Linden’s, and while the Crown, of course, maintained a certainly fair share of the profits, the Linden’s swiftly became decidedly rich. The wealth of Linden has lasted, and even continued growing, to this day.

Family ∙
Alan of Linden, Father, deceased
Nellie of Linden, Mother, deceased
Miriam of Linden, Sister-in-Law, deceased
Susan on Linden, Niece, deceased
Lexis of Linden, Brother, deceased
Kenn of Linden, Brother, 26
Valerie of Linden, Sister, 17

Birthplace ∙ The Master Suite, 2nd floor, Lindamar Castle, Linden

Background ∙
Nellie of Linden and Alan of Hayrse met only two times before the day of their wedding, though the whole ordeal had taken months to finalize. The recipients of an arranged marriage, they did not have the luxury of choosing their own spouse, or any say in the person they would spend the rest of their lives with. It was a profitable marriage, an excellent match – Alan, the youngest son, would gain position, title, and lands of his own and Nellie would join the ranks of married women and all the prestige entailed with being a wealthy wife, rather than being a well endowed young woman. They were rather wary of each other at first, unsure of their new status and their new partner. It took time, but eventually, they became good friends, but not much better than that.

About half a year after their wedding, Nellie discovered she was pregnant. It was a hard pregnancy, and she was often bedridden for days or weeks. Horribly sickly and weak, the remaining seven months of carrying the child were very painful and cost Nellie much of her strength. Alan did his best to assist, help, and comfort her during all the time he could spend with her (he did, after all, have a fief to help run), but felt mostly useless as there really was nothing he could do to lessen her suffering. Finally, almost like a blessing, the babe was born – as sickly and weak as his mother had been. Named Lexis, he seemingly vainly fought for life for the first few weeks, but then, thankfully, he strengthened and all believed he would survive. Those thoughts, however, proved premature. During the long, cold winter that year, Lexis lost vigor and became listless and weak again, tiring easily and unable to do much. At barely a year old, he died.

Both parents were devastated at such a staggering loss. Distraught, Alan and Nellie clung even tighter to each other, and it was then that genuine love blossomed between them, though nothing really romantic. Whenever Alan could not be around to bring solace to his grieving wife, Nellie turned to her mother, and the two also became quite close. During those trying times, Alan learned the ropes of running a fief from the Lord of Linden. After the sharpness of the blow wore off and time moved on, Nellie and Alan learned to live with their sorrow and move on as well.

About a year after Lexis’s death, the couple decided to try for another baby – after all, it was their duty to provide an heir to continue the Linden line. Several months later, their efforts were rewarded when Nellie announced the commencement of a second pregnancy. This one was far easier than the first, though their was still some discomfort and limited physical activities. They were both, obviously, quite worried that this child would also be sickly, but their hopes improved as Nellie’s pregnancy was evidently not as difficult as the first one. Once born, he put all their worries to shame – he was as strong and healthy as anyone could have hoped. Ecstatic, they named the boy Brett, after Alan’s father. Their elation strengthened their love for each other, and their spurge of good cheer made them rather doting parents. They hardly ever denied little Brett anything, always giving him the best gold could purchase, but, fortunately, he was not an overly demanding child. He was intelligent and a swift learner, crawling, walking, and talking rapidly.

Then, yet again, tragedy struck. Nellie’s father died in a hunting accident, and her mother, whose mental and physical state started deteriorating right away, staunchly refused to believe her husband was dead. Day by day she grew worse, wasting away, until finally she joined her husband in the Black God’s realm. However, despite the grief felt by Alan and Nellie, they couldn’t help but feel happy when Nellie discovered she was yet again pregnant. This pregnancy was similar to Brett’s, and in the end, turned out a similarly healthy little boy. They named him Kenn, after Alan’s grandfather, and he was given the same tender loving care Brett received. Unlike some other children who might have felt resentful that all their attention was being taken away and given to someone else, Brett was curious about this new little person, and forgot mostly about himself whenever he was with little Kenn. He insisted on being allowed to play in Kenn’s room, and then he would show his younger brother all his little toys and let him hold them, and such. And when Kenn grew old, they would play together.

Brett and Kenn were quite close throughout their childhood years, and hardly spent a minute out of each other’s company. At their demands, they had the same instructors in knowledge and weaponry, and started their education at roughly the same time. They learned the very basics of fighting, wilderness survival, medicinal applications, and other such skills children are prompted to develop before traveling to Corus to begin their formal training. They were both swift learners, and though there was a slight difference in their age, their learning capacities were quite similar. They each loved being taught new things, but for different reasons. Brett wanted to impress others and receive recognition for his labors, whereas Kenn just liked to study for its own sake.

When Brett was ten, he was shipped off to the Palace to being his training. It was hard at first, to adjust to being away from his younger brother and his ever doting parents. He was not used to such a strict world and the way his time was regimented and every moment of it controlled. Somewhat understandably, he rebelled – though not often in the usual manner. Brett would do his work well, for he easily understood most of the concepts, and then mouth off to the teachers about how idiotic whatever they had assigned him was, and how he was quite certain even a simpleton babe could do it, and oh, how hard it must have been for them to become experts on such a dumb subject. Obviously, neither he nor his teachers liked each other during his first months. But as Brett’s increasing desire for knowledge of the world and skill with weapons grew, his disparaging of his instructors lessened and they swiftly became closer and closer. There were, of course, some whom he would always detest, but he grew genuinely fond of others and began to enjoy his life at the Palace.

The initiatory bullying often employed by the more insecure of the older boys stopped perhaps more rapidly than it had for other first years for a combination of several reasons: Brett was fairly strong, though since he was new, untrained; he had a way of making a lot of noise and somehow attracting a lot of attention whenever an actual fight broke out; he refused to comply with demands made and turned conversations around so that the demand-er looked foolish; he was almost always with other pages. For some of these same reasons, Brett got himself into plenty of fights right off the bat, which landed him in heaps of trouble, but after a short time, such brawls decreased as the pecking order became clearer. Brett, being more skilled than others and a very charismatic boy, quickly rose to the top of his year’s ranks and became one of the more popular and looked up to of the pages. Boys would come to him for help or advice, and he was more or less their leader. He excelled in his studies and in fighting, finding almost everything coming to him easily.

And so it was when Kenn finally arrived, two years later. Brett did his best to make it clear that anyone who messed with his younger brother would have to answer to him, but it seemed more or less unnecessary. Kenn, it appeared, had his own way of dealing with the more…boisterous of the pages, which delighted Brett and made him rather proud. He was, of course, Kenn’s sponsor, and was able to show him the ropes and rules of a pages life, as it were. Having his younger brother back heightened his spirits and he worked even harder so that whenever Kenn had a question, Brett could have an answer ready. He helped out his little brother as much as he could throughout their page years, but later, when he became a squire to X of X, Brett saw much less of him.

Brett’s squire years quashed out most of his naivety about the “glory of knighthood”. While there was, in fact, some honor and glory to be found in successfully dispatching bandits, winning in a tournament, or having a victory in battle, such things were in rather short supply. There were only so many bandits that were stupid enough to be easily caught, and tournaments only occurred occasionally (those that they could go to, anyway), and there was no war during Brett’s squire years. There was, however, an abundance of traveling to be done! Rain, sunshine, mud, dust, desert – all superb traveling conditions, his knight master would tell him with false joviality whenever they set out. During those pleasant four years, Brett learned much about running a fief and Court politics, as well as gained a wealth of traveling tricks and some of the finer points of sword fighting and other weapons. While perhaps not the best four years of his life, Brett’s time as a squire was quite educational and he became really close friends with his knight master.

When not gallivanting around the countryside saving Tortall from the evils of berry rushes and the like, Brett spent a great deal of time with his brother who he missed greatly while away. The two would spar, play games, or just sit back and talk. When Kenn passed his tests and became a squire, Brett was delighted, and the two spent a happy few weeks doing whatever they pleased – and then Kenn found a knight master and Brett had to return to his own duties. They saw little of each other over the next two years, but Brett was able to see the rest of his family, who he hadn’t seen since he had begun his knight training. He met young Valerie for the first time, who was five, and was delighted to see his parents and to show them who he had become. It was a very emotional and happy visit, and Brett’s parents were quite proud of him.

Suddenly, it seemed to him, his fours years were up and it was time for his Ordeal. Brett fobbed off the concerns of his friends and knight master with witty comments and charming replies, but inside he was scared of what he would face. He had no clue as to what would happen during his Ordeal, or what the Chamber would throw at him. Those who survived their Ordeal were forbidden to speak of what occurred, so he couldn’t ask his knight master or anyone else. He was quite nervous for this wasn’t something he could learn and then perform, and there was no way he could prepare for it. He was careful not to let his mood become aware to his friends and associates, but there was no hiding it from Kenn. He felt somewhat ashamed for his feelings of fear, but he was more or less confident that he would get through his Ordeal. His family came down for it, and he was able see Valerie again, who was now seven. He was sad that he was missing out on his sibling’s whole life, but he knew she and Kenn were close, so he felt that made up for it. His friends and family gave him many gifts and assurances that they knew he would pass his Ordeal. Finally, the dreaded day arrived, and though it was horrible and he left the Chamber quite shaken, pass his Ordeal he did. He was knighted that evening by his king, and there was a celebration, as there was for every successful knight.

Though he wasn’t surprised by it, being a knight wasn’t terribly different from being a page, except with a few added perks. Not having a knight master to order him around was definitely a plus and gave him a great deal more freedom than before, and he was moved out of his squire room and into a suite of his own that befit his station. Older knights didn’t look down on him with as much amusement and humor as before, and to his words at least a little more seriously. He still practiced his fighting constantly, not wanting to regress even a whit like some of the other new knights of his year who, with their new liberty, were practicing far less because no one was forcing them. His father shifted more duties to him, believing him now ready for such tasks, and so he partially ran the fief from Corus. He started writing more to his parents, for he had to keep up a correspondence with his father and so thought that he might as well write to his mother too. Upon a suggestion from the Countess of Linden, he also started to occasionally send a missive to Valerie. The time for Kenn’s Ordeal came, to no one’s surprise, he survived it, and was perhaps a better man for it. The two brothers, freed from most restrictions, spent their days doing pretty much what they desired, and pretty much they had been doing before being knighted – which was fine with both of them.

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. Brett was quite stricken – though he and his parents had drifted apart somewhat over the middle years of his life, lately they had once again become close through their frequent letters. He grieved in his own way, alone mostly, and strived to show a strong face for what remained of his family and his friends. Kenn, he was sure, saw through it, but he hoped that the others couldn’t. The whole thing probably hit Valerie the hardest, for at her age parents were still quite important and central. He tried to tell her that they were better off now in the Dark God’s realm for they had been good people, but he doubted that helped much. It was Kenn she turned to, and while he was saddened that he couldn’t help her, he was also glad that there was someone who could. Their time at Linden was longer than expected, for Brett had many things to attend to as he was the new owner of the fief, and so was pleased that Kenn, without as many extra duties, spent most of his time comforting and playing with Valerie. Despite the added tasks, the time flew by, and soon the brother’s found themselves at the palace once again. After a time, Brett’s life resumed a regular, if revamped, pace again, and life went on.

At one fateful court function, Brett paraded a fine young noblewoman in front of Kenn, named Miriam of Distart, and was surprised and amused at the liking that was immediately shared between them. He often teased Kenn about his passionate love for her, and the fervor with which he chased her. It was a delightful and happy time for the both of them, planning various ways to woo Lady Miriam, and the pleasure she evidently took in received tokens from him. Though she often used a lady’s wiles and tricks to make him jump or sing, it was plain that the two were madly in love, and that wedding bells would soon be heard ringing. Brett was ecstatic that his brother was coming out of his shell, and glad that he had found someone, besides him and Valerie, with whom he could be close. The courtship, while not too short as to be scandalous, was not overly long – the two were swiftly wed and being around them was like being in some ballad’s love song. Even Brett found it slightly sickening to be with them for too long after a while.

And then the war with Imperial Yaman started. It was not really all that hard for Brett to put his life on hold and head off to fight as it was for Kenn, who was newly married and had just discovered he had a baby on the way. He did his best to keep his brother’s spirits up, jovially informing him that they were far too good fighters to die and not return home and that Miriam was in excellent hands. The war, as wars go, wasn’t the longest war ever waged, something for which the brothers’ were quite happy about. As soon as the fighting ceased and most of the troops and knights recalled, they rushed home, Kenn eager to see his wife and child, and Brett also wishing to see his new nephew or niece, as well as to resume running the fief and take care of any problems that might have cropped up in his absence. Unfortunately, upon arriving home the two were met with grieved and sympathetic faces. Miriam had died in childbirth and the babe as well. The damage done to Kenn Brett felt was irreparable. Kenn had opened up to another person, only to lose them so cruelly and quickly. Kenn did not stay at Linden long, visiting their graves once and then almost fleeing back to Corus to bury himself in work and other inconsequential things.

Brett had no such luxury, for he had to put Linden to rights before going anywhere. While he had not precisely been neglecting his fief, he had not given it his own touch and care, and then people there did not know him as they had known his father. He spent months there, fixings things not to his liking and taking the time to know the people who served him and lived there. When he finally returned to Corus, he felt that he had accomplished much, and actually desired to return their fairly soon. Upon entering the palace, after paying his dues to his liege, he immediately went in search of his brother, who he had last seen riding away from Linden almost right after finding Miriam and his child dead. Much to his relief, he seemed to have recovered somewhat, though he knew that only time would tell. The brothers still spend loads of time together, practicing their fighting skills, playing games, talking, and doing whatever they will. He and Valerie are closer than before, but still nowhere near as close as she and Kenn. Life progresses much as it did before Miriam and the war.



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

--Shell