Lord Blackwell
Appearance
Lord Blackwell looks his age, which isn't helped by the number of scars and old injuries he sports. A crooked nose from a sword pommel to the face, the monocle he wears from getting sand and spit in his eye from opponents playing their tricks during honorable combat, and several scars strewn around his body with different causes for each one. He's decently muscular and healthy, which is a given from his military background (despite his status as an officer). Johnathan Blackwell always tries to dress well, even when he's on an expedition or in a particularly rough scrum. He carries a mysterious family heirloom slung around his shoulder, dug up just east of Belgrath by his great great grandfather. Parts of it seem to be missing, and it's only known use to him as of today is a rather impractical club. His machete, called "Blackwell's Bite" is another heirloom from the failed expeditions of his forefathers.
Skills and Abilities
Lord Blackwell is just short of a brilliant military strategist, held back by his penchant for being a slight traditionalist, and his tendency to go by the book. Blackwell is a jack of all trades on the battlefield, and is decent at most fighting styles aside from magic. This can range from fisticuffs all the way to operating a crossbow. He also possesses a knack for organizing people along with him, and being a leader among both peers and subordinates alike. (Mostly because his seeming obliviousness has a certain charm to it). He and his family are quite wealthy due to the sale of many unearthed artifacts, some of which being magical.
Personality
Lord Johnathan Blackwell III can be best described as eccentric, enthusiastic, full of vim, vigor, and social ignorance. Despite his noble heritage and wealth, he thinks of himself as somewhat of an equal to those around him (usually to the annoyance of both common grunt and higher officer alike). He likes getting in the thick of a fight, and has had his share of brushes with death because of this. Blackwell is almost always in a good mood, and often fails to take things seriously because of this. He does have principles though, and when met with needless slaughter of prisoners and innocents, or other moral atrocities like slavery he will attempt to put a stop to it.
Occasionally his love of a good fight can get in the way of his better judgement, and he often finds himself better at instigating conflict rather than diffusing it. Often times, he can go into unsolicited stories about his military days, or lectures on strategy and anthropology. This can make him off-putting to many, but interesting to a few. He doesn't have much of a filter, and will usually say exactly what's on his mind, no matter how stupid it might be. Lord Blackwell hasn't faced much hardship in his life, so it can be hard for him to relate to the struggles of the middle and lower classes. This causes him to vilify thieves and other criminals of necessity without thinking about it first.
Occasionally his love of a good fight can get in the way of his better judgement, and he often finds himself better at instigating conflict rather than diffusing it. Often times, he can go into unsolicited stories about his military days, or lectures on strategy and anthropology. This can make him off-putting to many, but interesting to a few. He doesn't have much of a filter, and will usually say exactly what's on his mind, no matter how stupid it might be. Lord Blackwell hasn't faced much hardship in his life, so it can be hard for him to relate to the struggles of the middle and lower classes. This causes him to vilify thieves and other criminals of necessity without thinking about it first.
Biography & Lore
Blackwell was born in the year 314 to Johnathan Blackwell II and Mary Blackwell in the Blackwell family manor. He grew up comfortably in Alliria's inner city, and he never had a care as a young child. He would often lead small bands of children to go on adventures throughout the city, displaying early on his ability for leadership. The noble children would often go against their parent's wishes by associating with 'the Blackwell boy'. The Blackwells were well known to be very unlike most nobles, very jubilant, very strange, and somewhat secluded. They developed something of their own small culture, family tradition, and even slang. They felt almost completely different from standard Allirian culture, and those that married into the family would adopt these traditions quickly.
The Blackwells were a family of explorers, naturalists, archaeologists, cartographers, and a few anthropologists. Johnathan Blackwell III differed from most of his family by going down the military route. He attended one of the best military academies in Vel Anir at the ages of 14-18, and graduated 8th in his class. His military career eventually saw him lifted to a mid level position in the Allirian Guard. He chose not to be promoted any higher, otherwise he would have been deprived of the fighting he so dear loved. He always liked to get 'stuck in with the rest of the lads' as he says it. Eventually, after decades of fending off raiders and barbarians on the borders of the Allir reach, he decided to retire at the age of 47.
Soon after retiring, Johnathan took up the family mantle of explorer in his latter years. He made a near decade long trip to the Aberresai Savannah to study the wildlife there. After this he took a year-long hiatus, which he needed after almost being gored by several different animals. He couldn't shake his need for adventure for long though, and decided to pursue what his many ancestors had failed to do before. Johnathan began his Almanac of Liadain and Epressa, where he would document many of the species, structures, and societies in the known world. It would be where he'd composite his family's knowledge as well as anything new he found.
There was Johnathan's larger goal, though. It was the ultimate desire of his family, and would be their crowning achievement as explorers. He was going to blaze a trail through the Ixchel Wilds themselves, and establish a settlement on the coast. It wasn't long before people with more resources and speed beat the Blackwell family to this goal by establishing the city of Mallian. As hard as he tried and as much as he traveled, he simply couldn't muster the resources in time. All of this gave Johnathan a feeling of listlessness, leaving him wandering with others until his time comes. He has this strange attraction the Wilds still, and he eventually feels he'll end up finding something important there. After all, the Wilds are still largely unexplored, and there has to be something...
...he'd hate to have to stop in that dreaded city though.
The Blackwells were a family of explorers, naturalists, archaeologists, cartographers, and a few anthropologists. Johnathan Blackwell III differed from most of his family by going down the military route. He attended one of the best military academies in Vel Anir at the ages of 14-18, and graduated 8th in his class. His military career eventually saw him lifted to a mid level position in the Allirian Guard. He chose not to be promoted any higher, otherwise he would have been deprived of the fighting he so dear loved. He always liked to get 'stuck in with the rest of the lads' as he says it. Eventually, after decades of fending off raiders and barbarians on the borders of the Allir reach, he decided to retire at the age of 47.
Soon after retiring, Johnathan took up the family mantle of explorer in his latter years. He made a near decade long trip to the Aberresai Savannah to study the wildlife there. After this he took a year-long hiatus, which he needed after almost being gored by several different animals. He couldn't shake his need for adventure for long though, and decided to pursue what his many ancestors had failed to do before. Johnathan began his Almanac of Liadain and Epressa, where he would document many of the species, structures, and societies in the known world. It would be where he'd composite his family's knowledge as well as anything new he found.
There was Johnathan's larger goal, though. It was the ultimate desire of his family, and would be their crowning achievement as explorers. He was going to blaze a trail through the Ixchel Wilds themselves, and establish a settlement on the coast. It wasn't long before people with more resources and speed beat the Blackwell family to this goal by establishing the city of Mallian. As hard as he tried and as much as he traveled, he simply couldn't muster the resources in time. All of this gave Johnathan a feeling of listlessness, leaving him wandering with others until his time comes. He has this strange attraction the Wilds still, and he eventually feels he'll end up finding something important there. After all, the Wilds are still largely unexplored, and there has to be something...
...he'd hate to have to stop in that dreaded city though.
References
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/l6BoJ - Avatar art