Post by Engel Shahrizai de Coeurverrie on Jun 2, 2010 23:03:08 GMT -5
Avatar: Clive Owen
Name: Engel Shahrizai de Coeurverrieul
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Race: d’Angeline (Kusheline)
Height: 6’2”
Home Province: Kusheth
Natal: 4th week of summer
Description: Engel possesses typical Shahrizai looks and gorgeousness, only enhanced by his age and his rakish smile that makes people melt. He sports a beard at times, but when the mood takes him he may shave it off, almost as if trying to make himself into a new man.
Personality: He is always the life of any party, with a razor wit, fantastic sense of humor, and a charming demeanor, but behind this hides a haunted heart. He often behaves as though he doesn't care for any consequence of his actions, like nothing actually matters. His other armor from reality is drink, and he has become a little bit disgraced through this vice. He is a good man under it all, though he would argue that point hotly.
History: Long before 'Fand was born, Engel was a typical rich, spoilt rotten Shahrizai with everything laid at his feet. He suffered no hardships in childhood except the minor inconveniences and boredoms of a wealthy youth. He fell in love with a new Valerian girl, just like the Shahrizai story was supposed to go, and eventually charmed her into confessing her love, and agreeing to let his family buy her marque so he could marry her. They were quite happy together, and within a couple of years she gave birth to their twins, a girl and a boy.
Now, having achieved what he saw as the perfect life, Engel stopped really caring to tend to his family, and instead dove into business and the wealth it brought. His marriage suffered for it and they grew quite apart, his wife becoming bitter and distant, as though she'd been tricked into her life. On the way to an important dinner, to which the families of the included parties were invited, Engel's had been running late due to the twins, who were then two. His coachman had gone missing, so he hustled them all into the carriage and decided to drive himself. It was pouring rain, thunder and lightning, a storm of epic proportions, and the horses were nervous and piqued, much too much for even a skilled driver to handle, let alone cosseted Engel. Far out of his estate, he drew the horses up too hard in his haste and the carriage toppled, crushing his wife and their daughter whom she clutched. The accident occurred on a bridge over a storm-swollen river, his son, though spared the fate of his mother and sister, was thrown into the rapids and washed away. Engel saw as much right before falling unconscious.
When he awoke, sick from exposure and half-dead from bleeding, not only did he learn that his family was gone all by his mistake, but also that he was under suspicion of murder. His wife had set up a trust for the children, and unbeknownst to Engel, that money would revert to he himself in the event of just such a loss of life. Few in his family believed the accusations, since Engel was already fairly well off by his own means and not exactly the murdering type, but he had enough enemies through business who wanted to see him disgraced to make his daily life a misery. Though he was found to not be guilty of any such foul play, Engel never stopped blaming himself for the tragedy, and sunk into darkness. He drank, all the time. And eventually could no longer run the financial affairs he had once lorded over. He left his estate in the care of a cousin (Therin's father, the Comte de Leveque) and left Terre d'Ange.
He wandered widely for years in his grief, trying to distract himself, or find some meaning... like a lost knight. He finally ventured to the newly opened city of Darsanga in Drujan, a mysterious place that appealed to his desire to self-destruct. After taking up residence in a district where nargileh and opium were easily obtained, he happened upon a scene in the streets. A woman, shackled, set to be stoned. Indeed, one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. Needing a purpose, he fed and watered her, demanded that she tell her tale to him, and that she did. He took his plea for her freedom to the officials, convincing them that she had only killed her father in self-defense, and that he would take all responsibility for her if only they set her free. He relentlessly pursued his new purpose, so much so that he all but drove the Darsangan officials mad with his constant barrage. To get rid of him they consented and released her into his care. After all, if either of them slipped up it would be swift punishment for them both. For who could protect a foreigner alone and derelict in Drujan?
Engel was true to his word, glad of his new purpose, and looked after the Drujani woman fastidiously. It wasn't long before he developed a strong affection for her sweet, delicate personality, and came to have great pride in protecting her. She wasn't all right in the head, though. Leavings of her severe abuse at the hands of the father she killed, she had lapses of consciousness in which she raved and suffered, as well as frightening fits that took a long time to recover from. Though frightening and exhausting for him, even these traits made Engel want to keep her from harm. She was absolutely benign and had no one else, after all. Engel came to love her, and she him, in her strange way, and they lived together for some years in peace. He now had a personal mission to not repeat the mistakes of his past, and endeavored to be as good and true to her as a man could be.
Then a missive came from far off Terre D'Ange, a place Engel had nearly forgotten. His cousin, the Comte de Leveque, writing to inform him that his son, long believed dead from that fateful carriage accident, was alive and seeking his father. At first, he tried to take his Drujani beloved with him, but she refused to leave her country, terrified for some vague reason of faith to go beyond the borders. He couldn't stay, he had to know if the boy really was his son, and so he left, vowing that he would return to her once he had reconciled his dark past. So he returned to Terre D'Ange, leaving his addled lover in the care of the kind local priests, the Magi of Ahura Mazda. Little did Engel know, he left her with a seed in her womb.
Upon his return, he found the boy in question to indeed be completely undeniable as his own offspring. He was strawberry blonde, like his long-dead mother, but resembled Engel to such a degree that it was incontestable, both in looks and personality. His son became his priority, for he felt he would make up for the failings of his past by loving him like nothing else on earth could love him. He took back his property from his brother and raised his son the best he could. The boy, however, was less than affectionate and a bit of a delinquent from his years of living hard. He was cold and distant though Engel did all he could to make a relationship with his son, and even squandered a large portion of his father's wealth, somewhat out of spite. The boy never truly loved Engel like a real father and thus managed to break his father's heart on a regular basis.
As the boy grew to adulthood, Engel stopped hearing from his son regularly, and when he does it's usually for money or help getting out of some trouble that he has gotten himself into. Engel does what he can, without creating deeper financial problems for himself, but he sacrifices out of guilt, so that his son does not completely disappear again.
Engel, at 53 years of age, looks younger than he actually is but has the haunted eyes of someone who has seen far too much in life. He hides his suffering behind the veil of appearing to care about nothing. Very few people know anything of his lost years, for he refuses to discuss them out of guilt. He drinks often, sometimes to disgrace, but is usually the life of any party, with his dry wit, sharp sarcasm and wicked charm. Those who are close to him know the truth, though - it's just an act, a way to try to protect his fragile heart from his own self-loathing.