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Player
Name: fakealchemist
Age: 29
Personal Journal: N/A
Contact: fake.alchemist@gmail.com, fakealchemist on plurk
Other In-Game Characters: N/A

Character (Original Universe)
Name: Temma, aka "Aerich"
Age: Estimated 1,050
Gender: Male
Canon: Dragaera Series
Canon Point: End of Sethra Lavode
History: Wiki.
Personality:

"What would Aerich have said of the matter were he here? That is easy; he should have looked at me with that expression of sorrow, reproach, and affection, and said, 'My dear Khaavren, if His Majesty wishes something of a gentleman, what more is needed?' That is Aerich."
-Khaavren, Five Hundred Years After

Aerich's character is an idealization of a Lyorn, the Dragaeran House of duty and tradition (and on a meta level, is an homage to Athos of the Three Musketeers). It's difficult to be more polite, dignified and honorable than a Lyorn, and those who know Aerich have suggested that Aerich's dignity could astound corrupt officials into righting their ways. It doesn’t actually go that far -- actually on one occasion his pestering someone about proper conduct leads to her challenging him to a duel -- but it shows how dedicated Aerich is to learning the spirit and letter of law and social expectations. Aerich is the sort of person who feels whether or not an action is inherently correct trumps all other details.

Aerich is a melancholy, coolheaded individual who derives happiness from the knowledge that he has performed his duty as Duke and as a servant of the Empire. He prefers disciplined control and reason over emotion, since that enables him to sit back and observe the situation to determine what the right thing to do is. The only times we see him enraged is when a tremendous offense has occurred -- the occasion he finally has the opportunity to legitimately take vengeance on Shaltre for dishonoring his family is an exceptionally emotional scene for him, and when an enemy fatally wounds his dear Tazendra the Lyorn goes into an uncharacteristic blind rage. Otherwise he tends to be the straight-laced person looking on as others have fun messing around. Where his friends would drink to the point of forgetting what they did while intoxicated, he would only drink a few glasses -- enough to qualify as participating in the social group while really mostly enjoying the antics of those around him. It’s that social preference that leads him to hang around and form a strong bond with people like Khaavren, Tazendra and Pel. Left to his own devices, he defaults to wine-making and crocheting for recreation, but given someone who piques his interest he will go for other activities, such as games of chance.

Despite participating in the typical Dragaeran hyperbolic speech patterns, among Dragaerans Aerich is considered quite stoic. For one, he has a habit of substituting a shrug for entire phrases. Part of this is also maintaining a high level of privacy: Aerich is a pseudonym no longer needed but still preferred among friends, and if he must discuss his dark past he does it as a story withholding identifications. He also doesn't lose patience with people, unless it's someone being extremely insulting or an unruly servant taking things too far. Though Aerich is slow to anger, he is used to the violent culture of the Empire. Aerich is unlikely to initiate a fight, but if someone takes an argument in that direction, he will oblige within the constraints of the law as he interprets it. In fact, on his first day as an imperial soldier, he kills a comrade in the Phoenix Guard who draws her sword on him and actually says that he felt it would be rude not to oblige her desire to fight. Basically: he's not out to pick fights, but if someone gets pissed over his corrections, he is more than glad to match the offended person force for force. As long as the legalities are observed. And he'll continue to be incredibly polite as he goes about shanking his opponent. Heck, he'll even pay to have their wounds tended afterward to try preventing death. No one will be surprised to learn that Aerich is also extremely honest; the closest he comes to lying is simply not revealing information and allowing others to draw their own conclusions.

As a social conservative in his own culture, Aerich does believe in the classist prejudices of the Dragaeran Empire. This has its plusses and its negatives: everything has its place. A servant is to be ordered around; a noble must set a good example for others. A gentleman must act to preserve his honor, but someone whose social position lacks honor need not act honorably. If the House of the Jhereg is made up of criminals, one cannot be outraged to find a Jhereg running an illegal gambling operation; if someone clearly has the Thief class equipped, what do you expect them to do? If a peasant has no honor to begin with, it is not dishonorable to steal someone’s letters or eavesdrop (he would still prefer that you don't, but pointing it out does halt objections). The key to getting along with Aerich is to be honest about your nature and where you fit into things (things would be simpler if Khaavren weren’t over-emotional and prone to five-century sulking sprees, but he is a Tiassa; Tazendra tends to unnecessarily escalate situations to violence, but she is a Dzur. Because it’s presented as acting according to their natures, it is considered endearing rather than problematic.).

Basically, Aerich will sit around crocheting and debate and try to guide others to the path he considers moral, but as long as you’re polite and up-front about acting contrary to his advice, it’s probably fine. After all, when his friend and peer Adron rebelled against the Empire, Aerich was content to camp with him and attempt to dissuade him, and simply inform Adron when the action started that he would do his duty, leave, and join the effort to arrest Adron without betraying details Adron revealed in confidence.

Likely the most interesting thing about Aerich coming to a panfandom RP will be the need for him to explore and learn new social dynamics, and figure out a way to fit them into his life without giving up the traditions he holds dear. Branching off of that, he's going to have to think a lot about what his place is as a dead man -- after all, in Dragaera the entrance to the afterlife is a place one can visit on a roadtrip, and there are actual in-universe books on how to navigate the Paths of the Dead once there. Aerich knows what his afterlife is supposed to be like, and this represents a change in those plans.

Third-Person Sample: Aerich and Po
Mognet Sample:

Good Citizens and Heroes of Crystallis,

We are not acquainted, but I would do myself the honor of addressing you as allies. You perceive, we are brought here with a common purpose, and it is only right that we consider ourselves united. With that, though, come obligations that might have ignored. An ally must provide aid, be it with the stick or with words.

However, many of us represent distant worlds. I admit, I am not so well-traveled as to have seen them, but it is a simple enough concept to grasp. And what does this have to do with allies? I will be brief; read on, and it shall become clear.

In my own realm, the Dragaeran Empire has had some hundreds of thousands of years to, as one might put it, fall into a habit or two. A new day only begins after thirty hours. A gentleman must not draw a dueling circle with a sword. It is only reasonable that another realm might observe alternative traditions. Here, you may begin to see my thinking.

A man of one realm may find comments regarding the quality of his mount worth an argument, while another has deep objections to being burdened with a crystal arming him for war. I am ignorant to these leaning, and while ignorance may be pardoned, it is not an excuse I favor. Apropos, I invite you to meet with me at the foot of the Crystal of Fire in the Third District, and have two words with me on the topic. I shall look for my allies there at midday two days after the delivery of this letter. It is my hope that you shall be among those gathering.

Regards,

Temma
The Duke of Arylle

Crystallis
Moogle Name: Grimando
Moogle Gender: Male
First Job: Warrior
Second Job: Monk
Limit Break: A Noble Example: A rallying battlecry as to the importance of the party's cause buffs the defense and critical hit rates of allies.

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Temma, Duke Arylle, Count Bramoor, aka Aerich

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