Name:
Vasilis (Vuh-see-lees or Vah-see-lis) Shanley

Age/Sex:
23 year old male

Position:
Guard

Gifts:
None

Skills:
Adept at all aspects of combat, Vasilis is skilled and lethal in many fighting styles, with and without a weapon. He has learned to use anything at hand when needed for defense - or offense, and has been taught to utilize a variety of weapons. Though strong and large, he is fatally quick. His weapons of choice are a long-sword, and a variety of daggers (long and short); he is rarely seen without either. He's especially good at hand-to-hand combat.

Mounts:
Vasilis has three mounts; one is an enormous black charger stallion named Drey. Drey is a magnificent young mount he bought with the remaining of his savings from his mercenary days in a market while heading to Valdemar. The horse obviously had been bred to become a war-steed, but when the wars came to an end his owner suddenly needed the money to buy food more than he needed the splendid brute, making the buy practically a steal for the former mercenary.

His second is a large sand colored charger with a pale mane, tail, and legs; his name is Cayuse (kiyoos). Cayuse is more 'experienced', being the mount Vasilis earned and used while riding with the Maizen. Both his horses are unusually large, which is good, being a tall man himself.

Physical Description:
Vasilis is strongly built in all his features. He is tall, towering over most at about 6’3”; he's medium build for his height, making him stronger built among average people. His muscles are not bulging and conspicuous, but compact, rock solid and subtle. Having been exposed to more sun than most throughout his life, his skin has a healthy-looking golden tan, and his hair, originally a medium brown, has been sun-lightened to an almost dark-blonde color. He keeps his hair cropped neatly and incredibly short in a professional, if unfashionable, military guise, and likewise keeps himself clean and orderly. He has a handsome, strongly built face as well. His jaw is firm and square; his eyes are a pale, stormy grayish green.

Personality / Attitude:
This former mercenary is very gruff. He rarely sugarcoats anything he has to say, rather bluntly making his standpoint known to all, and not hesitating to give someone some tongue-lashing and a cold-shoulder. Because of these traits, he quickly gains enemies, but his honesty and loyalty causes many to value his opinions and, rarely, his friendship. Though trustworthy and dependable, his late wife's abandonment of him makes him uncertain and untrusting when it comes to connecting with most people. When he does find a friend, he is sensitive and shows a tender concern and care that one wouldn't expect from him. He's more gentle and tries to be funny with those he cares about.

When interacting with others he is usually professional and impersonal. Vasilis does has a terrible temper when provoked, however; this character flaw has caused him trouble with the Guard more than a few times. He is prone to finding fights when incredibly aggravated, but he possesses enough restraint to refrain from seriously injuring others or doing an innocent bystander physical harm. It hasn’t been unheard of for him to do harm while 'breaking up' a street or bar-fight, however - he isn't the type of Guard who will try as hard as he can to avoid a good brawl.

Brief History:
The product of a town raid, Vasilis never knew the love of a mother. His father, a member of a wandering mercenary-brigand band (the Maizen, a group that accepted jobs that other mercenary companies wouldn't touch) from the far south, raped his mother during the attack. He then forced her to accompany the unit in their travels as a slave. When she gave birth to Vasilis, he allowed her to live long enough to raise the boy to a walking age, and when he could take care of himself, he killed her. He never knew the love of a mother as he grew up; the only parenting he received was from the other women slaves and healer-types that traveled with the mercenary unit. What memories Vasilis has of his mother are few and fleeting.

Vasilis was trained in assassin's skills since he was able to walk. His lack of ability to hide emotions added with his quick temper severed all chances of becoming a successful assassin, however. His father was enraged by this and took his aggravation out on his son through physical abuse. Vasilis training was modified to make him into a battle-assassin: an assassin that can easily traverse through the thick of battle unharmed to kill an adversary leader, a messenger delivering important communication, or perform any other act aimed to utterly wreak havoc among the enemy.

His training was intense and effective, making him a foe to be reckoned with. His weapon's skills are near unsurpassed; he can pick up virtually anything and efficiently use it in battle. He was also instructed in the arts of tactics, riding, and (naturally) hand-to-hand combat; he also picked up on a lot of languages throughout his travels.

Vasilis lived in the mercenary unit and knew nothing else for all his years until just before the age of 18. At this time, he was involved in a brawl that resulted in the death of the captain's son. The scuffle hadn't even been over anything significant; unfortunately, it was the final straw the authorities had for the somewhat rebellious and incredibly dangerous young man. Vasilis wasn't even sure whether he had killed the man or not - he most certainly didn't remember making any fatal blows in the drunken bout, but nevertheless he was forced to give up most of his saved earnings to, in essence, buy his life, and then was discharged from the unit in the middle of nowhere, left with nothing but that which he personally owned (his weapons, his clothing, hygiene utensils, what meager savings were left, and his horse). Despite the cruel fate, the young man realized how lucky he truly was - his peculiar skills had earned him a certain savings that had bought his life for him in the end; several of his year mates were not so lucky, and were hung rather than discharged.

The unit had assumed that no one would take him in; the country folk either feared or hated his kind (non-Guild, non-bonded mercenaries), and no civilians in their right mind would ever take in a mercenary in a time of war. Already aware of this, he headed north and west, towards the country known as Valdemar. Surviving off the land, he made his way to this country where it was said pasts were overlooked and all kinds were accepted. Upon arrival in an Eastern fort, he enlisted in the Guard.

Though he needed no further physical training, his teamwork and academic skills needed a lot more work. He fell in love with a young farm-raised girl who was his teacher in academics. When the time came to be transferred to Haven, she accompanied him. He loved her madly, experiencing love in a way he had never known before. Loving and being loved was an entirely new experience to the gruff former-mercenary. Life was bliss; Gwenyth inspired him - she cared for people - all people - and had a fierce love and loyalty to her country. Gwenyth, however, lacked that fierce loyalty to him. When she lost interest in their relationship, she left him. He never forgave himself for not being able to convince her to stay; he never truly got over the abandonment. Though he tried to find her, he couldn't. For a while, his life lost meaning after she left. When it became very clear that she wasn't coming back, Vasilis threw himself into his work, serving Valdemar and its citizens to the best of his abilities. In serving others simply for the sake of serving others and not for money, he discovered a new meaning in his life.

Vasilis is truly the poster-child for "every second is a chance to completely change your life". He quickly scaled the ranks of the Guard, and is well trusted and respected by his superiors and comrades.

Goals in Life:
To serve and protect

Current Events:
Vasilis took a peculiar liking to the sword-deficient Herald-Artificer Lissa Starstorm. He took a certain pleasure in commandeering her weapons-tutorship, and he quickly became good friends and close-confidant with the intelligent, sharp-witted young Herald. When Lissa became Keri's defense in the murder trial, however, the Guard was very upset with her decision. When Lissa then lied and used her position to break-and-enter the D'Estera's estate to get evidence, he became incredibly worried that she would be prosecuted for her actions. He quickly went to the Captain of the Guard and told him what he knew; the Captain of the Guard, in turn, quickly went to the D'Estera's, who were planning on using the evidence to prosecute Lissa. In an attempt to save her from the folly of her own actions, Vasilis signed a paper saying his young friend was inept in her duties and needed to be removed from the trial; she was immediately discharged to the Hardornan border. Lissa was enraged by the betrayal, and Vasilis was crushed that his actions had inadverdently resulted in his friend (perhaps more than friend? ~_^) being sent to war.