|
|
Table of Contents
|
Background
Kylan Fletcher is one of the elite Royal Rangers. He is a commoner from Sky Forest and has a reputation as an excellent scout and mapmaker.
Given the circumstances of his birth, it is something of a minor miracle that the man simply known as Kylan Fletcher has risen so far as he has. To start, Kylan is a bastard. Perhaps a noble bastard, perhaps a common one, but it really doesn't matter as the only people that knew the truth of it are long dead. His mother was common, a simple woodcutter's daughter in Sky Forest who happened to be prettier than most. She was seduced in the spring one year. When her parents learned of her condition, they sent the scandalized girl to stay with an aunt further afield in the countryside until the babe was born. Winter came, and Kylan's mother perished in childbirth. As it so happened, one of the neighbors of the Aunt whom had cared for Kylan's mother was a Ranger of Sky Forest, a man by the name of Bowen Fletcher. Bowen and his wife had tried for many years to conceive a child, with little success. Kylan's great-aunt and indeed his family had no desire for another mouth to feed, and so Bowen Fletcher took Kylan into his own home and raised him as a son, as well as being the ones that named him.
Bowen Fletcher never made any secret of Kylan's adopted status, but despite that, Bowen and his wife Alanna never treated him as anything less than their son. Bowen also took it upon himself to teach young Kylan the arts of the Ranger. Whenever possible, Kylan spent his youth accompanying and assisting his adopted father, learning the bow and the sword and the fist, how to track prey, and how to move silently through both city and wild. How to navigate by landmark and by the stars, how to tell time by the position of the sun, how to use his senses to his best advantage, and how to survive from the simply fruits of the land even in the harshest of seasons. Even reading and writing was made available to him. Bowen was an excellent teacher, and when Kylan reached his teenage years he was already a most capable scout. His surname was known among the Rangers of Sky Forest, and when he reached the age of 19, he had impressed upon them enough of his skills that he was accepted as one of their number. Bowen could not have been more proud, and rightly so.
Then the Laniveer - Mobrin war of 224 began. Bowen, as an experienced Ranger, was sent to scout the front lines of the initial push into Laniveer. A mistake by a junior scout assigned to his charge caused an enemy patrol to find him. While Bowen escaped, he was seriously injured, and the wound festered. He was stricken with a fever that eventually left him a pale fragment of his old self. Making matters worse, Alanna's health suffered as she worked so very hard to care for her now-disabled husband. Even with the aid of some of Bowen's friends among the rangers, they were too often afield to check in on them frequently. Meanwhile, Kylan found himself assigned to border patrol duties in Lakeshire. It was there that he made the acquaintance of a Royal Ranger by the name of Gavin Barrowson. Gavin and Kylan became fast friends, despite Kylan's taciturn nature and Gavin being somewhat older than he. Indeed, Gavin became much like the elder brother Kylan had never had.
Eventually, Gavin selected Kylan to accompany him on a mission deep into enemy territory. Having heard rumblings of a Laniveer invasion force, they moved northward only to run right into one prong of the Laniveer counterattack of Alisair 6. Caught off-guard by a Laniveer recon party, Gavin and Kylan were both wounded in the skirmish, Gavin rather seriously. Kylan managed, however, to support and when necessary carry his friend back to friendly territory, though they arrived too late to warn of the impending invasion. Still, Gavin survived the ordeal. When his wounds healed, Kylan fought in several more skirmishes in Lakeshire, as well as scouting enemy encampments and fortifications. By the time hostilities ceased after the Battle of Westgate, Kylan had achieved a great deal of battle experience. Sadly, no amount of battle could steel him for what awaited him when he returned home: Bowen and Alanna Fletcher had perished in his absence.
Kylan grieved deeply, and in so doing realized that Sky Forest no longer felt like home in the absence of his family. Now Twice-Orphaned, Kylan took it upon himself to travel the realms of Mobrin, making his way towards Darfield over the course of two years. Occasionally he would stop to enjoy the fellowship of other Rangers from different lands, but mostly his journey was a solitary one. To occupy his time along the way, he took to making detailed maps of the lands he passed through. He also found himself occasionally running afoul of bandits or offering minor assistance to those in need. He efficiently dispatched the former when he could (albeit often with the aid of others)…and quietly accomplished the latter before moving on his way.
By the time he reached Stormvale, he was a bit surprised that some degree of word of his deeds had reached it. He soon found himself reunited with Gavin, and between Gavin's word of his abilities, the tales that other Rangers had heard of him in their travels, and the excellent maps that he had proven capable of providing, he found himself sponsored (by Gavin) as a candidate for the Royal Rangers. After a year more of proving his skill and (more importantly) his discretion and discipline, Kylan was formally inducted as a Royal Ranger, and began his (hopefully) long service to House Kilgour.
Character Features
Kylan Fletcher is a tall man with a steely gaze and who moves with predatory grace. He stands roughly six feet tall, and has short, sandy-blonde hair that extends into a layer of stubble on his cleft chin. Chiseled, rugged features frame a pair of intensely blue eyes, which look out upon the world with what could easily be taken as frosty indifference, but never seem to stop watching, assessing, and weighing. His build is lean but sturdy, as is often the case with those that spend a lot of time on their feet out of doors. He moves with a strange sort of grace, much akin to a wolf on the prowl, relaxed but ready all at once.
Kylan is clad in greens, browns, and greys. A cuirass of brown leather is worn over his chest, with a grey tunic worn beneath it. Simple gloves and bracers, also of leather, cap off his arms, with a pair of sturdy and comfortably-worn boots upon his feat. His legs are sheathed in woolen grey, and a dark green cloak with a broad, deep hood is worn on his shoulders, fastened about his neck with a simple cloakpin of dull grey metal. He appears to be quite heavily armed, as well, with a well-crafted bow and quiver of arrows strapped upon his back, a sword on his hip, and no less than three knives visible: One on his right hip, one strapped to his left thigh, and one in a scabbard strapped around his right calf. Certainly, he looks quite ready for trouble.
Behavior
Kylan is generally a quiet, serious, and businesslike fellow. He is often slow to warm up to people, but once he does is a loyal friend. Despite his often solemn demeanor, Kylan still has a healthy sense of humor and isn't opposed to fun and relaxation when it's available, though he's careful not to overindulge. He is well aware that he has strict standards to uphold as a Royal Ranger, and is mindful being polite and respectful until the situation demands otherwise, even if he tends to be a man of few words. He's also quick to offer aid when the innocent or helpless are endangered, as also befits a Royal Ranger.
Kylan is driven to see, learn, and experience new things. While headquartered in Darfield he is often the first to volunteer for missions that require travel far afield (Especially if to a place he's never been before), and he trains relentlessly to improve his skills. He's also a fairly voracious learner, eagerly soaking up new information and trying to find ways to apply it to his work. He is proud of his position as a Royal Ranger and truly loves his work, even if it has its' unpleasant moments.
Quirks
Taciturn - Kylan has spent a lot of time alone in the wilds. He is completely comfortable in silence and tends to be a man of few words.
Wanderlust - Kylan likes to stay on the move whenever possible. There really isn't any place that truly feels like "home" to him anymore.
High Pain Threshold - Kylan can take a lot of punishment before the pain really starts to affect his performance.
Sharp-Eyed - Kylan tends to pick up details that others might miss.
Recent Logs
(aidan altair cian dwyn event kierne kylan logs lynette nylie shepard)
Recent Memoirs
On the Grid
Known Associates
- Cover
- House Kilgour
- House Forrester
- House Haravean
- House Kincaid
- House Ruxton
- House Crawford
- Foreigners
- Commoners
King Callem Kilgour : Of course I've never met him, but he is the one I serve above all others. |
Araltaidan Dubhwyr : A fellow Royal Ranger and a Captain among our number. Haven't worked with him yet, but I look forward to the opportunity. |
Prince Dastan al-Milan : Didn't expect I'd ever meet a foreign Prince in a bakery, but he was kind to Bella and treats the common folk well. Hope he doesn't grow out of it. |
Bella Martyn : She helps me when I need my maps copied more quickly than I can do on my own. She's a lovely woman and a good friend. |
Dwyn Yestin : She deserves better than the lot in life she's drawn, even if she cannot always see it. Hopefully things are changing for the better for her now. |
Allyn Rhenfeld : A guardsman in the city. Seems a good sort. May want to keep him as a contact. Never hurts to have some more eyes out there. |
Raymond Trevens : A baker in Stormvale. Friendly and good-humored, and makes some of the best meat pies everything I've had. Even manages to make hardtack less horrible. |