His Excellency, Almond Ondomorno ap Fiona
Count of Rowan-Oak
Satyr son of the sidhe Rosamund Ondomorno of House Fiona, Almond is the somewhat reluctant ruler of the County of Rowan-Oak. His title and birth have isolated him from an easy camaraderie with the mainstream of his own kith, and many commoner Kithain deride him as a spoiled lapdog of the sidhe overlords. Traditionally minded ladies and lords of the proud sidhe reject him as a vulgar upstart. The condescension of the more kindly highborn suits him no better. Almond thus finds himself in the unenviable position of trying to balance his passionate, independent satyr nature with the proprieties demanded of his station.By inclination, Almond is a musician specializing in instrumental performance and particularly the fiddle. He plays with a virtuosity amazing for his age, having built upon his innate stayr talent through long years of practice, beginning with the instrument when he was only five. Although his mother could tell from birth that he harbored a faerie soul, she could not guess when he might experience his chrysalis, and it was hoped that an artistic endeavor might encourage this. Likewise, he was schooled at home to shield him from the Banality inherent in an institutional education. Although he was from time to time Enchanted to serve as a page in his mother's court, it was not until his thirteenth year that his Chrysalis came upon him. If Almond's common kith came as a surprise to his sidhe mother, it did not prevent him from enjoying many of the advantages of a noble upbringing. As a member of House Fiona, he has received martial training, and shows some talent for swordplay, having pursued further instruction from arms-masters of Houses Gwydion and Scathach, and having squired to a sorcerer-knight of House Eiluned. More to his taste has been his nearly lifelong instruction in the timeless lore of the Kithain, imparted to him in the guise of stories before he awoke to his fae soul. After his Chrysalis, this teaching became much more structured and formalized under the direction of his mentor, the trollish skald, Lorloch Syttrisdattir. At Midsummer of his seventeenth year, he was recognized officially as an Ollamh of the Bardic Collegium, an achievemant comparable to a Masters Degree. Although the Countess Rosamund initially attempted to advance her son socially in Rowan-Oak, it became apparent with his appointment as Reeve of Buckthorn that his priviledged birth was a barrier to forming an easy rapport with more clannish members of his own kith. The evident scorn of the Buckthorn Tragos shook Almond's confidence badly. When the renegade Lord Clay ap Ailil took an unhealthy interest in Almond, it was determined that the satyr would be best served by learning the intricacies of Kithain culture elsewhere, and as an emancipated minor he emigrated from Rowan-Oak to pursue a life as a freelance musician. He spent a few years active in the fiery crucible of commoner politics at Firnost Freehold in the Kingdom of Grass, and later, at his mother's suggestion, took a position as bard to the Eiluned freehold of New Agengard in his home kingdom. Almond's tenure at New Agengard has paradoxically seen him at his best and at his worst. His struggle for recognition of his talents and the prestige of courtly acclaim led him to put forth his best effort, sometimes at the cost of overcommitment, and his accomplishments here and elsewhere have earned him the accolade of knighthood. His ideological differences with New Agengard's leadership combined dangerously with his unruly satyr passions and the recklessness for which House Fiona is notorious, leading him into frequent and occasionally bitter conflict with the household leadership. The recent death of his True-Heart, the prodigal garou Mercury Blood-Moon, has perhaps matured him. After terminating his service to the household of New Agengard and resolving his lingering disaffection with its rulers, he has lately returned to the arena of commoner politics, where he refined his skills at statemanship in one of Concrdia's most difficult arenas. At midsummer of 2002, he was formally invested with the coronet and pennon of Rowan-Oak - and now faces perhaps the greatest challenge of his kithain life. |
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Court: Seelie Legacies: Aspirant / Sophist Romantic Legacies: Friend / Spy House: Fiona Seeming: Grump Kith: Satyr Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity (limber) 4, Stamina (tireless) 4 Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance (svelte) 5 Mental: Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 2, Empathy 2, Expression 2, Intimidation 2, Kenning 2, Persuasion 2, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Animal Ken 2, Crafts (instrument making/repair) 2, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Firearms 2, Intrigue 2, Leadership 2, Melee 3, Performance (fiddle) 4 Knowledges: Enigmas 2, Herbalism 2, Gremayre 3, Law (Seelie Court) 2, Linguistics (Old Irish, Classical Greek) 2, Lore (Changeling) 3, Lore (Dreaming) 3, Lore (Gallain) 2, Lore (Prodigals) 2, Medicine 2, Politics (Seelie Court) 2 Arts: Chicanery 2, Primal 5, Pyretics 2, Soothsay 3, Sovereign 3, Wayfare 5 Realms: Actor 3, Fae 5, Nature 4, Prop 3, Scene 2 Backgrounds: Chimera 2, Holding 5, Patron 3, Rememberance 3, Resources 1, Title (count) 4, Treasures 4 Glamour: 7 Willpower: 8 Banality: 7 Merits: Animal Magnetism, Inspiration, Musical Aptitude, Poetic Heart Flaws: Geas, Overconfident, Procrastination  Treasures: Image: In his mortal seeming, Alan Mondie is a startlingly attractive young man of about twenty, somewhat small and lightly built but trim and fit. He has shaggily short ash-blond hair, hazel green eyes, and an intense, confrontational manner. He dresses casually, and is apt to be found barefoot in all seasons -- a quirk many have questioned but which he answers with a shrug. The reason is evident to Enchanted perceptions, as it would be difficult to fit shoes on his neatly trimmed, ivory hooves. Two smooth-ridged horns of the same color curve back from his brow, lending a sligly feral aspect to his fine, striking features. His ears are peaked and slightly tufted, and his eyes are a depthless jade green. His sleek, muscular legs are covered with a soft fleece that matches his hair in color. He prefers durable voile of linen and leather of a simple but flattering cut, generally in the crimson and white that are his house colors. On formal occasions he wears wears princely voile of crimson brocade and white samite ornamented with seed-pearls and garnets set amid delicate enbroidery of silver threads. A belt of silver links girds his slim hips, a dress dagger in a red-enameled sheath at his side. On his brow is a white gold circlet engraved with a design of interwoven branches of flowering rowan accented by oak-leaf clusters of red gold. Around the upper rim eight small silver acorns are evenly spaced between eight individual leaves of rowan, indicative of countly rank, and above them curl his ivory horns. |
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