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It's a far distance to Endridge from most anywhere, situated five miles outside Kaiten. But the destination is well worth the journey. The roads are even and in good repair as they stretch out through gently rolling hills of green. Picturesque. Tranquil. This is precisely what Bethany had wanted for her wedding: somewhere outdoors under the Maker's sky.

The pastoral setting truly is breathtaking for anyone moved by nature. Lush pastures stretch out almost to the horizon, dotted with fleecy ewes and their bouncing new lambs. Gentle breezes dance through the trees, the rustling sending gusts of fruit blossom petals scattering to the winds. Within those branches, twittering birds in joyous song cover the backdrop of baaaaaahs arising from the sheep. Behind the birdsong, the burbling of the creek sings out as it trips along its way to the lake. The warming new summer air coaxes perfumes out of the flowers, filling the air with their mingled scent. Behind the bounteous gifts of nature looms a stone edifice, seat of the Darton family, an imposing but not ungainly castle. The house is the work of the first baron, built to be a stronghold against further Nevarran incursions and a sign to legitimize the new title.

Never let it be said that Ravonild does not know how to throw a party. She's graciously offered the house and the grounds for the wedding, but has had her hand in all the preparations. Every inch of the ballroom has been polished and shined. The great hall transformed into a banqueting hall large enough to accommodate the guests, which includes every far-flung Darton relative crawled out of the woodwork. Where she has not worked her magic as a hostess is in the location of the ceremony proper. It is arranged within the formal gardens, which were a gift from Aleron's father to his new bride on her arrival from Orlais. Holding the wedding there, instead of in the wilder walled garden with its riot of variety and colors was a conciliatory gesture to appease Mama for not having the wedding in Orlais. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes bickering beforehand, everything is now the very picture of hospitality and celebration. The music is unending, the wine is free-flowing, and the dancing will last until dawn.

The simplest portion of the wedding is the ceremony itself. The Darton and Hawke coat of arms have been placed on display within the gardens, but that is the extend of excess and showmanship. Nathaniel Howe gives the bride away, Aleron's sisters are the bridal attendants, Malcolm Reed standing guard as a groomsman. In a break from tradition, youngest sister Layla carries a bouquet in one hand and her newborn baby in the other arm. (The tiny one was fussy, you see.) Oh, and yes, the bride's maiden of honor is an elf - but considering it is Merrill of the Champion's Tale? It is given a pass for the excitement of seeing one of Varric Tethras's heroes in the flesh, next to the bride.

Beyond that, it is a traditional ceremony performed by the Revered Mother who blessed all the Darton children as babes. Portions of the Chant are sung. Vows and rings are exchanged. Though behind the flowers Aleron and Bethany are holding hands and making eyes at each other. In fact, it seems miraculous that they're able to respond as required since they appear already lost in each other and not at all attentive to the ritual they are engaged in.

((For anyone wanting to tag with Ravonild.))

All correspondence and messages will be attended to in a timely and appropriate manner.

APPLICATION / INBOX / HMD / PERMISSIONS

Basics

NAME: Aleron Robert Anguis Darton AGE: 35 NATIONALITY: Free Marcher, Kaiten RACE: Human OCCUPATION: Seeker of Truth	HEIGHT: 6'1" BUILD: Muscular and Trim HAIR: Blond EYES: Ice Blue BEARING: Stoic
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Startling ice blue eyes, same as his sister's. Minor scars, nothing too notable. Almost always in armor, well-dressed when not. Tall. Described by others as ruggedly handsome but with refined features. Holds himself proudly but also seems unflappable.

Status

At present, Aleron is escorting his lady mother the Dowager Baroness Marlie Darton to her family's estates in Rieumont. He will be traveling to Skyhold after to seek out Seeker Pentaghast and confirm that the Divine did, in fact, order this Inquisition. Also to find the truth regarding the late Lord Seeker nullifying the Nevarran Accord.

Reputation

He's a Seeker of Truth, and a more stoic fellow you're not likely to meet anywhere. Aleron is serious, almost to a fault, and doesn't let something go until he's gotten to the bottom of it. Despite having widespread family of noble blood in both the Free Marches, and some in Orlais, the man is not known to have stepped foot on his family's doorstep in more than 25 years. Almost like he's avoiding "home". Has been seen wearing a wedding band, but never speaks of a wife.

To the casual observer, he always keeps to himself, never cracks a smile, takes his drink in moderation. If he's not in armor (and he's almost always in armor), his clothing choices are tidy and unassuming, though of cut and fabric suited to a noble or family of great affluence. Once in a great while, someone claims to have caught him staring wistfully at a miniature oil painting he keeps tucked inside his breastplate. He's never been seen losing his temper, though there is a curious rumor about Aleron having slugged a drunk Templar, putting the slob on his ass. He has been noted to be found brooding alone, almost equal to the time he puts in praying every morning and evening. Some people claim he's been found to be more animated inside a library. Whether true or not, his love of reading isn't a secret and when not training or linefacing at heresy, he's got a book in hand. He does have a curious habit of either sighing heavily or snarling at letters from home before consigning them to the fire... if he bothers reading it at all.

There is talk of his twin sister being a baroness in Kaiten. Lady Ravonild Darton is full into the thick of the society of the Free Marches with a reputation of being very wild since her late husband passed. Lovers, intrigues, scandals abound in a swirl around Aleron's twin. In contrast, his reputation among those who have met him is that he is a calm, rational, temperate man deeply devoted to his faith and to his duty. Those who know him very well realize he missed his calling as a scholar, though he never complains and stoically endures anything thrown at him.

Hooks

Ties to his expansive family: Dartons in the Free Marches, du Guilles in Orlais. (He loathes the Game but realizes he's still a pawn in their machinations.) Asking after any of his three cousins sent to the Circles: Montsimmard, Kinloch Hold, and Hossburg. Discussions of a scholastic nature will draw him out of perpetual lineface. Same for theological discussions though he's a hardliner for remaining true to doctrine. Training yard funtimes. Asking if any of the rumors are true. Anyone willing and able to draw him out of his solitude.

Approval & Gifts

APPROVES+ Honesty + Dedication + Piety + Moderation + His twin sister	DISAPPROVES- Lying - Betrayal - Deception - Selfishness - His twin sister
GIFTS Books. Religious figurines. Books. Fine crafted blades. Books!

8:47 Blessed - Willard Darton born second son of a prosperous landowner reknowned for his lush pastures of sheep in the Green Dales.

8:54 Blessed - Eldest Darton boy dies of a childhood illness that also takes the new baby sister. Willard now the oldest surviving child of the household.

8:83 Blessed - Willard made Baron by the Viscount of Kaiten for exemplary service against Nevarran incursion.

8:84 Blessed - Willard married to Eleonora Sanzari, the third daughter of an Antivan noble to shore up his legitimacy and for her family's mercantile expertise. Eleonora is 19 years his junior.
Willard and Eleonora go to extraordinary lengths to justify the new titles, generating extreme wealth from the Darton lands and exceptional trading ventures spearheaded by his wife. Endridge wool quickly becomes the finest variety to be bought with quantities limited to hold the price steady. Fine sheep's milk cheeses and soaps are turned into a trading commodity, and the lamb sent to tables across the Free Marches the stuff of culinary legend. They have a townhouse built in Kaiten for entertaining and keeping a presence in noble society though the bulk of their time is spent the rural estate of Endridge. Careful care is given to their distribution of wealth resulting in a gradually growing collection of historical and art pieces, as well as tasteful family jewels.

8:85 Blessed - Basilien Darton born to Willard and Eleonora, first son of four and the two girls which follow.
Basilien and his siblings are all raised to have a keen respect for their family's new titles, with emphasis on behaving properly, causing no scandals or disputes, and the responsibility that comes with privilege. Eleonora is determined to shape her brood into an outstanding dynasty of culture and refinement.

9:04 Dragon - Basilien married to Marlie du Guille, first daughter (though third child) of Count Jean-Marc du Guille of Rieumont in Orlais.
The du Guille title was entirely bankrupt due to mismanagement and gambling debts. Rather than face the shame of ruination, the eldest daughter was given to the wealthy upstart Marcher baron. Despite happily taking the money and selling off his daughter to save himself, the Count and his sons (Quentien and Edouard) had little continued contact with Marlie beyond terse correspondence.

9:05 Dragon - Ravonild Alielle Celeste Darton and Aleron Robert Anguis Darton born with the daughter being first.
This becomes an immediate bone of contention within the family. Marlie favored the son while her husband and his relations were adamant that the girl arrived first and had to be the heir so there could be no questions over the still newly(ish) minted title. It became markedly obvious early on that while Ravonild had the better head and natural charm for diplomacy and social politics, Aleron was far more studious with a natural intuition for strategy, law, business and estate management. Ongoing internal family bickering ensued over the direction the title should take: more political and socially accepted within and without the Free Marches or with a bend to growing wealth. Marlie quickly found herself outnumbered in support of her favorite and began to push to have Aleron sent to the Academie des Chevaliers once of age, though she'd already spent years convincing her young son that he should be the heir and ultimately he was to be responsible for the family. Two more sisters, Imogen and Layla, followed 3 and 5 years after the twins, respectively.

9:10 Dragon - In an attempt to end Marlie's nattering about the twins, and to placate his ailing father's concerns over maintaining the family title, Basilien begins negotiations for an arranged marriage for Ravonild. Grandpa Darton dies before the final selection can be made. Basilien chooses not at all with sound strategy, settling on the son of a local lord who owed him a great deal of money. Marlie, being a better player of the Game, despite her years out of Orlais, attempts to use this betrothal to shore up her push to elevate Aleron over his twin.

9:11 Dragon - Basilien finally puts his foot down with his contentious Orlesian wife and formally recognizes Ravonild as his heir, in writing, putting an end to the ongoing bickering.
Question is raised over the suitability of the girl's intended. If that's the route the baron is determined to, her arranged marriage is not high enough to be worth it. A search begins for a more elevated husband, and one with a better grasp on estate management than his daughter appears to have. Meanwhile, it's quite obvious to everyone in the family that Aleron is far more a scholar than an athlete. He's a skilled enough rider, but in matters of athletics, any skills he exhibits is more the result of intense study of proper execution of technique rather than a possession of natural talent. What to do with the boy rapidly becomes the family's Great Matter, as there are concerns over how well he would fare with the chevaliers, potentially causing the family embarrassment if he comes up short as they suspect. If they can even convince the du Guille relatives to sponsor him in the first place. Potential placement as a clerk within the Chantry comes up as a possible solution. Marlie naturally protests.

9:12 Dragon - Basilien is privately diagnosed with a wasting sickness.
He keeps this secret from everyone, including his wife. He begins to accelerate the search for a new match for his eldest daughter and a placement for his son. The children are not apprised of his situation or his efforts.

9:13 Dragon - The 'Great Matter' comes to a head over a trivial spat between the twins. Ravonild is clearly becoming more and more a hoyden every day, Aleron is frequently held accountable for her misbehavior. There is an innocent enough mishap involving a vase being spilled over a cherished book. A shouting match ensues between them which becomes the final straw for Basilien. He wants this resolved before he dies. Both are to be disciplined and set on the path for their adult lives. Arrangements are made to send Aleron to the Templar Order; his du Guille uncle has a hand in having the boy brought to Orlais to begin his training. It takes him a safe distance from his twin sister and places him out of the line of inheritance. Ravonild is to be betrothed to Gawain Nemoins, second son of a Ferelden bann with ties to nobility in Orlais (whence his surname derived), Nevarra and Antiva. Nemoins is old enough to be Ravonild's father, but has a vested interest in taking firm hold of his future wife's holdings and establishing his own noble line through their future offspring.

9:14 Dragon - Aleron is recruited for the Seekers of Truth and plunged into their rigorous training. He is jokingly known as the grumblepants who frequently throws letters from home in the fire unread.

9:21 Dragon - Ravonild is wed to Gawain Nemoins.
There is some small scandal regarding her behavior with an associate of her betrothed, but nothing so outrageous that prevents the marriage. She dutifully produces three children: a son Evan (9:22 Dragon), followed by a daughter Glenys (9:23 Dragon), then another son Bryce (9:25 Dragon).

9:22 Dragon - Basilien succumbs to the wasting sickness and his daughter Ravonild inherits his titles and estates in full. The practical running the estate and its financials is well in the hands of her husband. Nemoins holds the reins tightly, especially where his vivacious wife is involved.

9:24 Dragon - Dowager Baroness Marlie attempts to leverage her son's social standing, without her late husband to impede her efforts, and somehow manages to wrangle a rare exception for her estranged son to take a wife.

9:25 Dragon - Aleron is married to Lady Mirielle Vauquelin.
Despite being initially arranged by the dowager, this actually becomes an intense love match with Aleron doting on his new bride with as much devotion as he's displayed with any other venture in his life. Lady Mirielle is the only daughter, and the youngest of six, in the family of Baron Michel Vauquelin. Mirielle, being of frail constitution and timid in nature, remains at her family's estates in the duchy of Montford while Aleron continues to serve at his post with the Seekers. They write copious letters hand over fist but only manage but two brief visits the first year of their marriage.

9:26 Dragon - Lady Mirielle dies in childbed, delivering a stillborn son.
Aleron blames himself for his beloved wife's death and buries his grief and self-incrimination by throwing himself even more intensely into his Seeker duties. He requests a transfer of service out of Orlais to give his bereaved in-laws space to grieve the daughter he feels he stole from them. Mid-year he is sent to Cumberland in Nevarra.

9:31 Dragon - Seeker Darton oversees the relocation of the Starkhaven Circle of Magi to the Kirkwall Gallows following the Circle burning to the ground.

9:32 Dragon - Gawain Nemoins dies of illness.
Baroness Ravonild goes through proper grieving gestures as expected. Transactions once managed by her late husband are given into the care of their most capable steward for the duration of her mourning.

9:33 Dragon - Baroness Ravonild moves residence to the estate in Kaiten, taking her three children with her. The dowager baroness remains at the Endridge estate with the steward, remotely continuing to manage the business of her childrens' lives from the comfort of her rural home. The dowager finds her eldest daughter is impossible to control, however, despite her best efforts to do so.

9:40 Dragon - Seeker Darton is dispatched to the Circle of Magi in Hasmel to attempt a restoration of the peace. When notice comes of the break in the Nevarran Accord, he discounts it as a falsehood. (Until he finds out it's not.)

9:40 Dragon - Dowager Baroness Marlie receives notice that her brother Edouard and both of his sons have become casualties of the Orlesian Civil War. This renders Lady Marlie the last living descendant of her father who is not a mage. She pleads with her son to escort her to their ancestral family home in Rieumont which she has not seen in decades.

PLAYER

Name: Althea
Age: older than dirt
Contact: magicarp @ plurk
Other Characters: Vivienne de Fer
Interests: Looking for explorations of the weird magical stuff that goes beyond the "normal" for Thedas. (No really, what was the bear blood for? Was it blood magic?) Providing a solid character who truly believes in the Chantry ideal. Letting the poor guy finally find some semblance of personal peace and a smidgen of happiness.

CHARACTER

Name: Aleron Darton
Canon/OC: OC
Journal: lifeofendurance
Race: Human
Nationality: Free Marcher, Kaiten
Occupation: Seeker of Truth
Age: 36

History
Darton Family Timeline
- Aleron was born 20 minutes after his sister Ravonild. This caused much ado within his family over which twin should be the heir. Father favored the girl as the eldest, Mother favored Aleron and spent a lot of his young years hammering into his head his responsibilities to the family.
- Much of his early childhood was spent watching his twin cause trouble and having himself blamed for not stopping/protecting her.
- At age eight, a spat between the twins resulted in a family decision to divide them. His uncle arranged for Aleron to be sent to the Templars. That arrangement served to reinforce the family's devotion to the Chantry after all three of the uncle's children manifested as mages. None of this was explained to Aleron however, and to his knowledge, he was sent away in disgrace because his sister wanted to get rid of him.
- Three months into his time with the Templars, a young friend his age was killed by a mage trying to escape. Aleron took this very hard and finally started taking his training seriously. His intense dedication grabbed the attention of his superiors who had him sent to the Seekers of Truth.
- Aleron's mentor in the Seekers was devout in his faith, intensely serious, dedicated to finding the truth, and not particularly warm. Aleron respected him, but never found a fatherly figure in him. His mentor was wise enough to foster his apprentice's bookish nature, and encouraged Aleron to make a study of history and languages, in addition to the arts of war, believing that knowledge could be the best weapon a man could hold.
- The ensuing years found Aleron throwing himself headlong into his training and studies. When his sister married, he did not attend. Nor did he return home when his father died to a wasting sickness the following year, claiming that he could not leave. Shortly after, he begins his Vigil.
- Unknown to Aleron, his mother spends the next three years of his life petitioning for an allowance for him to marry. An allowance is granted when he is 20.
- His mother arranged a marriage, which he initially only acquiesced to out of obligation to the family. On meeting Mirielle, he fell hard for her. They formally courted for 1 year before marrying. She remained with her family while he continued to serve with the Seekers.
- Mirielle died a year into the marriage in childbed. Aleron, wracked with grief and guilt, requests to be sent out of Orlais and goes to Cumberland.
- 9:31 Dragon: he oversaw the relocation of the Circle from Starkhaven to Kirkwall due to the fire.
- 9:40 Dragon: He was escorting his mother back to Orlais from the Free Marches when word came of Lambert breaking the Nevarran Accord. People he dispatched to validate this never came back.

Personality
Serious. To a fault. Because he's had to be. By nature, Aleron is inquisitive and scholarly with a sharp mind. Logical things, academic things, are his bread and butter. He can lose himself for hours digging and searching and learning anything and everything he can; once he sets his mind on something, he will not let it go until he's gotten down to the bottom of it. This makes him an excellent Seeker, but a lousy socialite. The problems at Kirkwall got by him and he'll never forgive himself for that.

Aleron's temper has a long fuse. His mother describes it as being like a thunderstorm: slow to build but vicious and explosive when unleashed. It takes something exceptional to make the man blow his stack: harming innocents, lying, betrayal, blood magic. Oh, and his twin sister, who he never forgave for having him sent away when they were eight. He himself would state that he is neither angry, nor bitter, but that is willful suppression of those feelings. They are pushed away and staved off by a dogged determination to duty, faith, and responsibility. He deals with hurt, and grief, and his slow simmering rage, by throwing himself all the harder into his work. At any rate, unless someone really pushes his do-not-cross-this-line buttons, all people will see is a stoic man who is calm, temperate, rational, and even-handed. Aleron is all those things at the core of his being, but there are deep wounds that scabbed over but never truly healed.

He takes duty and responsibility brutally serious. It was instilled in him at a very young age, and his serious nature compounded it tenfold. When he was sent to the Templars, he blamed his sister as the responsible party, but also took it upon himself that he owed it to the family to succeed at it, and with excellence. It was, in part, to prove to the family that they'd made a mistake sending him away, and another part to 'win' over his sister who he knew would never put the needs of the family above her wants. But over time, he did come to wholly embrace the ideal of service to the Maker, allowing his faith and devotion to fill the holes caused by hurt and rejection. His faith has become the foundation of everything he says and does, the place he falls back to in times of difficulty.

Aleron is not unkind, but he is stern and strict... hardest of all on himself. In many ways, he's quite considerate of others, but he struggles to connect with people. He projects as a loner, and is absolutely a brooder. Beneath that, he's actually lonely and craves relationships with others which are so hard for him and fall right into his sister's lap. Some of his struggles come from feeling overwhelmed in a crowd, some are fueled of his exceptional caution and natural distrust, the rest come from a fear that allowing someone in will see them taken away or dead, as has happened so often before. He blames himself for the death of his beloved wife and takes his loneliness as just punishment for having caused it, yet another burden to endure without complaint.

Strengths & Weaknesses
Base Skills: Sword and Shield and Battlemaster
Specialization: Templar

Of particular note, Aleron is an adequate swordsman, but nothing spectacular. His talents in regards to battle is that he's a keen strategist and an intense student. Any skill he exhibits is the direct result of dedicated study of proper technique and execution, followed by dogged training to put it into practice after. He might not use a broad range of weapons, but he's studied them all to have a better understanding how to counter them. Not a complete idiot with a bow, but he's no crackpot marksman either. Among his strengths is the breadth of knowledge that's a result of his devouring books in his areas of interest: history, languages, literature. His receptive language skills outstrip his expressive language by a long stretch.

Inventory

Seeker Armor (full set), a silverite Seeker shield, silverite longsword with a ram's head pommel, 1 miniature oil painting of a very lovely brunette, a plain gold wedding band, 1 well-trained Green Dales Feral, a copy of the Chant of Light, a stack of old letters tied with a lady's hair ribbon.

Motivation
A desire to learn if this Inquisition truly was the directive of the Divine before her passing. If so, he feels duty bound to stay and see her will executed until the next Divine is chosen to provide direction for the Chantry and its servants, including the Seekers of Truth. (He's still struggling to believe that the Lord Seeker chose to annul the Nevarran Accord, having been away when this happened.)

SAMPLES

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