Niece and heir presumptive to Sir Zacharie Torenson. The youngest member of a tight knit immediate family unit, Syrin’s upbringing revolved around family, etiquette, protocol and strict political neutrality.
After the death of her mother 9 years ago, Syrin entered the service of the Swords of Lextius. As one of the few Orthodox Swords willing to serve with the sects if required, Syrin is sometimes requested by name by those outside the Urth Orthodoxy who have no access to other means. She is in her last year of service.
Traits
(Faction) Sword of Lextius [4] – In penance I swore an oath to the Church to bodily protect the Faithful. Sign: A jumpgate cross medallion held with one remaining rosewood bead.
Torenson Noble [3] – savoir-faire.This House Minor are masters of Noble and Courtly Etiquette. Friends of all, enemies of none, they are valued neutral arbitrators in noble conflicts. Sign: Dresses in neutral colours, simple and clean lines, except where required for her position, unobtrusive. A studied air of inscrutability
Perleria Born [2] – She knows her Shimo from her Sikeena Sign: A quiet tread across forest and mountain, a foresters eye and aim.
(Flaw) Noblesse Oblige – Friend to all and enemy of none, but it’s hard to stand on the sidelines and watch injustice pass. There is always a way to skirt the edges of her oaths and upbringing if something must be done.
Gear
- Armoured Base Layer [300fb] – (Synthsilk) comfortable and light-weight for everyday use (P: 2, E: 1)
- Order Sword [400fb] – (+2 Katana. Vibro energy damage +2. Reduces opposing armour by 2) A sleek and simple weapon bearing the mark of the Swords of Lextius.
- Holdout [170fb] – (Stunner) Small and easily concealed. 10 shots, non-lethal.
- Whisper Pins [100fb] – Modified for use between Principal and Bodyguard.
- Tabard of the Order – for Official/Ceremonial Occasions, bears the mark of the Swords of Lextius.
- Jumpgate Cross Medallion – with one remaining rosewood bead.
- A hand scribed meditation scroll – a gift from her mentor
- Worn deck of League approved playing cards – A practice set, from Brona
- Small indigenous bone flute – once belonged to her mother
- A collection of touristy tchotchkes from Madoc – various small gifts from Eirene
- 30fb on hand
Session Notes:
Session 2: Syrin – Session notes
The Family
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Sir Anneke Torenson (Mother – deceased) – Full of life, a romantic, and quietly pious. While outwardly maintaining the family stance of political neutrality, clandestinely helping those in need regardless of political fall out. Loving, protective, secretive; Anneke’s influence on her daughter’s development cannot be understated; and nor can that of her death. |
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Sir Zacharie Torenson (Mother’s Sibling) – Head of House Torenson fiefs in Perleria on Criticorum, and a few estates in Avaneir on Rampart. They are the epitome of House Torenson social standing. Polite, cultured, bureaucratic and extremely sophisticated. Maintains ties with a number of influencers in Houses Major and Minor alike. On Zacharie’s shoulders falls the task of preparing Syrin to administer the fiefs when they are gone; although they still have hope for the birth of an heir of their own blood. |
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Lady Ciera Torenson (Aunt) – Wife of Sir Zacharie Torenson, and a cousin of Lady Szelyke-Marie Gagarin Decados of Madoc. Few nobles make love matches in marriage. Of those, fewer still are Decados, the Lady Ciera being a noted exception. While her marriage into House Torenson has put her beyond reach of several enemies, maintaining political neutrality has been a challenge, one she is determined to overcome. Wiley and pragmatic, she acts as a stabilising influence on her niece. |
Notable Contacts
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Sir Agichi Haru – A former Sword, and sometime mentor to Syrin. Sir Agichi served five years penance with the order, and an additional 25 by choice. He has mentored a number of Swords who have taken to their vocation in their teen years. They have kept in contact. Sir Agichi is now retired to Laguna, Madoc. |
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Professor Sadal Suud –A senior Eskatonic based on Leagueheim. Syrin has been assigned as escort and protector on a number of occasions that have required the Professor to travel. A friendship exists between them, but nothing to give the Orthodoxy alarm. |
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Eirene Athenaia Velius Justinian – Younger daughter of Lady Aelia Velius Justinian, and sister of Cara Livius. An Associate in the Reeve Banking guild. Eskatonic. Professor Sadal Suud served as her confessor during her time on Leaguheim. Maintains a correspondence with Syrin, having met through Professor Suud some years ago |
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Brona DeVatha – Charioteer. Youngest child of Giles DeVatha, Guild Advocate on Leagueheim. From a rich and well connected family. Syrin often barters passage with Brona as she travels on or between assignments. |
Background
House Background – Torenson (external link)
Order Background – The Swords of Lextius (external link)
Brought up on the Island of Perleria, Criticorum. The Perleria region is ruled by the Baroness Prajna Sophia al-Malik. There are also Church fiefs, lead by Bishop Munus, which control much of the local commerce; House Torenson fiefs, lead by Sir Zacherie Torenson; and House Juandaastas fiefs, lead by Marquessa Sabine al-Malik Juandaastas. The Juandaastas are attempting to restock the area with endangered species.
Syrins family is originally from Madoc. A series of tragic accidents over a number of years led to the extinction of the family line that held Torenson fiefs on Criticorum, which eventuated in Sir Zacharie inheriting the leadership of the fiefs and the immediate family’s relocation from Madoc to Perleria before Syrin was born.
On Madoc, her extended family goes back generations. Although not one of the Five families, the Torensons have good standing in the Wale and have intermarried among the Penrue.
Values – Neutrality, Fairness, The importance of family. One does not need to be Noble to accomplish great things.
Presentation – Unobtrusive. Her garb has simple and clean lines, except where required for her position. She does not call attention to herself, or consider that she should be the centre of attention. Unfussy. Practicality and style over ostentation and sensation.
Means – Syrin is currently an heir to family lands, and in service to the Church. Her means are not excessive, but she is able to meet her basic needs.
Memories
The War.
There was never a time I could remember before Alexius was crowned when Criticorum was not on a war footing. There was so much instability before the Alliance was made, Al-Malik and Hawkwood, and then pockets of rebellion afterwards. The island was at least removed from most of it for a good while, Perleria wasn’t exactly the most cosmopolitan of regions.
Then the Decados invaded.
Mother went to join the defending forces, which Zacharie was not happy about, and would have been less happy about had I been old enough to go with her. The holdings that could not be adequately defended were abandoned, Zacharie pulling everyone back to better positions in the mountain fiefs. Ciera and I were sent North, to the outer Island, where it was hoped that the unwelcoming terrain and frigid temperatures would prove deterrent to the invaders. We were not long in residence before we were also offering refuge others trying to escape the violence. Not just those of our own holdings, but others from Juandaastas and Al-Malik holdings further south and east from Ost.
The Shimo proved a boon to us during this long winter. They taught a great number of the refugees how to hunt properly, so we could provide for the increasing number of mouths to feed and bodies to keep warm; and protection from predators roaming the arctic areas. What little resources we could muster to treat the injured were greatly boosted by indigenous remedies the Shimo offered us.
Almost a twelve month passed before we received news of withdrawal and the Decados’ defeat. But the home we came back to was at best in dire need of rebuilding and repair, and at worst, completely destroyed.
Mother returned, apparently none the worse for wear, but there was always a slightly haunted light in the back of her eyes that I never understood until the end.
When the Li-Halan fleet took the local Jumpgate some months later, we were all again prepared to abandon what little had been rebuilt and retreat North. The battle never made it planet side. They called the engagement the Brawl of the Lion and the Dragon after all was said and done. We were just thankful not to see another front line on the ground.
Not long after, Alexius was crowned. And for the first time in my lifetime, there was peace of sorts on Criticorum.
Ciera and Zacharie.
When I was young, I loved the rain. If we were in residence at Mjøskastellet, I would climb into the roof cavity of the highest tower so I could be surrounded by nothing but the sound of rain on the roof tiles. I would sit there for hours in the dark, as long as the rain lasted.
If we were at Isengran in the mountains, the thunder would roll across the peaks and down into the valleys. That I did not like so much; irrationally I thought it was the Leviathans trying to break down the mountains and drop us all into darkness…what can I say, I was a kid, kids think weird things. When the rain came on those days, I would hide in the kitchens, deep in the fortress, where the Leviathan thunder could not reach me.
One year at Isengren, there were storms for several days in a row. I would disappear after breakfast into the kitchens, and when I was chased out of there, I’d hive off to play make-believe in the undercrofts until someone came to find me (usually because I was supposed to be in lessons). On the fifth day of storms, right after breakfast, I made my way down to the kitchens. I used to slip through one of the side doors and find a quiet place to sit with ready access to the dried fruit stores and enough light to read by. This day I found the side door firmly closed, and instead had to venture to the main kitchen door and hope no one noticed me.
I wasn’t prepared for what I found there.
The kitchen staff were all standing around somewhat dumbstruck, and the usual ruckus of the day was not to be heard. By the table that spanned the length of the room, Ciera and Zacharie stood dolling out dried meat, fruits and bread into three small piles, wrapping them in linen and tying them as one would victuals for a days work.
Zacharie caught my eye and grinned. They asked if I was ready to go, and unsure if I was in a large amount of trouble or not, I simply nodded in response. I was handed a linen packet, a small oil lamp, not yet lit, and had my hair tied back out of my face. I then followed the two of them through the lower passages towards one of several undercrofts I had not yet ventured into. Ciera pushed open the door to a narrow staircase, and Zacharie lit all our lamps.
No one came to fetch me for lessons that day, instead we explored, yelled into the darkness and waited for the echoes to come back to us, pretended to slay beasts and save cities from blight, break curses and discover buried treasure; and when we came out, covered in dust and cobwebs, Zacharie whispered to me that they did not like the thunder either, and Ciera declared this day was the best fun she’d ever had.
Mother
I loved my mother so very much. This didn’t mean we shared all our secrets, or even that we didn’t sometimes fight. I’m not sure I’d trust anyone who did. We were mother and daughter, best friends, irritating companions, stealer of each others clothes, climbing partners, schemers, competitors…we were all of these things, and our journey was equally as varied. But we never lied to each other. It was an unwavering understanding between us.
Do I blame myself? The expedition had been my idea. It was summer in the mountains, which meant the temperature was less below freezing that it would have been otherwise, but generally accepted by experienced hikers and climbers to be a relatively safe time of year. Of course, no one could have taken into account those idiot Juandaastas and their misguided endangered animal breeding programs. Animals don’t understand boundaries, fences, borders, and they certainly won’t respect them. Animals will behave in the wild as they are supposed to. And if these animals are a pack of predators, then they will hunt.
Huddling in that mountain cave, half buried in snow waiting for someone to come back for us, for her…watching the blood loss fueled delusions take her mind, and hearing her increasingly panicked demands for a confessor before the end; I broke the one rule that we had. I lied. I pretended to be her confessor, to hear her last words.
I was not responsible for her death, although those thoughts do surface on occasion, along with their charming companions who make me question why I survived instead; but I do bear the weight of her soul. I serve penance for her sins, as well as my own.
I will never forget the blood in the snow that day, both animal and human; I will never forget the turn of her countenance as she died, nor the fervent pull of hands that dragged me from my own death slumber in the hours following.
The Order
When I joined the order, I was barely of age; and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend the first two years thinking I was in the wrong place. Haru was assigned to me almost straight away, a teacher in my first years, a mentor through many others.
I wasn’t sure what to make of him at first. He was calm, and very quiet, completely unlike any teacher I had ever had before hand. He would answer my questions with other questions, the only direct replies I ever got from him were in relation to martial training, and then only ever when I had a blade in my hand.
Through Haru, I learned that the answers to all the questions I could pose were already known to me, I just had to reach beyond myself to find them. There was nothing in this universe that the Pancreator could have devised that could remain unknown if I were only willing to seek it out, to set my thoughts toward knowing Him better, and thus also His design.
I can not say that I had as much faith in this process as Haru did, perhaps his piety was greater than mine, perhaps his years of service brought him experience I was yet to have. But he remained convinced, and the strength of his belief certainly pushed me to at least try .
Haru left the Swords in my sixth year. By then I was working on assignments beyond Holy Terra, although still not yet at liberty to select them independently. His last communication to me was a scribed meditation roll, and no explanation…knowing Haru, the meditation probably was his explanation, but if so, I have still yet to decipher it.
One assignment I had after this still stays very strongly with me. The assignment wasn’t particularly high profile. Yes, the priest in question was from a very well connected family, but didn’t seem all that interested in advancing any agenda of his own. So I wasn’t expecting any particular trouble.
What is it they say? If you don’t expect trouble, a Jakovian will show up anyway to remind you that you should. I didn’t know the aggressor was a Jakovian at the time, Ciera dug that up for me afterwards (my aunt finds staying un-involved rather challenging).
This was not my first physical engagement in the line of duty, but it was the first in which I genuinely felt I was beginning to grasp the deeper meaning of Haru’s guidance; and also the first that seriously pushed my abilities.
Neither I, nor the Jakovian came out of that fight well. Keeping her occupied until my Principal was clear was as much a test of my resolve and faith as it was of my arm and blade. If the Pancreator had not allowed me the patience, calmness and confidence in the gift of my own ability that I learned through Haru, I have no doubt the outcome would have been much different.
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