Lord Gaius Whitehawk
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
Description: This man is of average size and build, which certainly does not detract from his looks. His sharp, bright blue eyes contrast his golden skin and the sanguine locks which frame his perfect jawline. His lithe movements betray a certain physical ease foreign to most intellectual brooders - every movement precise, no motion wasted. He dresses well and typically in slimming dark clothing.
Personality: From a young age, Gaius proved to possess a great aptitude for business. High thinking, immaculate planning and grand ambitions define his adult life now; clearly his upbringing as a Mercier was invaluable, but while he may be a visionary he is certainly not a dreamer like most of them. He works with simple ideas and transforms them into something big with his ingenuity, while others fail to see any merit in them -- or he invests in an idea which shows merit and promise.
He has other notable talents, too: he is an expert researcher with talent for turning up facts (admittedly usually linked to his business interests). He is a skilled violinist and enjoys fashion. He is an introvert by nature, but it is difficult to tell, and he likes to have a diverse circle of friends because it gives him the chance to discover fresh points of view and life-choices.
Background: Gaius is the eldest child of Jerome and Helen Mercier and the only son of the brood. As a result, all the tricks of the Mercier trade were impressed on him as soon as he was old enough to learn them, and he was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his mercantile-inclined ancestors who came before him. It turned out to be a natural fit for him, but a small part of him always insisted on doing things his own way - and he did, when he decided to invest in a troupe of actors and build his own theatre on the south bank of the Gray River as one his first significant business ventures.
The theater proved to be a resounding success, and Gaius's property purchases and investments indicate that his association with the troupe made him an independently wealthy man. A few years later he bought one of the largest manors in Bastion. Unfortunately, a fire lit to the thatch of the building and burned the theater to the ground, forcing the company to relocate to Arx's Blackrose Theater and merge with the Black Rose Mummers. Gaius severed his ties with the company, looking to fortify his fortune elsewhere...
His next venture saw him building a fleet of sturdy riverboats and trading luxury goods such as gems, silks, furs along the Gray River, which he often bought opportunistically through researching market trends. It went well for him, until 1006 AR brought a trade embargo on Mercier goods in the city of Arx due to the family publically cutting ties with House Grayson, and the family's reputation fell as a result. In response, Gaius adapted and switched gears again: he sold his lofty manor and offered his services as a merchant to his now-ennobled cousin in exchange for joining House Whitehawk. After months of correspondences and negotiations, his cousin finally accepted, and he became Lord Gaius Whitehawk, Treasurer of Hawkhold -- and joined his sisters in Arx.
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