Lord Pharamond Ashford
Some talented men and women have been praised as warriors for their ability to fight all day and then love and drink all night. I think I'll skip the former and go straight to the latter whenever possible.
Description: The Ashford Lord would be unremarkable if not for his presence that results from his mannerisms. It's rare to catch Pharamond without one of his bright smiles of infectious good humor that make the man seem far younger than he is. Not particularly tall, he moves with the driven energy that he devotes to anything that catches his fancy, possessing a vibrancy that helps explains his toned athleticism as well as making him seem larger than he actually is. His short brown hair alternates between popular styles and a state of being perpetually unkempt, of a man too caught up by indolent pursuits to manage it, and his rough hewn, somewhat weathered features speaks of more than a decade of hard living that shows no sign of abating anytime soon. His deep blue eyes are almost perpetually glimmering in amusement, as if he's always reflecting upon a joke, or seeking out another form of entertainment.
Personality: Some have accused Pharamond of being lazy. That's not even remotely true. He's downright energetic and driven, it just happens to all be devoted to having a good time and trying to not be saddled with anything that could prevent that. He's quick to laugh, even at himself, and his infectious sense of humor is far removed from the prickly knights that might take offense at any slights upon their honor. Despite his single minded devotion to enjoying himself, he is reluctantly (but grimly) aware of the scope of his responsibilities, which owes to why even now he remains the Sword of Ashford Keep. He might try his best to keep it from coming to a fight, but once it starts, family and friends know he can be relied upon to the end. He just can't be relied upon to be sober, of course.
Background: It's not so much that Pharamond hates responsibility, as almost everyone imagines. The older, unmarried Sword of Ashford Keep has borne the duty of acting as the champion for House Ashford for years without complaint, and he takes the obligation seriously, but it wasn't exactly his first choice compared to a life of indolent luxury pursuing whatever happened to catch his fancy at any time. Of course he trained at arms like most nobles, but it was just one of a hundred different passtimes he pursued along with art and dealings at court, and he never imagined it would completely define him. It's not as if slashing his fellow man with sharp instruments while they tried to do the same to him was Pharamond's idea of fun, but it very unfortunately happened to be the one he seems to be very good at after he distinguished himself repeatedly on the field of battle. Pharamond of course doesn't -regret- saving the life of Duke Barton Ashford in a desperate battle with shavs a decade ago, but he sometimes wishes he had did it in a less spectacular manner that's flamboyance owed more than a little to Pharamond's habit of not being a strict adherent of Grayson rules forbidding going into battle intoxicated. Or he could have wished that his older brother Duke Barton had just rewarded him by letting Lord Pharamond embrace a life of doing absolutely, glorious nothing, but it was not to be.
Perhaps it was some insight by the duke into Pharamond's character that the younger man was able to escape any sort of command for House Ashford's troops and instead only be called when he needs to represent House Ashford in a matter of honor. It's rare enough that there's no great obstacle to spending his days in an intoxicated haze and moving from one social event to the next, and he would just be as happy if he was never actually called in an official capacity. Ever. The more warlike houses might be surprised at Pharamond doing his best to defuse any sort of tensions that could ever lead to him being called to serve as the Sword of Ashford Keep in a duel, and he can more than live with the disapproval it sometimes gets him. Life is too short to not spend it in an alcoholic haze while laughing with courtiers, and it is -considerably- shorter if someone takes offense to every damned trivial thing.
| Name | Summary |
| Jyri | Always nice to see Lord Pharamond. Wonder if he got himself a dog now? |