Sir Oberyn
The steel in your sheath may win a fight, but it takes something between your ears to win a war.
Description: This man is somewhat tall. He is wiry and athletic in stature, without being overly muscled or large of frame. He has an intense gaze, with a pair of almond-shaped sea green eyes that peer from behind a slightly upturned nose. A styalized moustache and beard frame a pair of full, pinkish lips. Long locks of unruly, dark brown hair cascade down over his shoulders, held back from his eyes with a couple braids that are tied back near the crown of his head. He has thick eyebrows, though they're well-shaped. His hands bear a multitude of tiny scars. Overall, he is long of limb, and moves with the surety of athletic grace.
Personality: A peerless commander of men from the deck of a ship, he is stoic and guarded in social settings, playing his cards close to his chest. While capable of enjoying himself socially, it seems as if he's always on guard, and so never fully embraces celebration and revelry. A passable conversationalist, his eyes always seem to be shifting to and fro scanning the area. Notably, he doesn't seem to be bothered should something be out of place. He is slow to trust, but once he does, you've earned the most loyal of friends.
Background: Oberyn's parentage is something of a mystery. He was orphaned in Darkwater territory, and grew up aboard ships. He eventually became an official deckhand aboard a Darkwater privateer, and spent several years learning the ins and outs of being a "privateer" for the Darkwater family. He worked his way up, and at around 22 years old, he had earned a position as first mate aboard his ship. He served with distinction for over a year, before one day, they were engaged with an unexpectedly well-prepared group of pirates that boarded their ship, resulting in a pitched battle. They were getting the worst of it, and the ship's Captain ended up taking a mortal blow from an enemy, leaving the crew in disarray. Oberyn quickly rallied the crew and hatched a plan to have a couple of his men slip aboard the enemy ship to sabotage it while the rest of them continued fighting. The plan worked brilliantly. Once the pirates noticed their ship was sinking, they divided their focus to attempt to save the ship, and that provided Oberyn the edge he needed to force the enemy from the deck of his ship. But he didn't stop there. Once they'd earned victory aboard their own vessel, he urged his crew to board the enemy vessel and take her. The pirates were overwhelmed as they just finished the ramshackle repairs to stop their ship from sinking. Upon returning to port, the other sailors sang songs of the battle, telling of Oberyn's ingenious plan that resulted in not only averting catastrophy, but also in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and taking an impressive ship as the prize. It's difficult to know the truth of it, but the tales tell of the enemy outnumbering them by at least two to one, and in some versions, by as much as five to one. As first mate of the ship, it was his duty to inform his superiors of the Captain's demise, so he did so. With his report, he reported the return of the captured enemy vessel to port, turning it over to the Darkwater family. He was thanked for his report and good work, though they lamented the loss of the Captain, and he was dismissed. Furloughed only for a day, he was summoned back in short order. Apparently, the stories of his exploits made it back to them, and he was to be Knighted, and given command of the vessel he'd so admirably led to victory. Caught by surprise, Oberyn humbly accepted and swore his loyalty to the Darkwater Family. He returned to his familiar ship and crew, leading them for the next few years and building his reputation as a capable Captain and Privateer. His success on the sea was undeniable, and perhaps that is why he was asked to go to Arx. He was told that Darkwater needs men of action there, and so, he goes..
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