Alyssa ui Arrian
Knight
Played by: Tess
Name:Alyssa ui Arrian
Age: 20
Height: 5’8”
weight: 140 lbs
Background:
Born the daughter of a Saxon lord who owned a small castle and some land just on the border of Luthgardis and Abertawe. Alyssa was fine young lass who grew up in a typical Saxon female lifestyle but her father knew that she was by far more like a son than a daughter who always looked after her younger brothers and tended to family matters in town at a surprisingly young age of ten. While her mother held no objections of her daughter being responsible and protective of her younger siblings she had objections against her behaving in an unlady like fashion. Mostly she would be found playing with her brothers in the hay in the stables or playing hide and seek in the forest rather than inside learning to sing and how to manage a house.
While her parents often wished their daughter would be more like a lady, they knew all to well that they could not force her down that path. By the age of twelve it was concluded that Alyssa could not follow the traditional lady like nature because she simply would not agree to be a lady because tradition demanded it. Much to the anger of several knights who wanted Alyssa’s hand once she was of age, Arrian sought to train his eldest child and only daughter to be a warrior. But at the time no one would accept a girl as a squire so Arrian was forced to be her master and father as well. The bond between father and daughter grew during the training from discipline to keeping fit and battle ready. Arrian had managed to physically change Alyssa to be a warrior but she lacked skill with weaponry and the ability to think like a soldier.
Her training was intense and though many thought Arrian was robbing Alyssa of a childhood and often scoffed at the idea of a female being able to be a knight, she loved every moment of her training from learning to fight to learning the art of battle. Often she would play games of chess with her father to learn how to outwit an opponent as well. Alyssa was sixteen when her father had left with almost all the soldiers in the castle to answer the call by king Wyn leaving a handful of guards behind. With no one to continue her training, Alyssa spent many days hoping her father would return using the time to refine her skills. Alana, her mother took the time to teach her daughter some lady skills in the hopes that she would at least know how to act like a lady at court so she would not shame her family.
The day came when a wounded messenger arrived at the castle bringing news of the defeat of the King’s armies and that they were falling back. Arrian having taken a flank was missing. It was not long before a company of soldiers numbering almost three hundred men came to the castle that had less than twenty guards left in the garrison. Alyssa knowing what her father had taught her about defending castles using their own as an example, fortified the walls and barred the gates as well as give every person, man and woman alike a weapon in which to defend themselves.
The siege involved at first ladders in which Alyssa commanded the defense managing to hold back the enemy only barley. By the time a battering ram was brought to the gate there were only eight guards left and everyone had to retreat into the keep for protection. At the main entrance on the inside, Alyssa was determined to make her stand to defend her mother and brothers like she had promised. When they broke into the keep she fought bravely using her speed and skills she learned to fight off the attackers for an hour before help arrived from her father and a neighboring baron at the head of a hundred horsemen who promptly forced the enemy to retreat. Alyssa was rewarded with a knighthood in the celebrations that followed by her father’s friend who was amazed at how well she fought.
In the following years Alyssa joined her father’s guardsmen in keeping the peace in the lands by dealing with bandits and eventually fighting in the Sanglet wars. Again her skills were questioned by many of the higher nobles who saw her as someone who would only get in the way, to her shame Alyssa was left out of most of the major battles despite the protests from her father. Finally her day came when the reluctant commander of army had no choice but to rally any warrior he could find, Alyssa still managed to be the last on this list as well. One vital task she had was being a part of a team of knights to eliminate a company of enemy infantry that were outflanking the army she had joined. This was her first real taste of open field battle. Her finest hour came when Alban was besieged and she helped the guards defend the inner wall after the forces of lord Bourke breached the outer wall, this was a time when man and woman alike fought side by side in their most desperate hour. She continues to serve the king as a knight and servant of Abertawe even though many of the noblemen still see her as far inferior to the other knights.
Personality Profile:
While she is a nice person overall, Alyssa is not very much into acting fully like a lady of the court and wears dresses only when around other nobles at her father’s request. A result of her upbringing. She constantly sees herself as being able to do any tasks a man and hates it when she is treated differently because she is a woman. While a knight, Alyssa is never one to be around the higher class nobles and especially royalty, she is very shy when it comes to the upper classes of nobility. Alyssa values the lives of every other soldier around her as shown in her games of chess when she tries to win without sacrificing any pieces. Alyssa is an adventurous woman who is never willing to lay down her arms for the sake of her gender.
Physical Profile: With long Saxon blonde hair, brown eyes and the frame of a woman, Alyssa however is very fit and has the build of a warrior. Despite her experiences in battle, her face remains unscarred as if she were born a woman of the court instead of a knight. She has fair skin and is shorter than her fellow knights. Normally seen wearing the clothes of a man she is not one to merely wear a dress because other women unless she attends formal banquets or to not start trouble with the men of the court. Her armor comprises of a chain mail hauberk and boiled leather cuirass that is adorned with bronze plates for extra protection. She also wears a green cloak to allow her to blend in with the environment if she was needing stealth.
Skills and Abilities:
Since Alyssa was trained at a young age she exceptional at reading and writing. She is also very intelligent and can outwit a great many people she meets on and off the battlefield. Alyssa is also a great chess player. Having ridden with other experienced soldiers during the Sanglet and Nethbo wars she has learned how to track with some difficulty and how to survive in the wild. Her warrior skills include the spear, sword and mace as well as a combination of them with a shield. As with many knights she is a capable rider but can fight both on and off the horse as well. Not the best commander, she can however see weaknesses in her foes quicker than most. Her feminine skills are extremely basic involving dancing and cooking.
Special Notes:
Like her father she follows the druidic gods but does not rely upon them to help in times of trouble. Alyssa dislikes being treated differently and has no respect for anyone who sees her as inferior. Only those she has fought beside and her family sees more than just a woman with a horse and a sword.