Sir Gwynne Hawley - Crest of Topaz
Played by: Rob Schwarz
Name:Sir Gwynne Hawley
Age: 22
Height: 5'11
Weight: 200
Background:
Gwynne is the third son of the Hawley clan, a large and powerful clan far into the North of the region. Not born in Abertawe, he was banished from his home costing him a chance to be chieftain, or King and costing him a family.
He knew that he must seek his fortune elsewhere and so journeyed the land to find a place he could call home.
As a boy he enjoyed fishing, sailing, swordplay, climbing trees and even enjoyed learning. He would read of geometry, algebra from the Arabic lands, and all the other subjects of learning. His father had made sure his boys were well schooled and hired the finest tutor in the land to teach his sons. Gwynne was the one who benefited greatly from this time. In his childhood, Gwynne grew to love knowledge and embrace it, opening his mind to new avenues he had never seen before. He found that this was his most blessed gift in this life.
Gwynne was a quiet youngster. Preferring reading and tree climbing to social interaction. An introvert at the very core of his being, he always seemed to get noticed by the other members of the clan and even the noble lord without truly wanting to even be acknowledged. His good looks always seemed to gain him attention, attention that he seemed ill equipped to handle.
When he was old enough, at about thirteen, he began training with sword and bow. Finding the sword his calling and the battle axe his second passion. Gwynne found a new love in training. His mornings were spent learning, enveloping all the knowledge he could ingest, while his afternoons and evenings were spent training with sword and ax. The battle-axe was the Hawley clan's specialty and so it was essential that Gwynne be able to fight with the battle-axe. He did grow quite proficient with both weapons, but the art of weaponry never came easy to Gwynne, here he had to work hard to be good.
And in his training he grew to be a strong young man, possessing a sturdy upper body with a keen mind to complete the mountain that was the man. But, he found that unlike many of the men in his clan and shire, Gwynne had a unique grace and nimbleness to his body and movements. He was quicker, better reflexes, not having the strength of others around him.
His two older brothers, always chowdering him, were envious of his quickness, his mind and his wisdom. For the entire clan believed Gwynne better suited to lead them, knowing the older Hawley boys were dunces at best. From the time of his youth, the clan elders would come to him, to see what he thought, believed on matters important to his people. Gwynne was not the most friendly person, and didn't like being bothered, but he would answer their questions and it was then the elders and advisors of Gwynne's father knew that his youngest was best suited to lead, for in him was a bounty of knowledge and wisdom.
But, Gwynne knew his place. He had been cursed to be thirdborn and thus he would be forever unless fate killed his older brothers. Despite their hounding him, they respected the other and were close as brothers could be. The oldest Galsyn, would be the leader of the clan. And the second brother, would be leader of the armies of Hawley, his name was Gertalvyn.
All the clan looked to Gwynne in times of great stress and tragedy, knowing he was wise beyond his years with the gift of intellect to solve difficult problems facing them all.
When Gwynne's father died, everything changed. Galsyn, jealous of the honor the clan elders showed Gwynne, banished his youngest brother from the Clan's territorial highlands, never to return ever again or be killed by Galsyn's own hand.
Gwynne was heartbroken but accepted the punishment. Saying goodbye to his only sister, younger than Gwynne, her name was Essellia. He would miss her most. She had threatened to go with him, but he could not have her live a life of a refugee, she was a noble woman and thus she should remain. They said their tearful goodbyes and Gwynne set off on his own.
With only a horse, a battle-axe his father had given him for his 20th birthday, a shield and his large broadsword as his only belongings.
After much travel, a journey filled with hunger and loneliness beckoned him for many months, he now finds himself in Abertawe seeking refuge from the loneliness and the hunger, offering his sword and his wits to the good King Gwalchmai.
Personality Profile:
Gwynne is an introvert. Shy, he does possess a friendly smile and a boisterous laugh but these are things only the closest of his friends would ever see. He is very kind, charming and honorable-but few see the kindness and charm as he keeps to himself. He does hide the pain of his past, being banished is ever on his mind and keeps him aloof. He must first learn to trust someone he first meets, before he will befriend them. Once trusted and proven, Gwynne is a good and loyal friend. He does have his times where he wishes to be alone. He does have a wicked sense of humor when in private with friends and tolerates the feasts and festivals. He is also a man of avarice, not liking poverty. He was raised as a noble, having wealth and when that was stolen from him by his siblings, a greed swelled within him to return to a semblance of the lifestyle he had once known in his younger years. Thus he is a determined man, this is reflected in his stubbornness and his tenacity.
Physical Profile:
Handsome beyond what is normal for the day and region, he stands out in a crowd without trying to. His fair skin and long blonde mane make him seem as bright and beautiful as the shining sun and the gleams off the crystal blue waters of his homeland. His sapphire eyes sparkle and glow as the sky. He does have strength from his years of weapons training. Not weak by any means, he is more graceful-and uses this grace and quickness to supplement what he lacks in great strength. He appears intelligent and walks with the air of noble blood. He does have one three-inch scar on the left side of his neck. He doesn't tell people how he received it.
Skills and Abilities:
Adequate with both sword and axe and a capable equestrian. He has spent just as much time in weapons training to be a Knight as he has in learning. He is well schooled in geometry, algebra, speaks Cymbraeg, Welsh, Latin and French. He has studied the arts and has a firm grasp on medieval engineering. He has the particular talents of designing and building siege craft and his engineering training allows him to build just about anything that would be needed by a city or an army. If he can't build it, he'll find a way to solve the problems behind it. He also has a keen ability in strategy, making him useful in battle strategy and war tactics. Gwynne's eyesight is not great, so he is not a good archer. Gwynne can teach what he has learned through the years, but is abrupt and quick in his approach to teaching. Values culture and art passionately. Can play the harp with a good amount of skill.
Special Notes:
Gwynne's below average eyesight comes from years of reading books under low light conditions. Usually just a candle or two would illuminate the room as he spent sleepless nights reading the great books of the day.
Gwynne's horse is a mare named Caedmere, she is trained for battle and is a loyal companion.
His most prized possession is the battle-axe his father gave him on his 20th birthday, he treasures this greatly, and will sometimes use it in battle in memory of his father.