Name: Kai Brentsworth
Age: 26
Race:Human
Zone of Birth: The Ur-Um Wines and Spirits Company
Current Employment Alignment: Freelancer
Description: A rather short and stocky man with sun tanned skin, his hair tied back into a tight manbun. A digital-tattoo sits upon his left breast, which is currently set to House Zemislav's sigil. His attire most of the time, when not preparing for battle or in the most formal of circumstances, consists of a floral pattern speedo, a harness for his sword, and a helmet bearing the same general pattern as his speedo. His body bears subtle augmentics in his limbs and torso.
Personality: Kai is a driven, dour individual who finds his place when in a strictly regimented lifestyle with little in the way of nonsense. He finds the focus on chivalry and courtly etiquette to pall, and the beach-party atmosphere adopted even by the upper classes to be far too much like the life he left behind in Ur-Um. While he presents a calm face in most circumstances, inwardly he burns with the knowledge that no matter how good he is at his job, his lack of ability to play the games of courtly intrigue will forever deny him advancement, which is in turn exacerbated by his unwillingness to swear permanent loyalty to any one house, as he is too focused on his own personal options and advancement, rather than tying himself down. His anger and unwillingness to either move away to another corporate sector or to adapt his ways to fit better within the society of the Duty Free Ports has only reinforced his dourness and seething anger and jealousy against those who do do well within the system.
Abilities: Kai is a very skilled swordsman, and a competent surfer. He can lead men in combat effectively, and even inspire them in his gruff, straight forward manner. Despite his callous nature, he has a talent for identifying talent in his compatriots and directing them. He has a great deal of surfing talent as well, the one area of non-combat court frippery he genuinely enjoys.
Relationships:
Great Uncle Varric Brentsworth - The only member of his family Kai keeps in regular contact with, originally a retainer of the first house Kai joined, but felt too restricted in 'Bacco society and culture, he moved to Ur-Um and took up with Kai's Grandmother's sister, before marrying her and settling down as yet another ranch-hand with the rest of the Brentworths. He told all of the children about his old life in the Free Ports, but saw that Kai would be admirably suited for such a life, and was the one to suggest to Kai that he should try his luck as a retainer. Kai has never blamed his uncle for that decision, despite how it turned out, but
Sir Alexander Toringsworth Ciracuse Zemislav - The bastard child of one of the Zemislav branch families, he bears their name but is not officially recognized as part of the line of succession and advanced to his rank from being one of the men-at-arms first. He and Kai have been friends and sometimes lovers for years before Kai joined the mercenary hiringlings under Zemislave, but it was only recently that they began to grow closer, with Alexander acting the peppy face to Kai's dour no-nonsense doing. Unlike Kai, Alexander actually has sworn fealty to Zemislav, and has been trying to get Kai to do so as well.
Sir Dominic Cassian Godfrey - When Kai arrived in the Duty Free Ports, it was at the same time Sir Dominic was first making a splash in the world of war and politics between the various lesser and higher houses. Somehow, whenever Kai was involved in a conflict as a hired retainer, he was almost always on the losing side against Sir Dominic. Kai holds a burning hatred for the First Saber of House Kazamir, believing her to be the source of all his woes and lack of advancement. It is unclear if Dominic is even aware of his existence.
Important Life Moments:
Kai was born into an extended family of lizard-herders known as the Brentworths, and grew up in the free wheeling and outdoorsy life of a ranch hand, riding herd with his parents and cousins across vast miles back and forth across the prairies and deserts. It was a life he absolutely loathed, the lack of regiment, the free wheeling and easy going attitudes, another person would have lashed out, but Kai was always the 'good child', and had a naturally dour and serious attitude that pervaded all he did. When he came of age he said his farewells, and traveled to the Duty Free Ports of House 'Bacco, with a recommendation from one of his uncles, who had immigrated from that feudal land and told Kai stories of the regimented and organized lifestyle of the uncle's former homeland.
Kai found service in one of the lesser houses, and quickly took to the military life found there, enjoying the strict hierarchy of command and vassalage. That said, he found the courtly behaviors he was forced to learn, and the party going attitude of most of the occupants while off duty to be almost as off putting as the laid back attitudes of the family he had come from. Nevertheless, he proved himself in combat time and again, and rose as far as a saber of the house he was in before disaster struck.
His original house was forced into a merger with another house backed by the Greater House Kazamir, their assets seized, their lands forfeit, and Kai lost his position, and was forced to start from scratch as a black knight, even losing his proper title in the process (No longer a "Sir" but merely a sellsword). Since then, he has refused to swear allegiance to any other house, determined to prove his worth outside of their systems of vassalage and peerage, until one of them invites him to join at the rank he feels he has already earned. This, more than anything, has kept him from the rank he feels he rightly deserves.
Over time, he has clashed with House Kazamir at one remove or another again and again, and always on the losing side, which has driven him to throw his lot in with House Zemislav, where he is now a ranking member of Zemislav's hired mercenaries, treated as little more than cannon fodder and leg breakers while Zemislav's ennobled warriors take the glory. A situation that Kai only grudgingly tolerates because he believes it gives him the best chance of actually fighting, and defeating the famed Sir Dominic Cassian Godfrey.
Quotes:
"THERE! GODFREY'S COLORS! Alright men! We're going for his unit! But remember! Godfrey is -mine-!"
"Give my love to my parents Uncle... no I won't talk with them myself, it just leads to an argument each time. Yes, right. Love you too."
"No. I'm not going to swear to Zemislav in full Alexander, not until they ask me themselves, and offer me a proper position. I refuse to spend another five years as a man-at-arms just to MAYBE be knighted."