Post by ThreeDawg on Dec 8, 2013 6:11:07 GMT -5
"And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day."
Character Name: Gabriel Scipia
Nickname(s): Wild Dog.
Race: Imperial, Nebenese.
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Birthplace: Bravil, Cyrodiil.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175 lbs
Eye Color: Hazel brown.
Hair Color: Chocolate Brown.
Hair Style: Trimmed a few centimetres above the scalp, where it lies flat against his head.
Facial Hair: Attempts to maintain a clean shave.
Skin Color: Tanned Southern Nibenese skin, hard and course from battle and travel.
Build: Has a soldier's body, built over years of frontline combat, training and gladiatorial bouts. His size means his agility pales in comparison to a ranger or thief, but in comparison to other swordsman he is as agile as a Redguard Master - as he was trained to be.
Distinguishing Features: His body has been bruised and battered, cut and scarred. War has left its mark on his rough skin and calloused hands. As has magic, leaving a chunk of his back a burned mass.
Profession: Professional Gladiator.
Skills: Born to the blade, Gabriel is skilled with swords of various lengths and shield use. He has picked up skills with a variety of other weapons (usually used in Gladiatorial combat, like spears and javelins) yet has never found a love for professional ranged combat.
Magic: Gabriel was skipped by the weak magical lineage of his family, he has learned through intensive training a simple fire spell, candlelight and enough restoration to ease the burden of light wounds. Each only really useful out of combat and draining to the non-Mage.
Training: Trained by sword masters of the Legion and Arms-men of the Imperial Arena, Gabriel isn't lacking martial prowess.
Other Abilities: Scipia was afforded a tutored upbringing at a schoolhouse, learning maths, writing and the general history of Tamriel. Throughout his service to the Legion Scipia picked up a wide knowledge on the local customs, and a hint of spoken tongue, of the Khajiiti kingdom of Anequina and the Bosmers of Northern Valenwood. He also shown promise as a tactician, but his service ended before it could bare fruit. He did manage to sneak in riding and mounted combat lessons before this.
Apparel: An Imperial-Style Steel armour, freshly smithed and well cared for. While his latest suit isn't anything special, anything that keeps him safe deserves all his care to maintain. His armour lacks the adornments of the Legion, although he keeps a ruby ring engraved with the Dragon Seal of the Empire.
Weaponry: Imperial Legion style Steel Sword engraved with his family name upon both flats of the blade. Occasionally a matching shield, definitely when traveling.
Other Equipment: Apart from the aforementioned ring, Gabriel also keeps a set of clothes to wear out of his armour - a standard tunic and cloth pants that are light and cooling. Of course he often has other things, but such things are dependant on what he is currently doing and what he loses or gains.
Companions: N/A.
Affiliation: Imperial Legion (ex).
Religious Belief: Respects and reveres the Divines, specifically Arkay, Mara and Dibella. Knows some distaste for the Daedric Princes.
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual.
Relationship Status: Single.
Personality: Scipia has a disarming sense of Humour, finding fun in all things from the Divines to Death. In reality it's a defensive armour, a method of distancing himself from the world that threatens to break him apart. For it has once before, and behind his smile lies a pained Soldier - wounded by the events of his life and the betrayal he has suffered.
Scipia was born to a largely military and administrative family in the heart of Nibenese Cyrodiil, Bravil. He was the fourth child, third son with one sister a year older than he. His family did have land, but none of it rural - rather the extended Scipia family shared a large townhouse in the heart of Bravil and a few surrounding houses that it rented to other inhabitants. The Scipia line had long served both the Bravil City Guard and the Imperial Legion, with many members having served as both. The women often found work in the administration of the city or the nearby Imperial Garrison at Fort Blackblood - a rebuilt fort along the borders with Anequina and the Aldmeri Dominion.
Out of line to inherit the Scipia's meagre estate, Gabriel would need to support his own future. His parents were not to leave him unprepared, and they afforded him a schoolhouse education in cartography, mathematics, literacy and public speaking to name but a few. It was a general education, hoping to build the young boy into a general addition to the family - his own choice to follow the family career or not.
Generalised or not, Gabriel chose to continue the family legacy. At the age of 14 he decided to join the Guard. While not a guard exactly, the young boy was trained up to become one - effectively becoming a Guardsman's apprentice along the walls. He would train, spar and be charged with running fresh food or arrows up to the Watchers on the walls.
But his years of apprenticeship were not for the Guard, for once of acceptable age he made the journey to Fort Masilius and signed up to the Legion. The Fort was host to some of the Legion's finest trainers, and as such fresh recruits from across the Empire would come here to learn the ways of the Legion.
The recruits were of every race, culture and ethnicity of the Empire, learning to fight as one cohesive Cohort. At first the training was 'easy' and generalistic, basic fitness came first and the maintaining of arms, armour and the camp. Then came horses, how to lead, mount and ride them when needed. Most could ride, but some could ride far faster and better than others. Those riders were taken aside by the Equites and were not seen often in the main Cohort, instead taken on my the Fort's cavalry as squires of sorts.
Everyone received basic marksmen training, and those who were capable taken aside to specialise in it. The young Scipia was not one of these, so his specialisation became that of the sword. Basic magic training was presented next, long and painful for most but quick and simple for those with the blood for it. They were taken, far away to train under advisors from the Synod and College of Whispers in the ash lands east of Cheydinhal.
Those specifically agile were too taken aside - and never seen again. Rumour was the Penitus Oculatus would have them for assassins and thieves. Gabriel was not one of these either, but nor was he as strong - and slow - as some of the others amongst the Cohort. Mostly Orcs and Nords, these young warriors could already heft battle axes and great swords with ease. They too were taken aside, and trained to support the main body of the Cohort on its flanks.
Those who remained in the main body were tested and trained further, those who couldn't dance around blades and heft a shield at the same time were taken aside and given spears to jab at Horses or Senche. Gabriel was not one of these either and in the ever decreasing group he was singled out as one of the best at what he did. Gabriel could dance around the swords, yet heft a shield and use that as a step in the Dance. Gabriel could put his weight behind the metal in his hand and lead the charge. Gabriel could command the respect from his Cohort and lead them to follow their commands. Gabriel was a born Decanus.
His training eventually complete, Gabriel was put in charge of his own tent - 8 Legionnaires and himself, each having a varied roll to fill in his group and their camp. Gabriel was their commander, the squad tactician and tent cook (when it was necessary, he wasn't exactly amazing at it).
As a part of the Legion, the rookie group was shipped off to a fort position in Glenumbra, far from his home of Bravil and into immediate action with a Maormer-led Pirate band known as the Serpent's Strike. The band had been plaguing the northern coast of Glenumbra and beyond - from Camlorn to Solitude. Gabriel was no sailor, no marine, but this garrison was charged with defending raids on the local ports and townships.
He performed his job admirably, although it was quite a cushiony post with few combat engagements and no true military tactics necessary. His next post was another matter entirely. Skyrim had recently lost its Civil War for independence. Even years after their founders death the Stormcloaks remained a thorn in the Empire's side, harassing caravans and ambushing High Queen Elisif's military assets. As a fresh rotation, Gabriel and his small band were brought in to support the Empire's seemingly endless guerrilla war against the Soldiers-Turned-Bandits. The Stormcloak Armistice ended the combat, but those who refused to lay down arms or join the Legion became pariahs, thieves and bandits that devolved in the eyes of the Nord people. Those who would prolong a war to weaken the Empire further. Gabriel was charged with stopping them, regularly leading his unit on patrols around the cold North.
Combat was regular, not only against the Stormcloak Bandits but other groups of Bandits, Forsworn and even Falmer - ever more brave in their war against the Surface. But as always, his unit grew fatigued from prolonged combat and was moved out once more - home to Bravil.
A group known as the Ra'nasta had begun plaguing the Nibenay Valley. Far from the guerrilla war of the North, the Ra'nasta were a separatist movement of Khajiit intent on 'reclaiming' the Nibeney Valley and forming a third Khajiit Kingdom. Supplied through 'unknown' means the Ra'nasta had begun burning and pillaging the towns and villages along the Niben. Several times Ra'nasta even infiltrated Bravil and Leyawiin, causing havoc and murdering guards or officials in grand displays of violence meant to intimidate the locals. The Ra'nasta had recently broken into the Leyawiin Shipyards, the Headquarters of the Imperial Niben Fleet, setting alight several ships left docked or under construction. The fires had threatened to claim the city, only narrowly stopped from doing so by the Leyawiin Mage's Guild with the help of an unknown Hero.
The Empire had responded in kind and Gabriel, his squad and several other larger units had been called in to eradicate the Ra'nasta in the area. Fighting was fierce, the Ra'nasta had been reinforced by 'rogue' units of the Pellatine Royal Army and all attempts at using the Aldmeri or Khajiit as diplomatic aid to bring the conflict to a safe end had been fruitless. The Ra'nasta were organised, fighting a war that brought back bitter memories of the Great War to many of the Legion's veterans. Khajiit rode upon the fearsome Senche or the smaller breeds had crept into tents under the cover of darkness to cut throats with naught but their claws and teeth. Several times had an Alfiq been caught skulking around the camp and executed as such - house cats were rounded up or killed on sight for fear of Khajiit spies.
The Empire pushed back, winning a number of organised battles against the Ra'nasta until they were forced to chase them back into Pellatine itself.
An event that almost caused a war.
As the Empire pushed into Pellatine, the Dominion and the Khajiit urged the Legion to leave - claiming their extended presence as a violation to the independent nature of the Khajiit kingdom. The commander of the Legion presence, Auventus, refused to abandon the situation - claiming the eradication of the Ra'nasta was the Legion's priority in the region. It wasn't. Auventus sacked the town of Altans, a Khajiit town north of Corinth that had been strong in its community support of the Ra'nasta. Gabriel had taken part, sickened as he was that the Legion was ordered to burn the Khajiit from their houses - orders were orders.
Until they weren't anymore. As Auventus ignored further orders to retreat and rounded his Legion upon Corinth itself - Gabriel disobeyed his orders. Gabriel disobeyed his rank. Gabriel Scipia struck down his commander while he ordered the troops to besiege the city.
The Legion retreated, narrowly pulling itself out of a war with Pellatine - although souring its relationship with the Khajiit kingdom forever. Dragged through the sands in chains, Scipia was relieved of all rank, stature and even humanity as he was brought up before the Imperial Elder Council.
Condemned for his actions, for his murder, the Chancellor himself was to give the execution orders. But they never came. The Chancellor personally pardoned Gabriel in the middle of the night, making a rare appearance at the Imperial Prison. Auventus had been found post-humously guilty of treason, of conspiring with enemies of the Empire - the Ra'nasta and the Thalmor themselves - to start a second and more final Great War. Scipia was to be freed, but never reinstated into the Legion he had effectively betrayed.
Even if they had betrayed him first.
The rest is but a shadow of his fall from grace. Forced into the underbelly of the Empire, forced into gladiator rings for a living. Eventually, Scipia would rise once more as a Gladiator of the Imperial Arena.
General Information
Character Name: Gabriel Scipia
Nickname(s): Wild Dog.
Race: Imperial, Nebenese.
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Birthplace: Bravil, Cyrodiil.
Physical Appearance
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175 lbs
Eye Color: Hazel brown.
Hair Color: Chocolate Brown.
Hair Style: Trimmed a few centimetres above the scalp, where it lies flat against his head.
Facial Hair: Attempts to maintain a clean shave.
Skin Color: Tanned Southern Nibenese skin, hard and course from battle and travel.
Build: Has a soldier's body, built over years of frontline combat, training and gladiatorial bouts. His size means his agility pales in comparison to a ranger or thief, but in comparison to other swordsman he is as agile as a Redguard Master - as he was trained to be.
Distinguishing Features: His body has been bruised and battered, cut and scarred. War has left its mark on his rough skin and calloused hands. As has magic, leaving a chunk of his back a burned mass.
Abilities & Equipment
Profession: Professional Gladiator.
Skills: Born to the blade, Gabriel is skilled with swords of various lengths and shield use. He has picked up skills with a variety of other weapons (usually used in Gladiatorial combat, like spears and javelins) yet has never found a love for professional ranged combat.
Magic: Gabriel was skipped by the weak magical lineage of his family, he has learned through intensive training a simple fire spell, candlelight and enough restoration to ease the burden of light wounds. Each only really useful out of combat and draining to the non-Mage.
Training: Trained by sword masters of the Legion and Arms-men of the Imperial Arena, Gabriel isn't lacking martial prowess.
Other Abilities: Scipia was afforded a tutored upbringing at a schoolhouse, learning maths, writing and the general history of Tamriel. Throughout his service to the Legion Scipia picked up a wide knowledge on the local customs, and a hint of spoken tongue, of the Khajiiti kingdom of Anequina and the Bosmers of Northern Valenwood. He also shown promise as a tactician, but his service ended before it could bare fruit. He did manage to sneak in riding and mounted combat lessons before this.
Apparel: An Imperial-Style Steel armour, freshly smithed and well cared for. While his latest suit isn't anything special, anything that keeps him safe deserves all his care to maintain. His armour lacks the adornments of the Legion, although he keeps a ruby ring engraved with the Dragon Seal of the Empire.
Weaponry: Imperial Legion style Steel Sword engraved with his family name upon both flats of the blade. Occasionally a matching shield, definitely when traveling.
Other Equipment: Apart from the aforementioned ring, Gabriel also keeps a set of clothes to wear out of his armour - a standard tunic and cloth pants that are light and cooling. Of course he often has other things, but such things are dependant on what he is currently doing and what he loses or gains.
Companions: N/A.
Personal Information
Affiliation: Imperial Legion (ex).
Religious Belief: Respects and reveres the Divines, specifically Arkay, Mara and Dibella. Knows some distaste for the Daedric Princes.
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual.
Relationship Status: Single.
Personality: Scipia has a disarming sense of Humour, finding fun in all things from the Divines to Death. In reality it's a defensive armour, a method of distancing himself from the world that threatens to break him apart. For it has once before, and behind his smile lies a pained Soldier - wounded by the events of his life and the betrayal he has suffered.
History
Scipia was born to a largely military and administrative family in the heart of Nibenese Cyrodiil, Bravil. He was the fourth child, third son with one sister a year older than he. His family did have land, but none of it rural - rather the extended Scipia family shared a large townhouse in the heart of Bravil and a few surrounding houses that it rented to other inhabitants. The Scipia line had long served both the Bravil City Guard and the Imperial Legion, with many members having served as both. The women often found work in the administration of the city or the nearby Imperial Garrison at Fort Blackblood - a rebuilt fort along the borders with Anequina and the Aldmeri Dominion.
Out of line to inherit the Scipia's meagre estate, Gabriel would need to support his own future. His parents were not to leave him unprepared, and they afforded him a schoolhouse education in cartography, mathematics, literacy and public speaking to name but a few. It was a general education, hoping to build the young boy into a general addition to the family - his own choice to follow the family career or not.
Generalised or not, Gabriel chose to continue the family legacy. At the age of 14 he decided to join the Guard. While not a guard exactly, the young boy was trained up to become one - effectively becoming a Guardsman's apprentice along the walls. He would train, spar and be charged with running fresh food or arrows up to the Watchers on the walls.
But his years of apprenticeship were not for the Guard, for once of acceptable age he made the journey to Fort Masilius and signed up to the Legion. The Fort was host to some of the Legion's finest trainers, and as such fresh recruits from across the Empire would come here to learn the ways of the Legion.
The recruits were of every race, culture and ethnicity of the Empire, learning to fight as one cohesive Cohort. At first the training was 'easy' and generalistic, basic fitness came first and the maintaining of arms, armour and the camp. Then came horses, how to lead, mount and ride them when needed. Most could ride, but some could ride far faster and better than others. Those riders were taken aside by the Equites and were not seen often in the main Cohort, instead taken on my the Fort's cavalry as squires of sorts.
Everyone received basic marksmen training, and those who were capable taken aside to specialise in it. The young Scipia was not one of these, so his specialisation became that of the sword. Basic magic training was presented next, long and painful for most but quick and simple for those with the blood for it. They were taken, far away to train under advisors from the Synod and College of Whispers in the ash lands east of Cheydinhal.
Those specifically agile were too taken aside - and never seen again. Rumour was the Penitus Oculatus would have them for assassins and thieves. Gabriel was not one of these either, but nor was he as strong - and slow - as some of the others amongst the Cohort. Mostly Orcs and Nords, these young warriors could already heft battle axes and great swords with ease. They too were taken aside, and trained to support the main body of the Cohort on its flanks.
Those who remained in the main body were tested and trained further, those who couldn't dance around blades and heft a shield at the same time were taken aside and given spears to jab at Horses or Senche. Gabriel was not one of these either and in the ever decreasing group he was singled out as one of the best at what he did. Gabriel could dance around the swords, yet heft a shield and use that as a step in the Dance. Gabriel could put his weight behind the metal in his hand and lead the charge. Gabriel could command the respect from his Cohort and lead them to follow their commands. Gabriel was a born Decanus.
His training eventually complete, Gabriel was put in charge of his own tent - 8 Legionnaires and himself, each having a varied roll to fill in his group and their camp. Gabriel was their commander, the squad tactician and tent cook (when it was necessary, he wasn't exactly amazing at it).
As a part of the Legion, the rookie group was shipped off to a fort position in Glenumbra, far from his home of Bravil and into immediate action with a Maormer-led Pirate band known as the Serpent's Strike. The band had been plaguing the northern coast of Glenumbra and beyond - from Camlorn to Solitude. Gabriel was no sailor, no marine, but this garrison was charged with defending raids on the local ports and townships.
He performed his job admirably, although it was quite a cushiony post with few combat engagements and no true military tactics necessary. His next post was another matter entirely. Skyrim had recently lost its Civil War for independence. Even years after their founders death the Stormcloaks remained a thorn in the Empire's side, harassing caravans and ambushing High Queen Elisif's military assets. As a fresh rotation, Gabriel and his small band were brought in to support the Empire's seemingly endless guerrilla war against the Soldiers-Turned-Bandits. The Stormcloak Armistice ended the combat, but those who refused to lay down arms or join the Legion became pariahs, thieves and bandits that devolved in the eyes of the Nord people. Those who would prolong a war to weaken the Empire further. Gabriel was charged with stopping them, regularly leading his unit on patrols around the cold North.
Combat was regular, not only against the Stormcloak Bandits but other groups of Bandits, Forsworn and even Falmer - ever more brave in their war against the Surface. But as always, his unit grew fatigued from prolonged combat and was moved out once more - home to Bravil.
A group known as the Ra'nasta had begun plaguing the Nibenay Valley. Far from the guerrilla war of the North, the Ra'nasta were a separatist movement of Khajiit intent on 'reclaiming' the Nibeney Valley and forming a third Khajiit Kingdom. Supplied through 'unknown' means the Ra'nasta had begun burning and pillaging the towns and villages along the Niben. Several times Ra'nasta even infiltrated Bravil and Leyawiin, causing havoc and murdering guards or officials in grand displays of violence meant to intimidate the locals. The Ra'nasta had recently broken into the Leyawiin Shipyards, the Headquarters of the Imperial Niben Fleet, setting alight several ships left docked or under construction. The fires had threatened to claim the city, only narrowly stopped from doing so by the Leyawiin Mage's Guild with the help of an unknown Hero.
The Empire had responded in kind and Gabriel, his squad and several other larger units had been called in to eradicate the Ra'nasta in the area. Fighting was fierce, the Ra'nasta had been reinforced by 'rogue' units of the Pellatine Royal Army and all attempts at using the Aldmeri or Khajiit as diplomatic aid to bring the conflict to a safe end had been fruitless. The Ra'nasta were organised, fighting a war that brought back bitter memories of the Great War to many of the Legion's veterans. Khajiit rode upon the fearsome Senche or the smaller breeds had crept into tents under the cover of darkness to cut throats with naught but their claws and teeth. Several times had an Alfiq been caught skulking around the camp and executed as such - house cats were rounded up or killed on sight for fear of Khajiit spies.
The Empire pushed back, winning a number of organised battles against the Ra'nasta until they were forced to chase them back into Pellatine itself.
An event that almost caused a war.
As the Empire pushed into Pellatine, the Dominion and the Khajiit urged the Legion to leave - claiming their extended presence as a violation to the independent nature of the Khajiit kingdom. The commander of the Legion presence, Auventus, refused to abandon the situation - claiming the eradication of the Ra'nasta was the Legion's priority in the region. It wasn't. Auventus sacked the town of Altans, a Khajiit town north of Corinth that had been strong in its community support of the Ra'nasta. Gabriel had taken part, sickened as he was that the Legion was ordered to burn the Khajiit from their houses - orders were orders.
Until they weren't anymore. As Auventus ignored further orders to retreat and rounded his Legion upon Corinth itself - Gabriel disobeyed his orders. Gabriel disobeyed his rank. Gabriel Scipia struck down his commander while he ordered the troops to besiege the city.
The Legion retreated, narrowly pulling itself out of a war with Pellatine - although souring its relationship with the Khajiit kingdom forever. Dragged through the sands in chains, Scipia was relieved of all rank, stature and even humanity as he was brought up before the Imperial Elder Council.
Condemned for his actions, for his murder, the Chancellor himself was to give the execution orders. But they never came. The Chancellor personally pardoned Gabriel in the middle of the night, making a rare appearance at the Imperial Prison. Auventus had been found post-humously guilty of treason, of conspiring with enemies of the Empire - the Ra'nasta and the Thalmor themselves - to start a second and more final Great War. Scipia was to be freed, but never reinstated into the Legion he had effectively betrayed.
Even if they had betrayed him first.
The rest is but a shadow of his fall from grace. Forced into the underbelly of the Empire, forced into gladiator rings for a living. Eventually, Scipia would rise once more as a Gladiator of the Imperial Arena.