Tion Harrowmire

Tion Lordain Harrowmire is a Alteraci Knight in service to Duke Marcus Banes DeBray in the Duchy of Kent.

Physical Description
The young man has the look of one who spends most of his time indoors, and the books he carries with him seem to agree with that assumption. And much like the young man, one would be presumptuous to judge such a book merely by the cover it presents to the world. Short and rather slender, Tion appears to be in the gangly stage between boy and man, youth written on unblemished, delicate features. Artfully rumpled, short hair is so pale a blonde that it appears almost silver-touched crowns a rosy-cheeked, pretty face composed of soft angles and fine lines. Sky blue eyes show lines of a deeper azure radiating from the pupils, patterning his gaze, especially vivid against pale skin.

Despite appearing as though he rarely sees sunlight, the boy appears trim and healthy. Legs often clad in snug breeches show hints of athletic muscle, while above the waist an astute eye might note that Tion's frame is a little broader. Perhaps the waist-coat hides a surprise of muscle beneath it. In clothing, he prefers pants and coats to the robes that many mages are prone to, enjoying dressing in jewel-tone blues to bring out his bright eyes. Most of his clothing is touched with embroidery in other shades of blue, silver, or gold, the patterns subtle and tasteful.

Personality
If approached, many would assume the boy to be arrogant. Often, he stands away from the crowds as though considering himself above them, and answers to questions are frequently clipped. When speaking to others, he has a habit of looking away, perhaps giving the impression that he doesn't find the conversation or conversationalist worth his time. Again, a book should not be judged by its cover; careful observers may come to the conclusion that these mannerisms indicate extreme shyness and a very reserved, cautious attitude.

The truth of the matter is that the youth, while pampered nobility, has been raised in a great deal of social isolation. Much of the interactions he's learned from are sourced in the novels he loves to read, and that doesn't always translate well to the real world. His bashfulness makes it difficult to meet the eyes of strangers and he avoids noisy crowds, uncertain what to do within them, or even how to try and be a part of them. Still, he does enjoy watching others socialize, trying to learn a bit from observation.

Being a pacifist by nature and not even a little bit assertive, he's been easily guided and influenced by others who would take advantage of an impressionable youth. The results of these experiences have made him cautious, and to others he would seem very aloof, leaving him more isolated as a result. To add struggle to the mix, Tion very much loathes being alone. The loss of his Guardian has made that fear of solitude even stronger, yet he doesn't know how to reach out to others. Only a few people, very dear to him, remain, and he holds tight to those people in the hopes that he won't lose them as well.

=History= ___

Childhood
Born during the height of Midsummer revelry, in 16 L.C., Tion Lordain Harrowmire was the sixth son of Margrave Lothaire Harrowmire. A Marcher-Lord of one of the many small fiefdoms that remained independent of outside rule, this small stretch of land was nestled between the great Kingdom of Lordaeron, the mage-city of Dalaran, and the deteriorating Kingdom of Alterac. The Margrave's lands were called the March of Llovere.

With five older brothers, Tion was nowhere remotely near any point of succession to that small kingdom. And yet, his childhood was still embroiled in the political intrigue and strife that was part of the Border March. From his youth, he was no stranger to the political machinations that petty lordlings indulged in, and was often pleased to be so low in the chain of succession; it meant that such things were rarely directed at him.

The Margrave chose to have all his sons educated in the political culture common within Llovere, and at courts and events held by others of note, Tion learned more than he probably wanted to about how toadying and deceptive nobility could be. He also witnessed the machine of politics, every House and landed noble a cog in a greater machine, with the peasantry below them turning their wheels in their time as well.

Murder and Exile
Lessons that he enjoyed more were martial in nature; his father required that all his sons be competent on the battlefield as well as in the courts, for the two places were simply different aspects of conflicts to be won. As a child, Tion wished to become a Knight. Since such ventures were considered honorable for the family, the Margrave fostered him to the far south Kingdom of Stormwind to serve as a page of Lord Aedrenn Drake. Drake was a distant relative, and to the surprise of many, required very little persuading to take the boy on as a student. Some speculated that he had ulterior motives in mind, but Tion didn't care.

That was the story that was spread around, at any rate. Some brief time before, a lordling was killed in a hunting accident, a hunt that Tion attended. Amid the resulting chaos and accusation, Tion was blamed for the death. Bewildered and distressed, the young Harrowmire was quietly shuffled off to Stormwind, exiled from his family holdings.

He became comfortable in the southern Kingdom, learning to navigate the political waters there, for politics seemed the same everywhere, at the roots. All that changed were names, colors, and specific ambitions. Lord Aedrenn continued his education in the matters of the court, making certain that Tion was aware of the various situations in the political life of Stormwind and the other Kingdoms. Tion received lessons in manners and diplomacy at a tender age, as well as how to insinuate himself in those events, taking advantage of his youthful, angelic looks. By the time he was twelve, Lord Drake took him on officially as a squire, and Tion attended his new Lord wherever he went.

Meanwhile, in the north, both Lordaeron and Dalaran had suffered miserably under the decimation of the Plague and subsequent Scourge armies. The grand Kingdom of Lordaeron, once a majestic place, had fallen completely. Stromgarde held out for longer, the impressive keep and the tactics of the military leaders keeping the landscape partially free from the spread of Undeath. But only for a while. When the Forsaken invaded the Arathi Highlands, it was only a matter of time before the keep finally fell, but time had been bought for citizens to flee to safety. What safety could be found.

Stromic Imprisonment
As a member of the Grand Alliance, Lord Drake went northward to help organize a collective effort from the local nobility, but the more powerful members of Court responded with hostilities, preferring to take advantage of the chaos and disaster to advance themselves and their power. As his squire, young Tion accompanied Lord Drake, and was recognized as a member of House Harrowmire. Rumors of Tion's exile hadn't spread quite so far, and one of the nobles decided he could benefit by taking the youth hostage in the hopes of ransom from the destabilized March of Llovere, which was barely standing after the Scourge armies had swept through.

Lord Mathilian Lionblood hardly matched his regal name, given his willingness to take a child hostage instead of focusing on what could be done to save places and people from the Scourge. For well over a year, Tion was kept as "guest" of the Stromgarde Lord, initially under the lie that he was now squire for Lionblood. It was a comforting lie for Tion for a while; he preferred to believe it instead of thinking about the alternatives, but eventually he faced the fact that he was not only held hostage, but that his family would certainly have no interest in purchasing his release.

Still, there were bright spots here and there. He found a friend in the foppish son of Lord Lionblood; the flamboyant young man named Aidros made for a good companion and confidant in a place that otherwise lacked both things. Tion also took advantage of the martial training made available with the Stromic Knights, along with Aidros. He did serve as though he were squire to Lionblood, though he held out hope that Lord Aedrenn Drake would return for him. Eventually, after a year and a half his hopes were rewarded when Lord Drake returned and secured Tion's release. Not believing that anyone in politically vulnerable positions should remain ignorant, Drake made certain to inform young Tion of the perils of his noble birth and just how common a practice it was to keep a young noble as "guest" in such a fashion. Of course, this made him recall the whispers that had gone on when Drake opted to take him as a squire so quickly... They traveled back south to Stormwind, the city that Tion had started to really think of as his home.

The Fourth War
They'd just withdrawn from the Arathi Highlands when the clash between the Grand Alliance and the New Horde began in earnest. They avoided becoming embroiled in that war themselves as they traveled, by luck as much as anything else, though gruesome rumors traveled to their ears of the horrors inflicted on the lands they knew. Upon reaching Stormwind, Lord Aedrenn was promptly named as a Marshal of the 13th Northwatch Expeditionary Unit, and was given the difficult task of campaigning into Kalimdor and securing strategic points to reinforce Alliance presence in the rugged and wild land. Tion attended as his squire, and saw firsthand what only rumors had mentioned before. Even after months, he couldn't view the large number of casualties with a jaded eye, but the unit eventually completed its campaign.

The entirety of the Alliance was shaken to the core by the destruction of Theramore. While civilian losses were minimal, that particular show of callous violence raised both fear and fury that didn't abate in the least until the Siege of Orgrimmar resulted in the defeat of Garrosh's Horde. Lord Drake did not escape unscathed from the warfare; severely wounded early in the campaign, he retired to his estates in Stormwind. Sixteen years old, and already Tion had experienced more than most sheltered nobles would in twice the time. No longer needed as a squire, he decided to serve at the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind as a trainee guard.

Citrine Eagle
In 37 L.C., Duke Marcus DeBray came to Stormwind to work with the guard on a brief rotation, bringing some of his own soldiers to train with them. He looked over the Duchy of Kent, a substate of Alterac east of Llovere lands. On a number of occasions, the two had opportunity to work together and developed a mutual respect. Wanting to make a name for himself somewhere beyond the tamed city of Stormwind, when DeBray extended an invitation, Tion eventually chose to accompany him back to Kent. While the cold weather and rocky land --not to mention a people that were somewhat cold and hard themselves-- was a bit of a deterrent, the desire to become something more and test his skills won the decision. In the months to follow, Tion was Knighted in formal ceremony in service to DeBray and Kent