Auldan Longbrooke

Sir Auldan Longbrooke is a Captain in the Stormwind Army. He was a graduate of the Royal Military College of Stormwind and was subsequently awarded his station in the King's Own Cumberland Highlanders through study rather than merit. Now in command of Lion Company of the regiment's 2nd Battalion, he leads his men by example with courage, fierce determination, loyalty, and an astute tactical mind on the battlefield, showing a maturity and ability well beyond his years. He is also a practically unparalleled swordsman, able to cut through most foes with ease with his longsword. Thus, he is a man looked up to in the regiment's ranks.

Appearance
A crown of thick auburn hair, meticulously trimmed and taken care of, sits above Auldan's sloped brow, beneath which are a pair of slightly squinted emerald eyes. High cheekbones sit either side of his prominent nose, which in turn sits above his fairly wide and fairly full lips. His left front tooth on the top is angled slightly backwards, giving him an endearing smile when he flashes his pearly whites. A strong cleft chin and a chiseled jawline complete his angular face. His complexion is very slightly tanned and his skin is a little rough to the touch, owing to the time spent out doors in his profession. These features amalgamate to make one particularly handsome, eye-catching man.

Standing tall and with a powerful frame, Auldan could pass a sculptor's masterpiece. A muscular neck sits atop a pair of broad, bullish shoulders, each giving way to arms corded with lean muscles and with large, firm, and calloused hands distal to his thick wrists and forearms. His armspan is slightly over two meters, giving him a long and advantageous reach, at least for someone of his height. Between these limbs is a barreled chest, and beneath it sits an octuplet of sculpted abs; a solid wall of muscle with obliques framing either side. A wide back flares upwards and out from his waist, giving his muscled torso a V-taper from shoulder to hip. His rump and thighs are robust and muscular; immense collections of powerful fast-twitch muscles. Bulging calves sit below his knees, thick and strong, each leading to a large foot. A web of veins lace his arms and legs, giving an air of athleticism to his imposing physique.

Height: 6'2½ (189 cm)

Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)

Armspan: 6'8¼ (204 cm)

Personality
Growing up in a strict household, Auldan has developed into a disciplined young man --at least in front of acquaintances, subordinates, and superiors. When in the company of the aforementioned groups, a demeanor of quiet confidence and mental fortitude is displayed. With his natural charisma and eloquence, Auldan often draws the attention of those around him with his well-spoken and resonant bass voice.

His mind in the field is one of tactics and calculation, a vast intelligence working behind his thoughtful but grim countenance. An extensive knowledge of academics and strategy have gifted Auldan the ability to envisage his enemy's maneuvers, while his ingenuity and skills in improvisation almost always give him the perfect response --at least in theory. His never say die approach could be classified as courageous; an indomitable will to succeed winning him the plaudits of mentors and superiors alike. Perhaps he is a military genius; only time and experience will tell.

Friends see a different side to him than the one of calm leadership; a side of kindness and compassion, and of great appreciation of humor. Never one to miss out on a joke, Auldan can practically always be seen laughing, or at least with a cheeky smile, when in the company of his fellows. Though it is very difficult to get on his nerves --a quality owed to his confident disposition-- he is fiercely loyal to those he counts as friends, and will not hesitate to fight on their behalf.

This loyalty also applies to those under his command. The men of his company have a deep-seated respect for his calm determination, intelligence, and leadership ability and thus, the loyalty and trust given to them is reciprocated.

Arms & Armor
As is the standard for an infantry lieutenant in the Stormwind Army, Auldan adorns a full harness of hardened, fluted steel plate, each piece carefully measured to his exact dimensions and decorated with beautiful ornate patterns of blue and gold. A horse-hair crested barbute sits atop his head; the helm of a knight of the Brotherhood of the Horse. A gorget reaches from his muscular neck to his clavicles and sternum and a like area on his back, and rounded pauldrons cover from his broad shoulders to his arm pits. These are fixed with leather straps to a mighty cuirass which spans the great width of his chest and back, with a plackart riveted over the bottom of the breastplate to provide his abdomen with extra protection. Faulds and culets protect his waist, hips, and backside, completing the body of his imposing set. Rerebraces cover his muscular upper arms, spanning the length of his humerus from beneath the pauldron to the articulated cowters fixed to his elbows. Vambraces encase his thick forearms and gauntlets fit over his broad palms and long digits. Enveloping his immense thighs are cuisses, strapped to the flexible plates of his hips and buttocks, and the articulated poleyns that protect his knees. His thick-muscled calves are sheathed by a pair of greaves, and sabatons dome the top of his large feet. Comfortable leather boots provide his ankles and heels with adequate support --such is the skill of his shoemaker-- and hobnailed soles sit on their undersides for better grip on the battlefield. What isn't encapsulated by the steel plates of his harness is covered by mail, and beneath all is a padded blue gambeson. Under his gorget and over his cuirass is a magnificently patterned surcoat; the head of a roaring lion on a field of deep blue, with magnificent embroidery of golden cloth weaving around it. An insignia of rank is woven into the surcoat above his heart, the dual horizontal golden bars denoting his position as a captain.

A dark blue sword belt is tied over the top of his faulds with two gilt-edged sheathes hanging from its decorated leather; one for his longsword and one for his dagger. His longsword is of a plainer make, the scent-stopper pommel and cruciform of its crossguard crafted from a simple brass. The blade was forged into tempered steel and shaped into a distal-taper, and a fuller runs 3/4 of the length from the quillons to the tip, lightening it without sacrificing its strength. The tip is sharp; the sword is clearly designed for thrusting, and dark brown leather wraps around the blade's handle for the grip. As Auldan is equally skilled using his sword with one hand or two, a heater shield is often slung onto his back for use in infantry formations. It is made up of hardwood panels, with its edges reinforced with riveted and hardened steel. Painted onto the shield is the same crest as the one on his surcoat, the head of the roaring lion; the symbol of Stormwind.

When not dressed for duty, Auldan can be found wearing the fine clothes his salary allows. He has a fine sense of style, with his shirts and pants tailored to fit, and an expensive black leather belt looping around the waist of the latter. He usually wears expensive leather shoes, reverting to a second beaten up pair only for running or other physical activities. His clothing is always neatly pressed and clean --at least when stepping out the door-- and he provides a clean cut impression to onlookers with his well-dressed and hygienic appearance.

Physical Abilities
Auldan is an athlete and warrior of the very highest echelon. With the strength to lift a few times his own weight, the agility to execute spectacular handsprings and somersaults, the flexibility to perform splits with ease, and a seemingly limitless reservoir of stamina, his maneuverability in armor is indistinguishable from his maneuverability in clothing. He is fleet-footed, with a swift running speed and unshakable balance making him a formidable foe on the sports field as much as the battle ground. His reflexes are lightning fast; he has been known to catch flies with a finger and thumb, and with a mind as quick as a whip, he is almost impossible to outmaneuver and outsmart, especially when considering his near-psychopathic serenity under stress. His craft is that of the sword, where his perfect technique allows a blade to dance around his hands and body with a beautiful, ruthless efficiency. His skillful use of a sword is comparable to a fine art, indicative of a grandmaster's teachings. All of these factors amalgamate and work in unison to make Auldan an almost unparalleled swordsman and terrifying adversary.

As a testament to his prowess with a blade, Auldan has won 4 country-wide tournaments, besting all comers in the melee events.

Family History
With battle honours dating back centuries, at least one member of the Longbrooke family has served in the king's armies from every generation. The family takes pride in its production of warriors, with each member serving as battle hardened non-commissioned officers and leaders of men; only Auldan now has surpassed these ranks. As a result of their extensive servitude, the family was long ago awarded yeomen status --one step down from the landed gentry but one above the peasantry-- and thus they live out their lives on their small homestead by the town of Coldstream in the southern Westfall mountains, free of the land tenure most other common families have to deal with. Known for their tall men and women, the family looks the part of a warrior bloodline.

The Carwins of Coldstream have a similar background to the Longbrookes; centuries of military service providing them with yeomanry. Auldan's uncle, Jon Carwin, was a war hero of the First, Second, and Third wars, using his unmatched ability with a longsword to cut down foe after foe on many occasions. Due to his skill with a blade and perhaps his expendable nature --he was, after all, not of noble blood-- Jon was selected many times to represent his kingdom as a champion in single combat if the time came for such things. At home, Jon won many melee tournaments, besting all but a few opponents in his time. The Carwin family has a fighting reputation from Jon's career, and, as the majority of their men are as broad as they are tall, the Carwins are seen of pillars of strength amongst the old Westfall families.

The marriage of the Longbrooke and Carwin families was purely political, with both aiming to advance further up the social ladder with their combined gene-pool.

Childhood & Teenage Years
Auldan was born in the frigid early hours of December 13th, 21 years ago in the village of Coldstream, Westfall, the third child of Thaddeus Longbrooke and Vara Carwin. Weighing 10 lbs at birth, he was rightly assumed to grow up to be a sizable individual, and as an infant his eating habits were only sustained because of his family's freehold of their farm and its livestock. As such, Auldan was a fat child until the age of 7, when his height finally caught up to his width.

From a very young age, Auldan, alongside his brother Thaddeus, was trained in the arts of swordsmanship and combat by his uncle, Jon Carwin. While Thaddeus had little interest in mastering the blade, Auldan was a prodigy. He had great focus and discipline which stemmed from the strict tutelage and hard beatings Jon gave him from slight infractions. He displayed talent and athleticism in this craft, as well as a genuine interest to improve, and he quickly became a skilled swordsman and fighter.

Auldan was also a great student, receiving his education at the Turnbull School in Moonbrook. He was adept with all subjects, ranking at the very top of his class in academics while also excelling in athletics, winning county-wide foot races, ball games, pankration events, and, of course, armed melee events. Auldan attended the school from the age of 5 to the age of 18, and during his latter years he represented his county in tournaments, even competing in the House Wrynn Tourney, the yearly national competition for the kingdom's best fighters. He fought in the under-20 bracket from ages 15 to 19, besting noblemen's sons trained by grandmasters and great warriors. He won gold the four times he competed.

In the tournament during his 17th year, Auldan fought his way to the final with relative ease, where he fought Georges LeBlanc, son of famed war hero and fighter Mathieu LeBlanc. The fight was a great contest up until Auldan became distracted by a beautiful girl watching in the crowd. He stared at her for a moment, his guard dropping ever so slightly, and Georges swung his sword towards Auldan's head. He caught sight of the blade just before it made contact, and with his lightning fast reflexes moving the bulk of his head out of the sword's path. The end of the dulled weapon caught Auldan's mouth, bloodying the inside and permanently angling the top left incisor at the front of his mouth slightly backwards (to this day this remains one of the only alterations fighting has left on his body --scars or otherwise. Apparently, he is very hard to hit). Auldan's focus shot back to the fight, and he dominated his opponent from thereon. After, he tried to find the girl in the crowd but to no avail, eventually heading home with a gold medal around his neck and a coin purse in hand.

Home life was strict for Auldan and his siblings. When they weren't training or studying, they were helping tend to the livestock or with other chores; times for play and recreation were few and far between. Auldan's parents were of the mindset that if they spared the rod they would spoil the child, and so frequent beatings were given to all of them to keep them in line.

Young Adulthood & Military Service
Straight out of his primary education at the Turnbull School, Auldan enrolled in the Royal Military College of Stormwind with the money his family had saved for his secondary education. Auldan attended for 3 years, representing the school in many sporting events and graduating at the very top of his class as a certified infantry platoon leader and with a degree in archaeology. On the night of his graduation, Auldan saw the tournament girl in an upscale pub in Stormwind City. They flirted talked and he soon discovered she held the same affections as he did. They left for her house and spent the night relieving 4 years' worth of carnal desires. The pair have been dating ever since. Shortly after, Auldan was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Stormwind Army, serving under Lord-Commander Elmar Kraine in the newly reactivated King's Own Cumberland Highlanders, an infantry regiment based out of Stormwind. He was placed in charge of the 1st Platoon of Lion Company in the regiment's 2nd Battalion, while additionally being the second most senior of the company's lieutenants based on date of commission.

Auldan worked to train his platoon made up of mostly new recruits for combat readiness alongside the rest of the regiment, preparing their fresh faces --along with his own-- for the horrors of war. Auldan's platoon quickly developed into a cohesive and exceptionally effective fighting unit with his great leadership abilities and astute tactical vision. The regiment completed its training and is currently stationed on base in Stormwind, having returned from their final exercise in Elwynn's winter landscape. Auldan was the stand-out performer of the war game, leading his team to victory against 3-1 odds in a decisive battle, showing a masterful understanding of strategy, and earning the plaudits of the regiment's high command. Shortly after, the regiment deployed to the Broken Isles whereupon landing they were immediately thrust to the front lines to fight demons and Horde alike. Auldan took over command of 2nd Battalion's Lion Company after its Captain and senior Lieutenant were killed in battle almost immediately. Auldan was given a battlefield promotion and led Lion Company with exceptional skill through weeks of combat thereafter. The regiment quickly became a battle hardened and lethal; they have yet to be on the losing side of a fight thus far into their campaign, and have often been the decisive factor in battle due to their expertise in formation fighting and their imposing physical presence. The regiment is currently off combat rotation, taking a short break from the fighting to recoup their losses by way of replacement soldiers. During this time, Auldan has been given the Distinguished Service Cross and has been knighted into the Brotherhood of the Horse, becoming Sir Auldan the Indomitable of House Longbrooke, the title coming from the intelligent and resolute style of his leadership in combat as well as his skill with a longsword. Upon the end of the campaign and his return to Stormwind, he will be tasked with establishing his house's stately home and its logistics, a task he will no doubt achieve with his girlfriend Naiara Halliday-Thornton.

Awards and Decorations
Auldan is entitled to campaign participation credits for his service in the Broken Isles Campaign and future campaigns.

His decorations and medals include:



Relationships
Lovers:
 * Naiara Halliday-Thornton is Auldan's current girlfriend. The pair met on the day of his graduation from the Royal Military College of Stormwind while Auldan was celebrating with friends, recognizing one another from a tournament Auldan won a few years prior. They engaged in flirtation and before they knew it they were spending a sexual night together. They have been together since, and Auldan moved in to her house on a permanent basis, living there when he isn't deployed.