Appearance

Physical Description

Cearbhall stands about average height for a goat and has quite a lean build though has lost some muscle from his younger days. He often carries himself hunched over and as such his shoulders have begun to round.

Body Features

Cearbhall has a few nicks and scratches on his body. His most prevalent scars are an arrow wound on his left peck, sustained during the war. The others were inflicted more recently as there is a large scar down his back, pink and raw where fur no longer grows, and a stab wound in his abdomen from his failed suicide attempt.

Facial Features

Like all goats, Cearbhall has grown a fine goatee that is starting to grey more than the rest of his fur in parts.

Identifying Characteristics

Cearbhall's only distinguishing feature is that part of his left horn has been severed and is a few inches shorter than the other. He suffered this blow at the hands of the Simian Commander during the Siege of Berwich

Mentality

Personal history

Cearbhall was born an ordinary peasant farmer and helped his parents work the land until age eight when he was a selected by Sir James Stout the Stoat to be his squire.
 
At age twenty, Cearbhall saved King Edward VII's life at a tourney by decapitating the King's would be assassin; Lord Ademere Longtail, the Dread Bobcat of the North. Cearbhall's reward was a knighthood with the title 'Kingshield' and he was awarded a new suit of armour and holdings to govern.
 
Cearbhall ruled well for the next twelve years as he massively improved every aspect of his holdings from its wealth to sanitation/living conditions and to its crime rate. During this period, Cearbhall also aided the King's Shield Sir Averon the Still in foiling a plot to blow up Convocation (Forte's parliament building).
 
When the Simian Empire invaded the island of Akanowa, beginning the Second Simian War, Cearbhall was dispatched by King Edward to the fort town of Berwich. There, with a mere one hundred men at arms and a small ranger company, Cearbhall withstood a siege for more than a year.
 
After the war, Cearbhall was made a member of King Edwards King Shield's but he did not acquit himself well at all and his antics eventually lead to his exile.

Education

Born into a family of farmers, Cearbhall does know a thing or two about crop rotation and irrigation. He maintained an interest whilst ruling over Stophord and sought to deepen his very basic knowledge from childhood.
 
At age eight, Cearbhall was chosen by Sir James Stout the Stoat to be his squire. Cearbhall was taught how to ride, how to fight with sword, shield and spear. Cearbhall was also given a very basic education in reading writing.
 
Simply through his walk in life, Cearbhall also has a good understanding of both the peasant and noble world, being familiar with the customs of those both high and low.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Aged twenty, Cearbhall slew Lord Ademere; the Dread Bobcat of the North, in one on one combat as the latter tried to assassinate King Edward VII. For this great deed, Cearbhall earned his knighthood and title of Kingshield.
 
Now as Vassal of Stophord, Cearbhall sought to emulate his King in how he ruled. He built a new sewage system to improve sanitation and combat disease. He dug wells and ensured that everyone within his lands had access to clean, fresh water. Like his King, Sir Cearbhall also cracked down on crime so that the people could feel safe and secure under the watch of their lord.
 
In 1051AF, Sir Cearbhall aided the King's Shield Ser Averon the Still in foiling an attempt to destroy Convocation; the Parliament and seat of government in Forte. Ser Averon gave his life to foil the plotters but it was Cearbhall's role in these deeds that lead to it being a mere formality that he would succeed Ser Averon as a King's Shield.
 
Cearbhall's best known achievements come from his role in the Second Simian War, which began in 1052AF and lasted till 1054AF. Sir Cearbhall was sent to the fort town of Berwich on the most north westerly point of the island of Akanowa. There with a mere one hundred men at arms and a small ranger company, Sir Cearbhall held off an overwhelming Simian force for over a year before King Edward arrived with reinforcements.
 
Upon his return to the world, Sir Cearbhall did perform quite admirably at the Tourney for Ardon. He defeated Dame Catherine Duchar in three blows during the melee and helped to lead Martins team to a landslide victory in the Test of Strategy event.

Failures & Embarrassments

Cearbhall considers his first failure to be all those who died under his command at Berwich. In particular the townsfolk whom he conscripted into a militia and most especially the loss of his own squire, Alfie, whom he considered as a sort of son/younger brother (but more to the son side).
 
After the war, Sir Cearbhall was hailed a great hero and saviour of the people and his seemingly inevitable elevation into the King's Shields was completed as he was taken back to the capital. However, by this point Cearbhall had become a terrible alcoholic and after two years of endless misbehaviour, the final straw came when, at a banquet in the Royal Court, Sir Cearbhall got so inebriated that he lost complete control of himself. He made advances towards the Queen, defecated on the Mithan Throne and, when the King confronted him, he uncontrollably urinated on the King’s legs. For this, Sir Cearbhall was stripped of his land and exiled.
 
At the tourney, Sir Cearbhall didn't do too well in the joust, but then again no one really did so it's not too bad.
 
During the Battle of Akanowa, Sir Cearbhall was not performing too well in aiding the Shogun and when faced his old nemesis, the Simian Commander from the Siege of Berwich, the Survivor of Berwich, Cearbhall turned and ran but only succeeded in having his spine shattered by the Simians axe. Broken in every sense of the word and more depressed and ashamed than ever, Sir Cearbhall sought to end his own life by performing harakiri but did not have the physical strength to carry it out.

Mental Trauma

Cearbhall did not deal with the pressures of command very well when the war started. Granted he was having to lead under extreme circumstances in his first ever campaign. With the constant loss of his men and the townsfolk he was there to protect, Cearbhall sank into depression which he alleviated by drinking heavily and inevitably became a raging alcoholic.
 
The Simian battle masks are also a strong focal point of Cearbhall's trauma, so much so that the mere sight of any mask will cause Cearbhall to either be rooted by fear or lash out violently.

Intellectual Characteristics

Cearbhall does still have quite a shrewd mind for stewardship, diplomacy and strategy on the field of battle when applied properly. Cearbhall also has a natural talent for gambling, especially at liars dice.

Morality & Philosophy

Sir James taught Cearbhall two lessons in how to conduct himself not only as a knight but as a person. The first was simple; be good, help people when they ask for it, help people when you see they need aid. The second was simpler still; be nice, be kind even if some is nasty to you, for treating people badly yields no reward.
 
Sir Averon taught Cearbhall only one lesson but it was perhaps the most important to Cearbhall in shaping his view of the world and his role in it. The lesson was to do your duty, you serve to protect the King and you must do everything you can, everything you must to carry out that duty. Loyalty to the King matters above all else.
 
King Edward was perhaps Cearbhall's longest serving mentor who taught him to be strong, upright and virtuous, above all in the face of adversity. There are those out there who prey on the weak and seek to crush them beneath their heel and it is your responsibility and obligation, as the strong, to defend the weak and protect the innocent.

person.sexuality

It was always noted amongst his peers that Cearbhall had never married once he became Vassal of Stophord. He himself would simply say he's too busy focusing on his work with the hold to settle down yet. The war did not help with the notion of him getting a wife.
 
After his exile, Cearbhall lived atop a glacier which overshowed a small farming village from which a star struck young goat named Shannon managed to persuade Cearbhall into agreeing to marry her. The marriage was not a happy one however as Shannon's star struck gaze would soon morph into a furrowed brow as her life was turned to misery as all she had to live on was potatoes, vodka and drunken rants from her husband.
 
Cearbhall himself was most likely too inebriated to know what was going on to perform his duties as a husband. As such Cearbhall is still a virgin and generally speaking has never particularly shown any interest in either sex, it's not important to him.

Taboos

"Never. Insult. King Edward. In front of me!"
 
Generally speaking Cearbhall does not like being asked personal questions or talk of the past, the war in particular. He is also especially sensitive around talk about those closest to him; ie Edward and Alfie.

Known Languages

King's Fortish but also speaks and understands the different dialects and colloquialisms of the different areas of Forte. Speaks and understands basic Akanowan but can become lost when trying to understand Akanowan slang.

Personality

Motivation

Cearbhall has a deep sense of loyalty to King Edward and has always been saddened by the fact that in the end, he disappointed his King. As Edward is now dead, Cearbhall seeks to fulfil his King's last request of him: to aid his son, Martin.

Quotes & Catchphrases

"My King ordered me to hold this fort and I intend to do so, I will never surrender... but I will happily accept yours, Simian."- said to the Simian Commander at the start of the Siege of Berwich
 
"Hold the line!"- his most used battlecry
 
"I grew these potatoes on top of a glacier, Magden, of course they're magical!"- said to Magden on the road when discussing his potatoes
 
"That's the thing about killing, Martin, it's the most unnatural, natural thing."- said to Martin just before the Battle of Akanowa

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: Sir Nikolai.
 
Dislikes: Nearly everything else.

Vices & Personality flaws

He is a raging alcoholic as Sir Nikolai is probably his closest companion these days.

Hygiene

He's a dirty old goat who probably hasn't had a bath for over a decade.

Social

Birthplace

Forte

Current Residence

Glacier to the open road to Sir Sodo's dojo

Contacts & Relations

The Four Stewards: Sir Cotswald Longstripe, Sir Townshend Swiftclaw, Dame Sally Thunderblow and Dame Liana Stormrider.

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Sir Kingshield, Bane of the Dread Bobcat, Defender of Berwich, Slayer of Simians, Champion, Hero and Saviour of the People, The Peasant Knight, Defender of the Faith and Protector of the Realm.
 
Cearbhall most recently made Sir Cotswald the official Vassal of Stophord.

Wealth & Financial state

Currently has 3 whole Leongrins.

Family Ties

Both his parents are dead, the only remaining relation is his estranged wife.

Religious Views

Cearbhall is not an atheist but holds no regards for the gods. He has never prayed nor does he believe that they have any benevolent influence on the world, he has seen far too many horrors. Generally speaking Cearbhall has never really thought about the gods, they've never truly been a part of his life.

Hobbies & Pets

Currently has a large black bull who is yet to be named.

Speech

Cearbhall speaks with a gruff, harsh tone, often slurring his words but if he sobered himself up for long enough he could return to the respectful, yet heavily accented, eloquence of his youth.