Appearance

Physical Description

Thin an lanky, comparatively gaunt to other 'youthful' elves of his age.

Body Features

Nothing too out of the ordinary for a humanoid race. Two arms, two legs, a head, a torso that connects them all, and all of the standard accompanying features of those limbs.

Facial Features

Adorned with minor scars around his left cheek and upper lip, his face is otherwise as pristine as a lightly wrinkled elf can get.

Identifying Characteristics

His ears are rounded off and appear almost human in contrast to his fellow elves, leaving little to no scarring.
He radiates a petrichor (the smell of rain) aroma wherever he goes.
In his earlier years his cobalt eyes granted him some what of a reputation. Although faded, a distinct hint of their infamous color remains just round iris of both eyes.

Physical quirks

Often appears to be deep in thought or contraction when accomplishing mundane tasks.

Apparel & Accessories

Always wears a blade on his hip and will keep a glamoured cane when he is forced to part with his weapons.
His scabbards both contain a spell focus crystal embedded in them that Tetrose will usually wield in his off hand when casting spells or to block an opponent's blade.
Usually keeps a dagger concealed in his attire and only uses it for particular circumstances like ending the suffering of a dying creature or to perform very minor medical procedures.
Usually wears a battle cloak that appears outwardly as mundane robes over his clothes, when they actually conceal small thin plates of metal to make a rudimentary set of brigandine.

Specialized Equipment

He is a master of martial and magical combat, focusing on calculated and fine strikes to pierce through his opponent's defenses. He is the sole master of the bladesinging school of the saber-tooth; a combat style that utilizes all the strengths of the rapier.

Special abilities

Tetrose has the ability to create a protective aura around his person that is created entirely of magic. Naked to most mundane eyes, this aura serves as Tetrose's shield in battle as well as granting him a host of other benefits such as incresesed agility and mental fortitude.
Although all bladsingers can manifest an aura, each one takes on characteristics based on the user. The user's emotions, physique, weapon, and magic (i.e what school(s) and type(s) of magic they special specialize in all affect the color, shape, texture, air, and in some cases effect of their aura. All of these factors (except for effect) are as fluid as the factors that influence them and thus can change in the midst of battle.

Mentality

Personal history

Tetrose's life can be divided into separate eras that are defined by his goals, life events, employment, and age.

Birth to Apprenticeships:

Tetrose was born to a new family of two elves tucked away in the Emerald Vale. Both of his parents were from mixed elvish backgrounds. His father, Tanarus Vella, was the product of star and moon elf societies melding together over time. His mother, Billbeto Karf, was not a product of societies combining together but of a fling between a sea elf and and a sun elf down by the sea of the Heartless Domain. His parents were both magically inclined due to their elvish heritage; but, unfortunately never took advantage of it. Instead deciding to lead a mundane life among artisans, farmers, and merchants.
 
Tetrose's early life consisted of him traveling with his family across the country of Ekesh, homesteading previously unoccupied areas of land and never truly settling down for no more than 15 years at a time.
Throughout his youth and adolescence, Tetrose became fascinated by magic. Weather it be through his parents use of minor cantrips such as prestidigitation or mending, Tetrose would endlessly study and theorize what magic was and what its potential was.
 
After decades of studying any scrap of information that he could find, Tetrose decided to dedicate his life to magic. He left his parents and his young sister, Charletta, promptly and began to search for a wizard school that he could call home. The ensuing century would see Tetrose join numinous minor wizard schools and learn under many masters, only for the school to fall apart for one reason or another shortly after (maximum 10 years) he joined. In total he spent 50 years of his time and all of his gold to join 12 wizard schools and learn under 12 different masters.
 
Along the way, he met what would tun out to be a life long friend in a mysterious wizard known currently as Frost. Together. they hopped from school to school for a few years until one day they they separated after a single skilled halfing destroyed their current school after the pair had meddled with his plans.
Eventually, Tetrose determined that his path lied with the art of bladesinging. He came to this conclustion after taking a break from searching for a school and decided to settle down with his sea elf relatives that lived in the Heartless Domain. One night, when Teterose was siting at the local bar wallowing in self pity. He saw what appeared to be a bard with no instrument take down a group of bandits that had come in for a drink. The warrior turned out to be a bladesinger and explained to Tetrose the intricacies of blending martial and magic together in combat. The rest was history and Tetrose was pointed to his next school by the kind traveler.
 

The School Of The Saber-Tooth:

Finally settling in and catching his stride, Tetrose adopted the art of martial combat and learned to embrace it just as much as he did with magic. Choosing to specialize in the Saber-Tooth's specialty weapon of the Rapier, Tetrose began to develop his own unique fighting style that emphasized precision, restraint, and calculated attacks.
 
Over time Tetrose would slowly ascend the ranks of his school through hard fought civil wars among the school itself and other bladesinger schools for the rights to regulate their type magic for the Council of Divines. At the age of 150, Tetrose became his school's youngest, at the time, and one of the only remaining masters after a long and bloody time of conflict. Eventually, Tetrose would achieve arch wizard status and become the head of his school and would lead it through an unprecedented time of peace and growth.
 
All throughout the time after Tetrose graduated from apprentice to being a fully fledged wizard, he would learn from and teach his peers different forms of magic. Now that his journey to the top had been completed he seldom had any peers to experiment with. Instead, Tetrose began to take on classes apprentices from the time he achieved master up until he became arch wizard. From that point onwards, Tetrose vowed to dedicate what little spare time he had from his responsibilities to maintain and lead his school to teaching wizards and apprentices that showed potential.
 
Tetrose's life would continue like this for over 200 years as he grew his school and taught numerous masters. At this point he was the eldest member of the his school as all of the older masters that he assisted during the civil war had all died or retired to the school's hidden temple where they would spend their twilight years guarding the school's historical records, member database, and important artifacts of the school.

Education

Tetrose has been a study under many different masters from many different wizard schools. His progression through his time in the School of the Saber-Tooth saw him start from lowest rung of the school to its highest.

• Apprentice: This rank sees a new student, along side numerous other aspiring wizards, learn the absolute basics of magic and its known history. This level is filled with the most basic grunt work every successful wizard needs to learn how to do. Tasks were usually, but not limited to, organization of their teacher's spell components, the maintenance of the school's basic library, the constant repetition of cantrips and low level spells until the point of exhaustion, ect. A student could expect to be in this position for as little as 9 months to up to 2 years depending on the individual. The criteria of progression to the next level of training is as simple as learning and mastering a minimum of a single cantrip while attending the school, only then will a student be eligible to progress at their teacher's desecration.


• Appreciate: Having proven a magical aptitude, the members of this rank actually begin to learn how to become fully fledged wizards. This is where a student will learn how to create their own spell books and how to properly prepare spells. Before this point the spells a student would lean would often leave their mind the moment they finished casting it, thus leaving them unable to cast the spell again until they had prepared it again. This level teaches students the ability to maintain their ability to cast their prepared spells one after another until they collapse from exhaustion, usually after the second casting of first level spell. This level is also where students receive their very own spell focus or component compendium. Unlike the previous level of education, students at this level have a time limit to progress to the next level. If a student fails to graduate to the rank of a wizard within 20 months of becoming an appreciate, they will be bared from becoming a wizard at this school forever. The criteria for graduation from this level is a far cry from their last challenge. To become a wizard, an appreciate must learn and have mastered two more cantrips as well as learned and recorded six spells that they are able to cast after proper preparation. Three of these spells will be provided to the students and the remaining three are up to each individual to learn from a source inside the school.


• Wizard: When a student has achieved this rank, they have formally been recognized as a life long member of the School of the Saber-Tooth. Regardless of status, creed, sex, or race, these individuals are forever bound to this school and the school to them. Their membership gives them access to numerous resources for them to purse their career in wizardry. Libraries of exclusive tombs of knowledge only granted to wizards by the Council's decree, many contacts across the land of Ekesh that can grant you audience with local officials, wizards, churches, and many other knowledgeable individuals (you are still subject waiting lists and rejection), numerous masters seeking out personal apprentices for various reasons, a monthly budget that you may use at you discretion (this is paid for by everyone's membership contributions), the right to take on groups of apprentices, and a title that grants you the right to practice magic for financial services. All of these befits are granted to Saber-Tooth wizards gradually as they refine their talents by learning rituals, methods to extend one's arcane energy, how to defend one's self with minor martial weapons, and a few years of general education. Once a wizard has met these criteria, they are required to learn the school's unique art of bladesinging. This criteria must also be met before a wizard wishes to become a master or arch wizard, it is for this reason that a wizards are given the option to end their learning at this point or transfer their knowledge and status to a different wizard school. Some students can advance to the rank of master without becoming a bladesinger; however, this case is exceptionally rare and is most often reserved for wizards that have thoroughly proven themselves outside of the school and still wish to join but not give up on their own specialization of magic.


• Master: This rank is reserved for the school's best and brightest. Primarily dominated by long lived races due the extensive and length process of becoming a master, the master rank is the highest a student can achieve without becoming the school's leader. A must prove themselves as a cunning warrior as well as learned scholar. A bladesinger master must have developed their own slight variation on the School of the Saber-Tooth's style, able to maintain their aura's consistently under constant heavy attack for minimum of one minute, and be able to cast a minimum of 5th level spells. Those requirements are simply the standard of consideration. In addition to the previous criteria, a wizard must be recommended by three masters for the arch wizard to consider granting you the title of master. If a wizard obtains the recommendation of enough masters they will very well might be named master on the spot; however, that decision is still at the depression of the arch wizard. One could possible be granted recommendation by all current masters and still not be granted the title. On the other hand the arch wizard might see your potential first hand and name you a master with no recommendations. The privileges of being a master are few but have a great impact. As a master you have the right to not only teach a class of apprentices, you have the right to teach individuals as well from all ranks below yours. On top of that, you may also graduate an apprentice or appreciate early in order to teach them bladesinging or other advanced tactics early. This is not all that normal but certainly not rare. What is rare, is having a non-student be taught and subsequently named wizard after learning under a master. This usually happens to the children of masters that desire to teach their children in their own style. Outside of those unique circumstances it has almost seldom occurred.


• Arch Wizard: This position is reserved for a single person; however, there is no rule stating that it can not be held by more than one individual it has just never been done before. The arch wizard is the absolute highest rank anyone can receive at the School of the Saber-Tooth, as it the school's leader. To be named arch wizard requires the approval of the previous arch wizard along with the approval of the three oldest masters (in terms of years served) of the school. This position does not come with any more benefits than being a master does. In fact it requires more irresponsibility than any other position at the school. The arch wizard is responsible for communicating and cooperating with the council should the need ever call for it, moderating major disputes among members, delivering just punishment for any member's transgressions, deciding policy changes, controlling the funds of the school, greeting every new batch of apprentices, and many more administrative duties. Historically, every arch wizard has informally recognized a small group of their peers (usually masters) as their council to call upon to aid in these duties and decisions. There is no formal rank for these individuals but they are expected to be treated as if they were the arch wizard themselves. It was not until Tetrose was named arch wizard that the position's responsibilities were carried out entirely by a single individual. This was due to the drastic decrees in the number of masters apart of the school as a majority were lost during a time of civil war among the bladesinger schools.

Employment

Tetrose has worked a short list of jobs to keep himself going over the centuries, some he took to naturally, being a wizard, others he was never cut out for so to speak, like being a dock worker during his brief time living with his extended family in the Heartless Domain. His jobs in order of employment:

1. Homesteader with his family during his youth


2. A long list of apprenticeships under numerous wizards and schools


3. A short stent as a dock hand


4. His life long career of being a wizard, teacher, and leader at his school


5. Running a traveling business across the Emerald Vale that offers assorted goods and services such as general survival equipment and gear maintenance services

Currently his shop is limited to offering access to these maintenance tools as he has invested in tools that he has little to no experience using them. His goods service is still in tip top shape; however, boarding his new adventuring group has limited his stock quite significantly.

Morality & Philosophy

• Love Thy Enemy: Tetrose firmly believes in his own interpretation of this philosophy. He thinks that if a person is willing to risk their lives fighting their opponent, then they deserve a degree of respect. They should not be looked down upon or be given any undue praise. They should be treated as a reflection of one's self, an estranged twin of sorts. They have their own goals, responsibilities, and justifications for being where they just as you do. One must understand this in order to truly be a warrior of any metal in Tetrose's book. Like his philosophy dictates, he does not look down or think less of others who do not meet this standard, Tetrose will respectfully disagree and move on.


• Honor In Kind: Tetrose strives to live by his code of honor with no exception; because of this he has made it flexible and broad as to not narrow his mind too an extensive degree. If his opponents strike from the shadows in attempt to be unseen, then they will be in turn met with less honor. This is not to the extent of 'an eye for an eye' but operates similarly. For the said example of not facing your enemy in fight, then combat options to intentionally maim without dispatching are on the table for Tetrose to employ. On the flip side, if an opponent fights with honor and honestly challenges Tetrose to a one on one duel, then Tetrose is compelled to accept as he wants to match his opponent's courtesy for fighting on equal terms. More honorable tactics will only be used against this opponent as it is only right after they gave you the common courtesy to challenge you instead of trying to stab you in the back when you were not looking. This doesn't even have to happen to Tetrose necessarily. If someone poisons his opponent during his dual then said assassin is open game for getting his hands cut off. If a warrior who has shown respect to you wants an honorable or good death, you give it to them. If your opponent can only defeat you by caching you off guard then they should be commended for their willingness to defeat their enemies at all cost; but, ultimately be met with the level of honor they themselves have displayed. The goal of this philosophy is to not escalate a conflict, engender hatred, or dehumanize your opponent; but, to understand and respect the person that you might be killing or the person that might be killing you.


• To Surrender Is To Die: Tetrose believes that if has committed to a battle them he must complete it at all costs. If the fight was agreed to be to the death, then someone's blood must be shed. If he is forced to face defeat then he will die either by his own blade or by the blade of his opponent. The warrior that defeated him deserves that much, no else will steal their honor. If the life of an innocent is reliant on Tetrose's surrender, then he will oblige temporarily until he can dispatch his foes.

Personality

Motivation

• To acquire, preserve, and spread knowledge


• To further the world's basic understanding of magic and how the goddess of magic affects it


• A good death


• To make a positive impact on the world before he dies


• To fight a skilled and honorable opponent


• To make the lives of his dead companions worth something

Savvies & Ineptitudes

• Expert in all things magic, specifically the arcane


• Has a few centuries experience running a caravan business, he has picked up some skill as an entrepreneur


• Does not understand the concept of a 'white lie' and is consequently very blunt.

Likes & Dislikes

Likes:

• A good book


• A rich bit of pipe weed


• A duel that challenges him


• Riding his horse in the early morning


• Conviction and dedication

Dislikes:

• Trickery in almost all of its forms


• Cowardice of people who are meant to be brave


• The abuse of power by a governing body over its people


• People who reject nuance


• Feeling like he has wasted time

Vices & Personality flaws

• Often leaps headlong into battle. Is always eager for an honorable fight.


• Too willing to die and thus does not look after his own well being much.


• Eager to study his foes that far out class his abilities


• Disillusioned with the concept that everyone is born equal. Often focuses on the racial advantages and disadvantages of his opponents and tries to exploit it.


• Smokes too much after a long day of work

Personality Quirks

• Often lost in his own thoughts, sometimes to the point he needs to be physically shaken out of focus


• Enjoys to hum and sing while traveling


• Has mild Insomnia (randomly roll a D20 after every long rest and on a 1 suffer one level of exhaustion. If already suffering from exhaustion then decrease the die size for every level.)

Social

Birthplace

The Emerald Vale; (Precise Location TBD)

Current Residence

Traveling across the country, primarily in the Emerald Vale.

Wealth & Financial state

Tetrose has lived his life through various levels of wealth. Currently he lives a modest lifestyle through his traveling business that generates his and his employee's livelihood.

Religious Views

Teterose has relatively recently (in the past century or two) begun practicing faith under the magic goddess Morrigan. He has dedicated part of his remaining life to further understanding magic in its most primal and basic of forms. To accomplish that end he has begun adopting tenants of the church of Morrigan.