Oppius Traianus
Astroknight Oppius Traianus
Oppius Traianus was born to a poor working class family in the slums of Stephaniua. He was offered a state sponsored education, much like all youths of the Shin Empire, but was definitely left behind by the education he was given, with most of the talented teachers recalled deeper into the heart of the empire. It was expected that he would follow his parents into manual labor in the city, and very little attention or energy was given to him during his upbringing, especially among another three siblings. He quickly turned to acting out in a life of crime to make a better life for himself.
In 981 AF, he was caught by the guards of Stephaniua while committing a robbery of a general goods store. Facing a ten year sentence, Oppius was offered service in the Star Guard as an option versus imprisonment. The notoriety of the Shin labor camps were infamous, so he chose instead to take up arms for his country, however unwillingly. The penal legions proved a brutal forging ground for Oppius, as they were tasked with some of the least favorable tasks available in the Apps Mountains. Most of his deployments were focused upon defeating dwarven bandits in the north or patrolling against orc, goblin, and kobold raids along the mountain highways.
Despite these often deadly assignments, Oppius demonstrated an aptitude for warfare and combat, and ultimately was promoted to the highest rank a penal soldier could receive, as a noncommissioned officer. Oppius gained a reputation for being the man that untested and young officers would be assigned with, in order to harden them for combat, and when the sentence expired in 991, he was offered an officer position himself. Seeing no other life for himself than crime or labor, he chose the path of war to advance himself in Shin society.
Lacking a position of nobility within the ranks of the Shin aristocracy, an independent command was never going to truly be an option for Oppius, and he chose to take on dangerous assignments with untested recruits time and again, showing off his abilities to those in command. When the nation's borders were officially closed in 999, the situation within the Star Guard changed dramatically. Suddenly, most of the nobility of the empire were being recalled to Novanass and elsewhere in the Apps Mountains, and opportunities for advancement abounded. He was transferred to a more static position along Lake Smitlaw, meeting a woman nearly half his age in Smitonium, and marrying her in 1008. They would have two children together by the time of his final promotion.
He at last was promoted to the coveted rank of Astroknight in 1037, the highest rank a person could obtain lacking noble status. He was assigned to Pugno Hold, the fortress overwatching Lake Smitlaw. Now of somewhat advanced age, but still mobile thanks to the skill of Shin doctors, Oppius has embraced a working retirement, helping to maintain order along the lake and watch for raids. He still occasionally joins with patrols and expeditions, helping fight directly against those who threaten the sanctity of Shin borders.
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Date of Birth
Ashfall 22, 960
Year of Birth
960 AF
81 Years old
Children
Gender
male
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
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