Aromon Holaralei

Written by World Smithy

Origins

House Holaralei is known across Stahlrest as some of the best whitesmiths available—they even work with Mithril. I was born to Ginafae and Ornatel Holaralei; the best whitesmiths in Stahlrest. As such, when I was much younger, they tried to indocrinate me in the ways of the forge and hammer. I still remember the burns from near-molten gold, or red-hot silver; they were none too pleasant, I can assure you. I've always prefered the softer arts, ones in which the integrity of my flesh was not challenged by fire. I made the mistake of telling my parents that I did not want to work with metal and instead I wanted to be like Olivia Locke or Damien Woodson—both renouned artists within the Syndicate. The words that were spat at me by my own father often burn into my mind as if they, too, had just been pulled like screaming Mithril from the coals: “You'll not amount to anything with mere paint, boy. If that is how you truly feel, do not come home until you are living as your idols are. Now, get out of my sight!”

I decided then, as I packed up all of my belongings in my room on the second floor of the family home, that I wouldn't come back. I wouldn't come back even if I did start living like my idols. Thus, at only the age of 20, I was on the harsh streets of Stahlrest with whatever could fit in a backpack, travel trunk, and my own hands. For so many years, I would take on every odd job the city could throw at a young dark elf such as myself. Need to run a letter out to a hermit living in the wastes? Consider it done. Need a spotter for a day-time construction crew when light is dimmest in the outter rings? I could do it. I scraped by for some fourty or so years, bouncing between whatever would pay enough to keep me off the streets.

Then, I met someone special while I was painting his commissioned portrait on a street corner; an acolyte of Self named Kirmuri. He saw my ragged state—disheveled clothing, dark rings under my eyes, and dour demeanor—and took me in as his pupil when I finished his painting. Under that amber-haired dwarf I learned what passion truly was, hells, I feel as if I was given a piece of Spark itself as my inspiration. While studying artists of the past in an attempt to develop my own style, I stumbled upon a wonderous secret there in the dank basement of the church; how to grab a thread of the Tapestry.

I told no one of this discovery, of course, except Kirmuri. He encouraged me to develop my talents with it, to channel it through my favored medium—canvas and paint. I took his words to heart and used what little funds I had to rent a bare-brick room in a tenement situated within the outter rings of the city. There, I set up my workshop, slaving away on commissions and personal projects. I made good money, and I guess my name started floating around the city as I kept getting higher profile customers. I recently met an odd one, went by the name of Aetmir Ennui; strange name, 'boredom' is. I think I'll be traveling with him and his small group soon, I can't wait to see the world beyond the orbit!

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Aromon, through his years of active work in odd jobs, is quite fit and has been described as incredibly deft with his hand-eye coordination. In recent times, however, he had lost a bit of his bulk due to the sedentary nature of his profession.

Body Features

Aromon was branded with an ornate letter H above his heart early on in life by a Mithril stamp, created by his father, as a sort of 'rite of passage'. The family brand was a tradition in the family for as long as anyone could remember. In the center of his left palm, there is a sprawling burn scar left after an accident occured while handling molten silver in his family's forge. Across his back are thin, crossing scars he collected over twenty years by disobeying his family's wishes—he was no stranger to lashings as punishment for insubordination.

Facial Features

While the rest of his body is pocked and marred by scars, his face is relatively free of those. He has a single dimple in his left cheek and distinct laugh lines around his mouth. Aromon keeps his face clean shaven, free of any stubble or errant hairs.

Identifying Characteristics

Aside from the multitude of scars and his lineage, Aromon has several tattoos across his body. On his scarred palm is a red lily whose petals spiral out to his fingers and green stem runs up his wrist. The remaining skin of his left arm is covered in a sleeve of floral iconography, leaves and vines, and twisting branches that end at his shoulder. Inked around the branded 'H', with it at the center, is a white lotus blossom. He claims the blossom represents his departure from what his family stands for, while still holding it central to who he is.

Physical quirks

Aromon holds few things from his life when he lived under his family's roof, but one of them is his posture. No matter how down-trodden he got through the years, he always kept his back straight, chin up, and his gait even. He is ambidextrous, favoring neither hand above the other, and often swaps which controls his favorite brush throughout a piece.

Apparel & Accessories

Aromon tends to wear clothing in several layers, all of which are, preferably, made of light and/or soft materials. His favorite coat is made of a combination of wool and linen interwoven with a black and red seigaiha, or wave, pattern. He never travels without his black silk beret, always slightly sloped to one side of his head. Depending on the day, he wears the holy symbol of the Aspect of Soul either on a brass necklace or dangling from an earring in his right ear.

Specialized Equipment

All of Aromon's weapons are kept on him, either locked in a scabbard on his back or in a sheath attached to his belt. His equipment, while not always immediately available, is typically stored in a Void Bag, an enchanted item to grant access to a pocket dimension for storage.

Weapons

• Mithril Rapier: A gift from his father at age 16; has not left his care since.
• An ornate dagger with a ruby inset into the pommel.
• A sharp tongue: his words are known to cause discomfort or even pain in individuals he converses with that he dislikes.

Equipment

• Several blank canvases, half white coated and half black coated.
• Paint of all colors available, with some vials of mixed custom colors.
• A host of different, non-duplicate brushes including his favorite brush.

While Aromon has never professionally trained in the use of armor, he has recently picked up a simple chest and arm piece for protection in his soon-to-be travels. The blacksmith that forged the armor claimed it is made from some of the finest Dwarven Steel he ever had the pleasure of working with, and that it should hold to most punishment.

Mental characteristics

Education

Aromon received some of the best education available to young students in Stahlrest at the behest of his father. He is well versed in the inner workings of a forge and bellows due to his family's craft. Painting was a skill that was self-taught through the years, as it was one of the things his father would not budge on; he was eventually tutored and taken in by Kirmuri to hone this craft.

Employment

Throughout the last fifty-three years, Aromon has held many odd jobs and often moved about the city for employment. As of recent, he was able to find steady employent as a Portraitist working with the clergy of the Aspect of Soul.

Mental Trauma

Due to the abuse suffered at the hand of his father, Aromon was always slow to trust and to make friends. When the shrill crack of a riding whip sounds in the streets, he will often physically cringe and shut his eyes momentarily. He has a crippling fear of failure, one that often drives him to scrap near-completed works when a single mistake is made only to start again with a blank canvas.

Taboos

Aromon will avoid violence whenever possible due to his past experiences, and prefers to settle disagreements or tribulations with a verbal battle. He is a conditional pacifist and believes that all mundane issues are able to be talked through, but will defend himself if absolutely necessary.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Aromon has a few things he'd like to achieve in his lifetime. Chiefly among them is to become the artist of highest renown on the continent. He'd also like to eventually supplant what House Holaralei stands for, replacing it instead with a house that is a patron to the softer arts.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

He is well versed with most artistic mediums, though excels particularly well with paint. While most would consider him book-smart, he lacks the wisdom and understanding of the streets that is so common to his home. He was given basic combat training when he was younger, but has not properly held a blade in nearly thirty years.

Likes & Dislikes

Loves

• The color red
• Onions
• Large coats
• Fresh paint brushes

Dislikes

• Roses; finds them overused
• Pork
• Riding horses
• Dusty rooms

Likes

• Black coffee
• Playing the violin
• New boots
• Stargazer Lilies

Hates

• Whips
• His father
• Fighting
• Sleeping outside

Virtues & Personality perks

Aromon is nothing if not patient, often taking several hours to observe a muse or object before ever setting paint to canvas. Under pressure he tends to keep a level head, in part due to his learned patience. As noted earlier, he is naturally ambidextrous and works equally well with both hands. Because of his elvish heritage, he never has to truly sleep; all he has to do is sit in a meditative trance for roughly four hours to achieve the same rest as a normal human's slumber.

Vices & Personality flaws

He could be described as a heavy smoker, often burning through several pipefulls of tobacco a day, always keeping some on him—he's made a promise to himself to stay away from the new, industrialized cigarettes. Aromon suffers from a rough case of Imposter Syndrome where, despite the success he has found in his passion, he feels as if he doesn't deserve the praise. Between this and his rather rough upbringing, he is a compulsive liar, espescially so when pressed on a topic he has no knowledge about.

Relationships

Aromon Holaralei

Acquaintance (Important)

Towards Aetmir Ennui

0

1

Dishonest

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Aetmir Ennui

Acquaintance (Important)

Towards Aromon Holaralei

0

2

Dishonest

---

History

Aromon and Aetmir met on a street corner while he was traveling with a group of two other individuals; Esorin and Silva. Aetmir wanted a portrait made and, needing the patronage, Aromon obliged. The group talked and ultimately decided that Aromon would join them on their ventures out of Stahlrest, despite Aromon's initial hesitance.

Shared Acquaintances

Esorin Inilorh
Silva

Aromon's Self Portrait circa 1960.

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Status

Traveling with a weird group towards the city gates.

Current Location

Stahlrest

Honorary & Occupational Titles

(Ex) Forge Baron

Age

73

Date of Birth

33rd of Thra, 1891 AL

Birthplace

Holaralei Manor

Spouses

Siblings

Current Residence

A brick-walled studio that doubles as his apartment.

Pronouns

He/Him

Sex

Male

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Shoulder length, platinum white

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Dark purple

Height

5 ft. 7 in.

Weight

135 lbs

Belief/Deity

Aspect of Soul

Known Languages

Aromon knows several languages, including: elvish, dwarvish, gnomish, and undercommon.

Aromon's Picks

Hope for Tomorrow

A Delver's Right Hand

Wealth of the Grave

Grim Nights in the Garden

The gear and clothing that Aromon begins his adventure in. The heavy scarf and shoulder cape was a parting gift from Kirmuri when Aromon departed from the church's care.