Lord Commander Arden Neska
Ancient at more than 40 years old, Commander Neska still actively manages the countess’s soldiers. Features once lean and sharp have dried over the decades, cracking his hatchet face with a labyrinth of wrinkles and eroding his thin white hair to a severe widow’s peak. Although deliberate, his gait demonstrates his discipline and determination not to show signs of age or weakness in his carriage or any other facet of his life. Although his frame might quietly suffer time’s lash, his intellect perseveres. A keen businessman in his earlier years, and more importantly, a Solean Knight of the Vale, Neska’s life of leadership has made him a master of cold logic and unanticipated resourcefulness. Holding himself to strict philosophies of self-discipline and detachment, he views himself as a humanitarian of ideals, striving to forge a generation of able, talented, intelligent, and strong individuals while building a paradise in which they can flourish. He believes his laws condition those who live under them to be productive, courteous, and moral, while weeding out radicals and parasites, and accepts that measures of corruption and human loss are unavoidable in such a system. Although he considers this land and people in it his life’s work, he knows he will not see their ultimate fruition into his ideal society. Too traditional and pious to consider extending his life—especially considering his intense distrust of magic. While quietly watchful for potential successors who might share his vision, he also cultivates plans to assure his efforts never fall into the hands of looters or deviants after his death.
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