Overview
The Keres family originates from a tiny settlement on the icy shores of Dagger Isle, originally established by ore-deficient Moonglow as a mining outpost. Being residents of such a backwater, inhospitable town, the Kereses have never experienced great wealth nor power. Indeed, almost every Keres has at one time or another served in Dagger Isle's mines and militia, in both cases earning reputations amongst the other locals as hard-working, unwaveringly loyal folk.
Perhaps the most notable event in the family's recent history is the mass emigration of the family's primary branch, the household of Alaric and Catherine Keres, to the mainland following their deaths. Led by the eldest son, Torrak, the family set out for the mainland, but, finding their intended destination (Minoc) embroiled in bloody civil war, eventually settled in the independent Baronship of Cove. Following their kin as Kereses so often do, numerous members of the family have since taken up residence in Cove, many of them making names for themselves in the Covian Army.
Abigail Keres: The energetic, somewhat manic youngest daughter of the family, and also the only one showing any kind of magical ability. Strongly favoring her mother in appearance, Abigail is relatively short and slight-framed, and wears her neat, thick brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail that falls roughly to her shoulderblades, keeping her dark green eyes unobscured. She is most commonly seen wearing her 6th Arcane Company uniform, with an ornate, if dusty, old, and battered spellbook cradled in a satchel slung over her shoulder, each bearing the Keres family crest.
As the youngest, by the time Abigail was born very little money remained for her education, and she is largely self-taught in matters of the Arcane. Compensating for the disadvantage with a ravenous appetite for knowledge, she can almost always be found pouring over a tome or scroll of arcane lore. While her siblings don't all approve of her chosen profession, every one of them is as protective of her as she is of them - indeed, her stated reason for venturing to the mainland was to 'keep an eye on' her elder siblings. Partially as a result of this, she bears remarkably few scars aside from a pair of scars in the centers of her palms.
Cailin Keres: The somewhat more down-to-earth, serious, second-youngest daughter of the family. Cailin bears a similar resemblance to Abigail, wearing her hair in a similar style, though many of the features of her face - including her grey eyes - favor her father, giving her a more stern, albeit not entirely unattractive visage. Possessing a remarkably strong sense of duty, Cailin took up her recently deceased father's gear at the age of sixteen to join the local militia, earning a reputation rivaling her brothers', and only handing in her badge several years later to follow her siblings to the mainland.
Utterly lacking education aside from what she's picked up from her siblings and friends, Cailin's interests can sometimes seem simplistic and primitive, usually consisting of drinking strong ale, winning a few good arm wrestling matches, practicing swordplay, and punching would-be suitors in the face. Nevertheless, she appreciates a well-played tune, and dabbles in playing the lute herself. As a direct result of her long history of military service, she has her share of deep scars and poorly-healed injuries, and often complains of a stiff left shoulder. She is almost never seen not wearing her uniform, displaying a Grenadier pin low on her sash to denote her status as an apprentice to that squad.
Leith Keres The third-eldest son of the family, and the only Keres to leave Dagger Isle before Torrak and the only to receive a formal education. Leith Keres is tall, fit, and blessed with having received all of the best traits of his parents' appearances. He's smart and pretty - or at least he thinks so - and he knows it. Provided with the chance to receive an education by his two elder brothers' forgoing such, Leith moved to Britain when he was in his early teens and took up an apprenticeship with the Actors' Guild there, being tutored in various subjects by the librarians at the city's library during his spare time.
Convinced to move to Cove only by the persistent pestering of his favorite sister, Abigail, Leith feels very little loyalty to Cove outside of his immediate family. Nevertheless, he wears the uniform of a Scout with relative pride, taking it as a symbol of status and superiority rather than one of service and duty. A master of disguise and impersonation due to his many years as an actor, and a skilled warrior due to many years of sparring with his more martially-inclined siblings, Leith has proven equally capable as spy, assassin, and negotiator.
Sarah Keres The bastard teenage daughter of Torrak Keres and a prostitute whose name neither she nor her father know nor care to know, it was her birth - and the death of her mother in childbirth - that drove Torrak to leave the island in the first place. Unfortunately for Torrak, there was little doubt who the father was, and those members of his family still living on Dagger Island were quick to take the girl in and, when she was older, make arrangements for her to journey to the mainland and take up residence with her father, whether he denies she's his or not. Sarah is notable for being the only Keres on the mainland not to enlist in the Covian Army, and for being the only one trained in metalworking. While Torrak still adamantly refuses to officially recognize her as his daughter, that the rest of the family accepts her as one of them is evidenced by the fact that she is freely allowed to live in the family's residences, and well provided for by her various aunts and uncles.
(To be completed at a later time.)
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