Vivan De Augaussi
 | |
| Title(s) | Lord of the Hinterlands
Count of the Augaussis Doge Del Augaussi |
| Born | 1502 AFS |
| Realm(s) | The Kingdom Of Hadriana |
| Race | Attian Human |
| Culture | Hadric |
Physical Description
Vivan De Augaussi stands at 1.93 metres (6’4 feet) tall with a built physique. Vivan has short black hair styled back with white streaks running through it. He has hazel-grey eyes, as well as a thick black beard, kept short. He has a large but faded scar over his left eye, running from his forehead to his cheek. He looks a bit older for his age, with a more tired expression and weathered skin.
Vivan tends to wear simple clothes in public as well as in his manor. He tends not to show his wealth or status through clothing and jewellery, but does have a necklace with the depiction of the maker as well as a ring on his left middle finger that depicts a silver sword with a diamond on the hilt of it.
Characteristics
Vivan aims to keep a very calm demeanor during any situation, although his rage and anger can get the better of him sometimes. Vivan has also been claimed as a cold and calculated commander and fighter in the battlefield which tends to lap over his way of accomplishing tasks during peace times. He aims to help out the common people whenever possible, while not training or studying. His main areas of study are geography and astronomy. Additionally, as is his family’s custom, he is an adept sailor, and tends to whenever possible go out sailing in the ocean. Should be noted that he does have a bit of an alcoholic problem, which can interfere with his daily political affairs.
History
Vivan De Augaussi was born in the year 1502 to the Augaussi family. Vivan was one of the younger children, with only three others being younger than him. The Augaussi family was very large at this time, roughly around 30 large, including other branches of the family. They all lived together though in the Augaussi Manor, which was large enough to even hold a small force. The Augaussis were a proud house then, serving diligently under the King of Hadriana. Vivan was the son of the Head of the Augaussi family, although he does not remember his name due to a head injury. The Augaussis were Lords over the Southern Lands, South of the Capital, although they called themselves Counts as to tradition. The head of the family at the time would be called the Doge, while the second in line for leadership was called Prima Counta. The Augaussis voted in the leader of the family, although they must be from the direct bloodline of the family.
The family was proud at the turn of the century. The family was strong. The Doge was a proud and strong leader, of which some rumoured at the time to be almost a verbatim image and character of the old Augaussis, those that waged wars for Hadriana against the Hinterland barbarians and creatures of Dollos. The family was very large, at the time with 30 people strong, and ten times that of the Augaussi vanguard. Their lands were prospering, trade was flowing greatly, and their recent advancements with science and astronomy created an continental interest. As per tradition with the Augaussi family, the wife of the Doge, the Mother, they would call her, would be in charge of agricultural and economic stability within the fiefdom. She too, was a proud woman, as many said, but was rather melancholy most of the time. The last born son to the Doge and the Mother was 1497, who they called Cecil. He was already growing up to be a great man by the time Vivan was born in 1502. Vivan was named after the son of Varithan, who was a quiet intellect, and sought to right the wrongs of his father, who genocided the Hinterlands in the first great slaughter at the beginning of the 90 years war. Ironically enough, Vivans son, Cerilius, ended up leading the second great slaughter around the end of the 90 years war.
Vivan was well versed in poems of old philosophers, and studied politics, philosophy, science and astronomy with great intent. He played much with wooden swords around the great Manor, and admired the portraits of his ancestors. His Father, when he had time, taught him of the Augaussi history, while his Mother taught him of the acts the Augaussis did, in hopes to make him a better man. The Augaussi history is riddled with great genocides and crimes led by Augaussis, but also paired with great valiant and heroic acts by members. Some say it is due to their interactions with the dark creatures in the past that have made them this way, while others say it is just an Augaussi natural trait.
All was well within the family. The main family was led by the Doge and the Mother. They had five sons total. The oldest was Cecil, and then Vivan, followed by Ciro, and by two others of whom Vivan sadly forgets the names of from his head trauma. Vivan would accompany Cecil and his father to the Capital, where they would meet other noble families and the royal family. The most notable family that Vivan acquainted with was the Withmond family, which would later take the Kingdom by force, backed by their armies and their loyal soldiers, in one of the bloodiest civil wars seen. The Capital was more simple than the Augaussi manor and fiefdom. As the Augaussis are pure blood Attians, and take extreme pride in their heritage, they aim to mimic the old Attian empires’ style, especially of the land that they originated from, which gives a darker more gothic feeling to their fiefdom. Although most of these encounters with the Capital Vivan had during the rotting plague, the Capital was far from peaceful.
Vivan was only four when the rotting plague was noticed within the Northern fiefdoms. The Doge had immediately begun preparations for it as it was seen to be extremely volatile, and had issued a curfew among the fiefdom, as well as limited travel. The army was called in and the Augaussis began to work. Some Augaussis travelled to other fiefdoms to assist in the preparations, while others stayed and prepared the fiefdom, and a select few travelled North to observe the plague, and see if its origins were unnatural or not. Since the Doge’s family was rather young at the time, they stayed in the Manor, except for Cecil, who had assisted where he could in the preparation of the fiefdom.
It was only a matter of days before they received a message from the Capital, warning of the plague and to lockdown their fiefdom, although already done. Additionally, it had stated that the Church would be greatly involved in the protection of the Kingdom against the plague. The Church had entered the fiefdom in force, and had assisted the Augaussis in the final preparations. Only a few days later reports of the plague had begun to be heard within the fief. The Augaussis began to deal with the infected in the only way they knew at the time; burn them. The Church assisted in this, and as the plague began to spiral out of control, so did the stability of the Kingdom. The Kingdom had been torn apart, cultists and heretics rose out of the holes and cracks they hid from like rats, using the plague and lack of stability to grow their power in the mayhem and havoc. The Augaussis, led by the Doge, donned their purple clothed armour and rode out to slaughter these groups, as well as deal with infected villages in force. The purple and black banner of the Augaussi was feared throughout the Kingdom now as a sign of imminent death and carnage, as the Augaussis fought tooth and nail to stay the infection and fight back the praisers of Dolus and the four hells. During all this they still stayed on the lookout for the supernatural, and only a few reported cases were found, though they will not be stated. One of the major cultist groups, called “Dolus’s Devouts' ', had gained a large foothold in the eastern part of the Augaussi fief, and had raised a substantial force. Their tactics were arguably more brutal than the Augaussis slaying children in front of their mothers eyes for Dolus, using plague victims in the later stages as meat shields, and in some cases using them as ammunition for catapults and makeshift trebuchets, as well as finally staining battlegrounds with blood and insides right before a battle for “luck from Dolus". At this time, the Augaussi’s numbers had gone down to 25, as three had died in the North, one died of old age, and one of the Doge’s brothers, was captured by Dolus’s Devouts, flayed, tortured, and then executed in front of the manor by one of their strongest warriors, who was called the “Champion of Dolus”. Here at this moment of his brother's death, the stone wall of the Doge’s will and strength cracked a bit.
Within the Doge’s rage and sorrow he summoned the Augaussi force, and marched out to meet Dolus’ Devouts on their own battleground. He brought Cecil, the now newly appointed Prima Counta, as well as Vivan, who at this time was only seven (The year is 1509). Not much will be talked about the battle, as it is not important to know, but all that should be said is that the bloodshed was immeasurable. To many it felt like they were fighting in hell itself, as the woods were covered in entrails, blood and gore, and the ground was so slippery with blood that horses could not even be used half the time. The Augaussis and their force in rage won the battle, though at a substantial loss. Those who were infected by the cultists were burned, and those who did not die or were not infected were scarred for the rest of their lives. This battle later on would be called the “Battle of Despair”. There are three important notes for this battle. The so-called “Champion of Dolus” was slain by the Doge in single combat, who in rage beat his body to death with a wooden stick until his body was unrecognizable. Vivan still remembers this battle today through the head trauma, and here he slew his first man, well, first three men. Finally, the Augaussis are famed for using warhounds; wolves from the North as guard and battle dogs. There is a very close connection between an Augaussi and his warhound. They were not checked for the plague.
After the battle the Doge continued to deteriorate mentally. He lashed out at family members, beat Vivan and his siblings, as well as attacked his own wife once. Cecil tried to protect the family, but was of no avail. Due to this internal struggle, the spread of the plague was not seen until a week later, when it was too late. Although the Church has not been stated much as of yet, their role is extremely important. They helped the Augaussis greatly, and were at the Battle of Despair as well. The Church, seeing this infection, had enacted a final solution. They stormed the Manor one night, rescued the uninfected, who had then barricaded themselves on the East wing, and burned the Manor down to stop the rest. Vivan was injured by a falling beam, and was carried by his Mother. Almost out, his Mother tripped on the stairs with him, and as she stood up and turned to Vivan, she only saw the Doge. In his infected madness, his blank rotting face, almost black looking eyes, took his sword and stabbed his own wife. Vivan in his rage, ignoring the pain momentarily, lunged at his own father, and fought with him for a bit, scratching, punching, and hitting him with all his might. Since Vivan was but a child, he could not do much, and was also unarmed. Before his father was about to kill him, Cecil came and fought off his Father, and pushed him into a fire that had spread behind them on the stairs. Cecil helped Vivan up, but as Vivan stood up, the burning body of his father lunged at him and smashed his head into a nearby post. Everything else was black then, but what he found out later was that Cecil killed him, and dragged Vivan away from the wreckage to the survivors and the Church members. Only five survived. Vivan, his younger brother Ciro, Cecil, their youngest brother, whom Vivan forgot the name of, and one of their Uncles, who was not at the Manor at the time, since he was a hunter. Luckily, Vivan did not get infected during his encounter with his father, as the burning surroundings caused the spores to burn and only ash to fill the lungs of Vivan.
Vivan and his brother Cecil were taken to a Hadrian church in the Northern regions, as the plague began to die down. There they stayed hidden, as to most of the world the Augaussis were extinct. For Seven long years, Vivan continued his training and studying, and became a great fighter. Although he asked much about what he forgot from his head injury, which has caused him to forget much, Cecil refused to tell him a few details, the main one being the name of his mother and father. After seven long years, Vivan was now sixteen, and almost a full grown man. In this fateful year, the Augaussis were shown again to the world, in the eyes of their Uncle, who had single handedly slain a Stone Golem in the north by himself, and was now an honoured guest to the Denur. Vivan, Cecil, and their little brother Ciro, who was taken away somewhere else by the Church were also shown to the world again. A month after being revealed again to the world, Cecil was killed in his sleep, for a reason no one knows, although Vivan has a theory. After this death, Vivan left the church, and for three whole years travelled as a mercenary. Along his travels, he became an expert adventurer, and has explored many regions. He has also made a few good friends during his travels, where he most importantly met Frór PrideBringer, the King of the Denur, who he has kept a close friendship with since. He also ran into his brother Ciro on these travels, and the two travelled for about a year together as mercenaries. On his nineteenth birthday, he received a letter from the new King of Hadriana, Roderick Withmond, to return back to the Capital, and reclaim his family home and land. He answered the call, and with his brother Ciro, little money, but two battle hardened and experienced men of a proud and noble bloodline, returned home to reclaim what was taken from them.
Vivan takes up the title of Doge Del Augaussi, and with that has studied and learned much of the Augaussi traditions from Hunting, Military tactics, fighting, as well as Science and Astronomy, and finally income management. Vivan now aims to rebuild his fiefdom from the ashes of the plague with the old Augaussi tradition of old empire architecture, as well as rebuild his family manor and restore it to what it was before the disaster, with the help of his family and newfound friends and allies.
Trivia
- Vivan has a drinking problem that sometimes affects his political affairs.
- Out of all of the royal families of Hadriana, the Augaussis are the least religious (Although they still are rather religious compared to foreign nations).
- Vivan is not the oldest Augaussi living, as he has an Uncle travelling somewhere in Eden.
- Vivan sometimes gets mixed as a commoner due to his commoner attire to outsiders.