Llywelyn Amberhide
Llywelyn Amberhide (a.k.a. Llywelyn Merca)
Llywelyn Merca (Amberhide before his marriage) is a cleric of Dianecht from Illyria Bridge, a suburb of Illyria, capital of Nerevarn. He currently works as a cleric and researcher of divine magic at the library of the Royal Palace and lives in cloisters there with his husband Joseph Cassius Merca, although they have plans to move to King's Hamlet just outside the city.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
As a result of his academic life, Llywelyn is rather slender compared to those who lead a warrior's life. With little need for intensive physical training, combined with his rather tall stature, his physique is slim rather than muscular or stout. He is however in good health, and able to take the road for several full days at a time during his researches without suffering from the exertions of entire days spent on foot.
Body Features
He has one significant identifying feature of note: a sun - the symbol of his deity - on his left shoulder-blade, done with a scarification technique resulting in a raised pattern.
Apparel & Accessories
Llywelyn primarily chooses to dress in a manner which reflects his calling, which is a combination of religious and arcane duties. He usually wears an academic robe, and at all times keeps a holy symbol of Dianecht on a chain around his neck. For reasons which are less obvious, and may simply be personal taste, he also wears gloves at all times, even when working or on hot days.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born in Illyria Bridge, Llywelyn lived a mostly ordinary life during his early childhood. However, his relationship with his father, a powerful and skilled mage - and most likely the person from whom he inherited his own magical ability - was unsteady at best. This only worsened upon the death of his mother while he was still young, and shortly afterwards he left the small town to enter the city, and never returned.
Sexuality
Gay; selective and cautious when it comes to choosing partners. His first and only long term relationship led to his marriage with his now-husband.
Education
Upon entering Illyria after the death of his mother, Llywelyn joined the University of Arcana as a student, choosing to study Divine Magic under Professor Orgnar Ock, with a secondary interest in herbological studies. A successful student, upon finishing his studies he entered the library of the Royal Palace as a junior cleric and apprentice arcane researcher, where he continues his studies to date.
Employment
As with all clerics, Llywelyn is qualified to perform basic religious ceremonies for worshippers of the divine he serves - in his case, the god Dianecht. These include offering prayers, accepting alms and donations of offerings, assisting with repentance and providing spiritual guidance. In his specific calling as a researcher, he studies the ancient texts contained within the Royal Library, using his knowledge of divine magic to further the understanding of forgotten lore, skills or events. Llywelyn is supervised by the senior researchers, and ultimately answers to Thalarion Aethor, the Chief Sage.
Accomplishments & Achievements
As a result of his work leading to the re-discovery of Bloodspecks, Llywelyn received a promotion from junior cleric to cleric. This meant both a pay rise and increased freedom, with less intense guidance from the senior researchers.
Mental Trauma
The death of Llywelyn's mother appears to have made a deep impression on him, although he is not known to speak of it often. Having little other family besides his now-estranged father, it is understandable that such an event would be a difficult one to come through mentally unscathed.
Morality & Philosophy
Fairness and equality are of paramount importance in Llywelyn's life philosophy, both practically - in such things as division of rewards for a task completed or a discovery made - and morally. Any unfairness or unjust inequity are repugnant to him and he will attempt to resolve them himself if it is within his power to do so.
Taboos
Llywelyn views any accusation of professional incompetence as a highly inappropriate attack, as he takes great pride in his work. Such a topic of conversation would be totally unacceptable.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Llywelyn's main motivations in life are his work, and his duty to his deity. In his professional life, he preserves and protects the libraries in which he works. He also aims to improve knowledge of and access to the large quantity of medicinal and magical Flora found in Nerevarn and the surrounding countries, a personal project which is extremely important to him. In his duties and devotions as a cleric, he is motivated to work towards a world which would please Dianecht: a world free from evil and darkness.
Likes & Dislikes
Llywelyn is an unusual man in many ways. He is profound in his extreme dislike and rejection of celery at all costs. Quite where his total aversion to such a seemingly innocuous plant originated remains a mystery. However, on a more positive note, he loves cats. This is less of a mystery - anyone with functioning vision only has to look at a cat napping in a box with its paws sticking out to understand Llywelyn's opinion.
Virtues & Personality perks
This cleric, perhaps unusually for those of his calling, is known to be slow to judge, even when judgement would be the normal response. He prefers to attempt, if possible, to understand where someone may be coming from before leaping to conclusions about them and their life.
Vices & Personality flaws
Llywelyn has two notable weaknesses. The first is for new information. He is easily distracted by the promise or even possibility of new discoveries or knowledge, which can sometimes result in a tendency to become sidetracked from whatever he may have been focusing on before the opportunity for information arose. The second is that, as a natural consequence of his hatred of intolerance and his reticence to pass judgement upon others, he is often trusting and helpful to a fault, even to those who do not deserve it.
Social
Contacts & Relations
As an alumnus of the University of Arcana, and an employee of the Palace, as well as his origins in a fairly well-to-do part of The Kingdom of Nerevarn, Llywelyn is relatively well connected. Below is a list of the most significant figures.
- Mary Ford, the landlady of The Bridge Inn at Illyria Bridge. An old friend of his mother's, this friendly face is one of the few Llywelyn seeks out in his home town.
- Orgnar Ock, Llywelyn's old professor of Divine Magic. The two maintain a friendly professional aquaintance.
- Calathena Janarii, Dean of the University of Arcana. Although they probably only spoke once or twice during Llywelyn's entire time at the university, she holds a position of great respect - and a little awed nervousness - for him.
- Prof Sigismund (deceased), professor of Herbalism during Llywelyn's studies, and a man for whom he had great personal esteem. No longer living due to an unfortunate accident in his lab, but occasionally found meandering the halls on another plane of existence.
- Eranur, long-time researcher and de-facto staff with the University. A shy, recently almost reclusive, half-elf, Llywelyn has something of a soft spot for this academic colleague, and a great deal of professional respect. It is probably a mark of similar feelings on Eranur's part that he is willing to engage in gentle conversation with Llywelyn without entirely shutting down, which at this point is sadly his normal response.
- Eloor, the barkeep at The Dragon Cave Inn in Last Way. Although they have only met once, Eloor made a memorable impact with his jovial and outrageously flirtatious manner, and Llywelyn considers him an amusing and enjoyable acquaintance.
- Lenora, surname unknown, Lia Galanodel and Bhaldrum Feldsparr, current travelling companions. Although very different people, these three and Llywelyn were thrown together by events. Perhaps to their surprise, what began as an alliance for safety and convenience has developed into trust, mutual respect, and friendship.
- Prince Henry, Crown Prince of Nerevarn and heir apparent. An unlikely acquaintance for a fairly low-ranking cleric, and a recent one, but one of surprising success. At first Llywelyn was merely serving as escort to the Prince, along with Lenora and Bhaldrum, but upon greater trust Prince Henry revealed that he is more down-to-earth than one expects from a Prince of royal blood. As a result, Llywelyn's natural respect and deference for his future King has lately been joined by the beginnings of a genuine liking for the man behind the title.
- Crown Princess Sara, previous heir apparent and disgraced sister of Prince Henry. Owing to recent events, Llywelyn now harbours a powerful dislike for this woman, whom previously he would have held little to no opinion on. This is unlikely to be a difficultly for him owing to her recent death during her attempt to take the capital city, thwarted by Llywelyn and his friends.
- Joseph Cassius Merca, a paladin of Dianecht. Llywelyn's appreciation for this irreverent but highly likable fellow-worshipper became apparent since Joe joined him, Lenora, Bhaldrum and later Lia on the road. Not too long after meeting, the two struck up a relationship which led eventually to their marriage.
- Kynna Silvari, Commander of the Royal Guard. Despite her serious and difficult role, Commander Silvari impressed Llywelyn as a likeable and even fun person, and - judging from their fairly brief acquaintance - he so far likes her company and attitude.
Family Ties
Llywelyn is now married to Joseph Merca, and chooses to use his husband's surname rather than his own birthname.
Religious Views
As a worshipper of Dianecht, Llywelyn believes in protecting the weak and innocent, the rule of law, the importance of keeping one's word, and battling the forces of evil in the world - whether that be literally or through actions in one's own life, such as charitable works or opposition of those who work for personal gain over all else. As a trained cleric, he is also interested in the workings of divine magic. Not simply 'what does Dianecht want' but also 'how does he enact his will', 'how is his power transmitted to mortals who wield it' and even such questions as 'what sustains life', which in his view as a healer is entirely tied into his worship of the deity of light and life. Deeply connected to his faith is his loyalty to and reverence for The Royal House of Nerevarn, who as the descendants of King Gabraeil, Dianecht's chosen King, rule - so believers say - by Dianecht's divine will.
Social Aptitude
Despite his wide circle of rather powerful acquaintances, Llywelyn is not entirely at home in the heights of 'society' events. Somewhat nervous in large crowds, he if possible prefers the company of a few close friends to a vast audience of important and vaguely familiar faces.
Hobbies & Pets
Most of Llywelyn's hobbies are also his work, particularly the collection and study of interesting Flora of Nerevarn. Outside of his professional endeavors, he has few casual pastimes and no pets (much to his regret he currently has no cat), but does enjoy listening to and watching the performance of improvised poetry.
Speech
With his capital city accent, Llywelyn is considered well-spoken in Nerevarn, but he does not particularly utilise this or deliberately speak with rhetorical or tonal flourish. His only particularly well-to-do tendency in speech is that he is not given to cursing or profanity as a general rule, although in keeping with his slow-to-judge nature he offers no condemnation of those who are.
Relationships
History
Llywelyn and Joe met when the former, along with his travelling companions, encountered Joe attempting to help Eranur whom he found apparently injured and alone. Joe was grateful for Llywelyn's healing skills in such a situation, and he offered to meet him and the others in The Axe and Scroll Inn that evening and buy a round of drinks as thanks. Upon discovering that the 'Paladin Cassius Merca' they had met by accident was in fact 'Joe from Last Way', an adventurer and roving sword for hire, the party recruited him to assist in their next journey which they knew would take them into danger. During this journey the two began an - at first - casual flirtation while Joe continued his habit of picking up occasional partners for casual hook-ups, an arrangement Llywelyn made it quite clear he had no interest in. After Llywelyn saved Joe's arm and quite possibly his life in the middle of a raging fight however, Joe's interest in such arrangements rapidly dropped off and his attempts to engage Llywelyn's interest became more obvious and more clearly serious. After deciding to break his paladin's Oath against earthly commitments - a decision triggered at least in part by his desire to pursue the kind of committed relationship he knew Llywelyn would want and need from him - he declared his feelings, and shortly after Llywelyn admitted that he returned them. In the end, it was Llywelyn who took the final step and established the relationship, when he was unable to stand by and watch a devastated Joe struggle alone through the grief of losing his connection to his deity as a result of becoming an oathbreaker.
Nicknames & Petnames
Llywelyn has no particular petnames for his husband, using his name, dear or darling fairly interchangeably depending on the situation and his mood. Joe likewise uses his husband's name fairly frequently, especially when talking casually, although the tongue-in-cheek petname 'Angel' is often used when Joe is feeling particularly affectionate or flirtatious.
Shared Secrets
Llywelyn has shared certain traumatic incidents from his past, normally kept privately to himself, with Joe. In return, Joe is willing to show emotional vulnerability and - when relevant - physical weakness when alone with Llywelyn, which are both things he finds humiliating in front of most others.
Shared Acquaintances
Both currently travel with their friends Lenora, Bhaldrum Feldsparr and Lia Galanodel, and have done since before their relationship began.
Alignment
Lawful Good
Species
Age
26
Date of Birth
8th Goldfields 1194
Birthplace
Illyria Bridge
Spouses
Joseph Cassius Merca
(Husband)
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Has a small room in a cloister within the Royal Palace.
Pronouns
he/him
Eyes
Green, somewhat piercing
Hair
Full, medium-length brown hair, with a shaggy texture. Short facial hair.
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Fair skinned
Height
6'1, or 6'3 in his chosen everyday footwear
Other Affiliations
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