Antonidas, Pelin av Varlais

Antonidas of Balfiera. Mongrel though I am deemed, I remain scion to an elder lineage; a star-made knight-scholar—Pelin av Varlais in our tongue. Born under the sign of Atronach and the unlit sky, I bear the weight of an inert animus, translating the world through old varla, geometric text, and the silent disruption of the arcane. Through the mountain snows of Skyrim I march—a wanderer clad in weathered bronze, bearing a blade of blue crystal, guiding a solitary lady and disciple through the dark. Let these pages record our passage. (Read on direct URL for full manuscript immersion)

[sirantonidas]

Character Profile: Antonidas av Balfiera

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General Information

Name: Antonidas av Balfiera

Title/Alias: Pelin av Varlais (Knight of Stars / Astral Knight)

Race: Direnni Altmer (with Breton father)

Date of Birth: 15th of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 179

Birth Sign: The Atronach (Born during the Black Syzygy/Third Moon/Dark Moon alignment. Overall, nothing special unless specialising in Varliance or Dark Magic.)

Occupation: Knight-Scholar, Educator, and Guardian of the Pelin av Varlais tradition.

Physical Appearance

Build: Standing at an imposing 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 348 pounds, Antonidas has a thick, robust and exceptionally martial physique. In contrast to the slender Altmer of Summerset, his physique showcases the bone density of his Nedic-Breton heritage combined with the deliberate engineering of House Direnni. His body is structured like a pillar and has been conditioned through rigorous martial discipline to withstand the physical and magical demands of combat. His chest measures 60 inches and his waist 46 inches — a massive, solid core that optimises rotational leverage and shields the vitals. His shoulder width of 25 inches provides a broad, stable platform for heavy plate armour and a defensive posture. His wingspan is 83 inches, giving him a significant positive ape index and a decisive geometric advantage in High Isle swordsmanship. Neck: 20 inches. Hand length: 10 inches — substantial grip capacity allowing absolute leverage and authority over hand-and-a-half weapon hilts.

Features: Deep olive-gold skin tone.

Facial Structure: High, angled cheekbones (though less prominent than traditional Elven features), wider jawline, and straighter brows.

Eyes: Gold with darker sclera, often described as lazy and unreadable.

Hair: Dark, well-kept, long curls are styled in a practical braid, blending elegance with functionality during combat.

Magical Profile

Specialization: Varliance (Aetherial Magic), 'Dark Magic' (Magic suppression) Enchanting, Alchemy and Armamancy (bound armaments).

Combat Style: Spell-breaker / antimagic warrior. He acts as a 'vacuum' in combat, suppressing enemy magic and siphoning its energy to fuel his own Varliance. Swordplay trained on High Isle.

Philosophy: Views magic through a mathematical and geometric lens. No power is intrinsically evil unless it feeds on the life of others — dark magic is so dark because it dims Magicka, not because it is evil, as the ancient Aldmeri and Ayleid said: 'Magicka loria.'

Signature: His presence manifests an 'aura of suppression' that feels heavy and threatening to those sensitive to magic. Breton knightly arts.

Psychology & Personality

Temperament: Disciplined, cynical, and pragmatically lazy. He values efficiency above all and harbors a deep disdain for modern history and religious zealotry (especially Thalmor arrogance). He enjoys duels and tourneys both of mind and sword. His core mindset is 'efficiency to maximize leisure' — fundamentally lazy but orderly, always fulfilling his duties and resting in equal measure.

Perspective: Views the Torre Adamantina as the only fixed truth in a volatile Mundus. Relies on logical calculation rather than faith or destiny; faith is for feeble minds, and destiny is the gamble of those who fail to temper themselves.

The Protector: Acts as a deadpan, slightly sardonic, but deeply committed older-brother figure to Vianetelle. He manages her magical surges and acts as her sensory anchor.

Guilty Pleasures: Courtly love novels, tea parties, gossiping with elderly ladies, and the thrill of controlled danger. He had a secret love during his stay in High Isle — a secret the family eventually discovered.

Background Summary

Origins: A product of careful genealogical and astrological engineering by House Direnni. His birth was not a mystical event, but a deliberate moment designed to perpetuate the Pelin av Varlais tradition, much like his mother.

Status: An outsider to the 'meritless' politics of the current era. He operates as an observer and guardian, reporting vital findings to House Direnni while maintaining the ancient standards of Aldmer/Direnni heritage.

Romantic History: During his youth in the Systres, Antonidas experienced his first genuine romance with a Breton squire from a noble winemaking house. Leveraging his mixed heritage and the physical development of a young mer, he adopted the façade of a sophisticated, worldly mage-knight to mask his teenage insecurities. Devout to Zenithar and Y'ffre, the mature lady was captivated by his unusual mastery of dark magic. Their idyll lasted two years, ending amicably after the knightly tournaments. Though teased back in Balfiera for 'playing the grown man,' the bond defined his ideals of honor.

Preferences

Likes — Culinary: Spicy food and bitter drinks contrasted with extremely sweet pastries; he believes sensorial contrast sharpens the mind.

Likes — Intellectual: Technical precision, ancient history, geometry in dance, and courtly romance.

Likes — Experience: Controlled adrenaline (calculated risk) and the silence of deep study (hyperfixation).

Dislikes — Culinary: Unseasoned food, which he dismisses as 'a failure of technical application.'

Dislikes — Social/Political: The Thalmor (due to their unmerited arrogance), religious fanatics, greed, and lack of discipline.

Dislikes — Physical: Sensorial overload, chaotic crowds, and inefficiency.

[sirantonidas]

Tirdas, 6th of Last Seed, 4E 201 — Border outpost of Jehanna and Eastmarch.

This morning, a few days into our journey after leaving Balfiera, an emissary of the Thalmor crossed the cobblestone courtyard of the border post, escorting a merchant caravan toward the throat of Skyrim. Vianetelle and I watched from the shadows. His black silk robes were intended to inspire awe, but the pale, washed yellow of his eyes—so typical of the lesser, modern lineages of Alinor—revealed the inherent stagnation of his spirit. He paused before me, seeking the effortless familiarity of Mer blood in this harsh Breton borderland. However, my reflection in his gaze seemed only to transition his arrogance into unease.

He saw in my form what the Third Dominion desperately tries to purge from its chronicles: old gold skin, undimmed by the sterile isolation of the islands; obsidian-coloured hair, recalling the days when our ancestors walked firmly upon the earth of the Early Eras. Their civilization has mistaken preservation for transcendence ever since the fall of Crystal-Like-Law. He called me ‘kin of the Bay’, a title dripping with unearned condescension. I did not loosen my hand from my sword guard, nor did I allow my brows to break the straight, unyielding line of my concentration.

They believe themselves to be the pinnacle of the Mer, but I—even with the mortal alloy of my Manmer blood—see only pale copies. They are weakened by artificial symmetry, devoid of true praxis, and blind to the genuine pursuit of Alaxon. It is little wonder, since their bloodlines fold inward upon themselves with obsessive regularity, mistaking atrophy for purity. My sturdier constitution, shaped by the heritage of Upvale and the sharp winds of Balfiera, is a testament to resilience. They belong in their fragile crystal halls; Vianetelle and I belong to the imperishable structures of reality.

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