Alexander Lauschten
Profile
Basic Information
Name:
Alexander Lauschten
Nickname(s):
Alek
Age:
28
Birth Date:
16th Mirrors, 8267
Height:
5'10" / 178 cm
Gender:
Male
Race:
Human
Class:
Disciple
Occupation:
Army Captain, Noble (Heir to Burgraf)
Guild(s):
Koben Imperial Court, Koben Army
Enhancement(s):
Humans' Mindspeak
Likes
Snow, horses, meat, soft music, competition, rain, cedar
Dislikes
Hot climates, cats, mushrooms, smoking, sweet teas, fake laughs, teachers' pets
Personality
Loyal, Responsible, Sincere, Composed, Perceptive, Sagacious
Complaisant, Diffident, Opportunistic, Audacious, Critical, Cynical
As a teenager and young adult, Alek felt that he was all but invincible with something to prove to high society. Filled with a sense of righteous duty in the middle of the war he knew what he had to do to achieve his ambitions, developing a habit for the less than pleasant yet often most effective methods. He no longer sees himself as an honour-bound soldier or man, though this acceptance of himself brings with it great internal conflict and a desire to be who he once imagined himself to be.
He is a man that doesn’t wish to be watered down to just his family name, and still feels the need to prove himself in some way to his superiors. Alek is opportunistic, seeing ways to advance himself in bold moves and slim chances, and as a result, he has come across as audacious or irresponsible to some. He’s always been willing to do whatever it takes to come out the other side, and has often taken on the dirty work no one else wanted. Because of this he can be easy to take advantage of when their priorities align. While his actions may look rash and ill thought out, he isn’t as impulsive as he used to be, having honed his value of shrewd thinking over time.
Despite this, the truth is that he takes his responsibilities extremely seriously, fully aware that he is in command of other peoples’ lives, even when it means being the bearer of bad news to loved ones. The war has chipped away at him and tempered that pure recklessness of his younger years into something more befitting of an officer and heir. He maintains a carefully held composed visage with a light smile in most company, but is no longer as bright as it used to be. With little patience for beating around the bush, Alek tends to not mince his words and shows his sincerity or displeasure with someone easily enough, for better or for worse. There was a time where he thought the best of people behind their smiles, but as someone who has never felt overly comfortable in the snake pit that is high society, and knowing what he himself is capable of, he finds it hard to accept others’ intentions at face value.
Updated: 2024
History
Family:
For decades before Alexander was born, the Lauschten name went relatively under the radar in gossip until his distant cousin Gerard became the Burgraf of Etterdine. After the death of his first child he suffered a deteriorating mental state; struggling with depression and recurring hallucinations the maintaining of the region was left in his distant cousin and friend Tomas’s hands when he was indisposed. Gerard’s condition worsened with each passing year and Tomas eventually moved his family to the main estate. He became a popular gossip piece in Koben and the family was pitied, scorned or outright mocked as a result. The locals frustration began to show in the last few months through shows of civil unrest throughout the region and demanded change be made. The decision was made that he was unsuitable to carry the title any longer but before it was announced Gerard’s body was found in his study. The title was passed to his six year old son, Roderic, without hesitation.
Personal:
Alexander was born the oldest of Tomas Lauschten and his Iadlish wife Eilayne’s four children. His family was considered a minor branch of the family until his father became close and an advisor to the current Burgraf. Alex grew up not knowing the difference as he was raised at the main estate. He was four when his cousin Roderic became the Burgraf, however he was rather oblivious to most everything around him, more concerned with causing as much trouble as he could with Roderic. His governess often remarked that he managed to find some way to sneak out of his lessons or skip them entirely and later be found riding or sleeping. The early years of his life were simple and smooth and he took advantage of these times of irresponsibility by creating a ruckus as often as he could and weaseling out of it just as easily. Alex and Roderic, with their similar appearance and attitude, were mistaken as brothers by other nobles as they usually stuck by each other’s side during social gatherings, which he never minded and found amusing more than anything.
Alex’s life began to change in his early teens. He and Roderic were expected to act like young nobles and respect traditions of the family and nobility. As such, Roderic was put into intensive lessons to ready him for his responsibilities as Burgraf, leaving Alex alone for most of the day. Despite losing his partner in crime Alex still caused trouble, more even as Roderic was more cautious than he had ever been, and had escapades across Koben for years. One somewhat lost tradition he was not eager to honour was the military. For generations before his grandfather the second or third in line to inherit would serve in the army or navy. However his father had had enough of his nonsense and thought it best to ship him off to learn the discipline and responsibility he never grasped at home. Alex was none to happy about the situation and was bitter up until he left for Koben the next year. Surprising to him and the rest of the family he took to military life with ease and comfort. The routine and stability of it enticed him while keeping him too preoccupied to cause much trouble.
He returned home after training, head held high and proud. The visit was not long, just enough time to say goodbye to his family and gather a few things before he returned to the capital. On his way from Etterdine Roderic accompanied him to the region’s border as a farewell party. Tragedy struck when Roderic’s horse stumbled and the two tumbled into the icy river below. Alex had leapt in in an attempt to pull him from the water but all his efforts to retrieve his cousin failed. The transition from minor member to heir of the family was a painful and sour one for him. He had never expected to have any such responsibility and was completely unprepared. He was required to attend far more meetings of any kind than he had ever wanted and pushed into the same lessons Roderic had been put into. Alex and his father made one compromise out of all the new changes of his life; Tomas was still a healthy and wise man and wasn’t expected to pass anytime soon, so, Alex was permitted to continue with the military as he saw fit.
Current Story
Throughout the war, he has done his best to serve the interests of the Empire and himself, in his quest of building something for himself with his own hands rather than have everything in his life handed to him on a silver platter; to prove that he was capable of more than his upbringing.
His stakes in the war efforts and purpose came under great scrutiny by himself though after the battles in the north as he returned home, in shock at the friendly fire and broken, and the true culprits behind Prince Fabian’s death and Prince Sigmund’s kidnapping came to justice. Before, the catalyst and perpetrators had been crystal clear enemies of the Empire, but when those enemies turned out to be coming from within, living amongst them, he came to question his position in the army and exactly what he had been fighting for.
When fire fell on the capital under the orders of the new Mirian king, the familiar sense of danger and battle washed away the fatigue that settled in his bones over the previous month. The truth was that things would not be solved so easily; they had made more enemies since, the war wasn’t over yet and he still had a home to protect, and a path to forge. He came away from the fire with a tale to tell of stealing a Cinden, and more importantly, a sharp reminder of what he donned the uniform for in the first place.
The growing presence of the gods awakening in their world put the grand scheme of political intrigue in sharp perspective. There would be no politics to stab people in the back over if there was no world for mortals in the first place, and Alek found himself trekking through Song-Lu to find the shards of Huozai. Aurea and Atros were on their doorstep, and they needed whatever help they could get from forces beyond their mortal bounds; so he chose to join the search for the Sixth God as other spread out in search of the old gods. Infernos had become nearly as common as breathing for him in the last year, and once again he was locked in a blazing city the moment Huozai’s shards melded together. Fleeing the palace by the skin of his teeth, Alek fled with fellow questers and civilians to avoid the smoke and incineration. Over the following days the magma, weiwu and fires spread in a way all too familiar to how Koben burned, but then things took a turn far from familiar. Alek had been escorting evacuating citizens to villages safer from the capital’s fires when he first encountered a ‘prophet’ of Huozai, and nearly dragged to join them.
News reached him in Song-Lu first of the supposed deaths of both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, then Renata’s complete dismissal of the Iridus quest, further galvanizing him into action. Disgusted by the way so many stuck their head in the sands in an attempt to play house and clawed for power instead while the Empire fell under Atros’ sharp chill, he pulled up his hood and departed for Hangman’s Cross. Hunting ancient Generals? Awakening even more ancient god’s children? Both things he had considered far from their reach to influence, and yet there he travelled through the kaleidoscopic realm with companions and Iridus to find those that were stolen from them. Faced with these divine encounters, Alek has been put back on his own two feet, allowed to breathe the air of a world that may not be torn to shreds just yet. But now, with that fact, nobility and the state of the Empire falls back on his shoulders; and he wonders just where he fits in to all of it when he has felt like he hasn’t before.
Additional Info
Etterdine is in northwestern Koben along the Crown Ridge. Most of the land is in the mountains with the main estate home located within the mountains. The southernmost lands are covered by the Isen forest. For generations, Etterdine has lived on its copper mining and bronze manufacturing and minor logging industry.
His mother was always fond of music and had she been able to sing well herself, she would have taken the path of a bard over sorcerer. Instead, throughout his younger years, she prodded Alek in the musical direction. Starting around eight years old he played the violin for years and performed with a small but renowned orchestra for four of those years. As a result, he traveled across the Empire playing at formal events
His sentimentality stretches to little trivial things that he feels he just can’t throw away. He knows how ridiculous some of the things he keeps are, but it’s just not in him to throw them away. Examples are: a simple magic pendant from Iadlain, the bridle of his first pony, his old violin.
He thinks he’s taller and stronger than he really is and takes on challenges too big for himself. He’s gotten far too many punches and kicks because of it.
Not very organized. He keeps work somewhat organized so as to make things easier for others as he doesn’t want to inconvenience them with a mess. He also knows it’s good military manners.
His growing disciple abilities lean towards cold aspects, feeling his body’s ether flow through him cooly as he focuses and meditates
He’s been pestered to write his letters home in Iadlic Canan, his mother insisted that he keep up the language even if he has no one to speak it to and would lecture him in her response if it was in Common. He saw it as a chore and stopped sending letters until things heated up again in Midsummer