Spencer Stroud
Profile
Basic Information
Name:
Spencer Stroud
Nickname(s):
Cederic Cotteril (Real Name)
Age:
34
Birth Date:
31st July, 8261. (True Snake, Secret Cat, Year of the Lambent Crystal Silkworm)
Height:
6'1" | 185
Gender:
Male
Race:
Human
Class:
Paladin
Occupation:
Helvarg Flying Corp
Guild(s):
The Helvarg
Enhancement(s):
Atros' Favour
Likes
Perytons | His surviving family | Nature and the countryside | Ice Baths | Underground fighting rings | Training |
Dislikes
Animals other than Perytons | Farmwork | Illusionists | Delvan Light Elves | Open Fire | Hospitals | Urban Cities
Personality
| Hard-Working | Independent | Dedicated | Serious | Cooperative
| Sarcastic | Melancholy | Cynical | Anxious | Indecisive | Stagnant |
Though once precocious, prideful and generally disagreeable, tough times have made Spencer into a very different man. While around old acquaintances he is still capable of putting up a shadow of an effort to be as joking and flirtatious as he once was out of a misguided desire to not appear weak, in private and around strangers he is brooding and serious. He will choose not to speak more often than not, preferring to be entirely out of the spotlight. His tendency to spread canvas has also been almost entirely obliterated by insecurities about his body and mind, the latter of which is at times very low. Though Spencer once struggled against his destiny with a zeal for the unknown, he now tends toward resigned calmness; he accepts much of what comes his way as inevitable. Worse yet, his indecisive nature means that it takes him a great deal of time to act on the unhappiness that tends to come from this resignation-- and takes equally as long to gather the willpower to face new and unfamiliar things. He is, as ever, deeply traditional and dislikes change.
When Spencer does interact with others, his sharp tongue is very much intact- sarcasm is still his language of choice, though it's purpose now is to push others away rather than to condescend. All his life he has found it hard to place his trust in others- as a childhood of learning the fickleness of others had put him on guard, and most of the occasions on which he was shown kindness have always come with a price. However, the best lesson he's learned through his troubles has been the benefits of teamwork. Notoriously uncooperative just years ago, he is now quite pliant and can be told to do this or that without a single complaint. Once rigid morals can be bent for the sake of following an order. While this new attitude stems more from a desire to look out for himself and take the path of least resistance rather than any sense of loyalty towards his team, he is significantly easier to work with and be around.
Yet there are times when he retreats deep into his thoughts-- and Spencer's underlying anxiety spikes. He becomes quite paranoid of everyone and everything around him, and worries about impossible things. It is because of these episodes that he has mostly withdrawn from his former friends and has trouble being around them for long. For him, his losing battle against these demons is a deeply shameful secret that he is incapable, and sometimes unwilling to resolve.
History
Hailing from a humble background, Cederic was born and raised on the Cotterill farm in Linacre, Cantor. His childhood was not without happy memories, but they were soured by trials which reflected their hard lifestyle; Illness took his younger sister, complications took his mother and younger brother during childbirth, and alcohol set his father against what remained of the family. He was shielded from the worst of it as a young child, but dreamed of nothing more than leaving as soon as he was able- banking on promises made with his elder brother to escape their lives on the farm. But in his teens he perceived himself abandoned to dire circumstances by his most beloved brother who walked out without him- leaving him to face the worst of their father's wrath as the eldest of only two left behind in a house falling into despair and disrepair. Hard labor in the fields made the gangly teen grow strong in body, and hate made him grow strong in mind, steeling himself against ever returning if the opportunity for escape ever arose. And arise it did, when his father died suddenly in what was widely publicized as an unfortunate accident involving the most unpopular man in town. Cederic gathered only the barest of essentials, determined to leave Linacre before his old man's body had even gone cold- and was lucky enough to come across an Amedran Caravan on the road. Despite giving up every cent to his name, he found himself indebted to them for the journey from Cantor to Amedra- but it was just as well. They were surprisingly honest and good people, and Spencer was inclined to be agreeable in every way now that the burden of his past was lifted from his shoulders and he faced the future with optimistic eyes. Hard work of his own volition was a much easier pill to swallow than the farm work that had been forced upon him.
And for the first time, Cederic- now known as Spencer, loved and was loved by a local girl, was well-liked by all in his caravan, and even began to save money when he was finally out of the red. But it was not to last, as he heard of his now hated brother, Jasper, having joined the military a little too close for comfort. Spooked by the possibility of facing him, Spencer was rudely awoken from the dream of his life in Amedra- and settling what business he could, he fled to the North continent where military presence was rumored to be sparser. He spent a time in Belport, training despite his dashed dreams of joining the military himself- but was soon enthralled with the Helvarg who occasionally ventured south. Seeing an opportunity to end his aimlessness, he seized it and though was initially rebuffed for being a weak, city boy of an outsider, was determined to make something out of nothing. He trained harder than ever, and six years of dedicating his life to their grueling regimens granted him acceptance to the Helvarg- and, he thought, Valski society in general.
Current Story
But it seemed Spencer's curse to wander was equally dedicated, and 8 years since his arrival in Valsk he was once again ejected from the place he had come to view as the dearest home he had ever known. The invasion of the Koben army saw his pride trampled upon as he was ordered to retreat. Now a refugee in Cantor, he was restless and aggressive to all, unable to forgive himself for his failures and hurt by choice words of rejection from some of the more outspoken in the Valski community. His anger soon saw him sent away yet again, and he returned to Amedra to stay with a lover/friend to weather the storm of his anger. The effects of being in Amedra, the city where everything began, were profound. After many years of playing the victim, he finally reflected on the actions of his life, thinking rationally and calmly-- and reached the conclusion that he had not been cursed to wander-- he had cursed himself to run away. He quietly returned to Cantor City a few months later, mulling over whether it was finally time to face his demons, resolve his long-standing grudges and put an end to guilt that had haunted him since his first flight from Amedra.
After a time in Cantor City, he was selected for his less warrior-like build and appearance to sneak into the occupied city of Valsk. Choosing Nice as his partner for the operation, they successfully infiltrated the city- and while things seemed to be going smoothly for a time, they were sold out. To ensure that at least one of them escaped with the information they'd gleaned, Spencer stayed behind to confront their pursuers and was captured by the Empire. The subsequent interrogation and torture left a deep and profound impact on Spencer who was affected in both mind and body. He lost his right ear suffered numerous burns across the back of his body, and had ghost pains in his hands where broken bones and knife wounds had been repeatedly inflicted and healed. But it was the mental knowledge of having, in a moment of desperation, betrayed the details of the upcoming mission to retake Valsk that weighed most heavily. The censure was severe, and he was forgiven only by proving his loyalty by accompanying Aeron, the man who had inflicted the worst of his wounds to his prison in the capital. Taunted even by a defeated man, censured by his comrades and uneasy around old friends whom he felt beholden to appear unaffected around, his pride was effectively smashed to smithereens.
A happy result of that however, was his newfound willingness to bury old hatchets. After vaguely reconciling with his elder brother, Spencer found himself reconnecting with his biological family out of desperation to find a place to belong- and was for a time, back on track towards a sense of normalcy despite keeping his struggles silent and fiercely private. Joining Jasper on the mission to investigate the Ley Wood and eventually to save the Ley Elk, he found a great deal of solace in being far from civilization and people who knew of his past-- and was able to be much of his old self with his team. It was not to last however-- as the slaying of the Ley Elk sent individuals scattered across Alva, and Spencer found himself in the worst possible place: outside of Koben Palace. He was now effectively trapped in the empire which had been the source of his great suffering, penniless due to lacking Koben currency and having nothing beyond his armor, lance, and clothes on his person. Unbeknownst to him, the first person he saw was the Princess of Reluir, Lorna. Panicking at the horrifying turn of events, he found himself at the mercy of her kindness. Her actions gave him his first opportunity to reassess his prejudiced dislike of dark elves-- which made it possible for him to accept the help of Shepherd, who hired him on as a debt collector. Needing the job and money to live before figuring out his next course of action, he set aside his morals and did all and any dirty work asked of him. The only redemption was helping a Valski girl find her way home with his coin-- but this money had been saved up for his own passage back, and he was once again at square one. He was keen to find his way out. As a result, he thought nothing of the open call for mercenaries to help save their prince. He didn't want to help, and didn't think he would be of any help regardless. But the Miran Princess soon joined him, and Spencer realized that this expedition was his ticket home.
He found himself free passage on the ship of his old flame Guen, and was surprised to find that she had carved a new life for herself that was a far cry from his own, further crushing his pride. After returning to Valsk through great pains and efforts, he was disappointed upon his return. Once again, he was suspected of being a turncoat after having spent nearly a year in the empire. Unable to move freely now that he was under suspicion, Spencer resigned himself to being generally disliked by those around him- save the Valski girl he'd saved and those who believed in her story of his good deeds by her. Still, he kept to himself, unwilling to cast his shadow over them as well, and has been growing increasingly reclusive-- unfortunately only adding to the misunderstanding about his true loyalties.
As a part of his duties in the Helvarg, he joined the mission to search for Mareus-- an effort which went south when Maelog rose, casting people and supplies into frigid, roiling waters. By chance, he spotted Guen in the water, incapacitated, and fished her out on his peryton. With little purpose of his own, and seeking what little comfort he could in a familiar face, he joined her on the next quest to Hangman's Cross. This ill-advised trip ended with him cursed to hunt one of the Generals, or be killed by a Faldrish Goddess. Used to being at the whim of powers greater than his own, he's resigned himself to his inevitable fate of dying by the apocalypse, or dying by trying to stop it.
Additional Info
He is the spitting image of his father when he fails to shave and style his hair. (With the current appdate, he now looks quite similar to his dad oops.)
Spencer spends most of his time with his peryton, Riodhr. (Reindeer are better than people)
He's a strong drinker, but overdoes it quite frequently.Relatively good with money thanks to his stint in the Amedran Traders' Guild, and so surprisingly good at managing his finances. After the invasion of the north however, he's lost a great deal of his assets, and so he's stuck working for the Helvarg to save up some coin despite how unhappy he is.
Suffers from night terrors and so doesn't sleep very well. Sometimes gets slightly disoriented due to fatigue. He's been training continuously to overcome the inconvenience of his lost right earshell, but the loss of his ability to detect direction of sound on that side has also affected his skill as a fighter.
He was once racist against elves as a whole, but has since changed his perception of dark elves. Ironically, he still regards Delvan light elves with a sense of distrust, but this is mostly due to the city's hand in recent events and the slaying of the Ley Elk, rather than due to the race of the people who live in that city.
He is still quite misogynist, and dislikes (certain) women in fighting roles-- though he is less vocal about it now and is slowly growing used to seeing it.
Relations
Noel
Nier
Jasper Cotteril
It's complicated
Ilham Rostami
Though they only spent a short time together on the Iridus Quest, Spencer sees Ilham as a chill, if not sometimes comical guy. Spencer has, at the least, remembered his name and rather distinct appearance if nothing else. (He's slightly on the fence about wood elves, but Ilham had the great fortune of appearing before Spencer alongside an oriad, and so Spencer had little capacity to process the foreignness of an elf let alone a floating human shaped night sky.)
