Full Name: Leopold Craven
Nickname: Leo (only to those he deems as closest friends)
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Occupation: Retired Lieutenant-Colonel (British Auxiliary Legion)
Nationality: Danish-English
Languages: English, Danish
Current status: Unmarried
Current Residence: Redwood Estate, just outside of London

Overall Appearance: Leopold is described often as looking plain and unassuming, with little to be said about his appearance, but this is belied by the scar that cuts a sliver into his beard. His fair hair is cut short and is usually parted from the right, while slightly betraying his Scandinavian blood. His eyes are a deep blue and contain an inner depth that, while not hidden from the world, is typically only spotted by those actively looking. He is a well-built and stocky man, generally adorned in fine clothes of cotton and minimal adornment when outside formal occasions. He has a military discipline and rarely smiles, but his smile is bright and cheerful when it shows. He is never one to act brusquely, and speaks with a politeness and eloquence that tends to catch some people unawares.

Height: 182 cm
Weight: 90 kg
Eye Color: Dark blue, looks like they contain vast depths similar to an ocean
Hair color: Blonde, strikingly bright when in the right light
Hair Style: Simple right-hand part, cut short
Complexion: Limestone, very slight tan
Body shape: Tall and Stocky, rectangular in shape
Distinguishing Marks: Facial scar on his left cheek that cuts a line into his otherwise full beard. Scars covering the left side of his body from shrapnel, none are visible without removal of his shirt.
Clothing: Leopold dresses with as much adornment as an occasion requires of him, though he tends to avoid wearing any if it all possible. His clothes are made of a fine cotton, and he prefers a wardrobe consisting of blacks, blues and the occasion burgundy. He has quite the fondness for hats, being seen with an extensive collection and being his most used accessory (He appears to favor the bowler hat, however).

Basic Personality: Leopold is a fairly quiet individual. This, however, does not mean that he does not speak or interact with others, he merely takes his time to choose his words carefully. When he speaks, his words tend to mean something. He is intelligent and well-disciplined with a tendency to examine those he speaks to with a critical eye. When sufficiently loosened up (or very drunk), he can turn from his usual "strong, silent type" into a bleeding heart romantic with a penchant for a poetic verse here or there.

Magic Percentage: ElF45
Special Skills:

• Writer: Leopold tends to write poems in his spare time, and has secretly been working on a novel under the pseudonym Jack Riley.
  
• Good with animals: Leopold has a way with animals that earns their trust rather quickly. This works better on horses for reasons that he's not quite sure.
  
• Observation: Leopold has learned, over the years, that a keen eye and open ear can gain far more than brute force or fumbling about.

History: Born in 1813 in Denmark-Norway, during its final years before dissolution, Leopold received the proverbial short straw when it came to his familial situation. Born to his father's second wife, a Danish woman of little renown but complimentary magical talent in Fire, he is not only the Fourth son but a half siblings to his brothers as well. This earned him a childhood wrought with the bullying of his brothers and the slight indifference of his father. He quickly learned to assume his role, that of the "red-headed stepchild" of the family.

His childhood was not wholly unpleasant. Being the son of the Earl of Craven opened many doors, and he was never lacking for friends where ever he went. His mother was his only real source of familial love, however. She would tell him stories of danger and adventure that would set his small heart ablaze with excitement. This turned into Leopold writing his own stories to tell her, which earned him enough praise that he could live the rest of his life and never want for more.

Eventually, his mother grew sick and died within a year. The consumption had taken her despite the best efforts of doctors, and even Magic had seemed ineffective. This hit Leopold hard, leaving him holed up in his room or a study for days at a time. All the while he would write poems and stories he dedicated to his mother, and drowning himself in the Craven liquor cabinet even at this young age. The Earl grew weary of this and, on Leopold's 17th birthday, arranged for the man to be given a military rank and assigned to active duty.

Although he was certain he could have simply coasted along on his family name and had those suited to military life perform his duties, Leopold took to the military with greater aplomb than he or his father expected. The discipline had been exactly what he had needed to get himself righted, and soon he was drawn away from the reclusive lifestyle that had claimed years of his life. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and was more than content to pursue the military career until the end of his days. Then the Succession War in Spain started. It was a war fought over who would succeed Ferdinand the VII, with the "Carlists", as they called themselves, supporting a return to a traditional monarchy. He was deployed as part of the British Auxiliary Legion in support of the Regency forces, and was put in the front lines for his capable Fire magic. This came with downsides, as he was forced to watch as Fire wreathed its way through the enemy forces, burning other people alive to decide the fate of a monarchy that wasn't even his own.

He was never quite the same after the brutal fighting. Even more so when, during the Battle of Andoain, he was struck by the heavy Carlist artillery and faced grievous injuries that put him permanently out of combat. The lacking medical supplies as well as indifference given by his own country made the road to recovery arduous and, not to mention, nearly lethal on several occasions. Still, the war was won later without further assistance from Leopold. Meanwhile, he was soon released to return home as a hero of the war. Except he wasn't. He was given no assistance from the Spanish or British and was forced to find his own way back home. This only made his still healing injuries worse by the day, until all he was left with were the horrid scars that tore through most of his torso and lower body. The only one visible on a daily basis being the scar the tore through his beard.

When he finally did arrive home, his experiences in the war weren't treated with the respect he felt they deserved.  Instead, they dismissed his psychological struggles, attributing them to his time in Spain, branding him a failure for not bearing visible wounds alone. He wasn't sure what his family wanted from him, but he knew better at this point than to ask. At the end of his long road of recovery, he received a missive from his father. One that told him to be of use to the Craven family and make himself presentable at this next Social Season. He was to find a wife and have a family of his own.

Family:

• William Scott Craven, Aged 72 (Father, Earl of Craven in York)
  
• Sofia Craven, Deceased (Mother)
  
• Andrew Craven, Aged 39 (Eldest brother, heir apparent to the Earldom)
  
• Oliver Craven, Aged 34 (Second eldest, runs a coal mining company)
  
• Nathaniel Craven, Aged 33 (Third Eldest, oversees in America on behalf of Oliver)