Name:  William Stuart

Gender: Male

Age: 41

Hair: Brown/Gray

Eyes: Dark Green

Distinguishing Marks: William has numerous smaller, non-lethal scars located on various parts of his body.  There is no part of him unmarred by a lifetime of battle in one way or another.  Most notable, however, is his right leg.  A few years ago, William took a hard-swung axe to his inner right thigh and groin.  Thanks to the severe tissue damage and a later infection, he lost much of his thigh muscle, leaving him with a permanent limp and periodic bursts of debilitating pain.  He is capable of walking without a cane, albeit with a pronounced, loping gait, however he only does so when absolutely necessary.

General Appearance:





William Stuart was – and still is – a statuesque figure.  Standing straight-backed at just shy of 6 feet tall, Sir William cuts an intimidating image.  His receding hairline, battle-worn visage, and stern, faded green glare has been known to cause many a rookie soldier to whimper upon earning his ire.  When in an official setting, he can be found clad in his armor, ceremonial or practical, a proper Nobleman’s suit.  However, in more casual settings he can be found wearing a less formal Noble attire, featuring leather, fine ring-mail, and at times a fox pelt.  William’s cane, which he always has on him, is simple in design; straight, crafted from fine cherrywood with a clear lacquer finish, and stands just about waist height.  Instead of a hooked handle, it has a small, egg-shaped handle that tapers smoothly down to the shaft’s width.

Personality:  William is proper and respectful at all times when in like company, and a stern and unforgiving military commander.  He rewards merit and quick thinking, and while he has little tolerance for failure, the reason for failure is more important.  Incompetence and a lack of forethought will receive no mercy from him, but mistakes that lead to improvement are accepted.  What irks him most is seeing a mistake repeated.  He does have a sense of humor, but it is closely guarded.

When it comes to family, William is notably softer.  He has never quite managed to be open and warm like most are, and gentleness is difficult for him… but he does care for his family.  However, since losing his wife years ago, he has become more… reserved.  More private.  He’s grown a bit distant since that event, focusing more on military prowess at the expense of his familial connections.  He can and has loved, but he has also lost a great deal.  He is merely a product of a life’s worth of experience.

Sexual Preferences: Heterosexual

House: House Stuart, the Royal House

Biography: Younger brother to the King’s father by one year, William grew up accepting the knowledge that he would have no claim to the throne.  Instead, he devoted himself to a military lifestyle from a young age, enlisting as soon as he was physically capable of doing so.  He was a model soldier, and gifted with the sword.  He rose from rank and file to squad commander, Captain, and eventually adjutant to his Brother during his reign.  At this point, William had not only proved his skills with command, but also cemented his status as a well-respected swordsman, often whispered as the best currently found in Breiton.  It was while holding this post that William met his true love and, after one short year, wife.

The brief two year period during which William was married was the happiest point of his life.  His skill with the sword and his command ability earned him the rank of General of the Crown’s Armies, as well as the official title of Champion of the Crown.  He served as diplomat where necessary, having spent time with the Deshret people as well as the Chikaran people as the sole diplomat accepted that year.  In that year, too, his wife became pregnant with his first child.  William was pleased with his life… but it did not last.

Merely two short months before his child would have been born - almost a decade now to date - William’s wife and unborn child were killed in an assassination attempt targeting himself, and the King’s senior staff.  This brazen attack led to open conflict with those responsible, and William was thrown into a life of war once more, with barely a moment to grieve.  He fought for nearly three years before being struck with an injury that took him out of the war for the rest of its duration.  In marching through a mountain pass thought to be safe, William’s army walked straight into an ambush – his scouts had been killed, betrayed by one of their number who sold himself out to the enemy.  William’s army emerged victorious at the end of a full day’s fighting, but they suffered almost 40% casualties – with William himself being one of them.  In the midst of battle, his horse took a spear to the throat.  While attempting to free himself from the saddle as the horse fell, William took the jagged spiked tip of a war-axe directly to the inner thigh, angled up into the groin.

Thankfully, his squire killed the man before the killing blow could be delivered, but even then… that was the last true battle William took part in.  It took almost eight months for William to fully recover, during which time he fought blood loss, high fever, and a deadly infection.  Combined with the wicked amount of tissue damage, he lost a large chunk of thigh muscle, leaving him with a pronounced limp.  The nerve damage leads to sudden attacks of blinding pain on occasion, with no predictable frequency.  He has not been able to determine what will cause such attacks, as they seem to be completely random – he can twist a certain way one day, with no result, only for the same motion to bring pain the next day.

This injury, eventually, led William to step down from his position as General of the Crown’s Army.  The timing was good though, the decision taking place mere months before his nephew Stephen was crowned King.  Retiring from official military duty, William now serves the Crown as a trusted Military advisor, in charge the selection and training of the King’s Guard, as well as the mastermind behind the Kingdom’s current standard for soldier training.  He has not taken a second wife since losing his first, the love of his life, and had no plans to take another.

This decision was taken from him, though not by force.  Throughout his life, thanks to his Military service and, later, his injury and mourning, William was rather distant from his own family.  He was Uncle to a younger Stephen often in name only, with their familial bond reforming only recently with William’s appointment as Military Advisor.  With the King’s plan to marry the Major Houses, the suggestion was put forth to William to take part in the matchmaking.  He refused the first three offers, and many more as politely as possible.  It wasn’t until he had a chance to sit down and truly talk with the King – to hear his vision and the passion with which he spoke of it – that William changed his mind.  As a favor not to the Crown, but to Stephen his nephew, William finally accepted.

Other Information:  William’s reputation as a swordsman remains to this day, as does his skill.  His wound, however, has blunted his capabilities considerably, thus he no longer accepts any challenges or duels.  He is still respected as an instructor however, and many of the Kingdom’s finest swordsmen have received training from him.