|
|
|
Mage Adept Julian Forsyth
Killed in Action, Cornwall, May 1107
Forsyth is an educated man from a wealthy family. He is however, a third son and therefore unlikely to inherit. He is known for his friendly manner, fondness for wine and women (though not song) and aversion to hard work. It is this laziness which led him to develop his magical talents – why work hard to achieve something when you can manipulate the elements to do it for you?
Until being recruited for the Arcane tempest he was a student of philosophy (it being the subject least likely to require the production of meaningful results). After several years of supporting Julian in his apparently perpetual studentship, his father gave him an ultimatum: Join the clergy or join the army, the two standard dumping grounds for wastrel third sons.
This was something of a dilemma for Julian – on the face of it the clergy was the safer option, but he would at the very least be expected to curb his libido, and all those services are just so dull. Also, it would likely involve a lot of singing. The army on the other hand seemed likely to involve a lot of getting up early and running around – two things Julian hates with a passion.
In the end, the decision was made for him – Alaistair Coleman-Gunn spoke to his father and arranged his enlistment into the Arcane Tempest. Upon arrival at Santia, Julian discovered to his horror that he wasn’t getting a nice cushy officer’s commission as he had expected – the Arcane Tempest was of all things a meritocracy! Julian would have to bunk alongside the common soldiery and work his way up through the ranks.
The first month at Esther was hell for Julian, but as time went on he found that he actually liked the army life, once he worked out the best ways to shirk responsibility or duties. Most of his decisions were made for him, and he got a daily ration of spirits. He also found to his surprise, that he enjoyed the company of his fellow cadets from all walks of life.
Some might think that a soldier of Coleman-Gunn’s standing and experience might despise someone like Forsyth for his idleness, but nothing could be further from the truth. “Laziness is a virtue in a soldier,” says Coleman-Gunn, “for a lazy man will always find the most efficient solution to any problem!”
© 2006