Dworkin’s Family
Symbol
Red and gold rampant lion

Lineage
Locke, Clay, Pella, Freda were all born in the Courts of Chaos. Most of their younger brothers and sisters were born of normal human mothers, scattered amongst many shadows. Most of their mothers died of old age while Dworkin and the children remained young and hearty. (This was partly due to different time flows in their home shadows.) When coming of age, each family member took the Logrus.

Nursery Rhyme
Nine princes of Chaos, all torn asunder;
Six princesses of Chaos, where do they wander?
Fly falcon, stout hart, and unicorn brave;
Between the shadows, to escape your grave.


Personalities (by succession)

• Locke - Dead
• Clay - Missing
• Pella
• Freda
• Aber
• Isadora
• Fenn
• Syara
• Mattus - Missing
• Titus
• Conner
• Leona
• Blaise
• Taine - Missing
• Oberon
• Davin - Dead
• Alanar - Missing

Family Factions
Supporting Freda: Pella and Aber
Supporting Locke: Davin Fenn, Isadora
Playing court with Blaise: Leona and Syara.


Juniper Castle
Shadow
Located in the shadow of Juniper, and the base for Dworkin’s family during their war with the enemy. Dworkin once hoped to retire there to a quiet life of study and reflection, but all the attacks changed that. It is in a shadow very, very far from the Courts. About as far as you can get and still use the Logrus. The family should have been safe here… and yet the Enemy found them very quickly.

Neighbouring Land
Nearby there is a land of rolling green hills. The highway to reach it is at times paved with yellow bricks, and sometimes deep ruts with grass in between , curving gently. Brightly plumed birds flitted among the scattered bushes and trees, singing cheerful songs. Overhead high white clouds streaked the deep, perfect blue of the sky.

Juniper Castle
A sleepy, moss-draped castle atop a distant hill. In front of the hill sat a small, peaceful looking village, with perhaps seventy or so brick and mortar buildings with yellow thatched roofs. Before and beyond stretched verdant acres of farmland and rich pastures, dotted with houses and barns, small ponds and even a broad blue stream.



Aber
Appearance: Short brown hair, close cropped brown beard, steady gray green eyes. High and broad cheek bones. Wears red.

Background: A trickster and a prankster, Aber doesn’t get on well with most of the rest of the family. He is a trump artist though his work tends to be more functional than artistic. Most family members possess one of his trump decks. He avoids combat situations, and sometimes acts cowardly. Within the castle he spends a lot of time chasing the kitchen maids. Originally born in shadow, he spent some time in the Courts of Chaos. He is in a faction with Freda and Pella.


Alanar
Appearance: Muddy brown eyes, hair light brown, smooth skin. Aber’s trump of him shows him wearing a hat adorned with a set of preposterously large elk antlers. Colours are yellow and brown.

Background: A young man of about fifteen years of age, who was keen on adventuring. He is one of the missing . He was not yet of age to assay the Logrus.


Blaise
Appearance: Young and beautiful. Dark brown hair, high cheekbones, pale complexion and perfect white teeth.

Background: Knows she is beautiful, and the best dresser in the family. A true master to intrigue, plots and schemes. Ambitious. She has a regular network of spies, including almost all of the servants in Juniper Castle. She seems to sleep with half the staff, or has them in her pay. She is never alone, always seeming to have someone in attendance on her.


Clay
Appearance: ?

Background: Not much is known of Clay, although it’s believed he was an Advanced Logrus adept. He is one of the missing.


Conner
Appearance: Short with muddy brown eyes.

Background: Identical twin to Titus. A novice to fighting, and the less bright and more hot headed of the two brothers. If it weren’t for the war, he would be off in shadow finding himself new adventures by his brother’s side


Davin
Appearance: Looks 21 years of age, slender as a reed, smooth-cheeked and serious.

Background: Davin is the most loyal supporter of Locke, and they are often inseparable. The two of them built House Barimen’s army from nearby shadows, including many where they were worshipped like gods. He is a good tracker, and knows how to train horses. He has a solid grasp of military matters.

Horse: A chestnut gelding with white socks on both front feet, full of nervous energy.



Dworkin
Appearance: A thin little man of perhaps forty with long black hair tied behind his head and a sharp gleam in his eye. Muddy brown eyes. Clean shaven. A powerful presence, the sort of man you instinctively look at whenever he enters the room, or listen to whenever he spoke.

Colours: Silver and Gold.

Background: Dworkin is over 200 years old. He wasn’t meant for war. It is against his nature, but he can be a man of action… a hero… when he has to. He hates waiting, and has a terrible temper. He is an advanced sorcerer, often tinkering on dozens of new delicate experiments in his workshop. He could become quite angry being disturbed when absorbed in his work. He is an excellent trump artist, and made thousands in his youth, though he doesn’t draw much any more. Tales of his wild youth are still legend in the Courts of Chaos. His swordsmanship is nothing short of amazing. Shortly after he assayed the Logrus, he started speaking openly about his new pattern, which brought him undue scrutiny.

Dworkin seduced King Uthor’s youngest and favourite daughter. Got her with child, in fact. Once that happened, it was hard to hide their involvement. He couldn’t have married her, because she was already betrothed. Had been, in fact, since birth. Dworkin knew that, too, and he didn’t care. And all this happened forty years ago, as time goes in the Courts of Chaos.

Dworkin was away from the Courts of Chaos too long and lost whatever influence he once has gone.


Fenn
Appearance: Medium height. Blue eyes, with a hesitant but honestly welcoming smile.

Background: A supporter of Locke.


Freda
Appearance: Strikingly beautiful, long dark hair and a wide, thin nose, full lips, strong chin. Dresses in gold and red silk dress. Heavy gold rings set with large diamonds and large rubies cover her slender fingers. Deft hands. Her skin is soft as silk, and smells of lavender and honey.

Background: Dworkin’s seemingly constant companion, and possibly favourite daughter. She grew up in the Courts of Chaos. She is talented at reading the trumps, and foretelling the future, although she is not a trump artist herself. Freda likes to settle down in one place. Takes herself very seriously. She has an over reliance on her scrying and Logrus abilities. She misses the Courts of Chaos. Soft, and compassionate, but a woman of action when the need arises.


Isadora
Appearance: Reddish hair, pale complexion, broad cheeks and eyes, and the slender figure of a goddess. An object of feminine perfection.

Background: Full sister to Syara. Described as the warrior bitch from hell. Listens to gossip.


Leona
Appearance: ?

Background: Close to Syara. She is a talented medic, and has been known to treat men who have fallen in combat. Leona is compassionate and cares about people. Is known to play at court.


Locke
Appearance: Tall and stout, with a full black beard and a brooding expression. He looks no more than thirty.

Background: General in charge of Juniper’s army, and the first-born son, he seems poised to take over after Dworkin. He’s a bully when he wants his way, and has a temper. Locke looks after his men. He is an extremely capable warrior. He has the deftness and speed of an experienced commander and a solid grasp of military matters. The men love him and will follow him to the seven hells and back, if he asks.

Locke is eighty years old. Locke’s mother is Lady Ryassa de Lyor ab Sytalla. Sytalla is a powerful family that opposed her marriage to Dworkin… and took insult when he left and kept the offspring. Locke grew up in the Courts, knowing his heritage, where fighting and treachery were a way of life. He was schooled by a dozen weapon masters. He grew up with blades in both hands.

Coincidentally, his rivals never lasted long. A series of convenient accidents. Locke is careful, and no one has any proof of his involvement. But over the years, there have been too many hunting accidents, a drowning, two convenient suicides, and half a dozen mysterious disappearances in the Barimen family alone. That’s not counting other rivals.

Horse: He rides a handsome, black stallion, about sixteen hands high.


Mattus
Appearance: Brown eyes, dark hair and high and wide cheek bones. Dressed all in dark browns and yellows. Tended to wear spider silk.

Background: Strong and determined. Mattus had a quick temper, and a brooding nature. He was reluctant to take the Logrus. He stormed off after a shouting match with Locke, and this is the last anyone saw of him. He is one of the missing.


Oberon
Appearance: Eyes as blue as the sea. Oberon is tall. High and broad cheekbones, hair is darker than Alanar’s.

Background: Raised in an unknown shadow separate from the rest of the family, and trained by Dworkin. Dworkin talked of him often, and what a good swordsman he was becoming, often to the ire of Locke.


Pella
Appearance: Older sister to Freda, and looks a lot like her. Strikingly beautiful, long dark hair and a wide, thin nose, full lips, strong chin. Interested in gossip.

Background: Is amused by the sexual antics of others, and tends to be sexually prolific herself.


Syara
Apperance: Reddish hair, pale complexion, broad cheeks and eyes, and the slender figure of a goddess. An object of feminine perfection.

Background: Full sister to Isadora. Close to Leona. She is a talented medic, and has been known to treat men who have fallen in combat. She makes caring for her charges a priority. Is known to play at court.


Taine
Appearance: A young man, dressed in browns and greens, with a wide pleasant version of Dworkin’s face. A faint dueling scar marked his left cheek, but he had a genial smile. He wore brown and green.

Background: A ladies man, which is probably how he wound up with his dueling scar. A talented fighter, who also liked to drink. He had a temper. He left after a fight with Locke, and is now one of the missing.


Titus
Appearance: Short, with muddy brown eyes.

Background: Identical twin to Conner. A novice to fighting. He tended to be more level headed, smarter, and a better judge of character than Conner. If it weren’t for the war, he would be off in shadow finding himself new adventures by his brother’s side




Servants of Juniper Castle

Juniper’s Staff

• Anari - Chief of the domestics.
• Horace: Oberon's serving man
• Ivinius: Shaver and barber
• Kitchen cook: Ivinius's wife
• Valets: Five boys, all of Ivinius and his wife
• Ivinius grandkids: Twenty-six grandchildren, and great grandchildren
• Servant Wenches: Aber has been spending a lot of time with them
• Page: About ten years old
• Scullery Maids
• Tailors
• Chancellors
• Scrubwomen
• Grooms
• Guards
• Pastry Chef
• Herb Gardener
• Seamstresses

Anari
Appearance: White haired.

Background: Chief of the domestics in Juniper Castle, who handles staff assignments and reports. He has served Dworkin for all of his seventy-six years, as his father and his father’s father before him. His own son and grandson Horace are likewise being groomed to serve House Barimen.


Berushk, Master
Appearance: An older man, much scarred on his hands and face.

Background: The family’s fencing tutor, who likes to give dueling scars. He is very competent, and is even able to beat Locke now and then.


d’Darjan, Captain
Background: The competent captain of Juniper troops with an extra joint in their arms, including himself. He rode a dappled gray mare.


Horace
Appearance: Black hair.
Background: Valet to Oberon, the great grandson of Anari. He folds clothing deftly.


Ivinius
Appearance: A man in his late years, dressed in castle livery. Age spotted hands. Undoubtedly, he had to be at least seventy years old. He does not look strong.

Background: A barber. He has been serving about seventy-six years. He was very fond of Freda as a child. Married to a cook in the kitchen for sixty two years. (The cook was seventy odd years old.) They had five boys, who all served as valets in the castle and twenty six grandchildren and great grandchildren, one of whom will soon be of age to join the army.


Pareketh
Background: One of Locke’s aids.