Kier, Heir of Fort

:: OOC Information ::
Moniker: SylverAngel
How did you hear about us?: Co-founder

:: Character Information ::
Name: Kier

Pronunciation: Keer

Title: Heir of Fort Hold, Lord in the near future

Honourific: N/A

Age/ Turn of Birth: 16/ 486 AL

Gender: Male

Place of Birth: Fort Hold

Place of Residence: Fort Hold

Craft: N/A

Occupation/ Role: Heir of Fort Hold, will be Lord in the near future

Character Aspirations: Kier knows he will be Lord one day.  He has been raised with that expectation, and knows he will eventually take his father's place.  However, for now, he would rather focus on his books, and learning everything he can.  Or so it would appear to others.

Soon, with the death of his parents, Kier's sole ambition will be to find their killer and avenge their deaths, for he will believe no simple accident could take down the Lord and Lady of Fort.  Especially not with the long-standing feud between Fort and Southern Boll.  The only problem will be proving his suspicions to be correct.

Family:
(If known, give their name, turn of birth, rank and signify if they are deceased.)
✣Father: Rickov, age 40/ b. 462 AL, Lord Holder of Fort
✣Mother: Iriana, age 38/ b. 464 AL, Lady of Fort
✣Siblings: None
✣Children: None
✣Other Significant: betrothed, Yanesa of Ista Hold
Steward of the Hold, who will be key in helping him run the Hold and dig into the murder of his parents (based on Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler/ Kuroshitsuji)

Appearance:


✣Face:
✣Hair: Black, just long enough to get in his eyes
✣Eyes: Blue
✣Height: 5' 6"
✣Build: Short and slight for his age and gender.  It's possible this is due to his premature birth, or just genetics.  He will actually grow a little taller in the coming turns, hitting a growth spurt far later than most at around the age of 18.  It will leave him around 6' in height, surprising those who have known him a long time, as well as those who go long periods without seeing him.
✣Other Notable Physical Traits: Kier has a fairly large scar on his back, near his left shoulder blade, from when he was kicked by a runner.  It is only visible when he is not wearing a shirt, however.
✣Style of Dress: Kier tends to wear dark pants, boots, jackets, vets, etc. and white shirts, of fitting style for an heir apparent of a major Hold.  He doesn't pay much attention to fashion, but his mother does, and has his clothing made to suit her tastes.  He's perfectly fine with what she chooses in general, and if not, he lets her know something was uncomfortable or fit incorrectly.

Once his parents are gone, he will deliberately choose finer materials and cuts to impress upon anyone he deals with that he is now Lord of Fort in the absence of his father.  He will need to look the part for the Weyrleaders and especially the other Lord Holders to take him seriously.
✣Possessions usually found on persona: A book of some sort, or some hides and charcoal. Kier is perpetually studying and taking notes.
A gold ring with a deep blue stone-- a family heirloom given to the Heir of the Hold.

History:
Kier's parents had tried for turns to have children before he was finally conceived.  As it was, his mother had difficulties carrying even him to term, and he was born almost two months early.  The healers managed to save both him and his mother, much to his father's relief, though it would be some time before either of his parents truly believe Kier would remain with them.

Despite the rocky start, Kier left his family with little doubt that his will to live was strong.  He was always on the small side for his age, but it was clear his intelligence was not similarly lacking.  He picked up new things quickly and was almost insatiably curious about the world around him.  Displaying rare patience in a toddler, he observed the world around him and then put what he had learned to good use, speaking clearly before most children his age, and challenging the harpers called in to tutor him to mental games.

Indeed, Kier grew up wanting for nothing-- neither love, nor material possessions, were denied him, as the son of the Lord and Lady Holder of Fort.  His parents found him the best tutors and called in crafters when he desired to learn something new.  Such persons were paid well, and found in Kier a dedicated student, even through tasks he lacked an affinity for.

As he grew older, his father impressed upon him the responsibilities of being Lord Holder, and invited Kier to observe and help him perform his own duties.  Knowing it would be the quickest way for his son to understand what was required of him, Rickov took the boy to visit the cotholds and the Harper and Healer Halls, as well as Fort Weyr.  Meeting the important figures at each location would impress upon Kier the importance of maintaining diplomatic relations.  Visiting each place would allow him to see what else existed on Pern besides the Hold he was born in.  Despite his young age, it was clear Kier understood that no Hold could exist on its own, that each person had a role to play, and that being Lord Holder meant a lot of work, not just sitting back and reaping what other people sowed.

Gathers hosted among the major Holds served as further introductions to society.  Kier met most of the children of the other Lord Holders, though it was clear he was more of a quiet observer than an outgoing, charismatic sort.  Still, he found amongst them some he enjoyed seeing time and again, including some of the girls.  But he never really seemed to overtly favor any of them, absorbed as he was with learning anything and everything he could about anything and everything.

Still, his parents managed to find a suitable match among the young girls at Ista, and eventually betrothed him to Yanesa when he was 13 and she 14.  Kier gracefully accepted their plans, knowing it was his duty as the next Lord of Fort to do so.  Of course, he found nothing about Yanesa objectionable, and usually enjoyed their conversations.  But in his mind, the future with her was far enough away that he need not concern himself with the specifics yet.

Now that he is 16, Kier has learned most of what he needs to know to become Lord Holder.  He routinely helps his father with decision making, and has taken over some of the minor tasks of dealing with the staff and cotholders, acting more as a liaison of sorts than truly wielding any power.  Those who come to him find him a fair and impartial judge, as he listens to all sides before taking testimony to his father.

Kier also spends a goodly amount of time poring over old records, digging deeply into whatever subject currently enthralls him.  He has read extensively on the history of Fort Hold and Fort Weyr, knows much about the feuding between Fort and Southern Boll, and has now decided to focus on dragons and their cousins.  It would be far more convenient to have a resident dragonrider at Fort, so he could better understand what he is reading, but he is content with the watch-wher for now.  And perhaps one day, he'll see one of the rare firelizards he's read about in old tomes.
✣

Personality:
Outwardly, Kier appears to be more of the quiet bookworm sort than anything else.  Peers who pride themselves on their strength and prowess with weapons or other feats of skill would likely claim him boring and weak.  However, he does know how to fence, as all young lords are typically taught.  Easily underestimated, he would be more likely to observe and take advantage of handicaps in his opponents than to easily defeat them based on pure muscle alone.  Kier has also demonstrated a rather strange affinity for shooting with a bow and arrow.  Hunting game requires patience and short spurts of quick thinking, and he greatly enjoys the occasional chance to both relax in nature and effectively outwit and capture his opponent.  

Games of strategy and mental fortitude are more his style than any physical pursuits.  Exercising his mind his always been a favorite pastime, and he enjoys challenging others to expand their points of view.  He also takes pride in inventing or re-engineering methods to make various tasks more efficient and productive, and will accept any challenge to do so.

Patience and quiet observation have always been two of Kier's virtues.  His willingness to sit and listen has earned him respect among the staff at Fort Hold, as well as among various cotholds in Fort's territory.  The same cannot necessarily be said for some of the other Lord Holders, who are quick to believe him slow-witted and too young to attend to Hold matters, despite his knowledge.

What many people don't see, however, is the sharp gaze that quickly takes in everything around him, assessing the situation, weighing risks and calculating outcomes.  His words are most often chosen carefully and precisely, with the intent to manipulate the listener or otherwise get the results he desires.  In truth, he is almost constantly playing a game of wits with everyone, and looks forward to finding truly worthy opponents.

Though he doesn't know it yet, a true challenge of his skills will soon arise, in the death of his parents.  He will pursue vengeance with almost single-minded intensity, employing any and every method he can find to flush out their killer.  He won't believe for a moment that their deaths are an accident, given what he knows about the feud between Fort and Southern Boll, as well as other events unfolding on Pern.  He will be willing to bend rules and find loopholes when necessary, to ensure what needs to be done gets done.

Despite such dedicated purpose, Kier will only be willing to expose himself, and likely his guard or steward, to potential danger.  It is his duty as Lord Holder to ensure the safety of everyone else in his household and its surrounding territory.  Indeed, he has already proven himself willing to put his own life on the line in order to protect someone else, as one young cotholder's daughter learned a few turns ago when he attempted to calm his own startled runner, shoving the girl quickly out of harm's way, and was nearly trampled for his efforts.  Further attempts to harm people in his cotholds, whether directly or indirectly through stealing or destroying their crops and goods, will earn his wrath.  

Proving himself to the other Lord Holders will be quite the feat, though he will believe himself up to the challenge.  Far be it for any of them to call him weak and untried, for he will relish proving them all wrong.
✣

Shortcomings:
Kier is arrogant to some extent.  He does not feel entitled due to the rank he was granted at birth, but he knows his intelligence is superior to that of many other people.  He is also young enough he may feel himself almost untouchable by whoever took the lives of his parents.

Emotion is likely to rule him much more effectively after the loss of his parents, belying the calm demeanor most will know him for.  Though manifesting visibly, most of his anger will be entirely self-directed for having failed them.
✣

Mannerisms/ Habits:
Kier has quite the calm poker face, so it is unlikely most people will pick up on any sort of tell.  However, he also rarely smiles, something Yanesa is likely to want to remedy.
✣

Skills/ Likes:
✣[Learning]: Kier is constantly studying and learning.  He enjoys lessons, but more so things he discovers on his own.  He likes to run little scientific or other experiments and has some storerooms set aside for his own use for such purposes.  No one is allowed to clean or otherwise disturb what he is working on there.
✣[Hunting]: Though his skills are not anything close to legendary, he is a rather accurate marksman, able to anticipate the moves of whatever-- or whoever-- he happens to be pursuing.

Unskilled at/ Dislikes:
✣[Simply being in the moment]: Intelligent as he was, Kier was not really a normal child.  While he can relax and enjoy nature for what it is, he still has difficulties simply taking enjoyment in a moment for exactly what it is.  In short, he has a hard time turning his brain off.
✣[Feeling inadequate]: Though it does not happen often in terms of knowledge, Kier will certainly find fault with himself at the death of his parents.  It will hit him hard that he was unable to do anything to keep them safe, and the longer it takes to find whoever caused their demise, the more likely he will feel that he has failed them.

Fighting Style/ Weapon of Choice: His wits

:: Distinguished Persons' Information ::
Character Views on Thread: Extensive research tells him it is far more likely to return than not.  He watches and listens for signs of its return, though the records indicate it will not be for a few turns yet.

Character Views on Hold/ Weyr Relationships: His father taught him well that there is no Weyr without the Holds, and no Holds without the Weyr.  A Lord Holder must always be aware of this and keep communication open.

Experience in Hold Management:
As he grew up, Kier helped his father (and mother) with various tasks.  The Hold steward was also available for any questions he might have regarding the running of the Hold and its inner workings.  Kier currently serves as a liaison of sorts for some of the cotholds, so that they know the visible presence of their Lord Holder, and they feel any issues they need to bring up will be heard and given fair judgement.