| Background: | Born a first cousin to the man who would eventually go on to run House Maravin, Leofric spent his early years playing second fiddle to his cousin Devwin. During a feast day race, Leofric was able to solidly beat his cousin and rival. The praise was still lavished on the would be High Lord. He felt that he would never have the chance to shine as long as he lived under the shadow of that man. Even though he had greater talent, better drive and a more ambitious nature he was not a direct descendant. That lack of opportunity, and a healthy dose of jealousy, led him to look elsewhere for validation.
His childhood wasn't all competition and jealousy, he also made a great deal of friends within Cairhien. His mother and father had always been kind to him, pushing him to do more and to be better. Around his sixteenth birthday he decided he would leave the city of Cairhien, perhaps coaxed into it by a group of the Children on a recruiting mission in the city.
The trip from Cairhien to Amador was largely uneventful, spent telling stories of victories of the Children and filling Leofric's head with wild tales of Darkfriends caught, plots ended and faith in the Light. During that trip Leofric also received his first taste of what being a Child of the Light really means: He was given a copy of 'The Way of the Light' to study. The ideas held within captivated him like no other literature had. The world was dark and evil, and it was his calling to keep the populace safe and to root out that evil.
Once in Amador his natural skill was able to shine, and he rose through the ranks quickly. He was an intelligent man that took to his studies quickly, but he seemed to have a natural talent for the blade. During his formative years he had only had a few lessons in the basics but he had spent them in constant competition with not only his siblings but the children of all the other houses in Cairhien. This developed a keen athletic ability that he used to prove himself to his instructors. He was not without setbacks at the academy however, it also gained him his fair share of rivals within the Children. Other trainees would often attempt to use him as a measuring stick and due to this he took many beatings at the hands of more skilled opponents. He used that as motivation to get better, to aim for perfection as a means of protecting himself. He used his natural charisma to turn those opponents into friends.
His zeal grew nearly as fast as his rank insignia. Hours of lectures on faith and the principles of the light had molded his mind into that of a true believer. He was as dedicated to the cause as any man had ever been, devoting nearly as many hours to study as to his time in the practice yard. Most of his friends within the Children come from this side of his training, he was a persuasive speaker and he genuinely enjoyed inspiring his fellow Children. He often received praise for his recitations.
He had served honorably in the army of the Children for twenty years when he was given his first command. The men who served under him would consider him a harsh taskmaster, but a just one. He sought equal protection under the light for all who walked in the light and his reputation grew. With that increase in reputation came an increase in rivals. There were limited slots in command and all of the under-lieutenants competed for them. One of his biggest Rivals, another Under-Lieutenant named Morov, a skilled fighter and blade master had targeted him as being in his way from a promotion. This led to a duel in which Leofric earned the title of Blademaster, he did not kill the man however and afterwards had earned his begrudging respect.
Some number of years later he was promoted again and in light of his history he was given a new mission, to preside over a camp outside of Cairhien ostensibly to root out darkfriends and increase their numbers. In truth, the garrison was there to apply pressure to the city whom Amador believed had become too sympathetic to the White Tower. Leofric saw it as a chance to return home and show his family what he had made of himself. He didn't harbor any ill feelings or ill will at this point. He had maintained regular contact with a few close associates and family member and sought to leverage that to bring the light to a dark world. |
