| Background: | Revyn was born at a typically inconvenient hour of an entirely unimpressive night just within the borders of Andor. No signs foretold his coming and it was entirely improbable that any prophecies were fulfilled by his birth. To the pattern it appeared he was nothing more than yet another human boy. Only to his parents was it a momentous occasion as for them he was their world. His father had been an influential noble in the Cairhenin House Damodred, expected to marry whoever would extend the influence of the house most significantly. Defying such expectations and acting with a very un-Cairhenin disregard for Daes Dae'mar however his father had married for love in to perhaps the most insignificant family of the Andoran House Mantear. As House Damodreds less than forgiving reputation would suggest this did not go down particularly well but there was little that could be done once news of Revyns conception, a conception suspiciously soon after their wedding some would say, became common knowledge. Little that is except to systematically destroy any and all influence Revyns father had possessed until he was left with little more than the name he had been born with, forced to live in comparative poverty on the earnings of his wifes small estate in Andor.
Incomprehensibly to the nobles responsible this man that threw away power for matters of the heart wasn't particularly fazed by being forced to live with only the most modest of wealth, perhaps proving that the wheel had slipped when weaving his thread into the pattern and accidentally placed it into that of the wrong family. Despite this it seemed that the likes of the Damodred nobles believed obscurity to be a punishment worse then death, at least when there was nothing to be gained from the death, and for the most part he was left alone to raise his son in peace providing he kept his distance from Daes Dae'mar.
For Revyn this was perhaps the best turn events could have taken, having neither the wealth to fuel excess or the expectations of power he had little to distract himself from an education worthy of even the greatest of nobles. Whilst his parents could no longer afford the vast fees of the most renown of tutors they were perceptive enough to understand that those tutors spent more time trying to please the childs parents then teach the child what they needed to know. Instead they found experts who had spent more time studying their subject then the backsides of the nobility and thus had remained obscure except to colleagues in their field of expertise. With a focus that few other Lordlings could share Revyn absorbed their knowledge at a startling rate and took up any new skill he encountered with an intensity that sometimes worried his parents. Especially when it came to martial affairs it seemed that Revyn would often do little except eat, sleep and practice when he wasn't studying, always trying to use his time as effeciently as possible to further his abilities.
The only time he ever seemed to take time to truly relax was when a travelling troupe sponsored by more powerful members of House Mantear were in residence, an agreement between those members and Revyns family being in place to allow the troupe use of the estate to recuperate from their travels and devise new routines for when the next performance season came about. Much to his parents amusement Revyn showed an entirely ignoble fondness for the performers and spent much of the free time he had listening to the tales of their travels whilst partaking in their rehersals and practice of seemingly inconsequential skills. In time he became equal to many of them though consenting to his often expressed desire to go on tour as a performer was a step too far even for parents so little constrained by the expectations of nobility as his own.
Instead when he came of age he was sent to Tar Valon to train under the Gaidin of the White Tower, his parents plans for him being more militaristic in nature as whilst they may have thought little of the constant scheming of Houses vying for power both had a deep commitment to their countries well being and hoped someone who showed such talent as Revyn could overcome what was seen as their families disgrace and serve to strengthen either of their nations. Without the funds to sponsor his training however he would be forced to prove himself on merit alone... |
