Yorko Volentin

Yorko Volentin is the current commander of The Brazen, a mercenary company with it's origins in the Free Cities. Having served as a soldier of fortune since he was fifteen, the native of Braavos is a veteran of a dozen petty conflicts, all waged between the various merchant families scattered across the Narrow Sea.

Under his predecessor, Quhuru of Jhala, The Brazen gained a foul reputation for repeated betrayal; upon his death in the Disputed Lands in 97 AC, Yorko took command, leading the free company to Westeros as to escape their history.

## Appearance and Character

Almost painfully stereotypical, Yorko dresses exactly as you'd expect a Braavosi solider of fortune to: his clothing is eccentric, swathed in a dozen different colors, and the air carries the overwhelming stench of perfume wherever he goes. His armor is more leather than steel, prioritizing mobility over protection, and a bravo's blade jangles at Yorko's side. The mercenary stands at an average height, and is oft seen singing a variety of songs in his native tongue.

Having long since grown accustomed to bloodshed, Yorko lives his life as if it may end tomorrow, for mercenaries rarely go grey. He is prone to lavish celebrations, and seeks personal enrichment above all else.

## History

Born under the shadow of the Titan in 73 AC, Yorko's early life was one of servitude. Abandoned by his mother before he could speak, he spent his boyhood as a laborer on the docks of the Chequy Port, intermittently staying in various abandoned buildings in the Drowned Town. As a boy, he adopted his surname, Volentin, in an attempt to appear more "legitimate." He is unaware of his exact age, knowing nobody that was present for his own birth, and instead measures his years beginning from when he left the Secret City.

At the age of fifteen, he elected to live a lavish life instead of a long one - the rest is history, as far as he's concerned. Yorko learned swordplay not from the sparring matches common amongst Westerosi nobility, but from warfare itself; he slew his first man, a Tyroshi corsair, within a year of taking up the life of a mercenary.

A perpetual vagabond, Yorko has served in eight free companies in his life. Initially having joined after the dissolution of his previous outfit, Yorko wagers that The Brazen's banners will be the last he fights under - though whether stopped by death or retirement, he knows not.

Versed in song and poetry from his time spent as an urchin in Braavos, Volentin possesses a natural charisma, and finds himself easily able to inspire and befriend his fellow sellswords. Following the death of The Brazen's previous captain, a Summer Islander by the name of Quhuru, he was elected the new Captain in an informal vote held within the company's camp; upon his ascension, he elected to bring the outfit to Westeros, believing that The Brazen's foul reputation would impede their ability to secure contracts in the Free Cities.

## Household Members/NPCs

* Aelys Staegone, a wayward member of the infamous Tiger Party of Volantis. Afforded the upbringing of a member of the nobility, he frequently serves as the right hand of Yorko.
* Grahaz zo Pal, paymaster of The Brazen. He is one of the few within the company that can read, and thus handles most matters concerning contracts.
* Onqo, a sellsword of Dothraki origin.