Jasper Terrik

Jasper was born in 416 A.C. to a wealthy family under House Moreland in the Westerlands.  Jasper’s father, Honorius Terrik, was a very successful businessman who greatly expanded his families reach. Honorius managed to build his inherited tavern into a small landowner empire, establishing himself and his family as a very wealthful non-nobility family.

## Appearance and Personality

A rather tall and dashing figure his smile can be a more potent weapon than anything he carries. His long raven black hair stands in stark contrast to his bright, amber eyes.

Jasper is a highly charismatic and manipulative individual with bright eyes and a brighter smile. He never lacks something to say and is always ready with a clever retort should the need arise.

Underneath his bright and welcoming exterior lies a very different beast. Ever since the tragic events of his childhood he has held his close personal philosophy close to heart. He has come to see power and influence as one of the only guarantees in life, with the rest being left up to the chance. This had made him into a highly ambitious individual.

## History

### The Flower of Youth 416-431

Jasper had a normal and happy childhood. His family was wealthy enough, his father having expanded his wealth by buying up local businesses and farms. While they might not have had the titles or prestige of a Lord they could at least live about as comfortable as one. As a child, much like his later year, Jasper was charming, able to easily win over friends to play games with them out in the woods. He was often described as a good-natured boy, if not sometimes a bit self-indulgent. Unfortunately, this would all change after a tragic event when he was 7.

Jasper and his mother were returning home from after a visit from another families estate. It was a journey they made many times before, it was unfortunate that this wouldn't be one of those many times. About halfway back the two were ambushed by a group of rogues looking for a ransom. The two were quickly captured as the bandits began moving them to their hideout. It was both a great fortune and misfortune that a guard patrol was nearby enough to quickly begin pursuit. The bandits, without horses or good equipment, had little chance to fight back or escape with their hostages. They pushed their hostages onto, looking to kill Jasper and his mother to ensure that no one knew their identities. Jasper would watch in horror as one slit his mother's throat, watching as his mother's lifeless body hit the floor. Right after another bandit with a crossbow took aim at him. The guards were closing in now, they had no time to waste. Jasper closed his eyes, too afraid to look his death in the face. He waited until he heard a click, just a click. The trigger had been pulled yet he was still alive. The crossbow had failed, it was a one in a million chance but the crossbow had failed. Before the bandit even noticed that his shot failed he himself was gutted by an arrow. The guards had closed in enough to fire on the bandits. Those who weren't killed in the initial volley fled further into the woods leaving a dazed and traumatized Jasper behind alone with his mother’s corpse.

After his rescue, there was a change in Jasper. No longer was he quite the same friendly and kind-hearted boy he had been before, now he was something else. He was still just as, if not even more, charismatic and sociable, but now it was for entirely different reasons. He saw the world through much more cynical eyes, looking for opportunities to exploit and stairs to climb. His became a was a simple one: all men look out only for themselves, so his should be too. He too took on more risky activities: balancing on logs over large falls, playing games of combat, and strangely enough, frequenting the same road he had been abducted on. Whenever asked on why he does such things he would simply pull a strange broken string from his pocket and reply, “Such is fate.”

His father would try to reign in his son's increasingly erratic behavior, however, was often too hesitant to go too far in this endeavor, fearing he would lose his son if he stamped down too hard, having already lost his wife he could not allow that to happen.