Basil Tennesley

### Relatives

Sage Tennesley (Father), Jessamine Tennesley (Mother, deceased), Willow Tennesley (Sister, deceased), Sorrel Tennesley (Brother, deceased) Rosemary Tennesley (Sister, deceased), Aspen Tennesley (Brother, deceased), Heather Tennesley (Sister, deceased)

## Biographical information

### Place of birth

The Great Forest

N/A

## Physical description

### Eye color

Brown

The current lord of The Great Forest. He is currently a leading member in the rebellion, specialising in archery and scouting.

## Personality

Basil was reserved, docile and gentle, and had a strong interest in learning about the mysteries of the woodland and its creatures, as well as the kingdom beyond its shadowy reach. The responsibilities of being a leader ultimately failed to capture the child’s attention. Gullible and inexperienced he wilted in the presence of his father and brothers, failing to meet their competitive standards. He did not appreciate being treated like a baby; fragile and undeserving of the power his blood carried. His stubbornness to succeed, to surmount his natural shyness and to become an individual truly worthy of the name ‘Tennesley’ was assisted by a close friend, Faline, for whom he carried only the purest of love. Basil, who was to be a guardian of the forest, could only be described as innocent. Following the invasion which would spark the conslidation of the rebellion, Basil quickly became jaded. He is now very distrustful and cynical when not in the company of his fellow rebels. He tries to accept disillusionment and that trying to preserve his own virtue is a waste of time. He also wishes to avenge his family, despite his generally gentle and docile nature, and has become bitter as a result. At the very least he is honest with those close to him. As for now, Basil – or ‘Bambi’ as he is referred to by his friends – is struggling to find a balance between what happiness he still has as a child and the solemnity that comes with responsibility.

## Early Life

Basil was born the
youngest child to Lord and Lady Tennesley, Watchers of the Woodland. With five older siblings – three sisters and two brothers – in total, the youngest son had to work to prove himself a useful member of the household to their elegant but stoic father. Often referred to as the Great Prince of the Forest despite having no claim to the royal bloodline, Lord Tennesley was loved by other powerful families and the commonfolk alike. He was a strong and silent figure, respected for his steadfast faith to the king and queen and his willingness to put down any threat to the people. He listened to their requests and was honest in his opinions; perhaps too much so for the imperial court and its politicians. From a very young age, Basil knew that he wanted to impress the silent guardian and make his place among the Tennesley family an important one.
It was this drive to prove himself that ignited an impish aggression towards his older brothers, although his attempts at overpowering them were futile and often cut short by his fussing mother. His older sisters, on the other hand,
tried to educate him to be a dashing young lord and to win battles with his words – like the ‘fancy and handsome’ young men from the capital. Basil did not belong to the worlds of warriors or councilmen, however.

He loved the forest and nature itself, and often slipped away from the estate when his mother was distracted to explore. He carried tomes with him when possible and educated himself on plants and herbology, later checking this information with the healers at their village’s infirmary. The boy watched animals from distances and studied their behaviour when interacting. It was a fascinating process, but often rendered obsolete when loud giggling caused the animals to scatter. Ah yes, who could forget his closest friend, Faline? The two had been engaged since they were toddlers, destined to become husband and wife and continue good Tennesley work. It was difficult to imagine the blue-eyed girl as anything but a goofball however. Faline just did not suit the image of a graceful and calm lady.

A few weeks after his tenth birthday, news of Hades’ approach arrived in Ulstead. The man’s intent was clear to Lord Tennesley; he sought to claim the capital and rest of the kingdom along with it. He was adamant that he could not stand by and watch as the king and queen, his good friends, were torn down from their throne. Basil understood his father’s concern; he himself was good friends with Phillip, and did not wish to see the man endangered over such a senseless power dispute. However the boy could not bring himself to accept the lord’s need to enter the war as well. As Lord Tennesley prepared his men for the long march through the
forest, Basil confronted his father and soon burst into tears. He was young, but that did not make him oblivious to the rumours spoken throughout the estate
and the villages he regularly visited. Hades’ forces were greater than Ulstead’s.

His father had been quietly optimistic, perhaps only to calm his child, before parting ways with his family. But in the weeks that followed, it became evident that the Great Prince’s optimism had been in vain. The forest’s soldiers, their lord and his eldest sons were slaughtered when they attempted to flank Hade’s army in a supportive manoeuvre, leaving the family he had left behind a target instead. A month after Lord Tennesley left his home, the estate was encroached upon by a
small division of enemy soldiers. They had been charged with ‘making an example’ of those who would rush to their king’s side – and they did not fail to intimidate. He recalled fighting as his sisters were thrown to the foe soldiers, ‘rewards’ for their hard work, only to be beaten down into submission, and that Lord Astor, a man loyal to the Tennesleys and far too elderly to go to war, had taken up his sword to defend the last of their
honour. He and the staff that dared to join him were cut down in the streets like animals. Basil had again struggled, and this time was rendered unconscious for his insolence. When he woke, the boy realised that he and his mother had been moved to a military outpost belonging to Hades’ army. The men there boasted of the events that occurred in the village; that they had stolen many basic valuables from the commoners there, and had all but chased out the survivors. He did not see his sisters or Faline again.

It did not break his spirit, nor that of his mother’s. Stricken by grief and rage, the woodlands’ Fawn and the Great Princess of the Forest soon made their daring escape and fled into the wilderness. Pursued by soldiers, his mother lingered behind, defending his back. When the sun rose several hours later, Basil turned and realised that he was all alone. Silence. In his exhaustion he had not recognised their separation, and although he dared to cover some of his tracks he did not find her. The boy soon was forced to accept that nature was no less forgiving than the foe who had torn his world apart, either. He managed to survive a few weeks before coming across the beginnings of a rebel force. With them was Phillip. The man’s presence gave Basil even more reason to stay alongside them and do
what he could to assist their efforts, simultaneously feeding him hope that maybe, just maybe, Faline and his family had endured. Months passed, and Basil finally came to terms with the fact that they were dead and things would never
be ‘normal’ again. Unwilling to conserve his childhood, he attempted to shed all playfulness in favour of maturity and stoicism – a very small shadow of Lord Tennesley’s. He lacked the strength or build for a warrior on the front
lines however, and so accepted the next best job that suited him. The rebellion required a scout to support them in small and sly ways. In the years that followed Basil met and tamed Friend Owl and honed his skills as a ranger, mastering the bow and arrow in addition. Although he will not admit it, the young lord remains his original self underneath layers of fortitude and gravity; a child who seeks felicity.

## Role in the Rebellion

In the four years that have passed since the Rebellion’s assembly Basil has matured, forced to acclimatize to the traumas and responsibilities a warzone presents. He still harbours the explosive mood swings of any troubled teenager, but has proven that he is capable of making difficult decisions in stressful environments. A specialist
of scouting and sabotage, he has hindered and in some instances even slaughtered members of opposing forces. For the most part Basil travels alone due to the stealth often entwined with his work. He advises David and other notable leaders within the Rebellion on infantry movements, and likewise will report on enemy manoeuvres – he may even go so far as to cripple an adversary if given the opportunity and resources. He oversees a great deal of this faction’s avant-couriers, a group titled the Aspen Corps after his tattle brother, and has several legions to his name. Although some of the soldiers under his care challenge his command due to his age, others find the youth’s copious willpower inspiring. Conclusively Basil is thusfar an effective but controversial leader.

## Powers and Abilities

The young lord does not possess any supernatural ability, albeit his ancestry has been linked to sources of magic in the past. ‘Watchers of the Wood’, the Tennesley name was assigned to guard the Great Forest and its many mysteries. As spell-working is beyond him he has come to rely on the technology present to defend himself; namely a recurve bow. Better suited to his size than a longbow, it grants Basil both distance and deadliness. Training gathered from both before and during the war has culminated in practical mastery. To compliment these skills he has become adept in travelling the scape of the wilderness as well as tracking. He has become fairly knowledgeable in fauna and flaura, and has learned to manipulate animal activity with lures to an extent. He is capable of reading
into animal behaviour and using this information to predict their actions. Friend Owl in particular assists him in passing along messages, or in some cases snatching enemy pigeons and ravens from the sky. Basil can also differentiate between helpful and deadly plants. Although a proficient sniper and hunter, the boy compensates for his inexperience in close quarters combat with agility and self-awareness. Obstinate he may be, he is capable of recognising his own strengths rather than seeking to become what he’s not. Other than this he is literate (but often has spelling errors), can ride a horse, and is exceptionally empathetic.

## Weaknesses

Unsurprisingly he lacks the strength, fortitude and experience to stand a chance in close quarters combat. Not once has he flourished in his training lessons, his only moment of victory being when he head-butted his eldest brother – and that had been an accidental fluke. Many times Basil has raised a sword in the dead of night, hoping that perseverance can earn him David and Phillip’s pride, but it appears that swordplay will never come naturally to him. Although agile, he cannot compare to the speed and grace of some individuals; Peter Pan for example. For this reason he values his distance and favours supporting his allies from afar. Aside from physical vulnerabilities, the lordling is young and hurting. Undoubtedly he is a more stubborn individual in this war and is easily provoked. Basil is particularly selective when choosing his allies and even more finicky with friends; due to this he can come across as being very uncooperative and spiteful towards strangers. It should be noted that he is only fourteen years of age, despite his rapid and forceful maturity, and as a result he has no tact to speak of. The best method for winning him over is to remain patient and informative, as the boy values loyalty above all else. Finally, he has a dreadful phobia of canines – particularly domesticated hounds. If presented with one and not restrained, he will either flee or attempt to kill it.

## Quotes

*"Perhaps we should think about retreating. If he has not made the effort to greet us and gloat, then surely something else is underway."*

*"Your majesty ... it is my duty to stand alongside you, always."*

*"Codfish."*

*"They are armed. That is dangerous enough for my tastes."*

## Notes

His full name is Basil Hawthorn Tennesley.

Basil's favourite alias in the presence of enemies is 'Maxwell'. He believes it to be very manly.

He is especially allergic to wasp stings.