Lord Henrik von Schneeplestein (Novel: Lord Mahdu Rikke sor Varras)

An (extremely poor) edit of the real Sean McLoughlin as Lord Schneeplestein

Lord Henrik von Schneeplestein (Novel: Lord Mahdu Rikke sor Varras) is one of five Noble Lords of Duilintinn. He/She is the Lord of House Schneeplestein (Novel: House Varras).

*Disclaimer: In the AU, Lord Schneeplestein is male, but in the novelization, Lord Varras is female. However, most of my current notes focus on the AU side of this world. Therefore, for the purpose of this wiki, I'll be using male pronouns for the time being.*

## Appearance

Everyone in King Sean’s band of adventurers built up some strength while carrying their belongings all over the land during the quest. Unlike Mage Marvin, whose body type belied his true strength, Doctor Schneeplestein is one of those lucky people who naturally build muscles in all of the conventionally attractive places. However, Henrik’s potentially off-putting quirks and antisocial tendencies prevent this lean and toned doctor from using his looks to his advantage.

Henrik was born in a foreign land across the sea to the south-east, so has a darker skin tone than most people in Duilintinn.

## Skills

While much debate exists about the methods of Doctor Schneeplestein, no one can deny that he is very good at what he does. Most of the doctor’s skills were things he picked up in his teens from watching or briefly studying under various healers, from herbalists, to surgeons, to the traditional mage healing techniques of the Feadhainn.

All of Henrik’s other skills are self-taught, proven to work time and again over the hundreds of free procedures he would offer to people in need of assistance. The poor, fatally wounded, and terminally ill in this period of conflict and strife were often too desperate to care that the kind man offering his services wasn’t professionally trained. The young doctor was never at a loss for patients, and this left him with a lot of practice and experience.

As a result, while some think that his methods are outdated, even to the point of malpractice, Doctor Schneeplestein’s skills certainly live up to his reputation. Of course, Henrik has had his fair share of failures, but he’s still a good doctor for all intents and purposes. Heck, he somehow brought someone back from the brink of death, TWICE, if not more.

Doctor Schneeplestein may have never studied in an official school of medicine, but his vast array of knowledge makes up for his lack of formal education.

In his work, Doctor Schneeplestein is very careful about following procedure to the letter, and rarely cuts corners in his work. Every scrap of knowledge he’s acquired is important to Henrik, and he won’t ignore a single step that he’s learned. In fact, if you see Henrik rushing in his treatment of a patient, you know that the poor soul on the table must be at the brink of death for the doctor to put aside his meticulous nature.

Henrik is a fairly astute person when he’s paying attention. However, he does have a tendency to tune out the rest of the world while focusing on his work. In many ways, the doctor’s awareness of his surroundings is entirely dependent on the situation. For example, when Doctor Schneeplestein is tending a patient, he is observant, fast-thinking, and completely on top of the situation in front of him. He’s even downright extroverted when conversing with the patient themselves during the procedure, putting their emotions at ease and lightening the mood with jokes and banter. This isn’t because Henrik himself is particularly extroverted; he’s simply very good at reacting to the situation before him in a thoughtful, effective manner. However, during this procedure, Doctor Schneeplestein would be oblivious to anything and everything not related to the table before him. Pots over the fire will bubble over, belongings will be absentmindedly put in the wrong containers… heck, once Marvin’s familiar got into his tent without Henrik noticing, even with the mage yelling frantically about the cat’s disappearance mere meters away.

Lord Schneeplestein is primarily a healer, but in the words of a-septic-mind from tumblr, “even healers were allowed to arm themselves.” She figures that Henrik probably has a dagger on him, and, “if you’re crazy enough to attack him well….your body will make a nice contribution to science.” Honestly, you can’t argue with that logic. However, I don’t see Henrik as someone with particularly good aim or reflexes in a combat setting. He’s handy enough with a small dagger, and can throw it if absolutely necessary, but rarely does so except in self-defense. Henrik can also be slightly jumpy, but involuntary startled reactions aren’t the same as carefully honed reflexes.

In addition, Doctor Schneeplestein has incredible endurance when he’s set his mind to a task. He can walk for miles on end to get the herbs he needs in the next town, stay awake for days tending the ill during an epidemic, and did I mention Henrik rarely ever gets sick? It’s the strangest thing. Some even say it’s magic, just like his ability to seemingly defy death itself with his skills, but the doctor usually brushes off these claims. Poor Henrik just forgets to sleep sometimes. A lot. Especially when he’s trying to help a patient. Or when he’s reading. Or both!

## Attire

The Good Doctor has his blue-green medical cap, and a round, brimless medieval hat is almost the exact same shape.Schneeplestein’s blue-green scrubs have been replaced with a simple but sophisticated tunic, with a high collar and slim fit.

Finally, the iconic white coat has been swapped out… for another white coat. This one has another high collar to match the tunic (medieval people really liked those collars for some reason) and a cool looking belt rather than being buttoned in the middle.

## Early Life

Henrik was one of the lucky few people to be literate at a young age. According to Henrik, he was apprenticed at a young age to a local alchemist, who taught him to read. This gesture was hardly selfless; as soon as the small Henrik could read potion recipes, the alchemist left the boy to fill every order his shop received, using the profits to get drunk in the local tavern. Henrik, bored out of his mind, spent his days reading every book the alchemist owned, teaching himself about anatomy, medicine, disease, and even magic.

After a few years of this, Henrik realized just how unfair this apprenticeship was and slipped out in the night to make his own way in the world. However, abandoning an apprenticeship was considered a crime in his homeland, so Henrik spent many years constantly moving and traveling across the land, picking up new knowledge everywhere he went. The young doctor was a sponge for information, learning new medical practices from every healer he stumbled upon.

However, eventually, Henrik had to leave his kingdom of birth in order to stay safe from the law. In May 1564, he arrived in Fionport, where he stayed for the next three years of his life.

When the 19-year-old Henrik von Schneeplestein found himself living on the coast of a strange new land, his primary thought was of reestablishing himself as a reliable doctor and scholar in this new setting. While the realization that his foreign practices were not trusted in a land wrought by turmoil would have crushed a lesser man, Schneeplestein was determined to prove himself. While many of the locals were skeptical or downright suspicious of Schneeplestein’s strange way of practicing medicine, many eventually warmed to his passion and encouraging attitude for his patients.

## Quest for Duilintinn

When the future king passed through Schneeplestein’s community, speaking of a prosperous kingdom of unity and peace, Schneeplestein was intrigued. Indeed, the doctor joined Sean’s group of travelers, hoping to use this opportunity to end the superstitions that ruled the land and to bring his own medical experience to a farther-reaching audience.

During this adventure, Henrik married a young woman named Bridget. The wedding was held on the Iolla Cliffs in the early morning of June 1569. It was a very private affair; the other quest members were there, and Bridget had a few family members, but that was it. This is why it was held in the early morning, but can you imagine watching the sunrise in the east over the ocean? And the way they’d paint the white stone of the cliffs with all sorts of colors? It’d be gorgeous.

When their first child was born, Schneeplestein’s wife returned to her home to care for the baby while her husband continued along the quest.

## Post-Founding

After the kingdom was successfully founded, Schneeplestein returned to his wife and child. He later implied that more children were born during this period, though he rarely speaks of them. For reasons unknown, Schneeplestein left home to work as the court scholar and doctor in Cordoire. While Henrik was passionate about his work and genuinely seemed to enjoy his new position, many people suspect that his wife’s discontent with their family’s wealth and social standing played a role in his return.

## Nobility

Even after King Sean bestowed the title of Lord upon Henrik and asked him to lead one of the noble houses of his kingdom, Schneeplestein’s wife was seemingly still not satisfied and threatened to find another man. With his family life collapsing and a noble house to run, Schneeplestein focused more and more of his time, energy, and passion into his work.

He eventually gained a reputation for his ability to seemingly defy death by saving the life of the king and his fellow lords on multiple occasions.

## Personality

Doctor Schneeplestein has always struggled to make a good first impression, but the negative way strangers perceive him couldn’t be further from the true heart of gold hidden in this man.

Lord Schneeplestein has a reputation for being rude and arrogant to people he works with. Aides who interrupt examinations to speak with the doctor will often find themselves brushed off or downright ignored, despite the affable nature Henrik demonstrates to the patient by comparison. However, contrary to popular belief, the doctor doesn’t intend to treat his aides poorly; his attention is simply elsewhere, and he doesn’t fully register how his blunt and rushed words might be interpreted negatively.

This is probably why his marriage broke down. Lord Schneeplestein is the sort of person that would dedicate every ounce of their attention to their partner during the initial honeymoon phase. It’d be enough to make anyone fall for him, but when the emotions start to settle into long-term affection mode, Henrik’s sudden change in demeanor would likely be very jarring for his partner. Obviously, he’d be the same person they fell in love with during the moments set aside to spend time together, but someone who doesn’t know Henrik well enough might think he was suddenly ignoring them during his working hours. Especially since the good doctor is known to work for days on end if someone doesn’t force him to sleep.

While Henrik might seem arrogant on the surface level, his overconfidence is almost entirely for show. He knows he’s good at what he does, but he rarely brags about it until someone starts expressing doubt in him. A patient or family member nervous about the procedure? Uppity jerk saying Henrik isn’t a real doctor because he never went to a proper school? Henrik will turn the ham up to eleven. Otherwise, the doctor is very humble, sometimes to the point of shortchanging his own skills.

In addition, Henrik truly feels for the people around him, almost too much at times. The poor man has seen a lot of death and suffering, and sometimes, it gets too much for him. Henrik usually copes through dark (or just plain weird) humor, but sometimes… well, let’s just say, not everyone approves of the doctor who makes a stupid joke about the patient currently dying under his care, even if it’s the only way said doctor can handle facing the guilt and fear on the horizon.

In other words, sometimes Henrik has really, really bad timing. Cultural differences don’t help matters either. The good doctor speaks the common tongue fluently, but his accent can sometimes shift the intonation of his words and subtly change of they’re interpreted. As a result, Doctor Schneeplestein can seem arrogant and uncaring on the surface level to those who don’t see the emotions bottled up under his airs.

Still, when Henrik’s mind is out of his work and focused on the people he cares about, he’s a bit of an empath.

## Relationships

### **Family**

Ex-wife is named Bridget. They have two sons; Edmon (January 1571) and Frederik (January 1578). If you’re curious, Edmon’s birthday is slightly later in the month.

### **King Sean**

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Mom friend/the only one I'll admit that im wrong to. The person to pull Sean aside and remind him of his limits, yet respects Sean’s calls. If Sean says “Henrik I need info on this” then Henrik will have it in a moment. Sean also pitches how dangerous or ill informed a plan will be to Henrik, who can weigh that against their current resources and capabilities. Henrik keeps all the records of all the group’s stuff, including journals of their exploits.

### **Lord Marvin**

In fact, a big reason the two butt heads so much is because of how similar they are. They both are very intelligent and stubborn, with much of their knowledge coming from their own experience and a disregard for the opinion of others. However, the two men approach these traits from two very different directions.

Marvin has a blatant disregard for consequences of his actions, preferring act now and think later.  In contrast, Henrik is extremely aware of the consequences of his actions, having failed patients more times than he can count. He always had a goal in mind before attempting to teach himself something new. For Henrik, it was trail and error with the purpose of learning, while for Marvin, it was trial and error for the purpose of… well, reacting. They both learn from the results of their actions, but for Marvin, this impromptu education is unintentional.

Here’s the hilarious thing: both men initially disliked each other because they perceived the other as arrogant, nonchalant, and uncaring. Henrik hated how flippant Marvin was about the consequences of his impulsive decisions, while Marvin thought Henrik’s overconfident airs (which we’ll go into later) meant that the doctor didn’t actually feel anything for his patient’s struggles and the awful people who did this to them.

In addition, while Marvin’s stubbornness is born from cynicism and spite, Henrik’s comes from genuine awareness of what he is capable of. Marvin will reject aid from almost everyone, even if the person giving advice actually knows more about the situation or topic than the does. Henrik will accept and seek out advice and enjoys learning from people with more experience, but will not stand for someone forcing him to listen to something he already knows. Like mansplaining, but for self-taught doctors instead of women. Henrik knows the difference between well meaning advice and uppity “I’m better than you” advice, and will not hesitate to shut the latter down.

Between Lord Jackie and Lord Henrik, poor Marvin would never get a break from these two. His impulsive ideas would bring Jackie sprinting after him like the mom in the “Let me see what you have (A knife!)” vine, while the bottled up frustration and righteous anger Marvin hides under his cynicism would be instantly perceived by Henrik. Not to mention the injuries Marvin tends to give himself…

That being said, Henrik isn’t a fan of marv’s cat because it gets into his medical stores. The cat knows full well that Marvin and Henrik are not huge fans of each other and probably does it on purpose.

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Oh boy the tension. the drama. the yelling. the spats. the glory. henrik showing up the first day and immediately pulling a mom friend and getting everyone better organized, sanitary, and safe in their camp and whatnot. marvin resists big time. the first tug of war between them of many. eventually, the two form a relationship of mutual respect.

### **Lord Jackie**

Jackie might be the practical mom friend of the group, but Henrik is the emotional mom friend. Jackie can sense a stupid idea from a mile away, while Henrik can tell in an instant if one of his friends is trying to shove down and hide their emotional state from him. It’s just another way the two of them work so well together.

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

SUPERDRUG YAY. If Jackie and Sean are besties because they are so similar in their drive for justice and idealism (with Jackie’s traumatic past contrasting against Sean’s decently normal one), Jackie and Henrik are besties because they are opposites, with their pasts where they lost their childhoods, tried to save people, and then failed sometimes, bringing them together. If Sean and Jackie are leader questy buddies, Henrik and Jackie are resty down time buddies. Also TEACH TO READ.

### **Lord Brody**

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

TEACH TO READ PART TWO. Just as Henrik taught Jackie, Henrik teaches Jackie’s little shadow how to read and write. Chase actually has a bit of practical farm knowledge from his days in his home farm that he can teach Henrik (i.e. shuri telling bruce banner “why didn’t you just do this?” and bruce looking like the blinking white guy meme) because Henrik has a lot of sciency knowledge but chase has a lot of practical know-how. Henrik also tries to function as a sort of therapist for Chase, but only partially succeeds.

### **Lord Jameson**

*(Disclaimer: The following is cut and pasted directly from my unfinished notes, terrible grammar and all.)*

Jamie is a sponge for knowledge, often hanging out with the good doctor and trying to learn all sorts of new stuff from him. Asking LOTS of questions and the like. He’s a fast learner and Henrik sometimes has him as an assistant when he needs an extra pair of hands. Plus, Jamie gets “sick” a lot (he’s a bit of a hypochondriac) and Henrik is one of the best at dealing with these moments with patience and rationality, often giving Jamie stuff to do in the med tent to distract him. Sometimes Jamie will help Henrik write out the records for the day, often adding details to the tales to make them more engrossing than boring old records.