Laurence Vendric Ravencrest

Details

Description

Laurence is a tall, lean, and fit teenage boy full of energy and ambition. Not yet an adult, he enters our story with excitement for his future; full of hopes and dreams. He is task-driven and mission-oriented by nature, as are all Ravencrest men. His upbringing taught him to pay attention to details, keep his eye on the bigger picture, and value the people around him. Everything about his nature will be put to the test as his tale unfolds.

Background

Laurence was born, during an adventure, to Tolrin Ravencrest and Myrindia (no known surname) on Ahr’Antaerwyn 6th of the year 95 during the 2nd Era of Man on Ayrelon. Following the death of his parents, he was raised primarily by his grandfather Arcturus of House Raven, with assistance from his uncle and aunt, Gaerin and Lyla Ravencrest.

After an incident with bullies while visiting the town of Mooncrest at age five, and after hearing tales of how brave and valiant his father Tolrin had been, he begged for Gaerin to teach him how to fight and defend himself. He repeatedly snuck out of Arcturus’s home for several months, traveling nearly a mile between homes, to beg to be trained by his uncle in secret. Gaerin originally refused to teach him, but after realizing the boy wouldn’t relent, he gave in and started escorting the boy to his home in the evenings.

Arcturus abhorred the idea of Laurence learning the art of war, worried that he’d lose the boy the same way he’d lost Tolrin. He too gave in to Laurence’s desires, albeit begrudgingly, because he knew too well how impossible a task it would be to rein the boy in. So, they struck a deal. Laurence would focus on his alchemy, literature and arts training during the day, and could train in combat at night with Gaerin.

This continued for over a decade, with Gaerin teaching the lad every combination of weapon, armor and shield he could obtain and the boy grasping all of his training as if nothing else in the world mattered.

…but something else did matter. Tylee Colvin, the young daughter of the Constable of Mooncrest. Whenever Laurence wasn’t being trained by either Arcturus or Gaerin, he was volunteering to run to Mooncrest for supplies so he could visit Tylee. The two grew very close over the years, and Laurence dreams of some day returning to Mooncrest a Knight of Arkhania so he can marry her.

Timeline

• 13/06/95 2E - Birth

• 11/23/99 2E - Relocated to Mooncrest

• 10/13/113 2E - Bathed in the Blood of Ravens, Legacy

Fun Facts

• The name Laurence was chosen by Tolrin.

• If he’d been born a girl, Tolrin’s choice of name was Larana.

• His middle name, Vendric, was given to him by Myrindia.

• Myrindia’s family, history and bloodline are a complete mystery.

Character History

Laurence was created first as his final NPC (non-player character) version of himself for use in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. I became intrigued with how he could have ended up being who he was, and developed his backstory into what I’m writing for Bathed in the Blood of Ravens and beyond. In fact, the entire first series, A Destiny of Blood & Magic, is effectively his life story.

He was originally conceived in approximately 1993, and has been expanded upon and developed ever since. He was only present as a Player Character in a campaign one time, and that was both short lived and considered mostly non-canon. It was a quick little one-off campaign with one player, me, and a game master named Marty Godsey. I fed him world details, general plot devices, NPC information, and the like. He crafted a quick story using the components, and we played through one fun little session… that was the end of it. Laurence never again graced tabletop campaigns as a playable character. He was, however, often present as an NPC.

Laurence’s life is the catalyst for major change across Ayrelon, in many different ways. Things he does, the ramifications of his choices and actions, the people he crossed paths with, the factions that fought for control of the Kingdom he called home… it seemed that every major event was either caused by him, affected him, or somehow crossed his path.

It is canon to the world that Mordechai eventually documented Laurence’s tale. In fact, one could safely say that the novel Bathed in the Blood of Ravens exists on Ayrelon and is probably sitting on a shelf in Fel’Vizsiour at some point during the 3rd Era of Man.