Alexios
Alexios is a human man in his late thirties and looks every bit his age. Scars cross over his thick brown eyebrows and slightly sunken in cheeks. His thick mustache and the occasional gray strand in his parted hair does not lend to a youthful appearance. Most often he is dressed for a fight. Wearing a gambeson; a vest peppered with pockets for knives and potions; studded vambraces and at least three different types of weapons.
Personality
Despite Alexios's intimidating appearance he has a very jovial demeanor. He has a constantly optimistic outlook and will tend to overstate the chances of any venture. Neither will he complain when that vision eventually comes crashing down into reality.
That being said he will not stand being insulted or ridiculed and is quick to accept a fight if offered. Sometimes perhaps a little too quick...
Background
Alexios comes from the polis of Akros[1], where he grew up in a lower class family of servants. He got into many scraps in his youth, mostly trying to defend his little brother Theodoros. The Akroan society prides itself on its militaristic order and hierarchy did well to elevate physically capable people like Alexios, but works to the detriment of people like Theodoros. He was relentlessly bullied and belittled by others because of his frailty.
Alexios tried to stand up for his brother whenever he could and he both earned and gave many bruises for it. Which did earn him a place among the Akroan warrior class, when he joined the Akroan army. Alexios tried to keep his brother out of as much trouble as possible by letting him stay in his household. But being an idler and receiving constant snide remarks did not improve Theodoros's situation.
Tragically Theodoros decided to take his own life rather than to keep going. An event that Alexios deeply blames himself for. Considering it his failing that he could not communicate that Theodoros did provide value to his own life.
The event also lead to Alexios deciding to leave Akros. After which he roamed aimlessly around Kháos as a mercenary for many years. During that time he earned his fair share of new scars and experiences. Becoming more and more jaded towards the world he readily took the opportunity to leave it behind.
The walled polis of Akros stands defiantly atop a precipitous cliff. The unforgiving mountains around it serve as a shield to its holdings. Few have ever dared to attack its famed fortress, the Kolophon, and no attack has ever breached its walls. To the residents of Kháos, the Akroans hold near-mythical status: feared warriors produced by a culture that centers around perfecting the mind and body for war. Their armies have rarely tasted defeat as they expand the borders of Akros, seizing new lands and bounty. ↩︎