King Amalric Maulesel

[Amalric Maulesel]

| ~ • ~ | Character Basics | ~ • ~ |

.:Name of Character:. King Amalric Eisen Maulesel
.:Nick Name:. “Your Majesty”and "Sire" by his subjects, “Ric” by his family and closest allies. A few more characters have come to call him "Am." Landgraben Kings are often known as "Iron Mules," and the Grabenites commonly use this slang -- sometimes affectionately, sometimes with bitter resentment.
.:Age:. Twenty-nine
.:Race:. Grabenite
.:Status:. Royalty

| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |

.:Physical Appearance:.

King Amalric Maulesel a has a broad face the shape of a digging spade and a large, bulbous nose, characteristic of his tough, mountain race. His hawk-like eyes are stuck in the squinting expression that he uses when he peers out of the tiny slits of his helm. Amalric's body is very square, his chest wide and his shoulder sharp. His body is trained to bear heavier layers of armor than the light and more agile knights of Camelot. This King has dirty blonde hair parted in the middle and falling to the bottom of his neck. It is considered the typical style of men of not only his country, but all bars and taverns, and is common among those who like their comforts simple.

Amalric comes from a cold land, and as a result, he wears thick wool tunics undyed from the sheep's natural color of white, black, or grey. He wears high leather riding boots, leather trousers girded with a belt to hold a sword and dagger, and a ring with the seal of his family - a mule. In the summer in a foreign country, he would be in a fix for clothes, though, at least it is easier to alter a long-sleeve shirt for hot weather than the other way around.

.:Height:. 6’1
.:Portrayed by:. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |

.:Personality:.

Many rulers share a common personality in the realm of Albion. A ruler must be disciplined, a Machiavellian balance of merciful and cruel, and he must, most of all, desire the survival of his throne. This collection of stubborn brutes that make up the royalty of Albion is not lost in Almaric Maulesel. Overall, King Amalric is a jovial, established King in the autumn years of his prime. He can hold his own in Camelot's court as a respectable, noble figure.

Since Amalric Maulesel was a young boy, he was a hero-worshiper. He always kept a role-model from some legend or old wives' tale, and when news came of a great, noble figure rising up abroad, he made it his goal to someday travel off to make his or her acquaintance. He's a sucker for stories of myth and legend, whether from his own country or from others. He likes the warm fireside, the head of a hound under one hand, and a foaming mug of beer in the other. Still, he'll duke out even the lightest disagreement with an affectionate fist.

Amalric thinks wives are stupid and silly and he wouldn't want one of those. Still, he is a King and he's gotta go through with it. His younger years are over. His widowed mother is looming over his shoulder. He has to take something more than a lady love's torn sleeve before a joust, though he does with resignation. He has yet to fall in love with a woman in the way the bards sing of, and his heart is still virgin to love potions. He has heard word of all the instances that Prince Arthur was seduced by magic and he is paranoid of falling victim to them whenever he visits Camelot.

In general, Amalric is conservative and against the rebellion of witchcraft. He does not trust magic users to ever truly offer their assistance to him and his nation because he believes the folk have an inherent dislike of iron, and therefore, an inherent dislike of him. After all, without iron, man could never have any power over a sorcerer, never have a chance to deal a final blow. He finds magic disgusting and twisted, no matter how beautiful at times it may appear. He accepts the Druids as his enemies and will fight against them and their corrupted power.

.:Strengths:.
--Excellent Quality Armor--
Landgraben's armor is strong and expertly crafted. Designed mainly for jousting and mounted riding, it is very difficult to land the lance in the proper place. From the convex joints to the simple ornamentation, the battle suit of a Landgraben soldier has few nicks or deformities where a lance may stick, and even a well aimed strike can bounce off deflected. Outside the tournament and in a the battlefield, such an armor makes a tank out of a soldier, mounted or standing. The average weight of a Landgraben suit is 90 lbs. It consists of a steel chain-mail shirt made with unconventionally thick rings tied in a knot unique to Landgraben. It is believed that the pattern in which the chain-mail is linked can ward off evil magic, however, this is only superstition. Atop this layer of chain-mail, plate armor is worn which varies in areas with thickness depending on the location on the body. Landgraben plate armor is extremely thick, once more contributing to its comically over-prepared bulk. In addition, the horse is fitted with its own chain mail and sheets of plate armor. Though this armor is unconventional thick and burdensome, it is the customary and trademark dress of a soldier from Landgraben and is kept because of a superstitious tradition. Metal, you see, is lucky.

--Tolerant--
Like an old dog children become accustomed to pulling the ears and tail of, King Amalric has a casual tolerance with his friends. Furthermore, he has a soft spot for children, and even if one were accused of practicing magic, he would defend the poor wretch if his power could make a difference.

--Cheerful--
He is an open, carefree conversationalist. The first thoughts that pop into his mind are luckily kind, albeit, simple-minded and skin-deep, perhaps a comment on the music or the weather - with his countrymen, of course, he is freer to expand his choice of topic. With men, he will discuss sports and news, and with women, lighter ruminations on the present events and the company within the room. His favorite topics are the memories of past tournaments, good food, and where the women are most pleasant to look at.

Give him a mug of ale from his homeland, and he won't be able to tell the difference between man or woman.

--Resolute--
Amalric's stubborn streak, at its best, provides him with a resolute tenacity. He will always seek to finish what he starts, he is responsible, and he keeps his promises. Grabenite sounds more like a stone, and when the going gets tough, he can be relied on work-hard and stick it out til the end.

--Chivalrous--
As comes with any member of the upper class, a man is expected to be chivalrous and courteous. Amalric is a good-natured man-of-arms and he must offer his assistance when someone else's problem is presented to him.

--Wary Street-Sense--
Because Amalric ascended to the throne at a particularly young age, he learned more about the duties of a King straight from practice and not from any silly 'How to be a King' tutor. His knowledge is more of a common sense which comes from his familiarity with the more troublesome Albion Kings, and his own affairs in running the state. He has been on many trips and he can handle himself among common men. In other words, his title does not make him King. His experience does. He is a realist and a rationalist, with the basic cautious tendencies of a smart bronxer in the 80s.

--Ability to laugh at himself (given the time)--
Many mistakes have arisen out of Amalric's stubbornness, though, with time put between him and these memories, he is more likely to whack someone on the back and laugh than order that person to shut up. The more embarrassing the mistake, the longer it takes for him to put aside.

.:Weaknesses:.
--Slowing Armor--
Although Landgraben armor is famous for its sturdiness, its weight provides it with its own set of weaknesses. Because of its sheer mass, once dehorsed or fallen, a Landgrabenn soldier takes much effort to get back up as a turtle might struggling to flip back over. Furthermore, it is difficult to see through the narrow slits of a Landgraben helm. On the battlefield, the Landgraben soldiers must space themselves out so as not to accidentally slash at an ally fighting at their side. Thus, every man is on his own if one discounts the archers making their own war from behind the battlements. Finally, the suit adds on a great deal of momentum to a running horse -- an excellent advantage for jousting purposes, but it takes an awful long time to slow a horse down at the correct pace so as not to be carried over its shoulder.

--Alcohol--
Amalric has an affinity for beer and spiced mead. He considers it a staple to life and it is always a safe choice when the quality of water is in question. Amalric likes to get drunk with a friend, never alone, and it is more of a sport for him than any type of cooking art.

--Extremely Stubborn--
Amalric is a narrow-minded, obstinate fool at times. First of all, he needs to always be right. He is ill-tempered to any form of criticism, especially when he is trying to concentrate on anything from notching an arrow to eating. He is a King after all, and a King ought to always be right, a top notch gent, who above all, knows what he's doing.

--Sore-Sport--
Amalric Maulesel hates losing. He will brag that he can fight a match fair and square, but if he is losing, he will throw a last-minute, poorly-planned cheat.

--Underestimates Women--
Although Amalric respects women and treats them as his equals when they are in his social class, he never expects ladies to be able to hold their own in any form of combat. Whether they wield daggers, shoot arrows, or ride horses, he can never expect a woman to have equal training to that of a man and he will consider any challenge to fight issued by a woman a bad joke.

--Illiterate--
Although many don't expect a King to be unable to read or write, Amalric Maulesel is as illiterate as the the mountain he comes from. The written word is a dead art in Landgraben like Latin is for us today. Amalric was taught by oral tradition, and though he is an good learner, he now has no time to pick up the intricacies of spelling. Still, when he hears someone read or sees someone write, he is both embarrassed and jealous and sometimes, he'll even pretend he can read or scribble a note of loop-de-loops.

.:Magic Abilities:. None
.:Special Skills:. Besides being handy with a sword and a lance, Amalric is especially keen at guessing what something is made of. His expertise began with various metals and how they sounded when he tapped a copper coin to their ingots. His interest spread to fabric, stone, and cooking.
.:Accents:. Amalric has a slight German accent. He pronounces 'w' almost like 'v' and 'th' as 'dz' and his vowels are soft. He barely pronounces his 'r's. When he is passionate and talking fast, he slips into a heavier accent.

| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |

.:Birthplace:. Nordeberg Castle in Landgraben

Landgraben is mountainous and cold of climate. The country imports its food from many of the surrounding breadbasket valleys, including Camelot. In return, Landgraben exports vast amounts of iron. Forges burn morning, noon, and night preparing metal into refined slabs for shipment, and the mules that carry the ore from the mines are worth as much as the grain they bring up the mountain. This country produces excellent armor and its fighters rely on it more than their skill with a weapon. Landgraben is famous for its blacksmiths, its hounds, and its beer, though meat is scarce in a country with only one growing season. The mountain's blizzards can be treacherous to cross and Landgraben's tooth-like geography have both protected the country as well as made it difficult to expand. The population is roughly 1/3 the size of Camelot, and there are even fewer fighters. The men of Landgraben are better defenders than attacker. They ride horses that might be considered only for draft by those from Camelot, for only these breeds can carry soldiers bearing such heavy armor. Nordeberg Castle is the royal fortress within the capital city, Nordeberg, and it is a safe shelter for travelers trekking the pass of Eule.

.:Family:.

King Dietrich Maulesel | Father | Deceased
Dowager Queen Helen Maulesel | Mother | 52
Prince Aiden Maulesel | Brother | 19
Prince Alexander Maulesel | Brother | 16

.:Occupation:. King of Landgraben
.:Current Location of Residence:. Nordeberg Castle in Landgraben
.:History:.Amalric Maulesel was the first born son of the monarch of the patriarchal kingdom of Landgraben, making him the state's heir apparent since birth. There is alarge gap between his age and that of his brothers, the result of the Queen's own iron will. His mother was a tough lady and simply refused to give birth again - she considered the ordeal painful and not at all as easy her husband and physician had promised it would be. However, she eventually gave in again because she had grown fonder of her husband. As a result, Amalric grew up ten years ahead of his younger brothers. Aiden and Alexander served him as pages in their younger years, squires in their elder year, as Amalric had with the knights.

Amalric's teenage years consisted of hunting with the dogs or assisting one of the outposts with a scuffle against King Cendred, whether it be an area particularly rich in ore or an economically worthless collection of caves for which stories were told of some magical pools. Whatever Cendred had heard, it was all hog-wash. He had explored those caves himself and nothing amazing happened except for a bad case of frostbite and, unbeknownst to him, a temporary two year immunity to love potions.

When Amalric turned twenty and showed no signs or symptoms off desiring to marry, his mother took the matter into her own hands. The strong matriarch prodded her husband to set up some kind of agreement with another king and the alliance eventually settled with the le Valois family of Armorica. Amalric Maulesel was still put off by the thought of marriage. He exaggerated the importance of administering the outposts while his parents traveled to his future bride's kingdom. Someone has to hold down the fort down and keep his brothers in-line, from picking fights with each other or sitting in the storeroom all day and eating up the apples. Thus his marriage to Luciana le Valois was arranged with out even meeting the eleven year-old girl. Because of troubles in both kingdoms, and of course, because of the immaturity of the bride, the engagement was delayed by both parties until the vague date of "when all is good."

When Amalric turned twenty-one-years-old, his father died during a particularly bad epidemic in the isolated fortress. A bad case of the flu had erupted in the town that season and his old man had spent one too many nights hunting for wild boar to spice up the supper table. A good honeyed ham with an apple in its mouth was always welcome in the humble royal spread, with leftovers carrying over into breakfast. A strong stomach was characteristic of the Maulesel family, and who knows whether King Dietrich would have kept hunting for that boar if he knew he was going to die of fever. But, alas, the King was now dead. Of course, Amalric was upset but when times are tough and he is the tallest in the family, it was natural for him to wipe away his tears and keep the castle in order. The Kingdom remained leaderless for a month - a long held tradition - and the entire royal family holed up in Nordeberg to mourn. The gates closed to all travelers and by the time rumors of the king's death reached Camelot and Cenred, the month was over and the crown sat officially on Amalric's head. For two more years, mourning continued in various other ceremonies such as closing all the mines opened that year (bad luck to open a mine in the year of a king's death), fasting from deer flesh (to revive the wolf population's sad howl), and the widowed Helen could be seen a dark shadow circumambulating the battlements every sunset (to salute her husband's reign). Amalric's engagement was forgotten in the chaos and pretty soon, if things kept up the way they were, he would never wed. Cendred was constantly lapping the the southern slopes like a great ocean against the cliffs of his country. Rebels were taking shelter in the the countryside, where they were still unwelcome but less fervently hunted than in Camelot.

Slowly, the country settled down. Being a king became routine and somewhere by the sea he had never seen, an Armorican princess turned sixteen. Though the food tasted better than it had in years, Amalric's knew there was a catch but he couldn't remember what it was. Sometimes, his mother smiled at him, hummed, and asked him what his favorite flowers were and the names she had in mind for his grandchildren, but most of the time, this never brought to mind that he was doomed to marry.

Then, tragedy struck. A griffin had made its nest on the mountain peaks above Nordeberg Castle and every evening, it snatched a mule for its dinner. Something had to be done, one) because mules were worth 10 boar carcases or 3 hunting dogs or 15 gold coins by Camelot's currency. Sure, the people knew well enough how to duck into their stone houses, but their mules would clattered about in their heavy load of rocks and tinkling bells like fish bait free from any hook. The damn bird kept getting away from all the traps Amalric and his men set, so finally, they climbed the mountain to the peak to kill it in its nest while it slept. Amalric wanted to hunt it dead for all the mules it had slain. Too kill a mule is a great sin in Landgraben.

However, once again their ploy was unsuccessful. Amalric's armor, though it protected him from a swipe of the bird's talon, made it difficult to see. His spear missed the creatures eye, where he had intended to prod, and broke on its steel-feathered chest. Luckily, the creature left the mountain after this fiasco, spooked and knowing several other locations with juicer cattle, but Amalric's quest wasn't over yet. He followed it on his horse, his hunting dogs yapping in front and not sure what they were after, his men following behind, steely in purpose as their king. Down the mountain and in the direction towards Mercia they went following the flapping speck in the sky. Amalric was stubborn and he was angry and he vowed on his Maulesel blood that he would hunt that griffin dead.

For five years now, Amalric has been hunting his griffin, and though they meet occasionally, neither has yet dealt a lethal blow to the other's armor. Amalric goes on hunting trips when all is relatively settled in his kingdom. He returns to reside in Nordeburg castle during important yearly ceremonies or to meet with with the other friendly kings whose country his own purchases grain from. When he is off hunting, his mother keeps the place going, and though women are not allowed to rule Landgraben, Amalric's brothers were far too young and his mother was a capable and independent woman.

Meanwhile, the griffin exhausts him in his chase. She has taught him to appreciate a warm bed at night. When he is in a friendly country, he will request to place to sleep for himself, his men, his hounds, and his horses in exchange for a barrel of his country's excellent beer.

[Camelot]

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