User Profile

Character Profile:

Character Name: Joseph Van Burace
Character Age: 24

Origin: Morroc


Job/Build: Knight; 2H Agi


Weapon Type: 2-Handed Sword


Looks/PB: Joseph is a slender, wiry young man, his skin still a healthy tan from a veritable lifetime in the desert. He looks fragile- wispy, even, at first glance. But a hard early life followed by a strict military regimen has toned his body to the point where he possesses next to no body fat. What he lacks in pure power he makes up for in deceptive, blinding quickness and uncanny precision.

Joseph's PB is Calintz from Magna Carta.


Background:

Born in Morroc, he was raised by his mother, a maid at one of Morroc's less seedy inns, and a slew of her co-workers and friends. His life mirrored that of much of Morroc's youth- though his mother loved him dearly and he in turn loved her, her wages were barely enough to keep a roof over their head and to keep them fed. Joseph took to larceny at an early age, often selling his services as a 'guide' to unsuspecting tourists then fleecing them for all they were worth.

His nimble fingers eventually got him into trouble, and if not for the timely intervention of a young tough was he able to make his escape. He befriended this other kid, and together they became a formidable tandem, Joseph providing the brains and the skill while [Sirius] provided the muscle. [Sirius] had every intention of joining the thieves' guild- he pretty much told so to everyone that knew him. And it wasn't that large of a stretch for Joseph to wish to follow suit. But while Joseph was a prototypical thief, [Sirius] was more suited for thuggery, so they would eventually have to part ways. This suited the pair fine- they'd hook up again after they were full-fledged members of their respective guilds, and raise much more hell than ever before. And besides, until then, they'd both pretty much be stuck together as low level scrubs for the guild.

It was tough, sometimes demeaning, but both of them thought it worthwhile.

Until the day Joseph came home one night to find his mother collapsed on the living room floor.

Joseph's mother wasn't long for the world. She had hidden a degenerative illness from him for years, and since they did not have the money to afford the medicine, she simply beared with it. Joseph was devastated.

And it only got worse when his mother gave Joseph a deathbed confession that he neither expected nor particularly wanted to hear.

Joseph's father was a Knight from Prontera who was in Morroc on secret, dishonorable business of some sort. One evening the Knight and stayed at his mother's Inn, and had his way with her. He bought her silence with money and the threat of her death and everyone else she held dear. This went on for several days, until the Knight's business was concluded. No one ever raised a voice to any authority- after all, who would they believe? A Knight of Prontera or some innmaid and her seedy associates? Moreover, who was to say that the Knight wouldn't simply sway the authorities' opinions with his connections and/or money?

So they simply kept quiet, and when Joseph's mother was discovered to be with child, she decided to raise this child in spite of his origin.

Joseph's mother passed away shortly after telling Joseph his father's name.

That night was the last time anyone in Morroc or the Thieves' Guild ever saw Joseph Burns.

Joseph Van Burace surfaced in Izlude a few months later, carrying nothing but a well-worn but still serviceable sword (which unbeknownst to anyone he lifted from a sleeping guardsman) and reasonably fine clothes on his back (procured from a distracted merchant). The young man had no notable lineage, no family to speak of. And his family name is only 'vaguely remembered' by some of the older, retired Knights who have become instructors.

Of course, the family line never actually existed. It was made up- something to look good on his application to the military academy. He chafed at the military discipline at first, but then he realized it really was no different than the way he was treated in the Thieves' Guild as a prospective member. The only thing that changed was the names and the things they made him do to prove himself.

Joseph excelled in the military arts once he settled, using his natural cunning and intelligence and years later, he made his instructors proud when he announced that he would be joining the Chivalry. He had distinguished himself in his lessons, and later in combat. There were of course rumors that his moral compass was a little on the loose side, but they were patently ignored. After all, he had proven his honor and his devotion to the ideals of chivalry and knighthood time and again. And because of this, one or two of his more... understanding military superiors of a pragmatic bent preferred to turn a blind eye when Joseph felt the need to woo a lovely damsel a little more than was proper. After all, only in facing and later overcoming one's weaknesses and shortcomings is the true measure of a man, much less a Knight, found.

Now Knighted, Joseph only waits for the day when he can face the man who defiled his mother on equal ground...


Personality: Joseph is a jovial and easy-going man, glib of tongue and friendly towards anyone and everyone he meets. He is polite without being overly proper, unless he speaks to a noble or a superior, in which case he becomes the stereotypical Knight. He does indeed possess a less-than-Knightly set of morals due to his past, but he knows to keep things in check, despite occasionally engaging clandestinely in activities that would get him summarily thrown out of the Chivalry, such as gambling or being overly friendly with members of the opposite sex. Having spent most of his life learning how to avoid detection by authority figures, and later honing that same cunning with military training, he's had no trouble keeping his dalliances a secret.



Specifics

Likes: Swordplay, strategy, loaded dice (in his favor, of course), grape juice, women.

Dislikes: Snooty nobles, fools, insects, angry/jealous husbands and/or boyfriends.

Sexual Orientation: Straight.

Marital Status: Single.

Family: Mother (deceased), Father (soon to be).

Occupation: Knight; Commander of the Prontera Knights.

Home: Prontera.

Other: None.

Friends (1):

Friend of (23):