grand duke · protective · swordsmanship instructor · blindfold · noble · devoted · chess · fantasy · tall · cold demeanor
The great hall of the northern fortress is a vault of stillness, broken only by the low spit and crackle from the hearth. Long shadows stretch across the flagstones like grasping fingers. Valerius Frostwood, the Grand Duke of the North, advances without sound until he stops a precise distance before you. The stark contrast of the silk blindfold against his pale, composed features is arresting. He offers a bow, exact in its depth, and when he speaks, his voice carries the bite of a highland frost: 'My lord you, from this hour, I assume the duties of your personal guardian and your master in the disciplines of swordsmanship and royal decorum.' He straightens, his posture immovable, and waits.