Character Avatar: Clément Becq
Character Name: Ignacio Shahrizai-Castro
Age: 35
Height: 6'2
Rank/Title: Future Duque de Huesca
Race: Aragonian/D'Angeline
Country/Province: Aragonia
Player: Merle
Appearance: Treading the line between his two different lineages, Ignacio bears the mark of both his Aragonian and D'Angeline bloodlines. On one hand he has the more rugged, unrefined appearance of those who aren't descended from angels, but there is a sharp edged beauty and a sensuous cast to his features that shows his D'Angeline blood. But nowhere is his dual heritage more clear than in his striking eyes. The right a pale green uncommon, but not unheard of, among his Aragonian kin... and the left a clear blue only a little lighter than that of most of his Shahrizai relatives.
Also like his infamous kin, his hair is dark, though it isn't the salient true black locks that he would have were he of more pure breeding. No, Nacio's thick, unruly mop of somewhat coarse curls is a much more mundane shade of dark brunette. The same being the case for his dense brows and the heavy stubble that usually graces his strong jaw and dimpled chin... showing that lack of refinement from his Aragonian side. But a sensual mouth, bowed and kissable, defined cheekbones and those eyes.. always those eyes... offset any roughness to present an entirely pleasing whole.
Carrying himself with an easy grace and fluidity of movement that belies his tall, muscular physique, one could almost forget or overlook Ignacio's size. Unless he means for you to be aware of it, of course. In that case he can be said to have a powerful, imposing physical presence. Though the effect is lessened when he's bare-faced. When he's shaven, his countenance becomes nearly cherubic. He appears years younger and seems to favor his D'Angeline heredity much more... putting one more in thought of a soft, untried youth rather than the strong, capable man that he is.
Personality: Ignacio is often calm, detached and good natured. Laid-back but not lackadaisical. This apparently lazy, unconcerned attitude is deceptive. He is a man swift to put words into action, and doesn't shy from doing what needs to be done. His frequent grins and easy humor also conceal a violent streak and more than a little Shahrizai cruelty. A cruelty that most often manifests as cold indifference, and that is unfortunately untempered by any reverence for Kushiel, or Elua or any of his companions for that matter.
In fact, he reveres very little. That isn't to say that he doesn't believe, or has no faith... but it certainly isn't an integral aspect of Ignacio's character, and he lacks the fear of reprisal or repercussion for his behavior that generally comes with faith. Truly, he fears as little as he reveres. Not to say that Nacio is a foolhardy man, but he is confident and refuses to be intimidated. Especially by something he considers to be inevitable. He simply doesn't see the point in it.
Generally passive, reacting with smiles, shrugs and the occasional barbed quip, Nacio can be rather unpredictable, turning violent with little to no warning. It isn't out of his purview to take someone by the throat and slam them into the nearest wall for a minor offense... all the while wearing that lazy smile that is somewhat of a signature. But he isn't always cool and dispassionate. In the bedroom Ignacio is quite the opposite, passionate and intense, though also domineering and selfish. And though he rarely truly loses his temper, when he does his wrath burns white hot.
Despite his aloof attitude, Ignacio's emotions run deeply, and he isn't without his tender side. This most especially is seen in his relationship with his sister, whom he loves fiercely. Not usually one to bend to someone else's will, he nevertheless frequently defers to Persia's judgement and is indulgent of her whims and mood swings. More than that, he is an enabler and encourages and spoils her when he is able to.
But Nacio isn't just a brute with a charming smile and a fondness for his sister. He's an intelligent, intellectual man. Analytical and good with numbers, organisation and logistics. A gift of his Siovalese ancestry, mayhap. There is also the deductive reasoning and observation that comes from his Shahrizai heritage. Resulting in Ignacio being a detail oriented, efficiency driven, innovative individual. He has many times come up with a creative idea to solve a problem, increase production or somesuch at the family estate.
History: The Shahrizai-Castro branch of the family are descended from Marmion Shahrizai, whose sister aided in the escape of the notorious Melisande and who was later exiled for his part in his sister's death. An act which, whether intentional or not, would have had him killed by one of many an irate member of the Shahrizai clan if not for the safe haven offered him by Nicola L'Envers y Aragon. Which is how he came to settle in Aragonia, and eventually have three children with a local woman named Josefina.
Their firstborn was a son named Marlon who was followed two years later by twin siblings Josepe and Josephine. It was their daughter that took after her D'Angeline heritage most. She was a delicate, pale and ethereal beauty with big blue eyes like liquid gemstones. But she also took after her father in other ways, and through her ambition married Duque Fabricio Castro de Huesca, a modest duchy not far from Amlcar along the northern border with Terre d'Ange.
Being a fairly large ducado, land wise, Huesca is mainly mountainous, but is also home to lush, fertile valleys and swift rivers. Thus it offers an abundant variety of resources and commodities. From their home estate, Fabricio and Josephine produced a variety of grains and honey, and the Duque owned the operations for several mines in the nearby mountains, mostly yielding iron. They were also known locally for the mead made from their honey, though it wasn't nearly as lucrative as their other endeavors, but more of a family tradition.
And family they had in abundance, Josephine giving birth to four boys in fairly swift succession. The eldest, Marcelo, was an easy-going sort with a thirst for knowledge and an eagerness to go out and explore. So it was no surprise that he chose to leave home when he'd reached his majority, choosing to study in the City of Elua to learn more about his grandfather's people. He lingered for a couple years, but delightful as he found the people and culture, when Marcelo was nineteen, he decided to return home to Huesca.
On the return trip, the young man made a fateful stop in a small Siovalese village. There he met Delphine Magre, bearing the unmistakable sapphire eyes and raven-wing locks of his D'Angeline kin and the keen intellect of a scion of Shemhazai. Marcelo was smitten. It turned out that the woman was a product of her mother's affair with a high standing Shahrizai man she refused to name, and she had suffered for it, as her mother's husband was a jealous man. So she was all too happy to escape with the charming Aragonian man who'd swept her off her feet.
Having married before leaving D'Angeline soil, and Delphine having lit her candle, she was already with child when they reached the Castro estate. Regardless, they repeated the ceremony in Aragonian fashion with Marcelo's family in attendance. Not being a true Magre, his new wife opted to take his name in full, finding it appropriate as she was technically more Shahrizai than he. Some time later she gave birth to twins. They named the first born in honor of Marcelo's grandfather Marmion's sister, calling her Persia-Malece, and the boy that followed they called Ignacio after his paternal grandfather on the Castro side.
Like twins often are, the two were inseparable. While Persia was often emotional and prone to tantrums, Ignacio was the more easy going one, always smiling. That said, he could sometimes be a bully to the other children... cousins, servant's and worker's children, etc. But never to his sister. She was his partner in crime, and they always got up to more trouble together than apart. As much mischief as they managed, that wasn't to say that they were irresponsible, or that the did not excel in their studies... pursuing them with passion and swift intellect.
They were taught the usual things, language, history, arithmetic... Ignacio being particularly talented and fond of the latter... along with more specific lessons crafted for their station. Politics, dancing, hunting and other noble pursuits. Ignacio was also given martial training, finding himself to be fairly sufficient with a sword, but far more taken with the crossbow. The inner mechanical workings fascinated him, and the precision needed to wield it appealed to his meticulous nature. Though that fastidiousness was more of a mental nature, and the maids despaired of ever keeping his room organised.
He also had a keen interest in ballistae and other siege engines... truly, he liked anything he could tinker with. If Nacio could take it apart and study it, he would... and frequently put it back together better than it had been originally. With his logical, inquisitive mind and Persia's artistic leanings, they put their creativity together and began to study architecture. His sister would come up with a concept, Ignacio would draft a practical version, and they would go back and forth until they had created something that pleased them both.
There were also lessons on the running of the estate and ducal responsibilities. Regardless of birth order, it was a given that Ignacio would inherit, but Delphine had failed to maintain a pregnancy after the first. If something were to happen to their son, Marcelo would see them both prepared for the role. Fabricio wasn't enthused with the idea, vocally stating that it would be the girl's husband that would need worry over such things, but his wife and son smoothed his ruffled feathers with the reasoning that Nacio learned and worked better with his twin at his side. Which was absolutely true.
When they were seventeen, Fabricio passed away, leaving the title of Duque de Huesca to their father. With only a little encouragement from his wife, and some consternation from his brothers, he decided that the twins would inherit a co-principality and thus share the title together. It was a fairly unorthodox move, but he knew his children. He knew that they functioned the best as a pair, and rather than giving his daughter a lesser title and separating them, this seemed to be the most beneficial decision for everyone.
Among other things, they inherited Marcelo's desire for travel. They ventured far and wide, including a stint at the university in Tiberium, but they always returned to Amílcar, where they chose to settle. There they cultivated social and political connections, as well as taking commissions for their architectural work. Much as they loved the city, however, they made a point to make frequent trips home to Huesca, as well as to Terre d'Ange in a desire to embrace that part of their heritage.
