Character Avatar: Pete Postlethwaite
Character Name: Tevye Roquelaure
Age: 57
Height: 4'10
Rank/Title: Aristocrat/Scholar/Professor
Race: D'Angeline/Yeshuite(1/4)
Country/Province: Terre D'Ange/Siovale
Player: Merle
Appearance: For all that the majority of his bloodline is D'Angeline, Tevye is not beautiful in the traditional sense. Perhaps this is because of his mixed heritage. Or perhaps it is because his true beauty manifests itself in other ways. There is beauty in the deep, impactful resonance of his voice, in the soulful intensity in his deep set eyes and the sharp intellect behind them. In these and a dozen other ways one can see the stamp of Elua and his companions.
It's difficult to name what one notices first about the man. Is it his unusual, striking, almost homely countenance? Dominated by large, jutting cheekbones and a nose that has been broken and rebroken, his weathered, ruddy face has wrinkles, ridges and lines that tell of a life of ups and downs. But all that can fade to just background to those expressive, medium brown eyes peering out under bushy brows and dark thinning hair that is beginning to go grey.
Or perhaps one will first mark Tevye's lack of physical stature. Standing not much taller than a child, it is a feature that certainly stands out. His height not being a trait of happenstance, there are other unusual characteristics about his body that one might take note of upon closer inspection. Like the fact that his limbs are long and disproportionate, as if made for a taller man, or that his shoulders are set crookedly, and his gait uneven. Perhaps one might even catch a hint of the misshapenness of his back and chest.
Personality: A man of surpassing depth and complexity, to sum up Tevye's personality is no simple thing. He at once had a happy childhood and a horrific one, has been swallowed by despair and flown on the gilded wings of enlightenment. Perhaps the most apt place to begin is his intellect. It could be said that the most central aspect of his character is his scholarly nature. A well-read, well-traveled, learned man, a theologian, scholar and student of the world. His vast amount of knowledge and the quickness with which he wields it can be nearly intimidating.
With a comprehensive, varied, ongoing education, he is well spoken, and in many languages, but at times he can be surprisingly crude. Tevye also tends to be bluntly honest, nigh to the point of rudeness at times... but then people have rarely cushioned their opinions when speaking of him, so he sees no need. Besides a more scholarly intelligence, he's clever and quick-witted, and if not tempered, his wit can be rather caustic. That isn't to say that his criticisms, quips and barbs are untrue, or cruel simply for the sake of it, and as he's aged, his humor has grown somewhat lighter, at times self-deprecating, finding that trying to see levity in his burdens helps ease them.
It is easy to think that he doesn't care with his bluntness and gruff exterior, but Tevye is in fact a very compassionate man. He cares for the plight of others, appreciates beauty as much as any D'Angeline and struggles to keep any bitterness from his past and from his continued physical infirmity at bay. It is harder on those days that his back pains him more than usual, or strenuous activity that would be no challenge for an average man has left him breathless, his chest aching, or sometimes simply when he wakes in the morning and battles through pain, stiffness and simple immobility just to dress himself.
His travails, his passion, his caring are all there to see if one can look past his unconventional features and physical deformities. It is in his eyes, in the care he pours into his studies, and his teaching. It is in the flowers he cultivates in his courtyard with patience and tenderness. If you do see it, don't expect him to thank you for mentioning it, instead one can expect a biting quip, or perhaps an insult. Those that know him well, however, see passed this harsh facade, to that deep complex man that is Tevye Roquelaure.
History: Chaim, son of Rebbe Tevye Berakhiah, was a typical young Yeshuite man. Earnest, hardworking and devout. Friendly and curious about their D'Angeline neighbors, he frequently traveled with the others on trading excursions to nearby villages. It was on one such that he met the lady Rosaline Bellefleur. A tragically young widow, she was a somewhat shy, dark haired beauty with luminous grey eyes who was as eager to learn about Chaim's people as he hers.
Despite the differences in their cultures, Chaim and Rosa soon grew close... and as is often the case when a young man and woman come to care for each other, it wasn't long before their relationship grew physical. This pained Chaim, as it was against his religious tenets, but he loved her and wanted her, and knew that his father would never condone a marriage between them. Rosa, for her part, was D'Angeline to the core and content with whatever form their relationship could take so long as they were happy together.
Things were as they were, however, and eventually the pair had to part, Rosa returning to her family and Chaim to his, though it was with more than a little reluctance and they were always in each other's hearts and minds. It wasn't until a good many months later that they saw each other again, a serendipitous meeting in a marketplace far from where they'd first met. At first Chaim couldn't believe his eyes. Not only was his love there... but she was heavy with child.
Within the hour they were alone and in each other's arms, a joyous and tearful reunion. As he'd somehow known in his heart when he saw her, it turned out that the child was his, though Rosaline made it clear that he was under no obligation to her. Chaim felt differently. Not only did he consider it his duty, he also counted it an opportunity, a blessing. With a child on the way, his father couldn't possibly speak against making their union official, though Chaim was sure that he'd have plenty to say besides.
They were wed soon thereafter, and right on the heels of their nuptials, they were given a son. In the years that followed, the boy was joined by three siblings. The youngest was a doe eyed thing named Rosette after her mother, and truly she was the spitting image of her. With a quick intellect and her parents' curiosity, the girl was always asking questions of everyone. This seemed especially true of her grandfather Tevye. No matter that he had not approved of her parents relationship to begin with, Tevye was not a cruel man and loved his grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law too, and cherished these question and answer sessions with his smallest grandchild.
Rosette relished them as well, soaking up the knowledge he imparted on her, and from he and her mother both she learned the value of not only the things he told her, but in the questions themselves. Born into two worlds, she was taught of both her mother's and father's religion and heritage and how they related to one another, finding that she had the strongest connection with Shemhazai. Not so surprising being Siovalese, but there was too the fact that she saw her grandfather in him and vice versa. Both wise, kind teachers who not only gifted her with knowledge but the hunger, drive and ability to seek it out for herself.
When Rebbe Tevye died, the family was devastated. None more so than Rosette, who had remained close to him, never quite growing out of her childlike inquisitiveness even as she blossomed into a young woman. In her grief, she found comfort in the arms of Josse Roquelaure, a long time friend of hers. With his care and support, she began to see Josse in a different light. Even though he was purely D'Angeline, he was not necessarily an attractive man, but rather a striking one... lean nearly to the point of gauntness with a prominent bone structure and piercing honey brown eyes.
Rosette cared little for that, however, finding his less than perfect features comforting and becoming. In time the two were wed, going through the ceremony in D'Angeline and Yeshuite fashion at Rosette's behest to celebrate her dual heritage. They settled into married life quickly and easily, and soon enough they were expecting their first child. A little over a year after their nuptials, they welcomed the babe into the world... a happy, pretty girl with honey colored eyes that they named Claire.
Whereas their daughter was named through discussion and common consensus, when their son was born not two years later, it was Rosette's immediate desire to name him Tevye after her grandfather. Josse agreed graciously, knowing how important it was to his wife. In time they had two more daughters, thus completing their family, and Josse's father ceded him the title of Vicomte, feeling that he was no longer able to fulfill his duties as capably as his son.
For a time everything was bliss for the Roquelaure family. The children played and grew and learned, Tevye in particular taking after his mother and his namesake and demonstrating a vast thirst for new knowledge and experiences. He was an adventurous child, and it was clear even from a young age that he was exceedingly intelligent. It was in his tenth year that the boy's family noticed something amiss. Rosette had observed how the way Tevye ran had changed, almost as if with a limp, though she could find no injury to explain it when she examined his legs. It was Chaim who noticed the unevenness of his grandson's shoulders and hips, and how his spine seemed gently curved.
The curve didn't stay gentle for long, however, and as Tevye grew, so did his malady. His parents sent far and wide, and frequently traveled themselves, to seek treatment for their son. He was seen by healers, chirurgeons and physicians of all make and creed, with as many and more different treatments attempted... many of them torturous. Contorted, twisted, pulled, bent, put in bindings and contraptions from simple bandages to metal corsets. Unfortunately, it all seemed to be to little or no avail.
Pained and disfigured by his condition, as he grew from boy to young man, Tevye became bitter and angry and frequently lashed out at those around him, even his family who loved him dearly. He didn't know who to blame for his ailment, but he knew who it was who had been the cause of all the needless agony he'd suffered through the years of fruitless treatments. He'd barely reached sixteen when he left his home and family behind, set on seeking his own answers.
The world did not treat Tevye kindly. He was often ridiculed and taken advantage of, beaten, robbed and called all manner of vile name. For a time the young man became as hard and twisted as his spine, which continued to worsen, developing a barbed wit and cynical demeanor. Falling into the blackest pits of despair, there were times when he considered his life meaningless, and on more than one occasion he considered... and even attempted... to end it.
Those dark days began to change with one man. Albrecht Mazin. An elderly man of indeterminate ethnic origin, he met Tevye's harsh vitriol with a gentle smile and kind words. Albrecht happened upon the young man in one of his lowest moments, and managed with patience, persistent kindness and wisdom, to convince Tevye that there was worth to him, even if he didn't believe it. He traveled with the old man for a time, and though his physical maladies grew more marked, his spirit grew lighter.
With his friend's encouragement, the young man began to seek his answers more constructively. Searching for meaning and purpose in the academics, religion and cultures of various societies. It was in their theology that Tevye found he was most interested. He revisited his Yeshuite roots, learned more of Elua and his companions, spoke with Maghuin Dhonn and Skaldic shaman, all with an open mind that thrived on the knowledge. He didn't find his answer in any one of them, but instead found his passion in the seeking.
Studying everywhere from the wilds of Alba to the University in Tiberium, he amassed an eclectic array of experiences and information. He could speak, read and write several languages, his native D'Angeline, of course, along with Habiru, Cruithne and Caerdicci just to name a few. He knew the gods and customs of a dozen cultures, and countless other tidbits. But eventually Tevye began to feel a pull that could not be answered by his studies, an itch that could not be sated by his travels. He wanted to go home.
It had been over twenty years since he had seen them, and the parting had not been a pleasant one... but the Roquelaures welcomed their wayward son and brother back into their lives with open arms and happy hearts. It humbled Tevye that he meant so much to them after so long and so much resent. Though he was happy to see his family again, and they him, Tevye did not stay long. This time, however, he did not go far, and didn't cut ties, keeping in contact with them.
Looking to share all that he'd learned with others, and perhaps impart some measure of the wisdom he'd found as well, he found employment as a professor at the academy in the City of Elua. And though his main occupation was now teaching, Tevye refused to stop learning and studying for himself, insisting if anyone asked that, teacher or not, he would never cease to be a student, a scholar, a seeker of answers and more importantly questions.
