Charles Astilor

Charles Astilor is a Valrean Noble in the Valreach Imperium, and serves as the first Patriarch of House Astilor. Considered a charming fellow by friends, family and even his enemies, he is a passionate lover of history, art, archeology, swordplay and architecture. Charles is also known to enjoy finer brews and alcoholic beverages, having sampled many on his travels around the world. Charles lives in Fortress Ludenstadt in the Barony of Ludenstadt which is his primary title.

Childhood
Charles Astilor was born without the name Astilor, and was a lowborn unnamed son of a merchant trader in the former Commonwealth of Archos. His parents Edward and Margaret had lived in Archos during the Imperial Era, and were survivors of The Great Catastrophe. Charles grew up with his older brother Arthur, and was soon joined by his brother Albert and sister Eleanor.

Although without noble rank, the family enjoyed minor wealth due to the prowess of Edward as a trader, helping bring in goods to the island post-catastrophe. This gave the family opportunities to travel, something Charles relished, as he was never particularly fond of his home. It was here Charles began to foster a true passion for history, culture and the arts; exploring so many new places in Eldham gave Charles a truly rounded view of the world. By the time he was 10, he had been to countless nations, witnessed business dealings, art shows, wars, gladiator tournaments and sampled great foods from what seemed like endless cuisines.

Sibling rivalry
Charles got on well with most of his siblings, admittedly he and his older brother Arthur had their far share of misgivings about each other. Arthur, an educated child but lacking in the drive and ambition of Charles was always jealous of his younger brother, and Charles still finding himself in this vast world admired Arthur's seemingly endless confidence, but such admiration was marred with animosity from his brother and thus it fell into envy. On the other hand, he became inseparable from his younger brother Albert, and the two found a deep passion for architecture, sketching building designs daily, and painting great structures when they visited different cities and nations.

All of his siblings had a good bond with Eleanor, the only girl of the siblings. This inevitably led to the brotherly sense of duty to protect, even if it did end up stepping on Eleanor's toes, something she never failed to remind them of. Despite having an uneasy tension between the two, Arthur and Charles were on relatively good terms into their teen life, with Arthur helping Charles navigate expanding social situations as he grew older.

Teenage Years and a Grand Adventure
Arthur having finished his education was desperate to go on a grand adventure, however his parents would not allow it unless he took his brothers, as Eleanor was too young to go away. Arthur agreed, and the trio went off in search of new cultures and lands to experience. In the far east, a desert land named DonFuer was rumoured to hold a mystical tower full of knowledge called Matis - The House of Scholars. It was said to be guarded by great sandworms, and holding an elixr of Knowledge and Immortality. Charles knew that Matis was an adventure worth having and persuaded his siblings that this should be their first destination.