Kindon Family

The Kindon Family

Wounded in battle, fine, strapping Dougal Kindon retired to the genteel poverty of his family estates in Aureus on the East Continent. He married the daughter of a neighbouring noble and set about to raise fine, strapping sons that he could train in the ways of war.

In this he was disappointed, as birth after birth brought him daughter after daughter: sometimes two at a time.

As his daughters grew into fine, strapping girls, seeking the love and attention of their father, they began to join his private training. Being of an old-fashioned turn of mind, he was at first reluctant to see swords and bows in the hands of women. His girls were dedicated, however, and soon he began to feel pride in their efforts. Dougal trained his chicks in both the physical and mental aspects of war, fitting them to both fight and lead a troop of soldiers.

Time passed, and some of his little birds left the nest…

Lek

First born, she had paved the way for her younger sisters to obtain their father’s training, perhaps the most determined of the Kindon girls to become a warrior. Trying in some ways to be the son her father never had, she could out-drink, out-cuss, and out-fight the average man. Of medium height, she seems taller because of her proud carriage. Well-muscled and battle-scarred, no one would ever call her beautiful, but she is striking with her mother’s dark hair, and her father’s ice-blue eyes. She will become a great hero, or die trying.

Bane

Second born, and Lek’s identical twin, she had never truly had the warrior nature of her sister; she trained because the sisters always did everything together. After Lek left home on her warrior’s quest, Bane put down her sword and took up a sack of doughnuts and became an itinerant priest of Dunkontology. Her love of the blessed doughnuts has caused her to grow much rounder and softer than her twin, though the constant walking keeps her somewhat fit. Her fondest dream is to see all of the East Continent converted to Dunkontology.

Leta

Acknowledged as the beauty of the family, with the same dark hair, but her mother’s large brown eyes, Leta was taller than her older sisters. There would be no ale-swilling and coarse-talk for Leta, and if she had to travel to another continent to get away from Lek’s reputation as the fiercest fighter and soldiers’ best friend, then so be it. Standing in Lek’s shadow was not a place she liked to be.

Ain

She has always idolized her oldest sister, Lek, and left home as soon as she was permitted so that she might become a great warrior just like her. The truth is, in time, Ain might become even better. The tallest of all the Kindon girls, and with the heaviest frame, she is the most built for fighting. Her hair is a lighter brown than her sisters, but her eyes are her mothers.

Harmony

Fairs and religious festivals are country folks’ entertainment, and if at one such fair there happened to be a beautiful travelling player who caught Dougal’s eye, well, what his wife didn’t know, etc. Some nine months later, on another continent, well, even his illegitimate offspring was a girl. Harmony herself knew nothing of her father beyond his being some sort of noble. Raised as a performer, she left the players after her mother’s death to seek what adventure she might. Finding herself a surprisingly dab hand with a sword, she occasionally wondered if her father had been a soldier—her gentle, songbird mother had certainly not passed on such instincts. Earning enough gold to buy her own tavern, Harmony retired from adventuring.

The Ballad of Lek and Sennianus
By Elrdred

A fighting lassie came to us
From Aureus cross the sea.
And bright the eyes and quick the smiles
She cast on me and thee.
(And soft the arms and sweet the kiss
She shared with me and thee.)

Her hair was dark as raven’s wing,
Her eyes a pure ice blue.
And though her visage scarred it was,
Her form was fair and true.
(Those who fortune favoured loved
That form so fair and true.)

Though many foes before her came
And found how sharp her sword.
She still had time to drink and dance,
And no man was her lord.
(Oh, many loved her willing ways,
But no man was her lord.)

The way she fought, the way she drank,
Could put a man to shame.
Truly none could keep her love ‘til
A tall barbarian came.
(Some say her world was shaken when
That tall barbarian came.)

Brave and bare, twice-moon mad he,
His words were honeyed sweet.
He brought her heads; he brought her ale
And all her needs did meet.
(While others slept and night fell down
Her needs he did all meet.)

A woman’s heart she found that day;
With woman’s eye she saw.
In his arms she was content, and
Her careful heart did thaw.
(And none who knew her could believe
Her careful heart could thaw.)

And so the lovers found some peace
Within a land at war,
Until that terrible night that all
Taselak heard him roar.
(And some said two hearts were broken
When Sennianus roared.)

‘Tis thought he came upon her
Lying in another’s arms,
And in his rage he did attempt
To do the other harm
(He drew his sword with full intent
To do him deadly harm.)

But Lek threw herself between them,
And there she took her stand
She cried, “My love, put down your sword!
You must not harm this man!”
(And all he saw was her defense
Of this, some stranger man.)

His sword he pressed to her bare breast;
And blood it did run down.
When he saw its crimson colour,
He fled with no more sound.
(They say brave men know how to weep,
With nary any sound.)

And Lek herself fell to her knees
In shock, remorse, and pain.
She would renounce her wicked ways
To bring him back again.
(She prayed to all the gods above,
“Please, bring him back again!”)