Brother of Count Arius, Surilla, and General Martialis Surrexus. Counselor for the House of Surrexus. Uncle of all except Gaius.
Some people get the brains of the family. Some people get the brawn. Some people just get born.
Larentius Surrexus always figured that his older brother Brennus would be the family's counselor. Then the irresponsible git ran off and joined the Order of St. Cavallius. Suddenly Larentius' dream of staying home forever came crashing to the ground. He was to go to Rostilla and represent the House in court -- a task for which he was woefully unsuited.
Since the death of his elderly uncle (the previous counselor), Larentius has struggled to do a decent job representing Surrexus. For the most part, he's failed. He's quiet and timid in court, terrified of giving offense. He spends so much of his time worrying about what he may be doing wrong than he has no energy left to observe the courtiers around him -- and figure out what it is they are doing wrong. Worse, Larentius enjoys wine, women and a good game of dice. Count Arius was always annoyed by his "never-ending" pleas for more money, and suspected that the counselor embezzled some of Surrexus' money to pay for his bad habits.
When Arius told him of the demonic cults threatening Rostilla, Larentius was terrified beyond words. Surilla was able to frighten him into falsely testifying that Countess Matina had had an affair with King Albanus. Once his nieces and nephews rescued him, Larentius retracted this testimony. But he feels terrible about what he did and worries that Harrans (Matina's House) will kill him for his cowardly deed.
Description: Black haired and tall, like his brothers, but more heavy-set than muscular. Larentius loves good food and hates work -- a bad combination for his waist-line. He smiles a lot. All the time, some say. Larentius can maintain a charming smile even when he's terrified to the point of soiling himself. The best way to gauge his true emotions is to watch his eyes.
Paladin of the Order of St. Cavallius. Wielder of Ancilla. Friend of Corvina's.
Sir Lucellus is one of the best-known knights of the Order of St. Cavallius. Born the son of a paymaster in the Viridian army, Lucellus became the squire of the elderly paladin Sir Meritanus. Meritanus could trace his spiritual lineage back to Cavallius himself. In fact he wielded Cavallius' own sword, Ancilla, a holy relic passed down through the ages from knight to squire. When Meritanus chose to ride into the Fallen Lands, he left Ancilla to Lucellus.
Since that time Lucellus has wandered the land, doing the paladin thing. He's normally accompanied by Sir Regulus, an older knight. (Regulus believes that his calling in life is to keep Lucellus from getting himself killed and losing the last of the Council Blades.) A few years ago Lucellus took his first squire, a boy named Mores.
Lucellus has something of a fixation with the Dead City of Hakarim, an ancient ruin south of Noricus in Altania Inferior. Undead seep out from the ruins continually, menacing the Altanians. Lucellus would dearly love to clean Hakarim up. Unfortunately it's more than a pair of men can handle. Still, hope springs eternal, and a couple times a year Lucellus takes another shot at Hakarim. Regulus usually ends up dragging him back to Noricus, more dead than alive. Corvina, a healer of Noricus, has helped patch him back together on many, many occasions.
As his continual futile forays suggest, Lucellus is a very stubborn man -- and not the sharpest sword in the armory. His grasp of theology is remedial at best and can be summed up as, "Do good. All the rest is just details, and it'll work itself out. Somehow." He's tactless and blunt (though always honest) and often gets compared to a large, overly-friendly mastiff. Yet even his detractors generally like him. He's unfailingly cheerful and happy. And when he comes bouncing over to your table and begins happily pounding you on the back hard enough to knock a few vertebrae loose, you still know he meant well by it.
Description: Lucellus is an enormous, brawny man. Tall, broad-shouldered, big-boned, with a wide, square face. He tries to keep his dull brown hair hacked short, so it sits better under his helmet. However he's not a particularly good barber, and his haircuts often end up patchy and ragged. He does a better job of trimming his beard -- though even that becomes bushy after a month on the road. As near as anyone can tell, Lucellus is incapable of sitting still for more than fifteen minutes. He brims with energy; he has to be doing something, all the time, or he goes stir-crazy (making him one of Corvina's more miserable patients).