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Leon Barca)
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- Leon is the fourth and youngest child of Ambrose Maritus and Justina Soranus, and they say he takes equal parts after both parents: by his looks, his father; by his faith, his mother.
- By rights, he ought have been his mother's darling; in truth, she died not long after he was born; he does not remember her at all. All he knows of her are the stories told by his elder siblings and, sometimes, by his father. Rather than being spoiled, he was often overlooked. A patient child, a quiet child, he was easily entertained and kept out from underfoot in his youngest years. As he grew older, though, he grew more rambunctious, more anxious for attention -- attention that he never received in satisfactory amounts.
- In search of that attention, he turned his sights on the legions, and at the tender age of fifteen, began his training. Some say he did it only to please his father, or because it was expected of him. Others, that he had the aptitude and the passion in his own right, to follow his elder brother and sister in that path. But that's not the only path he followed: throughout his boyhood and youth he often demanded to hear of his mother, aye, and her piety -- and he took her faith for his own, holding it close to his heart.
- After six months' basic training, he opted for three more years, three long years of training on the path to a career in the Infantry. But he never finished -- indeed, he barely started. His squad was placed under the command of an ambitious young officer, a centurion, who chafed at the duties of training young soldiers and felt his rightful place was higher, a more prestigious posting. And he demonstrated that he'd let little stand in his way of pursuing it. This troubled young Leon, but he let it be and saw to his own training, his own work, and his own men.
- A few months later, change was in the air. The tribune of their cohort was transferred to an active unit. The position was open. And this young centurion determined to prove himself worthy of it, no matter the price. He pushed his soldiers hard and harder, and in the process two of Leon's squad were injured -- grievously injured. One died of her wounds; the other recovered, at the cost of an arm and his career. And the centurion? Covered it up, blamed it on Leon, who blamed himself, too, for he'd kept his silence and protested only after they were injured. Disgraced and discouraged, Leon quit. Well before his three years were finished -- well before his first year was finished -- he quit, and fled Guardians for Draught, where he spent the next year and a half with his Soranus cousins.
- For events since February, 505, see this timeline.
- Leon occupies a peculiar position: from his father and his elder siblings, he's inherited the Maritus grit, guts, and a stiff pride in name and family; and from his mother's family, the Soranus love of all things true, moral, upright, and pure. Half of Gwencalon, half of Ethos, he's not always quite sure where he fits in best -- or if he fits in at all. At times, he's hesitant and, when uncertain, he's known to speak too quickly and stumble over his words. At others, confident and sure of both himself and his faith, he's a force to be reckoned with. This confluence of counter-traits isn't all bad: he's as quick to laugh and joke as he is to forgive any slight or injury to himself, though words against his family he'll take ill, and he finds falsehood most distasteful.
- His father's house: House Maritus
- His mother's house: House Soranus
- His wife's house: House Barca
- Immediate, extended, and other relations: Relations
- He's well known for a constant appetite and a willingness to try new foods, no matter how exotic. His favorite food? Pastries with jam, followed closely by gingerbread. No baked good is safe in his presence.
- He quit the Legions after just over a year's service. That is, he completed his mandatory six months' service, then signed up for three more years, but quit before it was even half over (thanks to his daddy pulling some strings) and scarpered to Draught.
- ...and he re-enlisted in autumn of 506, some three years later. He can be found from dawn to dusk on the training fields outside Gateway Village, among those of the Legion stationed on Gateway.
- He's a Purist, a peculiar occupation for a Guardians boy -- or a Guardians baron. As such, he's known to be especially dedicated to honesty, truth, and the solemnity of oath-keeping.
- He doesn't stutter. Rather, he often speaks before he's quite sure what he's going to say and, as a result, his words tend toward hesitant and uncertain, especially when he's a nervous or excited. When he's sure of himself, there's no such impediment.
- Some people are possessed of a poker face. Leon is not. His features are a bellwether of his thoughts, and the color in his ears, especially, tends to give them away.
- 507-12-15 Ancestor's Day - Ancestor's Day celebration on Gateway, hosted by the Baron and Baroness Caerdach.
- 507-12-01 Hope and Believe - What is faith, anyway?
- 507-05-05 Spring Festival Eating Competition - Leon the Lion-Stomached triumphs at the Spring Festival Eating Competition
- 507-05-01 Good Intentions Go Astray - A brief, charged encounter with John Cooper.
- 507-01-17 The Good, the Bad, and the Righteous - Kidnapping and exile.
- 506-11-17 The Whole World Blind - The execution of Arcadius Athelstan gone horribly wrong.
- 506-09-30 A Caerdach Wedding - Finally.
- 506-08-10 How to Talk to Girls - Leon gives his buddy Josh a bit of advice on how to talk to girls.
- 506-08-02 Cry Havoc - The Hunt finds Gateway Village. Also, Part 2 and Part 3.
- 506-05-21 Requiem Aeternam - The funeral of Ambrose Maritus.
- Older Logs
- Childhood
- Youth
- Potential for Nightmares
- Seven O'Clock and All's...
- Playlist
- Character Meme
- Sim Leon
- Castaway Adventures
