Kougen
| Kougen Aensworth | |
|---|---|
| Status | |
| Race | Elf |
| Gender | Male |
| Guild | Moon Mage |
| Instance | Prime |
Appearance
You see Lightcrafter Kougen Aensworth, Pansophist of the Compact, an Elven Moon Mage.
Kougen has pointed ears and crystal blue eyes. His silver hair is long and straight, and is worn loose, tucked behind his ears. He has fair skin and a lean build.
He is very tall for an Elf.
He is adult for an Elf.
He has a tattoo of six towers on a field of stars encircled by the three Elanthian moons on his wrist.
He is in good shape.
He is wearing a black cotton tunic painted with three wolves beneath Grazhir, a pair of elegant ebon silk trousers streaked with silver threads, a simple platinum pendant, a small animite ring, an albredine crystal ring and a pair of chocolate suede boots with polished ivory buckles.
Affiliations
- Moon Mage Guild
- Celestial Compact Sect
- Wind Elf Clan
- Ilithi Province
Personality
Kougen is, at his heart, motivated by the desire to become a better person and help as many others as he can along the way. Cynical minds have suggested that this is rooted in some selfish need to be loved, admired, praised, and rewarded. In a complex psychological sense they may have a point. However, Kougen is first and foremost an honest person who truly believes in doing what is right to the best of his knowledge and ability, even to his own detriment at times. He strongly believes that by acting with compassion, prudence and morality he can serve as a guiding light in a dark world - hence why he proudly carries the title "Lightcrafter" as a recognition of his extraordinarily high aptitude with light and shadow based magics and his advanced rank in the Moon Mage Guild.
Despite this attitude he is not preachy and overbearing, but rather has a very quiet and reserved nature true to his Wind Elf heritage. He's not quite shy, but rarely interjects into what is going on around him, especially in the company of strangers, unless he believes he has something important to add. His ultimate goal is to become a prominent and talented Seer and use his abilities to work closely with a strong and wise leader, helping to usher an age of peace and progress into the land in his lifetime. He despises any destructive habits, from over-indulgence in alcohol to studying sorcery, and can become quickly perturbed when people talk about such things lightly or suggest he should take part.
History
Early Life
Kougen was born in northern Ilithi in 315 AV to Willow, a Wind Elf, and Riyaz Aensworth, a Human. He had a modest but uneventful childhood in a small home near modern day Fayrin's Rest where his family kept mostly to themselves. Willow had left her clan to be with Riyaz, and the couple was sensitive to scrutiny over their mixed-racial marriage. This guarded but stable family life continued until his father died of natural causes at age 67 in 343 AV. Ten years later Willow, ready to move on and convinced of Kougen's readiness to live on his own, departed for the plains to reconnect with her earlier life while Kougen remained at home, stubbornly clinging to the life they had established there. It would be another 12 years before he finally decided to seek more in life as well, leading him to travel to Crossing and arrive at the front door of the Moon Mage Observatory there in 365 AV.
Modern Life
At the youthful age of 50, Kougen was instructed in the ways of the Moon Mage and began his studies in earnest. Still new to the world outside of his childhood home he had quite a painful adjustment period. Never before had he been so surrounded by such a large group of peers, and so many potential friends and enemies. Intimidated but undaunted, he spent many years adjusting to the social and political structure of the guild as well as the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the individuals who called themselves Lunar Mages, or more mockingly known as "Loony Moonies". However, he was urged forward by the belief that these skills of magic and foresight would some day make him a prominent man who could fulfill his dream of helping others. He was especially uplifted by the words of the Moon Mage Guildmaster Prime, Taramaine Ennis-Braun: "The stars give us the path to the Plane of Probability, the Plane gives us knowledge of the future. It is the destiny of those who can know what will be, to lead those who do not to guide them, to protect them, to lead them to enlightenment. It is the duty and responsibility of those gifted with foresight to lead the world into a better future, one we envision with our gifts. That is our burden." Following that vision he became a committed student who would eventually grow into a renowned and respected instructor of magic, enchanting and foresight.
That same year, 365 AV, Kougen met a ravishing dark-haired beauty named Aislinge Wolfsbane, the woman who would become his first wife. It was an auspicious meeting, one that must surely have been predestined. In a cramped jail cell in the Crossing, after a brief misunderstanding with a blind beggar, Kougen would ask Aislinge if she wanted to do something together later. They were married soon after. Aislinge was a recluse, a hermit, and a guilded Thief. But she opened up to Kougen and the two of them explored Elanthia together as a team for many years, eventually settling in Shard. Most of Kougen's first worldly experiences happened at her side, and he was heartbroken when she disappeared without a word or a trace in 378 AV. It wasn't until 386 AV that he finally gave her up for dead and severed their bond.
In late 375 AV Kougen played a key support role for the Ilithi Militia during the Outcast War. He never actually joined the militia, and was in fact passed over in his endeavor to be named a Commander at the time and refused several offers to join later in his bitterness. Despite this he was made an honorary member of the Northern Watch and was recognized by Ferdahl Kukalakai at a small ceremony due to his charitable contribution of enchantments for the militia to use. The bulk of this was no less than 100 personally crafted gwethdesuans to ensure that the militia would never suffer a lack of communication during battle.
After the loss of his first wife Kougen had a tumultuous second bachelorhood, including a brief fling with no less than the infamous Caelumia Y'laeth. Kougen finally settled down with Ruea, a Forest Elf, in 388 AV. She was Aislinge's complete opposite in almost every way other than also being a guilded Thief. Sweet, gentle, cute, and friendly, she renewed his faith in love. They had a fairy tale romance and were frequently referred to as the perfect couple by those who knew them. Eventually Kougen became a Lieutenant of the Ilithi Militia and Ruea was selected to be the Court Bard, a move which Kougen warned (and correctly predicted) would cause her an unwelcome level of scrutiny, but one which he also fully supported her in. After years of being "Shard's Princess" Ruea approached Kougen and told him that she was ready to be single again. Explaining that she still loved him and wished him the best but that being married was no longer beneficial to her career or fit in with the lifestyle that she desired, she seemed determined that this was somehow the most merciful decision for them both. Feeling betrayed and too broken to argue, Kougen simply left Ilithi and let Ruea sever their bond in 401 AV.
Kougen's rise in Shard really began in 389 AV during the emergence of the Necrolord Veyne who took up residence in Shard after being exiled from Therengia. Kougen was distrustful of his shady methods and obvious grabbing for power, and so took action to have him attacked and driven away by outside factions in order to circumvent the de facto protection he had been enjoying from Shard officially. Eventually Kougen was invited to join the militia by Commander Rainea - greatly relieving his growing resentment toward the city and wavering faith in himself after being denied the position of Court Mage more than once - and given the position of her Lieutenant due to his proven skills, leadership, and contributions to Ilithi, including heading the Shard Reconstruction Fund which raised 10,000 platinum dokoras for the rebuilding of Shard after the Dragon Priest attacks in the mid-380's AV. Kougen was quickly put to work spearheading the resistance against the mad Inquisitor Vorasus, ensuring that minimal harm was done to the city and its people before he was eventually detained and imprisoned.
Kougen later resigned his position as Lieutenant in protest to the assignment of Traim, an outsider and civilian, as the second Commander of the Ilithi Militia by Court Advisor Leucius. Feeling that this position was rightfully his to accept or decline, Kougen took the move as one of great personal disrespect by the Tower and its representatives. This was further exacerbated by the fact that nobody, not even Commander Rainea, was made aware that a second commander was even being sought until after the appointment was made.
Kougen finally returned to Shard in the Spring of 402 AV, and with a renewed perspective and attitude set about rebuilding his life and honing his skills, looking once more to the future. His current focus is on reforming his previous, well-deserved reputation as an overly serious and anti-social, uptight jerk. Hopefully, as his 87th birthday comes and goes, he has collected enough maturity and wisdom to fit in while still following his childhood dream.
(Last updated 5 Aug 2011 / Summer 402 AV)