Gustav Yamira
23
Mesalian
Jeweler
Appearance:
5’6, 115 lbs. Gustav is meek and small in appearance. His skin is quite pale, reflecting his absence from excessive sunlight for the majority of his life. He is quite skinny, and has very little muscle, never needing to be quite physically strong in his work. Brilliant royal blue eyes glint with life and hope and happiness, opposing the rest of his body and stance, which gives off an air of tired, clutched unsteadiness. His hair is a dark blonde, filled with unruly curls that even the most vigorous brushing and cutting could not keep at bay. His face usually appears hollow and vacant, looking as though he isn’t quite there, but somewhere distant, somewhere happier. All of his features are quite small, nose, ears, cheeks, and mouth, all of which contain small amounts of freckles. His posture is slouched and even submissive, making him appear even smaller than he actually is.
Small hands for work. Delicate touch to his long fingers. One silver ring on each hand, each appearing plain, though upon closer inspection ornately carved patters flow throughout, detailed waves for one, intricate tree bark on the other. Both have initials engraved on the insides, of mother and father respectively. He dresses simply, with silver accents that give off a richer past. Long, thin, plain black garments cover his body, neat and clean and tidy. Black boots and silver buckles that could serve as mirrors, the shine they posses.
Personality:
Skills:
Jewelry Making: Competent:
- Thins includes the crafting of molds. The intricate carving of metals, wood, etc. Jem cutting, Jem setting, and intricate design of said materials.
Reading/Writing: Apprentice:
-Gustav used to be much better with reading and writing, along with speaking, tho these things have become fairly shaky as he hasn't written or read in quite a long time, and has forgotten some of the smaller things like pronunciation of longer words and spellings.
Backstory:
Arrives with:
- A small container of tobacco
- A black wooden smoking pipe
- The clothing in the appearance description
23
Mesalian
Jeweler
Appearance:
5’6, 115 lbs. Gustav is meek and small in appearance. His skin is quite pale, reflecting his absence from excessive sunlight for the majority of his life. He is quite skinny, and has very little muscle, never needing to be quite physically strong in his work. Brilliant royal blue eyes glint with life and hope and happiness, opposing the rest of his body and stance, which gives off an air of tired, clutched unsteadiness. His hair is a dark blonde, filled with unruly curls that even the most vigorous brushing and cutting could not keep at bay. His face usually appears hollow and vacant, looking as though he isn’t quite there, but somewhere distant, somewhere happier. All of his features are quite small, nose, ears, cheeks, and mouth, all of which contain small amounts of freckles. His posture is slouched and even submissive, making him appear even smaller than he actually is.
Small hands for work. Delicate touch to his long fingers. One silver ring on each hand, each appearing plain, though upon closer inspection ornately carved patters flow throughout, detailed waves for one, intricate tree bark on the other. Both have initials engraved on the insides, of mother and father respectively. He dresses simply, with silver accents that give off a richer past. Long, thin, plain black garments cover his body, neat and clean and tidy. Black boots and silver buckles that could serve as mirrors, the shine they posses.
Personality:
![[+]](/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
SpoilerQuiet. There is nay a better word to describe it. Gustav was never quite outgoing, courageous, or sociable, which wasn’t helped by the existence he has led thus far. Almost trained to be the opposite, and never given the opportunity to try these things out for himself. Submissive, submit to those who command you and you will be spared. A lesson he has learned somewhat recently in his life, its caused him to become very dependent on others, even more so than before his Uncle’s oppression. He doesn’t like or feel the need to talk, and when doing so it normally comes out in a nervous stutter, not helped by the fact that he prefers to whisper and mutter rather than speak at any audible tone, most words end up being incomprehensible, what little of them he has to say. He always appears on edge, easily spooked and reactive to any stimulus. It is not uncommon for him to wince at the sight of a handshake, expecting it to be a beating. He also nervously fidgets quite a bit, his body and hands prone to excessive shaking, though he has learned ways to cope with this. He normally calms himself by various means, slowly counting to 50; deep breaths, humming a certain tune and even smoking help quell his nerves.
Despite his sad outward appearance and tense nerves, he isn’t actually very distraught. Especially since leaving home. Each day he has set a goal to smile a little more, thinking that to be happy, you have to look happy. Something instilled in him by the fact that his Uncle never smiled except when presented what he considered ‘Perfect’ Jewelry, something he thought made his Uncle happy. Though this is a slow in coming process, as he finds little to smile about nowadays. Gustav clings to the ideal that happiness doesn’t come from your situation , but what you can do with it. This Ideal was severely shaken in him, and he wasn’t quite sure of its truth quite recently in his life, but he has kept it, in hopes that he can find it to be truer than he has been lead to believe by his uncle’s example.
Having received an exceptional education, Gustav is quite versed in literature and math, and likely could have succeeded as a prominent politician or even an engineer, had the family business not taken his full attention. Intricate and with an eye for detail, more in depth fields of work that require a lot of concentration and precise movement, Gustav would likely be able to manage, that is, if he ever manages to get a hold of his nerves for very long. Gustav is a smart man, quick to learn and quicker to remember. He has a knack for being able to easily pick up new skills, after enough tutoring and practice most things come relatively easy to him. He is at a loss however, in ‘street smarts’ as well as social situations. He tends to not quite understand the simple, everyday things most people don’t even have to think about, things like a hand shake, jokes, or flirting, most are met with a blank stare or a questionable look.
Despite his sad outward appearance and tense nerves, he isn’t actually very distraught. Especially since leaving home. Each day he has set a goal to smile a little more, thinking that to be happy, you have to look happy. Something instilled in him by the fact that his Uncle never smiled except when presented what he considered ‘Perfect’ Jewelry, something he thought made his Uncle happy. Though this is a slow in coming process, as he finds little to smile about nowadays. Gustav clings to the ideal that happiness doesn’t come from your situation , but what you can do with it. This Ideal was severely shaken in him, and he wasn’t quite sure of its truth quite recently in his life, but he has kept it, in hopes that he can find it to be truer than he has been lead to believe by his uncle’s example.
Having received an exceptional education, Gustav is quite versed in literature and math, and likely could have succeeded as a prominent politician or even an engineer, had the family business not taken his full attention. Intricate and with an eye for detail, more in depth fields of work that require a lot of concentration and precise movement, Gustav would likely be able to manage, that is, if he ever manages to get a hold of his nerves for very long. Gustav is a smart man, quick to learn and quicker to remember. He has a knack for being able to easily pick up new skills, after enough tutoring and practice most things come relatively easy to him. He is at a loss however, in ‘street smarts’ as well as social situations. He tends to not quite understand the simple, everyday things most people don’t even have to think about, things like a hand shake, jokes, or flirting, most are met with a blank stare or a questionable look.
Jewelry Making: Competent:
- Thins includes the crafting of molds. The intricate carving of metals, wood, etc. Jem cutting, Jem setting, and intricate design of said materials.
Reading/Writing: Apprentice:
-Gustav used to be much better with reading and writing, along with speaking, tho these things have become fairly shaky as he hasn't written or read in quite a long time, and has forgotten some of the smaller things like pronunciation of longer words and spellings.
Backstory:
Well known throughout the realm as fantastic Jewelers, the Yamira family has been in the business for generations. From where they currently reside in the small coastal town of Havenal people of wealth and influence came to them from far and wide to acquire for themselves the famous “Yamira seal of excellence”. The current living representatives of this line were Cassius, his younger brother Ramos, and his wife Havana. While these three did live and represent the name, it was only Cassius who had the talent and knowledge to craft the fine art that continued to make the family so wealthy and well known. Ramos was far more gifted in salesmanship, and he was often tasked with spreading word and selling the jewelry. The two often bickered and fought, mostly due to Ramos’s absolute loathing of his older brother and his gifts. It was always the first born to receive the most extensive training in the art, as they were first, the younger siblings simply had to mooch off of their success or find their own way in life.
In the winter 12 years after Veld, a boy was born to Cassius and Havana. They named him Gustav in honor of his long past grandfather, and cherished him greatly. Gustav’s life for a while was filled with nothing but extensive care and lavish living; Golden leaf cribs, large playrooms all to himself, and every whim met in an instant. It was a comfortable life; one that he figured everyone lived, and why shouldn’t he, it was a spectacular life where everything was as he wanted, though he had no idea the expense involved nor the hard work of many servants used to care for him. Despite the gross amount of material possessions, the little boy was lacking in the area of human companionship. No other little boys or girls were around, as none of the servants were allowed to have children on the premises, and the few people that visited the large mansion in which the family resided seldom brought their children with them. His parents were often out on business as well, having brunch with kings and the like he was told. The only friends Gustav would have for the first years of his life were the midwives who fed him and the butlers who taught him to be polite and refined. This boy lived a sheltered life, safe from the Civil Wars taking place perhaps in the next town over, for all he knew.
Life would continue like this for Gustav until his 6th birthday, in which his father had decided it time to begin teaching his son the ways of his craft. Most days from here on would consist of an early rising, schooling in the traditional sense, and schooling on the basics of his intended future career, and a late bedtime, with meals sandwiched in-between. Gustav was caught off guard at the sudden regimen before him, as he was accustomed to a much more lax format by now, though his father was strict in his teaching and in his parenting. There were no excuses only laziness and laziness will be met with a beating. His father felt it top priority to make sure the family business continued, as this is what was instilled in him by his father, and so on. Havana would occasionally sit and watch the two on occasion, though often she had to keep to the front of the house, greeting the now even more frequent visitors and keeping up appearances. Ramos was seldom seen around the house, often off on business trips, and when he was home he paid Gustav no mind, as the child had little worth to him, he couldn’t produce a sellable product yet so there was no point in even acknowledging his existence. When the two did see each other, Ramos usually had his pipe in his mouth, blowing smoke into the boys face and smiling, as though it was a joke that no one but he understood. Ramos would grow to be Gustav’s least favorite of people.
By the age of 10 Gustav began showing a real knack for work, and as his skill grew, so did his father’s strictness. He was always calm in his manner and never showed it, but Gustav could tell he was rather stressed. With him no longer keeping up relations with his customers, people began to stop buying, and when people stopped buying the fortune of the family began to ebb away. Havana and Ramos were doing all they could but without Cassius, the creator and head of the family, parading about and making friends with the next nobles and kings, people actually began to suspect he be dead. He wasn’t, of course, and when these rumors reached his ear he flew into action. Gustav, now age 12, would have to have his training suspended as his father and mother went back out into the world to campaign new designs and re-establish old buyers. Meanwhile, the care of the house was left in Ramos’s hands, as his exploits to sell had began to come back less and less fruitful. Ramos was perfectly fine with this roll, it meant he had very little responsibility, as the servants ran the home just as they did when Gustav had only recently been born and Cassius, Havana, and Ramos were all absent the majority of the time.
The absence of Gustav’s father, while supposed to serve as a recess from schooling, did not end up as such. Ramos found it prudent to have him continue studying, and so without Cassius’s or Havana’s knowledge, he hired other jewelers from around the Continent to come and teach. These new teachers where quite honored to be passing their skills off to an heir of the Yamira family, though were paid off to silence to have this privilege, and silent they remained so Gustav’s parents never found out. On the evening of Gustav’s 15th Birthday a letter came, within this letter was written the tragic news that both Cassius and Havana’s boat had sunk on their way to the Forbidden lands in an attempt to establish a buyer. Ramos got the letter before Gustav did, and told him it was his parents, wishing him a happy birthday. The boy was quite happy about this, as typically on the road his parents didn’t send letters, though he didn’t see any real reason to doubt his Uncle.
Armed with the knowledge the boy was now in his custody, Ramos took full control. He stopped hiring teachers for the boy and moved him down into the cellar, despite his protests. No servants were to be in his company except to deliver him food, and to escort him to the occasional bath. The servants, however reluctantly, followed his orders. Many of them had been in service to the Yamira's for years, and had watched the boy grow up. However, disobeying the orders given to them by Ramos meant immediate sacking and a most humiliating stain on their character. Just in case the servants did lose their heads and free the boy, Ramos hired guards to remain posted at the cellar door as well as patrol the yards. The boy wouldn't be getting far if he got out at all. Gustav was to work alone at a large, poorly lit table in the corner of the cellar. His work was to be perfection, as his family’s seal implied. Anything less than perfection was a beating. Any protest was a beating. Any speaking to while not spoken to was a beating. Anything was a beating. Now that Gustav’s parents were out of the picture nothing was holding Ramos back from unleashing all of his years of pent up jealous anger on poor Gustav. Years from childhood living in Cassius’ shadow and years in adulthood spent the same. Ramos was angry, but he was also a smart man. He knew without his brother to supply him with product to sell the deed had to fall onto his heir. So he kept Gustav alive enough to do as he was instructed and continue to make Ramos a rich man. The work he produced wasn’t always quite up to snuff, but the label had gained so much value over the years that it could pass off and sell at ridiculous prices. Ramos had everything he wanted in the palm of his hand and the cellar of his mansion.
Word of the parent’s death was kept as quite as it could be, as hard as that had been. A lot of money went into keeping the servants quite around Gustav, so that he couldn’t know, and eventually figure out that it was he who was to inherit what his family left behind, not his uncle. This wasn’t to say that Gustav didn’t become suspicious however. It was easy to figure out his parents wouldn’t allow this to happen, and as more and more time drew on he began to question their whereabouts. Not openly however, as that would result in a beating. Years would go by in that cellar. Very, very long years, though Gustav never let it get to him quite so much. He, of course, grew nervous around people, especially those who resemble Ramos. He grew quite pale as he was seldom allowed out of his cellar when not to bathe. His already poor social skills would grow no better locked in that cellar, and since he was only to speak when spoken to, he grew afraid of speaking out of turn. He grew into a lot of things but at least one stayed the same. He remained hopeful that he would escape this torment and find his parents, who could make everything right again, or so he could only hope.
Not everything Ramos did to the boy was bad. When he noticed the boy was on edge, and had trouble meeting his ridiculous standards, he’d make him smoke, to calm him, as it worked for him and why shouldn’t it work for the boy. It also served as a moderate punishment when he was started on the stuff, as he’d often hack and cough while inhaling smoke. His uncle also taught him to be clean and tidy, the sort of clean and tidy that if everything isn’t as it should be, it resulted in a beating. Among these, and probably the most ingrained of them all, was to respect authority, Ramos’, authority. This all lasted until Gustav turned 22. He had by now given up most of his hope of ever getting out of this mess, though not all of it, he still believed his parents were alive somewhere, perhaps stuck in a kingdom celebrating the end of the Civil Wars, or maybe their travel had been interrupted by some portal reopening, something along those lines that Ramos had mentioned one day while observing his latest rings for imperfections. Perhaps one day Gustav could hug his father again, and tell him of the atrocities Ramos had committed, and have him taken away, it didn’t matter where or how just away, so that he couldn’t harm him anymore.
A day came. A very special day. Ramos was going to take Gustav to meet with a high ranking noble in the next town over, an old friend of the family’s. However when Ramos said meet, he meant show the boy off to prove that there was still a living heir making the jewelry, and not just some cheap knockoffs, as rumor had begun to spread that this was indeed the case, and it was beginning to cut into profits. Before they arrived at the Nobel’s house Ramos had their carriage stop at the port to check on a few of his shipping containers, and make sure they were as protected as possible and the crates were to make it to their destination quickly with a bit of extra pay. While he was doing this, the servant he had instructed to keep an eye on the boy in the carriage, told him to run. It was an older woman, who had worked for Gustav’s grandfather before he died and Cassius afterwards. She pitied the boy greatly, greatly enough to risk being fired from her long held position if it meant he could get out of a lifetime of servitude. And so the boy left, and ran, before Ramos could turn around and head back to the carriage Gustav had disappeared into the crowded street. He could hear maniacal yelling and ranting from behind him for a short while before he lost it in the noise of the street.
He ended up selling a locket Ramos had forced him to make, “Remember who you belong to” was inscribed on in interior. It was something he could do without keeping. He got enough from it for passage on a ship, and he took it the last place he knew his parents were to go to, and the last place he thought Ramos would look, the Forbidden Lands.
In the winter 12 years after Veld, a boy was born to Cassius and Havana. They named him Gustav in honor of his long past grandfather, and cherished him greatly. Gustav’s life for a while was filled with nothing but extensive care and lavish living; Golden leaf cribs, large playrooms all to himself, and every whim met in an instant. It was a comfortable life; one that he figured everyone lived, and why shouldn’t he, it was a spectacular life where everything was as he wanted, though he had no idea the expense involved nor the hard work of many servants used to care for him. Despite the gross amount of material possessions, the little boy was lacking in the area of human companionship. No other little boys or girls were around, as none of the servants were allowed to have children on the premises, and the few people that visited the large mansion in which the family resided seldom brought their children with them. His parents were often out on business as well, having brunch with kings and the like he was told. The only friends Gustav would have for the first years of his life were the midwives who fed him and the butlers who taught him to be polite and refined. This boy lived a sheltered life, safe from the Civil Wars taking place perhaps in the next town over, for all he knew.
Life would continue like this for Gustav until his 6th birthday, in which his father had decided it time to begin teaching his son the ways of his craft. Most days from here on would consist of an early rising, schooling in the traditional sense, and schooling on the basics of his intended future career, and a late bedtime, with meals sandwiched in-between. Gustav was caught off guard at the sudden regimen before him, as he was accustomed to a much more lax format by now, though his father was strict in his teaching and in his parenting. There were no excuses only laziness and laziness will be met with a beating. His father felt it top priority to make sure the family business continued, as this is what was instilled in him by his father, and so on. Havana would occasionally sit and watch the two on occasion, though often she had to keep to the front of the house, greeting the now even more frequent visitors and keeping up appearances. Ramos was seldom seen around the house, often off on business trips, and when he was home he paid Gustav no mind, as the child had little worth to him, he couldn’t produce a sellable product yet so there was no point in even acknowledging his existence. When the two did see each other, Ramos usually had his pipe in his mouth, blowing smoke into the boys face and smiling, as though it was a joke that no one but he understood. Ramos would grow to be Gustav’s least favorite of people.
By the age of 10 Gustav began showing a real knack for work, and as his skill grew, so did his father’s strictness. He was always calm in his manner and never showed it, but Gustav could tell he was rather stressed. With him no longer keeping up relations with his customers, people began to stop buying, and when people stopped buying the fortune of the family began to ebb away. Havana and Ramos were doing all they could but without Cassius, the creator and head of the family, parading about and making friends with the next nobles and kings, people actually began to suspect he be dead. He wasn’t, of course, and when these rumors reached his ear he flew into action. Gustav, now age 12, would have to have his training suspended as his father and mother went back out into the world to campaign new designs and re-establish old buyers. Meanwhile, the care of the house was left in Ramos’s hands, as his exploits to sell had began to come back less and less fruitful. Ramos was perfectly fine with this roll, it meant he had very little responsibility, as the servants ran the home just as they did when Gustav had only recently been born and Cassius, Havana, and Ramos were all absent the majority of the time.
The absence of Gustav’s father, while supposed to serve as a recess from schooling, did not end up as such. Ramos found it prudent to have him continue studying, and so without Cassius’s or Havana’s knowledge, he hired other jewelers from around the Continent to come and teach. These new teachers where quite honored to be passing their skills off to an heir of the Yamira family, though were paid off to silence to have this privilege, and silent they remained so Gustav’s parents never found out. On the evening of Gustav’s 15th Birthday a letter came, within this letter was written the tragic news that both Cassius and Havana’s boat had sunk on their way to the Forbidden lands in an attempt to establish a buyer. Ramos got the letter before Gustav did, and told him it was his parents, wishing him a happy birthday. The boy was quite happy about this, as typically on the road his parents didn’t send letters, though he didn’t see any real reason to doubt his Uncle.
Armed with the knowledge the boy was now in his custody, Ramos took full control. He stopped hiring teachers for the boy and moved him down into the cellar, despite his protests. No servants were to be in his company except to deliver him food, and to escort him to the occasional bath. The servants, however reluctantly, followed his orders. Many of them had been in service to the Yamira's for years, and had watched the boy grow up. However, disobeying the orders given to them by Ramos meant immediate sacking and a most humiliating stain on their character. Just in case the servants did lose their heads and free the boy, Ramos hired guards to remain posted at the cellar door as well as patrol the yards. The boy wouldn't be getting far if he got out at all. Gustav was to work alone at a large, poorly lit table in the corner of the cellar. His work was to be perfection, as his family’s seal implied. Anything less than perfection was a beating. Any protest was a beating. Any speaking to while not spoken to was a beating. Anything was a beating. Now that Gustav’s parents were out of the picture nothing was holding Ramos back from unleashing all of his years of pent up jealous anger on poor Gustav. Years from childhood living in Cassius’ shadow and years in adulthood spent the same. Ramos was angry, but he was also a smart man. He knew without his brother to supply him with product to sell the deed had to fall onto his heir. So he kept Gustav alive enough to do as he was instructed and continue to make Ramos a rich man. The work he produced wasn’t always quite up to snuff, but the label had gained so much value over the years that it could pass off and sell at ridiculous prices. Ramos had everything he wanted in the palm of his hand and the cellar of his mansion.
Word of the parent’s death was kept as quite as it could be, as hard as that had been. A lot of money went into keeping the servants quite around Gustav, so that he couldn’t know, and eventually figure out that it was he who was to inherit what his family left behind, not his uncle. This wasn’t to say that Gustav didn’t become suspicious however. It was easy to figure out his parents wouldn’t allow this to happen, and as more and more time drew on he began to question their whereabouts. Not openly however, as that would result in a beating. Years would go by in that cellar. Very, very long years, though Gustav never let it get to him quite so much. He, of course, grew nervous around people, especially those who resemble Ramos. He grew quite pale as he was seldom allowed out of his cellar when not to bathe. His already poor social skills would grow no better locked in that cellar, and since he was only to speak when spoken to, he grew afraid of speaking out of turn. He grew into a lot of things but at least one stayed the same. He remained hopeful that he would escape this torment and find his parents, who could make everything right again, or so he could only hope.
Not everything Ramos did to the boy was bad. When he noticed the boy was on edge, and had trouble meeting his ridiculous standards, he’d make him smoke, to calm him, as it worked for him and why shouldn’t it work for the boy. It also served as a moderate punishment when he was started on the stuff, as he’d often hack and cough while inhaling smoke. His uncle also taught him to be clean and tidy, the sort of clean and tidy that if everything isn’t as it should be, it resulted in a beating. Among these, and probably the most ingrained of them all, was to respect authority, Ramos’, authority. This all lasted until Gustav turned 22. He had by now given up most of his hope of ever getting out of this mess, though not all of it, he still believed his parents were alive somewhere, perhaps stuck in a kingdom celebrating the end of the Civil Wars, or maybe their travel had been interrupted by some portal reopening, something along those lines that Ramos had mentioned one day while observing his latest rings for imperfections. Perhaps one day Gustav could hug his father again, and tell him of the atrocities Ramos had committed, and have him taken away, it didn’t matter where or how just away, so that he couldn’t harm him anymore.
A day came. A very special day. Ramos was going to take Gustav to meet with a high ranking noble in the next town over, an old friend of the family’s. However when Ramos said meet, he meant show the boy off to prove that there was still a living heir making the jewelry, and not just some cheap knockoffs, as rumor had begun to spread that this was indeed the case, and it was beginning to cut into profits. Before they arrived at the Nobel’s house Ramos had their carriage stop at the port to check on a few of his shipping containers, and make sure they were as protected as possible and the crates were to make it to their destination quickly with a bit of extra pay. While he was doing this, the servant he had instructed to keep an eye on the boy in the carriage, told him to run. It was an older woman, who had worked for Gustav’s grandfather before he died and Cassius afterwards. She pitied the boy greatly, greatly enough to risk being fired from her long held position if it meant he could get out of a lifetime of servitude. And so the boy left, and ran, before Ramos could turn around and head back to the carriage Gustav had disappeared into the crowded street. He could hear maniacal yelling and ranting from behind him for a short while before he lost it in the noise of the street.
He ended up selling a locket Ramos had forced him to make, “Remember who you belong to” was inscribed on in interior. It was something he could do without keeping. He got enough from it for passage on a ship, and he took it the last place he knew his parents were to go to, and the last place he thought Ramos would look, the Forbidden Lands.
- A small container of tobacco
- A black wooden smoking pipe
- The clothing in the appearance description