ALPHONSO MISERO

ALPHONSO  MISERO

A hidalgo, veteran soldier, and duelist of small renown.

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Ht: 5'9   /   Wt: 160   /   Age: 37  /  Hair: black  /  Eyes: brown  /  Creed: Iagosi

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It may be fairly said that any great city in Iagos is already full of stern-faced, mustachioed, out-of-work soldiers, who speak little unless it concerns their honour, and draw long rapiers at the drop of a glove. Even so, one might be forgiven for believing Alphonso Misero invented the concept.

Sad-eyed and laconic, Misero lives up to his name. Even in the company of others, he seems solitary and detached. For many, he is a quiet fixture about town; in the gambling halls, taverns, and coffee houses. He might be seen attending the theatre in the groundling pit, squinting at a small book through cracked spectacles in the plaza, nodding thoughtfully from the sidelines of a political argument, or just smoking quietly in the corner on a slow night. His manner is mild, courteous, and not unkind, but few have ever seen him smile. He rarely seems excited or hurried for any reason.

Misero has often taken money (as a swordsman must) to act as a bodyguard, to collect a bounty, or to settle a duel as a proxy, but he nonetheless treats his name and his honour with utmost severity. Misero lives and works within the orbit of the Ladroa underworld, and he is not strictly law-abiding, but he is known as a man who follows a code and weighs his choices. His occupation may not always be respectable, but Misero does not mind going hungry for a while if it means preserving his dignity.

Just the same, any disparaging word will swiftly be met with a flat request for apology, or else drawn swords in trade. An insult to family, to a lady, or to the Iagosi people will command a similar price. When he fights, he does so with patient intensity and focus. He is not bloodthirsty, but there are few in Ladroa who have crossed steel with him and still draw breath. 

APPEARANCE

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Misero is not tall, but exudes a kind of inner nobility. His face is gaunt, with a long, prominent nose, and drooping mustache. His black hair brushes his shoulders, and his dark eyes glint from beneath the wide brim of his hat, which only seems to leave his head when he wordlessly doffs it to greet a lady.

His dark clothes are worn, practical, and mostly clean. Over his shoulders is a great black cloak, and on his chest is a scuffed and well-used breastplate bearing the crest of the Iagosi infantry. His swordbelt and scabbard are meticulously maintained and well-oiled, carrying a long military-issue Mano Largo rapier and two dirks. Thrust into his sash are two unmatched wheel-lock pistols. His one concession to vanity would seem to be a long, distinctive russet scarf draped around his neck, which he uses to cover his face instead of wearing a mask in the Ladroa style.

Like most Iagosi, Misero seems to be a pious man, and wears a Holy Wheel pendant at his breast. He speaks carefully, but with the hint of an inland commoner's accent. Misero has the peculiar habit of casually referring to himself in the third person, which may simply be a regional affectation.