Aerulius Baycroft
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 Items: 2 |
 Boons: 1
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Character
Description
Aerulius Baycroft is a Triton of smaller statue that is usually found throughout Cerul, with striking skin that shifts with the light like the ocean between blue, green and silver, and a short mop of hair mottled with purple and burgundy.
Dour faced with sorrowful eyes, Aerulius has all the practiced airs of nobility, but is clearly guarded (some might even say uncomfortable) surrounded by more esteemed company, particulary in larger social gatherings. He favours white, ivory and blue in his outfits, almost always punctuated with a jeweled silver brooch adorning his cravat.
He is typically accompanied by his ranger's companion, a young harp seal named Percy.
Storylines
Background
The Honourable Aerulius Baycroft is the younger son of the widowed Viscount Marius Baycroft and younger brother of the much loved 'Trident of the North', Peronicles Baycroft. Peronicles was a hot favourite to do well this matching season had it not been for his untimely and tragic death following the same horrid and crippling illness that claimed the life of their mother, Aestaria.
Aestaria died when the boys were quite young, a circumstance their father did not handle well. Already somewhat morally vapid, Marius gambled much of the family's fortune away, selling much of the Baycroft lands to feed his grief and vices. When the money ran dry after a decade or so, Marius became a recluse and turned his attention to his sons, living vicariously through the talent and promise of Peronicles, and directing his ire, grief and loathing toward Aerulius.
The brothers had by this time become each other's rock, and although Peronicles did what he could to shield his younger brother from their father's spite, it was clear to both that Aerulius would only benefit when the opportunity to tour Arma and Eldron arose; a diplomatic outreach commonly undertaken by second and thirdbord Cerulites.
It was during this period of absence that Peronicles was afflicted with the same illness that took their mother, and Aerulius was called home.
Somewhat strangely, the last son of the Baycroft family only spent enough time to pay respects to his brother before heading out to the outskirts of what remained of the Baycroft holdings, into the deepest trenches of the watery domain, where he spent the two years leading up to the matching season honing his skills as a ranger, becoming almost as reclusive as his father. It is assumed by most of course that this is a perfectly understandble response to the loss of his brother, however there are certainly rumours of.. other explanations.
Although having shown little interest (or prospective merit) regarding the matching season in the past, Aerulius has entered to fulfil his duty to his family (the many misfortunes of which are the subject of much common gossip), to House Tempest, with which he is to reside courtesy of the influence of his cousin and mentor Kiris, and to Cerul.
Castleton Part 1
We are introduced to Aerulius (and his harp seal companion Percy) as an adjunct of House Tempest, preparing for the opening ball at the Tempest Estate with the former Countess Merauda Tempest, her daughter Mina, Aeurulis' cousin and mentor Kiris, and the newly titled Count Nubarron Tempest.
At the opening ball, Aerulius is greeted by Lyre and Artimendius Larke, who claim to have been told all about Aerulius by a friend of theirs; Hexia Mablegrace. At the mention of this name, Aerulius becomes visibly uncomfortable, immediately downing a drink held by Arty (which Inara Eris Von March quietly reveals to Silas Mercer she spiked). The nature of the relationship between Aerulius and Hexia is unable to be explored courtesy of the floor exploding into a dragonchess board, placing Aerulius on a pillar with Inara, Lyre, Arty, Silas, and Tier Armadeum.
Under the influence of pixie dust under these stressful circumstances, Aerulius saw Tier and Arty as allies, but Inara, Silas and Lyre as enemies. Drawing his ceremonial trident, he brandished it defensively at his imagined foes. Unable to prevent the brother Lyre from falling from the platform following the casting of necrotic shroud by Tier, Aerulius' reacted to Lyre Larke's subsequent challenge to the demigods by casting gust of wind at those he saw as aggressors, thankfully with no great effect.
Meanwhile, as Aerulius' cousin Kiris fell to his tragic death, the cleric of Sun & Skies bestowed a powerful gift upon the last of the Baycroft line.
Following the ball, Aerulius returned to the Tempest estate to find a letter written by Kiris on his behalf to Naeric Mace, championing Aerulius as a suitable match for any one of his daughters. Hidden by Percy though was another letter, one from Hexia Mablegrace of Eldron. Heavily rewritten, it expressed surprise at his appearance in the demigod city, and requested that they meet "one last time". Percy expressed bitterness that Hexia "left" them; a point vehemently argued against by Baycroft. Percy begrudgingly concedes to Aerulius meeting with the seal's "mother".
This meeting would take place in the gardens during date week, while Aerulius chaperoned Mina Tempest in Kiris' absence. Interrupting a somewhat awkward series of interactions involving the Princes Benjamin Armadeum and Elyan Torrent, Mina Tempest and Soar Claymore, the latter of who accurately intuits Aerulius to be the secret spouse noted in the Claymore's background dossier on Hexia, before Baycroft and Mablegrace step away from the group for a private conversation. The pair discussed the events of the ball, their relief that each other are unharmed, and Hexia tells Aerulius that her mother has passed since they were last together. The pair agree to look out for each other over the course of the matching season and reiterate that they hold no ill will toward each other. It is during this conversation that Hexia realises that Aerulius is 100% still truly, madly and deeply in love with her.
Aerulius agrees to help Hexia with the matter of a letter she reveived from Eviarix Rivulet; a mystery considering her apparent death during the opening ball. On this agreement (and perhaps in recognition of the feelings between the two), a two stemmed crystal rose grows beside them. "The garden always knows." Aerulius picks the crystal flower as Hexia exits the garden.
Later in the week Aerulius and Hexia attend a "platonic" date at 'Courting & Crafts'. Hexia tells Aerulius that her father had one rule for the matching season: "Don't run away with someone from Cerul and get married". The two reconnect, awkwardly at first, but are quickly asking the important questions. She describes a letter written in response to one she sent. Aerulius received no letter from Hexia.. and certainly didn't send one in reply.
Hexia asks why, when Peronicles died and Aerulius returned home, why he didn't ask her to go with him, to rely on her for support. Aerulius from this reads Hexia's pain; a pain that one can only feel if you are still totally, irrevocably in love.
He tells her that he was afraid - of losing what he was leaving, of his father's response if he stayed, of what he go home to, and of the idea of bringing Hexia into a life that had known only loss, and grief, and pain. He apologises for what he recognises as the wrong decision and in recognition of their shared desire to rekindle what they once had, asks if Hexia would be willing to declare. Hexia agrees, and Jetta Cruz, the Demigoddess of Contracts appears before them to formalise the declaration. After signing the declaration, Aerulius strikes a second deal with the demigoddess - that if the worst is to befall Hexia during the Matching Season, that he be taken instead.
After this deal is done, a scared Percy declares to Aerulius that this was no demigoddess; but an actual god.
Following the ill-fated duel between Nubarron and Gilgamesh the next day, Aerulius agrees to help smuggle Mina and Merauda out of the city. He witnesses the tender goodbye between Mina and Elyan Torrent, gaining a new begrudging respect for the prince, and as snow begins to fall, is offered a place in the estate of House Torrent by Otter.
At the next night's Snow Day Masquerade, Aerulius spends some fleeting moments with Hexia before her father appears to drag her to the Eldron Party. At the end of the night he feels a sharp stab in his chest, and fears that the terms of his deal with the God of Trade have come to pass too soon; something terrible has happened to Hexia, and he finds himself ready to die knowing that he will bear the cost rather than her… until the non-violence decree is passed, saving the both of them.
Castleton Part 2
Immediately after the non-violence decree [redacted]. At the Cloud Ball, [redacted].
In the first of the trials, Hexia and Aerulius are paired against Eviarix and Luciano, with the non-violence decree still in effect.
Before rising into the arena, Aerulius shares a kiss with his love, and the two reiterate that they will not be the ones to break the decree. Performing a series of tasks testing their survival skills and ability to represent their relationship, the two fall short of taking the trial leaderboard; but score well in the popularity vote with the crowd.
Credits
Pr0mythean (he/him) plays the lovesick triton ranger Aerulius Baycroft, custodian of everyone's favourite pinniped, Percy the seal.
Pr0 is a prolifically casual player of games on the internet, and some of those games involve rolling dice. He's a producer and DM at thelorewrights, a player and co-thirstmaster at HexesAndVexes, and plays the monster hunter Delgrim Harrowfell in the MeeplesAndDragons 'Radiant Shadows' campaign.
