Editing Acrozatarim/Iskander (section)

=Biography=

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"IC-Quotation."


'''Origins'''
*Born into a family of common stock, in a prosperous market town in central Naseria.
*Son of a smith, from a long line of smiths, only a passable apprentice.
*Daydreamed of a more exciting life beyond the boredom and drudgery (as he saw it) of a craftsman; and the stifling social obligations of his family.
*From a young age idolised the errant knights, wandering from place to place righting wrongs and holding officials to account.
*When he was twelve, an errant Tide Knight was passing through, and she helped the magistrate's men apprehend a famous bandit who'd been ravaging the area for years. 
*Iskander managed to convince her to take him along, defying the patriarch of his family (his grandfather) in the process. He was given an ultimatum: put aside his childish notions or never come back. He chose the latter and left his family for good.


'''Training'''
*For several months he travelled with Marcella, playing sidekick and shield-carrier and having his eyes opened to the world outside his comfortable existence.
*Some initial training - stances, breathwork, novice forms, fitness drills - to see if he was really serious.
*Arrives at the Iron Bastion in the east fitter and better prepared than he would otherwise have been joining the ranks of the hopeful.
*Marcella stayed only long enough to take on fresh supplies, then hit the road again.
*Training is hard, but it's not the physical element that Iskander struggles most with; he lacks sorcerous blood or any magic of his own at all. The instructors are used to turning latent sorcery into an elemental connection, not opening the mind to find it via other means.
*The pressure in training racheted up, with the aim of forcing him to quit, but he refused. When he was badly beaten in sparring, he saw the ghost of a long-dead elemental master, who promised to train him.
*Through meditation and exercises unknown in Naseria (some not practised anywhere for centuries), he found his elemental connection. 
*The instructors were wary of him seemingly spontaneously developing a new approach, using a method rarely seen in Naseria. He was allowed to continue his training, but was scrutinised.
*Acquitted himself well in border skirmishes in the mountains, and had a brief involvement in the Fang War (though did little more than march).
*At the time near to graduation that other students from common families were seeking patronage and adoption from noble sponsors, he avoided attachments.


(Autonomy)