<div style="max-width:1100px;margin:0 auto;padding:14px 12px;"> <div style=" background: #0a0c12; border: 2px solid #7c3aed; border-radius: 18px; padding: 16px;"> <div style="text-align:center;"> <img src="Derek.png" alt="Derek portrait" style=" width:100%; max-width:520px; height:auto; border-radius: 18px; border: 2px solid rgba(124,58,237,.55); box-shadow: 0 14px 35px rgba(0,0,0,.18);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style=" background: rgba(10,12,18,.85); border: 1px solid rgba(124,58,237,.25); border-radius: 18px; padding: 14px; box-shadow: 0 12px 28px rgba(0,0,0,.25); "> <div style="font-size:14px;letter-spacing:.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:rgba(245,248,255,.70);margin-bottom:10px;"> </div> <div style="text-align:center;"> <img src="Derek-turnaround.gif" alt="Derek mini" style="width:100%;max-width:380px;height:auto;border-radius:16px;border:1px solid rgba(124,58,237,.25);box-shadow:0 10px 22px rgba(0,0,0,.35);margin:6px;"> </div> </div> Wife: [[Jess Largash]] ## **A Noble Legacy, A Restless Heart** > [!abstract] GUILD ARCHIVE • PERSONAL HISTORY Born into the prestigious **House Wulvenhaus**, Derek grew up surrounded by the weight of tradition. His family, a once-great noble lineage, had built their legacy on duty, discipline, and a deep-rooted commitment to martial excellence. For generations, the Wulvenhaus name was synonymous with elite warriors, strategists, and monster hunters, soldiers who fought not for gold, but for honour and duty. > From the moment he could hold a sword, Derek was trained to uphold the family’s proud traditions. He studied war, history, and combat, sparring daily under the watchful eyes of his tutors and elder family members. Every lesson, every expectation, was meant to shape him into the next great Wulvenhaus warrior. And yet, **Derek** never quite felt like he belonged. > It wasn’t that he lacked skill, his talent with a blade was undeniable. But unlike his kin, who took pride in their rigid codes and unwavering loyalty to noble causes, Derek felt suffocated by the **strict expectations** placed upon him. **The world beyond the estate walls called to him**,the roar of city streets, the mystery of distant lands, the thrill of adventure. He wanted something more than just duty and honour. ## **Turning Away from Tradition** > [!abstract] GUILD ARCHIVE • PERSONAL HISTORY When Derek came of age, he was expected to swear himself into military service or pledge his sword to one of Faerûn’s great rulers. Instead, he **walked away from his family’s expectations**, trading the life of a noble-born warrior for that of a **wandering sellsword.** > At first, his name alone was enough to land him work,many recognized the Wulvenhaus bloodline, and few questioned his skill. But as time passed, Derek found that **he didn’t want to rely on his family’s reputation.** He wanted to build his own name, earn his own place in the world. ## **The Guilds of Alexandria** > [!info] GUILD RECORD His travels eventually led him to the **[[City of Alexandria]]**, the grand city of adventurers and opportunity. There, he joined one of the city’s renowned mercenary guilds, where his skill with a blade quickly earned him a place among seasoned warriors. > For the first time, Derek felt a sense of freedom, a life where his sword was his own, not dictated by noble duty. He took contracts, explored the world beyond his family’s reach, and faced dangers that no instructor could have prepared him for. But despite his successes, he never truly found what he was looking for. > The thrill of adventure was fleeting, and no matter how far he travelled, a part of him still felt like an outsider. The discipline of his noble upbringing clashed with the more cutthroat and self-serving nature of mercenary work. He refused to take dishonourable contracts, and he despised those who betrayed their allies for coin. This made him a valuable asset,but also a man with **principles in a profession where many had none.** ## **Meeting Sordia Vignti** > [!info] GUILD RECORD Derek’s path eventually crossed with **Sordia Vignti**, a company of adventurers whose bonds ran deeper than mere coin. Unlike the mercenary guilds of Alexandria, this was a true brotherhood,a group that valued trust, loyalty, and something greater than just surviving the next job. > For the first time since leaving home, Derek found himself among people who didn’t see him as just another blade-for-hire. Here, he wasn’t just a Wulvenhaus warrior. He wasn’t just a sellsword. He was part of something real. > Now, Derek fights not just for adventure, but for **his newfound family**. His past may still weigh on him, and his noble roots may never fully leave him, but with Sordia Vignti at his side, he’s found something he never expected: a place where he belongs. --- ## **Falling for [[Jess Largash|Jess]] the Half-Orc** > [!info] GUILD RECORD Derek never expected to fall in love. He had spent most of his life in battle, training, or on the road, and romance was never something he actively sought. But then came **[[Jess Largash|Jess]]**,a half-orc seamstress with a sharp mind, a sharper tongue, and just enough **stress in her life to make her exasperatingly endearing.** > They met by chance in the **[[City of Alexandria]]**, when Derek needed a vest repaired after a particularly rough contract. Most tailors turned away mercenaries, especially ones who showed up with bloodstained and slashed-up gear, but [[Jess Largash|Jess]]? She just **sighed**, rolled up her sleeves, and told him to sit still. > At first, Derek thought she was just another no-nonsense craftsman trying to make a living. But as he came back for more repairs (and sometimes just to talk), he started to see the fire behind her exhaustion. [[Jess Largash|Jess]] was constantly busy, constantly working, and constantly dealing with idiots who had no appreciation for the art of good stitching. > Derek found himself enjoying the way she grumbled under her breath, the way her brow furrowed when she worked, and the way she had absolutely no patience for his mercenary charm. If he flirted, she would scoff. If he teased her, she’d throw a spool of thread at his head. > And yet, when she thought he wasn’t looking, she’d steal glances at him,small, thoughtful moments where her usual stress softened into something else. > It wasn’t a whirlwind romance. It wasn’t grand gestures or poetic confessions. It was casual conversations while she stitched up his tunic. It was late nights where he lingered in her shop longer than necessary, just to hear her talk about something other than work. It was him realizing that, for the first time, someone looked at him and saw more than just a warrior or a noble name. > [[Jess Largash|Jess]] grounded him. She wasn’t impressed by his lineage. She didn’t care about his past. To her, Derek was just a man who ruined perfectly good clothing and got himself into way too much trouble. And that was exactly what he needed. > They didn’t say they loved each other, not at first. But one night, after a particularly dangerous job, Derek returned to her shop bruised, exhausted, and barely able to keep himself upright.** [[Jess Largash|Jess]] didn’t yell at him for being reckless. She didn’t sigh and call him an idiot. > She just pulled him into a chair, muttered about how much of a pain in the ass he was, and started stitching up his wounds herself. And that was when Derek knew. --- #### After the Jump ##### **Derek and Jess – The New Family** Derek continued his tireless work aiding refugees, but his life changed most with Jess. Together they brought new life into the keep, a child whose birth drew the whole community together. The Griffon hosted a night of soft songs and toasts, and the baby quickly became the keep’s darling. The cradle, crookedly carved by goblins and sturdily finished by Yvette, rocked by Modeng’s tail, sat at the centre of the nursery corner Jess organised for new families. Jess herself became a steady anchor for daily life. She coordinated supplies, shared childcare among mothers and fathers, and reminded warriors and wanderers alike that the future they fought for had a face, a laugh, and tiny fingers clutching theirs. Derek, meanwhile, remained the dependable organiser, bridging refugees and guild alike. He worked with Graxen on resettlement and rebuilding, his drive sharpened by fatherhood. Where once he was respected, now he was beloved.