Grov

Lord Gregory Octavius Dawnstrider Mirathil, better known as Grov, is a male high elf and the current head of House Dawnstrider.

He is the master of the House of the Eternal Dawn, a luxurious noble estate and pleasure venue on the eastern coast of Tanea, and founder and leader of the Dawnstrider Order.

Grov is an aristocrat, warrior and businessman with very particular ideas about loyalty, etiquette and consent. He is known equally for his flamboyant appearance, considerable wealth, strict rules and the often excessive consequences faced by those who break them.

Appearance

Grov is tall and athletic, with a physique he is well aware suits him.

He has steel grey eyes and long platinum-blond hair, usually worn loose or partly tied back with a braid. His face shows a small amount of stubble around the chin, something considered unusual among traditional pureblood high elves.

Rather than hide it, Grov has come to deliberately embrace the feature. He is considered somewhat rugged handsome by elven standards and appears to enjoy the fact that his appearance can irritate more conservative members of his social class.

Attire

Grov is exceptionally vain and places considerable importance on his appearance.

He favours tailored clothing, immaculate grooming and the cobalt blue associated with House Dawnstrider. His shirts are frequently worn partly open, allowing him to show considerably more of his chest than traditional elven nobility might consider appropriate.

At formal events he dresses accordingly, favouring elaborate noble attire and masks suitable for grand occasions such as the Starfall Masquerade.

When travelling with the Dawnstrider Order, Grov instead wears studded leather armour with a single shoulder plate bearing the emblem of House Dawnstrider in gold.

He carries an unusually large two-handed sword. His long-time associate Thrisha regularly claims the weapon is compensating for something. Grov does not find this nearly as amusing as she does.

Personality

Grov is authoritative, proud and accustomed to being obeyed.

As head of House Dawnstrider, he expects loyalty and obedience from those working under him and has little tolerance for deliberate rule-breaking within his household.

He is considerably less concerned with rules imposed by other people.

Grov is confident, social and openly vain. He enjoys attention, takes pride in both his appearance and his status, and rarely attempts to make himself less noticeable for the comfort of others.

Despite his arrogance, he possesses a strong personal moral code. He reacts quickly when he believes someone is being exploited or deprived of control over their own choices and can become extremely protective of people he considers under his care.

Grov's Law

Consent is the most sacred of Grov's rules.

Within the House of the Eternal Dawn and other establishments operating under Dawnstrider protection, a person's boundaries are expected to be respected regardless of wealth, rank or social standing.

Grov's punishments for violating those boundaries are notorious for being wildly disproportionate.

An unwanted touch may cost someone a hand. An inappropriate remark may cost considerably more than their dignity.

Because of this, staff at the House of the Eternal Dawn are usually quick to de-escalate problems themselves before the Master of the House becomes personally involved.

Grov considers this system entirely reasonable.

Most of his staff know better.

Weaknesses

Grov's greatest weakness is often the same thing that drives his strongest virtues: his certainty that he knows what is right.

Once he decides that someone has committed an injustice, he can react with little consideration for proportionality or the consequences of his response.

His protectiveness can become possessive, his confidence can become arrogance, and his expectation of obedience can make compromise difficult.

His considerable vanity also makes him particularly vulnerable to teasing from the small number of people willing to challenge him openly.

Thrisha takes full advantage of this.

Virtues

For all his excesses, Grov is fiercely loyal to those he considers his own.

He values personal agency, protects those working under House Dawnstrider and is willing to act when he believes others are being exploited or ignored.

He also places considerable importance on discretion.

The private lives and preferences of guests visiting Dawnstrider establishments are not treated as sources of gossip or political leverage. Grov considers consensual pleasure a private matter and sees no contradiction between his position as a noble lord and his family's extensive involvement in the adult entertainment industry.

Those who respect the rules of his House can generally expect Grov to respect their privacy in return.

Abilities

Swordsmanship

Grov is an experienced fighter who favours his large two-handed sword.

His fighting style suits his personality: direct, forceful and considerably more interested in ending a confrontation than demonstrating restraint.

Leadership

As head of House Dawnstrider and leader of the Dawnstrider Order, Grov is accustomed to commanding both household staff and armed operatives.

He is decisive and confident, although those working closely with him occasionally find themselves preventing his decisiveness from becoming recklessness.

Social Influence

Grov has spent most of his life within elven high society and is comfortable dealing with nobles, wealthy merchants and other influential figures.

He understands etiquette, status and social performance extremely well, even while deliberately ignoring parts of them whenever doing so amuses him.

His position as both noble lord and proprietor of a large network of pleasure establishments also places House Dawnstrider at the centre of an unusual amount of social contact across the Xaverion Islands.