[Character Sheet] Henry Penton

[CharmingCavalier 1723]

 

Sir Henry Penton, age 31

Painted in 1817 in honor of his knighthood for Oren Aut Mortem

 

Thank you ZeeZac for the art work!

 

Friendly Reminder: Please do NOT Meta-Game ANY of the Contents of this Post.

THE BASICS

 

Pen Name: Henry Penton

Birth Name: Henry Norten
Gender: Male
Race: Human (Heartlander)
Nationality: Orenian

Residence: Penton Place, Providence, Holy Orenian Empire
Profession: Varies

 

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145 lbs
Hair: Reddish brown
Eyes: Brown
Skintone: Pale

PERSONALITY

 

Strengths

 

Devoted

Henry is a man of dedication to what he believes in. There is not a night when he is not burning the midnight oil to manage ledgers, write a new poem, or ponder life's questions. He is not of the mindset that something can wait for tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come. His success from his books was built in a concise amount of time, and he owes that to his unrelenting pursuit of success and dedication to his craft.

 

Generous & Kind

Growing up with little to his name, Henry is generous to his fellow commoners. He is often seen hosting guests from the streets, of all social classes, in Penton Place. He believes everyone deserves a fair shake from life, especially children.

 

Open-Minded

He is a firm believer that no one should judge another person. He finds himself receptive to many lifestyles and perspectives, except those seeking to deprive others of their rights and liberties. Henry is tolerant of all people and mingles with a comprehensive arrangement of different characters. He finds it essential that everyone should express themselves as he does through the color of his clothes, which he changes incessantly.

 

Humble

Henry does not use his knighthood and prefers to be addressed as a commoner, using the simple title of Mister. He believes titles mean very little. Instead, it is the quality of the person who bears them that lends itself to the success of their work. Although he is pleased with his financial and literary success, he never brags about this fact and would not bring it up unless prompted to. He prefers to let others have their moments of marvelous glory while he sits in the background and applauses.

 

 

Weaknesses

 

Sensitive

Along with the variety of bright colors that Henry sports daily, he also wears his heart on his sleeve. Although he may not show it outwardly, instead using his emotions to fuel his writing, he does not take kindly to insults or jokes at his expense. Despite this fueling his literary works, it often puts a physical strain on Henry as he has very few people in his life to conversate about such personal matters.

 

Insomnia & Alcoholism

Henry believes his lack of sleep fuels his creative work, but at the same time, it harms his physical state. He can often be found at his desk for days, avoiding sleep in pursuit of his work. Similarly, Henry's father was an alcoholic who drank himself into an early grave. Until the age of thirty, Henry abstained from all alcoholic drinks. However, following several personal blows, he took to the bottle and fell into his father's habit. While a functional alcoholic, always trying to hide it from public view, it is only a matter of time till the physical tolls pile up from his lifestyle.

 

Spitefulness

Mister Penton is not one to forget a slight. You would never know of this fact, but a man of books does not just write words - he writes names. Although completely abhorred by the idea of violence, Henry does not work with those he cannot trust. Rather it be a personal trust or a trust that the individual will uphold a high moral code, he does not pursue any relationship with a person until he knows the finer details of their life.

 

 

Likes

✶ Literature

✶ Music

✶ Art in general

✶ Intellectual discussions

✶ Accounting

✶ Liquorice

✶ Dancing

✶ Sad endings

✶ Etiquette

 

Dislikes

Arguments ✶

Informality ✶

 Loss ✶

HISTORY

Spoiler

Born in 1786 to two ordinary farmers, Henry grew up on the outskirts of the Holy Orenian Empire. His early life is mainly shrouded in mystery, but we know a romance in his teenage years ended in pain and suffering on his part. Following this, he wandered for several years and took to enjoying nights in the wilderness while writing.

 

He made his appearance in Providence in late 1811, exploding onto the literary scene with his first book Natural Wealth. This series of poems caught the attention of Dame Yuliya Styrne (Eventually becoming Dame Yuliya Styrne-Napier). Her support and encouragement fostered the founding of Penton Napier Publishing (PNP), a major publishing company in Providence that was the premier printer of all colorized and illustrated books in Almaris. It was opened with the Dame's soon-to-be husband and friend, Edward Napier. 

 

By 1812 PNP had grown attention from notable heights, and Penton published his second work, The Mortal Chime, a daunting and otherwordly piece of literature. He viewed the piece as a flop due to its mediocre reception by the populace. Henceforth, he regarded poetry as the more preferably medium to present for easy consumption by the masses. Henry also joined the Ministry of Justice and was elevated to the position of state attorney after a few months of service.

 

In the same year, Henry published The Little Boy in the Mountain to satiate demand for children's picture books. This lovely colorized book, however, once again met with limited initial success and only became popular years after its first printing. However, this perceived failure was made even more profound by the passing of Henry's mentor, Dame Yuliya (also known as Bianca La Fleur). Henry's attitude darkened, and it was said by Providence high society that he was seen wearing black for the first time.

 

By 1813 Henry saw an end to the Sedanite Rebellion and was inspired by the outpouring of national support. In only a few days, he composed the lyrics to Oren Aut Mortem. This patriotic poem initially turned into a drinking song but inspired Henry to work on a formal orchestral composition for His Imperial Majesty.

 

1814 was a very uneventful year for Henry, but he did publish a spectacularly well-received version of the Nenzing Proclamation. It propelled PNP's financing of various other projects for the foreseeable future while also teaching his fellow man the importance of their rights.

 

In 1815 Henry's life underwent some changes. Near the beginning of the year, Henry resigned in protest following the brutal extrajudicial murder of a Sedan rebel. His furious attitude did not show through his composure but flowed through his pen. In his pamphlet, Condemnations of an Immoral Execution and Heinous Torture in Providence, Henry tore into the unjust and immoral killing of a man by nailing a wig into his skull. At the time, Henry believed this piece would end his political career and make him a detested figure. He was incorrect.

 

In 1815 Emperor John VIII was coronated, and Henry was enlisted by the Governess of the Augustine Palace to provide official colorized pamphlets. His success earned him the title of Imperial Record Keeper, but his work in this position was limited by little direction from his superiors.

 

Through his connections serving as the bookkeeper of the Draskompany, Baron Draskovic appointed Mister Penton as the Providence City Treasurer. His aptitude for numbers, ledgers, and bookkeeping became apparent.

 

Come 1817, Henry Penton completed his most celebrated work to date, the orchestral rendition of Oren Aut Mortem (An Anthem for Oren). At Imperial court, Henry presented the orchestral rendition of his piece, accompanied by renowned elven trumpeter Lucretia. In a show of gratitude, the Emperor knighted Henry into the Imperial Petrine Order for his musical and literary works. He was 31.

 

The following year saw three more works published by Mister Penton. First was the publication of Snow's True Maiden, a poem that stemmed from Henry's new fascination with the changing of the seasons. Additionally, he took on a motto that lived with him for the rest of his life: "Si Brevitas Anima Acuminis Sit" (Brevity is the Soul of Wit). It is the words on the Penton Coat of Arms.

 

In under four months, Henry then wrote and published The Poor Side of Baker Street in honor of his friend, Jimmy LeBlanc, who ran a paper company that supplied Penton Napier Publishing. The main character in the book was cheekily renamed after Mr. LeBlance. Although one of his most extended pieces to that date, it received favorable reviews but little attention from high society, his targeted audience.

 

Henry's significant success in 1818 was the performance of his second song: She Has Left Me, My Golden Rose. Written for the ending social season of 1817, Henry wished for a love like the one described in his song. By this point in his career, Henry had begun to drink almost daily and at a relatively high rate. Despite this, his work remained revered, and he was made Imperial Court Minstrel.

 

Henry's meteoric rise continued when in early 1819, he was nominated to fill the role of Treasury Secretary. Before that, however, Henry took on two apprentices. A young John d'Arkent who wanted to pursue musical endeavors and an older Anthony Bentarus, an anxious teenager who Henry saw great potential in after receiving reviews of his acting in an upcoming production of Dame Styrne's Lorin and Sigismund. Anthony subsequently stayed in Penton Place at Little Ves 6, which Henry often felt was underutilized. As a result, he opened his doors to many people from all walks of life.

 

In late 1819 Henry was confirmed by the House of Commons after receiving pushback from Valent de Rosius for being overlooked for the position. Nonetheless, Henry excelled at redesigning the Imperial Ledgers and kept a close watch on every mina flowing to and from the coffers. Throughout 1820 his works were directed in the Treasury. What little he wrote were notes and scraps, discarded for their worthlessness. However, he did engrave, colorize, and print The Imperial Calendar for the masses to comprehend the Imperial year and calendar system better.

ARTWORK

Spoiler

Henry Penton's Partially Completed Coat of Arms

CREDIT TO TJB