DavidDong

Gwydion was born in a mining town belonging to the Holy Orenian Empire, predominantly inhabited by working-class Highlanders and governed by petty Noble Heartlanders. In the town, the men largely either worked in the mines or joined the military. His father was an experienced miner and was incharge of a handful of tunnels and teams, whilst his mother was of similar low birth. Growing up in such a town, he had to mature fast as despite his father's role, his father still didn't earn much money and, due to his profession, would not be at the job for long before he would have to retire due to the health defects such a job inflicts. As a child, Gwydion would help the workers outside the mine, primarily guiding along the donkeys that pulled carts and other menial tasks. However, he never had an interest in the job, and rather saw the soldiers in his town and desired their relative freedom and ability to go into the world during wars. Ofcourse, he did not recognise the probability of death most of them faced, but as a child this was irrelevant. His father, however, saw things differently and believed Gwydion had a responsibility to stay in town and help provide for him and his mother when they become old and he retires. Due to this, he was practically trapped in his job, and therefor the town, for most of his teenage years. Through his youth, he formed some friends, mostly other sons of miners, and he also lived out his dream of fighting in the army vicariously through their play-fights. His best friend, Ieuan, was the son of a soldier who no-longer lived in town, and this trouble-starting friend would be his long-term source of both fun and trouble with the law. However, despite this, he remained working in the mines, always promising one day to leave town with Ieuan and seek a better life else-where. In a sick twist of luck for him, his mother contracted one of the many diseases that would pass through town, which caused her death. His father, who already had weak lungs from the mines and now grieving the loss of his wife, contracted the disease a few days later and, as though he had given up, died quickly after. An obviously traumatic experience for Gwydion, him and Ieuan got drunk at a tavern, spending almost all their mina on drink and women and, once drunk enough, got in a fight with a gang in the town. Despite being out-numbered, they both managed to hold their own enough to avoid being beaten beyond repair, however when one of the gang members drew his sword, they both fled. The next morning, after hiding in a barn outside the town, they both decided to go to a nearby smaller town, below the mountains and in a fertile valley. Here, they were employed as farm-hands. Ieuan, after some months, grew tired of his lot and decided to join the army. Although Gwydion always wished to join, he felt as though it was too late to make yet another change in career and decided to stay. This would quickly end up being one of his regrets, however, and a few months later left to Providence, where Ieuan told Gwydion his troop was moving to. Now, he plans on starting the next chapter of his life.