Lyolf Godfrey
| Lyolf Godfrey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IC Information | |
| Full Name: | Lyolf Godfrey |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 6'1" |
| Eyes: | Grey-Blue |
| Hair: | Thinning |
| Date of Birth | June 22 477 |
| Place of Birth: | Boulder Heights |
| Position: | Unemployed |
| Marital Status: | Married |
"If we are to survive, a new balance must be found. In normal times, evil would be fought by good. But in times like these, well, it should be fought by another kind of evil." --Aereon, "Chronicles of Riddick"
Lyolf Godfrey, at your service.
Godfrey has been a city guardsman for the Isle of Gateway for about three years now. No one is entirely sure since he had only recently been coming out of the woodwork and behaving less like a faceless figure of authority. He can be seen on patrol fairly frequently, his eyes skimming the crowds after coming out of the darker parts of the city. He is one of the only guards that brandishes a heavy battle axe, but thankfully prefers to use his words or hardened stare to dissuade problematic situations. His accent belies his origins from the Isle of Guardians, and his stalwart commitment to his work tells a tale of his experience with the infantry.
Godfrey is no-nonsense while on-duty most of the time, but that is because he has to be. Those that get to know him will learn that he is tough but fair, and capable of a hard-won smile when the amusement strikes. His fellow guardsmen know that he takes the job seriously, but his reliability is as solid as the cobblestones beneath their feet.
To the criminal element, the stories vary. They are stories that smack of exaggeration, bear heavy contradiction, lack credibility, and may be rife with slander. The only thing that can be agreed upon by all parties is that, if you must be caught, it should be by any other lawman than Godfrey himself. Former infantry and freelance warriors from Dun Artan do not succeed as city guardsmen without making good use of their martial training or highly-developed savagery. Do not look him in the eye. Do not resist arrest. Do. Not. Run.
During the earlier part of summer 505, Godfrey has been promoted to Deputy Sheriff by Bastien Arx, newly-appointed Sheriff of Gateway. The position had afforded him a more pleasant schedule and the opportunity to conduct more of the menial paper-trail tasks within the jailhouse. The only downside was, of course, his stiff back from spending less time on the streets and more time behind a desk. The increase in pay was nice, and the higher status was greatly appreciated. Most importantly, it placed a greater weight upon the efficacy of the criminals in Gateway. More power lead to more arrests while teamed with Bastien.
As of November 20th, 505, Lyolf Godfrey was promoted to Sheriff of Gateway by Empress Philomena Caprios. He will serve as the first non-noble Sheriff of Gateway, and the last to have not been elected by the citizens. It was a position that he cherished strongly, and did his best to serve in the interest of all citizens public and private. During his time as the Sheriff of Gateway, the guard would thrive. At least, if the man was in earshot, that is what good folks would say.
To hint at otherwise would be suicide. The man loved the guard at the expense of his own humanity. He practically became a symbol of the guard with no perceived attachments to speak of. If one was close to him, it was a member of the guard. Few friends existed outside of his work, and that was what he wanted everyone to believe.
On December 13, 507, Lyolf Godfrey's tenure as Sheriff was over. A decision that has yet to give criminals a reason to breathe easily. In two days' time, his betrothal to Baroness Briony Marchora of Burgundy Terrace was announced. Suspicions of coincidence are left to those with any interest in the matter. But the man's days in law enforcement appear to have come to an end.
Contents |
[edit] Of Current Investigations
"Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under thy observation in life." --Marcus Aurelius
Godfrey's investigations are no more.
[edit] Of Experience
"We must remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school." --Thucydides
Godfrey, being from Dun Artan, was bred to be a warrior. A hardy life was spent learning how to fight empty-handed as well as with martial weaponry. Most of it has garnered an appreciation with him, but as the years press on his proficiencies have been narrowed down to a smaller set of weaponry.
In the infantry, he learned how to fight with gladius, dagger, and two javelins. He is also capable of wielding a large and heavy bronze shield as part of their specialized 'steadfast training'. Those days are long gone, but muscle memory still controls his abilities to acceptable levels. If handed a gladius and forced to fight for his life, there is still a good chance he will survive. Also in the military, he learned how to take orders and behave in a manner that is becoming of a protectorate.
During his freelance days as a warrior, Godfrey worked amongst the best in his home Duchy as well as abroad. He had become reacquainted with the battle axe that his father had trained with before settling to a steady lifetime of mining. It is the weapon of choice for him, and takes advantage of his size and upper-body strength. He had also learned that people tend to shy away from the weapon, as it rarely produces anything less than a gaping wound in the body.
As a city guardsman, Godfrey had learned the critical skills of investigation and how to best handle the social dynamic of people. Law-abiding citizens are easy to deal with, but the criminal mind requires someone who is just as ruthless and uncaring to truly understand them. Since he bears no love for those that commit crime in Gateway, this has become an all-too-natural profession for him. It is said that one must use a dog to catch a dog. With Godfrey, one is using a wolf.
As a noble, Godfrey knows only the wrong end of the stick. He is now amongst those that he held a disdain for. Those with wealth for simply coming from the right nether region never sat well with him. A grudging tolerance was the best he could offer, and it looks like little has changed thus far.
[edit] Of Citizens, Nobles, and the Others
"Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric." --Bertrand Russell
- Citizens: "The nobles call them commoners, but they're all citizens. The people who don't own land? Citizens. Those that ain't of noble birth? Citizens. The people who work for a living? Citizens. The people that have no one but the city guard protecting their very livelihood? Citizens. Most importantly... the people who make up the city guard? They're citizens. Catch my drift?"
- Nobles: "For every man or woman out there, there will be other men and women that get some sort of advantage that they can't wait to remind others about. Those are nobles. They have their titles, their wealth, an' their warm beds to sleep in at night. They often hire private bodyguards to take care of `em, but you won't catch me doin' any of that. Would sooner have the city guard at my side if I needed help."
- Magi: "Don't like `em."
- Knights: "There is a very strict protocol in dealing with the Knights that myself an' the other guards have done our best to follow. In following that protocol, they have come to recognize our jurisdiction in the city of Gateway, and that courtesy is as good as it's gonna get. The Keeper has them trained from a young age to do some very unpleasant shit with no legal boundary. Unpleasant shit I'd rather not be a part of."
[edit] Of Facts and Trivia
- Godfrey can smell fear and pummel shadows into submission.
- Godfrey's favorite food is justice.
- Godfrey is judge, jury, executioner, and caterer upon special request.
- Godfrey has the heart of a violent criminal. He keeps it in a jar.
- Godfrey's first name is Lyolf. No one calls him that.
- Godfrey needs only one muscle to smile, and none to frown.
- Godfrey is the sole reason why late night patrols are called "the graveyard shift"
- Godfrey knows more than one way to skin a lion.
- Godfrey can dance while the earth is turning, and sleep while his bed is burning.
- Godfrey is the face of danger, and finds time to laugh at himself.
- Godfrey can kill two stones with one bird.
- Godfrey gives criminals a fair chance by sleeping every sixteen hours.
- Godfrey placed second in the caber toss, and won a pie-eating contest for lunch afterward.
- Godfrey is the leading cause of death amongst the unlawful.
- Godfrey patrols the streets at night, for Providence entrusts him with the darkness.
- Godfrey may not be in law enforcement, but he is always watching out for them.
