[FireDog]

Avery Witmer Martillo

"Someday, you shall take the mantle that represents everything the Mesalian people can accomplish. Our roots are born of humble slavery, never forget that. For it has forged what will soon be your empire. Rise to be greater, my son. A symbol of power that both ascends his allies, and rightly ends his foes."

-Keith Lawliet Martillo

Age: 20
Gender:  Cisgender Male (He/Him)
Race: Mesalian
Birthday: Winter (May. 2025)

Appearance:

Spoiler

Avery is a growing lad. His height and build are starting to take off now. He's a 16 year old teenager who is experiencing the bodily changes expected of that time. This will be the time he shapes up to how he'll look as an adult.  Avery stands roughly about 5’11” (180 cm) in height. His training with Zark has made given him some muscle and defined form. Additionally, Avery has been helping the sailors with some labor and basic ships things. This has given him some much needed muscle. Avery has taken his self defense training more seriously, his shoulders have broadened and his build is less bookish. He's not a cut warrior, but he's in shape and healthy.

Avery has sharp facial features. He has the cold, piercing eyes of his father and grandfather. Their narrow shape giving a “Fox-like” look to him. His chin and jawline follow a similar well cut definition to them which should shape into a reasonably handsome face when he grows older. His face matches his clean appearance but can look cold or uncaring when his face is naturally resting.

The Martillo son has light hazel eyes and sandy-brown hair. He prefers to keep it lightly styled so there is some volume to it, although hates going overboard. Recently, Avery has dyed his hair a deep red.

Avery sports clothes typical of Provencian wear. He currently has a white button-up dress shirt, slacks, and dressy shoes. The clothes are clearly of high quality and professional tailor. Anyone with a sharp eye will note the value of the craftsmanship and wealth behind it. As of now they are a bit tattered. 

Avery has loosened up his Provencian wear. He now sports a long dark green cloak over his body that conceals his clothing and allows him to hide a few things on his person. The cloak can double as a hood for when he needs to conceal his face. Avery removed his neck tie to loosen up his collar and further distance obvious Provencian styles. 

His voice is calm and quiet. It is starting to break and grow deeper as time goes on. He keeps a simple approach towards strangers and is surprisingly well behaved. Avery has fair skin. There is now a slight tan on is body as the Unnamed Settlement is very bright and forces Avery to spend more time outdoors than before. 

Personality:

Nightveil Arc

Spoiler

A Martillo child doesn’t always get to be a child. Especially so if you’re the eldest son of a crime organization’s Godfather. There’s simply too much to learn. Too much for you to take on the mantle. Because of this, Avery grew into a weird state of his life. The strict teachings, rigorous work and schooling, and levity of his future would all come to dawn on someone of this age. Most children wouldn’t be able to comprehend this, but Keith made sure his son had. Avery has thus become a quiet and studious child. He learns as much as he can as it feels as if he was born for greatness.

Avery grew up in a place of privilege and honor. His family has wealth, power, and carries a ruthless tone with them. Avery is ultimately the product of such. He carries a haughty tone that radiates superiority. His respect is not for those of great combat prowess, as he sees these skills as trivial compared to words. Instead, Avery puts value in wealth and intelligence. This isn’t to say Avery will openly disrespect others. -- Avery hates swords, fighting, gore and blood. Nothing that's come from a weapon has had Avery appreciate violence or fighting.

The boy has a weird obsession with fashion and appearance. He loves to look good and it shows in how it carries himself. It can be humorous to see this 11-year-old talk fashion so diligently. He’s almost packed it as a hobby, however. Avery attempts to give an almost gentleman-like persona about his day to day.

As always with children, they aren’t exactly perfect. Avery can be snotty and bratty as his rich background might suggest. He will gossip of others and rudely demean them without thought to repercussion. Most importantly, he’s a Martillo. Being raised under that name makes him try to emulate the best and worst of his father. Avery currently feels Xitians and Lucins to be natural threats to the Mesalian race. He has been taught warped views of society. That the poor exist for the rich like him to use and manipulate. The world presents opportunity and he should take it no matter the cost. Avery is selfish and demanding of others. Greed, manipulation and lies run in the Martillo family. --- Recently, this sort of behavior has been phased out. It has developed thanks to the people around him, and Avery has become humbler.
Finally, the insecurities and immaturity of childhood as still present. Avery can be impatient, annoying at times, all the little bits that make kids be kids. Insecurity is present in younger folk as well and it shows in Avery. He had big shoes to fill and he's not entirely sure if he can even attempt to try and fill them. His father always assured he can. His family always assured. But that doesn't stop it from being overwhelming. It doesn't help that the training has made Avery more awkward around people than he'd like to be. His actual behavior is quite stunted thanks to the upbringing.

Avery has had some changes and developments recently. His interactions with Zark, Zaira, Kane, and other townsfolk have shifted his attitudes. Avery has had his bratty, pompous moments, but they've been quickly shut down by the adults around him. Instead, he's become far more timid as result of feeling both intimidated by the people around him and isolated by the society he currently lives in. He doesn't feel at home here, but he knows going back to his old home wouldn't feel the same either, not with the conversations he's had.

Avery has developed a very quiet and restrained persona. He's scared of the future and what's to come. He also has found himself getting easily attached to certain townsfolk, such as Elizabeth and Candy. This attachment comes from those he sees as close to parental or family figures. For various reasons, those two stuck a cord with him.
He also has grown into a bad habit of blaming himself (even if outside his control) and seems to suspect that bad things will happen because he is Martillo. Although these thoughts don't consume him, they sometimes pop in.

New Content

Avery is growing up and becoming his own man. This means a lot in the context of who raised him when they had. He's taken on the traits, for better of worse, of all those who have acted as a parental figure. There's a certain uncaring bluntness and efficiency that he's taken from Candy. Zarkaylia taught him a sense of honor and strength, to understand a warrior's spirit. An unwavering morality from his kind-hearted mother. Last but not least is his father's family. Avery has Martillo blood, what some would consider "true Provencian" since they were among the first. It's the blood that fired up former slaves to take back their freedom and create something new. With it is stubborn tenacity, ruthless cunning, and a desire to fight. 

Avery will certainly blunder trying to become what he desires or enforce his will, but that won't stop him. He's realizing that to be a Martillo means rising above your struggles and fighting again.  

His bratty behavior of his younger self was replaced by a humble but also timid disposition.

He's growing out of his fearful child self. We will see where it takes him. 

Skills:

Spoiler

Persuasion and Leadership/Politics – Apprentice

Avery is the son of Keith. Keith is the Godfather of the Martillo family. Any son who doesn’t know how to work with people and the politics of the world isn’t worth taking his father’s role.
Zark has picked up the role in teaching Avery now. Her teachings have been well-rounded and have developed Avery's skills quite a bit. He is a quick learner and absorbs the knowledge she teaches.

Avery has been learning for 6 years now under very competent and skilled leaders. While he lacks experience, the young teen knows how government systems and leadership roles work in society. He is developing experience and taking initiative to do what he thinks is right for a leader.

His experience is developing even without his knowledge. Avery is more actively helping people with their problems, working toward solutions on social conflicts, and acting on planes to troublesome problems. This real life experiences are giving Avery the practical knowledge toward being a diplomat and leader.

Economics - Apprentice
A part of leadership training is to understand economics and currency systems. Avery would've learned basic money handling from his father. Avery has been developing his understanding of money and trade relations as part of his teachings. He has recently been thrust into the position of Trade Master by Ezri and is scrambling to learn what he can and apply it. 

His role as Trade Master of the Settlement has allowed Avery to develop a sense of business in the real world. 

Knife Fighting – Novice
Keith’s closest friend in the Family is Ace, the assassin. As favor, Ace began teaching Avery how to fight with daggers and knives. Avery is too young to have any real experience with this skill. Training this with Zark now. She teaches him basic self-defense.

He's taken to using a few extra tricks such as using dye vials and a cloak to enhance his defense and give him an edge on more capable fighters. 

Fashion/Tailoring - Novice
Avery has finally picked this up as a real learning experience. He's slow to start, as he is teaching himself from books. Although help and encouragement from others has been helping him gain confidence. As of now, he wants this to be a hobby of sorts. A way to relax himself.

Knowledge:

Spoiler

Reading/Writing – Advanced
Avery had a good education back home and he reads often. He's well read and even writes some ideas for stories or puzzles.

Mathematics
Commerce and trade is important for his work. Avery has a grown an understanding of maths and economics which is important to handle the trade duties he has.

Sailing
Ezri has taught him sailing things and he spends time with the crews. 

Backstory:

Spoiler

Most who grow in Provencia do not experience the luxury Avery has had. A comfortable life with wealth to support him and power to keep him safe. Allies and friends who will give their lives for him. Avery sat on the top of the power. He was born the eldest son to Keith Martillo after all. Destiny reigned Avery to become the 4th Godfather of the Martillo family. And this greatness was something to be known. His parents raised him diligently and intelligently. Great care into grooming the child for success was to be taken. Keith and Eleanor, Avery's parents, had plenty of help as well. Avery's aunt and uncle would help raise him, but the most notable was the Martillo Assassin simply known as "Ace". An expert marksman and close friend of Keith, Ace would take privilege and honor in teaching Avery how to handle knives properly. This way, Avery's father could focus on teaching him the prospect of running the family in the future.

Avery obviously didn't start from day one. It takes time for a child to gain any maturity. That doesn't mean he didn't start awfully early. Perhaps it would stunt his childhood some. The values of the family and its practices were not appropriate for a child. But the way Keith saw it, childhood was wasting time. Avery would also learn maths and reading/writing from his mother. Being groomed for the family left Averys with little time to actually be a child. He had friends and people who respected him, but his social life was mostly contained into parties and gatherings. His social interactions were trying to be as well behaved as possible as to not disrespect his name. It quickly grew into what he knows today. For better or worse. The boy was also taught the mishaps of his family. Thomas Rartho, his rebellion, the Xitians and Lucins. And why they must be crushed. A child surrounded by the ideas of hating those who opposed his family and loyalties.

Avery, now 11, was dangerously reaching his teenage years. It wouldn't be long before his teachings would take full throttle. His father thought to send Avery along a ship with some sailors and family members. They were to make a trade exchange to smuggle goods with pirates and Keith thought it to be a good idea to let his son see the nastier folk for what they were. Who he had to keep down even when working with. Of course, the son would have protection. Betrayal is always something the Martillo's prepare for. What wasn't anticipated was the means. Somehow, someway, this band of pirates had gotten hold of the explosives made in Provencia. One could only presume they began working with the Rartho Rebels. Unprepared for such an assault, the blinding bombs caught the Martillo ship off guard. In the chaos in confusion the pirates took only one goal. Avery. The captive child would be worth quite something. In a fell swoop the destined child was ripped from his family.

The Martillo family would hunt these pirates down for sure. Anything to get the kid back. The pirates expected a chase but not to the lengths Keith had gone. The pirates sailed away for some time in attempt to escape their hunters. Down further to the forbidden lands. Worst part is the deal they had made prevented them from just killing the kid. In their haste, the pirates had to make some sort of choice between everything. If they still had the kid then they'd be hunted for ages. The pirates were starting to wonder if the money off ransoming him off was even worth keeping the brat around. Avery was sure to be a nuisance regardless of what the pirates did. Instead they opted to just dump him off. Right along the docks of Nightveil. As courtesy, and perhaps cruel irony, they let the kid keep his Martillo family dagger. Basically, telling him to fend for himself and hope his family had no enemies in town.

He'd end up in Nightveil alive but with his family looking elsewhere for the child.

Avery’s story continues at Nightveil. At first, he tried to hide his identify, but the guards quickly snuffed the kid out. He was put in a situation that troublesome for himself, and others, as Zarkaylia was the leader of the town. Avery took to living with Elizabeth, and had several growing pains adjusting to his new lifestyle. He’d be frustrated, confused, and hurt. Eventually, him and Zarkaylia were able to smooth some ideals over and come to some sort of understanding.

His frustration only grows as Avery has dealt with Elizabeth’s disappearance and a feeling of loss of identity. Now, he lives with Candy.

Another kidnapping plagued Avery not long after. Two mercenaries wandered into town, Marcus and Kip, after hearing about Avery. The two spent some time staking out town, trying to keep low and avoid too much trouble.  And once they got a hold of Avery's daily pattern, they went to nab him. He was grabbed early morning, before his morning less with Zark. Avery fought as best he could with the Martillo dagger, but it wouldn't be enough to fend off the experienced mercenaries. He was taken away. Luckily, Zarkaylia noticed something wrong with Avery's absence and called the others in town. Candy, Roe, Bishop, Daryel and Zarkaylia all went on search for the boy. Candy was first to track down the trail, but she walked right into a trap. A scuffle broke out between her and the Mercs. Roe would be shortly after, and Candy had to stall long enough for the rest of the crew to arrive. Upon Marcus calling out to his partner to kill Candy, Avery was overwhelmed and did the only thing he felt like he could. To shove Kip off a cliff-face with himself. They both tumbled over, Avery being knocked out and hurt, but not dead. Kip fell headfirst and snapped neck against the stone. By this time, the others had arrived and assisted Candy in defeating Marcus. They successfully rescued Avery. Something he'll never forget. 

The Black Roses were another antagonistic force to come into Nightveil a couple years down the line. Their motives were more shrouded than Marcus and Kip, but it was clear they were well organized and were acting to harm Avery. The situation grew increasingly complicated and dangerous. A bombing, the murder of Marcus and using his severed head as a threat, and other acts of terrorism sieged the town Avery began to call home. 

After long confrontation, Zarkaylia was able to negotiate a deal with the leader of the Black Roses, Vincent, that Avery's "name" would be killed and he was to return home. Vincent wanted the Martillo family to suffer the lost of a first son and have that prolonged. In a strange way, this also helped those of Nightveil since the rumors of Avery's survival would be snuffed. 

Avery only knew that their motivations were tied in some sort of revenge. A need for closure for what his Father did to the Black Roses. At this time, the boy began to realize the cycle of violence that impacts so many. This realization being a catalyst for a shift in Avery's outlook of the world.

He now resides in the Unnamed Settlement. Here, Avery works hard as a impromptu master of trade.

Items on Person:
Provencian style clothes
A few books from the NV library
Green cloak
Sewing Supplies
Martillio Family Dagger

Current Goals:
Bring successful trade and currency to the Unnamed Settlement
Further his search of leadershsip
Explore the nearby ruins and locations


Likes -
Food: Lobster, Steak, Sweets
Season: Autumn
Activities: Reading, fashion and design, gossip
Misc: Music, plays/shows, art

Dislikes -
Food: Spicy food and hot drinks
Seaons: n/a
Activities: Manual and hard labor, Fighting and violence
Misc: Pirates, explosives, Thomas Rartho Karalis, Weapons, Gore, Blood