Geoffrey Background

From Ars Magica

"Ah, Geoffrey of Chester, Geoffrey of the de Gris family; good Norman stock; now well integrated into the English of the port of Chester."

"Geoffrey, the youngest of three brothers; all three, hale and hearty. All lucky, thus far, in the Crusades."

"Geoffrey, the poor third son whom will never inherit. Not now that Henry, the eldest, is back home and married with three sons himself; the oldest now 15."

"He has known this would be his fate, ever since old enough to be trained as a squire, and when he comes to it he doesn't really care. He's a good enough warrior, a fine warrior, and he knows it. He has no need to settle; proud as he may be of his family, his family doesn't need him. He has no children yet, or none to speak of; none he can be sure are his."

"Although in a sense he has a child, Cadmon (or Bedo as he calls himself these days), the child he met in Chester as a boy, is still a child in some ways. Intelligent... yes, fiendishly so, but simple too, despite his best efforts, in the ways of the world."

"Despite having travelled widely, even into the Holy Roman Empire, his letters show that he's not changed, except to become quieter, and stranger. That's not the reason to travel; travelling with the crusading armies is the way to travel... meeting interesting people, drinking with your comrades, and fighting for the Church."

"And yet, Bedo is coming home... home to the Marches by the sound of it. A friend is still a friend. Maybe this time I can make him more of the man he should be."