Merlin's Order of Defense
CHARACTER INFORMATIONCharacter Name: Vincent Kennith ThalmanAge: 26Gender: MaleBlood Status (choose one): PurebloodEducation: Homeschooled, HogwartsResidence: Wizarding LondonDivision:33rd Wizarding Infantry Division - 54th Brigade
Vincent likes the history of the 54th Brigade, and had studied their tactics quite heavily while doing research on wizarding wars five years ago. As a high profile volunteer for the army, being a head of house, he would most likely have his pick of which brigade he would want to join.Rank:Lieutenant
High breeding and politics have their advantages. As a member of the Wizengamot, there could be no way Vincent could serve as a simple private, or even a sergeant; however, even connections have their limits. At only the age of 26, he would be considered old enough to be a captain or higher, nor does he have the practical experience or personality to command over that many men. He does have an analytical mind, however, and is quite versed in military history and tactics. His planning skills and organization would be useful to the army on the small scale and, with experience, potentially on a larger scale as well.Specialty:No specialty.Requested Magical Levels: (see here on how to do this)If you want levels above the usual 32 total, please fill out and submit the Special Request form here.- Charms: 10
- Divination: 9
- Transfiguration: 7
- Summoning: 6
Please list any other characters you already have at the site:Nora, Rosemary and Aethelstan LowsleyBiography: (300 words minimum.)Type your response here.The Thalman’s were once a great Wizarding family. Richard Thalman participated in the special commission to the King and Queen of England during the height of wizard persecution in 1691, and was one of the signatories to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. They used to have connections far up in the ministry. Though they never reached the highest office in Brittian, they were well connected for hundreds of years. The Thalman name was once well respected throughout the Magical world.
Was is the key word.
Vincent Kennith Thalman was born on April 16th, 1950 in his family’s seaside country home in Essex. His early life was that filled with luxury, as was blessed on most of those living in his family’s social strata. Growing up, they went on vacations all over the world for the spring, always spending his birthday in a different city. When the letter, as expected, came, inviting their son to Hogwarts, they declined the invitation. Their only child was going to get the best magical tutors they could find for him.
Vincent excelled at first in all facets, but soon the young teenager’s Charmwork outshone his other accomplishments. His parents, who both favoured charms over the other subjects, along with his tutors focused mainly on his strengths, not his weaknesses. Other topics of study would include Magical History and Potions, two subjects which interested Vincent to no end.
However, all was not well with the Thalman family. Vincent’s father, Cameron Leon Thalman, had a job at the ministry, but was still in one of the most junior of positions. Cameron’s father, who worked at the ministry, died in the bombings of London in 1941, leaving the now of-age wizard to make it on his own. He married young, to a member of the O’Conners, and continued his lavish lifestyle on a much smaller pay than would sustain it. The family funds were soon running out. His parents tried to hide it, of course, but soon they were no longer able to afford the tutors which had taught their son for 5 years.
Saying that it was ‘finally time for him to meet people of his own age’, Vincent was sent up north, to Scotland. The hat quickly place the older student into the house that his ancestors had attended: Ravenclaw.
In some ways, he was the perfect student for that house. He studied hard, payed attention in class, and spent a lot of time reading; however, his homeschooling had influences on him. He struggled in classes, partially because he wasn’t receiving the one-on-one attention he was used to. His lack of knowledge in all subjects, save for charms, also became quickly apparent . In Charms, he was already was ahead in most regards, and worked towards his N.E.W.T in that subject.
The other downside of homeschooling is that he didn’t have any friends when he entered school, and didn’t have the skills required to acquire any. He spent most of his time in his room, or in the Library.
Vincent graduated with decent marks, considering his late entry into the school, and an O in his Charms N.E.W.T. Leaving the school, he bounced around a bit. He never took a job, and ended up living in his parents’ London flat. For five years, he read books in his little flat. He spent time translating some older documents into a more modern English, but all his projects ended up half finished. He did spend a lot of time practicing magic though, especially his silent spells, and tries to use them in all facets of his magical casting.
However, five years of living in his parents’ townhouse and a stipend from them were soon to come to an end. The family’s financial situation worsened, and they were forced to end Vincent’s stipend and rent out the house in London to avoid going further into debt.
Vincent needed to find a job, and soon. A job at the ministry was out of the question: he lacked the affinity for politics the rest of his family had. Nor would he lower himself to work in any sort of shop. He needed a job that would allow him to continue research, paid well, and was prestigious.
Vincent eventually got a job at Hogwarts, one of the most prestigious academic environments known. He only worked there for two years, but had to leave after two years. His mother had fallen ill, and his father had relinquished the title of Head of the Family and the seat in the Wizengamot to him. He spent a further year on the outside of the scene of the political movements, trying to be a moderate voice in an increasingly radicalized body. A supporter of the Wizarding Alliance in principle, he was only ever on the outside of the group: never was he in the inner circles of power.
The war broke out, and he had a choice to make. As Pureblood house head, he would never be drafted; however, the war could provide Vincent with an opportunity. If he was able to get a year’s worth of military service under his belt, it could increase his clout and, if he did very well, land him a seat in the inner circle, where he should be.
Roleplay:Option 2: Improvisation: Please write a suitable first post to fit the specialty and or rank that you are requesting.Vincent looked over the battle maps from the inside of his tent, furrowing his brow. He had two jobs as a Lieutenant. Organize the camp and keep his platoon alive. Both, it seemed, were intrinsically linked. There were watches to be kept, supplies to be distributed, men to be treated. Every single activity was filed away in the back of his mind, ready to be pulled out when needed. He knew the watch lists off by heart, and helped design them with the sergeants. He would often check on the wounded in his platoon as well, when the occasion called for it. The camp had to be secure in order to make sure they all stayed alive.
It wasn’t just organization that was on his mind tonight, it was the maps in front of him. They detailed, what the scouts said, was the surronding terrain. He also had, aquired from his extensive personal collection, muggle maps and surveys of the region they were in that were used in the Great War. Mostly out of date and a large of scale, they added another dimension to his planning. Even though he didn’t issue the orders of where to attack and when, those came from the higher ups, Vincent planned for every single possibility. Almost all of his waking hours were spent pouring over the maps, looking for weak points, danger points, high terrain. Anything that could be used to his platoon’s advantage. He did his best to anticipate the orders that he would be given, and planned out the options he had to carry them out. With his scouts, he tried to ascertain the enemy’s position to find out where they would attack, and plan accordingly. He would spend another half an hour of this, and then-
Shouts.
The alarm. The camp was under attack. He grabbed his wand and his journal, stuffing the former into his pocket in case he needed to make a quick escape. Hearing the shouts, he remembered the muggle saying, about what happened to the best laid plans of mice and men. Carefully, he peeled back the flap of his tent, and peered outside.
