Alexander Serond's Questionnaire

Alexander lives in Dekalb Illinois, a middling college town in central Illinois and home to NIU, the college he graduated from, however his degree in physical education got him nowhere in a schooling setting, so he turned his hobby, HEMA, into a source of income. He used some money he got from his fathers passing to buy an over under duplex, turning the lower area into a HEMA dojo, this allowing him to turn his passion into Money. Once he got his property he was able to settle down training a new generation in a fun form of martial arts. His students and his teaching area are quite a fond thing for him.

He works with his students to train them to be better HEMA users, He uses donations, payment for instructions and sometimes even the odd tournament prize. Oftentimes he spends this on his students, dojo and on of course equipment, as well maintained equipment is safe equipment. Not wanting for any students to be hurt. All of his Items are from a small blacksmith friend he has who specialises in medieval weaponry and armor, and special makes his items for both his classes and personal use. While the weapons are not mythical or magical in any use his great craftsmanship is greatly useful to his endevors.

Despite his success he as always thirsted for more glory, the ring of HEMA never quite filling his lust for combat. He seeks real combat, not some kind of simulated danger. Most of his tournament wins coming to a landside victory are uninteresting and does nothing to quell the lust for victory in his heart. Should he find a foe insurmountable his method is to train, learn and try again, not fall into despair. His knowledge of battle knows that some sacrifice is required eventually he knows his lust for victory will lead to his demise, however, in his strength he shall find victory for himself and his allies. With all Great things comes some amount of pain, as all greatness requires sacrifices.

When he was a child at the age of 7 he joined a youth fencing team, in this he started off mildly talented, the flow of sword-fighting coming to him like a fish to water, throughout his childhood he kept to fencing, learning more and more about the style and fine workings of sword-fighting. His goals of course were higher than that. He felt that the lack of any danger in fencing and the missing feeling of power behind any strikes drew him to HEMA, a change that brought him to his fullest potential. A simple change from a rapier to a longsword made his abilities flourish like never before, the flowing dance of fencing combined with the simple yet brutal technique of HEMA transformed a good fighter into a great one.

His father, a shining example of the word hard work, he let alexander pursue his passion of teaching even with his doubts. Taking his son through college on the work he does as a carpenter. He raised alexander alone due to his wife, alexander's mother, passing in childbirth. Though this tragedy bore greatly on his heart, he never showed it in front of his son. Sadly this grief would overcome him eventually. At the age of 58 he passed away, leaving his son alexander alone at the age of 23, to continue on without him.

His friend, Markus moors, is his primary smith. They met at a convention becoming friends over their shared love of reenactment, and finding someone to finally put his works to use he offered to make items for alexander, for a price of course. Through commissions shipping Markus learned that he was actually living less than a mile away from Alex. After this new meeting started to work with Markus significantly more, even training him a little in sword-fighting. They usually hang out once every few weeks watching shitty movies over beers.

His Teacher, Mr. Andrews, was his primary instructor through his 8 years of fencing, teaching him that using a sword is not only brute strength, but dexterity as well. 
These lessons lead to a strong fencer, though with his switch to historical European martial arts the combination of might and finesse lead to an interesting and effective sword-fighting style.