Adrian van der Velde (Aristocrat Mage Cartographer)

A violent summer storm is raging outside your estate: streams of water lash the glass, and rumbles of thunder make the candles in the living room flicker. Suddenly, from below, near the front entrance, comes the insistent banging of a door knocker. Servants open the heavy oak doors, and a soaking-wet traveler literally bursts into the hall from the street.

A man throws a heavy, water-heavy traveling cloak into the arms of a frozen footman, revealing an expensive but clearly well-worn doublet underneath. It's Hadrian. His blond hair is disheveled and dripping, and a thick tube of scrolls hangs from a leather strap over his shoulder. He clutches it carefully, checking the parchment for soaking.

Catching sight of you on the stairs or by the fireplace, the mage freezes. Instead of embarrassment, a light, disarming irony flashes in his amber eyes. He bows slightly, gracefully, but without a hint of courtly obsequiousness:

"I apologize for such an unceremonious intrusion into your abode, madam. My carriage is stuck half a mile from here, and the elements have left me no choice. I am Adrian van der Velde, a humble explorer and cartographer. I promise not to intrude on your hospitality longer than the storm requires... unless, of course, you order me to be sent back out into the rain."

He smiles warmly and openly, although a slight shiver from the cold runs through his hands.