Sean O'Donovan
From IMiA
Sean O'Donovan
A Commodore of the Royal Navy
The first thing you notice about him is his size. He is only 6'3" tall, but he has very broad shoulders and a well-muscled frame. When fortune has been shining on him, he usually puts on more weight than he should, making him even larger.
His size is all the more vivid because of the color of his skin and hair, a deep black. Perfect for the hot southern seas, he's obviously seen a lot of sun and wind in his forty-some years. If he is amused (and he often is, loving particularly his own weak witticisms), his broad grin reveals white teeth.
On closer inspection, his features do not match the expectations set by his coloration. If his skin were from the other end of the spectrum, he would instantly be recognized as Irish, or perhaps Welsh. Listen carefully, and there is a hint of a Celtic lilt to his Thari.
At formal occasions, he wears the blue and gold dress uniform of Gérard's captains. Oh, and he's only got one eye.
-- Main.LizTrumitch - 16 May 2004
History
Sean O'Donovan was born and raised in a Shadow on the outskirts of the Golden Circle. When he was thirteen years old, Gérard came to their shadow seeking a few more vessels for a fleet he was raising. Young Sean sailed out with one of them. With one thing and another, in a few years he found himself serving on one of Amber's ships.
A smart, tough lad with an eye for the main chance, he quickly rose through the ranks, despite being dogged by bad luck. A few years after being given command of a frigate, he achieved some notoriety for an action where when he sank three larger enemy ships and captured a fourth, losing his own vessel in the process. The handful of survivors from his crew became quite wealthy from their share of the prize money. (Sean bought his house in Amber outright with just a fraction of his share, and has held on to it through the good times and bad since.)
In the years since then, O'Donovan has been a whirlwind, losing fortunes in questionable investments on land as fast as he can make them with daring maneuvers on the rolling waves. His ambitions seem fired by an urge to advance quite at odds with the usual stately pace of the long-lived citizens of Amber. Every setback seems to increase his will to succeed.
He was present at Arbor House, though he does not speak of it. He lost an eye in the explosion at Wesson's Pub, and was obsessed for years afterward by the disturbing visions he had while unconscious. Along with Admiral High Mage Ambrose he has regularly worked with the crew of the Aurora, though there is a good bit of friction there. He supported Eric during Corwin's invasion, and since the invasion failed it seems a great weight has lifted from his shoulders. Recently he has been studying magic with Evelyn Devereux.
-- Main.KrisFazzari - 09 Aug 2005
-- Main.SolFoster - 22 Apr 2009
