Note: Those have rpd with Kyle have often asked more about his background, being he refers to some odd things at times. ;) In interests of curiousity and to flesh out the logs posted here, here it is. Please do not use this info in rp as Kyle simply wouldn't have told anyone most of it. But, if you want to make like you heard of him or knew him in Ebou Dar, please page and we can work that out. :)
Kyle was born four years before Raemira, to Ellouis and Tygar Birnoas, in the Rahad of Ebou Dar. He has three younger sisters, making him oldest. Raemira, who is four years younger than him, Genette and Natali, who are younger than she. Kyle had never had a good life within the Rahad, always challenged in some form or another when he was younger, be it to fight mock duels, try to steal things, or what not. One thing was certain, he loved his family dearly and would do anything for them. In fact, it was this love that led others to believe he was killed, defending their honour at a mere age of twelve, fighting a duel with an experienced swordsman. The swordsman had challenged the honour of his father, claiming he had been cheated by him, and Kyle, knowing his father had never cheated anyone in his honest life, decided to defend his honour. The duel lasted only a very short time before Kyle was struck with the man's sword -- his own dagger had not even given the man a scratch for his troubles. As he was not breathing and was bleeding badly, his parents and sisters left him for dead, as did the crowd that had gathered about him. His body was taken by the Wise Women to be prepared for burial, when one of them noticed he was indeed still alive. This one was one of the few known to channel, with the ability to heal...
When Kyle awoke, he felt like he had been trod over by a thousand elephants, the huge kind you see in those travelling menageries. He doubted he had ever felt worse in his short life, and raised his tousled, sleepy-eyed head to ask for his parents and his closest sister, Raemira. He was shocked to be told that they had left, without him.
His recovery was swift, given the abilities of the Wise Woman who treated him. She was kind enough, and offered him lodging, but Kyle couldn't hear anything but his own young voice berating himself over and over again for failing his family. That was why they left him, he knew. If he had protected his father's honour, they would have stayed. Kyle fell into a deep depression. A few days later, the Wise Women found his cot empty, with no sign of him anywhere. What Kyle didn't know was that this Wise woman thought this was a sign that he was to become the son she had prayed to the Light for; and being she wasn't entirely mentally stable herself, she had buried an empty coffin in front of his parents before they left, content to let them think him dead and to let him think he'd failed them. Her search for him proved fruitless.
Convinced of his worthlessness, Kyle set out to redeem himself. He turned hard, cold inside, and lashed out at any who might approach him. Perfect fodder for the group of thieves that roamed the streets of Ebou Dar. He joined them, and began studying the trade. Throwing himself into his work almost feverishly, he learned quickly. He had a knack for moving swiftly and quietly, and was soon wanted throughout Ebou Dar for his crimes, though none could place a name to him. He began studying disguise, any form of theft and pick-pocketing he could glean, and absorbed any knowledge on weaponry he could find like a sponge. He was convinced, driven that if he ever came onto another situation like the one his family had abandoned him over, he would not be the one lying bleeding on the ground. Quite the opposite.
At the age of eighteen, he began taking on leadership within the small guild. Most of these gangs are youths; at twenty, he was second-in-command. He orchestrated raids and assassinations for whomever had the right amount of coin in their pocket.
When Kyle turned twenty-three, the leader of the group was killed. Kyle took over the Guild, and the thieves in Ebou Dar grew in strength, now a force to be feared. But for Kyle, it still was not enough. He was missing something inside, something he had tried to fill with lashing at others and with gaining the power of command... but all the wealth, power and reputation did nothing to fill him. His mind turned to his family more and more, his mind's voice tearing himself apart for miniscule faults. This drove him harder, fueling his anger and depression.
At twenty-five, Kyle turned to drink.
What had now grown to be the most powerful and feared force in Altara was now led by a man who was more often drunk than sober. Mistakes were made as inexperienced youths were forced to keep up with this too-quickly-moving enterprise that Kyle had created. Soon after, the Guild's hideout was revealed. Everyone in the city knew when Kyle had lost the grip on his command -- the group no longer had cohesion, and began forming smaller factions. The palace guard attacked, 1000 men strong, and converged on the underground warehouse.
Kyle doesn't even remember that dark night. The only reason he escaped was that two lads, still loyal to him, managed to drag him out through a secret exit known only to him and those he trusted, installed years earlier and since forgotten. Everyone else was murdered, fled, or taken prisoner. A price was posted in Ebou Dar for Kyle's head.
On the road with Justin and Kas, Kyle sobered up. Now penniless, he had moved from having everything to having nothing, yet his life felt eerily the same. The honourable side of him cried at the loss of so many boys and friends who looked to him for protection -- he failed them, and he equated this with the way he failed his family. Kas and Justin were forced to keep watch on him over the next months to ensure he did not either go running back or kill himself.
Between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-seven, Kyle wandered northward with Kas and Justin. Sober now, he had time to reflect on his life and think over where he wants to take it. He was back on solid ground, thanks to the two friends who stuck with him, but he was quieter, his eyes brooding. He decided not to rebuild what he had in Ebou Dar... partly because it didn't work for him, and partly because to do so would be folly; the WhiteCloaks had his description, and if he was caught he would surely be killed. His friends agreed. It was time to do something else.
From then until he was around thirty-four, the three worked as mercenaries in Tarabon and Arad Doman, but they never stayed long. Each time, Kyle would stay until he began to be assigned leadership within the mercenary group, and then the three would abruptly leave. They made money here and there, but not from stealing. Between mercenary jobs, they would gamble and Kyle would challenge anyone he could find to a duel. He enjoyed this immensely, and most often won. In his mind, he was replaying the first duel he had ever had -- and each time he won was a way to fight back the darkness that threatened to swallow him. He set himself to winning these duels, and won many a purse. He intended to become invincible... at least, that was the idea. But no matter how 'good' he got, he couldn't ever get rid of the vulnerable feeling that had stuck itself in his gut so many years ago. That memory he had now shoved down so deep he barely knew of it himself. The only thing he knew of was that he was driven -- to fight, and to survive. It was that thrill of survival he cherished. It reminded him he was still breathing.
His friends began wondering if Kyle had a death wish as they moved northward to Saldea. He may have, indeed. That cold look never left his eyes now, even when he smiled.
At the age of thirty-four, having reached Saldea, he surprised his friends by saving a small family -- a mother, one boy and a few girls -- from a group of vagabonds. He remained broody for days afterward; not even he knows why he did it.
He spent much time at the edge of the Blight. Where the fighting was worst, that was where you would find Kyle. His reputation grew among the soldiers there, as one who would fight like a man possessed. If you wanted anyone at your back during battle, it was Kyle. But if you were to choose anyone as your friend, it most often wasn't. Kyle had a way of pushing people away from him. At this time, rumours spread northward that the Amyrlin Seat had been killed. This he was privately glad of -- he never did trust those Tar Valon witches. Truth be told, he never did trust anybody. About this time he also heard a rumour of an Aes Sedai named Raemira, but this he didn't associate with his sister. His family were buried so deep he no longer acknowledged them.
Amid all this, at the age of thirty-eight he surprisedly fell in love. Things got better, and Kyle begins to wonder at the stance he had taken all these years. The relationship lasted two years, until Allisen left him, claiming he wouldn't let her inside that tough shell of his. Truth be told, he didn't know how to do that.
So Kyle decided to do something about it. He left for Tar Valon. If Raemy were there, he would find her. He left Kas and Justin behind, telling no one he was going.
Around his fortieth naming-day Kyle arrived in Tar Valon only to find the one named Raemira had left for Mayene. He followed.
In Mayene, he followed the group of Aes Sedai for a number of days, watching them and their warders. In particular, he watched the one with the wavy auburn hair and emerald eyes. She looked younger than he expected, but... it had to be Raemy. He approached her, and told her he was her brother, which she did not believe. Her brother was dead.
Kyle, not knowing how to respond to that, gave up for a time. He assumed she meant that to her family he was dead because he failed to protect his father's honour; most of a lifetime ago now. The memories came crashing back, and Kyle fell seriously ill for the first time in his life.
After months recovering, Kyle wandered about Mayene, working as a mercenary, occassional assassin, guard, and made money by challenging duels... and lost on purpose a few times to keep people wagering against him. Now, at fourty-four, he has decided to try again.
He has just arrived in Tar Valon.