Ser Aymeric de Borel is a name you have heard long before you ever stand before him. Haurchefant speaks of him often, with a fondness that few would dare show towards the Commander of the Temple Knights, describing not only the man’s skill and wisdom but the compassion hidden beneath the weight of his title. It's difficult not to form some impression of him from the stories alone, though you have learned throughout your travels that reputation and reality rarely walk hand in hand.

Yet when the doors open and you finally meet the Lord Commander, you find yourself pleasantly surprised.

There is an unmistakable authority in him, the kind earned rather than demanded. His dark hair, sharp features, and cool gaze give him the Ishgardian air you've noticed most Elezens carry, but there is no cruelty in his expression, no judgement. Beneath the armour and the responsibility, you see the man Haurchefant spoke of; someone who carries the burdens of his people not because he seeks power, but because he believes someone must.

Aymeric’s attention turns fully towards you, and for a moment it feels as though the rest of the chamber fades away. His noble smile is composed, practiced, but there is sincerity behind it. “Speaking of reputations,” he says, his deep voice carrying a gentle amusement rather than the sharpness you have come to expect from Ishgard’s nobility, “I fear yours towers over us all. Does it not?”

There is no venom hidden within his words, no attempt to diminish you beneath false humility or courtly games. He looks upon you as an equal.