Lauchlan Caileanach
Human| Male | Thirty-Five | Ranger | Neutral
Ranger
(Warrior/Archer)
Rangers are adept hunters and trackers who are comfortable calling the wilderness their home. They are, first and foremost, survivalists that understand how to live off the land and seldom rely on the comforts provided by civilization. Ranges are often highly independent individuals, many of whom prefer a solitary lifestyle of hunting marks outside of a city's walls. Some double as guides, accompanying travelers through unfamiliar or dangerous terrain to make their living. Rangers generally harbour a deep respect for the natural world as they understand both the wonders and the dangers it holds.
Appearance
Tall and broad-shouldered, Lauchlan's body is shaped from years of physical labour and combat, giving him a rather intimidating appearance. He generally sports apparel that suggests he hails from the northern lands, and keeps his face mostly obscured under a hood, covering raven hair and icy blue eyes. Once, he may have been considered handsome; with chiseled features and high cheekbones, he may even have been an object of envy, though a plethora of scars now mar his body and face. While some are cleanly sealed lines, many of the older marks are jagged and stand livid against his skin, the marks of an inexperienced healer and rough stitching. (6'3" - 215lbs)
Personality
Somewhat reserved, Lauchlan prefers his own company-- at least until he gets to know someone and even then he can be sore-pressed to linger around more than a handful of people. While he may come across as aloof or removed, it's more shyness than stoicism. He generally shows little in the way to suggest that he is affected by much of anything and is often the one to do the job no one else will take. He is a rather resolute being and refuses to let obstacles hinder him, always getting up one time more than he's knocked down. Not surprisingly, he can be a stubborn individual, particularly when it comes to putting others before himself. While he isn't usually outspoken, he will not stand to see any cruelty or injustices inflicted upon others. Nothing sparks a temper in him faster than seeing a mage targeted simply for being such-- though he will stand up for most anyone he sees facing discrimination.
Biography
Born to a single mother in Norboro's far north, Lauchlan and his twin sister, Lorelei, became well-versed in caring for themselves at a young age. With an ailing mother and no father to help support the small family, they were reliant on the kindness of other villagers to get them through the long, cold months. When resources are low, however, kindness does not last. By the time he was seven, Lauchlan had taught himself to track and fish by watching others from the small village, while Lorelei did her best to care for their sickly mother. When Lauchlan wasn't learning to hunt and fish, he did whatever he could around the village in exchange for bread and various small goods to help them get by. Despite her failing health, their mother would read to them the few old books they had, teaching them letters and words during the long, dark nights of winter.
[imga]http://i.imgur.com/Hx6DC9t.png[/imga]Time, inevitably, took its toll.
When they were nine, their mother passed away, leaving the siblings to the mercy of the villagers. There had always been talk about them, children of an unmarried mother from a strange land, but they were permitted to stay so long as they did not expect handouts. Lauchlan continued to work odd jobs and hunt while Lorelei concocted and sold simples and health draughts she'd learned to make for their mother while trying to maintain their small home. It was difficult, but they managed to make it through another savage winter.
That spring, Lorelei's powers began to manifest. It started small-- instances here and there, until the girl managed to heal the broken wing of a bird she'd found in the snow. Lorelei wanted to hide her abilities, never use them and stay where they had a home, but Lauchlan feared she would be found out. Knowing the punishment for magic use was death, Lauchlan convinced her to leave their home and travel south.
The journey south was grueling, but together they endured until they had reached Kalico. During their journey, Lorelei had decided to use her magic to pursue the healing arts and they had heard talk of Kalico's arcanium, where she hoped to study.
For two years, the siblings worked to eke out a living in the city streets, doing whatever was necessary to survive. Odd jobs earned little money, however, and the small income they managed to secure was put toward the entrance fee into the arcanium-- though it soon became clear they would never have enough to make the payments. After much inquiry, Lorelei managed to find an old healer in Kalico's outskirts who was willing to teach her for a small fee. Since she had few people to practice on, most of her healing was practiced on her brother, who had begun illegally pit-fighting to earn a bit of extra money. The wounds he often received gave her ample opportunity to practice her healing-- though an inexperienced hand left him with partially-healed wounds that often scarred. By the time he was sixteen, Lauchlan had found a niche job in fighting, supplemented with taking occasional jobs as a travel guide outside of the city.
As his skill in combat increased, so too did his sister's magical prowess. By the time they had reached their twenty-second year, they had saved enough for Lorelei to open a small shop where she could offer her services as a healer.
Opting to settle in the northern outskirts of the city, the twins had finally found a comfortable life. Lorelei didn't necessarily approve of her brother's involvement in illegal fights and Lauchlan began working almost exclusively as a guide and hunstman, having garnered enough of a reputation to have steady clients.
Unfortunately, their success wasn't to be.
Upon returning to their shop after a long journey with a group of travelers, Lauchlan found that it had been ransacked and burnt to the ground-- with Lorelei still inside. A group of mage-hunters had gotten wind of a mage practicing outside an arcanium and had attacked their home. By the time Lauchlan had returned to the city, the hunters were long gone. Unable to track them down and unable to take any sort of vengeance on his sister's killers, Lauchlan fell into despair, ultimately leaving Kalico.
The passing years saw Lauchlan living in the wilds as a nomad, trying to outrun a sense of guilt and anger, and taking jobs wherever possible to keep his mind occupied. Despite his best efforts to avoid large cities, a contract eventually led him into the heart of Morcrest, where he became acquainted with Akard's mission toward uniting Ellira. In hope of finding a deeper purpose, Lauchlan made inquiry with the King's Wardens and was accepted into their ranks where he has served the past two years.
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Equipment
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On his person:
Leather armor
Winter furs (doubles as a blanket or bedroll; packed in warm weather)
Bearded axe
Shortbow
Hunting knife
Waterskin
Quiver
+ 15 arrows
Large canvas pack
In his pack:
Rope
Flint
Whetstone
Hand axe
Climbing picks
Spare fletching
Two days' rations
Herbal salve
Pine resin
Curved bone suture needle and flax thread
Small, worn book
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Strengths
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Physical Prowess
- Physically strong, has good endurance and stamina, relatively agile for his size; can take a beating
Hand-to-hand Combat
- Proficient with a weapon or unarmed; competent brawler but prefers a weapon
Archery
- Adept archer; can make arrows if supplies and time are available
Tenacious
- Does not give up; a survivor; resilient
Hunter/Tracker
- Capable of tracking, hunting, and dressing game; prefers forests and wilderness to cities
Basic Self-Care
- Capable of cleaning and sewing (most of) his own wounds; limited knowledge of medicinal plants
Literate
- Can read and (kind of) write the common tongue; speaks bits of the Northern language
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Weaknesses
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Heavy Weapon
- Reliant on strength over speed in combat; requires more time to strike; leaves him vulnerable for longer than a smaller weapon would; disadvantaged against faster opponents
Stubborn
- Puts most everyone and everything before himself; frequently pushes himself too far; would rather suffer silently than ask for help
Heat Intolerant
- Does not do well in heat; lowered endurance in high temperatures
Limited Social Skills
- Uncomfortable in crowds and dislikes cities; often unsure of what to say or when to say it; can be overly blunt
Politically Ignorant
- Has virtually no knowledge of politics and governments; knows little of the general state of Elliria
Motion Sickness
- Does not do well on horseback, on ships, or in carts/wagons; extreme dizziness and headaches
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Notes
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- While he is neutral, he is very anti-discrimination and will defend either side in question.
- Has been with the Wardens for two years
- No Lannister
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Music
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Art
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Lovely art by @BruisedLavender
Sadira Bάhir
Human | Male | Twenty-Seven| Sorcerer and Scholar | Neutral
Appearance
Sadira is a relatively small individual, far and away from being imposing or physically impressive. His slim frame is usually draped in fine linen clothing, often white, that is largely reminiscent of Sotese fashion. Depending upon the occasion or task at hand, he may or not be wearing customary jewelry, consisting of plated necklaces, bangles, and earrings. He is seldom seen without a signet ring, bearing his family's emblem, on his right hand. Like many of the upper class Sotese, Sadira has a caramel-coloured complexion and fine, straight features. As is common in his family, he has amber eyes and blond hair so pale that it's nearly white. He can usually be seen wearing an easy, smiling expression-- often with a quill tucked behind one ear. (5'9" - 150lbs)
Personality
Light-hearted and good-humoured, Sadira is an agreeable individual that puts forth a genuine effort to be considerate of others. Well-educated and loquacious, he is given to social graces and deals well with company of all sorts. Despite being raised in a wealth, he holds no prejudiced views of those less fortunate than he. In fact, Sadira has a bit of a bleeding heart and can get distracted by a desire to help-- only to become dejected or discouraged when he feels there is little he can do. He is quick to offer assistance, be it coin, food, or friendship-- but having never experienced true hardship he may, at times, come across as pitying though it is not his intent. He suffers from insatiable curiosity and likes to know how the world around him works. Sadira is also driven by a desire to learn more about the world beyond Elliria, hoping one day to walk unknown lands. While he would gladly wander the continent in his studies, he is held back by Sotis. Apart from his love of learning, Sadira is opposed to slavery and cannot rest in good conscience knowing his homeland still upholds such a practice when there is a chance of betterment.
Biography
The son of a Marquess, Sadira was born into luxury and has lived a charmed life in comparison to most. His father, Ruslan Bάhir, oversees the Province of Sandris, managing trade brought in via river. Bάhir is a well-established name in the Republic of Sotis, stretching back through many generations of successful merchants of fine textiles and spices.
[imga]http://i.imgur.com/KiqwhQp.png[/imga]
As the only son of Ruslan Bάhir, many hopes were placed on Sadira becoming the next Marquess of the Province of Sandris. Unlike his sisters, however, Sadira took no interest in the title or trade. From a young age, he was an incurable dreamer possessed by a love of the world and the heavens. His father could no more convince him to learn ledgers than he could a rock to speak and the family eventually gave in to getting the boy an advanced tutor to further his education of the known world (in addition to his general Sotese studies).
In his ninth year, Sadira began to develop unusual abilities and soon realized that he possessed the gift of magic. Not wishing their son to enter an arcanium, his parents selected a rather severe Artanese woman as a live-in mentor for the boy. When Sadira wasn't buried in his studies, he was practicing magic and honing his abilities as an emerging mage under the watchful eye of his mentor. With her guidance, Sadira's skills developed quickly, leaving his parents and sisters proud of the boy they had once seen as nothing more than a day-dreamer. Of course, his developing skill as a mage and his continued interest in academics and travel made it all the more obvious that he would not be vying for his father's position, but his parents chose to support the path their son had chosen.
Knowing that their son desired to travel, Sadira's parents presented the eleven year old with a fledgling griffin for his first coming of age celebration. Sadira was instantly smitten with the little griffin, whom he named Lotus, and the two became fast friends.
As a continuation of the celebration, the Bάhir family upheld the tradition of spectating a gladiator battle at the Grand Arena. Before that time, Sadira had never truly considered what slavery meant. His family had always treated their servants well and his own naiveté had kept him blind, but seeing people forced to into such unspeakable violence came as a shock to the boy and he left the Arena in tears and shaken to the core.
His parents tried to console him with explanations of Sotese superiority, particularly over the animalistic inguz who so often fought in the arenas, but Sadira could not be content with such answers. He could not easily forget the violence and cruelty he had witnessed and he wanted to play no part in it. Conveying this to his parents was difficult, though he was pleased to learn that two of his sisters shared a similar dislike for the practice. There was, however, little that children could do about it.
As time pressed on, Sadira began talking to the family servants about their lives before slavery. The more he learned, the more the thought of people being pulled from their lives and families turned his stomach-- yet, he felt there was little he could do to help-- and he tried to keep his focus on his studies, his magic, and on training with Lotus.
Still, it was hard to put such a thing fully from his mind.
By the time Sadira had reached his final coming of age celebration at seventeen, he was ready to leave Sotis and explore the wider world. Being of a respectable name and having ample coin, Sadira was able to easily travel through to the heart of Artana, where he began a new period of study under a seasoned mage. While the work was enlightening and he learned much, Sadira realized that he could hardly be happy in Artana, as they too kept numerous slaves.
Setting his sights farther north, Sadira continued on his journey with Lotus, stopping at various arcaniums and guilds, occasionally staying for a time to further his magical training or his overall education. He often worked as a scrivener in exchange for lodging or various necessities, but was still able to fall back on the monetary support of his family when needed.
One particular excursion with a small caravan led the wandering duo to the kingdom of Morcrest, where Sadira first heard talk of King Akard and his vision for Elliria. Enamored with the potential of ending what he found to be a barbaric practice, Sadira sought audience with the King, hoping he might, in some small way, be of assistance to his cause.
Mana and Spells
Mana Pool - Medium
Offensive (Major)
+ Air Current -- creates a forceful stream of air capable of lifting, throwing, or knocking back objects or opponents
+ Fire Blast -- conjures a burst of flames that can be directed (as a blast) or thrown (as a fireball)
+ Windstorm -- summons gale force winds, often in the form of a cyclone; sustained spell that uses mana while the spell is active; cannot be maintained for longer than one minute; likely results in unconsciousness from mana drain
Illusional
+ Ghost Lights -- produces small orbs of white-blue flame that hover where placed; can be held in the palm of the hand without burning
+ Mirage -- distorts a target's perception of their surroundings
Defensive
+ Negate -- calls forth a protective aura of arcane energy; can repel magical and physical damage for a brief time; helpful against projectiles; heavy attacks from large weapons or strong spells can dispel somewhat quicker, though it varies from case to case
Restorative
+ Effervesce -- speeds healing of wounds and gives the target a boost in morale and mood; most effective on minor wounds
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Equipment
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On his person:
Waterskin
Signet Ring
Linen clothing (no armor)
Small satchel containing:
- small book, partially filled with writing
- quill
- small ink bottle
- few pieces of dried fruit
On Lotus:
Riding straps and pad
Spear mount and spear (fishing)
Twin leather saddle bags containing:
- Extra parchment and quills
- Ink bottle
- Sealing wax
- Cross staff, quadrant, and dioptra
- Self-penned star chart
- Two separate maps of the Known World
- Change of clothing
- Winter cloak
- Dried, salted fish
- Small knife (food prep)
- Small spice pouch
- Anise seeds, cinnamon, and dried saffron
- Coin pouch
- Sachet of medicinal herbs to aid headaches
- Small pouch containing henna powder
- Small, ornate kohl pot with carved bone applicator
- Small, decorative mirror (reflecting glass set in gold)
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Strengths
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Educated
- Broad knowledge of various subjects studied in various regions, namely sciences and the arts; informed about state of Elliria
Multilingual
- Fluent in Common Tongue, Southern Tongue, and old Tongue; basic Dwarven (spoken); broken Northern Tongue (spoken); no Elvish
Personable
- Amiable and friendly; he gets on well with most people he meets and is good at making friends
Status
- Wealthy with a recognized, respectable name, especially in the southern regions; has the monetary power to back his ventures
Fast Thinker
- Can often solve problems very quickly, even in dire situations; quick response and reaction time
Adept Swimmer
- Familiar with swimming in rivers and the sea; comfortable in the water; can hold his breath a fair amount of time
Heat Tolerant
- Adores hot weather and warm climates; is seldom bothered by any intensity of warmer weather
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Weaknesses
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No Weapons Training
- has no training in weapon use; spear is used solely for fishing (and show)
Unskilled in Physical Combat
- very little knowledge of physical combat; no practical experience or formal training
Limited Physical Strength
- has a slim frame and little muscle; easy to physically overpower
Easily Discouraged
- good intentioned, but can become discouraged by feeling helpless; tends to wander away from issues that deter him
Sotese Wealth
- double-edged blade; frowned upon by many due to vast Sotese slave trade; premature assumptions made about him
Susceptible to Cold
- does not tolerate cold climates well; needs to be heavily clothed to endure colder temperatures
Prone to Headaches
- suffers from relatively frequent headaches that often seem to correlate with his mana use
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Notes
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- Has been with the Wardens for three months
- Predominantly eats fish; he will eat meat if no other options are available, but prefers not to
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Music
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Lotus
Sotese Griffin | Female | Sixteen | Mount
Species and Appearance
Desert Griffin is the common name given to the two species of griffin native to the southern and more arid regions of Elliria. The name is a bit of a misnomer, however, as both species also inhabit plains and grasslands. The two species are the desert eagle griffin, commonly called the Southern griffin, and the desert vulture griffin, commonly called the Sotese griffin. Both species can be found as far north as the middle regions of Osigon.
The Sotese griffin is easily identifiable by its distinctive yellow face, white coat and plumage, and dark flight feathers. When they are not in the care of a rider or breeder, their coat is often darkened with sand and dirt, giving them a brownish appearance. The Sotese griffin is a comparably small griffin, light-bodied and agile.
Male Sotese griffins reach a mature size of about 4.5-5' at the shoulder with a 11-13' wingspan, weighing approximately 200lbs; females are slightly larger at about 5-5.5' at the shoulder with a 12-14' wingspan, weighing up to 225lbs. Their average lifespan ranges from 25-35 years in the wild and 35-50 in captivity.
They are fast animals and can reach speeds up to 60mph on land (sprinting) and 150mph in flight (diving). Their average land speed is 35mph, while their average flight speed is around 50 mph while traveling. Most commonly, Sotese griffins will slowly soar on thermal updrafts to conserve energy during hunting, making wide arcs around an area to scout for food.
Because they are slimmer than most species of griffin, the cannot carry terribly heavy weights or over-large riders.
[imga]http://i.imgur.com/zSj84Ll.png[/imga]They possess keen eyesight but have a very weak sense of smell and rely on their vision for hunting. They are primarily opportunistic feeders, often eating carrion and sometimes select vegetation, but they are capable of hunting and prefer to run larger prey to exhaustion before making a kill. They are only somewhat social animals and often live in a mated pair with great distances between territories.
They are highly intelligent animals but are notoriously difficult to train due to their resistant and rather obstinate behaviour if they happen to dislike their rider. If they are trained and paired with a rider they like, they make incredibly loyal and intuitive companions.
Personality
She wants nothing more than to ruin your day.