Oi I was wondering if I could throw in my lot for the wildling?
If that's ok then I'll have the cs up pretty soon... Might even have it up before you can get back to me >_<
Taine
The Wildling
APPEARANCE:
Taine was marked as different from an early age, his scarring along with the mere fact of him being an orphan seemed to ostracize him from those who he might otherwise have befriended. His differences were only accentuated as he grew older, his hair grew out, proving to be as white as new fallen snow. His eyes seemed to change with the seasons, green as the deepest forests in spring, amber in fall, ice blue in winter, and blazing red in summer.
He grew tall and wide, easily outstripping many of his peers and even those years his senior. Soon he was one of the largest men in the village. And, due much in part to his already brooding nature, one of the most intimidating. He often allows his hair to obscure his eyes so that people will not notice their odd changes... just as he hopes they will not notice the scar running down and across his left eye. Due to his many forays into the forests his clothes tend to be tattered and threadbare, though he does favor darker colors.
Despite his lonesome nature and attempts to hide his appearance many of the village girls seem to enjoy his furtive glances, whispering amongst themselves about "The comely recluse."
PERSONALITY:
Taine was orphaned at birth, and raised by the cloth. He was taught duty, sacrifice, and perseverance from a young age. He was brought up to be a good and dutiful child... not that it really means he was.
The unusual circumstances of his arrival in the village, as well as his unusual behavior and looks as he grew made him a pariah in the eyes of most villagers. He was known to vanish into the forests for days on end. He would play with the packs of wild dogs in the streets. He was even known to occasionally free the odd farm animal and let the beast roam free. They would say that the wilds were rooted deep within him... and somehow that always brought him a surge of pride.
It only brought increased distrust from the villagers though. Often the adults would treat him as a non entity, which made many of the children treat him the same... or worse. Over time he grew even more distant from the few people he knew, becoming more and more reclusive. Soon he had turned inward, becoming the quiet man he is today.
He finds solace in the forests and glades... in those places far away from other people. In fact he often seems to have an easier time with the beasts than with the supposedly civilized humans he has known.
In short he smiles rarely, laughs even less so. He talks when it suits him and no sooner, often preferring to listen. That is who he is.
History:
"Mother nature leaves her mark on all men, some more than others..."
Taine was found on the edges of the forest, just outside the grounds of the local church. He was discovered by one of the local nuns... who was horrified by what she found. A child abandoned to fate... and heavily injured by the creatures of the forest. Upon his young face were the marks of some beasts claws, the still bloody marks running from the top of his forehead, down across his left eye, and to the center of his cheek. The fact that Taine had survived the bleeding long enough to be found by anyone seemed a miracle. The nun prayed thanks and mercy from Mathias himself and brought the child back to the abbey.
Taine was taken in by the church and given a home, he grew up there, working to help in any way he could. From the beginning he knew that he was an orphan... that his parents had left him practically at the steps of a church to be rid of him... He was reminded often that he should be grateful to the priest and the nuns for giving him a chance at life. He was... he truly was... but such an existence can be a lonely thing. And loneliness was the one thing that would shape many of the actions throughout his short life.
Its what made him first wander into the village, where his odd hair and eyes garnered him mistrustful stares... muttered insults... and even taunting from other children. He was often beset upon for his differences, bullied until he ran home to the church to hide in his cold lifeless room. It is what first led him into the deep forests, where he first truly felt that he was not alone.
The sounds of the beasts... the sighing of the wind through the trees. The voice of the water as it slithered across the rocks. It all came together to make him feel... right. Whole. The forest from which he first came seemed to sing to him. To soothe him like nothing else.
As he grew up he spent more and more time there, ignoring, and being ignored, by the villagers more and more. Eventually he became like a ghost in their midst, coming and going as he pleased.
It wasn't until his coming of age that that situation changed. The church gave him a choice. Join the clergy and remain, or go out into the world and make something of himself. He opted to leave and was sent out with all his worldly belongings... meager as they might have been.
For a time he haunted the forests nearby, wondering what
he might be able to do. He had no family. No money. Few skills... It took him some time but he did eventually stumble upon an answer... A man lost in the woods. He had tried to cross them by himself but had lost the trail and gotten lost... quite understandable with how little the trails were managed.
There lied his answer. None knew the forests like him. None knew the beasts like him. He guided the lost traveler safely through the woods... and made a career of it. For a price he could deliver one safely through the woods, skirting dangers that might otherwise have taken unwary travelers.
He has been doing this for several years now, and has slowly grown more accustomed to the forests and the creatures that live within.
SKILLS:
While Taine may have become rather good at reading the mood of the forest... it does not quite mean he has avoided all trouble. Over the years he has had to fight many bandits, and has become quite handy at protecting himself. Usually he uses an axe or hatchet in one hand and a knife in the other. His accuracy when throwing either is also rather impressive.
ABILITIES:
Taine has an uncanny ability to read the mood of the forests... the meaning of the cries of individual beasts... as well as that of their silence. Most animals seem to like him and he can always find the easiest path through any wood... almost as though they open the way for him.
P.S. Sorry this sucks >_< I need sleep but couldn't until I wrote... something. (I have literally been typing with my eyes closed and while half asleep so typos and spelling errors are to be expected, sorry)