Solitude

[Solitude]

Solitude Race: Zith Date of Birth: 41st day of Spring, 493AV - 20 Years of Age Gender: Male Physical Description Solitude is a tall, lean and well muscled Zith. His entire body is covered in a fine coat of black fur, so dark that it seems to drink the light that dares to touch it. Sprouting from his shoulders are two wings that resemble those of a bat--vast, ebon expanses of bone and membrane with a span easily thrice that of his arms. His long, powerful limbs terminate in curved claws. Finally, even his facial features imply a predatory nature--sharp cheekbones and glowing yellow eyes give him a starkly unnerving appearance. Upon closer examination, fine scars run diagonally across his cheeks and across the palms of his hands--anyone familiar with Reimancy would recognize these telltale signs of initiation. A noticable scar marks his lower back, to the left of his spine. Character Concept Solitude, like all Zith, is foremost an instinctual and predatory creature. Unlike other Zith, he seeks to defy his nature. He desires to become something more than some bestial hunter; he wishes to find meaning in life. To that end, he has become a solitary traveller--a wayfarer following all of the world's paths, whose ultimate desire is to come to an understanding with the world so that he may in turn come to an understanding of himself. He does not know where he will end up, or why; that is part of the beauty of life that he has come to understand. His very name--Solitude--is a self-imposed sobriquet, chosen from a somber understanding of his plight. Character History Little and less is known about Solitude's history before he became Solitude. He originates from a Zithanese colony; it is unknown whether that colony was Xy or Din or perhaps someplace smaller. He was the strongest of his litter, the pride of his family; it was thought that he would bring great distinction to them when he reached adulthood. This would have been an accurate assumption--in his youth, Solitude proved to be a vicious fighter and a tenacious hunter. It was his destiny to chose another path, however. The turning point in Solitude's life was his exposure to a pair of slaves. They were obviously a couple, and clearly of advanced age. When they were first captured, Solitude could not fathom why his family would keep slaves that seemed so useless. He quickly learned the error of that assumption. These slaves--Afi and his wife, Sefa--possessed the rarest abilities of all slaves. They were, in fact, very skilled and accomplished magi, able to manipulate the mysterious djed to achieve a stunning array of effects. Solitude was amazed at the powers they displayed for the amusement of his family--their owners. At least, he was at first. He quickly grew suspicious as to why anyone who held such power would remain enslaved. So, naturally, he interrogated them. He asked why they hadn't attempted to escape or to kill their captors. They told him that they believed in non-violence, that it was not their place to decide who should live--enslaved or no--and who should die. This philosophy was startling to Solitude, but he found himself visiting the couple time and time again. He would sneak out to see them in the early morning, when his family was resting for the day. He was enthralled by Afi and Sefa's abilities and outlook on life. They did not appear to mind being slaves. Despite their white hair, bent backs and creased faces, they bore the burden of a slave's harsh life without sorrow or complaint. The couple was surprised at Solitude's interest in them, at first. They did not immediately accept his friendship. His curiosity eventually broke down the barriers between them, and they opened up to the young zith. They spoke to him of places far away, of times and people long gone. They told him about the existence of gods and mortals as alien to him as the dark side of the moon. The young zith would sit and listen for hours on end, asking questions the whole time. He felt something within himself change as he explored the lives of these significant people. In learning so much about them, he felt a desire to learn the same about himself. He wanted to find a true identity--something more than life amongst the zith would grant him. So he spoke to Afi and Sefa about his newfound desire. They seemed both shocked and proud, having come to treat Solitude almost as they would their child. They told him that his change carried with it great significance. Afi and Sefa encouraged him to pursue his goals; giving him support he would never have felt from his zithanese family. It became clear to Solitude that he would have to leave if he was to have any chance at self realization. He told this to Afi and Sefa. They understood immediately. Solitude admitted that he would not be able to free them from the bonds of slavery, that his family would quickly turn on him in that case. The two were, of course, not upset by this. They did, however, offer to tutor him in the ways of Djed before he left--they claimed that it would prove a powerful tool on his path. He accepted those lessons graciously. It was weeks, going on months, before he had completed the most basic of accomplishments. They provided him with a broad basis of personal magics, but it proved incredibly difficult for him to progress. He managed to gain basic understanding of djed and it's applications, surely, but day by day his wanderlust grew stronger. In the grand scheme of things, Solitude was only able to learn a bare minimum, and yet what he had learned would undoubtedly stick with him in the days to come. With that, he thanked them--and left them to their lives as slaves. Solitude just vanished from the colony one day. His family were left clueless as he took to the road. Some in the colony say he died, and in a way, he did. Regardless, he took a new name for himself--Solitude--and began his new life. Training, Arcana, Gnosis, Lore and Languages Training Skill - Total - Starting Package - Trained Weapon: Bastard Sword - 20 - 20 - 0 A sword would initially seem out of place in the hands of a zith. Solitude, of course, defies many conventions of the zith; and he is aware that there are greater dangers in the world than can be conquered with tooth and nail. His sword of choice, the bastard sword, perfectly compliments the fighting style of a zith--able to be used with two hands, but lighter than a true two-handed sword so as not to inhibit flight. Unarmed Combat - 10 - 10 - 0 It is when he is unarmed that Solitude begins to fight like a zith. Like all of his brethren, Solitude is used to fighting without weapons. His style of fighting is not necessarily that of a disciplined martial artist, but rather that of a predator. It heavily incorporates the usage of claws, and is centered around the concept of a quick elimination of one's prey. Observation - 10 - 10 - 0 Like all zith, Solitude quickly learned the value of perception. Given advanced hearing and night vision, all zith possess finely honed senses. No matter one's situation, there is much to be gained from paying attention to one's senses. Awareness is it's own unique strength, as necessary to the zith as any physical prowess. Arcana Skill - Total - Starting Package - Trained Reimancy (Air) - 10 - 10 - 0 The ability to shape and emit one's djed, the energy of the spirit, and to discharge it as elemental matter... this unusual ability amazed Solitude when he first witnessed it at the hands of the slaves Afi and Sefa. Now he wields that power as well, having been granted it under their tutelage. Flux - 5 - 5 - 0 Afi and Sefa demonstrated to their pupil that djed can be manipulated within the body just as it could without. The manipulation of the energies within oneself grants an increase in one's physical capabilities, as Solitude had learned. Auristics - 5 - 5 - 0 Another of the many uses of djed, to see the true nature of people and objects, was revealed to Solitude. The potential to sense things normally invisible to the eye was the final lesson offered by Afi and Sefa. Solitude was very grateful for their tutelage, and amazed at what his eyes had been opened to. Gnosis None. Lore and Languages   The Wanderer Language: Common (Basic) Language: Nader-Canoch (Poor) The Student's Humility   The Predator Language: Zithanese (Fluent) Fighting in Complete Darkness Equipment and Possessions A ragged suit of Piece-mail Studded Leather Armor, the closest thing Solitude has to an Heirloom. It consists of pauldrons, vambraces, and greaves that affix to the body via straps. The leather itself is covered with patches and stitching, indicating numerous crude repairs made to it. It is affixed with numerous close set rivets that afford the wearer some modicum of protection. A Bastard Sword forged of Cold Iron, elegantly rendered with a lenticular cross-section and narrow double fullers. The grip and scabbard are covered with a supple midnight black leather, and the scabbard itself has a locket and chape of cold iron. The pommel of the sword takes the form of a crescent moon with a single star nestled in it's curve. This ornate weapon is quite obviously not of zithanese craftsmanship. A pair of Leather Breeches, complete with linen loincloth. These are mainly worn to maintain decency in more civilized locales. A Sturdy Leather Backpack, which is low-slung so that it can be worn between a zith's wings. It contains a Set of Toiletries; Food for a Week; Eating Knife; a Bedroll; and a Flint and Steel. A Set of Maps depicting the regions of Cyphrus, Sylira and Taldera; and the cities Ravok, Syliras and Zeltiva. Ledger (Summer 513AV) Cashed in Housing, Starting Currency = 600GM -141GM, 1SM for a Cold Iron Bastard Sword; Region Maps of Sylira, Cyphrus and Taldera; City Maps of Ravok, Syliras and Zeltiva; and a bedroll. Total = 459GM, 9SM Threads   Flashbacks (1st Summer, 509AV) The Newly Departed   Summer 513AV None yet.