Post by ShockHelix on Aug 6, 2013 14:03:10 GMT -5
Character Name: Aran Di'thang. He does not remember his real name, nor does he care to.
Nickname(s): While not his real name, he only goes by Aran Di'thang, which is Aldmeri for 'Slave King'
Race: Half Imperial, Half Nord.
Sex: Male
Age: 24
Birthplace: A 'palace' near Rihad in Hammerfell.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 17 stones.
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Golden Blonde
Hair Style: Aran's hair falls down to his shoulders, his golden locks well combed and washed as part of his daily routine. Often he will fold it beneath his helmet, though the light hair will usually fall back in it's natural place without much effort.
Facial Hair: Aran keeps a light amount of facial hair, which prevents him from needing to spend to much time shaving. A few simple scrapes with his carving knife is all it takes to trim it down when it begins growing to long, though at need he is known to let it grow longer or shave it off completely, for whatever the situation may require.
Skin Color: His skin is well tanned, despite his Nord heritage, as he has spent all of his life in Hammerfell, working and training in the sun, often shirtless.
Build: While not overly muscular, Aran is well toned and well defined. As such, his body is seemingly carved from stone, the muscles of a warrior and seasoned swordsman encompass his arms, legs, and shoulders, with well maintained abdominal muscles to match. Overall,
Distinguishing Features: It has been said that Aran's facial features look as though he was carved from stone, and his chilling blue eyes seem to look to ones very soul, unsettling some and enticing others.
Profession: 'Servant'
Skills: Aran has some skill in most everything, as required by Daelmah d'Waenrae, however he excels most in Weapon use, and is considered a 'blademaster' at the House of Servants.
Magic: Aran has a number of magical spells at his disposal. He is most skilled in Illusion and Healing magic, the Illusions coming from his natural talent, and his Healing spells forced onto him by the proper training of a Khalassev Wanre. In his training, he has learned the art of 'dual-casting,' and is able to strengthen the effect of his spells when necessary. In addition, he can also use touch for the effects of most of his spells, which can considerably increase their effectiveness and his ability to cast them.
- Blind - The first of spells at Aran's disposal, Aran can cause a target to believe that their vision is blurred, keeping them from seeing anything in detail that isn't more then a few inches from their face. The longer he keeps the spell up, the more magicka it takes him, so he often uses the spell only in a surefire situation.
- Bound Sword - While middling in rank among the skill of his spells, Aran knows how to bind a sword in use if he finds himself disarmed.
- Bound Shield - Similar to the Bound Sword, if he finds himself lacking a shield, Aran can manifest a bound one. This takes more magicka and energy then the Bound Sword, and so he only uses the spell in emergency situations.
- Charm - A simple spell, Aran has not practiced it very often. Those untrained in magicka can be quite susceptible to it's effects. though Aran has not mastered much more to the spell then casting it. As such, the spell can have varying effects between it's target finding themselves completely enamored, empathetic to the point of distress, or begging to serve his will.
- Calm - Another spell he has not quite mastered, the Calm spell is used to relax a target, whether it be a friend in panic, or an enemy charging him with a blade.
- Cure Poison - A simple healing spell, Aran can purge his own or a friend's body of poisons, and he has great mastery over the spell.
- Fear - An illusion spell with varying effects, Aran uses it to cause opponents to flee in combat, even when he is outnumbered.
- Flames - Perhaps the spell Aran has the least control over, the use creates a large swathe of flames in front of him when. However, he will usually only use it in a small amount at the tip of his finger, to light tinder or a candle.
- Healing Hands - The skill Aran has the most control over, he can use this spell to locate any external or internal injuries, and heal them with haste.
- Paralyze - While Aran has practiced this spell more then any other, it's casting can still wear him down if he uses it more then once. The Illusion spells convinces the target that they can no longer move anything, and can last for long periods of time on weaker willed opponents, though even some well versed mages can still find themselves paralyzed for minutes at a time.
Training: For his life of service that the House of Servants offers to it's customers, Aran has had some training in - Alteration Magic, Politics and Etiquette, Enchanting, Conjuration Magic, Seafaring, Restoration Magic, Destruction Magic, Illusion Magic, Orcish History, Assassination, Ancient History, Bartering and Mathematics, Heavy Armor, Betmeri History, Exotic Weaponry, Alchemy, Mer Histories, Creature study and History, Melee Weaponry, Missile Weaponry, Study of Dragons, Daedric Study, Battlefield Tactics, Survival Skills and Athletics, Hand to Hand and Thievery, Smithing, Study of the Body and Mind, Histories of Men, Mysticism and Thaumaturgy
Other Abilities: In addition to the above, Aran has recieved extensive training in cooking, knows several popular games, can juggle, can play the flute and , knows a multitude of stories, and knows the basic duties expected of servants.
Apparel: In preparation for his eventual servitude, Aran - under instruction from the House of Servants - has several sets of clothing. The first is a normal peasants outfit, fit for someone no better then a servant. The second is a set of more intricate servant wear, fit for a servant working in the house of a rich noble or lord. The third is a set of robes similar to those a lowly lord or someone of importance would wear. Finally in the way of clothing, he has a normal set of black cloth which he wears beneath his armors.
For armor, Aran prefers his gilded and engraved steel plate armor. The armor, as pictured above, was painstakingly crafted over the course of a year by his smithing teacher with assistance from Aran. The boots of the armor have been enchanted to muffle the sound of his movement, though the rest of the armor is simply well crafted folded steel. Beneath the armor he wears a set of chainmail, as commonly done with plate armor.
Aran recognizes, due to his training, that sometimes heavy armor is not the best choice, and as such he has a set of light black leather armor, meant for use when stealth and speed is essential. The armor itself is unremarkable, save for the leather boots which are similarly enchanted to muffle the sound of his movement. Commonly, these are the boots he wears with his other attire, as plated boots simply are not appropriate.
In addition to his clothes and armor, Aran has a number of other pieces of apparel. To start, he has three cloaks, each for differing roles. The first is a simple brown wool cloak, unremarkable and appropriate for a servant. The second is a bright red silk cloak, fringed with golden lace. The third, and his personal favorite, is a simple wool cloak enchanted with the chameleon effect. This causes it to change colors to those of it's surrounding, and when wrapped in it can make him appear as though a disembodied head to the inattentive.
Finally, Aran has a specialized belt which he wears no matter his current attire. The belt is fairly large, and across it's entire length, in addition to holding his swords sheathe, it is studded with twenty-nine differing gems and metals, each of which represents the completion of an aspect of his training. At the front of the belt is a large diamond stud, which represents the final training he completed upon finishing his belt.
Weaponry: As far as weaponry is concerned, Aran's weapons are fairly conventional. He carries a longbow and steel arrows for ranged combat and hunting, and he also carries a long-hafted nordic steel sword, all of which he crafted himself. While not truly a weapon, he has a carving knife which he usually uses for skinning and gutting game, which can be used for defense in an emergency. However, his knowledge of the Bound Blade spell renders this chance very low, since he can conjure a spectral copy of his sword in the middle of combat.
Other Equipment: In addition to his clothes and weaponry, Aran has quite a few things packed into his saddle bags that befit a traveling servant. Cooking utensils and seasoning, books and parchment and ink, two sleeping rolls, a tent, alchemical herbs and glass flasks, bandages, rope, a small sack of gold, and some dried foods.
Aran also has a few personal items, including a whetstone and oil he uses to maintain his equipment, a flute which he enjoys playing, a deck of playing cards, a shaking jar with dice, and a few darts.
Companions: The prevent the need of his master needing to purchase one, Aran has acquired a large black warhorse. It's saddlebags are where he keeps most of his belongings when traveling, so he need not carry them all himself. He has named the warhorse Strider, simply for the long strides the massive horse takes.
Affiliation: House of Servants, previously.
Religious Belief: Nine Divines
Sexual Preference: Uncertain.
Relationship Status: Single, is currently unconcerned with such things.
Personality: Aran's impassive face reveals little of his emotions, and this is not helped a bit by his years of training under the House of Servants, where emotion in a Servant is seen as a weakness. Outwardly, he seems cold, and almost uncaring to the point of indifference. He is stoic to hardship, and ignores physical suffering, as if he is nothing more then a weapon to be wielded.
While this may be, Aran's personality is far more complex, and his mind is a whirl of emotions, despite that his face my say otherwise. He resembles an onion, in that those closest to him can see layers unfathomable to a passerby on the street. Despite his hard features and cold eyes, he loves passionately and feels deeply, taking many things to heart. He does not enjoy killing in the slightest, but does what he must because of who he is.
While many women find him attractive, and some have even found him irresistible while still others chilling to the bone, he has both refused and steered clear of any relationships, knowing that one day he would need to leave for the service of a new master. As such, he has taken his role as a Servant to heart, dedicating himself to the eventual cause he was trained to fulfill.
Deeper still, Aran holds a love of stories, songs, music, and poetry. His fascination with the false story of a once Servant aiding the mortal Talos, and eventually becoming his Avatar, is perhaps part of the reason he holds so strongly to his duty as a Servant. He yearns for travel, adventure, and glory, though these things he keeps to himself as such things are inappropriate for a lifelong servant. Unlike most Servants, his training did not break him, but rather he accepted the role wholeheartedly. Aran is very accepting of new things, and unlike most residents of Tamriel, holds no hatred for new ideas, and no resentment towards other races. Though his creed is that of duty and honor, he is fair-minded, and can be tolerant of even bandits in the right situation.
Finally, though Aran holds his emotions tight and only those whom he considers his close and trusted friends see it, he enjoys many games, a good laugh, and companionship. He greatly enjoys drinking and joking with those he holds dear, even if only he does so behind closed doors and away from the public.
In the middle of the night, in a palace overlooking the city of Chaseguard, Aran came into the world as the son of an Imperial Prince and his Nordic wife. Although Aran would live with his father for years to come, he would have no such chance with his mother. In a fit of blood, having already given birth to two other children in her marriage, and with no priest on hand for Aran’s premature birth, it was not much later in the night that his mother passed away to drink and fight in Sovngarde, in the wonderous halls of Shor.
As his father was a Hammerfellian Prince, originally adopted by Aran’s grandfather, in the first few years of his life, Aran found he did not want for anything. Through his early years, Aran was nursed by one of his father’s maids, a kind and caring Redguard, whom had a child of her own not soon before Aran was born. As he grew and learned to walk and talk, his milk-brother – Azzada – and he would grow to be close friends for their age, doing most everything together. They would often find themselves in trouble, playing games and sneaking about and playing pranks.
When Aran turned six, his father hired mentors for him, to teach him everything he might need to know as he grew older, though one of his older brothers would most likely succeed his father in his holdings. Azzada’s mother would tell him stories every night as she put him to sleep, becoming Aran’s mother in her own right. His mentors quickly learned of his high intelligence, with Aran learning subjects slightly faster then other children his age. All in all, Aran was leading quite a successful childhood, and in a short year he became a prince in his own right, when his father declared himself a King over Chaseguard, and all of his estates.
For the next year, Aran would enjoy his life as a prince, though he continued to get in trouble with milk-brother Azzada, while his father’s and older brothers were off being warriors. Azzada’s mother continued filling his head with fantastic tales of bravery and courage, and he grew greatly attached to the stories of Talos, before he rose to godhood and was still a man. Aran quickly accepted his role of Prince of Chaseguard until his family returned, preparing the palace and city for siege.
A month after he turned eight years old, Aldmeri forces poured over the walls of Chaseguard, taking the city, and slaying his father and brothers in their assault on the walls. The remaining guards managed to push the Aldmeri forces back over the walls despite their casualties, and for a single day, Aran found himself named a king. His reign was incredibly short lived, as a second assault from the Aldmeri invaders captured the city, and the entirety of his household, including himself, was taken and shackled. As an insult to his father, of which Aran knew nothing, he and his household were given to Daelmah d’Waenrae.
Aran quickly learned about the House of Servants, and though they had not come to his father’s aid, he held them no disgruntlement. He worked as a kitchen slave until his tenth birthday, mocked and ridiculed by the other children. It was at this time the misfortuned child gained his new name, Aran Di’Thang. In a mock of his once title of king, few showed him pity, and many ridiculed him openly, and Aran withdrew into himself, shutting away the happy child he had once been. And on his tenth birthday, he was dragged from his bed early in the morning, and so began his training in the House of Servants.
The next year of his life was brutal to say the least, despite having already begun all the basics he would be taught by the mentors his father bought for him. Unlike most of the other slaves, and due in part to their disdain for him, he quickly adapted to the life of a Xa’Huuli, content with his fate and wishing to prove to all that he was greater then him. While some Xa’Huuli, would take a year to truly begin serving as was required, Aran prided himself in adapting to the requirements expected of a Xa’Huuli within the first month, painfully flaying the flesh from his thumb before the numbing poison had even been close to running it’s course. For the remainder of the years he served faithfully, and though some an’Kin doubted his devotion, on his 11th birthday he was raised to a Plithius Rothe, and began his true training.
Surprised to find his friend Azzada awaiting for him in his room, and ecstatic about being given a pet rabbit, he truly adopted the name of Aran Di’thang for himself, as a single act of defiance to those who thought to harm him with his abandoned past. While the next several years were hard on him, Aran slowly acquired the studs for his belt, taking joy in finding that his foster mother Ennah had become a servant to Daelmah d’Waenrae as well. Though the training was hard, as is the life of a Servant, by the age of fifteen, Aran had acquired the first fifteen of his studs, and was ready to be raised to Rothe Wanre.
He found he had a natural aptitude for spells, but holding to the tales he learned of Talos, and the supposed Servant who had become the man’s Avatar upon him reaching godhood, Aran picked up the sword, and trained with it more then anything else, neglecting his studies for history and magic. Required of all Servants however, once he had completed enough of those, he was given the test required of all Plithius Rothe. With grim determination and little understanding, he drew his blade across his rabbits throat with the an’Kin watching. Despite now being treated as an adult despite his age, he sought comfort in Ennah’s motherly guidance.
The things required of him had Aran retreat even further into his own mind, only sharing his emotions with Azzada and Ennah. As he was raised to Rothe Wanre, he found this exceptionally easy with Azzada, being able to feel his close friend, and the two sharing a sense of one another’s emotions. Over time, he began outwardly hardening himself to the best of his ability, to avoid showing any weakness, as any weakness would be exploited by the an’Kin and other students. While some training would take him four years, others would only take a few months for him to master, and he smartly saved Politics and Etiquette for last, finding amusement that he had once been a king, if only for a day. His name that had once been an insult, others now called on him with some reverence at his skill, jokingly referring to him as their own king.
Upon receiving his final stud, the diamond of politics and etiquette, which he fitted on the front of his belt, he found himself ushered away into a secluded area, surprised to find Azzada chained to the spot. Unsure but conforming, Aran allowed the teachers to bind him in chains as well, and watched in horror as they began to stab Azzada in the chest repeatedly. The pain was unbearable, and the loss was as though he had his own heart carved from his chest. He slipped into unconsciousness, and didn’t awake until a week later, feeling as though a piece of him was missing. Ennah herself was caring for him, a sad smile on her face as she told him he was the only son she had now.
Unable to come to terms with what had happened, and unable to look Ennah in the eyes anymore, he retreated from the world, locking his emotions away inside his own mind. Though Ennah held her love for him, he found her spending much less time with her, blaming himself for Azzada’s death. Though he was finally a full Servant, he found little joy in it at the cost, and buried himself in continuing to train further. Busying himself with crafting his own armor, weapons, and working the blade, Aran found himself stuck at the House of Servants, with few wanting to purchase a servant with such a seemingly cold disposition. In time he found himself besting his teachers at the blade, earning him the title of blademaster, and avoiding Ennah almost entirely. His equipment came steadily, and by the time he was twenty three, the an’Kin were distraught that he had still not been sold, and ordered him to be taken on the traveling merchants who sold some of the older slaves that had not been bought.
Outfitted to one of the groups without chains of binding, he departed the House of Servants for High Rock, his foster mother bidding him a sad farewell, and the merchant ranting about knowing just the Breton Noble to try selling him to. . .
Notes
Aran usually rises before dawn to begin cooking breakfast and practice his blade.
Aran oils his armor to shine before wearing it into the presence of any nobles or people of importance, when he has the ability.
A Merchant named Malintus trained Aran in Bartering and Mathematics.
Malintus would slip Aran treats when Aran cooked him dinner.
An Argonian taught him about Black Marsh, and proper politics and etiquette for Argonia.
An Argonian taught him about the history of Black Marsh and Argonians, although a different one then taught him the politics and etiquette of Black Marsh.
((Edited Magic on 8/21/2013 8:57pm CDT))
