Hey there everyone, Jenno here! I'm the new co-GM, here to cause general mischief and disarray, so expect to see me around the plot posts from time to time!
Name: Zephyrus Anders
Age: 25
Race: Sheikah
Gender: Male
Appearance: Zephyrus stands at 6’2 and boasts a svelte, willowy figure, slender in frame and elegant in its movements. It exhibits mild muscle definition, but otherwise there is nothing about him to suggest he is particularly physically strong.
His hair curtains his face and ends at his chin in a series of platinum-blonde curls, and his skin is light and fair.
Despite his imposing height and choice of weapon- a long wooden staff tipped by a crimson-steeled blade- Zephyrus’ face is comprised of soft, gentle features, including a Greek nose, a set of soft, calm vermillion eyes and a small collection of faint freckles across either cheek.
His ears, of course, are pointed, and upon the back of both hands he has a red-inked tattoo of the Eye of Truth.
Zephyrus generally wears a suit of boiled leather armour, navy-blue in colour and skin-tight, as well as a black cloak in which he often wraps himself.
A guandao is strapped to his back, notable for the fact it’s blade is red. Around its upper quarter is a red rag of fabric, which blows in the direction of the wind.
Furthermore, Zephyrus wears a tattered, cream fabric scarf around his neck, which bares ancient Sheikah script which reads something along the lines of “pacing within the shadow of the goddess”, roughly.
Theme Song: [youtube]svnhNtZNFao[/youtube]
Personality: Reserved, Stoic, Loyal, Just, Determined, Reticent.
Backstory: Zephyrus was born and raised in an undisclosed Sheikah village to a father who served as a village sentinel, and a mother who was a trainer, and was a perfectly happy, healthy child.
When he was five, however, his father abandoned him and his mother in favour of pursuing an extramarital affair with an unnamed Hylian woman, leaving the two of them in the tatters of a broken home.
To compensate, Zephyrus’ mother became an overbearing matriarch who taught him rigorously, and Zephyrus withdrew into himself, developing an apathetic shell (rather than dealing with his emotions) and throwing himself into that training.
His mother died shortly before his nineteenth birthday, due to a stress-induced heart attack (no doubt the result of years of ceaseless physical exhaustion in her line of work), and- now without any family to turn to- Zephyrus was dispatched to Castle Town in order to serve the Royal Family, as most Sheikah are.
Until he was twenty, this changed nothing, and he remained somewhat distant, until one day he came across a conman named Archer, who claimed to be his brother: The son of his traitorous father.
Zephyrus was at first resentful, but soon realised Archer was the only family he had left, and took him under his wing with the promise that he’d “set Archer straight” (whether he wanted it or not.)
Since then, he’s slowly been coming out of his shell, but a jovial Zephyrus remains a distant fantasy.
Skills/Talents:
(1) Jeet Kun Do (FS) (PS)
Zephyrus is an experienced martial artist who, after training for decades, has internalised the idea that one should “flow like water” in general life, believing that being fluid is the key to success.
Because of this, he follows no pre-set school of combat, his style is purely adaptive and changes from battle to battle, only consistent in the sense that he moves quickly and flexibly throughout, one moment calm like the stream, and the next crashing down like a wave.
It’s this philosophy that also grants him his general dexterity, as it’s made him very nimble and quick over the years.
(2) Wind Magic (MS)
Much like his father before him, Zephyrus has inherited a small spark of magical talent, particularly when it comes to manipulating the air.
He’s practiced this skill extensively, often incorporating it in combat as a means of non-fatally dealing with a rival.
Although he isn’t capable of brewing tempests, he’s perfectly able to blast either himself or another (if light enough) a fair distance, or whipping up a dust-storm when in the possession of a polearm.
(3) Guandao Training (FS)
Of course, just because Zephyrus practices Jeet Kun Do doesn’t mean he goes unarmed.
He’s found that using a polearm is ideal for his particular brand of combat, because- unlike swords and bows- the art of using a staff is all about balance, and allows for the martial artist and the weapon to move in unison.
His guandao can also be used alongside his wind magic in order to generate a small tornado of sorts, ideal for whipping up dust-storms in a pinch, or…
(4) Shadow Magic (MS)
Fog.
What sort of “Shadow Folk” would Zephyrus be, had he no control over the shadows?
Although he considers both of his magical alignments to be equally important, his shadow magic is slightly lacking: He’s capable of joining the two to create a dense, black fog (which his brother has taken to calling ‘The fog of war’), ideal for confusing and outwitting an opponent, but by itself his shadow magic only allows for him to hide himself in the darkness, or else see what else is hidden there. He’s seen little other use for it, since he doesn’t want to endeavour into the territory of fatal magics.
(5) Parkour (PS)
A must-have for any thoroughly trained Sheikah. For Zephyrus, or indeed any well-taught member of his culture, the art of free running seems insignificant because of how common it is: It’s the Sheikah’s modus operandi for getting around without being seen, and their talent at it is nothing short of legendary.
(6) Sneaking (SS)
The Sheikah are taught to move like the wind, appearing and disappearing whenever the need presents itself, it’s part of why they’re called “Shadow Folk”.
As such, sneaking becomes second nature to them: Light footfalls are made without thought, and it takes little effort for them to switch to stealthy movements.
(7) Swimming (PS)
Zephyrus was taught to swim at a young age by his mother, not for any particular purpose other than the fact it’d be awfully embarrassing if a highly trained Sheikah warrior drowned in a creek somewhere.
Goal(s): - To one day set his brother Archer on the path of justice.
- To defend the denizens of Castle Town.
Inventory:
- A Guandao, tipped with a crimson-steeled blade. The point at which the blade meets the pole is embellished by a small, red strip of fabric which flows in the direction of the wind.
- A suit of boiled leather armour, blue
- A shoulder bag
- Deku Nuts
- … an irritating brother
Wallet: 50 Rupees
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Name: Archer Anders
Age: 20
Race: Hylian/Sheikah (recessive Sheikah genetics)
Gender: Male
Appearance: Much like Zephyrus, Archer inherited his father’s height, standing at 5’11 (just three inches short of his father and brother), and boasting a slightly more muscular, mesomorph build.
His hair is a dark chestnut brown, parted down the centre and ending just an inch or two short of his chin.
The dark colour compliments his eyes, which- due to his mother’s brown eyes and his father’s red ones- have turned out be a mahogany hue.
His skin is a shade of light olive, and his facial features are hard and defined, displaying a strong chin, and equally clear cheekbones, courtesy of the genetics derived from his mother’s side.
His ears are rounded, as opposed to pointed.
Clothes-wise, Archer is fairly inconspicuous: He wears a pair of slightly worn denim pants which’re a shade of deep navy blue, and a worn leather jacket scarred by creases and scratches.
He also wears a thick wrapping of bandages around his knuckles, and looks to carry no weapons.
Theme Song: [youtube]WJRoRt155mA[/youtube]
Personality: Charismatic, Deceptive, Sportive, Venturesome, Keen, Fiery
Backstory: Archer was born as the result of an extramarital affair between a young, poverty-stricken Hylian woman and a Sheikah ex-sentinel who’d abandoned his family with the supposed intention to wed her.
Of course, men like Archer’s father- cheaters- rarely held to their word, and when Archer was three, his father fled again, no doubt in order to rendezvous with another woman (although this has never been confirmed.)
Poor and now in the possession of a child, Archer’s mother couldn’t afford to feed herself whilst caring for him, and died of malnutrition when he was five: He remembered very little of her, but recalled vividly that she’d told him of his brother’s existence before her death.
He was taken to an orphanage, and lived there until he was ten years old, at which point he ran away, not because he’d been mistreated but because he thought he could find his father.
He was mistaken, and soon found himself living on the street: That is, until he was taken under the wing of a kindly street magician, who in all actuality was a conman.
He lived in Castle Town for only a few years before moving onto his next mark, but during this time he taught Archer the tricks of his trade, and also how to defend himself should another con move in on his territory.
Soon, he was scamming the Castle Town’s residents for his next meal, and making a fairly good living of it, too: That is, until he was caught in the act by a particularly vigilant Sheikah.
Archer had thought his goose truly cooked, until he looked into that Sheikah’s face and saw his father’s eyes looking back at him: When he explained that the two of them were brothers, the Sheikah- surprisingly- spared him, but only on the condition that Archer would agree to reform himself.
“Pffft, sure.”
Skills/Talents:
(1) "Sleight of Hand” (PS)
Years of performing magic tricks and picking pockets have left Archer with a great deal of manual dexterity, making him rather adroit at both activities.
(2) Muay Thai (FS)
Performing (and stealing) on the streets is risky, both because others will try to encroach on your bracket, and because those whose territory you’re performing in might feel they’re owed payments.
When push comes to shove, you need to learn to fight: And that’s exactly what Archer’s master taught him.
Archer fights using a full-contact, unarmed martial art that utilises boxing punches, kicks and elbow strikes in order to protect himself (or deal damage).
More often than not, this is made even more dangerous by the fact he’s in possession of…
(3) Fire Magic (MS)
Much like his father and brother before him, Archer possesses an aptitude for magic, but is more inclined towards fire than the more “neutral” elements.
His understanding is simple at best, and his use of it, for the most part, is not particularly unique: He’s capable of hurling the occasional fireball, same as the next pyrokinetic, and is able to form shapes with his flames.
Where Archer’s fiery attitude really shines through is combat, because he’s prone to lighting his fists on fire when a battle gets truly heated in order to deal some extra damage.
(4) General Magic Tricks (PS)
Archer has gathered a small collection of fairly involving magic tricks over the years, from simple playing-card tricks to full-blown pyro-displays, and everything in between. Archer can dazzle and amaze with flaming doves, and pick some pockets in between, as though it were his calling in life.
(5) Free Running (SS)
Sometimes when trouble comes your way, you can’t just beat it up and hope it stays gone.
For example, when the Guards start approaching you about your less than reputable business, it’s best to simply disappear.
In lieu of shadow magic, though, running is the next best option.
Years of dodging the law and laying low until everything has blown over has given Archer the ability to see the quickest paths available to him, and take them without a thought: He’s learned to clamber onto a rooftop and bound off out of sight as a means of survival.
It has nothing to do with his Sheikah heritage, however: It seems all that truly affected was his aesthetics.
(6) First Aid (SS)
Archer has spent much of his life on the streets, fighting off rival entertainers, or being fought off himself. As a result, he’s sustained his fair share of wounds, and over the years has simply learned how to manage them.
He’s no surgeon, but if it’s a flesh-wound he’ll manage it, provided you’re in his good books.
Goal(s): - To strike it big in show business
- To show his killjoy brother how to walk on the wild side.
Inventory:
- One deck of actual playing cards
- One deck of fixed playing cards
- A roll of gauze for his knuckles
- A leather jacket
- A card satchel
Wallet: 14 Rupees.
