Name: Ismayel

Age: 19

Weapon Type: Mainly hammers

Appearance:



Ismayel’s body is the testament to what human strength can achieve. Every bit of his body is the embodiment of raw power, as if he has stepped out of a painting, or the statue of a titan. He is at least a foot taller than your average man, and, depending on how you looked at it, the amount of muscle on him was either something to be awed by, or something to shake you to your bones with fear. In many ways, he looked greater than man, like an angel or a deity. In many ways, he looked like an unchained monster.

His skin is the colour of sand, and his eyes are a gray-blue. He has dirty blonde hair, and a persistent stubble on his face that seems to grow back whenever he shaves.

One of the most impressive features of Ismayel is the detailed tattoo covering his entire back. It shows all of the Gods of the Vayka, which number in the hundreds. Each God is represented by an artistic rendering of the constellations they form in the night’s sky. Ismayel can name all of them.

To battle, he wears thick armor that makes him even harder to take down, and a large shield to boot. But this armor also slows him down greatly. He carries a large, metal, two handed hammer that he can often swing with a single hand, while wielding his shield with his other. His armor, shield, and hammer are all made of silver material, with some parts gold. This colour scheme, in a way, exemplifies how they envision angels to appear.

History:

Ismayel was a baby orphan taken in by followers of the Vaykan faith, who resided in the north-eastern desserts. This religion was a just, honest, gracious one, but it was also harsh when it came to discipline and justice. Although the Vaykans claim to seek what is the best for humanity, they are known to lash out violently against those they deem evil, and their wrath against even the slightest offenses is unforgiving.

The Vaykan’s value purity of the soul, clarity of the mind, and strength of the body.

Purity of the soul. Although their acts against the unjust are violent and severe, Vaykans are often the most generous against the poor, and go to no ends to protect the weak. The elder among them may be harsh to their apprentices, but they often laugh the loudest and warmest at feasts, and radiate a comforting presence to those around them. Each Vaykan knows love for all, and keeps an even special place in their hearts for those they call friends.

Clarity of mind. A Vaykan is required to read and memorize the 13 books of their religion, each book spanning a few thousand pages. Every Vaykan will carry at least one of these enormous tones with him at all times, often hanging from his hip by a silver or golden chain (even though a single volume can weigh as much as a heavy rock). A Vaykan is not allowed to read anything else, as reading even a single sentence from another book can be seen as great sin, unless in absolute necessity to save a life. Their books cover a large range of subjects, from philosophy and mathematics, to martial arts and medicine. On top of this memorization, they are often found spending an overwhelming majority of their waking hours praying and meditating.

Strength of the body. If one were to observe a Vaykan temple, they would be confused by the amount of rocks and boulders that seem to be surrounding it, ranging in size and weight. The Vaykans use these rocks to become stronger. Pushing them, rolling them, hurling them, and even picking some of them up… these are just but few of the exercises they perform to strengthen their bodies, and they start at a very early age. A teen Vaykan boy, or even a girl, can lift and hurl objects that would be too heavy for your average man. The Vaykan is trained in combat, and prefers thick armor, shields, and heavy weapons to all else.

Personality:

Ismayel is a warm person. He finds it easy to enjoy the small things in life, and is quick to laugh or smile. Like any one of his fellow Vaykans, he feels it his duty to ease the suffering of others, and to stand for the weak. But, although he has unshakable faith in his religion, he has grown to fear what he may become. He has seen his elders and masters, who were all great men and women he looked up to, but also showed a side to him that shrouds his judgement in fear to this day. Ismayel sees his teachers as personal heroes, but he is afraid of their wrath, and of hos unforgiving they are to even the pettiest of thieves. He wishes to follow his religion, but he does not want to grow into a monster, even if it is only against the unjust.

Perhaps this is why the pilgrimage was made. After finishing his first book of the Vayka, a young initiate must embark on a journey across the continent, and maybe even across the world if it takes him there. They are to bring the second book with them, and read and memorize it whole, just like any other one of the 13 texts. But more importantly, a Vaykan must stay on his pilgrimage until he knows that he has found the answers he seeks.