Character name: Arkaeis Zraimat.
Age: 28.
Mageblood type: Ancient.
Favoured Magic Class: Chantment.
Previous Magic training: Novice.
Race: Rheven-ari.
Full Appearance: Arkaeis stands at a generous 6 feet with his double jointed legs—a knee joint, and a secondary joint which reverses direction and leads to his ankles—fully extended. In a relaxed stance he is roughly 5'10.
Biography: Born on Midnight Island to the Zraimat family, Arkaeis was raised to be a mediator between the Shayahn and Vridurhi classes, not to mention the six other Shayahn families. As he grew, raised in the traditional way, Arkaeis learned of the deep intricacies of the mind, the psychology of his kind. This interested him greatly and early in his life he delved into the knowledge that his kind had stored on the subject. Not only did he study it, but he drowned himself in it. He began to absorb as much information as he possibly could. He was ravenous for it, as if knowledge were his sustenance and he had never been fed. At the age of sixteen he attended his first meeting, watching the proceedings and doing his best to pinpoint the best possible solutions. His father, Akain, was proud of his son's skills, but he was to be quite surprised when, quite rudely, the boy interrupted the meeting to give his take on it.
There was a time of stunned silence before the family representatives attending the Khriial Set began nodding their heads at the idea. It was a novel idea, not perfect, but nonetheless it helped them solve the issue and where his father had once been ready to scold, he was now just as ready to congratulate him. Arkaeis could not help but beam brightly for the rest of the meeting, which lasted at least fifteen more minutes.
He was proud of himself and the event lent him a new sense of confidence. It was the seed that grew into what would eventually become his resolute assured state of mind—banishing all self doubt from his mind. His experiences began to broaden as he witnessed Vanas Set and heard the ideas of the people along with the Set-reven. He began to notice the way that the Set-reven would sometimes fully embrace the voice of the people, and how other times they would only appear to do so.
It was a subtle form of manipulation, a form of manipulation that his family had become grandmasters to. He was learning and when he saw it he was able to tell when to intervene and when to simply make note. Sometimes the wishes of the masses would not benefit the masses, it was an odd concept, but he understood how it made sense. He knew it was his duty to discern between these where the Set-reven failed. He was the judge and they the ones on trial. A form of superiority, bordering on arrogance, began to grow on Arkaeis.
His father did not correct it, though he saw it coming to pass. Instead, he took his son to the next Hhay'en Ashar, where the boy made his own mistakes. In the middle of the meeting, once again, he made a suggestion, interrupting a member of the Elder council. Narrowed eyes looked upon him, and this time very few agreed with him, despite the intelligence behind his idea. While it did not cull his arrogance outright, it taught him that humbleness and patience were also necessary traits. It was around this time, at the age of 18 that he began to develop his persona.
The probabilities began to run in his mind, he would no longer have to rely purely on his conscious mind's ability to analyze situations. He would access these scenarios when needed, but they would always be there, running in the background while he worked. His daily life continuing, Arkaeis began to learn the cruel nature of the world, watching the families squabble amongst themselves for superiority, watching predators hunt their prey. He understood that this was how the world worked, that the strong preyed on the weak. However, what constituted strength, the young Reven wondered. Was it influence or skill with a blade? Or perhaps it was magic, which flowed through everyone's veins, regardless of their knowledge or skill.
Knowledge, no...it was knowledge. Intellect, for a strong brute was nothing compared to the one who controlled him, moving him strategically like a game of Chess. This appealed to him, and so Arkaeis continued his studies and as he did he found that many of his kin were beginning to show skill with magic. They had a myriad of Bloodlines, some Psychomancers, others Pyromancers. It was always intriguing to watch them play with the forces of nature.
He wondered if he were unlucky and simply had not inherited the talent. He studied magic, first all the bloodlines, for the Rheven-ari possessed their own College of magic, though it was limited to their kind. He attended several classes, but the intelligence of the professors never impressed him.
Nothing was new, and he could not practice any of the Bloodlines they taught. So, after much digging, Arkaeis finally turned to the Ancient magics. Finding the dusty old tomes buried in their vast archives, Arkaeis began to attempt runes, then weaving, and finally...Chantment. He discovered his abilities one night in a small empty chamber one night. A room carved out of the stone, it was seldom used and possessed only a single chair and table. He had been reading about Chantment and its rarity for quite a while. He had not seen any of his fellow Reven possess the talent and, slightly desperate to see if he had any Blood, for none of the other magics had responded to his call, he tried to do something simple: light a candle.
He chanted, keeping his voice low, but clear having memorized the phrase before he tried it. It went just so,
“Accende lucernam linum coram me mensam ex calculo. De duobus digitis linum latet sub palma florebit. Hic ubi ignis apparuit.” While the Chant was not very effective, it was specific for he had read that inaccurate specification of a spell's location and properties could lead to disaster and injury.
Nonetheless, the spell worked, for the wick of the candle suddenly lit. His lips spread in a smile, and elation spread through him. Still, once he pulled his hand away from the candle, the fire went out. When he placed it over the candle once more by two inches it lit, but if his hand was any higher or any lower and nothing happened. The discovery intrigued him greatly, filling him with a sense of accomplishment despite the simple task.
It was this day that he knew he had to travel. For him to learn the ways of this magic he needed to know more than his home in Shayl Kharath would allow. So the very next day he revealed his discovered to his father and then told him of his plan.
The man did not approve, but nonetheless he knew that Arkaeis would find a way regardless. So he decided to support him. It took him several years of preparation for Arkain had no intention of sending his only son out into the world unprepared. As such his father continued the boy's training with a blade, which he'd started years before. Eventually the man even managed to obtain the Traveler's Blade, better known as Sesrale Maevrihn. Then, on the day of his 27th birthday he bid his son goodbye, and wished him success. Hopefully he would return with knowledge and experience that made it all worth it.
Arkaeis knew he would and for every day he traveled, after landing on the shore of the mainland, he grew. He encountered trouble here and there, but what was more important was the wealth of experience he gained. Even on his way to the College he saw the many races of Tiien, people he had only read about in books, and they intrigued him. They thought differently from his kind, though for the most part he was ignored or thought a human. This of course amused him and he entertained them, gradually understanding how their kind acted on a more intimate level. He continued to do this, learning the similarities and differences between the minds of the many races.
However, all the while he honed his craft, writing down each spell he formulated and constantly working to improve them. The more streamlined, but specific, a Chant was, the easier the spell was to cast, and the more effective it became. Oddly, despite his original
feat in conjuring flame, his book allowed him to do little else for it was worn and old. Instead he took to the disciplines of Aeromancy and Psychomancy, the two which seemed most useful and best kept in the book. Psychomancy in particular interested him and he pored over it, sometimes losing sleep, but not all too often.
Eventually, after a year or so, some wandering, and some beeline towards his destination, Arkaeis would find himself near Leaper's Plateau, only several hours from the College's lofty halls. While excited he had long learned to keep cool his nerves. He did not want to find himself distracted due to fickle emotion. Things would be changing soon, and he knew it.
He knew he was destined for great things, but he wasn't yet sure exactly what those things were.
He'd find out soon enough.
Personality: Enigmatic, veiled in mystery and pleasant in his mannerisms, Arkaeis is a rather cunning individual. While on the outside he appears a near perfect gentleman of high intellect and enigmatic interests, within he is darker, colder, and far more manipulative. Long has he toiled to perfect himself and in his own mind he has succeeded, literally. In this way Arkaeis is entirely confident in himself in all things, even those that he has little talent for. He is unshakable in his own way and on many levels will resist the ploys of others, be they intentional or otherwise. Thus to others he appears a man entirely abhorrent of manipulation and deceit, of course that is only if you know him on an incredibly basic level, for in truth Arkaeis is in fact quite deceitful to all around him. It is a marvel that no one, and that is said with absoluteness, has realized his trickery. For to others he is kind, reliable and honest. Intelligent yes, and definitely more than a little eccentric, but otherwise harmless unless provoked.
Of course, when provoked, Arkaeis does not always appear so on first observation. Instead, he appears either more amused by proceedings or incredibly, horribly bored. This stems from his rather strange rage, which is not easily roused from its slumber in his soul. In fact, those who know Arkaeis very well often say that despite having seen him angry, they always got the sense that he was still entirely in control the entire time. This is frighteningly true and brings with it many implications. First among these is that despite his emotional state, Arkaeis remains entirely in control of his actions even if such does not appear to be the case. Second is the startling realization one gains when they come to know that not only is Arkaeis in control at all times, but that he can rouse any desired mind state or emotion entirely on command. This lends to the fact that all who know Arkaeis understand how great his self control is, even if not to what extent.
When it comes to matters of friend, foe, and family Arkaeis is very particular with how he deals with people. When it comes to family, they are both priceless, and expendable, or rather they are perfect tools for his machinations. When it comes to friends Arkaeis appears incredibly loyal and helpful to near perfection. However, in the end it is almost surely a ruse for he lets so very few into his heart
.
While he is cold, it is difficult for one to truly understand just how much until they have seen him unrestrained against his enemy. Thus it can be seen that in battle Arkaeis only enjoys himself when he needs not utilize the entirety of his deadly arsenal of skills. Otherwise he tends to find himself annoyed by the fact that he must consider his enemy an equal. This reveals another of Arkaeis's vices, something that few know unless they delve deep into his true persona. In short, Arkaeis is prideful and a measure arrogant as he believes that none truly surpasses his majesty. However, it is not in the skills of the body that he believes himself entirely superior, no, it is in the realms of the mind that he so places himself. In a sense, he is not entirely wrong. A fact that, should any discover his true nature en full, would frighten most, not that they would survive long to tell their tell...after all, the others didn't.
Good Attributes: Enigmatic, Charismatic, Intelligent, and Gentlemanly first and foremost. He is pragmatic and cautious as well.
Bad Attributes: Curiosity is likely his biggest flaw as can be amusement. While not easily angered, Arkaeis' temper can lead to a dangerously cruel and chilled side of his personality. He is also manipulative, though it is not immediately apparent.
