Name: Malakaus Ralthavar Marchrosias
Age: 27
Gender: Male (Occasionally female)
Race: Half-Orc/Half-Elf
Appearance:
Personality: Malakaus can be called brash, short-sighted, and pigheaded. Of course these things can easily be turned into good traits as well, such as him being confident, who acts without hesitation but with great determination. Still a pretty perspective guy, he can easily discern moods and motivations and act accordingly (However he likes). While he does take into consideration others around him, he tends to think of himself first, and his closest friends a distant second so long as he gets what he wants.
Background: Malakaus's story begins with his family. An orcish shaman and a elven fletcher. Two people who were, more or less, pressed into their place in their society. They only met by chance due to the war both of their respective clans were fighting at the time, a war that neither of the two had any particular investment in. So when they found themselves both stranded in a cave during a particularly nasty storm, they used the opportunity to get to know one another. That was how Malakaus's mother and father met, and ever since then they chose to leave behind their people and go somewhere that would accept them both, without either one of them having to go against one another. A love story to be sure, but not one that Malakaus has any interest in telling. This simply explained his birth; now onto what he had done between than and now.
Malakaus was born here on the island of Sothia. His parents found a quite little community where they could live in relative peace. Malakaus's mother still practiced her shamanistic ways, though it was more of a lifestyle than a religion. She ended up forming a little community group with other mothers. Malakaus's father continued to earn their keep through fletching, befriending the hunting community with his high quality bows and arrows. As for Malakaus himself, he often spent time with his mother in an attempt to learn her "Magic", though it's questionable just how much magic he was able to learn from her. A lot of her "Teachings" were what he'd called "Advanced Science". Yes, Malakaus was a bit of a brainy child; unlike either of his parents he had the chance to go learn at an school. That's where he did most of his growing.
While hardly a model student, Malakaus ate knowledge with the same fervor as he ate his lunches. That is to say, quickly and in great amounts, often with seemingly random things. Science, history, literature, mathematics, language, Malakaus sought to become the best of any subject he came across. Unfortunately he was also easily distracted, so while he certainly showed potential in his education, he never stuck with one thing long enough to truly excel. It wasn't until his young adolescent life that he really began to specialize into something. And even than, he sought to become the master of all.
At around fifteen years of age Malakaus met a boy (Who he didn't learn until much later was a werewolf) who he had to share a room with during his time in an advanced academy. Initially the two boys had difficulties communicating with one another due to mutual fear and distrust, but after certain shenanigans involving courting the same crossdressing son of a crime lord and the subsequent battle for their lives, the two became closer and had a better understanding of one another. Thanks to their friendship, Malakaus had someone who could help him focus on his task, and thus lead him onto the path of an Inventor. And inventor of what, Malakaus allowed himself to be flexible. Initially it was going to be metal working, but after a trip through a ship yard Malakaus grew an interest in machinery. He wanted to know how to use cogs and springs to create powerful and mighty contraptions, more so when they are combative in nature. Sure he never took up formal combat classes, but Malakaus still was an orc at heart, and his lust for battle emerged in their own forms.
So entering his adulthood Malakaus and his friend decided to live together in a shop. He became the town's tinkerer; while his official occupation was a jeweler, that was mainly due to the fact that he was the only one in town with the right tools and skills to handle such fine metals, and it was good money. When hired he would work on anything with the right amount of funding; he had helped create things from windmills to clock towers, from storm shelters to entire complex death-trap dungeons. He's even had a hand in creating new medicine and treatments of injuries, and one of his best known accomplishments in the medical field is the the Iron Arm; basically a prosthesis that, while not quite as dexterous as a true hand, was certainly more useful than a stump.
Malakaus still lives in his shop with his best friend, either working on someone's gold necklace or pursuing some strange but exciting project he's finally gotten the time and material to work on. He can also be seen with his best friend hunting for sport, or looking into the wilderness for rare and exotic materials for another project of his.
Moral Weakness: Surrender; Malakaus isn't a quitter, even if he's obviously losing. He'd rather be defeated than to run away, and when he does have to he grows immensely irritated, and often would waste time getting ready to face the problem again and again until he is satisfied with his victory. Regardless of it's importance or his actual chances of succeeding.
Moral Immunity: Defeat; In correlation to above, he is a graceful loser. He will give it his all and is not afraid to use unhanded tactics to get ahead, but if his opponent still defeats him despite his efforts, he will congratulate them for the honor. Failure to do something or to achieve isn't a thing he dwells on; as far as he cares, he still has a chance to try again. By being defeated he knows what wouldn't work so he can try something new next time.
Skills:
Inventor - If it can be crafted Malakaus has taken the time to try it. From smithing to engineering, to herbalism and applied magical/scientific theory. He has no real diploma or license proving his ability in these fields, only his skills and the results of his labor. Indeed, he himself hardly knows some of what he does when he's made to do a project, often experimenting or operating under vague circumstances which he doesn't understand immediately, only that he knows it's working.
Endurance - Tireless and tough, there's little that can slow Malakaus down short of death itself. He's been known to survive many of his past mistakes (most which involves explosions of various levels) and can operate days on end with little sleep or supplies. Of course it's not good for his overall health, but you can bet that he'll last long enough to get the treatment he needs.
Perspective - While many people think Malakaus is a single-minded force of personality, he is much more cunning and observant than he has any right to be. He has a nose like a dog, if not better, capable of identifying people and objects with unique scents. He can memorize voices pretty well too, and his eyes are capable of detecting even the faintest of details in various states of light, from day light to pitch darkness (I.e. he does have nightvision). Malakaus is also capable of discerning lies and deception in others, and while he can't always figure out the truth, he can at least tell when someone isn't being honest.
Other: Malakaus has a three-story building in Sothia that serves as both his home and place of business. It also has a basement where he does most of his planning and inventing, unless it requires a specialized location like the docks or the academy. As for weapons he relies on two of his own invention; a "Pick Axe", which is essentially a wood cutting maul with a rock splitting spike on the opposite side, and a repeating crossbow, which Malakaus is always wiling to tinker and improve upon. Currently it's capable of firing it's entire box (Ten bolts) in less than a minute. He also has created and knows the formula for a certain gender-bending potion. While the effects are only temporary, the duration is depending on the dosage you consume. He suspects that if one takes a large enough dose, or takes them regularly enough, the change may become permanent. Malakaus has largely discontinued the research on it, so he isn't sure and likely won't be any time soon.
Name: Garoh Umbranox
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: Werewolf
Appearance:
Personality: Garoh is always in control of himself, and if he can help it, in control others as well. He keeps his cool and acts with purpose, and tries his best not to waste time or energy needlessly. That's not to say that he isn't willing to spend time goofing off and playing around, after all all work and no play makes Garoh a dull boy. While he can get angry he prides himself on his control, and even when he's in his werewolf form he's in full control of his mind; no succumbing to bestial nature for him. Though this may make others question his morality considering just what sort of horrors he's willing to commit with a conscious thought. A nice guy, but can be rather creepy.
Background: Generations of Garoh's family lived on the island of Sothia. They weren't always werewolves however; it wasn't until his great grandfather's generation that they picked up this curse-turned-gift. It started when Garoh's family, who are well known as hunters of many types of men and monsters, were confronted by a powerful werewolf leader. Garoh's great grandfather fought the beast to the death, but suffered a grievous injury that forced him into retirement. This injury infected Garoh's great grandfather in a way that no one at the time was aware was possible; it made it so that Garoh's great grandfather, his children, and those sired from his blood would be cursed with the uncontrollable powers of a werewolf. His great grandfather was the first victim who was consumed by the bestial urges and was forced to be killed by his own family. But not before his wife, Garoh's great grandmother, had already given birth to three children. And not only that, but the curse was passed down to anyone with the blood, regardless of gender. Garoh's gained his beast blood through his grandmother, who was married off to the Umbernox family, minor nobility who sought to master the power of the Werewolf blood. And sure enough Garoh's father, the second son of Garoh's grandmother, was the first to master the power of the Werewolf and overcame the curse within it. This he passed down onto Garoh, who mastered it before he was even a teen.
Now that was just a bit of his family history. Because of Garoh's early mastery of his werewolf nature, it was never a problem for him growing up. If anything, his father's rather spartan upbringing caused more harm to the young boy's mind than his cursed blood. Garoh's father was a military captain on Sothia, who channeled his rage into a fine, keen edge of discipline and fury. He made sure his son was able to control not only his beast blood, but his very emotions. This would have turned Garoh into an emotionless tyke bomb, but fortunately his mother was a constant and soothing presence for both the boys. Garoh's mother came from a long line of hunters, rivals to Garoh's great grandfather's family, but for her Garoh was her son, and it didn't matter who his ancestors were. To his father, Garoh's mother was the only woman who could casually stand up to him and match him in passion and power, something that he respects. It was thanks to her that Garoh was able to grow up fairly emotionally stable, though he still resents his father for his harsh childhood.
And it was because of his father that Garoh was so willing to put distance between himself and home, even if he had to be away from his mother. Garoh enrolled in school at a young age and moved onto an advanced academy for young men, and being of (low) noble birth he had a bit more accommodation than your average student, though no where near as much as some of the upperclass. It was because he sat at this balance of being in the upper echelon but also sitting amongst the commoners that he met with a peculiar orc (Who Garoh would later discover is actually half and orc) . He was to be Garoh's roommate, and honestly Garoh was a bit racist. He had heard many horror stories of Orcs and how barbaric they were, and Garoh's first impression of his roommate seemed to support these statements. But after they fought alongside each other when they both made the mistake of courting a crossdressing trickster of a local crime lord, the two boys were able to see past their differences and formed a deep bond with one another. Garoh helped the orc focus his time and energy into work, giving Garoh the confidence to try to do his family proud. While his friend pursuit the path of an Inventor, Garoh joined the city guard. He kept his werewolf blood a secret, but did utilize it to give him an edge in physical tests, relying on his own wits and charisma for intellectual exams and public relations.
Garoh considered going into the army, perhaps even become a general (This was just a aspiration), but chose to simply settle for the militia instead. And even than, he was only a militia when called for; more often than not when he picks up his weapon it's for the purpose of hunting instead of defending his hometown. Officially he's a merchant; moving in with his friend from the academy, Garoh handles the business front while letting his friend do all the physical work. It works out well for him; Garoh simply has to take up orders until he gets his friend a steady amount of jobs to do, and he can spend the rest of his time doing whatever he'd like, often hunting or fighting. Garoh may be highly disciplined, but he still enjoyed the blood-rush of a good brawl ever now and again.
Currently Garoh spends most of his time in the wilderness of Sothia, hunting, exploring, and occasionally actually keeping the peace. He also regularly works at the store he lives and works in, at least until he finds enough jobs for his business buddy to work on. He keeps his skills sharp and always ready to hone further with the militia, but he also keeps in touch with world news and the local gossip.
Moral Weakness: Conflicting Loyalty; Garoh tries to make those he cares about happy, but this is worse when the happiness of those people rely on Garoh betraying one of them. Or if he has to do something bad to someone he cares for, like hurting someone or allowing them to get hurt. In this regard Garoh cares more about his people than his principles, breaking laws or limbs if it means keeping his friends and family safe. But again, when it comes to making a decision between people he cares about, he'll often take the worse option, whatever that may be.
Moral Immunity: Murder; Garoh is a killer, through and through. If you try to guilt-trip him about how he can easily kill anything from a terrifying monster to innocent lives, he would simply scoff at you. To him death comes to all things; while he'd rather avoid killing others, when it comes down to it it's just another chore for him to do.
Skills:
Hunting - Garoh's favorite and best activity; stalking prey, striking fast from the shadows or from afar, hitting vital points with blades, arrows, or even his own teeth. Garoh is a great hunter who relies only on his body and mind to succeed; everything else just helps.
Self Control - Garoh is not easily manipulated, to the point that it's almost supernatural. It's not just that he's difficult to goad into changing his mood; he could will his body to fight off sickness and injury, to be unaffected by mind-altering effects like drugs or magic. Even if you were to attach chains to his limbs, you'd first have to tear them off his body before you could actually force him to move in anyway he doesn't want to. No one can control Garoh externally or internally aside from himself.
Military Training - Garoh has been working with the Sothia militia for a good five years now. He's competent in their basic weaponry and battle tactics, and more than capable of taking care of himself if there's a fight. But he also is aware of the laws and customs of the Sothia military, and can use these laws to help him in more civil cases as well, such as policing in the city or simply using his authority to command others below his station. There are more benefits to joining the militia than just learning how to use a sword.
Other: Garoh is a shocktrooper in the militia, using a Zweihandler to break weapons and cause serious harm to anyone caught in the swing. Though he'd prefer archery. Garoh always carries his hunting knife, useful for skinning beast or shanking an unruly thug. He sends letters to his mother who lives in a different part of Sothia, and often sends her money whenever Garoh gets paid. He's a member of the local hunter's guild who no only makes some extra money hunting for meat and skins for the city, but also keeps track of wild life in the land to ensure that no one is poaching (And risk driving off wild life and/or bringing some to near extinction), using his connection with the militia to enforce laws. Garoh can transform into a werewolf whenever he pleases, though the transformation can occur forcefully under certain circumstances, though all this does is force Garoh into the form of a werewolf and does not really change his mentality.
