Adal Northrup
29 years
One wouldn’t expect that the expedition’s leading researcher and strategist would be a man with the air of respectful nobility who rambles about discoveries and breakthroughs like an obsessive, ancient lab technician. On one hand, Adal is a gentle, kind soul who works hard to ensure the safety and well-being of others. His patience seems unlimited, tested by years of work with the capital’s most impatient, assertive scientists. He can come up with a witty remark or two and adapts well to different types of people in most situations. A sense of confidence (not the excessive, obnoxious kind) puts a lot of people at ease, and he is often very aware of this fact as he leads his comrades on the expedition. He’s proud of the work done by his ancestors in building a peaceful nation, so reverent in fact that he takes time to thank them when he can. This can be taken as naivety, even pure ignorance, of the scars in history made by those very same people. And due to the privilege of seeing only the good in his people, he is quick to believe in the bad of others not from his home.
On the other hand, he’s been raised in a land that had been primarily without violence. Such a pampered lifestyle would, of course, make it hard for him to face the dark realities of the realm outside his home, including facing tragic deaths to violence and accidents. The fears of dying and the unknown shake Adal to his very core, washing away the positive, exuberant personality that he puts on. He can be like scared prey, running from that which he cannot face. He can also lose composure and spiral into negativity, though this has yet to be seen by his friends. Adal can lash out in these times, impatient and selfish to seek refuge from his fears. This takes a bit of time on his part to remedy, but when he snaps out of it, he most often appears as unshaken as he was before.
Adal’s beginnings are very mundane, to say the least. He was born to a farmhand in a village by Aysel’s capital. He grew up with five younger siblings, whom he often had to care for. As the boy went through his schooling in the quaint town, it turned out that he had a passion for learning and instead of partaking in social activities or even resting, Adal often studied or took notes on wildlife nearby. He was one of the most brilliant children to grow up in the town, which spurred his parents to send him to Kiran for tutelage under researchers at the age of fourteen. His tutors often found his bright attitude and drive a redeemable quality, but still put him through harsh training and studies for the next ten years of his life. As soon as this was done, he became part of a league of scientists whose purpose was to advise the Council of Aysel and lead the empire to great discoveries. And for the previous five years, he joined in various, short-lived expeditions to uncover great mysteries and find a source of power for Aysel to thrive on. Adal visited his family many times during his schooling and sends a good portion of his income to them, to ensure their well-being. But in the past five years, he hasn’t been able to do so and misses them dearly.
- Revolver and dagger: Adal is not a man of great strength who can take on use of a rifle, nor steady of hand to take on a sword, but he is capable with the bare essentials for a researcher on the expedition.
- Observation and Deduction: As a reknown researcher, he has a mind that is quick to judge and built to comprehend situations in a manner to minimize damage or adapt to problems. This sometimes may mean saving himself before others, however, if he deems it the best temporary solution.
- Quick-footed: The name implies all; he’s quite fast, thanks to his longer legs.
Strengths: Adal is very quick to finding solutions to problems, thanks to vigilance and a level head. He is much better with strategizing and using logic to find a way through, rather than using brute force or command. He puts a lot of trust and pride his nation, his work, and his comrades, so he usually puts on a confident air that allows others to trust him most. Other than this, he has trained himself to use a revolver decently well (enough to protect himself) and prides himself on capable of finding the best hiding spot when need be. He may be nimble, but he knows usually what battles he can and cannot take on.
Weaknesses: As mentioned above, Adal is not a man to use force or violence. This is mostly because he really can’t; he’s a scholar and researcher, not a fighter. He’s quick to succumb to fear, with a queasy stomach to boot. Only such fears of mortality and darkness waver his faith in himself and his countrymen, shattering his assured demeanor to reveal a spineless, book-savvy traveler. Another weakness (often debated as a strength in and of itself) is his curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Though he lovingly takes notes about the world around him in a pocket book, Adal tends to get lost in his thoughts and, in that instant, cares little for others and puts his studies before all.