Name: Shux Nide
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Species: Satyr
BackgroundKingdom of Origin: Robore
Parents:
- Qiera Nide - Mother, 98 years old
- Conior Nide - Father, 102 years old
- Qamea Nide - Sister, 41 years old
Backstory: Shux was born into a family of musicians and performers of the Robore Kingdom. His parents formed a semi-famous performer duo, his mother was known for her pretty and almost ethereal voice, his dad for being a great artist when it came to instruments with strings. Shux' upbringing was marked a lot by music and performance as well, as his parents wanted him to succeed them one day in the future. He had just learned to walk when his dad started teaching him how to use the lute, and his mother sang lullabies to get him to sleep. It was a very nice, very loving childhood, one that was full of joy and without much trouble to speak of.
It all changed however when Shux became older. At the age of 18, which in Satyr years is still the age of a child, he started becoming a troublemaker, disrupting the peaceful and calm life of his little town. He started playing pranks on the villagers, disrespecting his elders, and didn't care much for his parents' efforts in teaching him the art of music anymore. Shux started hanging out with a like-minded group of other young Satyrs, who spent their days causing nothing but trouble. What started off as a few pranks and minor misconducts, eventually lead to a life of crime for the young Shux...
He was 23 at the time, and had stopped living with his parents and his sister for about a year, instead chosing to be roomates with a few of his criminal friends. Their crimes were not especially violent, but they almost always targeted women and the elders, people who could barely protect themselves and their belongings. On one faithful day however, Shux would steal something that forever changed the course of his life. He was sitting at his usual bar, drinking his last cup of wine before heading home, when the human next to him started making conversation.
Usually, Shux would not care much for stories, but this man was well dressed and possessed an aura of nobility. He told the Satyr he was a well-known merchant, someone who traveled all across the land to get his hands on rare items. He was clearly inebriated, and told Shux too much for his own good. The prospect of stealing the man's gold and treasure was already good enough, but then he mentioned an object of even greater value: A vial of Gallor's blood. Shux eyes widened. His kind was known for having a connection to magic, but he himself had never drank of the magic blood. He knew it sold well, kings and mages all over the kingdom wanted to get their hands on it. So, he did what he had been doing over the last few years.
After Shux and the merchant had drank a lot more wine and beer, the Satyr was nice enugh to accompany the man back to his chambers. He fell asleep almost immediately, without even changing his garments. Shux started looking around the room, pocketing a few gold and silver pieces, until he finally found the vial with the magic blood. With a huge grin on his face, Shux left the sleeping merchant and made his way back to his home. He kept the vile a secret, not wanting to share his prize with his fellow "friends". He thought about where to sell it, and realized he would have a hard time finding a buyer in Robore. Satyrs were not as desperare to get their hands on magic blood as say, humans, and the prize would not go that high. Furthermore, Shux had developed a sort of reputation for being a thief and scammer, which made finding a buyer that much harder.
After a good night sleep, Shux had made his decision. He was 24 now, and his town had become rather boring. There were so many places out there, so much to see, was he really going to spend all his life here? He had the vial, which would allow him to set up a new, more luxurious life somewhere else. He knew that Contera, of the Nepharie Kingdom, wasn't that far away, surely he would find various interested buyers there. Two days later, Shux had left his hometown, none the wiser where he had disappeared to and why.
His journey to Contera proved to be an enriching experience. Shux had never left the Robore Kingdom, and had only met a few other races over the years. The road to Contera lead him along villages and cities, full of life and other creatures he had never seen before. He sold off a few of his stolen items to get by, but the journey proved to be longer than expected. He had been on the road for about a month, when he started running low on supplies and goods to pawn off. All Shux had left was the vial of magic blood...
The Satyr stopped at an inn close to the road, night was approaching fast and he was tired and hungry. He spent his last coin on a bed and a warm meal, not really sure how he would go on from there. Things were not going according to plan, and his wanderlust was slowly being replaced by nervousness. As he sat there, eating his bread and soup, someone started playing music in the background. The Satyr turned around, there was a small group of musicians, playing to entertain the patrons. They were ok, nothing special compared to the sounds he knew from home, but at least they did not suck. Shux was not about to pay them too much attention, until he observed some patrons approaching the group, giving them silver and gold coins for their performance. The Satyr kept observing the scene, counting the coins that were being tossed inside the little basket, a plan forming in the back of his mind.
That night, Shux spent a lot more time thinking than sleeping. The group of musicians had been nothing special, but the coin they had earned would have been enough to keep the Satyr fed and dressed for at least a week. It had been an eternity since Shux had touched an instrument, but his upbringing had been based around it, sure he could do at least as good as that group of musicians. And...he still had the vial of blood. Normally, people would use magic to control the elements, but there had been others throughout history who had used it for other purposes. One of the most famous Satyr musicians in fact, Quemal "Goldtongue", was known for using magic to improve his music and performances, and he became famous throughout the kingdom, playing for kings all over the continent. The vial would earn him a lot of coin, sure, but how long would that last? What if...he took it instead? He never thought of touching an instrument again, but the thought of becoming rich seemed to be right there, he just had to stretch out his hand and grab it. Before he could change his mind, Shux popped open the vial and drank its contents in one go.
The following weeks and months were spent practicing his magic and relearning his musical skills. Shux decided to not go immediately to Contera, but to follow the road and practice at inns and towns instead. His beginnings were mediocre, only earning enough coin to buy two or three meals, but soon enough, the lessons he had learned over the years started coming back. Shux also realized that, to improve his skills, he had to learn how to control the air around him. After all, it was air that carried his sounds and melodies, shaping it meant shaping music. After around two months, Shux had started making a name for himself, spending several weeks in one town now to give performances instead of being on the road constantly.
Fast forward to now, Shux has become a well-known performer and musician, someone who enjoys the company of nobles and courts alike. He is wealthy enough to live a comfortable life, not needing to steal anymore, but using his magic and skills to pay for everything he wants. He has been living in the Capital city for around 5 years now, giving regular performances in the local music hall.
Physical Appearance: Height: 160cm Weight: 66kg Appearance: Shux could be described as a good-looking Satyr. He takes a lot of care of his dark brown horns, keeping them at a medium size and making sure they are always shiny. His hair is of a golden blonde that shines in the sun, it is usually shoulder long. It transitions directly into his beard, which is of the same color, and is usually adorned in some kind of way. His blue eyes are a pool of selfconfidence, with a slight hint of mischieviousness showing every now and then. His skin is of a slightly darker olive tone, his fur is of a rich brown color.
Attire: In contrast to most Satyrs, who usually wear little to nothing, Shux has quite the collection of expensive and personalized clothing. Enjoying the company of nobles and kings over the years, the Satyr has adapted the clothing style of rich humans, chosing to wear elaborate shirts made of silk or wool, depending on the season. He usually wears bright, eye catching colors, which make him stand out immediately. This is usually accompanied by a collection of golden rings and a necklace every now and then. Shux knows that looks matter in the world, and has adapted over time to belong into a crowd instead of standing out because of his race. His attire sometimes includes a cape as well, depending on his mood. His lower body however remains unclothed, always showing his fur and tail.
PersonalityPersonality: No matter what, never ever trust a word Shux says. Although he stopped stealing, he never became an honest or stand-up type of person. There are clearly two sides to Shux: His public persona, Shux "Silvertongue", and his actual self. To start off, his public persona is a facade that relies on charm to get whatever he wants. He has learned how to act around nobles and important people, always observant of his surroundings to adapt. Shux is very well-versed in sucking up to others, playing on their desires and pride to move up in the world. However, he is always scheming and trying to get the most out of every situation. He is the type of singer who will chant about heroes and love stories in the evening, only to make love to the noble's daughter that same night. If there is an angle to exploit, Shux will eventually find and use it.
In what might seem a contradiction, his actual persona is a lot more shallow and simple than his constructed one. In reality, Shux cares about wealth and material possession more than anything else. He always spends his nights with a different woman, only to find a new one on the morrow. He will sing about heroic deeds, legends and true romance, but in the end he only really cares about how much coin that puts in his pocket. He is not dumb, but he is not excideengly smart either, unless it comes to "emotional intelligence". Shux' motivations are simple: Make a ton of coin, become someone important, move up in the world. How he gets there does not matter.
Hobbies: Most of his time is spent either practicing his music or magical skills or writing new songs. When he is not doing that, you can usually find Shux with a cup of fine wine sitting at someone's table, enjoying a good time without a care in the world. He is a womanizer, someone who loves to flirt and using his fame to get to know women. He has become a fan of arena fights over the years, for their aggressiveness and entertainment value
Skills: Shux is very charming, someone who knows how to talk himself into places and out of trouble. He is smart enough to recognize someone's desires, using them to get something out of the situation. His time around nobles has taught him everything there is to know about court manners and customs. He is an adept at bartening with merchants as well.
Abilities/CombatAbilities: Shux has to rely on his magic if he wants to survive a fight. His skills in music allow him to alter the conditions on the battlefield, improving himself and whoever might fight on his side, and using illusions and other devious means to stop and hinder his opponents. Shux can raise the morale of the troops, using his music to increase their strength and resistance. Playing the right tune, he can demoralize his enemies, put them into a trance, maybe even convince them to switch sides for a short period of time. His skills in transforming the air around him allows him to use the element of air to his advantage. He can imbue weapons with elemental power, create gusts strong enough to knock over things and opponents, and sometimes he is able to create a localized thunderstorm.
However, Shux has had no formal martial training, making him reliant on all of his tricks if he wants to stand a chance. His illusions allow him to weaken enemies first, confusing them to attack. He was little more than a thug, and never commited any violent crimes, so his skills with the blade or any other weapon are very limited. He did pick up the sport of hunting over the years, which makes him at least decent with a bow and crossbow.
Weaponry:
- Lute - Shux' instrument of choice. It allows him to cast musical and air magic, changing the conditions on the battlefield for his favor. It can also play very lovely tunes in the hands of this skilled Satyr.
- Pan Flute - Another instrument that Shux carries with him most of the time. Due to it's smaller size, it creates less powerful magic, but allows him to weild another weapon at the same time in contrast to the lute.
- Silver Dagger - A simple silver dagger, used for close-quarters-combat. It allows to strike precise spots, but won't stand a chance against bigger weapons in a fair combat.
- Crossbow - Long-distance weapon, allows Shux to attack from a safe distance. The Satyr is a fair shot, however, the weapon needs to be reloaded after every shot, exposing its user to attacks.
Weaknesses: Anything that comes close to a fair match will be a big disadvantage for Shux. His lack of former training makes it pretty much impossible to defend against any weapon or fighting style, experienced fighters would mean a ton of trouble for the Satyr. He is also not the fittest, having lived a life of luxury with little to no effort. If Shux wants to survive any fight, it is imperative that he uses whatever means at his disposal.
Mount: None, the idea of sitting on a horse having hoofs himself makes him feel weird.
