"I would suggest doing that. It would result in your death, which would not be entirely unpleasant."
Albus Dinciburr Kitchingham IV // Kitch
ＡＧＥ19
ＧＥＮＤＥＲMale
ＰＬＡＣＥ ＯＦ ＯＲＩＧＩＮBridesend, an island mainly known for its mines and animal husbandry. Not terribly well-off like the islands of Schuile or Baleine.
ＡＰＰＥＡＲＡＮＣＥStanding at about 5'8 and with a thin but reasonably muscular frame, Kitch appears to have the options of both fighting and running away quite open to him biologically. He can physically seem like a brute to the most frail of crewmates, and a lanky runt to the more muscled. His features are neither too young nor too mature, letting even the most misjudged eye to guess his age accurately - sometimes much to Kitch's annoyance. He also happens to be somewhat handsome and well-spoken, and his skin is also rather pale for someone who grew up on a farm, allowing him to pass off for someone of much higher birth - something that Kitch tends to exploit. His hair is usually tied back in a small bun, and he favors a simple getup of a shirt, black slacks, and a moderately thick jacket when the weather calls for it.
ＰＥＲＳＯＮＡＬＩＴＹFor someone very much likely to be thrown overboard by the crew three days into the voyage, Kitch is usually quite quiet and reserved. He is the kind of person that lives his life observing the world and its events rather than throwing himself into the thick of it. Most of the time, he can be found within his quarters or alone on the deck practicing his already-dodgy arcane magic skills, writing things of no particular note in his journal, or just simply being by himself. He has also been gifted with quite an unreadable facial expression, something which he uses to his advantage. Many of Kitch's important thought processes are carried out inside his head, and to many people, he seems to be living in his own world.
Unfortunately, extended proximity with Kitch can begin to be rather toxic to moderately sensitive people. Despite not even having an official license from the university, Kitch seems to have complete faith in his arcane abilities, irritating the licensed and occasionally putting lives at danger. He never misses out a chance to display his skills to the less magically inclined - or to prove his superiority in general. He can also never seem to concentrate on a task 100%, and can appear to lack dedication to his skillset. Kitch has yet to learn that to be a great mage requires not just innate ability, but a long-term committment to excellence. To people who have had to work hard to get where they are, Kitch comes off as lazy and without true tenacity.
To top it all off, Kitch's greatest weapon (or weakness) is his tongue. He always has a witty, condescending, humorous, or downright insulting remark for every situation. While being unreadable himself, Kitch also has an uncanny ability to guess the emotions and thoughts of other people. However, while some people use this to uplift their fellows, Kitch abuses it. He can prod into a person's deepest being, identify their weaknesses, and 'yank their chains'. Kitch, quite simply put, is an arrogant little shit.
ＳＫＩＬＬＳＥＴ● Arcane Magic - The only reason why Kitch is still alive today is because he has unfortunately been able to back up his arrogance. Though he is not an Erasmus graduate by a long shot, Kitch has a brilliant, almost inhuman capacity for magic. Though he hates being constricted by specialties, Kitch has been recognized by Madam de Fèvre for his apparent skill in enchantment and material magic, being able to put magical wards, strengtheners, and occasionally curses on things.
● Social Interaction - For someone so irredeemably obnoxious, Kitch can, at times, be quite the diplomat. Having an unreadable expression and a control over his emotions combined with the ability to sense those of others makes Kitch almost invulnerable to social attack and humiliation - when he wants to.
● Observant - If asked why he was so quiet, Kitch would reply that he is merely observing the world. He pays attention to detail and never lets anything slip past his eyes without his knowing. He is incredibly observant and could probably spot danger just as fast as any other trained sailor on board. Since he grew up on a dairy farm, Kitch seems to also be very acute with his observations of cows and milk.
ＷＥＡＫＮＥＳＳKitch, for some very, very, odd reason, has a paralyzing fear of bugs - cockroaches, to be exact. It's pretty much gotten to the point that he'd send all the crew to their deaths if it was to avoid touching a roach. However, he hides this fact exceedingly well.
ＨＩＳＴＯＲＹThough he looks the part, one could say that Kitch is not of high birth. He grew up in Bridesend on a dairy farm, the son of a minor member of the landed gentry. His parents, though loving, were also exceedingly strict, and when he had really done himself in, Kitch found himself working the fields and milking the cows along with his father's subordinates. Though much of his childhood was spent working, the farm offered many opportunities for isolation. Kitch was an only child and his mother was an extensive reader. Much of Kitch's free time was spent either buried in a book in the family library, or practicing his magic. Kitch's father, though certainly well-off, could not afford an education in Erasmus d'Aureveilly University. However, Kitch's father was also a law-abiding citizen of the Empire and made every attempt to ensure that his son did not grow up to become a hedge-wizard. Therefore, he urged his son to pursue a scholarship.
While slightly resenting his strictly regulated childhood life, Kitch saw the manner in his parents' madness and still appreciates what they did for his upbringing. Like the diligent yeoman's son he was, Kitch worked hard at his studies - or at least he appeared to, because the school matter was so ridiculously easy for him. He began to be known as 'Kitch' due to his teachers always reprimanding him by his last name for inattention in class (though he still excelled anyway). Kitch found more fulfillment practicing his magic with a part-time licensed mage who was a friend of his father's. Eventually, at the age of fifteen, he was recognized for his talent, and he made it to Erasmus. But amidst all the glory, knowledge, and prestige, Kitch resented the fact that he was not paying for his tuition. All the other mages-in-training respected his skill, but they never really saw him as a societal equal. Kitch felt doomed to be known as the milkman's boy for the rest of his life.
Kitch had one especially irritating classmate of his called Cumulus, named after the famed adventurer. Cumulus seemed to have everything - Baleinish heritage (which, some would argue, gave him his elitist personality), a magical skill just as good, if not better than Kitch's, and a lot of money to match. What made Cumulus so obnoxious in Kitch's eyes was that he always yearned for one thing - to be the best. All of Cumulus's efforts were to be the richest, the smartest, the most magically intuitive, and the most handsome. Anything that thwarted that was a threat to his very being and could very well send Cumulus over the top. So it was no surprise that Cumulus blew it when Kitch rose to be the valedictorian of their batch.
Cumulus was furious. How could a son of a milkman possibly best the son of a Baelinish duke? So, naturally, he did everything in his power to upset Kitch's supremacy. Ruthless rumors, relentless bullying, and even false accusations constantly surrounded Kitch the day he stepped onto that podium to receive that award. Over the course of events, Kitch gradually learned to not be so emotionally sensitive nor socially awkward. Both would make him dead meat in the eyes of the Erasmus elite - which Cumulus headed. Eventually, it got too much, and everything changed when Kitch, after class, killed Cumulus de Haroth in a fit of rage after a false accusation of cheating on the final exams.
Kitch, for a few minutes, could do nothing but stare at the hex of flame seared into Cumulus's face. That moment, he made a decision - to either turn himself in and risk everything he worked so hard towards, or to run.
Naturally, he ran.
So began the life of Kitch, the seventeen-year-old hedge wizard. With a very, very hefty price - more than half of his life savings, in fact - Kitch purchased a fake magical license of Erasmus d'Aurevilly University from a professional forger. Such a great loss to him meant he couldn't stay in a comfy dormitory like the one back at the university nor in the humble homestead back at the farm. He was always constantly in the employ of some shifty noble or criminal gang, and limited himself to being a nomad of the streets. The only possessions he had were his runic inscription kit, a small dagger, and his own wits. Kitch felt unfulfilled, disappointed, and a disgrace to his family, but it would be the only life he would ever know.
That is, until an agent of Madam de Fèvre appeared to him one day and encouraged him to join the journey to see what lay below.
"And what if I refuse?"
"Well, we do know about that unfortunate stint back at the university a few years ago."
"And what's your point?"
"We're not forcing you, but someone else could find out."
ＡＭＢＩＴＩＯＮＳKitch really had no genuine intention of joining the voyage in the first place - if he didn't, after all, he'd see himself in one of the Archipelago's prisons for at least fifteen years for unlicensed practice of magic and manslaughter. But he has attempted to see the good in his predicament and considers the entire thing a learning experience.
ＩＮＶＥＮＴＯＲＹ● A protective rune bracelet, which Kitch always makes a point to wear. When activated, it forms a force field around Kitch which can deflect at the most a crossbow bolt. It won't last long, however, and regularly needs to be recharged.
● His runic inscription kit, containing a small chisel, a pen and ink, and some stones.
● His tattered journal he has kept since he started his magical studies. The pages are meticulously well-kept, but nothing is written in them that bears any particular importance. However, it is one of the things that Kitch can truly get angry over.
● A rather small shortsword or an abnormally large dagger - whatever it is, it's sharp, pointy, and has kept Kitch alive for quite some time. However, Kitch very much favors his magical abilities first, and while his style is practical, it's definitely not 100% reliable.
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