Name: Thessir from the Downder.
Sex: Male.
Age: 29.
Physical Description: He is the sort that definitely sticks out in the Qafar Desert. As is standard for people from the Downder his skin is almost completely void of melanin and his irides are nearly twice the size of what would be considered normal by any other clan. The enlarged pupils make most of the eye save the sclera appear black.
Aside from his racial traits he is a rather thin wiry sort. Despite his small frame however he is quite strong. His muscles aren't very distinct, hiding the strength of his short slender body quite effectively. He has rather long fingers and toes as well though this detail is also typical for Downders.
Clothing: His typical fashion is long dark clothing with a big hat. Though the heat is great he prefers to keep covered so his sensitive skin doesn't get burnt. He carries a lot of supplies for his travels in a big traveling backpack.
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Skin Colour: Pale White.
Hair Colour: Black.
Eye Colour: Dark Grey.
Occupation: Alchemist.
History/Bio:
Thessir was born to a family of silk farmers, people who farm a small type of spider known for it's ability to cooperate with other spiders to spin massive webs. He did not see the life of a silk farmer as the life for him however. He was more intellectually inclined, fascinated by the wonders of Downder. When he was old enough he sought to enter apprenticeship under an alchemist. Though his family were reluctant he was granted permission to study under an alchemist.
For years he studied all sorts of fascinating subjects. From ores and the properties of various gems to fungi and subterranean roots he developed a wide breadth of knowledge. He was a keen learner and definitely earned his way to becoming an alchemist himself when the time was right.
While attending a mining trip as he was looking for a particular mushroom which was known to grow in the area the miners opened a passage which revealed an ancient cavern. Within the cavern the remains of a city long buried sat preserved from the wages of time. This discovery thrilled Thessir. It was the remains of some long forgotten civilization, a mystery ravelled in mysteries all just waiting to be discovered. Before he could go down and investigate however a swarm of creatures emerged from the opening, clearly vexed by the disturbance in their home. Bats larger than men, spiders that were larger than the bats and all other sorts of nasty beasts attacked the miners and him.
They fought off the swarm but were forced to retreat. The Mining Overseer gave the order to have the passage collapsed much to Thessir's dismay. With the passage sealed the creatures were stopped but at the same time the way to the city was now blocked. Later Thessir appealed to the High Decider to open the way again so he can take an expedition down to the city but was denied permission on account of the dangers the beasts posed should they come up from the mines. That passage was then declared off limits and sealed with a large metal cap just in case the rocks ever gave way.
Inside the Downder there are no seasons, only cycles of paint. When such a time came as per tradition the one to go and reapply the sigils was chosen in a meeting of the alchemists and the High Decider. It was decided that it was Thessir's turn to undertake the ritual. Humbly accepting this sacred responsibility he set out alone to perform his task just as the first alchemist did all the way back when the paint was first discovered.
It should of been simple. Thessir had already applied three of the sigils, one for each corner of the cavern their city rested within. As he finished painting the forth sigil however there was a tremor. An explosion had been set off by outsiders down at the base of the mountain, folks who sought to try and forcefully carve their way through the mountain. Unfortunately for both them and Thessir the largest mountain of Bola Brisk doesn't yield easily to such simple tricks. Instead of an opening the passage was collapsed, crushing the trespassers and dropping Thessir in amongst the falling rocks.
It was through amazing luck that he survived the fall. Despite not being crushed by any of the falling rocks however the way back was barred from him by the large impassible rubble. With the only direction for him to go being forward he pressed on, trekking through unknown tunnels until he emerged into the world beyond.
It was night when he left the containment of the mountain. It was an alien experience for him, the sensation of standing with nothing but the blackness of the moonlit night sky above him causing some unease. While the change might of been somewhat off-putting and a little frightening he was also fascinated. To see so much in such little time was quite a rush. It was hard for his mind to keep up with the list of revelations simply seeing the outside brought. In addition to all that however was an element of panic.
As much as he would of liked to have returned to make sure the sigils were secure as well as to share his experiences with the other alchemists there was also the legend that all who left the safety of the sigils would be devoured by Scarmouth. He had yet to see it but he was in a hurry to not wait around and find out. With haste he fled from the mountains into the rocky wastes beyond. Over snowy cliffs with scarce plant life he easily traversed the land, finding the night to be bright like the day was for other clans.
From then on he's been traveling from settlement to settlement, offering his expertise in exchange for supplies. He typically travels by night, sleeping during the day as the vexingly bright sunlight would make it difficult to see and almost certainly burn his skin. While Bola Brisk has little sunlight making the land ideal for travel he's not one to stick to any one place for too long. He's always been fascinated with the old world and this was an unexpected opportunity to pursue other locations where similar cities might remain. In the meanwhile he's always happy to learn something new.
Home Town: Downder.
Native Clan: Downders.
Population: 162.
Settlements: Downder.
Location: Bola Brisk, The Qafar Desert.
Description:
They are a detached few, those who dwell within the mountain. These people have lived inside the deep caverns for longer than their history texts reach. They have positively no contact with the outside world due to the dangers the creatures who also call the cave home. While some outsiders have tried in the past to brave the tunnels in hopes of seeking passage through the mountains to see the lands beyond none of them have lived to speak of what lay within.
The most notable of beasts that live within the mountain is the dreaded wirm Scarmouth. This beast is a massive worm-like creature which tunnels through the earth by secreting a powerful acid which breaks down the stone ahead of it. As it's large enough to swallow entire villages in one bite, is several miles long and covered in enormous plates of chitin which form in flat rings around it's body, each one snugly overlapping the next so as to not let anything in between them, the idea of slaying it is rarely proposed and even more rarely ever taken seriously. Adding to it's lethality is also the fact that a wirm can expel from it's mouth almost it's entire weight in acid like a geyser of destruction.
They have a way of protecting themselves from the great wirm however. Their alchemists have passed along the recipe to this special concoction for countless generations, a concoction for a special glowing yellow paint which wards it away. Little is understood as to why this paint keeps wirms away but they use it nonetheless as it is what keeps their humble clan from complete destruction. Every ten months they hold a ritual for their reapplication of the paint.
As far as leadership is concerned theirs is none too complicated. They have what they call the High Decider, a person who passes judgement and makes choices regarding most issues within the clan. As their clan is fairly small this task is not too difficult though often the choices require wise consideration and stern resolve. Each other division of labor is overseen by the Overseers, those elected by the High Decider to Oversee any given group's task based on their specialty. When the High Decider dies and another one hasn't already been chosen then the last person to apply the sacred paint is made the new High Decider.
Downders, named of course after the Downder cavern in which they reside, are quite unlike most peoples in that having lived without any form of sunlight whilst subsisting mostly off moss and bat meat has changed them. Practically all Downders are able to climb with veritable ease as going anywhere pretty much requires climbing. Their eyes are strange and wide in order to pick up on faint sources of light. This allows them to see in nearly complete darkness. Their skin is completely white as there is no need for melanin when there is no sunlight.
The caverns which they live within are truly marvelous, unfathomably rich in all sorts of minerals. The underground river upon which their village resides upon is partly responsible for shaping most of these networks of caverns, making massive and spectacular caverns out of truly gargantuan veins of gemstones. This has led this clan to develop a superior knowledge of the uses one can make of gems. While in some fields their technology is woefully undernourished as a result of their isolation from the world in general when it comes to things taken from the earth they are well ahead of other clans in such branches of knowledge.
Personality:
Being from a clan completely isolated from all others it is natural for others to find him rather strange.
At first he can come off as quite creepy. He only travels by night and his large eyes which are as dark as the pits of the Shattered Earth seem to always be analyzing people not unlike how a crow would. He speaks with a soft voice and seems to accompany his words with gestures, talking with his hands as some might put it. As he is quite foreign his speech can come off as stilted since most languages are quite new for him making his accent quite thick. Not used to the customs most clans have grown to accept over the years he can come across as a very awkward individual in general.
Beneath his eerie appearance and quirky behavior he is a scholar at heart. He learns very quickly and enjoys every minute he spends doing so. When talking about something he possesses a real interest in he can be very enthusiastic. He enjoys reading, able to lose himself in rich texts with ease. With others he does try to get along despite how different he might be. When he's not on a spiel about a topic of interest he can be a real good listener. He doesn't mind helping people out and generally spreading good will on his journey to find lost civilizations.
That is not to say there aren't things that bother him. He finds animals often strange and intimidating since most creatures from the caves were nothing short of deadly. Bright lights hurt his eyes which he primarily travels by night. He dislikes violence though he is not above applying it at a moment's notice as hesitance was often rewarded with death back in Downder. He can be quite reckless at times, seeing the pursuit of knowledge first and the threat of possible dangers second. Ignorance and blatant disrespect towards fields he finds interesting irritate him greatly. He finds the company of those who would dismiss the intellectual quite burdensome.
Fears and Desires:
He finds the sky to be mildly disconcerting and animals are somewhat intimidating as well. Perhaps his greatest fear however is the loss of knowledge, the greater the knowledge the greater his fear.
He is truly a fan of new experiences, especially good food. As the food in the caverns consisted mostly of bat meat, mushrooms and moss the sheer variety of food from the lands beyond are simply astounding for him. His greatest hunger however is his desire for knowledge. Learning is in and of itself a virtue to him. He seeks to learn more of the ancient civilizations which precede him most of all. With so much to see and so much to know it's hard for him to contain his excitement.
Equipment and Weapons:
First to note is his clothing. His clothes, including his jacket and hat, are spun from spider silk. This silk is spectacularly comfortable, breathes easy and is very difficult to tear. This makes it excellent travel wear and rather effective light armor as well. Another interesting detail is that unknown to many spider silk is highly resistant to burning as well making his garments mostly flame proof.
He carries along a set of camping supplies such as a tent, a sheet to sleep under and a pot with a ladle to cook in. He also carries a special stone which sends out showers of sparks when struck hard.
His more miscellaneous supplies include books; maps; alchemic recipe scrolls; ingredients; alchemic tools; vials; a compass and a watch.
Lastly as a weapon Thessir has his trusty blunderbuss or as he calls it his shrapnel pipe. Though it might not be the most accurate of weapons it's convenient as it can shoot nearly anything loaded in it's barrel, cutting down on ammunition worries. Along with it he carries a rather hefty sack of Explode Powder as he calls it, his own special brew of powder which he loads through the muzzle before he loads the shot. It packs a real punch though it's recoil is also fairly strong.
He also possesses a dagger crafted from wirmshale, a type of rock which lines the wirm tunnels. As a result of the acid this stone is what's left of the stone that was turned into acid, pressed flat by a wirm's enormous body. This rock is extremely hard and it breaks apart into extremely thin, sharp fragments. While not ideal for longer weapons in need of flexibility and difficult to shape this type of stone makes for wickedly sharp cutting tools that hardly ever need sharpening. While the dagger's intended purpose was for utility in a pinch it can serve as an exceptionally effective weapon up close.
Styles and Abilities: He can see in nearly pitch black darkness and can climb and navigate rocky terrain exceptionally well. For combat he's learned mostly from first hand experience fighting cave beasts though in recent years he hasn't been exempt from being tested by the occasional bandit.