Full Name: Varin Zeracuse
Nicknames/Aliases:N/A
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Occupation/Class: Ex-soldier / Blacksmith
Kingdom of Origin: Pradus
Description: Varin retains much of his youthful appearance despite the years not being overly kind to him, a trait apparently passed down through the generations of his family. Standing at 6â1, soft brown hair in a constant messy state. His brown eyes often stare into people with a surprising lack of determination despite his innate ability to survive. His body, rugged and rough from years of soldiering and blacksmithing, bears multiple scars including lacerations, punctures, scratches and burns. Surprisingly his face has avoided most of these wounds, although his forearms have many cuts that paint a clear picture as to why his face remains untouched.
Due to his new found position as a blacksmith, over the course of a few years Varin has managed to craft himself a new set of armor. His old set was a very standard soldier of the line attire, meant to provide the basic form of protection and had nothing to do with style. His new armor, not made to fit any type of conformity, was made only to match his own imagination. Despite making it, going into the Lost Lands is the first time heâll be using it in a combat situation. As such, the armor lacks any sort of marks or scars from battles.
Equipment:
-Warhammer: A standard weapon given to him by his mentor Lester as a gift for one of his birthdays. Varin knows how to use the weapon naturally, but hasn't had a need or desire to use against another actual being and as such the weapon has only seen use as a prop smithing hammer from time to time. Despite this, the weapon is very well made and capable of inflicting great damage to heavily armored opponents.
-Armor of the Nine: A name chosen by Varin for his own set of armor, after the amount of years heâs had the idea for it. The armor is made of a simple steel materials using a layering technique that allows the armor to be surprisingly lightweight while providing a modicum of protection. While it canât typically stand up to heavy weaponry such as claymores, warhammers, or magic, slashing and stabbing attacks are effectively negated by the layers. Due to his inexperience actually wearing the armor however (Aside from doing sizing and making sure everything fit), Varin isnât used to the weight nor the function of the armor and this can sometimes show through clumsy or slow movements. Being an ex soldier, he has no fears that he will eventually get used to it, heâs simply hoping it will be sooner rather than later.
-Twin Short Swords: Another trait passed down through the generations of his family, or so heâs told, Varin is actually ambidextrous. Able to use both hands to equal degrees, Varin adopted a twin blade technique that heâs only recently been able to hone. His time in the Pradus army saw him use a sword and shield, and as such heâs trained himself in their use through the years as he was forced to become a blacksmith for the Yulia military. Thereâs nothing special about them, simple steel swords crafted by his mentor and paid for through his limited salary.
-Maintenance Kit: A small pouch containing numerous things to maintain his gear and armor.
Personality: Varin is somewhat of an odd person. At times, he can come across as a craven, cowering in the face of danger or outright running in the other direction. Other times, he would leap into the mouth of a dragon if it meant victory. What it really comes down to is motivation, and most of the time you will find him lacking. He can be very lackadaisical when it comes to doing things, and if he doesnât want to do something, youâll find his courage severely lacking. He can seem uncaring, cold, and at the worst of times, cruel. Heâs a man who has a hard time caring at the best of times, and sometimes really needs to be pushed in a direction.
When he does have the right motivation, when he really wants something you will be hard pressed to find someone more driven. He can fight like a man possessed, although his skills as a warrior have somewhat dimmed, and will leap into the fray with honor and tenacity. Despite his abilities as a fighter eroded by the passage of time, he is an extremely fast learner, explaining how he could transform from a soldier to a blacksmith with minimum training. Heâs a fairly good teacher as well, he gets things quickly and actually enjoys passing these lessons on. Heâs incredibly patient, most likely his parenting skills coming into effect, and can spend hours with a single person on a single thing without once losing his temper.
If you get him out of a dangerous situation, one where heâs simply allowed to be himself, Varin is an easy going individual. His sense of humor is broad and is incredibly hard to piss off or insult. He doesnât believe in grudges or hitting someone out of anger, there has to be a reason to the fight that goes beyond petty vengeance or revenge. Granted, if anything happened to his son, you would see him switch his tune right quick. Ultimately, heâs not necessarily a bad person, but he can be extremely lazy if he doesnât want to do something and doesnât believe in sacrificing himself for the greater good of the entire kingdom. Heâll help a person in need, take a hit for them even, but if you expect him to die for something, youâre going to have a hard time convincing him of that.
Skills:
-Ex Soldier: Varin is versed in military tactics, and despite never leading any troops himself, knows how to handle a variety of situations that a soldier might be tossed into. Heâs also versed in stratagems as well, although his knowledge of them has faded due to the passage of years.
-Blacksmith: After Pradus was taken over by Yulia, Varin was forcefully retired from soldiering. Using his connections with his family friend who had been a blacksmith for the Pradus military, he managed to avoid holding a pick and instead wielded a smithing hammer. As such, he is proficient in maintaining and even crafting his own weapons and armor, along with any of the other members he might be sent into the Lost Land with.
-Ambidextrous: A trait passed on through his family, or so itâs said. Varin has no weak or off hand. He is skilled with weapons in each hand.
-Surprising Strength: Despite his outwards appearance, his years as a soldier and blacksmith have increased his arm strength far beyond what initial impressions would think. This allows him to carry three weapons, handle his armor, and generally deal with creatures that one would not believe him capable of doing.
Weaknesses:
-Combat Attrition: Varin hasnât properly fought anything in a number of years, ever since the Yulia invasion. While he has been keeping in shape and occasionally swinging a sword at something, heâs out of shape in regards to actually being in combat.
-Lack of Defense: Varin carries three weapons, and while he stands by (and inside) his armor, he has no other form of protection. He does know how to use a shield, but instead opts for the three weapon loadout. As such, a lot of his combat ability comes from speed and raw strength, and this can quickly flounder if his opponent is quicker or stronger than him.
-Magic: Varin has actually only witnessed magic once, and never has he fought against or beside it. He has no idea what to expect, how to compensate for it, or even how to react when he sees it. Ultimately, if you want to throw Varin off his game, throw some doves out of your sleeve.
Fatal Flaw: Sloth/Craven. As stated before, Varin can be extremely lazy if he doesnât feel motivated to do something. Heâll perform a task if itâs given to him, but if he has no personal gain or reason to get it done, expect it to take a long time. Same goes for combat, if he doesnât believe something needs to be fought, heâs more likely to cut and run if his life comes into immediate danger. This flaw can be overcome when he truly believes what heâs trying to do, and he is capable of showing extreme bravery and courage, but it has to be forced out of him through proper motivation.
Brief History: Varinâs life isnât filled with accomplishments or grand gestures, instead his life was adequate. His parents werenât overly affectionate, but his father was a soldier with the Pradus military and was generally respected by those around him. It was a given that Varin would join the military when he came of age, and he wasnât really given a choice in the matter. Much of his childhood was simply about preparing for that, but it was proven even early on that he had a bit of a motivation problem. He would constantly put off work, procrastination becoming his metaphorical middle name. That is, until he got old enough to start recognizing women and the shape thereof. He saw that they were attracted to beefed up people like his dad was in his prime, and that became his motivation. His efforts to become a soldier doubled and he did everything in his power to make sure he made the cut. Naturally his motivation wasnât necessarily...pure. The only reason he continued to do that was because of the attention he was getting from the ladies.
When he was 18, being inducted into the military officially, he ended up sleeping with a woman and going off into the army the next day. He couldnât even remember her name, and once his training with the actual military started taking hold, he started to see the error in his ways. Sure, he was physically fit and not exactly bad to look, but he no longer had any time to do the things he was working for. His motivation for the military started to falter, and with it, his desire to push himself. Since that moment, he simply did adequate enough to not be court martialled and executed. He fought when he had to fight, but he did nothing to raise himself above the crowd.
His service record was average at best. When Yulia came knocking at their doorstep, he found a deep nationalist pride he didnât know he had and he fought like a man possessed. Even his father was brought out of retirement for the fight, and while they werenât in the same unit, Varin knew his dad was out there fighting the Yulians as hard as he was. Ultimately it was futile. Varin was captured as a POW near the end of the war, and he later learned his father had been killed manning the walls of their capital city and his mother had been killed during the invasion, caught in a fire that brought down the entire building she had been hiding in. When the war was over, Pradus was subjugated and the entire military disbanded, Varin was left aimless. He had only ever been told and trained to be a soldier and seemed doomed to the mines.
A family friend, Lester Ulron managed to pull Varin out, stating he was his apprentice before he was pressed into service. Lester even had paperwork to back up his claim, apparently the plan set in place when his father started to worry about the outcome of the war. He wanted a backup plan in place for Varin in case things went south and Pradus wasnât completely destroyed. Blacksmiths in Pradus were valued for their weapons and armor, and as such they would not be easily thrown away. Varin began his apprenticeship with Lester and found he had a natural aptitude for the craft. He enjoyed the craft but didnât see it as anything more than a simple job. The only time he put in extra time was when he was doing his own set of armor that he was paying for out of his wages for the materials.
It was during this time that he was contacted by an elderly lady claiming to be in contact with his son. Naturally, he declined ever having a child, but Lester told him to humor her and see what was going on. When he went to find out who it was, he discovered it was the girl he slept with before entering the military. His kid was already a few years old, but young enough to not fully understand the situation. The situation was that the girl, whose name he still couldnât remember, was terminally ill and close to death. She remembered him though, and apparently had trouble getting a hold of him due to his military lifestyle.
Long story short, the woman ended up passing away shortly afterwards and Varin was made the legal guardian to Oscar Brannson. Varin returned to a very shocked Lester and explained the situation. Lester agreed to help Varin out with raising of the kid, having raised two children of his own. For a number of years after the initial invasion, Varin basically existed and nothing else. He finished his armor, and despite the multiple uprisings in Pradus, never got involved with those. He provided a blacksmithing service to the Yulia army, trained a bit to keep up his shape, resumed his somewhat gregarious lifestyle, and tried his best to be a father to the young Oscar which turned out to be a lot harder than he ever expected.
He had no idea how to raise a child, and was not prepared for the rebellious little youth. The kid had a somewhat mean streak and was out of control. Varin lacked the knowledge and the motivation to do anything with him, so aside from keeping him out of the noose and making sure he was fed, Oscar was left to his own devices. Lester did a bit of mentoring, but he stated that it was Varin who needed to be the one to drop the hammer on him if it was needed. It took a number of years, but eventually Varin did start warming up to the kid and teaching him everything he knew. Oscar became his motivation and he worked harder to provide. Eventually he started to train him in the art of blacksmithing much like Lester had taught him, not wanting Oscar in the military for the same reason he didnât really want to go back to a war like lifestyle. Varin never married and Oscar started to warm up even though he never took Varinâs name.
Life was good, for a short while. It all came to a head when Oscar was 16. He was still rebellious even if he did respect Varin now. Varin spent time with him, and worked to keep him safe but often it wasnât enough. Varin was known for sneaking out and doing things that werenât necessarily legal. Varin warned him about it, tried to stop it, but in the end it was a fruitless endeavor. The only way Varin saw to instill discipline him would be to put him in the military, which Varin refused to do. This would ultimately be his downfall when Oscar murdered a Yulia Guard.
Oscar immediately told Varin about it, which according to him, the guard was getting a bit too friendly with a lady friend of his. Repeated attempts to stop the guard from raping her failed and he ended up stabbing him in the throat with the knife that Varin had crafted for Oscar...for protection. Varin took the knife and told Oscar to clean up and go stay with Lester for a week. Sure enough, a day later guards kicked in the door looking for the murderer.
Varin confessed to the crime, was thrown in jail, and sentenced to a public execution. Instead, Varin asked to see a member of the Inquisition and when he was finally granted an audience, gave him a brief history of his military career and blacksmithing experience. He asked instead to be sent to the Lost Lands. It was a plausible death in place of a definite death. If he made it back, his crimes would be absolved. With a guard, he was allowed to go back to his home and place of work to gather his gear. Oscar tried to apologize, but Lester wisely kept him from saying anything and instead allowed Varin to gather his things and leave. His next stop...The Lost Land.
Other:N/A
