Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

0
followers
follow

Kalsim Abdalik

With pike slung over shoulder, a elder warrior searches for place to call home, and knows nothing but war.

0 · 196 views · located in The Duke's Drake Inn and Pub

a character in “The Song of Sheathed Swords and Scarred Souls”, as played by RedMagus

Description

An older gentleman with military bearing, he stands a scant 5' 7" tall, with a frame that speaks of hard work but has since let to field. From far approach he can be seen carrying a espontoon pike, a worn flag with his old regiment's colors fluttering from the end of it. As he comes closes, the military formality of his uniform starts to fade, and one notices the signs of age both on his face and his possessions.

He normally wears a military outfit, either a traveling uniform of basic browns, sans hat. Out of habit, he wears regimental dress even when in town, with sword and pistol tucked in their appropriate spots in his belt.

A bald man, he still takes time to groom himself still when able, but due to his traveling often has stubble upon his face and sides of his head when unable to find an inn. His face itself is darkened by both his heritage and the harshness of both the sun and his old age. He prefers to sit when possible, and stands with a slight hunch. His movements are very reserved, and he tends not to fidget. His green eyes are still straight and strong, and his voice at times gives way to a commander's steel when under duress or anger.

Personality

Those unfamiliar with CSM Kalsim would call him cold, unfriendly, or at worse, arrogant. His manner still retains both the actions of a military man on the lookout for where the next attack will come from, and the detachment required to order men into a battle they may not return from. Upon meeting a fellow veteran however, Kalsim can be warm and even friendly, as he recounts the old glory days of battle, of actions taken and victories pulled at the last moment. To his men, this is the Kalsim they remember, and often he was like a second father some of them, either providing a little coin or covering for them, and visiting them in the hospitals if wounded in battle.

Due to his own history, he has a soft spot for children, and fellow veterans. Often his pension for the period goes not to keeping him in home and board, but rather small loans made to fellow soldiers and for those harmed by the conflict. He has learned how to survive on sub-par food, and when asked about this habit he often will have a tale to spin about some horrible meal he had while on the trail.

Equipment

In the event of my death, I deem all my worldly possessions to be collected by the law practice of my good friend Corporal Salven and sold, sans those listed as exceptions, with the proceeds to be donated equally between the Home for War Orphans, and the Home for War Veterans, that both may have a place to rest their head.
1 Flintlock Pistol
5 sets of shot
1 sewing kit
1 flint & steel kit w/ tinder
2 Yerrik full military uniform with coat, pants, and boots (travel)
1 Yerrik full military uniform with coat, pants, and boots (formal)
3 sets of undergarments
3 shirts
3 pairs of wool socks
1 small cake of laundry soap
2 Regulation Waterskins
1 Regulation Toiletry Kit, with the addition of two jars of herbs for joint issues
1 Regulation Backpack with bedroll
1 Regulation Tent Shelter
1 Regulation Rapier
2 Regulation Daggers
A pension account which provided for the cost of a small room and two meals a day at the Old Veteran's Home at the central capital; held in trust with Brooksons & Co. I keep no more then two meals worth of coin on myself unless for a purpose.

My espontoon pike and company colors I ask be buried with me, as they have been my constant companions, or in the event my body cannot be given a proper burial, to the Army for proper burial.

History

Kalsim Abdalik could be called a fortunate man, as he is one of the few to have lived through the entirety of the “Half Century War”. Originally a boy from the Padeja region in Yerrik, he was the 3rd son of a poor family, and grew up with a strong back, little schooling, and a desire to escape a life that seemed to begin and end in the plow. All that changed once war broke out, as many young men enlisted and swelled the ranks of the army, either for dreams of glory or patriotic pride. For Kalsim, it was a better job then pushing a plow.

Enlisting as a youth of 16, he rapidly took to the training, especially of the pike. Due to his shorter stature then most men on the line, he often found himself in the first rank, and survived a few of the first encounters only thanks to sheer luck, and lack of experience both sides possessed with the new gunpowder weapons that were being rolled out onto the field. It was during his fourth battle that he suffered a leg wound, and was hospitalized for a good year before he recovered enough to return to the field. It was while recovering that he encountered a young Lieutenant Lestrad Beve, who had also been wounded while observing the battle, and had suffered an eye wound due to the inability for the pike unit to deal with a sustained charge from the opposition. A friendship of sorts was stuck up between these two soldiers, and as they chatted about the battles and grand campaign, that Lt. Beve and Kalsim came up with the basis of formation utilizing the new gunpowder troops with the already proven pike formations. Later to be dubbed "Pike and shot", this formation would prove to be effective in later battles, and Kalsim was transferred into the new unit under now Captain Beve, serving as his military aid in troop planning, and rapidly proved himself in the battlefield. Throughout his 50 year career, Kalsim eventually rose to the rank of Command Sergeant Major, the highest of the enlisted ranks possible in the military. Kalsim Abdalik could be called a fortunate man, if the war had not ended.

Now five years since the declaration of peace, he finds himself without a home to return to , nor a family to take him in. He has survived on a meager pension and the kindness of old friends and soldiers he knew in his days on the campaign. But his family no longer knows him, his elders having passed away due to the war, and his siblings either too young to really remember him other then through letters from the front, or too old now to provide him anything more then a little help now and then. Having never taken the time to have a life outside his unit, nor to have a family of his own, he finds himself in a position too many other old veterans face these days: a man without a country, and a time without familarity for him.

So begins...

Kalsim Abdalik's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

(The sounds of those old tunes touched his ears, and his head tilted. The sounds, but not the words, though the tempo… what was that song. And which version? He'd heard so many tunes in his day, it seemed like every batch of new recruits had their own way of singing this song or that song, and the lyrics he once knew were a stranger to them all. He sighed softly, leaning against the wall of the inn, waiting for the crowd to part and give him a fair shot at a good seat near the fire. He was feeling old today. The rain always made his joints ache, and the journey here hadn't given him any help in that department. He was still bruised from where he had been jostled by the crowds just getting in the door.)

-Oh Kalsim, admit it to yourself. You're twice the age of anyone here, and yet you're still trying to run the young man's pace. Just like in the Pikers… but that’s the past. And the future to live is now, so cheer up you sandsod. Maybe a song...-

(With a push off the wall, and using his pike for a little extra stability, he moves towards the stage at a steady pace, still able to maneuver around the chaos of humanity swirling to and fro in the inn. The young lady vacates her seat for a moment, and he moves forward to catch it before…)

Ylona: Nu'uh, this'un's mine. Find yer own spot or stand.
Kalsim (A pause, and then with solid voice, raised high enough to be heard, but not enough to antagonize): My apologies madam. I will stand then and claim my spot. The wind will bring me a chair soon enough should I need it.

(with a turn, he moves to ensure he does not block the path, and fishes into his belt pouch. A coin slips out, and is dropped into the hat, letting it clink against its brother) Good singer, perhaps you know "Home Before the Harvest"? It's an older song, and thus I understand if you've not heard of it before. If not that one, then perhaps "The Yellow Lady"? It should be about the same tune for both.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kayn Bowyer Character Portrait: Ylona Irathi Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Kalsim: (The sounds of those old tunes touched his ears, and his head tilted. The sounds, but not the words, though the tempo… what was that song. And which version? He'd heard so many tunes in his day, it seemed like every batch of new recruits had their own way of singing this song or that song, and the lyrics he once knew were a stranger to them all. He sighed softly, leaning against the wall of the inn, waiting for the crowd to part and give him a fair shot at a good seat near the fire. He was feeling old today. The rain always made his joints ache, and the journey here hadn't given him any help in that department. He was still bruised from where he had been jostled by the crowds just getting in the door.)

-Oh Kalsim, admit it to yourself. You're twice the age of anyone here, and yet you're still trying to run the young man's pace. Just like in the Pikers… but that’s the past. And the future to live is now, so cheer up you sandsod. Maybe a song...-

(With a push off the wall, and using his pike for a little extra stability, he moves towards the stage at a steady pace, still able to maneuver around the chaos of humanity swirling to and fro in the inn. The young lady vacates her seat for a moment, and he moves forward to catch it before…)

Ylona: Nu'uh, this'un's mine. Find yer own spot or stand.

Kalsim: (A pause, and then with solid voice, raised high enough to be heard, but not enough to antagonize) My apologies madam. I will stand then and claim my spot. The wind will bring me a chair soon enough should I need it.

(with a turn, he moves to ensure he does not block the path, and fishes into his belt pouch. A coin slips out, and when the song "Solstice Dancing" is finished, it is dropped into the hat, letting it clink against its brother) Good singer, perhaps you know "Home Before the Harvest"? It's an older song, and thus I understand if you've not heard of it before. If not that one, then perhaps "The Yellow Lady"? It should be about the same tune for both.

Kayn:(leans down to catch the request. Finds she's half tempted to salute) We can do both, sir, if you like. You know, there's only two of us up here. If you can make it, you can sit on the edge of the stage. S'ok, Turner?

Turner: Yeah, I don't mind.

Kayn: Neither of us bites... very often. Maybe lean the pike away from the fire, though? One a' those standards caught fire here, once.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Kayn:(leans down to catch the request. Finds she's half tempted to salute) We can do both, sir, if you like. You know, there's only two of us up here. If you can make it, you can sit on the edge of the stage. S'ok, Turner?

Turner: Yeah, I don't mind.

Kayn: Neither of us bites... very often. Maybe lean the pike away from the fire, though? One a' those standards caught fire here, once.

Kalsim: All courtesy and gratitude to you. May your sky always be dry.

(Kalsim gives a slight bow to the generous offer of seating, and arranges himself at the edge of the stage, standard kept like one would keep a child, close and in eyesight, whilst the tune is struck. His eyes close as he feels the sounds vibrate through him, and the hint of gunpowder and blood play at the edge of his memory, along with the sounds of battle and victory)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

(Looks over to Edward, and nods in acknowledgement. Fishing a coin, he rubs it slowly, torn between frugality and desire, before offering it in payment.)

Something cold and clear, I'd like to clear my throat if I can. All this gravel in there isn't just from the road I'm sad to say.

(Nodding again to the man, he stretches a shoulder and pops the joint, both the pain and the song reminding him of old promises and old days. As the song ends, and the singers pause for the next, he scans the crowd, looking for any faces that he would remember and know. He lingers on the face Kayn for a moment, then moves onward)

- I wonder if I'm the first to show up here...or the last -

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

(Taking the coin, he nods gratefully to Edward, slipping it back into his purse and double-checking the string is tied. Leaning a little closer to Ylona, he salutes respectfully)

Your generosity for an old soldier is appreciated, and sorry about the issue with the chair earlier. But please, let me introduce myself. Commander Sergeant-Major Kalsim Abdalik at your service. May I have the pleasure of your name?

(He smiles and strains to hear her reply, priding himself on remembering the names of everyone he's ever met, even in old age.)

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

(Kalsim lightly chuckles at the reflex, knowing he's done the same more than once.)

At ease Lieutenant. We're all civilians now, so call me Kalsim.

(He frowns a little, knitting his brows together, thinking.)

Third SG 173I, I remember that designation. May of been before your time when we worked with them, but reports were always spot on. Good quality there, sight better than most of the units we had at the start... (He smiles to himself, eyes opening up to look at her.) Yes, it's good to meet another soul that remembers the old days.

(He raises an eyebrow at the mention of Ikrane.) You're not planning to go looking for the treasure are you? I think the last expedition that went in disappeared after taking on supplies at the Forward Artillery Outpost.. oh what's that place called now. (He frowns, and lets loose a small sigh.) Even after all the years of peace I can only think of that place from when we were shooting down the walls. Still a shame, it was beautiful when it was still standing. I really wish they had surrendered to us.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

I don't know about cursed, but the place is definitely a death-trap by this point. Not only did all three armies leave various nasty surprises for each other on the field, but I'm sure the Ikrane had its own that are laying in wait for some fool to set them off. I do know that there's been no sign of any of the nobility, not even in exile, which is a strange sort of news. Nor of anyone pawning off more than trinkets, though i suspect something like the crown would be best hidden. Having such an item would set some fires ablazing again. But it's definitely a lure, we had men go over the line the night it all fell with the idea of getting rich or claiming themselves king if they could find a crown or scepter. I think if there was any treasure left in Ikrane, I took my share when I was young and spent it all on avoiding being shot.

(He moves a little to give her better space and hearing, and smiles a little at the guess) I'm nearing my 70th winter, and I have been with the ranks since I could hold a spear. I remember when war was still unsure about the usefulness of these even. (Here he pats the pistol in his belt lightly.). It was a wild time when we started coming up with ideas on how to make it work with us. You wouldn't believe the crazy things that actually worked!

(he laughs at a memory, shaking his head a little). Ah, those were grand times. If you don't think about the blood or lives lost. I still feel sorry for the walls.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

You may call me Kalsim, and the Lieutenant is Miss Irathi. You are welcome to join us old warhorses, though if anymore join us we may need our own table.

(he smiles to show it was a joke)

I've never been much a writer myself, and most my stories are the kind people want to forget in these times of peace. I'd be happy to tell you what I know, though it may be a little dry. It happens when you're born from the sand dunes they say. I was born out in near the desert, family was mostly traders and farmers. Even if that little cult wants to block out the world, there's always someone who wants something from someone else. And we did a good job providing the service, so I hear anyway. I never got into the business, already had too many mouths and hands around and I wanted something else in my life. But I'm sure you've heard such stories all around. How did you become the songstress for our evening, if you care to trade tales?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kalsim Abdalik
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Count Zaelar, the most austere and grandiose windbag of the entire region? (He snorts, and then smirks a little.) No, I've never heard of her. I apologize if I speak ill of the dead, but there was a woman who deserved her fate. I can't remember how many good troops she got killed, but I do know that pretty much every unit celebrated the day she was killed by a very well aimed trebuchet.

(He pauses to twist his neck for a moment, then the other way, a few pops coming loose)
Mm. Sorry about that, sometimes the grease in the joints needs to be let loose. Anyway, I have heard of it, and I know perhaps a little more fact then myth. Her tomb though is actually more of a family crypt, supposedly going back to the founding of the country. Personally my favorite rumor about it is that it's a secret coven of vampires who control all that happens, and that the great war was actually a fight between the rivals of the Ikrane's royal family, who was about to break loose from them.