Character Profiles

[Sil]

Sorry for the disappearance...and the relatively short post...and sudden drama....yeah....>.>'

My last couple of days at my aunt's house were a nightmare....and since then I've been taking the time with my family.

I only have two weeks now, so probably only enough for a couple more replies...sorry about that. I'm sure you guys don't need the hassle. I'm going out with Andrew tomorrow night...and again on Thursday night. So can't reply there. But other than that, I should be good. I'll have a couple more nights with Andrew, and a few with my family, but I'll be sure to reply accordingly when needed and then make an exit when it's time for me to go. Thanks in advance, Kumori, and everyone else. ^^ My short time here has been fun. I really has.

[Creek]

Credit

Birth Name: Erik Swiftling
Character Alias: Erik the Swift

Written appearance: The first thing most people will notice about Erik are his extremely pale eyes. They are mercurial grey-green, shifting back and forth often. In the right light, they can appear to lose almost all color, which is faintly eerie. He maintains his jet black hair so that the spare ends of it brush the nape of his neck, but no longer. Occasionally, it will begin to obscure his vision, and that is when he knows it is time for a cut. The individual hairs are fine, but he has so much that it lends the coif a suave thickness. Although, he would think you odd if you noticed. Overall, his face is angular, but not necessarily pointy. He was blessed with high cheekbones and a well-squared chin, usually kept free of stubble.

Sex: Male
Home Nation: Triveilla
Current Location/Residence: Cre' Est
Age: 27
Height: 6'2 easily
Weight: 183 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Grey-green
Complexion: Fair; almost pale

Body Type: Erik isn't the average muscle-stacked-on-muscle sort of guy. He recieved the training of a rogue, so his body tends to lean in the direction of lithe yet defined. His chest and shoulders are unusually broad, tapering into a narrow waist. His legs are long and well-muscled, being trained by years of swimming in his home nation.

Blood Type: O+
Fighting Style (*Hard or Soft?): Soft
Adaptability Ratio: 8
Personality: "The observer changes the nature of the observed." Does anyone understand that? What I mean to say is that Erik is really whatever the situation calls for. He can be sociable or standoffish, humorous or stoic. It is hard to say which of these traits is Erik's true personality, so perhaps it would help to start with his humble beginnings.

In the orphanage, Erik is humble, quiet, and respectful. Extremely polite, but not a pushover, he had no problem taking care of the chores that were assigned to him and listening to the elders' grand tales of heroic warriors for hours. There was no doubt in his mind--even when he was a child--that these stories were the stuff of lies, but truth and lies mixed freely with him.

Among travelers, Erik reserved and analytical, preferring to keep his interactions with people brief. He will, however, allow more lengthy conversations to take place when he feels that the person is of no threat and good character. In fact, Erik rather likes the mental exercise that a good conversations brings to him.

Around Rohan, Erik was friendly and playful and of a laid-back disposition. They were quite the jokesters when they were together, pulling pranks on eachother and their victims. As their relationship progressed Erik began to open up and share his inner feelings with Rohan--which is something he rarely did with anyone.

Other than that, he remains enigmatic to most.

Quirks: Erik has two long diagonal scars along his back, which he has named Greed and Envy. Typically, he does not like to discuss how he obtained such wounds.
Likes: Night, Tall Tales, Fire
Dislikes: Battle, Orphanages, Elderly People
Special Talents/Skills: Expert Thief, Expert Pickpocket, Expert Lockpick
Weapon/s of Choice: Daggers
Weapon/s of Last Resort: Erik is very adaptable, and will resort to using anything at his disposal, even if that means using a rock to bash in his opponents head. However, he will usually have a wide array of daggers ready. These can range from throwing-daggers, to obsidian daggers used for close-combat.
Weapons you avoid: Anything that fits under the blunt weapon category. (maces, hammers, mauls, etc. etc.) They make him feel sluggish.

Fighting Style: Erik tends to rely on the lightning-fast and precise blade of his daggers as opposed to brute strength. He is proficient when it comes to evading and side-stepping his opponent's attacks. Ideally, Erik would flee when he finds himself without an arm, but if this is not possible Erik can usually evade his opponent's attacks until he sees the opportunity for a fatal counterattack.

Weapon Training/History: Erik has no recollection of his parents, home, or any siblings that he may or may not have had. Simply put, Erik is an orphan. His first words were not, "Mama" or "Dada." No, his first words were "Mother Grissly." And if a single vowel or consonant were misplaced, he recieved ten excruciating swats with Father Grissly's oaken switch. His life proceeded like this for years. He did his chores, ate his rations, and pretended to be content when he could. But, as Erik aged he began to grow apart from his orphanage peers. There was something confound about that boy, and everyone knew it.

Admittedly, he had become somewhat of a sociopath. His mental illness manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and a lack of conscience. But, the village that he grew up in was exceedingly superstitious. Most said that he was possessed by a demon, waiting for the chance to start his list of victims. Others implied that he had simply lost his mind. Whatever it was, it led to his exile from the orphanage at the tender age of fifteen.

For what seemed like a very long time, Erik wandered the streets as a beggar and street urchin with little success. It was then that fate did him a mercy and thrust upon him a thief named Rohan. Rohan was a strange man. He was the type of person that didn't need society's approval. He would do things in his own peculiar ways, but very effectively. Most importantly, he was an amazing thief. He had manifested a great wealth through activities that were... well, on the shady side of the law. He grew to like the young beggar, and decided that he would make for a decent apprentice, as Rohan was beginning to grow old. Not having many other avenues to take, Erik agreed to this arrangement and his training began.

It was immediately apparent that Erik was a prodigy. The teachings of a thief all came very naturally to him, and he learned quickly. Every tip and trick that Rohan had to offer was absorbed in a matter of days. He had started amass his own small fortune and over many months, Erik began to surpass even his teacher.

In many ways, Rohan became the closest thing Erik ever had to a father. And, even though Erik wasn't completely sure about this, he felt that Rohan thought of him as a son. The pair became unstoppable, and Erik seemed to revel in his newfound talents. They pulled some of the most successful heists ever seen in the nation of Triveilla. However, Erik lacked only one quality that was imperative to a good thief: discipline. He became greedy, and set his eyes upon an estate of the royal family. Rohan tried to warn him that it was a fruitless endeavor. After all, it was one of the most tightly guarded estates in all of Triveilla. But, Erik wouldn't listen.

In short, when Erik's plans went awry Rohan had to sacrifice himself for his prodigy. It was a devastating blow for Erik, leaving him with a pensive cynicism. However, it also made the truth of life obvious. He wasn't the heroic warrior that he had listened to the elders in his orphanage describe. He was the guy who got his hands dirty so the heroes could keep theirs clean. And frankly, that was fine by him. Now, due to an unfortunate series of events that escalated out of the control of our noble thief, Erik somehow ended up in Cre' Est seeking new adventures and new friends.

[KumoriRyuu]

Not a bad start Creek. I'll be waiting for the final product later.

[Creek]

Actually, it is finished now. If there is anything wrong with it please let me know. I am open to critique. As long as it is legitimate of course.

[KumoriRyuu]

Fair enough Creek.

Alright, after looking over the profile I have two thoughts on its content.

The first detail is something which I think could be expanded upon: His fighting style.

You mention that he has a lithe and defined body type, and that tells me that he would rely primarily on speed and precision strikes rather than using powerful blows to topple his enemies. That being the case, it would probably be of benefit to mention what his preferred method of fighting is when he finds himself in a situation without a weapon at his disposal. Will he use open handed parrying techniques with smaller steps in his footwork, will he dodge and wait for counter opportunities with much longer and open footwork, will he block with the intention of causing damage in the process and stand his ground, or possibly some combination of all the above? Keep in mind that if you use blocking for damage his fighting style will change to hard, since blocking for damage is a hard style tactic.

Now, the detail which has me somewhat confused is why there are bows involved. As a thief, it would not be practical or beneficial for him to be carrying a large weapon such as a bow. A bow (since this is medieval times, thereabouts) is a large weapon which has a lot of potential to make noise against his other equipment and his back as he moves, as well as get caught when trying to move through tighter spaces. It also forces him to remain still enough to sight and fire upon a target, which risks a lot of exposure during the shot. I know that archery is cool, but if he's not going to specialize in it then the bow should really be removed. As a thief, it makes much more sense for him to stick with daggers since they are smaller, quieter, more maneuverable, and he can use them without exposing himself for extended periods of time.

(Plus, we already have someone who specializes in archery.)

So those are my two thoughts.

[Creek]

I completely understand your concerns when it comes to his fighting style. And I will do my best to expand upon it, but what section would I put something like that under? Should I make a completely new one?

And, I am sorry but I have to completely disagree with you when it comes to bows. Thieves and bows have been intertwined since the beginning of lore itself, (ex. Robin Hood) or at least that is how I understood it. Bows come in many sizes, and not all are large. And, they are commonly known as one of the quietest weapons available, which means that it makes sense that a thief would have one. Also, as Erik wears leather armor, I doubt that it would make much sound if the leather and bow rubbed together? If the character is only allowed to be proficient with a single weapon, I really think that is something you should have put on the introductory page. However, if it pleases you I will remove his talents with the bow. And really, what I was actually trying to imply that he was sort of a green archer; practically new to the profession. It was supposed to be a character development thing.

EDIT: I implemented the changes you requested.

[KumoriRyuu]

About the fighting style, just put it in the Weapons/Training History, because that section should be separated from the actual Biography section. Your weapons training and your life story are not one and the same, after all. At least to most people.

Fair arguments on the bow, I suppose. Being a weapon without a trigger or other mechanical devices, it can be quiet, but when it comes to all of the combined aspects of an archer's weaponry, such as a full quiver of arrows on your back (even if they're secured in place), it's not going to be the quietest weapon you could have with you. And it's true I never said you had to stick to one weapon, as not many of the characters do and I will not require you to have only one, but since we have a whiny little girl who loves her archery and hates others who try to take her spot as resident archer (even though that's not what you're doing), I'd prefer it if the bow disappeared from the primary arsenal. Maybe it can be a hobby on the side and make an appearance every now and again whenever he finds there's an archery tournament or something to practice and test his skills, but not part of his main arsenal.

Other than that, I'm good.

[NemuiTeru]

Hey! Who're you calling 'whiny little girl' Kumori-san!?

But yes it's true Saki loves her place as an archer in this role play. But if Creek-San would still like to use the bow, Saki's char could do something with Creek-san's char like exchange training? Hm, something like that... You all should know what Saki means!!

[KumoriRyuu]

Don't buy into the cutesy act Creek, Saki-chan is quite... unique.