On The Run ~ Varin, Lvl 1
{Mid-level update because holy muses, his first profile is terrible.}
Name: Varin the Casteless
Age: Barely twenty, just on the cusp of adulthood.
Race: Drakari; not quite Wing Caste, not quite Scale Caste.
Height & Weight: 5’1”, 130 lb.
Occupation: Misanthropic Artist Outcast.
Personality: Polite, if prone to sullen snarkiness. When befriended, he proves to be a loyal companion. However, Varin’s past-induced paranoia can make earning that trust rather tricky, though not impossible. He repays his debts with a vengeance, preferring not to be beholden to anyone if he can avoid it. Many might assume he’s short a few marbles due to how he holds constant conversations with his pet bird.
Appearance: Overall, he is a wiry young Drakari with beige skin and tar-black hair. One of the first things one might notice about Varin would be the gigantic pair of black-scaled wings that poke out from underneath his robes. After that, your gaze might be drawn to his eyes, which are mild orange with slitted pupils. His face is structured in a way more akin to a dragon than a human. Oddly for a winged Drakari, the only scales on him are the thin teardrop-shaped ones layering his arms, legs, and back. His teeth come to delicate points, and his hands and feet are clawed. For the standards of his kind, he is almost hilariously dainty.
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History: Before he was born, Varin’s mother, who was of the Wing Caste, had an affair with one of the Scale Caste. Said relationship ended up creating Varin, whose lack of proper scales and diminutive height was often attributed to his bad breeding, and whose breeding would put him permanently on the outskirts of Drakari society. As punishment for her social transgression, his mother was forced out of Suthainn and he was raised as an indentured servant to a general of the Wing Caste.
From childhood to the barest beginnings of his adulthood, Varin worked. After all, his master lived in a large canopy mansion, and neither he nor his esteemed family would be expected to clean and care for it. That was a job for servants -- like Varin. It was imperative that he serve well and keep quiet, lest he catch the ire of the general or any of his three sons. The other servants treated him little better. Most politely ignored the obedient child in their midst, and a few vented their frustrations onto him. The boy’s best shelter from the pounding rain of menial tasks and harsh words was to throw himself into secretive study and drawing. He smuggled books from the mansion library and poured through them, and he would take whatever scrap paper and pencils he could find and doodle on them in the dead of night. From the books, he learned different languages -- some poorly-pronounced Raiaeran elvish and a particularly formal version of the common tradespeak.
When he was sixteen he briefly befriended a Fae bardess who would later be shooed out of town for evangelizing just a little too enthusiastically. Before she left, the bard entrusted Varin with the care of a hungry sparrow who had a bit of an attitude. Dubbing her “Arie”, she became his pet for the remainder of his time serving the general, and eventually she would help encourage him to leave as well.
It took him years to gather the courage to run away; he did it on impulse, with nothing more than to his name than his pet sparrow and his sketchbook. He trekked and flew all the way to Talmhaidh, and didn't stop until he was on the next boat out of the country. Right now, he stays as far away from Dheathain as possible, never lingering in one place for too long. There would be hell to pay if his old master got wind of him again…
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Skills
Artistic Touch - Drawing is a hobby of his, one that helped keep him sane amid his life of servitude. It’s one of his few true talents.
Tidiness - For most people, this isn't a skill. For Varin, it's a compulsion. His time as a servant has made him rather anxious about leaving messes behind.
Fauna Fascination - His relationship with his sparrow has sparked a faint interest in animals within Varin. He has no particular power over them, but he does have more knowledge about obscure creatures than most people do.
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Abilities
Flight - Varin’s light frame and large wings give him the ability to fly. Granted, a lack of practice means he isn’t very coordinated. He doesn't really have the hang of turning mid-flight, he can barely keep up with his sparrow familiar, and he can only manage to stay in flight for a few moments at a time. Given time and practice -- and repeated bouts of flinging himself off of high places -- this could improve at a later date. (Flight. Very, very bad flight.)
Glacier Waif - Varin’s sturdy bone structure gives him a little more strength than the average human. He can hit almost twice as hard with his arms, and his wings are strong enough for him to use them as extra limbs to lash out with as well. They have roughly the same punching power as his arms. (2x Strength)
Running The Fuck Away - One has to be pretty fast to elude Claw bounty hunters. (2x Dexterity)
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Equipment
Attire - Normally, Varin is shrouded by heavy white robes. Underneath, he wears only a simple pair of slacks. His hair is usually braided back loosely and interlaid with small flowers, courtesy of his sparrow familiar Arie.
Sketchbook - Just what you would think it is. Varin carries around a little sketchbook and a charcoal pencil, and fills it with artistic drawings of people and animals he meets along the way. Selling some of his drawings gives him the meager money he needs to secure food and shelter.
Familiar: A lusty little sparrow named Arie. She is mostly brown-feathered, with scattered gold speckles on her cream breast. Unsuited for combat, this surprisingly intelligent bird acts as Varin’s messenger, best friend, and sole advisor (despite her inability to speak). Despite her small stature she often attempts to act as a guard dog as well. Her stubbornness can be something to reckon with, and her attempts to thrust Varin into romantic encounters are not often appreciated.
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Theme Songs: Amaranth, Send Me An Angel, and Flood
