Inkfinger
06-14-08, 10:49 PM
Name: Cael Inkfinger
Age: 32
Race: Human
Hair Color: Pale blue
Eye Color: Strawberry blond
Height: 6'03"
Weight: 167lbs
Occupation: Scribe, Traveling Performer
Personality: Mellow, amiable and easy-going, but also somewhat detached. He’s loyal to people he knows, but tends to not get worked up, emotionally, over, much of anything: he’s asexual, neutral in most conflicts, agnostic in religion, moderate in politics…in short, he’s a mediator between ideas with very few opinions on things he’s not directly involved in. The few things he is emotional over are words, his magic, and the concept of personal freedom.
Appearance: Tall, slender and sturdily muscled - he's not bulky by any means, but he's not a waif-like figure either. He's very pale, with pale blue eyes, fine, close-cropped strawberry blond hair, and the light brows and lashes that go with that coloration. He usually has an equally-fine layer of equally-blonde stubble on his cheeks and jawline. He has deep scarring from his left ankle to left hip, and walks with a rather noticeable limp. His hands are stained with multiple colors of inks, to the extent that the faded ink almost looks like a part of his skin. He tends to tilt his head to the side when he's listening closely to anything, looking rather like a confused, blond puppy.
Cael dresses simply: loose cotton trousers and tunic, soft leather boots, and fingerless woolen gloves, all in various states of disrepair and ink-stainery. His clothing changes often, so none of it is really special, save for a dark-blue, Asian-style overcoat that reaches his knees. That remains a constant in his wardrobe – explained in equipment section.
History: Cael was born on a cold, snowy coast, son of a fish merchant and a fisherwoman, and the youngest of five children. As he grew older, he took more after his father’s side of the career, preferring the relative quiet of a study with a stack of forms to fill out over being outside with the cold and the stink and sea. Soon, however, he took to preferring free words over those of a set form, and begged and cajoled his father into letting him be trained as a scribe.
His father eventually gave in when he was about 15, carting his son off to the nearest city to be apprenticed. His apprenticeship passed quickly and without much noteworthy – it was after his apprenticeship ended and he found himself looking for ways to make money with what he had learned that he hit a few minor problems. He found the easiest way to make money was to write things that people wanted to read – things like stories about their neighbors, painted in various shades of Untruth. For a while, he was merely a community nuisance…
Until he wrote some Not Very Complimentary Things about the wrong man. This man, instead of merely threatening the man, or bribing him to shut up, paid a couple of men to arrange for Cael to have an ‘accident’. He was ambushed in the dead of night, dragged out of the town and thrown off a cliff into a river. The fall mangled his leg, and the water lead to him coming down with a severe case of pneumonia. The current also carried him downriver, leaving him battered and bloody in the shallows along the path.
He was conveniently found and nursed back to health by a traveling troupe of performers. It took him several months to completely recover – the pneumonia actually damaged his hearing to the point where he now cannot hear from his left ear, and his leg is still a pretty big mess – and even after his recovery, he traveled with the troupe, writing advertisements and lettering posters for them.
It was in this that one of the performers, a tiny old man named Tan Li, saw something that most would not. Old Tan was an Inkmage, and he saw in Cael an – pardon the pun – inkling of that skill. He took the recovering young man under his wing, and began his training.
…it went somewhat slowly at first, mind. Cael had a bit of a reputation in the area, making it necessary for him to move around unseen, staying behind when the troup went into certain villages. He also preferred to write over studying. But over time, he began to pick up more and more, adding his slight skills to Old Tan's performances. The night of his first solo performance, his teacher turned him loose. Inkmagic was relatively passive as far as magic styles go, and one of those things that can only be learned -past a certain point- on one’s own.
Cael has been wandering ever since, writing back to Old Tan about his adventures almost weekly...and starting to weasel his way back into his old styles of writing. Which may prove to be a problem in the future.
Skills:
Fighting: If it were a class on earth, Cael would probably get an F. He can't fight with anything but his magic. An anti-skill, if you will, hence it's mentioning.
Penmenship: Cael's fifteen plus years as a scribe have resulted in him having nigh-perfect handwriting, and an eye for duplicating. He can write in a good dozen styles, is fairly decent at forgery, and can copy various pictogram-and-symbol based languages that he doesn't know if he's given a base to look at.
Ink Magic
Ink Magic is an art that is a combination of innate ability and the proper artifacts. Most of the spells require specific artifacts - a pen and an inkpot (which must be the set the Mage learned with unless said set is destroyed) - reagents - in the form of paper and blood-dosed-ink - and prior preparation.
An Inkmage first prepares the paper by writing a word, or drawing a symbol or picture symbolizing the action or reaction the mage wishes to cause in ink from their inkwell. The ink must contain blood (a single drop is sufficient for a whole inkwell worth of otherwise ordinary ink) - the mage's own blood works best, simply because another's blood in an Inkmage's inkwell pretty much reminds them of spitting in another's drink. It's just Not Done. The paper is then folded - much like origami - and either used instantly, or saved for later use.
The minimum time Cael has ever prepared a spell in is five minutes - Ink Magic is not the most practical form of magic to use in the heat of battle, and Cael is often the first to admit it, generally while running away. Ink Magic also doesn't keep well - a prepared spell must be used before the precise time it was prepared the previous day, or it reverts to plain paper and ink.
Spells
Wish of a Thousand Cranes - By drawing a sigil representing a crane, Cael can create effective first aid tools out of simple paper – these include small bandages, cold compresses and heated compresses. Useful for scrapes, small cuts, bruises and sprains, but not much else at this level.
Blade of the Two Thousand Wings - Requires a paper crane. By drawing a sigil on a paper and using the paper to create a crane, Cael can create thin blades that (currently) deliver cuts about the intensity of a paper cut. More of a deterrent and distraction than anything - these blades have a range of about twenty-to-twenty-five feet, and generally have five blades per crane.
Circle of Ink Binding - This spell requires a lot of advanced preparation for what is, ultimately, a somewhat lackluster effect. Simply put, Cael draws a circle of sigils directly on the floor, with a species-specific symbol in the middle. Any being of that species within a level or so Cael's skill level that steps over the edge of the circle will find themselves trapped within the circle. The effect only lasts about two minutes, and the being trapped within is immune to any attacks Cael might throw at them. Therefore, it's best to slap it down and Run Away.
Inklife - Cael can bring up to six paper constructs to life, sending them to scout ahead or steal small objects for him. Currently, he can only animate constructs of up to six inches in length. If destroyed, they 'bleed' ink.
Equipment:
Inkwell - an unassuming looking, clear-blue cork-topped bottle that holds about 12 fluid ounces of ink. The cork is the only sign that there's anything odd about the inkwell. It has a symbol etched on the bottom that isn't ever hidden, despite the fact that it's the same color of the ink inside.
Pen - A nib pen with four changeable, sharpened nibs. It, like the inkwell, is almost completely ordinary in appearance; only the sigils etched on the nibs give anything away.
Notebook – A large notebook, bound in leather, with rough, off-white pages, about 12inches by 12inches by 3inches. There are pockets on the inside for small cut pieces of his origami paper. The notebook is perfectly ordinary, but practically glued to his person at all times and thus worth mentioning.
Coat – A coat that is vaguely Asian in shape, belted at the waist, the skirt of which reaches his knees. It is made of quilted silk, midnight blue in color, lined with sky-blue. The coat was enchanted by his teacher to resist ink, a useful trait in his profession. Other than that, it is completely ordinary, and utterly useless against “real” weapons.
Familiar: It - an animated origami creation that needs recreated daily. It varies in form between Crane, Dragon, Butterfly and Rabbit depending on what Cael feels like making. It always feels like dry paper, no matter the form It's in. It speaks by words forming in ink in whatever space would serve as Its mouth, floating in midair for mere seconds, and It does not repeat itself when Cael misses what It has said. It is also, quite obviously, genderless. How would you ask a paper bunny if It's a boy or a girl anyways?
Age: 32
Race: Human
Hair Color: Pale blue
Eye Color: Strawberry blond
Height: 6'03"
Weight: 167lbs
Occupation: Scribe, Traveling Performer
Personality: Mellow, amiable and easy-going, but also somewhat detached. He’s loyal to people he knows, but tends to not get worked up, emotionally, over, much of anything: he’s asexual, neutral in most conflicts, agnostic in religion, moderate in politics…in short, he’s a mediator between ideas with very few opinions on things he’s not directly involved in. The few things he is emotional over are words, his magic, and the concept of personal freedom.
Appearance: Tall, slender and sturdily muscled - he's not bulky by any means, but he's not a waif-like figure either. He's very pale, with pale blue eyes, fine, close-cropped strawberry blond hair, and the light brows and lashes that go with that coloration. He usually has an equally-fine layer of equally-blonde stubble on his cheeks and jawline. He has deep scarring from his left ankle to left hip, and walks with a rather noticeable limp. His hands are stained with multiple colors of inks, to the extent that the faded ink almost looks like a part of his skin. He tends to tilt his head to the side when he's listening closely to anything, looking rather like a confused, blond puppy.
Cael dresses simply: loose cotton trousers and tunic, soft leather boots, and fingerless woolen gloves, all in various states of disrepair and ink-stainery. His clothing changes often, so none of it is really special, save for a dark-blue, Asian-style overcoat that reaches his knees. That remains a constant in his wardrobe – explained in equipment section.
History: Cael was born on a cold, snowy coast, son of a fish merchant and a fisherwoman, and the youngest of five children. As he grew older, he took more after his father’s side of the career, preferring the relative quiet of a study with a stack of forms to fill out over being outside with the cold and the stink and sea. Soon, however, he took to preferring free words over those of a set form, and begged and cajoled his father into letting him be trained as a scribe.
His father eventually gave in when he was about 15, carting his son off to the nearest city to be apprenticed. His apprenticeship passed quickly and without much noteworthy – it was after his apprenticeship ended and he found himself looking for ways to make money with what he had learned that he hit a few minor problems. He found the easiest way to make money was to write things that people wanted to read – things like stories about their neighbors, painted in various shades of Untruth. For a while, he was merely a community nuisance…
Until he wrote some Not Very Complimentary Things about the wrong man. This man, instead of merely threatening the man, or bribing him to shut up, paid a couple of men to arrange for Cael to have an ‘accident’. He was ambushed in the dead of night, dragged out of the town and thrown off a cliff into a river. The fall mangled his leg, and the water lead to him coming down with a severe case of pneumonia. The current also carried him downriver, leaving him battered and bloody in the shallows along the path.
He was conveniently found and nursed back to health by a traveling troupe of performers. It took him several months to completely recover – the pneumonia actually damaged his hearing to the point where he now cannot hear from his left ear, and his leg is still a pretty big mess – and even after his recovery, he traveled with the troupe, writing advertisements and lettering posters for them.
It was in this that one of the performers, a tiny old man named Tan Li, saw something that most would not. Old Tan was an Inkmage, and he saw in Cael an – pardon the pun – inkling of that skill. He took the recovering young man under his wing, and began his training.
…it went somewhat slowly at first, mind. Cael had a bit of a reputation in the area, making it necessary for him to move around unseen, staying behind when the troup went into certain villages. He also preferred to write over studying. But over time, he began to pick up more and more, adding his slight skills to Old Tan's performances. The night of his first solo performance, his teacher turned him loose. Inkmagic was relatively passive as far as magic styles go, and one of those things that can only be learned -past a certain point- on one’s own.
Cael has been wandering ever since, writing back to Old Tan about his adventures almost weekly...and starting to weasel his way back into his old styles of writing. Which may prove to be a problem in the future.
Skills:
Fighting: If it were a class on earth, Cael would probably get an F. He can't fight with anything but his magic. An anti-skill, if you will, hence it's mentioning.
Penmenship: Cael's fifteen plus years as a scribe have resulted in him having nigh-perfect handwriting, and an eye for duplicating. He can write in a good dozen styles, is fairly decent at forgery, and can copy various pictogram-and-symbol based languages that he doesn't know if he's given a base to look at.
Ink Magic
Ink Magic is an art that is a combination of innate ability and the proper artifacts. Most of the spells require specific artifacts - a pen and an inkpot (which must be the set the Mage learned with unless said set is destroyed) - reagents - in the form of paper and blood-dosed-ink - and prior preparation.
An Inkmage first prepares the paper by writing a word, or drawing a symbol or picture symbolizing the action or reaction the mage wishes to cause in ink from their inkwell. The ink must contain blood (a single drop is sufficient for a whole inkwell worth of otherwise ordinary ink) - the mage's own blood works best, simply because another's blood in an Inkmage's inkwell pretty much reminds them of spitting in another's drink. It's just Not Done. The paper is then folded - much like origami - and either used instantly, or saved for later use.
The minimum time Cael has ever prepared a spell in is five minutes - Ink Magic is not the most practical form of magic to use in the heat of battle, and Cael is often the first to admit it, generally while running away. Ink Magic also doesn't keep well - a prepared spell must be used before the precise time it was prepared the previous day, or it reverts to plain paper and ink.
Spells
Wish of a Thousand Cranes - By drawing a sigil representing a crane, Cael can create effective first aid tools out of simple paper – these include small bandages, cold compresses and heated compresses. Useful for scrapes, small cuts, bruises and sprains, but not much else at this level.
Blade of the Two Thousand Wings - Requires a paper crane. By drawing a sigil on a paper and using the paper to create a crane, Cael can create thin blades that (currently) deliver cuts about the intensity of a paper cut. More of a deterrent and distraction than anything - these blades have a range of about twenty-to-twenty-five feet, and generally have five blades per crane.
Circle of Ink Binding - This spell requires a lot of advanced preparation for what is, ultimately, a somewhat lackluster effect. Simply put, Cael draws a circle of sigils directly on the floor, with a species-specific symbol in the middle. Any being of that species within a level or so Cael's skill level that steps over the edge of the circle will find themselves trapped within the circle. The effect only lasts about two minutes, and the being trapped within is immune to any attacks Cael might throw at them. Therefore, it's best to slap it down and Run Away.
Inklife - Cael can bring up to six paper constructs to life, sending them to scout ahead or steal small objects for him. Currently, he can only animate constructs of up to six inches in length. If destroyed, they 'bleed' ink.
Equipment:
Inkwell - an unassuming looking, clear-blue cork-topped bottle that holds about 12 fluid ounces of ink. The cork is the only sign that there's anything odd about the inkwell. It has a symbol etched on the bottom that isn't ever hidden, despite the fact that it's the same color of the ink inside.
Pen - A nib pen with four changeable, sharpened nibs. It, like the inkwell, is almost completely ordinary in appearance; only the sigils etched on the nibs give anything away.
Notebook – A large notebook, bound in leather, with rough, off-white pages, about 12inches by 12inches by 3inches. There are pockets on the inside for small cut pieces of his origami paper. The notebook is perfectly ordinary, but practically glued to his person at all times and thus worth mentioning.
Coat – A coat that is vaguely Asian in shape, belted at the waist, the skirt of which reaches his knees. It is made of quilted silk, midnight blue in color, lined with sky-blue. The coat was enchanted by his teacher to resist ink, a useful trait in his profession. Other than that, it is completely ordinary, and utterly useless against “real” weapons.
Familiar: It - an animated origami creation that needs recreated daily. It varies in form between Crane, Dragon, Butterfly and Rabbit depending on what Cael feels like making. It always feels like dry paper, no matter the form It's in. It speaks by words forming in ink in whatever space would serve as Its mouth, floating in midair for mere seconds, and It does not repeat itself when Cael misses what It has said. It is also, quite obviously, genderless. How would you ask a paper bunny if It's a boy or a girl anyways?