Galloglasses
05-03-12, 05:42 PM
Name: Mael ua Seachlainn 'The Reluctant'
Age: 21
Race: Human
Hair Color: Blonde, turning to Brown
Eye Color: Greyish Blue
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210
Occupation: Escaped Slave, Soldier for Hire, Reluctant Prophet
Personality: While certainly more shrewd and not nearly as gung ho about engaging with dangerous looking strangers as he was back in his homeland, Mael posesses an unflappable spirit and prideful streak that demands that he never back down from a challenge no matter how foolish or dangerous and possesses a certain naivety that wilier characters can take advantage of. He is quite proud of his clan and namesake, something which means literally nothing in his newfound home, and quick to anger in the face of what he views as an insult. The result is a man who is charming who is skilled in heartening others. But you would not be able to immediately tell by the harsh glare in his eyes.
Appearance: Has high cheekbones, his hair is messy and unkempt and slightly greasy from all his time aboard ships. He is slightly emaciated and wiry despite his big build as a result of not getting nearly enough proper food into him. His arms and back are criss crossed with old whip marks. He was originally pale but now possesses a farmer's tan over most of his upper body including his face. Despite his average height, his body build gives him 'presence'
Skills:
Have at ye!: While not entirely useless as a swordsman, he has a long way to go before he realises the balance of a sword affects how you swing it. But possesses a natural enthusiasm for fighting.
It was in-between the cushions...: Life as a slave has thought him to be resourceful and is a natural at scrounging up that one last penny to pay the barkeep. Among other such last minute necessities of course.
Faugh a Ballagh!: Songs about the travails of ancient heroes and kings he knows from his childhood. While normally nothing spectacular, the lilting sing-song tunes of his native tongue lend such songs an eerie and unnerving aspect while other songs can inspire others with warmth, though they don't know the words.
Abilities:
Its only a flesh wound: An Dia's only notable benefit to Mael that makes him seriously considering the god is watching over him. While not able to regenerate wounds any faster then normal. He is 25% more resistant to the effects of poisons and drugs and he gets over illnesses quicker then he used to before his slavery. The downside being that it takes alot more alcohol then it should for Mael to become intoxicated.
That voice is getting on my nerves: An Dia is able to notice peculiarities about Mael's surroundings that Mael might otherwise have missed, especially considering the amount of nattering An Dia normally bothers Mael with, Mael usually rationalises that its only some head curse that is causing him to miss things he would notice normally and then his addled brain is concocting that this phantom voice is telling him these details.
Hit harder you pansy!: While he refuses to admit it, An Dia has blessed Mael with twice the endurance of a normal man, and can take more hits before succumbing then the average man.
Weaknesses and Notable Flaws:
Can you hold my camera?: Is still somewhat naive and can be easily fooled by another character that has enough guile to realise Mael's lust for adventure can be his undoing
How improper!: Whatever he may have thought about his Religion, Mael was raised with strict mores and morals and frowns upon any flagrantly indecent behaviour in his presence. While he has learned to simply tolerate cityfolk and their decadence, he can only be pushed so far.
Please sir, can I have some more?: Despite his average height Mael posesses a massive body build. Which often requires him to eat quite alot to sustain himself. As he is not a properly trained warrior he knows nothing of pacing and can quickly run out of stamina.
Its all greek to me: Has no idea how to speak or write in any of the local languages and primarily learns how to get by in an area by Doing what the Romans do.
Equipment: A roughspin linen tunic, leather Breeches, mismatched and twice repaired leather shoes and a rusty iron shortsword he found while wondering the back-alleys of Coroné, and a lucky pewter coin he managed to keep hold of. With the image of the sun on one side and the moon on the other. (The pewter coin is not magical)
History: Mael ua Seachlainn was born into a minor noble house far across the waters upon a misty island, simply referred to as 'The Isle' in his native tongue whose various petty kingdoms warred constantly over wealth and prestige. As a third born son, neither fit to take charge over his father's holdings or marry for benefit of the clan, his lot in life was to become a priest of An Dia, the god the people of that isle worshipped. Needless to say he was not too fond of the idea and had resisted all attempts by his family and fellows to join An Dia's priesthood and became known as 'the Reluctant' because of it in his local area. He had grown up surrounded by stories of brave warriors and heroes and mighty kings and he wished, instead of joining the priesthood in its futile efforts to bring the petty kingdoms to peace he decided he would take his chances and attempt to make a very real impact on the storied 'Long War' of his old home and stole away into the night, taking his rusty iron sword. More of a hand me down then an heirloom, he was thought the very basics of swordsmanship as all young boys are, and sought to utilise it in bringing lasting peace to the Isle in service of one of its many petty lords.
Well he tried to at any rate.
It wasnt long that he got into a fight with highwaymen, his relatively sheltered upbringing hid him from the cruel realities a constant war had on his land and he was not prepared for when he was beaten, dragged from his stolen pony and robbed. And after that he made his way to a fishing village, following one of the bandits to its tavern, foolishly challenging the brigand to a duel for his honour. The brigand, well liked by that village, laughed and accused Mael of having tried to steal his pony. Mael was mobbed and with a hot iron branded onto his forearm the mark of a horse thief and thrown into the custody of the Burgomeister. It was then that life really began to go downhill for Mael. He had been sold to a travelling slave ship which had deemed him a fit lad for work but at every stop he had been sold as the remainder man of every bidding to another slave trader who thought he could make a profit off of him. This went on for almost a year and Mael quickly got used to the unfamiliar sights and sounds, strange tongues that meant nothing to him, the sway of the ship and strange inhuman creatures and feyfolk in men's clothing, all the while hearing whispers in his head that ceased whenever he tried to pay attention to them. He had finally been bought by a rather fat merchant with a cruel glint in his eye and was to be a servant in his estate at Coroné, it was stepping off the ship that a forceful voice commanded him to break into a run and flee his new master. The voice guided him through the streets until he finally escaped his master's guards.
It was then the voice claimed to be 'An Dia' the god of his people, and he had seen an opportunity to spread the worship of himself beyond the Isle, and had sought to utilise Mael's stalwart spirit as his prophet, knowing Mael had the mental fortitude to withstand the trials of slavery.
Mael, while grateful to what was clearly merely a part of his brain gone mad from suffering, or so he had reasoned, had other ideas. In a new land and free from Bondage Mael sought to take full advantage and set out for himself on adventure. Mayhaps, he thought romantically, come back to his home island on a wave of gold coinage and bring peace to his old home with the army his dreamt of wealth would buy him. Much to An Dia's* chagrin of course.
(If my character sounds familiar, it should, its a direct re-imagining of a character I had on the old Althanas forums that didn't get used much who was a Witch Hunter with a really fun and ostentatious name who had also been rescued by a god who took an interest in him, in this character's case its something more of a Reverse St.Patrick with an antagonistic relationship with his God)
*A note on An Dia:
An Dia is not a powerful god in Althanas, in fact that is the entire point of his existence. I am basing his godhood in the discworld tradition of gods requiring devout believers to be powerful and while An Dias is quite powerful back in Mael's homeland, he is not all that powerful in this land yet wishes to be, and saw Mael's slavery as an opportunity. Mael himself being a believer (albeit, not that strong of a believer) hence why An Dias has certain amount of power over him but not nearly enough to grant Mael any substantive boons beyond what has already been mentioned.
Outside of Mael, An Dias has only enough power to say, shift a teacup onto the floor in Mael's general presence.
The primary purpose of this character is primarily to have a hilarious inner discourse between Mael and the God, and he will not and literally cannot be used for anything more powerful unless Mael converts characters and NPCs to An Dia's faith, which is highly unlikely. Other characters, if they possess any such ability, will be able to sense an indiscernible but weak essence off of Mael.
(EDIT: just realised my character from the old Althanas who is very similar to this character carried over when the website changed, I was not aware of this. If I can I will keep that old character, Fredrich Wilhem De Grimmalditore, as canon until he becomes useful later on, it may be funny having two characters acting as servants for two weak and virtually unknown gods having a bit of a rivalry.)
Age: 21
Race: Human
Hair Color: Blonde, turning to Brown
Eye Color: Greyish Blue
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 210
Occupation: Escaped Slave, Soldier for Hire, Reluctant Prophet
Personality: While certainly more shrewd and not nearly as gung ho about engaging with dangerous looking strangers as he was back in his homeland, Mael posesses an unflappable spirit and prideful streak that demands that he never back down from a challenge no matter how foolish or dangerous and possesses a certain naivety that wilier characters can take advantage of. He is quite proud of his clan and namesake, something which means literally nothing in his newfound home, and quick to anger in the face of what he views as an insult. The result is a man who is charming who is skilled in heartening others. But you would not be able to immediately tell by the harsh glare in his eyes.
Appearance: Has high cheekbones, his hair is messy and unkempt and slightly greasy from all his time aboard ships. He is slightly emaciated and wiry despite his big build as a result of not getting nearly enough proper food into him. His arms and back are criss crossed with old whip marks. He was originally pale but now possesses a farmer's tan over most of his upper body including his face. Despite his average height, his body build gives him 'presence'
Skills:
Have at ye!: While not entirely useless as a swordsman, he has a long way to go before he realises the balance of a sword affects how you swing it. But possesses a natural enthusiasm for fighting.
It was in-between the cushions...: Life as a slave has thought him to be resourceful and is a natural at scrounging up that one last penny to pay the barkeep. Among other such last minute necessities of course.
Faugh a Ballagh!: Songs about the travails of ancient heroes and kings he knows from his childhood. While normally nothing spectacular, the lilting sing-song tunes of his native tongue lend such songs an eerie and unnerving aspect while other songs can inspire others with warmth, though they don't know the words.
Abilities:
Its only a flesh wound: An Dia's only notable benefit to Mael that makes him seriously considering the god is watching over him. While not able to regenerate wounds any faster then normal. He is 25% more resistant to the effects of poisons and drugs and he gets over illnesses quicker then he used to before his slavery. The downside being that it takes alot more alcohol then it should for Mael to become intoxicated.
That voice is getting on my nerves: An Dia is able to notice peculiarities about Mael's surroundings that Mael might otherwise have missed, especially considering the amount of nattering An Dia normally bothers Mael with, Mael usually rationalises that its only some head curse that is causing him to miss things he would notice normally and then his addled brain is concocting that this phantom voice is telling him these details.
Hit harder you pansy!: While he refuses to admit it, An Dia has blessed Mael with twice the endurance of a normal man, and can take more hits before succumbing then the average man.
Weaknesses and Notable Flaws:
Can you hold my camera?: Is still somewhat naive and can be easily fooled by another character that has enough guile to realise Mael's lust for adventure can be his undoing
How improper!: Whatever he may have thought about his Religion, Mael was raised with strict mores and morals and frowns upon any flagrantly indecent behaviour in his presence. While he has learned to simply tolerate cityfolk and their decadence, he can only be pushed so far.
Please sir, can I have some more?: Despite his average height Mael posesses a massive body build. Which often requires him to eat quite alot to sustain himself. As he is not a properly trained warrior he knows nothing of pacing and can quickly run out of stamina.
Its all greek to me: Has no idea how to speak or write in any of the local languages and primarily learns how to get by in an area by Doing what the Romans do.
Equipment: A roughspin linen tunic, leather Breeches, mismatched and twice repaired leather shoes and a rusty iron shortsword he found while wondering the back-alleys of Coroné, and a lucky pewter coin he managed to keep hold of. With the image of the sun on one side and the moon on the other. (The pewter coin is not magical)
History: Mael ua Seachlainn was born into a minor noble house far across the waters upon a misty island, simply referred to as 'The Isle' in his native tongue whose various petty kingdoms warred constantly over wealth and prestige. As a third born son, neither fit to take charge over his father's holdings or marry for benefit of the clan, his lot in life was to become a priest of An Dia, the god the people of that isle worshipped. Needless to say he was not too fond of the idea and had resisted all attempts by his family and fellows to join An Dia's priesthood and became known as 'the Reluctant' because of it in his local area. He had grown up surrounded by stories of brave warriors and heroes and mighty kings and he wished, instead of joining the priesthood in its futile efforts to bring the petty kingdoms to peace he decided he would take his chances and attempt to make a very real impact on the storied 'Long War' of his old home and stole away into the night, taking his rusty iron sword. More of a hand me down then an heirloom, he was thought the very basics of swordsmanship as all young boys are, and sought to utilise it in bringing lasting peace to the Isle in service of one of its many petty lords.
Well he tried to at any rate.
It wasnt long that he got into a fight with highwaymen, his relatively sheltered upbringing hid him from the cruel realities a constant war had on his land and he was not prepared for when he was beaten, dragged from his stolen pony and robbed. And after that he made his way to a fishing village, following one of the bandits to its tavern, foolishly challenging the brigand to a duel for his honour. The brigand, well liked by that village, laughed and accused Mael of having tried to steal his pony. Mael was mobbed and with a hot iron branded onto his forearm the mark of a horse thief and thrown into the custody of the Burgomeister. It was then that life really began to go downhill for Mael. He had been sold to a travelling slave ship which had deemed him a fit lad for work but at every stop he had been sold as the remainder man of every bidding to another slave trader who thought he could make a profit off of him. This went on for almost a year and Mael quickly got used to the unfamiliar sights and sounds, strange tongues that meant nothing to him, the sway of the ship and strange inhuman creatures and feyfolk in men's clothing, all the while hearing whispers in his head that ceased whenever he tried to pay attention to them. He had finally been bought by a rather fat merchant with a cruel glint in his eye and was to be a servant in his estate at Coroné, it was stepping off the ship that a forceful voice commanded him to break into a run and flee his new master. The voice guided him through the streets until he finally escaped his master's guards.
It was then the voice claimed to be 'An Dia' the god of his people, and he had seen an opportunity to spread the worship of himself beyond the Isle, and had sought to utilise Mael's stalwart spirit as his prophet, knowing Mael had the mental fortitude to withstand the trials of slavery.
Mael, while grateful to what was clearly merely a part of his brain gone mad from suffering, or so he had reasoned, had other ideas. In a new land and free from Bondage Mael sought to take full advantage and set out for himself on adventure. Mayhaps, he thought romantically, come back to his home island on a wave of gold coinage and bring peace to his old home with the army his dreamt of wealth would buy him. Much to An Dia's* chagrin of course.
(If my character sounds familiar, it should, its a direct re-imagining of a character I had on the old Althanas forums that didn't get used much who was a Witch Hunter with a really fun and ostentatious name who had also been rescued by a god who took an interest in him, in this character's case its something more of a Reverse St.Patrick with an antagonistic relationship with his God)
*A note on An Dia:
An Dia is not a powerful god in Althanas, in fact that is the entire point of his existence. I am basing his godhood in the discworld tradition of gods requiring devout believers to be powerful and while An Dias is quite powerful back in Mael's homeland, he is not all that powerful in this land yet wishes to be, and saw Mael's slavery as an opportunity. Mael himself being a believer (albeit, not that strong of a believer) hence why An Dias has certain amount of power over him but not nearly enough to grant Mael any substantive boons beyond what has already been mentioned.
Outside of Mael, An Dias has only enough power to say, shift a teacup onto the floor in Mael's general presence.
The primary purpose of this character is primarily to have a hilarious inner discourse between Mael and the God, and he will not and literally cannot be used for anything more powerful unless Mael converts characters and NPCs to An Dia's faith, which is highly unlikely. Other characters, if they possess any such ability, will be able to sense an indiscernible but weak essence off of Mael.
(EDIT: just realised my character from the old Althanas who is very similar to this character carried over when the website changed, I was not aware of this. If I can I will keep that old character, Fredrich Wilhem De Grimmalditore, as canon until he becomes useful later on, it may be funny having two characters acting as servants for two weak and virtually unknown gods having a bit of a rivalry.)