Aziz
09-26-06, 11:24 PM
Name: Aziz Najwa
Age: 23
Race: Human
Hair Color: Deep Brown
Eye Color: Green w/ Gold Flecks
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Occupation: Adventurer
Personality: Usually outgoing and friendly, Aziz makes an active effort to try to get along with as many people as possible. However, his tendency to roam ensures that whatever friendships he manages to cultivate are ultimately short-lived. Aziz has come to accept that his wandering ways keep him from making lasting ties; he will, however, be as loyal and faithful as he can be to anyone he happens to currently call "friend." As far as he knows, he has no enemies. But then again, no one can truly be friends with everyone...
Appearance: Besides being roughly average in height, weight, and build, Aziz sports a pair of unusual and striking eyes. Those who have known him would swear that the gold flecks in his emerald green eyes move and swirl on their own. These are framed in a slightly angular face with a pointed chin and thin mouth. Capping the face off is a shock of ear-length hair of nearly-black brown. From the neck down, Aziz typically dresses in what passes for standard traveler's gear: leather jerkin and trousers, good leather boots, leather belt, and leather cloak. The colors of all of these pieces are rather mismatched due to being acquired seperately from different vendors in different places. However, they tend to range from deep brown to black and back again. The long sleeves of the ochre doublet he wears beneath the jerkin cover Aziz's scarred arms; his appendages are covered in hundreds of the tiny scars left from the backlashes of his magic. These tend to form very complex patterns on his arms, and people often make the mistake of assuming they're intentional.
History: It would have been nice if Aziz had had a normal life in his home village. But alas, his budding magical prowess precluded that possibility. Throughout his childhood, the young Aziz was plagued by strange dreams and frightening nightmares. These would usually revolve around elemental forces gone out of control; raging firestorms, tumultuous blizzards, chaotic lightning blasts. Though the merely troubling dreams Aziz was able to keep to himself, the nightmares sometimes leaked out into the world of the waking. This usually manifested in hot gusts of wind through his family's home, or strange lights moving through the rooms. What Aziz never shared were the voices that whispered unintelligibly in his dreams.
These phenomena slowly escalated as Aziz grew into manhood. However, bereft of any kind of arcane tutor, his abilities were undisciplined and feral. Prone to erupting unbidden in instances of high emotion, these magical abilities made it apparent that he could no longer stay for fear of causing unintentional destruction. Luckily, there were a few villagers who knew of a mage a few towns over who might be looking for an apprentice. Gathering his things and saying his goodbyes, Aziz left his home for what he hoped would be a handle on his spellcasting.
It did not take long for Aziz to fall in love with the open road. The traveling even reduced his nightmares' intensity and frequency. His journey from his home town to the abode of the wizard was relatively uneventful by adventurers' standards except for the small detail of never actually finding said wizard's abode. Aziz knew he was in the right area; the citizens of the nearby town assured him the wizard lived in the tower just inside the forest. However, upon coming to the proper place, all the young man found was the ruined foundation of what used to be the tower. On closer inspection, the rubble was badly scarred and scorched. Whatever had torn down the granite structure had been thorough; even the ground around the area was scoured clean. To his consternation, Aziz was unable to find any tracks leading to or away from the site; indeed, the place looked like it had been deserted from some time.
Questioning revealed the villagers had heard a large clap of thunder come from the direction of the tower a few weeks before, but none had really thought anything of it. The tower's resident had tended to conduct such loud, flashy experiments; this was the reason his tower was a good distance away from the town. Although dismayed at the wizard's apparent demise, they told Aziz to search the ruins and salvage what he could.
After returning to the once-tower, Aziz dug around a bit and was able to find nothing of any value. By this time, however, the sun was already beginning to set. Having come to enjoy sleeping under the stars, the young mage spread out his camping gear and eventually went to sleep. However, something of the energies that sundered the tower lingered in that patch of forest and gave strength to his nightmares. The torrential energies that played across his mind's eye raged like never before. The whisperings that always accompanied the maelstrom of the dreams were louder now, but still beyond understanding. But, they had new definition. As Aziz struggled against the violence of the nightmare, the whisperings began to resemble crying, calling. Calling for release? For freedom? He could not be sure. He awoke with a start and in cold sweat that night to find a fireball the size of a large apple sitting contentedly in his hand. It did not burn him, though he could feel its heat. Afraid to move, Aziz strained his head around to get a better look at the burning sphere. Gaining confidence, he gently lifted his hand ever so slightly. A finger twitched, and the ball immediately extinguished itself. Though his arm was sore afterwards, Aziz resolved to spend some time there to investigate further.
Aziz spent the following weeks living by the ruined tower, using its residual energies to gain understanding of the power in his dreams. He was able to harness more and more elemental energy at once, whether it was fire, lightning, or cold. But he has yet to develop fine control over these forces, and the whispers provide no insight. The young mage also discovered the caveat to his newly harnessed powers: pain. With every mote of energy conjured, the pain in his arms would slowly grow. If he continued casting, his arms bruised and small cuts would appear at random. It was a price he was willing to accept, for he accomplished something else in that clearing as well; he established a kind of rapport with the dream whispers. Enough of a connection to hear them in deep meditation or in the throes of his spellcasting. They urge him to draw more power, more energy; they coach and guide without words. They reassure him that the backlash of his channeling is as it should be.
After training for a period of several weeks, the villagers delivered word to Aziz that his home town had been hit hard by a plague. Though many had survived, he learned upon his return home that his parents had not been among them. He said his final goodbyes, pulled up his roots, and set out on the road.
Skills:
Primal Arcana: Aziz manifests a blast of raw elemental energy (fire/cold/electricity) of variable power. These evocations are powerful, but lack focus. It is easy to create a fiery explosion, for example, but it is doubtful if Aziz could manage a flaming projectile or a wall of fire. This power comes at a price, however. The more energy conjured through Primal Arcana, the greater the wounds inflicted on Aziz's own body. It is highly unlikely Aziz will ever gain fine control over this ability; it is equally unlikely he will ever be able to learn true spells from another mage. The entirety of Aziz's potential in this ability lies in how much energy he can channel at once and how much he can survive.
Basic Wilderness Survival: Aziz has become accustomed to living on the road and can sustain himself adequately on extended journeys between towns, but not indefinitely.
Equipment:
Leather Traveler's Pack (Rations, water, bedroll, and other standard traveling gear)
Journal (Kept wrapped in waterproof leathers)
Iron boot knife
Iron hand axe
Mundane silver ring (Keepsake of mother)
Mundane bronze armlet (Keepsake of father)
Other assorted baubles and souvenirs of places he's been and people he's met
Age: 23
Race: Human
Hair Color: Deep Brown
Eye Color: Green w/ Gold Flecks
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Occupation: Adventurer
Personality: Usually outgoing and friendly, Aziz makes an active effort to try to get along with as many people as possible. However, his tendency to roam ensures that whatever friendships he manages to cultivate are ultimately short-lived. Aziz has come to accept that his wandering ways keep him from making lasting ties; he will, however, be as loyal and faithful as he can be to anyone he happens to currently call "friend." As far as he knows, he has no enemies. But then again, no one can truly be friends with everyone...
Appearance: Besides being roughly average in height, weight, and build, Aziz sports a pair of unusual and striking eyes. Those who have known him would swear that the gold flecks in his emerald green eyes move and swirl on their own. These are framed in a slightly angular face with a pointed chin and thin mouth. Capping the face off is a shock of ear-length hair of nearly-black brown. From the neck down, Aziz typically dresses in what passes for standard traveler's gear: leather jerkin and trousers, good leather boots, leather belt, and leather cloak. The colors of all of these pieces are rather mismatched due to being acquired seperately from different vendors in different places. However, they tend to range from deep brown to black and back again. The long sleeves of the ochre doublet he wears beneath the jerkin cover Aziz's scarred arms; his appendages are covered in hundreds of the tiny scars left from the backlashes of his magic. These tend to form very complex patterns on his arms, and people often make the mistake of assuming they're intentional.
History: It would have been nice if Aziz had had a normal life in his home village. But alas, his budding magical prowess precluded that possibility. Throughout his childhood, the young Aziz was plagued by strange dreams and frightening nightmares. These would usually revolve around elemental forces gone out of control; raging firestorms, tumultuous blizzards, chaotic lightning blasts. Though the merely troubling dreams Aziz was able to keep to himself, the nightmares sometimes leaked out into the world of the waking. This usually manifested in hot gusts of wind through his family's home, or strange lights moving through the rooms. What Aziz never shared were the voices that whispered unintelligibly in his dreams.
These phenomena slowly escalated as Aziz grew into manhood. However, bereft of any kind of arcane tutor, his abilities were undisciplined and feral. Prone to erupting unbidden in instances of high emotion, these magical abilities made it apparent that he could no longer stay for fear of causing unintentional destruction. Luckily, there were a few villagers who knew of a mage a few towns over who might be looking for an apprentice. Gathering his things and saying his goodbyes, Aziz left his home for what he hoped would be a handle on his spellcasting.
It did not take long for Aziz to fall in love with the open road. The traveling even reduced his nightmares' intensity and frequency. His journey from his home town to the abode of the wizard was relatively uneventful by adventurers' standards except for the small detail of never actually finding said wizard's abode. Aziz knew he was in the right area; the citizens of the nearby town assured him the wizard lived in the tower just inside the forest. However, upon coming to the proper place, all the young man found was the ruined foundation of what used to be the tower. On closer inspection, the rubble was badly scarred and scorched. Whatever had torn down the granite structure had been thorough; even the ground around the area was scoured clean. To his consternation, Aziz was unable to find any tracks leading to or away from the site; indeed, the place looked like it had been deserted from some time.
Questioning revealed the villagers had heard a large clap of thunder come from the direction of the tower a few weeks before, but none had really thought anything of it. The tower's resident had tended to conduct such loud, flashy experiments; this was the reason his tower was a good distance away from the town. Although dismayed at the wizard's apparent demise, they told Aziz to search the ruins and salvage what he could.
After returning to the once-tower, Aziz dug around a bit and was able to find nothing of any value. By this time, however, the sun was already beginning to set. Having come to enjoy sleeping under the stars, the young mage spread out his camping gear and eventually went to sleep. However, something of the energies that sundered the tower lingered in that patch of forest and gave strength to his nightmares. The torrential energies that played across his mind's eye raged like never before. The whisperings that always accompanied the maelstrom of the dreams were louder now, but still beyond understanding. But, they had new definition. As Aziz struggled against the violence of the nightmare, the whisperings began to resemble crying, calling. Calling for release? For freedom? He could not be sure. He awoke with a start and in cold sweat that night to find a fireball the size of a large apple sitting contentedly in his hand. It did not burn him, though he could feel its heat. Afraid to move, Aziz strained his head around to get a better look at the burning sphere. Gaining confidence, he gently lifted his hand ever so slightly. A finger twitched, and the ball immediately extinguished itself. Though his arm was sore afterwards, Aziz resolved to spend some time there to investigate further.
Aziz spent the following weeks living by the ruined tower, using its residual energies to gain understanding of the power in his dreams. He was able to harness more and more elemental energy at once, whether it was fire, lightning, or cold. But he has yet to develop fine control over these forces, and the whispers provide no insight. The young mage also discovered the caveat to his newly harnessed powers: pain. With every mote of energy conjured, the pain in his arms would slowly grow. If he continued casting, his arms bruised and small cuts would appear at random. It was a price he was willing to accept, for he accomplished something else in that clearing as well; he established a kind of rapport with the dream whispers. Enough of a connection to hear them in deep meditation or in the throes of his spellcasting. They urge him to draw more power, more energy; they coach and guide without words. They reassure him that the backlash of his channeling is as it should be.
After training for a period of several weeks, the villagers delivered word to Aziz that his home town had been hit hard by a plague. Though many had survived, he learned upon his return home that his parents had not been among them. He said his final goodbyes, pulled up his roots, and set out on the road.
Skills:
Primal Arcana: Aziz manifests a blast of raw elemental energy (fire/cold/electricity) of variable power. These evocations are powerful, but lack focus. It is easy to create a fiery explosion, for example, but it is doubtful if Aziz could manage a flaming projectile or a wall of fire. This power comes at a price, however. The more energy conjured through Primal Arcana, the greater the wounds inflicted on Aziz's own body. It is highly unlikely Aziz will ever gain fine control over this ability; it is equally unlikely he will ever be able to learn true spells from another mage. The entirety of Aziz's potential in this ability lies in how much energy he can channel at once and how much he can survive.
Basic Wilderness Survival: Aziz has become accustomed to living on the road and can sustain himself adequately on extended journeys between towns, but not indefinitely.
Equipment:
Leather Traveler's Pack (Rations, water, bedroll, and other standard traveling gear)
Journal (Kept wrapped in waterproof leathers)
Iron boot knife
Iron hand axe
Mundane silver ring (Keepsake of mother)
Mundane bronze armlet (Keepsake of father)
Other assorted baubles and souvenirs of places he's been and people he's met