Sound
04-24-06, 09:17 AM
Introduction
Sound; he is a human male, aged twenty years since his birth in Knife’s Edge of Salvar. When asked of his profession, he will usually reply with the simple, “I write.”
Appearance
The young man stands at an unimposing 5 feet and 7 inches, and weighs less than 130 pounds; however, he is of a toned and wiry stature, weatherworn from expeditions in the Salvar wilderness. His face is not, by most standards, attractive; bony, angular features house a dominant nose and two large and luminous brown eyes, and a pair of thin lips hides his crooked but functional teeth; from behind those teeth comes a quiet and raspy voice. The hair upon his head is dirty blonde and that upon his face has a reddish tint; depending on the season and his whims, hair can be either long or short, but is almost always unkempt. The same principles apply to his attire; he wears cheap, utilitarian clothing, which is usually long for a specific purpose—covering much of his upper and lower torso is an intricate network of scars; the only evidence that is usually visible, though, is a long scar running from his forehead to his jaw line.
Philosophy
Sound is a skeptic and a cynic, but he is curious as well. He places a lot of his energy in stewing over ideas and information; the term obsession carries unappealing connotations, but Sound would readily admit to the crime. As the young man sees it, he is only infatuated with a yearning for truth and understanding, both of which can lead to justice and equality—although, such an explanation is cast in his own light. He is open to new ideas and is tolerant of diversity, mostly for the sake of adding to his store of knowledge and understanding. His skepticism can lead to a sense of aloofness, in that he is very cautious in placing his trust in anything, including individuals and groups, to the point that relationships falter and unity is undermined. For Sound, though, he is adhering to his glorification of selflessness and his despising of selfishness, all the while absorbed in his sense of duty to the freeing of truth and destruction of ignorance—a historic and ongoing battle, in which he plays a miniscule role. With that in mind, he does not place much significance in the ability of a single person to effect much change in the world, seen as a chaotic and somehow beautiful mass of forces pushing against each other, in which all mortals are caught. While some consider this pessimistic, this point of view lends Sound a kind of serenity in his dealings with life.
Behavior
The human’s personality follows closely with his philosophy of life, as one would expect. He is very alert to his surroundings and their inhabitants; when he is not engaged in observation or study, he is usually quiet and reflective, for he is probably trying to piece together information or consider his ideas from a different angle. Thus, sometimes he will appear completely engaged in the circumstances around him, and other times he will appear distant and ignorant. Sound does, in fact, enjoy company and meeting strangers, but that is a far cry from placing his confidence in these people and becoming lasting friends. After all, his idealistic quest for truth is for the multitudes of people, and besides, he can gain valuable information from strangers. Those who spend any significant amount of time around Sound tend to remark at his placidity and general stoicism, which can be easily read as arrogance and self-absorption. However, he tries hard to behave humbly, and yet, he still holds in mind his task of unearthing the truth as the highest of duties—there are obvious contradictions here that frequently manifest in his actions and thoughts.
Edit: If I crossed any lines with this history, just let me know and I can change it.
Past
Sound was born as Anteni Jerrold, in the wealthy quarters of Knife’s Edge. That was twenty years ago, not long after House Rathaxea took power in Salvar. As far as Sound knows, his father, Jarvis Jerrold, contributed to the bloody coup and was soon after awarded with the obscure position “Officer of Domestic Serenity.” His official purpose was far-ranging: he was in charge of such things as establishing a stable political atmosphere, ensuring public safety, even cleaning up Knife’s Edge’s landscape. These euphemisms stood for, of course, political and social purges, an undeclared martial law, and restructuring pieces of the city to facilitate military maneuvers.
In those oppressive and fearful times in Salvar, Sound grew up with many privileges not known to the overwhelming majority of poor. He received access to schools and physical training, not to mention a comfortable bed and a warm meal every night. Although, this came at a price: his indoctrination into the glories and wonders of the Salvar monarch and the Church of the Ethereal Sway. He grew up believing that Salvar was a bastion of civilization amid barbarian tribes and conniving empires. This was an easy portrait to paint with frequent news of conflict with the northern tribes and a lack of exploration on Sound’s part. He did not even leave Knife’s Edge until he was ordered to—under the dictates of an elite, clandestine organization headed by his father.
Although it was not clear to him at the time, Sound now understands that ever since his childhood, Jarvis had planned for him to become one of the monarch’s spies. During his sixteenth autumn, he was initiated into a difficult program of physical and mental training—he was crafted and molded into a sharp and useful governmental tool. His tasks always involved reconnaissance, espionage, and even thievery; Sound was not given training in combat, and if the need to use arms arose, his mission would be considered a failure. Jarvis created a double-edged sword, however—as Sound was taught to explore and gather information, he began to put the pieces together himself. For one reason or another—and this is something Sound thinks about often—the propaganda began to lose its grip upon his mind and a disgusting truth began to unravel.
Of course, the organization he worked for was one step ahead of him. He attempted to play it cool; he continued his missions and continued to learn, and as far as he was concerned, no hints of his revelations were ever leaked. His tasks became more of a source of understanding rather than a job, and he even dared to withhold information for the benefit of those he was sent to spy upon. Sound sorely underestimated the agency, though; he was inexplicably captured while finding guerrilla forces of a particular northern tribe. He has since come to the conclusion that the monarchy knew of his betrayal long before his actual capture; however, the tribe that was tipped off was known especially for its brutality and disregard for life, which is probably why that mission ended up as his last.
Sound doesn’t recall much of his stay with the barbarians, except that he can thank them for the scars covering much of his body. The young man had been trained in withstanding pain in case of capture, but this torture was far beyond anything for which he was prepared. To this day he cannot recall what the barbarians were trying to learn from him—they continuously asked vague or incoherent questions, which could hardly be replied to, even if he had an acceptable answer. He was left alive for a night, something not common for this tribe, and in the morning he awoke to the clash of arms. What he has long regarded as miraculous luck has now become a nagging suspicion in Sound’s mind—he managed to escape relatively easy due to this diversion, and the possibility of it being staged has become increasingly feasible. The implications of this are quite confusing, though.
Either way, the young agent officially retired that day. He managed to reach a farmhouse several miles away, where strangers took him in as an unfortunate traveler caught by the vicious barbarians. That was several months ago, and Sound has since traveled far away from Salvar to Corone; he needs time and space to think about his next plan of action, and the multicultural hub of Corone seemed an ideal place to blend in.
Abilities
Sense Training
This is, perhaps, his most useful ability, and yet the most underdeveloped too. Some claim that it taps into supernatural energies existing around an individual, while others will argue that this skill lies deep within all beings, who just need to the will and focus to bring it forth. It was first introduced to Sound early in his training, but even after several years, he has only begun to understand the potential. What sense training does is obvious enough; however, its effects are surprising. Through the training of the normal five senses, one can gain an almost supernatural awareness. With that awareness there is speed and agility that far surpasses any normal human or elf—some liken it to the abilities held by vampires. One can sense the presence of a living being, the shifts in weather or earth, and for the true masters, even the emotions or intentions within an individual, be they man or beast. Each person’s path through sense training leads to different consequences, and no one’s route is the same.
Sound has very limited sense training at this point of his life. His senses are acute, perhaps rivaling those of many elves, but his awareness pales in comparison to most of the operatives in his former agency. Beyond augmenting his agility and thievery, his trained senses do such useful things as reading lips and improving night vision.
Agility
Agility is Sound’s sword and shield, as it were. He does not know how to fight effectively with any sort of weapon, so he avoids fighting altogether. If the situation calls for a confrontation, then, he relies on agility to avoid blows while tiring his opponent. The level of his agility is directly influenced by his skill in sense training, and also affects his skill in thievery, but having been a part of an espionage organization for several years, a lot of effort was put into his acrobatics and deftness.
With his current skill, Sound is a very quick young man. He can dance around a single opponent for quite some time, and even avoid blows given from several directions. His lightness allows him to outrun and outmaneuver ordinary guards and soldiers with ease, but if those of a similar profession are chasing him, then he certainly has some competition. Coordination, flexibility, and balance have become second nature, but it is not as if he can walk a tightrope across a canyon or perform acrobatic stunts without further specialized training. When it comes to more pragmatic skills, though, such as climbing ropes or trees, Sound is proficient enough for normal, controlled circumstances.
Thievery
Thievery is the application of Sound’s agility to his former job, as well as other useful endeavors. While many tend to think of thievery in purely materialistic terms, the theft of knowledge and information also falls into this domain; at least, that is, for Sound. Although agility is a very practical skill, one must know how to use it effectively to move quietly and remain undetected, and such knowledge comes with thieving. Also involved is the picking of pockets and purses, as well as the understanding of locks and the various tools used to manipulate them. Just as his agility is affected by his sense training, so is his thieving by his agility; an increase in agility directly improves his efficiency and competence.
This was also an essential part of Sound’s training, when he was a part of the monarch’s intelligence community. Scouting out enemy positions and acquiring certain documents or information required his being able to use stealth indoors and outdoors and to bypass watchful guards and locked doors. While he is effective at applying stealth—he can sneak past a handful of guards outdoors or a few indoors without much trouble, as long as they are not aware he is around—his knowledge of lock and lock-breaking is lacking. He was never given a mission that required his breaking into heavily fortified positions, and therefore, he knows only how to break ordinary locks that are generally used to discourage amateurs. Picking pockets has been a new adaptation of his skills, for he never had to steal anything directly from an individual’s person until he found himself as a beggar and rover; he has mainly learned by trial and error and is still a novice at this.
Equipment
Besides the clothes on his back, Sound has little to which to claim ownership. He is good at traveling lightly and enduring a rumbling stomach or parched throat, but like most other individuals, he has a few items that are nearly always by his side:
—Flask; Sound picked up quite a desire for alcohol from his father, although he tries not to indulge too much. He always fills it with the strongest booze he can find.
—Knife; even though he has no working knowledge of combat techniques, this steel, six-inch blade is good for practical uses, intimidation, and idle entertainment, too.
—Lock pick; this and other similar tools come in a small kit. They are of mediocre quality, not effective on any lock of a higher constitution.
Sound; he is a human male, aged twenty years since his birth in Knife’s Edge of Salvar. When asked of his profession, he will usually reply with the simple, “I write.”
Appearance
The young man stands at an unimposing 5 feet and 7 inches, and weighs less than 130 pounds; however, he is of a toned and wiry stature, weatherworn from expeditions in the Salvar wilderness. His face is not, by most standards, attractive; bony, angular features house a dominant nose and two large and luminous brown eyes, and a pair of thin lips hides his crooked but functional teeth; from behind those teeth comes a quiet and raspy voice. The hair upon his head is dirty blonde and that upon his face has a reddish tint; depending on the season and his whims, hair can be either long or short, but is almost always unkempt. The same principles apply to his attire; he wears cheap, utilitarian clothing, which is usually long for a specific purpose—covering much of his upper and lower torso is an intricate network of scars; the only evidence that is usually visible, though, is a long scar running from his forehead to his jaw line.
Philosophy
Sound is a skeptic and a cynic, but he is curious as well. He places a lot of his energy in stewing over ideas and information; the term obsession carries unappealing connotations, but Sound would readily admit to the crime. As the young man sees it, he is only infatuated with a yearning for truth and understanding, both of which can lead to justice and equality—although, such an explanation is cast in his own light. He is open to new ideas and is tolerant of diversity, mostly for the sake of adding to his store of knowledge and understanding. His skepticism can lead to a sense of aloofness, in that he is very cautious in placing his trust in anything, including individuals and groups, to the point that relationships falter and unity is undermined. For Sound, though, he is adhering to his glorification of selflessness and his despising of selfishness, all the while absorbed in his sense of duty to the freeing of truth and destruction of ignorance—a historic and ongoing battle, in which he plays a miniscule role. With that in mind, he does not place much significance in the ability of a single person to effect much change in the world, seen as a chaotic and somehow beautiful mass of forces pushing against each other, in which all mortals are caught. While some consider this pessimistic, this point of view lends Sound a kind of serenity in his dealings with life.
Behavior
The human’s personality follows closely with his philosophy of life, as one would expect. He is very alert to his surroundings and their inhabitants; when he is not engaged in observation or study, he is usually quiet and reflective, for he is probably trying to piece together information or consider his ideas from a different angle. Thus, sometimes he will appear completely engaged in the circumstances around him, and other times he will appear distant and ignorant. Sound does, in fact, enjoy company and meeting strangers, but that is a far cry from placing his confidence in these people and becoming lasting friends. After all, his idealistic quest for truth is for the multitudes of people, and besides, he can gain valuable information from strangers. Those who spend any significant amount of time around Sound tend to remark at his placidity and general stoicism, which can be easily read as arrogance and self-absorption. However, he tries hard to behave humbly, and yet, he still holds in mind his task of unearthing the truth as the highest of duties—there are obvious contradictions here that frequently manifest in his actions and thoughts.
Edit: If I crossed any lines with this history, just let me know and I can change it.
Past
Sound was born as Anteni Jerrold, in the wealthy quarters of Knife’s Edge. That was twenty years ago, not long after House Rathaxea took power in Salvar. As far as Sound knows, his father, Jarvis Jerrold, contributed to the bloody coup and was soon after awarded with the obscure position “Officer of Domestic Serenity.” His official purpose was far-ranging: he was in charge of such things as establishing a stable political atmosphere, ensuring public safety, even cleaning up Knife’s Edge’s landscape. These euphemisms stood for, of course, political and social purges, an undeclared martial law, and restructuring pieces of the city to facilitate military maneuvers.
In those oppressive and fearful times in Salvar, Sound grew up with many privileges not known to the overwhelming majority of poor. He received access to schools and physical training, not to mention a comfortable bed and a warm meal every night. Although, this came at a price: his indoctrination into the glories and wonders of the Salvar monarch and the Church of the Ethereal Sway. He grew up believing that Salvar was a bastion of civilization amid barbarian tribes and conniving empires. This was an easy portrait to paint with frequent news of conflict with the northern tribes and a lack of exploration on Sound’s part. He did not even leave Knife’s Edge until he was ordered to—under the dictates of an elite, clandestine organization headed by his father.
Although it was not clear to him at the time, Sound now understands that ever since his childhood, Jarvis had planned for him to become one of the monarch’s spies. During his sixteenth autumn, he was initiated into a difficult program of physical and mental training—he was crafted and molded into a sharp and useful governmental tool. His tasks always involved reconnaissance, espionage, and even thievery; Sound was not given training in combat, and if the need to use arms arose, his mission would be considered a failure. Jarvis created a double-edged sword, however—as Sound was taught to explore and gather information, he began to put the pieces together himself. For one reason or another—and this is something Sound thinks about often—the propaganda began to lose its grip upon his mind and a disgusting truth began to unravel.
Of course, the organization he worked for was one step ahead of him. He attempted to play it cool; he continued his missions and continued to learn, and as far as he was concerned, no hints of his revelations were ever leaked. His tasks became more of a source of understanding rather than a job, and he even dared to withhold information for the benefit of those he was sent to spy upon. Sound sorely underestimated the agency, though; he was inexplicably captured while finding guerrilla forces of a particular northern tribe. He has since come to the conclusion that the monarchy knew of his betrayal long before his actual capture; however, the tribe that was tipped off was known especially for its brutality and disregard for life, which is probably why that mission ended up as his last.
Sound doesn’t recall much of his stay with the barbarians, except that he can thank them for the scars covering much of his body. The young man had been trained in withstanding pain in case of capture, but this torture was far beyond anything for which he was prepared. To this day he cannot recall what the barbarians were trying to learn from him—they continuously asked vague or incoherent questions, which could hardly be replied to, even if he had an acceptable answer. He was left alive for a night, something not common for this tribe, and in the morning he awoke to the clash of arms. What he has long regarded as miraculous luck has now become a nagging suspicion in Sound’s mind—he managed to escape relatively easy due to this diversion, and the possibility of it being staged has become increasingly feasible. The implications of this are quite confusing, though.
Either way, the young agent officially retired that day. He managed to reach a farmhouse several miles away, where strangers took him in as an unfortunate traveler caught by the vicious barbarians. That was several months ago, and Sound has since traveled far away from Salvar to Corone; he needs time and space to think about his next plan of action, and the multicultural hub of Corone seemed an ideal place to blend in.
Abilities
Sense Training
This is, perhaps, his most useful ability, and yet the most underdeveloped too. Some claim that it taps into supernatural energies existing around an individual, while others will argue that this skill lies deep within all beings, who just need to the will and focus to bring it forth. It was first introduced to Sound early in his training, but even after several years, he has only begun to understand the potential. What sense training does is obvious enough; however, its effects are surprising. Through the training of the normal five senses, one can gain an almost supernatural awareness. With that awareness there is speed and agility that far surpasses any normal human or elf—some liken it to the abilities held by vampires. One can sense the presence of a living being, the shifts in weather or earth, and for the true masters, even the emotions or intentions within an individual, be they man or beast. Each person’s path through sense training leads to different consequences, and no one’s route is the same.
Sound has very limited sense training at this point of his life. His senses are acute, perhaps rivaling those of many elves, but his awareness pales in comparison to most of the operatives in his former agency. Beyond augmenting his agility and thievery, his trained senses do such useful things as reading lips and improving night vision.
Agility
Agility is Sound’s sword and shield, as it were. He does not know how to fight effectively with any sort of weapon, so he avoids fighting altogether. If the situation calls for a confrontation, then, he relies on agility to avoid blows while tiring his opponent. The level of his agility is directly influenced by his skill in sense training, and also affects his skill in thievery, but having been a part of an espionage organization for several years, a lot of effort was put into his acrobatics and deftness.
With his current skill, Sound is a very quick young man. He can dance around a single opponent for quite some time, and even avoid blows given from several directions. His lightness allows him to outrun and outmaneuver ordinary guards and soldiers with ease, but if those of a similar profession are chasing him, then he certainly has some competition. Coordination, flexibility, and balance have become second nature, but it is not as if he can walk a tightrope across a canyon or perform acrobatic stunts without further specialized training. When it comes to more pragmatic skills, though, such as climbing ropes or trees, Sound is proficient enough for normal, controlled circumstances.
Thievery
Thievery is the application of Sound’s agility to his former job, as well as other useful endeavors. While many tend to think of thievery in purely materialistic terms, the theft of knowledge and information also falls into this domain; at least, that is, for Sound. Although agility is a very practical skill, one must know how to use it effectively to move quietly and remain undetected, and such knowledge comes with thieving. Also involved is the picking of pockets and purses, as well as the understanding of locks and the various tools used to manipulate them. Just as his agility is affected by his sense training, so is his thieving by his agility; an increase in agility directly improves his efficiency and competence.
This was also an essential part of Sound’s training, when he was a part of the monarch’s intelligence community. Scouting out enemy positions and acquiring certain documents or information required his being able to use stealth indoors and outdoors and to bypass watchful guards and locked doors. While he is effective at applying stealth—he can sneak past a handful of guards outdoors or a few indoors without much trouble, as long as they are not aware he is around—his knowledge of lock and lock-breaking is lacking. He was never given a mission that required his breaking into heavily fortified positions, and therefore, he knows only how to break ordinary locks that are generally used to discourage amateurs. Picking pockets has been a new adaptation of his skills, for he never had to steal anything directly from an individual’s person until he found himself as a beggar and rover; he has mainly learned by trial and error and is still a novice at this.
Equipment
Besides the clothes on his back, Sound has little to which to claim ownership. He is good at traveling lightly and enduring a rumbling stomach or parched throat, but like most other individuals, he has a few items that are nearly always by his side:
—Flask; Sound picked up quite a desire for alcohol from his father, although he tries not to indulge too much. He always fills it with the strongest booze he can find.
—Knife; even though he has no working knowledge of combat techniques, this steel, six-inch blade is good for practical uses, intimidation, and idle entertainment, too.
—Lock pick; this and other similar tools come in a small kit. They are of mediocre quality, not effective on any lock of a higher constitution.