Arles Erren, Varden Dragon Rider.
Nov 28, 2011 14:05:26 GMT -5
Post by Gibberish on Nov 28, 2011 14:05:26 GMT -5
Password: Witch of Teirm
Full Name: Arles Tharn Erren
Other name: He is sometime known as Arl for short, currently has no grand title other than that of a rider.
Race: Human
Side: Varden
Birthplace: Ceunon
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Birthday: (I'm unsure if there's a specific calendar, otherwise it would be:) The 12th of August.
Eyes: Often described as hazel, his eyes do in fact have several flecks of yellow in them, providing those who look into his eyes with a somewhat surreal image, as they are an unusual, even unnatural combination.
Hair: Brown and often grown slightly long, though rarely so much as to touch his shoulders. His hair natural lifts into a rather 'wind swept' look though this is normally controlled in some way or another if at an important event, unless otherwise told not to.
Weight: With a rather muscular build, Arles approaches 90kg in weight, which is indeed mostly muscle from his days as a smith, though this is in small part to the fact he's not too bothered about controlling his diet and is not so lean as to be 'fat free', whoever is bothering to count calories at a time like this needs to get their priorities straight.
Height: At 6'8 Arles is impressive in height, for not to the freakish extent to rival an Urgal or the like, however he often appears taller than he is due to the rarity with which he slouches, unusual for a smith but a habit he has practiced since joining the Varden.
Magic User: Yes, as are the vast majority, if not all dragon riders. While not having a claim to being the great spell caster of all time, he is certainly a force to be reckoned with as long as he is not grouped up upon or exhausted, however his magic is a second to his combat skill.
Preferred Weapon(s): Arles fights with two separate styles, the first being with a pair of broadswords, which tends to be a defensive and fast fighting style, wearing enemies down by continuing to block and evade their attacks. The style with which he fights most large scale battles however is with a large two-handed mace, leaving little room for defense he simply crushes his foes, able to dispatch more than one enemy at a time very quickly.
Appearance: Arles inherited his mother's, who came from the southern regions of the empire, darker tanned skin, which stands him out from his fellow northerners in Alagaesia. Arles appears somewhat older then his actual age due to his chiseled features and often gaunt expression. A scar runs diagonally down from near the corner of his left eye, down to the bottom of his jaw line on the same side of his head. More often then not, Arles is seen in his bone white armor, the expensive and detailed set having been forged by himself, with materials provided by the Varden, when he became a rider. However there are indeed many times when such bulky attire is unsuitable, then he resorts to his plain, but well kept clothing, though he does have a few more affluent and embroided outfits for when he really needs to look impressive.
Likes: Oddly for an old citizen of Ceunon, Arles has a rather deep respect for the elf race, particularly after joining the Varden and is generally rather forward thinking when it comes to racial integration. Due to his previous life as an apprentice to a smith, Arles finds the process of forging metal somewhat rhythmic and stress relieving and will often be found making repairs or forging often unnecessary items straight after a battle. When a forge and smithy is not available, Arles using drawing, which he is rather competent at, as a more accessible form of enjoyment . While not always keen to admit it, Arles is certainly one who has become addicted to the thrill of battle and the honing of his martial skills, of which magic is an off shoot, it is unlikely that he will ever truly wish to be at peace during his life, in fact it is this exhilarating battle sense that allows him to at least understand the brutish nature of the Urgals and is less offended by their presence than most of his kind. There's the obvious additions of both the Varden and his Dragon Lenora.
Dislikes: Other than his general dislike for the empire and the upper class that rules for it across the realm, Arles is not particularly found of sitting still, or practicing any magical technique for too great a time, as his favorite past times all involve active work with his hands and mind, he is bored easily by activities that only require one and does not have the natural ability to fall into the rhythm of a mindless chore that most posses. Despite his maternal heritage, Arles is not a great fan of sustained warm weather, much preferring the cooler north or other such areas to the plains of the south. This is not to say he has a poor resistance to heat, he simply doesn't like it, which can leave him agitated.
Strengths: Arles can more or less pick up a weapon and use it instinctively, unless it is particularly exotic in nature, to a degree that means he can hold off the average soldier for some time, with his own weapons of choice few can match him, that are human, in a fair duel, a shame the Empire doesn't play that way. His skill as a smith makes him an invaluable tool even if you removed the whole thing with the dragon. He is generally skilled as a rider and is practiced enough to remain in the saddle for a good number of chaotic scenarios, though obviously can be shaken free given enough effort. His magic, while not particularly awe inspiring complements the rest of his powers wells. His patience in a fight, at least when using his blades, makes him a deadly opponent when faced with someone more rash.
Weakness: Despite earlier points, his magic is still less powerful than most riders and his grasp of the ancient language means that he can sometimes struggle to think of a spell in a crisis, so instead has to prepare in advance far more spells then most. The rush that takes over Arles in battle can mean that he becomes separated from his allies and make him lose awareness of anything other than his immediate foes and his bond with Lenora. His lack of patience when his two hobbies are removed and his distaste for heat can leave him grumpy at times which obviously does not wear off well on any troops around him, to see a rider in such a state.
Family: As previously mentioned his mother is from the southern territories of the Empire and may even have originated from Surda, his father was a born and bred in Carvahall before deciding to move to somewhere a little more populous and 'exciting'. His father was one of the city's smiths and this is where Arles learnt his trade. He has no siblings though has a host of cousins in both the north and south.
Not-So-Brief History: Born in the city of Ceunon, Arles grew up in the shadow of Du Weldenvarden, the vast home of the elves. Rather than be fear struck by the tales of elves and dragons, Arles was captivated by the forest and in his early days had an almost unhealthy obsession with such stories, though this was something, thankfully in the case of his family, that he grew out of as he became his father's apprentice in his smithy. As time grew on his work with metal soon became his favorite past time over the drawing he had practiced so often previously, though unknown to his family he kept many of them, particularly those of the trees of the great forest, as opposed to destroying them as he had said.
However his positive inclination towards the elves and their cause left him at odds with the Empire and he always harbored, if in secret, a distinct dislike for the soldiers and rulers placed in the city by the Empire, particularly as to him it seemed that the Empire was simply an excuse for the rich to get richer as the poor became poorer.
As the years dragged on, Arles' hostility towards the empire solidified in his support of the Varden cause, while they had little influence in the far north, there was always a small group willing to spy for them, who had not taken vows of service to the Empire or its corrupt ruler. Eventually, Arles was assimilated into this small but growing group of rebels and for a few years he remained under the Empire's vast radar as he helped inform the Varden of the situation in the north.
However working against the Empire has its risked and some way or another, the Empire broke into the spy network and soon discovered the identities of them all. Luckily Arles had some forewarning at the expense of one of his comrades and he stole away from the city in the night, with some basic provisions, his collection of drawings and a pair of swords, and headed into the outskirts of the great forest.
Here he survived for several weeks, persued by the Empire but rather more in his element than those who chased him, until the day arrived that would change his futile struggle into something born of greatness. For in the woods among the greatest haven of magic in the known world, he found a green stone of such beauty that he could not simply leave it, despite the fact it would weigh him down in his flight from the empire.
It was only after Lenora hatched that he was aided by the elves, for drawn like moths to a flame, they no longer saw Arles as a passive interloper, but a great asset to be secured from the empire. They made short work of those who pursued him, before taking Arles as the small reptile that seemed rather attached to him, deeper into the forest.
With the Elves, Arles learnt of the history of the riders and the dragons, such that was not permitted to be taught in the Empire and learnt both the arts of magic and refined his combat skills, learning to fight with the weapons he could craft so artfully himself.
As Arles continued his studies, Lenora continued to grow, at a fast rate even for a dragon, fueled by her rather infamous appetite the small hatching quickly dwarfed her rider and as their bond strengthened, they began to learn together, eventually practicing how to fight as dragon and rider.
Once Lenora was deemed strong enough to make the flight south, Arles prepared to make the journey to join the varden, while to the elves it had seemed he had spent little more than a blink of the eye under their tutelage, Arles was eager to aid those who would fight the Empire.
While his journey was hardly peaceful, with several encounters with the Empire's forces, more often then not voluntarily intervening, nothign quite prepared Arles for the chaotic and intense nature fighting as one of the Varden's riders in the south, that combined with the frustrating heat for large portions of the campaign tried him to the limit but he still excelled in his new role and purpose, becoming a valuable asset to the Varden's war effort.
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Name: Lenora
Age: Nearing two years.
Physical description: Lenora is powerfully built and large for her age, partly just down to chance and partly down to her insatiable appetite, even for a dragon. Her scale are a emerald green colour and her eyes, as with most dragons, match but in a slightly darker shade. Unusually Lenora has rather well developed spines on her tail, forming two blade like appendages at the end.
Where they hatched: Found in the wild, in the south western outskirts of Du Weldenvarden.
Personality: Lenora is rather jovial and free spirited for a dragon and has an astoundingly short attention span for an immortal creature, though is hardly as impatient as a spoilt human child. She is intensely loyal to Arles and is on occasion over aggressive in protecting him, her usually light hearted demeanor replaced with that more resembling a ferocious wolf than the elegant dragon she is meant to be.
