Character Submission: Mipealean Darkwaters

[OldBugEye]

Character Submission: Mipealean Darkwaters


Bioware Name: Gavin Hall
Character Name: Mipealean Darkwaters
Class Progression: Start as Rogue 10, CDT etc to Monk 10+
Race: Elf
Subrace Sea Elf
Alignment: LN
Diety: Tendenancy to Shindaleria because of upbringing.
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: 122lbs
Build: Muscular build with a fine nose and firm features and smooth blue-silvery skin.
Body Tatoos: Small tatoos everywhere on his body and webbed-hands.
Hair Color: Dark and grey hair.
Age (at creation): 104


Bio:

Like any young elf of the waters, we spent our days in education and in training. I took my schooling quite seriously even though others did not, sometimes nearly to me detriment as I focused to keenly on the teachings and not the morals within. That was when I first discovered I was a bit different from the other elves.

It was hard to know that they found such profound pleasure in goodly things when I could only feel the necessity of an act. But necessity, that is the way of the ocean, it was so important to our kind. Others had the time to do this and that, but I've always found that our education was so important. The teachings. The songs of the sea, of the creatures of the deep, of the stars, the moon, the magic of the land. Oh, how the sea is such a beautiful thing, to be in it's embrace. Oh, how we'd gather to tell tales of the traditions of the sea. Traditions, how they can run as deep as a great ocean rift. So deep, they might even touch the soul.

In those stories I could get lost it seems. My mind would wander, poring over what I had learned and focusing those traditions to rules I could live by. Yes, while others found the morals, I focused on what should and should not have done. Oh, it bothered me at times as I wasnt sure how to bring balance to my life.

That's where it began, for the ocean will show its love to those that love it first. Always, always, you must live with her, respect her, and treat her as you wish to be treated. In doing so, she can be a docile thing, glassy and calm, the ever bountiful preserve of food and a shelter. If you ignore the ocean, it is to your detriment. I will not be caught in the churning, frothing temptest that can take any who test her. I found balance in the respect for our sea traditions, found in those rules to be held dear. Those traditions were the foundation for my logic, my personal order, and for what I thought should be the law, even should no one else agree with me.

Oh how I can remember times of resentment and times when my need for order conflicted with those around me. I am but a soldier it seems for our history, for every word of our traditions speak to me as rules and as laws. As I matured, I felt the songs and stories were written and described. Fables to those around me, maybe, but they were my guiding light and should be established by the king as rule, I had felt. I knew the others thought differently but it was the first step in the small distance I felt to them. We were the same but different and so I found my ways and paths more and more apart from them. More and more, I was alone and lost in memory to the stories I remembered. Many times, just to return to grotto's to read what text I might find in order to unearth secret's to Mother Ocean's message. So hard to understand but still I try.

So as the years pass, slowly, ever slowly, I drifted, away from them all, to be alone and look upon the rest of this world with eyes that do not look back. Eyes that find love in the peaceful caress of the ocean, immersed in it's knowledge and beauty. Eyes that look more often to the surface of the waters, than beneath anymore it seems.

The farther my personal balance drew me, the farther I got from the others. Ha, and usually, to the two legged breathless beings, floundering slowly like great meandering turtles in the seas, plodding like wounded whales in the sees. Oh, they new their waters and the winds above. They would catch the winds in the great white sheets but they couldn't move any faster than a 1-finned fish. Oh watching the breathless was like a study in school. Attempting to understand from afar for the elders bade us to keep our distance and lend aid only when necessary to save the ones who were known to respect us in turn. And I did keep my distance and always I watched.

The breathless, it was like watching some play or act about judge and criminal. Always, the black sheets would come. The black sheets were like some disease to the waters. A taint that could never be rid as even as one vessel collapsed, others always came. Always came, always filled with the breathless who would taint her waters with their refuse. I could do nothing alone against these ones as they ruined the waters they traveled.

Sooner than later, they would fall upon the white sheets, hide in quick currents or ready to pick up the wind and then it would begin. The constantly circling one another, with slivers of wood dashing back and forth amongst the red flames of death. Finally, one of the great wooden carcasses would succumb to the wounds and down it would come. Sinking gracefully to a peaceful sleep at the bottom of the ocean's floor.

But the breathless ones, I was so interested in my studies. The masters bid us to keep our distance and but help those worth helping. I would try to get to them in time and if I could not, they would stare at me with great bulging eyes and grabbing, ever grabbing at me but many times they were simply too heavy to pull to the surface. Like their white sheet vessels, they too would settle to the bottom like the rafts they lived upon.

Then one day, the breathless one in grey came. saw the winds, the rains, and spears of lightning from the skies. He stood, grabbing at the wooden wheel, proud in the poor weather. Mist had brought some display of her will and power against the breathless ones. The great winds and terrible lightning that would slaughter any caught in it. The men fell from the edges grabbing lines, pulling the white sheets down but ever the wind, blowing the whitecaps to men with legs not made in the water.

I watched and while I have no idea why, I was drawn to this grey one. Then it happened, like a shaft directed by the eye of mist herself, it could not be of accident, the lighting struck the great wooden vessel and it cracked. Many of the two legged breathless floated while the sharks circled the wreckage, slowly picking from those at the edges. We could not get close or rid them of Mist's menace, a blood frency of uncontrolled fury. Oh, they cried in fear as they watched those around them flounder and sink...or disappear in a pool of blood. When the sharks were fat with feeding, there was only one last breathless alive, the grey one. So... odd... so... hairy. I kept my distance as I watched him, clinging to some kegs.

Our eyes met and for a brief moment, there was some recognition. He smiled and then he slipped under. I raced, kicked and swam for all I was worth. I did not know why but I knew they man had some reason and should be saved.

When I found him, he looked at me, not with bludging eyes but with eyes of peace. He smiled then again and I could not let him go. I would get past the sharks and whatever else Mist could throw my way. And oh how he was heavy with metal but I pulled. Pulled with all I had to the surface of the ocean. Oh how he gasped and sputtered, the grey one. Surely, for it couldn't have been more than a couple minutes, how he sputtered for they truly are breathless. Finally, he closed his eyes but he was still breathing. I dragged him to a rocky shelf, slowly, his head bobbing in the surf, and as I did, I emptied his pockets as we went to lighten my load. When I finally dragged him to the beach, he lay quiet and I was too tired for much else. A good swimmer I but being only half his size, it taxed me greatly.

When I awoke, the breathless had FIRE! Right there, not 10 feet from me. I recoiled immediately and then I ran and splashed and dove from sight but I could not leave entirely. There seemed order in this one and I had never had a chance to meet a breathless who was not immediately relying on me to save him. So I watched, watched the breathless in his clothes as he ate of the fruits from the small isle. I watched and watched and watched.

Amidst it all, I don't know what happened but I came to trust the grey one. For he had a silvery beard but like my skins and while I watched him, he was ever watching for me. Finally, I gathered the courage of sea lion about me and moved closer. To learn something from him. He had fish but it was disgustingly burnt from the fire. Fire! Fire! Such display of fire. How it burns the flesh. But such fears vanished as the grey man watched me and smiled. A simple smile but one I knew as truthful and just. And did he smile when he took full sight of me.

In the days to pass, he gestured and waved, he danced about, and pointed to himself and to his things and to me. For what he was telling me there were few answer but I followed him about and caught fish for him as he liked. My studious nature helped and my dedication to the teaching before, I did manage to learn a few words but not much more. His name was Tweed. We seemed of kindred spirit and in his teachings; I felt some balance that I found hard to find amongst those of my race. I spoke few words to him as was my way but we had an understanding him and me.

Then the day of the black sheets came to our tiny island and inlet on it. Breathless of great and small sizes; all smelling of diseases and foulness. They came by night and ... how best to describe it ... There was great yelling and waving and red faces and shining weapons of steel. It happened so fast, one second standing... the next... a pool of blood in the sand where the grey man had fallen. Tweed fell that day never to rise again. They're sheer violence and ferocity and disregard for life was appalling.

In that singular moment, the dilemma that had been my life so clearly spelled out in front of me. The ocean is to be respected for its bounty and beauty alike. For in the ocean, you do not kill for sport, you kill for survival, for food, for need. The grey one was innocent, unarmed, and a man of order. And those wretches, they cut him down laughing, a mocking laughter that made my blood boil. There will be order to this world and these black coated, black sheeted things were surely against it as surely as Mist's whips were at their heels. The anger of it all welled inside me and dared to burst through but I would contain myself. It would take time for me to lay to rest as many as my strength was willing to lend me.

I watched the black sheets, watched them pass. They rowed and used their sheets to grab the winds but how they wallow in the waters, any child could have followed and out ran then. For 9 days, I followed biding time. I know in my beating heart was it means to be right and wrong but in this, lawful vengeance would be mine or in chaos we would all become. In those 9 days, 11 breathless were careless in the evenings. At dusk, I would approach, stealthy, and leaving no error for those lawless ones to make sound. Sometimes my dagger, sometimes my trident, and sometimes by strength of hand alone. I took one third of the crew but still they continued on, regardless of punishment for their crimes, but with more lights and more watchers.

They pulled to a port on the sea. I do not know the names of these great dwellings but tribes of many elves could have gathered without filling it's ways. The elvish songs could do no justice to the size and ... height of such dwellings. My dagger and trident with me and a few coins I'd found was all I had. I lost track of time and was constantly hiding from those around me. It seemed a week had passed before I found a way back to the water without eyes on me to fish and wet my skin. Their vessel had gone but I remained.

I am a wise one but knew this course was slowly drawing me from mine ocean. I watched and observed from the shadows. The coming and goings of the breathless. Standing guard, watching and protecting, so earnest their nature, so many sizes and shapes, like fish of the sea they are. But here in this village of stone above the water, there is an odd feeling I find comforting. It is not so different, the comings and going of breathless, just as the stories had said. There is an order to be felt around this town that I can feel about me, something the oceans natural order could never give.

So many things so new. A century in the water could not have prepared me for such wonders as this world above could bring. With some dark robes I found discarded to a trash can and my few belongings strapped to my back, we'll see what this world has to offer. Here begins the tale of Mipealean Darkwaters

//OOC Background:
This should be a difficult and interesting role-play character. The thought of a hard-headed but ultimately studious creature, unable to communicate effectively but interested in learning the order that surrounds him. I have no desire to learn common tongue until long after he's spent much time in the world. His studious nature will lend to his higher than average (Int 12) intelligence. I will RP learning common speech as part of Character Development thread.

I will be untrusting of those that do not exude the similar lawfulness that I found in the human captain Tweed. Nearly 1/2 his life ago, Harmony had begun to understand his difference in attitude and his solidarity made him strong. As he begins to understand the lands and cities around him, he'll relish in the order and tradition that history brings. Always masked and gloved to cover his identity and unspeaking, an elf of the shadows. He is alone, quiet and can only find solace in meditating and prayer. This calm energy brings order to the soul, mind and body as he finds harmony in the difficult transition from the water to this chaotic and unpredictable land. A chaos he can not avoid but must endure. Still he is troubled that the Mother Ocean's messages (being less lawful in alignment) different from his own but he tries to believe.

He strives to hold some balance like others Shindaleria but he is more amoral than the others. While others find strive in the battle of good versus evil, he find strife in the unlawful nature of the coastal pirates (black sheets). The men of the boats are never the first to engage. They are innocents and their freedom is key. The pirates are laughing boastful things that kill for a giggle and ignore the law of the land. Their system is the correct one to maintain some quality of life be it floating above the water or in it. Not all elves would agree with the concept of justice and this difference from his elven brethren helps to encourage his curiosity and continue onward. Without this difference in nature, he may not have been so quite to act it would just be the way of the sea.

In his lack of language skill, one of the things I plan to do in his character development thread is an on going log of his tattoos. He will be able to point to various images of his arms, hands, chest, etc to enact some type of communication with those around him. They will also help to form a log of his life's journeys as he learns to write and find himself.

Throughout, I have tried to refer to traditions and stories forming the guidance form the rules for his life. Honor is paramount. Life and freedom are critical. To kill for pleasure is impossible. An innocent person shall never be harmed. These rules and traditions, form a regimented organization to his character. Sometimes following this believes are to his determent as to follow a rule book to it letter intent. It is in this essence I believe he is lawful neutral. In all forms possible, Mist is his opposition for she represents his true polar opposite... Lawful Neutral vs Chaotic Neutral. It will be part of his life stuggle till his end of days. Truly, Mist will be his nemesis in many things for their alignments will be direct contrasts.

I have tried through out to describe his lawful nature and reinforce how it comes from his study, traditions and also why he would leave his people. Sea Elf adventurers are rare and so I thought this difference in based alignment would be the shift needed to prompt his departure. As he grew up, he realized his difference and spent his life distant from others reading and understanding the traditions so much that they formed the rules, laws and honor code for him to live by. But in following his beliefs, it has been to his determent as to follow a rule book to it letter intent. It is in this essence I believe he is lawful neutral. His only relationship to Mist is in his opposition. Where Shindaleria brings serenity, Mist brings chaos.

This ever growing distance from the others has lead him to the monastic study I envisioned, alone in his study as his views are similar but different then the priests of Shindaleria. Leaving the others, only his self contemplation has given him the strength to leave the safe embrace of the sea and venture forth unlike so many others. In his self strength, he finds definition in rules and how they can give him strength to do things others can not possibly.

Continuing to drive him forward is his lack of understanding of Shindaleria. He's been taught surely to understand but can not identify properly with such a disorganized sect or and how his amorality differs. He tries but it is a constant struggle and one he will probably lose as he becomes more distant from other sea elves.

To meet your requirements, I understand the rules with beginning as a Rogue. I will start and complete Rogue for all 10 levels. I understand the requirements of a Character Development Quest and will attempt to do so upon reaching level 10 if my detailed log is not enough.

[jrizz]

Approved for rogue. For the Monk you will need to resubmit later.