Character Name: Arkolio de'Averlain
Current Level: Rogue 20
Original Biography: Quote:
A dagger flickered through the open doorway to thud unerringly into a timber off cut covered in tanned deerhide. Barely had the blade begun its vibration caused by the sudden cessation of flight when a woman's voice yelled out from within.
"Arkolio! What have I told you about throwing daggers inside! You could have hit someone!"
Outside on the porch overlooking the farm Arkolio, medium height, medium build, medium looks (in fact, medium everything) flinched at his mother's voice. Even at the age of 18 he feared his mother's wrath. He had only thrown the dagger at the target board his sister had made for him out of boredom. He didn't know his mother was in the kitchen. She must have been preparing dinner. Cursing his luck he turned and took off towards the road leading up to the gate to the farm hoping to see his father and brother and sister returning from the city of Point Harbour.
It had been four years since since his brother Haugrim had left the family farm and took ship to Dregar. Four wonderful years. It was not that he didn't like his brother at all . . . he was a bit stifling. It was since he had left, Arkolio had a chance to get to know his father a bit better. Mind you he came to realise that Haugrim was favoured by his father no matter how much time they shared in his brothers absence and that irked him a bit. He tried as hard as he could but father still favoured Haugrim. Perhaps that was why he often chose to do his own thing a lot of the time. His midnight trips into town to meet up and get into mischief with his frends . . . or his evening escapades with some of the local farmgirls. These secret affairs, meetings and general hi-jinx gave him a thrill that working the farm couldn't match.
He reached the gate to the farm and with amazing (had anyone been watching) agility leapt up into the top rail of the gate, balancing easily as he peered down the trail. He had always been quick and agile, it was a trait he figured he learned from his mother who had been a dance instructor in Point Harbour in her youth. She had tried to teach him to dance at one stage and to his father's disgust he had picked it up very easily, unlike his older brother and sister who seemed to have two left feet when it came to agility and grace. His brother was a head-in-his-books dragon-loving priest and his sister, Charlotte a good worker . . . even if she was a girl. She had worked the farm and built up her strength doing that and could wield a scythe better than all of the male farm hands his father hired. Now she went every day to work as a guard at Bydell Castle. He flipped and somersaulted from the gate landing lightly on the dusty path. He had to admit to himself he was the most wilful one of the three siblings and smiled at the thought of how many times his mother and father had wondered what they were ever going to do with him.
Up the road he could see a dust cloud moving closer, his sharp eyes picking out the familiar yellow box shape of his father's wagon. He could barely see the figures in the front seat but knew they would be his siblings and his father. Casually he drew one of his many daggers. The stolen coin from town he had given to his sister to buy his 'toys' for him from the smithy at the castle. Oddly he stole for the thrill of it and didn't really regret doing it but he was smart enough not to let his parents find out and especially not Charlotte. She was only two years older than him but still felt she could box his ears like a little kid. Now with his brother returning there was no way he was going to tell him anything about it. He'd rather his sister box his ears versus listening to a sermon from his brother any day.
He began to pace back and forth the feeling of dread and yet excitement filling him as it drew nearer. For all his faults the one thing his brother had always done was to stand up for him and argue his case to his parents when he got caught doing something . . . not quite right. Mind you once they were out of earshot of their parents Haugrim would dispense his own justice on Arkolio. Probably why he had learnt from an early age to hide from his brother and sneak around.
To Arkolio life was there to be taken and enjoyed. Everything that existed in Layonara had been placed there for his own enjoyment. Watching the wagon draw even closer he began to wonder if he should run away until all the homecoming stuff for his brother was over and things were back to normal but he fought the urge and stayed in place. Finally he could clearly make out the figures. His father, always an imposing man - his bulk kept firm by years of farm work, handled the reigns. Beside him, broad of shoulder and long of leg rode his sister, her long dark hair tied into a severe ponytail. His friends had often asked him to get them dates with his sister. He didn't see the appeal in a muscular, no nonsense, plain looking woman like her. He preferred his women soft, plump and demure, melting in his arms and deferring to his every whim and desire. The thought of some of the girls he had successfully seduced in town brought a small smile to his face until he saw his brother and his expression quickly went blank again. His brother, much like his sister, had inherited his father's height and breadth of shoulder. But unlike the rest of the family Haugrim was a stickler for the rules and it was one thing that grated on Arkolio over the years. He loved his brother but to his way of thinking the more rules you had the more likely they were going to get broken. He had to admit. Begrudgingly perhaps, that his brother would make a good priest but it was definitely not the life for him. Freedom, easy money, easy women and a thrill-a-minute was the only religion he was interested in.
As the cart drew up to the gate he deftly picked the padlock without his father seeing, all tricks he had picked up over the years with his friends in town and swung the gate wide.
"Welcome dear brother, you remember where you live then, hey?"
His sister laughed as his cheeky tone towards his brother. His father clicked his tongue and the horses surged forward through the gate. Haugrim gave a half hearted swipe at Arkolio's head as he swept past. Adroitly dodging the playful blow, he threw the gate shut and the with several quick steps reached the back of the wagon and leapt high onto the barrels and boxes stacked on the back under a heavy canvas cover. His brother was still peering around the side of the wagon back towards the gate when Arkolio stuck his head over the top of the cargo right behind him and flicked his right ear. With an indignant and playful roar Haugrim reached back to try to grab Arkolio who deftly slipped from his grasp laughing hard.
As the wagon trundled towards the house they exchanged pleasantries and while Haugrim rambled on about his internship at the cathedral of Rofirein in Prantz Arkolio lay on his back staring up at the changing colours of the sky. Dusk was near. As his brother rambled on he began to dream about big cities, supple women and stealing pretty trinkets from people . . . in order to charm more pretty girls. Yes to him everything was about what you could get to make yourself happy. Certainly no one else was going to do it for you. Even if they did they probably had an ulterior motive in mind.
Idly he began flipping a dagger in his hand letting it fall closer and closer to him before catching it, it was a game he often played to test how good his skills were and just how quick his mind was. Now he could do it absently with ease while he thought of how distressed his mother had been the day he had cut several of his fingers trying to copy the trick he had seen the carnival man do in Point Harbour. She had forbidden him from playing with knives that day but as soon as his fingers had healed he stole some kitchen knives and practiced for hours between chores in the hayloft of the barn. Then he had stolen several fine daggers from Farmer Part whose large farm was not far away and from then on had taught himself to use them.
His skills were good, good enough to get him out of trouble anyway. He knew that first hand from a street fight he had gotten involved in recently in town. He and several of his friends had been caught breaking into a small warehouse by some hired goons and a fight had broken out where he had used his knife skills to get his friend free and they had fled into the night. Since than he found himself thinking about leaving the farm and heading to the big cities where he could find more to life than drudgery on the farm. He just had to actually get up and do it. He grinned suddenly, life was good on the farm but it didn't allow him the true freedom he wanted. He would have to talk to father about getting some money so he could move away ... tomorrow. Tonight was for celebrating with good food and wine and if he was lucky a midnight stroll to the willing village girl Lucy two farms down the lane and some very intimate attention.
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Funny how some things don't change. Twenty levels on and each day for Arkolio is still much the same as it was thirty long years ago.
An update on your character's biography:
Well, I've thought pretty long and hard about this WL application for Mr Arkolio de'Averlain before submission but eventually I decided to throw it out there and see how we go. It's maybe as nebulous and hard to define as he is.
Arkolio (Ark) is far and away the most challenging character I have ever played on Layonara. He is a bit of me, a bit of others I know yet mostly an entity all unto himself. When first created I tried to play him as me in real life but without any inhibitions, be they social or moral to curb his behaviour. Initially he was a trifle two dimensional, a creature that sought pleasure for pleasure's sake and little else. Over time he diverted from any preset idea I had for him and he evolved into someone quite complex and (hopefully) quite unique.
He is one of the few characters I know in Layonara who will as happily adventure with Toranite paladins as he will Corathite necromancers, all of which is completely IC and all of which completely 'him'. He is pretty much friendly with just about every character on server but friends with very few of them at all. Really thinking hard about it now i'd say he has had maybe two real friends in his life. Two friends that he'd go out of his way to help even if there was no incentive (financial, sexual, otherwise) for him to do so. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for him as I play. He wears a mask .. the mask of the playful fool and really allows no-one to see what lies beneath.
So, what does lie beneath? Who knows? Not me. Every time something happens where there is the opportunity to have a peek, the 'real' Ark seems a different person. Sometimes generous, sometimes playful, sometimes cruel, sometimes thoughtful, many times not.
He is business partners with Kobal.
He has shared special cuddles with Sallaron in the depths of the Deep.
He is neighbours with Connor (and secretly plots his demise)
He deals with Chanda and keeps the Corathites in plentiful supply of poison.
He plays word games with Acacea (but mainly stays away from her as he thinks she's 'onto him').
He flirts with Angela and Alantha and is seriously close to turning Angela.
He has fought back to back with Jacchri in the arena pits of Arnax.
He has been threatened with grievous bodily harm by Lal and Quill!
He is drawn to women like a moth to a flame but I fear he is destined to never know
true love. Yet, in his own way, he loves each and every woman he meets. He cheats with barely a second thought but is genuinely hurt when someone cheats on him. He mocks and ridicules the concept of monogamy yet was in a foul mood for weeks when Tegan exclaimed he was a sad little man for his attitude.
Is the real Ark the one who donates a large amount of true to various causes secretly?
Or the one who cannot help himself but reveal his 'generosity' to a few?
Is it the one who happily bore the loss of his 7th SS in helping Sallaron achieve his WL goals?
Or the one who is trying to deceive and betray so many others solely for his own gain?
Is the true Ark the one who helped save the thousand slaves from the Deep?
Or the one that sold many others into slavery?
Is the real Ark the leader of Tier One of the Vault guild?
Or, is the real Ark the leader of Tier Two?
Is he the man whom many of the land's great beauties have shared his bed .. or the man from whom others recoil like he is antithesis of all that is good and pure?
All of these and none of these are the true Arkolio. See the link below for some of my thoughts as to why he behaves as he does.
http://forums.layonara.com/roleplayi...c-neutral.html
What else is pertinent? Though it has taken 2 years and 2 months, Ark is finally level 20! I take a somewhat perverse pride that he may be the weakest combatant of any level 20 character on server. He is still challenged by the red light goblins for crying out loud. Despite being told innumerable times the rogue is designed to be multi-classed he remains the highest level straight class rogue (ever) on server. Why? Because it really makes no sense for him to be anything otherwise. He can't sing, he avoids fights, he has no special affinity with shadows, he distrusts clergy (and their deities) and he finds the outdoors distasteful.
His CDT is sadly neglected, coincidentally about the same time as I started GMing quests on Layonara but here is the link which documents his first decade or two adventuring around the lands.
http://forums.layonara.com/developme...eaverlain.html
Not only is the CDT neglect a product of increased time spent on GM duties but also it coincides with the time that Ark started doing 'something' that is known to only a few people OOC .. and I wished for it to remain that way.
Quests that Ark has been involved in:
Firstly, I curse my timezone and the necessity that, as I have no RL sugar-mama, therefore must work and sleep reasonable hours. As such, my quest involvement is certainly less than almost all other WL applicants before me.
I'd love to be involved in the plot quest but as one of the plot GMs I think i'd enjoy an unfair advantage in trying to unravel this convoluted knot!
"Come on lads, we head this way!" *walks unerrringly to the hidden cavern entrance*
Having said that, he has been involved in every single one of the quests surrounding the activities of the Silver Crescent slavers ... on both sides of the equation. There have maybe a dozen or more of these linked quests. I'd rather not reveal too much more of that in this public thread but Dezza may be contacted for more information. From these and an early CDQ Ark rescued Liselle Arcanbow from slavers and now holds an honorary position aboard one of the Red Bears warships and enjoys certain priveleges asociated with such.
He assisted the Rofireinites with a devilish plot from the Pyrtechonites to plant an evil statue within their Vehl repository. His relationship with Sasha, a prominent Knight of the Wyrm, meant that he enjoyed a certain perspective from many Rofis that he certainly would not have seen otherwise.
Chongo's Thunder Peaks quests. Ark walked out of it in one piece and with an honorary rank in the Boyer army to show for his efforts! (Mix as GM)
There was of course Sallaron's WLDQ in which Ark assisted to a successful conclusion ... despite Sall's very best efforts to muck everything up along the way!
Many other quests along the way over the last two and a bit years. Mainly the AEST and GMT GMs though. Tanman, Mix, Dezza, Harlas.
How do you see your character being or becoming a World Leader?
There are a couple avenues that I think could be followed here. The first of which, and probably my preferred path, involves something that Leanthar and Ed know about and again i'd rather not say too much in a public forum. Depending on the team's thoughts about the rest of the submission, this could be explained to the GM running the WL upon their acceptance to do so.
The other is something I have been building towards for some time. Owning Vehl.
Well, figuratively speaking anyways. Ark has had his sights set on Vehl for some time now, at all levels of the political power spectrum. He has helped the peasants ('It Fell From the Sky' quest), he has establiished a bank near the docks, he and Vin have started a guild there (in which certain plots are brewing as we speak). Recently, following on from Sall's WLDQ, Ark has sponsored a large number of ex-slaves to set up residency in Vehl, all of whom look somewhat favourably upon him for his selfless generosity in setting them up in their new lives!
Really, I have no limit to the ideas I have conceived, or could conceive, for Ark in a WLDQ. As he once said to Jaelle in conversation (yes, he was trying to get her into bed at the time), "You want to know my special skill? I can't fight, the Al'Noth is a mystery to me, I believe the Gods are a bunch of senile fools but my special skill is this. I -never- lose. I -always- get what I want in the end." That is pretty much him and his WL goals in a nutshell. He can't beat a CR8 creature in a toe-to-toe fight but he certainly knows people who'll kill it for him.
As to who might help him achieve his WL goals. Depending on what he is trying to achieve, different people for different goals.
Something nefarious? He might call upon Daralith, Chanda, Alandric,
Leisa, Vin, even Muireann, Brandin, Jaelle, Hardy* to assist.
Something he can sell as honourable? Sallaron, Tegs, Arrrgali, Victoria, Sasha, Eghaas, Storold, the WLs mentioned above, Shamur, Jin or Jacrum, Sala, many others.
I asterixed Hardy as these two have an interesting time of it together. They butt heads but genuinely get along together pretty well. The head butting is mainly because they share quite a few personality similarities.
What sort of position and/or title do you envision for your character?
As I said above, Ark's real strength is his ambition. Neither he nor I (as his player) would seek to set limits to his aspirations here. As he said to
someone or something powerful once, "You can rule the Heavens, I'll be quite happy ruling Layonara."
Seriously though .. well, actually I am quite serious. I don't want to waste any GM's time with an impossible goal but Ark seeks not to be the warden of some minor village or insignificant cause. He seeks greatness and is quite happy to achieve it through whatever means that presents. As I said before, he cannot fight to save himself but he sure knows people who can and he is quite willing to risk their lives to achieve his goals!
Having said that, a RP-based quest is ideal. It's what Ark, me and Layo are all about.
Cheers,
Matt aka Pseudonym aka Arkolio
Arkolio de'Averlain 
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