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Sebastion Fairchild
Topic Started: Jul 7 2013, 04:07 PM (167 Views)
Akio Fairchild
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Friendly but Annoying
Name: Sebastion "Gnat" Fairchild

Race: Ghinaari (Sand Elf)/Phanaari (Fire Elf)

Gender: Male

Age: 19 ( born in Winter 180 AF)

Abilities: Summoner-Familiar(Vulture),Tag(Sword), Pact(N/A)
Dark Mage-Rage

Hair: Dark purple hair frames Gnat's face in thick ringlets, unrestrained due to length by the ponytail which has pulled most of his hair into a tangled knot on the back of his head. In the dark, it is nearly impossible to descern it's color is any different than his peers'.

Appearance: Standing at a mere five feet tall, Sebastion, or Gnat, as he is known, is not in any position to be intimidating. Not to mention, his strength and skill is not on par with that of his peers, and he seems lanky and wirey despite his small stature. Despite this, however, he is still constantly sporting a look of fierce determination that that shines from his golden eyes and on a larger and stronger man would seem intimidating.

His ears are typical of the Phanaari, standing straight out from his head and nearing five inches from temple to tip. he has two small hoop piercings on his left ear, halfway down the cartilage.

Clothing and Attire: He is clothed in a sleeveless sandy-colored tunic that seems too large for him, further accentuating his small stature. As pants, he wears a slightly darker pair of trousers that are cut short to give him further freedom of movement to complement his proven speed. The rough stitchwork around the cuff indicate that this alteration had been done by someone with an unskilled hand, who was not accostomed to holding a needle.

Personality: Having grown among the Ghinaari, Sebation was expected to be nothing short of a warrior. "Gnat" however, did not live up to this expectaion. This led others to label him as a weakling, and his failings in battle as cowardice. He was relentlessly bullied by his peers, save for one, and ignored by most everyone else.

Because of this, Sebastion has much to prove and seeks out challenges which will prove his detractors wrong. Once his goal is set, there is little that can be done to dissuade him, and as such, he often finds himself imperiled by his overconfidence.

Heritage: Sebastian traces his ancestry back to the adventurer Locke Fairchild, who was known to find and conquer countless caverns and keeps to obtain the treasures within, hidden by barbarians, theives and Giants alike. This lineage continued in his daughter, Samantha Fairchild, a powerful Druid and hermit who lived for years, undetected in the Great Forest, contemplating the mysteries of nature and the truth behind the origin of magic.

Her son, Akio, being of Noble birth, was said to be the son of a Greater Lord, Ezlier, whom taught the young elf the ways of the world, swordplay and Alchemy. However, for unknown reasons, Akio ran from his birthright to follow in his mother's footsteps as a hermit who lived in the trees, studying the world for decades before setting out on his journies.

His son was called Isamu Fairchild, a demon of a man who carved a bloody swathe through the countryside. It was said that he had allied himself with the Exiled Lord, who had granted him incredible strength and true knowledge of the arcane and Dark Magic. Over time, he was swayed to to the path of divinity when his close friend searched him out to confront him with his sins. Having finally seen the error in his ways, Isamu took his own life, beckoning his son, Ivan, to ignore his example and bring honor back to the Fairchild name.

Ivan, having to distance himself from his murderouse father, came to be known by the name of Samsa. Samsa grew qiickly into a skilled practitioner of the Dark Arts, as his father had. But rather than wreak havoc, Ivan strove to fight injustice, protecting those who needed it as he wandered the land, eternally searching for a way to truly restore his clan's honor.

When a small town was being attacked by a ravenous beast intent on devouring all its inhabitants, Samsa was the one who fought it. While he was successful in defeating the beast, the battle left him broken and weak. He died of his injuries nine days thereafter, astounding those who had come to aid him with the sheer willpower it had taken him simply to cling to life that long in such a condition.

It was no accident, however, that Samsa had come to that town. He had been on his way to visit his daughter, Dahlia, who had been left in the care of Samantha Fairchild when her mother had passed. If not for Samsa's presence, the enire town would have been destroyed by the beast, as only the wizened and weakened Samantha would have stood in the its path.

As it were, Dahlia's life and the continuation of the Fairchild line was solely dependant on Samsa losing his own. When, years later, Dahlia returned to her childhood home, she found her old home abandoned. It looked out of place here, sitting at the edge of a bustling settlement. As she sifted through the delapidated building, a voice beckoned in her mind.

It begged her, it seemed, to find where her father had been buried, and to dig him up from his cold tomb. While this voice stayed with her for many days, Dahlia had initially thought she become insane and refused to listen to the voice of madness which whispered into her ear. Eventually, however, she could ignore it no longer. When she dug up her father, he was nothing but bones. However, in his right hand, something was clutched. It was a small gem, no larger than one's eye, and as black as the night sky. The voice stopped speaking as soon as it was in Dahlia's grasp.

What happened to Dahlia and the stone, however, is lost to the annels of time.

History: As all members of the Ghinaari, Sebastian was trained young. His instructor was Provus, who was also responsible for training four other youths in the intricacies of combat. He was getting on in years, nearing old age even by Ghinari standards, and his shined and polished armor was nicked from a lifetime or more of battle. Due to his demeanor, Sebastian was certain that, even as a boy, Provus had been an old man.

His early instructions were simple: how to hold a sword, how to block, how to exploit openings. They were being taken at a snail's pace due to their young age, but that kindness did not last for long. Less than two months into their training, Provus informed the group that they would no longer be training against effigies and air. It was time for them to experience true combat.

At first, a few of the boys chuckled, confident they could take their peers in a fight, but they were quickly silenced by Provus' next announcement: they were to fight him. Almost immediately, each boy wondered if Provus was serious, and ancient old geezer taking on five young and agile fighters, but Provus showed no humor in his face. He was as serious now as he had ever been.

Each boy had been provided with a training weapon when they began training, with which they were expected to learn how to weild a true sword. They were little more than long sticks, chosen for being realively free of weaknesses and treated to hold strong against opposing blows. Their weight was apropriate for a child and balanced in part due to a weight in the held end to feel more legitimate as a weapon.

It was with these weapons that they were instructed to attack their teacher. They were informed that their goal was to each land a solid blow against their master, and if they could, the group would pass their first test. However, if any one of them failed, the entire group would be held back.

This first test ended poorly for the youths. While they had initially been over-confident in their battle superiority over the old man, any preconceived notions were shed the moment he prepared himself for battle. It was as if Provus had become an entirely different man, and had Sebastion wondering if this was his youth, making up for lost time in the old bones of their master.

In les than three minutes,the trainees were disarmed and panting, barely able to hold themselves up against the assault that Provus had given them, aided by no weapons but his two hands. Provus, on the other hand, stood tall, nary a hair out of place.When told their test was over, several protested, and the rest were simply downtrodden. Upon seeing their soured expressions, Provus laughed, a jovial old man's cackle that seemed to hint towards dementia.

Over time, this test was repeated, all night, they were prompted to defeat Provus, being allowed as many opportunities as they could muster to defeat their wrinkled adversary. Many of the students got better by leaps and bounds, and it was not long before Provus had to keep a tally of which pupils had been successful in striking their teacher. The only one without a count was Sebastian.

One night, as they prepared to assail their teacher once more, Sebastian began to contemplate. He wondered why it was that he was unable to match the strength of his peers, and rued his own weakness. Moments before their test, Sebastian raised his training weapon above his head, smashing it with all his might into the ground. As it hit, it splintered and broke, leaving two roughly equally sized pieces. Provus was sure that his pupil had given up.

Instead, Sebastian scooped up the pieces from the sand, one in each hand and nodded at his master. He was now ready to strike Provus, as his peers already had, and progress the group to the next level.


-=-=-Race Details-=-=-
Phanaari
-=-=To Be Approved=-=-


Appearance: Typically slim of build, the Phanaari are elves known for their speed. They normally have long spindly legs and arms which make them stand out amongst their Ghinaari bretheren. Their hair is typically dark, nearly black, but tinged other colors, although it is not altogether uncommon for this trait to be absent in half-breeds. Their eyes, similarly take on these properties and normally match or complement their hair color. This hair color is said to be indicative of the magic which will manifest in adolescence.

Rather than most elves, who have upwards pointing ears, Phanaari ears actually point directly outwards from the head, normally extending between four to eight inches from temple to tip. It is very common for the Phanaari to adorn this space with piercings and charms relating to their past and status.

Lifespan: 125- 150 years

Home Region: N/A (Nomadic)

Culture: While the Phanaari had previously broken away from the Ghinaari due to their involvement in a bloody conflict with the Nurn, much of their battleborn culture still rings true in Phanaari ceremonies.

While avoiding conflict with other sentients, the Phanaari still train for battle against the beasts of the land and have come to be seen as Monster Hunters, and on occasion, Mercenaries, selling their talents and various products derived from bestial organs as they travel.

As such, battle prowess is highly sought after in their culture, and the leader is chosen by way of a contest of strength, accuracy and speed.

Even though they commonly use conventional weapons, the Phanaari have come to be known for their great magical potential. And while their magic does not manifest until adolescence, signs of their potential are evident even at birth by the coloring of their hair. Normally, the tinge of their hair relates to the magic they will be able to control: reds and oranges pertaining to fire, blues to water and ice, yellow to lightning and energy, green to druidic and summoning magics, and purples to dark magic. However, due to the slight nature of this tinge, it is hard to descern one color from another unless an unusually strong potential lies within the child.

It is not uncommon then, for children to be birthed in the prescense of an elder, who will decipher the child's proper magical affinity for the parents.

History: The Phanaari are believed to have, at one time, been one with the Ghinaari of the Desert. As legend goes, when the Great Cataclysm shook the Nurn land, the Ghinaari were quick to rise against them. However, this was true of all but one tribe. They decided, instead, to leave the deserts (the land of their slavery) behind, escaping the Nurn before they could be enslaved once more.

Before the remaining Ghinaari had completed their agreement with the Desert Djinn, the Phanos Tribe had left the sands behind them. They were a free people, and as far as they were concerned, nothing would change that. The same was not true of the Ghinaari as a whole, however, as they had simply exchanged their imprisonment from the hands of the Nurn to the hands of the Djinn, a story which stil holds cultural value in Phanaari folklore as the price of greed and revenge.

Since their freedom was won, not by battle, but by flight, the Phanaari were despised by the cursed Ghinaari, who had been transformed by their dealings with the Djinn into an entirely new race due to the inclusion of the Djinn "gifts." Despite their hatred, the Phanaari felt nothing but pity for their cursed brethren, who had fallen down the wrong path through no fault of their own.

There is a prophecy regarding the relationship between Phanaari and Ghinaari which speaks of a bloody retribution for their betrayal. It reads:

"Born in blood: of Dwarf and Elf
Each clan seeths amongst itself.
Hatred brewing soon to rise,
will lead to a race' demise.

Beware Phanaari, soon to die."
Edited by Akio Fairchild, Jul 15 2013, 04:33 PM.
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Luthe
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Luthe has given this profile a rating of Complete.

Immediately, I wouldn't call the Phanaari a different race from the Ghinaari. It has only been several hundred years since the Nurn expulsion from Alendia, and the pack with the djinn was made - not enough time for genetic offshoots to really arise between the two groups.

I like the idea of a tribe that went against the grain, and just about everything that you've come up with can fit into world lore easily. It prompts me to add the Phanos tribe into the Ghinaari lore (with your permission).

Again, the only worry is that there isn't really any racial difference. Do they call themselves fire elves for a reason? As factions, the two groups are very separate, based on what you've written. It's believable that Barovians and Sicinese aren't different races, either. Different sub-species that have different physical traits? Ya. Is that enough to give this group a new name? Maybe. I imagine, though, that the Sicinese and Barovians (and the Elokai), though all human, are basically from different countries, so those names stick more easily.

What are your thoughts? You do point out that the Ghinaari maintain certain "gifts" from the djinn (which is probably true, and something that I should address GS and Davina about). All of that together might be enough to label them as Phanaari, instead of Ghinaari of the Phanos tribe. Explicitly, though, they would be listed as a tribe or sub-race in the Ghinaari topic, like the many human offshoots.

Sound good?
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Akio Fairchild
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wel, the reasons i called them a different race due to their gifts was due to the fact that they made pacts with the wind sun and sand djinn, and i noticed that this gave them more skil in traversing the sands and eyes which matched the sun, at least that is what i recall. I assumed that this was symptomatic of the ghinaari pact, which would also explain some other bits of their physical makeup, that being their coarse hair, which is something often seen irl in places with deserts as the norm, such as middle eastern and african countries.

I know that a few hundred years is not so much to make evolutionary changes, but i figured if the current state of the ghinaari was altered by the djinn and the pact, then it wouldnt be unlikely for them to have other distinct differences as well.

I am more than willing, however, to change any of this physical descrepancy and to add the Phanos tribe to Ghinaari lore.
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Luthe
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Before their subjugation by the Nurn, the Ghinaari had a thriving culture in the desert. Course, dark hair is likely a regional condition. The golden eyes that glow at night is absolutely a leftover from the djinny pact.

Hair color isn't enough to make them their own race, but their story surely deserves a mention as a subject of the larger Ghinaari topic, I think.

To explain their crazy hair colors is the only thing that I'd ask you to do. I'm glad that you're interested in adding to world lore/history, and all I need is for it to make sense to make that possible.

Also, why "fire elves"? I'm just curious about the name. I don't seek to change it, but I don't understand why that particular choice was made in naming them.
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Akio Fairchild
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eh.. the name is more along the lines of a holdover from DF... I was going to make a new type of elf centered around my fairchild line of characters. Essentially, elves who are particularly skilled in alchemy, but generaly fierce physical fighters as oppossed to magic-based as many elvish races were. I had much more going for them in terms of description and history, but it didnt transfer well to MW, especially due to the warlike nature of all the elvish races here.

The hair color, then, was also a holdover from that time which I didnt want to let go of, simply due to nostalgia. In retrospect, I suppose what would make more sense is that the Phanaari dont have natural brightly colred hair but get it from... something...

EDIT: well.. * changed the description and added some resoning behind the coloring. Essentially, I took a 180 and decided to make the Phanari more magic-based in opposition to the other, more physical, elvish races of MW
Edited by Akio Fairchild, Jul 15 2013, 04:37 PM.
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Okay, sure. That all works out. I supposed we didn't have any magically-inclined elves until now.

I'll make an edit to the Ghinaari topic and list them as a sub-race, who are not afflicted by the curse and who have special affinities to magic. Much will be a copy/paste from your listing.
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