Khalid - Printable Version +- Antarsia (https://www.antarsia-rpg.com) +-- Forum: Character Information (https://www.antarsia-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=15) +--- Forum: Character Profiles (https://www.antarsia-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=16) +--- Thread: Khalid (/showthread.php?tid=1261)

Khalid - Captain Jordan - 05-12-2018 Character's Name: Khalid Nicknames: Khal Age: 16 Gender: Male Species: Sol'tera Abilities: Like all Sol'terans, Khalid possesses higher speed, strength and senses than Humans, a natural ability he derives from the sun absorbed through the tattoo on his cheek. This power aids his physical abilities during the day, during which he is the most powerful, but can be stored for use at night. These abilities have aided him in the development of other skills, most noticeably in his proficiency in combat forms, both with and without the aid of a kopis short sword. These combat skills are by no means at an adept level, but Khalid is skilled for his age and size. Khalid's tribe lacks an adept mage to teach and hone magic skills, so he is trained simply a basic mage of light and fire, able to summon the elemental forms and manipulate them in simple ways. Yet his potential remains untapped, a resource available to him if only he could access it. He enjoys experimenting with these powers and stretching the limits of his control, sometimes with troublesome results, but always with some new insight on the true depth of power he could wield. Appearance: This desert youth is tall (5'11"/1.8m) and lanky, a consequence of adolescence's curse that keeps him only a few years from maturity, but his lean figure belies well-toned muscles from a life spent in physical activity. Sharp hazel eyes view the world with a yearning fire, bordered by thick, dark eyebrows that match his dusky, wavy hair. His complexion is the color of the sands he grew up around, bronzed by the suns of a thousand generations, marred in a few places by the scars that showcase the harsh life in the desert, and marked by the tattoos which adorn his body, though most visible is the one on his left cheek. He often wears the colorful robes and scarves of his people when appropriate, though he views the customary kufiya-like headdress with disdain and will often go without. Personality: Khalid is a duteous son and member of the al-Bousaid tribe, quick in his studies and tenacious in their mastery. Only when the tasks are done does he let his mind wander, his dreams are strong and vivid, though none could accuse the youth of having his head in the clouds. He is grounded and sound in his thinking, almost to a logical extent, though the passion of childhood has not yet faded away. Khalid can still enjoy fun and whimsy, and the youth has developed a crisp wit that comes out when he feels comfortable. He is friendly and welcoming with almost everyone, though his deepest self is reserved only for his closest friends and family. History: Life in the desert is harsh. The tribe of al-Bousaid knows that better than most. Their annual trek across the Nkazon Desert is fraught with peril; thirst, heat, bandits and predators both natural and unnatural plague their isolated route. Few dare to quest across its vast wastelands like the Sol'tera, and even then only the most hardy. Their income from trade is sufficient, but the tribe aims not for riches or power. They follow the task set to them by the gods, to defend against the darkness that haunts the world. Though devout followers, they are not the strongest tribe, and have often relied on numbers to combat a serious foe. That life was unsatisfactory for some, but not for the parents of Khalid. Their centuries of life had instilled within them a purpose, and Khalid was born of that purpose. Had everything gone as normal, perhaps Khalid would have adopted that purpose as his own and remained with the tribe for his life as well, working alongside his parents and siblings to eek out a living upon the dunes of the Nkazon, and stamping out darkness wherever it was found. But the idyllic lives of children imagined by their parents rarely come true. By the time he was 9, it was apparent that Khalid was unusual. He was among only a few children within the tribe, the resources of the tribe too precious to expend. Yet even in play he demonstrated a strangeness, a gift of perception and talent for skills that would typically be beyond the capabilities of his age. Thus his time of play was ended, instead to be filled with instruction. He learned the proper way to ride the horses that carried the tribe's warriors, to tend the draft animals that pulled their carts and wagons in which he once rode, to wield a kopis sword and use it in a fight, and to learn the discipline and control required to handle the magic of the Sol'tera. As Khalid grew into adolescence, his skills improved through training and use, and he was entrusted with more responsibility. Yet in this eyes of his parents and his tribe, he was still not yet a man of his own. Khalid had designs for when he reached manhood, marriage to a bride of his tribe's choosing and a caravan existence held little interest for him, but he kept his desires to himself. Little did he know that they would be thrust upon him long before he was ever ready. Roleplay Sample: The sea stretched out before them, undulating in waves that cascaded into valleys, an unending horizon that blurred with the sky. Yet this was no ocean of water, the sea waves were made of sand, the windswept dunes carving mountains and valleys across the vast wasteland expanse. Heat baked the land as Haliea shined her face upon it, causing the air to shimmer and become visible; Zarkos played tricks on the eyes of those who ventured too long across these scorched plains. From its depths, the Nkazon felt as boundless as the ocean between lands. Khalid had never seen an ocean, though once he had been near enough to hear one. The roaring and crashing sounds of the waves upon the cliffs walling off Jackroth's Shrine from the southern seas had terrified the younger Khalid, who had been defiantly certain that the world was ending. His spirit was finally quelled when his mother assured him that Jackroth would allow no harm to come to him within the vicinity of his Shrine. The Shrines were sacred, and though gods did not take mortal form but through their oracles, they were known to watch over their temples and protect them from harm. That was before the Oracle of Jackroth immolated, the Shrine burned, and everyone inside was found dead. The news had set a wave of fear through the caravan since then as they journeyed north from Eden once more, hastening through the Nkazon with a child's sense of terror. Even Khalid found himself sensitive, startling at passing shadows and jumping at the calls of buzzards perched aloft the dried branches of a lonesome tree. The unease was so apparent at times it felt like he could see it emanating from the other members of his tribe, as if Tharamos was playing tricks on him. In a moment of what seemed like clarity, the youth promised himself he would make an offering to Tharamos that evening and light some incense to assure the god of his sincerity. As evening fell and the tribe set up camp, Khalid stole away for a moment between feeding the animals and pitching the tents they would need that night. They had found a little flat ground, a dry oasis between the unending sands of the dunes that wandered the Nkazon. A formation of rocks, their faces brightly painted in burnt reds and oranges, formed a defensive wall that the tribe had backed their camp against, and now the youth trekked to the end of it. The craigs and crevasses were absent their shadows now, the sun had hidden itself behind the rocky wall on this side, and the air was cooler here. Stripping off his headdress felt as if unwinding a burden from his soul. Khalid shook out his sweat-damp hair, its natural waves and long curls matted flat now against his head. His left hand free, as his right bundled the head scarf into the shoulder drape that now looked grey in the dim light, he used it to brush back the hair from his eyes. It grazed against the tattoo that stood out against his cheek, and his finger unconsciously traced its pattern against his skin. The power it had absorbed during the day was stored within him now, and he still felt as strong as when the sun was high. Bringing his hands together now, Khalid brought forth the feeling in his mind. Years of training had practice had made it almost second nature to perform small magics, but the youth intended no small magic now. Peering into the gaps between the stones at the darkness that lay there inside them, he reached out with his mind, as if possessing ethereal hands longer than his own, and drew from the power within him. He couldn't describe the feeling, only that he knew what it felt like. Latching on to the sensation, the youth stretched out his hands, and willed his desire to become manifest. Shadows leapt from the cracks and dark places, fleeing as the light took their places. It shone with such a brilliance that Khalid was worried someone from the camp would see. But, as he knew all too well, they were busy setting up, their eyes watching for creatures and bandits lurking in the distance, not magical light from behind the rocky wall. The light grew beyond the rocks, enveloping the desert boy in its cool embrace, banishing the darkness from his body as much as from his thoughts. Like a beacon, it raced across the desert floor, vividly illuminating everything it touched, shimmering proudly in the dusk. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Shadows raced back to claim their hiding spot again, blending seamlessly into the darkness until there was no difference between them, and the desert returned to the calm of the evening once more. Khalid let out a breath, only now realizing he had been holding it in, and let himself smile. He made a mental note to make an offering to Haliea as well. His stomach grumbled plaintively, bemoaning the food it would miss tonight. Khalid verbally shushed it, his face still beaming. His success had been sustenance enough for tonight. RE: Khalid - Andromeda - 05-13-2018 Congratulations, your character has been APPROVED! Your character will be moved to the Character Profile. Please post your character to the Add Characters to Guide thread to have your character added to the Character Directory. Thank you, and happy roleplaying!