Soikka

[Soikka]

Soikka Appearance Race: Human, Mixed (1/2 Human, 1/2 Drykas) Gender: Male Age: 16 Face: Charles Kennedy Birthday: 28th Summer, 500AV Birthplace: Ravok Appearance: Whilst not as devastatingly handsome as some, Soikka would not be perceived as unattractive by most -- a fact that he knows and often uses to his advantage. He wears his hair long, as his father did: it falls just beneath his shoulders, a tousled curtain of ash brown that he prides as one of the few connections to his father he has left. Soikka keeps it untied more often than not, only pulling it back when he feels a fight is about to take place as he finds the length unpractical in a scuffle. While most of his physical characteristics hail from his father’s lineage, from his tanned skin to his strong jawline, his eyes are his mother’s and his mother’s alone: they are a dusky myriad of various shades of gray, a strange swirl of color that greatly differs from the dark amber hue of his father’s eyes. His body is slim yet surprisingly well-muscled -- years of malnutrition have left his body slender, if lean. He stands at 5’11 tall, weighing a bit less than most would call healthy but enough to fill out his naturally thin frame. An array of scars litter his body from past fights gone wrong: two jagged lines crisscross below his right ribcage, running horizontally across his hip. A short, faded scar lies vertically on his left browbone just above his eyebrow, reminiscent of a particularly violent tussle. Faint teeth marks dot his left forearm, acquired from a vicious encounter with a disgruntled pub owner’s guard dog -- all the more reason for his dislike for the animals. Smaller, more subtle scrapes and cuts are scattered throughout his body, too numerous to count. Most of his scars, however, are hidden under his clothing, which he keeps simple and as unnoticeable as possible -- a necessity for blending into the crowd whilst pickpocketing. Soikka carries naught but a sleek, sharpened blade on his belt as protection, inherited from his father and decorated with leatherwork implicative of his Drykas heritage. Character Concept Soikka’s features are an oddly charming mix of boyish and ones of adulthood -- two traits which, somewhat unsurprisingly, mirrors his personality as well. He usually comes off as easygoing and approachable, important characteristics for a con artist looking for some sympathy. The youth has no qualms on using his looks to his advantage, which often makes him seem flirty and sweet-tongued -- all the more reason for his success as a scammer. Although Soikka is usually level-headed and rational, he’s a sucker for a good brawl. As most young men living through underhanded means, Soikka has been in his fair share of altercations and has gradually come to enjoy sharpening his skills with his fists -- or, in more precarious situations, his dagger. With that in mind, be warned: when he fights with an intent to win, Soikka isn’t above playing dirty. In his eyes, fairness has no place in a duel. Soikka doesn’t like to take things too seriously, preferring to roll with the punches and lives with a carefree attitude. Contrary to his actions, however, Soikka certainly is not naive nor dense by any means; the collapse of his childhood educated him about the harsh realities of life from an early age. He is cunningness personified, as all con-artists must be in order to make a living. Soikka looks out for his own well-being first and foremost, not knowing a life where he hasn’t needed to watch his own back. Upon first glance, most would see nothing more than a flirtatious, impish (albeit a bit rough around the edges) young man looking for a good time -- and they would be right, for the most part. Soikka’s easy-going personality hides a more bitter part of him that he has learned to hide over time. He has generally learned to quash his more callous side, not wanting to be dragged down by his grudges. He has a tendency to act flippantly towards those he cares about, stemming from his tightly guarded fear of abandonment. Whilst Soikka is actually quite adept at reading Tarot cards -- for a novice, that is -- he carries a deck more as a way to generate income. He utilizes sleight of hand, a second deck, and various other petty tricks and ruses to draw meaning from his customers, responding in tangent to their own hidden desires; the man has learned from past experiences that those who received a spread of cards with an unwanted fortune were less likely to pay him for his troubles. For those whom Soikka feels a particular affinity towards, however, he feels an inclination to offer them a more unbiased reading; whether does so out of good intentions or as a way to satiate his own burning curiosity, Mizahar may never know. Character History Born from a Drykas father and a human mother, Soikka’s early life was not one of tragedy but joy: whilst on a trading excursion through Sylira, his father fell in love with a woman in the city of Ravok. Because he feared his lover would not survive in the harsh grasslands of his homeland, Soikka’s father returned to the life he had forged in Cyphrus without his new wife. Not long thereafter, Soikka -- or, as he was called then, Soini -- was born into the household, the pride and joy of his father. Though the family of two was not wealthy they lived happily together, with Soikka’s father continuing to travel and trade across the Kabrin Road and returning whenever he frequented near Ravok. Although he was kept busy with his many trade excursions, Soikka’s father always made time for his son -- he taught Soikka the basics of riding and grooming from an early age, determined to pass on his Drykas heritage. Soikka took to these lessons like a fish to water, to the joy (and occasional chagrin) of his parents. The journey was just like any other -- his father departed with his strider as a part of a trade caravan returning towards Endrykas, one of many since his arrival to Sylrius. Nothing seemed amiss until weeks passed without word from his father, then months; it seemed that he had simply disappeared, leaving thirteen-year-old Soikka nothing but his prized long dagger and a few ever-fading memories to remember him by. His mother’s sorrow slowly began to morph into resentment, cursing her husband’s name for leaving his family without a means to support themselves. In Soikka’s eyes, however, his father was innocent; to this day he clings onto the belief that his father fell victim to cutthroats and was unable to return, not willing to entertain the thought of abandonment. Left without a source of income, Soikka’s mother was forced to turn to prostitution in order to scrape by. Soikka soon became less and less of her son and more of a nuisance, resulting in her eventual neglect and indifference towards her son. Left to his own devices, Soikka hanging around the seedier side of Ravok and picking up more illicit skills from the older boys that roamed the allyways. The obvious callousness his mother displayed planted a seed of resentment inside Soikka -- by the time he was sixteen, the youth had managed to stockpile a meager amount of money and supplies from swindling sympathetic travelers and pickpocketing passerbys. On one dark, gloomy night Soini struck out on his own, armed with nothing but his father’s dagger and the cunningness one could only forge from a life built on independence. He left behind not only his childhood home but his name; the hardened male shed the pet name of his long-forgotten youth, Soini, and took upon the alias “Soikka”. Eventually adventurer was able to wheedle his way onto a trade caravan and joined their procession on the Kabrin Road towards Riverfall without a single glance back. Spurred by his father’s tales of a sea of grass stretching as far as the eye could see, Soikka is determined to travel to his Drykas father’s homeland to rediscover the other side of his heritage. Language Fluent Language: Common Basic Language: Pavi -- picked up from father; his fluency has greatly diminished over time Skills Skill EXP Total Proficiency Riding 5 SP 5 Novice Seduction 5 SP 5 Novice Subterfuge 5 SP 5 Novice Larceny 5 SP 5 Novice Fortune Telling 10 SP 10 Novice Investigation 10 SP 10 Novice Brawling 10 SP 10 Novice Weapon: Long Dagger 15 RB 15 Novice Lores Lore of Drykas Culture Lore of the Kabrin Road Geography Possessions 1 Set of Clothing (Plain) -Simple Shirt -Simple Pants -Simple Undergarments -Cloak -Boots (Black) 1 Waterskin 1 Backpack which contains: -Comb (Bone) -Brush (Bone) -Soap -Razor -Balanced Rations (1 Week’s Worth) -1 eating knife -Flint & Steel -2 decks of tarot cards -[ooc=Long dagger] -Book, blank (used as journal) -Quill -Ink(1 Oz.Vial) Heirloom: Soikka carries a long dagger along with a matching sheath, inherited from his father when he was thirteen. One can tell that it has ties to the Drykas upon first glance, evident in the leather-woven knot work decorating both the sheath and handle. Housing Location: Riverfall Housing: To be determined Ledger Purchase Cost Total Starting +100 GM 100 GM Cashed in housing +500 GM 600 GM Tarot Cards -8 GM 592 GM Tarot Cards -8 GM 584 GM -Belt -2 SM 583 GM, 8 SM -Book, blank -3 GM 580 GM, 8 SM -Quill -5 CM 580 GM, 7 SM, 5 CM -Ink (1 Oz. Vial) -1 GM 579 GM, 7 SM, 5 CM Thread List [The Blue Bull] Establishing connections

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