Kayven Aracev

[Kayven Aracev]

Name: Kayven Aracev
Race: Symenestra
Age/Birthday: 23 / Summer 487
Gender: Male

Physical Description: Kayven stands tall and erect, nearly six feet in height. His golden irises and pale, almost translucent skin give his face a skeletal quality, made all the more surreal by his clean-shaven scalp. On his chin he sports a carefully groomed goatee of midnight black, in stark contrast to his flesh. Kayven has let the ebony nails of his fingers grow out to a usable length of roughly two inches, long enough to be used as weapons if necessary, but not so long as to impede everyday tasks. Those of his toes, on the other hand, are kept filed almost as short as a normal human’s, barely a quarter of an inch long, with light leather sandals worn over his feet. As clothing, Kayven prefers a long, flowing black robe that partially conceals how truly thin his frame is, with a large cowl covering all but his lower jaw when pulled up. Beneath this is a light set of armor, even by Symenestran standards, no more than a boiled leather chestpiece and bracers, so as to offer as much freedom of movement as possible. Though he prefers to go barefoot, Kayven does possess a pair of sturdy leather boots when travelling cross-country.

Personality: Kayven is a truly Machiavellian thinker. The strong remain in power because they have the ability to maintain their position, and should the weak ever overthrow them, then that too was deserved. Survival of the fittest is not just a saying for Kay, it’s a way of life. He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge, looking to soak up any bit of knowledge, no matter how random or esoteric. It is this thirst for knowledge that has led him into his…darker pursuits. Like any other sane and intelligent being, Kayven seeks power over others through whatever means necessary, whether by word or sword or even spell. Though driven by passion, Kayven is resolved to never be controlled by it. He works to keep his mask of indifference at all times, though it does slip during bouts of particularly strong emotions. Being a proud Symenestra, Kayven does tend to look down upon all other races, unless they have something that he wants, in which case he will pull out all the stops to win them over.

As a follower of both Vayt and Viratas, Kayven takes a secret, sadistic pleasure in causing pain, and will often times go out of his way to see any form of sentient suffering, often walking away with a cruel smile on his face that only gets wider if Kayven had a direct hand in its cause. He does not view himself or others like him as evil, merely stronger, elevated in status, and thus entitled to certain “priveleges” that baser minds cannot begin to understand.

History: Kayven is one of the few “pure” Symenestra of this age, having been born of a Symenestra female rather than a surrogate mother. His biological mother killed upon birth as normal, his father and parental mother took to raising Kayven with great care, as he was their first, and currently only, child. A natural predator as a child, even among Symenestras, Kayven tended to dominate his small group of friends, lording his “pure birth” over the others, most of whom were, as far as Kayven was concerned, only half-Symenestra at best. Vanden prided himself on being an excellent hunter of sentients, and determined that his son would be just as good, if not better. Kayven was a quick learner, and by age ten he could converse with his father in either Symenos or Common at will.

Of course, Kayven learned more practical things as well, namely weaving Symenestra silk, though he showed little aptitude and even less interest in it. Of more interest to him, was the art of Hypnotism, the basics of which had been taught by his grandfather. This opened the door to Kayven’s thirst for knowledge of all things, magical or mundane, but mostly magical. At the age of sixteen, and against his parents’ wishes, Kayven left the subterranean home of Kalinor, taking with him only his copy of the Viratassa and what he considered to be the bare essentials. For the next year, he roamed the Kalean countryside before settling in Alvadas, the City of Illusions. It was here that Kayven began to truly appreciate the art of moving without being seen, for if one could be seen, then one could be deceived. Here too, Kayven came upon a mostly insane follower of Vayt. The man had little coherent to say to the young Widower, but what he did say sparked yet another flame of interest in Kayven’s mind, opening his view to the God of Poisons, an intrinsic part of all Symenestra, as Kayven saw it.

Kayven spent the next several years within the Mad City, but even in the city that never stays the same for long, his thirst for knowledge could not be slaked, and so he set out again, to further his study of the arcane and the divine.

Training & Skill Points:
Hypnotism – 22 (20 SP)
Acrobatics – 10 (RB)
Stealth – 11 (10SP)
Persuasion – 11 (10SP)
Short Sword – 10 (10SP)
Climbing - 1
Deception -1

Lores:
Large portions of the Viratassa memorized (Starting Package)
Minor rituals to Vayt (Starting Package)

Equipment/Possessions:
1 Copy of the Viratassa (Heirloom)
1 steel short sword (purchased pre-creation for 20 gold mizas)
1 Set of Clothing (cloak/coat & footwear included)
1 Waterskin
1 Backpack which contains:
1 Set of Toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap)
Food for a week or 1 bottle of embalming fluid (for Nuits)
1 eating knife
Flint & Steel

Ledger:
100gm (Starting Package)
+500gm (Housing option cashed in)
- 20gm (Steel short sword)
580 Gold Mizas

Languages:
Symenos (Fluent/Native)
Common (Fluent)

Thread List

• Nightlife

[Kayven Aracev]

Kayven of the Aracev Web General Information : 1. What is your Name? Kayven, of the Aracev Web 2. Do you go by a nickname or pet name? Some choose to call me Kay, though I personally dislike the shortening. 3. How old are you? Twenty-three. 4. What is your height? Five feet, ten inches. 5. What is your weight? One-hundred and twenty-five pounds Aesthetics : 1. Describe yourself as you see yourself. I am tall and elegant, graceful, if you will. I depart from others of my race by choosing to keep my head shaven, as well as a well-trimmed goatee around my lips. Of course, as a Symenestra my skin is a stately gray, what hair I have a stark black in contrast to both my skin and my golden irises. 2. Describe yourself as others typically see you. “That Widower’s a demon, I tell ya. His head, looks like a skull it does, and them eyes don’t help matters none either. He looks so frail a strong wind would blow him to pieces, but there’s a hunger in those eyes as makes ya pause a bit and shiver, like some great beast is eyein’ ya from afar, sizin’ ya up for a meal. Creep blighter, he is.” – Overheard from a peasant outside of Alvadas 3. What is your favorite body feature? The myriad tiny hooks that allow me to climb nearly any surface. They are quite useful, especially when I do not wish to be seen by the pedestrian masses. 4. How physically fit are you? I consider myself to be in good shape, though I am hardly a soldier. I prefer to rely on speed and agility rather than brute force. 5. How do you typically dress and what is your style? Call me melodramatic, but I have a penchant for black. It blends into practically any environment and is thus, not usually noticeable. I prefer long, flowing garments that conceal my body mass and shape, as well as a hood that partially obscures my features. When hunting in the midst of prey, the hunter does not make himself easily recognizable. Family : 1. Who are your parents and what are they like? My father, Devayel Aracev, is a harsh man, but a fair one. He taught me everything I know about performing the harvest, and how to hide in the dark places that humans rarely look for fear that they will find something looking back at them. Of course, he also instructed me in matters of faith, the teachings of Viratas and His holy book, the Viratassa, of which I have memorized much. Granted, I view religious matters a tad, differently than my father, but that is another story all together. As for my mother, well, my “adopted” mother I suppose you could say in human terms, Salaneya Iric Aracev, was a kind woman, and a weaver without peer, though I am a tad biased. She taught me all I know of socializing, such as the matter exists between Symenestra and humans. Manners, courtesies, she taught me all of these, as well as the Common tongue; in our hunt, the most essential tool is communication. My father gave me the tools of shadows and secrets, but my mother, it was she who gave me this most important tool. 2. Do you have any brothers or sisters? It is certainly possible, given how long I’ve been absent from Kalinor, but I had none when I left. 3. What is your extended family like? My paternal grandmother is the Matriarch of the Aracev Web. She was a harsh woman, but not without kindness. She did have a fondness for myself and my cousins. Our Web was small, but we prided ourselves on being entirely pure, each of us born to a Symenestra female, no filthy, polluting surrogates. Other than that…well my cousins and I were not terribly close, and none of my Aunts worth mentioning. 4. Do you consider close friends as important or more/less important than family? Less. Blood is everything. 5. Do you treat animals like family? No, I treat them like food, though they may have other uses at times. Location : 1. Where were you born? Kalinor, of course. 2. Where do you live now? Lhavit, though I have only recently arrived. Before that, I resided in Alvadas for a number of years. 3. If you could live anywhere in Mizahar where would that be? I’ve no desire to settle down just yet, though I’ve always wanted to see Syliras. Such a large city, with so many humans…. The thought of such a hunt is…invigorating, to say the least. 4. Do you have a favorite place to vacation or spend leisure time? Anywhere I can be alone with my thoughts is enough for me, though I do enjoy watching lesser species mill about in droves. 5. Where do you fear to be? I am fear. But, like any predator, I prefer to stay away from areas that give poor concealment to my actions, especially large, open areas. Traits : 1. Do you have any physical weaknesses (disease, scars, and missing limbs?) Nothing even half so dramatic as all that, but being Symenestra, I am naturally…fragile, I suppose is the best word. As much as it pains me, many other races are superior to me in regards to physical durability. 2. Are you right handed or left handed? Right, though I can use the left well enough if need be. 3. What languages do you speak? What do you sound like? Do you have an accent? I speak Symenos, naturally, and am also fluent in Common, thanks to my mother’s teachings. I’ve been told I have a smooth, mid-pitch voice and that I tend to draw out some of my vowels when speaking Common. 4. Do you have any odd mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? I convert living flesh and fruit into fluid to eat, I believe humans would deem that “about as disturbing as it gets.” 5. Do you have (or want to get) any tattoos or piercing? Why do you have them (or will get them)? No, and no. Occupations : 1. What is your occupation? 2. Do you like/dislike your work? Why? 3. If you could be anything you wanted to, what would you be? 4. What occupation do you admire the most? Why? 5. What occupation do you lest like? Why? Childhood : 1. What sort of child were you? A superior one, of course. Being of pure lineage, it was my natural given right to lord over those who would consider my friends, sniveling sycophants that they were. 2. What is your favorite memory from childhood? *chuckles lightly* I do recall a time when another child from another Web, larger than my own but of far inferior stock, attempted to bully me into vacating the area he had claimed as “his.” A silly concept of course, but what is one to do? Regardless, he was larger and stronger than I, but not half as agile. So I taunted him, goaded him into attacking me, and I fled along the silk roads of Kalinor. He followed, the fool, attempting to match my every move. I performed one fairly difficult maneuver, one I likely should not have tried: a rolling flip up from one rope to the next. I pulled it off, albeit barely, and used my momentum to swing around the second, higher rope, and kick the buffoon free of his hold. I never heard from him again, survivors of that kind of fall are quite rare. 3. What is your worst memory from childhood? When I decided to leave Kalinor. I had determined that I was not content to merely sit by and wait until my aged old grandmother deemed I was ready to make the harvest, especially since I knew they intended to delay as long as possible to see if a promising Symenestra female would rise to the challenge. Of course, my father, and indeed my mother and grandmother were outraged that I would defy them. The argument was…not pleasant. It was the first time I’d ever openly defied any of my elders and the feeling of their disappointment ripped into me. Still…given the chance, I suppose I would do it again, considering the gains I’ve made. 4. What sort of relationship did you have with your parents? Honestly, I’ve not seen them since I left, and that was nearly six years ago. If you speak in terms of the past, however, my parents and I got along rather well. They taught me valuable things that I put to use every day in Kalinor, but they were resistant to see me try them in the world at large. 5. Who was your most influential rolemodel? Believe it or not, ‘twas a madman I met while in Alvadas. He spoke dark whispers to me, whispers that likely would have been silenced long ago if not for the ever-changing nature of that city. I will not go into specifics, but leave it said that I became a believer, and my perspective has never been quite the same since then. Education : 1. What sort of education do you have? 2. Do you like/dislike learning? 3. Where or how did you learn most of your skills/abilities? 4. How do you learn best? 5. What are your educational goals for the future? Relationships : 1. Do you form close bonds with people? Why? Why not? 2. Do you trust people easily? If not, why not? 3. Do you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? 4. Have you ever been kissed? If so, describe the first time. 5. Have you ever had sex? If so, describe the first time. Drugs and Alcohol : 1. Have you ever been drunk? If so, describe your first time. 2. Do you like to drink on a regular basis? 3. What sort of alcohol do you prefer? 4. Have you ever tried drugs (mood altering substances)? If so, which kinds and what did you think of them? 5. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Be specific. Likes and Dislikes : 1. What are your hobbies? 2. Do you like to read? 3. What annoys you more than anything else? 4. What do you find the most relaxing activity to do? 5. What kinds of things embarrass you? Why? Favorites : 1. What is your favorite color or colors? 2. What is your favorite time of day? 3. What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? 4. What do you like to eat? What do you hate to eat? 5. What is your favorite type of weather? Does any kind scare you? Outlook : 1. Are you optimistic or pessimistic? 2. What are your religious views? 3. Would you be able to kill? 4. What are your views on sex? 5. What, in your opinion, makes a successful life? Actions : 1. What is the worst and best thing you’ve ever done? 2. What is your greatest regret? 3. What is your best/worst memory? 4. If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be and why? 5. What are you the most proud of doing in your life? Emotions : 1. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings with others? 2. Do you have any biases or prejudices? 3. What makes you happy? 4. Who or what, if anything, would you die for? 5. What makes you angry? Relationships : 1. In general, how do you treat others? 2. Who is the most important person in your life, and why? 3. Who is the person you respect the most, and why? 4. Do you have a spouse or significant other? If not, describe an ideal lover. 5. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why Group Situations : 1. Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? 2. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? 3. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? 4. Do you care what others think of you? 5. What do you think of others, in general? Self Image : 1. What is your greatest strength as a person? 2. What is your greatest weakness? 3. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 4. Are you generally introverted or extroverted? 5. Are you generally organized or messy? Beliefs : 1. What God or Goddess do you find most appealing, if any? 2. Which God or Goddess do you fear, if any? 3. Do you have any Gnosis Marks? If so, how did you receive them? 4. What lengths would you go to to please your deity? 5. Where do you draw the line at pleasing your deity? What is too much? Life & Death : 1. What do you absolutely live for? 2. What is the best part of life? 3. What is the best part of death? 4. If you could choose, how would you want to die? 5. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?