Player Name: Michael
Preferred Method of Contacting: PM or IM, depending on the time of day. I usually forget to sign out of MSN, so I won’t always answer.
How did you find Meliora? The advertisement section of another RP, Twilight Intoxication, which I’m pretty sure has died.
Other Characters: None yet.
Character Name: Kadir Lusset (pronounced Kuh-dEEr LUS-set)
Nicknames/Aliases: Ravenwing, Emberblade
Age: 294
How old they appear: Mid 30’s
Gender: Male
Race: Half Demon/Half Human
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Follower of: Ebelle Azuke (Fire)
Class/Occupation: Mage/Mercenary
Time as a mage: 203 years
Liam Neeson
Kadir stands at an even six feet and weighs just over 163 pounds. His body is muscular and athletic, the fruits of a hardy life of constantly trekking across the country and frequent combat. His smooth tan skin is blemished by the occasional scar on his arms and torso and two long scars running down his left leg. He appears completely human at first glance, except for the large wings emerging from between his shoulder blades, reaching a span of twenty feet. Unlike most demons or half demons with wings, Kadir’s are composed of sleek jet black feathers, not unlike a raven’s. Upon closer examination, however, one would see that his body does bear the signs of something inhuman. Half inch claws grow from the tips of each of his fingers and toes and all of his teeth are dangerously sharp, making his smile a slightly disturbing one. His eyes are also completely black, except for the whites and flecks of reddish orange scattered throughout the blackness that could easily be described as sparks. His brown hair is well kempt and cut short so as not to be a burden. Kadir’s always smooth-shaved face is normally passive, lest he betray any of his emotions or thoughts. His seemingly apathetic complexion is a well constructed mask that has taken him years to master. When around those he might consider friends or the few he keeps close, he relaxes and actually smiles frequently. Around his neck is a chain from which hangs a silver pendant given to him by his father. It is in the shape of a scaly claw, presumably that of some mythical creature, grasping the end of a curved blade. The entire pendant is roughly an inch and a half long. Kadir keeps it tucked into his jerkin whenever he takes on a job or enters a fight.
Casual: Kadir’s casual attire, what he wears almost every day, is the simple sleeveless leather jerkin he wears over his torso and the brigandine-like trousers that cover his lower body. His feet are encased in sturdy leather boots. The jerkin’s smooth leather is scratched here and there from the points of blades that nearly found their mark. There are also intricate images of flames burned into the leather in thin symmetrical lines. Each article of clothing is stained crimson, a tribute to the Fire Deity he follows. Wrapping around his body from his right shoulder to his left hip is a white cloth bandolier, from which hangs his greatsword. The bandolier is supported against his body and the heavy weapon by three tough leather pads: one on his shoulder, one at his hip, and the third fitting perfectly into the notch his blade rests on.
Formal: Kadir dons his formal attire so rarely that he simply leaves it at Ebelle’s temple in Hyrai, his unofficial home. This outfit consists of a black long sleeved shirt buttoned up with silver wolf-head shaped buttons, overtop which hangs a long silk cloak so deep a red in color that it is nearly as black as the shirt. His pants, black like his shirt and adorned with the same silver buttons, are kept snug around his waist with a belt of fine leather etched with artistic curves and swirls and secured with a buckle of silver. On his feet are a pair of fine, yet sturdy, jet black knee-high boots.
Weaponry: Kadir’s only weapon is a greatsword he keeps slung across his back, hanging from a white cloth bandolier by a cleverly disguised notch (disguised as a wide stray patch of fur on the side of the wolf’s head) in the guard. Using the inhuman strength he possesses as a half-demon, he is able to wield the nearly five and a half foot weapon with relative ease. The handle is large enough for two hands, as is needed, and the original pommel of shining rounded steel was replaced recently with a globule of semi-transparent red stone, which allows him to communicate with his goddess as long as he touches the weapon. The guard of the weapon is actually a carefully crafted wolf’s head, its gaping toothed jaws spewing the blade itself. The steel blade is single-edged and curves near the end to a deadly point. It is about 12 inches wide at the base and narrows steadily as it goes. This great sword is positioned very carefully between his wings.
Armory: Kadir’s armor is light and simple, suiting his fearless nature. His torso is always covered by a sleeveless leather jerkin, cured and treated specifically to be tougher than most jerkins so as to make suitable light armor. His trousers are akin to a brigandine, in that outwardly they appear to be ordinary cloth pants. However, they consist of three layers. The outermost layer is exactly as they appear to be. The second layer comprises of a series of carefully placed steel plates that are arranged so that they will not impede Kadir’s movement at all, but they will keep him from being shot in the leg with an arrow or bolt and hopefully protect him from losing a leg entirely to axe or sword or worse. The third layer is simply another pair of pants that the plates are also sewn into, preventing the plates themselves from cutting his legs. Around his waist, Kadir wears a simple leather belt from which hang a few pouches. One contains his currency; another is larger and usually used to carry items important to his latest job; the last is a small waterskin. All his clothes are colored a dim red, a symbol of his faith to the Fire Goddess.
Personality: Kadir is quiet, introverted individual, keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself more often than not and holding his tongue at times when he probably should speak. He isn’t shy or afraid, but merely dislikes drawing too much attention to himself, particularly from a large number of people or from certain specific individuals. He can be harsh at times, but he does his best to be a good person at heart. He is usually calm and cool-headed, never one to panic at the first sign of mayhem. He prides himself on his strength and abilities and his fearlessness in the face of danger. Although he is usually silent, he is also very stubborn and does not back down from anything easily.
As a half-demon, Kadir feels set apart from the rest of society. His lineage earns him a certain amount of prejudice wherever he goes, which only feeds his sensation of social distance. He’s not ashamed of what he is and never makes any effort to hide it unless his chosen profession requires such action, but he does often wish that things were different in Meliora so that he could be better accepted. He also harbors a mild hatred toward most other races, humans in particular, because of how they talk to and treat him; often with fear, disdain, hate, distrust, or worse.
His mixed blood also leaves him constantly lonely and he longs for companionship more than almost anything. In his nearly three-century-long life, Kadir has never had a proper relationship with anyone, save that with his mother when he was young. Despite his craving for the love of another, he has only allowed a few to become close to him and he does not share an intimate relationship with any of them. He enjoys pleasing others and being accepted as one of them, but his years in Meliora have taught him that the ones you call friends are not always as trustworthy as you first believed, and so he is wary of new people. Acceptance is another powerful desire he possesses, second only to his wish to find someone he can hold dear.
This need for acceptance is one of number of probable explanations behind Kadir’s ‘hero complex.’ He has an almost sub-conscious urge to protect the weak and to help the less fortunate. He refuses to tolerate injustices done to those who can do nothing to defend themselves, and has gotten himself into trouble on more than one occasion for intervening in matters he should have stayed out of. He believes that the best way to convince others to look beyond what he is and see him as who he is is to fight for them. Unfortunately, Kadir is thoroughly convinced that his demon blood makes him as evil as the rest of them. He also hopes that by protecting others, he will make up for that and they will forgive him for it.
Being a mercenary has also had an effect on others’ first impressions of him. People assume that he is a cold-hearted killer with no moral qualms who will take any job if he is offered the right price. However, Kadir is nothing of the sort. Even though his line of work often involves violence and actions of questionable legality, he does apply a set of morals to it as best he as can, a sort of code, if you will. His first and most important rule is that if he must kill, he will not kill children for any reason and only kill women if completely necessary. He will not take any job that would cause him to harm the elves in any way. And he will under no circumstances accept any contract his goddess would disprove of. He won’t take jobs that lead out of the country, either, although this last rule is more a personal preference rather than a question of morality.
Kadir also tries to maintain a sense of honor in everything he does. In battle, he will never strike against an unarmed fighter with a weapon of his own, and he usually gives his opponent the opportunity to surrender before they exchange blows. He tries to be kind and courteous to women, children, and the elderly unless they give him a reason not to be. He is honest, at least to a point, to everyone he speaks to unless circumstances dictate he should lie. He is completely loyal to the few friends he has and will swiftly and brutally exact revenge from anyone who should cross them or himself.
He is also devout and faithful in his following of the Fire Deity, just as he was for the three of her predecessors he also followed. He does his best to visit the temple or Azuke Manor in Hyrai and pay his respects to Ebelle at least once a month. When the Goddess herself is present, Kadir makes sure to see her personally, at least for a brief time, to simply converse with her and to pay his respects to her in person. He respects the goddess greatly and obeys her without question or hesitation…most of the time. He has a rather bad habit of taking onto himself to punish mages or others that try to deceive or take advantage of her because of her inexperience as a deity, a fact that has irked Ebelle before, though she knows he means well and so does little more than scold him.
Kadir’s greatest flaw is his anger. It has always been a problem for him, even when he was a child, but over the decades he has all but mastered his control over his temper. However, this control is still imperfect and accidents do happen. It is difficult to enrage him to the point he loses control, as the list of things that would anger him quickly is short and he has deemed the minor nuisances that do nothing but irritate him as unworthy of his attention, but the situation for anyone who succeeded in provoking the half-breed could turn dangerous in a flash. As in all fire mages, his temper also has a direct link to his power. The angrier he becomes, regardless of the level of control he has over himself, the stronger his deity-granted flames will burn. Along with his anger, Kadir feels all other emotions strongly, but keeps them under strict control. He trusts virtually no one enough to reveal his feelings, and even the few he does trust he would not wish to burden with them. One might call Kadir quietly passionate, but he would likely scoff at the description.
Kadir’s other major flaw is both interesting and hardly surprising at the same time: he has a weakness for attractive women, particularly ones he gets along with and ones he comes to know even slightly. This weakness isn’t like that which a typical pig of a human male suffers from, despite the fact that Kadir is, in fact, half human. This weakness is of a more romantic nature. He is much more likely to be kind to an attractive woman than anyone else, like any man. But if he spends enough time around them and thus gets to know them a bit, he can’t stop his mind from wandering through various hypothetical scenarios involving himself and the woman in question. Not sexual scenarios, mind you, but ones entertaining the idea that he and she might form a relationship that might grow into something more, just as Kadir wishes would happen to him some day. This weakness is most likely a major reason behind his devotion to his newest deity, although he would never admit to such a foolish thing.
The half-breed has his strengths, too. One of his greatest is his innate knack for strategy. His occupation requires him to think quickly on his feet and a few dozen decades of practice have made him quite adept at formulating several plans at once even while keeping himself physically busy, as well. With a single look at a situation, Kadir can come up with many different scenarios that might spawn from the present elements, some outrageous and unlikely, but all possible. Sometimes this ‘planning ahead’ trick allows him to take precautions that leave others slightly bewildered, as they have not considered the possibilities that he has. However, ironically, he often acts on impulse, rather than sticking to any particular plan. This is most likely a side-effect of his lack of patience.
Background/History: Kadir was born nearly three centuries ago to a full-blooded demon father and a mentally ill human mother. His wings, though obviously small at the time, made his birth difficult and the stress of it strained his mother’s already scattered and fragile mind more. However, despite the oddness of his parents’ coupling and his own resulting birth, he lived a happy childhood. The three roamed Meliora constantly, choosing to be nomadic rather than suffer the prejudices of others because of their unique family. Although, they frequently travelled the plains, the desert (to visit Hyrai and the temple), and the White Forest of the elves, where he befriended an elf named Ty Verity; he now considers her to be almost a sister to him. His father, Toar, taught him to hunt and track and the fundamentals of living in the wilderness. Toar also taught him to fight, not only with his body, but also with a variety of weapons including bow and arrow, swords and axes of various sizes and weights, a spear or stave, daggers and knives, and with and without a shield, as well as how to look after each weapon he was taught to wield. His father, skilled in a forge in a way that only an immortal could be, was the one who made Kadir’s greatsword for him before teaching him to use it. Toar also fashioned the bandolier his son uses to carry the massive weapon and showed him how to wear them both without damaging his wings. His mother, Ilanda, taught him to cook and care for his injuries. She taught him morals and right from wrong and valuable life lessons, like not to waste his life looking ahead and worrying about what could be, but instead to live in the present and enjoy it for its beauty and wonder to the full extent of his senses. In return, Kadir trained hard alongside his father and obeyed him loyally; he followed his mother’s teachings and made her smile and laugh whenever he could.
The happiness that was their family, however, did not last. Shortly after Kadir reached what would be the human equivalent of manhood, his father disappeared without a word. To this day, Kadir has no idea where his father went or why he left, but he despises Toar for it and blames him for Ilanda’s death. His mother was one of those poor sweet souls whose body has grown, but whose mind remains undeveloped beyond a young age. She appeared to be a beautiful woman in her mid twenties, but her mind was that of a small child no older than ten. As such, there was much in the world she was unable to understand and she relied on the love and affection of those around her a great deal. She met Toar in the marketplace of Imperial City, where she lived at the time, and met him numerous times following. It did not take long for her to become infatuated with him. It had turned out that Toar was one of the very rare demons that were actually very good creatures. When this discovery was made, and it was clear Ilanda had no intentions of leaving him, the two were shunned by her family and friends and forced to find a home elsewhere. But he cared for her better than most men cared for their lovers and soon gave her a child, Kadir. Her dependence on him through everything was obvious to anyone who saw them together.
When Toar abruptly left her, it broke her. Kadir, who at the time was taking care of her with the small amount of money Toar had left behind, placed her in a decent inn room in Hyrai where she spent vast amounts of her time simply staring out of a window, as if hoping he might return. She never spoke a word again and her health slowly faded until she at last died in her sleep. Thankfully, Kadir had managed to coax her into sleeping in a bed that night rather than the chair she usually did. His mother’s death rattled him and filled him with a deep loathing for his wayward father. It was his father’s disappearance and his mother’s resulting death that convinced him that demons are vile creatures and that being half of one meant that inevitably turn out just like his father. It also drove him to become a mercenary in the hopes that one day he might find his father to exact revenge and that he might make up for what he was by helping others.
At the age of nine, as soon as he was old enough to understand the concept of following a deity, he opted to follow in his father’s footsteps and became a worshipper of Aikanaro the Fire God. After 82 years of following the Deity of Fire, the great immortal saw fit to christen Kadir a fire mage. He remained so until Aikanaro’s passing a century and a half later. When the dryad Imyae arrived as Goddess, Kadir approached her about his powers. With the former god now gone, he was afraid his powers might fade and did not wish to lose them, taking some solace in the respect they earned him from the common people. The vain, child-like deity went one step further: she offered him the opportunity to become one of her Chosen through trial, which he completed with great success. (See
Trial below) He served loyally as one of her Chosen for her 42 year reign, although she did manage to coax/trick him into bed once. After she was replaced by Sylus, he continued his position as Chosen after sparring with the eccentric god and nearly defeating him, earning his respect. He followed Sylus as loyally and faithfully as the previous two deities—even sparring with him on occasion, much to both creatures’ entertainment—until Sylus also passed from godhood.
Finally, Ebelle Azuke arrived and claimed the position of Fire Deity. She allowed Kadir to keep his powers as a mage, but did not allow him to become one of her Chosen until a month later. As was required, she gave him a trial, which he completed, but her trust was earned in another way. The goddess’ brother, Torrin, also one of her Chosen, was quietly targeted for assassination by a single man. The man was able to wound Torrin with a poisoned bolt while he was travelling to another city on an errand for his sister. The bolt missed his heart, but the poison quickly paralyzed him and kept him in too much pain to call out for help mentally or magically. Kadir had been tracking the assassin since shortly after he was suspected of malicious intent towards Ebelle or her followers. It was not until he attacked Torrin, though, that it became clear who his target was, and just before he left to finish his job, the man managed to lose Kadir. However, the half-breed quickly picked up the trail again and flew to the two in time to apprehend the assassin before he could kill the goddess’ brother. Kadir carried Torrin on the elf’s horse to the nearest healer and ensured he would survive before contacting Ebelle. The goddess thanked him and offered to repay him somehow, but he refused her offer, saying that he wanted nothing more than to remain in her service as a mage, which he already was. However, refusing to let such an act go unrewarded, appointed Kadir to be one of her Chosen after giving him a riddle as trial so as to keep with tradition. The half-demon has been serving faithfully under Ebelle as one of her Chosen ever since, visiting her in Hyrai to pay homage whenever he is able to return after a contract.
As a freelance mercenary, a run-in with the Veritoim is inevitable. Kadir has never met the infamous Damien Blair himself, but he has met with the Pasha of Hyrai once or twice to discuss his work in relation to the renowned thieves guild. After a bit of debate, Kadir managed to establish a deal with them. The Veritoim could not count him as one of their own, as he was loyal only to the Fire Deity if he was loyal to anyone, but he would pay them a flat rate of 25% of his earnings and he would decline any job they did not want him to take. Unless, of course, his goddess commanded otherwise. The deal worked in their favor since Kadir did not dealings outside of Meliora, and so would never be involved with any smuggling operations, and all thieving and assassination jobs required only 15% of his earnings. Plus, he was giving them 25% of the payment he received for perfectly legal jobs, just so they would leave him be. To this day, since that agreement was struck, Kadir has set aside 25% of all his earnings and brought the lot of it to a tavern in Market Town on the 30th day of every month just after sundown, where he has sat in the same table in the far corner immediately to the left of the door. There he has ordered the same drink after setting the pouch of gold on the floor beside him, easily within eyesight, but in perfect position to be stolen if he wasn’t careful. Someone from the Guild always comes by within an hour and picked up the gold, ‘accidentally’ bumping into Kadir every time so that he knows it is a member of the Guild rather than some punk pick-pocket. With all the recent happenings around Meliora, though, Kadir is suspicious that he will be seeing more of the Veritoim soon. But he’s been wrong before.
Unfortunately, Kadir has not had much opportunity to participate in the recent tragic events that have plagued Meliora, neither to act for nor against them. While he has rounded up a small number of Caius’ men, he was employed by a drow in the Dark Forest when the rebellious noble’s son set fire to Imperial City. He was similarly indisposed during the Conclave, protecting a wealthy merchant from any attacks from Caius’ rebels while travelling from Imperial City to Raven Keep. He was visiting the temple in Hyrai when he heard of the riots in Imperial City, but by the time he arrived they were all but over. Now, however, with talk of war against Adan and Cato’s still loyal military, he keeps his blade sharp and his ears open for any possibility of being hired to join the Crown’s army.
Trial: Imyae – Kadir’s trial to become a Chosen of Imyae’s was simple and none too difficult. She demanded that he find a trinket of high value that would attract people’s attention to her and make her feel beautiful. He found such a trinket—a jewel encrusted mirror that could be made to show whomsoever shed blood on its surface as the most beautiful thing in the world while everyone around them appeared ugly and deformed somehow—in the possession of a wealthy mage merchant selling wares in Market Town. The man recently began having problems with thieves not loyal to the Veritoim, so Kadir offered to deal with them in return for the mirror. The job was done and the transaction made and Kadir became one of Imyae’s Chosen.
Sylus – Kadir sparred with Sylus after the deity learned that he enjoyed fighting, too. Kadir almost won until Sylus used his powers as a god to get the upper hand, but the half-breed had earned his respect and so Sylus allowed him to keep his position as a Chosen.
Ebelle – She gave Kadir a riddle to solve, which he did, but the reason behind her consideration was the fact that Kadir had saved her brother’s life, so to repay him she granted him the position of a Chosen. She only made him go through a trial to keep with tradition.
Favourites:
Food: Anything meaty, really. And seasoned somehow.
Drink: Kadir almost never drinks anything alcoholic. He keeps to water, preferably from his own waterskin.
Music: Quiet soothing tones that help him to meditate and remember the good times.
Pastime: Kadir enjoys sparring for fun, both magically and physically, with anybody willing to take him on.
Likes: Sparring
Hunting
Meat
A good laugh
Seeing people happy
Travelling
Night time
Flying
Dislikes: Stupidity
Senseless bloodshed
Traitors
Humans
Being shunned because of what he is
What he is
The cold
Magic: Major power – Explosion
Minor powers – Swirling Sword, Speed of Flame, Flamekin
Other:
Health: Kadir has no health conditions and, thanks to his demon blood, is immune to most ailments that affect the human race.
Habits: Kadir tends to engulf the blade of his sword in flames, when he does use it, to intimidate opponents. He also meditates from time to time.
Family details: Father – Toar Yenith; full blooded demon; whereabouts unknown
Mother – Ilanda Lusset; human, possibly with vague traces of harpy that would explain her son’s feathered wings; deceased
Favorite memory: Learning to fight and hunt with his father; Just about every memory of seeing his mother happy.
Worst Memory: His mother’s slow and torturous deterioration after his father disappeared until she finally died.
Also, Kadir can use his wings to fly for a while, longer if he can find warm enough air currents to glide on and conserve energy. Take off doesn’t require jumping from a high place, but it certainly makes it easier. However, he can’t fly with his sword on his back, but he can still use his wings as a pair of feathery parachutes should he fall or need to drop from a high place.
Kadir Lusset
