Post by Skipper on Oct 20, 2008 19:46:33 GMT -5
Half-mad
Name: Rivertinn McHedj
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Species: Red Squirrel
Marital Status: Single
Position and Home: He is a storyteller, but previously worked as an acrobat.
Strengths: Like most of his kind, Rivertinn is naturally talented at acrobatics, but due to endless seasons of performing such acrobatics, he is extremely skilled at it, for even a squirrel. He is known to be able to perform seemingly unreal feats of agility and balance, a talent he puts to good use. He not only uses this skill in performances (which are usually for a profit), he has perfected it enough to use it when fighting. Rather than carry around a weapon or two that would merely slow him down, Rivertinn prefers to fight with the skills he has been given, claiming that he has no honour if tooth and claw aren't enough in combat. Even so, he can fight against any weapon without a weapon of his own just as well as any seasoned warrior would armed.
Although he hasn't seen many seasons, upon his young shoulders rests an old head. His past experiences have given him the ability to not only empathize with 'most anybeast, but wisdom far beyond his seasons. His sense of logic simplifies nearly every situation until things seem black and white. As ironic as it may be, his mind, in part, is like that of an infant. As a dibbun, his mind soaked in as much information as he could, which is nothing abnormal. However, his mind hasn't ceased to soak in everything around him like a sponge, unlike most, whose brains begin to take in less, and less as they mature. This makes him very observant, so much so that one might be inclined to believe that he has overdeveloped senses.
Rivertinn has quite a passion for the seas, and is as skilled as any otter or shrew when it comes to sailing, boats, water, so on, and so forth.
Weaknesses:For some unknown reason, Rivertinn is extremely honest when he speaks, a trait which isn't necessarily a good thing. He has difficulty telling a lie unless he has a very good reason for it, and is over all honest to a fault. He can also be extremely gullible, if a beast uses his/her words correctly.
Rivertinn is considered to be half-mad, a reputation he resents, and frequently objects to. Even so, it seems to follow him wherever he goes, as though everybeast thinks him mad.
He finds looking another beast in the eyes to be difficult, and has a few nervous habits such as tapping a footpaw, and running a paw through his headfur, to name but a couple. These nervous habits contribute a little to his reputation.
Alignment: Good
Appearance: Rivertinn stands at about 5'8, just a bit taller than the average squirrel. He has a muscular build, and is fairly thin, and light enough to perform seemingly unreal feats of agility and balance.
Being a red squirrel, he is covered entirely in reddish-brown fur. He also possesses two, blue-grey eyes that shine with childish innocence. Usually, unwavering eyes are attributed to innocent minds, but for some odd reason, it is the opposite for Rivertinn, whose gaze never stays in one place for very long. Many would be inclined to think that he has something to hide due to this particular trait, but in reality, he is honest to a fault, making him a rather perplexing squirrel. (...hehe...I said "perplex.")
Although he doesn't wear the same outfit constantly (not that anyone does), he favors a blue tunic under a maroon vest, tan trousers, and a black belt. He doesn't wear any form of jewelry, or weapon, that would but slow him down. During performances or anytime he intends to use acrobatics, he dresses in a sleeveless, black tunic, and maroon trousers. He sometimes also wears two black moccasins upon his footpaws.
One notable characteristic of his is Rivertinn's headfur, which is always messy, in contrast to the rest of his appearance. This is a cause of his nervous habit of running a paw through his headfur.
Personality: Although he hasn't seen many seasons, upon his young shoulders rests an old head. His past experiences have given him the ability to not only empathize with 'most anybeast, but wisdom far beyond his seasons, which can sometimes seem a bit awkward, and other times helpful. This mind allows more room for thought, and he can oft be found thinking deeply. Even when looking a beast in the eyes, which is rare, his eyes seem to be looking at something else entirely. Hardly ever are his two, gray-blue eyes focused on a single thing, as he takes in everything around him like a sponge...or an infant. He still has an air of innocence about him.
Although a seasoned warrior, Rivertinn is still a young squirrel, both in age, and at heart. It is for this reason that he still portrays some of the characteristics of a dibbun, becoming depressed or overjoyed at situations that wouldn't normally induce such extreme emotions in a beast his age, let alone a creature that has been through as much as he.
He has no particular opinion concerning fighting. If he believes the situation calls for it, he will fight. If it does not, he will not. Simple enough.
History: Rivertinn was born in Southsward, near Castle Floret, though he never visited the castle. He was simply an average, little squirrel dibbun; small, eager to learn, and overflowing with boundless energy. His father, a storyteller, would record the stories he told if he liked them, and when he conjured up a new idea, he would tell it to Rivertinn, in story form, of course. Every night, Rivertinn would be told a new part of the story, and enjoyed every minute of it. As he grew, he began to help his father write the stories, and sometimes created ideas of his own, though he never told any stories, himself. His family merely thought him talented, and expected him to become his father's successor.
It wasn't until seasons later that creatures began to notice something about him. As his peers grew, and became more mature, they became less like dibbuns, less eager to learn, and having less energy, as seasons caught up to them, their innocence dissolving away. Although still youthful, they didn't have the boundless energy of a dibbun. Rivertinn, however, was different. As he grew, his mind remained in the same state as it had been 14 seasons ago, soaking up everything around him like a sponge. He also seemed to be just as full of energy as he had always been since his early years as a dibbun. His blue-gray eyes shone brightly of innocence, but never could hold a gaze. Taking advantage of this moment, his parents began to teach him as much as they could, and his father told more stories than ever before, knowing that Rivertinn's mind was affected greatly by this.
One particular day, Rivertinn was taking a long walk around Castle Floret. After circling the castle twice, he returned to his home, expecting a story. What he received wasn't a story, but the start of his own, whether he knew it or not. He entered his house to find his parents sitting peacefully at a table. The only unusual things about the scene, were the fourty-three weasels occupying the house. Had he not been so quick with numbers, he wouldn't have been able to count the weasels, for only seconds after he entered, he was struck by a blunt object in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. The next five years would be long, and hard.
He awakened to find himself in a cage, with fourteen other creatures. As the next, few seasons dragged on, what he learned was this: weasels are idiots. As it happened, they were forced to build a small "fortress" for the weasels. Everyday, the number of the slaves grew, until there were 238 prisoners, the same amount of weasels -- that is until one weasel tripped and fell on his own sword. Letting the slaves build the fortress was their first mistake. They're next mistakes took place over a long period of time -- the time during which the prisoners constructed the building. Secret passages and tunnels were made as part of the initial design of the fortress, which one particular badger, whom Rivertinn had befriended, convinced the weasels to allow, by claiming that the fortress would collapse on them all if this or that was/wasn't added. Upon the very first week of Rivertinn's capture, one weasel remarked that squirrels could do amazing acrobatics. Naturally, Rivertinn was chosen. Thus began Rivertinn McHedj's career as an acrobat.
As would be expected of them, the slaves began hatching escape plans. Due to the sheer number of the weasels, almost all failed. Rivertinn, however, had devised his plan the very day he was chosen to perform, alongside his two closest friends, a badger, and a mouse. Every night, he would practice his acrobatic routines, improving gradually as each night passed, until he could hold himself up with any one paw regardless of the position of the rest of his body, i.e., he could rest on one paw, and hold himself up while his body remained horizontal.
Most of the secret passages that had been constructed had either been found and frequently used by the weasels, or found and destroyed. When only two were left, the three friends decided to execute their plan, deciding that ready or not, they would have to escape. One passage, located in the ceiling, lead to the gatehouse. The other led under the entire "fortress," and reopened in the middle of a set of stairs, near the gates. Rivertinn took to the passage in the ceiling, naturally, and the badger and mouse sneaked into the other tunnel.
The weasel in charge of the gatehouse was asleep when Rivertinn fell from the ceiling, landing silently. Before the weasel could realize what was happening, the squirrel had bound and gagged the weasel with a bundle of rope that had been conveniently lying around. When the other two friends heard the gates opening, they dashed from their hiding place, quickly slaying the two weasels guarding the gates. Masterfully executed...literally. Rivertinn had to climb back through the ceiling passage, then make his way to the other passage. The moment he emerged from the staircase, he was spotted by the next shift of guards, and chased. His two friends waited outside. He joined up with them, and ran, but only a moment later, the mouse fell, an arrow protruding from his back. Roaring madly, the badger turned, and, ignoring the wounds he received from the guards' weapons, in seconds, the weasels were slain. But wait. One was missing. There were only three, but Rivertinn had counted four. As he had guessed, the missing weasel had gone to get backup. The badger charged full force into the weasels. Rivertinn knew there was no stopping his friend, and ran as quickly as his paws would allow. Away from the terrible building, and the cruel, unforgiving slavers.
He arrived in Southsward a week later, and immediately searched for his home. He knew Southsward as he did the back of his paw, and soon had reached his house. Five, long seasons had passed since he had seen his home, but now he was finally back. He entered, but nobeast was to be found. Frantically, he searched the area, hoping to find his parents. Everybeast he asked answered the same way, saying that nobeast had lived in the house for five seasons, and that the entire family that lived there was slain. As much as he persisted, claiming that he survived, nobeast could recognize him. How could they, in his current condition? Finally, he was labeled as half-mad, because although he didn't act insane, he claimed to be somebeast whom, as far as everybeast knew, died five seasons ago, and looked in no way similar to the beast before them now.
He gave up, and set off for Green Isle. Somehow, the rumor had reached the isle, and he could find only one creature who would take him to Green Isle, a sea otter. He became fascinated with the sea, and with boats, and had soon convinced the otter to teach him what he knew. Rivertinn stayed on the isle for a season and a half, learning from the sea otter, until one day he decided to build his own boat. He did so, and left the day it was finished, arriving near Salamandastron. He spent the next half-season in Mossflower, carrying on his father's legacy of storytelling, as he traveled northeastward, until he arrived at the Eastern Sea. He now sails northward along the Eastern Sea, intending to reach Noonvale. Even still, his reputation follows him.
Codeword: Martin the Warrior
