Calder Arminburg

Discussion in 'Character Sheets' started by BboyMVB, Sep 20, 2014.

  1. BboyMVB

    BboyMVB Captain of the Maelstrom, Savior of Regalia

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2013
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    127
    Basic Information


    • Calder Arminburg is a 34 year old Male Half-Ailor Half-Talar

    • Calder was born to Merethyl Arminburg <Age 55, alive on Ellador> and Logan Arminburg <Age 57, alive on Ellador>. Calder was born in the Elladorian town of Ewan’s Grove.

    • Calder currently resides in a poor district apartment within Regalia

    • Calder’s current “goal” so to speak is to rectify the wrongs done to him and to regain the stable, moderately wealthy lifestyle he had come to know.
    Visual Information


    Body Description

    • Calder has a thin, wiry build due extensive travelling throughout the his life paired with minor performances of acrobatics. Calders body type would be relatable to a thin gymnast with stronger legs due to long excursions of walking between towns and slightly muscled upper body due to performances of hands stands and body freezes. Calder comes in at a height of 5’8” and a weight of 167 lbs.

    • Calder has a light beige skin tone, with a few freckles gracing the skin under his eyes.

    • Has light hair up and down his forearms and much thicker amount of hair along his legs. Has a bit of hair along his chest as well.

    Head Description

    • Calder has an inverted triangle facial structure with roundish almond eyes and a short minutely curved nose. He also has a slightly pointed, non-cleft chin and his ears end in a slightly pointed tip, a trait picked up from his half elven heritage.

    • Calder has olive green eyes which adorn his normally outwardly jovial expression. These eyes are quite keen and almost always on the alert for possible victims.

    • Calder’s head is topped with short, usually unkempt, ginger hair. While his upper lip and chin are often kept shaven (I.e. no facial hair).

    • Calder will at times wear a single silver earring in each ear, but this is not consistent with all of his attire. As of late, Calder now has a scar adorning his otherwise relatively unblemished face, his right ear has two small tears in the upper lobe from a close quarters scuffle with a Kleinfolk.
    Clothing and Accessories

    • Calder most commonly wears a rather worn, slightly dirtied red silk, long sleeved shirt covered with an old Brown-Green leather coat. To cover his lower body the half-elf often adorns himself in an old pair of leather pants in similar hue of his coat, held up with a brown belt. For his feet, Calder always wears an old pair of simple brown leather boots which tie at the front and their soles have been worn out rather thoroughly.

    • Calder always carries a wineskin he received from his old teacher, kept on him as a source of not only drinking but a resource for his magical arts. The half-elf also keeps a thick Navy blue scarf on his person, usually tied around his belt or diagonally across his chest. He uses it for a plethora of reasons including a few simple parlor tricks. Calder is also disdainfully obligated to wear a gold, lapis studded mage collar to mark himself as such, but he often hides most of it under the collar of his coat.
    Behavior Information


    Personality Traits


    • Perceptive- Calder has always been rather perceptive, a trait he picked up in his youth which only grew as he aged. He always took notice of the attitude and nature of those around him, when young and impressionable he often picked up social que’s and behavioral quirks. These he quickly absorbed like a sponge, mainly coming from his mother and other entertainers in their troop. And now that he is older he can often pick up on peoples behavior and physical emotion making it rather easy for him to comfort, exploit or empathise.

    • Competitive- A personality trait that was picked up later in life, Calder is rather competitive in all things. After beginning to grow as a professional performer, competition with others became common place. And though it is often light hearted, sometimes Calder can get carried away with being the best over the simplest of things.

    • Deceptive- Calder has always been rather good with words, and having less than perfect morals, lying and tricking have always been readily available to him. Calder has no qualms with deceiving others and this piece of him has only grown since he silently declared his vengeance upon the Regalian people.

    • Naive- Calder, having been raised and grown up in a rather carefree, rule free environment is rather lacking in wisdom when it comes to many things of the average day to day life of most. Or the appropriate way to respond in situations. An example of this is the half elf finding the only solution to being wronged to wrong others, being easily coaxed into doing so by not only Yong Ha but also a quick approval from himself.

    • Passionate- Being a performer it’s likely not surprising that Calder is full of passion in his life. From the smallest performance to the biggest lie, this half-elf puts his heart and soul into everything he finds worth doing. This passion shows brightest whilst he performs acts or cons, and is written in every muscle whilst he does them.

    • Opportunistic- A trait that mixes well with Calders perceptiveness, he often can find an opportunity where one is obviously present. This part of him also often leads to split second decisions and changes in plans him and Yong Ha have planned, which can potentially end in confusion or frustration for those not on the same wave length.

    • Breezy- Calder has a rather laid back attitude for most things. Having been raised by what can only be described by a hippy-esque gypsy for a mother and a circus performer for a father, his threshold for worry or fretting is rather difficult to reach or in the least maintain. And he often gives off a rather relaxed air, in his clothing, attitude and most decisions. Though when he does get angry he is often quite the opposite.

    • Witty- Meshing well with other parts of Calders personality is his tendency to be witty. Though most things humorous coming from him mouth are often vulgar they are meant in an innocent nature… usually.

    • Crude- Calder is without much of a filter, finding no qualms of making light of others problems, or appearances. Calder is also always open to make jokes or poke fun even if it may be seen as inappropriate by the general population. Luckily little of it is understood due to his dialect and usage of odd slang terms, or he may have landed in deeper trouble with a larger assortment of people by now.

    • Playful- This ginger half elf finds a way to make most everything he does jovial and amusing. Whether it be speaking, performing, or even just walking about, there always seems to be a lively and flamboyant air abouts him.

    • Fiery- Although Calder is more often than not in a relaxed state, when he is brought to anger it is as powerful and large as a roaring fire. But just like a large fire, feeding quickly off the air, Calders anger is more often than not one to quickly burn out. He might be yelling and swearing at you one moment, but waving off the incident the next. To date, the only grudges he has held are towards the Azure Order/Regalia for their imprisonment and treatment of him. And Alcohol for its destruction of his family life.
    Likes

    • Outdoors- Starting from when he was a youth and his mother would teach him what little she did out in nearby fields to their camp, Calder has grown a fondness for nature. Though not any form of environmentalist, Calder has no issue with sleeping out under the stars or hiking through forests and hillsides.

    • Magic- Calder was raised around a handful of street magicians, doing simple “magic’ tricks and the like, but nothing of that caliber excites him as much as the real deal. From his first in person experience with the arcane by his Master, Olander. Magic of any kind, or strength is of great interest to this half-elf and its presence has even been noted to leave him gawking.

    • Performing/making others smile- His raising up around performers, actors and the like has influenced these actions which make Calder beam immensely, both inwardly and out. Displaying his many hard learned tricks and acrobatics and the smiles and cheers he gets from those who experience them just drives Calder giddy. He thinks so much of making others smile that he finds it an equal payment often for robbing or tricking them afterwards.

    • Talking- Despite what others say, the ginger doesn’t just love to hear the sound of his own voice(or at least, not that much), Calder just can’t seem to speak enough. He enjoys chiming in a joke or an opinion amidst conversation even if its not wanted nor needed. And once he gets going he’s not one to stop until he’s finished.
    Dislikes

    • Alcohol- Due to his father's alcoholism leading to eventual running away from home and ruining of his family life, Calder hates liquor. The Half-Elf won’t touch the stuff and often tries to disassociate himself from it and those who relish too much in it.

    • Conformation/structure- Calder likes extensive freedom in his life, and as such he dislikes conformation and structure. Calder wishes the ability to do what he’d like unrestricted, as was the norm for his upbringing and throughout his travels. He isn’t so diluted that he believes laws aren’t necessary all together but the general idea of the subject leaves a poor taste in his mouth.

    • Azure Order- After having torn him off the street and confining him to their base of operations for unwanted testing, Calder has had a strong hatred for the mysterious anti-magic enforcers.

    • Confinement- Correlating with his dislike of structure and conformity, Calder hates feeling confined. Both physically and otherwise, this dislike likely draws from his freedom as a youth and his liking of nature and the outdoors, both lacking much form of confinement or restriction.
    Abilities and Disabilities

    • Speech: Calder’s most useful strength is that relating to his speech. Calder loves to talk and it is his first resource and tool to complete or achieve what he needs to. This strength can range anywhere from lying to, bartering with, or charming another individual and is very versatile in its uses.

    • Resourceful: It is in Calder’s nature to be resourceful, being able to make due with what he has whether it be information or physical objects. This helps his day to day since most of his activities are of the… illegal sorts nowadays. Being able to make up a quick lie, or use what he has at his disposal is a priceless skill to have.

    • Mendacious: Calder is very good at making, forming and sticking to lies. This strength is quite useful in the many cons and scams he and Yong pull, and is very helpful in getting out of trouble with those whom might wish to cause harm or negativity towards Calder.
    Weaknesses

    • Illiterate- A rather straight forward weakness, Calder was never taught to read or write beyond a tiny bit of basic Elvish as a child and it impacts his life from day to day. Not being able to read most signs or documents he comes across in Regalia, he relies heavily on his two companions to do such tasks for him.

    • Naiveté- This weakness relates towards Calder's interactions and reactions socially. His naive stance on common laws and practices of society lead to his arrest by the Azure Order and his slightly justified (though wrongly gone about) campaign of self righteous revenge.

    • Incompetent in combat- Having no formal training in any sort of fighting style, whether with weapon or unarmed Calder is not a skilled fighter in any sense of the word. Though he knows how to throw a proper punch after a few broken fingers and a wrist in his past, he lacks much of any proper fighting experience or knowledge and couldn’t use a proper weapon in his wildest dreams.
    Combat Styles:

    Calder’s fighting style is first and foremost a defensive style. Relying heavily on combination his agility to dip and duck any form of hostilities and usage of Aqueous Flow and Solid Frost. Calder will often try to keep his distance during a fight, using water and ice and to push, trip and hold off his aggressors while he tries to find a way to escape.



    Weapons of Choice:

    His Fists: Although Calder has no formal training in hand to hand combat, he’s been in a few fist fights and as such finds it most appropriate to slug someone when it comes to fighting. Although he does have arcane talents he doesn’t often resort to them unless he needs to, as their use is much more tiring and often less practical.


    Magical Abilities

    Form/Forms:

    Ice Magic- Solid Frost
    Water Magic- Aqueous Flow

    Experience:

    Caster Level

    Performance:

    • Calder’s magic casting involves quick hand motions mixed with two different Spoken word que’s. When using Solid Frost he places his hands in front of him, palms open, as he pulls them into his chest then pushes them down towards whatever surface he is attempting to freeze. Calder will then utter the word “Oighear” and the water will then begin to freeze and crackle as the magic spreads throughout.
    • When using Aqueous flow he will steady himself by placing his feet apart to be in-line with his shoulders, and will slowly and fluidly move his arms in whatever direction he is displacing the water. Such as pulling a wave towards himself he would push forward and back and a smooth motion, as if his body took control of the water. Calder then says “Tonn” and the water moves its directed course. He can control it for longer periods of time with more focus and exponentially more energy expended on his part.


    Relationships:


    Yong Ha (@Green_Hood ) - Calders currently closest friend and partner in his conning escapades. The ginger half-elf first met Yong in prison and the two slowly grew trust for one another over a multitude of scams and thievery. Though Calder finds the Ch’ien-Ji at times to be anti-social, ruthless and a bit odd, he does enjoy joking with him and finds him quite useful and good enough companion.


    Anish Samra (@Xsill )- Calder met Anish during one of his and Yong’s favorite cons. The pair walked about before running into this well dressed and jeweled Dakkar, upon the discovery they quickly ran to the guards uttering out a string of lies about the Dakkar having robbed them. This resulted in the Dakkar being arrested and the jewelry it was wearing being passed on to Calder and Yong, but their meeting with the Dakkar wasn’t over. After some arguing which lead to intrigue and discussion, the two con-men eventually picked up the Dakkar as part of their group(and were made to reluctantly return his jewels). Calder likes the rock lizard well enough but at times his sentiment enforced smacks and the bruising that often follows gets tiresome.


    Piper “Pim’ Duchamp (@Ryciera )- Calder met this fellow ginger whilst attempting to con and eventually attempting to straight up rob her. After some reconciling, Piper has seemed to join up with conmen group as a partner though she has since gotten in the way of morally “wrong” scams Calder and Yong tried to pull off. Calder finds the thief girl to be enjoyable company at times, though some of her antics and constant bickering with Yong wear thin on Calder and his patience.


    Astrid Wolff- (@CelestialAzure )- A friend of Piper’s, Calder finds the quiet black haired woman to be amusing. He can often tell she doesn’t approve of things He and Yong do but she doesn’t seem to be very vocal about it. Another potential member that could be brought into the fold of the growing group of ne’erdowells.

    ~Life Story~


    Birth and early life


    On a warm summer evening as the sun was beginning to set, a group of travelling performers gathered around a tent as a woman went through labor. After hours of excruciating pain and heavy breathing, a life was brought into this world. The life of a young Calder Arminburg. Born to one Merethyl Arminburg, a tall, lean, brunette Elvish woman and Logan Arminburg, a travelling, Ginger, Ceardian Ailor performer.

    Growing up, Calder was raised by his parents alongside their group of travelling performers. Moving from place to place around Ellador, Calder grew up in a very aloof lifestyle. As soon as he could walk and talk the young half-Elf loved to attend the shows of his parents and their fellow performers, taking in the acrobatics, street magic tricks and other enthralling sights for a small child. From the first performance he could retain, Calder knew what he wanted to do with his life. But, the ways of street performance were not the only lessons Calder soaked in. From a young age his free spirited Elven mother gave him extended freedoms in his life, she taught him a carefree lifestyle where the world was his oyster and others didn’t have a say in how he dealt with it.

    Of course teaching a young child such lessons of a whimsical, breezy lifestyle cannot go without problems and Calder grew to resent authority and structure. Even as young as seven he was rather independent. Often going off away from the groups camp to explore the town they were currently residing in, sneaking into places he shouldn’t be and disobeying his fathers few, but existent rules at every turn. However, as unruly a child Calder might have been, his parents both loved him and as soon as he was ready he was taught the basics of his parents trades. His father was a world class juggler and tumbler, or so he liked to think, and as such taught his son to balance himself on his hands, to perform simple flips and of course to juggle. Where as his mother performed a few tricks that highly intrigued Calder but little known to him were actually often scams. These included shuffling cups with an object underneath, a guessing game for those visiting the groups travelling performance, however the game was always a cheat. She also taught the young Calder a few simple card tricks and extensively simple illusions. The growing redhead couldn’t get enough.

    As Calder grew and learned, he began to embrace his freedom even further, using newly learned skills to.. procure what he needed from those around him. Lying and storytelling became one of the redhead’s favorite past times when his parents were busy performing. He’d often persuade and trick others out of sweets, toys and even money at times. The times he was caught in his silver tongued games, he received scoldings and sometimes even physical punishment in the way of slaps and man handling from his would be victims. This only encouraged the young half-elf to despise the conformed, established society. The boy hated the way most people in the towns they stopped off in seemed to be so uptight and rigged. He couldn’t grasp the way they lived and he didn’t want to, he was happy with his life, or he was.


    Running away/ Life on The Road


    As Calder grew to the age of thirteen, so did his life grow to fall out of control. The group of travelling performers him and his parents moved with had fallen upon hard times. Business was failing, people didn’t trust their shows and tricks, and thieves in the night had pilfered large portions of what little profits they managed to scrape up. On hard times and drowning in poverty, Calder’s father turned to drinking. Quickly going from a jovial, understanding acrobat to a drunken, boisterous, mess. Calder began to hate being at home. When he wasn’t listening to his parents fighting, it was his mother crying or his father’s more.. “hands on” approach to parenting that pushed the young Half-Elf away from home and into the streets of towns they visited. Calder began to hone his tongue and his performances, distracted himself from his home life by making others smile and laugh. These distractions worked for a time but Calder’s home life began to destroy him mentally and exhaust him physically.

    After two years of watching alcohol destroy his family and their life, Calder couldn’t not handle it any longer. At the age of fifteen Calder packed up a satchel of his things, and left his crumbling home behind. He vowed to never touch alcohol of any kind from that day on.

    For the next handful of months, times were hard for Calder, without much in the way of money he resorted to performing what little tricks and acts he had an ideal understanding of to village and townsfolk he came across. However, he ran into the same problem as his parents before him, people in the area had grown suspicious of travelling performers. Calder made a bit more here and there out of those who pitied a young boy on the streets, but it was barely enough to scrape by on if that. So, Calder turned an old mischievous hobby into a common occurrence. Calder began to con and steal money off of those he performed for, or even just ran into on the street, he would often feel bad afterwards but if he made them smile with a trick or performance he’d justify that as equal payment in his mind. As the half elf began to get extra payment through illegal means, his life began to look up. Food was available to him, and he even could afford to rent a room once in awhile, though he prefered the outdoors anyhow.

    Calder’s Elladorian travels continued this way for another year and a half, wandering from town to village to town, spending winters indoors and earning enough money to live off till his next performance. At a late sixteen, Calder stopped off in a place closer to the Elladorian glaciers. Being in spring it wasn’t the coldest it could be but fresh slush still coated the ground as the young red head set up to begin his performance. The show went as per usual, the half Elf performing flips, juggling snowballs and a variety of increasingly spectacular, but rather simple, tricks as more and more people gathered in the crowd. There was one man in particular however that took notice of Calder’s performance. Seeing the passion written in Calder’s body as he made the crowds cheer and smile. After some time, Calders satchel was dotted with coin, and the crowd began to disperse. The red haired half elf found himself making his way towards the local inn, taking little notice of the elder man watching him.

    The next day Calder made his way towards the same place as the other day, ready to enact the seedier dealings of his trade now that he knew a crowd could be found. As the half elf rounded a corner however he was stopped when a hand tapped on his shoulder. Quickly turning around, Calder was met with the face of a man likely in or above his sixties. Grey hair, and a few wrinkles peppered his features and Calder took note of them before the man spoke

    “Oh, I didn’t mean to alarm you, my good lad. I just thought I should catch you before it was too late, you see I was in attendance of your performance the other day and it was quite impressive! Quite impressive indeed!” The older man said with a friendly smile.

    “Glad ye liking it, ole fella” Calder said, putting on an innocent and gracious smile “But ‘fraid I nay have time ta be acting the maggot, eh? Im having a show ta put on!” With that the half-elf would try to turn and scamper off, worried perhaps this old man had been one of his past victims, tracked him down. But the old man wasn’t about to let him go it seemed, a quick hand jutting out to grasp him by the shoulder, not anything vicious but a good enough grip to stop the fourteen year old in his tracks.

    “Now hold on, son. Before you go, I want to invite you back to my shop. It won’t take long at all, just a cup of tea, good for these cold spring days, hm? It won’t take any time at all” The stranger, with saying that, released Calder’s shoulder. The young boy turned again, deciding the man wouldn’t have let him go had he wanted to catch him, but he still needed the money from todays show.

    “Sorry laddy, I’m appreciatin’ the offer but I’m not gone in the head, I wouldn’t follow a stranger off the streets, would ye?”

    “Oh now, son, my store is just up the road. I’m a rather respected member of the town, I just want to have a chat with such a passionate individual. I have food as well if that will entice you, my young performer” Calder gave the man a skeptical look, noting the man’s age and taking note of the fact that he hadn’t in-fact eaten today, the boy decided a free meal was worth it. Not like an aging old man could catch him anyhow. And so Calder followed him, up the road and winding in between the other few buildings before arriving in-front of a larger one. The place seemed to be in better condition than most and had large display cases containing what appeared to be crystalline statues. The two passed by a sign on their way in, but Calder hadn’t an idea what it said, seeing how his childhood had never been filled with any lessons of reading or writing common, and his Elvish literacy was barely existent.

    As the pairing made their way passed countertops of elegant statues of all shapes and sizes, Calder took note that they were in-fact made of ice, not crystal. He knew ice sculptures were popular in some of the colder areas of Ellador but he hadn’t seen many of this quality. The boy took them in with a childish wonder, barely noticing he was shivering until the man took him into a back room, where a fireplace and a small living area could be found. Here the man pointed to a seat for Calder and began to speak as he prepared something for the two “You put on quite show, son. Very impressive, tricks you have there but they are not what made the show so great.” The young redhead was rather antsy as he sat, furrowing his brow a bit at the elder mans comments as he peered between him and the exit. “No, what makes it great is the passion you have, it creates life, it creates excitement. You are an artist, like myself.”

    The old man brought to the table a loaf of bread and some dried meats which the young half elf greedily dug into, responding to the man through full mouthed bites “Fou’re vhe vun fho made vhose?” The boy said as he motioned towards the door with his head, hands occupied with food. The old man put his hands out over Calders with a laugh and a nod.

    “Yes, I did make the statues, son, but don’t scarf down your food so quickly, you might choke before I even get the tea prepared.” The redhead showed a food splotched smile as he slowed his devouring, the old man then releasing his light grip on the boy before continuing “I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest with you, I have brought you back to my shop for more than just a free meal.” This made Calder drop his food altogether, his right foot sliding out a bit towards the door, his whole body tensing in anticipation of some dark reality to come forth before the man spoke again “Oh no, you needn’t be worried, young man, I have only but an offer for one such as yourself. You see I have grown old, I accept this but you see I have a legacy I wish to uphold, one which is very near and dear to myself. My own children I saw unfortunately unfit to carry this torch, they lacked what i desired in a student. Passion. The very passion I see when I watched you perform for the townspeople. I have not seen the likes of it in these parts… well, since I was a youth!”

    Calder’s visage changed from one of apprehensive panic to confusion and curiosity, his brow once more furrowing as he looked at the old man. What did he want a student for, making statues? Calder wasn’t interested in such things. However before he could guess any further the old man turned about in his seat. “This, Son, is what I wish to pass on to you. Do watch yes?” With this the old man turned to the now boiling water and raised both his hands, Calder found the elder to be muttering something and quickly his eyes felt as if they grew to the size of the plates he was eating off. The water from the pot was lifting itself through the air, no, the old man was moving it? ..Magic? Calder watched on with a jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes unable to be pulled off the floating water, he watched the old man spin it into a sphere, then a swirl, then it flew up and eased itself into the cups before them. The half-elf’s body wasn’t in his control, he was flabbergasted at the display, those in his parents performers could do simple illusion, trick of the eye street magic, but not any /real/ magic.

    As Calder sat by in amazement, the old man caught wind of the boys frozen astonishment and began to speak once more “I see that was an impressive enough display, for you. What I wish to pass on to you is the knowledge of my craft, not just a control over water but ice as well. I care little for the succession of my shop, but the knowledge of my base art is something I do not wish to see disappear from this world. Will you learn under my tutelage? Would such a passionate artist take up my teachings?” Calder just looked at the man in amazement, he couldn’t even find the words to speak so a nod had to suffice. He would never forget what he felt sitting at that table.


    The Way of Water


    The old mans name ended up being Olander Binderup, a sixty-five year old man. He lived alone, his wife having passed and his children having left years ago. Calder’s apprenticeship under the mage was one that started in frustration. The lively redhead was rather restless, he did not like to stay in one place for very often to listen so the basics of the lessons were rather difficult. Olander found himself reliving similar cases from day to day as he explained the connection a mage has to the void, and the gifts and dangers such a connection opened up to one whom controlled magic. A grueling first week left Olander on his last legs and Calder on thin ice. After getting into actual study of the few books on magic the old Northern man possessed he found that Calder’s lack of literacy and unwillingness to sit still to listen called for a different approach.

    And so, every morning Olander would march Calder out into the cold outside air and he would teach him through a more hands on approach, having the half elf re-perform hand and arm movements the Northern ice sculptor had shown him while Olander vocalised the lessons and information the literature had to offer. Soon enough, the lessons picked up in pace, and Calder along with his mentor grew together. Of course, teaching one the knowledge to perform two magics was much more difficult than one and due to such Olander’s lessons sucked up most if not all of Calder’s day. Day in and day out he practiced, ate, practiced and slept. For the first year this was his schedule, though late at night sometimes the boy could be found practicing his old tricks and acts instead of getting his rest. It was a tiring lifestyle, and Calder still found himself antsy with staying put in one place for, but for the first time before his father began drinking he was truly content.

    As the years went by, Calder’s experience with and knowledge of magic grew exponentially. The young man couldn’t perform anything nearly as impressive as Olander, but he was eager to get there eventually. Olander couldn’t have asked for a better student, Calder seemed to improve in strides. The two formed a pseudo grandfather-grandson relationship as they spent the days training, eating and talking together. And as Olander grew older, Calder took time out of his busy schedule to help take care of the aging mage, even helping him in his ice sculpture shop from time to time. Calder and Olander spent many years together as master and apprentice, and in the end, a family.

    So after ten years of tutelage it was all the more saddening for Calder when Olander sent him off into the world “You won’t find your calling here, son. I’ve taught you all you need to know, your skill will grow with the years as mine has. Go out, see the world, show Aloria your passion! And I have just the thing to accompany you!” With that, Olander gave Calder a wine skin, freshly purchased, the thing was in wonderful condition. The two then shared heartfelt goodbyes and after visiting some of the town folk the redhead had come to know in his long stay, Calder picked up a bag of supplies the old man had left out for him, put on his coat and headed out to make his place in the world.



    Adulthood/Regalia


    After parting ways from his old master, Calder decided he’d settle into something he knew, something he was good, something he could make his own. So, he returned to the ways of a traveling performer. The Crisp, chill air felt good on his skin as he moved himself from town to town once again. Muscle memory and those late night practices contributed to a quick re-learning of his old talents, with a few new ones to boot. Though only a Student on the magical scale at the age of twenty-six, Calder found ways to mix his ever growing arcane artistry into his performances. Though short lived at the start of his new career, a favorite of crowds was water made into different shapes, however the strain it put on Calder’s body during those first couple years often left him a bit fatigued for the rest of his performances.

    Though Calder’s magical limits were still quite low and well.. limited, the crowds loved his new arcanely enhanced acts and he slowly grouped up a following of fellow performers and artists. Over a six year span, Calder had amassed a tight knit group of entertainers with which he travelled and his shows were well anticipated amongst the scarce town and village found across Ellador’s vast land mass. By this time as well, Calder had integrated a few other magical acts into his performance, usually left for last as he eventually put together that the most tiring act should probably not drain him for the rest of his tricks. These included the usage of dyes waters to create a “feast for the eyes” if you will of swirling and morphing water, an impromptu ice skating bit which often picked up lots of laughs as the ginger slid and fell abouts on a quickly made sheet of ice. And of course a crowd favorite of creating ice figurines and objects through the usage of cheap clay molds, water, and a bit of good old magic.

    Of course over these years it wasn’t all a success, there were times when Calder’s free spirited attitude and silver tongue got him into trouble, run in’s with angry occasional scornful husband, and the quite obviously mislead townsfolk who /dared/ blame Calder and his travelling cohorts of theft among other crimes lead him to practice his magic a bit for defense of mainly himself. The now adult half-elf also found his acrobatic ways to be useful in the few fist fights he found himself in, slippery and agile, he was quite good at avoiding getting hit.

    But all in all, Calder was living a life he loved, moving from place to place, sharing his talents and those of his companions with every town he visited and best of all he was in charge of his own life. No rules to hold him back from his ambition, no superiors to talk down to him. Just him, the road, performing, and fun. Though Calder and his group were not the only travelling performers in the world of course, and it was through a run in with one of these groups that Calder’s misfortunes began to form. Whenever Calder met another group of entertainers he was always quite competitive with them, always wanting to prove himself the best. So of course when he talked to this group, he took it as a challenge when the rival group barked off about Calder and his group being able to impress the yokels of Ellador’s countryside but stating they wouldn’t make a single coin in the streets of the human capital of Regalia.

    Though Calder hadn’t set foot off of Ellador since the day he was born, he had no problems with pooling together the groups money and boarding the next boat to Regalia. He wasn’t any kind of bouzzie, he’d show that group of brasser’s and eejit’s what for. And so that’s exactly what he set out to do, the group arrived by ship within Regalias streets, and due to a general lack of caring mixed with his vast illiteracy Calder didn’t even bother to read anything about the city, or its laws. What he had heard was by word of mouth and it was that quite a few wealthy people lived within the apparent “holy city” and Calder was looking forward to making it big in one grand show. And things seemed to be going as the redhaired half-elf had foreseen them, the group set up in a free square of street, calling all those in earshot to come be amazed, and the usual spiel they gave before they got into their acts. And the crowd loved it.

    A proud demeanor held onto Calder throughout, with each cheer and coin thrown he grew only more big headed. It looked as if things would go off without a hitch, perhaps Calder would even give a stop by the big tavern they’d passed before they left the city. But the dream came crashing down around Calder as he got into his magic act. He was quite engrossed in sopping up the warmth from the crowd and didn’t take any actual notice to who was in the crow. So when a few robed, masked figures joined the fray his eyes glanced right over them, and by the time they were pushing through the crowd to grab the redhead it was too late to get away. The crowd quickly went silent and began to disperse as the group of mysterious individuals began to drag Calder, kicking and screaming, down the street. Those of his group who tried to step in were met with opposition from other masked men within the crowd, preventing them from doing anything but listening as Calders string of curses grew slowly quieter.


    Among the Order/New Beginnings


    After being taken by Azure Order agents off the street, Calder was brought to their base of operations to be “educated” on what it /truly/ meant to be a mage of Regalia. For the first few days Calder was defiant against his self stated wrongful imprisonment. However this got him nothing positive and a few “disciplinary actions” left him without much fight left. The Redhead, whether due to controlling two magical forms, being a half-elf or just out of spite was kept for quite some time. Two months of extensive testing under harsh conditions and an overbearing amount of protocol and rules left Calder feeling angry, helpless and resentful towards the city of Regalia. What right did they have to confine him within a cell, to explain to him how he should act and use his talents? And the worst was yet to come for Calder.

    After finally being released, Calder came to realize he was abandoned, his travelling group nowhere to be found, the only belongings to his name were the clothes on his back and the wineskin he’d received from Olander. It turned out that while he was gone, the other entertainers couldn’t afford to stay, after one month they needed to move on to make more profit and they were too worried over what happened to Calder to stay within Regalia to do so. So coinless, friendless, and lost Calder was released with a collar put around his neck and a hatred burning inside towards all the things around him. The first thing Calder did with his pent up anger was march to the tavern and immediately started a fist fight with the first person to give him an odd look, he didn’t have any other response to having his freedom crushed, his life thrown to the gutter. He was thrown into jail for disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct, his few days in a cell not doing any help for his mental or emotional state. He was a wreck.

    But there was perhaps.. a light, if you could call it that, at the end of the tunnel. Whilst sitting in his cell, occasionally unwisely laying his hands on anything he could, a voice called out from one of the other cells. The ginger took time out of his important wall hitting to peer out across the hall toward his fellow delinquent. There he spotted a Chi’i who offered him a friendly smile before beginning to speak to Calder. After a bit of back and forth Calder came to know the mysterious man of the east to be Yong Ha, and Yong remembered Calder, as it turns out the Chi’i had been watching Calder before his prompt arrest by the Azure Order a few months back. The newly met man offered compliments of Calder’s skills and advised perhaps calming down before he made his sentence worse for himself. Then before deciding to leave the still fuming ginger alone he told the Half-Elf to meet up with him once he was released and they could discuss… business.

    Calder sat out the rest of his sentence his anger quickly being doused, though it’s embers still smoldered deep inside him. Upon being released he took up the Ch’ien-Ji’s offer and found him at the pre-discussed location. His newly seeded hatred of the Azure Order and by proxy the Regalian state fogged his best judgement as he listened to the mysterious man’s plan. Full on thievery, that was what was explained, extortion, scamming, pickpocketing and the like. Calder had never thought of himself as any form of full time criminal, sure he had stolen to get by before but never this. However Yong’s words mixed with his deep buried angst ended in him teaming up with the Ch’ien-Ji.

    At first Calder found his new partner to be an odd one, rather vicious with many of his statements and ideas and having a commonly outwardly… stoicness to his features and personality. But after a month or two the man grew on him, and the Ch’ien-Ji’s own seemingly lack of morals slowly wore down Calders few. Today, along with his now expanded group of Yong, Anish and Piper, Calder steals, lies and extorts the wealth and happiness of Regalian citizens. He believes it will make up for what was done to him, but he still feels a hole inside him, and from time to time questions his actions but his doubts are usually quickly smoldered out by Yong and his own desire for revenge.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Immersive Immersive x 1
    #1 BboyMVB, Sep 20, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2014
  2. BuffyCreepSlayer

    BuffyCreepSlayer The Arsonist of Syndorei

    Joined:
    May 9, 2013
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    89
    I will be reviewing this introduction!
    @BboyMVB
     
  3. BuffyCreepSlayer

    BuffyCreepSlayer The Arsonist of Syndorei

    Joined:
    May 9, 2013
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    89
    Reviewing!
    • I enjoy your writing style quite a bit.
    • A bit more description of the head wouldn't hurt; also, please remove the comment about his eyes. (Even if it made me snicker.)
    • I would name the 'Magic' section something like "Magical Abilities." Along with that, I'd like to see more detail; you state what branch he practices, but not the forms. Even though I understood it was Ice and Water, you might want to specify. Try to think of exactly what gestures he uses. If it's different for each magic, how different?
    • The only complaint I have from your life story is that twelve seems a bit young to be surviving on his own. Maybe delay it a few years.
    Fix the few errors I have above, and I'll be happy to approve you! @BboyMVB
    Even though you appear to be a conformist.
    Pending!
     
  4. BboyMVB

    BboyMVB Captain of the Maelstrom, Savior of Regalia

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2013
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    127
    -Updated the Magic section quite a bit, added a decent amount more of detail and i hope its what you were looking for
    -Updated Calder's overall age and his ages throughout the story, bolded for easy finds :p
    -Tried to add a bit more to the head description section, describing the features of a face and head aren't my strong suit so I hope its up to snuff.
    -Removed my A+ excellent eye joke (I should save such superb material for a better occasion anyhow)
    -You're a conformist

    @BuffyCreepSlayer
     
  5. BuffyCreepSlayer

    BuffyCreepSlayer The Arsonist of Syndorei

    Joined:
    May 9, 2013
    Messages:
    194
    Likes Received:
    89
    Re-reviewing!
    This is great! All I ask is that you get rid of the italization on the magic section, and you're perfect. That's a small thing, though, and so.. You're approved, conformist. @BboyMVB
    Approved!
     
    • Thank You! Thank You! x 1
  6. BboyMVB

    BboyMVB Captain of the Maelstrom, Savior of Regalia

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2013
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    127
    Done and done~
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice