[b][i]Appearance:[/i][/b] (I'll deal with this when I have a decent screenshot)
[b][i]Name:[/i][/b] Pale-Scales
[b][i]Gender:[/i][/b] Male
[b][i]Race:[/i][/b] Argonian
[b][i]Age:[/i][/b] 31
[b][i]Birthsign:[/i][/b] Atronarch; Skyrim effects

[b][i]Personality:[/i][/b] While often quiet, Pale-Scales is not impersonal, and enjoys talking to anyone with something interesting to say. He enjoys dispensing knowledge, but has little patience for perceived stupidity. While not of an especially firm moral compass, Pale-Scales holds consent in the highest degree, and dislikes lies as a result, seeing them as a breach of consent.

[hider=Backstory:] Growing up in a village west of Leyawiin, on the opposite side of the Niben, Pale-Scales spent much of his childhood swimming the river, stealing sweets, acting out heroic stories, and generally having a pleasant childhood with the other local children, be they Argonian, Khajiit, or Imperial. Unbeknownst to Pale-Scales -- and indeed most of the town -- was that it functioned as a feeding pool for vampires, and always had. It was quite soon after discovering the issue that it was resolved.

Either unsure of the woods at night or having cause to avoid Leyawiin, a stranger spent the night in the village, and happened to be a vampire's choice of meal. This was not an uncommon reaction to itinerants, but this one was a mage with particular accomplishments in the area of flames. The annoyance caused by the vampire apparently merited a day's delay in the mage's trip, spent routing the village's remaining predators.

The event was a milestone for Pale-Hands. Through magic, wit, and resolve, the stranger had managed to smite a darkness the whole village hadn't even known about, with ease. Mages, it seemed, had a very real ability to protect people, like the heroes he and his friends played in games.

Over the following years, Pale-Scales searched for any material he could on spell-casting, and fire magic in particular. Having the common sense not to burn his parents' house down, the young Argonian mostly practiced by the riverside, impressing friends with his early cantrips and embers. When he tried to teach the other children what he'd learned, they proved annoyingly unreceptive, and seeds of resentment eventually sprouted in both directions.

When news of the dragons' return reached his village, Pale-Scales saw this as an opportunity to finally practice magic in combat. By the time he'd settled his affairs and reached the Imperial City, however, celebrations of Alduin's defeat were underway. Mildly baffled, but no longer seeing great value to joining the Aldmeri-controlled Imperial Legion, Pale-Scales elected to join the less satisfactory Synod. Not happy with just that though, he also attempted to put his magical skills to work in the Arena, which gave him his first real, life-or-death combat.

It was months of weekly fights later that Pale-Scale began to feel the benefits of his practice with shields and heavy armor, holding off enemy attacks while spitting the elements at his foes. Work for the Synod was principally clerical, and cleaning, as the other mages felt an Arena warrior too barbaric for their order, and wished to drive him away with tedium. This plan was unsuccessful however, as it proved difficult to keep him away from the Synod's library and lectures.

Eventually, an Ayleid delve came up, which was more dangerous than the Synod's standard research, and Pale-Scales was signed on for it. While the other mages he accompanied were initially skeptical of him, the senior researcher into Ayleid magic grew to appreciate conversation with the only other battle-experienced member of the expedition. This proved fortuitous, as when they returned to the Imperial City, Pale-Scales found himself with marginally more respect, less busy-work, and more access to research. After a time, he even began instructing newer members of the Synod in the way of Destruction.

Recently, many years after his status had begun to increase, an anonymous party hired the Synod's assistance in research into rumors of strange monsters appearing near Skingrad. The payment for this was some political ambiguity which Pale-Scales didn't particularly grasp, but which the Synod valued highly. As the issue involved unknown danger, a senior researcher into biological matters was to be accompanied by the magical shield-wall known as Pale-Scales. Currently, the two are stationed in a Skingrad inn, attempting to use their meager budget to hire discreet mercenaries of various utilities.[/hider]

[b][i]Skills:[/i][/b] Pale-Scales is an accomplished battlemage, typically donning Heavy Armor and slinging Destruction magic from behind a Blocking shield, though he also has some skill with One-Handed Blades. Additionally, he's trained in Mysticism and Restoration to a lesser extent, and keeps himself in fairly good, Athletic shape. A particular talent of Pale-Scales' is in absorbing magical attacks, and using a shield as a siphon to this end. If he were to bash an enemy with a shield, he may even steal some magicka.

[b][i]Equipment:[/i][/b] A full set of Dwarven armor save the helmet, which he couldn't wear if he tried. As yet, he hasn't had the opportunity to enchant anything other than his cuirass, which grants him some measure of extra magicka reserves.