[hider=Sikarthis]@Credit for image used in Physical Appearance goes to lowenael over at dA

[b]Name:[/b] Sikarthis
[b]Age:[/b] 470
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Species:[/b] Glacial Knight
[b]Kingdom of Origin:[/b] Glaces, The Northlands 

[b]Physical appearance:[/b] Standing at a sizable height of 6'5", Sikarthis is readily recognizable even among a throng of his fellow Glacial Knights. Though somewhat slender, his frosty form has been honed and hardened by centuries of warfare, training, and hardships into an almost unmatched fighting machine. [url=http://puu.sh/fzXE5/64b11c39cd.jpg]Narrow eyes, high cheekbones and a permanent look of irritation give Sikarthis a rather unapproachable appearance that mirrors his feelings towards the majority of those he is forced to deal with.[/url] Sikarthis keeps his hair long, preferring to keep it on either side of his face and out of his eyes. As he shaves only every so often it is not uncommon to find him with stubble or the beginnings of a beard on his face. His skin, like all Glacial Knights, has the appearance of a frosted, iced over lake.

[b]Attire:[/b] Like all Glacial Knights, Sikarthis dons a uniquely crafted set of armor made of extremely hard and durable ice, though he had changed quite a bit of it throughout the centuries. His armor consists of shoulder pauldrons, a cuirass with an attached groin and thigh guard, flexible 'mail and micro-plate' sleeve coverings that extend over his hands, and a pair of greaves. Sikarthis has long chosen to forfeit the use of a helm, choosing instead a simple head wrap that leaves little more than the area around his eyes exposed. This has serves the dual purposes of protecting him from smoke and similiar battlefield hazards as well as keeping his identity hidden from his enemies. Much of this armor is lighter than the kind commonly worn by Glacial Knights and therefore not quite as good at protecting him from harm. This does mean however that he is significantly more flexible and agile than most of his fellows, allowing him to make full use of his weapon of choice and the fighting style that goes with it.

When not wearing his armor Sikarthis wears a simple covering over his genitalia for decency's sake.

[b]Personality:[/b] Among the speciesist Glacial Knights Sikarthis is counted as one of the most difficult members of leadership to pinpoint in terms of political standing. While he makes no attempt to hide his contempt and irritation towards those outside his own species it has not gone unnoticed that he has little praise or time even for his fellow Knights. Added to that are recent rumors that he and the Haderlock envoy Tári Númenessë have been attending to one another at night, further putting doubts on his views towards outsiders. Whatever his actual stance on the matter, none can argue that he is unfit for his current position as both lead diplomat and renowned lieutenant for Glaces.

Renowned for his cold, calculating approach to both diplomacy and war, Sikarthis views every conversation, debate, engagement and even every tumble in the sheets as a battle of wits and wills where one side must come out on top. Lacking nothing for patience he bides his time in all matters, feigning disinterest or foolishness until such a time that he can make use of an opponent's overconfidence or laxness to gain the upper hand. This approach to life has won him many battles and enemies, both on the field and inside the walls of Glaces. Despite any misgivings about his views on foreigners his success as a commander and a tactician have also earned him great respect from those serving under him and it is rare to find him without attendants or hanger-ons looking for approval or handouts. He is fond of using simple board games as a means of gauging his opponents off of the battlefield as well, much to the irritation of several of his regular correspondents.

Sikarthis, unlike the rest of his kind, has for the past century had his gaze turned towards the south, past the borders of the Northlands and into The Wilderness where he claims untold power and resources await his people. His fellow officers (and indeed the general himself) have attempted to dissuade him from that line of thought, pointing out that the distance, weather difference, and manpower required to make such an expedition and hold any territory claimed would stretch thin their already small numbers. Were he more approachable Sikarthis might find allies in his arguments but as it were his blunt, callous approach to dealing with others does not translate well to making friends or good first impressions. Some have wondered how he managed to become the finest diplomat in Glaces given this fact.

[b]Hobbies/interests:[/b] Sikarthis generally spends his free time locked away in his chambers while inside the walls of Glaces, reading from an extensive and ever expanding library of scrolls, tomes, tablets and carvings on a variety of subjects. Often his focus is on military and political history and the tactics of the past, both inside and outside of the Northlands. Trade with Haderlock has given him many a new avenue with which to pursue this interest. Not content just read about such matters, it is not uncommon to find Sikarthis one of the many training halls about Glaces, practicing constantly to turn studied material into practical, proven techniques. 

As Tári Númenessë is currently the only ambassador in Glaces he has recently spent a sizable amount of time verbally sparring with her about matters both important and inane. The two have also taken to bouncing languages off the other in a sort of impromptu dialect trade. So far Sikarthis has learned more words in more languages for the male genitalia than he had likely been expecting. 

 
[b]Skills:[/b] Sikarthis speaks several languages and dialects thanks to his centuries of dedicated study, though his understanding of some is more rudimentary at best. Diplomacy is also a strong suit of his and he is well known for his ability to gain the upper hand (or at least even the playing field) in even the most seemingly one sided of talks. He for finding 

[b]Backstory:[/b]
While it is no mystery that Sikarthis has risen to two positions of power within Glaces few seem to recall exactly how it was that he managed to reach the heights he has today. Many attribute his position and power to connections within the king's court while others talk of favoritism from the general. In reality however Sikarthis rose through the ranks as anyone did, from the very bottom upwards by his own hand. Low ranking soldiers themselves, the young Glacial Knight was groomed for war long before he had reached even his first decade of life. In the years before his enlistment into the military proper Sikarthis had little interaction with his family outside of daily training when they were stationed inside of Glaces, preferring instead to spend his time out by the harbor watching and waiting for ships to come in.

Serving as little more than a foot soldier for half of his first century of life Sikarthis drew the attention of his commanding officers through his tactical insight and prowess with his [i]redaktsyia[/i] on the battlefield. The young soldier was difficult not to notice, his unwillingness to back down from a challenge and his apparent skill making it quite clear to his superiors that he intended to do better for himself than his low ranking parents ever had for themselves. From there it was not long until he was leading small squads of his own men and eventually taking orders directly from the general himself. No matter the task Sikarthis proved himself to be an able and adaptable commander as well as a talented warrior. After two centuries of continually proving his worth there were few above him who could deny that a lieutenant's rank was his by rights and even those detractors fell silent on the day that Sikarthis held a mountain pass with a small number of soldiers at his command against a force several times their size. Despite heavy losses, his own parents among them, Sikarthis managed not only to drive back the assaulting force but even beheaded the enemy commander in single combat before leading a counter attack that left the enemy force entirely shattered.

A lieutenant's rank now attached to his name, Sikarthis was able to focus on other matters of interests him, namely the study of history and diplomacy. Three decades of study brought him to a point where he believed he could match wits with the best of them and it quickly became apparent to those in Glaces that he was right. As the decades have passed his studies have continued alongside his military career, his experience in both expanding along with his power within the ranks of the general populace. Recently, with the trade between Glaces and Haderlock as well as the arrival of their diminutive ambassador, Sikarthis has stepped up his discussions about expanding south of the Frost River. So far few have been willing to give the idea much thought.


[b]Family:[/b] Both of Sikarthis' parents died in battle under his command. They were low ranking soldiers of little importance and therefore not worth mentioning as far as he is concerned.

[b]Relationships:[/b] Tári Númenessë | Questionable | Frienemy | As cunning as she is small, yet overly fond of vulgarities. Little more than an irritating elf in my book. And yet...

[b]Weaponry:[/b] Large: Sikarthis carries into battle the same weapon he has carried since the first day he stepped onto a battlefield, a [b]redaktsyia[/b] (Bladestaff in the Iceman tongue) forged from the same enchanted ice as all Glacial Knight weapons. Perfectly balanced and fairly light despite its size, this polearm gives Sikarthis an impressive amount of flexibility in how he uses it as well as quite a bit of breathing room to work with. The weapon is around ten nine feet in height, the extremely sharp and durable blade making up three of those feet. (It's basically just a really big, reinforced naginata)

Medium: Though he rarely uses it, Sikarthis possesses a short sword measuring roughly two and a half feet in length. It is crafted from the same material as his polearm, though the design is less elegant and more designed around causing maximum trauma upon retracting a stab.

Small

[b]Abilities:[/b] Centuries of study, training, and combat experience have turned Sikarthis into one of the most dangerous warriors in the Northlands, his icy polearm leaving bloody trails through the air as it cleaves through flesh and bone alike. Lethality and grace mark his every movement, from the way he seems to dance away from blows to the twirling of his hands as he slices through the neck of a hapless foe. With his body tempered and his mind razor sharp it is no wonder that he has amassed a collection of heads belonging to the commanders and champions who faced him in battle and lost.

Where Sikarthis is truly skilled however is in his grasp of military tactics and his ability to marshal men to his side. Few lieutenants are as capable of inspiring their soldiers into an unwavering fighting machine or playing mind games with an enemy commander until he finds himself surrounded and half his troops dead at his feet as Sikarthis is.


[b]Weaknesses:[/b] Along with all of the usual weaknesses common among Glacial Knights Sikarthis adheres to a strict warrior code (and a nagging voice in the back of his head) that prevents him from turning away from most challenges presented to him. Given the choice he will gladly face an opposing force twice his size with little more than a handful of men, so sure of his own abilities that he fails to foresee any negative outcome.

His attitude towards others is also often a hindrance, as despite his current positions within the Glacial Knight society he has little in the way of allies or friends and even less luck making any outside of his species. With this comes an unwillingness to accept support from most individuals, seeing it as a sign of weakness when he cannot rely fully on himself. 

Some within Glaces would say that the recent arrival of a certain ambassador has also count as a weakness, though not within his earshot.

[b]Companion:[/b] Loshad' - A horse made of enchanted ice. Loyal, quiet, and with an attitude quite similar to his master's.

[b]Other:[/b] Capricus[/hider]