[center][u][b]Appearance:[/b][/u]
Erik Volker stands at 5'9. His hair is brown with tinges of red, looking similar to Cherry wood, and reaches just past his ears. Erik's eyes are a twinkling blue, and his face is young, his cheeks and chins only recently encroached by hair.

Despite being no stranger to war, his face has emerged unscathed, and lacks blemishes. His smile is nice and toothy, while his nose resembles a the beak of many birds of prey, his pronounced and high cheek bones making the bird resemble all the more powerful. 

Once beneath the neckline, his chosen profession becomes much more apparent. His chest, back, and arms are a patchwork of scar tissue from his short and violent career. Pockmarks from bolts, the straight lines of swords cutting, and the ragged tears of beast's claws. His legs have been spared the majority of the wounds, as legs are not common targets in a fight, but they are no stranger to wounds. This motley quilt of wounds past serves as book as scrapbook of failures and fights, and as a visual warning that Erik knows his way around a fight. 
[/center] 
[center][u][b]Name/Nickname:[/b][/u]
Erik Volker[/center] 
[center][u][b]Gender:[/b][/u]
Male[/center]
[center][u][b]Race:[/b][/u]
Human[/center]

[u][b]Personality:[/b][/u] Erik is a pragmatic person, and his main goal is always the betterment of himself. That is not to say he is a selfish person, and has no friends. But Erik is slow to trust many, and tries to keep to himself when he can. His motives will usually be self serving, but if one can find common ground or cause with Erik they can find a stalwart ally who will stand with them.

[u][b]History:[/b][/u] Born in Sadia to a Minor merchant's winter wife, Erik was raised with minimal contact with his father. The man would only come around once every few years, and the contact would always be cold and distant. The man tried to bond when he was there, but Erik never took to him. When he would visit, he would leave money for Erik, before he would return home to the west where he came from. The few times they interacted, he tried to help set Erik up to run his own shop one day, to enter the family business. However, Erik wanted nothing to do with it.

When Erik was 17, he enlisted in a Caravan's escort, and was trained to fight. He would become baptized in war on his second escort, as they were set upon by bandits. Erik quickly displayed his natural ability to fight, and more importantly for him, not die to the wounds he received defending the noble house's goods. Two years into the Five year contract he had signed, his Mother would die leaving him alone in the world. He returned home to find his old home being picked apart by scavengers, looking for things to take. Erik would "liberate" most of the money his father had left him, and set out to complete his contract. 

The next three years of service to the caravans would be largely without note, other than the occasional raid being fought. Once Erik was done with his job, his veteran status made him a highly sought after commodity to Mercenaries. Looking to settle down, and more importantly, not spend 10 hours outside on a horse riding in the desert looking at the horizon, Erik joined a small noble families guard cadre for two years of guarding a door.

At the young age of 25, Erik found himself bored and looking for adventure in his life again. He spent every single coin he had, equipping himself and preparing for an expedition into the deep. He headed north to the Dwarven kingdoms and found a way in through a collapsed tower that jutted through the mountains. His descent into the Dark proved harrowing, and many times he had to fight for his life. He would have perished there if not for befriending a great stone Golem, Lazuli, who helped him get out. 

Together the two of them entered business as Monster hunters, each for their own reasons. Taking on countless quests to make the countryside safer, they found it was almost impossible to even break even is costs, when Mercenary companies could just undercut the prices and bounties. As such, the two have journeyed to Highwinter and reached out to Iron Mountain to join them. After all, if you can't beat them? 

[u][b]Martial Skills:[/b][/u] 
[i]-Longswordsman:[/i] Erik is a battle tested warrior whose chosen weapon is the Longsword, he has trained with it for years and is his weapon of choice.
[i]-Dirty fighting:[/i] Erik fights with one hand free for grappling, throwing objects, and punches. Erik only believes in winning a fight, not honor. 
[i]-Two weapon fighting:[/i] Erik is also talented in the use of two weapon fighting, but prefers to leave a hand open when he can.
[i]-Archery:[/i] Erik is trained in the use of a longbow, he is no expert, but if you let him take a few shots, expect him to hit. 

[u][b]Passive Skills:[/b][/u] 
[i]-Bard:[/i] Erik is a talented musician. 
[i]-Novice cook[/i] Erik can make a mean small animal cooking over a firepit. And thats about it. 
[u][b]Inventory: [/b][/u] Erik wears light armor, consisting of leather, cloth, armored bracers, and chainmail on his chest. He has a longsword on his left hip, and a quiver of arrows on his right. Erik has a backpack with a bow, a flute, a small lute, and some food, along with 3 water canteens. He also has a long knife, a handaxe, and a pipe. 

[u][b]Other:[/b][/u] Apple pie: Erik doesn't really eat much Apple pie, but he does enjoy the moonshine. 

[center][u][b]Appearance:[/b][/u]


[img]http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/330/5/c/daemon_creature__golem_by_metal_quill-d6vrq2i.jpg[/img][/center] 
[center][u][b]Name/Nickname:[/b][/u]
Lazuli[/center]
[center][u][b]Gender:[/b][/u]
Male[/center]
[center][u][b]Race:[/b][/u]
Golem[/center]

[u][b]Personality:[/b][/u] Lazuli is a kind, gentle being. The phrase "Do not mistake kindness for weakness" is apt. Lazuli enjoys companionship as well, having led a solitary existence for so long. 

When Lazuli is angered, rare as it can be, he is a literal force of nature, striking with all the wrath of the very earth itself moving against his opponents. 

He has a love of nature and art, things he never experienced when stuck in the dark deep recesses of the Dwarven kingdom. In addition to wishing to experience these things, he also travels to test his strength, to find a challenge worthy of his strength.

[u][b]History:[/b][/u] Born during the death throes of the Golden age, Lazuli would literally be created during the final battles with the Giants. Lazuli is named for the small blue stones that dot his body. 

Brought into the world by Dwarf smiths, the tower he was created in was a small outpost, a watchtower standing a lone vigil in the mountain side. As Lazuli took his first steps from the forges, Giants happened upon the tower for the first time and attacked it. As the Dwarves and Golems moved outside to make a stand, the Giants collapsed the tower, and killed the mobilizing force. 

Left in the collapsed tower was the sick, the young, the old, and Lazuli. For a while they lived, shifting rubble trying to make it out. While Lazuli dug and moved rocks, he was taught his name, and spoken language. He had no time to learn to read as his lessons were verbal, while working endlessly. One by one, dwarves died, sickness and disease taking hold before starvation or dehydration. 

Soon Lazuli was the only being left standing in this collapsed tower, a home he didn't even know the name of. He sat down, no longer having a reason to dig. He was the last surviving member of the Dwarven race for all he knew. They had no contact with the rest of the Dwarves, and hadn't completed any way into the tunnel systems that connect the far reaches of the kingdom these days. 

Lazuli stood watch over the remains, dormant and waiting. Until one day he met a young man. A man who had crawled through a small opening in the rubble until he emerged in the outpost. The man was looking for wealth untold in the collapsed remnants of the Golden age. Unfortunately all he found was death and no way out. When he realized he couldn't move the rubble on his own, he sat down to have a last meal, and started a small fire. He produced a flute from his bag, and played a sad tune.

The strange, alien noise snaked through the deadland, stirring Lazuli. The music was something he had never heard before. It was enchanting. He moved quickly to the man sitting at the fire, asking him what it was that he was doing. The small man naturally panicked at first, before introducing himself and begging for mercy. 

Lazuli was confused by the man, and asked him to keep playing, promising to help him if he would. The man obliged. It took three days for Lazuli to finish clearing a path the man could use. The man introduced himself as one Erik Volker, and he promised to return. Lazuli expected to never see the man again.

Within a week, Erik made good on his word, but this time he played a Lute outside the rubble, giving Lazuli motive to dig himself out. Once he was outside, he was astounded by the verdant greens of the land, the blue of the sky, the powerful mountain standing tall. Erik made Lazuli an offer, help him with his adventures, and Erik would help Lazuli experience the world. Lazuli accepted. 

[u][b]Martial Skills:[/b][/u] 
[i]-Immense strength:[/i] Lazuli's strength is almost unparalleled, capable of tearing holes in mountains should he be given enough time.
[u][b]Passive Skills:[/b][/u] 
[i]-Unkillable:[/i] Golems are nigh on unkillable to mortal means. Anything short of powerful magic or explosives will be unable to kill Lazuli, much less wound him.
[b][u]Magic Skills: [/u][/b]
[I]-The earth mends[/i] should Lazuli be wounded, or suffer damage to his form, packing mud, or clay into the wounds can give him time to absorb it into his form and mend the wounds. 
[u][b]Inventory: [/b][/u] Lazuli wears several ropes around his chest and waist that allow him to carry a sack of belongings. The ropes also make it easy for Erik to climb up.
[u][b]Other:[/b][/u] Whats an apple