[hider=Leif Raven-Stone] [center][img]http://data.whicdn.com/images/216323763/large.jpg[/img] [h3][u] Leif Raven-Stone [/u][/h3][/center] [center][sup][sup][h3]Male Nord | 31 | Shadow[/h3][/sup][/sup][/center] [sub][h2][b]P[/b]rofile[/h2][/sub] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup] [indent] [b]§ [u] Birthplace [/u][/b] [indent]Windhelm, Skyrim[/indent] [b]§ [u] Appearance [/u][/b] [indent] Leif shares similar features found in many Nord men, while rugged in appearance, he is far more handsome than some of his countrymen. His shoulder-length brown hair hangs free, save for two braids at each temple. His eyes are sky-blue, where they sit beneath a smooth forehead, and twin set of bushy brows. A large grin often splits his face in two, whether he is smirking, laughing, or simply engaging in conversation. A scar on his left cheek serves as a reminder from his service in the Civil War. His jaw is hard, and square, much like granite. An aquiline nose dominates his face. While not impressively tall compared to other Nords, Leif stands in at 6'2", and weighing in at 185lbs, all of which is corded muscle, accrued from the hard-work of sailing, and honed throughout the course of the war. Having a lack of fashion-sense has earned him some irksome remarks from a particular seamstress in Solitude, so to speak, Leif doesn't bother with the latest fashions, as he believes that fashion is for the fairer sex, and even then, it doesn't matter what a woman wears, for he's too busy undressing them with his eyes. Regardless, he is happy with a set of breeches, and a loose tunic. Were such a lucky lady to take a closer peak at that loosely strung tunic, they would note the bulging pectoral muscles beneath a swath of thick chest hair. When he speaks, his voice is rocky, and masculine in every sense; even more impressive is his singing voice, though don't be alarmed when he belts out a blushing sea-shanty about bedding some fair maiden. He could have been a bard if he'd wanted to.[/indent] [b]§ [u] Personality [/u][/b] [indent]When first meeting Leif, one immediately take notes of how loud he really is; obnoxiously loud, that is. He always seems to be shouting, and when he is drunk, the man is practically screaming till he is red in the face; not in anger, but from telling exaggerated stories, and with laughter and excitement. And the man does love to drink, though he is far from being considered an alcoholic. Some would call Leif a brash, and abrasive man, but this just comes from living on the sea in a ship with other men for long periods of time. He keeps his faith in Talos, and doesn’t waver in practicing his beliefs openly. Leif doesn’t have any problems with other races, despite Windhelm’s notorious treatment of the Dunmer in the Gray Quarter, although he can be quite suspicious of Altmer and Khajiit alike. In truth, Leif is a man of good word and honor. He doesn’t believe in stealing, nor meaningless killings. If anything Leif is a proud, open-minded Nord that has a passionate fever to woo all women in Skyrim. If he had not gone off to be a sailor, Leif would’ve had a promising life as a Bard, or even becoming a Skald. [/indent] [b]§ [u] Background [/u][/b] [indent]Born in the icy city of Windhelm in 4E 174 on the twenty-fourth of Second Seed, to a modest family living in the Gray Quarter, Leif entered the realm of the living in a rather... dull manner. His parents were honest, hard-working folks that taught Leif the idea of never taking anything for granted, one he still adheres to this day. The snowy blizzards that plagued the northern-most city in Skyrim proved to be something that Leif treasured as a child, his favorite childhood past-time spent slinging snowballs at unsuspecting victims in the streets. His father, Jorrlak, worked the local forge for many years as an apprentice, while his mother Sanja, ran a market-stall selling odds-and-ends from which she acquired from travelers passing through Eastmarch. Leif's parents saw to it that their only son never went to bed hungry. Carefully raised under their guidance, they strove to make their son into an honourable man by instilling the belief of Talos in him at an early age. As the Dragon of the North, and worshipped openly across Skyrim, Sanja and Jorrlak saw to it that Leif attended the Temple of Talos on a weekly basis. He found relative comfort in Talos, and often sought guidance for his future, as a deep desire to become a proud Nord man fueled his fire. Upon reaching the age of fifteen, Leif overheard one evening his mother's concerns for what Leif would become. In their eyes, they were proud of him. He had turned into a strong, healthy young lad, yet he wasted his time foolishly flirting with the girls in the city; he expressed no interest in taking up any skill, whether it be learning alchemy, blacksmithing, or even enlisting in the local guard. Jorrlak could only soothe his wife's strained and worried nerves, reassuring her that Talos would Leif in the right direction, emphasizing that they must keep faith. For the rest of the night, Leif lay awake, tossing and turning, full of guilt that he might bring disappointment to his family after all. In a desperate attempt to placate his parents growing concerns for him finding a secure source of income, he volunteered his time down the road at Hollyfrost Farm, helping to plow the fields, and reap the harvests alongside another Nord man by the name of Tulvur. Simple and easy in nature, Leif enjoyed his time spent at the farm. Though Torsten Cruel-Sea owned the farm, he did not pay Leif for his hard work, instead, divvied up a percentage of the crops to bring home to his family. While this quieted his father’s concerns, the worried whispers of his mother continued; she blamed herself for failing as a mother, that she were the one at fault for not instilling a passion in her son. Frustrated with the displeasure of his mother, Leif, now seventeen, felt at a loss for once in his life. His parents provided a good life for him, and yet, he could not repay the favour. Did they see him as a spoilt brat? Why did Talos evade his weekly prayers for guidance in a time like this? He set out around the city, lending a hand to any who would pay him. He mucked the stalls for the guards, scoured the floors at the Candlehearth Inn, and lent a hand cooking food. By the time Leif turned nineteen on the twenty-fourth of Second Seed, he pulled out of hiding a satchel full of septims that he had gathered from odd jobs around the city, and headed out to explore the surrounding area. He left in the middle of the night, leaving only a short letter on his bedside table that summarized his reasons for leaving: to leave the safety of the city walls, and to see what the world held. Pleasant weather in Second Seed allowed Leif to travel as far as Darkwater Crossing, by this point, he ran out of septims to carry on his expedition. There in the small mining village, he helped mine ore from Goldenrock Mine, and procured an agreeable profit from his hard labor in harvesting the corundum ore. Leif stayed in Darkwater Crossing for six months before returning home to Windhelm. Upon returning home, he bought himself a steel longsword, and a suit of leather armor. After visiting the market, he learned the heartbreaking news that his mother suffered from Ataxia during his time away, though she swore she hadn’t received a bite from a skeever. Her lack of strength, and poor dexterity forced her to close down her stall in the market, which then resulted in Jorrlak becoming the main breadwinner. Without the added income of Sanja, Jorrlak struggled to feed himself, and his wife. When Leif returned unexpectedly from his expedition, his father greeted him with words full of anger, and frustration. How could he choose to run away from home at a time like this? How could he be so careless, and cause his poor mother such hardship? Furious with his father’s narrow-mindedness, Leif purchased a potion of Cure Disease from the White Phial, and cured his mother. While he did not openly admit to his father, the regret he felt for leaving home so unexpectedly, he hoped that with being able to cure his mother, he would earn favor in their eyes again. This did not prove to be the case, as Leif and his father argued for hours. A sensible Nord man would not have left his family in a precarious position, and without the passion, would have found a well-paying job to take care of his own kin. Leif felt frustrated, his family expected him to do so much with his life, yet they couldn’t provide him with any general direction, and nor could he make up his own mind. Shunned and angry, Leif headed for the docks. With his last bit of coin, he paid passage to Solitude on a ship called, [i]The Courtesan[/i]. By the time the ship docked in Solitude, Leif had found a job amongst the crew. There, he spent the next eight years as a sailor. He encountered daunting marauders, who would have dissuaded a younger Leif, but he found the brevity of the situations exciting. Over the course of time, a man by the name of Halvar taught him the art of swords, how to swing a blade proper, how to thrust, and how to parry oncoming blows. The other members of the ship each carried a weapon to help fend off any unwanted foes. The time spent onboard [i]The Courtesan[/i] were his favorite years in life, where he learned how to become a man. The winter's spent sailing on the Sea of Ghosts were perilous as the men aboard the ship raced against time to avoid the approach of ice that would leave them frozen in the middle of nowhere. Tales of men stranded on the islands in the Sea of Ghosts, suffering from frostbite, ice wraiths, and even horkers kept the men on their toes. Through the years, Leif earned his keep aboard the ship, and grew to know the men well. He made fast friends with his fellow companions, Captain Atgeir Frost-Beard, Bjorn Strong-Fist, Halvar Rock-Jaw, and Orvar Red-Tree. On nights when they would dock in Dawnstar, or in Solitude, he found himself in the arms of a lovely lass that he managed to utter sweet-nothings too, and believed him. Halvar also taught Leif the art of poetry, and more importantly, how to write his own name; the purpose solely being to teach Leif how to woo a woman proper. Not only did Halvar teach Leif how to read, but it was Orvar that taught him the healing art of Restoration. Leif became a subsequent pupil under Orvar, and with his guidance Leif learned how to heal wounds, mend torn muscles, and heal broken bones (though this still leaves him feeling rather weakened afterwards). By the time the imminent war broke out in 4E 201, Leif finally returned home to Windhelm, not to see his family, for during his time away on the seas Jorrlak passed of consumption, and Sanja soon after of a broken heart only weeks later. His family home remained under lock-and-key, as septims were tight with so many citizens in the city, and none cared to invest in a home in the Gray Quarter, especially where the Dunmeri folk ran rampant. Soon after his return, he enlisted with Stormcloaks, as he had no one else to turn to, nor anywhere else to go. Leif found it fitting to fight alongside his fellow kinsmen, as the Aldmeri Dominion had no authority bossing them around, dictating who they could worship, and who they could not. He felt personally insulted by the Dominion when they outlawed the teaching and practice of Talos, but those like him, were called to Windhelm to defend their beloved country from those blasted Thalmor. As fate would have it, Leif Raven-Stone ended up in Sevine Varg-t’uk’s division, headed by Ralki the Bear, where the two became close friends in the midst of war. One could say that Leif shared a mutual attraction towards the Huntress, and in vain, attempted to woo her on several occasions. Of course, Sevine thought him to be joking. Who would dare to try to woo her? She had no time for love, especially when there was a war to be fought. Fighting side-by-side in many battles together, Leif and Sevine rescued each other from many close calls with death. When the war came to an end, Sevine and Leif parted ways, each promising to exchange letters, but none ever followed through, and for the next four years, Leif purchased his family home in Windhelm’s Gray Quarter district. Although Thur, the Dragonborn was eager to make a massive army, the largest one in all of Nirn to be exact, Leif was rather hesitant about volunteering to join, as he was unsure if he wanted to pursue the fray of battle once more. But pursue the fray of battle he did. Leif joined forces with the same mercenary company that Sevine had signed onto. The company had travelled from the Reach all the way to Windhelm. He caught word of needing sellswords for hire, and he signed up under Ashav before the night had ended. One of his first missions was to help a prisoner escape, where the escape route took Farid and him underneath the city into the sewers. There, Leif and Farid fought against a snake charmer, where he uncovered an interesting journal in a language he couldn’t read. He watched the Kamal lay waste to his home city, where he and the others who survived the siege, fled through an underground passage. It was much to his dismay that he noticed the growing relationship between Sevine and Do’Karth. What was it that this cat could offer her, that he couldn’t? They made it to Dawnstar, very much alive, where he encountered the uncomely sight of Argonian refugees gathered outside the city. He had little concern for them as he was assigned to the rescue mission of Winterhold. By luck alone, [i]The Courtesan[/i] happened to dock in Dawnstar, and with his offer, the ship and its crew were enlisted in the rescue mission as well. He couldn’t believe his eyes, the destruction of the college, or rather the surrounding area was so great and magnificent, he didn’t know where to begin to understand what exactly happened. He would find out soon enough, but not after surviving a tempest of the century. The storm forced [i]The Courtesan[/i] to dock, although it began to take on water after striking a massive rock. Those aboard the ship were forced to swim, or take refuge in one of the remaining life boats. Only a handful of mages survived the rescue mission alone. When they reached the shores, Leif and the others were greeted by Armigers, who took to battle on sight. They dispatched them, but not without help from the Dark Brotherhood. The company made camp in the cave for the night before setting out on the long journey back to Dawnstar. As luck would have it, the company was assailed by a blizzard, and it would have meant their death were it not for Do’Karth. It was clear to him now that Sevine was smitten with the deceitful Khajiit, and she paid Leif little attention, and when she did, she appeared annoyed. Nevertheless, the cat saved them from dying in a blizzard by locating a cave they could take cover in to ride out the snowstorm. Yet the Divines, or so it appeared, were working against them all. Even inside the cave they were not safe. They were plagued with fighting Chaurus and Falmer alike in the near pitch-blackness of the cavern walls. When they returned, it was just in time for the Whaler’s Festival. It felt like a breath of fresh air for him. While festivities were to be found, Leif found himself drinking copious amounts of alcohol inside the inn. Sevine had given a cold shoulder, leaving him to simmer in his self-pity. He didn’t believe for one second that Do’Karth was willing to go to the lengths to protect her from harm. And much to his luck, the next mission he was assigned, Ashav had split the company into two teams. One to investigate some Dwemer ruins, and the other team to investigate some mysterious forest fires. He went willingly, glad to be away from Sevine’s scorn, though Do’Karth’s presence did little to ease his aggravated temperament. Not even halfway into the ruins, Leif was forced to remain behind with Elmera. He had suffered an electrical shock that left the side of his head bloodied, and half of his beard singed away. With the mission completed, the sailed back across the waters, where Leif discovered Sevine had nearly died twice on her mission. His blood boiled over, perhaps a bit irrational, but he wanted blood spilt. He confronted Do’Karth, and entered a duel. If that cat couldn’t keep watch over her, as much as he spoke words of love, then who better than a real man like Leif? To say the least, Do’Karth put Leif in his place, beating him to a pulp. So that was that. Sevine held no love, nor comforting words for him anymore. He retreated like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs. The mystery of murder filled Dawnstar, and the company sent half its members to Bleakrock, leaving Leif and few others behind to help uncover who the murderer was. And it wasn’t too long after that Ashav had them sailing for Solitude. [/indent] [/indent] [sub][h2][b]C[/b]apabilities[/h2][/sub] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup] [indent] [b]§ [u] Attributes [/u][/b] [indent] [b]Major[/b]: Personality [b]Minor[/b]: Strength [/indent] [b]§ [u] Skills [/u][/b] [indent] Two-Handed Blade – {Expert} Light Armor - {Adept} Speech – {Adept} Mercantile – {Apprentice} Restoration – {Apprentice} Alchemy – {Apprentice} Athletics – {Novice} Acrobatics – {Novice} Provisioning – {Novice} [/indent] [b]§ [u] Weaknesses [/u][/b] [indent] Wooing Women – If there is anything Leif should not do, it is to woo women. Not that he’s bad at it, but it’s become a bad habit. Any pretty face he sees, and he’ll be whispering sweet-nothings in a woman’s ear in a matter of seconds. It’s cost him a few bloody noses from angered husbands, or more likely, from other suitors. He can’t seem to say no to any woman. In fact, Leif wouldn’t be surprised if some poor orphan child claimed to be his child. Fear of Snakes, Insects, and Spiders – When Leif was a young boy, 8, he was bitten by a water snake when swimming in the river. Ever since, Leif has a profound fear of anything creepy crawly, and for such, you won’t find him cave-diving any time soon. Prideful - Whether he likes to admit it or not, Leif is very prideful, and believes that he has to prove himself to be worthy, of anything. It can be very hard for him to admit that he's wrong, when he's desperately trying to prove that he is right. He doesn't like to be considered a coward by any means, and adheres to the call of honor, and glory, like any atypical Nord man. Fool’s Love – Leif is but a fool himself, but mostly because he seems to fall in love with every woman he meets. Not every woman, but if she’s pretty enough, he won’t mind writing her a pretty poem, or showing her a good time. However, he believes in love at first sight, and if not careful, he can move from one woman to the next and not care about their broken hearts. [/indent] [b]§ [u] Spells [/u][/b] [indent] Healing Hands Healing Fast Healing [/indent] [b]§ [u] Tactics [/u][/b] [indent] Leif prefers to fight with a steel longsword, his very first sword that he's carefully kept over the years. It is heavy, weighing almost six pounds, but he is used to the added weight from using it from the last eight years. If one were to examine the longsword, they would find it chipped, and with many scratches. He also prefers the use of Light Armor, such as leather, because as he's noticed from his seafaring days, seawater will rust armor and swords if not kept well. He has a set of Light Armor he wears into battle, or on the seas, and it consists of a triple-layered breastplate; consisting of a hard-boiled exterior, two layers of leather woven and bound together, with a third layer of cotton padding to absorb shocks from blows, punches, and kicks. He also has a pair of hard-boiled leather pauldrons, and a neck-ring of chainmail. [/indent] [b]§ [u] Relations & Affiliations [/u][/b] [indent] Former Stormcloak Soldier Former Sailor of The Courtesan - Jorrlak Raven-Stone - Father. Deceased. - Sanja Raven-Stone - Mother. Deceased. - Captain Atgeir Frost-Beard – {Captain of the Courtesan} - Bjorn Strong-Fist – {Favorite drinking buddy, sailor from the Courtesan.} - Halvar Rock-Jaw – {Taught Leif the art of poetry, how to woo women, how to swing a blade, and how to write his own name; sailor from the Courtesan.} - Orvar Red-Tree – {Taught Leif Restoration magick, sailor from the Courtesan.} - Chieftain Ralki the Bear - {Leader of his squadron from the Civil War.} - Sevine Varg-t’uk – {Battle Comrade from the Civil War; the one that got away.} - Kaliri Uviria - {Battle Comrade from the Civil War.} - Do’Karth - {The one that beat his ass in a fight over Sevine} [/indent] [b]§ [u] Opinions [/u][/b] [indent](For group members; fill after IC introduction)[/indent] [b]§ [u] Other [/u][/b] [indent]...[/indent] [/indent] [sub][h2][b]I[/b]nventory[/h2][/sub] [sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup] [indent] [b]§ [u] Cash [/u][/b] [indent] 43 Septims [/indent] [b]§ [u] Keys & Lockpicks [/u][/b] [indent] - Key to Raven-Stone Home - 3 Lockpicks [/indent] [b]§ [u] Tools & Crafting Materials [/u][/b] [indent]...[/indent] [b]§ [u] Clothing & Armor [/u][/b] [indent] - Light Leather Armor Set - Steel Helm - Leather Bracers - Light Blue Tunic - Pair of Black Leather Boots - Pair of Brown Breeches - Leather Belt [/indent] [b]§ [u] Weapon & Ammo [/u][/b] [indent] - Steel Longsword - Steel Daggers [/indent] [b]§ [u] Potion & Arcane Supplies [/u][/b] [indent] - Potion of Cure Disease - Potion of Cure Poison - Potion of Restore Health - Potion of Restore Stamina - Potion of Restore Magicka - 5 Blue Mountain Flower - 5 Butterfly Wings [/indent] [b]§ [u] Jewelry & Valuables [/u][/b] [indent] - Amulet of Talos - Silver Garnet Ring [/indent] [b]§ [u] Books & Documents [/u][/b] [indent] - Book of Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts - Book of The Woodcutter’s Wife - Snake Charmer's Journal [/indent] [b]§ [u] Food/Drinks/Ingredients [/u][/b] [indent] - Waterskin - Bottle of Blackberry Wine - Green Apple - Deer Jerky [/indent] [b]§ [u] Load Bearing Equipment [/u][/b] [indent] - Leather Rucksack with Wooden Pack Frame - Large Pouch for Food - Potion Holder - Wooden Box [/indent] [b]§ [u] Other [/u][/b] [indent] - Skinning Knife - Ink Bottle - Quill - Leather Bound Journal [/indent] [/indent] [/hider]