[hider=S'Kandar] [center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190822/d22c7ff70a1136c45846b05c33bcd734.png[/img] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/459806644575010857/614141258876583938/76098-full_khajiit-dovahkiin-by-navka-on-newgrounds.jpg[/img] [/center] [b]Race:[/b] Khajiit [b]Age: [/b]28 [b]Birthsign:[/b] The Lover [b]Family Origins:[/b] Rimmen, Elsweyr [b]Appearance:[/b] Standing at 5'9 and weighing near 180 lbs, S'Kandar has a muscular figure, his body strong due to the lifestyle he has chosen to pursue. A Cathay Khajiit, he stands tall on both feet with a mer/man like body. The colour of his fur could be compared to the snowy skies of Skyrim, white and light grey mixing in with darker grey stripes that blend seamlessly with his light fur. Countless scars litter his body from various battles he has found himself in, as well as quite a few tavern brawls, the most obvious of which is a scar that travels from the middle of his forehead and down his right cheek. Aside from this slight disfiguring, his face is quite charming. Sporting a strong jaw and broad muzzle, he portrays a cool confidence even if he may be feeling otherwise. For the most part his face is free from stripes or markings save for a couple of spots below his black lined grey eyes, and a few black stripes above said eyes. The latter melds into his smaller grey ears, both of which are pierced with two silver earrings in each. His light grey hair is shorn on the sides but kept longer on top, which he then braids and ties off at the end. As for his clothes, S’Kandar enjoys dressing for mobility. On a casual day where he is simply relaxing, he will wear loose shirts or tunics along with comfortable trousers and a pair of sturdy yet well worn boots. When he is out and about hunting, however, he is much more cautious of his attire, donning a mixture of furs and leather armour. Refusing to wear a cloak unless it’s extremely cold and snowy, he does keep a scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders beneath the armour, though whether it's actually there for warmth or sentimental feelings is something S’Kandar does not care to discuss. Unlike Men or Mer races, his mood doesn't necessarily show all on his face. When he is excited, for example, his pupils will widen and there may be a twitch to his tail, ears standing upright and tall. On the other hand, when saddened or upset, his ears will fall sideways against his head and his tail will be quite still. A person simply has to be observant to see how S'Kandar is feeling, even if his words and otherwise strong posture may say otherwise. It's very rare that S'Kandar is brought to the point of extreme anger, but when he is, it can be seen by even the dimwittiest of person. Ears flat against his skull, his eyes will narrow into slits, mouth pulled back as he bares his teeth in a snarl, tail lashing out behind him- the term 'beast race' would be quite apt at these moments. [b]Personality:[/b] From the outset, S'Kandar is a man who seems to imbue warmth and charm. As a traveler his entire life, he had learned that people are more given to persuasion when treated with friendliness and respect, and so he inculcated that in his being until it became second nature to him. Almost always sporting a smile and keeping his tone casual, knowing when to add in a little charm and flattery to get the results he wishes- some would call this cunning and crafty, but S'Kandar truly enjoyed being able to make people smile when they were around him, and to have them leave completely satisfied once they left with whatever they purchased. Even if he hasn't been in the trading business for years, the same formula works for him. That being said, he carries an invisible weight upon his shoulders and a burden in his heart. The tragedies he had faced in his life left their marks, and his feelings at leaving his siblings by themselves as well as causing his teacher's demise has caused him to constantly shoulder guilt, and this comes into play many times throughout his life. For the most part, he finds it hard to turn away from somebody in need and will try to help them out. He has a very strict code of not leaving anyone behind when working with others, and he can be quite passionate about these sentiments if someone were to argue otherwise. While he normally tries to keep his cool, abandoning people in need or ridiculing them is something that will upset him and cause his temper to rise. Like most people are familiar with, S'Kandar has the usual khajiiti habit of referring to himself in third person. For a brief period in his life when he left his siblings, he had attempted to try and change this habit and tried to speak more like those around him, afraid of being seen as the odd one out. However, seeing it was much too ingrained in him as well as Afshan telling him it was silly to change something that needn't be an issue, the Khajiit decided to let it go. In fact, he now sees his way of speech as honouring his parents and his heritage in general. He is proud to be a Khajiit and sees his traveling and keeping the world safe as a way to show more close minded folk that Khajiit are not all the sneaky thieves they assume them to be. In general, S’Kandar is people’s person and enjoys spending time socializing, conversing and sharing experiences, listening to their stories and tales from their past. Though he likes to talk, a lot of this time is also spent watching and listening to people, studying their tells and what makes them tick. That is, until he is distracted by a pretty face. Once upon a time S’Kandar’s weakness had been drinking, but as he tries to control the amount of alcohol he consumes, he found the fairer sex can be quite a pleasant distraction that does not amount to waking up with a hangover. Yet despite these many interactions, the Khajiit has not been able to make any long term friends or any sort of romantic relationship. Any time he finds himself growing close to a person, he reminds himself of his past failures and forces himself to step back. At these times, S’Kandar ends up secluding himself, and this occasionally causes slip ups where he may drink a little too much, leading to bouts of self loathing and need for temporary seclusion. As such, the only witness to his different moods is his faithful companion, Jashi. S’Kandar treats her more like a friend than a pet and is quite protective of her, to the point that he will personally stay outside in the rain with his canine friend rather than inside without her. He knows people may find this odd or even obsessive, but he is unable to tolerate seeing her in any distress that could have been averted. In the end, S’Kandar is a troubled man who would love nothing more than to hide the pain inside him and instead make sure the rest of the world needs not suffer as he did. [hr] [b]History:[/b] Though S’Kandar was born in Rimmen, Elsweyr, he does not actually recall much about his place of birth. Having been born into the Baandari clan, his parents were vagabond traders who spent their lives on the roads with their caravan, buying and trading goods as they travelled through Tamriel. S’Kandar was the first of three siblings, a younger brother and sister, both of who were born in Cyrodiil. His childhood was as normal as any wayfarer’s could be- he was exposed to many different people, creatures, climates and weathers from a young age, and the thought of settling down in one place seemed odd to him even as a child. How could he, when there was just so much to see? It was at age sixteen when tragedy struck. S’Kandar and his family had been through High Rock once before and after a long and fruitful voyage through Hammerfell, with many many wares to sell, they had decided to try their luck once more with the Breton folk. For the most part the journey passed quite smoothly and most lucrative. Being attacked by a group of vampires had been the least of their expectations. His parents fell quickly after attempting to defend the rest of the caravan, and it was only sheer that a group of hunters came upon their location and killed their attackers. S’Kandar and his siblings suffered only some scratches and bruises, but those little grievances were nothing compared to the grief of losing their parents. The group of hunters were ready to leave but one kind hearted huntress, a young Redguard woman named Afshan, felt rather empathetic towards the young Khajiit siblings and balked at the idea of leaving them by themselves. Despite the protests from her companions, she refused to go anywhere unless the three came along so that she could at least leave them somewhere safe and sound. After a couple of days travel, they reached the Wayrest, where S'Kandar and his siblings were to stay at an orphanage. However, the young Khajiit did not wish to stay stagnant- he had seen Afshan fight against the vampires and he wanted to learn as well. Part of the reason was some sense of revenge he wished to deliver on rotten beings who ruined innocent people's lives, but the other reason was because he truly wanted to become stronger. Afshan was hesitant at first, but remembering that she too had begun her life in adventurous much the same way, she decided to give the Khajiit boy a chance. He was a quick learner, taking to both the sword and the bow, though he preferred archery to swordsmanship. S’Kandar found himself enjoying the hunting life- he was already used to travelling, gathering provisions and staying up to watch out for intruders late at night, but this was something new and thrilling, and it was enough to quell his grief over his parents as well as the guilt of leaving his siblings, though he knew they were taken care of. Charming ladies he met across Tamriel and experimenting with skooma as well as alcohol further alleviated any remaining feelings that may have hindered. Afshan was not too pleased with this development in her student and was rather strict about making sure he did not consume any intoxicants when they were on a mission. S’Kandar in turn respected her, though that respect developed into romantic feelings that he tried to keep contained to himself. One night, however, after drinking a little too much, the Khajiit approached his teacher and confessed his love for her. Unwilling to give him any reply when he was in such a state, Afshan left the building, leaving S’Kandar to take her silence as rejection, thereafter drinking himself into a stupor. It was only after he woke up in the morning that he realized Afshan had left for the mission on her own. Suffering from a hangover, he managed to follow after her, hoping to catch her before she could reach the location on their agenda: a coven of witches and hagravens. Alas, he was too late- by the time he reached, she had already passed away from her wounds after killing off their marks. This was probably the darkest period in S’Kandar’s life, worse than even when his caravan had been ambushed, as in his opinion he had been responsible for this folly. With no aim or purpose in mind, the Khajiit spent many months wandering through the mountains of Skyrim, killing what he needed to survive and nothing more. There were many times he wished to simply end his life, but he found himself too much of a coward- he wanted to live, but he didn’t know for [i]what[/i]. The balm of his soul came in an unusual fashion. As he was searching for his next meal, S’Kandar came across a dying wolf and her pup. It seemed she had gotten caught in a trap and had been unable to free herself. After mercifully ending her life, he found himself unable to simply walk away while knowing the pup would not be able to survive on its own. In a way, it reminded him of himself and Afshan, and how she had refused to leave him and his siblings behind. Naming the young cub Jashi after a word in Ta'agra, S'Kandar treated her as if she was not simply a pet, but as if she were a member of his family. While he was still looking for a greater purpose to his life, he could now live day by day and simply care for his little companion, feeling satisfaction and happiness that someone was benifitting from his presence. Every wag of her tail and lick to his face caused a little of the grief he carried to lighten, even if it was just for a moment. He found himself overly protective of his wolf friend, making sure no harm came to her. In the same way, Jashi looked up to S'Kandar with utmost devotion, following him eagerly wherever he went. Though she was generally mild in temperament, she saw him as the 'Alpha' of their pack and in turn was protective of him as well. Alert and vigilant, she grew into a trustworthy companion who not only helped keep watch for intruders, but aided him against sour sorts. [hider=Jashi] [img]http://66.media.tumblr.com/0809cfcc3db8e1c09ec4e129c0c7014b/tumblr_ne86uudGLM1qa76iao1_500.png[/img] [/hider] No longer alone and with a partner who not only held her own but brightened his perspective on life once again, S'Kandar once more took on the helm of a hunter who sought to help protect the people of Tamriel. [b]Biggest Regret:[/b] S'Kandar cannot forgive himself for not keeping his feelings in check and confessing to his teacher, thereafter getting drunk, and subsequently not being there to help Afshan in her time of need against the coven of witches that eventually lead to her death. [b]S'Kandar's Goal:[/b] To redeem himself is probably the number one priority and reason to strive on S'Kandar's mind and in his heart. He wishes to become a hero, a saviour, somebody who can be relied on- no longer the man who failed his teacher. [hr] [b]Skills:[/b] [u]Expert[/u] [list][*]Archery - By dedicated practice and honing his archery, along with his naturally good eyesight to pinpoint targets, S’Kandar has grown incredibly proficient with his bow, rarely missing a target.[/list] [u]Adept[/u] [list][*]Sneak - Naturally a light stepping fellow, S’Kandar has furthered this skill out of necessity so that the targets he is after won't immediately hear him approaching. [*]One hand (Sword) - Though melee combat isn't his preferred way of hunting his enemies and targets, S'Kandar knew full well that there would be times when he wouldn't be able to rely on his bow. Not one who liked to learn something in an ad hoc fashion, he took great pains in learning how to wield a sword and is quite proficient in using it on someone. [/list] [u]Novice[/u][list] [*]Provisioning - From a young age, S'Kandar had learned to hunt and gather food for himself and his family as well as a keen sense of where to find fresh water. For the most part, he is confident he can help keep his companions happy and fed. [*]Athletics - S'Kandar's active lifestyle has made him quite strong physically. He can walk long distances for hours as is the norm for any Baandari, and his arms and back are used to lifting and carrying heavy objects. The various climates he has lived in has made him rather adaptable to trying weather patterns. [/list] [b]Equipment:[/b][list][*]A short bow and quiver with 10 arrows [*]A sheathed short sword to the left of waist [*]A sheathed dagger to the right [*]A couple of health potions in a pouch tied at his belt [*]A mix of leather and fur armour[/list] [b]Misc. Possessions:[/b] [list][*]A backpack stuffed with an extra pair of clothing, a small thin blanket, spices to cook with, some dried meats, and a small pouch of moon sugar. [*]A water skin filled with water [*]A water skin filled with ale [*]A money pouch tied discreetly under his belt, containing 20 septims [*]A red scarf he keeps loosely wrapped around his neck [*]A bracelet made of blue painted beads, a keepsake from his sister when he had left with Afshan. [/list] [/hider]