Yankee
Dane
Name: Khol, The Wolf of Hallowood
Age: Twenty-four
Race: Half-Giant. Whether the other half is a normal human or "something more" remains to be seen.
Appearance: Standing at nearly seven feet tall, Khol is an imposing monster of a man. His sun-kissed skin is hardened like a beast's hide, wrapped tightly around his bulging musculature. Khol's unkempt bed of silver hair reflects his wild nature, as do his steely gray eyes, scrutinizing all who meet his gaze like a predator eyes its prey. Khol's most notable trait is a tattoo of a crescent moon on his chest, as well as a massive scar running down his sternum.
Equipment: Sporting the attire of a wandering vagrant, Khol prefers to travel with as little hindrance as possible, relying primarily on his toughened skin and his immense endurance in combat. Khol's preferred weapon is a massive broadsword only someone of his stature could wield. Not being trained in the blade like a knight or soldier, Khol fights with the ferocity of a beast, depending on his inhuman strength and his animalistic instincts to prevail in battle. However, Khol's greatest "possession" seems to be the crescent moon sigil engraved within his chest, a font for magical energy that draws magic towards it, allowing magic-users near Khol to cast more efficiently. This seems to depend on the phase of the moon, with full moons allowing for the largest attainment of magic.
Magic: While Khol's magic resembles the likes of spiritual or even arcane, it is a more esoteric form of primal magic, with its source being "the beast within." By focusing on his monstrous aspects, as well as on the moon-shaped tattoo on his chest, Khol can draw out his inner beast for a few moments to support him in battle as far as ten feet away, a silver apparition with the shape of a monstrous dire-wolf. Its capabilities are similar to Khol, boasting a comparable strength as well as flesh-rending claws sharp enough to pierce through softer metals, although its special silver hide grants it the same protections as metal armor. Due to his ease of gathering magical energy, summoning this beast multiple times in a single battle is no problem for Khol, however, he can only keep his inner beast manifested for a few seconds as it requires a degree of focus to fully maintain, something difficult for Khol to keep up as a frontline combatant. It should be noted that because this ability's nature is to "draw out one's inner beast," overuse may result in an inversion in nature, creating the danger of Khol becoming more monstrous as a result.
History: The Wolf of Hallowood is one of the many tall tales south of the High Road, a tale revolving around a man who is said to turn into a horrific monster in the dead of night, attracted to the moonlight. The legend is centered around the titular Hallowood, a dark and gloomy forest situated not too far away from the city of Arskel. In truth, it is a mere legend made by a group of bandits to hide away from those seeking to cash in the group's bounty. The group was lead by a man named Garoune, a criminal warlock said to possess significant magical power, even having the ability to "control" monstrous beasts. Of course, this beast in question was none other than a young Khol, who had been utilized by Garoune to strengthen his own magic.
Khol's own origins were unknown, his earliest memories being on the roads. His imposing stature made him a natural criminal, but it wasn't until Khol had been found by Garoune where his latent talents would truly shine. Under the warlock's tutelage, Khol would learn of his magical ability, a fragment of his mysterious past that Khol wished to learn more of. Garoune only utilized such talents to his own advantage, leveraging the inner beast contained within Khol to further aid in his criminal endeavors. In truth, Khol was treated no more than a slave, serving as little more than a lapdog for Garoune's troupe, and suffering all matters of abuse to further draw out his inner power. Pushed to utilize his magic against others, the beast within Khol had gnawed at him from the inside...
It wasn't until one faithful night that the beast, under the light of a full moon, would be released. As one of his many attempts to realize the true limits of his pet's power, Garoune had pushed Khol harder than he has ever had before, allowing him to suffer pain so immense that it could only be drawn out through magic. The pressure from such intense trials had pushed Khol towards the edge, a pain-induced coma that would have killed him if not for the beast within. What happened afterward was merely a blur to Khol's memory, as he had found himself within the medical ward of the Wayfarer's Guild. It was there that he was informed that it had been almost a week since that faithful night, of which he had slaughtered much of his old troupe, as well as a few who had wandered too far into the woods. His slaughter would have continued if he had not been put down by one of the Guild's own, one of its higher-ranked members. It was unknown if Garoune had survived the attack or not, as his body was not found among the carnage.
Khol was then given a choice by the Wayfarer's Guild: be held accountable for the crimes of Garoune's troupe as well as for the travelers he had slaughtered, or join the Guild and perhaps learn to control his beast-like nature. As much as he believed he deserved to be locked up for what he had done, Khol had chosen to join the Guild instead, wishing to take charge of his destiny instead of living the rest of his life as a chained animal. Of course, Khol had his own goals in mind as well. First, he wishes to seek out Garoune, to both seek justice for his crimes, as well as answers regarding his nature. Second, he wishes to know and gain the acknowledgment of the warrior who had saved him from the beast, wishing to thank and perhaps even train under them. Finally, he wishes to learn of his true origins, from the nature of this beast as well as the true source of the moon-shaped sigil carved on his chest.
Guild Ranking: Initiate
Theme: woah an actual theme
