Name: Amir Khalid
Age:21
Race: Human
Height: 6'2''
Weight:180
Physical Description:
Amir is a descendent of the Nomadic peoples, the Amun'Sinai of the Setkhantos region, the world far to the south of Thar Shaddin. Therefore he is of tanned skin and worn appearance. The desert is a harsh place to oneself and this unforgiving environment over the years has lead to him being of strong bulk and fitness. One needs to be in order to survive such places. He has deep brown eyes with medium length, dark brown hair which is kept mostly wound in his head sand-scarf, the 'Avli'.
Possessions:
Ghubari (Sand Pouches): These small leather pouches are filled with plain sand. This is the basis of Amir's power and thus is rarely caught without this usable 'resource' . Sand from his homeland is the preferred however, losses happen constantly so refilling by riverside or beach side is a constant necessity.
The D'akar (Finger Blades): These are the primary weapons of the Amun'Magi. All members of its sect are trained from a young age in their use. The following is an example of how one finger 'claw' appears on and off a person.
These blades are hinged much like a flick knife so that when the hands are kept straight the blade is an a relatively harmless, back position. However, when a fist is made the blades stay in their relative positions, thus giving the appearance of protruding claws. One blade is attached per finger with a special 'double jointed' claw for the thumb (for safety reasons). Usually, unless danger is an almost certainty, the traditional way of keeping these weapons is two only attach one hands worth of blades, minus the 'thumb' blade. Ami owns 8 normal blades and 2 special Thumb finger blades as is the standard gift upon entering the Amun'Magi ranks. These blades are deadly at very close range but lack the power of a sword or even reach of a dagger. Used as a last line of defence if magic is not available or permitted at the time. The unused blades are kept in a specially constructed thick leather satchel with individual holsters for each blade, small blocks of soft wood are kept at the base of each holster to minimize tears in the satchel.
The Mantra: This is a book all Amun'Magi carry. It is not magical based instead it houses the 'Truths' or 'The Way' as these people call it. These truths are the code by which the Amun'Magi live their daily lives. Unlike other religeous books if one were to draw a similarity, this book is mostly empty when it is received at initiation. The primary codes are all that are within, what each Magi must and must not do with his/her power. The code of the Magi states that the young should go out into the world and learn its way by themselves, each gaining a unique view unhindered by faith in an ideology or belief in one man or Deity. Thus the codes by which the Magi live their life are largely determined by themselves. When they reach maturity and return to the Magi elders, their Mantra's are reviewed, thus giving an impression of the type of person he or she has become. The Magi believe this is the understanding of all things.
The Avli (Headscarf): This simple garment is made from many layers of rough-silk threads designed specifically to trap incoming heat while letting radiated heat escape with ease. The net effect of this is that ones head remains cool even in sweltering conditions. The Avli has a red dyed long sheet wound into the headpiece that can be used to cover Amir's Shoulders when the sun is at its most taxing to protect from harmful sun exposure.
Nvir Taan (Desert Knife): This is presented as a gift upon initiation to the Amun'Magi order. It is a standard weapon that can be used in a variety of ways from simple food preparation, wood carving and more rarely defence.
Powers or Strengths:
Trained in the D'akar : Good efficiency as required of an Amun'Magi (approx 11 years medium training). This training forms a basis of a loose fighting and defence style.
Survivalist: The desert is a harsh place to come from, making Amir weathered and having knowledge of survival from meagre resources.
Animus (Sand Magic):
See world development for a further treatment of more advanced abilities Amir does not have access to and a more complete rundown of the inner workings of this magic, what is poted here is simply what Amir can do, and not the full extent of this power that some elder Amun'Magi have control over
What Amir can do: Amir is a low ranking Magi of the order, graduated from training for one year however not in control of much of his power and limited in what control he can manipulate over the sands. All magi learn how to summon the sands as a physical force, the "Tzoar'Vanis". This allows him to blast out sand at force to blind enemies and, if he can sustain this long enough and has ample supply of sand, can injure enemies with the sheer abrasiveness of the sand at high speed, causing irratible cuts and tears of the flesh. This force of sand can be manipulated in several ways,such as creating a small vortex of sand around him obscuring him from attack, however a source of sand must be maintained for these types of 'wasteful' uses, so if not in desert would have to ration this kind of use.
Again all Magi Learn to varying degree the ability to create shapes from the sand the control, the greater the skill the greater the volume and complexity the shapes they can generate, this magic is mostly aesthetic at the skill level Amir has.
Amir is slightly special in that he has the ability to summon an Ra'Anaris spirit. Which is normally an advanced ability that takes years beyond his age to master however it seems that this soul has chosen him from some unknown reason. The spirit he can summon can only be shown in its lowest form, namely, in a sand sprite. This resembles a whispy collection of sand with no distinguishing appendages or other features, however this animated sand is capable of using similar Tzoar'Vanis magic ( to a lesser degree) as Amir. Again a constant supply of sand would be required when it uses magic, unless the creature sacrifices some of the sand of its own being to augment its supply.
Weaknesses:
What Amir cant do:
He cant create something from nothing, he needs sand to use his magic and normally the pouches he carries never have much more than a kilo.
Using Animus is taxing and over extended periods he would begin to weaken his control of the sand.
He cannot summon the Ra'Anaris spirit in other forms, these are too taxing and he would loose control almost immediately, and the apparition would crumble.
If the Ra'Anaris spirit is destroyed/depleted of sand to a severe degree, it would take him many moths to re summon the soul. When the summoning ceremony is complete (wont detail that just yet for plot purposes) however, he is able to dismiss the sands back into their normal, primal form and re-invigorate them once again with the spirit with ease, the summoning of the spirit lets it cohabit his own body in a sense, and is not directly linked to the sands until the Magi infuse them with it, and if defeated in this form the spirit is effectively 'dead' and has to be pulled back from the other side at great cost.
Amir cant form the sands he controls into their solid forms, the three levels being sand-->sandstone-->obsidian relating to the relative power of the magic required to summon such shapes/beings.
Thus water is a dangerous enemy to Amir's magic, wetting the sands sticks them together. His magic is based on telekinesis that has been trained to give up the power of moving larger and larger objects to smaller but more numerous ones. So the larger the physical 'lump' of the object, that much harder it is to move the object. Thus water could destroy his spell casting before begins.
Loose topsoil can be used in place of sand in emergencies, however the use of this would be the equivalent of writing with one's feet to a man who has both hands, as says one great Elder Magi. Thus if he runs out of sand his magical power is severely crippled.
Weakness in personality/culture related:
Amir hails from a very different culture and thus is finding it difficult to persuade people he meets to help him in his goals, resulting in some unfriendly situations that could have otherwise have been avoided. This culture difference is a painful reminder of all he has lost.
Amir has always disliked his 'taint' of magic, mostly because it removed him from his family from a young age,as is Amun'Sinai law, however this has not stopped him diligently training in the arcane arts as also he feels it is his responsibility. He waits for the day he can give up his power, when it is no longer needed of him, he can shed his responsibilities.
History:
Tainted by Blood
In a desolate expanse, deep in a sheltered encampment, it was a grief stricken mother that birthed a small boy late in the night, after hours of painful labour. The newlyborn's father had been taken four nights before last. Taken was the term given to those lost to the great Wyrms of the Sandsea. For death would have been a kindness to them. It had been known for generations that deep within the great gut of these enormous creatures, in the watery depths several hundred feet across, a man could survive for days in the belly of the beast. The hydrated stomachs sustained them as they were slowly digested by the acids occasionally released by the creature.
This was the harsh reality in which this small innocent man-child was born. He would have to adapt and grow strong to survive, and even then, that was only a fighting chance. However he had his peoples, the desert dwellers of the sand-sea, the Amun'Sinai, the only race of man on earth resilient enough to survive this desert hell.
Things would have been simpler if his peoples had noticed the change in the blowing sands the night of his birth. Indeed his mother could have chosen to abandon him rather than be relive loss many years later.
The boy was named Amir Khalid, which in their tongue means 'Eternal Prince'. His mother, Sunari, thought this befitting as he was the only reminder of her prince, now lost to the sands.
The boy grew up in a warm and rich family, his clan, looked after by the local Nekret's taught him how to survive this harsh world. The boy was a natural akin to the desert. He seemed to find it no more hospitable than a fish finds the ocean as his grandmother once described him. Though she told him he was to ever be aware of the sharks.
When he was ten cold seasons old, his world fell apart.
By this age he was allowed responsibilities of the benefit of the clan. One such responsibility was to forage near camp for the bitterroot brambles, a type of desert shrub that remarkably sometimes bore edible small red fruits. The fruits were not only a delicacy among the peoples, but, as more often than not, in a community deprived of resources such as this, nothing was put to waste. Indeed, the stems were used to weave strong threads and cloth. The roots were used in medicinal purposes, one of which was to make paste to stem the burning of the skin from the ever present and sweltering sun.
The boy had found quite a grouping of bitterroots some ways further from the encampment that he perhaps should have been, but the boy was confident, even by this age, in his abilities to master the desert, and a fine share of the fruit would sure be his if he could manage to carry a large quantity of shrubs back with him.
In the distance he heard a voice calling. He turned round and stood tall, much as the meerkat does when hawk watching, it was in his training, his natural reflexive instincts. On the distance of the shimmering horizon, he could see a figure closing in, from the direction of the camp.
It took him only a few moments to identify the familiar voice. "M'nafir!" the boy exclaimed. The man showed amusing discontempt for the boys wanderings far from camp
"You really want to be eaten by a worm?, boy!"
"Haha, let the worm come catch me, let it try if it dares!" Amir replied
"You wont be saying that when your toasting away in the creatures belly!, now come back with me, your mothers worried"
As the man closed on the boy a thunderous roar screeched through the very foundations under Amir's feet. Instantly, the boy knew what danger lurked, it was a sandmite, and a swimmer by the sounds of it. These creatures Amir feared more than the great Wyrm's themselves to a degree. they were vicious biting insects that had long adapted to the harsh climate by burying instead of flying, their wings becoming torn hunks of flesh and raw jagged bone that cut through fine sands with ease. These insects were said to 'swim' through the sands because of their speed and could easily tear a man to shreds if caught unawares. It was said the great howling noises they make were each creatures agony as the raw exposed flesh tore through the gritty, abraisive sands. Natures attempt to adapt to extreme conditions. Many say that this constant pain makes these creatures, which can grow up to a few feet long, that much more savage.
"come quick!" M'nafir exclaimed as he drew his Tovali, which was a small curved blade common to the men of the Amun'Sinai.
The creature lunged as the man closed the distance between himself and the child. Amir was frozen with fear. His self confidence gone, replaced with cold darkness for the fear of his own life. He could do nothing. He awaited either the scream of the sandmite, or the tearing of flesh. Neither came.
Instead, out of nowhere, a great sandstorm seemed to blast past the boy cowering with his eyes shut. He could feel the storm buffet his small frame, and all fell silent.
When the boy opened his eyes, there was no sign of the mite, and M'nafir stood there with a grim expression of horror on his face. The boy half expected him to have been gouged by the mite, but there was another reason for his fear.
"Come boy, this changes everything"....
Initiation
In the coming days the boy would learn a great many deal of things. That he was tainted. That the very lifeblood which courses through him is of great shame and misery to his clan. For now they bear his responsibility of deliverance.
The boys instinctual defensive use of the Taint when set upon by the mite, unlocked the power that was in his blood. He learned that his clan had not produced an Amun'Magi in four generations as they had been selective of marriage and child conception. The magic was carried in the blood so a child born to two parents who had no lineage of such things made it very unlikely that they would produce a tainted child. Though this still might happen if one or more of the parents simply did not know of their 'inheritance' as the magic did not show up in every member of every line.
The deliverance reffered to the clan's undertaking of a great journey, first to the Necropolis. The only city of the Amun'Sinai and then northward, to the Amun'Magi Temple.
The necropolis was a city hollowed out from the bones of the great Wyrm that plagues these people. These Wyrms hardly every die, indeed many of the people believe them to be undying from age. In storys of old it is said that all Wyrms dig so deep the reach the core of the Earth, and melt into its ancient heat. However, one Wyrm died with its mouth breaching the surface, hundreds of years ago, and after the months it took the many vultures and harpies to pick the carcass clean a great bony mouth reached up to the sky, with bare teeth surrounding the funnel of the entrance. After years of timid explorations generations ago, the skeletal remains of this creature seemed to stretch on forever, with estimates ranging from a mile, to ten miles down. The ever resourceful peoples built living spaces dug into the hard yet malleable bones of the beast. Creating a vertical underground city that housed thousands of Amun'Sinai. This was their only established city as all other Wyrms seemed to avoid the bones of their brother, for whatever unknown reason. It meant that these peoples could congregate for the first time in living memory in more than a few spare tribes.
Waystone markers were placed spiralling outward in ever decreasing intervals as a way of the tribes finding the hidden city. The way markers were made of the giant teeth of the beast, which bones seemed to be completely free of sand accumulation which had the added bonus that sand would fall around out, so ever the ever marching sand dunes could not obscure the path. This was the only way to find ones way to the Temple of the Magi.
The clan had to assign a team of 10 young, able bodied men, almost a quarter of their working males, to take the boy to the temple for initiation into the ranks, and it was this that caused great grief for the clans involved. A tainted one was property of Amun'Magi, so his life was important under unwritten law. However, the loss to the clan, of the men that would be gone for weeks and maybe months on the journey, and those who would not return was almost inexcusable. Many men who accompanied the tainted ones returned to find their clans destroyed and their peoples slain by beasts because there wasn't enough men to keep the watch, and fight off the foul beasts of the sandsea.
It was a long an arduous journey just to the city itself, called Azakhetor, or toothed city. Three of the men died when their caravan was attacked in the night by a swarm of sandmites, larger than any the boy had seen in the sands near his encampment, and intensly more vicious. Indeed this was where the boy had seen his first death. Nimtar, one of the youngest of the group, and only six or so years older than he was torn limb for limb by several of the mites, their tearing claws making quick work of the young man. The boy experienced a taste of what he had felt in the desert near his home. But no rushing sands came to his aid this time, no matter how much he willed it in hope to help. But he was useless.
Upon reaching the city in their damped moods, it was certainly a sight to behold for the young boy. Gain teeth tearing up to the sun, glistening white and carved to form battlements that Amun'Sinai archers stood guard over the city sprawling deep down within.
When gaining entry the boy was told that they were all to rest here for the night and then he must awaken at dawn, and set off towards the sun by himself.
This news struck fear in the boy, who had never been by himself in his life. He had indeed been just outside the reaches of his family clan, but not to the extent he would not be able to find them again. For a boy of ten cold seasons, this was grim news he forced himself not to hear. All was hard enough after he had been told to say goodbye to his mother, and he got the feeling that it was not a goodbye that expected a return in the future.
They spent the night in a hollowed out alcove near the entrance of the city that served as guest accommodation, for those who would not be staying long. The city was alive all night it appeared and the boy slept uneasy. The entire circular structure had been riddled with harnesses and pulleys, with wooden boards spanning vast walkways between enclosures of hollowed out bone. The Wyrm seemed to be at this part, which the boy thought, must still be its mouth, to be relatively hollow. When he was younger his clan had encamped near one of the old Relic pyramids, crumbling reminders to the 'Old Masters'. The boy thought that one of those large pyramids could easily fit in the circular gap in the middle.
The next day came and the boy was alone in a city full of people. His guardians had left him, and the scared boy wandered through the crowded walkways of bone, up, up and into the glaring morning sun the jutted across the teeth, making them seem ever more intimidating. No one stopped to ask the boy if he was lost, he bore the mark of the anointed, given to only those uninitiated Magi.
And so leaving the great city the boy set out towards the sun, entering a valley he would not leave until he was a grown man, finally able to fight back against his fears. For the Amun'Magi would show him the way. He would earn back the respect of his people, and see his family once more.
