Decado Aldrech

[Decado]

Player Name: Loz
Name: Decado Aldrech
Age: 22
Race: Human
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 200lbs

Physical Description:

Decado stands at just above average height with a strapping build, a rarity in times of poor nutrition and relative poverty among commoners. Broad shoulders, a developed chest and thick cabled hint at a profession as a builder or guardsman. Whilst not classically handsome there is a rugged appeal to his features, possessing a square jaw covered in short stubble, high cheekbones and shoulder length blonde hair.

Wearing a dark grey hooded tunic covered by a leather chest and waist harness and dark beaten leather shoulder and arm guards his appearance is that of a rogue, mercenary or old times duellist.

His demeanour is a stark contrast to his ordinary clothing, often seen with a half smile or grin on his face and a swagger to his walk; he exhumes the confidence of a young man believing himself above all else. If one were to observe him they would probably say he spends his time in amusement at his surroundings. There is a playful light that dances behind the steely grey eyes that hints at mischief and humorous pursuits.

White teeth adorn an infectious smile and contrast with a lightly tanned skin; hinting at an origin outside the city.

Possessions:

Possessions come and go, Decado lives by this mentality and as such he travels with the clothes on his back, weapons and a small travel pack.

Sabre- an old fashioned Calvary sabre with a worn but ornate slim handguard.

Stilletto knife - Small darkened steel stiletto knives held in the harness.

Gnomish Flintlock Pistol- Single Shot Gunpowder weapon. Currently it's merely an antique piece, Decado is in search of a mechanic who could resurrect the piece to working order.

Coin Purse -hooked inside the waistband of the harness of cheap green cloth is a small coin purse for travel usage.

Powers or Strengths:

There are few outside the guard who are true masters of the blade, most who wield weapons are would be adventurers, thugs or tin pot mercenaries. Decado is among the few in this regard. Skilled with all manner of one handed bladed weapons he fights with a flowing style, encompassing the ebb and flow of combat and emphasizing movement over holding a certain point of ground.

Ambidextrous to the point of being able to wield a pen, flute or sword in either hand Decado has learnt that one cannot rely on having a superior side or favourite hand.

Whether it's a charmer, a lovable scoundrel or tavern joker Decado is a sociable animal and many find it easy to get along with him. Whether it's tall tales of adventure or comical mishaps there is a natural charisma about him that is attractive. This is a double edged sword as to those whom his nature is known rarely trust him or treat him with any seriousness.

Weaknesses:

Volatile, arrogant, proud and emotional Decado is often driven by his emotions. This can often lead him to act on impulse and more than once landed him in a spot of bother. A young man with both a point to prove and an adventure to continue mean that his outlook is a scarce regard for the way things are and where his position lies in the great scheme of things.

A disregard for authority means he is often at odds with those positioned above him. Driven by ambition he often disregards those above him as undeserving and gifted with their positions.

Religion does not hold a strong place in his mindset or life. Believing that it is deeds and not words or faith that make things happen means he possessing little respect for clerics, priests and all pious people. Heretic, unbeliever and sinner are the accolades he has earned to date.

Decado has a immediate distrust for magic and fights an unknowing fear of its power. Not magical in the slightest to his knowledge, he fears what he does not know and bears a mistrust for all those who wield magic and have touched the astral plane.

Some might say delusions of grandeur mixed with a hero complex has meant that Decado can no longer easily deviate from the path he has taken or change his view point. For him his only real possessions that he truly values are his values and beliefs and when these are challenged or found wanting the defeat may be substantial emotionally. Living a second life in his pursuits (see history) has meant his sociable side has been affected and he finds it hard to commit to love interests and friends.

History:

Decado was born in Shim to a father who was a merchant and a mother who did odd jobs for various small business owners in Shim and Marn. His Grandfather had died two years previously to consumption, a former Cavalry man in the guard.

Since he was small Decado had been an adventurer and wanderer, with his parents both working at times it was up to him to amuse himself with his friends in the town. This involved everything from dare games in the cemetery to fishing in the Ofriyu Mar. As a young boy engrossed in awe at the world he would look forward to going on visits with his father to the big city of Marn when trade was needed. Whether it was seeing all the shops and items in the downtown area, or seeing and speaking to the wondrous elves and small childlike adult people called Gnomes; with their gadgets and inventions.

It was only when he grew old enough that he was gifted his Grandfather's sword at the age of fourteen. It was then that his imagination ran wild and he spent every spare moment practicing with the sword. For this fifteenth birthday his father brought back a book from the city, a book teaching the old ways of sword fighting. It was the best present he had ever had, second the sword of course!

As he grew into a teenager and made the transition from boy to young man he helped his father more with the visits and was given more freedom in the city. It here that he discovered his interest in women, taverns and mischief. The city provided a different type of playground, where he could gamble, listen to tall tales from bards, court both Elven and Human women and do juvenile things like throwing rocks at guardsmen. It was this freedom and the people he associated with that eventually led to his growing disregard and animosity towards authority.

During his visits he would see the people scraping a living together, on the surface it looked wonderful compared to the town, there was electricity and running water but beneath the surface there was crime, an oppressive state enforced by thugs in plate armour and people making just enough to feed their families. Even then when you looked at the average citizen they were too thin or fighting off sickness. All the while the nobles, guardsmen and places of worship had more than their fill.

As Decado truly entered the realm of adulthood at seventeen he was free from the timelines of his parents and would venture into the city for a week at a time. Nights in the city were spent chasing women, gambling dice and cards but most important for his reputation and coin purse was participating in underground hand-to-hand fighting tournaments and sword fighting duels put on by various tavern owners and gang bosses. It was here he honed his trade in a brutal arena where mistakes often meant broken bones and wounded pride. The arenas and tournaments provided an opportunity to use a variety of weapons and fight a plethora of opponents. After breaking a bone in his right hand in a boxing match he learnt the importance of being able to his left to the same standard as his right in all things he did.

As time went on Decado struggled like all young men in these times with his purpose in life, he would not be a trader like his father, a guardsmen like those who walked the streets expensing their brutal 'justice' to anyone who crossed them and he possessed no trade skills. It was then that he realized his only strengths were his charisma and his swordplay. However becoming a bard wasn't an enviable profession and the underground arenas were becoming both boring and the guard were cracking down on the secret venues.

So Decado would venture into the city determined to change things for the better. In time others would perhaps join his one man hero crusade but only time would tell.

[Katona]

Hi Loz, and welcome to Thar! I don't have time to look over this properly now, but I thought I'd at least give you something work with until you get a proper review. This is just for the strengths and weaknesses.

Gotta say I like the character from what I've read so far, but there needs to be more balance between strengths and weaknesses. The traits listed do show some interesting aspects of the character's personality, which is great. However, if you read over them, you'll notice that none of the weaknesses are really the kind of weaknesses that create significant obstacles for the character. In comparison to being charming, healthy, and a master swordsman, feeling unrestricted and perhaps being somewhat arrogant aren't really on the same level. Most of the weaknesses could be even considered a strength in a lot of situations, so you'll need to add others that basically offset the significant advantages he holds over others. This is more important for first characters, where we encourage less powerful characters with more focus on personality.

Now, mastering the blade isn't an easy task, I'd say near impossible without proper training. You'll have to account for his skill in the history (which I have skimmed through). Or perhaps tone it down to being good for someone who's self-taught, but not comparable to, say, a trained guardsman.

Anyway, think about trying to find more balance there, and either myself or another mod will look over it again as soon as possible. Thanks.