Vondarien
Vondarien is an alchemist and inventor from Belgrath. He's got a love of adventure, an insatiable curiosity, and loads and loads of business sense.
He's also a giant spider.
Appearance
"Down here!" Came the voice which sounded like three voices at once, one soft and smooth but higher pitched, one resonating and vibrating like the trilling buzz of insect wings, and one that was midrange and songish. This triple voice, though abnormal and vaguely childlike, was distinctly masculine and marked by a Belgrath accent.
When you did look down, you saw that the owner of the voice was just as alien. A small, furry, spiderlike creature. About the size of a small wolf. Mostly blue in color with patterns of peach, orange, gold, tan, and beige. Unlike actual spiders, however, he possessed a neck with arm-like pedipalps, an almost triangular head with four black eyes and a fierce looking set of chelicerae. He also seemed to have claw or talon-like digits emerging from the ends of his tarsi, allowing for use of fine motor skills. And his posture seemed, confident, inquisitive and friendly.
When you did look down, you saw that the owner of the voice was just as alien. A small, furry, spiderlike creature. About the size of a small wolf. Mostly blue in color with patterns of peach, orange, gold, tan, and beige. Unlike actual spiders, however, he possessed a neck with arm-like pedipalps, an almost triangular head with four black eyes and a fierce looking set of chelicerae. He also seemed to have claw or talon-like digits emerging from the ends of his tarsi, allowing for use of fine motor skills. And his posture seemed, confident, inquisitive and friendly.
Skills and Abilities
Arachnid Physiology: Exoskeletal armor, extreme agility and grace, unprecedented leaping, heightened senses (touch, sight, reflexes), venom, silk production. wall crawling, and all other such powers and privileges as come from having a body evolved from the noble jumping spider.
Linguistics and Literacy: Having studied amongst scholars in the libraries of Belgrath, Vondarien is familiar with several spoken and written dwarvish and human dialects as well as the common trade tongue. He's also got the rudiments of elvish and orcish as well.
Feats of Stealth: Vondarien is small, quiet, and super dexterous, this in combination with his keen awareness and natural talents allow him to easily accomplish many tasks which would ordinarily require a skilled rogue. Gaining access to a secure building? Just jump to the roof and crawl down the chimney. Detecting traps? He saw them as soon as he surveyed the room. Sneaking past the guardsmen? They never look up and he can walk silently on the ceiling. Piece of cake.
Alchemy: Portiids, especially males, are said to be naturally adept at the study of chemical reactions, metallurgy, and the esoteric but entirely non-magical craft of creating tinctures and elixirs from the elements of nature. In Vondarien's case, this stereotype is accurate. In fact, he's good enough to make a living at it. From marvelously explosive dragon powder, to pheromone tinctures which can manipulate the minds of non-reasoning creatures, this spider has far more tricks up his sleeves than just venom and webbing.
Aim: A veritable sniper with the slingshot, the hand crossbow (-err...pedipalp crossbow?), and miscellaneous light ranged weapons.
Linguistics and Literacy: Having studied amongst scholars in the libraries of Belgrath, Vondarien is familiar with several spoken and written dwarvish and human dialects as well as the common trade tongue. He's also got the rudiments of elvish and orcish as well.
Feats of Stealth: Vondarien is small, quiet, and super dexterous, this in combination with his keen awareness and natural talents allow him to easily accomplish many tasks which would ordinarily require a skilled rogue. Gaining access to a secure building? Just jump to the roof and crawl down the chimney. Detecting traps? He saw them as soon as he surveyed the room. Sneaking past the guardsmen? They never look up and he can walk silently on the ceiling. Piece of cake.
Alchemy: Portiids, especially males, are said to be naturally adept at the study of chemical reactions, metallurgy, and the esoteric but entirely non-magical craft of creating tinctures and elixirs from the elements of nature. In Vondarien's case, this stereotype is accurate. In fact, he's good enough to make a living at it. From marvelously explosive dragon powder, to pheromone tinctures which can manipulate the minds of non-reasoning creatures, this spider has far more tricks up his sleeves than just venom and webbing.
Aim: A veritable sniper with the slingshot, the hand crossbow (-err...pedipalp crossbow?), and miscellaneous light ranged weapons.
Problems and Weaknesses
Arachnid Physiology: Since many of the intelligent races of Arethil are not too keen on spiders, especially giant spiders (even if they're not THAT giant), Vondarien suffers from the prejudices, fear, and hostility that govern the minds of many denizens of the world. Needless to say this prevalence of arachnophobia can greatly impede his ability to interact with others.
Unmagical Species: His kind are not able to wield magic. Though they can be effected by it just as easily as any other race, they have no ability to actually use it themselves. It seems to have been the plan of their creators who apparently had strong anti-magic prejudices. Not having been exposed to many mages yet, they still tend to make him somewhat uneasy at times.
A Sharp, if Strange Mind: Between unexpected gaps in his knowledge base, a slightly alien way of approaching things, and the occasional dash of absent-minded professor syndrome, Vondarien is liable to make completely unexpected mistakes at times while still believing that everything is perfectly normal.
Can't Swim: Pretty self-explanatory. Portiids are bad in the water, too large to make air bubbles to submerge themselves in, and at a higher risk of drowning due to their arachnid respiratory system.
Unmagical Species: His kind are not able to wield magic. Though they can be effected by it just as easily as any other race, they have no ability to actually use it themselves. It seems to have been the plan of their creators who apparently had strong anti-magic prejudices. Not having been exposed to many mages yet, they still tend to make him somewhat uneasy at times.
A Sharp, if Strange Mind: Between unexpected gaps in his knowledge base, a slightly alien way of approaching things, and the occasional dash of absent-minded professor syndrome, Vondarien is liable to make completely unexpected mistakes at times while still believing that everything is perfectly normal.
Can't Swim: Pretty self-explanatory. Portiids are bad in the water, too large to make air bubbles to submerge themselves in, and at a higher risk of drowning due to their arachnid respiratory system.
Personality
(Work in Progress.. Untested. This is jus the concept. But actually playing the character will reveal his true personality. Until then this general outline will have to do. Once refined through rp, this section will be updated.)
Jovial and energetic.
Clever but eccentric.
Bold and determined.
Wise but snarky.
Confident and driven.
Jovial and energetic.
Clever but eccentric.
Bold and determined.
Wise but snarky.
Confident and driven.
Biography & Lore
Somewhere amongst the northeastern heights of the Spine hides a lost world; a long forgotten vale that is host to a displaced ecosystem. Here is secured a forested landscape of somewhat divergent and unique flora an fauna that you will not find in the outside world. Largely untouched by the known races of Arethil since the last days of the Age of Wonders. it is said in shreds of myth and fable that two brilliant but megalomaniacal dwarves, the sisters Yan, acquired the rights to this land and attempted to play gods and create life here after their own images. Mad with power, the sisters dubbed these lands The Valley of Yan not long before they and the technological empire that had sponsored their work came to a sudden and unexpected end.
But in the Valley of Yan a completely unanticipated form of life flourished than what the sisters had intended. This people were the Portiids, a long lived, sapient species of wolf sized arachnids that evolved from the Portia family of jumping spiders. They've developed their own language, culture, beliefs and traditions, influenced by their own natures and by several artifacts and teaching tools left behind by the sisters Yan and meant to provide wisdom, direction and guidance to an entirely different sort of lifeform.
Most Portiids have never left their isolated realm. They are the dominant species there and find comfort in their traditions and communities. And indeed who would want to leave prosperity and plenty? But once upon a time, there was a family of Portiids who learned of an extensive network of strange and almost certainly unnatural caverns not far from their home webhold of Miitok. With dreams of glory and renown urging them on, the family decided to explore these caves together.
This family consisted of a mother, her husband and their three children. The mother was the matriarch of the family. But she and her mate were both possessed of adventurous hearts and curious minds. They sought to scout out these tunnels not anticipating the true enormity of the task, nor the dangers that lay in wait beyond and below the familiar landscape of their ancestral homeland. At first it was the giant reptilian things that cut the family off from the way they entered and the ensuing fights which collapsed a part of the tunnels. But soon it was the labyrinthine and alien nature of these old subterranean halls which saw the intrepid spider clan hopelessly lost.
And so it was that the most memorable years of Vondarien's childhood were mostly spent exploring ancient dwarven ruins with his parents and his older brother and sister. It was a strange way to be raised, but valuable. It taught him much that a child in the safety and security of a webhold would never learn. And the trials and tests and treasures discovered along the way forged the young spiderling into an adventurous, capable and wise young adult. But eventually his parents had given up on finding a way back to the surface. They found a vast chamber filled with treelike pillars and relics of the old dwarves and decided that it was a fine place to make a nest.
His family had grown over the years, as had his understanding of the ancient dwarves who'd built these passageways deep beneath the world's surface. He was fascinated by their craft and their language. And he was certain that there was a way out. It was like he could feel it calling him. But he alone had the drive to go further. So when he chose to go further, he was alone...
It paid off in the end, though. For he had reached the outer city of Belgrath. And soon he came face to face with something fascinating and utterly foreign. Something that at first had both intrigued and scared the lives daylights out of him: a dwarf.
But thanks to his upbringing and his studies of the old ruins, it wasn't long before he was able to speak with her in her own language. It turned that her name was Izel and that she had left her family too, but for very different reasons. They were thieves, a clan of bandits and brigands who held territory in an ancient abandoned manor district in the outer city and lived like savages. They had wanted her to do things that she found horrible to think of. And she hated the thought of becoming anything like the rest of her bloodline.
The two soon became friends and partners in a series of schemes and quests that saw both of them gain respect and renown throughout Belgrath. With Izel there to vouch for him, Vondarien found himself accepted by many citizens of the underground city who would otherwise have attempted to kill the Portiid on sight. As time went on, Vondarien developed himself as a scholar and a well known alchemist with a shop in the city center. And as success came to the Portiid, so too did the torments complacency, familiarity and routine. His heart still longing to explore, meet new people, and learn new things, the wanderlust became unbearable. It wasn't long before he left Izel to manage the day to day business of his alchemy shop, while he set out in search of investors, ingredients, and other innovations.
But in the Valley of Yan a completely unanticipated form of life flourished than what the sisters had intended. This people were the Portiids, a long lived, sapient species of wolf sized arachnids that evolved from the Portia family of jumping spiders. They've developed their own language, culture, beliefs and traditions, influenced by their own natures and by several artifacts and teaching tools left behind by the sisters Yan and meant to provide wisdom, direction and guidance to an entirely different sort of lifeform.
Most Portiids have never left their isolated realm. They are the dominant species there and find comfort in their traditions and communities. And indeed who would want to leave prosperity and plenty? But once upon a time, there was a family of Portiids who learned of an extensive network of strange and almost certainly unnatural caverns not far from their home webhold of Miitok. With dreams of glory and renown urging them on, the family decided to explore these caves together.
This family consisted of a mother, her husband and their three children. The mother was the matriarch of the family. But she and her mate were both possessed of adventurous hearts and curious minds. They sought to scout out these tunnels not anticipating the true enormity of the task, nor the dangers that lay in wait beyond and below the familiar landscape of their ancestral homeland. At first it was the giant reptilian things that cut the family off from the way they entered and the ensuing fights which collapsed a part of the tunnels. But soon it was the labyrinthine and alien nature of these old subterranean halls which saw the intrepid spider clan hopelessly lost.
And so it was that the most memorable years of Vondarien's childhood were mostly spent exploring ancient dwarven ruins with his parents and his older brother and sister. It was a strange way to be raised, but valuable. It taught him much that a child in the safety and security of a webhold would never learn. And the trials and tests and treasures discovered along the way forged the young spiderling into an adventurous, capable and wise young adult. But eventually his parents had given up on finding a way back to the surface. They found a vast chamber filled with treelike pillars and relics of the old dwarves and decided that it was a fine place to make a nest.
His family had grown over the years, as had his understanding of the ancient dwarves who'd built these passageways deep beneath the world's surface. He was fascinated by their craft and their language. And he was certain that there was a way out. It was like he could feel it calling him. But he alone had the drive to go further. So when he chose to go further, he was alone...
It paid off in the end, though. For he had reached the outer city of Belgrath. And soon he came face to face with something fascinating and utterly foreign. Something that at first had both intrigued and scared the lives daylights out of him: a dwarf.
But thanks to his upbringing and his studies of the old ruins, it wasn't long before he was able to speak with her in her own language. It turned that her name was Izel and that she had left her family too, but for very different reasons. They were thieves, a clan of bandits and brigands who held territory in an ancient abandoned manor district in the outer city and lived like savages. They had wanted her to do things that she found horrible to think of. And she hated the thought of becoming anything like the rest of her bloodline.
The two soon became friends and partners in a series of schemes and quests that saw both of them gain respect and renown throughout Belgrath. With Izel there to vouch for him, Vondarien found himself accepted by many citizens of the underground city who would otherwise have attempted to kill the Portiid on sight. As time went on, Vondarien developed himself as a scholar and a well known alchemist with a shop in the city center. And as success came to the Portiid, so too did the torments complacency, familiarity and routine. His heart still longing to explore, meet new people, and learn new things, the wanderlust became unbearable. It wasn't long before he left Izel to manage the day to day business of his alchemy shop, while he set out in search of investors, ingredients, and other innovations.
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