Welcome to Gaia! ::

Name: Detraeus (self-given); Essireth (name given by his former owners); Niahm Rivardin (birth name, though he would not recognize it if he heard it)

Stage: Expert

Gender: ♂ Male

Class: Archer | Battler

Personality: Detraeus is willful, stubborn, and intensely independent. Stripped of his family and any recognizable support source since near infancy, he has long had only himself to rely on — only himself he could trust, and only himself to keep him going. He has depended for most of his life on his own stubborn refusal to cave in and his fierce sense of determination and independence to carry on.

Because of his childhood circumstances, Detraeus finds it very difficult to trust people of any stripe and keeps his personal boundaries private and well-guarded. He walls his more personal emotions and thoughts inside a barricade of exterior emotions that fluctuate between chilly disinterest and an explosive temper. His fight or flight instinct guides most of his young life, distilling nearly every encounter down to him either reacting aggressively, standing his ground bristled and ready to pick a fight, or him turning tail and fleeing with panic that he'll be attacked, beaten, or killed.

He finds communication difficult on multiple levels. Though he may well have been a powerful extrovert were he raised under more traditional circumstances, his early life taught him nothing of how to interact day-to-day with anyone, his age or otherwise, and he finds even casual conversation difficult and awkward. To add to this reluctance to speak, Detraeus becomes aware early on after fleeing to Eowyn that he picked up an 'accent' to his words — not simply an Orderite accent, but worse still the specific, tailored speech of the Orderite upperclass. The accent of those he served, and the accent he was trained to perform with. As such, he despises the sound of his own voice, particularly as a child, and after escaping, he spends long portions of his time alone simply listening to the way the travelling vagabonds and traders speak, and quietly attempting to match their intonations himself. A personal exercise in scrubbing the taint of his upbringing out of his voice.

Strengths: Detraeus has a will to live as powerful as a weed growing through concrete sidewalk. He is deliberate, analytical, methodical, and patient to the bone. It is that final blessing (his patience) which likely earned him his freedom to begin with. Given that he lead an incredibly limited life in its early stages, Detraeus learned young to pick modest, achievable goals and pursue them tirelessly. He can spend a day in a single spot, in a single position, waiting for the single perfect moment, and that is the moment he will take his shot (metaphorically or literally). Should he fail, he starts over and prepares to perform better the next day. There is no room in his mind for absolute failure, only temporary setbacks.

Though he cannot read or write (since he was never taught), Detraeus is intelligent, and applies his intelligence every day. He's observant, a quick learner, and adapts himself well to most new environments.

Weaknesses: Communication and empathy. Because he spent so much of his early life focusing entirely on himself — keeping himself going, keeping himself alive, keeping his head together — it was never a part of Detra's mental pattern to worry about anyone else or what they thought. Survival meant putting himself first, always. He could not afford to spare any energy worrying about others. As he grows, this isn't always the case anymore, but it is still not a natural part of his thought process to consider others when he makes decisions, and it often shows.

He can also be ruthlessly violent when provoked, easy to anger and take offense, perpetually guarded, bitter, and cynical. Detraeus has a tendency to 'see enemies everywhere' so to speak, and is quick to pick up on the worst in people while downplaying or ignoring their kindnesses altogether. He is chilly and distant, and his fear of rejection, attachment and vulnerability all play into him generally making himself very difficult to get along with.

Fears: Powerlessness. The thought of being made completely helpless again — a puppet without agency to be manipulated at will — terrifies Detra like nothing else. Any situation where he feels helpless petrifies him, and thus he clings to his sense of control desperately.

On a more concrete, day to day level, Detraeus also fears things as simple as touch, to a certain extent. His invisible comfort zone of personal space is wide, and he begins to feel extremely uncomfortable when people invade it. Something as simple as a brush to the shoulder or a bumping of hands can make him tense or startle.

On an emotional level, he fears attachment, because his mind connects personal attachment to a form of dependency, and dependency to a form of helplessness. He thus forms relationships with extreme care and reluctance, and in general prefers not to associate himself permanently with anyone. The easier it is for him to cut a person out of his life entirely, the more comfortable he is with that relationship.

Life Goals: 1. Spill a pound of Orderite blood for every time he was ever told, "Open your mouth," "Get on your knees," or "Roll over." He has no idea what the official count is, but figures if he shoots every Orderite he sees on the spot from the day he first picks up his bow to the day he dies, he might come close to meeting his quota.

2. Sink several arrows slowly and methodically into various portions of Andorynn Wymrith's body and then sit back and watch him die. Andorynn co-lead the slavery rink that took Detraeus prisoner, and though he was only one of a countless slew of perpetrators, he took special interest in Detra, giving Detraeus personal incentive to want to watch his death as it happens.

Catch Phrases/Mottos: "Don't touch me." | "Perhaps you'd like to eat your own s**t and die?" | "I don't 'need' anyone. How could I possibly need something I've never had?" | "Life is about living, that's it. You live and then you die. I don't understand why people feel they need to decorate it in 'purpose' like fake jewelry." | “When all else fails, wait. Everything happens eventually.”

Tidbits/Quirks: Detraeus is painstakingly neat and organized. Accustomed to having little to nothing to call his own, he keeps a rigorous personal inventory of the things he does own and takes precise care of all of them. For a significant portion of his young life, verbally reciting a checklist of the resources at his disposal and inspecting them physically to assess their condition and value to him was a nightly ritual - a daily log to ascertain what he'd gained, what he'd lost, and what he had left to work with for the following day.

Detraeus is also, whenever his situation permits it in the least, hygienic nearly to a state of obsession. He never feels clean enough. Always feels the stain of something on his skin, and can nearly rub himself raw when left to his own devices trying to wash himself; he's nearly given himself hypothermia in the colder months trying to wash in rivers and lingering too long, shivering but unwilling to get out because the job doesn't feel done yet. He overcomes this compulsion to some extent when he gets older, but whenever something upsets him strongly or he's made to feel off balance, hyper-obsessive cleaning is something he often resorts to as a form of comfort or self distraction.

He rubs/pulls at his ear when he is lost in thought or uncertain and spits when condescending or in general to demonstrate what your words mean to him.

Thoughts on the Other Races: As stated, Detraeus despises, and will always despise, Orderites. This is a fixed attitude that he will hold onto his entire life. This hatred carries over to anything with Orderite blood in it; Orderite hybrids get no special pass. As far as he's concerned, they're still tainted and deserve to die as much as purebloods.

Although he recognizes that Oblivionites are "his people" his reluctance to trust anyone still applies to them, and he quickly learns that — at least to some extent — his wariness is justified: Oblivionites are just as capable of making judgments, alienating, and posting a threat to him as anyone else. Detraeus is, however, most likely to take the word of an Oblivionite over anyone else, particularly as a child. He considers Oblivionites as a whole to be superior to the other races, though this opinion does not necessarily carry over to include himself. Although he might occasionally apply a 'better than you' attitude to someone else, it is generally for show, because (especially when he is young) Detraeus feels disgusted with himself — as though he is a broken, tainted individual unworthy of his birthright as an Oblivionite.

Detraeus applies his usual wary, automatically distrusting attitude to all Dovaa by default. He honestly has very little opinion one way or another about their race as a whole and thus simply treats them as strangers who may very well be dangerous to him.

Detraeus quickly picks up on and adapts a 'hybrids are a lessor breed' attitude, especially on the surface and (again) especially when he is young. As a child, this attitude is mostly a crutch for him to lean on — i.e., even he, as pitiful and disgusting as he considers himself to be, can be of value compared to hybrids. As he grows older, he will begin to recognize the untapped power of hybrids and — after being at least partially alientated from his own 'homeland' — begin to feel more at home amongst hybrids (fellow outcasts - fellow persons who have been thrown out by society and labeled as trash) than anywhere else.

Thoughts on the Great Engagement: Detraeus has no political opinion of the Great Engagement, but due to his personal experiences with Orderites, given the right opportunity and introduction, he would leap at the opportunity to spill Orderite blood regardless of outside reasoning. He needs no extra excuses; he wants his vengeance more than he wants anything else, particularly in his younger years.

Thoughts on the Dragons and Khehora: As a boy, Detraeus is rightfully wary of dragons, sees them as vicious, dangerous beasts, and avoids them as much as possible. As he grows and his strength and skills improve, he begins to consider hunting them an amusing and even thrilling sport - a great excuse for a good adrenaline rush and a test of his aptitude. Detraeus has never thought twice about the dragon's side of the bargain when he kills one - they are animals, and like all animals, they are valued for certain aspects which he is more than willing to take advantage of should he have the strength to down one.

Conversely, Detraeus is slightly less wary of khehora in general than most Magescians. He doesn't trust people, but because of khehoras' more animal-like appearance and body language, he has less trouble communicating and interacting with them.

| Mate |

◆ ♥Araceli - Ayrala Dovaa

After shooting at her the first time they met, Detraeus and Araceli got off to a rocky start, but eventually developed an unlikely and painstakingly gradual friendship which over time budded into a 'relationship' of an undefined sort. Eventually, Detraeus came to the painful and terrifying conclusion that he was in love with her. They have since tackled obstacles of all sorts and sizes, one at a time, and Araceli has become the single most important person in Detraeus' life.

| Children |

◆ ♥Ataya - Aiskala Mage, Hybrid

In the womb.

◆ ♥Akara - Peisio Archer, Hybrid

In the womb.

| Parents |

Adarrah Rivardin - mother - unknown location

Born poor to an unmarried priestess of the Oblivion Sanctuary, Adarrah was her mother's burden for the bulk of her young life and, largely due to the resulting feelings of unwelcome and bitterness that her mother pinned on her, Adarrah ran away from home at fifteen. She took up work and residence as an assistant to an orphan matron in a neighboring, smaller town on the outskirts of Oblivion City, and it was there, just two years later, that she first laid eyes on Zannith Hesteros.

A wealthy, married man at the time, Zannith made his first visits with his wife - a largely political gesture to display 'good will' for the less fortunate - and then, after taking an interest in Adarrah's youth, beauty, and enthusiasm, he began visiting alone as well. Exposed to multiple couples moving through and overcome with rosy ideals of what romance could be, Adarrah fell rapidly in love and swore to herself she would accomplish whatever it took to make things work between them. Thus, despite their massive gap in social standing, age, and marital status, Adarrah actively pursued Zannith, causing ever more trouble as their relationship went on and developed.

Though Zannith's wife cared little for him as a man, she found it an egregious insult that he would stoop to affiliating with such low level 'trash' of poor repute as Adarrah and as such made sure to strain their relationship as much as possible while also attempting to hide and ignore it publicly. Zannith and Adarrah were never officially wedded as a mated pair as a result, causing Adarrah to retain her family name indefinitely.

Zannith Hesteros - father - deceased

Zannith grew up spoiled. Raised by an obstinate mother and a distant father, he tended to do as his mother pleased, when she pleased and was rewarded with whatever gifts - be they toys, clothes, or otherwise - that money could buy in return for his obedience and all around 'proper' behavior. When his mother arranged his hand in marriage to the beautiful daughter of a similarly wealthy family, he tended towards letting his intended fill the same shoes his mother left behind: dictating most every aspect of his life. A charismatic but whimsical and indecisive sort by nature, he never much minded this treatment and took it all with a smile and a well-timed joke if appropriate.

When he met Adarrah, only one thing truly changed at first. He no longer wanted to be absolutely under his wife's thumb. Because of his lack of forcefulness, however, he did not split from his marriage until nearly a decade after his affair began, and only then because he'd because fatally ill. Not wanting to have to deal with him - or pay for him despite their ample supply of resources - Zannith was virtually disowned by his family both by birth and marriage, and left in the hands of his low-born lover, recently with child. Adarrah fought for his health, exhausting her resources to pay for the best healers she could and digging herself into ever deeper, illegal territory in order to make ends meet - but all for naught.

Zannith passed away before their young son - the only child born with both of their blood - could so much as remember his face.

| Siblings |

♀ Ellaris - seventeen years older than Detraeus - half sister, on his father's side

♂ Kallath - four years younger than Detraeus - half brother, on his mother's side

♂ Rheis - eleven years younger than Detraeus - half brother, on his mother's side

| Negative Relationships |

◇☢ Andorynn Wymrith - Orderite, Aedaun Mage

Although briefly a soldier in his youth, Andorynn decided quickly that the pain and danger of the battlefield were not for him. Much to the disappointment of his elders at the time, he withdrew to being solely a tactician, and then out of the field of combat altogether, preferring to exercise his talents elsewhere, particularly in the field of politics and high society.

On the surface, he is flamboyant, genial, and good-natured - the sort of character who brings energy to a room and invites conversation effortlessly. He thrives in the complicated web of social networks and in use of carefully tailored words spoken in the right place, at the right time, to the right person. Underneath his glamour, unfortunately, he harbors a well-kept secret interest which society at large would cringe to hear word of. To satisfy it, he is a core contributor in funding an operation which traffics young, primarily oblivionite children for the purpose of 'entertaining' wealthy orderites of finite tastes.

Detraeus was one such entertainer in his youth, and a particular favorite of Andorynn's.

◆☢ Kadryn - Orderite, Barbarian

A vicious, condescending orderite Detraeus met in the forests surrounding Martrae'a's home on Soudul. She humiliated him, beating him unconscious, and then had the gall to leave food for him, goddess knows why. Should the fates ever bring her in his path again, he swears he will not be the unprepared child he once was, and do his goddess honor by avenging both himself and reversing the poor representation he made of his people's strength and capabilities.

| Neutral/Positive Relationships |

◆ ✚Casseth - Hybrid Gaili Barbarian

Once simply a hybrid boy that asked too many questions, after reuniting with him and developing a slow, hesitant friendship, Detraeus grew to consider Casseth perhaps his only friend, and certainly his best one. He is aware that he doesn't hold the same position in Casseth's life, but that doesn't bother him. When he learned of the orderite blood in Cas' veins, however, their friendship was all but completely severed, leaving Detraeus with a feeling of betrayal that he never expected to overlook. Over time, however, circumstances gradually work their way along, and despite his strong lingering prejudices and feeling of betrayal, Detraeus has accepted Casseth back into his life as a more wary ally, the friendship now tentative, but very slowly healing itself.

◆ □Lithian - Peisio Dovaa

While once, Detraeus considered Lithian to be only an irritating, emotional, overly-sensitive and spoiled man whom he tolerated purely because he happened to be important to Casseth, Detraeus' harsh opinion has softened. After sparring against him and nearly being drowned as a result, but having his life spared by Lithian's refusal to finish the act, Detraeus now respects Lithian's strength more, at least in the sense of capability alone. He still considers the man overly soft and forgiving, but is impressed enough by his ability to hold his own that he no longer looks down on Lith.

◆ ✚Malta - Ysali Khehora

Detraeus originally met Malta on Soudul, while undergoing the unanticipated, rapid growth in of his wings and tail. She and he have since developed an unlikely friendship, and he meets with her often when his mercenary work brings him to Soudul. They have traveled in limited amounts together, 'fought' together - though "fought" is a relative term when it comes to Malta - and tamed together, as well as simply conversed. Detraeus finds himself uncharacteristically calm around her, and more open than he is with most.

◆ ■Kilian - Oblivionite Warrior

A fierce fighter who saved Detra's life, fed him, and helped him locate Taliuma once upon a time many years ago. Detraeus now knows him better through his friendship with Casseth, though he is embarrassed by the circumstances of their initial meeting and still considers himself deeply indebted to the man. After the complications of his relationship with Casseth, Detraeus became further estranged from Kilian, but respects him on a fundamental level regardless. Despite his apparent tasteless choice to once-upon-a-time mate with a part-bird woman - and father Casseth as a result - Kilian clearly does Soudana honor with his strength and perseverance alone.

◆ ✚Amadia - Khehora, bonded to Kilian

She saved Detraeus' life as a child, risking her own and that of her bonded's son in a battle against arricals. Later, she carried Detraeus on her back, and he felt a rare level of hesitant comfort around her. Now older, Detraeus is more comfortable around her still, and finds her presence easy and peaceful in its familiarity.

◆ □Naarhiji - Oblivionite Civilian

An easily-spooked, brittle and emotional young oblivionite boy Detraeus met on one of his trips to Soudul. He was attempting to do something with the roughest-looking bouken Detraeus had ever seen. What, precisely, he never got the clearest idea of, but it was clear the child had a weak heart and
not much stomach for danger.

◇ □Kirosh - Oblivionite Archer

An oblivionite archer Detraeus happened to meet as a teen shortly before he left Soudul to travel back to Eowyn. The man broke up a skirmish in which Detraeus got into a fight out of his league over a small ibi being abused by a group of street children. Midway into the fight, Kirosh stepped in and spared Detraeus' hide from a more extensive beating, but when he offered to take him to the services of a healer, Det fled.

◆ ■Samael - Gaili Khehora

◇ Martrae'a Khelvun - Oblivionite Blacksmith, cripple (missing a leg and going blind)

The closest living person Detraeus ever gets to a mother, however unintentionally. Martrae'a saves Detraeus' life when he is approximately thirteen years old and afterwards nurses him back to health and teaches him the basics of smithing as well as providing him with a place to stay for several years after.

◇■ Yviss - Obliv/Dovaa Hybrid, Leatherworker

A woman who took Detraeus in briefly when he was very small and first escaped Serenia. He slept on the floor of her workshop, helped run small errands for her, and in exchange, she fed him.

◆ ✚Mirela - Diabi Khehora

◆ Carrion - Ayrala Khehora

[imgright]http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd430/AnihyrMoonstar/detdetraeusexpertstageartbyninjafullsizedetraeus_by_magesc-d85f9bbsmaller_zps1a328e30.png[/imgright]






[list][list][color=#3A0A3A][b]Character:[/b][/color] Detraeus
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[color=#3A0A3A][b]Total:[/b][/color] #exp, Levels to # with #/# exp left over, +# stat points to distribute, + item

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Apprentice »»» Adept ::

-One Month Time [ ✔ ] | 1/01/14 - 2/01/14
-Completed Journal Setup [ ✔ ]
-At Least Level 15 [ ✔ ]
-Determined Stats [ ✔ ]
-Determined Abilities and Skills [ ✔ ]
-Choose Your Weapon

- Death of a Hybrid [ ✔ ] WC: 977

-5 RPs (can be Solo, ORP or PRP)

- The Warrior Puppet [ ✔ ] WC: 904
- From the Hand that Feeds [ ✔ ] WC: 1,894
- So You Shall Reap [ ✔ ] WC: 1,351
- The Moon Beasts [ ✔ ] WC: 2,834
- In the Wake of a Red Dawn [ ✔ ] WC: 3,887

-Journal Reflections (on all ORP/PRPs) [ ✔ ]
-5 Hunting RPs [ ✔ ]

- The Poison Cliffs [ ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ ] WC: WIP
- A Lesson in Accuracy [ ✔✔✔ ] WC: 1,172


-2 Dragon Souls Acquired and Saved [ ✔ ]
-Solo RP with Race Leader

- An Audience With Legend [ ✔ ] WC: 2,579

Adept »»» Expert ::

-Three Months Time [ ✔ ] | May 1st, 2014
-Distributed Stats [ ✔ ]
-At least Level 30 [ ✔ ]
-10 RPs (can be Solo, ORP or PRP) [ ✔ ]

- The Dust of Dreams [ ✔ ] WC: 570
- Pebble in a Hurricane [ ✔ ] WC: 511
- Seeds Sewn in Starlight [ ✔ ] WC: 536
- The Woman Made of Stars [ ✔ ] WC: 731
- Eight Days Later [ ✔ ] WC: 1,688
- Ego and Avarice [ ✔ ] WC: 3,285
- A Snake in the Mists [ ✔ ] WC: 3,215
- Grappling With Street Rats [ ✔ ] WC: 1,822
- Here A Child Once Stood [ ✔ ] WC: 1,235
- The Impossible Girl [ ✔ ] WC: 1,774

-Journal Reflections (on all ORP/PRPs) [ ✔ ]
-10 Hunting RPs (solo RPs included) [ ✔ ]

- Blood in the Rain [ ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ ] WC: 4,575


-5 Dragon Souls Acquired and Saved [ ✔ ]
-1 Battle with another Character [ ✔ ]

- In the Dark of the Night

-Solo RP with Race Leader [ ✔ ]

- A Return to the Dark Shore [ ✔ ] WC: 930

-Post Growth Quest Prompt Completed [ ✔ ]

- Cry for the Devil [ ✔ ] WC: 1,315

Basic Info || To me, plot is the heartbeat of RPing, so if you have any interest in interacting with my character(s) please tell me - but be ready to plot! It's what keeps me going, quite literally, and I have at least as much fun speculating about what could, might or will happen as I do actually writing about such things. Bear with me, because I'm a sucker for details - and I tend to write a lot. (Not always, but sometimes my fingers just get ahead of me.) I adore getting to know characters on far more than the surface level and love situations that test their mettle to the core.

Whether in-depth character testing is what you want or if you'd just rather hit Lithian up for a sparring session, here's how you can get in contact with me to talk more about plot:

♦ Detraeus' plot thread - linked above. Preferable for quick ideas, small plots, and gathering together sparring partners or groups for dragon hunts.
♦ PM - I'm available through PM, though I'll have to admit this is not necessarily my preferred choice (I'm totally fine with it, it's just that PMs, like thread discussions, are slow and clunky). If you want to discuss more in depth and one on one with me, though, PMs are totally fine.
♦ AIM - I love chatting over IMs, and I know most people have Skype, but sadly my computer is a piece of $h!t and won't cooperate with Skype. My AIM is anihyr.moonstar@gmail.com. If you have Yahoo! messenger and would prefer to chat with me on there, I'm willing to download that to chat.
♦ Chatzy - great free, no-download-required, group-chat-friendly instant messenger room. If anyone wants to use this method, I will set up a room and send you the link.