Nerian and Haoma
USER
Name: Nerian Hilvani
Age: 36
Magic Affinity: Life
Appearance: Nerian stands six foot two, broad shouldered and slim through the hips. He's physically capable and strong, except for the mangling of his right hand. That hand is missing the last meta-carpal of his thumb and the last two of his index and middle fingers, and the hand tends to curl in when used too much due to tendon damage. His skin is a middling brown, smooth for the most part, but sporting a few scars here and there that have interesting but tense stories behind them. His hair falls to mid-back, and is a premature pale gray. He keeps it in a ponytail at the base of his skull, mostly, with a braid to either side of his face, hanging by his ears. His eyes are a dark brown. He wears mainly practical clothing, despite his status as a teacher, and sticks to earth colors rather than anything bright or bold.
Personality: One word to describe Nerian is stoic. He's a rather stern, uncommunicative soul, who works hard to pull his weight, sometimes going above and beyond what is necessary. He does all the repairs to his house himself, maintains two gardens, and has a difficult time asking for help when he needs it. Despite the loss of his fingers, he is surprisingly capable if he paces himself.
He finds joy in dictating his medical books to Haoma, his Guardian, so as to provide more knowledge for the library. Possessing an eidetic memory, he has much in the way of knowledge to give, though it is mostly limited to partially destroyed texts and a few precious whole ones that he no longer has. He also has a vast storage of information on the properties of plants.
Although he is extremely patient and open-minded, he dislikes being in large, noisy groups, or being pestered about his past. He has a passion for books and gets annoyed if knowledge and study aren't treated with respect.
Sometimes he will take on up to five students at a time for specialized tutoring, but this comes with his own set of rules for behavior.
History: Often considered mysterious, Nerian is really just not much for telling his life's story. In fact, he never really talks about his past before Mistwick, so hardly anyone knows it. What is known is that Nerian washed up one night on a piece of wreckage and didn't say a word for a long time. Eventually, he started to talk a little at a time, and it became known that he was twenty-eight, that his name was Nerian Hilvani (although that is something that can't be proved), and that he was a healer.
His right hand was injured while he was afloat, and three of his fingers had to be partially amputated off. This was very distressing for him because it meant he could no longer be a surgeon, but when he recovered, he went into Mistwick society ready to apply his knowledge if not his skill. Gaining Haoma was the thing that finally popped him out of his depression and helped him really integrate into society.
The few people who know of past find themselves only knowing sketchy events and how he was generally raised. His father was a surgeon, and his mother was a healer and herbalist. This is where he got his knowledge and skills. He was a bright child, easily absorbing his parents' lessons and proving himself a skilled healer and surgeon at a young age. Whatever happened between then and his time washing up on Mistwick is a true mystery, though, as he doesn't speak to anyone about it at all.
GUARDIAN
Name: Haoma
Magic Affinity: Wind
Essence/Animal: Birch Tree/Griffin (Secretary Bird/Lion mix)
Appearance: This large Guardian comes to Nerian's shoulder and is rather burly. He is pale all over, with silvery and black hints here and there. He is sturdy enough to ride and is even capable of carrying Nerian in flight for short distances. Haoma's body is long and sleek, and his taloned forearms are more than just claws; his "thumbs" have enough dexterity to manipulate tools, including pens, and he is a competent scribe. He is more than capable of turning book pages with delicacy, though his range does not go into the skills needed to be a surgeon, like Nerian once had. His dark golden eyes have more humor in them than his User's, and he sometimes has a comic look with his head feathers raised like a crest. His tail features feathers like a bird's tail in the tuft at the end (complete with the two long tail feathers of his base species), and nestled at the base of the tail as well, for added maneuverability in flight.
Personality: Haoma contrasts his user with a cheerful, outgoing, and positive personality. Despite being an optimist, he is possessed of a sharp, sarcastic, and sardonic sense of humor, and an appreciation for the dry and morbid. Practical when assisting Nerian, he makes up for it by being frivolous with his free time. He can be a bit of a glutton, though he calls it being a gourmet, but he is not greedy. He merely has a long list of things he wants to try. Mostly, though, he very much enjoys his job being Nerian's scribe and assistant.
