Welcome to Gaia! ::

Name: Blade Kuroda
Nicknames: Blade, though some call me Kuro or Kuroda
Age: 22

Information: Well.. I like fire. And dragons. And sharp things like swords and knives. I'm working on becoming a game developer and.. uh.. I enjoy sneaking up on my friends? I have a tendency of moving around or hide their belongings behind their back just to mess with them too. I also enjoy doing artwork and roleplaying. Some games I enjoy are Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, and Pokemon. Not sure what else to say here, and besides it's Syed you want to know about more, right? =D

Don't worry, he won't break the fourth wall outside of this quest thread.

Again with the request to explain... I would think he would have realized that I don't like talking too much. There's no real reason why people need to know every little thing about me anyway... if they wish to learn, they'll do so over time. And if they actually take the time to get to know me, then I think it's safe to assume they'll be a good friend. I can usually get away with not speaking with body language anyway. And why of all places must I wait in here? This room is pretty small... at least let me wait outside where there's fresh air and more room in gene--

Syed froze as he caught a small movement on the wall nearby. Slowly, he turned only to find a spider scuttling down towards the ground. After letting out a yelp, he promptly bolted to the far corner of the room, staring at the arachnid with wide eyes.

I hate spiders.. I hate spiders... why does there have to be one INSIDE.

Unfortunately, the spider decided to come in his direction. Without anywhere really to run, he bolted forth to stomp on the creature a good number of times.

DIE! DIE! DIE! he thought frantically. After a few more stomps, he checked to find not a spider but a blotch on the ground where the spider once was. Syed let out a sigh of relief before quickly checking around to make sure there weren't more.

I'm not usually like this... not really. I can stand with confidence and determination... just.. spiders... his thoughts drifted off with a shudder, Hell, I'd run to help someone if they were being mugged. Well.. maybe not if they were being mugged by a spider but that's besides the point.

There was a sense of disappointment in Syed's heart as he made his way home from Malik's place. He had gone there in hopes of trying to break him from the deep depression he had fallen into. But it was to no avail. According to Malik's father, it was hard enough to get the boy to come out of his room as is. Perhaps he would be able to get through to him another day.

Hanon's death had stung Syed too for sure, and with the way Malik acted now, he may as well have lost both of his friends. Never before had he felt so alone, but he at least still had his mother.

With his mind elsewhere, he didn't notice right away that there was a stranger in his house upon entering. When he did, the boy furrowed his brow before looking to his Mother as if asking for some sort of explanation. She seemed... conflicted? There seemed to be a hint of sorrow in her expression, yet a sense of pride.

"Syed, this man is here to speak with you," she said softly while remaining seated at the table.

Well that didn't give him too much more of an idea of what was going on here. Syed turned towards the man more directly, examining him in silence. He seemed to be better dressed than most of the people in this district, but aside from that, he couldn't really tell much. The man gave him a weak smile, then went on to finally give him more insight on the situation.

"I am a messenger from the King of Persa. You, Syed, have been nominated to become a sacrifice for our great nation," he announced briefly before letting the boy let that information sink in.

Not expecting that sort of news at all, Syed's eyes widened as he pretty much did a double take. He was just some kid in poverty, practically a street rat in the eyes of some others. Certainly the Gods wouldn't be pleased with some ragtag teenager of the slums. Perhaps he hadn't heard the man correctly. The question of why him of all people was about to be asked, but the messenger continued on before he could open his mouth.

"The King heard of your deeds, helping out a woman in dire need. He and the council felt that someone with a sense of justice like you would be one to please the Gods. Take some time to think over the matter. I will return in three days to receive your answer," he added. Without another word, he left, leaving Syed even more speechless than usual.

Here was an opportunity that he never would have thought he'd ever have. In the next few days, he thought it over carefully while going on with his life in general. Malik still had no progress whatsoever, and there was no way to bring Hanon back. Life wasn't about to get any easier for his mother either, as she worked hard each day to scrap what little money she could. If he went along, he could at least bring her the honor and pride of having a son that sacrificed himself for the good of Persa.

Aside from her, he didn't really have any other connections in this city. Not anymore at least. While there was still a hint of reluctance in his soul to leave, he felt this would be for the best. Perhaps with happy Gods, the nation would prosper more, and the people in poverty would be able to come out of it.

Three days went by and the messenger had returned. It was then that Syed hugged his mother tightly as a final farewell, tears welling up in both their eyes. He hoped dearly that she would be alright without him. He then approached the man with a sense of determination. Only two, soft words escaped his lips, but it was all that was needed before he went off to meet the Priest so they could go to Ciphar.

"I'll go."

Nadiya
Age: 30
Relation: Mother
Info: She may be poor, but her skills as a potter has helped her raise Syed on her own. Nadiya is a kind and compassionate woman who enjoys the simple and little things in life. She was born as the second daughter of her family and married off when she became 15 years old. However, it was a rather short-lived marriage as her husband abandoned her while Syed was still in her womb. Rarely does she ever tell the boy anything that has to do with his father as she would rather leave dark things behind in the past.

Ashur
Age: 17?(Deceased?) 32?
Relation: Father
Info: The eldest son in a family of traders. He supposedly was a gentle and curious man but perhaps it was all a facade. Some say that an altercation made him flee while others claim he was no good from the start. Soon after he had disappeared, all that was found that had anything to do with him was a ring he wore with traces of blood on it. Nadiya didn't want the ring, or anything that would be a reminder of him, so it was soon disposed of.

Hanon
Age: 12 (Deceased)
Relation: Friend
Info: A goofy spirit who loved teasing and playing little pranks on the other two. He especially loved to mess with Syed's fear of spiders. It could easily be said that he was also the most energetic and talkative of the trio. As an orphan, he considered Syed and Malik to be his family. He eventually grew rather ill and was unable to recover.

Malik
Age: 16
Relation: Friend
Info: Malik was always quite the serious and almost broody one, and it was usually he who had to keep Hanon in check. In a sense, he and his parents had taken in Hanon, so he was often seen as a little brother to him. Syed was like one to him as well for that matter, but a little less so. When Hanon passed on, it hit him especially hard; enough that he shut off everyone else around him.

» » » User Information
Username: Blade Kuroda
Tier Level:Two


» » » The Sacrifice
» General Information
Name: Syed
Age: 15

Hometown: Persa
Class: Swordsman
Weapon: Sword - eventually dual blades

» Detailed Information
Brief Description: Syed is definitely on the small side, being fairly short and moderately athletic. Both his eyes and hair are dark, with the latter being about shoulder length. His skin tone is like mocha. The clothes he wears is generally light and loose to help keep him cool. Also, both ears are pierced with a simple loop earing and he has a small leather pouch at his side. Around his waist is generally a red cloth belt. Normally he stands with confidence and bears a soft smile. The sword he will wield is a slim, elegant scimitar.

» Personal Information
Personality: Quiet, arachnophobia, reserved, kind, confident
History:For the most part, Syed isn't too bothered by the fact that he never knew his father. If he was the type of guy to leave his mother while she was still pregnant, he doesn't really want to know him. Neither him, nor his mother, Nadiya, really know the reason why the man just up and left, but what's done is done at this point. In any case, the father had been killed for doing such a deed. Syed didn't know this for certain as he rarely brought up the topic of his father for the sake of his mother, but he assumed that the man is no longer alive.

Considering they lived in poverty, Nadiya struggled to raise the boy on her own. Thankfully, she was a relatively skilled potter, so they managed to make due. She wasn't always able to watch over the boy, having to work to make sure they could eat, so Syed had to become fairly independent to ease the burden off of her. He grew to know the streets fairly well, and over time he made some strong bonds with other children in similar situations as him. It was a small trio, but they were practically inseparable. Together, they had fun, causing trouble now and then. Maybe a broken thing here... a stolen thing there... but it wasn't anything too drastic. The other two were considerably more talkative than he and had the habit of cutting him off whenever he tried to talk or explain something others to put in their own input. As time went on, he just became used to this and let them do all the talking. He found that sometimes body language spoke louder than verbal words anyway. They believed they would never be broken apart either. The bonds he had with the others were so tight that he also didn't feel like he needed to reach out to any others. The three eventually planned to run some sort of business or service together, but for the time being they can't decide on what that is exactly.

It wasn't meant to be. The youngest in the group fell terribly ill. And unfortunately, without the sufficient funds for medicine, the boy succumbed to disease. It was a rather hard blow to the remaining two as it was almost like losing a brother. Syed's other friend became a recluse out of grief, avoiding all other people if possible. The bond they all had was like a diamond; one of the hardest things around, yet easily shattered under the force of a hammer.

Time came for the sacrificial offerings and Syed was surprised to find himself as one of the nominated. Had this been the year before he would have outright refused as he didn't want to leave his friends or mother. But with the original future plans crushed, he was a little lost. It would also be his first time ever leaving Persa, which was fairly intimidating in itself as he had little to no experience to what was in the outside world. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to become a sacrifice; he would at least be able to help out his mother and village by doing so. So he left with the Priests, making his way to Ciphar. There awaited more surprises. For one, he didn't end up on the dinner plate of the Gods... which wasn't a bad thing in his opinion.



» » » User Information
Username: Blade Kuroda
Tier Level: Three


» » » The Sacrifice
» General Information
Name: Syed
Age: 15

Hometown: Persa
Class: Swordsman

» Detailed Information
Brief Description: Syed is definitely on the small side, being fairly short and moderately athletic. Both his eyes and hair are dark, with the latter being about shoulder length. His skin tone is like mocha. The clothes he wears is generally light and loose to help keep him cool. Also, both ears are pierced with a simple loop earing and he has a small leather pouch at his side.

» Personal Information
Personality: Quiet, kind, confident
History:For the most part, Syed isn't too bothered by the fact that he never knew his father. If he was the type of guy to leave his mother while she was still pregnant, he doesn't really want to know him. Neither him, nor his mother, Nadiya, really know the reason why the man just up and left, but what's done is done at this point. In any case, the father had been killed for doing such a deed. Syed didn't know this for certain as he rarely brought up the topic of his father for the sake of his mother, but he assumed that the man is no longer alive.

Considering they lived in poverty, Nadiya struggled to raise the boy on her own. Thankfully, she was a relatively skilled potter, so they managed to make due. She wasn't always able to watch over the boy, having to work to make sure they could eat, so Syed had to become fairly independent to ease the burden off of her. He grew to know the streets fairly well, and over time he made some strong bonds with other children in similar situations as him. It was a small trio, but they were practically inseparable. Together, they had fun, causing trouble now and then. Maybe a broken thing here... a stolen thing there... but it wasn't anything too drastic. The other two were considerably more talkative than he and had the habit of cutting him off whenever he tried to talk or explain something others to put in their own input. As time went on, he just became used to this and let them do all the talking. He found that sometimes body language spoke louder than verbal words anyway. They believed they would never be broken apart either. The bonds he had with the others were so tight that he also didn't feel like he needed to reach out to any others. The three eventually planned to run some sort of business or service together, but for the time being they can't decide on what that is exactly.

It wasn't meant to be. The youngest in the group fell terribly ill. And unfortunately, without the sufficient funds for medicine, the boy succumbed to disease. It was a rather hard blow to the remaining two as it was almost like losing a brother. Syed's other friend became a recluse out of grief, avoiding all other people if possible. The bond they all had was like a diamond; one of the hardest things around, yet easily shattered under the force of a hammer.

Time came for the sacrificial offerings and Syed was surprised to find himself as one of the nominated. Had this been the year before he would have outright refused as he didn't want to leave his friends or mother. But with the original future plans crushed, he was a little lost. It would also be his first time ever leaving Persa, which was fairly intimidating in itself as he had little to no experience to what was in the outside world. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad to become a sacrifice; he would at least be able to help out his mother and village by doing so. So he left with the Priests, making his way to Ciphar. There awaited more surprises. For one, he didn't end up on the dinner plate of the Gods... which wasn't a bad thing in his opinion.

Thanks for the critique. =D

I've gone ahead and edited/added some things as requested.

I honestly see nothing wrong with everything but then one thing I would like to see is more depth in his personality. I appreciate the way you presented it and it was very entertaining, especially with the spider part.

Again with the depth in personality, I would actually like to see more of his feelings about his former home, coming to Ciphar, his relationship with parents. And how does he feel being separated form his mother and best friends? Perhaps write it like a roleplay? XD It's up to you though but through that I think we would be able to see more of his emotions, reaction and feelings about the situation. And therefore make him more 'real'.

That's all c: