Character Name: Zhac
Created: August 27, 2010
Age: 26 (25 at creation, updated 6/28/11)
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Wher Handler
Family:Sister: Rava (NPC), deceased
History: Zhac was born at one of Benden’s minor holds, which, coincidentally, was a miner hold as well. Zhac’s father smelted copper from the nearby mines, and his mother sold a cook’s meatpies at a stall to hungry miners. As a boy, Zhac imagined his future in the mines, with a shovel or pickaxe in hand. The only exception to this earthy family was Zhac’s older sister, Rava, who dreamed of becoming a Harper. The family doted on the sweet, dreamy girl, and Zhac harbored no bitterness about his parents saving to have her sent a proper Harper hall, since his lot was already determined. However, her health was frail and for several turns her health waned until finally, she died after much suffering. Rava had been the heart of the small family, and tension followed her death. Zhac, always a quiet boy, became more withdrawn and when his parents gave him Rava’s school funds, he insisted on putting the money toward buying a wher egg and getting away from his sister’s deathbed.
So, at 12 turns, he was sent to a mine with a healthy population of whers and put to learning how to handle the beasts. There he met an older, pale boy name Lukah, who quickly claimed the quiet youngster as friend. Zhac liked him well enough, but it was an unfortunate twist of fate that brought him to truly trusting the older lad, who had to a bronze wher. One day, Zhac had left his tools deep in the mine shafts and asked Lukah to go with him into the mine with his sharp-sighted wher and help him find his things before he had to admit fault to an adult. The glows they took were failing though, and in the dim light they became lost and accidentally triggered a cave-in. The shake was minor, but injured Zhac and it took Lukah’s help to dig him free and get him out of the mine. Not wanting to get his friend in trouble, Zhac took sole blame for the incident when he had to explain his wounds. He was sternly reprimanded for his recklessness and put on probation for a half a turn. All those months doing menial tasks for the minors taught Zhac obedience, and when he resumed training he earned a reputation for hardworking and diligence. The good record he built over that one mistake and Lukah’s favorable opinion of his worth (as well as the money from his sister’s death) eventually entitled him to a gold wher’s egg. Not long after Zhask matured, he was asked to take the queen to another mining area near Igen and help strengthen the sparse wher population there. Eventually he sent word asking about Lukah, but his friend had left the area. Without a point to return to, he drifted then, changing homes every few turns to ‘improve the breed,’ though truthfully, he never made attempts to settle. Eventually travel took its toll and he found a home at Benden Wyer. For the last turn and a half he’s ‘settled’ in a rootless way there, but he may begin to appreciate his home now that Lukah has arrived.
Physical: Zhac is average of height and average of weight, and that only sets precedence for the rest of him. His hair is a dark, mulch-brown color and his eyes, though blue, are so drained looking that the hue gives no interesting impression. A waste of blue eyes, he is also a waste of fair looks. Turns of rarely speaking or displaying emotion has given his face a stern look that will turn likely turn wooden with age. The moment rarely comes, but Zhac has a strangely sweet boyish smile and laugh. Laughter is the only time he looks shy or unsure though, for the rest of the time he moves about as confidentially as if he were in a different world. He wears faded leathers and obviously dresses for comfort rather than looks.
Personality: Zhac likes to think of himself as simplistic, a man who goes from one job to the next with dedication and little thinking. He keeps his own counsel, and his non-responsive attitude can make him seem standoffish, though he doesn’t actually mind incessant chatter – he just has little to say in response. His strong-but-silent attitude makes him a good worker and endlessly loyal to a cause. He takes orders and performs them with as few questions as possible. He holds to his gruff exterior because beneath it, his emotions are repressed and disturbed. Not liking the inner workings of his own mind, he tries not to think about feelings of any sort much, but not understanding himself is likely why he is still tortured by imagined passed misdeeds. He feels a powerful guilt about outliving his cherished sister, and for later leaving his parents poor and bereft of their only remaining child shortly after her death. Despite having the opportunity, he never has returned to see his parents.
RP Opportunities:~~~ Zhac enjoys listening to music, but very sweet or sad songs make him restless and ill-at-ease.
~~~ It's all but impossible to break his calm reservation, but you're welcome to try. =3
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