AMIR FAROOQ
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⊹ WHO ARE THEY?
Amir has found his place as Quartermaster of the infamous ship, The Hounds of Hell, after aiding Richard Lawson in the initial rebellion that garnered the Captain's ship and reputation. Amir doesn't consider himself a hero or even a good man for the things he's done. He simply believes in justice and in helping those suffering under the oppression of the powerful and wealthy to break free of their shackles and to find what happiness they can in this life. Unfortunately, these ideals can and have lead Amir to some extremist measures.
⊹ WHAT ARE THEY?
He is, very simply, a highly skilled human.
⊹ THEIR STORY
Amir was born in Asyut, Egypt. His mother was a slave and his father was the master of the house. His father was not unkind, he simply acted like a familiar stranger to him and his mother. Growing up was not hard, yet it wasn't easy. He was, after all, a slave boy and was treated as such. His days were filled with work with very little time to play. But it was all he knew. He never complained. It was simply life. It wasn't until one day, he was sent on an errand to the house of one of his father's business partners. Upon arrival, he was invited into the house and treated with immense kindness. He saw the luxury that this man's children lived with. They played all day, wore fine clothes, ate bowls of sweet fruit and candies. Their father did nothing but dote on them with a smile on his face.
It was then that he understood that his life could not compare. There were better things in this world. There were better ways to live. How unfair it was, the lot that someone received simply because of the circumstances of which they were born! But Amir, though having never experienced a formal education, was a smart boy. He knew not to speak his feelings to his father, or even his mother for that matter.
These feelings stewed within him for years and he grew to loathe the treatment of the lower class people in his society. The sad thing was, he and his mother had it easy compared to the other slaves in the city! They were fed and clothed and his father never beat them. But he felt nothing but disgust and contempt when he witnessed a brother in the market receiving lashes, or seeing a woman who's hands and arms are so bruised and swollen she can't even carry her shopping basket.
He knew he had to leave. He had to run away and learn. Learn about how he could change this twisted way of life. Understand how he could change the lives of helpless and the destitute. But he knew that if he left, his mother would be blamed and punished. He had no money, he had no friends. He had never even left Asyut before. But he knew that he couldn't leave without her.
Overcome with powerful resolution, one night at 16 years old, he stole some food, packed what little things he could, and woke his mother, rushing her out the door. Confused and angry, she protested at first, but eventually hushed herself and followed her son. He stole two horses, and off they went. Their destination: Cairo.
"Why, Amir? Why have you done this? We lived a good life!"
"A life without freedom isn't a life at all, mother."
Cairo was a magnificent city. Amir had never seen anything like it. Awestruck as he was, though, he didn't lose sight of what he needed to do. He and his mother had nowhere to stay and very little money. He was able to secure a place for them to sleep at one of the masjids, and he set out to find honest work. He found his first job working as a builder. He had never done such hard work in his life, and the pay was meager. It was just another layer of disappointment. Here he was, free and working, but admittedly, he and his mother were worse off than in his father's care. He didn't understand it.
Sitting in a tavern one night at 17, he overheard a man trying to recruit people to journey with him to the sea. He said he had a ship and cargo that needed to be delivered. All he needed was a few more crew and he was ready to set sail. Each man would receive good wages, food, and they'd get to see the world. Amir had never seen the ocean, he had no clue how to sail, but he was intrigued. This could give him an opportunity to see what life was like outside of Egypt. Was it similar? Did their society function in the same backwards ways? He volunteered.
"You're young, but you're very fit. You know how to sail, boy?"
"Yes," he lied.
His mother cried when he told her he was leaving. By now they had a small, shabby house, but they had food on the table. It was enough for the two of them. "I will send every cent I make to you, Mama. Trust me. I will come back, and when I learn to write, I will write you letters every day."
Thus, a new chapter of Amir's life had begun. Things were very rocky at first, since he didn't actually know how to sail, but the other deckhands were relatively kind and discreetly showed him what it was he needed to do. He learned very quickly, and in fact, he was interested. He wanted to learn everything there was to know about the ship and how to sail. He stayed awake late into the night, absorbing as much as he could about the unfamiliar vessel. Soon enough, he became one of the best sailors on that crew.
Of course, as with life, things happen, falling outs occur. Amir probably hopped a dozen ships, a dozen crews in the span of three years, never sticking to one ship for very long. But he was a good sailor, and through years of being attacked by pirates, he was a very capable fighter. He loved the sea and he loved sailing. He was happy to find something that he was good at and familiar with.
At the age of 21, the current ship he was working on made port. It was their last stop this was the captain, and most of the crew's home town. Since Amir was a drifter, he didn't mind stopping there. He decided to take a break from sailing and settle in that town for about a year, working as a dock hand. It didn't take long to learn, from rumors and gossip and plain outrage, that the people of this town were not happy. They were being exploited for their labors, outrageously taxed, cruelly punished by the police force. New chains, same shackles.
Even though it wasn't his town, he felt for this people. He understood their pains, knew they didn't deserve this way of life that had been forced upon them. People were angry, tensions were high. It was only so long before the city would burst, he could feel it. And it did. That was how his life was changed.
When he first laid his green eyes on Richard Lawson, a thousand thoughts whipped through his head. He was brave, an idiot, he was going to get killed or thrown in the stockade, hanged maybe, but he had drive and purpose, a ferocity in his eyes and... a little something else. Something Amir couldn't quite put his finger on. But it didn't take much convincing for the misplaced Egyptian. Someone took the first step to liberty, and that was all he needed to feel confident in lending a helping hand.
That historic day, Amir fought by Rick's side, not knowing that he would be doing so many times again in the future. He and a handful of the other best fighters from that day stole the prize flagship that belonged to the man responsible for all the province's misery, and Amir was back to sea, sailing with another crew of strangers. But this was different than all the other times before. These men had been rallied together for a cause. The had already fought and shed blood together. There was already a layer of trust established among them. The immediate camaraderie was amazing.
In the calm of the open sea where no other ships were in sight, Amir finally got to have a talk, one on one with the strange, crazy man he decided to join.
They talked for hours, about life, their ideals, the plans and goals, the future of the ship and the crew. The spoke until the sun began to creep up against the horizon. And Amir felt that he could finally say that he made a friend. Hopefully a permanent one.
Amir's masterful sailing spoke for itself in a few months and as the crew finally began to get settled in their places and roles, Amir was named quartermaster by Captain Lawson. A new door had opened. Time was now spent on crazy,
remarkable adventures, traveling all throughout the Caribbean, fighting for justice and for freedom, and Amir was proud to be a member of The Hounds of Hell. He's been with the ship ever since.
⊹ EXTRAS
⊹ ABILITIES
Amir is an incredible swordsman, a right good marksmen with both firearms, bows, and knives, and is also highly skilled in hand to hand combat. He has basic knowledge in explosives and various poisons, all self taught. He is a deadly man and has built quite a reputation for himself since running with Rick's crew, and he likes it that way. He is a force to be reckoned with, and any man would be mad to pick a fight with him.
⊹ WEAKNESSES
His biggest weakness, and the biggest leverage anyone could have over him, is his mother's life. Thankfully, since not much is known about his history or family, and the fact that his mother is safely tucked away in Cairo, he doesn't expect anyone could exploit that weakness anytime soon.
⊹ LIKES
◘ Mint tea
◘ Friendly brawling with his shipmates
◘ The sea
◘ Practicing with his swords
◘ Peaceful sunrises
◘ Fighting injustice
◘ Helping the needy
◘ Rice and roasted vegetables
◘ Smoking
⊹ DISLIKES
◘ Being disrespected
◘ Being underestimated
◘ Not having purpose
◘ Losing in a fight
◘ Authority figures
◘ Corrupt powers
◘ Figs
◘ Being touched
◘ Slavery
⊹ THEME SONG
Eastern Sky
(I couldn't really find one song, so I just dropped the playlist I listened to for inspiration.)
