Zylanthian Baratoice
Pronunciation: zy-LAN-thee-ahn BAR-ah-TOYCE
|
| Age | 66 |
| Birth Year | NRC 464 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Human |
| Homeland | Moss |
Physical Description
Zylan is the stereotypical little old man. He relies on a cane and is normally hunched over. He wears warm clothing, no matter the area they happen to be in. A graying beard adorns his wrinkled face, framing up a very uncomfortable sight: a grinning old man with eyes as black as night. Besides the disturbing features of his facade, he maintains a jovial disposition to make up for it.
| Height | 5’3” | Hair Color | Gray |
| Weight | 130lbs | Eye Color | Black (Completely) |
| Build | Average | Skin Color | Pale |
Clothing and Armor
Zylan wears an interesting combination of nobility and shabby, torn clothes. While all of it was once fine cloth and finely crafted, the sleeves are now torn from rugged terrain and his pant legs ripped along the hems. Even his fine boots are now worn by the travels of time. He appears more like a noble castaway than anything else. None of his clothes would do anything to protect him, though.
Weapon DescriptionEven the most foolish of hermits carries a weapon. Sir Baratoice carries a sword hidden in the wood of his cane. It isn’t particularly fine craftsmanship, but with a twist of his wrist and a swift motion of his arm, he becomes armed. The sword has nothing to it and its thin build makes it as intimidating as a dagger, it is still a weapon.
| Class | Sage |
| Occupation | Hermit |
| Weapons | Cane Sword |
| Armor | None |
| Equipment | Clothing, teapot, tea, teacup |
| Familiar | Ludwig, Wolfgang |
| Magic System | Sorcery |
| School of Sorcery | Arcane |
|
Magic Items and Enchantments
- Dream Catcher Necklace and Hemp Cords - These are items he made for the express purpose of getting closer to his familiars. He wears the dream catcher necklace and the familiars have a hemp cord tied around their neck, buried underneath their fur. The dream catcher necklace and the cords allow him to communicate with them and them to communicate more simply back to him in a way that both understand. They can send the equivalent of one word responses and he can speak to them in more complex terms, requesting that they do something.
- Wolves - Zylan’s companion wolves are beings he has enchanted, although the enchantments tend to change over time. Their speed and strength have been enhanced in order to make better protectors and hunters.
While Zylan had learned a general skill in the world of magic, most of the skills he found useless were forgotten to him over time. With a bit of time, he could replicate them, though. Most of his skills in magic involve animals or living in the wild. Simply because of that, his spells are different than your average mage. Some of his magic calls out to the hearts of the animals around him for aid. Others are to calm raging hearts. What some mages would use as offensive spells, Zylan uses for survival. Spells like Fire are used to light a camp fire and his version of the spell doesn’t make an impressive attack spell.
Zylanthian has no physical prowess. His old body is relatively unimpressive. While he has shrunk, though, the old hermit still has a bit of strength in his arms. Unfortunately, though, he has no speed or agility on his feet to speak of. All in all, he seems more like an easy target than an opponent.
PersonalityIn one word? Eccentric. In more? He has his particular loves, most prominent being tea. While he can find a way to provide anything else, tea is the one amenity that he must find outside of his own skills, so he values it greatly. Zylan enjoys talking in riddle and rhyme when he is feeling clever. Depression is not a word Zylan knows. His odd, cheerful existence seems to have some sort of purpose, though it is never sure quite what. Deep inside, however, he is simply a wise old man looking for something to smile about. He is not afraid to be “free”, as he calls it.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Quotes: “Tea time is every time! That’s what they always say... don’t they? Bah! Who cares what those dim-lighted featherbrains say! Tea for all!”, “Foddlestoff! Come around from being around there and be around here! Ha!”, “What are you afraid of, girlie? Howl with me!”
HistoryIn his younger days, he was the son of nobles in Moss’ courts. He grew up under the eye of a mage, who was interested in educating him on the finer points of the arcane. He was chosen because of his interest and his eagerness to learn. Zylan began studying at the age of sixteen, though his master insisted that he progress slowly through his work.
His parents died and, as the only living son, young Zylanthian became Lord Baratoice, a respected master of a manor. He joined the courts himself as a scholar and continued his studies as he could. The libraries of Moss, while not the best in the world, contained volumes to speak of history, lore, and other areas of learning. It was expected that he be versed in such subjects, so he took to it, all the while maintaining his magical studies.
At the age of thirty-four, however, life for Lord Baratoice took a terrible turn. Like all good political faces, Zylanthian had a nemesis of sorts. A baron interested in his business, to be exact. The baron decided to kill the life of Baratoice without murdering him. Instead, a curse was placed on the Lord in his sleep. The surface of his eyes turned as black as pitch. In the day light, he would be blind for all to see his weakness. At night, he would be able to see perfectly. If he ever wanted to have sight again, he would have to prowl the nights like a thief.
It worked. Those that saw the lord’s eyes were disgusted or terrified. He could not appear in court. None of his business could be conducted. His mage master couldn’t break it and Zylan could not hide it. Only a month after the curse occurred, the lord quietly left the city one night and traveled into the wilderness.
From then on, Zylan was a wise old hermit, hidden away in the mountains of Moss. He lived in caves and made friends with the animals. What else could he do? Animals were the only ones who seemed to accept him. A few mountaineers knew him and he did them favors in exchange for supplies. For the rest, nature provided for him, in the form of fruit or game or as assistance from the animals that he could connect to with the help of his sorcery.
Now, Zylan is leaving his cave life to return to the world of the living. With two of his friends as protection and a mind bent by solitary life, this tea-loving old man is out to try out something called life again!
