Ephraim of Archos, Son of Clavicus, "The Blade of Crimson"
Jan 19, 2014 20:15:51 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2014 20:15:51 GMT -8
Character Information
Name: Ephraim
Alias: The Blade of Crimson
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Rank or Title: Freelance Mercenary, Sellsword, Gladiator and All-Round Problem Solver
Appearance:Physical
Height: 177 cm (5'10"),
Weight: 72 kg (159 lbs.)
Constitution
Lean and Toned.
Poise
Suave, Carefree.
Aesthetics
Hair: Crimson, mid-back length, straight and stylishly unkempt.
Eyes: Malachite, rather large and sharp, with relatively long eyelashes. Eyebrows are naturally thin.
Skin Tone: Deviates between Medium Beige during the sunnier seasons and Apricot during the darker seasons of the year.
Standard Attire
Usually a dark-green woolen jacket that reaches his hips, with sleeves reaching anywhere from his elbows to his wrists. Underneath lies a white long-sleeved shirt. He favours leggings over trousers, as he finds them less restrictive, in earthly colours such as light olive-green. They are held up by a dark brown leather belt. For footwear, he tends to go with dark brown knee-high travelling boots made from sturdy tanned leather, which he usually stuffs with herbs like spearmint leaves in order to reduce the inevitable foot-odour. He frequents light-brown travelling cloaks, and seems to have a soft spot for small, dark-green round-ish caps. He is in possession of a pair of black leather gloves which function both as dueling gloves and as falconry gloves. He does don some jewelry, though it is nothing more than a dull brass ring on his left index finger.
(Note: the 'cap' can be seen in the picture)
Battle Attire
As someone who favours speed and flexibility over strength and durability, his battle attire usually consists of his normal clothes minus the jacket and hat he may be wearing. In the future he might work some actual armor into the design, as long as it does not hamper mobility.
Formal Attire
Does a spot-clean version of his standard outfit count? He is a peasant and a frequent traveller, he can't afford fancy clothing, nor does he have the space required to safely store them.{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Appearance - cap is as seen, colours of clothes may not match precisely, the jacket's sleeves are longer and there are no bandages}Neither the character concept nor the image is owned by me. The character is Joshua from Fire Embled: The Sacred Stones and as such he belongs to the game's respective owners. The image was retrieved from the Fire Embled Wikia, so things are most likely the same for it as well.
The first thing someone would notice about Ephraim is his long, vibrant and slightly unruly hair, which endow him with a vivid and uncommon presence. His malachite-colored eyes sparkle with curiousity and youthful energy, the twin orbs of green giving him a sharp, intelligent and possibly even suggestive gaze. His thin lips are often twisted into a half-smirk, a smile most rogueish and inviting. His face is both youthful and elegantly masculine, with a slightly pointy chin and a well-shaped jawline, along with an equally even nose. He makes sure to be very well shaven at all times and, due to the fresh skin granted by his young age, his complexion is usually 'refreshing' to the eye. As such, he is perfectly capable of drawing attention in both a good and a bad way, depending on the situation as well as the personality of his 'company'. However, due to his aforementioned 'rogueish' looks and charm, he can attract unwanted and undeserved (most of the time) suspicion.
Ephraim's height doesn't make him 'stand above' the crowd and his lean musculature, while well-toned, can be easily hidden by one mere layer of clothing (hence why most of his charm comes from his face, his hair and his attitude). His body however is, frankly speaking, as perfectly balanced as a body can be; well-proportioned nimble limbs, a remarkable skeletal structure and durable muscles. His body just seems to have been born for battle.
Personality:Intimate
Males: Relaxed, Talkative
Ordinary Females: Respectful, Welcoming
Attractive Females: Caring, Flirtatious
Children: Protective, Encouraging, Playful
Ephraim is very friendly to those who are close to him, by which point they will have gotten to know him as well as he will have gotten to know them. Talkative and charming, he is open and a good listener who is willing to help whenever possible. With the guys he acts in a 'vitriolic best friend' manner, holding nothing back and making several verbal jabs whenever given the chance. He believes strongly in male friendship and rivalry, seeing an argument with a comrade to be nothing more than verbal sparring, or a game. With the women he is far more respectful and, if he finds them attractive, will most certainly find themselves being courted very often (or at least complimented). As far as children goes, he acts like a playful older brother, encouraging them with big words and titles such as 'giant' and 'princess', and he is not above playing games with them.
Acquaintances
Males: Snarky, Friendly
Ordinary Females: Polite, Reserved
Attractive Females: Gentle, Flirtatious
Children: Look at Intimate
Ephraim is a lot more reserved with those that he knows, but do not know him well in return. While he will still make fun of a male acquaintance like always, he is not as open or audacious and therefore will not seek to 'play around' with the opposing party as much. He is not very open with females, even if he is willing to listen to their problems, but if they are attractive they will not escape his silver-tipped tongue. With children he will not be as open, but that doesn't mean his attitude will be any different.
Professional
Everyone: Suave, Focused
The free-spirited swordsman does not look like a very serious or dedicated individual, but he will try his best to focus on the task at hand. He will talk seriously with his would-be employers and try to shift the favour of the deal to his balance. He may appear greedy, trying to get the best possible price for him, and he may even send a few winks to any pretty nearby females. In the end however, his ever-confident smirk shows that the job will be carried forth in a manner befitting that of a professional.
Unknown
Males: Disinterested, Aloof
Ordinary Females: Disinterested, Polite
Attractive Females: Flirtatious, Approachable
Children: Look at Intimate
Ephraim is not someone to approach others often with no reason. While beautiful females will get approached in an attempt at flirting, enough hostility will cause him to back away (for the moment). Males will find themselves completely ignored unless they do something particularly eye-catching, but even then the chances of him lingering are low. Non-attractive females will find themselves in a better position, treated with more respect and care, but even then his interest may quickly shift to another place. As always, he retains his soft spot for little tikes.
Dreams, Goals
To live through the next day/job. To meet lots of people (including pretty girls), see many things, travel across the world. To become at least somewhat renowed. Maybe make lots of money on the side.
Likes, Loves
Pretty girls, children, friends, weapons, travelling, conversing, drinking, sleeping, sparring, his 'first mate/partner' (Quicksilver, his pet hawk), spicy foods, the scent of spearmint, his freedom, his family, his mentor, his hair, many more.
Dislikes, Hates
Unpleasant people, foul odors, ugly old crones, overly salty things, overly sweet things (that seem to be made entirely out of sugar), unnapetizzing food, sexual predators/offenders, cowards, murderers, and more.
Fears, Phobias
Going bald, starving to death, the dead rising from their graves, ghosts, undead, things that want to kill you but you can't just stab to death with a blade in general, losing his freedom, losing his loved ones.
Unique Qualifier
Aside from flirting with every attractive woman of legal age and always cheating at lucky games, he sometimes fiddles around with his 'lucky gold coin' - an ordinary gold coin that is heavily scratched on one side so that he can cheat coin-tosses with it.
A free spirit. A ne'er do well. A charmer. A dreamer. A flirt. A rogue. A fool. A natural-born warrior. An insufferable genius. This young man has been called many things by the people he has met along the course of his short -so far- life. What they have said is true - and yet untrue at the same time. Ephraim doesn't really care, as he was never one to be too affected by other people's opinion of him, a characteristic that became more prominent as he grew in body, age and skill. When he was a child and people called him a foolish brat for thinking he could be something more than a farmer, he didn't pay attention. When he was criticized in the army for being far too non-chalant (and friendly with the prettier female soldiers), he didn't pay attention. When Bard would scold him over a screw-up....he actually tended to listen - but only secretly, maintaining his aloof and indifferent persona on the surface. It had always been like that, ever since he could remember himself.
He is most certainly someone who values personal freedom, and the freedom to give away such freedom and bind oneself under the chains of servitude. He would not think less of someone who became a soldier or a knight, thus completely binding their life to duty, as long as they have done so out of their own free will. Live and let live, that is his philosophy. He is most assuredly a lot more complex of a character than some give him credit for and yet a lot simpler too. Just like the movement of the wind or the flames, his personality can't be easily described.
At the same time, he can also seem full of contradictions. He flirts with pretty women all the time and has gone on plenty of dates - yet, no girl has ever confronted him on taking responsibility of an illegitimate child. He will allow others to live their way of life as long as they don't harass others, but he won't go out of his way to bring forth justice if one oversteps their boundaries. He is uninterested in gold, yet gleefully cheats money out of gamblers. He doesn't particularly mind thieves and may even take on more shady jobs, but has never picked a single pocket, never commited robbery and never harmed someone (physically or mentally) who has done nothing to deserve it (outside of a job). He may act like a self-centered, indifferent jerk, but he also has a soft, gentle side that belies the existence of a true golden heart within that chest of his. Or maybe it is just really shiny brass.
But in the end, if you were to ask him who he is, he would simply answer "I am me - and that's exactly who I want to be."
History:Timeline1982 ~ Ephraim is born to father Clavicus and mother Anastasia in the village of Archos, south of Bulgate. Anastasia dies at childbirth.
1993 ~ Ephraim picks up his habit of cheating at lucky games from a passing illusionist, to kill time.
1993 ~ Ephraim and Clavicus have a fight over the former's future, but reconcile and compromise within a day.
1994 ~ Bard Alrikson passes by the village and Ephraim eventually convinces the veteran to take him on as an apprentice (of sorts).
1999 ~ Bard Alrikson is injured heavily in battle. Ephraim finds him and directs medics to his position, thus saving his life.
1999 ~ As Bard retires, he dismisses Ephraim from service, giving him a sword and a messenger hawk as 'graduation gifts'.
1999 ~ After observing the hawk perform a dive so fast he could only see a silvery streak, Ephraim names him 'Quicksilver'.
1999 ~ Ephraim sets off to travel across the land and do jobs as a sell-sword in order to gather battle experience.
2000 ~ Ephraim receives a letter from his father saying that he is getting married again.
2000 ~ Ephraim attends his father's second wedding and gives the couple his sincere blessings. After a few days, he departs.
Born into rather tragic circumstances, Ephraim nonetheless spent his early years growing up like an average peasant boy. While his father did his best to act both in a strict, fatherly manner and a gentle, motherly manner, the lack of a female's gentle embrace left their mark on the young boy - hence, his tendency to be more soft on women. At the same time, Ephraim would not only secretly blame himself for his mother's passing but also despise the colour of his hair, for he saw it as proof that his life was dyed in his mother's blood. Fortunately, such illogical thoughts wouldn't even last up till his teenage years, as he soon came to realize it really was nobody's fault. Eventually he would even come to adore his previously considered 'ugly' hair, especially after learning that he inherited them from his mother.
Ephraim seemed to have his path laid out for him - stay with his father, work on the farm and the fields with him and, once old enough, marry and take over. The village of Archos had some of the most fertile farmlands in the land, and its position -south of Bulgate- meant that there were always guards nearby to stave-off bandit raids. It seemed like a simple, peaceful life. A relatively safe future, without fighting for his life and crossing blades with monsters and villains. Despite that, no matter how much he loved his peaceful hometown and loving father, the older Ephraim got the less content he felt with what he had. Whenever trying to imagine his future self, the simple farmer he was supposed to become would simply not come to mind. What he would see was only a warrior, a blade in one hand and a clenched fist on the other. While many did not pay attention to him and dismissed his claims as simple childish daydreaming (and who could blame them?) the boy was actually very sincere. It was his blood that just called out to him, to get out of his cozy comfort zone and explore the world, meet people and experience glory, excitement and possibly even terror.
As the years passed and Ephraim neared his adolescence, his pent-up tension and anxiety simply kept piling up, resulting in him getting into trouble more and more often. Of course, it was never too serious, minus the times when he was caught cheating at lucky games, a habit he picked up from a passing illusionist. While the villagers soon learned to not invite the boy to their games anymore, the lad was still not satisfied with the thrills. Eventually, during a discussion with his father about his future occupation, a severe fight broke out - their very first one to be exact. While Clavicus wanted his son to 'come back down to earth' and be reasonable, Ephraim passionately stated that he did not wish to become a farmer. As the father did not wish for his only son to live the dangerous -and often brief- life of a warrior, he eventually lost his patience. The pair wouldn't exchange a single line of dialogue for almost 3 days, but eventually they both cracked and apologized to each other. In the end, a compromise was striken - Ephraim would be allowed to leave and pursue his wild dreams, as long as he had become old enough and found a responsible, sensible, down-to-earth and experienced warrior to act as a mentor.
It wasn't until a year later that the soon-to-be teen would finally be given that chance, to go out and become something different than what his social stature would imply. On a seemingly ordinary morning of a seemingly ordinary weekday, the villagers gathered in the local square in order to feast their eyes on a sight that hadn't been seen since the days of the liberation - a company of imperial soldiers. They had it all - the weapons, the shiny armor, the majestic warhorses and the attitude. Especially the boys, who had grown up with stories of legendary heroes, were there. Ephraim was one of the first to actually arrive on the scene and, lucky him, amongst the metal-clad warriors was a man of true fame. His name was Bard Alrikson, a man who had recently made a name for himself and who was quite popular among the peasants. It was then that the promise he had made with his father came back to him.
Never having been one for manners or subtlety, he just up and walked towards Bard and asked him to take him in as an apprentice. The villagers stared in shock. The soldiers burst into laughter, finding the kid's cheeky attitude to be absolutely adorable. Ephraim's father quietly covered his face in shame while retreating into the backround and Bard just flat-out rejected him. There was no snarky comeback, no witty dialogue, just a perfectly neutral, one word answer delivered with a straight face; no. One couldn't even make a joke about it! Ephraim was incredibly stubborn however and, unfortunately for the Captain. he was not going to let this chance go to waste even if he ended up getting a beatdown for his insolence. For the next few days the young boy kept pestering the man, always asking the exact same question and always getting the exact same answer; "Will you take me in as your apprentice?" - "No."
And so the days passed, and soon came the time for the patrol to leave, taking Ephraim's dream along with it. Naturally, he did not plan to give up, so for one last time he went to ask of Bard to take him in. By that point, observing Ephraim had become somewhat of a spectacle for younger kids, some admiring the red-haired boy's courage (or rather impudence) and some just eager to see if he would finally receive a beating. However, something different happened that day. Ephraim himself does not fully remember the details, but he clearly remembers the climax; a young, 12-year old him and Maria, a 10-year old female friend of his, cornered against a tree by a large, highly venomous and aggressive viper. It was a dangerous situation, so it was only natural that Bard and any nearby soldiers would try to rescue the children. It wasn't easy however, for one wrong move could cause the snake to go berserk and viciously attack the kids. As such, while the battle-hardened commander would sneak up behind the snake and cleave it in half, another soldier would slowly move from behind the tree's thick trunk and act as a shield in case something went awry. Unfortunately however, as the soldier had almost moved into position, a crow released a shrill, loud cry from above the tree. The snake, already on high alert, was spooked by the sudden sound and lunged at Maria with the intention to kill. Then, something extraordinary happened; before the girl could react, before the soldier could react, and even before Bard could reach them, Ephraim snatched the knife of the soldier (who was right next to him by that time) and slashed off the snake's head mid-lunge.
No one realized what just happened, not until the viper's lifeless, headless corpse fell on the grass below their feet - not even the perpetraitor that is! Bard, obviously impressed with what he had seen, asked the kid how he had done that, quite obviously expecting him to have received some sort of training at some point along his life. The answer surprised him, for it was the first time the boy had ever held a weapon and no one had ever taught him how to. It was instinct, he claimed. At that point, the gaze with which the veteran had observed the boy up till that point changed - perhaps he had seen something of himself within the simple peasant-boy, or perhaps he merely wished to see if what he saw was hidden talent or a mere stroke of luck (Bard would never give a clear answer to the question in the future, no matter how many times Ephraim would ask). His father readily (relatively speaking) agreed to entrust his son's future to the soldier, provided that they would communicate regularly through messenger-birds. The request was deemed to be prerfectly logical, and so it was granted. As an added bonus, the soldier present in the incident even let Ephraim keep the knife he had killed the viper with, stating that the boy had earned it.
For the next five years, Ephraim would faithfully act as Bard's personal servant (of sorts), helping with chores while receiving training and guidance. The youth's lively personality, fierce sense of independence, sharp tongue and taste for adventure soon enough made him a favourite among the Bridgeburners. While never properly enlisted, many treated him as the 'team pet', a cat that liked to hang around despite being out of place. It was true, Ephraim was not cut-out for military service. He was extremely skilled and talented, capable of dueling people with far more experience than him into submission, but he lacked discipline. He was a great warrior but, in the end, a soldier's true weapon was the ability to follow orders and to act as a unit along with their comrades. Ephraim was simply far too free-spirited, he could not be held down by things like duty and the chain of command. Even Bard, the only person Ephraim would actually listen to, couldn't fully control him. In the end, the soldiers decided that it was easier to find peaceful ways to deal with the boy's more eccentric tendencies rather than try and stop them. The female soldiers for example opted to just accept his compliments and constant flirting with a polite smile, and everyone often 'forgot' to invite him on card-game nights. However, it would be that very lack of discipline and tendency to disobey that one day saved Bard's life.
It was a usual operation. According to intel the Bridgeburners were to stave off an assault by numerically superior mercenary forces on Pinemarsh. While most would be at least skeptical of facing enemies who outnumbered them, the battle-hardened unit was long since used to fighting with a handicap. They deployed without question, confident in their skills and bravery, as well as their powerful commander. Alas, it was not so, for the mercenaries proved to be greater in both numbers and skill than anyone had anticipated. Using the terrain to their advantage they harrassed the unit with hit-and-run tactics before smashing onto them with the entire bulk of their forces. A slaughter ensued as ranks broke and the marsh turned crimson from the blood of hundreds of men and women. While the mercenary force emerged victorious, their triumph was a mere technicality for their forces were decimated and in no position to make an assault on a fortified city; Pinemarsh was safe, but the price was truly steep.
On that day, Ephraim was stuck in the city. Often he was instructed to observe the battlefield from a safe vantage-point, or assist in safer tasks before and after the battle, but this time Bard deduced that it was far too risky. For his own good, Ephraim was to remain in the city and 'hold the fort', if things would come down to that. Ephraim, of course, decided that he was not going to have any of that. On the first chance he sneaked out, abandoning his post and making his way to where the battlefield was. The sight he came upon was utterly shocking to say the least. Having missed the fight, what he came across was essentially a swampy plain paved with corpses. The muddy ground beneath his boots had turned red from the blood which was even starting to form small pools here and there. The metallic smell of the crimson fluid had overpowered even the stench of the swamp and you couldn't walk 10 steps without almost tripping over a dismembered limb. It was in the midst of all that carnage where Ephraim found his mentor, his stubborn, oafish and thick-skinned mentor, dying from bloodloss. On that day Ephraim ran faster than he ever had. According to eye-witness testimonies, Ephraim had burst into the medical ward like a madman, hair in a mess and clothes stained with blood and mud. He would then practically drag them over to the corpse-covered swamp where Bard lay amidst the remains of several hacked-up mercenaries. On that day the life of Bard Alrikson was spared, and the career of Commander 'Dual Strike' was not.
By all accounts, Ephraim should've felt like a hero. He had saved his mentor's life, repaying him more than enough for saving him from a life of dullness. In Ephraim's mind however, he had failed to save something even more important; Bard's way of life. He followed him back to the capital, his guilt causing him to perform his 'duties' as assistant with a lot less fuss and a lot less complaining. In the end however, the fact that Bard's livelihood as a soldier was over remained. Ephraim did not wish to become a nurse, and there was nothing else for the veteran to teach him. Bard, of course, also knew this. He probably didn't want to tie down Ephraim, not to mention that the lad was not all that good of a caretaker in the first place. Deciding that the best thing he could do for the young man was to let him go, he used what few funds he had to buy him a sturdy sword and a messenger hawk. After that he sent him off on his own special way, laced with his usual tough, swear-sprinkled goodbye. The young man soon left in search of adventure, naming his hawk 'Quicksilver' due to the bird of prey's breathtaking speed and beautiful silver/grey-edged white wings.
For one year he would travel, doing small jobs all around the land. Work for those with courage and a blade could always be found, but when it came to big-time contracts like eradicating bandit camps the local lord or populace generally preferred mercenary bands over a single individual. Thankfully, even if he found himself with a purse less than comfortably light, he could always rely on the nearest pub to get himself some quick cash (through cheating, of course).
Life kept going as usual, until he received a rather special letter from his father that is. In the past few months, he had read about how his old man had come to know a woman that he liked and how the two seemed to be hitting it off quite well. Apparently, their relationship managed to reach the point where they considered marriage, and Ephraim was invited. The young man, while very much happy that his father finally found some company (as leaving him alone for all those years made the swordsman feel rather guilty), he was naturally skeptical. As such, he eagerly took the chance and returned to his old home, the village feeling much smaller than when he had last seen it.
He would not stay for too long a time, as the wedding took place not even 2 weeks after his arrival. During that period, Ephraim had enough time to bond with his step-mother and find out, much to his delight, that she was actually a very nice, very sweet woman. As such, after the ceremony was completed, he would give the newly wed couple his blessing, entrusting his father's happiness to his new wife. But he did warn her that if she did anything wrong, he wasn't going to let slide off easily - even if she was a woman. And on that positive note he once more hit the road.
Image from ioffer.com, found through google images.
Image from myarmoury.com, found through google images.
