Rawth |
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OOC Game Stats | |
Faction | Elyos |
Class | Cleric |
Professions | General Labor, Transient |
IC Info | |
Nicknames | "Ugly" |
Title | None |
Age | 30 |
Height | 5'11" |
Build | Lean |
Hair | Black |
Eyes | Black |
Skin | Reddish Brown |
SUMMARY[]
A cynic and die-hard hedonist confronts the confusing reality that he is developing "holy" healing powers.
But can a transient who loves whores and brew truly be a servant of Yustiel?
And will Rawth's tenuous grip on his sanity slip him into lunacy?
BACKGROUND[]
The Basics[]
Rawth is a hedonist and a cynic. He is also a transient with no emotional connection to anything save a fresh glass of ale and a disease-free prostitute.
For years Rawth lived this way, wandering around Poeta with no purpose or care; scrounging what he can out of odd-jobs, seasonal work and the occasional street scam. Now suddenly, he is experiencing strange nightmares that seem to urge him to pursue a higher calling. Even more alarming he appears to be developing "holy" healing powers.
It all started when he started to read some of the "holy" teachings of Yustiel - but he finds himself too compelled and fascinated to put the book down.
Childhood[]
Rawth's childhood is a blur of painful memories.
He has no memory at all of his real father or mother. He was once told that he has purposefully blocked out this time of his life, in a process psychiatrists refer to as "repression". When Rawth tries to conjure memories of this time, it releases painful feelings and haunting images of the lash.
Rawth never complains of this unfortunate time, and will never mention his painful past. He won't lie about it either, he'll just quickly change the subject.
Puberty[]
Rawth's first tangible memories center around him being adopted by a brothel as he entered his early teenage years.
Rawth's ability to scrap in street fights, and his general willingness to do any odd chore in exchange for food and lodging, made him a useful boy for the brothel to have around. The brothel's matron, Madame La Chat (or so she called her self), took a fancy to him, and while she provided well for him, she also took unhealthy advantage of him. She abused the boy sexually and occasionally farmed him out to customers eager to take advantage of Rawth's boyish physique.
Rawth was spared a life of sexual abuse, because as he began to age, his boyish features left him - and what remained was a rather ugly face - and a lean, somewhat awkward, hairy body. This made him unattractive to customers and even Madame La Chat found a new boy toy to boss around. The prostitutes came to call him "Ugly", a nickname that Rawth still responds to this day.
Still, this time in his life gave him some stability, as well as some basic street skills such as pilfering, confidence scams and street fighting which would serve him well in adulthood. The fact his memory does not repress this time, means as bad as it was, his childhood was apparently worse.
Adulthood[]
It was only a matter of time, before Madame La Chat asked Rawth to leave. His rather dry wit, cynical mind and his growing habit of disobeying orders, simply made him too unprofitable to keep around.
So Rawth took the surrounding wilds of Poeta as a home. He drifted from borough to borough, farm to farm begging for work, food and lodging as best he could. He was a dirty young man, who often took advantage of any charity offered him. He would accept the gratuity of a farmer providing him free room and board, but within weeks start an affair with the farmer's wife. He'd gladly accept errands to tend to a stable or barn, but then run off with a few chickens and sell them on the market never to return.
His reputation as a scoundrel soon began to grow, and he'd often have to change his name and his appearance radically to elude law enforcement. He drank vociferously, and he'd often return to the brothel he worked at, but this time as a paying customer. Sometimes he'd watch the "John's" leave the facility and roll them for their coin, sharing the profits with the hookers who got each John suitably inebriated first.
He would be imprisoned from time to time for petty theft, or drunken behavior, but his crimes were never serious enough to imprison him for life. And he had a knack of drawing sympathy from judges, cops and prison guards, which seemed to always reduce his sentences - or even - help him escape.
He lived like this, as a dirty urchin, until his 30th summer. He was never particularly happy, but he was never particularly miserable either. Had he died a bum, he would have regretted nothing.
The Infinity Shard[]
Part 1: A Book of Sonnets[]
One day however, when he was on the street begging for food, a kind man gave him a book.
"I can't eat a book, old man," Rawth sneered.
"Yes, you can. That book can feed you in a way you can't even imagine, Rawth," and the old man tapped the cover of the book gently and pushed it closer to him.
Rawth was taken aback, how did the old man know his real name? He was positive he had never met the man.
The old man walked away gently without another word, leaving Rawth holding the book.
The book was titled: "A Collection of Sonnets, Songs and Sermons", and it was written by Yustiel. Rawth opened it up, and his life changed forever.
Shortly after he began reading the book Rawth began to develop special healing powers. He discovered this on the first day he received the book, when he was able to heal a small paper cut by simply concentrating and willing the small sliver to heal.
Rawth was not happy about this particular development. For one thing, he knew "holy healers" are often shuttled into lives as Clerics, and even worse, those Clerics are often called into service in the war.
Rawth also felt like he was losing his mind, and had difficulties distinguishing dream from reality. To make matter worse, his dreams began to haunt him. The dreams began to feel like a second-life all on its own. He often woke up more tired than he was when he went to sleep, and sometimes felt he has spent entire days in his sleep in some separate, mysterious life.
The book he received from the old man also had a hand-written note on page 227. One he did not discover until he hit that particular page. The passage read:
It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.
On the margin of this passage, was a brief note:
Seek the one they call Aleph. He is your Great Uncle, brother to your Grandmother.
The entry floored Rawth, for he had never known a real family. It didn't help matters the man mentioned as Aleph, a somewhat insane alchemist of dreadful reputation, some even called him a "traitor".
Rawth made a vow to seek Aleph out, and it is here that his adventures begin...
PUBLICATIONS[]
SHOCK Publishing, a small independent publishing company that also prints comic books began to take up Rawth's tale and document it...
TRIVIA/PERSONALITY[]
Rawth will borrow his personality heavily from old "tough guy" heroes, that are often pariahs as well. The closest of which will probably be Clint Eastwood's character in the film: Pale Rider. Other inspiration will come from Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Cagney.
Aleph is a character that will provide a hook for Rawth joining the Builder's Blades legion. I chose this legion because of its "pariah" theme and for its general aversion to the war and the racism of the Elyos. This will be a central aspect of Rawth's adventures.
Rawth will conflict a great deal with the ruling elites of the Elyos, while still finding inspiration and guidance from Yustiel's teachings. Yustiel's desire to also end the war and embrace the idea of unity, is something Rawth will eventually gravitate to.
Rawth will never complain, but he will be bitter cynic and skeptical of others due to his miserable past.
A soundtrack for Rawth would combine sad themes, (similar to Bruce Banner moving from town to town on the old 'Hulk' TV show), but would also have music celebrating Rawth's love of a good party and smooth inner thighs of beautiful women, and of course it would have to music to compliment the brutal combat and the savagery of war.
Therefore, that soundtrack might look something like this:
- There's No Place in the World for Me - Beck - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2RAl4XZ5P0
- 1959 - Sisters of Mercy - http://popup.lala.com/popup/360569462348455370
- I'll Make Love to You Anytime - J.J. Cale - http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627052143971388
- Emerald - Thin Lizzy - http://popup.lala.com/popup/43262707791393095
- Head On - Jesus and Mary Chain - http://popup.lala.com/popup/360569475237564452
- Paint It Black - Rolling Stones - http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627043552686634
- The Best of Jill Hives - Guided by Voices - http://popup.lala.com/popup/2954642834910746462
- Jesus Chris Pose - Soundgarden - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4rsRQqHtMw
- Helplessly Hoping - Taxiride - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhVnEUNSc_c
- Albatross - Corrosion of Conformity - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6NywFBtClw