Whispers From Beyond

Whispers from Beyond, a.k.a. Arkanian, drawn by DeadXCross for Fyrefly, 2009

Basic Information

Title: Whispers From Beyond
Name: Arkanian
Player: Tony Kirchner
Caste: Day
Concept: Traveling Minstrel/Rogue Abyssal
Motivation: Destroy The Mask of Winters
Political Affiliation: None
Anima: Searing Sun
Song: Slipknot - Wait and Bleed
Whisper: Character Sheet
Whisper: Compendium of Souls
Familiar: Boko

Physical Description

Arkanian's visage has always changed frequently for a number of reasons, now more than ever he uses the ability to change his appearance to avoid those who hunt him. Arkanian tends towards a similar appearance with a number of reoccurring characteristics that compile into his true physical identity. Arkanian always dresses in formal funeral attire, dressing as if he just stepped out of his own coffin; the gothic attire sets the tone for his personality leading to an often accurate first impression of his demeanor from his appearance alone. Most often packed for travel has he rarely stays in one place for long, he caries most of his gear across his back in a large pack that adequately hides most of his weapons while allowing the clear image of a lyre. This enhances his traveling musician appearance that he seeks to maintain.

When Arkanian is not under disguise he appears as a pale skinned young man, standing approximately 6'3" with a thin frame that has grown into an appearance of mild malnutrition. His skin is almost porcelain like in texture and color which poses a stark contrast to pitch black eyes, generally sunken in and underlined in dark shadow. He wears his smooth silver hair short and spiked, keeping the bangs just out of his eyes; his stoic facial expressions and doll like features give him a hauntingly angelic appearance.

Personality

Arkanian projects himself with a cool and calm demeanor while keeping his very different nature hidden from all but the most observant. To most who meet him, he comes off as a cold hearted cynic who has a fascination with death. Those capable of seeing through his various masks, often quite literally, are more familiar with a beast driven by hatred, fear, and a touch of insanity.

While Arkanian is traveling in creation he generally dresses as a traveling bard, dark cloak draped over in an expensive suit with a lyre strapped across his back. He is familiar with the etiquette of the noble courts both in the scavenger lands and the often more complicated courts of the underworld. Despite being currently cut off from means of income he traditionally finds a way to continue a higher standard of living through various means, often taking the guise of well paid local musicians or presenting himself to higher courts to perform for wealthy nobles. Such a status allows him a high level of passage as he travels, but keeps a low profile in the spy networks of his enemies. A status that Arkanian very much wishes to keep.

Background

Arkaian's origins are lost to all but the Malfeans, The Mask of Winters, and himself. His appearance and dialect show that he is from the River Province, most likely from the city of Thorns. Of course this seems unlikely due to the recent take over of The Mask of Winters.

What little is known of Arkanian can be picked up easier by observation than by asking him any direct questions, ones that he would most certainly be reluctant to answer. He received a upper class education covering a broad range of subjects including math, science, literature, and noble etiquette. This accompanied what can only be described as world class instruction in the musical arts; instruction that focused foremost on his ability to play the lyre but included other instruments and song writing.

Before showing up in Great Forks it is believed that he was a traveling bard, possibly the personal minstrel for a king. For whatever the reason Arkanian was released from service, his own demeanor indicates a dark end but that is far from known fact. His arrival in Great Forks was discrete and he maintained a low profile throughout his stay; known for rarely staying at the same place two consecutive nights and often changing his shape. While none who hear him can deny his skill he has yet to play a public performance and make his name known, so it would seem that his purpose in the city lies in some unknown ulterior motive.

Goals & Objectives

Intimacies The servants of the Neverborn are abominations that deserve to be cast into the void. People should not cling to life, they should freely and willingly accept their fate to renter the cycle of lithe or be forever silenced in oblivion. Boko has been my companion for a long time, he understands what it is like to be captive to the Mask of Winter's will and shares the goal to forever escape it.

Arkanian's motivation to continue on with his difficult life is his fear and unending hatred, which has taken the form of several rather ambitious goals. Most clearly and what he would most often happily admit to his desire to see the deathlords and most especially The Mask of Winters suffer and be cast into oblivion. Having already failed a foolishly direct attempt on The Mask of Winters "life" he has decided to buy his time with his second chance at life so that he may find a way to defeat the deathlords and obtain the power necessary to do it. It is this overpowering motivation that drove Arkanian to accept his position as a servant of destruction as well as drove him away from his master and into creation.

For the moment Arkanian is simply content to continue his life as best he can, collecting resources and power that can aid him along the way. He has taken particular interest in the Sidreals as they seem to be the gatekeepers to all the secrets and many powers that are currently unavailable to creation. They share in his desire to be rid of the deathlords so they have established a tentative alliance to that end, Arkanian meanwhile has attempted to earn their favor so that he may in turn begin to make requests of them.

Arkanian's hatred of the powers of the underworld are most obvious but they are far from his only driving factors in his life. Most often he dislikes those he meets, seeing how easily corrupted all beings with human nature are. The greatest example of this in his mind are the glorious solar exalted with whom he hates almost without exception; greater than his hatred for the chosen is his hatred for the creator. For a reason he has never personally disclosed, though high ranking Gold Faction members have their suspicions, he hates the Unconquered Sun second only to The Mask of Winters himself. While there are many obvious dangers in allowing Arkanian to continue his existence in creation some consider this to be the greatest and most subtle, even those who study fate and see the future can not foresee all of Arkanian's motives and they fear what unclear destiny awaits this course of action. Many consider it to be the best course of action to look into the possibility to reverse the process of Abyssal Exaltation, hoping to bring Arkanian's solar shard back into the circle of reincarnation. Unfortunately for the Gold Faction such a procedure does not exist and may not even be possible, certainly if any one knew it would be Chejop Kejak who is unlikely to cooperate with Gold Faction members or the reemerging solars.

Defining Quote

"The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves."

Relationships

Aktuelle

"The Priest either has it all figured out or none of it, I can't decide which it is yet. I respect his knowledge and power but I'm not sure he does; I can't figure out why he puts up with his lazy, good for nothing god and I certainly can't figure out why he'd keep the company that he does. I guess it explains all the drinking and the drugs."

Lazarus

"Please, don't remind me... If I must discuss Lazarus than I will keep it short. Lazarus is exactly what every puppet master wants, a crazed maniac with blood on his mind hiding behind a mask of righteousness. It wouldn't suprise me to see him join the darkness someday, then I truly would have to kill him."

Ledaal Sarefine

"When I heard she was an Imperial who left the Realm I thought she had some potential, than I figured out she did it for all the wrong reasons. All that compassion did was get her killed, we all knew it would."

Remus

"Another sun child who thinks he has all the answers, at least he seems to understand the gravity of his situation. It's a scary thing when the children of the sun focus their power on something; if he can shoulder the burden he might actually change something...if not, he's got a long way to fall."

Steel Heart's Fury

"The barbarian is tolerable as far as naive idealists go. He lives life like its simple, and I like that, except it doesn't work. Sooner or later that world is going to crash in around him, and he'll do what he always does, try the simplest solution. Thats what got me into the mess I'm in today, he'll learn eventually...but it'll probably be too late."

Saros

"If Lazarus is the master's favorite puppet than Saros is his second. The only thing worse than a puppet who asks no questions is a puppet who thinks he's pulling all the strings. That is the greatest secret he will never learn."