❝

I'm here because this is something only I can do-- & I don't want to let those guys down. I've never had anything to fight for before now-- but that's what they are to me. I want to protect them-- I want to prove that I can. I don't want to be left behind again !

❞

• credit
• biography
• verses
• connections
• stat sheet
• inventory
• muse select

ㅤbiography.ㅤ

as a child, vel was found alone, wandering the eastern plains of hanazira, aimless within the lower-lying reaches of shiranako's fog. to this day, he has no memory of how he got there-- perhaps he had wandered too far from his settlement in transit. Perhaps his parents had been among one of the many expeditions lost to the great enshrouded mountain, their young son waiting at camp as the only survivor. Not that it matters. Whatever may have brought him to fend for himself against the wilds surrounding the anomaly, the results are the same-- & Vel can't remember a thing from inside that fog, anyway. Hell, by the time he was found, the runt could barely remember his own name.
The important thing is that he was found. one of Meyin's many blades-- an assassin returning from a job well-done-- came across the boy, drifting like a ghost on the outskirts of the guild's territory, hair as white as the fog he stumbled from. Taking in outsider children to raise within Meyin's culture is far from an uncommon practice; this child carried an impressive resilience about him; an uncommon determination to survive. The kind of potential that could serve an assassin's guild well, in the future, if he could survive the training. with that, Vel was brought into the shadow of meyin-- no older than seven years of age-- & meticulously forged from a lost child into a sharpened knife.

Early on in his training, Vel was introduced to another boy around his age, called Naiya. The two were assigned to each other as partners-- and as insurance. Meyin assassins do not typically act alone. If one falters, the partner is meant to act as a failsafe. Trust only your partner, the boys are told; Lay your life in his hands. Thus, Naiya and Vel were brought up side-by-side, trained to work & fight together, to ensure one another's survival & success, their fates bound tight. Inseparable throughout their lives in Meyin; through every kill, every broken bone.
They were sent on their first supervised job when Vel was nine-- something simple, meant to remain clandestine. Vel was a clumsy child, but even with his unsteady hands, his steps were silent-- it was up to him to slip poison into the target's goblet & escape while Naiya provided a distraction to clear his way. All went well, up until Vel's retreat. The poison kicked in fast, & as the target died, he knocked a lit candle to the floor. The place caught alight quickly & as it all began to come down, Naiya's escape route was cut off. Vel's way out was clear, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. He could cut & run, but instead, the clumsy runt turned & faced the blaze. He doused his cloak in the contents of his waterskin & threw it over a section of the wreckage, climbing over it in order to reach a hand out for Naiya. They escaped with only the loss of Vel's cloak & water, but far more importantly, Vel proved that he would never leave his partner behind.

From that day on, they passed the years together, preserving each other, each guarding the other's back & saving one another's lives countless more times after the first. They were a set of Meyin blades slicked in blood, a perfect match-- an exercise in comorbidity personified. They grew into adulthood and Vel grew stronger, faster, steadier-- advancing at an alarming rate. the deeper he fell into the muck and blood, the deadlier he became-- a weapon; a tool with a purpose, rather than a person with a life. Naiya was no slouch himself, of course, and together they were a truly formidable team.
Eventually, however, there came a job that they failed. A hefty price was set upon the head of a man calling himself Tempest-- an exiled elf & a powerful spellcaster. Vel, now fully grown into a force of nature among the shadows, came close to taking Tempest's life many times-- but never once succeeded. However, despite his victories over his would-be assassin, Tempest never killed Vel. Never even turned him in. But still, the blade refused to abandon his job-- or allow anyone else in Meyin to take it from him & try their hand. For what reason, Vel still can't say. His pride, perhaps, or his single-minded determination to complete a contract once taken. Or, perhaps, he & Tempest were bound from the start by something far more-- a single thread of destiny that would one day braid itself into a rope thick enough to bind them.

The blade that was Velkyn Kilana would never bring that fateful contract to its end. One night, for reasons he had no chance to question, the one person he trusted most in all the world buried his dagger straight into Vel's heart. That night, he fell at Naiya's hand, left to lie bleeding and cold in the falling snow. That night, as his vision went dark, Vel believed that he would die.
And yet, he did not. Though he had no idea how long he was out, Vel's eyes did open again. Naiya was nowhere to be seen. Vel was weak, barely breathing, with that achingly familiar blade still sunk deep into his flesh-- but his heart was still beating. Stubbornly, painfully beating. Suddenly, he was faced with a choice; the first choice of a life spent bereft of options. He could stay down and die as he was, or he could get back up as something new. The only thing he couldn't do was go back.

From there, Vel dragged himself to his feet, casting himself headfirst into the uncertainty of change. He had been fashioned from a person into a blade, but now, he's struck with the daunting task of fashioning a blade into a person-- into himself. He has to learn to adapt to his fresh scars, to the pain that never fades, to the damage dealt so severely that the skills he once relied upon must be replaced & something new must be learned.
Now, Vel is raw strength, the adrenaline rush of battle-rage, and the sharp tactical mind of a warrior-- at his most comfortable in the throes of combat. He makes his living as a traveling mercenary, these days, selling his services to guard caravans, protect those with coin to spare-- hired muscle, if you will. He doesn't know where he's going or where he'll end up-- but this, at least, is a start. A fresh start; not as a heartless, unquestioning sword, but as something truly alive.

Recently, Velkyn received a personal summons-- a job offer with fair pay. He was hired by a man calling himself Alagos, tasked with acting as his bodyguard and "keeping him alive" throughout the duration of a journey heading from Hanazira to the city of Aerath, across the sea in the nation of Aiva. They were joined by several other allies-- each from their own walks of life, each with their own reasons for taking the trip.
Along the way, Vel discovered that the man who's life he was tasked with defending was none other than the man he had spent years of his previous life trying & failing to kill-- a twist of fate that was almost funny, really. Tempest, now in disguise as Alagos, had found himself in a position not so different from Vel's own & had sought to hire the strongest person he knew of as his protector; that being the person who once came closest to killing him.
Despite his detestation for being lied to, Vel can hardly blame Tempest for keeping his identity a secret from his former hunter. Yet, as it turns out, there was nothing for him to fear. The Vel who was bent on taking Tempest's life died under his partner's dagger-- whoever stood in his place now, though irritated, lacked all interest in finishing that old job.
They were both forever changed, stripped bare of all they had once defined themselves by; yet that loss is what opens a new chapter in the intertwined threads of their stories. Vel resolves to see this job through to the end-- to keep Tempest and the others alive. He finds something in them that he wants to safeguard-- not for coin or lack of autonomy, but for the simple, fierce desire to protect that which is dear to him.

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

• Diamond

ㅤappearance.ㅤ

the first thing most notice about vel are his scars. his body is littered with them, marred rifts standing stark against the deep grey of his skin-- a living, breathing battlefield. unique paths carve their way into his flesh from head to toe, & from the prominent slashes across his face to the myriad of tiny nicks all over his hands, no mark exists without its own story. Despite the intimidating air these various disfigurements lend him, his features are handsome in their own right. sharp eyes, clever & bright as amaranth-- although the left is pale & sightless-- lined carefully in vibrant red pigment. His skin is dotted with dark freckles-- most notably, one under his left eye & another under his mouth on the same side. when he smiles, that confident, slightly lopsided grin parts to reveal sharp pearly fangs just past the curl of his lips. his white hair is often unruly, grown past his shoulders in soft loose waves, & usually worn partially tied back with a red woven cord. though shorter in stature than average, vel's form packs intense power in the way of lean, whipcord muscle. A man of few words, much of velkyn's emotional state is communicated instead through various displays of body language. his ears and tail are particularly expressive, though his face and stance aren't any better at hiding what he feels. he's an open book for those who dare to read.

his clothing style leans mainly towards hanaziran motifs, though Meyin's influence has taught him to stray from the colors and patterns that are more prominent in other parts of the nation. vel wears mostly blacks & greys, lacking any and all decorative patterns in his everyday wear. He favors clothing that doesn't restrict his movements, doesn't draw attention, & doesn't make too much noise in more strenuous situations. usually, he prefers dressing in form-fitting, sleeveless upper garments. he doesn't hesitate to reveal more skin than one might expect; most of his tops sport cut-outs, showing glimpses of his chest or back, or a hemline that doesn't cover his midriff. In contrast, he wears looser, more fluid pants for the sake of freedom of movement, most often dressing in a pair of hakama-fashioned trousers tied firmly at his waist and cinched with a red sash and a braided grey cord. he tends to only dress in proper armor when heading into a significant battle and will otherwise choose ease of movement & stealth over heavy protection. vel carries carnage, an enormous greatsword with a crimson blade, in its scabbard upon his back. though it maintains pride of place, vel is armed to the teeth even without it & keeps several other weapons on him, close at hand.

ideals

✧ INTEGRITY ; you will never betray another, not even yourself. you hold tight to the things entrusted to you. don't share others secrets, don't tell stories that are not yours to tell. you are an honest man, but this doesn't make you negligent with the trust of others. this integrity in itself is something dear to you-- a part of yourself you refuse to compromise. finish what you start, wield your sword according to what drives you, even if you are still in the process of discovering what that is for yourself.
✧ PROTECTION ; you take the hits so that your loved ones don't have to. both in & out of battle, you roll with the punches. they hurt you less than the average person, you think, so why shouldn't you shoulder them. when others are afraid, you step up next to them, you stand in front of them. reliable and sincere; if anyone seeks to take from you, you don't give up without a fight. make certain they bleed for it.

bonds

✧ meyin ; the crucible you were forged within. you grew up here, stuck deep inside the inner city like a tiny dagger stuck in the ribs of a giant. your worth was predicated on success, on efficiency. your failures were met with either ire by those invested in your advancement or mirth by those who were uplifted by your downfall. it holds countless familiar faces for you: your teacher-- the man who raised you; naiya-- the boy you were raised with; you are all killers, cut from the same cloth and woven into a perpetual cycle. a necessary evil. you've broken free-- or have you?
✧ tempest ; you think he must be what destiny looks like. you took a job on him once, what feels like a lifetime ago, & though you failed time & time again, you refused to let it go. even then, you could not bear to hand him over to anyone else. today you stand side by side rather than opposed & you realize that you've never been happier. after gaining this, you're relieved you failed.

flaws

✧ aggressive ; you are prone to taking decisive action-- for better or worse. even not knowing where it might take you, the road forward is always better than standing still-- than laying down & dying. when things settle into stagnation, you feel your blood begin to boil. yours is not a soul meant for sitting still & when those you're working with turn passive, you take matters into your own hands in the only ways you know how. you are socially graceless & forthright to the point of bluntness, but you get the job done-- no matter what.
✧ forgiving ; a fine trait, but you allow far too much harm to yourself. you believe that the horrors committed against you do not come without reason & so, you do not recoil from them. when someone you love hurts you, you allow them leeway, even if they've left you irreparably broken. once you love, you cannot bring yourself to hate.

mental

✧ symptoms of C-PTSD ; including but not limited to: heightened anxiety & hypervigilance; nightmares & flashbacks; aggression, impulsivity, & self-destructive tendencies; feelings of being permanently damaged & worthlessness.
✧ autism ; associated behaviors include but are not limited to: maintaining intense eye-contact even when others might consider it inappropriate; nonverbal periods; stimming & fidgeting behaviors-- namely finger-drumming & toying with certain bladed weapons; severe irritability when overstimulated; single-minded focus or fixation on certain things.

physical

✧ chronic pain & fatigue ; caused by many old wounds but particularly by the one dealt by naiya. as a result of damage sustained, your body is no longer capable of maintaining the reflexes & precision you were trained to rely on as an assassin. now, physical exertion comes hand in hand with pain-- that familiar piercing sensation in your chest cutting through the endorphins & digging claws into the scar tissue around your heart. forced to start from scratch, you adapted; learning to use the rage in conjunction with the strange magic burning inside you to keep that debilitation at bay. You can't buckle under the pain if you can't feel it.

phobias

✧ scopophobia ; the fear of being watched. as someone who's life once depended on hiding in the shadows or being a face in the crowd, the spotlight has always somewhat unnerved you. however, you have never reacted to something with more visceral discomfort than when you set foot into the lesser church of the watcher from the waves. all those eyes-- it made your skin crawl. it made you want to run.
✧ fear of abandonment ; you don't want to be left behind again. whether by will or chance, you fear loss. you fear being helpless to protect those you care for and so you fight to show that you aren't. that you are worth keeping.

played by

armor class

18

breakdown ;

✧ 15 base ac ; armor of the steadfast warrior. +1 scale mail. advantage on saves against unwilling movement in any direction.
✧ + 3 ; dexterity bonus.
✧ + 1 ( circumstantial ) ; wild magic rage effect # 6. surrounded by protective lights; you & allies within 10 ft. gain a +1 bonus to AC.

initiative

+3

breakdown ;

✧ +3 ; dexterity bonus.

speed

40 _ft.

breakdown ;

✧ 30 ft. base speed ; medium sized creature.
✧ + 10 ft. ; 5th level barbarian > fast movement. increases when not wearing heavy armor.

current hp

79/79

potential actions ;

✧ self heal ; blood-bound amulet. Upon attacking someone, restore 1d4 hit points at the end of your turn. once per turn.
✧ self heal ; 1st level fighter > second wind. Twice per long rest, you can use a bonus action to regain 1d10 + 1 HP.

temp hit points

0

potential actions ;

✧ + 1d12 ( circumstantial ) ; wild magic rage effect # 1. Shadowy tendrils lash around you. Each creature of your choice within range must succeed on a CON save or take 1d12 necrotic damage. You also gain 1d12 temporary hit points.

hit dice

6d12 _& 1d10

breakdown ;

✧ 6d12 ; 6 barbarian levels.
✧ 1d10 ; 1 fighter levels.

death saves

history ;

✧ survived ; two failures / three successes. pre-campaign, in hanazira. fell at the hand of his old partner, Naiya. dagger to the chest, left to die.

amulet of water breathing

✧ purchased for each member of the party after arrival in Aerath. these were necessary to traverse the sea district of the city, but vel has continued to wear his due to his considerable affection for the water & swimming in it. this is one of his favorite items on his person; all because it facilitates him diving into the sea whenever he pleases.

potion of fire breath

✧ bought following the ceremony of acknowledgement for dealing with the abyssal demon threatening Aiva. after recognizing a familiar merchant, vel chose to spend his hard earned coin on some useful items for himself & faunalyn (previously clars). they have an unpredictable journey ahead; it pays to have a few tricks up their sleeves.

vial of basic poison

✧ made by vel the day before the party set out to battle the abyssal demon. seeing that it was capable of possessing others, vel brewed this vial of poison as insurance in case he lost an important battle of wills. now that the battle is done and the poison rendered unnecessary in terms of its intended purpose, vel still carries it; it could still be useful.

equipment / armor

lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.