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Name: Xharrakai
Age: 22
Nameday: 3554.05.12
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
Craft: N/A
Rank: Dogsbody/Labourer/Conman
Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description:
Very dark-skinned, much about Xharrakai draws attention. Amber eyes flash with mischief and desire, a captivating gaze to say the very least, veiled by an abundance of dark lashes. Thick, long, choppy hair is dark brown, almost black, at its roots, though he has dyed a large strand of it honey gold, and once dyed the entirety of it white. This gives him a rather pompous skunk look overall, with hair closer to his head dark, and fading to white as it reaches his bottom. Yes, it is impractical. Yes, he is proud. Yes, he has had to learn the styling secrets of noble ladies to keep it manageable for dragonriding.
He is an even six feet, with a slightly stocky build and a muscular physique that he actively works to maintain. He once dressed for attention- with what marks he didn't gamble away, but now focuses almost entirely on the practicalities of being a rider. He loves Gathers and festivities, and will always rise to any splendid occasion with splendour of his own. His favourite trinket is a set of lucky dice he carries with him in an embroidered pouch.
He has scars across his arms and hands- reminders and mementos of his less-than-lucky encounters as a Bitran ruffian. On his right hand, four straight lines stand out a little more than the rest; Xharrakai invents new stories for their existence every time he is asked, always recounting them with a smile.
Personality:
Much can be said about Xharrakai; ask the pit bosses of the Bitran gambling dens, and none of it will be positive. The Lords and Ladies of the minor Holds? Oh, well you don't kiss and tell, you know... Everybody seems to have an opinion of the poor little orphan- which is probably what's kept him alive so long. If you're popular, people don't want to kill you (at least not immediately, anyway).
But it's more than just that, if you ask Xharrakai himself. He's not just a shameless flirt, or a gambling fiend, a dishonest cheat or a conman... No, there is more than just hedonism beneath that gold and obsidian surface: to survive Bitra, one needs one's wits, to maintain control of resources, to act instead of be acted upon. He was a man forged by his environment, and it shows in his internal calculations, in how he makes the best of any bad situation, trying to find an advantage in any position in which he might find himself. Never tell him the odds, he says- it makes the game more fun.
He is smart and quick-witted, but that comes with an unhealthy dose of shrewdness and manipulative tendencies, too. He sees opportunities in which he can advance himself- even if that merely means not paying a price to debt collectors or engaging with the furious kind of married folk. Xharrakai is very intelligent, and in a more supportive environment might even have made a brilliant harper, perhaps; but as it stands now, he is charming and silver-tongued in getting what he wants. He can spin any tale to subdue, woo or enchant, and a captivated audience- one or many- is the key to his smooth and suave victories. He knows the nature of people, at their core, and enjoys going toe-to-toe with the best and the worst of them.
With a love for life born of the knowledge that death can come at any moment, Xharrakai has an innocent, almost childlike joie-de-vivre about him. He is always ready to say yes to the next big adventure, partly because the last adventure might not have ended so well, and partly because new things... Well, excite him! Who knows what the future will bring? Tomorrow is a brand new day. He loves parties and Gathers, and is well-disposed to good old fashioned fun times.
When it comes to conversation, Xharrakai enjoys learning about others. He is discrete in information gathering, dancing with rumour and gossip. His primary goal is to learn more about the person(s) upon whom his sights are set, but without revealing his intentions in the slightest. Easy-going and friendly, Xharrakai shows enough of an interest in the other party that he hopes may quieten their initial reservations they might have about him. He is good at small talk, but might, after time, consider it a bore if it has not brought him a reward of some kind.
In romance, he is a bit of a fiend. This young man will happily chase anything with a pulse that even remotely shows him affection or attention. He likes to tease and torment his 'prey'; but will leave the more innocent alone if he truly believes his actions will have long-lasting negative effects. He does have a beating heart somewhere locked away, and he wants their memories of him to be something fond and sweet, not wrapped in bitterness. Deep down he yearns to find someone as salacious and as difficult as he is, who will rival him in wit and passion, but until then he sees no harm in bringing excitement into the lives of others.
Much like a rat, even cornered Xharrakai will never give up. Clever, quick-witted and resourceful, he is more than willing to employ all of his assets and power to get ahead. He's charming- more than an arguably handsome man has any right to be- and has a habit of finding trouble; either through its creation or in its pursuit. There is never a dull day with Xharrakai around.
Positive Trait List Youthful joie-de-vivre, Charming, Resourceful
Negative Trait List Machiavellian, Shameless, Reckless
History:
The circumstances of Xharrakai’s birth were not fortuitous: born to an alcoholic father and a mother who had sunken into practical drudgery to pay off the man’s debts, the baby was born into hardship and suffering in the dark heart of Bitra Hold. Soon after his arrival, Xharrakai’s father was killed in an ‘accident’, though whisper had it that it was caused by yet more unpaid debts. At age four, Xharrakai’s mother passed away from illness- every comfort she had, she plied on her young son, shortening her own life in the process.
It was an age of difficulty and peril; Xharrakai survived partly on instinct, and partly on the charity of some of the Holdfolk, who had taken a shine to the charming and cherubic young lad. He was rascally and adventurous, bringing a touch of joyful innocence to an otherwise grim world. Despite the early setbacks in his childhood, he showed remarkable persistence and a desire to live that surprised even the surliest of Bitrans. He was bright and eager, and soon found work as part of a small gang that made money smuggling and selling ‘rare imports’. They also engaged in thievary and gambling- but this seemed very normal to the young Xharrakai. He was very good at pick-pocketing, and seemed to have a very lucky streak with dice in particular.
Harper lessons were not a big part of his life- he lacked the discipline to attend regularly, though might have made something of himself if he’d been better encouraged. Instead, he turned his attention to the best methods of making marks- from gambling alone to charming the money out of their hands. A captive audience was exactly what he needed, and as he matured he realised he could use the attention his looks won him to his benefit.
This ruffled some feathers with the higher-ups in his gang, who found his independent ways to be irritating and threatening to their power. They cut ties abruptly, shunning him, and he realised that Bitra was hard to survive alone. Around sixteen he got into debt with some of the meaner folk in the Hold, earning him the scars on his hand. This led to the young man fleeing the Hold proper for neighbouring cotholds. If there was something Xharrakai found he could do- it was survive no matter the odds. He had gotten very good at that.
He had never properly worked before- at least, not in the normal Pernese sense of the word. When he arrived at small cotholds, he scoped out those who would pay him better, or who enjoyed his smiles and chatter, and endeared himself to them to win their favour. More than once he ended up running from an angry married man or woman, or parents who threatened him should he ever show his face again. It turned into a fun little game- how long would his reputation be unsullied at the next cothold? And it was thrilling.
He learnt discretion and tact as he grew older. He learnt how to show tenderness, how to smile, how to portray exactly what he needed to be in order to get ahead. Eventually, he wandered westward, deciding to put as much space between himself and Bitra as possible. Nabol had gambling dens and ways to make money, surely… Only this time, something happened outside of the scope of his precious plans: a Searchrider approached him at Ogren Hold, a minor Hold in the territories of High Reaches. Offered the opportunity to stand for a High Reaches’ clutch, he was overcome with breathless, childish excitement once more. A life as a dragonrider was far better than any life he could imagine in Bitra- and, well… if he failed to Impress, there was always the opportunity of charming some higher-up at the Weyr… that would get him pretty comfy for life, no doubt. Smart dragonriders could be long-lived.
Other:
Candidate Specific Questions
Do you want them to have an official Search RP? No
Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not? Yes
Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression? No
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