Rekkan, the Wandering Druid

[Rekkan]

Name: Rekkan
Age: Twenty-three
Race: Human

Physical Description: A lover of Nature such as Rekkan does not go unnoticed in the most civilized corners of the world. In fact, his own physical structure is something to admire once one has glimpsed past the veil that hides his form ever so sublimely with its blackness. Such veil is mostly known as a cloak that protects its wearer from cold. It is no different for Rekkan, despite the fact that it also protects his face from being revealed. However, one is not without his or hers characteristics. Beneath the cloak lies a man that deserves not to be called skinny nor fat. He is athletic, in fact, with muscles that have certainly endured endless hours of training and meditation. But training and meditation were not the only obstacles this man survived. Scars from the past haunt his backs, apply pressure to his shoulders. While flesh and muscle regenerated, it seemed that memories had broken part of the druid's spirit. To become restored, even if temporarily, Rekkan allowed spirits from the forest to inhabit his body, dwelling as works of arts that only true artists could elaborate: tattoos... A wolf head being engulfed by energy at the center of Rekkan's backs, while a vigilante hawk observes patiently.

There is no giant beneath the cloak of Rekkan, no beast or monster that hides. It is simply a man with twenty-three years of age, one meter and seventy-nine tall, sixty-seven kilos "fat". Maybe it is the way that the druid dresses that gives him away as someone other than the person you wish to solve your problems. The cloak emanates an air of mysticism and mystery, but when the veil falls, what is left is a simple man with a dirty white shirt worthy of a peasant, a pair of used leather boots and ragged leather pants. He is certainly not the ordinary druid, but how can one define "ordinary"? He dresses like one of his Path, but cares not to leave his house without some sort of civil costume?
Rekkan is a man of Nature that understands how to live in modern society, that can live in modern society, but ultimately, one can see the growing flames that try to grasp the air past the druid's dark brown eyes. This fire could consume the world if it was given only a small pint of gasoline, something that made it all explode in an epic chain of fireworks, a sequence of actions and reactions that would not end until Rekkan's dark brown hair turned grey of old age. He would lose every single piece of his long and thick hair, one which he ties with a piece of thin leather, creating a cascading tail that follows down his spine and ends at his waist. The lips that were once aggressive but vivid would turn pale and hard as stone, never to feel the touch of a woman again. Cheeks as hard as marble would succumb to the softness of death and his flesh would fall into pieces, revealing the bitter and dark essence that inhabits this "shell".

The arrogant expression, the air of superiority that emanates from Rekkan when addressing strangers. It is all the product of the past. A gaze that holds murderous intents covers those this man despises, although few ever had the honor of witnessing such glare. But what is more is his surprising actions and words towards those that eventually enter his very small circle of trust. Still holding to his arrogant and prideful self, Rekkan can show compassion and care, all through gestures and expressions of kindness.
The flow with which the druid's body moves is as if it was Nature. While others learned to link with the Mother through the spiritual realm, Rekkan always maintained a very physical connection with Her.
A wolf tooth hangs on Rekkan's neck. It protects him from betrayal and keeps his true friendsf close, not forgetting the considerable honor it bestows on one to be chosen to wear it. Two piercings are revealed on Rekkan's ears. One stands for chaos, while the other stands for order. They are not simple jewelry, for Rekkan's way of life is dictated by those two forces of energy.

Possessions:

"The Bag": The "Bag" is Rekkan's storage for the most varied of things. It has three different compartments separated by leather, and so the druid divides his findings by three categories: herbal products, junk and notes. It's not a big bag, but it is enough to carefully keep herbs for the production of three potions, a few dozens of pages and small pieces of jewelry Rekkan salvages to get by when times get harder.

Canteen: Made of leather, this object is used by the druid to store water for long travels. It's usually full of pure, crystal clear water, Rekkan's favorite drink.

Fang: A very simple silver dagger. This is what allows the druid to fend against creatures at night or in the deepest and most obscure regions of the world. While i holds no runes or engravings, Rekkan performed a ritual to baptize the object, sharing his energy with that of the weapon. As the dagger came from Nature, why would it not share a bond with its wielder?

Iron short sword: A more sophisticated weapon for situations in which the druid must defend himself from thieves and other threats provided by the civilized world. He keeps this weapon sheathed at the left side of his waist, running down his thigh to his knee.

Book of Lore and Medicine: Rekkan keeps a detailed set of pages full of information of creatures and locations, along with combinations of herbs to create potions. This aids him in the gathering of information and the lifting of curses and illness. It has been passed down from father to son, which means he has set out to discover the world with a good amount of information.
Note: While I am a bit... oblivious to the complete lore of this world, I will try and pick up on information gathered through posts and perhaps flashbacks to give authenticity to this particular possession. None breaking meta-game, so if I break that limit by accident, I will not hesitate on complying to staff's request if the information my character possesses seems too far fetched.

Wolf Tooth: This necklace protects Rekkan from curses and evil spirits. It grows in power as long as his wearer does the same, with its peak being the ability to sense hostile creatures.

The Earrings: The earrings of Chaos and Order are located in opposites of Rekkan's head to demonstrate his standing in the resolution of the world. The neutrality the druid tries to achieve is represented by having the earrings.

Strengths:

Herbalist: Rekkan holds considerable knowledge of herbs used for medicinal and other purposes. He is able to identify herbs and their goal on their own or if mixed with other plants.

Potion Maker: The druid is able to create potions from the information he has of herbs. This allows him to create potions for medicinal purpose or even combat oriented formulas, such as poison coatings.

Experienced Swordsman: Rekkan has been introduced to the Art of Swordsmanship by his father and can be described as a seasoned warrior with swords of varied length. However, he is specialized in the use of short swords and daggers, trusting more on his speed and reflexes rather than brute strength.

Nature Calling: A gift given to all full grown druids by the Mother. A druid is able to converse with simple creatures at first, like a fox or rabbit. However, as they evolve, they are able to communicate with stronger creatures and befriend them, along with the ability of speaking with plants. Rekkan is able to call one animal to his aid in the beginning, as he has just received his gift. The more he bonds with Nature, the more this power will increase.

Die Hard: Rekkan's hard training regime and his time passed in dungeons when he was a teenager has grown on his flesh and bone. He is more resistant against physical attacks, being able to withstand strong punches and hold his own with a sturdy block from his sword or a shield.

Weaknesses:

Frailty Against Magic: While the scars left on his body healed, Rekkan's soul is still debilitated from the experiences made upon him. This proves to be a hazardous weakness as he is prone to suffer more than usual from magic.

A Long Way From A Hard Swing: Rekkan's body is shaped to react skilfully with speed and reflexes. While his body denotes an athletic build, he is not capable of landing heavy punches and kicks, or wielding weapons that require the adequate strength. Two-handed weapons are out of the question, although he struggles and is able to throw a swing or two.

Nature Screaming: The Mother's gift is not without its curse. While some creatures will befriend the druid, others will seek his call just to hunt him down. These are no ordinary beasts as well, for sometimes even the faintest of calls can summon the most dangerous hunter.

Inner Beast: Like all wandering druids, Rekkan's connection with Nature strengthens at a rate which the tribal druids cannot compare with. This creates a beast inside of the druid's soul, which calls out to him and attempts to trick him in order to obtain control of his body. This usually occurs in traumatic experiences and stressful situations. The Inner Beast is nothing but the alter ego of a druid, a split personality that is created and is believed to be the "human disguised as a monster". Either way, Rekkan fights to control it as the beast attempts to trick him, to bribe him and trap him inside. It will also try to force itself out and destroy Rekkan's spirits in moments of great peril, deciding to take over and commandeer the ship.
The Inner Beast wants freedom, it wants control. Once caged inside the very core of Rekkan, it was released due to the lonesome path the druid decided to take upon himself. The lust to feel again, to claw and gnaw...

Fear of Werewolves: Doomed to witness the death of his werewolf brother at the hand of bounty hunters, the druid has a sudden panic attack when confronting or watching a werewolf for the first time. This causes him to cower in fear and run or drastically lose his focus and composure. It is possible that more meetings with werewolves will weaken this fright. Eventually, Rekkan will understand that his brother is dead and that he should not feel guilty for his death. Until then, the face of his brother will be in every werewolf's body.

History:

"I wanted to become a druid ever since I remember myself. However, my father did not introduce me to the Path until I understood Mother's will and the cycle of Nature. I was fourteen when I became the apprentice of my old man."

Born into a family of four, and belonging to a notorious tribe of druids, Rekkan was always a cheery and funny kid growing up. He would run past the forest trails with his brother, Mikael, into the sacred coves of Mother to play and show Her how he would protect the tribe's name as a druid. At the age of fourteen, he finally began his training as a druid. His father was his tutor, like his father before him. There was more to the family than the tribe, and that was the family itself. Joakim, Rekkan's father, made his son endure harsh training regimes to strengthen the body and spirit. It was working, and Rekkan was becoming a fine druid, one that would definitely develop a strong Calling.
By that time, Mikael was seventeen, three years older than Rekkan. One year from then, he would receive the blessing of the wolf and become a guardian of the tribe, a werewolf. They continued to venture together, as brothers, into the sacred coves, now to pray to Mother and share their experiences of the day. The forest was a paradise for the druids, there was no doubt about that.

Then one year passed, and Mikael became a werewolf. He was the pride to the family and the tribe, a new guardian was rising at last. However, it was then that a settlement had just been completed in the outskirts of the forest. It didn't take long for the humans to venture too deep into the wilderness and endanger the druids and their families.
"This is so wrong! What did we do to deserve this?!" Those were the words Rekkan stated so many times, especially when his brother came soaked in blood. A peasant had walked too much, he had seen too much. Even though the tribe knew it was wrong, they needed to think about themselves and the acts that would come from the humans if they knew where the druids were.
Weeks later, one of the tribesmen arrived at the lair with an arrow piercing his backs. His life was fleeting, energy pulsing and crying to get out of the now rotting shell.

"Bounty hunters..." Muttered Joakim. "It seems we need to move."

But Mikael would not give up that easily. He was the pride of the tribe. "I will kill them! Do not worry, father! We're protected here! I'll protect us!"

The werewolf vanished, but after him went fifteen years old Rekkan. He tried to chase his brother, but he was no Mikael. His legs began to shake as he noticed he was alone. A sighting of the future, perhaps? The soon to be druid tried to find his way, but no symbol existed to show him the way, or perhaps he was just too young to understand the basics of orientation in such deep and lifeless area.
Growls and screams could be heard in the distance. Rekkan followed the sound, knowing that it was his brother massacring the hunters. Little did he know that being so certain would make him fall.
Rekkan's arrival was the opportunity the hunters needed. Caught from behind, he was held hostage. His brother, Mikael, could do nothing. He would weep as the spears were carved in his chest and arms, daggers mutilating his head and backs. Such a painful fate for someone so kind. He left a brother behind, one that would want to avenge him at any costs.

But the hunters had other plans. They kidnapped Rekkan and decided to know more of the tribe as if they were nothing like humans. Even though experiment failed again and again, the fanatics needed some kind of evidence. The druid knew that if he did not escape, the failed experiments would turn into a dead druid.
Torture and pain held Rekkan's hands in his time at the laboratory. He received wounds that would heal and dreadful marks that would persist on damaging him forever. But after a long wait, after almost cracking and being stripped from patience and valor, a miracle happened. From the skies dived hawks and eagles as wolves and foxes stormed the laboratory. Joakim and the tribe had finally found their enemy's hideout.

"Can you walk, my child?" Asked Joakim to Rekkan, observing him with tender eyes.

"I can, but... Mikael's dead!"
Tears were shed that day and the day after. It would not be an exaggeration to state that the druids weep for Mikael still. But enough was enough. Rekkan finished his training at the age of eighteen and decided to travel. He could not stay in a tribe he didn't feel he belonged. The druid felt guilty, full of remorse. It was all his fault. The bitter and arrogant began to evolve to the point in which Rekkan could not care about other humans. His goal was to discover more of the world with the help of his father's book. In time, Rekkan would forget that fateful day and his ill mannered decision. Or so he thought. No matter how much he profited, how many people or creatures he saved, Rekkan continued hollow.

Behind him lied the memories of the laboratory, where he spent one whole year at the hands of the sadistic bounty hunters. His brother's death would forever mark him as well. But even then, when he tried to forget the most of his past, it seemed to come back to haunt him. Rekkan discovered that the settlement constructed in the outskirts had been funded by a wealthy noble, one that was seeking to know more about the natural arts of the world. Speculations bring theories of conspiracy, but truth is that Rekkan will probably never know anything about the settlement or the laboratory. He doesn't remember how far it took him to travel from the lab back to the safety of the tribe's lair, but that place seemed to be constructed for a while, like a sleeping monster waiting to be awakened.

[Saruna]

Hiya! A hearty and official (ish) welcome to Thar, and thanks for the app!

I would ask that you include his jewelry (wolf tooth and earrings) in the possessions, as well as detail exactly what power they confer to Rekkan.

And, I would like you to explain

ultimately, one can see the growing flames that try to grasp the air past the druid's dark brown eyes. This fire could consume the world if it was given only a small pint of gasoline, something that made it all explode in an epic chain of fireworks, a sequence of actions and reactions that would not end until Rekkan's dark brown hair turned grey of old age.

this. What would cause this? What would it do? Would I be correct in assuming it's a game over type of reaction?

What is the Inner Beast capable of? What does it strive for? What are its goals?

Perhaps it is just me but using the word 'laboratory' in conjunction with hired killers seems a little odd. How had a newly formed village gotten the money to buy people skilled enough (and, presumably, wealthy enough) to have their own laboratory and familiar enough with it to conduct experiments? Or, perhaps, is it more of a low grade dungeon affair where the 'experiments' are mostly low grade torture driven by sadism and sick curiosity? How long was Rekkan held? How far away was the lab from their home forest?

[Rekkan]

Edited.

As for the quote:

It is affected by the "Inner Beast" weakness and the negative experiences Rekkan lived through. I may have exaggerated a little, but I think it's reasonable.

[Saruna]

Alrighty, since we've clarified that the inner beast isn't any more powerful than Rekkan (reading comprehension fail?) everything looks set.

Approved.

Plot discussion: http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewforum.php?f=2
Characters available for plot (I just weeded out the inactives):http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1497

Be sure to be proactive in looking for thread partners or getting yourself into established threads!