Torolf Windrider

[Torolf]

Player Name: Tyler Tanner
Name: Torolf Windrider
Age: 29
Race: Human
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 243 lbs
Physical Description:

Torolf is a large man with shoulder-length dark brown hair, olive skin, and a goatee. He bears the scars of many battles from many weapons: across his chest is one from the slash of an orc's sword, there are three spear-stab scars on his stomach, and one rather jagged scar between his nose and left eye that extends down to his left shoulder, inflicted when he was being held captive by a band of trolls. His skin and hair color make him stand out amongst others from Norroenirlund, and he's not entirely sure that he's a native.

Possessions:

-Ysgurmandr-
This one-handed broadsword was given to Torolf by his father upon his journey out of his village. It bears his clan's crest, a stylized image of wind, on the pommel, and a bloodletting depression in the middle of the blade. It has many notches in the steel, but is kept sharp.

-Mjaul-
The ceremonial battle shield of the Windrider clan that was once held by the greatest hero of Windrider blood, the original Torolf, from whom our lovable hero gets his name. It is a steel kite shield, painted with the Windrider crest.

He also wears a steel breastplate with wing-style pauldrons over traditional furs (whose sleeves have been cut off. Blasted heat.), and a belt with a chainmail fauld. Other armor includes metal shinguards over his boots and steel vambraces.

Powers or Strengths: Training in the ways of a Windrider warrior has given him excellent combat prowess when using a sword and a shield, and he is skilled at moving about in heavier armor. He focuses all of his battle skills into the combination of blade-and-bulwark, with passable skill at using two-handed blades. A few of his favorite moves are:

-Bash and Slash-
Torolf bashes with his shield, either at a weapon or an enemy's face, knocking them off balance, and follows up with a right-to-left slash across the stomach, chest, or neck.

-Oaken-Head Reaver-
Warning: Only for use against enemies without helmets or sharp horns. Torolf bashes the enemy's head with his own, finishing the move with three quick sword swipes.

-Odin's Hand-
Arguably the most powerful attack in Torolf's repertoire. A downward slash from the collarbone to the opposite hip into a spinning midbody slice, ending with a heavy, powerful cut at the neck.

Weaknesses: Torolf is in prime condition physically; his weaknesses stem from his personality and the way he fights.

-Uneven Training-
Torolf devotes his fighting skill to the sword and shield combination, and as a result is hopelessly inept at fighting with any other type of weapon. He would be more likely to hurt himself using a hammer or axe than to be hurt by the enemy if he was unarmed. He also focuses a bit too heavily on offense, leaving many openings for the opponent to exploit if they aren't overwhelmed.

-Lack of Understanding of Civilization-
Spending most of his life in his secluded northern clan, Torolf has only recently journeyed into the rest of the world. He regards many of the wonders of modern society with childlike enthrallment, and often gets in trouble because of his curiosity. He is also prone to cultural accidents, and acts outside of societal "norms", because he doesn't know what they are.

-Prone to Anger-
This is perhaps Torolf's greatest flaw, and stems from his own hubris. When his pride is hurt, Torolf is enraged, and attempts to avenge his pride through violence. While he will beat the offender severely (or be beaten, in many cases), he has never killed anyone because they insulted his honor. He has killed in defense of his clan's honor, though.

History:

Twenty-nine years ago, a young boy was born to a dwindling clan of hardy Norroenirlunders. Resembling the clan's forebear, this boy had dark skin, eyes, and hair, set apart from the rest of the clan's fair skin and blonde or red hair and blue eyes. His father, Gundr, named him Torolf, after the ancient hero. When he was old enough to hold a sword, Torolf was given a shield as well, and his training began in force. This bred the excellent fighter that Torolf came to be.

At the age of eighteen, Torolf decided that he wanted to become as legendary as his namesake had been, and began hunting monsters in Norroenirlund. He was captured by a wandering band of trolls when he was twenty-three and tortured for two weeks, before he managed to break free and kill them. Torolf then decided that his homeland would only afford him minor honors, and left his homeland, taking with him Ysgurmandr and Mjaul, to forge a mighty destiny!

But as we all know, plans don't go the way we think they will. Strapped for cash, Torolf joined a band of Eyropan bandits just so he could support himself. Stealing from travelling nobles, killing bodyguards, and the like was no skin off of Torolf's nose, but when the bandits started attacking peaceful villages, the Northerner quit the group and left Eyrop for Thar Shaddin.

[Saruna]

Hello and welcome to Thar! I apologize for the delay; I've been a bit behind in things.

I would like to see some strengths unrelated to his combat ability. As of now I get that he's a northern warrior with some doubt about his heritage, but beyond that he's pretty much a blank slate. Who is Torolf? What are his passions? What can't he stand? What psychological damage did he take from his capture and torture? What physical deformities did he suffer (more than scars, damage to the body, especially muscle, often turns into permanent weaknesses that a person will never fully recover from)? What does he enjoy doing? What doesn't he enjoy doing? What have his experiences taught him about other people, especially those of foreign blood to his own?

What are some of his cultural norms? What is "normal" to him? What are some of his quirks and traits? You can add some of this flavor to his history, perhaps give us a better look at what his childhood was like. Or put it into strengths/weaknesses -- whichever works best for you.

Also, super serious stern moderator time! This is a disclaimer:

I particularly enjoy warrior types. I think they're keen. However, this is not a site where characters readily engage in battles. Wanton slaying of npcs without a very good reason is not okay, and winning every fight and scrape your character might get into without anything detrimental happening to him will not be looked upon highly. You can thank a very few number of individuals for me feeling that I need to say this at all to a stranger whose rp I haven't even seen yet.

So all of that said I love the idea of cultural conflict and this man who has expected this grand destiny since childhood but has constantly fallen short of it since adulthood. I would like to see it laid out a bit more expressively so we can get a feel for how it will be played out, as well as who Torolf the man really is.

If you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to leave them in this thread or in a pm to myself, Niabi or Frug. As well you can always hop into chat to talk through ideas if you see anyone in there.

If you make any changes to your app please leave a reply in this thread so I know to take another look.