Tertuath Hath wrote:Lhotine Tlorkam
Race: Anduran
Gender/Sex: Male
Age: 56
Appearance: A tall, lithe man, Lhotine resembles a twig more than a man and is equally as feeble. His face is almost free of blemishes and scars, save for his crooked nose, a permanent reminder of the time he fell from a horse. Aside from that, his face sports a pair of small, green eyes beneath thin eyebrows, buttressed by barely visible cheekbones. His head is completely free of hair, as he regularly shaves his head in order to hide that he has started to grow bald, while he keeps his facial hair dyed and limited to a mustache. His ears are slightly larger than usual, a fact that had once been the source of much anguish when he was a young lad. He now wears large earrings and ear plugs in order to mask their size. Pale for an Anduran, Lhotine is at times mistaken for a Nord but is quick to chastise and belittle those who make that mistake.
Class: Pilgrim
Equipment:Skills:
- White mohair tunic (thigh length), hemmed with gold lace
- Pink silk vest, buttons made from ivory
- White camel hair trousers
- Lupan-hide slippers
- Short Arming Sword
- Assorted Jewelry
Weaknesses:
- Lhotine has a masterful grasp of rhetoric, tutored from a young age after his father gave up on the hope of training him to be a warrior. With a silver tongue and words made of the purest honey, Lhotine can usually convince those around him that his way is the best way. He is also quite the seducer, despite his less than impressive appearance.
- After his brush with death, Lhotine became fascinated with brewing, both the alchemical kind and the drink kind. Paying for lessons after the downfall of his father, Lhotine gained a firm grasp on the main principles of alchemy and brewing, becoming an adept alchemist after his training ended. He has also become slightly famous for his flavorful persimmon wine.
Bio: The Tlorkam family was never known for producing extraordinary men or women (mostly due to some unfortunate inbreeding that had occurred early in the bloodline), their marginal fame resting more upon their uncanny ability to appraise horses and sell them them for a paltry fortune. To he dismay of Lhontine's father Jalbh, this was displayed once more when Erlati Tlorkam, his fourth wife, gave birth to a brood of sickly triplets, all of them born prematurely. Try as they might, one of the babies died within minutes of breathing their first breath, the others left crying meekly as their own conditions worsened. Luckily, the family's wealth allowed them to hire a decent alchemist, and after procuring a few ingredients, they were able to brew a potion to help stabilize the condition of the infants. Ever thankful, Jalbh offered the alchemist a place within his home, promising a steady pay and comfortable lodging, though the alchemist politely refused. With that crisis averted, Jalbh and Erlati named their surviving children Lhotine and Imitias, swearing to love them and care for them with all the affection they could muster.
- No sane man, elf, or beastman would consider Lhotine anywhere near capable of defending himself. Under no circumstance would man such as Lhotine be able to survive any sort of violent encounter by themselves. Despite the fact that his father had spent cart loads of gold in order to have his son trained by the finest warriors in Eroris, none of the lessons stuck with the sickly boy that Lhotine once was, his marginal strength barely allowing him to swing a sword with any coordination and barely so. Magic was also incapable of helping the poor boy, and many a wizard and alchemist ended up being whipped for their failure to produce results. As such, the only real reason Lhotine even owns a sword is because, in his mind, no self-respecting merchant or noble should be seen walking around without one.
- Lhotine is also incapable of using magic to the extent a normal magic user would be capable of, though he knows and practices a few useful spells. These, however, are limited to a handful of healing spells and illusion spells, he himself being much more accustomed to the brewing of potions and alcoholic beverages than casting spells.
However, Lhotine proved to be an embarrassment.
While Imitias was able to overcome the sickly state he had been born into, Lhotine always seemed to be on the brink of death. While his brother learned to swing a sword with the grace of a swan, Lhotine was barely able to lift a sword, let alone defend himself with one, despite his father's best efforts. While Imitias became a skilled rider, Lhotine would never again consider sitting on a saddle, his nose breaking after a failed attempt to saddle a horse. While Imitias drew the attention of all sorts of fine ladies, Jalbh was forced to arrange an adequate marriage for Lhotine, his money drained by the hefty dowry. And while Imitias was successful in his attempts to sire children, Lhotine and his wife Akoya failed to produce children. It was obvious to all outsiders that Imitias would be chosen to inherit their father's wealth, while Lhotine would end up becoming his brother's steward or whatever Imitias decided to do with his brother.
When Jalbh finally died of old age, a few members of some of the other Anduran merchant families wondered if Lhotine would oppose Imitias taking control of their families wealth. His stepfather Amirim certainly tried to implant the idea within his supposedly feeble mind, at first dropping hints here and there, later outright demanding that he should. But Lhotine refused, turning down his stepfather's offer of armed help in exchange for service under his brother. Furious with his capitulation, Amirim cut all ties with Lhotine and Akoya, unwilling to associate himself with such a spineless individual.
Lhotine was being reasonable, however. While his brother was certainly one of the most physically fit and impressive Tlorkam to ever be born, he had no mind for business. It wasn't that he was dull, he was just uninterested. Lhotine, on the other hand, was a brilliant steward and managed their family's business exceptionally well. While Imitias would entertain guests and attend banquets, Lhotine balanced budgets and arranged deals with merchants from around Eroris and beyond. While Imitias would go on hunts with nobles and their entourages, Lhotine snuffed out the competition, either by assassination or coercion. While Imitias would compete in tournaments and win, Lhotine managed to increase both the family's influence and his own. And while Imitias assumed Lhotine would be forever loyal to him, Lhotine plotted a successful coup against his brother, deposing him without bloodshed.
After blinding and castrating his brother, he had him exiled from Pandora along with his wife and kids. A few years down the line, when news eventually reached him that his brother had succumbed to some trivial disease, Lhotine dismissed the news as unimportant. Lhotine would continue to increase the fortunes of the Tlorkam Family until they became the empire's foremost merchant family, rubbing shoulders with some of the most influential members of the empire's ruling class. He still remembers the day he first met Emperor Azelian, having been summoned by the now deceased monarch in order to arrange a deal. By the end of the day, Lhotine agreed to finance the emperor's new flagship and palatial renovations, in exchange for some major economic concessions. It was also around the same time that he met a younger Prince Julek, and relating to the young elf's position, casually promised to help him one day win the throne.
For a price, of course.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=33756411#p33756411
Personality: While he is shrewd and greedy, Lhotine is not an overtly cruel person. If one doesn't outright oppose his plans, they can prove useful and might find themselves wealthy if they choose to help him. However, those who do stand in his way to power will find themselves beset by either assassins or economic stagnation, their opponents elevated to their old posts when they eventually succumb to his plotting. Outside of business, Lhotine is quite the agreeable person, though he would rather keep pleasantries short.
Likes: Money, the open sea, spicy foods, his first wife, children, peaches, and dogs.
Dislikes: Lupans, Nagi, horses, Orcs, Redwood trees, sour foods, and idle conversation.
Voice: https://youtu.be/YBbsAnpicaY
Theme Song: https://youtu.be/YGUzbV6-2hs
1738! - Don't Remove; For Tracking
Accepted