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Profile: Vara-Sei, The Nomad

Tags: #Pilgrim  #profile  #roleplay  #Argonian  #Black Marsh  #Vara-Sei 
  • Member
    December 12, 2017

    Vara-Sei

    The Nomad

     Some may remember a forum topic I initiated awhile back, regarding the status of the Pilgrim class in lore. I'm pretty sure the topic is dead and buried, but I recently started up Skyrim again with the character that inspired it, and figured I'd post him up for everyone to appreciate/take inspiration from as they see fit. Enjoy!

    - Delidas

    Name: Vara-Sei (roughly translates into “See’s-All”, or “All-Seer”)

    Aliases: N/A

    Sex: Male

    Race: Argonian

    Class: Pilgrim

    Alignment: True Neutral

    Title(s): N/A

    Age: 23

     

    Appearance  

     

    Scales: Earthy, olive green

     

    Height: 5’10

     

    Weight: 152lbs

     

    Build: Slender and lean, with some functional muscle. Ectomorphic.

     

    Head Adornments: Curved rear horns

     

    Eyes: Bright, striking blue, with vertical-slit pupils

     

    Hair: N/A

     

    Apparel: Almost exclusively dons light armor, preferring non-rigid materials such as leather or hide. As he favors maneuverability in combat, he crafts his own armor to reflect this. He currently wears a set of leather armor, foregoing the helmet.

     

    Tattoos/Scars: A horizontal scar running under his left eye.

     

    Weapons: He wields a mace/shield combo with some proficiency, and is currently armed with a tempered steel mace/shield. He also carries a hand-crafted Nordic dagger for hunting, and basic wilderness survival. A skilled archer, he also carries with him at all times a hunting bow with a quiver of steel arrows.

     

    Magic: Vara-Sei is well-versed in both restoration and illusion magic, and values both schools for their inherent utility. Restoration serves to keep him well as he journeys through the world – with all the danger that is posed by such – while illusion helps him to avoid conflict, settle disputes, and fetch a better price for his goods when haggling on the road.

     

    Supplies: He travels light, leading a rather uncontrived life, making sure to have with him all that is needed to survive in the wilderness for days at a time. Small pockets and vials crafted into his armor hold various potions and poisons, and allow for the carrying of more supplies without the burden of having to use a large, cumbersome pack. For necessities’ sake, he nearly always has on his person a woodsman’s axe, Nordic pickaxe, and torch.     

     

     

     

    Background

     

    Special Abilities/Skills: Agile, calculated, and cautious to a fault. By sneaking into a vantage point, he is able to pre-plan his attacks. Coupling this with his irregular method of combat allows him to take on groups of people that would usually overcome a single assailant, and while he prefers brains over brawn, he is capable of killing when self-preservation dictates it necessary - all this being said, Vara-Sei remains in his heart a non-violent individual, and prefers to utilize illusion magic to the end that combat (and the risks that come with it) need not be warranted at all. A clairvoyant, he was gifted with an innate tracking ability, or sixth sense, upon ingesting Hist sap on his naming day. This sense has him feel an innate ‘pull’ towards whatever he is seeking. Vara-sei is also extremely well read, and possesses an impressive knowledge of Tamrielian history and culture given his age and background.

     

    Place of Birth: Stormhold

     

    Religion: A semi-devout follower of the Hist; he subscribes to the belief in the Hist’s divinity (especially given his unique connection to it), but holds his own moral code to a higher degree after becoming disillusioned with Argonian society. He is untrusting of organized religion, or authority in general.

     

    Residence: Nomadic, though he spends most of his time in the Southern Holds due to the warmer climate, and abundance of nature and game. He has been known, on occasion, to visit the sleeping tree in Whiterun hold, feeling something of an attachment to it.

     

    Political Affiliations: He belongs to no party or group, being thoroughly an isolationist.

     

    Occupation: A road scholar, and hunter, seeking out sustenance in the wilds. He spends most of his time reading old tomes, and delving into ruins in search of artifacts and lore. He tends to pick up trinkets along the way for the purpose of selling them, as he is primarily driven out of self-preservative instinct, and can’t afford to fund his ‘research’ in any other way; he isn’t affiliated with any sort of guild, after all.

     

    Organizations/Factions: While generally a loner in going about his business, he has come to tolerate the presence of individuals affiliated with the Bard’s college in Solitude, as he respects their mandate. As the vampire menace has served to make his travels more dangerous, he has resolved to aid the Dawnguard from time to time as well.

     

    Favorite Food/Drink: Seared slaughterfish is his favorite, though he enjoys all matter of seafood. His favorite drink is water, and he only drinks alcohol on rare occasion.

     

     

    Interests:  Vara-Sei is a gifted hunter, and tracker, and these natural abilities unsurprisingly also happen to be some of his favorite hobbies. Camping, hiking, spelunking, and foraging also serve as a source of enjoyment for him, as they too allow him to be alone with nature and his thoughts. Intrinsically curious, Vara-Sei takes time to study old ruins, monuments, and texts whenever he has the fortune of coming across them, being something of an academic enthusiast in his own right.  

     

    Flaws: Off-standish and untrusting to the point of mild paranoia. He exercises extreme caution to the point that he could be considered commitment-phobic.  

     

    Citizenship: An ex-citizen of the independent Argonia.

     

    Relationships: Vara-Sei is deeply mistrustful of all authority, and generally other people as a collective. He prefers to be alone, as large crowds bother him, and he has no patience for conversation. He comes off as disinterested, and is an unapologetic loner in every sense of the word. In being such a reclusive and aloof individual, Vara-Sei counts very few friends amongst his limited social circle. It is more appropriate to say that he has a few close acquaintances, if anything. Vara-sei is very selective when it comes to making personal commitments, as he doesn’t like to feel as though he is bound by oath or honour in any sort of way.

    While his self-interest is always paramount, it is not to say that he does not abide by a personal code of loyalty. This loyalty is expressed in unconventional fashions, however; Vara-Sei may, in a limited capacity, care for his friends, but rarely enough to die for them. He will never sell-them out, or betray them, but he won’t think twice before opting to save himself by fleeing in the heat of the moment to avoid conflict.       

     

    Personality: Vara-Sei is a brooding, misanthropic individual. He shuns closeness with even his own kind, and views civilized society with distaste. His isolation has led him to be somewhat socially awkward, if not blunt, and he maintains a constant weariness of others at all times, preferring animals and books to intelligent beings. Due to experiences in his past, Vara-Sei is untrusting and generally averse to all authority, though he chooses to align himself neutrally so that he may avoid coming into harm’s way (most of the time). He still possesses a murky conception of right and wrong, however, and acts as a good person when doing so doesn’t pose an immediate threat to him*. For the few that know him, Vara-Sei is characterized by his exercising of caution, especially in dealing with people. While no coward, Vara-Sei is constantly fretting over what he imagines are ulterior motives, and hidden plots against him in his few dealings with other people. This paranoia, stemming from his past, usually sees Vara-Sei act out of rational self-interest, and ultimately slip into seclusion time and time again. Pessimistic and jaded, Vara-Sei doesn’t make for good company, though he is genuinely at ease when in his own environment, in the tranquility of nature (or a secluded library). His innate curiosity about the world may serve to be his primary redeeming quality, as it is through this trait that he actually wills himself to interact with other people at all.     

    *Over the course of gameplay I saw Vara-Sei grow more dedicated to his understanding of ethics, as he necessarily reconnected with the world around him. He spent time repenting for his passivity in giving rise to totalitarianism in Black Marsh, and finds it in himself to become principled by the end of his story.

     

    Brief History

     

    Vara-Sei was born in Stormhold, Sahdowfen, and grew up alongside his clutch in the north of Black Marsh. Inhabiting a settlement so close to the border saw Vara-Sei experience the turbulence of the An-Xileel’s nationalist campaign first hand. While the invasion of Morrowind had ended sometime in the past, raiding parties were still frequently sent over to cause mischief. As they grew older, his clutch-mates became embroiled with the An-Xileel’s cause, and took it upon themselves to harass the few who were opposed to the harsh methods of the Argonian state. Vara-Sei himself paid no attention to politics; nimble and solitary, he became renown as one of his tribe’s greatest hunters, and he enjoyed caring for the guar mounts that were used for long hunts. When not alone in the wild, he spent his time meditating with his tribe’s elders, and inspecting the ancient structures that were prevalent in the city, entertaining himself by hypothesizing as to their meanings and significance.

    As he grew older, into his twenties, patriotism became a much larger issue than he had imagined. His radicalized clutch-mates had taken it upon themselves to expel Imperial-sympathizing Argonians, and An-Xileel dissenters in general, from the tribe. Vara-Sei was spared for his indifference, but some of his friends were beaten and ostracized until they emigrated. While he felt this was wrong, Vara-Sei was predisposed to favor the An-xileel, or at least tolerate them; they provided for him a life which he enjoyed, and if the monuments of Stormhold were any indication, other races had always exploited and oppressed Argonians anyways, and there was no reason to sympathize with them. Nonetheless, the actions caused controversy and division, and in an effort to instill unity and a collective sense of nationalism, the An-Xileel called for a large-scale raiding party to be formed in Stormhold.

    From a young age, Vara-Sei had always possessed a gift when it came to tracking. On his naming day, upon ingesting a quantity of Hist sap (as is customary for young Argonians), he was seemingly gifted with some sort of third eye, or sixth sense. Vara-Sei never quite understood how it physically worked, though he tried; whether the gift was some sort of connection to the Hist, or something else entirely, was a matter that he had spent most of his childhood contemplating. In reaching maturity, he had just come to accept it. He could locate people, animals, or inanimate objects with relative ease. He just felt a sort of ‘pull’ towards the thing he was seeking, no matter his knowledge of it, or its proximity to him. This gift saw him become a great tracker, and when the raiding party was being formed, he was duly recruited as a scout because of it. Vara-Sei was, expectedly, not too enthusiastic about the ordeal, but he felt he could trust his government enough to partake in the campaign. Upon arriving in the Southeast of Morrowind, Vara-Sei saw firsthand that the Dunmer were not actively resisting. Rather, the Argonian parties were meant to slaughter them for no more reason than to provide a guise behind which to rally. Expressing his dissent had him vilified by his peers, and even his friends turned on him while in mixed company.

     

     

    While raiding a small farmstead on the outreaches of Kragenmoor, Vara-Sei was instructed to kill the Dunmer occupant, who was guilty of no crime aside from being a Dunmer, and providing for his family. Vara-Sei refused, having no outright contempt for the Dark Elf as an individual, and was forced to watch as the family was mercilessly slaughtered. His sympathy had done nothing for them. Afterwards, he was put under constant surveillance as they pressed north, suspected of being disloyal to the Argonian cause.

    One night, while making their rounds around the camp, Vara-Sei discovered from his handler that the raiding party’s aim was to use him for his tracking ability, so that they may avoid danger upon reaching the fortified north. Apparently the group’s leader had gotten ambitious, and wanted to return to the Black Marsh with a tangible, territorial gain. The handler explained that the leniency Vara-Sei experienced was due to the group’s need of having him around. While he pleaded with Vara-Sei to take the second chance, Vara-Sei realized two things. First, he was being used, and second, he would likely be a loose end upon outliving his usefulness. In a rare outburst of unimpeded rage, Vara-Sei struck out at his companion, and a short fight broke out. Vara-Sei emerged the victor, having caught his handler off guard, but he was left with a prominent scar running horizontally beneath his left eye, to serve as a constant reminder of his betrayal.

    With nowhere to go, and no one trust, Vara-Sei fled to the Northwest, hoping to cross the war-torn Skyrim and make it to Hammerfell, where he may finally experience some sort of peace. Using his ability to track his pursuers, and then move in the opposite direction, he managed to escape into the Velothi Mountains. The months that followed saw him grow more isolated, and self-dependant, and through looking over his shoulder constantly, he became increasingly paranoid of both individuals and authoritative institutions. He grew more resilient and isolated as time went on, honing his survival skills and proficiency in magicks, and lived – metaphorically - under a rock for months before making the all-important move into Eastmarch. Weary and exhausted, he was caught by an imperial ambush upon crossing into Skyrim, and taken prisoner with a group of Stormcloak rebels.                 

  • December 12, 2017

    That was an interesting read, thought your take on the Pilgrim here was particularly interesting and the lore you've worked in with the Argonians is great. Can't think of much more to say, it was a damn good little profile Delidas, have you posted others because I'd love to read them if I've missed them (only semi-recently got into the RP Profiles). 

  • Member
    December 13, 2017

    Very nice, Delidas! Vara-Sei feels very real to me - he's not a hero, and he doens't want to be, he'sjust a decent bloke with a knack for finding things who wants to live in peace. It's refreshing to have a character who doesn't have some world-ending motive, and combined with the massive amount of detail has resulted in one hell of a profile.

    If you haven't already, I very much recommend checking out Dragon of the East (Prologue, Chapter 1) by Okan-Zeeus. It's a blog series by one of the most talented writers the Vault has ever seen, and the character has some similarities to yours which could serve as some great inspiration. The story of Brings-Rain (Chapter 1) explains the character's origins as well.

    Oh, and this is stickied!

  • Member
    December 16, 2017

    I appreciate the kind words; it's always nice to hear some positive feedback! Thanks for pointing me towards Dragon of the East, Zonnonn. If I find some free time I'll have to catch myself up!

    I've written up a few other profiles, just notes prior to starting a playthrough, that sort of thing. I might be inclined to work them into something more fleshed out and post them up in the coming weeks, if Christmas doesn't consume all of my time, that is.

    I really appreciate the sticky, too. Hopefully everyone else gets as much of a kick out of this profile as you guys did!