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Basic Information
Character Information
AppearanceHe’s fairly attractive, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw, although his nose is a bit too large and pointed – beaklike, almost— to be conventionally attractive and he rarely smiles, which gives him an aloof and standoffish expression. It’s not that he’s frowning or glowering as much as choosing to keep his emotions to himself. Usually, he simply appears pensive. When he is angry, though, he can be downright intimidating His skin is unwrinkled, although there are visible scars on his hands and feet. Koel prefers to be clean-shaven. His stubble, when it grows in matches the rest of his hair. He’s slightly tan, although those who look closely can see that it’s not quite uniform. Koel is fairly average in height and build to look at; however, his lean frame is muscular and quick, more so than an observer would imagine when looking at him. He likes to dress in comfortable clothes that allow him ease of movement, usually something in a muted shade of brown or grey – aside from his ever-present golden cuff, of course. However, beyond the simple clothes Koel does his best to keep himself meticulously groomed, as he knows many people mistake it for a sign of status that he does not necessarily possess. He moves quickly and efficiently, with an almost gliding motion. In fact, it usually looks as if he could take flight at any moment. PersonalityMainly, when people think of Koel, they think of him as competent and intelligent. Since he doesn’t share his opinions on most matters and doesn’t hang out with others unless forced to by the circumstance – choosing instead to focus his energies on whatever project is at hand – people find him slightly cold. However, even if they wouldn’t want to casually hang out with him, he’d be the first person they’d call in a crisis. He has a very good memory and learns relatively quickly – and if he doesn’t know how to do something will keep at it until he’s mastered the skill – which unfortunately makes him more than a little vain about his own abilities. This means that he can be quite stubborn: in fact, one of his fatal flaws is hubris, as he often thinks the course of action he decides upon is the correct one and he usually fails to update that plan when others make reasonable points. He can also come across as quite distant and harsh. However, the truth is he knows the reality of the situation they are all in and is quite alive to the danger, so he reacts poorly to those who don’t take it seriously enough. He has a temper, although it tends to run cold instead of hot, and while he’s quick to reprimand someone for doing something foolish, he tries not to make enemies if possible. HistoryTherefore, Koel spent most of his childhood on his own. He used his freedom to explore and observe Northwind and its people, learning to see and not be seen, and to move quickly and quietly so as not to disturb anyone or even make others aware he was there. On the rare occasions they were home his father, a smith, and his mother, a seamstress, did their best to alternatively educate him in both their trades and more formal disciplines, especially reading, writing, and arithmetic. Between the two of them Koel learned a variety of useful skills and managed to cobble together enough knowledge that he could be trusted to study on his own time. At this point, when he wasn’t watching his surroundings he was learning all he could. One day when Koel was eleven, a bloodfiend, Sebation Arwellian discovered Koel as he was attempting to creep unnoticed close to a barracks. Sebation had confronted Koel, at first concerned about a potential threat, but once the bloodfiend had realized that it was only a child, Sebation settled down to chat with Koel. At first, Koel was guarded, but the bloodfiend eventually got through to the younger man. After hearing about Koel’s life, Sebation decided to take Koel under his wing, so to speak, unofficially training the child in some of the arts of war and filling in the gaps in Koel’s scattershot education. Sebation taught Koel at least the basics of endurance and strength exercises, as well as tactics: along with that, the bloodfiend started Koel on blades and other melee weapons. It was with the bow, however, that Koel truly excelled, despite his young age. This period, which lasted several years, ended up being some of the happiest of Koel’s life. Eventually, though, his sixteenth birthday rolled around and with it, his adulthood. Without telling his parents, Koel went to undergo the ceremony to be turned into a shapechanger. It wasn’t a decision Koel made lightly. It was especially hard not telling his parents. However, Koel knew they probably wouldn’t have approved. They saw the hardships that being a shapechanger brought, how people treated them worse than they would actual beasts, and no doubt they wanted something better for their firstborn and currently only son. However, Koel saw something different, something he felt they’d forgotten in their years of strife. He saw how his father’s joy when Karlos shifted into a lizard to feel the sun beat down, warming cold blood. Koel saw his mother’s deep contentment when she was a black widow, spinning her web, not because she had any real need to catch insects in it – though she did – but because it was beautiful and brought her joy. He saw how it opened up whole new worlds of possibilities that he felt he couldn’t truly understand unless he was transformed himself. Koel refused to see shapechangers as less than; unlike his peers, he saw shifters are more than merely original. The ceremony itself had been terrifying and exhilarating, and Koel did his best to keep a stoic expression on his face throughout. The whole experience, however, turned out to be worth it: he finally opened his eyes and his wings and soared, captivated by the feeling of flight – although he was clumsy at first. He had become a truly magnificent specimen of a harpy eagle. When he arrived home to tell his parents, they had scolded him and complained. Deep down, though, they were happy for him and accepted his decision. Moreover, they were thrilled at his new form. Becoming a great eagle was useful and strong unlike Karlos and Denay’s own slightly useless shifts. Soon enough, the news reached Sebation. Although the bloodfiend was slightly disappointed Koel had become a shapechanger, Sebation knew that the army could use all the able-bodied folks they could get. There were also quite a few advantages in having a bird of prey on hand. This was especially true given Koel’s predilections towards scouting. Thus began Koel’s stint in the army, although he unfortunately didn’t end up in Sebation’s unit. His parents had wept, but ultimately the kingdom’s defense came first. Koel had fought– mostly from a distance, as his keen eyesight, enhanced by partial shifts to his harpy eagle eyes, made him an even better archer than before – but mainly he’d been used to assess the enemy’s strength, and while he obviously wasn’t the best scout the army had, he was skilled enough. In the downtime between missions, Koel found himself driven away from the easy camaraderie of his fellow soldiers. In part, it was because he didn’t fight with them as a unit as often, instead going off on his solo missions; in part, it was because of the prejudice against shapechangers, still here even among people whose lives he saved and who had saved his. Mostly, though, it was simply his personality. This meant that instead of swapping stories around a table, with a drink in hand, Koel often ended up by the quartermaster – or mistress, he supposed— simply observing the woman in charge of their supplies. She was a blueblood, although barely, a lady named Shayinna Belfort. She was no-nonsense, steely in her resolve, and had a mind as sharp as a tack. One day, Koel was pressed into service. Somehow, Shayinna had learned that he had at least rudimentary skills as a blacksmith and a tailor, enough to make basic repairs anyway. Knowing this, and knowing he was often around her, she had used his spare time efficiently, as she was well aware he would probably prefer to be silently next to her working than relaxing elsewhere. In time, he helped more and more with the logistics of their unit, learning about how to keep track of armor, weapons, food, how to judge when people actually needed something as opposed to simply wanting it, and even such varied skills as how far a unit could be expected to march when they had horses, a wagon, or were on foot, and how to prepare for any type of unexpected calamity. Koel found the work fascinating and stimulating and Shayinna was more than happy to have a pupil. While Koel had found a place in the eight years he spent in the army, the war itself was going poorly, and eventually the leaders of Northwind had decided, in a last ditch effort, to open a portal to another land. Given Koel’s extensive skills as a scout, his useful form as a harpy eagle, and his various talents in both management and artisanship, he was chosen for the first wave of settlers. Once again, Koel said a tearful goodbye to his parents, and, for the second time in his life, entered a whole new world. Those early times had been fraught, and everyone had worked harder than they’d ever expected to. Koel had been pleased to discover the world outside the walls of Settlement was a jungle; although they’d been forbidden to venture outside the walls without authorization, it still felt weirdly like coming home to him. He spent most of his time in the Storm Army, keeping watch for threats. Whenever he had a spare moment, he helped out in the Overseer’s office and in the supply rooms and workshops, as his other skills, which he hadn’t been explicitly recommended for, gave him the ability and the inclination to assist in the management and production of Settlement. Overall, though, Koel had kept a low profile, or as low a profile as he could in such a small group of people. He’d come here for Northwind, but also because he felt, quite strongly, that in a new land perhaps he could change the perceptions of shapechangers for the better. With that thought constantly in mind, he’d pushed to his limits, volunteered for any task he felt he could accomplish, and did his best never to be bested by anyone. He was trying to be noticed, but not be pegged as ambitious or uppity. Unbeknownst to him, his plan worked and others had noted his competence and his drive. Perhaps that was why, when the previous Settlement Overseer was no longer able to complete the duties of the post, Koel had unexpectedly been tapped to fill and elevated to that lofty position. It had come at a fraught time too: the second wave had arrived, and though they’d been there for a while, tensions between the first wavers and the second wavers were still fraught. Koel, though, saw the potential for growth and decided to seize this golden opportunity. OtherA rough estimate of this character's damage potential is as follows:
KQs: 1 PQ+s: 0 Mini Events: 1 SWEs: 2 PQs: 1 Player MP: 0 Halo
Greatwood
Hollowed Grounds
Torchline
Stormbreak
The Draig Cordillera
King's End
Hak Etme
The Feverlands
Oerwoud
The Climb
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