Vystus Naraskedal
From Storing Don
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Vital Statistics
Name:Vystus Naraskedal
Nation: Lequall
Rank: Fargil of the Martial Syndicate
Age: 23
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 146 lbs
Appearance
Of about average height for Lequallians, Vystus Naraskedal is about average weight as well. In fact, nothing marks him as different from any other Lequallian, except that he has the typical platinum hair and blue eyes of Hosue Naraskedal. He wears the typical armor of the Lequallian warriors, and uses the typical weapons. Vystus is somewhat handsome, although he has nothing on his cousin, Salevran. He has an angular face, like most Lequallians, and his skin is of a dark complexion, also like all Lequallians. In short, there is nothing noticeable about Vystus, something that would cause one to look twice if their eyes caught him on the street.
Personality
Vystus is a fanatical follower of the Atlemorion, which he considers to be the pinnacle of all human philosophical achievement. He especially likes the displays of respect called for, and all who would serve with him in the Syndicate need to keep that in mind - he can and will beat someone who doesn't display enough respect down. He'll also beat people down who don't show enough respect for the Colaen or the other Fargil. None of his beatings are fatal, and most fade away in a week, and no one ever makes the same mistake twice. At least, no one has after he killed the last one who did (the man spat at the Colaen). Vystus is also extremely loyal to Lequall, and is currently suffering under a little depression because of his designation as a Deserter. He knows he'll get over it, but he still feels extremely devoted to his homeland and his House. His rooms at the Syndicate's dojo are decorated in the Lequallian style, and his Agoge Graduate's laurels are placed right above his bed.
He is, although even more of a stickler for honor than most Lequallians, a pretty nice person. He is a patient teacher and learner, although he often expects his students to match his standards of aptitude, which he is constantly disappointed in. He never shouts at his students, and as long as they pay the proper respect to their superior officers, he is perfectly kind. He takes the Lequallian position on punishment, as in that after one is punished, the offense does not exist. This means that many of those he has beaten for showing improper respect become some of his closest friends afterwards, because he treats them as it never happened.
When on a mission, though, Vystus is single-minded and hard. He will let nothing and no one stop him on his way to completing his objective, including other members of the Syndicate. He also becomes almost suicidally devoted to completing the objective, and in the past, he has had to have been carried back to the Dojo for healing because he let it go over his head. He has never failed a mission, though, and he likes that little bit of mystery around him.
Vystus loves music and is in fact an accomplished drummer, although he is completely hopeless at the sarpinx. He loves the guitar and other stringed instruments, and is quite the dancer. Vystus has the typical Lequallian disdain for womanizing, and is currently searching for a good wife for him. He tries to talk Axel out of it, but it never works, and he's close to giving up.
Biography
Vystus is from a minor branch of House Naraskedal, and is in fact, well beyond thirtieth in line for the Marshal Seat. He is so distant that he never really cared about becoming a Marshal, unlike many of the Marshal Houses. He favored martial combat, and early on in life, he showed the typical Naraskedalian aptitude for bladed weapons, although he showed no aptitude for archery, which destroyed his hope of one day becoming an Immortal, a hope shared by many of his family. Like all Lequallian youths, Vystus entered the Agoge at the age of 7.
Vystus was, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your point of view, placed in the class headed by Centurion Gemalis Caethras. Gemalis Caethras was renowned throughout the Agoge, and even all of Lequall itself, as a no-nonsense, tough-luck trainer. Of course, the Tirones that are in his class usually turn out to be among the best fighters, and even Salevran Naraskedal, the most famous member of that House, was trained by Gemalis. Vystus was tough, though, and through sheer force of will, managed to complete the first year of training under Gemalis, the hardest year, were most of the physical conditioning is done. Gemalis turned all six of his boys into the best team in the Agoge, a fact that Vystus is still proud of, sixteen years later.
After the first round of physical training, Vystus's aptitudes with the bladed weapons of Lequall caught notice, and he wasremoved from training under Gemalis Caethras, who was a Hoplite. Vystus was brought to train with Castus Yelahnacia, who was the best swordfighter among the Agoge teachers at that time. Castus began teaching Vystus everything he knew about fighting with the Shuri, Lequall's traditional weapon. Vystus was almost as good a natural as his cousin, Salevran, a fact which everyone marveled over. However, unlike his cousin, Vystus's true talents were in the Shuria, the smaller, lighter versions of the Shuri that are used primarily as a secondary weapon. Vystus showed himself to be more than adept at handling the two of them together, which is a rare enough style in Lequall, but he also showed another aptitude, even rarer.
Vystus had the keen eyes of a true Naraskedal, and with his eyesight, he quickly became a master of throwing knives. Almost no Lequallians fight with throwing knives, mostly because they see it as a waste of time and metal, and Castus advised Vystus to give up his hope of using knives against the Illyrians. Vystus said he did, although he continued to practice with his knives when he was not learning more sword techniques under Castus.
Castus was rotated out of the Agoge teaching cycle when Vystus was 12, and the new head Swordmaster was none other than his cousin, Salevran Naraskedal. Salevran was, at that time, the most famous Immortal in all of Lequall, having single-handedly slain an Illyrian Juggernaught that had almost killed the rest of his squad. Salevran taught Vystus well, and pushed him harder even than Gemalis Caethras did. Vystus admired his cousin, but hated him at the same time, for pushing him almost to the point of death. Salevran understood his hate, telling Vystus that he had a teacher the same way when he was in the Agoge, and that Vystus would be happier once he realized just how good the training was going to make him. However, after only a year of training under his cousin, Marshal Sylvos Naraskedal took ill and died, giving his position to Salevran, who took it.
Vystus was put under another Caethras, this time, the grizzled veteran Argyos. Argyos was famed for being the best swordsmen among the Hoplites, and Vystus quickly learned how true that was. Although most Hoplites fight with a single Shuri and a heavy Lequallian Shield, Argyos showed himself to be a true master of the dual Shuria style, and Vystus learned all that he could from the elderly Hoplite during the six years he had left in the Agoge. All the while, though, Vystus continued to train with the Shurian, the small knives that very few Lequallians ever used in actual combat.
Vystus graduated from the Agoge with full honors, being hailed as the greatest Shuria-style warrior since the birth of Lequall, and was immediately sent to the Bulwark Wall, for guard duty. He performed admirably, and after his full year tour-of-duty was complete, he had a confirmed kill count of fifty seven Morphs, as well as two Juggernaughts. He was promoted to Tagmakhartis, and assigned to House Naraskedal territory. He served there for two years, and was more than devastated when his cousin, Salevran Naraskedal, abdicated his position as Marshal of House Naraskedal and Grand Marshal of Lequall and disappeared. Salevran was the first Naraskedal Grand Marshal, and it enraged the entire House, especially Vystus, who abandoned his post to hunt for his cousin.
He searched for half a year, before giving up. Salevran would not be found, except when he wanted to be found, and even if Vystus had managed to find him, Salevran was one of the best swordsmen on the continent, with only Skeid Odyr of Vadal his match. Vystus would be powerless to make Salevran do anything, especially something that he did not want to do. Designated a deserter, Vystus was forced to flee when he returned to his post. His family disobeyed orders to tell him that he was wanted, and gave him some money straight from the treasury.
Vystus fled north, bringing with him his Shuria and his Shurian, as well as his suit of armor and his Agoge graduation laurels, as well as some correspondence between himself and Gemalis, Castus and Argyos Caethras, who he considered to be his real parents, in the typical Lequallian fashion. He earned extra money for himself as he fled north through Laudia by showing off his knife throwing skills, as well as some of his fighting exercises with the Shuria. He was approached by a red-haired, golden eyed man who called himself Axel. The man talked about a group of fighters who sought nothing but perfection along the warrior's path, a group dedicated to the skills of a warrior.
Vystus felt like he had come home.
Combat Statistics
Swordmaster 7
Weapon Levels: Swords - A
Weapons
Svaelnshuri
'Svael's Sword' in the ancient language of Lequall, this weapon is Vystus' main weapon, as he rarely uses the dual Shuria, to keep appearances up. Svaelnshuri is slightly longer than most Shuri, as well as being slightly more curved. It also has a broader blade than most, which is the reason why Vystus calls it Svael's Sword, although it possesses a double fuller to make it lighter and faster. The guard is, like most Shuri, a circular ring at the juncture of the blade and the hilt. The ring itself is gilded steel, decorated with dragons twirling around each other. The hilt is wrapped in black leather, and the pommel is a simple gilded-steel sphere, with the Hawk Emblem of House Naraskedal engraved on the bottom facing.
Broadblade Double Fller Fatal Curve Keen Edged Lequallian Steel Perfectly Balanced Long Sword - A Rank
Shurilfar
The Blade of Fire, Shurilfar is the main offensive weapon when Vystus actually uses his dual Shuria. It is a typical Shuria in appearance, although the Lequallian steel seems a bit more reddish than usual. Shurilfar has, like Svaelnshuri, a ring-guard, although it has the appearance of a single dragon curling around and biting its tail. Like Svaelnshuri, Shurilfar has a black leather hilt and a gilded-steel sphere pommel, also with the Hawk of Naraskedal on the bottom facing. Unlike Svaelnshuri, though, Shurilfar has the hawk engraved on the blade as well. Shurilfar is enchanted to create a small, but intense explosion whenever it strikes an enemy. The wielder can choose not to activate this ability, although if they choose not to say, the weapon will use its enchantment.
Fatal Curve Keen Edged Lequallian Steel Perfectly Balanced (Enchanted - Close Ranged High Powered Fire Spell) Short Sword - A Rank
Shurilsul
The Blade of Water, Shurilsul is Vystus's defensive weapon, although he is more than capable of using it in offensive manuevers. Shurilsul, like Shurilfar, is the typical shape of a Shuria, and like all of Vystus' weapons, has the black-leather hilt and hawk-engraved pommel. Shurilsul also bears the Hawk on the blade, like Shurilfar, its sister weapon. Shurilsul is slightly less curved than Shurilfar, which makes it better for pushing off other attacks, as it is slightly longer and can deflect them faster. The enchantment upon Shurilsul is in fact a completely defensive one - the sword will move of its own accord to block incoming attacks, bringing the hand of the wielder with it.
Enhancing (Defense) Keen Edged Killer Curve Lequallian Steel Perfectly Balanced Short Sword
10 Shurian
'Littlest Sword' in the old tongue, these are Vystus's favorite weapons. They are completely straight, as needed for throwing, and are of course the least expensive. He keeps one underneath each vambrace, another two underneath his belt, a fifth in his collar, the sixth and seventh in the tips of his boots, the eighth in his hair, and the ninth and tenth underneath his pauldrons. They are all Mithril, and their blades are so sharp that Vystus doesn't like drawing them without using them - they cut the scabbards. He has them positioned perfectly so that he can grab one after another, which allows him a surprisingly fast output of thrown weapons. Like all of his weapons, they have the Hawk of Naraskedal on them, and a black leather handle.
Brave Keen Edged Mithril Perfectly Balanced Dagger
Fighting Styles
Meytanshurim
'The Wind of Swords,' the Meytanshurim style focuses on using a single sword in conjunction with throwing knives. The opening attack is always a knife throw, which is followed by a charge with the sword. It focuses on keeping the opponent at a distance, allowing for the knife throws, but close enough that the single sword is still effective. It also focuses on surprises, with the quick drawing of a knife and the use of it to stab or slash instead of the usual throw.
Shurim n Sulat il Far
'Swords of Fire and Ice,' this style is Vystus's favorite, and one that has been almost completely developed by him. It uses one blade as a defensive shield, with the other focusing entirely on offense. Like the Meytanshurim style, it focuses on surprises as well, such as switching the hands that each sword is in mid fight. In order to use the Shurim n sulat il Far style to its greatest extent, the fighter has to be ambidextrous.
Shurianm n Yefar
'Daggers of Lightning,' this is the style that Vystus uses when he is has decided to only use daggers. Like the Shurim n Sulat il Far style, one has to be ambidextrous in order to use the Shurianm n Yefar style. The daggers are thrown quite often in this style, although they are used in melee more often. Unlike the other two styles, the Shurianm n Yefar doesn't focus on surprises, it focuses on blinding speed to finish the enemy before they have a chance to react.
Notes
Vystus is fluent in the Old Tongue, and often intersperses his sentences with phrases and words from that language. Vystus is perfectly ambidextrous and has been such since his birth. He has very good eyesight. Vystus is an excellent dancer, and can play the drums quite well.
