Canus of Tevinter

Canus Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:50 pm

Crimea River/Devin's second character

Canus of Tevinter Canus_qunari_by_victoriadaedra-d3fxk88

This amazing art of Canus was done by my awesome friend VictoriaDAEDRA. Deviation located here.

Character Name: Canus
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Hometown: Minrathous, Tevinter (Born on the outskirts of Seheron)
Race: Kossith (Qunari refers to people of the Qun, rather than the entire race; the gray-skinned giants are known according to the guide as the kossith.)

Religion: Imperial Chantry. He respects other people's religions, however, as long as they don't force them upon him or others. He has a slight dislike of the southern Chantry, for its treatment of mages. He believes that the Maker does not mind how you worship Him, even if it's not Him you worship but Ancestors, Creators, or similar -- or if you even worship Him at all -- as long as you are good towards good people.
Languages: Canus speaks limited Common, fluent Arcanum, and limited Qunari.

Class: Mage/Rogue
Specializations: Arcane Warrior, Duelist, Blood Mage (He hates blood magic, having seen how Epicurus using it, but he understands necessity. He rarely uses his magic in general, unless there's no risk of him being taken away by templars). He prefers the Primal School as far as actual spellcasting goes, but he hardly uses magic enough to be proficient in it. He also has a basic Heal spell.
Favored skills: Arcane Warrior Techniques, Dueling Tec, Dual Weapon Techniques (wields longswords the way a human/elf/dwarf would daggers), Blood Magic, Blood Wound (but nothing beyond. "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.")
Hobbies: Canus enjoys his freedom. He'll try just about anything, eat just about anything. He loves being in busy, social places like taverns. He especially loves to drink coffee, when it is available. He likes to travel, and to learn.

Background:
He does not remember this, but he was born on the outskirts of Seheron. His mother was a Qunari female who had defected when she was heavy with child. The band of Tal'Vashoth encountered Imperial forces, and the babe was the only one who survived. A kossith slave was a highly-prized commodity, and was thus given to their commander, the Magister Epicurus. He was much too young to understand what was going on, and therefore, he was easy to exploit, unlike captured Qunari or Tal'Vashoth. (Canus has been raised in Minrathous; he doesn't care where he was born, but he's sure it was Seheron).

Epicurus named him Canus, which was the Tevinter word for "white hair," and as he was raised, he was taught only to serve, and to serve well. And so he was a glorified servant, for the most part, blindly loyal, though he could not turn a blind eye to the blood magic sacrifices. Epicurus would use the blood of his slaves to power his spells and experiments, and usually, that took a whole body full, or more. Such death and their screams got to him, some of these sacrifices being people that he knew. The magister's son, Cyril, did not approve of it either, but he would not dare go against his father. His father was a strict man. And when Canus mentioned it, he was punished.

At age nine, Canus accidentally sent a clod of Earth flying from his fingertips, and it smashed into a vase. He was afraid he would be in trouble, but surprisingly, Epicurus was quite pleased. For he'd discovered Canus had magical talent, and so he personally trained him to use it, teaching him blood magic as well. As he grew in knowledge and strength, he was also taught the ancient art of wielding blade and magic, and though he was larger than most humans, he was swift in battle, more of a rogue than a warrior. The magister showed him off at the arena, pitting him against exotic beasts and fighters. The first time he saw a Qunari was, in fact, in this arena. He'd been brought in, allowed his blade. The Qunari did not say anything, and the two fought, Canus killing him.

After that, he gained a growing interest in Qunari, which Epicurus quelled by collaring him, stitching his lips up, and leashing him. He paraded him around the Senate chambers, telling the kossith that this was how Qunari treated their mages, how he'd be treated if he was a Qunari. The Magister had fought countless battles against the Qunari, and so Canus had no choice but to take his word for it. Canus continued to impress him in the arena, and Epicurus decided to take him to Tantervale, to the Grand Tourney. He'd been granted a great deal of trust, and therefore it surprised the Magister's guards as Canus beheaded him, then fought them, killing them all, and fleeing Tantervale, hitchiked on a ship travelling along the Minanter River, and out to the sea. He needed to get as far away as he could, and so he got onto another ship, hoping it was not heading to Tevinter. It ended up arriving in Ferelden. He holed himself up in the local tavern, taking mercenary jobs here and there, making sure to hide his magic and use only combat.

Personality:
Canus values his freedom. He is a spontaneous person, and is generally optimistic about everything he does. And a bit immature, especially for his age. In the ways he acts, he is much like a child, finding amusement in silly things like "winter" rhyming with "Tevinter." He likes to spend his time with those humans, elves, and dwarves that don't mind his presence. He possesses a fondness for sweet treats and has an addiction to coffee.

Ever the gentle giant, he hates it when his appearance scares people. Epicurus was a very literal person, and as such, Canus is, though this does not mean he lacks a sense of humour. He does not get social nuances, and his interpretations of things that have been said have led to embarrassing...situations. Not to mention awkward, and sometimes saddening. When he cannot express something to someone -- not being fully fluent in the Common Tongue, while more fluent in Tevinter's -- it frustrates him. Even moreso, his lack of social understanding frustrates him. But regardless, Canus has a strong mind, one that he hopes can resist a demon should it try to tempt and possess him.

He is aware that using magic would get him worse than just in trouble, but has no trouble hiding it under the veneer of a duelist. He acknowledge the risk of demonic possession, and is confident in his abilities to defend against them. He likes to draw and write, though he is mediocre at both. He has not been exposed to the Qun, and thus knows only a little about the Qunari -- other than how to kill them, as the arena is his only exposure to one. He's fascinated with them, and with all other cultures on Thedas. It is a goal of his to someday explore Thedas, and learn anything he can. As such, he does not want to be tied down by things like a job -- or a Circle -- and so he's kept to being a blade-using mercenary.

His Arcanum is fluent, though his Common is lacking, but he's picking up on the language fast, being among people who speak it. He has also studied Qunari as much as he could, learning some of the language, and a few customs, though he doesn't consider himself one of them. Nor does he consider himself Tal'Vashoth.

If a demon were to exploit Canus, it would either be a demon of Rage, or a demon of Pride, more likely the latter as Rage demons are weaker demons and easily resisted. He is not lazy enough to give in to a Sloth demon, he has gone without food and would not give in to a Hunger demon, and his Desires are few. But Canus sees himself as skilled and cannot help but be proud of it, though loathe to admit it. In the Fade, he told a spirit, "I am not proud. Begone, demon," to which the demon of Pride replied, "Yet you are proud of that fact," and disappeared from his sight. Canus is ever vigilant, as he believes the powerful Pride demon has marked him as a potential host.

Weapons/Armor: He wields twin Tevinter-crafted Saw Swords that have been enchanted so he can channel his magic through them. He does not wear armour.

Appearance:
Typical of the gray-skinned giants, Canus stands taller than most human men. His eyes are a shimmering golden, and his white hair flows freely down his back, tied in a roguish knot. An elegant set of goatlike horns grows freely from his brows, curving upwards, accompanied by a second set. He has left his pointed ears unadorned. He has a gentle and even joyous expression, something rarely seen among most of his kind.

He dresses simply and comfortably, as his size has made it difficult to purchase anything but custom-tailored outfits. Out of combat, he wears a pair of tan pants gathering at tall, lace-up boots. Over this is a forest-green tunic, held up by a belt, with the traditional feathered shoulderpads of Tevinter. Strapped to his back, criss-crossing each other and easy to draw, are a set of saw swords. He wears these even out of combat. Most of the time, he's seen in Ferelden leather armour, fitted to a kossith. He always has his Imperial Chantry Amulet, though he's careful not to show it, as followers of the Imperial Chantry are considered blasphemers.