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Description
Edit:
I almost forgot to mention that I won!
I'll be remaking his reference soon, but all the details, including appearance, are still accurate.

I've never really made a reference sheet like this before. It was confusing, honestly. Just putting all the stuff on one document and smashing it together. Some of my writing may have gotten screwed up in the process, and I apologize for that. And is it me or does it look a little fuzzy?

But I'm hoping that I've developed him enough as a character not to let that drag me down too much. It was a lot of fun anyway!
There are a ton of fabulous entries, and since I read all of them I figured I ought to make someone read one of mine.
_________________________________

Name: Arkady Idlewar

Gender: Male

Date of birth: May 3, 1796

Age: 74

Height: 12'1

Classification: Exotic, short fur, weeping tail

Arkady's eyesight in his main set of eyes is quite good. However, the smaller sets are mainly utilized to better recognize movement. It seems to give him a bit of a reaction time advantage, but nothing terribly significant. His smaller sets of eyes are often subject to harassment from his element. He thinks it's cool to shoot little jolts of lightning out of them, even though it's admittedly somewhat painful. He may well go blind in all but his main set of eyes, but Arkady would likely consider it worth the sacrifice.

Most of the male's fur is rather short, particularly on his back and legs. There is a bit of variation, his chest has slightly thicker fur, along with the cheeks, neck and hunches. All of this fur is rather tough and unpleasant to the touch. It is, however, perfect for keeping unwanted substances out, and requires little grooming.
The fur on his mane and tail is very different. It is still somewhat stringy, but has much more flow, and hangs about in long, sweeping motions.

Element: Light

Arkady specializes in the lightning manipulation portion of the element. Because it requires such an immense amount of power and practice, he wouldn't have been able to master the energy region as well, even if he had the patience to try. As it is, Arkady's talents with lightning manipulation are by no means perfected. He has the willpower to create and manipulate electricity, but has a difficult time controlling exactly where the electrical discharge goes once it has effectively left his own body.

In terms of the strain this puts on him, the consequences are surprisingly few. When he was first learning to control his ability he singed a portion of the fur on his leg, but the scars it left were shallow and easily covered by the regrowth of fur.

A large source of electricity within Arkady seems to be his vocal chords. The vibrations cause the amount of friction necessary to aid in producing most of the electricity he harnesses, which is then conducted directly out of his body or through the liquid in saliva glands. This often makes it appear as though he can "breathe" lightning. From there, hot tendrils leap across his fur and horns, or onto another electric field.

The bit of strain this causes is mainly centralized in his vocal chords, and this frequently causes him pain when he talks too much, or roars (not that it's ever stopped him from being loud).

Arkady can conduct lightning without it ever touching his own body, but it is so difficult that it really isn't worth the risk, and he pretty effectively avoids that option. It's hardly necessary anyway. If he wants to injure an enemy, he can transfer the electricity from his own body much more easily. He generally tries to avoid causing electrocution. It's difficult to control the exact extent of damage that high of a voltage could do. Most people and/or shinlai won't die from being struck, but it can cause cardiac arrest, or severe burns.

Because of the destructive qualities of his element, Arkady prefers to use his physical strength when it comes to either daily life or threatening situations. Besides the spiritual element, it doesn't play that much of a role in his life.

Alliance: Dailian

Arkady's alliance is largely spurred by his element. Light is a spiritual element, and Arkady is a relatively good example of that in effect. Spirituality is almost as important to him as the air he breathes. It comes naturally, and keeps him alive.

That's not to say that he's a hard-core worshiper who hates the Darkblood revolution. He grew up with the belief that Daila found the shinlai race worthy of her gifts. He finds the Darkblood ideals interesting, but not interesting enough to look into. Arkady is content to think of Daila as a god, and actively seeks out temples when he can.

The place where he was born was not particularly lively. Despite enjoying the company of others, Arkady found himself alone much of the time, and it was good to have something to believe in. A reason not to take himself and all of the things around him for granted. Daila must have given the shinlai elemental abilities for a reason, and even though he may never understand, the belief brings him an additional feeling of purpose.

On occasion he has been known to befriend Darkblood revolutionaries. He has no interest in joining them, and considers them about the same as he would anyone else. If they get on his nerves, he'll fight, but no more fiercely than he would fight another follower of Daila. He has, more frequently, found himself drawn to those of the Dark element. As a shinlai of the Light element, he is particularly aware of the fact that Dark shinlai seem to be calmed by his element. He always wondered why the Dark element is so efficient in torturing the minds of those it inhabits. He considers it somewhat of a weakness, and enjoys the feeling of domination he gets from being around them, even if they don't see it the same way. Many will die before they reach a ripe old age, while Arkady, as far as he's concerned, will exist in some form infinitely.

Individual Relationships:

[Parents]
Arkady never cared much for his parents. They served their role as caretakers adequately, but he was never terribly close to either of them. They fed him, soothed the occasional aching wound, protected him from the elements, and kept him company.

His mother, being a rebellious creature in her youth, went off and married her uncle, who was a good 80 years older than she. When Arkady was born, his father had just passed the prime years of his life, and seemed uninterested in trying to control the bullish youngster. That was fine with Arkady. His mother was equally content to let him run around and do his own thing, which, in his case, created an environment perfect to enforce his 'awesomeness'.

His relationship with his parents had always been fairly impersonal. They procreated rather frequently, and Arkady was only one of several young. As soon as he could fend for himself, he was off, without ever once referring to his guardians as anything but their given names.

[Siblings]
Not including himself, Arkady's parents had three other offspring. He was really never very close to any of them either. For the most part, he didn't have time, or the opportunity to grow close bonds with his siblings. He had two brothers and a sister, but still fails to remember their names.

[Talen Corripio Oplyse]
One of Arkady's sons.
Throughout his life, Arkady has never stayed with a female long enough to watch his children grow up. It is perhaps the most tragic and troublesome of his personal flaws. However, he was present for a brief time when one of his offspring, Talon, was born. After the pup was stolen, he returned to his home, feeling no obligation to comfort the mother, or search actively for his son.
However, he still remembers the boy's name, and when he travels, has a curious ear for any mention of a young shinlai named Talon.

[Bill Thigpen Idlewar]
Another of Arkady's sons.
Bill, still very young, actually lives on some of Arkady's land. It is a question as to whether or not Bill actually recognizes that Arkady is his father, as the two don't have much in the way of a familial relationship. Bill is useful, however, as something of an unpaid assistant (slave, practically). Arkady often sends him off on errands, and allows his young bull to do whatever he'd like. It is his hope that someone powerful who has time to actually take on an apprentice will pick him up, and one day Bill just won't come back.

[Soren Sirius Turmaren]
Friend.
Arkady has no blood relation to Soren, but they seem to get along pretty well, all things considered.
While Soren is a respected Darkblood, and Arkady a bit of a hardcore Dailan (in belief), they've put their differences aside for a shared love of the arts. They're literally "art buddies", which is a quiet understanding. Arkady doesn't know a whole lot about Soren in his position (confidentiality is important), but he loves learning new painting techniques. Arkady frequently paints his mask to match a situation or his mood, and he refuses to have an imperfect paint job.

Location: Norport

Actually, Arkady generally resides south of Norport. At the place where the grasslands and the desert meet. He was born a bit further south of there, in the heart of the desert. His short fur is perfect for the hot environment, and he learned to cool off by rolling around in the dust.

Occupation: Landowner

For the first half of his life, Arkady did very little in terms of traveling. He isn't learned in the ways and cultures of the world. But thankfully, that wasn't necessary at the beginning for him to become business savvy.

More recently, he has begun to travel several months out of every year, in order to keep tabs on current politics, as well as recruit workers and new ways to make his business more efficient and profitable. Arkady isn't concerned with the money, he pays his shinlai workers as well as he can, which makes for happier staff, and better food. All Ardy wants is control, in whatever form it may take.

Characteristics:

[Bullheaded]
Particularly when he was growing up, Arkady was a bully. His idea of fun included making the other pups he ran across fear him, and standing on big rocks yelling things like, "I am the leader!" Such behavior didn't earn him a whole lot of friends, but it worked for what he wanted to accommplish. Even though he wasn't necessarily the largest, growing up, Arkady was always the leader. He would lead his little band of 'savages' into the scrub and off on adventures. They called him King Ardy, and their favorite pastime was hunting.

[Competitive]
Arkady always wanted to be the best. He believed he was the best, and saught hard to prove it. In many ways he is excellent at what he does, but not so completely as thought. His earliest years were spent generally trying to outdo everyone at everything (in every way). This often came to include sabotage, and other dirty tricks to shoot down the morale of his competitors.

[Selfish]
Ardy's quest to be the best left him somewhat selfish. What he considers a good gift usually is equally, if not more, beneficial to himself. He's been that way all his life, though admittedly now and days it's gotten a lot better. Despite the way he may seem, he has matured a lot through the years.

[Ignorant]
For whatever reason, Arkady doesn't seem to have much of a grip on the concept of death, or even old age, for that matter. He behaves as though he is blissfully unaware of the fact that Arkady Idlewar will not last forever. This mentality makes him seem immature at times, and when he's not being business-like, he has a tendency to behave as crudely as he did when he was a little pup. It may be unbecoming, but he can't obtain enough humility to care.

[Ambitious]
There was never a time when it was different. Ardy always wanted to be the best at everything. It seemed fitting, to those who knew him best, that he would eventually gain something to rule over. It may not have been what he expected, but his achievements have left him in much better shape than he could have been. He has admittedly matured a lot, and calmed down with something to keep him busy. Though he continually reaches for something higher, the brunt of his ambitions alreadys seem to have been achieved.

[Tolerant]
He has a number of less socially acceptable traits, but is surprisingly accepting of opinions and races. Arkady doesn't care if someone is on the side of the Elites or the Darkbloods. He doesn't care if you're a human, a shinlai, or a squirrel. He has to be, really. It comes with the job. In order to get things done to his own advantage, he needs to be able to work with anyone, no matter their views.

[Logical]
Like most, Arkady never had any formal education. What he learned, he learned from experience, and the occasional shared knowledge of a generous neighbor. Arkady's ability to run any sort of business is purely from the depths of his mind. He has logic there, it's just stored beneith masses of immaturity. Even so, he doesn't know how to write, and has poor reading skills. Both of which would come in handy on many occasions.

[Strong]
Physically, he's just a bulky, muscular critter. He has always used that to his advantage, and behaves as a bit of a bully. Just because he can. That doesn't come without some hard labor though. Arkady has always taken pride in his physical strength, so he works hard to keep it that way. If he ever stopped working, and was allowed the freedom to lounge around without purpose, he would easily put on a lot of weight. Fast.

[Narcissistic]
Arkady's one true love is himself. He tends to get into a generous amount of relationships with anyone around who might take a fancy for him, but it's very difficult to get him to really 'fall in love'. Girls are fun for a little while, but when the idea of commitment comes around, he just can't do it. He's too heavily committed to himself to want that sort of a relationship. He would probably do best with an intellectual partner, because Ardy is content to flirt with his own reflection. It never asks for anything more.

[Flirtatious]
Arkady enjoys women. It is uncommon for him to pass up the opportunity to make a new lady friend. However, he will also pursue males in a less sexual manor. He likes to enforce his dominance over others, when and if they're willing. It's a shameful trait though, and one he will not speak of or admit to.

Biography:

Though he was born the third of four pups, Arkady was never the 'baby' of the family. His oldest sibling, the only female, was already dead by the time little Ardy arrived in the world, and his older brother was on the way out.

As it happened, Ardy was the only pup born to his parents who did not suffer the recessive traits of inbreeding. His sister had died fairly young, a disfigured creature with virtually no immune system. Though Ardy never knew her, his older brother would sometimes tell him stories of how grotesque she was. Like a nightmare, he said. It was a blessing when she died, he said. Daila took mercy on her, he said. Ardy was too young to really understand, but he quickly came to think of his late sister as a lower being. After all, he was perfectly healthy, and had all the good gifts of fortune.

So, when his older brother, only a couple of years older than Ardy himself, discovered that his element was earth, Arkady was curious. His brother was a small creature. An intellectual by nature, but small and weak. He began to bully his sibling, and his brother had an increasingly difficult time dealing with his element. His element took a huge strain on his body, and coupled with Arkady's frequently, albeit good natured beatings, it was just too much. He died of exposure, curled up like a worm on a cold desert night. Ardy, still only 8 years old and too young to have any knowledge of his own element, didn't think much of it. That was just the way things were, as his brother had said. It was a blessing, he said. Daila took mercy on him, he said.

Ardy began to take pleasure in his own exceptionalism. Without any siblings to compete for dominance, he discovered a whole new world of other pups on which to assert himself. For his age, he was very large and the fair hair on his mane hung about in wild strings that needed more grooming than they recieved. The others were afraid of him, and from fear he earned their respect. The 10 or so pups of the small village soon elected him their leader (before, they had never considered needing a leader, but Arkady insisted). He became King Ardy, and they his band of savages.

Together, made fun and games of hunting. No beast could compete with the young shinlai, for they were the great savages of the desert, and believed themselves to be the best. They were smart enough not to take down any humans, or other shinlai, but any other animals were fair game. Ardy would lead them out into the shrublands, where they would find an assortment of antelope and wild pigs. But no matter what they caught, the kills always belonged to Ardy, and he was not one for sharing. Occasionally, to increase the other's dependance on him, he would allow them scraps of meat and other small tokens of appreciation. They fed on it like wild things, hungry for love and attention.

Despite all this going on, his parents never once repremanded him. His mother gave birth to another son, and that pup too died shortly thereafter. It became clear that Arkady was the only thing they could produce fit to survive, and their satisfaction in that was enough to curve their appetite. They didn't really mind much that he was a bully, that made him strong. Nor did they mind that he cared only for himself, as that made him happy.

As he grew, Arkady changed yet again. He grew apart from his band of youngsters, and discovered that he posessed power over the light element. Perhaps some would have been disappointed in this new development for its lack of power, but not Ardy. He saw it as a grand opportunity, and was glad to have been gifted the element so closely associated with Daila. He worked hard with it, and when it became clear that he was especially gifted in lightning manipulation, he took advantage of the situation and ran with it. The area in which he lived had fewer concerns with masking than it did with staying alive, so he was content to work on his element at a slow pace, and considered himself a rightful adult well before he ever gained a mask.

After he had effectively lost contact with his parents, at a fairly young age, Arkady decided that he needed to get started on proving his worth to himself. First, he did this by seducing whatever females he came across, particularly the emotional ones. He assumed it would be a good start to begin a family early, but quickly discovered that he hated such a commitment. Arkady was the one that got away. Quite often.

To escape this previously nonexistant misfortune, he busied himself with physical labor. Ardy began to work in a salt mine, by choice, with no pay. This was a rather unusual thing to do, but to Arkady it was strategic. His assistance was greatly appreciated, and the humans in the mine worshiped him for all he did. That was a reward in itself. He fed off of that sort of energy, being worshiped just for doing what he was built to do. During that time, Ardy became less of an outward bully. He began to mature in some ways, and instead behaved in a charming, charismatic manor. The happier he was, the happier the miners were. It was beautiful, in his eyes.

At around 27 years of age, Arkady was finally masked. He had taken his sweet time harnessing his element, and seemed rather unconcerned with anything being 'official'. 'Official' was something created by others to be forced upon him. Ardy was best, he knew it, and everything else was pointless childplay. But at the same time, he did appreciate the meaning this ceremony had. Before recieving his mask, he went to one of Daila's temples and spent an entire night sending prayers to his god. Prayers of thanks for his physical and mental strength. Prayers of worship to her generocity. Prayers of hope that his good fortune would continue as he knew it should.

It gave him an extra bound of courage, so that soon after recieving his mask, he decided to leave the mines. At announcing this decision, his fortune reared its head yet again. Though the miners were mostly poor, one of them gave Arkady a plot of good, fertile land. Another gave him some cattle. A third, a sign on which he could have written the name of his new estate. Arkady supressed his joy. This was to have been expected, and he should make the most of it. He asked the men to paint "Fort Idlewar" on his new, wooden sign. And there they placed it at the head of his land, with the cattle and the supplies he had used in the mines.

Arkady was quick to work with what he had been given. He fed the cattle and took good care of the land. Then, he traded and bartered and took advantage of any soul who stumbled upon him. In ten years, Fort Idlewar had doubled again and again. He added other livestock, and began to grow crops as well. With constant work and cut-throat determination, it began to grow into a profitable organization. However, as it grew, it became much more difficult to maintain. No matter how awesome Arkady might believe himself to be, he was smart enough to realize that there was still only one of him. He needed help. He needed workers. So Arkady went back to the village near the place where he had been born, and presented himself again as their king. Only, in the form of a business opportunity. Come and work for me, he said. I will give you food and modest lodging, he said. Pay me back later, he said. A number of human families were struggling to feed themselves, and they gladly agreed to his proposition. Unbeknownst to them, the system guaranteed that they would always be in debt. Such was sharecropping at its finest. Arkady felt no pity. That was business.

It worked well, too. Once he had people to assist him, Arkady was able to grow more food, which in turn made him a rising competitor. Everyone had to eat, and that made Fort Idlewar increasingly essential to the survival of nearby towns. This, Arkady discovered, was even better than controling a little band of savages. Those were kid games, this was real power. Being able to hold the life of a community in his hands. But they weren't entirely dependant, and he wanted more. He wanted his produce to be the best, the only. So he began to travel more, and recruited the help of shinlai. It was considerably more difficult to take advantage of them, since they were less dependant on communities. Shinlai could catch their own food, they didn't need to buy it in a store. But, as Arkady discovered, even they liked to have a sense of security. Fort Idlewar started to become a sanctuary for the lost, the lonely, the fearful, even before the Darkblood Revolution. A few stragglers here and there. Arkady allowed almost any shinlai to work for him; and he gave them, in return, a sense of belonging. Plus a bit of money. Earth shinlai were recruited to tend to the crops and make them more fertile, Water to irrigate the fields, Air to shepherd the flocks and protect the herds, Light to keep guard at night. Even Dark shinlai were wanted, to poison insects and assist the Light elementals. Fire was the only element generally kept out. Arkady's greatest fear was to see his work burn, though he occasionally hired even Fire Shinlai to do controlled burning of used fields once a year. His system was like clockwork, and in a matter of 30 years he had easily knocked out all of the local competition. He felt like a god.

Ardy was so engulfed in running Fort Idlewar that it was several years before word of the new revolution reached the nubs of his ears. His innitial reaction was mixed. As a firm worshiper of Daila, he of course disagreed with the Darkbloods. But he was quickly able to push that aside, because it could be yet another business opportunity. He knew he would be willing to side with the Darkbloods (for business matters only) if they payed him enough to supply their ranks with food. The crops and animals Fort Idlewar produced were known for being high in quality. He took great pride in that. But he had to protect his hard work as well, lest it be destroyed in a conflict of interest. So, he kept his position firmly Dailan. It wasn't worth Darkblood recruiter's time to try and force him into anything, the place was too well guarded. But Arkady has always made an point to keep friendly tabs with a few Darkbloods. If the time for war ever comes, he would gladly pick a side. Pray for war, he said. It will be a blessing, he said.
_________________
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Description
Edit:
I almost forgot to mention that I won!
I'll be remaking his reference soon, but all the details, including appearance, are still accurate.

I've never really made a reference sheet like this before. It was confusing, honestly. Just putting all the stuff on one document and smashing it together. Some of my writing may have gotten screwed up in the process, and I apologize for that. And is it me or does it look a little fuzzy?

But I'm hoping that I've developed him enough as a character not to let that drag me down too much. It was a lot of fun anyway!
There are a ton of fabulous entries, and since I read all of them I figured I ought to make someone read one of mine.
_________________________________

Name: Arkady Idlewar

Gender: Male

Date of birth: May 3, 1796

Age: 74

Height: 12'1

Classification: Exotic, short fur, weeping tail

Arkady's eyesight in his main set of eyes is quite good. However, the smaller sets are mainly utilized to better recognize movement. It seems to give him a bit of a reaction time advantage, but nothing terribly significant. His smaller sets of eyes are often subject to harassment from his element. He thinks it's cool to shoot little jolts of lightning out of them, even though it's admittedly somewhat painful. He may well go blind in all but his main set of eyes, but Arkady would likely consider it worth the sacrifice.

Most of the male's fur is rather short, particularly on his back and legs. There is a bit of variation, his chest has slightly thicker fur, along with the cheeks, neck and hunches. All of this fur is rather tough and unpleasant to the touch. It is, however, perfect for keeping unwanted substances out, and requires little grooming.
The fur on his mane and tail is very different. It is still somewhat stringy, but has much more flow, and hangs about in long, sweeping motions.

Element: Light

Arkady specializes in the lightning manipulation portion of the element. Because it requires such an immense amount of power and practice, he wouldn't have been able to master the energy region as well, even if he had the patience to try. As it is, Arkady's talents with lightning manipulation are by no means perfected. He has the willpower to create and manipulate electricity, but has a difficult time controlling exactly where the electrical discharge goes once it has effectively left his own body.

In terms of the strain this puts on him, the consequences are surprisingly few. When he was first learning to control his ability he singed a portion of the fur on his leg, but the scars it left were shallow and easily covered by the regrowth of fur.

A large source of electricity within Arkady seems to be his vocal chords. The vibrations cause the amount of friction necessary to aid in producing most of the electricity he harnesses, which is then conducted directly out of his body or through the liquid in saliva glands. This often makes it appear as though he can "breathe" lightning. From there, hot tendrils leap across his fur and horns, or onto another electric field.

The bit of strain this causes is mainly centralized in his vocal chords, and this frequently causes him pain when he talks too much, or roars (not that it's ever stopped him from being loud).

Arkady can conduct lightning without it ever touching his own body, but it is so difficult that it really isn't worth the risk, and he pretty effectively avoids that option. It's hardly necessary anyway. If he wants to injure an enemy, he can transfer the electricity from his own body much more easily. He generally tries to avoid causing electrocution. It's difficult to control the exact extent of damage that high of a voltage could do. Most people and/or shinlai won't die from being struck, but it can cause cardiac arrest, or severe burns.

Because of the destructive qualities of his element, Arkady prefers to use his physical strength when it comes to either daily life or threatening situations. Besides the spiritual element, it doesn't play that much of a role in his life.

Alliance: Dailian

Arkady's alliance is largely spurred by his element. Light is a spiritual element, and Arkady is a relatively good example of that in effect. Spirituality is almost as important to him as the air he breathes. It comes naturally, and keeps him alive.

That's not to say that he's a hard-core worshiper who hates the Darkblood revolution. He grew up with the belief that Daila found the shinlai race worthy of her gifts. He finds the Darkblood ideals interesting, but not interesting enough to look into. Arkady is content to think of Daila as a god, and actively seeks out temples when he can.

The place where he was born was not particularly lively. Despite enjoying the company of others, Arkady found himself alone much of the time, and it was good to have something to believe in. A reason not to take himself and all of the things around him for granted. Daila must have given the shinlai elemental abilities for a reason, and even though he may never understand, the belief brings him an additional feeling of purpose.

On occasion he has been known to befriend Darkblood revolutionaries. He has no interest in joining them, and considers them about the same as he would anyone else. If they get on his nerves, he'll fight, but no more fiercely than he would fight another follower of Daila. He has, more frequently, found himself drawn to those of the Dark element. As a shinlai of the Light element, he is particularly aware of the fact that Dark shinlai seem to be calmed by his element. He always wondered why the Dark element is so efficient in torturing the minds of those it inhabits. He considers it somewhat of a weakness, and enjoys the feeling of domination he gets from being around them, even if they don't see it the same way. Many will die before they reach a ripe old age, while Arkady, as far as he's concerned, will exist in some form infinitely.

Individual Relationships:

[Parents]
Arkady never cared much for his parents. They served their role as caretakers adequately, but he was never terribly close to either of them. They fed him, soothed the occasional aching wound, protected him from the elements, and kept him company.

His mother, being a rebellious creature in her youth, went off and married her uncle, who was a good 80 years older than she. When Arkady was born, his father had just passed the prime years of his life, and seemed uninterested in trying to control the bullish youngster. That was fine with Arkady. His mother was equally content to let him run around and do his own thing, which, in his case, created an environment perfect to enforce his 'awesomeness'.

His relationship with his parents had always been fairly impersonal. They procreated rather frequently, and Arkady was only one of several young. As soon as he could fend for himself, he was off, without ever once referring to his guardians as anything but their given names.

[Siblings]
Not including himself, Arkady's parents had three other offspring. He was really never very close to any of them either. For the most part, he didn't have time, or the opportunity to grow close bonds with his siblings. He had two brothers and a sister, but still fails to remember their names.

[Talen Corripio Oplyse]
One of Arkady's sons.
Throughout his life, Arkady has never stayed with a female long enough to watch his children grow up. It is perhaps the most tragic and troublesome of his personal flaws. However, he was present for a brief time when one of his offspring, Talon, was born. After the pup was stolen, he returned to his home, feeling no obligation to comfort the mother, or search actively for his son.
However, he still remembers the boy's name, and when he travels, has a curious ear for any mention of a young shinlai named Talon.

[Bill Thigpen Idlewar]
Another of Arkady's sons.
Bill, still very young, actually lives on some of Arkady's land. It is a question as to whether or not Bill actually recognizes that Arkady is his father, as the two don't have much in the way of a familial relationship. Bill is useful, however, as something of an unpaid assistant (slave, practically). Arkady often sends him off on errands, and allows his young bull to do whatever he'd like. It is his hope that someone powerful who has time to actually take on an apprentice will pick him up, and one day Bill just won't come back.

[Soren Sirius Turmaren]
Friend.
Arkady has no blood relation to Soren, but they seem to get along pretty well, all things considered.
While Soren is a respected Darkblood, and Arkady a bit of a hardcore Dailan (in belief), they've put their differences aside for a shared love of the arts. They're literally "art buddies", which is a quiet understanding. Arkady doesn't know a whole lot about Soren in his position (confidentiality is important), but he loves learning new painting techniques. Arkady frequently paints his mask to match a situation or his mood, and he refuses to have an imperfect paint job.

Location: Norport

Actually, Arkady generally resides south of Norport. At the place where the grasslands and the desert meet. He was born a bit further south of there, in the heart of the desert. His short fur is perfect for the hot environment, and he learned to cool off by rolling around in the dust.

Occupation: Landowner

For the first half of his life, Arkady did very little in terms of traveling. He isn't learned in the ways and cultures of the world. But thankfully, that wasn't necessary at the beginning for him to become business savvy.

More recently, he has begun to travel several months out of every year, in order to keep tabs on current politics, as well as recruit workers and new ways to make his business more efficient and profitable. Arkady isn't concerned with the money, he pays his shinlai workers as well as he can, which makes for happier staff, and better food. All Ardy wants is control, in whatever form it may take.

Characteristics:

[Bullheaded]
Particularly when he was growing up, Arkady was a bully. His idea of fun included making the other pups he ran across fear him, and standing on big rocks yelling things like, "I am the leader!" Such behavior didn't earn him a whole lot of friends, but it worked for what he wanted to accommplish. Even though he wasn't necessarily the largest, growing up, Arkady was always the leader. He would lead his little band of 'savages' into the scrub and off on adventures. They called him King Ardy, and their favorite pastime was hunting.

[Competitive]
Arkady always wanted to be the best. He believed he was the best, and saught hard to prove it. In many ways he is excellent at what he does, but not so completely as thought. His earliest years were spent generally trying to outdo everyone at everything (in every way). This often came to include sabotage, and other dirty tricks to shoot down the morale of his competitors.

[Selfish]
Ardy's quest to be the best left him somewhat selfish. What he considers a good gift usually is equally, if not more, beneficial to himself. He's been that way all his life, though admittedly now and days it's gotten a lot better. Despite the way he may seem, he has matured a lot through the years.

[Ignorant]
For whatever reason, Arkady doesn't seem to have much of a grip on the concept of death, or even old age, for that matter. He behaves as though he is blissfully unaware of the fact that Arkady Idlewar will not last forever. This mentality makes him seem immature at times, and when he's not being business-like, he has a tendency to behave as crudely as he did when he was a little pup. It may be unbecoming, but he can't obtain enough humility to care.

[Ambitious]
There was never a time when it was different. Ardy always wanted to be the best at everything. It seemed fitting, to those who knew him best, that he would eventually gain something to rule over. It may not have been what he expected, but his achievements have left him in much better shape than he could have been. He has admittedly matured a lot, and calmed down with something to keep him busy. Though he continually reaches for something higher, the brunt of his ambitions alreadys seem to have been achieved.

[Tolerant]
He has a number of less socially acceptable traits, but is surprisingly accepting of opinions and races. Arkady doesn't care if someone is on the side of the Elites or the Darkbloods. He doesn't care if you're a human, a shinlai, or a squirrel. He has to be, really. It comes with the job. In order to get things done to his own advantage, he needs to be able to work with anyone, no matter their views.

[Logical]
Like most, Arkady never had any formal education. What he learned, he learned from experience, and the occasional shared knowledge of a generous neighbor. Arkady's ability to run any sort of business is purely from the depths of his mind. He has logic there, it's just stored beneith masses of immaturity. Even so, he doesn't know how to write, and has poor reading skills. Both of which would come in handy on many occasions.

[Strong]
Physically, he's just a bulky, muscular critter. He has always used that to his advantage, and behaves as a bit of a bully. Just because he can. That doesn't come without some hard labor though. Arkady has always taken pride in his physical strength, so he works hard to keep it that way. If he ever stopped working, and was allowed the freedom to lounge around without purpose, he would easily put on a lot of weight. Fast.

[Narcissistic]
Arkady's one true love is himself. He tends to get into a generous amount of relationships with anyone around who might take a fancy for him, but it's very difficult to get him to really 'fall in love'. Girls are fun for a little while, but when the idea of commitment comes around, he just can't do it. He's too heavily committed to himself to want that sort of a relationship. He would probably do best with an intellectual partner, because Ardy is content to flirt with his own reflection. It never asks for anything more.

[Flirtatious]
Arkady enjoys women. It is uncommon for him to pass up the opportunity to make a new lady friend. However, he will also pursue males in a less sexual manor. He likes to enforce his dominance over others, when and if they're willing. It's a shameful trait though, and one he will not speak of or admit to.

Biography:

Though he was born the third of four pups, Arkady was never the 'baby' of the family. His oldest sibling, the only female, was already dead by the time little Ardy arrived in the world, and his older brother was on the way out.

As it happened, Ardy was the only pup born to his parents who did not suffer the recessive traits of inbreeding. His sister had died fairly young, a disfigured creature with virtually no immune system. Though Ardy never knew her, his older brother would sometimes tell him stories of how grotesque she was. Like a nightmare, he said. It was a blessing when she died, he said. Daila took mercy on her, he said. Ardy was too young to really understand, but he quickly came to think of his late sister as a lower being. After all, he was perfectly healthy, and had all the good gifts of fortune.

So, when his older brother, only a couple of years older than Ardy himself, discovered that his element was earth, Arkady was curious. His brother was a small creature. An intellectual by nature, but small and weak. He began to bully his sibling, and his brother had an increasingly difficult time dealing with his element. His element took a huge strain on his body, and coupled with Arkady's frequently, albeit good natured beatings, it was just too much. He died of exposure, curled up like a worm on a cold desert night. Ardy, still only 8 years old and too young to have any knowledge of his own element, didn't think much of it. That was just the way things were, as his brother had said. It was a blessing, he said. Daila took mercy on him, he said.

Ardy began to take pleasure in his own exceptionalism. Without any siblings to compete for dominance, he discovered a whole new world of other pups on which to assert himself. For his age, he was very large and the fair hair on his mane hung about in wild strings that needed more grooming than they recieved. The others were afraid of him, and from fear he earned their respect. The 10 or so pups of the small village soon elected him their leader (before, they had never considered needing a leader, but Arkady insisted). He became King Ardy, and they his band of savages.

Together, made fun and games of hunting. No beast could compete with the young shinlai, for they were the great savages of the desert, and believed themselves to be the best. They were smart enough not to take down any humans, or other shinlai, but any other animals were fair game. Ardy would lead them out into the shrublands, where they would find an assortment of antelope and wild pigs. But no matter what they caught, the kills always belonged to Ardy, and he was not one for sharing. Occasionally, to increase the other's dependance on him, he would allow them scraps of meat and other small tokens of appreciation. They fed on it like wild things, hungry for love and attention.

Despite all this going on, his parents never once repremanded him. His mother gave birth to another son, and that pup too died shortly thereafter. It became clear that Arkady was the only thing they could produce fit to survive, and their satisfaction in that was enough to curve their appetite. They didn't really mind much that he was a bully, that made him strong. Nor did they mind that he cared only for himself, as that made him happy.

As he grew, Arkady changed yet again. He grew apart from his band of youngsters, and discovered that he posessed power over the light element. Perhaps some would have been disappointed in this new development for its lack of power, but not Ardy. He saw it as a grand opportunity, and was glad to have been gifted the element so closely associated with Daila. He worked hard with it, and when it became clear that he was especially gifted in lightning manipulation, he took advantage of the situation and ran with it. The area in which he lived had fewer concerns with masking than it did with staying alive, so he was content to work on his element at a slow pace, and considered himself a rightful adult well before he ever gained a mask.

After he had effectively lost contact with his parents, at a fairly young age, Arkady decided that he needed to get started on proving his worth to himself. First, he did this by seducing whatever females he came across, particularly the emotional ones. He assumed it would be a good start to begin a family early, but quickly discovered that he hated such a commitment. Arkady was the one that got away. Quite often.

To escape this previously nonexistant misfortune, he busied himself with physical labor. Ardy began to work in a salt mine, by choice, with no pay. This was a rather unusual thing to do, but to Arkady it was strategic. His assistance was greatly appreciated, and the humans in the mine worshiped him for all he did. That was a reward in itself. He fed off of that sort of energy, being worshiped just for doing what he was built to do. During that time, Ardy became less of an outward bully. He began to mature in some ways, and instead behaved in a charming, charismatic manor. The happier he was, the happier the miners were. It was beautiful, in his eyes.

At around 27 years of age, Arkady was finally masked. He had taken his sweet time harnessing his element, and seemed rather unconcerned with anything being 'official'. 'Official' was something created by others to be forced upon him. Ardy was best, he knew it, and everything else was pointless childplay. But at the same time, he did appreciate the meaning this ceremony had. Before recieving his mask, he went to one of Daila's temples and spent an entire night sending prayers to his god. Prayers of thanks for his physical and mental strength. Prayers of worship to her generocity. Prayers of hope that his good fortune would continue as he knew it should.

It gave him an extra bound of courage, so that soon after recieving his mask, he decided to leave the mines. At announcing this decision, his fortune reared its head yet again. Though the miners were mostly poor, one of them gave Arkady a plot of good, fertile land. Another gave him some cattle. A third, a sign on which he could have written the name of his new estate. Arkady supressed his joy. This was to have been expected, and he should make the most of it. He asked the men to paint "Fort Idlewar" on his new, wooden sign. And there they placed it at the head of his land, with the cattle and the supplies he had used in the mines.

Arkady was quick to work with what he had been given. He fed the cattle and took good care of the land. Then, he traded and bartered and took advantage of any soul who stumbled upon him. In ten years, Fort Idlewar had doubled again and again. He added other livestock, and began to grow crops as well. With constant work and cut-throat determination, it began to grow into a profitable organization. However, as it grew, it became much more difficult to maintain. No matter how awesome Arkady might believe himself to be, he was smart enough to realize that there was still only one of him. He needed help. He needed workers. So Arkady went back to the village near the place where he had been born, and presented himself again as their king. Only, in the form of a business opportunity. Come and work for me, he said. I will give you food and modest lodging, he said. Pay me back later, he said. A number of human families were struggling to feed themselves, and they gladly agreed to his proposition. Unbeknownst to them, the system guaranteed that they would always be in debt. Such was sharecropping at its finest. Arkady felt no pity. That was business.

It worked well, too. Once he had people to assist him, Arkady was able to grow more food, which in turn made him a rising competitor. Everyone had to eat, and that made Fort Idlewar increasingly essential to the survival of nearby towns. This, Arkady discovered, was even better than controling a little band of savages. Those were kid games, this was real power. Being able to hold the life of a community in his hands. But they weren't entirely dependant, and he wanted more. He wanted his produce to be the best, the only. So he began to travel more, and recruited the help of shinlai. It was considerably more difficult to take advantage of them, since they were less dependant on communities. Shinlai could catch their own food, they didn't need to buy it in a store. But, as Arkady discovered, even they liked to have a sense of security. Fort Idlewar started to become a sanctuary for the lost, the lonely, the fearful, even before the Darkblood Revolution. A few stragglers here and there. Arkady allowed almost any shinlai to work for him; and he gave them, in return, a sense of belonging. Plus a bit of money. Earth shinlai were recruited to tend to the crops and make them more fertile, Water to irrigate the fields, Air to shepherd the flocks and protect the herds, Light to keep guard at night. Even Dark shinlai were wanted, to poison insects and assist the Light elementals. Fire was the only element generally kept out. Arkady's greatest fear was to see his work burn, though he occasionally hired even Fire Shinlai to do controlled burning of used fields once a year. His system was like clockwork, and in a matter of 30 years he had easily knocked out all of the local competition. He felt like a god.

Ardy was so engulfed in running Fort Idlewar that it was several years before word of the new revolution reached the nubs of his ears. His innitial reaction was mixed. As a firm worshiper of Daila, he of course disagreed with the Darkbloods. But he was quickly able to push that aside, because it could be yet another business opportunity. He knew he would be willing to side with the Darkbloods (for business matters only) if they payed him enough to supply their ranks with food. The crops and animals Fort Idlewar produced were known for being high in quality. He took great pride in that. But he had to protect his hard work as well, lest it be destroyed in a conflict of interest. So, he kept his position firmly Dailan. It wasn't worth Darkblood recruiter's time to try and force him into anything, the place was too well guarded. But Arkady has always made an point to keep friendly tabs with a few Darkbloods. If the time for war ever comes, he would gladly pick a side. Pray for war, he said. It will be a blessing, he said.
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