Posts : 3 Join date : 2010-06-13 Age : 34 Location : Poblacht na hÉireann
Subject: Yossif Habnr Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:41 pm
جوزيف ، ومنتصرا ، هيردر ، من قرية سخيفة ، ابن سليمان Yossif Al Qāhirā Habnr ibn Hā'il ibd Sayid
Basics
Name: Yossif Al Qāhirā Habnr ibn Hā'il ibd Sayid (Joseph 'the victorious' Herder, of Ha'il, son of Sayid); generally referred to as simply Yossif Habnr or Yossif ibd Sayid by non-Sidans.
Age: Born during the aegis of the sign Taurus, during the fifteenth day of his primacy. He has endured twenty eight winters since his birth.
Gender: ♂ Male
Race:Homo Sapiens
Physical Description: Yossif stands at about five foot, ten inches height, bearing the characteristic deeply tanned skin of his people. A few deeply gouged scars dot his lower back, concealed between darker patches of scar tissue and worn clothing. His hair is fresh cut, the imprecise and almost hasty cuts there obviously having been self-preformed with a blade of some sort. He isn't physically imposing, loose clothing doing little to emphasize his form or musculature, the bare essentials for survival only developed in the latter. A black mane of hair covers his chin, freshly cut yet having grown back in a dousing of yet newer stubble. His eyes torpidly droop downwards, their brown iris' easily showing a visible weariness, dark lines beneath them.
He is clad in the same characteristic red-tanned leather of the Great Sand Sea, a flamel of bronze coloring upon the lapel and sides of the jerkin. Its sides matted with dust and sand, the white fiber of a tunic sticks out from underneath it, the cotton of Sida. Trousers of the same cotton, bound externally with leather. Across his chest runs a great brown cattle leather belt, a rarity in itself in Sida, where goats are the primary source of the material. Its sides have brief etching inscribed onto them, in the alphabet and calligraphic style of Sida. From it a few assorted white sashes hand, some loosely hanging and others bundled up, containing something or another within them. An empty dagger scabbard is attached to his left side, the plain wooden edifice of it plugged up by a small wooden cup on the top. Within is simply ink, a much deadlier weapon than a dagger, as some circles consider. Sticking through his sash near it is a simple paintbrush, the handle made of guilded oak wood and with fine horse hairs layered out through the top.
Upon his head is a simple headdress, a few white pieces of cloth wrapped in a most traditional style about his scalp. The white cotton there sits with a firm dignity, it being some of the cleanest articles of clothing on him. Keeping it all together is another belt, wrapped about the midriff of this turban, it the same red Sidan leather. A scarlet skullcap sits on the top of it all, shaped in the form of a Phrygian cap, if only for decorative purposes.
Backstory
Birthplace: The town of Hā'il, in the western stretch of the Sidan Sea of Sand.
Biography: Wrought from the loins of Sayid ibd Zafir, and born upon the fifteenth day of Taurus, Yossif was raised within the small Sidan community of Hā'il - which lay in the western segment of the Great Sand Sea. The town of Hā'il was lauded by many merchants in the Great Sand Sea, a great saltpeter deposit located but a mile away from the veritable paradise of the village's oasis. Alchemists and Gunsmiths were abound in great number in the sunny desert town, making the trek only as to exploit the local Potassium Nitrate for use in their own experiments. Sayid ibd Zafir was no such man of science, being raised a traditionalist and remaining all his life a firm adherent to the worship of blessed Aten. Yossif's father was a simple man, owning a flock of three dozen goats and only venturing into the village to sell rams for slaughter. Yossif ibd Sayid was the only offspring of Sayid ibd Zafir, whose respectively, mother and wife would pass away when Yossif was only three winters old.
As an adolescent, he had been healthy, surviving through his first few months through the nursing and constant attention of his parents. He had contracted none of the typical diseases or parasites that assailed children of the desert, and was almost exclusively reared upon goat milk, cheese, and meat. The same traditional teachings that had been passed to Sayid were taught to Yossif, such that he may one day be able to provide for himself. How to rear in an animal, how to find a pasture, the subtle art of herding and the nomadic lifestyle were all ingrained into the mind of Yossif from a very early age. His first incursion into the village proper would be at the age of six, visiting the central bazaar with his father in order to sell off a few elderly rams. Gripped almost immediately by the sights and spectacles on display, Yossif had pleaded with his sole caretaker to allow him to be schooled in the town - personally believing it would allow him to see it more and more of it.
Already making many allowances for his lone issue, Yossif was given a tutor within the village itself, an elderly former Alchemist by the name of Saul. By the age of nine, Yossif would adequately know his letters, beginning to study calligraphy under Saul. During the course of his studies, the grey-haired Alchemist would have him transcribe certain texts from one tome to another blank one. Though initially a nonchalant disregard was paid to these texts in their meaning when copying them, Yossif began to read them, the Alchemist making further impressions upon the youth as their studies strayed into the field of science. Arithmetic would come easily to him, and the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division would be thickly ingrained into the brain of the youth by the end of his first decade of life.
The basics of algebra and geometry would come next, the measurements of all material things being deemed a necessary piece of information for the fledging youth. An interest in the experiments of the local Alchemists would overtake him, deep discourse beginning between him and the elderly Alchemist upon the formula's involved and the actual applications. In the Great Sand Sea of Sida, especially in Hā'il, the only use for Potassium Nitrate was for the creation of black powder. This 'explosive dust' was a valuable commodity among the nomadic locals, sold for great fortunes for use in the domestically produced cannons, the only use for the powder. A goal of the older man was to find a more useful application for the substance, its destructive power quite apparent, but cumbersome and inefficient in implementation. At the age of nineteen, he would continue his tutoring, learning the Common tongue through the instruction of the seer - until the old man died a year later.
Distraught with the death of his mentor, Yossif took the goal of the elder upon himself, adopting a great fascination with the application of numerous chemicals and other substances to everyday life, as well as warfare. He would remain in his village, living off saved money and through the sale of petty wares until the age of twenty-two, when he would depart Hā'il for the west. Crossing the Great Sand Sea was no simple task, no less tedious than crossing an ocean of water. He would embark to seek the western lands, where rumors are told of the great secrets to be found there in regards to alchemy and technology. His travels would take him long, and he would only arrive in the west after another half decade.
Alignment:Lawful Neutral
Skill: Yossif is adept in the field of mathematics and in certain sciences, having been educated in the basics of both algebra and of geometry. He knows the fundamentals of chemistry, claiming knowledge of certain formula's for the creation of blackpowder, as well as the use of certain animal compounds for medicinal purposes. A basic understanding of technical design has been instilled in him, the industry of measuring and planning apparent and understood.
With his hand, he can direct a calligraphy brush to write Sidan letters near flawlessly, another lesson instilled into him from an early age. He can read and write his native tongue, in addition to being able to speak the Common language of Aeria. However, he cannot read the alphabet of the Common language, and is yet unable to read or write in it. His prowess with weapons though is nothing enviable, he only possessing a meager and very basic understanding of sword-fighting, instead preferring to only use a small-blade for self-defense.
The same most basic survival knowledge is known to him, it seemingly just as useless to him in this foreign environment as his knowledge of Sidan.
Favored Weapon: Yossif would prefer using the traditional Sidan Khanjar, the curved dagger or any armament forged with Dimashq Steel.
Deity: Aten, though Yossif cannot be considered particularly devout.
Last edited by Pat on Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:19 pm; edited 6 times in total (Reason for editing : added more to physical description, fix'd typo in name and amended skill area)
Markka Moderator
Posts : 916 Join date : 2010-04-29 Age : 31
Character sheet Name: Mirage Silverspine Age: 17 Race: Human
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:14 pm
Brought back from the Archive for re-approval. This character page is currently being edited to meet a higher standard, so please refrain from posting your comments before the OP notifies of its completion.
Cinclaire
Posts : 3 Join date : 2010-06-13 Age : 34 Location : Poblacht na hÉireann
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:16 pm
Done and whatnot.
Zaku
Posts : 315 Join date : 2012-01-09 Age : 29 Location : USA
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:26 pm
Two things. One, Chauntea doesn't exist anymore, at all. Two, the vast majority of Sidans worship Aten, the god of purity, cleansing fire, and the sun.
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:28 pm
More heretics for Tyr's justice!
Cinclaire
Posts : 3 Join date : 2010-06-13 Age : 34 Location : Poblacht na hÉireann
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:04 pm
Pat wrote:
Two things. One, Chauntea doesn't exist anymore, at all. Two, the vast majority of Sidans worship Aten, the god of purity, cleansing fire, and the sun.
That's just a wee bit disappointing, but sure. I've made the necessary change.
Cakebread
Posts : 81 Join date : 2012-01-12 Location : Oregon
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:26 pm
I think any character that provides more lore to be added to the source material is one worth acceptance, and Yossif is counted among them. The character page is skillfully constructed, and filled with a wealth of information. Accepted.
Markka Moderator
Posts : 916 Join date : 2010-04-29 Age : 31
Character sheet Name: Mirage Silverspine Age: 17 Race: Human
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:56 am
I'm thinking this character is starting to be in the grounds of official approval. I extend my acceptance. I also bloody love the song.
Christoph
Posts : 113 Join date : 2011-03-19 Location : Down Norrland Way
Subject: Re: Yossif Habnr Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:19 pm
Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:41 pm
