Ashraf Salib (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
highhealplz) wrote2013-04-30 08:40 pm
highhealplz) wrote2013-04-30 08:40 pm
Entry tags:
app for exsilium
» PLAYER INFORMATION
Player NAME: Liz
Current AGE: STILL 23 THIS YEAR
Player TIME ZONE: PST
Personal JOURNAL:thebutt
IM & SERVICE: aim; the zombie nun
Player PLURK: buttadventure
Current CHARACTERS: Vanadi, Khisanth
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Ashraf Salib
Character PULL-POINT: Five years after becoming a High Priest.
Character AGE: 20
Character ABILITIES:
Relocated here!
Character WORLD:
Rune Midgard is ruled by King Tristan, and plagued by monsters. Adventurers are often asked to protect the people of the kingdom, and few places are entirely safe. The further one ventures out from the towns and cities, the more deadly the monsters get — and certain places have reputations for swallowing adventurers whole. One of these places is Niflheim, the land of the dead, nestled within the roots of the fabled Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. There is great treasure to be had there, but few make it back alive.
Ashraf is originally from Morroc, a desert city that sprang up atop a long-ago imprisoned demon. What started out as a castle meant to seal in Satan Morroc slowly became an entire town, and over the years, people forgot the legends. Recently, a cult awoke the demon, who burst forth from his prison, destroyed Morroc, and fled into the desert, where he fragmented reality to keep himself hidden from anyone who would seek to imprison him again.
Ashraf moved to Prontera when he was still a child in his first life, and was raised there in his second. Prontera is the center of commerce of Rune-Midgard, and the home of the king. Both the knights and the Church are located here, making Prontera very well protected, and arguably the most civilized of all the cities of Rune-Midgard. There so far have been discovered two other continents, both of which are further advanced technologically than Rune-Midgard, and airships take adventurers back and forth between them.
One last facet of life in Rune-Midgard is worth mentioning: the Valkyries. When an adventurer has lived a full life, reached the pinnacle of his or her power, and decided to transcend this life to reach power otherwise unattainable, they may journey to Valhalla. Only the most worthy are accepted, but it's these that the Valkyries take and grant a new life to. These people are reborn and sent back into the world to live a second life — but this time with much greater rewards, and much more power, in return for their much greater struggle.
Character HISTORY:
Ashraf was born, the first time, in the desert city of Morroc, best known for its covert Thieves' Guild. Visitors here know to keep a close eye on all personal belongings, and never to wander anywhere alone after dark. Or during the day, really. It's a city that gets by on the sharpness of its wits and the speed of its draw.
Ashraf never liked it there.
With a father in and out of jail for as long as he can remember (a lower ranking member of the Guild, and not very good, as evidenced by those many trips to jail) and a mother too busy trying to earn money for her kids to spend much time with them, Ashraf found that his best (any only) role models were the priests that visited from Prontera. Ashraf was fascinated by these holy men and women, staying as near as he could to listen to all they said. The abilities they worked were nothing short of miraculous, healing the sick and wounded, dispensing blessings from the gods without any struggle at all. It was amazing. It was exactly what Ashraf wanted to achieve for himself.
So, when he was 14, he started out for Prontera, the capitol of all of Rune-Midgard and home of King Tristan. The journey took a month, but once he was there and had found his way to the Church of the All-Father, he was accepted as an acolyte after just a month of dedicated service. It was then that his studies really began.
It took him 5 long years of study, training, and finally even of field experience, to finally earn the much-coveted promotion into priesthood. Ashraf had shirked most of his friendships, fallen out of contact with his family, and failed entirely with any kind of romantic life, but it was worth it. At age 19, he was made a priest. He proudly travelled all over Rune-Midgard, sharpening his skill at healing and supporting warriors in battle. He never much liked that he had to charge for it, but… well, there wasn't any other way he could see to keep himself fed.
When he was 27, Ashraf met Olivia Durant. Olivia was a crusader, also working in the order of the All-Father, and as stern and commanding a woman as Ashraf had ever met. They worked well together, and Ashraf was continually impressed by her strength and morals. He began to join parties that Olivia had joined already, looking to enjoy her company a little longer. It became a joint partnership, and Olivia began to rely on Ashraf as a priest, as he relied on her as a warrior. Eventually the two began to rely on each other as friends, as well. Ashraf harbored an admiration that had turned into love for two months before Olivia grew annoyed at his cautiously slow speed. Customarily direct and straightforward as ever, Olivia took the relationship into her own hands, and they were married within the year.
The two became well-known for Olivia's strength (and for her crusade against demons in particular—just their sinful and corrupted existence never failed to rile her ire) and Ashraf's supportive endurance. They earned enough to live comfortably, and were happy together. It was when Ashraf was thirty that the long-forgotten Satan Morroc burst free from his thousand year prison underneath the city of Morroc, destroying the entire thing.
Ashraf had never wanted to visit his home, and it didn't bother him that he hadn't seen his mother or siblings in sixteen years. But when his home was destroyed, and he couldn't visit them if he'd wanted to, well, his perspective changed. He urged Olivia to accept the king's summons to do battle with Satan Morroc and his forces, only to spend hours wandering through the ruins once they'd arrived in the devastated city. He never told Olivia about his family or their absent relationship, but he didn't have to—his reaction was enough for her to understand.
The two spent the next twenty years in pursuit of the demon. The rift that Satan Morroc had caused in space protected him from direct assault, and so their search for an alternative route took them far and wide. In the company of a small party, they came eventually to Niflheim, that land of the dead in the roots of the great Tree of Life. Ashraf and Olivia both had been there before on earlier quests, although never so deep into the heart of the land — they were far less prepared than they'd thought. The hordes of demons arrayed against them allowed no respite, nor was there anywhere to hide from them. All they could do was press on, and Ashraf's supply of blue gems dwindled as party members fell and were resurrected again.
Then came a lull. Taking advantage of it, the party set up a camp and a few watches, hoping to rest a little. It was the hunter that discovered the little boy shivering in the darkness and brought him into the firelight — and subsequently, it was the hunter that was first killed when the "little boy" showed himself as a hylozoist, another of the demons. Infuriated that the demons would prey even on their kindness, Olivia rushed immediately to meet the reassembling demons, missing entirely Ashraf's cry of warning. He'd used the last of his blue gems on the fallen hunter, and his resurrection spell was useless without them.
The party fell, one by one, and Olivia was the last of them to die. Faced with the ever-growing hordes of demons, and knowing that if he were to die too, there would be no hope at all of resurrecting the party, Ashraf was forced to create a warp portal for himself to escape into. It took him directly back to Prontera, where he desperately tried to arrange a rescue party to retrieve and revive the corpses, but even he had to reluctantly admit that it was impossible. Even if the demons had left the corpses where they lay, which was incredibly unlikely, by the time they got there it would be too late to revive any of them. The entire party, and Olivia with them, were gone.
He took a week to mourn, and then departed for the renewed floating city of Juno to find his way to Valhalla and the Valkyries. As the legend said, he could offer his life to the Valkyrie, and if he was found worthy, he would be reborn. (If not… well. Best not to think of that.) Rebirth would be a long and difficult road, but he would have far more power to protect the innocent by the end of it, and what had happened in Niflheim would never happen again. He was determined. The Valkyries accepted his offer, and he was sent back to Rune-Midgard as an infant.
This time, Ashraf was raised in the Church, which provided him with everything he could want. By the time he was five, he had begun to recall memories from his previous life, and the priests at the church took the opportunity to tell him all about himself as he had been. They emphasized his greatness, his self-sacrifice, how strong and well-known he had been. Needless to say, Ashraf developed a pretty high opinion of himself. Only one man, a young friend of Ashraf's from his previous life, was around to keep Ashraf's ego to manageable proportions. Shaun, now easily Ashraf's senior, provided enough tough love and mockery to keep Ashraf grounded.
But it was harder this time around, and the challenges were greater; however, Ashraf was not only determined, but completely self-assured. He was made a high priest by the time he was 15—four years earlier than he'd become a priest the first time—and he wasted no time in setting out into the world.
This time, though, he was not so passive. He had paid special attention in his studies to learning how best to damage demons and undead creatures, and by the time he was a high priest, he'd decided that he would do things differently this time. Namely, he learned the spell Magnus Exorcismus — an exorcism spell that deal great holy damage to anything unholy in the area, even more powerful than Olivia's self-sacrificial Grand Cross had been. This time he would not merely support others, he would take the fight against the unholy corruption of the world into his own hands, and his fight against Satan Morroc had expanded to cover all of demon and undead.
His adventures throughout Rune-Midgard focused heavily on just that, and he was well-known for occasionally leading a party astray specifically to run into demons and undead creatures. In fact, he became a little too well-known for it. A knight joined their party, quickly gaining Ashraf's friendship and appreciation. This man lead them into the underground dungeons below the city of Geffen, famous for being choked with undead and demons. Of course, Ashraf was only too happy to follow along. But it proved to be a trap, and just as hordes of readied demons sprang to the attack, the knight uncovered himself as the Doppleganger, the infamous lead demon of Geffen. Ashraf gamely rallied himself and his party members to fight, and it will be from the middle of this desperate struggle that he'll be taken.
Character PERSONALITY:
Ashraf began life — his first life — as an opinionated and angry boy. It bothered him to see the casual injustices in Morroc; the way merchants swindled, the pride thieves took in their craft, the lies men and women told each other. But being young and incapable, he had no solution beyond anger to his disappointment. Until the day he saw a traveling priest of the Prontera Church. The man showed nothing but kindness and goodwill toward all, healing the sick and injured, helping how he could and expecting nothing in exchange, and going on his holy way again, straight back out of Ashraf's life. Needless to say, the boy was impressed. That was how a truly good man should act. It was how he should act. It was from that moment that he decided he would be a priest, and his life in Morroc became one great struggle toward it.
Ashraf grew into a serious, solemn, and deeply dedicated man. He grew up knowing exactly what the men and women of the Prontera Church that he most respected were supposed to be like, and trying to emulate it at all times. This required soothing a rather easily provoked temper held over from his youth, but the job of it got easier as the years passed. By the time he was forty, he was well respected as a kind, serious, and compassionate man of the faith. He had a penchant for letting the sorrows of the world occasionally drag him down, but he knew by then that the remedy was generally to keep someone around who could remind him to stand strong — a role generally filled by his wife.
The two complimented each other nicely, with Olivia keeping Ashraf strong, and Ashraf keeping Olivia compassionate. After her death, a great sadness took hold. There was guilt, of course, in knowing he had failed to save her, and there was resignation in knowing that the odds had been stacked too highly against them, and no one could have saved her. But above all else, he felt his strength to keep fighting failing without her. It was this that finally pushed him into giving himself to the Valkyries of Valhalla to be reborn, as much as it was the knowledge that he could never keep people safe as he was, and that he would need to surrender himself and strengthen his holy power.
After he was reborn, as a baby raised in the Parish, Ashraf had significantly different influences. Everyone around him knew the sacrifice he'd made, and the great man he'd been — and so rather than seeing a lofty ideal and striving toward it, he instead was raised being that lofty ideal. Ashraf knew he was capable of great things, because he'd already achieved them. This was reflected in his confidence, above all else. Even as an acolyte, he was ready to take on any challenge, physical, spiritual, or otherwise. He had an indomitable spirit and a thirst to reacquaint himself with the world, and the pain of losing Olivia had been softened as the memories of her became hazy in his second childhood. Ashraf had only Shaun to keep him from floating away entirely on the winds of ego; Shaun, who was unimpressed by the man he had been, and constantly demanded of Ashraf, "Yeah, but who are you now?"
Nowadays he is a confident 20-year-old (technically 70-year old) man, completely assured of himself, his use to the world, and his good standing in matters of faith and the Church. This lends him some of the cockiness that goes with confidence, but he has lost none of his compassion. If anything, it's even more obvious now. Ashraf genuinely likes and cares for people; he would rather spend an evening in a tavern, getting to know those that frequent it, than sitting in a library at the Church studying scripture. He sees the best in anyone he meets, and is happy to help them see the same if need be.
His faith is a rock. He believes wholeheartedly in the guiding hand of the divine, and with that has come an interest in any other forms of religion that may present themselves. After all, it works so well for him, surely there must be something worth learning in a different version of the same faith and comfort, right? He even, to some extent, believes in any religion he comes across. It all equates to the same basic love and respect, and at the root of everything, the same divine force drives it all.
Ashraf isn't blind to suffering, though. He's very aware of it, and does his best to alleviate it — but could never take that as a sign of displeasure or abandonment by God. He sees suffering as trials given to people to ultimately shape them into a better, more whole person. He views his own tribulations as gifts, even if they were pretty unwelcome gifts at the time. In retrospect, everything he has lost and suffered for, in this life and in his last life, has made him stronger in the end, and he's grateful for that much.
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON:
A Divine Cross, which has a holy aura that weakens demons and undead around him. It will evolve in Exsilium to lower his cast times, strengthen his magic, and eventually make it so he learns spells hewouldn't usually have enough skill points to get wouldn't have the time to study, and so he doesn't need to use blue gems to cast the spells that require them. Further down the line, it will even make the spells that are only offensive toward demons/undead begin to effect all enemies.
» SAMPLES
First PERSON:
[ There's a smiling face on the screen. It's familiar, with only superficial changes here and there (fewer lines of worry, shorter hair, a swank new pair of robes…), and seems only slightly younger. The most obvious change is definitely that smile, which is warm and glad, and looks very natural on him. ]
I see it still rains here. [ He chuckles, like it was a totally hilarious joke. Look he's just pleased to be back, okay. ] No one has found a way to clear the clouds away yet, have they? Well, that's alright. Perhaps it will be incentive to take part in the Initiative's missions.
Ah — for those who don't remember me, or never met me — I'm Ashraf Salib. I was a co-director of the transport-run clinic here, although — Anders? Adrasteius? Maybe I should ask after the state of it before anything else. Not that I doubt you kept it in fine condition!
[ One more of those smiles, and he reaches to turn off the tablet. ]
It's good to be back.
Third PERSON:
For a moment, he just breathes. He'd been just as confused and disorientated as anyone else, at first, but… then the memories had begun to return. It had been the sight of the courtyard, at first. He'd stopped, stared, blinked a few times, and… yes, he'd been here before. Long ago, when he was younger… no, when he was older. The first time. It's difficult to tell the difference sometimes.
So, here is the courtyard, then… he steps out into the rain, glances around, and nods to himself. There is the rise of the housing building, off to the East, just as he recalls. The housing building… what had been his room number? He can't quite remember anymore. But his roommates? Jericho, he remembers the blond boy. And… Gwen, yes. Gwen had been lovely. He smiles to himself, as small details — guitars and mended robes — come back to him, and wonders if the two are still there. He hopes so, although he has to admit it's possible that perhaps they've been sent back. Or even grown old and passed away. After all, it's been close to fifty years, for him.
But there isn't any other way than to hope for the best, steel himself for otherwise, and see for himself, is there? He starts forward, head held high, a small smile in place. Exsilium. The clinic. Anders and Adrasteius, Koltira and Bariyan...
At long last, he's re-awoken to the dream to find it again his reality.
He'd best go and see who he knows here.
» ADDITIONAL NOTES
He'll remember his previous time in Exsilium, but foggily. That was two lifetimes ago, after all.
Player NAME: Liz
Current AGE: STILL 23 THIS YEAR
Player TIME ZONE: PST
Personal JOURNAL:
thebuttIM & SERVICE: aim; the zombie nun
Player PLURK: buttadventure
Current CHARACTERS: Vanadi, Khisanth
» CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character NAME: Ashraf Salib
Character PULL-POINT: Five years after becoming a High Priest.
Character AGE: 20
Character ABILITIES:
Relocated here!
Character WORLD:
Rune Midgard is ruled by King Tristan, and plagued by monsters. Adventurers are often asked to protect the people of the kingdom, and few places are entirely safe. The further one ventures out from the towns and cities, the more deadly the monsters get — and certain places have reputations for swallowing adventurers whole. One of these places is Niflheim, the land of the dead, nestled within the roots of the fabled Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. There is great treasure to be had there, but few make it back alive.
Ashraf is originally from Morroc, a desert city that sprang up atop a long-ago imprisoned demon. What started out as a castle meant to seal in Satan Morroc slowly became an entire town, and over the years, people forgot the legends. Recently, a cult awoke the demon, who burst forth from his prison, destroyed Morroc, and fled into the desert, where he fragmented reality to keep himself hidden from anyone who would seek to imprison him again.
Ashraf moved to Prontera when he was still a child in his first life, and was raised there in his second. Prontera is the center of commerce of Rune-Midgard, and the home of the king. Both the knights and the Church are located here, making Prontera very well protected, and arguably the most civilized of all the cities of Rune-Midgard. There so far have been discovered two other continents, both of which are further advanced technologically than Rune-Midgard, and airships take adventurers back and forth between them.
One last facet of life in Rune-Midgard is worth mentioning: the Valkyries. When an adventurer has lived a full life, reached the pinnacle of his or her power, and decided to transcend this life to reach power otherwise unattainable, they may journey to Valhalla. Only the most worthy are accepted, but it's these that the Valkyries take and grant a new life to. These people are reborn and sent back into the world to live a second life — but this time with much greater rewards, and much more power, in return for their much greater struggle.
Character HISTORY:
Ashraf was born, the first time, in the desert city of Morroc, best known for its covert Thieves' Guild. Visitors here know to keep a close eye on all personal belongings, and never to wander anywhere alone after dark. Or during the day, really. It's a city that gets by on the sharpness of its wits and the speed of its draw.
Ashraf never liked it there.
With a father in and out of jail for as long as he can remember (a lower ranking member of the Guild, and not very good, as evidenced by those many trips to jail) and a mother too busy trying to earn money for her kids to spend much time with them, Ashraf found that his best (any only) role models were the priests that visited from Prontera. Ashraf was fascinated by these holy men and women, staying as near as he could to listen to all they said. The abilities they worked were nothing short of miraculous, healing the sick and wounded, dispensing blessings from the gods without any struggle at all. It was amazing. It was exactly what Ashraf wanted to achieve for himself.
So, when he was 14, he started out for Prontera, the capitol of all of Rune-Midgard and home of King Tristan. The journey took a month, but once he was there and had found his way to the Church of the All-Father, he was accepted as an acolyte after just a month of dedicated service. It was then that his studies really began.
It took him 5 long years of study, training, and finally even of field experience, to finally earn the much-coveted promotion into priesthood. Ashraf had shirked most of his friendships, fallen out of contact with his family, and failed entirely with any kind of romantic life, but it was worth it. At age 19, he was made a priest. He proudly travelled all over Rune-Midgard, sharpening his skill at healing and supporting warriors in battle. He never much liked that he had to charge for it, but… well, there wasn't any other way he could see to keep himself fed.
When he was 27, Ashraf met Olivia Durant. Olivia was a crusader, also working in the order of the All-Father, and as stern and commanding a woman as Ashraf had ever met. They worked well together, and Ashraf was continually impressed by her strength and morals. He began to join parties that Olivia had joined already, looking to enjoy her company a little longer. It became a joint partnership, and Olivia began to rely on Ashraf as a priest, as he relied on her as a warrior. Eventually the two began to rely on each other as friends, as well. Ashraf harbored an admiration that had turned into love for two months before Olivia grew annoyed at his cautiously slow speed. Customarily direct and straightforward as ever, Olivia took the relationship into her own hands, and they were married within the year.
The two became well-known for Olivia's strength (and for her crusade against demons in particular—just their sinful and corrupted existence never failed to rile her ire) and Ashraf's supportive endurance. They earned enough to live comfortably, and were happy together. It was when Ashraf was thirty that the long-forgotten Satan Morroc burst free from his thousand year prison underneath the city of Morroc, destroying the entire thing.
Ashraf had never wanted to visit his home, and it didn't bother him that he hadn't seen his mother or siblings in sixteen years. But when his home was destroyed, and he couldn't visit them if he'd wanted to, well, his perspective changed. He urged Olivia to accept the king's summons to do battle with Satan Morroc and his forces, only to spend hours wandering through the ruins once they'd arrived in the devastated city. He never told Olivia about his family or their absent relationship, but he didn't have to—his reaction was enough for her to understand.
The two spent the next twenty years in pursuit of the demon. The rift that Satan Morroc had caused in space protected him from direct assault, and so their search for an alternative route took them far and wide. In the company of a small party, they came eventually to Niflheim, that land of the dead in the roots of the great Tree of Life. Ashraf and Olivia both had been there before on earlier quests, although never so deep into the heart of the land — they were far less prepared than they'd thought. The hordes of demons arrayed against them allowed no respite, nor was there anywhere to hide from them. All they could do was press on, and Ashraf's supply of blue gems dwindled as party members fell and were resurrected again.
Then came a lull. Taking advantage of it, the party set up a camp and a few watches, hoping to rest a little. It was the hunter that discovered the little boy shivering in the darkness and brought him into the firelight — and subsequently, it was the hunter that was first killed when the "little boy" showed himself as a hylozoist, another of the demons. Infuriated that the demons would prey even on their kindness, Olivia rushed immediately to meet the reassembling demons, missing entirely Ashraf's cry of warning. He'd used the last of his blue gems on the fallen hunter, and his resurrection spell was useless without them.
The party fell, one by one, and Olivia was the last of them to die. Faced with the ever-growing hordes of demons, and knowing that if he were to die too, there would be no hope at all of resurrecting the party, Ashraf was forced to create a warp portal for himself to escape into. It took him directly back to Prontera, where he desperately tried to arrange a rescue party to retrieve and revive the corpses, but even he had to reluctantly admit that it was impossible. Even if the demons had left the corpses where they lay, which was incredibly unlikely, by the time they got there it would be too late to revive any of them. The entire party, and Olivia with them, were gone.
He took a week to mourn, and then departed for the renewed floating city of Juno to find his way to Valhalla and the Valkyries. As the legend said, he could offer his life to the Valkyrie, and if he was found worthy, he would be reborn. (If not… well. Best not to think of that.) Rebirth would be a long and difficult road, but he would have far more power to protect the innocent by the end of it, and what had happened in Niflheim would never happen again. He was determined. The Valkyries accepted his offer, and he was sent back to Rune-Midgard as an infant.
This time, Ashraf was raised in the Church, which provided him with everything he could want. By the time he was five, he had begun to recall memories from his previous life, and the priests at the church took the opportunity to tell him all about himself as he had been. They emphasized his greatness, his self-sacrifice, how strong and well-known he had been. Needless to say, Ashraf developed a pretty high opinion of himself. Only one man, a young friend of Ashraf's from his previous life, was around to keep Ashraf's ego to manageable proportions. Shaun, now easily Ashraf's senior, provided enough tough love and mockery to keep Ashraf grounded.
But it was harder this time around, and the challenges were greater; however, Ashraf was not only determined, but completely self-assured. He was made a high priest by the time he was 15—four years earlier than he'd become a priest the first time—and he wasted no time in setting out into the world.
This time, though, he was not so passive. He had paid special attention in his studies to learning how best to damage demons and undead creatures, and by the time he was a high priest, he'd decided that he would do things differently this time. Namely, he learned the spell Magnus Exorcismus — an exorcism spell that deal great holy damage to anything unholy in the area, even more powerful than Olivia's self-sacrificial Grand Cross had been. This time he would not merely support others, he would take the fight against the unholy corruption of the world into his own hands, and his fight against Satan Morroc had expanded to cover all of demon and undead.
His adventures throughout Rune-Midgard focused heavily on just that, and he was well-known for occasionally leading a party astray specifically to run into demons and undead creatures. In fact, he became a little too well-known for it. A knight joined their party, quickly gaining Ashraf's friendship and appreciation. This man lead them into the underground dungeons below the city of Geffen, famous for being choked with undead and demons. Of course, Ashraf was only too happy to follow along. But it proved to be a trap, and just as hordes of readied demons sprang to the attack, the knight uncovered himself as the Doppleganger, the infamous lead demon of Geffen. Ashraf gamely rallied himself and his party members to fight, and it will be from the middle of this desperate struggle that he'll be taken.
Character PERSONALITY:
Ashraf began life — his first life — as an opinionated and angry boy. It bothered him to see the casual injustices in Morroc; the way merchants swindled, the pride thieves took in their craft, the lies men and women told each other. But being young and incapable, he had no solution beyond anger to his disappointment. Until the day he saw a traveling priest of the Prontera Church. The man showed nothing but kindness and goodwill toward all, healing the sick and injured, helping how he could and expecting nothing in exchange, and going on his holy way again, straight back out of Ashraf's life. Needless to say, the boy was impressed. That was how a truly good man should act. It was how he should act. It was from that moment that he decided he would be a priest, and his life in Morroc became one great struggle toward it.
Ashraf grew into a serious, solemn, and deeply dedicated man. He grew up knowing exactly what the men and women of the Prontera Church that he most respected were supposed to be like, and trying to emulate it at all times. This required soothing a rather easily provoked temper held over from his youth, but the job of it got easier as the years passed. By the time he was forty, he was well respected as a kind, serious, and compassionate man of the faith. He had a penchant for letting the sorrows of the world occasionally drag him down, but he knew by then that the remedy was generally to keep someone around who could remind him to stand strong — a role generally filled by his wife.
The two complimented each other nicely, with Olivia keeping Ashraf strong, and Ashraf keeping Olivia compassionate. After her death, a great sadness took hold. There was guilt, of course, in knowing he had failed to save her, and there was resignation in knowing that the odds had been stacked too highly against them, and no one could have saved her. But above all else, he felt his strength to keep fighting failing without her. It was this that finally pushed him into giving himself to the Valkyries of Valhalla to be reborn, as much as it was the knowledge that he could never keep people safe as he was, and that he would need to surrender himself and strengthen his holy power.
After he was reborn, as a baby raised in the Parish, Ashraf had significantly different influences. Everyone around him knew the sacrifice he'd made, and the great man he'd been — and so rather than seeing a lofty ideal and striving toward it, he instead was raised being that lofty ideal. Ashraf knew he was capable of great things, because he'd already achieved them. This was reflected in his confidence, above all else. Even as an acolyte, he was ready to take on any challenge, physical, spiritual, or otherwise. He had an indomitable spirit and a thirst to reacquaint himself with the world, and the pain of losing Olivia had been softened as the memories of her became hazy in his second childhood. Ashraf had only Shaun to keep him from floating away entirely on the winds of ego; Shaun, who was unimpressed by the man he had been, and constantly demanded of Ashraf, "Yeah, but who are you now?"
Nowadays he is a confident 20-year-old (technically 70-year old) man, completely assured of himself, his use to the world, and his good standing in matters of faith and the Church. This lends him some of the cockiness that goes with confidence, but he has lost none of his compassion. If anything, it's even more obvious now. Ashraf genuinely likes and cares for people; he would rather spend an evening in a tavern, getting to know those that frequent it, than sitting in a library at the Church studying scripture. He sees the best in anyone he meets, and is happy to help them see the same if need be.
His faith is a rock. He believes wholeheartedly in the guiding hand of the divine, and with that has come an interest in any other forms of religion that may present themselves. After all, it works so well for him, surely there must be something worth learning in a different version of the same faith and comfort, right? He even, to some extent, believes in any religion he comes across. It all equates to the same basic love and respect, and at the root of everything, the same divine force drives it all.
Ashraf isn't blind to suffering, though. He's very aware of it, and does his best to alleviate it — but could never take that as a sign of displeasure or abandonment by God. He sees suffering as trials given to people to ultimately shape them into a better, more whole person. He views his own tribulations as gifts, even if they were pretty unwelcome gifts at the time. In retrospect, everything he has lost and suffered for, in this life and in his last life, has made him stronger in the end, and he's grateful for that much.
» EXSILIUM INFORMATION
Chosen WEAPON:
A Divine Cross, which has a holy aura that weakens demons and undead around him. It will evolve in Exsilium to lower his cast times, strengthen his magic, and eventually make it so he learns spells he
» SAMPLES
First PERSON:
[ There's a smiling face on the screen. It's familiar, with only superficial changes here and there (fewer lines of worry, shorter hair, a swank new pair of robes…), and seems only slightly younger. The most obvious change is definitely that smile, which is warm and glad, and looks very natural on him. ]
I see it still rains here. [ He chuckles, like it was a totally hilarious joke. Look he's just pleased to be back, okay. ] No one has found a way to clear the clouds away yet, have they? Well, that's alright. Perhaps it will be incentive to take part in the Initiative's missions.
Ah — for those who don't remember me, or never met me — I'm Ashraf Salib. I was a co-director of the transport-run clinic here, although — Anders? Adrasteius? Maybe I should ask after the state of it before anything else. Not that I doubt you kept it in fine condition!
[ One more of those smiles, and he reaches to turn off the tablet. ]
It's good to be back.
Third PERSON:
For a moment, he just breathes. He'd been just as confused and disorientated as anyone else, at first, but… then the memories had begun to return. It had been the sight of the courtyard, at first. He'd stopped, stared, blinked a few times, and… yes, he'd been here before. Long ago, when he was younger… no, when he was older. The first time. It's difficult to tell the difference sometimes.
So, here is the courtyard, then… he steps out into the rain, glances around, and nods to himself. There is the rise of the housing building, off to the East, just as he recalls. The housing building… what had been his room number? He can't quite remember anymore. But his roommates? Jericho, he remembers the blond boy. And… Gwen, yes. Gwen had been lovely. He smiles to himself, as small details — guitars and mended robes — come back to him, and wonders if the two are still there. He hopes so, although he has to admit it's possible that perhaps they've been sent back. Or even grown old and passed away. After all, it's been close to fifty years, for him.
But there isn't any other way than to hope for the best, steel himself for otherwise, and see for himself, is there? He starts forward, head held high, a small smile in place. Exsilium. The clinic. Anders and Adrasteius, Koltira and Bariyan...
At long last, he's re-awoken to the dream to find it again his reality.
He'd best go and see who he knows here.
» ADDITIONAL NOTES
He'll remember his previous time in Exsilium, but foggily. That was two lifetimes ago, after all.