Full name: Zachary Tender
Native Old Name: Zakhar ybn Arye al Tin'waari
Age: 24
Race: Aasimar
Sex: Male
Gender: Man (he/him)
Date of birth: Alturiak (February) 5th, 1335DR
Place of birth: Luskan
Alignment: Chaotic Natural;
Patron deity: Sharess
Profession: Sharessian Priest, Gladiator (Ex), Escort & Performer
Classes: Bard/ Cleric (og Favored Soul)
Primary language: Alzhedo
Secondary languages:
Common, Celestial, Draconic, Illuskan, Sylvan
Physical description:
A tall broad-shouldered man of half Calishite/ Luskan descents, with the beautiful face of an angel; chiseled and statuesque.
A semi-fair sun-stroked skin glistens at the light, displaying a strong athletic physique and fit, toned muscles.
Lush sandy-blond hair shocks his head in a lustrous mane.
Piercing unnaturally gold eyes that seem to scheme a devious glint while they cross you.
An easy smile sits sly about his lips. Like he is in on a joke you are not a part of.
His voice is a melodic baritone; an angelic and tantalizing cadence, with quite a wide range and a strong belt.
Speaks with a light, but distinct accent from Calimshan.
This is his voice.
Psychological description:
A charismatic and passionate man with a boisterous presence and easy to smile. Ever ready to flirt with a honeyed tongue-in-cheek, or crack the next joke. Can be quite a jerk when doing so. He enjoys the attention as any bard would, especially if it aligns with Sharess' favor for him; the glorious flair of prowess in battle, the flirtatious revelry of life's passions, his performance as a skilled lover, or the charged tension between crowd and a musical performance.
Preferring to live in the moment and make the moment something he delights in, instead of getting bogged down with moral philosophies and depressing self-righteousness.
Despite his carefree exterior, Zachary was made into a hardened man, who was forced to kill other people every day or be killed himself. It often makes him casual in the face of cruelty and brutality, not attributing to himself the heroic mission of fighting the world's evils.
He'll sometimes raise his sword for this cause or that when it aligns with taking care of his own personal interests and the people that matter to him. But avoids championing any cause but Sharess'. Fighting for the rush of battle, the coin, and the glory of tales he can tell- rather than quiet pangs of guilt. it's not the lack of conscience, but acceptance of the world's cruelties.
Zachary knows the people he killed in the gladiator pits were not his choice, and has forgiven himself for these acts. Sometimes he wonders if it makes him a bad person that he doesn't feel as guilty as others seem to expect him to, but he tells himself that he does care for the people he cares for and that he can't care about everyone! But usually, he tries not to think about it so much that it becomes depressing. Not while there are more passions to discover around the next corner.
Religious views:
Zachary is devoted to Sharess. Once favored by her and now her priest- he felt the void left when he lost her the first time.
He is now deeply motivated not to let his deity's power slip between his fingers again.
It is his religious mission to chase and distill his own passions as it is helping others find their own and quite enjoys his role as a teacher of pleasures.
He realizes Sharess' perspective moral teachings and his celestial blood do lend him a conscience, well hidden but it is there.
But his life as a gladiator and escort with all its inherent brutalities had created a down-to-earth jadedness that shrugs most moral responsibilities aside.
He certainly tries his best after Sharess' transformation in the Times of Trouble, but old habits die young, and some of it is just who he is now.
Biography
Family
- Arye ybn Khaddiff al Tin'waari: Zachary's father. A rich Calimi merchant who bought his mother and sold him to the fighting pits. Invested coin in Zachary when he gained fame. But he was never a father to Zachary and he hadn't thought of the man since he escaped Calimshan. Arye was dead to Zachary long before.
- Evelyn Solenjo: Zachary's mother. A Luskan pirate who tried to raid the wrong ship. Her crew was put to the sword and she was taken captive as a slave and sold to Arye ybn Khaddiff al Tin'waari. She spent the rest of her life in captivity, birthing the merchant a son. Unable to cope with life in captivity under Arye's clutches, she took her own life when Zachary was three years old. Zachary remembers only a fleeting image of her face. He knows how to speak Iluskan, being taught as a babe by his mother, but has no idea how he knows it or what language it even is.
- Rib Steak: Zachary's Pet Pig. Originally planning to fatten the swine for slaughter, Zachary accidentally found the Rib Steak's love of alcohol and felt a strange kinship with the animal. He has been raising him since.
Zachary was born as Zakhar ybn Arye al Tin'waar, the bastard son of a wealthy Calishite merchant and an enslaved pirate he bought. A great inconvenience to his father. for when his mother was found out to be pregnant, the Matron Priestess of the local Sharessian temple had received a vision from her Diety that a favored soul was to be born.Disclaimer! The story is kept PG but goes to some dark places as befitting the grim reality of a slave in Calimshan, dealing with some of the worst traits in humanity.
I would like to make it absolutely clear, that NO events of sexual exploitation had occurred to Zachary or anyone in the story whilst being a minor!
The temple was too embedded in local commerce to be ignored by Arye, so he begrudgingly allowed the boy to be born and kept alive. Still his property, but with the temple watching over him.
It doubly inconvenienced Arye when Zakhar was born an Aasimar, for it meant further reason for the temple to intervene with his property.
But ever the shrewd man, he was already thinking of ways to make lemonade out of this lemon.
In the three years that followed, Zakhar's mother (calling him Zachary) took care of her boy, while under Arye's leash. She taught him her native tongue and gave him what love could have been afforded in the slave block. Seen by the local slaves at the block at given to them by Sharess for hope. A symbol to ease their suffering. The slaves of the household embraced Zakhar and helped his mother take care of him as much as they could.
But hope is a dangerous thing for slaves, and in catching wind of this dangerous new potential messiah who could inspire a revolt; Arye saw his justification to both get rid of Zakhar and turn it into a profit.
A magical illness that was bought by Arye, had befallen Zakhar's mother seemingly out of nowhere, and within two weeks, the woman was dead.
Before the Sharessian temple had the chance to learn of this and claim the boy, Arye had cut a deal with a fellow Merchant who was invested in the Gladiator pits; Mosteffa al Torrekh.
Selling Zakhary to him to be trained as a gladiator, with Al Torrekh taking charge and Arye providing business cooperation in other fields. The coin was to be split between the two Merchants under the table.
Laying a honey trap for the Sharessian Temple, Al Torrekh and Al Tin'Waari pretended to invite the Temple to mediate the deal and offered them to have Zakhar sponsor the Temple, claiming it was to offer him a better life. The irony of Zakhar staying a slave did not sit well with the temple but they had no legal power to stop a lawful transaction between two Calishite merchants. And so recognized it was the best deal they could make.
Since then Zakhar ybn Arye Al Tin'waar had been schooled and molded for the arena and for Sharess. His owners never forgetting to remind him that he is a slave. His life was nothing but a lethal performance. His body, his mind, his everything was nothing more than a banner to show off the prestige of the Lady of Desires. The passions of a riled up and cheering crowd his holy mission and sacred prayer.
He lived and trained with the other gladiators, where tomorrow was never guaranteed and had to be won by being strong enough to survive the day.
All his waking hours were split devoted between training to fight and kill and die for others' amusement, and learning from his Sharessian watchers about The Lady, her dogma and mindset.
He learned how to imbed himself into her purpose as her living banner; How to win over both hearts and minds and how to charm, allure, court, and appeal. Most importantly, to ease the mental strain of his grueling impending career of slaughter; the Priestesses taught Zakhar to enjoy the experiences thrown at him. Trying to retain whatever sliver of his decency that they could in the process, to varying success.
Growing up into a beautiful young man, his performances only enhanced his ability to rile a crowd by displaying his attractive physique and its prowess, even when it meant some extra pain for a showy move or an exposed body part. Some scars were healed with the magic of the Priestesses, others- more aesthetic ones were kept because 'the right scars are sexy.'
Zakhar turned quite cocky as a result and constructed provocative shows of the people he killed in the pits; Gaining fame as a bold and vicious upstart lion.
Soon enough Zakhar was moved to his own lavish suite with a view. Caged in splendor and opulence as different sponsors and patrons started making Al Torrekh some serious coin. Further emboldening the Aasimar to keep these small comforts by being even more devoted to his bloody role.
But with fame and prestige that elevated the popular gladiator somewhat above other slaves came the expectations of Al Torrekh from a beautiful, living mascot of Sharess...
At first, it was just Mosteffa, but soon others would come to his chambers after the show was done. The rich and the powerful, men and women, who lusted after the beautiful man they had seen on display.
But Zakhar was ready for that part, being taught by the priestesses early. So having no other choice, Zakhar chose to to embrace this new and discreet role. Aided again by the Sharessians in an act of desperate mercy to keep the young man from mentally breaking down; A young priestess Zahcar's age by the name of Norra yr Yassmin al Tilltaani. With the temple backing her up, she sold herself to Al Torrekh in a specific contract that enslaved her to the Merchant, but as a household keeper and concubine in Zakhar's service. Officially she was the Gladiator's single-woman harem. But in practice, she was his emotional and mental anchor, a teacher of passions, and growing to be the only person he could ever really call a friend.
Al Torrekh was skeptical at first, at Norra's deal but had a lot to gain from it. It meant the Temple would start paying for Zakhar's upkeep, which meant more direct profit from Al Torrekh. Arye Al Tin'waari was not informed of this, of course.
Nine years had passed with Zakhar staying alive against all odds. Nine grueling years in which Zakhar was a glorified killer and prostitute for the profit, amusement, and prestige of others. Nine years of Norra dripping subtle hints urging him at his own freedom and at the value of breaking free from his chains.
The counter-plan the Temple of Sharess had been working on since Zakhar was sold to Al Torrekh was slowly unfolding.
Zakhar had another somewhat of a friend, Anwar ybn Nour el Mashal; another skilled Gladiator owned by El Torrekh, who distinguished himself enough to live in a suite adjacent to Zakhar's. A fighter who himself was hardened by Loviatr, as was not uncommon for Gladiators to do. A friend was an overstatement, the two never truly trusted each other. But passions ran hot between them, and they enjoyed each other's company. But the fear of someday killing the other stopped either from really getting attached.
At least, that was what Zakhar told himself. Unbeknown to him, Norra had discreetly tipped Al Torrekh about the relationship between the two Gladiators. And in a few days, Zakhary found himself standing in the arena face-to-face with his lover. The crowd was cheering, and Zakhar knew the gossip. Word got out of their affair to the public, and the crowd demanded to know which of them was the strongest, better gladiator.
Zakhar nearly died in that fight and needed a month of magical recovery, And all he could remember was the finishing blow;
tended to exclusively by Norra; she used this secluded time with Zakhar to lay her plan to fruition, manipulating his distraught state of mind masked by her tender care. Turning Zakhar against his master.
The Lion of Sharess as they called him in the pits had finally recovered, and Mosteffa al Torrekh was joyed he could finally return to make him coin, as everyday Zakhar was not in the pits or meeting clients, was a day he was not making any.
Norra knew that Al Torrekh grew accustomed to Zakhar, and when he indeed came that night to congratulate the Aasimar; Zakhar was prepared and knowing what he had to do.
The two were in between the sheets when Zakhar's knife was drawn from the place he hid it under the bed.
Mosteffa Al Torrekh's head rolled down the hall, locked in a state of delight turning to horror. The slave agents riled up by Norra in the household, who were riling up the others- were inspired to start a small revolt. Emboldened by seeing evidence of their master's demise.
That is when Norra grabs Zakhar, using the revolt to make their escape. She led him to an old dungeon that was waiting outside.
There under cover of night, hooded and masked drow were waiting for them in the shadows. Calling themselves Eilistraeerites, they were hired by the Sharessian temple to guide Zakhar and Norra underground and back up in the Calimi desert. Favors were exchanged between them and Norra apparently, but Zakhar had no context, time, or desire to delve into any of it.
After all, he had suffered, all he had to endure, all he had to do, he was finally free. And soon, he is going to be someone. And blessed Lady Sharess, watching over him.
The Calimi desert was hard to pass, and the two nearly didn't. But thanks to both Zakhar's favor and Norra's blessings the two managed to cross the wasteland and eventually made it to Amn, where Norra had family living.
He renamed himself Zachary Tender when they left Calimshan. Remembering Zacahry was the name his mother gave him, and Tender because he thought it worked well and that Sharess would approve of such an insinuative name.
The family in Amn welcomed the two but had trouble feeding themselves as it were, and they lived in a poor area that needed lots of assistance; Norra had been growing distant, investing herself in making a connection to the local community, while Zachary sought to move on. Argued to her many times that they were still too close to Calimshan and that these people had nothing for them. Norra seemed disappointed, and Zachary didn't really have anywhere else to be so he stayed. For a few months.
After some months had passed Norra had decided to go to Neshkel, hearing of troubles there and wanting to help. This was Zachary's last straw, he didn't run away from fighting for other men, to be enslaving himself for other people's causes. They two had an uneasy ride between them until Neshkel, when Zachary had gotten on a caravan north, to Baldur's Gate.
...
Not long after arriving in the city, the Times of Trouble began. And with it, Zachary lost his connection to Sharess and instead, the Favored Soul was left with a void that nearly drove him insane. He spent months getting drunk in various shady taverns (with the Broken Goblet being his favorite), in the background but too drunk to get what was really happening around.
When he reached his lowest point, it was either die or find Sharess and he went wandering to find her.
He found a small community of Sharessians around the port of Athkalta for a time- where he pursued Sharess as a priest instead of a Favored, despite not gaining her favor or Power, he tried to appease, plead, and be more like her through worship in an attempt to fill this void. He also used this time to understand his desire to both perform and fight. And accepting his calling as a cleric of Sharess.
At the end of that journey, he returned to the Sword Coast, ready to decide what to do with his freedom.
Future
Zachary still doesn't take tomorrow as a given to form long-term plans. He has some notions of where he wants to take his life, but for playing a man who gained his freedom and now needs to figure out what to do with it, I would like to keep this somewhat open and see where roleplay takes it.
Heirloom item
[Zachary already has all these items, this is their RP value to Zachary.]
- Gladiator Gear: When he fled, Zacahry wore his Enchanted Gladiator gear- helmet, armor, bracers, greaves, Calimi longsword, and small shield with Sharess' symbol painted on it. They don't only hold sentimental value, but make it easy to recognize Zachary for his old fame.
- Red Kaffia: [mechanical regeneration cloak] When Zachary was a babe his mother used to wrap him in a red kaffia that at the time wrapped him as a blanket. He never stopped wearing it, now wearing it like a proper kaffia. It is the only thing he has left of Evelyn and has a treasured sentimental value. Zachary doesn't know but the kaffia was enchanted by Sharess at his birth, to protect him in the long road to come, and was a way to keep her favorite soul alive.
- Calimi Darbuka: [Musical Instrument] He won a darbuka at a card game in one of the few one of the spots he rested at along Calim's desert. It has been with him since then and his favorite instrument when needs to be with himself and flow with the music.
Plot hooks
- Zachary is a Sharessian Priest, it shouldn't be too hard to rope him into almost anything he'll consider fun.
- He had fame as a slave, and people might recognize him for it.
- He quite likes playing and writing music and songs. A drummer & singer, with a great baritone voice who will happily learn from and collaborate with other bards.
- Still a Calishite, he will always be an opportunist to making some coin. Unlike most Calishites, he grew up a slave and wasn't deterred from getting his hands dirty.
- Not quite evil yet, and not good enough to be good, but definitely grew up forced to do bad things- he isn't put off from dealing with shady or morally questionable elements and can be seen as one himself, by some people. There are still some lows he won't go to, and some things he might feel vindicated against, especially when it comes to slavery or the people important to him. But he isn't here to be a hero.
- Speaking of alignment, he is in a position to sway either to Evil or Good depending on the roleplay that will happen. I encourage you to challenge it.
- Arye ybn Khadiffa al Tin'waari is still alive in Calimshan, and despite being actively removed from Zachary's life for most of it, he likely lost some money over the revolt.
- Norra is the only person Zachary has any measure of real devotion to (this can change according to rp, but as it stands), and she is right now in Neshkel who is currently holding an open inquisition.
- How does Rib Steak survive consuming so much alcohol? Is there more to this pig than meets the eye?
Theme Song: Freed Man's Fortune
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