Post by Quirbles on Feb 11, 2023 1:15:49 GMT
THE NOBLE, SAVAGE
- BARON EMRYK VAKAAN -
Name: Emryk Vakaan
Age: 42
Race: Al-Ashtavahk-- or, under his colonizers' terms, Scale-Folk of the Ashtavan Isles.
Time on Crew: º
Age: 42
Race: Al-Ashtavahk-- or, under his colonizers' terms, Scale-Folk of the Ashtavan Isles.
Time on Crew: º
{From the Diary of Emryk Vakaan:}
The Vakaan Estate faces an uncertain future.
I should have known better than to trust the interests of our so-called benefactors from the south. When they had first arrived here, with their talk of civilization and unification, I paid them little mind. Colonization and a newfound partnership was, in exchange for the protection of my people and estate, trivial; what was a step too far, in my eyes, was the insincerity of it all. The Fae Empire is not a benevolent master; it is a cruel one, no matter the disposition of its subordinates. The just are treated unjustly, though I suppose I should have known the nature of these folk from the start. No benevolent entity seeks to conquer; no ethical state so callously absconds with the fruitful labors of its satellites without fear of recourse. Only a fool believes he has been taxed when stolen from, and I am a fool no longer.
I should have known better than to trust the interests of our so-called benefactors from the south. When they had first arrived here, with their talk of civilization and unification, I paid them little mind. Colonization and a newfound partnership was, in exchange for the protection of my people and estate, trivial; what was a step too far, in my eyes, was the insincerity of it all. The Fae Empire is not a benevolent master; it is a cruel one, no matter the disposition of its subordinates. The just are treated unjustly, though I suppose I should have known the nature of these folk from the start. No benevolent entity seeks to conquer; no ethical state so callously absconds with the fruitful labors of its satellites without fear of recourse. Only a fool believes he has been taxed when stolen from, and I am a fool no longer.
{A Note Upon the Scale-Folk}
Situated upon the northwestern portion of the continent, the Scale-Folk of the Ashtavan Isles are a curious breed of savages indeed. While the Fae Empire's attempts to civilize such a rudimentary society come with plentiful losses of financial and social varieties, their burden is not without great promise; while the people are far from the greatest asset this land has to offer, the resources available are of particular interest to the Empire.
The Al-Ashtavahk, as the beast-folk call themselves, seem to hold a rather antiquated warrior-culture, though this extends not to conventional norms of gender and traditional "masculine" qualities; women are seen to fight as much as the men, hard as the distinction is between the two biological sexes of the savages. The quality of strength is desired in their culture, but it is not specifically physical strength; rather, individuals are seen to contribute and hone the traits in which they are most refined, whether that be physicality, mental fortitude, or something entirely irrelevant to the former two. Much of their society is self-contained and isolationist; the fertility of their land and the abundance of natural resources has disproven the need for trade and expansion, though they seem ignorant as to the finer assets of their territory. Precious metals are in abundance, here, given the tundra-esque nature of the isles and their topography.
Of particular interest on my travels was the curious case of Emryk Vakaan. By far the most successful of the civilized estates upon the isles, Baron Vakaan has proved to be a very loyal and very lucrative asset to the Fae Empire. Like the other territories upon the Ashtavan Islands, Emryk carries himself with a sense of dutiful purpose, however misplaced this may be in his own people; in fact, much of the beast-folk here are quite nationalistic and hold a very intense feeling of individualism, which I suspect lends itself quite effectively to their own unique brand of pagan magic. Emryk, however, is decidedly the most non-combative of the Al-Ashtavahk I have met; one might even call him dignified, by the standards set by his own people. It is no wonder he is the face of diplomatic relations for his own territory, bled-dry as his own estate is. Of course, civilized as he may appear, I suspect old habits die hard in the mind of savages; rumors circulate about his time as a fighter, and there's always whispers of his nightly trips to ritualistic fight clubs outside of his estate. Conjecture, of course... but entirely possible, given his intimidating stature and racial proclivities to senseless violence. It is a wonder his intellect is so pronounced with a body as outfitted for war as his; it does make me wonder if this is all a front from the noble savage, or if he truly has been tamed by the Empire...
The Al-Ashtavahk, as the beast-folk call themselves, seem to hold a rather antiquated warrior-culture, though this extends not to conventional norms of gender and traditional "masculine" qualities; women are seen to fight as much as the men, hard as the distinction is between the two biological sexes of the savages. The quality of strength is desired in their culture, but it is not specifically physical strength; rather, individuals are seen to contribute and hone the traits in which they are most refined, whether that be physicality, mental fortitude, or something entirely irrelevant to the former two. Much of their society is self-contained and isolationist; the fertility of their land and the abundance of natural resources has disproven the need for trade and expansion, though they seem ignorant as to the finer assets of their territory. Precious metals are in abundance, here, given the tundra-esque nature of the isles and their topography.
Of particular interest on my travels was the curious case of Emryk Vakaan. By far the most successful of the civilized estates upon the isles, Baron Vakaan has proved to be a very loyal and very lucrative asset to the Fae Empire. Like the other territories upon the Ashtavan Islands, Emryk carries himself with a sense of dutiful purpose, however misplaced this may be in his own people; in fact, much of the beast-folk here are quite nationalistic and hold a very intense feeling of individualism, which I suspect lends itself quite effectively to their own unique brand of pagan magic. Emryk, however, is decidedly the most non-combative of the Al-Ashtavahk I have met; one might even call him dignified, by the standards set by his own people. It is no wonder he is the face of diplomatic relations for his own territory, bled-dry as his own estate is. Of course, civilized as he may appear, I suspect old habits die hard in the mind of savages; rumors circulate about his time as a fighter, and there's always whispers of his nightly trips to ritualistic fight clubs outside of his estate. Conjecture, of course... but entirely possible, given his intimidating stature and racial proclivities to senseless violence. It is a wonder his intellect is so pronounced with a body as outfitted for war as his; it does make me wonder if this is all a front from the noble savage, or if he truly has been tamed by the Empire...