ESQUIVER
A character sheet for a Drakian character
in an Over The Edge© PBEM game.
Esquiver, a feline, is the youngest son of a high-ranking cleric and her husband, the librarian of the Carian Temple. Raised as virtually an only child, he was constantly in the shadow of two siblings, twins born 25 years before him, and both highly respected on his world as teachers, humanitarians, and scholars. While Esquiver has always been the intellectual equal of his sister (Dryade) and brother (Minet), it was obvious very early in his childhood that he had a very self-serving and violent streak, although his external behavior has always been very suave, cynically humorous, and is very attractive to people who do not know him well, especially women. This never sat particularly well with the other members of his family who were devout pacifists.
He was educated in the sciences as his world knew them, and is quite well-versed in pharmacology and herbal medicines. Originally trained as a physician, he found that concentrating on trade suited his entrepreneurial personality much more closely. Using his knowledge of herbs, he had, within a few short years, established a substantial reputation for the development and furnishing of lethal poisons, and later, armaments of all kinds, to a large clientele of government agents and private assassins. It was in the course of this trade that he came in contact with a mysterious cabal of traders and scientists, with whom he was to receive the surprise of his life.
The group was led by an elderly female feline (Cyra Oro-Duric), a scholar with ties to the most powerful trading family on Drak, the Sepdomoj. With her were three humans: Cleophon Thorn, a well-known actor married to a member of the same family; Ravander Po, a retired military intelligence officer; and Leilani Aramatua. Leilani was beautiful, dark-skinned, spoke with a lilting accent unfamiliar to Esquiver, and indeed began to speak of things that Esquiver never dreamed of ... a world far away, where members of this group had been working for many years.
Over the next several months, Esquiver learned of scientific discoveries, biological agents, and weapons that would be priceless in his medieval world. He also learned that he, Thorn and Po had all been chosen to travel to the planet, called Earth by its inhabitants, to carry out a trading and espionage mission. Thorn, whose abilities at disguise and infiltration had already been quite useful in high-level political circles, was being sent to a large city called Washington, the powerful capital of the most successful nation on that world. Po, whose background, culture, and linguistic skills would allow him to successfully blend into an International Governing Body known as the United Nations, was to go to New York, a massive city in the same country.
Esquiver, thinking himself a curious choice to go unnoticed in a human society, was told that an earlier agent, also feline, had recently disappeared while making trade "arrangements" with the group's business partners on the strange island of Al Amarja. For nearly 20 years, an unusual combination of Al Amarjans consisting of genetically altered humans (called mutants), and a race of rodent-humans (Agara) had established a very profitable intergalactic cartel trading in unusual and frequently lethal substances native to Earth, Drak, and a distant planet called Kergillia, whose natives had lived on Al Amarja for centuries.
Esquiver had another mission, as well. The missing agent, Argon Akvo-Zircopian, was the grandson of a widely beloved trader and explorer on Drak. If in any way possible, he must be found, whether alive or dead, and returned to his home in the Hegemony.
Esquiver was entranced. It could make his reputation, as well as making him wealthy beyond any expectation. He accepted, and was soon to enter the most exciting years of his life.
CENTRAL TRAIT: First and foremost, Esquiver is an entrepreneur. He deeply loves money, and is very good at amassing it. He has the ability to instill trust of his judgement (not necessarily in his character) in others, and indeed does have the knack for trade. His business dealings are usually beneficial to himself and his partners. (Superior)
FIRST SIDE TRAIT: Esquiver is a superb fighter, and indeed enjoys fighting. He is an excellent swordsman on his own world, and can wield a knife in some very unique and painful ways. He also is very effective in hand-to-hand combat once he takes off his ever present white gloves, freeing his well-sharpened claws. He does, however, have a violent temper, and if he loses it, his skill decreases. He needs to remain "cool and cruel" when he fights.
SECOND SIDE TRAIT: He is very intelligent, a skilled pharmacologist, and learns the properties and values of new drugs, herbs, and other chemical preparations very quickly. The wide range of psycho-active substances available on Al Amarja fascinate him, but he considers druggies to be foolish and lazy. He's always thinking of profitable new uses for what he finds. His knowledge of more humanistic fields is considerably less, unless he sees a profit in them. Remember also that his education was medieval, thus while particularly technological items fascinate him, they also perplex him, which he tries hard to hide.
THIRD SIDE TRAIT: He is not psychic in any way, however, years of living with his sister, a skilled psychic, and the rest of his family that had all some level of psychic ability, have made him virtually impervious to Psychic interference, control, or attack. It simply doesn't work on him, although he has no clue why, nor that it was even attempted.
FLAW: Esquiver is extremely self-centered. This does not mean that he will maliciously harm others for no reason ... indeed, many people like him and happily do business with him. But when push comes to shove, he can be counted upon to do whatever suits his own ends. He is not a person you would want to turn your back on. People introduced to him do not necessarily realize that, but they usually learn quickly.
MOTIVATION: Profit, comfort, and a very real interest in new and unknown ideas and inventions.
IMPORTANT PERSON: His brother, Minet, amazes him. Minet is an itinerant teacher who travels the length and breadth of his land, and is a beloved figure welcome wherever he goes, as much among impoverished rural children as among the nobles of the Imperial Court. Even though his considers Minet rather a wuss, he often considers what Minet would do when faced with situations that his lack of people skills has gotten him into.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Esquiver is 30 years old, 6'1" tall, with bronze-red fur, green eyes, ruggedly handsome features, and a slender, powerfully muscled body. When he loses his temper, he can look very fearsome, some say, satanic. He has a beautiful baritone voice, as do all his male family members, and can sing well, although he seldom does. His eyesight and hearing are average, a bit less than average for a feline.
LIKES AND DISLIKES: He is a devoted carnivore, and likes meat and fish of all kinds. He tolerates vegetables, but does appreciate breads. He drinks no stimulants (coffee, tea, or alcohol included), and avoids any substance that could dull his judgement. He generally drinks water. Despite his upbringing, he is not in any way religious, and considers himself eminently practical.
STRENGTHS:
WEAKNESSES:
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