Saloch is slightly reserved and quiet, but opinionated when he does speak. Most of his time is spent deciding on how the first few lines of his arguments should go, and that alone keeps him out of more discussions than it keeps him in.
His druidic circle is that of the Sammosan River, not far from (starting town), one of the less common circles of druids that focus on an ecosystem that is not a forest. He enjoys rain, puddles, rivers, and so on. He has few qualms about the eating of surface animals, though he will speak strongly against over-hunting because that might cause the fish to overpopulate which will break *that* ecostystem.
On his padded arm is often his friend and ally, Ellie the Hawk (Hey, she chose the name, alright?). Unlike Saloch, she prefers fish to feild mice, and Saloch is okay with that - after all it's part of the natural cycle. Saloch fitted her with a special breastplate to protect her from hunters arrows or the like, and she has taken quite the liking to it - provided she doesn't have to wear it on more than occasional basis.
Saloch perpetually seems moist, his hair is wet even in the driest weather, and his skin is usually clammy and cold, not that he ever notices or minds.
Sound familliar? A number of you have already read Saloch's orignal backstory, but he's a more complex fellow than this indicates. Below are a series of questions that will let you get to know more in-depth about your favorite moist druid.
1. Who were the character's parents? Did they raise the character? If not, why? If not them, then who?
Saloch's mother (Susua Lartous) was an herbalist in Balterrosa, though for the most part she was simply a mother, having enough children to keep her busy for most of the time. While she did support herself with her herb-gathering before she married, it had never been the same passion as having a family was.
Saloch's father (Samuel Lartous) was a fisherman, and a good one. He always fished for the family, fished some for money, but never more than the river could handle. He was never a druid himself, but was always a friend to the druids of the Sammosan River - which was one of the reasons he always managed to have enough, but not too many, fish for his family.
Together they raised Saloch, as well as his five other siblings, all of whom were encouraged to take to the fields and farms and trades, rather than fishing, and all of them obliged, finding callings in other trades.
2. Did the character have any childhood friends? Any siblings? Where are they now? Does the character stay in touch with them or have they become separated? If separated, why?
Saloch had no particularly strong friends growing up. He has his siblings, and other children of his age in Balterrosa, but no best friend. It was always the river. There were two giant frogs (Bella and Herman) and a turtle (Lallo) that he used to talk to on a regular basis, but they do not travel, and Saloch has moved away, so he does not speak with them any more.
3. What was childhood like for the character?
Saloch was the second oldest of his siblings, and while he had some talents in other areas, his calling had always been the river, and the waters. He played on the riverbank, and caught frogs and small fish with the other children, having a good childhood. As he grew, most children moved on to other things, romances, trades, skills and other things. Saloch didn't, always playing with the other children in the water, listening to it's secrets, and talking at length with the druids who would stop by often to talk and do business with his father.
4. Does the character have any or did the character have any role models? Describe them.
Saloch's father was obviously a role model to him, living so with the water as he did, as was the head of the druidic circle of the Sammosan river, Fantissima when he met her. Of course, Lallo was always fascinating too, being a turtle and so old and... well, worldly.
Fantissima is a half elven woman who is obvious was beautiful when she was younger. Her husband and son were killed some long time ago, and in seeking solace, she discovered the tranquility of the water, the ability to be ever moving, yet ever unchanging save the subtlest ways. She has long come to peace with the loss of her family, and her calmness and cleverness are true inspirations.
Lallo the turtle refuses to tell his exact age, but admits that he is well over two hundred years old, and has travelled the oceans and rivers all over the continent, and even far away, though he never speaks of it. Unlike other turtles, he also speaks the language of humans on his own - which is interesting of itself. Lallo's origin , however, is far from what he is now. Lallo, originally Laillothamendos, was born a bronze dragon, and spent the first century of his life behaving as was standard for a creature of his kind, finding a lair, gathering treasure, and being generally pensive and mysterious. Then, a group of adventurers stormed his castle, and polymorphed him into a large turtle. He retains some, though not all of his knowledge of his past life, and the power to speak the common tongue is one of those things. Still, he does dream of again flying through the sky, perhaps finding vengance, if the perpetrators are not already dead - it was over a century ago. But those desires are secret, and he stays quiet of them, for now.
5. What did the character do before he / she entered the story? Who trained the character to do what she / he does now? What is the character's relationship with his teacher(s)?
Saloch was always a druid, an outdoorsman, a swimmer. He was one with the river since he could walk to it, and as soon as he could, he joined the druid circle of the Sammosan river, where he learned the ways of the world from his teachers, and Fantissima. Now a fully trained druid, Saloch has yet to choose whether he will remain with the circle in his 'journeyman' stage of his druid training, or if he will leave and apply the teachings to other aspects of his life. He has a good, though not personal relationship with each of the senior druids of the circle, and a slightly closer, more mother-son relationship with Fantissima.
6. What are the character's moral, ethical and religious beliefs? What lengths will the character go to defend those beliefs? Who or what taught those beliefs to the character? Remember that a character's moral and ethical beliefs, not necessarily his behavior, define his alignment.
Saloch is a man whose few beleifs are focused around nature. One should defend life and cultivate it. Any that seek to take life for their own gain must be stopped. One must never undo nature, for it is natural. Do not unbalance any ecosystem. In the unending battle of those who seek to bring structure to the world versus those who seek chaos, take no side. He is undecided on a number of things, even major ones like love, and justice; but he knows by now that he is willing to aid those who ask it, should they repay the favor. Furthermore, he has no love for unnatural beasts, demons, or even those creatures that take on a facimile of humanity. His ideal would would be men, and the simple beasts of the land (well, maybe elves and dwarves and such too..)
7. Does the character have any unusual habits or physical traits? What are they? What do they stem from? How do others tend to react to them?
Saloch is a druid of the Sammosan river, and among the traits he has developed over the years, one has stood out. As part of his joining with the water, he became more water than man, and as such is always damp. His clothes stick to him, his breath fogs at all times, and behind him are footprints at all times. Of course, he drinks many times more water than a normal person does too, and will often also simply douse himself with water via magic to keep himself hydrated.
8. What is the general reaction to the character by other characters? Why, in the character's opinion, do they act that way?
Most people feel Saloch is a little odd by merely looking at him. However, once they meet him Saloch is fairly friendly and will always try to help, or at least find an effective compromise in a situation so that nobody leaves unhappy.
9. Can the character kill? When did he decide (or learn) that he could? Why would the character kill? Does he / she have any enemies at all?
Saloch can and has killed men, though he is uneasy with doing so. He has no qualms with killing unnatural beasts and only a few with killing non-humans.
10. What kind of relationships does the character currently have? Does he / she have any close friends? Bitter enemies? If so, who? What are they like? What is the history of the character and this person's relationship?
Saloch has few permanant relationships, as like a river he is currently in motion. He knows his passion lies in being a druid, which is a fairly solitary calling, but he has yet to find a real calling, something that he will definitively do for the rest of his life. Outside of several aquantances in many cities, Saloch's only true friend is his animal companion, the hawk Ellie.
11. Does the character have any mental problems? Phobias? If so, what are they? What do they stem from?
Saloch is mentally stable, thanks.
12. How does the character generally treat others? Does she / he trust easily? Or not? How does the character relate to people? Is he shy and withdrawn or a condescending snob?
Saloch is generally polite and inquisitive, and often helpful when he can be. More often, he will attempt to come to a compromise, if he is asked to help. He trusts people shallowly easily, but nobody completely, as he rarely knows them for long enough to build enough of a relationship with them.
13. What does the character look like? Does he / she have any scars or tattoos? If so how did she / he get them? Obviously this includes eye and hair color, but unusual gaits and accents come into play here as well.
Saloch has dark brown hair which is usally whetted black with water, and blue eyes. He is slightly short, and of average weight, though almost exclusively weighed in the 'while soaking wet' category, for he is soaking wet almost exclusively. While his robes and the rest of his outfits change with the day, he wears a suit of heavy leather armor underneath, and along the topside of his right sleeve, so that Ellie can land without pinching him.
14. What are the character's dreams? Ambitions? Goals?
Saloch is unclear of his goals, and at the moment he only wants to discover them. He is satisfied with adventuring, though not as something he would want to do for the rest of his life.
15. Does the character ever want to have a family of his / her own someday?
Saloch does want to have a family someday, but has yet to discover anyone he wants to have a family with.
