Zavate's Ref

(i would like to thank for the text, he did a great job with it. thank you  )

this is for
-------------------------------------------------------

NAME: Zavates Ignis Muoto ("Zim", if you feel lucky.)
AGE: 24
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 204 lbs.



~ BACKSTORY ~
You know... it's occurring to Zavates, for someone who's never been much of an open book, he's had to talk quite a bit about his past as of late. Ordinarily, when bombarded by Ruby's curiosity, he could easily sidetrack her with segues and non-sequiturs; for some reason, that approach has been losing its potency here. When it comes to matters of his royal blood, his every answer merely inspires another question he can't seem to deny.

At one point, Zavates - that is to say, the young prince - was the eldest and most favored son of the Great King Aldric III. This, in later years, would stand out in his memory as a regretfully short chapter...

It was his natural affinity for the occult that did the boy in; Spectra, ever the superstitious kingdom, doesn't take kindly to non-crystalline magics. From what Zavates' can recall, it had something to do with 'stealing nature's holiness,' or some other such rubbish. In any case, he could only assume later on that someone had discovered what he was practicing - likely one of his siblings. When rumors inevitably 'leaked' to the public, his father's loyal subjects turned on the palace.

The people wanted to burn Zavates; to overthrow the royal family for this transgression. In the final hours, however, King Aldric managed to find a way to stave off ruin for both him and his children... Most of his children... By casting off his heir, exiling him from land, the masses were placated. And, as an added bonus, the boy would be permitted live. To this day, it is unclear to Zavates whether or not this choice was made out of mercy.


Outcast, he was able to live on what little wealth he'd squirreled away, though this comfort didn't last long. Wandering the outer kingdoms, he soon resorted to theft - which, as it turned out, he was surprisingly good at... That is, until he stole from the wrong... 'people'. Duly punished, Zavates found himself heavily cursed. Suffering the occasional bout of... well, FIRE, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered by a particular mage: a man by the name of Garrow Maledictum.

With open arms, Garrow generously welcomed Zavates into Beshrew: a pocket world of his own design. There, under the mage, the boy would labor and learn, of curses and other magics. In return, Garrow would help him to, hopefully, one day find a cure.

This employment, leading into an unwilling apprenticeship, went on until Zavates was well into manhood. Exactly how many years he'd spent slaving away, he had lost count, and by the end of his stay he ceased to care. The cure promised to him long ago was revealed to be a mere facade for a greater scheme, and for the first time in Zavates' life, he experienced a total shift in perspective. Through a long, and utterly bizarre series of events, the man turned on his master, had his curse broken by other, unexpected means, and escaped with a young buffoon of a girl into unknown realms. Overall, this age-spanning ordeal ended up being the second-most excruciating experience of his life. The first-most excruciating? Being doomed to travel with said buffoon.

... Alright, such a description isn't entirely fair, Zavates would have to admit. After all, it was partly his own fault that he and Ruby were ever lumped together. While he had meant to keep his word, albeit initially, and not interfere with Garrow's many pawns, this girl's wide and curious eyes had reminded him of someone he had left back in Grism: his youngest sister, Zirielle. Thus, once their shared conflict was behind them, and all was said and done, Zavates tolerated her company for a while. A few months or so, and then he would leave her somewhere. Eventually. When he got around to it.

And, indeed, it had only been half a year since then... when he learned about his father's passing. Venturing closer to the kingdom's boarders, any details he could gather were murky at best. Zoltan, his weakest sibling, was soon to take his place, and... what was this about death threats, and whispers of 'murder'...? Keeping a safe distance from Spectra, he could only learn so much. It was for this reason that, at the risk of his own life, he made his reluctant way home.

Getting in was the easy part; after donning both himself and Ruby in disguises (of ingenious design, if you were to ask him), he used his knowledge of the palace guard to persuade and suggest their way safely inside. On his part, his own cloak and mask were enough to flawlessly simulate the air of a 'faceless, mute bodyguard' (although adopting the nickname 'Zim' as his official pseudonym was another story). Ruby... She was a work of haste, to say the least. Still, he needed a plan that would allow him free passage in and out of the palace, and would also conceal his identity. If anyone were to recognize him...

There is one soul he's entrusted with this information, however: Zirielle. Upon seeing her brother's face for the first time in ages, she was more than happy to have Ruby left in her care. This was yet another load off of Zavates' mind, as he can't keep a constant eye on his companion... not if he hopes to uncover the truth behind his father's death. More than that, though... almost *more* than that... if this mission happens to go awry, or if he's discovered... It meant the world to him, being able to see his sister one more time.

Of course, he still worries constantly that Ruby is going to blow their cover in some fantastically disastrous way. Hopefully before that happens, he'll find the answers he seeks. That should give him, what, a day and a half, tops?



~ PERSONALITY ~
Even in exile, his wild soul tempered by his travels, Zavates remains royal to his core. At the end of the day, in spite of his best intentions, his pride and sense of entitlement will always find an avenue to spill out of. When denied by the world around him (which is often the case), general grumpiness tends to take over in lieu of grace. This has rightfully earned him the nickname of 'Old Goat' from Ruby. It's unknown why Zavates has yet to punish her for this blatant outrage, but it is certainly *not* due to any sort of 'soft spot' he might have, as the girl frequently accuses. Perish the thought. Blech.



~ POWERS ~
- Spell-Casting: Having practiced magic from a very young age, Zavates is adept in a wide range of arts (though he does dabble heavily in spells for healing and summoning fire). And of course, thanks to his time with Garrow, he also knows quite a bit in the way of curses...

- Molecular Shift: Similarly, as a byproduct of his former curse, Zavates is now also capable of minor shape-shifting magic. For a short while, this allows him to alter the strength and composition of his own bodily traits, be it his muscles, bones, or skin. Luckily this only ever works on him, as any and all transformations cause immediate and excruciating pain. If Zavates were ever to learn how to project this power, his reluctant opinion of it would no doubt change.

- Spacial Suitcase: This is one trick that Zavates hadn't puzzled out until after parting ways with Garrow. It took a laborious amount of thought to accomplish, but he now has access to his own private pocket dimension - incomparably smaller than the one he'd escaped, but convenient nonetheless. At will, he can use this summon and seal away his spear, as well as other, smaller belongings. It can't hold much more than that, sadly; it has a limited capacity, which he hopes to sort out one of these days.



~ COMBAT ~
- Zavates has always been proficient with pole and spear weapons - a holdover from his youth in Grism, when he trained directly under the brutal, terrifying Captain of the Guard, Caddoc. At least, that's the impression the man made... In any case, that was ages ago. Zavates' formal training might have stagnated since those days, but Caddoc is an old man by now; surely he's nothing to be afraid of...

- When fighting, Zavates employs unconventional, and highly reckless tactics, opting to get in close despite using a long-range weapon. This isn't to say that he's suicidal; such a blatantly hazardous approach would be next to impossible, were it not for his natural talent for analyzing his foes mid-combat. Furthermore, seeing as Zavates is well-accustomed to physical pain, if he's ever the least bit uncertain about his chances, he'll quickly choose to avoid conflict altogether.