Orthkarth Githra
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
| Age | 35 |
| Species | Monitor Lizard (white-throated) |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
| Size | Large |
| Build | Burly and imposing, but gangly |
| Rank | Sailor of the DIF seeking "temporary rank" with the Imperial Navy |
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Orthkarth, despite his average size among many of his reptilian peers, tends to tower over most creatures he meets, save certain foxes and wildcats. His limbs seem somewhat disproportionate to his body - stocky legs and arms attached to a long torso, tail and neck - but his physical prowess is apparent from the toned muscles honed from a lifetime at sea.
Orth's weathered scales are grayish-brown and broken along his back by pale spots, while white dominates the front of his body, from his jaw to his belly. Beady but discerning black eyes peer out from his pointed head. Scars crisscross his frame at random intervals, though his back is strangely pristine. One digit, the leftmost, is missing from his left claw.
Used to moving around ships, Orth walks with a rolling gait no matter where he treads, tail swishing behind him to maintain his balance. He dresses modestly and only in what seems essential for work and for decency: worn and threadbare trousers held up by a knotted rope belt, and a sturdy waistcoat with a multitude of pockets attached to it for keeping useful tools or just various odds and ends. When forced to dress up (much to his chagrin), he has a surprisingly crisp sailor's uniform of the Delor Independant Fleet on claw for the sake of presentation. Those who have seen him wear it note how awkwardly it fits around him, as if those who assigned it had a difficult time adjusting it to his person.
PERSONALITY:
Orth is often a stoic background presence until he speaks, and when he does refuses to mince words. He is straightfoward to a fault, blunt in his observations and prefers to let his actions do the talking. Rare is the time he offers his own opinion without prompting, but he will speak from experience when he feels it necessary for his sake and the sake of those around him; oftentimes, this comes with some cryptic anecdote from his rough and dangerous past, and he is not above using intimidation to get a point across.
A diligent sailor, Orth tends to put shipboard tasks first and without question, humbly handling whatever is presented. He seemingly lacks the drive or ambition to try and rise in rank, though begrudgingly admits he has served as a ship's bosun in the past. When not busy, he keeps his claws occupied with tactile hobbies. He practices woodwhittling and scrimshaw, his pockets clinking and knocking with tiny projects of wood and bone.
Orth is not a creature of mirth, cracking a smile only in trusted company or when a few pints are in his gullet. Once in a while, however, he has been known to make a joke or two, which skew toward gallows humor regardless of the situation.
His other form of unusual self-expression is his knack for leading his crewmates in sea-shanties and jigs - his rumbling voice roughly but solidly singing the rhythm of halyard, capstan and jib movements alike. He knows dozens of songs for each task and is more than happy to be called on to take charge of a shanty.
STRENGTHS:
Old Salt
Scrappy Brawler
STRONG
Carpentry
Dedicated and Honest
Surprisingly Good Singing Voice
WEAKNESSES:
Tactless
Unsubtle
Morbid Sense of Humor
Barely-Buried Cutthroat Urges
Can't Swim
Heavy Accent
BIOGRAPHY:
Orthkarth Githra is remarkably transparent about his history to those that ask, delivered with only minimal embellishment but colored with horrifying detail when certain events are elaborated on.
In general, what's been gleaned is that he was hatched on the tiny, storm-wracked island of Hildobrin and raised by the pirates of the Ivory Corsairs, who used it as a not-so-secret berth. His parents, themselves active brigands, instilled in their child the skills to sail, to fight, and to plunder without remorse. Adventure and freedom dominated Orth's life in those early years, though the violence left an indelible mark on him, numbing him to the cruelty he and his shipmates inflicted - while expressing loyalty to his crew and his family, life was cheap for anyone outside of the Corsairs, and many a beast met their end at his claws.
Or at least, that was what he thought before that incident; the one he refuses to talk about; the one that will rattle him if one presses the issue and gets him hissing if the subject isn't dropped, lest his scrimshaw knife find purchase in the offender's throat.
Whatever happened broke Orth away from his pirate lineage, and the story resumes with him recovering in the Delor Archipeligo, wounded in body just as much as spirit. Turning up in Saltspire, Orth enlisted in the Delor Independant Fleet, finding new purpose as a crewmember aboard the aging warship Blue Glare. Orth found renewed purpose and reason, even if he chafed under the strict naval code of the DIF. His skills as a sailor earned him the approval of the ship's officers and captain, but it was his quiet fortitude and comraderie with his shipmates that got him to the rank of bosun, a position he initially refused and had to be coaxed into accepting.
After several years in the DIF, an old itch sprang up in Orth's brain. Now (mostly) recovered, with the Glare as his home and largely on goodwill and transport duty, a sense of ennui fell over him. He needed action again, to move on and find a different ship in different waters, one where the reputation wasn't so... clean-cut. He put in a transfer request with the DIF to enlist in the allied navy of the Vulpine Imperium, at least temporarily. His captain warned him that he would be starting fresh, as little more than an ensign within the Imperium, but Orth took the news in stride, even with pleasure; a chance to chart a course from the beginning was just what he needed.
POSSESSIONS/REAL ESTATE:
Orth carries little with him beyond the essentials and his latest crafting project, preferring experiences over possessions. Two objects tend to be with him at all times, however: a wicked-looking knife with an ivory handle he keeps in a sheath on his vest (ostensibly for carving); and a belaying pin tied in a loop of his belt.
SKILLS:
| Physical | Mental | Social |
|---|---|---|
| Brawling [Seasoned] (4) | Sailor [Seasoned] (4) | Singing [Novice] (0) |
| Knives [Proficient] (2) | Carpentry [Novice] (0) | Banter [Novice] (0) |
| Endurance [Trained] (1) | Nautical Engineering [Novice] (0) | Storytelling [Novice] (0) |
| Cutlasses [Novice] (0) | Imperium History [Novice] (0) | Intimidation [Trained] (1) |
| Total Points in Category: 7 | Total Points in Category: 4 | Total Points in Category: 1 |
