Lark Arren (Magebound)

FULL NAME - Lark Arren1

PERSONAL QUOTE - "The only freedom I'll ever find is death." -- Lark to Schaff.2

DOB - 9/21/20423

PHYSICAL APPEARANCES (eyes, hair, height, distinguishing marks) - Lark has rust-brown eyes, like rich southern soil, and dark blone hair cropped close to his scalp as a mark of his slave status. He's of average height with broad shoulders and comparatively long legs, lean and strong from a life of hard work and little food. Beaten and abused by his masters, he bears many scars, of which he is very self-conscious.4

PERSONALITY - In spite of his hard life, Lark is kind and generous to common people, but cautious and respectful of the upper classes. He abhors cruelty and injustice, after suffering it for so long, and does whatever he can to help those in need, to the point of ignoring his own needs and dragging the people closest to him into his crusades. He does his best to hide his feelings, but when pushed too far, can lose his temper.5

BACKGROUND - Born the second of three children to a hard-working farmer, Lark was five when his elder brother died of pneumonia. When he was eight, his family lost their farm and were sold into slavery to pay back taxed owed after two years of extreme drought crippled their farm. At age twelve, Lark was sold to a sexual sadist who abused him for almost two years before Lark was able to escape from him. After being shipped back and forth across the planet for six years, working on farms and in mines, he winds up in the remote fishing village of Traxen, where he's bought by the frighteningly seductive resident mage, Lord Sactaren, to run the mage's magic shop.6

LIKES/DISLIKES - Lark likes to be liked and to help people. He likes to feel safe. He likes strawberries and to please his new master. He dislikes seeing anyone being taken advantage of. He dislikes those who flaunt their power. He dislikes being physically restrained, or touched in a manner that he's not in control of.7

GOALS - After being mistreated for so long, his main goal has simply been to survive each day. He never made long-term goals since he never knew when he would be sold again, or even killed. Now that he's in a more stable environment, his main goal is to help as many people as he can, to make sure he leaves a mark on the world. Other goals include overcoming the abuse he suffered and learning as much as he can about the magic business he's now a part of.8

ABILITIES - Lark is physically strong, can read adequately, has decent social skills, learns quickly, and is good with animals.9

STRENGTHS - Lark is kind, generous, friendly, wants to help people and is unafraid of hard work.10

WEAKNESSES - Lark is self-conscious of his scars and his calloused hands, he can lose his temper and occasionally becomes physical, he suffers from PTSD and has flashbacks and panic attacks, he can be too kind and generous, giving more than he afford, and he wants to be liked so much that he often lets people take advantage of him.11

OTHER - 12

"Tell me one thing you have done that you are ashamed of," Lord Sactaren asks, his voice making the hair on my neck prickle.13

"I - I beat my master with a rake and ran away," I say. I feel the weight of his gaze upon me and I swallow hard.14

"Will you run away from me?" 15

I keep my eyes fixed on the floor as I answer, softly, "I don't know, M'lord." He is frightening, but his demeanor does not seem at all cruel or perverse, though I do have a painful habit of looking for the good in people and missing the bad. "I don't think I will."16

"And if I must discipline you, will you beat me with a rake?" I don't look up, but he sounds almost amused by the thought.17

"I will try to never give you cause to discipline me, M'lord," I say. I want to add that the paranoid old bastard had been trying to kill me, but that would sound like I'm trying to make excuses. I'm not. There is no excuse for what I did. A master has every right to do with his property as he pleases, from painting his shutters red to setting his slaves on fire. I reacted without thinking--more evidence of my willful streak.18

"Then I'm sure I won't have to," he says, stepping past me and taking a small wooden box down off one shelf. From the box he pulls a round, black stone about the size of an acorn. "Hold out you hand," he commands. He sets the stone on my palm and I jump as it starts to flash red, yellow, gray, green, brown, orange--so many colors I can't keep track of them. Lord Sactaren raises his eyebrows. "You have more diseases than a third-rate whorehouse," he says, and his gaze turns appraising once again. I look back down at the floor. It's not my fault.