Character Information
Name: Akram Mercier
Age: 25
Occupation: silk, incense, and spice merchant
Appearance: Akram's black hair is long in the front, hanging straight to just past his chin, but most of the rest of it is covered by a red cloth hat, and is actually naturally curly. Shaving appears to be a bit of a losing battle, as Akram generally sports a short beard and mustache, or at least some degree of stubble. Other than his sturdy build, the merchant's most striking feature is the set of pale gold lines running down his face like trails traced by tears from his green eyes. He dresses in the traditional garb of his homeland: jodhpurs and sturdy boots, a tunic shirt with a tall collar and long sleeves, and a sleeveless coat and wide sash. Though his clothes are well-made, they are also generally dusty, matching the deep bronze skin and calloused hands of a man who does most of his work outdoors and in a harsh environment. Akram prefers to dress in shades of brown, save for his teal coat and his red sash and hat, but the sash sports a collection of cords tied at his left hip; some cords are black and some are white, but all are decorated with glass beads in all colors, and each sports a charm of silver or wood dangling at the end. He carries a warhammer on his right hip; it is a one-handed weapon, but the weight of it tends to make his waist sash slouch to that side.
Akram, if cross-examined by Phoenix Wright |
A headshot sketch
Personality: Due to his father's untimely death, Akram became patriarch of his family about twenty years sooner than most men in his society ascend to the position; as a result, he was forced to grow up quickly, but has actually flourished in doing so. Mature and pragmatic, the merchant aspires to follow all proper codes of business in his homeland in order to quiet whispers that he is unfit at his age to be Mercier patriarch. First impressions are often of a dry and humorless, but exceedingly polite young man who only speaks to others to do business, but those who grow close to him find that Akram watches out for his friends. He is quite rich - partly a mark of his heritage, but just as much a sign of his skill thus far at managing the family trade - and, in accordance with the customs of his homeland, is quite free with his abundant money. Some Victorians may consider him even flippant with his funds, but Akram in fact keeps meticulous records of his gains and losses, and always manages to live within his means.
History:
Akram's childhood was a decidedly abbreviated one, as his father knew that he would likely have to step up as patriarch much sooner than most young men did. The Merciers were a family afflicted by a curse in their blood that, among other things, took the lives of the men before their time more often than not, and so Akram was groomed from a young age into a businessman fit to run and support his family. This was not exactly a bad thing - it meant he traveled as a child and was able to become fluent in English in addition to his native language. While he would be considered quite educated by the standards of his own people, his knowledge and training is quite specific in diplomacy, rhetoric, and mathematics, so some may find him lacking in intelligence since he knows little history, science, or philosophy.
As his father fully expected, he died rather suddenly when Akram was 21, leaving the young man to step up to the position of Mercier patriarch. Though he had been considered a man among his people since he was 16, whispers still circulated that he was far too young for the position and that it would be better left to his uncle; there were few tales of men leading families at such a young age, and those stories rarely ended well. In his grief, the young merchant made some poor choices initially in how he spent his money, fueling the rumors as well as his his already-developing smoking habit. He recovered over the next two years, though, and managed to curb his vices and grow into a successful businessman.
The Mercier family curse, however, coupled with whispers doubting the young patriarch, has meant that Akram has been called upon to defend his clan's name on several occasions. Though duels and matches of armed combat are becoming less and less common in his homeland, he has still stepped up to meet challenges, and has fared well in general ... perhaps because he is more youthful than the patriarchs who sling insults. Still, he has gained a bit of a name for himself as more than just the inexperienced child patriarch of a doomed family, and for local families in his homeland, at least, has become a bit of an example of a decidedly more "modern" man.
Abilities:
Martial training - Akram knows how to ride and care for horses and their related equipment, and can make basic repairs to tack when necessary. He can also fight from horseback with a lance or hammer, or with the hammer when not mounted. And, while not exactly a sharpshooter, he can operate crossbows and firearms with reasonable proficiency.
Business savvy - Having been brought up to lead a clan in the silk wholesale business, Akram knows his job very well. His methods follow the foreign model he knows best (he can haggle prices all day if someone gave him cause to, and he also follows strict codes when it comes to meetings regarding business, and the contracts themselves), but he is hardly ignorant to Victorian custom. If there is trade to be done, the merchant is at home in either world.
Affluent - Like his father before him, Akram has been successful in his work, and so has a lot of money on hand. He was brought up well (if not exactly to the normals of Victorian society), has solid relationships with several long-time business partners, and continues to bring in the cash to support himself and his family. While not exactly wealthy enough to purchase, say, a zeppelin on a whim, Master Mercier never finds himself wanting for the necessities, or a fair number of luxuries, either.
Multilingual - Akram can speak both English and his native language, and knows basic greetings and some phrases in a few other languages. Outside of Isur or Britain, he could get by on his own decently enough, but is hardly eloquent in those other tongues.
Weaknesses:
Magic sensitivity - Due to a family "curse", Akram is extremely sensitive to magic. Sure, this gives him a bit of an advantage in some sense, since he
can feel ergaleomantically-enchanted clockworks by touching or being near them, but it causes him physical pain, and he can only tolerate it for so long.
Blade prohibition - Akram's religion forbids him from carrying any weapon with a sharp edge longer than the length of his hand. He does carry a small knife within this regulation, which has a blade angled inwards like a kukri, but this is primarily a ceremonial object of status; while he could fight with it in a pinch, he would prefer not to, and actually would not draw blood with the edge outside of a clan feud. He takes no issue with other blade-users, but would have to politely refuse to carry or even touch a sword or other bladed weapon for any reason.
Conspicuous - Not that he is clumsy, but being large and foreign, Akram tends to stand out in a crowd. This does not seem to bother him, as he continues to wear traditional clothing from his homeland instead of adopting Victorian garb, but he still tends to attract at least cursory attention.
Confrontational - Not that Akram is the sort to start fights in bars or anything, but debates and haggling are part of the culture he is used to. Though he gets along well enough with those who are different, if challenged to a fight or a debate, he will always step up and accept the challenge.
Player Information & Application
Name: Asahi Kumoru; I respond to Asahi, or Kumoru, or Kumo
In your own words, please explain the rule of consent.
Since godmoding, or the playing of another person's character in your post without their consent, is bad RP manners at very best, any attempts to act upon another character other than your own must be limited to suggestions. Rather than saying that you punch the other guy, you swing a punch at the other guy, and it is up to his player to decide whether or not his character gets hit or not. In this way, nothing happens to your character without your consent. Of course, if you dodge everything thrown at your character, that is not much fun, either - as with real life, people win some and lose some, and a good roleplayer will be able to make the best of either situation.
In your own words, please explain the relationship the games masters have to the RP.
Game Masters direct the overall flow and story of a roleplay, sometimes through their own characters, and sometimes through other NPC characters, or occurrences from outside forces within the roleplay. While regular player characters cannot godmode, the Game Masters may do so when necessary to move the storyline along.
Please tell us how often you intend to post. Once the RP gets moving again, I will shoot for at least 2-3 times a week.
Please give us a sample post for your character in this RP.
Akram rested one elbow on the table as he waited for his food, gazing out the cafe window while he gnawed thoughtfully on the end of his pipe. Nothing burned in the bowl at the moment, as he wanted to eat before dulling his taste buds with cloves and tobacco. Though, he thought with a faint smile, there was little to taste in an English breakfast anyway, particularly for someone used to spicy foods with every meal.
A cup of tea changed his mind, though, as waitress returned to his side to fill his small porcelain cup.
"Thank you," Akram told her with a nod, grasping the delicate cup with calloused fingers as she withdrew. Then he turned his attention back to the street in front of the cafe.
It was still fairly early in the morning, but the merchant was hardly the only one who was already out. He could hear two other men conversing at a nearby table within the small restaurant, and there was a thin but steady stream of pedestrians outside. Once he had eaten, he would join them; Akram had made an arrangement to meet a potential trading partner later in the morning.
A burning sensation in his veins a moment later snapped him out of his thoughts as he heard a mechanical whirring sound approaching his table. Akram frowned and turned to see a clockwork walker coming to deliver the remainder of his breakfast. Forcing a small patient smile, he took the dish from the thing, and tried to remember that the clockwork was likely the pride of the cafe. Only when it left did the man relax, feeling the pain fade from his body as the distance grew.
"I guess if the food is good enough, then I can come back here anyway," Akram murmured to himself, watching the clockwork server retreat to the kitchen before digging into his meal. It was still possible to avoid the enchanted clockworks in the city, but it seemed that it was harder to do so this time than the last time the merchant had spent an extended stay here. The world was changing, and while he could generally keep up with it, he was not fully sure he could enjoy all the supposed progress.
