Yarg Anklebiter: Dogodan Halfling Fire Mage

Name - Yarg Anklebiter

Race - Hobbit

Gender - Male

Age - 47

Tribe - Dogodan Shire

Occupation - Fire Mage Extraordinaire!

Title - Happy Little Pyro

Appearance

Standing at just short of a single ped, Yarg's neck seems perpetually craned towards the heavens, so as he might speak with those of a more impressive, albeit commonplace, height. Fortunately, Halflings are blessed with a more rotund build, making them seem less small and more squat. Unfortunately for our friend the mage, he weighs just shy of five hebs, giving him a thin physique to further enhance how small and child-like he seems. However, this arrangement suits our small friend just fine, and does nothing to deter from his nigh perpetual smile.

The first, and sometimes only, thing one might see when looking down to the halfling is his fiery head of red hair. Unusually straight for one of his curly headed heritage, that does not stop it from often being a tangled mess. It is long enough to just barely block his eyes, were it not for the fact that he tends to try and keep it out of his face.

Yarg isn't exactly the youngest of halflings anymore, and laughlines have started developing around his viperine sand eyes. The years have otherwise been kind to the once studious hobbit. Decades within the Academy with only the light from candle flame and magic to grace his skin left him pale and his skin relatively unmarred, with the exception of minor burns here and there. However, due to his recent travels, Injera's kiss has brought a nice tan to the complexion of this most pacifistic of fire magi. One might also find that his skin is often discolored due to smoke and soot, an unfortunate side effect of playing with fire.

Fire and smoke are the colors of choice for Yarg, rightfully so for a mage of the flame. A long sleeved, form-fitting shirt of nor'sidian covers his torso. A vest, dyed with the fireweed of Aeruillin, is worn over this shirt. Covered in pockets, both visible and hidden, this vest is where Yarg keeps his spell components, money, a whittling knife or two, and all the random knick knacks he might have in a pocket.

Hanging from his small shoulders, and across his torso, a sack of ithild lies within easy reach of his hands, calloused from years of whittling and the production of flame. Across his back, a nors'dian hood and cloak rest, with tendrils the hue of injera's light, those of karikrimson, injohue, and sor'inyt orange, creep up, tickling the cloak like the tips of flame.

Newly muscular legs, having only recently come from the confines of the studious life at Ximax, are covered in loose, charcoal pants. Holding this garment in place is a sor'inyt orange sash, which after tying into a knot opposite the sack. What is left of the sash after the knot hangs down alongside Yarg's small thigh. Nor'sidian boots of leather rise about mid-calf, where the relatively loose pants tuck into them.

Personality
Yarg is, above all else, a friendly little guy. Rarely spotted without a smile on his face, this most jovial of jokesters decides quickly that in any room he is in, new friends are to be made, and treats everyone accordingly. Race, sex, intelligence, height or other little trivialities matter little to our little friend. He is also quite forgiving of slight offenses against him, although he might comment on their rudeness. Even major offenses give him little pause. It really isn't until violence comes into play that Yarg decides that he honestly does not like somebody.

Being the people person that he is, Yarg is quite compassionate. Going out of his way to help those around him, whether he knows them or not, is not something he has ever really questioned. He just helps that look as if they need help, be they a girl crying in the shadows, or a small child with a cut on his forehead. Yarg will do anything, and everything, within his power to help those in need, unless it is one of those very rare occasions that it was someone who has committed violence against him or his friends.

Since his discovery as to the means of his father's demise, Yarg has held an increasingly fierce interest in fire, to the point that it has reached an obsession. As a child, he had a nasty habit of starting fires, which sometimes caused quite the damage before one of the Volkek-Oshra found and took care of it. Unfortunately, such an obsession leads to a lot of problems in a tower full of fire magi. Thankfully, after many years of discipline, both self and externally induced, Yarg has somewhat control over his pyromania. However, when in sight of a fire, he must concentrate, lest he succumb to the fascination once more.

While an incredibly friendly individual, Yarg has one flaw which often makes people think him to be rude, or in some cases, outright malicious. This of course, is not true, for while being a very nice hobbit, Yarg has the very unfortunate ability to be completely without tact. This is through no ire that the halfling might hold, it is merely the fact that, having spent most of his life amongst orcs, or in study, not all of society's customs have been taught to the halfling. Many is the time where a person has felt more than a little uncomfortable by something the halfling uttered, though aforementioned halfling never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Laughing eyes and a perpetual smile are the physical hints to Yarg's outlook on life. Always assuming the best of people, Yarg believes heavily that there is good in everybody. To be clear, this is not naivete by any means. Our friend, the halfling, has read of wars, and of the horrendous things sentient beings have always done to each other. He is fully aware of the capability in evil, but he also believes in the capability in all for good. This optimism extends to other aspects of his life as well. He is someone who believes that all will turn out for the best.

Everyone likes a good laugh, nobody more so than this most jovial of halflings. Sometimes, though, Yarg enjoys a laugh at the expense of others. Pranks are a common occurrence when in the presence of this unique hobbit, be they mundane or magical. It started at the academy, playing practical jokes amongst the students, on the students, or, on occasion, on the teachers. Now our compassionate conjurer plays them on many folk, be they good friends, people he met recently, or people he doesn't even know. These pranks are never intentionally harmful, and are mostly for a good laugh. However, sometimes they may go a little overboard, or cause *unwanted* side-effects. When playing with fire, someone often gets burned.

For no thoroughly explained reason, Yarg lies. He makes up fanciful and often incredibly complex stories that are actually one hundred percent completely untrue. There needn't be a reason for him to start telling one of his stories, he sometimes merely just tells them. These tales very rarely even leave room for the merest shade of a doubt that they're untrue, for anybody who hears such tales, unless they're small, naive children, knows immediately that aforementioned tale is a complete hoax. One of the odd things about the entire matter, is that very rarely do these stories contradict each other. It is almost as if he has created his own little world, full of fanciful, bold faced lies.

Few are the times that the laughing eyes of our fiery friend are marred by the furrowing of a brow. Unfortunately, as with most things, Yarg has an unpleasant side to his persona. The middle-aged magician is firmly against violence, to the point of abhorring it quite thoroughly. Should he witness physical violence amongst strangers, our eccentric evoker does all within his power to end it, from yelling, to using his magic to influence the minds of the combatants, destroying their will to fight, or filling them with the utmost terror. In rare cases, he even targets their limbs, using his magic to make their legs and/or arms completely inanimate, thus ending the fight quite thoroughly.

However, one can not comprehend the true degree of the hobbit's wrath until they threaten, or carryout, violence against himself, or those he cares about. Then all of Yarg's powers are brought to bear. Instantly, the air around him heats up, as if to embody his rage, and the mage brings fire and death to his foes. It is during these few moments of retribution that the fire magi no longer controls his pyromania, further magnifying the intensity of his spells. Thus, one should be wary of attacking this most friendly of hobbits, or his friends, especially since Yarg is quick to consider those around him friends.

Yarg has ever been a curious little hobbit, searching every shadow, overturning every rock, looking behind every tree. Every new piece of information is eaten by the halfling's hungry mind. Often were the times, during his tenure at Ximax, that the student mage would eavesdrop on his teachers, and other mages, scraping up everything he could, whether it pertained to him or not. It matters little to our pyromaniacal pacifist whether or not he can use any information he garners, but merely that he knows it. His ultimate goal in life is to know all, to have seen all, to have experienced all. It is this curiosity, which has built up over decades, that has led to an itching in the feet of Yarg Anklebiter, thus causing him to explore the world.

Though somewhat childlike in appearance and, oftentimes, demeanor, Yarg is nearing his fifth decade, and is a graduate of Ximax. He has spent years exercising his mind, finding new and creative solutions to any problem he is presented with. Thus, his mind is quite fast, and he is extraordinarily clever. One must also take into account that Yarg spent near three and a half decades in the Academy at Ximax. Most of that time was spent in the study and practice of magic, as well as satisfying his curiosity of the world around him by reading from the Academy's impressive library. Thus, he is quite learned in the ways of the known world. Combined with his innate and practiced ingenuity, this makes his mind quite the force to be reckoned with.

Clever he may be, but overconfidence has often, and undoubtedly will often be, one of Yarg's greatest fallibilities. He assumes that any course of action he takes will be successful, regardless of how risky said course is. The Accidental Arsonist might throw a fireball in a barn full of hay, and never think for a blink that he would miss. More than one building has felt the lick of flames because our miniscule mage miscalculated a spell. Weighing risk and reward has never been a part of Yarg's personality. He shoots for the reward, no matter how reckless the path to said reward may be.

Despite his mind full of facts, or perhaps because of it, Yarg is absolutely horrendous with names. Surrounded by dozens of other students, while still trying to memorize gestures, spell theory, and all things read, this inability was especially prevalent during his stay at Ximax. Surrounded by a constantly changing student base, Yarg never really memorized a large amount of names, be they student or teacher. This problem has abated little, since Yarg is constantly in travel, never staying with the same people long enough to memorize names. However, those of particular importance to the halfling, or those who have particularly touched him, have their names remembered by this surprisingly forgetful hobbit.

Everybody needs money, and our traveling trickster is no different. After leaving Ximax, and the monetary securities of Gromph and his Volkek-Oshra support network, Yarg found himself lacking in coin. It was quite confounding, until the halfling remembered one very important thing; he knew magic. Thus, "Yarg Anklebiter: Fire Mage Extraordinaire!" was born. Magic is not something the average townsfolk has a chance to see very often, and many would pay for such a chance. Thus, our friend, the spell weaver, makes his coin providing people with the opportunity to see something the likes of which they shall most likely never see again.

Strengths
Fire Magic - Yarg graduated from Ximax as a Fire Mage VI, after learning a Sphere 3 spell. Thus, he is quite a powerful mage. He is quite capable of using sphere 1 and 2 effects with ease, although he must concentrate hard to cast "Rays of Heat". For the most part, Yarg uses his magic to make money, pull pranks, or to aid him in any venture or trouble he might get himself in, and one would be surprised at how much trouble this most mischievous of magi actually gets into.

Clever - Yarg lives by his mind. He is a fast and clever thinker, coming up with unique solutions to problems oftentimes before someone else might think of a more standard approach. Yarg has always been one for ingenuity, finding enjoyment in finding different and unique ways to solve any problems he might have. This is quite a boon, for he oftentimes gets himself in trouble, and must use this great gift to find a fast way out of it.

Charisma - Despite often shaky first impressions, the more time people spend with Yarg, the more they tend to like him. If given the chance, people often find that Yarg is compassionate, generous, intelligent and friendly to an extreme. He is a people person, and always has been, and more often than not, people have ended up liking our friend, the halfling.

Carpenter - True to his heritage, Yarg enjoys the crafting of wood. Whenever he has a spare moment, often while he is traveling or during a quiet moment in the tavern, he will just start whittling away at the various pieces of wood he keeps in his bag. For the most part, he just creates crude little dolls with movable parts, which he deems "Action Figures". He carves these of Red Birch if he can get his hands on it, and they are used during his shows. However, he will sometimes create other things, should the fancy to do so overtake him.

Weaknesses
Pyromania - Since he was young, Yarg has held an unhealthy obsession with flame. Though with years of training and self discipline, the pyromaniacal halfling has learned to control it, to a degree. Whenever he sees a fire, he must take care, and concentrate fully on what he is doing. Otherwise, the results might be disastrous, for pyromania and potent fire magic go hand in hand with bad mischief.

Curiosity - Being knowledgeable isn't enough for our inquisitive little hobbit. No, Yarg yearns for every piece of information he can get his hands on. He listens in on conversations, be they secret or public, and tries every new experience, no matter the risk. However, curiosity can often be one's undoing, for some people enjoy their secrets, and some experiences are far riskier than their rewards let on. Yarg must watch his step, lest his curiosity gets aroused by a piece of information that somebody does not want him knowing.

Pacifist....kinda - Although his face is not often marred by the furrowing of a brow, violence is one of those things that truly angers Yarg, and he will do anything in his power to end it. This may cause problem on its own accord, for some people enjoy their fights, and dislike it when small halflings interfere. However, when violence is shown, or even threatened, towards Yarg or his friends, then woe be to his aggressor. Yarg's wrath is frightening to say the least, for he brings his formidable powers to bear in a very unpleasant way. Unfortunately, these are also the few times when Yarg forgets, or doesn't bother, to not hold his pyromania in check, and hold back the fire. Instead, he becomes one with it, letting the flames become the physical manifestation of his rage. More than one building has suffered, albeit unintentionally. from the wrath of the mage. Unfortunately, the Mage is often inside said building, with no intention of letting up on the flames, or of leaving the room.

Recklessness - Yarg's greatest flaw is his overconfidence. His total and complete inability to even conceive that any course of action he takes will fail, or err in direction. Every plan he makes, any action he takes, he assumes it will be right, and no problems will occur. He might throw a fireball in a barn full of hay, or a crowded room, or in any building for that matter, and he would never even think of the possibility that he could miss, despite the fact that he sometimes does. He doesn't consider the consequences of anything he does failing. If he thinks he can do it, he does it, and never even considers that he can't do it. This recklessness extends to all aspects of his life, however it is with his magic that it is the most worrisome, for when one is not careful with fire, someone *always* gets burned.

Pranks - Yarg has an affinity for pranks. Oftentimes these are harmless, and do much in making friends. Even the victims of his pranks oftentimes laugh at the harmless prank, fully accepting that the laughter of all around him, as well as himself, is at his own expense. However, combine Yarg's joy of pranks with his recklessness and the fact that he is a powerful fire mage, and one can easily imagine how sometimes his pranks are not met with laughter. Not at all.

Compulsory Liar - For some reason, Yarg enjoys telling a good tale. However, often he tells tales about himself, others, things he's witnessed, etc. that are total and complete falsehoods, and obviously so. Often times, his companions may find this humorous, although in any sort of serious setting, his compatriots, or anyone else for that matter, find it to be extremely frustrating, if not maddening.

Names - Never in his life has Yarg been able to quite remember names. The best he has ever been able to do is slight mockeries of the names he has been taught. Not until he really gets to know somebody is he able to correctly remember somebody's name. This problem that Yarg possesses has aggravated more than its fair share of people, and will aggravate many more to come.

Tactless - Yarg is one of those unfortunate people who just does not know when to keep quiet. He speaks what is on his mind, not realizing that his words, while completely unintentionally, might be rude, hurtful, or otherwise completely inappropriate. More then one person has taken offense to what has dribbled from the mouth of the halfling, often causing them to be embittered against him.

Belongings
Scattered throughout pockets on the inside, and outside, of his vest, Yarg keeps numerous spell components, including sulfur, ash, magather stones, and Fa'yale, or "burning man", flowers. He keeps other components about him as well, but one finds it tiresome to list such trivialities. These are kept in the vest to insure quick access at any given time. Often, he keeps small bags of 'spare' components in his sack, on the off chance that he may run out. In these pockets can also be found a whittling knife or two.

In the sack, Yarg carries, as we've just mentioned, extra spell components, bread and dried meats, a few waterskins which he refills at every available opportunity, and small bags containing any money that he might have in his possession. True to his heritage, Yarg enjoys the crafting of wood, the work of a carpenter. He has used this to his advantage, crafting small dolls (which he has dubbed "Action Figures") with hinges at the joints, so that he might animate them with his magic during his many "shows". Thus, in this sack one might also find finished "Action Figures" of various sorts, as well as pieces of wood that shall soon share the fate of their carved companions.

Other than anything he might have in his pockets or his sack, as well as his clothes, the only thing that Yarg owns is his small walking stick, a ped in height and thus, taller than our most gigantic of magi. It is made of red birch, a wood that does not burn well, making it perfect for our pyromaniacal little friend, and is topped by a solid knot, making it easy for the mage to use it as a knocker. Engravings of dragons and phoenix' and other creatures of fire do battle up and down it's length.

Magic
Having left Ximax with full knowledge of level VI, and beginning to learn the teachings of VII, Yarg is quite proficient in the use of Fire Magic. The only level VII, and Sphere III, spell he knows is Rays of Heat, something he took a special interest in, considering the role it played in his early life (See History). While Yarg is most proficient in the physical aspects of Fire Magic, he is quite versed in the emotional side as well, using both with high levels of aptitude. How he uses his magic depends greatly on why he is using it:

Casual Use
Yarg is the kind of mage who uses his abilities at any and all opportunities. He might use a fireball to "catch" his dinner, cause his staff to issue light in a dark night, or have his clothes issue heat during the chill of winter. Often times he will boost his own healing abilities, to help the numerous nicks, cuts and bruises that one often gets on the road. In order to help control his own fascination with fire, Yarg often finds that it helps to sometimes to create a small flame, and to play with it. To shape it, make it grow, make it recede. Yarg has found that the more often he does it, the more control he has over his pyromania and in making sure the flame is never out of his control.

He also uses his magic, quite often I might add, in the many pranks that he enjoys pulling. This encompasses both the physical and emotional aspects of fire magic. He might use heat to warm up a drink in a neighbor's mug, or perhaps to heat up a handle to give the next person to touching a sizzling surprise. He also enjoys tripping people by suspending animation in their legs mid-stride. Sometimes he delves into the emotional side. More than once, a man has laughed at the appearance of a wench, claiming that he would never be caught bedding such a creature. In these situations, Yarg merely smiles as he reaches into their minds, fanning the flames of lust, and waiting until the man had made his lustful intentions very clear to aforementioned wench before releasing him from his lust. Never will anyone see someone back out faster then when they've 'gotten themselves in too deep'. However, Yarg is tap dancing on thin ice when it comes to the use of that spell, for the Ximaxians do not find such flippant use of mind influencing spells amusing.

Occupational Use
When Yarg found himself lacking in coin, he realized that he was a mage, and thus was blessed with abilities most peasants could only ever dream of. Many townsfolk would pay good money to see the abilities of a fire mage displayed before them in all it's splendor. Thus, Yarg decided that he would fill that role. During his act, he employs many of the physical aspects of his element. He animates his many "action figures", albeit only one at a time. These figures are made of Red birch, a wood that is somewhat harder to burn, making them last longer against the ravishes that the animation process gives it. After these figures "dance" for awhile, Yarg wills them to combust in a dramatic fashion. He creates small fires, then causes them to rise, as well as shaping them into writhing forms in a semblance of a dance. He casts spells like Showering Stream, Fireballs, Rays of Heat and rapid castings of Flash into the air for grand effects. After these shows, Yarg is often wearied, and must rest.

Combat Use
Yarg only uses his magic in a hostile way under one situation: when violence occurs near him. What his exact reaction is depends greatly on who the violence is initiated against. If it is against a stranger, then Yarg does his damndest to end the fighting, through non violent means. This is mainly done through lowering the property of animation in the muscles of both combatants, while not hindering their essential functions (animation of the heart and lungs etc etc). He also attempts to dissuade fighting by affecting the minds of the aggressors, filling them with the utmost fear or sapping of them of their will to fight. If a weapon is brought into play, the halfling starts moving the ounia of the weapon to one spot, and focusing on the property of heat in an attempt to "break" the weapon in twain by melting it at one spot. These tactics often make him succeed in his pacifistic intentions.

However, should the violence be against Yarg, or someone Yarg considers a friend, the halfling becomes somebody completely different. Instead of being merely angry that someone is causing violence, he becomes rage incarnate, furious that somebody would attack those the Mage holds dear. Almost instinctively,Yarg causes the air around himself to heat up drastically, as if to bring a temperature manifestation of his rage into being. From there, this Enraged Evoker uses solely the physical manifestation of his element of choice. Throwing fireballs is his most common tactic, as is causing any flames he causes to rise, as well as shape them in an attempt to have them consume his foe. Should many fires appear and still his wrongdoers are standing, Yarg will bring his most fearsome spell to bear: Rays of Heat. This brings the ounia of the fires to himself, thus dousing the flames. The danger is not over however, for he merely uses the power of many fires, and sends it all from his fingertips in a cascade of flame and death to consume the would be attackers. Unfortunately, it is during these wrathful times that Yarg pays no attention to his pyromania, fully allowing himself to lose control over the flames, to let them grow, or even aid them in their destruction.

History
I deleted history because it read like it was written by a toddler with a learning disability.