Anastopheles

Name Anastopheles the Lost
AKA Daughterkiller, Reapwind, The Wrestler
Human
Male
Age 29
Class Penitent
Tribe Erpheronian

“My throat hurts.”
“That’s because you have used it since you died.”
“Died?”
“Hard to believe, but that young lady in the tavern didn’t want you for your body. I’m just glad she wasn’t a throat slitter.”
“Why am I here?”
“I’m looking for someone, never mind why.”
“Who?”
“Anastopheles.”
“Oh.”
“Now, tell me what he looks like.”

Physical Description

“He’s a big man, a good 2 peds or so. Wide with it. Must weigh about 2 and half pygges, maybe he’s lost a little, since. Not has much as me, hah? He is bald, used to be a bit sensitive about that. Used to grin a lot, before… now he looks at the ground, most of the time. Not a lot else to know. Wears horsehair, plain brown horsehair. Goes without shoes, too, just to punish himself a bit more. Tends to shamble. His eyes are blue, did I say that? Things are a bit vague. Could you bring me back to life?
“Yes, in a way”
“Would you?”
“No. Tell me about the man.”

Personality

“Well, things a different now. He used to be the life of the tavern. Singing, whoring, fighting, always with the fighting. Hard too. Didn’t mind hurting people if it was amusing. All different now, of course.

"Not since his daughter died. Now he hardly says a word until he’s spoken too. I haven’t heard him laugh either. Doesn’t touch the drink now. Won’t hurt a fly either, unless someone is hurting someone else. They tend to stop though, when they see him.

"All he wants to do his walk around, making sure everyone’s all right, making sure no-one picking on anyone else. Not violently, though. Having a quiet word, he called it. He loves his roses. Mad for his flowers, he his. Only time since the accident I saw him mad, was when some posh berk trampled some seedlings. Whipped himself later with a bit of cord, mind. Once for every bad word. I tried to stop him, but he’s still a big man, you know. You a necromancer, then?
“Patently.”
“Oh, sorry. Never met one before.”
“It’s important I know about his life, tell me.”

Strengths

Anastopheles is immensely strong, and is imposing to look at. He is a very skilled wrestler, and knows how to fight dirty. He has a very good large knowledge of plants, especially flowers on the continent of Savonia.

Weakness

"He suffers bouts of debilitating depression, especially if something reminds of his wife or child. He has never learnt how to fight with ‘official’ weapons, and now he wouldn’t, even if he could. Has a phobia of drinking plain water, since his wife’s death. Now drinks tinctures and teas. Anastopheles only has one ear lobe, having lost in a bout; his hearing on the left is therefore poor.

History

“Well, we’ve been mates since we were both kids in Voldar. I suppose that’s why you here? Well, he had always been a big kid. Bigger than the rest off us, and he didn’t mind letting us know he was in charge.

"Anastopheles had more or less a normal childhood. A bit of pinching, a bit of rough and tumble. You know, ordinary.
Well, he got into a fight, when he was 12, with this older lad, more of a man – must have been, I dunno, say 20. Cocky berk, if you’ll pardon my mouth. Well, Anastopheles beat him half to death. Probably further, if Master Flicker hadn’t pulled him off. You might not remember him, since he was hanged, but Mr Flicker used to run scams around here about 10 years ago. Hand in everything. His pride and joy, though, were his wrestlers. Anastopheles took to it, like he was born for it, once Flicker had smoothed off the tendency to stamp on faces.

“Weren’t long before Anastopheles was the main man. He was only 14, but built like a man. It was Anastopheles’s fault Flicker swung, you know. Not deliberately like, but so. Flicker put Anastopheles in against this big guy. Some Voldarian lord. Anyway, this big wig had a huge bet on his man. Anastopheles won, hard fight, but he won. This Lord dun’t wanna pay. Flicker insisted. Next day, Flicker gets arrested and well… Anastopheles blamed himself. Flicker was like his dad. Went to pot after that for a bit. Drinking, gambling, not training. Didn’t bother wrestling anymore, except in invitation matches, just so he could keep himself in beer.

“Then he met Sulie. Funny couple. Him, a great brute and her about half a ped tall. She put him back on the straight and narrow again. They had a little baby girl, Missy. Not pretty, but hey, nobody was going to say so. Sulie died, bad water, I think. Well, Anastopheles went back off the rails again. Not so bad, with having to look after Missy, but not good. Then he got hired by this lord, what was his name? Lord Vurgrad and his wife. Private muscle, you know the games the nobs like to play.

“This is hard for me, you know, we all loved that little girl. Missy had made friends with little Tomas, the lord’s son. They must have been, what, 7? They went running off one day to play and scamper in the grounds like children do. Well nobody minded, because it was a lovely day. Later on that same day, the lord and lady, some of their friends and Anastopheles, (never allowed to go far from their presence) were walking through the grounds when they came to the ruins that lay in the grounds. The conversation at that point came around to Anastopheles’ strength. I think Lord Vurgard suggested he try his might against one of the ruin’s walls for a little wager. Anastopheles pushed and pushed against the wall until it went over.

“It was only later the children were missed. They looked all over the city of Voldar for them. Then they were found. Under the rubble. Well, you can imagine. It was not good. Anastopheles went a bit mad. Screaming. He even beat me up! It affected the Vurgards badly too. He hanged himself. Not Lady Vurgrad though, she’s was a different kettle of fish. She screamed she would see Anastopheles dead. Maybe she still does? If me and some mates hadn’t bundled him out of her presence, he would have been dead then.

“After a couple of days, we managed to get the story out of him. He wouldn’t eat and drink for days. Then he got up and said he knew what he needed to do. He gave away everything. You see these britches? His! I had to take them in a bit. He doesn't do it for any god, though. It's like he wants to be completely responsible for his own punishment. I don't know when he will stop.

"Well, that’s more or less it. He wanders the streets now, shoeless. He sleeps where he can. Me and a couple of his oldest mates try to keep an eye on him. You know, leave a little food near where he might be. Strange thing, he wouldn’t let Lady Vurgrad kill him, even later when she went for him in the street once. Says he hasn’t been punished enough. Funny that.
“Anyhoo. That’s about all.”
“You’ve been very helpful.”
“Will you tell my family, what happened to me?”
“Yes, of course.”
“You won’t harm Anastopheles will you? He’s harmless now. A bit mad is all, if you ask me.”
“I must do has I am commanded.”
“Oh, well. Good luck, you’ll need it.”
“Thank you. And goodbye.”

Possessions

1 Sack cloth robe
1 staff for walking
1 piece of wood for hoeing.
1 small patch of common land for cultivating roses.

Edited by: Mina Aylwin at: 10/31/03 12:29