Val Covington
Most might find Val to be your typical, unkempt ruffian were they judging on cleanliness alone. His hair is usually disheveled and face/clothing dirty, as well as a fresh cut, bruise, or scar adorning his features. Despite these things, the Seeker almost always has a smile or mischievous little grin on his face. All of this is juxtaposed by the fine clothing he wears. This is generally kept to shirts, though he has been known to dress nice on rare occasions. Whether this is due to his own decision or thanks to the influence of his wife is anyone's guess. What he does compromise on is usually ruffled up or left untucked, and he often pairs whatever she puts on him with a simple pair of pants and gloves.
| Name: Val Covington | Race: Miqo'te |
| Clan: Seeker | Gender: Male |
| Age: 36 | Orientation: Heterosexual |
| Marital Status: Married | Nameday: Unknown |
| Alignment: Chaotic Neutral | Deity: Menphina |
Val is your typical Miqo'te Seeker and stands a tad tall for his race, somewhere around 5'9", though this is hard to tell considering his slouched and relaxed posture. Ash blonde hair is brushed haphazardly away from an oval face marked with smooth planes and covers the long, slim ears arching over the Miqo'te's youthful visage.His brows are winged, the inner half of each slanted downward to give him an overall mischievous appearance. They're set over bi-colored eyes of blue and gold, both almond-shaped and with a long, faded scar bisecting the skin both above and below the right. A patrician nose is set above firm lips prone to mercurial changes of expression, and a faint touch of blonde stubble marks the curve of his chin.His skin is tanned from his exposure to the sun and his overall build is slender and lean, showing an inclination to speed rather than strength. He can typically be seen wearing light leathers that give some protection and hinder movement as little as possible. When in "work clothes", the handle of a dagger can be seen protruding from the top of each of his boots.
Due to Val's upbringing and typical way of life, he tends to lack any sort of manners or sense of control over himself. He's well known for saying the first thing that comes to his head without giving it a second thought. This often leads to offending those around him, admittedly most of it is on purpose. He enjoys pushing the boundaries of others around him and watching them try to cope with it. If it bothers them enough to fight him, it's just an added bonus. He is very determined and egotistical, far believing himself to be superior to most of those around him. He generally lets his cockiness and confidence speak for itself.He doesn't care for an obscene amount of wealth; just enough money for food, drink, and a place to sleep. Beyond that, he'd rather spend most of his time relaxing outside and enjoying the world around him. While in the past he preferred the company of whatever beautiful woman was around at the time, Val has since settled on one in particular. Thoroughly convinced that what he and his lover share are something special and beyond the realm of what others could possibly have, Val still openly shuns monogamous relationships. He is fiercely loyal to his beloved, which leads to a lot of the aforementioned behavior. His general choice of words, while already colorful to begin with, become especially so when angered. He shouts a great deal of obscenities and threats and intends to make good on them should it not convince the offender to back down. Perhaps the most damning of Val's responses to someone messing with his lover is silence. It almost always means ill intent.Val also lacks trust in others. He expects most people, especially nobility, to be using him to further their own goals. Because of this, he rarely lets himself get close to another. It generally isn't an issue since his overall demeanor tends to repel most people. Those that can stand him long enough to gain his trust will find themselves in possession of a very trustworthy and thoroughly loyal ally. While he'll still have the tendency to joke around and "test" his friends, he will be far more willing to shut down that side of him and be far more considerate to those that have shown the ability to deal with his faults and prove him wrong. As far as emotions are concerned, Val tends to keep them to himself. Only those very nearest to him will truly know if he feels any sort of remorse for his actions or the things he does. He believes showing such to be a sign of weakness, and has thus managed to keep most of them under control. Except anger, of course. It's the one he's never quite been able to tame.
One thing to say about Val when it comes to combat is that he enjoys it. He is incredibly prideful of his skill and believes that, beyond all else, beating someone in a fight proves that he is better than them. He also believes it solidifies his claim to be a Nunh, insomuch as the way of his Wolf tribe, and each victory further proves such. Therefore, Val will do what he can to provoke others to a fight. If they back down, he feels that alone proves himself to be the better. Should they beat him, while his pride may be hurt, it instills with him to train harder until he's able to overcome his opponent.He only fights honorably when he absolutely has to, feeling that "anything goes" in a real fight. To that end, Val will seek to win a fight by any means necessary. A hunter for his tribe, Val seeks to dismantle his opponent as quickly as possible. This is done by rendering any limbs immobile, if possible, or striking at a fatal spot on the enemy by tricking them into an opening. He'll go so far as to allow himself to be struck if it means getting the final blow early.Val frowns at the idea of using practice weapons because he feels there's no real danger in it and is prone to turning down any kind of healing, if only so that he and his body can learn from the mistakes made. Val feels that it makes him much stronger to let them to heal on their own, and while that may only be a belief brought on by his tribal upbringing, he follows it gladly.
Weapons
Daggers - Perhaps Val's best weapon. The Seeker uses them with deadly proficiency, often held in a reverse grip. He often saves these for last, either because he noticed an opening and needs to quickly get to it or because he means business.
Lance - A remnant of his time in the Immortal Flames. Val used it both as a piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning weapon. At times Val had the tendency to use it as a bo staff, taking clear advantage of its weighted ends in the process. He spends the majority of his time reading his opponent and goading an opening out of them. When he finds an opening or is able to discern the opponent's general style of fighting, Val will trade out his lance for his daggers and seek to end the battle as quickly as possible. He's been known to be a bit suicidal in this, willing to take a fatal strike if it means finishing off his opponent during dire situations.
Fists - Val isn't afraid at all to use his fists when lethal force isn't required. In fact, sometimes he rather enjoys an old-fashioned tavern beat-down. He's trained with his bare hands and, while they do not amount to the skill of his dagger play, his punches still pack a wallop.
Abilities and Skills
Ninjutsu - Val underwent training in the far east to help learn to manipulate his own aether and that of the world around him. While he cannot generate elemental surges out of nothing, he can use whatever elements are around to do his bidding. This is often rarely used and is something he does not necessarily rely on. Instead, it helps improve his defenses against casters by manipulating the aether being cast at him.
Chakra - He has been training in opening his chakra, though he has nowhere near mastered it. Lacking any real discipline in mastering the art, it's best left to augment his own natural skills rather than being something entirely relied upon.