[ooc- info]
WORLD:
The world where the continent of Carmadine is located is a fantastic setting similar to the European Middle Ages. It mixes traits from other classical periods and different cultures as well, such as Medieval China and Medieval Middle East.
Magic is a common thing, so are gods, spirits and all sorts of magical creatures like dragons. Dwarves, elves, humans and other races have their own mythology and pantheons. The current magic in Carmadine is residual magic. At the beginning, the Gods tried to share their existence with humanity and the barrier that separated the Gods' realm and the human world was broken. It caused too many troubles to humans, and the Gods, not wanting their creations to suffer, withdrew to their own world. The brief contact, however, changed the human world drastically and many new races and creatures appeared, most of them influenced by the magic of the Gods: vampires related to the Gods of the Death, trolls and werewolves related to Earth Gods, dinosaurs that people use as pets or rides...
Not all the magic was the same because it came from very different Gods, and thus it affected humans in different ways. Some humans were also born with a noticeable level of magic in them while others learned to train their powers and make them grow. Magic became inherent and could be transferred through spells, but they could cause death if done the wrong way.
Technology is not very common in the South half of the continent, but the North has steam-driven machines (ala Steam Punk/Clock Punk style). Northerners have managed to develop certain advanced technology, while the Southern technological fields stagnated, especially those related to communication.
AGE TIME-LINE
From 1 to 7 years: Living with his family
7-13 years: Working as a slave on the textile mills
13-16 years: Meets Aisha, works on the circus.
16 years: Aisha dies, Laurent tries to scape and meets Adam, Lilith, Durham and Hunter.
Present time: He's 17 years old, has been traveling with Adam & co for over a year.
AGE, RACE AND APPEARANCE:
Laurent is a Keltoi. Usually considered handsome, they have unnaturally bright green eyes, darkly tanned skin, and hair that varies between a light shade of blue to dark purple from person to person. Their average size is shorter than a human’s, and their blood is poisonous to vampires. They are affable, stronger than they look, and not violent in the least unless they are cornered. They also can not lie, butthey can avoid saying things they don't want others to know..
Keltois and humans can't have offspring, and it’s very rare that they engage any sort of amiable relationship. On the society, Keltois are considered to be nothing but slaves or sex pets, who suffer discrimination everywhere and rank lower than even human slaves.
Laurent is a 17-year-old man (Marid is 1000 years old) with dark chocolate skin. His hair is a light shade of purple and he has a slender, petite build, but he is in very good shape. His body was made for speed and he learned to be flexible thanks to dancing. Like most Keltoi, he is agile and quick, yet not very strong. His short stature is due to malnutrition while he was growing up.
He has a large tattoo on his upper back, it's two scythe blades put together.
When he dresses up he likes to cover as much skin as possible. Laurent never cared much about clothes (unless he was dancing, he wore a ragged attire like the other slaves), but he likes wearing white and blue the most. Durham noticed that and bought him fine elven garb and some armor (light, and mostly for style). Durham noticed that and bought him fine elven garb and some light elven steel armor. Despite being mostly for style, the armor is still very functional.
His true appearance as djinn Marid isn’t that different. isn’t that different. The tattoo on his back disappears and is replaced by a pair of very real white wings. The other noticeable change is in his demeanor; he becomes more determined and driven. When he smiles in that state it comes out as a cocky grin and his fangs are visible.
ANIMAL COMPANION:
Hunter, an albino dog similar to an akita. He has the magic ability to change his appearance - he can either look like a small puppy or his real self, which weighs 130 pounds and is 28 inches tall. He uses this at his advantage, looking like a harmless puppy most of the time and then surprising his opponents. Belial gave it to Durham when they were kids, and never told him where he found the dog. Durham gave it to Laurent to protect him shortly after they met.
He’s a dedicated pet, intelligent and active, with a great deal of devotion. However, that only applies to his owners or people he likes. He has no qualms about fighting all sort of creatures who he doesn't , even those bigger than him in his real form. He’s also prideful, and has a really bad temper. Hunter can also follow and find his owner no matter how far away they are.
BACKGROUND | HISTORY
Act I - Ab origine - From the origin
The earliest Laurent can remember of his free life is playing on the beach with his mother when he was seven years old. He remembers the beautiful flora, the snow-capped mountains, and all the different animals he could see in the jungle. Then strange men arrived on the land, carrying diseases and pain, and taking away lives and hope. When it happened, he was too young to even know what the term ‘slave raiding’ meant, but he learned soon enough that his race was hated on the rest of the continent. Keltoi lived with very little hope of a better life and the rest of the population owned and exchanged them just like goods.
It was conventional wisdom in the North that the best way to get a good servant was to raise one. That's why slave dealers and pirates traveled to the south of the continent to find more young slaves for trade. Laurent, along with many others, was separated from his mother, dragged to one of the ships and locked up in a cell.Confused and scared, he tried to ask the men why they were doing this, but no one seemed to speak his language or even bothered trying to understand him. That was the last time he saw his family.
The crossing was perilous and only half of the ships arrived safe to the City of Marsis. The Keltoi were treated like animals and given hardly enough room to breathe - the crew had packed on more slaves than they had room for, and this caused a lot of disease and malnutrition. The captains made the decision of throwing the sick Keltoi overboard, murdering them for the safety of the rest of the cargo.
The ships belonged to several owners, and each man's brand was impressed on the body of his respective slaves. Laurent was a child and his arms were too small for the brand, so he was marked on his back. Not too long after Laurent and other children were sold again to a new owner to work in the textile mills. Serious accidents continually occurred, but dangerous parts of the machinery were still allowed to remain unfenced. The slaves were often abandoned from the moment an accident occurred and no medical assistance was provided. After seven years working in different fabrics, Laurent learned the basics of auto mechanics but always saw technology as something evil that caused more harm than good.
When he was working in the silk mill he sometimes helped with the cloth sewing and also acted as a mannequin while they finished working on the clothes. One day, a man called Beelshamên (‘Beel’) was inspecting the mill and spotted him wearing the traditional clothing of the exotic dancers. Believing that he was also a dancer, Beel bought Laurent and made him join his troupe. Beel was the owner of the Malakbêl Circus, an entertainment company that was a mix of circus arts and street entertainment. When he discovered that Laurent wasn’t really the dancer he paid for, Beel nearly killed him. A woman called Aisha, another Keltoi, stopped him from beating up the kid to death. She was another of Beel’s slaves, and she promised him that she could teach Laurent how to dance properly. Reluctantly, Beel agreed, and Laurent worked helping the staff of the circus during the day and learning how to dance at night. He had a natural talent and in less than six months he became quite the performer. She still gave him classes at night, about their culture, language, and all that she could remember about their land that Laurent had forgotten.
The three years he traveled from town to town and lived in the circus with her were the happiest ones since he become a slave. He and Aisha grew really close and acted like brother and sister. He still had to work hard every day and most of the night, but Beel wouldn’t allow anybody to hurt his slaves (except himself, that is) in case they damaged his ‘property’. Aisha fell sick and when she was too tired or feverish to perform, Laurent traded places with her for her dance numbers. They managed to hide Aisha’s sickness from Beelshamên for some months (a sick slave was one condemned to death), until Aisha’s health took a complete turn for the worse and she started to have trouble breathing. On her deathbed Aisha told Laurent that she always wished for a better life for him and their people, but that she knew she was not going to live long enough to see it.
She prompted Laurent to escape at the first opportunity he had. When she died, Laurent wanted to bury her following their people's rituals but Beel refused. For the first time in his life, Laurent lost his temper and Beel had to lock him in a cell until they disposed of Aisha's corpse.
Act II - Est deus in nobis - There is a god inside us
Laurent’s opportunity to escape arrived a few months later with the beginning of the Spring festival, when people from the villages travelled to the big cities, bringing along the old and the young, to celebrate the first day of the Lunar calendar. Laurent managed to sneak away from the circus and hide in the crowd before Beel noticed he was gone and sent the guards after him.
The reward for the capture of an escaped slave was higher if the slave had already succeeded in getting out of the city and away from civilizationand Beel was not about to let that happen. The city, however, was very crowded and the guards had a hard time chasing the boy. Laurent nearly reached the city gates when he saw a group of men dressed in red and armed to the teeth, ready to kill a long haired man that wasn’t much older than him. Feeling that he had to help, even if it meant revealing where he was hiding, Laurent scampered to the top of a platform and pushed a pyramid of barrels in their direction. He successfully hit most of the men in red, told the other young man to follow him, and ran. The stranger introduced himself as Adam Wolf, and thanked Laurent for the help. They shared a brief conversation; Adam was a foreigner that arrived to the city looking for an albino man named Belial, and those men in red that attacked them worked for him. They didn’t had much more time to talk when the guards, having heard the previous commotion, found them and dragged Laurent away.
Adam was outraged at the whole concept of slavery. He couldn’t stop the guards from taking the boy away but he followed them discreetly to find out where they were taking him. That night, Adam, accompanied by a giant white dog named Hunter, sneaked into the circus and broke Laurent out of the cell he was in. The Keltoi warned him that Adam was going to get in trouble for this, but Adam claimed that he had a debt of honor with Laurent. Hunter caused a commotion and distracted the circus’s staff long enough for them to escape unnoticed. Adam took Laurent to the inn where his cousin Durham and his girlfriend Lilith were waiting, wondering where he was. Durham was only worried about getting his dog back, since he knew that Adam was always getting in and out of trouble. Knowing that habit of attracting trouble, he watched the newcomer cautiously while Lilith and Adam had a fight about him not waiting for them when he saw Belial’s men that morning and nearly getting killed. But when he mentioned how he got away and why he had to free Laurent, her expression softened and he calmed down. Lilith explained to Laurent a bit more about Belial.
He, Durham and Adam belonged to the same tribe but one day Belial killed all the members of the council, including Durham's father, and disappeared. Durham was destined to take his father’s role and become chief of the tribe but he gave up the position in order to find Belial and stop him from finding the magic weapon he was looking for when he murdered the council, and get vengeance. Adam, worried about his cousin’s decision (and precarious mental health), decided to join him in his quest and Lilith immediately tagged along. She had dragon blood in her, his eyes were golden and she had visions of past events every time she touched something magic. Seeing that Laurent was an outsider like her, both become friends pretty quickly. She couldn’t, however, touch him with her bare hands because visions hit her every time she did. Because she had never meet any Keltoi before, she assumed that his race was the reason that happened - for the same reason, she couldn’t touch elves or vampires.
Laurent joined their party (they needed a guide, and he needed to get away from his master) and the group of misfits traveled around following Belial’s trail. Laurent discovered that one of the reasons Durham wanted so fiercely to find and kill Belial was because growing up, they were really close friends until the day Belial murdered the whole council. Durham blamed himself for that and had even tried to take his own life once, but Adam stopped him. Durham was quite of a loner and never cared about what people thought about him, but he was also trusting and protective. He and Laurent became close with time, and Durham gave the Keltoi his dog as a present so he could be protected if Durham wasn’t around.
Lilith, unlike Adam, knew the implications of having a Keltoi with them and they often had to hide Laurent while traveling, or he had to act like he was their slave. Adam and Durham hated that, but Laurent wasn’t that bothered by it because he knew they didn’t have an option. They headed to Darmakra Mountain after one of Lilith’s premonitory dreams, looking for an ancient dragon that could help them to find the weapon before Belial did. It had been decades since any villagers that lived near the mountain had seen the legendary dragon and many of them believed that it died a long time ago. The group managed to find the dragon, only to discover that it didn’t live in the mountain - the dragon itself was the mountain. Plants grew in her back, animals lived and hid between her scales, and she was blind. Her name was Melkarth and she agreed to help them only because she recognized Lilith as one of her own kind and because with them arrived a magic power strong enough to awake her.
Melkarth knew about the weapon Belial was looking for, but she also knew that it wasn’t a weapon per sé. It wasn’t an object but the pure essence of a God’s powers. And there wasn’t just one. Centuries ago, humans called those weapons many different names: Angels, heroes, demons, semi gods…The Gods and the dragons called them djinn. The djinn were the God’s present to humanity, destined to help them, guide them and protect them. But eventually human nature corrupted them and men used the djinn for selfish reasons. A man could reign over the world it he had a djinni by his side. He could change the shape of the earth, and nearly become a god himself. The Gods didn’t like the new turn of events and ordered the destruction of all the djinn, not only the corrupted ones that had become Ifrits. Djinn corrupted by human greed became known as Ifrits, more demonic than divine, with hunger for violence and blood and no regrets. Unlike the Djinn, their wings where pitch black and their eyes were violet.
They couldn’t destroy what it was in essence their own power, so they ordered the dragons to do it. Many of them perished as well, but those who survived, like Melkarth, had to carry the stigma of killing something as precious as the djinn, all because of humanity. Men were lost without the djinn and the magic that was left in the world after the battle couldn’t compare to the one that existed before the massacre. The mother goddess Asherah took pity on them and with Melkarth‘s help saved one of the uncorrupted djinns: Marid. Asherah hided Marid’s powers and tied them to the soul of a mortal creature. When said creature died, the power of its soul was transferred in spirit form into someone else. That way the djinn survived, hiding his powers during many generations, until humanity needed it again. At this point, Melkarth grinned at Laurent and told him that the creature Asherah used was a Keltoi and Marid could only live in one of their race.
He refused to believe her, and the dragon’s response was to assure him that his powers were awakening because someone else was trying to bring back one of the corrupted Ifrits. The ancient dragons that helped the gods had all exiled themselves and died, but Melkarth survived all this time waiting for him because she made a promise to the goddess Asherah. Now she could finally die and rest, and he had to assume his role as protector of humanity or he would be corrupted and become an Ifrit. Before Melkarth expired and her body turned into solid rock, she told the group to find Asherah’s temple and unleash Marid’s powers.
Durham comforted Laurent as he coped with this revelation and the boy confessed that he wasn't strong enough to hold the destiny of the world in his hands. Adam and Lilith left them alone and pondered how to find the temple when, according to the legend, it had sunk into the depths of the sea centuries ago, and its location had remained a mystery ever since.
Act III - Finis - The end
Their journey continued to the west coast, but Laurent and Durham were separated from the others when they fell into an ambush by Belial. One of Belial’s companions, a Keltoi witch named Ishtar, trapped Laurent in a magic circle while Durham and Belial fought. He wasn't able to break the spell even when Belial knocked Durham unconscious.
Belial tried to convince Laurent to join his side, asking if he didn’t want something better for his people. Belial had great ambitions since his youth and, as he grew older, he began to think of a different future for everyone. With a djinn's power, he could create his own empire, unite the different kingdoms under his rule, and wield absolute control over all people and all living things. While familiar, those words were only a twisted version of the wish Aisha once confessed to Laurent and that upset him. To accomplish such an ambition, many people would be condemned to die, and Laurent wouldn’t agree to that. The needs of others would always sit above his own. No matter what they did, he couldn't hate humans so much that he would destroy them in order to create a better world because he knew it wouldn't last. Peace and equality aren't something one can force on people, they need to come from the heart. Laurent's powers rose, and he managed to break out from the magic circle. He told Belial that while everyone may not be good there's always something good in everyone. The proof that things could change was the fact that Belial never killed Durham, even though he had many opportunities to do it.
Taken aback by Laurent's words and the display of his powers, Belial doubted himself, showing emotion for the first time. It didn’t last much, and he was about to attack Laurent when the ground started to shake. Interrupted by the sudden earthquake, Ishtar dragged Belial away from the group, knowing that Laurent’s powers were too unstable to control and they would be of no use to them. Thanks to Hunter, Adam and Lilith tracked down Laurent and arrived just in time to see how the landscape in front of them changed and Asherah’s temple rose from the ground. Laurent was holding an unconscious Durham in his arms when their friends showed up, and at the first sight of the temple he had no doubt that it was hers. It was an unnatural view: the different waterfalls were flowing backwards and there were no signs of deterioration even though the whole building had spent centuries underwater.
There was a huge statue of the goddess in the front, and while it didn’t move, they could hear her talking. It turned out that the temple was sealed like Marid's powers, and Laurent's refusal to use his power as a destructive force of war broke the barrier broke the barrier that was keeping him from fully controlling his djinn powers. His faith in the human good nature was also what stopped him from becoming an Ifrit - and if that had happened, Asherah would have killed him herself. The goddess healed Durham’s injuries and warned the team: Belial was organizing a war, and he wouldn’t stop until he found the power he was seeking. She encouraged Laurent to find his own path and learn more about his powers, and told him to visit her temple if he needed some guidance, although she wouldn’t be able to always talk back.
*Here ends the relevant parts of the first book that focus on Laurent's story. If you need more information I can expand on anything for you.
PERSONALITY
At first, Laurent comes across as an incredibly polite and shy young man, a quiet observer who tends not to speak unless the other person talks to him first or seems approachable enough. He becomes hesitant when he's put on the spot, which is why he had such a hard time accepting that he was destined to be the sole protector of humanity. Laurent shows his true personality to those he holds close - a very warm, caring person with a protective streak. When he feels comfortable around a person, he can be sharp and assertive, and even tease others. The main core of his character is his caring nature. At the same time, he won't hesitate to make hard choices when necessary.
He never tries to be a troublemaker, however it always seems to follow him no matter what he does, since he’s doomed to cause trouble just by existing. The oppressive environment he grew up in and the bad experiences in his life have made him a very cautious yet understanding individual. He is very mature for his age, a direct result of the nature of his powers as well as his complicated life as a slave. As someone who holds memories of past lives, he’s had entire lifetimes of experiences that kick in during the most unexpected times. He can’t control Marid’s memories completely and when a new memory unfolds in his mind he gets unusually cranky. His annoyance is often directed at Marid, and therefore he feels stupid for hating what is part of his dual nature. He can’t help himself when that happens, and he will try to avoid people until he manages to calm down. Laurent dislikes violence, and tries to resolve most of the situations that present with calming words.
Despite his general kindness, in the defense of others he becomes determined and intense. When someone he believes he can help is suffering or in danger, he feels the urge to help them, even if they are complete strangers. Again, it's in Marid’s nature to act like that, and he unconsciously spurs most of Laurent’s actions. Laurent would do anything to help those he cares about, even to the point of giving up his freedom. He risked his life to save Adam after they just met for the simple reason that it was the right thing to do. Being also rather good at reading emotions, he's able to offer useful and genuine advice. Marid’s past lives memories gave him an insight into life that other people of his age don’t have, but he is still young emotionally and can’t always understand his own feelings. It shows in the way that he can offer advice to Durham and Adam about relationships but cannot solve most of his own emotional problems.
Laurent usually keeps himself very controlled - should you make a comment that could be considered derogatory to a certain race, sexuality or gender, he's might take offense but very rarely show it. Before he met Adam and his new friends, Laurent had a very low self esteem. He apologized often, regardless of whether or not the other party was wrong, to keep the peace, and avoid further conflict. As his relationship with Durham progresses, and specially after Marid‘s awakening, he gets more confidence and isn’t afraid that speaking his mind will lead to some sort of punishment. What Laurent lacks in self esteem, he easily makes up for in inner strength. Apart from those years he lived with Aisha, there was never anyone to catch him when he fell; life forced him to pick himself back up and keep going when times were hard.
He is brave but not reckless, very patient, and stubborn. He doesn’t like to ask for help or lean on others, but sometimes it becomes inevitable. He is very clever, despite his scarce education, making him able to use his own street smarts for defense and survival. Laurent rarely ever acts in his own interest, is not vengeful, and hates to use his powers for anything malicious. As stated, he’s not confrontational, but when Laurent gets angry he doesn't scream and yell. Quite the opposite: he keeps his voice level, albeit with a certain amount of frustration, and gives valid arguments as to why you're in the wrong. By the time he’s done people are usually wishing that he had just punched them instead. More often than not, he wins an argument thanks to his intelligence and sharp wit. When Marid gets angry Laurent becomes violent and uses his powers, but that extremely rare. He forgives and forgets easily, and he isn't the type to hold a grudge for long.
He doesn't seem to notice his good looks - he’s not used to presents or praise and doesn’t know how to react to them. They never slept together, but Aisha taught him all he needed to know about how to satisfy his possible partner, male or female, and sex has no secrets for him. He is confident in that aspect, but he knows absolutely nothing about romance and the smallest bit of affection confuses him and make him blush. Laurent isn’t very interested in sex because he was abused since he was very young and sees it as something purely physical that has no emotional attachment or lasting effect. Lilith and Durham tried to explain to him the difference between lust and love, while Adam avoided talking to Laurent about this as much as he could because it embarrassed him. Ironically enough, it’s because Adam avoids the subject that Laurent feels more comfortable talking to him and asking him more questions than anybody else.
He often practices the dance routines he learned from Aisha, or new ones that he comes up with, as a way to remember her. Laurent has a soft spot for children, and wants to have some one day. He’s very fond of small fluffy animals like rabbits and that’s why he likes Hunter’s puppy form the most.
His greatest fear consists of being enslaved again or confined. Thanks to Adam and the others, he learned that he has the right to be treated like an equal and not just an object, and now longs for freedom for the other members of his race. Laurent’s also terrified of the sea due to the traumatic experience he lived when he was slaved. He saw many people die during the travel; the storms and bad weather nearly crushed the ship they were on, they were herded together without adequate space, ventilation, or sanitary conditions, and they had to endure both the horrible crowding and the harassment of the guards. Because of all this, Laurent developed claustrophobia and deep fear of drowning close to aquaphobia. Guards and people related to the law (who aren't Knights and thus don't serve a code) scare him due to bad past experiences involving them and he will avoid them at all costs.
Laurent has a sense of humor, but he's rarely seen laughing out loud or telling funny stories. One of the reason of that is that he's also very literal; Colloquial expressions (such as: 'You are so cute I could eat you', 'It's so fluffy I'm going to die', or 'I'm going to wax the floor with your ass'...) confuse him a lot because he takes them in the most literal sense possible.
Especially after Adam and Lilith's influence he starts to open up and becomes less concerned about speaking his mind. He often speaks more freely around children and those who aren't human, no matter if their species (vampire, werewolf, god...) could be considered more dangerous than humans itself. He is, however, very blunt while talking about his life. Because his friends insisted that he should stop bottling things up and he's free to speak his mind, he often delivers news or information about his traumatic experiences in a very eerie way, like all that happened to someone else and didn’t affect him that much. The facade crumbles eventually, and he suffers from a breakdown that finally ends with Laurent facing his demons, but it takes time to really notice the deep psychological effects of his traumatic past.
About his abilities/powers : Sometimes, his shadow acts on his own or doesn’t always follow Laurent’s movements. It started after Aisha’s death, when Laurent showed the first signs of his powers. During one of his journeys with Adam and the others, the shadow spread wings and appeared to have glowing eyes. Laurent didn’t notice that happening, but the wolves that were about to attack the boy ran away when they felt Marid’s powers in him.
He was taught to serve since he was a kid, and can cook really well. He's used to cleaning, doing chores and fixing things without expecting any sort of gratitude and is really surprised when people actually thank him for anything. He can dance with very fluid and elegant movements, and also plays different instruments. However, he’s very bad at singing.
When he’s in Marid’s full form he can use his wings to either fly or attack people with them. They are very light but at the same time can cut like blades if he wants them to do that. Being a water djinn, he has the ability to manipulate liquids and the weather, but rarely does so because Laurent is afraid of water. He needs to be out of control or really pissed off to use them.
He's incredibly flexible and agile and heals quickly but he can still be hurt and killed. He also has super strength, being able to summon and hold a lighting scythe that is usually his weapon of choice when he fights. The explanation for that hammerspace is that he's summoning them from the gods realm, as Laurent is able to open portals between the real of the Gods and the Human world.
