APPEARANCE

 

Jarek is a dark skinned foreigner to those of the Eastern Heartlands.  His garb is the flowing robes of the people of Thesk. He wears these steppeland robes over his black studded leather armor.  He wears loose pants and shirts, tightly wrapped near his wrists and boots.  He wears a small conical helmet with cloth draping over the back of his neck.  A cloth veil is affixed to the helm, waiting to be pulled up when Jarek enters combat.  Jarek is very handsome with a strong prominent nose and a slender muscular build.  His jet black hair is long and curly.  Several ritualistic tattoos adorn his body.

 

He likes to travel light and carries his essential equipment in large belt pouches which can be securely tied against his body.  Speed and agility are paramount in his fighting style.  His two short swords are the Dakkas and Kittar - curved, slashing, single edged weapons ideally suited for close quarters combat.  They each have a small ring connected near the hilt which the index finger fits into - this allows the blades to be twirled during combat or exhibitions.  They have extra-long hilts and can be used two handed if necessary.

 

CHARACTER SYNOPSIS

 

Jarek is a young Paladin from the lands of Thesk and reveres Torm the True - Lord of Duty and Honor.  He belongs to an Order of Paladins who follows the teachings of Kora B'al, one of the greatest heroes and Paladins of Thesk's long history.  Jarek entered into the Order during his adolescence and spent most of his young life at the temple learning the religious ways of Torm and the martial arts of Kora B'al.  Now he has set out to spread the word of Torm throughout the land, battling evil and increasing his honor.  After witnessing the great battle against the Tuigan Horde, he has decided to head west and learn more about the peoples of Azoun the Great and the Eastern Heartlands.

 

Jarek is strong of mind and body - his reflexes, agility and martial abilities are a finely honed tool.  He practices with his weapons daily and steadfastly studies and follows the teachings of his religious Order.  He is articulate, well read and knowledgeable about religion and history.  He enjoys a respected position among the common people of Thesk, but he truly is a down to earth, honest, hardworking person with a strong personal ethic.

 

Jarek has a strong moral core.  He believes that good must always triumph over evil.  Evil was put on Toril by the gods to test the hearts and spirits of its people and a person must be vigilant in the eyes of his gods to overcome these worldly plights and temptations.  As a Paladin, he feels strongly that it is his duty to protect the innocent and help people to understand the path to goodness and righteousness that the gods of the pantheon expect.  He feels that chaos leads people down a dark path to evil and he has a great respect for law and authority.  This is not a blind faith in the law of any land, but on laws which are good and just - laws which serve to protect and give prosperity to the common man.  He will stand up against unjust laws and regimes.

 

Jarek is still young and has much to learn about the ways of the world and this is what he finds exciting about exploring new lands and meeting new peoples.  He is open minded, tolerant and willing to try anything once.  He loves good drink and good company, and loves the challenge of an attractive woman.  He is quite good looking in a dark, exotic way with a strong jawline, prominent Theskan nose, and fine chiseled features.  Many women find him irresistible and mysterious.  In Thesk, a man’s prowess with women is just as important as their martial prowess as a sign of manhood and virility.  Jarek looks forward to having many wives and many children as he grows older.

 

Jarek chose to leave his homeland to search for adventure and excitement in service to his god.  There are many new lands to the west which he only knows about through reading and lore.  There are strange peoples with strange customs; great evils and lawless lands which must be defeated and tamed; and great riches to be claimed by the bold who can rise to the challenge.  This is what drives him to adventure.  As he gains wealth, he will ship his treasure home to Thesk to be given to his family and (10%) to his temple - keeping only what he needs to survive.  He lives a simple life and enjoys the company of common people more than nobility and politicians.

 

Jarek comes from a common background and a middle class family.  He is the son of his father's (Suman T'Karri) third wife (T'Chal).  He has eleven brothers and sisters.  His father is a talented craftsman (Potter) in the village of Tomal, in eastern Thesk.  Jarek was expected to follow in his older brother, Daman's, footsteps and join the Kora B'al Order and did so upon his twelfth birthday.  Suman is an honored and respected man in Tomal and Jarek is careful to uphold the honor of his family.  Jarek is already betrothed to an attractive young (15 years old) woman named Jiann and will be married to her upon his return to Thesk.  Jiann is the daughter of a wealthy village council member of Tomal and will bring greater honor to the T'Karri family and much wealth in dowry.