Altious Khaza Eeris

"The Green Bull of Theiros"

"The Green Bull of Theiros" Altious Khaza Eeris (a.k.a. "Green" or "Al")

The "Green Bull of Theiros" began his life as a slave belonging to the game wardens of Theiros. He was raised from birth to be a disposable "opponent" for the colosseum fighting pits, where he'd be thrown in as a target for other gladiators and Minotaurs to destroy.
Theiros is known to search the woods of the Verdant Forest, in order to acquire (steal) newborn fortreal to raise as blade fodder for their champions. Unlike most of the civilized world, the average Theirosian does not see the plant-folk as intelligent, let alone sentient, beings.
YOUTH
Altious essentially grew up in the arena, and he didn't see anything beyond the colosseum and its holding pens for nearly the first seventy years of his life. Most fortreal are simply used as "training posts" for young warriors to practice upon. Very few make it past this phase in order to see actual arena combat, however Altious was different. In his youth, he wasn't even afforded a name, as he was simply referred to by a number. Even that kept changing. He began as "Number 42," but as he continued to survive while others of his kind fell, he moved up in number.
Eventually, he made it to "Number Ten," which qualified him to actually compete before a live audience. It was fully expected for Altious to fall in his first battle. Fortreal aren't given any arms or even armor to defend themselves. They are basically the pre-show before the main event. But "Number Ten" continued to surprise them all. He not only survived his initial battles, he always downed his opponents. Though it is customary to slay your fallen opponent in the ring, the young fortreal refused to take any life, resorting to merely trouncing his "enemy" to the point where the other gladiator had to be carried away on a litter.
This pattern continued until patrons of the arena began to remember the strange fortreal who always won... and always showed mercy. Around the time when Altious became "Number One" amongst his captive brothers, he also began to take on the physical characteristics of a minotaur. His size and body shape began to match theirs.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been destroyed on the spot for this racial "sacrilege," but he was becoming popular. Popular enough that patrons would show up to the fights just to see "Number One" in action. The game wardens soon saw the potential behind their slave, even rebranding him with the nickname "The Green Bull." He was a money maker that kept on giving. And from the lesser arenas within the city, he suddenly began to move up to the majors.
His field of honor, the place where The Green Bull truly made his name, was Kanarast Colosseum. At the time, Kanarast was the most prestigious of all the fighting pits in Theiros. People lined up for blocks to gain admittance to even the "cheap" seats, and those alone went for a ridiculous price. Kanarast is where foreign dignitaries went when they wanted to get the full Theirosian experience.
And so it came that eventually the collective game wardens no longer wished to share their unexpected prize (and his winnings) amongst themselves, and the Green Bull was put up for auction. In return they would each gain an even share of his asking price. This led to a minimum bid that few could afford. But a few heroes had just returned from war, and with it they brought their spoils.
Amongst the returning war champions was a minotaur general named Tanalath Eeris. A former "Ivory Tip" (the honor guard of Theiros), Tanalath returned from war a very wealthy minotaur. He had been following The Green Bull's exploits from afar, and quickly decided to bid on the captive fortreal. After some heated back-and-forth, Tanalath won his latest prize. The Green Bull suddenly had a new master.
A SECOND LIFE
Almost immediately after his purchase, Tanalath removed the Green Bull from the fighting pits, thus ending the gladiatorial career of the most successful fortreal to ever enter the arena. On the same day, Tanalath retired from the Theirosian army. His dream was to sail the world, and along with Altious, he purchased a small ship. By this time, the young fortreal was in his adolescence and his wanderlust was beginning to manifest in full. Tanalath saw this in his youthful charge. He took it upon himself to study the ways and lore of the fortreal. And then he gave the Green Bull the greatest, and only, gift he'd ever received to that point. He gave him his freedom.
Tanalath asked the Bull if he'd like to travel with him across the sea. If he'd like to learn first-hand about other cultures and the ways of the world. The Green Bull instantly accepted. It didn't take long for the two of them to establish themselves as a family, with Tanalath taking on the role of mentor and "father" to the fortreal. In his new capacity as ward, Tanalath gave the Green Bull a second gift. He gave him a name.
So, the Green Bull of Theiros became ltious Khaza Eeris. Khaza for the great gladiator of legend, who also refused to slay an opponent, and Eeris because the aging minotaur saw Altious as the son he never had.
EARLY ADULTHOOD
For years, the duo traversed the World Sea, and Tanalath made good on his promise to show Altious the world. Their crew came and went, but the two of them were always a constant. In time, Altious found a true love of his own choosing... the sea. And it was a love for which he showed quite a degree of prowess, fully taking on the role of first mate to Tanalath's captain. He grew in many other ways as well. As they ported in various learned citites, Altious himself acquired a significant, if informal, education. In particular, he took to the language arts exceptionally well, and even today he can speak over six languages fluently.
In the course of time, as Altious moved past the long period of fortreal adolescence, Tanalath began to show signs of wear. The war champion's many years and battles finally took their toll. He decided to settle down in his venerable years in the pirate cove of The Serpent's Teeth, specifically in the city of Freeport. Altious joined him in this brief reprieve from the sea. Though at the time, he had no idea how brief his stay in the notorious city would be.
Unfortunately, after just four short years of land-locked retirement, Tanalath succumbed to age. Altious gave him a burial at sea and continued to command his ship as a testament to his mentor's life. The ship was named "The Cannon Fodder," as was the tradition with many sea captains to name their vessels disparagingly (see Superstitions of the Sea for more information).
ON HIS OWN...
Altious spent the next several years captaining the Cannon Fodder; taking the ship on all variety of runs, some more legal than others. He found it difficult to gain "legitimate" work as a sea captain, as his species is neither much understood, nor known for their nautical skill. He was forced to take work where he could get it, and often this work came from the criminal underworld.
It was around this time that he fell in with a particular syndicate, quickly growing in notoriety... The Chuul. Not being much of s schemer or a criminal himself, Altious soon lost his ship to the Chuul. They forced him into several terrible contracts, ostensibly in order for him to "earn back" his father's ship.
One of these contracts, in fact the final one, brought Altious into the orbit of Dreeva Vaeless and his ship, "The Chop." The exploits of that mission are detailed under the entry for Dreeva (linked above). Long story short, they realized they were simply being used as bait in the Chuul's attempt to destroy a rival gang (an attempt that would have destroyed the Chop and everyone aboard), and through an ingenious (if mad) last minute plan, they managed to slip away from their employers... along with their ship.
Shortly after the liberation of "The Chop" from right under the nose of The Chuul, Altious and his remaining minotaur crew (essentially three aging hold-overs from his father's command), along with their umber hulk companion, Bloregothe, decided to stick with Vaelss in an attempt to enter the legitimate world of sea travel and commerce, along the Inner Sea.
Altious desires to one day reclaim his father's vessel from the Chuul, but until then, he's content acting as the first mate to Vaeless on the Chop, now renamed "The Doubtful." His newly adopted family, its crew.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Altious is quite strong and poses a looming figure over most he encounters. Even for one of the "greater" fortreal, he is considered exceptionally strong.

Body Features

Green "fur" over brown bark. Altious' floral "archetype" seems to be some sort of mossy (deciduous) tree, indigenous to the Verdant Forest.

Facial Features

Altious' face resembles a simplified version of an average minotaur. His features are slightly more pronounced, but the details are smoothed over. He has no wrinkles or "worry lines."

Special abilities

Altious has all the standard racial abilities inherent to most fortreal.

Apparel & Accessories

Though unnecessary, Altious chooses to wear clothes, and is a bit of a fashionista. His style of choice could be called something like "sailor chic." He's always trying to outdo Dreeva in the fashion department. Altious is particularly fond of stripes.

Specialized Equipment

Though typically unarmed, when necessary, Altious' weapon of choice is the hand axe.

Mental characteristics

Gender Identity

Though fortreal are typically asexual in nature, Altious identifies as male. Perhaps this is due to the male-centric nature of the fighting pits he grew up amidst.

Education

Altious was trained in the basic art of combat since he was but a sapling. He practiced in the fighting pits of Theiros for many years, practically his entire youth. Though taught the Common Tongue so that he could discern and obey commands, Altious did not learn to read or write until later in life, when he was exposed to other cultures via the World Sea.

Employment

Altious is first mate aboard "The Doubtful," a fast brig that operates out of Angleport and Varuumae Corona, traversing the Inner Sea. His business is moving passengers and cargo between those two points, "no questions asked."

Accomplishments & Achievements

Altious earned his original name, "The Green Bull of Theiros" in the arena. He was the only member of his species to survive the bitter trials of the colosseum game masters. Beyond that, he was the only fortreal to eventually earn his freedom. From there, he set about mastering the sea.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

To become the "man" he knows his father would be proud of. To reclaim his familial heritage, in the form of his father's ship... currently lost to the Chuul.

Likes & Dislikes

Since he can only read works converted for the blind or those "blessed" with blindsight, Altious has become rather fond of the spoken word stories of the great bards. He loves theater in all its forms. He constantly attempts to appreciate music, but he doesn't have much of an ear for it. This trait alone makes him an outlier amongst other fortreal, who generally have an affinity for music.

Vices & Personality flaws

If there's a vice Altious has in spades, it a love of gambling. This is something he picked up from his adopted sea family... Dreeva Vaeless, in particular.

Hygiene

Though relatively unnecessary, Altious is extremely fastidious when it comes to his own upkeep and appearance. Perhaps it's vanity. Or perhaps its a fear of putting other people off. People who do not known much about his bizarre species.

Social

Family Ties

Altious has never encountered any biological relatives, and probably wouldn't even know how to recognize them if he did. He is extremely loyal to his adoptive family. Both the memory of his lost father as well as the brothers and sisters aboard "The Doubtful."

Religious Views

Altious shares Dreeva Vaeless' belief that the gods are not necessarily the progenitors of "man." He's not officially a member of The Augurs of Will, but he appreciates their point of view.

Social Aptitude

Altious is very personable. He takes after many of his species and is quite fond of meeting new people. He loves to laugh, though he has a rather odd sense of humor. Often, he's the only one laughing (quite loudly) at a given situation.

Speech

Gentle, calm and well spoken. His words are typically quite soothing to the ear.

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Location

Angleport

Species

Fortreal

Year of Birth

1286 A.W. 156 Years old

Circumstances of Birth

Born in the Verdant Forest to an unknown fortreal parent.

Birthplace

The Verdant Forest, Golthien

Current Residence

Angleport (and occasionally Varuumae Corona)

Gender

Asexual but identifies as male.

Eyes

Black, and purely ornamental.

Hair

Altious' body is covered by a patina of green moss and leaves, giving the illusion of a fur coat.

Height

6'11"

Weight

310 lbs

Aligned Organization

The Augurs of Will

Known Languages

Common, Fortreal, Elvish, Fey, Goblinoid, Infernal.