Ordinos Gelidavir, the Whale Sage
"Don't you see the Aether cycle is breaking because we are overhunting sky whales? We have to change our ways before it's too late."--Ordinos Gelidavir
At the ship's bow, a human leaned so far over that it looked like he would fall overboard at any moment. The wind whipped the man's raven hair around his face. The group watched for a moment. After a few moments, it became apparent that he hadn't noticed the newcomers. So, Dan-Tu broke the silence. "Hello Fellow Traveller," He called out. As the man laboriously turned to face the group, they saw for the first time that he used a pair of steel crutches to stand. He smiled cheerfully despite the difficulty.
"Salutations!" He beamed. "My name is Ordinos Gelidavir or some call me the Whale Sage. I'm glad to see some new faces." Easily compensating for the ship's rocking, he hobbled over to them. His spindly legs dragged awkwardly after him. Every fifth or sixth step one of them would jerk forward only to return to its lifeless state.
Taking Erashaka by the shoulders, the young man brashly kissed both of her cheeks. Fenet stuck his hand out almost hitting the younger man in the stomach. Enthusiastically, he shook the offered hand as well as Shameto's. Dan-Tu embraced the man. "Where do you hail from, my good man"
"Oh you noticed my outfit," He said gesturing to the knee-length Kaftan with intricate Naga embroidery. "I'm a sage. I already said that. I've spent quite a bit of time among the Naga. I guess I have gone a bit native. And what about you? You seem a strange group to be traveling together?"
Such was our heroes' first meeting with Ordinos
Physical Description
Body Features
The most noticeable characteristic is that Ordinos's legs are mostly paralyzed. He has partial control of his hips. Below that, the muscles are contracted making his legs look gnarled. He wears braces made of leather and steel and uses steel crutches. While not obvious, his legs stopped growing when he was 13. Otherwise, he is slender. This is usually disguised by the Kaftans he prefers.
Facial Features
The second most noticeable thing about him is his enthusiastic smile. It starts at his eyebrows and continues through his entire face. Very rarely is it missing. When it is, it is as if the room has gotten darker.
Apparel & Accessories
After spending time with the Naga, he has become a fan of their loose-fitting garb. He has several Kaftans they made with intricate embroidery. Since he has two legs unlike Naga, he wears trousers and boots.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Ordinos had a normal childhood. Born a decade after his siblings, his mother doted on him. He responded by becoming a kind, warm child who did his best to please her. Since she was an avid fan of parkour, he started training in it and became quite accomplished. He even won a few competitions. In school, he studied math, geography, and other skills that he might need to follow his father as a successful merchant.
Just before he would have started apprenticing he fell ill. It was just a fever at first, but by the end of the day, his entire body up to his neck was paralyzed. Not having any idea of what was affecting him, the doctors feared his breathing would stop. Slowly after two weeks, the paralysis lifted. It took nearly a year before he could take care of himself. Unfortunately, he never regained the ability to control his legs fully. This never dampened his spirits. In fact, he comforted his distraught mother and not the other way around.
Some of the many doctors who visited him believed the illness might be an over-accumulation of Shade Aether or perhaps his Bright Aether had been drained somehow. Ordinos studied Aether, magic, the planes, and anything else related during his long illness. His mother encouraged this new passion. By the time he was well enough, Ordinos had garnered so much magical knowledge the Nova Clan University of Magical Arts in Deepwell offered him a scholarship which he took gladly.
As his doctoral thesis, Ordinos demonstrated that the sky whales played an important part in the Aether cycle. The idea was too radical for the more established sages to accept. So Ordinos set out to prove that he was right. The more he studied the more convinced he was that the whales needed to be protected. While researching, he made friends with the Naga, Lutra, and others trying to fight large-scale whaling.
Intellectual Characteristics
Ordinos is smart: very smart. He grasps concepts readily especially when it comes to magic. Unfortunately, he isn't good at hiding it. Perhaps if he was, the older sages would have been more open to his thesis.
Morality & Philosophy
Ordinos is generally a kind-hearted person. He values cooperation and negotiation over conflict. When someone has ideas or values radically different from his own, he tries to see their side. He would rather forgive someone than hold a grudge. Even so, he isn't a pushover.
He believes that harming someone is wrong though sometimes you do have to pick what will do the least harm. He avoids killing, stealing, fighting, and cruelty to animals. Because of his research, he has developed a sense that the world needs balance and that Folk must avoid ruining nature's attempts to create that balance.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
While there are many factors, his main motivations for saving the whales are twofold. The first is in doing so he may heal himself. Second He wants to be vindicated against the sages who tore apart his thesis. In most things, he still wants to make his mother happy. He would have a great deal of trouble deciding what to do if she withdrew her support for his quest.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
He catches on to things quickly and remembers details well. He is good at explaining complicated ideas in a way that ordinary people can understand. By putting himself in another person's place, he can usually find common ground. He can entertain himself and be alone for extended periods.
He can't hide his intelligence. He has trouble holding back his enthusiasm and easily overwhelms people. Getting caught up in what he is talking about, he forgets to be diplomatic. He has trouble reading the emotional climate of the room.
Likes & Dislikes
He likes people and tries to make everyone his friend. He hates losing people and can't admit that someone is no longer his friend. New cultures and new people exite him.
He likes the color green especially paired with gold or yellow. He will try any food but especially likes sweets. (How he stays thin is a wonder.) He doesn't like neutral colors. And unless his mother is around, he avoids eating his vegetables if it won't insult the host.
Of course his favorite topic of conversation is the whales. He can talk endlessly about them. Beyond that he likes to hear about where people are from and where they are travelling to. He likes to learn about new customs and lore. He will quickly change the subject if something unhappy comes up. He doesn't discuss his disability.
Social
Contacts & Relations
He is friends with the Winter Home Naga clans and one of the Blackstone Keep Clans. Since he relies on terrestrial ships for transportation, he knows many merchant captains and their crews. Surprisingly, he has friends among the whalers. His enthusiastic personality is hard to resist regardless of his views.
Family Ties
Ordinos's father was absent much of his childhood, so He doesn't really know the man and his father is mostly apathetic towards him.
On the other hand, his relationship with his mother is much better. Recognizing how much she did for him when he was sick, he tries to show her how much he appreciates her aid. She became determined to do everything she could for him. Now she does that by encouraging his passion and bankrolling his research.
Ordinos loves his siblings but doesn't have much of a bond with them. He is much closer with his nieces and nephews. His brother likes him being uninterested in the family business. One sister finds him a bit of an embarrassment and the other holds a romantic notion he will meet a girl who will get him to settle down.
Hobbies & Pets
He has a pet Terrock glass frog named Derrick, a Humanization of the Naga word for gift. It was given to him by the Naga to thank him for his work with the sky whales. Glass frogs are usually only given to prestigious outsiders. He is very proud of Derrick and dotes on him like a son. (There is a very good chance Derrick is female)
Wealth & Financial state
His father is a wealthy merchant. This allows his doting mother to support her son. While he doesn't have a bottomless bank account, he lives comfortably.
Current Status
Traveling the Sky Sea gathering more data
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Naga have given him the title of Savanis meaning something like hero or knight/ Sir. Affectionately, they call him in their language "Sir Whale Sage"
Age
25
Date of Birth
Septimus 29, 488
Circumstances of Birth
Last chance child, big gap between him and siblings
Birthplace
White Market
Children
Current Residence
None
Pronouns
He, His
Sex
Male
Gender
Male
Presentation
non-human masculine
Eyes
Slate blue-gray, bright, always looking around/ noticing details
Hair
Shiney black, very straight, combed back into a silver clasp
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deep umber
Height
5'10" if he stood straight up
Weight
130 lbs, thin especially his legs
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