Barak Daas - Common Knowledge Character record

[Barak Daas]

Barak Daas – Character Record

Family

Barak was born on 26th Nolus 700, in the house of Ahnu the fire dragon, to an unguilded fishing family, a distant relation (to the fourth generation) of Cunate Daas. He was the second of six children. When his father died, his mother remarried, but Barak proved to be unpopular with his step-father.

Physical

Barak grew up to be a tallish man, a few widths less than six feet tall, weighing over a hundredweight and a half. He has fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Attributes

Barak was very strong as a youth, able to arm wrestle with Kugald, the weaponsmith’s apprentice, and often win. Though he dosn’t often show off his strength, when needed he can perform superhuman feats. He may be a little heavier than average. It is all muscle. Though not quite as fit as Kugald, Barak has a good constitution and is able to endure a lot of physical punishment without becoming fatigued. This has been honed by years of trekking and climbing in the wilderness, and long chases after game animals.

Barak has excellent balance, is very lithe being able to easily leap and tumble. He enjoyed competing in the annual games, sometimes even winning the long jump and frequently coming second or third in the running races, especially the sprints. He is nimble with his hands, able to use either hand as he sees fit. He is very precise and accurate with movement of his body, or his hands.

Barak has always been very wilful and stubborn; his independent nature is one of his most obvious characteristics that has lead him in to trouble with his step-familry as well as with the Daas Jarl. He has a better than average memory and is good at planning and long term thinking.

Barak has above average senses, his keen eyes, in particular, allowing him to spot game in the distance.

Skills

Barak is known as a hunter and woodsman. He is a skilled tracker, following game for miles on end, and his abilities to locate and stealthily approach game are adequate for the task. He is also skilled at finding berries, roots, herbs and other good things to eat in the wilderness. He is competent at surviving in the wilderness, making camps, erecting shelters, and fishing with line and hook in the local lakes and rivers. His abilities with camp fire cooking is not so great, adequate enough to keep him alive but not culinary art. His other weakness is in reading the weather, though again his skills have served him well and he is no beginner at the task.

Barak enjoys outdoor pursuits including taking part in the annual games. As well as running, he is a keen jumper being skilled at the art of landing on his feet after a long jump. Barak is equally skilled at the throwing events, being an able competitor of the horseshoe ringer games. He has show equal skill in accurately throwing stones to distract prey or unwelcome attention. He is proficient at climbing, having to regularly scale cliffs in search of food, or trees to get a good vantage point or escape predators.

Barak is not so strong in craft skills. He is a relative beginner in his main skills, that of making arrows, maintaining and repairing his weapons, and preparing hides and pelts for sale. He also has some skills in making and repairing boats and ships, though he is rated as a rank novice by Ulauf the shipwright. Despite his lack of experience here, he still gains respect amongst the river folk by being a competent net fisher of the rivers and fjords from a small boat, which he is as skilled at sailing.

Barak’s civilized skills are his greatest weakness, no one but his mother would describe him as anything but a beginner when it comes to his clumsy attempts at politics, winning a crowd over to his point of view, and expressing an attractive argument. His singing is fine in a group, but he would not be able to earn his feed as an entertainer in the meadhall.

Barak’s time in the militia also demonstrated his excellence in the skills of killing, whether of beasts or men. He is seldom caught unawares or surprised and his fast thinking and quick reactions means he is normally the first to move: he acts more like a combat veteran than the teenager he is. Thaldris, the captain of the Daas huscarls considered him to be a master of the spear and roundshield. Barak himself considers himself to be an excellent archer, an expert with the shortbow. His expertise with the haakapik (spiked hunting club) was remarked upon by experienced seal hunters. Barak is also proficient with the use of his hatchet and hunting knife in combat. He is also a skilled brawler able to hold his own when things get out of hand in the meadhall where he works. His experience with the militia has taught him the beginnings of first aid and the treatment of the sick, and he has also learned the shield devices of the local clans and big men, though he is only a beginner when it comes to finer art of heraldry.