Thanqol Learns 2 Draw: Every Step Is The First

[TheAmishPirate]

*swoops in through a window*

Is this the right one? I swear, if I got another warehouse full of thugs-oh, wait, there's art over there. Confirmed art, we've got the right thread.

To those of you who don't frequent the ponythread, I recently won a Theme Week from Thanqol. Basically, I pick a theme, he has to use that theme in his art for a week. So after mulling over ideas, I decided that, while interesting philosophical musings would no doubt turn out some interesting pictures, it just lacked that element of me-ness. Like, I wanted a bit more of myself in whatever theme I picked,

So! I decided on a different theme: Your theme is to draw my character from the year-long campaign I just finished.

Basic Information
Name: Ssalik Thurach
Sex: Male
Race: Kobold
Alignment: CN
Class: Sorceror/Shadowcaster

Visual Description

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Ssalik is short and wiry, even by Kobold standards, coming up to a whopping two feet in height. His scales are a mix of orange and rusty red-brown. On his chest is a branding of Draconic script, a brand he makes no active effort to hide. Several more burn marks sloppily connect points on the letters, in an attempt to make a fancy-looking design. To protect against the sunlight, he constantly wears a pair of Sundark Goggles; two blackened pieces of glass attached to a headband to make a crude set of sunglasses. In addition to giving him a nice charisma bonus, he's never seen without his cloak.

Ssalik came into possession of an artifact that he uses as his main weapon, and always has on his person. It is capable of opening doors, portals, even houses cleanly split and open up. Not to mention it can generate a portal between two locations. It even functions as a sword and a ranged weapon, shooting out beams of light at enemies. And, because my DM is a silly, silly lady, it happens to look like a key. So, basically, it's a Keyblade.

You're welcome to change its design, or you can try to get a design that fits the setting, or you may even decide to run with the silliness. I just supply the theme here, after all. Also, I don't expect you to write in Draconic on his chest, especially seeing how that language hasn't actually ever had a defined script.

Backstory

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Ssalik was born and raised a true Kobold. In his tribe, he was the trader between them and the nearby desert city. He took great pleasure in weaseling out great deals and scamming hapless stooges from the other races. When he showed talent for sorcery, his life was set. He’d grow to become a powerful sorcerer (one of the best, obviously), and bring his tribe to new heights of glory. He jumped at the chance to volunteer for a special Kobold ritual, one that would help a sorcerer get in touch with their draconic blood and improve their magics. Only, once he completed the ritual, instead of improving his arcane abilities, he gained a shadow magic spell. To say this did not go over well with the elders of the tribe was an understatement. Sorcery was their birthright, handed down to them from the dragons themselves, and this new magic was nothing short of blasphemy. Ssalik tried to argue that perhaps this magic could be used to help the tribe, but they would hear none of it. They branded him with the draconic words “Not of the dragon” and banished him in disgrace.

Now, to Ssalik, this was clearly a mistake. A temporary setback. He could fix this. But if this mark on his chest stayed, then other Kobolds might get the wrong idea. And he couldn’t have that. So, one night, when he had a good, hot campfire going, he took his pickaxe and added a few marks of his own. The next day, he was back on the road, heading out to find answers, and correct his tribe’s error.

Character Description

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Ssalik is a two-foot tall Kobold with an eight-foot tall ego. Difficulties are only minor setbacks, mistakes are things he hasn’t yet fixed, and he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. Though, being an excellent strategist (with a bit of a trickster streak), expert mage, and having an impeccable sense of style, a little insufferability is a small price to pay. He holds a near-fanatical devotion for his Kobold upbringing. He generally dislikes and distrusts other races, often refusing their aid and assistance. Those he’s forced to work with he has little patience for, often considering them bungling idiots until proven otherwise. Dragons are held in near-defic regard. The best way to get him to shut up is stick a dragon in a room; he’ll be too busy licking their boots to say much. And even in exile, he performs his tribe’s morning rituals without fail. The one thing he wants in the world is to be re-accepted by his tribe.

Further character musings

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Denial defines Ssalik. It’s his response to almost anything. He’s shown kindness? It’s not genuine, it’s all just a ploy. His plans fail? Just a minor setback, he’ll fix it. He never manages to get past that stage of emotion, no matter how bad things get. And, as corny as it sounds, deep down he just wants to be accepted. He wants his tribe to think he’s great, so he believes and acts like he’s great. He wants his tribe to see him as a good Kobold, so he makes sure to do Kobold-y things. Because he fears rejection, he pushes others away and puts on airs. But by pushing them away and always putting on acts, he never gets the acceptance he truly wants. An interesting little paradox.

The best way to get him to do something important is to have somebody else try to do it. When he sees them messing it up, he'll smack them out of the way and take the helm himself to do it "properly". His tolerance for failure is incredibly low.

And, for further material, I've typed up a bunch of stories from the campaign, as well as a description of the campaign world. They aren't my best writing, but they get the job done.

Story Time!

Hopefully, I aimed my boon precisely enough. We went through a lot of crazy stuff over the past year, he and I, so if you need more examples of certain traits, or if I just wasn't clear on something, let me know, there's probably a story for that. I just hope I made the character clear, I could write and re-write stuff for a week on this guy.