Post by nue on Oct 28, 2010 16:22:00 GMT -6
Name: Sammael
Age: Exact age unknown but in seems to be somewhere in his forties
Birthplace: Mossflower
Gender: Male
Species: Adder
Job/Position: Self Proclaimed Scholar and Lover of the Arts
Physical Description:
Age: Exact age unknown but in seems to be somewhere in his forties
Birthplace: Mossflower
Gender: Male
Species: Adder
Job/Position: Self Proclaimed Scholar and Lover of the Arts
Physical Description:
Sammael is a massive adder of great length. His coloring is typical for a serpent of his age, dusky browns and yellows with a black diamond pattern running down his back. His eye's are the rich bronze with a vertical pupil also typical of his species, and harbor the coldness and cunning associated with snakes. He moves with a silent grace, always with purpose and intent. Of note are his particularly long and prehensile tongue and tail, though they lack the finesse of paws.Belongings:
Sammael has a horde of treasures consisting of all manner of works of art. Paintings, tapestries, sculptures and more decorate his lair, which also houses an extensive library of old tomes and poetry ranging from great epics to simple children's rhymes.Personality:
Sammael likes to think himself sophisticated, having a love for the finer things in life. It's one of his greatest frustrations that he has such trouble handling books and other documents. He's a passionate lover of music, stories, poetry and other arts and makes it a habit not to eat those who craft such works. Vermin he holds in contempt simply for their tendency to be illiterate and unrefined, though any such creature that crosses his path is unlikely to find him tolerant.History:
For him, there is no greater crime than the destruction of arts and he goes out of his way to devour those that would damage them. Sammael's hordes such treasures, coveting and collecting them. He absolutely abhors seeing pieces in the hands of those that don't appreciate them and will go out of his way to "recover" items that he feels are not being shown due respect.
Beyond this however, Sammael is hardly different from any other adder. He's cold, he's cunning, and he has no compunctions about killing in and of itself. Indeed, perhaps his passion for the arts makes him an even more vicious killer than those of his species. Still, a snake still has to eat.
Strengths
Educated: Sammael has had no formal education as such, however he taught himself to read at a very
young age and has since devoured (metaphorically) any knowledge he's come across ranging from history to fiction, from logic puzzles to the occult to the mathematics and sciences, and most importantly, to the arts.
Physically Powerful: Sammael is a massive adder of immense strength. Were he so foolishly inclined he could wrestle a great pike of the River Moss into submission.
Natural Defenses: Sammael is covered in hardened scales that blend in with the surroundings of Mossflower Wood, though these are not hard enough to prevent a blade with enough force behind it, small daggers and claws will be turned away easily. Most importantly though is Sammaels lightning quick jaws and fangs full of lethal venom that burns like liquid fire and is death to all but the most hardy (or fortunate) of beasts. Notably absent though is the adders nearly legendary ability to hypnotize with their eyes. Perhaps old age or his love of reading have robbed him of this ability. Regardless, that he lacks this skill is not common knowledge. Not that the serpent isn't dangerous enough without this power.
Stealth: Despite his size Sammael is a graceful mover with natural camouflage and easily blends into his surroundings. Often times he will utilize this skill to simply sneak upon a beast and watch them...should he decide not to eat them.
Combat Prowess: The Mossflower Woods have become a dangerous place. Stealthy or not, Sammael has been forced to fight perhaps more often than is typical for a creature with the capacity to kill with a single bite. Sammael knows how to use his size, coils and fangs to greatest effect in combat.
Weaknesses
Vanity: Sammael thinks very highly of himself and is likely to underestimate other beasts. This is perhaps most easily seen in his tendency to allow those who are able to entertain him through some performance, demonstration of artistic skill, or stimulating conversation, to leave his presence alive. The serpent holds those with no understanding of the arts in contempt and has long since discarded the notion that there is somebeast bigger, stronger, or more cunning than he. An arrogance that will likely lead to his demise some day.
Size: Just as much a boon is his great size a detriment, preventing him from entering certain places among the other detriments of such great stature.
Age: Sammael is getting on in years and has long since left his prime behind. Still sharp and dangerous, perhaps in someways moreso than when he was young, time taxes all.
Empathy: Simply put, Sammael doesn't have it. Not really. He can appreciate the aesthetics of poetry and art, and in some ways relate to another beast through them. But Sammael is a snake, and ultimately too cold blooded to ever truly relate to a mammal an emotional level.
Love of the Arts: Sammaels love for the arts blinds him in many ways and he goes out of his way to protect and preserve them. The could very well be the reason he lives so close to Redwall Abby, both appreciating the place for what it represents and the history it's cultivated, and the resentment for those that had taken it over, despoiling it. He makes an effort not to feed upon the knew beasts that dwell there and treat it with more respect than its previous tenants, though he'll still eat one if it fails to suitably impress him and he's hungry.
When exactly Sammael was born or when he came to dwell in Mossflower is something of a mystery. Seasons ago however, a wandering minstrel known for his fantastic tales told one that was most peculiar. He told of singing by his campfire one evening only to discover that he was not alone. A great adder had curled up beside him. Rather than devouring him however, the snake ordered him to continue singing and that no harm would come to him. The minstrel continued to sing and true to his word, the serpent did not eat him.Code Words: -correct-
Most disregarded this as simply another tale of the story teller, that is until another minstrel turned up a season later with a remarkably similar story. And then another. Some time later a caravan transporting several commissioned works of art was waylaid by vermin highwaymen and slain. When those who were supposed to receive that goods in question investigated, they discovered the vermin camp some distance off, though none of the highwaymen were still alive. Several bodies remained, stabbed as though by a large pair of swords...or perhaps fangs. The victims were all discovered to have died painfully from poison rather than by the punctures themselves. All of the commissions had vanished, and the stories of Sammael were finally given some credence.
