Eik

Eik, formerly known as Eikahe Steelsunder, is a recent addition to the Fang Warband and Blade Company as a whole.

Appearance
Standing at a height of 7'10 and nearly always adorned in heavy plate armor, the large Charr is definitely a sight to behold whenever he is in public or otherwise. The overweight, bulky male sports a distended dome of a belly along with the musculature of one who has seen many battles in his lifetime, giving him a glutted and padded appearance. Carrying a visible air of aging and wisdom about him, it definitely shows in Eik's alert green eyes, squared jaw, yellowed fangs and the tuft of a grey-white beard framing his chin. His horns are long and curve backwards, grooved and pointed and while he has no piercings on any of his ears, he has an old golden nosering which dangles from his snout.

On his right gauntlet lies a large Healing Signet which is bound by two intersecting chains, locking the medallion in place.

Personality
Silent, stoic and calculative, Eik has shown to have a smart head on his shoulders despite how little time he has spent with the Blade Company. The heavyset Charr is blunt and concise, generally providing short answers to most questions he is asked. This, coupled along with his seemingly unwavering neutrality that floods from his gruff tone, gives him an intensely formal image which only seems to amplify even further when standing before someone of importance within the Company.

Whenever spending time around others, Eik is generally at a distance, remaining silent, thoughtful and watchful of those in his company. He has a tendency to cross his arms atop his plated belly and tap his claws along the plating when lost in thought or when speaking with others, often raising his paw to cup his chin or adjust his mane. Lately, though, he's been making attempts to join the Company, managing to speak more freely and more casually with strangers and even revealing a softer, more fatherly demeanor.

When speaking directly to another, depending on the person, the older Charr has begun to speak in a more tender, natural manner, showing a level of care, compassion and connection with those he now calls family.

Past
29 years ago, Eikahe Steelsunder was the tactician and Brevet of the Sunder Warband, serving under Kulas Sawsunder. While scouting a series of roads through the Diessa Plateau, a younger Charr by the name of Razaeus happened across the group and asked for aid in returning to the Citadel safely. Sunder oblidged and guided the male back to safety, clearing the roads of Flame Legion and Separtists to ensure no harm came to the smaller Charr.

Upon returning back to the Citadel, Razaeus revealed himself to be a Gladium, his Warband having recently been wiped out by Separtists only a few days back. The rest of Sunder believed his words to be truthful, however, Eikahe noticed discrepancies in his story that led him to remain skeptical of his true intentions. Kulas openly welcomed him, however, despite the tactician's concerns.

Over the next few months, Eik began to notice each of his brethren grow more and more attached to Razaeus, and while one would normally surmise that he was simply growing on him, the process was far too systematic and far too convenient for him to simply ignore. One by one, they grew fonder and fonder of him while the younger Charr's attempts to sway Eik remained unfruitful. Every time he tried, a different side of Razaeus would emerge - one of smugness and pride, often telling the (once rather lithe) Charr to lighten up and finally accept him as family.

One year passed, and the Warband had accepted Razaeus as their own save for Eikahe himself. It was during that point when Sunder had been ordered to put pressure on encroaching Flame Legion forces and keep them from reaching smaller settlements closer to home. Kulas directed the Warband to prepare and head off, ready for a series of challenging battles down the line.

Those challenges never came. Time and time again, they would enter battle and emerge unscathed, unharmed, with not a single piece of fur out of place. The Flame Legion's front line practically stepped forward and waited to be slaughtered, and while this provoked feelings of invincibility and sheer pride in his fellow soldiers, Eik couldn't help but be overwhelmed with a sense of impending danger. Something was definitely wrong, as optimistic as it would be to accept their victories as a testament of Sunder's prowess.

Any attempt to speak to Kulas fell on deaf ears, by this point. He regarded everything his tactician said as plain paranoia, referencing Razaeus frequently during shouting matches with his Brevet. After a certain point, Kulas finally got tired of Eikahe's constant 'ignorance' and demoted him, stripping him of his title and rank. Time passed, the flawless battles continued, and that's when Razaeus planted the thought that they could press further into Flame territory. Eik tried one last time to resist but the Legionnaire demanded they march on.

Reaching a temporary Flame base, they charged in with abandon and suddenly found themselves completely surrounded and outnumbered. Unable to fight so many, they were about to rely on Razaeus' abilities to pull them through when they realized that he had vanished on them. Before any of them knew it, the Charr returned and impaled Kulas through the chest with a burning lance.

The Legionnaire was dead, Sunder was surrounded, and there was virtually no chance of escape. Razaeus stepped forward and offered an ultimatum to the beleaguered Charr - surrender to the Flame or be tortured and slain mercilessly. It was clear that the rest of the Warband had been under Razaeus' sway for over a year, revealing him as an abnormally powerful Mesmer yet Eik was the only one that wasn't affected by his grip. He refused.

Completely surrounded, the Charr used all of his wit and ability, finding a means to escape with his strengths as a tactician and warrior - cleverly, he allowed himself to be taken into the base, managing to slip through the cuffs by dislocating his paw and relocating it once it had been freed and concealing himself as a Shaman by setting the lower portion of their robe on fire. Escaping alone, he eventually returned to the Citadel only to be marked as a Gladium and a coward.

As time passed, what honor and dignity Eikahe held was stripped from his name despite his efforts to prove his innocence. Sunder quickly grew infamous as a traitor's Warband, forcing him into secrecy. With everything taken away from him, he began to blame himself for what happened to Sunder and Kulas, accepting that his life would end with him slowly decaying in the Gladium Canton alone, less than trash.

It wasn't until he ran into the Blade Company that he would be given a second chance at life, a chance to have a new family, and a chance to clear his name once and for all.

Recent
Since joining the Blade Company, Eik has grown considerably as a Charr. Despite troubles to reach out and accept that he could be anything more than a waste of space, it wasn't until Razaeus' reappearance and his subsequent rescuing that Eik finally realized his current position. Finally accepting the Company as his family, he has begun to show his true colors as a warm, tender, loving Charr, especially to those who had been pushing him the most to open up.

Eik has replaced his old, rusted gear, evident of his transcension from the past into the present. However, Razaeus appears to have plans for the older Charr, including his attempted capture and the near completion of a mental link between himself and the warrior. At this point, Eikahe believes that in order to secure his future and finally be free, the Mesmer must die.

Considering his strength to be that of a 'monster', the older Charr knows that the longer he's allowed to live, the more possible damage he can cause to him and everyone around him.

Strengths
Eik holds claim to an impeccable aim as a sharpshooter and shows incredible dexterity when it comes to his skills as a fighter. Despite his prowess with a rifle, he is also a formidable swordsman, able to hold his own well in most battles. His down-to-earth, logical mindset only serves to strengthen his combat through constant, careful calculations and well timed reactions.

Weaknesses
The large Charr is magically inept, holding no claim to any sorts of energies or powers beyond wit alone. Even though he can move relatively quickly for a male of his size and weight, Eik is definitely slower than other fighters of the same caliber.