Erskine Lyne [Walpurgis]

hellebee

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Created: 3 years, 1 month ago
Creator: hellebee
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Name Erskine Lyne

Race Selkie

Age 145

Gender Male (he/him)

Height 6'0"

Occupation Fisherman/Merchant

Phlegmatic ✦ Diligent ✦ Honest ✦ Blunt ✦ Taciturn ✦ Distrustful

Erskine presents himself as a calm and quiet creature, so much so that he shows very little emotion and will rarely speak more than absolutely necessary. He’s of the mindset that actions most often speak louder than words, and thus if something can be answered in 10 syllables, Erskine will answer in 5. He’s down to earth and works hard with little complaint.

He takes disappointments and hardships in stride, and it can be difficult to know exactly what he’s thinking or feeling. For him this is a good thing, as he prefers not to show what he perceives as weakness in being an open book - especially not with strangers. It’s difficult for him to build trust, and even if he’d never turn anyone away, he will hold them at arm's length until he’s positive they mean well (and won’t try to swipe his fur.) Still, honesty is his modus operandi, and while he may not share many inner thoughts, he will never lie about himself or his intentions.

Despite this reserved nature giving him an air of aloofness, Erskine is sympathetic and does care about others. But this isn’t always immediately clear, and his ways of expressing concern or fondness don’t always come across as caring. Erskine is incredibly blunt, to the point of refusing to mince words regardless if they’re hurtful or not. He doesn’t see a point in sugar coating things, believing that hard truths will always be more helpful in the long run. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for him to become the “mean old man” living alone on the water. He doesn’t mind, not overly concerned with others' opinions of him, but one might be surprised to learn he enjoys quiet company. He can be quite companionable when warmed up to.

I, the undersigned, hereby agree to follow the charter of walpurgis and all rules therein:

Magic

Finesse

Knowledge

Resolve

Talent

Area of Expertise

As a selkie, Erskine’s brand of magic is almost exclusively limited to shapeshifting. He can assume the form of a large seal by wrapping himself in his furred skin. The skin itself is a magical item that he has some influence over, and can adjust its shape and length as he sees fit. While technically being an aquatic fae, he possesses an inherent capacity for water based magic. This only plays a small part in his repertoire, as he’s never spent much time honing the ability.

Abilities

Pinniped Transformation: Like previously stated, Erskine can only transform provided he has his seal skin on hand. While in this form his physical strength increases, and he can move at high speeds through the water. Other benefits like enhanced senses and resistance to the cold carry over between forms. The skin is magically bound to him, and its effect won’t work on others.

Minor Healing: With the help of magic, Erskine can use water to soothe small wounds, potentially closing minor cuts or providing some pain relief. This skill is not practised very often, and a closed wound will always scar.

Limitations

Sealskin Coat: Erskine’s fur coat is intrinsically bound to him. He can only shapeshift and return to the sea provided he has the skin on hand, and it’s the source of most of his power. If the skin is stolen from him, he will gradually lose all magic ability and be at the mercy of whoever has taken it. For this reason, he’s rarely seen without it, but he may choose to hide it in one of several secret nooks hidden around his home. The skin will slowly regenerate itself if damaged, but if destroyed beyond repair, Erskine will waste away.

Call to Sea: Erskine gains life and strength from the ocean, and must have access to it in order to remain healthy or perform any feats of magic. It’s difficult for him to remain on dry land for too long, so he tends to take to the sea for several days at a time before returning.

Personal Lore

History

Early Life

Born into a small pod of selkie off the Newfoundland coast, Erskine and his parents lived alongside a handful of other couples and their children. Slowly migrating down the coast, they all helped to raise their children collectively, acting as a single large family despite not sharing blood. As a dreaded middle child, Erskine found it difficult to stand out amongst his crowd of siblings, and became fairly independent from a young age.

Erskine had a complicated relationship with his father that only worsened over time, sharing at least some unspoken mutual respect and care, but little affection. His mother Freja, however, he adored. Freja was known for being enamored with humans and would often greet children on the beaches in the guise of a seal. More rarely would she shed her skin and explore the seaside towns herself, to the chagrin of the rest of her clan. The fact she only seemed to do so when her husband was away led to whispers that she may have taken a human lover somewhere on the mainland. Erskine seethed at the accusations, but they were difficult to stifle when Freja one day disappeared onto land and never returned to the sea.

From young man to an adult, Erskine became increasingly distant from his siblings and relatives, before breaking off from the pod altogether and taking to solitary life for many years.

Moving to Walpurgis

Erskine came to hear of Walpurgis through the proverbial grape vine. He initially moved in with the faint hope that his mother may have found her way into the safe haven over the years, though the theory was put to rest shortly. Regardless, he decided to make Walpurgis his home away from home, at least for the time being. Afterall, if anyone might have encountered Freja over the years, a melting pot like this would be a good place to start inquiring.

He was still wary of the mainland, preferring to stick close by the water and hesitant to reach out to his new neighbors in spite of his goals, but he resolved to stay there until he had the means necessary to search for his mother and return her to the sea.

Present Day

Within the past several years, Erskine has gotten a job fishing off the shores and selling his hauls to the market in town - work he finds he enjoys and comes naturally to him. Every so often he’ll leave Walpurgis for days at a time, swimming out to call on what relatives still remain close by. They’re still family, and despite his estrangement, he does care for their wellbeing.

Race Lore

Selkie are an aquatic race whose appearances and customs vary from clan to clan as broadly as the breeds of a pinniped. As a general rule of thumb, a selkie will swim through the water as a seal, shedding its furred skin to reveal its human appearance in order to walk the dry land. Most selkie have some manner of bond with their fur coat, and losing it may be troubling or even devastating. They are typically benevolent and sociable, and many tales exist about their fateful encounters with humans.

Erskine’s clan in particular is fairly traditional in their behaviors and ways of living. They spend most of their time in or alongside the ocean, sticking to the coasts when exploring on two feet and rarely pressing deeper into the mainland if they can help it. Even if one of these selkie choose to live on land, they will feel an inexplicable pull toward the sea, and will never be truly content if unable to access the water. While they deeply value their families and companions, they tend to be suspicious of human beings. The clan possesses a talent for healing magics passed down through bloodlines, although Erskine himself isn’t particularly skilled in them.

Miscellaneous

relationships