Arwrick

> Arwrick was a loner and was happier out-thinking his competitors than confronting them directly. He was seen as skittish and evasive in the lead-up to the Games, finding his only companionship in his pet mouse. Arwrick fell well short of his potential both in life and in the arena.
>
> - Personal remarks of Archivist Cyrus Sharif

Arwrick (no known surname) along with his pet mouse, Buttons, spent his life in District 10 as an outsider, completing odd jobs on farms to support himself. His understated and isolated approach left him short on fans in the Capitol, though his cunning and speed shocked viewers as he claimed the Cornucopia's greatest prize before disappearing into the forests during the first day's Bloodbath. Arwrick found his demise at the hands of twins Betha and Cefrey despite possessing the most powerful artifact in the arena.

> I am a bit sweaty, thanks.
>
> - Arwrick

## Character Bio

### Appearance

Arwrick spoke even more softly than he walked, always unassuming and mild-mannered. A slender humanoid, he stood approximately 5'4" tall and insisted on his traditional dress, apparently various rags stitched together from various fabrics, in the Capitol as well as in the arena. The District 10 native had a skin tone resembling light caramel that was covered in dark hair. His body hair was noticeably thick and at its thickest, near his legs, it nearly resembled the fur of a cat. This cat-like quality continued in his facial features, as his flattened, wide nose and startling large eyes made him quite remarkable compared to many of his fellow tributes.

Arwrick's demeanor was likewise alert to the point of skittish, the movement of his extremities slow and uncertain yet graceful. His ears moved in an uncanny fashion, pointing upward unless an odd noise caught his attention. Arwrick's mouse Buttons could always be found on his person, most often nestled in his pocket or on his shoulder.

### Character History

#### Childhood

Arwrick's youth was a troubled and lonely one. When his mothers disappeared during the Cleansing, the dispersed and isolated nature of District 10 meant that Arwrick found himself without support at a very young age. The boy soon learned how to complete odd jobs around the various pastoral farms of the District in exchange for food and shelter, eventually wandering from ranch to ranch weeding fields, capturing escaped livestock, and shoveling manure. Though he was thin when he arrived at the Capitol, it seems he found enough to eat in order to survive and likely received some amount of support from ranch owners.

#### Adolescence

Arwrick had no known friends in his home district. Content to stay mostly unseen and unregarded, the exception was his pet mouse Buttons. Given the average lifespan of a field mouse is approximately a year, his pet likely was found around six months before his time in the arena. Because of his lack of social ties, little is known about Arwrick's adolescent life before the arena. However, a post-Games investigation located what was likely Arwrick's "home base" of sorts - a large Willow tree in a grove on unclaimed land. His personal belongings suggest he had a fascination with systems, as he designed many complex traps out of easily-found natural items, but was likely illiterate, as no books or notes of any kind were located.

It should be noted that a local rumor claimed that Arwrick had in his adolescent years found a spiritual guide and father figure among the ranchers of District 10, who supposedly trained him on the rapier, but these could never be corroborated nor confirmed. This archivist finds such tales unlikely, as bonding with others would be quite outside of Arwrick's instincts.

## Preparing For The Games

### Interview

Arwrick's demeanor fluctuated drastically on the interview stage. Deliberate and cautious, his cat-like qualities were obvious as soon as he approached Caesar. Buttons, his pet mouse, seemed to comfort him as he took his seat and Arwrick relaxed a bit afterward. After a brief discussion about his background and his impression of his fellow tributes (namely, his being impressed with Ettezroc), the conversation turned to alliances.

Suddenly and without prompt, Arwrick uncharacteristically leapt to his feet and exclaimed to the shocked crowd that "we are all here to give you a GOD DAMN SHOW! And we will NOT DISAPPOINT!." Caesar seemed impressed, despite his surprise, but the audience encouraged the tribute's sudden burst of energy.

Arwrick's time with Caesar ended with his ensuring the crowd that his balance and focus were his key assets and would make him a compelling and underrated pick inside the arena. Buttons, it should be noted, seemed to raise his paw in a goodbye to the crowd as Arwrick made his way off stage.

### Time in the Training Grounds

True to form, Arwrick never entered the Training Grounds. His absence mostly went unnoticed by his fellow tributes.

Despite his lack of training in the Capitol, Arwrick's evaluation went surprisingly well. With Buttons watching from the corner of the room, Arwrick first chose to showcase his skill with daggers. His first sunk so neatly into the heart of a dummy that a pinging sound could be heard as the tip of the dagger struck the metal brace inside the target. Mid-air, his second thrown strike easily struck the top of the dummy's head and the final stab in its back landed without fanfare.

Arwrick's second show included a whip and a sickle in opposing hands. After taking a breath, he ran as if on glass toward the grounds wall, leapt onto the wall with one foot, and latched onto a wall protrusion with his whip despite slipping a bit from his jump. He then pushed off the wall and caught a dummy from below in the chest with his sickle. After landing, he shoved the sickle down what would be the dummy's spine, severely ripping the prop. In closing, Arwrick placed the items neatly back in their starting positions and addressed the judges with "hope you enjoyed the show." The judges applauded heartily and seemed impressed.

Panemians, Gamescasters, and notably Capitol bettors, were shocked when Arwrick's score of 8.5 was broadcast, ranking him third among Season One tributes.

## During The Games

### Bloodbath

Arwrick began the Games by shifting his form to more completely mimic that of a pseudo-feline humanoid. His first movement came when he streaked across the Cornucopia, into its center, and snatched a powerful idol in the shape of a cat. Despite this, his competing tributes mostly ignored Arwrick's acquisition and focused early on with gathering their own items. Because of this, Arwrick was able to additionally gather Durandal, leather armor, and a Burglar's Pack without confrontation. As the tributes began to engage one another, Arwrick dashed out of the melee and into the surrounding forest with items in tow.

### Day 1

Arwrick fled the Cornucopia directly eastward into the forest, eventually shifting back from his bestial catlike Swiftstrider form into the form more familiar to Panemians from his interview with Caesar. After donning his leather armor, the tribute settled in a tall thicket of grass and morphed Durandal into an elaborate rapier.

After a while, Arwrick began traveling once more, reaching approximately five miles away from the Cornucopia and arena's center before taking another rest. In doing so, the tribute took out his Burglar's Pack and manufactured a clever bell-based alarm system. Unfortunately for Arwrick, his alarm only provided him roughly 40 feet of warning. Approximately an hour later, around 10:30 a.m. local time, Arwrick's bell rang as twins Betha and Cefrey unwarily approached.

### Death

Upon ringing Arwrick's bell, Cefrey and Betha were immediately able to locate Arwrick's position. After a brief chase, Arwrick's escape appeared hopeless and he instead chose to turn and fight. After a couple of halting exchanges and two glancing blows on Cefrey, Arwrick was downed by his rival's Greatsword. Betha was unable to land a blow nor did she endure damage during the brief battle.

## Trivia

Buttons was not retrieved from the Arena and remains at large. If you have information concerning his whereabouts, please contact the Panem Archive.

The form taken by Durandal in Arwrick's possession, a long and slender rapier with a silver-blue shine and an intricate guard of floral patterned metal, remained the form used through the remainder of the Games. Durandal was last used to dramatically impale the arena by Thyra.

A red-furred Shifter wielding an identical sword is rumored to live nearby the location of Arwrick's former "home". Information leading to this Shifter's whereabouts should be reported to the Panem Archive.