Quilliam

## Appearance

Quilliam is an Avian, in colouration and facial shape similar to the secretary bird (*Sagittarius serpentarius*). Combined with his towering height of almost 2 meters, slim long legs, broad shoulders and quite the athletic body, he has a rather elegant look. His hollow bones can turn his lanky body quite frail however, and they also make him significantly lightweight despite his height and muscle mass.

His face is of a triangular shape, covered in pristine white feathers that also extend to most of his body. Long black feathers protrude from the sides and back of his head. His eyes are black with long eyelashes, and the skin around them is orange. A group of scars is scattered across the right side of his face, one of them crossing his right eye.

His forearms and shins lack feathers, instead being covered in black scale-like hide. All his limbs end with long fingers and sharp claws. Two large wings grow from his back, white in colour with black primaries and secondaries. However, they do not allow flight, only gliding, as his right wing is half burnt. The remains are mostly black, as if permanently covered in soot. Quilliam also has a featherly tail. It is coloured the same as the wings, although the tips of the feathers are white.

Quilliam's attire could be described as typical sailor's clothes - hard-wearing and practical. He wears an airy white shirt, dark brown coat from canvas, and baggy pants that can be rolled up when walking in water. Or at least what's left of it all; his clothes are torn and burnt at many places, and there is dried blood on the sleeves. On top of that, his right forearm and upper arm is covered in old bloody bandages. They are no longer needed, but he refuses to get rid of them. He also wears a black leather belt with various things strapped to it, such as a a compass, a brass pocket watch and a leather purse where he keeps several personal items.

## Personality

#### General

Upon arriving to the land of Oracle, Quilliam was initially dazed, as if being somewhere else mentally. Having not interacted with people for a long time, he presented himself awkwardly and in a quirky fashion. Once he got himself familiar with his surroundings and some of the residents however, he perked up and his confident and cocky self started to shine through. He has quite the snarky comments, often serving others a great deal of sarcasm. His manners are still quirky, though - he either acts overly polite, almost in an unnatural or forced way, or he treats everyone like close friends.

He does not seem to take most things seriously, seemingly having no care in the world. He has this attitude especially towards problems, not letting anything stress him. Beyond the surface of this uncaring and ignorant attitude, he is is observant and takes notice of every little detail. More often than not, he plans everything carefully ahead. He does not leave his fate up to chance, preferring to have it in his own hands.

To ensure his plans run flawless, he rarely lets emotions into the process, observing coldly from a distance. Thus, he rarely cares about things unless they personally affect him, and tends to have problems with expressing his emotions. He is overly secretive, struggling with being vulnerable around others, especially those he'd consider close to him. He prefers to express his emotions quietly and in private in the form of art. Although, to Quilliam, art is not only creation, but also destruction.

That is not to say that he turns silent around those close to him. He turns even more lively in fact, growing more unpredictable and chaotic as a result. Loving the trills of impulsively done actions, and attention, he often does things "just for the hell of it", and around others it is only amplified.

And should a problem affect him personally, he can turn extremely reactive in a matter of moments. It is not rare for him to overreact and resort to violence if he feels hurt or mistreated, often going in the aggressive territory. He is extremely revengeful and does not take injustice kindly at all. If he ever feels like he's been put in the wrong, he will make sure it's dealt with, and he will make sure his woes are heard about.

The truth is, his confidence and humorous, whimsy side only comes alive around others. If left alone, he will turn introspective and quickly spiral into self doubt. It is not rare for him to have second thoughts about his own plans and projects, often being moments from tearing it all down before it's even finished. He is insecure at heart, mortally terrified of being abandoned and forgotten. For such, if anyone ever gains his heavily guarded trust, he quickly gets attached, turning clingy. His loyalty is fragile however - a tiniest bit of hurt or sign of betrayal can turn him cold again, for his own protection.

## Skills & Abilities

* Writing
* Poetry
* Drawing
* Dance
* Survival skills
* Beekeeping
* Archery
* Basic melee
* Swimming

## Backstory

### Early Life

Quilliam was born to a pirate family, thus spending most of his life at the sea. Being too young for most of the heavy work, he was taught how to read and write early on and became Captain's, his father's, "most loyal scribe", writing log entries for him. Growing to love writing, he kept continuing even when he could help around with other things. Ever since he learned how to hold a pen, he never let it down, in a way.

#### The crash

On a fateful summer night, a great storm caused their ship to crash, with Quilliam being the only survivor. He was not left unharmed, however, sustaining a great deal of wounds, including the partial loss of his right wing and mild brain damage.

And being all alone, stranded in unknown surroundings, he had to fight to stay alive. Days passed by, summer turned to autumn, autumn turned to winter, and Quilliam grew thin, frail and weak, barely alive. But he kept going, powered by his sheer will, believing that he survived for a reason, believing that somewhere out there is a place that he is meant to reach, and people he is meant to meet. A place to belong, if you will.

And soon enough, a group of shimmering lights appeared on the horizon. That was it, he felt it in his bones, and kept going until he reached the lands of Oracle.

### Recent life events

Arriving at the events of Winter Festival, Quilliam met with quite an amount of people right away, most notably Sharx who'd later let him stay at his place in Arcadia. After recovering from the harsh journey, Quilliam built a house of his own on a beach on the southern border of Arcadia, officially becoming a member upon finishing.

### Present life

Currently, Quilliam resides in his beach house with a pack of wolves and group of bees. Having done everything he wished for to feel secure, such as obtaining weapons, he is now seen wandering around, looking for action. Truth has it, he gets bored easily. For similar reasons, he is trying to learn how to brew drinks, and a rumour has it he plans to start his own business.

## Trivia

* He chose his name himself, as he forgotten his original one. "Quilliam" is a play on "quill", a reference to the long feathers on his head and his love for writing.
* He has a soft spot for soft and fuzzy things, such as bees. Similarly, he loves colourful and bright things, surrounding himself with flowers and crystals.
* He never showers or bathes, only sometimes washing his face and hands.
* He also never changes his clothes, refusing to take even a part of his attire away. If he were forced to shower, he wouldn't undress.
* He is left handed, but used to be right handed prior to the injuries from the crash.
* He loves to sing, often passing time by humming tunes or singing songs. Does not mean he can sing well, though.