[heading][center][color=red]Sydney, the Terror of the Long Sea Road[/color][/center][/heading]
[center][sub]"Hey that's kinda catchy. Definitely the best nickname they've gave me yet"[/sub][/center]

[collapse=In a land which faces the sea with two different masks..]Castilla, a grand kingdom which sprawls across a lush peninsula and several islands to the west is known as a land of opportunity and wealth. The western side of Castilla, separated by mountains and wilderness from the east, is a land of order and prosperity for all kinds of man. Coin, wine, and dreams freely flow through its ports and along its roads, but this stream dries out in the east. To the east lies the rougher parts of the kingdom around the long sea road are rarely patrolled and are infested with bandits and monsters. The region is home to wildmen, thieves, monsters, deserters, pirates, and worse: it is a lawless place but no less profitable than Castilla's brighter half. The east is dotted with ruins and surprisingly deep caverns and its resources are mostly unexploited, giving the kingdom a motive to do more than simply contain the area's troubles. Be that as it may, the kingdom's solution is sluggish and inadequate, as there is already a growing source of authority there. The bandit princes, simply warlords with a sense of style and vague cooperation, rule over the peasants and wildmen who make the region their home. Their ruthless and surprisingly well-armed soldiers are a challenge and even sometimes more than a match for the Castillan army. Thankfully, they are still not unified, yet. These bands have very different practices and methods of recruiting but most of them, more often than not, take the wildest and most dangerous sons from the villages both because they make fine bandits and also because if left alone they could become finer heroes. The brigands use the old ruined forts and thick woods as home bases to raid sea vessels on the sea and the caravans along the shorter silk passage. They take advantage of several secret passes and trails over the mountains and through the forests that separate the two roads to attack and escape before they can be answered to. This area is also inhabited by several wild beastmen and goblins who live in villages in the trees or caves. These tribes are remnants of an old civilization, whose every trace of existence save its descendants and their tales, has completely vanished. The tribals follow an old druidic faith which in the old days protected their land from monsters and thieves with the power of nature, but for some reason lost its power a long time ago. Now these tribes often live secluded lives in the forests and are often subjugated by bands of thieves or hosts of monsters to give them their valuables or other sacrifices. Sometimes, the bandits take youth from the tribes who are more oriented towards hunting or were a bit more difficult to put down, to be raised into bandits themselve. Usually these beastmen brigands become disposable shock troops or specialized combatants, and sometimes they become valued elite units and officers: only once however, did one rise to power and become a prince of thieves.[/collapse]

[collapse=.... there is a young man with unprecedented opportunities laid out before him]Sydney was raised in the woodlands north of the Long Sea Road since a pup. Sydney was unusually wild and hot headed from the start. He spent most of his early childhood pushing the limits of the village elders and learning to hunt prey that would slay any city man. He was the toughest of the cubs of his generation, and showed promise for becoming a master hunter. This would never be, as his tribe was found and quickly subdued by the Gold Scarves band: an enterprising group of thieves and mercenaries under the command of a ruthless ex-Sargent from the imperial army. Sydney was taken from his home and raised to be a brigand under one of the bandit princes when he was ten, a role he despised but eventually took to without any further complaint. His natural ferocity and surprising wit did the young man well in his new life. The pup proved his worth both on and off the battlefield time and time again with astonishing consistency. Sydney's master appreciated him, and came to depend on him even, before he eventually took the young man under his wing to teach and look after him like a son. He taught him as much of strategy and war as the wolf could understand, and the wolf played the part of the doting underling for 7 more years; watching, learning, waiting. When Sydney was finally sure it was time, he struck. Sydney had several traits that made him great at his trade as a bandit, but one particular thing he kept secret. Sydney knew how to nurse and feed a grudge for a long time. He had waited patiently, planned carefully, and made sure he had learned everything useful from the wretched old man before he made his move. The slaughter was swift and brutal. In one night, Sydney and two other beastmen who he had personally chosen for induction slaughtered the old man and all of his commanding staff which Sydney did not trust. He claimed the title of the band's leader and quelled resistance to his new power quickly. The wolf prince of thieves now sat on his ruined throne, and snarled at the wretchedness of his surroundings. He would lead his band farther than that old bitter coot ever could, and his name [b]will[/b] be remembered.[/collapse]


Sydney cuts an imposing figure standing at 6'10 and weighing 285 lb of mostly muscle. The wolf's lifestyle keeps him in good shape; his body maintaining only the required percent of body fat which makes him relatively lean for a beastman his size. He is more than aware of his ability to intimidate humans just with his fearsome appearance and his slightly exaggerated reputation, and is known to wield fear as expertly as any sword or axe. Sydney keeps himself in shape both physically and mentally, being a surprisingly avid reader ever since his late predecessor had first taught him to read and write. One of the few things that Sydney genuinely liked about the man was his appreciation for history and strategy: subjects which he took to himself just as readily. He still needs the help of an adviser for more difficult books, but he doesn't read in front of the men anyways. [s]He's also the owner of a slowly but steadily growing collection of erotica and guides on sexual intercourse, which only the previously mentioned adviser knows about.[/s] Sydney's surprisingly earnest desire to learn and analyze, interest in tactics, brazen attitude, handsome looks, and charismatic personality makes the wolf an effective leader. Some are surprised to find however, that Sydney isn't as adept at interpersonal relationships, especially intimate ones. Some say that the fearless leader becomes nervous and almost bashful around someone who he admires.

His grey fur is only thick enough to keep him warm, and doesn't hide his toned musculature or the features of his body much at all, which is just as well since he doesn't wear any clothes or armor that hide the chest that he's so proud of. He claims it is a semi-religious choice to remain lightly protected, but any perceptive individual would recognize that the charms hanging from his neck and the gem on his ring are no mundane baubles. He usually wears some patchwork matching of clothes and light armor that he has looted from his foes as long as it always keeps most of his torso exposed. His face is much like a wolf with a pronounced snout, but it has a somewhat softer appearance and a wider range of expression which gives him a somewhat human look. His yellow eyes and tall ears aren't for show, and are several times more precise and powerful than a man's. His large and powerful body is Sydney's pride: the wolf will never turn down a challenge of strength and loves to show off the feats of athleticism he can pull off. Sydney declines to comment upon his genitalia, responding instead with several insults and threatening statements accompanied by angry weapon waving. [s]Secondary sources vary and only agree that it is average for his kind: which is a good bit bigger than an average human's.[/s]

Sydney is usually boisterous and aggressive, and he takes all of what life throws at him with a shrug and takes what he wants from it just as casually. When faced with a problem, he favors the straight forward approach but is capable of cunning when he needs it or wishes to. His trusted circle of advisors and consorts is small and tight-knit and all with good reasons to not want him dead. Any bandit prince who forgets how easy it is to lose their position is destined to experience this fact first hand, after all. In the company of friends, he is boisterous and loud, but a little less aggressive and vindictive as he fronts to his men. This self-confidence however doesn't quite translate to his love life, as he has no idea how to handle interacting with someone he admires. More often than not, he usually makes love with strangers. He desires the simple things: cold alcohol, warm meat, good laughs, glorious fights, and horny women and/or men. Sydney's moral compass is skewed towards selfish interests, but is not outright broken. The wolf is no raping pillager or bloodthirsty marauder, and while many do die thanks to his actions he often attempts to leave the innocent and poor who have little in the first place alone. This of course means that his band constantly finds itself pitted against the much more dangerous forces of the army, the navy, the mercenary guild, and other bands but, if asked, Sydney will say he likes it best that way.