Fishtail Dirkslash profile

[Fishtail Dirkslash]

Name: Fishtail Dirkslash
Species: Searat
Gender: Male
Dibbun Weapon: Wooden spoon
Adult Weapon: Cutlass and dirk

Appearance: Physical characteristics, clothing choices, changes over time, etc.

Fishtail is a male searat, about 20 seasons old, with black fur and grey eyes like the sea on a stormy day. He dresses simply with whatever clothing he happens to come across in his travels; usually a dull colored and slightly worn tunic and pants. His black leather boots are likewise worn, but still with life left in them. Though his wardrobe is lacking, he is more likely to spend his money on food than on clothing. Being somewhat of an adventurer and a traveler, he doesn't stay long enough in one place to make enough money to splurge on much.

The rat is somewhat unkempt with uncombed fur and less than ideal hygiene. This is mostly due to laziness and a certain amount of apathy. Having spent a good part of his adult life on ships, he isn't in the habit of bathing regularly.

Overall, his physical appearance comes across as average. He doesn't stand out for being ugly or for being good-looking. Perhaps he might be a rather handsome rat if he bothered to invest in some fancy clothes and bathed more regularly, but it's hard to say.

One thing that makes up for his sub-par appearance is his smile. Since he is almost always in good humour, he smiles often and has good set of teeth for a searat.

Fishtail carries a cutlass thrust into his belt on his left hip and a dirk in a small leather sheath on the right. He also keeps a tin whistle on his person tied onto the back of his belt with a strip of leather.

For carrying belongings other than weapons and his tin whistle, he keeps a small brown leather backpack. It has definitely seen better days, having gone through many travels being kicked and thrown about. As long as it's still usable, Fishtail will keep it.

Personality: Your character's disposition, how your character acts, changes over time, etc.

The first word that describes Fishtail is fun-loving. He is an easy going guy who takes life as it comes and tries to make the most of each day. He enjoys life and if he finds he isn't enjoying it, then he makes a change. His many are a result of his constant search for new adventures and experiences.

Fishtail's fun nature makes it easy for him to make friends. At the end of the day, he can often be found hanging around the local alehouse chatting with the other beasts at the bar. That's not to say that he's outgoing per se, but he does enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories and perspectives.

Fishtail can get into trouble with his devil-may-care attitude. The reason he rarely has extra money to spend is because he is not very good at putting in a hard day's work. Given the choice, he would rather hang about town or play his tin whistle. He works best under the discipline on a ship where he has no choice but to do his fair share of the duty.

When he is not with a ship, he sometimes busks in the streets, as he is a rather good musician. However, he has been known to supplement his income by taking other beasts' purses. His morals are questionable to say the least and Fishtail does not allow himself to be too heavily bogged down by his conscience. This is not to say he's evil. He's basically a good beast, but he does get himself into trouble sometimes.

Nevertheless, he is not at all stubborn and he may change his ways yet. His go with the flow personality is well-suited to adapting to any situation. He has been known to work for naval vessels, pirate ships, and everything in between depending on his opportunities and inclinations.

History: Includes your character's entire life.

Fishtail grew up in a small port town. His parents were both shipwrights, but before they settled down, the had each had experience as pirates. Raising Fishtail, they didn't necessarily want him to be exposed to that harsh life, which is why they undertook to make new careers for themselves.

Fishtail never took his studies in school very seriously and was always letting his imagination run away. Once he reached about 16 seasons or so, he packed up his bags and moved out to follow his dreams and go on some adventures.

Life wasn't always the adventure he hoped it would be. He ran into many difficulties along the way, especially starting out on his own like that. However, he followed his love of the sea and found work on a merchant ship. He had had little sailing experience, but quickly learned the ropes and made himself a useful member of the crew.

When he became bored with the monotony of working on a merchant ship, he left and signed on with a pirate ship with the hopes of more adventure and more prize money. He learned much on the ship and improved his sailing skills. He likewise learned how to fight with the cutlass. He liked working on that ship because of the great prizes they would take, but he never felt right about killing goodbeasts for their money.

Soon, his conscience spoke just loud enough to encourage him to leave the ship and move on to the next adventure. He did a stint at Fort Tatterack, but couldn't stay away from the sea for long. He joined with a naval vessel, fighting the same pirates he had once worked for.

Now, once again, the poor conditions with the navy have driven him to seek someplace new. He started wandering and soon found his way to Mossflower. Perhaps he will now find a new place to start again. Who knows how long he will stay.

Roleplay Sample: Must be as a Dibbun.

*Fishtail tried not to drool on himself as he stared across the street at the window of the inn. The street was almost deserted; it was early in the morning and the cook at the Rusty Pike had just finished baking the pies for the day. The young searat sniffed the air daintily, his nose twitching with delight at the scent of freshly made apple and cherry pies. He glanced up and down the street to make doubly sure that nobeast was coming. The coast was clear. With his trusty wooden spoon clenched in his right paw, he darted across the street to the window*

*He sat beneath the sill with his back towards the wall, still holding the spoon, as he listened to the noises coming from the kitchen. The clanks of pans could be heard as the cook jostled things around, possibly looking for a missing utensil or pot*

Now where did I put that darned thing...

*Fishtail tried not to giggle. He always thought the cook was rather silly. She was a large stoat, rather wider than she was tall. A bit rough around the edges and known to get into fights, but nobeast could deny that she was a fantastic cook. That's why the innkeeper kept her on despite having to hire an extra guard to deal with any resulting altercations*

*But the six season old Fishtail was unconcerned with such things. All he knew was that her pies were delicious and he wanted one now. Suddenly, he heard a resounding crash behind him. He squealed involuntarily but quickly covered his mouth with a paw and listened intently*

Argh, what a bloody mess! 'Hoy! Mimsy! Come'n clean this up 'ere! I don' 'ave time for this nonsense.... Mimsy? Where're ye at?

*With a huff of frustration, the cook stomped out of the room. Fishtail listened with barely contained glee as he recognized his opportunity. The little rat rose from his seated position and reached up to the sill... too short. His perfect opportunity was not quite so perfect as he had thought. Now worried that he might not get a pie after all, he looked around him to try and find something to stand on. Next door to the inn was a small barrel in front of a shop. He thrust his wooden spoon into his belt then scampered over to grab it and roll it over*

*With much effort, Fishtail pulled the barrel onto it's side, rolled it over and propped it back up in front of the window. He climbed up onto it and now the pies were right at shoulder height. As he reached out for a succulent cherry pie, he heard voice approaching the door*

Ma'am, if'n ye moved a bit more carefully-

Shaddap Mimsy and just help me pick these things up! What th- oy! You! Don' touch those pies!

*Fishtail gasped. He'd been caught red-handed with his paws around the cherry pie. He froze at first, staring at the huge mean-looking stoat in the doorway across from the window. When she headed towards him looking ready to wring his little neck, he regained control and sprightly hopped down from the windowsill with pie in paw*

Get back 'ere you rascal! Mimsy, run around and catch him!

*By the time the two of them got to the door, Fishtail was already down the street, had rounded a corner and was out of sight. Squealing with glee, he ran down to the riverbank and hid in the bushes to enjoy his hard earned feast and reflect on the grand adventure of the day*

[Aquamarine]

Fishtail, nice work on his appearance. A little more description of his physical features might be good, but you have most things covered. The only thing I'd like to see more of is how he changes over time instead of describing only one point in his life.

Similarly, with his personality, how does he grow and mature over time? I don't have much else to say about it -- you've done a nice job of keeping it otherwise complete and also concise.

Nice overview of his entire history. I don't think adding more detail would hurt. The main question I have here is how this fits in with DAB and therefore needing to be at Redwall as a Dibbun. I realize Fishtail isn't a brand new character you're just creating, so if that's something you'd rather not change, the world isn't going to end.

Very well done with your RP sample. The characterization and description are both great, and the dialogue is also believable, which isn't always easy. You may want to bold the dialogue of NPCs and other characters, but it's written clearly enough that I can tell who's saying what even without that. I would include ending punctuation in the last sentence of each paragraph, but that doesn't confuse much or make it more difficult to read, so it isn't a huge deal in my book.

Overall, clearly written with very few grammar errors. It's very readable -- good work. Class 1.

[Fishtail Dirkslash]

Name: Fishtail Dirkslash

Species: Searat

Gender: Male

Age: 20 seasons

Weapons/Skills:

Fishtail's combat skill is limited to whatever he picked up in his various life experiences. His parents had been sailors and fighters, but they settled down and started working as shipwrights. They saw no need to teach him weaponry for they had expected him to simply inherit the family business. He has no skill with any long range weapons. This has never been a problem for the rat as most maritime battles end with paw to paw combat in close quarters. He fights with a cutlass and dirk in a very rough-and-ready kind of way. Since he never had proper training, all his knowledge on fighting is from first-hand experience and from advice and intermittent training from fellow sailors.

His most valuable skill is in sailing. The searat always had a love of the ocean and boarded the first outbound merchant ship he could as soon as he was old enough. He also worked on naval vessels and corsair ships over the course of his five season career. This experience makes him an excellent and knowledgeable sailor. If he had any ambitions at all, he would likely be promoted to officer quickly. However, Fishtail is lackadaisical in nature and does not like being put in positions where he has to be a leader.

His secondary skill is in shipbuilding. Fishtail's parents' goals of giving him the family business did not shake out, but he still learned a lot from them. It makes him a valuable crewmember if something needs to be patched up mid-voyage. His carpentry skills have been very handy a number of times in the past.

It also so happens that Fishtail has some musical talent. The searat plays the tin whistle and has often used it as a means of income when he was between jobs.

Appearance:

Fishtail is a male searat, about 20 seasons old, with black fur and eyes that are grey like the sea on a stormy day. He dresses simply with whatever clothing he happens to come across in his travels; usually a dull colored and slightly worn tunic and pants. His black leather boots are likewise worn, but still with life left in them. Though his wardrobe is lacking, he is more likely to spend his money on food than on clothing. Being somewhat of an adventurer and a traveler, he doesn't stay long enough in one place to make enough money to splurge on much.

The rat is somewhat unkempt with uncombed fur and less than ideal hygiene. This is mostly due to laziness and a certain amount of apathy. Having spent a good part of his adult life on ships, he isn't in the habit of bathing regularly.

Overall, his physical appearance comes across as average. He is of average height for a rat and he doesn't stand out for being ugly or for being good-looking. Perhaps he might be a rather handsome rat if he bothered to invest in some fancy clothes and bathed more regularly, but it's hard to say.

One thing that makes up for his sub-par appearance is his smile. Since he is almost always in good humour, he smiles often and has good set of teeth, despite spending much of his time at sea.

Fishtail carries a cutlass thrust into his belt on his left hip and a dirk in a small leather sheath on the right. He also keeps a tin whistle on his person tied onto the back of his belt with a strip of leather.

For carrying belongings other than weapons and his tin whistle, he keeps a small brown leather backpack. It has definitely seen better days, having gone through many travels being kicked and thrown about. As long as it's still usable, Fishtail will keep it.

Personality:

The first word that describes Fishtail is fun-loving. He is an easy going guy who takes life as it comes and tries to make the most of each day. He enjoys life and if he finds he isn't enjoying it, then he makes a change. His many changes of direction are a result of his constant search for new adventures and experiences.

Fishtail's fun nature makes it easy for him to make friends. At the end of the day, he can often be found hanging around the local alehouse chatting with the other beasts at the bar. That's not to say that he's outgoing per se, but he does enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories and perspectives.

Fishtail can get into trouble with his devil-may-care attitude. The reason he rarely has extra money to spend is because he is not very good at putting in a hard day's work. Given the choice, he would rather hang about town or play his tin whistle. He works best under the discipline on a ship where he has no choice but to do his fair share of the duty.

When he is not with a ship, he sometimes busks in the streets, as he is a rather good musician. However, he has been known to supplement his income by taking other beasts' purses. His morals are questionable to say the least and Fishtail does not allow himself to be too heavily bogged down by his conscience. This is not to say he's evil. He's basically a good beast, but he does get himself into trouble sometimes.

Nevertheless, he is not at all stubborn and he may change his ways yet. His go with the flow personality is well-suited to adapting to any situation. He has been known to work for naval vessels, pirate ships, and everything in between depending on his opportunities and inclinations.

History:

Fishtail grew up in a small port town. His parents were both shipwrights, but before they settled down, they had each had experience as pirates. Raising Fishtail, they didn't necessarily want him to be exposed to that harsh life, which is why they undertook to make new careers for themselves.

Fishtail never took his studies in school very seriously and was always letting his imagination run away. Once he reached about 16 seasons or so, he packed up his bags and moved out to follow his dreams and go on some adventures.

Life wasn't always the adventure he hoped it would be. He ran into many difficulties along the way, especially starting out on his own like that. However, he followed his love of the sea and found work on a merchant ship. He had had little sailing experience, but quickly learned the ropes and made himself a useful member of the crew.

When he became bored with the monotony of working on a merchant ship, he left and signed on with a pirate ship with the hopes of more adventure and more prize money. He learned much on the ship and further improved his sailing skills. He likewise learned how to fight with the cutlass. He liked working on that ship because of the great prizes they would take, but he never felt right about killing goodbeasts for their money. It was all well and good if the prize surrendered before it came to blows. However, if it was necessary to fight and kill, even as a young and free-spirited searat, Fishtail was somewhat troubled by his actions.

Soon, his conscience spoke just loud enough to encourage him to leave the ship and move on to the next adventure. He did a stint at Fort Tatterack, but couldn't stay away from the sea for long. He joined with a naval vessel, fighting the same pirates he had once worked for.

Now, once again, the poor conditions with the navy have driven him to seek someplace new. He started wandering and soon found his way to Mossflower. Perhaps he will now find a new place to start again. Who knows how long he will stay.

Roleplay Sample:

*Waves crashed violently over the side of the ship and Fishtail had to scramble to keep his footing as water poured over the deck. The ship heeled heavily to port and the bow continued to dip up and down, pointing up as it lifted out of the raging sea and then promptly splashing down to the point where the headsails were submerged. As the searat moved towards the foremast, he spared a brief thought to pity the poor sailors who had been sent to furl those headsails. If they had their wits about them, they’d be fine, but that did not mean their job would be easy. For that matter, neither was Fishtail’s. The storm had come up fast; far too fast for the captain’s liking. Now they were all rushing to batten down the hatches and furl sail before the wind snapped the mast with its force. The first mate snapped out orders and Fishtail was one of those who had been sent to furl the fore t’gallant.*

*With no bad weather gear to speak of, Fishtail’s clothes were soaked and stuck to his wet fur. Still, he vaguely thanked whatever gods were watching him that it wasn’t a cold rain. Wet fur he could handle, but it was difficult to hold the ropes when one was shivering from nose to footpaw and when one’s paws were too stiff to grasp anything comfortably. Another wave over the deck, knocked his footpaws out from under him, but he was already at the shrouds. He held on grimly and pulled himself back up and onto them and began the ascent. There were a few other beasts following behind him, likewise sent up by the first mate.*

*Suddenly disaster struck. A sharp bolt of lightning hit the tall foremast just as he was getting to the top of the shrouds. His mouth gaped open as the tall wooden structure snapped where it was lit aflame and slowly began to fall… straight towards him. He felt the tension in the shrouds he was standing on slacken as the mast that was holding them up started to collapse. He was falling, falling. The searat could distantly hear a shipmate calling his name: Fishtail! Fishtail!...*

… Oy, Fishtail! Wake up, ‘tis your turn at watch, matey.

*The searat started abruptly and nearly hit his head on the ceiling of the berth deck. He clung desperately to the sides of his hammock in the same way that he had been clinging vainly to the collapsing ropes that made up the shrouds. The hammock was swaying, but in an easy manner; not as it would if there was a storm raging outside the wooden hull. He relaxed his grip, but his heavy breathing made the ferret at his ear pause.*

You okay, mate?

*Fishtail touched a paw to his chest and felt his heart thumping. He looked around him and could dimly discern the ferret’s face in the darkness against the rows of hammocks strung up behind him.*

Aye, just a bad dream. ‘Ow’s the weather this evenin’?

*The searat rolled out of the hammock and, as quietly as possible so as not to wake sleeping shipmates, touched his footpaws to the wooden floor. The ferret whispered back to him as he made his way to wake another beast for the next watch.*

‘Tis a quiet one, Fishtail. Ye’ll have an easy night of it.

*With a silent sigh of relief, Fishtail pulled on his worn leather boots, strapped on his belt and dirk, and made his way up the companionway onto deck to report for duty.*

Beginner Patrol Class: Class 1