Qar
Qar a écouté les paroles de Zamois avec intérêt. L'érudit en lui ne pouvait que sourire à la grande histoire de monstres, petits et géants, que l'étranger tisse pour lui. Certes, Qar avait entendu des histoires similaires et n'avait pas visité de tels endroits lui-même, donc il n'était pas en position d'être si cynique, mais il doutait en quelque sorte de l'ampleur des contes. Au lieu de cela, il a pris une gorgée de sa boisson et s'est demandé s'il n'aurait jamais eu l'occasion de visiter un endroit aussi mystérieux; certainement ceux qui vivaient dans un environnement aussi difficile auraient des connaissances et des compétences bien au - dessus de tout ce que leur royaume avait réussi?
Puis Zamois a soudainement changé le sujet, son regard maintenant concentré sur Qar et à la recherche de toute réaction étrange à sa question. Cela aurait pu être intimidant si Qar avait senti qu'il avait quelque chose à cacher au guerrier, mais il ne l'a pas fait. En effet, il n'était pas nécessaire de cacher quoi que ce soit au sujet du Pharaon au seul compagnon qu'il avait eu assez de confiance pour amener avec lui à Thèbes, à moins que le Pharaon lui-même ne le demande. Ainsi, Qar a cherché autour d'eux quelqu'un qui écoutait furtivement et puis s'est penché pour qu'il puisse parler sans que sa voix porte à quiconque à proximité. Une précaution inutile comme la plupart avaient eu le sens de s'asseoir plus loin du Vizier et du géant guerrier étranger.
"Pour être honnête, il n'était pas comme je m'y attendais. On m'avait dit qu'il serait jeune, mais il est clair que lui et moi avons eu des enfances très différentes et que, peut-être, cela se reflète dans nos personnalités. La mienne était une de sécurité relative dans un cadre savant, le pharaon... de ce que je crois que c'était moins que doux." Qar a froncé, pensant à ce qu'il savait à propos d'Amen. Ils avaient parlé brièvement quand le médecin était allé trouver le jeune Pharaon, mais mis à part cela, ils avaient peu échangé dans la voie de la conversation significative. « Nous avons parlé un peu après qu'il ait quitté l'étude. Pour la première fois, j'ai pu voir un peu qui il était. Il était honnête et parlait de son incertitude. »
Qar se pencha un peu en arrière, regardant vers le haut le ciel sombre et se souvenant combien facilement il s'était ouvert au jeune homme. Habituellement, il était un livre assez fermé qui traitait des maux à la fois physique et mental des autres; il y avait peu de temps pour parler de ses propres problèmes et préoccupations et pourtant il a eu pour le Pharaon.
"Je suis venu voir un peu comment il pourrait être différent de Pharaons précédents et comment cela pourrait être façonné en grandeur, s'il avait le désir de le faire. Et puis," hésita-t-il, mais décida-t-il que Zamois n'approuverait sûrement que les actions du pharaon et qu'Amen ne se soucierait pas de Qar révélant la vérité, "Je l'ai vu attaquer un groupe d'esclaves. On pourrait l'appeler impétueuse, mais peut - être juste est - il un meilleur mot pour cela. Il a eu le courage de se dresser contre des générations d'inégalités et j'ai vu le but le remplir, quelque chose qu'il voulait faire comme un Pharaon et il aura la force et la volonté de le faire, je suis sûr. » Il sourit bandalement, une légère tristesse dans ses yeux.
"Je ne suis pas un leader, Zamois. Je manque du charisme, des mots et de la vision pour commander aux autres. Je ne suis pas non plus simplement un disciple car j'ai un esprit propre qui questionne innéement ce qu'on m'a dit. La façon dont Pharaon Amen passe au cœur des choses, ignorant les disputes fragiles que les vieillards pourraient lui jeter, est quelque chose que je peux respecter et je veux le soutenir en voyant cette vision dehors. Comme je le fais, je peux utiliser ma position pour chasser la petite ambition que j'ai, en tant que médecin. Pour ce qui est de la raison pour laquelle j'ai intercédé à la réunion... Je ne voulais pas d'autre obstacle sur notre chemin. Je discuterai de la question avec la prêtresse plus tard, mais ça peut attendre. Pour l'instant, nous mangeons et nous buvons." Il leva sa coupe et la descendit avant de demander une autre, il était déjà plusieurs derrière Zamois et ne sentait aucune ambition d'essayer de boire l'homme beaucoup plus grand. Cela étant dit, il s'agissait certainement d'un moment de célébration.
Name: Qar
Alias: Only his title, Royal Physician. Some may simply refer to him as 'Scholar'.
Sex: Male
Age: 24
Date of Birth: 17th October
Appearance: Tall, especially for one born amongst the poorest of farmers, with a strong and athletic build, Qar might easily be mistaken for a warrior or a guard. Perhaps an adventurer. That would be if not for the robes he wears with no armour above or underneath and the elaborately carved staff he carries everywhere. His attire certainly ascribes the title of 'scholar' to his person although he will never be found without his cloth sack containing all the tools of his healing craft. If it were not for his height and build he might be one thieves would choose to target, especially as he often looks lost in thought and has the soft expression of one who has never suffered terrible personal trauma.
Personality: Usually mild-mannered with a calm and balanced approach to all things, Qar is someone who many might find frustrating. He has a strong belief in morality and justice, especially when it is underpinned by the rule of law, courtesy of his patron deity's position in support of the latter. He will offer advice where he feels he can but will often stay quiet when someone he feels has superior knowledge or experience is putting forth their view.
As far as Qar is concerned his main mission is to keep people alive, whether through repairing broken bodies or by curing them off illness. Much of his time is devoted to this but he is also aware of his official duty and position and so spends less time than he might formerly have doing the rounds for the local populace. He attempts to impart his knowledge but finds that myth and tradition often gets in the way of understanding the reality of his craft. While he is a strong believer in the Gods himself and acknowledges the importance of faith, especially in maintaining one's strength and purpose in times of turmoil and pain; Qar will become frustrated when a patient will refuse his methods in favour of unproven but nevertheless traditional cures.
Always keen to gain more knowledge, Qar loves to discuss academic matters of all disciplines: whether it be of technological innovations in agriculture to astrological readings to the lore of the Gods. He tends to get on better with those who have such interest, or great knowledge, themselves but does not look down on those who do not; perhaps due to his own very humble and ignorant beginnings.
His studies in medicine and healing have drifted into the realm of physical well being and its importance in maintaining general health. As a result of his observations, Qar maintains a vigorous exercise routine and tries to engage in sparring sessions with guards when possible; although he is not a skilled fighter his natural height, build and fitness give him a slight edge. As a physician he encourages those for whom is responsible to exercise regularly and take all things in moderation, particularly food and alcohol. While he may not understand the actual sciences behind such things his observations alone have given him evidence enough to see the benefits of good practice in the matter.
Biography: Qar was born into a large family of farmers. As far as the little remembered history of his poor family went, they had always been farmers in the same village. It was one of many villages scattered in the area too small to be worthy of a name, often moving in time with the seasons to survive the hottest periods or to return to the Nile to begin ploughing the fields.
They had a poor diet, as was common for many in their position. They never starved, their father having a knack to place them early and well whenever the planting season began. Still, there were too many of them to be properly sustained on mere farming. By the time Qar reached the age of eight he had twelve surviving siblings, seven older and five younger than himself. It soon became clear that he had an inquiring mind, he was the first to be seen talking to any nomads or visitors to their small community and listened keenly to anything he was told and rarely forgot any of it.
Seeing the promise in their child, his parents eventually agreed that he and they would be better served by sending Qar to a temple in the hope that he would be taken in. By the age of twelve he was already taller than his father and so they were loathe to let go someone who promised to be a good worker but the priests too recognised his potential and took him in.
For the next four years Qar learned about the Gods and worshipped them, especially Thoth to whom the temple was mainly dedicated to. Noticing his favour with Thoth the priests began to educate him in matters relating to magic. While he had no talent for being a magician, Qar's hard work in those years gave him an appreciable skill. Reflecting his own nature, and his adherence to Thoth's teaching, his magic was one that affected others' magic more than brought about effects in and of itself. Whether by reflecting other magic or refining it on some way, he was clearly meant to be one to support other Magicians and not to use his magic by itself.
Shortly after seventeenth birthday word came of banditry escalating in the region. During that time many injured came to the temple seeking sanctuary and aid and Qar began to build up a rudimentary skill in the art of healing. He disliked seeing others' injuries going untended and worked hard to improve his methods, diverting much of his time for private studies into the craft and away from that of magic.
The breaking point came when members of his former community arrived with his family, far fewer in number, also present. Bandits had raided their village, taken their food and either killed or enslaved much of the populace before disappearing into the sands. Qar did what he could for the injured but nevertheless, many more passed away. Finally, bearing his inability no more, the young man now aged eighteen sought permission to leave the temple and learn the art of healing wherever he could. Properly sanctioned, he journeyed all over the various kingdoms of Egypt and learned what he could.
After four years he returned to the temple to distil everything he could, spurning methods he found ineffective and designing his own. For a few months after he carried on his studies of Magic but found it hard to pick up where he had left off, his passion now poured into healing others. When news came that the Pharaoh had died and his young son had taken the throne, the priests chose Qar to represent them. His knowledge of medicine, healing and many other matters surpassed that of his fellows and his relative youth would allow him to serve better than his seniors.
With the decision made, Qar headed to Thebes with the few gifts the temple could spare him: an intricately carved staff to replace the battered one he had returned from his travels with, a well made cloth satchel and numerous wooden boxes and leather containers as well as several scrolls carefully chosen from the temple's archives.
Combat Information
Magician: Yes
Deity: Thoth
Equipment:
Elaborate Staff - originally Qar carried a staff for support during his young years, spent travelling to learn from different tutors their craft. Since then he has elected to wield a more decorated staff, a slight vanity to denote his advancement and status, which has also been crafted with strength in mind as it is the only weapon the young physician carries. The decorations on the staff are not terribly ornate for its frequent use would soon render such detail invisible but is nevertheless well carved with symbols and scenes representing his patron deity.
Herb Pouch - more of a large canvas sack, this pouch contains numerous small wooden chests and smaller canvas or leather pouches. In each are carefully selected herbs to deal with the most common, but still dangerous, ailments and also those to create dressings and salves to speed on the healing of wounds.
Ability: Qar is not a warrior, having spent much of his still brief life in the pursuit of knowledge. That is not to say that he is incapable of handling himself in a fight, merely that his true talents lie elsewhere.
Medicine - while still a crude and unreliable art, Qar has learnt many different techniques and distilled this knowledge to form his own theory. Although he is still making discoveries, he has found the fruits of his labour effective enough to stand out from the efforts of local healers.
A good scholar - although the focus of his studies has been on curing maladies and healing the injured, Qar has not entirely neglected studies on other matters. While his knowledge would be distinctly inferior to that of a priest or priestess, he is well enough equipped to at least engage in intelligent conversation. More usefully his mind has been sharpened so that puzzles, both intellectual and more mundane, become easier to solve when Qar is properly applied.
Balance and Reflection - Qar's patron deity is Thoth who is heavily associated with the Moon and in arbitrating disputes making Qar's magic one that affects others' more than bring about results by itself.
Spells/Techniques:
Moon Shield - Places a shield of Life Essence around the user or the designated target and reflects incoming magic out, usually back at the caster. This does not discern between offensive magic or supporting magic.
Arbiter - Qar follows Thoth's role as arbiter and judges other magic, refining it in some way. This can be narrowing its field but enhancing its potency or the reverse, for example. The power does not change, merely its properties.
Thoth's Blessing - Thoth once oversaw battles between gods, maintaining balance between the two by healing the wounded but never altering the balance. Qar need not follow such rules and can heal those, but only when in the midst of battle. Once the fight is over this magic will no longer work.
Thoth's Wisdom - Allows Qar to understand magic he sees. This goes beyond simply working out its mechanics but understanding its limitations, strengths and nature upon seeing it for the first time. Using this ability is incredibly draining for Qar and will only ever be useful when he is acting in a support role.
Star Fall - With Thoth's unique knowledge of the Heavens and the stars within it, Qar replicates the falling of a meteor to Earth on a smaller scale. A fiery sphere will fall on his intended target although once the trajectory is set he cannot alter it, and the sphere will crash down with explosive force. The sphere is small and the effective radius is only a few metres but the force it expels would maim or kill any within it. If Qar were more skilled in the use of Life Essence the ability might be far more dangerous.
Burden of Knowledge - Thoth's learning on the application of force gives birth to this simple ability which lends additional weight to Qar's blows. In conjunction with his staff it allows him to shatter bones, wooden shields or even crack armour relatively easily without over tiring himself.
Blinded Ignorance - Qar hides everything within a certain field from prying eyes. Anything that enters the field is invisible to everything from outside and can either be a fixed area or centred upon himself as he moves - it cannot be attached onto a different moving target. The field is only a few metres in diameter and so could hide half a dozen people at most when moving, perhaps a dozen uncomfortably when stationary. The other use of this ability blinds one or two people completely, or severely limits the vision of several, for a short period of time.

Parameters

Essence: 2 / 5
Attunement: 4 / 5
Magic: 3 / 5
Strength: 3 / 5
Speed: 3 / 5
Body: 3 / 5
Wisdom: 4 / 5