The World of the Wheel

Prone to politeness and eager to impress, Arlan spent up to the age of sixteen playing nice, with little interest in fighting or ruckus. Beyond this age his behaviour quickly turned, and his interests in alcohol, women and aggression grew quickly. Keeping a level head on his shoulders thanks to the influence of his mother, Arlan did not become uncouth or ever more than a nuisance, partaking in just three fights with other boys all of which had ended decidedly inconclusively.

He is not as tall as he might be, at somewhere just under six feet tall, but hardly short in stature. His frame is not muscular and his physique is clearly reminiscent of one who has placed very little value on physical development in his lifetime.

He keeps, among his prized possessions, a ragged leather bag and leather water flask that he made for himself at his fathers tannery, always keeping a stock of water and various fresh roots, herbs and leaves which he would have to admit to never having used.

His hair and eyes are both brown, though his hair sandy and dull and his eyes fairly deep and woody. His skin is of a canvass-like texture and light tones, giving him the overall appearance of a neutral palette.

His hands are slender and thin, and very quick and used to detailed tasks, but his patience is often lacking when attempting such feats.

Arlan spent most of his younger years dreaming about adventure and doggedly, reluctantly following in the footsteps of his father, set to succeed him in his tannery. Leathers were hardly of interest to him but wandering off into the sunset, traveling the world and doing wonderful things was a challenging idea, difficult to manage and honestly no more for Arlan than the same idle dreams of any young man.

His mothers interest and knowledge of botany had become a major source of interest to Arlan, whose boyish dreams of leaving his home to travel and find a home for himself were, admittedly, his primary drive for learning about roots and herbs; he was aware that such knowledge was useful on long journeys and constructing stories around each plant, how he might use it in adventure, was his way of feeling close to his desire to break away from what he felt was a mundane life in Baerlon.

Arlan spent many nights, either alone or with a friend, sat watching the inanimate, closed gates of the city, cursing them for keeping out the world and talking at great length about the flaws he perceived in the society of Baerlon, though rarely with any sensibility or justification and often with contradictions.

Between sunrise and sundown, Arlan would spend as much time as possible outside the gates of the city, walking known paths and routes, imagining himself as a great adventurer.

When Asha'man arrived in Baerlon, Arlan chose to remain apathetic and non-committal about his desire to see the world, but his apathy and disinterest was not to decide his future, and he was taken by the black coated men to the Black Tower.