Captain Arturo Archer

[Tirael]

Name: Arturo Archer
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Species: Ferret
Occupation: Captain of the merchant vessel Horizon

Physical Appearance:
Arturo is, at first glance, forgettable. He's of average height and build, and his tail's as long as the next ferret's. He lacks the 'mask' fur coloration of most ferrets; instead, the brown fur is limited to a large, curved square between his eyes, and a small line under his left eye. He also has lighter brown fur that runs from the square to the middle of his back. His legs and footpaws are black. The rest of him is a pale golden color, mottled with black here and there. His fur is relatively soft.

Arturo wears a gray, long-sleeved tunic, secured with a silver-buckled black belt. Strapped to the belt are a pouch for some essentials, as well as his shortsword in its scabbard. He also carries a long strip of blue cloth, which makes an excellent headband when it's hot, and a sort-of good scarf when it's cold. He also frequently wears a somewhat shabby black longcoat while at sea (which is to say, most of the time). He also has a somewhat less shabby green coat for 'formal occasions,' however rare they may happen to be.

Possessions:
Like the ferret himself, Arturo's possessions are usually aboard Horizon, which also happens to be his largest and most cherished belonging of all. His crew sometimes jokes that it's really the captain that belongs to the ship, and deep down, he couldn't disagree. The only items Arturo tends to keep on his person are his shortsword and compass. While he knows how to use the sword, he's by no means a master swordsbeast; really, he keeps it on more for the intimidation factor than anything. He also typically has a small work knife, a practical instrument for life aboard a ship. His compass is his finest possession: with gold trimmings and elegantly painted lettering, it is a family keepsake passed down to him from his mother, the Horizon's previous captain.

Personality:
Arturo knows full well that his species instantly marks him as 'vermin' in the eyes of most decent creatures, a fact which irks him more than anything. It isn't even that the ferret is particularly noble, because he isn't; he's making the most of a flawed personality, just like anyone else, and finds those who can't understand that idiotic. Most of the time, he considers arguing the point a waste of time, and if you press him (or condescend to him) he will likely just stop talking to you altogether. After all, why bother trying to correct someone when they'll never really believe you could be something other than vermin?

As a result of his lifelong frustrations, Arturo frequently comes off as sullen or grumpy around those he doesn't know. He's not one for excessive chitchat, preferring to be straight and to-the-point. This might lead some to believe that he's socially, inept, but that isn't the case. Working as a merchant captain has actually helped Arturo develop a keen sense for how to deal with other creatures; he's simply more of a direct talker than a used car salesman. A frequent way to ensure business is to mention that his ship, the Horizon, is the fastest ship on the Western Sea. Of course, he can't be sure that it's the fastest, but he has yet to come across a vessel that can outrun his own beloved ship.

For such a brusque individual, Arturo harbors deep, unswerving bonds to his crew and his few friends. The crew may as well be family, and there are a few creatures scattered about the world who've made good impressions on the ferret captain--typically for having intelligent, open-minded attitudes toward him. As much as it's easy to get on Arturo's bad side, it's also not terribly difficult to earn his respect: having the common decency to judge him based on his character is generally all it takes, although he does admire bravery and loyalty as much as the next guy. Not being the type to make open and emotional speeches to even his closest friends, the ferret will frequently express his affection through good-natured teasing and the occasional friendly, but discreet, gesture.

Of course, as with any good captain, Arturo's first love is the Horizon herself. He is devoted to the ship, which represents not only his home and livelihood but the best remaining connection he has to his late parents. If you think prejudice is a good way to elicit Arturo's anger, threaten his vessel or its crew and you will have committed one of the only sins the captain can never truly forgive.

Strengths:
- Calm under stress
- Savvy business sense
- Good at leading/multitasking
- Decent with a sword
- Skilled sailor and navigator

Weaknesses:
- Not great with the whole 'expressing emotions in a healthy way' thing
- Tends toward frustration/grumpiness
- Much less comfortable on land than on a ship
- Loses focus when upset
- Impatient with 'idiots'

History:
Arturo was born on the mid-sized merchant vessel Horizon, on which his parents, the owners of the ship, along with a family of squirrels, three mice, and a pair of otters sailed between the various ports and harbors which border the Western Sea. The little vessel rarely ran into trouble, as it was fast and small enough to avoid most corsair vessels. He was taught the ways of commerce by the crew, and learned several other skills from his parents, and particularly his mother.

Life on board the Horizon, while full of hard work and the occasional storm, was quite an adventure for little Arturo. He rarely lacked for playmates, saw all sorts of places and creatures, and even got to steer the ship now and again. (Of course, this task was usually entrusted to him only when their course was a straight line, and even then never without supervision.) For the first several years of his life, the young ferret didn't realize that part of his halcyon youth could only really happen in such a small, self-contained community: nobody ever made a fuss about his family's species.

When Arturo was about 7, his idyllic perspective of the world was shattered. The Horizon had stopped in at a southern harbor, offloading a few passengers and even being pulled onshore to have its hull scoured. It was the longest the ship was to have been in one place up until that point in Arturo's life, and he pleaded with his parents to spend the time exploring the little shoreside town. They were reluctant, but eventually relented on the grounds that an adult crewmember chaperone him.

Insisting on a chaperone was soon to prove all too prudent a precaution. It didn't take long before Arturo spotted a group of young villagers playing on the beach, and thrilled at the opportunity to make some new friends, he ran excitedly in their direction. The village children were far less pleased to see him, however: some gasped in terror, while others glared and called him 'vermin.' These latter children then scooped up pawfuls of wet sand, and even some rocks, to throw at Arturo, who fled back to his parents in terror, heartbreak, and confusion. Their attempts to explain the reality of the situation to their son did little to soothe him, and Arturo would never forget the incident.

Years passed, and business went on as usual. Horizon kept sailing, and her crew remained relatively happy. Arturo, however, lost his childhood exuberance, becoming more withdrawn and subdued. The transformation intensified when his mother passed away, especially as her death seemed to rob Arturo's father of his own vivacity. Less than a year later, he, too would die, leaving the Horizon to his son. Uneasy at the prospect of taking command at 24 years old, Arturo tried to defer the responsibility to Emmavail, the mouse who had served as his parents' second-in-command. She demurred, however, noting that Horizon belonged to him, and he was, therefore, her rightful captain. Since then, Arturo has done his best to care for his ship and his crew, always trying to scrape together enough to keep the Horizon afloat.

Relationships:
The crew of the Horizon are like his family. He also has friends and acquaintances dotted around the world whom he's met during his voyages.

Other:
Angst!

[Tracy]

Approved!