Furbaide Vanvelt

Name:	Furbaide Vanvelt
Bond:	Devalne
Bonded At:	The Summer of Fire, at the Ring of Fire Dragonry
Homeworld:	Mythicalae
Species:	Felisian, tiger variety
Age:	32
Sex:	Male
Height:	6'4" human formed, 6'7" anthromorph formed, 13'3" long tiger formed
Hair:	Red-gold, streaked with white
Skin:	Bronzed tan
Fur:	Amber-red with fine black stripes and a cream belly and throat
Eyes:	Gold
Residence:	Shivran Aerd
Position:	Ranger and researcher (so he says)
Pets:	Clamant and Aspen, fire-drakes from the Ring of Fire
Description:	Tall and broad-shouldered, sturdy but somehow also graceful, even in human form one can tell that Furbaide is a cat through and through: a majestic and yet laid-back kind of cat, but still undeniably feline. Given that he is every bit as likely to be seen wearing fur as furless skin, however, it's difficult to deny his heritage in most situations. Human-formed, Furbaide has bronzed and weathered skin, presumably from time spent outside and traveling, and tawny, red-gold hair, streaked delicately with white despite his young age, that seems like it might be more at home on a leonine shifter than a tiger. His eyes are a light shade of brown, almost golden, and his face is strong with a broad forehead, angular jaw, Roman nose, and a wide, smiling mouth. The clothes he wears are invariably comfortable and loose-fitting, of a light weave, for he gets hot easily, and often in lighter shades like white, pale blue, and gold, making him seem even more like a desert- or plains-dwelling lion than his actual species. The lazy smile he wears more often than not also speaks of the lion, sloth and arrogance rather than the subtle power of his true kind. When shifted into either of his other forms, however, it is utterly impossible to mistake Furbaide's true heritage, for he is even more massive than a lion, with shaggy fur of a rich amber-gold, and a myriad of fine, black stripes in a pattern unique to him. He looks infinitely more dangerous with his amber eyes, perked ears, and wickedly sharp teeth, but the cant of his head, a slow blink, and the swish of a thin, ringed tail proves that he is still as mild-mannered as ever, despite the predator's visage.
Personality:	Furbaide is drifter who is, so he says, only temporarily settled at the Aerd, supposedly researching Geperna dragons, the odd storm settled over the complex, the differing views of shifters living within compared to elsewhere on the continent, or anything that catches his fancy at the moment. Most of his friends assume he is making his purpose up and is just wandering, though he does have copious notes on everything under the sun, which might be the only reason Drakiera hasn't chased him out yet for snooping. He is laid-back, for the most part, quick to smile and make a joke, though with a love for rough-and-tumble play: suggest a wrestling match, a race, a brawl, or even a tickle-fight, and he's there. Perhaps giving credence to his claims to be researching, he has insatiable curiosity and an uncanny way of getting people to just ramble on about whatever they-- or he-- finds interesting. It's as if he can make his size and strength completely inconsequential and non-threatening with a single lazy smile and put anyone at ease. He is considered by most to be a big softie, and for the most part, they're right: though he'd never hurt a fly if he could help it, he is not above defending himself or someone else; he'd just prefer to be thought a coward and, thus, be underestimated by anyone he doesn't particularly trust. In that, at least, and in the way he can take insults without twitching a whisker, it can be said that he has no pride.
Abilities:	Though he is not by nature or personal preference a fighter, Furbaide's sheer size, strength, and speed-- particularly in full feline form-- make him a good brawler. All he needs to do is unsheath his claws or bare his teeth, and he is fully armed and quite dangerous. Thus, the only actual weapons he carries on him are a bow and quiver of arrows, and a pair of daggers he uses more often for cutting up dinner than for self-defense. Majyckally, he has little to no talent, nor does he particularly mind, for though sneaking around on paws made silent by Majyck sounds exciting, sneaking around on paws made silent by careful placement works just as well, with less to give him away. His telepathic skill, however, is both highly potent and highly subtle. It is a toss-up, in fact, as to whether it is actually the force of his personality that causes people to spill their stories to him or simply relax in his presence, or if it is some unconscious manifestation of his gifts. He can certainly make his thoughts heard to anyone who he wishes to hear them, pick around in the thoughts of any unguarded and occasionally even guarded mind provided he is very circumspect or stronger than the shield-maker, and enforce an emotion, telepathic illusion, or mental state on another-- not that he would likely do any of those things without permission except in an emergency. Whatever else Furbaide might be, he is always respectful of another person's privacy and free will.
History:	Furbaide has been traveling Mythicalae for his entire adult life, and the bulk of his adolescent life, as well, on a mission to learn as much as possible and then write as many books as possible on what he learned, once he reaches old age. That is what he tells people, anyway, and since there seems to be no other reason for his constant travel and his reams and reams of notes which seem to materialize out of his compact belongings whenever he settles for a while, people usually believe him. He makes friends, or at least friendly acquaintances, wherever he goes, and somehow manages to avoid what few enemies he makes. Where Furbaide comes from is something of a mystery, but wherever it is, he obviously has enough money to support himself in his travels and presumably has somewhere to retire to when he can no longer comfortably travel. Since he finds other peoples' pasts and knowledge far more interesting than his own, however, he rarely talks about it. Currently, he has been at Shivran Aerd for almost a full year and made friends with, of all people, the resident warrior princess Cypress Deocei who takes his occasional flirting in stride, and her usual tag-along, the cheerful but slightly strange Lucan Tarchia.