Grand Arbiter Keth Sha'Ak Character in The Salynas Archipelago

Body Features

Tall, greenish/grey skin, small tusks.

Facial Features

Small tusks at the corners of the mouth. A pair of round spectacles. A small scar running the length of his nose on one side, placed there as a result of his trials as a youth.

Identifying Characteristics

Scar next to, recognisable round glasses, and large frame. Also tends to accentuate dark coloured suits with brightly coloured ascots.

Physical quirks

A slight hobble when he walks, due to age and an old injury from boyhood. Frequently avoids eye contact due to fading eyesight.

Special abilities

Eidetic memory - never forgets anything.

Apparel & Accessories

Dark suits (black doublet, high black boots, black trousers) with a brightly coloured ascot. Large round spectacles that are otherwise rather plain. A single ring, unadorned. A locket beneath the clothes, the inside of which no-one has ever seen.

Specialized Equipment

A quill that generates its own ink and never runs out A small device that is a one off Dimension Door in case of emergency His office has a button that activates a Zone of Truth for a collective hour over the course of a day.

Gender Identity

Male

Sexuality

Irrelevant

Education

Well educated, thanks to having a well off childhood

Employment

Grand Arbiter of the Congregation.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Becoming the first Orc, and the first representative not from the Great Centre, to become Grand Arbiter of the Congregation

Intellectual Characteristics

Believes that the best way to approach politics is to know as much about the cultures of everyone that he talks to. Therefore, he spends any free time that he has studying the languages of other races, and reading about the histories, arts, music, and traditions of islands, chosen at random each session to be from anywhere in the Congregation. He has an eidetic memory, which allows him to remember all the information he consumes, and employs a complex mind palace to store information and slow down anyone who begins a mental invasion.

Morality & Philosophy

The most important thing for the Congregation is that all its people benefit equally. This can only be done through a government that functions to give everyone equal opportunity. The position of Grand Arbiter can therefore only be completely incorruptible, or else the basic principles of the Congregation fail.

Taboos

Never accept a bribe. Never allow myself to be influenced by others. My mind is my own. Never wield power unjustly, or unduly. Never go against the will of the Congregation. It is the will of the people.

Contacts & Relations

Keth is famously single. There are rumours that he had a dramatic romance in his youth, but he has refused to comment on these rumours at any point, beyond saying that the public should be more concerned with his politics than his personal life. Contacts technically include any representative in the Congregation, as well as the leaders of the Mystic Compendium and the Navy. However, several members of the Mystic Compendium are almost hostile towards him, and many representatives don't like him very much either, so his influence in matters not directly related to his role in government is somewhat limited.

Family Ties

Keth was the third of seven children born to the Sha'Ak family in the seventeenth generation, his being a family that goes back many generations. The family has a history of being high achievers, though none so high as Keth, so the other five surviving siblings all hold relatively impressive positions in the Navy, or as scholars, scribes, diplomats etc. His mother has sadly passed away, but his father still maintains his position as an advisor to the local leader on his home island of Ta'Ba. Due to the leadership of said island being an appointed position with terms of only two years, his father has served many leaders and thus created a good feel for leadership qualities, which he passed onto Keth. He credits this with his success.

Religious Views

Keth's family are all followers of Tyr, the god of justice, which has largely affected Keth's philosophy on fairness and honesty. He is quite a devout follower, but believes that his religion should never come before his own responsibilities and refuses to favour fellow followers of Tyr in political matters.

Social Aptitude

As Grand Arbiter, Keth is very high up the social ladder, receiving many invites to the parties held by the upper classes. While he does attend these parties, he also makes it a point to attend festivals and fetes held by the lower classes, so that he can be shown to not think himself above them. People who meet him say that he is charming in his honesty, though some find his bluntness and occasional lack of tact quite frustrating. Still, he rarely talks about himself, and is generally considered a pretty good dinner guest, even if you don't like his politics.

Mannerisms

He is a very composed person when in public, though in private he may start to show more obvious mannerisms like fidgeting, particularly tugging on his ear when working on a difficult problem. This has left one ear slightly larger than the other, but only to the extent that you wouldn't notice unless you were looking.

Hobbies & Pets

Keth's main hobby is the acquisition of knowledge, because he thinks that it is a privilege to know all one can about the world around them, especially the people. He also quite enjoys baking, which he's fairly average at. He spends many evenings reading to calm his mind, and sets aside a few hours each weekend to bake something, unless there's a pressing matter.

Speech

A deep, slow voice, controlled so that it is easy for others to understand him. He has a very blunt and honest way of speaking, not mincing words or using half truths. He avoids swearing if at all possible. When he greets someone, he does it in their own language if it is one he knows, which includes the sort of things that wouldn't translate into common. If he has a most common phrase, it would likely be his assurance that he will carry a request to the highest level that he can.

Wealth & Financial state

As the Grand Arbiter, earns a yearly salary of 1000gp, of which 700gp goes into charitable causes. Lives in the house provided for the Grand Arbiter, so the house is large, but employs only a couple of servants, no more than is necessary for the upkeep of the house.

Grand Arbiter Keth Sha'Ak