Máel-tuili Ua Conchobair

Name: Máel-tuili Ua Conchobair (pronounced: Mah-el-tuhl-ee Oh Con-crow-er)

Age: 17

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Hair:
Even though his hair is kept short, it's still long enough to have a bit of a mind of it's own. Generally a dark brown colour that contrasts to his lighter skin tone, it has on occasion changed colour to several tones lighter than usual during the summer months. Mael though at times it does frustrate him, he is fairly use to his hair at this point and doesn't bother attempting to "fix" it as nothing ever works. He generally likes it to be a bit longer even if it does mean more pointless work trying to keep it somewhat reasonably in check.

Eyes:
If you were to look at Mael dead in the eye, you would say that his eyes are bright and intelligent. They are fairly large and round, with fairly balanced amounts of blue, green and grey. From time to time someone may mention that his eyes seem to possess more green or blue but that's just one of the things he wouldn't pay attention to.

Weight: 140 pounds

Height: 5'5"

Theme Songs: Suns first rays ~ PRIMORDIAL

Known Family:
Ruaidri Ua Conchobair
Colbath Ua Donnaghaile U'Conchobair
Gráinne Ua Conchobair U'Meriadoc
Gofraide Ua Conchobair (Deceased)
Slaine Ua Conchobair U'Flaithri (Deceased)
Affraic Ua Conchobair U'Flaithri
Etain Ua Conchobair U'Niall (Desceased)
Aillean Ua Conchobair (Deceased)


Birthplace: Ros Comáin, Cúige Chonnacht, Éire, Earth

Items:
Being the son of his father, it is hardly surprising that he picked up a few items of particular interest but because the Gaels are a people who favour practicality over aesthetics (Though they aren't afraid to combine them) most of his are tools that are generally put to good use. Most of the larger objects, such as his leather armour or bow, while not in use are in his large pack that is generally on his back, unless he is resting.

Weapons:
While he is quite capable of wielding a sword, Éire doesn't have a particular sword-style that suits Mael and his fighting style. He gave the sword up for a knife and sail éille for melee combat. His knife is seax made of Damascus steel, a very expensive type of steel with a nigh mythical reputation. Said to be able cut through other blades or even rock without losing its keen edge and at the same time be able to cut a sheet of silk in half whilst in the air, the trademark ripple like patterns on the blade announce its true heritage. Several bars of it were imported from the Byzantines, who in recent years under Demetrios Komnenos, had made huge victories over the invading Moslem hordes. It sits tucked in his belt in a leather scabbard.

There is nothing particularly fancy about his sail éille. It is painted black and was covered in a glazed, which made it shiny in appearance. It hangs off a loop on Mael's belt. It's long enough that it could be considered suitable for a walking stick and has a large knob at the end meant for both disarming and striking. It was given to Mael when he began to learn bataireacht sail-eílle from Enna Ui Mórdha.

Mael's weapon for long-range combat remains the short composite bow. Touted by the hawker down at the marketplace to be weapon of choice for the infamous Turkish horse archers, it was purchased for him by Enna Ui Mórdha, his father's marshal and Mael's tutor. Mael wasn't able to wield the newly brought in longbows or even the older bows the Gaels had to the full extent of their strength. Enna's idea therefore was to have Mael use a bow that would compensate for his lesser strength and build onto it. As Mael grew into this bow he would eventually begin to make attempts at using it on horseback, as it was originally intended, to a modicum of success.

Armour:
The only armour that Mael carries with him is a shirt of banded leather. Several bands of iron surround the collar but are mostly there for aesthetic purposes. On these metal bands is the Ua Conchobair Oak tree, the family crest. Armour in Éire has largely been kept to light, mobile pieces as it favours the guerrilla tactics of the people. While many years ago these tactics were restricted to cattle stealing, they evolved into a form that has forced even the orderly Romans to yield.

Other items:
The brooch that holds his cloak together was given to him by his mother. It is somewhat of a family heirloom, having been a gift from their grandmother to Gofraide. When Gofraide died, Colbath took it into her possession until Mael reached the same age as Gofraide when he died and she gave it to him on his birthday. It is about seven inches long and is largely constituted of silver gilt. It is adorned with intricate Gaelic knotwork both front and back.

He also has a simple wooden pipe in his pack. He doesn't often practice anymore but it was something his mother made him do for no particular reason and he respected her wishes. He will occasionally take it out and play a tune if he is bored or if he thinks it will get him a night in an inn for a good price.

***

Strengths:
Mael is fairly fast, both on foot and with his reflexes. It helps to make up somewhat for his lack of physical body strength in his attacks. What he lacks though in power he makes up for through shear tenacity and truculence. He specializes in a more "alternative" form of fighting. Rather than using the contemporary sword, he forsakes it for a good knife and sail éille. Rather than go along with the traditional form of archery, he grew accustom to a foreign type and puts it to good use. If he can't make something work for him the way it's suppose to he will find a different way and usually ends up with fruitful results.

Weaknesses:
Because Mael doesn't possess much muscle mass, he isn't very strong and while he is rather fleet of foot, it is not uncommon to find someone faster. He has no practical knowledge of magic, being limited to his knowledge of the legends and myths of his people. In short, he is susceptible to someone with a strong swordarm or a just about any form of magic.

Skills:
Bataireacht Sail-Éílle – one-handed wattle fighting with the sail-éille. Outside of the code of honour (Dlí Sail-Éille or Shillelagh Law) an anything-goes fighting style.
Scianóireacht – Indigenous Gaelic knife-fighting. Nothing in particular is special about this form of knife fighting other than the rules of duelling in it are similar to that of Dlí Sail-Éille.
Claíomhóireacht – characterized by the "cut and thrust" of the Gaelic Broadsword. While he can use it, he prefers not to as he doesn't have the upper-body strength to keep going at it for long.
Gráscar Lámh – Varying types of native Gaelic wrestling, boxing and kicking techniques all tossed together. It was common for children to wrestle and fight and for Mael it was more so as he had a point to prove. Whenever he went home bloodied and bruised he made sure that whoever did it was just as bad, if not worse.
Boghdóireacht – He has adapted archery to suit himself and his fighting, the most particular form of this is his proud achievement of successfully using a bow while riding on the back of a horse.

Other than the above stated, he can play a decent tune on the flute he carries with him and more than once it has meant the difference between a clean bed and a warm meal and sleeping under a bush.

Appearance:
Mael doesn't have many sets of clothes with him, essentially a set for cold weather and a set for warm. The lighter clothes would be linen, imported to Chonnacht from Ulaidh and the heavier made from wool.

To sum Mael up he is a short, messy-haired boy with a hell of a temper and the scars to prove it. His relatively pale skin is a fair contrast to his dark brown hair and brings out the colour of his dark eyes. He has an assortment of scars all over his body, from various fights that he got into as a child, though none are particularly worth mention. He has been short and skinny for most of his life, though recently he is noticing a bit of muscle definition, much to the benefit of his self-esteem. What little body hair he has is sparse or unnoticeable.

Living in the colder northern climates of Éire, naturally forces the inhabitants to dress appropriately, and Mael is not different from anyone else from his homeland. They will usually wear at least two layers to keep the cold and usually wet weather out. The first layer was usually lighter but covering the whole body. A pair of briogais generally covered their legs and a long sleeved shirt would cover the top half of their bodies. Over this a tunic might be worn, as well as a belt. The make and material would all be dependant on the person in possession of the clothes and their stature in society. On their feet they would generally wear simple a simple turn-shoe made from leather and when the weather was wet and cold they would generally also wear an insulated cloak made of wool, which contains a natural oil to repel water.

He has a satchel that is roughly 20 inches by 10 inches and was made from a single piece of goat hide leather. The bag is reinforced by diagonal straps, in the centre of the front of the bag these straps held a bronze ring with a mushroom shaped stud that holds the triangular flap closed. The straps hangs over his shoulder and down across his chest. In it he would keep any small objects of interests, a day or two's worth of food and a waterskin.

Personality:
Describing Mael in one word the first word that comes to mind is spontaneous. In some situations he can react the exact same and then randomly act different in a similar one. But it is this spontaneity that is his greatest strength. It allows him to notice things that he might otherwise go unnoticed, to see things from a different perspective. There are however some trends in his attitude that can be tracked.

For example he is usually calm and quiet, something hard to find in a young boy of any age. He is generally polite to everyone he whether he knows them or not but if he doesn't like someone he isn't afraid to show it. He is always impatient and hates to be kept waiting for anything. He recognizes this as a negative quality about himself and so he generally *attempts* to be considerate of other people.

As a general rule he doesn't approach people he doesn't know immediately. He waits until he feels as though it's safe to attempt communication or interaction. He isn't sure what he is scared of he knows that they won't bite but he still feels it none the less. Trying for force anything out of him before he is ready to talk to you will likely trigger a nervous response. Attempting to force things out of him too many times and he might even see it as a challenge. If this were to happen he would begin to give curt answers and probably wouldn't think too highly of the person either.

There were many lessons he learned from his father the two most important were never be ashamed of yourself, because you are who you are and it doesn't do yourself any good to try and change it, and never flaunt your abilities, because there is always going to be someone better. Taking these lessons to heart he simultaneously became self-confident and humble, never asking for more than his due but never hesitating to speak up id he didn't think he or someone else was being discredited.

Underneath his politeness and humbleness he possesses the same stubborn streak, which is famous to the outsiders of his race. It is hidden to a good degree somewhat and he will ignore it sometimes but for the most part, like any other Gael the more often you cross them the more stubborn they become.

Another consistent quality would be his strong sense of duty. If he can help someone, he feels it's necessary to do so. He strongly believes in the Christian religion as do many others in Éire, though he doesn’t practice. Christianity spread there from the Roman occupied lands on the Eastern side of the island and several years later a man from across the sea landed in Ulaidh, named Padraig and he began one of the most successful missions in the history of the known world, converting well over 75% of the islands inhabitants in his life time alone. Within a generation or two the entire island was Christian. Even though he knows he isn't the best follower he operates as best he can in the niche he carved for himself, between himself and his religion.

From his previous experience in battle (And admittedly is relatively small) he has tried in the past to remain calm and use his wits to either find a way out or win. Being small he realizes it isn't in his favour to lose his temper or to try and continue to fight a pointless battle. He will fight if he thinks there is a good success rate but otherwise he is more inclined to scare off his opponent or run himself.

And does he ever have a temper. He can be fierce, even malicious when incited to anger, so much so that it scares himself. He tries to keep his rage contained at all times rather than allow it to hurt himself or worse yet someone else. Once he gets started he can be positively miserable for days.

Biography:
Mael was born the second son and youngest child of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, Rí ruirech of Chonnacht. He had exactly 6 siblings, 5 sisters and one brother. His brother Gofraide was 8 years his senior at that time, and in their father's eyes was almost everything he had wanted in an heir. Strong, fast reflexes and he was always at ease around others. The only thing he lacked was the leadership skills necessary to lead. Because of his natural talents Gofraide would often garnished the attention of the whole court, and most importantly in Mael's eyes, their father's.

When Mael was six his father returned home from war with the Normans, victorious and with more than a few new titles to his name the most notable of which were Rí ruirech of Ulaidh and Flaith of York. Before the feasting and celebrations were to begin, he sat his sons down and asked them to tell him what they’d learned whilst he was away in England. When Gofraide was done, Ruaidri ruffled his hair and told him to continue the good work. Mael eager to have his father ruffle his hair and tell him he was proud of him, quickly said everything he could think of. Ruaidri’s hand never left his chin, where it sat and Ruaidri stared at his boy as though appraising a tool. Mael was disappointed after the expected congratulations wasn’t delivered to him but didn’t think too much on it.

Mael didn’t see anything wrong with it until he overheard a conversation by the local cleaning women about the situation that got him thinking. Why was it that their father would never praise him? Why didn’t their father pat him on the head and tell him he was proud of him? This was the first time that Mael could remember feeling angry. He was angry at his father for not recognizing him as his son and as an equal to Gofraide. He was angry at his brother for being so skilled and yet not caring about it. And he was angry at everyone else because they let it go on, without saying anything.

And the most angering part of it all was that Gofraide never actually tried to get the attention or even wanted it at times. At certain times when the two brothers were alone, he would apologize to Mael which would kill whatever contempt he had towards his brother, despite wanting to feel it even more. Despite this Mael sought to best his brother however he could. He knew he wouldn't be able to beat him with a sword, so he learned how to do so with a knife. After his brother was touted to be the best young shot in Éire, he climbed up on his horse and began to practice with his bow until he could shoot from riding atop a horse. Despite this his father still would praise Gofraide more when it came to this aspect of their education.

When it was made clear he wouldn't be able to match his brother in physical prowess, he sought to do so with his mind. Perhaps his father would enjoy him setting boundaries for himself, rather than going around his brother’s success. He asked his mother for help getting tutors to help educate himself. Delighted her son was taking interest in the courtside of affairs she was quick to muster a line of scholars, monks, engineers, and artists to teach Mael new things. He learned how to read and write, better than his father. He learnt about the Roman invasion and the long term benefits that emerged from it. About the Norman invasion and occupancy and how it forever damaged culture of the Gaels, destroying much of their beloved language in only a generation. He learnt about the Byzantines, trade routes to the East, history, geography, the politics of the current world, Church law and yet none of this would openly impress his father.

Mael was nine years old when his father sought to unite the cúigí of Ulaidh and Chonnacht. He issued a demand to the Ard Rí that he be named Soicind, second in line to the Ard Rí. The Ua Briains were the current Ard Rí and until this happened were looking as though they were going to keep the title for quite some time. Desperate they used delay tactics until something unseen and somewhat fortunate for the political lives of the Ua Briains happened.

A raging storm of typhoid swept the island. It killed a third of the Gaelic population, including several of Mael's sisters and to the grief of his father, his brother Gofraide. Though this saddened Mael somewhere deep inside he thought maybe his father would start to pay attention to him and show him affection. But the deaths of his children changed Ruaidri.

He became colder, sterner, less concerned with the emotions of others. He began to slowly pay attention to Mael but it was never the warm encouragement he gave to Gofraide, and this angered Mael. Soon Gofraide would start to try practicing swordsmanship with Mael but he vehemently refused to even pick up a sword after the first few bouts because his father compared him to Gofraide. This began the cycle of anger that was constantly going on between father and son, with the court in between.

After a long bout of saber-rattling both the Ua Briains and Ruaidri mustered their strength and each side appealed to Laighin for aid. If Ruaidri won this war Ireland would become highly centralised (At least in comparison to it’s current standard) and that was something the Mac Murchadhas of Laighin wouldn’t want and so after much deliberation they joined the cause of the Ua Briains and due to this a rebellion erupted in eastern Ulaidh.

Despite the odds being stacked against him Ruardri won, crushing the rebellion and forcing down the troops of the Mac Murchadhas and the Ua Briains. He declared himself Ard Rí na hÉireann, forced the main branch of the Ua Briains out of Éire and placed a lesser branch of the family in their place. This would have been the beginning of a era of peace had the Normans not seen it as an ideal time to attack.

Ruaidri was not caught unawares at this and in fact had already worked on a plan. He quickly rallied as many soldiers as he could on short notice and landed in Cymru, where he assembled the local lords. Eager to join the banner of the “Celtic Tiger” they swore allegiance to him and declared him King of Cymru. Fresh soldiers were suddenly without need and right on the Normans back door, not to mention his levies from York. Mael was coming into his early teenage years and Ruaidri thought this too good an opportunity to pass up and brought his son along with him.

Mael didn’t get to experience open battle in this excursion but he did get to see the strategy behind it all and was the mastermind behind the Ruathar. These raids were lightning fast and hailed fire down on enemy crops or towns and were staged throughout Britanniae, demoralizing soldiers and destroying their food supplies. In that war half of the Norman lands in Britanniae were surrendered as well as some lands in south-western France.

When Mael was sixteen he had, had enough of his father and their bickering and left in the middle of the night. He travelled quickly across the continent to the opposite side where he would be able to get passage across the channel to Cymru where while his father was King, held less influence in the daily operations. From there he would go on to travel to the Gaelic-Britanniae holdings.

Great, it's nice to see detailed profiles n.n There's just one thing I'm confused about. What is a "sail éille"? It would be good to include its definition somewhere in your profile.

Yeah, that was pointed out to me earlier and I facepalmed when I saw it myself. I think I was in my 23rd hour of straight consciousness at that point, so I forgive myself. If you would like I can also add a very silly looking glossary of the various terms (And Byzantine Emperor) mention it in.

So a slightly, if only just more detailed description has been added.

Heh, the glossary is up to you if you want it. I just wanted to make sure that anyone who battles you understands the type of weapons your character has. So with that done, your character profile is definitely passable.

*Approved*