Name: Kaison Ranta
Aliases: Kai (How he introduces himself to everyone)
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Height: 5 foot 9 inches
Weight: 145


  Kai normally stands slightly hunched, so rarely stands at his full 5 foot, 9. He has dirty blonde hair, usually pulled in a pony tail or bun, and soft blue eyes that seem to take everything in. He has only two settings it would seem- glancing around in wonder or reading a book. He prefers to keep covered and layered, with long tunics and slacks, as well as an overcoat and gloves. Still, the clothes are on the thinner side, so he doesn't overheat while travelling. He is on the thinner side, built for running over fighting, but a short sword hangs off his hip, parallel to the satchel hanging off his shoulder. His items all look well worn and used, but not patchy.

  Because of necrosis, his fingers and toes have taken on a blacken color, though he is able to still manipulate them well enough. He has a gash across his chest from a fight a few months ago, and regularly changes the bandages and re-stitches the wound if the thread begins to degrade.


  Kai's main drive is knowledge- he loves to spend time curled up in the corner of a room reading. But after everything that has happened, to find such peaceful time is rare. So he began to watch for a time to unwind. He keeps an eye out for threats, and when travelling in groups, looking out for threats on those around him. He is a talker before fighting, hoping to de-escalate a situation before weapons are drawn, but is well aware not everything can be fought with words. Still, he will try diplomacy. His fighting style is a bit out of practice, but his skills are still there. It isn't any fancy style, but he isn't just chopping away with the sword uselessly.

  When it comes to healing though, Kai shines. He has spent a majority of his life studying written medical practices, as well as studied the internal designs of most beastkins and humans. His movements are quick, precise, well practiced, and almost second nature. He is not scared to begin fixing someone even in an unsafe area if it is a must, and will do everything in his power to heal someone. But being in the field for a while, he knows not everyone can be saved. Unlike others, though, death does not weigh on his mind, and he is quick to either bury those for peaceful rest, or return the body to next of kin if possible.

  The third side of Kaison is well hidden, but lingers. One cannot live through death and not be changed. He forgets that a normal human would not rush in danger, risking their mortality. That was stripped from him years ago, and so he will never get that fear back. But he also has picked up a few skills while captive- He is well versed in forms of torture as he not only witnessed it, but experienced for himself. He also spent a good amount of time studying poisons at first for the concoction, but now as a means to an end.  Still, that knowledge could be useful if he needs to eliminate a threat in a hurry.


Medical Knowledge: Kaison is well versed in his studies, both literary and practical. Though his true extent of training is vague, when he gets to work, Kai knows what he is doing. He does have a few books on the latest researches of medical treatments, but he rarely pulls them out during care, spending his downtime flipping through the pages and writing his own practices in a separate journal. Though the Journal isn't something he allows others to read, his books he will happily pass over if anyone ever inquires. He doesn't believe knowledge should be restricted by class or race or age.

Born a Ranta: Ranta's are a surname often associated with those along the river, and Kaison is no different. He is an excellent swimmer, as well as a boatman and fisherman. He can tell a lot about an area based on the flowing waters nearby. He doesn't currently own or have access to a boat, but would be able to ferry people across if needed. If they camp by the water, Kai may forgo is nightly studies just to sit by the shore line and enjoy the water a bit.

Herbology: Kai has spent so long studying medicine, his knowledge has bled into those of herbology. He hadn't meant to, but one intriguing book on the natural benefits of sap as a bonding agent and Kai was down a rabbit hole of sorts. He knows a lot about the different plants and how to mix them together for potions and antidotes, as well as toxins and poisons, but his knowledge goes a bit further for the physical use of certain plants in the treatment of a person. Knowing which mushrooms skins could be used for an emergency bandages when wrappings are dirtied or scarce. Knowing which leaves can sooth a bite, or which sap can be a seal.


Unrested: For many, death is an end. But not Kai. He lives on past his time. His body is dying, but he continues on. Food and water can be consumed, but it has no benefit. He doesn't bleed, so poisons cannot spread throughout the body through the bloodstream, but he doesn't always feel severe temperature changes and may stand out for not trying to adjust to such changes. Pain tolerance is a good description, but it is a lack of pain for injury awareness. He breathes, but since some of his body has given into necrosis, he doesn't needs as much air as a normal person and can hold his breath for longer. His scent has a faint trace of decay, but often has herbs with him overpowering the smell.


Unchained: Kai does not do well with getting grabbed or being confined. If he can, he would avoid even going into a tavern or staying overnight in a room. He prefers the outdoors for a reason, and would require a room for any place he were to stay overnight has a window. He has developed claustrophobia and tight areas are hard for him to go into.

Not Caught Up With Current Event: For someone so bookish, some may assume Kai is aware of current events, but in all reality, he is a bit lost when topics turn to news, such as the asteroid from a few years ago, or the missing dragon. He kinda has lived under a rock for a while.

Those who wish for his return work in the shadows: A Wanted person would have posters. But he isn't wanted, at least for any crimes. No, instead, he has a group that is currently looking for him, and he doesn't want to be found again. Because of this, he doesn't enjoy crowded rooms or dealing with too many new people at once so he can't pick up on any signs a person recognizes him.


Notable Equipment:
Short Sword
Overcoat/Duster
Gloves
Travelling Outfit
Change of Clothes
Medical supplies (Bandages, series of tubes with different ointments, small sutures kit)
Satchel
  -3 medical books
  -2 private journals
Herbs
A tea set
A fishing Pole with 10 fishing hooks

Likes: Reading along a peaceful river, learning a new subject, the smell of books, finishing a job, and when things actually work correctly.
Dislikes: Tight spots, being in jail, anyone who doesn't respect books, those who will hurt others for their own gain.
Habits: When concentrating, will pull his hair out of his face. He can balance two books on his legs, often his journal on one, while reading off the other. He tends to drift off while reading. He doesn't often sleep properly, just short naps.


 When one is named Ranta, one also knows the risk of the waters. Kaison learned that lesson before he could remember, his parents lost to the rough storm waters. Luckily, the small town he was raised in was used to such situations. The local church of Corvus adopted Kaison into their folds, and the young boy grew. He was smart, and learned many odd talents as a kid, slowly developing a strong interest in the medical field. His interests began to refine themselves- sewing lessons became stitches of the flesh. Herbology became how plants can help cure. Every skill he had developed, he altered to focus on medicine. Even his fishing talents, the flesh of fish could be used to accelerate healing properties. Most of the knowledge was scattered, and so Kaison began to use a journal to make personal notes about findings he found most intriguing, as well as evidence of cases he personally witnessed where such practices were put to use. He even picked up a few languages to find out more information. It was on this quest for knowledge he stumbled across a long forgotten tome. It was a language he didn't recognize, and so he approached the Elders of the church to journey and learn what the book may mean. He was coming to adulthood, so going out by himself wasn't that hard of a request.

  With the church's blessing, Kaison left with the book, hoping to find answers. While asking about anyone who could translate the book, an organization called The Black Lab picked Kaison up. They found his course of studies curious, as well as the book. Kaison never got to learn if the book had any useful knowledge. In fact, sometimes he wonders if the book was important at all, or if he just was picked off the streets for their little game. They started off small, providing him with more knowledge. More books. More things to study. New practices, as well as lost artes he could research about. Then cadavers came in, and at first, Kaison was a bit disturbed, experimenting on bodies. But as more came in, he became desensitized.

  The studies became life consuming, all his time was spent in the Lab. Morning, Day, and Night. He dabbled into Alchemy, studying old concoctions,  trying to translate them to more modern terms. And then the first living subject came in. They injected him with something and Kaison watched as whatever that something was, destroyed it from the inside. It was awful and he tried to leave. But it became obvious he was trapped, and knew he either could study what went wrong with whatever it was they were injecting the person with or he might be the next subject. Days. Weeks. Months went on, and bodies piled the floor. Men, women, humans, elves, beastkin. Even a few children. But then one of them lingered, and the main orchestrators of the Labs were in a frenzy. The end of the experiments were whispered and Kaison felt hope. He hadn't been outside in many a day. It could of been months at that point. But then the 'Final draft' was produced, and Kaison thought if the next subject reacted well enough, he could leave. It was a bit of a shock when the needle jabbed into his own flesh.

  Fire ripped through his body. Breathing felt like he was drowning. It was not a quick death. Kaison felt like he struggled to survive on that floor for a year. But soon, he felt his heart slow to a stop, the breath leave him, and the thumping of his blood in his ears quiet. But he didn't die. After a bit, he sat up, and a few scientists celebrated. He was dead, but not. Then, the Lab tore him apart, figuratively and literally. By the end of his captivity, his blood had all been drained. He had been burned, electrocuted, drowned, hung, stabbed, and a few other things he tended to pretend didn't happen. His body would convulse like it was dying again, and at first he struggled, naturally, to live. But after 'dying' again, he would suddenly wake once more, living but not. He suffered, but soon began to be numb to the pain. His extremities took on necrosis, the dying of the flesh from lack of oxygen from blood flow, but he never smelled, luckily.

  How long he was in there, it was anyone's guess. It was a constant stream of visitors, of experimenters or observers. He was in a cage and couldn't fight back. That spirit had died a long time ago. And then, a large explosion, and a wave soon changed everything. They had moved the operation years ago to a small island, to keep away from the populous, but today, the island was bombarded by a tsunami, wrecking the building and granting Kaison his freedom. Of course, he had to suffer drowning once more, but soon he was waking up along a coast line. At first, Kaison wasn't sure what to think, but soon he was scrambling to find a local town, to get covered up and seek refuge. And Kai was born.

  He didn't know a lot of people inside the Labs, but based on conversations, a few of the Observers were high end people, a select handful being regulars to the experiment. To his knowledge, he was the only one to be like this, and hence why he was studied. But now free, Kai avoided all of the richer parts of town, but also avoided the slums, in case his face got out there and someone wanted a reward. Soon, he found work in a local shop, developing a small career in transporting items for a series of shop owners. He wants to find rest at some point, but knows right now, he needs to find a group he can travel with and be useful enough to not get kicked out quickly. Maybe later down the road, once they established a good bit of trust, he can try and get them to help him find a cure. If one did exist that was.

Connections:
The Black Labs- Not one he is proud of