Mikael (Ottomer Dvarge)

Name: Mikael (AKA Ottomer Dvarge)

Age: 16

Group: Rogue (Previously Military Police)

Profession: Not a criminal by trade, but a thief, criminal and murderer (Previously soldier)

Appearance: Mikael is a handsome young man, with dark-blonde hair and sapphire-blue eyes. He stands at 1.8[M], and his confident demeanor usually makes him seem taller than that. His well-toned muscles certainly also contribute to his appealing demeanor. However, he is surprisingly light, weighing only 57[KG].
Mikael's hair is curly and medium-lengthed, framing his face like a gentle lion's mane. He wears very average clothes - usually a long-sleeve shirt, and puffy long pants. Mikael likes colors, but calm and soothing ones. If he knows he will need to fight, run, or do any other form of intense physical activity, he ties the loose ends of his pants to his legs with small strips of white cloth.
Mikael's face has rather sharp features, and he sports a round chin. His expression is usually jovial, and his eyes always make him seem like he's about to laugh.

Identity: Mikael is an extroverted emotional type. Although he loves his alone time, he truly prefers being with friends, especially interesting and caring ones. He loves deep, meaningful conversations, and those who can hold them.
He is also extremely confident, perhaps to a fault. He had long since learned that appearance can do wonders on how others perceive you, and because of that tries (And usually succeeds) looking much more impressive than he actually is. It may seem slightly dishonest, but to Mikael, what doesn't cause anybody else harm, and is good for you, is a wonderful thing.
In general, that's a strong motif with Mikael. He will do anything necessary to survive, however brutal, humiliating or wrong. That being said, Mikael's morals are pretty spot-on, usually caring a lot for others and only reluctantly doing bad things to others. He also treats others with respect, but isn't afraid to joke around with them, hopefully not too much at their expense.
Despite loving a good laugh, Mikael isn't the sort who would like a dumb joke. Perhaps this is due to the way he was raised. He has great respect and passion towards dedicated people (Much like his dedication for survival), and despises narrow-minded people who just tread along like sheep.

Mikael is also very curious, and loves learning new things - about anything. That, along with his natural talent, confidence and luck make him seem truly like a powerhouse of a person, almost without faults.
However, that is not to say he has none. Mikael is more self-absorbed than he'd like to admit, and that along with his survival instincts often leads to immoral behavior. Mikael, despite being sharp-of-tongue, is not exactly sharp-of-mind. He can practically charm anyone into believing he's right, even though he could very well be wrong.
Another fault is boredom - because his love for freedom and his interest in seemingly anything, he is also quick to dismiss something as boring and quickly loses focus on unimportant things, almost like a child surrounded with toys.

Preferences:

-Likes:

• Living - despite thinking about this quite a lot, Mikael never came to the conclusion of why he loves living so much, but the fact that he does love it is as certain as the sky. Every waking moment is an adventure to him, and Mikael is always fully aware and thankful for this life of his. He knows that it could've been cut short easily, and because of that he cherishes every single moment.
  
• Freedom - speaking not only of physical freedom, but also freedom in the abstract sense, Mikael loves reveling in his ability to do many things, and the different outcomes from each choice. He strongly believes in the inherent freedom of every person, and that those who don't seize their freedoms are ultimately inferior.
  
• Humour - to Mikael, humour is extremely important. Not only is it a display and use of intellect, but it also brightens up people's days, maybe even lives. The fact that using words people can make such a big difference not only in their own world, but also the worlds of others, intrigues Mikael.
  
• Colours - Mikael just loves colourful things. They make life much more vibrant.
  
• Fluffly animals - very in tune with comfort, Mikael loves all things cuddly, and hairy and fluffly animals are certainly no exception.
  

-Dislikes:

• Small-mindedness - Mikael absolutely despises statements like "That's just the way it is", "I dunno why I do X". He hates when people just submit to their circumstances and/or predetermined path of life and don't even think about alternatives. These people are shallow in his opinion, and even hindering to a healthy society. Mikael believes that only through questioning everything can the ultimate truth emerge - or at least the closest parallel.
  
• The Underground - if Mikael hates cages in both the physical and abstract sense, then The Underground is the ultimate cage, in all ways. It is an oppressive, dark and cold prison where people are not only prisoners of the place itself, but also their own minds, shackled into not really thinking about stuff. After getting his first sweet taste of the outside world, Mikael knows that he never wants to return back to The Underground. Death would be sweeter.
  
• The rich - Mikael hadn't seen much wealth before he rose to the upper lands, but he was absolutely disgusted by the disproportionate difference between what the rich were doing and what they were capable of doing with their wealth. Instead of using it to make the lives of others better, or even indulge themselves in pleasures, most rich people just tried to get richer and richer, a neverending cycle of foolishness. Mikael cannot stand it.
  

-Fears:

• Consequences - Mikael has done plenty wrong in his life. Freedom, in part, is also the freedom to do things without having to face consequences. Mikael isn't quite ready to deal with what those consequences might be, and because of that usually avoids them in fear.
  

-Goal(s):
Mikael's main goal is to just stay alive - to explore this wonderful world he was born into, to practice his freedom, to feed his never-ending curiosity. It's as simple as that.

Backstory:
The Underground is no place for, well, anyone. Especially not children. And yet, that is the environment that Mikael grew up with.
Orphaned at such a young age that he cannot remember his parents, or even his real name, Mikael survived the first years of his life purely through the generosity of those more fortunate than him. In time, he learned to reflect on that. Even in the vilest, poorest place in the world, there was still empathy, still enough love and care to allow him to live.
That was the way of The Underground. There were plenty of orphans to go around, and they would often group up and take care of one another. The older kids would take care of the younger ones (To their ability), and in time the younger ones would grow up and take care of the new generation of orphans. Little children were not hard to feed, and they helped give a sense of purpose to the older orphans. Beyond that, there was a usefulness to having a small, obedient and dependent child follow your orders, grow up by your teachings and do as you say... it was not uncommon for this aspect to be abused. Not that any of them knew it was abuse.

It was a dark, harsh life. The orphans, and Mikael among them, would equally live off the generosity of people and their own thievery. Good and bad. Kindness and selfishness. Mikael learned of these two aspects, and embraced them. He knew what was right and what was wrong, but at the same time knew that the most righteous thing there was, was to survive. So he was taught by those before him, the orphans who took it upon themselves to raise him.
And yet, even then, he knew he was different. While not uncommon for children to question, well, practically everything, they very quickly learned in The Underground that not every question had an answer, and that sometimes that answer would be a punch, or a shove. Peter never learned that lesson, and kept asking, kept wondering. The tiny kid, not even six years old, he would always stare upwards, at the ceiling of the dark cave they called home. He knew there was a life above, and according to the stories often passed around by the orphans, it was a wonderland. Everybody had food above, and they played all day with each other. Everyone was free to do as they wanted, and the days were always warm.
That hope ignited the spirit of the young Mikael, even more so than the other children. They might have relished the thought of freedom, but to him, the promise of a new land to explore was that much more tantalizing.

His curiosity, as well as confidence got him far, in terms of The Underground. There was an old man that once taught him how to read and write, and in return he would let the old man touch him. For Mikael, at the time, it was a good deal. He was still too young to understand what was happening, and by the time he got older, he decided to block away those awful memories.
Being surrounded by children all the time also meant that fights were fairly commonplace. Mikael got his fair share of cuts and bruises, but from each defeat he learned. That, coupled with the necessity of theft, of deception, trained Mikael's mind and body to a harsh degree. By the time he was 11, there was no wall too tall to climb, no merchant too scary to steal from, no challenge too mighty - well, except for ascending the stairs and going up.
And why shouldn't he?

It didn't take long until Mikael and a group of like-minded orphans made their team. Cord, his best friend, was everything he needed in one. Reliable, trustworthy, and equally passionate about leaving the hell called The Underground. Cord was usually the more serious of the two, organizing the logistics of the group and the plans for high-end thievery, while Mikael was usually the one to execute all those plans. One could've called Mikael "The Muscle", were it not usually a matter of wits and quick reflexes rather than brute force.
The grand plan was simple, but childish. Keep stealing away and making money by other illegitimate ways until the group had enough money to afford everyone a one-way ticket up the stairs and into the living wonderland. It might sound silly, but such a promise was enough to make all these children risk their lives for the cause.
And so, they kept stealing, growing bolder each time. Rarely were they caught, and fewer times were they arrested. However, those that were simply disappeared, never to be seen again. Such was their comradery - even when faced with death, they never betrayed the trust of their friends.
Over time, their group expanded. They got their own tiny base-of-operations, and more and more people joined the cause. Cord, now basically the leader of the group (along with Mikael), was elated. However, Mikael was growing more and more despaired by this. To him, the idea of leaving The Underground wasn't just a nice goal that could motivate others to work under him. He truly wanted nothing more than to escape. He didn't miss the fact that with each new member, it meant one more ticket the group would need to purchase.

Around that time, a new girl joined the group. A few years younger than Mikael, she was a beautiful, red-haired orphan who went by Sofia. She was extremely quiet, but did well on the operations. Mikael quickly befriended her, and the two got to know the other well. They shared the same goal, and they lived similar lives. In secret, this friendship blossomed into love, and eventually the two teens gave each other their virginity. It took Mikael time to accept the wild thoughts that have been brewing in his head, but eventually he was ready. He knew that there was no chance for them to ever make enough money for the whole group to leave... but there was enough to buy a few tickets. Maybe even enough for three.

Mikael confronted Cord. He begged him to leave this base with him, to abandon all those followers of his and rise above.Cord, serious as always, tried to explain to Mikael how impractical it would be for them to do so, that even if they somehow did manage manage to get to the land above, they won't have anywhere to go, or more money to afford shelter and food. More importantly, however, he told Mikael that the clan was his brotherhood, and he wasn't going to betray any of them. Just like they have been raised by older orphans, they must do their part and raise the younger ones.
A fight escalated between the two friends, and eventually Mikael stormed off, heartbroken but determined. In the dead of night, he snuck into the clan's vault and stole enough money for two tickets. From there, Mikael and Sofia escaped in secret, buying the passage above.
As they ascended the stairs, however, the two were stopped. It was Cord, and in his hand was a knife.

He explained to the two that long ago, he too sought to do the same as them, and also stole from the vault to fund him own ticket up. However, when he did see the world above, he was so disappointed with its corruption, as well as his own immoral actions, that he returned back to The Underground to do what is right, and care for those under him. He wasn't going to allow Mikael to make the same mistake, especially not at the expense of all the others in the brotherhood.
Mikael, steadfast in his quest for freedom, began fighting his friend. Just as Mikael started gaining the upper hand, Cord stepped back with Sofia in one hand and the knife in the other. He asked his childhood friend one final time to turn back. If not for the brotherhood, then for himself and for Sofia. Mikael considered, considered for a long time. The hesitation was enough for the distraught Cord, who slit Sofia's throat. Enraged, Mikael shoved Cord, and his friend fell down to The Underground below, along with Mikael's love, Sofia.
Grieving but knowing he had no time for sorrow, Mikael continued ascending the steps, and escaped before the bodies were discovered.

When Mikael took those first few steps outside the tunnel and into Krolva, he nearly choked coughing. The air... felt to strong! Despite the sadness, the loss, Mikael was laughing. He was crying and laughing at the same time. The sky above him had no bounds, and their majesty was filled with twinkling stars. And the moon! So big, so bright, the biggest light source Mikael had ever seen. It was almost too much to take in, the colours~ the blue of the sky was intoxicating, and the browns and greys of the buildings were so rich. It was nothing like Mikael expected of the world above, but it was so much more amazing!
Mikael went exploring from there, meeting people and understanding more about this wonderful world. He went for days without sleep, too excited to rest. However, when he did finally sleep, the nightmares began. Haunting, terrifying nightmares of The Underground, of Cord, of Sofia. In his waking moments, it was made apparent that he needed a home, a source of income, a new start. He couldn't just be a thief here, now could he? That would be a cruel shackle.
And so, he joined the military, feigning amnesia and going by the name of Ottomer Dvarge. The skills he picked up from growing in the Underground were sufficient to make him a good soldiers, and his ability to commute, lead, and charm others made him appear all the more impressive. He made it to the top of his class, and joined the Military Police on a whim, hearing their work was the most luxurious and least demanding.

There, he lived a comfortable life until he met Alan, who soon became his captain. Alan was a good man, and Mikael quickly grew fond of him. He found him similar to himself in a lot of ways, and really looked up to his captain.
However, Mikael's past came back to haunt him. Alan's squad began a case investigating The Underground. Mikael knew he couldn't be part, lest some were to recognize him and waste years of hard work. Mikael wouldn't not return to The Underground. He couldn't.
And so, he feigned boredom once again, apparently too disinterested in the case to be of any help. Luckily, Alan's squad was based on trust, so he was given this opportunity freely.
And yet, when the squad finally returned from the mission underground, Mikael's greatest fears came to fruition. He read the case summary, and quickly understood all that has happened there on the case, and what happened in The Underground during his absence. He also knew that it wouldn't take the brilliant Alan long to figure out that Ottomer was, in fact, Mikael.
He went to confront Alan, and begged Alan to keep the realization to himself. Alan, who was too just for his own good, declined. And so, following his instincts of survival, Mikael killed Alan by defenstrating and fled into the night, once again before could be caught.

Mikael was free physically, but not of his sins. Twice he has killed an idealistic friend, twice has he escaped into the night and had to start his life anew. Now accustomed to the world above, Mikael keeps hiding 'in plain sight'. He takes up oddjobs that are offered to him and sleeps wherever he can. His only wishes are that one day he will be free to continue exploring this beautiful, wonderful world, and that he will be able to forgive himself for all the terrible things he had done.

Stats:

Strength: 6
Agility: 9
Intellect: 7

Extra:
Mikael is an NPC-turned-character. He appeared multiple times in various posts, often by the false name of Ottomer, or 'Otto' for short.

Nothing to add, really.
Well, except one thing.

You're a freaking madman.