Civilian Thavas Th'Omtala
Name Thavas Th'Omtala
Position Proprietor
Rank Civilian
Character Information
Gender | Male | |
Species | Andorian | |
Age | 62 | |
Date of Birth | Earth Date 29 January 2332 |
Physical Appearance
Height | 6ft 1in | |
Weight | 190 | |
Hair Color | White | |
Eye Color | Blue | |
Physical Description | Thavas is a tall, fit, handsome Andorian with a mysterious air about him that fits the Andorian cultural habit around secrets. As in, he always looks like he has a secret, more than one, actually, and just maybe, for a price, he’ll share it with you. With the Andorian lifespan being 129 or more, at 62 Thavas is about middle aged. He has piercing blue eyes, and the white hair, blue skin, and antennae one would expect for an Andorian. He moves with a flowing grace, especially when practicing Omtalu, the martial art of Clan Omtala. He can appear unassuming and blend into a crowd if he wishes, and frequently does so. Thavas makes his clothing from beautiful and sometimes exotic Omtalan textiles. He always dresses appropriately for the occasion. One of his favorite tricks is to use a special Omtalan fabric that appears to be a different color, depending on how the light hits it and what angle you’re looking at it from. And, of course, there’s nothing odd about him making or wearing such a thing. Clothing made with this type of Omtalan fabric is highly sought after, and quite expensive. It’s all the rage among people in the know. As an Andorian, and someone who has mastered the art of Ivarus Hrisalnar AKA “Ivari Knife Dancing”, Thavas is usually seen with a hrisal (a long knife or short sword/saber with a gently curving blade). It is usually either in a scabbard at his side or in a scabbard in his hand (i.e. he sometimes carries it in his hand the scabbard). He can legally claim that he carries the blade for cultural reasons for carrying such a thing and therefore can carry in places it might not otherwise be allowed (such as a starbase or Federation colony). |
Family
Spouse | N/A | |
Children | Ah’Haron Th’Omtala (Adult) | |
Father | Kelev Th’Omtala, Jorvus Ch’Omtala | |
Mother | Andani Zh’Omtala, Resha Sh’Omtala | |
Brother(s) | Lortel Th’Omtala | |
Sister(s) | Sere (pronounced “Sair-ay”) Zh’Omtala | |
Other Family | Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, nieces, nephews, etc. TBD in play. Some are members of the Vola Vrinia (Andorian Mafia), though Thavas himself is not. |
Personality & Traits
General Overview | “Me? I am Thavas. Weaver, trader in fine textiles, tailor, clothing designer, tailor. I’ve plied my trade in places you can’t go wearing a Starfleet uniform and I have legitimate business relationships with people who would as soon kill a Starfleet officer as look at one. Sometimes, I hear things. Sometimes, if the right person comes along, I share these bits of information I’ve come across… if appropriate compensation or exchange is offered, of course. Are you one of those right people?” Thavas’ primary livelihood is in textiles and tailoring. He is the owner and operator of Sartorial Splendor, a weaver, a trader, and a tailor. Keth (Clan) Omtala has two claims to fame: Unarmed Martial Arts and producing some of the most amazing textiles. These textiles are so beautiful and exotic and unique, that no replicator could produce them. Thus, they are highly sought after and people will pay handsomely for them. Thavas is an experienced weaver as well as an experienced tailor and clothing designer. He brings the materials he needs to weave Omtalan cloth with him, weaves his own textiles, and designs and tailors clothing for sale in his shop. The textiles themselves can be purchased if the customer desires to have someone else make their clothing. Thavas takes custom orders for textiles, and of course makes custom clothing (both “male” and “female”), drapes, upholstery, sheets and blankets, etc. Thavas has been doing this work for a very long time and is widely known for his skills. Heads of State, Ambassadors, high ranking military officers, gangster bosses, smugglers, pirates have all used him to make beautiful (and usually expensive) clothing for them and for their spouses and children. As Thavas interacts with them, he learns things. Some even intentionally use him to acquire information. Why? Because his side hustle is that he’s an information broker. He trades information and brokers deals for information in exchange for compensation, This could be currency of some sort, favors, or other bits of information he can sell somewhere else. Note that Thavas is known to Starfleet Intelligence and Starfleet Security as a source of information and generally as someone with potentially interesting contacts. |
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Strengths & Weaknesses | STRENGTHS: Clever, adaptable, and patient. Thavas learned early on that winning a physical confrontation, even a duel, doesn’t necessarily mean the matter is over and done with. As such, he has become skilled at talking his way out of many types of trouble. Skilled at unarmed combat (Omtalu) and skilled with the hrisal (a traditional Andorian sword, more like a long, gently curved knife); through his study of a martial art called Ivarus Hrisalnar AKA “Ivari Knife Dancing” (developed by Keth/Clan Ivari) Wealthy: Thavas has acquired a great deal of Federation credits, latinum, and other forms of currency over the decades. He also has interests in the textile business spread around the Alpha Quadrant, Beta Quadrant, and even in the Gamma Quadrant, both through his own networks and those he shares with his family and his Keth (Clan). He has diversified his banking in such a way that he can access his resources almost anywhere, and that obtained for his information brokering services is appropriately laundered. WEAKNESSES: Thavas’ life involves walking a tightrope. He doesn’t always have a safety net and a slip at just the right moment could be fatal. He moves in circles that can be very dangerous and tricky to operate in. Politicians, criminals, spies, pirates, smugglers, oligarchs, nobles, monarchs, a myriad of military officers. A wrong word or move in many of these interactions could lead to a grim end… or at least get him into a jam. (Possibly others TBD) |
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Ambitions | Someday, Thavas will sit back and rest on his laurels… and his fortune. Maybe. For the time being he is having far too much fun to stop. | |
Hobbies & Interests | Omtalu (his clan’s martial arts), Ivarus Hrisalni (Ivari Knife Dancing), Andorian Blues (music) and music from Earth. He enjoys attending live concerts and live theater. Thavas is also an amateur musician. | |
Languages | Thavas is a hyperpolyglot and can communicate in the following languages with varying degrees of fluency: Graalen (Andorian), Federation Standard (English), most of the languages commonly spoken in the Rigel System (Vulcanoid Rigelian, Cheron, High and Low Orion, Kaylar, Federation Standard, and Graalen), as well as Klingon, High and Low Rihan, Cardassian, Bajoran, and Yridian. This comes in quite handy as some of the people of the Underworld that Thavas deals with forbid the use of universal translators at their meetings. |
Personal History | Below are some general highlights of Thavas Th’Omtala’s past. Highlights: Born 2332 (age 62 in 2394; middle age for an Andorian), on Cimera III in the Cimera System. The planet Cimera III was settled by the Andorians in the Earth year 1867 of the Common Era (CE). The settlers were carried to Cimera aboard a sleeper ship launched from Andoria earlier that century. Their ship was the only one to survive this attempt at long range colonization by sleeper ship. Keth (Clan) Omtala specializes in unarmed combat, weaving, and trading in their unique textiles, which cannot be replicated or reproduced with any quality by anyone but them. Thavas learned these skills as a child and teenager, in addition to his preparatory education. Growing up on Cimera III, Thavas early on developed friendships and contacts with people who had connections to the Vola Vrinia (Andorian Mafia) or became actual members of the Vola Vrinia. This ability to function and communicate effectively within the criminal underworld has paid off throughout his life. After completing his preparatory education, Thavas went on a sort of walkabout, traveling, hiking, camping, taking two years off to “find himself”. After returning from his adventures, Thavas settled down and attended the Andorian Academy of the Arts, expanding his knowledge of weaving, textiles, tailoring, and clothing design, earning a degree in Fine Arts. Thavas worked with his family and his Keth (clan), learned more about the textile trade, and put to use what he’d learned. He became an accomplished weaver, tailor, fashion designer, and trader. Not long after completing his fine arts degree, Thavas got into a duel under the rules of the Ushaan. This wasn’t unusual. Andorians duel all the time. Most duels are to first blood or even first touch. But this duel was with the niece of a mid-level Vola Vrinia (Andorian Mafia) boss. Still, a duel to “first blood” wouldn’t have been bad. Unfortunately, the woman wouldn’t stop coming, even after Thavas drew blood on her several times. Finally, Thavas was forced to kill her to stop her. Though honor was satisfied, the woman’s uncle was not pleased. Her uncle advised Thavas if he left Andoria and Cimera III for a period of no less than 20 years, the matter would be closed, though now and again, the Vola Vrinia might “ask” a favor of Thavas, favors Thavas would be expected to offer graciously. So Thavas left and went to the Farius System. He paid off his debt of repentance to the Vola Vrinia and made himself a tidy fortune in the process. Through his work, Thavas has developed contacts throughout Federation space and beyond. Private citizens, government officials, military personnel, law-enforcement, nobles, gangsters, smugglers, pirates, spies, and even everyday, hard working folk looking for just a touch of luxury at an affordable price. Andorians love secrets and intrigue. Thavas has created a side business trading in information. This frequently brings him into contact with Yridians, who have an entire economy set up around buying, selling, and trading in information. It is known among the people who know these things, that if you seek information, Thavas may be able to get it for you. Even Starfleet Security officers and Intelligence officers have overtly and/or covertly used him as a source of information, to spread rumors, pass messages, even arrange meetings. Note: For transportation, Thavas currently owns a surplus Starfleet Danube Class Runabout, which he acquired for its range, cargo capacity, ease of operation, and acceptable defensive capabilities. |
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Service Record | EDUCATION HISTORY: Keth (Clan) Omtala Weaving, Textiles, Tailoring, Clothing Design, Unarmed Martial Arts (Which I’m going to call “Omtalu” for lack of any other name for it. One of Keth Omtala’s specialties is their own styles of unarmed combat, but the book I used as a foundation for a lot of this write up doesn’t give any names for them.) Dueling (with the hrisal; trained in Ivarus Hrisalnar AKA “Ivari Knife Dancing”) Andorian Academy of the Arts Weaving, Textiles, Clothing Design, Tailoring Fine Arts degree "SERVICE RECORD" 2350 to 2352 Off on a “walkabout” in the mountains of Andoria. 2352 to 2355 Andorian Academy of the Arts 2355 to 2375 (or so): The Cardassian Border Wars, The Dominion Cold War, The Federation-Klingon War, The Dominion War During this period, Thavas spent a great deal of time in the Farius system, especially Farius Prime. This openness of the system was ideal for trade with both legitimate and more questionable clients. This was where Thavas really got into the information brokering business. His location and his work brought him into contact with the Cardassians, the Bajoran Resistance, the Maquis, the Orion Syndicate, Vola Vrinia (Andorian Mafia), the Iotian Outfit, the Dominion, the Breen, and even other groups, such as the Romulans and the Klingons. Post-War (2375 or so to “Present”) Was part of a trade mission to the Gamma Quadrant. Upon return from the Gamma Quadrant, Thavas plied his trade in the Rigel system. He set up on Rigel II, the independent “pleasure planet”, where he interacted with law abiding citizens on vacation, officers and crew of many different fleets and military forces, and all manner of unsavory sorts (pirates, smugglers, black marketeers; he never deals in anything he’s not supposed to be dealing in; even gangsters need a nice suit of clothes), Thavas also had clients on most of the other worlds and outposts in the Rigel system, Federation, Orion, and independent. The neutrality of several of the planets in the Rigel System (or parts of a planet, in the case of Rigel IV) gave Thavas access to lots of information to trade for currency, favors, or more valuable information. Many neutral traders and even smugglers who have dealings with the Typhon Pact and pass through their territories pass through or are based in the Rigel System. For example, Rigel II is a pleasure planet open to all, and there are other ports not affiliated with the Federation. There’s even a set of moons around one of the planets in the Rigel System that is openly known to be a haven for unsavory types. Not only is there a thriving black market on those moons, but their recreational facilities offer pleasures even the resorts on Rigel II are too squeamish to dabble in. Seeking a new adventure, and having set up a stable business on Rigel II that could run without his direct supervision, Thavas set out for Deep Space 5. |