EDITED 13.11.17
NAME: Aeri
RACE: Elf
AGE: 83
SEX: Female
APPEARANCE:Aeri stands at five feet and eleven inches. She hides most of her form through flowy clothing with many layers, so it belies her wiry frame. The elf looks like she shouldn't weigh more than 120 pounds soaking wet, but truly she's closer to 140 pounds due to her muscles.![]()
Credit to IanPerks
EQUIPMENT: A shepherd’s crook with a ribbon woven from the fur of a fox, a carved crow caller, ankle bangle with bells, a wind instrument carved from a grizzly bear’s femur, a pilfered crossbow and a handful of bolts, and a well-worn crossbody satchel made from a deer’s pelt that holds snacks (for herself and other creatures) doeskin thigh-high boots and gloves. She also has a wicked hunter's knife in a deerskin sheath hidden beneath the cloth wrapped around her hips. It is well cared for and sharp enough to give someone the cleanest shave of their life. She achieves this by carrying a small whetstone in the same satchel as her snacks. It's her snickity snacks satchel.
BLOODLINE: Wanderer - Aeri has no familial identity, only racial.
BIOGRAPHY: Aeri was born before the elves truly understood how rare it was to have a child to survive past infancy. She was regarded as being as disposable as any human babe: likely to die, but easily replaced again and again. Her mother and father met as their two caravans converged in a city during a harvest festival. The trade caravans parted ways before Ariel, Aeri's mother, knew she was carrying Aeri.
Aeri’s mother raised her with a gentle, but loose hand. Aeri rarely received much in the way of discipline outside of the lessons she learned from situations she put herself in. In an attempt to find more consistent companionship she wove spells to talk with the creatures around her that were more interesting while the rest of the caravan slept. The young girl would chitter and squawk back to birds or chuff and grumble back at bears as it pleased her during the day, but silently speak back at night. She was too small to be seen as a threat to any of the creatures so they tolerated her presence in the majority. Bears weren't always willing to entertain a small, hairless creature with a thousand questions
It wouldn’t take long for Aeri to find herself favoring foxes. In fact, she learned how to talk to them before she mastered the common tongue. She admired their clever natures and playful dispositions. They seemed to have wit and riddles beyond that of most creatures, not that many others would understand them. They would play hide and seek together under the shade of the canopy and collapse together in a warren at the end of the day. One of the cubs favored her equally and would follow her beyond the borders of its usual roaming to stay in her company. Aeri named him Ren and seemed to follow him as much as he followed her. Aeri saw the foxes as more of a family than her mother and their wandering tribe and so when she reached the age of maturity she stayed behind in the Renaltan woods when they decided it was time to move on.
She had been raised in the paradise of Renalta’s Golden Age and knew nothing else until there were no other of her kind to protect her from the devastation. As a young girl she had been raised on fantastic stories of the royal family and their majesty. Though she had tawny hair and hazel eyes she liked to think of herself as being like the blonde princess of her fairytales. Her magic couldn’t match that of Camilla’s, but her furry friends let her think it did. Aeri was close enough to Renalta at the time of the city’s destruction to have lost many members of her woodland family just as the nation lost the royal family. The bear which had pretended to be the king, an elderly grizzly who seemed to be the only of his kind to tolerate her, was found as a bare skeleton, so she took one of its bones with her to sing of his strength and chivalry. Though he was a simple creature in the eyes of many, he was a knight in her eyes.
Because Camilla and her family were a fairytale come to life to Aeri she doubted they could all be dead. Princesses don’t die in fairytales; they sleep for a long time and then are awakened with one kind of magic or another. Aeri hadn’t been beyond the outskirts of the Renaltan forests before, but now she would venture forward to find the woman she idolized as a childhood hero. As she journeyed across the lands she would do her best to avoid the violent disagreements between factions of her homeland. She wasn’t quite sure what they were arguing over, but she did know not to talk to Ren in front of some of them. They chased her for a good while the last time her nose had wriggled like Ren’s and her teeth had come to points like his. Aeri scavenged what she could from the aftermath of battles and settled on a small crossbow and however many bolts she could collect. It certainly made finding dinner a bit easier as well as surviving until tomorrow’s dinner.
While Aeri did know how to be sneaky in forests and avoid being detected by other predators and threats she wasn’t very sneaky in her efforts to find the princess. It wasn’t long before others were asking what she knew about the princess or trying to prevent her from continuing her motivated wandering. Aeri would outrun them or hide until she met the man who could lead her to Camilla. He seemed to be trustworthy enough and aligned with her cause. At this point Armon didn’t have much of a chance of shaking Aeri; she sees him as her best hope at finding the princess.
-----OPTION: MAGIC----
MAGIC CONCEPT: Animalism
SPELL EXAMPLES:
STRENGTHS:
- Foxy Lady: Aeri has the ability to give herself the traits of a fox when needed. This can include anything from their teeth or claws for defense to their eyes, ears, or nose for tracking. She can do the same with other animals, but it takes her longer to assume their traits and may do so imperfectly. This will especially be the case if she isn’t very familiar with the creature.
- Ka-Kaw: Deep in the forests of Aeri's childhood there was a monstrous bird with a screech loud enough to shred the eardrums of anything too close to its attack. Aeri can near perfectly imitate this screech if she thinks she needs to. Of course, she wouldn't do it very often. It hurts like a bitch. It'll often leave her incapable of speech for the next few days as it damages her transformed and regular vocal cords.
- Wuf: Animals make surprisingly good company when you know how to talk to them. While all elves can understand their sounds and movements as language as plain to them as common, Aeri can hear them in her inner mind while also being able to communicate back telepathically. Because there are so many animals in the world she has to be able to see the animal to hear their thoughts and inject her own.
- Fox Familiar: There is a fox that has been surrounded by Aeri’s magic since her childhood. It would seem Aeri’s longevity had bled into the fox’s being and afforded it the same supposedly eternal youth as she. His eyes are unnaturally blue rather than the typical brown. Ren is also larger than most foxes. He has grown to be about the same size as a small wolf. Aeri and Ren have forged a mental bond that allows them to communicate when they aren't able to see each other. This allows her familiar, Ren, to act as an invaluable scout. He’s also pretty good company.
- Furry Friends: Aeri can extend her mind’s voice to call to many of the same species in the area if she so chooses. The message has to be short as she is essentially telepathically shouting in the language of one species. Oftentimes they are glad for the respect and will help out if there’s no inherent risk to them. This means she can summon an earth of foxes to scout ahead for her or tell her of the local happenings. Aeri would be hesitant to do this for some species, such as bears. Bears don't always want to be shouted at.
WEAKNESSES:
- Survivor: Aeri hasn’t died yet despite living in the woods for almost a century. She can perform almost any task necessary to live in the wilderness and perform them efficiently. No one should starve or freeze while she is alongside them in a forest.
- Range: Given that Aeri isn’t too big and Ren is even less so they prefer to interact with enigmas from a distance. Both of them can hear and smell their quarries from further away than most other creatures. They have no need to approach threats. Aeri’s crossbow also aids in this endeavor to stay out of sight and upwind.
- All I hold is earth: Aeri travels light and has little sentimentality afforded to physical goods. It also helps her move silently through most terrains. She hasn’t mastered caves just yet. Oftentimes she's more entertained by the echoing than being silent.
- Animals are better than people: While humans are a temperamental lot animals are more straightforward. They eat because they are hungry and don’t often attack each other over perceived sour looks. Aeri takes these traits and reflects them when dealing with other bipedal creatures; she is forthcoming in her goals and does her best to complete them in a linear fashion.
- Lithe: Like many people during the time Aeri work with her body rather than her mind most days. She can scale trees with minimal effort and jog for miles with Ren at her side. When she dips into her magic she can also have the reflexes of whichever creature she is embracing.
-----BACKEND-----
- Hermit: Aeri hasn’t had much contact with the “civilized” world. She can speak common, but she can’t read or write it. She is dressed in an accessible dress, vest, and waist sash, but only because they are comfortable. Aeri doesn’t know how to speak to those who are her social superiors, so she probably shouldn’t be allowed to approach them.
- Ren: Talking to a wild creature would make anyone seem a bit crazy. Aeri does this on a semi-regular basis and has been known to carry the fox through towns when the cobblestones kept tripping him. He is her best friend and she would put her life on the line to save his in an instant. Carrying an overly large wolf like a babe is also not a great way to get positive attention in civilization.
- Pointy End?: While Aeri knows how to work her crossbow she doesn't know how to work other weapons very well. She may be strong enough to pick up a broadsword or pull back a longbow, but she would likely be more danger to herself than the enemy if she tried to use them.
- Shiny?: Aeri has no concept of money. None. Don't give it to her. She will give it away to her bird friends who appreciate shiny things more than her. She may have been born to a travelling caravan, but she never paid attention to how the caravan actually worked.
- Words?: While Aeri is fully capable of coherent conversation and has rapidly picked up on its nuances over these last fifty years she has learned what she knows from the common folk and a few helpful members of the church. The flowery language of nobility is beyond her and she only knows common and animal speech.
- Cheese: Now that Aeri has left the forest she has discovered the miracle of culinary science that is cheese. She fucking loves cheese. Wine and mead are cool and all, but cheese is where it’s at. Cheese is her favorite food and she will do a lot to get some, especially new types of cheese.
- Bears: Aeri has had consistently bad experiences with bears. Not all bears are bad, but bears are largely not willing to hang out with her. If she finds herself around an angry bear she's not going to play dead and she's not going to back away slowly. She and Ren are gonna climb up the tallest tree as quickly as possible while screaming for help.
MOTIVATION: Aeri doesn’t want to be sung about for generations or have a place in fairytales; all she wants is to continue the fairytale she was raised with. She wants to save the princess so the story can have a better ending than everyone died in a fireball and people fought each other for the rest of time. The wandering nature of her race has also driven her to move beyond the comforts of her forest and this happens to be some motivated wandering in her eyes.
GOALS: Ultimately Aeri would like to see Renalta brought back to its former glory. She wants the forests to thrive like they did fifty years ago and for families not to be forced apart by civil war. Now that she has been outside of her home forest she is also curious to see what the rest of Renalta could have in store for her. She wants to be seen as cultured in the end and not as a bumpkin.
VALUES: Animals are just as precious as people; they are not to be killed for sport. Aeri also thinks children are to be cherished and honored like the miracles they are. Shiny things should be given to those who need them more than she does and if they are cold then you should do your best to leave them warm and with full bellies. She has rarely been hungry in her life, but in winters where everything was scarce she knows the gnawing pain and doesn't wish it on anyone. Beyond this she is incredibly loyal; once she bonds with someone she will try to be by their side for as long as they’ll have her.
ANATHEMAS: If someone was to willingly put Ren in danger they would be at risk of being tackled by a frothing elf. Aeri would also be incensed by someone willingly ignoring another person in need, especially a child. She doesn’t understand the need to be rich. Aeri would also be aghast if someone was to just discard cheese. She may or may not fetch it out of the trash for herself afterwards.
SIGNATURE: Becca
NAME: Esther Stroud
RACE: Human
AGE: 16 and a half!
SEX: Female
APPEARANCE:Note: Particularly when excited or using her magic, her skin and eyes seem to glitter and sparkle from her natural magic.![]()
She's a little but under 5'2" for height and about 110 pounds for weight.
EQUIPMENT:
BLOODLINE: 'Bourgeoisie', her parents are mages in the Free Holds, Fucinahold in particular. Also she has the Arcana blood.
- Glitter-Gloves: She says they help her cast magic, which they don't actually do, but they're also just rad gloves.
- Daggers: She has two, because her parents insisted that one wouldn't be enough in case her magic won't cut it.
- Mystic Cloak: Her cloak is woven with enchanted silk, making it an excellent conduit for magic, both of her own and others. It also can mildly protect her from magical attacks if the cape is struck, but only a little bit.
BIOGRAPHY: Among the magical academies and bourgeoisie that live above the peasantry but don't quite run the world is a somewhat known family in Fucinahold: the Strouds. While respected for their moderate wealth and decent aptitude in magic, there's always been something a little off about the family. Whispers of occult dealings and worship to beings far beyond the mortal realm surround them, but most of it is just considered meaningless hearsay by jealous upstarts.
Esther is the oldest child of her parents and the only one to show promise to the arcane, giving her very different treatment from her younger siblings. Where her little brother and sister have been allowed to rough-house and explore and get into trouble, she was made to study from a very young age, and routinely spoiled with gifts and entertainment to keep her from growing too stressed, and sheltered from many of the dangers in life. Only in the last year or two has she been able to pursue her interest in boys (each suitor having been secretly vetted by her parents), but none of her relationships have gone terribly far as to be expected.
When the call for adventure was sent out, Esther begged and begged and threw fits until her parents finally caved and let her go try to find a princess or whatever. They intend to keep an eye on their little jewel, but having her out of their hair also gives them time to tend to the other two children. And thus, she has set out for adventure!
MAGIC CONCEPT: Star Magic - The stars above have blessed Esther with their shining boon. It largely relies around the creation and manipulation of miniature stars, which she uses to aid her friends and harm her foes.
SPELL EXAMPLES:
STRENGTHS:
- Star-Friends!: Esther can conjure miniature stars that orbit a short distance around her, generally 3-10 feet. These emit light brighter than a similarly sized flame, and she can direct them to go somewhere or fling them at enemies. When thrown at an enemy (or if an orbiting star collides with them), the stars burst and they are seared with magical energy and assaulted with a bright flash of light. The stationary stars do not burst, instead slowly burning things that remain in direct contact with them. The stars do not radiate a notable amount of heat otherwise. Expending more energy to create the stars will make them proportionally larger, brighter, hotter and more devastating.
- Stardust: By rubbing her hands together and spending small amounts of magic, Esther can create magical glittering dust. It can coat a weapon or body part to augment attacks, or scattered at an enemy and detonated to emit a blinding flash of light. It could be used to actually harm someone further than making a bright light without putting it on a weapon, but doing so is difficult and rarely worth the effort. It's also just pretty and shiny powder so that's fun too.
- Pew pew!: Esther can project bolts and beams of celestial energy towards an target. . They are much faster and more precise than Star Friends, but notably less powerful as a result.
- I'm a Star, Too!:For very brief periods of time Esther can suffuse that stellar energy within her own body, making her stronger, faster and capable of delivering impacts similar to Star Friends! with her own body. This is extremely magically taxing, and is only used in emergencies.
WEAKNESSES:
- Adorable: Esther is a young and innocent-looking child that combined with her whimsically playful attitude makes it dangerously easy for friend and foe alike to underestimate her abilities or intelligence. At times outsiders may not even realize she's a member of the party. This innocence, both perceived and actual, also allows others to feel comfortable around her.
- Trained in Magic: Her young age implies arcane training starting at a very young age. While her worldly experience isn't great, she's pretty good with a book and the ol' Abra Kadabra.
- Multilingual: Esther can speak a wide variety of languages, even for an educated person, some of her known tongues being almost useless for actual everyday life. Her parents were very insistent
- Literally a Teenage Girl:Esther can be high maintenance, finicky, naive and generally a pain at times. Her physical strength is laughable, stemming from being a child and a mage, but she's at least moderately quick if not burdened by heavy objects. Additionally she may attract certain kinds of attention, wanted or otherwise, from her youth.
- Checking in on the Babysitters:If her parents are nearby (AKA if the party is around her home Free Hold or if they come out to visit her), they will insist on seeing her, and stubborn mages are not the easiest people to keep away.
- Sparkle Sparkle!:Esther's magic is not subtle. At all. The closest thing to subtle she can do is the Stardust, and that's only subtle until she actually uses the glitter powder for something.
- I poke them with the pointy end... right?: Esther has nearly no idea how to use nearly any weapon of any kind, and only a cursory understanding of how to use her daggers. She was always told to just use her magic, or run away and let mommy and daddy protect her.
MOTIVATION: I want to adventure like the heroes in the storybooks, and explore the world! Also my parents say that the Archangel (and God to a certain extent) are bad and they need to go...
GOALS: I wanna be the best mage ever and be a pretty princess and marry a handsome prince and explore the world and...
VALUES: Honesty, fairness, and doing the right thing. Her code of ethics is fairly simple, and that lack of nuance helps at times but usually hinders her ability to make decisions.
ANATHEMAS: If she sees something as unfair, usually if it involves her not getting something she wants. Additionally people that dislike mages drive her nuts, especially since she'd literally die if she didn't become one.
SIGNATURE: I, glmstr, am not responsible for any glitter-relateddeathdismembermentinjuries that take place.
#1:-----PERSONAL-----
NAME: Laurenz Eckhart
RACE: Human
AGE: 33
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE: Broad shoulders, fit but not overly muscled. Fairly tall, about 6'2" in height, and weighing approximately 270 pounds. Short, Dirty Blonde hair, with a short, well-maintained beard supported by a strong jawline. Blue eyes under fairly thick eyebrows show a mixture of experience and despair.
EQUIPMENT: A customized suit of platemail, with the left arm cut down on armour to facilitate the use of a shield, and no helmet, though a torn and worn tabbard adorns the front, showing a faded Rheinfeldan emblem. He wields a customized tower shield, with a large notch-like area missing from the left side (right side facing the inside of the shield) to hold a spear or a rifle in, and bottoming out in a pair of triangular flanges, to facilitate stabbing it into the ground for added support. In combination with this, he has a main arm and two side arms: First is a rifle that (one of many acquired from unscrupulous dealings between his house and the Free Holds at the outbreak of the Rheinfeld civil war) he had customized himself; the overall frame is reinforced with long strips of metal, and the barrel is heavily reinforced to prevent damage to it when the gun is used to parry attacks. Attatched just under the muzzle is a wicked-looking bayonet, permanently affixed as if it was part of the construction of the weapon. For times in which he must abandon his rifle and shield, he has a hand-and-a-half sword at his hip, and a dagger in his boot.
BLOODLINE: Minor noble household of Rheinfeld, though status doesn't matter much anymore in the ruined country.
BIOGRAPHY: Born three years prior to the outbreak of civil war in Rheinfeld, Laurenz of House Eckhart was a fine young lad, bright-eyed and optimistic, even while the civil war raged far from his house. Truly, he represented the country's motto proudly up until his teen years, when his world came crashing down and the war effort came to his house. Everything changed when he was sent to war, and he learned the horrors of not only battle, but the enemy his people faced: The Forsaken. Having survived many battles as a shieldbearer on the front lines, some of his comrades said he was a miracle sent by God himself, but the young man did not see it that way.
A few years passed, and the war weighed heavily on the man's body, and on his consciousness, and on his soul. He had lost many friends, some of which he had to put to the sword himself for joining the enemy. The young, wide-eyed boy was long since dead, and only a broken man, truly reflective of Rheinfeld's current state, remained. One day, he decided to pack up and leave, though not before a midnight raid on his encampment. Once more he lost comrades, and once more he lived to tell the tale. Instead of returning to his superiors, he left, the decision weighing heavily on him, though ultimately overshadowed by his guilt and loss from the war.
Now he finds himself staring at one last glimmer of hope for his people, one last shining light in the darkness, and he utters a single phrase as he trudges heavily towards it: "Glaube Vervaltet".
----OPTION: MUNDANE----
SKILLS/TALENTS: A skilled shieldbearer, capable of defending against most any charge, or any heavy, unwieldy blows, even with a normal shield. Also skilled in the use of spears, swords, and rifles, he is a deadly combatant at most any range.
STRENGTHS:
WEAKNESSES:
- God-Given Strength: With a powerful build, and the skill to use it, Laurenz can lift quite the heavy load, wielding his shield with surprising ease despite it's size.
- Will of Rheinfeld: With the determination befit of his people, he will refuse to bow or break, even in the most dire of circumstances.
- Sentinel and Striker: An expert at fighting defensively, Laurenz can parry or deflect most blows, even without a shield, and strike back just as swiftly.
- Veteran of the Long War: Years of frontline warfare has trained his sword arm and his aim to an impressive level. He can give as good, if not better, as he can take.
- Anvil of God: Laurenz is a decently-competent smith, capable of working with both armour and weapons, as well as simpler metalworking. All of his equipment's modifications were done by himself, and he takes great pride in his work.
- Free Holds contacts: Due to dealings in the past between his family and the Free Holds, Laurenz has a small number of trusted contacts in the slaver nation.
-----BACKEND-----
- Glaube Scheitert: The countless battles that he has somehow survived weigh heavily on Laurenz, the memories of the lost still haunting him this day. He rarely sleeps, and when he does it is quite restless, usually interrupted by vivid night terrors and reliving those horrid scenes.
- The world is a stone, chained to my ankle: Due to his equipment, and the weight of his experiences, Laurenz isn't very maneuverable or fast. Even out of armour, he struggles to keep pace with those his age.
- Debts Owed; Debts Paid: House Eckhart owes a great deal of money to their contacts in the Free Holds, and they will soon come to collect, if not in coin, then in bodies.
MOTIVATION: Laurenz seeks to return the Princess to her rightful throne, that she may cast out the Archangel once and for all, and whether it be directly or indirectly, end the civil war in Rheinfeld.
GOALS: Redemption, Penance, and Forgiveness, for the sins he had committed on the killing fields, for his abandonment of his people, and for those he could not save. He also wishes Rheinfeld returned to its former glory, no longer plagued by the Forsaken's foolish struggle.
VALUES: Values honour, integrity, and love for one's fellow man. Any fight he partakes in, he will fight fair, even if it results in his loss. He also values a quick death, due to the amount of suffering he has seen in the civil war, and by extension he values the prevention of suffering in general.
ANATHEMAS: Blind zealotry, Violence without a cause, callousness towards the downtrodden, The Forsaken, Abarron, Defilement of religious objects
FAVOURITE FOOD: Steak, medium-rare, seared on the outside, seasoned with salt, paired with a cool Rheinfeldan beer.
SIGNATURE: DeadAxl
-----NOTES-----
Background notes: The details of the "deal" between the Free-Holder merchants and House Eckhart are as follows:
Alexander Alessandri will provide the following to House Eckhart:
House Eckhart will, in trade, provide the following to Alexander Alessandri:
- 20 (twenty) Renaltan-make Rifles, each of similar Quality
- 20 (twenty) shipments of ammunition and powder
- 1 (one) captured gunsmith, to be "employed" by House Eckhart
Free Holds Contacts: House Eckhart has three contacts in the Freeholds:
- 10 (ten) crates of Rheinfeldan Steel (to be delivered over a ten-year period)
- 50 (fifty) able-bodied persons to be "employed" by Alexander Alessandri (to be delivered over a ten-year period)
- [An amount of gold pieces greater than the value of the rifles], half to be paid up front, half to be paid upon the final delivery
- The aforementioned Alexander Alessandri, a black market merchant whose shady practices are only matched by his shady stocks.
- Anton Machiavelli, a ruthless mercenary, upon whose exploits House Eckhart were built.
- Agnese Barone, a cunning businesswoman who runs a spice trade out of Legamhold.
NAME: Dean Hansen
RACE: Human
AGE: 20
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE:
Standing at approximately 5'10" and weighing a healthy 180lbs, Dean looks like a recruitment officer's dream: Young, strong and filled with blind naivete. His posture is borderline noble, despite his low-born status he walks confidently everywhere he goes. Short brown hair and a strong jaw frame his face giving the impression of age or gravitas, but are instantly betrayed by his green eyes; always searching for fresh new sites (sights?) to amaze, and his welcoming smile inviting all that pass him to join in witnessing them.
EQUIPMENT:
Since leaving home Dean has learned the benefits of traveling light, and so constantly wears his father's leather armor to save room in his bag. Ill-fitting as it may be and lacking the right leg, he realizes the need for protection and wears it anyway. Beneath the rudimentary armor lies Dean as he knows himself; the simple boy from a small town dressed in simple cloth. There is nothing expensive or exquisite about Dean's attire.
Of note are the basic weapons that Dean carries, the light buckler strapped to his back, and the sword and dagger slung from opposite hips are all of military standard, bearing the Renaltan Crest. Little wonder they all belonged to his father before his accident on the battlefield, and have since been adopted by the boy.
BLOODLINE: Dean is a peasant through to his core.
BACKGROUND:
Dean was born during the onset of the Liverian-Renalta Civil War in 140AC. While the nation around him erupted into conflict, their peaceful lake-side town and the people therein was left largely unaffected- more interested in surviving together than who held dominion over the laws and land. In fact Dean's father was one of only a handful of villagers that left to join the ranks of the Renaltan military. As a result Dean never knew his father but had heard him described by his older sister, Maria, and others that had known him as gentle, hearty and generous. His father's absence also left his mother, Katherine, alone and meant to care for the family of three, a daunting task, but luckily Dean's Grandfather stepped in and took it upon himself to help raise the boy.
Having grown up in the Capital of Renalta himself, Keran Alusane taught Dean of Renaltan ideals: Honor, respect, and compassion. These were the values Kern wanted to instill in the young Dean, and he did so by recounting all the tales of the once great nation that he could. Frightful encounters with Vampires during the rise, deadly dealings with the demonic cults and of course stories of the ever cunning folk of neighboring lands; all used by Keran to ensnare Dean into lessons, and always neatly conquered by brave heroes and heroines. These methods proved exceptionally potent, and Dean would launch into these stories jovially with questions, reenactments and a desire to complete his own tasks of note all to the pride of Keran. The two were all but inseparable from dawn to dusk.
Then in the year 149AC, Dean's father returned home. It seemed that in the fray of battle, Uthil Hansen had lost a leg, and the military had shipped him home to spare him his life. As a child of nine Dean couldn't have been more pleased to finally meet his father, and certainly there was some abject idolization from having heard so often how brave and chivalrous his father was so it wasn't until some weeks later that Dean truly took in the character of his father. Of what he had been told, Dean saw no trace. Uthil was gaunt, and kept mostly to himself. Try as he might there was no connection to be made between father and son, which would have been bad enough if Uthil didn't also have the terrible habit of constantly insulting Keran and the nation of Renalta.
Dean took it upon himself one day to confront his father for his poor behaviour, and his father deemed it appropriate to laugh. He sat him down, not harshly but he certainly didn't have much choice, and calmly explained all that he had seen in his 9 years of battle. Of friends dying in his arms, the terror of combat, and of course of the enemy themselves: as determined to kill you as you are to survive. As his father finished, Dean could barely speak. Keran's stories never told of any of that sort. He stood and left the room, and his grandfather's stories never held the same fire they once had. Dean started sword-play just prior to the treaty being signed between Renalta and Liveria, and continued on with his life unencumbered by true sorrow or strife.
Dean recalls vividly the first time he heard the rumors of the man collecting brave adventurers to search for Camilla. He remembers not only because it was the first day he felt truly himself again in far too long, but because he decided then and there that he was going. He didn't ask for anyone's permission or opinion, no, he donned his father's armor, stole the weapons from their dusty displays, and left. Keran would be proud. Katherine and Maria would be fine. And Uthil? Uthil be damned. As means of departure Dean left a note with ltitle (little?) written, but plenty to say "Renalta lives forever."
SKILLS/TALENTS:
Dean is a swordsman. Not particularly great, but certainly capable enough to scrape by in a fight. His greatest advantage is being aware that others are more accomplished than he is, and knowing when best to let his pride fall, and find a better solution to his problems. His athleticism, teamwork, and cunning are his tools against those who might otherwise best him.
STRENGTHS:
•Co-operation: Dean is always more than willing to work with those around him towards a common goal.
•Youthful Endurance: Dean still manages to capture the endless endurance of a child on cocaine, able to sprint long distances and operate without rest for lengths of time others might not manage.
•Sheer Grit: Whether through determination or simple willpower, Dean outlasts others in pain tolerance and will not rest until he sees his goals completed.
•Lessons of the Father: Holding the ideals taught to him by his Grandfather close at heart, Dean attempts to approach every situation as he thinks a hero from his storis (stories?) might. (Also has a small knowledge of a broad range of subjects)
WEAKNESSES:
•Untried, untested: Though none would doubt Dean's desire to fight, many often, and for good cause, doubt his ability. He has only informal training and is easily bested by more adept swordsmen.
•Life is not a fairytale (fairy tale?): While Dean might approach situations with the best of intentions, it is because of this naivete that he is sometimes taken advantage of.
•A Zealot is a zealot: Close but not quite, a zealous urge to do good is still zealous in nature. Dean can sometimes become so focused on doing the "right" thing, he forgets the consequences of what it might mean.
MOTIVATION:
Dean was motivated by the stories told to him at a young age of a land where equality ruled and even a simple peasant could become king. While not having any desires to reign, he longs for a world where that is possible for any that do. Because no man should be born to poverty without a way out. He also wants to prove to his father that it is possible to make a difference in the world
GOALS:
-To level the playing field, and force the nobles to acknowledge their (the?) common man as equals.
- To someday be a great swordsman in his own right.
- Help those around him in need
VALUES:
- Being true to yourself, and following the course of actions as you see fit.
- Honoring and respecting your family, and those that care for you
- Being a part of the solution instead of impeding progress at every turn
ANATHEMAS:
- Direct disrespect to his friends or family is met with outright hostility.
- Being made a fool of/being doubted because of his age or ability will set him on edge, and he will attempt to prove himself without first weighing the consequences
- Those that are too prideful to accept help aggravate him
- The indifference of nobles will infuriate him
SIGNATURE: Orion
NAME: Tycho Merax
RACE: Human
AGE: 47
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE: An unassuming, plain, clean-shaven man with short black hair, brown eyes, standing at 5'9'' and weighing 145 lbs.
EQUIPMENT: A simple medical pouch, a spear, simple travel gear and clothing, a gambeson.
BLOODLINE: Free Hold commoner lucky enough to be born with magic
BIOGRAPHY: Tycho was born Tarek, a native of Legamhold. When Tycho was seven, his parents discovered that he had magical talent, and so they did what any good Free Holder would do, and sold him into slavery. He was purchased by Garl Marsek, a lieutenant of the Warlord of Legamhold. Garl, or rather his retainers, slaves and teachers, taught Tycho to hone his magical talents and educated him in matters of healing and anatomy, so that he might serve his master as a physician. He studied diligently and over the years of serving his master's household, he came to serve Garl Marsek directly.
Garl was an ambitious, intelligent, but insecure and violent man, prone to taking his anger out on slaves who displeased him, so one of the first things Tycho learned was how to read his master's mood. He learned what to say to avoid a beating, and how to say it. He learned to follow commands to the letter, how to keep secrets to himself, and when he was secretly ordered to kill men he was sent to heal, he did so discreetly and with little trace, earning himself a position of confidence with Garl.
Then Garl nearly died to an assassination attempt from one of his many rivals. The act seemed to unhinge him and make him more erratic and suspicious. After he violently slew a trusted member of his inner circle out of suspicion, Tycho realized it was only a matter of time before his master would turn his frustrations on him, and so plotted to escape from the Free Holds. The escape was easy, considering his position of trust within his household, and he made his way towards Rheinfeld, figuring he might make a living off the civil war, changing his name and identity to Tycho Merax, wandering Free Holder Physician and healer.
However, after several years of witnessing the aftermath of a fanatical war of annihilation, one-too-many unfortunate run-ins with bounty hunters, and with dwindling pay for his services to the Rheinfeld army, Tycho decided it was time to move on when he heard the rumors of the return of princess Camilla, and the founding of a band of adventurers to try and find her.
MAGIC CONCEPT: Healing Magic
SPELL EXAMPLES:
STRENGTHS:
- Close Wounds: By generating a layer of skin and coagulants, Tycho can seal an injury from further harm and infection, though the injury would still need time to heal completely. This spell only requires 10 to 30 seconds to cast, depending on the severity of the wounds, and doesn't tire him overmuch.
- Regenerate: Tycho can promote magical regeneration of flesh, repairing in hours what would normally take weeks to heal. He can even regenerate lost limbs over the course of weeks, with regular magical treatments. This spell takes a nominal amount of his magical stamina, and can usually only be used on a 1-3 people a day, depending on the severity of the wounds.
- Cleanse Poisons/Diseases: A time-consuming and potentially dangerous spell, but not an overly taxing one, Tycho may attempt to create an antidote within a poisoned or diseased person, though creating the correct antidote is difficult to do without prior experience and experimentation with the disease/poison, and incorrect antidotes may do more harm than good.
- Mutation: The only offensive option in his spellbook besides using raw magic, Tycho expends the majority of his magical stamina to cause rapid and unpredictable mutations in a target, causing them to swell to grotesque proportions until they literally burst from their own skin. He can usually only do this once a day without hurting himself, and is only effective within 5 meters.
- Subtle Mutation: Tycho may introduce targeted mutations within specific parts of a person, specifically in order to kill them stealthily. Nearly indistinguishable from the Regenerate Spell except to those well versed in anatomy and magic.
Healer: Tycho can heal wounds quickly, and close them faster, making him an invaluable asset on the battlefield. Even without his magic, he is a decent medic, and can tend to the majority of physical injuries with mundane means.
Insight: Tycho can read people well, a useful skill he picked up by necessity in the Free Holds.
WEAKNESSES:
Non-Combat: Although he knows the basics of wielding a spear, he is not suited to combat and will likely lose to any opponent more dangerous than a disgruntled peasant.
Powerful Ex-Patron: Tycho has made a powerful enemy in the Free Holds who is eager to punish him for his betrayal. Even though he has a new identity, it won't protect him forever.
MOTIVATION: To ingratiate himself to a potential new power in the world, and hopefully earn a position of trust like he enjoyed before in the Free Holds, and also to be compensated appropriately for such services.
GOALS: To live a life of relative ease, comfort and safety behind a powerful patron who doesn't like to murder his or her followers when displeased.
VALUES: Having a stable position, being well paid for his services, a job well done, logic and reason.
ANATHEMAS: Emotionally compromised people, people in general, charity to anyone, religion and everything pointless it inspires in people.
SIGNATURE: Grothnor da zoggin' Orky-Git
"Due to this Sisera led a rather lonely childhood. However, Harald, on a hunch paid a mage to inspect Sisera to see if he had any tell-tale signs of magical ability. Harald's guess was proven correct and Sisera showed promise with it at age 8 and by the time he was ten years old was well on his way to becoming a fire mage of incredible talent."#1 (Suggestion, Informational): Those born with magical talent tend to lie dormant unless it is detected. It is usually then only made active during times of immense emotional distress, or when nurtured by another mage. Thus why, in the Magic document, it stipulates that unless someone with the Arcana bloodline starts using magic before the age of ten, they never will. If you're going to mention him being a prodigy, it might pay well to know how anyone knew of his prodigal talent and at what age they became aware of his talents.
"Sisera's constant harassment to his father on this subject led Harald to teach what he thought would be cruel lesson on Sisera and hired some spare mercenaries from the north. Hoping that their harsh lessons with hard wooden swords would deter the boy. To his Father's shock, the boy, despite being covered in bruises and cracked ribs kept attending lesson after lesson."#2 (Informational, Error): The Royal Guard of Renalta would never be authorized or tolerated to abuse children physically for training purposes. During the Golden Age, abuse against soldiers undeserving of it even wouldn't be tolerated--the Royal Guards tended to stand for the best aspects and behaviours of the Kingdom of Renalta, and wanton abuse certainly doesn't qualify among those qualities. You may want to change this to something else--like mercenaries, or private tutors, who would have far less chance of being caught committing a crime (assault).
Cool Story. Felt no reason to indicate this in an already lengthy bio, its just something I'll keep in mind.#3 (Informational): That kind of devotion would have been seen in a concerned light, even if it was endearing. Absolute fanatical loyalty to a baby is strange, even by Renaltan Royal standards. That being said, this would not have resulted in any negative actions taken against him, but likely would mean that he was watched for years after this, to see how his loyalty played out. You may want to keep this card in your salvo for later, as Sisera may have become aware that he was being watched over time, until it stopped.
"An amusing example was when he would verbally spar with anyone who wished to claim Camilla's hand in marriage. Pubs and Inns across the capital would roar with laughter as bards would sing about every flaw Sisera had listed towards possible suitors."Referring to line: "Interestingly enough, the Royal family never put a stop to these put-downs."
#4 (Suggestion): They absolutely would if it ever came to physical or financial ruination. It's one thing for Sisera to be a "barrier" or "test" of sorts for potential suitors, but they would not want an out-of-control steward causing potential diplomatic harm with noblemen.
"When Abarron began his march towards the capital, Sisera, along with the Royal guard led the defense of the city as his aging Father assisted with spiriting the three Princesses to safety. Though Sisera's magic was limited due to the Templars, he picked up his swords and fought in the streets for hours against the mercenaries until he was beaten back and retreated to the court room, where he found the Archangel had already slaughtered what was left of the royal family."Referring to lines: "In order to buy them time, a desperate Sisera utilized ancient magic of the Imperium and drew a spiderweb of chalk circles and placed powerful mages around them with himself at the center. As he absorbed and leeched their power, slowly killing them, his own magical abilities exploded and he managed to surround the entire capital in a barrier of scorching hot flame. Holding off the Archangel and even the templars long enough for the Princesses to flee the city."
#5 (Error, Informational): Renalta, even in its darkest days, would not authorize human sacrifice in a spell. Sisera would be dead if he tried to utilize the power of several mages in rapid succession--his body wouldn't be able to tolerate the stress. An entire army's worth of combatants could and would rip through the barrier of a single mage with ease, leave alone one headed by the Archangel. The princesses were evacuated from the capital before the siege even began, giving them a few hours head start in their escape attempts.
"Then something extraordinary happened. Earthquakes deep beneath earth began to convulse around the cavern that housed Sisera's prison. Rock and dirt violently shifted and Sisera's hellish sarcophagus began to rattle and shake violently until it's magical lock was broken and Sisera stumbled out. Free for the first time in what felt like an eternity. His mind warped and fragmented and his body mutilated. For three weeks he wandered naked into the depths of the caverns, feasting on the unnatural creatures that dwelt in the underground for sustenance. It was only when he stumbled upon a small community of astounded dwarves was he given respite from his mindless wanderings in the dark and that he finally found some respite in the thralls of his madness. As the small dwarven enclave kept him isolated, astounded that they had found what was essentially a naked lunatic stumbling out of the darkness of the unknown, they reached out to their contact within the Mage Collective, an organization that they traded certain minerals and gems for in return for other goods such as food and equipment.Referring to line: "It was only when he stumbled upon a small community of astounded dwarves was he given respite from his mindless wanderings in the dark and they nursed him back to health."
#6 (Suggestion): Sisera--hell, anyone, princess or otherwise--enduring 45 years of straight endless torture without reprieve would become a mentally broken car wreck. By the time the dwarves would have found him, there'd be nothing of his shattered psyche to truly communicate with anymore. That being said, instead of just saying "no" and leaving it there, I'm gonna offer an alternative: Noelle and the Mage Collective. Noelle would have a vested personal interest (for reasons left unsaid) in finding a survivor of the attack on Renalta, and Sisera would need either several years of intense mental therapy (which he doesn't have time for) or magic to aid in repairing his mental state to something approaching that of a human again.
He doesn't have to be fully healed from this, thus retaining his scarred motif, but 16,465 days of constant mental torture needs something to help keep it manageable. It's very possible that it might be impossible to fully heal him until he can resolve the Princess questline, for example. You even mention the Mage Collective in the end, so...![]()
I'll keep that in mind#7 (Query): Keep in mind that Sensory Smoke will become weaker the further it is from Sisera, and that maintaining a constant magical presence is a drain on him.
Added and yes, I'm well aware.#1 (Suggestion): Add a height and a weight for this character for comparison purposes.
#2 (Suggestion): You have a family, it'd only be natural to have a surname...
Final Recommendation: It's fine as is, just, y'know, so long as you understand what you're getting into. In a party full of mages, brigands, cutthroats, assassins, adventurers, fighters, and so forth, your bard is going to be a bit outgunned most of the time.
I made those edits. Let me know if anything else needs to be changed.
-----PERSONAL-----
NAME: Tybalt Mach'Llarys
RACE: Elf. Born from elves.
AGE: 97
SEX: Biologically male.
APPEARANCE: inspiration > Here
- Measurements :
- Height 6'1"
- Weight 75.75kg on a good day
- Features :
- Chocolate mane, tapering to feathered silver, keeps it trimmed.
- Sharp, cat gold eyes, prominent in low light.
- Sienna skin-tone, coated in a few old wounds around the back and arms.
- Three worn tattoos, nothing spectacular.
- Medium build, with lean, wiry muscles
EQUIPMENT: His armor consists of mostly leather, some animal hide, and clothing to keep out any chills. Whatever he needs but doesn't have, he can make, so he tends to travel light. He tries a decent amount - an enormously decent amount - to stay out of combat as he prefers to keep living. However...
BLOODLINE:
- Alone:
- if he has to, he fights with twin sword breakers - small shortswords meant to parry and mangle bigger blades
- he's trained extensively in getting out of the way, because avoidance is the best way to not be damaged
- prefers to talk his way out of situations, fight simply to run away, or engage in battle because he has no other option
- In a Party:
- stay behind everyone
- pick the person most promising and use his powers on them
- avoid everything else
His parents were nobility when they were humans, but being elves, and now being presumed dead, he is the last line of his noble family.
He has no other living family.
BIOGRAPHY:
- Personality.
- He's an elf with a lot of useless or useful knowledge depending on what he is doing. He's lived a long time, and managed to read, be told, or be involved in what is now considered history, so it's not uncommon for him to have something to add to a conversation. However, he is also the type of individual that will keep it to himself and just smile if the information they are chatting over is wrong.
- He does a lot of constructive work, or reconstructive if you think of it that way, as the world is always in need of people to build things. Houses, or the furniture inside of them, with stone or wood, he has a very good head on his shoulders when he has something to do. However, this comes with the same problem that if he does not have something to occupy himself with, he will rapidly deteriorate into a person that becomes rather irritable until something happens.
- He has what he considers a mild fixation on something he has been fascinated with since childhood. He wont reveal what that is easily, considering how taboo the rest of the world would view it.
- His favorite food is roasted herb and meat stew.
- History.
- Lilac and Selvir Mach'Llarys were from the age of the Imperium, both remembering the time when that place was active and bustling, their human lives on freshly intertwined with marriage vows when it happened. They both survived to become elves, long-lived, but quickly discovering the repercussions that they would have to adjust to. Their seventh child was the one that managed to make it past that high infant mortality rate, and after Tybalt was born, a healthy baby boy, the couple began to shy away from anything that had to deal with the, at the time, antagonistic vampire lords. He learned a lot about them, despite his parents constant moving around, and his parents decided to educate the child with all of their gained experiences from longevity.
- By the time he was twelve, the last of these Vampire Lords fell, leaving only a scattered following and stories to haunt the population with. It was after that, the people needed to rebuild their lives and their losses, which landed him several jobs that he quickly picked up the crafting for. He learned about what came before, the noble lines, the races born out of this event, the vampire lords, the royal family, and the current disputes. The next few decades of his life were spent in a various slew of activities, mostly craftsman or artisan professions, though there is the talent his father beat into him. Picking up the sword and learning self-defense turned into a routine he practiced every morning, even now.
- He's spent a good deal of his long life getting into things or places he shouldn't, while doing his best to keep out of harm's way, or getting the hell out of there if it became a sticky situation. If you need a good runner that can charm a deer or two when there aren't horses available, he is a viable good option.
- His parents shared the same gift of magic that he ended up being taught as well, using it with a wild abandon to test its' limits, which brought eyes on his house by less than savory individuals. It was because of this that his parents ended up being taken away from him over ten years ago. He is very certain that they are dead now, spending the first few years on a frantic ghost chase that led to too many dead ends, several of which almost got him caught in the same position.
- Currently he has a job in construction and furnishings, while keeping his magic decently well hidden from anyone looking too closely.
-----OPTION: HYBRID----
MAGIC CONCEPT:
SPELL EXAMPLES:
- Aid Another. Or, as he refers to it, "gift horse" magic. Tybalt's magic is the definition of a support; either to an ally or something effectively beneficial. It is magic expressly used to help others rather than himself, manifesting in two primary ways depending on the type of aid required. Unless it is a raw magic burst (deadly but they happen), it always comes as either My Champion or Deep Pockets.
- My Champion. Tybalt designates one individual near him, and he grants them an effective power jump to either their magic or their physical abilities for non-mages. While they have these powers, he can communicate telepathically with them. He can remove this boon at will, though it may have an unpleasant backlash if it is in use when he does it. It will also break if he loses consciousness or takes a large amount of damage.
- Deep Pockets. Tybalt will always have what someone needs. Though he can make use of this for himself, it is never as effective as when he uses it for someone else. He can produce any mundane object from his pockets, or from a nearby storage box, or from a garbage can if nothing else offers. It will be of mediocre quality and will disappear after about ten minutes if he keeps hold of it, unless it is used up in that time or altered into another form. But he has what he needs when he needs it. He can't produce unique objects, only generic ones. Not the key to this particular door, but he can have a jimmying tool or a set of lockpicks handy.
STRENGTHS:
- Amplify Magic.
- He can empower a mage he designates to link himself to. Their magic pool widens to match the addition of his own, giving them the ability to do feats they normally couldn't, or that would cripple them without his influence.
- Enhance Ability.
- Not just a magic user can benefit from his powers. If he chooses to use it on the non-special snowflake, their physical abilities grow beyond normal limits. He can effectively double their prowess until his energy is burned out or he dismisses it.
- Care for some tea?
- So long as he keeps a hold of, or is in use of, a mundane thing he pulls from his pocket, or the crate next to him, or that cupboard that is always empty, whatever he makes will satisfy a need he has.
- He can use what he makes for others, or himself so long as the item is expended, or altered in some way, it wont disappear. He could use this to make food to eat, but it would only benefit others as he wouldn't gain back anything except the energy expended to make it. He can make currency with it, but it will vanish similar to if he had kept it and can cause awkward situations if the currency he has given vanishes from their hands.
WEAKNESSES:
- Dexterity. He can run really fast from years of doing just that.
- Animals. Everyone can use an ally, and animals tend to really love him inexplicably.
- Endurance. Because of how his life and magic have been shaped, it takes much longer to wear him down.
- Mundane Skills.
- He is excellent at cooking, can follow any recipe given to him, and likes to improvise. Comes with years of practice.
- No man or woman could best him at cleaning. If he was a god, this would surely be his forte'.
- He has basic sewing and knowledge on smithing, leather-working, carpentry, and stonework.
- Expertise Skills.
- Longbow. If he has to fight at a long range, this is preferred choice. 80% accurate.
- Sword-breakers. Literal decades of using them to parry or snap blades when running isn't an option. 95% accurate.
- Dodging. He is really difficult to pin down, grapple, or hit in general.
- Magic. By himself, he poses little threat to most any offensive magics. If he can't outrun it, he's doomed.
- Water. Deep, dark, can't-see-the-bottom type will make it really difficult to just get him onto the boat.
- Cowardice. He considers it tactical retreat, but when walking through hell, the survivor gets to tell what happened.
- Darkness. He'd rather not be around places where it is hard to see your hand in front of your face.
-----BACK-END-----MOTIVATION: He wants to see the Princess returned to the Crown to stop the world going to hell... and maybe use this large party of adventurers to locate information on what happened to his parents.
GOALS: He wants to live a long life as a free man, preferably with his family. The world is currently against living long or family.
VALUES:
Liar. He may or may not have a problem with white-lies. Or black ones if they fit the situation.
Blunt. He will point out the obvious thing the conversation avoids, regardless of why it was tiptoed around.
Cautious. He will protect himself and those with him against possible traps or ambushes because he takes time to watch.
Relaxed. He isn't in a rush to do anything, and believes that saving stamina for later is important.
ANATHEMAS:
Girls. Women not so terribly, but he has an innate hatred for the younger versions.
Children. Hell-spawn that he hopes to never be dragged down with.
Hygiene. He tries very hard to keep clean and has an instant dislike of anyone who doesn't attempt.
Punctuality. He does not like to be kept waiting, has a frail patience line, and will find something else to do after too long.
SIGNATURE: Jade Coffee
I'm gonna go ahead and drop out. I've got myself in a bunch of RPs already, I'm gonna get myself accustomed to playing in those before I try to get into others. I'll try to apply here once I feel good in the others.
-----PERSONAL-----
NAME: Ivo Chastain
RACE: Wanderer Elf
AGE: 53
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE:
Weighing in at just under 200 pounds, and standing at a rather tall 6' 3", Ivo Chastain is an elf that would stand out clearly among a crowd of commoners. Thin as he is, he is more leg than body, giving him the physique of a lithe runner rather than a strongman or a brawler. His hair is pale blonde, bordering on white when seen in sunlight, and his eyes are a rather contrasting brown, though they gain a more orange hue if light is shone directly in his face. He bears a series of tattoos, given to him by a friend he met while traveling the world, on his face and right arm, though their meaning is something he and his friend alone know. He has been described as having a rather stern appearance when at rest, but those he works around know him to be more jovial than his resting look might indicate.![]()
EQUIPMENT: Ivo carries only a small number of weapons and little to no armor. A student of war, who learned to fight from a Rheinfelder deserter, he prefers to use his spear, its heavy stone head inscribed with several runes, and nimble motion to fight. Aside from the spear, he carries with him a pair of forward-curving long knives, almost swords in their own regard, and a more stout dagger. While the three smaller weapons are mundane and made with steel blades, the spear is something else entirely. In terms of armor, Ivo wear heavily padded garments with a smattering of steel plate. Though by no means a full suit of armor, the plate covers more vital areas, yet retain enough distance between each piece for him to still move comfortably.
![]()
Skybreaker: An artifact formed before the Cataclysm and forgotten after some battle decades before Ivo found it while farming, it is his chosen weapon and his focus for his magic. The runes inscribed in the head give the stone they rest upon all the strengths of steel, keeping the thin stone from breaking, and keep the edge honed perpetually. In addition, they attune the weapon to the power of lightning, providing the ability to mildly electrocute things with strikes to those unaccustomed to the inherent magic of the blade. In the hands of someone more aligned to its magics, the electrical capabilities become far more pronounced and deadly, capable of releasing bolts from the blade itself. While the spear is called Skybreaker, Ivo does not know this and simply calls it the Thunderspear.
BLOODLINE: Arcana, born to unimpressive parents in one of the extremely rural places in Rheinfeld. A peasant by birth gifted with magic.
BIOGRAPHY: Born to peasant parents, his father a wandering elf, his mother a simple human, Ivo grew up on the edge of a small forest in Rheinfeld on a farm. Simple beginnings gave him a sense of duty to the world, and his parents taught him well to live off the land, because no noble would ever simply hand him what he needed to live. At the age of 9 he displayed magical talent, to the dismay of his parents. They knew that in order to truly master the gift, he would need to train hard, and they were no teachers, having no magic themselves.
A few months after his first display of magic, Ivo was handed over to the Mage Collective to be trained as a mage. While under the strict tutelage of the Collective, Ivo found that while he had the gift of magic, he couldn't bear to be cooped up slighting spells at targets. He often watched the spellblade groups at the facility keenly, wishing to join them. After inquiring further, he was given the opportunity to train with them, and when they noted that his magic came more easily to him while in a more combative situation, they gave him leave to finish his training among the spellblades.
After attaining mastery with his magic and near mastery of his weapon of choice at the age of 26, the young elf returned home to see his family. For a few years, he lived with them, tending the farm and the harvest, all while submitting to the requirements of the civil war effort's taxes. One day, he found a strange spear, buried partway in the loose soil he'd been plowing. He brought it to show his family, and the lightning that arced around it while in his hands told them all one thing. He'd found a weapon of great power, and he was someone who could make a change on the world, if he chose to.
He debated leaving for almost a year, eventually coming to terms with the fact that, with such a weapon at hand and his natural talents, he could not remain hidden in the backwoods of the world. He'd heard the story of the Renaltan Princess and how she'd not died, but simply become lost to all. He decided that perhaps the best use of his time and skills would be to find her and ask for her assistance, if only to see that the place he'd grown from, and the people he'd grown with, were treated more fairly than what the civil war between Rheinfeld and the Forsaken had done for them.
In the travels he's had since he first sought to meet with Amora Mann, the Mage Collective has sought him out, asking him to part with the Skybreaker, no less than seven times. So far, three of those were hostile, ending in dead mages and at least one rumor about him, while the other four were, at worst, neutral. While he does not find too much worry that they'll come after it again, he maintains himself prepared for that very thing, his preparedness bordering slightly on paranoia.
-----OPTION: HYBRID----
MAGIC CONCEPT: Ivo relies on the magical element of lightning, using it both for offense and defense. Because he uses it for combat, he has trouble with anything more than an extremely basic spell without his spear at hand, and cannot fathom, let alone cast, anything outside his chosen element.
SPELL EXAMPLES:
STRENGTHS: Naturally athletic and strong from his martial training, attuned to his weapon, giving him greater control over its capabilities, and rather skilled at crafting simple tools and other things one might need in the wild. Dangerous over short distances.
- Bolt from the Blue - The ever-classic bolt of lightning, Ivo can perform this with anything resembling a spear. While it remains lethal at all times, it becomes significantly more dangerous when performed in conjunction with the Skybreaker.
- Twitchy Bastard - Using the electrical nature of his magic, Ivo can course a part of it through his muscles, causing them to move preternaturally fast.
- Get a Grip - Ivo is capable of releasing a radial burst of electric power, either to shock nearby living creatures or to push or pull on magnetic objects.
- Ride the Lightning - With focus and a brief window of time to prep himself for the attack, Ivo has learned to perform an extremely powerful lunge with his spear. While lunging, he is wreathed in arcs of lightning, those branching out to strike targets he passes, and the tip of his weapon becomes imbued with several bolts worth of energy. Using this takes most of the fight out of Ivo, however, so he rarely uses it.
WEAKNESSES: Ivo is impulsive, and doesn't always think before speaking. He also suffered damage to his lungs from inhaling smoke during a fire, causing him to be unable to engage in extended fights.While the damage doesn't seem to hinder him too much daily, his long-range endurance is lower than the average. In addition, Ivo is innately distrustful of those who openly work for the Mage Collective, as he suspects them all of wanting to rip away one of the best things he's ever had in life.
-----BACKEND-----
MOTIVATION: Initially, the money. Ivo would like to return to the rural areas of the world and begin bringing them more supplies to help the farmers. He has a slightly naive thought that the princess may reward him more viscerally, but the thought is only a small one.
GOALS: Ivo desires to help uplift the far-flung communities that are oft ignored by the nobility, save for when taxes are collected.
VALUES: Of all the things that one could value, Ivo values the ideal of doing what you can to improve the world, regardless of what must be done. Just as nature has hard moments, the soldier within him is not one to shy away from making hard choices.
ANATHEMAS: Foolishness and naivete in others, as well as those who do not strive to better themselves. Few things make him angry without question, as it usually requires multiple instances of the same event to eat away at his mental fortitude, but the one thing that will invariably is those who kill without reason.
SIGNATURE: I, Luxin, do sign and adhere to the limitations and constraints, as well as the openings and possibilities, that my character may die out become injured cripplingly. That being said, I'm stoked to throw spells and shank the crazies who get in my way.
SECTION ONE - GENERAL
NAME: Alice Émeline Moineau, of the venerable house of Moineau
RACE: Human
AGE: Twenty Three
SEX: Female
APPEARANCE: An attractive woman with a noble bearing, Alice has a pale complexion, blue eyes, and white hair that all serve to exemplify her Liverian heritage. She stands at 5'6 in height, and is about 160 lbs of lean, well-toned muscles; born from her years of martial training. When she isn't in a suit of armour, she is more than happy to be seen in any garb of high quality that might allow her to pretend she is a ball-going woman of nobility, despite the many whispers that surround her in court.
EQUIPMENT:
- Alice has a rather impressive sword, forged by a skilled Dwarven smith living in the Renaltan southlands. It is an impressive steel weapon, bearing a strange wavey quality that caught Alice's eye following her latest victory over a would-be suitor.
- She favours a suit of well-constructed (and admittedly a little ornate) plate armour in combat. Despite her being a little weaker than most swordsman, she knows that she needs good defence in order to protect herself. Despite this, she is well versed enough in armoured combat to move around quickly and comfortably in the suit.
- Alice also has a two-handed Crossbow, a gift from a 'suitor' that attempted to recruit her to the Liverian Witch-Hunters. While he was chased out by her father, she rather likes the weapon, for it provides her with the range and stopping power required to punch a decent hole in all but the most heavily armoured. Too bad she isn't good with it...
- Alice's constant travelling companion is a spotted white horse named Phillip. Phillip is the oldest horse from her family stable, but he is reliable and carries equipment well.
BLOODLINE: The only child from the house of Moineau, a Liverian Noble house that sits upon the council.
BIOGRAPHY: Alice was born to the loving union of a Liverian Noble and a Renaltan merchant. Her father and mother were united in a beautiful wedding that was supposed to quell some of the growing tensions between the Liverian and Renaltan people following the decade's earlier call for independence. Many of the upper classes lorded it as a sign of peace and progress, and yet sadly, time shows that hope was short lived. War soon broke out and though husband and wife stuck together on the Liverian side, newly-joined family fought as generals on the opposite side. It was a difficult time for the young Alice, who grew up knowing only her parents, and the whispered memories of half-a-family trapped on the other side of a border conflict.
On her twelfth birthday, in 149 AC, war made its biggest claim on the Moineau family, and the first claim that Alice was conscious of. In a surreal moment of the war, Alice's father managed to capture his step-brother, following a bout of single-combat to end the fighting more 'peacefully'. Whilst organising the ransoming back of his Renaltan kin, Alice's mother rode onto the field to speak with her kin. While it was not a typical event at war-time, it was one of the few opportunities that the Renaltan born matriarch of the Moineau family could speak with her blood-kin. Sadly, it would also be her last. A Renaltan sniper took a longshot, aiming to kill the Liverian general and narrowly missed the mark. She was killed instantly, and both generals wept for the loss of sister and wife. A sombre mood swept over the field of surrender, and Alice -who was at the Liverian base of operations- did not even get to see her mother's body, so disfiguring were the wounds. Just like that, her mother was gone.
It was only a few months later that the Ceasefire was signed, and Alice grew cold in those few months. The once-warm child grew bitter at the loss of her mother, and found little solace outside of her father's presence. She took to educating herself, working to master matters noble and mercantile by the time she was sixteen. Still, there was a void in her bitter life. She resented what was taken from her, and in truth resented a many other things; clueless peasants, fire-arms, and her mother's inability to shape things as well. Her hatred lit a fire, and the fire found a constructive outlet in swordplay. At first, it was a distraction, but much to her father's chagrin she proved to be very good at it. She demanded the finest of tutors be added to her education and, unable to resist his daughter's demands, her father agreed. Soon, she was learned in the great-many styles of Liverian swordplay, and had gotten herself a reputation as a fearsome one-on-one combatant. By the time she was twenty, she had earned a winning streak; undefeated amongst her fellow nobles, and rarely bested by professional knights and tutors. Due to her own demanding standards, she was a difficult target for suitors; and many attempted to woo her through duels. They almost always proved unsuccessful - with one exception that was rejected by her father instead.
Eventually, when word of Amora Mann's quest to find the princess spread to her circle, Alice made preparations to join the former-Liverian noble as a representative of the Council of Nobles and her house. While her father disapproved of her 'recklessness' she disarmed him with promises of reuniting the fallen brothers Liveria and Renalta, even reminding him that it is what her mother would have wanted. He eventually acquiesced, and Alice left the country; for the first time since she'd lost her mother to war.
Liverian Nobledaughter who's mother died in the Civil War. She latched onto Swordplay and education as a coping mechanism, and become very good at both. Wants to find the Renaltan Princess because it would unite the two countries and would give the spectre of her mother some peace. Whee~
SECTION TWO - MUNDANE SKILLS
SKILLS/TALENTS: A phenomenal duellist, Alice's main skills lie in melee combat, where she can take apart combatants heavily armoured or lightly garbed with relative ease. While she is armed with a Crossbow, she is not an expert by any means. She is also an expert in all things etiquette and mercantile; knowing how to run a business, an army, or a noble house with the shrewd talent of a well-educated Liverian noble.
STRENGTHS:
WEAKNESSES:
- Strike, Parry, Riposte- An exemplar of Liverian swordsmanship, Alice is at her best with a sword in hand and a single opponent opposite her. Only a true master would be able to give her challenge.
- Cold and Calculating- As far as Liverian nobles go, Alice is one of the more intelligent to be born with Blueblood. She knows that her status is only secured by chance, and has used that status to educate herself in a great many things: From politics, to policy, to farming protocol. She has made her best efforts to have at least passing knowledge of just about every mundane thing possible, and some non-mundane things beside.
- Shrewd Negotiator, Bold everything-else - Alice has knowledge of statecraft, diplomacy, and people; and uses her knowledge to get what she wants. She is perfectly within her element when she is talking people down, approaching with a bold attitude that presents her as always having the upper hand, even when she doesn't. Some think this makes her nothing more than a spoilt, haughty 'Princess', and she doesn't care to dissuade people of that perception. After all, it is easier to prove them wrong with a lash of the tongue, or a swipe of the sword; should they care to underestimate her.
- Fight me Fairly! - Despite owning a ranged weapon, Alice is a much weaker opponent when she's having to fight at distance. She's by no means slow, but she won't outrun a gun or a bowman. She also isn't very good with her Crossbow, only hitting every other time at any long distance.
- The Princess' Pride - Alice is a prideful creature, and her natural cold nature can make her seem shrewd and inhospitable. This sometimes sours initial meetings, especially when it comes to meeting peasantry and non-nobles, who might exacerbate her already cold nature.
- Magic? Um... - Alice doesn't have any counter-measure to dealing with mages. Literally none. Illusions? They'd get her. Fire magic? It'd burn her. Her only option with magic-users is to hit them before they hit her. It's not exactly an appealing thought, especially considering some of her company.
SECTION THREE - CLOSING POINTS
MOTIVATION: Alice intends to find the Princess so that she might reunite the disparate states of Liveria and Renalta. She is under the belief that the Crown-Prince would acquiesce to the true Crown, should they legitimately return, and she sees no alternative for the slowly-dying Liveria. If, by her actions in rescuing the Princess she were to improve the standing of the Moineau family at the same time...well, she certainly wouldn't turn down the opportunity.
GOALS: Alice is surprisingly void of long-term goals. She'd like to find a worthy suitor some day, and she wants to improve the standing of her house, and her country. She even loves her father enough to want to make him proud.
VALUES: Alice values honesty and self-betterment above all things, and believes in improving herself and her country through honest trade and honest hard-work is the best way to improve the world. She probably aligns more closely with Renaltan ideals on social mobility, although she thinks that the Liverian ideals on Magic use and having one prove themselves before having citizenship extended to them are superior.
ANATHEMAS: Alice's hatred of firearms and magic trump her otherwise logical views of the world. She hates slavery because it represses people who might have desirable talents from raising their stock. She hates the general idea her country has that women should not lead - even if for a 'sensible' reason - because she is a far more competent statesman and swordsman than the vast majority of her peers. She hates being lied to because it is a waste of her time. It is mostly illogical things that annoy her most, as well as things that remove skill and practice from the equation (See - Magic and Firearms.) Any idiot can pick up a gun and fire it, and any idiot can get lucky and learn magic so as to change the world around them; it takes someone with Charisma and gravitas to change the world with words and hard work, and someone dedicated and hard working to master the sword.
SIGNATURE: I, Limeypanda, being of sound body and mind do declare that I've signed more of these 'signatures' than I've probably signed other legal documents at this point.
SECTION FOUR - EXTRAS
OPENING OPINIONS - A section for forming opening thoughts on characters; mostly NPCs at this early stage.
Amora Mann - Ex-Liverian Noble
"You are a means to an end. I do not have to like you." (Distrusting, pities his fall, but is fearful of his magic.)Marcus Luke Crawford - Renaltan Ex-Royal guard
"A worthy opponent. It is a shame that one such-as-you must have had to cut their teeth on cutting down their once-countryman." (Respectful, sees a challenge to better herself upon.)Emilia Lang Lehmann - Rheinfelder Assassin-and-Postergirl
"Your country's story is a sad one; and you seem to distrust magic as much as I do. That is a pleasant surprise." (Neutral, pitying.)Noelle Touchard - Mage Circle's walking magical Bulwark
"You are...actually quite terrifying." (Legitimately scared of. Distrusting and cold due to association with Magic and the Mage's Circle.)Anthony Bulgarelli - Free Holds' Dwarven Gunsmith
"Your country is barbaric, and your death-machines are abhorrent." (Cold, distrusting. Dislike exacerbated by his association with Guns.)
Laurenz Eckhart (Axl): “Guns are a cruel, cold, uncontrollable thing. Introduce them to your people, and they will make your war much worse, not better.” <Natural hatred of guns taints her otherwise reserved opinion of a foreign noble.>
Bakar Ibaiguren (Drakel): “If I find you touching me without my permission, I will cut off your hands. That being said, you seem to try and rise above your natural...défauts. That at least is commendable.” <Revolted by, Sees him as a terrifying creature but understands he is at least trying to not be what the stories tell of his race.>
Sisera De Platine, 3rd Steward of Renalta (Slade): “Either your claims are preposterous, or you’re blind to the obvious reality that Magic has created all of these problems; for your country and for the world. I do not know which is more pitiable.” <Distrusting. Unsure of the truth behind ‘Sisera’s’ claims, but doesn’t think it matters much either way.>
Alice Émeline Moineau, of the venerable house of Moineau (LimeyPanda): “Concentrer, dans toutes les choses (Focus, in all things.)" <Doesn’t give self-diagnosis much thought.>
Esther Stroud (glmstr): “...How wasteful and bizarre.” <Dismissive and Distrusting. Sees her as a childish, wasteful creature who was gifted magic by some arbitrary chance-system, and who then went on to make sparkles.>
Derebald Barson (Gwazi Magnum): “Ah, an educated man. Parlez-vous la langue noble? (Do you speak the Noble tongue?)" <Interested, curious. Respects education far beyond its applications to war.>
Aeri (Becca): “You are as subtle as a gunshot. Your magics seem harmless enough, but then; harmless curiosity caused the death of the Imperium.” <Dismissive and Distrusting. Sees her as a naive bit of baggage. Doesn’t think she’ll be combat useful.>
Tybalt Mach'Llarys (Jade Coffee): “Yours is perhaps the most appealing piece of magic I have ever seen. Do you carry Liverian Elderberry tea?” <Distrusts the mage part, but respects a lot of his other aspects: Hygiene, knowledge, and the ability to conjure up food and drink are all at least appealing>
Ivo Chastain (Luxin): “Even with your magic, you will find yourself wanting in front of my blade...The challenge would be an intriguing one, though.” <Distrusts the mage, but is curious about his acumen as a warrior.>
Charlotte (Holmishire): “Any Noble house would be lucky to have you, as would Liveria. Je suis désolé qu'il devait mourir (I’m sorry he had to die.)” <Respectful, apologetic. Sees a bit of her own loss in Charlotte, even if she disagrees with his ‘revelation’.>
Rosvita (Lialore): “Do you know what makes you impressive? It isn’t the magical bow, it is the skill behind it. How impressive are you without the fancy bow, I wonder?” <Distrusting, Reserved. Dislikes the magic and use of magical items, but respects martial prowess. Isn’t sure which is the real cause for Rosvita’s renown, or her survival.>
Joel (Ouverture): “Please stop with that infernal racket you call music...And stand up straight!” <Dismissive, disinterested. Sees the bard as a useless hanger-on and notices his lack of training in dealing with nobles.>
Dean Hansen (Orion): “I yearn to hear stories of a good Renalta. Tell me the legends my mother grew up on. In exchange, perhaps I will teach you proper footwork.” <Reserved. Holds a modicum of comradery for the Renaltan.>
Tycho Merax (Grothnor): “Do. Not. Touch me.” <Distrusting, Afraid of. Actively afraid of the agonising pain that this magic could quite without-rebuke put upon her.>
Angus O'Gee (Ragenaut): “If you step within 20 feet of me outside of combat, I will cut that stubby head off your neck and do us all a favour. Tu déshonores mon pays et mes sens. (You disgrace my country and my senses.)” <Absolute revulsion on every level. She sees this man as everything wrong with the world, sans Abbaron and his misdeeds.>
Rahim, wanderer of the Longfang tribe (LimeyPanda): “You are an abomination. I hope there is a cure for you, but if not, then perhaps you should be permitted keep your limiting band.” <Distrusting. Openly keeping a distance from. Doesn’t care much about his background because he seems too unintelligent to provide insight.>
Barrett Ironforge (jrusso20/Rue): “You fill an honourable position. It is a shame that your brothers and sisters so often spread the worst traits of our people. Now...what do the Noble’s council want with you here?” <Suspicious, respectful. Obvious bias to her countryman, but understand the dirty nature of his work.>