Full Name: Luched (Loo-guttural 'ch' sound-eh-d), 'Lightning'
Nicknames: Lu, Luch
Race: Half-Human, Half-Elf
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Hair: Short in back, bangs dangling just past eyes, mix of dark and bronze
Skin: Moderately pale
Eyes: Green
Height 5 '5'
Weight: 130 lbs
Place of Birth: Khloris, 'The City of Flowers'
Appearance: I've got some pictures I'll get here later, though I'll be doing text as well.

Occupation: Mercenary, dungeoneer/crypt explorer

Gear: A dark red leather vest than can pass as clothing or armor, a black hooded long-sleeve shirt,grey trousers, high boots and a very light and thin hand-and-a-half sword designed moderately well for both single-handed and two-handed use and a very minor satchel of holding hanging from the backside of his belt. He carries a blanket, funds, a piece of flint and steel, a coil of rope and some sort of weak magical tool that he never uses in his satchel.

Positive Personality Traits: Fair, honest, caring

Negative Personality Traits: Edgy or hostile towards officials, short-tempered, honest

Misc. Quirks:

Likes: Combat, exploring, myths and folklore

Dislikes: Nobles, hierarchy, abuse of the weak by the strong, swimming

Hobbies:

Paired character: Yvaine (Chezka's Character)

Connection with paired character: Childhood friends, saved her life, pseudo-hired guard. Luch, pressured by time and his pursuers, eventually agreed to travel to 'let' Yvaine go with him to Ialdia. As per her upbringing and his martial ability, this often means him defending her from danger, though.
While it is not fully apparent to Yvaine, their relationship is actually rather strange and somewhat one-sided. Whereas Yvaine idolized Luch since childhood, let alone after having saved her now, his vehement disdain for nobility as a whole puts him somewhat at odds with her, and snide comments from her about her background aren't unknown. In fact, it is only because of the glimmer of authenticity in her that he does not write her off completely as an idiot tyrant. Simultaneously, thoughts of politics haunt him-of twisting her into a political pawn in order to further his anarchistic aims. As he generally dislikes such manipulation, though, he is torn on this.

History: Luch was born and raised largely in Khloris, 'The City of Flowers'. He is from relative poverty and spent as much of his days outside the city in the fields and forest as in it; in neither place did he ever feel at home, though.
That said, he was far from unacquainted with the streets, and his tendency to stick by his word and what he thought was right, rather than being loyal to friends whether right or wrong, put him frequently at odds with the other children-often violently. While this won him few, if any, genuine friends, he was, at least, respected for his honesty-and for raw talent when it came to combat.
Among his few friends was Yvaine-ironically enough, the heir of the lord of the city. Something of both a defender and a teacher, he both took her side when the others would attack her based on her position of birth and tear her arguments apart when she tried to abuse it. In the fullness of it, it is perhaps that he respected and saw her, yet not her position, that lead to her following him around like a loving puppy.
When adolescence came, childhood adventures became more serious and dangerous, and Luch's sense of not belonging only grew. He began wandering further and further away from the city, and his skirmishes with children were replaced by encounters with beasts and bandits. Over time, his skills in combat grew from meager fights into genuine martial skill. And every time, while travelling, his aching urge to leave, to move and discover only grew. And when a merchant caravan offered to hire him on as an armed escort, he took it.
Years passed with Luch travelling and exploring, honing his technique with a sword and learning magic. Over time, he became more and more disgusted with the distinction of class in the society and grew to be ever more anarchisitc. Eventually, he began associating with anarchist groups and interfering with armies and guards, going to far as to be a famous vigilante at one point.
Then, one night amid a city-wide conflict between the group and the guard, he fled, a strange aura that caused fluctuations in magic emanating from him as he cringed in pain. While he has apparently been constantly on the move since, the glowing aura has plagued him since and has made it impossible to not be spotted and leave a trail to follow. His pursuers eventually set up an ambush for him when, after having his identity betrayed by a captured member of his group, it was determined that he was heading back to Khloris.
Just outside the city and with his pursuers close, Luch, while hiding, came across a girl about to be raped by guards. He interfered and slew all of them. Much to his chagrin, the maiden turned out to be Yvaine, who was apparently fleeing from home-who had, in fact, been tracking him down. Out of time, he fled with Yvaine onto a boat-one setting sail for the lost lands of Ialdia.

Full Name: Emmeric Marcure
Nicknames: Em (to those who wish to annoy him) | Marc | “The Noble”

Race: Human

Gender: Male
Age: 26
Hair: Black, and generally messy but with the sort of "styling" that makes it look as if he has tried slicking it back numerous times.
Skin: Fair, yet tanned from his days spent in sunny streets. Has a fair amount of battle scars.
Eyes: A cool green.
Height: 5"8'
Weight: 151 lbs.

Place of Birth: Tevelesen, the shining star of the north-west. The city sits in the middle of a desert oasis and it’s grandiose size, despite the location, comes from the numerous amount of gem deposits which are mined out from under the city’s foundation. Concerns have arisen about the possibility of the entire area falling due to rotting support beams and the weight of the continuingly towering buildings that the nobles are building, but the worried voices have fallen on the deaf ears of anybody capable of changing as much.

The city’s structure falls in a rough circle; any form of city planning tossed to the wayside in favor of outer expansion. The rich, upper class are concentrated and crammed within the center, the lower class spread out, and always pushing the city’s outer limits further from the city’s nobility, and the middle class jammed between the two while trying to expand out themselves into the purchased hovels of the lower class. Buildings are made of either a mixture of sand, clay and straw -- the composition of which depending on the standards of the the surrounding social class -- or of a shining white marble. The poor use a baser rammed earth method for building, while the middle class uses an adobe brick. The marble, naturally, is reserved for the shining palaces and towers of the rich.

This is a city which people come to in order to make a profit and advance their standing in the world. Unfortunately for them, business here only favors the already wealthy. So, to make ends meet, they join one of the numerous underground (no pun) “businesses” which are only too happy to have a couple more footmen on payroll. It’s a “career” that some are cut out for, while for others it just ends with them cut and alone in a hole, but as far as gem smuggling goes, Tevelesen is the Aegan epicenter of it. Of course, that isn’t their only “dirty” means of income.

Appearance: Emmeric’s face is angular. Not gaunt, as if he hasn’t been able to feed himself properly, but a jagged, full type of face to compliment his pointed chin and his other relatively regular facial features. He’s a type of handsome that you would recognize the goodly tramp for, but with a smile that let’s on to more than it should as to what’s going on in his mind’s eye.

He generally carries himself in an exaggerated manner. Whether it’s flailing about in some fake panic, his displeasure of being fed something horrid, or simply walking down the street with an unearned swagger. He does so with the same zest as an actor who is trying too hard.

Occupation in the frontier forces: Laborer
Gear of choice:
-Clothing: A white, long-sleeved cotton shirt | a makeshift overshirt, fashioned from a potato sack, and with a small "v" in the front which is laced with a simple drawstring | A pair of black trousers; heavy stitching, and patchwork can be seen on the outer sides of both legs | a pair of leather boots | A burlap cloak
-Weaponry: A small, custom navaja, which he keeps on the inside of his sack shirt. Having nicked it off a trade caravan during one of his very few solo (and successful) jobs, he keeps it with him everywhere he goes. It has the curious imagery of a chimera overpowering a dragon on one side of the blade, a submerged leviathan being overwhelmed by a fiery bird on the other, and a golden, curved and rippling hilt with a snake’s head at the end.
-Miscellany: A flask filled with water (sometimes not) | A pocket-watch (accurate to the hour) | A needle (only slightly rusted) | String of various colors and sizes (Mostly black, brown or white)

Positive Personality Traits: Jovial | Determined | Bold | Economical
Negative Personality Traits: Distrustful | Avoids physically strenuous work | Conceited | Vacuous
Misc. Quirks: Sighs a lot | A big eater | “Theatrical” | Surprisingly Superstitious
Likes: Relaxing | Wine | A warm fire | Birds | Horror stories
Dislikes: Nature (aside from birds) | Aggressive Personalities | Loud noise
Hobbies: Card games | Collecting unique currency | Strolling through city streets | Making his own clothes

Paired character: Youn Barlai (Skyswimsky)
Connection with paired character: “Partners”
fantastico
History: Emmeric comes from a small family of five. A middle child, he was never treated with the respect that his ways more capable older brother was shown or doted on with the same amount of attention that his little sister received. Despite his parents’ every effort and attempt, the three children were raised in a poverty where they could eat everyday and be full, but not be able to afford the luxuries of nice clothing or being able to throw parties for their every year of getting older, not even for the big days of them finally being able to work and support the family’s mutual well-being, or for their official entering into adulthood. Perhaps because of this, the middle child never exactly lived up to his parents’ expectations for him.

His father wanted Emmeric to simply have a stable, good-paying job; his mother, a happy home full of a dozen grandchildren. What they got instead was a young man who was loose with who he slept with, and even looser with his money. His personality was the kind that got him what he immediately wanted but with obvious repercussions in the future than he was willing to acknowledge.

The middle Marcure’s adolescent years were not spent working and improving himself like his older brother did to attract a wealthy wife (even if she were an older widower), or the kind of primping and educating his sister received so that she one day may become a politician and advocate for the lower-class, but in a stupor where he hung out with a similar lazy, charming group of good-for-nothings, and spent all his spare change on food for himself or at card tables. Due to this, his parent’s never bring up Emmeric’s existence when discussing their children with their friends or neighbors (even if they never chastised him for his reckless behavior), and is viewed as pathetic by his much more successful older sibling. The only one to support him was his sister, who was always aware of her brother’s path in life, and encouraged him to do better for himself, despite whatever his current circumstance may be.

He made his own first coin as a pickpocket. It started as a dare from a friend, and years down the line, it was a dare that shaped much of his life. He got involved in with the dangerous underground types who were always willing to exploit the people around them to make an easy profit. Nothing more than a neutral gofer of sorts, he was a freelance hire around the city, known for his erratic work performance, and the steady cut from his knife-wielding hand. Many viewed him as suspicious -- having his hand in so many honeypots at once meant that he was a liability as well as a “source” of information -- but was viewed by many of these assorted gang leaders as “a loose end they were willing to keep loose, for now” for each their own personal gain. Marcure was a man viewed as an incompetent menace by the rank-and-file footmen, but as a sort of “diamond in the rough” to the higher ups; all of whom who wanted nothing more than to crack all those secrets out of him.

They discarded this “jewel” after his brief possession of a gem.

It was standard fare for him -- a courier job for an unnamed, sometimes faceless, man -- so it was nearly impossible for Emmeric to fail. Alas, such was the case as he encountered the quick-witted, and disingenuous, young Youn. She had met him at the meeting spot, gave the correct signals, yet the next day, he had been accused of stealing the magic storing device -- then selling it -- and simply wanted dead for his most recent, and financially important, failure.

Giving up the current belongings not on his body, an easy task given the so little he owned (and that all family, except for his sister, had cut ties from him), and going into hiding was his plan for that moment. It wasn’t long before he was able to track the girl and the gem down -- figuring that the least he could do now was prove his accusers right -- just as she was encountering her own stint of danger for her committed robbery. Despite his regular reluctance in getting involved, and even with this was the thief who had gotten a bounty put on his head, Emmeric found himself approaching the group casually, and stabbing one of the weapon-wielding brigands in the back with his knife.

A fight broke out; it was between him and the group of five that wanted both him and the girl dead. He was able to take out another with only a black eye and a few cuts and bruises. One of the bastards had snuck up behind him, though, and was able to land a heavy blow to his head. He woke up in an unfamiliar hovel not much later, and had the reason as to why he wasn’t dead explained to him by the very same girl who had stolen from him.

It didn’t take them very long to figure out they were better off trying to get out of the city together than alone, so that’s what they did. They sold the depleted gem and used the money to pay for passage to the other side of the continent. The circumstance of their meeting had Emmeric convinced of one thing, however. That they were “destined” to reach the “Lost Continent”; the rumors of which had him practically drooling at the thought of all the riches to be had. But with all their gem money gone from traveling across Aega, and with neither of them having some rich benefactor, they were forced to sell themselves into a form of indentured service for passage.

Full Name: Aerathanis Dwin'raesh (pron: Air-ath-on-is Dwin-ray-sh)

Nicknames: Na’milon

Race: Elf

Gender: Male
Age: 180 or about 30 in human years
Hair: Ash Blonde
Skin: Pale White
Eyes: Gold
Height: 6’ 2"
Weight: 185 lbs.

Place of Birth: The lush forests of Siilara. His clan controls the centermost location of Siilara known as Teresta Vel’ai.

Appearance: As elves go, Aerathanis does not particularly stand out when it comes to looks. It is rare for elven-kind to be considered unattractive and he is of no exception. Although toned, he does not appear overly muscular. He is quite trim for his height, possessing broad shoulders and a slim waist. Standing at about 6’ 2”, he is taller than most. His hair is a long, ash blonde, pulled to the back of his head in two taut ponytails, one just above the other. The bottom most tail reaches down to the nape of his neck, the one just before it stopping about half the length of the lower.

His skin is pale white. His eyes are gold and intense with a stare that could freeze one’s heart if you gazed upon them for too long. Almost never smiling are a pair of thin pale lips. The middle of his face houses a small nose that is somewhat pointed and slender, matching his dignified features. His exposed ears are pointed towards the sky and he has a strong jaw line, with a face as smooth as polished glass.

Oddly, he has a rather intimidating appearance but is somehow pleasant to look at.

Occupation in the frontier forces: Guard/Medic/Researcher

Gear of choice:


Armor: Elvish armor. He is armored moderately, wearing sturdy leather boots of a pale silver hue with light pieces metal forged into them. The metals are painted in a pattern of dull gold and deep crimson which cover the toe and sides of his foot as well as the circumference of the front of his legs. The boots stretch up to his knees, where once again light pieces of metal are forged into flat and rectangular shin guards. His leggings are reinforced leather, also pale silver in color, with a wide belt buckled at his inner thighs. His breastplate is the same dull gold and rich crimson as the rest of his armor. The armor is not bulky but more fitted and compact, with a piece on either side that protects his upper thighs. To complete the matching set, is a pair of gauntlets made similarly as his boots, also with elbow guards.


Weaponry: Talaenar, a sword that is long and polished. The sword looks as if it has rarely been used but upon closer inspection, one would notice that it is slightly worn, just very well taken care of. The hilt has the same gold color of his armor, the base of which houses a small ruby colored jewel. The jewel absorbs magic energy over time. His scutum style shield is probably the heaviest piece of equipment to carry but it is almost unnoticeable to him after years of toting it around. The shield also matches his armor in terms of color, dull gold on top, dark red on bottom. It is decorated with the picture of a rising sun in the center. To the lower left of the sun is a silver crescent moon and to the lower right of the sun is a red star.

Other Items: He also carries some elvish coin, his journal and a twig from the Coia tree, sacred to his kingdom.

Personality: Aerathanis is a quiet and conservative individual, spending much of his free time in his journal, rather than giving in to self indulgence. He exudes an aloof and superior air which sometimes gets him into trouble but those who bother to get to know him are pleasantly surprised by his civility. Due to his serious nature, he isn’t one for fun and games. It would take more than a life time to hear him crack a joke and almost as long to see him laugh at one. He can be a little awkward in social settings, having spent much of his life in isolation and then constantly traveling. He also tends to struggle with inner turmoil, never really seeking outside help with his fears, troubles or concerns. He has never been romantically involved with anyone but has come to realize that he prefers the company of other men.

He is proficient with a sword and shield although his particular training favors use of the later. His swordsmanship is above par, he would be able to out duel a common swordsman but he is a master by no means. His fighting tactics rely heavily on his shield. With a shield, he is a defense specialist. He is also adept in using his shield offensively. With the ability to use light magic to a mediocre degree, almost all of his spells require use of his shield. He can also heal minor injuries, anything more than that is out of his league.

Positive Personality Traits: Chivalrous towards others and fearless in battle, he ready to stand against a horde of foes to protect that which must be protected. He is a benevolent man and cannot ignore the pleas of those in need.

Negative Personality Traits: He doesn’t appear to be very approachable and gives off an air of superiority. He can be blunt and direct which may come off as him being cold or insensitive but he just doesn’t know any better.

Misc. Quirks: He likes to sing when he thinks no one is listening and actually has a wonderful voice.

Likes: Order, Sunrises, Trees, Good natured People, Scenic Overlooks, Animals, Justice, Honor.

Dislikes: Indecisiveness, Cowardice, Oppression, Depravity, Dishonesty, Injustice, Vampires, Necromancers, Demons, and the Undead.


Hobbies: He enjoys reading, especially information on other races.

Paired character: Febuari

Fantastico

Connection with paired character: Guardian (He behaves like more of an authoritative figure than a bodyguard). As part of his pilgrimage, he has to find a partner, someone with whom he can travel to Ialdia. Shani was probably the last person he would have expected to pair with, given the stark differences in their personalities. Truly, he considers her more of a nuisance than anything but it was her innocence and inexperience that drew him to her and it was her impressive recklessness that compelled him to want to protect her, partially from herself.


History: Aerathanis was born to the house of Dwin'raesh known to produce warriors and knights for his clan. Normally, he would have been raised in the way of the sword and with luck, been appointed to serve his lord or lady in whatever capacity they saw fit. To a lesser degree, he would have been made a soldier and tasked with the role of protecting their home from outside threats… however there was a slight exception to this cycle. Every couple hundred years or so, when certain conditions are met, someone is chosen during childhood to become “Na’milon” and trained as a Paladin. Instead of being trained in the ways of the warrior, they are sent away and follow the distinct style of the soul and shield, an ancient and mostly symbolic practice. Aerathanis was that -lucky- child.

In his youth, Aerathanis resented this role because instead of following in the footsteps of his brothers and sisters, he had to follow a different path, one not tread very often nor one he thought useful. The whole Paladin of light role was more of a tradition if anything, stemming from some ancient lore of the elves. While it did instill some sense of unity and high spirits for their clan, it was mostly a pointless undertaking, culminating in a pilgrimage which when completed marked the beginning of a year long celebration.


Barely into his teenage years, he was sent away for training, deep into the Storm Wall Mountains. His teacher, Baelora, became more than a mentor, she filled the role of mother and father. She was an older woman, several times his age, who had completed the Pilgrimage many years before and it would be he who surpassed her when the time came to mentor the next Na'milon. Life with Baelora was difficult to begin with, in truth, her mentoring was more rigorous and precise than if he were to be trained as a knight or solider. Not only did she teach him in the ways of combat, she also molded his mind and spirit in the ways of the Paladin, instilling in him Confidence, Honor and Resolve. After he reached maturity, he and Baelora would occasionally visit the nearest monastery. There he was trained in the use of light or soul magic but the time spent there was never extended. Besides brief introductions, he was limited to interactions with a chosen monk for lessons in magic. Baelora would then help him perfect the technique that allowed him to integrate the magic he learned with his mastery of the shield.

When he and Baelora finally returned to their clan, he was almost immediately summoned by the Lady of their house and given his task. It was his duty to complete the Pilgrimage to Ialdia by joining the exhibition force and attempt to eradicate its curse, or at least bring back with him some useful information for the scholars. He questioned his Ladyship’s decision to begin the pilgrimage now, expressing his desire to remain with his people, where he thought he would be more useful. Unfortunately, his Ladyship thought differently and felt that by going on this pilgrimage, he would “bring a light of hope back to their people”.

During his pilgrimage, he was able to visit the Sachia base camp. He thought himself fortunate to be able to witness one of their rituals, where the young Raevan were required to complete a trial in order to prove one self ready to join the expeditions. Finding a sparsely populated spot to join the spectators, he whipped out his small journal. It wasn’t until a young female Raevan appeared, showing extraordinary skill and determination, that he stopped writing.

Without even knowing her name, he could almost tell her life story, just by watching her movements. She surpassed all the other applicants but did so by showing a total disregard for her own life. It infuriated him that someone so young and talented, could risk so much so easily. He could see the potential in her, however such talent would be wasted if she continued on such a reckless path. In all his years traveling, no one had ever provoked such strong feelings in him and against his better judgment, he took it as a sign. When the time was right, he approached Shani, kneeling and placing a fist to his breast. “My lady. My name is Aerathanis Dwin’raesh, Paladin of Teresta Vel’ai. If you allow me to be your partner, I vow to protect you on our journey.”

Full Name: Dev'ika Asher
Nicknames: Dev

Race: Half human (father)/ half orc (mother)

Gender: Female
Age: 26
Hair: Black, coarse and kinky
Skin: Brown with green undertones
Eyes: Light brown
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 190lbs

Place of Birth: Soklar Valley, known for it's weaponsmiths and miners

Appearance: Devika is a sturdy woman. She is heavily curved, with rich brown skin that shines a bit green in the sunlight. Her light brown eyes are wide, her jaw is square, her ears are slightly tipped, her lips are full, and her teeth are terrifying. Her black curls usually are hastily tied back with a scarf, but she lets them free when she isn't traveling.

Devika usually wears a hooded cloak and a pair of strange glasses with tempered black glass in them.

Occupation in the frontier forces: Chronicler/mediator

Gear of choice: Heavy wooden staff
Black-lens glasses

Positive Personality Traits: intelligent, reserved, excitable (usually about new places), artistic

Negative Personality Traits: very shy, doesn't trust easily (or sometimes at all)

Misc. Quirks: keeps a small notebook and charcoal sticks to take notes at any time something strikes her, never looks people in the eyes

Likes: historical places, old fashions, books

Dislikes: stupid people, her body

Hobbies:(optional but encouraged): reading, writing, researching, drawing, occasionally staff-fighting

Paired character: Roland

Connection with paired character: Devika hired Roland as a bodyguard, after he rescued her from attack in her father's lands. Even though their original contract is over, she is glad to work with Roland
on a new journey. She would like to consider them friends, maybe partners, but is unsure of how he feels about the matter.

Fantastico!
History: Devika's father, Reginald, was a human scholar traveling the world. He met Devika's mother, An'ika during part of his journey to Grah-Nglak. She was a warrior student. They fell in love through learning and teaching. She taught him to properly wield a weapon, he taught her to speak and write other languages. They married quietly, in secret, and An'ika was soon pregnant. Reginald convinced An to move back to Aega with him, where he was sure they would live in prosperity once his work was published.

Unfortunately things didn't quite work that way. Reginald did publish, but An and the baby Dev'ika were ostracized in the human cities. An moved back to Grah-Nglak with baby Dev when she was about 3. Her father followed soon after. They lived on the fringes of the city, where they were mostly unbothered.

Devika took after her father, loving to read, write, and learn. While she has the potential for fighting, she doesn't have the will. Her mother taught her to wield a staff, but she only does so in self defense. Her magic potential was much stronger than her desire to wield a sword, and she was heavily trained in that since the age of 5. When Devika became an adult, she decided to take up her father's path and travel the world, learning and recording what she can. She started with her human roots.

During her travels in Aega, she ran into a group of human men who didn't like her looks. They charged her, and Devika was forced to unleash the full brunt of her magic on them. She willed fear into herself and send it outward. All but one of her attackers crumbled to the ground, screaming as terror took hold of their bodies. The last may have had a stronger mind than his friends, because he came at her. Before she could pull her staff and prepare to defend herself, a white-haired stranger came and knocked him
unconscious.

Her rescuer turned out to be a human man named Roland. They quickly struck a partnership- he would agree to protect him, and she was provide payment on return to Grah-Nglak. That journey had just ended, when Devika's father came upon a letter from one of his old research friends. The opportunity to explore the lost continent of Ialdia was a priceless one, but he knew he couldn't make the trip at his age, with a wife and home and two more children to raise. He passed off the torch to
his daughter, and Devika jumped at the opportunity. Now, with Roland at her side, she is prepared to learn what no one else can... What lies beyond the shores of Ialdia.