In the Second Era of Ioeter, 437th year, the land was suddenly overran with the unnatural sight of the walking dead. They came out of graves, sewers, old battlegrounds, and ancient ruins as if beckoned to life once more - a magic that had been unheard of and only existed in theory until that very moment. Entire kingdoms were brought to their knees, villages razed to the ground, and families slaughtered without remorse. Normal men could only do so much against the unrelenting, never hungry, never tired, waves of skeletons and decomposing bodies, numbering far beyond any living army.

Enter the Paladins. Warriors of all the good faiths, from men who devoted their life to their deity, to normal fighters given divine might as gifts of service - these were the weapons that allowed humanity to survive the darkest hours, blowing apart and draining the walking dead of whatever energy had given them life. They were the defenders and guardians of the living, but even in their numbers, they eventually learned it would never be enough to win the war. The land continued to darken and get colder, even in the far deserts to the south, as if the entire world was slowly being drained of life.

The Paladins knew they could never be anymore than guards to humanity. Then rumors spread across the Paladin Enclaves that there was someone who could do more than the Paladins, that they could cleanse the unnatural abominations completely - to purify them and return the dead to their rest. In the year 443, two Paladins were sent to a small kingdom, barely holding it's own on the outskirts of the onslaught to seek and to protect this 'purifier.'


First and foremost, this is a unqiue role-play idea, in that it's meant to be set-up as a sort of 1x1x1 romance and adventure. This is quite experimental, but I think it can be a lot of fun. The two players taking the journey with me will play as two Paladins - Sword Sisters - that are dispatched to protect a woman named the 'Purifier.' There will be plenty of character building information below, but this is as much as my story as it will be yours. In a sense, we will all be GMs - everyone is free to create kingdoms, towns, NPCs, and villains for their own use and for the other to use as well, requiring us to all be mature. While I might drive the overall plot, it's perfectly acceptable for one of the other players to introduce something that actually veers us off course, for whatever reason they'd like.

Essentially this means that we can world build Ioeter together and make it a place that we all enjoy for different reasons. Of course, this is set more in medieval fantasy than anything else, so there is that limit to what can be done. Beyond this though, it's all for grabs. You can make anything from snowy barbaric tribes to bustling desert trade hubs. This is here for us to enjoy, together. If by any means, you have questions, always feel free to ask me!


Skeletons & Zombies: The most common form of the walking dead. Though skeletons are far more common than decomposing bodies due to most of Ioeter's dead having already decomposed, both can be equally dangerous in different ways. While skeletons are far more mobile than their fleshy counterparts, zombies tends to have more endurance and normally last longer in combat because of this. Some consider zombies more dangerous while others find it easy to outmaneuver them. Typically either can either be wielding mundane weapons from swords to bows or nothing at all.

Skeletal Warriors: While similar to lesser skeletons, these creatures seem to have retained some higher level of martial prowess and on top of wielding mundane weapons, it's not uncommon to see them wearing types of metal armor as well. Why they are different from their lesser cousins is a mystery, but there are a far bit more uncommon.

Revenant: Even more frightening than the skeletal warrior is the Revenant. They are risen skeletons usually adorned in full plate of some kind and often wield great swords. While this alone is not a terrible thing, it's the speed, skill, and power they command that make them so fearsome. It's not unheard of to hear of entire battalions of knights being defeated by a single Revenant, even it's normal bone structure resistant to mundane weapons.

???: There are always rumors of higher forms of undead in the battlefield, but reports are vague at best, since most men and women - even Paladins - do not seem to return from these mysterious encounters.


Magic in Ioeter is normally from two main sources; either the gods themselves, counted as divine magic or by study of the arcane energies that flow through the world. For obvious reasons, wizardry is not an art form that is widely spread since it can take decades for some to even understand the simplest spell. Of course there are unique individuals that have an better, innate understanding of the arcane flows, but they are few and far between. Though not exactly more common than wizards, are those who are gifted with divine magic - usually in times of great need or when a deity chooses a champion. Of course, lately this has manifested in the form of Paladins, individuals gifted divine magics in martial forms to fight off the walking dead. Some say because of this surge of the gifted that the world is truly in great danger.





• Joslyn Quinn by Lydyn
• Lyra Andulin by Vee
• Reina Lockwood by Amy

Stand-By
• Skeitha by rivaan
• Jordani Pyriot by FallenTrinity
• Soren Ashea by paracosm
• Finch Avice by Termott

Does it have to be a woman character?

@The Roman07 Uh, yeah. Sorry. I'm not good with romances involving males, so... ^^'

Working on a CS now!

@lydyn Hi! Have you already found your Sword Sisters, or am I allowed to apply as one? :)

Working on a CS. Do we come up with enclave locations and deities on our own or are these specifics you would like to discuss together?

Appearance:

Height: 5'4
Weight: 130 pounds
Name / Alias: Soren Ashea/ Ash
Age: 22

Occupation: Ash began her career as a scout, her small stature making it simple for her to sneak into enemy territory unnoticed, but when the war took a turn for the worst, she became an archer in order to help defend the survivors.
Enclave location: Ash belongs to the Crystal Enclave, which works in defense of the Frozen North.

Personality: Ash is very calm and quiet. She enjoys observing others, taking note of their body language rather than believe their words. She tries to extend kindness to all, including her enemies, though she will not hesitate to do what is necessary. She is slow to anger and slow to excite. She tends to show her emotions only in the slightest of ways.

Likes:
-Evergreens
-wildlife
-gold (Ash has an affinity for things that glitter)
-she has a soft spot for children
-the color blue

Dislikes:
-heat (having grown up in the North)
-industrial areas
-Loud noises or commotion
-imperfections in fresh snow
-birds

Deity: Vhanis, protecter of life, beauty and tranquility
Abilities: when barefoot, Ash walks in silence, Ash's arrows briefly stun undead enemies.

Skills: Ash is a master of sneaking. She moves silently when barefoot and is still nearly undetectable in full armor. She is an advanced archer and is proficient in crafting. She also has a bootknife which she is capable of attacking with in close combat but is not particularly skilled.

Background: When the dead began rising from their graves, Ash's mother and father tried to fight back. In the small ice fishing village of Shi'Hai, there were no trained warriors. The fishermen fought back with large hooks and rods and the women wove their nets in attempt to trap the grave walkers. Those who fought fell quickly. By the time the paladins arrived, there were few survivors. They gathered the orphans, Ash among them, and gave them sanctuary in the Crystal Enclave. Many of the boys were trained as warriors, sent to the front lines when hope was still rational. Most did not return. The girls were not required to fight, but many did. The woman who took care of Ash became her mentor. She taught her to step lightly, spreading her weight evenly through out her feet, and how to breath softly so as not to be heard. The old woman would take her to Vhanis's temple every morning before they began the daily chores. This continued until Ash came of age to join the efforts. She prayed to the deity Vhanis for courage and peace. Vhanis in turn blessed her with silence. For several years Ash infiltrated enemy territory, taking note of their numbers, rate of decay and mobility.
When it became evident that the war was lost and that there would be no more direct attacks on the enemy, Ash realized her skills were no longer needed. She instead turned her attention to the archers. They taught her well, being patient when she failed and encouraging when she succeeded. Eventually she joined their ranks. After several years fighting amongst them and raising in rank until she became the leader of her regiment, she was called for an assignment. A long forgotten warmth trickled into her as she learned of a new hope. She gathered her gear, asked for Vhanis's blessing, and set off in search of it.

(I was unsure of certain things, such as the deities and Enclaves so I made some up)



@Amy - Well, honestly, if I get more than two CSs, I guess I'll have to sort through them and pick who best fits, won't I? :p So feel free to apply knowing that.

@paracosm - Yeah, I was giving free reign on locations and deities. ^.^

Edit: Also almost done with my own CS. Just need to do her background, but I'll have that up after lunch! #SouthKoreaTime

Name: Finch Avice
Age: 26
Occupation: Berserker, that is being trained mostly in heavy combat and commonly used in 'seek and destroy' sort of missions.

Enclave location: Finch works for the Highland Enclave, located in the mountainous area.

Personality: Finch is rather rough around the edges, being anything but graceful. She’s a thrill seeker, wanting to get as much out of life as she can. In battle, she can seem rather aggressive, getting rather too into the fight. This however, is just her taking her Paladin duties seriously, wanting to make sure that the innocent are safe from harm. Given so, she has a strong sense of justice, hence why she trained in the path of the warrior. Outside of fighting, Finch is generally goodhearted, although be wary of her fiery temper. She can be easily irritated toward strangers, but tends to relax more around friends. Finch isn’t the smartest out there, being rather stubborn and set in her routine. At times she can even be flirtatious, mostly jokingly, but she herself is rather easily flustered.

Likes:
-The outdoors
-Cute animals or animals in general really
-Protecting those who can’t protect themselves
-Food

Dislikes:
-Staying in place too long
-Rude people
-Being hot (ironic given the suit of armor she wears)

Deity: Ceren, the goddess of the moon and night, and is most commonly worshiped by those closest to her on mountain peaks. Also said her worshipers are blessed with almost white hair, as if dyed from the moon’s beams.

Abilities: She draws power from any damage she’s taken that hasn’t knocked her out (or killed her), and redirects back at her foes. With his power surge, she is at her strongest, but also at her weakest where any additional damage could be the end of her. She almost seems to fly at her enemies in this state, hence her bird related name.

Skills: Swordsmanship, more specifically very large swords, such as her handy claymore. She’s skillful in close combat, and general fighting.

Background: She was raised by her fellow Paladins in the Highland, not knowing the warmth of a family as they were brutally slaughtered by outlaws. Her only memories are of her intense training as a Paladin, the path of virtue and justice against evil. She was raised along other children, although many of her friends have failed where Finch only succeeded. She worked hard, wanting to make sure she could prove her worth to her mentor, her goddess, the people, and even herself. Through the years, Finch found herself ranked high in her enclave, often seen as the the go-to gal for missions, often dealing with those who cause injustice in the world.

Oopsie, I should have asked earlier, but like should they be actual sisters or is it just a title?

@paracosm - Hey, just a thought, but are you sure you didn't want a more offensive power? I don't mind that being her one power, though I did envision most warriors having some sort of offensive to them - maybe like blessing arrows that do more damage to all undead or certain types? Just a thought. Otherwise she seems nice. Also you can post her image directly by putting;
[img]i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t455/chri.. [/img]

@Termott - Very interesting character. Her character seems pretty straight-forward and simple. ^.^
Oh, just a title. All Paladins refer themselves as Sword Sisters/Brothers.

Still waiting on a couple potential character sheets. Someone in the guild chat said they are working on one and I have a feeling @Amy might be working on one too, so I'm going to wait a bit still. ^.^ Also done with Joslyn's character sheet.

@Ludlum I had originally planned that with her arrows since she's the deity of life but I wasn't sure if it would be to overpowered so I left it out. But since it's okay I'll edit it in. And thank you.

@lydyn I had originally planned that with her arrows since she's the deity of life but I wasn't sure if it would be to overpowered so I left it out. But since it's okay I'll edit it in. And thank you.

@paracosm - Well, Paladins gotta be more powerful than normal knights. ^.- Also, who is Ludlum? lol

@lydyn I'm on my phone right now and my autocorrect was acting up. Sorry about that. Also I was thinking that maybe since there are two sword sisters that Ash's arrows could stun undead so they can't move and the other sword sister could then attack freely without any worry of danger. That way the two could be sort of intertwined.

@paracosm That's a neat idea!

@Vee - A wild Vee appears! :p

On that note, I am waiting on at least one other character sheet. So apologizes for anyone waiting on wanting to know who might be the actual Paladins. I want to give everyone a fair shot. Honestly... I did not expect to get a potential 4-5 CSs!

@lydyn
It's such a unique story. I'm honestly not surprised so many people are interested.

Age: 20

Occupation: Ex-Pirate and brawler

Enclave location: TBA**

Personality:
Reina is like a thunderstorm: unpredictable, wild, and dynamic. More than anything, it is her whims that drive her and passion that fuels her. She tends to get swept up in the moment and acts before thinking things through, a fatal flaw that is only exacerbated by her devil-may-care attitude. Reckless and heedless of consequences, she is flippant in the face of danger—it's the way of the (ex) pirate!—and trusts completely in her abilities to escape any predicaments she might get herself into. Suffice it to say, Reina is the type to live for the moment. She struts about like she has nary a care in the undead-ridden world, with a challenging grin on her lips and a spark of mischief ever-present in her eyes. She's charming when she wants to be, cunning when she has to be, and playful at all times.

But sometimes, there are cracks visible in her buoyant façade. A hint of loneliness and sadness that could have only come from heartbreak. It clouds her smile for a brief moment, then she's back to cracking jokes and spouting nonsense.

Likes:

• Listening to stories
• Teasing
• Sweets
• The ocean
• Watching the stars

Dislikes:

• The cold
• Having nothing to do
• Being alone

Deity:
Vihm, the weather goddess, better known by the merchant navy and the pirates as the Sea Witch. She is said to be as mercurial as the tides, vengeful and fearsome one moment, magnanimous and indulging the next. Incurring her wrath means certain doom and a grave beneath the waves, while receiving her favor assures safe passage across the rough seas,

Abilities:
The weather goddess has bestowed upon Reina the wind at her feet and lightning in her hands. With superhuman agility and lightning coursing through her veins, Reina becomes an unparalleled fighter able to run circles around the undead and knock them flat with her fists.

Skills:

• Spatial and visual acuity, or in layman's terms, the ability to never get lost. Life at sea has honed Reina's navigational skills and she has become adept at gleaning pertinent information by surveying her surroundings.
• She can scale walls or trees or anything high with relative ease
• She's also pretty good at winning people over (and just as good at making enemies, it seems)

Background:

A street urchin, a thief, a pirate, and now a paladin.

Reina never would have expected to live so many different lives.

Abandoned at an early age by desperate parents already struggling to survive, Reina grew up calling the streets of the port town Azmarin her home. It was there that she learned the value of a charming smile and quick fingers; no one ever accused the happy, little beggar girl of pilfering. For someone who grew up without four walls and a roof, Reina could say she lived rather comfortably. She had never wanted for anything; her meals were supplied by the generous townspeople (sometimes intentionally, as they invite her in their homes for supper, and sometimes not, as she uses their coin to purchase fresh food from the market) and she spent most of her time meandering about town in search of targets, or playing at the shores of the Blessed Sea.

Reina was eleven when the self-proclaimed pirate king took notice of her talents. She had bitten off more than she could chew when she tried stealing from one of the crates being loaded onto his infamous vessel, The Llyr-vihm, but the challenge had been too great to neglect. The pirate king Auran caught her just as she was about to slip away with a bagful of his trinkets. He only smiled as he grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back to the deck, cutting a menacing but somehow awe-inspiring figure as he brandished his falchion and pointed it at her.

She was given two options: pledge fealty to the pirate king or meet with the Sea Witch beneath the waves.

Piracy came surprisingly easy to her. The skills she obtained in the narrow streets of Azmarin turned out to be translatable. Charm, a quick tongue, and even quicker fingers made her an indispensable asset. She would be the bait, the one they sent out to lower guards, or the one they carried aboard other ships to ransack every tiny nook and cranny.

Reina had unexpectedly found a family in the Llyr-vihm's fearsome crew. It became apparent to her early on that they were not the vicious, cutthroats they were painted as, at least not entirely. Necessity had forced this hand on them—an ailing wife that needs medicine, two newborns that need financial support—and who was she to judge their means of survival? She had been doing the same thing. Besides, it was difficult not to get attached to the motley crew with their colorful personalities, and even harder not to admire their stalwart captain. In return, Auran had grown especially fond of her, as well. For the girl who reminded him of the daughter he lost at sea, he begged the Sea Witch for a blessing. He sacrificed relics to earn this favor and the Sea Witch, feeling magnanimous that day, obliged, but under one condition. The blessing will only take effect after the pirate king makes good on his final promise.

Word of the undead rising came months late in the sea, and the crew erupted in panic and fear once they knew. After they disembarked at a nearby port town, many rushed to visit their families and loved ones, but it was too late. The walking dead had done away with the smaller towns, sparing no one in their rampage.

Within a short year in the accursed land, the crew's number had dwindled to a handful. Auran thought it best to return to Llyr-vihm and escape to the waters, where the undead could not reach them, but before they could reach the vessel, hordes of the walking dead had surrounded them. Five became four, four became three, until finally, there was only Reina and Auran.

Reina was certain it was the end. She thanked the Sea Witch for her wonderful life and her wonderful captain and prepared herself for the worst. But it never came, at least not for her. Auran had protected her until the end, shielding her with his body, and this final sacrificial act had awakened the dormant blessing of the goddess Vihm.

As Auran fell, Reina felt a surge of power within her, taking over her body. She doesn't remember what happened next, but word has it that she had gone straight through the horde, defeating those that stood in her way. When she came to, she found herself at an Enclave, days later, with Auran and the rest of crew all gone.

With nowhere else to go, Reina remained at the Enclave, learning the ways of the paladin. She heard from one of the paladins that those who have sinned were cursed with eternal punishment, and so Reina began focusing her efforts on making reparations for the whole crew. Surely, if she helps rid the world of the undead, the gods could grant her that favor?

^{** I've put TBA for now, but (in the event that I get chosen as one of the paladins) I would change this to the other paladin's enclave. I was thinking Reina would have met the other paladin that way. :)}