“In recent times, the word 'magic' has been met with scoffs and ire. The thought that such a thing exists in this day and age is beyond human comprehension, a figment of madmen and lunatics. Understand though, that what I saw in the depths of the frozen north was not some hallucination or nightmare, but something just as real as you and I. To go beyond the boundary of perceived reality is a frightening task, one I would not abide the average person to attempt, but any that could experience such a thing and remain sane would surely receive insight far beyond his peers. Truly, what I have seen was not meant for the eyes of mortals. I still cannot quite explain what it was I met in that temple. It was something beyond human existence and comprehension, yet it seemed familiar. I do not know that it spoke, but I could understand it. I understood it with all of my senses, a truth not known by men, but buried within all of us. I will attempt, with utmost effort, to describe the being that I contacted within that temple. This figure beyond reality and material existence: The Abnormal.” -Prof. Vaann Tikkis 'The Abnormal'
Those words had been, just as predicted, mocked relentlessly by the community at large when they were published. To the average person, they were the ramblings of a madman, little more than a fairy tale. However, for those beyond the realm of 'normal' thought, it garnered a very different brand of attention. Those with an interest in the occult, those who had spent their lives studying the works of 'madmen' were intrigued by the work of the modern philosopher, and sought out the legitimacy of his claim. Others were pulled in by the mystique of it all, and still more saw the value in a bastion of ancient knowledge. Unfortunately for these few, Tikkis, by all accounts, vanished merely a week after the publication of his work, leaving only one option to investigate his claims. The few brave, interested, or mad enough to seek out the truth headed north to Gris. From there, they traveled even farther north, until they finally reached the Vulture's Roost. This city was the final bastion of civilization before a nearly endless sprawl of ice and snow. Tikkis' temple was supposed to be somewhere far beyond the reach of humanity. If rumors were to be believed, many other secrets hid themselves in the snow as well. For those seeking The Abnormal, this was the threshold, the boundary that needed to be crossed. But once they had committed to this journey, there was no coming back, not without answers.
Hello and welcome to Beyond the Boundary. This is an adventure/mystery thread centering around a group of adventurers investigating rumors of an ancient temple in the frozen north. The group will be gathering in Vulture's Roost, the last notable human settlement before a seemingly endless swathe of ice and snow. The members of the group are varied, and each likely have their own reasons for pursuing this endeavor, whether it be for fame, power, wealth, or knowledge.
Gris: Gris is a continent to the far north with a long and rather violent history. With no unified government, Gris is made up of a number of territories, each governed by their respective tribes. The cold and inhospitable environment has made its people strong and rough, and the divided state of their politics has led them to lag behind in the ways of civilized culture. Gris has a number of mythologies dating back to ancient times, and magic, while regarded as an outright impossibility in the more civilized corners of the world, is often feared by the people of Gris for superstitious reasons. The northern half of the continent, reaching well up to the pole, is mostly uninhabited due to the severe and unforgiving nature of its climate.
Vulture's Roost: The most northern city in Gris, Vulture's Roost is governed by Alec Cross, a foreign slave who led a coupe many years ago. Because of his foreign heritage, and the violent revolution he used to take control of Vulture's Roost, he is generally not very popular in Gris' other territories. Despite his reputation, Alec's rule has been fairly profitable for his people. Few visitors come to the city, as there are few reasons to travel beyond its northern border.
The Northern Wastes: The vast territory north of Vulture's Roost is, for all practical purposes, an uninhabitable wasteland consisting of fields of ice and snow, treacherous mountains, and ancient forests. Few travel beyond the Great Northern Boundary, but those that do often have interesting stories to tell. Reports of strange wildlife are common, but some have spoken of things of a more... supernatural nature.
Professor Vaann Tikkis: Prior to his journey to the Northern Wastes, Tikkis was a little known Professor at a University to the south. What exactly led him to take his journey is unknown, but accounts seem to imply that he went alone. Upon his return, he published a book describing his encounter with a being he dubbed 'The Abnormal'. In his book, which bore the entities name, he attempted to elaborate on his experiences, though it was widely received as rambling. Shortly after the publication of his work, Tikkis seemingly vanished. His disappearance led to more interest in his work, though some implied the madmen had simply wandered off to do whatever madmen do.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Character Sheet
Name: Age: Gender: Appearance: Weapons/Belongings: Magic:(If any) Personality: Short History:
Character List Elizabeth Tosli- DrowsyPangolin Noah Kass- DrowsyPangolin Lexine Tristan- Epsir Ira Cunningham- Sightles Ashley Cunningham- Sightles Sage Marcs- Natural Mess Al Valkanos- IncredibleBee Haruka “Haru” Taiyo- Shisa Jack Silver- Kuas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Characters
Name: Elizabeth Tosli
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Appearance: Elizabeth, physically, is rather unimposing. Standing just over five feet in height and having a thin frame, most wouldn't consider her much of a threat. She has long, somewhat curly hair of a light strawberry blonde coloration, and an extremely pale complexion. A few light freckles dot her face, but they are scarcely visible. Elizabeth's left eye is covered with a black eyepatch, having lost her sight in it due to an injury. Her right eye is a brilliant shade of deep blue. Other than the obvious instance of her missing eye, Elizabeth has several other notable reminders of her past. She has a number of scars throughout her body, though they are mostly covered. In addition, she walks with a slight limp. Though it doesn't impede her too greatly, she carries a cane for long journeys to prevent strain on her damaged leg.
Elizabeth's clothing was obviously chosen to provide warmth in the harsh tundra of northern Gris. She wears a round hat made of black bear fur that is pulled down snugly over her ears. Around her neck, she wears a woolen scarf dyed a deep shade of crimson. A thick black cloak, complete with a hood and lined with fur, provides further protection from the elements. Beneath the cloak, she wears a jacket of fleece, with two rows of silver buttons running up the front. The jacket has a charcoal coloration. Her leggings are simple trousers made of black cloth., with the legs tucked into a pair of rugged black leather boots. Beneath her jacket, Elizabeth wears a snugly fitting long sleeved shirt made of white cotton. Her hands are protected by fur-lined gloves of soft brown leather. Around her waist, the woman wears a belt of brown leather, with a coin purse and a knife attached at her right and left hip, respectively.
Weapons/Belongings: Though she relies heavily on her magic for self-defense, Elizabeth's previous life of crime has led her to never travel unarmed. She carries a long, double-edged dagger at her side. In total, the weapon is about fourteen inches in length, with a long slender blade accounting for most of it. The blade itself is made of high quality steel, and seems to be rather well maintained. The weapon's guard is crescent-shaped and made of silver, while the grip appears to be polished whale bone. The weapon's pommel is an orb of silver.
In addition to the knife, Elizabeth always carries her cane with her. Though it assists her walking, it's primary purpose is giving her access to a respectable amount of silver at any given moment. For this reason, the staff is entirely constructed of the valuable metal, and is about three-and-a-half feet in length. The majority of the staff seems to be perfectly smooth and balanced, giving it and elegant appearance. The top of the cane is molded to look like the head of a cat. Had it been crafted by traditional means, this embellishment would likely be regarded as the work of a skilled silversmith, as the detail is extraordinarily accurate. The cat has an opened mouth, with teeth exposed. The teeth are actually quite sharp, a detail added by Elizabeth for convenience's sake.
As far as personal belongings, Elizabeth travels with very little on her person. She carries a pouch full of silver coins, though whether they are actually used as currency is questionable. Her only other possession is a silver pocket watch with a delicate engraving of a bird in flight across its front.
Magic: Avarice Flow: Elizabeth's magic stems from the teaching of a now defunct order dedicated to the study of the arcane. Resentful of religious persecution, they had magics dedicated specifically towards many cardinal vices. Elizabeth, since her earliest years, always had an affinity for silver, however, it was not until she came across a long-forgotten book by the aforementioned order that she realized her full potential. The magic Elizabeth uses was one dedicated to the vice of greed. As such, it centers around the control and manipulation of valuable metals. Though the book described a number of applications, most applying to gold, Elizabeth was only able to correctly execute the manipulation of silver. Not free from sacrifice, the magic requires the user's own blood to function, thus Elizabeth must have an open wound to successfully execute it. Once connected to the user's bloodstream, Avarice Flow allows the user to manipulate silver with a great deal of freedom. The metal's shape, state, and size can be altered at will, and the user is given a full range of motion. The silver is controlled as freely as the user's own limbs so long as it is connected to her bloodstream. In addition, any silver touched my the user's new 'limb' can be assimilated into it. Overall, the ability is quite flexible, giving Elizabeth offensive and defensive options in a violent situation, while also allowing a great deal of utility.
Personality: To many, Elizabeth might come across as a bit frigid. She is typically fairly reserved and speaks with a soft, but very clear voice. She carries a slight accent from her homeland, but she leans towards proper speech as carefully as possible. She is wary of strangers, and rarely allows herself to trust anyone. She comes across as somewhat jaded and cautious of other people, and maintains control of her emotions fairly well. She is not above being polite, if only superficially. Ultimately, she seems to put her goals above all else, and is willing to use a number of different means to reach them.
Though her exterior is solid and cold, there is a great deal more to Elizabeth than what she shows to others. She carries quite a bit of emotional baggage from her troubled past. Anger, resentment, and a fair amount of guilt burden her mind regularly, and her past has had a great deal of impact on the person she is today. Despite this, there is still at least some bastion of humanity left within the former thief. Though she isn't the best at showing it, she cares for Noah and his well-being, and has protected him on numerous occasions during their travels. Though not overtly empathetic to those around her, she has no will to inflict needless suffering on others. She is far from a perfect person, and her past mistakes have done a great deal to shape her into her current state.
Short History: Elizabeth was born in Esterl, an island nation to the south. She was the daughter of a silversmith, and her early years were relatively comfortable. When she was still quite young, however, a plague swept through her homeland. Both of her parents succumbed to the illness, leaving herself and her twin sister, Lilian, orphaned and destitute in Esterl's capital, Calida. Initially, she and her sister did what they had to do to survive, begging and stealing in the streets. During this time she suffered from many of the cruelties of humanity, but also began to study the arcane as a method of coping with the darkness around her. Eventually, she and her sister organized a small band of thieves, most of which were from similar situations. Over time, this small band of petty criminals grew and became more skilled. Though not a stranger to doing work herself, Elizabeth quickly became regarded as the 'brain of the operation', and through the use of cunning tactics, her gang became quite profitable. Rumors began to spread of a 'Queen of the Underground' as the Tosli's exploits became more and more notable. She and her sister became a sort of legend among the back alleys and taverns of the capital, and the title 'Black Cat of Calida' became synonymous with the shadowy duo controlling the city's underbelly. Though concerted efforts were made to stop them, they seemed to allude the law at every turn
Unfortunately, the sisters' reign over the underground was not built to last. Their organization was lucrative, they had went from waifs on the street to owners of a blossoming enterprise. However, a carefully executed lie would shatter the underground overnight. Elizabeth was deceived by a close ally into believing her sister had betrayed her. On the night of their most elaborate scheme yet, Elizabeth was given evidence that Lilian had been working for someone else, and that she had stolen a large amount of money with the intent of leaving the country. In truth, the money had been taken by one of Elizabeth's confidants with the intention of usurping Lilian's position. However, hopelessly misled, Elizabeth ordered the alleged traitor to be dealt with. The attempt on Lilian's life failed, and a schism arose almost instantly amongst the gang itself, dividing the loyalty of the group between the two sisters. The underground became a full-blown war, and Elizabeth was eventually confronted by her sister, who was infuriated. Still convinced of her betrayal, Elizabeth decided to deal with the issue herself. Despite the advantage of magic, Elizabeth lost the duel. Her sister, feeling betrayed, left her for dead and escaped the country.
In truth, Elizabeth would likely have died had it not been for Noah. She had been badly injured and left floating down a river, where she would have likely drowned or succumbed to her injuries, had the young boy not intervened. Noah pulled her from the water, and did the best he could to treat her wounds. She was surprised by the boy's kindness, though in the next few days she came to understand the true nature of what had transpired. With her supposed death and Lilian's exodus from the country, the gang had collapsed. Infighting and the eventual reaction of the city guard had completely destroyed what they had worked so hard to build. She also learned about her own deception. Ashamed and appalled at the situation, she and Noah left the country as soon as she was able. Since then, the two have traveled around the world. With nothing else to guide her, Elizabeth came to focus on her study of the arcane and occult, a subject her compatriot also seems to find interesting. With reliable resources being incredibly scarce, Tikkis' report on the supposed temple in the north interested her greatly, and so she and Noah have set out to find it.
Name: Noah Kass
Age: 14
Gender: Male
Appearance: Noah is a small boy, even for his age. He stands a few inches over five feet and is somewhat thin, with a light build. His complexion is remarkably pale, and seemingly blemish-free, other than the occasional sunburn in sunny environments. He has medium length hair, which is also a stark shade of white, which frames his face and reaches just past his chin at its longest point. The boy's eyes are a deep violet, and seem to spark with life and curiosity. He generally wears a pleasant expression.
Noah's clothing is warm and resilient to keep out the frigid air of the north. His most notable garment is an oversized coat made of a soft red fabric. The coat nearly reaches his knees, and the sleeves have a tendency to cover his hands. The interior of the garment is lined with fluffy white fur, which protrudes from the sleeves, bottom, and hood. The coat fastens in the front with a row of large brass buttons. Beneath the coat, Noah wears a plain white shirt with long sleeves, and a pair of simple black trousers. The boy is nearly always seen wearing a bright red cap. Though it does very little to keep out the elements, Noah seems quite fond of the accessory, only removing it to sleep. His hands are protected by gloves of soft brown leather, and he wears a pair of well-worn traveling boots, made of a similar material. In addition, Noah usually has a pack slung over his back.
Weapons/Belongings: Not usually the violent type, Noah has very little knowledge of combat. He carries no true weapons, typically leaving escalating matters to his traveling companion. His only line of self defense is a walking stick carved from ash. The stick is nearly as tall as its owner, and could probably give someone a nasty bruise, but it maintains the primary function of aiding Noah in long travels, and perhaps scaring off the occasional animal.
In the way of belongings, Noah carries everything he owns in a leather pack. The bag contains a few necessities, including canteens and cooking equipment, as well as matches and a small hatchet for cutting wood. Also included in the pack is a knife for carving, one of the boy's favorite pastimes. In addition to these necessities, he carries a few miscellaneous items including a sewing kit, bandages, and a small bottle of antiseptic, along with numerous odds and ends he's picked up in his travels. Perhaps the most interesting thing in the pack, however, is a valuable collection of metal. A smaller bag within the pack contains four ingots made of pure silver. These are, in a sense, a trump card for bad situations. He constantly keeps silver on hand to facilitate a more liberal use of his companion's magical talents should the need arise.
Magic: Witness: Noah's 'magic' is not a learned trait. In fact, it was something he has carried since birth. For as long as he can remember, he has been able to 'see' things. This sight is vague, though it can allow him to see things from the past and future, as well as things occurring halfway across the world. Unfortunately for the boy, he has absolutely no control over this power, and it often strikes without warning. When a vision manifests itself, Noah enters a sort of trance. These 'trances' typically appear as a sudden, usually short, bout of unconsciousness. It is not atypical for the boy to fall out mid step, though he often can 'feel' when one is about to occur. Noah's visions are often quite vague, even symbolic at times, and though they are helpful in some instances, he often has no idea what exactly he is seeing. Through his research with Elizabeth, he has learned a bit about his condition. According to certain sources, there have been others with such abilities in the past. Though often referred to colloquially as 'prophets', or 'seers', scholars on the subject coined the title 'Witnesses'.
Personality: Noah is a cheerful boy with an upbeat personality. He is kindhearted, and enjoys meeting new people. His voice is bright and cheery, and he tends to make his overall contentedness quite contagious to those around him. By and large, he seems unfazed by the world's darkness, and is quick to offer a hand to those in need, although it is not uncommon for his overwhelming positivity to border on naivety. Though a child with no true schooling of any sort, he is quite bright, and enjoys discussing new ideas. He adores Elizabeth despite the dark cloud hanging over her, and often tries to cheer her up, to little avail. Few things can shake his optimism, although his visions occasionally disturb him momentarily.
Short History: Noah has very little memory of his early years. His parents evidently either died or disowned him when he was quite young, leaving him alone in Calida. He lived at an orphanage for a time, but his adventurous nature, combined with the odd nature of his condition, caused him to not fit in very well. Due to overcrowding, and a concern about his 'visions', he was eventually forced to live on the streets. Despite this, he remained content, seeing his new life as and adventure. He quickly learned a number of methods for surviving in the streets of Calida, and even managed to pickup some useful bits of information, learning to sew, cook, and deal with injuries. His life in the streets continued, until one night he had a vision of a 'black cat, injured and thrown into the river'. Being the compassionate boy he was, he rushed to the river to save the animal, but was surprised when he instead found a young woman. With a great deal of effort, he pulled her from the water and saw to her wounds as best he could, working tirelessly throughout the night. The woman, Elizabeth, was quite surprised to even be alive. She quickly informed him that she would need to leave the country as soon as she could. Seeing a chance for adventure, Noah offered to travel with her, and after a bit of deliberation, set out from Esterl with his new companion. After learning of his condition, Elizabeth shared her knowledge of magic with him, and he became quite interested.
2: No autohitting/instakilling/godmodding of other characters.
3: Magic exists, however it is rather uncommon and practiced by a small percentile of the population. It is not uncommon for a mage to never have met another practitioner of magic. That being said, it's fine if everyone in the thread uses magic to some degree, but schools of magic or other public groups of mages likely wouldn't exist.
4: No overpowered characters. It's fine to have a powerful or skilled character, but take others into consideration and don't go too far overboard with abilities.
5: We're all here to have fun, if you have a problem don't hesitate to PM me and I'll do my best to solve whatever issues are going on.
6: If you're going to be gone for a bit please let me know in advance. I won't remove or kill characters due to inactivity, but if progression is being frozen (no pun intended) I'll move things on for the sake of others. Inactive characters will be implied to still exist within the group so that people can come back, but otherwise won't be interacted with.
My character is done! Tell me what you think. I hope you don't mind that I created a mage. I freaking love mages.
Name: Galant Whisperwind
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Appearance: Galant is a tall young man, standing at about six feet tall. He has a slender build and long graceful limbs. Along with pointed features it gives him a handsome appearance. He has shaggy, over long, blonde locks and large sapphire blue eyes. His left ear is pieced and he wears an elaborate, none metal earring, in it. Growing on in the snow, Galant has a bit more defense against the cold than most. He wears a black shirt and pants with elaborate blue designs on them, they're made of light but warm and insulated material. He also wears a pair of thick, sturdy, white boots, that have the same elaborate blue design, and matching gloves. To top it all off is a large, white, hooded cloak with a strange design. All in all, he has a strange appearance befitting his occupation.
Weapons/Belongings: Galant's only weapon is a simple staff. It's the same height as him and made from a light, study, metal. He usually relies more on magic than anything else. Along with his one weapon he has a pack with the usual supplies. A bedroll and an extra blanket, a couple weeks supply of food, a canteen, and a few odd personal objects that people think are used for magic. Of course he always has a book or two on him as well.
Magic: Elementalist, Galant's magic is a rare path to take, even for the few mages left. It is the study and control of the elements. All Elemental magic stems from the four cardinal ones, Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth, which Galant has mastered. He also has control over Ice, Lightning, and Light. Though there are many other elements that one could learn and master. The best thing about Elemental magic, is that there's always more to learn and study, which Galant does constantly. Galant's magic comes from a center in his body called his Magic Core. The Magic Core is a replenishable source of magic that Galant must call upon when he casts spells. Each spell takes some of that magic, and once used up, he must wait for it to replenish before casting spells again. The best way to get his magic back is to sleep.
Personality: Galant is a very clever young man, he can talk his way in, or out, of any situation. He's friendly and a good friend, as well as a good listener. He almost always has a smile on his face, though most of the time it's faked. He's loyal, protective, and caring, willing to take some hits in order to protect his companions. He's calm and able to keep a clear head in most situations. Though he absolutely hates small or closed in spaces and will freak out if he has to go into one. His brain literally stops working in them. Galant is witty and intelligent. He seems to have wisdom beyond his short years. He loves to learn and almost always is. He makes it his goal to learn something new everyday. Even if it's something as simple as somebody's name.
Short History: Galant was born and raised in a small town at the very edge of Gris. He grew up in the cold and thus is able to withstand it better than most people. He discovered his talent for magic by accident one day as child, during a snowball fight when he stopped one in midair. Since then he's never looked back. In secret he's trained himself in the ways of magic, reading every book he possibly could on the subject and through those teaching himself the four cardinal elements and beyond. Though his favorite always has been Ice.
When Galant heard about Tikkis' work, he instantly knew he had to go to Vulture's Nest to meet with the group of adventurers. He wanted desperately to know more about magic and to study it even further. He desired to pick apart the Professor's brain and learn everything he could. And maybe even one day know enough to teach other people about the wonderful thing call magic.
Someone without any magic for the party. Hope it checks out.
Name: Lexine Tristan Age: 25 Gender: Female
Appearance: Lexine is a woman of average, unimposing build. She stands approximately 172 cm (~5'8") tall, a height that is usually disguised by poor posture. She has an average physique to go with her slender body, lingering muscles that suggest at least some degree of training earlier in life. Despite her best efforts, her presence gives a feeling of decay. Her fitness is not in decline, but her physical strength is. Despite a life full of missteps, her skin is clear of scarring and she carries few visible reminders of her past. Her skin itself is light in coloration, with a paleness bordering on sickly. It tends to be smooth in texture and nonreactive, flushing rarely and proving quite resistant to the many forms of abuse that life on the road has exposed it to. She has a girly face and pointed nose that would be quite pretty if it didn't look so sad so often. She has a slim jawline that presides below a pouting, full mouth. The red of her lips is one of the most pronounced colors on her person, although they aren't particularly bright. Her good eye is a deep olive green, a vivid coloration that stands out jarringly against the colors of her face and hair. The other, her left, is a bizarre, iridescent color that fluctuates between being primarily aquamarine and white in low light. It appears reactive and intact, but Lexine has difficulty seeing from the afflicted eye. They are sharply shaped, but what should be a glaring set of eyes seem only tired on Lexine's face. Her hair is long, unruly, and a light, ashy gray. Tangled locks cover her shoulders and reach down to her shoulder blades. Likewise, her bangs are long and unstyled, ending over her eyebrows.
Clothing: Lexine dresses herself simply, with unremarkable garments and muted colors. Often, her clothing is loose, as she finds most clothes anywhere from uncomfortable to painful. Most typically, she sports a white, buttoned shirt. It might have been a man's shirt, but she no longer remembers and it fits her reasonably well with a comfortable spaciousness in the shoulders and waist. It is made of a lightweight, airy cloth that seems to suggest some value. Seven gray buttons hold it closed up the front, though she wears the neck undone. Its sleeves are long, ending at her wrist in wide cuffs held by buttons sewn on where once cuff links would go. It is most often untucked, over a pair of baggy work trousers. Lexine's chosen pants are a dark, earthy brown. It is a color reminiscent of more luxurious suits, but more importantly difficult to make dirty. They are made of a heavy, yet soft material and lack the double knee and other such reinforcements one would expect from work clothes. Intended for contractors and craftsmen in less intensive lines of work, they are far from rugged and their primary utility lays in the generous number of pouches and pockets that line the trousers. A narrow belt of black leather, undone but still looped through, holds them up. Regardless of personal habits, her work calls for boots, and Lexine sports a pair of well made, shin height boots crafted in light brown leather. They are laced up the front with a distinctive pattern, leaving all crosses on the inside of the eyelets and tying the excess string tightly around the boot's neck. A pattern popular with soldiers and workers making the most of low quality footwear, it allows the sides to flex easily. To ward away the cold, Lexine carries with her a heavily insulated longcoat. Its full length takes it down around her ankles, and its sleeves would cover most of her hands if they did not belt around the wrists. Its hood is broad, although it also secures against the wind and elements with belts, and lined with a fluffy pseudo-fur made to trap heat. The outside is undecorated, but the interior contains a handful of pockets for the useful things one needs to survive frozen wastelands. A number of heavy metal buckles hold the overgarment securely closed, each painted a non reflective white color. The entirety of the coat is done up in a winter camouflage pattern, pure white with a spattering of small gray details to break up the wearer's silhouette and simulate texture. Contrary to its purpose, a bolt of offensively yellow fabric is tied around the left sleeve so that the wearer, while they wish, can remain easily visible to their comrades.
Weapons/Belongings: Lexine carries twenty four small knives on her person. They are all identical. Each one is 15cm (~6") long, with 5cm of that composing the blade. The knife is entirely a single piece of pattern cut steel, far too thin to be considered combative. There is no tang, just raw metal. In fact, if it were not for their uniformity, their bare metal appearance and hollow frame handles make them appear unfinished. This would not be a wise assumption, however, as despite being pressed steel they have been machined to a razor's edge along the cutting side of the blade. The blades are flat backed and taper to a point only towards their ends. They have a poor balance, rendering throwing them an act of futility, and they seem to function better as cutlery than defensive weaponry, but she favors to use only her knives when pressed. They are hidden across her person, with the exception of her coat. Two reside in each cuff of her shirt, eight total hang in individual leather sheathes from her belt. Another two are hidden away in each of her pant legs, with a matching set in both boots. The final four knives are distributed through her various pants pockets, all within their own individual sheaths for safety. Lexine doesn't use most of her pockets unless she has to, because she owns a number of suitcases and traveling bags. The one that she keeps on her person even after finding lodging is a small rectangular pouch that hangs at her waist off of a leather strap around her chest. Her courier bag contains the unused sheathes for her knives, where they return to after a day's work, and enough space for any parcel her work needs her to move. Seeking passage into inhospitable lands, she's likely to just buy a rucksack or move with a caravan.
Personality: Lexine is an easily troubled sort of person. She is quite serious at heart, ruminating on the problems of her life and searching for significance that often simply isn't there. This nature, however, is usually disguised by the irritable and cynical face she turns towards the world. She is quite content with keeping her own problems her own, and while she is conversational her relationships are distant and shallow. She has an underwhelming catalog of social experiences, and out of a general lack of patience is quick to become defensive or withdrawn when dealing with the unfamiliar. Her reluctance towards intimacy stems not from discomfort around others but simple inability. She has next to no experience in dealing with people outside of a professional context. Any curiosity she has for others is usually diminished by a belief that understanding herself has been enough of a challenge, and that adding an entire person to her concerns would be too much. Contrary to what her prickly outer shell might suggest, Lexine has very little in the way of disdain for others. She likes the quiet and the driven, not only because they seldom challenge her social experience, but also because she envies people who seem fulfilled. In the same way, she avoids the curious and deplores people she sees as having abandoned themselves. Despite her preference for people keeping to themselves, she does possess her own acerbic sense of justice, and can't quite force herself to ignore violence as well as she once could. Lexine is a person with few different sides. While she isn't simple, she has never had close friends to form a more open persona around. Her straightforward nature leaves very little to ambiguity in what she says, although information from Lexine about herself is scarce. This is, in part, due to that fact that she herself remembers little of her history.
History: Lexine remembers next to nothing about her early life, besides what she has been told. To the best of her knowledge, she was born in a rural country to poor parents and a large family. She has never met any of her supposed siblings, but she believes that her split from the family was less than graceful. She found a job with a small, relatively unknown scientific group known as the Elmgrove Astronomical Society. The details of her employment with them are well known to her, save the first few years, because she remains in the organization's employ. For Elmgrove, Lexine is a professional problem solver. She arranged payment and passage for research groups, escorted them in disagreeable climates, and worked with other such problem solvers to further what were assuredly legitimate scientific pursuits. She has her doubts about what she has read and been told, the vagueness of official records concerning her and her fellows is no small vexation for her. Understanding the need for secrecy, some of what Elmgrove's retainers did was undeniably illegal in every country they passed through, has only agitated her further on the matter. Her safety then may have been important, but the Lexine of the future was left not knowing what exactly she was accountable for. The chain of events that left her in her amnesiac state are still relatively clear and constitute the whole of a reliable history she has left. The society sent her, another of her kind, and one of its doctors into a far flung country named Keilaudrin to request financial aid from its government. There was, to her knowledge, little malice in what they were doing at the time, but several members of the capital's policing agency held a grudge with the Elmgrove scientists for past misdeeds in the country. As she had done many times before, Lexine was tasked with securing their safe passage, and spent much of her time in the company of the capital police discussing in detail the exact itinerary for the expedition. It was there that everything went wrong for her. As the only memory she is left with it is one of regret for a person who has found herself enthralled by purpose. Lexine died not protecting or representing anything, but getting strangled and battered by a guardsman for running her mouth off. While Lexine herself unarguably died at the time, her body was unfortunately more resistant. Her single comrade saw her back to the doctor they were escorting at the time. He was an eccentric man who also happened to be a doctor of philosophy rather than a doctor of medicine, but his ministrations were enough to keep the flesh alive until more effective help could be sought in the city's back alleys. Following a joint effort between asphyxia, head trauma, and psychological stress, there was little left of her original personality. Through no small miracle, she remained physically functional after her ordeal. Her memories and sense of self had been altered, fragments of what seemed correct dotted the emptiness of her consciousness, and between them hallucinations and misconceptions that she was unable to make sense of. In addition, she was left with a near constant pain in her extremities. Never enough to approach agony, but a constant nuisance none the less. Treatment proved to be only temporary for her aches, and she has since learned to live with them. Lexine, while quite reluctant to share the detail that she had 'new' memories with anyone, found herself interested in the significance that fictionalized margins of her history could hold. She went so far as to construe them as a second, inactive identity for the purposes of separating her memories of Lexine, and memories that are obviously false. Elmgrove Astronomical Society continued to employ her, albeit in less direct roles out of consideration for the unknown extent of her damages. The next time she was sent out into the fray, she was told it would be alone, to a place called Gris. Elmgrove had experimented in investigating the occult before. Verifying the claim set forth in 'The Abnormal' for their own records was an ordinary action, but also a valuable opportunity if any of the writings proved true. Lexine, at the time, suspected that sending an unqualified lone investigator was also a valuable opportunity to get rid of a tenured but defective employee. Nevertheless, she found passage across the sea and went forward with her work as usual.
The first bio's accepted, Sightles, post the other one whenever you get a chance. I'd like to get a few more people if we can before we get the IC rolling.
Bump, here's hoping some more come around quick then. I keep seeing a couple of the people from the intcheck popping in and out so maybe they're working on bios.
Appearance: Sage stands 165cm (5’4”) and weighs 65kgs (145lbs). Her average build body is toned with muscle, but not enough to make her bulky. She’s in very good physical shape. She has golden brown locks that fall to her shoulders in silky waves. Her blueish gray eyes, rosy complexion, and full pink lips give her a soft, feminine look that is only marred by a long scar running from the skin right below her left ear to the middle of her neck. Clothing: Sage wears a form fitting black cotton trousers accompanied by a long sleeve gray thermal shirt that also hugs her body. Her snug clothing has been carefully chosen to allow unrestricted movement. She has donned an olive green fleece jacket and thick gray wool cloak with a fur lined hood for her trip through the north. The black cotton gloves she wears are only because she knows she will need them on this journey. Sage hates to have any part of her body restricted, especially her hands. Her attire is brought together by the black, mid-calf, combat-like boots she always wears.
Weapons/Belongings: Sage always carries the five throwing knives she hand crafted to perfection. They are made of a strong steel and reach 6 inches in length. Sharp on both sides the skinny spade shaped blades blend into a thin grip with an open ring on the end that makes the daggers perfectly balanced. She keeps three of these belted to her hip and one in each boot. She has a small pouch with the few coins she has tied around her neck. Sage also carries a satchel that holds the few things she can actually call hers. This includes a whetstone for her knives, journal and pen for logging her adventures, a few letters she has held onto since childhood, and a first aid kit because she always seems to need one.
Magic: none
Personality: Sage mostly keeps to herself. She has gotten used to being alone and prefers it that way. Sage does not easily enter a friendship as she has trouble trusting anyone. She is not mean though just standoffish. She can be “charming and sweet” though, if it helps her out in the situation. Sage tries to be civil but her snarky attitude is easily coaxed out. Her spitfire tendencies do not often keep her in the good graces of people she meets, so it’s best for her to stay away from others. However, on the off chance Sage were to trust a person completely she is very caring and loyal. She does not believe in leaving a friend behind.
Short History: Sage Marcs was orphaned at the age of 12, thanks to a man her parents called a friend. Sage was in her tiny room when the man attacked. She stayed quiet until she knew that if she stayed any longer she too would be dead. So she ran from her room, startling the man who struck out with his knife, leaving the gash that would become a hideous reminder of that day. Luckily surprise was on her side and she was able to make it out of the house without any further harm. Her parents suffered a very different fate. She didn’t know her next of kin and was thus left on her own. Sage learned very quickly how to take care of herself, growing tough physically and mentally. Working her way across the continents she settled in southern Gris at the age of 19. There she was taken in by a blacksmith that taught her the trade. She spent the next 5 years working in secrecy at his shop, crafting beautiful weapons of all shapes and sizes. She also spent this time practicing her combat skills and became very good at close quarter encounters. Even though Sage likes to travel she will always return home to the father-like figure who gave her life meaning again.
Oh man I'm late. I noticed there's a lot of mages and agile guys, so I'm dropping someone in with a focus on melee combat.
Name: Al Valkanos Age: 21 Gender: Male Appearance: Al's taller than average, with decent muscle tone, but his long body makes him look leaner. His hair is a messy, unkempt mop of muddy brown hair, and his facial features are surprisingly soft. Albeit, he's usually got a bruise or bandage marring them. His dress style is pretty comfy; he mostly wears loose fitting traveler pants and tightly belted boots, with a wool sweater and dingy hooded longcoat up top. His right hand and lower arm is wrapped in bandages for better wrist support and also so he doesn't lose his grip. On his back he typically keeps one to four large greatswords, of varied make, kept in a sling. He made a necklace out of a a beast's fang, and wears it as a lucky charm. Weapons/Belongings: Al's weapon of choice is the greatsword, and he's currently carrying four of them. If one breaks or gets tossed, he has a handy backup. These particular ones are made of steel, but he's not picky when it comes to replacements. Additionally, he has a wallet containing a small amount of money and a hunting knife on his belt, and a rucksack containing rations, a flint, a bottle of extraordinarily strong liquor, a torch, and a length of rope tied to a rock. Magic Physical Skills: Al is strong - much stronger than his frame would even suggest; he spent his youth wrestling animals for fun, when he wasn't toiling away with hard labor. He's durable to boot, and has a frighteningly high pain tolerance. One can only wonder how many concussions he's received. Naturally, his self-taught fighting style takes advantage of this, and focuses on Al throwing his momentum around to deliver maximum impact haymakers. Drop kicks are common, as are wild punches, suplexes, and throwing whatever's handy, up to and including the enemy. Additionally, Al carries around several greatswords, since he finds their length and mass are good for slinging around. Also he thinks they're cool. Personality: Al is by all means a kind, well-meaning person, with an understanding of the importance of friendship. He just happens to have a wild streak, and that streak just happens to be rather good at hitting stuff really hard. He's not so much caught up in a balance between right and wrong as he is between right and fun. This poor impulse control, combined with a poor danger sense, inevitably means he's often the first to dive into a dangerous area or do something stupid for fun. It's great in a dangerous line of work, though. Short History: It's not precise to say Al's forgotten his past due to amnesia. It is, however, accurate to say he's forgotten where it is. However, when growing up, he was always considered a strong boy, even in a rural community where the pastime was wrestling wild animals. Al, however, couldn't be content living a life of mostly farming and whiling away the hours on the porch. He was the sort of child who liked to wander. One day, the year he became a man, he wandered a bit too far, and ever since then has gotten increasingly lost. Determined not to let that get him down, the then fifteen year old began a new life, the life of an adventurer, sellsword, and treasure hunter. As of late, Al's heard rumor of some strange happenings going on in the north. In his line of work, that's a business opportunity. Not one to scorn the idea of magic, he'd rather see it as a potential job offer. Even if nobody payed him to go there, they might be interested in any loot he brought back. And so, the swordsman trekked into the harsh tundra, ready to meet with any challenge the unknown might throw his way.
