Race Overview: Aramil is the offspring of a high elf mother and a human father. He appears to have favorable traits from both parents, though these are merely physical; despite this, he still appears as an elf to humans and a human to elves.
Titles: The Black Sorcerer of Yr (Formally); The Old Magician (Within the Iron Coast)
Appearance Aramil is an albino with mauve eyes. His hair is long and milky white, his skin the color of bleached bone. He is 6'2" tall and slender. Due to his parentage, he appears to have slightly pointed ears, slanted almond-shaped eyes, and a fair bone structure. His jawline is strong and angular, though his chin seems to be square rather than pointed, and his cheekbones are also high. His shoulders aren't as broad as the average human's, but they're slightly more broad than an elf's. Despite his otherworldly and youthful appearance, he appears quite sickly, even by the standards of albinism. His eyes are surrounded by prominent dark circles, his eyes hold a feverish glaze, and he seems physically frail. Aramil wears a long black robe and cloak, often wearing his hood low over his face, and he tends to take the appearance of an elderly man with a long white beard, walking with a hunch and a slightly more healthy skin tone (still pale, but with some color).
Weapons & Items Ebony Wizard's Staff-- A gnarled staff of ebony with a crystal ball at its top; there is nothing particularly special about the staff aside from acting as a focus for Aramil's spellcasting, concentrating his magical abilities without the need of overextending himself. Added on top of his great will and control, the staff merely aids him in not wasting too much of his magic power.
Aramil's Heirloom-- This amulet was once his mother's. Originally, it served only as a memento, but as he became more knowledgeable and powerful in the field of magic, he decided to give the memento a permanent use. This memento allows him to disguise himself into whatever he wants to be, within reason since the enchantment is rather weak. As a half-elf, he much preferred to be inconspicuous, and thus he is often seen as an elderly man wearing dark robes and carrying a staff. The enchantment within the heirloom is limited in that the person cannot change their height, their voice, nor their weight; but they can change their race, within reason (a halfling cannot change into an adult-sized elf, or an orc cannot change into a gnome, etc), add or detract hair, and they can change their age. It is a somewhat useful tool, but most would find its uses lackluster and useless on the grounds that the change is merely superficial. The enchantment can be activated or deactivated at the will of the wearer, and it can also be deactivated if the amulet is removed from one's person. Aside from this, the amulet looks rather ordinary.
Enchanted Flask-- A metal flask originally used for storing alcohol, this flask is used to turn any liquid into an elixir for his particular ailment. The flask's face has alchemical runes carved into it. Enchanting this flask was done with the combined alchemy ingredients and knowledge of enchanting, aided with magical theory. Though the flask cannot refill the contents, it can still purify the various liquids; however, this is useless to those who do not suffer from Thin Blood, and those who seek healthy hydration would suffer from thirst.
Dagger
Charcoal
Waterskin
Steed: Alastor-- a magical steed from the underworld, it appears as a skeletal horse consumed by lavender flame. Alastor is bound to Aramil through a magical pact and can be summoned whenever Aramil desires its assistance. The horse is quite faster than most and does not suffer from fatigue; though its existence in the Material Plane is limited to a full day.
Abilities Thin Blood-- Though common among those of various racial ancestry, it is a rare blood disease in a new generation half-breed. Aramil is the first child sired by two different races (a human and an elf) within his respected families. As the name suggests, Aramil has thin blood coursing through his veins, making him weary and often times sick to the point of bedridden. There are times when his blood enters his lungs, putting him into a coughing fit and plagued with pneumonia, forcing him to cough up his own blood in the process. His heart has an irregular heartbeat and he is often at a high fever. This disease is neither contagious nor hereditary, merely a birth defect due to the differing physiologies of one's parentage. It is said that the disease drastically decreases the life expectancy of the mixed blooded offspring, often dying (if untreated) before their second decade.
Elven Sight-- As the offspring of an elf parent, Aramil can easily see at night as though it were merely sunset. Unfortunately, due to his illness, his eyesight is limited to human depth and distance.
Mark of Souls-- As a necromancer, Aramil possesses a mark that allows him to consume souls. This is a mimicry of a Lich's phylactery, only instead of putting one's soul into it, the Mark is bound to the mortal body and acts as a vessel for outside souls. It can only consume one soul a day, but it is enough for Aramil to not be plagued by the Thin Blood. The mark can be found beneath his glove on the back of his left hand; a small green emerald surrounded by a magic circle that was tattooed with enchanted green ink (which appears only when spellcasting).
Minimalism-- Not exactly an ability, but unlike most races and creatures, Aramil is a minimalist. A unique mindset, Aramil prefers to use very little tools at his disposal. Though a wizard with a vast repertoire spells, he prefers to conserve his energy for different approaches and is willing to use the more basic spells over the more complex spells. Aramil prefers talking his way out of a situation than to fight and is more than willing to surrender. This mindset also allows him an advantage over others, who much prefer to use everything they have in order to survive; his way of survival relies on solely on his wit and ingenuity.
Talents Scholar-- Aramil is quite knowledgeable of magic and magical theory. Though he is not aware of the history of foreign continents, he is quite familiar with the history of his own province beyond the sea. He lusts for knowledge and he's quite unwilling to deter from his path once his mind is set on it. Ultimately, he is searching for the ultimate artifact that is said to be somewhere in the world, perhaps even beyond his homeland: the Book of the Dead Gods.
Alchemist-- Aramil is an expert alchemist, having grown up consistently sick. He had learned how to create potions and elixirs to increase his strength and halt his coughing fits for some time. Like most alchemists, he is able to create poisons and antidotes; a byproduct of his teachings.
Magician-- Despite his sickness, Aramil is a capable street performer of the more mundane "magic." Capable of deception and sleight-of-hand, Aramil can easily deceive or entertain those around him with petty tricks that have nothing to do with spellcasting. These include coin tricks, clever use of fireworks (including "smoke bombs"), illusory transpositions (pulling things from nowhere, but in reality from carefully hidden slots in articles of clothing, such as a hat), etc.
Perception-- Aramil is quite perceptive and difficult to deceive. After a life full of peril and betrayal, Aramil became cold and jaded. On top of this, he is able to deduce a person's weakness, whether it's a lie or a tight defense. Due to his perceptive nature, Aramil comes off as sly and clever, capable of using these insights to his advantage. He is also shown to be very careful when around something unusual and appears even more cautious around the usual (almost as if something seems too normal).
Diplomacy-- Despite being a necromancer, Aramil prefers diplomacy over combat. Capable of remaining civil and respectful, he places others on equal footing rather than using intimidation and allows enough room in negotiations for compromise. This is not to say he can't use intimidation to get favorable results (though he is quite subtle about such an approach), but he finds civil conversation far more preferable with less consequences regarding his overall health.
Polyglot-- As a scholar and wizard, it was a part of his lessons by his previous masters to learn certain languages, ranging from the mundane (elves, dwarves, halflings, etc) to the otherworldly (primarily devils and demons). As such, Aramil can speak in numerous tongues without the aid of magic to just about every conceivable race on this plane of existence (humans, elves (as well as drow), dwarves (and their cousins), halflings, gnomes, orcs, goblins, tieflings, and dragonkind) and to demons and devils; unfortunately, he cannot speak celestial nor druidic.
Magic Necromancy-- Aramil is a prodigy of wizardry, greatly talented in the schools of abjuration and evocation; by extension, he is powerful in conjuration, as well, capable of summoning demons and other beings from beyond. As such, he chose necromancy as his specialty for its vast array of uses. Unlike most necromancers, Aramil chooses not to use this form of magic as a way to amass an army of corpses, but rather to pry from their lips (or lipless mouths) the many secrets that riddled their former lives. These secrets increase(d) his knowledge in military tactics and strategy, magical theory, and even the location of certain objects or the dangers that may lay ahead. The extent of his skill also lay in his spellcasting. He can taint his spells with necromantic energy, allowing him to siphon the vitality of others to heal himself (and to treat his sickness) or to cause necrosis alongside the burning, scorching, freezing, or crushing effects of certain spells. He is unable to wrench control of an undead if the will of the opposing necromancer (whether human (or some other living race) or Lich) is equal to his own or if the soul of the undead (i.e. revenant) rejects his commands due to an equal or stronger will. Unlike most magic, necromancy does not weaken him (in fact, it bolsters him) and the only weakness is his actual arcane spellcasting which drains his magical reserves (though the vitality (or souls) that he siphons exponentially increases his magical power). If Aramil casts too many spells or too powerful a spell, he would grow physically weak (even if he managed to siphon a soul or one's vitality) and will be overcome by his illness. If he survives, it is questionable when he would regain his strength and may even require the need of drugs to restore his health.
Backstory
Aramil's life was not a happy one. His mother an elf maiden who was caught and sold by slavers, given to the man who would later become his father. His father was a human nobleman, once hailed as a hero during the civil war that had consumed Yr. Aramil's father was a drunk and womanizer and had raped the elf maiden in a drunken stupor. After months (if not years), every night, Aramil was finally conceived. After his birth, his father was disgusted by the infant's appearance and felt that a man of his station should keep the child hidden away (though he had contemplated killing the child, but grew disgusted by the thought). Aramil was frail and sickly and was hidden in a dark room the majority of his childhood, only leaving the chamber to assist his mother and to serve his father. During the days that the nobleman showed signs of soberness, he was intrigued by Aramil's intelligence and demanded that he was educated. When the man was drunk, Aramil would be dragged out of his room and savagely beaten and verbally abused because of his frail nature. The latter happened far more often. Broken, bruised, and already too sick to leave his bed most days, Aramil did not know what a normal life was truly like. He was alone and his mother would often be missing during the nights his father was intoxicated.
However, the only person to visit him daily was the local cleric, a young woman acting as the church's apothecary. This young woman would help treat Aramil and provided him with a generous amount of medicine to help him grow strong enough to continue his studies. There were days where he would open up to her and speak to her about the things he learned and his desire to learn alchemy. They would often swap stories and she would laugh at his pranks he would perform on the other servants and slaves, and occasionally his father, during the times he felt strong and bold enough to leave his room. They eventually became friends and she would teach him about herbs and medicine. His aptitude to learn amazed her, for he would quickly grasp every lesson and hold onto her every word. After a while, he would ask her about the outside world, for he was never allowed to leave the manse, not even to play in the garden. Her stories enchanted him and his burning desire to explore grew greater. It was, perhaps, this inner strength that gave him courage and physical strength, the raw willpower, to prepare to leave the place he called home.
However, his hopes and dreams eventually shattered when his father, during his rare moments of sobriety, told him of his mother's death. She died from fever and the only thing she left him was an old heirloom, which was brought to him by a servant. He fell into a deep depression, his energy drained from his person and his sickness took hold of every aspect of his life thereafter. The beatings continued, even more frequently this time. Eventually, his father found himself face-to-face with the unhappy folk of the town, who revolted against his him. It was a swift execution and the manse was burned to the ground. Aramil miraculously survived, for serendipity was on his side; the young cleric who had aided him throughout the years led him out of the house, himself half-conscious of the events due to lack of medicine and the damage brought by the regular beatings. After regaining consciousness several days later, another tragedy had befallen poor Aramil-- the young woman died from the smoke of the flames days after the revolt. Orphaned and truly alone once more, Aramil was lost. He lived within the Church for a few months thereafter, cared for by the other clerics.
One day, minstrels arrived into the town, bringing with them many exotic animals and instruments. They performed for the folk of the town, performing tricks and concerts, releasing the tame beasts they had with them. Leading the group was a tall dark skinned man, thick with muscle and possessing tusks, by the name of Val Karna-- a half-orc whose appearance favored his human blood. Val Karna performed tricks and "miracles" to the citizens and it amazed the young Aramil. When the traveling band began to leave the village three days later, Aramil approached Val Karna and begged to be his apprentice, wanting to know magic. Val looked the youth up and down, and began to try and dissuade the youth, but Aramil remained stubborn and argued that he was an orphan with nowhere else to go. Aramil even pleaded, to the point where he was even willing to do all the difficult tasks and even scrounge around for his own herbs for his own medication. Val relented and agreed to take the young lad as a pupil.
Aramil traveled with the band for three years, and at the age of 15 he began to perform tricks with Val Karna, who had become like an elder brother to him. The two amazed the crowds and gathered enough money to buy their own tavern, a plan Val explained to Aramil amidst their travels. It was unfortunate, however, that Aramil would never get to see Val's dream become a reality, for after their final venture from a major city in the elven lands of Ranaamar, they were ambushed by bandits. Val and the group begged for Aramil to run away while they feebly fought the bandits, and Aramil could not comply out of fear. Everyone died, aside from the albino teen (who was taken by the bandits to be a potential profit in the land of Yr). After three days of travel, the bandits also hit their own roadblock-- they had stumbled upon the Tower of Tel'Arkana, an elven wizard of great renown. Tel'Arkana did not appreciate bandits and other vagabonds upon his territory, and these bandits were no exception. They swiftly lost their lives by the time the wizard hit the final step that led to the tower's entrance. Aramil had been catatonic and did not witness the demise of his captors; nor was he aware of the wizard taking him to the tower for rest and questioning.
It took months to restore the tragic child's mind, bringing Aramil back to the realm of reality. At first, Tel'Arkana was going to send Aramil on his way after restoring his health, but he thought better of it when he understood the albino's condition and situation. He was also amazed by Aramil's learning capabilities and intelligent observation after a single conversation. The elf wizard decided to take the young half-elf under his wing, making him his apprentice. Aramil learned at an alarming rate, a natural genius in regards to magic and magical theory. However, he seemed quite tempered for someone so young. Aramil lived with Tel'Arkana for 20 years. During the 19th year of his stay, Aramil grew interested in necromancy. Tel'Arkana grew furious at the very thought, so much so that he forbade the youth from ever researching it. Something snapped in Aramil, destroying whatever remained left of his innocence. Aramil did not appreciate being told "no" to a subject he must learn about, and thus he planned his master's death. He could never kill Tel'Arkana outright, for the elf wizard was physically and magically more powerful than the young albino. Thus, Aramil made a plan based upon his master's research and habits. It took nine months of obeying his master's command and making sure there was no break in Tel'Arkana's routine, and when his master went to sleep, Aramil went to the Laboratory, wherein lay the obsession of the elf wizard: a rare and undiscovered breed of spider, the White Fade Spider. Aramil knew better than to remove the spider from its glass barrier and to let it loose, so he borrowed a vial that rested upon rack beside the spider's prison. When his master awoke, Aramil greeted his master with tea, as he usually did. They both had a conversation regarding whether or not Tel'Arkana should hire servants to assist around the tower. Though normally perceptive, Tel'Arkana did not realize his fate, even 3 months later. The White Fade Spider's venom was unique in that it caused gradual memory loss that was so subtle that the victim would not realize it unless it was pointed out by a second person. Though in smaller animals, this memory loss would have been more effective in that in a matter of minutes or hours, the creature would die due to suffocation (the body and brain literally forgetting how to breathe); but in larger creatures, such as humans and elves, the venom took months. Tel'Arkana grew ill, and eventually worse. Aramil remained patient until his master lay on his bed for one last time, never to awaken.
Aramil took a small amount of wealth with him, on top of his master's research notes and journals. After four years of journeying alone, he eventually stumbled upon an old man in a hut in the swamplands of Szyr. This man was powerful and upon meeting Aramil, the two immediately struck a bargain: Aramil would apprentice under him and the old man can have Tel'Arkana's notes. Aramil benefitted due to the elderly man being a necromancer; one that was difficult to find and had taken him three years. The old man did not know, however, that Aramil had committed the notes to memory, tampered with them, and destroyed the majority of the research. Aramil lived with the old man for a much shorter time, only 5 years. Aramil grew smarter and wiser under this man's tutelage, which was much darker and sadistic than his previous master. However, Aramil understood necromancy for what it was and found better uses for it. This disappointed his master who lived and breathed for the idea of turning a corpse into a puppet for the mere pleasure of having the power over death. After a time, Aramil noticed his master leaving the hut much more frequently, which he took advantage of by reading the many notes and learning the wards' words of power. Aramil eventually learned all that he could and eventually decided to follow his master. The albino followed the old man to a hidden cave, following after him after five minutes of waiting. There, he saw despair.
Before him was a giant gate powered by a red orb. The portal seemed incomplete, but Aramil saw the shadow of what lay beyond it. His master was speaking to it, even referring to it as his "Master." Aramil knew well what was going on and he knew what lay beyond the gate was something of immense, if not god-like, power. Aramil listened to the conversation and realized that his master had been nurturing his talent in order to make him a sacrifice to feed the orbs power and to let loose a horror unlike any other unto the land. Rather than sit idly by, Aramil unleashed multiple spells towards the orb, damaging it. Stunned, his master could only watch Aramil with absolute horror. The creature beyond the gate would cry out in pain and agony, until the gateway dispersed altogether. A howling roar and an oath filled Aramil's ears: "You shall pay for this! I will hunt you to the ends of the planes!"
Aramil had no time to ponder the threat and merely ran back to the cottage, the drugs he had consumed were wearing off. He eventually made it to the hut, his master still far behind, and as he entered, Aramil deactivated the wards throughout the house and sought shelter in the furthest corner beneath his own layers of blankets. His master arrived and spoke, inadvertently, the activation words to his wards, believing Aramil to have turned them on upon entering and hiding. After all, his apprentice was too smart to leave the wards deactivated when there was an impending doom. The old man entered his own home and suffered the consequences, the entire hut exploding into a magnificent ball of fire, frost, and lightning.
After the self-destruction of his master and the hut, Aramil awoke hours later, battered and bruised. He no longer had his drugs to give him strength and his body ached with pain. After days of crawling out of the swamp, only eating the vermin that came by and siphoning the lives of carrion, Aramil fell unconscious. After a week, he awoke in the local church within a nearby town, with many medications that were used to restore his health on a side table by the bed. Aramil was submitted for questioning, where he recounted the events, yet omitting particular details. After seeing no need to keep him, the town guard and the church let Aramil go and rewarded him for the destruction of the necromancer. With nothing else for him, Aramil decided to travel the world in search of a particular item he had found in the old necromancer's notes: the Book of the Dead Gods, his possible salvation and darkest goal.
@Sessamaru Accepted and added, welcome aboard. Looks like you've arrived in time for a party in Actium.
Some dragon whelp disguised as a young girl just went nuts and revealed itself. Chaos has broken across the streets. Soldiers are moving in, and things are about to get messy.
This sounds fun. If I remember right, there's now an overcast of a storm coming? I'm also assuming it's day, right?
Yup, storm + day time. I don't think we ever established an actual time, so just keep mentioning day light until someone starts their post with "night was drawing in fast", I guess?
Yup, storm + day time. I don't think we ever established an actual time, so just keep mentioning day light until someone starts their post with "night was drawing in fast", I guess?
Alright. Thank you. I suppose I will make a post now.
@AtomicNut Well considering a large part of the story concerns the possible second-coming of an all powerful necromancer, it's hardly surprising. If Magnor was a fallen Paladin, you'd probably find we'd have half a dozen paladins instead. Nothing wrong with it at all, in fact it's natural and preferable. There must be a lot of hidden necros who are coveting the hidden powers of Iron Coast, outside of established PCs.
When I first made Gripus, he was a necro. Decided against it in the end though, because I thought a more generic mage would be more fun.
EDIT: Not to mention that necromancy in general is a huge theme in this RP, with 95% of all enemies being undead.
SECOND EDIT: Just to reiterate, I am not bashing necro characters as being unoriginal or uninspired. This RP was created specifically with them in mind, and frankly I'm surprised no proper evil necromancers have sprung up.
@AtomicNut Well considering a large part of the story concerns the possible second-coming of an all powerful necromancer, it's hardly surprising. If Magnor was a fallen Paladin, you'd probably find we'd have half a dozen paladins instead. Nothing wrong with it at all, in fact it's natural and preferable. There must be a lot of hidden necros who are coveting the hidden powers of Iron Coast, outside of established PCs.
When I first made Gripus, he was a necro. Decided against it in the end though, because I thought a more generic mage would be more fun.
EDIT: Not to mention that necromancy in general is a huge theme in this RP, with 95% of all enemies being undead.
SECOND EDIT: Just to reiterate, I am not bashing necro characters as being unoriginal or uninspired. This RP was created specifically with them in mind, and frankly I'm surprised no proper evil necromancers have sprung up.
I just found it curious.
Although, eh, there's exactly two greedy necromancers. Sarai and Aramil... The other two are a drow priestess (who among other things like demon summoning, she knows about it), and a Death priest??
Also to be honest, I also considered making a necromancer. But on the undead side. Some idiot wizard who ended up being the understudy/bitch of the wraiths. Someone has to be a gopher...
@AtomicNut Well considering a large part of the story concerns the possible second-coming of an all powerful necromancer, it's hardly surprising. If Magnor was a fallen Paladin, you'd probably find we'd have half a dozen paladins instead. Nothing wrong with it at all, in fact it's natural and preferable. There must be a lot of hidden necros who are coveting the hidden powers of Iron Coast, outside of established PCs.
When I first made Gripus, he was a necro. Decided against it in the end though, because I thought a more generic mage would be more fun.
EDIT: Not to mention that necromancy in general is a huge theme in this RP, with 95% of all enemies being undead.
SECOND EDIT: Just to reiterate, I am not bashing necro characters as being unoriginal or uninspired. This RP was created specifically with them in mind, and frankly I'm surprised no proper evil necromancers have sprung up.
lol, honestly, I just like this particular necromancer. I had another character who was a rogue/fighter/warlock that I could have used, but thought better of it due to his more... extremist... personality. I can only use one character at a time, otherwise I would find the other more interesting than the other and focus on one more than the other. Aramil just so happens to be incredibly clever and laid back, using his wits more than anything else.
@AtomicNut Which brings me to the topic of Magnor Dragonblade. I mean, it's not certain that the "wraith" is him, although Gripus seems pretty sure. However, if it is him, I'm gonna need to add some flesh to that bone. He may even become playable, which might actually be the best way to go with it. Early days though atm, and he or his replacement doesn't need to make their way into things yet. However, I'll put it out there now:
Those who wish to take up the mantle of Magnor Dragonblade, a merchant-turned-Necromancer of legendary strength, may submit their proposals to me.
Alternatively, those who wish to create something in Magnor's stead i.e the initially mentioned wraith, who could well be a Lich or something even greater, then I'm all ears.
With regards to the undead players, Magnor/Replacement's entry into the game will have far reaching concequences for you guys, but I'll make sure you are all thoroughly informed in advance of any plans, and you'll all get to have a say in how things should go down. Truth be told, I'm happy letting you all do your thing at the moment, outside of Magnor's/Replacement's influence.
And on that note, Axis III may as well be made playable too. I literally have no concept for him, so there is a totally blank canvas there.
I think the best way to proceed, to anyone of you that are interested in the above, would be to PM me your proposals so that we can iron out any creases that I might foresee
@AtomicNut Which brings me to the topic of Magnor Dragonblade. I mean, it's not certain that the "wraith" is him, although Gripus seems pretty sure. However, if it is him, I'm gonna need to add some flesh to that bone. He may even become playable, which might actually be the best way to go with it. Early days though atm, and he or his replacement doesn't need to make their way into things yet. However, I'll put it out there now:
Those who wish to take up the mantle of Magnor Dragonblade, a merchant-turned-Necromancer of legendary strength, may submit their proposals to me.
Alternatively, those who wish to create something in Magnor's stead i.e the initially mentioned wraith, who could well be a Lich or something even greater, then I'm all ears.
With regards to the undead players, Magnor/Replacement's entry into the game will have far reaching concequences for you guys, but I'll make sure you are all thoroughly informed in advance of any plans, and you'll all get to have a say in how things should go down. Truth be told, I'm happy letting you all do your thing at the moment, outside of Magnor's/Replacement's influence.
And on that note, Axis III may as well be made playable too. I literally have no concept for him, so there is a totally blank canvas there.
I think the best way to proceed, to anyone of you that are interested in the above, would be to PM me your proposals so that we can iron out any creases that I might foresee
So, if i get it right, you want us to make a baddie /high impact character profile?
So, if i get it right, you want us to make a baddie /high impact character profile?
That's correct, however I should warn that this is all just theory work at the moment. I'm happy to accept ideas, but am unsure whether to implement this big change. It sounds promising, but it also feels risky.
I dunno, how would you all feel about there being a sentient antagonist?
Not to poop any parties, but can the whelp support someone on its back like that?
Also, Wal has just condemned himself to Imperial justice... I hope he has a plan, besides hoping the whelp can support him/doesn't throw him to his death.