Personality: Maru is laid back and relaxed, she's kind, caring and immensely dedicated. When put into a situation she doesn't like or becomes upset and angry she can become agitated, constantly dancing about nervously or angerly. She rarely becomes angry and it's even more rare for her to become hostile.
Skills/Abilities: Maru is a skilled tracker and hunter, she can be quite silent for someone with hooves, she's well adept at reading the emotions of others, this stems from watching animals to understand them. Maru is exceptional at using a bow and less exceptional at using a sword.
Magic: (If your character possesses magical or supernatural abilities, please describe them here in detail. There are many different methods of spellcasting in the fantasy genre, I've described the 'weave' to some and have also left a link for the forgotten realms link if anyone is interested. Please make sure to describe the source of your character's magical abilities, whether it be their own internal "mana", magical runes, alchemical ingredients, wands, spellbooks, artifacts, talismans, or some contract with a deity or spirit (these are just a few examples). Certain magical abilities are generally considered off-limits for the sake of balance, such as time manipulation, teleportation, invincibility and total mind control. You can include a spell list, but this is not by any means required and you may take a more general approach to this description if you wish.) N/A
Backstory: Maru grew up with her tribe deep in the jungle, they kept apart from humanity, often moving around the wood so they'd never get caught in one place. Maru was a skilled archer, the best in the tribe as they were taught since they were very little to draw a bow, she was the tribes best scout for year's, she'd been in line to become the next leader until the elders appointed a tall muscular male to take the dying leaders place, Maru, feeling there was nothing left to gain decided to leave, she took her bow, a quiver of hand crafted arrows and left. Venturing out of the jungle she'd spent her entire life in she was greeted by the harshness of civilization, she quickly learned how to deal with the other races, having to become more aggressive than probably any Deer Faun alive, she became an apprentice at a blacksmith and was taught how to wield a sword, the blacksmith had been an expert swordsman year's before when he was a young man, Maru had shown peeked interest in all the swords he'd collected and hung around the shop, she'd asked if he would teach her how to wield one. The smithy taught her how to hold it, thrust, par and counter with the blade. The old man decided that with her height and agility the katana was her better option and she found it easier to wield. She practiced every day for over five years, becoming close and confident with the blade she made. After several years of making blades and practicing with her own she left, became a mercenary, she had a keen taste in jewelry, it was common for her to be seen with rings on her antlers. Maru worked best alone whether it was delivery, blacksmithing or farming. She was restless staying in one place.
Lore: The Deer Faun is a half human–half Deer (from the head to the waist being human, but with the addition of antlers) The deer faun is taller than the normal faun, the males standing an average of six foot five and the females six foot, they have large antlers rather than small goat horns. Their tail is like that of a white tail deer and their ears larger and more fluffy. They are native to the deep jungles, living off the land and preferring to hide from humanity rather than embrace it. They are trained to fight with bows as their only defensive measure, they're not hostile preferring to run and hide deep in the wood rather than face conflict. The deer Faun have a natural affinity to understand animals, not through words but expressions, the flick of an ear, the lash of a tail, etc. It isn't unheard of for a Deer Faun to leave it's tribe and seek out the riches of humanity, the tribe will disown the offender and cast them away if they ever try to return.
Known information about characters played by ArenaSnow goes here. Select a hider to see more...
Stuff will change over time, especially following a post where I introduce someone or something.
I use "he" a lot from habit. If I'm using vaguespeech, it could be either way.
Zargon & Company Zargon's a name known to anyone who has heard of the events of Waeldeshore and is described as being a massive, powerful demon with command over many other demons. He is considered by many academics a massive danger and can use a wide variety of powers; some have claimed he can even see any place in the world he wants, although this is doubtful and most likely just rumor (although more learned academics would say it is a possibility). He dropped off the radar after engaging in a losing battle against the original heros of Waeleshore. Said heros would feel a very familiar presence if his taint is around... OOC: He was a primary antagonist of the previous Rp. Will he return? Maybe. If he does, just be careful.
Chandon To original heros in the town of Waeldeshore that witnissed the fall of Artholath, the only mention of him is "Damn you Chandon" as the demon fell. Those with knowledge of ancient lore associate the name Chandon with a demon known for being mysterious, holding some degree of high end power (specifics unknown), and being a destroyer of old knowledge. Guessed to be a high end demon, but not confirmed, even by many demons. Most people simply don't know the name at all. Ancient demon lore says he has the powers of higher level demons, can shapeshift and can teleport. An old lorebook that some sages and high end magic users have old copies of describes him as taking the form of a female with one human blue eye to the left, with the right eye being a shifting mass of grey with a red center. One distinct ability he is said to have is cloaking; concealing his demonic power completely so that others around cannot tell the difference. OOC: He was mentioned in the last RP. It is possible he will have a presence this time by extension.
The Necromancer Little is known about him (her?), save the tales of undead swarming towns to the southwest and rumors associating various guessed identities of rogue necromancers and mages with these swarms. OOC: Not the focus of the roleplay... right now. He's pretty far south and the Jarjestys Magi has already sent mages to combat him, so it's not your fight. Although that isn't to say it couldn't be.
Aldur It is said that the archangel Aldur from ancient legends came to Ioannes and gave him the Mark of the Third Order, said to be the last angelic blessing given to any mortal. Ioannes was a man who helped save the town of Waeldeshore from destruction at the hands of Zargon who proceeded to revolutionize the governance of Giray and help set the course for a shifting of power. Ioannes then proceeded to vanish 10 years ago... and hasn't been seen since. OOC: You? Meet an Archangel? It's like asking if you're going to be struck by lightning during the course of the roleplay... hmm. Maybe that wasn't the best comparison in a roleplay with demons and mages and magic.
Kaephael Kaephael was an angel that according to legend fell to corruption and was banished, and has been wandering the mortal realm since. Another legend says this same angel lost his sword... somewhere, and has been looking for it for thousands of years and cannot return to the angelic realm until he finds it. OOC: Just legends. Who says I can't put legends into a post that has all my main characters in it?
Name: "Sakaala" Referring to herself as "Sakaala", it is unknown what her name truly is, but there exists reason enough to believe that her assumed name has apparent symbolism, most likely amongst those familiar to her fallen people who placed great value in the meaning of all things, most importantly those belonging to themselves. For those in the know of obscure and arcane cultural history, she is "the finality" or more simply "the last (whole) one", a sobering title that is not only accurate but most disheartening.
Species: Monstrous Humanoid The origin and types of monstrous humanoids vary greatly, with some being the product of twisted arcane magic unchecked to others being the work of some divine force. They range from the more "common", as with the minotaur, centaur or harpy, to the more exotic and rare. Sakaala, as well as those who once made up her people, bordered the spectrum of the latter more than the former, being mostly obscure but recorded comparatively well. However, the question of what created a small number of lionmen abroad the realm is unknown, but their kind existed like many monsters before the Age of Mortals, near certainly having an origin many ancient eras past. Only in recent times has this rare bloodline, as with many other unusual beings of similar sorts, all but disappeared after prolonged hunting of "aberrants" by paranoid mortals in the wake of the near successful invasion of the plane.
Age: 47 Although longer lived than most mortal men by virtue of unnatural blood, Sakaala is no youth and certainly no longer in her prime. In spite of these things, as with her natural relatives, she is a remarkable example of longevity which has been extended yet by dabbling in arcane arts and an incredible will to survive.
Description:
Sakaala is distinct in just race alone; owing both to her incredible scale among mortal men, at the height of horse of twenty-two hands, and her overtly leonine features of which are only vaguely humanoid in nature and otherwise quite savage.
Her dense sand tone hide is badly scarred about the right of her body, bearing some wounds of which were so visibly savage that even magical aid has not wholly righted them, but the most notable being the blindness of her right eye. While no less lame in the right arm than blind in the right eye, almost entirely numb, she retains its use by sense of self alone. Ambidextrous in response because of this weakness, her tendency to shore up vulnerabilities is remarkable.
She distinctly conceals the worst of her injuries beneath her partial robe, and outside of the obvious blindness of an eye, her body is in remarkable condition for a female of her growing age, violent history and having bore offspring in previous. While not overtly robust, her musculature is still visible and her strength measurably stronger than many men. Instead of these qualities, she is more remembered for the gold that is the color of her eyes, barring the blindness; they are akin to portals of lingering sadness and fierce resolve - the same lament of failure and animal cry of defiance entwined.
Minimalist in her armoring, Sakaala bears a well worn mithral breastplate upon her chest and a matching pauldron and bracer to her weaker arm, ending it in a fingerless leather glove. Beneath her limited armor she dresses in the remnants of an aged arcanist's robe that ends just beneath her sizable bust, rolling it at the shoulder upon the right limb and let loose upon her strong left arm; the formerly black material having faded to a dusted grey. It, like the rest of her regalia, is undoubtedly salvaged from a fallen friend or a fallen foe, becoming both a prize and a memento. Upon her waist fits a wide tribal belt and battered sash keeping rolled, pressed leather leggings that are accompanied by a pair of slender, exotic daggers worn at the thigh about her lower half. While the belt she adorns herself was once common to her kind, they exist now only as prizes in the hands of grim collectors.
Worn about her neck hangs a morbid reminder of her enemy's hatred for her people - a collection of fangs and claws - which was most certainly pried from the cold, dead grasp of one of her felled foes of which is accompanied by another, not nearly minor trinket; a decorative necklace of polished black stone upon a humble leather loop adorned with smaller decorative pieces. Not keen to speak of the second of the two pieces of finery, she often counts the poached points of her other necklace.
Bearing a true hand-and-a-half elven blade of indeterminate age as her favored weapon, it is uncertain if it were a tool of conflict initially her own or one which she liberated from her would-be killers. Forged of the rare ore mithral, it is polished to an exquisite silvery shine instead of dulled with age about the fine of the blade. Despite its characteristic remarkable lightness and finesse, the weapon is truly designed to be wielded with both hands by its bearer, yet Sakaala's great scale and greater strength allows her to wield it with deadly ease in a single pawed hand. Unnervingly, so much as drawing the blade - let alone swinging it - sets it to ring faintly in a short lived but soft harmonic hum, but more than anything the bite of the sword itself leaves such keen blows that they are almost unsettling to look upon.
Personality and Alignment: Neutral Good The benevolent matriarch, her inherently motherly animal nature follows her strongly with the incredible violence, that both magical and mundane, which she is capable of should she or those she considers her own be threatened. Kindly even toward those wary of her, her wrath is not easily provoked, but no threats made against her or those she views as companions are considered just idle. Perhaps unconsciously she tends to the wounded, acquires fresh provisions, and stays awake during watches all to ensure the continued survival of her adoptive company. Aging as she is, she has embraced the role of a vizier and sage, providing great insight and wisdom to those who inquire upon her.
No friend of evil and abiding by her own sense of morality, she is best described as an intellectual and spiritual benefactor.
Skills/Abilities: Lore Expertise Having lived such a varied and long life has graced Sakaala with many skills, the most notable is her vast knowledge upon matters ranging from historical events to distant locales, from to forces of nature to arcane mysteries. Self taught, her incredible recollection is imperfect and incomplete, but more often than not her acquired lore is relevant. She specializes in the intellectual categories of arcana, history, nature and locales with little greater knowledge on other matters.
Martial Adept There are those who achieve martial proficiency through strength of arms alone and then there are those who acquire combat superiority by raw skill. Sakaala's inhuman strength and agility lend well to life lived by the sword, but it is her intuition, intelligence and force of personality that truly make her a deadly foe as she not only understands the principals of conflict, but actively anticipates them with preternatural skill. This so called "blade-magic" is a blend of martial arts, mysticism, and swordplay - at times engaging in impossible feats martial through magic and at others achieved by intense discipline and practice alone. Sakaala makes up for her disabilities by simply being more skillful and magically inclined than most her foes.
Bolstering Presence While Sakaala is present, her mere warrior nature supernaturally inspires mental resolve and great courage in the face of fear among herself and allies. Effects that attack the mind are weakened, and attempts to intimidate or cause fear are dampened heavily as the body, emotion, mind, and spirit are made hardened against such effects.
Perfect Mind Honed by intense exposure to offensive magic, Sakaala's force of personality provides her immense leverage against mind-affecting effects. The bane of charms, enchantments and illusions, she often rapidly comes to her senses, especially in the heat of battle or when her companions are threatened. When expended, this ability takes a few moments to recover.
Steel Wind This maneuver involves a sudden turn of the blade that lands an otherwise singular blow against one target to also connect with another. A difficult attack to employ in the hands of the untrained, its uncanny speed and incredible finesse work are further augmented by Sakaala's ambidexterity, making her a deadly foe against numbers of enemies, especially the lightly armored. This attack is effectively a single attack against multiple targets. When expended, this ability takes a few moments to recover.
Wall of Blades The agility Sakaala can display for brief periods of time even without her magic is unsettling. With lightning speed, Sakaala can counter a single melee or ranged attack, blocking or deflecting the worst of the blow with her own weapon, even in the worst of scenarios with precognition-like intuition. When expended, this ability takes a few moments to recover.
Seasoned Ranger A born predator, Sakaala was one of many huntresses of her people, no less acting as a wildlands warrior in times of danger when threatened. Having survived alone from these skills for years, she is an able huntress and would be considered expert in the wilderness, capable of even eluding enemies and striking unexpectedly in natural environments. Of her practical skills, she is a trained gatherer of flora and fauna thus able to provide for herself and others in the ways of naturally provided rations, traditional medicine, pure water and various feats of outdoorsmanship. She is difficult to track when being followed and hardly inhibited by natural terrain.
Magic: Channel Spell The ability to cast magical spells and effects is no small wonder even in a world where magic is possibility, but the power to do so while accompanying martial maneuvers is another great feat altogether. Able to channel some of her spells through her natural and weapon attacks, she unleashes devastating blows that inflict a variety of other effects on the victims of the attack. Working in conjunction with her supernatural martial arts, she can perform these abilities often in unexpected ways such as casting a single spell and striking multiple foes with its effects at once. She is not only limited to a small selection of spells to channel a day, but cannot do so extensively without becoming exhausted mentally.
Bladeweave A swing of the sword moves with awesome magical grace and almost rhythmic perfection while giving off glints of faint light. Any creature unfortunate enough to be struck might find itself briefly dazed for a moment of hesitation by the fascinating magical swordsmanship exhibited. Creatures that have already been dazed are just as likely to be dazed again, but those resistant to illusions are not likely to be so awed.
Combustion A corona of roiling heated air sheathes the blade, leaving waves of intense heat in the wake. A creature or object struck by the weapon discharges the spell, causing the target to instantly ignite in a personal inferno and setting them intensely ablaze for a moment before the magical flames vanish. If hasty or fortunate, a creature can extinguish the lingering non-magical flames left behind - if not careful, they continue to burn with mundane fire until its fuel is exhausted or its air is cut off.
Enfeeblement An ominous dark green glimmer envelops the weapon's blade and is discharged upon successful strike, magically debilitating the muscular strength of the victim. Each instance of crippled physical might is additive, and creatures depleted of their strength are temporarily paralyzed and rendered helpless. Their lost strength returns minutes later after the last blow endured.
Fatiguing A faint dullness and aura of immaterial grey shrouds the weapon's blade and is discharged upon a successful blow. The so affected creature is overcome by fatigue, slowing its physical strength and reflexes greatly, but most notably leaving it tired and unable to run. The weight of their debilitation is brief, lasting only a few prolonged moments and once the effects wear off, they are no worse for wear because of it.
Shocking A scatter of sparks and silent cyan-white lightning shudder about the sword's length, pulling it more accurately toward metal targets. Upon striking, the magical effect discharges with a dull localized clap of thunder and the target is struck by a mighty burst of lightning from the weapon, jarring them. This channeled effect is much more likely to land upon metal targets than those not bearing much metal.
True Strike A bearer of a weapon to be imbued takes a brief moment to gain precognative insight into their next attack, greatly increasing its likelihood to land, yet this strength comes at the cost of denying the caster action for a moment. Now enchanted for its next blow, it ignores both magical and practical forms of concealment and seems to find the weakest point in the target's defenses. Once it strikes, the benefit ends and the aura of perfect clarity is gone.
Wraithstrike A phantasmal air surrounds the now shimmering blade which is sheathed in ghostly wisps. For a brief moment, it strikes with deathly accuracy, penetrating conventional defenses such as armor or even benefits such as magical deflectiveness, needing only to merely touch the victim to deal its damage in full as though it were a spirit. Upon striking, the effect ends and the weapon returns to its normal qualities.
Natural Sorceress As a creature born of magic, the very essence of latent power lies within Sakaala and those that were like her, infused with every ounce of their person. It is from this obscure pool that she draws upon, evoking sorcerous power on whim, but having deeply specialized in doing so; her repertoire of magical spells not vast or complex, but instead practical and martial. She blends the martial arts and swordplay with her magic instead of casting traditional spells by and far, although she can indeed manifest some purely magic effects.
Traditionally, few monstrous humanoids are able mages - instead relying upon their natural superiority to combat magical and mundane threats through sheer force and intuition. Sakaala, in spite of these things and the taboos of her now lost society, has taken up arcane power to compensate for her debilitation and growing age. It is known that many mortals are driven mad by arcane power with time, but many monsters seem no worse for wear.
As with all sorcerers, Sakaala's magic depletes throughout the day when she expends it. Recovering her inherent energy when she rests for a prolonged time, she relies upon measured application of mystic force so not to expend all of her magic in a short time although she is capable of doing so.
Least (0th) Arcane Mark, Amanuensis, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Touch of Fatigue Lesser (1st) Nerveskitter, Shocking Grasp, Truestrike, Ray of Enfeeblement Common (2nd) Combust, Bladeweave, Wraithstrike Great (3rd) Haste, Dispel Magic
Arcane Mark A visible or invisible permanent mark of magical enchantment is placed upon the target without causing harm. If placed upon a creature, it fades with time over a month. When invisible, it requires a creature that can see invisibility to notice the mark. Otherwise only an effect that detects magic renders the mark visible, but one must be able to read magic as well to understand its meaning, if it even has one.
Amanuensis An invisible force, when provided with text to read and parchment, begins transcribing the mundane words of another work. The force continues to generate the copied text word for word on to the initially blank parchment, skipping any illustrations and magical enchantments it encounters in its work, leaving their locations empty. While it does not translate the writings, should they be in a language not understood, it does continue to copy them until its duration ends or it pauses, awaiting more parchment.
Detect Magic The viewer can visually detect magical effects within their line of sight, out to a short distance as glowing radiation. If they wish to concentrate they may separate different auras and determine their strength, and with further concentration attempt to determine the specific spell effect that is active. Powerful magical effects and creatures leave lingering auras, and appear more distinctly upon focus.
Dispel Magic A powerful, brief burst of nullifying magic affects a creature or object, or dispels an area instantly of any temporary magical effects and interrupts ongoing ones or those being cast. The dispelling affect always targets the most powerful spells first, then attempts to remove the progressively weaker ones of its target. Against a creature casting a spell, this effect causes the spell to immediately fail to cast.
Haste The caster and nearby allies blur with sudden, lightning fast alacrity, moving with intense speed and reflexes. Their attacks become so rapid they are a near blur of motion, and their movement causes them to shimmer with enchanted speed. Striking more accurately and evading more rapidly, this effect lasts only a few intense prolonged moments.
Mage Hand An invisible force may manipulate objects through concentration as though it were an extension of its master. Although capable of only lifting light objects, it has the full functionality of a phantasmal hand free of a body, giving it great range of motion. A form of very limited magical psychokinesis, its range is short and it disperses to nothing if it travels far.
Message A distant conversation may be held at a whispered tone, sent to a small number of selected creatures. Although each may reply individually, the visibly spoken words are sent to all affected individuals. It bypasses line of sight, limited out to several hundred feet, but is stopped by magical silence, dense metal or stone, or several feet of earth or wood. The words spoken are identical to what is being said and do not transcend language barriers.
Nerveskitter An icy rush races through the blood of the affected individual, spurring them to act or react to danger well before they regularly would be capable. Immediate in effect and its casting, it gives the the creature great precognition for but a moment, allowing them to act with greater initiative. Although limited in range out to a short distance, it heightens the senses and reactions greatly for a crucial few seconds.
Prestidigitation This effect can generate a wide array of more minor effects, of which are humble yet practical uses of magic. They range from cleaning to dirtying an object, creating minor levitation in small objects, chill or warm slightly, ignite or extinguish mundane flames, create small fragile objects or play ethereal musical notes, and so forth. While it cannot duplicate stronger spells, it perhaps can evoke the illusion of greater magic at play.
Read Magic Enabling a reader to explicitly read magically concealed text, it can be used to translate runes, scrolls, symbols and other forms of enchanted text. It does not invoke any latent magical effect of the writing, but it allows the reader to no longer require the ability to read that enchanted text through magic, giving them inherent understanding of it.
Backstory:
Anecdotes of a Reluctant Mercenary
By "The Mage", quoted from "Anecdotes of a Reluctant Mercenary", Chapter VI "On the Subject of Sakaala" "Hunter, warrior, arcanist - over the span of a lifetime one has many varied roles that they might confront, but few ever live them so fully as to explore them in their entirety. She however, has.
Undeniably left with the signs of terrible wounds past, most notably the blindness of her right eye and blatant lameness of the right arm, she has endured trials no one, be them man or beast, should be forced to confront alone. Born an exceptional huntress but appointed a warrior, she served loyally on behalf of her scarce peoples, keeping grim threats beyond, those we do not suffer, at bay. Although she, as with select others among her lot, served admirably on behalf man, not all men were so approving. It was in this she was forced to fight to the last beside those who had become her sisters on an ever losing front, but for all of her skill even she too was felled. She too has felt the bite of defeat... all the more memorable than that of victory.
She does not speak to us about what became of her children, but when you look upon her eyes you see that same hurt of someone with nothing left to her in this world. It is for these reasons she turned to things most men believe left better unknown - the arcane. For one reason or another, perhaps because she is not of mortal stock, she has acquired the capacity to wield this mystic thing as any other weapon. She has made her body, and even her blade, its conduit. It is all almost a direct extension of herself, the way in which she flows like graceful death both natural and magical; the manner in which she ably adapts her styles, be them as subtle as her favored hand to the placement of her feet, even in her age.
I wonder if she is truly satisfied now, watching over us like our matriarch - some relic of a dead people - blessing us with kindness we cannot possibly repay. After all, what could we offer her? We are but mere men; arrogant, brash, foolish and young. What really drives her to aid us in the heat of conflict or tend to our wounds thereafter? A motherhood she still lives vicariously?
Whatever the reason, she has more than earned my faith in her; my admiration for her."
Emil is a young man standing in at about 5'10" in height, with the build of an athlete- or at least one used to continuous physical exertion. While not the pinnacle of strength and endurance, Emil is in good fighting shape, and his body is sinewy and lithe. He has a few scars on his body- though none of them are from combat. His eyes are a deep green, and his blonde hair is typically short and out of the way. His typical attire is a deep blue tunic, with thick trousers, and well worn leather boots and gloves. In combat, he wears a cuirass to protect his upper chest, while still allowing him full range of motion while mounted, reinforced with tough leather, along with armor on his boots, sides, shoulders and forearms.
Personality: Warm and kind-hearted, Emil is a modest young knight with a strong sense of morality and justice. This level headed knight tries his best to stay brave and rational in the face of hardship and adversity, despite his inexperience. Due to his young age, Emil is rather impressionable, and expresses a desire to learn various skills and tricks from the older veterans, though is often self conscious about his lesser skills when compared to that of the more experienced members of the group. Honest and trustworthy, Emil is compassionate and kind, if a little shy and soft-spoken. Loyal to a fault, Emil is more than willing to risk himself for the sake of others, and goes to great lengths to defend his loved ones. A very down to earth and grounded individual, Emil's calm and generally positive demeanor, while occasionally bordering on naivety, bolsters the spirits of those around him.
Skills/Abilities: As a young Knight, Emil is well trained in multiple martial skills, but lacks field experience. He has fought alongside his lord-knight, while still a squire and is no stranger to battle, but is not what one would call a veteran. While young, and not as capable of an armsman as the rest of his older peers, Emil possesses worldly knowledge and skills unexpected from one his age, and is knowledgeable of a variety of skills in various fields.
--- Martial Skills ---
Adept Swordsmanship - As the son of a knight, and a knight himself, Emil has received martial training in various fields, and is capable with many weapons, but shows the most promise with a sword. Skilled enough to face down a common soldier or an untrained fighter and coming out no worse for wear, Emil struggles against more hardened and experienced foes.
Journeyman Spearmanship - Along with his swordsmanship, Emil has received training with the spear and lance, though it is clear he shows a preference to the sword. His stance and form are solid, and the spear is by nature, an easy weapon to pick up and use. He lacks the refinement of a master spearman, but can still use it with relative effectiveness.
Journeyman Archery - Alongside his other martial skills, Emil has also been trained in the use of the bow and arrow. He is neither particularly fast, nor particularly accurate with the bow, and is for all intents and purposes, average. He does slightly better with a crossbow, and primarily utilizes this skill for hunting.
Journeyman Horseback Riding - As a knight, Emil is trained on how to ride a horse, take care of a horse, and fight from a horse, though it is clear that he would prefer to do combat while on the ground. Stamina stemming from his youthfulness allows him to ride for hours without considerable exhaustion.
Trained Armor use - Years of training have taught Emil how to quickly don and remove plate armor, and can thus move with more dexterity and quickness than one without training would be able to. He is also well versed on the care of plate armor.
Trained Shield use - Several years of training has shown Emil how to properly brace and use a shield to block and deflect blows. As he is not the largest presence on the battlefield, when faced with larger foes, Emil primarily relies on deflecting and sidestepping enemy blows rather than attempting to completely stop or black oncoming attacks
--- Trade Skills ---
Journeyman Cooking - While not a master chef by any meaning of the word, Emil is resourceful and can cook a variety of meals with what little resources are often available while in the field.
Journeyman Surgery/First Aid - Unable to treat wounds via magic, Emil has been trained and is experienced with treating a variety of minor and moderate wounds, and is even capable of some surgery for more serious wounds. These treatments are not magic, and do not mend wounds instantly- nor do they guarantee the successful mending of wounds, but can serve to stave off death until more experienced doctors or healers can provide aid.
Journeyman Crafting - From tailoring and needlework, to leather-working, Emil, while not particularly amazing at any craftsman's trade, is skilled enough to make field repairs to clothing and armor.
Magic Emil has no skill or control over magic, though it appears that he may have the affinity for magic. He views magic with suspicion and a small amount of fear, and while he has accepted magic as a facet of life, he is still unnerved by it.
Backstory:
The city of Edessa is a fair sized city-state located along the coast of __(mainland continent neighboring Silver Lily Isles)__. Edessa is a constitutional monarchy led primarily by the King, and a group of senators. It is not a major military power, but is known for its high quality knights and sturdy and reliable trade ships, and also contributed a large portion of its forces Mage-Wars decades ago. Edessa, due to its proximity to the Silver Lily Isles, often trades with the settlements on the Isle, most notably Waeldeshore. Edessa and Waeldeshore have built a rather positive trade relationship over the past two decades, and ships bearing Edessan flags are common in Waeldeshore and vice versa.
Emil, youngest son of the Erran family, comes from a long line of Edessan Knights. Emil, like the rest of his brothers were introduced to the lifestyle of a knight at a young age, and were immersed in their culture from the moment he could walk. The son of a Edessan Knight and his wife, Emil and his brothers were well educated at a young age and were taught manners as well as basic martial skills and knowledges as children. Throughout their childhood, Emil and his brothers would often venture into the city to play with other children. Emil made friends easily, and was known for his gentle and sensitive demeanor, while the rest of his brothers were respected for their various other qualities.
As they Erran children grew older, they were trained in the ways of various weapons, such as the spear and sword, and were trained in horsemanship and riding. After his seventh birthday, Emil was apprenticed to another noble family to serve as a page, where he would begin to further refine horsemanship and swordsmanship as well as learn the intricacies of reading and writing. A naturally perceptive and relatively intelligent child, Emil was treated well by his host family, and learned much under their tutelage.
The Knights of Edessa, or the Edessan Knights as many know them as, are an order of knights based in the city of Edessa. These knights are tasked with serving and protecting the people of Edessa, and often promote humanitarian movements to hunting monsters in the surrounding areas. These stalwart warriors are well known for both their valor and martial skill, despite their relatively small numbers. Every male member of the Erran family had been an Edessan Knight at one point in their life. Emil's brother is among the famed members of the Edessan Knights, and one of the King's personal guards. Each of Emil's brothers has already entered service in the order.
As he turned 14, he became squire to a famed Edessan Knight, where he furthered his training, continuing his work on bladesmanship and horsemanship, as well as learning archery, music, speech, and skills befitting a young knight. Here he learned how to take care of, and maintain armor, how to tend horses and treat wounds. The next several years were difficult, his knight was fair, but strict, and offered him nothing but the most difficult challenges to face.
Now a fresh 18 years old, Emil's journey to become a full fledged knight of Edessan has been completed, and Emil undertakes his first few journeys as his own knight. A message from the Great Sage Genevieve of Waeldeshore gives Emil his first taste of an adventure that he can call his own.
Possessions, Equipment, Weapons:
Father's Sword - A gift given to Emil by his father, upon his recent knighting. The sword is forged from Dwarven Steel- a special dwarven metallurgy technique that results in a tougher, denser, more durable steel. The blade is old and worn from use, but still remains a reliable weapon. A shorter than average bastard sword, it is light and maneuverable enough to be held in one hand, but its two handed grip makes it able to be wielded with two.
Common Spear - A 6 foot pole of ash wood, with a steel tip attached. One of the most common personal weapons in the world, this weapon is easily used, and easily replaced. Able to be wielded with one hand, but most effective with two.
Shortbow & Quiver - A short yew bow meant for hunting. Plain and simple, without any sort of frills, other than leather wrapping around the grip. A wooden and leather quiver contains 20 arrows. Both are typically stored on the outer saddlebags of Emil's horse.
Heater Shield - A mid-sized shield with the Erran family coat of arms emblazoned across it. It is a lightweight metal shield that can be strapped to the forearm and secured with the hand. It has a leather strap that allows it to be slung over the shoulder/worn over the back.
Edessan Half Plate - a cut down suit of plate armor generally utilized by mounted Edessan knights and soldiers. Plates protect major parts of the body, while the rest of the body is protected with tough leather and mail under a tunic. This is to allow light weight, and greater mobility while mounted. The benefits confer to foot combat as well.
Roark, Horse - A well bred, multi-purpose horse ridden by Emil. Roark is a calm, well mannered horse, that doesn't scare easily. Roark wears boiled leather barding(armor) on his face, neck, and body. The barding is lightweight, and can protect Roark from glancing blows but doesn't provide much protection elsewise. Its still better than nothing, Emil argues. Roark also has saddlebags on his sides and behind the saddle.
Roark's saddlebags contain: A pair of leather waterskins, a small pouch with money, a tinderbox, lines and tackle for fishing, a small iron bowl for cooking, a small hatchet for wood gathering, a small knife and whetstone, a length of rope (approx. 30 feet), a spool of fine thread and needle, a roll of clean cloth and bottle of spirits for cleaning and treating wounds, a pouch of herbal ointment, a lantern with several spare candles, a few days worth of provisions for Emil as well as his horse. Behind the saddle is a blanket and spare clothes are wrapped in a roll of canvas.
Description: Tall, Honourable,kind-hearted, mid 30s human age appearance. Age: 53
Gender: Male
Appearance: Dark Green eyes under black eyebrows and short, black hair. At 6 foot 1 Ionathan is above average height for humans and easily stands out with his sharp, elven like features including elf like ears but more rounded and less pronounced, he has a Light skin colour with a small scar on his right cheekbone
Clothing/Armor: A Tabard with the Hepburnberg Coat of arms over a mail shirt with padding underneath. He has a few satchels upon his belt consisting of first aid supplies. Atop his head is a sallet with a padded lether cap underneath. On casual days, Ionathan wears a plain brown tunic.
Weapons: Ionathan wields a bastard sword that is usually equiped with his shield that he carries on his back with a Guige when it's not equiped. The shield is a standard heater shield with the Hepburnberg heraldry for a coat of arms.
Skills/Abilities: An experience fighter-Ionathan's experience in the army has not left him as he remembers the battles he was in and how to take on opponents of different measure. Discipline and Obedience- As part of his soldier training the iron discipline is still embedded in Ionathan's mind. Ionathan knows basic first aid with some advance understanding of the significance of wounds.
Backstory: With a human father and a elven mother Ionathan got to learn about both human and elven cultures from an early age. However, His father was a wealthy landowner so his marriage to an elf was most scandalous, this left Ionathan with a resentment of the nobility and few friends. Ionathan in his childhood and adolescents spent his time reading and received a good education via private tutors. When the war broke out Ionathan had just reached Adulthood and being in a noble family he was enlisted as an officer cadet, Ionathan's training at the officers training camp was harsh but effective, at the start he was like any other who had just reached adult hood, full of energy and always cheerful, but by the end he was a disciplined and skilled officer who acted with knowledge and calculation rather than gut feeling. After The training he was assigned to be a Lieutenant of the 35th regiment of foot where he served throughout the war. The 35th served with valor and duty with their most famous action taking place when a strike force went to strike a supply town near the border and the 35th held the road despite repeated enemy assaults until reinforcements arrived, the officers were personally kissed on the cheeks by the ruling official of the town and were offered the best rooms in the taverns while the regiment was resupplied.
After the war Ionathan adopted a girl made orphaned by the war and settled down and bought a cosy 2 bedroomed house in Waeldeshore were he became a guard for the town. Over the years he reflected on his life in the army while growing to like the town and became a respected by his colleagues and the town for his by the book approach to handling situations and his good relation with the Guard Captain. Throughout the years he made sure that his daughter was given the best education he could afford her with his salary, even on the weekends giving lessons himself. He remains in close contact with his parents who visit every month. Ionathan is looking forward to a life of keeping law and order while letting time heal the wounds of war.
After the "happening" at Waeldeshore, Ionathan took over the family estate in the countryside and established it as a fine farming estate. The workers being retired soldiers and victims of the happenings, live in accommodation around the estate and although the pay is modest, Ionathan provides food, warmth and shelter for those who have suffered. Ionathan put aside his sword and picked up the pen becoming Commissioner of Justice, reforming the guard into a more professional law enforcement body. Being part of a noble family Ionathan was put through an arranged marriage with was easy to arrange due to the fame he gained in fighting the demons, while the couple are not a "lovey dovey" pair they both love each other dearly and have enjoyed there years of marriage which soon gave them a son. Ionathan’s Adopted daughter was accepted by Ionathan’s wife with open arms and now has become the state ambassador traveling around the world promoting friendship and trade between nations. One day Ionathan received a strange letter from Genevieve calling him to once more take up arms, Ionathan immediately informed his wife of the letter and his intent to leave. Although leaving his wife and child to themselves weighted heavy in Ionathan’s heart, he departed several days later.
Description: Ajax is an olive skinned and tanned man who stands at 6 feet 4 inches and weighs around 300 pounds. A thick, muscle bound figure with powerful, sinewy arms and robust legs which end in burly hands and feet and a log-like neck that holds up a head as large as the rest of his body, with a prominent jaw and chin as well as dark brown eyes, short, curly black hair and a thick but not overly long beard, he bears a more than passing resemblance to the real-life Boxer of Quirinal, except far more muscular, with a build closely resembling that of a powerlifter or strongman competitor.
Thanks to his less than healthy lifestyle, Ajax is a mess to look at. He is scarred from head to toe, his eyes are sunken, his nose squashed and slightly deviated, he has cauliflower ears and his hands, forearms, elbows, knees, shins and feet are covered in extremely thick and rough calluses, giving them a leathery, bumpy look. Ajax's clothing is a loose white robe called a doric chiton, that he keeps strapped to his left shoulder with a pin and extends past his waist, ending just above the knees. Ajax also wears brown leather, hobnailed, sandal-like boots called caligae.
Personality: Ajax is a fairly merry man, fond of living a life full of excitement and action and can be fairly easy to get along with as he is giving, loyal, honest and straightforward, seeing greed, deceit and treachery as marks of weakness. Conversely, he's also kind of nuts. He says what's on his mind no matter the situation, is knowingly offensive to others and enjoys fighting to a mind-boggling degree. Smashing things to bits seems to be his main solution to any problem, too, and he has no qualms in instigating fights or escalating them when a couple words would be enough to defuse a potentially dangerous situation.
Ajax has a great distaste for magic and religion and will act rather condescending to anyone who relies overmuch on these, even worse if they try to lord these things over him or otherwise try to make him see their way. It’s not enough to bring him to violence but he sees over-reliance on magic or the intervention of higher forces as a queer path in life. Why credit the gods with your achievements, why rely on some mystic force you can barely comprehend when you could achieve this on the strength of your back? He feels much the same towards those who take their status as nobles as somehow making them intrinsically superior to others.
Ajax has a fairly complex world view based on strength, self-reliance and personal growth. He feels the strong come to rule the weak, but that strength isn't limited to physical strength or martial power and that the weak should, in turn, grow strong and strive for greater things in life, never letting themselves be crushed underfoot. He relishes the freedom necessary for such a growth and will readily help others to attain it, just as long as they actually put the effort to grow themselves, though his efforts can come across as him just being rather mean. He is especially harsh towards those who could stand for themselves but don't and expect others to do it for them, believing that over-reliance on others is another path to subjugation.
Skills/Abilities: -Herculean: Ajax seems to have been gifted with superhuman physicality. Though his agility and manual dexterity aren’t much to speak of, he is freakishly strong and damn near tireless. His entire body is tremendously difficult to damage and eradicates poisons, toxins and disease with absurd ease. What makes this unique is that Ajax wasn't simply born powerful, but rather that his body adapted to extremely harsh circumstances much faster and better than anyone else.
It's something everyone can do. Both muscle and bone adapt to the stresses they're placed under with time, you can exercise specifically to increase your lung capacity, you can get used to extremes of temperature if you live with them long enough, but the thing about Ajax is that his gift allows him to defy normal human limits. Of course, this gift requires a high degree of dedication to constantly test and push his own limits. If he had lived a quiet life, his gift would've gone by unnoticed.
His gift also allows him to pit his body against things that should be unaffected by mere brute force, since his body has been cultivated in such an unnatural way. He can pit his might directly against magic such as hold spells and the like, though this doesn't make him immune to magic as a whole, and is resilient towards mind-altering effects from a mixture of sheer willpower and having experienced them previously in his travels. This also extends to attempts to invade his psyche, which meet with as heavy a resistance as if Ajax was fighting the person directly.
-Pankration: Ajax is a skilled unarmed fighter, having trained to fight most of his life and having survived a number of ordeals through fighting skill alone. His fighting style is known in his homeland as Pankration, loosely translated as "all of might", and was originally a blend of boxing and wrestling with no rules beyond no biting or eye-gouging before more and more skills were added to its repertoire. Ajax is a particularly skilled grappler, adept at using his strength and size to his advantage, but knows how to supplement it with effective striking and has a proper grasp of the fundamentals of fighting beyond sheer strength.
Backstory: Ajax descends from a long line of athletes, from the faraway land of Erimai. His father, Diagoras, was an accomplished wrestler trained by his father as was tradition within the family and celebrated in his homeland for his many victories in legitimate sporting events. Diagoras, in turn, upheld the custom and trained Ajax from an early age, and the young man soon grew into a grappler of considerable skill himself. However before Ajax could make his debut in an official event, Diagoras was murdered, the killer managing to evade the law.
With the aid of family friends, many of which held connections with the fighting underworld, Ajax eventually discovered that his father's death was orchestrated by Diagoras' supposed benefactor, Magistrate Cleon, because Diagoras had won a fight he was asked to throw. Enraged, Ajax sought Cleon out to murder him with his own two hands but was subsequently defeated, bested by foul sorceries and the attack of a demonically powerful fighter in Cleon's employ, known only as Hyperanthes. He was captured and his family subjected to great shame.
Publicly tried for attempting to murder a magistrate, Ajax was to be sentenced to death by poisoning before Cleon intervened, demanding Ajax be sold to him as a slave as reparation, a demand that was granted. It was then that Ajax's fighting career truly began, as the magistrate entered him in brutal underground contests, rule-less deathmatches for the enjoyment of select crowds. Fighting for survival with neither weapons nor armor, Ajax overcame all odds with his continued survival and spectacular progress, eventually becoming the circuit's most celebrated champion. Only one thought kept him from despair: revenge.
As time passed Ajax befriended a few of the other fighters and together they planned an escape. A hole in security, an opportune bribe carried out by acquaintances on the outside and superior combat skills were all that was needed, and soon the fighters were free. Knowing he'd be hunted down, Ajax decided to flee the country without involving anyone else, sneaking into a random merchant ship leaving the island which was first dragged around, then smashed to bits by a typhoon. The lone survivor, Ajax drifted aimlessly in a damaged raft until he arrived to a strange foreign land.
So began his career as a travelling adventurer. Never settling in a single place for long, always moving, always fighting to become ever stronger, looking to return to his homeland. The only problem is, no ship seems to know how to get there and by this point he has boarded about a dozen random ships with no clue where exactly they were going, so he is well and truly lost in this regard. His homeland could be on the exact opposite of creation for all he knows.
He has, however, come to find great enjoyment in his life and while he still seeks his home, he is content with facing life on a day to day basis, taking on new adventures as they come. It is not uncommon to find him as a strongman for hire, and tales are sometimes told of the strange, massive foreigner carrying neither weapons nor armor who clears out monster dens or bandit camps seemingly for the challenge of it. Enticing him to take part of a new adventure should be a simple matter.
Other: I always though it was pretty boring how the badass fisticuffs class is always some type of asian stereotype built to be dodgy rather than a frontline manly man so think of Ajax as a Fighter rather than a Monk, speaking in class terms, except with less reliance on being given decent gear and magical buffs. He's the guy that stands at the front of the line, gets the crap kicked out of him and keeps going, and can deal some good damage especially in one on one fights. He's actually a prior character of mine, a Fighter in Dungeon World which lets you use gauntlets as your weapon type thanks to its narrative focus.
Description: Regina is a bit tall for a halfling, a whole six inches taller than the average of 3 feet, with long, reddish brown hair and chocolatey brown eyes. She has a pale complexion and a few small wrinkles, preferring to stay in the shade, and a thin but curvy figure that is slowly catching up with her age. Regina wears a thin layer of leather armor over her clothes with multiple daggers hidden on her and a pair of longtooth daggers on her hips. Regina carries no less than 20 throwing daggers, 10 normal daggers and a pair of longtooth daggers on her at any time.
Personality: Regina is the type of woman to flirt with some of the younger women though nothing too far as she doesn't want to be left again. She's easy to anger if you say the wrong thing. However, she does keep her anger under control while at work. She's no longer the happy-go-lucky woman she once was, instead taking everything carefully and not letting anyone close again.
Skills/Abilities: Regina has great aim with her throwing daggers and is proficient with her normal daggers to block and redirect, allowing her to use her longtooth daggers, with their little extra length, to attack. She can also pick locks, pick pockets, find and remove traps, track people, most any skill a thief would find very helpful.
Other than that, she is an excellent with her psionic powers, allowing her to do many things most people cannot. -Combat Mind: Using this, she has a clear understanding of where her allies and enemies are. -Telekinesis: She can levitate most objects though nothing bigger than a small human male for more than a couple minutes. -Levitation: She can lift herself up to 12 feet from whatever she's standing on. -Complete Healing: With a 12-hour meditation process, she can heal herself of all injuries, illnesses, poisons and the like. -Quick Healing: With a matter of a few minutes and a lot of concentration, she can heal her small injuries, though nothing bigger than a small cut. -Adrenaline Control: By controlling the production and release of adrenaline in her system, she can give herself a temporary physical boost on demand. -Body Weaponry: Using this, she can turn her hands into dagger blades or go as far as her elbow for a shortsword blade. -Displacement: She can control where people see her, whether or not she moves. -Teleport: With this, she can teleport up to 200 feet away in the blink of an eye, with loud popping sounds emitting from both the place she teleports from and to. -Telepathy: Using this, she is able to communicate wordlessly with another intelligent being without having to worry about language barriers. -Daydream: She can cause another person's mind to wander, allowing her to pick their pockets and get away safely with a lower chance of getting caught.
Magic: She has no magic though some have commented her psionics are similar.
Backstory: Regina was raised in a big halfling city, well as big a city as the halflings would build, with her numerous siblings. The only way she could stand out in her family enough to be remembered was the fact that, at a young age, she could make apples fly to her hand. She had practically never spent any time at home once she was old enough and had gotten caught picking locks and grabbing an apple for a snack. She had eventually decided, after nearly having her hand chopped off for the thousandth time, to leave the city and find a better life. She soon was found by a thieves' guild that took her in and began training her. She spent the next 15 years in the guild, training as hard as she could to get faster and stronger though her strength didn't improve by much. They found out about her psionic skills rather quickly and, being only the second psionic in the guild, learned from an older man who taught her how to teleport, heal small wounds, levitate items other than apples, such as herself, and so on.
After her training was finished, she began traveling again, ending up in Waeldeshore. It was there she met a group that was going to be fighting a dragon. She decided to join them, supplying the team with a lot of jerky during their travel to the cave. They ended up stealing a magic artifact from a sleeping dragon, one of two in that particular cave and escaping rather quickly. Upon arriving back at the town, most of them decided to spend the night. Regina offered to share a room with one of the more beautiful, yet still a bit scary, women on the team. When she awoke, however, she saw her ally was gone. She had searched for days but the trail was cold and she couldn't follow what she couldn't find. Instead, she decided to go east.
She went far east, ending up in a land much different than what she was used to a year later. It was there she met another halfling woman, a bard who instantly captured her heart. She traveled with the bard, acting as her bodyguard for a decade and a half until she was injured badly. She was unconscious for days as she slowly healed herself from nearly dying but, when she awoke, the bard was gone. She asked around but nobody had seen the halfling bard around in days. She had been abandoned again.
With nothing else to do, she returned to the west. It took 4 years to travel back, as she had done other jobs along the way to distract her, but she eventually returned to Wealdeshore. With not much else to do, she became a guard for one of the local pubs. It's been 5 years since her return and, in that time, she's proven to be a great asset as well as a new resident for the foreseeable future.
Name: Isabeau Falkenrath Species: Human/Witchling Age: 52 Description: Having let her hair grow out, her dark auburn locks are typically tied up in a braided bun, several pieces, refusing to be bound, frame her face, complementing an olive skin tone. A grey strand here and there, depicting age. Her eyes are something to behold; light green surrounded by a thin ring of gold. Freckles sprinkle lightly over a smooth face, nearly void of any wrinkles representative of a woman coming into her fifties. She stands at about 5’7” tall, a petite upper body sitting upon wider hips and thick thighs. Not overly muscular though her body is tone. When exposed, displayed on her back are a number of scars, some seeming a bit more prominent. A rather fresh one sits just above her right brow. She may have aged some from the last time any had seen her, but she certainly doesn't look as old as she is.
Personality: She is typically cold and brash, on the outside anyway. Her overconfident ways have often gotten her in a pinch, but not one that she couldn't ever find her way out of. She never takes the easy way out and has a soft spot for those who have been bullied. Having grown used to the luxuries coin can buy, she would prefer a more lavish lifestyle. Shiny things may distract her from time to time, but it is never to say she had an easy life.
Clothing: She typically wears light fabrics, leathers and cloths of darker shades. A large cowl normally covers most of her features. Dark brown leather boots extend up just past her knees, straps and buckles secure padding where would be needed. Plain cloth pants are held up by a thick black belt, lined with a few pouches and oddities.
Weapons: Through her training, she has become a jack of all trades. Though her favorite weapon is the battle axe strapped to her back. She has a dagger hidden within her boots and one saddled to her belt at her right hip. The dagger hanging from her belt is a curved blade, with a ruby embedded within the hilt.
Skills and Abilities: Part of the reason why the witches wanted to do away with her because she did not have the affinity for magic as they did. However her time in the Assassin’s Keep allowed her to develop other skills and techniques: Shadow Prison: Isabeau is able to shadow step to her foe for an attack. During this attack, her foe’s movement speed is drastically reduced temporarily Wild Blow: Isabeau is able to manipulate the shadows around her weapons, increasing the damage done by her attacks. The attack is usually used when attempting to sunder a shield. Wildfire: Despite not having the understanding of the weave, as the witches did, Isabeau was bestowed with a gift from her mother. The gift of Wildfire. This gift takes an enormous amount of energy to control and wield. When called upon, the shadows immediately surrounding her will ignite and deadly flames will coat her axe, adding fire damage to her attacks. This generally leaves Isabeau quite drained afterwards
In her time away from civilization, she has learned to tap into the shadow realm. The more time she spent in the dark reflection of home, the less stable her footing became in each world. She would shift back and forth, sometimes without even meaning to.
Magic:N/A -see skills above
Backstory:
Rumors of long ago, tell a tale of a witch who fell in love with a prince from a far away land.
The prince had journeyed far in search of a magical herb that was said to cure a sickness plaguing his kingdom. He came upon a young woman living deep within the woods. Beautiful in every way imaginable, the Prince became enthralled with the young woman and insisted that she leave the woods and return with him to his castle. As tempting as the offer was, she could not leave her home. For she was a witch, just as her mother before her, and so on down the line. Their family and gifts had been banished from the kingdom long ago, and since, they had taken refuge in the forest, tending to the wilds and those who dwell within its sanctuary.
Disturbed by the story, the prince vowed that he would speak with his father to lift their exile if she would return with him as his bride. Gleefully, the young woman accepted. And with the prince as her guest, she spent her last few days in the woods saying her goodbyes and making arrangements for after she left.
Those last few nights blanketed by the stars, we're magical for her and the prince. Though as the story goes, it was the last shred of happiness for the young couple. Grandmother Amari, the high witch of their clan, had high expectations for the young witch. Plans, that did not include the Prince, that would've been especially ruined if the prince took her away to become a princess in the castle. Though a silver lining appeared that would help Amari's plans along. And so the high witch gathered her kin, and her plot for war went into action.
On the eve before the two lovers were to leave for the castle, Amari had one of the youngest within their clan travel to the cottage where the two were staying. She silently crept in, cloaked within the shadows and darkness of the night. With one clean swipe of her blade, she sliced his throat open, and without anyone noticing, made her way back out. He bled out onto the bed next to his beloved, who never stirred, and never realized his death until the next morning.
It wasn’t until many months later did they all realize the young witch was with child and when the news had traveled to the High Witch, it was ordered to discard the baby once it was born. The young witch with fire red hair and green eyes encircled with a gold ring would never know her daughter.
Isabeau continued to meet only betrayal and despair as she grew older unfortunately. Bred into a world of death and darkness, she was raised within the Keep of the Assassin’s Guild and was honed into the land’s deadliest weapon. She was taught to cast all emotions aside, especially that of love. They told her that love made people weak, love would hold her back, get her killed. And just as they had warned her, love had been her undoing and led her to flee.
~~*~~
Since her departure of Waeldeshore, much has happened ((All to be revealed in rp)). Her reasons for returning are her own, but she has vowed to make things right.
He is 5,11, has curly ginger hair, kept short and pale blue eyes. Along with a high cheekboned-face dotted with freckles, he looks young for his age, but noticeable crows feet contradict the rest of his look. He has a number of shallow scars on his right forearm, from lost to-first-blood dueling matches.
Personality:
Agade is open minded and flexible, and has learned to roll with turns of fortune and situation. He is conscious of how his pride and anger proved disastrous for him, and tries to control both. The experience of having to leave behind his old life could have made him turn inwards, pushing people away out of caution as he moves from place to place. This did not happen, instead he tends to make friends quickly, looking to replace whatever connections he made in the last destination. In a sense it is him setting himself up for repeated loss. Rather than being a cold isolated loner, the loneliness gets to him, and he tries to find people in each new place he stops at.
Agade is independent, and highly confident in his own abilities. He understands the limitations of his fighting skills- a suit of armour and a shield used competently leaves him without a leg to stand on- and has a healthy respect for all ways of fighting. In general he has become much more humble since leaving Balpel, leaving the relatively sheltered environment there.
He has a sense of honour imparted to him by his upbringing. This clashes with involvement in organised crime at many times in many places; he has worked on cargo ships as a sailor and as protection, but also as muscle for cartels, and in underground fighting rings which are inextricably linked to crime. He tries to choose the 'best' group to work for, and sometimes goes after bounties for the authorities, but a good option isn't always there (if he wants to make money and be comfortable). A nagging sense that he is acting against his principles persists.
Agade tends to be optimistic, and has a sense that things will work out one way or another. This carefree attitude can go as far as recklessness, but he becomes more cautious if he's working towards a specific goal. Agade has a broad sense of humour, and an annoying tendency to point out the puns in everything.
Skills/Abilities:
Engineering training Rarely matters. He can design and lead the construction of simple bridges and buildings (with a focus on things like forts, watchtowers), has a working understanding of many types of machinery (windmills, water locks, mechanical reapers). Knows a lot of applied mathematics.
Noble education More applicable than the above if only for the literacy. He can read and write, knows how to ride a horse as transport (not for war). Knows geography and history, and through that quite a bit about the world. Can speak [common trade language] as well as his native tongue.
Sailing Is competent at a range of skills used as a sailor on a trade ship; needlework for sails and clothes, working with rigging, swimming, fishing, maintaining various bits of equipment, navigation at sea, working with ropes, basic construction/carpentry for repairing the ship.
Combat This is his most useful, standout skill. Agade trained casually from a young age in Balpel Dueling, and then intensely and competitively from 18 to 22. Experience fighting in the real world (brawls, pirate attacks, arenas, actual duels) improved his skill further, forcing him to adapt to the range of fighting styles out there. His abilities go beyond Balpel Dueling, having learned to incorporate improvised weapons and what would be illegal moves in the dueling tournaments into his style. However his fighting is at its core based on it.
Balpel Dueling uses a rapier in the main hand, a small axe in the off hand (similar to a tomahawk), and allows kicking strikes. The rapier is primarily for offense but is used in defense too, and is used as a stabbing weapon. Precision is the focus more than power, small accurate movements delivering wounds to the neck or the eyes. The axe is used for parrying, and ripostes using it against the hands or forearms of an attacker are key to the style. Offensively it is not used often, however Agade has become very skilled with throwing it, delivering brutal blows that way. Finally leg strikes, as the enemy would have a rapier and an axe in their hands, leg attacks go low. Sweeping the leg or stamping onto a foot to interrupt movement and throw the enemy off balance, are both examples of common techniques. Generally kicks are not used with the aim of damaging or disabling an opponent, but to disrupt movement and knock the opponent off balance to create an opening for the bladed weapons.
Agade could fairly claim to be an expert duelist, and is good enough with his axes to pull of trick shots i.e. hitting the center of a bullseye.
Misc equipment like compass, waterskin, fire starting kit, metal pot, etc.
Backstory:
Agade comes from a human dominated nation, the Tengata Communion. The Communion is a collection of individual city states, city state leagues, and moderate sized kingdoms. It is a diverse nation holding many cultures and is about 30% non human. As might be guessed from the name, it was unified by religion, lacking unity in culture or species. How tolerant the nation is is also diverse; some parts accept being in the same country as other peoples so long as they don't come 'over here', others are more accepting. Some parts want the 'convert or die' process that formed the nation to continue unabated, others treat foreign missionaries with respect. And so on.
The religion itself is known as The Faith of the Needed. It is a slightly panicky duotheistic religion with a good and evil deity, the main talking point for its early prophets was not 'victory in battle' or 'unconditional love' but 'the world will end if you don't believe'. Arising during an unstable time for Tengata, rife with war and famine, it stated that the benevolent deity (Ounael) was losing massively to the malevolent deity (Verace) and that they had to convert and start spreading the faith or the world would be plunged into unending suffering. Most of the fanatical devotion burned itself out in the first few decades after it appeared, but in that time the armies of the Needed by conversion and warfare had secured nearly all of Tengata.
Agade heralds from the city of Balpel, a member of the Merchant's Communion, a loose league of city states itself formed within the Communion. He is a member of the upper class, a son to a minor merchant house (the nobility of his home), wealthy enough for an easy childhood and an education, not so wealthy that every son could inherit a part of the business. With two older brothers, he would struggle to find anything worthwhile for him out of his family's holdings, at least relative to the expectations put upon him. While there were options like joining the military as an officer, or becoming a merchant captain, when he started at university he decided to try and win recognition in the dueling circles. Across the Merchant's Communion, it is understood that a noble son goes into university to either become a merchant or to prepare them for officer school- as a classical education is expected for generals and commanders. Their actual study is normally unrelated to the military if taking that second option. Because of this, education tends to have a militaristic bent, so competitive dueling was encouraged between students, to prepare them for the rigour of war. The light scars gained from the to-first-blood bouts became to be seen as a sign of bravery and courage. Balpel dueling resembles real world main gauche fencing with kicking strikes allowed. The off-hand weapon is very similar to a tomahawk, which he also taught himself to use as a throwing weapon. He possessed a natural talent for it, and alongside his studies (only going into engineering in depth, and covering a lot of military engineering) dedicated massive amounts of time to becoming good at it.
Within his university, he became one of the best, competed in tournaments and became proud of his skill. In the last few months of his education, he defeated a well known duelist, using the off-hand axe as a throwing weapon to knock his opponent's rapier from his hand. The victory and the innovative technique both gave him recognition across the community. He celebrated, drinking and boasting with his friends. He made a boast that he could defeat anyone in the drinking hall he was in, and suddenly found an officer taking him up, making it a bet. In his pride and with the glow of victory still with him, he agreed, and put down far too much money, and arranged to a fight the next day. He was good, talented and had trained well and long. He lost horribly in full view of the men who's respect he had gained, and in a split second of anger used his prized technique. A thrown axe can draw blood like a rapier tip, but it can't as easily stop at just that. Lodged in the victor's windpipe, Agade realised he had managed to turn around his path in one night and one morning, from 'rising duelist' to 'actual murderer'.
He fled the country, and spent the last few years in various ports around the world or traveling between them on ships. His main marketable talent is fighting; various kinds of arena fights, hired muscle, helping fend of pirates and so on. However other skills he took for granted that all wealthy children learn (literacy, numeracy), and those taught in his studies would also prove useful. Working in underground fighting rings, or being paid to fight for one set of dockyard racketeers against another, would frequently put him in contact with higher ups in whatever criminal organisations operated in the area. This has on a few occasions allowed him to leverage these skills; running numbers for cartels (normally while recuperating from injuries), planning break ins, designing vaults and so on.
Name: Tarden of the Fair Lands, or Tarrey to his friends
Species: Human Male
Age: 37
Description:
Tarden wears brownish and orangey cloths draped over hardened cloth armour, almost fully covering his arms and torso. He keeps his head wrapped up with the same coloured materials leaving only his eyes visible. He is instantly recognisable as foreign, his dark skin visible through the eye slit and his distinctive accent On his back he wears a large sack with all his belongings and a war pick, not often seen in these parts and liberally decorated in red cloths. He also often has a small wooden shield on his forearm, which is also concealed beneath red cloths, all of which follow his blows and sweep through the air with every attack
Personality: Despite being a foreigner, he remains open to new company, and finds the drinks of this land are a great ice-breaker. Although he is met with mistrust, he tries to be open and honest in his dealings, and will always stop to help a fellow in need Tarden deeply misses his homeland as much as he has a thirst for exploration. Some events can tip him over to one side more than the other, but it tends to balance out
Skills/Abilities: - Tarden has inherited a natural hardiness from his homeland, and from travelling around. This and his clothes give him a good resistance to the elements - Tarden is of a good build, never having been hard on his luck and constantly traveling means he can overpower an average human - The people of the fair lands are famous for their quick firing of small bows, and although he does not bear such a weapon, Tarden is also very quick. This does not translate very well to his war-pick, but in most other activities he can exercise good and extremely quick dexterity. Nothing superhuman, but sometimes impressive - From smithing farming tools to using them to cultivate a field, travelling has granted Tarden many skills in all areas Magic: The people of the fair lands have a distaste for magic of almost all kinds, but still develop and use minor artefacts and tinctures to counter both superstitions and real mana alike. Tarden possesses such items like - A small bell that when rung echoes back from enchantments in a small area around him, including people under enchantments (however the reliability of this power is subject to the winds of magic/plot!) - A knot of rope made from the hair of goat’s firstborn. When drenched in alcohol it lets off a distinct vapour that when inhaled protects against any sort of magical influence (allegedly) - An extremely bouncy and soft rock, and another small rock that almost acts like a magnet towards it - A lucky coin! Which for some reason no matter how hard Tarden tries he can’t get rid of it, like his father before him and his father before him. Passed on from generation to generation, when discarded it just appears in Tarden’s pocket again shortly afterwards. Aside from that it doesn’t appear to have any use Backstory: The fair lands is situated far to the south of Waeldershore, and is known for it’s deserts and songs. The latter of which are sung throughout daylight hours in the village hall of every settlement passing over every dry wooden hut there, lifting the atmosphere in such a way that visitors find magical. It is said that in times past folk made a deal with the sand spirits, that the land would belong to man as long as man’s sweet song kept the sand spirits in their slumber. It is also said that every sandstorm is a sand spirit waking up, and the rains are the spirits dreaming Tarden’s village came under threat from a rival peoples, and he was tasked with delivering a ruby idol to their clan to appease them. He was ambushed on the way, losing everything he had. When he returned home they banished him, and last he heard the sand reclaimed all that was once there Since then he has been travelling across the world, and although he misses his homeland he still longs to see every corner of the world, working as a farmer here, a mercenary there or a sailor over there. He enjoys the life he leads and the people he meets.
