"Good can't help but do a little evil, and evil can't help but do a little good."
In Character Info
An old man sits at the tavern's bar, weary and worn down by life. His eye catches yours, and he beckons you over. "Come, sit down, these times have been trying on us all." He says. You take a seat next to him, and he begins recalling something. "This war's been going on for so long. Since I was just a child. It's so sad, children now they'll grow up to this. This fighting, these battles, leaving villages destroyed, and homes fatherless. Doesn't matter which side of the fight you're on. The kingdom's real ruler, Perinne or those Glanz folks tryin' to uproot everything. Even that little upstart thief has a say in the fate of Tenebria.” He pauses to take a drink. Before he's able to continue, a drunk a seat away mumbles “Damn Glanz...” Another takes offense at his statement, remarking that the Glanz Empire is much better than the Perinne rule they're under now. The argument seems to start getting quite heated. Looking over to the old man, he seems to have disappeared. As you look around for him, another drunk calls you over, intent on settling a bet or argument of some kind. “You're with the Thieves right? Neither the Glanz nor the Perinne are righteous rulers!” He asks. The man next to him cuts in. “The Perinne are doing a fine job ruling. You agree, yes?” It seems they won't leave you alone until you reveal your allegiance.
Well? Do you fight for the kingdom? For revolution? Or for yourself?
TL;DR Summary
- This is a story about the three sides of a war that's been going on for almost a century. The current ruling family who were born into royalty, the Perinne family, the Glanz Empire, the almost corrupt rebels aiming to instate a new kingdom atop the old, or the Thieves Guild, a group of bandits turned good (well, mostly good.) They serve neither the King nor the Rebel Crown, instead aiming to end the war by any means necessary, even banditry and assassination of the King's own men.
- I will need a King, a Rebel Leader, and a Bandit Prince/Princess. If you want to apply for the role, speak to me, present your concept, and we'll workshop it. If two people want to attempt the same role, then generally, first come first serve but if one fits the role better, I will choose them.
- Any who are not Leaders may be either part of each group's "main force," Or be someone else generally close to a position of power. (each faction has a council of members who are the second-in-command to their respective leaders and advise them. This is the main force. There are 7 on the King's Council, 6 on the Glanz Legion, and 4 on the Fiendish Four.)
- Communication is key. If you want to plan something with me and the others? Do so! Collab? Generally, I'm up for it.
- Subject to my discretion obviously, but you can have some pretty outrageous character concepts. A slime, spirit, or lich isn't out of the ballpark, and neither is a mutant, a dragonkin, or a werewolf. Just keep it relatively human sized.
Magic is generally only used through small crystalline rocks called "Lapi." Said stones hold magic power, and by stimulating it with a fraction of your own energy, you can use its effects. These range from healing, to manipulation or generation of certain elements, to temporary alterations of your physical form. Some effects can even last for up to an hour, and some almost unheard of ones are even stranger. Lapi are both amazing and odd, and scientists, scholars and alchemists alike can't figure out what makes them produce such outlandish affects, only that they form from even larger crystals deep underground. This makes Lapis production a challenge to all but the most high ranking of the Khint Alchemist Clan, who have excavated a crystal of their own and have found a way to force it to create Lapis at an accelerated rate, though even they aren't sure how to manipulate any other factors of production like strength or ability.
One can recreate a Lapis's ability naturally, but without much practice, familiarity, and experience, it's a dangerous game. Only the most skilled of Magi have even a few Lapi mastered, and even fewer have learned how to manipulate said ability once learned. Another unfortunate side of Lapi is it's effect on humans. If one is around or uses Lapi a lot during pregnancy, a human child can "absorb" its effect, coming out deformed or with uncontrollable magical abilities. Occasionally, one may escape physical alteration and self destructive magics, leaving only useful abilities. Why this happens only to humans, no one seems to know, though studies have been done and this may be linked to humans' propensity to mastering Lapi. It also seems to be happening more often, as more Lapi is used in war time, and the Khint have upped production, putting more Lapi into the hands of commoners.
Though only humans may be mutated by Lapi, other races are blessed with abilities, though this phenomena decidedly different to Lapi magic and is regarded as "Extranatural Talent" by scholars, ET for short. These are generally given to most if not all members of a race, and allow them a leg up on the competition. Demons seem to be the only exception of this rule, who seem to have completely random ETs. They also are unable to master Lapi, though they can use it just fine.
Although I reserve the right to reject Lapi, you really shouldn't even think about putting these on your character.
I've also created a sample character. I may or may not play him, so his main purpose is to give you a little inspiration.
Hiro Sura
Gender: Male Age: 17 Race: Mountain Tengu
Equipment
Scarf - An enchanted scarf with small chunks of Lapi embedded throughout that allow Hiro to control his explosive nature.
Pack - A small hip-mounted satchel that can contain numerous useful items.
Machete - Dual serrated machete useful for chopping up plants and people.
Abilities
Levitation - Using their tiny wings, mountain tengu can levitate about 2-3 feet off the ground for about a minute before a quick rest.
Explosive Nature Control - Though most Mountain Tengu are magically bound to explode upon too rough an impact, Hiro's scarf not only allows him freedom from this curse, but also allows him to generate these explosions at will.
Communication - Blessing of the gods? Inherited trait? Who knows, but every member of the Sura tree is able to talk to and understand every race with little effort.
Talents
Excellent at bringing together a team.
Above average stamina and speed.
Good fighter.
Personality: Like most tengu, he's quite lazy and unintelligent, but only relative to other races. For a tengu, he's actually quite motivated and smart, seemingly because of his mother's excursions to towns and villages near the mountains. He also doesn't seem to share his race's love of mischief, though he doesn't take things seriously all the time either. In fact, he seems to be completely unaffected by pressure, always confident and scatterbrained. Still, this joyfulness doesn't come with empathy. He rarely considers how people other than his tribe feel and can be naive. Overall, he's just an average person, and he seems to accept the fact without any pretenses. Seems to always end his sentences with "chum" for some reason.
Biography: Born from a long line of different races starting with his great grandfather, a human turned monster. Hiro had a regular Tengu mother Nana, chief of the tribe actually, and satyr who had inhabited the mountain, the inheritor of the Sura title. Keeping inline with his nature, the satyr was quick to leave Nana once Hiro was born, leaving naught but a loose family history. Nana named Hiro after the progenitor of the line. This fascination with her lover's family history lead her and Hiro to visit many human settlements to ask about a human named Hero. Though not many remembered him, those who did seemed to disagree. Some say he was one of the best chefs in the land, often serving the king. Others say he used to be a knight in the King's Guard before trekking towards the mountain with his wife and never returning. Of course, this didn't matter to the young Hiro. He was much more interested in the human gadgets. Frequently he would be caught absentmindedly holding onto said objects, though his cute nature was enough to escape without much more than a scolding from most.
As Hiro came a bit closer to succeeding his mother, she taught him the two most important facets of being a Tengu chief. Being strong enough to defend the tribe, and the ability to rally the normally docile Tengu. Both skills would prove invaluable to the future, and he thanks his mother every day for the training. Though most Tengu wielded a polearm or a similar easily craftable and long weapon, Hiro trained frequently with his machete instead, both of which his mother had traded for. He was also given the "Chief Scarf," a relic that was passed down to the village chief, and then their subordinates in the likely event of death. Said scarf allowed tengu to control their regularly explosive form. Training was relatively regular, supplemented with a Tengu's natural combat intuition it was enough to make him a good fighter.
Drawing ever closer to the day Hiro would become chief, tengu started disappearing. First it was happening to other tribes, some members mysteriously never came back. Then whole tribes were disappearing, and eventually Hiro's people had been targeted. Some of his friends had taken leave, only to never come back. Nana began limiting her visits to nearby towns, eventually cutting herself off completely when she returned with "Prin Leather," a mysterious substance that felt suspiciously like tengu skin. It seemed that the mountain tengu who disappeared were being poached, something Hiro absolutely would not stand for. He vowed, on that day, to give the tengu a voice, and to stop the murder.
Hiro journeyed first to the capital, only to be denied an audience with the king. He was a simple tengu, and no claims that he was a tribe leader would dissuade them. He would have to gain notoriety, and to do so he joined the [FACTION] Army, rising through the ranks by indicting his own squad into the ranks. Eventually, he would even gain a spot in the [MAIN FORCE]
Other:
Mountain Tengu
Origin Originally a more mischievous offshoot of demons, the mountain tengu staked their turf upon Mt. Lux. They would frequently pick on and harass travelers, occasionally even killing them. Eventually, a squadron of peasants congregated against them, but the peasants were easily defeated. A local wizard, seeing this, cursed the to death if they ever incurred the wrath of another. As the tengu population decreased, only those who didn't fight travelers were left, and as time passed the tengus body became more rounded. After a certain time, they split off into tribes to explore the mountains, and now decently sized groups of tengu feed off the mountain, occasionally playing tricks on those who enter, but overall being quite unimportant. Recurring Traits
King Sardiel of Perinne, a.k.a. King Sardiel the Eternal
Gender: Male Age: 2231 Race: Elf Allegiance: Perinne Empire
The Royal Armour - A high-quality suit of full plate steel commissioned by Sardiel to maximise his own protection in the event of an inevitable conflict, with metal Lapi stones spread through its structure, allowing it to transform into a semi-fluid state like a full-body suit, to eradicate weak points in its structure, let the bearer move as smoothly as though they were unarmoured, and automatically reinforce itself against particularly hard blows such as those of a mace at the cost of momentary weakness in other areas. A small Lapis stone embedded in the helmet also allows the user to see out of the metal of the helmet as though it were not there whilst transformed, letting even the eyes and head be covered more effectively.
The Royal Mace - A weapon again commissioned by Sardiel to keep up with recent advances in protection, possessing a spiked head of lead coated in hard steel, placed atop and fused to a sturdy metallic pole, then decorated all over with recessed gold trim. Despite its name and appearance, it serves as a physical weapon only, albeit quite a strong weapon that is hard to protect against.
The Royal Shield - Yet another item commissioned by Sardiel, again to assist his own self-defense, this is a steel heater shield embossed with the Perinne family's coat of arms designed more to deflect blows than block them outright, largely because a deflected blow leaves the foe open to a counterattack. It contains a Lapis gem in the handle for the purposes of healing, though said gem rarely needs to be used thanks to the properties of The Royal Armour.
The Royal Swords - A pair of 80cm long steel arming swords, of comparatively simple design by the standards of much of Sardiel's other equipment. These possess a single metal Lapis each in the hilt, most often used by Sardiel to ensure the blades remain inconceivably sharp for the time even after solid blows, though they can in theory be reshaped as desired as a result of the stones' presence.
One of the most major uses of Lapi Sardiel has is that of a very rare sort which, upon activation through a somewhat complicated ritual, significantly slows the user's aging for an extended period of time. In fact, he has completely mastered this form of Lapis, and is vigilant in reapplying its effects when he feels they are close to running out, with the end result that he has not been seen to age at all within the lifespan of anybody currently in his court, and regardless is already nearly three times older than one would expect the natural lifespan of an elf to be, and coming close to twice the age of the next oldest known elf in history, thus granting his moniker as "eternal".
Sardiel is also an accomplished user of various other Lapi, thanks in part to the aforementioned excessive lifespan; most notably is his mastery of lightning Lapis, which he often utilises in combat when he is forced to engage a foe directly, and his mastery of nature Lapis, allowing him to create and grow plants from seemingly nothing, for both utility, such as spontaneous growth of fruiting trees, and combat support, such as vines to restrain a target or sharpened tree branches to stab or lash with. Indeed, by expending a significant portion of his stamina upon a particularly large chunk of nature Lapis, he can create a humanoid tree monster several meters tall, akin to a mindless ent or golem, to fight in his place, either as an automated monstrosity for distraction of the foe whilst he makes his escape, or as a creature directly controlled by his movements such that he can combine his own combat skill with the strength of such a large entity, though the thing does bear somewhat of a weakness to greater quantities of fire even given that it is not made up of dry wood. Other commonly-used Lapi include fire, water, earth, metal, and healing, though he has access to most types of Lapi which exist anyway thanks to his role as king, and none of those listed are specifically mastered in the manner of Sardiel's primary three Lapi.
As with any elf, Sardiel possesses two common ETs. The first is the enhancement of all his senses beyond standard human limits: he can see farther and in more detail at any given distance than nearly all humans, hear a greater range of sounds than any human with higher limits to volume before damage is sustained, detect much more subtle flavours and smells than most humans, and is far more tactile when it comes to pressure and temperature than the majority of humans. However, these are not the only senses humans and elves share, and Sardiel also possesses better senses of balance and acceleration, awareness of the relative positions of his body parts, both sensitivity to pain and threshold for pain before it overwhelms him, and various minor improvements to internal senses. Even his sense of time is better coordinated - where humans will gradually perceive any given time period as being shorter as they age thanks to the relative amount of time experienced by them, and indeed may perceive time as moving faster or slower based on excitement factors, elven minds experience time in a way that makes every hour of every day seem to progress at a constant rate regardless of their age, meaning they don't lose touch with beings of shorter lifespans as a result of essentially perceiving their aging the way a human might perceive that of a dog or cat.
The other ET common to elves is, effectively, an improvement to their overall agility. Thanks to a combination of more flexible joint structures, more specialised muscles, a faster metabolism encouraging a slender build with little body fat, and slightly greater bone plasticity, Sardiel is naturally capable of moving and bending in ways that specialised human contortionists would have trouble emulating. Combined with the enhancement of his senses, he is also far more dextrous than most humans, capable of performing delicate tasks such as crafting minute sculptures that humans might struggle to create. The exchange for this is comparatively lower strength than a human of similar build, though since he is a rather skilled warrior, his physique is not exactly weak to begin with.
Finally, though it is not confirmed to be an ET in itself, it is believed that the minor draconic heritage of the Perinne royal family, Sardiel included, has granted them a certain degree of additional stamina, making them proportionally more capable of engaging in prolonged and/or intense activity, as well as directly improving their spellcasting capability by giving them a greater energy pool to draw from when utilising Lapi.
Military tactics and strategy - Sardiel is an accomplished battlefield tactician and strategist, able to figure out the most advantageous locations for any given army to set up and the general movements the troops should take to maximise their effectiveness.
Political strategy - Sardiel is also a highly skilled political manipulator, as any royal ought to be, and is more than capable of figuring out what is best for his kingdom and how best to effectively implement any given decision, as well as various ways of appeasing the nobility of his court as and when it is needed.
Swordsmanship - Sardiel is a generally skilled swordfighter, up to and including the use of two blades; though dual wielding swords would be a foolish thing for most humans to attempt thanks to the complexity of such tasks, the more capable senses and agility that elves naturally possess allow Sardiel to engage in it as comfortably as he would with a single sword or a sword and shield, all further enhanced by how sharp he can make such weapons.
Magic and Lapis use - Naturally, Sardiel is also very accomplished in terms of magical ability; this is explained in more detail in the Abilities section.
One of Sardiel's primary motivations is his intense fear of death. He is a naturally rather paranoid individual as a result, and has taken many precautions to ensure that he will not die by any means, ranging from myriad bodyguards to protect him whilst he sleeps to several food testers of different races to generally remaining off the battlefield when he can and leading from behind when he must, even though he has trained extensively in the use of blade, bludgeon, and Lapis alike to further ensure he will remain alive as long as he possibly can. Whilst this does provide him with a great deal of motivation in all areas, not just those focused on his own lifespan, it also means he finds it very difficult to have complete faith and trust in anybody, with even his King's Guard not immune to suspicion if he believes a member of the royal court has reason to want him dead.
That being said, he is not as tyrannical or draconian as one might imagine, and in fact takes his role as Perinne's king quite seriously, utilising his natural drive, long years of experience and knowledge of how to rule, as well as those of his leading generals and King's Guard, to develop and implement solutions to problems in his court and kingdom as they present themselves; the main problem is that in doing so, he regularly focuses his efforts on projects of a grand scale that eclipse the individuals of the realm, which promise great long-term gain that many of the kingdom's shorter-lived inhabitants will not see for a substantial portion of their life, if they even live to see it at all. This is only exacerbated by his immense age even for an elf, and he often does not account for the customs or concerns of the common folk and peasantry as a result - after all, he's lived through two millenia of cultural change; what's another decade or two compared to that?
Sardiel was born a long while ago, to parents who had recently taken the throne; back then, the culture was noticeably different from how things are in the present day. Most notably, there was a significantly-reduced presence of elven nobles in the court of Perinne, as many such families had yet to achieve the success and wealth that centuries of experience helps to catalyse without strictly guaranteeing either. Many of those present at the time were instead human, and Sardiel soon noticed that the older humans in the court, servant and noble alike, would sometimes disappear permanently with no warning. Though his parents gave reasons for their vanishing during his childhood, such as "we removed them from their position for doing a bad job" and "they're taking an extended rest in the next country over", maturity brought with it an ever more unhealthy awareness of the concept of death, and the fact that even elves were not immune to their lives ending, a point hammered in quite roughly when Sardiel was unfortunate enough to have one of the eldest elves in court expire of heart failure right in front of him.
Naturally, this shaped much of his future mindset, most notably the permanent fear that he too would eventually die. He desperately did not want to die. What would happen if he died? Maybe his soul would be taken to an afterlife of grand scope and high adventure, as the religion of the time dictated... and then again, maybe he'd just be permanently incognizant, save if a necromancer drew his soul back into the realm of the living. Or worse, subjected to some impossible nightmare for no good reason, other than that he'd failed to survive beyond his time. For two hundred years, these ideas plagued him, leaving him despondent and insular day-in and day-out, and he even considered hiring a necromancer to resurrect him as some form of undead entity just to ensure he would not die of old age.
And then, one day, he had an inconceivable stroke of luck. Two decades or so ago, a minute stockpile of Lapis had been acquired within Perinne- no more than a few gemstones overall- and its effects tested in secret by a significant mage group at the time, and it had been discovered back then that upon the performance of certain rituals, this Lapis would do something or other. The "something or other" in question had recently been revealed as slowing the aging process, for several of the older users had yet to pass on, whilst the younger users seemed to be very similar in age to how they had been years before. Naturally, the mages of the guild saw this as a form of minor miracle; just as naturally, upon Sardiel's discovery of the substance, he demanded as soon as possible that the group give him one of those stones and the instructions for how to use it, though he offered a quite handsome sum of money in return. Since one does not refuse an order (or payment) from royalty without good cause, even as a guild of mages, they agreed to his terms, and granted him the stone and the information on how to use it.
His first anti-aging ritual was performed that very night, and paved the way for him to progress further into the realms of magic and Lapi use over the course of his life. With each ritual, his aging slowed more and more heavily, and he was ever vigilant about ensuring he performed these regularly. At three hundred, he appeared to be two hundred and sixty; at four hundred, upon the deaths of his dear parents and his coronation as king, he seemed merely two hundred and ninety; and at six hundred, after the birth of his third and final child, he looked to be no more than three hundred and ten. This pattern continued accordingly for hundreds more years, until Sardiel finally mastered the anti-aging Lapis completely, and his appearance ceased to advance from an apparent three hundred and thirty five years or so, even though by then he was more than a millennium old, his wife deceased and his eldest child approaching a quite elderly state.
So, too, had the people of the land begun questioning the state of affairs of royal progression: whilst many of the shorter-lived races were unaware of how unnaturally youthful Sardiel was, many longer-lived beings such as elves, and indeed plenty of nobles in a court that was by now already beginning to shift toward elven monopoly, were beginning to ask exactly when Sardiel would perish and pass his crown on to his children. As well, a lot of people were not necessarily content with his ruling style, his tendency to consider the long term gain over the short term loss, the many over the few, the kingdom's expansion over mere local customs and fears. And so, as both self-protection and assuaging of fears, Sardiel developed a plan to fake his own death.
The next day, King Sardiel rode off for a distant land, escorted by a small batallion of guards. Eight days later, the guards returned with a corpse, announcing that the king had unfortunately expired of some rare illness in that land, and that the throne would now belong to his eldest, or his eldest if he should expire before coronation.
The day after that, Sardiel returned to the castle in secret, undetected by anyone, and ensconced himself in the castle's inner sanctum. There, he handed a false crown to his (frankly surprised) eldest child to be declared king with, for though he might be king in name, Sardiel's continued semi-mortal existence meant he was naught but a figurehead. The power remained with his father alone, and if he and his descendants wanted to prove themselves loyal, they would comply with the true king's orders, and take this secret to their graves save for telling the truth to their own children. Some time later, it occurred to Sardiel that perhaps not all of the current "king"'s children would need to be informed, but by then all of his grandchildren and even some great-grandchildren knew. He supposed it wasn't entirely bad form; after all, he'd need informants to tell him the current state of affairs beyond and within the walls of the castle.
Another millennium or so passed. Sardiel's children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, passed into and out of life; Sardiel continued to live unaging in that time, his descendants bringing him food, drink, and interaction. After a time, one of them brought in a few servants to assist Sardiel's life and personal interaction; though he was furious at first, especially after learning about discussions early on of how similar each new king's ruling policy had been to Sardiel's own, evolving into a semi-myth about some vastly-powerful demon called "The Eternal King" who controlled each monarch of Perinne (which over time was growing into a full-blown empire spanning multiple countries) into doing its bidding, it transpired that none broke the secret of his continued existence to the world at large, and he eventually adapted to the change in circumstance, even managing to convince some of them to sneak Lapis stones of various sorts into the inner sanctum to let him continue practicing his magical abilities as needed.
Unfortunately, the scope of the cover-up eventually became too grand to hide. Sardiel still has no clue who revealed that he was still alive and ruling from the shadows to the court and world alike, be it one of his younger descendants or a newer servant who had yet to establish how extreme the consequences of their actions might be. However, it stood that the current "king" was the one to inform him of his rediscovered existence, and that in light of "the miraculous discovery about his ancestor's continued existence", as it was put to the court with no indication that he'd known about him beforehand, he had abdicated from the throne entirely in favour of his maniple-great-grandparent, who after all was "far more qualified to rule kindly and fairly thanks to their experience and wisdom".
Sardiel found it hard to be angry or scared about this turn of events, mostly because he was rushed into his "re-coronation" almost as soon as the prior "king" announced his abdication to Sardiel. It quickly became clear that opinions in the court (now very heavily populated by elves) were mixed about his return and/or hiding in the shadows - some saw it as the same miraculous discovery it had been pitched as, and others believed it might be good to have an experienced warrior in charge; some were relatively indifferent, whilst others still were enraged at apparently being lied to, either about his continued existence outright, or else that he'd possibly been pulling the strings for far longer than he had any right to in their eyes. Some even attributed the name of the non-existent demon that myths had been built about to Sardiel himself, in praise and in mockery alike. And of course, Sardiel knew full well that these sentiments would be emulated in the empire at large, with much more dire results than simple anger: civil war was surely on the horizon.
Quickly, he arranged his affairs to prepare for the inevitable. The smiths and enchanters were ordered to construct a new set of equipment- armour, shield, mace, and swords- for "the ruling monarch both present and future", though he fully intended this ruling monarch to be himself for the rest of time now that the truth was known, "and the family of the same". He hired individuals of a mildly unscrupulous nature to burrow through the court, up to and including the King's Guard, to determine who if any were disloyal to him, and purged from their positions of power and wealth anyone who it seemed was even slightly opposed to the crown, replacing them with others who he could be sure would not turn against him; once again, he sacrificed short-term gain for long-term benefit, as he knew this move would surely be seen as draconian in nature and accelerate the oncoming storm's arrival, though he believed it utterly necessary to ensure he would survive to see the storm pass.
And finally, funds were invested into the military: soldiers, knights, and generals were hired and trained as needed, combat equipment was produced at a rate unseen since the conflict against a neighboring empire three hundred years ago, military outposts were set up in the most important areas of Perinne's rule, and guard patrols became more frequent throughout the land of Perinne. All to help combat what by then was beginning to present itself as a rising movement, in the form of the so-called Glanz Empire, the start of a legacy that Sardiel was sure would prove to be a corrupt and rotten hulk throughout. Power, after all, is a force that corrupts many, indeed an end rather than a means; if he himself wasn't evidence of that, he didn't know what was.
He prays he will have the courage to relinquish the excess of power he has built up once the war is over. Moreso, he prays he will have the option to begin with.
This stands to reason, but despite his skill at arms and magic, Sardiel will rarely fight personally unless he has no other choice, in practically all other situations choosing to flee situations that threaten his life instead. Better, in his mind, to live a coward and return to redeem oneself than to die gloriously and prove to be a meaningless martyr, or worse to be imprisoned by an uncaring or even sadistic foe.
[hider=My Hider] ((This will be my first roleplay on the forum, so please bare with me c: ))
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Prince Faren Kaskti 'Guildmaster Kaskti'
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Gender: Male Age: 25 Race: Human
Equipment Nightmare Breastplate - A plate torso, given to Faren by his father, the plate is encrusted with Lapi capable of making the armor extremely light and flexible, making it almost as if it was made from cloth.
Kasktis Cloak - A white woolen cloak capable of wrapping around Farens' whole body, it was made from the wool off of Farens' first hunt.
Lapi Ring - A Lapi Ring worn on right hand middle finger, this is rumoured to be the source of Farens skills on the battlefield, it shines in any light
Banshees Blade - Farens' broadsword, encrusted with a single lapi at the hilt, allowing the sword to reduce its size and transfigure into a dagger for easier transportation and more stealthy attacks.
Abilities Lapis - Only three Lapis can be found on Faren, the one being on his ring, which is the main source of all of his skills on the battle field, ranging from his speed and his stealth, to his tactical viewing and response to whatever happens on the battlefield. This Lapi was given to him by his father, and he was taught how to harness its power. The second Lapi is found in the hilt of his blade, and transfigures the blade to a dagger at Farens will, this allows him to fight on two different fronts - in the shadows, or up front. The last is in the middle of his brestplate, covered by his cloak, this allows the plate breasplate to move as if it was cloth, and to have the flexibility of such.
As his father was a long time Lapi user, and with him being a human, he has a mutation of a third eye, covered by his hair at all times, his father had told him that when the time comes, that this eye would unleash what needs to be done in order to end the war once and for all.
Talents All seeing eye - Due to his third eye, he is able to view an image of the battlefield in his mind and plan accordingly
Stealth - With his thief like nature, he is skilled in blending into the darkness and able to get from one place to another without being able to see, allowing for ambushes and enemies to be attacked without warning.
Lapi - His father, once a skilled Magi, taught in in the ways of the Lapi, and he is able to control the Lapi he has to the best of his ability to get what he needs done.
Charismatic - He is able to talk his way out of any situation and is a brilliant speaker, convincing those who would think otherwise to do what he wants, and is able to get what he wants.
Personality With no fear comes a great reward, the ability to rush into the battlefield with no care or worry in the world, due to a harsh life, his emotions have become all but vacant, and he is able to do what he needs, no matter what it is. He cares about his people however, and will protect them at all costs, and, in order to avenge what he once lost, he will do whatever it takes to fight the war and end it, and he will live up to what his father had expected of him.
He has a generally trusting nature with those around him, those who belong to the guild have Farens full and complete trust, and he will do whatever he needs to ensure that trust stays. The guild is his family, the guild is his home.
Biography
As a child, Faren took a shine to his father research and helped him study the uses and the technicalities of the Lapi, he watcched as his father slowly learnt how to use it and the power that it brought along, watching his house go from a simple shack in the village yo a house in the city within a few years. He saw the power that the Lapi gave, and he watched his father strive to get it, no matter the cost.
Death struck his home village, and him and his father travelled back to the village, only to see all dead from a raid, guilt struck, his father vowed to himself to help those who needed it, and to make sure that this war would end. From then on, he watched his father become less and less outgoing, and stuck in his research room, learning the power of the Lapi, he couldnt do anything but observe the greed that his father had learnt, watched as his father wanted nothing but more and more power.
Lapi has a cost though, it takes a toll on a humans life when they dont have the energy to handle it, he saw his father age rapidly, and his energy deplete as he continued to use more and more powerful Lapi to get what he wanted done. He wouldn't stop at anything, not even death.
On his death bed, he was still reading and researching, hoping to find a way to end this war, a way to prolong his life, but, alas, hefore he was able to find what he needed, he passed away, not before telling Faren to continue his legacy and research the Lapi, but not to turn as corrupt as he did, and to find a way to end the war and avenge the village that he blamed himself for destroying.
From that day on, Faren swore that he would do what was necccesary to end this war and to gain enough power.
@comentor4 Welcome aboard. Your character seems okay, but you'll want to put a / in the second [center]. Like this; [/center]. That should fix the hider. You also didn't mention which side Faren was on, or why he is regarded as a prince.
I really ought to put a "Allegiance" Or "Side" indicator in the CS. Let me do that right now.
Hrm thinking of joining, either as a deformed Lapis user studying the effects of Lapis, or an armorbound mercenary mageknight who got dragged into the war and just wants it to end.
Are the deformities usually survivable? or would someone surviving being born with lapis deformities be unusual.
Orrr mayby I could play a once legendary healer, who cured a disease that threatened the kingdom, but people turned on him years ago for forms of healing they believed to be unnatural and the healer is now believed to be some kind of evil necromancer. But he still hasnt quite gotten the reanimate the dead thing down yet, Hes trying though.
Hrm thinking of joining, either as a deformed Lapis user studying the effects of Lapis, or an armorbound mercenary mageknight who got dragged into the war and just wants it to end.
Are the deformities usually survivable? or would someone surviving being born with lapis deformities be unusual.
Orrr mayby I could play a once legendary healer, who cured a disease that threatened the kingdom, but people turned on him years ago for forms of healing they believed to be unnatural and the healer is now believed to be some kind of evil necromancer. But he still hasnt quite gotten the reanimate the dead thing down yet, Hes trying though.
I would prefer no mercenaries, we've got spots to fill, after all, and we already have one merc. If he's adamant about the war ending first and foremost, might I suggest the thieves guild? As for the Lapi mutations, the deformities usually kill, but it's not entirely unheard of for one to survive.
I do like the healer idea a bit, but what do you mean like unnatural healing?
Redeeming Edge (Longsword) - Galan can lend his energy to his sword, covering the blade in a shimmering wave of electricity which will transfer itself to a target by touch, thereby electrocuting them. Whether this attack is fatal, depends entirely on the constitution of Galan's adversary. I.e, weaker opponents might be outright killed by it, where as stronger ones, such as other characters, might only be dazed by it. Galan can perhaps use this attack three or four times per combat, before exhausting himself.
Bulwark of Regret (Armour) - Before riding into combat, Galan will lend energy to his armour in what is an hour-long ritual. Once complete, the Lapi-imbued metal of his full plated armour becomes protected by an invisible barrier capable of warding off some magical and physical attacks, or reducing their effectiveness. How much damage or magical attacks his armour can sustain before the barrier fails is entirely dependant on how strong the attacks are. For example, a Wizard casting a lightning bolt at Galan would severely weaken or perhaps outright destroy the barrier; however, an arrow fired from distance by a lowly archer, would do little, and it would take a dozen more to break his barrier and make him vulnerable.
This Lapi ability is designed to keep Galan alive when he heads cavalry charges or fights in the front of any combat situation, as opposed to giving him some kind of "advantage" over other characters.
The Hulk of Fordsen (Shield) - The Hulk of Fordsen is an ancestral kite-shield that has long been held by the Fieflord of Fordsen, which in this case is Sir Galan. The shield, like his armour and sword, is imbued by shards of Lapi. By placing his shield in front of him, and lending his energy to it, Galan can cast an invisible wave of kinetic energy which will knock his opponent over or stumble them backwards if they are strong enough to withstand it. Think of it as an extra heavy shield bash. It has a range of about six feet, before the energy dissipates.
Talents
Expert Swordsman
Renowned Jouster
Expert Rider
Capable Commander
Personality, Biography and Other
Personality:
Sir Galan is a sober man of middling years, who appears bitter and jaded, and will often lament the years of his sullied youth. Typically, he is an honourable man, and the very personification of the ideals of chivalry, but his morals and ideals are flexible when the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Ever a sound advisor, he will always stress caution before action, and action before complacency.
Biography:
Sir Galan of Fordsen is of common stock, and his rise to the Kings Guard is nothing short of a fantastical story of which the whole realm is more than aware of.
Beginning life as a blacksmith's son, Galan was brought up in a world full of poverty, hunger and grief. His mother passed when he was only seven years old, much to his father's anguish, and his elder brother was murdered by a would-be-thief when he was barely a man.
Embittered by what he saw as a world full of misery and chaos, Galan spurned his father's love, and turned his back on the blacksmithing tradition of his family. Isolated and cut off from all those he once loved as a young boy, Galan found himself drawn to the ranks of the King's army, where he was able to take out his frustations on a world that had treated he and his family so unfairly.
An unruly soldier, Galan doused himself in several dishonourable acts. Rape and murder were his bread and butter to begin with, until he one day found himself dangling a mere babe from the ramparts of his Lord's castle. As the infant screamed and squirmed in his iron grip, something from the World Beyond touched him; it brought him instant realisation of his sins, of his guilt and his unforgivable deeds.
Galan's mind would have shattered there and then, and he'd of thrown himself from the ramparts instead, were it not for the timely intervention of a passing chaplain, who urged Galan to hand the infant over, and to repent for his misdeeds immediately.
Over the coming weeks, Galan transformed from a lowly foot soldier to an idealistic warrior of chivalrous intent. He immediately sacrificed his wages in aid of the poor, and of those he had wronged (who still lived, that is), and devoted himself to the Church.
Seeing a likewise sickness in his comrades - the same sickness that had driven him to commit such evil - Galan focused his energies on bettering the men he fought alongside, and in doing so, caught the attention of an aged Knight; a Sir Jalsir of Bhron, who became enamoured with the young soldier's story of redemption. Sir Jalsir took Galan under his wing, and tutored him as a squire for little under a decade.
By the time Sir Jalsir passed on from old age, sir Galan had become a knight in his own right, with both land and wealth to his name. He established himself as a competent commander and warrior in the King's various campaigns on the Kingdom's borders, and steadily rose through the ranks.
Now he is of the Kings Guard, and his name is flaunted by the loyalist cause for its reference to honour and redemption. Though despite his success, sir Galan finds himself increasingly polarised by a world and a Kingdom that is rapidly changing around him, and he struggles daily to conform himself to the belief that his part in the brewing civil war will bear any positive fruit.
Other:
Notable Information
Fieflord: Sir Galan of Fordsen
Population:
Humans - 527
Services Offered:
Blacksmithing
Horse Breeder/Stable
General Goods Market
Garrison Size:
67 Men-At-Arms (Based at the Castle)
21 Town Watch (Based in the town)
Places of Interest
The Missing Boot Tavern
Located down the central thoroughfare. A well kept thatch roofed structure with an adjoining stable. Inside, one will always find a roaring central hearth, a bar well stocked with the realm's ales and wine, and a kitchen that boasts some of the finer tasting meat pies in this area of the realm.
Fordsen Market
Lining the central thoroughfare of Fordsen, one will find several stalls selling various common goods. From foods and spices, to cloths and tools, an adventurer will find all they need here when it comes to the basics.
Fordsen Smith
The town's blacksmith can be located down the central thoroughfare, alongside the Missing Boot Tavern. Equipped with a simple forge, it is enough to service and create weapons made from common ores.
Fordsen Castle
Located on the hill at the rear of Fordsen, one will find Fordsen Castle. Currently the residence of Sir Galan, it is a simple and squat yet robust structure of stone and iron. Five turrets and strong ramparts form the structure's defences, and within, one will behold the generously sized banquet hall and living quarters. Though by no means an impregnable fortress, it has been three centuries since the Castle has fallen to a siege.
Owing to Sir Galan's love of horses, and of the cavalry charge, the Castle is well stocked with destriers. If one is in need of a horse, then they could perhaps seek out the Castellan and purchase one for a few gold coins.
People of Interest
Bulnar the Big
Bulnar is the landlord of the Missing Boot Tavern, as was his father before him, and his father's father before that.
He is named 'the Big' for a reason that is immediately obvious. Six feet tall, and seemingly six feet wide, everything about Bulnar's stature suggests that he is not designed to fit through normal sized doorways. Nevertheless, despite his somewhat gluttonous nature, Bulnar is known as a decent man who treats his customers fairly and with respect.
It is rumoured however, that he has connections with the Thieves Guild, which is something he is always eager to stamp out. The town watch have never acted on these suspicions however, possibly because Bulnar is beloved throughout Fordsen.
If you're looking for Bulnar, then head to the Missing Boot Tavern, and find the large bald man with several missing teeth behind the bar.
Lord Commander Kellan Stormwater
Castellan of Fordsen Castle, Lord Commander Kellan is Sir Galan's second in command, and is in charge of maintaining Fordsen's affairs in the Fieflord's absence. Best described as a handsome man, with thick brown hair and daring blue eyes, Kellan has a jubilant temperament and is known as an honest and just man.
As far as his combat prowess goes, then Kellan is a renowned swordsman and a skilled commander, and the men respect him for these abilities. Cross swords with him only if you are confident that this mere mortal cannot best you in a feat of arms.
This is a story about the three sides of a war that's been going on for almost a century. The current ruling family who were born into royalty, the Perinne family, the Glanz Empire, the almost corrupt rebels aiming to instate a new kingdom atop the old, or the Thieves Guild, a group of bandits turned good (well, mostly good.) They serve neither the King nor the Rebel Crown, instead aiming to end the war by any means necessary, even banditry and assassination of the King's own men.
@Kafka Komedy What do you mean by the Glanz Empire is almost corrupt? Why are they trying to overthrow the Perinne nobles?
@Kafka Komedy What do you mean by the Glanz Empire is almost corrupt? Why are they trying to overthrow the Perinne nobles?
Almost corrupt as in, there are quite a few bad apples in the ranks looking to cause destruction, looking for money, or simply not good people. Even then, the good people are very willing to do whatever it takes to instate a new Glanz aristocracy, murder, occultism, thievery, necromancy, all on the table. Still, their cause is noble, or at least started out as such.
The reason the rebellion started was for a few reasons, firstly the large amount of elven nobles, largely pushing other races out of the political system. Secondly, the King, who has been lying to his people for about 2000 years, and makes many decisions without thinking of the public's short term situation. There are probably a few other reasons one might personally join the rebellion as well, like a lack of money or a political voice.
@Kafka Komedy About one thousand years, actually. I think I'm going to set it up so that he faked his death after about 1200 years of life, and then ruled from behind the scenes until SOMEBODY leaked the truth about him, at which point he took power again and everyone went mad for some reason or another. I mean GAWD, it's not like he murdered millions of people personally or anything. So rude of them. Anyway, I'll try and finish off Sardiel's biography today, and apologise if I do not.
EDIT: Right, Sardiel's finally complete. Take a look, see if he's any good, etcetera. To everyone else, I might propose you take a look at the latter part of Sardiel's biography, as some people could implement some aspects of that into their own characters.
EDIT: Right, Sardiel's finally complete. Take a look, see if he's any good, etcetera. To everyone else, I might propose you take a look at the latter part of Sardiel's biography, as some people could implement some aspects of that into their own characters.
@Kafka Komedy Right, then. Guess it's time to post him in the Characters tab, with your permission, because I'm not sure if you're doing anything particular like putting up links to the OOC character profiles in Characters yourself or something. I figure @Footman could probably do the same, again under your say-so.
By Unnatural healing I mean prolonging his own life. As for the mercenary Idea, I was thinking more a Merchant guard than a soldier for hire. Not in it for the money but prefers to get payed.
By Unnatural healing I mean prolonging his own life. As for the mercenary Idea, I was thinking more a Merchant guard than a soldier for hire. Not in it for the money but prefers to get payed.
Ah. In that case, go for either of the ideas, though prolonging his own life isnt super taboo.
Gender: Male Age: 42 Race: Human Allegiance: Glanz Empire (maybe)
Equipment
Armor of Penance: Prison and protection in equal measures. The Armor of Penance is permanently locked onto Rogor One-Eye's body, trapping him in the uncomfortable plate mail. The only Lapi within the armor is used to keep Rogor alive, taking away his need to eat, drink, and sleep but keeping the want of all gnawing at the back of his mind.
Sword of Thorns: Clashing with his otherwise crude appearance, the Sword of Thorns is the work of a master swordsmith. The blade has a single Lapi in its crossguard and once charged allows the blade to cleave through objects much easier, unless it's protected by another Lapis. Wounds with this blade seem to bleed heavier than they should.
Shield of House Rose: A trophy, taken from a now long dead noble house. The shield is a heater in design and bears the crest of the house. A dragon tangled in rose vines. Only used as a last resort, the magic within the shield allow it to launch many ethereal barbed chains which entangle Rogor's foes. This chains sap the strength out those they entangle, making them easier targets.
Abilities
Besides the Lapi imbued within his gear, Rogor does not like to use lapi and in a duel he forgoes their use entirely.
A mutation from birth, Rogor's remaining eye glows with an inner power. This "Evil Eye" has no outwardly magical effects but is nonetheless intimidating to those of weaker stock.
Talents
Master Swordsman
Bodyguard
Cavalry Combat
Archery
Personality: A quiet man with a dry humor. Rogor is a strange combination of knight errant and mercenary, traveling the lands and offering his skills to any who can forge a contract. Any scruples he has seems to be tied with battle, a brawl is fought to win by any means necessary. A duel is fought man to man, steel to steel, and with no Lapi. Children seem to be the only ones exempt from things he's willing to kill, leaving those with guardians and taking Orphans with him, caring for them until the contract runs up and he takes the child away to Gods knows where.
Biography:
Other: Rogor's contract is his bond, however he leaves much wriggle room for loophole abuse should he find his employer...unsatisfactory.
The Orphanage, for lack of a better term, is hidden inside of an old ruin of a keep, forgotten by the world at large. Whenever Rogor takes an orphan it is here that they are placed, where they are given warm food, safety, and a trade. When the children become of age they are released from the Orphanage's care and allowed to forge their own paths. Every now and again they return and give a share of their profits, out of gratitude most likely for they are under no obligation to do so.
Population: 20-30 at any given time, the races fluctuate.
People of Note:
A human raised elf, Lilith is the resident teacher for rogues, thieves, and assassins among the children. Aloof and admittedly distant, she nonetheless cares deeply for her charges and teaches them as well as she can in the ways of the shadows. She's the closest thing to a mother figure many of these children have.
A minotaur of the more civilized stock, Brogan teaches the children the art of battle. Under him the children grow strong and capable, forging bonds with their fellows as they fight and bleed together. Brogan has a certain fondness for poetry and this usually spills out into his pupils, many of them growing up to become warrior poets or a certain competence.
A mystery even to his friends, Adewale teaches the children to use Lapis. The power of Lapis is a responibility and Adewale teaches the children that it is their duty to not abuse the power that they have been given. In addition, Adewale helps the children with the trappings of tragedy and trauma for being an orphan is never easy. Finally, Adewale teaches the children how to read, write, and basic arithmetic if they do not already.
An old friend of Rogor's, Thurin is a dwarf long into his years and keeps the ruin from crumbling apart. In additon to this he teaches the children who aren't battle inclined, they would become engineers, smiths, and cooks of great renown should they dine to leave. However his pupils tend to stay, preferring the peace of the mountain one guesses. It is Thurin's last goal to return the ruins back to it's original glory, a goal shared by all of his pupils.
Gender: ... Questionable. Age: Also questionable. Race: Well, s/he looks human. About as good as it gets. Allegiance: Thieves Guild; Bandit Prince/Princess.
Equipment - 2x Rapiers, both with a sapphire lapi within the hilt. The shorter of the two seems to be more of a heavy hitter, whereas the longer blade is lightweight and much better at light attacks. - Mystery Mask: A mask imbued with mystery! Seriously, the lapi which powers this mask makes the wearer practically anonymous! If their body is covered in the right places, then even age and gender become difficult to pinpoint. It does so by creating a sort of "crowd illusion" about the person, making details of their features less easy to pick out. This makes it so that even in one-on-one conversations between Adisson and another person in close proximity, people will find it difficult to see whom Adisson really is. - Simple cloth and leather outfit (like the one in the image, except without the chest showing). - Lapi Necklace of Shadow: For when things require a little less class and a bit more sneak, Adisson has this neat little trinket. Although perfectly capable on their own, this fancy necklace helps footsteps echo less, and make their presence appear darker when in darkness. It works more like a hallucination lapi than something which makes her look more like shadow, affecting others sight and making Adisson blend in more with the surroundings when around dark places, kind of like a gecko. However, the necklace needs to be in the viewer's sight (not necessarily direct) to be effective.
Abilities Adisson has no connection to magical abilities or lapi outside of her equipment.
Talents - Charming, Charismatic, And Clever, Adisson is even better at getting what's needed through words than thieving. Always the classy type, Adisson takes on the persona of the elegant Casanova, capable of sweeping men and women alike off their feet. Through patience, kindness and skill, the Masquerade Thief can often pull off what many great speakers and thieves cannot, and has done so in the past more than a few times before... - Quiet As Nothing; Nothing Left Quiet is the motto said, due to their tendency to be an exceptional thief! Goods are stolen without a sound, and it's always made clear when Adisson has stolen from someone by a small piece of paper with a humming bird logo, the word "Adieu" written rather fancily. In a nutshell, Adisson is a damn good thief, and knows it! - Fencing Skill: In case things get a little too rough for running, Adisson has two rapiers, and is capable of wielding both. Both blades can be used offensively and defensively, however each blade serves a different purpose, and makes the custom fencing style rather unique and difficult to decipher. Adisson tries not to kill when possible, but isn't afraid to end a life if needed. - Perceptive would be an understatement. Adisson has a habit of understanding, seeing or hearing things to a high degree. Be it in combat or casual conversation, Adisson is especially perceptive, but far from all-knowing.
Personality: Adisson is the definition of class. A weird mix between chivalrous and informal, the Masquerade Thief has sweet talked more than their fair share of guards, merchants and even fellow thieves! Good with their compliments, and even better with vocabulary, Adisson makes every conversation as though "I'm trying to be your best friend~!". Mysterious, witty, and strong, all three qualities help define Adisson as a person, as well as a refined level of calm one can only get from years of practice. Who would expect any less from the Bandit Thief of the Thieves Guild?
Biography: Adisson has never spoken to anyone about his past, at least not specifically. She grew up in an ordinary but bustling town, with references to nobility and a great education. He then goes on to talk about her depression into the darker side of life after an unnamed traumatic incident, and how he will forever wear the mask which covers her face. The details beyond that are rather misleading, and Adisson never tells the remainder of his history regarding herself the same way.
For example, on of his most iconic stories is that involving her going from riches to rags, then back to riches. After losing everything in what he can only assume was assassin thieves, Adisson's family was killed before her very eyes, and he was forced to escape into the night. She managed to survive for so long thanks to the kindness of the bustling townspeople, and so decided to become the kind of thief who would steal from the rich and give it to the poor, starting from the bottom and working his way up to the top. Her goal is to find those who took his family away from her and make them pay, preferably in a noble way, for the sake of irony.
Another such story is that Adisson was always a thief. He was raised to be the noble daughter of an esteemed household by day, though by night his family would uptake the identity of thieves, and steal from fellow nobles. Not only that, but by day Adisson and her family would steal with their tongues what they couldn't with their hands, robbing the noblemen and women blind. However one day, there was a bust. Her house was raided by guards, and he was forced to escape, losing it all to the guards of his hometown. Her family went into hiding, and eventually went their separate ways, though remain in touch through letters, secretly delivered to the Masquerade Thief with details regarding upcoming heists...
Whichever story you hear, you can never really be certain of Adisson's history. At least for now, that is...
Other:
Yes, the use of she and he were done on purpose in the biography, and I feel like I'll probably do that for the roleplay, since writing without using "she" or "he" is very difficult. XD
@Pathfinder@Delta44 Two new characters? And one of them's the Bandit Leader? It must be my lucky day! So far, One Eye is looking good, though for Addison I would like a bit more info in the backstory. Also, very clever to incorporate the slash in Prince/Princess!
