The Alfaer is a predatory creature, known to stalk the areas where many have died and scavenge for meals from the corpses. They are normally are seen in groups of three or more, often lead by a sort of Alpha standing at close to eight feet tall and the usual Alfaer standing at six feet. An Alfaer is not dangerous solely because of the groups it travels in, rather they are dangerous because they are a form of undead and require removal of the heart and head to kill them. This is not an easy task as their long arms ending with sharp, bony fingers easily keep soldiers away and Journeymen far from its reach. They have an inherent fear of fire but are easily enraged and encouraged should the fire go out.
The Draer were once Humans, Elves, or Dwarves yet they have lost the peaceful sleep which their soul so yearned for. A Draer is created when a grave is disturbed or a body is not given proper burial, when the spirit of a dead seeks to rise again until it is given a proper sending to the other realm. Many catacombs created during the minor wars between the Vassals of Gaelia and Haedrion are crawling with Draer, their unrest ever growing as the people above them disrespect their hallowed ground. Draer are not hard to kill due to their skeletal nature but will rise again if not buried soon after.
Some warriors refuse to die, refuse to stay still in their graves while nothing above them changes because of their deaths. Those warriors struggle for their souls to return to their bodies and, should they win the struggle, they are reborn as Revenants. A Revenant is not a peaceful spirit even if the goal of the soul was originally to help the world, no they are cursed for having returned to this world without the will of the Gods. Forever are Revenants forced to fight those they come across, whether they were friend or foe matters not. They are hard to kill, the only way of doing so to destroy the corpse completely. Revenants tend to gather in ancient burial tombs, waiting for an adventure to happen upon them and set them free upon the world.
The Reaver, an abomination twisted by magic and nature alike to become a horror stalking its prey from the shadows of the woods. Its form is similar to that of a goat it legs bent and ending with hooves. Its skin is a charcoal black and eyes a horrid yellow. But the true horror isn’t how it looks rather the claws on its hands and the utter silence with which it approaches its prey, waiting to tear them apart. Reavers are solitary creatures, attacking another Reaver on sight should it enter its lands. Journeymen are to be wary of dealing with Reavers alone as the creature will attack and run, leaving no trace nor trail to follow should it fail to kill its target.
Braugh are common creatures to find in rural Gaelia, ugly fuckers that happen to be heavily territorial and will attack anything, no matter the size nor strength. They fear nothing and don’t flinch even against a fireball hitting right in their mugs, seeming to shrug of the bite of a sword with ease as it slams its horns into its prey. Once the prey has been knocked down, a Braugh will beat the target into a pulp with its large arms. A full party of Journeymen is often required to take down a single Braugh, few are rare to ever encounter a mating pair and even fewer survive if they do. Be wary when travelling through the forests for one never knows when you might cross a Braugh.
A legendary creature said to be made of stone and their nocturnal nature, the Gargoyle is far from a beast one wants to fight alone. Its skin is thick and rock like, taking several good swings of the sword to finally maim the creature, though that is if one is able to stop it from flying. The Gargoyle’s true strength is in its ability to maintain flight for a short period of time, though they also rely on sheer numbers to win in some cases. Most Gargoyles are found in groups of fives, loners normally being outcasts or runts. It is strongly suggest that a Journeyman crew works well together lest the Gargoyles get a better of all of them.
Mer use to be mostly harmless creatures, solely being a nuisance to fishers who wander into their territory and attacking them for it. They are usually found along bodies of water and love cliffs and caves on the edge of the Broken Sea and Southern Haedrion. Journeymen are told to be wary of Mer for not only do they come in numbers of twenty or more but some also possess a paralytic venom in their claws. They are also best led onto land to fight for they are masters at swimming and can breathe underwater due to their fish-like nature.
Kesolos are perhaps one of the rarest Beasts out there, hardly ever being seen by any and never having been aggressive towards others. Rather, a Kesolos is a peaceful beast or at least was until some change in recent years seems to have made them prone to violence.Their size has made it hard for Journeymen, even a full team, to deal with them as they stand near eighteen feet tall and weigh over five hundred pounds. Being hit by a Kesolos is devastating for it has a kick which can dent even the best steel humans can make, not to mention the claws on its hands which can rend flesh and part gambesons.
Harpies are cruel and brutal creatures, sometimes seen circling overhead battlefields and waiting for the right moment to snatch a piece from a dead or dying man. They are naught but scavengers and make nests wherever they so please, reacting violently to any person set up near them even if a village was there before. They are a nuisance due to their ability to fly and their sharp claws but they are frail, a good sword swing easily taking them out if one connects. They come in numbers of at least six and often harass those who are near their nest by dropping rocks on them, sometimes being so bold as to plainly attack them. They are easy to deal with but can also easily hold up Journeymen as they struggle to land a hit on them.
None like the small spiders which crawl out from nowhere to scare them, fewer like the Giant Spiders which are known to take home in abandoned mines, caves, and deep forests. While Giant Spiders aren’t inherently a problem for most people, due to their nature to hide away and never interact with people, they are a problem for the surrounding wildlife as they consume an inordinate amount of food every day. They are easy to kill and afraid of fire, making them nothing more than minor work for any skilled Journeyman. They are generally found in mating pairs, often with small hatchlings or eggs nearby.
Beautiful and pure though she may seem, one should be wary of the lone woman who wanders the woods for they are perhaps the most dangerous of beasts, the Wraith. Those women who die an unjust death at the hands of a man or have committed suicide due to a scorned lover are perpetually cursed to wander Erith, never finding peace. They are dangerous to even the most skilled Journeymen, requiring magic, an enchanted weapon, or a silver sword to harm lest the blade simply fly through its body. One could say that their most valuable weapon is their charm, a near irresistible aura with draws in men and women alike so that they may harvest their souls.
The Haunt, a spectre far stronger than a Wraith yet rarely ever seen. Haunts are truly malicious spirits, looking not only to harm someone but to possibly kill them if allowed to go about their business. Most Haunts take form when a being who was malicious or committed murder dies, their soul refusing to leave Erith and instead choosing to haunt people till they die. Fighting a haunt is just as difficult as fighting a wraith, their incorporeal form making physical combat far from useful. The exception Haunts have to Wraiths is the ability to possess those who are unable to resist them.
Legends say that there use to be a people on Erith who could perform feats of magic which not even the oldest Elf could, beings which had been there long before the other races. Then again, the Legends also say that mixing bellwort and river water makes a pleasant spell. The only possible proof of truth behind the legend is The Old Crone, a mystic woman who is said to live deep in the woods, though the fact that she seems to appear in almost any forest seems to mean that she has power that not even the mages do. She is not harmful, rather her goal is to help those who are kind to her and offer them a stay in her cottage when they need it. But if one is rude to her, they may meet a bloody fate at the end of her hands never to be seen again.
The Banshee is a creature known well on Erith, one who stalks the woods late at night and waits to find someone foolish enough to be out at that time. The Banshee’s shriek can be heard for miles, a notification of the death of a person foolish enough to cross its path. But the shriek has a second effect, the magical ability to inflict fear in anybody who hears it. Like all Spirits, the Banshee requires a silver sword or magical means to fight it effectively for its body is incorporeal. Unlike most other Spirits, a Banshee does have a physical form that will appear when it has chosen a target, only maintaining it for a few seconds at a time as it attacks.
The Leshen, a creature that is neither wholly man nor beast but simply a vengeful being whose sole goal is to rid its territory of intruders. Most Leshen are peaceful, simply tending to their land and wishing to be left alone, turning violent only when people enter unannounced. Those who wish to enter a leshen’s lands must leave an offering to them lest it decides to strike them down. Even Journeymen find it difficult to fight an enraged Leshen, requiring almost every trick up their sleeves in order to survive with minor wounds. One must be prepared for a hard battle if a Leshen is involved in a contract.
Trolls are big and stupid brutes, some barely capable of talking and only knowing how to do so after years of mimicking the people who pass through their lands. Trolls aren’t always violent but are territorial and will watch anybody entering their land from a distance, waiting to see what they do. If someone does something they believe to be hostile towards them or their home, a Troll will attack. Trolls are hard to put down, their skin thick and stone like or covered in moss and discarded armor from its previous victims. Not only that but there are generally at least another two more trolls to follow if one is attacked.
The Werewolf, a poor cursed beast which was once a Human or Elf, bitten by a cursed wolf or having had the curse forced upon them by a vengeful spirit. A Werewolf’s life is one of horror and pity, every full moon their form shifting into that of the hybrid beast and killing indiscriminately, trying to satiate a hunger which can never be fulfilled. They remember all those who they kill, the faces they make as they die to tooth and claw. Any Journeyman would have a difficult time fighting a Werewolf alone, the ferocity of their attacks and sheer advantage at night making it ever more difficult to fight. Beyond that, some Werwolves form packs of six or more with an Alpha connecting them all together, a bit brute of a wolf many times bigger than should be naturally possible.
Boggards are common creatures, mostly beings of mischief which have rarely been more than a minor nuisance to rural Villages and those built along small forests. Rarely has a Boggard ever been a violent problem that the Order has ever had to deal with, only recently increasing to such a point in the previous years with surprise attacks on caravans and villages. They seem to have learned how to make crude weapons, often made from the bone or antlers of a deer they’ve killed, in order to inflict more damage on people. They are easy to kill due to their frail nature but can win purely by numbers, most parties of Boggards being at least twenty in size.
Whatever man or God which created the Griffin truly must have been mad, to create such an amalgamation of creatures one could only be mad. Its body seems to be that of lion though hairless with leather like skin, its wings that of a bat, and its head sporting the hood of a snake. It truly is a rare creature and one that is harder to fight than near any other, its size being larger than a Kesolos by four feet and both sets of its legs sporting claws capable of tearing through steel. It can only glide for short periods of time, its body too heavy to support true flight, yet gliding is just enough to allow it to pounce on someone and rend them limb from limb. Be wary for if a Griffin is near, it may surely mean death.
Arthur is twenty six years old, the peak of his life.
Race:
Despite his rumored blue blood as a nobleman, Arthur is Human.
Appearance:
Arthur stands at a respectable 6'1, with a muscular build one would expect of a warrior of his ilk. He's a fairly large guy, but he keeps a lean slender-esque build, so he's hardly the biggest soldier in a company. His features are well defined, yet regal and exquisite, he's a good looking man, as is expected from a man of his status. His skin is free from the normal blemishes of the working class, his face is a light bronze hue from the hours in the sun - a much cleaner and paler look than the peasants or common folk of the land.
Well groomed and well thought out facial hair sculpted by the best barber in the city. His hair is always cut by that very same barber, as opposed to being thorn from working. Arthur normally wears expensive clothing made out of the finest fabrics, silk and the like. His tunics are always well washed, unless they've recently gotten stained. His leggings often carry some sort of hardened leather pieces to them, and he always wears a leather jacket with reinforced patches on his arms, chest and back. On his right shoulder is a leather shoulder pad with his family crest - The Diamond Lion. Boots matching the leggings and jacket are always to match. On his waist hangs his sword sheath. A dagger is safely secured on the other side of his waist, and a smaller dagger is hidden in his boot.
His armor he wears while out for war is modest if not for the special engravings in the trim of the armor, it looks really nothing special from the average knight's. A full set of plate with a chainmail base and leather accents, a tabard with no direct markings on, as to not draw attention. It's not the heaviest of armors, and as such provides poor protection against arrows or spears, but it does allow him to move fast enough to handle himself in more than a few sword fights.
Personality:
Arthur is a well spoken and well educated man. It shows in the words he chooses to speak - well, on occasion. It's not true to say that Arthur tends to piss people off, but if a gentleman would accuse Arthur of having pissed him off, few would find that hard to believe. A Nobleman, a knight by trade and a prince by birth, Arthur's not always the paragon people would expect. He's a lover at heart, and a enormous flirt, his favorite saying is 'I've yet to find a woman I've not fallen in love with'. Which largely holds true, his wish for romance has no borders, it does not care for status in the society, current romantic situation, professions, country or even race. This affinity for love gets him into trouble more often than not, combined with the rebellious air around him, he's often one to get into spats with his fellow knights, noblemen or into an old fashioner tavern brawl. Unlike his brothers and his father, Arthur spends a fair amount of time with the common folk - he earned his nickname ' The Golden Prince' by buying enough rounds at the various taverns, and is as such generally in high standing with the peasants of the kingdoms in his father's domain. Well, as well standing as royalty can have. Due to his dipping his toe in the gutter, he's got a lot of street smart, and is more than likely prone to make morally questionable choices, not always in the pursuit of love, sometimes only for a laugh. For a royalty, he does care awfully much about the common man, and a early fascination with the Journeymen and their Order have always made him aspire to be something of a hero. Often to his detriment.
Backstory:
Born to possibly the least humble beginings imaginable, Arthur is the third son of Queen Mavi and King Erik Stoltson, the current regent of the Gaelia. His older brothers are Robin, the Crown Prince, and the middle child, Jakob. Arthur grew up well, a safe home far from the conflicts of the common man, pandered to at every turn and every desire he ever had served to him. But, this was not the destiny Arthur sought to carve for himself. The young prince demanded to be treated just like his brothers - not to be pampered, but spurred to become a warrior, A knight, in fact, and a damn good one at that.
This was an attitude he held from early childhood, he was imitating his brothers and their sword practicing as soon as he had learned to walk, and once it was his turn to pick up the blade and be called Apprentice to the wide array of master warriors whom frequented his father's courts. His greatest teacher is his namesake, his father's best friend, and his mother's brother, Sir Arthur Goldwin. Goldwin trained Arthur from he was five years old, putting him through various trials and tests before he was allowed to pick up a blade. He was 14 when he was dubbed Jakob's squire, Jakob had become a Knight a few years prior, having been Robin's squire in turn. Arthur spent equal time with Jakob, being at his side, observing him, helping him when he could.
Notably, their incident at the Prydwen Inn in the outer parts of the Gaelia realm, where they ran into the Red Scorpion Bandit gang, where Arthur earned his first battle scar, and Jakob got to test his mettle is still whispered about in the small village of Prydwen.
Once he got into the back end of his teenage years, his training was coming to it's end, earlier than his brothers had, speaking to Arthur's natural talent as a fighter, albeit he lacked the charisma and constitution of his brothers, skipping training to go hang out with other people his age, people from the common folk. This continued well into his Adult years, more likely to be seen in one of the many Pubs of the Gaelia Capital than he was attending his father's court.
He was 24 when he was knighted, beating out Jakob by two years, and Robin by one. He was given his own estate in any place of his choosing, so he decided he would make his own home one where he had truly found his start - in Prydwen. Thus, Arthur became known as Arthur Of Prydwen, The Golden Prince as he brought reform and prosperity with him to the small village. The village's location on the borders to the smaller nation of Redoria also helped Arthur's personal relationship with the court of Redoria, while worsening his already troubled relation wtih his own court, specifically the son of one of the under kings of Gaelia, The Rollfs Court, a proud court and the Patriarch of the Rollfs court, Udyn, was often criticizing Arthur's father and his way of ruling the nation of Gaelia.
The nation of Redoria was caught in a skirmish with the Gregorian Nation, one of the smaller independent nations within Gaelia's realm, one backed by the house of Rollf. Redoria's Queen, Jachie, reached out to Arthur and begged the prince to lend his aid, to call for his father's army and smite the Gregorian's forces. Arthur asked his father for his aid, but Udyn and his son, Maxwell, Arthur's rival growing up, quickly prompted his father not not lend the Redorian army their aid. An all out war, and Gaelia picking sides would look poorly and threaten the delicate balance of the nation.
Arthur was left on his own. So, instead of being the good son, he did not listen to his father's court, but took action on his own. His Garrison of 100 or so men strong rode across the border the lend the queen their aid. With promises of it being the finest men in all of Gaelia - while in reality they were mostly just farmers Arthur had spent a couple of weeks instructing on martial art. (In all fairness, a lot of armies are educated a lot worse.) Or bandits whom had quit their thieving way once Arthur had put his shining blade to their throat.
The Battle of The Eclipse, as the battle took place on the day of a solar eclipse, ended bloody. Arthur's garrison was in shatters, Redoria's army likewise, but the Gregorians were beaten back and their grasp around Queen Jachie's neck was lifted.
Once the news of this display of utter disrespect for the Court, spearheaded by the prince himself spread across the land, his father was put in quite the tight spot. Jakob explained away his brother's irrationality, to try and appease the court. Arthur was but a young knight, not yet aware of the difficulties of the real world. Robin on the other hand, was not so lenient on his brother, Udyn and Maxwell pressured King Erik to take action.
So Erik did, he revoked Arthur's right to the Prydwyn estate, instead putting the estate under the control of Maxwell, to repay the Rollf house for their losses caused by his son's impulsiveness.
Arthur spent the next couple of years pissing people in the court off, hanging about the capital - taking any war effort he could find to bloody his blade. And drinking and fucking his time away. Well, that is, till it came to his knowledge that Maxwell had burned down much of the town of Prydwyn. The people had been unable to pay his insanely high tax, and therefor, he had burned down their homes to teach them a lesson.
Arthur could not let this stand, and began undercutting Maxwell and his father at every turn he could. Udyn was going to rue the day he ever crossed Arthur Stoltson. He challenged Maxwell to a Knight's Challenge for the estate of Prydwyn - the estate was basically worthless after the arson, but it was a matter of pride and honor for the two young Knights. Maxwell accepted Arthur's challenge and a Torney spectacle took place in the capital, where Arthur beat down Maxwell without pause. Maxwell was a man who only knew politics, who was truly only a knight in name, wore his armor for show and his sword was little more than a prop to spread his influence. Arthur was a real warrior, one who had bled for his beliefs, taken many lives in the name of saving more.
The duel concluded with Arthur being the victor, and winning the estate, the first step towards regaining his honor came with the humiliation of Maxwell. His father, however, was a hardened warrior. One who had fought side by side with Erik and Goldwin. But Udyn was not above underhanded tactics, and one Arthur was back in Prydwyn, bandit attacks were more and more common, the village being raided time and time again, making it all but impossible for the Prince to rebuild his home. Realizing the Rollf House was at the source of his grief, he began working on a plan to root them out, one that would land him in far deeper trouble than he had ever been before.
Magic:
The Royal Rune; Everything in the capital has a lock - the treasury, the warroom, the personal quarters of the King. And this rune on his forearm is the key.
Shield of Goran; A Runespell passed down from his great ancestor St.Goran the Dragonslayer. The rune was supposedly what Goran used to protect himself from the fires of the Dragons. A Light and Air rune, it creates a directional shield around the user. Arthur's rune is placed on his shoulder and is capable of parrying otherwise fatal hits while draining his stamina in the process. More elegant uses are going in for an attack on a foe whom is also attacking, and using the shield to deflect the incoming blow while carrying on with his own.
Skills:
Swordsmanship; First and foremost, Arthur is a man of the blade. He's been fighting with a weapon since as long as he's been big enough to old one. Few can bring Arthur pause when it comes to matching steel, even fewer whom he does not share blood with. His swift but deadly skills are hard to match, much thanks to the great masters he have had, being a squire to his oldest brother, he honed the art of war alongside the other princes. Arthur's style relies on grace matched equally with power. Precision and ferocity, a man who can cut an inch deep with a bastard sword - or cut off your arm with a buttering knife. He favors longswords for their equal matching power to speed, as they are most fitting for his style. While he is most versed in blades, he is no stranger to blunts. Maces, hammers or flails are all weapons he's trained in using - while far from as skilled as with his knife.
Martial Arts; As previously mentioned, Arthur is well versed in the art of war, both as a combatant and as a commander. While he never was given as large commands as his brothers - never one to lead entire armies, he's got a lot of technical knowledge, he was trained the same way his siblings were, but has yet to fully put them to use.
Hunting Arthur's a decent hunter. He knows the basics of tracking animals, he's a OK shot with a bow. Hardly fit for using it in combat, though. But, in a pinch he's able to hit a deer, or even a bird.
Equipment:
The Dandelion Blade; A sword created by the masterswordsmith Airon Bronzebeard, the royal Blacksmith of the Garneic Court. The Dandelion Blade is the fourth sword Airon created for the Stoltson family, the first being for his father, the other two for his older brothers once they had passed their time as squires and had become knights. The Dandelion Blade is a typical longsword, with the imprint of a Dandelion just above the hilt - a flower that Arthur picked as a young man, during his first battle he was hit in the head by a mace. Thankfully, his helmet protected him. He was almost knocked out cold. And the only thing he remember seeing on the ground was the trampled dandelions.
He survived that battle, earned a scar for it and plenty of experience. Besides the marking feature of the dandelion, the blade has a very regal look to it, a well crafted hilt, a the finest grip one could want so the blade never leaves Arthur's hand, and armed with the Royal Key Rune, to avoid the weapon being stolen.
The Armor Of St.Goran The armor of Saint Goran the Dragonslayer of many generations past. While only the helm is technically that of Goran, the rest of the armor has been reconstructed to match what the Dragonslayer's armor had looked like. Some alterations have been made at the request of the prince.
Renegade His chestnut colored stead. Renegade is one of the finest horses in the land, while not the fastest, the horse has incredible stamina and a fiery personality. Renegade carries the brunt of Arthur's goods, such as his spear, claymore, shield and hunting bow. And of course necessities such as bedroll and a pot to cook water in. Renegade's saddle and saddlebags are affected by the Royal Rune, and as such are as secure as the vaults of the royal palace.
Misc:
King Erik Stoltson The Brave, Monarch of Gaelia. Son of Stolt and Emilia, Erik became king at the feeble age of 14, the country in a war and for the most part everything was going to hell in a handbasket. Erik's the reason the hold has kept The Order and their Journeymen around, using their services to keep the streets somewhat clean and purge the lands of monsters. Erik himself trained under a Journeyman master, and is as such very much so a believer in the Order, which is not very common these days. Erik is 59 years old today and as healthy as ever.
Queen Mavi, Daugher Of Borst The Great, Wife Of Erik The Brave and Mother Of The Three Princes. Queen Mavi is a Arcane Magician, who's arcane skills are held back by her duties in the court. Her Father was a very influential lord, whom had set his sights on Mavi marrying into one of the smaller Kingdoms, so his bloodline could one day rule them. But Mavi and Erik fell in love young, soon after Erik had become king. Mavi is 55 years old, but looks not a day over 40.
Sir Artheim Goldwin Of The Pale Forest, Son Of Borst The Great, Former Commander Of The Golden Eagles Art's a halfling, the result of Borst's affair with an elfwoman that caused much controversy five decades ago. Not that it was unusual for noblemen to have halfbreeds, but it was unheard of for one to take responsibility and name one their ward. Artheim is a longtime friend, confidante and advisor to King Erik, and is much of the reason for the union between Mavi and Erik, much to his father's chagrin. He's a honorable knight, and an excellent swordsman having been one of Arthur's many instructors. He's currently retired after a life in the intelligence business, residing in his estate in the Pale Forest, a forest where the trees are all as white as frost and the snow falls for most of the year, having made it a safe haven for Elves.
Sir Robin Lucas Stolston Of Cortnico, Crown Prince Of Gaelia, General Of the Royal Army Crown Prince, older brother. Robin is 38 years old, Lord of the hold of Cortnico. General Of the 11th to 23rd batallion of the Royal Army, totalling 8,000 Men under his command. A Moral pillar of the country and the golden standard for all Knights within Gaelia, Robin is everything King Erik could have hoped for in a son, and more. Robin's taken a pretty stern stand against slavery, something that always causes quite the ruckus in the court, he's favorable to the Elves and Dwarves and is responsible for much of their betterment in terms of standard of living.
Sir Jakob Lucian Stolstson Of Vertico, Prince Of Gaelia and Commander Of The Golden Eagles. Jakob's an esteemed knight, second only to his older brother. He taught Arthur everything Arthur needed to know about heroism, chivalry and true strength. Jakob's been the man Arthur grew up looking up to, Robin being too busy with his own duties to pay much attention to the youngest of the princes. Jakob is today 35 years old and is the leader of the Golden Eagles, the Royal Intelligence Service. With his finger on the pulse of the realm, nothing gets past him and his wide network of informants. He does not control an army, and the numbers of Golden Eagles Agents is relatively small, but he's just as capable of toppling a country as Robin and the Royal Army are. Jakob is secretly against Slavery and wishes it to be abolished, much like his father, but he's a sly man and remains on the fence as to not upset the nobles, unlike his brother. Jakob works frequently with the dwarves, but is distrustful of Elves.
Age: 28 Alias(es): Ankle Hewer, Daveon the Small, Little Wolverine. Gender: Male Race: Halfling Personality: Daveon is, for lack of a better term, a dick. He has no respect for the larger races of the world. And why should he? They’ve done nothing for him or his people outside of treat them as lesser because of their stature. He is a tenacious fighter and stubborn to the core, refusing to back down from a fight or an argument, even to his own detriment. His love of coin is also one of his defining features, never able to turn down a full purse or the promise of wealth as a reward for his unique skill set of being able to bring foes down to his level. Daveon is arrogant, angry and a bit racist, never shirking a chance to insult an elf by calling them ‘Knife Ear’. He has a particular distrust for human barkeeps, not sure if they’re taking advantage of him for his size and charging him more for ale and then giving him a smaller portion than he gives the humans and elves, or if they are really just offering him the good stuff. Not that he can can tell, all alcohol goes down the same for him.
Daveon has only two loves in the whole world, coin and slaying monsters. He doesn’t even love his own mum that much, though she’s a saint. Daveon fights and kills not for glory, though he gives off that appearance, but rather he fights for the people of his home town, donating much of the money he makes to the needy and takes care of his kind. He believes that the halflings have been put down by the full sized people of the world, less so from the dwarves, as they have been kind and fair to Daveon whenever he’s been to their settlements. Much of what Daveon does is a show, being a dick to the larger people who have put his kind down for years and being callous. He only shows his true passion in the midst of combat, sword and axe flailing in his fury to cut down any foe brave enough to fight him.
Biography: Daveon started out as many of the other pitfighters like him did, as a street rat. He stole and fought to survive, believing that he could punch his way out of any situation, and it was mostly true. Dav found himself on the receiving end of many a brutal beat down while he was growing up, gaining a sort of resilience to physical injury and a callous personality that allowed him to brush off insults and rude comments like they were water off a duck’s back. Daveon spent a lot of time with his mother when he wasn’t on the streets learning to brawl, learning about what it meant to stand for something, and that something was the little people of his slums, his home… The halfling people were a race left disregarded by the taller, more importantly, a race of people who were given the scraps, treated worse than the slaves. Daveon felt that his people had always been regarded as inferior and unfit for anything, even slave labor. This belief manifested itself in unchecked rage and aggression, which got him into a lot of trouble.
Daveon spent his late teen years being trained on how to focus that rage when he decided he was going to use his natural talent for bludgeoning people to make money, focusing all of his hatred and anger into the Pits, an arena in his hometown that was designed to pit those who were truly brave, or stupid, enough to battle some of the most dangerous monsters capable of being captured and restrained long enough to be killed in the arenas. He learned how to let that rage become his weapon, a force within him to drive himself forward and accomplish feats that many of the other pitfighters would have struggled to survive, with the exception of one. A human fighter name Riance Stranger was able to meet and match Daveon every step of the way, creating a bitter rivalry between the two fighters. With Daveon being like a wild beast set off the chain, and Riance being a more calculated and measured fighter, the two enjoyed a very successful run in the pits fighting against and alongside of each other. Daveon often found himself wondering if he would surpass the man or remain his equal until the end of time, but he always remembered that his feats were great, even by the standards of a human, let alone a halfling.
Daveon often took his winnings and spent them on food and feeding the homeless halflings of his village, helping build shelters and homes for them. He was an active member of the community, even though he always felt the call to battle. He held a battle lust in his heart that could not be quenched no matter how much he wanted to give back to the people that raised him, his true family… the halflings of the lower slums of Headrion. It was during his time within the pits that he was discovered by the Order, and was watched quite diligently. Dav showed promise as a warrior and as a good face among the common-folk, a folk hero amongst the halflings and a legend of the arena. The spitfire that was Daveon Axebane, the Little Wolverine, a vicious predator that would strike with fury and with a frenzy unlike any sane being. Two members of the Order of Journeymen would approach Daveon after a particular bout of his against a group of about twenty five boggards. He was covered head to toe with blood, some his own and some boggard, he wasn’t sure, the events of that day were hazy. The members of the order asked him if he’d be interested in using his talents to save the realm from worse creatures, an offer to which Daveon responded with a laugh and rude gesture, until they tossed a bloated sack of coins at his feet, promising more if he were to join. The rest is history as they say, the angry halfling now fighting and killing his way to riches and making a better life for the slum that he calls home. Equipment: Daveon barely wears any armor outside of the steel pauldrons on his shoulders, preferring the freedom of movement that loose fitting clothing gives him while he’s fighting. Daveon carries a straight sword and an axe on his back as well as several daggers on his belt. The most protection he wears, outside of the pauldrons are a pair of loose fitting leather pants.
Skills: Primal Rage - After years of rage buried deep inside of him, Daveon is able to channel that rage into his combat ability, allowing him to shrug off blows that would look fatal to any normal man. When the primal fury takes him over, he loses much of his ability to conjure intelligent thought and speech, but his blows become much more devastating. Daveon also has his senses honed in this state of rage, able to react to incoming attacks many times faster than most fighters of his size or larger, allowing him to dodge out of the way of incoming projectiles and avoid being seriously injured by magics, while also being immune to any magic that might strike fear into him or charm him otherwise. Daveon can only enter this state four times over the course of a day and only for ten minutes at a time.
“How humans have spread and continued to destroy each other at the same time is a perplexing logic. They are like desert cockroaches. You see one. One turns to many. They destroy each other. Only to make more.”
Age: 45
Race: Anfau'Quessir [Desert or Dust Elf]
The Anfau’Quessir are rarely seen by human eyes, they often come down from the Savannah in roaming caravans in the last few months of the Harvest to trade goods with only the cities that greet them with kindness. The Anfau’Quessir left the forest thousands of years ago when they were being overrun by humans.
They warned their brethren Taur'Quessir [Wood or Sylvan Elf] of the Human's presence, declaring them N'Shanesti [not an elven friend] or N'Tel'Quess [not of the elven people]. The Anfau’Quessir decision to leave the forest thousands of years ago have created the bloodline you see today known commonly as Dust or Desert Elves, but in their tongue they are called Anfau’Quessir.
They are known for their bronzed skin, almost golden in color, that protects them from the heat. Their culture seems much more wilder than other elves liking, more spiritual, more coveted in mystery. They often have deserted colored eyes, of fiery red amber [almost like a hot blade a blacksmith once described], golden sandy color [almost the color of coin said a merchant once], and rarely some are born with earthy toned green eyes like the forest they once came from [gleamed like a green gem it did described a dwarf once].
Average Height - M 5’5” - 5’8”, F 4’9” - 5’5”
Alias: Anfauglith [Grasping Dust]
Amin quant'nyérë yassen mani ron a' Tel'Quessir [It fills me with great sorrow with what they did to the elven people.]
Edain on-n'uma grith tenna' amin rese ron edain. [Men lent no kindness until I helped their men.]
Ta' karandi o ron carda [Only then did they care about their wrong deeds]
Amin ve' Tel'Quessir ar ron lerya-heke amin (I was like other elven people then they took away a part of myself)
*It should be noted he's just scowling, he can close his mouth just fine, but does have burn scars on the bottom of his face and it gets progressively worse from the neck down as seen in the first photo with him veiled.
Shayzani might have been no different from other Desert Elves, from the Dust as they would say, he once had beautiful bronze golden skin, believe it or not. Though that was mostly taken away from him, to onlookers it is clear the 5’6” elf is burned at part of his torso, arms, and part of his neck. Which he keeps mostly covered with either bandages or layers of fabric. Dawned in the typical fashion of his people which is suited for travel. You can see the glimpses of his beautiful, sun touched skin of what little skin is exposed of his mostly covered face. His eyes are like dried jewels of sap, if you ever get to see them when most of the time he is seen shrouded. For decency reasons.
He has narrow facial bone structure. And is rather lithe, but toned.
His clothing might seem strange to those not part of his culture. The Anfau’Quessir live in primarily desert environments or really arid savannahs, to take clothes off is much easier than to put clothes on when you are out. Layers are essential for survival in the arid climates they have grown accustomed to, but not acclimated to.
It begins with the waima [robe] though robe isn’t quite an appropriate term humans might call it a robe, the waima as seen in the picture is more like a three quarter coat or jacket. When the waima is dressed, they layer over the waima with cloth breeches, which the waima is tucked into.
The waima is then wrapped around the waist, where the breeches ride, with a sash. They wear thick collos with several layers that can be stripped down depending on how hot it gets or to add back on depending on how cold it gets. Shayzani also wears a padded cuisse around his breeches indicative of some kind of “warrior” position.
Ohtarvar [Guard Watch] In the Anfau’Quessir “authority” is raised by the choices of fabrics you wear and have gathered during negotiations. The Anfau’Quessir have a habit of collecting fabrics from the places they travel as indicators of their experiences. It seems Shayzani wears a Niqāb with a high collar scarf around his neck as an indication of one’s modesty.
His voice is husky and hoarse, somewhat smoky, and gravely though it has its own unique elegance. Though his accent is heavy and strange to understand at times when he speaks in broken up common at times.
Personality:
Amin aa’ weeril yassen eidan nan’ amin sad ten’ ilya edregol ten’ N’Shanesti. Khep aminima ar’ Sha’Quessirnatul. N’at lle manka wistë lle amin garilaith.
(I may not agree with men but I show respect for all, even for Not Elvish Friends. Keep my favor to become Elvish Friend. Otherwise if you change your mind you let my respect slip away.)
There can be a common language barrier between others and Shayzani. He often speaks half in the common tongue and the other half in his more comfortable native language. If he doesn’t know the word he will use the elven equivalent [most common used phrases are in misc section]. He seems rather calm and not nearly as restless as many in the team seem.
He almost comes of shamanic despite his previous occupation as his people’s protector. Though he will probably not lend you any useful advice, mainly because of how chewed up his common can be. But also because it comes off entirely vague and useless due to his deep spirituality the Anfau’Quessir hold onto.
And that is exactly what Shayzani is a holy priest warrior, in his clan they would have been equivalent. He holds onto a deep sense of the world that was taught to him at an early age. That turns the ordinary world around the Eidan, Quessir, Naugrim, Periannath, and more into something magical and deeply connected to something more magical.
Some believe the Anfau’Quessir turned to their own religion after they departed the forest in the harsh climate of the Feanor, as they call it though more commonly known as Dark Wilds, though few understand how deeply entangled the Quessri were to their own native religion. It simply modified and changed over the years to the environment they raised their children in.
To Shayzani To Understand the Minds of Others, To Kill The Impurity, and To Create A New View are the duties of his people and himself. He is logical. Deeply curious and questions what he does not understand. And while he may have hints of distrust of Eidan, and rightfully so, he will still be friendly towards them or help them if they are threatened by something they have no way to defend themselves.
Eidan ndormap vára sina Arda en’ Seldarine.
(Man seizure of this land has soiled Gods’ Land.)
Everyone has a part to play in Shayzani’s world view, it is something he has been taught as a child. The balance of life [Meiva en’ coia]. Tend and take care of the land you were born on and the land will favor you. Though as of late there has been a perversion to this cycle and it has been mainly due to human influences in the lands.
It was first disrupted when the Dust Elves fled from the Woods thousand of years ago. It was then disrupted when the Naugrim fled underground. It was then disrupted when the Quessir [People Elves] were placed into the cities as secondary citizens and slaves. And in the city where they found freedom gave rise to the Aredhel [noble elves]. They forget that life was wild, filled with spirit, and even if magic seemed rare in people, life was clearly magical.
Shayzani may have not been so set in believing humans were merely malevolent spirits sent from some maikar [demi-god] of chaos. If not for the things he had to experience happen to his people. While he feels sorrow for the city elves who are now secondary class citizens or face slavery, he doesn’t see them as elves they lost their identity. The Wood Elves who were once warned now lose land has man seized. Shayzani fights to change the world. To Change Its Mind of Elves. He also is here for his own safety.
In short Shayzani can be a bit hard to stomach, he holds onto a very ancient religion that might offend human sensibilities with their own religious views, though it’s not like he takes every second to tell you about his multigod religion.
He can be mildly racist to Humans who show no wish to show him respect when he has shown them his. He can also be mildly racist to his own people who perverted the nature of their identities, that being the People Elves as he calls them or the Half-Elves. Though his own racism towards them is not built on the belief that his own kind is superior. But that they lost their way.
He wants to see a world that respects old elves for what they are. To see new elves not be abused by humans, but have no place in the old elven societies. And to see Humans develop compassion for the land they now spread across and those that have lived there for longer or as long.
Equipment:
Maksa - Mount - Anfauglir Aras [Desert Deer]
Rangw’kelvar lle kanta gwend yassen, rangwa coia ed’ coiaon enta. (To understand nature you give with friendship, understanding life by giving to another.)
When an Anfau’Quessir comes of age they are given a responsibility. Some are given task such as harvesting from prickly trees, and others are given an animal [no different from a dog as a family pet and more] to take care.
In a way this test if they are ready to take further responsibility like helping others in their clan and shows the clan what they are good at and what they aren’t. Shayzani was given Maksa when she was a baby, she lost her mother in a desert storm and needed someone to tend to her. Shayzani was chosen to tend to her. This was his rite, his duty. To be able to protect his people meant to shelter this small innocent creature till it could stand on its own.
If it died in his hand, he would be left to help with Harvest or Making of the Goods. If she were to make it a year in life he would be honored with other opportunities.
The Anfauglir Aras are less much a deer and more a camel at least to the common tongue, but they were given their name due to the spots on their coat and overall appearance. Unlike a camel they live 20 more years of life than they do at 60 years, if well taken care of by their owner. It is considered an honor to have a Anfauglir Aras reach maturity and those in the clan have been praised for Anfaulgir Aras who are both loyal and stubborn and have lived well past their years. In their recorded history one is said that a chief of their kind had an Anfaulgir Aras live to 70 years.
Maksa has reached her youthful prime at 40 years of life and seems to have a strong bond with Shayzani. He doesn’t command her, not like Eidan command horses. He understands her and she understands him, all he needs is simple clicks and whistles, she understands them and changes her path based on what she hears.
Maksa is no battle mount. She is a personalized mount that carries his bedroll, his cooking pan, she has a simple saddle, with a rope at her side, a tent rolled up, a small bag which carries the stakes to hold up the frame of the of the bag, a small money pouch, his food rations things like dried fruits, and nuts and sometimes his staff when he has to steer her reigns. And bandages and other first aid kit like style stuff is kept in his bag as well.
Isilme [Moonlight], Ironwood Staff *As seen in his appearance
Moon Crystals, some kind of quartz crystal, were said have properties like reflecting memories back onto the world. It is said when the crystal touches a scar of once was it reflects it for those to be visible. In layman's term, it reveals hidden passageways and illuminates scars of old magic when the crystal comes into touch with it.
*Anfauglir Lissuin Salve *Stored in bag on Maksa
In a small compact bowl made of ceramic is a minty smelling lotion that is rubbed on the skin. It is both used in the treatment of dulling wounds pains, but also to sooth the skin with its numbing, tingling qualities. Shayzani uses it on the burns on his hands before wrapping them with fresh bandages, so he does often smell rather like a minty tea leaf.
Racial Traits:
It has taken several generations for the Dust Elves to acclimate to their new life in the arid deserts of their home, Feanor Asto. The Dust Elves are less delicate than their city brethren or woody brethren, they are a hardier species noticeable by their stocky frames and more lean, muscular frame. They do not harbor the same delicate frame that makes elves. Though they are still by human standards far more exotic in beauty than them. With that said their species has a few noticeable traits;
Survivor - You’ll eventually have to adjust with the lack of resources in the arid climates. With little farming opportunities, and having to follow the rains when they come. You have to learn to be like the Desert Deer, being able to survive through the extreme of times.
It is possible for a human to last up to 10 days without water, though the recommendation is 3 days. A Dust Elf can survive 20 days without water, and subsist off of a meager amount of water to the point of what humans would considerd dehydration, but not for a Dust Elf. A human can go three weeks without food, a Dust elf can go a month without food. And a Dust Elf can subsist on a mere 3 hours of sleep if they chose to do so.
When you live in a world that requires you to react as unpredictably as the world around you behaves your mind and body needs to be attuned to this kind of subsistence living. Though these are more like in case of extremes like food shortages and or an unsuccessful hunt.
Extreme Weather Conditioning - Dust elves can toughen out the most extreme of weather conditions. Mainly because they live in a climate that favors heavy rains that flood the savannah for a short period of time, to dry desert climates dealing with extreme heat and extreme cold. In that sense it might be harder for them to suffer from heat stroke or hypothermia, but eventually they would succumb to it.
Low Light Vision - Sometimes traveling at night when it is cooler is a much better option. They have a somewhat low light vision up to 30ft.
Not Limited by Terrain - Crossing dunes, deep sands, then deep floods that bring sinking muds, little terrain does to stop them when they need to get to one place or another.
Skills:
Animal Care - If it hadn’t been cleared Shayzani is rather good with animals if Maksa is anything to show for it. While he cannot speak with them directly through some kind of magic, he certainly seems to have whisper animal powers that sooth the most feared horse, or to make a common dog tuck its tail between its legs in intimidation. Shayzani pretty sure though that none of this is useful on things really determined to eat them and he isn’t going to risk limb to try.
Innate Arcane Casting - Shayzani is born the rare few who can naturally cast magic from his sheer Will. He is quite skilled and quite trained if that is any consolation.
Navigator - Shayzani is quite good at navigating terrain and maps. He reads them quite well, mainly because it was part of his job when he was traveling with the Travel Bands. He can tell you north from west to east and south, but also navigate which are the best passages and even point to unknown passages if that is so what people wishes.
Spiritual Guidance - A lot good it might do in this current party. But for some Shayzani’s way of speaking is quite clear the message and meaning he is giving. And for those some who understand what he says, even conveys they find something soothing in his presence that guides them spiritually.
Basic First Aid - Shayzani is no doctor, but he can put a bandage or two on you, or clean up your wound with necessary tools to do so. He also can close up your wound with a needle and some stitches given he still has the supplies to do so. But it will not be a professional job.
Magic:
Litse Fanya [Sand Veil] -Basic
Shayzani can spray a stream of sand in a small radial cone. This can be used for a number of purposes, as a distraction to be able to escape freely or a way to cause irritation in someone’s orifices, be it nose, mouth, and eyes. The cone is a 10 ft cone of sand that shoots directly outwards. While it may not be a spell that causes damage it can be quite unpleasant to experience getting a full face of ground rocks.
Stupify - Basic
What’s that sparks, like fireworks? But they are so shiny. Look at them dance in the air, they don’t even hurt you. They just look pretty. Shayzani is able to create sparks with a snap of his fingers, these sparks have an enemy distracted with the lights in a daze for 30 seconds before they come back to reality. Though by then it might be too late.
Limbe Litse [Quick Sand] - Ritual - Intermediate
Beneath your feet the ground begins to swallow you whole. The ground has become quicksand or mud depending on the terrain you step on. The quicksand or mud takes up a 5ft wide surface circumference. And while it remains permanent it requires the need for actual sand or mud to perform this ritual.
There is no such magic that can heal a wound and make it disappear. But there is magic that can sooth wounds pain, or stop you from bleeding out profusely by clotting the blood much faster than it would on its own. It’s only a temporary solution for major wounds, but for minor wounds it’s an easy close that might still need to be checked out by an actual healer.
Valalak - [Power Rush] - Advanced
Shayzani can create a small shield for a few short seconds, this shield deflects most damage aimed at him, though breaks if the ability is too powerful for the shield. Shayzani has the ability to use the built up momentum of the energy it deflects to throw the shield into a sweeping rush of raw magical energy. That knocks enemies back 2ft away and lighter creatures are prone on their back till they get back up.
Shocking Grasp - Basic
The last tool up Shayzani’s spell list is his shocking grasp. A hand of electricity wraps itself around an opponent, binding them for a few precious seconds 30 seconds, while continously giving them paralyzing shocks. They either die or withstand the grasp. Any allies who tried to break free the small fingers wrapped around their body are also shocked. Elsewise the grab is limited to its singular individual.
History:
When a child is born in Feanor Asto they are said they come from the Dust. It is an odd thing to consider that they were once thousands of years ago wood elves, when their spiritual beliefs seem so vastly different you’d think that they were completely different types of elves. When a mother is suspected to have concepted their first child, she takes the Naurvan [Fire Walk] she crosses Aina' Men Naur [Holy Path of Fire] to symbolize the challengers of the new life the Dust provides them.
I’Atara [The Mother] will eventually have three children and each celebration symbolizes a different stage of a family's life. A mother who raises her first child to the point they can speak and walk, though still dependent on the communities resources and assistances, is respected the title of Honored Mother.
While a mother who raises all three children to maturity and has not lost a single child in the extreme conditions they live is titled Elder Mother, she and several other Elder Mothers tend to the babies, children, are midwives to new mothers, and have several duties when the Lende Armar [Traveling Trade] left to the Eidan lands.
Shayzani was born the second child. His coming was symbolized by alu [water] that brings life to the land like a second birth. Sooraumo En’ Men [To Follow the Sound of the Storms Path]. This ceremonial ritual seems to add onto the hardships and trials of both parents.
While the Path of Fire celebrates both parents. This trial is a celebration, but it is meant to see the strength and determination of both father and mother. It takes several weeks of preparation. A Father must go out to a small oasis and collect water for this ceremony.
This symbolizes his willingness to protect his mate and how he’ll provide for his child. While the mother prepares for a dance to celebrate the oncoming storms, she is taught by the Elder Mothers and her Mother the steps they have been dancing for many years. When the Fathers return, if the Fathers return, the community prepares an honorary meal for the families.
If a father doesn’t return, the strongest Fathers known as the Vara may chose to allow the woman into their families, adopting their children, and taking in the woman, though she is not considered his partner. A Father who has the biggest family is often the Chief of the Dust Elves. Though government doesn’t quite work the same way as it does for Humans and other species. It should also be noted the woman whose partner doesn’t return will never be honored the title of Honored Mother or Elder Mother and she will not have another child with the man who takes her into his home.
In The Sound of the Storms Path, a big celebration is put on, with the sound of drums played by young male Ohtarvar. Woman are painted by their Mothers, and the Community Mothers. Some even have their children paint them. When the woman dance, the families splash her with water the father has collected in his vase. This symbolizes the coming storms and washes the paint off of her like the land is washed away of its impurities when the rain comes.
Afterward they tend to eat. Ceremonies are usually the only time they reserve for special meals. And resources are often stored or collected months in advance beforehand.
The third child was symbolized by the Entulondol [Returning of the Rock] after the rains came the lands would dry up. The simpler ceremony was meant to symbolize the strength of family, the strength of bonds, the coming of hardships as scarcity came, and survival of the family. A Mother and Father would take the holy path to sacred sites nearest to the camps of the Dust Elves. There they would stay for a day, praying to the multiple of their Gods. This prayer was said to bless the family with protection. The Mother would collect a unique stone or pebble which she would then give to the child when he or she was old enough.
Before Shayzani, to his parents Wahanni and Shuzille their first was his eldest brother Kotoko. When the First Child’s brother or sister is born, there is a small celebration for the First Child and the Birth of the Second Child. The First Child is said to have entered their First Life when their sibling is born.
And the same goes for the Second Child, when the Second Child reaches maturity and the their Third Sibling is born both him or her and their Elder Sibling are said to have reached their Second Life. When the Third Sibling makes it to maturity, all three siblings are said to enter their Third Life. A Child’s “birthday” or something like it, is always celebrated upon the date they were claimed to be on their Third Life.
Shayzani youngest sibling was Tavahni, symbolized by Returning of the Rock. Wahanni, unfortunately never earned the title of Elder Mother when Tavahni was struck with disease at five that proved fatal and killed him. It was not something uncommon in the tribes to have a child either die by a slip of a watchful eye and a child wandered off, but more due to either starvation or disease.
Children who were diseased were often separated from the village in sick tents and if their healers could do nothing for them, the children were often left when it was time for the camp to move to the nearest and next best location for the Dust Elves.
Death and Life were simply a way of life. The sick left behind were often left gifts by their families. When the camps returned months after their deaths, they would burn the sick tent and perform a ritual of passing on the spirits and cleansing the dead. Few received honorary deaths unless they were someone of high rank in the community.
Government was based on the community. As Dust Elves among themselves traded goods for goods, while someone may be able to make basket out of reeds someone may be able to make necklaces out of crystals. The Community decided on laws and regulations and settled disputes themselves. Casual sex among the same sex helped relieve tension, it would not be unsurprising to see a Mother touching another Mother when having tempting thoughts. This helped relieved tension and stopped the tribes from arguing with one another.
In the Ohtarvar, young men who were not yet allowed relations with women often would practice on each other. Or simply practiced on themselves. Sex and nudity were not necessarily frowned upon by the Dust Elves. Fathers, however, often reserved themselves for their wives in a practice known as Showing Modesty. The more a father reserved himself simply for the woman he chose to court and mate with, the more respected he was by the younger men.
Some young men adopted the same stance as the Fathers, by Showing Modesty, they reserved themselves until the time came for them to court a woman. Most young men would not have a partner until the age of 60. For a Dust Elf that is the equivalence of a 20 year old human.
Though to reserve yourself or not was personal choice and no one frowned on a young man who had not. Though it is said that some young woman preferred young men who had reserved themselves, then the ones who had freely and openly performed in early sexual relations.
The Chief in the Communities often was there to mediate any disagreements that may have arisen, but his main job was to delegate with their Eidan neighbors. The Chief had no higher power than the people and the people could chose to kick him off his seat if they felt he wasn’t representing them well.
With that said it was common practice for Dust Elves to collect different fabrics along their travels, if they were part of the Traveling Band. These different exotic favors showed their diverse culture experiences and symbolize to others the abundance of their knowledge.
For Shayzani things were slightly different. It became clear to those in his clan that he was unique and special. The elements seemed to respond to him, water was drawn to him, fire flickered around him. It became clear to his parents and to the tribe that he was one who could cast magic freely from the mind. Before becoming part of the Ohtarvar, Shayzani was trained by the Spiritual Guider of his clan to learn to control his talents.
While the Spiritual Guider had no magical capabilities themselves, the spiritualism of their people was deep enough to understand the tools of magic. But because Shayzani was trained by the shaman, he had greater expectations of his life, almost close to the shamans themselves.
He was expected at an early age to practice Showing Modesty, more than his brother Kotoko. He was expected at an early age to embrace the rites and rituals of the Shaman. But he was also expected to follow the same paths at youth his age as well.
When he was seven he was bestowed Maksa, since he could use magic, he was expected to be a priest warrior. The expectation for his life would be one that performs the duties of Ohtarvar and the priesthood. Shayzani, however, did not live a lonely life. Communities were deeply supportive and each person had something to teach him and him to learn from.
From the Healers he was trained basic healing capabilities, a duty Shamans and Ohtarvar were supposed to know. But Ohtarvar boys were only expected to show to the Healers a few times and learned less than Shayzani and the Shamans who were expected to consistently help.
From the Fathers and the Vara, and the Ohtarvar he learned to cook, hunt, track, and trade with the Eidan.
From the priest he learned to speak Common, to use his magical capabilities, learning to also read and write for it was an important task of the Shaman to record their text and historical ceremonies and events. But Shayzani would also use it to keep records of the trade negotiations, eventually.
Shayzani and Kotoko had chances to play with each other. Though there was always a social pressure for Shayzani to behave with modesty. His play was restricted to certain behaviors that were acceptable and unacceptable. Things like not cursing, or yelling at his brother, or perhaps using a vulgar gesture.
His mother Wahanni often the one to enforce this as his father Shuzille was either performing the First Duty. That meant protecting the camp during times the harvest did not come. And the Second Duty. Which meant traveling with the Traveling Trader to protect them in the land of Eidan.
When he was fifteen it was the first time he would travel with his father, his brother, and several other young men in the Ohtarvar and the communities Mainkar [Community Trader] who collected goods from every family important enough to sell and trade to the Eidan and other races who traded when they came to the forest of the Eidan regions.
For the young men like himself. They were taught the dos and don’ts of the Eidan world. Some of the Ohtarvar chose to cover their faces in order to not strike Eidan suspicion. He learned very early on the Eidan were a fickle a creature. Who could be your ally one minute. And an enemy the next. This is why the Ohtarvar on these trade expositions were so important.
At thirty-two Shayzani had become a mostly respected individual in his clan. Still a young man to many, but he was honored for his abilities to take his duties responsibly. Some said he was like his father, honored and respected the opportunities given to him with little fuss.
Kotoko and him still had a strong bond, family was important and if family severed their relationship it could be a sign of ill fortune for the family. His brother was more of a warrior and he was more like a priestly warrior of the Ohtarvar. The brothers often accompanied each other on First Duties and Second Duties. Though being seven years apart Shayzani’s brother had many things on his mind.
One of them being girls in the village, but he had several more years to go before he would be allowed to perform the ceremonial rite of union with a female. Still Kotoko was flirtatious with many of the woman. Shayzani would not be allowed to perform in a rite of union, unless the woman was a Holy Woman, he was also not allowed to practice in the same sexual relations others had. He had to perform his duties with the expectation of Showing Modesty.
Not that Shayzani complained or found it unfair. He knew nothing, but this Modesty since he was a child. Though he chose to delve deeper into the spiritual side than his brother, but he felt a closeness to the Spirits of Dust that his brother or his mother or his father could never understand. Even the Shaman, Tahamune, who had taught him and continued to teach him knew that Shayzani may truly become the clan’s next Shaman when he passed.
Shayzani chose to wear even more layers of clothing and even before the incident he’d never predict, chose to veil himself as Tahamune veiled himself. Shayzani dawned his skin in ritualistic tattoos that depicted his connection with his religion and his spirituality, something the Shamans practiced in regularly. Their skin a highlight of the stories of creation and connection with the Dust.
The Ohtarvar always switched duties and one year when Shayzani and Kotoko were on their First Duty. The Ohtarvar lead by Vara, one including their father, went on their Second Duty. The Ohtarvar that year barely came back in pieces, several Vara include Shuzille their father had died during an Eidan skirmish. It seemed the war the Eidan practiced in was beginning to drag their people into their prejudice and judgement. Something the Dust Elves had always feared and predicted.
Upon decision of the community, the clan decided not to trade with Eidan until things settled in their land.
This decision would spell trouble for a clan that had relied on traveling at least once a year with the Eidan for fresh goods, salted meats, and vital goods they needed.
It would be three years until his clan decided to trade again with Eidan. Those three years were hardest on the clan. Many died of lack of food, their village ran dry of supplies and they scraped by what they could, but it was clear they needed to trade with Eidan again. The Community decided on it, and between Kotoko and himself it was Shayzani who was chosen to take their father’s place in order to command the rear guard.
The Community decided to take a safer route to the safest city in the Eidan kingdom. In hopes not to draw attention. In general this decision worked. Shayzani and Kotoko accompanied each other once again across a much safer path. They met with little problems, until a storm hit, creating a landslide of the passage they were using and blocking their safest route. The Vara made the decision to use the roads they knew may be dangerous, but they had to take the goods back to their people one way or another.
Little did they know they had been followed by a group of anti-elvish group. Inspired by the current war and fuming with anti racial tension and hate, they saw the weakened Dust Elves as an opportunity to send a message.
And a message they did send. When the Ohtarvar settled for the night at a camp, deciding to take a break and rest. The Ohtarvar sent a small group to protect the perimeter of the camp as they always did, while the rest relaxed. They would rotate guard duty as they have always done. Some slept, some played games, others chatted with old friends they rarely got to speak to. In any other circumstance they would have been able to defend themselves, but the anti-race group attacked in a swift blitz that none of them were alerted to.
It started with a range of fire arrows thrown at their tents, which caught ablaze, and so did their wagon. The Desert Deer began to screech in panic. The Ohtarvar caught off guard, not sure where the attack had come from. The Anti-Race group coming out of the bush to leap at the chance of attacking the startled and surprised Ohtarvar.
Shayzani at the time tending to a man who had sprained his ankle in one of the tents saw the flames begin to rise.
“Aikanaro!” his brethren, Numat, screamed out seeing the flames consume his tent.
“Quilda!” he said helping Numat up. Both of them fleeing the small burning tent.
Only to find themselves in the middle of a battle. Ohtarvar blood spilled onto the soil. Tents with screaming brethren in agony as they were burning alive. Numat yelled out a cry before battle, unsheathing his curved sword before running into engage the group. Shayzani scanning the area to see if there was anyone to spare with healing.
“Leave our lands knife-ear!” screamed one of the men at him.
The human charged with his sword, Shayzani snapped his fingers, distracting him with a display of dazzling lights. An arrow struck the man in the chest. It became clear these were not soldiers, but merely common farming folk. Why would they take the risk to attack an armed group of elves?
“Toror’” Kotoko called out.
“Diol,” he said looking at Kotoko who was equipping another arrow.
“N'alaqueltir,”
Shayzani smiled.
“Ndanmē!” the Vara Maza called out.
The remaining five or six Ohtarvar began to call their personal mounts. What a disgrace. The humans only gained a victory because they were not expecting them. They had been so focused on getting home and giving goods they hadn’t been as watchful as they should have.
The first battle for their lives would remain in Shayzani’s mind every time their clans took a risk to trade. It was rare to come across anti-race groups such as that, but it seemed the war in the Eidan Kingdom was inspiring small minor groups. But it was enough of a rarity to make them cautious entering the lands farthest away from the Dark Wilds.
The Ohtarvar became smarter, though more paranoid every time they trade. Going route from route. Never taking the same paths. Never trading in the same cities. They feared like the city elves, maybe more than them. Though that was hard to determine who feared the most.
The second time they would have to fight cost the Ohtarvar many lives and forced Shayzani to make a decision for the betterment of his people. And for basic protection. Shayzani was thirty-nine at the time. They had cut the size of the Ohtarvar Travel Bands, instead of one large caravan they once traveled in to trade, they split the Ohtarvar into three small groups that would meet a central point and return to their homeland together.
Shayzani decided to take a route into the canyons. While it was an easy place to ambush, it seemed like a place the Eidan would not risk to travel. Or so he thought. The Ohtarvar were cautious on the road of course, to see an Eidan near a broken down caravan. A trap or genuine? How could they tell? How could they know?
Commoners inspired by fear had attacked them once before.
“Excuse me,” the human calls out.
Best to leave the Eidan affairs to the Eidan affairs. Children. They had children with them. Best to leave them be though. Surely they would die if they could not get another traveler to help them. Shayzani had to turn a heart on this one. He simply did not know their intentions, how could they trust them? Humans use sympathy as a trap once before.
“Do you speak the common language?” the human male asked, he walks up to one of the Ohtarvar soldiers desperately, “Please we’re stuck and we need help to get to the town back behind you.”
“Stay back Eidan,” spat Numat.
“Please I am not here to hurt you!” the human male desperately watched as they passed him by.
Four personal mounts and the one pack animal they took with them, with their trader. He looked hurt. Shayzani wished him luck though in all of his endeavors. Sadly Eidan were fickle. One minute their ally. Next minute their enemy. You couldn’t lower your guard when around them any more. Not after what they did to the people. Not once, but have tried many times.
Shame. They had coexisted for years. And now they tried to kill them. Hurt them. Even if there were good Eidan. There were also bad Eidan and when with the Ohtarvar it was harder and harder to tell what Eidan was using a way to gain their favor and a Eidan that truly meant their words.
Unfortunately for them their pack animal needed a rest in open plains. Not a position they favored, but the stubborn beast would not be pushed past its means. It refused to move, tired from the long trek and it dreaded going back into the rocky crevices of the canyons.
Resting, but always on guard the Ohtarvar refused to make the same mistakes. The Eidan on the road left them on edge. Watching every inch of where they set up their camp. Everyone was tense. There was no chat. No games. Everyone scanned the area for possible threats. At least the plains provided that. Clear sight.
The Vara, Manwa, suggested some of the group rest their eyes. Though it seemed virtually impossible for the group. Too on edge. Too afraid to close their eyes in open plains, vulnerable. Helpless and powerless is what they felt.
Going over it again, it’s unclear where the mistake was made. A group of them went to collect water for the mounts before deciding to head on the road again. Manwa commanded him to go with the group, he did so.
Maybe it was that. Maybe it was that they split their numbers even further than they should have. Out collecting water they were jumped by another small group of anti-race groups. The Ohtarvar had been so cautious up to this point they often fled confrontation instead of trying to get themselves killed. Oddly they were not killed by this group. Instead taken as prisoners.
It seemed Manwa’s group did not make it, mainly because Manwa was not one to sit back and let someone take them. Though Shayzani and the two others accompany him had their backs turned to the group who attacked them when they were collecting water. Numat had managed to struggle to stay alive, but he was bleeding onto the mud.
Another disgraceful lost. Staring at the Eidan with uncertainty to their fate, the Eidan looked across the plain at first. Why did the Eidan seem nervous? On edge themselves.
“What do you have to say for yourselves?” the Eidan asked.
“Nadorhuanrim!” Ilme shouted at the Eidan.
“I guessed I say that too,” the Eidan laughed taking wordlessly the torch from another one of his members and dropping it on Ilme who spoke. His clothes caught fire quickly. Ilme began to scream. While Rosha tried desperately to unbind himself as the flames began to spread from grass to clothes.
The Eidan began to flee as smoke began to rise and before Rosha, and him had flames touch them the smell of cooking flesh, clothes, hair, filled their nostrils. In truth Shayzani should have died like the rest, but instead he was rescued by a member of the Order. This member would eventually be known as Daveon.
It has been five or so years since that event. Shayzani chose to stick with the Order to be safe. But to also honor them for helping him. And in conclusion hopefully to use it as a way to gain something for his people.
Misc:
Before Shayzani leaves a building, room or outpost he makes sure all candles have been extinguished. And if he feels it is getting dark and the guards have not already begun to light the lanterns, he will light as many lanterns as he can on his way out of town or on his way into town. He has a habit of also making sure the team has good candle and lantern habits as well.
Elvin Translations
“kirma lithlad" [part of the plains of ashes]
"Val gwaith.” [to power the people]
Kyremcoia antvarna. Heren uummali ten loth. [Pray your life will not need saving. Fortune tends to not favor hate.]
*Heren is Fortune as in Luck *Mande is Fortune as in Riches
Age: 31 Alias(es): Witch-Slayer Hans Gender: Male Race: Human
Hans stands approximately 1.82 meters in height, and weighs approximately 60 kilograms. His overall frame is somewhat stocky with thinner, oddly lanky extremities. Hans' musculature and weight are both shades of what they used to be, during the prime of his early career he weighed a full 80 kilograms, most of which was muscle, which has since deteriorated due to a combination of age as well as a maturation of ability. The younger Hans was dumber and less experienced, and spent 90% of his job running nonstop after fleeing would-be sorcerers while fighting their hired help. The older, more pragmatic Hans prefers to ambush his marks, cut off potential escape routes, lay traps, and on occasion even let them run just so he can catch them later - which while more efficient has led to a general atrophy over time. Signs of Hans' prior build are still evident in his shoulders and hips, both of which are broader than would otherwise be expected of his build.
Hans' face, rarely seen from behind his helmet, is softly rounded about the cheeks with a narrow nose and slim jawline, unusual features made all the more distinctive by his orange-colored eyes. Hans' skin is a light bronze in coloration, and his scraggly hair is a light, yew-brown coloration.
Hans is, in a word, pragmatic. Having lost everything multiple times in his life whilst also being gifted with unprecedented good fortune in the face of catastrophe, Hans is at ease dealing with situations both queer and dire in stride, and can be counted on to keep calm during moments of contention and chaos. However, this same calm is detrimental in the sense that Hans does not value material possessions, and during his first few years within the Order was responsible for an exorbitant amount of property damage as a result, only having become somewhat more accustomed to having permanent possessions semi-recently.
Hans is also extremely judgmental and dismissive of sellswords, mercenaries, and other 'worthless arrow-catchers,' seen in both his general aversion to dealing with them or in engaging in most forms of conventional combat. Hans prefers grossly uneven fights stacked entirely in his favor and has no qualms with cheating, dirty tricks, low-blows, craven tactics, and foul methods. He also views himself in somewhat of a self-deprecating light, freely describing himself as a glorified assassin and cutthroat. He has an odd respect for thieves and beggars, and despite his frequent reminders that he is a mage-slayer he holds very little ill-will towards sorcerers and their ilk, albeit he still prefers killing them to keeping their company - an attribute which Hans himself has described as a 'habitually developed sentiment.' Hans has readily alienated and distanced himself from magic users within the Order, claiming no particular animus beyond a professional desire to keep a skeptical, observant eye on them while not getting too attached. When confronted with the strict technical fact that he himself is also a mage, Hans prefers to maintain that he is a different breed and class of magical entity.
Hans has a peculiar aversion to the company of women, and he is known to brandish the hilt of his bastard sword in the face of every woman he meets just on the offchance they happen to be a wraith attempting to use glamour. He has an odd fondness for gambling combined with a penchant for shamelessly cheating, which has seen him banned from every local gambling hall in the region. In his spare time, Hans likes to hear and tell stories of mythical creatures and night terrors, being a frequent sight at taverns and inns where he can be seen sitting amongst a rapt audience or else sitting at the forefront, telling the grossest bold-faced lies possible dappled with the occasional truth. More recently, he has taken up collecting various forms of minerals and stones, such as those found in his bastard sword, although he has been known to frequently misplace and lose them due to his habitual carelessness with his possessions. He has also once, to his own dismay, had his bastard sword stolen and been forced to buy it back - and no, it is completely a coincidence the broker was found dead four days later.
Although Hans was willing to join the Order of the Traveler & Journeymen readily enough, he is greatly disaffected with Haedrion and has not great amount of patriotism or love for the ruling King or Nobility. He sees statesmen and war heroes the same way he sees himself -glorified scum, no matter how prettily they might like to dress up and pretend otherwise. He is thus somewhat more loose with his tongue around his betters than is strictly advisable. Thus far, the better part of others' discretion and his dwindling reputation have allowed him to avoid retribution, but his superiors know that he is quickly winding down the thread of that particular yarn. He will follow most orders and instructions readily enough, when convenient, but is very broad in his interpretation of them and usually does his utmost to avoid any kind of tactic resulting in him being in direct, heated conflict with others.
Hans prefers not to talk about the one time he killed a Witch. When in his cups, he is known to declare that it was almost unintentional and that it was really nothing exceptional, and also that if he ever saw another witch ever again he would turn around and run in the opposite direction.
Hans was born to unknown parents in a region of the Everwood of Eastern Gaelia. Hans has no memories of his brief infancy in the forest, as before he had turned two his parents abandoned him in the wilderness to die of exposure. It was only thanks to his discovery by a group of traveling missionary Predicants that saved him, who took and began the task of raising him as a member of their religious order, based near the Haedrion border of Gaelia. During his brief education as a young child within the confines of their Monastary, Hans was taught to read and write, and introduced to the most basic theory of rune magic by the time he was eight. His early teachings would then save his life during a border skirmish when he was eight, during which the monastery was sacked and the Predicants murdered. Only Hans was spared, being seen as too young to be a threat and just young enough to be reeducated and trained, while having already been introduced to the basics of rune magic.
Thus, Hans came to be levied by a group of mercenary skirmishes unofficially working for one of the noble houses of Haedrion. Still too young to properly use a blade, Hans was instructed to maintain, repair, and guard the group's crossbows, and trained in their use. The mercenary's longevity proved to be largely transient, and after taking heavy casualties in a raid gone wrong they scattered and dispersed, leaving Hans abandoned once more. Hans attempted to sell the crossbows he had been entrusted with at a nearby settlement, only to be robbed and imprisoned by the local militia for disturbing the peace. Although Hans was reduced to begging in the streets when he was eventually released, word had spread of the circumstances of his imprisonment and he was given an opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge in maintaining the temperate mechanisms of crossbows when he was hired by a passing mercenary to tighter some stringing. This impressed a local smith sufficiently to take Hans in as an apprentice. The township itself, thanks to its close proximity to the border of Gaelia, saw a constant stream of mercenaries and sellswords passing through to skirmish across it, many of whom often sought enchanted armaments. The smith happened to employ a mage as a partner and consultant, who recognized Hans' introductory teachings in the use of rune magic and entered into a bargain with the smith to train Hans' further, so as to enable him to enchant armaments.
But a few years later however, Hans' apprenticeship was once again cut short when the town in question was raided and sacked by a group of skirmishers from Gaelia, once again reducing Hans to homelessness and poverty. Angry and yearning for revenge, despite not even knowing the true identity of the attackers, Hans traveled to the nearest town and joined up with the next band of mercenaries he found heading for the Gaelian border, promising them enchantments for their blades and armor as well as being able to maintain their equipment. Being young, impetuous, and eager to fight despite being a frail and relatively malnourished youth of fourteen, Hans insisted on joining in on the band's raids. Having no formal training with a blade, Hans instead stuck to using a crossbow from afar. After several months of some modest success, the mercenaries began to truly appreciate Hans' enthusiasm for their work and began to teach him in the ways of the sword. Hesitant to risk the life of their young enchanter, they nonetheless encouraged Hans to only engage lone opponents who were neither too heavily armed or armored.
That single piece of advise proved most portentous in its effect - during the band's very next raid, the mercenaries were being suppressed by a competent and powerful arcane sorcerer defending the small village they had chosen to attack, hiding behind a line of levied farmers. The sorcerer's skill in a straight battle, even when working with mere peasants, proved to be great enough to completely suppress the hardened mercenaries who might have been defeated - had it not been for Hans who, in his enthusiasm to fight combined with his adherence to the advice he had been given, had identified the sorcerer himself as the safest target to attack, being located behind most of the fighting, unarmed, and unarmored. Hans spent most of the battle simply skirting around its edges unnoticed until he managed to get behind the levied militia and simply shot the sorcerer in the back of the head, turning the battle and securing victory for the sellswords.
And so it followed. The same band of skirmishes disbanded shortly afterwards, but with the heightened state of hostilities between Haedrion and Gaelia, Hans found no shortage of mercenary bands to sign on with, and no shortage of glowing praise for his usefulness from hardened warriors, and every time he passed between parties there was always word of the time he had crept behind enemy lines in order to take out an otherwise insurmountable mage or sorcerer. As time went by, the word changed - soon word was spoken of the two mages he had slain. Then of three. Then tales flew abound of how Hans enchanted his bolts so as to fly straight through magical wards.
By the time Hans turned eighteen and was actually old enough to be expected to participate in a proper fight, he immediately realized that fighting in the middle of a packed vanguard or frontline was awful and that he much preferred simply sneaking around, shooting unaware people in the back of the head - but he was no longer so young that he could get away with simply sitting out on fights where there were no mages conveniently sitting in the back lines, and fearing he would eventually wind up dead in some nameless border-village he quit the border skirmishes and began to ply his trade as simple hired muscle for debt collectors and criminals in Haedrion cities. He carried with him his then-nascent reputation as a burgeoning slayer of sorcerers and mages, and so was soon able to take on several high-paying jobs with mages as his bounties.
Hans' adolescent years marked the full flourishing of his skills and abilities. Able to apply his wide breadth of talents relatively unhindered, had made a fair fortune as a bounty-hunter, gaining some local repute as the go-to troubleshooter for dealing with troublesome magic users. He invested most of what he earned in pursuit of stolen university tomes and scrolls of magical knowledge, seeking not only information on how to better mark his preferred quarry, but also to further his own modest magical abilities.
This period too, came to an end when his activities finally ran afoul of the local guard and law, who made it very clear he would either depart the city or else the mortal realm if he did not leave. With a small fortune left over from his efforts, and still not having grown past his deep-vested yearning for revenge against the people of Gaelia - whom he incorrectly remembered from vague childhood memories as having been responsible for the sack of the Predicant monastery - Hans invested his wealth in forming his own band of mercenaries with which to enlist with a noble house of Haedrion, and head across the border to wreck havoc upon the people of the land. This proved to be a poor move, as Hans' gifts for assassination and bounty hunting had not bestowed him with any exceptional qualities of leadership, tactics, or even any great ability to excel in a fair fight. Hans' personal mercenary band was shattered and broken apart in less than two weeks due to a combination of his antagonizing his subordinates in addition to simply being a very poor leader in battle, leaving him broke in the middle of the Gaelian wilderness.
Hans had immediately turned tail to head back for Haedrion when he was, for the first time in his life, attacked by a creature of the night. Having only heard exaggerated stories and legends of such creatures before, Hans, terrified, fled for his life and sought refuge in a nearby Gaelian village where, assisted by the townspeople, managed to drive the creature back. Once again, Hans' predicament turned to his benefit, as when he mentioned the name of the Monastery that had raised him during his childhood years one of the villagers was both old and knowledgeable enough to correct Hans' mistaken impression that it had been located in Haedrion. Overcome with both rage and grief, Hans swore to discover the ruined remnants of the Monastery in order to validate his decisions and to prove the lives lost because of his acts had not been for naught. Unfortunately, none in the village knew precisely where the Monastery had been located prior to its sack, and Hans was relatively isolated within the Gaelian wilderness without any means.
Hans then learned that the village had been facing increasingly frequent attacks by creatures of the night in recent years, and having few warriors amongst their number were willing to pay Hans in order to protect the village as well as to go out and hunt the creatures in the wild, after dispersing his misconceptions of the creatures and teaching him what they knew of their vulnerabilities. Hans found that hunting such creatures, although ultimately tedious and not to his taste, shared enough overlaps with his prior profession that he could pursue it in relative safety. He then wandered from town to town in Gaelia within the Everwoods, seeking information on the location of the ruined Monastery, slaying monstrous beings and night terrors to pay his way in the meantime.
Finally, when Hans was 28, discovered the location of the Monastery and returned there - and found waiting for him in the ruins a Witch.
Hans does not speak of that day much or in any great detail, but what is known is that during that same night, the moon was overtaken by shadow, casting the whole in the land in unnatural darkness - illuminated by a great fire in the Everwoods about the locale of the ruined monastery, set ablaze with flames that burned with an alien turquoise color that could be seen for kilometers. Hans came to the town he had just left, bearing with him the head of the Witch. Word of his success, combined with the ominous sights that had been witnessed from afar, spread akin a wildfire - and soon, the name of 'Witch-Slayer' Hans was on the lips of barroom drunks and noblemen alike in both Gaelia and Haedrion, for a time. His repute was such that, upon his return to Haedrion, Hans was invited to join the Order of the Traveler & Journeymen in recognition for his accomplishment and ability, and has been working with them since then.
Clothing & Armor Hans wears a long beige coat with a dull green cloak over a deceptive leather plate jack, complimented by fluted steel greaves and gauntlets. The ensemble is light overall, affording Hans good agility and maneuverability. Although its protective qualities are limited, Hans has deliberately arranged his attire so as not to leave a single patch of skin exposed, with every surface protected by a bare minimum of thick leather and cloth. His clothes are intended to protect him from various hazards in the wild, from warding off insects and nettles up to deterring snake bites and monster claws. The heaviest and thickest item of armor Hans possesses is a highly distinctive plate helmet, with a mask rendered so as to resemble the grotesque face of a gargoyle, complete with small horns and elongated ears. Unlike the rest of his armor, Hans' helmet is intended to deter manmade weapons and armaments, being capable of withstanding most slashing and piercing strikes with the exception of anything akin to a mace. It could even hypothetically turn an arrow or bolt, although this is not a theory Hans is keen to test.
Tools & Armaments Hans has not always been well-off, and this is reflected in a skillset enabling him to survive using any weapon or tool that happens to be available. If necessary, Hans could discard and of his personal arms and replace them without a significant loss in combat ability, but as much as he likes to claim otherwise his recent good fortune has burnt something of a hole in his pocket - and it clearly shows in the fine quality of the weapons he bears.
Hans' blade is a bastard sword, suitable for either one or two-handed use. Contrary to expectation, the blade and guard are wrought from simple steel, albeit the length of the weapon has been finely engraved with intricate, patterned channels to assist in the use of runic magic. The true utility of the blade lies in its guard and pommel, which contain nuggets of silver, cold iron, meteoric nickel, ammolite, jet, coral, and pitchblende. Combined with select runic spells and the design of the blade itself, the weapon is effective against every monstrous creature and aberrant being known to man, terrestrial or otherwise. Even when not combined with magic, the simple act of flourishing the blade or holding out the guard is sufficient to drive back less intelligent night creatures, and give those with the capacity for higher thought pause. Moreover, the weapon is curiously resilient to runic and arcane magic directed at it that are not channeled explicitly through the handle and pommel, due in part to the particular design of its engravings. The blade can thus disrupt or otherwise deflect magical effects that it comes into contact with.
Although Hans prefers close-quarter engagement, those who have traveled with him know well that he prefer to begin every engagement by shooting at something with his crossbow. Hans is not a dedicated crossbowman by any means, and typically only fires a single bolt before setting the device aside, preferring not to waste time that could be spent closing distance on reloading and redrawing the temperamental mechanisms. For that reason alone however, Hans has developed a expert talent for striking true with that one shot. Although he is unlikely to win any marksman competitions for precision, there is nothing more natural to Hans than shooting a moving target, particularly humanoid targets running while flailing their arms about in every direction and screaming like waylaid women. The crossbow itself is neither exceptional nor mundane, being of Dwarven make with a higher-than-average draw force along with a few simple metal designs for assistance in channeling runic magic, albeit not to the same extent and efficacy as Hans' bastard sword.
Mage-Bane: Although Hans has become steadily more and more familiar with hunting and slaying night creatures and despite his particular fame for slaying a particularly powerful Witch, when Hans began he was little more than a cutthroat or assassin who took out bounties and hunted mages and sorcerers, both for coin and on occasion just because he felt like it. Hans has not forgotten his roots, and there are few more skilled than he at tracking mages, predicting how they will act or what they will do, and most importantly - safely closing the gape and cutting off their heads.
Bane of Woes: Also he is, if tales are believed, quite proficient in dealing with night creatures and horrific terrors beyond the ken of men. If pressed, Hans will usually indicated there simply happens to be a significant overlap between the two distinct arts of mage and monster hunting, and that combating the latter is not wholly to his taste. As a practical matter and possibly much to his own chagrin, Hans is truthfully better at slaying night creatures than mages, as his abilities to protect himself and incapacitate others are typically all the more effective against certain aberrant beings. However, contrariwise, Hans has little to no ability to track unnatural creatures down in the wild, as he is more suited to hunting and understanding the thoughts and motivations of people in urban environments.
Skirmisher: Hans is a Mage-slayer. Which means he kills mages and, on occasion, horrific creatures of the night. As a matter of course, Hans does not go out of his way to pick fights with armored knights, cutthroats, lawyers, or irate but mundane animals - contending with those kinds of threats is some other idiot's job. Hans is a specialist, and during most fights will focus and tunnel on enemy magic users or unspeakable horrors, which often means he finds himself ducking and weaving through enemy formations and lines in order to get around to the back rows, or alternatively spends most of the fight running down empty hallways just in order to flank or cut off a mage. Hans is competent in a fair fight, but little more.
The Better Part of Valor: Hans is a filthy, dirty cheat, especially in a fight. He is not an exceptional swordsman, but makes up for it by pulling every foul trick imaginable. Nothing is too low or shameful for him to abuse or exploit - he will go to any means in order to secure victory, and if victory is not possible, he often will not fight at all, and live to fight another day.
The Law of Light: Using a Light-based rune that can be conjured and evoked at a moment's notice, even reflexively, Hans can conjure a faint burst of light that completely and wholly deflects any magical projectile that makes contact with it, and completely negates and prevents the occurrence of any magic within its boundary. The duration of the spell is very brief - lasting anywhere from a fraction of a second to a second and a half. It is extremely quick and easy for Hans to use, not being terribly intensive to cast, and can be used on the move. However, it is limited strictly to melee range, and can only be released from a free extremity - in most cases, Hans' left hand.
Trophic Barrier: Hans can create runes that automatically activate whenever his body is touched or proximal to a foreign magical effect, which causes his body to be enveloped in an aura of light-based magic that causes most magical effects to simply slide and flow across and past Hans' body like water past a rock in a riverbed for as long as the aura remains active, which is typically around five seconds. The main advantage of the rune is that they can be cast far in advance of battle, and the energy needed to cast them is spent at the time the are made rather than when they are activated. This allows for Hans to go into most battles with multiple runes ready at a time. For technical reasons relating to interactions between runes and the body, Hans can only maintain three such runes on his person at a time.
Trophic Current: Hans can channel a bolt or current of Light-based magic as a stream with a meter in range in any direction, which upon contact with most wards or auras will cause them to immediately evaporate or disperse.
Elemental Enchantment: Hans can enchant most weapons and armaments with a variety of basic elemental enchantments. He is largely limited to mono-elemental infusions and runes, having never received an extensive formal education in such craft.
Scattering: Hans creates a rune suspended in the air which flashes with a burst of light so intense it will temporarily blind anybody who can see it even out of the corner of their eyes. The burst of light only lasts a fraction of a second, making the spell relatively easy to use.
Lambent Mirror: Hans uses a light rune to bend and twist light in the surrounding area in such a way as to completely disturb one's visual perception of space, completely confusing and confusing their vestibulary functions and throwing them off balance in addition to likely making them nauseous.
Divining Rod: Hans fires a long, thin, rod-shaped projectile of light that pierces through all obstructions, magical, mundane, or otherwise, and then hardens as if made from stone, sealing everything connected to it in place. Although the rod of light itself seems solid, the length of it piercing and embedded within targets is harmless, and as such the spell is used primarily to immobilize rather than harm targets.
Secret: He does not speak of it, but you have seen it, once or twice. A spell you have never seen before. It is straight out of myth and legend. How did he come to learn of such a power? It is wholly beyond his means to have learnt.
Age: 30 Alias(es): The Stranger, Midget Slayer, Fox Hound Gender: Male Race: Human Personality:
A hoodlum who found his fame through pit fighting. Riance is a patient and calculating man who ensures to exploit any weaknesses he finds. As a person he is quite honest and could be remarked as sarcastic at times. Speaking his mind whilst putting a twist of humour that he himself has grown fond of. He discovered that its the best way to reveal a person's weakness by taunting them to act rashly. While cautious, it does not mean that he is incapable of empathising with others... Although weirdly at that he may appear to be too accommodating.
Among one thing he hates most is recklessness. It is reflected through Riance's battles with Daveon, another pit fighter whom he has lost as many times as he won against. Its with great dishonour to be admitting that even sometimes recklessness could achieve a better result than patience.
Biography:
Cunning is Riance's middle name. Riance Cunning Stranger. A hoodlum without the smarts to be efficient in the slums could prove to be fatal. Every objective is met with precision and careful coordination of his natural assets. He never shy away from retreating if his cunning plan had folded for the worse. Countless trial and error refined him to become a proficient guerrilla fighter-- instilling fear and fury with his tactics that reveals weaknesses of his enemies. One day, he was made aware that there were an organised fighting pit hosted by one of the local lords and he travelled there looking to see if he could make a fortune using his ability sets.
Everything had went according to plan. Until a certain halfling stopped him in his tracks to be at the top. The fighter known as Daveon Axebane-- A midget whose name claims to be the breaker of all axes... Was a strange specimen for Riance to dissect. The halfling uses rage and recklessness as if that was his own middle name. His tactics while effective, do not often guarantee his victory. Daveon seems to reveal very little weaknesses... Maybe he has such a tiny brain that it doesn't register a wound like a normal halfling would.
Equipment: Long Hewing Spear, with Cross Guard. This pointy stick could also pass as a shortsword in the nick of the moment. Riance utilises this spear to keep enemies at bay or to capitalise upon his foe's weaknesses with powerful thrusts and cuts. He is clad with a suit of half-plate armour that protect parts of his body and limbs, allowing for better mobility and sufficient protection. Skills:
Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee - Riance carefully studies his opponent and attempts to find their weaknesses. Once found, he will exploit them until his enemy cease to live. During this time, he will appear to be fighting defensively; dodging attacks by a hair's distance and wrestling his enemy away from him to keep them at bay until he is ready to strike.
Hit Hard and Hit Fast - Usually the result of the understanding his opponent. His movements will become more erratic to accommodate for his opponent's attacks and begin striking at vital points and retreating out of reach.
Agile and Mobile - Self-explanatory. His lithe structure allows for easy getaways and flashy acrobatics.
Self-Teaching - He learns and understands skill his own way.
Magic: Light Rune - Uses a blast of light to blind his opponent in a pinch.
Age: 35 Alias: One-Eye Veira Gender: Female Race: Human
Personality:
None have ever met a woman so distant yet warm, a woman who closes herself off from others yet exudes an embracing kindness which few bear in these dark times. Veira never raises her hand to strike someone who doesn’t deserve it yet is lenient on thieves and bandits, knowing full well that they are simply doing what they can to survive similar to what she does. Never once has anybody heard Veira raise her voice yet her very presence seems to draw all attention to her. She has always been a natural leader, strong and capable of bringing men and women in line for combat and never faltering in her decisions. Perhaps that is why she is distant though, that she must accept that her decisions can kill someone.
As a Journeymen captain, she has realized that men will die to monsters and there is little she can do it for it is not her fault but simply the weakness of the fighter being greater than the strength of the monster. She cannot grow attached to her comrades for they may simply be tossed aside the very next day while they dig a grave. As such, she comes off as cold to them, only granting them a little of her time and presenting good manners. However, she seems overly fond of reminding them that they are a unit and that they work together, lest she have to reprimand them.
Equipment: -Oaken Shield: A simple shield painted with hydra, the symbol of her clan. It is reinforced with a thin layer of iron in between the wood. -Arming Sword: A gift she received from a blacksmith for saving his daughter. It is well crafted iron, tough and always kept sharp. -Hand Axe: Veira’s favored weapon. An axe with a shaft made from oak and a head made from iron. Quite good at breaking shields when the need be. -Woolen Doublet: Veira wears a light woolen doublet underneath her clothing. -Iron Reinforced Leather: Veira likes to be mobile and she can’t have heavy armor for that. However, pure leather is impractical against most monsters so her’s has been studded with iron or layered with iron plates, like scalemail, to provide her better protection.
Skills -Huntress: Veira was always a passionate huntress, willing to wait hours for her pray to cross its usual paths and strike. This carried over to her time in the Order and allowed her to harness the inherent strength of tracking to find her prey. She has more than enough skill at it to determine the freshness of tracks and, with enough time, could find out when the prey comes into a certain area. -Shield Breaker: Veira’s combat is very much aggressive, relying on hitting the opponent hard and taking hits with her shield. Through her training, she realized that fighting humans with a shield was far easier than fighting a monster. As such, she seems overly capable of finding the weakness in a foe’s shield to break it. Or she simply gets consumed by the thrill of battle and just hammers away at it. Nobody is really sure which she does. -Shield Maiden: Veira’s job in combat is not to take a hit directly, fire arrows from afar, or pound the foe with hits. Her job is to hit the monster, distract it, and draw attention to herself so that the others may attack directly. For this, she took up the shield and learned to wield it well, training her arm over the years to be able to withstand some of the hardest hits from monsters.
Magic: Vlar: A simple darkness rune which causes its caster to be engulfed in a magical darkness which only she can see through. It lasts for a few seconds at most and exacts its toll when cast. Where Veira has it tattooed, nobody is sure.
Tava: A bit of a complex rune, one with many twists and curves to channel its power through. The activation of the rune only lasts a second at most however its toll it heavy, almost as if she had used it constantly for nearly twenty seconds. The fire rune envelops the foe in a blue flame which dances across its body, burning until the creature finds a way to put it out. However, regular water doesn’t put it out.
Appearance: Adrianna is on the short side, but not significantly so. Her caramel blonde hair is a frizzed mess from wind riding through Nagath … still stretching down well past her shoulders. She pulls it back sometimes when she’s expecting a fight. She seems like a soft, caring person at first from her face but there is a fire in her eyes when one looks closely. Gentleness is only skin-deep; there is something sinister behind those eyes. Her normal attire is far too elegant and valuable to have come from anywhere other than nobility. She sticks out like a sore thumb as an outcast from both the world around her and the world behind her; she is overly conscious of this fact, further feeding her paranoia. She wears dark pants, shin-high leather boots, a loose fitting top, and parts of her armor all under a brown cloak. She keeps the upper chest piece, shoulder guards, bracers, and thigh pieces on most of the time, as she doesn’t fully trust anything or anyone farther than she can throw them at first meeting. She wears a turquoise pendant necklace - typically concealed by the high collar of her armor pieces - bought from the town market when she was 15. She still has no idea the gemstone is in fact a Wraith Pendant.
Biography: Adrianna is the firstborn daughter of House Corvello, a lordship under the Empire of Gaelia. A son followed years later and only a year beyond that, twin boys. Her eldest brother is still four years her minor. Despite this, he is to inherit the family’s kingdom. In all her studies and her fight training and her grooming to be a baroness herself, she was always told that it was the firstborn who would inherit the land. Nowhere was it stated it must be a son. She knew in all the lordships of the empire that the daughters were married off, yet Adrianna persisted with the intent to be a Baroness herself and not a trophy. Her parents did try. They found themselves however in a predicament as House Corvello was not in need of any diplomatic marriages. Adrianna knew this from her studies of current politics. She proved to be “quite the handful” as one suitor put it. Her hand was offered to three men from other houses. Her eagerness & tact for governance was often considered as ‘overbearing’ from the men who merely wanted a simple wife. She is famously (within the family at least) quoted saying “I am a warrior and a diplomat. I am not some housewife to a spoiled man-child,” after the second attempt to give away her hand. Though Adrianna had evaded attempts to marry her off, her father - ever the traditionalist - still decided it must be the eldest son who ascends to power. At first she was shocked and could not believe that he would deny her perceived birthright from her. She jumped at every opportunity to prove herself worthy, as her father had promised he would allow. Every task, every challenger, and every single time she pushed herself hard and was the best she could possibly be. Still she was told time and again “Better.” Her disbelief turned into cynicism and disgust that she was to be barred from having what was hers by right. She was constantly angry at her brothers for being given the golden spoon – at her expense nonetheless – while she had to work to her limits and past them in vain to regain her claim to the throne. Her older adolescent years were far from her most pleasant or most personable. In her cynicism she was snappy and perpetually disgruntled by the smallest of things. Her temper was always short. The perpetual negativity on her mind was a force powerful enough to awaken the spirit that sat upon her neck. On her 18th, she saw an armorer who fit her for a quality set of plate leather. While it was acknowledgement of her skills as a fighter, she still was unsatisfied. She had spent hours studying politics & diplomacy while her brothers played. Token recognition did not suit her. Even though she felt the gesture underhanded, she was quite pleased weeks later with the end result. Her personal armor set is something to behold: as much a status symbol as sturdy protection. Her spoiled brother constantly made jokes about how it seemed so plain. Adrianna hadn’t wanted any large plates or elaborate helmets or shoulder spikes and similarly ridiculous garb her brothers were all obsessed with. The decoratives were in the details. A light scroll pattern on the plate and nothing more. Her forearm bracers though were as much a fashion statement as their other two purposes: protection and an improvised weapon. In her permanent frustration, she was vulnerable to suggestion. The soul she had awakened within the pendant existed as the tiniest of voices in her subconscious reinforcing her greed and her darker, harsher thoughts. Her cynical complacence turned to a stubborn refusal to accept no for an answer. She became convinced not to be turned away quietly. More than once she confronted her father far more aggressively now, at one point straight up demanding she be given what is hers. With each successive denial and with their relationship straining, her father became the object of her fixation, and her fixation treaded into dangerously hostile waters. After a final argument escalated to the point of guards being summoned – and summarily beaten into submission by a very angry Adrianna – she stormed out of the castle, hell-bent on proving herself worthy, dying trying, or finding a way to claim the throne she believes she is owed ... by lethal force if necessary.
Personality: She was raised to be a baroness. She knows how to be a lady of many hats and which face to wear in which situations. She is who she needs to be. Should someone be of power and thus of interest to her, she’s cheerful and nice and someone most people want to keep around. This more outgoing persona rarely shows anymore however, owing to the gruff cynicism she’s developed. Most of the time she comes across as far more of a realist – sometimes overly so – always preparing for whatever can be thrown at her. Choose the right topic of conversation with her and you can bait out her darker side. She doesn’t ever choose to reveal it to people, but get her talking about the right things and it just kind of happens. Her goals, her ambitions, her family, etc. These bring out a side of her born of years of frustration and dark influences upon her mind. This is the side of her that will move Hell and Earth to get what she wants. Her ultimate goal: reclaiming the throne she considers her birthright, only ever exists in the back of her mind most of the time. When the pieces fall into place and she grows close enough to taste her victory (if ever), she becomes fixated – dangerously tunnel-visioned in fact – on finishing what she started, everything else be damned. Adrianna maintains strong loyalties with anyone she believes can prove beneficial to her intents. She has no interest in maintaining relationships that have no present or future benefit to her. Her studies in politics and the arts of persuasion & coercion were primarily focused on the types of people she would deal with as Baroness. She could rhetorically twist the arm of a nobleman to get exactly what she wanted without even batting an eye. As she travels now far beyond the walls of nobility however, the people are far different and her silver tongue is worth little more than pewter. Her powers of persuasion are often limited at best.
Equipment: (She does not carry all of these weapons at once ever. These are merely the selection I choose from.) -Full set plated leather armor – custom tailored. The bracers are one of the heaviest plates and also well decorated with a light scrolling work, hand-etched. She wears the upper part of the torso armor, the shoulder pieces, and the bracers most of the time.
Her armor is durable enough to resist a slashing attack from many bladed weapons. Powerful stabs that land in the leather and not the plate however can go right through. While this example doesn't quite look like what I imagine her armor does, it gives the general idea quite well:
-Svardstav - a norse bladed staff (literally: sword-staff) with a fourteen inch double-edged steel blade on one end. The weapon caters to her speed-fighting skill and helps keep distance over an opponent, mitigating her moderate frailty.
Skills: Adrianna is a pickup fighter. Though she does carry weapons of her own, she often fights hand to hand and uses an opponent’s weapon against them, both while still in their hand and once she wrests it from them. This makes her skilled and dangerous against a human opponent. Against not-so-human adversaries that roam in the dark, she is of little threat and would easily become food. Her armor can resist a man’s blade but not the fatal touch of a spectre or the crushing claws & jaws of many a beast. She remains a trained diplomat. When negotiating - or threatening if the situation has appropriately devolved to such a point - with someone who wields power, she is well versed in the etiquette and skillset to do it. Inversely however her tact and subtlety has been somewhat blunted in recent years.
Motivations: There is no glory to be had in deeds, not in her eyes. A deed done out of benevolence earns one nothing. There is always a prize or payment that she believes will help her get closer to her goal: claiming the throne she believes is rightfully hers. Along that she became wrapped up in a group calling themselves “journeymen”. She cared not what benevolent purpose they had as long as it proved beneficial to her for the time. The earnings were certainly not to be complained about. Vengeance is also at the top of that list. She feels spurned by her family - especially by her father and by her eldest brother. She desperately wishes that one day her brother can know the struggle she went through to fight for what he was handed. She holds nothing but contempt for her father who made his choice to forsake her.
Wraith Pendant: Adrianna’s pendant charm is a Wraith Pendant: a turquoise gemstone that harbors a fragmented soul of the infamous dark sorcerer Abaddon Othgar. Othgar sought to become the most powerful being imaginable. In his quest for power, he learned a way to transcend his corporeal form, becoming himself a terrifying haunt as his power grew still. After a decade of reigning terror, he was vanquished and his soul was destroyed with his incorporeal form. A fragment however still resides in this gemstone. Inside the pendant, the soul fragment draws minute amounts of Adrianna’s life force to sustain itself. It is not enough to affect her in any way. The fragment is weak for not being whole and cannot compel her. It can only subtly influence her thoughts. She has not yet learned to isolate and hear its voice, as she does not know its there yet. It also cannot possess a host which is unwilling. It is too weak. Nor could it have full control over a host it possesses. If/when she begins to understand what she holds and the power it contains, she could call upon the wraith and allow it into her to harness its power. The soul can only control her body as long as her mind allows it. While it does it pushes her body harder than her conscious mind could and confers superior technique with her weapon in hand. Neither of these however could save her if she were in trouble, as they do little to improve upon her natural ability. Of note is the arcane abilities known to the Sorcerer Abaddon that now become her own to wield. The soul is so weak it cannot summon arcane power as it once could. Instead it draws off the host’s life force instead both to sustain its increased exertion and to fuel its magical abilities in an unusual middle-ground between the arcane and more common runic spells. Entering into this wraith form is exhausting and dangerous, effects greatly accelerated the more heavily she and the wraith call upon its arcane power. When the soul retreats into its shelter of the gemstone after the two have merged for a time, she is left with crippling exhaustion for at least several hours. If she were to push the form to its limits, the result would be days spent unconscious ... or even death. When the soul does take hold of her, the telltale blur of its incorporeal form is visible from Adrianna’s body as well. There are also black marks that appear across her body - notably creating a mask-like appearance around her eyes - resembling decorative tattoos of a pattern similar to that scrolled on her armor. These fade with time after the soul has departed her at roughly the same rate her strength returns to her.
Before you know the man. You must understand where he came from. This story starts here in The Blooded Archipelago. Given such a name by sailors who told stories of a chain of islands run by a renegade society formed by a so called “Raider King” in a town created by prostitutes, stolen daughters from farms on the mainland, pirates, bandits escaping the gallows, con men, and children who learned to scam and steal.
In the Blood Archipelago are tales of Mather’s Lighthouse said to lure sailors trading goods from one mainland to the next to their dooms. Purposely luring them to dangerous waters near rocky crags. While the most feared place is the Deadman’s Port.
Where lost merchants, lost sailors, and even soldiers from the mainland had met unsavory fates setting foot on the ports of several little towns all connected by their ships. Each given a name and earned a reputation based on the captain who's made a name for himself.
There’s no imperial law here. Only raider law. The law designed by the Raider King, old Butcher Mad Eyes. Whose reputation trails all the way back to his younger years like breadcrumbs. Ruthless, cutthroat and said to have at least three wives. And many children. He’s spurred a generation of psychopathic nutso that all claim the rocky crags, stormy seas, and sea cliffs as their home.
No prey, No Pay
A ratty, faded placard hangs up in the Leaping Fish Tavern to remind raiders what they have agreed to in staying Deadman’s Port as a sanctuary from the mainland’s gallows.
I - Every man sitting next to you is an equal in affairs. Every man has a right to share the claims of goods, fresh provisions or liquor at his pleasure, unless the rarity of said item is in question.
II- In regards to law, every man at your side has shared value to say. But if a conclusion cannot be decided by the crew, the Captain or Leader has final say. His vote may be questioned by his Quartermaster if the final word is considered unfair in any circumstance.
III - Every man is to be called fairly in turn by list on board to receive his prizes, every man is given clothes for his days on board with no questions, but if any man is founded to defrauding the company to the value of money in plates, jewels, or money he must serve the punishment. His ears and nose will be slit as a message to any incoming boats that may try to pick him up. He will be left somewhere that will ensure hardship before a pain and slow death.
IV - You do not cheat your equal. There will be no gaming at cards or dice for money among your fellows.
V - All lights and candles should be put out by nine o’clock and if any man wants to drink after the lights are out, he must do it on the deck or on the bay side port.
VI- Your weaponry must be clean and fit for service. And may not be used to dispute disagreements among your fellow while on deck or in city. Affairs will be decided by the crew, and will not be deadly, unless the crime befits the punishment.
VII- No boy or woman is allowed on deck or to raid with the party. No boy allowed onto a raid until he is considered befit for the job at hand. No woman disguised and snuck on board, nor to engage the latter sex on board. To do so with the latter sex is punishment of death, sterilization or marooning. Choice is subjected to the Captain or Quartermaster. No fellow should have a say. If a boy is found among the crew, he is subjected to marooning and must find his way on his own.
VIII - No man should abandon his ship or quarters in battle. To do is death or marooning. Punishment is subjected to the Captain’s final word.
IX - No man should retire until he has shared one thousand pounds with his fellows. If any man should lose a limb or become cripple in their service he is to have seventy six hundred pounds paid to him out of the public stock and for lesser injuries proportionally to the injury.
X - The Captain and Quartermaster are to receive two shares of a prize, all medicines go the ship doctors and anyone caught stealing or trying to take medicines from the ship doctors quarters will have their right ring finger cut off and marooned. The master, boatswain, and gunner to receive one share and a half, and other officers one and quarter.
XI - No fellow is to steal another fellows woman. Unless he pays out his fellow based on the value of the woman. A woman’s value will be based on who she has mated where she is located in the port, the value of the fellows home, and the value on the woman’s beauty compared to the fellow. The woman may contest the buy out if she has a feasible reasoning, either pregnancy, already have children with the fellow, and or in some way devalues the marriage by buying herself out more than the sum of the men then the fellow must forfeit the woman. If he tries to take her afterward, he will be marooned or may be feasibly killed by the fellow whose woman was taken.
XII- A boy who wants to accompany a raid must complete determination of his manhood. Often a task given to him by the Captain or Quartermaster of the crew he wishes to join. The task is an individual task subjected to the Captain and/or Quartermaster’s discretion.
XIII - A boy may accompany a crew, against VII if he is given a suitable task for his age. He may not join in on raids or be given any prize or reward. But may earn prizes or rewards for the crew. He is not to be able to claim these rewards for himself. If he tries to claim the rewards for himself may lose his pointer finger, and marooned. The boy has no rank in the crew, no word, and may not speak out against even the lowest of crew members till he has earned his title, or his manhood.
XIV - Any traveler who comes to the island is greeted by a swift death. Unless he or she provides some set of service. Bards and entertainers will be welcomed among the fellows and treated with the same discipline we show our fellows.
XV - If a Fellow is dead and has a claim on a woman. She is to receive one quarter of prizes from the public stock. This is one hundred and a quarter when she is considered too old to provide children.
These were the rules and laws everyone born or brought here were expected to follow. Or they were left out on islands, marooned for punishment. And any crew that tried to pick up an exiled crew member were subjected to long disputes.
Now that you understand the place, who is Clive the Reaper of the Knaves? He was born to Cleve the Shark, officer on Darrius the Menace’s ship Portside Stalker.
His mother a mistress at the Shipwrecked Brothel where he was raised by several whores and the lady of the house until he was deemed old enough to start serving a crew without claims.
A young boys duty was to learn and imitate the behaviors he saw the Fellows perform on a daily basis. To learn the Captains and their Quartermasters name. In hopes that one day they would claim the name of the Captain they would work under when they entered manhood.
Age: 35
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Alias: The Reaper of Knaves
Age has not slowed down Clive. In fact you could argue the man is exactly in his prime. His age has only given him more experience and made him more determined towards his indiscriminate actions. Wearing a long layered cloak over his clothes, the man sports a crew cut with very little hair receding at the top. His skin is actually quite tan from the years in the sun.
He stands at 175cm, 5’9”. He weighs 58 kg, 130 pounds. While he may not be muscular, he is quite toned, and fit. His frame is actually quite stocky and compact, but lean. His irises are steel gray.
Clive is not a complicated man his words are like the steel of a blade, they get to the point quickly, in a rather matter of fact way. He speaks with clarity for a man born on an island of anarchy and raiding. A clarity that makes him understandable to others, but what he has to say may shake their sense of sensibility.
Personality:
The Shark may have been his father, but The Menace was his mentor.
Cunning and calculative for a man people would claim is nothing, but a no good killer from an island of anarchy. Mainland educated for a man people would claim he was not raised by anyone civil. Clive is a rather respected man among his Fellows.
While the Knight Captain who wanted to capture may have painted him as some daft winded idiot, Clive is a lot more than some daft retard from the seas. Just because they were pirates, raiders, schemers and con men didn’t mean he wasn’t educated.
Clive’s a man who likes to get straight to the point of things. Which may seem ironic considering the man doesn’t fight considerably in the front lines, but he doesn’t like to bullshit or dance around a subject. He hates bullshit and worse he hates dumb twits, who don’t know the difference between their own dick and another man’s dick, trying to lie to him.
He hates an idiot who thinks they can con him. He hates an idiot who thinks they can manipulate him. He also hates the idiot who doesn’t think he knows a thing or two because they think he’s just a barbarian. Crude in his mannerisms, unashamed of his past life, Clive comes off a merciless, cutthroat. Which is not a wrong assumption.
A cunning mastermind, who prefers tactical thinking over rushing in. He may fight from the shadows, but he fights with just as much teeth and claws as someone in the front lines would. Maybe even more as his methods are ruthless, barbaric, and he seems to get some sick satisfaction watching something squirm in pain.
With that said he might be the sociopathic killer everyone paints him off to be, he does have a few soft spots. He has a code of honor that he follows. Whether or not that redeems him is a question the company has to ask themselves. A complicated moral and ethical system, he plays by a different set of rules. And while he may be ruthless at least for now it seems he is loyal to his latest company in the Order.
He won’t betray someone that is a part of his crew. No matter the current circumstances.
Weapons:
Mayhem and Madness; Razor’s of the Wretched
Every blade has a tale. Every tip has burrowed into someone’s flesh. Blood is just as much a part of the steel that crafted the blade.
Mayhem and Madness are dual combat knives that sit behind him in a sheath that looks like a scroll. It is obvious to any onlooker that these blades were not something he could have afforded even on his piracy salary. Instead they were one of the many items he helped himself to after a raid. He named them Mayhem and Madness. Others called them the Razor’s of the Wretched.
They belonged to some wealthy bloke that they terrified into submission somehow. And helped themselves to the wealth of his goods in his wagon. Mayhem and Madness since then though have been well taken care of, polished, sharpened, cleaned. As per the rules of when one wants to lead their services for a crew.
Death’s Kiss
There are very few things Clive has that have sentimental value. Death’s Kiss being the blade given to him by his father after he became a man. While Clive has no real feelings towards his father. He has feelings towards the sense of pride he felt when he completed the task given to him. Death’s Kiss ended up have more sentimental value towards his own pride than compassionate love towards his father. He sees it as something he finally earned.
Various Throwing Knives
A various set of throwing knives with unbalanced and balanced knives for different occasions.
Clothing:
It’s clear to anyone that Clive is not a man meant to fight in the frontlines. In fact he is majorely an ambush support fighter. He provides backup to his team with his various bombs, oils, throwing knives, poisons, and cleans up weakened enemies for the final blow with his dagger. Because of this he rarely is seen in anything cumbersome to wear, for easier movement.
Considering he’s a still well known wanted man for his assassinations despite his clearance from the Order three years ago, in the city he tends to wear a cloak over his clothing in order to disguise himself from the Guards or some sort of nosy sort. The cloak is gray and rather tatty looking. He doesn’t seem to mind it.
-Black Tabard with hood -Metal arm guards -Hide boots -Black breeches -Tan tunic
Around his waist. Carries 5 potions. Pouches for various usages.
Carries his bombs
Equipment:
What he cannot break with strength, he annihilates with poison, uses various oils, and bombs. Which he carries in his pockets and or his worn satchel.
He carries with him flask that you’d associate with alchemy, a pestle and mortar, various ingredients and their recipes, and smaller empty vials that he places in his pocket. Too often stash his stache somewhere else while he is ambushing his prey.
Bag doesn't come with him on missions in fact it often stays at camp. Poisons
3 vials to coat on his blade in combat
1 bottle to pour into his vials out of combat
Ingredients
2 Nightmare Leaf - 2 leaves left
3 Fiendish Thorn - 1 root left
2 Slug Stalk - 4 roots left
If you ever wished for your body to feel like it’s on fire then Fiendish Fire is your wish. A deadly poison that quickly processes through the body, it has the victim of it’s effect have a sudden sense of neuropathy in less than four to five minutes.
While the pain may not kill you, victims in agony have done lethal and deadly things to themselves in order for them to not experience the pain of the poison any further. Fiendish Fire is perfect in use for interrogations.
3 vials to coat on his blade in combat
2 bottles left to put in his vials out of combat
Ingredients
3 Bleeding Spore - 3 Bleeding spore mushrooms left
3 grams of Bonemeal - 1 gram left
3 Shrew Seed - 1 Shrew Seed left
1 cup beast blood - 0
4 grams axiom powder - 2 grams left
It’s all in the name. The Necron Toxin is not something you wish even on your worse enemies. While it is a slow acting poison, there is little cure for its deadly effects. Once the poison enters an open wound there is little in the way of help as it begins to eat away at healthy tissue at an unnerving quick rate. While a poison it acts far more like an infection of gangrene and rot.
And while it’s victims may be able to live without a limb or two, it’s not a guarantee that they will survive the amputation of the rotting away arm or that the Necron Toxin has completely left their symptoms. Victims who have lost a singular limb from the poison, may find themselves months later with another dying leg or foot or hand.
1 vial to coat on his blade in combat
1 bottle to pour into his vials out of combat
Ingredients
1 Lost Petal - 2 petals left
4 grams Axiom Powder - 2 grams left
3 Grave Seed - 3 Grave Seed left
3 Wicked Spore - 4 Wicked Spore mushroom Left
4 Bleeding Spore - 3 Bleeding Spore mushroom Left
1 Blistering Grudge - 0 Blistering Grudge mushroom left
Do not let the name fool you into believing this is a love potion. In fact it’s one of the more lethal poisons he has in his arsenal. The Heartache poison will make you wish it was a lovers potion as it enters the body it attacks the sinuses. Quickly moving to the victim’s eyes, it blinds them first, then within a few short minutes it begins to destroy the sinuses.
Due to the fact that the sinuses are being attacked, the tear ducts begin to work over time, like when you’re being attacked by allergies stuffy nose and watery eyes, the victim dies looking like they cried themselves to death from heartache.
Not even a full bottle.
Ingredients
8 Shavings of silver - 0 left
1 Divine Petal - 0 left
1 Divine Stalk - 0 left
½ cup Basilisk Water - 0 left
1 Pandemonium Flower
This is not your traditional poison. In fact it has two properties. The first property is that it acts as a poison for any undead creatures. It often kills them in the same way healing or light magic may kill them. As the Divine Flower and Basilisk Water are so often used for their healing components. Because of this the poison may act as a healing salve for any non undead being instead.
Because of the small components of silver it does seem to also affect incorporeal beings in an unusual way. It often makes them flicker between corporeal and not for a few short seconds. It’s not the most effective against them, but it works in a pinch. It’s mainly a poison meant to damage the undead.
Half a bottle
Ingredients
1 Ember Bloom - 0 Left
4 Leaves of Queen’s Weed - 1 Queen’s Weed Left
8 Water Barberries - 1 Barberry left
1 Mountain Clove - 0 left
4 Golden Blooms - 0 left
2 teaspoons Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon left
5 Teaspoons Nutmeg - 0 left
Not everything in Clives arsenal is deadly. And his allies should be lucky. The Pain Soother is less a poison or a potion and more like a bitter, but sweet tea that is a medical antidote. The Pain Soother does as it’s name implies, it soothes pain.
While it doesn’t heal wounds, it does cut off someone’s mind from feeling the pain of their wounds. Allowing them enough time to amble to medical treatment or in order to sooth them before they pass. The Pain Soother is probably the kindest thing Clive has.
He also carries a small bottle of oil, that he can douse on his enemies for errr explosive results with his bombs. While it may not cover a whole area, even the smallest of area catching fire is enough for them to light up like a fucking kindling.
Bombs
The last of Clive’s arsenal is in his bombs. Which he throws into battle with indiscriminate glee. He tries his best to not throw them in an area close to his allies. But sometimes it’s less his throw and their situational awareness. Or that’s what he tells them.
Traditional gunpowder bombs ,about the size of a baseball, he carries with him. In his side bags he can carry at least five or six bombs. And he tends to chose a various set. His regular gunpowder bombs are often infused with runes for different results. Fire infused bombs cause a burst of flames with the natural explosion as well. Perfect combo with his oil and one of his personal favorites.
Light runes allow him to throw them and make wraiths and ghost become incorporeal for a short period of time. A dark rune allows him to weaken monsters in the area with the initial explosion.
Skills:
Sabotage and Ambush
In his younger years, Clive was the smallest boy on Menace’s ship. And while they were not allowed to raid or pillage with the crew nor had any claims to the rewards and items. Clive was small enough to squeeze into windows and unlock doors. There he had to learn also not to be detected by whomever would be in the homestead, farm, or even estate. Using all these tools of the trade as he got older into his own style.
He used his ability to trick the idea or sneak around others to use it support the other Fellows, who fought frontlines, from behind. Throwing bombs, using knives for combat, and daggers. To only slip back into the shadows by falling behind his enemies blind spots.
Knife Fighter
The Deadman’s Port had always been sort of a hub for other sailors and other sailing individuals to meet up. Other unsavory types from the other sides of the world would come and bring interesting inventions and gadgets.
Annie Razortooth, one of the few woman who earned a rank among the Fellows only due to her own personal history, always tended to bring back interesting skills and things from other parts of the world. She rather explore the open seas than go back to the mainland. One of those things she brought were a few people with slanted eyes, their knives, and they taught them to any curious boy.
Clive of course being that curious boy learned to throw knives from the slanted eyed individuals. And learned how to fight with the knives.
Quiet Step
What would the Raiding Pirate Assassin be if it wasn’t mentioned his quiet step? At an early age he was already exploring the boundaries of the world. Being that he wasn’t allowed on raids and pillages, he often found ways to entertain himself. One of his favorite games was sneaking up on squiiddish animals like deer. It became sort of a game to see how close he could get.
This game became less and less of a game the more and more useful it became to the Fellows. It’s the skill that allowed him to complete his task in the first place. Years of practicing walking softly and surveying the landscape for the quietest depressions.
Alchemy
Clive learned a few things here and there from the Deadman’s Port doctors. When he wasn’t out on the seas with the Fellows he tried to find ways to entertain himself. Knife fighting lessons with Fast Fingers and Annie. Potion creation with Ansley Three Fingers. And he indeed had three fingers.
Sailing and Marine Navigation
Being a Fellow meant a lot of time on the sea. And escaping the mainland meant knowing the ocean deeper than anyone. He knows how to set the sails, and work a boat. He also knows how to navigate the seas better than anyone beside probably a sailor doing it longer than him.
History:
It is not a man’s early life that makes the man’s name. His early life seems to be a drop of untouchable innocence that is the seed to grow. Except Clive’s life was never really innocent. As a young child he was learned to scam, con, spot a cheater and a liar, he was taught how to sneak into homes, watched violence. Saw blood woven into the soil.
He was taught the savage truth about a society raised on the edge of anarchy. He grew up a cynical child, exposed to brutality since he was very young. There’s nothing special about that man back then. Young and only learning there’s nothing more that can be said.
What changes a boy to a man? Is actions that highlight their path.
The difference between a Fellow and just a boy imitating a Fellow is the task they are given and how they complete it. The Menace had high expectations for Clive. Not because he was The Shark’s son, but because Clive had set an expectation of someone who could someday lead a group of Fellows.
To prove his worth among the Fellows and climb through the ranks he was asked to steal Lady Cecilia's ruby necklace. An impossible task many Fellows said, no one had ever been able to raid, let alone sneak into Crescentwood Chateau. Some say Lady Cecilia’s husband, Earl Romford had insulted Darrius the Menace many years ago.
He was fifteen at the time. The Shark, Colborn Razor Darrius’ quartermaster had decided and agreed upon the task for Clive. It was then asked by Darrius to Clive, that if he could he had a target for him to eliminate as well.
That being Earl Romford himself. Romford had hidden for many years in his impenetrable mansion for too long. To kill Romford was only really an optional step. Though Clive never really questioned any shameful act he had been witnessed to for the fifteen years he had lived.
Clive then proved himself. Not only taking the ladies necklace, but managing to kill Romford. Though his work then at fifteen being sloppy. Considering the amount of security he had to kill. And nearly getting caught on his way in and out. But the success of that task is what separated and define Clive as a child and as a man.
He spent many of his years after that climbing the ranks. Earning rewards. Taking out people who insulted the Fellows to send messages to those who owed them money. He earned the nickname Reaper in his late teens and early twenties by the Fellows. He was a bruiser among them, though the mainland commonly mistook or called him an assassin.
In his mid twenties he had earned enough recognition that at least eight years ago began to run his own crew of Fellows. He was said to be a cunning mastermind. A cutthroat who lacked remorse for his actions. He never seemed to weep nor care for the lives he took. Many of them were messages he sent to those who had insulted him somehow, many of them were messages to the mainland to fear his Ravagers.
And for many years they did. No one could catch sight of this so called bandit reaper and his knaves. The Knight Captain Dunnam at the time scoured the mainland looking for the Ravagers. To find no trace nor clue of them. At Deadman’s Port Clive was beginning to earn himself some mild success. Some saw him as someone who would be a great captain of history someday.
But fate has a strange way of changing. Roughly three years ago, at the age of thirty-two Clive and his Ravagers were caught. At least a few of them. Knight Captain Dunnam who had been madly searching for the group had finally found them by sheer accident as they were gearing up to leave the mainland with their goods. There was no due process. No negotiations. Willy One Eye was sentenced to death as well as Clive at the gallows. While Jimmy the Swindler and Calypso the Danger were given “mercy” if being torn apart by the Knights hunting dogs is considered merciful.
Even then Clive showed no shame nor remorse for his actions. He still doesn’t know where to find that. And it doesn’t bother him that he doesn’t feel it. He would have died three years ago if not for the Order who had him released into their custody. Who found his skills useful. Not only had he evaded being caught for seventeen years. Ran the most successful criminal group even among the Fellows. And had managed to leave a trail of blood with no trace of himself or his Ravagers.
In the Order he is not been allowed to contact his Fellows at Deadman’s Port. But he has been given his freedom and allowed to walk peacefully among the civilian cities. He provides the Order his perspective, but don’t think that’s some deep philosophical pondering.