Hider [+]

(Let me know if I need to make any other changes.)

Professor Cipherous

^{"I hope you're not down with the sickness..."}

^{Darth Cipherous ♦ A G E: 31 ♦ S E X: Female ♦ A L I G N M E N T: Lawful Neutral}

Ω O R I G I N S:

Darth Cipherous was born in the esteemed city of Ravenmire, which marked her among the few in the kingdom with access to a proper education. Her parent's had humble origins as commoners, though her father was a cobbler of some talent. Curious even from a young age, Darth appeared to be taken with the stories and tales from other lands. Taught to read by her mother, Darth explored the tomes and books she managed to get her hands throughout most of her youth. While many children played outside Darth preferred to instead stay indoors with her head in a book. Her interest coupled with an active imagination and an astoundingly mature disposition made it clear Darth seemed blessed with a towering intellect. This sadly left her with few friends as none of the children of her neighborhood matched her own maturity- with many of them finding her aloof and strange making her the butt of many jokes.

Darth was fortunate enough, however, to early in her life to benefit from the aid of a traveling scholar- who, lacking enough coin, decided to repay Darths father by tutoring his daughter while he stayed in the city. Seeing her potential- this same scholar, named Bertulf Scully, offered to sponsor Darth for a place in the esteemed college of Ravensworth. Seeing this as a blessing, Darth's parents agreed, fulfilling a long time dream of hers. At the age of sixteen, she was enrolled after proving her abilities through an arduous exam that she passed with near perfection. This impressed the Rectors of the university enough that she was one of the youngest novitiates to be taken in.

It was a long four years of hard work and study before Darth finally graduated, at which point she decided to stay on -- joining the ranks of the Ravensworth institute. Her intelligence and ambition soon saw her attain the coveted position of a preceptor within the institute. The rank proving she had mastered three fields of expertise within the college. After ten years working within the institute, exploring afield as often as she could to learn first hand of the history of each city within the kingdom, news of the dreaded new plague began to spread like wildfire. Though over the centuries the institute had become familiar with studying and treating new sicknesses, it became apparent this new strain was unlike anything they had ever encountered.

Darth's talents soon saw her superiors placing her at the forefront of finding a cure. Darth herself wished nothing more than learning all she could after hearing of the severity of the disease. Thus, Darth willingly joined the fourth talon of Ravensworth, the Sanguine Shroud. Known widely as plague doctors- and officially in their institute as Harbingers- with expertise in bloodletting, and magick treatment, these scourge hunters achieved their dread infamy in the infancy of their founding for disposing of victims, and even potential victims, before signs of sickness could manifest themselves. Though their methods over the decades have become much less extreme many still remember those dark days. Their beaked masks and black robes have since now become synonymous with fear, for many of these men and women know no mercy. The shroud investigators soon became less known as physicians and more so as executioners.

Darth herself has worked tirelessly to improve the credibility of Ravenworths Harbingers. Darth has made little headway in finding a cure, however, but the recent call by High Lord Jocun has given her hope all the same. She offers her skills in the hopes of finally ending this nightmare.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ Idyllic Precpetion| Darth was blessed with an incredible mind that has served her quite well in her chosen profession. Her unmatched memory and intelligence are among the reasons she has remained top of her field. Her attention to detail often means she can recall anything she has learned of or come across in almost perfect detail.

◼ Black Blood Ministation | Harbingers of the Sanguine Shroud are all subjected to an experimental blood ministration that is both equal parts alchemical solution and arcane ritual. Black blood is an unusual concoction fashioned from the blood samples of survivors of past afflictions known to Ravensworth and stored in the college. This infusion effectively renders the recipient all but immune to most known diseases, along with many forms of venom or poisons, but at a great cost. This, of course, has long been proven to be worthless against the new stone flesh plague.

//SKILLS:

◼ Hippocratic Oath| Darth is foremost an academic and a doctor, but years of research has left her with a generous amount of knowledge in alchemy as well as history. This means she knows how to create- and possesses many- healing tonics, toxins, and poisons. Dr. Cipherous can thus make use of many experimental remedies and risky healing practices to mend or even cure her companions' of mundane ailments and restore their vigor. She also employs her talent for healing to do harm if the situation calls for it.

◼ Healer or Executioner| Though not skilled with, sickle, blade or bow, Darth was taught the Shourds execution techniques to 'pacify' sickened patients to grant them a merciful painless death. This includes the use of potent poisons or, in desperate situations, the bladed cane whip she carries.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Who Likes Needles?| Due to the widespread fear, superstitions, and rumors of the preventive doctors of Ravensworth due to an unsavory past-- many have come to fear the arrival of a Harbinger. A few desperate souls may even attack a lone Harbinger outright before accepting their help through this is usually rare.

◼ No Hiding It| Thanks to ancient oaths and more than a few local laws, allegiance to Ravensworth fabled fourth talon must always be visible. This effectively means no agent of the Sanguine Shroud can obfuscate who they are. Thus the robes and beaked mask must always be worn when working on behalf of the Sanguine Shroud. The enforcement of this rule is to grant a measure of protection to their agents from infection, as much as to abide by current laws.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ Bookworm| Years spent studying tombs, scrolls and countless books, along with the occasional experiment has left Darth with no time for much physical exercise. She is typically weaker than most individuals she comes across, and her slight frame does nothing to aid in this regard.

◼ The Price of Health| The seemingly miraculous black blood ministration grants one an incredibly robust immune system, but this comes at a terrible cost. Firstly the process effectively causes the user to develop a mild form of aplastic anemia. They will produce little to no blood on their own, and must actively acquire regular infusions of healthy treated blood to remain functioning. To compound things further, one soon becomes addicted to the process of blood infusion. If no injection is maintained at least once a week, the individual will degrade rapidly in health. Growing weaker, and more feral with time. The one upside to this unseemly mutation is that the user of black blood can receive any blood for transfusion, what the college has come to call a 'universal recipient'. If not for this one fact black blood might never have been used as it is now.

Ω N O T E S:

◼ Dr. Cipherous is garbed in the cloak of dark black and cowl that, with her beaked mask, covers her entire head and face. The beaked mask carries some herbs, spices, and is blended to create a special incense. The perfume like substance serves the main purpose as a means of masking the scent of rotting corpses. Though it also serves the dual purpose of preventing any noxious gases, she may use to affect her. She also carries satchels that hold countless, ingredients, herbs, vials, tonics, and one bag houses her alchemist’s supplies.

Examples include a Moor’s Head, four alembics, a retort, the classic Mortar, and Pestle, a stirring rod, and a dozen empty flask. Finally, she carries a tome strapped to her side that houses recipes for countless things- from poisons, anti-venoms, or healing tonics. She also has a journal with her to document anything exciting or valuable she may come across.

Appearance: When not wearing her signature mask, Darth is not too different from most who live in the central homelands. Her complexion is rather pale from lack of sun, and her eyes are exceptionally dark from her black blood ministration. She has raven black hair and a gauntness to her features that hint at her unnatural condition.

Gear
Bladed Cane: A common piece of gear for Sanguine Shrouded agents acting as harbingers is a walking cane which is seen as both a badge of office and serves the more practical use to examine and direct patients without the need to make direct contact with the patient. As with nearly all equipment employed by Shroud, the cane serves the dual purpose as an execution weapon for those who have caught the stone blight. In extreme cases, the one might use the hidden blade feature of the cane to defend one's self as it is sufficiently deadly as a rigid bladed cane, that can serve as a bladed whip when its blade is split into over a dozen razor-sharp segments. The top of the cane is fashioned to resemble a raven's head.

Kassandra Fletcher [+]

K A S S A N D R A

^{"NO, I will NOT make you a love potion!"}

^{Kassandra Fletcher
♦ 19 ♦ Female ♦ Neutral Good}

Ω O R I G I N S:

Kassandra Fletcher is one of the mages in training serving under
Master Mage Horridan Reese. It has taken her years of schooling to get to where she is, and just as much determination and drive. While she does know the same general magic that all book-learned mages are taught, Kassandra’s specialty is potion work. One would think it’s no different than cooking, but there is a subtlety and complication in the art that many mages overlook for something more straightforward. It’s not just the choice of ingredients that changes, but the amount used, and the amount of magical will infused into the ingredients. The timeframe of brewing, the weather on the day that you begin the potion. Is the room humid or dry? Your hands clean when you stoppered the bottle?

Kassandra adores her potions, and her hard work has garnered many results. She wants to teach others when she becomes of age. Working to stop the plague is not only her Master’s wish, but Kassy’s as well.

Her parents, Kaia and Lenden were nomadic, and she was a very happy child, traveling from city to city. Kaia had a great deal of magic and intelligence, and “Spoke to the dead”. In truth, no one can speak to the dead. Kaia used a combination of cold reading and minor illusion to do what she did, and used it to help others come to grips with loss. Her father had no magical talent of his own, but supported his wife and child with heart and blade. While she was a benevolent woman, not everyone saw her that way. “Unholy” and “charlatan” were among the first complicated words that little Kassy learned as a child, but so were “savior” and “blessed”. What she didn’t learn, was that her mother was essentially a fraud. Some nights when they rushed out in the middle of the night were treated as a fun game, and Kassy never understood that they were being chased. Kassandra will never know if it was sabotage or a spell gone very wrong, but her mother died one evening in the midst of a “channeling”.

Lenden was never the same. He sunk into his grief, and they spent almost a year travelling and barely making ends meet before they came to the city of Vasilius. There, Kassandra learned that she had an aunt Liriya – her brother’s sister – and that aunt was a minor noble (she married up). Her father dropped her off there, promising to return within 6 months.

Kassandra has never seen him again.

While Aunt Liriya was displeased with the arrangement to say the least, she did clothe and feed and put a roof over Kassy’s head. She even went sure the girl went to school, something 8 year old Kassy did not know existed. Despite being behind the other noble children, Kassy quickly caught up. And then – she began to surpass her classmates through the years.
When she was about 17, when most noble children were going for professions or knighthood, Kassy was offered another choice. All schools of the realm had magic tests to determine a child’s aptitude. Most children didn’t show much more than the usual capacity for spellwork, and were left to general schooling. Some showed more innate talent, and they were given extra lessons to not let the talent go to waste or get out of hand.
Kassandra was offered a place at the Royal Academy of Advanced Intellect – a school where the best and brightest in the kingdom went to learn and grow. She learned where her passions lay, studied with other like minds, and was third in line for an apprenticeship with the Master Mage Reese himself! Within a year, she was moved up the ladder. The first apprentice married, the second apprentice quit, and Kassy was suddenly thrown into the position in the midst of the plague. She is determined to succeed – don’t burn out, don’t get pregnant, and don’t let a little thing like an incurable plague stop her from becoming someone amazing.

Ω
A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ I Got Bottles | While she does know the same general magic that all book-learned mages are taught, Kassandra’s specialty is potion work. One would think it’s no different than cooking, but there is a subtlety and complication in the art that many mages overlook for something more straightforward. It’s not just the choice of ingredients that changes, but the amount used, and the amount of magical will infused into the ingredients. The timeframe of brewing, the weather on the day that you begin the potion. Is the room humid or dry? Your hands clean when you stoppered the bottle?
So far, Kassy has several potions that she relies on.
Better Than Coffee: This golden-brown potion provides a 3 hour burst of energy that will shake off sleepiness and make up for an all-nighter in the library. Kassandra knows from experience that more than 2 per day is asking for trouble.
Cleanser: This is a strangely clear potion. It’s used to detect poison, or other harmful additives in food or drink. Kassy has made quite a bit of money with this one.
To Your Health!: This potion is bright orange, and can help shake off small sicknesses like colds. This is one that Kassy is constantly working to improve. It doesn’t work well on everyone. For some reason, elderly don’t respond well to it. It is also only for minor illnesses, certainly not a miracle cure.
Purge: This is the only one that could be called a poison. When imbibed, it will make the drinker vomit. Then it will happen in the other direction. Ironically enough, Kassy uses this on herself more than anyone else, as she refuses to let anyone test a potion–in–progress. She’s had to expel failed experiments from her own body more than once.

◼ “Real Magic” | Kassandra’s spells are for function, not flash. While she has many more, the few that she uses on a regular basis are as such:
Light – She casts a circle of light large enough for about 3 people.
Burst – She launches a bubble of force that impacts like a kicking horse. Could break bones if it hit the right place. Could kill if it hit the wrong place.
Detect – Detects the presence of magic around her. Only works on cast spells or magical things or creatures. Since everything’s got a bit of magic, the spell is tuned for what is deliberately there.
Bubble – Burst in reverse. Calls up a localized shield that can cover about 20 feet around.

//SKILLS:

◼ Court Savvy | While technically not a noble herself, she does hold a
position of esteem. As one of Reese’s students, she is expected to be present at certain functions - if
only to be silent at her Master's elbow. She knows the rules, and can manage in high company.

◼ Well-Read |
Kassandra has spent a lifetime either moving from city to city, or nose-deep in books from around the world. She has an intelligence about the world outside. While she doesn’t speak much of her nomadic past, the knowledge she has may come in handy on the journey.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Reader, not a Fighter | Kassandra does not like fighting. While certain potions can be used for combat, and Kassy does know how to swing the staff she carries, she will hesitate to jump into battle. In a real fight, that hesitation could be very dangerous.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ NERRRD! | Kass is not very social, to say the least. While she can happily go on about magical theory, history, and
classical works, she's more than a little out of her league just socializing. Other people her age sometimes find her awkward, or just boring. She is acutely aware of this, and is often hesitant in conversation.

Ω
N O T E S:

◼ Kassandra was born with white hair. She has no idea why, and to the knowledge of everyone she’s ever asked, she has no more or less magical power than anyone else. It may be a birth defect, it may be destiny. Right now, Kass herself just finds it annoying. She usually covers her head with a cap or hood, and wears makeup to darken her lashes and eyebrows.

Waiting on your reapproval.

@Roman
Holy crap, I'm rereading my app and I just realized my late night stupor she's learning magic from a wolf. Unless you find that fine, I'll correct that wierdness when I get to a computer.

@roman I've posted my application with the revised content, whenever you get a chance can you please check?

<Snipped quote by Tangletail>

I'm umming and aah-ing about your sheet so I will try and PM you to discuss it tomorrow. @fetzen I know you're still waiting as well so I will do you both at the same time.

<Snipped quote by Sovi3t>

In all honestly I'm struggling to see any significant changes that you've made to address what we talked about? I like Jartod but he needs some focused direction and something to distinguish him from our other Knight-archetype characters, Gaius and Roderick.

@Roman Woohoo! I am probably going to post tomorrow, as I am up to 19 out of a 40 hours week and I have 3 days to go. Yaaay fuck overtime woooo.

<Snipped quote by Mistress Dizzy>

overtime sounds like it fucking sucks, congrats! I only have about a week left of school, so no more worrying about essays for me yay!

<Snipped quote by Liseran Thistle>

I graduated. But boy is there internal unholy screeching from college debt. Now I bang my head against a desk as I sift through horrible code 9hrs a day...

<Snipped quote by Tangletail>

You have a job in the computer science business? Because what you describe sounds eerily similar to what I do...

Hider [+]

Farya the Wolfborn

^{"We are all fragile things. But we kill, we take, we live. That makes us strong."}

Farya

^{"A small chested wildling woman with a toned body and cut back muscles. She's primitively dressed from head to toe in furs, wraps, and wraps of torn cloth from her favored game. Scars dot her body from various sources; Claws, blades, and arrows. A wooden wolf mask seems to be permanently fixed to her face"}

Wolyo

^{"A young direwolf with intelligence glinting in its eyes, decorated in a protective harness created with carved hardwood plates and hides. It is large enough to be straddled, but not large enough to cast a shadow over a man."}

^{FARYA ♦ 27 ♦ FEMALE ♦ TRUE NEUTRAL}

Ω O R I G I N S:

I have little personal memory of my origins. What I know has been told through my mother’s jaws. And from her tongue, I shall lay bare to you. I was a delicate creature. A suckling babe, crying for the milk of her mother – a kind woman with demons grasping for her heart. She is-was the mate of a wealthy man – by convince of their pack. And… the driver of souls into damnation. The smell of poppy clung to her. The sweetness of the scent – heighted by a fanged smile lured many into her clutches. They desired escape. They disliked the world for what it gave them. Despair, disease, loss. She obliged for a grave pittance. Lambs walking into the jaws of a wolf.
You shall do well to suspend surprise, for her fate was of her own creation. She rode a wheeled construct into the depths of a forest. She carried the babe. And lusting men, stinking of the city’s streets, overtook her protectors and her. Nature’s will came that day. For the strong took from the weak. Poppy, money, warmth, lives, and the babe. The mother lane slain and stripped of her worldly possessions. The baby for ransom, in hope of gold and jewels from the father.

Those lusting eyes only saw the glint of steel and fire in the night before the river turned red. The man was no fool. He had power. He’ll take me back – whatever the cost. But I never came back. For my takers have left me in a cave. The cadaver of the one whom guarded me decorated the floor. My new takers, my new pack, found me. The children’s teeth thirst for more blood. But my mother saw only a child that new nothing of the world’s beauty, and its horrors.

And through the years that child grew. She danced with a bow and the grace of a cat. Her arrows weaving through the air to fell their mark. A huntress forged by wolves. A wolf in lamb’s clothing.

My mother’s story has beauty. Nature’s will laid out. But most importantly, the story was also a parable. If you are strong, whatever you desire will become yours. A lesson that girl took to heart.

I left my pack by their graces to find a hunting grounds to make my own. I’ve traveled for many moons, alone. Found a large forest ripe with game. Another wolf as well. A massive wolf, whom I’ve built a strong bond with, one I do not completely understand. We are nearly one. I’ve taken to calling him Wolyo. An act forged with great sentiment. He became my new teacher – unlocked the secrets of rituals, spells, and language. No nights were cold, no dreams fretful, no hunt alone. He became my trusted friend, I became his.

Together, we laid claim to that forest. Together, we hunted wild life for food, trespassers for sport. We hear whispers on the winds of us. They speak of us, forging stories and legends. Of a maiden with a bow, and a great wolf with dagger-like teeth. A great wealth is to be had, and we are their gate keepers. There is truth to this. We collect what they find valuable from the fallen and stored it away. They hunt us, we in turn - them. Shall we be bested, we’ll recognize their strength. And our hoard is theirs to own.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ Feline’s Grace | Farya is startling graceful and dexterous. When relaxed, she drifts gracefully through the grass like a noble. Upright and to the step of a rhythm. When she prowls, she slinks like a predator with perfect balance. When she fires her bow, she does with the glory of a dancer. Swapping targets with a pirouette, and repositioning with a twirl, or a flip. And when running, she makes long strides with instinctive care in each step, or soars through the air when running on all fours.

◼ Apex Predator | Unlike most, Farya came to rely heavily on all of her senses working at their peak. She has better hearing, sense of smell, sensitivity to touch, and taste than most other humans. Naturally she’ll struggle with those who spent a lifetime hiding, but those few will gain her respect.

//SKILLS:

◼ Eternal Huntress | Farya had spent most of her life hunting. And like wise that gives her a lifetime to hone her tracking, stalking, and marksmanship. Those whom become Farya’s and Wolyo’s next target, will never live to tell the story of a close encounter with the two.

◼ We Hunt Together | Both Farya and Wolyo are no strangers to teamwork, and greatly desires a pack of their own. Those in their care would not need to fear about their flanks, or worry about being left to die.

◼ Nature’s Gift | Farya had learned some basic druid spells and rituals from her companion, Wolyo. While druid magics are worth fearing. Her spells are mostly utility, or ineffective in combat. Along with this gift, she holds a natural ability to speak with beasts.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Novice Druid | Farya had such a short time to learn the spells she knows. Practice and experimentation is the only reason why she can consistently cast such spells. However, she does not have the benefit of building up her endurance through years of practice like other spell casters. And more complicated spells she picks up later could potentially fail at a much higher rate than normal.

◼ Uneducated | Growing up in the wild often means you do not get the same opportunities. Farya is incapable of reading, writing, and some intermediate levels of arithmetic. She has little understanding of how machinery works.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ A Wolf Is Not a Pet | Civilization is a foreign concept to Farya. She has no sense of modesty, a lack luster understanding of laws, bare minimum humanity, and some how managed to not understand some of the nuances of human emotions like love. That's right, ask for her hand in marriage, and she will look at you with confusion. The only things civil about her, is the fact she wears clothes for utility purposes only, grooms and bathes on a regular and strict basis, and has a strong grasp of language.

◼ Two Fangs One Maw | It would be almost accurate to say they are two halves of one person. Linked in mind and soul, with a deep ingrain trust - they're sworn to be life long companions and to never leave the other behind. Separation will cripple them both with grief, loneliness, and an inexplicably strong desire to regroup with one another no matter the cost.

◼ Lone Wolves Don't Survive | The two’s greatest weakness is their dependence on one another. Like many wolves, the individual will not survive for long. They overcome their weaknesses by covering for each other’s. The two work together like a well-oiled machine. Isolating one will force them into a bad spot if the other can't get to them.

◼ Identity Masquerade | She almost always wears her mask. And very rarely takes it off. The loss of it could potentially cause her to lock up in fear, or frantically search for it.

Ω N O T E S:

◼ Primitive tatoos line her body. Rather than being various tribal symbols, they are few long sweeping, and broad swirling blue lines. They seem to be all connected together. They swirl around her kalves, thighs, stomach, and end crawling up her back to her shoulders. The same pattern is repeated on the furs and rags of cloths she wears in the exact same locations.

◼ Farya wears a mask. The mask is an intricate black painted wood carving resembling a stylized wolf. A blue marking exists on the forehead in a similar style to the markings that covers her body.

◼ Her Primary Weapon is a long bow, well made and decorated with trophies like fangs, claws, and feathers. Her back up is a sturdy primitive knife with a large ring on the hilt.