Many centuries ago, the land that is currently owned by the nation of Alsijan consisted largely of small towns and villages that pledged allegiance to local mage lords to form small nations. Unfortunately, these mage lords were often scheming against one another to accumulate territory and wealth, which often involved drafting their subjects to fight in protracted wars. As the number of wars increased, the people pledged to the mage lords began to become more and more disillusioned with the status quo. Eventually, the peasants in several of the larger nations were able to stage rebellions and install their own leader, merging their territories into one larger nation called Alsijan.
Most of the remaining mage lords were relatively unconcerned with the development of a new nation that was often larger than their own. After all, the new nation wasn’t lead by a mage, so they felt that it wouldn’t be difficult to crush them in due time. This attitude changed fairly quickly, however, as the new nation repelled multiple attempts to do just that, adding to their territory all the while. As it turned out, training their people to fight against their enemy mage lords meant that they had provided their people with the ability to fight back. Eventually, the remaining mage lords gathered together and, after much debate, decided to surrender and allow their territory to be added to the larger nation.
Decades after the Consolidation of Alsijan, the mage lords realized that the ability to utilize magic was becoming more and more common among the people. Knowing just how poorly magic could be used in the hands of an inexperienced mage, they set out to establish the Guild of Alsijan, an organization dedicated to the education of young mages regardless of race or social status. To fund the organization, the newly-formed guild offered the services of their mages to the populace at large. This typically involved enchanting items, banishing curses or hauntings, or hunting monstrous creatures that attacked villages.
Unfortunately, not every mage has a desire to use their magic for noble intentions. As new mages were trained to use their magic, crimes committed by mages became more and more common. Seeing as how the typical guards were incapable of dealing with magical crimes, the king of Alsijan commissioned the Guild to serve as a sort of policing organization for mages within the nation. This commission was to be a permanent job of sorts and provided the Guild with the authority to arrest and try mages that were accused of committing crimes.
Over time, the Guild continued to grow and eventually managed to establish small guildhalls in other nations, allowing them to take in a greater number of jobs and educate a far larger number of young mages. These other guildhalls are primarily just outposts, however, where jobs can be taken and where people can apply to join. All new recruits are sent to the central hall in the capital of Alsijan where they can be trained by some of the best mages in the world while taking on supervised jobs that help them obtain experience safely.
The City of Alsijan
One of the largest cities in the world, the city of Alsijan is the capital of Alsijan and is a sprawling port city with a wonderful tropical climate. Being so close to the water, the city makes use of a sprawling network of canals to improve the ability for people and goods to get to where they need to go. The buildings in the city tend to be made pale or white stone, often gleaming the bright sunlight, and are usually capped by brilliantly colored tiles. Balconies are also a common sight on most buildings, usually with ornately designed and brightly colored balustrades to provide a semblance of privacy to those on the balcony.
The city is largely arranged into a number of districts that help make it easier to navigate, though districts do overlap a little bit. The most prominent district is the Port district, which is, unsurprisingly, the district containing the port itself. Due to the constant influx of merchants and their cargo, the Port district is also home to sprawling marketplaces where street vendors and nearby shops proudly display their wares. There are a number of taverns and cheap inns in the area that cater primarily to the sailors disembarking as well.
The Garden district is the largest district by far and covers most of the west side of the city (i.e. inland). The Garden district consists largely of housing for the city’s citizens, but it also boasts the greatest numbers of inns, which are often attached to said residences. The name for the Garden district arises from the rooftop gardens that are very popular among the people. This, coupled with the canals cutting through the city, can make the district appear like a large, ornamental garden when viewed from above.
The Palace district is the district that houses the nobles and the government itself, as well as a number of financial institutions. It isn’t particularly large, but it does house the King’s palace, which sticks out a little bit above the city. A lot of the buildings in this district are also notably taller and more ornate than the buildings in the surrounding districts, which provides the district with a noticeable air of affluence.
The Artisan’s district is the district that houses the largest number of craftsmen and skilled laborers, which includes everything from blacksmiths to cobblers to tailors. This also means that the Artisan’s district easily contains the largest number of permanent shops where the owners take requests and provide services to their customers. Because of their proximity to the Port district, stall owners and street vendors often send apprentices to the shops to obtain goods that the visiting merchants seem to be interested in, which further bolsters the vibrant trade of the region.
The Guild district is a small district nestled near the Port and Artisan districts. This district, as its name implies, houses the headquarters of the various guilds in the city, chief among them being the Guild of Alsijan. The Guildhall itself towers among the other buildings around it, easily approaching the height and splendor of the various palaces in the Palace district, which makes it rather easy to find.
The Guild of Alsijan
The Layout of the Guildhall
The property of the Guild of Alsijan consists of a sprawling group of buildings in the Guild district and the ornate, spacious building that dominates them while sitting among them. Several of these buildings serve as dormitories and dining halls for the newer initiates of the Guild itself. Each dormitory can house approximately one hundred students, with groupings of ten sharing a single common room. These small groupings are commonly referred to as Houses and serve as the primary social unit for initiates until they become full-fledged members. As such, students from the same House take all the same classes together and usually get sent on jobs together. Each dormitory also contains a dining hall where students are able to obtain fresh, hot meals throughout the day.
The primary building of the Guild houses the Guild leaders and other full-fledged members. These rooms are on the upper floors of the grand building and are much, much larger and better furnished than those of the younger initiates. The lower floors contain the majority of the classrooms and the library, a grand collection of written material, both magical and mundane, from around the world that the Guild’s members have collected over the centuries. The ground floor contains most of the administrative aspects of the Guild, especially those involving the acceptance of jobs and the registration of new members. The basement is generally off-limits to novices and outsiders, as it contains things that can be very dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced or untrained.
Many of the other buildings in the area have some purpose that helps the Guild function, often by helping the novice initiates. For example, a couple of the buildings contain a number of libraries or studios where new initiates can practice their crafts, both mundane and magical, or experiment with their magic. One of the buildings even serves as a bank where members of the Guild can store their belongings or exchange letters of credit for money. There are also a number of stalls where vendors from outside of the Guild can offer their goods or services to Guild members. All in all, the Guild’s property almost seems like a smaller version of the surrounding city.
The Structure and Rules of the Guild
Ranks of the Mage’s Guild:
Novice
Adept
Master
Titles within the Guild:
Archmage - the president of the council that runs the Guild; lifetime appointment
Councilor - title bestowed upon all members sitting on the council that administers the guild
Minister - title of the members of the guild that run the day to day affairs like filing and making reports
Headmaster - title of the councilor elected to oversee the academic institution within the Guild
Magister - title granted to all members of the Guild that maintain an active teaching role
Rules for the Novices of the Guild:
Novices are not to engage in the use of magic within the dormitories unless cleared by their supervisors
Duels between novices are strictly forbidden unless cleared and supervised by a Master of the Guild
Novices are not to leave the city without obtaining permission from the Guild. They are, however, free to explore the city in their free time
Novices are to keep their quarters in the dormitories clean and tidy
Novices should defer to members of the Guild that outrank them whenever possible
Barring the cases of injury or illness, Novices are to attend all of the classes that the Guild administration assigns to them
Unless excused by the proper channels, Novices are expected to perform their weekly chores dutifully
Novices should never attack another person, whether using magic or other means, unless they are defending themselves or others
Novices are expected to wear their uniforms at all times (with the exception of when they are asleep)
Rules for the Adepts of the Guild:
Duels between adepts are strictly forbidden unless cleared and supervised by a Master of the Guild
Adepts are not to leave the city without obtaining permission from the Guild. They are, however, free to explore the city in their free time
Adepts should defer to members of the Guild that outrank them whenever possible
Adepts should never attack another person, whether using magic or other means, unless they are defending themselves or others
Adepts are expected to be diligent in their studies despite their more independent nature
Adepts are expected to wear their uniforms whenever they are on Guild property
The First Year Classes
Core Classes:
Fundamentals of Magic
Magical Ethics
Elective Classes:
Languages:
Dwarven
Elvish
Gnomish
Orcish
Battle Skills:
Martial Combat
Magical Combat
Tactics and Strategy
Arts and Music:
Fundamentals of Art
Fundamentals of Music
Blending Magic and the Arts
Various Disciplines (painting, sculpting, singing, etc)
Evocation: Evocation magic is performed by using mana to call forth the natural forces of the world and manipulate them. Due to the rather volatile nature of these elemental energies, this magic lends itself more to offensive applications rather than defensive or supportive ones. The current understanding among scholars is that the natural world consists of four distinct elemental energies: fire, water, earth, and air. Evokers usually have a talent for manipulating a particular element, while struggling with the opposite element. More experienced Evokers are able to combine the elements they can control together to produce new “elements,” like combining fire and air together in order to generate lightning. Master Evokers, that is, those that have achieved a mastery over each element, are even able to influence the weather around them, although doing so can have far-reaching consequences.
Illusion: Illusion magic is performed by giving shape and structure to mana in order to trick and deceive other people. Perhaps somewhat interestingly, the fact that illusions are really constructs of mana means that they function independent of people to observe them. In other words, an illusion of an attacking bear will affect anyone who enters the area of the illusion and will stop affecting anyone that leaves its area. Regardless, because mana is inherently non-physical, these constructions are simply illusions and can do no physical harm to people by themselves. While lacking in offensive capabilities, Illusionists make up for it by having access to a number of stealth and supportive capabilities, like rendering something invisible or creating distractions.
Enchantment: Enchantment magic is performed by weaving mana into threads that are able to enter the minds of others and subtly manipulate their mental state, which includes their thoughts and emotions. Particularly skillful or talented Enchanters can even set up connections with the minds of others that allow them to hear their thoughts or transmit their own. It is important to note, however, that one’s resistance to Enchantment magic depends upon the strength of their will. As such, Enchanters often have difficulties manipulating the minds of other mages, particularly if they are also Enchanters. Unfortunately for Enchanters, most people also tend to view them rather suspiciously and think of Enchantment magic as being some sort of evil magic, which can make it difficult for them to use their abilities in public or advertise their affinity for the school.
Divination: Divination magic is the magic associated with obtaining information or understanding and is thus often considered a more scholarly magic than some of the other schools. Some mages with particularly strong affinities for Divination magic have the gift of clairvoyance and are able to see bits and pieces of the future in fits of uncontrollable magic. These visions are vague at best, as the future is never really set in stone, but most people agree that some warning of what might happen is better than no warning at all. Regardless, even those Diviners who are not clairvoyant are able to scry on far away locations, detect and understand magic used around them, and find particular people or objects, to name a few of their more commonly used abilities.
Conjuration: Conjuration magic allows the magi to summon beings or objects to them, so long as these objects are bonded to the Conjurer before time. These bonds require rituals to form, and differ depending on what is being bonded to the Conjurer. For creatures, it requires a contract to be formed between the two parties stating what is expected of both parties and the like. Objects are much, much simpler, and merely require a mark of ownership be placed on the object during the ritual. These rituals tend to vary based on what is being bonded, though they typically involve something associated with the bondee, like ashes for a phoenix. Even mundane objects and creatures can be powerful with a Conjurer, receiving benefits, like increased durability or strength, from the bond itself. It is also worth noting that Conjuration magic is also the magic of apportation, or moving from one place to another without physically crossing the space in between, which is how bonded objects or creatures are summoned in the first place. As such, experienced Conjurers are also able to teleport, though it can be quite an exhausting endeavor depending on the distance one wants to travel.
Animancy: Animantic magic is the magic of using mana to manipulate the aether, a sort of energy that is associated with life and light. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means that Animancers are the healers among the mages, able to use their magic to heal virtually any disease or illness. Though healing is the most well-known ability of Animancers, they are also able to utilize the radiant properties of aether to purify and bless objects or places, turn undead, or channel light to attack. Particularly talented and experienced Animancers are also able to animate objects for a variety of purposes. Such animated entities are known as golems, and their functionality depends pretty heavily on the form they had upon being animated and how intricate the animancer wants them to be. As such, it requires a lot more effort and time to create more complicated golems. Also worth noting is the fact that many Animancers have an affinity for animals, and other people to a lesser extent. This is probably due to the radiant aura of most Animancers, but animals nonetheless find themselves attracted to and almost comfortable in the presence of an Animancer.
Necromancy: Necromantic magic is the magic of using mana to manipulate the nether, a sort of energy that is associated with death and shadow. This means that Necromancers have the ability to raise and create undead, with the limit on how many entities a Necromancer can control being determined by the strength and experience of the Necromancer and the intelligence or complexity of the undead being controlled. More intelligent or complex undead can take quite a lot longer to raise and control properly, but their increased flexibility usually offsets the initial investment. Additionally, Necromancers are able to utilize the nether to wither enemies by eroding their life force, manipulate shadows and darkness, and even curse people or places. Necromancers also tend to find themselves being magnets for spirits and other forms of the wandering dead. This can sometimes be inconvenient, but most spirits are benign and just lonely, so it’s not really a dangerous trait. Needless to say, the association of Necromancy with the disturbing of the dead means that the school of magic doesn’t sit particularly well with a lot of the common folk. In fact, many nations have laws that forbid the practice of Necromancy due to the prevailing notion that it is an evil magic. This can make it rather difficult for Necromancers of a guild to perform missions in such areas due to possible backlash.
Alteration: Alteration is, put quite simply, the magic of change. An Alterist is able to use their magic to adjust or manipulate the intrinsic characteristics of the objects around them or their own body to achieve pretty spectacular results, even if they aren’t all that flashy. For example, an Alterist can use their magic to make their clothes as hard as steel while making the sword of an enemy fragile or flexible to render it useless. Some Alterists specialize in using their magic to shapeshift, changing all or some of their body to give them the tools needed for a particular situation. It is also worth mentioning that, unless otherwise specified, the changes an Alterist chooses to make to an object, including their own body, are permanent. Of course, that doesn’t meant that another Alterist couldn’t undo changes that were made by a different Alterist.
Sanguination: Sanguination is possibly better known as blood magic, although that term does carry a number of inaccurate associations among the common folk, foremost among them that Sanguination is a type of evil magic. One of its primary applications is the creation of blood runes or sigils that channel mana to particular purposes. Often, these runes are used to bind others, block things like scrying, or communicate over vast distances. Some more war-like Sanguinaires also use these runes to increase their strength or durability in battle by painting them on their skin or armor. Sanguinaires also have the ability to freely manipulate blood, though it is virtually impossible to significantly manipulate the blood in another person’s body. To clarify, a Sanguinaire can easily manipulate the blood in their body, but not others. This means that Sanguinaires can do things like change their blood flow to keep from bleeding out or the spread of poison, make constructs of blood, or even puppeteer themselves. Sanguinaires also have the ability to drain the energy of other people or animals in order to replenish themselves. While this can be done at a distance, it is a rather ineffective method compared to consuming the blood of another.
Abjuration: Abjuration is the school of magic that is dedicated to virtually all defensive forms of magic, namely wards, barriers, and counterspells. Wards are constructs of mana that are used to alert the Abjurer who cast them whenever they are triggered. For example, a common usage of a ward is the notification that a trespasser is near. They are also often used to subvert or protect against indirect magic such as scrying. Barriers, however, are constructs of mana that are meant to block offensive uses of magic or weapons. In the case of magical attacks, wards can also be used to absorb the mana used in the attack, ultimately making the ward last longer or replenish the Abjurer’s energy. Clever Abjurers can also use barriers offensively, though it usually uses substantial amounts of mana to do so. Finally, counterspells are a trickier form of Abjuration magic where the Abjurer unravels or slices through the mana that constitutes the enemy spell. Properly timed counters can even cause some backlash to the other caster. Unfortunately, it requires quick reflexes and notable precision to consistently counter another person’s spells and attempting to do so while maintaining a barrier is virtually impossible. As such, counterspells leave the Abjurer particularly vulnerable and so are not used very commonly in small duels or fights.
Magic Crafts
Artifice: Artifice is the name for the study and crafting magical items The most common magical items crafted by Artificers are focuses for mana such as wands, staves, or crystal orbs. These are very useful items for mages, particularly novices, as they allow for the user to channel more efficiently, although the extent depends upon the school of magic being used and the materials used in the item’s construction. Artificers are also able to create items that use mana in some way, most notably the creation of light for buildings. The field is still relatively new, so the actual limits of the craft have yet to be properly explored, but the potential does have quite a few mages interested.
Infusion: Infusion is the process by which mundane objects are imbued with mana and become magical. The imbuing of mundane items with magical properties requires the use of mana stones, which are simply crystallizations of mana. These stones are often created by taking a gem of some sort and channeling mana through it for prolonged periods of time. To imbue the item, the mana from the stone is channeled into the item and directed in order to achieve a particular result. Once the process is started, it cannot be stopped until the infusion is finished. If it is, the resulting effect can be rather unpredictable. At best, the infused will do nothing and remain mundane. At worst, the item will explode in a surge of mana that damages the surrounding workshop quite heavily while potentially killing the crafter.
Alchemy: Alchemy is the crafting of potions and tonics from the parts of plants and animals that have potent effects. Considering the incredibly diversity of plant and animal life, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Alchemists are able to brew potions and mixtures that have a wide variety of effects as well. Some of these potions are able to mimic the effects of magic altogether, like making someone invisible or making a weapon burst into flames when applied to it, while others simply boost the energy or provide a level of sustenance to help healing along. Of course, not all mixtures have such benign purposes. Alchemists are also able to use their knowledge to create deadly and cunning poisons to be slipped into a drink or applied to a weapon.
Races
Name: Human
Description:
Eye colors: Green, blue, gray, brown, and amber
Hair colors: Red, brown, blonde, black, gray, and white
Skin color: Ranges from very pale to very dark depending on environment
Avg. Height: Usually around 5 to 6.5 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually around 120 to 200 lbs
Special features: None
Culture/Society: The biggest thing to note about human society is that they pride themselves on being able to adapt and overcome virtually any obstacle that stands in their way. This emphasis on adaptability also leads towards humans being more individualistic than most of the other races, caring more for their own needs and dealing with their own problems than for worrying about the needs of the many. As such, humans can be a rather ambitious lot, which tends to make the more intelligent among them well-suited to politics and the like.
Monarchy is largely the most common form of government for predominantly human nations that are large enough to have an impact on an international level. In more remote locations, like the frozen north, humans often organize themselves into tribal families that are ruled by councils, which are in turn headed by chiefs who have demonstrated their strength or wisdom in service of the tribe. On a societal level, humans also tend to be rather egalitarian when it comes to matters of gender or ethnicity, though they can be rather prejudiced against members of other races.
Typical affinity: Due to their incredible adaptability, humans actually don’t have a school of magic that they tend to have an affinity for.
Special abilities: (This is for things like being able to see in the dark easily, breathing underwater, etc.)
Name: Sun Elf
Description:
Eye colors: Green, gold, silver, or orange
Hair colors: Auburn, blonde, silver, and black
Skin color: Ranges from pale gold to dark bronze
Avg. Height: Usually around 5.5 to 6.5 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually around 130 to 170 lbs
Special features: Like most fey-blooded creatures, Sun Elves possess pointed ears.
Culture/Society: Sun Elves are probably best known for their arrogant attitude toward the other races, which unfortunately has a tendency to get in the way of improving interracial relations. This haughtiness largely stems from the fact that Sun Elves consider the art and music created by a society to be the best indicator of that society’s overall value, however silly that may seem to outsiders. Many of the other races don’t consider art or music to be all that important, and so their creations, and therefore the society that made them, end up falling short in the eyes of many Sun Elves.
Despite their arrogance, Sun Elves are very deliberate and patient people, making long-term plans cautiously and with no feeling of urgency. They also tend to have a strong aversion to flitting about at whims of fancy and thus have a strong inclination to follow through on their plans. As an example, Sun Elves usually commit very long amounts of time to mastering a particular craft before they’ll seriously consider taking up another. This is largely the reason that their arts and crafts are so phenomenal.
The usual government structure used by Sun Elf societies is, like humans, that of monarchy with rigid hierarchical structures that separate the nobility from the commoners. While particularly talented craftsmen, musicians, or merchants can approach the nobility, it is virtually impossible for them to actually become a part of that class unless they were born to one of the Great Houses.
Typical affinity: Enchantment
Special abilities: None
Name: Wood Elf
Description:
Eye colors: Blue, brown, green, or hazel
Hair colors: Brown, black, auburn, or gray
Skin color: Lightly tanned to dark brown
Avg. Height: Usually about 5.5 to 6 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually about 110 to 160 lbs
Special features: Like most fey-blooded creatures, Wood Elves possess pointed ears
Culture/Society: Wood Elves tend to organize themselves into large clans that are determined almost exclusively by blood relation. The leaders of the clan, known as the chief and the speaker, are always a married couple that are elected by the other adult members of the clan. Which spouse takes which position depends on the will of the people as well. In general, the Wood Elves believe that a strong, confident woman is just as capable of being chief as a strong, confident man, and that men can be just as spiritually-inclined as women.
Interestingly, the Wood Elves are also almost entirely carnivorous due to their belief that the life of plants are sacred and that consuming them, even after they’ve died, interrupts the natural cycle that every living thing is a part of. Wood Elves that violate this pact, even to save their own life, are shunned by the rest of the tribe and cast out as an outsider. Generally speaking, the Wood Elves accept that the members of other races don’t feel the same way about the consumption of vegetation, though they tend to believe that it’s a position steeped in ignorance.
Typical affinity: Evocation
Special abilities: Wood Elves have the ability to see in dim light.
Name: Moon Elf
Description:
Eye colors: Silver, blue, violet, and green
Hair colors: Black, silver, blueish, or white
Skin color: Pale, often with icy blue tones though darker gray tones are not unheard of
Avg. Height: Usually around 5.5 to 6.5 feet
Avg. Weight: Usually around 110 to 160 lbs
Special features: Like most fey-blooded creatures, Moon Elves possess pointed ears.
Culture/Society: Generally speaking, Moon Elves value intelligence, logical thinking, and cunning above almost every other character trait. Naturally, many Moon Elves decide to pursue hobbies or pass the time with activities that provide ample amounts of mental stimulation like strategic board games or solving various kinds of puzzles. Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the importance their society places on one’s mental capacity, Moon Elves typically also possess a strong desire to learn new things. As such, there are a significant number of Moon Elves that end up becoming scholars, finding employment in libraries, academies, or mage guilds around the world.
Compared to the other Elvish races, Moon Elves tend to get along pretty well with members of the other races. This is largely because Moon Elves tend to lack the arrogance that seems so common in the other Elvish races. After all, it’s hard to try and learn all that you can about the culture and history of an outsider if you believe that it is all inferior to your own culture and history. Additionally, their interactions with the members of the other races tend to be more personal and involved, often eventually leading to a sort of friendship.
Surprisingly, Moon Elf society is largely matriarchal. Females largely run the daily affairs of their household and engage in politics or scholarship, while the males focus on more physical pursuits like various crafts, agriculture, or utilizing their abilities with weapons. This should not be taken to mean that male Moon Elves are less intelligent than females, however. It’s just that their society expects them to accept different responsibilities. Their government takes the form of a monarchy, though one that is headed by a queen rather than a king. As such, they have the same sort of noble class as many other monarchical nations.
Typical affinity: Necromancy
Special abilities: Moon Elves possess the ability to see in the dark.
Name: Dwarf
Description:
Eye colors: Blue, green, brown, hazel, gray, or amber
Hair colors: Brown, blonde, gray, white, black, or red
Skin color: Ranges from pale to dark brown
Avg. Height: Usually 4 to 5 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually 160 to 220 lbs
Special features: Generally a very stocky people. The men often grow and maintain very long beards.
Culture/Society: A strong, hardy, and stubborn people, Dwarves pride themselves greatly on their ability to maintain an orderly society. As such, they place a great deal of importance on following the law, regardless of whatever land they happen to be in, and tend to respect governmental structures and authority figures. They also strive to avoid causing trouble, and are thus often incredibly polite to those that they encounter. This should not be taken as a sign that Dwarves are particularly amiable to the members of other races, however. In fact, Dwarves are often deeply suspicious of foreigners and their strange traditions until they’ve proven that they mean no harm repeatedly.
Dwarves generally held to a very practical view of magic compared to most races. While they accepted that it existed and could be useful, many Dwarves would still prefer to rely on the strength of their bodies or armaments before relying on magic. This is largely because Dwarves view magic has being inherently wild and unreliable. However, it is worth noting that they generally possess a great respect for the schools of Animancy and Abjuration, as well as the craft of Artifice and Infusion.
The most common form of government among Dwarven communities is essentially a republic. Each adult in a province votes for the Dwarf they think should be on the Council that makes and enforces the law. The council then decides which of their number is the First Councilor, who is responsible for representing the Dwarves to the heads of states from other nations and leading the army if war is declared. Elections for Council positions are held every ten years, and its entirely common for a bad Councilor to be removed from their post by not being reelected in a subsequent election. The position of First Councilor is more flexible, however, and is required to be reappointed by the Council every two years.
Typical affinity: Abjuration
Special abilities: Due to the fact that the Dwarves are a subterranean race, they have developed the ability to see quite well in the dark.
Name: Gnome
Description:
Eye colors: Glittery black, green, or blue
Hair colors: Ranges from brown, auburn, and blonde to more exotic colors like green or orange
Skin color: Ranges from ruddy tan to woody brown to rocky gray
Avg. Height: Usually around 3 to 4 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually around 40 to 50 lbs
Special features: Like most fey-blooded creatures, Gnomes possess pointed ears. Gnomish males are often seen with very long beards.
Culture/Society: An intelligent and mischievous race, the Gnomes are perhaps best known for their propensity for playing harmless tricks on others. Though this can be a rather annoying tendency for outsiders to deal with, to the Gnomes a good prank or joke provides a reason to share a laugh with others and forget about the stresses of life. Because getting away with it is a crucial part of playing a good joke, the Gnomes tend to inadvertently stress the importance of being stealthy. As such, many of them find it rather easy to blend in or remain hidden when they want to be.
Of course, the Gnomes don’t just use their intelligence to mess with other people. Ingenious and cunning, they live by the adage that it's better to work smarter than it is to work harder, often directing their intellect to coming up with ways of solving problems as efficiently as possible. Those among them with a more scholarly bent can often find themselves serving as engineers, directing and advising others on how to go about finishing a task in the easiest or most profitable way possible.
Gnomes often tend to avoid gathering into large nations like most of the other races, feeling that the increased bureaucracy and rigid social structure would stifle their ability to be creative or to live as they pleased. As such, Gnomes tended to form clan-like communities that were ruled by the oldest or most experienced member among them. Every couple of years, the heads of each clan would meet together to discuss matters that affected their entire race, an occasion usually marked with festivals and feasts until the various clans went their separate ways again.
Typical affinity: Illusion
Special abilities: None
Name: Orc
Description:
Eye colors: Green, Blue, Brown, and Hazel
Hair colors: Dark Red, Brown, Black, and Gray
Skin color: If they are a common Orc they are almost always green. If raised in the mountains they take more of a gray color.
Avg. Height: Usually around 5'10" to 7'ft
Avg. Weight: Usually around 200 to 350 lbs
Special features: Have pointed ears like the Elves but also have tusks and typically a more broad face.
Culture/Society: Orcs are very unsociable toward the other races. So much so that the only information about Orc culture is from outcasts of their villages. They are the type of people to value strength as the most important thing in life and are always looking for a chance to fight/get stronger. The use of Magic is shunned in Orcish society because they believe it is for the weak who can not use their muscles. Also they have a passionate hate for Sun-Elf's because of how they used them and tried to dispose of them in what the Orcs call "The Early Years." Orcs run off a type of Chief system. Where the strongest warrior in the clan is the one who rules and directs the clan. Of course anyone can challenge the chief at anytime to take the title for themselves but if the challenger is to lose, then they are to be considered weak and outlasted. Most Orcs follow this type of clan tradition unless raised by a different culture.
Typical affinity: None, because of their view on Magic.
Special abilities: Dark Vision and enhanced strength compared to other races
*Special credit to OrkytheOrc for helping compile this one*
Name: Enuri
Description:
Eye colors: Blue, green, brown, amber, gray, or hazel
Hair colors: Red, brown, gray, white, black, or blonde
Skin color: Generally pale white to tan
Avg. Height: Usually 3 to 4.5 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually 35 to 45 lbs
Special features: Depends on the Enuri in question. Mammalian Enuri can have fangs or claws and almost always have a prehensile tail and ears. Reptilian Enuri often have fangs, a reptilian tongue, a tail, and some scales. Avian Enuri often have small wings, talons, and feathers on their shoulders.
Culture/Society: Due to their reclusive nature, the culture and society of the Enuri are largely unknown by the members of other races. In fact, many people don’t even really believe that they exist at all. Despite their isolationist tendencies, most of the stories told by people who claim to have encountered the Enuri do tend to emphasize that they were very hospitable to outsiders, tending wounds and offering lodging until the individual was recovered and wanted to leave. Likewise, these stories generally agree that the Enuri are a carefree people that seem to have a love of singing and dancing and that seem to never really feel a need to hurry.
Ultimately, it would also appear from various reports that the Enuri largely consider the Tosuri to be of the same race despite their incredible differences in physiology. This makes a lot of sense considering the fact that the two groups seem to possess a strongly mutualistic symbiotic relationship. The Tosuri serve as the hunters and defenders of their two races, while the Enuri contribute their crafts and the produce from their farms.
The Enuri are ruled by a chief who is succeeded by their oldest child whenever they die. In the event that the new chief would be a child, their guardian serves as the chief until they are an adult. The Enuri chief works with the Tosuri chief to run the day to day affairs of both races. If the two chiefs reach a disagreement on an issue, they call an assembly of every adult from both of their races to vote on how to handle it. In the event that the assembly comes up with a different way of solving the problem, the two chiefs can agree to veto the decision, which leads to another round of discussion and then another round of voting. This cycle repeats until a final decision is made. After a decision has been reached, there is usually a small festival so that people can let go of any hard feelings that they may have obtained during the Assembly.
Typical affinity: Animancy
Special abilities: Enuri often have improved senses and the ability to speak with animals.
Name: Tosuri
Description:
Eye colors: Blue, green, brown, amber, gray, or hazel
Hair colors: Red, brown, gray, white, black, or blonde
Skin color: Ranges from pale white to dark brown
Avg. Height: Usually around 6 to 7 ft
Avg. Weight: Usually round 200 to 300 lbs
Special features: Depends on the Tosuri in question. Mammalian Tosuri often have thick fur covering their bodies, claws, a tail, and a snout. Reptilian Tosuri are often scaled with a tail and fangs and a lizard-like face. Avian Tosuri often have wings, a beak, and a feathered body.
Culture/Society: Due to their reclusive nature, the culture and society of the Tosuri are largely unknown by the members of other races. In fact, many people don’t even really believe that they exist at all. Many of the stories told by people who claim to have encountered them agree that they are generally suspicious of outsiders and that they can be rather hard to interact with. These reports also agree that the Tosuri are generally focused on living honorably and nobly, which to the Tosuri means having a courageous spirit, being trustworthy and reliable, and having the strength to protect others.
Ultimately, it would also appear from various reports that the Tosuri largely consider the Enuri to be of the same race despite their incredible differences in physiology. This makes a lot of sense considering the fact that the two groups seem to possess a strongly mutualistic symbiotic relationship. The Tosuri serve as the hunters and defenders of their two races, while the Enuri contribute their crafts and the produce from their farms.
The Tosuri are ruled by a chief who is succeeded upon death by the most capable adult in the community. This is determined through a series of physical challenges that test the wisdom, strength, and agility of the various candidates until there is a single victor. The Tosuri chief works with the Enuri chief to run the day to day affairs of both races. If the two chiefs reach a disagreement on an issue, they call an assembly of every adult from both of their races to vote on how to handle it. In the event that the assembly comes up with a different way of solving the problem, the two chiefs can agree to veto the decision, which leads to another round of discussion and then another round of voting. This cycle repeats until a final decision is made. After a decision has been reached, there is usually a small festival so that people can let go of any hard feelings that they may have obtained during the Assembly.
Typical affinity: Alteration
Special abilities: Tosuri often have improved senses and the ability to speak with animals.
Feel free to post your characters here in the OOC for review, but don't put them in the CS tab until I've approved them. :D
Actual Character Skeleton: [hider=Character’s Name] [center][img][/img] *Put your picture here*[/center] [center][h2]*Put the character’s name here*[/h2][/center] [center][i]*Feel free to put a quote here, either about or by your character*[/i][/center] [/hr] *Remove the slash here*
[b][u]Nicknames:[/u][/b] [b][u]Race:[/u][/b] [b][u]Gender:[/u][/b] [b][u]Age:[/u][/b] *New students are typically in the 16-20 year old range* [b][u]Appearance:[/u][/b] *Self-explanatory. Make sure to note any differences from your picture*
[b][u]Personality:[/u][/b] *Describe how your character tends to think and behave. What kind of a person are they? Try to write at least one paragraph.*
[b][u]Biography:[/u][/b] *What are the events that made your character who they are? How did they come to the guild? Try to write at least two paragraphs.*
[b][u]Affinities:[/u][/b] *Choose up to 2 schools for your character to have an affinity for* [b][u]Craft:[/u][/b] *Choose one magic craft your character would like to learn, or has some skill with* [b][u]Magic:[/u][/b] *This is essentially for describing your character’s “powers.” How do they use their magic? What kinds of tactics do they prefer? Do they prefer using one school over another?* [b][u]Skills:[/u][/b] *This is for describing your character’s more mundane skills. Things like knowing how to wield a particular weapon, knot-tying, cooking, etc. go here.*
[b][u]Other:[/u][/b] *This is for anything that doesn’t fit the other sections* [/hider]
Current Classes (Add this to your character sheet/post somewhere!) [list] [*]Class 1 [*]Class 2 [*]Class 3 [/list]
@TaliPaendrag Here's my character! I hope having no picture is ok.
No picture, sorry
Hiasahi Hisakawa
I Don’t know who you are, nor do i really care
Nicknames: None Race: Moon Elf Gender: Male Age: 16 Appearance:Hisashi stands at a well off height of five reet and six inches, and weighs 150lb. His hair color is a light lavender that at its longest reaches the very bottom of his shoulder blades. His hair texture is abnormal as it is somewhat fluffier and a bit courser than most Moon Elves. His bangs are somewhat long and swept to the right side of his face. He has light, bordering on watery, blue eyes and their is rather slender. His body is lanky with unruly limbs that at times he finds hard to control. His face is an oval shape with a slightly pointy chin. Obviously, like all elves, he has pointed ears and like all Moon Elves his skin is extraordinarily pale, the tips of his limbs becoming a light shade of blue.
Personality: When you think of Hisashi think of a cat. He appears aloof and uncaring most of the time because honestly, he has better things to think about then the world around him. He prefers his own inner world then the outside one. His head is always constantly thinking of millions of different things so he finds hard to communicate; he also appears to lack empathy and can come off as rather rude due to missing social cues. However, don’t let this stop you from trying to get close, deep down Hisashi is extremely loyal towards those he loves and is extremely passionate. He may not know how express his deep love for people and he may not know what love exactly is but he tries to show it the best he can in his own awkward way. His blunt attitude has a way of keeping people calm and putting things in a different perspective. He is also much more tolerant then it would first appear; taking in people’s differences with ease and not expecting them to change or be what society deems as “normal”.
Biography: One of the many adopted children (four in total) of two highly respected Elven mages Hisashi was always a bit different than the rest. Unsociable and seemingly unable to function without aid at times his mothers worried for their eldest child constantly. It was for that reason that one of his mothers, Mama Hinta, took a special interest in his life; not to say she didn’t love and care of all her children equally, she just felt like she needed to help him in more obvious ways. Because of his Mama Hinta’s constant presence and Hisashi’s own issues Hisashi was raised more like a female Moon Elf than a male. His studies were more focused on scholarly pursuits than other, more physical, tasks due to his trouble with fine and gross motor skills and his overall lack of interest in any type of craft. Luckily Hisashi excelled in not only magic but in various forms of science and mathematics as well. His mothers were so proud of him, the rest of the upper class however, were not. Despite claiming that all Moon Elves were created equal, and in many ways they are, breaking the mold in this strict society was simply unheard of and gathered a lot of unsavory comments surrounding the Hisakawa family. So for the good of both Hisashi and the rest of the family’s name, Hisashi was sent to train under the guild instead of with his Mama Hinta; something both Hisashi and Mama Hinta didn’t take well.
Affinities: Necromancy and Enchantment Craft: Alchemy Magic: Necromancy power: Hisashi specialize in raising complex dead organisms and creating curses. With relative ease he can reanimate sentient creatures which he either uses to gain information from the deceased or to defend himself from other mages. He hardly ever uses them offensively. His other most trained skill is curse casting. He can place anything from large scale obvious curses for immediate effect to well hidden, but just as deadly curses that last for an extended period of time. Note that he hates seeing spirits around him but will barter with them for information Enchantment: Hisashi uses his power of enchantment for much more offensive purposes. His favorite use is to place extreme negative emotions into another person. Causing uncontrollable fear, anxiety, or sadness to disable and opponent or inciting pure rage to because someone to attack someone else. Another one of his favorites is imputing images that are distracting or painful to another. His most common go to his static that is both hard is ignore and at time physically painful
Skills: Despite not being interested in joining any form of craft Hisashi is quite adept at baking, often sending his family his latest kitchen creations. Also, despite how he may first appear and act, Hisashi loves little children and is always willing to take care of them to the best of his ability. It is fair to say he is better at taking care of them than himself.
Other: If you want to hear more about Hisashi’s issues feel free to ask!
I just want to show the world that Orc's can actually learn something than just be meatheads.
Nicknames: Orks Race: Half-Orc Gender: Male Age: 19 Appearance: Orky has many symbols tattooed on his pale green skin. They are associated with blood magic where he uses his one blood to activate the runes on his skin which glow when he uses them. Other than that he his quite large being 6"10 in height and weighing about 294 pounds. He also has a very small symbol by his neck for a special purpose. Orky has the common brown eyes and brown hair for Orcs. He also does have tusks but they are not as noticable has pure Orcs. But along with his tusks he does have a more broader face than most.
Personality: He is quite the introvert. When given the chance he usually is by himself reading a book on blood magic. But if you are to become friends with him he is like an opened oyster that has a pearl with in it. When he opens up he shows that he has quite the sense of humor, trying to bright up the situation if it gets bleak. Also he is always striving to improve his blood magic hence why he is always reading a book in it. He would gladly take any damage for his friends, and help them with any problems they are facing, be it emotional, mental and/or physical.
Biography: Orky was born from a village raid, like most Half-Orcs but his father actually took his human mother back to the village in order to give birth. His mother has died at birth, but from the months she spent pregnant Orky was told she was happy and excited for the child since she never had any children before. But other than that Orky never knew much about her. Of course he was raised like a normal Orc, being trained in physical combat of all styles. But Orky was noticeably more bright than his fellow Orcs, most likely from his mother's side. It wasnt until the age of 14 when Orky and his father went out on a hunting trip when Orky had found a stray book on the ground. It was an old leather book that had a strange symbol on it, little did Orky know this was a magic book about Blood Magic. What made it so magic was that it was able to connect to the users mind and teach it the ways of blood magic.
When Orky had touched it he could feel the magic flowing through him and then the book fluttered open showing all the different runes and such and explaining them in Orcish. Orky knew about the disdain Orcs had for magic but he couldn't help himself but take the book. He had study the book from front to back learning all he could from it. He then started using a knife to carve the runes into his skin since he didnt have the supplies to make a rune. To his surprise it had worked. This encouraged Orky more to put more and different runes on his body. It was until one night his father had discovered him with the book. Orky's father was disgusted with him for even thinking about using about magic. Orky's father grabbed Orky and the book then threw them out telling him never to come back. Orky could see the tears in his father's eyes. But he still managed to get up and grab the book and walk away.
He had managed to walk a great deal till he had stumbled upon the house of a kind old lady. Orky was in need of food and water which he didnt have the tools to get him self. He went up to the door and knocked. The old lady came to the door surprised that a 16 year old Half-Orc had come to her door. She was surprised but she didnt feel any danger because she could tell from the look of Orky that he wasnt going to hurt her. She had invited him in to treat his empty stomach and lack of water. Barely knew any common language and mostly Orc but thankfully the Old lady knew Orc to communicate. Orky told her what had happened and how he got here aswell as his magic techniques. The lady was intrigued that an Orc was able to do such a thing. She then offered Orky a deal. That if he tended to the house and did all the yard work aswell as tend to the garden she would give him food, a place to sleep and how to speak the common language. Orky had happily agreed to the Old Lady's deal. Orky now called her Mama Mera.
He had now lived under Mama Mera's care for about 3 years until his urge to learn more magic couldn't be sedated anymore. He had told Mama Mera about it and she understood as always. She then told Orky that he should go to the local branch of the Mage guild. She said as soon as they heard of an Orc learning magic they would you right to the capital to learn, because there aren't that many Orcs learning magic. Mama Mera then convinced Orky to go since he was now fluent in the common language. He had said his heart felt goodbye to Mama Mera and thanked her for all the help. He then left for the local Mage guild branch. Of course they were shocked to see an Orc using Blood magic, aswell how developed he was and the way of tattooing the runes on him intrigued them very much. He had been straight to the capital for them to learn about him and for Orky to learn more about magic.
Orky was now sent to the academy with his long sleeve shirt and pants to cover his runes. He also had the Magic Book in his rug sack that he hanged on one shoulder on his back. Orky was scared yet excited to meet all the fellow practitioners of magic and learn more about Blood Magic
Affinities: Sanguination Craft: Alchemy Magic: While most people purely think of painting or making magic runes, Orky has gone a step forward and tattooed and scared them on his body. He mostly has has runes on the body parts that are usually when he would need them most. For example he has the symbol for Strength on his chest and and arms, aswell as the tune for Speed on his legs. He also has other single runes on his body such as communication, healing, night vision and a mysterious one on his neck that is of his own creation. Skills: Of course being raised in an Orc Village he knows the basics of wielding swords and blunt weapons as well has hand to hand. He has some battle experience, not much but enough to best a normal soldier.
Other: He has an irrational hate for pickles and cucumbers. Has some sort of a drinking habit.
”Where you’re from isn’t as important as where you’re going!”
Nicknames: Thali (pronounced “tally”) Race: Enuri Gender: Female Age: 17 Appearance: Thalia al Lhuna, standing at a mere 5 feet, is short compared to most around her. However, among people of her own race, she is considered to be of above average height. She appears to have a petite frame, but this is mostly due to the light armor she wears covering her body. In actuality, years spent doing hard farmwork has made her robust and strong. She cares greatly for her health and appearance, and as such keeps herself looking very kempt and proper. Thalia also has a pair of magic gloves that she never goes without. These gloves are made of a dark blue metal and are engraved with small runes. They also have holes at the fingertips that expose Thalia’s claws.
Personality: Thalia is, like many Enuri are known for being, friendly yet reserved. She is comfortable when approached, but is more hesitant to approach others. Thalia is very fond of nature-both plants and animals-and cares deeply for her pet wolf Lyka. As a result of her fondness for animals-as well as her ability to speak to them-Thalia is a vegetarian. She is very empathetic, and has an uncanny awareness of others’ emotions. She prefers to listen rather than talk; Thalia is the kind of person others would feel safe confiding in. However, Thalia herself is very secretive, often keeping her emotions and thoughts to herself. As a result, she can come off as being somewhat mysterious. She is also known for being somewhat paranoid, as she places wards around herself when she sleeps.
Biography: Thalia comes from a small family of farmers and smiths, and spent most of her life tending to a wide range of plants and animals. Her deep-seated love for nature drew her to Animancy, which she learned from her mother. She honed her abilities on her family’s farm, caring for any sick plants and animals. However, for as much time as she spent with her mother tending to the farm, she also developed a very close bond with her father, who was a weaponsmith for the Tosuri hunters.
Thalia’s parents often clashed over how to raise her. Thalia’s mother often strove to shelter her, believing that ignorance is bliss when it comes to the darker realities of life. Thalia’s father was a man of brutal honesty, and sought to give Thalia enough preparation for the world in the form of self defense training. As a means of compromising, Thalia was taught Abjuration magic by her father so she could protect herself. Unbeknownst to her mother, Thalia’s father turned to a Tosuri friend of his to teach her self defense. While she gained some very basic proficiency with daggers and swords, her true talent lied in the use of her claws. This emphasized her speed over her strength, which fit her relatively small stature.
Working together with her father over several months, Thalia eventually forged a pair of gloves designed to help her properly channel her mana. While her father handled most of the more intricate work, Thalia managed to learn some of her father’s craft in the process. Made from a kind of metal conducive to magic-and carefully engraved with runes designed to channel this magic-these gloves are carefully fitted to Thalia’s hands. They also leave her claws exposed, allowing her to channel her magic and fight at the same time.
However, Thalia’s mostly idyllic life took a turn for the worse when her small village was set upon by human bandits. When an Evoker among the bandits set fire to her farm, Thalia’s parents were killed attempting to protect her from human and fire alike. Forced to flee, Thalia hurriedly released all the livestock on her family’s farm in a desperate attempt to save their lives. However, among the stampede of escaping animals, one chose to stay with Thalia: a small black wolf named Lyka that before had protected the livestock from predators. Now, she sought to protect Thalia herself, the pair escaping the flames and ransacking humans.
With her family dead and her home destroyed, Thalia was left with nothing. For a while she pondered seeking refuge in another Enuri settlement, but in her mourning she began to blame herself for her parents’ death. With nothing but grief and ambition driving her, Thalia resolved to become strong enough to protect those she cared about. And so, she set off to join people like her, dedicated to magic and defenders of good; she set off to join a guild.
Affinities: Animancy and Abjuration Craft: Basic proficiency in Artifice (she isn’t knowledgeable enough to create items on her own, but she is capable of making simple repairs)
Magic: Thalia is a stronger Animancer than Abjurer, though she is capable of using the latter well when she needs to. Her magic is mostly centered around protecting herself and others, using her Animancy to increase the vitality and stamina of her allies, as well as heal their wounds. A common tactic she uses is focusing her light magic into her gloves, giving her hands a sort of temporary increase in strength. She also tends to use her Abjuration abilities to create barriers around injured body parts to protect them until she can properly heal herself or her ally. In addition, due to her fighting style requiring close contact with foes, she often uses Abjuration to protect herself until she can close in on an opponent. She is also skilled in delivering painful punches and kicks to vulnerable areas of the body. She is less knowledgeable on using light magic offensively-her mother never taught her how-but she has practiced enough to be able to create small bursts of light from her hands.
Skills: Thalia has some basic proficiency with daggers and swords, but her true strength lies in hand-to-hand combat. Specifically, she is skilled in using her claws as weapons. She also has good coordination with Lyka, and the two often choose to fight together. Outside of combat, Thalia is a skilled caretaker of plants and animals, the latter of which she can communicate with. Being well-trained in healing magic, Thalia has a great deal of knowledge about the body, allowing her to target sick/injured body parts and speed healing.
A magic focused RP is just what I was looking for. I am interested, and will try to get a profile done soon, once I get home and have more time to read up on the details and decide what will be the focus of my CS.
@Compulsive86 This all looks pretty good. :D Feel free to move Hiasahi to the character tab.
@OrkytheOrc Looks pretty good to me. Go ahead and move him to the character tab.
@CaptainMarvel Thalia seems like a well-written character. :3 Go ahead and move your cs to the character tab when you get a chance.
@Shard Your character looks good. Feel free to post him in the character tab.
I'm excited to see how everyone's characters are coming along! I can't wait to see how they all mesh together once we get started!
I didn't quite expect the Enuri to be as popular as they appear to be however, so I think that I'm going to cap the number of Enuri characters to what we have now plus my character. Also, for the same reason I'm going to reject necromancers until we get some characters with other affinities in the mix.
"The true warning of the classic tale of the good witch misjudged by an ignorant town is about being too generous in a world of greed"
Nicknames: The silver snake, The witch of mordiri. Race: Human Gender: Female Age: 17 Appearance: Rahele has tanned skin and stands at around five feet tall, with an average build and a face that doesn't have any strong features, often described as forgettable when seen from a neutral viewpoint. Her hair is no longer a natural brown but a shining silver color, same with her eyes, which she changes on a whim with Alteration. The clothes she wears are also typically Alternation charged, usually made from simples outfits made fancy and ethereal looking by the use of magic. (Couldn't quite find a pic for the overall style, maybe something like this)
Personality: A go-getter without ambition, seeking opportunities merely because doing good means you are not doing poorly, Rahele has given up on the world but not on living. Her childhood made it so she did not grow a sense of empathy, she assumes all others are out there only fighting for themselves and has trouble trusting anyone. Yet, she is a bit sympathetic, even if she doesn't notice it, she had always been more lenient towards the worse off families that asked for her help. She does her best to avoid creating unneeded rivalries, controlling her words to avoid bragging, harshness and other confrontational behavior, yet, is not exactly someone approachable. She is legitimately curious about magic and finds joy in discovering new spells or techniques.
Biography: Rahele was born in the poor area of Mordiri, a city from a nation near Alsijan. Her parents were honest people who tried their best, which was sadly never enough to guarantee a good life for themselves or their children. It did not take too long until Rahele and her siblings were on their own against the ruthlessness of the world and soon they would break away, each trying to survive on their own. Rahele's first experience with magic came by what she described as an accident, yet others might refer to it as deceit. Modiri had a low magic user population, perfect ground for charlatans, one of such was a fortune teller who had hired Rahele as a general servant and as someone to keep a watch on the shop while she was out. During one of the watches, a person came in with bad a cough and asked if they could help with it, the proper answer was no, but since she was about to starve through the week if she did not get some extra coin Rahele accepted to help and did some meaningless rituals. Then two days after the man comes back, cough gone, and asks her to do the same thing to a cousin of his which had a bad fever. She had learned the basics of Animancy healing without knowing, she quickly learned she could not deal with serious sickness but could act on the smaller inconveniences, of course, the people being healed did not need to know that when discussing prices. Then she noticed the rats and pigeons who infested the town seemed to react to her in odd ways, so she started leading them away from granaries and homes (for a price), then she learned that if she held certain rocks while she slept at night by the morning they would gleam with light, so she started to sell such rocks. While this guaranteed her a basic living, she was curious about just what sorts of magic she could do, leading her to try every sort of magic she heard about, always failing... until it didn't. In one of her many experiments, she changed a red rose into a white rose, her first act of Alteration. Continuing to improve on the mysterious witch persona, she turned her hair silver white and made her clothes odd looking, her name becoming a much louder whisper on the region. For a few years, she had a good life, but she started to become aware it would not last. The town had already named her Silver Snake for the exorbitant pricing of her healing and she knew well many of her clients were not good people and that one day someone would take issue with her applying Alteration to the face of others without checking if they were wanted criminals or something. With this is in mind (and the notion that if she did not come to the guild, the guild would come to her) she decided to seek legitimate training in magic far away from Mordiri.
Affinities: Animancy and Alteration Craft: Artifice Magic: So far Rahele has had no proper training in the arts, only learning spells from intuition and experimentation. She has a much easier time understanding Alteration than she does Animancy, despite the latter being the first sort of magic she discovered, she has a far larger repertoire of Alteration techniques, being able to change both the appearance and utility of what she alters. Skills: Living by herself has given her a good sense of cooking and food preservation. She developed some sense of disguising to travel around her town without being spotted. And, obviously, she has a lot of experience with bargaining.
Other: Wants to make a roof out of glowing rocks. Fascinated with golems but so far incapable of making her own.
Well, this took me a bit longer as I was doing some research on snakes but I finally finished. Somehow it still ended up Herbert West-y as I was writing it so I think I got that cheeky reference in.
S’Hraa
That is not dead which can eternal lie So that with strange aeons even death may die
Nicknames:Hunter of the Unknown Race:Tosuri (Ophidian humanoid) Gender:MaleAge:20 Appearance:S’Hraa stands 5’ 10” (Though, head to tail, he is 7’ 6” long) tall and weighs 225 lbs. He has green scales with the occasional black splotch. He has a few ritualistic markings on his head and body written in an ancient language. He has blood red eyes inset on the sides of his triangular head. In tropical or desert environments he is largely devoid of clothing, otherwise he wears a simple black robe for insulation. Like others of his race, he is venomous and has retractable fangs for injecting crippling toxins in a creature or, thanks to a specialized equipment implanted in his maw that can store crafted poisons to be delivered through his fangs, various poisons for a different effect. Like the snakes he resembles, he also lacks eyelids and, to the casual observer, appears to never sleep but actually takes regular short naps throughout the day. Personality: S’Hraa is a quiet and passive individual, rarely starting a conversation and usually found silently observing others. In conversations he may initially appear cold and distant, but this is just a guise for those he does not know. He is slow to trusting others but quickly becomes amicable and loyal when someone does. He inherits his tribes’ morals, and strives to display honor, courage, and subtlety whenever possible.
Biography: S’Hraa comes from the Hri’Saa tribe renowned, by those who have heard of them, for being some of the best hunters in the world. Taught virtually after hatching how to hunt, few develop skills that have no practical use in hunting with alchemy being the most common. Almost everything the tribe does revolves around hunting. Though there is the occasional competition during hunts, it is not to see who can catch the biggest animal but rather the rarest. This is where S’Hraa excelled.
At only the age of seven, and on his first hunt, S’Hraa has somehow managed to catch a legend. The elusive Pochak. This cold-blooded creature is not rarely caught because it is particularly large or fearsome or agile, but that it is almost completely invisible, with all knowledge of it’s existence gleamed from the occasional tale of a ghost or the tracks that led to no animal. When questioned how he found such an animal, S’Hraa simply stated that he just knew it was there. It was later determined that this was his natural affinity for Animancy manifesting and enhancing his senses. This is a rare ability as nearly everyone else in the tribe develops an affinity for Illusion.
There were some conversations over this strange development with many considering this to perhaps be a blessing or a curse of some sort. Regardless of the meaning, S’Hraa quickly became one of the best hunters as his affinity allowed him to sense the aether and its interactions in the environment and essentially allowed him to see the ‘aura’ of any living creature. As a side effect, this was also a boon for his poisons as it led to a deeper understanding of how his alchemical concoctions reacted with a live animal. While initially he was only able to see the aether, it was not long before he developed an understanding of how to manipulate it and quickly became the most valued healer in the tribe and was able to heal virtually any non-fatal wound or disease. S’Hraa did eventually developed an affinity for Illusion, but to a lesser degree than his peers.
It was not until recently when Brood Minder Sha’His died from natural causes did S’Hraa start to question the limits of Animancy. He started to wonder if there was a way to prolong life, perhaps even indefinitely, without all the effects that come with being undead but rather staying alive in the first place. Is there a way to live without time claiming your body? Asking around got little more than a worried look and conversations ending abruptly. Only one of the village elders, the Keeper of the Esoteric, actually give some information. It was little more than a tale of an ancestor many generations ago, another Animancer as it turns out, seek the same question. This individual did something so grievous that it led to exile, and to never be heard from again. It was clear to S’Hraa this tale was meant to deter, to inform this path would likely lead to despair, but he was not shaken.
Knowing he would learn nothing here, S’Hraa elected to venture elsewhere for his answers and left the tribe. From one of the smooth skins that occasionally trades with the tribe, he heard of a guild of mages. Perhaps there he may find the answers he seeks. Perhaps S’Hraa will only end up as another legend like the nameless individual before him, or perhaps the tribe will come to hear from him again. With the question burning in his mind he sets off for either glory or doom.
Affinities: Animancy and Illusion Craft: Alchemy, specializing specifically in debilitating poisons Magic: S’Hraa being a capable alchemist and animancer has blended the two into a singular art. He is able to quickly discern an affliction and a suitable remedy in most cases. Using restorative magic for wounds and potions to ease the pain as well as speed up recovery. When hunting he can locate major arteries and veins and inject toxins for faster acting symptoms, using this method for defense or offense would not be much of a stretch. He can also sense any living creature from up to 30 feet away, even through barriers up to three inches thick (assuming said barrier does not block magic in any way) and this may be further refined through further training. He can detect the identities of those he sense if he recognizes the aura. This sense is independent of his sense of sight and he can detect others even while blinded, in low light conditions, or other instances that may impair him visually.
As far as Illusion, he can make himself and up to two other creatures similar in his size almost completely invisible (though this does not make them quite, remove their scent, etc). This also requires some concentration and if he were to be surprised or otherwise distracted he might drop the effect). He can hide his tracks (such as footprints) and of those with him for up to an hour. He can also create visual illusions up to 10 cubic feet big. Skills:Excellent hunter and tracker
Stealthy
Shares many characteristics of snakes, details in other
Other: Being cold-blooded, he suffers in environments lacking sufficient heat, normally in cool environments he off sets this by wearing an insulating robe this provided little mitigation for freezing temperatures incurred naturally or magically.
He is carnivorous and hunts prey when needing to feed, swallowing it whole. Depending on the size of the prey, he can go up to nearly three weeks before needing to hunt again.
Compared to other races, he has poor vision and poor sense of hearing.
He is fond of snakes and tries not to injure one when possible and dislikes those who do not do the same.
@TaliPaendrag Could I have my character be half moon elf/half enuri? I assume hybrids are okay since we have a half orc, but I don't know how you'd feel with a half enuri since there are already so many of them.
“He stared but did not stir, Long’d but had no money: The cunning merchant bade him taste In tones as smooth as honey…”
Nicknames: Mama, Mama Tia, Tia Race: Gnome Gender: Female Age: 51
Appearance: Tiana has a bit of an aging motherly vibe to her appearance, with more visible lines on her features than shown in the photograph. Though she wears a circlet on her forehead all the time, her clothes are modest and humble. She typically wears no shoes. Her body is littered with scars.
Personality: You would expect a manipulative sanguinist to seem dark, sultry, and coy; the outright truth of the matter is that Tiana is none of those things. She’s a bit ambiguous, sure - but she’s friendly, welcoming, and often quite endearing due to her small stature. She makes friends easily, and her age and experience makes her somewhat respectable. Tiana lends a hand in classes, she checks in on the novices often and is quick to organise and enjoy many a festival, feast or party. She didn’t earn the title “Mama” for nothing - she always goes out of her way to make sure the homesick and the lonely have a place by her hearth.
That is what makes her such a dangerous person to be around. She’s honest about her actions, but one can never gleam her intentions. She will always tell the victim of her spells precisely what she is doing, but not why - she will always withhold the right amount of information without making it seem too obvious. Questions are easy to dismiss when you’ve earned the trust of the clientele. The truth is, it is almost impossible to tell whether or not Tiana likes you or is simply using you until her plan actually comes into fruition - by which point she already has an alibi and she’s gotten rid of the evidence. She is meticulous. She leaves no paper trails and no evidence.
And yet it is frustratingly obvious that Tiana isn’t out to get absolutely everyone, and her crimes are so difficult to pinpoint or so insignificant in hindsight that it is very well possible that she does genuinely care for the people she claims to help. Her ‘act’, if you were to believe it, is hardly an act when there are many people she has protected and looked after without calling in for her dues. Her moral ambiguity calls for wariness but does not deserve a prison sentence...and so, Mama Tiana walks free, unshackled and unchecked, capable of heinous acts yet beloved by many.
Biography: Tiana’s story is known by basically everyone, but the details change so often depending on who is spinning the tale. She came from a far-off land, where the climate was more temperate and the trees denser. Snow clumped around your skirts and the cabins were made of logs, and a fire could mean the difference between life and death. It used to be owned by a lenient mage lord, who left the gnomekin to their own devices deep in the pine forests of the mountains. When the great Alsijan empire took over, her homeland was turned into a logging operation. She was shunted out of her abode and travelled towards the centre of this nation, for reasons unknown.
In Tiana’s old world, there was no such thing as good and evil magic - only different sorts. There were no laws and rules to restrict the people. Your survival depended upon your wit and your determination. Tiana had learned the craft from a very young age, from a very long line of matrons who taught her all she needed to know. She travelled towards the centre of this nation, with a mind full of curses and a bag full of knick-knacks.
The tale becomes more twisted around this time. Some Tiana she killed for sport - others likened her to a leech, draining unsuspecting victims of their blood in order to gain power. The most-recounted tale was that she only truly preyed upon beasts and monsters but was still branded a witch and a bloodsucker. She was arrested, and put onto trial, but her silver tongue let her slip her bonds. She travelled towards the centre of this nation with a criminal record and a rumour.
Tiana was stopped at the city gates, brought into question once more and then given the right to do business within the city. She toyed with the citizens, unsuspecting and fat on imports from the land they conquered. She earned money and favours. She became too much of a nuisance for the guild who had such difficulty policing her mischief that they decided (with a bit of persuasion from Tiana’s behalf) to simply keep her right under the guild’s nose so she cannot scheme away in the back-alleys. She seemed to quieten down, become complacent in her lavish halls and even went as far as to help the guild in their endeavours to educate their new and prosperous nation.
The story goes that a young gnome was torn from her burning homeland and tricked her way into luxury, but who’s to say what the true story was? Mama Tiana changes it every time.
Affinities: Sanguination, Enchantment
Craft: Infusion (Intermediate Skill)
Magic: Tiana, like the vast majority of her kin, is a trickster and a fraud - she is simply very good at making people believe otherwise. Posing as some sort of seer, she delves into the memories of others and beguiles them into believing her false prophecies for coin - those who wish for a more decisive tool to protect them against the uncertainty of the future may be able to receive enchanted trinkets, or special runestones. Everything has a cost, however, and the price must be paid off eventually...
Skills: Cooking. Baking. Speechcraft. Tailoring. Skinning. Foraging. Herbalism. Tiana has learned a great many professions in her lifetime, due to her long journey and a necessity for survival. She is very good with her hands - an extensive list would be impossible to write down, but she is only partially good at a great deal of things. Her mastery lies in trinket-making, an art of creating small, portable and alluring oddities that she can inscribe and enchant with runes made of blood or magic.
Other: For a character like this, cooperation is key. There’s no fun in finding the villain and thwarting their plans on the first day - mutual trust and a bit of OOC planning can make for good RP that suits us all!
First RP back after a difficult time IRL. Please be gentle!
@TaliPaendrag Hello, I would like to audition for the role of group Dwarf.
Brandon Argyle
”Magic demands responisibility…so put some thought into it, you lackadaisical layabout!”
Nicknames: Lordling Race: Dwarf Gender: Male Age: 20 Appearance: Blonde of hair and brown of eye, and standing at a height of 4’9, Brandon is often characterized by his austere gaze and upright posture. He is bulky and muscular like many of his Dwarven brethren. He is almost always exceptionally well kempt, making a point of grooming even at the worst of times. His wardrobe is mostly made up of finery befitting a patrician, although Brandon is practical enough to know some situations call for equally practical outfits.
Personality: A stern and formal young man, Brandon has often been described as acting well beyond his age. Mostly out of instruction, Brandon acts the role of a Dwarven gentleman, polite and dignified in manner and dedicated to the rules and traditions of society. He can come across a touch snobbish, if only because he has been taught not to indulge in activities that are beneath him or anything that would bring his family into disrepute. He personally considers reputation highly important. He would not choose to associate with those that have made a poor name for themselves, and he considers anyone of high regard to be worth a chance if nothing else.
For all his aristocratic tendencies, Brandon is hardly incapable of getting past his upbringing. Brandon is fond of humour, and has been known to laugh so loud his bellowing shakes the room. He is not easily amused, preferring to hear jokes of sufficient wit rather than tasteless jests, and will turn his nose up at anything that doesn’t suit him. He is also quick to anger, and will make his opinion heard if overtly offended. The steely gaze he adopts when angered has been known to make grown men back away and drive young serving girls to tears. A blistering tirade awaits anyone that commits one of any of the acts he considers to be the highest of sins, and entailed in those tirades is a selection of some of the most colourful curses he has conjured up to date. Backing out of or being abjectly derelict in one’s duty is perhaps that which he hates the most, and woe befall anyone that fails to support a team he is a part of.
Biography: Anyone taking a cursory glance at the Argyle family would likely assume they were some form of nobility. While they may act the part, the Argyles have no hereditary privileges in their society, and are simply a type of gentry in their home republic. Their claim to fame is having had multiple members of the family serve as Councillors at various points of history, and even having held the position of First Councillor once. As something of a political dynasty, members of the Argyle family are often obsessed with maintaining their prestige and pursuing their own political careers.
Brandon was raised to this role by his father, who was groomed for it by his father before him and so forth. He was often called a “lordling” by common folk due to the way him and his family play at being high lords and ladies as found in other societies. As a young boy, Brandon didn’t question any of it. Certainly their society was one where every adult voted and Councillors only served at the pleasure of their voters, but as father always said, they were of a higher pedigree than most, and so it was only fitting they lead the way for the commons.
He would go on with an unquestioning subservience to his plotted course in life until he met a lady named Amelia Lannon while attending “Luca Blanc’s Academy of Higher Learning”. She too was a “lordling”, but she did not act the part a lick. She was considered a shrewish and deviant girl by her peers, constantly questioning their norms and being an enormous social gadfly. She nettled Brandon much as she did others, questioning is unwavering devotion to his family and his stuck up demeanour in general. She received a great many hostile rebukes from Brandon, but the more she pestered him, the more he wondered about the truth in her words. It was true that he had simply carried on without thinking very hard about what he was doing with his life, choosing to put faith in the wisdom of his father and forefathers. The more he thought about it, the more he questioned the wisdom of all this petty politicking personally.
Making up his mind to at least try getting beyond his entrenched lifestyle, Brandon brought up the idea of joining the Mage Guild of Alsijan. His father immediately balked at the idea. The plan had been for him to learn from prestigious Dwarven tutors. It was uncommon for a Dwarf, let alone an Argyle, to sully himself by learning from one of those alien schools of uncertain merit. He wouldn’t hear a word of it at first, but Brandon dug his heels in and insisted, claiming that broadening his horizons would help him serve Dwarven society better, perhaps by virtue of being better able to protect it against pervasive foreign influence. He didn’t have any intention of going there to help entrench xenophobia in the republics, of course, but his father enjoyed the rhetoric, and was eventually won over to the idea. Now Brandon considers himself free to learn from the Guild and decide for himself where he will be heading in life.
Affinities: Abjuration and Evocation Craft: Artifice Magic: Brandon has already received a degree of tutelage in the school of Abjuration. It is of course a well respected school of magic among Dwarves, and the Argyles could never resist the idea of being associated with something respectable. Brandon has a talent for barriers, having demonstrated himself to be something of an iron wall when standing tall against hostile spells.
His dabbling in Evocation is a more recent phenomenon after opening his mind, and as such is decidedly amateurish. Putting together what he could from clandestine meetings with private tutors and what books he could find, Brandon has shown some affinity for manipulating the element of Earth. Until he receives some in depth formal instruction, Brandon’s skill with Evocation will remain little more than the ability to toss around a few rocks.
Skills: Trained to be a powerful melee combatant, Brandon is well versed in the art of cleaving through his enemies using a greatsword that would give trouble even to the larger races of the world. He has also proven a crack shot with a crossbow, although he deeply prefers to get up close and personal. As a member of the upper crust of his republic, Brandon has literate and has consumed a great deal of literary work on topics ranging from magical theory to Dwarven lore and history.
@Moyai Rahele sounds like a good character to me. Go ahead and move your cs to the character tab.
@Lurking Shadow S'Hra checks out. Go ahead and put him in the character tab.
@Stitches Tiana's good to be moved over to the character tab.
@Avant You've got it. :D Go ahead and put Brandon's cs in the character tab.
@Sedjwick Hybrids are fine, but I'm going to have to veto the half-Enuri thing. As you said, we already have a lot of them for a race that keeps to itself.
@Shard I'm going to have to say no, at least for now. I feel that that might cause a bit too much overlap with Captain Marvel's character. Plus, having too many characters having animal companions without having an affinity for Conjuration makes it seem rather pointless.
