Claus Rotstein was given a legendary weapon from Giles Blackwell, the old man himself.

Within would lie a blade of unrivalled caliber. Reflecting an iridescent and metallic green, the sword's focal point is its remarkably wide blade
that measures in at two hands wide which glints brilliantly when the light strikes it. The weight indicates it is Steel at its core, gilded with
draconian scales. Uniquely, every inch of the scaled blade is pounded into a patterned formation, each overlapping structure ascending the sword to
come to a finely sharpened edge.

The guard itself is planted into the base of the blade and embellished with a pair of talons of a drake rising upward which creates an advantageous
nook to lock weapons between.

The long grip was whittled bone which was tightly wrapped with treated leather that allowed the largest of men to hold it with ease. Beneath that
rested the fierce insignia of a dragon -- a pommel with a vicious and archaic design of a great scaly head with teeth clenched and its bright eyes
featuring the same scales of the blade creating an eye-catching yet simple motif to set it apart from all others.

DISCLAIMER! This is a very rough draft of the history of the steel fist. Some dates and a few other things are still susceptible to change. Any of this can be changed.

The official mentions and dealing with the company of the Steel Fist are scattered within the archives of Nyhem, while the mentions are often correct, it is hard to get all the data, especially with a self governed force like a mercenary group.
So considering this, the archives are well stocked in the matters of the mercenary company.
This data can be collected by anyone who has access to the archive of Nyhem. And some is well known facts by people in or outside the company itself.

The Steel Fist was formed by Captain James Formery in 412, a man who worked for the Tulza family and was rewarded for his service with funds in exchange for creating a mercenary force loyal to the Tulza family alone.
The company helped fight their dirty fights of the Tulza and did so as long as they paid. Which the Tulza's stopped. So the Steel fist abandoned them. The Tulza’s hoped for a loyal puppet, but they got Mr. Formery, who was only loyal to his purse.

The Tulza’s waned into nothingness over a span of roughly 15 years after the Steel fist refused to work for them. At least once did the Tulza's suffer from a manhunt, but records are hard to come by.
The Tulza family was recorded as extinct by the year 437.

The following 45 years are shrouded in myth, lost records and simple bad memory. A few mentions of the company exist but few have exact dates.

461: The Steel fist is mentioned in a report about Windermere. The mention is short and their captain is listed as Nathan Goyle. This makes sense since James Formery would have been 75 years old at this time and probably have not led the Steel fist for some time.

462: The Steel fist celebrates 50 years. Many reports of increased disruption can be found in the Windemere provinces for a time. A 3 month span according to reports.

467: The Steel fist is listed as participants in a troops record of the forces of Nash. Border skirmishes and waning diplomatic relations between Nash and Orog during the time does make the companies presence and employment does make sense. However no true battles are recorded between Nash and Orog during the time and their relations stabilized over the next five years.

470: The Steel fist makes an official plead for aid to several towns, and the city of Nyhem. Records state that the company suffered a tragic accident while they were travelling through the Irman strait by ship. Apparently two vessels ran aground and thus inflicted heavy losses in manpower, but primarily materiel.
The plead was written by Felicia Hartshyre. It is unknown if she was the captain of the force or if she was tasked with the plead. There is rumours that the previous captain was killed in the accident which complicates record keeping further. However a certain Doroka Hawk is seen within the list of survivors.

471: The Steel fist is restructured by their new captain, Dory Moor "The Dwarf." The records on this event is rather extensive and include an order for a new equipment standard. And that their equipment was now owned by the company and not individually paid for.
The company is designed with the armament types wielded to this day. Heavy cuirasses, polearms and crossbows. The company kept making minor changes in the equipment thereafter, mostly following technological advancements.
The nickname of captain Moor is often mentioned in records and rumors claim he was an actual dwarf. But evidence speaks directly against this, since the then most famous armour-smith in Nyhem was tasked with a suit of armour that he described as "Fit for a giant." Probably referring to captain Moor which means the nickname is probably a joke.

474: The battle of Alenius. Captain Dory Moor leads the Steel fist into the heartland of what today is known as Alenius. Reportedly the force was to seek out and destroy a dragon to quote "Prove that dwarves smote harder than beast." The whole ordeal ended in catastrophe as the expedition was ill prepared and suffered from food shortage. It is also told that the company resorted to heavy pillaging in the area. But little proof can be found.
The force achieved one of its main objectives though as it was attacked by a dragon. Reportedly the battle was a great confusion. The ranged forces were scattered and the beast also never landed.
A small poem of the event lives on in a very select few books and known by tongue within the Steel fist company itself.
"Dory the Moor, most dwarven in lore."
"The beast faced the fist, but the fist had no gist."
"Dwarf ordered loose, that hail was death."
"For not once it struck black scale, but many struck flesh."
"By miracle or luck, large bolt was flung."
"Pierced was black scale, beast wings now hung."
"From the sky beast fell, upon the banner of the fist."
"A crash was its landing, our banner now in dung."
"And from under the beast, an arm of a dwarf, clenched with ringed mesh."
"And thus Dory the Moor, most dwarven in lore."
"Dwarven no more."

The poem describes the battle and the fate of the captain of the Steel fist. With massive losses and the loss of their captain the force left Alenius.

475: A large draft was made in Telmarion, the reason it is of note is that the whole ordeal really upset the local government. There is even reports of skirmishes. "The hunt for Hoyt." was a local phrase used by some in Telmarion during the time. Which could refer to the name of the Steel Fists captain.

475: Rumour has it there was an uprising within the Steel fist, if it was one or more people is hard to know. But several people were killed.

478: The first recorded instance of "Old" Doroka Hawk being the captain of the steel fist. Rumours claim he officially took over after cpt Moor, other rumours claim he was leading the force while Moor took the credit.
It is however important to not ask steel fist personnel of this, since it is practise within the company to blatantly lie about when mr Hawk took over the company. Since some claims even predates the end of the elven invasion and some claim how mr Hawk helped the Remonnets take over Formaroth. Which is simply falsehoods.
It is however evident through several reports that mr Hawk has been active within the steel fist for a long time.

488: House De Reimer intercepts a courier with a letter to the Steel fist from house Hieze. The letter was an invitation for employment and would probably have swung the events in the following year in another way should the fist have fought for house Hieze.

489: De Reimer employs the Steel fist, but the fist suffers from problems with transportation and arrives too late to make a significant impact. The Steel fist is therefore only mentioned in a single battle.

491: The steel fist is hired by House Mandarass to defend house Willow. However the battles are not in the favor of the Steel Fist and while horrendous losses were inflicted on enemy forces, the Steel Fist is ultimately beaten and forced to retreat.

492: Early in the year Doroka Hawk gives a formal statement that the steel fist is far too beaten up to take any contracts of employment for the time being.
It is evident that this was probably an act of reason. The Steel fist is reported to have fought in multiple conflicts in the years leading up to this decision.
But it is also evident that mr Hawk could have done this to protect the Steel fist. Many rumors exist but few can be proven.

493: Numerous events are on record, but the most notable is that Claus Rotstein first appears in the roster of the steel fist.

494: After an extended rest and an influx of new recruits Doroka Hawk leads the Steel fist to Beilokias to begin a contract for the elven kingdom. Rumour has it the Steel fist was pressured from multiple sides to change loyalties to several formaroth households. Especially during the civil war but also after the civil war.
There is also rumours of threats of assassinations and treachery. Barely any which can be proved.
Doroka Hawk is believed to have left Formaroth for the time being to properly safeguard the company for the future.

497: Command is let over to Claus Rotstein when Doroka Hawk retires. Different sources about mr Hawk are available, but it is generally agreed upon that he was either 63 or 85 years old. Interestingly enough it seems as if you look upon mr Hawk in person that the later age is the correct one.

498: The battle of Shrooms. A rather inglorious event with rather good reports refer to the battle of Shrooms. Apparently it was a lengthy siege against a city of elven revolters, but the Steel fist had received the wrong location or there was a misunderstanding.
The result was however that cpt Rotstein had his men cleave their way through an extensive Beilokian fungi forest for 2 weeks trying to locate the fortress. When the correct location was finally received Rotstein was much angered since the 2 weeks of hard work was completely in vain.
When the defenders of the castle asked for a parley cpt Rotstein was repeatedly insulted and quote "offered fungi stew" that he called off the negotiations as fraud. It's later been proven that the parley actually was delaying tactics.
A later report states "Rotstein fell down upon the fortress with unspeakable force, within a day the keep was razed and the Steel fist burned two fungi forests."
Soldiers whom remember the event claim it was pure slaughter, and that Claus acted more like a madman than a captain. Fighting with blade in hand instead of commanding.

500: The battle of hymns. The steel fist engages in a land battle against an army of Vogani in their homeland aiding the elves in their conquests. Curiously enough there was massive casualties on all sides except for the Steel fist whom lost no lives and had few wounded.
While facts of the battle are hard to come by, the Steel fist claims they were superior at arms. While the numbers suggest they did not enter the battle itself until the very end.
Accurate records are hard to obtain of this incident.

501: The siege of Krypola. The steel fist enters a siege against the fortress city of Krypola which is fought against revolting elven slaves.

502: The siege of Krypola ends with a large scale battle inside its walls. The Steel fist however does not participate. Why this is does not come up in records.
The Steel Fist then returns to Beilokias to root out rebels once more.

503: With the contract with the elves complete the Steel fist returns to Formaroth in Scassia. It then marched to the capitol of Nyhem. Disrupting the grieving populace after the death of King John Remonnet. Claus Rotstein is imprisoned and tried at court but found innocent.

503: The Steel fist was employed by the imperial concord, Claus Rotstein leading the defense force of Telmarion on order by the De'Reimer family.
The army of the concord clashed with the combined army of Andris Mandarass and many of his allies. The battle was a massive slaughter, thousands perished on both sides as the Steel fist engaged with unbridled fury after the local commander Orland Tuania sent in his forces without consulting Claus.
Claus Rotstein performed an impressive tactical feat and managed to save his outnumbered army from annihilation.
However, the cost was high.

503: The siege of Clarm commences. The steel fist are in charge of the command and defence of the massive stronghold and its surrounding town.
The fighting is fierce and after a week of siege the Mandarass alliance attack the city. The town falls but the stronghold within still stands under the command of Claus Rotstein. He also orders hit and run strikes against the Mandarass forces trying to peacefully occupate the town.
After several days more, the Alliance are forced into action by the closing reinforcement armies of the Imperial Concord and thus assault Clarm.
The town is taken with force but the steel fist manages to halt the destruction of the gate and thus hold the fortress. A massive war elephant was used to drag down the gate but with a daring raid performed by Claus Rotstein he managed to take it out. Prolonging the siege. Roogel Therp takes temporary command over the steel fist when Claus Rotstein goes missing after the raid.

503: The second battle of Telmarion. The Steel fist arrive in the latter part of the battle and flank the Mandarass supply line. Most of the baggage train is seized and lord Mandarass himself is almost captured by Claus Rotstein who made miraculous recovery after a vigilante raid by Katrina Nikos to seize his body.
The capture of lord Mandarass is however ruined by a paladin of the church, allowing Mandarass to escape.
The Steel fist hand over the Mandarass war chest to the imperial concord.

503: Returning with ships back to Nyhem, the company is forced to stay outside the city which is in open riot and uproar. The Steel Fist moves in to suppress the riot after being employed for that task by the king.
The company does excellent work in the riot suppression and there are very few civilian casualties where the fist works.
In other parts of the city, many civilians perish as church troops use a far more brutal approach.

503: Claus Rotstein is given the title of court military advisor to the high king, now emperor.
Following a brutal duel with the previous military advisor, Alice Rallar. Ending in the vicious dismemberment of Alice's arm.

503: Claus Rotstein thwarts an assassination attempt upon the emperor and Lady Isabel De'Reimer. This quickly results in him being awarded the title of nobility by the emperors own hand.

503: The Steel Fist officially becomes the imperial guard of Formaroth. Tasked with the defence of the imperial family and the keep of Nyhem.

503: The Steel Fist leading the imperial relief force moves north to quell the northern rebellion in Uzgob. On the way they have a pitched battle with the Grim company, which vanish mysteriously during the battle.
The Imperial forces carry on north and reach Uzgob thus ressuplying the beleaguered church forces.

503: Trying to land in Scassia, the Steel Fist is ambushed by unknown forces, a massive battle ensues and reports claim half the Steel Fist, if not even more was annihilated in the ambush, the Steel Fist managed to board the transport ships they were landing with and sail south.
It is not clear why the Fist was disembarking on the shoreline near the city instead of in the harbor.

Family name: De Reimer

Kingdom Location: Cawanor

Crest:


Family motto: Bound by Blood

Relations with other Kingdoms:
House De Reimer is on good terms with many of the central Kingdoms that sided with them during the civil war. These include Sypius, Telmarion, Nash, Windermere and Orog. However the Kingdoms that sided with the Mandarass Alliance feel great contempt and spite towards them, particularly the kingdoms now occupied by Imperial forces such as Ralda, Coruneon and Uzgob. The De Reimer's maintain an uneasy alliance with House Blackwell and though they are ally's on the surface, the Blackwell's are currently marked as the De Reimer's main rivals. The Southern alliance hold nothing but distrust for the De Reimer family.

Family reputation: Ambitious, Cunning, Wealthy, Scheming, Power Hungry, Untrustworthy

Kingdom's main export goods: Ores; (Iron, copper, steel, gold, silver, coal, gems) equipment; (tools, armour, weapons), Stone, Woodcraft (Furniture, Tools), Clothes.

Description of Kingdom: Cawanor is a kingdom just south of central Formaroth. It has a Continental climate that is slightly colder in its southern regions. Cawanor is very mountainous with a large proportion of the kingdom (around 40%) being covered in mountains. Therefore the main form of industry within Cawanor is mining and smithing. The remaining area that isn’t mountains is mostly farmland. The farmland itself is of average fertility.

There is one settlement of importance within Cawanor, this being the port city of Cawaport. This city is located on the northern coast of Cawanor and is the smallest city in Formaroth. The river Dagma runs through it's centre. Cawaport has a similar building design to renaissance Florence. The city has a great divide of wealth between the upper class, the middle class and the working class. The upper class tend to live in one collected area in Cawaport in large mansions, basking in the wealth that the city provides them. The middle class is the main populous within Cawaport and are made up of such profession as: craftsmen, blacksmiths, shop keepers, tanners, merchants, doctors, tailors, etc. The working class is less of a working class (with the majority of working class people such as miners and farmers living in the countryside of Cawanor) and more of an underclass. The underclass is compacted into one area of the city and lives in the slum known as 'Darktown'. People who live here are mostly beggars or people who find the odd job in docks with loading and unloading ships. Cawaport is also home to the 'Great Lighthouse' a colossal structure at 100 meters in overall height. The city is surrounded by a stone wall which provides a decent amount of defence against minor attacks, but in the event of a major siege it would only provide a minimum amount of resistance.

Iredale Stronghold is located in the centre of Cawanor. It is where the De Reimer family, as well as their advisers, reside.

Family Background: The Kingdom of Cawanor has only been under the control of the De Reimer family for a short period of time (only around 10-20 years). Before that it was controlled by the Hieze family; a greedy and power hunger house that was on ill terms with the current King (Helyot Remonnet). The De Reimer family was a noble family that owned several mining systems within Cawanor. Eventually the wealth and power of the De Reimer family caught the attention of the Hieze family who became fearful of the De Reimer’s wealth and power. They decided to executed the head members of the House in the belief it would destroy the family that may oppose them in the future. However this was not the case. The De Reimer’s oldest son Patrick raised an army from those who were loyal to the De Reimer’s (which was far more than those who were loyal to the Hieze) and started a civil war which ultimately ended with the De Reimer’s becoming the new ruler of Cawanor and every member of the Hieze family with their head on a spike.

Due to the bad relations between the Hieze family and the king, Helyot Remonnet made the De Reimer family the official rulers of Cawanor and gave the family the honour of electing one of its members to the King’s council. Alasdair De Reimer was sent to fulfil this role.

Shortly after Alasdair was appointed to the High council's position of 'Advisor of Law', a civil war enveloped Formaroth between Andris Mandarass and the Tyrannical King Helyot. In order to assure the De Reimer's loyal Helyot kept Alasdair as a hostage, keeping him within Nyhem and refusing to allow him to leave his position on the high council. However this turned out to be a mistake as two years later Heylot suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Andris. During this battle Heylot was killed and his army was routed. Patrick De Reimer had ignored his kings summon's and instead marched upon the city of Nyhem. Once he was assured that his brother was safe Patrick attacked the undefended city of Nyhem and killed all of the remaining supporters of Heylot.

After the Mandarass Alliance won the war Andris disbanded his rebellion and allowed Heylot's brother, John Remmonnet to take the throne. In comparison to Heylot John was a much fairer and level headed ruler, however he was also far easier to manipulate. Through numerous schemes and politicking Alasdair was able to manipulate John into promoting him to the position of 'head advisor'; the highest position on the head council, and responsible for ruling the kingdom in the absence of a king or queen.

Family motives:
It is known that the De Reimer Family’s motives are purely the advancement and progression of their own family’s power and legacy. Though they are not known to be unnecessarily cruel or ruthless, it is believed that they would go to great extents to achieve these aims. Since their family defeated the Mandarass Alliance during the 'battle for the throne' the De Reimer's devotion to their family has grown to near zealot level. More than ever they now believe their blood to be pure and superior that of the other noble families in Formaroth.

Known members:
Ida Raudhfell Mother, Current heir to House Raudhfell
Asgher Raudhfell Maternal Grandfather, Head of House Raudhfell
Alva Raudhfell né Mirkvidhr Maternal grandmother
Urd Raudhfell Heir-to-the-heir

---

Name: Inigo Orbino
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Hetrosexual
Position: Military commander
Personality:
Inigo Orbino is described by most to be a very serious and stoic man who has little time for anything that is not related to his duty. He holds all of those under his command to a high standard and has very little tolerance for insubordination, incompetence or laziness. Through upbringing he is a military man who sees the world through a martial lens.
Despite this stern attitude he maintains, many view Inigo to be a honourable man who serves the De Reimer family faithfully since their ascension. Inigo maintains a respectfule and formal manner towards those who he deals with, even towards his enemies.

Weaknesses:
Prideful: Inigo takes great pride being the high commander of Cawanor’s armies, almost to the point of arrogance.

Inflexible: Inigo lives to follow the rules, he does not question the orders of his superiors and will do everything by the book.

Bound to chivalry: Inigo is bound to his codes of chivalry and would rather die then betray them.

Appearance: Inigo is a tall, well-built muscular man with broad shoulders and sharp facial features. He is clean shaven and has short blond hair that he keeps well groomed. When armoured he wears full steel plate adorned with the crest and colours of house De Reimer. When off duty he opts for more practical grab over what is considered fashionable, though it is important to note that it is still of a quality suitable for one of nobility.

Background:Inigo has served house De Reimer since before they ruled over Cawanor. When house Hieze tried to purge the De Reimer nobility Inigo was one of the first to declare himself for house De Reimer and assisted Patrick De Reimer in his rebellion and subsequent victory against house Hieze. Since House De Reimer took control of Cawanor Inigo was chosen to maintain, oversee and lead the forces of house De Reimer, a position and he holds in extremely high regards. Often, he will find himself directly collaborate with the De Reimer family and despite being a noble from a minor house, holds a great deal of influence over their opinions. Alasdair De Reimer hand selected him to lead the empires forces in Seikatsu against the imperium.

Skills: Master tactician, Expert strategist, Expert leader, Expert swordsman, Can ride, Can read and write

Name: Marquis Lycaon Issorat

Age: 36

Gender:

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Position: Grand Master of the Holy Order of Saint Elenor

Many years ago Lycaon founded the Holy Order of Saint Elenor in honor of the blessed saint and martyr of the same name. Though originally only a knightly order, and knights still dominate the organization, the order has allowed non-knights to join the order as well, transforming them into a more typical Holy Order. Lycaon’s goal is, as a pious believer in the gods, to restore the Church’s former power and glory. He knows that the only way to do this is through the King and the high nobles.

Personality: In public life Lycaon plays up his reputation as a hero, and acts friendly, amiable, and helpful with all that he congregates with. This is partially the reason that the poor treat him like a saint and hero. The other part is that he not only listens to them, but actually helps them. However, like a true saint he is never emotional, and though his words are passionate, like a true saint his expression remains stoic save for the gentle smile he wears on his face. The masses have never accused Lycaon of insincerity. Perhaps this is due to their ignorance of many of his previous actions. In court he is always as polite as possible, always remaining calm, and presenting himself as an upstanding man of chivalric virtues. It is important to notice that Lycaon is not boisterous or animated, but calm and agreeable. He is trying to be seen as a paragon of chivalry, saintly and unconquerable, not a jovial fool. It is not rare for him to unnerve people. No doubt this limits any charm he may have.

Lycaon himself knows he is not a saint, and does not concern himself especially with the veracity or depths of his actual goodness. He is in fact far more ambitious than he would have most believe. After having sat on the sidelines for so long, he is now ready to begin holding real influence. He understands that drastic measures will have to be taken. However, his chief concern right now is not becoming King. Rather, his current wish is to restore the power of the Church to its original position. Lycaon knows that that is no easy task. The Church has effectively fallen from favor for a long time, and the current Church is decrepit and corrupt. However, because atheism or monotheism (Lycaon has read that, scandalously, some philosophers have taken this latter position) has not been allowed to take hold, Lycaon believes the Church can regain its old position. Unlike many other nobles, Lycaon is a genuine believer in the gods. Despite this, he does not follow everything the Church preaches. He finds the idea that one cannot engage in sexual intercourse on feast days and on service days to be ridiculous, and does not follow it, just like everyone else.

Though Lycaon knows that he is no saint, as the masses believes, he does not think that he is misleading them too greatly. Any misdeeds he does he either brushes off as unimportant or as necessary sacrifices for a greater future. He is not an artificial man, and actually believes that he has many noble attributes in himself. Though his morality his certainly suspect, he does genuinely believe that he is moral, though he has not studied the matter, and believes he has done and will do nothing which makes him bear any great burden of guilt. He is very confident in himself, and flirts with the idea that Timtos himself favors him. Though he knows his physique is not comparable to many others on the battlefield, he is confident in his own skills to demonstrate his superiority, and show his inner strength. For what it’s worth, he is genuinely loving towards his wife and his family.

Lycaon does value the people, but he generally does not think about them in the way in which they would wish to. He often thinks of them in terms of religion. Lycaon, a warrior for the Church, would naturally be aided by an army of the faithful, which are the ever-pious masses, and he understands just how powerful a tool they can be, especially if there is popular discontent against the ruling monarch. His intentions for aiding the poor cannot be said to be altruistic or even truly to their benefit, as the people of Nyhem have not improved their state of living at all since Lycaon came to help them. Lycaon privately admit that he has learned some things from the masses, even though he is above them in all aspects. He has observed that though they are pious worshippers of the gods, they are not high-strung, prudish, or puritanical, but rather quite the opposite. He has observed that of all the types of people in the world, the poor are without a doubt the least corrupt of all, and that their indomitable spirit in the face of hardship and adversity ought to make any noble grudgingly nod his head in grudging respect.

Lycaon has genuine bravery, and will not shirk away from fighting. He has fought at or near the frontlines in numerous battles, even though it has resulted in a number of injuries in the past.

Additionally, Lycaon has moderate or liberal opinions of magic and mages. He has no problem with either mages and magic, and believes that mages should live without persecution and the Mage’s Circle should continue to be given the state’s support. He thinks that there is no reason to be suspicious of mages, and that they hate black magic just as much as any non-mage.

Weakness:
Though Lycaon declares himself to be strong, he is actually of lower-than-average physique when compared with the average knight. He is quite insecure over this fact, and hates the very idea of being overpowered in any way. Though the thought angers him, it also frightens him.

Lycaon has a weakness to women, and not just in the traditional sense. He, for some reason, cannot help but find them naturally innocent and pure. While this does not mean that he trusts every woman, it does mean that he will trust them when there is real no reason to.

Lycaon normally remains calm, but there is one thing he simply cannot abide. If someone attacks his war record and calls him an incompetent commander he will become so enraged that he will be unable to keep his calm. Perhaps he would ask them for a duel.

His extraordinary calmness and stoicism tends to make some uncomfortable with him.

Appearance:



Lycaon wears standard and state-of-the-art heavy plate armor for battle. Though it is polished and shiny, and fit for the noblest of men, it is also unadorned with jewels or gold, and is fit for battle. He does not only wear his armor in battle, however. When he congregates among the people he is always wearing his shining armor, which simply adds to their view of him as a saintly chivalric hero. Even in court he will wear his armor, both for intimidation and to make him appear as more a military man than a church man. When it is improper for him to wear his armor, he wears the proper attire of the military officers.

His face is clean-shaven, and his hair long and pale. Though he no longer has the beauty he once had in his youth, he remains handsome, and his face still has signs of his beauty from youth. For a knight he noticeable few muscles, but still has greater physique than regular people, though it is not as if such a thing could be noticed through plate armor. He has a number of scars, most notably the remnants of a gash below his cheek, but the greatest of his scars is the remnants of the wound inflicted by a war-axe inflicted in the Battle of Uzgob.

Background:

Lycaon was born the eldest son of Duke Percival II of the Issorat Dynasty, whose family had faithfully served the Du Paraquettes for nearly two centuries. Being born into the high nobility, Lycaon was given every luxury, and in return he had to both learn the strict manners of courtly life and meander through the cutthroat politics of the nobility. Not even children were free from the intrigue of the court, especially when their father was so closely connected with a king. So he spent his childhood in luxury, trying as hard as he could to stay alive. His childhood is considered to have come to an end when he was ten years old, when his father began to have him trained as a proper heir. He was put under the tutelage (at least in education) of Hanot Plasait, who had extensive as a soldier and a mercenary, and taught him martial arts, swordplay, and archery. His wife, Yzebel Plasait, taught him in rhetoric, oration, and poetry. She failed in the last one.

When he was fourteen, a peasant uprising occurred in one of the counties of his father’s duchy, and Lycaon was given a regiment of soldiers and sent to crush it. His role was mainly a formality, a peasant-born officer doing the real commanding, but it helped to establish Lycaon’s reputation as an able and noble young commander. It was not until after this that Lycaon was actually instructed in strategy, by a retired general, Count Ernst Harnish, who had previously served for decades as a general. Soon after he returned from crushing the revolt, Lycaon realized he had grown incredibly weary of the intrigue of the court, and hastily left for the capital. His father disapproved, but Lycaon was able to convince him when he spoke to him of how much safer he would be in the capital against assassins.

So Lycaon left his home of Linsdorf at the age of fifteen for Nyhem, taking Ernst Harnish, Hanot Plasait and his wife Yzebel wife with him. Though he arrived at Heylot’s court when he first arrived, he was hesitant to return, as it was quite clear that the King was mad. He stayed active in the lavish affairs of the nobles, but for the most part was an unremarkable presence, and his greatest achievement during this time was avoiding the attention of the mad tyrant Heylot. He remained quiet, and spent a considerable amount of time reading (Chanson de Geste mostly) and perfecting his martial arts. He used his considerable wealth to donate to the Church, marking his first contact with the Church in Nyhem, and established him as a friend. As a result, he created close ties with members of the local Church of the capital, and began to meet regularly with a priest named Farseth. Though Lycaon knew him to be corrupt, he was knowledgeable, so Farseth began to teach Lycaon religion and theology. Lycaon was enthusiastic and learned much, though he was always to be far from a theologian.

When he eighteen he was briefly recalled back to his home in the Duchy of Linsdorf, as his father, Duke Percival II, was concerned that his heir was still unmarried. Percival made it clear that he wished to marry his cousin, Felise of Dagensbourg, who was renowned for her beauty. However, his father overturned his request, and was instead told that he was to marry Pylia Thaner, the daughter of a powerful and rich nobleman. However, Pylia instead married the heir of a wealthy Telmarian duchy, with Lycoan being passed over. So Lycaon was allowed to marry Felise of Dagensbourg, though not without silent accusations that he wasted the opportunity to create an alliance with another noble house. He decided to stay at Linsdorf for the time, and this state of affairs remained for two years, when he was nearly assassinated. The killer-for-hire managed to sneak into Lycaon’s bed while he was sleeping, and stabbed him. The wound was far fatal, and although the official story was that Lycaon valiantly beat the assailant into submission while injured, the truth is that he screamed and a guard heard his scream and killed the assassin with his pole-arm. The plot was traced back to none other than Lycaon's own younger brother, Raimbaud. Lycaon was infuriated when he was only exiled, not executed. When Lycaon recovered completely, he announced that he was going to be relocating to the capital permanently, and would be taking Felise with him.


Felise of Dagensbourg

Once he arrived, Lycaon not only continued to be a generous and beloved benefactor of the Church, but also did the unthinkable of going among the populace. These two were intimately connected, as the Church was intricately connected to the people. If the clergy are the generals of the Church, then the people are the soldiers. This made Lycaon very popular among the commoners of the capital. Nobles lived in what seemed to be a world apart from the peasants, and normally treated them with disdain whenever they did happen to come across the masses. Because Lycaon not only walked among them and spoke to them, but also offered them aid, he was seen to them as a hero, and after months and eventually years passed they began to love and adore him. Though the last years of King Heylot the Mad would hardly seem to be the time to be causing such a stir, Lycaon was himself unusually loyal to the crown, and repeatedly spoke to the masses of loyalty and stories of brave knights who had unconditional loyalty to their king, so he was not considered a threat. During this time he was far from only engaging in charity with the poor. About four months after Lycaon returned to Nyhem, Yzebel Plasait, who had given Lycaon all of his mature intellectual education, became gravely ill and died, and Lycaon mourned her deeply. However, Lycaon moved on. He travelled back to the Duchy of Linsdorf, and founded an Order of Knights, called the Holy Order of Saint Elenor, in honor of the famous saint and martyress, and Lycaon’s father granted him a March, making him a Marquis, enhancing his prestige. A number of knights came from Linsdorf, while others were “holy warriors” with connections with the Church. The chief reason knights joined the order was that it brought financial stability and connections with the Church, as Lycaon had intricate and intimate relations with the Church.

When tempers finally rose and the country seemed to be on the warpath, Lycaon was a consistent loyalist to King Heylot, as mad and tyrannical as he was. When the Remonnet-Manshrew Civil War began, Lycaon fought on the side of Remonnet against House Manshrew. He fought with distinction in the war, bringing alongside his order of knights along with him. The Order experienced high casualties, Hanot Plaisat himself being killed in battle, and as result Lycaon opened the order to include more than simply knights and regular nobles, welcoming many who worked for and with the Church especially. Lycaon participated in the war, and was injured a plethora of times. At the Battle of Uzgob, Lycaon served as a commander and held a general’s rank along with his friend and mentor Ernst Harnish, who also served as a general. Lycaon, initially on the offensive, eventually had his position overwhelmed when the battle turned against the loyalists. Lycaon did not despair, however, and held out for such a considerable amount of time that the opposing regiment feared this would have an effect on the whole of the battle. However, eventually the Manshrewists charged Lycaon’s center and knocked Lycaon from his horse, and overwhelmed Lycaon himself. Lycaon, after engaging with the enemy in combat, was greatly outnumbered and eventually received a clean hit to the chest by a battle-axe, which pierced even through his thick breastplate of plate. Lycaon’s knights quickly surrounded themselves around the commander, carried him away, and promptly retreated. Though Lycaon was injured, it was only really a minor injury, and he would live to fight another day. Ernst Harnish himself was not so lucky, and was killed in battle.

After King Heylot was killed by Andrew Manshrew, Lycaon was driven into the countryside, and he promptly retreated to Sypius. Soon after he recovered he was attack by the forces of Patrick de Reimer, and although he survived he would never forget the horror of the battle his Order faced there. To this day Lycaon harbors a personal grudge against House de Reimer. Nonetheless, peace finally came when Patrick took Nyhem, Andrew Manshrew capitulated (at least in Lycaon’s opinion), and John Remonnet became King. After enthusiastically supporting John Remonnet as the new King, Lycaon faded from any sort of prominence.

He did not disappear, however. He knew that despite the strange victory and continuation of the Remonnet dynasty, a new order was emerging. He did not find this odd, as such a thing had happened under every monarch. However, Lycaon suspected that he still had powerful enemies, and would have to lay low until it was tenable for him to actively return to the royal court. However, Lycaon did not cease to going among the people. Now years have passed since the war’s end, and Lycaon, having gone among the people, spoken to them, and having aided them in their plight, has become something of a saint and a hero to them. The war caused the Order of Saint Elenor to grow rapidly, and in the post-war period it has only continued to grow. With his rising prominence, Lycaon’s ties to the Church have only grown, and Lycaon now has personal connections to the Grand Cleric herself. Lycaon has since began to rejoin the royal court, but he comes not as an aristocrat or heir of a duchy, but as the chivalric Grand Master of an order of knights and holy men.

Skills:

Swordplay: Tier 5 - Expert
Lycaon was taught by Hanot Plasait, veteran soldier and his martial teacher, starting when he was only ten. He has since had plenty to improve his skills, as he has had over twenty years to practice, and used his skill when he participated in the Civil War.

Other Weapons: Tier 7 - Average
Hanot Plasait gave Lycaon thorough training, teaching Lycaon how to handle other types of weapons, and not only the sword.

Hand-to-Hand Combat: Tier 7 - Average
Lycaon is knowledgeable and skilled in martial arts. However, this undercut by the fact that many on the battlefield tend to have greater strength and muscle than him.

Horsemanship: Tier 3 - Master
Lycaon is extremely skilled in horsemanship, and has successfully tamed a unicorn. This unicorn, by the way, only adds his mystique among the populace.

Strategy and Tactics: Tier 4 - Adept
Lycaon was taught strategy by Ernst Harnish, a former general, and distinguished himself in a number of battles in the Civil War. Nonetheless, he has suffered a number of defeats, most notably in the Battle of Uzgob. It is worth noting he has never served as the head of his own army.

Intrigue and Cunning: Tier 5 - Expert
Lycaon was born and raised in a world where it was necessary to outmaneuver one’s rivals in court politics. Even one’s very life was often at stake. Year after year of this have made Lycaon well-accustomed to the intrigues of the court.

Theology: Tier 8 - Rudimentary
Lycaon has received some instruction by a knowledgeable clergyman in theology. This has given Lycaon knowledge about his religion and allows Lycaon to follow the conversation and argument of a theologian, but not more.

Oration: Tier 4 - Expert
Yzebel Plasait’s intellectual training has allowed Lycaon to cultivate considerable oratorical skill. Unlike some orators, he is not merely fiery and bombastic. Though he knows how to be a polemical and powerful when necessary, when he speaks he tends towards a soft, but definitely not quiet nature. This has aided him greatly, both with the higher classes and with the masses.

Poetry: Tier 10 - Poor
Lycaon is poor at poetry.

Name:
Publically (Elven Lands)- Híril (Lady) Dyril Elian, of the Elian bloodline and granddaughter of Hír (Lord) Raton Elian.
Privately- Agarwaen (blood-stained), Umarth (ill-fated), Hin (child), N'Tel'Quess (not of the people- not elf), Uuner (nobody), etc.
By Lower Station (often slaves and servants) - Híril Dyril

Age: 31 (ages about 1.5 slower than humans)

Appearance Age: 22 due to slow aging process

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Position: Merchant (upper class within Imperial Even society)

Personality:

Value over Image

Being an Elf, her upbring places a high value on image and worth in order to advance your family to a higher status. From her birth she has been taught to hold a strict control over her emotions and give a calm presentation in public, especially when in the present of those equal or higher than her rank. Failure to hold this practice would risk her family reputation, entitling them to mockery over their ‘childish’ behavior. Minor as it might seem, recovering from it was often a chore best avoided. This didn’t mean anyone could insult her family, and by extend herself, without any repercussions and those will come in time when she’s had time to ready them.

Patience

Dyril is very patient, maybe too patient at times. She never rushes into things, as shown in her bio, and instead carefully treads into her plans. It can take months to years to set things up before she feels safe to act on her plans. In some ways this can help and hurt her. While she won’t blindly rush in on instinct, any time sensitive plans she decides to follow could become useless if too much time passes or things don’t add up in her favor. Most times it requires a push from an outside source for her to place aside her patience and go for things ahead of plans.

Motivation

She will have two current motivations. Her original motivation was to prove her worth to her family, both Elven (though she won’t admit it) and human. In order to adaptly do this, she needs to make her trading dealings work out well and benefit her family both here and across the sea. Her second one will surface the moment she learns of recent events about the death of Henry. This will develop into a need for revenge against the individual that took his life away and desire to change her exile family’s state. How long this lasts could change in the future.

Weaknesses:

Image Vanity- Like many Elves are brought up to believe, Dyril values herself and family image highly giving her sense of vanity. Not surprising since her environment has been her teacher most of her life and it is all she knows. When others attempt to ruin it,, Dyril’s calm becomes less natural and more forced. With higher and greater insult to the image, she gains a hidden spite and this builds over time. Dyril rarely forgets an insult as she bides her time, gradually seeking to gain some sort of satisfactory revenge for their insult. If left unchecked, this can eventually become obsession in her free time or influence her focus.

Isolation and Abandonment Fear- While Dyril doesn’t fully know it, she has a minor fear of being discarded and even left behind by all she knows, loves, and even is connected to. This stems from her upbring where her family regarded her as something to be ashamed of and when possible, isolated her from both public and family ordeals. If it wasn’t for Kiseo, she would’ve fallen to the effects of facing her fear a long time ago.

Mix Heritage- Being a hybrid has its perks and limitations, something that Dyril knows fully well. One biggest stigma among hybrids is that they are sterile and are unable to carry on the bloodline into the future. This can bring a promising family into extinction over time if a future heir is unable to produce children. In addition, her physical appearance is a mixture of human and Elven which makes her unappealing to either race for the most part. Too Elven for a human or too human for an Elf is a painful experience forcing her to give up on the notion of any love or family. It also makes any manipulation through sexual appeal clearly out of her skill range unless one is curious or want to try something ‘exotic’. Another issue is that her facial ticks aren’t like humans and sometimes be difficult to read.

Lack of Combative Skills- Dyril was brought up in higher society and being female, these are primary factors that denied her the right to learn combat skills. Females had higher power when it came to marriage and politics than physical or business transactions within Imperial lands which made image that more important to them since it was harder to earn and keep. Married individuals often rode upon their husband’s successes which could range from the battlefield to more common skills unfitting for a female. This means any situation that required pure physical strength or speed would put Dyril at a serious disadvantage or even worse, make her into a fool. She is unable to defend herself should things escalate into blood and violence.

Ignorance of Formaroth- Never traveled beyond her family property too often, Dyril has little to no knowledge of any thing about Formaroth’s politics or recent events. Not even the state of her present family. Any knowledge she does know is officially obtained through traders (which are few and far between) or what guests have been kind enough to share, none she fully puts trust in until she’s seen it.

Appearance:

Physical

Being a hybrid of two races, Dyril’s got characteristics that fit both her mother and father. Her mother’s are dominant which allowed her grandfather, Raton, to hide her heritage with the excuse of deformities. ‘Unique’ isn’t acceptable in Elven society like it is in their slaves, a fact she’s had to live with all her life and struggle to overcome. Compared to her relatives who sport the common dark blue (denim color), hers is a bluish-grey shade. A few have compared it to something called blue spruce trees which don’t exist in Beilokias.

She has dark, brown eyes much like her father. So far, no one she’s been with for extended time- save her family- has noticed the difference compared to their own onyx back irises. Her face is considered long by humans standards, giving her a rather haughty look like the rest of her family. However when closely examined, the subtle differences are easily seen and clearly not completely elven. Her features are fleshed out along her cheeks, sides, and forehead rounder in comparison to her other female relatives.

The thicker physical appearance doesn’t stop merely at her face, but also include her weight which is considered heavy at 146 lbs and closer to human than any female elf should be. Meanwhile, her saving grace is that she barely falls to the average height of 164 cm (5’4”) and doesn’t need to shrink or alter it in any fashion. The final abnormality is her fingers, they are still considerably long but a bit less claw like and a dead give away to her human side. Instead of three digits on each hand, she has five.

Her default expression is often neutral and difficult to read thanks of her mixed heritage. Often considered permanently stuck in a day dreaming or haughty one, which gives the impression to humans she doesn’t care about what is being said. A fact that is far from her real feelings. However, when she does smile the human in her is quite easily seen and considered genuinely appealing (not sexually), breaking the bizarre features she inherited. Her black hair falls to about the bottom of her shoulder blades, but often bounded into numerous tight braids and loop about her head back. They are pinned in place with silver hair pins that are decorated into handcrafted designs like shells, feathers, and even animals.

Clothing

In Elven culture, despite the hot and arid atmosphere, the higher social classes often wear layers of clothing that reflect their status and importance among their peers. Being a granddaughter of Elian bloodline, her dresses are the official colors of black and yellow with the crest of her family’s rank. They are linked with the Patricians making Raton and his son Dathion apart of the senate. Often, Dyril is dressed in loosely fitting dresses made of two layer skirts, a pleated shirt and binded at the waist with a belt. Upon her feet are slipper shoes and a kaftan (long over coat) is placed over her to allow her to shade her head from view.

Background:
Family
Lists of those Dyril has interacted with on a daily basis, both alive and deceased.

Grandparents
Uncles
Aunts
Male Cousins
Female Cousins




Skills:

• Basic Etiquette: Being raised in higher society, Dyril was raised in the similar fashion as her female relatives. Through primary that was to ensure she didn’t mess up or create an ignorant for her family’s image. She knows how to conduct herself within a court, though she lacks a bit of knowledge on Formaroth’s customs which can easily be corrected.
• Translator: She knows how to read, write and speak numerous languages. This ranges from those in Formaroth to the conquered worlds within the Elven Imperium. Most her basic within Formaroth is thanks to interaction with Claus and his men.
• Sewing: Basic sewing as she had spent several hours learning to decorate tapestry pieces for subtle displays in her room.
• Court Dancing: She was expected to properly dance, through this is mainly in Elven fashion. She doesn’t know any Formaroth dances but with some time and practice, she could easily adapt to be able to perform them at a decent level.
• Harp Musician: Dyril is an elegant player of the harp. With this being her main activity aside from reading, sewing and other required skills for a lady, she has become rather good at playing it. The calluses of her fingers, through a bit faded, indicate she practiced rather vigorously over the years.
• Natural Talent with Crossbow: However, she’s not been able to or had any teachers willing to increase her skills in this area. This has made her remain at the novice or lower level, but she does get the lucky shot even so often. Over time, and with practice, her shot might become rather lethal.
• Good Memory: Dyril has learned to keep track of what others say with a keen memory and often uses it to determine if they are lying to her when facts don’t match up. It also makes it easier to recall when someone has wrong or owes her a favor.
• Novice Manipulator: While her heart, honestly, isn’t in it, Dyril’s ability to lie, coax, and even negotiate has grown over the years she’s worked with her Uncle Saeldir. However when compared to those have been doing longer than three years, she’s rather new to it.
• Elven Trader: In order to have some worth in Formaroth, Dyril had to learn the ins and outs of trading through her Uncle Saeldir. Was fortunate enough the Elven man wanted to step down from trading as he hated dealing with humans. However, he knew how badly it could damage their family reputation if they ceased it completely. Upon offering to take his place, he eagerly trained her into the worth of things and what risks were best. She doesn’t have the experience Saeldir did, but she isn’t the little novice she might appear to be.
  -Saeldir has made sure Raton can’t influence her trade ability… for now.
• Magical Examiner: While Dyril doesn’t know how to cast magic, she has regularly dealt with mandrakes, items and potions for the trading business. This has given her an interesting insight and more knowledge than most non casters. After spending a good portion of time with an item (A few days), she is able to tell the bare essentials over it including: if an object is truly magical, the enchantment’s quality and what it does on a baseline level. However since she’s not a mage, she’s only able to get a general sense rather than gritty details.

NPCS:

Name:
Given- Kiseo no last name
Names given by Nobility- Slave, Servant, Cat, Animal, etc. (need I really list them all?)
Nick to Allies and Friends- Seo (primarily to hid from her masters it’s her preferred name)
Title- Personal Slave of Híril Dyril.

Age: 11 years ( Felines mature faster, the ratio is about 1.5x faster than humans making her look about a little more than 17 years.)

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: This is an unknown factor for her, purely since interaction in areas of intimacy without express permission is forbidden and often punished. Through it is, Kiseo is taught by her masters she is suppose to be attracted to purely males. This is because a union of opposite sexes will produce kits and eventually added to the population of other enslaved rather than explore the aspect of love. Unknown to her, she does in reality swing both ways, but unless someone nudges this then it won’t be realised.

Position: (In Formaroth) Attendant to Dyril Elian.

Personality:

Invert Personality

Kiseo’s behavior and carefully chosen words give the impression she’s very shy and timid as an individual. While it is true she’s invert when it comes to her personality, she far from shy about meeting people. This side of her often shows only in private and when given permission to speak by Dyril. Though she knows she’s no longer a slave, Kiseo still acts submissive to her Elven mistress as deep down she knows if abandoned then she will likely not last very long on her own.

Curious and Observant

Unable to feed her curious and desire to learn new things by asking questions, Kiseo has learned to be watchful and listen to what interests her. Her mind trained to gleam whatever she can from the subject then make educational explanations. When permitted, which is rare, Kiseo’s excitement can get the better of her causing her to forget her place and embarrass Dyril by hurting the hybrid’s image. On these few occasions, she has been punished with a few light lashes over her bare back but it was nothing compared to past experiences. Since the Mao has learned to curb her need for answers to merely sneaking hidden looks, studying and listening in order to make accurate assumptions. She will adjust when she learns something new however so none of her information is set in stone ever.

Compassion and Protectiveness

Kiseo is a deeply compassionate Mao ever since birth, despite the harsh reality of her status. At first, she cared and watched the young kits under her care with a ferocious protectiveness from the danger of their surroundings. For many she was like a mother they never had as she attended their wounds and even shepherd them from the cliff overlooking the river and sea. Gradually when she became Dyril’s personal slave, her compassion started to flip gears to her mistress’. It only grew after her mother’s telling of how Dyril’s life really was. Most slaves assumed all the Elven masters lived in luxury and paradise, but for Dyril that was only partly true.

Over time, Kiseo began to admire how strong she viewed Dyril against her family’s attempts to tear her down and mentally torment her. However, the Mao knew those chains still existed and there was only one way to fully free her. After Shinx died, Kiseo made a promise to herself that she would help her mistress to find a place she could be anchored and severe her ties to her past. However, in order to do that it was Kiseo’s job to ensure that Dyril survived until then. The slave learned quickly how to appear uninterested, keep her head down, and casually act while listening in order to warn Dyril of unsuspected danger. Through she has her doubts her tactics would hold much assistance here.

Note: I’m still figuring her out so her personality might change and I’ll update if needed. Personality sections are really hard for me.

Weaknesses:

Low Pain Tolerance, Easily Bruised and Fear of Pain- Kiseo fears and can’t stand intense pain. When struck harshly by anything with intention to make her bleed, she can’t stop herself from flinching in reaction. She will not fight back as she’s not taught to, her eyes watering and the punishment seared into her memory. She easily bruises through they are often hidden under her blotchy pattern coat and unless you’ve seen her in her prime, you might never know it. When threat of pain comes with a gesture, or even one resembling it when someone is angry, she will automatically brace herself and assume it will happen.

Low Birth- Due to her low standings, Kiseo has very low confidence about changes in her future and in her own value. This means if she is abused, hurt, or otherwise insulted then she will often take the path of least resistance rather than seek justice for wrongs against her. Especially against those of higher station than herself. After all, she is taught she is purely property from the very beginning and have no rights to protest against how those of higher birth treat her. Though she knows deep down, she is far luckier than most slaves in the household.

Sticking Out Like A Sore Thumb- Kiseo has been pulled into the game of espionage by her mistress, Dyril, in recent few years. While in the Elven Lands she was one of many, here Kiseo faces a greater challenge that she’s never encountered before: She’s literally one of a kind here. While Dyril is the minority, Kiseo is literally the only Mao that has crossed over Elven Imperial Lands and into Formaroth where slavery is outlawed.

Weak in Strength- Kiseo, like others of her species, aren’t raised and bred for heavy labor. Due to her life time of performing lighter tasks like cooking, cleaning, climbing into high places, and other similar tasks, her strength is lacking. At max and with some some notable stress, she can deadlift about 80 lbs (average human beginner for her size, about 119 lbs) for a small time. This makes things a bit difficult should something much heavier get into her way.

Language Barrier- Kiseo wasn’t raised to understand human language in Formaroth and while she has little trouble understanding it, actually talking in it is another hurdle for her. A big issue and difference is the fact that Formaroth puts the subject as first and most important in the sentence. For Mao’s, their native language focuses on the topic, often placing it first to indicate its importance, leaving out key words, and uses description to fill in details. In addition to their verbal speech, her hands, feet and even tail will move out of habit since they include a crude but elegant sign language to their speech in order to further understanding. Here’s an example of how the structure varies, with both placed in English:

“Hello, my name is Kiseo. Would you like curry and eggs for breakfast, mistress? And will you be eating in your room too?”- Basic Formaroth

“Name Kiseo, hello. Curry and eggs for breakfast, you like, mistress? Eat in your room too?”- Kiseo in her attempt to speak basic Formaroth *

Biological

While she has strengths that humans don’t, she also has weaknesses in them. These are listed alongside her biological skills since it’s easier when separating them for me because a strength often creates a weakness if a condition is met.

Appearance:

Physical



Kiseo is a Máoróngrōng which is a race of feline semi-digitigrade creatures both similar and different from humans. Like humans, she stands upright at 5'7” in overall height and weighs at a reasonable 119 lbs. She has two arms, legs, torso, and longer hair upon her head. There’s also five digit hands which are made for gripping, manipulating, and more. Her eyes are in a similar position through they are slightly more slanted compared to humans, colored ember in the irises. The pupil can slit or expand depending on the light source’s intensity, ensuring she can see most of the time. Brown hair that’s slightly lighter is highlighted with yellow streaks and kept at shoulder length, often pulled back into a short fish braid. Whatever short strands that escape the braid are shooting up in a slightly spiky fashion giving the appearance of messy and unkept bangs.

Here is where the feline distinctions come in. Her ‘skin’ is actually fine yellowish brown fur covered with lanceolated, black spots much like a leopard's’ along her sides. Along her neck, mouth and inside of her limbs are lined and colored white to contrast with her outside fur. She walks on her toes with retractable claws on her both her feet and hands. There’s also cushioning pads along her palms and fingertips, while they are on her toes, ball and heel of her foot. From the tip of her tail bone are additional vertebrae which create a tail about the length of her slender torso which is hardly easy to ignore since its tip is usually swishing side to side.

Her face holds the most obvious and alien characteristics, which blend human and feline facial features together in a sharp and elegant way. The shape is slightly diamond like giving it a long and sharp appearance but reasonable width compared to Elven kind. Her nose tip is closer to her lips giving her a bit of downward curve profile with the top of the nose bridge indented less than the average human. Her ears are rounder with a white spot over each, resting at the sides of her head. However, they are able to rotate forward, up, down and a bit backwards to catch any sounds that surround them.



Clothing

When Kiseo was still a slave, her garb was molest and simple due to the nature of her status. While Elven servants were given worn hand downs to reflect their position in the household, most indoor Mao were bred for living decoration and quick service skills. Like many that worked in the home, she often wore a simple wrap on her upper torso covering from her underarms to the bottom of her breasts and specially designed loin cloth that came to mid thigh. The basic materials are designed to show as much fur as possible without exposing any unwanted gender identification. Due to their long tail, the rear flap was often split in order to allow free movement. She was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have their tails severed into a bob because it was an annoyance.

The most clothing she owned was a linen shirt and simple pants without shoes. Through they are in decent condition for her status, they do have both dirt, food and other stains from her rare work in the fields and the kitchen. The fields were harsh because of the elements so the slaves, in order to make them last longer, were often given a linen shirt and pants every year to protect them. They were used in the kitchen to prevent their fur in certain places and from shedding into the prepared dishes.

Background:





Skills:

• Farm Experience: Very limited, but she does know how to grow and tend to mandrakes in the fields. This is usually only to get them to sprout and keep them healthy, but if they fall ill due to disease or need harvested… she won’t be much help.
• Able to Read and Write: This is primary Elven, Mao, and quite a bit of basic human. All taught out of need, rather than by allowance, purely because she is made to write out numerous things for her master and assist in the research over Dyril’s family in the last past three years.
• Cooking: The Mao, due to her requirement to take of her mistress, has been educated to cook primary Elven dishes.
• Mending Clothing: Is an excellent seamstress when it comes to repair, altering and other basics in clothing care.
• Language: Kiseo understands the language used by Formaroth, but speaking it is another matter. This allows her to eavesdrop and spy in a fashion that most might not realize, most the information being pulled back to her master for Dyril’s own personal use later on.
• Fast Runner: Being the only slave to Dyril, an Elf of many needs, Kiseo has learned to be fast and to navigate her path in the best possible way. Through most types of terrain, through when it comes to a run of endurance, she often falls behind the more athletic humans.
  
  • Spell: Metal Skin
    
    This spell makes an individual's flesh become as hard as steel armor for a limited time, gaining resistance to non magical piercing and slashing damage.
    
    Duration: 1 hour
    Classification: Restoration
    Range: Individual
    Concentration: Yes
    Limitations: This spell requires active focus and concentration from the user, which means that any action done to cause distraction has a chance -50/50- to cancel out the effect early. This spell doesn't protect against internal wounds such as internal bleeding, broken bones and other related wounds caused by high power impacts. Included and not limited to bludgeoning weapons, crossbow bolt (won’t penetrate, but hurt) and other weapons that able to hit with the same impact force.
    
    Notes: I have a method to keep track of this during use, but a great deal of if stops or continues will depend on the scene, story and other factors.

Biological Traits

• Flexible and Agility: Being a Mao, her feline traits give her advance flexibility by allowing her to dislocate her collarbone and squeeze into tight spaces most humans can’t. However it falls short of domestic cats ability making it difficult to fit her body into anything smaller than about 1/2 her shoulder width, mainly since her clavicle isn’t free floating or she couldn’t lift anything in her arms above her head.
• Balance: With her tail, she’s got excellent balance when darting across narrow bridges or areas as well as able to twist her body about on her feet when falling from high heights (about 7 m max). The bad part… her tail can get in the way of things if she’s not watchful.
• Claws: Retractable claws are noted on her fingers and feet, but they are primarily for climbing, delicate manipulations, and minor self defense rather than any sort of decent combat weapon.
• Silent Walking: Mao, when bare foot, are silent in their walking. Unless it’s on very weak floorboards or you strain to listen, you likely won’t hear when Kiseo walks up and stands beside you. Another thing to note, her movements in her attempt to be quiet are often slow and cautious as she still can make a sound if careless. So she’s not going to be running while using this skill.
• Higher Hearing: Higher hearing than humans, her ears about to rotate and can pick up faint sounds often missed by humans. While not as high as felines, her ears still are sensitive to extremely loud sounds. An example is the clashing of swords. Any similarly loud sounds will briefly hurt her ears, causing her to flinch in discomfort, distract or make her go temporarily deaf.
• Night Vision: Kiseo has limited night vision up to twenty feet, making her nearsighted in almost complete darkness. Everything is displayed in black and white making details like color hard to determine. Anything beyond the twenty feet is a complete, unreadable blur to her and straining will not help. In addition, unexpected or warned flashes or light will temporarily blind and hurt her depending on the exposure time and harshness. So say you stick fire in her sight suddenly when her eyes are in night time form, she won’t see anything for a good minute or more until her eyes readjust from the sudden change (varies with how long).

*_{Keep in mind, I’m trying and it might not be an accurate attempt to mimic a foreign Chinese individual trying to speak broken English. However, it should get the gist across.}

Name: Lanaya Triskell Dionisa (or to those who know her personally, Lana)

Titles: Duchess of House Dionisa, Magister of the Circle, Magisterial advisor to the High Council, Founder of the Collective.

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Position: Noble / Magister

Personality:
Lana is a woman of many masks. Amongst the majority of company, she maintains the appearance of a proud and knowledgeable Sorceress, cloaked in mystery, beauty and demure smiles. Yet amongst those that she knows share her views, she is quite different. Here, she will discard the facade and let her arrogance and extreme views shine through more readily. Though extremely well practised in concealing her emotions and presenting the exact image she needs to get the most of the people around her, she is not entirely unflappable. When in a very emotional state her mask may slip, and her true face will be revealed. Here she can be extremely biting with her words, or inspired to great emotionally fueled outbursts.

She is persistent and prejudiced, holding those without magic in contempt, requiring them to prove themselves before she will consider them even remotely equal to her and swiftly condemning those who make mistakes or work against her… Though it is rare she shows this element of her thoughts openly. When wronged, she is a curious mix of vengeful and ambivalent. Though she is eager to hold a grudge, she understands that she cannot let such things get in the way of her plans, and so will only act on her spite if it will not interfere with her grand schemes.

On a personal level, she greatly enjoys travel for the sake of sight-seeing. She enjoys singing, dancing and the primal freedom of motion given to her by her shape shifting. She enjoys tantalising and tormenting men, and is responsible for a number of local superstitions about mermaids, dryads and river nymphs. Most of these encounters are glorified games of hide and seek for her, and she rarely lets them become physical. She very much enjoys her high stakes political games, yet finds the administration and logistics that so often go with them somewhat dull.

Weaknesses:
- Lana hates and fears the idea that she might be a pawn in someone else’s plans. She will act quite irrationally if she believes she is being manipulated, and forms grudges with those who succeed in manipulating her.
- Lana is extremely arrogant, viewing humans without magic (mundanes) as lesser forms of humanity. She is quite callous with their lives, eagerly sacrificing many mundanes to save a single mage. She is also prone to underestimating them, and thinking the worst of their motives and actions.
- Lana despises physical violence and combat of any kind. She has not trained in any form of such combat and would be more dangerous to herself with a blade than any enemy. While she is neither excessively frail or unnaturally weak, she will always be easily overpowered by combat trained individuals. She has no qualms regarding magical violence however.
- Though she does not know it, Lana is barren, unable to have children or even get pregnant. She will be the last true blooded Dionisa.
- Not entirely herself…. Of late, Lana has not been acting quite herself. She has been irritable, prone to excesses of negative emotion, and far less diplomatic than usual. She isn’t entirely aware of this, and the reason for it remains a mystery….

Appearance:
Lana is of average height (5’6), and low weight, maintaining a slim appearance. She is not particularly curvy, but nor is she unpleasantly lanky. She has pale skin, green eyes and straight copper-red hair stretching down to her waist. However, few have seen her in this natural state. As one of the most skilled illusionists in formaroth, Lana often subtly alters her appearance. Common alterations include more vibrant color in her eyes, hair and lips, and occasionally a very faint glow.

She quite often moves about either naked or wearing only underwear, with an illusory dress visually indistinguishable from the real thing as the only thing to cover her modesty. In colder climates, when she expects to be in extremely close proximity to people or when she is traveling, she will wear either a full dress decorated with illusion or warm, simple travel clothes. In addition, she regularly accentuates her appearance with illusory jewelry that rivals what even the high queen would have access to.

Finally, she always wears a simple necklace with a large red gem as its centerpiece. It is always present and visible no matter what the rest of her outfit may be.






Background:
Born Lanaya Triskell Dionisa, first daughter of house Dionisa, a minor noble family living in the capital city, Nyhem, Lana’s early childhood was a relatively normal one as far as noble children went. As soon as she was able to speak, her education began, her parents obsessing over ensuring she would be a worthy continuation of the line. Despite this, they still eagerly granted her almost every wish, doting on her in the extreme, particularly when she did well in her classes. Needless to say, this quickly turned her into a spoiled brat who expected to get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

Near her seventh birthday, everything changed. An abrupt and clear manifestation of magic drastically altered her parents view of her. Suddenly, in their eyes, she would not be able to continue the family in any way. Though it was not exactly a dishonor for her to be a mage, it ruined their carefully laid plans for the future. Though it was not her fault, she was nonetheless blamed for the manifestation of magic. No time was wasted in contacting the Summer Isles to inform the mages they had another child to take.

Mere days later, she was collected by mages from the city and sent on her way to the isles. The last expression she remembered on her parents faces as she was taken was one of profound relief. To her, it seemed they were happy she was gone.

By most standards, the journey to the isles was a smooth one. To Lana, it was something else entirely. She had never traveled beyond sight of the city before, much less been on a ship. It was terrifying at first, but once she realised she was safe, both from the strange mages around her and the road and sea, she began to look upon the wilderness with wonder. After a time, however, she became so eager to see the next grand sight that she became impatient with the slow speed of travel. Fortunately for the mages accompanying her, she only began to act up the day before arriving at the Isles and the Circle proper.

The mages identified her as a possible trouble maker early on and did their best to eradicate her attitude, knowing how much of a catastrophe it could be to teach a child with such a mindset how to bend the world to their will. Their success was limited, and by her tenth yeah she had changed from openly demanding to subtly manipulative.

Her magical studies went on regardless, though in the first two years they were extremely unfocused. Early on she lacked discipline, and had a tendency to flit between the next most impressive magic on the list, dabbling in the basics of many different kinds of magic. She was a nightmare for the teachers, who could see clear signs of potential and finesse in the basic techniques she learned, but regularly found themselves being informed by the self important young girl that she was going to go learn something else instead.

By her tenth birthday, Lana had finally decided on a type of magic to focus on - illusion. For three years she focused exclusively on illusion magic, despite her teachers recommendations that she study more broadly. Her focus within the field was broad, focused both on illusion to create art and illusion to aid in subterfuge. When she was thirteen, the wanderlust of travel began to once again grip her. Initially, she roamed the area near the circle during her downtime, but quickly decided that walking was far too slow. This led to her taking an interest in shapeshifting. By taking the shapes of other creatures, she reasoned, she would be able to travel faster. To the surprise of her teachers, she did not abandon her study of illusion at this point, instead balancing her time between the two pursuits more reasonably.

By the age of 15, she had become quite capable with several bird forms, each suited for a different kind of travel. With these new skills, she decided to travel back to the capital city and visit her parents, hoping that perhaps, they might be happy to see her again.

Initially, they were. But the initial joy at seeing their daughter again lasted only a short time before they tried to incorporate her into their political machinations once again. For a time, she stayed, hoping to be something other than a playing piece in their political games, but however valuable a piece she was to them, she was never more than that. Three months later, she left once again, returning to the circle, now with knowledge of what it was like to be on the receiving end of manipulation. She decided when she left that she would not be manipulated ever again.

Upon her return, she further diversified her magical studies - picking up destruction magics to better defend herself against those who might seek to control her with force. It was only one year later that the Remonnet-Manshrew civil war broke out. Lana did not have the dubious pleasure of taking part, instead watching events unfold from afar, safe on the Summer Isles. Her personal hope for much of the war, was that the Remonnets would be victorious, but that the despotic king Heylot would fall in battle. Safe as she was, however, it was all somewhat surreal, affecting her little until the end came. With the conclusion of the war came news of the fallen.

Several of her friends from the circle, older, more battle capable mages, had left to fight in the war - none returned, all sacrificed for some tactical advantage or another at the hands of generals who often did not understand their abilities. As well, she discovered her parents had supported the now dead King Heylot. Whether from fear or greed, she did not know, but as minor as they were, they were not spared the fallout. They were among those to die at the order of Patrick De Reimer, though they were not important enough to warrant his personal presence.

The entire affair convinced Lana that the leadership of Formaroth could not be trusted to the political machinations of the mundane, the unwise who held no magic. She kept this opinion to herself at this time, knowing that agitating about it would get her nothing at this time. She requested, and was granted, the chance to study politics and governance within the circle. As with most pursuits she set her mind to, she learned quickly, though not abandoning any of her magical studies.

In particular, she was seeking ways to push her newfound agenda without having to become directly involved with any particular family as an advisor. At the age of twenty, she was deemed to be sufficiently capable to leave the circle, however, she was also sufficiently capable in Illusion and shape-shifting by this point to begin assisting in teaching novices in the circle. Thus, she remained on the Summer Isles in the official role of a teacher, while continuing her own studies in fields both political and magical.

At the age of 22, Lana decided she had studied sufficiently to try her hand at some real politics. She was able to call in sufficient favors at the Circle to gain the rank of Magister and choose a specific house to become advisor to. She chose the minor House Thale, a once proud Nyhem noble house with a singularly weak leader - Lord Dominus Thale. At first she advised on magical matters only, but within the first year she had influenced Dominus to follow more and more of her recommendations regarding non magical matters. After her third year as advisor, House Thale was totally dependent on her for its running.

Five years after her becoming the Thale advisor, Lana was speaking openly for Dominus, having become head of house Thale in all but name. It was then that the last of the Remonnet Kings died, leaving no heir. Lana saw the ensuing Throne War as a great opportunity to further her plans and rise in power, or perhaps even become the High Queen herself by marrying one of the squabbling Kings herself.

Though it has cost her much, including her close friend High Magister Aurelia and many of her early followers, Lana has gained much from the war. She has formally founded the Mages Collective, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding those with magical talent beyond the Summer Isles. She has drawn many powerful High Magisters to her cause, and many lesser mages from more prejudiced kingdoms have also flocked to her banner. She has joined the Council of the new High King, Alasdair De Reimer, and restored her family name and privilege to new glory. She has forged a secret relationship with Eli Blackwell, hoping to one day rule Formaroth at his side as High Queen.

Yet she is not without enemies. Relations with Alasdair have become somewhat more strained of late, and the now dead Lord Dominus Thale’s son Thanatos lurks in the shadows, resenting her for many a slight, both perceived and real. She is poised to become the de facto opposition of the anti-mage Johannia Heretics, and though she still claims allegiance to the Circle of Magic, some amongst its number are growing tired of her agitations, weary of her growing political power, or perhaps both.

Despite it all, she has never wielded more power than she does now, be it magical or political. Fueled by ambition, she is poised to seize even more influence and use it to change Formaroth forever.

Skills:
Magic:
Illusion - Grand Master
Lana is one of the foremost Illusionists in Formaroth. Though there are those in the upper echelons of the Circle that could rival or exceed her, none beyond the Summer Isles can claim that privilege. She can create all manner of illusions large and small. She can create convincing moving illusions. She is especially adept in the long term maintenance of illusions, and smaller illusions such as her illusory clothing cost her almost no mental effort to maintain over the course of an entire day. She is well versed in the art of creating illusions that fit well enough into their environment to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of people. She is equally as adept with sound based illusions as she is with visual ones. Finally, she can also maintain multiple high quality illusions at once, the smaller they are the easier it is to maintain more of them.

Her recent research efforts have been focused on tying Illusions to Glyphs, something that she has finally succeeded at after some correspondence with High Magister Barden. As such, she can now create illusions that only trigger when their corresponding glyph is triggered, functioning much like traditional destruction glyphs.

In addition, she has seemingly developed a capacity for much larger illusion spells of late. While her upper limit on size was once roughly roomscale, she can now conjure illusions the size of buildings or ships with enough effort. The cause of this sudden boost in magnitude is unknown.

Shapeshifting - Adept
Lana is a decent shape shifter, though with a somewhat limited repertoire of shapes to take on. Her most notable feat in the realm of shape shifting is the ability to shift with not only her clothing but a number of small objects or a small backpack as well. It takes more casting time and effort to do this, but its benefits are self evident. In addition, since acquiring High Magister Drevala Blackwell’s codex and High Magister Aurelia’s notes, she has been investigating many other shapes beyond the ones she has currently mastered.

Her current set of shapes are:
Eagle - moderately sized, normal plumage with a crimson band around its neck.
Owl - small sized, dark plumage.
Falcon - small sized, normal plumage with a crimson band around its neck.
Tern - moderately sized, normal plumage.
Songbird - three different variants, all normal examples of their species, excepting a red band around their neck.
Dolphin - Normal sized, normal coloration.

Destruction - Master
Lana is a powerful destruction mage, having studied the school extensively during her time at the Circle. She is particularly focused on dealing with crowds of lesser foes, and has also studied Glyphs extensively. Of particular note is Lana’s ability to change the point from which her spells originate, summoning bolts from the sky or other unexpected vectors.

Force - Lana’s grasp of Force magic is strong. She can create both wide and narrow waves of Force, easily enough to knock a man over. She has also studied how to generate such waves from sources other than her hands, and though such spells still require a somatic element, she can bring force down from above or other directions. She can fully integrate Force based attacks into glyphs.
Notable Spells include:
Glyph Circle of Force - Lana creates a circle of Glyphs around her feet, or around a group of people she is in (though this enlarging requires time to cast instead of being instant) that will detonate when crossed by an object sending a radial wave of force outwards.
Suppression Field - Creating a sustained downward force in a wide area around her, Lana can drive weaker individuals to the ground and hold them there as long as she keeps putting effort into the spell. Strong foes, Armored Foes and other Mages will at most be forced to their knees.

Fire - Lana’s grasp of fire magic is the strongest in her destructive arsenal, and she is capable of generating incredibly hot fires in bolts, sheets or glyphs.
Notable Spells include:
Glyph Circle of Forceful Flame - As Glyph Circle of Force but with an added flame element. Insufficient to overcome plate.
Spontaneous Immolation - Summons a relatively cool flame from directly beneath the target with almost no warning.
Dragons Flametongue - Requiring a pre-existing source of flame larger than a torch, Lana can, after an involved casting process, generate a controllable tendril of fire hot enough to melt narrow holes in steel plate.

Ice / Water - Lana’s capability with Ice magic is less than fire, and she cannot generate temperatures much lower than freezing. She can however, create a wide aura of this lowered temperature around herself, as well as the typical ice bolt type attacks.
Notable Spells include:
Moranion’s Precipitation Avoidance - A fairly simple spell to be cast when it is raining, this will stop Lana from getting wet in the rain. It will make anyone next to her more wet though, as droplets are diverted around her.
Localised Rain - If humidity is high, Lana can cool the air enough to make it rain for a short time. This can supply her with water to freeze or use as is.

Lightning - Lana’s least capable elemental magic, she is limited to summoning a single directed bolt from her hands, or, if outside and in sufficiently cloudy weather, above. Though not strong compared to what other mages can achieve, she can easily kill with this lightning.

Like all mages, she is capable of working with others of her kind to generate larger, more destructive spells. Given her great power and knowledge, she is often elected the leader of such a channeling group when involved in one, though not always.
Notable Group Channeled Spells:
Ball Lightning - A complex mixture of Fire and Lightning, the group summons a searing ball lightning from the sky above that they can direct. This horrific spell will instantly immolate all it touches, but cannot be maintained for long unless in a large and well prepared channeling group.

Restoration:
Lana can heal paper cuts. As a known bane of mages the world over, the vile paper cut is something Lana spent the minimum possible time studying restoration to counter.

General Magical Knowledge:
Though incapable of effectively casting any other forms of magic, Lana is quite familiar with all forms on a theoretical level, in particular recognising what a spells desired effect is likely to be and methods of countering or mitigating it. This knowledge allows her to accurately advise on all but the most extreme and specialised of magical matters.

Her knowledge of general magical theory is also fairly extensive, though often not up to the level of more dedicated Magisters, as she does not dedicate as much time to its study as most of her similarly ranked peers.

Mundane:
She is a capable dancer, both in typical courtly manner and for performance’ sake.
She is a skilled singer, both with her natural voice and that of the songbird form she can take.
She is an adept ruler, though focused on magical solutions to problems.
She is a master manipulator, unafraid to employ magic in her manipulation but not relying on it.
She is a skilled swimmer, having swum with the dolphins near the Summer Isles long enough to learn to take their shape.

Name: Drevala Blackwell

Titles: Princess of Alenius, High Magister, The Dragonslayer

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Homosexual

Position: Princess, High Magister

Personality:
Perhaps the most amicable of the Blackwells, and also the most dangerous. While she is no martial master, the woman has a pleasant air and a friendly smile- disarming qualities on top of a surname that bears nothing but lethal intent. The woman is a far cry from the martial and military prowess presented by her siblings, and is, still, a bit distanced from the statecraft presented by her brother. She is a genuinely amicable woman, with some reservations to those outside her family.

She is one who puts faith and trust in her family, and is quick to trust others. She was raised and educated primarily by the mages of the Summer isle rather than her father's brutal manner of raising his children, thus she has drastic alterations from the usual Blackwell harshness.

Weaknesses:
The Dragon Slayer is protective of her family to a lethal degree. She'll not throw herself in the middle of a debate or argument, or even into a single combat scenario, but she will throw herself in harm's way to shield her family, and will even sacrifice on objectives and tasks in order to heal and take care of her loved ones.

The Dragon Slayer finds trust to come easy. She believes in the good and natural intents of others, and easily finds herself trusting others.

Magically Dependant; The Dragon Slayer is dependent upon her shapeshifting and healing magics. Without them she is probably the least martially capable amongst the Blackwell family, which still makes her admittedly a good fighter, but she is one that relies on her natural penchant for shapeshifting to see her through issues from combat to day-to-day travel. She'd feel trapped without it.

More Beast than Women. Drevala spends a great deal of time outside her own shape, and it has had an effect. She finds herself more comfortable and at home among the birds and the beasts, rather than the high flying political games of her fellow humans. While not antisocial or shy, she prefers to leave the politics to others, and will never be anything more than a pawn in others schemes. An extremely valuable pawn, but a pawn nonetheless.

Appearance:

A woman with short black hair and an athletic form, whose strength does not lie in her own body. Her skin is soft, unlike her siblings', and her voice is softer still. She does not have the hard gaze that analyzes threats, but rather the inquisitiveness of a natural learner and profound thinker. She has a natural grace that permeates all actions, and despite her plain-ness she has a sort of nobility and serenity about her.

Of course, at another moment she may appear to be any variety of creatures.

Background:
Drevala is a peculiarity amongst the Blackwell for she bears magical power. This being said, she was not forced into the Old Man's usual test, and was instead sent to study at the Summer Isles- where it was found that she grasped magical concepts with exceptionally quick aptitude. Having chosen the school of shapeshifting, Drevala was quick to attune to the magic and discover its finer nuances. Restoration was but a secondary schooling for her, and she has but standard understanding of its principles.

Shape shifting- now that was something Drevala was truly interested in. Studying animals, learning just what made them move and what muscles accomplished which task- it was a deeply liberating experience for the young Blackwell. Learning how to fit into another creature's skin created a deep empathy for others within the woman, as well as a deep understanding of her own body and natural instincts.

Tapping into the primal urges that lie within the concept of life itself were what Drevala found to be key in fine tuning her art. Humans, through their construction of civilizations and religions, have distanced themselves from these internal urges- have warded themselves away from their primal instincts of fear and survival in order to reward suicidal and reckless concepts of honor, courage, and bravery.

Drevala's acute understanding and belief in natural instinct and animalistic urges are a driving force in the woman's actions and life, and have played into her distinctly singular understanding of the art of shape shifting to extreme efficiency.

To put it in the Lay; Drevala is an animal in human's skin, and finds shedding her natural form to come easily to her.

Drevala's most notable achievements were during the Blackwell Dragon War, where she gained her title of 'The Dragonslayer' due to her unprecedented display of tenacity and efficiency at the eradication of the great beasts known as dragons.



During the Throne War, Drevala faced many losses and difficult situations. She blames herself for the dire injuries and following radical personality change of her youngest sister Naomi. She also blames herself for the loss of her other sister, Beatrice, who was slain fighting Andriss while her father looked on without acting - a fact she has not forgotten. Though her familial losses have pained her deeply, she also holds hope that Lanaya will join the Blackwell family by marrying Eli, a union she strongly encouraged, for it will bring Lana as close to her as realistically possible. She is very much in love with Lana, but knows that the feeling will not be reciprocated by the completely oblivious Magister, and considers making her a sister the next best thing.

In addition, she has joined the Mages Collective at Lana’s request, and as a High Magister sits on its council, though rarely acts beyond supporting Lana. She does not particularly believe in the Collective, especially as her own jurisdiction of Alenius already treats mages with great respect.

Skills:
Magic:
Shape Shifting - Grand Master
Drevala is without a doubt the most accomplished Shape Shifter outside of the Summer Isles, and possibly even the world. Her repertoire of shapes is as numerous as there are types of animals, and her ability to shift into larger or smaller variants of those shapes is practically second nature to her. She is able to shift very rapidly into most forms, with only the truly massive forms requiring a longer casting time. She can easily shift with her clothes and weapons, though she has been known to forget this in casual or rushed situations. Her most outstanding accomplishment in this field, however, is the ability to take on the form of a full sized Dragon. This is a secret known only to two other people - Lanaya Dionisa and Giles Blackwell.

Restoration - Adept
Drevala is a capable healer, able to heal both her own and others wounds, though only for one person at a time. She suffers somewhat in the area of complex organ reconstruction however, and for severe wounds must spend a great deal of time and effort, combined with more mundane medical sciences.

General Magical Knowledge
Drevala’s general knowledge of magic is broad, but deep only on the topics of most interest to her, namely shape shifting and restoration. Nonetheless, her title of High Magister was not gained by default, and her knowledge rarely fails her in analysing magical matters.

Mundane:
Martial Skills - Adept
Drevala is a capable warrior in her human form, whether armed or not, however she prefers simple weapons such as the spear. Even though she is a mage, she is also a Blackwell, and all Blackwells are born fighters. This statement is perhaps most true of Drevala though, for she fights more through instinctual understanding than learned or practiced art.

Strategy
Drevala’s grasp of strategy is unconventional but effective. Though she has not acted as a commander in many traditional conflicts, she led the Dragon war, and developed a good understanding of asymmetric combat and guerrilla style warfare there.

Education
Having spent a great deal of time in Circle of Magic, Drevala’s education on all manner of matters is significant, and her knowledge has only been heightened in Alenius, thanks to her good relationship with her brother Eli, with whom she shares a love of knowledge.

Family House Name: Dionisa
Kingdom: Nyhem
Crest: A stylised blue Rose on a midnight background.
Family Motto: Persistence Conquers All
Relations with other Houses:
House Dionisa, having only recently been restored by royal decree, enjoys both suspicion and admiration from most other Nyhem nobles. It is directly beholden to House De Reimer for restoring it, yet with Lanaya in charge, it is unlikely this debt will be considered. She does, however, ensure good relations with House Blackwell.
Family Reputation:
House Dionisa’s recent history is rather tumultuous. Prior to the fall of King Heylot Remonnet, they were a somewhat influential house in Nyhem, held in good standing for the luxury goods they produced. Yet they sided with the Mad King and fell along with him, being declared officially a dead house when Lanaya’s parents were executed. Only recently has the house been restored to existence by High King Alasdair De Reimer, and with Lanaya as its only member. In Nyhem, the nobility is unsure what the resurgence of the house will mean for local politics. On the one hand, they seem favored by the High King, yet on the other hand they just absorbed House Thale in its entirety, despite a legitimate Thale heir still living. Beyond Nyhem, it is unlikely many even know of the House, and if they do, depending on the age of the rumors, they may have all manner of probably wildly inaccurate views.
Family Background:
House Dionisa rose to prominence two hundred years ago as a wealthy family of vintners were elevated to full noble status by the High King of the time, allegedly for making ‘the finest drop ever to pass the lips of royalty.’ They grew slowly but surely, eventually becoming a reasonable economic power in the great city, though little known beyond Nyhem. The family itself has always had difficulties maintaining its line, with high rates of infertility among its women, yet a distinct tendency to end up with more daughters than sons. This has been kept a secret, seen as a shame rather than something to acknowledge and perhaps cure with magic.

The recent history of the House is bloodsoaked and abrupt. With the family having dwindled to only the Lord and Lady and a single daughter, prospects for the lineage to continue were looking grim. Economic success was great, but it seemed that as more wealth was accrued, more family members died and less children were born. Ultimately though, none would get to see whether nature intended the Dionisa line to die, for the former Lord and Lady sided with King Heylot in the last great war. When the war ended, they were executed for their allegiance, their daughter, Lanaya, spared only by virtue of her being a mage in the far off Circle of Magic. Yet even she had her noble title stripped from her for her parents poor choice in allegiance. So ended House Dionisa.

And yet, Lanaya became as skilled a stateswoman as she was a mage, and for services to the new High King Alasdair De Reimer, she had her family name restored to glory, and so began the new House Dionisa. Though this restoration came with some of the Houses old lands, it seemed as though they would have to work their way to wealth once more… Until Lord Dominus Thale of House Thale died suddenly, bequeathing all of his land and wealth to Lanaya. This sudden takeover of a functional noble Houses holdings has ensured that Dionisa is on the path to greatness again, and though still not as wealthy as they were, they now command more land, people and militia than they ever have.

Yet Lanaya remains without heir, or even husband, and the House is beholden to her will and motivation, which goes far beyond mere economic dominance of Nyhem. It remains to be seen if the resurgence of the House will last, or merely create a short lived puppet for a radical Magister.
House Motives:
House Dionisa consists only of Duchess Lanaya Dionisa, and so the Houses motives are her motives. Yet some distinctions can be made, for she is skilled in statecraft and uses her House as a Noble House should be used, rather than squandering it on whim.

The Primary motive of the House is to see to the betterment of mages in Nyhem, and to this end its guard is well trained in specialist knowledge usually known only to the Summer Isles guard. Along with general security, the guard searches the city for young mage talent overlooked by the Circle recruiters, and maintains a bounty for information pertaining to such.

A secondary motive is to restore the former economic power of the House. Once well known for their wineries and patronage of seamstresses and lace-makers, the resurgent House Dionisa is a shadow of its former wealth. It seeks to reclaim this lost economic power, and exceed it, a task made easier by the integration of the former House Thale farmlands. Ultimately, it seeks to control the supply of both food and luxuries into Nyhem.

Family Members

Name: Captain Reginald Moros
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Position: Dionisa Captain of the Guard
Personality: Captain Moros is a dedicated and loyal guardsman. A veteran of House Thale, he was initially confused at the shift to House Dionisa, but believes in the will of the once great Dominus Thale. He also has a healthy respect for Lanaya, thanks to both her teaching and willingness to expend her own wealth on helping the more common people of the city, even if only the common mages of the city. He has a somewhat fatherly, protective streak that often kicks in when he rescues young mages from the streets. For the most part, he follows the leader of the House without question, but does have enough initiative to question orders if they seem unnecessarily bloodthirsty.
Appearance: Moros can almost always be seen in his guard captain armor - a plate breastplate and pauldrons over a full suit of chain, with the Dionisa tabard. When not in his armor, he usually just wears the padded layers that would be under said armor. His face is worn beyond his years, for he has seen much blood in his time. He has a well kept beard and mustache, though both this and his short hair are beginning to grey. He carries himself as one who values his duty and believes in his Lord, yet a touch of deep weariness can be seen by the end of the day.
Skills:
Melee Combat (all typical infantry weapons) - Adept
Command - Apprentice
Battlefield Inspiration - Adept
Anti-mage tactics - Apprentice
General Magic knowledge - Novice
Weaknesses:
Getting Old - Moros is not as young as he once was, and would prefer to retire with all his limbs attached in five years or so. Accordingly, he is a cautious commander, perhaps overly so, and he will usually avoid engagements with warriors he knows to be far superior to himself.
Sick of Massacres - He has seen one too many blood-soaked massacre occur in Nyhem, and is quite sick of them. If he thinks events are deteriorating to the point where another massacre will occur, he may begin to act irrationally or be open to an allegiance change.
Protective - Moros never had children of his own, and so he considers the mage children he rescues from the street at Lanaya’s bidding to almost be his own. He will go to extreme lengths to keep them safe, including putting aside his dreams of retirement.

Name: Seneschal Victor Elan
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Position: Seneschal
Personality: A quiet and reserved man, Victor prides himself on accuracy in record keeping. He has little time for those below him in rank and generally prefers to be left alone to focus on his job.
Appearance: Pale skin, a bald head and an elaborate, greying moustache and goatee ensure that Victor is fairly recognisable, despite his usually drab clothing.
Skills:
Administration - Expert
Espionage - Apprentice
Poisoning - Novice
Swordplay - Novice
Weaknesses:
Survivor - While some may consider it a strength, Victor’s uncanny ability to weather Nyhem politics has more to do with a tendency to always switch to the winning side at an opportune moment than any real talent of any sort. Consequently he can be easy to bribe and corrupt if his current master isn’t doing well.

Name: Arianna Zerrikan

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Position: Tide Master

Personality:
Arianna is a fiery and independent woman, resentful of the expectations of greatness placed upon her, yet at home in command of others. A sailor at heart, she tends to be direct and concise in her speech. She is trained in dealing with nobility, but not a natural at it. She is not a schemer, but a strategist, eager to apply military and magical theory to any problem she is faced with. She is stubborn, determined and prone to holding mild grudges. There is little she fears, and that which she does she tends to charge straight at rather than cower away from, often over-estimating her capabilities in the process… She is used to being known by the reputation of her family name, and tends to be aloof and distant when meeting new people, though she enjoys the chance to get to know people who have never heard of her or her father.

Weaknesses:
Brash - Arianna is quick to act and prone to solving problems directly, even when such an approach is risky and dangerous to herself or those around her.
Untouchable Fantasy - Arianna believes that there is no problem that she cannot outrun or out fight, either directly or through the influence of the Summer Isles and the Navy. She does not realise how tenuous her position is, or how many enemies she already has.
Politically Overconfident - Arianna has been trained to deal with Nobles, but she has never truly engaged in politics. She believes she knows what she is doing, but in reality she could not be more out of her depth when dealing with the schemes of the Nyhem court.

Appearance:
Arianna is a typical Summer Isles native - with tanned olive colored skin and flowing brown hair that she usually keeps in a neat bun. She has brown eyes and the strong, rugged hands of a sailor. She typically wears practical clothing suitable for life on a ship in the warm Irman sea. She always carries a utilitarian dagger and is often seen with a shortsword at her hip as well. While not unfamiliar with the loose robes of the more scholarly mages, she is fairly unfamiliar with dresses, preferring more practical finery - the sort one could fight or climb rigging in without first having to rip a skirt off...

Background:
Arianna Zerrikan, daughter of Arthur Zerrikan, the legendary Admiral of the Summer Isles Zephyr Fleet, is very much defined by her father's shadow. As a Summer Isle’s native and the daughter of two mages, Arianna was tested for magical aptitude from a very early age, and to no-one's surprise, was found to be a mage by the time she was 4. As soon as this was discovered, she was guaranteed a place in the Circle.

Arianna’s early life was uneventful. She was middling in her studies, neither excelling nor falling behind. Her most notable attribute at the time was a higher than normal aptitude for summoning magic. Once she had learned the basics of magic, she branched out into Destruction and Summoning almost immediately, supplementing her magical learning with close combat and sailing classes.

She was thirteen when her father achieved fame and glory - destroying a grand pirate armada and killing the notorious Akki Noble come pirate lord at its head. Arianna was still too young to truly understand much of what was going on, but as the next generation of the now mighty Zerrikan bloodline, her life was affected in many ways.

Her father, despite being at the Summer Isles more often, suddenly had less time for her as he was drafted into frequent lecturing at the isles Naval college and meeting a seemingly endless string of officials, nobles and admirals from the mainland. Her teachers suddenly expected greatness from her in every area she studied. Her classmates varied between sycophancy or avoidance thanks to her new found celebrity-by-association status. Finally, she came under immense pressure to work towards Tidemaster, and later Grand Tidemaster, status and follow in her father's footsteps. While it was always something she had considered, it was now seemingly out of her hands.

It took nearly a year for Arianna to adapt, during which time she did poorly in all of her classes. Yet eventually, she did adapt, through a combination of will, rebellious desire to forge her own path, and the lessening of pressure as the magnitude of her father's deeds faded with time. Now largely without any close friends, she threw herself into study, and began taking naval strategy classes as well. She still never excelled in anything quite as much as her instructors seemed to expect, despite becoming an effective summoner very quickly and grasping naval strategy at a very young age… Yet this only seemed to spur her on.

At the age of eighteen she was deemed capable enough to join the crew of one of the Summer Isles Catamarans, where her study took on a far more practical nature. At first, the captain and crew were hard on her - believing she had only gotten the position thanks to her father's influence. Which was true, though she did not know it. She quickly found herself volunteering for the most dangerous of tasks and leading the way in combat and investigations both - though often with reckless abandon that got her - and others - injured more than once. It also led to her developing a somewhat aloof attitude towards those she does not know well.

Despite this rocky start to her career however, one cannot live on a ship for any length of time without forging a strong bond with ones crew, and within six months her crew had come to respect her, and she them. She took part in several tours of the Irman sea, hunted a few pirate ships and learned a little about every Kingdom bordering the sea. She also spent more time back on the Isles, whenever the ship needed shipyard maintenance or the crew was due any extended leave. She, like most of the magically inclined crew, took the time to visit the Circle again and cram more classes in to heighten her magical power, though she also always made time to update herself on the latest naval theory at the college.

Late into her twenty-first year, Arianna was promoted to Tidemaster when the captain of another Catamaran decided to retire… Ahead of several other more experienced candidates and at an age that makes her the youngest Tidemaster to command a Catamaran in the history of the Zephyr fleet.

The realities of command have tempered her fiery nature somewhat, but she remains a dynamic and aggressive captain compared to her peers. Her reputation in the fleet is very mixed - the older officers tend to see her as an inexperienced upstart coasting on her family name, but the younger sailors look up to her as an example of what can be achieved by a dedicated, determined student. She is oblivious to the extent of her influence on the fleet in this manner, seeing only a continuation of the isolation she has lived with since her father became famous.

Recently, she has become swayed by the rhetoric of Lanaya Dionisa and the Mages Collective, thanks in no small part to seeing first hand the destruction and rampant piracy wrought by the squabbling Kings of the mainland. Yet she is ever the Summer Islander, and prefers a milder interpretation of the concept of mage supremacy, one that doesn’t marginalise her trusted mundane crew members or plunge the Isles into conflict.

Skills:
Magic:
Destruction - Master
Arianna is a well trained, if a little inexperienced, Tide Master. This means a significant focus on Destruction magic of the sort useful at sea. While not the most accomplished war mage in Formaroth, she does have a great deal of training in group cast spells, making a her presence on the battlefield more significant than one might expect for a mage of her youth. She has also trained in Glyphs for combat application.

Force - Arianna’s study of Force magic is quite unusual in its focus, though quite normal for a Tide Master. In addition to typical blasts, she has trained in esoteric uses like conjuring winds and applying slow, steady Force on large objects, like ships. These feats require a group to achieve though.

Fire - Though not a prime focus for Arianna, the control of fire is nonetheless paramount on a ship. She has focused primarily on controlling existing flames, as well as smothering them magically.

Ice/Water - One of the key abilities of a Tide Master is control over water. Arianna is no exception, and demonstrates the ability to control a significant amount of water on her own, going so far as to pull it out of the air in humid environments. She can freeze and thaw large amounts of Ice, allowing her to shape a battlefield with ease. With a group of mages, she is able to move the water around a ships hull in such a way as to propel it forward at incredible speed, or bring it to a complete stop.

Lightning - Arianna’s personal favorite among the schools of Destruction. She has trained in manifesting storms of bolts from even mildly cloudy weather. She can chain bolts from her hands to strike up to three additional targets beyond the first and she can fatally electrify small areas of water. With a group, she can conjure lightning at extreme range and of a ferocity easily able to set a ship ablaze.

Summoning - Adept
Most Tide Masters choose to learn either Shape Shifting or Summoning magic, with the more difficult Summoning being known as ‘The Admirals Choice.’ Arianna has put significant effort into the study of Summoning, and has befriended two shades.
Albatross - A somewhat ungainly sea bird of large size, this shade regularly accompanies Arianna when she is at sea, serving as a scout, soaring far above her ship.
Orca - This formidable and sizeable shade is seen only rarely, usually manifesting either when Arianna is hunting a large sea creature with her crew or in particularly fierce combat. But when it does arrive, it is a fearsome and intelligent combatant, making the water near her even more of a no-go zone, lest a foe wishes to face many shredding teeth.

Alteration - Novice
Arianna studies Alteration primarily for a few utility spells. Water Breathing in particular comes in handy for a sailor, though she has been known to employ limited telekinesis for small, intricate tasks like tying knots in rope.

Mundane:
Sailor - Master
One does not become a Tide Master without also mastering the many intricacies of traditional sailing, including more versatile skills such as stellar navigation. This also includes climbing, both with and without ropes, as well as, obviously, swimming.
Melee Combat - Expert
Arianna is a capable combatant, wielding the kinds of weapons typically found on a ship with skill and precision, though her personal preference is a shortspear.
Naval Strategy - Adept
While nowhere near the level needed to match a Grand Tide Master, or even live up to the expectations placed upon her, Arianna is still a reasonably capable Naval tactician, having led her squadron to victory on several occasions.

·Black hair with grey speckled about. Tanned Skin. Green eyes (glows slightly at night due to a the bloodgrass potion he takes to enhance his battlefield prowess).
·Very lean but a bit muscular. 6 feet high.
·Got a thick scruffy beard as he has not groomed or maintained his appearance for a few months (he was shipwrecked).

Attire:
Standard uniform of the Magi Detachment (A small contingent of Military Mages):

Black, knee length, waterproof coat made with a light fabric coated in a special oil and lined with small hardened steel plates stitched strategically around the inner lining covering vital organs. (below the waist the 4 of the plates are visible). Tightened around the wait with a black leather utility belt with several pouches. A second utility belt also attaches to the main belt and is slung over the left shoulder diagonally across the torso.

Green shoulder armour containing the insignias of the House of origin and the Daimyo he serves on his right shoulder, and his rank insignia and regimental insignia on the left shoulder.
A dark green cloak.

A 30-inch, straight, blade without a hilt-guard hangs in a sheath behind him. Hidden under the cloak (quite heavy blade for its size as it has a tungsten core making it quite heavy and harder to melt). This makes for some interesting use of fire magic.

Prefers to wear a pair of riding boots and fitted clothes to allow him to move about more easily.

A captain in the military of the Draivim Empire. Military Mage from a long line of Military Mages of House Ifreet (Adopted into the house from one of the mountain clans as per tradition).

Age 7: Adopted by the family of House Ifreet from his clan.

Age 8-15:
Discovers his potential for magic and especially an affinity for magic.
Trains in the arts of Pyromancy and Alteration until aged 15 and enrolled into the Corps of Military Mages in service to the Empire as was the Ifreet family tradition.
Discovered talent for Command and Tactics. Proficient tactician.

Age 19:
The Battalion he was assigned to was nearly wiped out in an ambush, killing about 200 men including most of his superiors, leaving a single general alive but mortally wounded.
The general gave the order to rally the survivors and to fight to the death to preserve their honour. He quickly rallied the surviving 30 men including 17 battle mages, commanding them so skillfully that they managed to repel an enemy infantry force significantly outnumbering them (got lucky that the enemy mages didn’t arrive in time for the battle).
In the end there was only 7 survivors. All of them mages.
Earned the nickname of Fire Djinn due to his proficient use of Pyromancy in successfully wiping out the attackers.
For his actions he was assigned to the Magi with the rank of Captain. (Captain of the Magi are ranked just above the generals of the standard military, meaning if they wanted to, they can take command of the armies at will on command of the Emperor without question).
The Magi is an organisation of Highly Proficient Military Mages. An ancient organisation tasked with the security of the Empire by any means necessary, undertaking various special missions such as espionage conducting war.
He was also given command of the surviving mages of his battalion and formed his own small detachment of Magi.

Age 23 (current age):
Mysteriously washed up on the shores of a foreign land and suffers from amnesia. He has no recollection of how he ended up there and doesn’t remember certain details from his life. Only remembers his name after looking at a metal medallion with his name and the house crest etched onto it hanging from a small tungsten chain attached to the hardened steel plate protecting his heart.

Pyromancy

Alteration

Expert spy

Battlefield alchemy (creating certain potions to aid healing, performance, and manage pain)

Proficient battlefield commander.

Warrior mage: Skilled Close Quarter Combatant and swordsman making use of pyromancy to aid in combat.

Also unique to him, he can heat his blade made with a tungsten core instantly using pyromancy; So when it cuts his enemies, it burns and sets their clothes and flesh alight even before the blade makes contact with it. This also makes the blade glow almost red hot but the tungsten core prevents the blade from melting or breaking when heated. This however does result in the blade being blunted after the use of the spell meaning it need to be sharpened after the spell is used. This is an instant spell that takes a great deal of focus to control and can only be used in very short bursts, else the blade will either melt or bend.

Amnesia: has trouble performing certain spells due to it.

Multiple personality disorder: has a much darker hidden persona sealed away that perks up from time to time.

Addiction: Suffering from withdrawal from a certain alchemical potion for performance on the battlefield he made using Blood Grass that he got addicted to before he lost his memory (doesn’t remember why he’s suffering or how to make this drug and so will suffer for the next month until it leaves his body fully).

Death's No Stranger

Kingdom Location
Formaroth -> Alenius, Akki, Glarmion

Relations with other Kingdoms
Imperial Concord - A rocky alliance, loosely held together by the betrothal of Naomi Blackwell and Patrick De Reimer

Family reputation
Dragonslayers
-The Blackwell family has a fierce reputation, for they are well known as the slayers of dragons. A great many, many, dragons.

Strong as Iron
-The Blackwell family was born into a noble house from the ashes of warfare, and their people are a hard and strong people.

Duty before Honor
-The Blackwell family is one who sees 'getting the job done' as superior to the concept of 'Honor', and their use of guerilla tactics and clandestine operations in the past is noteworthy.

Queer Fighters
-The Blackwell family is notorious for training to combat foes without the use of shields, and typically wield additional weaponry in the off hand or adopt the use of larger weaponry in the stead of traditional sword-and-shield pairings

Kingdom's main export goods
Raw goods: Lumber, coal, ores
Skilled goods: Weapons, armor, agriculture//seasonal crops

Kingdom's imports
Alenius' imports alter to accent any shortages and emergency needs
-Primary imports consist of skilled laborers and educators, rather than any material needs
-Secondary concerns are dependent upon the Alenius' kingdom's own production of goods, and is typically shifted to correct any shortages seen; alternatively, exports may be cut to offset this rather than imports made
-Importing goods is seen as a last resort

Description of Kingdom
Alenius is a land that, in recent years, has prospered greatly. Prior to the Blackwell family placement upon the kingdom, it was a simpler land that was heavily dependent upon its neighbors for goods such as tools and food, and had seen considerable damages due to dragon attacks frequenting its southern provinces [quite near the mountain ranges] that left the south almost entirely uninhabited, save by those few wanton dragonslayers seeking their glory.

With the Blackwell placement preceding the Mandarass-Remonnet civil war, considerable industrial upheaval occurred in the kingdom. The Blackwell family instituted more rigorous agricultural practices, which dragged the kingdom out of its dependency, and allowed it to further progress into its own enterprises and expand the kingdom's demesne.

Under Blackwell rule, the dragons plaguing the south of the kingdom have been slain and the land made habitable, allowing the kingdom of Alenius to expand into its own profitable mining and prospecting enterprises, further eradicating the heavy debt that originally lay across the land.

Now, the kingdom is powerful economically due to its centralized production and lack of consistent imports. The military of the kingdom is comparatively small in regards to its neighbors, yet highly trained and elite under the Blackwell standards, and has a high reserve force that is constantly in training circulation to keep the civilian populace prepared in the event of a war.

Following the crown war, the kingdom has expanded to include Glarmion and Akki, which The Blackwell House works to assimilate steadily.

Family Background
Summarized - See individuals for further explanation
The Blackwell family is one bred from the fires of war, and hardened in combat like the harshest of irons. Originating as a peasant family who served as a mercenary company, the Blackwell family saw extensive combat and operations in the Mandarass-Remonnet civil war, where they served as a guerrilla unit, a misinformation broker, as well as a strong backbone in central battles when the need arose.

Their extensive operations in crippling the Mandarass forces at every available opportunity, as well the spread of misinformation through the enemy [Mandarass] forces, was a critical role they played in the war. They targeted high priority persons, sabotaged supplies, engaged in open warfare to a considerable extent, and by the end of the war the Remonnet's had them hoisted up to the position of nobility due to their display of effectiveness and loyalty to the crown.

However, peasants cannot simply be made noble without angering the other vassals of the kingdom. The Blackwells were granted land and territory in what is known as the kingdom of Alenius, which at the time following the war was little more than an inhabited wasteland of barren fields and scorched earth. The land was facing incredible debt.

The kingdom of Alenius had sided with the Mandarass forces in the beginning of the civil war, and as a result had been utterly crushed by a massed Remennot attack as a pre-emptive measure, and the ensuing battles backed the Alenius nobility into Hell; dragons at their backs and an overwhelming enemy at their fronts. Needless to say, the kingdom of Alenius was rendered a non-issue in the war.

Upon being granted their title and lands, the Blackwell family continued to serve the Remennot's until near the end of the war, when they withdrew from the combat in order to govern their lands and recouperate from the extensive combat they had seen.

In the following years, in the face of having their titles revoked and land squabbled over by neighboring lords, the Blackwells turned the same lethal efficiency they carried for the art of war towards the art of statecraft; the core Blackwells, the ones who had served in the civil war, were masters of the arts of war and death, but many of their extended family and subservient citizens were farmers and simple artisans. Rather than trying to institute the standard reconstruction process, the Blackwells deferred to those who understood the earth and the tasks that needed to be done.

Those who could best get the job done received the highest positions in the Blackwell society, and through the constant struggle for improvement the land became fertile once more, and the people's fortitude returned as- rather than with swords and shields- they fought with hoe and sickle to win back the plentiful peace they once had.

The only issue was that of the uninhabitable wastes in the south, where the prospect of ores and mining stood as a saving grace for the land of Alenius. Many dragonslayers had gone into this southern land in an attempt to fight and gain glory by slaying one of the great beasts, but none had succeeded. The Blackwells, however, were backed into a corner in the face of crippling debt and a rebuilding society. The Blackwells were not ones to back down from a challenge.

So the Blackwells went south, to the mountains, to hunt dragons. They left the army they had grown through the years of combat and war behind to defend the territory with The Shadow as governor, and left with but a small elite group of soldiers rather than employing vast numbers of dragonslayers- opting instead to gather up the wanton heroes already present in the country rather than warn their surrounding threats of the family's planned absence.

However, the rumors were hardly enough to prepare the Blackwells for what awaited them in the south. What they intended as a speedy mission quickly developed into a task that took the span of a few years, with the forces back in the northern half of Alenius holding the land and warding off possible threats. The Blackwell family had anticipated but a few dragons that had grown into many by years of myth and rumor, but the truth of the matter was both harrowing and boldening; There were hundreds of dragons in the south of Alenius, and the Blackwells had found another war on their hands.

And war for the Blackwells is like harvest for the farmer; it revives the spirit, and makes one look to the future.

The dragons in the south were steadily eradicated into manageable numbers; nearly two hundred dragons having been slain by the Blackwell family, and a vast quantity of those were accredited to a single member of the family alone. Scales, claws, teeth, and bones were harvested from the creatures and sent back to Mercy [the renamed capital of the Blackwell kingdom].

Now, only a handful of dragons still survive in southern Alenius; hardly enough to pose a threat to the Blackwell family, or the people of Alenius. The south became an industrialized powerhouse for the country, and the north evolved into an agricultural cornucopia...

Beatrice Blackwell's death shook the Blackwell family, save for Naomi Blackwell. Drevala, in a depression and a desire for new horizons, started being away from her family more and more, opting instead to drown herself in magical research and Lanaya's Mage's Collective while she handled her grief. Eli Blackwell, Naomi, and the Old Man all returned to Alenius with Beatrice in order to give her a proper Blackwell funeral...

Various mottos of the Blackwell lands, and their origins

"Death's no Stranger." ~ The Old Man; in response to threats from the Mandarasss during the civil war - Adopted as the family motto

"I'll choose death." ~ The War Maiden; when prompted to turn coat in the civil war - Adopted as a military slogan

"Send me more!" ~ The War Maiden; Her disappointment at the lack of a challenging foe during the civil war conflicts she took part in - adopted as a military slogan

"Salted earth doesn't grow." ~ The Lord; his grim displeasure at the land they had been titled - adopted as a military slogan.

"Never falter, never fall." ~ The Dragonslayer; during the Dragon War - a common saying

"What are we?" + "Forged in dragon's fire!" - Pre-battle mantra of the Blackwell military

"Dragons were hardly as big an issue as this". - A comical colloquialism of the Blackwell lands
---

family motives [See; individual characters]
-The Old Man...Is tired.
-The Lord of the Blackwell Family seeks to sustain the rule of the blackwell family in the face of ever-worsening relations with the Concord.
-The Shadow seeks to ???????
-The Dragonslayer seeks to protect her family to the fullest of her ability, regardless of the challenges they face. This includes her ever-more-frantic research into the regenerative arts.

Naomi Blackwell seeks to enlighten the masses.

I've forgotten more about war than you'll ever learn - The Old Man

Name
Giles Blackwell
Old Man Blackwell

Age
63

Gender
Male

Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual

Position
Head of the family - King of Alenius, Akki, and Glarmion

Personality
An exceptionally harsh man, Giles Blackwell was a man born for war. His speech is slow and deliberate, carrying both authority and weight, and despite his age the man's physicality carries strength that few men possess. He walks in the refined manner of those who fear not death, as if they're entitled to every step they take- and none shall deny him that right. His slow and deliberate speech hints of an analytical mind, and despite his low birth the man has no shame or humility about him.

He was forged in dragon's fire, and of man's steel. There is no fear within the man, but no courage; purely the honest duty of a soldier.

The Old Man's treatment of others is blunt, yet fair. He'll not treat anyone different, save his own family whom he treats far harsher than anyone else. A man of great expectations, for he has accomplished much.

Appearance
The man's hair is greyed, and scars mark his face. He is aged, yes, but his body is hardly withered. He is known as 'The Old Man', yet his body still has the strength and dexterity of men half his age. His hands are rough, hard, and calloused- quite unlike other lords of his status, who would ordinarily have softer and more delicate features. His height is average, and his stature itself is not anything special- but his presence is unmistakeable and the very air around him thrashes with the authority he bears. He, for all intensive purposes, has the appearance of a man whose word is law.

Skills and traits
Giles Blackwell is renown as, perhaps, the greatest soldier to ever partake in the art of war
Tactician - Excellent
Combat [General // Warfare] - Master
Command [General // Warfare] - Excellent
Martial Weaponry [All varieties] - Master

Statesmanship - Average
Education - Average
Diplomacy - sub par
trade - Sub par

background
Giles Blackwell has never been anything other than a soldier. From a young age he was introduced to the soldier's life through his own father, who commanded a small mercenary force to marginally profitable results. At this point in time, the Blackwell family was a respected name in the common folk's community.

His mother was a simple tavern wench, and thus Giles was naturally attracted to his father's lifestyle far more than his mother's, and left at a young age to join in his father's adventures. However, for some time the young boy had no place in his search for his father, and thus spent considerable time just wandering the various kingdoms of Formaroth in a search for his own purpose.

For these travels of his life, he was not Giles Blackwell. He was known during this time simply as Pounce the Stray. This is not a time of his life that many remember, or bothered to learn, but it is perhaps the most critical time in Giles Blackwell's life. His time as Pounce the Stray defined him moreso than any other period in his life, including his time in war.

The only way to understand why, is to see it.



While this singular instance of the story of Pounce the Stray is short, it was a defining factor in the man's life. While on the extreme side of the spectrum, it is but an average experience of the man's youth. As he grew, his natural penchant for fighting became honed into a soldier's edge; at the age of fourteen he finally found his father's mercenary troupe and discovered that his father had died, and in turn Giles fought his way up to the leadership position with tooth and nail, until he dominated both the mercenary company as well as the battlefield with his hones combat expertise as well as his fledgling tactician's mind.

Years later, his own children joined him in his travels when he sired them. By this time, Giles was a battle hardened veteran, grizzled and forged by years of combat in the elven empire as well as on the Formaroth lands. His children were following in his foot steps, and when they first came to him he sent them on a yearlong journey around Formaroth without their names in order to make them discover how harsh reality was on their own. One of his daughters was even magically capable, and he sent her to the Summer Isles until she could control her gift.

When the civil war broke out, it was only another battle in a life-long war that Giles Blackwell had been fighting.

Following the death of his daughter Beatrice, and the escape of Andris, Giles became a sombre man, his age finally seeming to catch up to him.

Father is a man of iron; I shall be a king - The Lord

Name
Eli Blackwell
Lord Blackwell

Age
32

Gender
Male

Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual

Position
Heir - Prince of Alenius

Personality
A charismatic fellow, yet reserved by nature. He bears the force of will that his father carries, yet has a sort of hesitance about him that makes him come off as more thoughtful and less brash. He is a courteous fellow, but is quick to count himself nobody's underling and to declare himself equal to all. He is an honest man, and being a Blackwell he is hardened to the throes of battle and war, and thus has a heavy weight when it comes to matters of human life.

Appearance
He is a man. Dark hair full of youth and vigor, and a face made rough from hard work and hard battles. He is not the soldier his father is, and that disparity is obvious even at a glance. His gaze is that of a man who judges all he sees, and seeks to better himself as well as those around him through his actions. He is tall, and strongly built; an athletic man with a strength inside him mirroring his father's, but not the harsh military authority.

He is a man who one would find it impossible to lie to.

Skills and traits
Lie Detection - Master
Diplomacy - Very good
Statecraft - Expert
Charisma [general] - Expert

Combat [General // Warfare] - Good
Tactician - Excellent
Martial skill/combat - good
Command - Good
Naval command - Very good

Construction - good
Labor Organization - Very good
Trade and Economy - Expert
Animal handling and training - Very good
Eli is an avid falconer, and cares deeply for his beloved falcon dubbed 'Mary' as a nickname for 'Marionette', in reference to a childhood friend known as 'Doll-Girl'

Background
The only surviving son of Giles Blackwell, king of Alenius. The story of Eli Blackwell is best told like most others; begin at the start, struggle through the midst, and finally reach the end. As a youth, Eli was turned out of both name and house- much as his father had done- and sent on his own journey around Formaroth.

Eli's name during his travels was simply 'Mouse'.



Eli was trained much as his father had trained; with desperation and anger at the world, and a need to revitalize the spirit. He did not bear the natural penchant for combat that his father- and siblings- bore, but his time in Nyhem had educated him better than any formal education in the art of economics.

Eli was soon growing into the very definition of a lord despite being simply a member of a mercenary troupe, but his way with people and his way with money was a great boon to all who worked with him. Becoming the prince of Alenius only marked what was seen as an inevitable event for Eli Blackwell, for none who met him could deny his noble air and penchant for statecraft.

He would have become a king one day, regardless of if his father had earned the kingdom for him.

Following the death of Beatrice Blackwell, Eli secluded himself within castle Mercy of Alenius and disconnected from the outside world for a time. Little has been heard from him, or of him, since the end of the war. all that can be known is he is frantically at work to balance the economics of three kingdoms at once into one sustainable economy.

Coin is far superior to blood; Uncle just pays the best - The Shadow

Name
Vivian Blackwell
The Shadow

Age
26

Gender
Female

Sexual Orientation
Everything/Anyone

Position
Assassin // Spymaster

Personality
Vivian is a rakish woman, very aware of her curves and body. However, her core personality is one that is safeguarded closely. She is a very troubled woman, disillusioned from the ties of family and the strength of blood- she values only people's actions, not their words, and coin. Promises are not a thing she believes in, only collateral agreements and down payments.

Appearance
Vivian is a beautiful woman, and yet it is nearly impossible to find her attractive without her wanting you to do it; her gaze is piercing, her movements hint at a lethal efficiency, and her form fitting clothing is undeniable for function rather than form.

Of course, this look of lethality can swiftly switch to one of flirtation and innocence- and can just as easily shift to one of inconspicuousness and leave people's gazes travelling over her and finding it hard to focus upon her.

She is simultaneously beautiful and iconic, and ordinary and intangible.

Skills and traits
Stealth - Expert
Perception - Good
Lie detection - Expert
Manipulation - Good
Infiltration - Expert
Assassination // Lethal striking - Expert
Disguise - Very good
Vocal Disguise - Very good

Crossbow mastery - very good
Short blade skill - very good

Background
Data missing, information to be filled out at a later date

Vivian Blackwell is the niece of Old Man Blackwell, and acted as both an assassin and spy during the civil war when she was 15 years old. Much of the information regarding her youth is kept secretive and undisclosed. Many view this woman as a tool rather than a human being, and it is apparent that she sees herself in a similar manner.

Facing war at the age of 15, her suicidal nature lead her to the reckless and dangerous endeavors of a spy rather than the soldier life she had trained for. Rather than grabbing up sword, spear, and halberd, she took up a crossbow and a black cloak. Her services during the war served as the primary functionality of the Blackwell family as a mercenary unit, as it was Vivian who- acting as serving women and prostitutes- spread misinformation and gathered up intelligence on the enemy movements during the war.

She even assassinated key targets, such as particularly competent soldiers and officers, and sabotaged entire sections of the enemy's supplies whenever possible. Despite the woman's lack of known background, her track record and accomplishments are well known- even if she, herself, is not.

The Blackwell family has, naturally, accepted the accusations and notoriety for utilizing spies and assassins, but Vivian Blackwell herself has never once been named or acknowledged in order to maintain her functionality.

Nothing has been noted, heard, or ascertained of Vivian since before the war for the crown.

I am a soldier, a fighter, a champion- send me bigger foes, send me stronger opponents; challenge me! - The War Maiden

Name
Beatrice Blackwell
The War Maiden

Age
29

Gender
Female

Position
Princess of Alenius - Champion of the Blackwell Family

Personality
Beatrice is an overwhelmingly stoic woman, except when in the heat of battle. She has a distinct apathy for all matters except those involving proving herself and matters of combat. This does not make her a hot headed warmonger however, and she will rarely instigate combat herself.

Appearance
A large, imposing, woman of average height. Her body, possessing immense strength beyond her size, is thus muscled and athletic in an almost masculine manner. Her feminine features are thus limited- at least, when she's wearing armor they are.

Her face is hard and angular, with her waist length hair often intricately tied up to keep it short. Her body, while muscular, is still female- only she dilutes this feminine body with clothing specified for women who wear armor and tend to perform heavy, laborious, activities.

Skills and traits
Beatrice is a woman of immense physical strength, and possesses a physical power superior than even males of her age and size. Her fortitude and endurance are equally immense

Combat // Fighting capacity - Master

Other - Sub par -> Good range

Background

One of four living children of Giles Blackwell, Beatrice is, by far, the most martially capable of his offspring. When the woman was turned away and discarded her name, as Giles forced all his children to do, the girl simply enlisted into his mercenary company as a stray rather than Blackwell, and spent the next years as a nameless fighter within the troupe. Her name during this time was 'Mule'.



Beatrice earned her name back, and became a fighter to rival her father. After years of continuous combat and training, the Old Man is still superior to Beatrice, but Beatrice is capable of holding her own against the man. During the civil war she acted as a vanguard for the combat the mercenary troupe saw, and following the conclusion of the civil war she was named Champion of house Blackwell while her father served as king.

Name: Drevala Blackwell

Titles: Princess of Alenius, High Magister, The Dragonslayer

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Homosexual

Position: Princess, High Magister

Personality:
Perhaps the most amicable of the Blackwells, and also the most dangerous. While she is no martial master, the woman has a pleasant air and a friendly smile- disarming qualities on top of a surname that bears nothing but lethal intent. The woman is a far cry from the martial and military prowess presented by her siblings, and is, still, a bit distanced from the statecraft presented by her brother. She is a genuinely amicable woman, with some reservations to those outside her family.

She is one who puts faith and trust in her family, and is quick to trust others. She was raised and educated primarily by the mages of the Summer isle rather than her father's brutal manner of raising his children, thus she has drastic alterations from the usual Blackwell harshness.

Weaknesses:
The Dragon Slayer is protective of her family to a lethal degree. She'll not throw herself in the middle of a debate or argument, or even into a single combat scenario, but she will throw herself in harm's way to shield her family, and will even sacrifice on objectives and tasks in order to heal and take care of her loved ones.

The Dragon Slayer finds trust to come easy. She believes in the good and natural intents of others, and easily finds herself trusting others.

Magically Dependant; The Dragon Slayer is dependent upon her shapeshifting and healing magics. Without them she is probably the least martially capable amongst the Blackwell family, which still makes her admittedly a good fighter, but she is one that relies on her natural penchant for shapeshifting to see her through issues from combat to day-to-day travel. She'd feel trapped without it.

More Beast than Women. Drevala spends a great deal of time outside her own shape, and it has had an effect. She finds herself more comfortable and at home among the birds and the beasts, rather than the high flying political games of her fellow humans. While not antisocial or shy, she prefers to leave the politics to others, and will never be anything more than a pawn in others schemes. An extremely valuable pawn, but a pawn nonetheless.

Appearance:

A woman with short black hair and an athletic form, whose strength does not lie in her own body. Her skin is soft, unlike her siblings', and her voice is softer still. She does not have the hard gaze that analyzes threats, but rather the inquisitiveness of a natural learner and profound thinker. She has a natural grace that permeates all actions, and despite her plain-ness she has a sort of nobility and serenity about her.

Of course, at another moment she may appear to be any variety of creatures.

Background:
Drevala is a peculiarity amongst the Blackwell for she bears magical power. This being said, she was not forced into the Old Man's usual test, and was instead sent to study at the Summer Isles- where it was found that she grasped magical concepts with exceptionally quick aptitude. Having chosen the school of shapeshifting, Drevala was quick to attune to the magic and discover its finer nuances. Restoration was but a secondary schooling for her, and she has but standard understanding of its principles.

Shape shifting- now that was something Drevala was truly interested in. Studying animals, learning just what made them move and what muscles accomplished which task- it was a deeply liberating experience for the young Blackwell. Learning how to fit into another creature's skin created a deep empathy for others within the woman, as well as a deep understanding of her own body and natural instincts.

Tapping into the primal urges that lie within the concept of life itself were what Drevala found to be key in fine tuning her art. Humans, through their construction of civilizations and religions, have distanced themselves from these internal urges- have warded themselves away from their primal instincts of fear and survival in order to reward suicidal and reckless concepts of honor, courage, and bravery.

Drevala's acute understanding and belief in natural instinct and animalistic urges are a driving force in the woman's actions and life, and have played into her distinctly singular understanding of the art of shape shifting to extreme efficiency.

To put it in the Lay; Drevala is an animal in human's skin, and finds shedding her natural form to come easily to her.

Drevala's most notable achievements were during the Blackwell Dragon War, where she gained her title of 'The Dragonslayer' due to her unprecedented display of tenacity and efficiency at the eradication of the great beasts known as dragons.



During the Throne War, Drevala faced many losses and difficult situations. She blames herself for the dire injuries and following radical personality change of her youngest sister Naomi. She also blames herself for the loss of her other sister, Beatrice, who was slain fighting Andris while her father looked on without acting - a fact she has not forgotten. Though her familial losses have pained her deeply, she also holds hope that Lanaya will join the Blackwell family by marrying Eli, a union she strongly encouraged, for it will bring Lana as close to her as realistically possible. She is very much in love with Lana, but knows that the feeling will not be reciprocated by the completely oblivious Magister, and considers making her a sister the next best thing.

In addition, she has joined the Mages Collective at Lana’s request, and as a High Magister sits on its council, though rarely acts beyond supporting Lana. She does not particularly believe in the Collective, especially as her own jurisdiction of Alenius already treats mages with great respect. Her time in Nyhem is spent primarily in fervent research of Regenerative magics, but she also seems to focus on her Mage's Collective work as well. These are how she is choosing to handle her grief.

Skills:
Magic:
Shape Shifting - Grand Master
Drevala is without a doubt the most accomplished Shape Shifter outside of the Summer Isles, and possibly even the world. Her repertoire of shapes is as numerous as there are types of animals, and her ability to shift into larger or smaller variants of those shapes is practically second nature to her. She is able to shift very rapidly into most forms, with only the truly massive forms requiring a longer casting time. She can easily shift with her clothes and weapons, though she has been known to forget this in casual or rushed situations. Her most outstanding accomplishment in this field, however, is the ability to take on the form of a full sized Dragon. This is a secret known only to two other people - Lanaya Dionisa and Giles Blackwell.

Restoration - Adept [But Steadily Increasing]
Drevala is a capable healer, able to heal both her own and others wounds, though only for one person at a time. She suffers somewhat in the area of complex organ reconstruction however, and for severe wounds must spend a great deal of time and effort, combined with more mundane medical sciences.

General Magical Knowledge
Drevala’s general knowledge of magic is broad, but deep only on the topics of most interest to her, namely shape shifting and restoration. Nonetheless, her title of High Magister was not gained by default, and her knowledge rarely fails her in analysing magical matters.

Mundane:
Martial Skills - Adept
Drevala is a capable warrior in her human form, whether armed or not, however she prefers simple weapons such as the spear. Even though she is a mage, she is also a Blackwell, and all Blackwells are born fighters. This statement is perhaps most true of Drevala though, for she fights more through instinctual understanding than learned or practiced art.

Strategy
Drevala’s grasp of strategy is unconventional but effective. Though she has not acted as a commander in many traditional conflicts, she led the Dragon war, and developed a good understanding of asymmetric combat and guerrilla style warfare there.

Education
Having spent a great deal of time in Circle of Magic, Drevala’s education on all manner of matters is significant, and her knowledge has only been heightened in Alenius, thanks to her good relationship with her brother Eli, with whom she shares a love of knowledge.

I've no interest in war or thrones, I just want to be happy - The Youngest Blackwell

"The World Will Open Its Eyes." - Naomi Blackwell, The Torturer

Name
Naomi Blackwell
The Daughter

Age
16

Gender
Female

Sexual Orientation
Not really interested to be quite honest.

Position
Princess of Alenius

Personality
The first of a new generation of Blackwells, the youngest daughter of Giles Blackwell.

This girl has not suffered the same trials as the other Blackwells, and has been spared the tribulations of war and the scarring sights of murder and battle. To this extent, she is both innocent- yet not naïve. She is a Blackwell, and was trained and educated as thus, but is both innocent of murder and innocent of battle.

She is a princess, more similar to the style of behavior of Drevala in that she is amicable and friendly, yet also bears the analytical behaviors of her brother Eli.

Appearance
A young, delicate, and uncalloused girl. She bears not scars of combat, nor the hard hands of a dedicated fighter. She has the analytical eye of one who often debates of strategy one night, but also of philosophy the next. She has the voice of one who has authority, yet also the voice of one who you can call a friend, and also the voice of one you would call a child.

She is truly a youth, but has a harsh cynicism about her. She is innocent, and reluctant to do the deeds her family considers common place, and has a deep fascination with human behavior and the nature of civilization as a whole, and this is apparent in the way she carries herself; a curiosity that glimmers in her eye, a careful manner of moving the body, a self conscious glance towards herself when others are around and she believes herself to be invisible, and most importantly of all a careful silence that begs others to speak and for her to listen.

Skills and traits
Average in all aspects

Torture - Exceptional
Lie Detection - Exceptional
Manipulation and Intimidation - Exceptional

Background

Naomi is but the youngest, and least accomplished, of all Blackwells. She was left amongst the castle of Mercy during the Dragon War, and was too young to have seen combat during the Civil War. She is truly a rarity amongst the Blackwell, and is a cherished object amongst the family.

She is, by all standards, but an average girl- hardly noble, and hardly capable of combat by Blackwell standards, but she is a Blackwell Princess...and thus...quite valuable an asset, nevertheless.

The Old Man
The Old Man is a man few would call flawed, and few would challenge- this is true. However, he possesses a few critical flaws that are central to his personality and mannerisms, and these flaws are unyielding with the rest of his personality.

The Old Man is prideful and judgmental. He holds himself of a higher stature than even other nobles despite his common blood, all because he fought and clawed his way to where he is, and he is likely to be brash and harsh in these regards when he senses a weakness or cowardice in others.

The Old man, additionally, suffers from a very mild case of paranoia. Some would argue his paranoia is healthy rather than detrimental, but it is still present nonetheless. He is a crafty and wily bastard, and he sees the map of Formaroth as a chess board rather than geo-political map. He assumes people are spying on him, because his house is known for its clandestine networks and underhanded tactics.

The Lord
The Lord is the shining symbol of pride. Where his father has a healthy dose of pride, coupled with an iron core of judgment, Eli Blackwell has a strong natural pride. He considers himself as noble as one of common birth can get, and even sees himself as a more capable statesman and economist than members of the Imperial Concord's royal council.

The Lord is an ambitious person. Incredibly ambitious. His ambition is not secret- he has declared that he will become king of Formaroth one day, and with the beginnings of a new civil war it may very well be safe to bet he's plotting to work his way into the middle of the Crown War

The Lord is terrified of failure. Failure is equivalent to death in his mind. When you enter into diplomacy between kings, and organize the economy of a nation, and handle the state and legal affairs of said kingdom, even the smallest mistake can ripple and destroy years of work.

The Shadow - Vivian Blackwell
Little is known about the Shadow. This title of 'The Shadow' is not even known publicly.

As for the woman known as Vivian Blackwell, little is known about her as well. She is only niece to Giles Blackwell, and this distance from his personal lineage marks her as less important than his sons and daughters.

However the woman does have flaws; greed, hedonism, selfishness, paranoia, apathy, sociopathy, and disdain for blood ties being the easiest to list.

The Dragon Slayer

The Dragon Slayer is protective of her family to a lethal degree. She'll not throw herself in the middle of a debate or argument, or even into a single combat scenario, but she will throw herself in harm's way to shield her family, and will even sacrifice on objectives and tasks in order to heal and take care of her loved ones.

The Dragon Slayer finds trust to come easy. She believes in the good and natural intents of others, and easily finds herself trusting others.

Magically Dependant; The Dragon Slayer is dependent upon her shapeshifting and healing magics. Without them she is probably the least martially capable amongst the Blackwell family, which still makes her admittedly a good fighter, but she is one that relies on her natural penchant for shapeshifting to see her through issues from combat to day-to-day travel. She'd feel trapped without it.

The Torturer - Naomi Blackwell
Naomi is no longer the naive little girl she once was. She's betrothed, angry, violent, and has found herself to be one who has a great propensity for harming others. Her fervent belief in her philosophy that the gods themselves are one of man's greatest deceptions binds and warps her, causing her to treat others like fools and ignorant peoples.

She is stubborn beyond belief, and incredibly sadistic and Masochistic. She enjoy pain, whether inflicted or received, and has taken to entitling herself the 'Torturer' of castle Mercy's dungeons. Her care is more often than not a death sentence.

Name: Ignocious Phlemonte

Age: 36

Gender: Male

Sexual Orientation: No one

Position: Alchemist

Personality: Ignocious is a brilliant man and knows it and does nothing to hide his own arrogance. He doesn’t care whether he upsets others and believes in sharing his true thoughts of a situation. He has no time for pandering or dancing around politics and others’ egos; his is enough for him to handle. He is as blunt as a smith’s hammer at times, but has a cleverness as sharp as the surgeon’s scalpel. He becomes obsessive when it comes to his work in his lab and will let other things go when they don’t align with his current work. He is nothing if not dedicated to his work, some may even say he is a workaholic.

Weaknesses: Bluntness and arrogance cause most people to avoid interaction with Ignocious. He also throws himself wholeheartedly into his work, which makes it difficult to keep up relationships of any type or get out of his lab much; it can also lead to him having tunnel vision at times. Because of these factors, his health and social life are not in the best state.

Appearance: Ignocious is a tall, slender man with a frame some would describe as frail with a pale hue to his skin that adds to the appearance of frailness. In contrast to his pallor, he has dark curls that hang past his ears, though his large ornate earring of gold and sapphire is still visible in his left ear. He has gaunt and pointed features with cunning, bright blue eyes. His thick lips seem to be perpetually smirking. Ignocious usually wears long-sleeved tunics of bright colors and ornate trim and embroidery with plain black trousers, long boots, and a sweeping coat of jet black material. When in his lab, however, he wears plain and functional clothing. He carries himself with an air of arrogance to the annoyance of others.

Background: Ignocious was born to a wealthy merchant father and so lived a rather comfortable life until his mother died of an illness when he was young. After that, his father sought comfort in wines and opiates. That didn’t leave much time for Ignocious aside from the occasional slap or kick. His father’s indulgences sapped their wealth, so by the age of eleven Ignocious and his father were living in squalor. No one wanted to sign contracts with the drunkard and opiate fiend his father had become. Despite this, he somehow seemed to always find the money for his fix.

Ignocious found out where his father was getting the money when the men came and took him as payment for his father’s debts. All the man could do was drift off into another opiate-fueled dream as the men took his adolescent son from him and cleared his account. To repay his father’s debt, Ignocious was forced to work in a brothel. He worked in that brothel for years until a wealthy man different from the others came to see him. He paid his father’s debts off in full and took Ignocious away. The man was a friend his father had made through business contracts and said he was sorry to see what had happened following his mother’s death, including the death of Ignocious’s father while he was working in the brothel.

His father’s friend was a wealthy banker named Arthur Phlemonte. He adopted Ignocious and let the boy continue his studies where he left off following his father’s collapse. From there, Ignocious put his past behind him as best he could, taking his patron’s last name. He excelled in his studies and eventually was accepted into the Alchemist guild at the age of twenty-three. He has since thrown himself into his work, preferring his lab to interaction with others.

Skills: Ignocious has a brilliant mind when it comes to his research and lab work. He throws himself fully into his work and has dedicated hours upon hours to his work. He has a keen mind suited for figuring out problems and finding answers to further his work. He is amongst the most talented Alchemists in his guild, but his general attitude has kept him from advancing too far. To compliment his alchemical prowess, Ignocious is also well-versed in the properties of certain plants used in both medicine and poison as well as other various potions.

Family Name: House of Mandarass
Kingdom Location: Uzgob Desert
Crest: Orange background with a black bear

Family Motto: Strength in Honour
Relations with other Kingdoms: Unsure
Family Reputation: Popular, Trustworthy, Wealthy and Respectful
Kingdom’s main export and goods: Exotic fruits and animals
Description of Kingdom: The Uzgob is the most North kingdoms in the land. It is also considered to have one of the hottest climates and to have the most barren land. However through the exotic fruits and trading with other kingdoms Uzgob has become one of the most prosperous kingdoms despite its location. Uzgob has a natural border of a mountain range which appeared due to a giant earthquake which happened thousands of years ago; this has proved useful when invading armies are concerned. However due to the state of the land many invading armies either ignore Uzgob or usually turn back due to the little food resources. Then further north there is River Gonzo which also acts as a natural border for the dead lands.
The biggest settlement of Uzgob is the city of Andromeda. Andromeda is located in the very centre of the Uzgob Desert. Its very existence was due to the founders of the city discovering a giant underground lake they later called Eden and through this the city grew. The building structures of Andromeda are designed to be similar to Damascus during the crusades. There is a little difference between the classes due to the fact that the people have to get along to survive the desert so the classes are treated equally. The Mandarass family live in the central castle in the very centre of the city. The middle and low class live equally in city which surrounds the castle. A coliseum lies within the city as well as there where they hold non-lethal gladiator battles and sport related games in which everyone even the Mandarass family even attend. The city is then surrounded by a wall which protects it from armies. The middle class is made up of inn keepers, shop keepers, merchants, doctors and politicians. The lower class have also have merchants, shop keepers and a few politicians. Other professions are craftsman, blacksmith and gladiators and sportsmen.
Fort Scarab is located at the point where the River Null meets the sea it’s heavily fortified and holds the majority of the kingdoms navy. The fort is large enough to hold all the sailors for the ships.
Family Background: Uzgob has been under the control of the Mandarass family for one hundred years. The Mandarass family came into power through being chosen as the next family to come into power as the previous house had no living heirs. Over the last fifty years there was a troubled relation between the Mandarass’s and the Remonnet’s this was mostly due to Helyot Remonnet’s paranoia towards the family. Eventually war broke out between the families due to Helyot’s assassination of last lord of the family Uwais Mandarass. His brother Andris quickly rose to power and led the Mandarass’s to victory and killed King Helyot Remonnet himself on the battlefield. News about the Mandarass’s victory spread across the land increasing the popularity of the family. Relations between the Mandarass’s and the Remonnet’s were restored with the new king John. John made a debt to Andris promising him that he would repay Andrew for the loss which the Mandarass’s suffered.
Due to the Mandarass’s popularity the family has become a popular choice of an ally with many of the houses however with any families which were loyal to Helyot the Mandarass’s have become a targeted but the family is very well protected.
Reason of claim to the throne: The Mandarass’s believe that it is time to collect their debt by making Andris the new King. Even though Andris is content with Uzgob he willing to pursue this debt. Andris’s aims are that if he can become king that he hopes to unite the kingdoms even though this will be very hard.

Family Members
King Andris Mandarass (Known as Andrew Manshrew in part 1)
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Position: Head of House Mandarass
Personality: Protective of family, ambitious, thoughtful of subjects, honourable, respective of culture
Appearance: Medium height, short dark brown hair, slightly muscular, tan skinned, right arm has been cut off from elbow

Skills: Expert Negotiator, Master Politician, Master Ruler, Expert Swordsman, Master Tactician, Master Strategist, Expert Economist
Weaknesses: Andris won't change his mind once its set towards a goal only Fajera, Nizaar and Saahir can change his mind. Andris is too trusting it doesn't take too much to earn his trust. Andrew is too idealistic his dream for Formaroth may in they way of better judgement. Andrew's code of honour may get in the way of victory.
Background: After his older brother Ramzi Mandarass was assassinated by order of King Helyot Remonnet Andris quickly rose to power. To prove himself as a capable leader to his fellow politicians Andris spent three days in the Uzgob Desert alone with barely any food and water to survive, many thought that Andris would not survive but on the eve of the third day Andris returned, till this day Andris has told no one how he survived. Once he was established as the Lord of House Mandarass Andreis declared war on the House of Remonnet. Eventually the war between the houses led to Helyot leading his army into the Uzgob Desert to confront Andris, this wasn’t the best idea. Andris waited for the army to be weak of starvation and thirst and then finally defeated the army with his own and killed King Helyot in single combat. After the war was over Andris focused of improving his own kingdom until one day he was invited to Nyhem by the new High King; John Remonnet. Andris accepted even though he did not know what to expect out of this new King. Fortunately Andris found John to be an honourable and decent man. Before departing to his Kingdom Andris was told by John that his family would be repaid after what they had been through.
Andris’s forces consist of his land army which he leads alongside with his military and political advisor Nizaar Azzam and then his navy which is lead by friend Saahir Mohiuddin. Andris also commands his own personal guard which are trained and sworn to protect the Mandarass family.
After loosing the 'battle of the throne', Andris has gone into self-imposed exile alongside his remaining supporters.

Grand Duchess Fajera Mandarass
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Position: Lady of House Mandarass
Personality: Loving towards family, respectful of Andris’s ambitions, formal
Appearance: medium height, long red hair, beautiful, elegant dresses
Skills: Expert ruler, Expert politician, Expert economist, Expert negotiator
Background: Fajera came from another political family in Andromeda. Once she reached 18 years old many political family members were asking for her hand in marriage. For an entire year she turned down every man. By that time the yearly masquerade ball was around, her parents forced her to go so she could find a suitor. After a few hours Diana was approached by a mysterious boy she didn’t know why but she had a quick fondness for him near the end the ball the couple retreated somewhere private where the boy revealed himself as Andris of House Mandarass. After a few more secret meetings Andris asked for Fajera’s hand and she accepted.
Andris and Fajera have been happy since but after the war with House Remonnet they have been trying to produce an heir but so far they haven’t had any luck but they still try. However when she is not helping Andris run the kingdom, she takes care of Ramzi’ three daughters.

Hamsa Mandarass
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Position: Heir to House Mandarass
Personality: Cunning, Driven, Loyal to family
Appearance: Small, Blonde hair
Skills: Adept ruler, Expert tactician, Adept politician, Adept Negotiator
Background: As the current heir of the House of Mandarass, Hamsa is learning to become the ruler of Uzgob. Even though she is being currently being taught best the best teachers in the country she prefers the company of her uncle and is always eager to listen to his stories.

Hishma Mandarass
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Position: Second in Line to House Mandarass
Personality: Militaristic, strong, Loyal to family
Appearance: Short dark hair, scar on left cheek
Skills: Expert Swordsman, Adept Tactician, Adept strategist
Background: Hishma started sword training when she was young she has taught by her uncle but her main teacher is Nizaar who is her main role model. She always pushes herself to the limit to improve her skills. Nizaar believes that one day she may surpass his and her uncle’s swords and may become the best swordsman in the country.

Kabeera Mandarass
Age: 11
Gender: Female
Position: Third in Line to House Mandarass
Personality: Friendly, adventurous, loyal to family
Appearance: Long blonde hair, skinny
Skills: Adept Naval Commander, Apprentice Tactician
Background: Being the youngest member of the Family of Mandarass, Kabeera is not expected to take on any responsibilities at this time. She spends time with Naval Commander Saahir Mohiuddin. When she was young she has always dreamed of sailing and exploring the world. At the current time she is learning from Saahir on Naval tactics. If she continues she may become one of the first female naval captains in Uzgob.

Nizaar Azzam
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Position: Political/Military advisor of House Mandarass
Personality: Loyal to Uzgob and honour-bound to it's people.
Appearance: Medium height, short dark hair, chin beard, missing right eye
Skills: Master Tactician, Master Strategist, Expert Swordsman, Master Negotiator
Background: Nizaar met Andris when they were very young. In a short time they became best friends. As time passed and Andris came into power Andrew appointed Nizaar as Political and Military advisor. This became a wise choice as together they were able to outwit the Remonnet army which ultimately led to their defeat. Andris and Nizaar work together constantly to perfect their battle plans.

During the battle for the throne Nizzar betrayed Andris and joined the concord; believing that Andris has become power hungry and corrupt, making him unfit to rule over Uzgob. Nizaar is currently the provisional ruler of Uzgob.

Saahir Mohiuddin
Age: 36 (deceased)
Gender: Male
Position: Naval Captain of House Mandarass
Personality: friends of Andris, adventurous
Appearance: tall, medium dark hair, short dark beard
Skills: Master Naval Commander, Master Tactician
Background: Saahir and Andris met in their early teens. Andris soon realised Saahir love for the navy and his skills as a naval captain. When the war between the Manshrew’s and the Remonnet’s began, Andris sought Saahir’s expertise in the navy and offered him a place as the captain of the navy. This became invaluable when the Remonnet navy began a surprise attack on Fort Scarab. Through Saahir’s leadership the navy was able to counterattack and were able to cripple the Remonnet navy which some believed had shorten the war by two years. After the war the people of Uzgob saw how important the navy was considering that the majority of the country is desert.

During the war for the throne Saahir was killed by Giles Blackwell while trying to bide time so that Andris and his followers could escape Formaroth.

Relations with other Kingdoms:
Akaiba is, incredibly, at peace with her cultural sisters, the Kingdoms of Toiba and Noiba. The same cannot be said for her northern neighbour, Okin. Shortly after the sundering of the Empire into three Shogunates, the Okin had sought to size control of several gold and silver mines in the north of Akaiba. The Akaiba had responded in force and so began a war that has lasted nearly a hundred years and resulted in the virtual subjugation of Okin by Akaiba. Only the northern regions of Okin remain unconquered and it is no secret that Akaiba is coming to finish what Okin started.

Family reputation:
Ambitious, Cunning, Wealthy, Scheming, Loyal, Organized, Honourable

Kingdom's main export goods:
Metals; (Gold, silver, copper, steel), Stonecraft, Woodcraft (Furniture), Silk, Foodstuffs (Rice, Fish, Whale Oil).

Description of Kingdom:
Akaiba is the Southwestern most Kingdom state on the continent of Seikatsu. The climate is mostly temperate with four distinct seasons, except for the southern most provinces which have a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm and wet summers and mild winters. Much of the Kingdom is covered in forests, tall hills, and lush valleys. Further north, to the East, mountains tower into the stunning blue sky. The main source of food for the Kingdom comes from small rice paddies found across the the land.

The Capital city, Shinkyo, is built on the Western most point of the continent and boasts the largest single human urban population in the known world of almost a quarter million souls. Sprawling across the mouth of three different rivers, the city is well served for water and sewage is dumped out to sea to prevent disease. Public baths are common, though broken down by castes, to ensure cleanliness. Felons, imprisoned for minor crimes, are set to cleaning rubbish and garbage away every day. Most buildings are made of paper and wood, allowing them to be easily rebuilt if damaged by an earthquake. This does create a fire hazard however and on occasion hundreds, if not thousands, are consumed by accidental blazes.

Rising above the city on a flat-topped mountain is Sadatake Castle, a fortress so huge it is said a garrison of 10,000 soldiers can reside within its walls. The fortress boasts its own lake, gardens, small forest and a game park. The Royal Family resides here, aloof from the chaos and confusion of the city below. Accessed by two ramps chiseled from the very stone itself, one to the north and the other on the south, it is an imposing citadel that has never been taken by an enemy.

There is no official religion in these lands and people tend to rely on their personal spirituality rather than an established faith. The people of Akaiba are hard traditionalists and honour is the most important part of their lives. They are incredibly polite, even to their enemies and will rarely express their emotions. It is sometimes said that they have two faces, one for the Akaiba and one for the Gaijin (foreigner/outsider).

Unlike Formaroth, gender roles are far more dominant within society and in most places the society is still very much patriarchal. Though men and women are not prohibited from taking up roles not stereotypical to their gender, it is considered an oddity. The Province of Taiyō however is a exception to this rule and men and women share equal levels of power and are not pressured towards a particular role. This is due to back in the warring periods, this province lost almost all of their men to war and the women took up and successfully defended themselves, earning their right to be considered equal to men. Taiyō has produced an elite cast of Warrior Monks and Nuns famed throughout the continent.

Social roles also play a large part in society and people are expected to take up the profession of their parents. To take up a different profession to your parents is considered to be a great dishonour to your family, though exceptions are can be made, especially during times of war.

Though the Akaiba are not hostile or even unfriendly to foreigners they tend to treat them with mild neglect, viewing them as Gaijin who do not understand the culture and who should not be trusted. This prejudice stems from most foreigners not understanding the strict social rules (etiquette) in Akaiba society and therefore they appear to come across as rude and blunt.

Magic and the Akaiba:
The Akaiba are a magically gifted people, but not in the same sense as the Mages of Formaroth. Magic on Seikatsu is wielded through Runes rather than gestures or motions. Runelords are tattooed with a rune that grants them a specific power, such as a spell foe invisibility, or fireball. Many Runes are defensive as well, common ones are used to strengthen a Runelords resistance to fire or cold.

Two schools exist where can be Runelord is trained, one in the capital, and another in the Northeastern mountains.

The Runesmith is a far more rare and difficult trade. These masters are trained not only with the knowledge of runes, and blacksmithing, but how to imbue said runes into a weapon through the application of mandrake oil.

Family Background:
Up until a hundred years ago Emperor Hirotomi held sway over the Three Sisters (The Kingdoms of Akaiba, Toiba, and Noiba) and ruled with an iron fist until his death at the hands of unknown assassins. The old fox did not die without a succession plan however, dividing his Empire between his three sons and issuing a final plea that they seek to live in peace. Incredibly, the brothers managed to do just that. It helped that other nations on their borders mistook the official breakup of the Empire as a sign of weakness and tried to grab what they could.

Shogun Sadatake Hirotomi Sadatake, the deceased Emperors eldest son, had been granted the lands of Akaiba and when Okin troops spilled over the border he responded with force. It took him twelve years of hard fighting to drive the Okinese back across the border, and even more time to secure defences along the river which traditionally marked the division of their lands. During this time he married and sired three children, twin sons and a daughter.

Sadatake Hirotomi would eventually die on the field of battle while leading his armies north into Okin. His sons, Kaito and Ruuku, then fought for the honour of becoming the new Shogun of Akaiba, and the right to rule Sadatake Family. Ruuku triumphed and hacked his brothers head from his shoulders before taking up his fathers mantle as Shogun. He at once sought to continue his fathers campaign against the Kingdom of Okin and the neighbouring states locked horns in what would become nearly a sixty year conflict.

Twenty years ago Ruuku joined his father in the halls of history when he was felled in an Okin ambush and his body torn to pieces by the victors. He was succeeded by his son, and current Shogun, Sadatake Ayeka. In fine family tradition Ayeka swore to continue the war against Okin. Unlike his predecessors however, he waged war with infinite patience. No longer did he permit his soldiers to slaughter villages, nor rape women, ordering that all religious shrines be left unmolested. He took the time to advance, conquer a region, ensure it was pacified, before moving on to the next.

These tactics bore fruit and the Okinese suddenly found themselves being forced back on all fronts, frustrated at every turn by cunning Akaiba diplomats and spies who worked tirelessly to feed information back to the Shogun. The time has finally come for Akaiba to strike a death blow against Okin and finish what they so foolishly started a hundred years before.

Family motives:
Ayeka intends to crown himself Shogun of Akaiba and Okin, a single nationstate spanning the Western reaches of Seikatsu. There is not a person on the continent who cannot not clearly see that happening already. But deeper than that, hidden behind his polite smile and generosity, is a desire to conquer the whole of Seikatsu, to become Emperor. Noiba sits on the precipice of oblivion with no heir to follow a barren King and Toiba struggles beneath the rule of a drunken womanizer. It begins in Okin and, given enough time, his strength will spread across the continent.

Name:
Sadatake Ayeka

Age:
59

Gender:
Male

Position:
Shogun of Akaiba

Personality:
Ayeka is cunning man who wears the mask of friendship and diplomacy as comfortably as a geisha wears a silken kimono. He trusts literally only one man with his life, General Kakuei Tanaka, who is entrusted with the safety of Ayeka and his possessions. He excels at promising everything and yet delivering nothing when negotiating with the Gaijin, considering them little more than a nuisance he must tolerate to ensure trade.

His campaign in Okin, far less bloody than his fathers, has quickly marked him out as a man of immense patience and tactical forethought; something he plays up whenever he is given the opportunity. He makes no secret that intends to make himself Shogun of the West, it would be impossible to hide such ambition anyway.

Behind the open book of a man he pretends to be lurks the real Ayeka. A man who intends to conquer the whole continent using whatever means necessary. Already his agents have rendered his cousin in Toiba infertile, knowing that they will look to a strong leader when the old man dies. He feeds exotic slaves and gifts to his cousin in Noiba, sending all sorts of distractions East to weaken his cousin in the eyes of his own court. Yet more agents move among the Samurai, whispering rumours of Ayeka's strength and suitability as a ruler in his lands. Would he not make a great ruler for all Samurai. For those who would disagree, there are always the Ninja, ever ready to kill for a price.

His own son and daughter are treated as tools to wield as he sees fit and each one, in keeping with the strong sense of honour famous among the Iba, follow his directions and seek to earn his approval. As for his wife, she exists to produce him children and otherwise lives in more or less splendid isolation.

Weaknesses:
Aging/Injured: Ayeka is an old man and, while he can still ride a horse, his days of single combat are over. Battle wounds from his youth remain on public display, a limp in his left leg and a missing right eye. He would hardly be a challenge for a well armed teenager.

Utterly Ruthless: Both a strength, and a weakness, Ayeka is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve his goals, even his family. This does not make him immune to grief however and behind his mask lies a deeply passionate man who feels the pain of many decisions he has made.

Distrustful: Ayeka trusts only one man completely, and that man is not his son.

Poor Combat Leader: There is a distinct difference between the ability to lead soldiers into battle and the ability to plan campaigns. Ayeka, even in his youth, was hardly a passable regimental commander. Lucky for him, his birthright placed him in a position where his ability to look at the bigger picture was vital.

Appearance:
Tall, cropped black hair, strong but with a noticeable belly, darker skin, short well trimmed beard, limp on his left leg, and a missing right eye that has been replaced with purple glass.

Skills:
Master strategist, Master Ruler, Master manipulator, Expert politician, Adept economist, Adept Runelord, Useless swordsman.

Background:
Ayeka was the only son of Shogun Sadatake Ruuku. As a youth he was trained from childhood to become the next ruler of Akaiba. He was an excellent individual swordsman and archer, excelling at other such things as poetry, writing, swimming and horseback riding. His career as a soldier ended the same day his father died when the ambushers drove an arrow into his left leg as he was forced into a shameful retreat by the surviving bodyguard. It took them to long to reach a healer and by the time the wound was treated he was barely able to walk, let alone run or fight.

As the heir, and now Shogun, he had a lot of other events to keep his mind off of things as he took control of his fathers Kingdom. His first act was to order the halt of the current advance into Okin. For several years he had listened at his fathers councils and noted that no matter how brutal the repercussions, the populace still remained loyal to Okin and supported any soldiers who need their help.

He made sweeping changes to the way the Akaiba armies conducted their campaigns. It did not make him popular with the common foot soldier but the smartest among them began to notice fewer attacks out of the darkness, fewer poisoned wells, and fewer men found strangled on the picket line. True, they were still at war, but agents sent north by Ayeka had been quietly pointing out that the armies of Okin were doomed. They pushed local populations to welcome the Akaiba troops with open arms and ensure their own survival.

Though his attention has been to the North, Ayeka has never forgotten his dream of uniting all the Iba peoples under one banner. Still more agents work behind the scenes in the courts of his cousins, spinning webs and laying the foundation for their eventual inclusion into his Empire.

Name:
Sadatake Daichi

Age:
25

Gender:
Male

Position:
Crown Prince, Son of Shogun Sadatake Ayeka; Samurai

Personality:
Daichi is cunning and cruel on a level that very few people can imagine. The cruelty that he suffered at the hands of Imperium slavers following his capture at eighteen left him scared and vengeful. The once handsome and confident young Prince has become a twisted and evil person, driven only be the desire for revenge and to make his enemies suffer as he suffered. Many of those in Akaiba fear him and his men, the Kempeitai, the secretive intelligence branch of the Shoguns government. Even among the stoic people of Akaiba, Daichi is considered a serious person. He rarely smiles, never laughs, and is known to enjoy inflicting pain on others.

Daichi loves one person, his sister. To what extent this love goes is anyones guess, but he dotes on her and she has forever accepted him. He respects and fears his father for a number of reasons but the two men are dangerous indeed when they put their heads together.

Weaknesses:
Daichi is a cripple in the purest sense of the word. Both his knees were broken by the Elves, all of his teeth pulled out or broken, and his feet badly damaged. He cannot sit or stand without being in pain, he often fouls his own bed because he cannot get out of it in time, and he incapable of wielding any weapons at all.

Appearance:
Daichi was once a tall and proud young man but the injuries he suffered at the hands of the Imperium have left him bent and twisted. His shaves his head completely, scorning the Samurai style top-knot he has every right to wear as his birtiright. His teeth are either gone or broken, painful to the touch. His right leg is bent and gnarled, forcing him to use a cane. Both his feet are badly mangled and angle inward causing him to walk duck footed. His once broad shoulders have shrunk to little more than the that of a youth. His fingers, all broken before healing into a gnarled mess, had to be rebroken when he was rescued, healing again into some approximation of claws.

It is his eyes that still give life to an otherwise piteous being. They are a pure and hate filled black. Like two pools of evil that try to draw you in and drown you.

Skills:
Spymaster - Spies, assassins, mercenaries, all of it falls into Daichi's purview and he wields those resources with terrifying skill, both within Seikatsu and abroad.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) - Daichi has had plenty of time on his hands following his release and funnelled much of his energy into developing the magical traits common in his family line. His skill in Necromancy is unrivalled and he has turned his hand at manipulating the oceans as well.
Useless fighter - Daichi couldn't fend off a child.

Background:
Daichi and his twin sister were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Daichi was captured by an Imperium slaver when his ship was attacked shortly after his eighteenth birthday.

The dashing young Crown Prince would spend two years in captivity as his captors tortured him for their amusement, and for information on Seikatsu, and more importantly Akaiba.

Daichi was rescued in a daring raid led by Taketora, the same General who now leads the Northern Army of Akaiba. The General, horrified by the young mans disfigurement and pain, offered to kill Daichi there and then. Daichi refused and, to this day, often regrets his choice. However, he seeks revenge in the most savage way and intends to ensure the death of as many Elves as he can manage before he finally goes to his ancestors. Was he anyone else's son, he would have been left to die but the Shogun, himself recently injured by an arrow, ensured his son was cared for and given whatever he needed to thrive.

Emotionally and physically shattered, Daichi turned to magic for solace and quickly showed great skill in Necromancy. His studies into this darkest of arts led him to others who moved beyond the bright light cast by civilization. He met rogues, assassins, thieves, ronin, and spies. He cultivated those contacts with great care, building an impressive network of agents throughout Seikatsu. He was surprised, and gratified, when he approached his father with what he had done. The use of such agents had always occurred in Seikatsu and only failure, or capture, could bring dishonour on the employed of such assets.

With his fathers blessing he formed the Kempeitai, a branch of the government that exists on paper to "Educate" and "Inform". In reality, Daichi began to wield the underworld forces he had discovered as a weapon on his fathers behalf.

Name: Sadatake Kanna

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Position: Noble, Daughter of the Shogun Sadatake Ayeka, Samurai

Personality:
Kanna is a confident young woman and takes after her father in some ways. She is cunning on both the battle field and when dealing with others, often catching her opponents off-guard due to their misogynist views of the capabilities of a woman in a position of power. She has the capacity to be ruthless and will be so when it comes to her twin brother and upholding her father's wishes. Kanna desperately seeks her father's approval to avoid the fate that her mother finds herself trapped in.

However, underneath it all is a compassionate woman who cares for her people and will try to find a fair middle ground when possible, but only if it doesn't interfere with her father's orders. If one is fair with her, she will respond in kind. Offer anything less, and she will respond with malice. She is not generally swayed by emotions and handles most situations with a calm perspective. After a long demanding days, she enjoys taking a nice hot bath followed by some quiet time with a canvas and some brushes.

Weaknesses: Kanna is closest with her twin brother and will do anything for him to a fault. Her biggest fear is to lose her other half on the battlefield and not being able to do anything to stop it. Her next fear is sharing the same fate as her mother, married to a lord who will keep her locked away from the world and all it's wonders. After those two things, there isn't much else she has come to dread on this earth. While Kanna is mostly a calm woman, once she is set off she can have the most terrible temper and act without regard for her own safety or to her limits.

Appearance:



Kanna stands taller than most women of Seikatsu with a height of 5'6" (167.3cm) with skin so pale that she doesn't bother with whitening it with makeup like most other women and thick hair as black as raven's feathers that reaches her lower back. She has a slender, but muscular build, as she trains daily in various combat styles. She has a decently sized chest, about the size of grapefruits, but she keeps her breasts tightly bound so that they don't interfere with her swordplay or serve as a distraction for men.

As cultural standard demands, Kanna is often stoic, showing little emotion other than what is acceptable when in public. In more private settings or when provoked, she'll show more raw feelings. When in the field, she'll wear men's clothing over women's, taking comfort and ease of movement over beauty and societal standards. Because of this, she will also have her hair up in a high ponytail, so that is stays out of her face, rather than spend time on some elaborate up-do. She wears a katana and a wakizashi strapped to her hip for most occasions, showing her status to others as a samurai. The only time she is without either of those blades are when she has to be in a formal setting dressed in a kimono, but she will always have a tanto, a knife about 6" (15cm) long, on her person for protection.

Skills: Kanna is a talented artist, capable of recreating any scene or object from memory with great detail. As a daughter of a Shogun, she is trained in the proper etiquette and customs of her people. In terms of combat, she has the following skills:
Average Swordswoman - Kanna had to modify her sword style to accommodate for the fact that most of her opponents would be able to easily strike her down if she relied on strength alone. Thus, she focuses her training on speed and her ability to parry strikes.
Poor Archer - while she can string a bow and nock an arrow, she has poor aim and will often miss the target.
Average Martial artist - Kanna is a capable martial artist who focuses more on using her opponent's movements against them, rather than trying to use the strength of her blows to win a match.
Adept Strategist while on the field - Kanna is able to analyze the battle in front of her and make decisions accordingly. She shows promise and will flourish under guidance.
Master Rune Lord (Madoushi) specializing in restoration and blood magic - Kanna is a highly skilled rune lord with in depth knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology. This knowledge is also what allows her to be a formidable blood mage as she can cause any wound to become more severe. She often pairs blood magic with her swordsmanship to secure victory in a fight.
Adept equestrian - Kanna has a love for horses.

Background:
Kanna and her twin brother were born in the spring at the height of the cherry blossom blooming period to Sadatake Ayeka, the Shogun of Akaiba. A fitting birth date for the children of a nation who's culture embodies beauty and mortality. Their early years were spent with their mother until they were old enough to hold a bokken, a wooden sword, and it was then that their lives took a different turn. Kanna showed promise as a Madoushi and was trained in the restorative arts until she became a master at the age of 20. During her training and research into her mastery, Kanna also developed skills as a blood mage, becoming useful to her father not only as a healer, but as a weapon of death as well.

Among the less traditional schooling that is not often provided to women, Kanna was taught the way of the sword as well as hand to hand combat, which gave her the status of samurai on top of being the shogun's only daughter. Both skills were modified so that she could fight on equal terms of most men. More traditionally of women of her status, she was taught to read, write, how to behave as a noblewoman, and what is expected of her in society. Her younger days were busy and packed to the brim with studying, but she always found the time to paint and draw as it was her only outlet from the stressors of status.

Determined to be more than just something to marry off for political gain, Kanna has spent her entire life trying to live up to and exceed her father's expectations. The past five years were the most impactful for her as she has shown that she wasn't a burden to the other samurai and was more than capable of holding her own on the field. She has been under the wings of an elite samurai unit, the Okuri-Okami, who answer directly to the shogun. The Okuri are distinguishable from the other samurai by their masks. It's a half mask that covers the lower portion of their faces, from the nose to the chin, with the design of a wolf's snarling muzzle. The Madoushi of the unit wear more full faced wolf masks with only their mouths unobstructed so that they can channel spells more freely. Kanna wears her own mask that depicts a white faced fox with red markings and blackened extremities.

Daiki - Shoguns personal bodyguard - Intro
Emon - Commander of Shoguns bodyguard - Intro
Hideki - Economic Minister - Intro
Katsuzō - Spymaster - Intro
Nagatoki - Commander of the Shogunate Army - Intro
Taketora - General of the Northern Armies - Intro
Heo Jeong - Crown Prince of Okin - Intro

Military
Samurai (30,000)
Militia Levy (60,000)

Hatamoto = General
Samurai = Knight
Ashigaru = Spearman
Runelord = Mage

Civilian
2.8 Million (Between Akaiba/Okin)

1. Okin pushed to the brink
2. The Shogun consults his council
3. The Building Blocks of Empire
4. Okin Submits and Noiba returns to the fold
5. Daichi Intro
6. Daichi Questions an Elf
7. Kanna Leaves for Formaroth and Daichi arrives at Tanaka Castle
8. The Might of the Imperium
9. The Imperium aligns with Akaiba
10. Betrayed: Part I
11. Betrayed: Part II