The Beginning: At the start of history was a goddess of great power, isolated within an ivory cube of nothingness. With all of her power, she was still alone, and she still had nothing. Thus she created the world, and with it, five disciples to spread word of her glory to all who would soon walk the same soil as them. The goddess feared that her creations would look upon her and see one unworthy of their praise, and so forbade all from entering her realm, closed off from those that would later come to be called 'mortals', and even her own personal disciples. Soon, she was forgotten. Despite this, her disciples would carry out her work, joining the world that came to be known as 'Ivor'.
The Middle: Her disciples, which later came to be known as the 'Starborn' for their descent from the goddess' divine realm from above, and each of them representing the point of a star, would spread word of their creator's selflessness and beauty. They would demonstrate mysterious powers far beyond the reach of mere humans, and as a sign of peace in times of mistrust, would grant humans the ability to cast what was later called magic. However, this peace was not to last.
The Beginning of the End: As centuries passed the Starborn would grow bored and lax, allowing their powers to freely leak out into the mortal world and create new life that would not have existed without magical interference. They eventually distanced themselves across the world, becoming more withdrawn from the new world that was moving on without need of them. Dragons, orcs, goblins, undead, and all other manner of beings that defied reason would spawn from the dying optimism of the Starborn. Even so, the world at large didn't miss them. However, a religious order dedicated to the Starborn would eventually form to allow their voices to be heard, which came to be known as the 'Order of Five Spears'. The Order would start with peaceful sermons, but when met with mockery and denouncement, seen as people that clung to the past foolishly, they did not waver. As years passed, their name became synonymous with villainy itself, and the Order became known as a group of violent and psychotic extremists that wished for an age that no longer had a place in the world.
The End: Year 1799 of the Ivorian calendar, March 1st. On this day, Ivor as a whole was changed. The capital city of the kingdom of Lowick was attacked by strange, mud-like beasts that resembled nothing that any historian or scholar had ever written of in any tome. Many were killed by the abominations, and those that survived were escorted by official knight transports to escape the massacre. With Lowick's fall, the Order of Five Spears, now known as a cult of outlaws, claimed to be responsible for the attacks. They said that the Starborn had taken up the path of dark magic and had become witches to destroy the world. Soon, town after town throughout the remaining territory controlled within Lowick's borders would be ravaged and destroyed by creatures never before seen and nigh impossible to kill for an average person. Soon, reports flooded in that this same situation was occurring across other territories and even across different continents. The former king of the fallen kingdom of Lowick, and many other royals in his footsteps, put out the order for a 'Witch Hunt'. In essence, to find and eliminate all of the Starborn corrupted by witchery. Immense wealth would be given to any adventurers who could defeat even a single witch, as many whispered that the fate of the world was now hanging in the balance. Thus, a group of adventurers hired by the old ruler of Lowick would band together, each with their own goals, to save the world.
The Continents
Within Ivor, there are five continents, each one taken over by a different ruler. There are many territories within each continent, but each swears fealty to one of the five rulers.
Lowick is a land of trade, welcoming and humble beginnings. With a very vertical landscape, and with rugged mountains and grassy hills alike, it's a part of the world with a lot of environmental variety. Lowick has a proud and widely documented military force, the Magic Knights, that combine sword and sorcery to defend their people. Most people in Lowick at least know basic magic to make their day-to-day lives easier, and many citizens as a result will choose either the path of the sword, of the arcane, or of the Magic Knights at some point in their life. Their current ruler, King Reginald Lowick XI, is considered a fair ruler by all definitions of the word, and who served in the Magic Knights in his youth. Ever since the witch hunt began, with Lowick and its capital city of Saint Reginald being hit the hardest so far, morale in the kingdom has dropped considerably. Faith in the Magic Knights has dwindled with their numbers dropping in skirmishes against the foul beasts conjured by black magic. Legends say that Lowick's soil was where the Starborn first descended upon the world, and where the Witch of Contracts, Loretta, makes her home.
Saint Reginald: The capital city of Lowick, named after King Reginald Lowick I, and a proud bastion of hope for the people. It's here where Magic Knights are trained and where some of the best knights and wizards of the current day gather for yearly combat tournaments to test their skills. By some foreigners it's called the "City of Greed" with how lavish its king allows his capital city to appear, perhaps at the cost of funding for some of his other, more struggling cities further on the outskirts.
Mynol's capital city of Levia is highly regarded as the seafood capital of the world, and inspires culinarians from all over the world to visit at least once. Mynol as a whole is a very wet and swampy part of the world, with both proud and vast oceans, and ominous and insidious bogs. They have a massive problem dealing with sea monsters, and thus have a "monthly culling" where the best and bravest warriors of the kingdom would defend their cities and hunt down troublesome monsters on the high seas. King Ludrix Nacht rules his territories with an iron fist, having first taken power over the previous king a decade ago in a bloody rebellion.
It's also in this kingdom where the organization known as the "Slayers" would have first formed - a group dedicated to pursuing and eliminating high-profile and infamous beasts that roam both the land and sea. These hunters would use guerilla warfare tactics, assassination and debilitating magic to exterminate their prey. They formed originally to fight against demons, who are widely known in various stories and records to have first materialized from the darkest depths of the ocean, but are now general-purpose monster hunters and mercenaries for hire. It's also said that the Witch of Conception, Galor, hides somewhere in Mynol.
Levia: The dream of all aspiring chefs and artists is to make it big in Levia, and as a whole, the city finds itself home to many eccentrics and aristocrats alike. Something unspoken within its walls is that treachery and assassination awaits beneath the pretty and elegant exterior of this booming port city - though who would dare speak of that and risk being next on the chopping block? The Slayers' main headquarters also resides here, but with their primary directive being monster slaying, they rarely if ever get themselves involved with Levia's backstabbing problem.
The Sultanate of Gatharia is widely regarded to be the safest place in the entire world when inside one of its cities. Well, from monsters, anyway. With its vast sands that stretch beyond the horizon, cutting winds, scorching days and freezing nights, one will likely find great relief upon reaching civilization in Gatharia. Each Gatharian city, upheld under oath of loyalty between the city's mayor and Sultan Daal Indra, would receive a bubble of magical wind energy that cloaks the entire city in its protection. Only citizens with specially enchanted wind amulets may progress through these bubbles to enter and exit Gatharian cities without issue, and those without will be repelled by powerful wind magic - unable to either enter or leave without one. Crime is light in Gatharian cities, as most crimes are punishable by death by the Sultan's decree. Amulet checks are often made as well, with patrolling guards arresting any found without an amulet. The protective winds of Gatharia have never broken or succumbed to any threat no matter how great, and even during the witch hunt, the cursed beasts that remain thralls to the witches have yet to breach a Gatharian wind barrier. Rumor has it that the Witch of Reversal, Dorothy, makes her home here, surviving among the harsh desert sands.
Zebul: Zebul is the capital of Gatharia, and its wind barrier is widely regarded to be the strongest defensive magic in all existence, impenetrable even by gods. Gatharia is a nation that has never been on the attacking side of any wars, as they have nothing to worry by simply relying on the wind barrier, stronger than all others even among Gatharian territories, known as the Million Year Shield. It's said that the first Sultan of Gatharia had discovered the secrets of the universe and had found the strongest wind magic in the process, claiming that "Gatharia is the nation that shall see the sun rise and fall a million times, remain stalwart, and witness the sun's arrival a million times more" after conjuring the Million Year Shield. It's a rather militant city, under direct supervision by the Sultan himself, who is a perfectionist when it comes to management of his territories.
Titan is known by many as "the place gods fear". The first person who could be considered a true "warrior" in history that rose above the rest, a man by the name of Atlas, carved and sculpted Titan's landscapes himself with his fights against the "First Sins", a long and mysterious battle against undocumented creatures that took place over the course of Atlas' entire life. Together with the help of a group of heroes assembled from across the world, Atlas dedicated his life to eradicating the First Sins, and on his deathbed at the age of 350, declared his lands to be called "Titan", and those who served him to decide for themselves who would rule. His courage drove many children to aspire to become worthy warriors and leaders like Atlas, and to this day a "true ruler" of the Titanian Lands has not been decided. Warring tribes make their homes atop its peaks and valleys, its plateaus, and its vast cave systems. The Witch of Observation, Haine, watches the Titanian conflict with great interest.
Sinful Rest: Sinful Rest is a city of architecture and chivalry, and acts a neutral zone for all warring tribes to speak to one another and establish diplomatic relations without fear of betrayal or assassination. This is because the city's location was built around Atlas' final resting place, a crypt in the center of the city. His aura of an honorable and valiant warrior acts as a limiter and curse, preventing all acts of backstabbing, betrayal and scheming from occurring. Within the walls of Sinful Rest, lies are not kept, and it's a common saying to "Take your lover to Sinful Rest and see if you leave with them as your lover still". In an otherwise lawless land, Sinful Rest acts as an anchor and a gathering point for even mortal enemies to be civil with one another before the bloodshed starts again.
Zephyr is a nearly uninhabitable continent where life no longer grows or prospers and where a deadly poison mist settles on the ground from above the clouds on stormy nights. Some citizens could go their entire lives without seeing the color green, and any trees, grass or vegetables that do grow are either done through magical means or through trading from more prosperous lands. Its landscape is mostly rock and water, having little in the way of beauty, and with structures that change and shift depending on the day due to magical curses prevalent within the very rock and soil of the land.
Even Zephyr's richest inhabitants find themselves struggling to get by, and crime is rampant and unpunished. It was once a great empire that was annihilated beyond all recovery when the previous ruler, Emperor Lyon Garron, tried to conquer the world. Lowick and Mynol banded together against him, and together, razed his lands to cinders in some areas and drowned his towns in great floods in others. The result is a barren wasteland where monsters thrive more than people, and its citizens are steadily dying off as days go by. One woman by the name of Minnow is trying to unite the people and lead them to recovery, and has gained a steady following as time goes on. The Witch of Stories, Varia, is said to have already died a long time ago - and yet, traces of her power remain strong within Zephyr.
Magic, Religion and the Order of Five Spears
Magic is widely used across Ivor, and it's not even uncommon to see somebody casting spells to solve minor inconveniences if they have the proficiency to do so. The ability to cast magic naturally exists within roughly 50% of the population, being the descendants of the first people blessed by the Starborn. Experiments have been conducted by wizards in the past to attempt to force the Starborns' blessing onto a non-magical person, but documented successes are rare and the consequences for failure are severe and life-altering on the subject. For casting magic, the elements of fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and ice are the most commonly used and researched. Other less common but still known elements include light and darkness, with those who possess them considered to be gifted or destined for greatness. Other elements aside from these do exist, but aren't documented very often with their rarity, and with the average mortal body not well equipped to contain elements aside from the commonly known ones. Typically, if someone adopts an element other than these, it's because they're created from leaking Starborn magic and are born as beasts, demons or other such unnatural beings.
Religion was once a popular and encouraged side of life, with different pantheons of gods. However, after a certain point, the world seemed to forget their names. Their deeds and laws were erased, and their most devout clerics completely clueless as to what they revered so highly so much as a minute before. The only deity that can truly be remembered is the goddess who allowed her Starborn disciples to descend to the mortal realm, but even her name has been forgotten. As it is now, religion is mostly based around the "concept" of gods, with people following laws and ideals of gods that they believed must have existed in the past. This memory wipe occurred at the start of recorded time, with year 1 of Ivor's calendar being the starting point of current civilization.
The Order of Five Spears is one of the more prominent, yet illegal, religions currently in Ivor and was founded in the early 1500's. They praise the Starborn as spawn of the Original Goddess, The Ivory Queen, and wage war in the name of her and her disciples. While at first they were a religious organization dedicated to the betterment of the world and to pray for the return of the Starborn to civilization, being ridiculed and mocked for their beliefs eventually resulted in a more violent direction for their members. There are five War Priests that rule over the Order as a council that dictates the direction their organization takes, and each is revered by the lesser members greatly. With the witch hunt being declared, the Order is moving to defend the newly deemed witches that they worship. Each War Priest is said to be strong enough to turn a city into a crater by themselves or turn an army into a pile of corpses, and thus must not be taken lightly by any who would oppose them.
Above the War Priests is the Grand Templar, who has been said to be alive for hundreds of years and who has created miracles to guide the people to salvation. He hasn't been seen in public in many years, but it's said that anybody who is granted a private audience with him leaves as a loyal follower for life. One person in the party will start out as a loyalist to the Order of Five Spears.
The Ivory Grimoire
A special book that will be updated as your journey progresses. It will detail world knowledge you acquire, people you meet, and monsters you fight, as well as display any current objectives as a reminder.
Party Objective: Survive?
The ruler of Lowick in the modern day. Known as a fair and generous king, and to be the type to be unafraid to fight for his people. Despite being in his late 30's, however, his hair has lost all color due to overuse of magic burning the crimson out of his hair. Ever since, his body has been on a physical decline, his body advancing beyond what is reasonable for his age.
The second prince of Lowick. As a royal son not in line for the throne, Regis has instead trained from a young age to become a capable warrior. Eventually he ascended to become a captain of the Magic Knights at the age of 18. Ever since, now a 25 year old young man, he embodies the undying valor that all knights of Lowick should strive for.
A legendary dagger belonging to the royal family of Lowick. It's a magical item enchanted by all elements simultaneously, considered to be one of the greatest pieces of craftsmanship in the history of mortals. It strikes with all elements at the same time condensed into a single attack, and thrusts true towards evil.
Year 1799, March 1st: Lowick is under attack by an unknown enemy. The Azoth Dagger is successfully retrieved from Saint Reginald's royal vault, and is given to Prince Regis.
Name: Race: Most fantasy races are acceptable. Gender: Age: Appearance: Anime FCs if you use an image, to stay consistent. Personality: Two paragraphs minimum. Element: Erase if you're a non-mage. Equipment: Weapons, armor, etc. Skills: Non-magical talents? Abilities: Supernatural powers, whether that be special uses of your element or otherwise superhuman feats. 3 maximum to start. History: The party will be starting in Lowick after the attack, so regardless of where you came from, also state how you got there.
As a first little note, it's intentional that there's little info on each of the ruling nations at the moment. It'll be filled in more as the story progresses. As a result of this, though, you may feel free to expand upon bits of the world within reason. Things like making up towns or cities where your character may have been born or lived in, as long as they fit the general theme of the area, is totally fine and even encouraged!
I also don't want anyone to feel like they need to be a mage to be powerful, as things like special items will be found throughout the story as well that non-mages could use. Just as well, due to this still being anime in essence, over the top physical feats will be something you could aim for.
Just a minor question. I imagine mages don't need to be kept to just one type of weapon, such as staves? Can they use daggers, swords, bows, etc, and push their magic on to those weapons? Or is it more common for them to not have any weapons or focuses?
Just a minor question. I imagine mages don't need to be kept to just one type of weapon, such as staves? Can they use daggers, swords, bows, etc, and push their magic on to those weapons? Or is it more common for them to not have any weapons or focuses?
Staves aren't necessarily the item of choice, no, it could be whatever you'd like.
Ah, following that line of thought, I have now also added an "equipment" section that I forgot to add to the character sheet! Knew something was missing.
Quick question: How would self-buffing work in this kind of setting with the elements? I imagine it would fall into the element of Wind as support magic?
I'm planning to make a generally tanky type of frontline character
Sweet, I'll try to work on some stuff tomorrow. I'll be putting out someone with a bit more weaknesses than strengths, just to make things more interesting
I had another question. I'm interested in possibly playing a child of a nobleman that resides in Lowick. Do you have anything planned already for a type of class system (nobility, lower-class, middle-class), or would I be able to wing it?
Quick question: How would self-buffing work in this kind of setting with the elements? I imagine it would fall into the element of Wind as support magic?
I'm planning to make a generally tanky type of frontline character
The argument could be made that different elements could buff different aspects of a person. Fire magic to "heat up" the muscles and increase physical strength, wind to speed them up, earth to shield themselves, so on and so forth. Due to its nature as freeform rather than having a hard stat and ability system, as long as there's a reasonable explanation for the usage of magic whether it be literal or figurative, I don't see a problem.
I had another question. I'm interested in possibly playing a child of a nobleman that resides in Lowick. Do you have anything planned already for a type of class system (nobility, lower-class, middle-class), or would I be able to wing it?
Other than the general class system of your average fantasy kingdom, you'd be able to wing it with Lowick for the most part in that regard.
What is currency like, and are we going to have a limited amount when we start like in D&D?
Hmm, I wasn't thinking about applying any 'true' currency system, but it would be your typical gold and silver coins for the currency in-universe (100 silver = 1 gold, typical D&D style). Most of the special acquirable items will be found out in the world rather than in shops, so more often than not, acquiring magic items won't have a price tag requirement. That being said, a lot of working class jobs would pay silvers hourly, with gold being a bit more premium. Though with the ongoing apocalypse, currency will probably start to matter less and less around the world, and resources or items to bargain with would start becoming more widely preferred.
Thanks for answering all of my questions! Here's my boyo, let me know if it's too much.
Name: Remicius Mouroge Race: Human Gender: Male Age: Twenty Element: Darkness
Personality: Being born into nobility, one would think that upon meeting Remicius, they would be greeted by a charismatic young man. However, they get just the opposite with the nobleman's son. Keeping to himself, Rem is the type to hide away from parties unless strictly instructed to attend. He'd rather keep the company of a book, learning all there is to learn of the world around them, than hold a conversation with another person.
That isn't to say, however, that the young man is cold. Awkward towards most others, if he sees someone in dire need, he'll step in to help them. A trait instilled in him from his youth, politeness goes hand in hand with his name on tongues.
When one does break through the awkwardness, to the soul inside of the quiet shell, they'll find someone who struggles with demands. From a young age, Remicius only did what was expected of him, not what he wanted. The dream to travel the world, experience it first hand, would never come to fruition. Rem is a boy who has cast aside all of his worldly ambition for what was expected of him by his father. To become a Magic Knight or an enchanter, to use the power that was given to him to bring more money and fame to their family.
Equipment: A small silver dagger A black satchel, mainly filled with money. Also contains a journal that Rem that’s with him everywhere, and his favorite book. A pair of black gloves are tucked away into his satchel.
Skills: - Recalling Information - An avid reader, Rem's favorite things to read are non-fictional books about the world outside of Lowick. - Social Network - The son of a nobleman, Rem’s father has made all sorts of connections, for better or for worse.
Abilities: Shroud of Darkness - Rem is able to call on the darkness in the middle of the day, casting a wide area of pure darkness. Perfect for escaping a bad situation, or keeping others from spying on the group. It won't last for very long, but it should be enough time to allow the group to do whatever they need to do (so long as they do it quickly). It fills the area in a dark fog like substance, and evaporates into the air without a trace when finished.
Cloak - Any time after dark, when the sun is completely gone from the sky, Rem is able to completely cloak a person with darkness. This renders them invisible for a short amount of time. They are, however, still able to be tracked by foot prints, smells, and noise.
Tendrils - Manifesting the darkness, Rem is able to solidify it for a short amount of time, into a group of four tentacle-like entities on his back. They attack anything that gets close, and defend from projectiles.
History: Rem was the product of an arranged marriage of two powerful mages. The second son between the two, he met their expectations where his older brother had failed. Clyde was a brute of a man, born with the mind of a rock and the body of an ox. Rem was just the opposite.
While his older brother was still first in line to succeed his father’s business, Rem was being raised as a conjoined arm to his brother. The two, together, would run the family business their father had decided. It didn’t matter if they wanted that or not, it was what was going to happen. Rem never had a choice.
Perhaps it was that fact looming over his head that made him hate his life as a noble so much. Dreaming of greater and grander things, it was hard to pull Remicius away from his mind at a younger age. Even with being a gifted mage, he wanted for more. An exciting life, a life away from Lowick, from the parties and the talking and the people who acted like they knew him but in reality knew nothing. As time went on, Rem still held out hope that one day, his life wouldn’t be this life he had. That one day, he would be out of the city, traveling the world, experiencing it with his eyes instead of his dreams.
If he had known what his dream would have brought about, he would have stopped a long time ago.
The attack on his hometown changed everything. Twenty years had gone by without much of an incident; sure, there were monsters outside of the walls, but they had all been easily dealt with before. His family were some of the lucky ones, surviving the attack, they escaped with the King and his men, away to safety.
When the call for adventurers sounded, Rem stepped up with no hesitation. No matter what his father said, he was going to do this. He was going to do whatever he could to cast these monsters back into the abyss that they came from, and save the world in the process.
Appearance: Standing at a height of 6'6 and combined with his muscular body, Azgrul exudes an intimidating presence. Despite this, he often has a smile on his face and generally has a relaxed posture to show that he is no threat to the common people. He has medium length brown hair whose excess he ties into a ponytail. He has many scars that liter his body from his many adventures though, most noticeably, is the one running down his upper right face which he had gotten from a bandit attack when he was younger.
Personality: Despite what one would expect from a warrior such as Azgrul, he is generally mild-mannered and polite, a testament to how he was raised by his adoptive parents. In social circumstances, he makes a concentrated effort to seem friendly despite his otherwise intimidating frame and, for the most part, it has worked. He's loyal to his cause and enjoys his line of work, finding it both exhilarating and oftentimes noble. Azgrul isn't so easily swayed by money, often weighing his own morality to decide whether or not he should take a certain job. Thankfully, with the Slayers, it is oftentimes hunting for monsters anyway.
He tackles each mission with vigor and a drive to see it through the end. Because of his gung-ho attitude when it comes to fighting, he oftentimes finds himself in the frontlines - sometimes acting as bait or as a distraction. He is very adventurous and never likes to stay in one place for an elongated amount of time. Azgrul has never been the religious type, never one to know which forgotten deity rules over what. He's always been curious about the witches but never would have thought such things would happen.
Element: Earth
Equipment: - A warhammer with a pointed end on the other side for piercing damage - Padded leather armor - Hand Crossbow and bolts - Knapsack with waterskin and rations
Skills: - Navigation and Cartography From reading stars to reading maps, Azgrul isn't one to easily get lost. He's knowledgeable in the stars and constellation behavior which allows him to better navigate during the night. When he's in unchartered territory, he draws down the area. - Tracking: A skill that he picked up from the Slayers, he can easily track down an animal and even other humanoids based on the tracks that they leave.
Abilities: - Rock Armor: Azgrul covers hismself with the magic of his element that increases his constitution to superhuman levels, allowing him to tank hits without getting hurt. While rocks don't literally form around him, he is covered in a dark brown aura while this spell is active.
- Restrain: Several rocks portrude from the ground under the target. These rocks aim to prevent the target from moving while keeping them vulnerable to attacks. This, however, can be broken apart if strong enough or a mage can break Azgrul's concentration on the spell by making him take damage.
- Enhanecd Stregth: He is stronger than a regular orc, allowing him to strike with higher power as well as carry more objects for the party.
History: Born and raised in the outer towns of Mynol, Azgrul had been picked up by a human and elf couple when he was just a baby. They told him that his tribe likely died from an attack and he had been hidden well enough that he was safe from it. Azgrul was thankful to his adoptive parents for taking care of him and aided with all the work he could. Once he was old enough, he left home to join a mercenary band and hopefully be able to provide for his parents who had gone on to have four more children. Despite Azgrul's orc nature, his parents weren't very pleased with this decision but, nevertheless, let him go but made him promise to drop by and visit occasionally.
Azgrul learned how to harness his magic in more effective ways from the mercenary band as well as fighting efficiently. He had always been reckless during battle due to his better constitution which was only boosted by his usage of Earth magic. He had created many bonds with this group and it was then leader of the rebellion Ludrix Nacht who hired them for the rebellion. Seeing opportunity to perhaps gain favor from the man should he win, the group immediately joined up and fought battle after battle - slowly dwindling in numbers as the rebellion went on but they carried on. They all saw the contract to the end - whether it was the end of their life or the end of the mission.
The rebellion was sucessful and Nacht was proclaimed king. The company was rewarded for their efforts but their numbers have been cut so considerably that most went into early retirement. Azgrul and four others went on to join the Slayers so they can still generate income and still get a taste of the adventure they once had. Azgrul then on spent the rest of the decade hunting monsters, taking mercenary jobs and visiting his family. He doesn't spend too much time in Levia and is blind to the backstabbing the happens within the capital city of his home kingdom.
Azgrul had escorted a merchant to Saint Reginald when the attack transpired. He took arms with the Knights and took the merchant out of the city safely with his wares before helping other citizens as well. It had ravaged the entire city and soon town after town began to fall. Azgrul stuck with the merchant the entire time in the shelter and hoped that his family was alright. When the King had called for adventurers to stop the corrupted witches who had sent these monstrosities - as was claimed by the Order of the Five Spears - Azgrul did not hesitate to step up.
Hello! I'm interested in joining but I do have a question for regarding making a character coming from Zephyr. How do those from there avoid the poisonous mist? I'm not too clear on if it's just above the skies during the stormy nights or if it reaches the ground too.
Also is using a scythe okay as a weapon? Just want to double check.
It's a bit of a long one (hope you don't mind) but hopefully it doesn't throw up any problems! Thought it'd be interesting to see someone with magic capabilities but an extreme lag behind to create a personal power vacuum : D
Profile
Name: Hjadana Vishin'ee
Age: 27 Years - 11 Months
Gender: Male
Race: Half-Marsh Elf
Characteristics
Appearance: Rounding up to an unimpressive 5'11, at least by contemporary elven standards, Hjadana loses most of his heritage by looks alone. Bar the slightly-bulkier-than-slender body stature, he's found himself physically resonating with the latter half of his bloodline - the human side. Lightly pallid skin, accompanied by frostbitten irises, and a gentler posture makes for an interesting character, matched with his personality. Graced with a heavy sway of hair left almost naturally styled, there's an aura of a laid-back soul decorated with a grey quarter of his left fringe. Very few elven features are noticeable, let alone those of the normal elves. His greatest giveaway is the subtle yet sharp prick at the top of his ears; the constant reminder of where he came from. Other than that, he's relatively clean, occasionally well-dressed and a presentable figure amongst a sea of disgruntled adventurers. Out of those adventures, he usually dresses in plain but wonderfully coloured garments, laced with personalised jewelry.
Personality: Like most people, there are two or more sides to Hjadana. First, there's the common face: that in which most nameless faces see on first glance. A collected individual, to their guess, with a resting face of comfort. It's been that way for as long as he could remember, and Hjadana knows that such an approachability has often given him great opportunities. It transitions into his commitment to the adventure, acting as the driving force to keep at it until the end - as well as the interactions of his allies around him.
On the contrary, there is a great lowness to his personality. Complete with his collectiveness, he's sharp and sometimes deeply silent, being more akin to having conversations arrive at his doorstep rather than for Hjadana to deliver the first word. Such nervousness has prevailed at the worst of times, and can bring out the pessimistic imbalance he feels with himself. He's aware of a lack of personal love for himself, instead finding himself to be quite loathsome, and continuously tries to battle it with the mask of a charismatic, chipper individual.
Gear & Traits
Skills:
Polearms - Specifically with the glaive, Hjada has spent extensive and apt amounts of his childhood honing his ability with weapons of the class. Having a sharp blade postured into the body of a staff finds itself as the perfect combination, scaling it down ever so slightly to account for his smaller stature. Though they can prove tedious and burdensome in tight spaces, unlike a dagger or shortsword, his nimble fingers and accurate handiwork does its best to negate the troubles of his innate choice of martial fighting.
Judicious Dexterity - From childhood, he always expressed a talent for his handiwork. Whether its with working on small mechanisms, threading needles or twirling poles between his fingers, Roe'mynn is proud of the skills he can commit to. It proves useful in a lot of situations, such as climbing, as well as tinkering, in compensation for his lacking elemental capabilities.
Nomadic - Being a nomad isn't just a status of constant movement. It's a lifestyle, in which survival is tested on the daily; where communities have to work together to provide for one another. Food, water, clothing, logistics and protection are the main pillars of a stable community. Rationing, improvised warmth, maintenance and temporary shelters are menial work that he can provide to a small group of travellers alongside him.
Gear:
Short Glaive - Though the weapon itself was considered a relic of the hunt, Hjadana has taken a strong liking to the proficiency of both the polearm and blade combination. A reinforced wood and iron base was constructed to balance out its weight, allowing for greater control in dexterous strikes.
Tanto Boot Knife - Boot knives, doubling up for hunting and light craftwork, act as common emergency weapons for dire circumstances.
Attire - Still rooted within the nomadic clothing he grew up with, layers of scarfs, light jackets and cloth act as protection from the elements and remove the hindrance of weight during combat. Occasionally decorated with belts, wraps, straps and fur, sitting atop of toe-capped boots and the light padding of leather for combat protection.
Travel Pack - Stored dry meat and grain foods. Two clean cloths. Small waterskin and a whetstone.
Elemental Information
Element: Wind
Abilities:
Airburst - Having been unable to tap into his elemental capabilities anywhere as much as other magic users of his age, the main reliance comes on using a burst of wind to propel himself short distances. Though traditionally a tool of evasion, other benefits come as dealing swifter strikes, outmanoeuvring well-paced opponents and assisting in both climbing and jumping.
??? - On the cusp of achieving a second ability, which would still put him behind his contemporaries, the frustration of achieving a minor understanding of what he can do and then opening the path to mastering it comes with great misery.
History
Background: And when civilisation thrives, building kingdoms, towns and cities to house its people, there is always a group separated by culture. Nomadic, yet familial, the Sacrani People were a small, closely tied community that moved by foot and hoof across the lands of Mynol. Though not exactly famous, their existence is documented quite nicely by local cartographers and scholars alike. Accustomed to the various swamps, marshes and seas, the tribe thrived alongside the bloodlines of Marsh Elves. At least that was right up until 30 years ago, when the barriers were broken down and several other species were accepted into the ring. A move most controversial, a brooding disturbance came at the cost of internal stability.
Three years later, Hjadana Vishin'ee was born as the biproduct of bastardisation within the communal collective. Two lovers, one marsh-elven and the other human, conceived his existence with great contest from their peers. Whilst he wasn't the first mixed-blooded child to be born into the group, he was the first who seemed like a permanent inclusion. Many others left shortly after birthing their offspring, but things seemed different for the raising of Hjadana. Or at least, they looked stable. Unfortunately, that was not the case. See, his mother, blessed be her soul, was not of nomadic descent. She was the human in the family, and shortly after bringing him into the world, she left his unannounced. The abandonment to his elven father was but the first in many piling issues for the boy.
So, with only a father to look up to, one who never wed his lover, the bastard-child yearned to idolise his parental figure. The marsh elf held a strict demeanour, but he did love his son at the least. Most of what he did outside of clan duties was for the betterment of Hjadana's safety and development. It was more than he could've asked for, and yet the void of his mother's escape left a great hole in his childhood. Without a mother to call his own, he found himself downtrodden on his legitimacy. Worse yet, his half-blood status seemed to have drastic obstructions into developing his elemental heritage. He struggled to even discover his first ability and soon found himself at the will of his lack in self-confidence. This was further exasperated by the climactic shift in power.
The nomadic tribe's size had nearly tripled since the opening of its bloodlines. Though most were still marsh elves, the population became burdensome for both themselves and the attention of one King Ludrix Nacht. With a tight hold of the Kingdom's politics, and the national idea that the 'Slayers' were the dominant third party group under agreement of law, the Sacrani expansion caused many anxious eyes to fall on their potential. Uncooperative with authorities, several scuffles broke out in unexpected coastline territories occupied by the King's garrisons. Where a smaller tribe would pose no worry, the grand size made them far too overbearing. When the dust settled and the few that had been killed were laid to rest, the law came down upon them. Either they destabilised themselves or such a violent clash would be held against them for as long as his dynasty ruled.
Leaders are generally smart individuals, and they know how to get what they see is best. With King Nacht, he was no exception. The tales of the tribe's inner instability as a response to its rapidly expansive nature led to an exploitative radicalisation. Soon, those that were accomplices of non Marsh-Elf tribesmen were set aside, pushed to be second-class to their allies. A day later, the first death occurred, and a second followed hours after. The nomads were in their final stage of reducing their population. A swift move divided them in half, and Kjadana was painted with its ghostly brush. An outcast, of birth right and his failing elemental progress left him vulnerable at the age of 16. He was casted out when things became violent, making it out so much as to see the bruises and cuts caused by their force.
And thus, the next chapter began. He'd found himself where he imagined his mother would've been. Alone in a world where collectives survived and individuals scraped by barely. Though the oceans, marshes, swamps and emerald seas proved to be his true home, he loathed it for what it cradled inside - a fractured home. He hooked himself up with a small band of mercenaries as a junior quartermaster, and stayed with them for shelter and hospitality.
The group almost immediately left the land in search for something else. They travelled between kingdoms and cities, encountering an array of jobs that helped Hjadana learn of the world's variance. He thought little of home in the day and stared in solitude at night. Long story short, the mercenary group got him involved with the wrong people and he soon left, with a little bit of combat experience under his belt and a lot of quartermastering on his metaphysical portfolio. Back alone, he wandered the lands and did odd-jobs and a few small adventures alone. In that time, he finally mastered his first elemental ability and felt a surge of opportunities open up. He explored, helped contractors map out cave systems and used both his dexterity and nimbleness to keep earning enough money to live comfortably between inns, towns and cities.
Now a developed man, using charisma and charm to fly through community's, he tried to bury his colder self for a more optimistic coat of paint. He danced between jobs, fell out with contractors over deliberately not following orders to achieve greater rewards, flirted with death and townswomen on a irregular basis and eventually found the money, time, weaponry and personality to call himself an adventurer. And it was just as he travelled into Lowick where the chaos began. And when it did, the King's request for adventurers was just too hard to pass off. In the end, it didn't matter if he'd succeed, at least not when he first signed up. Either he'd be killed a sinner of personality or he'd complete it and move on.
It was a shame he was so blissfully unaware of the boots he was strapping himself to, or the community that he was surrounded by. Whether they'd be his closest allies, of heartly bonds and relationships, or his biggest adversaries was out of his scope of thought.
Looks good! Approved, and you can all add your characters to the "Characters" section when you're ready. ^.^
Hello! I'm interested in joining but I do have a question for regarding making a character coming from Zephyr. How do those from there avoid the poisonous mist? I'm not too clear on if it's just above the skies during the stormy nights or if it reaches the ground too.
Also is using a scythe okay as a weapon? Just want to double check.
Sorry for any confusion. ;;
The mist has different intensities depending on the night, like any weather condition, but it's difficult to predict how intense the mist would be on a given night; though generally it's only dangerous at higher altitudes when in Zephyr. On particularly bad nights though, the most typical way to avoid the mist would be to hide in sealed cellars or basements if you're in civilization, or else find a deep cave network to where you only receive minor exposure to the mist - which may have long-term negative consequences, but you'd survive. A scythe as a weapon is also fine! Anime 'n all.
So the CS template says that most fantasy races are acceptable to play as...
Would werewolves be one of them, by any chance? I was gonna go either that, or a human that had been bitten by one and thus has to choose between tracking down a cure or accepting the whole lycanthropy shtick, but I can think of something else if that isn't OK.
