Greetings future hero’s, mercenaries, lords, ladies, murder hobos, and potentially evil sorcerers! You have been accepted into the prestigious halls of Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers! Here you can learn everything you will need in order to expand your skills, whether that be in magic, martial skill’s, or sneaking around and stabbing people in the back. We hear at Hoseforn’s don't judge! (Much) Hoseforn’s has a reputation for training some of the greatest adventurers to ever walk the grand continent of Ealinata. Prestigious name such as Greta, the Strong, Withfort, Master of Secrets, and Mortizmo, the Entirely NOT Mad, are all famous graduates of Hoseforn’s. When we are done with you, you too will have potential for greatness.
Don’t be fooled, the road ahead will be far from easy. Monsters inhabit every shadowy corner of Ealinata. Bandits and Ne'er-do-well’s pester the main roads and constantly bother the rich and poor alike. Angry deities plague towns and and annoy farmers daughters. And there are the rumors.
Rumors of something unspeakably horrible that seeks to sinks its grotesque claws into our world and devour the souls of all those who inhabit it.
But fear not brave young adult! Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers will give you all the tools and training you need in order to succeed in the real world, we promise! Grab your armor, your spell-books, and your various pointy objects, and begin the life you were meant for today!
About this RP
As you might have guessed from the description, this is going to be a high fantasy based roleplay that only steals a tiny bit from DnD. You are welcome to be just about anything you want except a God trapped in a little girls body (or anything along those lines). If there is a race you want to play, have at it! A word of warning, the less educated of the world are more likely to fear the non-humanlike races, though intolerance is not tolerated within the walls of Hoseforn. You are free to play this as seriously, or idiotically as you wish, however, stupid actions receive stupid prizes.
To encourage interaction between players, adventuring parties will be formed. If you dont like your party, it sucks to be you, there are lots of people out there you wont like, you have to learn to deal with them.
Their are only a few rules in place for your character creation:
1. You are fresh meat a new student who has just arrived. 2. You must be your races equivalent of young adult. For instance, humans would be around 18. 3. You are NOT an expert in your chosen field, if you were you wouldn’t be coming to Hoseforn. 4. Your character should have flaws, there will be a section in your CS for it. Seriously, no one or thing is perfect and adding flaws to a character adds depth. 5. I wasn’t kidding about the “no gods trapped in a little girls body” thing. Demi-gods are out too I’m afraid.
I strongly encourage any and all help in world building. I am going to be ironing a few things out but I want to see what kind of interest there is for this. A CS, RP rules and a section about the world you live in will be coming shortly (If I can get off my lazy donkey it will be tonight)
The Rules
1. No Godmodding or playing literal gods. 2. Characters may have issues with one another, keep it in character. OOC bickering is extremely frowned upon. If you have issues with another rper, please privately bring it to my attention so we can try to resolve it. 3. If for some reason you cannot continue with the RP that's totally fine, just let me know or I'll assume you were consumed by the abyss and your character will get eaten by a sentient pumpkin. 4. Your actions have consequences. If you stick your arm in a dragons mouth you're probably not gonna have that arm much longer. 5. Romance between characters is perfectly fine but keep it classy (PG13) 6. All suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Constructive criticism is great, being a dick is not. 7. You are required to try and have fun. Non-compliance will be met with extreme sneering. If for some reason you aren't having fun let me know so we can try to work on it.
The CS
Name: (What we call you) Race: (What are you? Examples are Human, Elf, Minotaur, Slime, Gnome Etc.) Age: (Remember, you are fresh into the world of adulthood) Gender: (This ones obvious) Appearance: (Either a picture or a detailed description or some fantastic combination of the two. I want to be able to picture your character in my head) Class: (What is your character going to do? Examples are wizards, warrior, rogue, priests etc. I will be adding some helpful information for this stuff soon but I think most of you get the general idea of this. Personality: (What are you like) Strengths: (What are you good at) Weaknesses: (What are you less than good at) Biography: (Where did you come from where did you go)
The World
Why am I so excited about a map? Not sure, but any places, big or small, will be added to said map as time progresses. Any player made cities or capitals will also be added as we go.
One of the most prestigious Academy's in the land. Young adventurers come here to learn how to become world class adventurers.
An enormous tree that sits to the east of Hoseforn's. It is High Elf Capitol and one of the most magical places on the continent.
The dwarven capitol buried deep in the mountain. It is concidered one of the most heavily fortified places on the planet.
The capital city of Balmoria. Its population is primarily human but all sorts of races gather in the capital to trade or suck up to Balmorian Royalty...or both.
A stand alone city state whose close proximity to the ocean make it a hub of trade. Unlike most of the civilized world, there is still a booming slave trade in Windlton. While illegal to capture any citizens of Windlton as slaves, few questions are ever asked.
The Magus Librarium is one of the largest consortia of Mages (formally known as Magus) on the continent of Ealinata. They are a collection of some of the best and brightest magic users that the land has to offer.
The Librarium transcends nationalities, mages hail from all over the continent - countries, kingdoms, and even other continents. To become a Magus is to give up their royalties to their kingdom. The Librarium, since its formation, has been neutral in any internal strife or conflicts within Ealinata. The Librarium is not to intervene nor take sides in any conflict between any nations, races, or clans. With that said, they have no real military presence as no country is insane enough to attack a large collection of mages. It is also a fact that members from almost all the kingdoms are Magus.
There is a special clause to their neutrality. Should a threat ever befall Ealinata as a whole, the Magus' Librarium will be able to overrule this clause and intervene to protect the continent.
Many Magus' specialize in a specific section and then a branch of magic. They set to find out the limits and dangers of magic. Their research and findings are then brought to pen and paper and stored for later deliberation. The Librarium's duty is to discover, research and archive any and all kinds of Magic in the known world. The council then decides if the magic is fit to be shared with the rest of the world or if it is to be locked away in the Libraries forever. An example of banned magic is Necromancy if any of its forms (though it can still be discovered and subsequently be used/abused by unscrupulous mages outside of the Librarium).
The Magus' Librarium lies within an island. From afar it looks like a bustling kingdom, the most eye-catching feature being the large tower smack dab in the middle of the gated walls. The tower holds the ever-expanding Library of the Magus. Frequent, non-magus visitors swear that the tower's height rises every year.
The members within the walls of the Librarium all have ranks;
Intiates/Sparks
Novices
Initates - To be taught/mentored under a High Magus
Magus - Ixalven’s current level
High Magus
Arch-Magus
High Arch-Magus
They have a council that oversees any and all decision-making that directly involved the Magus Librarium- whether it be foreign political affairs, internal workings, and, research. All of it is decided by the council through a majority. There are nine seating council members that decide the day-to-day affairs of the Magus. A seat is only attained by being an Arch-Magus and gaining recommendations from at least give other Arch-Magus' and receiving at least 1/3rd of the current sitting council's votes. Only currently sitting council members can become High Arch-Magus'. The Council wears pristine white robes within (actual) gold ornaments and decorations.
There is a hidden shadow assembly that is directly under the council. Only Arch-Magus' and above know of their existence. They are known as the 'Silent Assembly'. It is a gathering of Magus who handle the darker side of the Librarium- Rulebreakers, Spies, Rogue Magus', etc. Any Magus that has broken the sacred rules and agreement of the Magus is subject to the Silent Assembly's judgment. This assembly seeks to maintain the code and conduct of the Librarium and makes sure that magic or knowledge from the Librarium is not leaked or abused by any individual. An example would be a foreign spy that has stolen magical knowledge about forbidden magic are hunted down by the assembly. Another example is that they also hunt down magic practitioners who use/abuse forbidden magics. Since the nature of their work is darker, they are not known to the general public nor even the general Magus population. They are made up of the most well-trusted Magus', as their work requires loyalty and devotion to the Librarium to prevent corruption. The Assembly wears a black ankle-length robe with distinguished white ornaments and enchanted armour when they work, and otherwise, wear the normal Magus robes when not in a meeting or a mission. On a mission they also wear a mask that heavily distorts their voice and lessens their permanence (they will be hard to detect and focus on and forgotten when looked away).
Since they are a neutral organization Magus are allowed to freely enter or leave any kingdom within Ealinata as long as they have the insignia of a Magus. Members of the Librarium can go anywhere within Ealinata nearly unimpeded- this is to be able to research and find magicks in all corners of the world.
Leadership
As a matriarchal society the women are highly valued amongst their communities. There are male sirens and they tend to be the warriors of the race. They were ruled by a queen, but they haven’t had a queen since the royal family was killed 11 years ago. Currently the sirens have become less common, being scattered since the eradication of the royal family.
Communication
Most sirens anymore speak the common tongue, however they do have a language of their own that most still speak.
Religion
Originally, sirens worshiped Nielia, the Goddess of the Sea’s Song. They had priests and priestesses that spoke for the goddess, helping guide their people. Many believe that the song the sirens sing was a gift from the goddess in order to protect her children and they believe it connects them to their goddess.
History
Long ago when the other races began venturing out into the sea they came across a race of merpeople. Having not known any other races, the sirens originally were friendly towards these sailors. In storms they would sing out and lead the ship to safety. They were protectors of those that traversed their home. With all new discoveries, however, there are always those that wish to profit from it. Soon sirens were being captured, sold into slavery, or even killed for the scales on their tales. Being intelligent creatures, however, sirens began retaliating and using their gift of song to now lead ships and sailors into danger. They would drown any that fell into the sea and soon they became a creature that was feared by many. All sorts of superstitions arose around sirens and as time progressed and some sirens decided to try joining society on the main continent, they weren’t entirely accepted.
25 years ago a queen arose amongst the sirens who wished to unite their people with the humans. Queen Idamei Kyganna wed a human royal, Prince Sigmund Jaqeli and for the first time ever the other races were welcomed to the island of Aroalirea. Things seemed to go smoothly for a long time and a child was born to the couple. The child wasn’t the first half-breed, however, as there had been sirens living amongst the other races now for years and some half-breeds had resulted from this. The old way of the sirens had been changed and there were far less deaths at the hands of this race at sea.
Some didn’t agree with this, however, and a plan was hatched. When the queen and her family were visiting the mainland they were attacked and murdered. At the same time some had been sent to Aroalirea and attacked. Many sirens died that day and now they seem to be a rarity. Aroalirea has been abandoned completely. There are still some sirens living amongst the other races, but you’re more likely to come across a half-breed anymore. Even then it’s not a common thing.
Clothing
Traditionally sirens didn’t really wear any clothing and if they did then it was very minimal, made from things they found beneath the sea. Now if you come across a siren they are likely dressed much like any of the other races. Many have abandoned their traditions in order to blend in more with the other races.
Relationships and Family Dynamics
The women tend to be the head of the family, caring for their wellbeing while the men are their protectors. Most families stick together, many generations living under the same roof.
People always need something to worship, and the denizens of Ealinata. Most major deities will grant some of their divine grace to those who worship them.
Storalla - God of Life Storalla is the god of live and and light. It is believed that he and Phantasmiba are the two responsible for most of the mortal races. Storalla is said to despise darkness and often his disciples are at odds with the disciples of Grimma, the goddess of death and shadows.
Ugrad - God of Combat Ugrad is the god of honorable combat, war, and strategy. He is often revered by warriors of every race as his placing can be bestowed on any who fight well and with honor.
Phantasmiba - Goddess of Magic Phantasmiba is the mother of magic in all of its forms and one of the gods responsible for the creation of all mortals. Though she did not create magic herself, she is responsible for the mortal races beings able to use magic
Millenia - Goddess of Time Millenia is the goddess of time, age and growth. It is through her hand that all things age, grow, and eventually, perish.
Grimma - Goddess of Death. Grimma is the goddess of death and shadows. It is through her all life comes to an end, and by her hand that a mortals afterlife is chosen. She is also the goddess of shadows and the things that dwell in them.
This list is a work in progress. Other deities will be added as time goes on these are just the basic ones.
The Academy
Hoseforn’s is an approximately 2000 acre fortress of learning. Its is equipped with the most advanced magitech available on the market today and offers all of the luxuries you could ever ask for. It is capable of housing approximately 1000 students at a time, although in general houses a little over half that many. The staff lives on site for most of the year and each has their own private residence (or pocket dimension for the magically snobbish). Student’s are usually housed with one to two roommates in order to promote team work (and save space). Special accommodations can be provided for different races of creatures depending on their needs. All dorms are found on the outskirts of the campus because walking is good for you and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
The main hall is the primary meeting place for new students. It houses a large reception area capable of holding every student at once. It is here that new students are given their starting equipment and room assignment. Mr. Hoseforn’s office is found in the main hall as well. The Main hall is usually used to house large social gathers such as dances and feasts. It is also were students are told to evacuate too in case of some extreme emergency.
Its the library. They call it the hall of mysteries to try and make it sound enchanting and fun, but its pretty much just a library. Thousands of books on any subject you can imagine are found here. You can find books on everything from necromancy to to cook books as well as a few necromantic cookbooks.. Their are several private rooms that can be reserved for private activities. There is also a much smaller restricted access library that houses things of a more..sensitive nature. Only teachers or Mr. Hoseforn himself can give access to students and any unauthorized persons will be vaporized upon entry.
The halls of learning are were most of the classrooms can be found. There are approximately 60 different classrooms, each capable of housing between 30 to 100 students at once. Private laboratories can be reserved for magical experimentation. This is where most of the teachers personal offices are found as well. Each instructor has office hours posted outside of their door.
The Hall of Combat is not actually a hall at all but an arena. This is the primary area where students combat skills are tested. Feuds between students can be settled in private duels and tournaments are held on occasion in order to test the students skill in both magic and physical combat. The Hall of Combat has been warded in order to prevent death or serious injury. The arena is also capable of changing its layout in order to make competitions more interesting. The arena is capable of holding thousands of spectators as some of the more high profile contests are open to the public.
A market were students are able to purchase all kinds of equipment, from weapons and armor to previsions and powerful medicines. Any reading material required for classes can also be purchased here at a ridiculous mark up.
Its a cafeteria. Students are provided free breakfast and dinner with an option of purchasing lunch. Reasonably priced snacks can be found here throughout the day and any creatures with special dietary needs can be accommodated.
The Staff
Name: Asmodius Hoseforn
Race: Human
Age: Really...really...really old
Gender: Male
Appearance: Asmodius Hoseforn, often referred to as Hoseforn, is an exceptionally old man. His skin is wrinkled and spotted but remains taught against what was once a muscular build. His hair and beard have turned entirely gray, however, he seems to few signs of balding. He once stood a bit over 6’2” but old age has caused him to slouch and he stands closer to 5’10”. The color’s of his robes have been known to change color sporadically, though they often remain brown. He can always be found wearing a large pointed hat that generally droops to the side and many speculate is as hold as Hoseforn himself.
Class: Wizard probably
Personality: Hoseforn is a difficult man to predict. He is often care free and cheerful but there is a certain madness to his gaze that has a tendency to unsettle those around him. He rarely speaks a cruel word, but when angered he has been known insult grown men to tears. Undeniably intelligent, many also consider him absolutely crazy, though none have ever been able to prove it. He somehow manages to be kind heart-ed and greedy at the same time.
Biography: The history of Hoseforn is long and complicated, Most of the information about him comes in the form of fables or superstitions, however, some concrete information can be found if one looks hard enough. Hoseforn is believed to be at least 250 years old, though his true age is likely much older. He joined the Magus' Librarium as an already old man with an astounding understanding of magical theory and abilities that far out shined most of the other Magus. Despite his power and knowledge, his strangeness caused many to stay far... far away from him. Records state that he spent nearly 30 years in the Magus Librarium’s many libraries, only leaving to sleep, eat, or bathe. He then disappeared for 5 years without a trace, it s a complete mystery what he did in those years.
The next time Hoseforn was officially spotted was upon the sudden appearance of Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers. It is said that school simply materialized in a matter of moments, but this is just a myth,. The truth is that it took 3 days for the school to finish construction. How he managed to build the school so quickly is still a hotly debated topic among scholars.
Hoseforn’s opened about a month after its construction has existed for over 150 years. Hoseforn has always acted as its caretaker and dean, even occasionally teaching a class. How he has managed to stay alive for so long is another mystery that baffles scholars, as living past 100 is extremely rare for humans, even human mages. Even stranger is the fact that in the 150 years since Hoseforn’s Academy opened, Hoseforn’s appearance has not changed in the least.
Name: Maya Jhalavar
Race: Drow (A race of dark skinned elves who often live in far away from the rest of society.
Age: 326
Gender: Female
Appearance: Maya is tall and slender, standing at about 6’0” even. Her skin is grayish-purple in color and long silvery white hair reaches well past her waist. Her eyes are generally light blue in color but have been known to glow bright enough to be seen in the dark. Her face is kind and attractive and she can almost always be found with a smile on her face. She usually wears a long black dress with slits in the side to allow ease of movement. She carries a twin pair of khopesh, long swords with a crescent curve towards the end of them. Her swords are a gleaming silver color with a strange blue that follows the edge of the blade. Class: Sword Dancer (An exceptional sword wielder his movements are often compared to dancing. The unique style is hard to predict and incredibly fast though it lacks the brute strength of other styles.)
Personality: Maya is an incredibly kind and loving soul. She’s rather playful and will dance or sing any chance she is given. Her carefree and kind attitude is often mistaken for childish or immature, but any stupid enough to try and trick Maya are shown the dark, brutal side of Maya that so many Drow are famous for.
Classes Taught: Swordsmanship, General Combat, and any classes to do with dancing or music.
Biography: Maya grew up with where most drow do, beneath the Dead Island in a place most call the Beneath. Drow are known as cruel and viscous people, they value power and worship Grimma above all other gods. Maya, was different.
From a very young age Maya wanted nothing more then to dance and sing. She almost couldn’t help but smile, much to the distress of her parents and those around her. She was an outcast among her people, a stain unworthy of their time or attention, but this never seemed to bother her. What did bother her, was the almost uniform cruelty of her people. How could an entire species be so full of hate and malice. As she reached the age of what most races refer to as “pre-teen” it became clear that she needed to leave the drow and find her own way. Her peoples patience with her had become non-existent, and she knew that she would not be allowed to live if she stayed. She waited until the early hours of the morning, snuck out of The Beneath, and stowed away on a slave vessel headed for the mainland.
She does not speak much of her early years on Ealinata. She stayed in Windlton for a time, but the town showed to many characteristics that reminded her of her home, so she left to travel the world. She attempted to visit the Grand Tree, but the elves there were suspicious and uninviting towards her. She attempted to make her way too Balmoria, and wound up in the desert, where she nearly died. It was here that she met an already ancient wizard who gave her food, water, and shelter.
The old wizard was somewhat mad, but he had a true kindness too him that Maya had not often experienced. He took her the rest of the way to Balmoria and paid for her to train with a local sword maiden, an elf woman named Lizayla. For nearly 100 years Maya honed her craft, her swordcraft becoming legendary. She moved like a dancer, swift, beautiful, and extremely deadly.
Maya adventured for a time, but when Hoseforn appeared, she had assumed the man had been long dead, and offered her a job teaching at his new academy, she couldn’t help but accept. She has taught at Hoseforn ever since.
Name: Sir Vermont Baleth
Race: Human
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Appearance: Sir Vermont is an middle aged, rugged man. He’s tall at 6’4” with a powerful muscles that have not lost their tone. His hair is a mixture of gray and black, though it leans more towards gray in recent years. His body holds many scars from past battles, and an eye-patch covers his right eye. When not adventuring he wears a perfectly pressed black tunic with gold embroidering along the edges. The tunic holds two patches, one for Hoseforn’s, and the other the symbol of Storalla, the god of life. When adventuring or if he believes he is about to be in combat Vermont wears a set of heavy silver plate mail. The armor looks simple enough and has the symbol of Storalla etched into the pauldrons. The inside of the armor has runes etched into it, giving him boosts in strength and endurance and making the armor almost unbreakable. Class: High Paladin of Storalla
Personality: Sir Vermont is about as gruff and stern as they come. He rarely smiles and has little time for foolish games. While he is generally even tempered, he does not tolerate cruelty or prejudice in his presence, and has been known to use force when he feels it necessary. He rarely yells, but has look that is entirely capable of sending shivers down a grown mans spine. He does have a caring and softer side and believes all living things are a gift from Storalla, though you wouldn’t guess so from being around him. Classes Taught: General Combat and Healing. His is also in charge of any church matters on the campus
Biography: Vermont was left at a church of Storalla as an infant, his mother to young to take care of him. Even as a child he was always more serious than most, never playing with the other children and spending most of his time studying scriptures. His strong sense of justice became evident at an early age as he began to get into fights with anyone who attempted to be cruel towards his fellow orphans. He always accepted his punishments for fighting, but would never apologize, saying that it was his duty to help those who couldn't help themselves.
It quickly became clear that he was a natural fighter, and so he was sent to train as a paladin. He rose quickly through the ranks, out classing many who were much older than him. Once he officially obtained the rank of Paladin he went off on his own to search out any “evil” he could find. In his early 30’s he was promoted to a High Paladin, a title that bestowed him a great deal of authority within the church and led to him being known as Sir Vermont.
It’s not widely known why or how he began teaching at Hoseforn’s. He had never been the nurturing type, but he took the job with what appeared to be little consideration. He has been teaching at Hoseforn’s for a little over 5 years now.
Name: Dex
Race: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Gender: Male (Probably)
Appearance: Dex stands at about 6’0” even. His features are impossible to make out due to the leather armor that covers his entire body. The most striking thing about his appearance is the beaked mask that he has covering his face, whether he wears the mask for comfort or for some other reason is unknown. He carries with him a plethora of weapons. Two blackened shorts swords sit on his waist. Throwing knives adorn his body as well as numerous small pouches with different potions and powders. The most striking weapon is his long, recurve bow. The bow seems to be carved out of some type of bone and is littered with runes. His leather armor is heavily runed with anti-magic scripts, causing most spell to evaporate as they come in contact with him.
Class: Rogue
Personality: Dex is quiet and immensely secretive. He rarely speaks except when teaching or when asked a direct question. It is the general consensus that it feels….uncomfortable to be around him. Many believe him to be a trained killer. He has rarely been seen disciplining a student, but this is most likely because few are dumb enough to act out in front of him. He has a frighteningly intelligent and tactical mind.
Classes Taught: Stealth, Archery, Potions and Elixirs, Hand-to-Hand Combat
Biography: To say that Dex’s history is unknown would be an understatement. No one has been able to dig up any information on him, and even his fellow teachers don’t know him well. There are rumors of him being an assassin, but no one has proof. The only information that others have been able to dig up on him is that he’s worked at Hoseforn’s for the past 10 years. He has been known to disappear for weeks at a time, though no one knows where he goes. He is also terrifyingly efficient in a fight and very knowledgeable about the subject’s he teaches.
Name: Maurine Rickter (Not her real name but the one she took as a teacher)
Race: Naga (Naga are a sort of snake/human hybrid. They are often able to take on the form a a large serpant, a normal human, or a mix of the two.)
Age: 250
Gender: Female
Appearance: Has three forms she is capable of taking. In her serpent form she is 16’ long with green and black scales and a white underbelly. Her head is cobra like with with long pointed fangs capable of dispensing venom. Her eyes are yellow with black slits for pupils.
In her human form she stands at 5’6” with a thin and toned body. She has no scales to speak of, though her eyes do retain the yellow color and slits for pupils. Her hair is is a greenish black in color and her ears have a slight point to them.
Most often though she appears as a mixture of the two forms. She has the long snake like body where her legs would be but retains a human torso. Black and green scales cover her forearms and her fingers have sharp dagger like nails. Her teeth are generally sharper then a humans in this form. Her hair is long and the same blackish green color as her human form, but her ears become even more pointed.
Class: Sorceress
Personality: Maurine, known as Mari by most of the staff, is a hard individual to read. She often comes off as cold and calculating. She has little time for foolish games and will not hesitate to discipline those she feels are making foolish decisions. However, there is a great deal of kindness in her. She seems to love teaching and watching her students grow. She is ferociously loyal to Hoseforn, and insulting the old wizard in front of her is a good way to get hurt. She is highly intelligent, and her grasp on all things magic is impressive.
Classes Taught: Rudimentary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert level magic classes.
Biography: The life of a Naga is never an easy one. There appearance is often terrifying to those who don't know anything about them, and so most other races fear and persecute them. Mari was no different. Iin her younger years she was part of a small clan of Naga that roamed the deserts, trading with travelers and harming no one. Her people loved music and basking in the warm sun, and were experts at finding fresh water in an otherwise inhospitable environment.
Sadly, at a young age her clan was found and murdered by a group of “hunters” who were after the unique snake skin that her kind possessed. Her father managed to pick her up and carry her off, hiding her in a nearby cave, but he went back to help the others and never returned. Mari searched for any survivors of her clan for a time, but was never able to find them. For years after the attack she was forced to remain in her human form out of fear of being discovered by those who hunted her kind. She moved from city to city, never staying anywhere for long and never getting close with anyone. She survived, but she never trusted anyone.
Eventually she was found by a small group of hunters, who knew what she was because of her strange yellow eyes. She would have surely died that day, had it not been for an incredibly old, possibly insane, wizard who happened by. The man, who Mari later came to know as Hoseforn, turned the hunters into large newts, who then promptly exploded.
Hoseforn became fascinated by Mari, not because of what she was, but because she had “incredible magical potential.” Though weary of him at first, Mari agreed to travel with the old wizard, and has stayed by his side for the past 160 years. Hoseforn taught Mari everything she knows about magic, which is a great deal to say the least. In return she protects Hoseforn with her life, runs the day to day operations of the Academy and teaches many of the students how to harness their magical potential.
Name: Glior Frenglbottom
Race: Goblin
Age: 97 (ancient for a goblin)
Gender: Male
Appearance: Glior is one of the most wrinkled Goblin’s one could ever hope to meet. Standing at a whopping 3’¼”, Glior might way 40 pounds when fully clothed and soaking wet. His skin has turned a grayish pink, in contrast to the usual green of most goblins, and his eyes are a very light blue. He often wears a baggy set of robes that had likely once been black but have turned entirely gray over the years. He usually wears some form os spectacles, although it changes from task to task, and few can ever remember seeing himn without a book or project in front of him
Classes Taught: Head librarian, Rune Crafting, Spirit Magic
Personality: Glior often refers to himself as the 'smartest goblin alive.' This is likely a true statement, albeit not a difficult task. Still, even among the more “civilized” races Glior is something of a genius. He’s also brash, grumpy, and will literally curse anyone who mistreats one of his books. He has a love for knowledge that few can rival and will help most who ask for it, though he might grumble the entire time. He also lacks much of the cruelty and laziness that often plagues his kind.
Biography:Glior was born an enigma amongst his small woodland tribe of goblins. He was born a runt, small even for a goblin, but with the ability to use magic. The older he got, the more apparent it became that Glior was rather intelligent, and had a natural affinity for figuring out how things worked. It also became apparent that Glior had no interest in combat at all. There were many attempts to send him out on raiding parties, or to rob travelers on the nearby road, but Glior somehow always managed to stay hidden, fire a few spells that would miss their target, and rejoin the group acting as if he had made some major contribution. He followed this pattern for years, until his raiding party came across a peculiar, ancient looking man.
The attack against the old wizard was over nearly as quickly as it had began. Glior had not even managed to cast single spell before his entire party laid dead on the road. The old man hadn’t eve muttered a word, how could he have managed to kill so many so quickly? The old man was staring at Glior now. How had he known where he was hiding?
Well….he was dead. He couldn’t run from a man who could kill an entire party of goblins without saying a word, and he sure as hell couldn’t fight him. With a sigh Glior threw his staff and the ground, and sat back against the tree he had been hiding behind. “Alright, you got me. Go ahead and finish me off, just make it quick.”
The old man stared at the goblin in obvious surprise. “Not going to avenge your party?”
“Those jerks? Hell no, I didn’t wanna go on these stupid raids in the first place.” Glior grumbled. The old man approached him calmly. “Oh, and why’s that?” “Because there are better things to do then rob stupid humans. They don't do anything with the stuff they get anyways, it just sits in the cave in a pile, being useless.”
“Fascinating. I suppose I could kill you if that's what you really want, but I think I have a better idea. I have an offer for you.”
And that was how Glior met Hoseforn. Hoseforn taught Gliorn all about magic and gave him free roam of the immense library that Hoseforn’s Academy possessed. Gliorn proved to be a natural, and his love for books made him the obvious choice for head librarian. He has been shushing young adults for nearly 60 years now.
M A G I C
Magic is the backbone of Ealinata. All creatures have Mana (Magical juice) inside of them, although not everyone is capable of using it. The primary way of using magic is through chanting spells, using runes (strange symbols that potentially explode if used incorrectly), and through contracts with powerful spirits. Some creatures are capable of natural magic, these people/things are not really able to control the magic it just sort of happens.
Spellcasting is primarily done by chanting the required phrases while pulling on your reserve of Mana. The more powerful the spell, the longer it takes to chant it. Spellcasting can be done out loud or silently in ones mind, however, its easy to lose concentration while chanting in your mind which could be potentially catastrophic.
Runes are magical markings that can be etched into an item in order to make a permanent spell. Runecrafting is extremely delicate work, as any mistake in the etching process can lead to either a weakened item of an explosion. Runecrafting requires that user to pump mana into the rune as they etch it. More powerful forms of runecrafting may require a separate power source. These usually come in the forms of large crystals that naturally draw mana into them and can act as a sort of battery for the runes.
Some magic users make contracts with powerful spirits in order to cast spells. These range from spirits of their ancestors to demons. Using a spirit to cast spells can remove the requirement for chanting but comes with its own unique risks. Spirits can be extremely tricky and have been known to posses their castors bodies if given the chance. Also, if something should happen to a castors spirit, (which doesn't happen often but is entirely possible), then the castor becomes virtually defenseless.
Some creatures use magic naturally without the use of chanting, runes, or spirits. This type of magic is usually tied to the type of creature and is often involuntary, though this isn't always the case. Examples of Natural magic include a werewolf's transformation or a dragons firebreath.
Ooh, this sounds like a lot of fun! I'm musing over the idea of an Orc Shaman, but I have a couple of questions first. :)
Would a nomadic tribe of Orcs fit the setting? If so, would there be specific places they would not be welcome to roam through?
Can my Shaman bring a Warg to school with them?
I'm feeling inspired by the First Nations concept of a Two-Spirit and would like my character to be a third gender, but I don't want to step on your toes if this wouldn't fit the setting.
There's not anywhere in particular that I have planned out where they wouldn't be allowed. Some of the human settlements are likely a little more wary/ prejudice against orcs though.
A warg is fine just describe it for us.
And I had to look up what Two-Spirit meant but I dont have a problem with it just describe it in the CS so everyone can be on the same page.
Got a rough draft of my CS going - haven't prettied it up yet, but the info is there. Let me know if there's anything that needs alterations before it's ready for the characters tab!
Name: Urru'wargta of Two-Moon Clan. Typically goes by Ur
Race: Orc
Age: 34, putting her at 17-18 since Orcs age at approximately half the pace of humans
Gender: Kavir, a third gender in Orc society that lies somewhere between men and women but with a much stronger tie to the spiritual world. Kavir are allowed to have relationships with any gender, but cannot be married and rarely have children. Ur doesn't have any strong pronoun preferences in other languages and is generally confused by the gender binary most of their fellow students seem to hold.
Appearance: At 6'6, Ur is average height for an Orc but tall enough to stand out among the general student body. They are thin and scrawny by Orc standards, with an androgynous build featuring narrow hips and shoulders, a trim waist, and long limbs. Their skin is deep green with several tattoos, most notably a serpent swallowing its own tail on their chest and several rings of geometric designs around their left upper arm. Their hair is black and straight, waist-length when unbound but currently worn in cornrow braids tipped in white and turquoise beads. Like most Orcs, they have thick lips, a low and flat nose, and prominent canine teeth that almost resemble tusks, however they have unusually thin and arched brows for their kind, giving them a slightly aloof appearance. Though intimidating in appearance, they are usually smiling and joking to appear more friendly to their peers.
Class: Shaman, a mage class that focuses on connection with nature and ancestor spirits. Among the nomadic Orc clans, Shamans also perform healing, purification, divination, and animal charming as needed.
Personality: Outgoing and goofy, Ur is very people-oriented and loves being around other interesting young adventurers. This is only their second semester and they already have a reputation as a party animal and class clown. Raised a nomad, they know a few words and a dirty drinking song in just about every common language. They're generally a very cheerful and upbeat person, always down for fun and usually down to help their fellows.
Strengths: - Urru is charismatic and sensitive, a good leader when they need to be and an excellent follower the rest of the time. - They are very in-touch with the spirit world while possessing the confidence and sense of self to deal with spirits without losing themself in the process. - Their spiritual sensitivity also makes them unusually in-touch with nature, a skill honed by years of hunting, tracking, and trailblazing. They know animals and plants like the back of their hand, and it's difficult to put them in an environment they don't know how to thrive in. - Despite their skinny physique they are still an Orc and exceptionally strong compared to other races, and an exceptionally fast runner due to their height. - They have a beautiful singing voice and learn new songs and words easily.
Weaknesses: - Ur is scared of being alone and gets anxious when there aren't other people around, to the point where they struggle to sleep or eat without someone else near them. - Reading and writing have never come easily to them, and they aren't very book-smart. They have to work twice as hard as the average student to get below-average grades, only doing well in labs and practica. - Though their temper is harder to rouse than most Orcs, it is explosive when triggered. Whilst in a rage, Ur becomes uncharacteristically, brutally violent and cares little about collateral damage in pursuit of their goals. - Their proclivity towards jokes and lightheartedness doesn't have many limits, and they'll frequently joke about serious topics or mess around while doing important tasks, much to the irritation of their more serious companions. Though they rarely let frivolity get in the way of doing a good job, many people perceive their playful attitude as their failure to take a situation seriously. - They firmly believe that everyone would like them if they just gave them a chance, which in theory means they don't have any enemies but in practice means that they will continually try to spend time or joke around with people who can't stand their guts, leading to a lot of friction. It's very difficult to convince Ur to leave someone alone, and it rarely lasts long. They see themself as completely innocent when their actions lead to conflict, and tend to play the victim rather than acknowledge the role their attitude plays in these disagreements.
Biography: Born and raised in the nomadic Two-Moon Clan, Urru's destiny to become a Shaman was decided when they were still a small child. As such, it was always expected that they would leave the clan for a time as a young adult to learn more about both the real and spirit worlds, which is seen as vital in order for one to have a wisdom to lead the tribe in spiritual matters. Shamans and Kavir are very respected among the Orc nomads, and it wasn't until Ur became old enough to interact with other societies that they realized their gender was unusual and not universally accepted - though there's a lot of overlap between those societies and those that distrust Orcs in the first place. Though separated from their clan, they still see themself as a part of it, unable to entirely separate their personal identity from their tribal membership. Sharing a tent with their parents and six siblings in a group of several dozen other extended family members has given them a very communal mindset and they still get homesick frequently, though in their case home is wherever their mother sets up her camp. They plan to stay out roaming the world for at least five years and perhaps as many as twenty, and though they are enjoying their newfound freedom their decision to join Hoseforn's was based entirely on gaining the knowledge and wisdom to be a better Shaman for the Two-Moons one day. Their name means "speaking wolf", and they want to be the best voice for their people that they possibly can be. They left home with a small pack of personal items and their loyal Warg, Kelakan. Kelakan is a wolf the size of a draft horse, loyal and clever, who carries Ur's weight easily. She is dark grey with thick, soft fur and amber eyes, intimidating at first though her puppylike playfulness quickly win over most people. Like horses, most Wargs are not trained to be ridden into war and she is a gentle creature most of the time, though she would not hesitate to protect her master from a perceived threat. As Urru's closest connection to home and loyal friend, they spend a lot of time with her and can be found going for a walk around campus most every morning.
Appearance: Ixius stands at a below average height of 5'9" for his age. He has loose and scraggly hair, like wild waves crashing into each other. The boy, in an attempt to not besmirch his guild's name, keeps his robes and uniform in pristine condition. Even the way he handles himself; his walk, posture, cadence, general demeanor, are all tailored to not give ill-repute to his fellow wizards. Aside from that, his most striking feature are his vibrant crimson eyes that threaten to pull you in.
Class: Magus, a more scholarly version of a wizard
Personality: Ixius is what one could call sheltered. His guild had raised, trained and educated him in the Magus' Towers for most of his life and as such has a warped and overdeveloped sense of pride towards (any form of) magic and wizardry in general. He believes magic to be superior and a better form of warfare and combat in general. As such, he's has an arrogant streak about him and a 'look-down-your-nose' attitude towards non-magic users. It really doesn't take much for Ixius to piss off a random crowd with his words- his intonation and cadence don't help his case either.
All of Ixius' arrogance stems from his love and absolute passion for magic and everything related to it. He can spend hours upon poring upon tomes to the point where he he forgets to feed himself. Ixius has great respect towards magic users who have honed their craft and could speak to them about magical theory and application endlessly.
Ixius doesn't give much respect to those who have taken upon other forms of combat, the boy doesn't have enough real world experience to know that other forms of combat are strong when used properly and with the right hands.
Strengths: * Versed in many forms of magical theory. * Adept in spell-casting magic. * Able to maintain concentration to cast chantless spells. * Amateur in Rune enchantment magic.
Weaknesses: * While trained to have good stamina, is bad with other forms of physicality. * Cannot use weaponry much, if at all. * Absolute faith in magic. * While versed in Spirit magic, is unable to use it as spirits seem to want to avoid Ixius. This partly has to do with his attitude.
Biography: Ixius was taken into the Magus' Librarium during his youth for having exceptional aptitude and sense for magic. Not that he could even remember his parents or what they looked like. During his youth he absorbed magic theory like a sponge and eventually became enamored with the topic. Though not allowed to, he secretly practiced spells and theory which helped expand his mana reserves during his youth. He's spent nearly a decade of his life to simply reading and understanding magic theory before he was even allowed (officially) to cast a simple fireball spell. The senior magus were surprised at how fast he formed the fireball and noted that it had more power than usual for a magus his age.
Even for a Magus, Ixius would spend most of his time researching. His peers would leave him alone as he preferred studying and reading magic than going out to party and socialize. Many viewed this as anti-social behaviour but the boy would prove to be fine on the rare occasion that he did attend gatherings or parties; his peers even found him charismatic (if not arrogant) in the way he spoke. It just wasn't his favored past-time.
Though the magus tried to teach Ixius to treat magic as neutral he still developed warped sense of superiority regarding magic. It was evident when a famous mercenary that had visited the Magus' Towers was blatantly disrespected by Ixius for using non-magic means to achieve his status. The mercenary, feeling slighted, drew their weapon but at the young man the guild intervened and defused the situation in time. Try as they might, the magus in the guild could not successfully rid the stigma that had taken root in the young man. Soon he would be sent to Hoseforn Academy; the Magus' hoped that the Academy could broaden the young Magus' narrow view of the world before his stigma could fester into something worse.
@Duoya No worries, take however long you need there's no rush.
@Laser Kiwi@Inertia Both characters are great. Go ahead and post them in the character section.
I'm (finally) posting my own character as well.
Name: Rodrick Malentine
Race: Tiefling (A race of former humans whose ancestors were cursed, giving them a devilish appearance)
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Appearance: Rodrick is a thin man with wirey muscle who stands at a respectably average height of 5'11. His red skin, large goat like horns and thick pointed tale are a dead giveaway that he is a tiefling. His hair is black and he can often be found with a good coating of stubble across his face. His clothes, upon arrival to Hoseforn's, are old and torn, although generally clean. The only processions he seems to carry are an old, rusting dagger strapped to his waist, and an even older lute that he keeps strapped to his back. The lute is well taken care of, but its age is clear from the wear mark found all across it. Class: Bard (Rodrick uses a combination of magic and song to strengthen his allies and weaken his foes. He is also capable of using some limited elemental magic and has some skill with a sword)
Personality: Rodrick is reserved and quiet, usually choosing to listen rather than speak. He has extreme trust issues and will rarely let anyone get too close to him. He is often of the opinion that he is better off doing things himself rather then trying to rely on anyone else for help. Deep down he is lonely and would do well from having a few friends. He has a soft spot for animals and children and may very well fly into a rage against anyone who harms them. His one true passion is his music. He has an excellent singing voice, although its unrefined as he almost never sings for others, and his skill with a lute is admirable.
Strengths: - Rodrick is a rather talented musician and singer. - He posseses impressive survival skills and knows how to sneak around unseen and take what he needs without being noticed. - He has the potential to use magic, although he doesn’t yet know it. - He is agile and quick, with some natural skill with a blade. - He is rather intelligent and a quick study when it comes to learning new things.
Weaknesses: - Rodrick trusts almost no one, believing that almost everyone is just out for themselves. - He has trouble with team work and would rather do most things himself. - His hard life has given Rodrick a sharp tongue that may make him come off as cruel. - He is often plagued by depression and will go into states of melancholy in which he shuts himself away from everyone. - He’s late…. A lot.
Biography: Rodrick’s life has never been an easy one. His mother, Anabella was a tiefling who was a skilled performer. She was an extremely talented dancer and singer and could seemingly play any instrument she picked up. Rodrick and Anabella would travel from town to town, sometimes with other mistrals and sometimes by themselves. His mother’s performances made them enough to get by, but never enough for them to settle down anywhere. It was far from easy, as life on the road is often hard and filled with dangers, but the two had each other and that was all that mattered to Rodrick. To try and help earn money Rodrick mother taught him to play the lute and sing. He had a good deal of potential for both and his mother often told him he would one day be a great bard.
As he grew older Rodrick became curious about his father, but Anabella would give him a sad smile and say he was a great mercenary and talented swordsman. She would never describe him or give Rodrick a name, which left Rodrick confused, but he would always drop it as he could see the pain in his mothers eyes. Rodrick still is unsure why bringing up his father would bring Anabella so much pain, and sadly, he would never get the chance to ask her.
When Rodrick was only 11, his mother passed. She became incredibly ill while on the road to East Balmoria. With no medicine and no towns nearby, Rodrick was forced to watch helplessly as Anabella’s health deteriorated. In the moments before her passing, Anabella begged Rodrick to stay strong and survive. She told him how much she loved him and that she knew one day he would be the greatest bard the world has seen.
Rodrick was forced to bury his mother not far from the main road. For two days he stayed next to her grave, seemingly unable to move or eat. Had he not promised his mother to survive, he may have stayed next to her grave until he passed himself, but eventually, he forced himself to move on with the meager amount of money they had, and his mothers lute strapped firmly to his back.
Rodrick made his way to Balmoria, but life in a large city is hard for an orphan, especially so if that orphan is a tiefling. It was in Balmoria that Rodrick experienced the true cruelty and prejudice the world was capable of. He was robbed, beaten within an inch of his life more then once, and was often on the verge of starvation, but he survived. It took everything he had to hold onto his mother’s lute, but miraculously he managed to keep it safe through the hard years of his young life. Rodrick would play his mother’s lute for change or for food. He learned to hide his possessions and how to hide himself in the shadows when needed. He “found” an old rusted dagger that he kept strapped to his side at all times, and was forced to use it more then once. He learned to survive on the streets and to take care of himself in almost any situation.
It was on his 19th birthday that something rather strange happened. Rodrick found a letter hidden among his meager items. He had never seen the letter and was convinced that it had not been there before. What was even stranger, was that it was an acceptance letter to Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers. Rodrick had never applied for to Hoseforns, or to any other academy for that matter, and was convinced it had to be some kind of scam or trap. But the longer he thought about it, the more the idea called to him. He was tired of Balmoria, tired of struggling and stealing just to survive. It was a chance, even if it was a small one.
And so Rodrick packed up his meager belongings and used almost all the money he had stashed away to buy passage with a caravan to Hoseforn’s, the tiniest flame of hope burning his heart that he could still do something with his life.
Just finished my character - pretty late where I live and it's basically done, so I'll post it and finish coding/look for a pic when I wake up.
Name: Toma Enow
Race: Human
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Appearance: Slightly taller than 6'0, Toma is what someone would expect from a farmhand or day laborer. His skin is deeply tanned from hours in the sun, and constant labor has left him very muscular. While his haircut is scruffy and his clothes very simple, he does his best to take care of his hygiene and appearance now that he is at a 'fancy school'. He can typically be seen training in the Hall of Combat or maintaining his wagon, which more resembles a cart from how small it is. His only notable item is his sword, a simple and unadorned longsword that seems to glow softly in the presence of the more unscrupulous students. (Subject to change until I find good art.)
Class: Paladin (Martial Fighters who worship one of the gods, and work to act out their will. While entirely Mundane in the beginning, many veteran Paladins learn a few spells in Spirit Magic or receive a divine blessing from their god.)
Personality: Initially appearing hotheaded and foolish, Toma vastly overestimates his own abilities and prowess in a number of different fields. He regularly gets into sparring matches with other students to 'test their mettle', and will openly threaten and attack students who he believes steal from or harass others... Which is kind of hypocritical. He has a very idealistic view of adventurers and thinks that people who don't do everything they can to help someone in need shouldn't be allowed at the academy. This has backfired on him in the past however since all it takes is someone asking him for a favor and he will force himself to work for hours to help complete strangers.
Regardless of how horrible a crime someone commits, however, Toma will always defend them from serious injury. There's a reason behind Toma's willingness to put himself through troubles for others. In his youth, a starving bear attacked Toma and his friend, and he left the boy to die. Toma has immense guilt from this experience and trains hard to avoid similar situations from happening. He rarely takes his own feelings into account, and has difficulties recognizing his emotions - he doesn't believe he has the right to feel happy. As a result, he thinks that even the worst people deserve to live, and he struggles to hurt someone regardless of how evil they are.
Strengths: -Owns a holy sword. It is more potent against the undead and wicked, but will not cut the Good. It can even guide itself to strike the opponent, helping offset Toma's lack of skill with a blade. -While he is not trained in fighting, years of hard labor have given him a well-developed body. He is quite strong, and his durability and unwillingness to stop make him difficult to put down. -Toma is knowledgeable about many animals and their behaviors. When to intimidate and when to play dead for a predator, how to properly raise livestock and work animals, and even driving a wagon or cart. -His life in a small village has made it necessary to be skilled in a number of crafts, which is surprisingly rare for many adventurers. While he can't do anything as advanced as forging a sword, he is more than able to fix a broken axle on a wagon or sew a tear in a pack. -Owns a small wagon, a stubborn Donkey, and many small handmade tools and items that are useful for a fledgling adventurer. Nothing expensive like a compass or a tent, but quite a few waterskins and hammers.
Weaknesses: -Very ignorant. Holds many superstitious beliefs, thinks most stereotypes about non-humans are true (All dwarves love beer!), and he's kind of sexist in a white knight way. It will lessen as he experiences the world, but it's bound to get him in trouble at first. Thanks to a difficult event in his childhood, he is terrified of forests, and getting him to enter one will leave him on a hair-trigger. -Uneducated and untrained. If it can't be learned on a farm in a small village, Toma doesn't know it. He's illiterate, is pathetic when it comes to academics, and without his sword he doesn't know how to fight. Even with it, all he knows is how to hit someone - he can't dodge or take hits as a trained fighter could. -Toma is incredibly idealistic and will attempt to solve all problems honorably. While it might be possible to get him to overlook a friend breaking the rules or using underhanded tactics, he will never do them himself - sneak attacks and the like 'Aren't manly at all', and as a result, Toma refuses to engage in them. He's also very generous with his gold, and with his naivety, it is quite easy to trick him out of lots of money. -Toma's sword is enchanted with Spirit Magic rather than Runes. The reason it helps guide his blows is that the previous users are possessing him slightly when he uses it. Overusing it will taint his personality thanks to the repeated possessions, and Anti-Spirit magic or items will render the blade worthless. -Toma's sword has a minor spirit inside of it, and as a result, it has its own thoughts and desires (albeit simple). It will attempt to coerce him into what it believes is morally correct, usually involving horrific violence. If their relationship gets poor enough it will not use its abilities, or even refuse to be wielded by him at all.
Biography: Born in Whitelot, a farming village a few dozen miles southeast of Windleton, Toma's early life had little in the way of danger or excitement. The population was small enough that crime wasn't a serious problem, and a retired paladin of Storalla that lived in the village was more than enough to defend from the odd predator or runaway slave from Windleton. From an early age, Toma's desire to explore the world outside his village put a lot of stress on the family - while slavers weren't allowed to attack the village directly, nothing would stop them from snatching a stray child wandering the woods. To distract him, Toma's parents made him work on their farm from a young age, desperate to keep him too busy to put himself in danger.
This worked for a long time, but when he turned 10, Toma was finally tired of abiding by his parents' wishes. He and a boy a few years his junior, one of the only other children in the village, had decided to explore the forest several miles from the village in search of something other than cropland. The trip was enlightening - Toma saw animals and plants that he had never seen in his life, and he was further from his home than he had ever been his life. He wanted to go even farther, and experience more of the world - so he kept going deeper into the woods, dragging his friend all the way. Eventually, though, they came across a very intimidating creature.
A bear. Clearly unhealthy, the beast had missing patches of fur and skin and seemed to be starving. It was roughly rubbing its shoulder against a tree, leaving bloodstains on the bark as it tore skin off. However, when it noticed the pair of children looking at it, it immediately lumbered towards them. Looking back on it, Toma knows the bear was almost certainly dying - it was nothing like the bears he had seen since then, and there would be no other reason it would attack on sight. The creature charged at them like a monster from the village Paladin's stories and the pair immediately began to run away. Even if it was dying, the bear was easily able to catch up to them - luckily for Toma, his friend was younger and less athletic. The last thing he heard from his friend as he ran back home was his anguished screams, as he was eaten alive.
Toma was never the same after this incident. Even if it was indirectly, he killed his friend - he suggested they went to the forest, and he made no effort to help his friend. And even if his friend's parents never said it, they clearly blamed him as well - they never spoke to him again, and only a month later, they sold their farm and moved to Windleton. Toma claimed that they were attacked by wolves, which occasionally came from the forest in search of food. He only told the truth to the Paladin, who had sworn to not reveal Toma's secret. From then, he spent all of his free time with the Paladin, doing his best to learn from him and look for some way to resolve the guilt he felt.
When the paladin passed away, he had left nearly everything he owned to Toma. This didn't include much - A wagon, a Donkey, the old church in his village, and basic survival equipment that Toma assumed were from the Paladin's early years. Two stood out, however - the magic sword that the Paladin carried (no to mention the only enchanted item in the entire village), and a letter that had been delivered to the Paladin on his deathbed. Opening it (and asking his father to read it to him) revealed that the Paladin had applied Toma to Hoseforn Academy, and somehow, the young man was accepted.
Toma left Whitelot once more, this time for good. There was no hesitation in the matter - this was the chance that Toma could use to lift the burden on his conscience, and he would definitely take it.
Class: Gambler, the magical embodiment of chaos. Sometimes alternatively referred to as a Wild Mage, though the two aren't always considered the same thing. The spells of a Gambler are akin to that of magical contracts, said to be wagers against fate itself. Gamblers are so named because their spells rely on random chance, be it the flip of a coin, the roll of a die, the spin of a roulette, or the way the cards are dealt, their spells are a literal magical gamble, complete with visible magical abstractions depending on the spell. When things go their way, they can wield power unparalleled, but when luck is not on their side, they are their own worst enemy. That being said, a Gambler's power lies in their ability to cheat the odds, at least more often than it cheats them.
Gamblers are generally thought of as a terrible, or at least unreliable class, though they're at least flashy and lucrative.
Personality: Although she can appear aloof and standoffish, it's generally a result of not caring what others think of her and/or not being interested in a person or activity. She bores easily, but when anything catches her interest, she is fun-loving and impulsive, not afraid to do things just for the thrill of it, and not afraid to break a few rules if they're inconvenient. She takes pleasure in messing with people, and loves a friendly wager, so long as the odds are in her favor.
Strengths:
Excellent cook.
Great at mathematics.
Skilled with a bow, though she is out of practice and prefers magic anyway, insisting it's more "fun".
Well-versed in cartomancy. (The non-magical kind)
Fearless, with a flawless poker face to boot.
Can runecraft with gold coins and her known spells.
Learned a few Gambler spells and skills pertinent to Gambler magic
Can manifest objects related to gaming, such as coins, dice, playing cards, tarot cards, roulette wheels with any number of spaces or pockets, balls, pucks, cups, pachinko machines, slot machines, bingo machines, bingo sheets, scratchcards, tickets, tokens, chips, a variety of board games, their respective pieces, and so on out of magic. They're glowy, tinted a light blue, break easily, don't always abide by the laws of gravity and dissolve if away from Alexis. She was taught how to create some of them as the basis of Gambling magic, and went on to learn how to make the other stuff out of boredom.
Can magically manipulate mundane (physical) random events in her immediate proximity, changing them in her favor about half the time. Alexis cannot apply this to magical random events, including her manifestations, runecrafted items, or any Gambler spells.
"50/50" - Launches a powerful magic attack with a 50/50 chance of either success or targeting herself. Works with any medium with potential outcomes that are divisible by 2. Technically speaking, this isn't one spell, but a collection of nearly identical spells. (Heads/Tails, Highs/Lows, Primes/Not, Evens/Odds, Red/Black, etc.)
"Life or Death" - Flip a coin. On heads, fully heals a target, reviving the unconscious and resurrecting the recently deceased. Landing on tails results in Alexis falling unconscious instead. If the target is dead, then she dies instead of falling unconscious. There are many variations of this spell that are less dangerous, but Alexis has not learned them yet.
Capable of modifying magic attacks with random elemental properties based on the outcome of a simultaneous 8-spaced roulette spin, adding Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Ice, Lightning, Dark or Light properties and their associated additional effects.
Capable of generating gold out of thin air on successful outcomes of Gambler attacks. Gold generated is proportionate to the spell's power and potential risk, and increases with experience as a Gambler. Gold is awarded directly to Alexis, though a spell with no risk generates no gold. Does not work with healing spells.
Capable of converting gold into more mana for herself, though the exchange rate is inefficient.
Weaknesses:
She's a Gambler. (class)
She's a gambler. (personality trait)
Stubborn. Doesn't like being told she's wrong, what to do, to stop casting spells, etc.
Lacks self-preservation.
Inconsiderate and irreverent. Not really concerned with how her actions negatively affect others. This is technically a necessity for Gamblers acting as adventurers, but she generally doesn't feel any guilt over it and can easily get into fights with people who have a problem with her lack of restraint.
She is inexperienced as a Gambler
Incapable of meaningfully influencing the outcomes of Gambler spells. This is a matter of magical experience, as sleight of hand doesn't work on Gambler spells. A magical coin flip shouldn't have 50/50 odds for a Gambler.
Can't heal people without becoming useless half the time.
Equally likely to attack herself as she is to attack enemies.
Doesn't even produce that much gold yet
Biography: Although she was born and raised near the All Tree, a turbulent marriage led to her parents splitting up. Given the difference in their lifespans and her childhood spent in the forests, it was agreed that she would move with her human father to Balmoria, though her mother still visits often. Being the daughter of a single parent, she had plenty of time to herself, but solitaire wasn't quite stimulating enough, so she would often get into trouble with the kids and vagrants in her neighborhood. There, she met a woman who ran various street gambling scams. When they first met, she was running three-card monte, and, of course, Alexis wanted to play. The woman, seeing an opportunity for a free shill, shuffled the cards very slowly at first, making sure that 'any stupid kid' could keep up, causing Alexis to feel insulted. She demanded she make it as difficult as possible, so the annoyed woman obliged, moving her hands fast enough as to appear a blur. To this day, Alexis isn't sure if the woman swapped the cards to let her win, or if she won on her own, but either way, the nature of the game became clear to Alexis as the spectacle drew in an easy mark who the woman proceeded to rob blind. Naturally, one of the accomplices then announced that the local law enforcement was on its way, and they all ditched before the mark could argue. Alexis lingered afterwards. They never showed up.
Through a series of negotiations mostly involving Alexis harassing the woman, She came to become one of the woman's accomplices, and in some ways, her apprentice, teaching her the art of scamming people out of their money. But of course, the woman was an experienced Gambler, and taught her a few things in lieu of payment and/or to keep Alexis busy so she would stop bothering her. Magic had always fascinated Alexis, and gaming magic was the perfect way to pass the time on lonely afternoons. Alexis grew to become a bit of a gambling addict, so she ended up following in the woman's (questionable) footsteps, making herself a killing running various games with the kids she used to play with as her accomplices. It goes without saying, but the house always wins.
Her father deeply regrets not being there for her, for taking her from her mother, for ever letting a filthy street urchin contaminate his precious daughter's mind with such folly. The gambling was fine, but becoming a capital-G Gambler? It's like having your child tell you they want to be a circus clown, but even that would be a more stable, safe job. Alas, Alexis had accumulated enough money that she was already ready to pay for her own education in the art of Gambler magic. Her father could not deny her without straight up stealing her money, which he couldn't bring himself to do. In his eyes, sending her off to Hoseforn's meant her fate was sealed, and she actually made her father cry over this. Alexis' mom insists that it's just a phase, and that she'd get tired of it after a decade or two, which didn't really help. Still, Alexis was and is set on becoming a Gambling adventurer. After all, there's no class more lucrative and exciting. She wanted to escape the boredom of a mundane life, and if she was going to be an adventurer, might as well have the most exciting adventures possible, right?
hallo hallo, i've made my chef student! please do let me know if you'd like me to make any changes!!
Name: Calven "Cal" Race: Human Age: 18 Gender: M Appearance:
Blonde hair, fair skin, and an easy-going gait. Cal stands at a solid 5"9ft with a lean frame that he likes to boast doesn't actually take him that much effort to maintain (considering his class). His hair is kept short as per his father's request, but it would be butt-length by now if it were up to him.
Personality:
Temperamental. Brash. Spirited. Big eater. Big-hearted. Independent. Sentimental.
Class:
SELF-PROCLAIMED ASPIRING WORLD-CLASS CHEF A chef. He enjoys cooking, imbuing magic in his cooking, and can recite the ingredients from recipes to cast spells. The length and complexity of the recipes will determine how effective the spell will be. Results may vary.
Biography:
Calven grew up an only child in an upper-class household of strict, busy parents. Council members of the Magus Librarium - what'd you expect?
Up until the age of 7, the child was cared for by nannies that came and went as often as the turn of tides. The reason being Cal - who is a very picky eater. Whatever the caretakers made went and came straight back to the kitchen to be disposed of. The kid just didn't like any of the food prepared for him. If the boy lost anymore weight he would disappear. How had he survived all these 7 years? Through sheer strength and willpower alone? Anyways, after a while having noticed this, his parents were worried but not TOO worried. They discovered that Calven still managed to eat, albeit the food HAD to be made by his mother or father. So every night the parents would take turns making dinner for their kid.
Calven ate happily, his parents made a nightly effort to make sure he was still alive, and the nannies were given a fighting chance for their jobs. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with this arrangement.
However, having driven and goal-oriented parents had its downfalls. Calven's father was promoted quickly and offered a permanent seat in the Magus Librarium's council. Calven's mother moved abroad to study familiar summoning. Much to Calven's dismay, his parents had stopped making dinner for him. After a while, even his father began to come home less often. The child was left alone once again with a stomach empty and chest even more so.
Calven was starving in every sense of the word.
So at seven-and-a-half years old, the boy picked up a spatula. What was he going to do with it? Well, he didn't know either. All he had in mind was to imitate exactly what he'd seen the nannies do for him in the past. Determined, Calven's eyes sparkled at the thought of preparing his own dinner. Was this all it took? He found it incredibly easy already! With spatula in one hand and an egg in the other, he wobbled excitedly to the kitchen and began to get to work...
And that is the story of how Calven's father came home and almost immediately died of a heart-attack. Burning - he came home and the place was burning! And it smelled of fried eggs! Gas! and mana! ...mana? Firmly, he pressed two fingers to his sweaty temple and attempted to communicate with the Magus council:
"Hello? Magus... I need your guidance. I think I have a problem, and I think it's my son--"
It was through this that his father learned Calven was born with a volatile capacity for magic.
Calven, bless his soul, tried to cook an egg... and in the process, managed to single-handedly burn down the entire kitchen. This prompted his very extremely concerned father to hire a professional magic teacher and chef to teach the kid how to cook for himself, AND how to keep his mana from seeping out and causing unnecessary havoc.
Calven got to eat! Every day. And not only that, he enjoyed it. Hee continued to get better. And better. 11 years went by quick. Calven was used to being left home alone often, and he even learned to enjoy his solitude. Along with this, he endured countless tutors, and endless magic lessons... which in the end proved to be well-worth it once he finally learned how to imbue mana in his cooking. "Adding spice", he calls it. The main point of this form of magic was inspired by his cooking instructor's insight: "Anything can be added flavor if you put your mind to it!" And so Cal's food was made with great care, to not only restore health and energy, but to experience positive effects that could boost one's attack, stamina, or even magical power! Cal found this a great way to combine his skill with magic - by delicately combining his own mana with his dishes, he could easily transfer magical energy to anybody who needed it. And also satiate hunger. After all, the only thing better than indulging in delicious food is indulging in delicious food and having your magical powers replenished.
Was his father, an esteemed member of the Magus Librarium council, fond of his son's culinary antics? No, but that's besides the point.
Food has a special place in his heart, and now magic along with it.
By the time he turned 18, Calven decided to enroll into Hoseforn's Academy - the school that his magic and cooking instructor personally recommended . The boy plans to spend some of his weekdays volunteering to cook at the Hall of Consumption, creating new magical recipes, learning more about magic, surpassing his father's expectations, and continue to grow past his own limits (whether that'd be for cooking, life-skilling, or magic!)
Strengths:
- Confident in his skills - Enjoys playing the flute - THOROUGHLY enjoys cooking for others, he will soon find! - Great memory! - GOOD TASTE IN FOOD! - Good enough stamina - he runs regularly to counteract the days when he indulges in his cooking a LITTLE bit too much
Weaknesses:
- Can be VERY mouthy; - Clingy - Enjoys cooking for others a little too much-- - Naive - Arrogant. and for what? - Mana instability (?) - born with a magical condition that causes his mana to seep out of him involuntarily. - This can cause serious lethargy/fatigue the more mana he loses - Fast, but not strong at all
*note: does the use of computers and video games conflict with the time setting of this rp? I've changed a few parts c:
Popping in just to say I have been working on a character ever since the interest check. I have an idea down now so will get it done tonight, hopefully.