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 seems to have a knack of being able to play any instrument he picks up.
- He possesses 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.

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.

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.

Name: Calven "Cal"
Race: Human
Age: 18
Gender: M
Appearance:

---

Personality:

Class:

Biography:

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Strengths:

- Enjoys the thought of cooking for others
- Great memory
- Good taste in food
- Great stamina - he ran regularly to counteract the days when he was left with nothing to do at home, which was quite often

Weaknesses:

- Leaky mana core: born with a condition that causes his mana to seep out of him involuntarily. Causes serious lethargy/fatigue when he begins to reach his limit, needs at least half a day's worth of rest to regain it back.
- VERY obnoxious
- CLINGY; enjoys the company of others a little too much
- Naive

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.

Name: Alexis Atropos
Race: Half-Elf
Age: 18
Gender: ♀
Appearance: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?

Theme: The Wheel of Fortune Turning Over

Selena (Mizuki) Vixen.

Kitsune

18

Female





Selena is fairly short at 5’4”. With long natural pink hair that goes past her waist and a large floofy pink tail with a white tip. She’s in great shape with her daily training from the shrine, as well as recently from Mr. Reinheart.

Samurai/Moon Priestess Goddess

Selena kind and very quiet, being first and foremost extremely polite. However, once you actually come to get to know her, and she is more comfortable around you, you will see the childlike excitement and wonder, easily excited over little things. As one would as if they tried it for the first time. Once she makes a friend she will do everything to hold onto it, as she had few friends growing up, especially few that were her age.


-She has a great grasp on healing magic, as this was one of her main duties growing up.
-She is adept with a katana, another requirement of a priestess.
-she is able to turn into a fox, just like in the picture. However, she is only as big as a medium sized dog. (She will become bigger later on in life)
-The moon strengthens her magic, makes her healing spells stronger… and her fox form is bigger and stronger as well.
-She can communicate with animals.
-She has a far superior sense of smell, and hearing. She can see quite easily at night.
-She is Willing and eager to learn as much as she can.


-She is overly naive, does not understand how the real world works at all.
-She is quick to trust and fall for any sob story. With her being so kind, this has gotten her into serious trouble already.
-Her sense of smell and her hearing can be a curse as well. Loud noises hurt her ears/scare her super easily. Any overly strong smell can make her sick.
- So while she does have sword skills, she lacks experience of a real life or death fight.
-She is a very sensitive girl, not used to anyone ever EVER being truly mean to her.
-She has only learned the common tongue recently, so it can be hard to understand her. Often confusing words and embarrassing herself.
-Her magic is affected by how full the moon is, if there is no moon she has very little magic power.



Selena did not have a normal life, she was the eldest daughter of the Mizuki clan, a ruling clan over 10 others. She was destined to become the next leader. That is, until she was born. She was a Miracle, a Reincarnation of Oinari; Their Goddess that watched over them and protected them from the evil humans.

The reason they believed this, was because she had long pink ears. Now, Kitsune had very different sizes of ears, as well as different color of hair. However, the longer the ears a kitsune had, the closer they believed you were related to the Goddess Oinari. This is how the Mizuki clan became the leader over the other clans in the first place.

They were still long, though they were much shorter than what they used to be a hundred years ago. Besides that, baby kitsune ears were always small, but grew when they matured. However Selena’s ears were already far larger than any child ever before, to the point where they looked more like bunny ears to non kitsune. Ornari was always depicted with such ears, and to top it off, her hair was pink, which none of the kitsune had seen for hundreds of years. Another sign she was the goddess reborn.

She was to be raised on a shrine hidden on top of the tallest mountain, closest to her ‘real home’, the moon. She was to be raised as a priestess of the moon, and prepare herself mentally and physically for the time she will regain her memories and lead her people to expand into the world once again.

While one would think it would be a life of luxury, it wasn’t. She was a prisoner. She never had a chance to be a child...always training, always learning. She was friends with all the other priestesses in the shrine, but none were her age. She considered them all as her older sisters. But it was always a formality, they never grew truly close. Also she was never allowed to play with any children who did come to pay respects, as much as she wanted to.

She felt truly alone in the world. She could have anything she ever wanted, except leaving the shrine, or having friends. This only made her want to escape more and more. Upon hearing more about the outside world she longed to see it. Till finally she ran away just a few days after her 17th birthday.

Knowing she will never be able to blend in on the island they lived on, as everyone knew who she was right away, she did the most sensible thing...she took a small boat and sailed towards the mainland. Sailing was simple of course. Point the boat east and let the wind push her.

Clearly wasn’t the brightest idea she had. As for her luck, she sailed into a storm. After what seemed like days clutching the edge of the boat, she was tipped over. Losing consciousness soon after.

She woke up on the beach, surrounded by a bunch of humans gawking at her. She didn’t understand what they were saying. But their faces were red and they clearly stank of alcohol. Stories that her sisters used to scare her at night about humans popped into her mind. Frightened and confused, she scrambled to her feet and tried to run away. Only to be roughly grabbed.

She started yelling at them to let her go, prying at the hand that gripped her wrist like an iron shackle. Only for them to laugh, talking excitedly amongst themselves. They stopped suddenly when an arrow whistled and hit the man who held her arm in the shoulder. Once released she bolted down the beach.

She could hear yelling, and while some chased her, most of the others ran towards their new assailant. She heard movement to her left and looked, seeing a white haired boy about her age running towards her, bow drawn and firing. The arrow sailed behind her and into the man who was the closest chasing her.

He fired two more shots quickly at the last man who was chasing her, and yelled something. Causing the man to stop and block one of the arrows trained on him while the other missed. The boy ran past her, his eyes trained on the man. He put himself in the path of her attacker, and stood his ground, he had no arrows left, but instantly started fighting with his bow as if it were a staff. she finally got the feeling he was trying to help her. She stopped a bit away to catch her breath and to see what the heck was happening.She could see the other men who surrounded her fighting two new men who looked like the boy, and who seemed extremely skilled in combat.

Looking back to the boy, she could see he was quick and agile, easily out maneuvering the man and knocking him out with a blow to the head.

Long story short, she was saved by an adventurer and his two sons who lived nearby. Once the men were taken care of, and tied up. They offered her water, which after a bit of hesitation and finally realizing she was parched, she sniffed it… then drank it greedily once the cool liquid touched her lips.

The Adventurer crouched down in front of her after she finished drinking the water sack and began talking softly. Clearly asking her something. And with her confused look, understood she didn’t understand what he was saying.

After a bit of charades she realized he was offering food and shelter, The idea of a bed was too good to pass up, and she decided to follow...carefully. It wasn’t long before they reached their simple home, a beautiful woman with white hair came out to meet them, after speaking with the adventurer, she quickly turned to Selena and motioned for her to come inside, where she would be given a new set of clothes and cloak, to warm her up, and food.

This is how she met the Reinhearts, and was ‘adopted’ by them. Who spent the next year teaching her how to read and write and how to understand this new world, Especially Finn, who became her first real friend. She also found out the fastest way to see this world would be to become an adventurer. Finn, who was the boy who saved her, was becoming an adventurer himself. With help from Finn’s father, she was able to get into the academy as well.

---

An expert in fighting and taking it to their foes, knights are highly resilient against attacks due to both their training as well as their tendency to wear strong armour. On the offensive, knights are just as efficient, proving to be experts in fighting at close range, particularly with swords but also proficient in unarmed combat as well as with other weapons. Rune Knights, in specific, are also experienced in writing Runes into their equipment in order to increase their performance and add some magic to both their offense and defence.

---

Valencia is typically a pleasant individual to deal with, primarily in the fact that she doesn't go out of her way to bother people in the negative. On the other hand, she does have a rough side to her - individuals that she knows to be negative, such as bullies and assholes, will become a target for her own heinous attacks; whether it be vocal or even physical, as Valencia is not against a good tussle, particularly ones that she knows that she will win. Whilst Valencia if subject to the same emotional surprises that normal humans are, she is capable of withholding these surprises visually. A world-ending god could send everyone around her screaming and running, fearing for their lives, and she instead would be standing there like a hero, whilst internally fearing just as much as the rest of them.

---

Valencia was created as the incarnation of evil - or rather, she was created to follow a life of evil in the footsteps of her father, sir Jaune Coquerdale, an evil and rich wizard that desired to have a child to call his own and carry on in his name. Typically, one would go to a woman in order to start a family, however sir Jaune put his effort into researching a way into making his child unique and to give her advantages over others. It resulted in him soon looking into Gargoyles, for their abilities to fly, their natural armour, and most importantly to sir Jaune, their natural evilness. And so he made all of the preparations he could, poured his research into creating a child from a Gargoyle egg, and when the time was right, begun the process of incubating the egg.

What sir Jaune did not take into account was that being partly Human, his newly born daughter would be able to control the evil urges that the Gargoyle part of her tried to drill into her. Despite his displeasure that his plan had failed at the beginning, he held faith, and continued to nurture her as she grew up, being a surprisingly good father figure in contrast to his normally evil public persona. Tutoring was not done publicly, but was done privately within sir Jaune's estate by hired tutors, who worked not just for the money that they were given but also out of fear of what would happen if they refused.

As she grew old enough to have a mind of her own and not blindly follow in her father's footsteps, Valencia became aware of the truth behind the Coquerdale name, and why even her own tutors trembled in front of her. Evil was a little bit of an understatement in describing her family name, as sir Jaune Coquerdale was responsible for some quite heinous acts. Over time, Valencia's relationship with her father became shaky, particularly since he didn't bother to stop even after she had been born. A book that she read at the age of eleven about the Horrors of Iziari Village came from things that her father had done whilst she had been three years old and left home with his servants.

Despite her growing dislike for her father's moralities, Valencia could not help but enjoy the benefits that she was granted by being his daughter. An estate to roam, despite the servants of evil that often made their way through the grounds, and the ability to choose her path unlike those who were too poor to do so. This included choosing to dodge her father's insistence in delving deep into magics and instead learning the art of swordsmanship. She could only go so far in her elusion, as sir Jaune was her father, and so they came to a compromise; He wouldn't ban her from learning swordsmanship, and using the estate and it's resources to do so, as long as Valencia learned the art of crafting runes as well, in order to grant her at least some magic capabilities. Valencia agreed.

Using the resources of the estate, Valencia honed herself in close-ranged combat with swords and other weapons, and learned the art of using runes. The resources were not just limited to books, but her tutors that knew how to teach in the best way possible, and the guards with their experience. Valencia relied heavily upon the latter, going so far as to use her position as sir Jaune's daughter to pull guards off duty in order to duel them on the grounds. Sir Jaune allowed this, for he saw this as her learning how to be demanding, and a powerful leader. However, there soon came a point where Valencia's learning had to be taken a step further. Both Valencia and sir Jaune believed that Valencia was capable enough to attend Hoseforn's Academy. Honing her skills would help her become a better villain, one thought. The other believed honing her skills would put her on the path of a hero. And so, the application was sent.

Finn Edward Reinheart

18

Male

Human



He is 5’6” despite having a tall father and equally tall mother didn't seem to to pass on to him. He has an olive skin tone with emerald green eyes, broad shoulders, muscular right arm and athletic body. He also has a Dwarven made, arm and leg prosthetic. (leg has similar designs) That functions exactly like a regular arm and hand, but he only has a sense of pressure that he can feel throughout it. the same goes with his leg. He also has massive scarring up the remaining part of his arm, across part of his chest and back. Then coming up his neck to his eye. He also has many nasty scars that are from knife wounds that litter the rest of his body.

He always carries his custom made long bow, which is a bit thicker than any other longbow, and slightly less of a bend. As if it is a staff that was turned into a bow. Which is essentially what it is. Enchanted to be as hard as steel, but remain as light as wood. It has a long thin rod that goes over the hand grip (as if it is a makeshift hand guard) But it is what he uses to hook to a loop over his right shoulder on the back of his dark brown bandolier. So he can easily put his bow away when not using or quickly arm himself. He decides to wear his quiver on his right hip instead of his back. And has leather bracers as seen in the picture. (no goggles)



If you could define Finn in one word, it would be determined, possibly the very definition of. He is always optimistic, despite any odds and never gives up. Seeing each new thing in his way as a challenge to make himself even stronger or better. Seeing the lesson in all things.

He is smart and observant, also kind and honorable. always looking to help others before himself. He believes fiercely in defending those who are in need, even if he has to stand alone. He doesn't care for money but for the experience in life and becoming stronger himself, often spending all his money on others after his needs are met.

He is always smiling and often, quite often. Has a mischievous side where he likes to prank anyone and everyone.



Archer/Rouge - Finn took on his fathers fighting style as using his bow as a quarterstaff. While he is adept at both, he still is learning. While he can fight head on, he tends to observe and find weaknesses in his opponent and use his surroundings to his advantage. Using his agility and nimbleness to use his surroundings as well.



-Archery: He doesn't always hit his target, but he's skilled to be close to be able to. He is very skilled at shooting quickly, able to hold three arrows in his draw hand at a time. (his father can hold five) and fire them fairly accurately within 3 seconds. (His goal is under a second)

-Quarterstaff: He is adept with using his bow as a quarterstaff, while he can block swords and clubs. He can only deflect axes otherwise his bow can be damaged.

-Magic: He mostly only uses basic elemental magic, but he can apply it to his arrows to throw off the enemy or use it to advantage.

-Observant: He uses his surroundings to his advantage, whether for moving around or using a pot of oil, water, hay, Etc. to use his basic magic on.



-Finn can be too reckless. He pushes himself way too hard too often, and has gotten hurt from training more than in actual fights. it's as if he is trying to make up for lost time.

-Even though he has had his prosthetics for four years, they are still a bit heavy. His shoulder and hips hurt badly after long days, the skin under them can get raw and even bloody. Again, he will push through the pain but often pays the price. If he's too hard on them they can break, they are strong but there is still many fine parts inside them. The magic inside can only do so much. He has broken both his prosthetics a few times. while he learned a little on how to maintain them and do minor fixes, he would have to go to a dwarven specialist.

-He wont be able to learn higher power magic. He cant wrap his head around it. He can chant silently in his head, but it takes a lot more concentration than it would others. He has already screwed this up a few times, injuring himself badly.

-He gets a little hot headed when he meets anyone who supports slavery or profits from it. He can be a bit brutal if it comes to blows. This has also spilt over to anyone who thinks humans are better than other races. He knows he and his family are some of the few who are not ok with it, and has to control himself a lot. This has come up much more when Selena came into his life.

-He hates bullies and will always start a fight with them. (Even if there are any teachers he will probably do this.)

-Gets Irate if called too small or weak. Will often make stupid decisions right after.



Born as the youngest of 5 to a pair of adventurers who were partners when they traveled. He was a surprise, being four years younger than the fourth brother. He was also born prematurely. Which often was a sure death for a baby. Making his parents distraught at the thought. But by some miracle, he did survive and grew up in a large town of Everton on the coast in between Hoseforn and Windlton. Far smaller than those two cities, it mostly uses the ocean to transport the large amount of food from the lands around it, being much quicker to do so than to travel by cart to either city .

He would grow up hearing stories of his parents' adventures, as well as his fathers more recent ones when his mother stayed home. Finn’s personality was greatly molded by these stories and his fathers lessons. Knowing from a very young age, he too wanted to be just like his father.

Finn was always on the smaller side, despite his taller parents and siblings who seemed to be blessed with their height. Often being picked on by the other children of the town for being so small and not being able to keep up with the other kids. Often getting in fights because of this.

His father Fenros Reinheart was known as a hero in the world of adventurers and commonfolk. He would focus on protecting towns and citizens wherever he went, even against what seemed impossible odds. Also known for a unique fighting style not used by anyone else. A mixture of archery and staff fighting with a small amount of hand-to-hand combat.

Fenros, would train all his sons with his same style of fighting. His four older brothers became successful adventurers because of it. Fenros trained Finn as well, but it seemed he would put on kid gloves in comparison to his other brothers.

Finn noticed this, and wanted to prove to his father he wasn’t weak, or afraid. But no matter what he said, it wouldn’t change for years because Finn desperately wanted to be like his father and brothers, Finn would often get hurt badly because he pushed himself too hard. This worried his father and mother, so much that he wouldn't budge on his stance. That is, until after Finn almost died.

When Finn was thirteen, he had grown a lot stronger physically. Enough that he wasn’t losing AS many fights anymore. He also was quick and agile, from the times he was ganged up on and had no choice but to run. He could move around the town quiet easily, climbing walls and jumping between roofs to get away. Only because of years of practice. Which made him confident.

He happened upon two men attempting to kidnap a ten year old boy and girl. Most likely to sell into slavery up north. As it was known to happen. Finn couldn’t let this happen. Managing to get the drop on one of the men, Fin used a piece of garbage wood to crack him in the back of his head.

Quickly turning on the other guy who had a dagger. In the next few minutes, Finn managed to fight back, and give the man a few bruises, but nothing serious. Finn on the other hand received countless cuts and deep gashes, along with a black eye and bloody nose. Dizzy from all the punches the man gave him as well. But managed to keep the man away from the two kids, and kept getting back up. Making enough racket that other people were now starting to hear them.

The man finally had enough and decided to cut his losses and started a chant in his head for a fire blast. When he was just about ready he raised his hand, the fire gathering in his palm as he aimed towards the kids to get rid of the witnesses.

With the last of his strength, and no other choice. Finn rushed forward and grabbed the hand, using his other fist to hit the inside of the elbow to turn the hand away. The momentum and unexpected move worked, and knocked the man over. However the chant was completed...Finn had taken the brunt of it on his left side. But so did the man as they were both on the ground.

The pain was so unbearable, he passed out. Waking up almost a week later, he found out he had suffered massive burns obviously, but so bad on his forearm and leg they had to amputate both. Finn was crushed… his dreams to become a hero like his father was gone now.

What crushed him more, was he heard his father left the day after this happened. His mother wouldn’t say why. But he knew. He was a disappointment… he couldn’t protect himself from a thug. Nor could even become stronger if he wanted.

But that wasn’t the case. His father returned a few days later, with a Dwarf in tow. One he met on his adventures a while back. This dwarf was skilled in making magical armored prosthetics that were so intricate and light that it felt like a real arm, mostly. Such prosthetics were typically super expensive, this dwarf being the expert in this. But it didn’t matter to Fenros.

His parents explained to Finn how proud they were of him. When they had heard how hard he had fought, Fenros realized this was all his fault for not listening to Finn and training him as his brothers. Now, he would do everything in his power to make sure his son will have the best chance to become an adventurer.

The next couple years were hard after that, because Finn had to relearn how to walk with his new leg. Also regaining the fine motor skills in his left hand once again. But Finn never wavered, complained or pitied his situation.

A couple years after he fully recovered he was training with his eldest brother and father when they came upon a group of drunks surrounding a mysterious girl on the beach. His eldest brother recognized the men as a group of wanted criminals tied to kidnaping and murder. After explaining this, was when the girl began to yell and try to get away. Without hesitation it was Finn who raised his bow and fired the first shot.

Finn had heard myths of kitsune, as they were actually the closest to the island. Stories of how merciless they were kept any sailors away. mostly thought it was superstitions, and what it really was just dangerous waters, or just dangerous beasts. He never thought they were so beautiful.

After all that, and when Selena started living with them, Finn was the one who helped her the most with speaking. While his family did help a lot as well, and all of them learned a bit of kitsune as well. As he spent probably the most time with her, he is the most fluent in the family. though it is very much broken up he is sure, similar to how Selena speaks in their tongue. Selena will often turn to Finn if she doesn't understand, asking in her own language while using charades till he understands.

while Finn still aims for his original goal, he does hope and aim to help Selena in her dreams as well.

Name: Arn Thurson of the Hammerstone Clan
Race: Mountain Dwarf
Age: 84 in human years a ripe 19 in dwarven
Gender: Male
Appearance:









Hair: Dark brown with sprinkles of red. He wears his hair in a half ponytail and it extends just past his shoulders. His beard is only a palm past his chin and sports a single braid.
Eyes: Hazel often piercing as he analyses everything. Except when he is performing his bedside functions of a healer.
Height: about 5 feet. this means he is taller than the average dwarf.
Weight: A nice round 215 lbs but not one oz of that is fat. He is very strong and muscular but not cut like humans.
Voice: a nice baritone and he does enjoy singing the ballads and shanties of his homeland.

Arn tends to wear the everyday gambeson which hides a mail shirt underneath. he always carries himself smartly and is rigidly. He is quiet but will speak out if anything needs to be said. Often he will voice his opinion in regards to tactics and such.



Class: Cleric

Personality: Arn is serious due to his military academy training. He often will quote his drill sergeant when he wants to make a point. He is very loyal to his kin and if he forms ties with others, he values them as family. He is often gruff as any dwarf but unlike most dwarves, he is not a hot head. This does not mean he is a push over and will not back down from a fight.

Strengths:
Languages: Common and Dwarvish
Darkvision
poison resistance
Proficient with Battle Axe, Hand Axe, Warhammer, Thrown Hammer
Proficient with Mason Tools Stone cutting
Dwarven history and architecture
All Armors Shields
Simple and Martial Weapons
Proficient with Vehicles (land)

Spells: TBD

Weaknesses: (What are you less than good at)
A bit prejudice towards Orcs, goblins, Kobolds, Drow and other such creatures.
Little respect for anyone who has not proven themselves in the battle field.
Very awkward around females
Stubborn
Is blunt with no filter.

Biography:

BACKGROUND:
Arn is the second son of Thur Hammerstone. He is from a small clan that followed Bruenor Battlehammer in the Battle of Keeper’s Dale against a force of evil drow, orcs, goblins, and Kobolds. Their bravery and skill with the Warhammer earned them renown and an assured place of honor amongst the ranks of the Dwarven military. It was to this legacy that the young dwarf was born into.

MILITARY SERVICE:
From a young age, Arn began his studies in regards to military history and training with shield, spear and Warhammer. Military service was required of all young dwarves regardless of chosen profession to instill obedience and sound tactics should the Iron Keep ever come under attack as it had in its past. Usually, this service consisted of little more than community service with some being able to actually serve on security duty around the settlement of Ebonstein. Only a select few actually got selected as scouts and entered a military academy. One of the classes enabled them to venture out on patrol duty to clear the surrounding areas around Ebonstein of stray bands of goblins and other creatures. Arn easily gained entrance into this select group due to his natural martial skill and sound mind. From a young age he had listened to the stories and glories of past clan members at the knee of his father and heard of the exploits of his older brother in the Underdark regiment.

It was during one of these patrols that Arn faced the true essence of war and battle, survival. His small band of 6 cadets and 1 elder Sergeant patrolled the desolate places on the slopes of the mountains on the outskirts of Ebonstein. It was meant to be a routine patrol with no foreseeable signs of danger.

They had camped at the foot of the mountain and set up watches. Arn had woken up his relief, a nobleman’s son who had been added to the group more out of political connections than actual combat prowess. The sleepy eyed lad grudgingly took his place on the ledge that overlooked the camp and that provided the best surveying position. Arn had a bad gut feeling but he decided to keep his business himself and headed off to bed.
Chaotic noises woke the young dwarf from his slumber. He poked his head out of his tent, almost losing it to a falling crude ax being swung by a snarling Orc. What followed next was a blur of chaos and adrenalin. Amidst grunts, clangs, and shrieks, Arn found himself facing down two Orcs. The lumbering brutes held their weapons ready and closed in for the kill. The battered and bloodied recruit looked about him, his comrades were either dead or dying. The Orcs had lost six of their own and the remaining two sported wounds themselves. The three of them knew that the victor would have to pay a dear price. With a lunge, Arn went on the offensive trying to catch the two orcs off balance. The deadly dance of battle progressed to the musical clang of weapons and grunts. In stroke of more luck than skill, Arn managed to get under the swing of one of the Orcs and brought the butt of his Warhammer up, effectively crushing the attackers wind pipe. The move however caused him to lose his footing and fall on his back. The remaining Orc did not lose his chance and flung himself onto the young dwarf, bone knife ready to plunge itself deep in the recruit’s throat. The battle and his own wounds had worn the young dwarf to the point that only sheer will was keeping the point of the blade at bay. The snarling Orc used all his body weight and the blade slowly descended on its killing path. Suddenly, warm blood splashed onto Arn’s face and the Orc went limp, a spear head sticking out of its mouth. With a gurgle of surprise the Orc died. Arn looked up to watch his Drill Sergeant falling to the ground. He had lost a leg and had pulled the very spear that had impaled him to use against the Orc . The young recruit made his way to the elder’s side.
The veteran laid there and grunted to his pupil “Don’t worry lad, I won’t tell anyone you needed help against two little Orcs. Sorry it took me so long to come to you rescue but I think I have a good excuse” said the elder slowly tapping his bloody stump. “Well, I guess after all the excitement a good night’s rest is in order. Night night…do..nt..let the …bed.bu…”. His arm that was tapping on the young recruit’s shoulder went limp and the veteran soldier exhaled his last. The relieving patrol found Arn unconscious on the floor next to his Sergeant, trails of bitter tears cutting a path through the blood and grime on his face.

THE BRANDING
His mind took longer to heal than his body. The blow he had received to his beliefs had been shattering. He had trained from a young age, came from a long line of warriors with distinguished legacy even his own older brother was sung on the ale houses. What good was all this if he could not protect and save. The fire in his eyes was gone, days, and weeks passed and the young dwarf had lost his purpose. That is when he met Hardal, a Cleric. He visited with the young dwarf, having seen this type of sickness before. Slowly Arn opened up, the calm and almost fatherly demeanor of the Cleric allowing for deep conversations and guidance. The Cleric knew first-hand about loss. He had lost his father, brothers, and even cousins to battle. “Warriors do not taint the deeds of those lost in battle with regret; instead, the aim is to honor them by surviving and protecting others. You were chosen to live on, do not live your life in self-pity. Let the fire of battle fuel you instead of letting it consume you.”
A renewed sense of purpose dawned in Arn. He inquired as to how to become a Cleric. Hardal led him to the inner sanctum of the small altar to Stollara. A single warhammer was suspended over flames by magic. “When you are pure of purpose and you accept the nature of war and battle. When you take up arms in honor and respect. When you have searched inside your soul and find that flame burning within. Then you may come to this altar and hold the sword. If you are not called by Stollara to be her Cleric the sword will be cold to your hand. If she chooses you….you will know” said the Cleric with a smirk.
It took months of study, self-reflection and hours spent staring into the crackling fire surrounding the suspended warhammer. During one of those times when he would stare in a trance at the weapon, Arn could hear a voice in his being
“why?”
Why what? Why did he want to become a Cleric? The question annoyed him. Wasn’t it obvious? To protect, to heal, to bring some sort of balance to the chaos of war…
“why?”
Because people die in war, because sometimes those who live did not deserve it and those who died should have lived….
“why?”
At this point, rage welled up inside Arn and he yelled at the flames. “Because I should have died that day!!” He fell to his knees defeated, his head hanging and broken sobs escaped his lips. Two strong hands gently held his shoulders. “War is a part of life. Different creatures struggle in different ways. Our job is to guide, comfort and protect those in our care. We cannot prevent war, but we can join in the fray and hopefully that tips the scales. You are alive for a reason. Are you ready to join the fight again? Are you worthy to be the light in the shield and the hammer?”

The young dwarf slowly stood up. He was ready to join the fray. He was ready to take up the shield and the hammer. He was ready to protect. But mainly, he was ready to battle. He made his way towards the altar and the hanging warhammer. His hand reached towards the handle and his strong calloused fingers closed around it. A sudden searing pain surged through his body. He wanted to cry out but his mouth would not utter the sound. He felt as if his soul itself was ablaze. At the point when he felt he would pass out, a warmth spread throughout his body. A certain calm and new found awareness and in the midst of the pain there was clarity. Hardal tapped the new Cleric on the shoulder and Arn released his grip on the sword. He held the branded hand on both of his and spoke knowingly. “Some warriors bear their scars on their body, others on their soul. Be the balm to both.” A dim glow emanated from the elder Cleric and the pain was gone. In its stead, a warhammer had been branded on the young dwarf left palm. He had been chosen to walk the path.

THE TEMPERING
After his initiation into the order, Arn was sent out to the world. This was called the Tempering. Just as a sword is plunged into the fire and the impurities hammered away, so must the Cleric. Refined by the fires of war and the blows of life, a Cleric will reach their ultimate calling. It was in this manner that he found himself at the steps of XXX. The young dwarf wondered what challenges awaited him in these halls.

Name: Lorelei Vilinza
Race: Half-Siren
Age: 19 (Sirens can live up to 500 years and half sirens live 250 years, but they are both considered full adults at the age of 20)
Gender: Female
Appearance: Lorelei has two forms, a human form and an aquatic form. Her human form is much like the picture, only her ears are rounded and her features are less sharp. She does keep her yellow, slit eyes, however. In her human form, she stands at 5’5 and weighs in at 115 lbs. She has a rather lean, yet slightly athletic build to her. Her hair is naturally aqua blue and falls to her waist in soft waves. In her aquatic form her features become much sharper, almost ethereal looking. Her ears are pointed, she has webs between her hands, and she sports a small pair of fangs. The most notable thing, however, is that she has a tail like a mermaid. It’s a deep purple color that fades to a fuchsia then a pastel pink and has an iridescent appearance to it. She also measures at 5’9 in her aquatic form.
Class: Bard Assassin
Personality: Lorelei is quite the extrovert and is rather skilled in making conversation. She has a charm about her that she likes to use to her advantage. She likes to figure out what makes people tick and can easily appear as your best friend. To say she can be manipulative is quite the understatement. Outwardly when you first meet her she seems friendly and harmless, but if she hasn’t grown close to you she won’t hesitate to stab you in the back. She has a ruthlessness to her that could even make a grown man cry. She’s all about self-preservation as well, unless you’ve managed to get close to her and she actually views you as someone she cares for. If that has happened then she will go to the ends of the earth to protect you. Growing close to Lorelei, however, is not an easy task as she doesn’t trust people easily. She’s seen the gruesome, backstabbing side of this world and thus is incredibly hesitant to let people in.

She’s rather hot-headed, which can get her into trouble at times, but you really need to worry when she’s become quiet and calm. When this happens is when you know she is thinking of all the glorious ways she could slowly kill you. When it comes to either being brave or cowardly, she’d like to say she’s in the middle. She won’t often back down from a fight, but she also won’t stick around if she determines that the fight isn’t in her favor. She’d rather live to grow stronger and then come back and murder you. Lorelei can also be incredibly vindictive and doesn’t let things go easily. Bring her or the ones she cares for injury then she will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

Lorelei is rather high energy and can have quite the sense of humor at times, albeit a dark sense of humor. There also may be a spark of insanity in her eyes, but let’s not entirely worry about that right now.

Strengths:
Siren’s Call || Siren’s have a song that can draw people to them, make them desire them. A half-siren, however, has a much weaker version of this. Lorelei can sing her song and help calm a room, make people feel at ease around her, and on some occasions persuade them to do things for her. After the effect ends, though, the person realizes that they were magically charmed by her and many don’t take kindly to that.
Stealth || She’s rather quiet and does rather well at disappearing into the shadows or a crowd.
Singing || While not using her Siren’s Call, Lorelei is still a very good singer.
Dagger and Throwing Knives || These are her weapons of choice and is fairly decent with them.
Cunning || Is pretty good at talking her way out of situations. Also rather good at extracting information.
Agile || Pretty good with acrobatics.
Ambidextrous || There’s a story here, but will she actually tell you the truth?
Weaknesses:
Strength || Lorelei is not very strong by any means. Let’s just say she’s not the one to ask to open a pickle jar.
Siren’s Call || A double edged sword, while this skill is useful, it does take a lot out of her. If she uses it too often then she has been known to pass out shortly after.
Instruments || She’s trying to learn how to use the harp, but it’s proving to be MUCH more difficult than she anticipated. She may have thrown a couple out the window already.
Magic || She’s learning how to cast spells using music, but it’s difficult. She gets frustrated and miscasts spells often.
Water || Although she’s a siren and has the ability to shift between human form and her aquatic form, when she’s in her aquatic form she can easily become consumed with a bloodlust and it doesn’t matter if your friend or foe, the chance of her trying to drown you is very high.
Bugs, Mice, and Rats || Don’t judge, she has a mild fear of them and may scream at people to “Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!”
Biography: Lorelei’s past is quite the mystery as whenever she’s asked about it the story always seems to change. Is she the bastard daughter of some noble? Heiress to an underground crime lord? Maybe she’s just some regular middle-class person that came from a union of a human and a siren? Or perhaps she’s some long lost princess? All of these are stories she’s told, but are any of them actually true? One would really have to crack her to find out the truth of her origins. What is known, however, is that a thieves guild paid top dollar for her to attend this school. She is to hone her skills, both her inherited siren skill and learned skills, to become a deadly assassin. While someone would like her to be just that, an assassin, Lorelei has to put her own spin on things. She’s going to use her love of music and dance to become what she needs and no one can stop her.

Name: Karya of Brackenglade

Race: Wood nymph, a race of forest-dwelling beings descended from the fey.

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Appearance:


Karya is tall and lanky, standing at 5'10". She has plenty of lean muscle from her archery training and living in the wilderness, and dresses in earthy-toned, practical clothing that often ends up torn around the edges. Her warm tan skin has a ridged texture similar to tree bark. Her sharp golden-brown eyes, and messy hair with vines and flowers woven into it, add to her wild look.

Class: Druid/Ranger

Personality: Confident and daring, Karya is as unwavering as one would expect of someone with characteristics of a sturdy tree. Once her mind is made up, it's near impossible to turn her from her goals. With her boundless energy and good cheer, she fills every moment she can with activity, whether exploring, woodcrafting, or training.

Said determination often leads her to push herself too hard, or get into situations over her head. As far as she's concerned, though, an adventurer needs high standards to be the best they can be - and she has a personal reason to want to excel. It isn't often that someone sees past her boisterous, tough facade, to the fears and regrets underneath. She has to be strong, after all. Strong enough to help others, a certain person in particular.

Strengths:
- Due to her bark-like skin, she's physically resilient.
- She has a strong affinity for plant magic.
- Skilled at crafting, particularly with wood. She carves her own bows and arrows.
- Proficient at archery, with a keen eye and good aim.
- Her knowledge of the wilderness helps in survival situations.

Weaknesses:
- Vulnerable to fire, and afraid of it - it's common for wood nymphs to be at least wary of fire, since it's a major weakness. Most use runestones for cooking and winter warmth.
- Fey ancestry gives her a weakness to cold iron, a type of iron that's forged at a lower temperature to protect its properties. While she's ok around regular iron and steel, she can't wear it as armour for a different reason - it goes against druidic principles.
- Not the best at hand-to-hand combat. She can use her crafting knife in a pinch, but lacks skill and experience with close range fighting.
- Very little knowledge of urban civilisation and life outside of the druid circle. As such, can come across as ill-mannered.
- Overconfident, and while she means well, she can act like a know-it-all on missions.

Biography: Born into a druidic circle deep in the woodland, Karya knew only the wilderness for most of her life. As such, she learned survival skills from a young age - crafting, hunting, defending herself and others. Since children in the village are raised communally, she grew up with many role models and mentors, yet the most influential person in her life was her older sister Xanthe.

Not only was Xanthe a formidable defender, hunting down monsters and other threats, her tracking expertise extended to searching for lost travellers. The Brackenglade tribe, despite being looked down on by some as primitive, overall had decent relations with nearby settlements due to not just their trades of enchanted woodcrafts, but their rangers' skill with search and rescue. Karya aspired to this calling, looking up to her sister as an example. In her youthful naivete, she thought no harm could possibly befall someone so skilled and strong...

Until Xanthe left for a mission one day, and never came back.

Not even the other trackers could find her. Karya herself tried a few times, nearly landing herself in trouble, having to be brought back to the village by other tribe members. Painfully aware of how futile these attempts were, she nonetheless refused to give up. If she had to take her training further than most, so be it.

Which was why she enrolled at the prestigious school she'd heard of via adventurers who'd travelled by. Hoseforn Academy. She hopes to eventually become an adventurer adept enough to find her sister, or at least find out what happened to her.