Deadline is this Sunday if any of you missed the new OOC header.
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pantothenic bored part-timer
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Force and Fury Actually kind of mellow
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Hey all! Sorry for the slight delay. Work, life, and THO have kept me a bit busy this week. I should have Chapter Three up either tonight or earlyish tomorrow. Thanks for your patience!
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Dietrich Erhaben von Sturmfeld__ _ _ _ _
24 | MALE | DRUDGUNZEAN | THUNDER - ESSENCE | WIZARD__ _ _ _ _
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _
Dietrich stands at just around 5'10, often wearing gaudy but efficient clothing wherever he finds himself, usually in the form of black and golds, the colours of his families house. Although he stands and walks with a proper gait, he can still be found sporting a cane with him wherever he goes, and said cane lends a lot to his body language. He keeps his hair kept back in a ponytail for convenience and is usually found to be shaven, though his facial hair grows back too frequently to maintain this, perhaps due to his heritage. He's definitely on the gaunter side as far as weight goes, and as would be expected for somebody from a noble house growing up. His most defining trait would probably be his amber, almost golden eyes as they contrast vastly with his darker hair tones.
Dietrich's main motivation is power, and his current lack of it. Before this war, he had almost resigned his fate to be a problem solver for his family, or a mercenary on hire for the highest bidder. And while the adventuring life isn't the worst fate in the world, especially for someone with his level of gift, he craved a realm of his own. Responsibility. Subjects to lead in battle and times of peace. Whilst it is a greedy ambition, he believes with all his heart that if the Drudgunzeans are as potent as they are with the lands they have, then with the faith of their forefathers and a land as rich as those found in Parrence, that there is no telling what heights they could reach.
Some would call him rash or arrogant but Dietrich would label himself as prudent. And in some ways, he would be correct as he does often consider the future in his plans, meticulously consider details of a situation and ponders every option before pursuing a path. He does however act above his station, speak out of line and belittle those who disagree with him regardless of who or what they are. There is no denying that this is because the man has a colossal ego, and perhaps he should given that he's a prodigious magical talent from an exceptionally wealthy family, but it often puts him in a sticky situation that he has to dig himself out of despite his otherwise careful nature. But perhaps because of this overwhelming confidence, he can be oddly charming and genuine. Beneath the egomania and thoughts of superiority are genuine principles which he holds dear to his heart and believes in with full conviction. The fact that he think so highly of himself is perhaps why he can get away with being as he is, because certain concepts such as being a charlatan, petty backstabbing and betrayal are beneath the man that he would like to think he is.
B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _
Dietrich's story begins in the Drudgunzean nation of Kressia, his father running the duchy of Sturmfeld in the south of the nation that his family had held for 3 generations at this point. A well maintained, preserved piece of land that would otherwise be peaceful was ravaged by internal conflicts, mostly in matters of religion. Zealots from both side threatened to tear the duchy apart, and maybe they would have if not for the stern leadership of Ludolf Erhaben. Dietrich, despite his noble lineage would never see a square foot of this land upon his fathers death, whenever that may be.
He was painfully made aware of this fact at a young age, and it shaped his upbringing. While his 2 oldest brothers were taught to lead and guide the people of the fief, Dietrich and his older brother Albert were given a more rigorous general education. There was not much pressure on them to succeed, but perhaps the competition of each other guided them to greater heights, as both sought to outdo the other and earn the favour of their parents, who had little time for their younger children and an sizeable realm to manage. Even still, this did not dissuade the young lads from excelling, although they took vastly different paths in life.
Whilst Albert ventured into the path of becoming a merchant and adventurer, Dietrich sought power as a combatant after awakening his gift, which definitely earned the attention of his family. They sought an apt educator, and looked to the north in Parrence, who had access to the knowledge of old. A great scholar of the gift brought many scrolls and books from the ruins of the Avincean empire for a sizable sum of coin and the opportunity to train the talented young lad. This sent him over the moon. Perhaps he would not have a kingdom, but he would become acquainted with the magics of old and be an asset on the battlefield, to protect his homeland and people, and aid his family.
The scholars true intentions were to proselytize the young Dietrich and turn him into an asset of the faith, a powerful wizard. And given his potential, it's no surprise that he took the immense gamble of giving a potential heathen access to potent records and a full upbringing in the arts. And for a time, it worked. Dietrich was a firm believer in the Quentic faith and he saw his teacher coming to guide him in his gift as a sign of the gods existence. And whilst he was a firm believer in the pantheon at first, he began to have his doubts. Further research and study dissuaded him of the religion, though he never let his teacher know of his true thoughts lest he discontinue his education. He held the old gods, the true gods, close to his heart and he knew deep down that they had been the one to gift him, not the gods of a stranger from a foreign land.
His education was over around the late teens, and his teacher urged him to come to Parrence with him and study on, but Dietrich knew that he had learned what he could from the man. He instead wished to tour the land of his people, to see how other domains faired, how the peasant lived, and perhaps make a name for himself as a talented warrior. Instead, he began to see what the religious divide had done to his people. His duchy had been especially affected, though no Drudgunze nation had been spared the continuous efforts of conversion by foreign missionaries and preachers. It begun to sicken him. He began to see the Quentic faith as not a guiding light for those lost as he once did as a child, but as a controlling, overbearing arm of the Parrench which would one day pick up his peoples kingdoms and shovel it into the mouth of their ever expanding domain.
He wanted to see how a land united under one faith functioned, so he ventured south to the land of his forefathers. It was much colder than his home, sure, but it offered him a different insight to the world. The people were united toward a common goal. The harsh climate and the meager meals that the land offered them did not dissuade them from banding together for a common purpose. He became enamoured with the culture and once again, began to visit the various courts of the Eskandr. He found the state of affairs on this side of the world superior to the current state of his home, and he owed it to the strong, fervent belief in their gods. Something his people could learn a lesson from.
And while his feelings of distate for the religion began to grow, so did his lust for power. Real power, not as a combatant but as a ruler. If anybody could fix the unruly state of these disparate petty kingdoms, it was Dietrich Erhaben. He had been born and blessed by the storm, and it was his duty to repair these kingdoms, dismantle the false faiths and advance the border northward so that his people may prosper.
I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _
❖ A well made scepter which is made of mammoth tusk. It helps him focus and motions with it help him bring out the best of his gift.
❖ Fine leather clothes, crafted for the upper nobility to be used in the field. Gaudier than expected of a Drudgunzean but efficient and sturdy.
❖ A beautifully maintained journal, as well as writing equipment. Dietrich tends to document his experiences and thoughts within this book.
❖ A large coinpurse. Money can buy anything, or at least people say it can.
❖ Jewellery galore. Rings, earrings and a necklace to boot. None of which have meaning, but they could be pawned in a pinch, and definitely distinguish him as a nobleman
❖ A compass and up to date map.
❖ A absolutely stunning shortsword that has maybe saw use once. He can barely use it but it's better than being completely unarmed. And it's a memento of home.
A description of items regularly in your character's possession or owned by them.
T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _
Blood Type: Thunderchild
Wheel Rating: 4 1/4
Preferred Magics: Thunder + Essence
Dietrich is a true caster but he is only a caster. He possesses no innate weapon skills, nor physical ability. He does however possess immense magical capabilities that become more potent at a distance. The young man has a respectable repertoire of spells for a variety of situations, but most of them are geared towards offense. Some are multi-functional however and offer tremendous area denial and crowd control, though he possesses very little in the way of pure utility. Dietrich operates on a "kill or be killed" basis given his tremendous, unshakable belief in himself and his abilities.
Whilst his magic might not be the most original bag of tricks, it is extremely potent due to the range and potential power behind it. There are no siege engines in this world, but Dietrich might be able to classify himself as one given the scale of explosions and structural damage he can cause given enough time to cast. And although he's not exactly precise from a distance, he's able to cover a large enough area that he can usually cause damage where he wants to.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Intelligent: Has studied and retained a large amount of information. Everything from languages, poetry, mathematics and ancient history is at his disposal, alongside a good bit of random trivia
❖ Pragmatic: Isn't afraid to change a plan if it's going wrong, and doesn't believe that his plans are infallible. If every man was him, they might be, but the world isn't such a wonderful place.
❖ Court Etiquette: While his attitude and general behaviour isn't usually befitting his station, he can blend in at ease in high society and is a bit of a charmer.
❖ Driven: Whilst being an egomaniac is usually a bigger flaw than it is strength, Dietrich has massive force of will and drive to improve and better himself precisely because he values himself more than anyone or anything. Perhaps this is what makes him so motivated
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Egotistical - Dietrich over believes in his own capabilities and isn't all that willing to stick his neck on the line for his compatriots, even if he holds compassionate values. He will abandon an ally to save his own skin and believes that he is the most important person in the room regardless of where he is.
❖ Frivolous - Dietrich is not a soldier. Whilst he may have some feats of triumph and combat, he has never lived a rough and tumble lifestyle, nor a particularly harsh upbringing. It's hard for him to come to terms with sleeping in the outdoors, eating gruel and keeping watch but that just might be necessary in a war like this.
❖ Skinny - Whilst he's been trained in fencing, he never took an aptitude to it. Nor has he ever been particularly strong. Despite eating a lot, he's always been the "runt" of the litter in that regard and isn't much of a physical combatant outside of dodging blows and running away.
C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _
Your character's hex code and any other miscellaneous information. Feel free to use bullet points.
❖ Colour is just [gold], no hex code.
❖ Casts spells in Avincean rather than his mother tongue. Is also his preferred language, believes it to be more fitting of high society.
❖ His home duchy is known for its often chaotic weather, hence the name of Sturmfeld.
Not happy with this character sheet but I don't think its atrocious for a comeback from a long hiatus of text based rp and even writing for that matter. Unsure whether I'll attempt to play this character after the likely fixes are put in place or if I'll be playing another character but I'm going to put it here anyway to receive the necessary feedback so that this character is fixed or the next character is written up to a standard I like.
Background isn't entirely finished either but I've got a lot of reading in the IC to do for the last couple paragraphs or so.
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Force and Fury Actually kind of mellow
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@Suicharte Just finished reading this CS in its entirety and it was a really good read. Overall, your self-criticism, though perhaps motivating, is entirely unwarranted. Dietrich is an awesome character. Feel free to play him. Below, are some observations, suggestions, and ideas that I came up with as I read.
1) "He began to see the Quentic faith as not a guiding light for those lost as he once did as a child, but as a controlling, overbearing arm of the Parrench which would one day pick up his peoples kingdoms and shovel it into the mouth of their ever expanding domain." - I love this image!
2) In general, I love his mindset and the nuance of his character. He defies reductive classification and reads as very 'noble'.
3) "They sought an apt educator, and looked to the north in Parrench, who had access to the knowledge of old." - Small matter: he demonym is Parrench but the country is Parrence.
4) Written convention in Sipenta is for the Gift to always be capitalized.
5) Drudgunze is the region, Drudgunzean would be the demonym.
6) "Casts spells in Avincean rather than his mother tongue. Is also his preferred language, believes it to be more fitting of high society." - I like this detail!
7) "His home duchy is known for its often chaotic weather, hence the name of Sturmfeld." - Appreciated this detail as well. Also, maybe somewhere coastal, then?
8) Given the day and age and what a cane would've symbolized to people of the early medieval ages, I wonder if there isn't a better item that could be used to reflect his noble decadence, act as a focus, and not make him seem to be elderly or infirm.
Overall, I'm thrilled to have Dietrich aboard. If you were still going to make a second character sheet - for an Eskandr-aligned yasoi, iirc - feel free to do so and I'll review that as well. What you have here is excellent as well, though.
1) "He began to see the Quentic faith as not a guiding light for those lost as he once did as a child, but as a controlling, overbearing arm of the Parrench which would one day pick up his peoples kingdoms and shovel it into the mouth of their ever expanding domain." - I love this image!
2) In general, I love his mindset and the nuance of his character. He defies reductive classification and reads as very 'noble'.
3) "They sought an apt educator, and looked to the north in Parrench, who had access to the knowledge of old." - Small matter: he demonym is Parrench but the country is Parrence.
4) Written convention in Sipenta is for the Gift to always be capitalized.
5) Drudgunze is the region, Drudgunzean would be the demonym.
6) "Casts spells in Avincean rather than his mother tongue. Is also his preferred language, believes it to be more fitting of high society." - I like this detail!
7) "His home duchy is known for its often chaotic weather, hence the name of Sturmfeld." - Appreciated this detail as well. Also, maybe somewhere coastal, then?
8) Given the day and age and what a cane would've symbolized to people of the early medieval ages, I wonder if there isn't a better item that could be used to reflect his noble decadence, act as a focus, and not make him seem to be elderly or infirm.
Overall, I'm thrilled to have Dietrich aboard. If you were still going to make a second character sheet - for an Eskandr-aligned yasoi, iirc - feel free to do so and I'll review that as well. What you have here is excellent as well, though.
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Calitan’Viszar’Telrontelios__ _ _ _ _
46 | Male | Yasoi | Force and Essence | Dervish__ _ _ _ _
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _
What is seen in silver waters?
A scar puckers from forehead to jaw bone, a trench of red-raw flesh that shortens the left side of his mouth and drags it upwards in a perpetual sneer. Where the wound crosses the left eye, Tetsoi circle its absence in praise. These cover lots of his skin, point out smaller scars, tell a story.
If it is important to you, the remaining eye is orange.
Apart from this, Visz is a typical Yasoi. Perhaps his hair is longer, perhaps the odd way he tilts his head is a quirk of having only one eye, but he also does this at listening parties, when eyes should be shut.
Chains and leather thongs and strips and straps cover pseudo-armour that is much more a weapon, designed to come apart. Browns and greens. The uniform of a Dervish. Around his neck he wears a necklace of pointed ear tips. Count them. There are thirty and four.
What moonlight comes through the leaves to show a path unique?
To collect. To trade. In story and song, Visz wishes to unveil prophecies concerning the return of Vyshta and trade them for the hand and bond of his saviour. And where there is war, stories are valuable, and songs old and new are sung.
That is all. Until a new focus comes.
Do your boughs creak?
Confident and foolhardy, Visz might at times seem a caricature. When it comes to his focus, that is when earnest interest comes forth, and he is most like the him inside his head. Patient, generous, covetous. He likes to listen and recite, but the cheapest way to collect stories is to live them.
B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _
Father died on a mushroom binge. Mother was too busy. Lots of time spent running with other children, climbing, stealing from the humans, tipping their cows and sheep, running from them.
Next came his calling: fight until dead or too old to fight. Then would come training children to do the same. Would he make them eat bark and crawl along thorns like his own Ithi’Naa, his mentor? Sometimes he wonders.
Then death at last.
A champion of Mez’Qaddurat*, Visz never lost a combat. Perhaps he should have seen the writing on the wall, the calling of a new focus, but he did not. In restlessness, complacency grew. It cost him an eye, but his opponent their life. (*a bloodsport where you trade blows and collect ears from your opponents, often taking place at Mette'stiroi)
The festering wound healed and Visz’s life saved by Imri’Tah’Imri, a healer. Their chemistry was instant. It could have been the addled state of his mind, but one night Visz promised the where and when of Vyshta’s return for Imri’s bond. It could have been the addled state of his mind, but he did not back down from these words the next night, nor any night since.
It was, after all, an experience.
I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _
A pole with blades and a length of leather and chain at both ends. There are weights and blades upon the chains, and the leather marks break-points, offering a focal point for the Gift if the lengths get tangled and need to be broken.
Slender chains that wrap around his forearms and shins, with a pointed weight upon the end. Whistling knives. Various whips of leather can unravel from the outfit.
The outfit.
A vielle and harp to recite to. They were painted with bioluminescent inks, but they have all but chipped off from years on the road.
The necklace of ears.
Coins. Humans covet these. Actual things can practically be stolen with them.
A journal.
Mixtures for ailments various.
A promise seed to be planted upon the fulfilment of the promise.
T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _
A dervish, he favours Force and Essence, used for explosive offense. A Yasoi, all can be called upon.
In combat their use is forward in the mind, focussed with chanted prayers of Luck to Vyshta. Force to strike blink-quick, to throw knives and make them scream, to become a dervish. Essence to quicken the mind and body, panic others. Arcane might make a strike appear to come a second early, or a second late, or not at all.
In life, it is not so clear. It can craft counter melodies to song and carry his voice, it can nudge emotions, it can heighten and deaden. When stalking he makes no sound at all. How many times has it staved off sleep, or multiplied drink? So many times it is unconscious, as much a part of him as breathing.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S__ _ _ _ _
❖ A memory and mind for story and song
❖ Iron will
❖ Not opposed to the idea of humans entirely
❖ Survival
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Unempathetic when empathy does not stand to gain. At that point it is fifty-fifty
❖ Single-Minded
❖ Delusions of Grandeur
❖ Depth Perception
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Eliis'Karmena'Lunetar
30 | FEMALE | YASOI | BLOOD | MALEDICT
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _
Standing at a whopping 6'10, she's quite tall even for Yasoi standards and towers above most humans of the age, even the Eskandr. Her red hair is exceptionally long, falling down to just short of her feet yet does not have signs of tangle or rugs, forming a sort of cape around her back. Her skin is exceptionally pale, but dotted with red markings, whether they are Tetsoi, scars from her past or stains from her craft is something of a mystery for each one. Now, while she is tall, her arms and fingers seem a little too long and there is not much meat to be found on her bones. Longer fingernails also project this image and it gives the impression of a gangly demon baring down on whoever she's looking at. A set of dark crimson eyes aggrandize this, and it does make one think that perhaps she is such a thing, especially given her fashion. Whilst it is largely suited to the Eskandr climate, there is a large amount of red dye involved to fit the theme of the Tar'ithan
Eliis is motivated by two main objectives: the pursuit of treasures and ideology. She is a firm believer in the tenets of the Tar'ithan, being a staunch member of their society for many years at this point and even styling herself in their fashions. However, Eliis is afflicted by kleptomania and feels the need to horde treasures and books from foreign lands. It's hard to describe whether this is simply greed, or her innate nature, but in her mind, an experience is not an experience without a material position come of it. One thing remains true though, her intense hatred of humans, more specifically the Parrench and their false religion. There is no bigger insult to her people and her religion than their continued existence, hence why she is such a fanatical believer in the Tar'ithan.
The main thing that defines this woman is fanaticism. She is, in some ways, the quintessential Yasoi, being completely infatuated with tasks, having an insatiable need to collect and exchange treasures from her vast personal horde or being utterly disgusted by the idea of authority by name, not by power. Whilst this is certainly a turbulent time and the shades of grey are not often looked at, it's unclear whether Eliis even has the capacity to see the world in anything other than black or white. She is arguably more zealous than the most pious Quentic monks, except her zeal comes from an unspeakable hatred towards them. This black or white view is not limited to merely aspects of war, but to every facet of her life. If you're going to drink, get the drunkest you can; if you're going to collect trinkets, gather the best horde in the world; and if you're going to commit yourself to a cause, don't stop halfway. Do whatever is necessary to accomplish said goal.
Another aspect that binds Eliis is that whilst the depth of her emotion is always as far as it can possibly go, she does not have a wide range of emotion to experience. She's absolutely horrible at empathy due to the severity of her own emotions and cannot understand why people feel or act in a certain way. And this isn't something that's from lack of trying, but lack of ability. It's something that she longs to be able to do, and perhaps the only thing she truly feels inadequate about. A main reason for this is for her inability to understand her own feelings, let alone other peoples. Being a slave to her impulses is something of a bother to her and she'd do anything to be able to control her own fate a little more, if Damy would let her.
B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _
Born amongst a sequoia forest in Eskand, life was never going to be easy. Her parents were Tar'ithan extremists, bearing an extreme hatred for the human race, and wished to preserve their will among generations to come. The couple had attempted to have children before Eliis, and while the births were successful, the rebirths were not. The family had a tradition, to ensure that their descendants would both survive the dangerous environment in which they lived, and be strong enough to enforce their will and be able to cull any potential threats to their survival. So they would bring their children to the brink of death. and revive them using blood magic. This was the only known way to ensure that a child would bear the Gift, and so it was done. She barely survived the endeavour, but survive she did, giving her the crimson eyes that she is so known for.
Just as soon as she'd survived the ordeal, she was put under intense training. For as much as her parents loved their child that had made it through such a stressful ordeal, they had obligations to the community. And so it was that Eliis trained night and day from the moment she awakened her Gift to become an eligible warrior of the Tar'ithan. With the diligence and focus of her people, and the guidance of other experienced combatants, she became a serious threat very quickly. Soon after this, her enrolment was confirmed, and she was allowed to be part of the raiding parties. It was one aspect of Eskandr culture that their people had quite taken to, a more resourceful way of adventuring and securing loot. From the first trip, she was hooked. The world outside her home was such a beautiful place with such beautiful things. She wanted everything, but saw that the strongest and fastest of her group were those who were able to grab themselves the prettiest things. She had her motivation then and there - the stronger she got, the better the loot.
Raid after raid, she began to make something of a name for her. Whilst a lot of the raiders were certainly terrifying, none gave the impression that she did. Brutal, intimidating and with a tall gangly appearance, it earned her the cognomen of Karmena, a malicious creature in Yasoi folklore who stalked the night and drank the blood of those they killed. To her, it was an honour to receive this epithet, the title becoming a legend among survivors of these raids. The title was in some ways however, an insult. Eliis was too diligent in her work of culling the Quentic humans, and not nearly keen enough to take slaves for her community. To quell these criticisms and prove a point to the others about how useless these northmen were, she captured a monk to take home. Little did she know of the future problems this would cause her.
At first, the relationship was rocky due to her blind hatred. She'd not interacted much with those on that side of the world, and it was all hearsay and conjecture about what the truth really was. Eudes, the monk she'd captured, was a benevolent man and did not bare the same hatred as she did, and eventually a mix of curiosity and boredom got the better of her. The two began to talk, and slowly built a rather strange friendship. Through this man, she learned Parrench, human culture, practices of the north and of her greatest bewilderment, the Quentic faith. It pissed her off. Eudes' eagerness to have her convert to save her soul was also a straining point in their friendship, but alas, it endured.
She'd noticed something since taking this 'pet' of hers into her household though. She'd begun to hesitate on raids, if only slightly. Had her heart began to soften by having that man around? Whenever she ended a life, she saw his face flash through her head. The confusion of the situation drove her crazy. How could she have sympathy for these people after finding out what their religion thought of hers. She began looking forward to coming home to speak with him. A confused heart was not one ready for battle, and she lamented on this fact. On a voyage home, she sobbed for the only time in her life in confusion, away from prying eyes. Demons weren't supposed to cry after all.
When she returned, she found the body of Eudes decomposing on the floor. He'd been dead for several days, having succumbed to illness and was far beyond the abilities of blood magics ability to resurrect. And while she initially felt like cursing fate and throwing herself into the ocean, she realized that this was a sign from her faith. A sign that they all must die. For if even the best of them were not blessed to live through hardship by their gods, then who was. She hardened her heart from that moment on, keeping his books and his skull as a reminder to not succumb to weakness anymore. Eudes would be the first and last slave she'd ever keep. And she figured she'd entertain a will of his.
"I'd like to be buried in a field of flowers. What a nice resting place that'd be."
Parrence would be a fitting place to build this field. All of it. And with the assembly of the great heathen army, Eliis figured she might be able to grant his wish after all.
I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _
❖ Her horde, the majority of which is stashed inside of a massive sequoia tree that she claims as her home.
❖ Eskandr furs and leathers. They keep her warm in the cold winters of her home, though they are certainly less practical garb in the green lands of Parrence.
❖ A comb made of the bone of a large fish. Her hair is long and takes a lot of maintenance, and this tool has lasted her some time.
❖ A great many daggers. They are ever the useful tool and primarily useful as a killing weapon should she not be able to rely on the use of her Gift for dealing with heavily armoured foes.
❖ A large flamberge-style longsword. Whilst primarily an unarmed fighter, it serves useful as a way to potentially disarm those with longer reaching weapons and bring them into unarmed close range combat.
❖ All 3 books of the Menanne are in her possession from her one and only Parrench friend. For her, they are a reminder of her cause, and if she ever feels like she's going off the rails, she reads them to re-assure herself of her righteous path.
❖ Eudes' Skull. She keeps it with her until she can put him to rest. She also talks to it when she's alone. Makes for better conversation than a lot of her compatriots in her mind.
T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _
Mana Type: Bloodchild
Wheel rating: 4
Favoured Schools: Blood, Force, Thunder
Eliis has an extremely limited range with the use of her Gift and her casting. To compensate however, she is extremely potent in a face to face confrontation, and even more so from the jump. Therefore, she has a wide array of defensive abilities and an aura to prevent her being neutralized before she's able to get into range, as well as dabbling into the force school to grant her the extra mobility to cover distances and augment her athleticism and movement.
Once she's in range, she tends to use deconstructive drawing to destroy weapons, armour and armaments to neutralize targets, then take them out in hand to hand combat. Whilst she's no master swordswoman, she can beat most people in hand to hand combat and feels most at comfort there. If this doesn't work, disintegration of flesh tends to do the trick and she's quite proficient at this skill. If all else fails, she's proficient with curses and poisons.
Her main strength though is her blood magic. Whilst she's proficient with two other schools, her nature as a bloodchild and her excellence regarding matter reconstitution is usually what she falls back on in times of need.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Kastäng master: Eliis is an extremely skilled hand to hand combatant. In most cases, she is more of a threat unarmed than she is with a weapon, such is the nature of her skill
❖ Sharp senses: Eliis is a Yasoi, blessed with a greater Gift and an ability to sense the natural world. One would have to be an incredibly stealthy person to blindside her. Whilst her hearing and eyesight are great, her greatest blessing is perhaps her sense of smell.
❖ Agile: Such a big person has no right to move so fast, but she does. Her long limbs give her excellent pace when running, and she's very fleet of foot and dextrous.
❖ Intimidating: Eliis not only has a reputation and a nickname known throughout a lot of southern Parrence, but has the looks to back it up as well. Even her voice carries a very unnerving tone. It can definitely have a mental edge on people, especially those unlearned.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Emotionally stunted: Eliis is not skilled at conversation, manipulation or even manoeuvring her way around a conversation. Even in her group of Yasoi extremists, she's a bit of an outcast socially. It's proven very difficult for her to build relationships with would be allies.
❖ Uncompromising: It can be extremely difficult to get Eliis to budge on anything. She's stubborn and doesn't often look at the bigger picture, being very much controlled by her desires in the moment.
❖ Lack of range: Whilst most people of her calling are close range, she is even more limited than her peers. Her range is effective to her arms reach for the most part, so she relies heavily on her own physical capability to make up for this shortcoming. She would struggle against multiple long range combatants.
❖ Lone wolf: Eliis is a lonely person and functions best when she's on her own, including a fight. She gets distracted thinking about having other variables on her side, and makes an absolutely horrid leader in the situations that she has to tell people what to do. Being a bloodchild exacerbates this. It's not like she's completely incapable of fighting with others though, just largely unused to it
C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _
❖ D70040
❖ Her hair is a natural white due to her bloodchild albinism, but has been dyed heavily in the sap of her tree, turning it deep crimson. It's stuck for a long time and doesn't seem to wash out or show any signs of fading.
❖ Despite her rather intense xenophobia, she's quite fond of Parrench poetry and literature, and considers it as valuable as all the shinies that she seeks to collect.
I finally finished up the sheet, though it's late at night. Definitely on the edgier side as far as my characters go, but I definitely ran with the Tar'ithan theme just cos I thought they were pretty neat. I'll probably be running both her and Dietrich assuming she's acceptable and I look forward to hopping in the next cycle!
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@jdh97 Overall, I like him and he works. Your prose is as evocative as ever and he holds some nice nuance. A few little nitpicks below:
1) There's no 'K' in the transliteration of yasoi to the Avincian alphabet.
2) Have a look at some of the yasoi names in discoveries on the discord for some idea of the sound of them and maybe try to carry these through to the cognomen and surname. Triple consonants are rare except when necessary to make at least two different sounds that could not be made a simpler way.
3) Just be a bit wary of how you frame Vyshta. She's not so much a war goddess as one of fortune: luck, essentially.
4) Anything else about how he uses the Gift? And favoured moves, proclivities, or quirks? Feelings toward it?
@Suicharte I believe that we covered everything in Discord. Welcome aboard with either or both characters once you've looked a those couple of little things.
1) There's no 'K' in the transliteration of yasoi to the Avincian alphabet.
2) Have a look at some of the yasoi names in discoveries on the discord for some idea of the sound of them and maybe try to carry these through to the cognomen and surname. Triple consonants are rare except when necessary to make at least two different sounds that could not be made a simpler way.
3) Just be a bit wary of how you frame Vyshta. She's not so much a war goddess as one of fortune: luck, essentially.
4) Anything else about how he uses the Gift? And favoured moves, proclivities, or quirks? Feelings toward it?
@Suicharte I believe that we covered everything in Discord. Welcome aboard with either or both characters once you've looked a those couple of little things.
@jdh97 Overall, I like him and he works. Your prose is as evocative as ever and he holds some nice nuance. A few little nitpicks below:
1) There's no 'K' in the transliteration of yasoi to the Avincian alphabet.
2) Have a look at some of the yasoi names in discoveries on the discord for some idea of the sound of them and maybe try to carry these through to the cognomen and surname. Triple consonants are rare except when necessary to make at least two different sounds that could not be made a simpler way.
3) Just be a bit wary of how you frame Vyshta. She's not so much a war goddess as one of fortune: luck, essentially.
4) Anything else about how he uses the Gift? And favoured moves, proclivities, or quirks? Feelings toward it?
1 and 2) Think I've changed these to something acceptable?
3) Shuffled things about so it's more in line with lore.
4) Added two paragraphs. Would you like more/different focus?
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Act Two: Scattered to the Winds____ __ _ _
Potential Storylines_________ __ __ _ _
With our fifth and final chapter of the opening act, The Defense of Relouse, the first engagement of the Parrench-Eskandr War will come to a close. Next up, the cast that we brought together will spread out to the seven winds as numerous subplots unfold. Welcome to Act Two, Scattered to the Winds! Sadly, we won't be able to play through every single significant event that'll take place. As a result, three or potentially four of these plotlines and locations will be chosen for active storytelling involving our characters. The remainder will happen 'off screen', so to speak. Please vote for your favourites using the google form at the bottom of this post and feel free to let me know and discuss matters in the chat below or on discord.
1) War Upon the Sea: With much of Eskand's seaborne forces beached in Parrence, La Marine Royale strikes against Eskandr and Kressian shipping, fishing, and trade, hoping to cripple their economy, food supply, and reduce morale on the home front. The Eskandr gather what forces they can in a desperate bid to fight back. However, their conflict may end up stirring the interest of a third faction from neutrality.
2) Best Served Cold: Handpicked elements of La Grande Armée undertake a dangerous and secretive mission into the very heart of Eskand: a lightning raid upon the capital of Meldheim itself. Their targets: the Kongesalan (Hall of Kings) and the Grøntempel (Green Temple). If Parrence bleeds red, Eskand shall bleed with them. Of course, the Eskandr will be busy with plans of their own and the selection of new members of the Æresvaktr.
3) Tall Trees and Long Shadows: Hoping to flip some of the Parrench yasoi, or at least incentivize them to remain neutral, the Eskandr send their yasoi agents to the largest of yasoi settlements in the region, Loriindton, to spy, meet up with sympathizers, and stir the pot. The Parrench send theirs to stop this group.
4) Uncertain Allies: Wishing to take Lindermetz out of the war and install King Otto's pagan cousin Alfric on the throne, the Eskandr have asked their Kressian allies to send a diplomatic mission. In truth, this will act as cover for a team of assassins. The Parrench and Lindermen, however, have their suspicions and have prepared a clandestine force of their own.
5) Fields of Fire: The Great Heathen Army has split into five separate forces, and these now raid and pillage across southern Parrence. Elements of the Grande Armée pursue, but the Eskandr are not eager to engage. Finally, however, by the Convent of Sainte Genevieve près du Lac, the Parrench spring their trap. But is it truly they who have been trapped instead?
6) The Star Chamber: Back in the capital of Solenne, the less than stellar performance of the Grande Armée is much discussed and political unrest and intrigue waits in the wings. How will the nation hold itself together and rally behind its king? As a member of that court or the delegation from the front, that's entirely up to you.
Storyline Voting_________ __ __ _ _
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Just a brief notice that, following today's first voice chat, we're holding a revote. Please vote here.
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This is my revised CS for Oriflamme, submitted for review. @Force and Fury
There is not much to say about his appearance, for Gèrard is not a man you recognize for his heroic stature. He possesses a fair skin tone and adequate musculature. He has a stern face, and his head is clean shaven. Gerard dresses like a typical Rezaindian priest, and is rarely seen wearing anything but the robes of his order.
To his allies, Gèrard may appear aloof. Unless there is a goal to accomplish he rarely has much to say, and sometimes even appears bored by regular conversation. The only times he seems to speak at length are when he is praying or giving someone instructions. He is truthfully very introverted and feels more at peace doing what he wants to do without the suffocating presence of others. His social circle is small, but each relationship is quite deep.
Gèrard is a warrior now, but his scholarly nature still remains. He has not let hubris consume him, and is always prepared to accept new knowledge. What he lacks in youth he makes up for with persistence and discipline. When attempting to understand a new concept or learn a new skill, Gèrard can spend hours toiling away in his study or practicing wherever is convenient. He is not above asking others for assistance in this respect, and he even seeks the expertise of commoners when necessary.
Despite being a fairly reserved person, Gèrard exhibits a darker side when battling against the Eskandr, for it is they who set him on the path of vengeance. He feels a sick sense of satisfaction any time he manages to kill one of them. Drudgunze is exempt from this hostility, though Gèrard doesn’t necessarily trust the cousins of his sworn enemies. He justifies his wariness by pointing out the number of Drudgunzeans that have pledged their services to Hrothgar.
As the fifth son of the noble Castello family, Gèrard had no expectations of inheriting his family’s lands or titles. Like any nobleman, he could have wormed his way into a comfortable seat of authority via bribery and nepotism, but in pursuit of self actualization Gèrard turned his eye towards a more virtuous lifestyle. At the age of 13 he declared to his family his intention of becoming a religious scholar, and with no reason to refuse his parents arranged for him to join the Stresian priesthood.
It was known that on the Ensollian coastline, there lay an ancient landmark that existed since the times of the old empire. It was a Stresian monastery, home to a group of thaumaturges that sought complete understanding of the natural elements. The reclusive researchers living there were reluctant but, after receiving a generous donation from the head of the Castello family, the servants of Shune agreed to raise young Gèrard as one of their own. Maybe they figured he would soon grow tired of the ascetic lifestyle and go home, leaving them with plenty of gold with which to pursue their studies.
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Gèrard was happy there. He secretly hated living under the expectations of the nobility. Away from the pretentious feasts and stuffy etiquette, the youngest son of the Castello family was able to flourish and focus purely on his personal development. After a few weeks went by it became clear that the nobleman was there to stay, and the monks began to teach him in earnest. Gèrard drank in knowledge like water. He was not some stereotypical genius, but he was unusually determined in his studies. He always had a disturbing number of questions to ask his mentors, and their frustration grew to the point where they had to take turns each day to supervise him. When they eventually grew tired of answering his endless inquiries, Gèrard holed himself up in the library and read books until the crack of dawn.
And so his life went for many years. Gèrard spent his 14th birthday there, and on the same year he awakened to the Gift. When he was given the wheel test, many of his teachers were embarrassed to find that their student was stronger than they were. Then his 15th went by, and his 16th... he was old enough to become a sworn member of the order, and he did so with pride. Once in a while he would leave the monastery to fulfill his Stresian duties, like collecting newly recovered texts or investigating some mystical ruin. His regular visits to his family slowed by the time Gèrard was fully grown, and soon he was communicating with them solely through letters. This bothered no-one. He was never the favorite child.
At the age of 26, Gèrard was deep into his study of Arcane magic. He had become a Luminary, the fourth highest rank in the order, and when Tristan and Misha came to the monastery it was decided that he would be their master. The three formed a unique bond together. As the years passed, the two apprentices came to treat each other like siblings, and in a way Gèrard was like their father. Where he used to take pride in his own growth, he now found joy in theirs. While he was always strict with his students, the young master cared for them deeply.
Their peaceful lifestyle was not destined to last. A year after Gèrard met his students, the monastery was suddenly attacked by an unforeseen Eskandr raid. Under the concealment of powerful magic, a warband carrying no flag stormed the complex and began killing everyone who resided there. Why had they come? Were they weakening Parrence in preparation for a full scale invasion? Did they desire the knowledge stored within the centuries old library? There was no way to know. The Eskandr asked no questions nor did they answer them. Every Stresian on the premises was summarily executed, and everything of value was plundered.
A scant few managed to escape the raid, including Gèrard and his two apprentices. That day was the first he had ever used his magic to kill another human being. He had no choice after all. He couldn’t let his beloved students die. Arrows were incinerated in midair and berserkers were cooked inside their own armor as Gèrard fought desperately to break the Eskandr encirclement. When an opening presented itself, the three broke out and fled into the nearby woods. They were not pursued. It was possible that the pirates had gotten what they came for and simply went back home. The escaped found shelter further inland in a nearby town, where they numbly secluded themselves while processing their great loss. A detachment from the local lord attempted to investigate the smoking heap that was once a monastery, but all they found were corpses. No clues were found about the invaders save for their nationality, for an Eskandr longboat had been abandoned on the shore.
It was without question a traumatizing event for the three, but Gèrard suffered the greatest heartbreak of all. He had known the scholars there for over a decade. He knew every single one of their names. He knew their hopes and dreams. They were truly his family and they were now gone forever, including the place he once belonged. Gèrard failed to overcome his grief and move on. As time passed he became obsessed with the idea of vengeance, and though he bid his students abandon him and live their lives peacefully they would not do so. Underneath a darkening sky, the trio made a pact with each other. They would avenge the fallen as one. And so, after days of travel, they prostrated themselves within the halls of a Rezaindian monastery…
❖ An ironwood staff inlaid with a crystal sphere
❖ Several bottles of oil and other flammable mediums
❖ An inscribed steel sword of Eskandish origin
❖ A light leather bag containing provisions
❖ The Book of Wrath
Blood type: Blackblood, Truecaster
Preferred School: Arcane
Secondary Schools: ???, ???
Wheel rating: 4
Gèrard is a well rounded magician, but he greatly favors Arcane over other schools. As an expert pyromancer, fire and light are like clay in his hands. He has a strong grasp of both offensive and utility spells which makes him competent in any sort of engagement. He often uses special oils and flammable liquids to help augment his casting when there are no significant sources of heat available. Gèrard has exhibited several spells thus far such as channeled arcane lances, light refraction, fire walls, and dragon’s breath. There is still much more in store.
Using other types of magic in battle is something Gèrard has considered and will likely pursue as the war continues, especially after he duels against other elite casters and learns their tricks. He simply needs more opportunities to apply his magical studies to real combat.
❖ Stresian Thaumaturge
Gèrard’s theoretical understanding of magic is far higher than the average hedge wizard. While the bulk of his study has been in pursuit of Arcane mastery, he understands the principles behind the other magic schools well enough, and may eventually add them to his repertoire given enough inspiration to do so. The potential of his spells are limited only by his imagination and mana capacity.
❖ Learned
Being a son of nobility and a former Stresian, he is highly educated by the standards of this era.
❖ Daring
He has repeatedly demonstrated willingness to engage enemy champions, regardless of their level of strength or the number of soldiers defending them.
❖ Bilingual
He learned the language of Eskand in order to insult its people in a tongue they can understand.
❖ Truecaster’s curse
Like all who possess this blood, Gèrard’s spellcasting options are defined by the energy sources that he can find or make for himself.
❖ Average swordsmanship
Though he carries a blade, Gèrard isn’t a top class duelist. He cannot win a fight against a more skilled swordsman without resorting to magic to bolster his offense.
❖ Untested
Until Hrothgar’s invasion of Parrence, Gèrard’s fighting experience mainly came from training and skirmishing with poorly equipped coastal raiders. He still has much to learn about the art of magical combat.
❖ Vengeful
He has an extremely negative view of southerners. Only the most unlikely circumstances would keep him from trying to attack them on sight.
❖ He is a distant ancestor of Charles Castel, Yalen's adoptive father.
❖ F92D00
Gèrard Castello__ _ _ _ _
30 | MALE | PARRENCE | ARCANE - ??? - ??? | PRIEST__ _ _ _ _
“Fire washes sin off the soul.”
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _
There is not much to say about his appearance, for Gèrard is not a man you recognize for his heroic stature. He possesses a fair skin tone and adequate musculature. He has a stern face, and his head is clean shaven. Gerard dresses like a typical Rezaindian priest, and is rarely seen wearing anything but the robes of his order.
To his allies, Gèrard may appear aloof. Unless there is a goal to accomplish he rarely has much to say, and sometimes even appears bored by regular conversation. The only times he seems to speak at length are when he is praying or giving someone instructions. He is truthfully very introverted and feels more at peace doing what he wants to do without the suffocating presence of others. His social circle is small, but each relationship is quite deep.
Gèrard is a warrior now, but his scholarly nature still remains. He has not let hubris consume him, and is always prepared to accept new knowledge. What he lacks in youth he makes up for with persistence and discipline. When attempting to understand a new concept or learn a new skill, Gèrard can spend hours toiling away in his study or practicing wherever is convenient. He is not above asking others for assistance in this respect, and he even seeks the expertise of commoners when necessary.
Despite being a fairly reserved person, Gèrard exhibits a darker side when battling against the Eskandr, for it is they who set him on the path of vengeance. He feels a sick sense of satisfaction any time he manages to kill one of them. Drudgunze is exempt from this hostility, though Gèrard doesn’t necessarily trust the cousins of his sworn enemies. He justifies his wariness by pointing out the number of Drudgunzeans that have pledged their services to Hrothgar.
B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _
As the fifth son of the noble Castello family, Gèrard had no expectations of inheriting his family’s lands or titles. Like any nobleman, he could have wormed his way into a comfortable seat of authority via bribery and nepotism, but in pursuit of self actualization Gèrard turned his eye towards a more virtuous lifestyle. At the age of 13 he declared to his family his intention of becoming a religious scholar, and with no reason to refuse his parents arranged for him to join the Stresian priesthood.
It was known that on the Ensollian coastline, there lay an ancient landmark that existed since the times of the old empire. It was a Stresian monastery, home to a group of thaumaturges that sought complete understanding of the natural elements. The reclusive researchers living there were reluctant but, after receiving a generous donation from the head of the Castello family, the servants of Shune agreed to raise young Gèrard as one of their own. Maybe they figured he would soon grow tired of the ascetic lifestyle and go home, leaving them with plenty of gold with which to pursue their studies.
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Gèrard was happy there. He secretly hated living under the expectations of the nobility. Away from the pretentious feasts and stuffy etiquette, the youngest son of the Castello family was able to flourish and focus purely on his personal development. After a few weeks went by it became clear that the nobleman was there to stay, and the monks began to teach him in earnest. Gèrard drank in knowledge like water. He was not some stereotypical genius, but he was unusually determined in his studies. He always had a disturbing number of questions to ask his mentors, and their frustration grew to the point where they had to take turns each day to supervise him. When they eventually grew tired of answering his endless inquiries, Gèrard holed himself up in the library and read books until the crack of dawn.
And so his life went for many years. Gèrard spent his 14th birthday there, and on the same year he awakened to the Gift. When he was given the wheel test, many of his teachers were embarrassed to find that their student was stronger than they were. Then his 15th went by, and his 16th... he was old enough to become a sworn member of the order, and he did so with pride. Once in a while he would leave the monastery to fulfill his Stresian duties, like collecting newly recovered texts or investigating some mystical ruin. His regular visits to his family slowed by the time Gèrard was fully grown, and soon he was communicating with them solely through letters. This bothered no-one. He was never the favorite child.
At the age of 26, Gèrard was deep into his study of Arcane magic. He had become a Luminary, the fourth highest rank in the order, and when Tristan and Misha came to the monastery it was decided that he would be their master. The three formed a unique bond together. As the years passed, the two apprentices came to treat each other like siblings, and in a way Gèrard was like their father. Where he used to take pride in his own growth, he now found joy in theirs. While he was always strict with his students, the young master cared for them deeply.
Their peaceful lifestyle was not destined to last. A year after Gèrard met his students, the monastery was suddenly attacked by an unforeseen Eskandr raid. Under the concealment of powerful magic, a warband carrying no flag stormed the complex and began killing everyone who resided there. Why had they come? Were they weakening Parrence in preparation for a full scale invasion? Did they desire the knowledge stored within the centuries old library? There was no way to know. The Eskandr asked no questions nor did they answer them. Every Stresian on the premises was summarily executed, and everything of value was plundered.
A scant few managed to escape the raid, including Gèrard and his two apprentices. That day was the first he had ever used his magic to kill another human being. He had no choice after all. He couldn’t let his beloved students die. Arrows were incinerated in midair and berserkers were cooked inside their own armor as Gèrard fought desperately to break the Eskandr encirclement. When an opening presented itself, the three broke out and fled into the nearby woods. They were not pursued. It was possible that the pirates had gotten what they came for and simply went back home. The escaped found shelter further inland in a nearby town, where they numbly secluded themselves while processing their great loss. A detachment from the local lord attempted to investigate the smoking heap that was once a monastery, but all they found were corpses. No clues were found about the invaders save for their nationality, for an Eskandr longboat had been abandoned on the shore.
It was without question a traumatizing event for the three, but Gèrard suffered the greatest heartbreak of all. He had known the scholars there for over a decade. He knew every single one of their names. He knew their hopes and dreams. They were truly his family and they were now gone forever, including the place he once belonged. Gèrard failed to overcome his grief and move on. As time passed he became obsessed with the idea of vengeance, and though he bid his students abandon him and live their lives peacefully they would not do so. Underneath a darkening sky, the trio made a pact with each other. They would avenge the fallen as one. And so, after days of travel, they prostrated themselves within the halls of a Rezaindian monastery…
I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _
❖ An ironwood staff inlaid with a crystal sphere
❖ Several bottles of oil and other flammable mediums
❖ An inscribed steel sword of Eskandish origin
❖ A light leather bag containing provisions
❖ The Book of Wrath
T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _
Blood type: Blackblood, Truecaster
Preferred School: Arcane
Secondary Schools: ???, ???
Wheel rating: 4
Gèrard is a well rounded magician, but he greatly favors Arcane over other schools. As an expert pyromancer, fire and light are like clay in his hands. He has a strong grasp of both offensive and utility spells which makes him competent in any sort of engagement. He often uses special oils and flammable liquids to help augment his casting when there are no significant sources of heat available. Gèrard has exhibited several spells thus far such as channeled arcane lances, light refraction, fire walls, and dragon’s breath. There is still much more in store.
Using other types of magic in battle is something Gèrard has considered and will likely pursue as the war continues, especially after he duels against other elite casters and learns their tricks. He simply needs more opportunities to apply his magical studies to real combat.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Stresian Thaumaturge
Gèrard’s theoretical understanding of magic is far higher than the average hedge wizard. While the bulk of his study has been in pursuit of Arcane mastery, he understands the principles behind the other magic schools well enough, and may eventually add them to his repertoire given enough inspiration to do so. The potential of his spells are limited only by his imagination and mana capacity.
❖ Learned
Being a son of nobility and a former Stresian, he is highly educated by the standards of this era.
❖ Daring
He has repeatedly demonstrated willingness to engage enemy champions, regardless of their level of strength or the number of soldiers defending them.
❖ Bilingual
He learned the language of Eskand in order to insult its people in a tongue they can understand.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Truecaster’s curse
Like all who possess this blood, Gèrard’s spellcasting options are defined by the energy sources that he can find or make for himself.
❖ Average swordsmanship
Though he carries a blade, Gèrard isn’t a top class duelist. He cannot win a fight against a more skilled swordsman without resorting to magic to bolster his offense.
❖ Untested
Until Hrothgar’s invasion of Parrence, Gèrard’s fighting experience mainly came from training and skirmishing with poorly equipped coastal raiders. He still has much to learn about the art of magical combat.
❖ Vengeful
He has an extremely negative view of southerners. Only the most unlikely circumstances would keep him from trying to attack them on sight.
C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _
❖ He is a distant ancestor of Charles Castel, Yalen's adoptive father.
❖ F92D00
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Sasha de la Estepa__ _ _ _ _
23 | S E C R E T | P A R R E N C E | T H U N D E R - E S S E N C E - B L O O D | K N I G H T R I D E R__ _ _ _ _
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _
[ Tourrare ]
Born as a surprise (and unlikely) second child to a huntsman and his wife, Sasha was the second child of a Tourrare family that would end up joining houses with a renown Lord of the tribe. Like many of their kind, Sasha is thoroughly knowledgeable and experienced with animals, especially horses, and is frequently seen tending to the largest ones.
Their place among the Tourrare society is unique, however, as they seldom interact with others while the obscure but spreading myth of the Golden Blood spreads outside the lands in which their people live. Unlike their people, Sasha is generally seen as inauspicious and avoidant of others, whether outsiders or fellow Tourrare, with minimal regard for status or cultures. It is a surprise that they have lived this long as such a recluse and outlier.
[ Squire of the Lion ]
One thing that always captivated Sasha was the existence of exceptionally large or exceptionally small creatures. To ever discover these mesmerising beings, they would have to discover the world - a terrifying notion to the reclusive and discreet Sasha. This wanderlust that clashed with their innate revulsion for a break in the comfortable routine has brought them to becoming a pupil to the Tourrare’s most promising warrior, and their brother-in-law, Asier Arslan. Although the rapport between Sasha and Asier had been budding about as long as he had been close friends with Giselle, their sister, allowing for the now veteran of the battlefield to easily relate to the challenges brought by Sasha’s temperament and quirks.
[ The Kitten Knight ]
Baptised the “Kitten Knight'' as a humorous jab to their position as a Squire to the Lion (and that they’re smaller than Asier), Sasha is neither a Knight (yet) nor harnesses the awesome powers of kittens. It is interesting to note that cats do seem to be attracted to Sasha and will frequently demand food while mounting their shoulders. They have little aversion to it, if not sometimes overwhelmed by the numbers. These creatures are nice, predictable and don’t make them question their actions. Unlike people. They still don’t quite understand the purpose of this moniker or any humour behind it.
[ An Immovable Rider ]
Few have ever seen what lies behind the layers of metal, mail and padding that protect Sasha from the world. The weight of such a getup does not appear to bother them, and if anything is something sought after with Thunder and Essence Magics keeping the extreme nature of it under control. All that protection and the helm elevate Sasha to about 5 feet and 7 inches, however their natural height is closer to 5 feet and 3 inches.
Pale but healthy skin can sometimes be seen in the rare occasion Sasha removes their armour - usually for blood ministration - but little else is known about their appearance beyond the reflections of slightly golden hues beneath the cracks of their helm. Heavy and efficient at blocking out noises, it is a safe haven for an easily overwhelmed creature like Sasha.
B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _
Sasha was a surprise to their family, coming a handful of years after their sister, Giselle, to a family that had been trying to conceive a male heir. Ultimately, whether Sasha’s very sex was in accordance would matter little, as their development would prove to be difficult to the family, leaving them to see Giselle’s childhood friend and future groom to be their son figure. Nonetheless, despite their odd nature and peculiar physical features such as their eye colour, Sasha was accepted among their people.
A recluse for most of their childhood, it was said that Sasha only began to communicate verbally at the age of five and actively avoided others. Especially during gatherings - they were overwhelming. Still, it did not take long for the oddities surrounding Sasha to attract attention, and eventually the unveiling of their miraculous “golden” blood. It was known that, in rare occurrences, mages could be born with immense resilience to afflictions which first appeared to be Sasha’s case but the additional phenomenon had yet to be documented: The blood could greatly accelerate healing when ingested by another.
The Tourrare believed in an envoy of Aun-Oraphe, although the Holy See was very reluctant to concede any such notion to a tribe that had always been poorly regarded by the rest of Parrence. Nonetheless, with more attention on Sasha came more consideration for the person by their entourage. With a wheel test and surprising knack for mimicking her teacher’s, Asier’s, Thunder, it was deemed more than beneficial to make due with Sasha sometimes overwhelming quirks with the promise of a formidable boon for the Tourrare. Although perhaps their brother-in-law simply wished for Sasha to get as big of a chance at life as they could.
Sasha remained blissfully disconnected from the geopolitical machinations of outsiders, having almost never left their steppe. Their daily life consists of handling beasts, training and ensuring the peace in their people’s territory while always wearing those heavy, clunky layers of metal armour before stepping outside. A tranquil existence if not increasingly stressful with the prolonged absence of their mentor who had gone to the war. When the news of Asier’s potential capture reached home, however, a promise was made to his wife in daughter: Sasha would bring him back, lest they never show their face again from under their iron helm.
I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _
❖ Aun-Ipté’s Embrace: A massive amalgamation of metals used to form Sasha’s armour, mostly composed of iron. It is all managed and kept in one piece with a constant magnetic field that can be felt when close.
❖ L'Alabarda de la Estepa Daurada: A long, iron halberd with gold ley lines that trance through the bar right up to the tip and blade. Very good synergy with Thunder Magic.
❖ Hierbamonte’s Bulwark: A large, circular shield with brass coating that could almost be called a tower shield.
❖ Arriscat: Sasha’s Hierbamonte Horse, a massive mare standing over 220 cm, generally used for field work and heavy carriage work. Not a very fast beard but has the strength, stamina and back to handle a heavy rider and heavy armour.
❖ Segu: A dwarf cat species gifted to Sasha from a Djamantese noble that was treated with their blood. It is as small as a kitten and often seen on their shoulder. It remained home, but Sasha kept a crude drawing in their helmet.
❖ Vemonankh, the Staff of Perdition: A Hegelan-made staff found in the Tyrannus Gehenna’s hoard in Mont Errant. A staff that increases efficiency in charge drawing and thunder magic casting. It is considered to be of very high quality, just shy of the best. A strong offset to one of Sasha’s weaknesses.
❖ Tyrannus Monsigneus Egg: Acquired in Mont Errant with the staff, it is believed to hatch soon. It has been trusted to the Tourrare forces that came with Asier and survived.
T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _
Blood Type: Devourer
Preferred Schools: Thunder - Essence - Blood
Wheel Rating: 4 ½
Sasha, despite being a recluse, was quick to learn anything that involved the Gift with a strong inclination for Thunder and Essence magics. In theory, they can use all five schools to some degree, but three are their main focuses:
❖ Thunder: Sasha’s strongest spells reside here. Most of her notions were acquired by the tutelage of their brother-in-law and do not disappoint. Whether it’d be magnetism of lightning strikes, they can do most of it.
La Llança de Echeran-Zept: Most of Sasha’s gathered charges are focused onto their spear, making for very strong spatial compression, making for a devastating strike. The magnetic field that keeps their armour stable with some pieces made to levitate around them to more easily gather charges.
Until Sasha’s next attack, a lower dice than normal is used to defend (cannot defend allies too). In exchange, the next attack will be a level higher. This limit can be removed by spending a turn charging the spell (no movement), disallowing defending of allies. With the Staff of Perdition, a coin flip can determine if this charge is skipped.
El Mur de Oraphe-Zept: Energy is drawn and converted into thunder magic that re-enforces that bonds of the iron worn by Sasha and eases swift intervention when an ally is in danger (with their massive shield). Sasha’s defence roll increases a level but the offensive roll takes a penalty as this considerably slows them down. They can use their normal defense roll to protect an ally this round too, but cannot attack or have attacked this round. So long as the horse is at play, a 4 dice with the winning result being 4 can get an additional defense in.
Until Sasha’s next attack, a lower dice than normal is used to defend (cannot defend allies too). In exchange, the next attack will be a level higher. This limit can be removed by spending a turn charging the spell (no movement), disallowing defending of allies. With the Staff of Perdition, a coin flip can determine if this charge is skipped.
El Mur de Oraphe-Zept: Energy is drawn and converted into thunder magic that re-enforces that bonds of the iron worn by Sasha and eases swift intervention when an ally is in danger (with their massive shield). Sasha’s defence roll increases a level but the offensive roll takes a penalty as this considerably slows them down. They can use their normal defense roll to protect an ally this round too, but cannot attack or have attacked this round. So long as the horse is at play, a 4 dice with the winning result being 4 can get an additional defense in.
❖ Essence: Focused mainly in internal magics, especially on themself, Sasha orients her efforts in keeping the soft, little creature hiding inside the armour safe. It is also a school of magic that isn’t too negatively affected by their blood type.
La Sang de l’Or d’Oraphe: Sasha’s abnormal blood, stemming from both their mana type and a unique mutation in the actual blood cells, has strong healing qualities but loses its strength after a few minutes outside of the body, making it only useful fresh. A coin flip will determine whether Sasha refuses treatment or allows part of their body to be exposed to offer their blood.
❖ Blood: Sasha will mainly use this school of magic for mild injury healing and drawing from metal of fallen warriors to repair their own armour/equipment or create powerful defenses for their allies. For bigger heals, if they opt to not use the blood, they will suffer a penalty to the healing as they lack the experience and human contact to properly execute such a feat.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Hyposensitivity to Touch and Pain
❖ Obsession with extreme sizes - Can quickly and accurately calculate sizes of things and distances to a degree.
❖ Immense Vitality
❖ Very good with animals
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S__ _ _ _ _
❖ Hypersensitivity to Sounds - Prone to Meltdowns
❖ Absolutely no social tact
❖ Inexperience - High anxiety from routine breaking
❖ Slow Drawing and Slower movements
C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _
❖ Hex code: 98A4B1
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GM
Force and Fury Actually kind of mellow
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1 day ago
Sasha is approved! Welcome aboard.
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GM
Force and Fury Actually kind of mellow
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1 day ago
Act Three: Victors and Vanquished
With our second act coming to a conclusion, we reach the halfway point in our story. The Parrench would appear to be on he front foot, but the Eskandr have both been galvanized and gotten the jump on their enemies in some areas. Two new fronts open up in the conflict and it is time to decide where your characters will see their next action. Please place yourself in one of the two options using this document by Tuesday.
Siege of Chamonix
Having given all of its men and resources to the war effort and the defense of Relouse, the great city of Chamonix, a bastion of learning and culture in the east of Parrence, now stands virtually undefended before the Eskandr hordes of King Hrothgar the Black, save for its redoubtable walls. To its rescue rushes King Arcel and his sizable army, evenly matched with that of the heathens. However, a clever mixture of trickery and treachery has allowed a second Eskandr army, under the command of Sweyn Thunderspear, to approach the Parrench from behind, trapping them between the two forces. It now appears that not only the city but also the king may need to be rescued. The ragged remnants of Queen Eleanor’s army, ultimately victorious but devastated by dragon’s fyre, attempt to lend their aid, along with an irregular force drawn from the surrounding countryside of Green Parrence. The fate of the nation could very well be at stake. If Chamonix falls, it is likely that the east of the country goes with it. If Arcel falls, Parrence just might splinter entirely.
Committed NPCs
Hrothgar the Black
Arcel de Parrence
Eleanor de Perpignan
Sweyn Thunderspear
The Nashorn
Talit'yrash'osmax
Perceval de Perpignan
Drudgunzean Marches
The Kressian Marches stab into the underbelly of Parrence like a dagger in the hand of the country’s enemies. Emboldened by a fresh wave of recruits, the Eskandr march northward, led by Queen Astrid on dragonback. Joined at the Kressian border by troops from their newly-committed ally, led by Dietrich von Sturmfeld, they aim to strike from below, in an area left less defended due to the urgency of the situation out East. It is known by all that the capital, Solenne, is not so very far north of this region, and if the capital falls, so does the country, by all rights. Arcel and Eleanor are both distant. Many of Parrence’s most famous champions are fighting in various campaigns nowhere near Drudgunze. Messengers from Solenne have sent out urgent summons for more soldiers and letters of exhortation to King Otto of Lindermetz, their nominal ally to the west of Kressia, to intervene. The Drudgunzean king is an inscrutable man, however. The situation may indeed be a dire one.
Committed NPCs
Sir Rodric, The Laughing Knight
Otto of Lindermetz
Thorunn Silverhair
Astrid Fireborn
Gudrid Fangtooth
Bjorn Coldfist
The Skyygge
GM
Force and Fury Actually kind of mellow
Member
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1 day ago
Just a note on this RPG. It ended up moving to discord and has since run its course there. I may write up an afterword for it here in the near future.
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