[OOC] The Prophecy

[cthulu]

As her writer I can say yeah she probably did have feelings for him not that at the time she knew what they were. With this whole Rilon thing though, I honestly don't know, she isn't feeling 'anything' but complete and utter hopelessness right now.

[Shienvien]

Well... I recall a Thaler who considered him "only" a good friend - one of her only friends - and then very decidedly tried to convince herself that she is just imagining things and nothing like that could really be true whenever he did or said something that was painfully obviously not *just* friendly. XD

But... Yeah. Let's see where things go now?

[cthulu]

Not like i have a choice anymore really, is it? ^_^

[Dark Jack]

Guh... how come shit always hit the fan on days I have to be absent from the RP? Skipping back pages to find the first post that came up since I checked last and passingly spot the words "emotional blackmail" in a post on my way there? I shat bricks. Luckily it wasn't entirely as bad as I expected it to be (the situation IC is bad, certainly, but at least it did not come to OOC fighting as I feared upon seeing those words), but woah... I was seriously scared there for a minute.
There's not even much that I can say or do about it, really... I know how bad Thaler is doing, and these few days during which I've had to spend my writing-time addressing matters with the new players and their races I've been doing a lot of thinking as to what was going to happen in my next post for the collab; I know almost exactly what will happen on the fighting-side of things, but I've been trying desperately to figure out how Olan would react to Thaler being the way she was, and how he could believeably do just a small bit of something to lift her spirits a little (that's proven even harder than expected, though; even though I've had him show definite signs of being the same as he was before, in most ways (though understandably a bit confused and scared right now) and even had him tell her he remembered his promise to her, she seems utterly convinced that the "old Olan" is gone for good).
Beyond that... uh. I can't and won't forbid you from doing what would be natural for your character, under any circumstance, even if that meant the destruction of the group (a young squire with newly acquired abandonment issues and an elderly amnesiac: the new lone heroes of the tale), nor can I really blame you for not enjoying writing as her. I was thoroughly tired and pissed at Jaelnec when he was depressed, too, and really didn't want to write as him anymore; even with Thaler, now, I get frustrated reading about her state of mind, and she's not even my character. I can't object to Aemoten's impending reaction to a hypothetical future where Thaler left, either, for the very same reasons. I am the GM, but I am not (contrary to past accusations by players no longer among us) a dictatorial one; you and your characters have the freedom of choice, whatever that choice may be. Heck, I even made it clear that the characters could take the path of evil as well, back in the day. I trust you - all of you - to be true to your characters and the story, but I recommend that you don't make final decisions ahead of time. As this RP has proven time and time again, things very rarely go as planned, and Zerul is still far off enough for things to change before the characters get there. Not an enormous change, but it could happen. I'm not saying that it will happen, but it can. Don't decide one way or another before it is time for your character to make it's decision; only then will the character itself know what to do.
And by the way, Thaler sort of already pretty much gave away the bounty on her when she gave that one guardsman her Black Sun-emblazoned blindfold, so counting on her having the opportunity to turn herself in and have the bounty go to the rest of the companions may be a bit premature. Just saying. She turned herself in already.

@Legion: Sounds fine to me.

[Shienvien]

@Jack: ...I will rather not comment on said choice of words there. Given you (probably) know my stance on those matters, you can probably guess what my opinion on accusations like that being liberally thrown around is. I will say, though, that I got to witness Legion first reaction to Hymu's first post, and he was rather taken aback, to say the least. And that may be an understatement. ASTA had just considered flipping a few tables (according to chat backlog), but luckily opted not to.

And again, I would be dishonest if I didn't say I do not enjoy writing Aemoten as he currently was/is, either. He's mostly been feeling hopeless, useless, futile, anguished, and then droning over the said hopelessness, uselessness, futility and mental pain. A part of me literally wanted to groan back in the day when Thaler first woke up and the relic was revealed. But I have been putting up with it in the name of things eventually getting on a more enjoyable track, the same as I tolerated the Unmentionable One's and his constant bickering before that... After doing so for the entirety of the Rilon-bloody-mess and along the way getting an entity involved who has no business being in the foreground atop of my own character's miserable state, Thaler hypothetically simply being crossed out of the equation just feels a bit like a slap in the face. But yeah... Of course I can't actually stop Thaler, or Hymusia, for the matter, if they truly intend to opt for that path. But as said, things can change still. Rilon regrettably already happened, and that can be changed no more.

Oeh... And the guardsman both knows what the blindfold means and is enough of a bastard to go hand the people who essentially saved his life in? I would hope not. There must be some people left in Reniam who aren't secretly heartless demons, no?

[Legion X51]

Name: Iridiel Taileflaith Caomhánach (Kavanagh)

Species & Ethnicity: Highlander Éireannach

Gender: Female

Age: 32

Physical Appearance:

Picture of Iridiel

Iridiel stands at about 5' 11" (180.3 cm). Uncommon amongst Highlanders, she has a fairly slim build unlike the stockier, heavier-built Highlanders - a common joke made at her expense is that she must have Forestfolk blood in her family. Her long auburn hair falls to around her mid-back - she often has two braids of hair hanging over her face: a common feature amongst Éireannach women of the Highlands. Her eyes are elliptical in shape as one may expect from a race that has not had to deal with dust or sand, and they are coloured a shade of greyish-green, which is again uncommon amongst Highlanders. Her skin is pale, almost white, as befits a member of the Highland ethnicity of the Éireannach, as they evolved in colder and cloudier areas of the world: the Contaetha are a wild, wet and windy region. Though Éireannach have a similar circulatory system to humans and some other races of Reniam, their main metalloprotein is instead copper-based: haemocyanin. This leads to a rather odd trait of theirs - Eireannach tend to have a blue-ish tone to their colouration, as their blood is blue when oxygenated, and this is most notable in their lips, which are visibly blue as opposed to the usual red for mammalian creatures.

Her preferred clothing is warm and comfortable, as needed for long treks over cold, snow-covered ground and the higher altitudes of the hills of the Highlands. She has a wolfskin cloak made from the skin of a grey wolf that she had killed whilst hunting with her father and brothers, whilst underneath she often sports a thick leather coat and green woollen shirt. She also wears thick brown leather and woollen leggings to protect her legs from the cold and biting winds, as well as thick leather boots, which are reddish-brown in colour. Even in warmer climes, Iridiel seldom ventures out without her wolfskin cloak and leather overcoat - the former protects her from the cold and the rain, whilst the latter has been able to stop a fang or a claw. Of course, this means that Iridiel is ill-suited for tropical or desert climates, but she has never had to deal with either due to her heritage. In times of conflict or strife, Iridiel also has a coat of bronze mail that protects her torso and her upper legs.

Magic:
Iridiel worships the Éireannach goddess Sulis, who is the goddess of nature and of healing. When she was a baby, Iridiel had a birthmark on the small of her back in the shape of a small Celtic cross - as a result of this, she is considered to be a Marked of Sulis - in effect, chosen by the goddess as one of her faithful servants on the mortal plane. As she has grown, the birthmark has grown also - it now covers almost her entire back and shoulders, and is dark brown in colour. Éireannach deities operate on a three-tier system: the normal clergy, the Marked of the deity, and the Druids of the deity. Druids are simply Marked clergy, and their range of powers is as varied as it is deadly or beneficial. The normal clergy do not benefit from many god-given powers; for example, clergy of Sulis usually have basic healing abilities.

Iridiel's powers:

• Iridiel is able to heal injuries of her comrades, almost up to mortal injuries. This is the primary power granted to Iridiel by Sulis.[/*]
• Iridiel is able to create lightning bolts from energies granted to her by the goddess, though she cannot overuse this power, for it drains Sulis' presence in the mortal realm and this takes time to recover.[/*]

Equipment:
Twin Pistol-grip Crossbows - A relatively new invention by the Éireannach, the pistol crossbow is a strange combination between what modern people would call a gun and a crossbow. The pistol crossbow is used by Éireannach hunters who want a higher rate-of-fire than normal crossbows or who prefer to shoot one-handed, for whatever reason. Iridiel uses twin crossbows due to her fighting style, which almost mirrors that of perhaps a gunslinger if guns had been invented.

Longsword - Iridiel's preferred weapon for close combat. The sword is 36 inches of hammered and quenched bronze, which Iridiel can wield if her foes close the distance. It is a fallback weapon, and not Iridiel's preferred method of fighting. Steel swords are expensive in the Contaetha, and as a result, Iridiel could simply not afford a steel sword, whereas the Éireannach are primarily bronzeworkers and thusly bronze weapons are cheap, reliable and well-made.

Dagger - a simple bronze blade that Iridiel uses to skin animals she hunts and cut meat for food. In a pinch, she can fight with it if her sword and handaxe are both broken.

Handaxe - A bronze axe-head mounted to an oak shaft, designed for cutting firewood and flesh with equal efficiency. Iridiel mostly uses her handaxe for the former, though if necessary she will use it to fight off wild animals.

Other miscellaneous items, including a small amount of money (various currencies, mostly Rodorian, however), flint and tinder, a thin matted roll, flask of water and bowl. These are all simple but essential tools to get by from day to day as a nomad. Iridiel also has two small parcels of soap that she brought with her from her home town - to the Èireannach, the sopaia, or soap-maker, was a very important member of the community for the cleanliness of the settlement.

Notes:
- Iridiel has been exiled from her home in the Contaetha for killing an official who was supposed to take her in after she was discovered to be able to use magical powers. Magic in the Contaetha is strictly regulated and controlled, and all mages are either put to work in industry or are used in the military. Iridiel, wanting neither lifestyle, attacked and killed the wizard who was assigned to bring her to the academy in Ath Cliath, and was arrested and faced either execution or exile. The Meara of her home town, Loch Garman, preferred to exile rather than execute Iridiel, as although capital punishment occurs, the Éireannach prefer to exile as they believe it allows the person to become a better member of society once they return after having served their sentence, unless it is a lifetime exile with no pardon. Iridiel's exile is for 50 years.
- She is travelling with a male Albhain Forestfolk Èireannach companion, Domhnall.
- She has a tamed hunting wolf as an animal companion named Murchad, which she tamed a year or so ago.
- She can speak basic Rodorian, but she finds it hard to express herself in that language.
- Iridiel is on her way to Zerul City and I'm aiming for her to join Aemoten's group (if it still exists by the time she gets there)
- Backstory is something I would rather play out ICly, if that's OK.

[Rhaevnn Xeno]

@legion - Iridiel's picture wouldn't happen to be one of a skyrim cosplayer, would it?

[Legion X51]

I... Wouldn't know, actually. I don't 'think'so.

[Nib]

Ash, did you ignore Salas walking up to Jillian?

[Ashgan]

Crap; I actually forgot about that, been a while since I read all posts. I'll certainly fit that in with an edit asap. Sorry!

Edit: There, fixed it. For some reason, when I wrote the post, my brain ignored the fact that I also had to take your post into account. Maybe because it was somewhat late when I wrote it? Either way, I'll try to pay more attention next time. Sorry again!

[Dark Jack]

Hmm... Iridiel, huh? Yes... There doesn't seem to be anything in the CS that strikes me as unacceptable; in fact her inventory and skillset (though the latter is not explained in depth) seems wonderfully fit for improvement. My only real complaint about it would be the lack of any kind of summarization, however brief, of her skill or mindset beyond what weapons she can use and the mention of her appetite for exploration (the less information I get, the less probable it is that I come up with a fitting descriptive title for her entry in the OP). I'm also slightly unnerved by the mention of her traveling companion, but that is mostly just because I know nothing about him yet; my unease will probably end once I know more about this man.
I also admit that I was rather hesitant about her having a tame wolf with her as a companion, but I gave it a quick google (my knowledge of wolves pertains mainly to the feral kind) and decided that the information that I could find after just a few minutes was reason enough to allow it. Not only did the results report that having a wolf like this would be relatively feasible, but the amount of information also told me that if I could find it this quickly, then I could also expect you to know about wolves and to have it behave as realistically as possible.
Regardless, this character is accepted, though I will still need to know about this companion of hers.

[Legion X51]

Sure thing, I'll get things up about her personality shortly.

As for the other character, Shien and I are working on that person currently.

[Nib]

I will be working on a post later today. Also, Jack, do you remember where Salas hails from? I lost my original character sheet when the old guild crashed.

[Shienvien]

I have the original CS? I can fetch it and PM it to you, as I believe I offered when you first reappeared. (Have planes to catch right now.)

[Nib]

That would be great. Thank you.

[Rhaevnn Xeno]

@DJ

Just so you know, I edited my post, changing some events entirely and adding a lot more thought process. After rereading it several times, I felt that it wasn't really sticking to Morgan's character (and I wanted to show what his thought process was a little more due to the circumstances and such). While he would definitely be more cautious to the new stranger, our blood sniffer wouldn't simply immediately stop dead in his tracks at the threat of great power. Dominance as the self proclaimed "Hand of Death" would take priority over a simple matter of life or death. Also, it's basically the only thing Morgan has. To have it assumed by someone else is... unsettling and beyond annoying.

[Shienvien]

@Ink Blood: You should have gotten the PM some time yesterday; just noting because the current see-whether-the-number-has-changed stand-in for notifications doesn't make it the easiest to realize that you've received something.

@Jack: This is Legion's character's companion [NPC]. Will try to PM what the deal with him is soon.

Hmm... And I guess you could simply add the titles for new characters a bit later if they don't come to you immediately? Knowing my own dislike for character sheets, and the need to actually play/write a new one a bit before I know who and what they are.

On another note, ASTA let us know that he has lost Internet connection (and before that, his laptop's cord had died, which left him only with a PC he could lend ... a PC which now has no connection, if I understood correctly). He is therefore a bit MIA.

---

Name: Domhnall MacRaith

Ethnicity and species: Forestfolk éireannach

Sex/gender: Male/man

Age: 42

Physical build and appearance:
Domhnall stands at about six feet tall, and has the narrow frame and greater range of flexibility typical for his species and ethnicity. His form is lean-muscled and fit, and while he cannot boast with impressive physical prowess, he nevertheless has enough upper body strength to be able to fairly easily pull himself up and onto whatever support he can get a proper hold of. His movements almost always seem to be rapid.
His skin very strongly displays the distinctive complexion characteristic to the Forestfolk, being a seemingly random asymmetrical pattern of various light green and light brown splotches. The pattern of his skin does not truly change over time - it could probably be used for identification -, but mostly depending on how much or little sun he has received lately, the colors may become either lighter or darker, and the general tone either more prominently green or brown respectively. The overall coloration of his skin even encompasses his narrow lips, which are just a tone darker than the brown patch that can be seen covering the lower right half of his cheek and jaw ... or could be seen covering, if he did not incidentally wear a rather thick full beard.
Domhnall's eyes are dark green and have a somewhat rounded almond shape; his nose is thin - as is probably befitting for his generally narrow face -, his cheekbones slightly underprominent, and his chin squared rather than pointed. His hair, beard and somewhat thick, but well-defined eyebrows are all an almost pure black, with just a barely perceptible undertone of very dark brown. The beard is generally kept between an inch and two long, whereas his wavy hair has typically been left to drop freely to his upper middle back.
Of other discernible features, it is perhaps worth noting that his hands and lower arms each have a number of small scars from various injuries sustained over time, and that his right leg carries an especially nasty torn scar running from the middle of his calf and ending practically at the back of his knee. He probably seriously lucked out with the last one - had the injury reached two inches higher, it would have seriously injured his knee and potentially disabled it, and had it strayed deeper or more to the side, and it would have severed a major vein and made reaching a settlement before bleeding to death questionable.

Carried equipment and clothing:
Domhnall can typically be seen wearing a pair of brown leather boots suitable for trekking and climbing, long neutral-colored pants (of which he carries two extra pairs), and a long shirt, typically green, undyed or light brown (of which he has four extra). Aside of that he has a decent-quality leather vest to protect him from the worst of harm, a backpack for most of his belongings, a belt with two sheathes for knives and a couple of pouches for currency and some other small, frequently needed items respectively. Now, being out of the notably warmer climate of his forested home region, he has also obtained a long dark gray leather coat.
In the way of usable weapons (though their primary function lies in hunting and/or everyday activities) he has a pull-level recurve crossbow made of ash wood, leaf-headed iron spear with a shaft made out of oak, and a total of seven different knives.
Other miscellany he carries include (and are limited to) fourteen rodlin, twenty seven of the quartz currency used amongst deigan, thirteen coins of six other different currencies, around three dozen crossbow bolts, a block of soap from his homeland, flint and tinder, a sharpening stone for the knives, a two-pronged fork, a spoon, a bowl, a small metal cauldron, a flask of water, ropes of varying thickness, a couple of metal release mecanisms and a handful of metal hooks, a couple of metal objects with indeterminable use, some herbs and spices, a marginal amount of food, blanket/mattress, tent-cloth.

Notes on abilities and skills (to be added to upon necessity):
For the duration of the time he lived in his homeland - and largely after the same - he was a hunter; the skills he has today largely derive from the fact. He has had to fight a wild unrestrained animal a couple of times, but has fairly little experience in combating humanoid or otherwise fully sapient beings.

[Dark Jack]

Oh, there's no real hurry to establish an OP-title; it's just that adventurers tend to garner a reputation as they go about their business, and the titles I put in the OP describe the reputation that they will initially build for themselves, and how the people of Reniam will start to recognize the person... at least until other feats are performed to earn new titles, as happened with Jillian and Gerald. The personality can wait and can be expressed IC, obviously, although my main worry was really trying to figure out what kind of occupation the Iridiel would have. My initial guess would have been a ranger of some format, though the way her companion here is described as a hunter despite carrying a spear with him does somewhat convince me that her occupation may be the same.
I have no objections to the NPC, it doesn't seem overpowered or lore-breaking.
I also hope ASTA returns soon so that we can continue integrating these new species into the Planes and their characters can join the story.

Heh, it was only just before writing this that I actually went through the effort of going back and seeing what was edited in your post, Rhaevnn, and woah, you weren't lying; it was changed a lot more than I suspected it would have been. I quite like the way it turned out, I must say (though I do feel the need to point out that the thirty-inch long beak of that pick is hardly a "spike the size of a man"). And how flamboyantly old Morgan moves against our new villain... I'll have to react to that. Merc? If you read this, is there anything I should be aware of Ixion doing/saying when writing a post, or might you actually have time to drop an IC post in a near future?
I'm really sorry Ixion and Morgan decided to fight this guy, though... this is going to be almost as far from a fair fight as it can be. But you'll see for yourselves when I post as him next.

[Nib]

I got the message, Shien. Also, I will try my best to get a a post up tonight or tomorrow. I am currently on my way to Florida.

[Rhaevnn Xeno]

Dark Jack said
Heh, it was only just before writing this that I actually went through the effort of going back and seeing what was edited in your post, Rhaevnn, and woah, you weren't lying; it was changed a lot more than I suspected it would have been. I quite like the way it turned out, I must say (though I do feel the need to point out that the thirty-inch long beak of that pick is hardly a "spike the size of a man"). And how flamboyantly old Morgan moves against our new villain... I'll have to react to that. Merc? If you read this, is there anything I should be aware of Ixion doing/saying when writing a post, or might you actually have time to drop an IC post in a near future?I'm really sorry Ixion and Morgan decided to fight this guy, though... this is going to be almost as far from a fair fight as it can be. But you'll see for yourselves when I post as him next.

Glad you like it, DJ! To be honest, I was a little worried it might throw a wrench in your plans, but good to see that it actually became something that you liked! As for the spike, I must have somehow missed that part. O_o I'll go back and fix it asap.

To help map out how flamboyant Morgan is fighting, the best example would be this (2:28-2:40). Morgan's fighting style (when not under the influence of his beastal side) is flamboyant enough to where it could appear to be confusing, but not the point in which his style is flashy for the sake of being flashy (to avoid being off balance as much as possible). I guess the best way to describe it would be "acrobatically fluid"