[CHAR] Grudge

[Rolands]

Name: Gillian Plaides

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance: Gillian is a slightly young man with short silver hair, blue eyes, and a fine complexion. He stands about 6 foot 4, has pronounced arm muscles, and is dressed in a grey long sleeved shirt and blue Poncho, along with black trousers. There are a number of stains covering his clothing despite his best efforts to keep them clean, and his hands are calloused.

Personality: Gillian is a kindhearted and perceptive person. He tends to put other people first, even if they're strangers, and abhors hurting people. This is only partly out of his inherent goodness however; it's also because he has a very low sense of self-worth, and so values other people above himself. He spends most of the time he's not working trying to learn, and has cultivated a decent level of intelligence. He's good at picking out how other people are thinking, and what information is available to him he absorbs like a sponge. He speaks with a soft, consoling voice, which contrasts with his common upbringing, even if his preoccupation with his trade means he still has a ways to go in terms of conversation and persuasiveness. In spite of his soft-spoken personality, he is fairly outgoing.

History: Ever since Gillian was young, he worked as a fisher for his family in a port town, along with his mother (his father having abandoned them when he was a baby). From dawn to dusk he would fish, and bring home what he had caught to feed his family and sell for supplies. It was bitter work, but he bore it with a smile. After all, he was doing it all for the sake of his family that he loved so much. His mother, who would tell him stories all day long to make the fishing go faster, and every night would tuck him into bed and give him a hug goodnight. His sister, who he would play games with whenever he had a free moment, be it cards or dice or just trying to catch each other in a game of tag.

He did not have much time for friends, but nonetheless he accumulated a number of them. People he would meet down by the river would eventually become familiar to him, and in time they talked with each other like close companions, sharing tales about the the day and what was happening in their lives.

There was a shortage of books to read in his village, but nonetheless he eagerly absorbed the information from any book he could get his hands on, reading them deep into the night despite his desperate need for sleep. He'd learn about the world, about the creatures that inhabited it…and about Grudges.

The very idea of Grudges scared him. He lived in an uneventful place, where there was little need for the use of such things, and for that he was thankful. The very idea of giving up a part of your very soul…it was frightening. Nonetheless, he has used a Grudge. Once. Only once.

His sister eventually fell deeply ill, and it seemed she would not survive. Desperate to save her, he used a Grudge to attempt to cure her of her illness. But deep in his heart….he was still afraid. He could not allow himself to put very much of his soul into the Grudge, and as a result his sister was not cured, and she died soon after. He bears intense guilt, that he was not able to be self-sacrificing when it most mattered, and from that day forth he has vowed to never put himself before others again.

Recently a rare breed of fish migrated to his hometown, and he has traveled a few days to Deln in order to sell them.

Skills:
Knowledge of a Fishermen's trade: Self-explanatory.

High Upper Body Strength: From years of fishing and other various work, he has trained his arm muscles to respond quickly and well.

Excellent Memory: As a person who loves to learn, he is very good at taking in information and remembering it.

Knowledge of Sea Creatures: As a fisherman he is exceedingly well versed in the type of creatures one can find in the sea, especially near his hometown.

Talent at Making Friends: Between his friendly personality and ability to read people's emotions, he tends to be good at gaining people's favor. Though his common upbringing does mean he still has a ways to go on that count.

Grudges:

Grudge of Dreams: From his grudge to see his dreams become reality, he is able to, ever so slightly, alter the perceptions of those around him. By distorting the light in the air, he could perhaps make himself look as if he were a few inches to the right of his true position. At higher levels he can manipulate the light more fully, doing things like making the light around him stop reaching his enemy's eyes, or make them see things that aren't there.

Grudge of Companionship: From his Grudge to attain companionship, he gains the ability to manipulate a person's mind in order to make them far easier to befriend. He feels that using a Grudge like this is a violation though, and would prefer never to have to use it.

Grudge of Life: From his Grudge to let others keep on living, he gains the ability to heal. The larger the wound or affliction, the greater the cost. This is the Grudge he used to try to save his sister.

Equipment:

A fishing Rod.

From his recent sale of a large haul of rare fish, he has accumulated a total of 3 gold pieces, 9 silver pieces, and 2 bronze pieces.

[Baklava]

Name: Boudicca (Boo) Graham

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Appearance:

Boo has long, auburn hair which is usually kept loosely braided against her back. She has soft, tired grey eyes, gently tanned skin, and a number of light scars on her hands, elbows, and knees-- the scars of hard work and inexperience from when she first began her life as a farmer's wife. She wears a short red cloak (ending just below her hips) and light leather armor. She is a solid woman, despite her circumstances, with a lean, muscular frame-- inherited from her father. She stands roughly at 5'10".

Personality: Boudicca is a woman with many walls and a dry sense of humor. She is experienced with life's tragedies and feels she does not have much more to give when it comes to caring for other people. She very deliberately plans to live the remainder of her life as selfishly as she must in order to survive. She is quiet, cynical, and prefers to keep to herself. Although she is penniless now, she hopes to one day accrue enough money to purchase some land for herself that is far away from those that would bother her with companionship.

History: Boudicca Graham was once the protagonist of what she once considered to be "the love story to end all love stories". She ran away from her father's estate, riches, and marriage restrictions to be with a young farm boy her age when she was 19. By the time she was 21, she was the proud mother of a healthy baby boy. She loved working on the farm with her beloved. She loved caring for her baby. She wanted nothing more than the happiness of her family. She fed off of their happiness like a grudge feeds upon the soul.

Her little empire of happiness came crumbling down that winter, however, when her son, nearly a year old, became dangerously ill. Panicked, the pair tried everything to cure their son, but the sickness only gripped him tighter. At last, Boo and her husband faced the fact that their son was going to die. That was when, for the first time in her life, she heard someone say "I could use a grudge." Her hair stood on end as she stared at her husband, the gears of her mind trying to wrap around his suggestion without completely recoiling in fear.

"He-- He's on the brink of death, my dear... what would be the cost?"
"It doesn't matter," he'd said, resolute, "I'll sacrifice whatever it takes."
She smiled, warmly but worriedly, "I will stand by you, no matter what happens, love."

Her child was saved and the father became twisted. He became trapped in a perpetual sickness and his body grew weak. Taking on much of the work that her husband could no longer do, Boudicca endured for the happiness of her family. Amidst her many duties, she desperately tried to please her husband, but the fragments that remained of his broken soul were cruel and physically, as well as mentally, abusive. He was no longer the man she once loved, but she was determined to keep her promise to him.

As if the Gods felt she wasn't miserable enough, a band of thieves raided their farm the following fall, throwing a torch through the window of the baby's room after filling their bags with as many valuables as they could find. Boudicca grit her teeth and ran into the flames without a moment's hesitation. Debris fell from the ceiling and struck her, but they felt like mere bird's wings beating at her head. She scooped up her screaming child and carried him outside. By the time she laid him in the grass, he had grown silent. His frail little body shook with pain and shock and for the second time that night, she felt a piece of her soul depart.

The baby's burns began to heal. Through her tears, Boo reached out to hold him. Her arms shook uncontrollably. A shooting pain coursed through her muscles as she pulled him close. Behind her, her husband laughed in the face of the fire as the ashes danced above him. When she turned to look, she saw him twisting the flames into serpents and dragons-- using another grudge just for the insane hell of it.

In the days to follow, many things were to change for Boudicca. She wrote a long letter and left her son on the doorstep of her father's mansion, sold her land, and slid a knife into the back of her husband's skull. It has been many years since her fairy tale romance met it's tragic end. Now she is in Deln-- her stomach empty and purse-cutting knife sharp.

Skills:

Thievery: Over the past several years, Boo has become very adept at pick-pocketing and other such forms of deceit and thievery. Due to her disability, however, her results are not always as consistent as she would like. Nonetheless, she has learned how to work around her infirmities in many ways.

Farming: Naturally, Boo knows all there is to know about running a farm. From how to care for crops to milking cows and sheering sheep. Or at least she used to....

Book-smarts: Growing up in a wealthy family, Boo was monetarily blessed with a prestigious education. She still retains much of her knowledge on history, English, math, and science. Her facts aren't as straight as they used to be, but her confidence in her book-smarts has remained in tact.

Violin/Singing: Another by-product of her once-wealthy life style. She had a teacher for each and excelled in both. Her father was not one to waste money and would not have insisted she keep up the lessons otherwise. She hasn't touched a violin since the incident.

Grudges:

Grudge of Sanctuary: When someone she loves with all her heart is in any sort of distress, Boo can summon the power to become impervious to harm for a short time. When-- and only when-- she comes in contact with the person she is trying to aid, her ability is extended to them as well. This ability does not heal the loved one-- it only shields them from further harm for as long as the spell lasts and Boudicca is touching them. She can only extend her shield to one person at a time.

Grudge of Desperation: This grudge allows Boo to heal someone she cares about. The cost is dependent on the severity of the injury or sickness she is trying to heal.

Grudge of Solitude: Boo desires nothing more than to accrue enough money to abandon society forever. With a wave of her hand, she can knock foes and would-be friends off their feet and across the street. This grudge is one driven by anger and thus far Boo has not had need of it.

Equipment:

Light leather armor, old and worn (breastplate, greaves spaulders, wrist guards)
A hatchet
A knife
A canteen of water
A ring
6 bronze pieces

Remaining Soul Percentage: 75%

[Paradox Witch]

Elan Messmann

NPC


"Gahaha, despair, villains! Your curses are useless against one chosen by the gods!"

Name: Elan Messmann

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Personality: The word "chuunibyou" is used to refer to a syndrome typically acquired in the early adolescent years by some, particularly for individuals who never grow out of such a phase. Elan can be called a paragon of chuunibyou, one who was predetermined from birth to follow such a path. He wholeheartedly believes that he possesses powers that transcend humanity, and if asked, will insist that his grandfather on his dad's side is an angel and his grandfather on his mom's side a demon, in spite of both of them being fully normal, realistically-minded humans who he has met multiple times.

That said, Elan cannot be fully captured by his unrealistic, manchild-esque view of himself. Rather than a narcissist, he can be called one who "believes in the potential of the world" beyond all reasonable expectations. Even the most unsuspecting of individuals is a potential Demon Lord or Archangel in his eyes, to say nothing of beings that actually possess power. As a result, he can be called the least likely being to underestimate something, at the cost of overestimating practically everything. It can be said that his approach to life, the path he has chosen by which to exist, is comparable to writing a novel in his mind consisting of everything he has encountered or imagined, and to that end he wishes to see as much as he can, to view the world through the tinted lenses that he wears so that the narrative he crafts is all the more wonderful.

As a result of this, his demeanor is actually one that is surprisingly mellow. If one ignores his brash manner of speaking and almost flamboyant attitude in casual conversation (usually showcased through actions such as swishing his cape), one will find him to be a decent conversationalist, and a generally respectful and social being. After all, if anyone can be a reality-exceeding supreme being, you have to be respectful. As there is no shell to speak of regarding him, conversations with Elan take on a "nothing is sacred" attitude. In other words, he's actually a pretty stand-up guy if you ignore the fact that he's a total buffoon. Great for a party.

History: Born and raised in Deln. As one might guess from his nature, Elan's parents were...eccentric, to say the least. For some reason or another, in their youth they had both become rather taken with the idea of fantastical beings, and had since built their lives around that culture. Both Elan and his older sister, Ayaka, were raised in such an environment. The eccentricies of the parents were not lost on their children, and in fact, it is no exaggeration to say that his parents (as well as his older sister) are the root cause of Elan's chuunibyou. Dinner conversation at the Messmann house generally revolved around matters from the secret techniques Elan had been practicing to Ayaka's plan to ascend to Demon God.

With that said, there was some degree of realism to the Messmanns. Elan's father was an experienced spearman, and passed on his knowledge to his son, with his mother teaching him basic survivalist techniques amongst a smattering of other general knowledge. Incidentally, his older sister changed her goals of becoming a Demon God, and has started along the path to becoming a scholar in recent years.

He has recently joined the Adventurer's Guild "because that's what heroes do, right?".

Skills:

Short-Spear Combat: Actually a fairly standard form of short-spear combat. Consists of two main stances, one oriented towards quick and powerful thrusts at the majority of the target's body, while protecting the leading foot, with the other working more as a parrying/disarming stance. Prides itself on ease of changing between the stances, as it can be done with two simultaneous grip changes. Rather than facing charges head-on, it is generally based on sidestepping and avoiding directly bracing against them, which suits the style well. Elan's skill in this can actually be called first-rate.

Survivalist Skills: Swimming, climbing, starting a fire, basic cooking, setting up a camp, and the like. General know-how such that one can survive in unfamiliar situations.

Academia: Reading, writing, arithmetic. It's actually worth noting that, thanks to his chuuni upbringing, Elan's knowledge of reading/writing is top-notch thanks to being able to make sense of all sorts of uncommon words.

Veil of Transient Black: Not an ability at all. Technically, this doesn't even deserve to be put under skills, but Elan's sincere belief in its nature has elevated it to this status. It is the act of covering oneself with Elan's cape, thus veiling him from view. Incidentally, he considers this a perfect camouflage, because when he used it while playing hide-and-seek with his family, they were never able to find him.

Grudges:

Grudge of Delusion: “I am a hero.” The will to deny the world, to engrave falsehood atop truth and push aside reality from its first precept. Overlays Elan with the image of Elan in his mind. The burdens of existence, the otherworldly powers, each facet that he imagines himself to possess shall become reality. Naturally though, the effect will be minimal unless an absurd amount of spiritual energy is used.

Grudge of Acknowledgement: “I want to be remembered.” The will to be recognized by the world, to have one’s name carved into the annals of history. The communication of stories through a nonphysical medium, recording them into whatever available receptacles are present. In other words, a form of limited telepathy. Unsurprisingly efficient.

Grudge of Delineation: "I am the hero, and you are the villain.” The will to be the one in the right, to be the paragon of good standing against evil. The creation of an a priori condition of reality that alters fate in line with the user’s concept of a heroic narrative. The hero cannot lose to the villain. Of course, victory is not always optimal. Monstrously inefficient; to achieve any noteworthy result, well over half the soul would need to be sacrificed.

Equipment: Cape "Veil of Transient Black", short spear "Gae Pen", 50 meters of rope "Endless Sprawl", bedroll "Ephemeral Nacht", two flasks of water "Primordial Life", a few pounds of dried/salted pork "Fallen Valiance", bandages "Tragic Disrepair", flint "Heaven-Searing Surtr", blanket "False Agni", pot "World Rift", cutlery "Thanks Mom", backpack "Dimensional Decapitator". Everything save for the cape and spear are stored inside of Dimensional Decapitator.