[OOC] Pariah Online: Prologue [ closed ]

[Supermaxx]

I think I fixed everything. Maybe. I'm in a weird sleepless haze right now, so I might've missed something.

Graves' Edited CS

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A N D R E W /// G R A V E S

”Stand behind me you dumbasses!”

O V E R V I E W

_{N A M E}

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Andrew Matthews Gray

_{A V A T A R}

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Graves T. Bludd

_{A G E}

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23

_{G E N D E R}

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Male

_{V I S A G E}

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Andrew is a lanky Caucasian male with light blue eyes and a stupid sideways grin. He’s almost always the tallest guy in the room, standing at six feet and four inches tall. It’s only natural his avatar be of the same verticality. Graves is a tank, so of course he’s built like a linebacker, whereas his creator is skinny enough that most his of real life friends know him as ‘Twig.’ The dichotomy was initially a little difficult to adjust to, but eventually his mind was able to comprehend having two separate body types. Both Gray and his character have long nearly silver hair that they tend to keep up in a ponytail. Keeping with the theme of ‘blood,’ Graves tends to favor crimsons, blacks and silvers. His armor is admittedly more for looks than practicality. It covers his shoulders, back, arms, legs and sides- but lacks a breastplate in any capacity. This is the case for two reason: One being that he wants his enemies to think he’s vulnerable there, and give the courage to get in range of his pike. Two being showing off his sick abs.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

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Graves has been called any number of things for his less than stellar behavior: jerk, asshole, dick, bastard and jackass all being common substitutes for his name. He isn’t particularly malicious. He doesn’t wake up in the morning, wondering who he can screw over today. But Graves is selfish to his core. He cares only about himself. Every action he takes is to get ahead, others be damned. He’s abrasive, standoffish and horribly arrogant. His crude sense of humor tends to be bent toward insulting others and joking at their expense. He very smugly thinks he’s the greatest person ever, and that anyone who doesn’t see that is a moron. It’s easy to see why he doesn’t have many friends; mostly because he takes advantage of people, treats them badly and then dumps them off before they can get too close. Once upon a time, however, he was different. Graves used to be pleasant enough. He had a small but dedicated circle of friends that he would drop everything for. He was generally joyful and kind, and there was a lot less edge to his humor. Was Bludd perfect? No. But back then, in great contrast to the present, Graves wouldn’t hesitate to help someone else- even if he didn’t get much out of it. It’s speculated that Andrew is putting up a front; that he’s building up a toxic and unlikable character to push others away, to avoid getting burned again.

When Andrew can’t hide before a pike and a fake face, he’s a lot quieter. He hides his emotions from his coworkers and peers, keeping some of the choice words he might have to himself. He avoids conflict whenever possible, to such a degree that he’s willing to bend to views he doesn’t agree with just to avoid a confrontation. Gray is weak. He knows he’s weak. That’s why, when he plays Pariah, he likes to pretend he’s strong- it’s an escape from his sucky ass life and sucky ass 'friends'. He wishes he was tougher, but never makes any strives to actually become more confident and assertive. In game, he's pursuing that power fantasy- he hunts down the toughest of the tough and trains himself until he's strong enough to beat them. Then he moves on to the guy stronger than the last, repeating the process until, one day, he stands above everyone. He isn't anywhere near completing his goal. But, hey, he has nothing but a shitty part time job to do outside of play Pariah- he has plenty of time to dedicate to the game.

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

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Andrew was born in a little town in Ohio to two loving parents and eight siblings. He was unlucky enough to be one of the middle children, so it was no surprise when he was overshadowed by the rest of his family. He found that the best way to get any attention from them was to act out- so he was a bit of a devil when he was younger. He eventually grew out of it and accepted the fact that he was meant to be ignored and merely tolerated as a background figure. His town was small, and his high school even smaller- which meant finding friends and penetrating the normal clichés was quite difficult for someone that had gotten used to quietly observing. Gray wasn’t exactly an introvert. He could be loud, excitable and social- but he just…never got the chance to. He didn’t have many friends at all. That is, until he had scrounged up enough cash for his first MMO. He used his low grade laptop to play the game at its lowest settings; it was choppy, constantly lagged and rather ugly…but he loved it. He loved everything about the game. Gray retreated from his garbage normal life into the world of a generic role playing game. He ignored his tanking grades, few acquaintances and boisterous family to play for hours on end. He started off grinding on his own, as most do. But he chanced upon a party of likeminded individuals that needed a secondary tank. Andrew melded seamlessly into their company. They were all chill, cool guys and gals that were always willing to help Andrew learn the game. They continued to play together for months, the size of the group ever expanding as they built up a sizable guild of their own. Andrew became near addicted to raiding. Fighting bosses was the most visceral and exciting experience he’d ever had in a game. Eventually Andrew was (somehow) able to graduate high school and purchase a real computer. All was well for him. His family only occasionally harassed him for being a bum. He had a steady job at a backwater gas station, making minimum wage for very little work. He had made a decent circle of friends for himself within the guild. Life was simple; it was good.

But nothing ever stays good for very long. Rumors began to arise within the lower ranks of the guild that Gray’s circles of friends, the founders of their company, were cheating. Accusations ranged from merely using gold farming bots all the way to increasing their characters’ stats to impossible levels. Gray defended his friends religiously. There was no possible way they’d do something like that. His aggressive resistance to their false claims earned him a fairly bad reputation in a short time. The rumors continued to spread, to the point where other guilds were putting in tickets to the server admin to have their guild investigated. With the moderators getting involved, Grays’ friends found themselves backed into a corner- they had been breaking the rules, and would soon suffer the wrath of the ban hammer. A meeting was held, and a rash decision was made. They would find a single member to put the blame on, plant evidence that they were responsible, and then report them to the administrators. Andrew was chosen. It wasn’t out of personal distaste for the guy; most everyone liked him well enough. But he had already tarnished his own reputation among the lower guild members and lacked many close friends who could help him fight the claim. The next day, Gray logged on to a single message: he had been permanently banned from playing the game. Of course Andrew sent in a support ticket. He tried to fight the claim. However, he found no success- and was eventually forced to abandon his first and favorite MMO. He had been devastated. Things only got worse when someone leaked a log of the meeting to him where his so called ‘friends’ had decided to use him as the scapegoat for their actions. He brought the logs to the mods that had banned him; nothing came of it. He wasn’t trusted, and they had tossed his evidence aside as fake.

A T T R I B U T E S

_{R O L E}

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Tank

_{A F F I L A T I O N}

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Sikth

_{P R O F E S S I O N}

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Bounty Hunting: A video game is all about killing things for Andrew. It's what he enjoys most about Pariah. So what better profession than one that let's him kill things? Bounty Hunting covers a wide array of different targets over the entire game world. He's given a list of hunts to choose from that can range from simply kill twenty of X monster, to beat X raid boss in less than forty five minutes, to even going after other players. It's a profession that doesn't ever get boring or tedious and allows Gray to indulge his murderous tendencies on virtual mobs. Certain epic jobs are available for all hunters and can only be completed a certain number of times; making the bounty hunting profession extremely competitive for those looking to make the most from their job.

_{W E A P O N O F C H O I C E}

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Graves currently wields an oversized pike. It's nearly as large as he is, and is designed to allow him to land as many hits on as many enemies as possible from various ranges.

_{B E N C H M A R K S}

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Physical

Tough Skin- Graves is naturally more durable than other non-tank characters. He doesn't wear particularly heavy armor; however, his naturally high health pool allows him to take incredible amounts of damage for a character with relatively low defense gear. The trade of for this is he's weighs a hell of a lot more than other classes, and is thus slower and can be kited by ranged or agile enemies. He gained this trait through hundreds of hours of getting the shit kicked out of him without armor on, which has led to increased durability without the need for heavy armors.

Potion Addict- Graves has been relying on potions for his tanking abilities since he started playing Pariah. After chugging down countless elixirs, his physiology has an easier time adapting to the ingested liquids. Potions last longer and are more potent on Graves than others. A small side effect being that Bludd can’t function very well without them in his system. He usually carries potions for lifesteal, iron skin and healing- to make him even harder to kill.

Blood In The Water- Much like a shark, Graves gets a sort of sixth 'sense' whenever a target is bleeding. It allows him to track them within twenty five meters (doubles if he was the one that made them bleed); it's less like echo location and more like a compass that points him in their general direction. It won't reveal the exact position of a hiding enemy, nor does it tell Graves if they are above or below him- simply where they would be on a two dimensional field. Dozens of hours of trying to hunt down that last monster for his bounty hunting quest has made the tank a decent enough tracker.

Enhanced Strength- The weapons and armor used by a tank are heavy. Graves is required to have above average physical strength if he wants to use them effectively. This also means he's able to carry more (when not impeded by his regular gear) and hits slightly harder with unarmed attacks.

Executioner- Graves tends to fight harder when his enemy his on the back foot. He pushes his advantage and attempts to go for killing blows as often as possible. A slew of decapitated and mutilated foes behind him, Graves has learned how to more effectively hurt enemies that are already wounded. Enemies very close to death's door take more damage from Graves' attacks, although he also heals less off of them and takes more damage from them- so he has to be careful with certain monster types or enemies with 'deathrattles.'

Mental

Monster Bestiary- Graves has studied the average field and dungeons mobs extensively. He has a fairly good grasp on what most common enemies are capable of, what their weaknesses are, ect. More rare beasts, especially those he isn't high enough level to be fighting anyway, wouldn't apply.

Boss Bestiary- Bludd is a raider at heart. He loves MMOs for the massive, titanic battles between huge parties and giant bosses. It's his favorite part of Pariah. Thus, he's invested quite a bit of time into learning some of the boss enemies in the game. The tougher, higher end leviathans that require teamwork, determination and raw power to defeat. Knowledge is power in these sort of encounters, and Bludd has made sure he knows about the general workings of the bosses he's likely to face.

Meditative Healing- Since Graves' combat stance is entirely based on healing, he figured he could use an out of combat healing ability too. Essentially, Graves can sit down and focus his magic on repairing his wounds. How long it takes depends on the severity of his injuries. The stance is extremely taxing, takes awhile to start and takes forever to finish if he's hurt- and it can't heal things like broken bones or eviscerated organs. He'll need a real healer for that.

Metalworking- Required field to get to Weapons' Repair. He uses this as a source of income, creating very basic items and selling them either on the market or to NPCs. He would much rather get money from killing mobs all day and pawning off legendary raid items, but sadly working the marketplace is the only real way to get a stable source of income.

Weapons' Repair- Graves likes his Pike. It's his favorite weapon. He isn't very good with much else, and doesn't have a backup for when it breaks. So, instead of constantly paying vendors and other players to fix it for him, he decided to spec into Weapons' Repair and do the damn thing himself.

_{R O U G H V I R T U A L H I S T O R Y}

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Andrew came by Pariah through rather interesting circumstances. He was scrolling through online forums, looking for something to replace his beloved original MMO when he came across an advertisement for Pariah. The game looked absolutely phenomenal; and Gray had always been fascinated by the idea of VR. He had only gotten to play with a system like that once or twice, but he loved every nanosecond of the experience. He couldn't afford it, however. Not on a minimum wage job. That is until he caught wind of a giveaway being done by a local game store. The place had just gotten a shipment of VR headsets and wanted to attract buyers; so they held a raffle contest. Five people would walk away with a copy of Pariah and one of the headsets. Andrew knew he had no chance of winning, but he decided to enter anyway; there was a small fee, but...what the hell. Why not give it a try? Imagine his surprise when he gets an email from the company, informing him that he had won. Gray rushed over to the store the moment he finished reading it and picked up his package. Thus began his journey in Pariah.

Graves is not a name known by many, simply because he keeps to himself for the most part. He has a rapidly growing reputation, however, among the more attentive members of the bounty hunting community. The profession is used by a large chunk of the player base; however, the few hundred or so individuals that claims to be 'professional bounty hunters' are a highly competitive and inclusive group. So when some no name young blood starts snatching up important contracts and taking down a high level bosses and esteemed players, the smarter heads start to turn. He's an above average raider that joins public groups, dominates his enemies and takes what he needs before disappearing again.

Andrew is above average at best. He's no professional, and lacks the experience or gear to take on the really big names. Yet. He's dedicated himself to becoming the absolute strongest hunter in the name; and he's going to do it by almost any means necessary. The only thing he's wary of is teaming up with other players. He's partied up a handful of times, but never long enough to get attached- he knows where that particular road leads. However, there are some obstacles which cannot be overcome alone. Some enemies cannot be defeated through sheer force of will and hours of scrolling through guides and wikis online. On occasion, Bludd has to team up with others- usually to do bosses or gank unsuspecting targets that he can't beat alone. His temporary help always gets a 'piece of the pie' so to speak; he makes sure they get something out of the effort, even if he's an asshole to them while doing so.

Bludd received his primary weapon a few months ago in one of the hardest grind sessions of his life; it's priceless to him, and it fits his playstyle perfectly. The pike isn’t exactly anything special, but it’s Graves weapon of choice no matter the circumstance. He uses it consistently, and has yet to hear of any item that he'd rather have over it. He and that dumb ol' pike have been through a lot together. Why give it up for something unfamiliar? His current weapon is reliable. And if Gray needs anything, it's a little bit of reliability in his life.

[Vec]

@Vec

-redacted-

Only one thing I had to correct on the formatting end of things, though the… interesting choice of font will take some getting used to.

...and that's all I really have to say. Outside of the weird font choice and some miffs here and there I see nothing I can really critique without being guilty of nitpicking. So, heh. You came, you saw, and you applied. It's great when I don't have to critique because I can focus on other stuff like the prospective IC!

@Gowi

yeah, midway I kinda regretted changing everything to small caps, but I couldn't really write everything all over again in lower case, so I just stuck with it through the whole thing XD

[MissCapnCrunch]

@Turboshitter

How did you find those private videos of me on the internet of all places?!

[Xiro Zean]

@Xiro Zean

O C H R E (Maxwell)

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M A X W E L L /// O C H R E

“Not everything needs to happen all at once. Some things just need a little time.”

O V E R V I E W

_{N A M E}

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Maxwell Castillo

_{A V A T A R}

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Ochre

_{A G E}

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22

_{G E N D E R}

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Male

_{V I S A G E}

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Ochre can be identified as a lean, Caucasian male, who stands at a relatively average height of 166cm, displaying intriguing jade eyes and raven-black hair. While usually seen in light, leather cloth that boasts a bronze pauldron on the left shoulder, it would not be surprising to see him wrapped within a cloak, equiped with chainmail under scale armor, or donning full platemail while out in the field. His entire figure, despite his current state of movement, seems to be in perpetually sedated position, as if the state of affairs in the immediate world around him are merely just another second in time.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

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Ochre is slow.

That is not an insult to his intelligence, despite the popular belief that he is mentally impaired as well. No, the description is used to describe him as a person. Everything he does, despite its true speed, seems downplayed in comparison to the actions of others. If a line of people moved at an equal pace, with the same tempo and in a perfectly straight line, the drill sergeant composing the practice would shout at him to pick up his pace. It is an almost instinctual reaction to his presence, to the lethargic air that seems to encompass his sphere of influence. Even in combat, as he moves throughout the field, setting traps on the fly and slicing at foes as quickly as any fighter, his allies have frequently noted that the man works less than the rest of them. It befuddles everyone around him, even those who are knowledgeable of his passionate side, of the man who would go far and beyond the call of duty to get a job done. If it wasn't for his similarly fervent attachment to the bonds between others, a close friend would think him more suited for Draethir than Queon.

This unhurried nature spreads to his mannerisms as well, having no sense of the word "Quickness" in his consistency of arriving late to every sort of function or meeting. Any person who knows of him understand to give him the time of a meeting up to thirty minutes earlier than the designated, as to make sure he shows up on time. Something to note about him is his patience, and while it may strengthen the idea of his unnatural sluggishness, it is probably one of the main reasons for his success in Pariah. Minutes, Hours, and once, even Days, he is capable of waiting out the perfect circumstance, springing a trap when the most optimal situation may appear. During special occasions, however, one would be amazed at the speed of his momentum, taking him from point A to point B in record time for the sake of his companions. But, as fitting of a Sikth, this sort of behavior is seen rarely, to the point where his closest friends may comment that "a blue moon is more common than seeing Ochre move quickly".

Any who are capable of seeing past such idiosyncrasies would find a young man capable of extraordinary compassion, taking to heart any sort of problems a person may have and seeking to make it right, even complete strangers. Anger is not a word in his vocabulary, accompanying "Haste" in the mental garbage bin, though irritation is very likely to be present within a situation that isn't solved within the first few tries. Any mistakes or issues with his own person are corrected almost immediately, though retaining his amendments may take a few weeks. The only exception to this is his own skills, and a one track mind is set on developing the strongest set of armor in Pariah. While he is still far from reaching that goal, he gains another step closer everyday.

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

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Honestly, there's not much to say about his life. He lives in a modest apartment, graduated with a college degree in the past year, and even more recently found an internship as a business associate. His only sibling, his sister, is going through her freshman year in a university, sending him postcards from her little corner of the world. His parents, happy for his accomplishments, drive to see him every month to catch up, enjoy each others company, and generally live life in a joyous manner.

However, a few months ago, his sibling sent him a package instead of an envelope. Curious, he opened the container to find a copy of the latest hit "game", Pariah, and the regular postcard he usually received. Apparently, his parents and his sister had pooled money together in order to give him a congratulatory gift for his currently progressing life. Having forgotten to buy one for him on the day itself, it was agreed to procure a present more opulent than they otherwise would have. Touched by the gesture, he started up the program only minutes after receiving it.

He remembered to thank them for the gift a week later with a surprise visit to his sibling, and a big hug to his parents when they came for their routine visit to his home.

A T T R I B U T E S

_{R O L E}

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Support

_{A F F I L A T I O N}

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Sikth

_{P R O F E S S I O N}

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Scavenger

_{W E A P O N O F C H O I C E}

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Griffzungenschwert, though the use of a Hammer cannot be unfounded

_{B E N C H M A R K S}

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Physical

Exploit Armor Weakness - Many foes have some sort of armor equipped onto their person within the world of Pariah. Metals, scales, shells, all sorts of protection that may deflect or mitigate the extent of injuries created by attacks. Having created a variety of armors himself, Ochre has used his experience to innately pinpoint the flaws within the protective coverings of his enemies, taking advantage of openings and cracks that naturally occur, or even those created by wear and tear to harm the more malleable, fragile flesh underneath.

Magical Trap Creation - Gathering materials from the creatures of Pariah is quite vexing, as combat with monsters and beasts may unintentionally render such elements useless, marred by cuts, fractures, and other sorts of disfigurement. As such, Ochre has taken measures in order to keep his targets as closest to completely intact as possible, delaying the activation times of debilitating spells that cause afflictions capable of incapacitating targets, such as momentarily restricting movement via paralytic sparks, plagues of vertigo and blinding flares, or slow-acting poisons useful for steadily draining a monster of its energy. Through practice, he has gained the ability to "set" such spells at designated locations, and granting them the ability to be remotely activated by special conditions, such as proximity or pressure.

Second Skin - As Ochre crafted more, and more, and more varieties of armor and attire, he slowly became used to each individual style, the contours and shape of each becoming as familiar as an old friend. As a result, he is able to move unrestrained in any sort of armor, from the lightest cloak to the heaviest platemail.

Mental

Optimal Decortication - Hunting monsters and beasts within the world of Pariah is commonplace, the corpses of the fallen creatures holding unrefined treasures that are just waiting to be put to use. Noting this aspect through his own musings, Ochre has developed the precise talent of extracting materials from the corpses of monsters, selling the procured components for money from fellow merchants, or making use of them for his own desires.

Proficient Leatherworking - Through his natural routine of skinning the creatures that fall in battle, Ochre accumulated a surplus of pelts and hides from multiple species of beast and monster. To keep his efforts from falling to the way side, Ochre has matured for himself the facility of crafting leather instruments from the materials he collects. From clothing, to decorations, to actual musical instruments, Ochre has developed his art to a fine point, capable of creating a multitude of products for both his business, and for himself.

Competent Blacksmithing - While harder to come across than pelts, metal is a commodity common within caves and dungeons. Being an adventurer as well as a merchant, Ochre was able to come into possession of such materials from the areas he visited, and monsters defeated. Supplementing his Leatherworking skills, Ochre expounded on his craftsmanship, molding and striking metal into equipment and trinkets as well as he sew leather.

Adept Armorsmithing - Protection is key within the world of Pariah. When an enemy is more nimble, stronger, smarter, and generally a better combatant than another, the only way the underdog would be able to win is by the state of his equipment. Specifically, his armor. After developing his skills in shaping cloth and metal, Ochre was able to use such talents in the development of protective equipment, ranging from light, heavy, and even domestic pieces of attire. While not as efficient as the enchanted apparatuses rewarded through high-level dungeoneering, his works are a cut above the average.

Traveling Salesman - Taking the phrase “off the beaten path” literally, Ochre has become a well-versed salesman in the art of "travel". A vendor no matter where he is, no matter the place, situation or time, due to the fact he is constantly moving and selling his wares in towns throughout the realm. This has given him trade awareness within various provinces as well as an understanding of the various economies of aforementioned provinces, picking up information from the multiple prefectures that others would lack.

_{R O U G H V I R T U A L H I S T O R Y}

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A peculiarity within the secretive Sikth, the name "Ochre" would have most people outside of the pathos scratching their heads. Who is that? Isn't that the name of a color? Inside, however, many know of the Blacksmith like one would a childhood friend. A numerous amount of those who know his name have some sort of equipment on their person created by the man, each of them vouching for his efficiency and the longevity of his works. A helmet here, an arm guard there, some have entire sets of armor that they could certify were molded by his hands. Although, many who browse his wares wonder how he procures materials for the durable pieces he makes, and are usually surprised by the answer.

He obtains them, himself.

Supporting large raiding parties, accompanying travelers, and sometimes on his own, each and every one of his creations were made with his tireless labor, both with the anvil and with the sword. Many may call him a fanatic, others a man to stick along side. Those who truly know him, and understand his rather unsightly habits... Don't want to deal with his perpetual down tempo.

Had to attribute character color to the section headers, but that’s about it on the “Gowi is a OCD moron” front. So let's get to the meat of things. This... this might take awhile to read.

Benchmarks: If you are content with lacking a full physical list, no comments here.

Um... it's good? Excellent really. Good to go.

@Gowi

Horrah! My stupidly-long-to-make-CS wasn't utterly annihilate- Uh, I mean... Thanks :D

There is a lack of Physical Benchmarks to underline Ochre's main role: A merchant. Most of his time in Pariah was taken up in his Armorsmithing and selling his pieces off. There wasn't really much time to build up on any sort of Physical Benchmarks for him, but I guess if I really wanted to I could give him enhanced strength for working at his forge for so long... Or give him some sort of Benchmark that could make up for his lack of presence on the battlefield.

Sure, he can fight as well as any other Adventurer who has played as long as he has, but don't expect for his efforts to be seen at first glance.

[shylarah]

@Xiro Zean I notice in one section you say he seems like he'd be more suited to Draethir than Queon...but he's Sikth. Think one of those is incorrect.

[Xiro Zean]

@shylarah

Ah, whoops XD I originally made him Queon, but rethought his personality and changed him to Sikth. Good eye, I'll fix that immediately.

[shylarah]

@Xiro Zean hahaha, I know this feeling all too well. ^.^;;

[Gowi]

The GM did not even see such mistakes!

@Superboy

u good bro

[Gowi]

@Archmage MC

I have not forgotten about you, I'll get to your review today at some point; I'm very busy wrapping up some things. Also, I'm on mobile so.

[Archmage MC]

@Archmage MC

I have not forgotten about you, I'll get to your review today at some point; I'm very busy wrapping up some things. Also, I'm on mobile so.

@Gowi

Thats ok. If you review me and I don't reply right away I probably fell asleep. Had insomnia so I'm expecting to crash any moment.

[Stern Algorithm]

Hey, I saw @NarcissisticPotato's recruitment thread and have been lurking for a while. Here is my character, please let me know if it works. My character is essentially a control mage who has made herself too much trouble to be worth killing.

@Gowi

Dr. Eileen Fang/Ailanthus Altissima

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E I L E E N /// T E S S A

“They say if you bring science into a fantasy setting, God kills a catgirl. I hate catgirls.”

O V E R V I E W

_{N A M E}

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Eileen Fang

_{A V A T A R}

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Ailanthus Altissima

_{A G E}

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32

_{G E N D E R}

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Female

_{V I S A G E}

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Under a dark suit of magical armor is the small, frail frame of Ailanthus Altissima. Though she could have been her ideal self, her PARIAH appearance is (other than being free of blemishes) unremarkable, normal, and bland. That is how she sees herself. She appears slightly younger than she actually is because society reminds her constantly that she hasn't matured because she's not married and still plays games. Her glasses form a very core part of her identity and followed her into PARIAH. When out of armor, she wears a white robe that acts as a closest approximation to a lab coat. She has no desire to 'stay in-character' or preserve 'immersion' for others, intentionally commissioning crafters to make her scientific- and futuristic-looking gear.

How she appears under the armor

Below is her face, 90% of the time:

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

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Tessa is a single, middle-aged woman whose work- and social-life has her stressed to breaking point, causing her to indulge in escapist behavior with the aid of electronic media. In some circles, she might be called an 'otaku', which would be true; while others might call her a 'fujoshi', which would be technically incorrect. High-strung and irritable, Tessa has difficulty keeping her stress from flowing into her leisure activities, and is often accused of 'spoiling the mood'. Some question why she even plays games as she has a tendency to become frustrated easily, a trait that stems from performance anxiety.

Though Tessa has difficulty enjoying a game if things don't go her way, she is addicted to the rush of things going right. Despite her thorny and at-times belligerent behavior, Tessa has a deep sense of responsibility, a need to not only pull her own weight, but to go above and beyond. However, she not only holds herself to this level of perfectionism, she expects the same from anyone unfortunate enough to be her teammate.

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

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Urban China was all Eileen ever knew, from the robotic and highly-competitive educational system to the robotic and highly-competitive high-tech industrial work environment. She never stood out when it came to academic excellence, but she did stick her neck out just far enough to warrant being bullied and socially sabotaged by her peers. She went through life with jaded bitterness and social awkwardness.

She retreated daily to social media, illegally downloaded anime, manga, and games, becoming addicted to MMO's in particular. She was known as a rage gamer, logging on alone, joining teams of people she didn't know to participate in dungeons and other party activities. She even attempted forum RP once but only ended up arguing with others, pissing people off, and finally, rage-quitting for good.

Living in the high-tech center of ShenZhen, Eileen is an engineer in a bloated company that produces and sells cheap, barely-functional healthcare devices. Her life is a wreck and she was so caught up in securing her place in the world that her nearer relatives are now suddenly concerned that she will never get married and have kids. Her daily routine has not changed since school: wake up, wash up, commute, attend class/work, commute home, eat, leisure, sleep, repeat.

One day, the company's R&D division wanted to play with the idea of therapeutic VR, and got several PARIAH headsets for the researchers to toy around with. But due to lack of a perceivable market, the project was dropped and the headsets were put in permanent storage. Eileen asked to take one home and the lax inventory manager gave her the OK. She wasn't that interested in VR, but figured she'd give it a go. She figured that the worst that could happen was that she'd lose interest and leave it in a corner to gather dust, which it would have done anyways if she didn't take it.

A T T R I B U T E S

_{R O L E}

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Control Mage

_{A F F I L A T I O N}

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Queon

_{P R O F E S S I O N}

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Enchanter

_{W E A P O N O F C H O I C E}

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Chains

_{B E N C H M A R K S}

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Physical

Exile's Burden – While Tessa has always veered towards the massive damage and control effects of mages, her poor gaming skills has had her lament her chosen characters' 'squishiness' on more than one occasion. As someone who is easily abandoned by her party members, Tessa decided, for survival reasons, to wear armor that is uncharacteristic of mages. This habit, combined with her tendency to hoard loot alone and overburden her backpack at the end of missions, has led to her being surprisingly strong at carrying heavy weight. On top of that, she has enchanted her armor to feel less heavy, allowing her to move freely in heavy armor despite being a mage who is otherwise not physically strong.

Tough it out – Tessa has pretty severe body dysphoria and believes that the body is the slave of the mind. If the body fails to obey the mind, then the body must be punished/forced until it complies. In PARIAH, she is even more dissociated from her body because it's virtual. As such, she is much more willing to put herself in harms way or try to force her body beyond its limits, such as climbing and jumping over an impassable mountain because she doesn't want to walk around it (who hasn't tried to do this in a free-roam RPG?). This has given her an innate toughness, especially when it comes to taking blows.

Artisanal Precision – As an enchanter and a perfectionist, (and Gunpla aficionado) Tessa is good at working with minute, tiny details, whether it's inserting magical gems or carving runes. She can thus enhance equipment with high-quality enchantments thanks to her constant practice of the art, and is herself completely decked out in gear she has enchanted.

Paranoid Perception – Having been abandoned and betrayed by her party members on more than one occasion, Tessa is understandably paranoid. Because of this, she has a strong awareness of escape routes, dead ends, and good ambush spots. Initially her paranoia resulted in a million false alarms, but over time she began to recognize the signs better and better. This benchmark makes it very difficult to sneak up on her or ambush her and her party.

Cock Block – When she was younger, Tessa was very socially awkward (well, she still is), and had a tendency to get in people's way, literally and figuratively. As she matured(?), she actively learned a bit better where to stand and where to walk to provide the least resistance to the flow of foot traffic. But in games, and in PARIAH in particular, Tessa has learned to use what once was sheer cluelessness as a weapon. Identifying her opponents' goals and/or targets, Tessa knows to place herself squarely in between and actively body block them, using her natural tendency to be a hindrance and a physical barrier. To her enemies, she always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mental

Short Spell List – Tessa has restricted herself to learning only a small handful of spells, choosing to go for quality instead of quantity. As such, her familiarity with these spells runs deep, shortening her cast time, increasing the efficacy, and making it more difficult for the casting to be interrupted.

Synergistic Specialization – Tessa's main spell is telekinesis, which she applies mainly to her weapon of choice: chains. The chain links have been inscribed with runes that increase their ability to be controlled and increase their magical affinity. Most of her other spells are conducted through the chains: electricity and vibrations. She has learned how these different spell effects work with one another, allowing unique synergy and a combat style that her opponents are unfamiliar with.

Stacked Auras –Tessa also has a handful of aura spells (areas of effect centered on herself). She learned over time how to cast and maintain multiple auras simultaneously, some offensive, some defensive, making her playstyle come out: area control. This makes her a veritable bunker; difficult to approach and a safe haven for party members.

Spider's Web – Tessa's chains are usually laid out radiating from her in all directions for several meters. She has learned to be extra vigilant of what goes on in her zone of control and can differentiate friend from foe with spells that would otherwise be indiscriminate.

Kick 'em while they're down – Tessa doesn't get along easily with people and has been bullied for much of her life. She takes a sadistic pleasure in lashing out, in having the tables turned by becoming the bully. Delighting in 'kicking her enemies while they are down', she focused so many spells on downed, incapacitated, or otherwise helpless targets that she has developed an interesting trait: her spells do higher damage to and ignore the magic resistance of targets who have been affected by any negative state, whether slowed, taunted, rooted, frozen, stunned, etc.

_{R O U G H V I R T U A L H I S T O R Y}

---

Ailanthus Altissima, the scientific name for a plant commonly called the 'tree of Heaven'. It is an invasive species with the ability to clone itself through its roots in a technique called 'suckering', and is, like the mythological hydra, difficult to exterminate. It is considered a noxious weed due to the foul-smelling odor it produces. The tree also resprouts vigorously when cut, making its eradication difficult and time-consuming. In many urban areas, it has acquired the derisive nicknames of "ghetto palm", "stink tree", and "tree of Hell".

No one knows, or cares, why Dr. Eileen Fang chose this name, and most refuse to say it in full, earning Eileen the nickname 'Tessa' from Altissima. Since logging on for the first time, Tessa has been like her namesake, invading parties and raising a stink. Her initial desire had been to party up and quest with others, but her belligerence always got in the way.

Eventually, she turned her focus to enchantments, seeing a need in the community for those who only had access to crafted gear to attain gear that could compete with rare drops. While her enchantments aren't that good, properly crafted and enchanted gear at least had a fighting chance against Rares and Epics, and sometimes, a fighting chance was all some adventurers needed. Tessa found her niche, but still needed to satisfy her urge to actually adventure, so she would take enchanting commissions, find out what materials she needed for her enchantments, and then demand the ones who commissioned her to take her with them when they went to farm said materials.

Due to forcing herself into parties in this way, Tessa adopted a flexible, albeit lazy, playstyle: a confusing, semi-immobile walking disaster area, essentially claiming a large portion of the battlefield as her own and manipulating the positions of her enemies, doing some status effects and some damage, while still survivable enough to hold her own.

Tessa has not achieved fame for her enchantments; she instead draws clients by under-sellng other enchanters, a practice that has gotten her in trouble with guilds on more than one occasion.

Also, @Xiro Zean, I was thinking, since Tessa doesn't farm her own materials, and Ochre not only farms his own materials but also crafts armor, maybe our two characters can have a working relationship? Her weird armor was crafted by him, and she enchanted it, while she occasionally procures materials from him.

[Gowi]

One question (on my phone in bed; gotta get up in the morning), why do I see a mecha? :F

[shylarah]

@Stern Algorithm I /love/ your quote. But I very much disagree with whomever claims science in fantasy settings kills catgirls -- after all, scientific magic is very much a trope. <3

[Thecrash20]

oops v2. @Gowi I was making all the changes, but I have to go help someone out at 2 in the morning...
The visage was changed tho. Hopefully I changed it correctly, I looked at the other chars for inspiration.

Enyo

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J A C K /// E N Y O

“Sorry, I got places to go and people to see. Convince me otherwise.”

O V E R V I E W

_{N A M E}

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Jack Liken

_{A V A T A R}

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Enyo Blackhat

_{A G E}

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20

_{G E N D E R}

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Male

_{V I S A G E}

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Jack is normal man with a busy life style. He is always working on something, months fly by as he has no other goal then trying to create his future. The lack of food during his usual days has made him skinnier mix with his natural height does not line up the ladies. His personality and busy attitude were probably translated the worst into Pariah.

For the most part, Jack's physical appearance has translated into the world of Pariah. Especially his shorter height. While his face and size remains unchanged, his body is more fit. Scars follow him through his body since the creation. Jack also seems to always look tired, regardless how he actually feels. The bags under his eyes mixed with his slow movements make him look depressed. Still Enyo stand's tall and with confidence, an exact opposite of his real life counterpart.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

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In real life, Jack is a kind hearted man. Respectful, polite, and caring. He finds that it suits him most of the time and enjoys him. His parents raised him to be as good as a man that he could, although sometimes he doesn't know how to say no. This occasionally makes him stressed and wishes he was different. He finds his wish granted only in the confines of Pariah.

In game as Enyo, Jack's personality changes a whole One eighty. As Enyo, Jack acts how he feels at all times giving him a mental release from the real world. While still keeping his pleasant attitude, especially for his cooking profession. When doing his odd jobs, he will act Rude, sarcastic, and deceitful as he pleases or as situation dictates. Yet he stays soft spoken and his face shows no negative emotions. Jack would even describe himself as a "bastard". Instead of deciding what would be the right or wrong thing to do, he decides risk and reward and or what bridges and how many to burn .

_{B A C K G R O U N D}

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Raised from a poor family with good intentions, Jack is the golden child of his parents. First to graduate highschool and attend a college in his family, he has high expectations from all the know him. This causes stress to him and his kind personality doesn't help. While working at his part time fast food restaurant job, he began to fall in a state of depression and it was apparent to all. One day, a co0worker invited him to play a game he heard about, but never could afford. This game was Pariah. He instantly fell in love with the game, so much so his friend gave him the system as a birthday present.

When he isn't studying, working, or eating he plays. It is what gives what he needs to get on in life. It gives the mental release he needs in life, only occasionally losing some real sleep.

A T T R I B U T E S

_{R O L E}

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DPS / Support

_{A F F I L A T I O N}

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Draethir

_{P R O F E S S I O N}

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Cook

_{W E A P O N O F C H O I C E}

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Broadhead Dagger- This weapon is a very unique weapon made especially for Enyo. The blade's length is a little over a foot and half and half a foot wide, giving it a a odd shape of mini-Claymore. While making it slower than the average Dagger, it width gives it the shielding of a buckler. Giving this weapon superior defense from projectile weapons and better opportunities for a parry.

_{B E N C H M A R K S}

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Physical

Calculated Movements - Enyo moves sluggishly and sometimes with a bit of hesitation or at least it looks that way. It really is just him trained into making the most effective way to any activity and preserve his energy. During his daily life, it just makes him looks lazy. In combat, this is probably one of his most deadly Benchmarks as it synergises with every other. Almost every move is the most effective, with every strike meant to hit the target. This of course still makes him a 'slow' fighter due to a little hesitation with his decision making.

Dirty Fighting - Fighting to win. If a the target is open to a knee, a elbow, a eye gouge, or even a gonad kick Enyo takes the chance to weaken the enemy. While he does find it slightly embarrassing, in the heat of the moment he couldn't care less.

Evasive Combatant - Due to his slower moments from his Calculated Decision making, he has found it easier to duck, dodge, and weave out the way from his opponent until the time comes to strike. It occasionally causes problem with his cold precision making him trade punches then truly dodging it.

Perfect Parries - Each other of his combat Benchmark's create a synergy with this one. Using his Evasion to open up a attack, then using his calculated moves to initiate the attack whether that be with his blade or a throat check, and finally delivering a devastating counter attack. More often then not, Enyo scored at hit when his opponent made their move. It won't be fast as lightning, but the opponent won't have the time or be in a position to counter his Parry.

Taste Perception - Enyo has a taste for tasting. Usually just by knowing the taste of a certain herb or spice he can enhance his food to his liking. Giving a knack to create a tasty meal with almost any assortment of food. This also gives him the natural ability to taste poisons or rotten food.

Mental

Deceitful Appearance - His slow movements and height of only 62 inches(157 centimeters) will usually make his opponents underestimate him at first. This would be a fatal mistake as this appearance is always used to his advantage. From the start of a fight or to just looking weak to lure his next victim close.

Gray man - Enyo tries his best to stay hidden in plain sight. Easily able to hide his location in a crowd or any large public space. Even in a heated argument or in a tussle, he keeps it as low-key as physically possible. Unless being relentlessly searched for, the only people who can recall him are the ones he lets.

Two Faced - A mix of his personality and ability to confuse anyone to his actual intentions. This gives him a reputation of being somewhat hard to work with when dealing with new clients for his odd jobs. He usually can deceive targets or others to keep him hidden away or for them to preform actions that are never in their favor. Enyo can be your best friend, but maybe it's just a cover. Keep your friends close and your Enemies closer.

Tracker's Gut - If given enough information, he can become quite a good tracker. Almost having a third sense or a gut feeling on who to ask or where to search. Often it leads him into his target, but can put him in a situation he wishes he had avoided all together.

Self Support(Perception) - In his time in Pariah, Enyo has dabbled a little into the magical arts. Mostly spells that are only to his benefit. The only one he has truly mastered is the ability to buff himself is perception. Hearing a seeing the little things others wouldn't notice.

_{R O U G H V I R T U A L H I S T O R Y}

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Enyo started off as a cook. He found it as a good release from the same shit different day lifestyle. Enyo eventually found a whole new experience when he joined as a cook for a mercenary guild. Seeing them fight inspired him to test the waters. He instantly fell in love with it.

Now Enyo has a bit renown for doing "odd jobs". Originally using his cook profession to make connections and offering his services. At this point there is no need, as his "clients" usually hold some power or fake nobility, recommending his service to others of the same power. Sometimes against one another. If someone needed some a individual found, assassination, espionage, or really any dirty work that would rather not be traced back to his clients, Enyo accomplished their goals. In his home town, he occasionally used for vigilanty justice, but is kept secret. Most just knowing him as a Great cook.

[Xiro Zean]

@Stern Algorithm

It could work, especially since Ochre was originally meant to be a Queon as well XD While he isn't anymore, he still has many of his Queon-ish aspects, and would probably enjoy designing and smithing Tessa's armor. Because he has more of a Support role than anything (though he is capable of pulling off Tank-like aspects while wearing heavy duty gear), defeating monsters while keeping them relatively intact on his own is very difficult. Having an assistant in that instance would be highly beneficial. Coupling that, since he has next to zero talent in enchantment, and with Tessa known for her low prices, I could also see a business venture in enchanting the higher-end products he creates with general enhancements, such as increased durability and other minor upgrades.

[Stern Algorithm]

One question (on my phone in bed; gotta get up in the morning), why do I see a mecha? :F

@Gowi

I just want to know if this is you shitposting or legitimately asking a question. If the latter, I will answer, otherwise, carry on.

@Stern Algorithm I /love/ your quote. But I very much disagree with whomever claims science in fantasy settings kills catgirls -- after all, scientific magic is very much a trope. <3

@shylarah

Honestly, it was just a gif I saw circulating a decade ago:



Speaking of which, I can't find the post of our resident catgirl in the characters section.

[Vec]

@Stern Algorithm I think his questions was legit. This is a fantasy world.

[Gowi]

Speaking of which, I can't find the post of our resident catgirl in the characters section.

@Stern Algorithm

After PM delegation we found ourselves incompatible in a working environment— I’m not going to say much more beyond that out of respect for them, but yeah that character is no longer with us for those reasons. As for my inquiry last night in bed, I was casually wondering why I saw the core picture that you chose. It’s out of curiosity more than anything else.

[Gowi]

@Thecrash20

I still sort of feel iffy with this phrasing in your skill of Perfect Parries for pretty much the same reasons. Did you revise your benchmarks like I suggested?— because I am noticing the two central ones I mentioned in this review are pretty much the same:

On the mental side of things there’s two or so bits I have issue with. Firstmost I would say Deceitful Appearance isn’t a benchmark because it’s an inherent thing rather than something that was achieved through in-game study, training, or experience. He just happens to be shorter than normal? That’s not what I intended the benchmarks to be. Take a look at my CS for Hanako, BubbleGumKing’s for Marcelino, or even some working sheets such as the one from Superboy to see as a good measure of benchmarks. Make sure they are explained as if achieved.

The other issues I have are with Tracker’s Gut for similar reasons (there is no explanation to it).

Remember to consider benchmarks are traits that have occurred due to efforts in the simulation; sometimes due to effort, study, training, or habit. Hanako is more fluid with her dodging because of outmaneuvering of opponents, Marcelino is apt at casting spells in combat after experience ignoring distractions on the battlefield, etc.

[Thecrash20]

@Gowi

oops v2. @Gowi I was making all the changes, but I have to go help someone out at 2 in the morning...
The visage was changed tho. Hopefully I changed it correctly, I looked at the other chars for inspiration.

@Thecrash20

Sorry I was implying that I didn't get time to do the other stuff, just fixed the visage. Since I have time I'll make the final changes soon.

Edit: Actually, I found inspiration for a New character, but stuck with more of the IRl things. Mostly cause I always play the assassin, we have more than Enough of those here.