[OOC] Broken Skies: War in the Eversky

[CollectorOfMyst]

The Codex is complete! Sort of! @Bazmund, let me know if there's anything you object to, or indeed, anyone else can do so as well. I also sort of want to introduce a 'notes' system where other characters have discovered and written in parts of the journal - we'll know who by their colours. I know of a website where we can collaborate easily, so if this idea gets the go ahead, I'll put a link above the journal.

[CollectorOfMyst]

(Because you might not see it otherwise) I updated the journal just after you liked it, Bazmund, so you may want to double check.

[Bazmund]

@CollectorOfMyst Nice, nice... but what's that about messages from the Red League? I don't remember any messages. I mean, it's a good idea so we'll include it, but did I mention that?

[CollectorOfMyst]

Yes, when Daniel is talking about the situations in each of them.

"The Red League is... actually rather stable. There is nothing overtly threatening to the stability of the Eversky to be found there - but IRIO and Red League intelligence operatives have been sending cryptic messages lately, and we might as well send some people to check it out before this is over."

@Bazmund

[Bazmund]

@CollectorOfMyst There we go. Thanks man, I'd legit forgotten that.

Looks like the next story post might get delayed again. Unless you guys have an especial hankering for it now?

[CollectorOfMyst]

It's your post - just do it whenever it becomes easiest for you.

[Deadnaut]

@Bazmund

I second Collector boss man, don't feel rushed. We're all ready to see it when it's ready but you can take your time

[CollectorOfMyst]

@Bazmund

I second Collector boss man, don't feel rushed. We're all ready to see it when it's ready but you can take your time

@Deadnaut

First time on this site that anyone's nicknamed me Collector and not Myst. I'm not sure if I want to be that one guy from Guardians of the Galaxy, though.

[Deos Morran]

Sorry about being gone for so long things have been crazy as all Hell on my end for a bit. And I fired up an RP of my own that I've been trying to run between work hours... ANyway! I'mma try and do a thing so I don't fall to nothingness.

[VirdidianIgnis]

Hey guys, I'm a friend of Bazmund's. I realise I'm way too late to join this, but he told me to make an app anyway and he'd discuss it with you guys since it's not just his decision anymore. He had the idea that my character should be imprisoned in the Iron Dominion, so that's what I went with.

Lukas Cordale

Lukas Cordale

"..."

Name: Lukas Cordale
Age: 22
Race: Dragonkin

Appearance: Lukas is of average height, standing at around 5’ 9”. He is not overly muscular, but rather lithe and toned. His skin is very pale and he has a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. He is not unattractive and in fact might be considered rather handsome, not that he would know what to do with this information. He has a shock of short, fiery red hair and pale green eyes the colour of tourmaline. He tends to wear simple peasant clothing

Nation of origin: The Red League

Personality: Not the type to make quips, Lukas is blunt and honest, as he does not see the value of deception. He also tends to be rather stubborn and headstrong, and once he’s gotten an idea in his head no one would be able to stop him without infallible reasoning. Unfailingly literal, Lukas tends not to understand any form of sarcasm and tends to be unable to detect when people are lying to him through their voice or their body language. As well as this, he is unsociable and awkward, and quickly becomes stressed by large amounts of social interaction or exposure which can result in him lashing out. However, he does not have many problems interacting with small groups. To calm down, Lukas likes to fiddle with toys and gadgets as well as draw. He also does the latter for fun and is a competent artist, though not any kind of expert. Lukas has a strong moral centre and cannot stand any kind of injustice, which makes him a strong ally to any cause that fits this ideology. He is slow to trust and holds grudges easily, but should someone gain his trust, they would find no firmer friend. His dyslexia frustrates him immensely and as a result he prefers to avoid any kind of reading or writing that might remind him of it. Despite his relative illiteracy, Lukas should not be considered stupid, as he is in fact rather intelligent and has an excellent memory. He does not like to look people in the eyes.

Biography: Lukas’ mother was a mechanic from the Iron Dominion and his father was a dragonkin warrior of the Oakheart Sovereignty. As such, Lukas had a rather confusing childhood. Both parents wished to teach him their respective trades and so his time was spent divided between learning mechanics and gadgetry, and swordplay and combat.

Despite this, Lukas never really took to technical skills as they did not interest him and so he never really learned anything useful from his mother’s lessons. She also attempted to teach him to use guns, which he also detested. The one thing that she did teach him was how to draw, which he practiced with gusto. It became the one activity that he enjoyed most.

His father’s swordplay and combat lessons only held slightly more interest for him, but his father was as stubborn as his son and would not take no for an answer. He insisted that all dragonkin should learn swordplay. Lukas reconciled his feelings with this by telling himself that swordplay and physical combat were practically useful skills, particularly since most other children disliked him due to his “strangeness.” He soon found that he excelled at swordplay, though he was only passable at hand-to-hand combat, and as such his enthusiasm for the art grew.

Lukas only ever really had one friend outside of his family, Arthur, a boy who was also considered strange though in a different way. He was prone to dark sadness and fits of rage that seemed to have no cause. The two bonded over their shared strangeness and became fast friends. They also shared a love of drawing and Arthur endeavoured to teach Lukas how to sing, though he was largely unsuccessful. The two were nearly inseparable, so Lukas was absolutely devastated when he learned that Arthur had taken his own life when they were just seventeen. He became even more reserved and unsociable and his problems with social interaction were exacerbated. He also started to get into fights with others which he typically won easily, earning him the reputation of a violent terror in his area.

Sometime after his 22nd birthday, Lukas’ family received word that his mother’s parents in the Iron Dominion were ill and wanted to see them. His parents were unwilling to go, and unable to afford to travel even if they wanted to. However, Lukas was full of curiosity, having never met his grandparents, and decided to stow away on an airship bound for the Iron Dominion. Unfortunately he was discovered and arrested by Dominion troops and upon his arrival in their nation he was immediately incarcerated.


Skills:

• Expert swordsman - Before his secession to the Red League, Lukas’ father was an elite warrior of the Oakheart Sovereignty and insisted on teaching Lukas everything he knew.
• Agility - Lukas is not overly strong, but he is agile and swift. He is a good climber and is usually very able to avoid attacks.
• Eidetic memory - A slight exaggeration, however Lukas remembers almost everything he learns, and can pick up information through most methods.
• Constitution - Due to being dragonkin, Lukas naturally heals quickly and in addition to this, he is also very hardy. Having been trained in combat by his father, he’s taken several hard knocks.

Weaknesses:

• Socially inept - Compounding several issues, Lukas is not exactly a social butterfly. His blunt and unfiltered nature does not endear him to most people, he is generally unable to read body language and tone except when it is blindingly obvious, and over-exposure to large crowds can lead to meltdowns.
• Bull-headed - Lukas is stubborn and once he sets his mind to something, it is impossible to dissuade him without infallible logic.
• Illiterate - Due to his frustration at his dyslexia, Lukas tends to avoid reading and writing and as such has more difficulty with them than even the average dragonkin.
• Aversion to firearms - Lukas can usually pick up any skill if he sets his mind to it, but he hates guns and is unwilling to work with them. His aim is awful.

Equipment:

• A simple one-handed longsword. It has a battered appearance, but it is sturdy and dependable.
• A toy rather like a puzzle box. It is a cube with many moving parts that was built and given to him by his mother. It is perhaps his most treasured possession.
• His mother’s revolver. Despite his dislike of guns, his mother insisted he take it. He fully intends never to use it.
• A long, simple knife.
• Sketchbook and pencils.
• Leather cuirass. Lightweight, but it offers some measure of defence.

Other: It's not strictly relevant, but he's gay.

[CollectorOfMyst]

@VirdidianIgnis Hmm... it seems to me that Lukas has high-functioning Autism, also known as Asperger's Syndrome. Would that be correct?

[vietmyke]

@VirdidianIgnis well, welcome to the guild, friend of Baz. Now, this character is what I would consider a confident first impression into the guild. I guess if we're going to discuss the character, I'll offer my two cents on him

Now, he's a cool interesting character, I love the allusions and steps he takes hinting at some slight learning disabilities and the like, but doesnt hammer it in like its his defining character concept. My main issue with the character is how we bring him into the party- He's a prisoner, and he's not very good at talking. How do our characters get into a situation where we have the option to set him free and let him join us- and why would we want to? Our party isn't exactly short on combatants.

@CollectorOfMyst I concur, his description of Lukas' personality is almost scarily similar to my little brother.

[CollectorOfMyst]

@vietmyke Question: Since you didn't quite clarify, is your younger brother diagnosed with Asperger's?

Because one thing I would like to address, if Lukas is accepted, is that people who have Asperger's, are highly misrepresented in media. Though it is something we carry with us for the entirety of our lives, the majority of us are not among the rarity we are commonly shown as in films, theater, books or on TV. We aren't as 'childlike', for lack of a better word. And because, among other things, I feel quite strongly about the misrepresentation of people like me, I want everyone to know one of these paths is thin ice.

As for the freeing him - remember the politicians who were unjustly imprisoned due to the actions of the Prime Minister? Who's to say we won't... get them out?

[vietmyke]

@CollectorOfMyst my brother has relatively high functioning autism.

[VirdidianIgnis]

@VirdidianIgnis Hmm... it seems to me that Lukas has high-functioning Autism, also known as Asperger's Syndrome. Would that be correct?

@CollectorOfMyst

Indeed, that would be correct. As Baz mentioned in the OP, dragonkin tend to have high levels of autism, but I figured that they wouldn't really have a word for it and it would just be branded as a non-specific "strangeness."

As for your later mentioned concern, I completely understand why you would feel strongly about it. Not having autism myself, I am very wary of misrepresentation and I will try as best as I can to avoid it, but should I do something wrong then I would encourage you to tell me so in as harsh a manner as you please. My aim is always to learn to do better, and I sincerely apologise if I ever do incur any offence. As to the specific word mentioned in your post, I certainly wouldn't call Lukas "childlike."

@VirdidianIgnis well, welcome to the guild, friend of Baz. Now, this character is what I would consider a confident first impression into the guild. I guess if we're going to discuss the character, I'll offer my two cents on him

Now, he's a cool interesting character, I love the allusions and steps he takes hinting at some slight learning disabilities and the like, but doesnt hammer it in like its his defining character concept. My main issue with the character is how we bring him into the party- He's a prisoner, and he's not very good at talking. How do our characters get into a situation where we have the option to set him free and let him join us- and why would we want to? Our party isn't exactly short on combatants.

@vietmyke

First of all, thanks. I haven't rped in a long time - I think it's been over a year at the least - so my skills may be a little rusty, but I do spend most of my time writing and I believe that the skills are probably transferable.

I had the same concern myself but it only occurred to me after Baz went offline. But since he suggested it, I'd assume he has some sort of idea or even a plan.

[CollectorOfMyst]

@VirdidianIgnis Well, I thank you for your willingness to become better, but if you do err in some way, I am greatly unlikely of being harsh. In my time (I say that when I'm only sixteen...) I've managed to silence aggressive, prejudiced bigots on the internet simply by presenting them the facts that contradict what they are saying. That is likely the path I will be taking... seeing as it doesn't have ice.

[Bazmund]

@CollectorOfMyst@VirdidianIgnis@vietmyke

Now that you mention it, I'm not sure any more combatants would be a good thing. Not a bad thing either, of course, because, well, The Heavens' Eyes, Pirates, Dominion Military Forces, Oakheart Fighters, Red League Army, etc may not necessarily not try to kill us over the course of this RP.

Feel free to give your character another skillset if you like, in return for lowered sword skills. He could be the thief, for example. Or an alchemist/chemist. Some cool shit like that. In fact, feel free to message me for advice too, amigo.

[Bazmund]

Additionally, the story post, however brief, is now up.

[CollectorOfMyst]

...Actually, I like that idea. The thief/alchemist thing. Cole is the only current non-combatant.

[Bazmund]

Thief/Alchemist works very nicely. We may at some point be doing some work with explosives, and none of our characters have any more than a rudimentary knowledge about it - with the potential exception of Sam - so far. A saboteur/sneakthief character would fit well into the group, and could also feasibly have been imprisoned in the Dominion due to their reputation.