[OOC] End + Sleep

[71452K]

Hey, I found a minor error on the intro. It's nothing obnoxious but I just thought you'd like to know.

imgur.com/a/jwQNf

This is grand (the setting, not the error).

I'll be confirming my interest in this. Have a character, now just need to add things from the completed lore and such. I'll be messaging you regarding some queries I have about the lore, if it is not too much trouble - as they are essential for the story of my character.

@Oddsbod

[pugbutter]

@oddsbod Hey dude, I've just started on the history and I've decided to present it in an epistolary format. So I need to know what the calendar looks like, day, month, and season-wise, for some sort of diary entry. Thanks.

[Oddsbod]

@oddsbod Hey dude, I've just started on the history and I've decided to present it in an epistolary format. So I need to know what year it is, what this world's calendar looks like, etc., for some sort of journal entry. Thanks.

@pugbutter

Sure thing, here's the timeline from my notes (working on a response to your PM now, btw). The calendar is otherwise a normal Earth calendar, Januray through December:

Hider

The Nameless Years
The First Holy War occurs.
Goblins arrive from across the Evening Sands.
Nephilim make first contact with humans.
The dragon Fiernas Fin-Harvey raises south Sinderband from out of the earth and enchants the land with unnatural heat.

0 SR: The First Sleep 0 FS to 921 FS (The first efernight, known as the brujanoche, occurred from 0 to 6 FS, while the second occurred from 915 to 421 FS)
413 FS: The Fall

921 SR: The Years of the Boats 0 YB to 264 YB
0 YB: The port town of Skyra is founded on what will one day become Castle Inger Biot.

1185 SR: The Age of Fables 0 AF to 820 AF
540 AF to 587 AF: The Second Holy War

2005 SR: The Age of the Queens 0 AP to 204 AP (Ended with the death of Cleopatra, greatest and second eldest of the Nine Sisters)
52 AP: Julieta is killed by Desdemona
93 AP: Ophelia commits suicide.
110 AP: Inger conquers the Dolwarden and most of north Primaveira

2209 SR: The Age of Silence 0 AS to 327
20 AS to 23 AS: The third efernight. During this period, Quishan loses control of Primaveira.

2536 SR: The Age of Iron – 0 AI to 220 AI
120 AI: Castle Viola is retrofitted with the world’s first electric tram system.

2756 SR: The Magicuenta – 0 MA to 200 MA (Ended with the fall of King Medraut and the destruction of the Great Tower of Titania)
143 MA: Andrea Rubicundior flees to Andrea’s Fault, and the Fault is cursed by Medraut.

2956 SR: The Age of the Vanities – 0 AV to 329 AV
0 AV: The city-states of Vence unify.
258: The Vence regency is established, ending Vencish democracy.
290-329: Vence cuts off trade ties with other nations, and ultimately dissolves.

3285 SR: The Hunter’s Moon – 0 HM to 100 HM (Only Lasted One Hundred Years)
0 HM to 8 HM: The fourth efernight. The Wild Hunt begins.

3385 SR: The Age of the Widow 0 AW to 372 AW (Ongoing)

3757 SR (372 AW): Present day. 3757 is counting off based on the Sleeper’s Reckoning (SR), year 0 of the First Sleep.

[pugbutter]

@Oddsbod I was hoping for, like, the names of the days of the week, the names of the months, that sort of thing. But all that worldbuilding is cool too, thanks! :P

[Oddsbod]

@Oddsbod I was hoping for, like, the names of the days of the week, the names of the months, that sort of thing. But all that worldbuilding is cool too! :P

@pugbutter

Oh haha, whoops, sorry, misread. Yeah, I just edited it in, but Invernier uses the same calendar as Earth.

[BingTheWing]

This is hot

[71452K]

How 'bout language? Is it all in english? Does latin exist?
@Oddsbod

[KremeSupreme]

Forbhin Scarl

Forbhin Scarl

My steel is yours. Unless there's a strong possibility of death. What? Loyalty can't bring me back from the next world!

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54 | Human | No Mage-Eyes

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Selfish
❖ Bitter
❖ Temperamental
❖ Liar
❖ Greedy

A P P E A R A N C E

Forbhin has a triangular face with a pointed chin. He has a well-groomed gray flattop connected to his shorthaired chinstrap beard. Over his left eye is an eyepatch, from when he lost it in battle years ago. He stands at 6"2' and weighs 160 lbs, with a lanky build with some muscle.

He wears a suit of black splint armor, with grey chainmail protecting his elbows and knees. Over his armor, he wears an orange tabard with The Cockatrice on it. He also has a short white cape that reaches the middle of his back. He wears black leather gloves, rather than actual gauntlets. Though he claims he bought it himself, it's just a lie. He stole it from his master when he died.

H I S T O R Y

Forbhin's history begins as a peasant in the town of Wetleaf. His parents were horribly sick most of his childhood, forcing him to work day and night to pay for their medicine. When he was a young man, he finally had enough; He was breaking his back for gold that he didn't get to keep a cent of, just to pay for medicine that would stall his parents disease, not cure it, when he couldn't even visit them. Why should he work so hard for a cause that hadn't benefited him in any way at all, for people he couldn't even see, and hardly even knew?

He told his best friend whose parents had died years ago, and he worked in the same conditions Forbhin did, to keep their graves well maintained. His friend tried to convince Forbhin to stay multiple times on the evening of his departure, to which Forbhin stated that working to keep his parents alive for no gain was just as stupid as his friend keeping his parents graves clean. His friend lashed at Forbhin in a fit of rage, starting a fight which Forbhin won, but continuously beat his friend, even after the point of surrender and pleading. Though he hadn't killed his friend, one more strike would have. Forbhin left that night, and never saw him again.

After leaving Wetleaf, Forbhin came across a knight's garrison. Lying, he managed to convince them that he was sent by some noble family from far off. Convinced, he was taken under the training of his master. After months of training, the two joined the Army of Heroes, and later the People's Legion once the civil war broke out. The two were caught into a situation during a battle between the two forces where the Army of Heroes were being defeated horridly by the People's Legion. Valuing his own survival above all else, Forbhin looted the insignia of a fallen Army soldier, and pretended that he was under their flag, and pretended his master was trying to kill him. He watched uncaringly as his master was cut down by six soldiers much stronger than him. Forbhin remained in the Army for many years, when an absence of gold had him leave and travel as a Sellsword.

Now, fate, or in his case a lack of gold, beckons him to the Great Southern Road's hamlet.

I N V E N T O R Y

-Black Splint Armor
-A Brown Horse
-Rapier
-Three Days Rations
-Army of Heroes Insignia
-Tabard of the Cockatrice
-Eyepatch
-Black Gloves

O T H E R

[Riaxh]

Gah! Shame this is full. worldbuilding this engaging has gotten my character creation gears all buzzing. oh well, I'll keep an eye out.

[Oddsbod]

@Riaxh Sounds good, I'll let you know if anything opens up!

How 'bout language? Is it all in english? Does latin exist?
@Oddsbod

@71452K

I have absolutely no idea, to be perfectly honest. I'd been roughly basing the areas based on the nations featured in their corresponding plays, so I imagine there might be some languages similar to Italian, English, Arabic, and Serbo-Croatian floating around. I think we can just say there's a Common Language everyone speaks, then maybe a handful of Ambiguously Defined Languages for different cultural groups, then Ambiguously Defined Ancient Languages for old ruins and such. Might come up with some random names at some point. I don't think there'd be any parallels to real world languages though, beside just English as the base languge.

[BingTheWing]

@Oddsbod I'm thinking about a huntsman who eschews bow and arrow for traps using magical charms to hunt abnormal and strange magical creatures. Would that fly?

Also, can half-elves and half-goblins exist in this world?

[Life in Stasis]

How 'bout language? Is it all in english? Does latin exist?
@Oddsbod

@71452K

You might be best off making up something with @Oddsbod's permission, like old tongue or auld lang, or some cool name for it. Latin would seem out of place in this world, which seems to have nothing to do with earth.

Also, here's my character submission.

Ansi Envolier

Ansi Envolier

Concept

Art by airuko on deviantART

"Take the sturgeon. Yesterday he was a happy fish; today he's my meal. His life was cheap, and his death was nothing to me. The efertide feels the same about you and I."

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27 | Carnelian | No Mage-Eyes

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Reserved
❖ Cynical
❖ Pragmatic
❖ Highly principled
❖ Begrudgingly good-natured

Over the years, Ansi has accumulated a grim understanding of the merciless world in which he lives. Virtue or iniquity, the efertide devours it all. The constant nearness of death has driven the remaining pockets of civilization into a frantic sort of apathy. Every last man for himself.

That being said, Ansi does reluctantly hold that if there can only be one last honest and unselfish soul left in this bleak existence, then it may as well be him. He may not make friends easily, it seems folly to try when anyone you know may be gone tomorrow, but he admits that life without compassion isn’t a life worth living.

A P P E A R A N C E

In the sunlight, Ansi’s black carapace boasts an iridescent, bluish sheen, though it’s rare to see him out before sunset at all. He drapes himself in a drab, hooded cloak, relegating all expression to the occasional smile on his pale, unnervingly inhuman lips. Otherwise he’s usually seen in faded, leathery hued linens, with his bow on his back and a quiver of arrows on his belt. He forgoes light armors, relying on his natural chitinous plating to help deflect harm if he gets into a scrap.

Ansi is a tall fellow, considerably above six feet, and agilely built with long, three-jointed limbs and a deliberate, spidery gait. The Carnelian possesses an smooth, unnerving grace, natural to his kind. The sort that makes his allies glad to be his allies. Despite his arguably forbidding presence, his voice is perpetually young and airy, if often dry.

H I S T O R Y

It’s been nearly six years since Ansi’s release from a prison in Ingen Biot, where he spent a year of his life serving for a count of brigandry. In that time, he’s put as much distance between himself and that harbor city as he has been able to manage. And there hasn’t been a moment since when he hasn’t appreciated the clean air of an open sky or the smell of a cold river.

In the past half-decade, Ansi has lived a transient existence rebuilding his life. Upon arrival in a new settlement, he offers his skills to the nightwatch in return for an agreeable wage or room and board. Length of limb and his natural dexterity aid his marksmanship by affording him high perches in trees or atop architecture. When time comes to move on, whether it’s after days or years, he hires himself out to a traveling caravan seeking guards, one that doesn’t seem especially doomed (or sometimes, ones that do). The journey is then spent atop a swaying wagon, chatting if the conversation’s good, or simply staying alert to fend off threats.

Though an adept marksman in present day, Ansi did not study under a master or receive any formal military training. Rather, he got his start as a bowfisher in the small Quishan village of Kilhorn, just north of the Autumn Hills. Though the village received occasional aid from King Masbeth, he was one of many siblings in a household that was far from well-to-do, so he fished from the river mainly to keep his family from going hungry.

In those days, he resented all the young Carnelian men who left home to chase life on the water as sailors, or to work at the drydocks in larger cities. If nothing had ever changed, he might have been a simple fisherman for the rest of his life. The gift of a pristine, well-tuned crossbow from his sister was the highlight of a decade.

As he grew, some of his siblings went off after their own pursuits. Two never reached adulthood. His parents died. Gradually he began to lose touch with all the things that made Kilhorn special to him. Ultimately, to the dismay of his former self, all it took to draw a young Ansi away from the only life he’d ever known was an errant infatuation that ultimately ended in disappointment and left him in an unfamiliar city.

Circumstances and misplaced self confidence would change his trade from bowfisher to marksman. This eventually landed him in prison, where he found little else to do but sit and regret his choices. Surprisingly, it only afterward that he discovered the cheapness of life. In his travels, he came to know messengers and traders who vanished in the night, never to be heard from again. Witnessed once thriving villages, where he’d restocked or once been employed, become deserted and empty.

He hasn’t even been back to Kilhorn since he left almost ten years ago. Most likely he’s afraid of what he might find.

Or what he won’t.

I N V E N T O R Y

❖ Bow
❖ Rusted crossbow (still line-rigged and used for fishing)
❖ Belt-mounted quiver
❖ Arrows and specialized bolts
❖ Simple knife
❖ Antique Nephilim harquebus

O T H E R

Although Ansi just came into possession with his latest love, a Nephilim-built harquebus, he hasn’t had much chance to practice with it. Ammunition and black powder are hard to come by. And besides, the thing is blooming loud.

Ansi is also also accompanied by a young but steadfast gelding named King, which he acquired two towns ago.

[Oddsbod]

@Oddsbod I'm thinking about a huntsman who eschews bow and arrow for traps using magical charms to hunt abnormal and strange magical creatures. Would that fly?

Also, can half-elves and half-goblins exist in this world?

@BingTheWing

I think a woodsperson/trapper would be a neat idea, yeah, going into that survivalist territory. Charms for trapping monsters would also work out, sure.

For your second question, yes, they can, and while a goblin/human would raise some but not that much prejudice, a half-elf would probably be treated as some kind of freaky changeling-child by most Invernish. That said, due to a combination of my past experiences with half-X players and my personal experiences with mixed heritage, I will have some very, very high standards if anyone wants to make one for a character. Basically, if someone can come up with something interesting where removing the half-elf or half-goblin side of the character would significantly impact their identity, I met let one of these characters in.

@wxps350 Selfish opportunist, seems cool. I like his set up too, actually bouncing carelessly between the two factions, should make for some fun relationships with any other Army/Legion characters. Comparing caring for living parents to keeping old graves tended is a nice look into his mindset as well, that was a cool touch.

Some things I'm not super clear on with the history. Why was he not allowed to actually see his parents? Who was raising him, if his parents were so sick? Did they raise her when he was young, then fall sick? If he couldn't keep a cent of the money he earned, how did he afford basic living?

On the later living, why was there a soldier garrison just hanging out at the edge of town? You mentioned Forbhin and his mentor didn't join the Army of Heroes until the war broke out, but any trained party of soldiers would probably be working under the Army.

You mentioned they eventually switched sides to the Legion, but after a battle where the Legion crushed Army forces, Forbhin ends up stealing an Army insignia and pretending to be in the Army, and labels his master as a Legion soldier. I'm not sure why there're Army of Heroes soldiers cleaning up the leftover of a big fight if they were the ones who were massacred. I'd also like to see a bit more on why they jumped ship to the Legion.

You'll also need the short personality description to go with the bullet points.

Otherwise, I like where this character is going, seems like a lot of fun to write, and bounce off of other characters with.

[FrozenEcstasy]

Would be been helpful to know the OOC was up

[Life in Stasis]

Would be been helpful to know the OOC was up

@FrozenEcstasy

He did ping a lot of people when he posted it, must have missed a name or two. There were a LOT of people who showed interest.

[FrozenEcstasy]

@Oddsbod

When I get home from work I'm gonna PM you a couple of ideas for my character. The main focus is of course going to be the hedgewitch healer plus familiar.

When it comes to race, magic, and other things I wanna run it by you to fit the setting as much as possible, as well as provide a unique character that has his own specific role to fill that nobody else quite can.

[Oddsbod]

@FrozenEcstasy Whoops, sorry about that. I'll go back over the Interest Check and make sure I didn't miss anyone else.

@Oddsbod

When I get home from work I'm gonna PM you a couple of ideas for my character. The main focus is of course going to be the hedgewitch healer plus familiar.

When it comes to race, magic, and other things I wanna run it by you to fit the setting as much as possible, as well as provide a unique character that has his own specific role to fill that nobody else quite can.

@FrozenEcstasy

Sounds good. Sorry about not pinging you earlier, it's kinda been chaos on my end responding to all the PMs and getting to work on things. I'll skim back over the Interest Check thread again to make sure I didn't miss anyone else.

[dreamingflowers]

Edit: Made some changes to the character!

Character application

Floure Camlo

Portrait

Artist: anako-art.deviantart.com

"I know the roads, and charming company makes long miles less dreary, no?"

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18 | Human | No Mage-Eyes

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Kind
❖ Mischievous
❖ Silver tongued
❖ Distrustful towards common folk
❖ Intuitive
❖ Romantic
❖ Superstitious

A great deal of Floure´s manners, thoughts and actions are influenced by her grandmother, the woman who for all intents and purposes fullfilled the role her mother should have. Floure was taught to have compassion for the troubled from a young age. Rarely leaving her grandmother's side Floure witnessed many Travelers who came to seek her grandmother's wisdom, to be comforted by her strict but loving words. Being a kind natured soul this behaviour came easily to the girl.

Children hold a special place in her heart. Perhaps because she didn't have the largely carefree and fun filled childhood other Traveler children had or because she never quite grew up herself, but Floure will without exception protect children. Children in turn are draw to her because she acts both like a mother, but also the fun loving sister. She chides them when they don't behave, yet at the same gets both them and herself in trouble when having some "innocent fun", usually at the expense of other Travelers. She relates to their innocent view of the world, where anything is possible, a belief she never fully abanonded despite the events of her recent past.

Her romantic somewhat naive view of the world was part of the reason why her grandmother decided to teach her dukkering (fortune telling). It is through the eyes of a child, seeing each day as a new adventure, a miracle around every corner, that a glimpse of the truth may be seen. While seeing the future in some seemingly randomly assorted lines on the palm of your hand is largely considered a chidlike belief of wonder, a game played to pass the time, it is also a respected practice. This is especially so when the fortune teller is an elder of the community who makes accurate predictions.

Had she been raised in the environment of her high born father she might have turned out to be a soft spoken demure young lady, as it stands she is far from that. She possess an uncanny intuition and an insight into people which to the great misfortune of young men is not only useful in fortune telling. Floure has a way of wrapping people around her little finger. It didn't take her long to figure out many found her looks pleasing to the eye and sweet words and flattery are her forte. There is no denying her mischievous streak, but she is a sweet girl who bears no ill will to most, her manipulations and schemes are just innocent play, a way to earn some coin perhaps. Floure is accustomed to getting her way and has a hard time dealing with rejection.

Coin has its way of disappearing around her. She earns her coin by telling fortunes and dancing, or and this is her preferred method, by sweet talking her way into someone elses coin purse. It is not unheard of for her to borrow some gold, only to then just conveniently forget to return it. So her coin pouch is rarely empty, which is good considering she likes all things beautiful and expensive.

Having grown up in large and very loving family, she knows the value of blood ties, she would walk through fire for any one of her relatives be it her closest brother or her most distant cousin. This loyalty however does not really extend to the common folk. While it is not easy to turn off her kindness, like flipping a switch, there is still a clear distinction between Travelers and the common people. Recent events have seperated her from her family and she longs for people to trust, to fill up the void her missing family left behind. If she becomes your friend she will consider you family and treat you in the same way she does her brothers and sisters.

A P P E A R A N C E

Floure is an attractive young woman possessing a natural beauty, pure and fresh like a spring flower. One of the first things you will notice are her striking eyes, pale in color and framed by long black lashes. They are the kind of eyes which capture the attention and they often shimmer with thoughts of mischief and joy. Inherited from her high born father Floure has smooth alabaster skin. It starkly contrasts with her flowing raven hair which she often wears down, letting it fall along her shoulders and back. Her hair is very thick and naturally curly. She has a sweet face with a tiny nose and full pink lips which are usually curled up into a cheeky smile.

Right at the start of womanhood Floure has a very womanly figure for her age. With narrow shoulders, a well-developed bosom and wide hips that sway when she walks, but they are largely hidden by her full skirts. Being a dancer she knows how to move incredibly well and the way she moves is both alluring and graceful. When dancing she wears a pair of anklets with tiny bells on them, so her dances are complimented by an ever present chime.

As an entertainer the young woman dresses in bright and colorful garments, to draw the eye to where she needs it. She wears a white off the shoulder blouse with a plunging neckline, the sleeves decorated with intricate embroidery. Around her waist she wears a bodice made of supple painted leather which hugs her curves and cinches in her waist. It was custom made for her, richly decorated with colorful threads and swirling flowers. Underneath her bodice she wears a full skirt of multiple layers in different shades of violet and lavender. Tied on top of her skirts is a scarf colored a rich fuchsia. Small gold ornaments fashioned after the celestial bodies hang from the edges of the scarf. The young woman wears her riches on her body and is rarely seen without an assortment of jewelry adorning her neck, ears, wrists, hands and even ankles. They're made from all kinds of precious metals and stones. Her look is sometimes accompanied by a shimmering veil of gold and silver embroidery, but she only wears it when telling fortunes for carnival goers.

H I S T O R Y

Floure was born inside a wagon, on some unnamed road, to a mother who had already had too many children, and a father who had made the mistake of falling for the exotic beauty of a Traveler woman. She was the result of a night of passion, unwanted by her father and in a way also an inconvenience to her mother. Luckily her grandmother took pity on her. With a daughter who swore off all Traveler tradition, wanting to live a settled life as a commoner Floure's grandmother was in need of a new daughter, to pass on her wisdom to the next generation. A respected elder and wise woman she spotted the potential her granddaughter carried.

Floure was a mischievous little girl even in her early years. She didn't care for learning to sew and cook and preferred to watch her grandmother amuse the common folk by making great predictions. The little girl was fascinated by the art and it was something that managed to grab her attention each time. The idea of seeing someone's future in something as mundane as the evenings fire, or the lines in their hands captured her sense of wonder. By learning the many methods she would have intimate knowledge on important events in people's lives, questions that were usually left unanswered.

At the age of seven Floure's grandmother began to pass down to her the ways of the Travelers, their customs, traditions and beliefs. She learned about the medicinal properties of plants. Her people rarely stopped anywhere and they used what they found on the sides of the roads, in the forests and fields to cure the sick and mend the wounded. In their many hours spent together Floure found a true mother in her grandmother, often pretending to misread the markings in her hand just so she could spend more time with the old woman. Being around her grandmother made her feel safe, loved, but most of all wanted.

Dancing, preparing medicine, it all came second to learning the many methods used to divine the future. Floure learned that there were two truths to fortune telling. One, the success of the fortune teller did not depend on the accuracy of her predictions. People wanted to be reassured, not be slapped in the face with harsh truths. It mostly came down to reading people, setting up the right atmosphere and be convincing. The other truth, a magic to see into the future or past with an uncanny clarity, was shrouded in secrecy. Floure was taught this magic, but it came with a warning. Using it too much would give her witch eyes, like the clear white eyes of her grandmother

Over the years she spent traveling the many roads of Invernier Floure watched each of her siblings come into their own, her sisters became seamstresses, cooks and mothers and her brothers became, warriors, merchants and peddlers. Floure wanted much more than the typical life of a Traveler woman, she didn´t need to be a fortune teller to know what that was going to be like.

In the summer she turned seventeen Floure had established herself as a well known entertainer who told fanciful stories by looking at the palm of your hand, stories which often held an eerily accurate truth. A reputation build almost entirely on tricks, intuition and charm, as her fortune telling rarely involved any true magic. On midsummer eve while passing through another village, the caravan set up their tents at the edge of town, to get ready for the evenings entertainment. A group of anti magic extremists was staying in this town, something the Traveler scout failed to uncover, while promoting the summer carnival of his people.

That midsummer eve was a night of terror and brutality, of which Floure does not remember much, the horrific events pushed to the deepest parts of her subconscious. She awoke in a field, battered and bruised, second degree burns covering her feet. There was no trace of her family or the caravan.

I N V E N T O R Y

❖ An old deck of frayed playing cards
❖ A coin purse
❖ A small silver knife
❖ A traveling bag containing a mortar and pestle, bandages, healing ointments and salves as well as a needle with a bundle of silk thread
❖ A birchwood box with keepsakes, trinkets, nothing of particular value

O T H E R

Anything that doesn’t fit in the other sections? Throw it here!
Can't think of anything right now, but I'll find something interesting to add, probably sooner rather than later.

[BingTheWing]

@Oddsbod What kinds of magical creatures would be hunted/valued in Invernier?

[pugbutter]

What season are we in, too? Month? (She's a forager and a gardener, so I need to know what kinds of herbs and vegetables she's eating this time of year ;))