[OOC] The Band of Fools

[POOHEAD189]

Former Knight

Name: (Sir) Branimir Bradford

Gender: Male

Age: 34

Role/Position: Leftenant

Appearance:


Branimir is big and broad. Powerful of build and rugged of features, and yet kingly in his visage. He sports a well groomed beard and mustache that befits his mane of dark hair. Broad shoulders frame a muscled albeit scarred physique, with a great scar upon the left side of his abdomen from the battle of the Neystead Ford. His hands are callused and leathery, but strong and true. Long years of riding on horseback and marching with his men has given him muscled legs and hips.

He often sports a cloak when traveling, and his old tattered tabard to remind him and others of who he once was. He wears sturdy boots, and an expensive but worn leather belt with a bronze buckle, inlaid with the image of a wolf and an elk battling. He wears a blessed silver necklace that has been said to prevent him from dying.

Personality: Branimir is strong of voice and charismatic of personality, sometimes giving the men a taste of his dry humor. A grizzled mentor to some or a loyal battle brother to others. He enjoys listening to his men talk around the fire, even the cruder ones. Despite this, he can be very grave and grim, and his wrath is not something you want to be the target of. He has a deep regret of things he has done in his life, and tries to live with a code of honor even among cutthroats.

However, he has a mind for warfare, tactics, and combat. He has the patience to last a siege, he can spot a liar, and has a way of reading a landscape to find ambushes. Let it not be said that honor means stupidity in this band of fools.

History: Branimir was born to the Knightly lineage of Gideon the Gallant, who in his younger years saved a lord from death and gained a Knighthood from the deed. Two hundred years later, Branimir was born. He was the first born son, and sent off to serve as a page to Sir Ferguson of Forlinger. He had a standard tenure of service, gaining renown for his defeat of three bandits as a squire during the conflict against the Greenwick Renegades, gaining him his Knighthood early.

He then fought multiple conflicts within the blessed lands over the next decade. For his valor, he recieved his blessed pendant, keeping him alive from grievous wounds during combat. His last wound as a Knight did not end his life, but his career. He was honorably wounded in the stomach at Neystead during what was supposed to be the halting of a local insurrection. Oddly enough, he was aided by an insurrectionist. A peasant woman many believed was a witch, and rumors abounded on the two of them forming a heretical relationship. While he denied any such things, his family was already in dire straits with the other nobility, and denounced him his inheritance. He joined the band of fools 5 months after, having fought alongside some of these men in other conflicts before his fall.

Skills and Abilities:

• Leadership: Branimir is notable for his ability to read a battlefield and command troops effectively.
• Melee Combat: The ex-knight has been trained in most forms of warfare, though he excelled at the brutality of the melee.
• Horsemanship: He's fought wars on foot and on horse, but as a former Cavalier he is superbly skilled at mounted riding and combat.

Weakness(es):
Honor: Branimir is not above cunning tactics and executions, but he sometimes has a hard time backstabbing or killing those who have done no wrong to him. Old oaths die hard.

Equipment:

• Coat of Plates
• Great Helm
• Chainmail Hauberk
• Longsword. (Typology XXa)
• Knightly Dagger (of similar style to the Sword)
• Leather hunting Bracers
• Round Shield

[Iuniper]

Here's my character WIP

Godwin

Name: Godwin Fletcher

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Role/Position: Bowyer / Paymaster

Appearance:
Godwin has an utterly drab appearance - average height at around 5'7" and eyes that a poet would describe as "dun". He has sandy hair that changes color depending on the season (lightening in the warm months, darkening with the first snowfall) and skin tanned from working outside. Like most longbowmen, he has broad shoulders and arms, and back is well-defined, though one shoulder is larger than the other. He normally wears simple garb, but sometimes dons a thick gambeson vest, which laces onto sleeves on his sides, and extends down to his thighs. He has a similar padded hood that can be laced into the vest.

Personality:
Boastful and fiery in his early life, Godwin has had his fair share of personal victories, though is not the worse for it. His personal sense of pride and honor has been worn away over the preceding years, though he clings to a sense of kinship that he wishes to recover. In general he is quite personable, and has the mental acuity that comes with precise bowmanship. Like a longbowman's draw - shifting heels into the ground as the hips thrust into the bow's draw, just long enough to send an arrow flying before the bow explodes under pressure - Godwin is precise and controlled, yet has an edge to him. He has a good relationship with his clients and is often quite jovial and well-tempered, particularly when drinking wine.

History:
More than a century preceding the ascension of King Adalmar II, a charter of rights had been granted to the archers and crossbowmen of Old Neystead. Given the right to carry themselves throughout Westar, the guild-brothers of Acton of Notte were recognized for their good service to the old capital, and permitted to wear Neystead's livery. While the guild's roots had been established in a suprising victory by urban contingents in the battle of Notte, a small town within the vicinity of Neystead, the feeling of power following such victories did not stay. The number of archers and crossbowmen fluctuated throughout the coming century, rising with the familiar call of war, and waning in times of relative peace. Though Neystead was relatively safe, bounded on two sides by waterways, the guild was uncharacteristically large, many of the members serving in personal retinues linked to nearby lords. Granted permission to bear arms across Westar and exempted from some taxes, the guild brothers lived well.

Godwin grew up in a small village outside of Neystead, called Caistor. His father was a bowyer as was his father before him, so it was natural that he grew up entrenched in Neystead's archery guild. In his youth he attended the yearly guild celebration, dressed in the livery of Neystead. There, the guildbrothers held their annual drakon competition, so named for the clay dragon pendants they would shoot at, exploding into fine powder upon an accurate shot. They would pray for their dead, blessing them with good tidings from Saint Wymarc, who famously slew the great dragon of Helston. After celebrating the drakon's winner, who was then deemed a forester, they would retire to the guild hall and gorge themselves on meat and drink. All of his friends were guildbrothers, and Godwin himself inherited the honor of his fathers as a reliable bowyer within the guild. He was a skilled craftsman - transforming staves into selfbows in little time - but more importantly, was honest in his dealings with others. As such, he was elected to be the guild's constable, in charge of organizing the guild, record and peacekeeping - promoting a shared sense of duty and responsibility among the guildbrothers.

The ascenscion of Adalmar II and the peace that came with it hurt guild membership, as joining required entrants pay a fee and come with their own arms. The war preceding peacetime had left many soldiers without a livelihood, and while the guild provided an opportunity to be employed in retinues of local lords, it was more attractive to join a Hood. Particularly in Old Neystead, the paramilitary "Hoods" were attractive to join - members were allowed to forcibly keep peace. Otherwise, weapons were prohibited within the walls of the old city. While the guilds of Neystead had a relative peace with the sometimes treacherous Hoods, this came to an end with the death of Adalmar, as lords of Westar grappled for power left in the late king's wake.

The guild crumbled in the time around the king's death - the Adalmar line now dead, the charter that the group was built on was now meaningless. The chaos in the old capital was overwhelming. The Hoods, ill-funded and of little moral standing in the first place, propogated disorder by violently quelling any sign of protest or dissent within the city. Each funded by some miserable well-to-do official who wanted their own shot at power. The guild had been dependent on work from local lords during peacetime, and the group accordingly fractured as the brothers were bound to serve the powerful lords in the heart of Westar. In the time of peace following the king's ascension, there was a relative lack of well-trained bowmen - and bowyers, even moreso. Godwin was urged by his friend and guildbrother, the son of the lord of Holt, Reynard, to join in his father's cause - and be paid handsomely for it. He happily agreed, eager to maintain the sense of kinship that was splintering around them. And few men can resist the allure of power and coin.

They were accused of conspiracy by the Lord of Kenswick, one of the dubious 'coffers' of their guild. Barred from taking up personal allegiances as a guild constable, and having pledged to "guard and defend the body and honor of" Neystead and Westar, Godwin was quietly dissolved of status within the guild. It barely mattered, as the onset of the Anarchy of Adalmar had plunged Westar into a state of Chaos. Not long after did Godwin join the so-called Band of Fools, fearing his place in Neystead and bitterly divorcing himself from the fractured guild in its wake.

Skills and Abilities:
Bow-Crafting and Fletching -- Trained from a young age to a bowyer, Godwin is exceptional at making bows. He knows how to select wood to make staves, meticulously spining arrows and bending pieces of yew over racks, carefully wrapping fine string around cut feathers to fletch arrows tipped with hard bodkin points. He has an excellent understanding of the body's mechanics, and his favorable reputation in part came from his trained eye - understanding the way his men's bodies move, and making weapons that fit them.

Management -- Tasked with managing members of his guild as a constable, Godwin is skilled at conflict resolution as well as recordkeeping.

Weakness(es):
Sentimental -- Godwin clings to memories of the past, and years for the kinship of his youth, sometimes resulting in him being overly-trusting. He also has a thing for dragons, and has some odd beliefs about the merits of using dragon-teeth instead of horn.

Equipment:

• A trilaminate longbow tipped with horn, 95 pound draw-weight at 28 inches, tillered to 30 inches of draw (at which it is about 120 lbs draw-weight. Handmade tapered needlenosed arrows, with fletching in decent condition.
• Bowyer's equipment, including racks for manipulating bows, rulers, drawknives, a handaxe, scrapers, fletching, resin, horn, and the like.

[Hero]

Slightest word of caution, admittedly I know little about religion and what I do know is in Spanish, so I ask for some forgiveness if terms weren't used correctly. I did take the time to do my research, though, so hopefully it's at least believable. And some contradictions should be intentional, what with a hidden past cause people like mystery right? _{I'm so sorry I promise I tried also shoutout to my peeps on discord for telling me to just do it}

Sister Margaret

Name:
Sister Margaret of the St. Paciomios Monestary

Gender:
Female

Age:
36

Role/Position:
Champlain / Secondary Doctor / Camp Servant

Appearance:

Margaret

A woman of average height, Margaret is a woman with a striking appearance. She has a square jaw, high cheekbones, and noticeably red lips. Her hazel eyes could be mistaken for gold in the sunlight, though they are always sharp and heavy lidded. The black mane of curls she possesses is usually braided back tightly and tucked under her veil neatly, only unraveled when she is going to bed. She often dresses in a simple white robe with a brown cloth draped on top, as do most nuns, though it seems she does have a pair of pants on underneath.

Personality:
In a word, Margaret is sharp. Despite being a woman of God who has taken a vow of obedience, she is very opinionated, unafraid to speak her mind. She is outgoing in this sense, able to not only strike up a conversation with nearly anyone, but able to keep up even if the topic at hand isn't a strong suit of hers. Her intellect is something she doesn't talk often about, although she seems eager to share what she has learned about medicine, finding it to be absolutely fascinating. Still, she likes to make sure to keep her distance, always keeping people at an arm's length. She is capable of kindness when it is needed and does whatever she can to make herself useful, as busy hands are how she prefers hers to be. Usually calm, cool, and collected, she does have a rather sarcastic sense of humor, but means well most of the time.

She is not a stranger to battle, although she outright refuses to speak of her experiences.

History:
Sister Margaret has done well to keep her past under a tight wrap, making sure not to reveal too much of her personal history. Her history in the abbey, however, is public, and known throughout her town. It was at the age of fourteen that she first approached the St. Pachiomios Monestary in search of sanctuary with a pledge of chastity, leading many to believe she had come to escape marriage. Once accepted, it was revealed she was educated, though she claims it was because her father was a teacher in her town. Despite the raised eyebrows, Margaret gave her vow of obedience and placed her life at the Lord's hands, assembling without a hitch.

After several years within the Monestary, the small town which it occupied was attacked. Some say it was the work of the devil, others say it was the work of a drunken brigade stumbling through on their way to their homelands, either way people were getting attacked, even in such a holy place. Margaret believed there was no need to fear so long as faith was given, and so she remained, alone while others fled. Reciting the words of the lord, she planted herself in the chapel and prayed. When the brigadiers came to pillage and loot, they stumbled upon her, though it was said that upon seeing her without so much as a trace of fear, the fighters saw her as a holy woman, and fled the scene.

Of course, life continued after this, though a plague would hit her home next. Many of the sick came to the Monastary looking for both prayer and help, many being turned away as the members themselves began to fall ill. Desperate to help her sisters, Margaret once again turned to prayer, with it receiving a vision that told her she needed to learn medicine to heal the people. She tried to learn, only to get turned away, being assured that she need only rely on prayer. Over time, however, the plague claimed more and more lives. The shortage of doctors gave her a reason to begin practicing medicine out of necessity, and she would treat whoever made it to the Monestary, never turning away anyone. Once again, the people began to praise her, her story of the previous attack getting out and spreading like wildfire.

Margaret's popularity saw with it a rise in the ranks, but being the humble nun she was, she decided her work would be more appreciated if she spread the Lord's word throughout the world. At Father Joseph's prodding, she decided to join the Band of Fortune, as those who would go to battle surely would appreciate such a virtuous holy woman as a champlain, right?

Skills and Abilities:
- Peak Physique : She can lift a lot more than most women can, she does credit this to having to move bodies around a lot. She jokes that running away from things is a past time of hers, though she can run pretty quickly as well.
- Knowledge in Medicine : Learned when most of the doctors in her town died to the plague, the knowledge helps her treat surface wounds and recognize when one is ill or injured. Her self-proclaimed specialty is medicine making, which also gives her a basic knowledge of botany, as she recognizes which plants are useful for medicine making, which are safe to ingest, and which to avoid.
- Cooking : She learned to cook for groups at the Monestary, finding it a needed task, but she finds it enjoyable as well.

Weakness(es):
Members of the clergy can only attack in self-defense, as shedding blood violates canon law.

Equipment:
Carries with her a copy of her teachings, her pectoral cross, a club and a leather breastplate for self defense, as well as various bottles, a few books for reference in her medicine-making, and tools to treat surface wounds. Her horse usually carries her supplies for her.

[LordofthePies]

I'll either post my character tomorrow or the next day. If I don't get around to it, yell at me or it won't get done.

[Kassarock]

The BIG FEEDBACK POST is here:

General pointers for everyone:

• A lot of people go over the three skill limit. Your skills don't limit what you can do (i.e. you can still ride a horse even if you don't have it as skill) but its the things that you are REALLY good at.
• A lot of people haven't given their characters sufficient armour - in particular archers, and particularly people need helmets. Helmets are the most important piece of armour and if you don't wear one in battle I will make sure your character gets their skull staved in with a pollaxe.
• A lot of people's personalities felt similar, especially the older mercs, a lot of 'kinda grim and serious and don't talk a lot but they have a sense of humour if you get to know them'. I get this is kind of a trope for older mercenaries, so I'm not particularly bothered about it, but if you have the exact same personality as another character that makes it a lot easier for me to decide which one I prefer...

There's probably a few more I'm forgetting, but oh well, onto the individual reviews:

---

@Mattchstick The first issue with your C.S. is that you only gave me a picture, when I said that written descriptions were mandatory. Other than this I do like this character, someone in the middle of their life, still optimistic and learning, but tempered by experience. I know I did say to keep something back in your history, but I think you went a little far with that. He's a peasant, who hunts, who doesn't like to talk about his family. Regardless of whether or not his family life was something you wanted to keep vague, there were areas you could have expanded upon - what was he doing in the time between leaving home and joining the Band? What were circumstances in which he joined the Band?

The other issue I have is with your equipment section. The longbow you've linked in there is extremely light draw weight, we're talking almost 4x that for a medieval war bow. I'd like for you to have a proper side arm, and a little more armour than just what I presume is supposed to be gambeson? I am unsure as to historicity of that quiver design, but I'll let it fly.

In answer to your question, after 3 years of work with the band it is likely you could afford a horse.

---

@KazAlkemi Overall I felt you were brief in pretty much all of your sections, the C.S. just needs to be fleshed out a little more to be in competition with some of the other submissions. But even though you were relatively brief, I still felt there was a bit of a contradiction in Kade's characterisation. You say that he is 'always listening to a situation, sizing it up before he jumps in to say his two cents.' But at the same time his weakness is that he is hot headed and says things and questions things in a way which gets him in trouble. Would someone that that listens to an evaluates situations as one of the core aspects of their personality have this as a weakness? I personally think this somewhat contradictory.

I wasn't sure what you meant by your third skill/ability - the one about having a modern look and blending in? Also, like Mattchstick, you need to give Kade a side arm and a helmet of some sort.

---

@Forgiveness I took some issue with Kaine's backstory, namely the idea that they switched to crossbow after their bow was broken they couldn't afford to replace? Crossbows require more materials and have more complex assembly than most bows, I find it hard to believe that they could afford a crossbow, but couldn't afford having another bow stave carved. I also felt that your backstory has some elements very similar to the two previous C.S sheets.

I would like some more armour on your character, and I would like some more specificity in what type of crossbow you are using - is it a stirrup crossbow, a goats foot lever etc.

---

@Gunther I like Baldric. Someone with some anger and alcohol issues is always a fun addition to the mix. The only real pointer that I have for you is to cut down on the number of abilities Baldy has to 3, you can still do other things, but these are your special qualities, the things you are better than most other people at. I would also consider perhaps having your character as the leader of lance rather than just a common infantry man considering their long history and relatively long tenure with the Band.

---

@Patryk I like the idea behind this character, although I feel the concept still needs a good bit of developing. I really like the personality section despite it being brief. Gerald is a green boy who uses bravado to hide his fears and insecurities, he has nativity which will contrast nicely with a lot of the older members. I feel this is a good character for some interesting sustained character interaction and growth.

Going forwards, what you need to do is flesh each section out a little more, in particular your appearance. The same issues with equipment that I have pointed out above also apply, you need more armour if you're going to be in the cavalry. Perhaps attaching your character as someone else's squire/serjeant would be a nice idea?

---

@Westwall Someone took up a non-combat role! Huzzar! I like Wulfric, has a different and interest backstory to a lot other characters and good reason for his taciturn nature. I would like you to add another paragraph to that personality, if someone were to speak to him would they find him to be like? I think it still needs something more. If you could also give me a written description of his appearance, and make it a little clearer just exactly what your three skills/abilities are that would be grand.

---

@Jbcool I have no pointers for Brádach 'The Piper' MacShana - I love this character lol

---

@Dziady I feel bad about this because the main issue I have with this character is something that you wouldn't/couldn't have known because I was talking about it in the Discord but not the thread. Essentially Taratio, Bordia and everything on that peninsula is a fictional equivalent of the Italian city states. I don't think the character fits with the location/culture you've grounded it in. Again, its not your fault, I really should finish the Wider World tab in the first post of the OOC...

If you want to keep the kinda eastern European vibe I'm getting from Berislav could move them to the mountains and forests on the border regions between Westar and Avaria? That could work. Or PM me and we'll work something out etc.

I'm going to forgive your lack of armour because you specified about your role as scout and you put it as your weakness. While I like this character, and I think it is well written and well thought out, ultimately I don't know if its going to be the right fit for this RP.

---

@Trivval Oh boy, oh boy I like this character. The mute NPC thing is a favourite concept of mine to play as I am sure I have already gushed about in the discord. As for Il Sposoletto, someone with a bit more of manipulative and devious side will be a welcome addition. I could see Il Sposoletto rising through the ranks quickly... perhaps to quartermaster considering his administrate talents...

The only pointer I have is to cut your skills down to three.

---

@POOHEAD189 Branimir Bradford will serve as a nice foil to Lem in many ways. More charismatic, honourable, and well bred than his fellow leftenant. I look forward to interacting with this character. The only pointer I have is to give him a helmet, he's a commander, he can afford one.

---

@Iuniper I am somewhat torn on this character. On the one hand I can see you have put a lot of work and effort into building up some Lore for Westar and making a extensive character history, but I feel that this is in conflict with the role you have given yourself in the Band. You were still in Neystead when Adalmar II died, so a month or so before we start the RP. How did you rise to become the company paymaster in that time? The paymaster is one of the most important roles, you are in charge of distributing pay and looking after the coffers of the Band. Why would the Band hand over the control of its funds to someone it barely knows? I am afraid I am going to completely veto your character being able to fulfil this role with their current history.

---

@Hero And last, but by no means least, we come to Sister Margaret - a character I am tempted to accept solely on the basis of what a breath of fresh air this has been after our assorted collection of grizzled mercs. This will vastly increase the variety of possible character interactions we can RP as a group. I really like that you've gone for something different on this, you get bonus points for doing so.

I have no real pointers for this character, although I wonder why they decided to join the Band of Fools specifically? Why choose a mercenary company as her vehicle to do the work of the Blessed One? The only other thing is that you mention having a Cross? The religious symbol of clerisy is something I haven't thought about yet, why not come to discord and brainstorm with me?

---

Sorry if I seem a little harsh on there, but generally speaking everyone here has submitted a C.S. that (with the changes I have recommended) I would accept were it not for the sheer number of people who have applied. This is the main issue now. I was planning on having 8 slots including myself, but given the quantity and quality of the submissions I am considering increasing that number.

What I may to do is accept some of my favourites first and then discuss with them about who they think would be a good fit to round out the group. However, I will give everyone a day or so to make changes before I do this.

In other business:

@Aristo Sent me character by PM and I have responded on there.

I am still waiting on @LordofthePies for a character.

Is there anyone else still planning on sending me anything?

[Dziady]

@Kassarock I have sent you a PM. :)

[Gunther]

I like Baldric. Someone with some anger and alcohol issues is always a fun addition to the mix. The only real pointer that I have for you is to cut down on the number of abilities Baldy has to 3, you can still do other things, but these are your special qualities, the things you are better than most other people at. I would also consider perhaps having your character as the leader of lance rather than just a common infantry man considering their long history and relatively long tenure with the Band.

@Kassarock

Thank you for this positive constructive criticism. This, I can work with. I have updated Baldric Durant with your comments. I took the additional items, I had initially placed in the "abilities" section and included their verbage in his personal history. I made his rank, "Man-at-Arms" which is what you expect for a Lance Commander. I had considered adding spaulders, simply to provide additional armor to that area. Do you believe that would be necessary? I limited his abilities to the first three, removing horsemanship to a skill acquired during his history.

I cannot RP as a young man, simply because I have been an old man longer than I was ever a boy. I am also a grizzled veteran in real life, so it suits me. I have been reading military history for 43 years and lived the life of a soldier for 21 years. Personally, I am not an alcoholic, but I learned how to from the best, my father.

[Mattchstick]

@Kassarock

The first issue with your C.S. is that you only gave me a picture, when I said that written descriptions were mandatory.

Tactical written description inbound. ETA: this evening.

Regardless of whether or not his family life was something you wanted to keep vague, there were areas you could have expanded upon - what was he doing in the time between leaving home and joining the Band? What were circumstances in which he joined the Band?

Yeah, I had planned to explain that. It does need another paragraph. As for his family, initially it was going to be an orphan situation, but that was too cliche for me. I have a better explanation for him now, which I plan to keep secret.

The other issue I have is with your equipment section. The longbow you've linked in there is extremely light draw weight, we're talking almost 4x that for a medieval war bow.

That was just for visual reference. Can I just write in its draw weight in the description?

I'd like for you to have a proper side arm, and little more armour than just what I presume is supposed to be gambeson?

How about the one-handed ax pictured at his side? It's not a particularly effective melee weapon, but appears to have a hook on the back, which would be useful. As for armor, he's wearing a steel-plated brigandine, leather gauntlets (the left one being a shooting glove instead), and steel greaves. I'm not sure what could be more practical for an archer. Maybe I'll have a steel helmet on hand for combat. I'll look up a picture.

I am unsure as to historicity of that quiver design, but I'll let it fly.

Quickdraw quiver it is, then.

In answer to your question, after 3 years of work with the band it is likely you could afford a horse.

Her name is Horsey McHorseFace. Or not. Probably not.

[Iuniper]

Something important to note about the bow-wielding character(s), though: shooting a longbow is very, very different from shooting a light selfbow or something smaller. Since the high-poundage longbow has a high propensity to explode if it's open too long and it is extremely hard to open (the poundage increases sort of logarithmically such that the poundage at 30 inches draw is way higher than at 28), the way you shoot is completely different - a full-body exercise that engages your hips and uses momentum to open the bow before releasing an arrow. While it is possible to make tight groups while shooting a longbow at a close (<30 meters) distance, in a group like this you would definitely be shooting volleys into the distance with no care for precision. Endurance makes a good longbowman, not being a sharpshooter.

Also, the longbow, especially when unstrung, is going to be about as tall as your character. It will be a real task to string and unstring the bow, and you won't want to keep it strung for a long time like a lower-poundage bow. It will be especially hard to open if it's cold or - gods forbid - wet outside. You'll also want to use a lower-poundage bow for hunting, because really high poundage longbows tend to make bags of flesh explode. A 100 lb bow will make deer explode.

[Iuniper]

@Mattchstick You can always just stick the arrows in the ground or stick them in your belt. Usually young boys who needed to come out to war would carry the arrows from the carts to the longbowmen. Quivers are a more recent invention (from when archery came back into style as a chivalry thing). Bowbags were more commonly used, which was basically a leather-reinforced sock - the belt of the archer actually held the arrows.

Sorry, I hope I'm not being critical or anything like that - I just know a lot about warbow use. It's quite fascinating!

[Mattchstick]

@Iuniper Well that depends on where we draw the line between "total historical accuracy" and "role-play liberty." I'm not saying that adhering to realism is not fun, obviously. But there is a point where you should be able to say "Okay, don't worry about that" to make the RP, I dunno, easier or more playable.

For example, it would be simpler to excuse the explosion of deer for the sake of not having to carry, string, maintain, and store two bows, when I'm already toting an axe and a knife. It would also be less fun to say I was an excellent marksman with two types of bow, used for different jobs with different training (hunting requires extreme accuracy, ranged combat does not). I spent my life hunting, so I would be used to that particular bow, and since we have never been in an actual war, my character would logically not have experience with a longbow, except that a longbow is far more useful in combat.

So i COULD write in that Cedric is just also really good with a longbow, or we could provide enough liberty to say that, in this roleplay, the longbow is also a practical hunting weapon. I mean, I'll leave it up to @Kassarock, but I somewhat doubt he wants me to either increase my skill (and inventory) or remove a pretty important element of my character (longbow skill or hunting skill).

Same for quivers. Rather that figure out where I'm going to stick the arrows in the ground, or limit myself to wedging them into my belt, it would be better to delegate arrows to a quiver. I don't know if I'll need to count my arrows or not. That's also the GM's call.

Endurance makes a good longbowman, not being a sharpshooter.

I'm sorry, are you suggesting that my character is NOT Legolas? /s

[LordofthePies]

Bam, done.

[+]

Name:
Lucia Dorret (Luch-ee-uh Door-et)

Gender:
Female

Age:
26

Role/Position:
Spy
Infiltrates the enemy and weakens or kills them from the inside. Or you know, just gathers information.

Appearance: (When she's herself, not another person.
Lucia has rather dark skin and almost black hair. Her eyes resemble the color of a mud puddle caught in the shadow of a building. Her face is built like that of a stereotypical fantasy elf; a long face, a pointed chin, high cheekbones, pointed eyes, and a small nose. Lucia is rather tall and is very lanky, she is roughly 6'2". Her dark hair is cut very haphazardly and short, looking like someone took fistfuls of hair and chopped it off. Lucia has long fingers, good for playing piano, and they add to her spindly appearance. She is missing her left pointer finger, as a result of her near-death experience. She has very soft skin, clearly not hardened by work or battle scars. Dorret has a ballerina-like gait, she walks quietly with a straight spine, head held high.

Personality:
Lucia is constantly living in the "work smarter not harder" mindset. If she could do something faster by doing it dishonestly, she will. Her mindset might also be part of her slothfulness. She'd much rather sit than stand, walk than run, or starve for a few hours than go through the trouble of making a meal.
If she was a common-day human being, she would've been diagnosed with ADD. She'll switch a topic at the drop of a hat, and is attracted to anything that gives off a faint shine or glow. It's actually so bad, she'll be in the middle of running for her life but will stop to grab a coin from a nearby box. This only happens when she's not playing a character. When she pretends to be another person, she is in it completely. From the moment she wakes up to when she goes to bed, she's a different person, not giving up the charade for a second, because if she does, she's dead.
Dorret has never liked the idea of someone's freedom's being taken away. If you can't do what you please, then what's the point of living?
Lucia doesn't believe in Gods and all that nonsense, but she does believe in some sort of an afterlife. She has total faith in the existence of ghosts and won't mess with the dead, for fear they will come back to haunt her.

History:
When she was little, someone ordered a hit on her parents. Lucia woke up from a nightmare and went to go tell her parents about it. She tiptoed into her parents' room, only to find someone cutting her father's throat. Her father was a mean man, and never get along with anyone except for his wife, who was also killed that night. It didn't surprise her that he died that way, Lucia figured if she didn't kill him someone else would.
She wasn't as quiet as she hoped, and the assassin had found her. Luckily, the killer had a soft spot in their heart for children. The assassin, known as Lily, swept Lucia away from the scene. Lucia was raised into Lily's corporation. It was a band of killers, but it was the only home Lucia really knew. She trained with them, but never really agreed with what they were up to. She wasn't to do something she felt was more important. So, Lucia went into the spy business. She wasn't up for killing, but if she could take down a faction using her cunning and some other tactics, she would. Being a spy excited her more than being an assassin ever would and this way, she'd still get to use her skills.

Skills and Abilities:
1. Lying
2. Sneaking
3. Sabotage

Weakness(es):
If she's exposed or get's put out in the open, she suffers tremendously. If she's not hiding behind a fake identity or in the shadows, she doesn't know what to do.
She's not much of a team player, but she really likes people. Lucia just gets very irritated when things don't go to plan, and more people increase the likelihood of the plan messing up.

Equipment:
She has a bag full of makeup, hair stuff, and other things to help disguise herself.
A dagger to defend herself with.
A bandolier full of different poisons and antidotes.
A separate bag of clothes.
A parting gift from her adoptive family - A falcon named Quiet. It's usually around somewhere, doing
something. Lucia can get it to do favors, like make a distraction or deliver a message. Although, Quiet
usually doesn't like to listen.

[Iuniper]

@Iuniper Well that depends on where we draw the line between "total historical accuracy" and "role-play liberty." I'm not saying that adhering to realism is not fun, obviously. But there is a point where you should be able to say "Okay, don't worry about that" to make the RP, I dunno, easier or more playable.

For example, it would be simpler to excuse the explosion of deer for the sake of not having to carry, string, maintain, and store two bows, when I'm already toting an axe and a knife. It would also be less fun to say I was an excellent marksman with two types of bow, used for different jobs with different training (hunting requires extreme accuracy, ranged combat does not). I spent my life hunting, so I would be used to that particular bow, and since we have never been in an actual war, my character would logically not have experience with a longbow, except that a longbow is far more useful in combat.

So i COULD write in that Cedric is just also really good with a longbow, or we could provide enough liberty to say that, in this roleplay, the longbow is also a practical hunting weapon. I mean, I'll leave it up to @Kassarock, but I somewhat doubt he wants me to either increase my skill (and inventory) or remove a pretty important element of my character (longbow skill or hunting skill).

Same for quivers. Rather that figure out where I'm going to stick the arrows in the ground, or limit myself to wedging them into my belt, it would be better to delegate arrows to a quiver. I don't know if I'll need to count my arrows or not. That's also the GM's call.

@Mattchstick

Haha, yes, of course - this isn't actually Europe in the 1400s. And getting boggled down by historical detail isn't at all fun, either. I just wanted to share some interesting facts about longbow usage around that time. What you do with your character is totally up to your own discretion, and so long as you have fun doing so, you're alright by me. :)

[Jb]

@LordofthePies She's 6'2"?! Wow, that's the largest spy I've ever not seen.

[Hero]

The BIG FEEDBACK POST is here:

---

@Hero And last, but by no means least, we come to Sister Margaret - a character I am tempted to accept solely on the basis of what a breath of fresh air this has been after our assorted collection of grizzled mercs. This will vastly increase the variety of possible character interactions we can RP as a group. I really like that you've gone for something different on this, you get bonus points for doing so.

I have no real pointers for this character, although I wonder why they decided to join the Band of Fools specifically? Why choose a mercenary company as her vehicle to do the work of the Blessed One? The only other thing is that you mention having a Cross? The religious symbol of clerisy is something I haven't thought about yet, why not come to discord and brainstorm with me?

---

@Kassarock

I thought it'd be kind of fun to go in the completely opposite direction, glad to see it paid off a little lol. I also realize I completely forgot to mention the reason for her joining as I did have it written down and then somehow deleted that and another sentence that was supposed to be at the end (something about taking advantage of traveling to find the Chosen One? _{my memory is terrible I'm sorry}) along with another secretive reason that'll probably get revealed during the RP.

I did take a lot of liberty with the cross and the religion, and I'd love to talk with you to see if we can come up with something more cohesive or whatever, I'll make sure to hit you up on Discord.

[Gunther]

Really tall dudes do happen. I know this is significantly above average especially for the relative time period. So, here's a little story. I train in Krav Maga, an Israeli Self Defense form that borrows techniques from more traditional martial arts forms like Muay Thai, BJJ and Taekwondo. When a black belt candidate is ready to undergo black belt testing, he/she must participate in a "Boot Camp" for 16 weeks which prepares you for the test itself. It is thorough review of everything you did for the past four years or so. My boot camp this past Winter/Spring consisted of 40 people; 20 Black belt candidates and 20 1st Degrees going for 2nd degree. We had six guys in the class who were 6'5" tall and another three guys who were between 6' and 6'5". I am 5'11" and it seemed like every frickin time I had to spar it was with one of these big guys. One night I sparred 15 different people in a two hour people. It was exhausting and more than half the people I sparred with were over 6'. Our Band of Fools being a bunch of giants is not unheard of.

[Jb]

@Gunther Well he is a she, so that's why it made me chuckle...Also a spy, a very tall spy.