[CHAR] Somewhere Over The Mountains

[SanaChan]

Balan Dirgeblade

Name: Balan Windfall
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Personality: The Emperor, much to his queens horror for her poor heart, has never been one to sit on the sidelines. Not just because it was expected of him as a leader, but because he felt it was his duty. If he's asking someone else to do something that puts their life at risk, he best be willing to do it himself. He is still a noble though and some of those ingrain personality traits are still there- he does give a condescending look to peoples whose profession is less than.... honorable, but he will get it of it as quickly as he can and will say nothing about it. He is slow to trust, hence why he still has a high ranking knight with the party, but he will eventually warm up to someone when they've proven they're not out to assassinate him. In his relaxed company, he is a jovial man that appreciates a good joke and good company.
Role/Title: He is the Emperor of Caradia.
History: When Balan was a boy, he knew right away what was expected of him. He strove to meet those expectations and then go beyond them. He had dreams of being the best Emperor in Caradia's history, though he knew he couldn't match the legends of the man who made it an empire to begin with rather than a bunch of small broken countries. He studied and trained with all his might, though he never seemed to reach that level to impress his own father. He didn't let it slow him down- in fact, it made him work harder. He trained with the knights, insisted they work him just like anyone else in their ranks.
As he got older, stronger, and wiser, his father created the fixed marriage between him and Esmeralda- the daughter of a noble of a large city on the far eastern edge of their empire, trying to keep the peace between them. Her beauty was already rather well known, her likeness to Caradia's Goddesses legend. She was quite her own person, however. She was opinionated, stubborn, and perfectly aware of just how pretty she was. She was not about to just be that pretty face, though, to be stationed at his side. She wanted him to hear what she had to say and he quickly figured out his best bet was to hear her out. And it proved to be useful. She had tactical knowledge for both the battlefield and the throne room. This is what lead him to being absolutely smitten to his future bride.
There were more than enough skirmishes that lead him to the battlefield, putting all his expertise to use, and leaving her at home. Though she kept the courts in check, she was always the first person the knights would see upon returning as she would sneak out to meet them on their return. The two became insperable with time and she almost thought she was going to the battlefield with him once because he couldn't bear to leave her side- and she'd have been willing to go, though her own knowledge of the sword of the time was lacking- something Balan was sure to fix upon learning, in case anything should ever happen.
Finally, they had a decade of peace, no skirmishes, not accusations of one town trying to take over another, the crops were flourishing. Balan had just come in to the crown, his father having lived quite a long and prosperous life. He and Esmeralda had been wed for some time and had several wonderful children, his favorite being his youngest daughter, Adralyn, who seemed to have the maps of the land memorized faster than all her other siblings- eager for an adventure of her own.
When the news of the plague hit, it all but broke his heart. A plague was out of his hands, a curse from the Goddesses, but why? What had they done wrong? Had he not praised them enough for their peace? Then the monsters came and he had something to direct his anger towards, his disappointment. He has his main forces staying to take care of his people and spreading out to the villages most vulnerable to falling under the monsters attacks. He figured it started in a small village. He wouldn't need an army to handle that.
Anything extra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9jcb2EnQxg

Percival, Percy

Osanne Bladefury

Name: Osanne Bladefury
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Personality: If the stick could be completely buried in the mud, then that would Osanne. She has zero since of humor. Her duty to the crown comes first and anything else doesn't matter, including her own safety and life. She isn't social and she trusts absolutely no one outside of the knights and her leaders. They haven't proven themselves worth that trust, so why should she trust them? She especially has a hard time getting to trust any unknown males, which lead most of her superiors to believe that something unsavory happened to her.
Role/Title: Knight Captain of the Imperial forces.
History: Osanne was found in the lower parts of the Imperial city when she was 7. She was dirty, hair matted, bruised, and clothes tattered. She would scream whenever a man got close to her and ran in to women's arms for safety. When she 10, she was passed in to an orphanage when a knight realized one of the villagers was harboring the girl that belonged to a murdered family. That same knight came to check on her every single day from that point forward, unless he was away in the field. She began to anticipate his return and some of the sentries outside the main gate began to tease her that she was the only one ever waiting for "that dumb bastard" to come back. And when he would come back, it was the only time she would smile, relieved to see him in one piece, even if that piece was in bad shape.
When she 15, he left to deal with some small time problem. At that time in her life, she was already working on getting herself in to the ranks, doing odd jobs for people to make herself seem useful. She would wait for him to come back and continued to wait until one day, one of the three knights that left returned and it wasn't her friend. They had been ambushed by bandits on the road back, bandits that were angry about the resolution of a problem they had started. All the knight had to give her from her friend was a ring he had purchased for her in the town, planning to give it to her for her birthday saying "All young ladies ought to have a least one piece of jewelry, right? Would hate for her to feel left out."
She put that ring on a chain and she still wears that necklace to this day. When she was training to become a knight, some of the guys tried to harass her about the ring, calling it the gift from her perverted lover, to which she would get in trouble for beating them bloody. Once given the title of knight she went about proving herself to be the most capable they'd had in some time. She forced herself to bury all emotions, not wanting them to get in the way of her progress. Being a knight gave her life some purpose, a reason. Plus it kept her close to the memory of the last person who cared two cents about her. She only very recently gained the title Knight Captain, having to prove herself able and willing to be in charge even if only on a small scale.
Anything extra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncd_cMZnC3I

Missy (not actually her horse)

[Raylah]

Yarri

Image

Name: Yarri Anderly (and her companion Luna)

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Personality: Yarri is not used to be around people. She is usually very shy and quiet, but when someone talks to her, she tries her best to smile and be friendly. She can be a bit naive from time to time, especially when it comes to trusting people. Being basically a peasant, she has a deep fear and respect for any kind of nobility, especially for the royal family.

Role/Title: Hunter, archer, wilderness guide

History: Yarri had a beautiful and happy childhood. She grew up in a small village, her father was a local gamekeeper and her mother spent most of her time taking care of Yarri and her four siblings. Ever since she could walk, she would run around and explore the forests. Her father taught her how to handle a bow, survive alone in the wild, how to track and hunt. Soon she became one of the most promising archers and hunters in the village.

Four years ago, she met Luna. Yarri was going to check the forests instead of her father – a few days journey to ensure that there aren’t any poachers laying traps or villagers stealing wood from the king’s land. She was just bending over to look at some tracks on the ground, that appeared to belong to a huge boar, followed by a pack of piglets. Suddenly she heard quiet squealing. Driven by her curiosity, she went to check the source of the sound, only to find a small wolf pup, desperately clinging to a dead body of its mother.

Yarri looked carefully around. A fight apparently had taken place there, probably between the boar and the wolf. Two mothers, trying to defend their young. And this one had clearly lost. Yarri knew she should kill the pup, they were still considered as predators and usually attacked on sight. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Instead she took the wolf with her, fed it and took care of it, hiding it from everyone else in the village. Soon the wolf would follow her around like a well-trained guard dog. When she finally told people about Luna, they were scared and distrustful at first, but in time they got used to her.

When the news of the plague and the monsters arrived into her village, everyone was concerned. They were safe for now, but how long would that last? Hearing about the king’s intentions to investigate the source of the problems, Yarri decided that the best way to protect her family and neighbors will be joining the king’s expedition.

[vietmyke]

Emil Erran

Emil Erran | 19 | Male

Appearance:
Scrawny and short in stature, Emil doesn't cut a particularly intimidating look at first glance. Though not stout or muscular, his body does possess the appearance of one used to traveling long distances, and is in appreciable fitness. His blonde hair, while slightly unruly, is pulled behind his head in a short ponytail, and his eyes are a gleaming emerald color. He wears a shirt of chainmail underneath his blue tunic, along with a stiff leather breastplate for protection. Over his clothes and armor, Emil wears a pilgrim's cloak, and carries a simple shortsword, and a wooden staff with a small crystal atop it. The staff has several simple spell runes carved into it, for quick use.

Personality:
Timid and gentle by nature, Emil is about as noncombative as they come. Warm and kind-hearted, Emil is a modest young mage with a strong sense of morality. Level headed and rational, Emil tries his best to stay brave and rational in the face of hardship and adversity, but can occasionally show cowardice. Emil is rather impressionable, and expresses a desire to learn various skills and tricks from the older veterans, though is often self conscious about his lesser abilities when compared to that of the more experienced members of the group. Honest and trustworthy, Emil is compassionate and kind, if a little shy and soft-spoken. A very down to earth and grounded individual, Emil posseses a calm and generally positive demeanor, that only occasionally borders on naivety.

Role/Title: Healer, Mage, Journeyman

History:
A soft spoken and gentle youth from Lumoise, his appearance and manner of dress marks him as a person from the Kanan Region of Southern Lumoise. Emil was born to a rather modest family, and was the eldest and only son of a small town Pastor. Emil showed aptitude for magic at a young age, and his father a Mage-Pastor, was delighted to teach him the basics of magic. Growing up, Emil learned magical runes alongside learning how to read and write, and possessed a high level of mastery for basic level spells. Saving up what little money their family had, his father was eventually able to send him to a Lumoise Mages School at the age of 10.

At the mages schools, Emil, like the rest of the young initiates, were taught the basics and intricacies of magic, learned in reading, writing and mathematics, and were educated to the standard of nobles their age. The most promising of the young mages were also introduced to the intricacies of swordplay and other martial weapons, in order to find suitable candidates for the next class of Lumoise's Mage Knights. While Emil was eager and enthusiastic, and showed considerable promise with magic, the Archmages of the school found that he lacked the aggression and confidence suitable for, and expected of a Mage Knight. Instead, Emil continued to learn how to harness his magical abilities, achieving the rank of Adept in the School of Blessings at the young age of 16.

At the age of 18, Emil graduated from the Mages School. Like most graduates of the Mages School, Emil embarked on a year long pilgrimage- a journey across the world to gain them experience and worldly knowledge, as well as give them an opportunity to test their crafts. While most conducted their pilgrimages within Lumoise's borders, working as apprentices or plying their craft in the various cities in Lumoise, Emil and a few others decided to take a ship to Caradia, and venture through the vast lands of the Empire for their pilgrimage.

It was during this pilgrimage that Emil and several of his friends discover the trouble that was brewing in Caradia. A combination of plague and various, mysterious monsters terrorizing the far lands of the Empire. Having spent most of his pilgrimage in Caradia healing those who had been wounded by such creatures or ravaged by plague, losing several of his friends in the process, when Emil heard that the Emperor himself was nearby, and seeking out the source of the troubles personally, Emil couldn't help but feel the need to be there as well.

Anything extra:
Though primarily a healer and a mage, a few years in school and a year on the road has given Emil passing experience in a variety of fields. He possesses the basic knowledge of swordplay, knows how to tend wounds without magic if needed, and can fire a bow- though is incapable of reliably hitting moving (or even standing) targets. He also knows some cooking, sewing, and other more mundane skills for everyday purposes.

[YungTweak]

Kassandra

Kassandra Blackbriar

Name: Kassandra Blackbriar

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Personality: Generally outgoing, Kassandra could be described as a loud personality; keen to offer her opinion whether it's wanted or not and always ready to shoot a comment on any given situation. She is very lighthearted in nature, taking most things very jokingly unless it were a matter of life and death. Her heart goes out to those who are weaker than she or her companions and is willing to risk anything to defend the innocent, including her own life. Kassandra is often occupied, only resting in her sleep, keeping her hands busy as much as possible and usually singing a tune.

Appearance: Looks very much as she does in the above picture, though she has no scar. She couldn't have stood taller than 5'5" and weighed roughly 110 pounds, with an athletic build. A golden ring runs through the septum of her nose, resting above lips that had a hint of pout. Occasionally displayed from between her lips was a pierced tongue, a barbell with golden metal orbs on either side running through the pink mass. Either ear was also marked with teal studs. Her skin is pale and smooth, free of pockmarks or any leftovers from the wounds of battle. Perhaps that is why her eyes held no scrutinizing gaze and tended to look over situations harmlessly. She often wore a blue hooded shawl that sat atop of a tough leather corset and cloth shirt. She had tight cloth pants that end at leather boots with a steel toe.

Equipment: Kassandra held onto very little. She had a pack with basic supplies and a bedroll. Always to her side or slung across her back was a guitar. A belt ran across her waist that held a flask that was usually filled with alcohol and also maintained both her coin - purse and a bag of caltrops. At the left side of the belt was the sheathe of a well maintained but basic shortsword.

Role/Title: Vagabond, Bard, Mage, Martyr.

History: Having taken an interest in music, poetry, and the arts since a very young age, her father served as a patron of this fascination and funded an expansive tutelage, despite how it did not fit in with the etiquette and stewardship that the rest of the family had been brought up in. Kassandra lived a life of luxury and education for quite some time, though at the crisp age of 16, her magical powers were revealed to the family when the young girl brought a small bird back from the dead in front of their eyes. Although she was reportedly sick, her father and mother took no mercy, and shunned her. Leaving her noble House, Kassandra took the name of 'Blackbriar', and began wandering the empire with guitar in hand. Now, she has come to answer the call to action, as she sees it as an opportunity of adventure, a chance to do something something for the greater good, and plenty of inspiration for her literary works.

Anything extra: She only has basic magic abilities along with the power of healing, but all of these require her own life energy or blood. Therefore, to heal a broken arm would be to break hers and so on. If she can survive said wounds for 24 hours, they disappear. She is not very practiced in any particular skill aside from her ability to play guitar and generally charismatic nature.

[Kalmar]

Gareth Arenar

Name: Gareth Arenar

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance (no picture): Gareth stands at an imposing six foot five, with short black hair and some stubble in the way of facial hair. He has a light skin tone with a slight tan to it, and cold blue eyes. There is a thin scar running from under his left eye to the bottom of his cheek. His nose is slightly longer than most people's, but overall he is quite handsome. Moving down to the rest of his body, Gareth has an impressive build, well-muscled from over a decade of training.

As for equipment, Gareth is clad in a layer of steel chainmail, over which he wears a cuirass (chestplate), spaulders (shoulder plates), gauntlets, and greaves (knee and shin guards.) He also wears a pair of steel boots, and has a faceless steel helmet with a sharp spike rising two inches from the top of his head. He carries with him a round steel shield, wrapped in a layer of leather and kept securely on his back. A black cloak shields him from the elements, and a traveler's pack carries the necessities of an adventurer.

Sheathed across his back is an ornate two-handed steel longsword with a gilded hilt, and the sigil of his house - a flaming fist - set in the crossguard. This is his family sword, Fury. The enchantment only enables it to be activated by someone descended from House Arenar. Once activated, the blade erupts into flame, though the fire does not warp or otherwise weaken the metal - another property of the enchantment. The enchantment can still burn the wielder, however, so it must be used with care. The wielder has the power to turn it on and off at will, though the blade will certainly still be hot afterwards.

His second weapon is an ordinary arming sword, sheathed at his right hip, that can be drawn should Fury be lost or discarded. Finally, he also has a simple dirk that he keeps in a sheathe on his boot.

Personality: Stern and serious, Gareth can be a stickler for the law and has a strong sense of justice, having been wronged in the past and stripped of what should be his by right. He is loyal to the greater good or those who are loyal to him. Despite his noble blood, he is not prejudiced to the lower classes - if anything, he often finds their company preferable. He is quite cynical and pessimistic, but courageous and unflinching on the battlefield. Despite his rather serious nature, there are occasional moments of levity, and he does have some respect or even admiration for idealists. He is also quite fond of animals. Overall, though, he can be a hard man to like for those who cannot look past his blunt manner of speaking.

Role/Title: Former noble guard captain. Sword and shield warrior, with strong leadership and tactical acumen.

History: The Arenars were a wealthy and influential House located in the capital city of the Kingdom of Sorus. They were descended from a lowborn warrior who was rewarded with a title after a long and excellent service record. Though they had no castle of their own, instead keeping a manor in the wealthiest district of their city, they had made a fortune off investments, property ownership, their own personal fleet of trading ships, and had the ear of the King himself. How they came that far from a landless war veteran is somewhat dubious.

Gareth was their heir.

The eldest of three, Gareth could rest secure in the knowledge that he would one day inherit the family title. Unfortunately, he had little interest in economics - though he paid close attention to his lessons and rarely disappointed his tutors, he was much more interested in swordplay and history, tasks which he took to with much more enthusiasm. He spent many of his hours training under the master of arms, or sequestered in the library bent over a book. He became skilled with both blade and shield, and was quite taken in by the stories of old - both fact and fiction.

At the same time, he also dug up records of his family's old business dealings. He never found anything illegal, of course, but some of the dealings were rather... unjust. Finding a much-needed project in heavy demand and then charging a fortune for it that most could barely even afford. Forming a deal with a prospective business partner, but creating some sort of loophole that ended up excluding them from the agreement. He questioned his father about them, but his father merely said it was the nature of business.

Even as a young teenager, that did not sit well with him. No, he decided. That was not what their House would be known for. Not under him, at least. He continued training and studies, but also thought of ways to bring his house prestige without suspicious business practices. Perhaps take them back to their martial roots...

Then, around the time he turned nineteen, his father fell terribly ill at the age of forty-five. He lingered on for weeks in a coma, until finally the sickness claimed him. Despite their disagreements, Gareth spent every moment with him that he could, his brother and sister stopping in to pay their respects as well. After the death, the funeral inevitably came, and the will was red aloud.

Gareth had been disowned.

The news had struck him like a crossbow bolt in the heart. Afterwards, he could only wonder why his father had done it. Had his father disapproved of his plans for their House that much? He didn't even recall discussing his plans, come to think of it, but the questions he asked had likely indicated such. Did his father simply like Edric, his younger brother and next-in-line, better? He was certainly more personable, that much was certain, but he could not wield a blade to save his life and always came across as somewhat lazy.

And so the title was passed to his seventeen year-old younger brother, who regretfully offered his condolences but made no effort to restore his status. Gareth was completely and utterly lost, but he had to do something with his life. After perhaps a week of deliberation, he joined the city guard.

He was well-suited to the work, he realized, his years of professional training and formal education putting him above the other fresh recruits, allowing him to stand out in the eyes of his officers. When they learned of his noble blood they became even more accommodating towards him, despite his disowned status. He also began to see his first real taste of fighting - not on the battlefield, but in back-alleys, against muggers and gutter rats who fought without honour. He soon discovered that he had to abandon honour as well, for in such an environment it was only a weakness.

He quickly rose through the ranks. He was good to his equals, inferiors, and superiors alike, and did not discriminate based on birth. Though he was not loved, he was respected and admired. At the age of twenty-four, he reached the rank of Captain.

Only two weeks after his promotion, another captain - his former commanding officer, with whom he had developed a strong mutual respect - pulled him aside. There were whispers that Gareth was involved in a smuggling ring, paid to look the other way while they brought illicit goods into the city. His friends had failed to believe such claims, obviously, but the other captains and the commander himself saw little evidence to dispute this, and there were plenty of lieutenants who would love to see an opening in the higher ranks. The guards would turn against him, in time. His friend told him when they would make their arrest. When that day came, Gareth made sure that he was not there.

He was busy confronting his brother.

In the years following his father's death, his suspicions had grown as he went over the issue in his head more and more. It made no sense for him to be disowned so suddenly - they had rarely quarreled, and their differences rarely came up in conversation. Furthermore, his father had been young and healthy despite his sudden illness. Forty-five was not young, but for a noble it did not quite mean one was near the verge of death, so there was little reason to write a will. And since he fell into a coma almost immediately, there was no reason to write it either. His brother had not seemed overly distressed by the development, and was the one who benefited the most. But he could not act without further proof, which there was no way to acquire, and there was no one higher he would take his case to who would believe him.

But now? Immediately after he was promoted to Captain, and began to approach a position of genuine power and influence, there was a move to arrest him for a crime he had not committed. That was the nail in the coffin. He had to find out.

It had been easy enough to incapacitate the household guards. They had grown slow and lazy, patrolling the same house every day in one of the safest areas of the city, without concern that a cutthroat could be lurking around the corner. The master of arms had grown frail and old - Gareth had always found him so strong and unbeatable when he was younger. The servants did not live in the mansion itself. His sister had been married off, so she was not present, which was well enough as there was no evidence of her involvement anyways. That just left his brother to contend with, who was no fighter and easy enough to restrain.

The confrontation was surprisingly tame. Gareth had asked a few questions, threw a few punches, tricked his brother into saying something close to a confession, and then left after leaving his own personal mark. When the houseguards woke up, they found their lord unconscious and bruised with a severe burn on his cheek that would leave a permanent scar, and the family sword had gone missing. According to Lord Edric, his mad older brother had come in, brutally assaulted the guards, and then tortured him. But considering that Edric's wounds were minimal aside from the burn, and Gareth hadn't actually killed anyone, that story was rather doubtful. Still, the fact that Gareth assaulted the home and stole an heirloom could not be disputed; he was a wanted man now.

In a seemingly unrelated case, a horse vanished from one of the stables that same night, a rather generous bag of gold left in its place that more than made up for the theft.

Gareth spent a few weeks traveling the countryside of Sorus, but knowing he would be a wanted man throughout the country, he was forced to travel abroad. He chartered a ship to the Empire of Caradia itself, a much larger nation which was not too culturally distinct from his own homeland, where no one would recognize his family name and no one from home would follow him.

Shortly after his arrival, he heard a decree about some sort of mission for the Emperor, against strange creatures. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, he could only take that as some sort of sign and follow it. Perhaps he could make a name for himself serving under this new monarch, and find some new purpose in driving back this evil.

Anything extra: He has a black horse named Diligence.

[That1Guy]

Navi

Name: Navi

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Personality: Pessimistic in a word, being treated like a common monster can do that to a girl. In several more words, she is snarky and has a hard time believing compliments or really any positive interaction directed to her. However if one were to pry away the synthetic wall of anger and sarcasm, one would find a surprisingly bubbly young woman who deeply cares for those around her that she can call friend.

Role/Title: Alchemist, she can create anything from potions to poisons and everything in between if provided the right materials. Her poisons are often​ mixed with, or created from her own paralytic venom, and thus always has an antidote on hand.

History: Being a Naga in a two-legged world is difficult, especially when the other breeds of your kin insist on practicing necromancy and other dark arts, as well as eating two-legs. Navi was born first in a group of four with three younger brothers following soon after. Her village nestled deep in the forest up against a small mountain far from most two-legs settlements, but as she soon learned, two-legs were infamous for their greed, and their land expanded until at the age of six she met her first two-legs.

The boy was a year older than her, an elvish boy who seemed to never wear more than a set of dark blue trousers. They became fast friends, each telling the other of their people and playing together as often as possible. This friendship was not to last, as one day the elvish boy was followed by his father, who quickly notified the nearby two-legs village that then swiftly called for a band of mercanaries. The village had to move then, only a third still alive and Navi escaping with only one good eye.

Until the age of 12 the village wandered as traders, dealing with the less volatile two-legs settlements and seeking shelter with those rare few who allowed it. On the day of her 12th birthday Navi's mother brought her to a small two-legs village that had peacefully dealt with them before. When they arrived Navi insisted on exploring the new shop that had set up in their absence, a store surrounded by plants of all shapes and sizes and colors, run by a little old lady with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

From that old lady she learned her love of alchemy, and soon became a productive and important part of her people's caravan. She took to the art quickly, trading healing salves and potions with passerby and adventurers in exchange for any unusual flora or fauna they picked up in their travels. Because of her Navi's people thrived in this new life of travel, supplying her family with the much needed currency the two-legs seemed to love throwing around so much.

The happy times ended though, as they always seem to do. Soon enough the caravan became a threat to the other smaller two-legs trading groups nearby, and unsurprisingly the two-legs sent a group of armed mercanaries after them again, it seems those people would do anything for enough money. Her mother was smart though, and learned of the attack moments before it happened, just long enough to send her little Navi on an errand with her brothers.

Navi never even had to turn around, hearing the sounds of battle behind her, she only drove her brothers on, leading them to the old woman who had taught her alchemy, the only two-legs she could trust. As time went on, and the tales of adventure told by passerby filled her head, her lust for travel grew and grew until at the age of 22 it peaked upon hearing of a party of people out to seek the source of some plauge or monsters of some sort, Navi never listened too carefully, she just wanted to get away an explore. She leaves behind her three younger brothers of 15, 13 and 17 with their surrogate mother, the old lady who even now refuses to reveal her true name.

Anything extra: Navi's venom is potent, but not lethal. She can paralyze a fully grown man in a seconds if she can properly sink her fangs in. The venom lasts a few minutes if applied with her fangs, but diluted into her poisons it lasts a good minute at most, and causes minor paralysis. The larger the target, the shorter the effects last and the less powerful they are.

Navi always carries antivenom to counteract the vast majority of her poisons ( as most are derived from her venom ) in case something happens. She can only produce so much venom, and can only make a handful of usable doses before needing to rest and wait for her body to naturally make more.

[Drinky]

Brother Adjantis

Name: Brother Adjantis

Age: 43

Gender: Male

Role/Title: Religious Fanatic

History: Adjantis was born into the church. Son to a priest of Caradia, he was raised to respect the ideals of the gods and use the examples they set to guide him through his life of devout worship. He grew up surrounded by holy tomes and memorized the holy chants. By the age of sixteen he tattooed religious scripture on himself and within a few shorts years it almost completely consumed his once pale skin. As a young adult he began to bless, preach, and condemn.

As Adjantis grew into a man his unbreakable faith became more and more fanatical. His views on righteousness began to alienate him from his fellow brothers and sisters. He spoke out against all he felt were 'wicked' and openly advocated for their condemnation. This black and white mentality on justice proved popular with few, and bordering on lunacy with many.

As tensions mounted with the debate over Esmeralda's likeness to his gods, Adjantis took the side of the Emperor believing Esmeralda was the manifestation of all things good and just. With a world view buttressed by dogmatic desperation he sought to exterminate the heretics of her holiness. Identifying an assortment of people claiming Esmeralda resembled the god of all things wicked, Adjantis followed the heretics to their homes and murdered them as they slept. The people of the city awoke the next morning to witness these chosen homes set ablaze which nearly caused a city-wide fire emergency.

Though never convicted or even taken to trail, members of the church knew what Adjantis had done and publicly cast him out. This act of abandonment and betrayal only strengthened Adjantis' religious fervor as he heard a call for an expedition to combat evil that threatened the kingdom's lands. With this opportunity he could be satisfy his unquenchable thirst for righteous deliverance in the name of the gods.

Personality: Adjantis comes off as distant to others. Growing up sheltered to then have his life explode into a murderous, faith-fueled rampage has made him distrustful and careful of others. During his time in the church he never had time to unwind and socialize, leaving him rather inept at even basic conversation with others.

His strict views of the church and his faith could prove disastrous should an individual speak ill of the gods in his presence.

Adjantis' state of mind borders that of a wild experiment. An experiment with goals to view what would happen if a man knew only his faith, conditioned to the point of almost incapable of nuanced understanding.

Adjantis' faith could prove both a blessing and a curse when considering his role as a combatant. He is borderline fearless and unbreakable, believing his gods protect him on his quest to eradicate the wicked.

Anything extra: Adjantis wears his standard brotherhood robes, adorned with various scriptures slung over his shoulders and stamped with seals of purity and righteousness. He also wears a single steel shoulder plate on his left, a relic awarded to him by the church back when he was still good and just in their eyes. For equipment Adjantis wields a large warhammer and carries with him a book of prayers.

[Tybalt Capulet]

Elodan Went

Name: Elodan Went
Archetype: Bard
Gender: Male
Age: 24

Appearance: Slightly below average height, with light skin and almost-white hair. Elodan is by no means fat, but what might be called "well-fed"- he rarely has trouble finding his next meal, which means he's healthier than most commoners. He dresses in durable traveling clothes of leather and canvas, with a somewhat-conspicuous blue-green hoodless cloak. Aside from his stiletto, he usually has at least his merlin and recorder pipe on hand, along with whatever instrument he is in the process of learning.

Appearance:

Personality:
Jovial, confident, light-hearted, but also quite competent. He generally puts forth a facade of good-natured cheer, but maintains a watchful eye and calculating mind beneath. Not someone to be ignored. Elodan puts a great deal of effort into making others underestimate him, though he can be as practical (and even, when called for, brutal) as anyone.
Backstory:
A long-time student of several great minstrels, Elodan is, at heart, a traveller and musician. He started off his life with very little, and found an apprenticeship with the legendary Gerhan Luteman when the older bard passed through his village. Elodan began following the bard as a way to improve his status in the world, and has since trained with two others, and learned such skills as story-telling, improvisation, and such instruments as the lute, mandola, recorder-pipe, and his favorite, the merlin.
Elodan was raised in a fairly typical rural forest town for most of his childhood, though he left the company of his father's people upon the death of his half-sister, whose specter haunts him still. At the age of fourteen, he ventured out into the urban world, where he trained for years on end as a bard, until eventually deciding that he would prefer to create stories of his own by traveling as widely as possible, that he might have the breadth of experience necessary to become one of the legends of bard-dom.

Strengths/Weaknesses:
+Talented musician and story teller, with knowledge of dozens of classic stories and songs.
+Congenial personality allows him to easily forge friendships and get away with some things he shouldn't be able to.
+Elodan is quick-witted enough to think his way out of most situations, and maintains careful vigilance at all times.
-Illiteracy, though not necessarily uncommon, is an unfortunate condition for a storyteller. Elodan must remember all stories he learns by rote memorization, as he can neither read nor write.
-Though he is otherwise talented, Elodan is nearly-useless in a fight. He carries a stiletto in a pocket in his sleeve, for emergencies, but nothing beyond that.
-In what is perhaps an ironic twist, for a schemer, Elodan trusts others quickly and easily. While this isn't inherently bad, it makes him an easy target for con artists.

[BlackRose]

Sakimino Rin

Name: Sakimino Rin

Hider

Age: 32
Gender: female

Personality: Rin is a reserved woman thus tends to keep mostly to herself, Is extremely polite (most of the time) and is kind & friendly towards others unless given reason not to. She has a highly noticeable rather dignified & graceful presence both in & out of battle, Some may find her to be unusually flirtatious on occasion and if not discouraged by the object of her affection she can come across as a little... overbearing one might say? due to her enthusiasm which has cost her in the past but she's become less so with age & experience from failed relationships. Rin also has a deep sense of duty & responsibility in what task she commits herself to & is extremely loyal to a fault with her friends. However She can be snide with people she has a bad rapport with & will 'poke the bear' to get a reaction. (Note: She's caused more than a few social fights & bar brawls in her travels before arriving in Caradia.)

Role/Title: Unaffiliated wanderer, Full-time Bodyguard

History:

Rin was a highly respected & admired veteran warrior from a distant land which after years of civil war between regional lords had eventually been unified under a powerful noble house which Rin had served under where she was apparently not only rewarded with wealth & rank but had been propositioned into marriage with the lords second eldest son, However the marriage offer was later dropped due to malicious whispers & rumors surrounding Sakimino Rin which also had some impact on her status in society.

Although her homeland had been in peacetime after unification Rin still saw her skill-set put to use in removing pockets of resistance in more remote areas or dealing with bandits. During which time various laws were enforced while she was away fighting a strong social class order was imposed on the populous & any and all people with any magic ability were essentially forced into slavery with the choice of either serving in the imperial military for life or to be put to death.

A year or so later after suppressing a bandit uprising Rin returned home though the city was far different from when she had left, also there seemed to be a lot of commotion and panic. Turned out some of the mages in the imperial army had rebelled & slaughtered half the palace guard in a failed attempt to kill the emperor after which the expected response came all magic wielders were now to be put to death due to the 'dark corruptible influences' of sorcery. In the chaos & witch hunts that followed in the few days since Rin had received an imperial summons to the palace where upon arriving Rin found she had been called by one of the emperors noble concubines. (Noble born daughters who's family's seeked to gain imperial favor)

The Concubine had known & trusted Rin but was still hesitant in revealing that she had magical ability, before Rin could inquire the Concubine had explained that members in court had found out, more so that her only child was not only capable of magic but was extremely proficient with it, they'd have both been executed already if it was not for her close relationship with the emperor & the fact the child was also his. A discreet plot had been set in motion to keep these facts hidden from the populace & deal with the mother & child via an 'accident'.

Fearing for her child the Concubine had pleaded if not outright begged for Rin to save her child, at this point however guards had burst into the room with the emperor following in behind them after he'd learned his loyal retainer Rin had been summoned to the palace by the 'deceitful witch' who was trying to throw the nation back into war (apparently) a young crying child was hurled to the floor by one of the guards before running to her mothers embrace while the emperor was apologizing to Rin for not dealing with the matter, & having barely arrived before Rin had fallen victim to an 'evil scheme'. The emperor gave the order to his guards to kill the mages explaining they can stage an excuse later, Rin conflicted stood frozen in place as the concubine begged for her daughter to be spared just before a guards blade cut into her, After a long silence everyone stood dumbfounded as the attacking guard fell to the ground having been practically cleaved in half at the waist from a single swing of a sword.

Rin readying her stance & leveling her blade in one hand turned and placed herself between the women & the emperors guards breaking eye contact briefly to face the wounded concubine, Rin swore on her life to protect the young girl grabbing the crying child with her free arm as she did so, after a nod of acceptance & single word of thanks Rin charged through the guards most of who moved to surround the emperor than get in her way of the exit. Rin in the confusion of the alarms was still forced to fight the guards stationed throughout the palace as running with an imperial daughter clenched under her arm wasn't exactly inconspicuous. The fact Rin was able to escape the palace that day was due to the wounded imperial concubine, its one thing to piss off a powerful magic user, its another to piss off a powerful magic wielding mother protecting her child. Half the palace burned that night the emperor was severely wounded, not to mention the imperial guard garrison at the palace after both the failed mage rebellion & the events during Rins escape had been all but decimated before they where able to kill the rampaging mage & secure the emperor.

Rin & her new charge Sena spent the remainder of the year fleeing from place to place seeking refuge as they tried to make it to the coastal regions, Rin trying not to notice the irony of now working with rebels & bandit groups in their efforts to do so. Rin was now wanted for high treason the price on her head in her own country was worthy of kings, which many supposed allies would try to claim along the way. One of which being a romantic interest to Rin before their betrayal which nearly worked until as if out of no-ware the heavens interjected as a powerful thunderstorm rained down bolts of thunder blasting the earth around Rin & the crying & mumbling Sena who was hugging her, in the chaos they managed to escape unharmed making their way to the nearest port town in search of transport.

After Stowing away on a foreign trade ship they'd escaped their homeland, upon discovery on-board Rin ended up working as part of the crew until they reached their destination. In the few years since Rin has maintained her duty of protecting & raising Sena as they've traveled further & further through many different countries & cultures. Along the way working as a Mercenary fighting people & monsters, or as a guard for traveling traders, & with the help of the very intelligent & learned Sena, Rin has been able to learn different languages & customs
on their travels wherever they go. And recently Rin's arrived in caradia with some coin in their pockets as a result of mercenary work & trade goods most of which has been spent however due to acquiring more books, maps, & provisions for their continued journey.

Anything extra:
- Skilled Sword fighter: mastered an exotically foreign fighting style - has Her countries variants of a long sword, short sword, & a 3rd large blade on her back called a nodachi.

- Fanatic Bodyguard: Regardless of her duties serving as a mercenary or when fighting beside allies in combat, Rin will forsake/disregard any duties & others if Sena is in danger rushing immediately to her defense instead. (This has resulted in her being blacklisted from several mercenary companies in the past, and a couple of trading groups... well one the other didn't really have any survivors due to Rin taking their horses to whisk Sena to safety. *cougth*)

- Dirty Fighter: Not above using dirty or underhanded tricks & fighting skills - has hidden daggers & throwing knifes, caltrops, vial of sleeping tonic, bag of powdered spices (burning & blinding enemies), to give a few examples... also keeps a set of loaded dice.

- Lesbian: Rin is openly gay, she has nothing against men she just doesn't like them in that way, This was the cause in her past of the malicious rumors (was that she took other women to her bed) that stopped the marriage arrangement to a noble house.

- High alcohol tolerance: most countries alcohol has as much effect as water on Rin but she enjoys the taste, She's able to out drink many when she does 'let her hair down'. (usually to win a bet) However Rin drinking is extremely rare since Sena disapproves & often lectures Rin on the subject.

Hisukagi Sena

Name: Hisukagi li Sena

Hider

Age: 15
Gender: Female

Personality: Shy, Friendly & easygoing, loves exploring the world, learning new things, & experiencing different cultures. Can be stubborn, occasionally spoiled, Comes across as a 'fish out of water' due to her noble upbringing & the now traveling lifestyle of seeing the world first hand. Sena is extremely learned and can easily be described as a bookworm, She can be a bit naive and is a headstrong wide-eyed idealist which has effected her protector Rin on many occasions towards morally good actions but not necessarily safe/smart actions/results. (E.g. the time Sena convinced Rin not to kill starving bandits who'd attacked them because they were desperate only for them to come back in greater numbers later... They were discreetly dispatched by Rin without Senas knowledge the 2nd time.)

Role/Title: Displaced Imperial Noble, Unnaturally gifted mage (hidden)

History:

A Daughter to the Emperor of a foreign distant land Sena was pampered growing up she wanted for nothing, her tutors also found her to be incredibly intelligent as she came to rival some of the kingdoms most renowned scholars in knowledge, She was rarely seen without her head in a book or a scroll, her shy nature seemed to isolate her a little from others but she was close to the crowned Empress who Sena had long discussions & debates with, which made Sena a favorite of the empresses friends & confidants despite her youth.

Growing up sheltered Sena was oblivious to events outside the grand palaces due to which her Magical talent became known at a politically bad time for the nation Sena found herself & her mother suddenly isolated and one evening she was dragged from her room by palace guards beaten as if she was some kind of evil monster before being thrown at her mother. Not understanding what was happening Sena was lost, hurt, confused & in a panic, more so when her mother was stabbed by a palace guard in front of her. Sena can clearly remember alot of what happened that night aside from her mother saying she'd be safe as she was picked up by a younger Rin, unable to grab onto her mother who seemed push Sena into Rin's arms after which Sena remembers little aside from blurred movement, sounds of running interrupted by clashing metal ringing, and then fire.

Not sugar coating anything, all events & goings on was explained to Sena following her rescue, for a time Sena was totally silent, stressed out by everything happening to her, overtime with the constant protection of her guardian Sena recovered as they fled to the coastal areas of their homeland, sena continued where she could to bury herself in books maybe in part to escape from reality for a bit while as they fled she grew closer with Rin at one point she shyly& nervously said Rin was like a parent to her, Rin however barked at the comment stunning Sena as Rin ranted on about not being that old & that if anything she was an older sister if anything!, Rins reaction caused Sena to burst into laughter as the two began to jokingly jab insults at each other on their travels.

In the Few years of their travels since journeying to various lands Sena has continued to soak up knowledge like a sponge, learning commerce & various sciences along the way, she's still unaccustomed to rough living in tents & living like commoners but she doesn't dislike it. In fact she enjoys her adventures with Rin & exploring the world & new places no longer such experiences confined to text in her books. Rin has seen fit that Sena is still quite pampered as she gets all the books she wants and doesn't really work aside from managing trade goods from place to place dealing with various merchants. Sena even realizes she's still quite sheltered and wants to prove her worth in Rins eye's however the one thing she's extremely talented at Rin Forbade her from using, Her magic.

Rin fearing any unwanted attention on Sena forbade her from using magic unless they were alone away from any witnesses, even in countries that embraced magics. So Sena is almost always seen by others as a shy & quiet bookworm. Rin's also a little afraid of Sena's magic as she's seen its effects, Her abilities rivaling magic feats of legend, and on some occasions noticed unintended occurrences with Sena's mood or on occasion her dreams her abilities effect the weather or objects around them. A few incidents Sena is aware of but the majority of them Rin's kept her in the dark likely not wanting to upset her.

Recently Sena's journeyed to caradia and after quickly picking up the language went about educating Rin & making beneficial trade deals with the local merchants as they prepared to journey onward.

Anything extra:
- (Hidden/Secret) Insanely powerful mage: Extremely powerful music user who can use any magic type if she were allowed & properly trained by experienced magic users. She refrains from any display of her power in any circumstance around other people.

- Sweet tooth: Overly fond of sweets & other confectioneries, & sweet tasting foods.

- Skilled merchant: Is a talented trader always ahead of trends & trade gossip proudly announcing she's the key-founder of the 'HisuSaki trade consortium' (Rin's oblivious to the name & the group she's apparently a co-member of)

- Bond thicker than blood: Sena see's Rin as family, & at that the only family she has left in the world, despite being the one always protected, she will stop at nothing to make sure Rin is safe as well.

[Garet]

Max Doubek

Picture

Name: Maxmilián Ladislav Doubek

Age: 34 years

Gender: Male

Personality: Max Doubek prefers to observe the situation and speaks when it is necessary to share information or voice an opinion. He doesn’t put effort into making friends, due to a fear that he’ll end up indirectly causing more misfortune to fall upon them. Max tends to see more into people than he lets on. He also watches his surroundings and mentally notes down details that seem odd or helpful at the time.

In his own opinion, Maxmilián is a bad luck charm, just as some people believe that a black cat crossing their path brings bad luck. While Max has learned better control over his hex-magic, he feels that he still ends up causing a mishap in someone else’s life daily. Whether this is unintentional or not nowadays is almost moot, since people who learn of his hex magic usually see him as bad luck anyway.

In any case, Max took up a hobby in sketching the positive things in life, to try to become more optimistic. …It’s a work in progress, alongside trying to forgive others. He thinks that it’s any ill will he feels toward another person that sparks a mishap. And Max doesn’t want that to keep happening.

Role/Title: Hexblade, Occasional Sneak
In combat, Max relies on his sword and hexes. He is also capable of stealth, to a certain extent.

History:

History

Maxmilián Ledislav Doubek’s father was also the village chief of Erostey, so Max’s older brother Ivan had the burden of trying to live up to expectations of becoming the next chief. Personally, Max was glad he wouldn’t have to worry about that. However, his own problems appeared around his eighth birthday. Accidents and other instances of bad luck occurred more frequently when he was around, and he noticed them only occasionally. It was only when Max saw his father’s servant, Anders Persson, giving him suspicious glares that he started feeling like something was wrong. When he asked his father, he was told to not worry about it, nothing’s wrong with him. A slightly confusing message for a child, but Max shrugged it off when very soon, Mr. Persson was replaced by another man.

Erostey was a common stop along the route for travelers and traders. One trader who came frequently to the village was a foreign man named Adrian Vann, who was friends with the Doubek family. Just a little before Max’s ninth summer, he and Ivan stopped by Trader Vann’s vendor stall, where Max proceeded to accidentally shatter a fragile glass ornament. While Ivan left to fetch a little more money from their parents, Vann and Max struck up a conversation. The trader learned that Max was starting to feel like he was “bad luck incarnate”, in the words of a young boy. When Ivan returned, Vann decided to cut the ornament’s price in half. He did write and send a short letter with the boys back to their father. Max didn’t know what was in it, but his father left later to have a talk with Trader Vann.

Accidents and mishaps never did stop following Max around. A few years later, at the age of twelve, Maxmilián and a friend, Arvid, were fishing at a river near Erostey. Arvid hooked something that ended up pulling him and his pole into the water. When he didn’t come back up after a few seconds, Max dove in to try and help him back up. He couldn’t see clearly in the water, but it looked like Arvid was trapped by something…large. Max and Arvid only got away from the water creature because Trader Vann and a local hunter found them and intervened. Back at the village, Arvid’s father, who happened to be Anders Persson, accused Max of bringing doom to his son. In short, Anders claimed he was going to kill Max and rid the village of his bad luck, and he had several other villagers backing him up.

Max’s father finally agreed to a previous request made by Trader Vann – to send Max with him for training. Vann was sure that Max had potential to become a hex-mage or something similar. Max was not thrilled with leaving behind his home, even if it was with a family friend. Oh, and another thing – Vann was a mage, too, but with a different specialty. However, Max had to agree with his father that it wasn’t safe for him in Erostey.

So Max left town and travelled with Trader Vann for a few months. During that time, he began learning how to control his hex-magic properly, though it was a slow process. Eventually, he and Vann left Caradia and met with another man, Jeshal Kifius. Kifius called himself a hexblade, as he was able to use both sword and hexes on the battlefield. Vann stayed long enough to help Max get settled, then resumed his trading routes.

Max trained under Kifius for close to ten years, eventually getting work alongside him as a caravan guard. This was his career until just recently. He was one of the guards in a trading caravan travelling back through Caradia, when they were attacked by inky-black creatures with claws, teeth, and glowing red eyes. Max was one of the few survivors who fled on horseback, eventually making their way to the capital of Caradia with their report. It seemed that other reports of the creatures had already reached the capital’s ears.

Though he had to rest first, Maxmilián Ledislav Doubek decided to answer the Emperor’s call to arms. He didn’t know yet whether Erostey or his family had been affected, but if not, then ridding the land of the black creatures may protect them…

Anything extra: A few years back, Max found Farran and decided to keep him.

Farran