[OOC] The Blighted Kingdom

[Tangletail]

I decided to go for a True Neutral hunter. Probably a wildling druid of sorts. I'll have a draft up soon.

[Roman]

Hider

(Let me know if I need to make any other changes.)

Professor Cipherous

^{"I hope you're not down with the sickness..."}

^{Darth Cipherous ♦ A G E: 31 ♦ S E X: Female ♦ A L I G N M E N T: Lawful Neutral}

Ω O R I G I N S:

Darth Cipherous was born in the esteemed city of Ravenmire, which marked her among the few in the kingdom with access to a proper education. Her parent's had humble origins as commoners, though her father was a cobbler of some talent. Curious even from a young age, Darth appeared to be taken with the stories and tales from other lands. Taught to read by her mother, Darth explored the tomes and books she managed to get her hands throughout most of her youth. While many children played outside Darth preferred to instead stay indoors with her head in a book. Her interest coupled with an active imagination and an astoundingly mature disposition made it clear Darth seemed blessed with a towering intellect. This sadly left her with few friends as none of the children of her neighborhood matched her own maturity- with many of them finding her aloof and strange making her the butt of many jokes.

Darth was fortunate enough, however, to early in her life to benefit from the aid of a traveling scholar- who, lacking enough coin, decided to repay Darths father by tutoring his daughter while he stayed in the city. Seeing her potential- this same scholar, named Bertulf Scully, offered to sponsor Darth for a place in the esteemed college of Ravensworth. Seeing this as a blessing, Darth's parents agreed, fulfilling a long time dream of hers. At the age of sixteen, she was enrolled after proving her abilities through an arduous exam that she passed with near perfection. This impressed the Rectors of the university enough that she was one of the youngest novitiates to be taken in.

It was a long four years of hard work and study before Darth finally graduated, at which point she decided to stay on -- joining the ranks of the Ravensworth institute. Her intelligence and ambition soon saw her attain the coveted position of a preceptor within the institute. The rank proving she had mastered three fields of expertise within the college. After ten years working within the institute, exploring afield as often as she could to learn first hand of the history of each city within the kingdom, news of the dreaded new plague began to spread like wildfire. Though over the centuries the institute had become familiar with studying and treating new sicknesses, it became apparent this new strain was unlike anything they had ever encountered.

Darth's talents soon saw her superiors placing her at the forefront of finding a cure. Darth herself wished nothing more than learning all she could after hearing of the severity of the disease. Thus, Darth willingly joined the fourth talon of Ravensworth, the Sanguine Shroud. Known widely as plague doctors- and officially in their institute as Harbingers- with expertise in bloodletting, and magick treatment, these scourge hunters achieved their dread infamy in the infancy of their founding for disposing of victims, and even potential victims, before signs of sickness could manifest themselves. Though their methods over the decades have become much less extreme many still remember those dark days. Their beaked masks and black robes have since now become synonymous with fear, for many of these men and women know no mercy. The shroud investigators soon became less known as physicians and more so as executioners.

Darth herself has worked tirelessly to improve the credibility of Ravenworths Harbingers. Darth has made little headway in finding a cure, however, but the recent call by High Lord Jocun has given her hope all the same. She offers her skills in the hopes of finally ending this nightmare.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ Idyllic Precpetion| Darth was blessed with an incredible mind that has served her quite well in her chosen profession. Her unmatched memory and intelligence are among the reasons she has remained top of her field. Her attention to detail often means she can recall anything she has learned of or come across in almost perfect detail.

◼ Black Blood Ministation | Harbingers of the Sanguine Shroud are all subjected to an experimental blood ministration that is both equal parts alchemical solution and arcane ritual. Black blood is an unusual concoction fashioned from the blood samples of survivors of past afflictions known to Ravensworth and stored in the college. This infusion effectively renders the recipient all but immune to most known diseases, along with many forms of venom or poisons, but at a great cost. This, of course, has long been proven to be worthless against the new stone flesh plague.

//SKILLS:

◼ Hippocratic Oath| Darth is foremost an academic and a doctor, but years of research has left her with a generous amount of knowledge in alchemy as well as history. This means she knows how to create- and possesses many- healing tonics, toxins, and poisons. Dr. Cipherous can thus make use of many experimental remedies and risky healing practices to mend or even cure her companions' of mundane ailments and restore their vigor. She also employs her talent for healing to do harm if the situation calls for it.

◼ Healer or Executioner| Though not skilled with, sickle, blade or bow, Darth was taught the Shourds execution techniques to 'pacify' sickened patients to grant them a merciful painless death. This includes the use of potent poisons or, in desperate situations, the bladed cane whip she carries.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Who Likes Needles?| Due to the widespread fear, superstitions, and rumors of the preventive doctors of Ravensworth due to an unsavory past-- many have come to fear the arrival of a Harbinger. A few desperate souls may even attack a lone Harbinger outright before accepting their help through this is usually rare.

◼ No Hiding It| Thanks to ancient oaths and more than a few local laws, allegiance to Ravensworth fabled fourth talon must always be visible. This effectively means no agent of the Sanguine Shroud can obfuscate who they are. Thus the robes and beaked mask must always be worn when working on behalf of the Sanguine Shroud. The enforcement of this rule is to grant a measure of protection to their agents from infection, as much as to abide by current laws.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ Bookworm| Years spent studying tombs, scrolls and countless books, along with the occasional experiment has left Darth with no time for much physical exercise. She is typically weaker than most individuals she comes across, and her slight frame does nothing to aid in this regard.

◼ The Price of Health| The seemingly miraculous black blood ministration grants one an incredibly robust immune system, but this comes at a terrible cost. Firstly the process effectively causes the user to develop a mild form of aplastic anemia. They will produce little to no blood on their own, and must actively acquire regular infusions of healthy treated blood to remain functioning. To compound things further, one soon becomes addicted to the process of blood infusion. If no injection is maintained at least once a week, the individual will degrade rapidly in health. Growing weaker, and more feral with time. The one upside to this unseemly mutation is that the user of black blood can receive any blood for transfusion, what the college has come to call a 'universal recipient'. If not for this one fact black blood might never have been used as it is now.

Ω N O T E S:

◼ Dr. Cipherous is garbed in the cloak of dark black and cowl that, with her beaked mask, covers her entire head and face. The beaked mask carries some herbs, spices, and is blended to create a special incense. The perfume like substance serves the main purpose as a means of masking the scent of rotting corpses. Though it also serves the dual purpose of preventing any noxious gases, she may use to affect her. She also carries satchels that hold countless, ingredients, herbs, vials, tonics, and one bag houses her alchemist’s supplies.

Examples include a Moor’s Head, four alembics, a retort, the classic Mortar, and Pestle, a stirring rod, and a dozen empty flask. Finally, she carries a tome strapped to her side that houses recipes for countless things- from poisons, anti-venoms, or healing tonics. She also has a journal with her to document anything exciting or valuable she may come across.

Appearance: When not wearing her signature mask, Darth is not too different from most who live in the central homelands. Her complexion is rather pale from lack of sun, and her eyes are exceptionally dark from her black blood ministration. She has raven black hair and a gauntness to her features that hint at her unnatural condition.

Gear
Bladed Cane: A common piece of gear for Sanguine Shrouded agents acting as harbingers is a walking cane which is seen as both a badge of office and serves the more practical use to examine and direct patients without the need to make direct contact with the patient. As with nearly all equipment employed by Shroud, the cane serves the dual purpose as an execution weapon for those who have caught the stone blight. In extreme cases, the one might use the hidden blade feature of the cane to defend one's self as it is sufficiently deadly as a rigid bladed cane, that can serve as a bladed whip when its blade is split into over a dozen razor-sharp segments. The top of the cane is fashioned to resemble a raven's head.

@GreivousKhan

I'm still a little uncomfortable with the Black Blood, but ultimately this is a smoother read with a lot of our discussed issues cleaned up. Accepted. Go ahead and put her in the character's tab.

Edit: On second thought, is Black Blood necessary? It's not referenced in the backstory for the Harbingers that you provide, or for Ravensworth in general, and seems to be there as an addendum to add a faux-vampirism to your character. Could you take the time to PM me with some further explanation?

[GreivousKhan]

@Roman I can always think of something else, in fact, I think I have an interesting idea revolving around concoctions that may or may not have adverse side effects or beneficial ones.

[Snowballe]

@Roman For the characters not yet added to IC, what's the plan for incorporating them into the story? Will it just be a retcon-style "they were there the whole time" or will we be meeting them as we go along? Asking because I'm hesitant to IC post much further into the story if there's the chance that it'll have to get retconned anyways.

[Sovi3t]

Jartod v2

Jartod “The Just”

________________________________________
^{"I wish to die with a sword in my hand, not sleeping on a bed. "}

^{Jartod Redwater ♦ 34 ♦ S E X ♦ Lawful Neutral}

Ω O R I G I N S:

________________________________________

To understand where I am from, one must assume a place where the law and the order was given by a one man, a tyrant per say. A tyrant who heeded no religion or organized group's doctrine. Instead, he heeded his own will and his own power.

I was born into a fort, of a well-known bandit known as Grozak "The Fearless". My mother another fellow bandit who my father fell in love with, I don't remember much about her, however she was there with me during my early days and brought me up. Regardless as a kid I wandered around a fort, with other bandits. A few kids were seen in the fort, but I really didn't play or do anything of fun nature that much. Most of my childhood was me learning how to read and write, and something my father insisted on.
However, my first taste of actual bandit action came when I was merely fifteen years of age. I was to assist my father with an ambush that was to take place on the main road, leading to one of towns that was a few days away from the capital. We had roughly twenty-five bandits in various ages, gear, and combat stature, I, was youngest in the raiding group. You see, at the time my view of the world was shaped upon books and whatnot, so I in the back of my head knew that well... what we were doing was immoral and illegal. But my dad Grozak thought, like many more bandits would fall in love with the gold and the raw intensity the fight would bring. But the opposite happened. The raid occurred roughly at one in the morning. Our group got the jump on the traders and their hired guards. They were a tough fight, but we overwhelmed them in power and strength. After that? It got brutal in nature. Women and Children were separated and escorted to the fort, they mainly became slaves and whores from what I saw. While the men? They were executed one by one, mainly through a firing squad of archers in our company. My father at the time thought it would be an experience that would harden me, but also provided reinforcement by the goods we obtained through this raid. Pieces of armor, food, jewelry, and other valuable goods were obtained from this raid. But for me and my limited understanding of the world through reading books and the news, I knew the lifestyle at hand wasn’t the one for me.

Planning to escape was somewhat of a daunting task to say at least. They were no books that told you how to escape from a bandit fort. Plus, the nearest city was a day’s trek by foot. They’re was a village nearby, but the locals would easily have identified me and probably killed me, since they were aware of me being Grozak’s offspring. Yet fate however was on my side. One eventful night, we were planning a raid on an armed caravan, mainly transporting wine and food for a lord’s feast that was occurring in the city. We arrived too the caravan, at first facing little resistance at all. An armed merchant and a retired veteran. Little as we knew however, as we began to pick apart the shipment we had entered a trap. A group of riders and a few foot soldiers sprung out of no where and assaulted our raiding party. To put it in the most reasonable way possible, it was pure chaos. I managed to get on a horse and bolted the other direction that I came from, I could in the distance hear the hollering of the raiding party’s remaining fighters trying to call me back, but it was to no avail. I rode towards the city, aided by the horse, and arrived, hungry and tired. The city guard promptly threw me in jail as I awaited trail.

The case against me was a interesting one, one that set my life up one can say. You see I was sixteen, a few months away from turning seventeen at the time. The justiciar was presented with evidence from both sides, one was a noble fighting my case and another, a noble who was apart of the crown for the city. The case went back and forth, with my age but also my loyalty and my relationship to my father being asked. However, frankly due to my age, my statement given to the justiciar and my desire to reinvent myself I was, given a second chance at life. Once I was given the status of a freeman, I pursued the art of blacksmithing and spent my time honing the craft. I have traveled outside of the city walls, and a fear of being ambushed does linger with me at times. However, I haven’t had any encounters.

Once obtaining my proficiency in smiting, I decided to float around city by city. I became an experienced tradesperson/a wanderer. Keeping my self in shape. I do at times wonder what has become of my father’s once great and feared bandit gang and desire one day, with a group of soldiers or likeminded individuals to back me and to help me figure out what has become.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

________________________________________//ABILITIES:

◼ Knowledge of the art of battle| Growing up in a bandit fort, he knows his way around a bow, a two handed or one handed weapon or a shield, and can easily handle himself in battle

◼ Web of Connections | His time as a smith has resulted in Jartod knowing a lot of noblemen, loyalty and a few big name merchants, he also knows people who can get thing's done.. if needed

//SKILLS:

◼ Master Smith | Jartod is regarded as one of the best Smith's in realm, he can deal with almost any material and honing it into a nice piece of craftsmanship

◼ Potions, Poisons and Ointment - The rare thing Jartod picked up from his mother's line of work was here alchemy know how. He can brew various varying degrees of ointments and has a understanding of most fauna in the region
//LIMITATIONS:

◼ No Magical Ability | Jartod doesn’t at all have any sort of magical ability or skill needed to be inclined in the arcane.

◼ Disliked in the country | Being apart of Grozak’s clan, many villages in the countryside view Jartod as scum and someone keen to exploit them, thus he prefers to stay in the city or at least in area’s his clan hasn’t operated or raided.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ Mead and Ale | Jartod somewhat enjoys mead and ale…in other words he regular keeps a bottle on him and sips it like any person would sip water

◼ Light Sleeper| Jartod at most gets six to eighthours of sleep, but the slightest of noise can wake him up

Ω N O T E S:

________________________________________

◼ Any further notes your character may require.

[Tangletail]

Farya the Wolfborn

^{"We are all fragile things. But we kill, we take, we live. That makes us strong."}

Farya

^{"A small chested wildling woman with a toned body and cut back muscles. She's primitively dressed from head to toe in furs, wraps, and wraps of torn cloth from her favored game. Scars dot her body from various sources; Claws, blades, and arrows. A wooden wolf mask seems to be permanently fixed to her face"}

Wolyo

^{"A young direwolf with intelligence glinting in its eyes, decorated in a protective harness created with carved hardwood plates and hides. It is large enough to be straddled, but not large enough to cast a shadow over a man."}

^{FARYA ♦ 27 ♦ FEMALE ♦ TRUE NEUTRAL}

Ω O R I G I N S:

I have little personal memory of my origins. What I know has been told through my mother’s jaws. And from her tongue, I shall lay bare to you. I was a delicate creature. A suckling babe, crying for the milk of her mother – a kind woman with demons grasping for her heart. She is-was the mate of a wealthy man – by convince of their pack. And… the driver of souls into damnation. The smell of poppy clung to her. The sweetness of the scent – heighted by a fanged smile lured many into her clutches. They desired escape. They disliked the world for what it gave them. Despair, disease, loss. She obliged for a grave pittance. Lambs walking into the jaws of a wolf.
You shall do well to suspend surprise, for her fate was of her own creation. She rode a wheeled construct into the depths of a forest. She carried the babe. And lusting men, stinking of the city’s streets, overtook her protectors and her. Nature’s will came that day. For the strong took from the weak. Poppy, money, warmth, lives, and the babe. The mother lane slain and stripped of her worldly possessions. The baby for ransom, in hope of gold and jewels from the father.

Those lusting eyes only saw the glint of steel and fire in the night before the river turned red. The man was no fool. He had power. He’ll take me back – whatever the cost. But I never came back. For my takers have left me in a cave. The cadaver of the one whom guarded me decorated the floor. My new takers, my new pack, found me. The children’s teeth thirst for more blood. But my mother saw only a child that new nothing of the world’s beauty, and its horrors.

And through the years that child grew. She danced with a bow and the grace of a cat. Her arrows weaving through the air to fell their mark. A huntress forged by wolves. A wolf in lamb’s clothing.

My mother’s story has beauty. Nature’s will laid out. But most importantly, the story was also a parable. If you are strong, whatever you desire will become yours. A lesson that girl took to heart.

I left my pack by their graces to find a hunting grounds to make my own. I’ve traveled for many moons, alone. Found a large forest ripe with game. Another wolf as well. A massive wolf, whom I’ve built a strong bond with, one I do not completely understand. We are nearly one. I’ve taken to calling him Wolyo. An act forged with great sentiment. He became my new teacher – unlocked the secrets of rituals, spells, and language. No nights were cold, no dreams fretful, no hunt alone. He became my trusted friend, I became his.

Together, we laid claim to that forest. Together, we hunted wild life for food, trespassers for sport. We hear whispers on the winds of us. They speak of us, forging stories and legends. Of a maiden with a bow, and a great wolf with dagger-like teeth. A great wealth is to be had, and we are their gate keepers. There is truth to this. We collect what they find valuable from the fallen and stored it away. They hunt us, we in turn - them. Shall we be bested, we’ll recognize their strength. And our hoard is theirs to own.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ Feline’s Grace | Farya is startling graceful and dexterous. When relaxed, she drifts gracefully through the grass like a noble. Upright and to the step of a rhythm. When she prowls, she slinks like a predator with perfect balance. When she fires her bow, she does with the glory of a dancer. Swapping targets with a pirouette, and repositioning with a twirl, or a flip. And when running, she makes long strides with instinctive care in each step, or soars through the air when running on all fours.

◼ Apex Predator | Unlike most, Farya came to rely heavily on all of her senses working at their peak. She has better hearing, sense of smell, sensitivity to touch, and taste than most other humans. Naturally she’ll struggle with those who spent a lifetime hiding, but those few will gain her respect.

//SKILLS:

◼ Eternal Huntress | Farya had spent most of her life hunting. And like wise that gives her a lifetime to hone her tracking, stalking, and marksmanship. Those whom become Farya’s and Wolyo’s next target, will never live to tell the story of a close encounter with the two.

◼ We Hunt Together | Both Farya and Wolyo are no strangers to teamwork, and greatly desires a pack of their own. Those in their care would not need to fear about their flanks, or worry about being left to die.

◼ Nature’s Gift | Farya had learned some basic druid spells and rituals from her companion, Wolyo. While druid magics are worth fearing. Her spells are mostly utility, or ineffective in combat. Along with this gift, she holds a natural ability to speak with beasts.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Novice Druid | Farya had such a short time to learn the spells she knows. Practice and experimentation is the only reason why she can consistently cast such spells. However, she does not have the benefit of building up her endurance through years of practice like other spell casters. And more complicated spells she picks up later could potentially fail at a much higher rate than normal.

◼ Uneducated | Growing up in the wild often means you do not get the same opportunities. Farya is incapable of reading, writing, and some intermediate levels of arithmetic. She has little understanding of how machinery works.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ A Wolf Is Not a Pet | Civilization is a foreign concept to Farya. She has no sense of modesty, a lack luster understanding of laws, bare minimum humanity, and some how managed to not understand some of the nuances of human emotions like love. That's right, ask for her hand in marriage, and she will look at you with confusion. The only things civil about her, is the fact she wears clothes for utility purposes only, grooms and bathes on a regular and strict basis, and has a strong grasp of language.

◼ Two Fangs One Maw | It would be almost accurate to say they are two halves of one person. Linked in mind and soul, with a deep ingrain trust - they're sworn to be life long companions and to never leave the other behind. Separation will cripple them both with grief, loneliness, and an inexplicably strong desire to regroup with one another no matter the cost.

◼ Lone Wolves Don't Survive | The two’s greatest weakness is their dependence on one another. Like many wolves, the individual will not survive for long. They overcome their weaknesses by covering for each other’s. The two work together like a well-oiled machine. Isolating one will force them into a bad spot if the other can't get to them.

◼ Identity Masquerade | She almost always wears her mask. And very rarely takes it off. The loss of it could potentially cause her to lock up in fear, or frantically search for it.

Ω N O T E S:

◼ Primitive tatoos line her body. Rather than being various tribal symbols, they are few long sweeping, and broad swirling blue lines. They seem to be all connected together. They swirl around her kalves, thighs, stomach, and end crawling up her back to her shoulders. The same pattern is repeated on the furs and rags of cloths she wears in the exact same locations.

◼ Farya wears a mask. The mask is an intricate black painted wood carving resembling a stylized wolf. A blue marking exists on the forehead in a similar style to the markings that covers her body.

◼ Her Primary Weapon is a long bow, well made and decorated with trophies like fangs, claws, and feathers. Her back up is a sturdy primitive knife with a large ring on the hilt.

[Roman]

Kassandra Fletcher

K A S S A N D R A

^{"NO, I will NOT make you a love potion!"}

^{Kassandra Fletcher
♦ 19 ♦ Female ♦ Neutral Good}

Ω O R I G I N S:

Kassandra Fletcher is one of the mages in training serving under
Master Mage Horridan Reese. It has taken her years of schooling to get to where she is, and just as much determination and drive. While she does know the same general magic that all book-learned mages are taught, Kassandra’s specialty is potion work. One would think it’s no different than cooking, but there is a subtlety and complication in the art that many mages overlook for something more straightforward. It’s not just the choice of ingredients that changes, but the amount used, and the amount of magical will infused into the ingredients. The timeframe of brewing, the weather on the day that you begin the potion. Is the room humid or dry? Your hands clean when you stoppered the bottle?

Kassandra adores her potions, and her hard work has garnered many results. She wants to teach others when she becomes of age. Working to stop the plague is not only her Master’s wish, but Kassy’s as well.

Her parents, Kaia and Lenden were nomadic, and she was a very happy child, traveling from city to city. Kaia had a great deal of magic and intelligence, and “Spoke to the dead”. In truth, no one can speak to the dead. Kaia used a combination of cold reading and minor illusion to do what she did, and used it to help others come to grips with loss. Her father had no magical talent of his own, but supported his wife and child with heart and blade. While she was a benevolent woman, not everyone saw her that way. “Unholy” and “charlatan” were among the first complicated words that little Kassy learned as a child, but so were “savior” and “blessed”. What she didn’t learn, was that her mother was essentially a fraud. Some nights when they rushed out in the middle of the night were treated as a fun game, and Kassy never understood that they were being chased. Kassandra will never know if it was sabotage or a spell gone very wrong, but her mother died one evening in the midst of a “channeling”.

Lenden was never the same. He sunk into his grief, and they spent almost a year travelling and barely making ends meet before they came to the city of Vasilius. There, Kassandra learned that she had an aunt Liriya – her brother’s sister – and that aunt was a minor noble (she married up). Her father dropped her off there, promising to return within 6 months.

Kassandra has never seen him again.

While Aunt Liriya was displeased with the arrangement to say the least, she did clothe and feed and put a roof over Kassy’s head. She even went sure the girl went to school, something 8 year old Kassy did not know existed. Despite being behind the other noble children, Kassy quickly caught up. And then – she began to surpass her classmates through the years.
When she was about 17, when most noble children were going for professions or knighthood, Kassy was offered another choice. All schools of the realm had magic tests to determine a child’s aptitude. Most children didn’t show much more than the usual capacity for spellwork, and were left to general schooling. Some showed more innate talent, and they were given extra lessons to not let the talent go to waste or get out of hand.
Kassandra was offered a place at the Royal Academy of Advanced Intellect – a school where the best and brightest in the kingdom went to learn and grow. She learned where her passions lay, studied with other like minds, and was third in line for an apprenticeship with the Master Mage Reese himself! Within a year, she was moved up the ladder. The first apprentice married, the second apprentice quit, and Kassy was suddenly thrown into the position in the midst of the plague. She is determined to succeed – don’t burn out, don’t get pregnant, and don’t let a little thing like an incurable plague stop her from becoming someone amazing.

Ω
A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ I Got Bottles | While she does know the same general magic that all book-learned mages are taught, Kassandra’s specialty is potion work. One would think it’s no different than cooking, but there is a subtlety and complication in the art that many mages overlook for something more straightforward. It’s not just the choice of ingredients that changes, but the amount used, and the amount of magical will infused into the ingredients. The timeframe of brewing, the weather on the day that you begin the potion. Is the room humid or dry? Your hands clean when you stoppered the bottle?
So far, Kassy has several potions that she relies on.
Better Than Coffee: This golden-brown potion provides a 3 hour burst of energy that will shake off sleepiness and make up for an all-nighter in the library. Kassandra knows from experience that more than 2 per day is asking for trouble.
Cleanser: This is a strangely clear potion. It’s used to detect poison, or other harmful additives in food or drink. Kassy has made quite a bit of money with this one.
To Your Health!: This potion is bright orange, and can help shake off small sicknesses like colds. This is one that Kassy is constantly working to improve. It doesn’t work well on everyone. For some reason, elderly don’t respond well to it. It is also only for minor illnesses, certainly not a miracle cure.
Purge: This is the only one that could be called a poison. When imbibed, it will make the drinker vomit. Then it will happen in the other direction. Ironically enough, Kassy uses this on herself more than anyone else, as she refuses to let anyone test a potion–in–progress. She’s had to expel failed experiments from her own body more than once.

◼ “Real Magic” | Kassandra’s spells are for function, not flash. While she has many more, the few that she uses on a regular basis are as such:
Light – She casts a circle of light large enough for about 3 people.
Burst – She launches a bubble of force that impacts like a kicking horse. Could break bones if it hit the right place. Could kill if it hit the wrong place.
Detect – Detects the presence of magic around her. Only works on cast spells or magical things or creatures. Since everything’s got a bit of magic, the spell is tuned for what is deliberately there.
Bubble – Burst in reverse. Calls up a localized shield that can cover about 20 feet around.

//SKILLS:

◼ Court Savvy | While technically not a noble herself, she does hold a
position of esteem. As one of Reese’s students, she is expected to be present at certain functions - if
only to be silent at her Master's elbow. She knows the rules, and can manage in high company.

◼ Well-Read |
Kassandra has spent a lifetime either moving from city to city, or nose-deep in books from around the world. She has an intelligence about the world outside. While she doesn’t speak much of her nomadic past, the knowledge she has may come in handy on the journey.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Reader, not a Fighter | Kassandra does not like fighting. While certain potions can be used for combat, and Kassy does know how to swing the staff she carries, she will hesitate to jump into battle. In a real fight, that hesitation could be very dangerous.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ NERRRD! | Kass is not very social, to say the least. While she can happily go on about magical theory, history, and
classical works, she's more than a little out of her league just socializing. Other people her age sometimes find her awkward, or just boring. She is acutely aware of this, and is often hesitant in conversation.

Ω
N O T E S:

◼ Kassandra was born with white hair. She has no idea why, and to the knowledge of everyone she’s ever asked, she has no more or less magical power than anyone else. It may be a birth defect, it may be destiny. Right now, Kass herself just finds it annoying. She usually covers her head with a cap or hood, and wears makeup to darken her lashes and eyebrows.

Waiting on your reapproval.

@Mistress Dizzy

And you shall have it! All good, we only had a few very minor quibbles and they’ve all been fixed, so go ahead and throw Kassandra into the characters tab with the rest of the cast!

[Tangletail]

@Roman
Holy crap, I'm rereading my app and I just realized my late night stupor she's learning magic from a wolf. Unless you find that fine, I'll correct that wierdness when I get to a computer.

[Mistress Dizzy]

@Roman Woohoo! I am probably going to post tomorrow, as I am up to 19 out of a 40 hours week and I have 3 days to go. Yaaay fuck overtime woooo.

[Sovi3t]

@roman I've posted my application with the revised content, whenever you get a chance can you please check?

[Roman]

@Roman
Holy crap, I'm rereading my app and I just realized my late night stupor she's learning magic from a wolf. Unless you find that fine, I'll correct that wierdness when I get to a computer.

@Tangletail

I'm umming and aah-ing about your sheet so I will try and PM you to discuss it tomorrow. @fetzen I know you're still waiting as well so I will do you both at the same time.

@roman I've posted my application with the revised content, whenever you get a chance can you please check?

@Sovi3t

In all honestly I'm struggling to see any significant changes that you've made to address what we talked about? I like Jartod but he needs some focused direction and something to distinguish him from our other Knight-archetype characters, Gaius and Roderick.

[Tangletail]

<Snipped quote by Tangletail>

I'm umming and aah-ing about your sheet so I will try and PM you to discuss it tomorrow. @fetzen I know you're still waiting as well so I will do you both at the same time.

<Snipped quote by Sovi3t>

In all honestly I'm struggling to see any significant changes that you've made to address what we talked about? I like Jartod but he needs some focused direction and something to distinguish him from our other Knight-archetype characters, Gaius and Roderick.

@Roman

Got you. I'll... Just leave it as it is then.

[Liseran Thistle]

@Roman Woohoo! I am probably going to post tomorrow, as I am up to 19 out of a 40 hours week and I have 3 days to go. Yaaay fuck overtime woooo.

@Mistress Dizzy

overtime sounds like it fucking sucks, congrats! I only have about a week left of school, so no more worrying about essays for me yay!

[Tangletail]

<Snipped quote by Mistress Dizzy>

overtime sounds like it fucking sucks, congrats! I only have about a week left of school, so no more worrying about essays for me yay!

@Liseran Thistle

I graduated. But boy is there internal unholy screeching from college debt. Now I bang my head against a desk as I sift through horrible code 9hrs a day...

[Fetzen]

<Snipped quote by Liseran Thistle>

I graduated. But boy is there internal unholy screeching from college debt. Now I bang my head against a desk as I sift through horrible code 9hrs a day...

@Tangletail

You have a job in the computer science business? Because what you describe sounds eerily similar to what I do...

[Tangletail]

<Snipped quote by Tangletail>

You have a job in the computer science business? Because what you describe sounds eerily similar to what I do...

@Fetzen

Yup. Pedestrian and traffic ai for simulators

[Roman]

Loving the IC posts so far guys, some great writing going on! The group will need to decide their first destination and embark on their quest, though I will leave it entirely in your capable hands. I will occasionally drop in with a narrator/GM post for certain events and whenever I feel some direction may be necessary.

Edit: I will also say that I’m probably going to be looking for a Co-GM, due to not taking a character myself so needing someone to work with for a more active presence in the IC and someone I can spill secrets to that can then work to subtly guide the IC in the correct story directions. If anyone’s interested let me know; ideally those of you with good experience of running Advanced games and worldbuilding background.

[Roman]

Hider

Farya the Wolfborn

^{"We are all fragile things. But we kill, we take, we live. That makes us strong."}

Farya

^{"A small chested wildling woman with a toned body and cut back muscles. She's primitively dressed from head to toe in furs, wraps, and wraps of torn cloth from her favored game. Scars dot her body from various sources; Claws, blades, and arrows. A wooden wolf mask seems to be permanently fixed to her face"}

Wolyo

^{"A young direwolf with intelligence glinting in its eyes, decorated in a protective harness created with carved hardwood plates and hides. It is large enough to be straddled, but not large enough to cast a shadow over a man."}

^{FARYA ♦ 27 ♦ FEMALE ♦ TRUE NEUTRAL}

Ω O R I G I N S:

I have little personal memory of my origins. What I know has been told through my mother’s jaws. And from her tongue, I shall lay bare to you. I was a delicate creature. A suckling babe, crying for the milk of her mother – a kind woman with demons grasping for her heart. She is-was the mate of a wealthy man – by convince of their pack. And… the driver of souls into damnation. The smell of poppy clung to her. The sweetness of the scent – heighted by a fanged smile lured many into her clutches. They desired escape. They disliked the world for what it gave them. Despair, disease, loss. She obliged for a grave pittance. Lambs walking into the jaws of a wolf.
You shall do well to suspend surprise, for her fate was of her own creation. She rode a wheeled construct into the depths of a forest. She carried the babe. And lusting men, stinking of the city’s streets, overtook her protectors and her. Nature’s will came that day. For the strong took from the weak. Poppy, money, warmth, lives, and the babe. The mother lane slain and stripped of her worldly possessions. The baby for ransom, in hope of gold and jewels from the father.

Those lusting eyes only saw the glint of steel and fire in the night before the river turned red. The man was no fool. He had power. He’ll take me back – whatever the cost. But I never came back. For my takers have left me in a cave. The cadaver of the one whom guarded me decorated the floor. My new takers, my new pack, found me. The children’s teeth thirst for more blood. But my mother saw only a child that new nothing of the world’s beauty, and its horrors.

And through the years that child grew. She danced with a bow and the grace of a cat. Her arrows weaving through the air to fell their mark. A huntress forged by wolves. A wolf in lamb’s clothing.

My mother’s story has beauty. Nature’s will laid out. But most importantly, the story was also a parable. If you are strong, whatever you desire will become yours. A lesson that girl took to heart.

I left my pack by their graces to find a hunting grounds to make my own. I’ve traveled for many moons, alone. Found a large forest ripe with game. Another wolf as well. A massive wolf, whom I’ve built a strong bond with, one I do not completely understand. We are nearly one. I’ve taken to calling him Wolyo. An act forged with great sentiment. He became my new teacher – unlocked the secrets of rituals, spells, and language. No nights were cold, no dreams fretful, no hunt alone. He became my trusted friend, I became his.

Together, we laid claim to that forest. Together, we hunted wild life for food, trespassers for sport. We hear whispers on the winds of us. They speak of us, forging stories and legends. Of a maiden with a bow, and a great wolf with dagger-like teeth. A great wealth is to be had, and we are their gate keepers. There is truth to this. We collect what they find valuable from the fallen and stored it away. They hunt us, we in turn - them. Shall we be bested, we’ll recognize their strength. And our hoard is theirs to own.

Ω A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:

//ABILITIES:

◼ Feline’s Grace | Farya is startling graceful and dexterous. When relaxed, she drifts gracefully through the grass like a noble. Upright and to the step of a rhythm. When she prowls, she slinks like a predator with perfect balance. When she fires her bow, she does with the glory of a dancer. Swapping targets with a pirouette, and repositioning with a twirl, or a flip. And when running, she makes long strides with instinctive care in each step, or soars through the air when running on all fours.

◼ Apex Predator | Unlike most, Farya came to rely heavily on all of her senses working at their peak. She has better hearing, sense of smell, sensitivity to touch, and taste than most other humans. Naturally she’ll struggle with those who spent a lifetime hiding, but those few will gain her respect.

//SKILLS:

◼ Eternal Huntress | Farya had spent most of her life hunting. And like wise that gives her a lifetime to hone her tracking, stalking, and marksmanship. Those whom become Farya’s and Wolyo’s next target, will never live to tell the story of a close encounter with the two.

◼ We Hunt Together | Both Farya and Wolyo are no strangers to teamwork, and greatly desires a pack of their own. Those in their care would not need to fear about their flanks, or worry about being left to die.

◼ Nature’s Gift | Farya had learned some basic druid spells and rituals from her companion, Wolyo. While druid magics are worth fearing. Her spells are mostly utility, or ineffective in combat. Along with this gift, she holds a natural ability to speak with beasts.

//LIMITATIONS:

◼ Novice Druid | Farya had such a short time to learn the spells she knows. Practice and experimentation is the only reason why she can consistently cast such spells. However, she does not have the benefit of building up her endurance through years of practice like other spell casters. And more complicated spells she picks up later could potentially fail at a much higher rate than normal.

◼ Uneducated | Growing up in the wild often means you do not get the same opportunities. Farya is incapable of reading, writing, and some intermediate levels of arithmetic. She has little understanding of how machinery works.

//WEAKNESSES:

◼ A Wolf Is Not a Pet | Civilization is a foreign concept to Farya. She has no sense of modesty, a lack luster understanding of laws, bare minimum humanity, and some how managed to not understand some of the nuances of human emotions like love. That's right, ask for her hand in marriage, and she will look at you with confusion. The only things civil about her, is the fact she wears clothes for utility purposes only, grooms and bathes on a regular and strict basis, and has a strong grasp of language.

◼ Two Fangs One Maw | It would be almost accurate to say they are two halves of one person. Linked in mind and soul, with a deep ingrain trust - they're sworn to be life long companions and to never leave the other behind. Separation will cripple them both with grief, loneliness, and an inexplicably strong desire to regroup with one another no matter the cost.

◼ Lone Wolves Don't Survive | The two’s greatest weakness is their dependence on one another. Like many wolves, the individual will not survive for long. They overcome their weaknesses by covering for each other’s. The two work together like a well-oiled machine. Isolating one will force them into a bad spot if the other can't get to them.

◼ Identity Masquerade | She almost always wears her mask. And very rarely takes it off. The loss of it could potentially cause her to lock up in fear, or frantically search for it.

Ω N O T E S:

◼ Primitive tatoos line her body. Rather than being various tribal symbols, they are few long sweeping, and broad swirling blue lines. They seem to be all connected together. They swirl around her kalves, thighs, stomach, and end crawling up her back to her shoulders. The same pattern is repeated on the furs and rags of cloths she wears in the exact same locations.

◼ Farya wears a mask. The mask is an intricate black painted wood carving resembling a stylized wolf. A blue marking exists on the forehead in a similar style to the markings that covers her body.

◼ Her Primary Weapon is a long bow, well made and decorated with trophies like fangs, claws, and feathers. Her back up is a sturdy primitive knife with a large ring on the hilt.

@Tangletail

I’ve decided I’d rather actively manage this in the IC than make changes to the sheet itself as my main concerns are the potential impact the character could make to the ongoing story and the world at large. On that note, Accepted - I just ask that you take the time to specify somewhere on your sheet that wolyo is a breed of Direwolf. Then chuck it into the character’s tab!

[Liseran Thistle]

This all seems like fun, im glad other people are joining!

[Fetzen]

*still waits for at least some kind of message about his application while others who have been posted later have been looked at earlier, the IC has been started and the first round of posts been done*

Am I to assume that the absence of any such word is to be interpreted as a 'no' so absolute that it wasn't even worth mentioning it?