[OOC] The Witcher: Under the Shadow

[Holiday]

Forgot to say I'm checking in

[Red7VII]

Nearly done. I've got to tweak and polish the History. Just to put it out there, I'll be going for a half-elf sword(arrow)-for-hire.

peek-a-boo

[spicykvnt]

-

[NuttsnBolts]

Audhild

_{"I do not know whose blood is on my axe, though I suspect they deserved what they had coming..."}

^{❰ Audhild ⟡ Twenty Four ⟡ Human ⟡ Female ❱}

Birthplace

---

Skellige Isles

Profession

---

Barbarian

Appearance

---

Audhild is a woman in her early twenties with hair which was once described as the colour of cedar, nowadays seen stripped back to a more lifeless, smokey straw after years of living by the ocean sea. Her skin does house more vigor — compared to her salty strands — with its buttermilk blend of littered speckles and faint blemishes, howbeit she chooses to hide this alluring grace under the layers of war-paint, blood splatter, and grime tilled from the earth.

To cover her youthful and distressingly scarred body Audhild wears a tattered, hazelnut tunic, a linen dress which lightly rests upon her shoulders. Laying atop of these shoulders and the clothes she wears so often is the thick coat of a great beast's fur — the source of such an animal has been long forgotten. Her leggings are bone in colour, a durable woollen blend once crafted with skill, now haggard and in need of some care. Finally across her waist and extending up to her belly is a hickory coloured, animal skin and animal hide war skirt; an item of attire made from a similar creature to the ones which was once hunted for the crafting her boots.

Personality

---

As the blade falls into one's head the last glimpses they see are the eyes of a woman with a fire that burns deep within her soul; the red vein passion of fury, love, and loss. Audhild is a woman with a fierce temper and fast instinct, but lacks the logical finesse for which the more educated hold so dear. Much like a wolf against a bear she understands that her strength, her skills, and her past all must culminate together in a twisted expression of aggression — or else she risks falling to her failures and fears; to become a lamb to the slaughter of men and monster.

Out of the red mist of a battle and beneath the twilight darkness of the evening sky, Audhild has been seen to display emotions of silence and spirituality. Her lack of meaningful companionship and confusion about her place in the world holds back her ability to trust and sympathise with others. This odd trait is what ultimately defines her, and is the root cause of her inner anguish and desolation. She is a woman without a family, and a warrior without a clan.

History

---

How does one become a fierce female warrior if it was not for a life of chains, barbaric pit fighting, and an eventual escape to freedom. A woman reborn through the waters of the ocean, drifting on the floating debris of shattered oak at a time when an illuminating smoke could artistically paint the backdrop for the drowning screams of her pirate captors; a cold and frightening night it truly was.

The feeling of being alive as Audhild washed up on an unknown shore was nothing short of both euphoric and sombre, a moment which brought tears to her eyes as she could cast the years of slavery into the depths of her submerged memory. Those nights where the monsters of human appearance would spoil themselves in alcohol and force her to fight their ravenous pets for their own entertainment. A single night where she would fight for her survival, repeated endlessly for years. A routine ritual forcing her deep fears to cower and adapt as an emotion of violence became the norm.

With almost two decades passing since the death of her parents — a single memory lovingly spoiled by the blades spilling their blood across a fishing boat deck, their limp corpses tossed overboard as the screams of a child begging for mercy were heard — the woman of beastly fur clothing takes on work that will pay to quench the thirst for unfulfilled revenge. Bloodshed has fueled her life, a cost paid when innocence holds no value, as Audhild willingly befriends death herself. Her ventures have taken her far, leading her deep into the continent where the real monsters offer a real opportunity, along with the feral creatures of unhumanly nature who she has been asked to slain.

Skills

---

⟡ Fierce like Fire: For Audhild nothing is more invigorating — or more enthralling — than being one on the battlefield. A warrior, a natural with her axe, a force of absolute power. To fight alongside Audhild with her edge is to be compared to witnessing a painter with a badger bristle brush. Each stroke is meticulously accurate, a sweep with absolute beauty and confidence as she paints the scene with her desires and commitment. One can only admire the skills she has obtained to become of an artist of carnage.

⟡ To Chant and Charge: A bellowing roar, the pounding of soles in a heated blaze which sweeps across the scarred lands. There can be nothing described as more anxiety creating or fear inducing than the sights of a screaming banshee masked in the blood of her fallen victims. With an inner willpower which can be seen driving her immense reserve of stamina, Audhild ensures death will come fast, painful, and filled with copious amounts of terror; watching men as they flee from her appearance alone.

⟡ To Survive in Sickness: The key to one's survival lies in the preservation of life. A simple wound — shallow and uninteresting — can be so easily neglected and left to linger until a point where it may fester and evolve into a plague. Audhild's own experiences in treating and mending these ailments, using elements of nature as ointments and bandages, helps to improve the chances of prolonging one's survival. If it's worth treating, it's worth trying.

Equipment

---

⟡ Oyen's Edge: An old timber handle axe, made from a carved length of golden oak with a blade that appears to be forged of iron. The bevel of the blade appears to have lost its once sharp edge, coated in a fine layer of rust from being exposed to the ocean air, forever embedded and discoloured with the remains of a deep crimson bloodstain. An engraving of a name or blessing can be seen on the cheeks of the head, but age and deterioration have taken over, hiding the truth to this mysterious identity.

⟡ Stohl’s Round Shield: A circle of thick, pitted steel surrounds an alignment of dry cedar planks; a robust shield which measures two feet in diameter and rests sleepily upon the back of the axe wielding woman. The face of such a piece once held beautiful colours of red and black but has been weathered and scarred to a state where not even the troops of Skellige would recognise its origins.

⟡ Hilde's Uniform: Stripped from the dead, a body washed ashore from a time of rebirth; the layers of clothing provide very little protection against that which may draw blood, instead dulling the blow of any heavy fisted hit. It is only through the hunting and pillaging of the dead and killed that the uniform's personality and uniqueness began to blossom, providing an appearance which speaks in the dialect of war.

Miscellaneous

---

⟡ Audhild is quite spiritual to a level where she will meditate in front of a flame to offer thanks for her day of survival.
⟡ To read or write is impossible as she has never had any form of schooling.
⟡ One must always be vigilant with food around the woman for she cares little for rationing and more for her personal hunger.
⟡ The last person to touch her face was left with three fingers. She spat out the blood soaked digit.

[NecroKnight]

@POOHEAD189

So in that regard. Are female Witchers allowed or not? I am interested in this.

I've read Witcher lore, and from what I've understood - there has been one in question.

witcher.fandom.com/wiki/Dragonfly_(wi…

[POOHEAD189]

@NecroKnight Every female Witcher has been from the non-canon Pen & Paper roleplaying game, including that one. I'm just trying to remain strict on the lore of Andrzej Sapkowski.

[Red7VII]

For your consideration:

Broody McDrinksabit

Vangelis Waelvor

(aka Van to his friends and Emerald Shadow to his employers)

Race:
Half Human, Half Aen Seidhe (Elf)

Age:
29 years old

Gender:
Male

Birthplace:
Creyden

Profession:
Assassin

Appearance:
Standing at about 6'2" (188cm), Vangelis is a relatively tall, agile and slender mutt. Though his clothing hides a toned body, his musculature is not very bulky giving a false impression of his surprising strength. His ears are the most obvious giveaway to his inhuman racial influences, ending in points that he often hides in order to avoid prejudice. His eyes are a vibrant, nearly iridescent, emerald green. His face is marked with stubble, incapable of growing out a full beard. His wardrobe is often casual and light, consisting of dark, earthy cloths and leather as well as a hooded cloak that he utilizes for various means of stealth and anonymity. He will almost always be seen armed with his Elven bow, a quiver, crafted arrows and a sword at his side.

Personality:
Ice and Fire. It's the simplest way to explain the duality brought about by Vangelis' bipolarism. To trigger the warmth from the cold, one need only add alcohol. When he is sober, he extremely serious about any task he is on, typically executing it to perfection. His words may be few, but they are chosen with care. He can often seem detached from the world around him as he is focused on his assignment or his quest to find the next one.

When he's got the drink in him, an occasion he carefully selects, his is downright jovial, humorous, sociable and promiscuous. This side of him is typically on display after a particularly fruitful mission has been completed or if he intends to drown out any nightmares that may be haunting him. He is a very big believer in the ideal of working hard and playing hard.

When it comes to trust and companionship, Vangelis holds his cards very close to the chest, letting a minute few truly passed his psychological wall. Once you've made it in, though, you've got an unlikely friend for life. When it comes to his morality, he doesn't see himself as a bad man despite his profession. In his mind, someone was going to get hired to do the job so why would he pass up the opportunity to get the coin for himself? His own code does prevent him from taking the lives of women and children, however. Beyond that, he'll do what is expected of him within reason and will seldom ask questions, a characteristic many of his employers appreciate.

History:
A mutt. Half in the world of the Aen Seidhe and half in the world of Mankind. One would think this would work to his advantage, able to pass for either, but one would be mistaken. An outcast of both species, Vangelis' early years could be summed up in one word: Rejection. Many fantasize about a sensual union with their partners that could produce offspring and develop into a family, living their days out in splendor and togetherness for many years to come. It was the dream.

Unfortunately for Vangelis, fate has determined he would live the nightmare.

Conceived through a rapacious encounter between an elderborn drifter and his young mother, Vangelis was cursed from the start. When word got out that his mother had been ravished and tainted, the townsfolk looked down upon them both with false faces as they feigned sympathy but felt contempt. It was a theme that Vangelis had never managed to escape. Being besmirched by their peers, the young woman took her child and raised him in isolation where she taught him what little she knew about living off the land and killing his own meals. The bow spoke to him most and the arrows with it would sing a muted song through the air before hitting their targets. With each release of the sinew, Vangelis felt a piece of nirvana which fueled his passion (and, frankly, his obsession) with perfecting his art.

Decades later, Vangelis had begun to develop other means of getting by such as stealing. Coupled with this newly honed talent came another essential trait: the ability to run very, very fast for the times that he overestimated his ability to be slight. Vangelis learned to move through a crowded street as a fish swims through a stream.

Eventually, his mother took sick and, with the little coin that had, there was not much they could do in the way of curing her ailments. When her last breath escaped, Vangelis was the embodiment of rage. Brawling in bars, finding himself in and out of jail cells, the distraught orphan continued to seek his own destruction. It wasn't until one fateful night when he met a elderborn gangster, who recognized him as a living canon, decided to point him in exchange for coin. Kill and get paid. That was the name of the game and Vangelis eagerly accepted.

His mentor, known as Geordan Waelvor, took him in and put him to work, equipping him with the tools he would need to carry out his tasks as well as the knowdge he would need to do it well. Moving from town to town, Geordan served as a manager of sorts while Vangelis was his living weapon. More a father to him than the one he shared blood with, Vangelis eventually took Georgan's surname and together they made a fortune painting the ground red.

Skills:
Swordsmanship
Vangelis is a skilled swordsman that can hold his own in most fights, but he would not be considered a master of that martial art. Often, he will take up his blade as a last resort, preferring to attack from a distance in most instances.

Archery
With his bow, Vangelis' combat prowess is rivaled by very few. Genetically influenced by a society predisposed to archery excellence, Vangelis has proven that he is among the best that his species has to offer. Whether stationary, in motion, combating winds or even great distances, Vangelis hardly ever misses his mark. His bow is Elven made; light, strong and durable. His arrows are often hand crafted by himself. When he has downtime, he can often be seen passing the time by crafting his own new munitions.

Stealth
Surprising for his height, Vangelis is very gifted at stepping lightly and blending in with shadows or the environment when the task calls for it. He can slow his breathing to a nearly inaudible rhythm. He can skillfully and quietly move over a variety of terrain conditions, carefully choosing what part of his foot will make contact with which part of the ground and applying exact pressure to minimize sound with surgical precision.

Agility
This tall man can move. Whether it's climbing a tree, scaling a wall, or free running across rooftops or in a market square, Vangelis has remarkable mobility. Though he will obviously make use of a horse to travel great distances, he will otherwise be on foot making any settlement his playground.

Poisons
There is an ocean of knowledge available in the world in terms of herbalism and alchemy. Vangelis' grasp of each is limited to those involved with making poisons. The most prolific application for his concoctions involved dipping his arrow heads in the chemicals to produce a variety of painful and sometimes fatal effects. To that end, he is also well versed in developing antidotes for the potions he crafts, a necessary precaution in case he were ever to accidentally infect himself.

Picker of Pockets and Locks
Vangelis is a novice lockpick, successfully able to open about half as many doors as he attempts to, but an advanced pickpocket. His hand can move like a ghost's, grabbing a coin purse or key with measured finesse.

Specialty: Assassination - With all Vangelis' skills combined, he has been incredibly successful at taking out foes quickly and quietly from afar. His weakness, however, would be prolonged combat engagements. He prefers to strike like a snake and move on and may prove to be vulnerable when tasked with prolonged close quarters combat.

Equipment:

• Whetstone
• Flint and tinder
• Satchel
• Six small viles, some empty and others filled with toxic substances
• A compact journal of notes detailing recipes, logs and names of import.
• Two lock pick sets

Weapons:

• Short steel sword
• Elven crafted bow
• Quiver and Arrows
• Knife
• Well filled coin purse

Armor: While most of his wardrobe is made of cloth, he dons leather boots, bracers and shoulder pads. His bracers are cuffed with a section of removable clasped steel that he applies as a means of blocking light attacks in an emergency situation.

Misc:

• A horse, called simply that, with a dark brown coat and a black mane.
• A saddle equipped with storage a bedroll.
• Short term provisions to keep him clothed and fed between city stops

[NecroKnight]

@POOHEAD189

So is that a no?

[POOHEAD189]

@NecroKnight That's a no

[NecroKnight]

@POOHEAD189

Hmm. I just read the plot.

Will this be following the plot of the Witcher 2 and 3 game? Or are we more AU and have a chance to stop Nilfgaard?

[NecroKnight]

Done. Hope it is good enough.

Cooky Mixer

Name: Lady Alicia Fairbright
Race: Human
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Redania
Profession: Lecturer for the Department of Chemistry of the Oxenfurt Academy

Appearance:

Personality: Alicia is the rare combination of being both inquisitive, smart and most importantly, lucky. The woman has a thousand questions for the world, even when her life is in danger - she has an attitude of being both afraid and later eager to study said creature, if she survived.

This has made her more both more approachable and super-talkative whenever she gets going on a subject or topic. Nevertheless, that doesn't diminish her honest desire to study and either help solve the ailments or mysteries that may plague people. Even if some of them, may not be able to be solved with a potion or ointment.

History: The scion and prodigy of House Fairbright, was in truth, growing up rather lonely and lacking any social contact with others. Both because, her mother had died in childbirth and her father was far too busy managing to finances and political necessities of their House. Her only brother was groomed to take over and thus, attention for her was limited or non-existent.

As Alicia mostly grew up reading books and old scrolls - a product of her great-grandfather whom had a large collection of tomes in their Estate. What interested her most was alchemy, the mixing of various plants, herbs and flowers and watching the colorful liquids that were formed. Granted, she was lucky and someways smart enough not to drink any - whenever she created something toxic or deadly.

Though, that didn't mean some of the pets and animals kept in the Fairbright Estate didn't accidentally get too close for her. One such situation ended with her father' horse, drinking a concoction she had made and farting for several weeks straight. After such an incident, her father had shipped her off to Oxenfurt Academy - to get her out, before she burned something down or injured someone important with her 'experiments'.

Granted, instead of changing Alicia embraced her new life in Oxenfurt even more eagerly. As the woman in question, had a very deep love for alchemy and especially the many reagents that made them. In a sense, she had several degrees in herbology and chemistry - choosing to become a lecturer in the Academy when she was old enough and 'safe' enough by the deans. Nevertheless, Alicia remained a free spirit - though many of things she used were either home-grown or contracted via specialized merchants - there was still a nagging feeling in her mind, that there may be other sources, other recipes that she hadn't discovered and other plants waiting for someone to discover them.

Eventually, she would be given the opportunity of a lifetime to go and explore the lands southward with a gang of other like-minded individuals.

Skills:

• Expert herbologist
• Expert alchemist
• Modest healer (mostly utilizing flora as a substitute and aid in healing, than actual understanding of human anatomy)
• Skilled explorer

Specialty: Alicia is a skilled alchemist, able to make potions, poultices, concoctions, poisons even bombs of various use and size.

Weapons: Being a woman of the mind and a noblewoman as well, Alicia doesn't have many weapons on her or much skill in them. Granted, like many others - she has been taught how to use a dagger to defend herself and has plenty of them on her for a variety of reasons. (Most of them for foraging)

Armor: Alicia doesn't wear much or any armor, preferring to wear her traveling uniform - which is tough and hard, yet not much against a bow or sword.

Misc:

• White mule; Snowberry
• Book of Herbs and Plants of the World
• Alchemist Kit (pestle/mortar, glass vials, magnifying glass, five different silver spoons)
• Herbology Kit (tweezers, harvesting knife, several dried herbs and plants, flint/steel)
• Repair Kit (needles/thread, scissors, leather, cloth)
• Backpack (waterskin, bedroll, hook, rod)

[Fetzen]

@POOHEAD189 It appears I completely missed any kind of interest check on this, but... is there still a spot open for that kind of rusty screwhead I am to become loose the moment you need it the least ?

[POOHEAD189]

@Fetzen


Just kidding, of course you may join!

[Rothurage]

Still not too sure what kind of character I want. I'll keep thinking and see what I come up with.

[NuttsnBolts]

Still not too sure what kind of character I want. I'll keep thinking and see what I come up with.

@Hokagae

I use a few different approaches when creating a character that may help. You could start by going through images and looking for an image that peaks your interest. Personally I use Pinterest and I get some good results from that, mainly cause I just pin heaps of images and it gives me a profile/gallery to draw ideas from.

The other way is to think of a story or a message of sorts that you want to express and then go from there. Build out and build up. To give my character as an example, I wanted to roll with a character who has a fierce personality that is potentially looking to address the struggles of her past.
What led her to be so aggressive?
Why is she different when not in the battle?
What secrets does she hold?
What image can I use to express her emotions or that look in her eye which I see in my own ideas?

Not to get too philosophical but go with what you feel is going to work and what allows your creativity to flow. If you're trying to make one character and it feels like you're forcing it, shelve it and either come back fresh or try a different approach.

[Kassarock]

@Fetzen Stop joining all my RPs you frickin weirdo, HOW DARE YOU HAVE SIMILAR TASTES TO ME!

[spicykvnt]

<Snipped quote by Hokagae>

I use a few different approaches when creating a character that may help. You could start by going through images and looking for an image that peaks your interest. Personally I use Pinterest and I get some good results from that, mainly cause I just pin heaps of images and it gives me a profile/gallery to draw ideas from.

The other way is to think of a story or a message of sorts that you want to express and then go from there. Build out and build up. To give my character as an example, I wanted to roll with a character who has a fierce personality that is potentially looking to address the struggles of her past.
What led her to be so aggressive?
Why is she different when not in the battle?
What secrets does she hold?
What image can I use to express her emotions or that look in her eye which I see in my own ideas?

Not to get too philosophical but go with what you feel is going to work and what allows your creativity to flow. If you're trying to make one character and it feels like you're forcing it, shelve it and either come back fresh or try a different approach.

@NuttsnBolts

This is very sound advice.

Whenever someone asks me what character/character type they should play my response is always the same - the character you want to play. That's not always the character that is 'needed' in a roleplay - ie a particular kind of fighter to add balance w.e. I also think you probably already have a tiny inkling of a character you want to write, it's just tapping into that feeling and turning it into a golden nugget :)

You got this!

[POOHEAD189]

@Fetzen@Kassarock You know you both have RPed with me quite a bit. Guess that's the reason you're both here?

[Kassarock]

<Snipped quote by NuttsnBolts>

This is very sound advice.

Whenever someone asks me what character/character type they should play my response is always the same - the character you want to play. That's not always the character that is 'needed' in a roleplay - ie a particular kind of fighter to add balance w.e. I also think you probably already have a tiny inkling of a character you want to write, it's just tapping into that feeling and turning it into a golden nugget :)

You got this!

@Stormflyx

That's not to say though that trying to fill roles or niches in a group is a bad thing. Having a group with a wider array of characters in terms of roles, identities, and personalities always makes more varied character interactions. It can also be a fun challenge to write to a very particular brief and help you push outside your comfort zone or find roles you really like but had never tried.

But when its at this kind of stage, where no one has been accepted, and there is no 'group' to slot into as of yet - then yeah, the best bet is probably just to follow your heart!

[Kassarock]

@POOHEAD189 Three out of my last four roleplays he's registered interest after I do, coincidence?

Nah, definitely stalking me. 100% Confirmed.

Pls save me mods