to hide information the party is not supposed to know yet. They can be easily removed once secrets are revealed. That way we minimise unnecessary re-writes of larger chunks of text.
Personality: Sylvaine is seen as serious and quiet, but can be quite sincere and looks after others. She is an intellectual person especially in battle, but far from cold-hearted. She is faithful to Ganda and like other mountain elves is a lover of the stars. While she is used to a loner-type lifestyle, she is not anti-social. All it takes is a little alcohol to open her up and she will reveal her competitive nature and more playful attitude.
Appearance: Sylvaine has long choppy brown hair, one side of which is pulled into a tight french braid. She has hard steel grey eyes which are always taking in her surroundings in a calculating manner. Her body is fit from practice and fighting, but still fairly slim from having to ration food while on the road. Sylvaine's armor is a deep blue with silver accents and a thick leather belt that acts as a holster for her knives and swords. Sylvaine carries two scimitars and three daggers all wrapped with a dark goldish yellow leather around the handle for grip. The leather on the scimitar extends a few inches past the hilt and holds beads and feathers collected from various places Sylvaine has visited. Both the scimitar and daggers have embellished stars and constellations which shine brightly against the dark grey metal. As Sylvaine is always on the road, she keeps a single leather bag filled with her sparse belongings and gold.
Class: Sylvaine works as a mercenary, but keep her prices low. She retains her right to decline any job she finds immoral or not worth her time. This means that while she is not very wealthy or well known, the townsfolk still appreciate her work and she is occasionally paid in food or a place to sleep. She is proficient in fighting with her swords and daggers, and is slightly proficient in magic. Being a mountain elf, she was taught the ins and outs of magic, but was only ever able to grasp basic control over the elements. She will use magic to occasionally aid her close combat fighting, but only sparingly as it can take a lot out of her. Sylvaine is also a very intellectual person and uses this in her fighting. She is strategic and uses this to win her battles. She is not the strongest, nor the fastest, nor the most flexible, but she uses her brain over her brawn.
Story: Sylvaine grew up with her family in the mountains with other mountain elves. Her parents were skilled in Alchemy, but Sylvaine herself could never move beyond the basics of magic. After realizing this, her parents decided to let her train with a human swordsman who lived in the village for a short while. They wanted her to be able to defend herself if necessary, but she grew to love sword fighting. After the swordsman left the town, Sylavine spent years practicing on her own and yearning for another mentor to teach her more. Once she was old enough, her parents let her leave the village where she traveled to Helsset to find a new mentor. However, while in Helsset, Sylvaine had very little money. So she worked odd jobs to keep herself fed while she looked for a mentor. Finally, Sylvaine met a retired Royal Guardsman who took her in and taught her how to fight. While studying under him, Sylvaine was told many stories of his own travels across Eana which finally inspired her to do the same. So Sylvaine became a mercenary to travel the kingdom and help the people who needed it most.
Motive: Sylvaine answered the call of the king because she cares about the kingdom. She's been far and wide and has experienced all that Eana has to offer. These experiences have motivated her to protect the kingdom in her own way and while normally it's through her mercenary job, she has decided to help the kingdom in a more direct manner during this time of need.
Personality: Alfaru is an adventurous young albmot living in a small village a week's journey south of Giron. He grew up with the stories of the history of Idumea and the god twins and has resolved to live a life that is in line with the light and the way of Ganda to the best of his ability. He is not perfect by any means, and he makes no attempt to hide this truth from himself or anyone else, but at the same time he sometimes has trouble recognizing his own faults in himself. His general disposition is reserved and contemplative, but he will engage in conversation with others if they will make the effort to speak to him. Above all things, Alfaru's greatest desire is to explore the unknown places beyond the sea. He wishes to find the lost Western Continent. He would also be delighted to find Heaven's Peak, where he believes the Sphere of all Knowledge resides, but he believes that this mountain has been deliberately concealed by Ganda himself to protect the Sphere from those who would use it for wicked purposes, and thus that land is lost forever to the people of Idumea.
Appearance: Alfaru has the lithe, slender build of his elfin ancestors, as well as the slightly pointed ears, though both of these traits are less prominent than in a full-blooded elf due to his human heritage. His skin is pale, which could easily have been inherited by either side of his family, both of which have a tendency towards fair skin. His skin tone is complimented by platinum blond hair that he keeps pulled back and cut just above his neck, and ice blue eyes that spend more time looking up than they do looking ahead. He wears a simple tunic of grey, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of well-worn, scarred, brown leather boots. He carries a hunting knife at his belt for self defense, and his pack contains a bedroll, a thick, wool cloak/blanket, a book of spells and blessings, and two more days' worth of provisions. Class: Alfaru's talent is in the use of natural magic, though he has only ever used it for defensive purposes as he is not a violent being. As such, he has absolutely no experience with using natural magic for offense, though he has a theoretical understanding of how to do so. He is most proficient in the manipulation of water, air, soil, and fire, but has experience with manipulating the other elements as well, except for gravity which stubbornly refuses to work for him. He also knows how to perform basic blessings and minor healing magic.
Story: Alfaru was born to a human mother and mountain elf father. The two had met when his mother was in the mountains gathering herbs for the village healer. While taking a shortcut back to the village across some rocky terrain, she stepped on an unstable rock and tumbled into a ravine. She knew immediately that her leg was broken, and she cursed her ill luck and stupidity. The sun was beginning to go down, and there was no way she could get out of the ravine on her own with a broken leg, and no way anyone from the village would come this way to look for her. She would have no choice but to stay where she was until morning, if she was lucky enough to survive that long. The mountains were dangerous, especially at night, and she was a sitting duck with her broken leg. If she could splint the leg, she would be able to at least move, but there was nothing within sight that could be used as a splint, and every movement was agony on her injury. By luck, providence, or perhaps simple, random chance, an elfin herdsman was watching over his herd of goats not far from the place where the humans gathered herbs when the woman fell into the ravine. As the sun began to dip below the mountains, the herdsman began leading his herd back to his village. Along the way, he passed the ravine where the woman lay. He noticed immediately that she was injured. He also noticed that, despite her messed up hair, torn clothes, and battered body, she was quite beautiful. He left his herd on the path above and carefully picked his way down into the ravine, nearly as nimble as one of his goats. He came face to face with the woman, and she showed no fear. "Your hurt," the elf observed. "Yes, it's my own fault for not looking where I was stepping," she said. "My village is not far," the elf said. "I can set your leg, and I know a blessing that will allow you to put some weight on the leg. I will lead you to my village, and our healer will help you." "Thank you," the woman said, turning her eyes away so the elf could set her leg. As gingerly as he could, the elf took the woman's leg in his hands and twisted the ends of the broken bone back together. The woman shrieked in agony as her bone snapped back into place. The elf placed his hands on the site of the fracture and prayed a fervent blessing to heal the leg. Relief instantly flooded the woman's injured leg. She knew the bone wasn't mended and would break again if she put too much weight on it, but she could at least move without too much difficulty. The elf helped her out of the ravine and led her by the hand to his village. After the elf had led his goats into their pen, he brought the woman into the village proper. He led her to the healer's hut and explained that he had seen the woman injured in a ravine and that she needed help. The old elf nodded her understanding and shooed the herdsman out of the hut before examining the woman's injuries and tending to them. She gave the woman a sleeping draught and put salves and poultices on her wounds as she slept. She also splinted and bound the broken leg tightly. With all this done, the healer uttered a blessing of healing for the woman before laying down to sleep. The herdsman came into the healer's hut the next morning to see how the woman was doing. The woman was still sleeping, but the healer assured him that the woman was well and would recover in due time, but the leg would take at least a month to fully heal. The herdsman thanked the healer and paid her for her trouble. Over the course of the month, the herdsman came to the healer's hut every morning and evening to inquire about the welfare of the woman. It didn't take long for concern to blossom into affection, and the woman, alone in a strange village and knowing only the healer and the herdsman, reciprocated. When the woman was able to walk, she would rise at dawn to see the herdsman off in the morning, and would greet him as he returned in the evening. The two knew that they were in love, and it didn't take long for the rest of the village to take notice. Finally, the woman's leg had healed completely and she was able to return to her own village and her own people, but instead of leaving, she simply joined the herdsmen as he tended to his herds in the mountains, and returned with him in the evening. The herdsman knew that the woman would soon overstay her welcome, but he loved her and was loath to be separated from her. That evening, the herdsman went with the woman before the elder of the village and asked the elder's permission to marry the woman. Marrying humans was not the elves' way, and the elder refused to allow it. The next day, after he had brought the herd back in the evening, he collected his wages and gathered his material possessions. The next morning, he and the woman left the elfin village behind. The couple reached the woman's village early in the afternoon, and all the village rejoiced to see her returned safe and sound, but they were mistrustful of the elf who had saved her, even after the woman explained how the elf had rescued her and disclosed their mutual affection for one another. The elf knew that the villagers would never accept him in their community, and so the couple stayed with the woman's parents for a few days, during which time the woman's father blessed their eventual marriage, and then they left to find a home where they would both be accepted. Three days' journey from the village, the couple came to another village, somewhat larger than the one they had left, but still smaller than the major cities of the kingdom. The population of the village was a wide variety of men, dwarves, elves of all types, and mixes. Nobody in the village batted an eye at the woman or the elf or the fact that the two were together. The couple purchased a field just outside the village and built a house there. The herdsman hired himself into the employ of a wealthy man of the village who had many herds of cows and goats and other grazing beasts. The herdsman took care of the man's goats, and under his watch none of the goats were ever lost or injured, and even those that became sick recovered quickly. The herdsman became invaluable to the man, and under the man's employ, the herdsman became wealthy, though he and his wife chose to live simply in their house outside the village. They kept a cow, pigs, and chickens, and cultivated a few vegetables on the remaining land. In due time, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Alfaru, after her father, and Seror, after her husband. Three years later, she conceived and bore a daughter whom she named Najima, after her sister, and since the village had decided that Seror was the family name, she also bore the surname Al Seror. Five years later, the woman conceived once more and bore a son whom she named Nasir, which was the name of her late father-in-law in the human tongue. After the birth of Nasir, she bore no more children, and she and her husband were content.
Alfaru grew up learning the history of Idumea and the twin gods from his mother, and learning wisdom and the stars from his father. He loved and respected them both, and took heed of all that they taught him. From an early age, he had to take care of the livestock and the small vegetable garden, and he learned to appreciate honest labor. Alfaru's formative years were quiet and peaceful. His father was able to pay for Alfaru and his younger siblings to attend a proper school and become educated, and Alfaru discovered the connection between his father's wisdom and knowledge, and his thirst for further knowledge and the wisdom it could produce became unquenchable. This thirst for knowledge and wisdom, combined with his mother's tales of the history of Idumea and the twin gods, led Alfaru to covet the legendary Sphere of all Knowledge, not for the power he could gain by it, but for all the wonderful knowledge and wisdom it could bestow upon him, and even now that desire burns within him. During the evenings, when Alfaru was taking care of the animals, his father would often come and teach him various blessings and uses of natural magic that Alfaru could use to protect the livestock and heal them should they become sick or injured. When Alfaru showed a clear aptitude for this magic, his father sought out a tutor to teach Alfaru more spells and further applications of this magic. Every weekend the tutor would come, and Alfaru would spend the entire day learning and practicing magic with the sorcerer. When they were old enough, Alfaru's younger siblings wanted to learn magic as well, but neither Najima nor Nasir had much aptitude for magic. Both learned some of the simplest manipulations of the basic elements and some rudimentary blessings, but they failed to understand how to do more than the most basic magic, and eventually gave up trying altogether. Alfaru became a man at the age of 16, and shortly after this most important event, he left the house of his parents to make his own way in the world. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sure how he ought to make his own way in the world. He had certain talents, to be sure, and he had great, ambitious desires that few people could begin to fathom, but how could he put the talents to work to lead to the realization of his desires? Obviously, he would not realize his desires so quickly as it would take a great deal of time and money to embark on a voyage to find the lost lands of Idumea, and time and money were two commodities that Alfaru did not possess in abundance at the moment. Thus, for the time being, Alfaru would find some other employment until he had the time and money that he needed to embark on this ambitious voyage. That other employment Alfaru found was with the village healer. His knowledge and aptitude for blessings made him a useful assistant to the aging woman, and she taught him all she knew about herb lore in return. The work was not glamorous, but it was good, honest work, and Alfaru was able to scrape by. After a year, the old healer passed away, and Alfaru took over the position in full. He was kind and compassionate to all his patients, but it was clear he was dissatisfied with the work. He was living from day to day, and at times he became disgusted that his subsistence and that of his job depended on the misery of others. True, he helped relieve that misery, but if it were not for that misery in the first place, he would have no job, and no bread on the table, and thus his subsistence, and that of his job, were dependent on the misery of others, and when these thoughts came upon Alfaru, they left a sour taste in his mouth. He knew he would have to get out of this job before long. And what should happen after making that decision but a proclamation from the King be spread throughout the land asking for volunteers for a mission of uncertain parameters? Despite the vagueness of the summons, Alfaru chose to answer it.
Motive: The King's summons resonated with Alfaru's sense of adventure as soon as he heard of it.
It may also prove a step in the right direction to fulfill his ambition to explore the lands beyond the sea and find the lost continents of Idumea.
Name: Numair al-Din, Member of the Order of the Raven Age: 23 Gender: male Race: human Personality: Numair is slow to anger but can be merciless and relentless once a situation has escalated to violence. He'd rather eat his armour than admit when he's wrong. Numair fights for those who cannot fight for themselves. Taking great pride in pride in protecting the downtrodden. He works by a work hard play hard attitude. Seeing that he must earn his rest, he often works very hard when given a task, so that he may rest, knowing he has done a good job. Appearance: Numair al-Din is about 5'11 with an athletic build, from a childhood of combat training. He keeps his blonde hair short. He is often seen wearing the junior uniform of the Order of the Raven. A mix of leather, mail and plate armours. Designed for maximum protection of vital areas, while retaining good mobility. On his hip, he carries a rapier and a shortsword. With an additional dagger sheathed on the small of his back, and in his boot. Class:Eldritch Knight The archetypal Eldritch Knight combines the martial mastery common to all fighters with a careful study of magic. Eldritch Knights use magical techniques similar to those practised by wizards. They focus their study on two of the eight schools of magic: abjuration and evocation. Abjuration spells grant an Eldritch Knight additional protection in battle, and evocation spells to deal damage to many foes at once, extending the fighter's reach in combat. These knights learn a comparatively small number of spells, committing them to memory instead of keeping them in a spellbook.
Story:
Numair al-Din was an orphan. Never knew his real parents. Spent his early years in an orphanage. At the orphanage, even at a young age, he always tried to stand up for the smaller children, and as a result, was beaten often. As is the policy for the Orphanage, when he turned twelve, he was to be turned to the street. However, first, he had to attend a Career's Fair, and become an apprentice somewhere. Forced to choose his life long profession at twelve, with so many options was daunting. He spotted a hooded figure standing in a corner, and approached. The man said he was looking for potential recruits for the Order of the Raven. A Chivalric Order working to protect the innocent from harm. An organisation that works in the darkness to achieve the greater good. Numair asked to join, and the man agreed to test to see if he was worthy. By the end of the day, Numair had yet to receive a job offer and was put out on the streets. Two days later, he witnessed an old man getting beaten by a couple of ruffians. He stepped in to help. Facing off against the two larger men, he was ready to get beaten to allow the old man a chance to escape. However, the old man turned out to be the Knight of the Order, who he had spoken to a couple of days prior. The man, who would reveal his name as Mokci, defended Numair and told him he had passed the test and would be trained as Knight of the Order of the Raven. Numair spent the next ten years training in both sword and magic, preparing for his trials. A year ago, he completed two of the three trials to become a knight, but must now face the third on his. Having spent the last year travelling to find a suitable accomplishment to claim as the third trial.
Motive: A member of the Order of the Raven must prove themselves before they can be knighted. Defending the kingdom is one of the simpler ways of doing this.
Name:Allet Schal Age: 21 Gender: Female Sexuality: Heterosexual Race: Human
Personality:: Allet has always been a curious child, always asking questions and trying to learn as much as she could. It’s the reason she was so talented in the study of medicine. She rarely gave up until she found what she was looking for. It often drove her parents mad. One question she always yearned to know was how the world outside her village looked like. She had a wild imagination and often grew lost in her own thoughts. Her parents rarely travelled and they only left her village when visiting her mother’s cousin Tuáhtár Apteek, an apothecary in the small town of Avveel. It was only every few years, but they became exciting and fond memories for her.
After the incident when Allet was twelve, she desperately tried holding on to her old life. She could still be the bubbly and cheerful girl her parents had raised. Try as she might, little thoughts continued to gnaw at the back of her head. What would happen if she forgot her medicine? What if next time, someone got hurt? Allet could never forgive herself. Everything about her past life had changed, there was no point denying it. She began keeping people at a distance, never sharing too much or letting them grow close. Keeping her secret became an exhausting endeavor, and soon she stopped trying making friends altogether. It was easier and safer that way, at least that’s what she told herself every day. All of Allet's focus turned to proving to both her parents and the world she was good. Nothing could never change that… right?
Appearance: Fair skinned and hourglass shaped body, Allet has often been described as lovely. She has straight, light chestnut hair with bangs that reach past her chin. Whenever working, she tends to pull her hair into a bun. Otherwise, she keeps it simple and leaves it down. There’s never enough time to dedicate to her appearance. Allet’s favorite feature is her almond shaped eyes that are dark brown, often appearing black in the night.
Allet typically prefers to wear trousers and breathable blouses, but is often stuck in skirts and dresses to appease her parents. She carries with her a kit full of herbs and mixtures in case of emergencies, as well as extra doses of her calming herbal mixture.
Class: Allet is training to become an apothecary. From a young age, her mother has helped train her. Whenever near nature, Allet feels the most at peace and relaxed. She also has a great affinity toward magic, particularly soil and water. Allet’s father guided her in learning these magic abilities but she still struggles with control. Physically, Allet is very weak and clumsy. Swords and weapons always bored her so she focused her time on magic and studying herbs and medicine. However, Allet’s mom gifted her a small dagger for her 16th birthday that she always keeps with her for emergencies.
Story:
Allet was born to two Nieda worshippers who lived a few miles outside a small village. Barely a year old, Allet remembers nothing of the time she spent with her birth parents. Did they love her? Take care of her? Did they have a name for her? These questions often haunted her thoughts at night. Regardless of her parent’s nature, the townsfolk soon grew aware of their loyalty and feared their dark magic. They rallied together and killed them. She alone was spared.
There was much debate of what Allet’s fate should be but a few months after her birth parent’s death, she ended up in the hands of a middle-aged couple, Lena and Danel Schal, in a village several miles away.
The Schals had been trying to have a child of their own for years. They welcomed Allet as their own, giving her a new name and life. Unlike her birth parents, Lena and Danel were devoted worshippers of Ganda and the light. They were determined to make sure Allet learned these teachings and beliefs, and she willingly did. Most of her childhood was full of happiness and love. The Schals were caring and as devoted to Allet as they were Ganda. It was Lena who taught Allet how to tend and work with herbs. As the years developed, this fun pastime turned into Allet’s passion. She spent most of her time within Lena’s small workshop.
Until Allet was 12 years old, life with the Schals was all she could have asked for. Whether it was a joke or someone had learned of Allet’s past, rumors began spreading she was a worshipper of Nieda. Children started to bully her, parents stopped allowing children near her, but Allet couldn’t understand any of it. She tried her best to be kind and make friends, but people could barely look her in the eye. Even her closest friend, Judet, couldn’t bear to speak with her. This was Allet’s breaking point. She rushed to her garden, eyes bloodshot and full of tears. She started to hate everyone who started those rumors, who had turned her life into this, she wished they were all dead. The moment these feelings and thoughts entered her head, Allet felt a powerful force rush through her and knock her to the ground. She let out a choked scream and her body began to shake. Allet’s mother rushed outside to find Allet surrounded by decaying Earth. The ground where Allet’s hands had touched had started to wither away. She looked at her hands in horror and fell unconscious. Fearful of touching her, Lena wrapped her daughter in a large sheet, only to find any contact with Allet’s hands decayed. A day full of panic, Lena waited for Danel to return home before contacting an old friend and witch doctor.
It was soon discovered Allet was cursed, anything her hands touched withered and decayed. They had no knowledge of how it happened or who cursed her, but could only assume it had something to do with her birth parents. There was nothing the witch doctor could do to take this curse away, but she was able to suppress its power. Only when Allet was under extreme emotional stress would the curse be in effect. The witch doctor was then sworn to secrecy to never speak of Allet’s curse and quietly left. Allet started taking regular herbal mixtures to help relax and calm her. The Schals eventually decided to move to another village far away where no one knew of Allet’s past.
The curse changed Allet forever. She no longer let herself grow close to others for fear of hurting them. She started to question her faith, unsure of where she belonged. Moving away from the past helped, but Allet still knew what she was capable of. She soon became obsessed with breaking the curse. Anytime she could, she would read records and documents on the Nieda and the dark. Her parents forbid her from doing this, fearful others would find out her secret. She did, for a while, but soon secretly started researching again. When she heard of the King’s call, she decided it was the best opportunity to see the outside world and learn of her curse.
Motive: While there are a few reasons Allet answers the King’s call,
the main one is to discover the origin of her curse. She believes this is the best opportunity for her to explore the outside world and find answers.
The second, which is what she tells others, is she wants to make a name for herself and show the world that she can be good. Allet has always been adventurous and although she can not physically fight, her experience in herbs and healing as well as her magic will hopefully help get her there.
Seen first by Alfaru, wandering around the long ago fallen boulders closer to the Rocky Gate in the North-West corner of Aanaar Fields where the group entered the area.
He is wearing a white tunic and sand colored ¾ long trousers. He is somewhat skinny and has a few inches long yellow-blonde hair.
Säätur's eyes have a color of intense amber, almost unnaturally so. His bony face is covered in freckles around his cheekbones. Story Log: A slab of rock fell on his feet, twisting his left foot and dislocating his right. He will walk again after much rest and proper treatment.
