[OOC] The Hourglass Order

[Tackytaff]

for reviewwww

[+]

S I L A S R I E G E R

"Closed minds are always the smallest."

15 | Male | Eskandr/Unknown | Commoner | 6.22

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ [Mischievous]
❖ [Compassionate]
❖ [Garrulous]
❖ [Optimistic]
❖ [Juvenile]

Barely a teenager, it comes as no surprise that many of Silas' more childish characteristics still linger. His lack of proper upbringing is evident upon meeting, but what he lacks in manners he makes up for in joviality and witt. On the surface this act may come across as flippant and aloof, but he possesses and earnest and loyal heart for those few he truly holds dear. It is years of isolation the knowing only the self-serving culture of vagrants that makes him slow to trust. He abhors violence and is squeamish to the point he'd likely faint at the mere sight of his own blood, if he was actually capable of seeing it.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Silas' eyes often generate the most stares and attention, the white-less and almost in-human tissue that remains in his sockets has made the occasional child scream, so he most often keeps them covered with a simple head-wrap. The rest of his features lack the same uniqueness. He is short, even for his age, barely scarping past five feet and has still has yet to shake the gaunt frame of a child from the slums. Hollow cheeks and dark circles under his sockets make his face much less child-like than expected, but his dark hair is thick and healthy, reaching nearly to his shoulders. Finally, the visible parts of his face include a straight nose a touch to long to be handsome, and a mouth too wide to look attractive in any position other than a smile.

L A N G U A G E S

Avincian. No writing/reading abilities.

T H E G I F T

_{6.22 | Redblood | Icevien | Powergazer}

While of middling capacity for a student of Ersand'Enise, Silas' talent shows through the form of his speed and methods. His drawing time is near instant, especially if he is facing the target to be drawn from - the strange tissue that takes the place of his eyes absorbing energy as readily as they sense it.

While most kinetic users only use active forces to draw, Silas's power-gazing abilities allow him to visualize static and potential energies as-well. It is after studying these elements more closely that Silas has developed his own form of movement augmentation based around friction. Be it by drawing from or casting to amplify the static and kinetic friction of surfaces Silas can make them impossibly slick or completely immovable respectively.

His practice in arcane magics had produced much less excitement. Drawing heat comes naturally with his icevien mana, but so far he has had great difficulty casting it as outward heat or even light. His one particular arcane skill is focused on drawing, and was discovered by accident during a time in hiding; drawing all of his own body's heat Silas can approximate death, appearing corpse-like with barely heartbeat for a few hours. He is currently oblivious to how dangerous this actually is, but avoids it purely for fear of the splitting headache that comes as part of its extensive recovery period. Illusion magic or altering his appearance through the use of light is the skill he most desires to learn.

B A C K G R O U N D

The identity of Silas' father may forever remain a mystery but his mother's story is one he knows well. Aline Rieger, an Eskandr slave, found herself unexpectedly free after her master died of typhus shortly after arriving in Ersand'Enise. Naive and vulnerable, it took little time for the city to take advantage of her. Madame Copin became her employer, at a brothel near the docks in Mudville of so little repute it didn't even have a proper name. Her pay was barely more than the room and board her employer charged her each month, and less once Silas was born; ensuring her eternal debt to the woman. Destitute as Silas' beginnings may have been, they were a happy time in memory for a child who was decently fed and well loved by an communal family in the brothel. At least until his eyes began to rot out of his head.

Or so was the deduction of the Madame, after taking one look at the boy's shrinking, dark eyes. Fearing a new disease that might deter customers, Silas was suddenly ripped from communal life to quarantine in a closet-sized room with a blanket and pillow. He was kept there for the first season of his 7th year, nightly kicking at the door and screaming for help as his entire world grew dark. Only his mother ever came, in the early hours of morning while the rest of the house was quiet. She would wrap him in her arms and tie cool, sweet-smelling bandages around his eyes as she told him about the gods, her homeland, and the life he had left outside.

When he remained healthy and the deterioration of his eyes had ceased; leaving only soft black tissue in its place, did the Madame send for a healer. No academy mage or priest came, but Moriff - a man middling renown in Ersand'Enise's underworld. He was known to take take jobs for less conventional pay than coin, and when he'd heard a description of the boy's condition had come to see it himself. Oblivious to the man's reputation, Silas was in awe as he was told not only would he see again, but use the gift as-well. The man left, with instructions on how to find him if Silas ever wanted further instruction.

It wasn't until his tenth year that Moriff's words came true. What Silas saw could never be called true sight, but it was more than the darkness that came before and he was grateful. Aline was loathe to let her son leave her to follow a swindler, but she had little power to stop him, and they were always desperate for coin.

The work for Moriff had very little to do with the gift at all. The man did help Silas learn to navigate his strange new vision and how to draw from the energies he saw, but mostly employed the boy as an urchin. First he used him as one of his many child beggars, hoping travelers would pity a blind boy. But it quickly became apparent that Silas had much more useful talents. He could make himself vanish at a moments notice, scale walls with ease, and could pockets off the most scrupulous merchants. It didn't take long for his employment to become that of a full time larcenist.

Silas reveled in that time, the pittance he earned as more money than he knew what to do with. He also gained an entire new family; one that didn't care about his ruined eyes, even relished them. His mother was never as excited about his new life as he liked, but she couldn't complain either; he'd grown to old to remain at the brothel as a child and what Moriff lacked in morality he made up for by keeping her son in close proximity and relative safety from the streets.

With the help of Silas and the other children in him employ Moriff eventually grew to become one of the larger forces within the underworld, and began the plan for bigger moves. Silas was sent to steal a crate off a merchant ship in the docks. It was too heavy to be carried out without the help of force magic, and it didn't take long for curiosity to win out over good sense, and Silas opened the package for a look. Inside were dozens of riles, pistols, grenades, and ammunition. He remembered Moriff's words about coming war and arming themselves. Fear of violence for his make-shift family made him drop the crate into the water of the docks, fear of Moriff made him run before the man could know what had happened. With nowhere to go and in desperate need of hiding Silas hid in one of the only place Moriff couldn't reach, a place he even feared. The Academy.

There was plenty of extra room for him there, between forgotten passages, dusty attics, and gaps between the walls he was able to move around most of the campus without being seen. Food was so abundant the little he took at night were never missed. Most importantly, Silas was able to do what he'd imagined doing for half his life, study his gift.

It was Giacomo Giarrone that found him. An inevitability to the point that Silas remains un-sure if his time spend undetected in the walls wasn't elaborate joke by the Arch-Zeno on the rest of his colleagues. If it was the case, the effect was dramatic. He may not have exactly seen their faces, shock was clear as the small filthy child recounted every lesson he had eavesdropped and display his gift. Whether it was pity, amusement, or genuine excitement about his skills, Silas left the meeting a Zenith's Scholar of Ersand'Enise's Academy of Thaumaturgy.

M O T I V A T I O N

Silas will one day become a great and powerful mage. Once he gains enough influence and wealth he will return to his not-mother and take them both somewhere far north where they could begin a new life free from debtors and prejudice.

I N V E N T O R Y

He has only what he brought with him during his escape; a shirt and trousers. Not that he had many possessions to begin with. His wardrobe has been supplemented with used clothing left by former students. A small collection of valuables from the wealthier students have made their way to his possession, only Dami knows how.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Powergazer
❖ Slight of hand
❖ Stealth/Thievery
❖ Ersand'Enise City Expert
❖ Quick

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Pacifist-nature
❖ "Blind"
❖ Illiterate
❖ Uneducated/trained
❖ Underworld fugitive

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

BB Colour code = 7B68EE

[Force and Fury]

@Tackytaff Awesome character! Pending the couple minor edits that I mentioned in discord, feel free to post him over to the Characters tab and come out with an intro post. Welcome aboard!

[Pirouette]

Casii’fyret’alan

”Remember your roots but grow into what you want to be.”

16 | Female | Yasoi | Respected | 8.12

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Anxious
❖ Nurturing
❖ Uncouth
❖ Abrasive
❖ Loner

Her growth was stunted by the common harassment and tantrums of her kin, leading her to always be cautious and drive her to be closed off. Her family wasn’t cruel but it discouraged vulnerability, leaving Casii to either embrace it or struggle. Yet her family wasn’t all bad. Her great grandmother, Yas, had taught her the virtues of being kind fostering a rare form of gentleness. Nurturing the sick, the injured, or the depressed is a pull that Casii feels wanting to try and be benevolent to others if they are in worse or dire situations.

Outwardly, she behaves like she just doesn’t give a damn, even enacting her lack of keeping up performances. Without thinking, she’ll disregard established manners to be more comfortable. If engaged or challenged by someone that she feels threatened by, she’ll quickly turn to rage believing that the best way to settle disputes.

People just naturally make her uncomfortable in conclusion. She prefers to dance to her own tune and will do her best to avoid others.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Typical Yasoi build, Casii has a lithe frame, towering at six feet and four inches. Her hair is a bleached white usually styled over to one side of her head. Her skin is a little warmer and less gray that your typical Yasoi although to the Yasoi her most notable feature is her very meaty (to them!) and human-like nose. Her Tetsoi so far are in a light blue color with the most prominent pattern displayed on her forehead. She has two body Tetsoi, a set of asymmetric patterned rings around her right and left wrists that will mirror each other.

Clothing-wise, she doesn't have much often wearing the same clothing as the previous day, raggad with cuts and holes with basic coloring, she'd look rather ordinary had it not been for the extensive dyeing done to make some of her clothes more colorful. She'll pick up bits and pieces of clothing and might add it to her outfit if she likes it, only to discard them the next day due to a change of tastes.

Inspiration for her clothing

L A N G U A G E S

Yasoi (Native)
Avincian (Conversational)
Perrench (Regionally accented and barely conversational)

T H E G I F T

❖ Chemical:
Being a family of horticulturalists, there was a focus on chemical magic passed down from generation to generation. Chemical magic was at the center of this and despite the clan’s fall from grace, they still prioritize the instruction of Chemical magics for all manner of purposes. Aside from the usual biochemical applications, Casii has spent significant time studying the illusionary effects that Chemical magic has. She has a particular fondness of manipulating what others experience, whether for their benefit or to their horror.

❖ Binding:
While Chemical magic is placed at the forefront of the clan, Binding magic would be quick to follow. A versatile class of magic that allowed the healing of disease or the removal of infestations. Traditionally, the family did not bother with the distinction of Blood magic, only turning that power against the pests in their fields, but many in the clan learned it as well as any other magic. Casii has made this her second class of magic for the practical purposes of being able to heal. However, she does turn this magic against the very plants and creatures if the need arises.

❖ Kinetic:
Very little emphasis in the clan goes to the other schools of magic. Hardly any members nowadays will attempt to learn a tertiary class of magic because there isn’t a real need to extend that effort. Casii chose this school to model after her great grandmother, seeing the benefits of being able to manipulate forces outside of her control.

B A C K G R O U N D

They say somewhere on the Alan clan’s tree is a Perrench human ancestor and that is how the Greengrowth bloodline was introduced to the line. It, Casii has decided, is more of a colorful story that changes every time her great grandmother brings it up. A line to try and remind the children that the Yasoi and Huusoi are entwined together in a unique kinship. The story goes like this with variations included:

Your ancestor, Teclis’covish’lethan’alan, had been journeying in Perrence just after the Eskandr invasion. He was a reckless fool and found himself in trouble at the hands of a great beast / a frothing Eskandr / his own clumsiness. He would have been killed and you and I would never be here if that were the case. Thankfully he was saved by a witch / noble lady / landing on top of the poor woman thus cushioning his fall. The woman that happened to save him was a Greengrowth and after showing great compassion to the beast by healing it / healing Teclis / healing herself. Your ancestor made a strong enough impression and felt like he owed it to his savor. He spent time and eventually fell in love…

The story goes on sometimes but usually before then Casii is tuning it out. Yasoi can be Greengrowths so why complicate their history with such fiction? In fact, the origin myth of their bloodline isn’t quite as important as the development to her. Those are the stories she truly likes to hear. The ones that paint the picture of just how strong and clever they could be:

Oh yes, for a few centuries the Alan clan depended upon the Greengrowths of our line. We could grow anything and so all of our kin set out to the furthest reaches of the land to find the most exotic plants they could. They were our treasures usually and while we didn’t exchange the seeds of what we found at the Mette’stiroi, we would grow what we found and offer that instead. Many of our ancestors received their fourth name after the plant they brought back if it was fascinating or delicious enough. Segoii, Hiilay, and oh my, many others. That reminds me…

That was a different time. Even her great grandmother had managed to experience some of that real Yasoi culture. Casii loved to hear the stories because it swept her away from the sorry excuse her family has become. The vibrant and diverse gardens they had were withered husks of former glory. Unremarkable compared to the grandeur of the past:

The gardens in my childhood? Oh they were quite the sight! They used to grow whatever they could in branches, carving out planter boxes where the branches were wide enough, or making their own if a fork proved sturdy enough. I would always climb the tallest tree I could to look down at fields of colors growing in and around the leaves of the trees. It was like a field of flowers but with many colors and patterns from the different trees and bushes growing beyond our forest’s trees.. Fruit was in such an abundance that they covered the ground and the animals would come and gorge themselves. Vines grew and wrapped the trunks and our buildings and whatever cracks could support them, the smaller plants like flowers and shrubs would sprout.

The culture of preserving the life they created faded as the Yasoi as a whole grew closed off. Less of her family ventured out to collect new plants to replace those that had died off. They were controlled not to spread to rightly not invade Yasoi lands as a whole. Unfortunately, that led to the gardens dying out and the beauty that her great grandmother told of, Casii would never see. It was like how her own clan was fading from this world. Dying off from stagnation. Maybe it was the frustration of losing their work that made them bitter. Made them turn to other things to escape the sad reality of what was happening.

Ah, the aberrations. You know about those. They were only the beginning. Where one garden pest began, an infestation would grow. Smokeleaf and the fruits for wines are easy to get from our human neighbors and so they offered people like your father and mother a way to manage with everything going on. I fear the Yasoi look to anything now to keep their minds off the sickness. We are hardly going anywhere nowadays. That isn’t right. We aren’t meant to just sit here. Our lives belong out there.

Casii early on had struggled with the sickness. Many of her peers had. With so few of her people leaving to explore other lands, they felt like they were always bumping elbows, being nosy, and just being a nuisance. It flared up a lot of already existing tensions about their lot in life. Growing up, it always felt like you were getting snapped at for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It lead to a lot of children trying to pushback because it felt like they were always under adult surveillance. The event that got Casii her third name had always been an amusing one:

Fyret. You know normally that would net you a lot of trouble. Your whole treetop a blaze because you didn’t quite like how your father was scolding you. It took the whole of us to put out the blaze. Oh my, I can remember being out there. Your father’s smokeleaf burning and all of us getting high off of the fumes. It was a struggle to even stay up there but somehow we managed to put out the fires. Easy to grow back but I don’t think I ever felt sicker in my life thanks to you little Leaf Burner.

She got off easy with her third name. Everyone remembers the event humorously but it felt like her whole childhood was filled with little aggressions against their lot in life. Her peers were the same, lashing out. Casii was quick to pick up on sucking on Jamb’ysp as it made the rounds among the children. Their parents did it, so why not them? It was their elders that actively tried to fight the slowly seeping corruption. Her great grandmother did a good job. Her final advice the last time she saw her before she passed was enough to convince her. She had to leave and learn what it was to be a true Yasoi.

Go out there and see for yourself. We belong out there sweet child.

M O T I V A T I O N

❖ Try to live like a true and proud Yasoi
❖ Discover the world outside of Mycormi and Yasoi lands
❖ Find out what she treasures enough to bring to Mette'stiroi
❖ Recapture the heritage and glory of her clan

I N V E N T O R Y

❖ Bag of Seeds
While not treasures, she does value any plants that take her interest on her travels. Should she find an interesting subject of fauna, she will take a few seeds and keep them with her. Paired with her Greengrowth bloodline, she can grow any of these seeds to full maturity in mere minutes without any effort. At present, she carries monkey nut, razor weed, starlights, a few different fruits, and lithe vine seeds.

❖ Jamb’ysp
Or Monkey Nut in Avincian, is the production of certain type of mangrove tree found in the southern area of Mycormi. The seed, the nut, grows under the elevated trunk of the tree, protected by the tangling roots that elevate the tree from the water. When a storm comes in to raise the water, the seeds are pulled away with the water and allowed to float to new marshy lands to grow. They have a hard shell, difficult to break, but inside is a bitter tar that acts as a stimulant. Casii is horribly addicted to these, cutting the nuts in half and sucking the tar as a mild psychedelic to get through the day is a need for her at this point.

❖ Riigyl’laht
Deer sigil. A wooden carving of a buck’s skull that is no larger than the size of palm of Casii’s hand. Delicately carved along the median of the frontal plate is her great grandmother’s name in Yasoi, Yas’riigylan’tiix’alan. Out of everything, she prizes the memento of her great grandmother the most, threading a line through the eye sockets and wearing the carving as a necklace.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Botany and Horticulture
There is something about plants that just makes sense. Maybe knowledge of plants was passed down from her ancestors as well or maybe she just had good experience with the many kinds still cultivated in her clan. Regardless, she is already at the point of being able to identify many plants and those that she hasn’t seen before, she’d probably be able to work out what they are. If they are interesting enough, she might even keep a seed for study.

❖ Scrapper
She was quite a delinquent growing up and that cost her all sorts of trouble. If it was with her peers, she’d often fight with them. You had to be tough if you wanted to not be pushed around and Casii might not have been the strongest but she was the feistiest, never willing to back down. Over time she developed a good sense in a fight to carry her through.

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Addiction
Whether it to be to Jamb’ysp, wine, or anything else that consumes a person in alcoholism, Casii remains extremely vulnerable to falling for these vices. Just about anything will require significant attention to break the habit for a time but she’s young and reckless so why not indulge? Jamb’ysp is something else. She needs this substance otherwise she’ll suffer major withdrawal.

❖ Dislikes Humans
There are many names the younger Yasoi are calling humans and not many of them are all too positive. She isn’t quite like her friends back home, willing to venture into human lands, and understands that humans are a part of this world. However, the negatives of humanity are often the first things she points out, overlooking the good. She’ll distance herself both physically and emotionally from humans believing it for the best.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

❖ Don’t call her tiilyt or talk about her nose.
❖ Fear the Deer

[Force and Fury]

Hey Pir! Casii lives! I like her and I'm excited that someone finally made a yasoi character. I appreciate the amount of attention paid to their unique culture and lore and how you were able to play coy with their decline. Casii seems fun and complex and I see a good storyline ahead for her. Below are a few small amendments I'd like you to consider. Pending those, she's approved. Feel free to post her in the Characters tab and introduce her to the world.

1) "Should she find an interesting subject of fauna, she will take a few seeds and keep them with her." I think you're looking for 'flora'.

2) One of Great Gran's cognomens may need a touch of shortening. It's a bit of a mouthful.

3) Just a bit of a tonal thing, though I like her focuses: yasoi don't distinguish their magic as much between schools as they do between effects.

4) Yasoi aren't strictly arboreal. They just don't distinguish much between trees, hills, cliffs, etc. I love the image of them growing things right from the great branches of their trees, down the hillsides and cliffsides to the forest floor: all different sorts of plants that thrive in different light and watering conditions.

5) Might use a different descriptor than 'meaty' for human noses from their perspective. It's all in the bridge of the nose and humans have much less of a bridge than yasoi.

Ultimately, those are mostly nit-picky little things. Casii looks great and I look forward to seeing her in the story!

[jdh97]

Anything to revise?

Vieri

Vieri Zimbasu

I can do more with my mouth that just say fancy words for you

15 | Androgyne | Joruban-Revidian | Merchant | 8.07

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Confident
❖ Open-Minded
❖ Spiritual
❖ Extraverted
❖ Neurotic

Everyone is fallible, everyone should know this. When you enjoy people, their quirks, their presence, it is doubtless that there will be missteps, ill-spoken words. More friends are made if you can get over your ego and move on. Grudges are only weights upon your soul. That doesn’t mean the downward spiral doesn’t lie in wait for Vieri elsewhere, it’s just so hard to tell where the ice is thin.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Imagine a statue, that is neither man nor woman, carved from not ebony nor marble. It is a beautiful statue. Perhaps this statue bears a resemblance.

And what is wrong with wearing nice things when there are those who wear rags and itch from fleas? Does it make silks any less soft? Do furs lose their warmth? Do rings weigh heavier upon pierced lobes? What if I told you they could buy bread and cheese and olives for weeks? I would say, you cannot wear these things.

And this tribal tattoo, do you think it means you belong?

L A N G U A G E S

Avincian
Revidian
Joruban
All fluent

T H E G I F T

It is not a fitting gift. Like a ruby when you wanted a diamond, and yet it is all there is. He could never bring himself to truly study magnetism, but his natural aptitude was enough. For the school of chemicals, the converse was true. Which is the truest path? Perhaps it was a mistake that Giacinto funded Vieri’s trip to Ersand’Enise? Forever in a world of wants and needs.

B A C K G R O U N D

What ruts has time’s wheel worn into a brain? Many, too many, and covered yet more still. Stories and tales and myths and legends, of a country, a second home.

There was a time with three parents, and never a time without. Two fathers, Revidians, the question of biology never mattered. A poet, one, the other a courtesan and Avincian bordello owner. One mother, from Yabusa a model, a painter, a muse. A child: half of both, wholly neither. Marco, Giacinto, Tafari: parents. The heart swells thinking of them.

Drug-smoke haze and sweat and sex, the smells of childhood in the rafters and dodging between legs of chairs and clientelle. Stolen fruit, stolen purses. An education.

Another memory, one upon a bed, straining. Tafari, mother, not letting the hours drag down her smile. Vieri could not manage a simple chemical change that night.

Mother again, painting, the hues and tone shifting under brush. Effortless, vibrant, alive. Vieri’s painting, dull.

Magnetism. An ugly school, brutish, loud. There is no art to it. But the school of The Lover, the god which life made sense by…

A thought: an aspiring poet, courtesan, model, painter, muse. Vieri takes after her parents strongly. They let them, encouraged happiness over all else. What direction does happiness lie?

Bright flame, burning back the night, a candle, one of many in a clump, a tumour. It listens to the prayer spoken in the night, and there is silence.

A semantic quirk: aspiring means failed.

Last memory of home, packed bag dragging shoulder down, weight on heart dragging all down. Did they want to go? Did they want them to go? Were they brave, that the tears did not come when hugging and goodbying, only after, in the carriage, alone?

M O T I V A T I O N

Vieri does not like their gift but understands what it represents. It adds to their conflict between faith and new rationality. It represents a path that diverges from Vieri’s artistic wanderings and aimless life, it gives a clear definitive purpose: to be powerful, to protect. Morally agreeable, practically just not Vieri.

It's a good thing to get away, no? Another perspective, another picture entirely.

Beauty can be found, if you look hard enough, in anything. Maybe all it takes is introspection, the guiding hand of Zenos renowned. Maybe it is just as ugly as it first seems.

To create beauty, art is life. But it still does not feel like The Purpose. Will anything?

Just enjoy the people, the vice, whilst youth still allows it.

I N V E N T O R Y

A mirror, make-up, perfume that smells of cinnamon and camphor
Coins
Oil paints, canvases, frame, brushes, and things required to paint
The Menana
Stilleto

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Wine tasting
❖ Empathetic
❖ Flexible
❖ Acting
❖ Recalling the composition of scenes and faces

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Obsessive
❖ Gambling
❖ Pride
❖ True intimacy
❖ Boredom

[Force and Fury]

@jdh97 Okay, sorry for taking so long with this. Life has kept me plenty busy. Below are some questions, suggestions, and ideas regarding your character sheet.

1) Nice prose and evocative imagery. I appreciate the way that you pose questions, rhetorical or otherwise.

2) Revidian as opposed to Rividian.

3) Be aware that, in Quentic Constantian society, there is room for quite a bit in terms of hetero/homosexuality and even polygamy in some interpretations. However, a gender binary nonetheless exists and is strongly normative, as reflected in each of the gods having two aspects: male and female. A character who doesn't clearly fit either acknowledged gender may either simply have their gender and sex assumed or, in some cases, be a point of scrutiny. Overall, we're not dealing with modern western or indigenous conceptions of gender here and I want these interactions to be played out authentically or not at all.

4) "That doesn’t mean the downward spiral doesn’t lie in wait for Vieri elsewhere, it’s just so hard to tell where the ice is thin." - Love the way that you put this.

5) An 8.0 even is boring. We already have a few who are right on the number, too. Maybe an 8.12 or an 8.07, or something along those lines?

6) Avince is the capital of the old empire (think analogous to Rome), so that might be cool to play around with. It's also the seat of the Optimate, head of the Quentic faith: a place where piety, power, and desire meet, intermingle, and clash.

6) lo (place name) type names would very much mark one out as common as opposed to being among the merchant or noble classes and would close some doors. This is something that your character and their parents would be aware of, having grown up in this world.

[jdh97]

3) Be aware that, in Quentic Constantian society, there is room for quite a bit in terms of hetero/homosexuality and even polygamy in some interpretations. However, a gender binary nonetheless exists and is strongly normative, as reflected in each of the gods having two aspects: male and female. A character who doesn't clearly fit either acknowledged gender may either simply have their gender and sex assumed or, in some cases, be a point of scrutiny. Overall, we're not dealing with modern western or indigenous conceptions of gender here and I want these interactions to be played out authentically or not at all.

6) lo (place name) type names would very much mark one out as common as opposed to being among the merchant or noble classes and would close some doors. This is something that your character and their parents would be aware of, having grown up in this world.

@Force and Fury

3) I suspected this might have been the case, and saw it as what could be a good point of conflict for the character. If you or anyone else have problems with the way this plays out, I will rework the character without any grudge.

6) I was under the impression this would have shown Joruban heritage, my mistake. Could you suggest a fitting Joruban surname in that case?

[Force and Fury]

@jdh97

3) Just wanted to have everything on the table and, if it's something that you went into with full knowledge of how it might play out, we're cool! I'm hoping we can maintain an authentic voice on this and have it be an intriguing, fulfilling, and thought--provoking character plot or subplot.

6) Yoburu, Bangui, Lohasi, Semenjo, Jahar, Abumi, Zimbasu, Mazenga, Ozumbo, Imangya.

[Force and Fury]

7-12-22 Updates

Hey all! Dropping some big and long overdue updates today. Please find a list of them below, by OOC Section.

Overall: All Lore section posts are now linked in the opening post for quicker access.

General Magic Lore: Added An In-Depth Guide to RAS Levels; Sensing, Drawing, and Casting Range; Animals and Magic.

World Lore: Additions to 'The Yasoi' and 'Fauna of Sipenta', added Sentient and Near-Sentient Species of Sipenta, Past and Present.

The Nations of Sipenta: Miatto added.

School Lore: All Arch Zeno profiles have been added to Eminent Figures,

Visuals, Maps, and Graphics: Section finally added.

[Ti]

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THE OWL GLASS ORDER

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Prologue
This is a story that takes place in Ersand'Enise, a name that sounds like when one sneezes after being brushed by chilly breeze. This is home to the Academy of Thaumaturgy, a place for fancy words and even fancier wizard hats. Across the land of Sipenta, the best and brightest of those born during the double ascendance of Shune the Learner, join the storied establishment's newest cohort. They bring their hopes, their fears, their background, and considerable power in 'The Gift' with them. Into this potent mix of burgeoning opportunity and where lurking peril lies, they step forward, the Magical-Animals known as Magimals.

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Desserted Arc

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Chapter 1:Meeting the Paradigm

The Magimals were summoned before the great tree, only known to them as the Paradigm. They entered the room in single file, one-by-one, there were six of them in total. The first to arrive is the chihuahua known as Jocasta, with long blonde hair and riding a wagon, the girl had a mysterious air about her as she yaps in greeting. Next the Virangish sisters walked in one after the other, both elegant and tall black horses, the first with a long dark mane and sassy personality, Zarina, and tugged along behind was her sister, Ysilla, bearing a ropier white mane and a silence that fills the room. Next was the Lion Cub of Varrahasta, Ayla of Pride Arslan, purring fondly as she goes around greeting the others as she paws and curiously sniffs at them. Followed shortly by the wolf pup Kaspar, shrinking down behind the seats looking anxious, very unsure of himself. The last to join them was Yalen the Hamster, moving in a hurried manner in his orange hamster ball as he awkwardly bumps against the walls getting into position, a scholarly rodent who tended to nibble at the corner of books.

With the class assembled, the Paradigm shed his leaves as the venation pattern laid out the plans for the task ahead. It appears there are orphan Magimals in great trouble in the Dessert as there were Aberrations closing on their positions. These aberrations are dangers, they cause distortions in reality that corrupt and pollute the world. With a yap, woof, neigh, roar and a squeak, the class came together and agreed a plan to save the orphan Magimals. The great tree opens his mouth, tall and wide, creating a portal to the Torragon High Dessert, the Magimals taking their time to walk through side-by-side to embark on the great adventure ahead.

Chapter 2: Torragon High Dessert

The portal deposited the Magimals upon the great sherbet sands of the Torragonese High Dessert. Their entrance was soon greeted by creatures of the aberration when the bowls of spicy Hot Salsa came rolling towards them. The original coconut puddings with mango have been corrupted by rogue ingredients of chilli, peppers, and jalapenos, turning them into fiery Hot Salsa.

Ayla released a fearsome roar to try to scare away the bowls. The cute roars have little effect, but she pounces towards them, using her paws to flick sherbet at them, using her gift to ensure they are coated in singular colours making them easier to identify.

Next Ysilla’s saddle-hatch was opened as puppets of a bird, Hoopoe, and a monkey with clown makeup called Khamsei came floating out. The bird travels along with the monkey as it flies off to combat the Hot Salsa. The monkey drops as it starts clapping its two cymbals together repeatedly, and the bird puppet lands upon the side of the bowl, pecking up and down repeatedly on its axel. The bowl falls over on top of the monkey, soiling it with its spices, though it is unable to recover as the salsa begins pouring out everywhere, defeated.

Kaspar whined as he walked around in a circle, sniffing, soon coming across a cherrywood stick. He excitedly picks it up, barking as the Bowl rolls towards him. With a howl towards the sky, a slab of chocolate brownie erupted from the sherbet before the bowl, halting it in its tracks. He ducks behind as he paws into the sherbet to hide, hoping the bowl goes away. To Kaspar’s surprise, when he eventually looks he finds it tipped over and spilling its contents upon the sherbet sand.

Yalen was more decisive in his strike. His heart beat three times as much that day as he struggled to watch the torment of how delicious innocent puddings were turned into hot salsa. The anticipatory indigestion was too much, even for a hamster, growing a sweat. With a dramatic gopher stare in his arsenal, the gods watched with approval. The bowl of Hot Salsa started bubbling viciously as it splattered out upon the sand around it. Yalen went to see if there was anything he could salvage, but the aroma got the better of his stomach.

The ever gallant Zarina was a thing of beauty as the long black mane fluttered in the breeze. She neighed proud and loud, clomping straight towards the biggest and baddest bowl of Hot Salsa that was sprinkled with the infamous Virangish pepper. Dancing around the bowl, she missed the foul aromas, building up momentum through prancing, and with a great rock of her body, pushed straight down upon her forelegs as her hindlegs kicked out hard, booting over the bowl like a mighty buckaroo.

Jocasta was feeling abandoned as she had not moved forward with the others, her wagon struggling to move through the sand. She starts to yap aggressively as the Hot Salsa approaches, the incessant yapping was enough to make the salsa curdle. Upon seeing her super angry chihuahua face, the Bowl turns to the side as it hurried off into the opposite direction, moving at a great and sudden speed which causes it to tip over and splatter out its contents.

Ayla was confronted by the last and remaining bowl. Unsure of how to deal with a vegetarian meal, she pounced around it, keeping it distracted as she released a series of roars to confuse the poor bowl into not knowing which way to turn as it grew unbalanced. Zarina grew annoyed as she charged towards the bowl, head butting it over as she glared down towards the Lion Cub and whinnied at her for playing with the food.

Chapter 3 : Journey to the Patisserie

It wasn’t long till the class rounded up after their encounter with the bowls of Hot Salsa. One of the students appeared to be storing some of the leftover untainted Mango within his cheek pouches for later. To get to the Patisserie where the Orphan Magimals reside, they decide to ride upon Zarina’s back with Ysilla following up behind her sister.

The Magimals were in deep conversation on their way to the destination. Zarina neighed for Ayla to warm up the coffee jug as Kaspar shivered nervously due to this being his first time riding a horse. Ysilla shared wisewords with her silence as she gave her fixed wooden stare towards them, Yalen taking these to heart as he contends with the digestive choices of eating leftovers so close to spicy food. Jocasta yaps distressed as she recalls the experience of being in the Patisserie herself. Terrible encounters with the wait staff there as they provided a horrendous service, long queues, and forcing her to eat chocolate even though she is a dog, Ayla was trying to comfort her as she paws towards her, accepting the chihuahua into her pride. The class was resolute, united in their goal of working together to bring back the joy which came with Dessert.

What came next was a shock as they heard human screams and shouts, “Arena Malvada! - Evil sherbet”. It seems some wait staff were sent out to find them and have run into trouble. It turns out to be fear itself, Pepino-Dessierto, the mighty Cucumber that resides in the sherbet to prey on unsuspecting Desserters.

Ayla is super scared as she hisses out, the green skin and watery sour texture is definitely something that shouldn’t be eaten. She growls her orders to the other Magimals as they prepare for it charging towards them. They start to arrange for a fork to be created out of sherbet, Kaspar waving his cherrywood stick at it, Ysilla deep in concentration, and Yalen’s spicy breath making it hot. Powered by the incessant yapping of Jocasta, Zarina boots the fork as it twists, turns, and swirls through the air as it makes its way towards Chocolate Fudge Mountain. After it impales the mountainside with a quelch, wobbling fiercely, it gives the impression of simulating the experience of it being eaten. Confused by these events and its desire to be consumed, the Cucumber heads over into that direction, allowing the class to escape to the Patisserie without having to endure its foulness.

Chapter 4: The Patisserie

The class proceeds with haste as they make their way to the Patisserie. Their arrival is soon greeted by the orphan Magimals who rush out excitedly to meet them, witnessing the events against the Hot Salsa and Pepino-Dessierto, treating them like aspiring heroes.

Kaspar meets a wolf pup just like him called Felix, as they sniff each other suspiciously in that dog-like greeting, then soon becoming friendly as Kaspar shows him his cherrywood stick and start to play tug-o-war together. Yalen is greeted by a field mouse called Rita, sharing some of his stored mango with her as she excitedly jumps all over his hamster ball, causing him to grow a little dizzy. Ayla is greeted by a Cougar from Mewiatto who wishes to roar like her, as Ayla encourages her to do with a ferocious roar. Jocasta is met by a German Shepherd pup called Marci, sharing a kinship only fellow dogs can have as if they have known each other for years despite setting eyes upon each other for the first time. Zarina meets a donkey who looks up to her in awe, hoping a horse may know far more about his parentage than the humans of this place, whilst a little marmoset girl excitedly rides upon Ysilla’s back rocking backwards and forwards with glee.

There is a ring of the dinner bell as the head baker approaches. The smell of a Naranja bundt cake fills the air as the head baker, Maria Baya, makes her presence known to the Magimals. “Now come on children, leave the customers alone, tonight’s supper will have to be cancelled as we serve our guests”, the orphans made their way inside grumbling, their little tummies rumbling. Maria turns to address the students, “I’m the head baker here, I welcome you and would like to apologise for the chaotic introduction, we just cannot get the staff these days. Marcia, show them to their tables as we prepare to serve them”. The German Shepherd pup rides a wagon similar to Jocasta’s own as she barks for the doors to open, rolling into the Pâtisserie, passing a table occupied by skeletons with the order ticket still on display.

The Magimals quickly realised there was much to be done here beyond what was shown upon the leaves.

...

[Force and Fury]

1) Religious Lore: The Afterlife, Angels and Demons, and The Goddess Who is Not added. Additional information added to Religious Orders.

2) School Lore: The first two events of The Trials have been added.

3) World Lore: Sirrahi and Eeaiko names added to naming customs.

[RezonanceV]

Santo Fino Synesti

Santo Fino Synesti

The Fire & Blood of Steel Dragons

"I will never forget who I am."

18 | Male | Revidian | Noble | 7.3

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ [ Competitive]
❖ [ Strategic]
❖ [ Confident]
❖ [ Snobby/Unapologetic]
❖ [ Gentleman]

Competitive

Santo is the son of Duke Foscari Synesti and twin to his sister Celestina. His entire childhood has been about showing his strength and potential to be the rightful heir to the Synesti lineage. Celestina and Santo would find their love for each other in suffering the tests their father put them through; together, they became spirited and competitive. Whenever one fell, the other would notice and pick them up. Unfortunately, Celestina would be married off as daughters of royalty are, and Santo would begin his long training to become the successor of Synesti.

Strategic

Santo had felt a deep sense of loss when his sister was betrothed. His attitude shifted from respecting his father to feeling as if he needed to challenge him. After all, he was the reason and the other man that his best friend was sent away. These conclusions began to shape Santo’s opinions of men as to be challenged and led, not to be fully trusted, and to be moved with reason. This began his motivation to think like a strategist and never again lose control of what he held dear. Similarly, his father welcomed Santo’s attitude toward learning how to “play the game” from a birds-eye view. But, as a reminder, his father always reminded him, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory, tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Confident

The more Santo learned his ancient Avincian roots, claims to nobility, strengths in magic, and physical ability, the more he believed in his family’s “greatness.” These factors influenced Santo’s identity as a “man born for greatness,” To add to his growing sense of Self, he had a mother who reaffirmed to him throughout his youth, “live as if you are already there.”

Unapologetic/Snobby

Santo feels no reason to minimize his noble standing. He feels he has worked hard to be who he is today. Whether or not others do, is not his concern. He finds honor in acting his nobility, which reminds him of those ideals he feels are important to living. When his nobility is forgotten or not recognized by peers, he feels zero apprehension in reminding them who he is.

Gentleman

Santo grew up bonding closely with his sister. She is his best friend, and there will be no one who can replace that part of his heart. His memories with his sister also formed his understanding of how to treat women. He does not view men and women the same; men are to be led and challenged strategically, while women are to be protected and respected tactfully. Essentially, his weakness is his ideals toward the feminine appearance and spirit. In his mind, regardless of class, women are to be treated equally among each other.

A P P E A R A N C E

Santo stands 6’ with healthy fair skin and medium-length blonde hair. These obvious features are striking in contrast to his bright blue eyes. His chin is soft but squares out around the jawline. Ears stand out only slightly from his skull, which becomes rather unnoticed and irrelevant as much of the time his hair covers them. The back of Santo’s hair is usually tied in a ponytail to keep what does hang low off his neck, while his sides and front are loose to hang.

He dresses in noble attire consisting of velvet. He wears a hat, doublet, jerkin, and half cape covering one shoulder. Santo’s colors are burgundy, accented with gold threading. His family’s coat of arms is stitched into his cape, which bears a rose blossoming into a flame held by one strong arm, and mirroring the image is a sword crossing the rose with its blade surrounded by flames held by another strong arm.

In the ancient Avincian language, the coat of arms is wrapped in the following words,

“Cor Flamma Dolor Exurit Gladii” - The Heart’s Flame Burns Away A Sword’s Pain

Santo’s most notable mark is that of a scar across the bottom of his chin to cheek. The story is one Santo keeps close to the vest.

L A N G U A G E S

Santo is fluent in Avincian, Revidian, Perrench, and Budesrnic. He is advanced in Torragonese, Juroban, Belzaggic, and Viragish. He is elementary in Thalakosh, Pestian, and Warlish. His ecclectic range of languages is due to his mother’s lessons in Budesrno, Pest, and Warlisz, in combination with his father’s responsibility to coordinate trade from Revidia to Budesrno. Santo has travelled with his father and mother from Revidia to Budesrno several times, in his youth having been exposed to these languages several times over.

T H E G I F T

`

Santo is a blueblooded fire child who tests at a 7.30 on the RAS scale. His primary school is magnetic, followed by arcane and kinetic. He focuses more on his magnetism because arcane comes easily as a fire child, but magnetism does not. His third school is kinetic, mainly using force to augment his acrobatics and projectiles. Within Santo’s family, there is a gradual training of blood techniques. These blood techniques are taught slowly because to reach a particular process of transformation that the Synesti family holds close to the vest requires the other schools that Santo has been learning. The only blood technique Santo currently knows is how to transform matter into steel.

B A C K G R O U N D

Santo belongs to the House of Synesti. Heir to an anceint bloodline traced back to the beginning of Avince. His family worked diligently over the centuries to keep meticulous records of their history, previous claims, and notable deeds so as to never lose sight of who they are. The fall of Avince uprooted Santo’s ancestors, but it did not fracture their identity, instead, their mission became one of “returning to glory”. The family has been lucky with fertility and each generation has birthed healthy twins of opposite sex, one son, and one daughter. This “luck” has allowed Synesti to remain resilient throughout centuries of Constantia conflicts, and with time they have made signficiant strides in restoring Avincian power under new names. The new order of today has been claimed as the Confederacy of Revidia.

During Revidia’s war against Parrence, the Synesti family made political and military moves to gain favor among the Revidian nobles, including Doge Prospero l'Anguilla. Synesti’s old money bought talented mercenaries that bolstered Revidia’s ability to conduct land battles against the superior army of Perrence. During the war, Santo’s grandfather maneuvered politically while Santo’s father commanded the bands of experienced fighters. After the war, Santo’s grandfather stepped aside for Santo’s father to take his place in the politics of Revidia, it was in this succession that Santo’s father was granted official land claim within Revidia. He would be titled, Duke Foscari Synesti.

Duke Foscari’s achievements on and off the battlefield generated many high-standing political figures to maneuver their daughter’s into his arms to secure power. The one who caught his eye was Santo’s mother, Mihaela Dragos of Budesrno. The marriage forged a power couple within Revidia and Budesrno. A year after their marriage, Santo and Clestina were born. The two were twins who competed equally throughout their childhood. Eventually, as the daughter of a powerful Duke, Celestina’s path would deviate from Santo’s. She would begin preparing herself for suitors, while Santo would start preparing himself to become the powerful successor of Duke Foscari’s burgeoning realm.

Doge Prosperos of Revidia recently approached Duke Foscari in hopes of achieving a deal involving Santo. Due to the political tensions between Revidia and Perrence, among other nations beginning to shift power dynamics, the Doge required a trustworthy agent to infiltrate Ersand’Enise as a student. He wanted to collect intelligence from the inside, and Duke Foscari’s son was his plan. The favor would be heavily rewarded, placing the family close to the Doge of Revidia. Duke Foscari would agree, and the Doge would pull strings to have Santo invited and enrolled as soon as possible.

M O T I V A T I O N

`

Santo’s motivation is to uphold and contribute to his family’s legacy. Deeply rooted in ancient Avince, he wishes to honor his familial history by furthering his family’s ideals and plans. He is eager to be invited to Ersand'Enise because it is an opportunity to show his value to the Doge of Revidia and his mother and father of Synesti. Deep down, he wishes to make his sister proud and to one day rejoice with her when possible. Santo hopes to make his family name even stronger and grow in strength among those worthy enough to be challenged by his standards. Santo fears failing at his duties.

I N V E N T O R Y

`

Synesti’s Flamma Ring

Santo wears a gold ring wrapping around a basalt stone. When Santo draws in heat to a degree he can no longer contain, the rock begins to act as a second storage and amplifier device. The stone will start to charge an orangish red, revealing veins in its integrity when it absorbs excess heat from Santo, which can then be tapped into to amplify his use of arcane magic or as a reserve.

On the band is their family motto, “Cor Flamma Dolor Exurit Gladii.”

Bloodstone of Dragos

Santo carries a gold necklace with a dragon extended with wings out, tail down, and head pointing toward Santo’s chin. The dragon is made of hematite with two emerald stones in the slits of its eyes. This piece was given to Santo by his mother, Mihaela, as a symbol of protection and wisdom. The hematite naturally balances Santo’s magnetic draw and containment while acting as a field of charging, negating, and repulsing atoms.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

`

❖ Educated
❖ Acrobatic
❖ Blade Dancer (rooted in Zebaka)

Educated

Santo is extremely literate by today’s standards; this has aided him in being linguistic in several languages and has given him insight into politics, social norms, and an ability to learn/adapt quickly to new subjects.

Acrobatic

Santo lacks raw physical strength; he will never be seen lifting heavy objects with his physical body or using his body as a heavy object. Instead, he practices agility and balance. There is no landscape Santo cannot figure out how to traverse and no space he cannot dance in. He is constantly testing his ability to jump, leap, grab, roll, flip, catch, dive, spring, run, and climb.

Blade Dancer

Santo was privileged to have been mentored by a Joru Karoist who developed a strong strategic relationship with Santo’s father during Joru’s reformation. When the dust settled, and Joru became free of Oswentu, the Joru strategic advisor was given freedom within the walls of Synesti, later to become ward and martial trainer of Santo. It is in this relationship that Santo learned Zebaka, and he fused this martial style with his swordsmanship. Combined with his acrobatic talent, Force, and strategic thinking, he is a strong blade dancer.

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

`

❖ Raw Strength
❖ Bipolar
❖ Overconfident

Raw Strength

Santo will not be seen lifting heavy objects with his physical body. He lacks the interest to train and maintain at a level required to build raw physical strength.

Bipolar

Santo suffers episodes of manic-depression. One day he may feel charismatic, and on another, he lacks motivation. His turbulent nature may be rooted in his intrinsic feeling to fully realize his potential as great while simultaneously feeling extrinsic pressures to be great where the potential to fail is enough to paralyze him.

Over Confident

Santo is overconfident in his abilities. He pays more attention to others’ weaknesses than his own, creating a form of blindness under conditions he is not ready or prepared to face. This can lead to self-inflicting damage and placing himself in situations that jeopardize his life.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

Hex codes
[color=d4af37] [/color] metallic gold
[color=BC3823] [/color] blood orange
[color=CC5500] [/color] burnt orange

[Force and Fury]

@RezonanceV Evander is accepted. Feel free to post him into the Characters tab, and welcome aboard!

[pantothenic]

Colette passes through the Queensgate! At the request of the Holy See, the beautiful sword maiden has taken an office in Cathedral Square. How is her sweet little Yalen doing by himself?

[NON PLAYER CHARACTER]

Colette D’aureville

Colette D’aureville

"Power has no value without a purpose."

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27 | Female | Miatto | Clergy | 8.59

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Diligent
❖ Righteous
❖ Maternal
❖ Gallant
❖ Spirited

Colette is the hard working big sister type. As an example to the kids in her hometown she has a lot of expectations for herself. She has been a protector of the weak since childhood, always picking fights with bullies to protect her friends. She is deeply devoted to Quentism, but has begun to grow distant of the church's authority for various reasons. She has a great disdain for those who avoid responsibility or take advantage of others. Colette can be a bit of a hardass at times, but she has a loving spirit and is quick to embrace other people. That doesn't mean she's naive; She's not nearly as soft as her precious Yalen. She is slow to forgive those with evil in their hearts.

L A N G U A G E S

❖ Avincian: fluent
❖ Miattan: fluent
❖ Perench: fluent
❖ Thalakan: basic communication
❖ Revidian: basic communication

Knows a smattering of Enthish as well, but only the curse words.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Colette spends the majority of her day wearing heavy armor, so her body has become a bit sinewy. Despite the muscles, she has a soft and feminine countenance. She spares no effort taking care of her hair, hoping to someday meet her prince. She likes to wear comfortable dresses when she isn't on duty. Doesn't have as many scars as one would expect from her line of work. She stands around five feet eight inches tall.

T H E G I F T

Colette received some tips on magic usage from the Brotherhood of Sunset orphanage, but her true potential was realized after she joined the Sisters of the Unconquered Sun. She has been training the Gift for over ten years and possesses both an abnormally high RAS and competency in multiple different schools. She has a good balance of offensive and defensive spells in her arsenal, with which she can hold off a squad of lesser mages singlehandedly. Her specialty is in weakening the opponent's body with chemical spells before crushing them in close quarters combat. She has practiced keeping her manas close to full while on duty in case someone gains the initiative against her. In a battle of drawing speed her strategy is to pin the enemy down with her swordplay. Her qualifications rival those of a Tan-Zeno.

Kinetic: Master level
Chemical: Expert level
Binding: Journeyman
Arcane: Adept level
Magnetic: Adept level

Blood type: Baseborn, Devourer

B A C K G R O U N D

Colette's life is not a grand story. She has lived in Vilamòs for the majority of her life. Unlike the other children in the monastery, she knew her parents for several years before losing them to a natural disaster. She was forced to become independent long before other kids her age, which led to her to becoming something like a role model for the orphanage. Everyone has treated her like an older sibling since she began living in the monastery, and she took on the role of watching over new arrivals. When she came of age and it was time to choose a career path, she initially chose to be a Sister of the Sunrise, but her tomboy personality made her too restless for that line of work. Her tough-as-nails temperament made her better suited for one of the warrior sects, and so she took up the blade as a Sister of the Unconquered Sun. She travels quite a bit in order to deal with bandits or beasts, and more than once she has been called to conduct peacekeeping operations and quell riots. Nowadays she has gained some seniority and has enough authority to delegate and give orders. She's locally famous in some frontier towns.

M O T I V A T I O N

Colette is already walking her destined path. She goes where she is needed, so that she may fight on behalf of those who cannot. She will serve justice to the wicked using any means necessary, even if she has to get her hands dirty. She is quick to judge evildoers, but she is not an executioner. Villains must be made to understand the gravity of their crimes while they are alive, and thus she subjects them to a fitting punishment.

I N V E N T O R Y

Most of her equipment is supplied by the order. Colette carries whatever weapons and armor she needs to fulfill her duties at any given time. Among her personal effects she has a diary and a chest full of letters from her friends and siblings. She likes to collect random curios such as oddly shaped rocks or petrified teeth. Perhaps one of her ancestors was a Yasoi.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Battle hardened
Colette has been in dozens of engagements and has the nerves of a combat veteran.
❖ Skilled with many weapons
She is mainly a swordfighter, but she also possesses an aptitude for hammers, polearms, and even bows.
❖ Tireless
Colette marches like nobody's business. A ten mile hike is a recreational activity to her.
❖ Strong visual memory
Rarely gets lost in the woods.
❖ Good cook
Surprise?

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Restless
She cannot seem to sit still. Possible ADHD.
❖ Nosy
Won't leave people alone when they're troubled, even if they want to be.
❖ Honey allergy
Breaks into hives. Honey mead is her favorite drink...
❖ Terrible drunk
Really rowdy and annoying if she reaches her limit. Pukes a lot.
❖ Mild Catoptrophobia
She is irrationally afraid of mirrors, only in dark rooms.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

She suffers from the duality of being married to her job while secretly hoping to raise a family. She doesn't know it, but men avoid her because of her drunken rampages.

She is a member of the Century, an elite army of 100 magi summoned to defend Ersand'Enise in times of great danger.

Colour Code: E2E2CF

[Ti]

[NPC][Shifty Elf Gang]

Ashon'amar'loiyang

Ashon'amar'loiyang

“the Seventh Immortal Son of the Thundering Universe, or Jamboi for short.”
18 | Male | Hypari | Mundane | RAS: 8.37, ???

Associations:

❖ Biro, Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy
❖ Yasoi

The Gift:

❖ [ Kinetic: Gravity ] – [ III. Adept ] - Ashon has a natural proficiency for gravity style magic, using this to transverse the Skyscraper-Trees of his Hypari homeland. It is this knack which has prevented him from more than a few early ends to an otherwise long Yasoi lifespan.
❖ [ Chemical: Enhancement ] – [ I. Novice ] - Focus is on using chemical magic to stave off dizziness and sharpen senses, enhancing endurance and physical fortitude. This is important when swinging and gliding between the trees.
❖ [ - ] – [ ??? ]

Description:
If there was such a child that could be a natural Dervish, this was Ashon. Never stopped him from jumping off the balcony and swinging through the city and gliding between the branches. A free spirit who loves nothing more than to feel the air flow through his hair, and the feel of gravity pushing down upon him. He has the thrill of defying death with more than a fair share of close encounters with the scars to prove it.
Being the seventh son, the expectations of him achieving much in life were low, with Yasoi superstition marking him out as a troublemaking son of Vyshta. Being defined by those around him, he lives up to this role with a devil-may-care attitude, earning himself the moniker of Jamboi amongst his own kind.

Ashon is a traveller, not one to sit still for long as he goes from one place to another. Known fondness of poetry, mischief, sparring and women. He gives the impression that he views himself as an irresistible ladies man who is the chosens’ gift upon Sipenta, an attitude he is more than happy to showcase. He views all those in authority with suspicion, considering them greedy tyrants with selfish ambitions. When trouble arises not of his own making, he usually stands back, though he can be merciless towards those who seek to significantly wrong him.
He often finds himself becoming infatuated with things and individuals which he would then pursue. He receives great excitement from the chase, challenge, and reputation from attempting and overcoming the improbable.
Ashon's favourite past-time is becoming ambiguous to those who attempt to know details about him. He likes to give the illusion of mystery and suspense, as he enjoys the chase of 'Catch-me-if-you-can'.

Aston’s features are sharp eyes and lips that are always pulled up in a smile. His expression is quick to change based on his emotion, especially when annoyed. His red hair looks unnaturally bright, a flourish done through the application of chemical magic, but the turquoise pools that are his eyes are a natural feature. He uses make-up to enhance his features, wearing eye-liner and lip-gloss. He dresses in a loud and vibrant manner, often displaying a range of tattoos on his body which appear to periodically change their shape over a long time.

[Force and Fury]

Both of these recent NPCs are great and are approved!

[YummyYummy]

Abdel

Abdel (Ali Bukhari)

“Hey, wanna see something neat?”

14 | Male | Torragonese/Virangish | Commoner | RAS: 6.40, Thunderchild, Tethered

Associations:

❖ Biro, Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy
❖ Tethered / Refuge of St. Agustin
❖ House Bukhari of Virang (Formerly)

The Gift:

❖ [ Magnetic: Offensive & Internal ] – [ III. Adept ] - Abdel was one of the Afortunado, and while still early in his initiation, his position as a Thunderchild made him naturally capable in this branch. He can unleash powerful discharges of electricity that can reach throughout his massive range. He also uses it to enhance his motor functions, making him appear more ‘normal’ than most tethered, with his legs being ‘manipulated’ consciously when needed. He does often get ahead of himself, making way for nastry cramps and minor burns typical of an eager thunderchild.

❖ [ Binding: Defense ] – [ I. Novice ] - Serving as support from range and a good defense to his powerful Magnetic offense. He learned a lot by watching Marceline use this school of magic and wishes to compliment his Magnetic magic with it to cover weaknesses.

Description:
Once known as Ali Bukhari, second son of a prestigious family in Virang - One standing at the very top of the Darhannic Clergy of the country - and now a forgotten Tethered in Torragon known only as Abdel. His lineage’s renown for thunder-based divination had at least left him with the uncommon gift of the Thunderchild, offering the abandoned teen at least an option when it came to his new half-existence. He was one of the Afortunado - A group of Tethered youths with enough power to be trained as special assassins - as a unique case of having lower RAS but a blood type that greatly made up for it. He was only about halfway through his initial training before the Ersand’Enise group came and changed everything. He grew close to one in particular: Zarina Al-Nader, a fellow Virangish girl and one that gave him attention that almost felt nostalgic of his forgotten life. After being given a scholarship by the Duque Frannemas, he joined the group in the great school of Thaumaturgy and hopes to find new opportunities in the short life he has.

Abdel was always more trouble than anything else, even before his stay in the Refuge. He likes to show off, puff out his chest in front of the girls and try to get ahead with little tricks or cons albeit with no real malice behind his endeavours. Although behind his confident facade hides the all too common insecurity he feels like many other teens, especially when wits come into play and he often gets too bullheaded to properly handle situations. He holds grudges, and deep down feels a strong hatred for what his family has done to him, even if he hides it very well. He has not forgiven them and intends to confront them despite Zarina’s warnings. As of now, he wishes to attend athletic activities to enjoy the mobility he still has and live out his ‘prime’, while keeping up with some of his usual habits he had since the Refuge. One can often find him running or stretching at the Arboretum if he isn’t hanging out with others of his age group.

[jasbraq]

Karl

Charlotte “Karl” Jena

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18 | Male? | Feskan | Commoner | RAS: 7.12, Blackblood, Greengrowth

Associations: Feska

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The Gift:
❖ [ Kinetic: Sound ] – [Adept]
❖ [ Arcane ] – [Novice]

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Description:
She was forced to try her hardest to become the best retainer she could be ever since she can remember. It was her duty as a Jena to serve the head of the family with her whole existence, to repay this insurmountable debt they owe the Hohnsteins. Charlotte, as the firstborn, had been assigned the task, always thinking it was unfair that she had to be their ideal while her siblings were barely taught.

In current times the name Charlotte is almost foreign to her, having been under the guise of “Karl” almost a decade now. As a retainer Karl never opened up about anything as just seeing Dorothea smile was enough for her. Charlotte, however, has begun to feel doubts if she is truly her own person still or if Karl has consumed all that she was.

Karl’s face usually shows a slight smile. A more feminine face than men of her age have, however she is still rather stern with identifying as a man. Studious, Karl always loved to read books with Dorothea and kept her love for reading all these years later.

The Feskan is a polite, soft spoken person that can switch to bad mouthing people if they get her mad enough.

Karl 1.0 is here, need to expand upon but didn't want people to wait.

[Suicharte]

Yuliya

Yuliya Ilyanovich Vasilieva

Drink deep, eat well, and dress to impress. This is the way.

16 | Female | Vossoriyan | Royalty | 8.26

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Curious

Imagine you were born hearing tales of your peoples founding, a land across the sea of great heroes and villains, of oppression and hope. It fades to myth and legend, only to resurface in the past 60 years as reality, vindicating your ancestors as truthful and giving legitimacy to your ancestors. Would that not inspire you to travel there and learn everything you could about this place of mythos? Even disregarding this though, Yuliya has always sought answers to her questions, and she is determined to get them.

❖ Witty

Yuliya has always been a quick thinker in all aspects of life and its served her very well. She's always able to break the ice in tense situations or lighten the mood with a well timed or a goofy joke, and doesn't often find herself lacking a solution to a problem regardless of whether it's a social or technical one. She's no genius or prodigy in this respect, but she's got a quick head on her shoulders.

❖ Jovial

A reveller at heart, Yuliya has always been one to enjoy a good party, a good joke and good company. She can be a bit of a rabble-rouser but she never really has bad intentions at social gatherings, and is usually good company to be around. Oddly enough, participating in Lednikrayva brought her some much needed humility and it stops her from being mentally crowded by the often unscrupulous court games that are played, for anyone can be duke upon the iceberg.

❖ Headstrong

It's hard to tell rich kids what to do. It's even harder to tell rich nobility what to do. It is no surprise then, that a crown princess of one of the most powerful kingdoms in Callanast is a very willful creature, and one that is very hard to control. Even her own parents had a hard time keeping her in check. She speaks her mind, she goes where she wants, she talks to who she wants to how she wants to and that's that. As far as she's concerned, if she's doing something wrong, she'd know about it and often times, this is the case, but it has caused problems in terms of recognizing authority. Whether this will become a problem among her fellow classmates, or in the school system is yet to be seen.

❖ Cold-blooded

Vossoriya has a troubled past and a rather extreme culture, especially among high society. Ethics have not come to the level they have in Constantia and Severa, and the brutality of recent events have left their mark on the young lass. It's rather alarming to most people how quickly she can go from one of the happiest people in the room to one of the most serious if she gets any ideas of hostility or danger. She doesn't flinch at gore, murder or torture if it comes about, and is very quickly able to seperate her feelings from the equation in a rather psychopathic way.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Some nobles are recognizable due to the way they walk and act. Some are recognizable for the way they dress. Yuliya is both, she immediately stands out as someone who has never worked a field or a market. Lithe and of average height, her skin is immaculate and extremely pale, and her golden blonde hair is in excellent condition, being found in shifting hairstyles depending on her feelings during the day. One thing is for certain though, flowers are a staple. Black tulips, camellia and lobelias are among her favourites as they are a bit more favourable to her home climate, though many new additions have been made since arriving at Ersand'Enise. Her fashion is gaudy and definitely outrageously expensive, ranging from silks from the north to luxuriously soft furs from the Vossoriyan hinterlands. She isn't one to dress for comfort over style though, in fact, she's rather the opposite. She seldom is seen without cosmetics and jewellery, and lives by a mantra from her late mother. "Beauty hurts!"

Outfits!

Standard Royal Garb
Summer Wear and a staple at Ersand'Enise so far.
Religious Wear.

L A N G U A G E S

❖ Vossoriyan - Native.
❖ Old Eskandish - Fluent.
❖ Avincian - Semi-fluent. Written is still a difficulty due to script, and she has a tendency to use old expressions, terms and grammar structures that aren't used anymore, but she is studying hard and it's quickly becoming her second best language.
❖ Habenaki Languages - Fluent spoken, advanced written.
❖ Sycari - Advanced spoken, intermediate written
❖ Hegelan - Advanced spoken, beginner written.
❖ Sawandi - Intermediate
Vossoriya is vast and holds a large amount of people and neighbours. There is no binding tongue in Callanast like there is in Severa and Constantia, and so nobles and especially royals are expected to learn a vast amount of languages to communicate with the wide variety of subjects in and outside of the realm.

T H E G I F T

8.26 RAS | Blueblood | Sanguinaire | Icevein | Leadvein | Sensemaster

While the royal has had some formal and private training, she's not received anything close to the education offered at either the Golden Star or Ersand'Enise. What she makes up for in that however, is a rather high RAS score and live combat experience. She's only recently began to dive into school mastery, particularly favouring the arcane and kinetic schools, but also taking a noted interest in Atomic since arriving at the academy and finding out she is eligible.

Magnetic - Neophyte - Has had interest but didn't really catch her attention like the other schools

Arcane - Apprentice - Used in live combat before, and is proficient with drawing and expelling heat. Has a noted interest in learning more so that she can better stay cool

Binding - Neophyte - Never took interest prior to her brothers ailment due to its restrictions regarding offensive capabilities but is interesting in learning if it has any chance of helping the tethered.

Chemical - Neophyte - There is understanding present, just a lack of practical experience and theory with the school. She may pursue it further given its inherent compatibility with arcane.

Kinetic - Adept - Her most used school in actual combat and the one that she has the most fun and compatibility with.

Atomic - Neophyte - Recent knowledge to the girl and something she's taken a special interest in.

B A C K G R O U N D

Born in the Vossoriyan winter, Yuliya was the second child of Tsar Ilyan II, the ruling monarch for 15 years at that point in time. She was a later birth than her much sterner older brother, and seemed to inherit the carefree side of the ruler that he never quite got to express. It's very safe to say that she had a much easier upbringing than her sibling as well. While Andrei went through rigorous training, Yuliya had all the time in the world to pursue the hobbies she wanted. She was made to sit down and learn languages and court etiquette, but the level of free time between them differed starkly. Perhaps deep down, she wished their roles were reversed. For she cared for her elder brother deeply, and wanted to take the weight of responsibility off his shoulders. Some of her fondest memories are sitting beside him, watching him pour over mountains of documents, preparing for the day he would one day wear the oh-so heavy crown. He confessed to her that he didn't quite want to rule, but since he was going to, he would make the best effort he could.

When he went to study in the great academy in Sawand, it filled her with a deep loneliness and wanderlust. She was doted on by her parents, but she too longed for adventure. A different route perhaps, to lighten the load. Heading the same path would not lead to much, but she begun to take a great interest in the history of their land. Of their founding, and of the re-connection that had happened less than a 100 years ago. It was sparse, but occasionally she'd heard of a wealthy merchant or a higher noble sending their child to a similar great academy at court, one that might be larger than Golden Star - Ersand'Enise. She figured this was the route she would take, and she began to pester her parents to no avail. Her father would not have her go so far away, not at such a young age, when she knew so little of the real world.

Tsar Ilyan would come to regret these words, as she began to roam. First the very large estate, then the streets of the capital. Something needed to fill the hole she felt, so she began to explore and get up to hijinks. This was also around the time she'd begun to manifest her gift, which meant that any altercations or trouble she had were swiftly dealt with. Conversely, it also made her a hit at Lednikrayva, even if she was probably a little too young to be there at the time. It did not stop her from developing a taste for wine though. It also shaped her sense of humour into what it is today though.

Not everything in her life was all fun and games. Vossoriya had been experiencing internal turmoil for quite a few years at this point, and the cracks were beginning to show. Many 'princes' wished for a return to the old ways, before Mikhail the Scourge, and a return to the elective monarchy of the past, where their high titles would matter. So they begun to plot and collude. With the very powerful heir to the throne away in a foreign land, they saw their chance and took it. Vast swathes of gunpowder were placed under the royal palace and amplified by a rather proficient chemical user. And fire spread through the surrounding area. They had killed one of their targets, but Ilyan had a diplomatic meeting on the day, and Yuliya was on the streets as usual. Many servants were dead, and the resting pregnant queen had passed in a single blow.

Ilyan was furious. Yuliya was livid. A casus belli had been given to them, and they enacted on it fully. While there was much fighting, it quickly became an execution as many who would have rallied to their side feared the wrath of the Tsar and stood down during the great purge that occurred. Yuliya had lost a lot of her free spirited nature, and bloodied herself well in the conflict, replacing sorrow for rage towards the offenders. They had taken so much from her, it was only right that she repay them in full. It's what their founder would have wanted. An eye for an eye.

Her father was never the same after. He had become a shell of his former self, and stayed in his quarters for days at a time, only leaving to meet with important delegations. As time passed, he became weaker, paler, gaunter. Yuliya grew into a healthy young woman, though she never carried the same joy and spirit that she did before. She still smiled, and laughed, and joked, but she had lost a part of herself when her mother and unborn sibling died. She felt a similar loneliness to the time her brother left, except this time she knew she wasn't going to come back eventually like her brother was. She distracted herself, taking on many of the matters of state that her father had abandoned in his sorrows. She was no expert, but his advisors needed royal decree and she was happy to ease the load of her grieving father. Before long, she'd become used to the lifestyle.

Her reality broke somewhat when her brother came home. But he was not what he once was. Eyes of black flesh and in a chair that moved him, he was no longer what he once was. He didn't stand taller than her, or have the stern but kindly gaze that he once had. It felt.. hollow. Yet, he wasted no time. He rushed from job to job like he didn't want to lose a second. And before long, she found out why. By all accounts, he didn't have long to live. Every magician at Golden Star had said so, confused as to how the tethering had gotten to him so late in his life, or how he'd lost his sight to powergazing long after his birth. It only made her old urges, to travel to Constantia come back. Perhaps there'd be a cure there. For where else did she have to turn.

Her father didn't have the willpower to say no, and her brother was ready to assume the mantle with as many years as he had left. So he gave her the go-ahead under the condition she travelled anonymously. She hugged him one last farewell, and set off on a grand voyage to Ersand'Enise, hoping to save her last friend.

M O T I V A T I O N

Yuliya always wanted to travel to Constantia and Ersand'Enise to both experience things for herself, and make her country a better place. Her most recent motivation is a cure to the tethering, a mana type that has cut her brothers lifespan significantly. She figures if there's not a way to do it in Ersand'Enise or Golden Star, then there is no hope, but she will at least try. She's truly afraid of losing her brother currently, as he is all she has left in terms of close family. Beyond this, she truly wants to make friends. She has met with other nobles and made acquaintances but she's never really made a deep, meaningful friendship, someone that she can count on and that can count on her.

I N V E N T O R Y

❖ A large chest of clothes. All are very fine and outrageously expensive. It also includes her hat and footwear collection

❖A jewellery box, featuring much of her late mothers collection and her grandmothers.

❖A very finely crafted flintlock pistol. A gift from her brother to keep her safe.

❖Rastvesti(Blossom) - A hegelan greataxe. Engraved with runecraft tailored to her taste, and also imbued with shiny gemstones and a ribbon. Definitely a weird looking weapon but highly effective.

❖A large range of cosmetics.

❖A finely crafted journal that she keeps her language practice in as well as notes she takes.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Clever - She's no great prodigy, or genius, but she has a penchant for quick thinking and problem solving.

❖ Physical Specimen - Due to her mana and perhaps her physical training, she's absurdly strong and quick. Far more than an average girl or man her age.

❖ Hard Worker - Yuliya's never been a slouch, even though she's been afforded ample opportunity to be one. She's never abandoned her duty and now more than ever, she's incredibly motivated to find answers to her existing problems.

❖ Master of Parties - No-one throws a party like a Vossoriyan, at least according to Yuli. She's participated in many Lednikrayva and other such festivities, and knows how to make a good atmosphere. Whether these traditions will be as loved as they are back home is yet to be seen, but the skills of being a good socialite remain.

❖ Cold - Yuliya has live combat experience and has no problems striking down people or things she considers to be her enemies. She's capable of hardening her heart to make tough choices and is capable of separating her emotions from the equation if she thinks its necessary.

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Vengeful - It's something of a family trait to answer a slight with a slight. Yuliya isn't one for forgiveness and will always answer violence with violence. It's bound to get her in deep shit someday.

❖ Stressed - She's managed to keep it bottled so far in her life, but she's going to burst one day, and it's not going to be pretty.

❖ Heavy Handed - Sometimes, Yuliya doesn't quite comprehend how strong she really is. She's never been good with a pen in her hand, or anything that really required precision. Even handshakes are sometimes troublesome, as a firm grip to her is a vice to another person.

❖ Stubborn - Even though it can get lost sometimes, the spoilt brat from back home is still with her. If she wants something, she's going to do her damned hardest to get it. If she wants to go somewhere, she's gonna go. It takes a fair amount for her to see reasoning beyond her own and she's less than likely to compromise.

❖ Sunlight Sensitive - If there's one thing that Yuli really hates, its the sun. She's pale as a ghost and burns like a marshmallow on an open fire. Even Vossoriyan summer is a bit too warm for her personal tastes, and she's much better suited to the cold. Her hats have served as a mitigation to this issue, but she's going to need heavier duty equipment if she wants to stay outside for extended periods.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

Color = Pink
Definitely more of a sweet tooth.
Favourite candy is liquorice.

E L E C T I V E S

Electives!

[CaliforniaState]

Ymiico

Enveloped by the Moon, the Sun will one day smile on me.

18 | Female | Nikanese | Artisan | 5.73

P E R S O N A L I T Y

❖ Meticulous
❖ Meek
❖ Neurotic
❖ Chary
❖ Vigilant

Ymiico was actually none of these things until recently. Life happened so fast that she was left to the wayside and witness her own domicile invaded and perverted. Because of the advent of these events, her personality slowly underwent changes that were incongruent to her original identity. She was once jovial, gentle, and a caring and soothing presence like the hearth on a cold or otherwise damp day. Like an eclipse the shadows slowly began to crawl up and swallow her, eclipsing who she once was. Ymiico is perfectly aware she was never like this, but it’s kept her alive and she wasn’t going to stop now when she still has work to do. She’s nervous like a house cat now suddenly made homeless. She trusts no one and is very quick to tuck tail and run. The slightest sense of danger from her gut leads her to completely disengage from her current environment. Never sleeping in the same place twice. Who knows, maybe when all is said and done the sun can illuminate the light within her once more.

C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E

Ymiico embraces her natural Yasoi figure. She appreciates the long slender legs she was give. To hear she never felt ‘lanky’, instead she felt like the towering trees that encompassed all of nature. She was allowed to come into her frame and flourish like a spring flower. And that she did. While she still had the longer limbs and torso, she filled in well at her age. A kind of painting sophistication that commanded an audience or at least a second look. Her height is a modest 195 cms accompanied by a 68kg frame. An alluring curtain of chestnut brown hair overflows down her back with two strands pulled to the front curled betwixt ribbons of green and clips of gold. Her skin is reminiscent of the gold jewelry lining the outer rim of her ears and the ribbons in her hair. Unblemished, even as far as to not have any Tetsoi, as Nikanese Yasoi viewed that tradition with scrutiny. The most notable feature would be the trademarked monolid center to the Nikanese Yasoi. As far as clothing options she chooses light airy fabrics that feel loose and soft on her skin. She sometimes wears a one shoulder epaulet she received from her family with a flowing green cape attached. Finishing her wardrobe off are a pair of almost silk archer gloves etched with golden inlaid patterns.

L A N G U A G E S

Tarlonese Yasoi (Native)
Nikanese (Native)
Avincian (Broken)

T H E G I F T

| 5.73 RAS | Mooncaster |

Arcane: Probably the most salient gift in her wheelhouse that has become central to her ability to survive. Ymiico was trained and then further learned to increase her arcane affinity to hone her ability to manipulate light. Specifically, the light around her. Most of her spells work in keeping her invisible, aiding in her stealth, and manipulating the senses of those around her. What better way to erase herself than to hide in plain sight and warp the senses of others to completely ignore her despite proximity.

Chemical: Ymiico likes to utilize and encapsulate a lot of her understanding of the world in a chemical aspect. She’s always been interested in alchemical reactions and the science behind it. Being an ally of the darkness, whether freely or forcefully, she was taught how to make several tools that depended on reactions occurring at the appropriate time. Smoke bombs, paper fires, etc. Now with Chemical magic she can amplify those destructive yet utility abilities and defend herself by altering the perception of others to ensure she’s never seen or detected.

Kinetic: The last school of magic she subscribes to. This school more or less acts a binder for the first to that mostly amplifies what she can already do. Slowing enemies, disrupting their senses with cacophonous sound. Negating all of those things for herself and much more. The most useful ability for her has probably been to manipulate liquids below her so she can travel across aquatic surfaces.

B A C K G R O U N D

Ymiico had always lived a quiet and fulfilled life, she never wanted for more and her dreams were perfectly contained within the confines of her home village. While she wasn’t poor or rather her family, they never went without or needed for naught. It wasn’t that Ymiico was cut off from the outside world. She need that many continents and countries existed, all with their own cultures and even Yasoi, but again she was perfectly contempt with her own life that she had with her family.

Originally things weren’t so easy for her. She grew up at the tail end of the warring period, Himitsu Sensoo, which meant her family basically came from nothing. They had seen senseless violence and crimes committed. Even transgressions against them when they were simple farmers and sent their goods as part of the war effort. Ymiico never met most of her relatives, mostly because they were slaughtered as by products of the war and captivity. She was lucky to say the least, had she been born during it who knows where or if she’d be around. It was something difficult to attach herself to seeing as she was a mere child when it occurred and had no recollection of it outside the stories recanted by her parents and those who managed to survive in their tiny village.

Either way, they did just as any of their people did, rebuild. It took a majority of her life to see the fruits of their labour. Vegetation and crops revived in what once were fields of ash and soot. The liveliness returned to the faces and expressions of the residents like a warm blanket after a cold winter. Through it all, it was a satisfying picture even for her. While the money her father made farming, her family was blessed with the construction of a consortium. Now normally these were only seen in the main cities, but there was enough business passing through their village, seeing as it was between the main city and the port, that they could set one up. Her mother was the main figurehead and boss that other girls turned to. She was a Geisha of course, responsible for the entertainment and attendant to men.

Ymiico never knew how she learned her skills, but she never asked, it was beyond her anyways. Once old enough, she worked with her mother in the establishment. She simply assisted instead of working, however that didn’t stop the guests from fawning over her. This was no coincidence as even the girls were enamored with her. Her demeanor was calm yet radiated a warm constitution that was infectious. She was always happy, and it was clearly worn on her face. A mom in all senses of the word save the children. Attentive to everyone’s needs without being overbearing. Between her personality and her beauty that was beginning to fill in, she was perfect. Her mother knew her daughter would end up attracting some unwanted attention.

That day had finally come when the Shogunate of their country had descended onto the fields of the Nikanese Yasoi. The practice of the Shogunate and the Emperor taking their secondary or tertiary wife from the Yasoi population was commonly known. Never had they set foot outside of the city however, there was enough Yasoi around that they didn’t need to. This precedent was only supported by the establishment her mother had owned. She took the necessary precautions to hide her daughter as best she could with such little warning. Ymiico watched on from behind a sliding door where storage mostly sat. He was young, but almost twice the age of her. Masculine in all senses of the word and quite handsome. Perhaps they weren’t as bad as the stories had made them out to be. Hours went and he had passed through all the women available, none to his delight.

He asked once if there was any more selection, but with hesitation in her mother’s voice in all of two seconds and the inconvenient stumbling of her attempt to shift position in the closet, alerted the Shogun. To his delight she was just as he desired, he would take no one else as his concubine from this point forward. Try as she might, even pleading to take her daughters place, the Shogun would not have it. The stories were true, she just didn’t think she’d have to experience it herself.

The whole affair had weighed heavily on her, each day taking longer than the last. She was taken into the disparagingly large city to be reformed into a proper woman. Not that she was far from it, but she needed just a bit of refinement. It was training like none other she endured before, to be quite honest it was exhausting. Many a times she thought of escaping her prison, like a bird in a cage, yet she knew they would never let her walk away. They were always watching. She did get to spend some moments with the Shogun, but she was rigid and took no attempts of rapport from the young dictator. This often upset him, but he never showed her punishment.

One night after being sent away from the Shogun she returned to her room with a blank parchment on her desk. She knew not of the meaning behind the gesture until she raised the parchment to an open flame, yielding a secret message. Her primary security detail had been working undercover for years now, gaining the favor of the shogun. A small revolutionary party had been in the wings for years biding time to gain enough trust and resources to initiate a coup. He couldn’t help but see her discontent and wanted to help her return home. From then on, they met in private on typical duties, which led to training her in weaponry and the basics of magical manipulation.

Despite this she continued to meet with the Shogun and slowly the walls and inhibitions began to gave way under his hospitality. Once her mind wasn’t clouded by bitterness and she heard more than two words from his mouth she learned he was quite gentle. She was scared she was being manipulated into thinking this or conditioned to say the least. Howbeit the man was refined in the art of communication and empathy. He would explain how he knew things looked, but it was a tradition that needed to be upheld regardless if he were to be hated for it. He made her stay as comfortable as he could even if she did not truly love him. For he didn’t truly love her the same as he was still in love with his first wife. This put pressure on her dedication to the coup she had been training for.

And so, on the eve of the coup, Ymiico could not bear the gravity of the situation, being on both sides. Instead of deciding on who to back, she backed herself and fled the estate successfully. She couldn’t return to her village, so she needed somewhere else to go. Tarlon. They had a university there and she was the age to enroll. Perfect! Minus the small caveat she was broke and only had the wealth of the shogun to satisfy any material need. Before she set off, she had stolen sacred jewels from the estate she would use to pawn off to fund her tuition.

On her arrival to Tarlon she couldn’t help but feel a wrench in her stomach and the overwhelming paranoia that someone was following her. The things the shogun and the emperor were to do to her would border on murder. She couldn’t risk it. Her wish was granted or so she thought. On the arrival to campus, she was greeted with a large population of Nikanese Yasoi. To her horror she wouldn’t be the only one. What if they knew who she was? She was a dead giveaway. The question began to rush her brain, with her sense overloaded the faces began to blur and take shape of those that occupied her hometown and the walls of the city. They would surely force her to go back. After recovering from her hyperventilation, she decided she could no longer enroll in Tarlon, she needed to go elsewhere, further away, Ersand'Enise.

She knew not how she would pay for her tuition, but she had enough to get her there and attend a semester worth of classes. Surely, she would figure it out and make sure she was never discovered.

M O T I V A T I O N

Fear is her motivation realistically. Nothing gets her out of bed faster than the ideation in her dreams that someone is just a hop, skip, or jump from finding her and returning her to her motherland. This manifests in her desire to attend the trials and place in the top 10 teams of the 400 entering. If she does not place in the top 10, she can no longer attend the school and from then her world crumbles. A free year of tuition is a net she needs until she can find someone to sponsor her through the rest of her enrollment. What she plans to do after is beyond her, maybe at that point she could smuggle her parents into the country or by then have enough power to bargain her freedom from the Shogun. Her one positive for being there is her eagerness to amplify her magic affinity…so it can keep her hidden. For now she’s mostly focused on what is in front of her, the lofty goals and expectations are hampered by the trial ahead of her.

I N V E N T O R Y

❖ Kagura suzu - a set of twelves bells on a polished piece of wood, often used during ceremonies over in Nikan. It was a keepsake her mother gave her when she was a child as it both soothed and entertained her. One memento from her mother.
❖ Rope attached to several different attachments from gardening and farming tools.
❖ Gourd
❖ Small container of sharpened wooden stakes (approx ~1-3 inches in length)
❖ Slender tube to shoot darts out of
❖ Sharpened throwing stars
❖ Clothing made of black cloth that obscures any open flesh and decreases volume of motion.

All of these weapons can be found in her dormitory as she's not allowed to carry weapons. They are however tucked away or take a less threatening appearance when she showcases them as regular inconspicuous farm tools. The gourd, rope, and clothes she keeps on her however along with the Kagura suzu.

S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S

❖ Reconnaissance/Espionage/Infiltration - Basically any of those umbrella terms that just mean stealth. Being able to get in and get out without detection at the reward of finding invaluable information about people, places, or situations.

❖ Marital Arts Expert/Ninpo - Despite her seemingly lanky body composition, Ymiico has quite a bit of muscle and athleticism to her. This especially seen in her martial arts, ninpo. Specifically being a strategy and tactics of unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare and espionage. This also extends to skills with weapons. (stick, swords, etc.)

❖ Many Faced God - Disguises are a key trademarked that she further developed while on the run. She is able to look like and impersonate others or someone completely new. However this isn't as effective with impersonations as her Avincian is bad.

❖ Fire starter - Before becoming a chemical mage, Ymiico's knowledge of gunpowder and explosives was quite impressive. She's able to use them offensive or defensively as a means of harm or distraction. Mostly when conventional methods are preferred over magical ones.

❖ Centaur - She has ridden horses to the extent she's been able to hone the range of skills associated with horseback riding. This includes mounted combat. She treats her horse as an extension of herself rather than a vehicle for her needs.

W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S

❖ Seishin teki kyoyo - Once she was completely intune with herself and excelled at Spiritual Refinement. Now, her mind is constantly flooded with thoughts that pollute her mind and leave her unable to perform at max efficiency.

❖ Paranoid - The cloudiness in her mind stems from the paranoia she feels constantly hanging over her head. This cripples her ability to be more social and trust in her peers.

❖ Ghost - It's hard for Ymiico to get noticed even with the novelty of being a Nikanese Yasoi, this in large due to her being discreet and shy. Even if she excels in one type of magic she'll never display it in front of her professors. Attention leads to her becoming flustered, which erratically changes her magic.

❖ Practical - Learning to love magic later in her life has made it strange to make her primary form of all things offense, defense, and utility. She likes the practically and favors the use of her body and tools, along with the tools she creates. Habits die hard and she sometimes defaults to using what she knows over what she's learned.

❖ Foreigner - Not necessarily a glaring weakness, but she is as foreign as you get in this new land. Her accent is very thick and she has all the marks of being a Nikanese Yasoi. Her ability to impersonate and disguise is shelved due to the distractions shackled around her ankles and wrists.

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

Color: Mint
She enjoys the natural hot springs native to her country.
She does like to wear the occasional Akasa or straw hat, mostly because it helps to hide her ears.