[OOC] O R I F L A M M E

NOTICE
Chapter One of Act Three is currently active.

Posts are due by Saturday, December 17, at 10:00 PM GMT-4. If you need some help getting started, please see the 'Action Opportunities' hiders at the bottom of the posts. As this is the first post of a new act, consider how your actions set up future plot points and remember that you will have five chapters to tell the story of your character's actions.

[Force and Fury]

_{Art by Guillem H. Pongiluppi}

𝅗𝅥 𝅘𝅥 𝅘𝅥𝅮 𝅘𝅥𝅯 Discord

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King's Decree_________ __ __ _ _

First: The Story | Welcome to Oriflamme: a low fantasy RPG set in the same world as The Hourglass Order. Taking place eight hundred years prior, during the Dark Ages, it shares much of the same lore and deals with the coalescence and founding of the nation of Perrence. This takes place against the backdrop of merciless and persistent raids and invasions by the southern 'barbarians' known as Eskandr. Yet, this is not a story without nuance. Within Parrence, as it is then called, exist a great many nationless, including the non-human yasoi and the steppes people known as Tourrare. These often exist in tension with an increasingly hierarchical state. The 'heathen' invaders face issues of their own, as well. Their northernmost brethren - the Drudgunzeans - are increasingly forsaking their ancient ways and the faith of their fathers in favour of the Perrench religion of Quentism. You'll be playing warriors of a great many sorts who have answered the young king's call to fight for their country or else those who resist or even the very barbarians who seek to destroy it in order to preserve their ascendance.

Second: Character Creation | This RPG involves magic and a handful of fantasy creatures, but is more concerned with a degree of realism than most fantasy. To that end, you'll be playing human (or yasoi) characters. You are allowed a concurrent maximum of two. These should be setting-appropriate, which means no clockwork tinkerers, half-elves with violet eyes, unusually tall emo kids, rebellious princess-knights, or anime main characters. The people that you create don't have to revel in their outward uniqueness simply for its own sake. They can be archetypes but still be compelling if thought, nuance, and heart go into making them. Good Dark Ages character art is also very difficult to find, so I'll be allowing some leeway, but this is not a D&D campaign or an anime. Characters' attire should be practical and reflect their setting and role.

Third: Conduct | This will be a fast-paced game with plenty of action, intrigue, politics, and exploration. It will have a clearly defined goal and ending. Players will be expected to adhere to the standard rules on powerplaying, metagaming, and 'asspulling'. Play this game in good faith and it'll be rewarding. If you find yourself very focused on 'winning' against other players as opposed to telling a collaborative story, then I'd ask you to look elsewhere. In terms of activity level, I'm looking for at least two paragraphs per post a minimum of once per week. If you don't think that you can keep up with that activity level, then this isn't for you. If you go inactive on the forum and on discord without prior notice for more than a week, I will ping and Direct Message you. If you fail to respond after a second week of inactivity... your character will fall in service of the kingdom or join the Visitor in Grønhal.

Fourth: Deaths | As participants in a wartime game, you run the risk of character death. These will not be random acts of the Gods, but risky choices are, well... risky. That is not to discourage risk-taking. There may be sizable rewards as well, but ill-advised decisions (and you will always receive a warning of the risks and possible benefits if you would like one) can also result in the maiming or death of your character. You are free, however, to re-enter with a second character if your first is taken by Echeran. You'll only be permanently kicked from the game in instances of counterproductive behaviour or extended inactivity without notice.

Fifth: Character Roles | There are four Loyalties (otherwise known as factions) and eleven Callings (otherwise known as classes). Some are fairly unique and there will be caps on how many characters are allowed of these types. For the sake of realism, if your character is going against the societal grain, I would like to see good, nuanced, developed reasons as to why. If you're rebelling in some way, it needs to have a compelling internal logic and thoughtful emotional justification. In general, to ensure a balanced spread of characters that reflects the spirit of the game, we'll be using a quota system. If there are too many characters submitted for a particular quota, the one best suited to the direction of the narrative will be taken. The other player may submit an alternate character if they wish. You may find the current quotas and roster in the Zeroth post of the Characters tab.

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The World_________ __ __ _ _

_{For a higher resolution view with more details, right click the image, open in a new tab, and magnify. To view the world 800 years in the future, click here (warning: spoilers).}



The world of Sipente, where our story takes place, is vast and complex, governed by the laws of nature and magic but, to its people, by those of the divine Pentad as covered in the holy Menanne. All Parrench and many Drudgunzeans believe firmly that it was through the will of the Gods that all things were brought into existence, by their leave that man flourishes, and by their wrath that he fails.

Distinct from most fantasy settings, this world is very much in its equivalent to the Dark Ages (though the later part of them). Tactics and technology are simpler than in later medieval times: castles humbler, siege warfare in its infancy, good steel more valuable, and mounted knights a relatively new innovation. Full plate armour does not yet exist. The trebuchet has not been invented. Still developing, too, are the social codes that will come to define the middle ages: chivalry is a mere idea that some people have, nobility is still as much a state of being and behaviour as it is a status that one inherits. Magic has become less schooled and more arcane, still widely used but with much of its written form and finer points having been lost. Kingdoms are generally small and evanescent in nature. Parrence is the first truly large one to form north of the Asquelle since the fall of the Avincian Empire. Its success or failure may very well determine what the continent's future will look like.

Many are the peoples, places, beasts, and legends of this world. In the guides below, only those that may play a role in our story will be covered. While it is not essential, if you'd like a more in-depth understanding, it is recommended that you engage with the portions of the posts below that are labeled 'A Deeper Understanding'. You can also look at the extensive lore of The Hourglass Order. Finally, you are strongly encouraged to join our Sipenta Discord. For your convenience, you'll also find a character sheet template below, as well as in the Characters tab.

Character Sheet

[color=6B8E23][h1][u][color=A52A2A]C[/color]haracter [color=A52A2A]N[/color]ame[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h1]
[img]Character Image[/img]
[sub][h3][u]A G E[/u] | [u]G E N D E R[/u] | [u]L O Y A L T Y[/u] | [u]G I F T[/u] | [u]C A L L I N G[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]

[sub][h3][u]C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's appearance, motivation, and personality.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]B A C K G R O U N D[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's life, experiences, and circumstances up to this point.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]I N V E N T O R Y[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of items regularly in your character's possession or owned by them.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]T H E G I F T[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
[i]A description of your character's abilities with The Gift, Five Wheels rating, favoured schools, and how they're used.[/i]

[sub][h3][u]S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
❖ [i]Three[/i]
❖ [i]to four[/i]
❖ [i]of these[/i]
❖ [i]go here[/i]

[sub][h3][u]W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
❖ [i]Three[/i]
❖ [i]to four[/i]
❖ [i]of these[/i]
❖ [i]go here[/i]

[sub][h3][u]C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R[/u]__ _ _ _ _[/h3][/sub]
[i]Your character's hex code and any other miscellaneous information. Feel free to use bullet points.[/i]
❖ [i][color=A52A2A]hex code[/color][/i][/color]

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[Force and Fury]

Religion_________ __ __ _ _

The Quentic Faith_________ __ __ _ _

The Menanne

Scripture of the Quentic Faith_________ __ __ _ _

Known by many names in many languages, but to the Parrench as the Menanne, this holy book proclaims the word of the Pentad as spoken through the saints and prophets. The early chapters share many of the same stories and conceits as the Orpash, holy book of The Path, but adapt these to be more favourable towards humans and less towards yasoi. Later chapters focus on the wisdom of the Gods and the acts of people. It is divided into three section, known as testaments:

Le Début (The First Testament)

This is the opening portion of the Menanne and includes the story of how the world was formed, how the first people came to be, and how the light of the Pentad was brought to them. It includes three 'testaments':
1) La Fondation describes how the five gods of the Pentad conceived of the world and empowered Oraphe to bring it into being.
2) La Naissance imparts the story of the first yasoi and the harmony of the beginning times. It details their exile from the Field of Plenty for their greed and ends with the bet between Oraphe-Sept and Aun-Echeran that these foolish people would not know the Pentad.
3) La Renaissance tells the story of how humans came to be and how the light of the Pentad was made known to the world. Dami judged the yasoi wanting, so their civilization was destroyed and they were cast into the mountainous wilderness by Echeran. Yet, some were judged better than others and Chune then provided Oraphe with guidance in how to remake them into the first humans.
4) L'Obscurité is the story of the time before humans discovered the light of the Pentad. Unlike with the yasoi, who grew greedy and complacent, the gods decided not to simply give humans that knowledge but, instead allow them to discover it.
5) La Lumière details how the true knowledge of the Pentad was brought to the yasoi under King Namyel. He and his followers were struggling in their homeland and Chune told him how he might prosper if he were to go to the human lands and minister to them. Thus, humans were enlightened to the existence of the Pentad.

Les Actes (The Testament of Acts)

The second testament of the Menanne covers the acts of prophets, saints, and other great actors in the history of the faith and of Quentic peoples. It is subdivided into two sections: Before the Clash and After the Clash, referring to the conflict between Macianus III of Avince and Fradje Ironshaper of the Eskandr.

La Sagesse (The Testament of Knowledge)

The third and final testament of the Menanne covers the wisdom of the Gods and how one might best follow them and their ways in the respective pursuits and facets of life that they govern.

In the name of the Lover, the Learner, the Creator, the Destroyer, and the Judge: Amen.

The Pentad

The Pentad of the Quentic Faith____ __ _

Ipté. Chune. Oraphe. Echeran. Dami.

Lover, Learner, Creator, Destroyer, Judge: All magics and all of creation pay homage to the divine Pentad who brought them into being. Thy existence is beyond human understanding, thy ways both arcane and divine, and thy gifts the foundations of life itself. May thy will be done now and forever.

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🌹 Ipté: The Lover 🎻

Ipté is known as The Lover and occupies the first position in the sign of the Pentad. One places their right hand beneath their left shoulder when making the sign. Like their four fellow Gods, Ipté possesses a female aspect - Aun-Ipté, the Queen of Beauty - and a male aspect - Ipté-Sept, the Lord of Love. The two aspects' legendary artifacts are the Rose and the Lyre, respectively, and the deity is associated with the element of Air, Arcane Magic, and the year's first season of Hundri, in the depths of winter. The works and deeds of Ipté make up the books of Ephaire and Kinship, which are the fourth and fifth books of the Menanne. This god's blessing, oft delivered by Hundrian monks and nuns, is "Ipté enchant you."

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📖 Chune: The Learner 🕯️

Chune is known as The Learner and occupies the second position in the sign of the Pentad. One places their left hand beneath their right shoulder when making the sign. Like their four fellow Gods, Chune possesses a female aspect - Aun-Chune, the Keeper of Knowledge - and a male aspect - Chune-Sept, the Seeker of Knowledge. The two aspects' legendary artifacts are the Record Book and the Lantern, respectively, and the deity is associated with the element of Lightning, Thunder Magic, and the year's second season of Stresia, when the spring bloom begins. The works and deeds of Chune make up the books of Bergamon and Wisdom, which are the sixth and seventh books of the Menanne. This god's blessing, oft delivered by Stresian monks and nuns, is "Chune enlighten you."

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🌳 Oraphe: The Creator 🥭

Oraphe is known as The Creator and occupies the third position in the sign of the Pentad. One places their left hand upon their right hip when making the sign. Like their four fellow Gods, Oraphe possesses a female aspect - Aun-Oraphe, the Giver of Life - and a male aspect - Oraphe-Sept, the Preserver of Life. The two aspects' legendary artifacts are the Tree of Life and the Ambrosia, respectively, and the deity is associated with the element of Water, Blood Magic, and the year's third season of Dorrad, in the hottest months. The works and deeds of Oraphe make up the books of Lazaire and Flourishing, which are the eighth and ninth books of the Menanne. This god's blessing, oft delivered by Dordian monks and nuns, is "Oraphe keep you."

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💀 Echeran: The Destroyer 🗡️

Echeran is known as The Destroyer and occupies the fourth position in the sign of the Pentad. One places their right hand upon their left hip when making the sign. Like their four fellow Gods, Echeran possesses a female aspect - Aun-Echeran, the Hand of Death - and a male aspect - Echeran-Sept, the Bringer of War. The two aspects' legendary artifacts are the Skull and the Sword, respectively, and the deity is associated with the element of Fire, Essence Magic, and the year's fourth season of Rezain, when the harvest takes place. The works and deeds of Echeran make up the books of Gelgamed and Wrath, which are the tenth and eleventh books of the Menanne. This god's blessing, oft delivered by Rezaindian monks and nuns, is "Echeran spare you" or, in some cases, "Echeran empower you."

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⚖️ Dami: The Judge 🔨

Dami is known as The Judge and occupies the fifth and final position in the sign of the Pentad. One retracts their hands from the hips and presses their palms together in a sign of reverence below their chest. Like their four fellow Gods, Dami possesses a female aspect - Aun-Dami, the Giver of Choice - and a male aspect - Dami-Sept, the Arbiter of Justice. The two aspects' legendary artifacts are the Scale and the Hammer, respectively, and the deity is associated with the element of Earth, Force Magic, and the year's fifth and final season of Somnes, when the harvest is over and cold rains coat the land. The works and deeds of Dami make up the books of Arbroast and Judgement, which are the twelfth and thirteenth books of the Menanne. This god's blessing, oft delivered by Somnian monks and nuns, is "Dami guide you."

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Religious Orders

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Five Gods, Five Orders

The Quentic Faith organizes its religious orders into one for each deity in the Pentad. They take variations on the names of their associated seasons. Monks and nuns of a given order are responsible to all five divine members of the Pentad, but especially to the particular deity that they serve. Each order also contains suborders, with their own original vestments, purposes, and structure of governance. Every monastery of monks or convent of nuns is headed by an abbot or abbess, respectively. These are almost always members of the nobility, while other members may be of any social class.

The Hundrian Order

Deity Served: Ipte
Associated Season: Hundri
Blessing: “Ipte enchant you”
Suborders:

• Gold Order Hundrians: Counselors and advisors who facilitate family relationships
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks
• Green Order Hundrians: Gardeners and animal husbandry who cultivate beauty in nature
  - 40% nuns, 60% monks
• Vermilion Order Hundrians: Courtesans and escorts dedicated to the arts of sexual love
  - 70% nuns, 30% monks
• Orange Order Hundrians – Counselors and therapists committed to facilitating marriages
  - 60% nuns, 40% monks
• Turquoise Order Hundrians – Performers, muses, and models who showcase human beauty
  - 40% nuns, 60% monks

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The Stresian Order

Deity Served: Shune
Associated Season: Stresia
Blessing: “Shune enlighten you”
Suborders:

• Stresian Scribes: responsible for the transcription of books and recordkeeping
  - 60% nuns, 40% monks
• Stresian Sages: live in remote areas engaged in the study of time, space, and magic
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks
• Stresian Philosophers: scientists, thinkers, and inventors engaged in the natural sciences
  - 30% nuns, 70% monks
• Stresian Scholars: teachers, instructors, and researchers
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks
• Stresian Thaumaturges: scholars and practitioners of magic, particularly holy magic
  - 60% nuns, 40% monks

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The Dordian Order

Deity Served: Oraff
Associated Season: Dorrad
Blessing: “Oraff keep you”
Suborders:

• Sisters of the Sunrise: dedicated to assisting with childbirth and infant care
  - 100% nuns
• Sisters of the Sunset: doctors, healers, and carers for the elderly
  - 100% nuns
• Brothers of the Sunset: doctors, healers, and carers for the elderly
  - 100% monks
• Brothers of the Unconquered Sun: protectors, paladins, and magical healers
  - 100% monks
• Sisters of the Unconquered Sun: magical healers, menders, and protectors
  - 100% nuns
• Children of the Nourishing Sun: dedicated to the preservation and protection of nature
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks

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The Rezaindian Order

Deity Served: Eshiran
Associated Season: Rezain
Blessing: “Eshiran empower/spare you”
Suborders:

• White Rezaindians: care for the dying, easing their passage to the afterlife
  - 80% nuns, 20% monks
• Grey Rezaindians: burial of the dead, mourning, and commemration
  - 70% nuns, 30% monks
• Black Rezaindians: assassins in service of the Death God
  - 20% nuns, 80% monks
• Brown Rezaindians: maintenance of graveyards and monuments
  - 40% nuns, 60% monks
• Red Rezaindians: warrior monks who spread and protect the faith
  - 10% nuns, 90% monks
• Blue Rezaindians: disposal and destruction of unwanted things
  - 40% nuns, 60% monks

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The Somnian Order

Deity Served: Dami
Associated Season: Somnes
Blessing: “Dami guide you”
Suborders:

• High Somnians: judges, lawyers, and justices of the peace
  - 30% nuns, 70% monks
• Old Somnians: advocates - keepers and enforcers of tradition and morality
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks
• New Somnians: advocates - challengers of traditional morality, guarantors of free choice
  - 50% nuns, 50% monks
• Grand Somnians: advisors to royalty and high nobility, lawmakers
  - 30% nuns, 70% monks
• Light Somnians: protectors of due process, fairness, and legal transparency
  - 60% nuns, 40% monks
• Dark Somnians: dispensers of vigilante justice, clandestine challengers of injustice
  - 20% nuns, 80% monks

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Other Faiths_________ __ __ _ _

Eskandr Religion

The Five Wardens_________ __ __ _ _

Father. Mother. Sister. Brother. Visitor.

The Gods of the Eskandr are not all-powerful. These people are not so arrogant as to claim such though, in recent years, as their culture has rubbed up increasingly against that of the Greenlanders, their gods seem to have gotten stronger, perhaps in competition with those of the Pentad. While the two pantheons would seem to share the essential similarity of being based around five deities, it is not this simple. Rather, the Eskandr view four of their five main deities as a family, with each of the five members acting as warden over a particular realm. There are many lesser deities to help them, along with demigods, wilderness spirits, and ancestral guardians. Below is a rough guide to the Eskandr belief system.

Realms & The Femrigr_________ __ __ _ _

Arbeid. Hjem. Glede. Krig. Død.

To the Eskandr, there are five essential realms of being, each representing a particular set of spaces and activities within the world (and without). These are Abeid (Work), Hjem (Home), Glede (Pleasure), Krig (War), and Død (Death). As you move from one place and pursuit to another, you move between the protection of the Five Warden Gods. The realms which they guard and the duties of people are recited by Eskandr children in a rhyme known as the Femrigr. Many carry its words with them through adulthood and will repeat it as a sort of comforting ritual.

Father guards the realm of work, for he is strong and sure.
He knows his job and does it well, just as I know mine.
Mother guards the hearth and home, and there we pray to her.
She will feed me and protect me up until I cross that line.
Sister walks to market and hurries about town,
Yet she makes time for merriment and just as well should I.
Brother fights the Greenlanders and strikes his rival down.
I will follow him with bravery, from now until I die.
To act with grace and purpose, I shall always do my best,
Until the Visitor arrives and takes me off to rest.

Father_________ __ __ _ _

Father is provider and protector. He is generous but stern. His realm is that of duty, work, and labour. He is warden of leaders, fathers, men, labourers, craftsmen, brewers (disputed with Sister), miners, sailors, farmers, rain, the harvest, and judgement. There are lesser deities to help him with each of these. In terms of physical space, Father's protection extends to all public and work spaces, farms and work animals, and to the sky. He is known for his temper when wronged, however, and is also the secondary deity of War after Brother. In particular, he watches over sailors, foragers, and engineers.

Father is happily married to Mother, though he grows a bit lecherous as he ages. Despite his wandering eye, he never actually strays. This is a subject often addressed playfully in Eskandr literature, song, and performance. Father has also grown rather stout, courtesy of Mother's excellent cooking, but remains incredibly strong. He will often carry mother to bed. His is also the job of ridding the property of pests, as Mother is usually too busy, Brother is away, and Sister is afraid of them. Though brewing is under the wardenship of Sister, Father is so fond of mead around feast days that it is said that he has unofficially stolen it from her. Thus it is considered a customary offering to him.

Mother_________ __ __ _ _

Mother feeds, warms, and clothes her children. She is kind and loving, but expects much. Her realm is that of the hearth and home. She is warden of food and drink, filial and parental love, water, childbirth, memory, and learning. Beloved of Mother are cooks, mothers, women, teachers, homebuilders, storytellers, priests, scribes, sailors, and children. There are also lesser deities to help her with each of these. In terms of physical space, Mother's protection extends to all homes, harbours, and churches and to the sea. She often looks after sailors and brings them home safely.

Mother is happily married to Father though, as she ages and he fattens, her eye starts to wander- a fault that she often chastises him for. Still, she has never actually strayed. Mother often frets about the order of creation, from great to small things, and her obsessive, anxious attention to detail is often addressed playfully but respectfully in Eskandr song, literature, and performance. It is said that she has a magical goat, Heldig, who she lets taste all of her creations before giving them to Father, Brother, or - especially Sister, since the latter is a very picky eater. Mother herself appreciates currant pie very much, but it is the one thing that she cannot cook well, so Sister or Brother often bring it to her. This is seen as an appropriate offering.

Sister_________ __ __ _ _

Sister is a merry soul who brings light, love, and laughter to the world, but she can be fearsome when angered. Her realm is that of pleasure, community, and romantic love. She is warden of lovers, girls, merchants, brewers (disputed with Father), bargaining, beauty, sexual intercourse, gambling and gamblers, games, and mischief. There are also lesser deities to help her with each of these. In terms of physical space, Sister's protection extends to all public spaces within the community that aren't work spaces and all gatherings and parties. Along with brother, she guards the land. Sister is also not to be trifled with, however, and is the tertiary deity of War after Brother and Father. In particular, she is the guardian of scouts and rangers.

In terms of her temperament, Sister is very much like Father. She is a shameless flirt but still guards her dignity to a respectable degree. She is well known for her mischief and tricks and has a strong lust for gold, money, and valuable or beautiful things. Due to an incident in her childhood, she is said to be deathly afraid of mice, and this, along with her notoriously picky diet, is often played for laughs in Eskandr song, literature, and performance. Sister is very fond of her drink, though she prefers expensive greenlander wines to mead. As such, the struggle to be warden of brewers between herself and father is one that she is secretly willing to lose to keep him happy. It is often joked that there is no good offering for Sister because she won't eat very much but, in practice, wine is used.

Brother_________ __ __ _ _

Brother is a bold and adventurous sort who brings discovery, magic, and victory in warfare. He is warden of nature, boys, travelers, magicians, explorers, raiders, soldiers, roads, plunder, discovery, horses, and shepherds. There are also many lesser deities to help him with each of these. Brother's is the big wide world beyond one's town or village and, because he has such a large realm to be responsible for compared to the others, his protection is often tenuous despite his youthful vigour. He is said to enlist sister when he can, and this is why communities tend to spread outwards when they flourish. Some Eskandr consider Brother to be the most important of the Gods. Brother is young and strong and he is a powerful warrior. This makes him the primary deity of Warfare in Eskandr culture, ahead of Father and Sister. He is also seen to help Father and Mother with the harvest if he makes it home on time from his travels.

Brother is not a grim personality, however. He is said to be 'home' in his temples and churches less than the other warden gods because of his insatiable wanderlust. This has lead many yasoi people to also respect him as a guardian spirit even though he is not officially part of their belief system. Brother is quite handsome but, unlike Sister, is not quite as selective in love. He is said to be eager to bed just about any woman and some men. This makes a common appearance as a theme in Eskandr song, literature, and performance, as does his cast iron stomach. It is said that, in contrast to Sister, he will eat just about anything. Once he ages, they believe he will be quite a bit rounder than even father. He does have his favourites, though. Brother prefers a hearty side of mutton upon returning home from travel or war, and this is an appropriate offering for him.

Visitor_________ __ __ _ _

Visitor is a quiet, gentle, and wise sort, who only makes an appearance once in a while. Their realm includes sleep, peace, time, and death, which they bring to the world. Visitor is warden of night, sleep, the elderly, ill, and injured, magic (along with Brother), and the passing of time. There are also lesser deities to help them with those. In terms of physical space, the Visitor's domain comprises the human body itself and he is responsible for its protection during the night. As such, one is supposed to leave a fresh candle as an offering for Visitor. He guards the three levels of the underworld: Rødhal, Guldhal, and Grønhal, consulting with Mother and Father on where a soul should be placed. Those who die honourably on the field of battle following Brother are guaranteed not to end up in Rødhal and, more likely than not, in Grønhal.

There are three levels of afterlife in Eskandr religious belief. Rødhal is the first and it is where those who have not been virtuous in life end up. It is hot and fiery place where souls are forced to subsist on meagre food and water, mining the great black mountains for the coal needed to heat the world. It is said that Eskand is so cold because the Eskandr are virtuous and send few people to Rødhal, while the greenlanders send many there, ensuring that their lands are well heated. The second level, where most people end up, is Guldhal. If one has lived a decent, average life or died too young to be proven good or bad (children are exempt from judgement), then his or her soul will reside in this level of the afterlife. It is very much like the living realm, but there is no war, disease, or deprivation. There is also little excitement. It is simply a peaceful afterlife beneath the golden sky of the eternally setting sun. The final realm, where the worthy reside, is known as Grønhal, and is a place of excitement, adventure, and feasting. There are great beasts to hunt, challenging and invigorating games to play, endless lands to explore, and fine wines, meads, and spirits to drink, along with endless savoury foods. On feast days, everyone will gather at the Visitor's table and those most honoured, will sit closest to them.

Yasoi Religion

The Chosen Creed_________ __ __ _ _

Ytpi. Shiin. Oirase. Exiran. Damy._________ __ __ _ _

The yasoi belief system, known to them simply as 'The Path' and, to outsiders, as "The Chosen Creed' is an ancient one, long predating even the founding of the Avincian Republic. Superficially similar to Quentism, it formed the basis of this now-continent spanning religion. There are, however, important differences.

To begin with, there is much less emphasis on the Gods' aspects. These are also not taken to be separate natures but rather merely different roles that they play. Ypti is female in form and is the Bringer of Love. Shiin, the Bringer of Wisdom, is male. Oirase is the Bringer of Life and is female, while Exiran, the Bringer of Death, is male. Damy, however, is the Bringer of Fate as opposed to choice and is male as well.

It is believed that the Gods are not themselves eternal beings. Instead, they simply represent eternal needs and a collection of eternal power that searches out and finds for itself a host body. Every thousand years, the current manifestations of the Gods expire and five Bringers are reborn and live among mortals until their twenty-fifth year. There will often be prophecies left by the previous iterations of the five as to where these children will be found and what their natures shall be. The passing of time and mythologizing of words often leads to inaccuracies, however, or so it is maintained.

Further, yasoi also recognize a sixth, 'uncrowned' God: Vyshta. Originally, she was the Bringer of Fortune, but she incurred the wrath of Exiran, who resented how she seemed to prevent his work, and Dammy, who, for two mortal lives, had coveted her and was refused... despite his attempts to render them fated to be together. Hence, her two newest selves have failed to live to age twenty-five and she has been lost for one thousand nine-hundred ninety-eight years. It is said that, as a consequence, the yasoi people are to wander the land, ever seeking after fortune and coveting that which they cannot have.

[Force and Fury]

Peoples_________ __ __ _ _

Recent History

Recent History:_________ __ __ _ _

Four hundred years ago, by the reckoning of learned men, lived the most powerful magic user of all time: the legendary Fradje Ironshaper. We can gather from Avincian texts and modern deduction, that he was a prodigious mooncaster, with abilities exceeding anyone alive in this day. Through force of will and arms, he unified the Eskandr tribes and sacked the eternal city of Avince, capital of the Empire, bringing his people great wealth, respect, and plunder. It is said that he lay with ten thousand women and some men as well and that fully one of every twenty Eskandr can claim ancestry from him, including much of the nobility. Of course, the moment he was finally called to the Visitor's table - for not even he could resist that call - there was no other figure who could hope to hold his empire together.

The Avincians rebounded, thanks to the efforts of Macian III, and their empire lasted, against all odds, for another 250 years until its final collapse at the hands of its own maltreated vassals. The Eskandr people retreated south of the Asquelle and Meine Rivers and bided their time. They remained fierce and feared and Eskand itself, along with the two lesser Eskandr kingdoms of Drudgunze and Holmenbahn bullied the North. The Northerners were a disaster: their kingdoms, duchies, and counties small, weak, and feuding, and they could not fight back. Soon, they did not even fight each other. They settled down and produced: works of literature and theology, fine jewellery and garments, delicious and exotic foods and spices that the Eskandr could not hope to derive from their cold and wild lands.

The Northerners paid their tribute, and they sent delegations with it each time: larger and more richly appointed delegations. These people had names attached to them that weren't their own names, like Somnians, Stresians, Dordians, and Hundrians. They met with Eskandr kings and spoke with them. They showered the kings with gifts. The kings forgot the Gods. They traded Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, and Visitor for Ipte, Chune, Oraphe, Echeran, and Dami. They decreed that their people should do the same. The Drudgunzeans bowed to the will of their kings - not all of them, and not all at once, but they did. In Holmenbahn, the people rose, but so did the king's defenders. East and west were torn asunder: two kingdoms forever more. But in Eskand itself, the proud Jarls and Aerchons put the king's head on a pike for his blasphemy and marched North. The worshipers of the false Gods recanted or burned. It had been many years since a great Eskandr horde marched north, and many things had changed, but there was nothing else that could be done that would satisfy the Gods or, truly, the people.

It is this very army - a great heathen army under Hrothgar the Black - that now stands at the precipice of Parrence, its violence spilling across the borders, its bloodlust far from sated after in turns pacifying and plowing through its Drudgunzean former kinsmen. Its leaders claim that a different sort of war has been waged against them and they are here to ensure that it never happens again. Against such an uncompromising threat, Arcel of Parrence, shield of Quentendom, has no choice but to fight.

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Eskandr

Eskandr_________ __ __ _ _

Overview: Eskandr hail from the cold and unforgiving lands to the south. Gradually, through exploration, conquest, and settlement, they have worked their way up the continent and make periodic raids deep into Quentic lands. A rugged and hardy people, Eskandr tend to be tall and fair, possessed of a warlike nature and vitality. Proud, temperamental, and unquenchably vain, they bathe and groom with startling regularity. These people keep five gods of their own - Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, and Visitor - and most refuse to hear of any others.

In their homelands, they ply the meager soil with root vegetables and maintain vast herds of sheep and goats. They survive on these and supplement their diets with rabbit, grouse, and cheeses. They gather herbs in the short summers, hunt the roving herds of mammoth that call the southern steppes their home, and take fish from the endless bounty of the sea. Eskandr prefer to live communally in fortified longhouses, guarding against raid, weather, and beast. Indeed, their lands are home to some of the most ferocious creatures known to study, including the great black dragons of the volcanic mountain ranges.

In battle, Eskandr are fearless and underhanded, seeking all and any advantage they can muster over their foes. The men and the women alike fight, though the former are more commonly in the press of shield walls whilst the latter often feature as skirmishers, spies, and scouts. None are to be underestimated. They are audacious in the extreme and well versed in The Gift, with many possessing at least a rudimentary knowledge of all five branches of magic. These, they will employ to augment their bodies and strikes, fell enemies from afar, and enhance their vitality. An Eskandr warrior will fight to the very last breath so that he or she may gain a place close to the head of the Visitor's table in Grønhal (the Green Hall).

In general, their society is much enamoured with the notion of legacy. A man will be judged by the Father and Visitor on his achievements in battle and the fairness of his dealings with others. There is no greater honour than to perish bravely in combat and such warriors will earn for themselves an exalted place at the great table of Grønhal. A woman will find herself subject to the Mother's and the Visitor's judgment by much the same metrics but, to a limited extent, also those of her sons and daughters. For her, it is imperative to survive battle so that she may be there to raise them and impart her guidance. Thus, there is a web of responsibility, enforced by religious belief, that binds people together and encourages behaviours that will benefit society.

Major Cities and Regions: Farthang, Stormhavn, Gronmark, Astland, Hegelo, Altberg, Vigholm, Meldheim, Morthang, Sommersvik, Karsthold.

Common Heraldic Symbols: Bear, Wolf, Mammoth, Dragon, Owl, Elk, Ram, Serpent, Trident, Hammer, Oak Tree, Volcano.

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Drudgunzeans

Drudguzeans_________ __ __ _ _

Overview: Drudgunzeans are people of the midland plains and forests. Originally a subset of the Eskandr, they displaced the Angrii - original inhabitants of the lands they now call home - over two centuries ago. In the much more forgiving climate, they have adapted and flourished, growing new crops and developing new tastes that their forbears could never have imagined. Intermediaries between their Eskandr brethren and the myriad peoples of Parrence and the Ensollian coasts, they are in the process of forging a bold new identity.

Over the past century, most Drudgunzeans have made the decision to forsake their ancient heathen ways and accept into their lives the light of the Quentic Faith. A proud warrior people, they have become increasingly known their shrewd and calculating nature of late. Old ties of loyalty - once sacred in Drudgunze - have been tested by their eagerness to benefit from both their northern and southern neighbours.

This canny eye for self-advancement has ever more greatly become a hallmark of their emerging culture. Drudgunzeans are nothing if not keen, diligent, and efficient. Yet, when their blood can be coaxed to run hot, their fury is truly a sight to behold and their armies something to cow even the mightiest of nations. Some say that they combine the ferocity of their Eskandr ancestors with the discipline of their ancient Avincian foes.

Constant innovators and master metalworkers, they create for more than mere function: the war masks of nobility and particularly renowned Sturmknecht (Stormcniht) are works of art that speak to the glories earned by their bearers. They are also diligent in the use of magic, employing it in a myriad of workmanlike ways and also taking great pains to preserve its teachings through the writings of a new and invigorated clergy of wizard-priests. Though generally less concerned with beautification than their Parrench neighbours, Drudgunzean monks produce gorgeous illuminated manuscripts and the people at large are enthusiastic consumers of northern music, culture, and tapestry.

Major Cities and Regions: Albesas, Meckelen, Salterberg, Fenske, Einderhal, Endburgh, Harrowende, Enthal, Luderich, Kerreny, Kressland, Lindermetz.

Common Heraldic Symbols: Dragon, (Black) Eagle, Wolf, Stag, Lion, Crocodile, Sickle, Stars, Lightning Bolt, Castle.

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Parrench

Parrench_________ __ __ _ _

Overview: There has never been a people, in the known history of Constantia, so blessed and so cursed at once as the Parrench. For millennia, their rich green lands have been the envy of all others, and the fortunes of this nation have ebbed and flowed accordingly. Most of all, however, the Parrench have grown. They are numerous beyond all others, playful and puckish, clever and creative, hard working and relentlessly determined. These people squeeze everything that they can out of often short and brutal lives. They laugh and cry both in great measure. They honour their dead but then move on. They build great monuments but are not slaves to their pasts. The one thing that does not seem to resist them is the soil. Greatly blessed by Oraphe is the land, and they can grow most anything on it in abundance.

Indeed, the cuisine of Parrence is varied and their trade flourishing. Increasingly, under the banner of young King Arcel and his father Rouis, these people have started to emerge from the darkness and chaos following the collapse of the empire. Their art and music fuse those of their tribal ancestors, their former Avincian overlords, and many exotic cultures from around the Ensollian Sea into something new and exciting. Much of this is made for secular purposes, but the Parrench people, too, are devout and keep the gods. Their architects quarry the stones of the Eschamps Plateau to build great cathedrals that soar into the subtropical sun in stunning new styles or Retesque and Balthazarene.

Yet, war is a shadow that constantly stalks this green land. As duchies, kingdoms, and counties flourish, their lords grow grasping and ambitious. They train their sons, daughters, and loyal retainers in the magics of Old Avince, otherwise lost, and send them to fight. The magics of the Pentad are terrifying when used against mortal flesh. Those without the Gift find themselves fodder for those with, and a social order begins to emerge in greater certainty.

The Parrench are not natural warriors, but like all endeavours that they set their minds and the great mass of their numbers towards, they have molded themselves into fine fighters: fiery yet disciplined, iron-willed and steel-armoured. From hundreds of smithies across the realm have emerged the arms and armour necessary to equip a Grand Armee capable of taking on the Eskandr and, if necessary, the Drudgunzeans. This collective will is something new for the proudly individualistic and independent Parrench. They have a natural stubbornness and irascible temperament that drives them always to fight for what they value, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. Now, with their various feuding realms having been forged uneasily into one, they are ready to make their stand: for their futures, for their pride, for Parrence!

Major Cities and Regions: Solenne, Nazaire, Loris, Gaen, Relouse, Chirence, Eux-en-Vitroux, Lac Ste. Guillaume, Ste. Marie Parmi les Tourarres, Cap Redame, Viennes, Miroux, Remarne, Barthasonne.

Common Heraldic Symbols: Wolf, Falcon, Lion, Leopard, Snapping Turtle, Hare, Hound, Sun, Moon, Crown, Mace, Unicorn.

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Yasoi

Yasoi_________ __ __ _ _

Overview: Unique among the peoples of Constantia, yasoi (Homo Sapiens Angustus) are not actually human (Homo Sapiens Ingenium). An entirely separate sentient species, they are somewhat closely related to their more common cousins but noticeably visually distinct. Compared to humans, yasoi are considerably (about 30 cm or one foot) taller on average and rather lanky or gangling in appearance. They have high, prominent cheekbones and broader, more prominent nasal bridges. Their large eyes are most commonly found in shades ranging from blue through green, yellow, and orange. These are well-adapted to the dimness of their deep forest lands and reflect the light at night in a manner similar to those of many animals.

Also distinguishing them from humans are their ears: larger, more sensitive to picking out individual, distant sounds, and pointed at the tips. Their olfactory system is well-developed as well and, in general they tend to be far more sensory-based than their cousins. As a general rule, yasoi skin is notable for being pale, with some individuals sporting an almost greyish undertone. Their fingernails tend to be thick, sharp, and fast-growing compared to those of humans. In general, it is possible for a person to mistake one species for the other from a distance or in rapid passing, but most can readily tell them apart.

Cognitively, culturally, and socially, yasoi are also quite a people apart. Their heavily sensory-oriented nature all-but guarantees that they are experience seekers. Compelled to near boundless curiosity, they are famous (and sometimes infamous) for their travels and their need to collect things of rarity and value only to quickly swap these in distant lands for others. Indeed, it is held by some that these dynamic people have contributed more to human exchange of knowledge and culture than humans themselves. To participate in a yasoi Mette'stiroi (swap festival) is to be part of a visual, musical, olfactory and tactile carnival of delights. Over the span of one week, fortunes are won and lost, alcohol flows liberally, stories and music fill the air, and babies are made by the dozens. There are feasts of everything that the yasoi can gather: tasty or tasteless all, and this is also the only place where traditional 'Tetsoi' (facial and body tattoos) can be earned. Yet, for all of their curiosity and copious use of the Gift in service of their epic wanderlust, the yasoi are often stunningly socially inept by human standards. Judging by these metrics, they are rude and unfiltered, flighty, inconsistent, and either obnoxiously talkative or else withdrawn and antisocial once engrossed in a pursuit.

Indeed, this extreme dichotomy of focus is both one of their foremost strengths and most crippling weaknesses. When engaged with a pursuit or dedicated to learning a skill or some knowledge, yasoi are utterly, obsessively relentless. Time and other needs will fade to the background and they will achieve or master that that thing. Combined with their long lifespans (120 years on average compared to 80 for humans), they often possess skills and knowledge that their cousins simply can't match. On the obverse, yasoi are also eternally restless and often reckless. Unless zeroed in on a particular obsession, it is rare to find a yasoi sedentary or relaxed. Even then, they are often fidgeting, humming, daydreaming, or swapping madly between tasks. Their society is hierarchical, like that of humans, though these hierarchies are generally based on respect for deeds done, magical ability, skills mastered, and others sponsored as opposed to land owned and raw production of goods. A king or queen is generally elderly and finished with traveling. She or he presides over an area and guides it until death. At that point, another family member or close friend who is entering old age will take over. The same process is true for nobility, who are known exclusively as Barons. This is all to say that yasoi society runs on its own sort of organized chaos and functions quite well. However, when this is interrupted by outside action, the results are often catastrophic.

Interruptions have become increasingly common following the collapse of the Avincian Empire. Though they acknowledge ownership over objects and the importance of private spaces, the yasoi struggle with notions of owning land. It seems, to them, a queer concept: you, this fleeting little ape-creature, claiming a piece of eternal land exclusively for yourself, regardless of how much you actually use it, and then threatening some form of violence against others who dare walk over it. Most of their people live in the western region of Constantia with its towering highland cloud forests, but many also live where they please, often semi-nomadic and changing locations within a general area every handful of years. This has caused friction with the more rigid human societies that tend to occupy those lands, and yasoi are occasionally viewed as a nuisance who refuse to pay taxes, steal fruit and game from private forests, and shirk their duties as people under the protection of a particular lord. Some take this even further and characterize them as a threat due to their unusual nature and powerful way with The Gift.

Indeed, this is something that they weave holistically into their lives, not distinguishing between schools of magic, not beholden to certain numbers or types. There are rumours, however, that they manipulate time and space itself, in the fashion of idiot savants, and that is why they live so long. Humans would do anything to get their hands on such magics and that sort of interference is something that even the generally easygoing yasoi take very, very seriously.

Major Cities and Regions: Hyntsax, Marposhy, Anentso, Coiyram, Mycormi, Sasaij, Jyndiin, Oiyasc, Hydarbo, Biindach, Iilynash, Nettestiij, Hybaxi, Yrand, Misicoira, Chytariin, Shentabi, Halyeth, Tettabi, Sytelip.

Common Heraldic Symbols: Monkey, Sparrow, Eagle, Cloud Bear, Leopard, Rose, Poppy, Serpent, Strangler Fig, Chain, Grand Sequoia, Hooked Blade, Spear, Sun.

Naming Customs: In yasoi cultures, a cognomen is inserted between given and family names and these are separated by apostrophes. Traditionally, this has been something earned due to a trait or exploit, but it can also be inherited. (Given name) (Cognomen) (Family name): Talit'yrash'osmax. Occasionally, two cognomens are given: Ismet'ych'lahin'dichora.

Eskandr Yasoi

In the Eskandr regions, however, some of the following elements stand out as noteworthy and differentiate these yasoi from their northern cousins.

1) Not all Eskandr yasoi are tar'ithan (red thorns). This is a specific movement within the group that seeks to prevent the human encroachment and 'humanization' of yasoi. They operate in some of the Eskandr lands because these are less populated. They also view the Eskandr as more 'culturally honest', not disguising their intentions as much as the Parrench and other North Constantian cultures. The theft and bastardization of The Path to form the Quentic faith is also a major sore point of which the Eskandr are not guilty. Still, it remains an uneasy alliance.

2) In the northern coastal areas of Eskand, there are large sequoia forests, and the yasoi live in these as they do in their homelands and parts of Parrence. However, in the the south, they are notably less arboreal, usually building stilted houses, building in the hills, or building single houses in single trees in clusters. In general, yasoi are uncomfortable sleeping a ground level. They feel exposed. However, they move about their world in a much less arboreal manner.

3) Eskandr Yasoi tend to focus less on exploration for its own sake and more on what items of value and of use that they can bring back. They are item and knowledge seekers as opposed to being experientially focused, not that this is totally absent.

4) They are voracious hunters and trappers of animals and men. Humans who are unknown to the Eskandr yasoi who set foot within their inhabited areas are almost always caught, robbed, and either ransomed or forced to work in thralldom for the year.

5) Their relationship with the Eskandr varies. In some places, they integrate freely, living among humans and vice versa. In others, they strictly delineate their claims in an ironically almost human fashion, and the two species do not mix. Most realities fall somewhere in between, however. They are known to each other. They meet and exchange when it is mutually beneficial.

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[Force and Fury]

Places_________ __ __ _ _

Map

The World_________ __ __ _ _

Right click, open in new tab, and magnify for high-res view

The World: A Deeper Understanding__ _ _ _

The world of Sipente is home to a myriad of different cultures based on region, religion, social class, and other identity factors. For the purposes of our RPG, we'll be focusing mainly on those of Parrence, Drudgunze, and Eskand, which occupy the central and southern regions of the continent of Constantia.

As a general rule, the lingua franca (common tongue) that most people would speak, similar to how many of us use English as a common medium and how Europeans used Latin in the past, is Avincian: the old language of the Avincian Empire. Most noble, clergy, and wealthier merchant characters would be expected to have a strong command of this language in addition to their native tongue and perhaps one other major language. For the commonfolk, its use has faded and local dialects of Parrench, Eskandr, and Drudgunzean generally prevail.

The Yasoi

A People Apart_________ __ __ _ _

The yasoi are an intelligent, magic-using species closely related to humans (think elves or dwarves within fantasy or neanderthals for a real-life example). Historically less numerous than humans, they possess a different (and stronger) sort of connection with magic, weaving it holistically into the very fabric of their society in a multitude of subtle ways. For thousands of years, they have inhabited the towering highland forests of Constantia though their heartland is within the eastern arm of the continent, where they've established a number of small and evanescent states that nonetheless seem to be able to pull together against outside threats. The yasoi's embrace of their closest biological cousins is a wary one, driven mostly by a particular sapient curiosity.

Within their societies, yasoi tend to be distinctly less communal than humans. From an early age, they are largely independent and are expected to seek out knowledge and purpose. They are near-boundlessly curious, often setting off on long travels in search of adventure, new experiences, and - most importantly - riches. Yasoi are hoarders, with a need to collect rare and valuable things, which they either treasure, seek to sell or trade for even greater prizes, or adorn themselves with. For most yasoi, the mere knowledge that they possess something of rarity or value can put them in a good state of mind. A Mette'stiroi (yasoi swap meet) is an event not to be missed. Fortunes are won and lost, alcohol flows liberally, stories and music fill the air, and babies tend to be made. Following these meets, individuals will generally withdraw into their own pursuits once more, as few things hold a yasoi's attention for long. It is rare not to see them in motion, humming, tapping their feet, or fiddling with something. In rare cases, they might be found in a state of intense focus. They can lose days on a single great task, with little care for other needs. It is in this way - in addition to their natural proclivity - that they become such masters of The Gift. Indeed, most view humans as unskilled practitioners and dangerous dabblers.

Their lifespans also seem to help in terms of magical knowledge. Despite their overall similarity to humans, yasoi tend to live considerably longer, with an average natural lifespan of some hundred-twenty years. It has been theorized that this longevity is due to their subtle, constant use of Temporal Magic. Of course, in practice, many fall victim to their restless natures, meeting with accidents or illness long before they would naturally expire. While they are surprisingly hardy, yasoi are generally long-limbed and lightly built. Their lanky frames tend to make them excellent climbers and they can leap considerably further than humans. While they are not particularly strong, nor are they fast sprinters, they are possessed of excellent endurance and agility. Their eyes - often green, gold, or blue - tend to be narrow and are noticeably larger than those of humans, set above high, prominent cheekbones. Yasoi tend to be pale of skin, with an almost greyish undertone. Their hair is thick and similar to that of humans, though sparse along the sides of their heads and extending along the backs of their necks often past their shoulder blades. Their fingernails and toenails are thick, fast-growing, and sharper than those of humans, and their ears tend to be slightly larger and perhaps a tiny bit pointed.

Overall, yasoi have been a familiar presence in the world of Sipente for as long as their human cousins can remember. For all of their differences and the mutual wariness that has characterized many of their interactions, the two species are remarkably similar and have often worked in concert. Following the collapse of the Avincian Empire, however, yasoi have become increasingly assertive over what they view as 'their' territories, particularly in the northwestern highlands. There have even been instances of them driving humans out. This behaviour seems rare, thankfully, and not much in keeping with their overall values. Indeed, many happily reside in countries such as Parrence or Eskand, though for how long, one can never say. Their wanderlust is insatiable and drives them ever onward.

Telling the Time

Hours, Minutes, and Seconds_________ __ __ _ _

All lands formerly belonging to the Avincian Empire and many of those adjacent, have adopted the Avincian method of telling the time. This is prevalent throughout much of Constantia and Severa and has even been adopted by the Eskandr. In this conception of time, there are 25 hours in a day divided into five periods. In practice, however, it is difficult to delineate these so precisely.

Methods of keeping time on Sipente vary by region, but water clocks, candle clocks, and hourglasses are most common across the twin continents of Constantia and Severa.

HI - The five Hours of Ipte (HI) occupy the latest and most remote part of the night, when most people are in the embrace of sleep and the few who aren't are usually... up to things.
Example: 2:15 HI

HS - The five hours of Shune (HS) occupy the period from first light into later morning, when most people awaken, start to think, and become productive.
Example: 3:30 HS

HO - The five hours of Oraff (HO) occupy the period from late morning through the early afternoon, when life is at its busiest, most flourishing, and most productive.
Example: 5:48 HO

HE - The five hours of Eshiran (HE) occupy the period from later afternoon until dusk, when the daylight dies and people's main activities conclude along with it.
Example: 1:07 HE

HD - The five Hours of Dami (HD) occupy the period from just after sunset until the later hours of the night, when people go to sleep, reflecting on thier day and what comes tomorrow.
Example: 2:36 HD

There are fifty seconds to a minute, as measured by a minuteglass, and each of these is about 1.4 Earth seconds. Hours are fifty minutes long and, as mentioned above, each period of the day has five. These begin at 1:00 and go up to 5:49. Then, it'll be 1:00 in the next section.

Days, Months, Seasons, and Years

The Rule of Five_________ __ __ _ _

With regards to days, weeks, months, and seasons, the rule of five generally prevails, with most being multiples of this sacred number. Below, you will find a guide to each of these units of time.

Days and Weeks_________ __ __ _ _

There are five days of the week, and so seventy-three weeks in a year. In different languages, they are known as:
Avincian: Taldes, Pandes, Orredes, Lepdes, Victendes
Parrench: Teldi, Pennedi, Hordi, Lipdi, Bianche
Drudgunzean: Telltag, Fritag, Hegnstag, Lentag, Vintag
Loh Eskandish: Dallday, Freckday, Higgensday, Stillday, Shonday (this is the northern dialect)
Ath Eskandish: Delday, Frickday, Hegensday, Stalday, Thonday (this is the southern dialect)
Revidian: Taldi, Pandi, Orredi, Lepdi, Viddendi (Revidian is spoken to the northwest of Parrence)
Belzaggic: Tolduch, Parduch, Gorduch, Lebduch, Zarduch (Belzaggic is spoken in Eastern Severa)
Inipori: Hāttah, Sarbah, Uhibah, Khabah, Iirbah (Inipori is spoken in Western Severa)

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Seasons, Months, and Festivals______ __ __ _ _

A year on Sipenta is 365 days long and is divided into five seasons and ten months (two for each season). These months are thirty-six or thirty-seven days long. In different languages, their names are:
Avincian: Tiptos, Tellos, Vardes, Assani, Velles, Mittria, Ardanes, Jores, Carles, and Zales
Parrench: Tippe, Tellose, Verdi, Assende, Velle, Metrie, Arres, Jorre, Cheaux, and Seaux
Drudggnzean: Tippe, Telse, Varte, Aste, Valke, Mitte, Harte, Jurre, Kalle, Zaxe
Loh Eskandish: Tiktas, Telkas, Vardith, Asted, Velka, Mittrech, Hedreth, Jarred, Kell, and Zeax
Ath Eskandish: Tiptas, Telas, Varrdi, Astad, Velath, Mittrich, Hadreth, Jorred, Kol, and Zeax
Revidian: Tippio, Tello, Varri, Assani, Vellia, Mirrari, Errara, Giorte, Calla, and Zallo
Belzaggic: Belgo, Tellaz, Vorrag, Azan, Vela, Mota, Homuch, Yogu, Chell, and Zagg
Inipori: Hasirang, Arfatt, Zehelli, Jahass, Ohimuk, Akbin, Tahara, Elirang, Angkari, Zaha

Hundri

Associated God: Ipte (the lover)
Months: Tippe and Tellose
Connection to God: time spent with those you love, importance of love and warmth, many children conceived
Equivalent Months: January - first half of March (January 1 - March 14)
Holiday: takes place in the first week of the year and is a continuation of Somnes’ holiday. It begins with a mass catharsis and celebration on the first day, and tails off over the week, representing the course of love and beauty and how it both lasts and fades. Beautiful decorations and feasting. Ample leftovers to be eaten as the feast continues.

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Stresia

Associated God: Chune (the learner)
Months: Verdi and Assende
Connection to God: represents growth and new discovery
Equivalent Months: second half of March - May (March 15 - May 26)
Holiday: takes place in midseason. The day of skills (week of skills for some nobility) in which people hold competitions, concerts, talent shows, and dances. This is a time of pride in one’s accomplishments and skills, particularly in the case of children. This holiday plays very differently depending on class and culture.

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Dorrad

Associated God: Oraphe (the creator)
Months: Velle and Metrie
Connection to God: height of flourishing, when the world is most alive
Equivalent Months: end of May - early August (May 27 - August 7)
Holiday: There are two during this season: a Mother’s Day at the start, celebrating the giving of life, and a Father’s Day at the end, celebrating the protection and preservation of life.

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Rezain

Associated God: Echeran (the destroyer)
Months: Arres and Jorre
Connection to God: Harvest is the reaping. Summer ends and leaves fall
Equivalent Months: Second half of August - first half of October (August 8 - October 19)
Holiday: Two of them - day of the dead at the start of the season and a harvest festival at the end. Day of the dead varies depending on what sort of year it was and is informally tied to the preserver’s day immediately beforehand. There is a rising trend among the merchant class of holding masquerade balls.

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Somnes

Associated God: Dami (the judge)
Months: Cheaux and Seaux
Connection to God: review of the year, final season is the final say or impression; a sober, somber time
Equivalent Months: second half of October - December (October 20 - December 31)
Holiday: Comes on the last five days of the year. Each day is a year-in-review reflection of how well you served each of the gods, in order, ending with the judge. On that day, you solemnly set your resolutions for the coming year and choose an item to add to your memory box. Every fifth year of your life, you open the box and take an item out each of the five days, reflecting on that instead of the gods. In some cultures, resolutions are between you and Dami, in others, they are discussed and shared around the dinner table, in others, you receive them from people in your life whose roles correspond in some way to each of the gods’. In a few, you only share your resolutions with a single ‘guarantor’, whose job it is to help you stay true to your goals. Your guarantor is usually someone who is senior to you or a responsible peer.

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Years_________ __ __ _ _

Years on Sipente work in a rolling system where five years at a time are dedicated to a particular aspect (or both aspects or neither) and also a particular god of the Pentad before both change. There are four aspect types (aun, sept, aun-sept, and none) while there are five gods, so any exact combination only repeats after exactly one century. Essentially, there are three components to a year: the aspect name, the deity name, and a number. For example, the very first year after the deposition of the last Avincian Emperor (which marks the start of the current calendar) was Ahn-Ipte 1. The second was Ahn-Ipte 2, then 3, 4, and 5. After those five years passed, the next aspect was Zept and the next god was Shune, so it was Shune-Zept 1, then Shune-Zept 2, and so on. For a better illustration, please take a look here.

When a five-year cycle honours both aspects of a god, as happens once each century for each god, that god is considered to be in ascendance, as Chune was when Holmenbahn split in two, with the western half joining Drudgunze in the year ACS11. Thirteen years have passed so, for reference, the current year is Aun-Echeran 14 (or AE14, for short).

The Landscape

Five Continents_________ __ __ _ _

Sipente is an Earth-sized world with a similar climate, day length, and year length. However, there are a number of subtle but important differences: for starters, the land distribution is somewhat different, with the bulk of temperate land in the global south. A far greater percentage of the overall landmass also falls within the tropics and subtropics as compared to Earth. Though the climate is moderated for the many nations located along the Ensolienne Sea, the primacy of more tropical and Mediterranean-style cultures over temperate ones is evident.

A lower percentage of Sipente's surface area is also made up of land: twenty-four percent compared to twenty-nine percent for Earth. The effect is twofold: the vast majority of major countries border the ocean. In fact, within the triad of Constantia, Severa, and Tarlon, only a single nation - Inipor - is landlocked and, even then, it has an outlet to the sea through the great Arapora River system. This closeness to the sea has played a significant role in encouraging trade and exchange of ideas. From a climactic standpoint, it means that the moderating effect of the ocean is more easily felt. Except for the most inland portions of Severa, and the unexplored lands of Callanaste and Rettande, few regions experience significant and long-lived temperature extremes.

Callanaste

Of the five continents, Callanaste is by far the largest, though as yet undiscovered by those from Constantia and Severa, with every major biome represented. The central part of the continent, in particular, is home to towering mountain ranges and great steppes, while the eastern arm is home to vast forests and fertile plains. In the south stretches the Neverritsuk Peninsula: frigid, mountainous, and near barren, its furthest reaches constitute the most inhospitable place on the planet. The enormous Olaxec-Kuska-Washawi river system dominates the continent, joining peoples as disparate as the Chappauri at one end and the Sawand at the other. At the very heart of Callanaste and of this river system lies the Gods' Eye: a large crater lake nestled amongst the sparkling glaciers of the highest portion of the inland mountain ranges. From these headwaters spring the Olaxec, headed northwest, and the Kuska, headed southeast. Each river sustains a population of millions.

Severa

Next is Severa, marginally larger than its partner to the south: Constantia. For all intents and purposes, these two continents, along with their much smaller northern partner Tarlon, act as a single entity, sharing much in the way of trade, technology, culture, and religion. Aside from the swampy region of the Arapora Estuary, the western half of Severa is divided roughly equally into coastal highland rainforest, mountains, and the vast desert of inner Zaqhoria and Firraz, graduating to savannah in the south. Its eastern portion is mostly savannah and rainforest as well, with a Mediterranean climate along the southern coast.

Constantia

Constantia is similar in composition, but rife with bays, inlets, lakes, inland seas, and peninsulas. Its irregular coastline is ancient and home to hundreds of archipelagos. Except for the western highlands populated largely by yasoi and the golden fields of southern Parrence, most of its inhabited landmass is relatively close to a coastline. In the south lie the cold, mountainous lands of Eskand, peppered with fjords, glaciers, and taiga forest.

Rettande

Rettande is named after the great country that dominates more than ninety percent of its area. While this continent is known to exist by the learned strata of Constantian and Severan society, vanishingly little is known about it. In fact, roughly half of its landmass is above the tree line and covered only with inhospitable tundra and roving herds of muskox and mammoth, thick forests and increasingly rich farmland take over as one moves south. Bays, inlets, and islands support a thriving maritime trade and fishing industry and are home to unique flora and fauna encountered nowhere else in the world.

Tarlon

Tarlon is the smallest of the five continents and, in many ways, simply an extension of the northern part of Severa, though it is geologically and tectonically distinct. Rare are those who know very much of its nature, and it is a realm of much storytelling and conjecture. In reality, most of Tarlon is made of ancient, eroded mountains and rolling hills, similar to the Canadian Shield. Much of the interior is rocky, or else wetlands and forest. The center of this micro-continent is dominated by the Tantas Sea: an enormous lake famous for its megafauna and dark, cloudy water.

[Force and Fury]

Magic_________ __ __ _ _

The Gift

The Gift_________ __ __ _ _

Thunder. Arcane. Blood. Essence. Force.

Magic is a blessing of the Gods and so is called, respectfully, The Gift. Yet, it does not come from nowhere. Before any spells can be cast, no matter how trivial, all magical power must be drawn from sources of energy abundant in the world. The five great schools of magic - Thunder, Arcane, Blood, Essence, and Force, draw from the heat, light, metabolic, kinetic, potential, and electric energies of one's surroundings. Those skilled in The Gift may then convert one type of energy into another within themselves. You might draw heat from a raging fire, but that does not mean that you need to cast a fireball. If you can afford an extra few seconds, then you might decide on Arc Lightning from the Thunder school or a telekinetic shove. Spells from all five schools are made viable through the blessed act of conversion. However, there have long been rumours of other as-yet undiscovered magics that promise far greater power if used as well as far greater consequences...

Covered below are the five major schools of magic use. Their workings are explained using language that the majority of their practitioners do not even understand and would not be able to reference or explain. Following the collapse of the Avincian Empire, much of existing magical theory has been lost. The essential know-how, however, remains.

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Thunder Magic

Thunder Magic

• Drawing: Thunder magic draws its energy from the polarity of atoms and molecules, using their tendencies to attract and repel each other to build powerful charges.
• Offense: While Thunder users have a reputation for being a 'slow' school and defensive counterpunchers, they are more than capable of mounting independent (and often terrifying) offense of their own. They rely on creating charges and polarizations first and then capitalizing on those. Ever watched somebody disintegrate? Ever seen a massive lightning bolt strike someone down from the heavens?
• Defense: With Thunder users, the line between offense and defense is often blurred, as they tend to be masters of subtle and sneaky techniques that cause their opponents to destroy themselves or set them up to be countered mercilessly.
• Utility: Thunderers tend not to directly favour utility spells, most of their repertoires being multifunctional. However, their ability to set up their environments, manipulate electric currents, and move charged objects using magnetism can be helpful.

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Arcane Magic

Arcane Magic

• Drawing: Arcane magic uses the radiative energy of heat (thermal) and light as a power source. As a result, it has a virtually limitless (and potentially overwhelming) supply of power during the day and in warmer places and considerably less at night and in colder places.
• Casts from this school focus on using heat and light in a multitude of different ways. Partially as a result, Arcane is easily the most balanced school in terms of offensive, defensive, and utility spells, boasting impressive flexibility that enables adherents to take either subtle or aggressive approaches. This, combined with the sheer abundance and ready availability of heat and light energy makes Arcane the preferred school for mages than any other.
• Offense: In terms of offense, arcane magic users can focus the powers of heat and light to burn, melt, and blind. Intensely focused beams of light and heat can cut and burn holes in solid objects, while fire can spread rapidly and offensive draws can cause targets to freeze to death.
• Defense: Defensively, arcane magic can warp and bend the visible light spectrum to allow a user to disappear from sight and can manipulate temperatures and the surrounding environment to negate incoming attacks.
• Utility: In terms of utility, arcanists can create powerful illusions, as well as provide light and heat. Especially intense heat can cauterize wounds.

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Blood Magic

Blood Magic

• Drawing: With Blood magic, drawing involves not the repurposing of energy but the repurposing of matter by destroying it and using its potential energy. In the case of healers, known colloquially as 'Binders', this can be used to remove foreign objects from the body, treat patients, or dissolve incoming threats. However, the 'blood price' of turning matter into energy is inherently inefficient. Unless the matter in question contains a great deal of potential energy, one will often need to draw an excessive amount of it.
• Difficulty: A Blood magic user must be highly skilled in the art of drawing, so as to make the most of sources. These are highly abundant, but many are poor reservoirs and, furthermore, careless drawing can damage allies or even oneself. Binders, in particular, need to exercise the utmost caution while removing unwanted matter from a human or yasoi body.
• Offense: With Blood Magic, the mere act of drawing is a powerful attack, destroying matter from castle walls to weapons to flesh and blood. However, this is a 'slow' magic, taking more time to draw from than others and requiring great focus. Blood magic users can also repurpose matter, dissolving it in one form and place an reforming it in another. This often takes the form of simpler shapes and uniform materials. Still, a stabbing blade doesn't usually need to be that complex.
• Defense: The ability to covert matter into usable energy, and vise versa, makes Blood a massively powerful school of magic on the defensive side of the ledger. Blood practitioners can destroy enemy projectiles, heal wounds from trivial to fatal, invigorate allies, and materialize barriers (and simple weapons) for protection.
• Utility: The ability to create passages for allies and obstacles for enemies is of considerable use. One may also materialize simple, useful devices, like ramps, levers, cushions, and pulleys. Exceptionally skilled Blood magic users may even 'seal' simple spells by creating items that, when drawn from, release the necessary amount and type of energy for the spell.

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Essence Magic

Essence Magic

• Drawing: Essence magic uses the power of chemical reactions as a source. It can use smaller reactions to trigger larger reactions, amplifying the power of the initial spell exponentially and creating a power loop to draw more from. Be careful, though! These can quickly spiral out of control.
• Offense: Practitioners of Essence magic are known for their terrifying array of offensive skills, and these come in two primary varieties: External and Internal. The former focuses on manipulating and often chemically altering the environment to generate powerful reactions in the form of combustion, explosions, and corrosives, which can be further perpetuated for cataclysmic results. The latter focuses on manipulating the biochemical properties of a living target’s body to injure, incapacitate, dominate, or destroy it.
• Defense: While they are offensive powerhouses, Essence users are markedly weaker on defense, relying predominantly on their ability to keep opponents on the back foot and, at higher skill levels, to deceive and dominate them mentally.
• Utility: In terms of utility, Essence users possess a plethora of skills beneficial to both themselves and allies, from minor casts augmenting moods and abilities, to transmutation, to powerful healing and even quasi-resurrection spells.

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Force Magic

Force Magic

• Drawing: Force Magic uses the power of kinetic energy as a source, meaning that the simple act of anything with mass in motion can power it. It also interacts with less obvious forms of motion and energy, such as sound waves and gravity.
• Offense: There are three distinct approaches to Force offense. The first seeks to manipulate motion and sound within the environment to use it against the target. The second focuses on offensive drawing and manipulating the target itself. The third approach uses the kinetic energy of the environment to turn the caster’s body into a powerful weapon.
• Defense: Defensively, Force magic’s telekinesis can allow its caster to throw objects into the path of attacks to act as shield instead of using them as offense. Additionally, the manipulation of sound is a subtle but powerful tool.
• Utility: In terms of utility, the telekinetic abilities of the Force school are front and center, though their multifunctional nature makes them potent offensive and defensive tools as well. Force spells can also augment their caster’s movements and help him to levitate, making him a very elusive target.

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The Gift: A Deeper Understanding___ __ _ _

Use of The Gift is a rare phenomenon, reserved only for those most blessed by the gods. It is estimated that perhaps two in a hundred people have the ability to use magic for more than mere parlour tricks, though this has not been measured for a certainty. As befits a great boon bestowed upon man by the divine Pentad, The Gift is arcane and inscrutable in nature: far beyond mortal understanding. What little is known to learned men is recorded below for the benefit of the interested.

Measuring Your Power

The Five Celestial Wheels_________ __ __ _ _

The precise reason why some people can use magic has not yet been revealed by the Gods or by man's ingenuity. Learned monks and nuns of the Stresian Order, however, have surmised that it has something to do with one's blood. They have deemed this sanguine quality 'mana'.

Developed during Avincian times, the Five Wheel Method provides a straightforward measure of a person's amount of mana. Five massive wheels are set spinning and maintained at a set speed by a powerful user (or multiple users) of The Gift in order to generate a specific amount of Force energy. Each of these wheels contains precisely double the energy of the wheel previous. Upon a signal, the candidate being tested will draw from each wheel in turn, taking a moment's rest between wheels to expel all drawn energy. The number of wheels that he can successfully draw from will act as a measure of that person's capacity for drawing energy. If he is able to draw partially from a wheel but not entirely, he will be assess for a quarter, half, or three-quarter measure. While the Five Wheel Method can put a number on how much energy a person is able to safely draw from his surroundings, what it cannot do is give him an absolute measurement of something as abstract as 'power'. Other factors such as drawing range and efficiency, conversion efficiency, spell focusing techniques, environmental and multiplicative effects, and a caster's mastery of a spell all have roles to play. Having a high Five wheel number certainly doesn't hurt, though. While other factors can change, it is the only one that is more or less immutable. Let's take a bit more of a look, shall we?

The Five Wheel scale is not a linear one. It's exponential. That means that each whole number on it represents double the power of the one before. Let's say that a hypothetical person is able to complete drawing from one wheel. We'll assign him a score of one. If he is able to draw successfully from two, then he has double the power and a score of two. Nice and tidy, right? But remember that two will now double, so when he draws from the third wheel, he does not have three times the power of a First Wheel magic user, but rather four times. This diverges further as we move up the scale.

First Wheel = 1: Minor magics - 80% of magic users
Second Wheel = 2: Moderate magics - 13% of magic users
Third Wheel = 4: Fairly Strong magics - 6% of magic users
Fourth Wheel = 8: Great magics - 1% of magic users
Fifth Wheel = 16: World-warping magics - neg.% of magic users

The Process of Spellcasting

The Process of Spellcasting:_________ __ __ _ _

Draw > Contain > Convert > Cast

The power of a magic user is based upon a number of factors, but the four steps above are the essentials of any spell, though conversion is optional for some. We've already touched on capacity and schools of magic, so let's take a closer look at exactly how using The Gift works and how one can use it more effectively.

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Spell Power Determinants

• Capacity – all magic users have a capacity for energy that their body can process at a given moment. Effectively, the higher the capacity (as measured by the Five Wheels), the more energy that can be drawn in, contained, and expelled. While other skills can be learned, this one is innate. While it increases as you mature, once you are grown, your capacity is whatever the Gods have declared it to be.
• Reading – Energy exists in a number of forms in nature and artificially: force (motion and sound), thunder (magnetic), arcane (heat and light), essence, and blood (matter-based). The better that a magic user is at reading energy sources, the more ready a supply of energy for spells he will have.
• Drawing – the energy that a magic user relies upon originates in her surroundings. She must be able to sense it, grasp it, and draw it to herself in order to utilize it for casting spells. Drawing is the first active step in transferring the energy from its origin to its eventual target, using the person who draws as a temporary vessel.
• Containment - For a period either brief or long, the magic user must contain the drawn energy within herself, and containing large amounts for long periods can be dangerous. It often manifests itself as a sort of pressure that one feels inside, and a mounting headache. Energy contained for too long also tends to 'leak out' into one's surroundings and gradually dissipate.
• Conversion – Energy for use in spells can be drawn from a multitude of different sources addressed earlier. Normally, a spell simply intensifies and redirects that energy towards a preferred target. However, with training, a wizard or other magic user can store the drawn energy temporarily and expel it as a different type.
• Efficiency – energy must be pulled from surroundings, contained, (potentially converted), and then expelled (cast). Energy is not easy to control, and may escape the grasp of the magic user during any of these stages. Maximizing the amount of energy retained through each results in more powerful spells. Basically, the process is as follows: Draw Efficiency >> Containment Efficiency >> Conversion Efficiency >> Expulsion (Cast) Efficiency.
• Focus Words - This is the spoken part of any spell. It is not strictly necessary, but many magic users will use this for more complex or energy-intense spells. While having a routine of prescribed words that correspond to what one is doing can help with maintaining focus and ensuring efficiency, if these words invoke the Gods, it is also believed that they may lend the caster their assistance.
• Preservation – Drawing, containing, and casting large amounts of energy is often dangerous to the human body, so a magic user must spend a certain amount of focus and energy on protecting himself. This is usually accomplished through projection of spells away from the body, or the casting of small counterspells.
• Freecasting – Preservation when casting is often achieved through use of an object or weapon that acts as a focus point for the spell away from the body. In fact, most magic users do not know how to cast any other way. However, with the right protection in place, it is possible to cast without the use of an instrument or focus point, giving the magic user far greater flexibility.
• Multiplying – The energy released by a spell can cause secondary and tertiary effects in the environment, which skilled magicians such as witches, warlocks, and wizards should learn to anticipate and benefit from. Possessing a keen awareness of the potential for these effects and tailoring one’s spells to take advantage of them can multiply the energy output of a cast exponentially.
• Impact Focusing – When bursts of energy are diffused over too large of an area, their impact is diluted. A skilled magic user can increase their intensity by forcing all of the energy into a small focus point and maintaining that focus all of the way through spell completion.
• Impact Bursting – Drawing energy can take a considerable amount of time. While expelling energy is a faster, simpler process, there still tends to be a power curve. This effectively weakens the spell, as the total amount of energy is not used all at once. A disciplined and well-trained practitioner of magic can release all of her energy in a very short burst to ensure that it reaches its objective with maximum impact.

Overdrawing

Effects of Overdrawing_________ __ __ _ _

As a magic user draws energy, the mana in her bloodstream fills with it, inflating in a sense, and her blood pressure increases. For reasons unknown, the more mana that there is, the less that it will be taxed when she draws energy and the less risk she runs of adverse effects. Somebody who scores higher in the Five Wheels test will inherently be able to draw more energy safely than someone who scores lower. A magic user will be considered to have reached her capacity once her mana has expanded to the point where it cannot expand any further without hurting her. This looks the following way: firstly, she will become slower at drawing and expelling energy, resulting in slower spell usage. Her mana seems to lose efficiency, resulting in temporary dips in capacity until it regenerates. In the short term, however, mana that is stressed enough and filled with enough energy will simply cause veins and arteries to burst. If this is in an essential area - like the brain - then the magic user may suffer serious injury or even die. However, there are warning signs before the worst effects take place, and these should be heeded by all mages. We'll illustrate these with a case study below:

• Anna Sigmundottir is an Arcane Mage with a 5W score of 3½.
• In order to have enough energy for most of her everyday spells she will probably have to draw up to between 1½-2½. She won't need to make use of her full capacity on a regular basis.
• However, Anna likes really big explosions. She wants to cast a large fireball and draws up to about 3¼: close to her full capacity.
• When she does this, Anna will probably start to feel a weird sort of pressure as her mana inflates to very near its full capacity and her blood pressure increases as a result.
• Anna decides that she wants even more power, because you can never have too much destruction.
• She draws right up to her capacity of 3½. Her mana is at full inflation. The pressure on her arteries and veins is significant.
• Anna will likely start to develop a headache. Things will feel a bit faint and fuzzy and she might be lightheaded.
• Wisely, Anna releases the energy and casts a massive fireball, eyes sparkling with dark glee, reveling in the carnage which she hath wrought.
• However, Anna loves destruction so much that, a short while later, she starts drawing for another huge fireball and, this time, she ignores her body's warning signs and continues drawing energy past her capacity.
• As she passes it, her smallest blood vessels start to burst. At first, there is no outward sign of this.
• However, once a few within close proximity rupture, the effects start to become visible.
• The result is that Anna starts bruising in random places. She develops hematomas. Her headache and dizziness intensify as she draws close to 3⅗ and she begins to hear a ringing in her ears.
• As she passes 3⅗, Anna has burned up a significant amount of mana, which she will take a while to recover.
• At 3¾, she is in mortal danger, all for the payoff of a spicy fireball. What a maroon! She gets a nosebleed. Her eyes become bloodshot.
• All it will take at this point is a burst blood vessel in the wrong place - such as in a major artery or in her brain, and Anna could suffer a debilitating injury or even die.
• If she's lucky, she'll faint first, but that's not a guarantee. Magic users have overdrawn themselves to death.
• In the event, Anna gets lucky and faints. The energy starts leaking out of her, but not quickly enough.
• Fortunately, a wizard is there to siphon some of the excess energy from her before further damage is done.
• Anna has pushed her capabilities to their very limit, but all that she has gained from it is a splitting headache, nosebleed, and multiple bruises. She has not expanded her capacity and has, in fact, temporarily reduced it. Your 5W is your 5W and everybody knows that you can't just increase it by 'training hard'.

Manipulable Mediums

Mediums_________ __ __ _ _

Solids

Often very heavy due to their high density, but capable of maintaining a fully cohesive shape, solids usually require a very large amount of built up energy to be expended to move. However, since they maintain their own shape, they require no extra concentration or energy in order to hold them together.
- E.g. rocks, trees, clothes, living things
- Sometimes, an unchanging shape can be a problem, as solids cannot be manipulated as finely.

Liquids

Often somewhat heavy due to their density, but capable of maintaining only a partially cohesive shape, liquids usually require a fairly large amount of built up energy to move. Since they cannot maintain a fully cohesive shape, they also require some concentration and a lesser amount of energy in order to hold them together.
- E.g. water, blood, chemicals, drinks
- Sometimes, it is easy for a mage to lose control of a large volume of liquid

Gases

Often quite light due to their low density, but incapable of maintaining any sort of cohesive shape, gases usually require a fairly small amount of built up energy to move. However, since they cannot maintain any kind of cohesive shape, they also require considerable concentration and energy in order to hold them together.
- E.g. air, smoke, water vapour, helium
- While easy to manipulate, it is hard to do much by manipulating air alone and directly.

Plasmas

Often virtually weightless due to their extremely low density, but actively resisting any sort of cohesive shape, plasmas usually require virtually no built up energy to move. However, since they are charged and resist a cohesive shape, they also require exceptional concentration and energy in order to hold them together.
- E.g. fire, lightning, electric sparks, stars
- Impossible to control completely, and requires constant sources of energy to maintain it.

The Limits and Utility of Offensive Drawing

Mana Protection_________ __ __ _ _

No, You Can't Just Draw Your Opponent to Death

As they become more acquainted with the Gift, most mages will learn, either by accident or with intent, that they can draw from other living things. However, they may find it noticeably more difficult to draw from people and, in particular, to draw from other advanced magic users. It is an established fact that, since the human body both generates and contains multiple types of energy, mages can draw from other mages. However, in practice, this can prove extremely difficult. The reason why is that mana naturally wants to hold onto energy at all costs and seems to view the energy contained in its host as 'its' energy.

What this means is that drawing from other people with an appreciable capacity is a tug of war: your mana (from a distance) vs their mana. If you have a higher capacity, you can pull with a magical strength and 'leverage' that you opponent simply can't, and you'll gradually gain ground, especially if you're the more skilled drawer. This is massively inefficient, however, and exacerbated by the fact that drawing isn't instant and the time that it takes increases with distance. You can probably tear away a bit of energy, but anyone with even the barest understanding of magic will notice quickly before you have the chance to do much of substance, and they'll counter you if they're able. The only times when you can smoothly draw from another magic user are if you're orders of magnitude stronger or if that other person has overdrawn and their mana is depleted.

Mana Blood Types

Mana Types_________ __ __ _ _

The factors that cause The Gift to manifest within individuals are arcane and divine. While the reasons are known only to the Gods, humans, in their diligence and free will, have studied mana assiduously and noticed a number of patterns. It appears that there are actual a number of different types of mana. These are noted and described below.

• Fireblood: 20/1000 magic users – Firebloods are masters of offensive magic, particularly from the arcane, essence, and blood schools. Their resistance to thunder spells covers Essence’s traditional weakness. They are resistant to hot temperatures and being burned, not having to worry about wasting energy on preservation, but their power levels are often modest, very rarely exceeding 3¼.
• Icevein: 10/1000 magic users – Iceveins are masters of defensive magic, particularly against arcane, force, and essence draws. They can draw heat out of targets and slow movement with exceptional ease. They are resistant to cold temperatures and to being frozen, however, their base power levels are often modest, very rarely exceeding 3¼.
• Bloodchild: often in children revived using blood magic, 24/1000 magic users – Bloodchildren are almost always albino, and are excellent at drawing from matter and at matter reconstitution. They possess a natural proclivity for Blood Magic, but some secretly dabble in Blood Magic. They have an alarming tendency to self-damage and to damage allies when not careful with their drawing.
• Skyborn: 36/1000 magic users – Skyborn are generally light on their feet, can self-levitate easily, take a long time to physically tire, and are excellent at evasion. However, they struggle greatly with spells that involve weight and recoil.
• Truecaster: 10/1000 magic users – Truecasters are hobbled by their inability to convert. They can only cast from the same school that they draw from, rendering them inflexible and predictable. However, they compensate by way of prodigious raw power, with capacities almost always over 4¼.
• Thunderchild: 42/1000 magic users – Thunderchildren are highly susceptible to magnetic charges and pick them up easily. This makes them extremely powerful with Thunder Magic. However, they must always be careful to maintain a balanced charge for fear of significant self-injury.
• Leadvein: 32/1000 – Leadveins are generally solid and balanced. They can safely draw and contain half again the amount of kinetic energy that their capacity would usually allow. They can impart this into physical blows and tend to be highly self-damage resistant. However, they tend to tire easily and can struggle to control their own force.
• Greengrowth: 8/1000 - When drawing, Greengrowths are naturally and purposely inefficient, imbuing their surroundings with enriched energy and stimulating rapid growth of plants and animals as well as encouraging the growth of manas and babies to be born with a higher 5W capacity.
• Devourer: 6/1000 - Devourers are notable for having generally high capacities (over 3¾ wheels) but being slow at drawing. Their manas are highly aggressive toward foreign or invasive substances, relentlessly attacking them. This is a double-edged sword, as it sometimes leads to severe and unwarranted allergic reactions. At its best, however, it renders Devourers virtually immune to all forms of poison and most forms of illness and disease.
• Mooncaster: 5/10000 (almost always from Eskand) – Mooncasters are extremely rare, and often possess heightened senses and reflexes. Their base power levels are often quite low, rarely exceeding Second-and-a-Half Wheel. However, they grow exponentially more powerful depending on the position and brightness of the five moons. Given the right position, a mediocre Second wheel magic user can multiply his power, becoming a monstrous fifth-plus wheel with a capacity ten times that of before. For reasons unknown, it is possible for a mooncaster to also possess a second mana type.

Mana Diseases

It is only natural that, with the mysterious exception of Mooncasters, a magic user has only one type of mana. However, there exist mana diseases known for inflicting horrible adverse effects on the body. These generally carry boons, as well, that fail to outweigh the symptoms in a final acounting. Thus, in theory, if one has a mana virus, he or she could appear to manifest two types of mana, even though one is, of course, simply the disease. Usually, mana viruses are innate and one is born with them. However, there are many who claim to have fallen ill with one of these, and all magic users are encouraged to be prudent and cautious around those infected.

• Greyborn: 4/10000 - Greyborn are a mystery to the study of The Gift because they seem to break its established laws. These strange, doomed individuals possess the otherwise unheard-of ability to not have to draw magic from any visible source. It simply seems to come out of nowhere for them and they never have to worry about supply. However, the dark side of this is that they are often only semi-corporeal. Once they reach adolescence, Greyborn begin to phase in and out of the mortal plane, becoming ghostlike and near-invisible. To some degree, they can control this and use it to their advantage. It is near-impossible to strike a Greyborn who doesn't wish to be struck. However, while phased out, they also seem to lose the ability to cast spells of any real power. The worst part of all is that, as time goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to remain corporeal. Eventually, all Greyborn fade away, and very few live to see forty.
• Tethered: 20/10000 (more common in females) - A disease known as the Tethering occasionally effects magic users, almost always making itself apparent in the later years of childhood. While this terrifying illness of the Mana comes with benefits such as a truly prodigious drawing and casting range and unusually fine control, it is ultimately a mark of the Gods' disfavour. The Tethering begins in the toes and works its way up the body, gradually robbing its victims of sensation and movement over the span of about two decades. It is a slow, cruel, and undignified death, and many choose Echeran's Mercy rather than wait for it to take them.
• Powergazer: 15/10000 (more common in males) - As much a blessing as a curse, this mana disease infects the eyes directly, rendering those with it blind in the traditional sense. Instead, their eyes change, becoming dark and porous. Unlike most mages, who gain a dull sense of agglomerations of energy, Powergazers can 'see' by sensing all of the energies around them with great clarity: size, shape, and type. They can also draw and expel energy at an extremely rapid rate using their eyes as apertures.

Magic in the Natural Sciences

Coming Soon

Magic in Arts and Culture

Coming Soon

[Force and Fury]

Callings_________ __ __ _ _

Callings

Your Role_________ __ __ _ _

Bard. Berserker. Dervish. Horseman. Infiltrator. Knight. Malédict. Priest. Ranger. Witch. Wizard.

Many are the forms in which people have taken to using The Gift, applying it in their existing fields of work and interest, augmenting existing skills and, in some cases, creating entirely new ways of shaping the world and their places within it. Below are covered the ten major callings that will comprise the heroes of this story. Some may specialize in only a single calling while others may hear two.

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🪕 Bard_________ __ __ _ _

Bards are particularly blessed of Aun-Ipte. They can be found in Drudgunze, Eskand, Parrence, and Yasoi.

Though the auditoriums of the empire are permanently closed as a stage, musicians still abound throughout the continent of Constantia. Many are simple musical performers who sing and play an instrument. However, there are some who can use the Gift to empower their music: whether force or essence, their songs have a palpable power or far-reaching emotional impact. They can inspire, empower, cow, or deafen allies and adversaries alike.

Durability: ★☆☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★☆☆☆
Agility: ★★☆☆☆
Endurance: ★★★★☆
Physical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★★☆
Range: ★★★☆☆
Support and Healing: ★★★★☆
Mounted Ability: ★★☆☆☆

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⚔️ Berserker_________ __ __ _ _

Berserkers are particularly blessed of Echeran-Sept. They can be found in Eskand.

A rare calling, and found only among the Eskandr, the path of the Berserker is one of controlled madness. These hulking, feral warriors enter a trancelike state, empowering their minds with visions and thoughts of ferocious beasts such as wolves, dragons, and bears and their bodies with essence, force, and arcane magics. Charging into battle, they attack with unmatched ferocity and great speed, greatly resistant to damage and nearly impervious to pain.

Durability: ★★★★☆
Stealth: ★☆☆☆☆
Agility: ★★★★☆
Endurance: ★★☆☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★★★★
Magical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Range: ★★☆☆☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★☆☆☆☆

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🌪️ Dervish_________ __ __ _ _

Dervishes are particularly beloved of the Uncrowned God, Vyshtal. They can only be found among Yasoi.

Dervishes coil light chains or cables around their arms, legs, and bodies as armour, unleashing them with Force magic. As these rapidly uncoil, they are used to grapple trees, buildings, and other tall obstacles, allowing for three dimensional movement. In combat, Dervishes use all four of their limbs equally, with metal claws, punch daggers, and poison dart launchers mounted on each. In open field combat, they employ near-perpetual circular and arcing motions to create a kill zone around themselves in which their blade-tipped chains or cables scythe through approaching enemies and projectiles. Using Essence magic to stave off dizziness and sharpen their senses, Dervishes build up their Force energy, occasionally unleashing this in snakelike strikes and stabs.

Durability: ★★★☆☆
Stealth: ★★☆☆☆
Agility: ★★★★★
Endurance: ★★★☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★★★★
Magical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Range: ★★★☆☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★☆☆☆☆

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🐎 Horseman_________ __ __ _ _

Horsemen are particularly blessed of Aun-Dami. They can be found in Eskand and Parrence.

Most everyone who is anyone can ride a horse in this day and age. However, the significant steppes in the Eskandr midlands and those of northeast Parrence have led to horsemanship becoming a way of life for those who live there. More than even the oft-mounted knights of Perrence and Drudgunze, these people have mastered the art of maneuvering and managing horses (and sometimes other mounts) on the battlefield and effectively wielding a variety of weapons in lightning strikes.

Durability: ★★★☆☆
Stealth: ☆☆☆☆☆
Agility: ★★★★☆
Endurance: ★★★★☆
Physical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Magical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Range: ★★★☆☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★★★★★

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🥷🏻 Infiltrator_________ __ __ _ _

Infiltrators are particularly blessed of Aun-Echeran. They can be found in Drudgunze, Eskand, Parrence, and Yasoi.

In an age of swords, armour, and honor culture, there are nonetheless those who eschew societal expectation and take another approach to martial effectiveness. While some come from the respectable echelons of their respective cultures, many started out as thieves and hired blades. As a general rule, infiltrators are masters of stealth and quick, decisive movement and attack, employing arcane, force, and even essence magics to act as spies and assassins.

Durability: ★★☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★★★★
Agility: ★★★★☆
Endurance: ★★★☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Range: ★★★☆☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★☆☆☆☆

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🛡️ Knight_________ __ __ _ _

Knights are particularly blessed of Oraphe-Sept. They can be found in Drudgunze and Parrence.

Recent advances in metalworking technology and the introduction of the stirrup to Constantia by Virangish peoples during the fall of the Avincians have resulted in the invention of an exciting new type of fighter: the knight. Heavily armed and armoured melee warriors skilled in mounted combat, many knights employ Essence and Kinetic magic to augment their massive physical strikes and enhance the performance and endurance of their mounts. Thunder Knights also use their metallic armour to create massive charges and strike down their foes with powerful Thunder magic.

Durability: ★★★★★
Stealth: ★☆☆☆☆
Agility: ★★☆☆☆
Endurance: ★★★☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★★★☆
Magical Attack: ★★☆☆☆
Range: ★★☆☆☆
Support and Healing: ★★☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★★★★☆

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🐍 Malédict_________ __ __ _ _

Malédicts are particularly blessed of Ipte-Sept. They can be found in Drudgunze and Yasoi.

Known as a 'Giftschlag' in the local language, some maintain that these strange sorcerers of the swamplands are merely a story to frighten children. Some are held to be remnants of the original Angrii population who were displaced, exterminated, and assimilated into the Drudgunzean culture three centuries prior. Whatever their origin, they are shrouded in mystery. Their magics are primitive, requiring direct touch or proximity, but immensely powerful. Using Blood, Thunder, and Essence magics, Malédicts can disintegrate possessions, plants, and people alike, form things out of thin air, and place powerful curses on their victims. Some say that they are cannibals. Others say that theirs is the magic of the yasoi.

Durability: ★★★☆☆
Stealth: ★★★★☆
Agility: ★★★☆☆
Endurance: ★★☆☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★☆☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★★☆
Range: ★★☆☆☆
Support and Healing: ★★★☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★★☆☆☆

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🙏 Priest_________ __ __ _ _

Bishops, Priests, Monks, and Nuns are particularly blessed of Aun-Oraphe. They can be found in Drudgunze and Parrence.

While all of creation shares in the blessings of the Pentad, not all people offer the Gods their rightful praise. It falls to the religious orders of the Quentic faith - Hundrian, Stresian, Dordian, Rezaindian, and Somnian - to make up the shortfall. Often found in fervent prayer or enggaged in good works, they are motivated by their faith and empowered by the Gift. Holy men and women call upon powerful magics of all five schools to heal the world, protect the innocent, and strike down evildoers.

Durability: ★★☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★★☆☆
Agility: ★★☆☆☆
Endurance: ★★★★☆
Physical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Range: ★★★☆☆
Support and Healing: ★★★★★
Mounted Ability: ★★☆☆☆

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🏹 Ranger_________ __ __ _ _

Rangers are particularly blessed of Dami-Sept. They can be found in Drudgunze, Eskand, Parrence, and Yasoi.

While many people live sedentary lives as farmers, fighters, or crafters, dependent upon others and never taking the time to master the skills of their distant ancestors, there are some who chart a different course. Rangers are dedicated hunters, trappers, survivalists, and people of the frontiers and forests. Stealthy, quick, and capable, they use the Gift to augment their traps with illusion and empower their use of the bow and arrow.

Durability: ★★☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★★★☆
Agility: ★★★☆☆
Endurance: ★★★★☆
Physical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★☆☆☆
Range: ★★★★☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★★☆☆☆

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🌙 Witch/Warlock_________ __ __ _ _

Witches and Warlocks are particularly blessed of Chune-Sept. They can be found in Drudgunze, Eskand, Parrence, and Yasoi.

In the years since the empire's collapse, formal schooling and practice in magic has declined precipitously and a great deal of written knowledge has been lost indefinitely. Keeping many traditions alive are the witches and warlocks of Constantia. Powerful magic practitioners, many are rugged and self-sufficient businesswomen and businessmen with deep knowledge in the poisons and remedies of the natural world as well as powerful magics that they can use to burn, blind, numb, heal, and invigorate. If some are less than reputable, they are nonetheless a necessary part of early medieval life.

Durability: ★★☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★★☆☆
Agility: ★★☆☆☆
Endurance: ★★★☆☆
Physical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★★★
Range: ★★★★☆
Support and Healing: ★★★★☆
Mounted Ability: ★☆☆☆☆

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🧙🏻‍♂️ Wizard_________ __ __ _ _

Wizards are particularly blessed of Aun-Chune. They can be found in Parrence.

Trained and powerful magic users, schooled in the ancient arts of the Avincians, Wizards can draw from the might of all schools of magic to cast spells capable of immense utility, healing, and destruction. That they can do this from ranges and with speed that others could not dream of speaks further to their dedication, natural affinity for magic, and leadership role. Educated, keen-minded, and stealthy in combat, a true wizard, able to bend the laws of nature to his whim, commands instant fear and respect.

Durability: ★☆☆☆☆
Stealth: ★★★☆☆
Agility: ★☆☆☆☆
Endurance: ★★☆☆☆
Physical Attack: ★☆☆☆☆
Magical Attack: ★★★★★
Range: ★★★★★
Support and Healing: ★★★★★
Mounted Ability: ★★★☆☆

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[Force and Fury]

Flora & Fauna_________ __ __ _ _

Coming soon!

[Force and Fury]

Histories & Legends_________ __ __ _ _

Coming soon!

[CaliforniaState]

Here’s my attempt

Ulfhild

Ulfhild Ulven__ _ _ _ _

27 | Female | Eskand | Arcane | Ranger__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

Stalwart, the closest word to describe Ulfhild’s build without seeming ineffable. Standing at just shy of 175 cm she wears her weight of 68 kg well. Her philosophy is to keep things sharp, that of course includes her mind, her body, the gift, but most importantly the edges on the blades she keeps tucked closer than any enemy. Her vestment/garb is made up of furs, leathers, and wools common to Eskand. Varying shades of green as to blend into environments further from the tundra of Eskand. A hefty belt that envelops her torso, but also houses her blade. Bow and quiver have become part of her person as well as the paint she wears smeared across her eyes and in stripes down her arms. Despite all the muscle lacquered with definition she does not lose any of her femininity. To her this physicality is the least she can do for herself to lower the chance of being seen or caught by enemy nations. Her original motivations lied with fighting on the front lines, moving one as a shield wall with her father and her brothers, yet their gods saw it more fit for her to give birth to other men who will take up that cause. Due to this she didn’t resign from the fight, instead she did what she could do as an archer, airless and cloaked in the canopy. Ulfhild is determined to say the least, she steels herself in order to complete the tasks assigned to her like a polished instrument. While she does have a colorful personality and extroverted especially in the presence of mead, it is mostly reserved to times when she’s not amidst furthering Eskand’s agenda.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

There isn’t much to Ulfhild’s story. She comes from humble beginnings in the home country of her people. She was given the name Ulfhild as her families heraldic symbol was derived from the wolf. The second part of battle was bestowed unto her knowing that raiding the enemies front lines were to be in her future instead of the blisters and callouses formed on the hands of farmers. Growing up, Ulfhild had a love and affinity for all things flora related. She collected and harvested fungi and flowers, quickly learning which ones were poisonous to eat vs those of medicinal intent. Being the youngest to two brothers quickly immersed her into the culture of her people, brutality. She spared with wooden sword and shield until her skin beat read and blood trickled down her skin. It wasn’t until she went along hunting parties with her father did she learn the touch of a bow. What she lacked in swordplay she more than made up for in archery. Shields were replaced with quivers and her brothers swapped for targets made of hay. Bullseyes lined the field, pushing the targets further and further back changed nothing of the result, it was as if she was touched by her gods.

Eventually when she was of age she began to accompany the periodic raids on Quentic lands, only after the initial breach of the shores lead to Eskand victory. She became familiar with the lands, the arts of subterfuge, and the local flora and fauna. Teachings of The Gift began to be imparted on her, and while she could have focused on two arts just the same, she chose to excel at one. Arcane gifts made the most sense to her as they were the polarity of the cold lands she was bore from and the manipulation of light benefited her nimble nature. While she did focus on arcane she still had the rudimentary knowledge of the other four as most of her kind did.

Despite still being green behind the ears, she was sent to scout ahead for their next raiding party. Traveling deep in Quentic lands stoked the flames in her heart as it drummed through her body. Cunning as a wolf and not as helpless as one alone, she slipped pass patrols and watch points. With the help of her gods her arrows rang true and sunk deep into those unfortunate enough to be solitary guard. The first few bodies were enough to stir up that warlike nature and vitality she had not known. Slowly the fear washed away and was replaced with determination. Many would fell themselves to her ranger prowess, lending themselves to only hope of close combat. Though her fangs would not go quietly without a bite of iron. Now, Ulfhild, hopes to tread deeper into the new world and spread her legend before she must bear children into the world.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

❖ Hoggtann - A shortsword made of stolen steel, tucked in her belt.
❖ Poki - A pouch filled of herbs and mushrooms ranging from toxic to medicinal and vials containing specific spores.
❖ Wolf totem carved of wood
❖ Hodejeger - The name of her recurved now made of the finest maple wood found in the reaches of Eskand. Paired with a leather quiver tanned from bear hides.
❖ Standard gear with a cloak fashioned from wolf fur.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Fourth Wheel | Arcane | Fireblood

What better marriage betwixt The Gift and being a ranger than Arcane. The light that illuminates the world through its magic also shrouds Ulfhild in a cover of darkness. The Gift being almost a birthright for her people she was ecstatic to recieve hers as the people in her village and country did. What she wasn’t ready for was the knack she had for the gift that her peers didn’t. They had more contrived versions of the gift, an aid to the agricultural work they made their livelihood from. Ulfhild was however, different, her skill with Arcane became a precedent for her clan and village. The elders knew of the many wheels in the system that was The Gift, thus allowing her further insight. She was an outlier in her family, able to stand on the shoulders of Wheel four mastery. Seeing as she was a natural with Arcane magic, the other schools were presented to her. There were a few choices that stuck out to her, but none more than that of the arcane arts. It could have been due to the heat she was mostly unfamiliar with having lived in the cold or the perfect fit for her type of combat. Regardless she felt the flexibility in nature of arcane fit with the taut but flexible nature of the string on her bow. She does however channel her magic not through constructs nor blasts of energy, but instead channels the magic into the arrows that she fires. Ulfhild serves as the vessel and her arrows the vehicle in which to deliver her magic. This consequently also removes the necessity of having variations of arrows in her quiver as she can just conform varying magics to her bow.

In application she can endow her arrow tips with flames, heat the steel enough it can sear through layers of most structures, bathe the arrow tips in light for a primitive flash bang/flare-like projectile. Most of her wheelhouse is situational.

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

❖ Flugr - Her aim is true. By this, of course, Ulfhild is able to accurately calculate and sink her arrows with ease. She accounts for things such as distance, drag, and the amount of force exerted by the planets gravitational pull. You would be hard pressed to find someone of equal caliber, not impossible, simply very rare.
❖ Eyra - In an approach to further her ability as a ranger, Ulfhild has strengthened her ability to detect sound from both distance and bearing that most others could not. Training her ears has been essential to her craft.
❖ Skjǫldr - Ulfhild treats her body as a shield. She’s fortified it with enough muscle she believes it can protect her in place of a shield that would otherwise slow her down. It not only protects in a physical sense, but allows her to move acrobatically with both strength and agility. It also does add some power to her punches, slashes, and arrows.
❖ Til - A sort of primitive botanist, Ulfhild is able to identify most flora and fungi and forage the necessary combinations to form elixirs, poisons, and miscellaneous applications from both.

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

❖ Confident to the point of comfort. In terms of her archery she relies very heavily on it not knowing what the feeling is to be stuck with that extension of herself taken from her.
❖ While a fourth wheel, her magic is more noteworthy when channeled through her weapons rather than from her own being.
❖ When cornered into closer quarters combat she reverts to a savage animal that has lost its pack. Her attacks with her short sword are wild and akin to that of the famous berserkers that exist in her country. Save the coordination and power that berserkers exhibit.
❖ Pious to her gods and what is expected of her in terms of womanhood and Vistor.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

Enjoys her mead with a generous amount of goats milk. Will sometimes substitute paint for blood.
❖ 3CB371

[Force and Fury]

Hey, @Salsa Verde, thanks for dropping your CS here. I like Ulfhild very much and she's a strong candidate for being chosen (only 4 Eskandr spaces, after all). She feels realistic and believable within her world. I can sense the thought that went into her. I know I've also given scant detail on the Eskandr religion up to this point. That'll be rectified today, so feel freee to incorporate it if you'd like. A few small suggestions below.

1) Eskandr is the demonym and Eskand is the land;
2) Quentic or Quentist as opposed to Quentin;
3) 'Bear' children as opposed to 'bare';
4) In general, access to the Gift is not common, and especially being Fourth Wheel or above. It may be good to touch on that.

I'll do a final tally and review of all Character sheets on Wednesday and ping (mention) everyone who is chosen. At that point, I'd ask that you join the discord assuming that you're not already in it under another name.

[CaliforniaState]

@Force and Fury

Thank you! I definitely had to reread the ooc a few times because I kept tripping myself up on some stuff. I’ll fix the sheet right away.

[Wolfieh]

Vali Twice-Born, The Silent Hunt

Vali Twice-Born,
The Silent Hunt

“You think you are the heroes, in a world where we are all simply men.”

2 9 | M A L E | E S K A N D | R A N G E R__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

Vali, like many of his Eskand brethren, stands above six feet—four inches or so over, though he’s certainly never measured. His shoulders are broad and he’s got the musculature expected of a renowned raider, but benefits from the bulk of his heavy leathers and furs. His skin is pale and his features sharp, a harshness to the cut of his cheeks and nose. His jawline, though much the same, is hidden beneath a short-kept beard. Vali’s hair is blonde, kept nearly to his shoulders. While he usually leaves it down, he may put it in braids for battles or hunts, to avoid it becoming a hindrance. His eyes are a pale green-blue, and ever watchful.

Though he’s certainly fought enough to earn the scorn of the Northerners, Vali is far from simply a warmonger. He holds a steadfast faith in his Gods, believing they called him to war, but honors them in more than just bloodshed. He values the relationships he’s built among his peers, particularly those of his blood-brothers, and enjoys a good chance to speak and laugh with those he truly cares about. He understands why the northerners view his people with such disdain, but does not believe the notion that anyone is necessarily good among the conflicting sides—both act with self-interest, and he will not begrudge the Parrench for doing so, but the belief will likewise not stop his own fulfillment of his beliefs.

Vali also has his own sort of intelligence, particularly when he becomes invested in a hunt. He prides himself on being able to think like both hunter and prey, allowing him to understand the motivations of his quarry and design the hunt to prey upon those weaknesses. His intelligence is certainly not of a scholarly nature, but he finds great pleasure in the cultivated ability to get into something’s head and pull out its plans and actions—or tip the balance just enough in one way to assure an outcome he wants.

There is, however, a dissatisfaction within him—he feels, at times, a sense of shame in where his skills lie. He’s not the fearsome fighter his blood-brothers are, and couldn’t hold his own against a horde of foes the way people seem to expect of them. He’s younger and came late to the game, leaving the man to worry that his legacy will be paltry in comparison. He can be foolhardy as a result, pushing himself to do things he believes may garner him greater respect.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

Some names are given, others earned.

The name Vali, powerful, was given in the small village to a squalling blonde babe in a hut that stank of sheep year-round. He grew, as some are fortunate enough to do, herding sheep as soon as he could count them. A shepherd’s life gave plenty in the way of blood—in the slaughter of livestock for food in the cold of Hundri, or the butchering of predators that stalked the herd.

Yet a different kind of blood spills from the flesh of men.

This was the blood the Gods of Eskand called for, to those who heard them in dreams and death and the cold wind on the southern slopes. They spoke with a voice that Vali, son of Kjell, heard and heeded just after his eighteenth birthday.

With five brothers to guide the herd, neither the sheep nor the family would miss him. So he took up his spear, a simple thing, and joined the great raiders going North.

It was not easy, for one so unblooded—there were many who had soaked in their crimson tides and looked down upon the weak, taking glory and blood and gold as they pleased. One who had not yet proven his life worthy on the field of death was but a camp follower. Even the murder of the weak, the young, and the old was not enough—if a body could not threaten you, it was no more than slaughtering livestock.

Vali, son of Kjell lived months in the disdain of warriors before he too was blooded.

Earning “Twice-Born”

He alone stood in the cobbled street, surveying the wreck and ruin of blood and fire that had once been a town. He was the one the armed rider spotted, the man whom the snorting wild charger sought to run down with the wicked sword in his rider’s hand.

None here would mourn him. Some might take his shoes, the fur upon his shoulders, or his paltry spear. They would not send word home to his family, who would not cry for him if they did. Some would see, but few would remember the way the boy was cut down.

And yet… He was not cut down.

He, too, saw the approaching end. But rather than run or close his eyes like a coward, Vali, powerful, son of Kjell planted his feet against the rough-hewn stone, gripped his spear, and met his approaching death with a thrust and a guttural warcry.

The tip of his spear struck the beast at the base of its neck and sunk clean through the flesh. Screaming, it fell upon the spear and down the shaft, the chipped point finding its way out of the mane and into the throat of the rider.

They fell, and fell, the horse screaming in death, its riding choking on his blood, and Vali shouting for the glory of his Gods. They heaped on the stone in a puddle of dark blood, spear pointed to the sky—and for a moment, all was silent.

Then the body of the rider rose first, glistening wetly in the firelight, and was tossed to the side. Vali, son of Kjell emerged, screaming his victory to the smoke-filled sky, baptized in the blood of beast and man alike. His eyes were alight with a burn that none had seen in him before, like a man born anew in the death of his enemy—and, as some may whisper, his own. He staggered to his feet, snatching his fallen foe’s sword from the ground, and held it aloft as his brethren shouted around him.

He was victorious.

He was blooded.

He was Vali Twice-Born, and this name was earned.

He had his name now, Vali Twice-Born, and a sword that had tried to kill him. He was no longer weak and unblooded—and now truly began to hone his skills for the hunt. Vali’s reputation grew as he did, earning him respect as a hunter among the raiders who knew him.

But there was higher still to go, though Vali himself did not know it yet.

There were some among the highest renown of the roving hordes: Hrothgar the Black, Hildr, and Kol—those who, stories say, slew the great Mørkt Fjell, a beast none thought could die. And yet these warriors proved mortal men wrong.

He never dreamed he could be added to their ranks.

Yet his successes as a hunter spread beyond the lower riders, to even the ears of Hildr and Kol. A year and a half since his first naming, they were preparing for yet another great hunt—a great saber-toothed beast, a Skygge Katt reportedly twice the size of its brethren, had been picking off hunting parties for weeks. None sent after it could seem to find the creature, before being found themselves. Only one among the many who had been found escaped the bloody death, and spoke only of a giant who moved like a ghost and looked to be made of glass.

They needed one who could stay hidden from even the keenest of predators, and track down the most evasive of prey. Seeking to test his mettle, they invited Vali Twice-Born to the hunt—and even knowing the death he stalked toward, the man couldn’t find it in himself to be afraid.

The Silent Hunt

It was Vali who insisted they take only horses that they could stand to lose. They traveled days into the trees, towards the last sightings of their Skygge Katt. Every night, as they camped, Vali would lead each horse a different direction into the trees and tie it to a trunk well away from the camp, leaving a lit candle for himself and both his companions to call for the Visitor’s protection. He sat awake, sleeping only minutes at a time, among the great spreading branches, and watched.

Six days in, and he did not hear the screams of the first steed as it died, not knowing there was something to be afraid of. He only felt the blood spill against the awareness of his Gift, and when his attention snapped to the now-dead horse, he felt the faint force tracings of the beast consuming it.

The next night, he knew what to look for—and sensed the Skygge Katt, seconds before it made its kill, the second horse dying as silently as the first despite the warning of the previous night. Vali focused all the awareness he could into the particular energies of the hunter, following it back into the woods until it vanished beyond the edges of his magic.

That morning, Vali broke the news—they were being stalked and toyed with, victims to the days-long hunt of a deadly creature. This was unlikely to unsettle his companions, as many beasts as they had killed, but served a great purpose—the formations of a plan. The transition from prey to predator, and the turning of the hunt.

On the eighth night of their journey, no one slept. The final horse was tied up, left as an offering to their quarry, and Vali persuaded his companions into the branches with him. There, he dampened their energies, masking the men from the senses of the beast. He felt it cross into the edges of his range, circling and stalking closer with a marked caution and pleasure in this aspect of the hunt. He breathed not a word to Hildr or Kol, fearing even the quietest of voices would chase it away.

When the great beast leapt silently from the foliage onto the horse, Vali leapt too—jumping from the branch he’d crouched on, drawing his own force energy to slow his fall as he plummeted onto the back of the Skygge Katt, for the first time releasing his battlecry. He stabbed into the cat with his sword, metal carving into bone and spilling blood as it bucked, tossing him from its back.

Hildr and Kol advanced from their perches too, facing down the great beast together as it turned on its hunters. Scraped but near-crazed by the scent of blood, Vali leapt forward again, and the battle was on in earnest. The Skygge Katt tried to retreat into the forest and return to an unaware prey, but Vali knew its heartbeat, rapid and frightened now, and could not be surprised.

He was the one to deliver the final blow to the beast—ducking low as it leapt toward him, and surging upward with his blade. The point sunk into flesh, finding the opening between two ribs and nicking the heart. It stumbled, and fought, but could not escape the claws of death as it succumbed to the bleeding.

They returned to the hordes three horses shorter, but with great cloaks of the dark, faintly-striped fur, teeth and claws in excess, and the startings of a bond that would only grow.

The venture that earned Vali his renown came to be known as The Silent Hunt—something that, with time and no small effort on the part of the man, grew to be analogous with Vali himself. It was a moniker he was all too happy to take on, feeling it added to the glory he’d been so late to seeking.

Kol and Hildr did not forget the venture, and he found himself increasingly in their presence—they seemed to develop a fondness for him, and the man could only serve to further prove himself. Nearly two years after the Silent Hunt, they took to him as a blood-brother, like the bond forged between themselves. He was younger, but truly known now by all who spoke their names.

The years since have been kind to Vali Twice-Born, The Silent Hunt—he’s bathed in blood spilled and blood sworn, his bond with his blood-brothers only growing stronger with each battle, raid, and hunt—they’ve trained together and provided great gifts for each other, sworn to be a family until even Sipenta ends and the Visitor’s table has crumbled to nothing.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

❖ [ Blodløst Sverd ]

The Bloodless Sword—the very weapon Vali pulled from the body of his would-be executer. Named for its failure to strike him rather than a lack of bloodshed, it has become the man’s weapon of choice. It is simple steel, but strong, with a wrapped leather grip that has been replaced more than once in his years of owning it.

❖ [ Hand-Ax ]

A small and simple one-handed ax. Vali keeps it in case he may ever find himself without his sword and bow, as it’s small enough to carry on his belt. He uses it primarily for utility, clearing paths in the woods when needed or cutting meat, but has yet to need it in battle.

❖ [ Leathers and Furs ]

His primary armor, thick and protective but light enough to suit his needs as a ranger and a hunter. He holds no particular attachment to the pieces, and often portions of it get replaced after being damaged.

❖ [ Sangløs Bue ]

The Songless Bow, his greatest treasure named for its use in many quiet hunts and the pieces that come from the Silent Hunt. A composite recurve bow constructed with teeth of the Skygge Katt of the Silent Hunt serving as the horn and maple wood as the core. A gift from Kol and Hildr, the bow is expertly crafted and well taken care of, often kept in a simple leather cover.

❖ [ Seiers Drikke ]

Victory’s Drink, a drinking horn Vali had made from one of the teeth of the Skygge Katt, hollowed out to hold liquid. He drinks from it often, not seeing the purpose in carrying it simply for show, but cherishes using it as an opportunity to tell the story of the Silent Hunt—though there are few who may see him drinking who haven’t heard the tale.

❖ [ Skyggehud Kappe ]

The Shadowskin Cloak, a great and heavy fur cloak made from the pelt of the Skygge Katt of The Silent Hunt. The fur is near-black with faint stripes criss-crossing it, and is well taken care of. Though he doesn’t often wear it to battle or to hunt, it is commonly seen on the ranger, particularly when the weather turns cold.

❖ [ Skygge Katt Necklace ]

The other saber tooth of the Skygge Katt, hung on a thick piece of leather stripping around Vali’s neck. It also has a small leather strip near the bottom meant to tie it to his chest to keep it in place during battles or hunts, but is often left unsecured otherwise so anyone near him can see the heavy weight of the tooth as it bounces against his sternum.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Third Wheel | Force | Essence

Vali is a hunter—of men or animal, it makes no difference. He enjoys spilling blood on an open battlefield, but when targets seek to evade pursuit… The Silent Hunt is no stranger to the chase.

His skill lies in Force Magic, with the lightest touch of Essence, spurred to life in the grassy sheepland valleys of Eskandr and honed in the burned villages of the North. He’s developed a keen sense for footsteps and breathing and blood, the hallmarks of life—feeling the force and essence energy surrounding living beings and following it, while dampening the reverberations of his own. He also manipulates the chemicals of his prey, keeping them from feeling the instinctual spark of fear that could give him away. In his youth, it was used to keep track of sheep herds and locate lost members of the flock—occasionally, it would help him hunt down predators that threatened his family’s livelihood and slaughter them.

After he followed the raiders North, he found a new use for it. He practiced his skills on human targets, learning to use his magic to cause small impacts in the ground and follow the reverberations, building a sense of his hunting ground. Softening and counter-acting his own footfalls to avoid detection, while mimicking them elsewhere to flush his quarry right into Eskandr steel.

His techniques of magic are built for distraction rather than attack on the battlefield, but that suits Vali just fine—he’s got skill enough to fight without extra force, and finds his Gift is to the benefit of his fellow raiders, both in catching fresh game to feed them and in finding the few living remnants of razed ruins.

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

❖ [ Archery ]

Though he did not pick up the skill until he began raiding, Vali has proven to be quite useful with a bow and arrow. When hunting traditional prey animals, it’s his preferred weapon, offering an opportunity to strike from a distance and avoid detection with minimal effort. He attributes it to his keen sense of energies and perhaps a small capability in guiding the arrow with his Force magic.

❖ [ Animal Husbandry ]

Cultivated by years tending to flocks of sheep and herding steeds, Vali has a gentle hand with animals—primarily farm varieties—and a knack for Essence magic that can keep them calm in otherwise stressful scenarios. He’s excellent at handling horses, and rides a bit better than most as a result.

❖ [ Faith ]

Vali holds true to the Old Gods of Eskand, praying faithfully to them when the occasion arises. Faith is a powerful thing, and even if his may be wrong, it gives him strength to fight for his Gods. He believes he’s followed their call to journey north, alongside many who heard the same.

❖ [ Hunting ]

The skill that has earned him his renown; with the particular use of his Gift, Vali excels at hunting. He can track even the most elusive of prey, and can keep himself hidden to avoid scaring away his quarry. He takes great joy in hunting, and is confident in using these same abilities for scouting ahead when necessary.

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

❖ [ Ax-Wielding ]

Though he excels with a bow and can hold his ground with both sword and spear, Vali has found that he has no talent at fighting with axes—despite these often being the weapons most associated with Eskandr raiders. He carried a small hand-ax, in case times ever become desperate, but has humorously little faith that he’ll survive any encounter that requires it.

❖ [ Cooking ]

Cooking was not something Vali was expected to take care of as a child. Though he had to manage when he left the comforts of home, the man is nearly hopeless. Things seem to go uncannily wrong when he tries to cook, from accidents with the ingredients to severely overcooked meats. One might think it was intentional, if the failures did not vex him so greatly.

❖ [ Faith ]

Though his faith brings great strength to Vali, is can also be a burden. He may push himself in the name of his Gods, leading to dangerous situations that he feels obliged to be part of. Similarly, such staunch support will find him highly disdained in the eyes of those who keep the Pentad, garnering no sympathy from the Northerners and their misguided beliefs.

❖ [ Insecurity ]

Vali has always felt that he has something to prove—despite his great successes among hunts, he fears he’s not enough to stand beside his blood-brothers. This concern, and the burning need to prove himself, can often push the ranger into foolhardy action—getting him into trouble much in the way his faith does. It’s also led to him taking the name The Silent Hunt, and giving meaningful names to many of his possessions—trying to insert his importance into history in hopes that it may stick.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

Vali, 18 and Leaving Home

❖ #B1EEEA

[Th3King0fChaos]

Kol, Death's Hand

Kol Ulfriksson__ _ _ _ _

"What a life"

43 | Male | Eskandr | Force, Essence, & Arcane | Berserker

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

Appearance & Armor

Standing at 6'10 Kol is heads and shoulders taller than most men, and being well over 300 pounds he weighs enough to make many men think of themselves as being lithe. His build is that of a strong and powerful man as his body is covered in muscles and scars. Kol keeps his black hair short and well kept as his style of fighting would lead for it to be an easy thing to grab, well if they could reach. His eyes are black and seem to have a sharp and solid look to them, but when emotion come to him his eyes almost seem to be a gateway that shows how he feels. They soften, harden, curl when he smiles, like his eyes react with his emotions. He has many scars across his body, the most numerous being on his back, his torso, and on his legs, many of which look quite nasty as many might not have been properly treated.

Kol's more basic gear is a thick set of hides, overlapping metal pieces to make armor, and thick covers to keep himself protected from attacks and the elements, his normal clothing is a bit different from this however. As his position as King, he has made sure to dress himself well, keep himself groomed, and make sure he is well adorned, yet the strange thing he does is he keeps his face clean of hair. Many comment of his behavior, yet he stays his way, often quoting that often when fighting, a proper opponent would use anything they could, hair pulling, eye gouging, anything that gives them an advantage.

Yet when Kol is meant to fight as Kol, Death's Hand King of Strumreef, he dons his armor he gained from his time when he joined the party of Hrothgar when they were both young Princes. There they dared to do the impossible and slay a Tyrannus Monsignus. Kol gained an armor that was designed soley for him, a pure black armor that covered him from head to toe in dragon scales, that break normal blades on the sheer toughness of the armor, and gives this man an additional layer of protection on top of his unbreakable Berserker rage. The Armor was designed to best compliment his aggressive style of Hand-to-Hand combat, giving him increased armored protection on his arms and shoulders to deflect blows, using scales to cover the chest in a certain way to deflect stabs away from him to allow him to charge forward more easily, and multiple leather and hide layers made from the interconnecting hide dragons have between scales to cover Kol's joints and neck to protect the softest parts of his body from glancing hit and attacks. This was a very expensive set of armor for Kol to have made, yet it was the only thing he could have ever thought of bring able to handle his immense power when the moons are all aligned.

General feel, not actual look-

Motivations & Wishes

Kol is not this hulking man for no reason, he hungers to fight and yearns to challenge himself. He loves the thrill of fighting, may it be man or beast, he loves to test himself, his mettle, his strength, and his power. Every inch of him wishes to be tested, to be the best he can be. He wishes to be the best fighter, the best king for his people, and the best brother he can be for his Blood Brothers.

His main reason to join in this war being waged by Hrothgar is to join a friend on the battlefield once more, give his men the honorable death they seek, and to make sure his people live in prosperity as they are. As always in the south, the cold is hell on them, their main sources of food come from roving beasts, the sea, and animals they herd and the cheese they can make. But because of this, any small thing could leave his people starving, so often Kol would lead raids, hunting parties, and anything he could do to keep his people okay. His life has been dedicated to those who are close to him and his people.

Kol wishes above all to keep his people safe and prosperous, challenge himself, challenge and harden his people who fight beside him, and to die on the field of battle with his people and Brothers with him.

Personality & Kingship

Kol is a jovial man, who values friendship highly, and regards the bond with all of his followers and his Brothers to be his greatest treasure. His people being inspired by his actions gives him their undivided loyalty and adoration, in turn inspires him to do the most he can for them. He is very generous man who gives gift quite often and rarely hold much back for himself. He admires people who treat friendship with sincerity, while being compassionate to those with whom he bonds, even if he bonds with them from the other side of a blade.

He is not overly cruel as would be expected from the man known as Death's Hand, but tries instead to keep bloodshed and cruelty to a minimum despite his love for battle and destruction. He is fine with not actually winning a battle outright, often leaving with little casualties and the supplies or what they came for from the raid, and is known to even attempt to recruit enemies as his followers after witnessing their prowess for himself. Yet when put in a battle he fights with glee, fighting to his hearts content, breaking sheild lines with his body, and facing off with knights often challenging them to duels.

He insists that a king should be setting vivid examples to be followed, bond with his subjects at personal level, and his way of living should be something inspiring to and envied by all under his rule, not a distant ideal or martyr whose deeds would be praised yet whose path is so full of sorrow and pain that it would only inspire a sense of dread. To him, a selfless king who isolates himself from his people to die for ideals is nothing but a fool, which is worse than a tyrant. He is also in opinion that a king should be vibrant, a figure who is inspiring and leading his people, instead of being a distant loner who concerns himself only with protecting and saving his people. Ultimately, he would grieve and weep over his losses and mistakes, but he would stay true to himself and never regret decisions made as a king. For if he was to, those who died following him and believing in him as a king would have died for nothing in misplaced belief.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

Kol is the King of Strumreef, an Island kingdom near the mainland Eskand that is known for being bountiful in fish, trading posts, and hearty men. Kol is a very proud King, he has the loyalty of his people not only from his exploits with the King of Kings Hrothgar Agnarsson in felling the legendary Dragon Mørkt Fjell, Tyrannus Monsignus, his many legendary hunts, raids, and exploits. He has faced many foes in battle, wrestled beasts far above his own size to the ground, brought men far beyond his years to their knees, and faced the most dangerous things with his bare fists and laughs.

Kol has faced countless hardships and realizations in his ascension to the throne, he learned of his naïve view of the world, his lacking as a commander, and the tough choices expected to be made as a king. Yet through his times even with his rocky start as a King, the direct action he took of his ascension had earned the trust and respect of his people. Kol had risen to Kingship from the display of his compassion to his people in slaying his own father. Kol slew his father, Ulfrik the Black Handed, with his Blood Sister Hildr after Ulfrik had nearly collapsed the entire Kingdom of Strumreef. His father had gone mad and slaughtered countless people, and family members, and had hoarded himself and his loyal followers away in their ancestral home. With the help of Hildr, they were able to defeat all those who were loyal to the Mad King, and once he confronted his father, Kol was the one to deal the death blow, marking him as Kin Slayer.

From that point onward Kol dedicated his time to his people and those closest to him, he made sure he took care of them the best he could. He was a generous man, he gave many gifts to those who followed him, and he made sure to take care of his people as he often lead raids, hunts, and fishing parties when areas were doing poorly. Yet when things were good, families were fed, and people were prepared for winter, Kol spent his time with his sworn Sister, Hildr, and eventually his Brother, Vali. The three became synonymous with each other, is known to hunt beasts and monsters, lead raids against the Greenlanders, and always be seen in battle together. With teamwork that has been forged in the heat of battle and the fire of Life and Death

Extended Background: WIP

Youth

Kol was born to King Ulfrik and Uriel of Strumreef, a kingdom founded on one of the islands connected to Eskand. It is best known for its bountiful fishing routes, strong trade routes, and the hearty people. This kingdom had been standing for multiple generations, with Ulfrik the Black Handed being the 4th ruler of Strumreef it has known quite a bit of prosperity at this point and has been loyal to Eskand and follows the Old Gods. The Union of Ulfrik and Uriel was a planned one, Ulfrik wished to have an heir that was as strong as could be, so with his Blood that of a Mooncaster and Uriel's of a Leadvein, he supposed he could have a child who would be something wholly different.

Kol was the child of this possible union of power, and he lived up to every bit of it. Kol grew very quickly, to the point where his father began even being able to play with, train, and teach Kol from the age of 5 to be a man. As Kol grew, his father noticed Kol's nature, he liked to fight, he liked to prove himself, and he liked to be the center of attention. Given a stick Kol turns it into a sword to slay a monster, a banner to rally troops behind, or a flag to stand and salute to, as he marches it seems he gets people to follow, or when someone tries to challenge him, he will fight them, not with sticks or rocks, but his fists. Once he beat them, they were forced to join him, he went to their homes, asked their parents to play with them, wrestled with them, invited them to fish with him, and do all sorts of things. Kol's very nature seemed overbearing on a person, to defeat them and then befriend them.

As he grew he began to train more, doing physical labor his father or uncles set for him, pushing barrels around, haul the fish they caught, carry and cut all the fire wood for the evening, they did this in possibility to see how far he would go. They trained him and he seemed to always rise to the occasion, as he grew, he started from carrying one of the large fish up at a time, to 2 to 3, then to a whole barrel filled, then even multiple barrels. He began from cutting for hours and making little progress, to being able to cut a full log in a day, to being able to find a tree felled and hauling back pieces to cut up, to being able to fell a tree for wood, and then to fell multiple and haul them back.

Yet the thing that changed most quickly wasn't his strength, but his combat prowess. As he trained, he rapidly grew in strength, skill, and instincts, his skills over shadowed those of his peers. As within a few short years, he had already needed to start to spar against older kids and then young adults just to find a challenge. Yet this rapid growth did not go uncontested, many often tried to bully him while on his lonesome. Many found him being so 'exceptional' and giving them bad looks as warriors would make it where they would be made a mockery of. Often they challenged him to a 'real' spar, using metal weapons as they tried either putting him in his place, or maybe give him a nice comfortable seat far away from the head of the Visitor's table. Yet Kol's instincts were something completely different, against metal weapons he did not falter, let alone feel any form of fear, as he fought them, he used the same methodical attacks he uses in spars to take them out. He had read them, understood what kind of fighters they were, as he beat them quickly without breaking a sweat.

Yet the time came when Kol was met with a hard lesson, not every situation would be so simple. Kol was around 10 at this time when he had beaten a younger man in a sparring session, this was after they had came back from a raid to the North. This man had lost his cool as he had just lost to the equivalent to a child, so he decided to take his revenge in an interesting way. He offered to take Kol out for a hunting trip that him and some other people are going on. Little did Kol know this was going to be the possible last time he would ever see the light of day. As they travelled out to hunt down a Mammoth, the others quietly planned where to dump Kol. As they travelled, they knew they couldn't lay a hand on him, none of them would ever reach the Visitor's table, but that shouldn't include if he was to die because of a monster out of their control. As once they camped for the night, the rest of them quietly packed up and left Kol in the deep cold.

Kol awoke and realized he was alone, in the freezing cold, with no fire, no food, nothing to keep himself anymore warm. Kol was stunned, he was completely alone, he spend multiple hours huddled there in his tent in the freezing cold, hoping that this is just another crazy test he was being given. His family will sometimes do crazy things to test him, have him sit in ice water for an hour without leaving, hanging from the rafters for hours on end without passing out, and all sorts of other things. This might be just a test…Kol was there until night fall, where he had felt something well inside him. His thoughts trying to rationalize what is happening faded as something told him, this was on purpose. They left him, he felt a sense of fear swell in him, he thought he might die out here, in the cold, alone, away from his mother and father. As a loud howl was let out that send his tent flying, revealing to Kol a large wolf standing well over 10 feet tall, it looked to Kol as if he was just easy prey.

Yet something seemed to be different with Kol, his eyes almost shook with rage, his body was heating up, as he felt a roar build up inside him as he screamed to the heavens. The immediate area seemed to shake violently as Kol launched himself forward at the great beast like a spear. He leaped into the air far above any man, as he aimed for the Great Wolf's eye, as he smashed his arm through the eye socket of the wolf and began to let out roars and attacks to this creature till it fell. As Kol ripped his hand out of the skull of the Great Wolf, he saw the position of the moons, all five were high above and seemed to almost soothe him as he looked to them. As he howled to the moon, as it had such energy that it shook the very trees near him from their roots, as he eventually passed out.

Kol woke up the next morning being held in his father's arms, as they travelled through the forest, his father spoke simple things to his only son. Whispers that could be heard by no one but Kol, the whispers of a man who thinks he's alone, as it is constant affirmations of his love for his son. His pride in his strength, his worry of his difference from those around him, and his sorrow that such a thing came to ever pass while he was under his care. Once Kol had been reunited with his people, those who had done such a thing to Kol were sentenced to be executed for leaving the prince to die. Kol wished for something different, he wished for them to be his first hunting partners, as he wanted to hunt some dangerous beasts.

The next few years Kol had showed his true interests, combat, fighting, hunting, he was the embodiment of a warrior. Those who challenged him felt the full force of his might, and then often invited to participate in some of his hunts. He hunted all types of beasts and monster, Great Wolf packs, Great Ursas, Serpents, and any beast or monster he could find. As he fought and killed these beasts he began to receive visions of these beasts, their power almost coursing through Kol as he gained new aspects of power. Kol had became the very thing his father envisioned, a true monster.

First Raid

Once Kol was 16, his father wanted him to experience their culture to the fullest, he had shown skills in running hunting parties, fishing parties, and taking control of people in dispute, but now came time to see him as a leader in war. So when this is when Ulfrik and his Jarls called for a raid, and the people answered, now with Kol among their ranks. As Kol left his little Island for the north, he had a strange sense of excitement within him, he could test himself on the field of battle, against people who would come at him with everything.

Kol's first kill occurred when he was faced with guards of a city, he was faced with a spear line as he remembered how the Unstoppable Razor Back Boar would rush head long into anything, ripping through trees, boulders, and men with spears pointed in its direction. As he filled himself with images of it, his legs began to swell as he sprinted to the line as the moment a spear tip was to hit his skin, the spear bowed and broke against his body, as he slammed into their shields the metal and wood bowed and broke, as the sounds of bones crunching and men screaming filled the air.

Once the battle was done, blood has been spilt, and prisoners taken, Kol…disliked the feeling. To break a man, to draw their blood, to snuff their fire, it felt strange. It felt wrong, Kol couldn't put it as why, but from the look everyone around him had, he was the one who was strange. To them it seemed fun, invigorating, like this was something that was the peak. Kol held his tounge back, he couldn't speak of his feelings, he needed to be strong, he was strong, the strong fight, the strong *killed*. Kol let out a sigh as he left for his tent, but his father was there to speak with his son. King Ulfrik was to ask his son and heir, "How was your first battle"? Kol broke down and told his father, he didn't like the idea of killing, Kol couldn't understand why, but the mere concept seemed fine, but when blood is on his hands and bodies lay at his feet, Kol's stomach churns, and he feels uneasy.

His father listened to his son and spoke to him, and reassured him that to feel that is fine, that means that you can feel from the heart. Death is a part of life, to fight is to show courage, when you fight a worthy opponent death is always there. Either of you will die, the only decision you can have in that is simple, kill or be killed. Either you die and find your place at the Visitor's Table, or they die and they find themselves judged by the Visitor. As they spoke, Kol found some calmness that his father didn't seem enraged at him, his worry wasn't towards Kol's dislike of killing, but to what could occur if he was to falter if his dislike for killing made him hesitate.

The next day, Kol marched forward with the raiders, as they began to regale stories, Kol began to learn himself through this time. He understood why he disliked to kill, why their death did not seem to sit well with him, he wished for them to join his band. He had always got his way: get into a fight with people, beat them up, be declared the winner, and inviting them to join in his adventures. He tried his same actions, he beat them up, they obviously felt like they lost, and he then invited him to join his hunting party…but it seemed a few things were in the way of his enemies becoming his allies, the first being one he can't get over easily, he didn't speak their language.

This was a dilemma that Kol couldn't really solve easily, yet he did not give up on his ideals. He always did his best, put on a friendly face, weild no weapons, and having a happy voice, yet for some reason people were afraid of the now 6 foot 6 man covered in mud, blood, and torn up clothing. To them Kol was the very thing his father envisioned, a true monster.

Mørkt Fjell & Death's hand: WIP

Kin Slayer: WIP

Father was the one to guard the realm of work, for he was strong and sure.
Yet now he has forsaken his job and fattened with hate, so now I must take his place.

Mother used to guard the hearth and home, and there we were to pray to her.
Yet now the home runs cold and none is to be fed since you crossed that line.

Sister walked to market and hurries about town,
Yet she now hides from your wrath and scurries around.

Brother fights the Greenlanders and strikes his rival down.
Yet you slayed him and stained your own crown.

To act with grace and purpose, I shall always do my best,
For the Visitor has arrived to take you off to rest.

Kingship: WIP

Silent Hunt: WIP

TLDR Time Line;

Age | What happened
00 | Koli, Son of Ulfrik is born
05 | Kol begins his 'training' how to be a man, he also begins to become the center of attention and king of the kids.
06 | Kol begins his training in fighting, sparring, doing labors to get stronger as he begins to rapidly grow.
10 | Kol has made many people angry because of his strength that many challenge him to real duels, and often leaves them in the dust.
10 | Kol fought the wrong person, at which point when they lost, they pulled a simple trick to get Kol alone on a hunting trip with him and some friends to leave him to die.
10 | Kol Awoken the Gift and awoken his calling, filling himself with power to kill a Great Wolf, a 10 foot tall wolf, and changing him as person. Learning his love of hunting and fighting.
15 | By this point, Kol proved himself to be an exceptional warrior and a competent leader his skills are matched by few and his hunger by none. He yearns to battle more intense beasts and monsters, as he
16 | Kol goes on his first Raid, becomes enthralled in battle, as he quickly becomes a true force of nature, he learns and adapts becoming stronger. Yet after he realized what he did and feels strange. He spoke to his father, who calmed his son and made sure Kol understood what it means to fight.
17 | Kol goes on his first Raid, becomes enthralled in battle, as he quickly becomes a true force of nature, he learns and adapts becoming stronger.
24 | Kol joined Hrothgar's party to hunt down a Tyrannus Monsignus that has appeared. Kol is excited at the thought to kill such a legendary creature.
25 | The party of Hrothgar, Kol, & Hildr had felled the beast, each of them now being covered in glory, armor made of dragon, and riches from the material, yet it was short lived for Kol as he received news of what is happening in his home, his father has gone mad in this year he was away and had nearly collapsed the entire kingdom.
25.3 | Asked his companions if they could assist him in this trying time Hildr agreed, yet Hrothgar declined, because of his position it would more likely cause too much of a commotion to assist.
26 | Kol & Kildr had finally stopped the madness that Ulfrik has caused in Strumreef, ending with Kol and Hildr killing over 100 people loyal to his father, multiple family members who seemed to have gone mad with him, including Kol's father Ulfrik.

33.5 | Invited Vali to hunt the Super Camo Saber Tooth Tiger
36 | Became Blood brothers with Vali now.
43 | Kol calls for his people to prepare for war, as the King of Kings had called for a Great raid to begin.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

❖ Basic Armor- Kol's armor he wears on any normal day is that of thick hides, overlapping metal pieces to make armor, and thick covers to keep himself protected from attacks and the elements. Most of this is pieces he doesn't care to lose, as often when he is in battle he can lose his coverings because of enemies catching it and ripping it off of his body, spells destroying it, or Kol's own magic destroying it in his frenzy.

❖ Dark Armor- Kol's custom armor is made of the pure black dragon scales of the Tyrannus Monsignus. The Armor was designed to best compliment his aggressive style of Hand-to-Hand combat, giving him increased armored protection on his arms and shoulders to deflect blows, using scales to cover the chest in a certain way to deflect stabs away from him to allow him to charge forward more easily, and multiple leather and hide layers made from the interconnecting hide dragons have between scales to cover Kol's joints and neck to protect the softest parts of his body from glancing hit and attacks. This was a very expensive set of armor for Kol to have made, yet it was the only thing he could have ever thought of bring able to handle his immense power when the moons are all aligned. As when he uses his arcane powers he could possibly warp his armor, incinerate the leather of other animals, and melt his armor.

❖ Mørke Greb (Dark Grasps)- A pair of gauntlets made from the scales and some of the spines and horns of the Tyrannus Monsignus, they were made as a special gift for Kol to signify the achievement they accomplished. These black gauntlets have always been used by Kol in every fight, as they are some of the greatest pride he has and that which has defined his being as a warrior.

❖ Knife- It's a dagger, he uses it to cut things. Not people, like food and rope.

❖ Drinking Horn- It's a drinking horn made from the horn of a goat who Kol raised. It has sentimental value as it was close to him and he cared for the goat.

❖ King's Banner- Unlike what the name entails, this is his cloak that he wears on himself. This is normally a very bright color, his favorite is red, which he wears on his back as it is the symbol of who his people are to follow. He always jests that if you are unable to see his 'banner' then you need to work that belly off before you grow rounder than Father.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Kol's Stuff

Berserkers are particularly blessed of Echeran-Sept. They can be found in Eskand.

A rare calling, and found only among the Eskandr, the path of the Berserker is one of controlled madness. These hulking, feral warriors enter a trancelike state, empowering their minds with visions and thoughts of ferocious beasts such as wolves, dragons, and bears and their bodies with essence, force, and arcane magics. Charging into battle, they attack with unmatched ferocity and great speed, greatly resistant to damage and nearly impervious to pain.

Durability: ★★★★☆
Stealth: ★☆☆☆☆
Agility: ★★★★☆
Endurance: ★★☆☆☆
Physical Attack: ★★★★★
Magical Attack: ★★★☆☆
Range: ★★☆☆☆
Support and Healing: ★☆☆☆☆
Mounted Ability: ★☆☆☆☆

Mooncasters are extremely rare, and often possess heightened senses and reflexes. Their base power levels are often quite low, rarely exceeding Second-and-a-Half Wheel. However, they grow exponentially more powerful depending on the position and brightness of the five moons. Given the right position, a mediocre Second wheel magic-user can multiply his power, becoming a monstrous fifth-plus wheel with a capacity ten times that of before. For reasons unknown, it is possible for a mooncaster to also possess a second mana type.

Leadveins are generally solid and balanced. They can safely draw and contain half again the amount of kinetic energy that their capacity would usually allow. They can impart this into physical blows and tend to be highly self-damage resistant. However, they tend to tire easily and can struggle to control their own force.

Blood type: Mooncaster Leadvein

Preferred schools: Force, Essence, & Arcane

Wheel Rating: 2 1/2+, based upon the position of the moons his power can increase wildly.

Kol is not just a physical monster, but also a monster with the use of the Gift. With the blood of his mother and his father had created a Monsterous berserker, being a leadvein enhanced his already naturally powerful physical nature, but then being a Mooncaster enhanced his own reflexes and senses making him a dangerous opponent dueling opponent. With his mother's blood giving him Leadvein, he had a very natural development into the force branch of mana, using it to enhance his blows, create roars and claps that can deflect projectiles or throw fully grown men off their feet, to throw himself hundreds of feet into the air, or to protect himself with a layer of kinetic energy around him to dampen blows if not fully negate them.

Kol did not hear the Gods calling for him as a Berserker and just used force. He had heard the calls and has seen visions of beasts. As he fights, gaining new visions of beasts, enemies, and allies, inspiring him with new powers. As either when he is in the heat of combat or through 'meditation' he is able to harness these visions to something that can increase his own power. By using Essence Kol is able to fill himself or others with visions of ferocious monsters and beasts to enhance himself and/or his allies, cleansing himself of his 'visions' and forced ailments, filling opponents with these visions of beasts to fill them with fear, or to fill his or others Arcane spells with visions of Wyverns and Dragons to enhance the power and ferocity of the fire.

This is not where Kol's powers end, through his fight with the Mørkt Fjell, he was filled with visions of heats, flames, and ferocity he had never seen until then. As he fills himself with visions and remembrances of the great dragon and lesser ones he is able to channel the Gift into that of intense flames. Using arcane mana Kol is able to surround himself with such intense heat that it can ignite wood instantly, breath fire out like a dragon, form fire on his arms and legs to attack with or dissuade grapples, draw from the heat a target produces to fuel his own magics, or even put out a very intense blast of heat or fire to deflect certain magical attacks or just incinerate a target instantly.

Spell Examples:

Spell Examples

I'm just using this to give a bit of a flavor to what kind of things Kol would use The Gift for. If you were also expecting me to put his fighting style(s), like I have been known recently to be doing, don't worry baby, I'll get to that soon enough, I wanted to get this up within the year.

Force__ _ _ _ _

Tyrant's Roar

Tyrant's Roar- A ferocious roar that explodes with such power that the land shakes, stone crumbles, sends men and projectiles flying, and men die from the shockwaves of the roar. Based upon where the moons are, this roar can cause metal to crack and crumble, stone to pulverize, or can even be heard from miles away.

wyvern's Glide

Wyvern's Glide- Kol will use force to launch himself into the air, as the more he does this, the more energy he can take in, to the point where when he has enough, he is able to use it to propel himself in the air to simulate gliding before he begins to fall and he begins to siphon kinetic energy again. Based upon the position of the moons, it will increase the distance he can jump, the time he is able to hold himself in the air, and even being able to simulate actual flight for some time.

Death's Hammer

Death's Hammer- Kol uses his Force energy to do a great leap, as once he begins to fall, he starts inputting more of his energy into the fall until impact, where he absorbs the Force he would take from the destructive landing, at this point he causes a crushing blow on whatever he lands. Based upon where the moons are will change the power from a crushing blow that can destroy most stone, metal, and reinforcements, to the point where him landing the wrong way on the ground might send him into the earth too far for people to even think he might have broken into the Visitor's Table.

Dragon Skin

Dragon Skin- Kol uses force energy to defend himself from all kinds of external attacks, making his body able to take bolts and ballista to the chest and keep running, explosions at point-blank and laugh it off, or even intense heats for an extended period of time without as much as a burn.

Essence__ _ _ _ _

Owl's Wisdom

Owl's Wisdom- Anytime Kol wishes to end his rage or any other substances or changes within him, Kol cleanses himself of any foreign substances, calms his mind, and steadies his body. This takes less time based upon the position of the moons, with the base being 30 seconds before his body is put back into a normal equilibrium and counteracting any internal changes forced upon him.

Wolf's Cry

Wolf's Cry- Kol can fill a willing target with energy, vigor, and power allowing them to have visions of beasts empowering them. Giving these people short-lived boosts of power and energy makes them more ferocious than any man. The duration of this, the power, and the number of people he can target increase based on where the moons are.

Wyvern's rage

Wyvern's Rage- When he sees a fire he can 'fill it' with the rage of Wyverns. This increases the intensity, and the heat, but makes the fire die out faster if not around enough burnable items. Often these are completely uncontrolled, as the fires will run rampant out of his control, yet this is often fine as the chaos is normally in the middle of the enemy. Based upon where the moons are and the amount of fuel, the fire and explosion can range from a small blue flame to that of an inferno and explosive wave able to wipe out a small village.

Dragon's Domination

Dragon's Domination- Kol fills a target with visions of roaring beasts, instilling varying levels of hesitation, anxiety, fear, or even incapacitating people. Based upon the positions of the moons, will increase the power as he can fill the target with more of his visions, to the point where he can possibly even kill someone from a pure overload of chemicals.

Arcane__ _ _ _ _

Dragon's Breath

Dragon's Breath- Kol focuses arcane energy at his mouth as he simulates a scream, this is when he starts to pour out the arcane energy into a stream of hot fire that reaches out about 50 or so feet at the base. Based upon the position of the moons, he will be able to make the fire hotter, larger, and stretch out farther, to the point where he is breathing out white-hot fires that incinerate swaths of trees in a moment.

Draconic Touch

Draconic Touch- Kol covers his hands in a layer of fire as it gives him the ability to burn anything he touches, leaving fire on that he hits, and able to burn close wounds in an instant. Based upon where the moons are, it will increase the power he can put into the fires, the heat, and the intensity, yet can become uncontrollable and start to burn him if he is not careful.

Dragon's Presence

Dragon's Presence- Kol radiates an intense heat in the direction of an attack to either melt the object or overpower the attack. This gets stronger and stronger based upon where the moons are, to the point where he can have an intense aura around him that can incinerate nearly anything.

Death's Touch

Death's Touch- Kol learned to draw from the heat of a target, using their energy to fight with, if they produce a lot of heat, they are just fueling your fire, like when he faced against the Mørkt Fjell. However, if they are a normal person, Kol is able to pull enough energy from someone to knock them out if not outright kill them. And based on the position of the moons, this can be done as easily as a simple glance.

Original__ _ _ _ _

Mørk Tilstedeværelse

Mørk Tilstedeværelse (Dark Presence)- An intense heat begins to emanating and surround Kol as his face begins to twist and contort into a visage of a maddened demon. His veins begin to protrude, his muscles swell, and an emanating aura of heat begins to surround him. His attacks become more ferocious, every hit after the other seems more powerful, his speed increases dramatically, the heat grows more intense, and his body begins to look like it is darkening into a deep crimson. The heat creates mirages and images within it, many say they see a beast, a demon, a devil, but some swear by the idea that it is the soul of the Mørkt Fjell he wears on his back.

What is occuring

Kol is using multiple spells in tandem to enact this demonic frenzy-like state. As he hits, moves, or leaps, he draws and takes in the kinetic energy he would take from the reverse reaction or recoil, channeling in the energy either to keep his controlled rage and physical enhancments up, put into his next hit, or channel the energy he can not contain out into the heat surrounding him.

This was made in mimicry when Kol faced the Tyrannus Monsignus, the power it displayed, the near frenzy it went into, the heat and near-indestructible nature inspired Kol, more enlightened him, and heightened his power, as this tandem of spells and power came about in the midst of the fighting with the Monsignus, allowing him to fight the beast with ferocity and power that was able to hurt it, break it's scales, and through the teamwork of Hildr, Hrothgar, and himself eventually felled the once invincible beast.

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

❖ Combat Savant- Being born his size, with instincts of a honed warrior, and a love of fighting made Kol a monster who has yet to see an equal in single combat. His skills with unarmed combat is matched by few if any and his reaction speeds are of an otherworldly nature. His powers with the Gift is otherworldly as when met under the moons few if any can match the sheer power he can generate.
❖ Strategy, Tactics, and Leadership- Kol is a fighter at heart but to be a good king you must know how to best lead your people, if it is through famine, war, or hunts, a King must lead his people, to inspire them. Kol is very skilled at this, being trained from a young age to become king after his father, and then needing to employ those skills to stabilize a near collapsing kingdom had proved his skills as a leader. While in war Kol is will often be in the vanguard, giving orders from there as he can see the battlefield change and enact his own strategies most directly.
❖ Tireless- From his many hunts, participation in war parties, and travels, Kol has become preternaturally able to stay awake, operate, and fight for days on end.
❖ Hard Worker- Not only to better himself for fighting but also to make sure he is constantly updated on his realm and the happenings to best take care of his people. He often makes sure he is ahead of the curve on many things, when he knows a dip in food will happen, he will often already have prepared for such an occasion. The same thing applies to combat, as often he trains and spars with others, often trying to figure out everything that could come at him and his people in battle, and eventually teaching counters and other such things to raise the skill of his people.

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

❖ Obstinate- When he believes in a course of action, almost nothing can dissuade him, even to the point where reason falls upon deaf ears.
❖ Honorable/Gullible- Unlike what is expected of his people, Kol has honor in a fight, tricks, subterfuge, and other such things are not within his being. Leaving where if someone is to surrender, he often leaves them alone, he just asks them to leave the battlefield. This has often led him to be taken advantage of, but it has not dissuaded his nature.
❖ Overconfident- Kol is very confident in his skills, killing the creatures he has, and fighting the way he does leads to such things, he often faces multiple people at once without care, and it sometimes leaves him more injured than he needed to be.
❖ Low Impulse Control- Kol is often controlled by his impulses, leading to where he will say what is on his mind the moment it comes up, often losing himself in battle from the joy he has from it, or even wandering around as he feels and sometimes getting lost.
❖ Hazardous- Kol is often a Hazard when he is to go all out in a fight. He will often cause massive shockwaves, heat storms, infernos, knockout his own people with chemical overloads, and destroy entire areas easily if he is not careful of his power output when the moons are up.

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

❖ Crimson- I use the word not any code.
❖ Kol means Dark or Victory of the People
❖ Blood Brother of Hildr and Vali, thinks of Vali like a little brother.
❖ The reason Kol keeps a clean face is that he would look like his father, and he hates the very notion that beast was his father.
❖ If Deep Arcane/Atomic wasn't so much studying and theoretical work, Kol would be irradiating everything around him and shooting laser beams.

[Siber]

Tilda

Tilda Ulo'ng__ _ _ _ _

32 | FEMALE | DRUDGUNZE | FORCE | BARD__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

From black hair to her brown and darkened garbs, Tilda is lean and fit, and though she presents herself as someone to forget, her songs are to be remembered. With a small physique yet nimble limbs, she manages to glide through larger crowds when she wishes to be unnoticed, as the songs she creates are not born of solely her creativity, but rather her ancestors, heroes, and folk tales and their stories of courage, hope, and the reality of situations. Tilda is a bard that hopes to remind people of history, and that if they want change, only they can spark it - but not herself. Tilda sees herself as a messenger, an unimportant pawn to grow the view of both history and Ipté. Tilda is a constant traveler because of this, and she doesn't see reason in attention to herself. More importantly, Tilda wishes to uncover her purpose - why she was given The Gift and the talent of music and song in the first place.

Tilda finds value in understanding, and expresses empathy to those who are having a down day. Though it provides temporary comfort to herself, Tilda enjoys healing the souls of others, especially if it happens to be by song or tale. On the contrary, when the woman gets minimal opportunity to perform, a sickening lack of self consciousness, self respect, and self confidence starts to show itself. In this state, Tilda isolates herself from necessary conversation. Overall, Tilda is a sad and lost soul who tries to thrive on mending other souls.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

Tilda was born to Henrue (80 years) and Drusae Ul'ong (73 years) in Salterberg, raised alongside two older siblings (Grimoire and Denne, both age 39)and a younger sibling (Christoff, deceased). Born to a rural lifestyle, Tilda was not born to sow seeds or grow cattle - that would be left to Grimoire and Denne to do, with Christoff being the one to run the family market while Henrue and Drusae taught Tilda what they could - the stories of the past.

Tilda was not the only one who was given The Gift. Her father showed small blood magic, often using it to heal both plants and creatures. Her older twin sisters, Grimoire and Denne, showed small amounts of force magic. Christoff was the only one of the four without The Gift, and he often confided in Tilda - at least until she was given The Gift herself, that of medium force magic, at that.

In the hubbub of the region and trying to find others to talk to now that her brother had left her be, Tilda took interest in the traveling caravans that performed. One of the bards there, Thyra from Eskand took interest in the then teenage Tilda, and taught her what she knew of instruments and songs. Tilda trained 4 years under Thyra, watching and learning from her stories and performances in Salterburg. At her offer, though, Tilda refused to join her in her caravan - though she knew she would travel in her future, she felt as if her family needed her for a while. She wouldn't stop her interest in song, she just needed time to prepare herself for the world.

It was when she tried reconvening with her brother that an incident happened. A mistake, she told herself. An accident of nature, she told her parents. It wasn't her fault that the wood creaked under Christoff's feet the more he spewed words of twisted despise towards The Gift. It wasn't her fault that the bridge seemed to collapse over the river - she had tried to save him!

But her mana was all but spent. Not even her overexerting herself saved him. She was found by Denne a few hours later, passed out near the bank of the river, lucky enough not to have been dragged in as well.

Tilda spent many months in isolation, plucking away at her lute and often heard singing to herself. Occasionally, one could have seen her using her Force magic to enhance the song, per say. This was Tilda's first written song - of her brother, a story that her parents and sisters knew not completely, having been told white lies at the time of the incident. After a few more creations of folk heroes, Tilda performed for her first time.

From there, she traveled, trying to spread her parents', Thyra's, and her own stories. Tilda never made any songs about recent heroes, mainly because she believed that they were getting enough praise as is.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

Longsword of Faiths - Said to have been passed down to the youngest daughter, this thin longsword requires dexterous hands to handle. For Tilda, it is more of a sentimental item than a weapon, though she will use it if she needs to in close-quarters. Etched into the handle are the symbols for Ipté, Chune, Oraphe, Echeran, and Dami, with an inscription on the blade that reads: "May the faiths guide you".
Lute - A worn lute that has seen better days, Tilda uses this for performances.
Viol (AKA: Viola/Fiddle) - A more pristine instrument that Tilda rarely takes out.
Compass - Made herself, Tilda has a compass that has decorative vines and leaves carved into the exterior wood.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Auditory - From the chirps of songbirds to the screams of the damned, Tilda can use noise to her advantage - whether to distract, enamor, encourage, or disturb others in combat or in performance.
Telekinesis (Defensive) - As a reaction defense, Tilda can use her limited telekinesis to block an expected melee attack against her with her longsword. She can also use her telekinesis to play and make her instruments hover in the air.
Support - Tilda can grant buffs to ally speed and power behind their melee or ranged strikes, granted that they are not magical. In addition, she can debuff an enemy by making their attacks harder to perform, as if their weapons had greater resistance.
Five Wheel Rating: 2.5
Favored School: Force

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

❖ Tilda is a natural empath and a good listener.
❖ Tilda is forgiving and patient, allowing her to be a good advisor.
❖ Tilda is good at hiding her emotions when she wishes to be seen otherwise. She finds it most difficult to stay as a charismatic persona for a while.

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

❖ Tilda lacks a sense of self-worth, often putting others in front of herself to a fault.
❖ Tilda is not good at making decisions, nor being responsible for anything important.
❖ Tilda is visibly weary around bridges, whether they be around water or up high in mountains.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

Your character's hex code and any other miscellaneous information. Feel free to use bullet points.
❖ Hex code 1: #08D4F7
❖ Hex code 2: #F72B08

[udonoodles]

reposting my cs here as per the discord announcement:

Edmund Hereward

Edmund Hereward__ _ _ _ _

54 | M A L E | P A R R E N C E | F O R C E & B L O O D | W A R L O C K__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

Edmund is an unnerving man to be in the presence of: He is taller than most men, his thin limbs and fingers giving him a ghastly silhouette when cloaked in his wardrobe of blacks and whites. Red gloves complete his sinister attire, made of fine silk paid for with blood money. He keeps his distance from others physically and emotionally, his body language remaining guarded as he speaks, his words carefully selected so as not to betray any more information than he would like. He is measured and withdrawn, a being of logic and stability. He rarely if ever reveals an emotion around others, and his parlance is taciturn and to the point.
Yet, behind the veneer of the enigmatic, unsettling "Black Duke", as those close to him have come to know him—lies a man of great complexity with a startling vision for the world.

Edmund's worldview hinges on a simple principle: He believes that all life, above everything else, seeks peace of mind. Humans are driven into conflict because they have perverted the natural order, demanding more than is needed. Animals will only attack when their territory—their peace of mind—is threatened. Humans, however, hold excess and desire in the most noble regard, and so endlessly pursue it at the cost of security. Thus, the goal of a noble man should be to equalise: The ideal world is one in which all people have the same, without hierarchy, existing as a collective rather than battling amongst each other.

Edmund, however, acknowledges this world is not one he lives in. And so, he fights tooth and nail to ensure his peace of mind.
This is his main drive: How can he stay secure, and clear his mind of worry? Thus, his moral system is one which revolves entirely around himself. He is not amoral, nor bloodthirsty: He does not enjoy killing or causing suffering, nor does he have any desire to manipulate or harm others for simple fun. However, he is not opposed to any of this should it bring him peace of mind—he will bring conflicts to an end if such a conflict would cause him anxiety, and likewise kill, lie and steal if it meant protecting his livelihood.
Still, Edmund is human, and he cannot shake the twinge of remorse that strikes when he is forced to commit "evil" acts—if there is a less harmful path to take, he will opt for it. Still, he will do as he must, in the end.

Though he masks it well in public, Edmund is in fact quite an emotionally turbulent individual. He is prone to mood swings, especially into anxiety and paranoia. Easily is his mind disturbed, latching onto troubling thoughts or small moments of negativity and inflating them. Rather than discouraging him, however, these thoughts drive him—though, if driven too deep into paranoia, he is prone to rash decisions in a desperate attempt to silence his mind.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

Though he is known as a wealthy and respectable businessman, Edmund was not always a member of the aristocracy. Born into a farming family, the young Edmund was an ambitious child, striving for greatness from an early age. His father encouraged these pursuits, putting forward what little funds they had in an effort to educate the boy. It was thanks to this that Edmund's shrewd business sense began to develop, and as he grew, he began devising various methods through which his family farm could improve: Optimal crop rotation, chemical compounds to improve soil quality—but his greatest strength was his shrewd business sense, which led his humble family farm to expand considerably. No longer would they be subsistence farmers—now they were merchants, selling their bountiful produce.

As their fortunes turned, and the money began to roll in, Edmund was overwhelmed with a profound sense of peace. He had found security in life: A path was clearly laid out for him, and there would be no uncertainty or unpleasant surprises. He could tell exactly how his life would go, and that brought him tremendous calm.

Until the competitors began to arise, and his position as merchant to the esteemed was challenged. Jackals, that’s what these charlatans were—con-men selling subpar snake oil packaged as fine cuisine for the most eminent of epicureans. They dared to challenge his expertly grown produce, muscle in on his market with their cheap peasant slop? He’d see them ousted, whatever it took.

And what it took was just a few deals with businessmen of a less savoury stripe: They would make sure accidents befell shipments, produce was spoiled, carriage drivers intimidated out of their jobs. In return, Edmund would slip a modest sum under the table for them, overlook the stolen valuables and contraband sneaked into the back of his shipments. And if these associates got too big for their boots…Well, surely, the enforcers of justice would believe the story of a noble merchant, intimidated into compliance by the brutish thugs and criminals?

Finally, Edmund believed himself to be truly untouchable. That was, until whispering of war began to reach his ears—a war that could totally upturn his livelihood, his network, everything he’d worked for. He would not stand for this: He would do all it took to protect the kingdom in which he made his living. Though, if the enemy offered him parlay…Well, he’d go wherever loyalty was valued the most./

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

-A steel dagger, with a jagged lightning-bolt shaped edge, similar to an Indonesian Kris.
-A notebook and pencil. In this notebook, Edmund writes just about anything relevant to his interests.
-A pocket mirror, for making himself presentable for business meetings.
-Various vials and burlap pouches for carrying small possessions.
-A smooth cloak made of expensive material, which Edmund can use as bedding in a pinch.
-A plain white porcelain mask worn when consorting with criminals.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Third Wheel - Force and Blood - Bloodchild
While not one to rush into battle perhaps as keenly as some others, Edmund nonetheless recognises the importance of self defence. For this purpose, he mainly leans into practising Blood magic: Its versatility in both defence and offence makes it a boon to have when repelling enemy assaults. He focuses heavily on its ability to shape constructs from matter, controlling the flow of battle by constructing obstacles for his enemies and opportunities for himself and his allies. He is a master of zoning out the battlefield, making himself difficult to approach and employing traps and projectiles to frustrate his enemy’s attempts to close the distance.

In a similar vein, his secondary school of Force allows him considerable mobility, as well as an added method of controlling his environment. He bounces sound around to confuse the enemy of his position, throwing himself about and levitating to quickly reposition. However, while able-bodied, Edmund is nowhere close to the physical strength and endurance of most other combatants—thus, he is in trouble if his opponent does catch him, and the ability of Force to empower one’s physical attacks is mostly useless to him. Nonetheless, he is a slippery opponent indeed, utilising his powers like a trickster to disorient and tire his opponent.

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

❖ Intelligence - Edmund is a learned and scholarly man, with knowledge in a variety of subjects, as well as the wit to apply it practically.
❖ Business sense, both legitimate and illegitimate - A shrewd businessman, Edmund understands the art of the deal quite well. He is no stranger to shadier deals, as well, and has an intimate knowledge of the criminal underworld's customs.
❖ Silver tongued - Befitting of a businessman, Edmund is a persuasive individual with good people skills. He can rouse morale in the most crestfallen, and convince even the stubbornest of them to see things his way.
❖ Determined - Edmund is incredibly driven, and is not easily deterred from what he desires. He will continue to pursue his goal where others would succumb to despair, his willpower seeing him through to the end.

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

❖ Selfish - Edmund looks after himself above all else, and despises self-sacrifice, even when necessary.
❖ Paranoid - Edmund is easily spooked, worrying far too much for his own good.
❖ Close-minded - Edmund is stubborn, and often insistent on his way. He is slow to accept new ideas, and would spurn the advice of even a sage if it contradicted his own view.
❖ Controlling - Edmund is cunning and manipulative to a detriment, and struggles to form genuine connections with others. This often leads to them mistrusting him, and makes loyalty difficult for him to earn.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

❖ Hex - c42a21

[Force and Fury]

@Siber Okay, so I've read the CS and I like her angle a lot. I want to see where it leads her for sure! She uses force magic in a very cool way too and makes being a bard believable in terms of being helpful. A few minor issues below:

1) The names. Remember that we're not just in a generic fantasy setting here. Drudgunzean names should remind us of names from Germanic tribes. Eskandr names should have a Norse/Viking feel to them. 'Jenny' ain't gonna make the cut, haha.

That's honestly about it, actually... Otherwise, you're good to go!

[Force and Fury]

@udonoodles Thanks for the repost. Just makes it easier to keep track of things that way! As for the CS, I like Edmund's angle quite a bit. He's cold and quasi-villainous without being a caricature and... honestly not really so much a villain as a believably ruthless individual of his day and age. He's loyal but ultimately for his own reasons as opposed to anything less tangible. As for some small amendments and recommendations, I might offer the following:

1) Just keep nomenclature of the time period and ethnic group analogues in mind. Edmund Hereward passes muster... barely. Maybe something else just to make it sound a bit more archaic than high medieval. That's ultimately a nitpick on my part, however. This is, however, a somewhat French-analogous society, so try to keep that inn mind as well.

2) Just make sure that you're not making their society sound a bit too structured and advanced. maybe a bit more emphasis on how he's genuinely an innovator in bringing in new crop rotations and in establishing networks of trade that have fallen into neglect after the collapse of the empire. Maybe his services in that regard have been so valuable that the king has ennobled him.

3) Maybe some distinction between merchant and businessman, because the former would've been the common term in his day. Why does he personally think of himself as the latter? That could be interesting to explore!

4) Might want to specify that his family were yeoman farms as opposed to regular peasants. That makes his rise a bit more believable. They were respectable and better off than most other farmers but still a very far cry from privileged.

Overall, I really appreciate his angle and look forward to seeing him in this roleplay!

[Force and Fury]

Hi everyone! The following is just a repost of what went up on the Sipenta Discord, for those of you who aren't on it yet!

Take the weekend to work on your CSes. For ease of reading and comparison, these all must be posted in the Oriflamme OOC by Wednesday Noon GMT-4. No submissions after that time or in other places will be accepted. At all. No matter what. I just have a ton of stuff to keep track of and honestly just don't have time to go searching through old threads, linked docs, and DMs. Make my life easy and I'll have more time and energy to keep working on this awesome world we've all agreed to play in. Anyways, the sheets will be reviewed and we will have our roster for the RP posted by Thursday morning. Looking super forward to kicking this thing off!

-Force and Fury
_{(neither forceful nor furious)}

[A Lowly Wretch]

Nettle

Nettle__ _ _ _ _

15 | Female | Undecided | Essence, Blood & Arcane. | Witch__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

Her skin is pale unto the point of looking almost undead due to just how little sun one sees when living under the thick canopies of Lindermetz Swamp. Despite the vaguely deathly looking state of her skin it is without blemish, smooth and clear save for the stains of the materials she's worked with and the few callouses on her hands earned from climbing and working with plants. Though she typically tends to keep her head down and wear a mild-mannered expression her slim face tends to bring out her eyes that possess a deep dark nephrite green colour. Her hair which hangs down to the middle of her back curves with a modest wave and is a rich yet dark moss green colour.

Standing at 140 centimeters she is a rather thinly built person. Her physique would make a quail seem buff in comparison. She is not as wholly feeble as she appears but she is no physical powerhouse by any means.

For attire she dons a long dark brown robe, the darker color being ideal for concealing the many stains it has accrued both in the swamp and throughout her crafts. It has a big hood which is handy in rough weather. Her long abundance of hair is mostly tucked into the back though her front bangs hang out the front of the hood, covering her face for the most part when she has her hood up. For footwear she wears a pair of big hide boots that look several sizes too large on her feet. They were a gift from one of her fellow orphans, sewn together from the hide of a rat of unusual size that was strangled to death by strugglethorn briars. Hanging from her shoulder by a hide strap is a large bag crafted from a portion of the stomach of a large boar. She typically carries a long crook with her wherever she goes, this wooden tool having been treated with a special resin to keep it from decaying.

Having grown up as an orphan in the Lindermetz Swamp she was bound to be a strange sort. With thanks to the Mother-Father she along with eight others survived in a wild region where close to everything was poisonous and somewhat on the larger scale when compared to species found in tamer wilderness. The Mother-Father however was not a being with a terrifying lot in common with more... Conventional societies. She's been raised with a great knowledge of plants, the swamp and magic but in exchange she's learned nearly nothing in regards to civilized society.

What some see as being distant and spaced out others might see as simply being a rather reserved individual. Both would probably be correct to some extent as far as that's concerned. She is quite mild tempered and takes most problems in similar stride. She prefers to think her way through situations rather than power through things. Nettle is not very outspoken either and she tends to remain distant in most matters. This attitude is not solely out of a fear of confrontation but rather her tendency to get absorbed in her own thoughts, often preferring to dwell on matters that pertain to her pursuits rather than on tangential matters. Some might accuse her of being antisocial but her lack of socialization with others is not out of an aversion to social interaction but rather an unfamiliarity with societal norms.

With having spent pretty close to her whole life in the Lindermetz Swamp she's most at home in the natural world. She's somewhat distrustful of the civilized world given what she's been taught of man by Mother-Father. Even still she's willing to brave any danger should it lead her closer to Mother-Father.

The Mother-Father gave her and the fellow orphans love when their own parents rejected them. She will do nearly anything to bring that back.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

Her story begins before she was even born, her father a wandering Yasoian bard who spun tales and weaved magic with song wherever he went. Passing through a village on his winding journey he met Nettle's mother, bedding her on that fateful night before venturing onward to new horizons. As for her mother however she remained, living a simple life as a baker's daughter until after many months Nettle was born into their incomplete family.

Though she looked strange the village tentatively accepted the new member of their community. This would not last for long however as shortly after her first birthday Nettle was abducted during the night. Snatched away she was taken into a massive swamp not too far away. It's dense canopy and wet muck reached far and wide within the land of Lindermetz. It was there that she was raised by the mysterious figure that identified itself solely as Mother-Father. The Mother-Father was an enigmatic figure, a misshapen one that lurked beneath a thick cloak which was bound down in ropes, covering every inch of itself. The Mother-Father wore two masks, one for each of it's two identities spun into a singular entity.

Nettle was not the first child to be brought into the swamp. She was in fact the ninth, eight other children preceding her. They all held one truth in common: They possessed an uncannily strong magical potential.

The Mother-Father raised them all as their own, teaching them the ways of the swamp and of magic. They each learned to thrive within the swamp in their own special way, the Mother-Father guiding their lessons to best suit their talents. What the Mother-Father's intentions for them were were completely unknown to them and as far as they were concerned the Mother-Father was simply a caring, loving teacher and parent to them all. It taught them many things indeed, giving them knowledge in many things but distorting this knowledge in many ways. They were told they were shaped directly by the gods who created these lands, The Mother and The Father. They were given no understanding of reproduction aside from it's context in animals, being told that their own bodies were fundamentally different. This was only the tip of the iceberg in what was the children of the swamp's slanted education from the Mother-Father.

Then one day it simply vanished. The children searched everywhere but Mother-Father was nowhere to be found, no trace of them left behind for them to find. They were Despondent, having lost such a beloved figure from their family with no trail to pursue. After much grieving a few of them were left crest-fallen, returning to their usual business. Nettle and a couple others decided not to surrender to despair, each turning to different methods of trying to locate Mother-Father. One started searching deep within caverns, losing themself in a fathomlessly deep network of tunnels as they explored deep within the earth for signs of where Mother-Father went. Another turned to a more scientific method, performing different magical experiments to try and perceive signs beyond the five moons of their Mother-Father's location. Nettle however decided to try and explore past the borders of the swamp, something that Mother-Father had warned them never to do. They were told that the world beyond was corrupted with hateful beings that were similar in appearance but entirely different from them in all other aspects.

It was dangerous, to be sure, but Nettle decided she would be the one to brave the dangers of the world if it meant finding Mother-Father. She set forth on a bold adventure into this strange new world...

And was immediately captured for trespassing on the kings land. She understood their language for the Mother-Father had taught them some basics in case beasts from the outer world attempted to try and steal away their homes. Still, she had no real clue what was going on or why, now a prisoner awaiting trial for her crime against King Otto of Lindermetz.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

She carries:
A wooden crook treated with resin to keep from rotting.
A satchel wrought from a boar's stomach & sinew.
A small metal censer gifted unto her by the Mother-Father for use in casting and in prayer.
A pouch of inert cattle fly eggs.
A pouch of inert long-bottom roach eggs.
Several Strugglethorn Briar clippings.
A pouch of deadly Cottonwisp spores.
A stone knife for cutting & protection should all else fail.
Several varied pouches of assorted powdered curatives.
A dried leg of a rodent of unusual size, a species native to the swamp.
Several varied pouches of assorted poisonous herbs.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

Blood Type: Greengrowth.
Fifth Wheel.

Though she is only barely pass the cusp of qualifying as one of the Fifth Wheel she is one all the same and commands the amount of power one expects out of someone with that qualifier. Though young and with much to learn she knows plenty of spells taught to her by Mother-Father. Due to her uniquely inefficient method of drawing she has been taught to utilize her environment, turning areas around her into a harsh swamp that can quickly become a death trap to those unwelcomed by her. Through deploying and empowering naturally dangerous flora & fauna, creating obscuring mists that can cover great distances and overall controlling the state of the environment with enough preparation she has the ability to swallow entire armies within the very swamp she naturally brings with her. She's also accustomed to twinning magic with her diminutive size to help her avoid predators, masking her scent with essence magic, dulling the heat of her body to avoid a serpent's gaze, dimming the light so she may creep in the dark and more.

Nettle also holds a fairly vast amount of knowledge regarding plants, weaving their effects unto living flesh to help mend and cure... Or poison and disable.

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

❖ Herbology: Her understanding of flora from her land is vast, her mind a veritable repository of knowledge regarding each plant, their properties and preferred conditions.

❖ Animal Ken: Having lived in the swamp all her life she's come to understand very many beasts, becoming familiar with the ways of wild creatures. She is not foolish enough to mistake understanding for friendship but she is able to tell much about even animals she's never seen before largely based on tells exposed through their behavior. The language of the wild is a vast medley but body language is a very common one. Even humans speak it, though they are often not aware of it.

❖ Wilderness Survival: There are many things that come with surviving in the wild. It is more than just knowing which plants are poisonous and how to start a fire. Being able to tell if a predator is stalking you, being able to avoid a beasts's keen senses, being able to move without leaving a trail to be stalked by, being able to seek food in whatever form it may lie, these are just a few of the things one learns when surviving in relative solitude out in the harsh wilds of the great swamp.

❖ Keen Learner: Nettle is among the most curious of her siblings, such is why she left the swamp to begin with. She takes to learning well, possessing an almost yasoian level of curiosity and focus. Hers is a keen mind and she picks up details with ready ease.

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

❖ Diminutive Stature: With her minute height and naturally feeble body structure she'd have trouble fighting off a rodent of unusual size, let alone a grown adult that works for a living.

❖ Sheltered: Having spent her whole life in a swamp being fed mixes of truth and lies about the world by a strange being it's only natural that she is poorly prepared to suddenly drop into society. What knowledge she holds of nature she inversely holds in the ways of things that lay beyond the swamp's borders.

❖ Half-Blooded: Being part Yasoi her appearance makes her stand out quite noticeably in public regardless of whether she stands amongst humans or yasoi. She is different no matter where she is.

❖ Set Up Caster: A large part of Nettle's casting currently involves setting up the terrain to her advantage, laying traps and avoiding direct confrontation. While deadly to attack if she's in her element if she's ambushed or otherwise attacked before she'd had her chance to set up some defenses then she's at a firm disadvantage casting-wise.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

❖ hex code

Per gm's request here is my CS in the OOC.

[Ti]

Lion Knight - Character Sheet

Lion Knight - Character Sheet

Asier Arslan__ _ _ _ _

3 2 | M A L E | P A R R E N C E | T H U N D E R | K N I G H T R I D E R__ _ _ _ _

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S__ _ _ _ _

❖ [ Tourrare ]

Asier is one of the Tourrare, a founding tribe of Parrence which occupies the northeastern steppes. The area is an important pastoral land. It's sparsely populated, and has an arid climate. Due to this geography, the communities are more isolated and distinct from one another compared to the other regions of Parrence.
Asier was a son of a Horseman, born and raised in Hierbamonte (Perrench: Herbeumont), which was later granted as his fief when ennobled by King Arcel to Baron of House Arslan.
The Tourrare are typically passionate people, known for their warm hospitality and close familial ties, often villages would offer children to forge close unions between them. They are also territorial people, having a strong dislike of those from the outside telling them what to do. This can lead to conflicts with lords from the other four Parrence tribes who attempt to impose their rank in efforts to rule them, leading to a rebellious and an unruly reputation.
Asier being seen as a local Tourrare lord has not faced opposition to his guidance of the people, with the Tourrare seeing themselves more represented under the wise rule of King Arcel with one of their own being in his favour.

❖ [ Family ]

Asier is a proud family man. He married a local huntsman daughter, Giselle, who has so far successfully birthed their daughter Maëlle. He plans to have many more children, though the demands of Parrence keep him away from his wives’ bed. Unfortunately during this time period, the infant mortality rate is high, so many attempts are made to expand the family.
Giselle is a proud and independent woman, running the homestead in Asier’s absence and building support for him at home by acting in his name. Behind every good ruler, there is a great wife.
Maëlle is cherished and beloved, a father’s daughter, who is often found riding upon the horses. She is treated like a Princess, with ponies as far as the eyes can see.

❖ [ Lieutenant du roi ]

After his success in leading the defence during the Battle of Sarnia, Asier in commendation was ennobled by King Arcel to serve as his Lieutenant and granted the title of Baron Arslan. Asier is appointed to serve as Lieutenant-Général in a Governor's absence, and check on their conduct when present. This position allows opportunity for growth, able to learn from the best in the kingdom on the matters of warfare. It is said that King Arcel hopes Asier to make use of his position to become one of his trusted chess pieces in the creation of the Parrence Empire.

❖ [ Blue-Eyes ]

The Arslan family is renowned for their characteristic sapphire blue eyes, Asier is the same. He is 5ft 7 (1.7m) in height, his body is lean with muscle from years of raising horses, built for stamina. He has long black hair which is tied back in a knot, with his beard braided on the sides of his chin. His body was scarred with a number of scratches, cuts, and cuffs from hard living as well as some earned on the battlefield.

L E G E N D__ _ _ _ _

The Lion of Tourrare / The Lion Knight

In the mythology of House Arslan, its progenitor, Asier holds one of the prime places as a legendary dynasty figure alongside others such as heroine-tyrant Alizée Arslan, the Red Lioness, and the untold story of Ayla Arslan, Lion Cub of Varrahasta.

Asier Arslan, the Lion of Tourrare is depicted as a Parrench knight who embodied the epitome of chivalry, and played a key role in the service of King Arcel in repelling the Eskandr hordes. His hair is as long as a lion’s mane, brilliant sapphic blue eyes, tall in body, thick in muscle, wearing radiant plate armour. He gained the favour of the mythical king of beasts, Arslan, who empowered him with the might and bravery of a lion. It is said that Asier was such a heroic figure, that it was Arslan himself who also served as his steed. It is after this blessing that House Arslan was born, after the mighty king of beasts. He was accompanied by a lion pride in battle, a literal one man army as he slew the great Eskandr scourge, Ragnar Jörmungandrson, the Blood Baron.

Over the generations, oral traditions have greatly embellished Asier’s story. Perrench historic texts are very scant on the details, with little evidence pointing to the existence of Asier Arslan. The Arslan’s of Torragon have challenged Perrench historians on the grounds that they have rewritten history for propaganda, diminishing the importance of Tourrare people in the founding of their nation.

It is said that History is written by the victors. What remains of the true story of Asier Arslan is to be seen.

B A C K G R O U N D__ _ _ _ _

House Arslan. The Lion’s Pride.

Asier was born of a humble Tourrare Horseman in the village of Hierbamonte in the Northeastern Steppes of Parrence. Horses are the main trade of the region, the people rearing them for generations since the days before the rise and fall of the Avincian Empire. Following his fathers footsteps, he tended, managed, and rode the horses. He often played with the others from the village, growing close to one of the neighbours' daughters, Giselle. It was through her father, the local huntsman, he learnt the ways of the spear and the bow. He grew up to marry his childhood sweetheart, Giselle, who bore him the daughter Maëlle.

Whilst raids were commonplace in the early Parrence kingdom, it was during these early days that he was called to war to defend the northern border from Zuyr incursions, serving in the cavalry. It was in the forge of battle where his skills trained as a huntsman were tempered into that of a warrior. It was through battle he learnt to harass his gift, the abundance of metal allowed him to develop his power, finding practical use for it on the battlefield, greatly enhancing his defence and offence. It was during a disastrous battle at Sarnia, where he fought against the mammoth Zuyr King Aheri. Many were slew before the giant, the doors about to breach. It was said that during these final moments of defeat, Asier roared like a lion, heart swollen with courage as he battled the behemoth to a stand still. It was said that it was Asier prowess in battle and bravery that stemmed the tide, earning him the reputation of the Lion Knight, but this would be a disservice to the events that transpired, and the incompetence shown by the Parrence leadership.

News of the battle had reached King Arcel’s ears, a king of wise judgement, ennobled Asier to that of Baron, taking on the name of Arslan, meaning Lion, for the courage and bravery shown. Granted the Fief of Hierbamonte, he was offered the opportunity of respite to consolidate his position, before being called to war as Lieutenant du roi to serve the King against the Eskandr menace.

I N V E N T O R Y__ _ _ _ _

Asier wearing leather armour with plate pieces.

❖ [ Weapons ]

Tourrare Compound Bow, Cavalry Spear, Avincian Spatha.

❖ [ Armour ]

Lightweight leathers with metallic plates used to amplify defensive magic.

❖ [ Steed ]

Owns five Lusitano horses. Arpegiar, Espirito, Fresa, Jerónimo, and Peonía.

❖ [ Gear ]

Transports gear used to maintain the horses, camping, travelling, and military.

T H E G I F T__ _ _ _ _

No formal training. Third Wheel.

❖ [ Thunder ]

Main gift used. This has been honed for defensive purposes, used to divert and deflect attacks by metallic weapons by repelling them. Can be used to attract metal, increasing accuracy. Subtle use of the gift.

❖ [ Force ]

Can be used to increase the power of attacks and penetration depth of arrows and his spear.

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

❖ [ Courage ]

Asier is known for his courage in battle, especially when the odds are stacked against him, acting bravely for the greater good. This is not to be mistaken for foolhardy, as he will not blindly charge into the fray, but he has survived a charge where the outcome assumed would have been his death when battling Aheri.

❖ [ Tactician ]

As a Horseman, plays the role of Skirmisher, Flanker, Scout, and Raider. By using mobility on the battlefield, can exploit the enemies weaknesses and direct troops where appropriate. Favours mobility based tactics, such as cutting off supply lines, routing troops, etc. Very limited in static battles. During the battle of Sarnia, cut the Zuyr forces from their supplies by setting fire to their ships, trapping them on the island, forcing them to assault the garrison earlier than planned and without adequate preparation.

❖ [ Animal Husbandry ]

Raised as a Horseman, rearing and attending horses, able to horse whisper to tame an unruly animal. Skills have some transferable success with other species of animal. Travels often with multiple horses, transferring between them to prevent from becoming exhausted and maintaining a high speed.

❖ [ Reputation: Lion Knight ]

See Also: Leadership
Accomplishments at the Battle of Sarnia gives a positive response in matters involving battle, fighting, and warfare. Seeing him on the battlefield provides a morale boost to troops who know of him, allowing them to feel more secure in their victory.

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

❖ [ Tourrare ]

The tribe of Tourrare are known to be ‘a bit different’ when it comes to the people of Parrence. This may be having differing customs, alternative words, pronunciation, or accent. Some stigma as some may take issue with this. They are seen as unruly and uncivilised compared to the other four tribes.

❖ [ Peasant Born ]

Also see: Literacy
Being ennobled is a high honour, but this is not shared with other nobles who lineages before the time of the Avincian empire. There is resentment towards newly created lords, as if it dilutes the meaning and prestige of titles. Stigma from Nobility class as they are resistant to being impressed, “They all say you’re great, but you look just like another smelly Tourrare horseman to me. Prove it”. Being peasant born has an impact on literacy, as Asier was trained only in basic letters for the purposes of trade.

❖ [ Social Intrigue ]

Asier has no experience with political intrigue. Used to the quiet life of the village where everyone knows everyone, strong familial networks, and no secret is able to remain hidden for long. Such a simple life is definitely no preparation for the court. There are many enemies in the shadows.

❖ [ Reputation: Lion Knight ]

Accomplishments at the Battle of Sarnia have caused envy and dislike from ambitious individuals who feel threatened and now view Asier as a rival. These may actively plot or attempt to discredit his name, or attempt to claim his accomplishments as their own.

C O L O U R C O D E & O T H E R__ _ _ _ _

Character's hex code.
❖ #0054a6