[CHAR] The Relics

[Ellri]

Character Sheet Template

Name:
Age:
Gender: (Or a disguise, doesn't have to be their real gender.)
Faction/Allegiance: (Whom does your character answer to? This can vary greatly, but at this point you have to be part of the same faction as another player, preferably loyal to either Othea, Kalesia, Kalnach or the Dominion of Idris.)
Relic Description: (Include the relics appearance and abilities)
Appearance: (if using a picture, please pick something that you’d get away with wearing in public and that would make sense for the era. Same goes for text-based description.)
Flaws: (The more, the merrier)
Skills: (What sort of non-relic skills/abilities make your character stand out?)
Biography: (you know, regular background stuff. Its up to you if you want to have just a couple of paragraphs or half an essay, but quality will trump quantity.)
Personality/motivation: (Explain how your character works. What makes it tick? What sort of quirks are there to him/her? What motivates him/her?)
Relations: (Does your character have any sort of relationship/relations with any of the others? Friendship? family? Sworn enemy? worked together? etc.)
Final Point - Secrets: (if you want something to be secret from the other players, PM it to the GMs. If you want something secret from other players' characters, specify that in the CS, and the others will respect it.)

If there is any point in the above framework you don’t feel works for you to fill out before playing a bit, you can skip it. One of the primary goals here is for the GMs to get a decent idea of what your character is like. Its not the end of the world if it turns out your character doesn’t work as first described, so don’t worry about making any mistakes in your concept.

We do not require a long CS from you. Quality is worth much more than quantity. A history and concept that doesn't go at odds with the lore. Some players enjoy using several pages of bio, others a couple of paragraphs. Either works, so long as it makes sense and fits the lore.

Character list

Living Player characters:

• Ellri - Angie Nic Cuán
• Sep - Kheris Otharion
• FallenReaper - Roan Adonis
• Enalais - Garet Havarr
• Echo - Alessia Rezalla-Rhidian

Living Non-player Characters:

• Ellri - Stevan Vlahovic

Deceased Characters:

• Ellri - Thora Thorvaldsdóttir
• Freeshooter92 - Baron Isaiah Markul (soon dead)

Abandoned Characters:

• Myth Dragon
• Teddy - Seth Alte-Erin

Character requests

Right now, the Relics primarily needs the following:

Otheans

As the kingdom all players currently are in, this is a natural choice to take. To give a frame of reference, Othea is similar to the typical medieval European kingdom, with nobles, merchants, clergy, knights in shiny armor and peasants. While the society has certain feudal tendencies, this is not quite as marked as it is in Kalnach.

Women have limited rights, but they can own property and have some influence on who they marry and such. While they can serve in the military, they tend to face discrimination when they do.
Primary religious group: Order of Idris (found in all orders of society)
Secondary religious groups: Old Othean (primarily found among the elderly), worship of the Kalesian fertility Goddess (primarily among the youth)

Evokers aren't popular, but they exist and aren't universally discriminated against.

Kalnachi

The citizens of Kalnach, Othea's northern neighbor, are numerous within Othea. While most Kalnachi are deeply religious, this is just as much out of personal belief as it is out of fear of the Inquisitors. For while the nobility and crown are technically the rulers of Kalnach, everyone knows that the real power rests in the hands of the Kalnachi inquisition.
In Kalnach, women have few rights. They can't own property, and their status in society hinges on that of their male relatives and/or that of their husbands. They are more than slaves, but not much more.
Sole religious group: Inquisitors of Kalnach

Male Evokers have the choice between serving the inquisitors and death if discovered. Female evokers get to choose between death and death if discovered. The Inquisitors maintain an extensive spy network, so few escape their notice.

Dominion of Idris

This faction is not an easy one to have a PC from, as all PCs must be evokers, and The Order of Idris believe that the only good evoker is a dead evoker. If you feel up to the challenge, you can try this nation, but it is harder than the others.
The Dominion of Idris is a nation located to the south of Othea. The Order is the only power there. All citizens of the Dominion serve the order. As such, any noble ranks are irrelevant when compared to religious rank. They are well-known for prejudice against anyone wielding Relics, willingly or not.

Women have fewer rights than men in the Dominion, less than In Othea, but not quite as bad as it is in Kalnach. Female members of the clergy exist, but they are rare.
Sole religious group: Order of Idris

Becoming an evoker, willingly or not, is an automatic death sentence. Discovered relics are stored in deep vaults somewhere deep in the Dominion.

Following factions are currently not open:

Kalesian Empire

The Kalesian empire is very different from the other nations. It is a merit-based society, where the religion, while powerful, is somewhat on the sidelines. They don't get involved in politics directly. Rank in society is entirely based on merit, so a long-standing noble family can loose the titles if a generation should not prove skilled enough to retain it, and similarly a non-noble family can gain titles simply through skill.

Women have equal rights to men in the Empire, serving in all parts of society equally.

Evokers are highly respected and trained to serve the Empress, may she live forever, loyally. Only those who are a threat to society and themselves face any sort of bad treatment.

Anyone not loyal to one of the above:

At this point, all new PCs must be loyal to one of the above factions. Or more than one, if they can do that right.

[Ellri]

Thora Thorvaldsdóttir

Name: Thora Thorvaldsdóttir
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Faction/Allegiance: Initially: independent Othean.

Biography (part I):
Thora was born in the small village of Anarion, in the mountains south of Amaryth. It was a village much like hundreds of others in Othea, its denizens mostly herders of the medium-sized, goat-like Yerkis, who are known for their ability to scale pretty much any slope, and for their thick, red-tinged wool. Not everyone in the village tended the livestock, but other than the necessities like the blacksmith and the innkeeper, most the villagers worked directly with the Yerkis herds.
While her mother was a herder, Thora's father was the village blacksmith, and had fully expected her to follow in his footsteps, or rather anvil-banging. Unfortunately, Thora never really took after him in that fashion. Sure, she could work the forge, but she simply didn't care enough to truly focus upon the art of smithing. She was far too busy running up into the hills and exploring the ruins dotting the landscape.
The elders generally discouraged the children from playing in the ruins, but nobody actually expected them to listen. They were children, after all. However, unlike her peers, Thora kept moving through the ruins even after she left childhood behind. When questioned why, she never really had a good answer. While this is not something the elders particularly like, she has become well-known for doing her job properly when she's not running into the ruins. She has a reputation for never shirking her duties, so that particular idiosyncrasy is permitted to her.
Appearance (part I):
Thora looks much like any other villager her age. Maybe a bit more muscular, but not so as to stand out from other girls her age, but most have learned not to cross her, as her right hook (taught by her father), is vicious and has left more than an over-eager youth with a thoroughly aching jaw. As clothing goes, she has never been fond of bright colors. Most her clothes are homespun tunics and leggings of the faintly reddish tinge familiar to Yerkis wool, but she has also had a fondness for hooded cloaks dyed black as night.
Other than the Yerkis wool, the prime trade good of Thora's home village is the plant known locally as Rellik. Its common in higher elevations throughout Othea, but more common near Anarion than in most other regions. While the most immediately noticeable effect of treating wool with the essence of Rellik is that the cloth turns so deep a purple as to be almost black, its secondary effect is what makes it so valuable, for that effect renders it virtually impermeable to water and reduces the chances of growths of mold or other forms of decay. Since reaching adulthood, Thora has attained a fondness for clothes treated with the essence of Rellik.
Biography (part II):
While most her peers were married young, or at least mated young, Thora never quite settled down. She did not really know why, but the time simply never seemed right. She always made sure that when she did experiment, it was in the cycles of the moons where chances of conception were at a minimum. Similarly, she never gathered any truly close friends. She had friends, but always kept a sort of shell around her inner self, never opening up completely to anyone. The fact that she could, and had, beat up most of the boys in the village probably was part of the reason she never got any close friends. Most tend to be reluctant to become close friends after loosing a tooth or two.
She was twenty years old by the time she found the relic that would reshape her life in ways she could not have expected. She'd been out exploring the ruins dotting the hills when suddenly the ground fell out under her, revealing a hidden chamber. Most of what lay in the chamber was decayed beyond recognition, but a single object stood out for her. That object was a simple-looking bracer, not unlike that used by archers to protect the wrist from the bowstring. Following an urge as ancient as the relics themselves, Thora slid her arm into the leather bracer, yelping in surprise when it tightened itself once in the right position. She started tugging at it to get it off, but could find no spot to grab. The last thing she remembers from that time was a strange whisper at the back of her head, then everything was blank.
When she came to, she saw that her tunic was stained with blood, and that she was in a completely different location. She tried to think back as to what had happened, but all she got was the merest flashes of memory, but nothing that made any sort of sense. She could feel her body aching in all sort of unusual places though. She cleaned herself up in one of the many mountain streams, quite oblivious to the chill of the water, but then she had been washing in those streams all her life.
The blood easily washed away, and she returned back home. The day after, she heard that someone, one of her more distant cousins, was missing, but dared not consider the possibility that there might be a connection. She kept her tunic well over the strange bracer, hoping to ignore it for now. Over the next weeks there were occasional strange images and thoughts flashing through her head, but nothing truly made much sense. Her cousin never turned up, but everyone agreed that it had to have been one of the mountain beasts or something. It had happened before.
Appearance (part II):
As the months went by, Thora slowly started feeling different. It never in obvious ways, but rather in the most subtle manners. She took to wearing her cloak almost all the time, for the light of the sun made her uncomfortable. It didn't burn her more than others, but still she found herself disliking it. Some commented, but she paid them no heed. In time, she found that it slowly became easier to see well at night than during the day. She knew enough of the ancient legends to attribute it to the strange relic stuck to her arm, but also knew that it was best to keep this secret, for there were a few in the village who had embraced the faith the dominion of Idris. She had little doubt they would not hesitate to turn her in to the Order if they knew what she had become, what she might have done.
As she lacked access to a mirror, there was none in the village, it took her a long while to spot her other changes. Slowly her body thinned out, growing lankier, loosing what little bulk she had built up working in the smithy, yet retaining the strength for it. Her pale blue eyes turned a pale gray and rather penetrating, and her light brown hair darkened somewhat, though that last may have been an effect of it no longer being as exposed to the sun. The one bit she could not explain as anything natural, was the way her upper canines increased in length, becoming sharper. Thora remained around the same average height she had always been, but did not retain her formerly thick build. She grew even more fond of climbing and running, her body reflecting this.
Biography (part III):
Over the following year, Thora was rather good at denying to herself that there was any connection between the rare disappearances of villagers and the blackouts she had. She truly did not want to believe that she might be responsible, but with each time, the facts started to build up. One, she could not remember anything from the time. Two, she woke up somewhere else. Three, her clothes and skin was bloody. Four, someone was missing, never to be seen again. Five, the nagging thirst at the back of her throat that no amount of water would quench was inevitably sated after a blackout.
Appearance (part III):
After the fourth disappearance, Thora could no longer deny it. Nobody had seen her do it, but she knew it had to be her. Packing up a small haversack with supplies and donning the best clothes she owned, all of them dyed with essence of Rellik, she prepared to depart. After packing, she worked hard at the forge all day, smithing a pair of knives that outmatched any she had made before. They were longer and heavier than average, but not so long or heavy as to be unwieldy, but the craftsmanship was one she could not deny to be magnificent. In the afternoon, she sat quietly, fixing the hilts and sheaths for them, and two hours after night fell, she picked up her haversack, departing the village of Anarion with no intent to return until she had figured out what the relic was doing to her and how to control it.

Relic Abilities:
Thora moved through the land, staying away from any of the villages. When hunger hit her, she hunted. She found that her relic granted her increased agility as well as making her vision sharper at night. Many a wild animal learned too late how good a predator she had become, for she instinctively knew exactly how to hide herself from them until she could pounce upon them and slay them.
The blackouts still happened, but more often than not, she had no bloodstains to clean off. Sometimes the strange thirst was sated afterwards, other times it wasn't. Whenever it was, she resolved to stay further away from villages in the future, but inevitably found herself straying closer nonetheless. With her quest being understanding, she did not have a specific goal in mind as she wandered. Early on, she kept mostly to the foothills, for that territory, while far from home, was familiar in style, but eventually she neared the border that Othea shared with its southern neighbor. She knew she had to turn away at that time, for something told her it was a bad idea to cross the border.
Sleeping in the wild was not the most comfortable thing, but her cloak was of the finest Anarion make, and it kept her both warm and dry. After reaching the border, she turned north, heading into the lowlands, then slowly finding herself heading parallel to the main road to the capital city of Amaryth. The blackouts, so far as she could determine, were becoming more and more frequent, and the unnatural thirst stronger each time. She reasons that if there's anyone knowing much about relics in all of Othea, he or she will no doubt be in Amaryth.

Flaws:
At this time, the relic controls Thora more than she controls it. Its not that she's weak-minded, but rather that she isn't trained to handle it. Many relics of the Old Kingdom are powerful things that can almost be said to have a will of their own. Thora's relic is just one such item.
When the relic needs (or wants) to feed, she more or less blacks out, rarely remembering much afterwards. The bloodthirst is unrelenting when it surfaces, but she mostly feeds when alone with her victims. Few notice her, but some might spot the fact that her upper canines are longer and more pointed than is normal. Thora is as of yet unwilling to admit to herself that this is a problem.
Having grown up in a fairly small village, Thora never had cause to learn how to read or write. Even now, she sees little use in learning it.

Skills:
In the months since she left her village she grew up in, Thora has become quite skilled as a hunter-gatherer, even gained some skill at constructing simple shelters. During her youth, she learned how to climb, how to be quite inquisitive and curious, as well as how to manage a forge. Not quite on a master's level, but far above a journeyman's level.

Personality/motivation:
The things that most motivate Thora in her life now is the will to understand her relic. She is frequently confused by the blackouts, and she does not understand how the relic is slowly changing her. Thus she travels out to find someone that can help her get rid of this confusion.
But of course the relic has already changed her in a number of significant ways, as such, the thirst for blood also motivates her, even if she has no real control over it. When she does remember the flashes of what she has done in her blackouts, she pushes these back, trying to deny them.

Relations:
To be fixed. Feel free to suggest relations with her.

Final Point - Secrets:
Thora's greatest secret is one she does not know herself, that of the relic she has bonded with. In the days of the Old Kingdom, relics like hers were crafted as part of the many wars that wracked that ancient realm. None now remember those wars, but rather think that ancient kingdom was all peaceful. Thora's relic was either designed for warriors or for assassins, specialized for nighttime. The warriors and assassins wearing these relics were infamous for just how powerful and effective they were, legends attributing many things to them that they never could have done. They were said to see perfectly at night, to move like the wind and react like a shadow. They trained for years before touching their relics, disciplining their minds to handle its power. It is doubtful that anyone knows more than a fraction of this at this time in history, and most of that is probably intermixed with the false rumors about such relics.
She also has no idea how significant the other changes the Relic has in mind for her.
She has never revealed her relic to anyone.

Stevan Vlahovic (NPC)

NPC
Name: Stevan Vlahovic
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Faction/Allegiance: Dominion of Idris
Relic Description: N/A
Appearance: Stringy, lean type. Black hair & Beard. Clean, Dark blue Inquisitors’ robes. Medium height.
Flaws: There is only one truth. Nothing else is acceptable.
Skills: Interrogation. Torture. Preaching. Some fighting, though is preferred form of combat is oral.
Biography: Stevan was born and raised in the Dominion. He joined the order as soon as he could, for he was a true believer. As the years went by, he steadily advanced through the ranks, eventually aspiring to the lofty rank of Inquisitor. Recently, he was sent to Othea to help convert the populace to the one true faith, a goal he has pursued with eagerness.
Personality/motivation: He knows the truth and intends to make all others believe as he does, no matter what they feel about the issue. He is ruthless, methodical and unyielding.

[Ellri]

Angie

Name:

Angie Nic Cuán

Age:

16

Gender:

Female

Faction/Allegiance:

Kalesia, though she doesn’t really know all that much about the Empire yet. All she knows are stories and what little Alessia told her.

Relic Description:

The physical appearance of Angie’s relic is a secret known only to her. She was a bit over fifteen years when she bonded, and upon telling her mother Keri, to whom she was very close, about it, she was told to keep it a secret from everyone, both that she was now an evoker and more importantly, what her relic was. She was then told stories about how, especially in the north of Othea where the Kalnachi influence was stronger, evokers, especially female ones, were often deprived of their relics. This ensured that men could control them with impunity and lessened their potential in life. Those stories burned their way into her mind, ensuring that she has never told anyone about her relic.

Though they were less powerful initially, her relic now grants her abilities well beyond those of other people. She can smell things more easily, even dissect various scents from each other. She can see better, especially at long distances, and she can hear things far away, even to a point discern where a sound originated from. But even these pale to the fact that she can communicate mentally with wolves, hounds and other canine creatures.

The final ability is perhaps the most subtle one. This ability is that of a wolf-like endurance. She can run further than almost everyone else, even go long without eating if necessary, though this last bit is not comfortable. At a comfortable lope, she can move for days without rest, provided she has had enough food. Rich foods like fresh meat provide her with more energy than (for example) fruits and vegetables do.

Appearance:

Prior to bonding with her relic, Angie looked like any other young girl with neck-long brown hair and Kaokan-brown eyes. Even after she bonded with the relic, it took a week before any of her physical traits changed, though her sense of smell/sight/hearing improved virtually overnight. The first physical change was her hair taking on several hues of brown, rather than the single hue she’d had most of her life. About three-four weeks later, her mother spotted the first hints of her eyes changing color. There was a faint speckling of yellow-green in the otherwise Kaokan brown iris. Within nine days, that speckling had replaced all hints of the former color. At the same time, her hair visibly grew more rapidly, with short strands also forming lower on her neck. By the second month of her being an evoker, her hair reached just below her shoulders.

Three months in, she had begun to gain a subtle brown fuzz on her ears, arms and legs. Her finger and toenails had darkened, growing faintly pointed. Her ears had also taken on a faint point, though this was hardly noticeable. Her teeth had also grown a bit sharper, and she ate much more than she used to eat.

Five months in, shortly before someone outed her to the Order of Idris, she had discovered during her bi-monthly bath that she all of a sudden had what looked like four spots of darker skin on her chest, two to each side. Two weeks later, when she had been forced to leave her home and eventually find her way to the Kalesian Embassy, she discovered that these darker spots appeared to be latent thoracic and abdominal mammaries (i.e. nipples).

The next day, she had an encounter with another lupine shapeshifter, one Roan Adonis. Though neither of them knew it, something within their respective relics resonated on some magical frequency. Changes that should have taken her half a year or more to go through happened in a matter of minutes. Though still human, her face took on a decidedly lupine cast, even as her latent mammaries grew into small breasts, identical in size and shape to the two she already had. Her ears took on a marked point, and her nails became true claws. All over her body, the tiny hairs present on all mammals rapidly grew longer and darker, giving her skin a faint, multi-toned brown hue.

She did not notice, but her torso grew a full ten-twelve centimeters longer during this transformation, and her feet subtly changed shape, with her heels going from a natural 90-degree angle to a 110-degree angle, resulting in her having a slight digitigrade walk. She can still bend her legs so that her heels touch the ground, but it doesn’t feel natural to her. Ever since bonding with the relic, she had preferred not to walk straight up, instead walking with a slightly hunched posture. This became even more marked, so while she was physically taller, she did not look much taller to others. Aside from all these changes, the most significant change was the growth of a short, bushy tail. This tail is something she has no idea how to control, its muscles dancing to their own merry little tune.

As one can expect, such a transformation drained most of her bodily reserves. As it stands, she is extremely hungry and out of sorts because of that and the unexpectedly rapid changes.

Flaws:

As superior as she is to most others physically, she is nonetheless inexperienced and not yet comfortable with her current body. Her improved senses are also a double-edged sword, for noises loud to other people are louder to her. Pungent smells are similarly stronger. She has never held anything more dangerous than a knife, and then only for the purpose of preparing food.

Skills:

Angie is an accomplished baker, having spent over half her life working in the family bakery.
Though not trained for it specifically, she has a natural aptitude for tracking.

Biography:

Angie was born to Keri Nic Bain and Cuán Ó Holger, a pair of master bakers. She had a normal childhood, starting to help out with the bakery almost as soon as she could walk and talk at the same time. Initially, her help was probably more of a hindrance, but as the years passed she became an asset to her parents. Though they owned their own bakery, they were not by any means rich. While they of course baked bread for many clients, their primary client was the nearby sanctum of the Order of Idris, one of the primary religious groups in Othea. They personally weren’t particularly religious, let alone hateful towards evokers, but the Sanctum paid well and didn’t ask many questions.

Some months after reaching the age of fifteen, Angie triggered a Relic of the Old Kingdom. She and her parents decided to keep it a secret, hoping that it would not be one of those that changed someone physically. When after a bit over a month the hue of Angie’s eyes had begun turning the bright yellow-green of fresh grass, her parents knew it would only be a matter of time before someone brought trouble to their doors. Unbeknownst to Angie, they began preparing her for a life of her own, giving her lessons that would keep her safe on her own. When the trouble did arrive, they had long been prepared and were able to say their goodbyes quickly, sending her on her way to safety.

For many days afterwards, Angie moved around in Amaryth, never staying in one place long, always pursued by one or more agents of the Order of Idris. Only the subtle lessons her parents had given her towards the end kept her safe. Eventually, be it through chance or fate, she found her way to the Embassy of the Kalesian Empire, where she was welcomed with open arms, much to the chargin of Inquisitor Stevan Vlahovic of the Order of Idris, who wanted to see her dead.

Personality/motivation:

There is one thing above all others that motivates Angie: She wants to live. Thus her loyalty to the Kingdom of Othea was fleeting when push came to shove. With swearing loyalty to the Kalesian Empire, her betrayal of Othea, if it could be called such, was fact. While she might betray her new masters later, she will not do so without due reason. So long as they keep her safe and do not hurt her or hers, she will stay loyal to them.

She is naturally a bit curious, and doesn’t like being treated like a child. Provided a good reason she understands, she’ll go along with many things, but being lied to or not being told reasons for things irks her.

Relations:

Alessia: As the first person to treat her well after she had to leave her parents, Angie is quite fond of this Kalesian.
Garet: He too treated her well. Thus she respects him. His offer of adoption shocked her, but also made her respect him even more.
Stevan Vlahovic: This man hates her and wants to see her dead, but she doesn’t really know him.

[Sep]

**Name:** Kheris

**Age:** 59

**Gender:** Male

**Faction/Allegiance:** Kingdom of Othea

**Relic Description:** The Relic is the bracelet that has been embedded in his skin. His relic differs from most others, while holds similarity to others. His relic does not so much grant him abilities as it does unlock his upper brain functions, and allows him to see the energy from which the universe is made. Using this his power is understanding, viewing other relics in use or studying the actual item he can figure out new powers and abilities to his arsenal which makes him uniquely dangerous. However there is a major downside, the Relic only had enough energy in it for very few tasks so Kheris must obtain the energy via other means. He can absorb electrical energy, and energy through eating and as of yet has not found any other means. While electrical energy grants a great boost he has only managed to do so once in his years of having the relic due to the unpredictability of the only electrical power source, lightning.

Given time and a source he could easily become one if not the most powerful Relic Users however right now he could probably take on a squad of troops with ease and not much more.

**Appearance:**

**Flaws: **

-Takes time to gain charge for his relic, his body is old and without using the Relic to empower him moving is a struggle. If he uses energy that the relic does not have it drains the energy from his own, already ailing, body which petrifies cells in his body. While he can chose what cells are petrified they are not repairable by any simple means even if he found someone with a healing relic. His right hand has hardened and has turned a grey colour due to overuse of the relic. This has made it nearly useless except when he is using his relic to power his muscles.

-Age: His advanced age unless he uses his relic to give him additional strength he must use a cane for walking and is slow and frail.

-Scholar: While this is also one of his skills and advantages the fact he is a scholar, and has been for all his years. Means that he has neglected the combat side of things other than hand to hand training. Give him a weapon and he wouldn’t really know what to do with it.

-Ineffective right hand: Mentioned above.

-Known figure: Unless actively in disguise despite his few public appearances many people know him due to the fact that he is part of the royal family. Luckily this doesn’t extend far out of Amaryth.

**Skills:**
-Mind over matter: Through both his relic and the years he has spent studying the world of Azukhar his mind is one of the most skilled in the realm. With knowledge at his fingertips to act as his weapon or shield.
-Hand to hand: Despite his age and frailty, years ago he was made to train in hand to hand combat. Though this training is only effective with the assistance of his relic.
-Tactician: Partially through training, partially through his relic and partially through his studying he has become quite the tactician.
-Survival training: Being in the royal court again he was given some of the best survival training. Many of these skills he continues to hone to this very day, this is assisted with him being a scholar.
-Medicinal: This is an area where has not studied as much over the years, however he can still remember many herbs that can be off assistance in various situations.
-Politics/Subterfuge: In this time they are one of the same. He hasn’t only studied books all these years, but has studied people. Plays on their weaknesses, fears, goals, wishes. He also used to have a knack for sneaking around until he got older.

**Biography: **
From a young age Kheris learnt the power of his position. Though he never felt need to use it. He was always a thinker, while he could use his title to give him power out of nowhere came a sense of gaining that which he got given. The older of two sons he was next in line for the throne. A title he felt he had to earn, while his younger brother was always with his father learning the trials of combat and working his way across the Kingdom in bouts against bandits. At the same time as his younger brother was learning 101 ways to decapitate an outlaw, Kheris was studying the history. Not just of Othea, but of Azukhar itself. He began to piece together pieces of text based on myths of the Old Kingdom. Many of which he obviously kept hidden from the agents of the Order of Idris that were within the royal court. This lead to a division between himself and his brother, who felt he was giving up his right to rule for knowledge and that strength was the way forward. This division would remain until he was much older.

Always a forward thinker he did not see why the Kingdom could not use these relics in order to strengthen it against future turmoil, internal as well as external, to allow it to grow and prosper uniting all the kingdoms in Azukhar into one as it was over a thousand years ago. A noble goal indeed, and to demonstrate it, the fiefs under his control began to see change. Lords of villages were no more this bit might need fixing. Did he demote the nobles? skip promoting new ones when the old died? revoke inherited right to rule?, instead he allowed the people to chose their own leaders. It took years to find a way that would include adequate protection for the towns under his control, and before the system of beacons and militias was completed a bandit raid managed to raze one of his villages all in all it was an unpopular move to the Nobles throughout the kingdom but the commoners accepted it without protest feeling that they at last had a chance for power. That was when he received a document from one of his new “Mayors”. An old map marked with archaic symbols in thanks for what Kheris had done for the town. It took him months to decipher it, as his younger brother continued to chase bandits and hone his combat abilities. Talking with those he had to talk to in order to improve his chances of becoming King when the time came. This was when Kheris undertook his journey into the Spires of Malloch in search for the destination the map lead to. The journey was treacherous, and possibly deadly and while he did not have combat experience he had not neglected survival training. Travelling tooks months as most of the original route was destroyed and the destination was unclear, hardening his body. While he was twenty venturing into the range his body was molded by it finishing his change from boy to man. The baby fat left him, a beard grew and his features become more chiselled.

He finally found the entrance of the temple in question, though it was sealed. He moved to the door running his hand over it, the runes above the door lighting in a red door. Stating that it could only be opened by those worthy of becoming the keeper of the temple. In the rush of euphoria at finding the temple and without thinking he placed his hand on an indentation on the door in the shape of a hand. Which retracted pulling his arm into the door. He could feel sharp edges running along, but not quite cutting his flesh. Though knew that there was a chance that what happened next could be the end of his life.

However instead he felt something cool tighten around from his wrist covering his entire left forearm to just before the elbow. He then fell back unconscious on the ground. When he awoke the temple door open, but everything was different. He could see golden, red and blue light everywhere. He could see the energy of the world. We’d think he wouldn’t immediately understand what he was seeing. Perhaps initially it drove him a touch insane? Also, relics generally unfurl their power a bit more subtly. He knew immediately that he had been bestowed with a relic and had become the gatekeeper. While there was a rush of excitement he was also worried about the chance the Order of Idris would discover this. However he shrugged off the thought. While he had largely ignored the politics of a royal court he knew them well enough to keep secrets, and as such decided to explore his new domain.

Upon return to the capital of Othea he found that his father had died and the court in the middle of choosing which of the two princes would become King. This feels a bit odd. He’s been gone for months, why would the court even be considering him? Perhaps instead the father is on the deathbed and the court scurrying for position for the upcoming crown competition? He knew he did not want it though went through the rituals as he should, trying half heartedly trying to gather support for himself. Knowing that no matter what he did, even if he had wanted to become King to Othea he would never have gotten it. Too many nobles felt threatened by his insistence to allow commoners to regulate themselves and their towns. Though this worked to his advantage, he had other duties to perform such as the creation of the Kings Hand, a secret order he would base out of the hidden temple he had found deep within the Spires of Malloch. While his brother was becoming a pawn of the Order of Idris, no doubt allowing them to control his moves he himself began to seek the betterment and increase of power for his own people, with his ability to see energy he could seek out those who held relics and find where their loyalties were. Those who would not assist Othea were imprisoned or sent to the Dominion.

Following his brother’s coronation, most of the nobles began to ignore him. With his frequent trips away from the capital to the temple and the secrecy surrounding them, that suited Kheris well. In time he learned that not only he could see energy but that he could manipulate it using himself as a conduit. This was how he lost most function in his right hand, ten years after obtaining his relic. Using far too much power for far too long he began to feel his cells petrifying. How did this make him feel? In order to prevent widespread damage he drew power from his right hand leaving it a withered out husk. It was around this time his brother began to have suspicions about where he was going and what he was up to. While his brother had used him as a trusted advisor for years with his extensive knowledge on both the current world of Azukhar and the Old Kingdom, he now sent spies after Kheris, who found the temple. When Hrodlaf was led there by the spies, his faith was shaken.

He feared that Kheris intended to lead an uprising against him, using evokers to do so, seizing the throne and killing the soon to be born heir to the throne. Despite the fact that he should have known that Kheris entertained no notions of becoming King, wishing only to guide and shape it for the better of everyone. A fight ensued between Kheris and his brother, a battle of words. Hroldaf worrying that Kheris would bring the kingdom to ruin by the hand of Idris in a bid for the throne. Kheris waited and finally thought back, he had never sought power. He had never made an attempt to take control and the Shadows had operated for ten years without attracting the attention of Idris. While this did not alleviate all of the King’s fears, he nonetheless gave reluctant consent for his brother to continue his work, but only on the condition that Kheris would keep this between them, and not tell the heir to the throne until he or she came into his or her inheritance.

And so it was, for the past twenty-nine years Kheris has trained and built up the secret order of guardians for the kingdom, letting no word about its existence escape except through accidental rumors. Deploying them on missions throughout Othea and even beyond its borders, he kept the kingdom relatively stable and safe. Over these years, he has gathered a handful of new tricks, though despite his best efforts, he still struggles against the fact his relic does not have its own power source and seems incapable of tapping into the many sources of power other relics are attuned to. Due to this he mainly uses his relic to find other evokers, and find relics themselves when he is not aiding his Brother in the royal court and coaching his Nephew in the way of the world. Without of course allowing the young prince to find out about the Shadows or the fact that his uncle is an evoker.

**Personality/motivation:** Accumulation of knowledge and to some extent power. And the betterment of the Kingdom of Othea

He can sometimes be seen as eccentric, and other times arrogant. He sees himself as a teacher, and a scholar and with good reason.
**Relations:** Brother to the King of Othea, Uncle to the Prince

Theme Song: [Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUiWIBiVH4U)

[Sundered Echo]

Alessia

Name: Alessia Rezalla-Rhidian
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Faction/Allegiance: The Kalesian Empire

Relic Description: Physically, the Relic is an unassuming book. It is neither large nor thick, and is roughly but solidly bound in an unknown leather of brown colouration. Its pages are of an unknown velum, and also appear to be cut and bound only roughly. No means of marking the pages has yet been successful for a more than a few moments, and most of the time they appear totally blank. When Alessia opens it, however, the pages are beautifully decorated in an unknown script, with unusual diagrams and sigils every few pages. No page is ever the same when the book is opened to it. Even flicking to the next page and immediately returning will cause the page to change, though only Alessia knows this.

The abilities granted by the relic are far less direct than most, having no affect on her at all. Rather, the relic allows Alessia to call specific ‘spells’ for lack of a better term, into being over a large area. The spells she can currently wield are few, each having been first deciphered from a page of the book over a significant length of time studying it.

• Dread Omen: Alessia can dishearten and demoralise entire populaces or armies wielding this effect. Those affected will have the color drain from the world and the sky turn red, as well as feeling an ever nagging sense of dread. The effect is not crippling, and generally fairly uniform whether the affected are strong or weak of will.
• Fortune’s Favor: Essentially the opposite of Dread Omen, this spell will bolster morale and lift the spirits of those affected. Colors will be more vivid for those affected and they will feel more capable and empowered than usual, though still able to fear or doubt should events prove particularly unpleasant.
• Arcane Dome: A perfect hemisphere of shimmering light forms centered on Alessia with a radius varying between one hundred to five hundred meters. No object can pass through the dome in either direction. The walls of the dome appear to made of the same energy that also appears in the sky above her spells and casts similar light. This is a particularly intensive spell for Alessia and every object, dependant on its kinetic energy, that tries to penetrate the dome from either side will tax her further.

Every spell also causes ghostly aurora-like ripples of light in the sky above the area she has targeted. All of these effects are indiscriminate, with no-one in the area escaping them, with the exception of Alessia, who will never be affected by anything she has summoned. She can never summon more than one spell at any given time, though if she is not entirely exhausted when one effect is dispelled she is able to immediately conjure a new one. The duration that she can maintain any one ability varies depending on the severity of the effect.
In order to summon a spell she need only focus on the desired effect for a moment or two. Maintaining a spell requires a constant low level focus from Alessia, though she has trained herself to be able to maintain the two lesser spells she is currently capable of even while sleeping, though the sleep will not be nearly as restful as normal if she does this. If she maintains a spell for too long she will be mentally drained and blackout, at which point the spell will immediately fade.

Appearance:

Her clothes change often, though when she can she dresses minimally as she considers the Amaryth climate far too hot.

Flaws:
Alessia has no combat experience or training at all. She has witnessed drills during her brief work with the Kalesian army, but has never witnessed any real combat up close.

Skills:
Alessia is an excellent architect and swift learner. During the course of her career she has worked with the Imperial Siege Engineering Corps and so understands how to demolish a building as effectively as raising one. Many are the skills taught to a prospective noble, and court etiquette is one that stuck with Alessia - she moves easily through the higher echelons of society, wielding a somewhat manipulative charisma like a weapon when needed. Aside from this, her many hours exploring the exhaustive Academy libraries has left her with an impressive knowledgebase about a great many things of much varying relevance.

Biography:
Alessia Rezalla-Rhidian was born into the nobility of the Kalesian Empire, to the young newly titled Lord Tion Rhidian and the latest scion of the long standing Rezalla house - Lady Valerie Rezalla-Dahmsion. As Valerie’s first and only daughter she is the heir to the Rezalla name, and as such her mother took an immediate and significant interest in preparing her for the titling trials that all noble children undergo. Her childhood was filled with all manner of lessons, from the academic studies to the appropriate way for a noblewoman to comport herself in public. Her free time was almost non-existent, but with the funds available to the Rezalla house the best tutors were acquired to ensure she both learned and enjoyed learning. The direction her interests took was, however, somewhat unexpected by the women of house Rezalla - she became interested very early on in construction and the means by which buildings could be made so impressive as they were in the capital of the Empire. At age eight she was already demonstrating instinctual knowledge of basic principles such as the load bearing arch. While her mother was not entirely pleased with this direction, she nevertheless encouraged it, as she could grudgingly see the potential for an easy titling trial in the practical application and the discipline it gave her daughter.

While Alessia fulfilled a number of the title requirements from the very beginning of the trial, at age twelve, she still did not achieve sufficient accomplishments of note to gain her title by the earliest possible age of fourteen. She gained her title at the age of sixteen, still a very respectable achievement, becoming Lady Alessia and gaining a residence of her own - one she had designed as part of her trial. She was afforded several years of peace from outside pressure to study both her chosen subject and a number of others before any more heavy expectations were placed upon her. During this time she became a frequent visitor to the Imperial Library, studying all manner of scrolls and books to expand her knowledge, never having lost the desire to learn that was imparted to her at a young age. Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, her mother and grandmother both began to put pressure on her to think about an heir to the Rezalla name, for she was showing little interest in the perpetuation of her line. Not bound by any law or even custom to do so however, she ignored them, always providing the excuse of ‘not being ready’ for whichever reason the month dictated.

By her twenty-fifth year, she had become one of the Empires foremost experts on non relic based studies of the ancient objects that dotted the world. She was a respected noble in her own right, easily having earned her name as a Rezalla in the eyes of, ironically, all but her mother - the now only other surviving member of the family. She was just beginning to consider the courtship of several of the noblemen she preferred the company of when disaster - or perhaps fortune, struck. She was in the Imperial Library when one of the towering shelves nearby her destabilised and fell - pinning a nearby patron under a significant pile of books, only avoiding crushing him entirely because the shelf leant against a nearby wall. Alessia rushed to assist the hapless fellow, along with several others nearby, in the task of un-burying him from books before the shelf collapsed on him (and the books). Amongst this chaotic piling, one small and unassuming book caught Alessia’s attention, and rather than simply stacking it nearby she secured it in the folds of her dress to read later - ever the curious one even in the midst of saving a mans life.

To this day no-one knows why either the book was there or the shelf it was on collapsed.

Had she realised the nature of this one small book she might’ve left it where it was. Several hours later when she opened it, she found it to be empty, yet bearing signs that it had held writing once. It held her curiosity far more than anything of the sort should have, and she only realised how long she had been trying to make out the writing in it when the sun began to go down and her servants became insistent on reminding her of a formal event she was late for. When she returned later that night, she went straight back to the book. Only this time it contained unknown writing and unusual patterns and sigils within. At that moment a brief but stunning light show reminiscent of those seen in the far north and south of the world flickered in and out of existence in the sky far above the city. Also at this moment, Alessia blacked out, fortunately already lying on her bed.

The next day, upon learning of what happened in the sky, Alessia quickly put the pieces together and realised that the book was a Relic. And that she had become an Evoker. Taking it in hand, she found the nearest guard patrol and turned herself in as an evoker. After being escorted to the proper authorities, she told her story and was quick to renew her oath to serve the Empire, this time as an evoker. She was allowed to retain her position in large part because of her cooperation and honesty, becoming one of a very rare and select group of people in the world - an evoker that also held real political influence and respect.

The past two years have seen Alessia exploring her relics abilities and adapting to the idea of being an evoker - something which, to her mother's great chagrin, has once again turned her attention entirely away from the continuation of the line. The people of the city have begun to get used to the occasional occurrence of the sky being torn asunder in light, though few of them know the effects of the display. With the Empires recent preparation for war, Alessia has suddenly found herself being considered a ‘military asset’ by some. She has been given extremely limited officers training, but rather than being sent along with the army as a traditional support Evoker, the Empire has a far more devious plan in mind for her.

In the past few months, Alessia has been given a whirlwind course in diplomacy and dispatched via the northern passes to Amaryth to join the diplomatic corps in the recently established Kalesian embassy. Reasons for her placement there are manyfold - on a strategic level it will allow the Empire to fully make use of her new talents in future plans. On a smaller scale, the presence of a well respected evoker, however secret, may help with the Empires plans to rescue evokers from the clutches of the ignorant who would see them killed in Amaryth. While initially viewing this task with some trepidation, Alessia has since come to embrace it with enthusiasm as Amaryth has a great deal of history and, more importantly to Alessia, historical structures dating back to the relic makers.

Personality/motivation: Alessia serves the ideal of the Empire in all things, believing wholeheartedly in the righteousness of her nation. Aside from this, her curiosity is legendary, and Amaryth presents a great many chances to learn of other cultures, as well as the ancient foundations of the city itself, which are said to date back to the relic makers.

Relations: Roan is a childhood friend of Alessia, and she is familiar with his family.

Final Point - Secrets: Certainly no public Secrets.

[Sep]

Derp