[CHAR] Dragon Dance : The Frozen North (Hi-Casual) (Action-Adventure and Survival Horror in a Dark Shared Fantasy World) (Always Open)

[LeeRoy]

Name: Feidlimid Bran Udødelig (Fied luh mid Brawn Ooh doh delay.)

Titles: The Beautiful Undying Raven

Affiliation: The Berserker Warbands, serving under the Chieftain as a soldier.

Gender: Male

Age: 31

Birthplace: Unknown, born to a mother who abandoned him to the cold. Found and raised by the women of the Berserker Warband.

Origin: The Ynglinga Saga

Race: Berserker

Appearance: Eyes sparkling like the crystal waters of a glacial lake, shimmering so brightly blue that some would even say they glowed like the morning sun. Hair flowing beyond his shoulders, so perfect in texture and shine. Perfect golden locks blow in the wind behind him. A body like a greek god, perfectly chisseled without any visible fat on his body. From his neck down he is coated in grizzly scars from countless battles, some scars are from wounds that would have felled greater men. His face is twisted and short, his nose too wide and brow set low. His mouth is adorned with lines of fury at all times. His teeth are filed to points, his gums are fragile and bleed frequently. Feidlimid has the strangest face that some have ever seen.

In the frozen north one must protect oneself from the winds, so he wears the pelts of five beasts. A bear, a boar, a wolf, a deer, and a mountain lion. The pelts hang off of his body, obscuring his visage from those who face him. He looks like a five headed beast on the battlefield, a morbid chimera in human form. Weilding an axe so large it could cleave any number of great beasts in half with but one swing. Beneath his pelts is a suit of hefty armor with even more fur beneath.

When he ingests the Berserker Drug his heartrate skyrockets, his blood boils and the air around him begins to steam. Clouds of mist exude from the furs on his body, making his appearance even more inhuman. Like a spirit of death he storms across the battlefield, washing away all who stand in his way. Wordlessly and violently, Feidlimid is truly a sight to behold.

Occupation: Soldier

Resources:
Fur and Iron armor: The skin of bears, boars and wolves. Strapped over a partial suit of chain and plate. It protects him from cold winds and sharp swords alike.

Two Sheep Bladders full of the Berserker Drug: Approximately two gallons worth of the drug that allows him to go into the Berserker State.

The Ravenous Bloodthief: A greataxe of epic proportions, crafted from tooth and bone and iron. A great beast of the sea plagued the Berserkers, killing all who dared sail its sea. A great warrior stepped up and slay the beast with a single swipe from a sword twice as long as himself. Then he left wordlessly, leaving the corpse of the monster on the shore. The Warband took its body and forged numerous weapons from its bones and teeth, but none were greater than the Ravenous Bloodthief. Created to be as long and great as the sword of the mysterious warrior, its weight was so great that even the strongest of warriors couldn't use it properly.

When Feidlimid took the weapon up as a boy it was a worthless weight upon his shoulders, but as the years passed it became evident that ONLY Feidlimid could use it. He took it as his own and weilds it with pride. Strangely enough, when he's on the field of battle. Remarks pass from mouth to ear of how he looks very much like the nameless warrior who slayed the sea beast.

Skills:
Proficiency with Large Weapons: When Feidlimid chose his weapon he chose the largest axe he could find, the older warriors laughed at him when the weapon he chose towered over him. They laughed even harder when he could barely stand while holding it. Years later, after countless days and nights of persistent training, Feidlimid now weilds the greatest of axes with ease. His own axe, crafted from bone and iron weighs well over 200 lbs.

Hunting: Though unconventional, Feidlimid hunts with his bare hands. Tackling his prey and breaking their necks, he prefers this to hunting with his axe. As a swing of his axe tends to shred the flesh and make a grizzly mess. He hunts with no armor and no weapons.

Tracking: A necessity in the northern lands, to find food in such a barren landscape one must know where it hides.

Incredible Strength and Stamina: Even without his berserker rage he is strong enough to heft his greataxe around in combat, and utilize it without much risk to himself. He's strong enough to break bones with his bare hands and shatter wooden shields with a kick.

Berserker Blood Rage: When a man of the Berserker tribe ingests the Berserker drug, he falls into a trance like state. Their eyes narrow to the width of a pinhead and they get tunnel vision. They lose theirselves to the blood rage and their strength almost triples, they become unstoppable juggernauts on the field of battle. Deadly wounds don't even slow them down, an arrow to the chest will stay in his chest until his body collapses from exhaustion. They clench their teeth so hard that their gums bleed, their internal temperature rises, their heart pumps dangerously fast. They are hot to the touch, steaming in the wintery winds of the north. The blood rage lasts a few hours and leaves all who take it unable to move for hours afterwards. Only the strongest actually survive the ordeal, leaving nothing but strong warriors in the Berserker Warband.

Personality:
The effects of the Berserker's Drug are degenerative and horrifying. The changes to a user's psyche can be so drastic that they can never be corrected. Feidlimid is one of the unfortunate souls who can never return to a normal life. The drug has stained his brain, his mind is tainted with the spillage of blood. Faces and names are lost to him forever, a life that he once knew is now a photograph soaked in blood. Unrecognizable and painful to think about. There is a woman who said she was once his wife, but her face and voice didn't stick with him for long. All that is left of Feidlimid is a husk, a hollow. A violent being with no purpose in life, beyond the slaughter and gore of the battlefield. In the rare moments where he is off the field of bloodshed he is reserved and silent, trying actively to keep his temper in check. He's prone to uncontrollable fits of violent rage,making him a detriment to those who would trust him.

Behind the monster lies the faintest echoes of a once great man, and sometimes he will make slight but noticable actions that mirrior that once great man.

Biography: Born to a mother who cheated on her husband with a traveler, he was left in the wild to die. As the cold began to clutch at his heart, a brawny soldier found the infant who had just let out his final helpless wail. Feidlimid was nursed back to health and raised into a great warrior. Even before he was introduced to the Berserker Drug he was a fierce warrior, at the age of 16 he was able to keep stride with the blood rage warriors. On the field of battle at the age of 20, after seven campaigns, he was offered the Berserker Drug. Four days later, he awoke in the enemy encampment. Not a soul was alive, and he was naked and bloodsoaked. As time wore on he began to take it compulsively, until the rage didn't even cause him to black out. He watched every second pass by in the blood rage, and still does to this day. Feidlimid slowly lost himself, everything that he had built up in his youth tore down as he waged war after war. Now, in his silver years he still battles like a youth, but his heart is deeply pained by what he has become.

[MarshiestMallow]

Name: Tori Freestone

Titles: Currently does not have a title

Affiliation: The Summer Court but as a wandering mage, Tori offers her services where ever possible, learning what she can about magic.

Gender: Female

Age: 23, however, she appears both older and younger.

Birthplace:far south of the Alkebulan, the summer court lands.

Origin:

Race: Half Fae (Elf) and half human.

Appearance: Tori is quite tall, and willowly. She is approximately 6 foot, and has skin darkened by the sun, giving her a golden brown colour. Her hair is long, reaching to the middle of her back, and blonde. Her features are typically elven, yet are smoothed out by human characteristics, and with a simple glamour she can appear complete human. Her eyes are a light, lively green. She typically wears clothes more suitable for traveling, but does have more formal clothes, which typically do not get worn much. Her clothes are worn, but still in good condition.

Occupation: A wandering mage, Tori accepts jobs where ever she goes, offering her services and learning what she can to further improve her magic.

Resources:

1.Satchel 2.Canteen of water 3.Spare set of clothes, both travel and "Fancy" 4.Staff, which she uses as a way to tune and focus her magic

Skills: Being a magic user, Tori has a few skills related to this, mainly basic abilities in the use of Fire and water, as well as an ability in hunting and tracking (By magical means)

Personality: A carefree and easy going spirit, Tori enjoys making people laugh, as well as fulfilling their dreams and desires. She prefers to let things go, then to hold grudges. She has a curious mind, often prompting the saying “Curiosity killed the cat” to come to mind. She often makes connections to things, figuring out puzzles and challenges in great leaps. She has a kind and caring personality, yet she does have some more human qualities. She can at times be extremely stubborn, and she is focused and determined on on what she does.

Biography: Tori was born to a human father, and a Elven mother. She was born during a time where skirmishes and wars between Fae kind and human kind with the norm, her father was unaware that she existed until a month after her birth, Tori was found on the doorstep of his house, bundled in warm clothes and blankets, with a letter. Perhaps the only thing that caused her father to keep her was this in the letter:

She has your eyes I fear for her life She's safer with you

And the moment Tori opened her eyes, her father never wanted to give her up. Her father was a simple blacksmith, and never told Tori who her mother was, nor how he had met her. When people asked about Tori, he merely said that he had found her, alone, and took her in.

It was only when he grew ill that Tori knew what had happened, knew that her mother had saved her father, and that they had fallen in love as her mother followed Titania to the new summer courts. After, the night Tori was conceived, her mother left, not wanting to risk her fathers life. She didn't know that she was pregnant.

When her father died, someone from the summer court found her, and knew her at once as her mother, Aputa's child. She told Tori who her mother was, and that they had been searching for ner since her mothers death, whose dying wish was for Tori to know who she was. Hurt, Tori found herself in the summer courts, where she learned to control her magic, as well as the full histories of the courts.

She wondered for a time after learning all this, and now finds herself returning more and more to the summer courts, even as she maintains her status as a wandering mage. She is troubled by the events happening in the world, and constantly searches for answers

[Zealous Blade]

Name: Baleno

Titles: The Boy Who Cried Wolf _{(Hometown Nickname)}

Affiliation: Currently servicing House Charming.

Age: 26

Birthplace: Olympus Imperium

Origin: Othello

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Standing an inch above six feet, Baleno is an impressively tall man with a compact build. Of half Alkhebulan and Imperium heritage, he is significantly darker than his mother's fair complexion and is only a couple shades lighter than his swarthy father. His skin is a smooth ochre, a medium brown pigmentation that edges only a smidgen closer to the light variety. The genetics of his father are clearly prevalent over those of his mother. From Othello he also inherited curly black hair. Because he spends most of his time traveling, Baleno tends to neglect it and has grown it into a rough mid-length afro. Perhaps the only noticeable trait his mother gave him was her eye shape. While his father's were small and close set, supporting his stern gaze, his mother's were large and upturned. He did not inherit their green color and his irises are instead dark brown like his fathers. Baleno has a square shaped face lined with a thinly trimmed goatee.

Not a fan of spending his hard earned money on trivial objects such as flashy clothes, Baleno frequently dresses in modest attire. His usual outfit comprises of brown trousers, black boots, and a blue long-sleeved shirt. Occasionally he wears a black cloak, particularly when the temperatures are cold. He keeps his sword equipped to his right hip. Covering his arms are a pair of metal gauntlets which serve as his armor of choice.

Occupation: Sellsword

Resources:

• Sword: Besides the clothes on his back and the few coin he has managed to procure, Baleno's sword is his only true possession as well as his lifeline. His current one, an old gladius with a withered blade, is not his first. While fighting at the Colosseum as a novice he went through plenty that he broke during combat. He was allowed to keep his last sword as a reward for surviving.

Skills:

• Swordsmanship Practitioner: While he attempted to teach himself how to wield a weapon as a teen, that training ultimately amounted to nothing. It wasn't until he was forced to fight at the Colosseum that he truly attained any apitude for the sword. Baleno was given his first blade along with some light armor and told to wing it. Faced with a new threat on a daily basis, he at first swung his sword around mindlessly with very little success. He began to obtain meaningful experience after sparring against other gladiators. Taking a few minor wounds in the process, he memorized some of their techniques through repetition and interwove them into his own fighting style. Presently, Baleno is not strong enough to be considered neither an expert nor a master. He is talented enough to hold his own against another capable swordsman and can handle weak opponents such as bandit grunts with ease. If he were to engage a higher tier opponent he would undoubtedly struggle. At best his skill level can be described as intermediate and at worst average. He has never had any professional training which is evidenced by his erratic movement during battle. He is very aggressive and quick with his strikes and they can be improperly coordinated, leaving him open for attack if he isn't careful.

Personality: Baleno is a man whose heart has been hardened by his experiences. As a child he was like any other. His innocent outlook put a veil over him and prevented him from seeing the truth surrounding his own being. He paid very little attention to the physical differences between himself and the man and woman he believed were his parents. The raised eyebrows of his neighbors did not bother him until they started blatantly asking questions about his origin. It was only when he realized that not everyone was favorable of presence did Baleno become aware that he was a pariah even to his own family. He manifested a complex about himself and determined that he was the problem and not those who thought ill of him. Fortunately, the adoration of his adoptive parents withdrew him from his sorrows before it was too late. But, he was branded with negative impressions that would seep cynicism into him. He became withdrawn from his village's community and lost trust for them. In response, the people of the village increased their disdain for him which he accepted as a means of justifying his coldness.

A life of mercenary work has made Baleno less honorable than most. Money has ascended to a core priority of his and he will gladly slay almost anyone he is hired to if he is to be paid enough. His loyalty can also be brought or sold. If he can get a sufficient amount of gain out of lending his services to someone, he will do so without inquiring about specifics. He will work with anyone to survive and no one to fall. Also, he will appease anyone who he could gain from and disregard those who have nothing to offer. That isn't to say he won't help a person in dire need. He might if he assesses the risk to his own safety as minimal. For the sake of profit he doesn't like to mix business with pleasure nor does he prefer to befriend his clients. Whatever honor that still remains within Baleno restricts him from committing outright betrayal to those who he has formed a personal connection with. Although he may take actions that may not be morally correct, his conscious is alive and well. He is able to come to terms with his wrongs and carries the weight of his guilt as punishment. Because he is willing to hold onto his guilt, he isn't likely to make any apologies for his offenses.

Socially Baleno is a soft spoken man who tries to pick his words wisely. He isn't very expressive, preferring to keep his internal thoughts closed off but will communicate as needed. He prefers his conversations to be terse and straight to the point. He is impatient, especially when it comes to payments, and greatly values his time. This behavior stems back to his childhood during which he felt that he could seldom trust others. In constant fear that whatever information he does release may be used against him, he carefully inspects his associates before sharing anything personal. He likes to keep a small circle of people whom he can consider close. Even he who is not the friendliest person knows that one cannot prosper without any allies. When selecting his comrades, he tends to prefer those who are weaker. This is so he can issue a degree of control and put them back in place if they get out of line. While initially he only looks at his acquired subordinates as tools for his own benefit, he is prone to develop value towards them if they prove worthy.

Biography: Unbeknownst to Baleno, he was conceived as the illegitimate child of Moorish general Othello and his lover Desdemona. To conceal their relationship, Desdemona made arrangements to be rid of him shortly after his birth. It was then decided that she and Othello would marry to compensate for the procreation that resulted in the child. Desdemona gave Baleno to a common man and his wife who could not bare children. They raised him as their own and his early days were spent residing in the Olympian Imperium countryside. He realized that he was not the couples biological son by age eight, his darker complexion being a dead give away. He was a rare sight within village and was often ostracized by his peers. Although he loved his adoptive parents, Baleno harbored a desire to learn about his biological parents and why they weren't raising him instead. No matter how hard he tried to ignore the facts, it was obvious that his village would never accept him. He figured it best to set out on his own when he grew older and discover his roots.

Social conflicts put aside, Baleno's upbringing was otherwise quaint. He received a sufficient role model in the form of his foster father and his mother was kind to him. Their impression of Baleno was that of a blessing. While he was in their household he was well behaved and got into minimal trouble when under their supervision. However, he was known for getting into rumbles with the other boys within the village who picked on him. There was one in particular with whom he had a fierce rivalry. Kaeso, because of a girl who they both allegedly liked, was very competitive with Baleno and frequently challenged him. They fought a lot and that was how Baleno discovered his innate combat potential. Wanting to be better than his rival, he began solo training in swordsmanship using wood as a substitute for an actual blade. Fearing that he would fall behind to Baleno, Kaeso concocted a scheme to get him out of the village so he wouldn't surpass him.

The plan was simple but it was enough of an excuse for the village to drive away Baleno who they considered an aberrant among them. Kaeso disguised himself as a wolf by draping fur over his body and crept towards the village livestock on all fours. As Baleno and his family were shepherds trusted with safeguarding livestock, he managed to deceive Baleno into believing that a wolf was attempting to feast upon the herd. This resulted in Baleno "crying wolf" on multiple occasions and losing the trust of the villagers. To finish his scheme, Kaeso led a real wolf towards the livestock and allowed it to feast. When the villagers discovered the wolf, Baleno was blamed for his negligence and ousted despite his parents pleas on his behalf.

After being exiled, Baleno traveled around performing odd jobs to survive. Not yet a skilled fighter, he found himself taking menial tasks in neighboring villages. The work he found was temporary and scarce. Starvation was plenty a problem during periods when he could not find employment. Becoming desperate, he resorted to petty theft. Using his job search as a farce, he would enter shops just to case them before later returning to make his plunder. It wouldn't be long before he was caught. His skills at thievery were mediocre and his heists poorly executed. One faithful day, in a bustling coastal city, Baleno made the dreadful mistake of attempting a pickpocket. His potential victim was a wealthy aristocrat who swiftly had him arrested. However, instead of a death sentence for his crime, Baleno was subjected to an equally horrific fate. He was sent to the Colosseum to partake in gladiator games.

Marked for death should he lose a match, Baleno quickly learned how to at least endure the onslaught of beasts he was pit against. He became infamous for surviving out of sheer luck, his impulsive use of deception allowing him to win numerous battles of attrition. Crowds flocked just to see how long it would take for him to be slain and were sorely disappointed. He gradually adapted to the hostility of the Colosseum and his swordsmanship proficiency increased. Eventually, he earned a pardon for his theft and was released from life as a gladiator. Any fame he acquired subsided well before that, the Colosseum's patrons having lost interest in him when he became capable of fighting properly. Having picked up a skill that was much desired in a turbulent land such as the Europa continent, he took to mercenary work. While in some regards it wasn't anymore honest than stealing, at least he was finally earning a consistent income.

Regardless of how far he traveled there was one concern that never stopped nagging Baleno. Having never known his real parents, he always felt as if there was a piece of him missing. It didn't help that he was forbidden from returning home and visiting the man and woman who raised him - the only people he knew capable of answering his questions. In the past whenever he brought up the matter of his biological parents he was brushed aside and written off as paranoid. Now free as a vagabond, he resumed his quest to solve the mystery once and for all. Derailed from his objective by the need to fight for money, he ended up sidetracked into the Empire of Europa in hopes of finding better opportunities. He ended up attracting the attention of a House Charming recruiter at a fighting tournament and was invited into their ranks as a mercenary.

Note:

• He was seventeen when he left home and was sent to the Colosseum roughly a year later.
• He fought as a gladiator for five years, being freed at the age of twenty-three.
• His long term goal is to discover his true origins.
• He was known as "the Boy Who Cried Wolf" within his village prior to being exiled.

[thegreenleafe]

Name: Aleksei "the Young" Alkaev

Titles: Count of Pinsk, Court Diplomat

Affiliation: Tsardom of Rus, Coalition of Revolution

Gender:Male

Age: 24

Birthplace: Rus

Origin: His father received the countdom due to exemplary military actions.

Race: Human

Appearance:Aleksei

Occupation: Diplomat

Resources:
-Estate complete with 200 acres of land
-Loyal Soldiers: 250 Strong
-Trusty Compatriot/Butler: Igor Romanov
-Sword: Lenya
-Armor: Masterly Crafted Chain Mail
-Horse: Black Horse named Eva

Skills:
-Masterful with wordplay, he could convince a priest to start knocking them back.

-Sub-Par Swordsmanship, No matter how hard he tried he never picked this up, even from his father.

-Charismatic, just draws people towards himself through a mix of refined elegance and looks.

-Good Horsemanship, one of the few things he learned of his father before his untimely death.

-Decent at Hunting, As a boy he thoroughly enjoyed the sport and he spent his springs hunting the deer.

Personality: Ambitious, envious, cocky, underhanded, all these words could describe the Count and all of them bad in ways. However the Count is a good guy, he is just trying to get what he deserves, recognition.



Biography: Aleskei was not a noble by blood, but by his father's actions they were awarded the small holding of land and their miniscule army. As a young boy Aleskei was not treated well by the other noble children, especially Prince Vasili, at royal functions. That led to Aleskei trying to increase his social standing as he grew older. He talked with a certain elegance that began to draw most of the children toward him, again Vasili being quite contempt of the young Aleskei. At the age of 15 his father had already taken him on numerous hunting trips around their county and his father began to feel quite assured of his son's ability. Victor Alkaev, his father, took him on the annual Grand Hunt with the Royal Family and assorted nobles. On this hunt Victor tried to show his son the epitome of manliness by killing the Grizzly bear they had tracked down, but the fates were not shining down upon the Alkaev family on that day. The bear broke Victor's spear and knocked him off his horse, pinning him underneath. Victor tried to pull himself out from under the horse, but to no avail he was stuck so he tried the only thing he could and pulled out his sword, Lenya, but the bear swiped it away before mercilessly slaughtering Victor. All during this moment the other nobles were too afraid to do anything, but so was young Aleskei. It took a moment before everybody snapped out of their cowardice and they all charged the bear. It didn't take too long before the numerous spears found an artery and the attacker, Aleskei, found himself covered in blood with a dead grizzly upon him. Emotions were conflicting for the boy, accomplishment and pure shock left him with a blank blood covered face. One of the hardest things Aleskei, now being the man of the man of the house, was to tell his mother of the death of his father. She, Tatiana Alkaev, didn't last more than a year and slowly wasted away before her body gave up. This left a distraught 16 year old in charge of a county.

Aleskei, brimming with the anger of his fathers death, began to think of someone for whom to deposit him blame upon. He came upon the notion that the ten nobles with his father were responsible due to omissive actions and their own cowardice. He began to plot. The plan was enacted with the help of Igor, who has watched over the boy since his birth. Aleskei knew that the Grand Hunt was to begin again and he wanted to sabotage his childhood nemesis, Vasili, first. Igor rigged the spear head to break off, but somehow Vasili was guided by luck and the first thrust by him directly went into the bears heart. Counterproductive to the Count's plan, the bear's death made the Crown Price more liked. A young Aleksei returned to his dastardly schemes; he took this loss to heart and knew he had to gather up resources and connections if he wanted the Crown Prince dead. He had to start with the smallest fish, Count Peter, the old count to the north who owned the county of Minsk.

After the first failure Aleksei wasn't going to be foiled again and he had waited a long 4 years before the plan moved forward. The opening for the plan was found at a Royal Party where all of the nobles across the land would be. So Aleskei began to place a small amount of those loyal to him as the staff of the party. The newest plan was to poison Count Peter. The catch was to poison the Count's family to mask the attack. Everything went according to the plan, the Count did die later that night. That night something better almost happened, Prince Visilli received an infected plate; however he pulled through his "food sickness." Then there was a feast thrown by the Royal Family in recognition of the Crown Prince's recovery from a horrid sickness of the intestinal system. Now at twenty-four he had another plan in the works before he was sent off to maintain relations with the surrounding Great Houses.

Notes: Aleksei may be a sociopathic tendencies.

[Bubsy 2]

Name: Naziha Akram

Titles: In her homeland of Alkebulan Naziha is largely known by the name Scheherazade. As Scheherazade she was known as the 'Grand Trickster'.

Affiliation: Naziha promises fealty to none, and only holds alliances if they work to her advantage. She operates independently without the urging of any nation or house. Some say that she works for the Corsairs, and although she may have for a time, that alliance has long since ended.

Gender: Female

Age: 28

Birthplace: Naziha hails from the great Alkebulan desert. A more specific home cannot be placed, as her earliest memories are living in a dusty camp of nomads.

Origin: Nazhia's story can be very loosely connected to that of Scheherazade, the storyteller of the One Thousand and One Nights.

Race: Human

Appearance: It can be said by that Naziha's greatest tool is her beauty. She has a slim and lithe figure well suited to her work as a thief. She has olive colored skin that quickly identifies her as a native of Alkebulan. Her face is dominated by her piercing green eyes, with a gaze said to have stolen the heart of the Sultan himself. Her face is framed by her long black hair which flows freely down to her mid back.

Occupation: Naziha has held many jobs, from assassin, to thief, to mercenary. For now she is merely a wanderer keeping her eye out for coin.

Resources: Naziha's signature weapons is a crossbow, her primary weapon, which she has named Vijaya, after a legendary bow from a tale she heard as a child. Besides these she has her trusty horse, a swift black destrier, assigned the name Arion. Her secondary weapon is a kris, a dagger with a distinct wavy blade, which remains unnamed. Naziha's monetary assets are hard to place, scattered in a number of hideaways throughout Erde, although no one hideaway would contain any significant sum of money.

Skills: Naziha's greatest skill, in her opinion, is the ability of persuasion. She could talk her way out most troubles and this goes hand in hand with her skills of seduction, one of the seedier arts in her toolkit. She can be very charismatic and charming when she wishes to be. She is a master of deception, and has once before tricked even the Sultan of Alkebulan and his court. She is also very proficient at archery, particularly with the crossbow, and would likely be able to go toe to toe in a shootout with Robin Hood. She has the other skills necessary of any fledgling thief: She can hide and pass unseen, she can pick locks, she can take out a target quietly and stealthily. She is mediocre with her dagger, and isn't made for direct confrontation, instead preferring to slip it into her targets back. Her greatest boon in direct combat is her speed and evasiveness.

Personality: Naziha is perhaps best characterized by her avarice. She lusts for coin, fame, and power above all else. She can also perhaps be characterized as a chameleon. She is a borderline compulsive liar, and isn't to bad at it. She is prone to deceptions and the truth is often not easy to draw from her lips. Her personality is also chameleon like: She is adept at blending in with her company, and can change her mood to suit them. But at her core lies a incredibly skewed moral compass. Killing is nothing to her, neither is stealing, and or course lying. She is a temptress, and is wholly willing to use her sexual attributes to her advantage. She has deep held issues with abandonment, feeling that she belongs nowhere and to no one. She's never really considered anyone a true friend, but when she does find someone to assign that title to she will fight hard for them, and perhaps be borderline obsessed with them.

Biography: Many strange things can be found in the ancient Alkebulan desert, but it could perhaps be said that one of the greatest oddities found was a girl named Scheherazade Akram. The tale goes that Scheherazade was found as a baby girl on the crest of a dune by a group of nomads, unattended and seemingly abandoned. Her parentage remains a mystery to this day. It was the nomads who took her in and raised, however reluctant they might of been to take on another mouth. Her childhood was typically plain, for a nomad at least. It was not until she was 8 that she got her first taste of what life was like beyond the dusty camp. Her adoptive parents were sent into a nearby town of the Sultanate for some supplies, and she came along. Scheherazade found herself completely taken with the flavor and flair of the city, the center of the Sultanate. She was exposed to foods she never thought could possibly exist, and beyond that an entirely new way of life. When it was time for the camp to move on Scheherazade left without her adoptive parent's behest, but the camp moved on all the same with little fanfare over her disappearance.

Naturally everything went downhill from here. Scheherazade was quick to realize that city life was not all it was cracked up to be, particularly for an orphan girl with no money and no knowledge of the world outside of the life of a nomad. Nights on the street were tough on the young girl and she quickly turned to begging, but it was not long before the criminal circles of the city turned her eye on her. Naturally a young vulnerable girl would be easily exploitable, and it would not be long before Scheherazade became on of the many pickpockets that roamed the streets of the wealthy town. It was here she first honed her crafts: Those of trickery, deception, stealth, and subterfuge. And as she grew so did her ambitions; She moved out of the meager streets and into petty burglary. She stole from the rich, sneaking into houses at the dead of night. It was here that she acquired a potent taste for gold.

And as Scheherazade's ambition grew so did her reputation. The criminal underworld had many uses for a skilled sneak thief, and it was this underworld that she was enveloped into, and this underworld that would forever change her very character. She grew an extreme disregard for the law and a skewed moral outlook. Her taste turned from mere survival to gold and luxury, a growing hunger for power. It was during this time that a weapon was first placed into her hand, and she became more then a thief. Scheherazade became a killer, growing a quick taste for the crossbow. Her criminal connections grew, and she moved from pawn to master. It was no longer others that commanded her but herself. Scheherazade did as she pleased, and word spread quickly of the thief. Seemingly unconnected burglaries began to plague the city and she remained uncaught.

But that's not to say her life was all thievery. As she grew richer she also become more noticeable to the general public. For the first time she possessed a house, and soon she flowered from girl to women. Suitors began to pursue her and she became a known quantity in the city, but not as a thief. She developed a circle of close friends beyond criminals. But it meant nothing to her. It was a facade, a mask to wear to hide her criminal activities. It seemed impossible to the city that Scheherazade Akram could do evil, and she found that she was a natural master of deception.

And soon she would accomplish her greatest feat: To steal from the Sultan himself. Word began to spread that the sultan was searching for a concubine, one of low birth to sate his primal desires. He sent out his servants to find the most beautiful women in the city, and they returned with Scheherazade, among a group of other girls selected. But it was Scheherazade that the sultan himself selected, and that was what Scheherazade wanted. She would become immortalized as the women who tricked the Sultanate, and the people of the capitol. She knew that her time in the city was coming to an end, and she would not leave quietly. After her first night in the castle the Sultan awoke to find his new concubine gone, along with the Sultan's greatest treasure: The Daria-i-Noor, the large pink diamond that has been passed down within his line for generations, and incredibly valuable and expensive piece.

Naturally Scheherazade fled, her amassed gold and, of course, the diamond in tow. It was then that she spread her riches across the great land, not only in Alkebulan but throughout all of Erde. She knew that the Sultanate would not forget her deception, so she figured it best to hide her assets. The diamond, of course, is in a place it is like to never be found. With the land of Alkebulan to her back, a healthy sack of coins at her side, her trusty horse underneath her, and her weapons on her, she left. She wanted to explore all the world, tired of nomad camps and deserts. She took a new name, one without the dismal reputation of Scheherazade: Naziha. The name means honest in her native tongue. She has wandered for a time, still a thief and still a killer, but perhaps with the capacity to be more. Word of strange happenings in the north have drawn her, with promise of coin to be made and a more honest sort of fame to be had. Scheherazade was a thief, a killer, and a trickster, but perhaps Naziha can be come to known as a hero. At least that is her hope.

[fantasyfan28]

Name: Lilly Rider

Titles: Witch of the wild, Little Red Riding Hood.

Affiliation: None. Although Lilly lives near the Wildmen clans and is often used for her healing abilities she holds no loyalty to any of the sentient races.

Gender: Female

Age: appears to be in her 30's but true age iS unknown.

Birthplace: Unknown

Origin: Loosely based on the Little Red Riding Hood story.

Race: Elven

Occupation: Ranger/Druidess

Resources: Red hooded heavy cloak, waterskin, Ashwood staff that doubles as a longbow, quiver of arrows, twin daggers, twine, flint and steel, needles for sewing, rags for bandages, several pouches of herbs and jars of healing ointments. Sacred Medallion.

Skills: Lilly is a able tracker, she has taught herself most if not all of the animal prints around her grove and can usually identify any creature by sound of it's call/growl/tweet. She is a very good shot with her bow and can use her staff and daggers with brutal efficiency.

Her true strength lies in the magic that is her inheritance. Due to her elven blood, nature magic flows as easily through her veins as water does a river. She is not overly powerful, in fact most of her strongest spells are healing spells. Although she has several spells that allow her to restrain her enemies with the help of grass/vines or the very tree branches themselves.

She is able to channel natural energies (lightning in a strong storm) and can impose her will on them if she is nearby, this does exhaust her a lot however as she is trying to force nature to go against its natural course.
Lilly can shapeshift into three animals, a hawk, a wolf and a panther. She can only use this power once per day and can only use the animals shape for up to five hours. Any longer and she will lose herself and become the animal for the remainder of her life.

Because of her elven blood, Lilly is also able to communicate with most animals. That might be where the origins of her story got the fact that she was supposedly reported to be having a conversation with a wolf.

Personality: Lilly is extremely strong willed, she is often stubborn to the extreme and is sometimes considered very pigheaded. Her values and beliefs are extremely important to her and if they are questioned she will defend them, often violently.
Lilly is not a trusting person, she is very wary of every other sentient race because she knows all to well just how cruel they can be. Once she does trust someone however, she will be a lot more pleasant and might actually relax around them.

Biography: Originally the story behind her nickname was because of the hooded cloak she wore. It actually started before then, but the cloak was not red hooded up until the point where she met the wolf (the one whom supposedly ate her grandmother and dressed in her clothing).

It was actually a human trapper wearing furs, he had seen Lilly out in the forest and decided he wanted her for himself. He killed Lilly's grandmother and hid in her home, waiting for the arrival of the pretty young thing. Lilly, who had actually known about her powers for several years now, often spoke to animals and birds that lived near her home. She was not caught unawares as the trapper would have liked. A small hedgehog had seen the man performing his nasty deed and had managed to warn Lilly.

Lilly had channelled her anger and actually managed to shape shift, it was the first time she had enacted the spell. As a wolf herself, Lilly had caught the man off guard and had savagely killed him by ripping out his throat. As lilly changed back to her naturaln form, guilt assaulted her, she had taken a life in anger and that lead her to her life of chosen exile. Her cloak had reverted with her when she had changed back, however it had fallen from her shoulders and the hood had landed in the trapper's blood. The hood absorbed the blood and for some reason it became a deep crimson. No matter how many times Lilly washed it, the blood never came out.

She kept the cloak because it reminded her of her own failings. It was also a reminder to those that would cause harm in her forest, she would not allow innocent blood to be shed whilst she still drew breath.

Notes: Lilly does not know much of the outside world, living in seclusion as she does. She visits the Wildmen villages several times a year but most of the time people seek her out for her known skills in healing.