@Vesuvius00 Great! Thanks for being cool. Just making sure everyone's on the same foot starting out. The blood idea is kind of brilliant and a little chilling. Approved -- Go ahead and post to the Characters tab!
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@MokleyI need some time. I'm in the middle of a battlezone in university. I have several deadlines to complete. I'll probably work on my character sheet in what recreational time I've decided to give myself.
By the way, I don't mind if Sofre is used in the plotline. But I need at least partial control of her. Strange though, I thought that the GM, by definition, have the right to control any character? :D Just not to the point to pretty much writing a book on his own of course, no, that would be rude. XD
My last deadline is on the 21st, so I would understand if you decide to cut me loose. Best to decide before anything actually starts.
By the way, I don't mind if Sofre is used in the plotline. But I need at least partial control of her. Strange though, I thought that the GM, by definition, have the right to control any character? :D Just not to the point to pretty much writing a book on his own of course, no, that would be rude. XD
My last deadline is on the 21st, so I would understand if you decide to cut me loose. Best to decide before anything actually starts.
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Darkraven Take your time! Worst case scenario, you'd just join in late. The group of PCs won't be locked in, I imagine.
As for Sofre, my little brain gets confuzzled when there are two people talking in the same post, at least until I get to know the characters. So I'd say for now that Pedre and Sofre get separated in the beginning, perhaps to reunite later in some way or another. At that point, if my foggy ideas come true, a bit of joint control would probably make sense.
Controlling other people's characters is not my favorite thing, usually! But I will drop names and make threats, oh yes . . .
As for Sofre, my little brain gets confuzzled when there are two people talking in the same post, at least until I get to know the characters. So I'd say for now that Pedre and Sofre get separated in the beginning, perhaps to reunite later in some way or another. At that point, if my foggy ideas come true, a bit of joint control would probably make sense.
Controlling other people's characters is not my favorite thing, usually! But I will drop names and make threats, oh yes . . .
Hexaflexagon
Member
Seen
7 mos ago
The occasional threat makes the world go round!
Oh and @Mokley I was wondering just out of pure curiosity. If you had to estimate how many villages or tribes remain in the world at the start of the RP?
Oh and @Mokley I was wondering just out of pure curiosity. If you had to estimate how many villages or tribes remain in the world at the start of the RP?
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Hexaflexagon Oh gawd I hoped to avoid anything having to do with numbers. XD
I think of it as if one nomad tribe probably meets between one and three other tribes in a year -- possibly by design, in order to trade or fight over certain resources.
Essentially, miles and miles of empty space or wilderness, with probably mostly concentrated pockets of people in the areas least likely to kill them while they sleep, and even then they can walk for days without seeing another soul.
I'm not sure that's even an answer, but I'm sticking to it. :D
I think of it as if one nomad tribe probably meets between one and three other tribes in a year -- possibly by design, in order to trade or fight over certain resources.
Essentially, miles and miles of empty space or wilderness, with probably mostly concentrated pockets of people in the areas least likely to kill them while they sleep, and even then they can walk for days without seeing another soul.
I'm not sure that's even an answer, but I'm sticking to it. :D
Vesuvius00 ~| Guardian of Flame |~ / ~| Superhero |~
Member
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1 mo ago
@Mokley That seems like a good answer, but what I'm worried about is how all our characters are going to actually meet...
XecutionerRex
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post this but time has been against me. This is still a work in progress. I'm only posting it because I want you to know that I am still very interested in this RP and so that you can review what I have and decide if you want me to make changes. I only need to complete how magic works, as I noticed you changed the CS.
Name: Ooko
Alias: Madakam
Age: 18
Apparent Age: 20
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 155lb (Medium Frame)
Eye Color: Black
Hair Color: Green
Physical Identifiers: The first thing one notices about a Madakam is their (painted) green color skin and how tall they are, but the most peculiar feature is the kinship mask on their face; The Madakam wears a mask made from bone, cartilage, flesh and sap. They are not born with this mask, but every Madakam at the age of 12 partakes in a rite of passage - it marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, in the course of this time the kinship mask is grafted into their faces. These are living masks and act as the face of a Madakam for the remainder of their lives. For a Madakam the mask is a reflection of their soul, their passions, their feelings, their fears and hopes. (Kinship Mask, see defining moment)
Appearance: Ooko is a typical young Madakam, tall and fit, and keeps her skin and hair painted green. Most Madakam distinguished themselves by adorning their mask with assorted colors and intricate tattoos, some even add amber drops or colorful gemstones in their designs but not one mask looks the same - Ooko painted the Madakam symbols of harmony and balance on her mask. She wears ‘light armor’ made of the natural resources of the jungle, in intricate designs that help her blend to her environment - the minimal gear covers private parts and protects limbs. This light armor is flexible enough for the rigorous day to day tasks.
Equipment/Personal Possessions: Amplifier Gloves (Amps): are used as an energy enhancer, it allows a magician to build up the sap energy, for a stronger more powerful spell. Magnetic Amber: magnetic ambers are used to travel, by locating a magnetic rainbow, it can be activated to teleport an individual across great distances. Harvester Pick: used to dig the ground for materials. Hai-Phong, a bag to stuff with materials and resources. (Though most of these items are in her pet-mount inventory.) Her most valuable possession are the jewels that adorn her limbs and garments - these are magical and offer protection against magic and her ecosystem.
Pets/Companions: The Bawaab is characterized by its green scaly skin and flat hammer head with an eye at each extremity. The bawaab has pillar-like legs, large feet and moves at a surprisingly speed. This herbivore is a timorous creature occurring mainly in the jungle lands. Madakams breed these animals and use them as mounts.
Tribe/Village: The Madakam/Mora
Titles/Occupation: Expert Jungle Harvester/Magnetic Cartographer/Defensive Magician/Jeweler Apprentice/Healer
Languages Spoken: Taki Madakam: Their language consists of two essential parts. The actual speech, the spoken word used in daily communication, and the sacred writing, the Madakam pictograms.
Languages Written: Taki Madakam: Pictographic writing does not have any references to time of day or the season of the year. The Madakam people use pictographic writing to record the most important truths, the mantras that are often repeated over and over again to form ornamental patterns on buildings or weaponry.
Opinion of the Ruse: The Madakams believe that the Ruse are the living embodiment of pure energy (Ma-Ruk, see religion) on the planet sent to stand vigil over the plant kingdom and ensure that no one may destabilize the fragile equilibrium of the planet. The Madakams believe themselves to be chosen children of the Ruse because it is they who have most retained the pure energy. Ruse worship has become part and parcel of Madakam existence - by giving them offerings and doing them favors they impart their magic to them.
Opinion of Outsiders: The Madakams see outsiders as barbarous tribes as they witnessed them hunt down and kill primitive primates, and rip the lands of valuable resources destabilizing the fragile equilibrium of the planet they cherish. Outraged and horrified at such display of barbarity Madakams set up outposts through the lands of Witherings keeping endless watch, and veering barbarians from entering the Villages of Intuition and the sacred temples. Only those people who respect their laws of conservation can merit of their knowledge of magnetism and magical skills.
Hopes and Dreams: Dreams of retrieving the knowledge lost during the Great Swarming and open the doors to the secrets of the past. Hopes to be reborn as a true child of Ma-Ruk and reach the ultimate bliss. And for all peoples to join forces in their crusade against the Goo to make this world a better place. (Goo, see magic)
Likes and Desires: Likes to hone her harvesting skills, to be close to nature and roam free in the jungle. And desires to put her skills to good use and help rebuild her civilization.
Fears and Dislikes: Fears losing her identity, her culture, her way of life, and the ever growing Goo menace. She dislikes that her healing abilities are yet too weak to combat the Goo. And though she never experienced the Great Swarming that destroyed her ancestors lands, the stories are horrific enough, that she fears it may happen again.
Secrets and Regrets: Ooko’s mother told her the story of her family; Ooko’s great. great, grandmother was a High Priestess, a Celestial Guardian, a wise woman with great knowledge of which local plants could serve as medicine. Her family have always practiced Medicine very extensively, as a side-effect of their everlasting struggle against the Goo. She lived in a time when ancient Madakams scoured the jungles for all the different kinds of plants they could find and mixed them into balsams, and managed to find combinations of plants that help goo-afflicted wounds heal better.
As the Madakam came into contact with the other civilizations, they also started scouring the other ecosystems for more ingredients to experiment with, and even brought back knowledge from many cultures. And through time the Madakam perfected their balsam-recipes. In order to preserve what they know, the Madakam came up with a new medium to preserve their Knowledge. Exploring the properties of amber, crafters fashioned amber cubes, inside which knowledge can be stored.
But all that changed when the Ruse started teaching the Madakam magic. At first only a few Madakam merely dabble in magic, barely able to create a spark, but over time magic became more widespread and more powerful. Balsams, that took great effort to create and only healed injuries slowly became obsolete, when any magician could just cast a healing spell and heal the same injuries instantly.
Over time, healing magic overtook the practice of traditional medicine, Healers replaced Medics in Madakam society, and the knowledge of bandages and balsams only remained in old documents and the minds of a few traditionalist. No surprise then, that after the Great Swarming that killed most of the Madakam and destroyed all of their libraries, there was nothing of this knowledge left among the surviving Madakam refugees.
But her great, great grandmother managed to save an amber cube of knowledge from the old lands containing knowledge of the Medic occupation. She passed this knowledge cube to Ooko’s great grandmother, who then passed it down to her to her eldest daughter, who passed it down to Aoko - Ooko’s mother.
Recently scientist studying the Goo have found hints that the use of magic speeds up the expansion of the Goo. This gave rise to a movement of people against the use of magic, a small handful of Madakam that have denounced to follow the Ruse, and demand the higher spheres of society go back to old traditions and practices that have nothing to do with magic and the cult.
Ooko, stole the amber cube from the family vault, wanting to help reinstate the Medic occupation and put a stop of Madakam’s dependence of healing magic. She gave the cube to Chiang, an old and influential guru, not knowing he was infected with the Goo and was slowly becoming insane. Chiang was quickly deposed and to this day nobody knows what he did with the cube of knowledge - and Ooko has never told anyone that she gave it to him.
Personality: Ooko is a bit of a wanderer and a dreamer. She aspires to accomplish many things, and will try to do them all but never finishes them on time. Her sister thinks she is frivolous and immature, and credits these faults to her age. She is always encouraging Ooko to stay within the city walls, and not to explore beyond the Witherings, something Ooko has begun to ignore. She respects her sister but as her magic skills grow so does her confidence. She claims to have an explorers heart but has never seen an outsider or been to other lands beyond the river or the Great Wall. She has a strong love for nature and her peoples beliefs that a balance must be maintain - one should reap of the land only what one needs. She abhors cruelty to animals and the senseless killing of animals for food, when natural food is more nourishing and abundant.
Religion: Over time the Madakams, in their search for spiritual enlightenment, have grown close to the mysterious Ruse entities whom they regard as higher disciples of Ma-Ruk, The Life Giver. A Madakams very nature is calm and spiritual, their holy duty is to ensure nature’s equilibrium and to fight against the Goo, the plague of the Jungle. They are keen to share spiritual awareness so that all peoples may attain eternal bliss. Their religion teaches the harmony of the body and soul through meditation and prayer; spiritual accomplishment can be gain through the wisdom of Ma-Ruk.
Ma-Ruk (The Life Giver): The Madakams worship a superior life energy which created life, Ma-Ruk. They do not see this energy as a superior humanoid being but as an energetic entity free of body that presides over a kind of nirvana. Ma-Ruk manifests her presence on the planet through the Ruse who watch over her creation - it is through them (the Ruse) that Madakam will gain merit to accede to full enlightenment.
Relatives: Najab, her sister, who after the death of her parents has become her guardian. She pushes Ooko to be more independent yet safe, and tries her best to steer her in the right direction. Though the latter isn’t always successful.
Friends: Chu, the boy that makes her heart skip a beat. Her mentor and teacher, Ja-Zun Gei, who has become more of a parent than anything else. He teaches Ooko the skill of harvesting, and how to locate the resources of the land. She is often traveling with him and other harvesters gathering materials to bring back home for crafting and trading.
Enemies: The Antiruse; a fanatical tribe of Madakams who fiercely reject the worship of the Ruse, and violently oppose the Madakam government. Because of their loathing of anyone who worships the Ruse, they will attack any Madakam wearing a Kinship Mask, mutilating their faces, often removing them completely assuring a certain death. And other worshipers of the Ruse had better stay away too.
Defining Moments: The most defining moment in her life was Kinship Day, the day she received the Kinship Mask. She remembers the ceremony vividly. It was the first time she saw a Ruse. The meeting was followed by a big celebration, the adoption celebration. It was a great moment of joy and communion.
The celebration lasted six days and on the six night the Ruse take the children. The Ruse teleport themselves with the children into the Eternal Tree. It was a wonderful place where an everlasting sap spring reigns and animals live in peace; Ooko still remembers the raguses that played with her, and it still shocks her to see how the Goo has corrupted these once timorous animals in the wild.
The ritual is composed of four ceremony steps.
First is the step of separation from the materialistic world to the natural world; each child sheds themselves of all belongings, these items are placed in a Hai-Phong, a bag weaved by his/her family.
The second ceremonial step is purification; each child is bathed under the sap spring to purify the body on the outside, followed by the consumption of pure sap for an internal purification. It is then that the Madakam’s skin is first tainted green.
Then comes the step of connection to magic; the child is thought to meditate, learns how to focus their mind, how to control the sap within themselves, and how to draw power from it. Only then can they link with Ma-Ruk.
The last step is the step of rebirth; each youngling is taken to the chambers of dreams, hidden deep into the roots of the Eternal Tree. They stay there for a few days, deep in trance that enables them to initiate harmony with Ma-Ruk. During this sleep like trance, the Ruse give each child their kinship mask. When the child regains consciousness they are back in the jungle, not far from their village and are no longer a child but an adult and will wear his/her kinship mask forever.
A Typical Day: Like most Madakams Ooko works hard in honing her skills, skills that will help the village as whole, but also teach her to be independent. It is of no surprise for a Madakam to be knowledgeable in more than one occupation and skill.
A typical day begins with the collection of moss from slaveni plants. These plants are all around the village, young magicians learning the rot spell practice on them. Slaveni plants are magical, they have a defense spell call shockwave, and they use this spell to pushback their foe while retreating underground. But the rot spell weakens the plant and dries up killing it. The plant is then pulled out of the ground, the moss is collected and brought to the stable to be used as food for the animals, and the bud is collected for replanting and for jewelcrafting. It only takes a season for the plant to grow back. Jewels crafted with slaveni buds give their wearer some resistance against the shockwave spell.
After collecting moss and buds Ooko goes to meet with the Overseer. Typically the overseer provides tasks - Ooko often chooses delivering materials to local crafters around the Villages of Intuition. It gives her the chance to leave her village and to ride her mount, but also to learn which materials are used to craft as each crafter has their own recipe mix. She stores the materials inside a Mektoub Packer - a placid plant feeding pachyderm with a long and powerful trunk, which it uses to collect food, convey water to the mouth, for smelling, and for lifting. It has dexterous feet with large bulbous toes enabling it to radiate heat. These animals are tamable and widely use as mounts but more ideally as pack animals.
Traveling from village to village she delivers the valuable resources. The roads between the villages are fairly safe, it isn’t strange to find other riders along the road. Sometimes the occasional ragus animal roams on the road. Ragus are canine-like creatures with retractable claws, rasping tongue and five eyes, which allow it to see in all kinds of light. They are hyperactive fast-moving omnivores, that used to be social animals in the old lands, but the goo has corrupted their minds. These animals often travel in packs. If she comes across one her only option is to outrun it on her mount, often sacrificing the mek-packer and resources.
Along the way Ooko is joined by Chu, her best friend and secret crush. Chu is the son of her mentor, Ja-Zun, a harvester trainer that has taken a liking to Ooko. It isn’t yet clear to Ooko if Chu has feelings for her, but she hopes that he will claim her for a wife during the next spring pairing ritual. He often accompanies Ooko during her deliveries, and when that is done they ride together to meet Chu’s father for a harvesting expedition.
Ooko loves the daily expeditions because they take her outside the city walls into new territory, often into regions of the jungle she has never seen. And though traveling to these regions is often riddle with dangerous animals and goo-creatures, the event is adrenalin driven and adventurous, and the abundant resources gain is often worth it. The expedition is quite large, a group of 20 men and women traveling together. The animals killed along the way are omnivores, and only their hide and bones are quickly quartered to craft weapons and clothing. Nothing is wasted. Madkams don’t eat meat so this part of the animals is left behind for other animals to eat. It is their way of keeping a balance.
Her favorite activity is harvesting, because it allows her to explore new areas and give back to her people. After the expedition the resources are divided, people take what they need. Often people trade what is crafted amongst themselves, anything left is then given to the Overseer to be delivered to other villages for trading.
Upon their return home the peoples prepare for the Feast of Gratitude. It is the most magnificent feast that includes super and giving thanks to the Ruse for providing the resources collected. Every villager gathers and forms a circle around the Ruse Totem. Those whose life were lost during expeditions are prepared by their families and wrapped in giant silk-like leafs of sap and oil, and laid before the Ruse. When the Ruse appears their bodies are pushed into the void to be joined with Ma-Ruk in eternal bliss. This sacred ritual follows the eating of food, music, dancing, and the recounting of today’s expedition. Those whose lives were taken are depicted as heroes, martyrs, so their death have greater value to the whole. Often the greater stories are told by those with master skills whose expedition takes place in the Prime Caves.
Ooko is a an Expert Harvester, she still needs to learn and hone the skill further to become a Master Harvester. Master Harvesters can pull-up supreme materials from the ground, supreme materials are found in the Prime Caves of the old lands. Only master skills people are allowed on expeditions to the Prime Caves. The old lands are dark and eerie, and home to all sort of beastly creatures, monsters and bandits, and also hold the secrets of their ancestors. Its marvels are equaled only by its dangers, an area of enchantment steeped in legend and mystery, where one can discover both magical places and the face of death itself.
Tribe/Village Detail: It is not known exactly when the Madakams settled in the continent of Witherings south of the river Ti-ain, but it was sometime after the great swarming 300 years ago. The Madakam have always had an innate sensitivity to magnetism. Before they ever called it magnetism, the prehistoric Madakam tribes were built in areas of the jungles that held good energy. Madakams who have a greater sensitivity to good energy, can follow the magnetic lines and track down places of high magnetism.
The first Madakams set up camp in the jungle when a tribe of them came into contact with Ruse entities. With a natural penchant for the sublime and given to mysticism, the Madakams built up magnetic temple cities centered around the worship of the Ruse, where grand ceremonies are orchestrated for spiritual enlightenment. This was made much easier when the Ruse taught the Madakam magic, which seems to be related to magnetism in ways that aren’t quite understood yet, but knowing magic made it easier to sense magnetic fields.
They named this place of high magnetism Moran, built in hollows in the bark of massive trees to allow protection from goo-infected animals and defense in anticipation of attacks. Through the years other temples of worship were built and as the population grew these villages united to form a dynastic guild. The region cleaned of goo and made relatively safe is now known as Villages of Intuition.
They established a Theocracy, lead by the Great Sage. They value Spiritual Achievement: to gain merit for one’s soul to reach enlightenment by fortifying an individual relationship with the Ruse. Wisdom: to better serve the Ruse it is important to learn about oneself, your people and the planet. By gaining knowledge one will learn how to better defend the planet, the Ruse and the peoples against barbarity. Respect for Nature: Madakam culture is built on a deep respect for nature. Madakam people guard against over-exploitation and fire, and at all costs fight against the goo.
The Madakams have established their enchanting village in the jungle where the Sap flows in abundance and nourishes the thriving flora. Despite the welcoming and colorful labyrinth of plant life, the perils are manifold. The jungle in many areas is beset by the pestilent goo - a cancer that nibbles inexorably at the life ravaging habitats, plants and bearing forth hideous monsters. And the climate is variable, the perfect tranquility may be suddenly broken by the clash of thunder and raging storms.
Every Madakam plays a role as spiritual leaders, but in society they are expected to be warriors to defend their territory. Crafters to produce everyday objects and weapons; and harvesters to gather the raw materials for food and manufacture. And magicians to enchant crafted items, protect harvesters, and heal warriors in combat and keep the enemy in check.
Alias: Madakam
Age: 18
Apparent Age: 20
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 155lb (Medium Frame)
Eye Color: Black
Hair Color: Green
Physical Identifiers: The first thing one notices about a Madakam is their (painted) green color skin and how tall they are, but the most peculiar feature is the kinship mask on their face; The Madakam wears a mask made from bone, cartilage, flesh and sap. They are not born with this mask, but every Madakam at the age of 12 partakes in a rite of passage - it marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, in the course of this time the kinship mask is grafted into their faces. These are living masks and act as the face of a Madakam for the remainder of their lives. For a Madakam the mask is a reflection of their soul, their passions, their feelings, their fears and hopes. (Kinship Mask, see defining moment)
Appearance: Ooko is a typical young Madakam, tall and fit, and keeps her skin and hair painted green. Most Madakam distinguished themselves by adorning their mask with assorted colors and intricate tattoos, some even add amber drops or colorful gemstones in their designs but not one mask looks the same - Ooko painted the Madakam symbols of harmony and balance on her mask. She wears ‘light armor’ made of the natural resources of the jungle, in intricate designs that help her blend to her environment - the minimal gear covers private parts and protects limbs. This light armor is flexible enough for the rigorous day to day tasks.
Equipment/Personal Possessions: Amplifier Gloves (Amps): are used as an energy enhancer, it allows a magician to build up the sap energy, for a stronger more powerful spell. Magnetic Amber: magnetic ambers are used to travel, by locating a magnetic rainbow, it can be activated to teleport an individual across great distances. Harvester Pick: used to dig the ground for materials. Hai-Phong, a bag to stuff with materials and resources. (Though most of these items are in her pet-mount inventory.) Her most valuable possession are the jewels that adorn her limbs and garments - these are magical and offer protection against magic and her ecosystem.
Pets/Companions: The Bawaab is characterized by its green scaly skin and flat hammer head with an eye at each extremity. The bawaab has pillar-like legs, large feet and moves at a surprisingly speed. This herbivore is a timorous creature occurring mainly in the jungle lands. Madakams breed these animals and use them as mounts.
Tribe/Village: The Madakam/Mora
Titles/Occupation: Expert Jungle Harvester/Magnetic Cartographer/Defensive Magician/Jeweler Apprentice/Healer
Languages Spoken: Taki Madakam: Their language consists of two essential parts. The actual speech, the spoken word used in daily communication, and the sacred writing, the Madakam pictograms.
Languages Written: Taki Madakam: Pictographic writing does not have any references to time of day or the season of the year. The Madakam people use pictographic writing to record the most important truths, the mantras that are often repeated over and over again to form ornamental patterns on buildings or weaponry.
Opinion of the Ruse: The Madakams believe that the Ruse are the living embodiment of pure energy (Ma-Ruk, see religion) on the planet sent to stand vigil over the plant kingdom and ensure that no one may destabilize the fragile equilibrium of the planet. The Madakams believe themselves to be chosen children of the Ruse because it is they who have most retained the pure energy. Ruse worship has become part and parcel of Madakam existence - by giving them offerings and doing them favors they impart their magic to them.
Opinion of Outsiders: The Madakams see outsiders as barbarous tribes as they witnessed them hunt down and kill primitive primates, and rip the lands of valuable resources destabilizing the fragile equilibrium of the planet they cherish. Outraged and horrified at such display of barbarity Madakams set up outposts through the lands of Witherings keeping endless watch, and veering barbarians from entering the Villages of Intuition and the sacred temples. Only those people who respect their laws of conservation can merit of their knowledge of magnetism and magical skills.
Hopes and Dreams: Dreams of retrieving the knowledge lost during the Great Swarming and open the doors to the secrets of the past. Hopes to be reborn as a true child of Ma-Ruk and reach the ultimate bliss. And for all peoples to join forces in their crusade against the Goo to make this world a better place. (Goo, see magic)
Likes and Desires: Likes to hone her harvesting skills, to be close to nature and roam free in the jungle. And desires to put her skills to good use and help rebuild her civilization.
Fears and Dislikes: Fears losing her identity, her culture, her way of life, and the ever growing Goo menace. She dislikes that her healing abilities are yet too weak to combat the Goo. And though she never experienced the Great Swarming that destroyed her ancestors lands, the stories are horrific enough, that she fears it may happen again.
Secrets and Regrets: Ooko’s mother told her the story of her family; Ooko’s great. great, grandmother was a High Priestess, a Celestial Guardian, a wise woman with great knowledge of which local plants could serve as medicine. Her family have always practiced Medicine very extensively, as a side-effect of their everlasting struggle against the Goo. She lived in a time when ancient Madakams scoured the jungles for all the different kinds of plants they could find and mixed them into balsams, and managed to find combinations of plants that help goo-afflicted wounds heal better.
As the Madakam came into contact with the other civilizations, they also started scouring the other ecosystems for more ingredients to experiment with, and even brought back knowledge from many cultures. And through time the Madakam perfected their balsam-recipes. In order to preserve what they know, the Madakam came up with a new medium to preserve their Knowledge. Exploring the properties of amber, crafters fashioned amber cubes, inside which knowledge can be stored.
But all that changed when the Ruse started teaching the Madakam magic. At first only a few Madakam merely dabble in magic, barely able to create a spark, but over time magic became more widespread and more powerful. Balsams, that took great effort to create and only healed injuries slowly became obsolete, when any magician could just cast a healing spell and heal the same injuries instantly.
Over time, healing magic overtook the practice of traditional medicine, Healers replaced Medics in Madakam society, and the knowledge of bandages and balsams only remained in old documents and the minds of a few traditionalist. No surprise then, that after the Great Swarming that killed most of the Madakam and destroyed all of their libraries, there was nothing of this knowledge left among the surviving Madakam refugees.
But her great, great grandmother managed to save an amber cube of knowledge from the old lands containing knowledge of the Medic occupation. She passed this knowledge cube to Ooko’s great grandmother, who then passed it down to her to her eldest daughter, who passed it down to Aoko - Ooko’s mother.
Recently scientist studying the Goo have found hints that the use of magic speeds up the expansion of the Goo. This gave rise to a movement of people against the use of magic, a small handful of Madakam that have denounced to follow the Ruse, and demand the higher spheres of society go back to old traditions and practices that have nothing to do with magic and the cult.
Ooko, stole the amber cube from the family vault, wanting to help reinstate the Medic occupation and put a stop of Madakam’s dependence of healing magic. She gave the cube to Chiang, an old and influential guru, not knowing he was infected with the Goo and was slowly becoming insane. Chiang was quickly deposed and to this day nobody knows what he did with the cube of knowledge - and Ooko has never told anyone that she gave it to him.
Personality: Ooko is a bit of a wanderer and a dreamer. She aspires to accomplish many things, and will try to do them all but never finishes them on time. Her sister thinks she is frivolous and immature, and credits these faults to her age. She is always encouraging Ooko to stay within the city walls, and not to explore beyond the Witherings, something Ooko has begun to ignore. She respects her sister but as her magic skills grow so does her confidence. She claims to have an explorers heart but has never seen an outsider or been to other lands beyond the river or the Great Wall. She has a strong love for nature and her peoples beliefs that a balance must be maintain - one should reap of the land only what one needs. She abhors cruelty to animals and the senseless killing of animals for food, when natural food is more nourishing and abundant.
Religion: Over time the Madakams, in their search for spiritual enlightenment, have grown close to the mysterious Ruse entities whom they regard as higher disciples of Ma-Ruk, The Life Giver. A Madakams very nature is calm and spiritual, their holy duty is to ensure nature’s equilibrium and to fight against the Goo, the plague of the Jungle. They are keen to share spiritual awareness so that all peoples may attain eternal bliss. Their religion teaches the harmony of the body and soul through meditation and prayer; spiritual accomplishment can be gain through the wisdom of Ma-Ruk.
Ma-Ruk (The Life Giver): The Madakams worship a superior life energy which created life, Ma-Ruk. They do not see this energy as a superior humanoid being but as an energetic entity free of body that presides over a kind of nirvana. Ma-Ruk manifests her presence on the planet through the Ruse who watch over her creation - it is through them (the Ruse) that Madakam will gain merit to accede to full enlightenment.
Relatives: Najab, her sister, who after the death of her parents has become her guardian. She pushes Ooko to be more independent yet safe, and tries her best to steer her in the right direction. Though the latter isn’t always successful.
Friends: Chu, the boy that makes her heart skip a beat. Her mentor and teacher, Ja-Zun Gei, who has become more of a parent than anything else. He teaches Ooko the skill of harvesting, and how to locate the resources of the land. She is often traveling with him and other harvesters gathering materials to bring back home for crafting and trading.
Enemies: The Antiruse; a fanatical tribe of Madakams who fiercely reject the worship of the Ruse, and violently oppose the Madakam government. Because of their loathing of anyone who worships the Ruse, they will attack any Madakam wearing a Kinship Mask, mutilating their faces, often removing them completely assuring a certain death. And other worshipers of the Ruse had better stay away too.
Defining Moments: The most defining moment in her life was Kinship Day, the day she received the Kinship Mask. She remembers the ceremony vividly. It was the first time she saw a Ruse. The meeting was followed by a big celebration, the adoption celebration. It was a great moment of joy and communion.
The celebration lasted six days and on the six night the Ruse take the children. The Ruse teleport themselves with the children into the Eternal Tree. It was a wonderful place where an everlasting sap spring reigns and animals live in peace; Ooko still remembers the raguses that played with her, and it still shocks her to see how the Goo has corrupted these once timorous animals in the wild.
The ritual is composed of four ceremony steps.
First is the step of separation from the materialistic world to the natural world; each child sheds themselves of all belongings, these items are placed in a Hai-Phong, a bag weaved by his/her family.
The second ceremonial step is purification; each child is bathed under the sap spring to purify the body on the outside, followed by the consumption of pure sap for an internal purification. It is then that the Madakam’s skin is first tainted green.
Then comes the step of connection to magic; the child is thought to meditate, learns how to focus their mind, how to control the sap within themselves, and how to draw power from it. Only then can they link with Ma-Ruk.
The last step is the step of rebirth; each youngling is taken to the chambers of dreams, hidden deep into the roots of the Eternal Tree. They stay there for a few days, deep in trance that enables them to initiate harmony with Ma-Ruk. During this sleep like trance, the Ruse give each child their kinship mask. When the child regains consciousness they are back in the jungle, not far from their village and are no longer a child but an adult and will wear his/her kinship mask forever.
A Typical Day: Like most Madakams Ooko works hard in honing her skills, skills that will help the village as whole, but also teach her to be independent. It is of no surprise for a Madakam to be knowledgeable in more than one occupation and skill.
A typical day begins with the collection of moss from slaveni plants. These plants are all around the village, young magicians learning the rot spell practice on them. Slaveni plants are magical, they have a defense spell call shockwave, and they use this spell to pushback their foe while retreating underground. But the rot spell weakens the plant and dries up killing it. The plant is then pulled out of the ground, the moss is collected and brought to the stable to be used as food for the animals, and the bud is collected for replanting and for jewelcrafting. It only takes a season for the plant to grow back. Jewels crafted with slaveni buds give their wearer some resistance against the shockwave spell.
After collecting moss and buds Ooko goes to meet with the Overseer. Typically the overseer provides tasks - Ooko often chooses delivering materials to local crafters around the Villages of Intuition. It gives her the chance to leave her village and to ride her mount, but also to learn which materials are used to craft as each crafter has their own recipe mix. She stores the materials inside a Mektoub Packer - a placid plant feeding pachyderm with a long and powerful trunk, which it uses to collect food, convey water to the mouth, for smelling, and for lifting. It has dexterous feet with large bulbous toes enabling it to radiate heat. These animals are tamable and widely use as mounts but more ideally as pack animals.
Traveling from village to village she delivers the valuable resources. The roads between the villages are fairly safe, it isn’t strange to find other riders along the road. Sometimes the occasional ragus animal roams on the road. Ragus are canine-like creatures with retractable claws, rasping tongue and five eyes, which allow it to see in all kinds of light. They are hyperactive fast-moving omnivores, that used to be social animals in the old lands, but the goo has corrupted their minds. These animals often travel in packs. If she comes across one her only option is to outrun it on her mount, often sacrificing the mek-packer and resources.
Along the way Ooko is joined by Chu, her best friend and secret crush. Chu is the son of her mentor, Ja-Zun, a harvester trainer that has taken a liking to Ooko. It isn’t yet clear to Ooko if Chu has feelings for her, but she hopes that he will claim her for a wife during the next spring pairing ritual. He often accompanies Ooko during her deliveries, and when that is done they ride together to meet Chu’s father for a harvesting expedition.
Ooko loves the daily expeditions because they take her outside the city walls into new territory, often into regions of the jungle she has never seen. And though traveling to these regions is often riddle with dangerous animals and goo-creatures, the event is adrenalin driven and adventurous, and the abundant resources gain is often worth it. The expedition is quite large, a group of 20 men and women traveling together. The animals killed along the way are omnivores, and only their hide and bones are quickly quartered to craft weapons and clothing. Nothing is wasted. Madkams don’t eat meat so this part of the animals is left behind for other animals to eat. It is their way of keeping a balance.
Her favorite activity is harvesting, because it allows her to explore new areas and give back to her people. After the expedition the resources are divided, people take what they need. Often people trade what is crafted amongst themselves, anything left is then given to the Overseer to be delivered to other villages for trading.
Upon their return home the peoples prepare for the Feast of Gratitude. It is the most magnificent feast that includes super and giving thanks to the Ruse for providing the resources collected. Every villager gathers and forms a circle around the Ruse Totem. Those whose life were lost during expeditions are prepared by their families and wrapped in giant silk-like leafs of sap and oil, and laid before the Ruse. When the Ruse appears their bodies are pushed into the void to be joined with Ma-Ruk in eternal bliss. This sacred ritual follows the eating of food, music, dancing, and the recounting of today’s expedition. Those whose lives were taken are depicted as heroes, martyrs, so their death have greater value to the whole. Often the greater stories are told by those with master skills whose expedition takes place in the Prime Caves.
Ooko is a an Expert Harvester, she still needs to learn and hone the skill further to become a Master Harvester. Master Harvesters can pull-up supreme materials from the ground, supreme materials are found in the Prime Caves of the old lands. Only master skills people are allowed on expeditions to the Prime Caves. The old lands are dark and eerie, and home to all sort of beastly creatures, monsters and bandits, and also hold the secrets of their ancestors. Its marvels are equaled only by its dangers, an area of enchantment steeped in legend and mystery, where one can discover both magical places and the face of death itself.
Tribe/Village Detail: It is not known exactly when the Madakams settled in the continent of Witherings south of the river Ti-ain, but it was sometime after the great swarming 300 years ago. The Madakam have always had an innate sensitivity to magnetism. Before they ever called it magnetism, the prehistoric Madakam tribes were built in areas of the jungles that held good energy. Madakams who have a greater sensitivity to good energy, can follow the magnetic lines and track down places of high magnetism.
The first Madakams set up camp in the jungle when a tribe of them came into contact with Ruse entities. With a natural penchant for the sublime and given to mysticism, the Madakams built up magnetic temple cities centered around the worship of the Ruse, where grand ceremonies are orchestrated for spiritual enlightenment. This was made much easier when the Ruse taught the Madakam magic, which seems to be related to magnetism in ways that aren’t quite understood yet, but knowing magic made it easier to sense magnetic fields.
They named this place of high magnetism Moran, built in hollows in the bark of massive trees to allow protection from goo-infected animals and defense in anticipation of attacks. Through the years other temples of worship were built and as the population grew these villages united to form a dynastic guild. The region cleaned of goo and made relatively safe is now known as Villages of Intuition.
They established a Theocracy, lead by the Great Sage. They value Spiritual Achievement: to gain merit for one’s soul to reach enlightenment by fortifying an individual relationship with the Ruse. Wisdom: to better serve the Ruse it is important to learn about oneself, your people and the planet. By gaining knowledge one will learn how to better defend the planet, the Ruse and the peoples against barbarity. Respect for Nature: Madakam culture is built on a deep respect for nature. Madakam people guard against over-exploitation and fire, and at all costs fight against the goo.
The Madakams have established their enchanting village in the jungle where the Sap flows in abundance and nourishes the thriving flora. Despite the welcoming and colorful labyrinth of plant life, the perils are manifold. The jungle in many areas is beset by the pestilent goo - a cancer that nibbles inexorably at the life ravaging habitats, plants and bearing forth hideous monsters. And the climate is variable, the perfect tranquility may be suddenly broken by the clash of thunder and raging storms.
Every Madakam plays a role as spiritual leaders, but in society they are expected to be warriors to defend their territory. Crafters to produce everyday objects and weapons; and harvesters to gather the raw materials for food and manufacture. And magicians to enchant crafted items, protect harvesters, and heal warriors in combat and keep the enemy in check.
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Mokley That seems like a good answer, but what I'm worried about is how all our characters are going to actually meet...
Working on that, no worries! ... yet.
@Xistina your CS so far is a great read! Originally I'd intended for no one to have really interacted with the Ruse, but I'm compelled to make an exception for the Madakam. It only makes sense that the Ruse have different cultures among themselves just as people do, and one of them could definitely be the role you've provided here. Thanks for the ideas!
@MokleyGlad you like it! From the moment I read what you posted about the Ruse I imagined them as being like the Kami in Shinto religion. I am working on the magic part of the CS, but will probably have it up tomorrow as I am too tired to write.
Awkward Afro In space snorting sweet tarts
Member
Seen
9 yrs ago
Name: Cyrus Rouhani
Alias: Cyr (Pronounced “Seer”)
Age: 17
Apparent Age: 10 ( Malnutrition due to his tribe’s religious beliefs has stunted his growth)
Height: 4’7”
Weight: 95 lbs.
Eye Color: Icy Blue
Hair Color: Dark Maroon
Physical Identifiers: His hair is ridiculously long, it reaches past his calves and is tied in a thick, unruly braid, each knot is about the size of his head. He’s incredibly short for his age, only being as tall as a primary school student. His eyes are wide and piercing, almost as though they are looking right into the deepest part of your entire existence; people in his village have complained to his parents about how uneasy they feel when he stares at them.
Appearance: He is of incredibly short stature, at first glance he could be mistaken for a child. His eyes are light blue and wide, often making people feel uneasy if he stares at them. He wears traditional Persian attire but refuses to wear shoes, instead covering his feet with bandages. He has dark skin and peculiar long red hair, which according to him, has never been cut or trimmed. He has freckles sprinkled along the bridge of his nose, a trait he inherited from his mother.
Equipment/Personal Possessions:
Orb of Mushpar: He possesses an orb that is attached to the bottom of his braid. It’s a light blue with a visible black cloud in the middle that seems to show the reflection of the night sky. Cyrus uses this orb to read the night sky and communicate with his tribes Celestial spirits. When he converted he was given this orb as a gift from the gods for his undying loyalty.
Star Charts: He keeps several small star charts with him at all times (each one showing a different area of the night sky). This helps him to keep track of the stars alignment with the planet in order for him to properly worship and communicate with the celestial spirits.
Astrological pocket books: Ancient journals written in the native tongue of his ancestors (Avestan). Though he feels they are a bit outdated, he enjoys reading them and sometimes practicing his worship in the way of his ancestors.
Notepad: When observing others he writes down what he sees in order to learn how to properly interact with others without coming across as "odd" or "creepy."
Small Backpack: A simple burlap sack that he keeps in order to carry his star chart and notepad.
Pets/Companions: When he officially became a priest he was awarded by the gods with a spiritual guardian, Naveed. His spiritual guardian may appear at will as a projection within his orb, and offers him wisdom and companionship when needed. Naveed also acts as an observer of human behavior and interaction, reporting anything amusing to the other spirits.
Naveed: Though Naveed isn’t a god, he’s incredibly self-righteous. He has no respect for what he considers “lesser life-forms,” especially humans. The only living being he seems to show tolerance for is Cyrus. Though Naveed doesn't have a physical form, when he does show himself, he takes on the silhouette of Cyrus, since Cyrus was the first living thing Naveed had ever come into contact with. His personality can be overwhelming at times. He’s incredibly sarcastic and easy to irritate, but despite his childish nature he’s very knowledgeable of the universe and it’s surrounding, always offering logical and useful advice. When he interacts with Cyrus he’s usually docile and mild-mannered, it’s only when he witnesses “the stupidity and contradictions of man-kind” that he becomes aggressive.
Tribe/Village: Roshan Tribe located in the Rune Desert.
The people of this tribe were once renowned for their knowledge in astronomy and all sciences involving the universe. They derive from Persian heritage and dress in traditional Persian dress. They are all very close and make sure to look out for each other, there are no secrets among this group. They are also very prideful for their accomplishments in science and the accomplishments of their ancestors.
Titles/Occupation: He was named the Celestial Priest of his village due to his fascination with the cosmos, his fascination was to intense that he began worshiping these celestial bodies. Once he began to view the universe as a set of deities, he has denounced all science and knowledge of man in order to become a devout priest of the celestial spirits that his ancestors worshiped long ago. Though he went against his tribe and became ostracized for it, the people of his village still respect his vast knowledge of the universe and its occurrences.
Languages Spoken: English, Avestan, Persian, Zulu, Gilaki, and Luri
Languages Written: Avestan, Old Persian, and Arabic
Opinion of the Ruse: The people of Roshan village hate the ruse. Before devastation fell upon the world, this tribe was known for their outstanding knowledge and discoveries in the fields of cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics. Their pride as a tribe was based upon the fact that there was no odd occurrence they couldn't explain without a little research and testing. Being met with these entities that cannot be explained by science or logic, the people reject and denounce their existence as a “freak phenomena.” Cyrus on the other hand sees the Ruse as a type of punishment from his people’s gods for lack of prayer and devoutness. He respects the Ruse and does not interact with them with any malcontent.
Opinion of Outsiders: His village is very suspicious of outsiders, but in order to seem civilized, they help those in need and are cordial to any visitors of their home.
Hopes and Dreams: Cyrus wishes to help his people get back to their roots in order to bring the world back into order, and to not be considered an outcast due to his belief in higher powers.
Likes and Desires: Cyrus enjoys observing the people around him, allowing him to learn about others behavior without having to interact with them. His greatest desire is to one day become a part of the very cosmos that he admires.
Fears and Dislikes: He fears upsetting his gods and ultimately losing his spiritual connection with them. He dislikes sweet things and being ostracized.
Secrets and Regrets: Because he is a host to a celestial spirit (Naveed), it is constantly feeding off of his spiritual energy; because of this his body is constantly deteriorating and becoming more and more weak. He suffers from frequent dizzy spells and bloody noses, but other than that the symptoms haven’t become too severe, but he knows that sooner or later his physical form will vanquish. His biggest regret so far is not being able to teach others about his religion for as long as he had hoped.
Personality: He has always been incredibly intelligent yet observant, only speaking when he feels he has to or to be polite. When dealing with people he tends to be introverted, but if the subject of astrology comes up he becomes excited and overly animated, almost as though he was hit with a burst of energy. He rarely becomes angry and has never been violent towards anything or anyone, though he can become very pouty if he’s not taken seriously. Though he knows interaction with humans is necessary, he doesn't like to; preferring to communicate with the stars instead.
Religion: The people of his village are atheists, only believing in what they can explain and prove through science and testing. Cyrus is a Zoroastrian (Persian) astrologist, worshiping the celestial bodies in the universe. As a Zoroastrian, Cyrus only believes what is said in the sacred text Bundahishn. According to this text there are only 6,480,000 stars visible to the naked eye, with each star and planet there is a deity taking on that physical form.
The constellations are as follows:
Varak (the ram) (Aries),
Tora (the bull) (Taurus),
Do-patkar (the two-figures) (Gemini),
Kalachang (the crab) (Cancer),
Sher (the lion) (Leo),
Khushak (ear of grain) (Virgo),
Tarazhuk (the balance) (Libra),
Gazdum (the scorpion) (Scorpio),
Nimasp (the centaur) (Sagittarius),
Vahik/Nahazik (the lead goat) (Capricorn),
Dul (the water-pot) (Aquarius), and
Mahik (the fish) (Pisces).
The constellations act as one entity, switching between faces as the night sky changes. Each face has its own distinct personality and legend associated with them. Though they are always present, they've never been known to communicate with other life, being known to only be concerned with their own affairs. Cyrus finds communication with them rare, but from time to time they give him foresight on impending danger.
The chief stars (cardinal direction stars) are the most important to Cyrus. They were the ones who saw his devotion and granted him with boundless knowledge concerning the celestial bodies in the universe. They are as follows:
Tishtar (commonly identified with Sirius), chief of the eastern sector and guardian of the rains (the direction from which the rains came in ancient Iran),
Sataves: chief of the South,
Vanand (Antares or Vega): the chief of the West,
Haptoring (Ursa Major), the Seven Bears or Seven Thrones, is the chief of the North and it is from this region that the adversary entered.
Rapithwan, is the Lord of Mid-Heaven, the throne and the chiefs. The sector of Rapithawn is also called Gah, one of the five periods of the day. More specifically it is the Rapithwan Gah, the period that lasts from noon to 3 p.m. during the seven warm Rapithwan months of the year (Spring/Summer).
Cyrus maintains contact with these deities daily. They are in constant communication with him meaning that he hears their voices within himself non-stop, which also makes it difficult at times for him to pay attention. He has explained this as being the cause of his silence and observant nature.
The Heavenly Bodies (planets) are known to correspond to/oppose the seven chiefs (stars) of the constellations. Though they are still deities, they are much more compassionate towards all living things and are much more humble. They are as follows:
Planet Tir (Mercury) with Tishtar, chief of the East,
Planet Ohrmazd-i Ab (Jupiter) with Haptoring: chief of the North,
Planet Warharan/Wahram-i Ab (Mars) with Vanand: chief of the West,
Planet Anahid-i Ab (Venus) with Sataves: chief of the South,
Planet Kevan (Saturn) with Rapithwan: the lord of the chiefs, and
Two comets are also worshiped alongside the chiefs and thrones, Gochihr and Mushpar. They provided tails unto the Sun and Moon. Mushpar is attached to the Sun so that it may do less harm. The comets also protect the sun and moon from two dark bodies; the Dark Sun and Dark Moon.
Cyrus greatly respects the planets and communicates with them when he needs advice concerning human matters. They give him guidance and he considers them to be extensions of his family. Mushpar especially favors Cyrus, it was the one who crafted and gifted Cyrus with his orb.
Relatives: Father, mother, and older cousin
Friends: Naveed
Enemies: None that he knows of.
Defining Moments: Cyrus had always been in the shadow of his parents achievements in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. They were the most respected family in the tribe because of their feats in the scientific world. At a young age Cyrus was able to fully grasp the mechanics and science behind astrophysics easily, but he had always felt that something about his family’s career path was lacking. Due to curiosity Cyrus began looking into the old sacred texts that his people keep within the observatory in the middle of their village. From these he discovered the lost religion of his people and by reading these ancient texts, he established an immediate connection and spiritual yearning to learn more. As the years went by he became more secluded and withdrawn from the rest of the village, knowing that they would not like his new found “hobby.” It wasn't until his 13th birthday that Cyrus told the people of his small village that he no longer believed in the science that they all prided themselves for and instead had found something that gave him the most truthful look behind the universe. After this day Cyrus was ostracized, but being the only son of the most notable family in his tribe, the people have no choice but to tolerate him and be polite, but they do not interact with him if they don’t need to.
A Typical Day: To pass the time Cyrus usually studies his astral charts and looks at any phenomenon occurring in the universe via his orb. When he’s not studying he can be found on the outskirts of his village enjoying a citrus fruit; his favorite being lemons, and seemingly speaking to himself. If he is not tending to his worship, he can also be seen taking notes in his notepads while quietly staring at people as they interact with each other.
Tribe/Village Detail: The Roshan Village is sparse in members, ultimately only containing around 150 people. The buildings are made stone and show their old age through the chipping gold paint applied in homage to their Persian ancestry. The houses are neatly aligned circularly, creating a spiral around the middle of the village. The ground is mostly barren, consisting of dirt and stones. Since the ground is so sterile, it can only provide enough necessary nutrients to grow a few self-sustainable crops thanks to the sparse rainfall the village receives.
A large, old observatory is in the middle of the village, used for research and other studies. The observatory also serves as a library and a housing to the tribes most ancient and sacred texts. The walls within the observatory are decorated with various grand mosaics and steeles that are considered priceless artifacts of the Roshan tribe's heritage. There are various shops within the village. Everyone does their part to support the village and share what little they have, operating as a Socialist society.
Magic: The Roshan Tribe believes magic to be based on superstition and simple tricks. They ostracize and rebuke anyone that uses it or believes in it. In Cyrus' case however, his spiritual abilities are in concurrence to the stars and planets, and the amount of spiritual energy he has to use.
Focus: Celestial magic
As a priest Cyrus is able to perform healing rituals and incantations by using the energy of the sun or the moon, though if the person is in extreme critical condition, he may not be able to save them do to his inexperience with healing others.
His worship also grants the ability to bless those and protect them against any physical damage for a short period of time; his orb may also serve as a personal force field for himself, but he doesn't use this method much in fear of breaking it.
He is able to enhance the abilities of others, as in make them stronger, faster, more agile, etc. by imbuing them with his own spiritual energy. He does have one offensive attack, allowing him to produce a spiritual shock wave up to 10 m around him, this uses the most spiritual energy, so he can only do it once. He may also borrow the spiritual energy of the gods, allowing him to use his abilities for longer periods of time and to a greater extent.
Through minor meditation he can also levitate giving him the appearance of flight, but his elevation is limited depending on how much spiritual energy he uses.
As a priest he also has the ability of foresight and insight, allowing him to sense impending danger, predict the fortune of others, and tell if someone is lying or has the intent of causing harm.
Balance: In order for Cyrus to use his abilities he must sacrifice his own spiritual energy. He may not replenish this during the day; the only way for him to get back any spiritual energy he has lost he must be in intense meditation and prayer for hours after the sunset and until sunrise. He can't sleep or eat during this time so it can take a major toll on his already deteriorating body. If he runs out of spiritual energy it can result in him entering a catatonic-like state or death depending on how much he over exerted himself.
Process: In order to cast any incantation on someone else, Cyrus must recite a prayer in Old Persian; this would involve him being in physical contact with the person in some way while reciting the prayer. If he wishes to cast an incantation on himself he must write the runes on his body in Avestan while reading it aloud to himself.
Alias: Cyr (Pronounced “Seer”)
Age: 17
Apparent Age: 10 ( Malnutrition due to his tribe’s religious beliefs has stunted his growth)
Height: 4’7”
Weight: 95 lbs.
Eye Color: Icy Blue
Hair Color: Dark Maroon
Physical Identifiers: His hair is ridiculously long, it reaches past his calves and is tied in a thick, unruly braid, each knot is about the size of his head. He’s incredibly short for his age, only being as tall as a primary school student. His eyes are wide and piercing, almost as though they are looking right into the deepest part of your entire existence; people in his village have complained to his parents about how uneasy they feel when he stares at them.
Appearance: He is of incredibly short stature, at first glance he could be mistaken for a child. His eyes are light blue and wide, often making people feel uneasy if he stares at them. He wears traditional Persian attire but refuses to wear shoes, instead covering his feet with bandages. He has dark skin and peculiar long red hair, which according to him, has never been cut or trimmed. He has freckles sprinkled along the bridge of his nose, a trait he inherited from his mother.
Equipment/Personal Possessions:
Orb of Mushpar: He possesses an orb that is attached to the bottom of his braid. It’s a light blue with a visible black cloud in the middle that seems to show the reflection of the night sky. Cyrus uses this orb to read the night sky and communicate with his tribes Celestial spirits. When he converted he was given this orb as a gift from the gods for his undying loyalty.
Star Charts: He keeps several small star charts with him at all times (each one showing a different area of the night sky). This helps him to keep track of the stars alignment with the planet in order for him to properly worship and communicate with the celestial spirits.
Astrological pocket books: Ancient journals written in the native tongue of his ancestors (Avestan). Though he feels they are a bit outdated, he enjoys reading them and sometimes practicing his worship in the way of his ancestors.
Notepad: When observing others he writes down what he sees in order to learn how to properly interact with others without coming across as "odd" or "creepy."
Small Backpack: A simple burlap sack that he keeps in order to carry his star chart and notepad.
Pets/Companions: When he officially became a priest he was awarded by the gods with a spiritual guardian, Naveed. His spiritual guardian may appear at will as a projection within his orb, and offers him wisdom and companionship when needed. Naveed also acts as an observer of human behavior and interaction, reporting anything amusing to the other spirits.
Naveed: Though Naveed isn’t a god, he’s incredibly self-righteous. He has no respect for what he considers “lesser life-forms,” especially humans. The only living being he seems to show tolerance for is Cyrus. Though Naveed doesn't have a physical form, when he does show himself, he takes on the silhouette of Cyrus, since Cyrus was the first living thing Naveed had ever come into contact with. His personality can be overwhelming at times. He’s incredibly sarcastic and easy to irritate, but despite his childish nature he’s very knowledgeable of the universe and it’s surrounding, always offering logical and useful advice. When he interacts with Cyrus he’s usually docile and mild-mannered, it’s only when he witnesses “the stupidity and contradictions of man-kind” that he becomes aggressive.
Tribe/Village: Roshan Tribe located in the Rune Desert.
The people of this tribe were once renowned for their knowledge in astronomy and all sciences involving the universe. They derive from Persian heritage and dress in traditional Persian dress. They are all very close and make sure to look out for each other, there are no secrets among this group. They are also very prideful for their accomplishments in science and the accomplishments of their ancestors.
Titles/Occupation: He was named the Celestial Priest of his village due to his fascination with the cosmos, his fascination was to intense that he began worshiping these celestial bodies. Once he began to view the universe as a set of deities, he has denounced all science and knowledge of man in order to become a devout priest of the celestial spirits that his ancestors worshiped long ago. Though he went against his tribe and became ostracized for it, the people of his village still respect his vast knowledge of the universe and its occurrences.
Languages Spoken: English, Avestan, Persian, Zulu, Gilaki, and Luri
Languages Written: Avestan, Old Persian, and Arabic
Opinion of the Ruse: The people of Roshan village hate the ruse. Before devastation fell upon the world, this tribe was known for their outstanding knowledge and discoveries in the fields of cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics. Their pride as a tribe was based upon the fact that there was no odd occurrence they couldn't explain without a little research and testing. Being met with these entities that cannot be explained by science or logic, the people reject and denounce their existence as a “freak phenomena.” Cyrus on the other hand sees the Ruse as a type of punishment from his people’s gods for lack of prayer and devoutness. He respects the Ruse and does not interact with them with any malcontent.
Opinion of Outsiders: His village is very suspicious of outsiders, but in order to seem civilized, they help those in need and are cordial to any visitors of their home.
Hopes and Dreams: Cyrus wishes to help his people get back to their roots in order to bring the world back into order, and to not be considered an outcast due to his belief in higher powers.
Likes and Desires: Cyrus enjoys observing the people around him, allowing him to learn about others behavior without having to interact with them. His greatest desire is to one day become a part of the very cosmos that he admires.
Fears and Dislikes: He fears upsetting his gods and ultimately losing his spiritual connection with them. He dislikes sweet things and being ostracized.
Secrets and Regrets: Because he is a host to a celestial spirit (Naveed), it is constantly feeding off of his spiritual energy; because of this his body is constantly deteriorating and becoming more and more weak. He suffers from frequent dizzy spells and bloody noses, but other than that the symptoms haven’t become too severe, but he knows that sooner or later his physical form will vanquish. His biggest regret so far is not being able to teach others about his religion for as long as he had hoped.
Personality: He has always been incredibly intelligent yet observant, only speaking when he feels he has to or to be polite. When dealing with people he tends to be introverted, but if the subject of astrology comes up he becomes excited and overly animated, almost as though he was hit with a burst of energy. He rarely becomes angry and has never been violent towards anything or anyone, though he can become very pouty if he’s not taken seriously. Though he knows interaction with humans is necessary, he doesn't like to; preferring to communicate with the stars instead.
Religion: The people of his village are atheists, only believing in what they can explain and prove through science and testing. Cyrus is a Zoroastrian (Persian) astrologist, worshiping the celestial bodies in the universe. As a Zoroastrian, Cyrus only believes what is said in the sacred text Bundahishn. According to this text there are only 6,480,000 stars visible to the naked eye, with each star and planet there is a deity taking on that physical form.
The constellations are as follows:
Varak (the ram) (Aries),
Tora (the bull) (Taurus),
Do-patkar (the two-figures) (Gemini),
Kalachang (the crab) (Cancer),
Sher (the lion) (Leo),
Khushak (ear of grain) (Virgo),
Tarazhuk (the balance) (Libra),
Gazdum (the scorpion) (Scorpio),
Nimasp (the centaur) (Sagittarius),
Vahik/Nahazik (the lead goat) (Capricorn),
Dul (the water-pot) (Aquarius), and
Mahik (the fish) (Pisces).
The constellations act as one entity, switching between faces as the night sky changes. Each face has its own distinct personality and legend associated with them. Though they are always present, they've never been known to communicate with other life, being known to only be concerned with their own affairs. Cyrus finds communication with them rare, but from time to time they give him foresight on impending danger.
The chief stars (cardinal direction stars) are the most important to Cyrus. They were the ones who saw his devotion and granted him with boundless knowledge concerning the celestial bodies in the universe. They are as follows:
Tishtar (commonly identified with Sirius), chief of the eastern sector and guardian of the rains (the direction from which the rains came in ancient Iran),
Sataves: chief of the South,
Vanand (Antares or Vega): the chief of the West,
Haptoring (Ursa Major), the Seven Bears or Seven Thrones, is the chief of the North and it is from this region that the adversary entered.
Rapithwan, is the Lord of Mid-Heaven, the throne and the chiefs. The sector of Rapithawn is also called Gah, one of the five periods of the day. More specifically it is the Rapithwan Gah, the period that lasts from noon to 3 p.m. during the seven warm Rapithwan months of the year (Spring/Summer).
Cyrus maintains contact with these deities daily. They are in constant communication with him meaning that he hears their voices within himself non-stop, which also makes it difficult at times for him to pay attention. He has explained this as being the cause of his silence and observant nature.
The Heavenly Bodies (planets) are known to correspond to/oppose the seven chiefs (stars) of the constellations. Though they are still deities, they are much more compassionate towards all living things and are much more humble. They are as follows:
Planet Tir (Mercury) with Tishtar, chief of the East,
Planet Ohrmazd-i Ab (Jupiter) with Haptoring: chief of the North,
Planet Warharan/Wahram-i Ab (Mars) with Vanand: chief of the West,
Planet Anahid-i Ab (Venus) with Sataves: chief of the South,
Planet Kevan (Saturn) with Rapithwan: the lord of the chiefs, and
Two comets are also worshiped alongside the chiefs and thrones, Gochihr and Mushpar. They provided tails unto the Sun and Moon. Mushpar is attached to the Sun so that it may do less harm. The comets also protect the sun and moon from two dark bodies; the Dark Sun and Dark Moon.
Cyrus greatly respects the planets and communicates with them when he needs advice concerning human matters. They give him guidance and he considers them to be extensions of his family. Mushpar especially favors Cyrus, it was the one who crafted and gifted Cyrus with his orb.
Relatives: Father, mother, and older cousin
Friends: Naveed
Enemies: None that he knows of.
Defining Moments: Cyrus had always been in the shadow of his parents achievements in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. They were the most respected family in the tribe because of their feats in the scientific world. At a young age Cyrus was able to fully grasp the mechanics and science behind astrophysics easily, but he had always felt that something about his family’s career path was lacking. Due to curiosity Cyrus began looking into the old sacred texts that his people keep within the observatory in the middle of their village. From these he discovered the lost religion of his people and by reading these ancient texts, he established an immediate connection and spiritual yearning to learn more. As the years went by he became more secluded and withdrawn from the rest of the village, knowing that they would not like his new found “hobby.” It wasn't until his 13th birthday that Cyrus told the people of his small village that he no longer believed in the science that they all prided themselves for and instead had found something that gave him the most truthful look behind the universe. After this day Cyrus was ostracized, but being the only son of the most notable family in his tribe, the people have no choice but to tolerate him and be polite, but they do not interact with him if they don’t need to.
A Typical Day: To pass the time Cyrus usually studies his astral charts and looks at any phenomenon occurring in the universe via his orb. When he’s not studying he can be found on the outskirts of his village enjoying a citrus fruit; his favorite being lemons, and seemingly speaking to himself. If he is not tending to his worship, he can also be seen taking notes in his notepads while quietly staring at people as they interact with each other.
Tribe/Village Detail: The Roshan Village is sparse in members, ultimately only containing around 150 people. The buildings are made stone and show their old age through the chipping gold paint applied in homage to their Persian ancestry. The houses are neatly aligned circularly, creating a spiral around the middle of the village. The ground is mostly barren, consisting of dirt and stones. Since the ground is so sterile, it can only provide enough necessary nutrients to grow a few self-sustainable crops thanks to the sparse rainfall the village receives.
A large, old observatory is in the middle of the village, used for research and other studies. The observatory also serves as a library and a housing to the tribes most ancient and sacred texts. The walls within the observatory are decorated with various grand mosaics and steeles that are considered priceless artifacts of the Roshan tribe's heritage. There are various shops within the village. Everyone does their part to support the village and share what little they have, operating as a Socialist society.
Magic: The Roshan Tribe believes magic to be based on superstition and simple tricks. They ostracize and rebuke anyone that uses it or believes in it. In Cyrus' case however, his spiritual abilities are in concurrence to the stars and planets, and the amount of spiritual energy he has to use.
Focus: Celestial magic
As a priest Cyrus is able to perform healing rituals and incantations by using the energy of the sun or the moon, though if the person is in extreme critical condition, he may not be able to save them do to his inexperience with healing others.
His worship also grants the ability to bless those and protect them against any physical damage for a short period of time; his orb may also serve as a personal force field for himself, but he doesn't use this method much in fear of breaking it.
He is able to enhance the abilities of others, as in make them stronger, faster, more agile, etc. by imbuing them with his own spiritual energy. He does have one offensive attack, allowing him to produce a spiritual shock wave up to 10 m around him, this uses the most spiritual energy, so he can only do it once. He may also borrow the spiritual energy of the gods, allowing him to use his abilities for longer periods of time and to a greater extent.
Through minor meditation he can also levitate giving him the appearance of flight, but his elevation is limited depending on how much spiritual energy he uses.
As a priest he also has the ability of foresight and insight, allowing him to sense impending danger, predict the fortune of others, and tell if someone is lying or has the intent of causing harm.
Balance: In order for Cyrus to use his abilities he must sacrifice his own spiritual energy. He may not replenish this during the day; the only way for him to get back any spiritual energy he has lost he must be in intense meditation and prayer for hours after the sunset and until sunrise. He can't sleep or eat during this time so it can take a major toll on his already deteriorating body. If he runs out of spiritual energy it can result in him entering a catatonic-like state or death depending on how much he over exerted himself.
Process: In order to cast any incantation on someone else, Cyrus must recite a prayer in Old Persian; this would involve him being in physical contact with the person in some way while reciting the prayer. If he wishes to cast an incantation on himself he must write the runes on his body in Avestan while reading it aloud to himself.
PS: Even though they stay in constant communication, the gods don’t have any actual dialogue, so you don’t have to worry about them speaking. :D Hopefully everything makes sense.
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Awkward Afro I like it! Some interesting ideas here, too, so thanks for that. ;) Please copy Cyrus over to the Characters tab.
Edit: If anyone has suggestions for the index post of the Characters tab, please do speak up! I feel like there is much that is missing.
Edit: If anyone has suggestions for the index post of the Characters tab, please do speak up! I feel like there is much that is missing.
Hi Mokley, before I go ahead and ruin your RP, I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop out of it. Somewhere along the line of my essay writing, my interest in fantasy has died. Doesn't help that the novels I'm analysing are set in India, although not a fantasy world, functions somewhat like one the way the novels are written. I've always been the nitty gritty RP type of guy, though I'm not sure if I'd even join another RP again until... Don't know when.
Someone could maybe salvage my character, or you could always use it for something. I hope you understand.
Someone could maybe salvage my character, or you could always use it for something. I hope you understand.
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Darkraven totally understand, sorry to see you go! If you ever feel like fantasy again feel free to return! We'll definitely fit you in. Good luck in your endeavors!
@Mokley Nice work with the index page! I like the categorisation of information. It makes for easy reference. Let me see if I can build on the pantheon of Dryadism after bringing the herblore to some sort of cohesion.
@Darkraven totally understand, sorry to see you go! If you ever feel like fantasy again feel free to return! We'll definitely fit you in. Good luck in your endeavors!
No problem. Good luck with yours!
@Mokley Oh and I have a question. I may be jumping the gun here, so stop me if you intend to resolve this in your own time. I noticed the world is large, wild and the people tribal and wrapped largely in ignorance. All us players are from various pockets in this large world. How do you intend to start us of? Do we just pick our starting position or do you have plans to nudge us in the right direction before the IC begins?
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
@Incanus I'm considering a few options. Essentially we could go one of two ways: for the first round you all could play individually in your own tribes and respond to an event, which leads them to the meeting point. Or I can force you all together from the getgo so you begin in each other's company. Either way there will be magic involved.
GM
Mokley aka windyfiend
Member
Seen
12 mos ago
I think we're waiting on @XecutionerRex and @Xistina? You guys still around? :)
Hexaflexagon
Member
Seen
7 mos ago
I'm considering a few options. Essentially we could go one of two ways: for the first round you all could play individually in your own tribes and respond to an event, which leads them to the meeting point. Or I can force you all together from the getgo so you begin in each other's company. Either way there will be magic involved.
So either way a wizard did it? lol
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