Benzaiten

Accumulation of Sorts

This is my little dumpster site where I collect some wisdom or otherwise I've seen on other people's threads and find useful. You might find some of my own brain dumps here, too.

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EXP

EXP earned for posting is as follows: <750 words is 1 point, 750-1250 is 2 points, and 1250-2000 is 3 points, then +1 for every thousand after that. I would only expect the upper echelons to be reached by big-time collabs.

If it appears that you're over-inflating your word count, either by making too many posts per cycle or by adding unnecessary excess to your posts, to try and gain exp, your rewards will be decreased. Since you're being rewarded for word count both in and out of combat, and after successful encounters according to your contribution, you're going to level pretty quickly anyway, so inflation is really unnecessary.

It would be helpful to me, and therefore you, if you kept track of your word count per post. Here is a site that makes it easy: wordcounter.net. Just paste your text in and it'll rack up your total for you. It would be especially great if you kept track of and managed your own EXP yourself, but I can do it for you at intervals otherwise.

What exactly can you gain from a level-up?
1. A new Power pertaining to your character, something that your character can do in his or her home game but didn't start with here, or something that your character could learn or develop in the home game. Exceptional 'stats' can count as Powers.
1.5. A new Power pertaining to a Spirit. Once a Spirit is bonded with -so long as it doesn't become static equipment- its potential is added to your character's, allowing you to gain abilities belonging to its progression rather than your character's if you choose.
2. A new Strength. Sometimes, a skill is more important than a Power, or is necessary to make proper use of equipment or Powers. One cannot just pick up a brand-new weapon or dynamic ability and be an expert, after all.

EXP Share
A phenomenon that you'll find helpful in a post involving multiple player characters, whether owned by the same player or otherwise. The word count (and thus EXP cashout) from any post involving those characters is attributed to every character involved; if you do a collab with another person and the count is 1250, you both get 3 EXP, and if you have two characters that both star in your 750-word post, both get 2 EXP.

EXP gain is boosted during boss fights.

Colors

▅▅▅▅▅ « pink
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightpink
▅▅▅▅▅ « palevioletred
▅▅▅▅▅ « hotpink
▅▅▅▅▅ « deeepink
▅▅▅▅▅ « red
▅▅▅▅▅ « tomato
▅▅▅▅▅ « crimson
▅▅▅▅▅ « firebrick
▅▅▅▅▅ « indianred
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkred
▅▅▅▅▅ « maroon
▅▅▅▅▅ « brown
▅▅▅▅▅ « sienna
▅▅▅▅▅ « saddlebrown
▅▅▅▅▅ « rosybrown
▅▅▅▅▅ « tan
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkahki
▅▅▅▅▅ « burlywood
▅▅▅▅▅ « chocolate
▅▅▅▅▅ « peru
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkgoldenrod
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightcoral
▅▅▅▅▅ « coral
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightsalmon
▅▅▅▅▅ « salmon
▅▅▅▅▅ « darksalmon
▅▅▅▅▅ « orangered
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkorange
▅▅▅▅▅ « orange
▅▅▅▅▅ « sandybrown
▅▅▅▅▅ « goldenrod
▅▅▅▅▅ « khaki
▅▅▅▅▅ « gold
▅▅▅▅▅ « #EEE9BF
▅▅▅▅▅ « palegoldenrod
▅▅▅▅▅ « yellow
▅▅▅▅▅ « greenyellow
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightgreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « lawngreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « chartreuse
▅▅▅▅▅ « lime
▅▅▅▅▅ « springgreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumspringgreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « limegreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « green
▅▅▅▅▅ « forestgreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkgreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « seagreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumseagreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkseagreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « olive
▅▅▅▅▅ « olivedrab
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkolivegreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightcyan
▅▅▅▅▅ « paleturquoise
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « #C6E2FF
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightsteelblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « powderblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « cyan
▅▅▅▅▅ « aqua
▅▅▅▅▅ « aquamarine
▅▅▅▅▅ « turquoise
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightskyblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « skyblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « #BDFCC9
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumaquamarine
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumturquoise
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkturquoise
▅▅▅▅▅ « deepskyblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « cadetblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « cornflowerblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « steelblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « slateblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumslateblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « royalblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « dodgerblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « #33A1C9
▅▅▅▅▅ « #63B8FF
▅▅▅▅▅ « lightseagreen
▅▅▅▅▅ « teal
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkcyan
▅▅▅▅▅ « blue
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « #3D59AB
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkslateblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « navy
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « midnightblue
▅▅▅▅▅ « indigo
▅▅▅▅▅ « blueviolet
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumpurple
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumorchid
▅▅▅▅▅ « purple
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkmagenta
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkviolet
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkorchid
▅▅▅▅▅ « lavender
▅▅▅▅▅ « thistle
▅▅▅▅▅ « plum
▅▅▅▅▅ « violet
▅▅▅▅▅ « orchid
▅▅▅▅▅ « magenta
▅▅▅▅▅ « fuchsia
▅▅▅▅▅ « #FF3E96
▅▅▅▅▅ « mediumvioletred
▅▅▅▅▅ « black
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkslayegray
▅▅▅▅▅ « dimgray
▅▅▅▅▅ « gray
▅▅▅▅▅ « slategray
▅▅▅▅▅ « darkgray
▅▅▅▅▅ « silver
▅▅▅▅▅ « #C1CDCD

Random Tables

Weather Conditions
Fotune Teller
Fotune Teller 2
Common Magical Items (a list, not ab roll table)

The Witches of Shipden Peak

@Katakuri glad to see you're interested. We have a lovely discord server you can join if you like. I'm looking forward to your CS but please know that no CS is required until I've dropped the OOC, so no stress.

The Wicked City

Will this be survival? Will our characters be killed off?

The Witches of Shipden Peak

For everyone's concern: Now that there is some interest, I might as well mention that spots for Necromancy will be limited. I don't know to how many yet. I also wanna mention that Necromancy is the hardest to master of the schools and the most controlled/regulated by the US government. It will also be the one school of magic I will restrict most in means of abilities. You may not run around with a horde of raised dead on your heels and at your command.

Other schools of magic will not be as restricted in terms of what you might come up with for them.

I am not sure yet when I will make an OOC but I imagine I will put a Q&A section into the 0th post or so, considering that many questions about the world, its restrictions and especially its magical means will be piling in.

You may join the discord server if you like. Getting your questions answered over there will be quicker than on here.

You can rise from the dead twice, right?

Welcome back ^^ I feel like there is less going on here than when I first started (7 years ago!) but maybe that's just me getting pickier with my RPs?

The Witches of Shipden Peak

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

Shipden Peak

In the town of North Bennington lies a little hill. On top of that hill lies a little district, much a miniature town of its own. This little plot of land is called Shipden Peak. With a small town hall, some living quarters and more land than houses, Shipden Peak is a wonderful place to settle down. There runs a little river down into a freshwater pond. To its north lies a thick forest, often covered in mist.

Shipden Peak is home to a witch coven.

Although the days of witch hunts are long past us, life isn't roses. While the upcoming election is threatening the witches with a potential anti-witch politician claiming the title of president, unrest is stirring in the corners of the world. A rise in threats has been detected - unnatural beings such as undead creatures, magical beasts, and other supernatural causes pull media attention and feed directly into an anti-witch campaign.

News report a rise in witch registrations (which concludes a rise in witch births), a rise in magical phenomenons and, in some parts of the US, unusual weather situations.

Whether you have been a part of the Shipden Coven since birth or only joined recently, you are in fact now a witch of Shipden Peak.

Discord Link

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Plot

The idea is that our group of witches will be met with different challenges and opponents along the way.

Act 1:
They first will be met with changes and difficulties they deal with from their home base, Shipden Peak. This might be political changes, magical threats, an uprise of the humans against the witches, etc. All of this brewing underneath the surface. There may be a "villain" introduced as well as a witch group defying the status quo which might lead to further unrest.

Act 2:
A change in political power will lead to many changes and a different way of life. Witches begin to be more threatened. Here, the Shipden coven might begin to discuss sending out a Unit (a group of witches) to protect people, to battle against the rising threats, to investigate the sudden magical phenomenons, or to investigate the "villain". Alternatively, the witches might be drafted for military purposes by the US government to serve in a special unit or they might be forced to flee as witches are being made responsible for the threats and detained. Depending on Act 1, this can go many ways.

Act 3:
Whatever path we choose to take, in Act 3 the reason for all the problems occurring will begin to surface, if it hasn't already. Connections will be made. Allies will be lost, enemies will possibly re-surface. And here latest will the Unit meet the "villain" or whatever main threat there is head-on if they haven't yet.

Further On
This shall not be the end of the story but it is unlikely I can predict any more than this unless I set a course for a story already. I would much rather we do this together, though.

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Expectations

So what do I expect from you? And what can you expect from this RP?

I am aiming for a focus on RP over combat. There will be combat and there will be some political stuff but I want the main focus to be the connection between the PCs. While the circumstance of the world and the happenings will be important, forming bonds and experimenting with RP is more important to me. There will likely not be any "stats" for our characters for this very reason and there won't any permanent character death (unless specified by the player).

I am not the best at world-building and building political systems, etc. But I will try. So please bear with me if it isn't entirely "realistic".

I expect us to form this story together. While I will drop situations that might occur - especially in the beginning - I highly encourage you to do so, too. At the discretion of your GM. If you have a unique idea for a backstory - ask me. If you have a fun idea for a plot hook or an enemy - let us discuss it. You may do so privately or openly. Together we can build a richer and more enticing story than I could on my own.

Furthermore, I am expecting this to be a moderate to slow RP. We might be fast posting in the beginning, but I know that most people always have life come in-between. As I would still like to keep this going even then, I am thinking of having a once per week or once per 2 weeks posting schedule. I wanna emphasize the writing, the connection, and especially the love to develop a story, over the hustle of cramming posts.

Rules

This list might change / expand.

• GM has the last word
• Any action which has another character give involuntary information or act involuntarily MUST be discussed with the player, in case of NPCs it MUST be discussed with the GM
• Any post must be related to events stated in prior posts, include a reaction to all PCs which are included in the scene (no one gets "ignored") and further the plot/scene. No "empty" reaction posts. Your post must add something new.
• Any post must have some insight into your character (motivation, feelings, thoughts, struggles, whatever fits the moment)
• No character can be a broody loner; you may have it be part of the character's traits but essentially, I need you to make a character that will want to engage with others on some level
• Maximum of 2 characters per player, so choose wisely
• You may make a villainous (side) character/an antagonist ONLY as a secondary character (note: villains and antagonists do not have a "right" of posting, the GM and you will decide together when it fits to have them show up/interact with PCs or NPCs; an antagonist might pop up and reappear later). Your antagonist may be human, witch or other.

Character Creation

CS

[center]First Name + Last Name[/center]
[center][Img]pls use a real FC here[/img][/center]

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[center][i][color=EFD7AD]"Character quote"[/color][/i][/center]
[color=gray][center]Trait 1. Trait 2. Trait 3. [/center]

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[color=EFD7AD][h2]Basic Information[/h2][/color]
[list][*][color=EFD7AD][b]Name:[/b][/color] full name please, add nicknames if wanted
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Gender[/b][/color] gender, you may add "cis/trans" if you want to
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Age:[/b][/color] age
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Sexual Orientation:[/b][/color] how you roll?
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]College Degree:[/b][/color] if any

[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Languages:[/b][/color] must speak English, may speak other languages as well
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Notable Skills:[/b][/color] explain those with your history later if needed
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]Magical Abilities[/h2][/color]
[color=EFD7AD][b]Years of Magical Education:[/b][/color] note: in the US you only start magical education earliest with 12
[color=EFD7AD][b]Schools of Magic:[/b][/color] you may choose up to 3

[color=EFD7AD][b]School of Magic[/b][/color] (put your skill level here, 10 is the highest you may choose)
[list][*][color=EFD7AD]Name of the ability[/color]
Describe how the ability works for your character. Additionally, you may describe how this ability looks like if higher advanced casters used it. Please add the restrictions to this ability. (e.g. "target must be in sight" or "requires concentration" or "can be undone by xy"). This does not need to be extensive. If you are unsure, we will figure it out down the line in RP.
[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Name of Ability[/color]
Same as above. You may add more abilities than 2.
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][b]School of Magic[/b][/color] (skill level)
[list][*][color=EFD7AD]Name of ability[/color]
Description.
[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Name of ability[/color]
Description.
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]Personality[/h2][/color]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 1[/color]
You must choose at least 3 personality traits of your character you wanna share in the CS. You may choose to share more.[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 2[/color]
Write a short description how this looks like for your character[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 3[/color]
Write a short description how this looks like for your character[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]History[/h2][/color]Write at least 3 paragraphs for your character's history. This must include upbringing, where they've lived most of their lives, and what they've done so far (roughly, details not necessary). Include how/why they ended up joining Shipden Peak.

[/color]

Infos for creating your character:

• Please make your main character between the ages of 23 and 37
• Make a Shipden "hero" before you make an antagonist (corruption arcs for "heroes" are possible though)
• Fill out all required information in the given CS, you may add more any info if you like
• You may format the CS how you like but pls keep it easy on the eyes and organized
• You may choose any power you can think of for your school of magic - I will then judge whether it fits the world or is too OP and get back to you :)

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From here on you will find info about the world our characters live in. For the schools of magic, see "Magic System".

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Magic vs. Normalcy

Casters, magicians, sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, witches, or whatever else one might have called them throughout the times, have always existed alongside humans. The history of witchcraft vs. humanity is long and dull and splattered with blood and betrayal on both sides.

Humans, having feared the power of magic users, have tried their best to secure themselves through various means. War. Peace treaties. Witch burnings. And witches, sometimes out of hunger for power, sometimes out of vengeance, and other times out of desperation, have done the same to the humans as they had to them. Whoever started it is unclear.

Nowadays, in the United States of America, witches and humans live side-by-side in peace. Witch huntings and burnings have long been stories of the past. As have stories of vile witches stealing children and casting curses upon entire families. However, mistrust remains.

In this great nation, witches are as welcome and protected as anyone! But they must follow certain rules. The safety of the masses - witch and human alike - must be the nation's front and foremost concern. So the nation has established a rule system that all witches of the United States must follow.

• Rule No. 1: All US citizen witches must join a coven of their choice and register their name with the government upon turning 18 within the first 2 months of their adulthood. Prior to completing the 18th year of life, any underage witch and any witch's child must be registered in the Young Witch's Coven of the United States OR be registered to another coven of their legal guardians' choice.
• Rule No. 2: No witch may intentionally or out of lack of responsibility and care use any magical ability, directly or indirectly, on another US citizen, including other witches.
• Rule No. 3: Any witch may be drafted for military purposes at any point to protect the United States of America from threats foreign and domestic.
• Rule No. 4: Any witch must follow the enforced rules of their covens and sub-covens at all times or stand trial before the sub-coven, coven and finally the US law.
• Rule No. 4: Any witch may freely choose to change their registration to another coven with a 2-year-period of membership.
• Rule No. 5: Any witch must attend a witch's school for a minimum of 3 years of study between the ages 12 and 18 additionally to the regular school requirements. The course of study of magical properties and abilities may not exceed a total of 10 years.
• Rule No. 6: No witch may use any magical ability outside of their coven's seating at work, for work, for job applications, or otherwise in connection to professional employment, unless explicitly stated and granted within their contract of employment.

The Covens

In general, covens are a community of witches. There are multiple covens all over the US but due to the scarcity of witches (1 in 1.000.000) covens with actual witch communities are rare.

Usually, a coven consists of multiple sub-covens. There may be a "CA Witches" Coven which in turn has multiple regional covens underneath its heading which it's responsible for. Those regional covens then have their own seating somewhere, this is usually a part of a small town that is only meant for witches. There you may find a witch's community including a school for witchcraft and a witch's town hall. However, a witch may also be officially registered with a regional coven but live outside the coven's seating. In this case, they would be surrounded by humans and likely have little to no personal contact with other witches due to the scarcity. Witches tend to flock to those small communities and live within their covens for various reasons.

Covens are under observation and regulation by the US government. Any sub-coven must have at least 50 witches registered to it at all times to be officially recognized. Any coven must have at least 300 witches registered to it at all times to be officially recognized. If the number drops beneath the required amount at any point in time, the coven or sub-coven is granted a 30-day period to fill the missing spots. If they can't, the witches within the coven must register with a legitimate sub-coven or coven or they will be randomly placed into one by the US government.

Magic System

The magic system of this world consists of 8 main schools of magic with various sub-categories.

Schools of Magic

• Abjuration
  The School of Abjuration emphasizes magic that blocks, banishes, or protects. Casters of this school may end harmful effects, protect the weak, banish evil influences or heal living creatures. Extremely proficient and skilled castes are called abjurers and might be called upon when important locations need guarding against spying and when portals to other planes of existence must be closed.
• Conjuration
  As a conjurer, you produce objects and creatures out of thin air. You may learn the skill to teleport yourself and others.
• Divination
  Divination magic concentrates on de-riddling the past, present and future. As a diviner, you strive to part the veil of tme and space and try to tap into moments in time with your consciousness. Areas of expertise include spells of discernment, remote viewing, supernatural knowledge, and foresight.
• Enchantment
  This magical ability is all about entrancing and beguiling your target. You may be able to hypnotize, enthrill, control and create emotions.
• Evocation
  This school of magic describes the control of one or more elements including water, earth, fire, air as well as light and darkness. You may as well seek control of the weather, making use of your powers to create bitter cold, intense heat, rainy clouds, stormy nights, etc.
• Illusion
  With illusions you may dazzle the senses, befuddle the mind and play tricks on even the wisest of people. Illusion is usually a subtle form of magic but can be used for great scenes and grand entrances (or exits) just as much. This school of magic is especially versatile.
• Necromancy
  You explore the forces of life and death, you tap into the world of spirits, ghosts and souls. A necromancer may alter and adjust the energy known as life force and contact beings on the other side of the veil. Necromancers may specialize in raising the dead, creating undead creatures or altering the life force by causing sickness, pain, and creating poison. This school of magic is generally the least popular amongst students due to the strict rules that come with this path of magic and the (sometimes severe) punishment if those rules aren't obeyed. Having control over life and death and being able to tap into the veil comes with immense responsibility - and therefore strict observation.
• Transmutation
  This school of magic focuses on modifying energy and matter. To casters of this school, the world is barely in a fixed state. Everything is always in transmutation - figuratively, at least. You are able to transform physical matter such as objects. You may also specialize in a sub-category of this school of magic, such as Amalgamation, becoming an Animagus, or changing the state of matter.

Politics

Curently, the US has a female president who is pro-witches and trying to change the laws which restrict them. Her main subjects on this matter are the enforced military draft and the restriction to 10 years of proper magical education. With the latter, she succeeded right after her election - almost 8 years ago - and has since done her best to limit government supervision of covens and witch's schools.

With re-election coming up, the president's most promising rival is a man who is - not surprisingly - anti-witch. He continues to spew subte hate and fear among the US citizens and speaks out for stricter observation, registration and limitations of witch's property, education and political rights.

It is unsure as of now who might win this election. (A president may serve up to 4 terms, a total of 16 years.)

All witches have had the right to vote since human women did, including male witches (who previously couldn't vote).

About The Witch's World

Calendar

Yule

Yule, also known as Alban Arthan, is a celebration of the re-appearance of the sun and the fertile land's rebirth. Over the centuries, it has evolved to include traditions such as bringing sprigs and wreaths of ever-greenery (such as holly, ivy, mistletoe, yew, and pine) into the home, exchanging gifts with one another (although this is not done by many witches) and using traditional divination means to get a glimpse into the near future. Most traditionally, one uses a Yule log which will get magical runes carved into it and then be tossed into the fire. The runes on the log then, upon being watched, are meant to give each person a short glimpse into their near future - usually, visions show moments within the following month and are rather minor. So this is more of a fun tradition than an actual serious way to use divination. Although it may have been that originally.

Imbolc

Imbolc traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring. It is seen as a time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life. Traditionally on the day of Imbolc, witches begin their school years, use purification spells on their homes and grounds, and set out to eat healthy, nutritious meals. Often pledges and rededications for the coming year are made and witches receive their initiation into their covens, new positions (such as leadership positions) or otherwise.

Ostara

Also known as Alban Eilir, this holiday is the second of three spring celebrations (the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane), during which light and darkness are again in balance, with light on the rise. It is a time of new beginnings and of life emerging further from the grips of winter. For this celebration, witches often generate a show of light and shadow for entertainment and provide a traditional healing soup to cleanse the body. For the soup, nine herbs must be collected from nature - including nettle, garlic, dandelion and lesser celandine.

Beltane

Beltane is a ceremony focused on the sexual attraction and energy between witches. It is an ancient ritual and celebration of the open-minded community and the physical connection of magical energies. Sexual energy has since the dawn of time been known to enhance a witch's abilities temporarily.

Even though every coven and sub-coven may celebrate Beltane a little differently, it is most usual to have a big group dance, a lot of food and music, a big ceremonial fire as well as witches leaving as a pair of two or more to join together physically as the night darkens.

For those not interested in Beltane, the celebration still invites them to dance and feast, but partaking is not mandatory.

Under US law, Beltane is a ceremony that any witch aged 16 or above may join in. Participation under the age of 16 is prohibited by law. (Not that the government actually checks.) It is usually held during spring.

The Veil & Samhain

Witches have always had a different connection to death than humans. It is known that beyond the world of the living, there is a world of the dead. This world is shielded by a figurative wall called The Veil. Powerful Necromancers may have the ability to lift said veil to commune with the dead. Souls, spirits, and ghosts reside beyond that veil. This realm is none that the living can enter. Once a soul has passed through the veil, it is extremely difficult to retrieve it again, and witches generally do not attempt to.

Samhain is an ancient witch festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker-half" of the year. It is held on 1 November but with celebrations beginning on the evening of 31 October. During this night, The Veil is perceived as thinnest. It is a ritual for witches across the world to use this night to try and commune with a dead relative or loved one. It is highly unusual that of the deceived manifest but instead visions, fractions of visions or emotions may be conveyed. Many witches use this night to ask for guidance or assurance.

This is the only night of the year in which a non-necromancer may attempt to interact with The Veil or The Beyond.

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

Note: I posted this to the wrong Interest Check somehow, it was meant to go to casual.

The Witches Of Shipden Peak

In the town of North Bennington lies a little hill. On top of that hill lies a little district, much a miniature town of its own. This little plot of land is called Shipden Peak. With a small town hall, some living quarters and more land than houses, Shipden Peak is a wonderful place to settle down. There runs a little river along the outskirt of the peak, down into a freshwater pond. To its east lies a thick forest, often covered in mist.

Shipden Peak is home to a witch coven.

Although the days of witch hunts are long past us, life isn't roses. While the upcoming election is threatening the witches with a potential anti-witch politician claiming the title of president, unrest is stirring in the corners of the world. A rise in threats has been detected - unnatural beings such as undead creatures, magical beasts, and other supernatural causes pull media attention and feed directly into an anti-witch campaign.

News report a rise in witch registrations (which concludes a rise in witch births), a rise in magical phenomenons and, in some parts of the US, unusual weather situations.

Whether you have been a part of the Shipden Coven since birth or only joined recently, you are in fact now a witch of Shipden Peak.

Discord Link

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Plot

The idea is that our group of witches will be met with different challenges and opponents along the way.

Act 1:
They first will be met with changes and difficulties they deal with from their home base, Shipden Peak. This might be political changes, magical threats, an uprise of the humans against the witches, etc. All of this brewing underneath the surface. There may be a "villain" introduced as well as a witch group defying the status quo which might lead to further unrest.

Act 2:
A change in political power will lead to many changes and a different way of life. Witches begin to be more threatened. Here, the Shipden coven might begin to discuss sending out a Unit (a group of witches) to protect people, to battle against the rising threats, to investigate the sudden magical phenomenons, or to investigate the "villain". Alternatively, the witches might be drafted for military purposes by the US government to serve in a special unit or they might be forced to flee as witches are being made responsible for the threats and detained. Depending on Act 1, this can go many ways.

Act 3:
Whatever path we choose to take, in Act 3 the reason for all the problems occurring will begin to surface, if it hasn't already. Connections will be made. Allies will be lost, enemies will possibly re-surface. And here latest will the Unit meet the "villain" or whatever main threat there is head-on if they haven't yet.

Further On
This shall not be the end of the story but it is unlikely I can predict any more than this unless I set a course for a story already. I would much rather we do this together, though.

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Expectations

So what do I expect from you? And what can you expect from this RP?

I am aiming for a focus on RP over combat. There will be combat and there will be some political stuff but I want the main focus to be the connection between the PCs. While the circumstance of the world and the happenings will be important, forming bonds and experimenting with RP is more important to me. There will likely not be any "stats" for our characters for this very reason and there won't any permanent character death (unless specified by the player).

I am not the best at world-building and building political systems, etc. But I will try. So please bear with me if it isn't entirely "realistic".

I expect us to form this story together. While I will drop situations that might occur - especially in the beginning - I highly encourage you to do so, too. At the discretion of your GM. If you have a unique idea for a backstory - ask me. If you have a fun idea for a plot hook or an enemy - let us discuss it. You may do so privately or openly. Together we can build a richer and more enticing story than I could on my own.

Furthermore, I am expecting this to be a moderate to slow RP. We might be fast posting in the beginning, but I know that most people always have life come in-between. As I would still like to keep this going even then, I am thinking of having a once per week or once per 2 weeks posting schedule. I wanna emphasize the writing, the connection, and especially the love to develop a story, over the hustle of cramming posts.

Rules

This list might change / expand.

• GM has the last word
• Any action which has another character give involuntary information or act involuntarily MUST be discussed with the player, in case of NPCs it MUST be discussed with the GM
• Any post must be related to events stated in prior posts, include a reaction to all PCs which are included in the scene (no one gets "ignored") and further the plot/scene. No "empty" reaction posts. Your post must add something new.
• Any post must have some insight into your character (motivation, feelings, thoughts, struggles, whatever fits the moment)
• No character can be a broody loner; you may have it be part of the character's traits but essentially, I need you to make a character that will want to engage with others on some level
• Maximum of 2 characters per player, so choose wisely
• You may make a villainous (side) character/an antagonist ONLY as a secondary character (note: villains and antagonists do not have a "right" of posting, the GM and you will decide together when it fits to have them show up/interact with PCs or NPCs; an antagonist might pop up and reappear later). Your antagonist may be human, witch or other.

Character Creation

CS

[center]First Name + Last Name[/center]
[center][Img]pls use a real FC here[/img][/center]

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[center][i][color=EFD7AD]"Character quote"[/color][/i][/center]
[color=gray][center]Trait 1. Trait 2. Trait 3. [/center]

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[color=EFD7AD][h2]Basic Information[/h2][/color]
[list][*][color=EFD7AD][b]Name:[/b][/color] full name please, add nicknames if wanted
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Gender[/b][/color] gender, you may add "cis/trans" if you want to
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Age:[/b][/color] age
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Sexual Orientation:[/b][/color] how you roll?
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]College Degree:[/b][/color] if any

[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Languages:[/b][/color] must speak English, may speak other languages as well
[*][color=EFD7AD][b]Notable Skills:[/b][/color] explain those with your history later if needed
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]Magical Abilities[/h2][/color]
[color=EFD7AD][b]Years of Magical Education:[/b][/color] note: in the US you only start magical education earliest with 12
[color=EFD7AD][b]Schools of Magic:[/b][/color] you may choose up to 3

[color=EFD7AD][b]School of Magic[/b][/color] (put your skill level here, 10 is the highest you may choose)
[list][*][color=EFD7AD]Name of the ability[/color]
Describe how the ability works for your character. Additionally, you may describe how this ability looks like if higher advanced casters used it. Please add the restrictions to this ability. (e.g. "target must be in sight" or "requires concentration" or "can be undone by xy"). This does not need to be extensive. If you are unsure, we will figure it out down the line in RP.
[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Name of Ability[/color]
Same as above. You may add more abilities than 2.
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][b]School of Magic[/b][/color] (skill level)
[list][*][color=EFD7AD]Name of ability[/color]
Description.
[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Name of ability[/color]
Description.
[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]Personality[/h2][/color]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 1[/color]
You must choose at least 3 personality traits of your character you wanna share in the CS. You may choose to share more.[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 2[/color]
Write a short description how this looks like for your character[/list]
[list]
[*][color=EFD7AD]Trait 3[/color]
Write a short description how this looks like for your character[/list]

[color=EFD7AD][h2]History[/h2][/color]Write at least 3 paragraphs for your character's history. This must include upbringing, where they've lived most of their lives, and what they've done so far (roughly, details not necessary). Include how/why they ended up joining Shipden Peak.

[/color]

Infos for creating your character:

• Please make your main character between the ages of 23 and 37
• Make a Shipden "hero" before you make an antagonist (corruption arcs for "heroes" are possible though)
• Fill out all required information in the given CS, you may add more any info if you like
• You may format the CS how you like but pls keep it easy on the eyes and organized
• You may choose any power you can think of for your school of magic - I will then judge whether it fits the world or is too OP and get back to you :)

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From here on you will find info about the world our characters live in. For the schools of magic, see "Magic System".

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Magic vs. Normalcy

Casters, magicians, sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, witches, or whatever else one might have called them throughout the times, have always existed alongside humans. The history of witchcraft vs. humanity is long and dull and splattered with blood and betrayal on both sides.

Humans, having feared the power of magic users, have tried their best to secure themselves through various means. War. Peace treaties. Witch burnings. And witches, sometimes out of hunger for power, sometimes out of vengeance, and other times out of desperation, have done the same to the humans as they had to them. Whoever started it is unclear.

Nowadays, in the United States of America, witches and humans live side-by-side in peace. Witch huntings and burnings have long been stories of the past. As have stories of vile witches stealing children and casting curses upon entire families. However, mistrust remains.

In this great nation, witches are as welcome and protected as anyone! But they must follow certain rules. The safety of the masses - witch and human alike - must be the nation's front and foremost concern. So the nation has established a rule system that all witches of the United States must follow.

• Rule No. 1: All US citizen witches must join a coven of their choice and register their name with the government upon turning 18 within the first 2 months of their adulthood. Prior to completing the 18th year of life, any underage witch and any witch's child must be registered in the Young Witch's Coven of the United States OR be registered to another coven of their legal guardians' choice.
• Rule No. 2: No witch may intentionally or out of lack of responsibility and care use any magical ability, directly or indirectly, on another US citizen, including other witches.
• Rule No. 3: Any witch may be drafted for military purposes at any point to protect the United States of America from threats foreign and domestic.
• Rule No. 4: Any witch must follow the enforced rules of their covens and sub-covens at all times or stand trial before the sub-coven, coven and finally the US law.
• Rule No. 4: Any witch may freely choose to change their registration to another coven with a 2-year-period of membership.
• Rule No. 5: Any witch must attend a witch's school for a minimum of 3 years of study between the ages 12 and 18 additionally to the regular school requirements. The course of study of magical properties and abilities may not exceed a total of 10 years.
• Rule No. 6: No witch may use any magical ability outside of their coven's seating at work, for work, for job applications, or otherwise in connection to professional employment, unless explicitly stated and granted within their contract of employment.

The Covens

In general, covens are a community of witches. There are multiple covens all over the US but due to the scarcity of witches (1 in 1.000.000) covens with actual witch communities are rare.

Usually, a coven consists of multiple sub-covens. There may be a "CA Witches" Coven which in turn has multiple regional covens underneath its heading which it's responsible for. Those regional covens then have their own seating somewhere, this is usually a part of a small town that is only meant for witches. There you may find a witch's community including a school for witchcraft and a witch's town hall. However, a witch may also be officially registered with a regional coven but live outside the coven's seating. In this case, they would be surrounded by humans and likely have little to no personal contact with other witches due to the scarcity. Witches tend to flock to those small communities and live within their covens for various reasons.

Covens are under observation and regulation by the US government. Any sub-coven must have at least 50 witches registered to it at all times to be officially recognized. Any coven must have at least 300 witches registered to it at all times to be officially recognized. If the number drops beneath the required amount at any point in time, the coven or sub-coven is granted a 30-day period to fill the missing spots. If they can't, the witches within the coven must register with a legitimate sub-coven or coven or they will be randomly placed into one by the US government.

Magic System

The magic system of this world consists of 8 main schools of magic with various sub-categories.

Schools of Magic

• Abjuration
  The School of Abjuration emphasizes magic that blocks, banishes, or protects. Casters of this school may end harmful effects, protect the weak, banish evil influences or heal living creatures. Extremely proficient and skilled castes are called abjurers and might be called upon when important locations need guarding against spying and when portals to other planes of existence must be closed.
• Conjuration
  As a conjurer, you produce objects and creatures out of thin air. You may learn the skill to teleport yourself and others.
• Divination
  Divination magic concentrates on de-riddling the past, present and future. As a diviner, you strive to part the veil of tme and space and try to tap into moments in time with your consciousness. Areas of expertise include spells of discernment, remote viewing, supernatural knowledge, and foresight.
• Enchantment
  This magical ability is all about entrancing and beguiling your target. You may be able to hypnotize, enthrill, control and create emotions.
• Evocation
  This school of magic describes the control of one or more elements including water, earth, fire, air as well as light and darkness. You may as well seek control of the weather, making use of your powers to create bitter cold, intense heat, rainy clouds, stormy nights, etc.
• Illusion
  With illusions you may dazzle the senses, befuddle the mind and play tricks on even the wisest of people. Illusion is usually a subtle form of magic but can be used for great scenes and grand entrances (or exits) just as much. This school of magic is especially versatile.
• Necromancy
  You explore the forces of life and death, you tap into the world of spirits, ghosts and souls. A necromancer may alter and adjust the energy known as life force and contact beings on the other side of the veil. Necromancers may specialize in raising the dead, creating undead creatures or altering the life force by causing sickness, pain, and creating poison. This school of magic is generally the least popular amongst students due to the strict rules that come with this path of magic and the (sometimes severe) punishment if those rules aren't obeyed. Having control over life and death and being able to tap into the veil comes with immense responsibility - and therefore strict observation.
• Transmutation
  This school of magic focuses on modifying energy and matter. To casters of this school, the world is barely in a fixed state. Everything is always in transmutation - figuratively, at least. You are able to transform physical matter such as objects. You may also specialize in a sub-category of this school of magic, such as Amalgamation, becoming an Animagus, or changing the state of matter.

Politics

Curently, the US has a female president who is pro-witches and trying to change the laws which restrict them. Her main subjects on this matter are the enforced military draft and the restriction to 10 years of proper magical education. With the latter, she succeeded right after her election - almost 8 years ago - and has since done her best to limit government supervision of covens and witch's schools.

With re-election coming up, the president's most promising rival is a man who is - not surprisingly - anti-witch. He continues to spew subte hate and fear among the US citizens and speaks out for stricter observation, registration and limitations of witch's property, education and political rights.

It is unsure as of now who might win this election. (A president may serve up to 4 terms, a total of 16 years.)

All witches have had the right to vote since human women did, including male witches (who previously couldn't vote).

About The Witch's World

Calendar

Yule

Yule, also known as Alban Arthan, is a celebration of the re-appearance of the sun and the fertile land's rebirth. Over the centuries, it has evolved to include traditions such as bringing sprigs and wreaths of ever-greenery (such as holly, ivy, mistletoe, yew, and pine) into the home, exchanging gifts with one another (although this is not done by many witches) and using traditional divination means to get a glimpse into the near future. Most traditionally, one uses a Yule log which will get magical runes carved into it and then be tossed into the fire. The runes on the log then, upon being watched, are meant to give each person a short glimpse into their near future - usually, visions show moments within the following month and are rather minor. So this is more of a fun tradition than an actual serious way to use divination. Although it may have been that originally.

Imbolc

Imbolc traditionally marks the first stirrings of spring. It is seen as a time for purification and spring cleaning in anticipation of the year's new life. Traditionally on the day of Imbolc, witches begin their school years, use purification spells on their homes and grounds, and set out to eat healthy, nutritious meals. Often pledges and rededications for the coming year are made and witches receive their initiation into their covens, new positions (such as leadership positions) or otherwise.

Ostara

Also known as Alban Eilir, this holiday is the second of three spring celebrations (the midpoint between Imbolc and Beltane), during which light and darkness are again in balance, with light on the rise. It is a time of new beginnings and of life emerging further from the grips of winter. For this celebration, witches often generate a show of light and shadow for entertainment and provide a traditional healing soup to cleanse the body. For the soup, nine herbs must be collected from nature - including nettle, garlic, dandelion and lesser celandine.

Beltane

Beltane is a ceremony focused on the sexual attraction and energy between witches. It is an ancient ritual and celebration of the open-minded community and the physical connection of magical energies. Sexual energy has since the dawn of time been known to enhance a witch's abilities temporarily.

Even though every coven and sub-coven may celebrate Beltane a little differently, it is most usual to have a big group dance, a lot of food and music, a big ceremonial fire as well as witches leaving as a pair of two or more to join together physically as the night darkens.

For those not interested in Beltane, the celebration still invites them to dance and feast, but partaking is not mandatory.

Under US law, Beltane is a ceremony that any witch aged 16 or above may join in. Participation under the age of 16 is prohibited by law. (Not that the government actually checks.) It is usually held during spring.

The Veil & Samhain

Witches have always had a different connection to death than humans. It is known that beyond the world of the living, there is a world of the dead. This world is shielded by a figurative wall called The Veil. Powerful Necromancers may have the ability to lift said veil to commune with the dead. Souls, spirits, and ghosts reside beyond that veil. This realm is none that the living can enter. Once a soul has passed through the veil, it is extremely difficult to retrieve it again, and witches generally do not attempt to.

Samhain is an ancient witch festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker-half" of the year. It is held on 1 November but with celebrations beginning on the evening of 31 October. During this night, The Veil is perceived as thinnest. It is a ritual for witches across the world to use this night to try and commune with a dead relative or loved one. It is highly unusual that of the deceived manifest but instead visions, fractions of visions or emotions may be conveyed. Many witches use this night to ask for guidance or assurance.

This is the only night of the year in which a non-necromancer may attempt to interact with The Veil or The Beyond.

The Witches & Warlocks of Tanner

Whoop, that took much longer than expected.

Zhalia Ramshorn

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"They turned you into a weapon and told you to find peace."

Secluded. Determined. Rebellious. Independent. Skeptical. Romantic.

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Basic Information

• Name: Zhalia Ramshorn
• Gender Female
• Age: 24
• Sexual Orientation: Gay
• College Degree: None - never attended college
• Languages: German (mother tongue), English (fluent)
• Notable Skills: Horseback riding, exceptionally good dancer (ballroom), can handle a sword and a dagger

Magical Abilities

Witch or Warlock: Witch
Schools of Magic: Necromancy, Illusion and Divination

Necromancy (9)

• Life Force Alteration
  Probably the most common form of Necromancy in Zhalia's former coven is the alteration of life force in various forms. Through excessive study, the witches and warlocks of this coven can learn to alter life-and-death energy by using necrotic means to cause damage. This usually means that the target is getting their life source slowly sucked out of their body (which may affect their ability to perform magic) and may make them sick for a while. A sub-category of this would be causing sickness on purpose or even poisoning the target.
  
  Actually ending someone's life this way would require a long time or a high amount of energy as the life force is always trying to balance the necromancy and will continuously attempt to restore itself. (Therefore, this does not "shorten" someone's lifespan.)

• Afterlife Linking
  Zhalia can connect the living world to the world of death, linking the land of the dead and the spirits & souls inhabiting it to the realm of life and existence, allowing both worlds to interact with each other. This is usually referred to as "lifting the veil" and is a very temporary situation. Often only the caster may interact with the spirits as the veil gets thinner but isn't entirely lifted. On other occasions (and with the right skill) one may be able to connect the two worlds more permanently, such as bringing spirits/ghosts into the world of the living or pushing a living soul to the other side and into death (this is exceptionally hard and should not be attempted by a single person, it can cause various disasters).
  
  As a result of a fudged attempt at this casting, the rules of both worlds might combine/mix together in various and unpredictable ways, such as causing souls/spirits/ghosts to be treated as living beings and living beings to be treated as spirits, and potentially even lead to cursed resurrections for those that do end up dying. This can also cause any changes to anything from either world to effect both of them instead of only one.
  
  Zhalia is an exceptional caster when it comes to Necromancy but her connection to the world of the dead has been tainted ever since the death of her girlfriend. She is reluctant to try.

• Revivify
  If a creature or person has just died, Zhalia might be able to lift the veil enough to pull their soul back into their body and return them to the living. This does not heal them. Any wounds inflicted would still be present. This act requires high concentration and, depending on the circumstances of the death, Zhalia's own condition and the willingness of the deceased to return, might be met with a lot of struggle as the veil has a natural strong "magnetism" as it pulls souls through to the other side.
  
  Due to the coven's belief system which includes that there is no meddling with the dead (read: their souls) once they've passed through the veil, Zhalia might be reluctant to do this. Even though they all learn this magic, they rarely use it. It is more of a failsafe.

Illusion (6)

• Audible Indunation
  When in close enough proximity to a person, Zhalia has the ability to overwhelm someone's mind with voices. For this to work, she needs to be able to see the person she is targeting. Advanced casters might be able to use this illusion on people without directly observing them. This illusion might extend to putting specific words or phrases into a person's mind. Mostly, however, Audible Indunation manifests as a chattering of overlapping, unfocused voices that overwhelm the mind and confuse, irritate or even knock out a person. These voices are merely an illusion, Zhalia can not put ideas or thoughts into people's minds and make them believe they are their own.
  
  This ability can 'ricochet' when (a) someone uses a field with ricocheting ability or (b) it becomes too restraining on Zhalia or (c) someone has the ability to mind shield. It requires concentration to uphold the illusion. Skilled casters (such as Zhalia) can pull up this illusion and leave it up for 30-ish seconds without concentration. Advanced casters might perform a longer unconcentrated illusion.

• Monocular Realization
  This describes the ability to perform a minor illusion on oneself. The illusion gets attached to the caster and reimagines their appearance according to the caster's wishes. Any visual feature may be "changed" in this manner - including facial features, height, skin color, clothes, number of limbs, or (in cases of advanced casters) even the species. However, this does not result in an actual change of bodily features, but instead, works as a "filter" atop the real version. As this is only an illusion, any and all false visual features (e.g. claws, a hook for a hand, clothing items) would not truly exist and therefore never be accassible or "usable" beyond a simple lie.
  
  This illusion requires imagination, some performance skills and a little bit of concentration. If the caster would ever lose consciousness, the illusion would fade. Holding up the illusion is draining after some time and only highly advanced casters might hold up such an illusion for multiple hours. Furthermore, the caster has to remember the details of their disguise. Inconsistency (e.g. in color or hair length) due to a lack of concentration or memory would result in the deceived possibly seeing through the facade. While this is hard to master at first, skilled casters can uphold an illusion easily for a decent amount of time.

• Shadowplay
  One of Zhalia's favourite forms of illusions is the more subtle shadowplay. Without having to see her target, Zhalia can create shadows on any surface and have them enact any form of movement she desires. A specialty of hers are shadows which imitate large (numbers of) enemies or shadows that depict the target's death - causing unease, fear and possibly panic to rise within the deceived.

Divination (4)

• Tracking
  Due to the different approach of her coven to the schools of magic, Zhalia was trained to use her divination quite a bit differently than most would imagine. The power to track people and objects over any distance, environment or condition is something every witch and warlock of the coven learns if they decide to dabble in divination. In its essence, tracking is used to find and follow tracks that are weeks, months or even years old, and to reconstruct what has happened from the smallest clues. Zhalia's skills in divination are solid but unrefined. She may be able to follow someone who was recently in the area but she would be unable to track someone weeks or months after they had left the area. Highly advanced trackers may be able to even track people who use teleportation or portals but this is mostly rumored and not proven.

• Hematomancy
  Divination is mostly used in correspondence with Necromancy in Zhalia's coven. Therefore, a lot of divination comes from blood, bones, flesh and ashes. Blood and bones are said to work best. Even though the coven also uses cards (such as Tarot) quite frequently. By using blood (or bones), the caster can enhance their ability to see fractions of the future, past or present.

• Divine Sense & Aura Detection
  Used in correspondence with Necromancy, Zhalia has the ability to register and detect any undead creature and identify their type (e.g. vampire, skeleton, zombie, etc).
  Additionally, Zhalia is able to detect and identify the school of magic of other witches and warlocks around her. She may only detect the school of magic if it has a strong enough aura around the person (at least 5/10 skill level), otherwise, the magical aura is a lot harder to discern and Zhalia might not be able to pin which school of magic a person is practicing most.

Personality

• Secluded
  Whether this is an innate personality trait or one that developed early on due to circumstances in her past, Zhalia enjoys being somewhat secluded. She tends to prefer a small circle of friends and to keep to herself. While not necessarily an introvert, she does enjoy a good quiet afternoon with a book, some rune practicing and steaming tea over a party. This may be highly influenced by her upbringing in her (very secluded) coven. Nevertheless, Zhalia strives for a community - sure, she'd prefer a small and quiet community, but a community nonetheless. While she may appear to be a loner at times, she is not actively trying to stay alone.

• Determined
  For better or worse, Zhalia is a very determined person. If she sets her mind to something, she will go through with it. This makes her an exceptionally good student and is the main reason her necromancy skills are so advanced. This also makes her a tad bit stubborn, which has led to various difficulties and some rather unfortunate outcomes in her life.

• Rebellious
  Pair her determination with her rebellious nature and you have a recipe for disaster. Even though Zhalia is more of a quiet soul, she will not back down on her morals or her beliefs and is known to rebel against coven heads and teachers. Never one to blindly follow and obey, Zhalia got herself into various forms of trouble. She tends to question authority and rules but isn't one to naively speak out of turn either.

• Independent
  Maybe a side effect of enjoying seclusion and determinedly studying necromancy, Zhalia has become quite independent over the years. Fully capable of surviving on her own and setting out on her own path, Zhalia picks and chooses who she depends on rather carefully. The ability to be independent makes her yearn for someone to depend on nevertheless. Sharing the burdens of life with someone else would be a great relief.

• Skeptical
  Zhalia tends to be rather skeptical towards people and therefore has her guard up even when she seems not to. She is not easily convinced or persuaded from her own point of view unless sufficient evidence can be provided. Even though she approaches most people openly and tries her best to keep her cynical thoughts down to a minimum, she can't help but have reservations and doubts about people's intentions.

• Romantic
  With everything pointing towards Zhalia being a cynical, skeptical loner who generally mistrusts people, she is not that. Her innate romantic soul tries to balance her mind's attempts to "protect" her from further harm through total seclusion. With all her faults, Zhalia is and stays a hopeless romantic. Though unlikely to admit it out loud, she is very aware of this. She enjoys deep meaningful connections, yearns for love and belonging, and would go out of her way to show someone she cares. Had she not grown up in a technology-free environment, she would have likely loved romantic comedies that end with a "chasing after her to the airport and barely making it" scene and a big applause from the bystanders. Instead, she grew up dreaming about ball dances, a mysteriously masked woman who would swoop her away and wrap her in love and attention, and romantic picnics under willow trees. She dreamt of fierce sword fights that would end in heavy breathing and heavier eye contact.

History

Born in a small village in Germany, Zhalia was an unexpected child that was lovingly welcomed by her parents. Ever since her birth, tragedy and destruction seemed to occur in close proximity to her. Albeit people whispering about Zhalia being cursed, her parents loved her and shielded their child from those nonsensical accusations. However, the incidents would continue to happen. Animals and people alike would be found dead at irregular intervals within the proximity of their beloved daughter. No matter how many times they moved and how much they shielded the child from the outside world, death would follow. In their desperation to save their child's soul and in the hopes of saving innocent lives, they took Zhalia from her slumber in the middle of the night with the intention to end the suffering and kill the demon. Their attempt was unsuccessful. Shortly later, the parents passed away and left an orphaned 7-year-old behind.

Having had their eye on the girl, a strange coven took her in after her parents' passing. Known amongst the western witches and warlocks as a coven of "tradition" (put mildly), this circle of witches is shrouded in rumors. Living far off the modern society, the coven clings to more medieval ways of life and magic. Mainly, they refuse to use or engage with technology to the most extent. Known as Silencia Mortem (or "silent death") by outsiders, this coven is said to be a cult. Their members don't have any or only very regulated contact with modern society and they are rumored to discreetly hunt non-magical people in an attempt to "clean" the world off of those "unpure" of magic. They refuse to adapt to modern ways of magic and are known to teach an unusual (and for some people concerning) amount of necromancy and death magic to their members. Other untraditional ways include the advanced study of herbology (mostly non-magical), the use of "outdated" divination techniques (cards such as tarot, using bones and ashes, etc.), still using runes and grimoires, and practicing rituals (and ritual castings) that rely on full moons, chants or sacrifices. Often, these coven witches are rumored to be half-dead themselves, one foot on each side of the veil because they opened the barrier between the worlds too many times and play with life and death.

When Zhalia was twenty and allowed outside of the coven for the first time in her life, she decided to visit a ball. This event was supposed to resemble an 1800s mask ball and Zhalia found herself quite enjoying the make-believe of another life. At the ball, she become fast friends with a woman who had been eyeing her for half the night. Young and naive, the two girls felt drawn to each other. Soon, Zhalia would find ways to sneak out of her coven's safe embrace to steal away and find her lover.

Two things stood in their way: For one, Charlotte de Bréze was married, arranged so by her parents. And for the other, the Coven strictly forbade relations with humans outside of the coven. Nonetheless, Zhalia went on to see Charlotte and Charlotte went on to love her with her whole heart.

One night Charlotte's husband returned earlier than expected and walked in on them in bed. Enraged and embarrassed by his wife's desire for a woman over him, Charlotte was struck down and died that night in the arms of Zhalia. Upon returning to the coven in distress and disarray, Zhalia was met with comfort and empathy she had not expected. She asked for assistance with bringing Charlotte back from the dead but her pleas were denied. The main job of the coven had always been to bring people over into the other world, to lift the veil for safe passing. But once a soul had passed the threshold, there was no more meddling with the dead. They can not return.

Having dealt with death in various forms her entire life, Zhalia refused to accept this outcome and set out to bring Charlotte back herself. In the dead of night, raising fog with her blood-dripping fingers and murder on her mind, Zhalia went to the crime scene. Through sheer willpower and magical might, she pulled Charlotte's soul towards the veil - but her attempt to coerce the soul of her lover back into the world of the living failed drastically. With only a fracture of the soul pulled through, Charlotte was doomed to sit in agony in the tower of her mansion for eternity. Nothing but a ghostly white figure, confused and scared, reliving the most painful day of her existence. Forever longing, waiting for a lover to come who she can not see before her eyes. Her mind split, her memories splintered, her one last day ever-repeating, and her conscious fading in and out. In her vain and greed, Zhalia had closed the path to eternal peace for Charlotte forever.

Panicked, shocked, guilt-ridden and scared, she feared the judgment and final trial of the coven. Unable to comprehend the outcome of the situation, she fled the scene and left the country entirely. Through some traveling, she eventually ended up in Tanner where she plans to settle down for a while and join the local coven for some direction, for a purpose - any purpose - and hopefully some distraction.

Character Archive

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Zhalia Ramshorn

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"They turned you into a weapon and told you to find peace."

Determined. Rebellious. Independent. Skeptical.

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• Name: Zhalia Ramshorn
• Gender Female
• Age: 27
• Sexual Orientation: Lesbian
• College Degree: None - never attended college
• Languages: German, English
• Notable Skills: Horseback riding, ballroom dancing, can handle a sword and a dagger

Years of Magical Education: 11
Schools of Magic: Necromancy, Illusion and Divination

Necromancy (9)

• Life Force Alteration
  Probably the most common form of Necromancy in Zhalia's former coven is the alteration of life force in various forms. Through excessive study, the witches of this coven learn to alter life energy by using necrotic means. Altering the life force of a living creature can affect their health, their strength and even their ability to perform magic. Very advanced casters are able to create poisonous effects by altering life energy.
  
  Actually ending someone's life by pulling the life force out of their body would require either a very long time or a very high amount of energy. The life force is always trying to balance itself out and will continuously attempt to restore itself. (Therefore, this can not "shorten" someone's lifespan.)

• Afterlife Linking
  Zhalia can connect the living world to the world of death, linking the land of the dead and the spirits & souls inhabiting it to the realm of life and existence, allowing both worlds to interact with each other in some ways. This is usually referred to as "lifting the veil" and is a very temporary situation. Often only the caster themself may interact with the spirits on the other side. On other occasions (and with the right skill) one may be able to connect the two worlds more permanently, such as bringing spirits/ghosts into the world of the living or pushing a living soul to the other side and into death. (This is exceptionally hard and should not be attempted by a single person, it can cause various disasters.)
  
  As a result of a fudged attempt at this casting, the rules of both worlds might combine/mix together in unpredictable ways, and potentially even lead to cursed resurrections for those that do end up dying. This can also cause any changes to anything from either world to affect both of them instead of only one.
  
  Zhalia is an exceptional caster when it comes to Necromancy but her connection to the world of the dead has been tainted. She is reluctant to try to engage with The Veil again.

• Revivify
  If a creature or person has just died, Zhalia might be able to lift the veil enough to pull their soul back into their body and return them to the living. This does not heal them. Any wounds inflicted would still be present. This act requires high concentration and the success depends on the circumstances of the death, Zhalia's own condition, and the willingness of the deceased to return. The caster might be met with a lot of struggle as the veil has a naturally strong "draw" always pulling souls towards and through it.
  
  Despite the coven's belief system that there is no meddling with the dead's soul, they all learn this magic. Though they rarely use it. It is more of a failsafe.

Illusion (6)

• Audible Indunation
  When in close enough proximity to a person, Zhalia has the ability to overwhelm someone's mind with voices. For this to work, she needs to be able to see the person she is targeting. Advanced casters might be able to use this illusion on people without directly observing them. This illusion might extend to putting specific words or phrases into a person's mind. Mostly, however, Audible Indunation manifests as a chattering of overlapping, unfocused voices that overwhelm the mind and confuse, irritate or even knock out a person.
  
  This ability can 'ricochet' when (a) someone uses a field with ricocheting ability or (b) it becomes too restraining on Zhalia or (c) someone has the ability to mind shield. It requires concentration to uphold the illusion. Skilled casters (such as Zhalia) can pull up this illusion and leave it up for 30-ish seconds without concentration. Advanced casters might perform a longer unconcentrated illusion.

• Monocular Realization
  This describes the ability to perform an illusion on oneself. The illusion gets attached to the caster and reimagines their appearance according to the caster's wishes. Any visual feature may be "changed" in this manner - including facial features, height, skin color, clothes, number of limbs, or (in cases of advanced casters) even the species. However, this does not result in an actual change of bodily features, but instead, works as a "filter" atop the real version. As this is only an illusion, any and all false visual features (e.g. claws, a hook for a hand, clothing items) would not truly exist and therefore never be accassible or "usable" beyond a simple lie.
  
  This illusion requires imagination, some performance skills, and a bit of concentration. If the caster loses consciousness or concentration, the illusion will fade. Holding up the illusion will feel draining after some time and only highly advanced casters could uphold it for multiple hours. Additionally, the caster has to remember the details of their disguise. Inconsistency in the illusion would result in the deceived possibly seeing through the facade. While this is hard to master at first, skilled casters can uphold an illusion easily for a decent amount of time.

• Shadowplay
  One of Zhalia's favorite forms of illusions is the more subtle shadowplay. Without having to see her target, Zhalia can create shadows on any surface and have them enact any form of movement she desires. A specialty of hers are shadows that imitate the target's death - causing unease, fear and possibly panic to rise within the deceived.

Divination (4)

• Tracking
  The power to track people and objects over any distance, environment or condition is something every witch of the coven learns if they decide to dabble in divination. In its essence, tracking is used to find and follow tracks that are weeks, months or even years old, and to reconstruct what has happened from the smallest clues. Zhalia's skills in divination are solid but unrefined. She may be able to follow someone who was recently in the area but she would be unable to track someone weeks or months after they had left. Highly advanced trackers may be able to even track people who use teleportation or portals but this is mostly rumored and not actually proven.

• Hematomancy
  Divination is mostly used in correspondence with Necromancy in Zhalia's coven. Therefore, a lot of divination comes from blood, bones, flesh and ashes. Blood and bones are said to work best. Even though the coven also uses cards (such as Tarot) quite frequently. By using blood (or bones), the caster can enhance their ability to see fractions of the future, past or present. For Zhalia those are only ever snippets, mostly incoherent. Her Divination skills are not refined enough for her to really use them effectively.

• Divine Sense & Aura Detection
  Used in correspondence with Necromancy, Zhalia has the ability to register and detect any undead creature and identify their type (e.g. vampire, skeleton, etc).
  Additionally, Zhalia is able to detect and identify the school of magic of other witches and warlocks around her. She may only detect the school of magic if it has a strong enough aura around the person (at least 5/10 skill level), otherwise, the magical aura is too weak to discern and Zhalia might not be able to pin which school of magic a person is practicing most.

• Determined
  For better or worse, Zhalia is a very determined person. If she sets her mind to something, she will go through with it. This makes her an exceptionally good student and is the main reason her necromancy skills are so advanced. This also makes her a tad bit stubborn, which has led to various difficulties and some rather unfortunate outcomes in her life.

• Rebellious
  Pair her determination with her rebellious nature and you have a recipe for potential disaster. Even though Zhalia is more of a quiet soul, she will not back down on her morals or her beliefs and is known to rebel against coven heads and teachers at times. She tends to question authority and rules but isn't one to naively speak out of turn either.

• Independent
  Maybe a side effect of enjoying seclusion and determinedly studying Necromancy, Zhalia has become quite independent over the years. Capable of setting out on her own path, Zhalia picks and chooses who she depends on rather carefully. Still, sharing the burdens of life with a group of friends would be a great relief.

• Skeptical
  Zhalia tends to be rather skeptical towards people and therefore has her guard up even when she seems not to. She is not easily convinced or persuaded from her own point of view unless sufficient evidence can be provided. Even though she approaches most people openly and tries her best to keep her cynical thoughts down to a minimum, she can't help but have reservations and doubts about people's intentions.

Born in a small village in Germany, Zhalia was an unexpected child that was lovingly welcomed by her parents. Though she didn't lead an unhappy life, two devastating events would shape and re-shape Zhalia's path drastically. The first occurred when she was seven years old. Through unfortunate sickness, her parent's passed away, leaving a scared and confused child behind.

Having had their eye on the girl due to a number of strange occurrences around her, a coven took her in after her parents' passing. Known amongst western societies as a coven of "tradition" (put mildly), this circle of witches is shrouded in rumors. Living far off modern society, the coven clings to more medieval ways of life and magic. Mainly, they don't engage much with technology and use some forms of magic seen as outdated. Known as Silencia Mortem (or "silent death") by outsiders, this coven is said to be a cult. Their members don't have any or only very regulated contact with modern society and are rumored to discreetly hunt non-magical people in an attempt to "clean" the world off of those "unpure" of magic. They refuse to adapt to modern ways of magic and are known to teach an unusual (and for some people concerning) amount of Necromancy to their members. Other untraditional ways include the advanced study of herbology (mostly non-magical), the use of "outdated" divination techniques (cards such as tarot, using bones and ashes, etc.), still using runes and grimoires, and practicing rituals (and ritual castings) that rely on full moons, chants or even sacrifices. Sometimes, these coven witches are rumored to be half-dead themselves, one foot on each side of the veil because they open the barrier between the worlds too many times. Apart from all the rumors, not much is known about those witches.

The second tragic event would see Zhalia's time with the coven come to an end when she was twenty-four years old. Upon visiting a masked ball resembling the 1800s, Zhalia met Charlotte. Despite being a married woman, Charlotte engaged in a loving relationship with the witch, who stole away at night to sneak into the city despite coven rules. As fate would have it, Charlotte's husband got aware of the affair. Enraged he struck down his wife and fled the scene.

In her desperation, Zhalia asked the coven for help in bringing Charlotte back. Although the coven showed her great empathy, her request was denied. Having dealt with death in various forms her entire life, Zhalia refused to accept this outcome and set out to bring Charlotte back herself.

In the dead of night, raising fog with her blood-dripping fingers and murder on her mind, Zhalia went to attempt the impossible. Through sheer willpower and magical might, she pulled Charlotte's soul towards the veil - but her attempt to coerce the soul of her lover back into the world of the living failed drastically. With only a fracture of the soul pulled through, Charlotte's ghostly form was trapped in-between worlds, only able to relive the day of her death repeatedly while waiting and longing for something that could never come.

Unable to comprehend the outcome of the situation and fearing the coven's final trial for breaking their laws, Zhalia fled and left the country entirely. She spend almost three years traveling through various parts of England and the US, unable to settle for long. Recently, she ended up in North Bennington, Shipden Peak, where she hopes to find some direction, a purpose - any purpose - and hopefully some distraction.

Header

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Location: Main Hall → Woods
Interactions: Simon [@/Prose]

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Zhalia Ramshorn Location: Town Hall → Woods Interactions: Simon @Prosaic | Zhalia @Benzaiten School of Magic: Necromancy, Illusion, Divination Items: Phone, Herbs

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Avalia

Time: 10:00 am
Location: Port Vanarosa, Ship
Interactions: @Helo Nym | @Potter Tigerlily | @Infinite Cosmos Tesoro
Mentions: @tae Lizzie | @alivefalling Barboda
Equipment:

Hider

clothing
longsword
two daggers
her bow + arrows
backpack including:
pathfinder coin
one change of clothing
some rations (incl. water)
a pouch with 415 amas
a blanket
a washing cloth
a location sender
hair ties
a small one-hand shovel

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Action in inventory:
gain of 10 amas (posting within 72h)
loss of 205 amas (given to Lizzie, previous post)
gain of one pathfinder coin (strange gift, previous post)

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As everyone went their respective ways aboard the ship, leaving her and Nym alone, Éliane was too deep in thought to start a conversation. In her lap, beneath the table, her fingers played with the heavy pathfinder coin the stranger had provided her with. It wasn't so much the coin that held her attention though. It was the stranger. Éliane knew the old woman might have been nothing else but a little senile and had mistaken her for someone else or had some other reality cloud her mind to make her think giving Éliane the coin had such a grave impact. Or maybe she hadn't thought anything at all and had gone with the swift winds of her mind without further intentions. However, she still couldn't shake it. It made her feel... something. Unease? A little, yeah, certainly. But also curiosity. And the heaviness on her shoulders and the strange grip around her inner organs suggested she gave some belief to the woman's words. "You are IT!", she had said. And it was most likely she had not known what that meant herself. So why did Éliane feel like it had meant anything at all? Why did she feel it was important. Silly, young heart, she scolded herself. Looking for meaningful adventures where there are none.

But there was something else bothering her mind. Had she made the right decision coming aboard this ship? Agreeing to Lizzie's rules? It had taken her a little by surprise how strict and cruel the woman could appear. A healthy reminder that I do not know her. As much as my heart yearns and quakes, still, to find her protected and well - which she undoubtedly can provide for herself with uttermost success -, it still longs for the connection it felt the first time we met. And that had been not much more than an hour or so ago! Lizzie had no doubt found her crew and ship fast. What a turn of events. Being chased by light elves - whyever did they do that? - to a captain of a full crew with a fully stocked ship in about an hour. Impressive.

And with Barboda on board, it seemed they were already well provided with a skilled cook. A skill that Éliane found to soften the hard edges of her brain surrounding her doubts about this man. Of course, a good meal didn't mean he'd cause them no harm. But he had shown respect to not only Lizzie but the whole crew by going out of his way with this matter. She would not let her mind ease up yet but it was a start.

As her mind ran a mile an hour and again and again in circles, always coming back to the old woman, to her decisions, to Lizzie's attitude - especially the change in it that she had witnessed -, she repeated the five rules of the ship again and again.

1. Equality in decisions
2. Fairness considering their loot
3. Maintaining one's weapons
4. No causing harm by accident, intention or disserting during a battle
5. Peacekeeping aboard the ship - no weapons shall be raised against one another

The rules were more than justified. Éliane didn't see anything wrong with them. The things that irked her were the punishments. Of course on a pirate ship, there would be punishments. She might have been naive, but not that naive. However, the idea of whips and execution didn't sit too right with her. That's how it goes when you enter a new world. You learn their rules, their customs. And you adapt to them as much as your own person allows it. All of them had agreed to those terms. Not one of them would be thrown into a situation where they would be treated unfairly by their captain. They had agreed to the punishments should they break the rules. As tough and terrible as Lizzie seemed and acted - and Éliane had seen the world, she knew that Lizzie would see through with it if it meant to keep face, to keep her position, to provide fairness -, she still trusted that Lizzie would judge fairly. And of course, the crew had a say in everything. Different approaches to justice are not morally wrong just because they are different. On a ship like this, where people live close together and must trust one another with their lives, strict rules about breaking such trust or endangering the crew are necessary.

But what a change in tone... Éliane couldn't stop thinking about how the Lizzie she had met had talked to her, had made her swoon. And how the Lizzie now was talking to the crew. Establishing her position, of course. Establishing that she was not one to be fucked with. Éliane could understand that. She just hoped Lizzie would find it in her to open her heart to the crew and, if a safe option, possibly to her.

Another - albeit slighter - concern of hers was Tigerlily. The woman seemed very focused on prince Helio. It was not unusual for Tigerlily to find special interest in certain special people. But Éliane could not let go of the feeling that there was something she didn't know. Not that she needed to. Tigerlily was more than equipped to take care of herself and didn't need anybody knowing her business. But she hoped that Lily knew she was a safe place to come to should her heart desire some emotional support. On her travels, she had met many people and most of them had not been open with their feelings. In a world like this, emotions were handicaps. And yet, Éliane refused to let this world harden her. Not yet. Not anytime soon if she could help it. After 512 years of life, you've seen some things.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Tigerlily's voice. Only now, as she returned her attention to the outside world, did she realize she had not touched the meal yet. A soft smile crept onto her face at the sight of the woman. Really gotta stop all the depressive thinking, I'm gonna knock my own brain out. She shoved the coin into her backpack and began to eat small portions of different options, keeping it vegetarian for now.

As Lily changed her clothes with the little show of hers, Éliane couldn't help but smile to herself. Typical Lily, was it not? But the blue-haired devil was right. It was damn hot, the summer was really beating down on them. And although Éliane had had her swim of the day - and her clothes were still damp from it as it had been only about an hour ago -, her face lit up when Nym offered her to join them. Her lips curled into a mischievous half smile. "Funny you should ask. My morals seem to have taken a little... dip. Must be too hot for me to think straight."

She shoveled some more food down her throat as she already began to lift herself off her seat. With a soft motion, she pulled the damp clothes off of her body and revealed her undergarments. "My swim this morning ended quite... spicy. I guess cooling down a little is appropriate." Her eyes landed on Nym's. "I would greatly enjoy seeing you dip into the waters." She had seen a lot but she had never seen a shark-demi human in the sea. Frankly, he was a nice sight to look at in any place but the waters were part of his nature. She almost envied him for that. "In any way, if we don't go for a swim I should really get changed into dry clothes."

In that moment Éliane's attention flew to the entrance through which Barboda and Lizzie had disappeared down into the ship. A man had walked into the room. Éliane was certain he had not been part of the crew when the crew had boarded the ship. So he must have been down there before they had come aboard. Immediately, her brain connected his appearance with Barboda. Barboda had been the first on the ship, he must have known. Maybe even brought him on. She wasn't sure what to make of this new information. She recognized the man as a light elf, that much was clear. With a soft smile, Éliane greeted the stranger. "We were just about to go for a swim. I'm assuming you've met the captain?" Éliane couldn't even be bothered that this man met her with barely any clothes on. Being rid of the damp fabric on her skin was such a release.