Dyelli Beybi

Smoke and Steel

Name: Eleuia Krawiec
Species/Race: Iktani
Sex: Female
Age: 28
Court Alignment: Eastern Empire
Role: General's Wife - Secretly runs intelligence in the vicinity of Inbur
Appearance: 5'7'' - quite tall, with dark hair and eyes. Generally dresses like a wealthy Eastern Imperial woman would do, allowing her to pass as Inburian

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: A brilliant polyglot with the ability to put on a variety of accents. Quite well versed in wilderness survival.
Weaknesses: Most civilised people tend to look down on Iktani... though Eleuia can quite easily pass herself off as Inburian.

Background:

Backstory: While Eleuia is Iktani to the peoples of the circle sea, back in 'Iktani land' she would identify as one of the 'Cicatrakuna' people, who have traditionally inhabited the Northern regions where they have allowed the Brendahlanders to establish colonial outposts.

While there have occasionally been quarrels with the Brendahlanders, for the most part relations have remained civil and beneficial for the Cicatrakuna who have a ready flow of weapons and ammunition from the circle sea, which they purchase in exchange for furs and the service of Cicatrakuna guides and auxilliaries.

In recent years, a group of Brendahland soldiers serving under a 'Hetman', a title which Eleuia understood to mean something like a 'Chieftain', threatened to upend the balance, getting into fights with the locals resulting in several casualties amongst the Cicatrakuna.

Luckily the Hetman and Eleuia's father, a Chieftain, were sensible enough to sit down to work out their differences and an agreement was reached to seal an Alliance between the groups. Eleuia would marry the Hetman's son, a man named 'Oskar'. The Hetman would pay a dowry which would, in part, form compensation for the deaths. The Cicatrakuna and the 'Modra' would then be brothers.

While Eleuia wasn't exactly thrilled about the match, she did as she was told and, much to her pleasant surprise, it turned out she quite liked Oskar Krawiec and, after he was made Hetman himself, two years later, Eleuia found herself to be a woman of significant clout in the Circle Sea.

Naturally talented with languages, Eleuia quickly picked up the Jedgorsy language, the elga dialect of the court as well as Inburian and found herself able to easily impersonate the accents of other groups. Eleuia can pass as an Inburian (or Calarian, Shariq or Addonian), especially when dressed like one and while her husband has been stationed near Inbur, mostly in the hope of intimidating the local peasants into not rebelling, Eleuia has gravitated towards intelligence gathering on his behalf and now operates a network of informants. She had, in fact, written to General Erris, to inform him of the Conspiracy that became the 'Red Wyvern Court' some weeks before they began openly organising. Erris had ignored her. Probably because she was a human, and an Iktani at that. It was with some degree of smug satisfaction that Eleuia heard of his defeat at Rodelkog, though naturally she feigned horror.

Smoke and Steel

Name: Oskar Krawiec
Species/Race: Jedgorsy
Sex: Male
Age: 42
Court Alignment: Eastern Empire
Role: General (in the vicinity of Inbur)
Appearance: 5'11'' tall, with blue eyes, a neatly trimmed blonde beard and fashionably long hair

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: A competent commander with a significant Host under his command as well as local levies. A fine horseman, marksman and swordsman.
Weaknesses: His commitment to defeating the Blight above any dynastic loyalty makes Oskar a potentially disloyal subject under certain circumstances

Background:

Backstory: Oskar Krawiec grew up in the grasslands and taiga of the borderlands between the frozen Kingdom of Grendell and the Empire. As a noble, Oskar was born to lead a Jedgorsy host (the Modra Host) and from a young age was trained to ride, to shoot with pistol and arquebus and to fight, mostly with sabre from horseback.

Oscar has mostly served the Empire, though he also took a contract for two years with the Kingdom and took part in several skirmishes in the Main against the Calarians, returning home with his pay and an Iktani wife, 15 years his junior (by all accounts the younger daughter of a friendly local chief).

A year after his return from the Main (six years ago, now), Oskar's father passed away and Oskar was elected as Hetman of the Modra Host in his father's place. Accepting a contract with Emperor Voron Corfina which was renewed on several occasions prior to the outbreak of the civil war at which point the Modra Host was based near the city of Inbur.

Upon consultation with his officers and wife, Oskar sent a pigeon to Voron II to inform him that, in lieu of any actually damning evidence on the identity of the assassin's employer, he regarded the contract of the Modra Host to have passed to Voron II rather than Orrian... provided of course, that Voron wished to continue the terms of the contract. Voron, naturally, agreed, undoubtedly realising that had he not, Oskar would probably have sent a similar letter to his brother.

Smoke and Steel

Name: Theodluin Torris
Species/Race: Elgafolk
Sex: Male
Age: 146
Court Alignment: Eastern Empire
Role: Cleric
Appearance: tall, 6'4'', with close cropped hair. Slim, without the appearance of much muscle.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: A firebrand orator and a reasonably adept farmer.
Weaknesses: Hasn't much in the way of either business acumen or military experience. In fact, simply refuses to pick up a weapon.

Background:

Backstory: As a young elgamann, Theodluin Torris was born into power and prestige. His father had been amongst the horde that had first conquered Inbur and the young Theodluin lived a life of debauched luxury, supposedly assisting with the sale of produce from his father's estates while actually spending most of his time in the city 'for business' in taverns and brothels.

It was when returning later than intended from a business trip that Theodluin was caught in a major storm as night fell. Alone, cold, isolated and lost he prayed for deliverance first to the elga gods, and then to the human God...

While it isn't clear exactly what happened on that night 125 years ago, what is known is that the Theodluin who came out of the storm was a very different person, scorning his father's wealth and, rather scandalously, entering a human monastery... which got the young elgamann disowned. Which he didn't seem to care about one way or another.

This was where Theodluin spent the next 50 years, studying and leading a simple monastic life, tending the monastery's gardens and animals. With limited contact with his own people, Theodluin developed some unusual views for his own people and 75 years ago, he left the seclusion of the monastery and began to preach to whomever was willing to listen.

Theodluin's message was simple and radical. The only way for the Empire to avoid the coming scourge of the Blight is the complete abolition of slavery and the establishment of a meritocratic system blind to species or ethnic origin. This is, he declares, the will of God. And there is only a certain amount of time to enact this will to stay the hand of God and avoid an apocalypse.

While Theodluin's views are definitely radical and most of the Reformist faction wouldn't agree with everything he has to say, Prince Voron went through a phase of listening to Theodluin quite closely and, while his policies are tempered with pragmatism, Theodluin became an advisor to the Prince, a position he was in when the civil war broke out.

Smoke and Steel

@Festive@Terrans

Another awesome app Festive! I am impressed by the formatting :D

Both accepted.

Oh and I now have the internet again so I'm going to aim to get this rolling ASAP :) Just need to finish my cast of NPCs.

Smoke and Steel

Just as a heads up to anyone not on the Discord - I've been a bit slower than planned as I'm in the process of moving house

Smoke and Steel

@TokyoPewPew

Looks good to me. I appreciate the headings with the long 's' as well!

Smoke and Steel

@Tesserach

looks good.

@Festive

Also looks good... time for me to add some characters to the East... then the Reds and the West :P

Smoke and Steel

Character Roster

The Eastern Empire

Voron II Corfina

Kieran Dadithas
Rhistel Elnorin
Eleuia Krawiec
Oskar Krawiec
Amra Liawraek
Theodluin Torris
Folwin Virlaeth

The Western Empire

Dimitrius
Ashryn Fenvyre
Catrina Schurman

The Black Court

Coralie D'Ambois

Momim Assinger
Stefano Bene
Aghilas Jêle Doeli
Joest Schurman

The Red Court

Skotinódasos
Vicquerno van der Szaalm

The White Court

Andronika Hasikos

Edwin Aeorouant
Vassos Costaou
Loan Klodig
Elandär Lopfison
Vestele Loralen
Jacinta Tassou
Alberic Thorel
Osonia Trafiel

Smoke and Steel

Name: Jacinta Tassou
Species/Race: Inburian
Sex: Female
Age: 26
Court Alignment: White
Role: Lady in Waiting
Appearance: short and slender with gold highlights in her dark hair... which is to say very short. Jacinta is a mere 5'1''.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Skills: A skilled and aggressive sword fighter with good survival skills. Also good at buttering people up.
Weaknesses: Hot headed and aggressive when her back is up.

Background:

Backstory: Like many young Inburians, Jacinta Tassou was born into slavery in an estate just North of the metropolis of Inbur. While Jacinta would probably have grown up to be a farm labourer, she also happens to be an unusually attractive young woman and at age 20, was taken as a concubine by the MAster of the Estate, an elga noble by the name of Lathai Adxina, whose wife had recently passed away.

While, for many people in a similar situation it would have been a deeply distressing, Jacinta had developed something of a crush on Lathai anyway (whom she found very handsome) and the situation turned out to be rather beneficial for her, with the young human quickly becoming a favourite. While she wasn't granted her freedom, there was very little the old elgamann wouldn't give her. Jacinta did no work and instead learned to ride a horse and read. She devoured chivalric romances, imagining herself as a knight, and after very little pleading was given lessons in fencing and became scandalously good with a rapier.

This favouritism did not go unnoticed by the Lathai's children who grew to despise the young Inburian. Not that Jacinta cared. She imagined she would be long dead before her Master...

Except she wasn't. Five years into their relationship, Lathai was thrown from his horse while hunting and died in his bed a week later. Realising she was in very actual danger, Jacinta packed her bag, including no small amount of Lathai's money and fled. She had rich enough clothing that nobody asked any questions when she asked for passage to Carnelfenney.

Jacinta didn't have too much of a plan for when she landed, but by the time she had rumours were already swirling about the Dawnbringer appearing in the northern town of Trefgodwig who, as it happened, was a woman! Perhaps this was a chance to be the knight she wished she was? Equipped only with a vague idea of latching onto the chosen one's entourage, Jacinta travelled North in the depths of winter, reaching Trefgodwig shortly before the coming of spring.

Hoping to get a glimpse of Aonène Alzina La Noue de Bellièvre, Jacinta travelled out to the fringes of the camp for the Royal Regiment of Foot where, instead, she met a very friendly and somewhat inebriated young woman who turned out to be Andronika Hasikos (who was celebrating her nineteenth birthday by drinking ale with the troopers). From that chance meeting, a friendship developed, centred around fencing, something which both of the young women took some pride in being accomplished at.

During the siege of Tregodwig, Jacinta was not able to take up arms and fight (despite wanting to). But she still holds out hope that she'll be able to do her part in the coming conflict...

Smoke and Steel

@Tackytaff

@Pangolin333

All looks good to me!