“If I am being entirely honest, your majesty, I do have some reservations about our numbers. I understand that you wish to keep news of our movement at a minimum, and having more men would make that difficult. It sounds like secrecy matters here if we wish to stop a war before it begins. I also understand that we who you’ve chosen are of some repute. Are there any concessions that can be afforded to us?”
Fredricus paused. Considering his options carefully.
"A week before, a unit from the recon division was dispatched to scout Stritzel's compound. With them was Madam Antigone's subordinate tasked to plant a prototype of magical geolocator. The plan was rather unsuccessful, but they are still there. Convene with this team once you get there. I will also send my pigeons to inform General Falrick to tighten the security on the west crossroad, should the rumor about Stritzel's personal militias be true and she call their assistance. I will ensure no other parties will disturb your mission. I believe that's sufficient enough."
Fredricus's attention again shifted to the male elf clad in clothes so gaudy it insulted his kingly privilege. Shaking his head once, he then waved for the elf to speak.
"Your Majesty, if I may inquire, where do you think the noble Cedar is currently being held?"
He glanced at the bear sisters for a moment before refocusing his attention back to him
"Stritzel has a mansion deep inside a pocket of forestry between the West Road and Clearpine Lake. Her mansion is unfortunately the only solid lead we have now."
Pausing, the king tried his hard to not be smug, or look at Jazdia. "Yes I know there is a possibility that Stritzel has other facilities hidden somewhere in that forest, but years under constant turmoil have rendered the region unobservable. But fret not! If my scouts failed in their task, I believe some of you are resourceful enough to look at the smallest needle in a haystack. Even if the effort could get them pricked. Any other question?"
The king sighed, and his attention immediately shifted back to Jazdia, who had moved aside when he answered the soldier's question.
"She had a point there." Said Jazdia, gesturing at the sealed document. "May I?"
The king gestured his permission. "Go ahead."
"Thank you." Anyway, your shieldbearer has a point there. Time is our most precious commodity right now, and adding the subjugation of your duke into our schedule would make it more constraining."
"This is indeed a difficult decision," said Fredricus calmly, yet the words sounded bitter. "Putting aside the importance of removing Stritzel and her ilks away from my land, Cedar is not just a druid or talking bear anymore. I have awarded him lands near Great Misty, and that makes him a Kindeance noble."
"That sounded like a made-up excuse."
The king did not appreciate her bluntness.
"Your failure to acknowledge the gravity of this matter surprises me. I thought you were a person who would not abandon a friend. Very well! Think that however you like. But the political risk of abandoning a loyal subject to face torture and unusual death will be felt in the long term. Besides, my son seemed to have taken a liking to Cedar. Wouldn't it be in your best interest to gain more favor from Kindeance's future king?"
Jazdia could only rub her forehead.
"There you go again using my conscience against me. Shame on you. How long before your next plenary meetings?
"Four days."
"We have eighteen days then. Perhaps we can pull that off. But the delay will be inevitable."
"I'll leave that to your judgment," he said, pausing to look at the rest of the group. It seemed none of them had any more questions. "My uncle will be with you in this mission."
"Thernous? I don't mind."
"He will be a great help," Fredricus assured. Though Jazdia could clearly sense that it was just another way of saying 'he will be my eyes and ears.'
__________________________ "If it isn't my favorite elf in the world! How you been since I last saw you, Sparky?"
"All is well." Jazdia smiled. Though the reality was far from it, and currently grinding her from the inside, she refrained from complaining. Now was simply not the time nor the place for it.
She took a moment to spy on Fredricus who seemed busy speaking with his bodyguard Matilda. He Then spoke to his boy Alec, letting the prince have his freedom to wander off.
"Let me handle the talking with Fredricus. Alright?" She whispered before Yvonne retreated back to somewhere outside the King's line of sight. Fredricus however, seemed to have been fully alerted when Jazdia approached his table
"His Majesty."
When there was no longer distance between her and the edge of the King's table, Jazdia continued in a quieter tone. "All right, you win. Count me in this little game of yours."
"Couldn't expect a better result myself, welcome back."
Jazdia, not interested in congratulating him for his little victory reached for a tubular compartment in her satchel bag to take out a rolled parchment. She undid its red ribbon and had it spread wide on Fredricus's table. A contract, written, formalized, recognized if not in Kindeance Law, then still valid in an international court. It speaks that a certain level of authority will be granted from the Ruler of the Land to the holder of the contract. A hard evidence to prove the legitimacy of their assignment. She couldn't just let Fredricus disavow her and this party whenever he damned well pleased.
"How classified would you want this mission to be?" asked Jazdia when Fredricus let the wax drip down and pressed his signet ring onto the document. "Last time I heard you don't want your enemy to know you're contacting Meche. Yet, all that lengthy speech before suggested that you want to do the opposite."
Despite being left cold (And she had to reheat it using her power), it turned out the tea she was sipping was quite a heady one. Someone was taking their tea seriously here and she wondered who.
Fred had been finished with his little rah-rah speech. Years of experience as a mediator had honed her skill to both listen and read at the same time, but to decrypt Fredricus' words and answer was a different skillset altogether. You can say more than half of it was political hogwash, either to confuse his enemy should someone in this room intend to leak this meeting or to taunt a certain someone to be more involved in his plan.
This was not something to be taken at face value.
Part of her itched to tell Yvonne just that, but maybe a high level of political gambit was not for everyone. And that was how Yvonne now got stuck on Fred's long-winded speech that actually seemed to go nowhere remotely close to her understanding.
Looking back at the documents, she tried to recap what she had just read. Amongst the new recruits, there was one foreigner under the name of Gephar who possessed a strikingly similar ability to one of her former employees back in her days in CSA. An Empath, and that alone was an extremely rare talent and a very useful one to relay undisputable information. Jazdia only knew that he was loaned by one of Fredricus' allies, but she reckoned their arrangement wouldn't come cheap.
Then there were few soldiers, some with noble backgrounds.
The first one. Athena Voltspear. A youkai-- Wait, did they just put it in this...?
Jazdia activated her vision and scanned the cat-eared individual, confirming that youkai could fill the ranks in Fredricus' forces. Apparently, she was a veteran and had made quite a name for herself in the army before being assigned to a unit under the Court Wizard Antigone Stainewll. Adept in defensive magic. A rare talent to divert damage. Minor fire magic. Limited shapeshifting.
The one under the name of Louise specialized in using wind magic, and she honed her ability for the purpose of rapid assault and defense alike.
The other soldier, a male who came with Louise has nothing exceptional in his files. But he was a noble, and apparently Thernous grandson.
Now this was getting more interesting. Jazdia took a quick glance toward a flamboyant-looking elf with bluish skin, trying to match him with the files. Varya Chandrar was not born in Varenheim, but had been around the continent since a young age, offering skill for gold and earning himself a reputation of being honorable and honest. At least that was what the evaluation said. Capable of cloaking himself with limited invisibility and can move quietly and quickly. A shield-bearer and an expert in intelligence gathering. Such an odd mix indeed especially when Jazdia looked at his flashy getups.
Jazdia secured the document into her bag and stood up. There were two more new faces in this meeting. Instead of that bearish Cedar, now there were two of them! Each was half his size, but she already had a hunch that those two would be no less difficult to deal with. They were here to bring ill news about Cedar's latest known fate, and it seemed Fredricus too shared their despondency.
She would save her judgment for later. But delivering this letter should be their top priority. Walking toward one of the more familiar faces, she tapped Yvonne's shoulder. "Good to see you again, Miss Rosenving."
Though they were supposed to be on a first-name basis, Yvonne never called her by her name and instead opted to call her Sparky. A moniker she wasn't fond of nor disliked. And thus, she would try to approach this conversation with rigid politeness.
My first ever post in this website and created my debut character as well. As a complete beginner I will comply to GM's guidance and balancing as much as it needed.
"I put myself at your mercy."
Name : Sir Garpha
Species : Human
Age : 39
Gender : Male
Height : 176 cm (5'8”)
Appearance:
An adult human male with a lean physique and defined muscles, broad shoulders, smooth ashen skin, long-and-pepper textured wavy hair. An eerily attractive complexion with a flat expression, his deep bright amber eyes gave a piercing stare. Older than he seems, he looks like someone in his late twenties.
For his usual occasion he uses a simple shirt under form-fitted neck-length collared doublet with over-extended shoulder padding with removable sleeves tied with intricate cords and dark-colored leather jerkin on top. Wear reinforced trousers, a small satchel bag, and strapped with utility belt and knife rolls. Use boots just under knee-length with sturdy soles and wrist-length gloves. His all-black attire was covered with a calf-length dark hooded robe to conceal it all.
Bio:
During scavenging of destroyed village they stumbled upon; some nomadic mercenary group found a dying female in the middle of child labor. They helped her labor and then born a wailing baby tightly grabbing his nuchal cord. Just after the baby born before passing away from child labor, she says the word “Garpha” and so the baby is named after her last word. Unbeknownst to anyone, the baby that has just born has the innate talent—a blessing—of a truth seer. Someone who can differentiate what’s lies and what’s not.
Years passed by, young Garpha was raised as a mercenary. With mediocre skill using standard weaponry, Garpha filled the role of one who takes care of the group’s well being along with other members. Later they discover Garpha’s unusual talent for ropes and whip after playing with vines and later uses snake whip as his weapon of choice. Through many experiences they share, the group grows attached to him that they consider him as their family. And after many more, they realized that Garpha can exactly tell who’s lying and who’s not.
After some time, they enter a kingdom in decline between Tretagor and Varenheim. This mercenary group is called upon by the king to perform missions. On the go, they talk about young Garpha’s truth seeing ability to the King. The king thought that’s amusing and played along with him. Sometime after a couple moments of kicks-and-giggle, the King realizes Garpha’s potential and eventually takes him seriously. After he swears loyalty to the king and an agreement that if he ever crosses the kingdom they will hunt and execute his whole group including him, which fortunately never happened, the kingdom takes him in as the youngest squire ever in the kingdom’s history. With basic knowledge about fighting and weaponry he already got from his group, the kingdom molded him from a young age to be a special unit of the black-ops team and later as an interrogator.
After going through the ranks to the top, he once again solidified his loyalty to the royal family through consensus emasculation and was later appointed as personal bodyguard of the royal family. After serving directly under the king for decades with great accomplishments helping the kingdom from its ruin, he’s given the highest knightly title along with a unique imperial armament that only suits him and later became his majesty’s closest advisor.
Years passed by. After the death of the king, his eldest son rose to position substituting his father's throne. There are some changes to the kingdom’s rule for the better or worse. Continuing the role of his late father as a client king to the now Nation of Kindeance, his new majesty accepts Fredericus's invitation and orders Garpha to assist Kindeance in any way possible.
Passives and Skillsets:
- Truth Seer: Garpha’s innate ability. Able to distinguish truth from deceptions from his interlocutor’s statements whether verbally or non-verbal gestures and expressions. He does not make other says truthful statements unwillingly, so he still needs to extract information by other means. It has no effect on machinery like an automaton. Less effective in written statements, a person with memory loss or ones that is brainwashed in the sense that he cannot determine their quality of information but knew something was off. Also bound to the interlocutor’s culture, for example, such as in a certain region a nod meant as a disagreement or disapproval will register to Garpha as an approval or agreement instead. Therefore, verbal statement is the most ideal. Unfavorable side effect of this ability is people become wary to say anything to him. This leads to most people staying away from him and makes him detached from social interactions. He copes with this condition by talking and playing with animals.
- Chronic Insomnia: Due to the emotional and psychological toll from his intense service as leading interrogator, Garpha has trouble initiating sleep and have a hard time getting into deep sleep. With the use of his weapon ability, his quality of sleep and time spent on sleeping could be further worsened with the extreme use of his unique weapon. A lower immune system leads to increased pain sensitivity and is more susceptible to infections. Undisturbed full deep sleep session awakens him in peak condition, usually lasts 16 hours and even 24 hours if extremely exhausted. Awakened mid sleep results in lower performance and difficult to stay alert, and hallucination if extremely exhausted.
- Eunuch: Through emasculation due to the roles of personal bodyguard of the royal family, Garpha becomes a eunuch. A status of absolute loyalty to the royal family and trusted by the king. Other than lacking deepening of the voice, little to no body and facial hair, and other development of secondary sexual characteristics, he has no sexual drive and is not capable of any sexual activity. Less muscle mass results in lower strength compared to men with just as much training as him, but increased stamina and durability.
- Whip Mastery: Peak proficiency in the use of whip and elongated objects that can be used to restraint such as ropes, chains, and vines. His degree of mastery includes grabbing intricate things with delicate use of the whip, disarm of enemies’ weaponry, move from one place to another like climbing buildings by grabbing a protruding foundation of a house and arboreal movements like swinging from one tree to another by grabbing its branch, also capable of deflecting multiple arrows about half a dozen projectiles that shoots at him with relative ease. Effective area is as long the whip itself.
- Advanced Martial Arts: Because of the ineffective range of whip at under 6 feet, Garpha needs to have some counter measure and that is a unique martial art similar to standing throw as well as ground wrestling that use techniques including but not limited to throwing an opponent, immobilize them with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. Also, some underhanded techniques like tripping, eye gouging, and other vital point strikes like crotch area, jab to the neck, etc. This martial technique is further reinforced by using his whip not to lash at enemies but to immobilize and restrain them by shackling their limbs with intricate tying technique to capture them. Can also uses his unique weapon to mitigate incoming attacks by covering the body surface area just before an impact or straight up blocking the attack point blank with his durable whip.
- Intermediate Multiple Language Fluency: As an expert interrogator, he expected to be familiar with other languages. Known languages other than his native language and languages from the kingdom he was raised in and its proximity areas, it includes the language of urban area around Kindeance and Mechedonia.
- Intermediate Lip Reading: Learned to further improve the use of his Truth Seer ability. Effective within 7 meters (23 ft).
- Lesser Trap Detection: With his experience as a part of a special squad directly under the old king by observing other member that were adept at trap detection, he gained some knowledge to detect one. Able to detect simple traps within 10 meters (33 ft).
- Lesser Knife Throwing: Act as range weapon. Not adept nor particularly strong attack. Not lethal except hitting vital organs. It can also be used as a distraction.
Spells:
- Serpentine Subjugation: Manipulate any elongated object that can naturally bend into a serpent-like thing that slithers away. Active upon physical skin body contact with the object. Used to bind and constrict enemy movements. The constricting power is comparable to the user’s current physical power and the object’s material durability. The serpentines can give a pseudo-sensory feeling to the user upon the user’s mind focusing. It can be remotely controlled with the user’s mind focus. Up to 3 serpentines can be controlled this way at the same time. Up to 50 serpentines can exist at the same time with uncontrolled simple commands like “restricts anyone that’s not an ally”. Also used as distraction. Effective control within the range of 50 meters (164 ft). Loses the effects when the user stops focusing, losing consciousness, the serpentine objects destroyed, dispel, etc. Automatically lose effect after 5 minutes except with continuous mind focus. If cast into his unique weapon, Járnormur, the user can still use its abilities as if he directly touches it.
- Dispel Magic: This spell ends ongoing spells that have been cast on a creature or object, to temporarily weaken the magical abilities of a magic item, to end ongoing spells (or at least their effects) within an area, or to counter another spell. A dispelled spell ends as if its duration had expired. Some spells can’t be defeated by Dispel Magic.
- Spell Suppression: Prevents a target creature or object from casting active spells for a while. Does not remove spells that are currently applied or taking effect.
- True Seeing: This spell gives the willing creature you touch, including yourself, the ability to see things as they actually are. For the duration, the creature gains True Sight buff. A creature with True Sight can see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible creatures and objects, automatically detect visual illusions, notice secret doors hidden by magic, and perceive the original form of a creature that is transformed or alter his physical appearance by magic. Furthermore, the creature can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 100 meters (328 ft). It can be cast into two creatures at the same time. Each cast spell lasts 30 minutes. Have a cooldown of 12 hours.
Equipment:
Main Weapon: Járnormur
An ancient armament in the form of a peculiar snake whip made of unknown material. Once one of many sacred weapons of the old king's royal armory. Adorned with a serpent head on its knot and an unknown inconspicuous runic inscription, 4 meters (13 ft) in total length, it has the color of matte silver covering from end to end. Remarkably durable to physical and magical attacks, even to extreme heat change. Able to withstand strong gastric acid of most foul beasts. Due to its unique properties, Járnormur can transfer the spell that needed its caster physical contact through it instead, acting as if it's one’s limb.
Járnormur chooses its user and will continuously drain mana of the person it makes physical contact with if it deemed them unworthy. Unworthy users cannot use any of its abilities. It can consume mana of its user on their command to further enhance its durability. Whenever it is damaged, it slowly drains its user mana to repair itself from any physical damage. It won't repair itself if the user is in grave danger and in dire need of mana to heal themselves.
If the user chooses to do so, at the expense of the mana and stamina of its user, Járnormur and its shockwave can hit the intangibles, ranging from elemental substances or matter with relatively dense mana, usually from cast spells to things like concentrated souls of once a living being. If the elemental substance or matter gets hit, it will vanish. If the intangible souls are lashed at and touched with the whip's tip, it gives an equivalent feeling to the target of getting hit with a kick from an adult wild stallion at full force to their unprotected face. Less of that if they get touched with another part of the whip comparable to the force of the whip applied. Cannot hit the soul of a living being.
Instant activation and deactivation of this ability upon the application of mana to the whip. In this state, the physical exhaustion is comparable to anaerobic exercise. Will drains a significant pool of mana upon each successful strike. Prolonged use of this state in a ceaseless uninterrupted whole 2 minutes causes exhaustion, with even further use causing the user to constipate and eventually faint. Daily usage of these abilities causes hallucinations and instills fear directly into the user's mind. The user can grab Járnormur's unique handle and effortlessly untangle it and resembles separating a thread into strands, revealing a pair of identical looking flexible thin blade strips each resembling a whip. Can be as easily fused again from the handle or the tip as both parts naturally coiled into a singular whip upon contact. It has a distinct sound like a ferocious blade when it goes through air space with great speed, giving intimidation to enemies but lose its silent properties. Each whip is double-edged and significantly more agile, making them specialized for offensive use while still maintaining its innate durability. It's so thin that it seems invisible if looked at from a certain angle, like directly at the front of the blades, making it difficult to visually detect an incoming attack. There are two other modes other than the regular mode to it when used in this way:
- Tvíbura Járnormar: Have significantly longer reach due to it uncoils and sharp enough to cut bodies in a breeze. Even sharper to the point of slicing regular armor with more mana applied to it. It is difficult to be used for grabbing things without slicing the target in the process. Need to be wielded two-handed. Excellent for mid-range combat. Not recommended for indoor use.
- Tvíhöfða Járnormur: After the user separates the handle, they reattach it upside down, then after a swing the thong unravels, making it a "double bladed" whip. Rather than for offensive usage, it provides a more balanced striking and defensive ability with front and back coverage. Due to its unique design, it provides a different attack pattern than that of a normal whip, which makes it hard to deal with. Excellent choice for getting grouped by enemies from all sides. Unsuitable for indoor usage especially when getting cornered.
Depends on the trip taken, at most he brings this equipment:
- Secondary snake whip. An average whip with a flexible handle. - A rope. A thin durable rope made from common natural fibers. 12 meters (39 ft) in length. - Linen sack. Hold his needs. - A shirt for change and two clean pieces of long cotton cloth. - Special cooking equipment. Small skillet and utensils. Specially made for the reckon teams. Compact, doesn’t make a lot of noise. - Waterskin. Holds fresh water. - Leather side bag. Hold his other necessities. - Knight of the Royal Family Insignia. A metal insignia to identify oneself. - Utility belt. Contain potions and other trinkets. - Knife rolls. Strapped to his chest diagonally under his cloak. With many types of knives equipped, from throwing knife to utilitarian knife. - Simple first aid kit. To patch wounds, etc. - Fire starter kit. It consists of steel, flint rocks, char cloth, hemp tow, and a couple of short candles. - Dry compass.
Other: - He thinks of any animals as cute because they’re straightforward.
Appearance: Shorter than average, dark hair, somewhat sun-kissed skin from outdoor activity, and way less scars than one would've expect. Often clad in a set of brigandine adorned with a piece of suspiciously familiar scrap of purple fabric (or a pretty dress, at rarer occasion), and always with at least one weapon in her person.
Bio: When Yvonne was born she's the only child to the opulent but very much declining house Rosenving, it took less than two more decades of ridiculous parties and all-around bad financial management before it was driven to the verge of bankruptcy. Naturally there comes the talk of marriage upon which Yvonne, an oddball obsessed with distinctly unladylike things like driving the business end of a weapon into someone's soft flesh, all but absconded with her great-grandfather's blade. The rest of her life was spent in a wild ride of mercenary work and avoiding (more commonly, well, thoroughly violencing) the men hired by her family and/or her would-be fiance to bring her back. Her journey brought her all round the three kingdoms and more, even after her ancestral home collapsed and pursuers stopped coming.
After stashing the kingly ransom from the last job into a Helvetian bank, Yvonne made her return for the second part as promised. With risk comes reward, and surely ol' Freddy wouldn't be stingy this time around? Besides, she came better prepared this time around...
Skillset: Well versed in outdoor survival, knack for murder and violence, oddly high spatial awareness, dancing, easily thrives in chaotic situation, very good at intimidation, weaves pretty dang well, and is proficient using common melee weapons. Personally prefers the mace despite her title.
Spells: -Mansplitter (Self-buff. Gain inhuman strength for a very short period. The stronger the effect, the greater the backlash.) -Warcry (AoE debuff. Inflict terror in a wide area. Greater effect on closer target, and greater effect on direction Yvonne is facing.) -Bloodlust (Passive. Haste, pain tolerance, and resistance to mental effect. Starts off weak but ramps up as the fight goes on.) -Resilience (Passive. Harder to injure, less affected by existing injuries, and heals a lot faster than normal at the cost of increased calorie usage.)
Equipment: Daily necessities (preserved rations, a tin pot, medical supply, knapping, change of clothes, etc), adorned brigandine, the sword her great-grandfather wielded that probably never saw use since then until it landed in her hands, a heavy flanged mace, a rondel dagger, a belt of high-quality potions in silver flasks.
Other: Can be inserted to the plot any time it's convenient (or fun) to do so.
Upon hearing the call, Jazdia Crystalspark walked forward. This kind of formalities, though rather trivial, was uncommon if she looked back from the last four months ago.
It seemed Fredricus employed a different person this time. Lord Thernous was the name she heard quite often, and she had the intel about him in her playbook during her survey before opening Angel's share. Apparently Fredricus' uncle, The elderly man held an important position in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
"Jazdia Crystalspark. I would like to request a copy of the other participants' dossiers if you don't mind. Thank you! " she said, smiling at Therneous before entering the room and sitting on a chair next to a table that had a full set of tea pot and clean cups prepared. And the tea was cold... again? Really?
Appearance: Varya is a elf man who stands at 175.26 Centimeters tall. His skin is a pale blue. He has chin length ebon black hair cut into a meticulously neat and tidy bob cut. He has cool dark brown eyes adorning his feminine, handsome bishounen face. His nails are painted blue, and he wears glossy black lipstick. His build is lean and toned, with visible abs, giving him a very androgynous appearence. He is obsessed with his image and loves fashion, always seeking to dress for the occassion, often favoring the colors blue or green. When traveling abroad or across the wilderness he will prioritize more simplistic tunics or tied up shirts, leggings and cloaks for practicality, and chain mail and gambeson armor for protection. In more formal or relaxed settings he prefers to dress more dapper and stylish, such as wearing suits and ties, or long billowy robes.
Bio: Varya Chandrar was an Elf born in a land far to the east under a shining moon. Loyalty is a virtue near and dear to Varya's heart, and he wanted to express it in someway, hince he desired to find someone to share it with. To find such worthy people, he became a mercenary scout for hire. In order to maintain a good reputation, he made it a point to never betray his employers, no matter how much money somebody else offered, so as not to seem duplicitous or treacherous, a label he reviled. Honor is of great importance to Varya, as he would rather die than live dishonored. If he wanted to earn others loyalty, he himself must show loyalty.
Varya's reputation for dutifully following orders and his skills in battle and gathering intelligence eventually reached the ears of the King of Kindeance, and an invitation was sent to Varya. Varya sees this as an oppurtunity to prove himself worthy of respect, and to the next step to find great people worthy of his dedication and service.
Passives: Elf Physiology Acrobatic and Athletic Extensive Bow Training Martial Arts Training Minor Daggers, Shortswords and Hammers skills Stealth Expertise: Has practiced silencing footsteps and breathing very quietly in order to get the drop on less wary opponents
Spells:
Bhumidevi's Embrace: Requires skin contact with natural earth, rock, or soil, and cannot be used in high stress situations like combat. Turbo charges the benefits of Earthing, accelerates natural healing from aliments and injuries, increases stamina recovery, reduces need for food, reduces pain, thins blood, increases the quality of sleep, and lowers inflammation. The longer Varya is in contact with the earth, the greater the effects. Does not work in ultra dry soils like those found in deserts.
Bull's Strength: Tremendously boosts physical strength, mimicking a mighty Bull. 2 Post Duration. Can't be used at the same time as Cat's Grace.
Cat's Grace: Increases agility, flexibility, balance, finesse, hand-eye coordination, speed, and overall nimbleness, mimicking a Cat's deftness. 2 Post Duration. Can't be used at the same time as Bull's Strength.
Shadow Walk: Uses Illusion magic to mask presence. Become completely invisible to normal sight, muffles sounds and quiets footsteps. 2 Post Duration
Equipment: Crescent Moon: An enormous white wood C-shaped longbow with silver linings. The bow is as tall as Varya and requires great strength to draw. Family Heirloom: Silver necklace with a sapphire jewel Waterskin Butterfly swords Wooden Shield Cane Sword Warhammer Chain Mail and Gambeson armor Backpack Suitcase Compass Flint and Steel Soap
Other: Varya is a Kuudere Femboy. Varya is a vegetarian
My tried and true character. Not much has changed.
Name: Solomon Sparrow
Species: Archlich
Age: 251
Gender: Male
Appearance: A tall yet very thin man. His true height is 6’6”, however given his age, he if often hunched over making him appear shorter. He is often wearing travelers clothes made of cloth and leather. His attire is normally not seen as he also wears a large cloak that covers him from head to just before it reaches the floor. He also has a mask that covers his mouth and nose and a pair of gloves. Most of his clothes are black or dark gray in color. As a result, he is rarely completely seen aside from his eyes. When one does get to look at portions of him, such as his eyes or forearms, his skin appears tight, gray, and dehydrated. He eyes are sunken and of indeterminable color. Attached to his back by several belts is a rather large tome. The book appears old, and the pages yellowed. Two thin metal plates overlap either cover, and the book is sealed with several straps. Thin rune etchings are caved into the metal plates, and the leather straps.
Bio: Solomon had lived through war, peace, and war. He has seen the kingdom of Kindeance transform from a war bound ruler to a peaceful trading hub. Solomon lost his wife to Meche extremists which led him down his current path. Solomon vowed to one day find the means of properly adverting the finality of death. In that pursuit, he came across a variety of means that worked as a stopgap at most. However, eventually he led himself down the line of necromancy. Despite the risks, he underwent a ritual which bound his soul the the material plane, so that should he ever perish, his soul could never leave, and forever return. This method was not perfect. While it would keep him in the presence of the living, it was not overcoming death, it was merely replacing the destination of those who passed on. But it would be enough. Having already experienced death once before, Solomon sought revenge against those who took his wife from him. He also took revenge for those who severely wronged the innocent. He had genuine urge to help those in need, but these methods also helped fuel his phylactery, provide information on the processes of death, and eventually became his means of enforcement. No longer fearing an early end to his life, Solomon continued his studies. He encountered soul bound automatons, other undead, and even runelore. Eventually, Solomon realized that he had time, that death was no longer a deadline. He was filled with different emotions, but now having literal lifetimes in his future, he slowly began to acclimate to the lifespan of multiple generations. While he remained focused on his research, he continued with his life as he had always done prior to the death of his wife. He was a traveling doctor, offering medical aid to those village who were too poor, too far away, and just were unable to access magical healing from the few clerics that lived in the kingdom. As time passed on, he grew into obscurity. He was still known as a traveling doctor, but given his age, it didn’t seem right for him to constantly be brought up. And then there were the rumors of the undead he would travel with. Rare was it for him to be seen with the power, but common enough to stick with him as he traveled. It was these rumors of his expertise with beyond the grave did the king first approach him. It was common phrase that dead men told no tales. However, with Solomon, dead men could hide no secrets. In the four months since that adventure, Solomon made good use of the king’s generosity, take time to study the controversial, and otherwise limited materials found within the royal’s libraries. In the last four months, he has spent a lot of time revisiting runelore. Part because of Asevor, and part because of the soul binding aspect of the practice. At the same time, he insisted on staying with the von Kruber’s estate while the Fanghorn situation was settling through the winter. Much to the objections of everyone involved. However, her attitude had changed after a time where Solomon let Von Kruber’s widow peer into the tome he carried. Since then she ceased her protests, but remained distant to Solomon’s presence. Likewise, her children. The others remained unhappy about it. Being so close to Rascade, and the Von Kruber estate, Solomon would once again be called upon for his assistance beyond the medical expertise he still practices.
Passives: Medicine: Solomon is skilled in the practical application of medicine, bandages, and triage. Herblore: Solomon can forage materials and create medicines Alchemy: basic alchemy, Solomon can isolate infectious materials into vials Nomad: Solomon has spend years traveling from place to place, as a result, he almost always knows where he is insomuch as it’s an established road. He also knows how to forage for food and make basic meals. Undead: Solomon does not need to eat, drink, or sleep, though he can still participate for the pleasure of it. He also cannot be poisoned or diseased. Speak with Dead: Solomon can speak with the dead.
Spells: Using his spell book, Solomon has an innate skill to bind the living, undead, or recently deceased to the book and himself. This means that their souls will bind into the book and into his service. Any living person will not be under his control until after death. When bound to the book, their spirit takes on a form of undead should it even be called to manifest. This form is permanent, and is chosen by the spirit itself. What form it takes is usually also unknown to the person from whom the soul originates.
- Animate Dead: Solomon can bring back to life any dead body he comes into close proximity with. The undead being will retain primal instincts, though higher intelligent beings will be able to call upon their skills, muscle memory, and communicate as required. If the body is too damage to raise, a ghost will form instead. Raised dead will always obey Solomon’s commands. Creatures animated with way cannot be bound to his spell book. They can only do what is physically capable of them. - Summon Dead: Solomon can call upon the spirits harbored within his tome. Undead associated with that called spirit will form from the earth or air when applicable. Likewise, they will always appear as close to what they did when alive. They will also maintain their personality when applicable. However, they cannot disobey Solomon’s commands. They can only do what is physically possible of them. - Incorporeal form: For about 30 minutes, Solomon can turn into a black cloud entity. In this form, he is invulnerable to all physical interaction including walls, obstacles, and attacks. This also includes being unable to interact or speak. He is also incapable of performing any of his other spells in this form. While in this form he can change his size, increase his elevation, and merge with existing shadows. - Dagger hold: This spell will bind a person in place. Any attempt to move will cause the trapped creature pain as though they were pushing into a wall of knives. This can cause physical trauma. The strength of the hold is proportional to the strength of Solomon. It is possible to break out from, but the pain associated with it can be unbearable.
Equipment: Death Tome: Large spell book bound to his person, it holds the contracts of the living and dead who are bound to his will. It also acts as his anchor to the living realm, allowing him to continue existing in the world though he should have passed years ago. The book strapped to his back, partially covered by his robes, and clasped shut between two thin metal plates with several leather belts. As long as he has it, he has access to the spells and contracts inside. Should it ever be destroyed, Solomon would cease to be.
Healers Kit: glorified first aide. Knife roll: Rolled cloth holding knives of varying sizes Sewing Kit: needle and thread Potion’s kit: Vials, pestle and mortar, distiller, water skins and a pouch of commonly found ingredients Vials of unknown diseases Poison
Other: His late wife's name was Adeline.
The other character. The ‘just in case’ character.
Name: Athena Voltspear
Species: Yokai
Age: 127
Gender: Female
Appearance: Appears to be a that of a young woman with a height of about 5’5” and a weight of 115lb. She has a slim frame, but her musculature is tone. Her skin color is fair. She has three white stripes that end at the top of her forehead, moves up over her scalp. down the back of her neck, and end again at her lower back. These stripes are hard to see because in most light, the white of the stripes blend in with her normal skin color, and because she has hair and clothing covering them. However, the evidence of the stripes is evident through her hair. She has black hair, but there are similar strips of white hair that mirror her skin, almost like highlights. She has solid blue irises for her eyes with a slit pupil much like a cat’s. She does not have any tattoos, piercings, or discernible marks outside of the stripes across her head. Her most defining features are a pair of black cat ears at the either side of the top of her head with white tufts of fur, and a pair of pure black twin tails that sprout from her tailbone. She dons medium armor that is almost form fitting for her frame, appearing slender in appearance, but obviously offers decent protection against normal weaponry. The armor she has includes cuirass with a pointed sternum on the breastplate. She has surcoat that bears Kindeance colors. She also has tassets that acts like a skirt, and then front facing greaves for her shins. She also wears boots, and appears to have tiny feet. She has a pauldron and vambrace for right arm only. The rest of her armor is mainly leather clothing and belts so that she can keep some flexibility. She spends her free time as a cat. In this form, she is a short hair cat, completely black with three white stripes that travel from the top of her head down to the end of her back. Her front right paw is also white. She has blue eyes. She also has two tails in this form.
Bio: Athena was once the cat to a proud Kindeance Shield bearer of the royal army. This shield bearer was known as Voltspear. During the time before the declaration of peace, this shield bearer stood valiantly in the front lines, defending his soldiers, and pushing the enemy Meche army back. During the time of peace, Voltspear remained in the service of his king, and the heir of that king. Though his age prevented him from active duty, he remained vigilant. He trained new recruits, maintained equipment, and otherwise stood as an exemplar for his division. Through all of his loyalty, when off duty, he took care of a cat. He had found it one day after training, its leg trapped in the remains of some barbed wire. Deciding to take it in, Voltspear took care of the cat until it recovered. He adopted to feline, giving her the name Athena. They were inseparable. He even started taking the cat with him to the castle grounds. As he grew old, Athena grew along with him. It was rare to see Voltspear without his feline companion with him. It had become his signature appearance. One night, Athena woke atop her master’s chest disturbingly still. It was obvious to anyone, Voltspear had taken his last breath. Perhaps, it was a blessing to have passed in his sleep, peacefully. Having lived over one hundred years, never having once retired, it seemed like an inevitability. Yet, it was still a sorrowful revelation. Athena mourned the loss of her master, but that mourning and the love she had for him and the love he gave her awoke something in her. Athena found herself born anew, with a different scope of identity. She stood on all four, and stretched her back before she slid off the bed. With two feet, she walked towards the door, and opened it with her new found hands. One hundred years had passed since her birth, and she was lucky to have somehow lived that long in the loving care of Voltspear, and the garrison he helped foster. From then on, Athena was the mysterious new recruit to join the Kindeance army. In time, the connection between her and the late Voltspear was uncovered. It was indisputable that in some form or another she was the progeny of Voltspear. Yet, despite the similarities between some of her features, the knowledge she had of the Kindeance core, or even the fact they shared a name, no one made the connection between her and the cat Voltspear lovingly took in so many years ago. Quickly advancing among the ranks, and showing skill that the once famed Voltspear once displayed, it was hard for her to not be noticed by the leading parties within the castle. It certainly helped that she possessed some kind of magic that allowed her to preform her duties better. She seemly was able to appear out of no where, offering her shield when protection was needed, or her spear to push the offensive. Perhaps this ability could be of use to the king.
Passives: Polearm and shield skills Acrobatics and athletics
Detect life: Athena can detect the life force of living beings that are within about thirty feet of her position. As a result, she is hard to surprise.
Aspect of Feline: She can see farther than most humans, as well as able to see in the dark. She can also smell specific scents and associate certain scents to specific people or places. She is also very nimble and athletic, sporting more strength than her frame would suggest.
Spells: - Ghost Fire: She can create a ghostly flame on any surface, flammable or not. The fire is like any other flame, creating heat enough the burn. The fire cannot be put out, but the heat can be mitigated through a variety of cooling methods. The fire also cannot spread, but is hot enough to set fire to normally flammable materials. The size of the fire can cover an area of at most one square foot or less. The fire can only be cast up to 10 feet away. The fire extinguishes whenever a new fire is created, Athena is unconscious, Athena releases the flame, or she moves too far away. It burns a bright purple without embers.
- Transformation: Athena can turn into a cat. Any equipment she happens to be carrying also transforms along with her with the exception of luggage. In this form, she can move just like any ordinary cat can. She can transform back at will, her equipment manifesting along with her. While transformed, she maintains all of her capabilities, magical or non, including speech with the exception of Bulwark.
- Bulwark: Athena’s can create a shield directly in front of her, centered on her person. The shield is mostly impenetrable to physical and magical attacks. Her shield projects a magical wall that extends all sides of her by about three feet. Projectile and magical attacks from those she considers her allies are able to free pass through. While Bulwark is active, Athena is incapable of moving. Each blow the shield withstands drains her energy.
- Reiki Touch: Athena can bless one ally through touch. As so long as the two are within 50 feet of each other, any damage the blessed person sustains is instead dealt to Athena in full. This will leave the blessed individual unharmed. The damage Athena sustains is determined by the blessed individual’s equipment and enchantments. None of her own abilities can diminish the effects. The blessing will remain active until Athena dismisses the blessing, is too far away, is unconscious, or is killed including through damage sustained from the blessing.
Equipment:
Vos Vitale: A spear Athena had crafted herself. Or more accurately, a spear she had commissioned then modified. A hard wood shafted spear with a metal head. The spear head has a long neck bolted to the shaft. The spearhead is long and sharp, without any barbs. At the base of the point, but still apart of the metal neck is embedded two white pearls on opposite sides of each other. The spearhead and neck are black in color, in contrast to the bright white pearls.
Loyale Fudo: One half of the twin tower shields Voltspear used to wield during his time in service. A large shield, 4.5ft tall and 2ft wide. The shield has a slight curve along the outside of the left side. The shield is made out of wood with metal plating, making it rather heavy, through Athena is able to wield it without difficulty. The face of the shield has several dents. There is half the Kindeance coat of arms painted on the front equally scratched and faded with time. The half image implies the rest of it is on another tower shield that matches with this one, oddly meant to be wielded together. The shield the completes Athena’s is mounted within the garrison at Rascade.
Medium armor: Standard armor in which Athena can move nimbly in. Consists mainly of a cuirass, tassets and greaves. There is also a vambrace, and pauldron for the her spear arm. The rest of her body is covered in leather more for flexibility while still offering some protection.
Dagger
Other: She dislikes being wet. While she won’t freak out, the idea of being out in the rain or lake is not appealing to her.
In case you want my formalized approval, your character is approved!
Member
spiral origin
Randomness
Soldat Elf
Fetzen
Augran
Snowdrops
Little Bird
blindwoofer
Kaithe Dame
TaintedMushroom
