Nymeria

Revamping a Supernatural Medieval Roleplay

(re) sign me up!

I'm gonna add what happened in the past RP as the backstory; is that alright?

@Migyudon

Yep yep! That's fine. Just keep in mind the few changes I've made: the hunters are more secretive this time and not as widely known by the common folk.

I'm thinking I'm going to try a bounty board type of thing this time so people have the option to team up with other hunters or go out on their own so everyone can do things at their own pace without being bogged down by waiting for ten other people to reply.

I'll also make a discord channel if people are interested in that.

The Kingdom of Belvoir - Hunter's Guild (Taking Applications)

I made an interest check with the various changes I made in the plot and whatnot. If anyone is interested, it's here.

Revamping a Supernatural Medieval Roleplay

I'm looking to Revamp a roleplay that has recently fizzled out. It was very successful but life got in the way of many of the members so things faded out. I still have unfinished ideas and wish to continue it with some new players. That being said, I'm open to changes and any new ideas. Let me know what you think and if you're interested!

The World of Belvoir

Belvoir is a bustling Kingdom with many cities, towns and farmlands. The capital city of Rothenburg is where the King resides along with his trusted advisers. Upon first glance, Rothenburg seems like a typical medieval city but closer observations reveal its many dark secrets. Things have always been mildly dangerous for the average peasant but recently, things have gotten much more deadly. New monsters have begun popping up, frequently attacking villagers and noblemen alike. They don't just attack outside the city walls any longer, now they have begun stalking prey inside the city.

That is where the new Hunters Guild is coming in to play. The King has sent word around for any exceptional man or woman to help protect the Kingdom's innocent people. The word has been spread quietly, only those of the utmost skill and reputation have gotten invitations. Due to the nature of the job, the King and his royal council wish to keep it quiet, exterminating the dangers that roam the Kingdom without drawing the attention of the common-folk.

On top of the frequent monster attacks, there is a number of corruption, secrets and affairs that happen behind the scenes in the noble houses. Everyone knows that the Three Families are powerful, but just how powerful? Who really runs the Kingdom?

Map of Belvoir

Map of the City of Rothenburg

World Info

Here are some basic details about the world the roleplay will be taking place in. There is a lot of info here so don't feel obligated to read it all right away. You may skim it to get an idea of how things work and I would recommend reading most of it before starting, but it is not required.

Weapons and Technology

Since Rothenburg takes place in medieval times, technology is limited. Swords, axes and war hammers are common weapons, but some firepower has recently been discovered. Blunderbusses and other primitive guns have began to pop up here and there. Any such guns, however, remain clumsy and not entirely accurate. They do, however, provide superior firepower to the traditional crossbow.

Magic and Alchemy

While magic does exist in this world, it is not a common thing. Most humans have little to no knowledge of these abilities. Witches are the only known creatures who are avid magic users, although they usually rely more on their alchemical potions and other substances.

This means that you cannot create a magic-user at this time. Alchemy, however, is fair game.

Alchemical science is just that: a science. It takes many years to master and, while normal people are able to study and use their knowledge to create potions, it is difficult to learn. Many books have been written on the subject, but those aren't accessible by most commonfolk. Only the nobles and those who choose occupations related to the subject have access to these books.

That being said, Herbalists and healers will sell their potions for a price, and there are a wide range of potions ranging from healing potions, cures for baldness, strength enhancers, and even night vision. The new Hunters Guild has made good use of some of these potions, often keeping a few different types on hand. There is one in particular that they make use of the most: The Draught of the Titan, or just Titan as it is known by the Hunters. This potion give the user incredible strength, stamina, speed and resistance to most attacks and poisons. It only lasts for a few hours at a time but is very effective for fighting monsters. It isn't all good effects, however, as people who use this potion too much may experience some psychological side effects. People have been known to lose their minds and become addicted to the rush that this potion brings. If one only uses it once a day or less, however, these effects are barely noticeable and easily controlled.

Monsters and Lore

Vampires

Vampires are often referred to as "undead" as they appear to have no heartbeat. They sustain themselves mainly on blood, although they can eat normal foods, it just does nothing to sustain them. Vampires who still have a strong sense of morality will often be found drinking the blood of animals, instead of humans. This often causes farmers and livestock owners a great deal of strife as they lose their source of income.

There are many legends and rumors of where the first vampire came from, but their exact origin is unknown. It is fairly well-known, however, how they reproduce. Vampires women cannot conceive once they are turned. The men, on the other hand, can impregnate a human woman. The offspring of a vampire male and human women is a vampire. These babies appear to be normal human babies save for the fact that they are born with fangs.

The main method of vampire reproduction is through being turned with a bite. Not every victim gets turned into a vampire. If the vampire doesn't drain them completely of blood and they remain alive through the feeding, they will slowly turn into a vampire over the next few days. But if the vampire does drain them completely or kills them after feeding on them, they will simply die and not become a vampire.

As vampires are usually reclusive, there remains many different (and often ineffective) methods to repel them. Some of these methods include: garlic, crucifixes, holy water, wild rose or hawthorn branches, among others. None of these things actually repel vampires, however, but they make the peasants feel as if they have some form of control over the situation.

Appearance: Vampires are humanoid in appearance, and are otherwise indistinguishable from other humans. The only marked difference is their slightly elongated canine teeth, which are mostly unnoticeable and easily hidden.

Abilities: Vampires are extraordinarily strong, agile and quick. They can break bones with their bare hands and can run at speeds rivaling that of a horse. They also have regenerative abilities, making it difficult to kill them. If their limbs are cut off, they can regrow them. This takes energy, however, and they often must rest for a day or two, depending on how much they must regenerate.

Weaknesses: Vampires cannot be killed through ordinary means, as they can easily regenerate. They are weak to silver weapons, though just being stabbed with a silver sword won't kill them. They will still regenerate from a wound caused by silver, but it will be slightly slower than any normal wound. In order to completely kill a vampire, the silver must be driven through their hearts. They are also unable to regenerate if their bodies are completely destroyed: ie if they're entire body is shredded to pieces. They are also susceptible to burning, which is a common method to dispose of suspected vampires in small towns.

Wendigo

The Wendigo is a terrifying, carnivorous creature. Said to be transformed from any human who has given into cannibalism, they are fast, and feed only on humans. Some people don't believe in their existence, claiming it's just a myth started by rulers who wanted to dissuade their subjects from partaking in cannibalism. Those who have seen them, however, have a hard time forgetting them.

Appearance: While being transformed from a human, the Wendigo is far from humanlike. Gaunt and tall, it has unnaturally long limbs. When crawling on all four, it looks almost spider-like. Their teeth are jagged and often caked in blood, their eyes are practically lidless and milky white. They often have thinning hair on their heads with elongated ears. Large, jagged antlers grow out of their skulls. Their skin is very thick, tough and not easily pierced.

When a human first eats the flesh of another human, the transformation takes only a few days. They start with a craving for more, their body slowly following. Their eyes begin to loose color and their hair starts falling out in patches. Teeth begin to grow jagged and protrude from their jaws. Their fingers and limbs elongate and large antlers begin to emerge from their skulls. Soon, they are overwhelmed by a hunger that can only be satiated by human flesh.

Wendigo

Abilities: The Wendigo is strong and quick. It's elongated limbs allow it to climb exceptionally well. It's rock-like skin makes it immune to most weapons, although it can be hurt with blunt force. It's long fingers and teeth allow it to tear into flesh with ease.

Weaknesses: While not affected by normal swords and other sharp weapons, it is susceptible to blunt force. The force must be great to get through the creatures tough skin and break it's bones. While this can injure it, it's very unlikely to kill the creature. The only true way to kill a Wendigo is to incinerate it.

They also have very poor eyesite. They cannot see much detail and rely mostly on movement when they hunt.

Lycanthropes

Many people were living their lives in fear that something may come out of the forest with an appetite for blood. Terrified and seeking a way to protect his pregnant wife, a man climbed the tallest mountain in the land and met with the witch living at the peak. He asked her for the strength to protect his family from all those who seek to harm them. The witch told the man, if he was really wanted to protect his family, he would need to make the ultimate sacrifice. The man told the witch he would give her whatever she wanted if it meant his family would live on. Not giving the man a chance to rethink his words, the witch stabbed into him, cutting into his chest, removing his heart. That night, the man’s wife died giving birth to the first Lycan.

Weaknesses: Unlike the legends, silver is not some kind of special repellent. The only known way to kill these creatures is through physical destruction. Whether it be decapitation or evisceration, or an explosion, they’re killable, it just takes a little extra effort.

Forms: There are two known forms of Lycan that the Kingdom has to come to know.

Beast: These are the stronger of the 2. They’re larger than their counterparts, and have much more fur. These Lycans rarely appears and are often only caught in glimpses. They seem to be much smarter than the others, staying hidden.
These Lycans are more in control of their transformations and find them less painful. They are able to choose when they transform and control themselves once they are in their beast form, although they can only stay that way for a few hours until they suffer severe exhaustion.

Picture

Feral: These Lycans are much smaller and have very little hair. They look less wolf like and more monster like. Their skin looks bruised and shredded from their bones changing size and sifting in their body. It’s said the pain of the transformation is what drives them mad, and the bloodlust that follows is only to sustain their unstable state. Though only a bit larger than a full grown man, they have incredible strength, able to tear limbs from bodies, and bite through bone. The madness they suffer during transformations makes them lose all control over their own minds. Their transformations are random and are more likely to happen during times of great stress. Once in feral forms, they lose all control and memory of their actions. These lycans do not last long as it is next to impossible to hide.

Picture

Ogres

Appearance: Ogres vary in size, reaching anywhere between 14-18 feet tall, and generally weigh close to a half ton. They are completely bald, their skin a rough exterior comparable to Kevlar. Their massive size comes with an obvious superhuman level of strength as well as a few hindrances. Their immense size makes everything they do expend that much more energy, adding gravity weighing them down and they're lucky they're even able to move. They sleep about 18 hours a day, and ingest entire rams for meals. They have extremely sharp claws on their feet and hands making them that much more dangerous. Their skin color varies from shades of green, yellow, and orange.

Appearance

History: They are indigenous to the Durot mountains and are not often seen outside the mountain range. Occasionally, when a big storm comes in and causes a mudslide or just floods their home, an ogre will come down the mountain, wreaking havoc on the surrounding villages. These constant destructive rampages expedited the building of city walls in the area surround the mountain range. The worst Ogre attack to happen was during the Reign of King Fernando. During a cathedral service, lead by the King and Queen, a small group of Ogres came charging down the mountains directly towards the, then, much smaller city of Rothenburg. Back then, the Temple was on the southern edge of the town, directly in the path of the rampaging giants. The city guard forces managed to stop most of the stampede, unfortunately, they couldn't stop them all. The first ogre to collide into the temple fell through the south wall of the building taking down the stone structure. The falling rubble crushed the monster and all those who were unable to escape the temple, including King Fernando and his wife. This event is what spurred Gustavo and Hugo to overhaul the city walls project.

Weaknesses: Much like their cousin, The Cyclops, Ogre’s eyes are a weak point in their natural body armor. Though they are significantly tougher than men, they are able to be killed by means of bashing in their skulls. The groin is also another significant soft spot, plus fresh Ogre testes are worth a small fortune. They are giant simpletons, so it is not hard to outsmart and evade them in the right environment.

Witches of Belvoir

Much like the myths and legends, the Witches of Belvoir are older than any record the kingdom has. They do not ride brooms, or have black cats, nor do they have magic wands. A truth that has been worked into the myth, is the witches cauldron. Witches are on the forefront of alchemical science. A proper blend of Lycan hair and wendigo blood, is a slow burning tar, capable of burning for hours on just the smallest amounts. Ground up wolf’s fang is a stimulant similar to pcp. The witches themselves are not immortal, though age does not harm them, they have been kept alive by finding new and disturbing ways to sustain themselves.

Only a few have actually people have encountered an actual witch, none having the courage to fight them, they have no publicly known weakness. It is assumed, since they were once just people, they can still be cut open, assuming anyone could ever get close enough to find out. The myth of witches fearing water was put to rest when a witch was spotted on a boat, heading out into Triest Sea. Some wonder if they are light sensitive, as none have ever been spotted during the day time, and they wear large cloaks to cover what can only be assumed are frail bodies.

Appearance: Witches are capable of deceiving the simple minded, walking amongst the common folk without being noticed. Using the hair of women, they are able to craft illusions of perception, making themselves look young and beautiful. The only way to tell if someone is in fact a witch, is to physically strike them, forcing them to break the illusion.

Abilities: They are able to create curses. Many attribute the Lycanthropy outbreak to the witches. Many believe they are able to polymorph people though it is not proven, It is also believed they have some sort of voodoo-like ability. They have also become immune to the aging process as well as most poisons and diseases.

Weaknesses: Fire is known to be a successful killer of witches, as well as sharp and blunt weapons. They are capable of being killed by most normal means.

Witch One

witch Two

witch Three

Witch Four

Fauna

These are the more common creatures that can be found throughout the Kingdom. Each creature has it's own habitats and it's own level of danger.

Giant bear

Appearance/Biology: These truck sized beast are fur covered tanks with teeth. Each claw is about the size of a large dagger, attached to a cauldron sized paw, on trunk like arms and legs with a massive body frame to match. If one is to stand on its hind legs, it can tower to nearly 20 ft tall. These beasts are the kings of the forest, often only coming out of their caves for food. They are aggressive and will attack without provocation.

Picture

History: The bear population was diminished heavily by Lucian and his band of hunters decades ago. What remains now is the remnants of a once dangerously abundant force of nature. Though they are not extinct, they’re vast forest homeland has been reduced to an eighth of what it once was. Bear pelt has its luxurious luster and, due its abundance, the only gain nowadays from hunting one is the thrill of almost dying.

Weaknesses: Their giant size only makes them a giant targets. Though they are tough and don't go down on the first hit, they do not have any kind of natural body armor to guard them. They are also extremely susceptible to attacks from behind.

Ondorro Spiders

Appearance/Biology: They are about the size of a dinner plate though in some cases have been comparable to a small hound. They are bright orangish red, and are capable of seeing a full 180 degree radius in front of them thanks to their eyes wrapping down the side of their head. They have an extremely strong armor-like exoskeleton capable of withstanding dull blades, fangs, arrows, and most unarmed attacks. Ondorro silk is one of the most sought after materials in the kingdom, though it is extremely delicate and hard to gather. The spiders are also known for their venom’s paralyzing affects, being instantaneous upon entering the bloodstream.

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History:
The Ondorro spider, as its name would suggest, is located mainly in the Ondorro forest, though it is not uncommon for them to occasionally be found in other forested areas in the Kingdom. Before the invention of steel and the first blade, these creatures ravaged the human population. It is commonly believed that, in the dark times, these creatures were bigger than horses, and were capable of eating entire tribes of men. Though they are not nearly as big as their legendary ancestors, they are still extremely dangerous, and have turned an entire section of the forest into their nesting grounds. Entering the Ondorro nest is a death sentence, once used by a former king as a form of execution. No warrior, tribe or army has ever walked through the massive webbed maze and lived.

Weaknesses: despite their exoskeleton, they are not impervious to brute force attacks. A sharp sword or heavy, spiked club can do the job with the right amount of force. Fire is a fantastic repellent and killer.

Harpies

Appearance/Biology: Appearance depends on gender. Males are winged quadrupeds with a vulture like face and furry body. Small bony spikes protrude from its skin, covering its body giving it a natural defense. It has ten total talons, along with a long thick tail. Females on the other hand, are bipedal with winged arms. They are also bald on their heads and bodies, and have no protruding bone spikes, but are overall much larger than males.

Male

Female

History: Harpies are loud, viscous monsters known for abducting civilians. They swoop down, releasing a terrifying cackle and dig their talons into their prey to carry them away. Harpies are based out of the canyon southeast of Estramoz, making their homes in the caves that cover the canyon walls. The townspeople of Estramoz often claim that, in the night, you can hear the collective cackle echoing from the canyon all the way from the village.

Weaknesses: City walls with an archer patrol will keep the townspeople safe, as long as they are a good shot. Harpies are not known for their subtlety and are not capable of sneaking up on anyone. The ability to fly also comes with hollow bones, making them quite weak to blunt force.

Jaguar

Appearance/Biology: Small agile creatures, known for their speed and ferocity. They are quick hunters, capable of travelling at high speeds, they can outrun most other creatures. Jaguars normally hunt in packs to make up for the size disadvantage. They have a mouth full of blade-like teeth and are viscous carnivores.

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History: Before the invention of the sword or shield, Jaguars posed quite a threat to humans and were one of the most common predators around. Once man began forging blades, the Jaguar quickly fell down the food chain, and the populations slowly deflated. Now they are plains-dwelling animals, often pestering farmers by attacking their livestock.

Weaknesses: Though they are quick and have a nasty bite, they are still only as dangerous as a rabid dog. They are easily stopped by arrows, daggers, swords, etc.

Sirens and Mermaids

Appearance/Biology: When hunting, both Sirens and Mermaids appear as gorgeous women. Sirens often are found preening on rocks or near the seashore while singing their hauntingly beautiful songs. Mermaids, on the other hand, spend their time in the water. While hunting, they appear as beautiful, albeit fish-tailed women who beckon sailors to their deaths.

Once their pray has been ensnared and the spell has been broken, they show their true forms. Sirens have sharp fangs that often protrude from their mouths, large wings and pupil-less eyes. They have long, claw-like fingers that they use to dig into their prey.

Likewise with the mermaid, their true forms are much less appealing. Their natural gills are located on the sides of their cheeks and their mouths are much larger than the average human's. They have sharp teeth for tearing flesh and webbed fingers for swimming. Their eyes seem to glow, a warm invitation until one finds oneself actually in the water with them, then it becomes a terrifying nightmare.

Sirens

Mermaids

History: Sirens and Mermaids took many lives of the early settlers along the coast of Belvoir. Even the ones who knew of the danger would often fall for their charms after spending weeks at sea with no women. People who lived near the sea could often hear the Siren's Song at night. Weaker-willed men and some women would be drawn to it and never seen again.
Mermaids would sometime steal the Siren's prey when they wandered into the waters to reach the perch where the siren's were hunting from. This often leads to a rivalry between the two creatures, with some people reporting that they witnessed the two creatures fighting, staining the waters red.

Weaknesses: Both creatures have little to no natural armor, therefore susceptible to most attacks. While they both have sharp claws that they use as a last resort to fight off anyone strong-willed enough to withstand their charms, they can be easily overpowered.

The Three Families

Other than the King himself, the Three Families are the most powerful people in the Kingdom. They live in great manors surrounded by tall walls to keep them separate from the rest of the commonfolk. They each have their own ties to the King and his family. They serve as advisers and help to govern the Kingdom and it's many peoples.

This is also a lot of information that doesn't necessarily have to be read to understand the roleplay. It is here to help guide characters and create a better understanding of the Kingdom itself.

King Gustavo Oslenburg

King Gustavo Oslenbrug has sat on on the throne for nearly half a century. His reign has been marked with the rise of things that go bump in the night. His Kingdom has grown exponentially since he took the throne at just sixteen. At eighteen he conquered new lands, expanding the Kingdom into territories never before seen by its people. By 20, he had doubled the size of his realm, and nearly quadrupled the number of citizens. This was not all thanks to the King.

Where he excelled in charisma and leadership of his men, he failed to maintain order at home. Thankfully, his brother, Hugo, was a great politician, crafting the laws necessary to keep the Kingdom afloat at war time. Returning home, King Gustavo did not get married until the latter half of his reign. Mayella was a lowly serving girl, working in the castle, when Gustavo saw her. Her beauty had gone unnoticed by all before him. They were married in a month and birthed their first child just a year later.
The King has a small council of advisers including, Lucian Filtiarn, Dromeus Ballanger, Nikias Weyenburg (recently he’s been sending a proxy, his daughter), Matilda Thackery, and Commander Grux. This council helps the King in all matters, giving him a good idea of what his people want.

To secure power within the Kingdom, and keep important people happy, the King has recently entered his family into some powerful alliances. First, The King's aforementioned brother, Hugo, is newly wed to Lady Elaine Filtiarn. The king’s only daughter, Veltsa, has recently become engaged to Lord Ballanger’s son Lancelin. The King’s first son and heir, Michaleo, is also betrothed to Lady Emmaline. These marital agreements are what keep gold in the Kingdom’s vaults.

The King is well liked throughout his Kingdom, despite the rampant bloodshed on the streets and the rise of the supernatural. At first the King thought the solution to be walls to protect his people from the monsters outside, only for them to find their way in. Next, the King thought to increase the guard patrols only for less guards to come back alive. His council has nearly run out of ideas as to deal with the mess.

King Gustavo

Queen Mayella

Prince Hugo

Princess Veltsa

Prince Michaelo

Filtiarn Family

Lord Lucian Filtiarn, the head of his family, is the owner of the Filtiarn logging company, responsible with supplying the whole kingdom with wood. When Lucian was young, long ago, the woods north of the Rothenburg were strictly forbidden for they were far too dangerous for travel. The woods were a death sentence to any who entered due to the overwhelming number of flesh eating creatures lurked in the trees. At the time the forest extended much further south, blocking the eastern routes out of the city, cutting trade circulation, and making it hard for outsider interaction.

Lucian, a young man in great shape, was the leader of small group of warriors who occasionally hunted the monsters in the woods. Taking his men into the woods with only the tools they could carry, they began to hunt their way through the woods into the first clearing, at the time never before seen, now nonexistent. Setting up camp, this clearing would eventually become the main log house of his enterprise. Initially, the log houses were outposts, for Lucian and his ever growing pack of warriors. Once clearing the threats to their safety, they would clear sections of the forest. This was the start of what would become a monopoly on one of the most abundant and most needed resources in the kingdom thanks to Lucian being the only person with building rights within the forest.

Lady Essenia Filtiarn, Lucians only love in life, was tragically and publically killed many years ago. Lucian and Essenia had been in love since childhood, though Lucian never felt qualified to give her the life she deserved. Lucian finally proposed after selling his first load of logs, allowing him to buy her the most gorgeous gown ever crafted in any kingdom. Luther, born with heterochromia, arrived about nine months later. His sister Elaine would not arrive for 7 more years however.

The death of Essenia still very much remains a mystery, with many suspecting Lucian caught her infidelity and ended both it and her life. He was the first one to find her body laying in a pool of blood. The cause of death is still widely speculated, though no one really knows. The Funeral was bigger than some of the previous kings, her kindness and generosity known widely throughout the land. The death of his wife, changed Lucians personality and demeanor. His smile died with his wife, along with his sense of empathy and really any emotion. His face remains a stone scowl, piercing your soul with his unforgiving gaze.

Essenia’s death also heightened his paranoia, constantly fearing for his and his children’s lives. He was the first of the noble families to hire a house guard. Rather than hiring just ordinary mercenaries, Lucian hired some of the best trackers, marksmen, and a few brutish warriors from the arena. Giving them a uniform to gather behind, beds to sleep in, and a constant flow of gold for wine and women, it was not hard to hire a small army to defend his family manor. To further secure his place in the kingdom, Lucian married his daughter to the king's ‘younger’ brother, who is still twice her age.

Lucian

Luther

Elaine

Essenia

Filtiarn Guard

Ballanger Family

As head of the Ballanger family, Dromeus Ballanger was born into a wealthy family. His grandfather owned much of the land in and around Rothenburg before it was largely populated. They allowed peasants and other nobles to live on their land for a price. Inheriting the family business, Dromeus expanded, taking advantage of poor families and buying any land that went up for sale, whether it was previously occupied or not.

Felicia came from another city, her family quickly running out of money, they arranged a marriage with Dromeus out of necessity. While their marriage started on uncertain terms, they began to grow fond of each other over the years and it wasn't long before they had their three children: Lancelin, the eldest, Viliame the middle son, and Eudeline, the youngest and their only girl. Just recently, Felicia carried a child almost to term when she lost the baby and almost her own life as well. Ever since that incident, she has been locked away in their home, barely ever leaving and supposedly in a deep depression.

Following suit with the Filtiarn family, Dromeus hired a band of guards to watch over their home and his family. They guard the estate and the walls which surround it. They also have household servants who do much of the family's shopping and other similar chores for them so they don't have to be out amongst the common folk.

After the untimely death of their newest infant, Dromeus talked the king into allowing his daughter to marry Dromeus's eldest son, Lancelin. It wasn't unexpected for a noble family as theirs, but it felt rushed at the time. Rumors spread that Felicia was dying and wanted to see at least one of her children wed before her death. Others said that the death of their infant shook their family and made them all realize their mortality.

Dromeus

Felicia

Lancelin

Viliame

Eudeline

Weyenberg Family

Nikias Weyenberg was born into a middle class family and worked throughout most of his childhood. When he was a teenager, he was traveling with his family's caravan filled with their goods when it was attacked by a group of thieves. Not much is known about what happened during or in the weeks following the attack, but Nikias was eventually found by some traveling knights. He was the only one left of the group but he wouldn't speak to what had happened. The knights who found him took him back to Rothenburg where they brought him to the King. Feeling pity for the boy, the king took him in and allowed him work collecting taxes from the peasants.

As time went on, Nikias gained favor with the king and became quite influential. He worked hard and provided results. He began hiring new workers to help with tax collecting, even hiring thugs to make sure they got every last penny. This proved especially effective when those who couldn't pay up would come up missing.

Having done quite well for himself, Nikias built up his own manor just outside the castle. He married a beautiful young noblewoman named Elana and had four children, Emmeric, Rosaline, Emmeline and Charillos. Rosaline recently got engaged to the king's nephew and Emmeline to the king's youngest son.

Over the last few years, the family has gotten more and more secretive. It started after their youngest son, Charillos was five. They began building a second fence inside their manor walls. This didn't raise much concern among the citizens of the kingdom, as they assumed it was for decoration, as Elana quite enjoyed gardening. Then they hired guards. There were only a few at first but they quickly grew in number. It was then that the noblemen and women of Rothenburg realized that they hadn't seen Elana or Nikias in quite some time. Rumors spread that they contracted a plague or that they were both dead.

The two daughters and the youngest boy were the only ones who ever left the estate, and even that was a rare occurrence. The guards weren't permitted past the second fence, so none of them even knew what was going on. They didn't question their loyalty, however, as they were still receiving plenty of food and a comfortable living.

Nikias

Elana

Emmeric

Rosaline

Emmaline

Charillos

Rules

These rules should mostly be common sense: don't start any trouble and we should be fine.

1. Be courteous to other players, don't provoke or get into fights in the ooc.
2. Listen to the GM and any mods that may make requests
3. Either send your CS to me for approval before posting in the character tab or post it in the OOC page for approval.
4. Try to keep your posts interesting. A paragraph or two is preferred but creativity is more important than length. Make sure you put some thought into it before you post.
5. No overpowered characters, godmodding, controlling other characters without the owners permission, etc.
6. I'm not going to limit the number of characters you can play. It's up to you to decide how many you can handle.
7. This is an 18+ roleplay so fighting, gore, romance is accepted, just follow the Guild's rules with how far you take it.
8. Please try to be fairly active. Try to post in the IC or OOC at least once every few days, if not more.
9. Just use common sense and have fun!

Application

Please send your character sheet to me or post it in ooc for me to approve before posting it to the character tab.

The only creatures available for humans to become are lycans and vampires. While I would allow someone to turn into a wendigo, note that once a human transforms, they don't turn back. They also lose a lot of their humanity and become more animalistic. If you are going to play as a creature, we may need to work together to make sure the story of your character has to match some of the unknown background of the story.

I also encourage multiple characters, if you are able, as I want a variety of characters. I don't want all hunters or all monsters, I want some civilians to get stuck in the midst of the fighting and politics.

Hunter Character Sheet

Hunter’s Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Weapon of choice:
Armor of choice:
Strengths: Specify 3-5, both mental and physical
Weaknesses: Specify 3-5, both mental and physical
Personality:
History: How did they get invited into the Hunters Guild? (ie how the King or someone close to the King knows of their abilities/reputation)

Human Character Sheet

Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Occupation/Status: Nobeleman, peasant, beggar, etc.
Strengths: Specify 3-5, both mental and physical
Weaknesses: Specify 3-5, both mental and physical
Personality:
History:

Monster Character Sheet

Name:
Age:
Creature: Vampire or Lycan?
Appearance:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Personality:
History: (including how they became what they are and how they have hidden it thus far)

The Kingdom of Belvoir - Hunter's Guild (Taking Applications)

I think I'm going to reboot this roleplay and I wanted to let everyone know and get opinions. I'm thinking of changing a few things so that it can have more small groups instead of having everything in large groups, as that makes it hard to keep up with things.

I'm thinking I might actually revamp quite a few things. If you guys wanna keep up here, that's fine, but it's feeling pretty dead to me. Once I get things set up, I'll post the link here and you all can feel free to rejoin, either with a new character or the same one you had here. I think I'm going to encourage multiple characters as well as normal, everyday characters.

@LordLinguinie do you want to be involved or have you since lost interest/energy?

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

(day after escape)
Ryker came to the marketplace as many stalls were closing for the night. He bit his lip, wondering where to go. He had never had to buy anything like this before. He wandered around until a small group of dolls caught his eye. There were a few cheaper ones, looking like they were made of dried straw of some kind. Then there were the fancier ones. They had knit bodies stuffed with something soft and less clumpy than the others. He found one with a frilly, blue dress and picked it up. ”How much?”

Ryker made his way back to the guard barracks with a small, cloth bag. He had purchased the doll from the marketplace and he had found a few candies too. He wasn’t sure if she would care for them, but he would give it a try anyway. He stopped by Ritza’s room and knocked on the door to see if she was there.

She hated having to wait around to be beckoned. Ritza purposely stayed away from Elle's quarters, knowing that she didn't want to be part of a crying fest. She loved the girl like family, but she knew to keep her distance now. Instead, she decided to have a bath. One very good plus from not living with a man.

Having just stepped out when she heard a knock on the door, she rose a brow at it. She cleared her throat and wrapped her wool sheet around her body. Her hair was still wet and dripping when she opened her door. Seeing Ryker, she rose a brow and smirked. ”So. I see you didn't get eaten.”

”Not yet,” he joked. ”Can I come in? I have news.” His eyes slowly dropped to her covered chest, reminiscing on their earlier experiences. He stared momentarily before bringing his eyes back up to meet hers.

Her smirk broadened when she noticed his gaze. She stole a quick peek to the hallway before moving away from the door, leaving it open. Ritza moved to her bed, far enough away from the door, before dropping her sheet.

Ryker stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He turned to speak to her but stopped when he saw her towel drop. He smiled at the sight, not bothering to hide his stare if she were to look. ”You were right in assuming the Ouroboros have Fenros. I’m not sure exactly where but they do have him. And it sounds like they’re planning on calling on you for testing.” He let his eyes linger on her body for a moment longer before looking back up to her face. ”I couldn’t figure out what kind of testing she meant, but it sounds like they want to use you for your strength and prowess in battle.”

Turning to face him, she put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. She listened to him as he spoke, not minding that she still had water dripping down. Ritza did notice the 'she’ and she raised a brow in question. Regarding the testing, she wasn't really worried about that. The woman had mentioned that to her last night.

Her eyes caught sight of the bag he was holding and her brows furrowed slightly. So. He had made a purchase of some kind? For the female ouroboros, perhaps? Walking slowly over to him, she kept her eyes on him. ”Your contact is a woman?”

He struggled to keep his eyes on her face as she approached. ”Technically, yes. But she acts like a child,” he said with a shrug. ”She might as well be a kid. I don’t know what happens to them but she doesn’t seem to have all of her mental faculties. She took a liking to me, though, so she hasn’t tried to eat me yet.”

He noticed her looking at the bag in his hand, so he lifted it up and pulled the doll out. ”She requested a present for the next time I see her. She likes dolls so….” He shrugged. ”I also got her candies. I figure I should keep her happy so she doesn’t decide to eat me one of these days.”

Ritza nodded slightly as she took one final step to stand in front of him. Her eyes moved over the doll as she listened to him speak. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked back up at Ryker with a brow raised.

”So this girl got you to not only buy her a present, but sweets as well so that no harm were to come to you.” She smirked as she gave a small shake of her head. ”I'd say she's one smart cookie.”

Ryker smiled at her as he placed the doll back into the bag. ”Kind of similar to you.” He took a step towards her, dropping the bag on the ground and placed his hands on her waist. ”I don’t know how you can expect me to concentrate when you’re standing there looking like that.” He let his hands runs along the sides of her body, tracing her curves, before leaning in and kissing her.

She gave him a small kiss in return before pulling back. Taking a step back, she grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her body. Ritza eyed him before taking a seat on her bed. Holding the sheet closed with her left hand, she ran her free hand through her hair.

”I need to be ready when the woman calls for me. I'll need to go do this test or whatever the hell she wants so that we can get Fenros back.” Looking away, she glanced at the knives still sitting on her side table. ”I don't share, Ryker.”

Ryker frowned when she began to cover herself. That wasn’t what he had intended with his comment. He shrugged it off and crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. ”I want to come with you.” His tone changed to a more serious one. He knew she would have a hard time accepting help, but there was a lot of things he didn’t know about and he wanted to find out. Plus he didn’t entirely trust the Ouroboros just yet. He had only met the one and she was crazy.

Furrowing her brows, she looked back over to him. Who did he think he was? Just because she slept with him didn't automatically make her a damsel in distress. Ritza quickly stood as she watched him. ”I don't need a babysitter, Ryker. This woman has some kind of plan for me, not you. If she wanted to harm me, she would have done so in that cell. I don't need you to protect me.”

He frowned at her, figuring he would get this type of response. ”Ritza...I know you can take care of yourself. I’ve seen you fight. I know you how strong you are. But I need to do this for me, too.” He had to admit to himself that he wanted to be there in case things went wrong, but he also needed to know more about the people he was betraying his king for. ”I don’t know why they chose you for this, but I’m sure they have their reasons. I just….I have to know I made the right choice.”

”The right choice?” With a small scoff, she shook her head and looked away from him. She needed to keep her emotions under control. It didn’t help that lately she felt as if she were a volcano, ready to explode with rage. Clenching her free hand into a fist, she looked back at him, tears welled in her eyes.

”Look at me. Look at this person standing right in front of you.” Ritza kept her eyes on him, her own narrowed with tears threatening to spill. ”I used to be happy. Now, most days, I have no fucking idea what that feels like anymore. Before..” She paused to clear her throat, trying her best to reign in a sob. ”Before that day six years ago, I had my whole life planned out. And apparently so did my father. Did you know Mattias asked for my hand in marriage? He asked, and my father accepted!”

Blowing out a breath, she shook her head. ”The me six years ago would have been ecstatic at such a match. I could, and would, have everything I ever wanted.” Ritza sniffled before she took a shaky breath. ”Now I’m a hollow shell. Working for someone that I loathe with every fiber of my being. This thing with the Ouroboros could potentially be dangerous for me. But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I need to do this. I know I made the right choice. He will pay for what he did to my life.”

Ryker watched her as she bared her soul to him. He stared, unblinking, his hard exterior slowly softening at her words. He couldn’t imagine what she had been through. Sure, he was there when her father died and had even broken the news to her. That was difficult enough for him, who had merely known him as a fellow member of the vanguard. What it must have been like for her…

Watching her as tears welled in her eyes, he was reminded of that day so many years ago. That was the last time he had seen her like this and she had never been the same. He felt a pain in his chest. He wanted to take it all away, turn back time, do something. He had always had a soft spot for crying people, women in particular. Even though he had barely spoken to her in six years, he felt somehow responsible for her state of mind.

”Ritza, I…” he trailed off. What could he possibly say? Nothing. There was nothing he could say that would change anything. He felt helpless. It was the same feeling he had when Fenros was arrested. Normally he would start fighting, punching, swinging his sword, something to get the anger out, but this instance required something a little more delicate. Instead, he pushed himself away from the wall and back over to Ritza. In one quick movement, he scooped her into his arms, wrapping on around her upper back, his hand placed on the back of her head, the other around her waist. ”I’m sorry,” was all he could manage to say, his voice soft, barely audible.

Her body shook with unreleased sobs as she leaned her forehead against his shoulder. She absolutely hated this. Ritza had spent the last six years of her life building a tall enough wall so that she never had to feel the pain of losing her father all over again. And in one quick phrase, that wall came tumbling down. It was if she had just received the news at that very moment.

It was too much for her to handle. She knew she had been a complete idiot to nearly fall for Fenros. She knew that he loved the princess, yet she let herself get close anyway. And in one fell swoop, he was gone from her life by the very same man who took her father from her. Only now, she could do something about it. Would do something.

And Mattias. She had no idea how to handle the news he broke to her. All she could associate him with was a happy time in her life with her father. She could picture her father breaking the news of her betrothal to her. He would have been so happy for his baby girl. The thought of him tore at her insides. Keeping Matt at a safe distance, at least for now, was all she could tolerate.

And then came Ryker. The only person she seemed to have no problem with being vulnerable around. Why was he able to pull a reaction like this from her? He had a hand in breaking the person she was six years ago. He would forever be associated with that in her mind. But, he was also the one that she felt safe enough around to tell her deepest, darkest secret to. Why was that? She didn’t need him. She didn’t need someone to protect her. And yet...she wanted one.

With a sniffle, she shook her head and lifted her forehead. She brought her free hand up to quickly swipe away the few tears that had escaped. Ritza cleared her throat as she looked away from him. She didn’t trust herself to look at his face just yet. ”Sorry...I didn’t mean- This isn’t who I am anymore. I’m not this helpless girl. I’m sorry.”

Ryker’s grip didn’t falter as she moved. He held tight around her, his chin resting lightly on her head. His eyes stared blankly at the wall behind them. ”Don’t be sorry,” he said quietly. He flexed his fingers in her hair, feeling the wet strands move about in between his fingers. He could feel a wet spot forming on his shirt from her hair, but he didn’t care. There wasn’t much he could do at this moment other than be there for her.

”What can I do?” he spoke again after a long silence. ”Let me do something for you. What can I do? I won’t go with you to see the Ouroboros if that’s what you want. I’ll give you your space. I’ll….I’ll bring you the king to slaughter if that’s what you want. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Her eyes squeezed shut when he began to speak. There wasn’t much he could do for her. All she really wanted in this very moment was to have her father back. A want that would never be fulfilled. At his mention of the Ouroboros, she gave a small wet laugh. Ritza didn’t care if he came along with her. But then his next statement- his next statement had her body stiffen. He had just practically stated that he wasn’t sure about his choice to be disloyal to the king. And now he was offering him on a platter for her? This was about Ryker trying to right some wrong he thought he did. That’s what all this was about. He felt responsible.

Sobering up, she moved her head to look up into his face. Her face was tear-stained, yet hard as she watched him. ”Stop. Stop saying things you think I want to hear just because you think you’re responsible for me. I’m not some mentally deluded little girl, Ryker. If you want me to kill the king because it’s what needs to be done and is the right thing to do, that’s something. But to mention it just to placate me…”

She shook her head and cleared her throat. ”I’m done with the king thinking he can just take away the people I care about. I can’t even begin to think about caring for someone else, ‘cause in some fucked up way I think that they will be his next target.” Ritza glanced back up at him. ”I don’t share. I don’t play games. The people I allow to be close to me are in danger. So the best thing for everyone involved is for me not to get close to anyone else.”

The way she switched moods so quickly threw him off momentarily, but he did his best to recover. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. When he opened them, he looked down at her. ”I couldn’t give a shit about my own life,” His soft voice had gone. He spoke with a stern seriousness, his face devoid of emotion. ”You think I care about my life being in danger? Why the fuck would I go behind everyone’s back to talk to the Ouroboros if I feared death? Do you think I’m doing it for fun? Do you think I do it for shits and giggles? His voice slowly got louder and more intense as he spoke. His face began to get red as hidden anger began to surface. ”I do it for people like you. People the King has hurt. People who can’t help themselves. If I die, I die. But I sure as hell won’t die for nothing.”

”Ritza, I care about you. I know you might not care about me. Or you tell yourself that you don’t. And that’s fine. If that makes you feel better, than go right ahead. But I’m not going to let you stop me from caring.”

She continued to watch him as he spoke. Ritza couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him that angry, if he ever was at all around her. Her breathing increased as his anger rose, his face becoming more red by the minute. It was strangely arousing to her. And then he turned the direction of his speech towards her. She sucked in a quick breath, but her eyes never wavered from his.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she gripped the front of his shirt with her free hand. The hand around the sheet at her chest tightened as well, but she couldn’t remember why she was hiding her body from him. Ritza’s grip soon lessoned until the sheet fell from her hand to the floor. She tilted her head up at him as she allowed herself to give in to the moment- if only just for the moment. ”I do care, Ryker.”

He stared at her, the redness in his face slowly fading. His hands lowered down her back until they rested on the small of her back. His silvery eyes shifted between her’s. He had a lot of emotion bottling up in him since the day of Fenros’s arrest and he was finally starting to let more of it out. He let his anger and tension leave his body and he slumped down just slightly.

”Ritza, I’m sorry for what happened to you.” His voice was back to calm, but this time he let some emotion come through. ”I wish I could have been there and stopped it when your father died. I wish I could walk into the throne room and drag the king away. I wish that everything was right and the world didn’t need a vanguard or the Ouroboros. But what can I do?” It was as if all of the sudden, the events of the past few days had caught up with him and he was just hit with this utter exhaustion. His stare wavered as his focus began to slip away from her. He struggled to bring himself back into the moment as he blinked a few times to clear his vision. ”What can any of us do?” His voice was quiet now. Exhausted. ”I’ll tell you what...if anyone can do something, it’s you.”

She noticed when he started to become unfocused. Raising a brow, she kept her hands against his chest, if only to keep him from falling over. The man looked completely worn. He looked about the same way she felt. Ritza gave him a small nod before turning, grabbing a long shirt from off her bed. Slipping it on, she faced him once more and cleared her throat.

”Ryker, you need sleep.” She bent down slightly to grab his bag before looping the handle through his hand. Looking back up at him, she reached up and placed a hand against the side of his neck. ”You need to go to your barracks and rest.”

He glanced down at his hand as she placed the bag back in it. He blinked a few times before looking back at her. ”Ritza, I’m sorry. For everything.” He put his free hand on her shoulder and took what little focus he had left to give her one last intense look. ”I just want you to take care of yourself.”

Not being able to help a small grin, she gave him a small nod of her head in understanding. She let the fingertips still resting against his neck move softly in a rubbing motion, hoping to ease some tension. ”I know you do, Ryker. And you know I will. Besides... now I have you around to keep an eye on me, right?”

Ryker smiled at her comment. Maybe there was a small part about her that actually cared. ”Yes. Of course you do.” His eyes dropped again and he remembered her nudity. ”Oh, I’m sorry. I should let you rest. You need to be ready for the Ouroboros when they call you.” He gave her another quick smile and patted her shoulder. ”Good night, Ritza.”

Ritza rose a brow at the man as he continued to pat her shoulder. She smirked and watched him. ”Now I know you’re exhausted if you’re going to continue to pet my shoulder like I’m just an old time friend instead of the woman you’ve slept with twice today.” With a small nod to the door, she kept her eyes on him. ”Go get some sleep, Ryker. You’ll need to be ready for whatever comes our way tomorrow.”

He lowered his hand from her shoulder at her comment and let out a small laugh. ”Sorry. I didn’t realize how tired I was. Ah, so goodnight then.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before walking towards the door.

He made sure it closed behind him before he walked to his bunk. He placed the small bag down beside it. He kicked off his boots, took his belt and sword off, placing them on the small table beside his bed. He pulled his shirt off over his head and let his body collapse into his bed. He fell asleep almost instantly, not even bothering to cover himself up with the blankets.

She kept her eyes on the door, even after he left. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, she finally tore her eyes away from it after a few moments. Ritza bent down and grabbed her sheet from the floor before moving over to her bed. Laying down, she stared at the ceiling before glancing over to the side where Ryker had laid. Could she allow herself to try again? Would she be able to finally open herself to a new adventure?

She wasn’t sure. But she was damn ready to try.

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

(day after escape)
It took a few hours for him to reach the small, abandoned village where he had met with Zeresh the first time. The sun was beginning to reach the horizon by this time. He paused at the edge of the houses and looked around. It looked much the same as it had back then. He didn’t know if Zeresh would be anywhere nearby so he decided to build a fire. He went out into the forest and began to gather loose sticks and dead branches. He dragged many of them back to the far house where he had first met her. After some time, he had a fire going. The light of the flames glistened and seemed to dance around the house. The warmth felt good on his bare face. As he sat, staring at the flames, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to Ritza.

So much chaos had been occuring at her home. Apparently a milk face had been taken in, and everyone was fussing over him. Zeresh didn't like the noise at all and decided to go back to the village. It had been some time since she had seen Ryker, but she never gave up hope that she would again. She hadn't mentioned anything about the soldier to her group as she wanted to keep him all to herself.

As she ventured down the path, she noticed what looked like fire in what she considered was their house. Her eyes widened as she beamed before quickly clapping her hands. She had to make sure it was her milk face first. Slowly walking over to the house, she whispered. ”Ry?”

Ryker had been lost in thought when a quiet voice caught his attention. His head shot up and he looked around. The fire had temporarily blinded him and it took him a moment for his eyes to adjust to his darker surroundings. ”Zeresh? Is that you?”

It was him! Hurrying over to the fire, she grinned happily when she saw him. Zeresh didn't want to waste a single moment. As soon as she reached him, she lunged herself at him and wrapped him in a tight hug. ”You came back!”

Ryker almost fell over backwards at her sudden and rather rough hug. He held himself up and grinned, wrapping his own arms around her. ”Of course I came back. I had to come see you,” he replied, ruffling her hair lightly.

”I know it’s been awhile. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner but I’ve been busy. How are you?”

Something was different about him. She pulled back and tilted her head as she looked him over. He was...happy? A lot less brooding than before. Zeresh scrunched her nose at him. ”You're happy. What happened?”

Ryker laughed quietly at her question. It was a good question. He knew the last time he met with her he was much more serious and concerned. Then again, he also met her looking for whomever or whatever killed all of the villagers. He had been on edge and with a group of other vanguards. This time, he was alone.

”Oh, you know. I just made a friend like me again.” The was the simplest way he could think of to put it. Obviously he wasn’t going to flat out say he had just had sex. Twice. He wasn’t sure if she even knew what that meant.

”What about you? Are you happy?” he asked, changing the subject.

That was good enough for her. Clapping her hands, she beamed at him. Before she caught his question. She scrunched her nose before looking back at the fire. Tilting her head, her focus was entirely on the flames licking the air. ”Pretty…”

Zeresh moved closer to the fire, completely entranced by it. They had fires back home, but she was never able to get this close to one. Her eyes danced with the flames as she spoke to him. ”Happy now. Ry is back with Zeresh. Too much noise at home.”

Ryker watched her as she drew closer to the fire. He felt a knee-jerk reaction to grab her and hold her back so she wouldn’t hurt herself, but he also knew she was technically an adult. ”Careful,” he warned instead. ”It’s very pretty but if you get too close, it hurts. A lot.”

He watched her fondly. She reminded him of a little kid and it made him feel almost father-like. That probably said something about him, but he wasn’t
concerned by it at the moment. ”Zeresh, I need to ask you a question. It’s very important.” He paused and waited until he had her attention.

She couldn't help a giggle at his statement. Nothing could hurt her. Though, she could feel pain. That didn't sound very fun to her at all. Zeresh didn't like being in pain.

”A question?” Her attention quickly turned back to him. Looking him over, she nodded quickly before hurrying back to his side. She grabbed his hand and looked up into his face. ”You can ask your important question. Zeresh knows a lot. A lot, a lot.”

Ryker’s face became rather serious now, wanting to get through the fact that what he was asking was actually very important to him. ”Have your people….your family found any milk faces like me recently? One of my friends is missing and I need to find him.”

She blinked at him in question. The milk face was his friend? But he said he was missing. With a quick grin, she reached up to touch the worry lines on his face. ”No sad. Happy, Ry! Milk face is at home. Zeresh's home. Not missing. Mother took him!”

Ryker blinked a few times. Could it be Fenros she was talking about? ”He’s at your home? Can I see him?” He knew it was probably unlikely that he would allowed to just waltz into the Ouroboros home, but maybe if she escorted him...He could always hope.

Could he see him? She tilted her head in thought. Mother would not approve, especially since she was going to beckon the female milk face to their home that very night. Zeresh let out a breath and frowned. ”Not good time. Not today. Mother bringing another milk face to our home. A girl.”

Remembering something else, she grinned at him. ”Ry knows girl! Girl is soldier, like Ry.”

Ritza? It had to be her. She was the only female member of the vanguard and she had said she was contacted. So it must have been their leader that spoke to her. He smiled at Zeresh and nodded his head. ”Yes, I do know her. She is my friend. My very good friend.” He couldn’t help but smirk a little at his own comment. ”Do you think your mother would let me come with her? I want to see my friend. I have to make sure he’s okay.”

Watching him, she tilted her head even more. At least he was friends with the girl. If she was his very good friend, then she would be Zeresh's friend too. Should she tell him what she overhead? As she thought, she wrung her hands together.

”I..I don't know...mother doesn't know that I know…” She frowned at him. ”Girl soldier is being tested.”

”Tested?” He raised an eyebrow in question. ”Tested for what?” His mind wandered. He didn’t know enough about the Ouroboros to know what she was talking about. Was she being tested to see if she was strong enough to become one of them? He wasn’t sure, but he suddenly felt very protective. If she was going, he was going to come with her, others be damned.

Zeresh quickly shrugged her shoulders. She was growing agitated with these questions. Thunder soon rumbled in the sky as she began to rock her body back and forth. ”I..I don't know...mother is going to use girl soldier...going to fight...she needs to be strong and powerful..”

Ryker could tell by her body language that she didn’t want to talk serious anymore. He had more questions but he had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to answer him anyway. He smiled again and hugged her, squeezing her against himself. ”Thank you. I feel better knowing where my friend is.”

He gazed into the burning fire only a few feet away. While he was relieved knowing the general whereabouts of Fenros, he couldn’t help but worry about Ritza. What in the world were they planning on doing to her? She was already strong but the idea that she needed to be stronger worried him greatly. It didn’t sound good.

He broke away from hugging her to look her in the eyes. His eyes widened suddenly at a realization. ”Oh no, I forgot to bring you a present. I’m so sorry...I will bring you something next time I see you, I promise. Something really good.”

As he hugged her, she started to calm and the clouds cleared out of the sky. She sighed and leaned against him as she looked once more at the fire. Suddenly, her attention was diverted by the thought of presents. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. ”Present? Oh! Pretty baby!”

She beamed and nodded her head with enthusiasm. ”Yes. Pretty, pretty babies. I like pretty babies. Girl soldier can bring me pretty babies too!”

Ryker laughed quietly. He wasn’t sure how Ritza would respond to this girl wanting presents. It didn’t matter, though, he would go out and buy enough for both of them when he got back. He owed her since he had rushed to see her and forgotten to bring one. He brought his hand up and patted her head lightly, ruffling up her hair a little bit. ”I’ll talk to her when I get home. What is your favorite color?”

She continued to beam up at him before her stomach started to rumble. Scrunching her nose, she put a hand on her belly. ”Blue...blue is pretty…”

Looking around, she sighed in disappointment. She was so hungry that even Ryker started to smell delicious. But, she wouldn't do that. Ryker was her friend. Zeresh frowned. ”Tummy hungry...very, very, very hungry..”

This was an interesting situation. He knew what she normally ate and he wasn’t willing to help her with that. But maybe she would be willing to try something new. ”If you want, I can try and find you a nice, juicy rabbit and cook it for you. I know that’s probably new to you but I like to think of myself as a good cook.”

Zeresh blinked over at him. A rabbit. A rabbit wouldn't give her anything besides temporary nourishment. How dull. With a quick shake of her head, she pat his chest with her left hand. ”No, no. I'll go find. Ry should go home now. Hungry Ouroboros are around.”

Her last statement was a little off-putting but he nodded and gave her another hug. ”Okay. Be careful out there. I will see you soon with presents this time.”

She giggled at him as she hugged him back. ”Silly, Ry. I'm immortal. Ry needs to be careful out there, not Zeresh.” Clapping her hands together, she nodded. ”Go, go. Mother should be getting girl soldier soon.”

Ryker nodded and got to his feet. He stomped out the fire and began on his way back to the city. It was getting dark as he walked. He would have to hurry if he wanted to get a doll for Zeresh before the market stalls all closed. He picked up his pace.

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

(day after escape)
Ryker quietly left Ayla’s room, casually walking through the halls of the castle. He was on his way to go speak to Ritza now for the first time in quite a while. He had absolutely no idea what to expect from her at this point. He hoped she was in the mood for talking, but he knew better. He wasn’t sure if she knew that Fenros was alive or not. And, if not, she was bound to be very, very angry.

Ritza was in the Vanguard's common area in the castle, throwing daggers at a spot in the wall. She was currently the only one in the area, since everyone else was outside training. Her eyes were dark and focused, imagining the king's head as her target. First her father, now Fenros; she was done with important people disappearing from her life. Even more so with the man behind it all.

Ryker walked first to the training yard, checking for Ritza there. Not finding her, he decided to check in the Vanguard barracks. Spotting her throwing knives, he had to take a moment before approaching her. Ritza with just fists was dangerous but Ritza with knives was a death wish. He slowly and cautiously came up behind her. ”Hey, Ritza? Can we talk?”

She would recognize that voice anywhere. Her fingers tightened around the blade in her hand as her eyes narrowed even more. Letting out a slow breath, Ritza kept her eyes on the wall in front of her. ”What is it, Ryker? Gonna tell me someone else I love died?” With a quick snap of her wrist, the knife shot out of her hand and landed firmly in the wall.

”Haha,” he replied, sarcastically. He stood behind her, watching her as she threw the knife. At least it wasn’t aimed at me.

”I want to talk to you in private, if possible.”

Letting her eyes slide close for just a moment, Ritza clenched both hands into fists. She cleared her throat when she realized her hands were empty- no more knives for her to throw. Having a feeling this had something to do with Fenros, she gave a small nod of her head. ”Fine.”

She opened her eyes and headed over to the wall before yanking the knives out. Gripping her left hand around them, she turned and walked off towards her quarters.

Fuck, she’s bringing the knives… Ryker thought to himself before following along with her. After working in the Vanguard for ten years and as a mercenary before that, few things scared him as much as this woman with weapons.

Once they were back to her quarters, he made sure the door closed behind him before speaking up again. ”I imagine you’ve heard about Fenros,” he began vaguely to see what she knew.

As they walked, she could feel the tension in the air. She smirked at the thought of Ryker being very well aware of the knives in her hand. It was good to have a man exactly where she wanted him.

They soon entered the room and she dropped the knives onto the table. Folding her arms across her chest, she went to turn to face him. She stopped when he began talking. Ritza cleared her throat before glancing at the door. Lowering her voice, she looked back at him. ”You're his best friend, so I'm only going to say this once.” She lowered her voice even further as she watched him. ”He's alive. He escaped.”

His eyes widened briefly, although he really shouldn’t have been surprised. He wasn’t sure how she learned about this, although the fact that she had been Eleanor’s bodyguard might have had something to do with it. ”I know,” he spoke, matching her voice level. He paused a narrowed his eyes. ”How do you know?”

Her jaw clenched as she watched his face. She shouldn't have disclosed the information she had learned directly from Fenros. Last thing she needed was their affair out in the open. Ritza needed to keep her feet on the very fine line that was left.

She looked away as she spoke to him. ”I went to the dungeons to free him.

”So...you succeeded then?” he wondered aloud. It was slightly surprising to him that she would risk herself to save him. He never expected Ritza to be the type to do such a thing.

Ritzas hands clenched into fists against her chest. Her eyes narrowed at the slate gray wall she was looking at. If she had been sooner, she would have saved him. Would have happily handed him over to his darling princess. She looked back at his face, her eyes searching his. ”No. I didn't. Someone else got to him first. Don't ask me who, cause I have no damn idea.” There was no way she was mentioning the strange woman to him.

Ryker’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. If it wasn’t Ritza who saved him, then who? ”Huh. That’s….strange.” His eyes wandered to the ceiling as he stood, deep in thought. Other than Eleanor, himself and Ritza, he wasn’t sure who else was close enough to Fenros to want to free him. But then again...he had sent news to the Ouroboros the day of his arrest. Maybe they had something to do with it? Maybe a trip to see Zeresh was in order.

He returned his gaze back to Ritza who seemed as agitated as ever. ”Do you have any idea where he is now?” If it was the Ouroboros, he didn’t expect her to know, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

Keeping her eyes on him, she raised a brow as she studied him. He knew something. The man knew something and he was hiding it. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Finally his attention came back to her.

Ritza gave a small smirk as she tilted her head in thought. There was only one way she knew how to draw information from a man without making him bleed. Taking a step closer to him, she dropped her arms to her sides. ”No…” She ran her eyes over the length of him before looking back into his face. ”But I think you do, Ryker.”

Caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor, he tilted his head slightly to the side. ”I...what? No I don’t. That’s why I’m asking you.” He seemed a little flustered now, trying to figure out what she was up to.

”Uh huh. You're asking me to find out how much I know.” She took another step towards him until she was practically in his face. Glancing up at him, she smirked and raised her brow higher. Ritzas eyes went to his lips as she placed her hands on her hips. As she spoke, her voice took on a husky tone. ”I think you know something..and you're not telling me, Ryker.”

Ryker’s stomach fluttered briefly at her close proximity. What was she going for? He had an idea but, still...He hadn’t spoken to her in years and this is how she responds? He didn’t quite understand her.

”I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything. I wanted….uh…” His eyes shifted as she touched him. He had been doing well up until this point, but now he couldn’t help himself. He cleared his throat and quickly lifted his gaze back to her face. ”I was just trying to figure out what happened.”

She was getting to him. Her smirk broadened before she slowly moved her hands from her hips, to his. Ritza looked down at her hands and glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes. With a small nod, her gaze moved to his lips. ”Ryker..” she barely whispered his name.

His back was up against the wall at this point and he had nowhere to go. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go somewhere anyway. He blinked quickly, staring at her face, inches from his. His mind was going in a thousand different directions. Part of him wanted to run and part of him wanted to stay. ”Ritza….what are you doing?” was all he could manage to say. He was rigid against the wall, his arms at his sides.

Bringing her hands up from his hips, she was able to slowly trail her fingers up his chest. He was a lot more muscular than she remembered. Then again, armor hid a lot. Ritza caught her bottom lip with her teeth as she watched her own hands against his shirt. Sure, she wanted information. What was so wrong with releasing some tension at the same time?

At his question, she glanced up at his face and tilted her head. Her voice was still low as she glanced at his lips. ”Tell me to stop...and I'll stop. Otherwise..”

”No, I just…” He lost his words for a moment before pulling himself together. ”I don’t understand why you’re uh, so close.” He took a quick breath and slowly put his hands on her hips. This was one way to catch up with someone…

With another smirk, she glanced down at his hands. This was good progress. But...when was the last time this poor man had someone in his bed? He was acting as if this was his first time. A man built like he was definitely did not have a shortage of admirers. Ritza wasn't worried, though. No matter what, she always got what she wanted.

At his statement, she caught her lip between her teeth again. She made sure his attention was on them. ”You don't understand?”

Aw, fuck it, he thought to himself before he ran his hands up her waist and up to her face. Cupping her cheeks he leaned in and kissed her, roughly. She wasn’t letting up so he might as well get something out of this exchange.

He was a damn good kisser. As she returned his feverish kiss, she wondered how she hadn't done this sooner. Her fingers rushed to the hem of his shirt before quickly breaking the kiss to pull it off.

He let his arms lift up as she pulled his shirt up over his head. Once it was off, he shoved her with just enough force to push her towards her bed, but not so much to really hurt her. She was feisty and he was feeding off of her energy. He also knew she could take it after so many years in the vanguard.

At his shove, she couldn't help a smirk as a small gutteral sound escaped her throat. She fell onto her backside on the bed before quickly extending her arm. Her fingers found their way behind the top of his pants as she pulled him closer to her.

He placed a knee on the bed beside her before slowly slipping his hands under her shirt. He lifted it up and over her head before leaning down farther and lightly biting at her shoulder…

---

Well. That was definitely a lot better than expected. She was laying flat on her stomach, the sheets curled around her limbs. Ritza looked him over before glancing back at his face. With a tilt of her head, she watched him.

Ryker laid on top of the blankets, one arm over Ritza’s back. He could feel the teeth imprints he had left behind. A soft smile on his face. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He closed his eyes and felt every inch of his body relax into the bed. I’m really glad she has her own room. He thought to himself.

He had completely forgotten the reason he came to see her in the first place.

She watched as his eyes closed and her own narrowed slightly. Pursing her lips in thought, she glanced over at the side table. Ritza held the sheet to her chest before reaching over with her right hand. Her fingers wrapped around a lone dagger before bringing her arm back. Looking once more at Ryker, her eyes gazed over him before returning to his face. She extended her arm before touching the tip of the blade to his jaw.

”Ready to talk now, Ryker?”

The relaxation he had been feeling suddenly turned into tenseness as he felt the cold steel against his skin. His eyes slowly opened and shifted over to Ritza without moving his head. Was this her plan all along?

”Ritza...what are you doing?” His voice was still calm, quiet. He had no doubt that she would actually use the blade against him, especially since she had him in such a compromising position. But he didn’t want to move much, or else risk the blade cutting into his skin.

There was no softness in her face. She watched him, unblinking. Ritza tilted her head just slightly, causing the hair on her back to cascade over the side of her face. The blade held steady in her hand as she spoke. Her voice was unwavering and devoid of all emotion.

”You're hiding something from me about him. You're going to tell me what you know. I can be very creative with this blade.”

Ryker gritted his teeth together. Damn this woman… He didn’t want to tell her about the Ouroboros. He hadn’t told anyone about that. She could easily turn him in and get him killed, or worse. He didn’t know her well enough to trust that she would keep it a secret. Maybe that wasn’t what she was looking for…

”I really don’t know much,” he began, honestly. ”I was there when he was arrested. All they said was that he was a traitor. I don’t know what he could have done…” He paused. Maybe she didn’t know about him and the princess? But how could she not? She was Eleanor’s bodyguard, after all. ”Unless the King somehow found out about….he told me he is in love with Eleanor.”

Raising a brow, she watched him. Of course the idiot would tell him about his feelings towards the princess. It definitely would be a big thing to hide- and would explain Fenros's arrest. But then, did Ryker also know about their affair?

She continued to watch him for a moment. Rolling her eyes, she set the blade back on the table. Ritza sat up on the bed and crossed her legs, her left hand holding the sheet against her bare chest. She scoffed in frustration as she looked away from him. *I already know about his damn feelings towards Elle.”

As the blade left his jaw, he let out an audible sigh of relief. Leave it to him to get in bed with a crazy woman. He glanced up at her as she sat up, modestly covering herself. There’s no need for that now...I’ve already seen everything.

He raised an eyebrow at her statement. Was that jealousy he heard in his voice? ”Then why are you asking me about it?” he wondered aloud. He slowly pushed himself up to sit beside her.

Running her free hand in her hair to push it off her face, she took in a deep breath. She had to tell someone. Anyone. Would make sense to unleash on Ryker- he was quite obviously afraid of what she could do to him.

But then again, he was a member of the vanguard. How much information could she trust him with? Her jaw clenched as she stared at the wall. He was one of the few that she actually had been close to before her father died. They had been friends, once. She was going to drive herself mad if she didn't speak. Clearing her throat, her left hand tightened around the sheet at her chest. ”I need...I need to know that I can trust you…”

Ryker looked at her thoughtfully. She clearly had something she wanted to say but was keeping it a secret. This was a new side of her he hadn’t seen in quite some time. ”Of course you can trust me. Have I ever done anything to hurt you?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how she would probably perceive them. He wrinkled his nose before adding, ”I mean, besides telling you about your father. You know I didn’t enjoy that…”

She raised her brow and glanced over at him. Ritza couldn't help a small grin as he realized his error. Letting out a slow breath, she shrugged her shoulders slightly. She knew he wasn't her enemy. With everything now turning into chaos, she needed to focus on who her true enemy was. It was time to give the guy some slack. ”I don't hate you, Ryker. You were the only one with enough balls to tell me.”

Looking down at her feet, she lowered her voice. Her hand was clutching onto the sheet with every ounce of strength she had. It wasn't that she was now being a prude- at the time, the feel of the wool was the only thing keeping her anchored. ”What I'm about to tell you...if this gets out...I will be hanged.”

Ryker’s interest was piqued. What could she possibly have to say that was so dangerous and secretive. Although he had similar secrets, he hadn’t realized Ritza did as well. ”Ritza…” He spoke quietly, shifting closer to her. ”You can trust me. I would never betray you.”

As he moved closer, her eyes moved up to his face. She searched every line, every trace. Could she really do this? Her breathing became more ragged at the very thought of saying her secret out loud. To someone who could potentially turn on her. Ritza could feel the tears start to pool in her eyes before she quickly looked away from him. The last time she had allowed herself to shed tears was in front of this man, the day he broke the news. What was it about him that made her vulnerabilities surface?

Her nails dug into the wool. Grinding her teeth, her jaw clenched, she lowered her voice to just above a whisper. ”I'm the real traitor to the throne. I plan to kill the king. To avenge my father.”

His eyes widened at this new information. He half expected her to say she was in love with Fenros or something, but not this. He sat in silence for a moment, taking in her words, thinking what it meant for them. He slowly pushed himself closer to her and brought his hand up to her face. He gently turned her face to his. His words failed him so he instead he kissed her gently. When he pulled away, his face just inches from hers, he looked her in the eyes. ”Ritza...you’re not the only traitor here.”

She expected him to react. When he moved closer and brought his hand towards her, she was expecting for him to grab her. Throw her over his shoulder, rat her out to anyone who would listen. She cringed at the thought- then he kissed her.

When he pulled away, her eyes opened slowly to find he hadn't really moved away from her. Then came his confession. Her stomach dropped. Suddenly, all the weight from holding in this secret lifted. Ritza searched his face before releasing a deep throaty noise. Releasing the sheet, she let it fall before kissing him.

He wasn’t expecting this much of a release after confessing his own secret to her. But it felt so good to have said it to someone. He hadn’t expected to find anyone with such similar feelings to talk to. In fact, he hadn’t planned on telling anyone ever. As she kissed him back, he reached his hands under her arms and up to her bare back. He clutched her close and pulled her with him as he let himself fall back into the bed. His one hand stayed on her back while the other one ran up into her hair. He let his fingers comb through her locks as he kissed her feverishly. There was some kind of renewed energy in getting this secret off of his chest.

---

Ritza was absolutely getting more than she bargained for with Ryker. As she laid her head against his chest, she stared at the wall across from her. They both had just confessed truths that they could be ultimately hanged for. Only difference was that while she had explained why she was a traitor, he had not.

With a stretch, she turned her head to face him. Ritza rested her chin against his stomach as she searched his face. ”What makes you a traitor?”

Ryker let out a sigh before looking down at Ritza. She looked so cute staring up at him now. He had almost forgotten the fact that she had threatened him with a knife just moments ago. ”I...uh, I have been in contact with the Ouroboros.” His rational mind would have told him that he shouldn’t be telling her that, but after two rounds with her in bed, his rational mind was not fully functioning. ”I have had doubts about the king for some time. Your fathers death started it all….I don’t trust him.”

Her eyes widened some at his revelation. He believed the king to be the cause of her father's death as well. But, the Ouroboros- how had they become involved? She knew all about the clan from stories her father had told her. While everyone else thought them mere myths and legends, Ritza had known them as fact. Could her father's connection to them be the reason for his death?

And then it hit her: the strange woman in the cell. The way the woman had known her name, knew what she was capable of. They had Fenros. She quickly sat up and slid out of the bed before hastily pulling her clothes back on. ”I know where Fenros is.”

He was disappointed when she started getting dressed but then she spoke. ”You do?” He pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking at her expectantly. He swung around and let his legs swing off the side of the bed, his feet planting on the ground. ”How do you know? Where is he?”

As she was pulling up and securing her pants, she glanced over at him. She didn't know where Fenros was exactly, but she did know who had them. And who the woman was who visited her in his cell. With a clearing of her throat, she looked down at her pants to verify they were strung tight. ”The Ouroboros. When I was in his cell, I think…”

Oh, she was going to sound insane. She finished with her pants before putting her hands on her hips. ”I think their leader recruited me for some type of job. She said she would give Fenros back, if I used my skills for her.”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Why would they contact her and not him? Maybe she was in the right place at the right time. Or maybe he would be more of a liability because of his position. It didn’t matter, though. He wasn’t the only one in contact with them, apparently.

”What kind of job?” As he spoke, he stood from the bed and began collecting his own clothes scattered around the room. ”How exactly did she contact you?”

She couldn't help where her eyes ended up when he stood. Clearing her throat, she turned and finished with her boots. Ritza knew she could trust him now with the full story. Besides, if he ever turned on her, she had his secret as well.

”Um, well...she was behind me. In his cell.” How had the woman gotten behind her? She would have heard anyone entering that cell. With another shake of her head, she sighed. ”She mentioned something about children. I had to watch them or...something. She knew who I was, Ryker. My father...I think he worked with them..”

It hadn’t occurred to him that her father may have worked with the Ouroboros. He slowly began to dress himself as he tried to come up with a plan in his mind for what to do next. ”I can go see the Ouroboros contact that I’ve been working with…” He wasn’t sure if she would have any useful information, or even if he could get the information out of her. But he could always try.

The thing about children...that confused him. What children was she talking about that Ritza should watch? Was she trying to find a motherly person to take care of them? If so, she picked the wrong woman. But that didn’t make much sense. Why would an Ouroboros find an outsider human to watch children. Something was off. He glanced over at her after pulling his own pants up. ”She must be speaking in metaphors. I doubt she would need a regular human to watch actual children…”

Blowing out a breath in a huff, she shrugged her shoulders. The entire thing confused her. Why would they need her skill set, anyway? She was a human and she remembered her father saying that the Ouroboros had magic. ”I have no clue, Ryker, and it's annoying the hell out of me. But I was instructed to wait around until she called for me. Like hell that's happening.”

In all actuality, Ritza knew she had to stay behind. Once Elle received word that Fenros was alive, she would try to go after him. She ran both hands through her hair and scowled. Once Elle was gone, Ritza would be summoned to find her. And possibly reprimanded for losing her in the first place. She shook her head and looked at Ryker. ”Go to your contact. I have to wait in case the king calls for me to watch Elle or something. If I'm not here, he'll get suspicious.”

Ryker nodded, deciding that he would have to go find Zeresh. He walked over to Ritza and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into him again and gave her another kiss. He didn’t know if their activities together meant anything at all but he was going to take advantage of this now before she changed her mind. As he pulled away, he looked her in the eyes one more time. ”Be safe.”

He lingered a moment before slipping his shirt back on and heading towards her door.

She was a bit surprised by the kiss, however she did not mind at all. Hell, she enjoyed him pulling her around. Ritza had had plenty of distractions in the past, but they all treated her as a fragile woman. At least Ryker wasn't afraid to bruise her.

With a small nod to him, she watched as he walked to the door. She cleared her throat as she folded her arms across her chest. Would he be just another distraction, or more? Maybe it meant something that she was able to tell him her secret. And that he was the only man to make her feel vulnerable. She bit the inside of her cheek. ”Don't get eaten. I rather enjoy you in my bed.”

He flashed her a smile before letting the door close behind him. He could easily sneak off to meet with Zeresh but he would have to find some excuse for his absence in case anyone noticed. Ritza would vouch for him, he hoped. After their heart-to-heart, he felt he could trust her.

He still had his sword from earlier. He briefly thought of getting his armor, but decided against it. It would only draw more attention to him if he was seen walking around in armor, plus it would make travel more difficult. He decided to simply set off with what he had, heading down the road leading out of the city…

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

Nilam Aziel

Name: Nilam Aziel

Race/Faction: Human

Age: 27

Description:

Nilam

Nilam is of average height, around 5'10", and is of relatively thin build. He has blond hair that falls about an inch above his shoulders with stunning blue eyes. He wears loose-fitting robes over his everyday clothes. He doesn't usually wear any armor other than leather arm bracers. He carries a tall mage's staff around from time to time that appears to be carves from wood with a shining sapphire set at the top.

"Class": Mage specializing in Augmentation

Motivation: Nilam just wants to live a quiet life in a peaceful world. He doesn't like to get involved in politics, though him and his sister are sometimes called upon by the king for their abilities.

History: Nilam and his twin sister, Katima, grew up on the outskirts of a small city with their parents. It would appear that magic runs in their family as all of them were gifted from a young age. Their parents began training them as soon as their abilities began to show. Nilam focused on Augmentation: the ability to strengthen or weaken other's abilities. Him and his sister worked together a lot and he often focused his powers on her. He also found he was able to use this power on non-magic users to strengthen or weaken their strength, agility, etc.

They often kept to themselves, as magic users are generally feared and are not tolerated. When the twins were in their teens, their parents were attacked by some of the city-folk who had found out about their use of magic. Heartbroken, Nilam decided to try his hand at something he had never done before: necromancy. He attempted to bring them back based off of an old spellbook but, as he had no experience, it went horribly wrong. He had gone to a secluded forest to attempt this dark magic. The experiment resulted in a magic explosion and shockwave that tore the surrounding trees from the ground, roots and all. The magic shot through his body and caused some permanent damage to his mind. He woke several hours later to his sister furiously trying to awaken him. She had to help him flee as the townspeople quickly retaliated and chased them off. They ended up in Cordath were they were offered safe haven in the Mage's University. Having no other options, they accepted.

The following years were not easy on them. Nilam suffered delusions, hallucinations, and, occasionally, complete mental breaks. Katima had swooped in to take care of her ailing brother, spending all hours of her day at his side making sure he was okay. This caused some strife for Nilam as he felt guilty for taking so much of her time and also a longing to be independent again. The both of them also began to get called upon by the king to help with various tasks, from Nilam's aid in battles to Katima's help in gathering intel. Nilam resented helping the king and his warriors kill people, but he had no choice.

Strengths: Powerful Control over Magic Augmentation - Empathy - Loyalty to his Family - Perseverance

Weakness: Mentally Unstable - Anxious - Dependent on others, mainly his sister - Withdrawn - Not Very Physically Strong

What is the most important thing to know about your character?
Nilam is a powerful mage, but he can easily lose control if his mind snaps.

What is your character's greatest flaw?
His psychosis causes many problems in his day-to-day life including hallucinations, delusions and sometimes full-on psychotic breaks.

Why should your character be in a position to influence an entire country?
Nilam can influence the flow of an entire battle by giving certain troops strength while taking away the strength of others. The King has called on him on numerous occasions to give his warriors an edge.

Writing Sample

Eyes closed, breathing steady, Nilam concentrated. He gripped his staff in one hand, his other arm raised, his palm facing the battle. The vein in his neck bulged and his face began to turn red as he felt his will, his strength, start to flow. Suddenly, his icy blue eyes shot open, and he let out a loud roar. He could feel his energy, his pulse, his everything flowing out towards the soldiers. The men responded almost instantaneously. They could feel the power course through their veins. Rallying, they fought with a renewed vigor. The soldiers began cutting down each enemy soldier like they were nothing. Swords swinging, arrows flying, the battle ended almost as quickly as it began.

Nilam dropped to his knees, exhausted. His energy sapped, he could barely hold himself up. His hands shook as his grasp on his staff began to loosen. His breath came in ragged, shaky spurts, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

The commander standing behind him smirked. "Very impressive...."

Nilam gasped, closing his mouth and trying to find the ability to speak. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve before he used his staff to get back to his feet. "Th-thank you sir...." he acknowledged, his voice weak and shaking.

The man stared at the mage in front of him. His body was weak, but his skills were powerful. He would be incredibly useful in the war efforts if he was able to keep his stamina up. "How old are you, boy?" The man inquired.

"19 sir..." Nilam replied, his voice gaining strength but still audibly drained.

The man's smirk grew. "Excellent."

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

Nilam Aziel

Name: Nilam Aziel

Race/Faction: Human

Age: 27

Description:

Nilam

Nilam is of average height, around 5'10", and is of relatively thin build. He has blond hair that falls about an inch above his shoulders with stunning blue eyes. He wears loose-fitting robes over his everyday clothes. He doesn't usually wear any armor other than leather arm bracers. He carries a tall mage's staff around at all times that appears to be carves from wood with a shining sapphire set at the top.

"Class": Mage specializing in Augmentation

Motivation: Nilam just wants to live a quiet life in a peaceful world. He doesn't like to get involved in politics, though him and his sister are sometimes called upon by the king for their abilities.

History: Nilam and his twin sister, Katima, grew up on the outskirts of a small city with their parents. It would appear that magic runs in their family as all of them were gifted from a young age. Their parents began training them as soon as their abilities began to show. Nilam focused on Augmentation: the ability to strengthen or weaken other's abilities. Him and his sister worked together a lot and he often focused his powers on her. He also found he was able to use this power on non-magic users to strengthen or weaken their strength, agility, etc.

They often kept to themselves, as magic users are generally feared and are not tolerated. When the twins were in their teens, their parents were attacked by some of the city-folk who had found out about their use of magic. Heartbroken, Nilam decided to try his hand at something he had never done before: necromancy. He attempted to bring them back based off of an old spellbook but, as he had no experience, it went horribly wrong. He had gone to a secluded forest to attempt this dark magic. The experiment resulted in a magic explosion and shockwave that tore the surrounding trees from the ground, roots and all. The magic shot through his body and caused some permanent damage to his mind. He woke several hours later to his sister furiously trying to awaken him. She had to help him flee as the townspeople quickly retaliated and chased them off. They ended up in Cordath were they were offered safe haven in the Mage's University. Having no other options, they accepted.

The following years were not easy on them. Nilam suffered delusions, hallucinations, and, occasionally, complete mental breaks. Katima had swooped in to take care of her ailing brother, spending all hours of her day at his side making sure he was okay. This caused some strife for Nilam as he felt guilty for taking so much of her time and also a longing to be independent again. The both of them also began to get called upon by the king to help with various tasks, from Nilam's aid in battles to Katima's help in gathering intel. Nilam resented helping the king and his warriors kill people, but he had no choice.

Strengths: Powerful Control over Magic Augmentation - Empathy - Loyalty to his Family - Perseverance

Weakness: Mentally Unstable - Anxious - Dependent on others, mainly his sister - Withdrawn - Not Very Physically Strong

What is the most important thing to know about your character?
Nilam is a powerful mage, but he can easily lose control if his mind snaps.

What is your character's greatest flaw?
His psychosis causes many problems in his day-to-day life including hallucinations, delusions and sometimes full-on psychotic breaks.

Why should your character be in a position to influence an entire country?
Nilam can influence the flow of an entire battle by giving certain troops strength while taking away the strength of others. The King has called on him on numerous occasions to give his warriors an edge.

Writing Sample

Eyes closed, breathing steady, Nilam concentrated. He gripped his staff in one hand, his other arm raised, his palm facing the battle. The vein in his neck bulged and his face began to turn red as he felt his will, his strength, start to flow. Suddenly, his icy blue eyes shot open, and he let out a loud roar. He could feel his energy, his pulse, his everything flowing out towards the soldiers. The men responded almost instantaneously. They could feel the power course through their veins. Rallying, they fought with a renewed vigor. The soldiers began cutting down each enemy soldier like they were nothing. Swords swinging, arrows flying, the battle ended almost as quickly as it began.

Nilam dropped to his knees, exhausted. His energy sapped, he could barely hold himself up. His hands shook as his grasp on his staff began to loosen. His breath came in ragged, shaky spurts, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

The commander standing behind him smirked. "Very impressive...."

Nilam gasped, closing his mouth and trying to find the ability to speak. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve before he used his staff to get back to his feet. "Th-thank you sir...." he acknowledged, his voice weak and shaking.

The man stared at the mage in front of him. His body was weak, but his skills were powerful. He would be incredibly useful in the war efforts if he was able to keep his stamina up. "How old are you, boy?" The man inquired.

"19 sir..." Nilam replied, his voice gaining strength but still audibly drained.

The man's smirk grew. "Excellent."

Rebellion is Our Calling, and why we rise!(closed)

Ferran Russinov

Name: Ferran Emery Russinov

Race/Faction: Human - Wayfarer's Guild

Age: 30

Description:

Ferran

Ferran is relatively tall, standing about 6 feet. He has broad shoulders with exceptional upper body strength through many years of work with bows. His hair is a icy blond, almost gray, and falls just above his shoulders. His eyes are a dark greenish grey. His body has various scars of varying sizes and depth from years of hard living. He wears light-weight clothes that are easy to move in with a suit of leather armor, when needed. Otherwise, he travels fairly light with his trusty bow and arrows always on hand and a pair of daggers in case fighting gets too close to use arrows.

"Class": Archer, Rogue

Motivation: Money and the promise of money. Does it pay well? He'll do it.

History: Ferran began his life in a small village with only his mother for family. When he was five years old, his mother met another man who ended up getting her pregnant. Ferran wasn't fond of the new arrangement, but he was too young to do much of anything about it. His mother ended up dying during childbirth of his half-sister. Too young to live on his own, and having nothing but disdain for the man who caused his mother's death, he ended up in a poor excuse for an orphanage. The condition of the orphanage was horrendous with very little money and next to no help. The building was always falling apart, the meals the children received were almost inedible and the kids spent most of their days doing manual labor.

Ferran spent four years living in this filth before a member of the Wayfarer's Guild happened upon him. He was only ten years old but, through his years of work in the orphanage, he was already stronger than all of the other children. The man took him in and began training him in archery and close-range combat. He traveled with him for years, learning the art of the traveling mercenary. When he was 17, he started off on his own, but always keeping ties with the Wayfarers.

He ultimately decided to join the guild while taking whatever jobs came his way. He didn't care what they were, as long as they paid well, he would do it. Getting his hands dirty was not an issue.

He sometimes wonders what his life would be like if his mother hadn't died when he was a child. He still harbors some resentment for the man and his daughter that caused his life to be thrown into chaos all those years ago.

Strengths: Expert Archer - Skilled with Daggers - Fearless - Confident - Survivor

Weakness: Vindictive - Sarcastic - Untrustworthy - Materialistic - Remorseless

What is the most important thing to know about your character?
He has no loyalties. He doesn't care about politics or who might be on the throne at the time. He just wants money and maybe some fighting while he's at it.

What is your character's greatest flaw?
He hasn't been able to let go of his past or forgive those who have wronged him. This can occasionally effect his decision-making, for better or worse.

Why should your character be in a position to influence an entire country?
He is a very skilled fighter and is willing to do jobs that other may feel are "immoral" or "wrong".

Writing Sample

"Now, if you'd just stop running, this would be so much easier." Ferran smirked as he drew an arrow from his quiver. He watched the man stumbling, trying to get away. He could see blood already seeping through his shirt from the wound he had already inflicted. As he knocked the arrow, his eyes focused on the man's legs. He was a rather large target and not very fast. While Ferran enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, this man was drawing it out.

He loosed the arrow and it swiftly found it's mark. The man let out a yelp and fell forward, landing hard on the ground. Ferran lowered his bow and began walking towards him. He had a certain swagger in his walk that spoke to his confidence. He had done this before.

As he approached the whimpering man, he put his bow on his back and drew on of his daggers. The steel glistened as it caught the last few rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees. "See? We could have avoided all of this if you had listened to me in the first place," he taunted as he examined his blade. He lovingly traced his finger over the blunt part of the blade before reaching down and grabbing the man's injured shoulder, rolling him over onto his back.

"You see this blade? I don't get to use it too often. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't get enough attention." He grinned and looked down at the man. He had a look of terror and pain on his face, pain shooting through his entire body with every movement. "I'm going to make sure I give her plenty of attention today."

With one quick motion, he flipped the blade around in his hand and stabbed it into the already open wound on the man's arm. The man screamed in agony as Ferran twisted the blade once before pulling it back out. He watched the crimson blood drip off of the silver before placing the blade under one of the man's many chins. "I don't know who you pissed of, man, but it was a huge mistake on your part."