Psyker Landshark

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

<Snipped quote by Psyker Landshark>

Great question! Dwarves live up to 250 years, and elves can live up to 1000 years. Safina is still quite young, but has a lot of experience.

@Estylwen

hagmaxxing avoided

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@Estylwen How long-lived are elves/dwarves in the setting anyways? Wondering if I made Safina still relatively young or closer to middle-aged.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Grandmaster of the Concord

Lady Safina Haliel

146 | Elf | | Female | 5'11" | 148 lbs

Goal:
Peace, stability, and quiet. Having known the Queen since she was but a court wizard, Safina stays by her side out of a sense of familiarity at this point. So long as the power-hungry and the grasping stopped having silly ideas of rebellion, perhaps there could be peace for a century for once.

History:
She'd always been an urchin. Her first memories had been of an orphanage, and she'd not taken to it well. Safina lived life on the streets from a young age, picking pockets and committing petty theft to acquire the coin to avoid starving just one more day. Eventually, stealing from the wrong mark got her picked up by the local thieves' guild, who saw the potential in her to be a real sneak.

Over a century passed, and Safina rose to supplant the leadership of that guild, intent on taking it into a more extreme, yet more profitable direction. They still continued to engage in heists and espionage, but now also branched out to assassination, bringing in professionals from other nations to train killers. It was at this time that a battlemage by the name of Evelyn reached out, engaging Safina in a partnership and helping fund the guild's shift in focus.

With both an increase in their lethality and the kingdom's unofficial backing, it wasn't long before Safina's guild either forced out or absorbed all other competition in the underworld within their city. Surprisingly, now that the underworld was centralized, local crime actually decreased overall. Safina was more interested in ensuring that no one within the area had any vested interest in stopping their operations, resulting in greater long term profits, but her and Evelyn's foolish backer didn't quite see it the same way.

When the rebellion came, the guild very quietly stayed out of the entire matter. At least, they did until the king cut Evelyn loose and inadvertently revealed Safina's guild to the kingdom at large in the process. Safina wasn't able to go to her ally's aid, occupied as she was with ensuring the guild wasn't massacred as they escaped the kingdom.

In the end, barely a third of the thieves and killers she'd cultivated over the decades survived that disaster. Over the next decade, Safina remolded her organization into the Concord, traveling from country to country as hired killers as they sought to weather the storm they were put into. But this wasn't an existence she was satisfied with. Too much chaos and risk, all for nothing. No, she wanted a measure of stability back.

It had to be some form of serendipity that the Concord answered the call Evelyn sent out. When Safina realized who the employer was, she negotiated a different contract: her band of sneaks and killers would fight and spy for a position in her new order rather than any measure of gold. Wealth was temporary, as they both knew damn well. But continuity? Quiet? That would keep them alive and thriving.

These days, Safina and her Concord work to enforce the Wizard Queen's order, though it grows ever more difficult between the people's discontent and some of Evelyn's more...ambitious policies. Not that Safina would tell her that. The Concord still wasn't as powerful or numerous as her old guild, even if their veterans were far more skilled these days than they had been in the past. Still, she and the Queen share a similar enough dream of order that she'll do as she's commanded to.

Within Hathforth's court, Safina is publically known as one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, her proximity to the throne and travels under her command claimed under the guise of a mere retainer.

Seed: Empty Gaze
A black pearl embedded in a brooch worn on Safina's neck. It allows Safina to remove any perception or memory of her existence from the mind of someone that beholds the pearl for several moments. The more of Safina that is erased from the target's perception, the longer the Empty Gaze takes to recharge.

Magic:

• Shadow Blade: Forms a magical blade of darkness that can be adjusted in length and either wielded in the hand or fired at a target.
• Darkness: Conjure magical darkness to fill a dozen-foot radius. Nonmagical methods of illumination and night vision cannot pierce it.
• Illusory Image: Create a magical image in a chosen location. Physical contact with the image reveals it to be an illusion.
• Shadowstep: Flit through the shadows and reposition one's self to any point within line of sight that has an absence of light. The caster can also submerge their body within the shadows for some time, though this takes much more mana.
• Mind Crush: Engage in a psychic attack against the target's mind. Stuns briefly and can leave a foe catatonic should they be weak-willed enough. Can be repelled with willpower, but will still at least keep their senses occupied for the duration of the attack.
• Swiftness: Enchants a target with magical vigor, allowing them to perform actions quicker.
• Muffle: Target a specific area or body part to prevent from making sound for some time. Can be cast on self.
  
  ---
• True Sight: Grants the caster the ability to see through all magical conjurations, whether it be darkness, illusions, invisibility, or otherwise.
• Greater Invisibility: The caster and all they carry become invisible for the duration of the spell. Does not dispel on physical contact.
• Time Stop: Halt the flow of time in a given area around the caster for a few seconds, allowing the caster unhindered freedom of movement and action during that period.

Skills:

• Bladework
• Marksmanship
• Stealth, both magical and mundane
• Sleight of hand
• Espionage
• Underworld connections

Faction: The Concord
An organization of spies and assassins personally led by Safina dedicated to enforcing the Wizard Queen's rule by any means necessary. Many among their number are veteran thieves and former assassins from other, similar guilds that were crushed and absorbed into the Concord during Safina's former life as a crime lord.

City:
The Concord controls no territory in the open, but are headquartered in Hathforth, with at least one cell of agents in every major city across the realm.

Assets:
Directly sponsored by the Wizard-Queen, the Concord doesn't want for funding. They hold a wealth of information and blackmail, capable of establishing contacts and connections quickly through judicious use of intrigue and information brokerage.

Misc:
Voice claim: Allegra Clark

Safina's Relationships

Duke Laurent Rhinecliff Up to something, that's for damn sure. Has enough wealth and influence to be genuinely dangerous if allowed to build up a support base. Increased surveillance on his activities likely worth the risk of discovery.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "The tobacco peddler will be a problem if left unchecked, my lady. High priority."
Wizard Queen Evelyn Keove Former colleagues, friends, and, quite honestly? Safina feels some measure of responsibility for her as an older sibling would. Perhaps if she'd managed to come to Evelyn's aid on that fateful day, things would be different. As it stands, all she can do is stand by her choices and the horse she'd backed in this race. She could cut and run at any time, to be certain. By the time Evelyn looked at any record or journal indicating her existence, Safina and the Concord could be two nations away. But she'd already abandoned her once. Not again.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "...Evelyn, you're asking me about my appraisal of yourself. Insecurity doesn't become you. We both know where we stand."
Court Mage & Advisor Eirwen Blackthorne Not impressed by him. A pretty face and words were common enough among the court. If Evelyn didn't have such an unfortunate bias for her own kind, Safina doubts he would've been made court mage. There were better choices. That said, if the reports are true, then he's throwing away the tremendous boon he was granted. Truly, it would be unfortunate to be proven right like this.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "He's in a position where he knows too much. I'll see if any of our noviates have enough magical skill to enter his Society."
Captain Roderic "Ironhand" Thorne The Hands of Iron were an up-and-coming mercenary company, to be certain. But Safina had seen their like so many times over the decades. Only time would tell if these sellswords were worth any coin, but they'd have to get to them first. That said, these whispers of a shadow associated with their field deployments does raise some concern.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "There's been no black marks against these mercenaries, if that's what you're asking. I can investigate further, but I would suggest prioritizing our resources towards more certain threats first. Hire them before anyone else if you want the extra force. That's more of your field than mine, regardless."
Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie" Violent, energetic, and skilled. A problem. If Safina's profile on this woman based on her actions is correct, peace is the last thing Duchess Altina wants. Plus, her facade is terrible. Should any armed insurrection arise, Safina would bet that this woman will be at the forefront.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "A bastion of strength. I don't recommend direct methods of dealing with this problem."
Duchess Mirie Agustria of Caelin Caelin is in the enviable position of having the power to tilt any conflict towards whichever side they join. Logistics and economics win wars, and Caelin enables both in droves. Ensure their loyalty by any means necessary.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "You need to do everything in your power to keep this one on our side. Preferential treatment, trade rights, tax breaks, the works. The economic impact of her working against us would be crippling."
Knight, Roland Corrin A footnote. Merely a royal bodyguard, though related to powerful people. That said, Safina still thinks the former king's guard should have been killed or exiled at best. There was no point in leaving wounds to fester.	________________________ ________________________ ________________________ "Amends?! Evelyn, you slew his king and got his elder sister killed. There's no coming back from that."

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Lady Safina Haliel

146 | Elf | | Female | 5'11" | 148 lbs

Goal:
Peace, stability, and quiet. Having known the Queen since she was but a court wizard, Safina stays by her side out of a sense of familiarity at this point. So long as the power-hungry and the grasping stopped having silly ideas of rebellion, perhaps there could be peace for a century for once.

History:
She'd always been an urchin. Her first memories had been of an orphanage, and she'd not taken to it well. Safina lived life on the streets from a young age, picking pockets and committing petty theft to acquire the coin to avoid starving just one more day. Eventually, stealing from the wrong mark got her picked up by the local thieves' guild, who saw the potential in her to be a real sneak.

Over a century passed, and Safina rose to supplant the leadership of that guild, intent on taking it into a more extreme, yet more profitable direction. They still continued to engage in heists and espionage, but now also branched out to assassination, bringing in professionals from other nations to train killers. It was at this time that a battlemage by the name of Evelyn reached out, engaging Safina in a partnership and helping fund the guild's shift in focus.

With both an increase in their lethality and the kingdom's unofficial backing, it wasn't long before Safina's guild either forced out or absorbed all other competition in the underworld within their city. Surprisingly, now that the underworld was centralized, local crime actually decreased overall. Safina was more interested in ensuring that no one within the area had any vested interest in stopping their operations, resulting in greater long term profits, but her and Evelyn's foolish backer didn't quite see it the same way.

When the rebellion came, the guild very quietly stayed out of the entire matter. At least, they did until the king cut Evelyn loose and inadvertently revealed Safina's guild to the kingdom at large in the process. Safina wasn't able to go to her ally's aid, occupied as she was with ensuring the guild wasn't massacred as they escaped the kingdom.

In the end, barely a third of the thieves and killers she'd cultivated over the decades survived that disaster. Over the next decade, Safina remolded her organization into the Concord, traveling from country to country as hired killers as they sought to weather the storm they were put into. But this wasn't an existence she was satisfied with. Too much chaos and risk, all for nothing. No, she wanted a measure of stability back.

It had to be some form of serendipity that the Concord answered the call Evelyn sent out. When Safina realized who the employer was, she negotiated a different contract: her band of sneaks and killers would fight and spy for a position in her new order rather than any measure of gold. Wealth was temporary, as they both knew damn well. But continuity? Quiet? That would keep them alive and thriving.

These days, Safina and her Concord work to enforce the Wizard Queen's order, though it grows ever more difficult between the people's discontent and some of Evelyn's more...ambitious policies. Not that Safina would tell her that. The Concord still wasn't as powerful or numerous as her old guild, even if their veterans were far more skilled these days than they had been in the past. Still, she and the Queen share a similar enough dream of order that she'll do as she's commanded to.

Within Hathforth's court, Safina is publically known as one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, her proximity to the throne and travels under her command claimed under the guise of a mere retainer.

Seed: Empty Gaze
A black pearl embedded in a brooch worn on Safina's neck. It allows Safina to remove any perception or memory of her existence from the mind of someone that beholds the pearl for several moments. The more of Safina that is erased from the target's perception, the longer the Empty Gaze takes to recharge.

Magic:

• Shadow Blade: Forms a magical blade of darkness that can be adjusted in length and either wielded in the hand or fired at a target.
• Darkness: Conjure magical darkness to fill a dozen-foot radius. Nonmagical methods of illumination and night vision cannot pierce it.
• Illusory Image: Create a magical image in a chosen location. Physical contact with the image reveals it to be an illusion.
• Shadowstep: Flit through the shadows and reposition one's self to any point within line of sight that has an absence of light. The caster can also submerge their body within the shadows for some time, though this takes much more mana.
• Mind Crush: Engage in a psychic attack against the target's mind. Stuns briefly and can leave a foe catatonic should they be weak-willed enough. Can be repelled with willpower, but will still at least keep their senses occupied for the duration of the attack.
• Swiftness: Enchants a target with magical vigor, allowing them to perform actions quicker.
• Muffle: Target a specific area or body part to prevent from making sound for some time. Can be cast on self.
  ___
• True Sight: Grants the caster the ability to see through all magical conjurations, whether it be darkness, illusions, invisibility, or otherwise.
• Greater Invisibility: The caster and all they carry become invisible for the duration of the spell. Does not dispel on physical contact.
• Time Stop: Halt the flow of time in a given area around the caster for a few seconds, allowing the caster unhindered freedom of movement and action during that period.

Skills:

• Bladework
• Marksmanship
• Stealth, both magical and mundane
• Sleight of hand
• Espionage
• Underworld connections

Faction: The Concord
An organization of spies and assassins personally led by Safina dedicated to enforcing the Wizard Queen's rule by any means necessary. Many among their number are veteran thieves and former assassins from other, similar guilds that were crushed and absorbed into the Concord during Safina's former life as a crime lord.

City:
The Concord controls no territory in the open, but are headquartered in Hathforth, with at least one cell of agents in every major city across the realm.

Assets:
Directly sponsored by the Wizard-Queen, the Concord doesn't want for funding. They hold a wealth of information and blackmail, capable of establishing contacts and connections quickly through judicious use of intrigue and information brokerage.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

The next day came and went. True to his word, Hien gave the Kirins most of the daylight hours before he called them to convene in the safehouse's primary chambers. The young lord sat seiza before a table containing a map of Osprey as he waited for the party to gather. When they did, he cleared his throat and began.

"Thank you all for coming." Hien smiled briefly before his expression turned solely towards business. "Let's be about it, then. Before my capture, Lady Ciradyl's people had passed along intelligence regarding Valheim's operations in the northern desert. They've been moving men and materiel by airship towards the desert for weeks now. By all reckoning, there's nothing there. Any villages in the direction of where the airships have been traveling have been destroyed by the Blight already." He paused to let the matter sink in and point out the direction on the map before continuing on.

"Now, none of you are under any obligation to obey my commands." Izayoi gave him a brief sideeye at that, to which he didn't respond. "Let me be clear, this is a request, not an order. I hold no illusion I've any power over the lot of you, but our goals are aligned. Everyone here would be benefited more by cooperation in this regard. We've theorized that whatever Valheim is up to in the desert, it has something to do with the Blight. Given that it's your stated goal, I can't imagine why you'd refuse to go. Now, Izayoi's traveled throughout the desert extensively throughout her younger years, or so she's told me. She can guide you through the dunes."

"Indeed." Izayoi nodded, taking the cue to speak. "Minimize exposing your skin to the sun. If you must wear armor, wear cloth both over and underneath it to shield the metal from heat. I will confer with the moogle to stock plenty of water."

"Very good. In any case, Lady Ciradyl's people can smuggle you all back out of the city. Considering the chaos you've all caused among the garrison, there should be enough gaps in their coverage to leave easily, but we'll not take chances when all your faces are likely known at this point. Any questions? You'll be departing in the morning, so do get plenty of rest."

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Alright, sheet'll be out sometime Wednesday at the latest. Think I'm gonna go with the assassin idea.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@Estylwen

Gonna float some basic concepts past you for approval since I haven't decided which to run yet:

A. Noble mage who takes advantage of the Wizard Queen's rule to delve deep into forbidden magics. Necromancer, training acolytes and raising undead to bolster his domain.

B. Royal spymaster/assassin. Probably originally hired on while Evelyn was conquering the province, then converted/grandfathered into the position of head spook.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Cooking an idea, but gimme a day or three.

ArrowFell: The Corrupt Queen's Court (A Skyrim-inspired RP)

put me in, coach

SPIRITUM

Kalina Kovalic

Kalina listened quietly as the princess detailed her version of events. Being attacked through a mist storm? And from an apparent third party to the war, at that. As some others in the squad would say, this was a shitfest. Gerard's follow-up didn't make things any better. Not a single person was on the horn? Wake them up, then.

If Lieutenant Setzer had any balls at all, he'd contact a colonel or someone to push this up the chain of command. Unfortunately, she already knew the LT was just a bit of a dick. The way she saw it, Setzer would probably wait until morning to call this in. Which left them with hours on hours to kill.

Kalina looked between Gerard and Justice, nodding.

"Agreed. Truck won't survive another firefight. Between me and Valerie, engine won't last much longer. I'll take us up to the rest stop once everyone's recovered, but we might have a breakdown. Might have to push the rest of the way up."

With that said, Kalina looked aside to Justice, murmuring quietly to her so that the princess didn't overhear.

"You're sure, boss? If you say so, but I think we're being a little soft on her, off the record."