Some IC background: Though Adaeze submitted her application to Gustav on Sun's Height 9, she didn't get hired until Last Seed 2.
And related IC info for everyone: There are four "pay grades" in this mercenary company; laborer, infantry, specialist and officer. This is in the order of lowest pay to the highest. There's also an "associate" position, basically for those that want to tag along, but not expected to work/fight or receive any salary.
I'll start classifying everyone once we get a few more characters in.
@Chicken, I've filled out the GM section for you, and also changed the submission date from Morning Star to Sun's Height, which is much closer to where we are at right now.
Application submitted on: 9th Sun's Height | Solitude
What are you known as?
I am Adaeze at-Djer, warrior and proud descendant of the Ra Gada. I hail from Rihad.
What contributes to the usual first impression given to you?
Tell me yourself. Is it my armor? My blade? Is it the dark skin that tells you the land of my birth, the sureness with which I hold this blade? Or do you just see the pointy ears and the elven eyes?
In what ways do you physically project yourself?
I do not need to project. I am Ra Gada. My blade will speak for itself.
What took you here?
Business. There is need for skilled fighters in Skyrim.
Have you distanced yourself from something? Why or why not?
This question is inane. Can we move on?
When were you important to others? When were others important to you?
Tu'whacca's taint! What do you want me to say? I have a family back home. Of course they're important to me, and I to them. I am one of five children of Djer at-Djer, and I treasure my family very much, and I always will. Does this answer suffice?
How do you view leadership? Do you see yourself taking part in any?
A leader must be an example to those that follow, always at the fore of things, willing to live and die at the vanguard of any conflict. A leader thus must possess martial prowess. But a leader must also possess cunning and wisdom, so they do not lead those that follow to their deaths; and they must have the respect of their companions. A leader must be able to delegate well, and whatever can't be delegated they must take upon their own self.
Could I lead? Doubtlessly. But I am a warrior, not a diplomat. I must prove myself first, and then perhaps others will follow me.
What experience do you bring to the team?
I may not have seen very much battle, but I served Hammerfell as a scout as we fought the Dominion. I am Ra Gada, as I have said. I am no Ansei of bygone eras, but I must admit, I sometimes surprise myself with my own prowess with the blade!
Still, if what you want is more examples of what I have done, I will tell you. I have fought bandits and goblins, yes. I have served in the military, as I said, mostly as a scout. I have partaken in many duels from Hammerfell to Solitude, where we are now, and clearly I have traveled this far. That alone should speak volumes of my experience. I even plundered an Ayleid Ruin, and alone I might add! Not many can make such a claim.
How do you keep yourself safe?
Do you see this sword? Note its gentle but distinct curve. Note the carefully-honed edge, and the detail, and the intricate etchings. Do you know why it is so masterfully constructed? It is because my father and I crafted this sword together. It was my first blade. Redguard steel is without a question the finest around, and this steel has been alloyed with silver. It can fell both men and evil spirits equally well. I cherish it.
There is something you must understand about this sword, however: it was made perfectly for me. My father, Djer at-Djer, perhaps the finest smith in all of Rihad, made it to my specifications. It can be wielded in two hands or in one equally well; a hand-and-a-half sword if you will. I can make perfect use of its reach and make powerful two-handed blows, then pull my hand free and fight with an open palm and my blade, or a dagger and this blade. It is a cutting sword, not a thrusting one so much, made for one who fights as the Ra Gada do. It is quite versatile. It is called Swift Justice in the old Yokudan tongue.
When I fight, it is very much a dance. I like to focus on a single opponent at a time, using my expert footwork, swordsmanship, and agility to keep my enemy off-balance. Both my blade and my body are weapons: a hand to grab someone with, a helmeted skull to pound someone with, a foot to swipe someone's feet out from under them... My weapon is a part of my body, and my body is a weapon. I do not relent. I do not lose.
I avoid the battles I cannot win, and those that I can I finish quickly and without hesitation. I am Ra Gada after all.
Describe something you do only with the utmost discretion.
I can think of more than a few things that require discretion. Foremost among these things is involvement in politics. If one must get tangled with petty lords and jarls, then one should be very careful not to end up getting on any one's bad side. It takes only a light purse of coins to hire murderers these days, and even the greatest of warriors have been felled by a dagger in the dark. Do they not whisper that the Dragonborn High King was slain in such a manner?
But also, nothing good ever comes from working with Daedra worshipers or the beasts they conjure. I do not care if they appeal to Malacath or Azura: they are best to be avoided, or in the case of the maddest of the bunch, executed. And if I hear anyone praising Sheogorath, I will go in the opposite direction.
How have your goal(s) been hindered?
I meant to master the art of the blade and try to learn how to summon a Shehai as the ancestors did. Yes, I know, it must seem foolish to you, but it was a fancy of my youth to be as the Ansei. I suppose that is a goal which I know now I cannot achieve. I wonder often if perhaps there is more myth than truth to the stories of the Ansei.
I would have stayed in the army of Hammerfell, but I believed my talents to be stymied there. I think I will learn more traveling the open road.
How do you treat escalating conflicts?
I do not let conflicts escalate. I end them. An enemy cannot return to fight you if he is dead.
When do you find difficulty?
Whenever it presents itself? Stendarr's mercy, but some of these questions are maddening.
Look, sometimes I am outnumbered, yes? Sometimes there are problems that cannot be solved by the blade. And sometimes, sometimes an idiot asks me lots of questions that really, really try my patience. I find it very difficult not to hit such idiots.
What novelties do you hold dear?
I care for this locket of brass. It holds a picture of my family. No, you cannot see them. Perhaps when we know each other, I might let you see, but you are a stranger to me.
I keep a journal, of course. I keep a holy book, too, and several mementos from home. I miss it, I will admit. The weather is far warmer there, and I didn't drown in the snow every time I walked about. I do have a collection of teeth from various beasts I have slain, too. I may make a necklace of it yet.
What material do you require for success?
I need only a good blade.
What do you make? What have you lost?
I make stories for bards to sing. I make weapons in the forge. I carve a place for myself in history - or I will. One day, I will. Whatever I have lost is nothing compared to what I will gain.
Contract: Infantry | Six Months | Standard Enlisted Pay Authenticated by: Gustav
Attributes and Skills: Attributes - Major Agility, Minor Strength Expert - Two-Handed Blades Adept - Athletics, Sneaking Apprentice - Light Armor, One-Handed Blades Novice - Acrobatics, Hand-to-Hand, Language (Yokuda), Restoration, Smithing
Lies told in questionnaire: Firstly, Adaeze was booted from the army for insubordination and other things. It wasn't a matter of her not being able to learn what she needed; it was a matter of her not following orders. She is ashamed of this.
Adaeze also indeed is avoiding something - her Bosmer heritage. She doesn't know a single word of the wood elf tongue, and she staunchly wants to prove that she's as much a Redguard as any of her siblings. Unfortunately, the world sees her as a Bosmer, so she makes it known at every opportunity that she can trace her heritage back to the first Ra Gada warriors that took Hammerfell.
While Adaeze believes in the "end escalation by just killing the other guy" viewpoint in theory, she's not always the best at practicing it. Sure, it IS a wise course of action, but her hand is steadied by more mercy than she would like to admit.
Adaeze would not tell anyone, but as a child she was prone to stealing things and breaking into places she's not supposed to. She knows a bit more about subterfuge than she lets on; again, it's somewhat of a sore spot for her, because a true Ra Gada warrior would not have to depend on stealth to do their work.
The Ayleid ruin she claimed she plundered was really just a few rooms of a ruined Ayleid watchtower. Yes, she was the first to plunder it. No, it wasn't actually that impressive, though it did have some angry spirits that tried to attack her. They were Ayleid spirits, of course, and she had a silver sword, so it went alright.
Adaeze actually has doubts about her ability to lead. It is something she would like to do, but she secretly fears she is not capable of command.
While Adaeze is good with a sword - damned good at that - she isn't quite as experienced as she says she is. She spent a good portion of her trip to Solitude on quiet caravan rides. Sure, she's done some mercenary work, but she talks herself up so she can get better pay and better contracts.
Background not included in questionnaire: Adaeze hails from the city of Rihad, and she was apprenticed to her father (a blacksmith) before she joined the military. Her mother died during childbirth, but she has very close ties to her family, especially her brothers that are off to war.
Something that bothers Adaeze deeply is that her siblings, both younger and older, are aging alarmingly more quickly than she is. She still has all the vigor and wanderlust of youth while some of her siblings are entering middle age. It distresses her.
Additional appearance details: Adaeze is a dark skinned Bosmer with amber eyes. She has a few scars on her face. Her body is wiry and muscular, and she stands a little taller than other Bosmer women (but not by much). She is very athletic.
(She should be darker skinned than the picture and have slightly more Afro-Arabic features, but ESO is limited in what it can do. I may get a custom piece done later.)
Additional personality analysis: There's a lot to be said about Adaeze. She is cocky and eager to prove herself, and she's quick to rub it in when she's victorious. She has a competitive spirit, and functions best when a challenge has been made of things ("Let's see who can kill more goblins," for instance). She's quick-tempered, too, and when she's spouting on about Ra Gada pride she can come across as haughty or aloof.
Once she gets to know someone, Adaeze can be a lot more easy-going. She needs company that can put up with her sharp tongue, as she's prone to tossing a verbal jab at her compatriots whenever the opportunity presents itself, but it's often meant in a playful, jesting manner. She likes to get a rise out of people.
While Adaeze has a bad habit of lying, especially to cover up her own failures and embarrassments, she is a steadfast ally in battle. With only a few exceptions, she's the sort of woman to make sure her companions get out of the battle alive. She's got lots of flaws, when the chips are down this proud Hammerfell warrior will risk her life for the betterment of the group.
One thing is for sure: Adaeze likes getting into fights. She's good at combat and she relishes opportunities to prove it, be they bar brawls, formal duels, or pitched battles.
Additional skills and flaws: Like most Bosmer, Adaeze has heightened senses. She has a keen sense of sight and hearing, and she's picked up some knowledge about tracking from military training and her own adventuring.
Adaeze is highly defensive about her heritage. She insists that she is Ra Gada, and she discards any notion that she is a Bosmer in anything but blood. Anyone that challenges this notion is prone to anger her. Adaeze can be reckless when angered.
Adaeze is superstitious about fighting walking corpses. In Hammerfell, it is one of the most grievous of sins to strike down the honored dead. It brings misfortune on one's family, a curse upon one's name. Ergo, she does not enjoy the idea of fighting Draugr or zombies or anything of that nature, even though this curse only applies to those who strike down the dead of Hammerfell. She will fight undead outside of Hammerfell, but she isn't confident doing so, and she may lock up with fear or even run away.
Additional inventory items: Adaeze wears a light, short coat of chainmail over padded cloth armor. She also wears steel greaves and bracers, both in the fashion of Hammerfell, and a light helmet with a small spike at the top, also in the Redguard style. She keeps basic smithing supplies with her, rations, water, a hip flask full of rum, and basic traveling gear (rope, bedroll, grappling hook, etc). Her miscellaneous gear includes various feather pens and an inkwell. Adaeze keeps a dagger for a sidearm. She carries most of her equipment in a backpack or on her belt, sometimes in pouches. It's not uncommon for her to throw her backpack down before a fight.
@Chicken, the skill and attribute line-up looks good. The Yokudan language won't come up too often, but that doesn't mean it won't ever be used. I would keep it, since it is something that's likely to be unique to your character.
1H and 2H sword skills depend on what your character's trained with and the style she favors. If she wants to fully take advantage of the flexibility of her sword, than having both styles is the way to go. What you have so far (expert 2H and apprentice 1H) suggests that she fights with a two-handed grip more often. Also, there's an abundance of 1H sword experts coming from chapter 1, so a 2H expert is better for variety.
Like what Dervish said, you don't need to cover everything with the skill points. Some side talents in speech and lockpicking are perfectly fine without being on the list. You may even have the chance to upgrade certain skills if you find your character frequently dealing with them.
The application looks great overall; you have my approval. Just wait for @Peik and @Dervish to clear you and you can post it to the characters tab.
@Chicken, the questionnaire is OOC, but the questions are answered from the perspective of your character (though some of the questions may be actually asked during the recruitment process). The IC time and place helps us keep track of when your character first entered play, since players joining us at a later date will be easily differentiated by this.
Best I figured it out to be and equalled it out for my own games is that Altmer can live to be about 1,000 naturally due to dem Slytherin like Aldmer purity thing, all the other Mer can ambitiously make it to around 200-250.
Altmers can technically live up to a thousand years, just like people on earth can technically live up to 120. It is extremely unlikely due to factors such as accidents, disease and malnutrition.
One more question, since I can't find a solid answer:
How long, roughly, do Bosmer live? I'm considering my character starting at 40 years old. I understand Mer hit adulthood around 20-ish?
From what I understand, elves (not including orcs), live up to 200-300 years old on average. That's assuming no significant life-extension, and with advanced magic, people like Divayth Fyr can live indefinitely.
They reach maturity around the same age that humans do, as shown by Barenziah and Ayrenn. However, I imagine some elven societies may take advantage of their longer lifespan and stay in school for an extended period of time.
@Mortarion, looks good. Only required change is lowering the amount of money Tsleeixth has, since it's currently the same as he had in chapter 1.
@Chicken, you don't need to read Fruits of Contention chapter 1 or the NRP (though you can if you want to). I'm working on a summary of the first chapter and it should be out in a couple of days.
All of our characters start off in the same group. You can customize how your character got to the group, and he/she doesn't even have to sign up as a mercenary. For example, they can simply be a paid passenger or have applied for general labor on the ship. The only requirement is that the character needs be at Solitude on Last Seed 5, the time when IC starts.
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