STATUS:
Wow three years since an update....well - I guess I've been busy. Finally getting back into real story writing instead of just editing and submitting old stuff.
8 mos ago
Current
Wow three years since an update....well - I guess I've been busy. Finally getting back into real story writing instead of just editing and submitting old stuff.
2
likes
4 yrs ago
Responses didn't come like I meant them to. I'm working on being able to get to them this week. Thank you for your patience with me.
1
like
4 yrs ago
Responses to those waiting to hear from me will come tomorrow. Apologies.
1
like
4 yrs ago
Shit happens, responses slow. Working on it. Please be patient.
I'm an adult with a family and responsibilities that take priority, as well as mental health issues that can cause me to not get on this site for periods of time. Just know I will get back to you within a few days. If I had something going with you at some point, and you're interested in either starting it back up or starting something fresh, just reach out.
I recently started working on getting published, and have self published one story so far. Check it out on Amazon - Into the Night by Alexia Wynd.
You can also check out more of my work - short stories and the like - at my recently started Patreon: patreon.com/storiestocaptivate
The place was still too noisy. Maybe a few less people, and it would have been easier to hear himself think. A few less people, and he would have been able to tune out what was going on around him and actually read. There were a lot of jobs, many things the town guard were ill equipped to handle at the time. Likely all of them could end up being things he was more than capable at handling. Did it really matter what one he picked?
In the end, he just read the job names. They held most of the information in those few words, a summary of what might come. That was the point of titles, wasn't it? To help someone understand what they might be getting into without needing to read more details in a quick glance?
He'd spent too long staring at the board as it was. Markovis had little interest in spending any longer there. It wasn't so much a worry someone would think he was having trouble picking a job. He was alone there at the moment. That would eventually change. Might as well just take something that sounded interesting at look at the details in a quieter setting.
The lackluster mage pulled the Suspicious Monster Sighting flyer from the board and wove his way over to the counter. He was going to just tell Ria, but she looked to be in conversation with Nolan - a strange concept for sure but one he had no inclination to interrupt - so he headed for Karma. Stopping in front of bartender, he held up the posting. "Karma, I'm taking this job. I'll be back when I have completed it."
That was all there was to it. He told someone, so he turned and made his way for the exit. Adelyn was so small he almost tripped over her when he did, though. After the momentary collision and catch to ensure neither fell, and even a fleeting "Didn't see you but forgetting the apology, he continued on his wha out the door. Hopefully he could manage to get out without any trouble. Then it was just a matter of time before he could find quiet and actually read the description of the job.
Ria listened silently, her smile undeterred by the long winded response she recieved from their other resident reading fanatic. Adelyn may have had a proper upbringing but the girl had very little sense of refinement. Still, there was a genuine approval masked somewhere in the otherwise condescending words. Much like the mild approval Nolan gave their guild master's performance.
In fact, to say her smile was undeterred may have been an understatement. Whenshe smiled more, casting away the melancholy thoughts drummed up by - specifically - Adelyn's critic. "Dear Adelyn, music isn't just about pomp and serenity. It's about emotion and connection. What may be melodious to one is grating to another. But it does not lessen the emotion it invoked for the artist that created it, nor give privilege to another to strike down their efforts for sharing it simply for it not being what you prefer. Any musician that truly appreciates their art can appreciate that of another whether they are opposing interests or not.
"Nolan's critic on the other hand is much better aligned." She laughed softly. "Perhaps our guildhall is not properly suited for a concert like this. If I had remembered, perhaps I could have invited you to join me at the farms. It would have been nice to have an extra set of hands when bringing in the bushels of produce they gave me, and would have relieved you guys of the din of the festivities for at least a little while."
She thought for a moment, humming thoughtfully while tapping her chin. Her gaze locked on the counter as thought. It made her oblivious to Kiba gesturing Adelyn out or the encouraging thumbs up he gave Nolan. Even if she had seen it, she wouldn't have realized what he meant.
"I got it!" She snapped her fingers as she focused on the group. Only to find it was just Nolan. "Huh. Where'd they go?" She blinked then shook her head and hands, erasing the momentary slump in energy and replacing it with her cheery rays again. "Oh it doesn't matter, I suppose. But! There are a few jobs on the board, ones that'll help get you out of here and even help garnering some better report with the town guard by helping them with a job. I could join you to help quell any potential misunderstandings before they start too. If you wanted."
Pokédollars: 3,000 Egg in Egg Case 1x Potion Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.
♂
Species: Eevee Type: Normal Level: 6 Status: Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand-Attack Ability: Adaptability - Increases STAB from 1.5x to 2x Held Item:
♀
Species: Rowlet Type: Grass/Flying Level: 5 Status: Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage Ability: Overgrow - Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Held Item:
Despite how indignant the pompous prick sounded as he shot off demanding, if not slightly nervous, questions the point remained: Tristan was joining her. He'd followed her as she left and even while presenting a front like he wasn't planning to continue traveling with her, he was still following as she backtracked a little toward the forest. Tristan joining her was just as good as her going it alone, though.
"No, no one told you about the disappearances. But yeah, I knew about it and withheld that information because, despite how awful you are at polite conversation and your overall rude physical demeanor to - just guessing but I'm assuming - everyone you've met today aside from Mr. and Mrs. Andersen, I wholeheartedly do not believe you would be abducted by the forest. At worst, we'll get turned back to the wood edge. The only ones that are never seen again are the ones that the forest guardian thinks are too awful to return. I don't think you're actually as nasty as you try to be, and I have a feeling the forest guardian will sense that too."
Faye let out a soft sigh and stopped walking for a moment as she turned to face him. "Look, if you're scared of potentially disappearing or not cool with traveling with me because I didn't tell you something that won't be a problem anyway, just keep going that way - " she pointed down the road past the daycare - "and you'll end up in Florasong. It's nice, and pretty, and safe there. No one will ever know you were too afraid of a stupid legend to try to see what lives in the Forest of Fae.
"I have a plan, so I'm going to go see if I can get in that forest and at least see what pokemon libe there. Fairy-type do live there but people only really see glimpses. But, if we can get the forest guardian to welcome us, we won't get lost or forced to leave. And if it doesn't, I'm coming back here once I find out more about the talisman that supposedly helped ancients enter it and get my hands on one.
"So, what's it gonna be? Gonna play it safe, or are you gonna join me in being the first ones to get proof of what that forest is actually like?"
Pokédollars: 3,000 Egg in Egg Case 1x Potion Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.
♂
Species: Eevee Type: Normal Level: 6 Status: Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand-Attack Ability: Adaptability - Increases STAB from 1.5x to 2x Held Item:
♀
Species: Rowlet Type: Grass/Flying Level: 5 Status: Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage Ability: Overgrow - Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Held Item:
It hadn't even occurred to Faye that in her amazement over the egg getting identified that she might offend the daycare runner with her reaction. She blinked at his coarse reaction then finally tore her eyes away from the egg. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just that my dad has worked with pokemon for, well, since before I was born and he's always wanted get a chance to work with one, so getting a shiney as an egg is pretty amazing for me. I hope it hatches before I get back to King's Cross so I can show him if he's not out on call."
And then the poser coverboy had to go open his mouth and remind everyone he existed. He couldn't have spared her the reminder of how much of a chore he was? No, had to go continue proving he was as pompous as he was ignorant of the region. Which of course turned into the old man trying to dissuade them of even trying to enter the forest to test the legends she'd read.
She knelt and carefully stored the egg back into her pack. "Unlike pretty boy here, I have researched plenty and I'm confident we'll do just fine in making it back out. Whether we manage to get a pokemon that lives there or not is entirely up in the air..." She stood and got her backpack settled back on her shoulders. "But I'm not exactly looking to catch any pokemon. Just want some pictures, proof of what the forest looks would be amazing for researchers."
"At any rate, I'm sure we've taken enough of your time. Thank you for helping identify the egg. What do I owe you for that? Then we'll be out of your hair." She figured it was the polite thing, offer payment for a service even if she wasn't using the daycare. Once that was settled, they'd set out. If the city boy was too much of a wimp to follow her, then she'd just set out on her own. Maybe he'd even survive making it to Florasong without being traumatized by how far he had to walk.
Pokédollars: 3,000 Egg in Egg Case 1x Potion Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.
♂
Species: Eevee Type: Normal Level: 6 Status: Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand-Attack Ability: Adaptability - Increases STAB from 1.5x to 2x Held Item:
♀
Species: Rowlet Type: Grass/Flying Level: 5 Status: Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage Ability: Overgrow - Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Held Item:
Faye blinked and would have laughed about trying to impress Tristan - much less that the guy thought they were friends - if not for the way the man reacted to the egg. He looked amazed, shocked really, to see the egg she pulled from her bag. A Larvesta egg? No way Basil gave a first day trainer a Larvesta egg. She stared at it a bit stunned. She had no doubts she would be able to handle it, but to get one out of one chance meeting was mindboggling. Her father would never believe her that she already managed to get one. Then again, it didn't seem like this guy believed her either.
Her attention turned back to the guy with his more pointed accusation. "Well, I'm not sure if I should be insulted you think I'd be incompetent enough to steal an egg and bring it to an upstanding citizen to identify my haul, or relieved you believe that believe I'm not making it up. But, as it turns out, I do have proof of my tale." She pulled out her phone and brought up her account to show the old coot the post she made of the picture of Basil and her together, as well as his response below it. "My name is Faye Wrexlyn. I met him yesterday shortly after I left Professor Kapoc's lab yesterday. Basil's yamper was interested in my camera - a pretty photogenic pokemon - and after a bit of a chat, Basil said I should take the egg. He apparently got it from Adriane Brand, so at least that mystery is solved."
She put her phone away and picked up the egg. "Wow, so you're sure it's a Larvesta egg? Man, my dad would be thrilled to actually get to see one up close. Maybe it'll hatch before I get back home. Do you think you can tell how long before it might hatch?" The fact that there was even another person around completely slipped her mind. Tristan could be on the ground screaming in pain and her focus would be on the egg in hand and the man that knew about it - though who could blame her for ignoring him?
There was something going on at the guildhall today. Which meant adjusting routine. Not that some would consider getting dressed, going to the guildhall, then drinking until either something caught his attention or they kicked him out was a routine, but for Markovis - that routine was grounding. He would have kept to it if not for the understanding that the festivities Jenna had planned would draw in more people than he cared to be around. Too much high energy in a place already bustling with bodies eager to prove themselves.
No, he needed to not be in there. Not until he'd had a few drinks. That always helped calm his mind after a night of restless insomnia. Reading hadn't helped much the night before, and Penelope tired of playing. He supposed he could head to the forest outside of town to train, but the last time caused such a hassle with the guards that it seemed like far too much effort than he wanted to put into anything yet.
A heavy sigh escaped him. Markovis rubbed a hand in his face then ran it back through his raven colored hair. The only real option was routine. As bothersome as it was to be amongst the bustle of festivities it was far more troublesome to figure out a way to avoid them in the first place.
He got off the couch and grabbed a full bottle of everclear off the counter on the way to his bedroom. No time like the present to condition himself for a crowd.
* * *
The bottle was half finished by the time the apathetic young mage entered the guildhall, bottle corked but still in hand. Some would think he dressed to impress, with a dark blue turtle neck that brought out the blue of his eyes, black slacks, and what might appear to most to be nice shoes; in reality it was just clothes that felt comfortable and he could move easily in, including the shoes that had comfortable inserts and a cushioned heel. His steel blue blue gaze passed over the throng of people to ascertain the best route to his usual spot away from most. But in that assessment, it became clear even his usual spot at the bar was crowded with people ordering drinks and guild mates talking. At least the music died down.
Jenna said something about jobs. That was probably the only thing he could do that didn't involve a desire to kill off the bottle in his hand in as few chugs as possible. So instead of heading to his usual spot, he veered off course over to the collection of jobs to see if any caught his interest.
Ria was up, dressed, and out before dawn just like every day. There were enough farms around that she could start each day visiting one to help get fields watered. It was just the right amount of exercise and cheerful help she needed to start the day off well regardless of what dreams found her the night before. It wasn't hard work or involved, but the contract with the Rembrandt farmers both ensured a steady source of revenue for the guild and allowed her to even have a small parcel of land to use for her own gardening.
So like every morning, there was Ria, humming to herself and dancing amongst the drizzle as a rain cloud followed her through Farmer Sadie's field. The water was warm, so it didn't matter that it soaked her hair and dress (and made the fabric contour to her curves more than usual). Who didn't like enjoying a quick sprinkle on a beautiful day?
By the time she had finished, and received a small bushel of vegetables with this month's payment for her services, the sun was already up. Her sundress and hair dried by the time she skipped in the door of the guildhall.
Only to pause in confusion. There were far too many people and too much noise to be just any day. And when she spotted Jenna on stage, it clicked. "The festivities were today??" She almost facepalmed, if not for the act of starting to put the bushel off balance and she almost dropped it all to the ground. Well, no time to waste.
The water mage wove her way skillfully through the crowd, dodging elbows and ducking under arms, to get to the bar, and furthermore back into the kitchen. Only once the vegetables were stored up did she return to them bar. "Good morning, Karma. Anything I can do to help?" It was only after her greeting to the lead bartender that she noticed several of her guild mates all looking miserable. It didn't stop her from giving them all a cheerful smile. "Hi, guys! Seems everyone liked Jenna's song. Doesn't she have such a lovely voice?"
Pokédollars: 3,000 Egg in Egg Case 1x Potion Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.
♂
Species: Eevee Type: Normal Level: 6 Status: Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand-Attack Ability: Adaptability - Increases STAB from 1.5x to 2x Held Item:
♀
Species: Rowlet Type: Grass/Flying Level: 5 Status: Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage Ability: Overgrow - Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Held Item:
Faye watched him carry on with a blinking wide-eyed stare. This guy couldn't be for real, could he? No one was honestly that pompous. It had to be just a some way to boost up low confidence - overcompensate that you are the best and maybe you really would look better? He had to be at least somewhat sympathetic to already have a Riolu, right? He didn't start off with one. Unless he was handed it like his torchic. She supposed that was always an option.
Sage and Tilia exchanged looks with each other while their trainer just watched in dumbfounded confusion as to why this guy would ramble on like he was gods' gift to Evig. After he finally shut up and started walking away without even the slightest hint of where she was going to head off, she burst out laughing at his inquiry. It was a solid minute of trying to quell that laughter before she finally recovered and swallowed it down in a few trickling chuckles. "Okay, yeah, whatever you think. I guess you have pokemon food and supplies for when your team gets hurt. Won't need any of my help..."
She started off, figuring if he was going to travel with her he'd just catch up. "I have an egg I need help identifying. Basil told me the daycare should be able to identify it, and Rosa said they were only a little ways down the road. That's the first stop. Then back to the forest we passed to get to the ranch. Supposedly it's a good source of fairy types and not many people have gotten any good pictures of it. I'm hoping to be the first to get decent evidence of life in the forest."
Regardless of whether the poser followed her or not, she was headed on her path. She had her game plan and she was going to try like hell to stick to it. Tristan ranting wouldn't derail her. She'd - at best - just ignore him. At worst, well - they'd be testing how skilled a trainer he actually was then (if she didn't just punch him in the face instead.) But that wasn't going to be the case. Not before they got to the Daycare to see an old man sitting outside.
A kind smile slid into place on her face. "Good morning. I was hoping you might be able to help me identify an egg I received." She knelt down and fished the egg case out of her bag before moving closer to let him have a better look. "I got this from Basil Rivens and he said you might be able to tell me what kind of mon it will hatch.
Name: Astoria “Ria” Ocenade Age: 18 Birthday: June 9th
Magic: Water and Water-Make Magic Level: B
- Water Bubble: The user creates bubbles of water with oxygen trapped inside that enable those who put their heads in the bubbles to breathe underwater.
- Water-Make (structure): This is mostly used as an unnamed spell. The user is able to create structures out of water, the top layer of which is condensed to be solid enough to support weight.
- Rejuvenating Waters: The user conjures a ball of water into their hand and offers it to the recipient. The person that drinks it will feel their magic restored like they rested, as well as minor injuries will be completely healed and they’ll feel generally well rested and relaxed; moderate to severe injuries are also healed to a degree, becoming less severe than previously, but it is not healed much. The amount of healing done by this spell is dependent on how much magic the caster directs into the water. This cannot be used on the caster.
- Rainstorm: The user summons up rainstorms. The duration, size, and strength depend on a lot of factors, not the least of which are the caster's magical capabilities and intent. It generally siphons - though if nature decides to keep the storm going, it can linger for longer naturally - from the user's magic and can allow for it to be shaped in size and power. Casters that aren't well versed in controlling the storm can only summon smaller ones that are barely useful for watering plants. The more practice that goes into it, the larger and more powerful the storm can be.
- Water Lock The user creates a large sphere of water that can be used to attack their target while they are trapped inside it.
- Water-Make Decoy: User generates realistic looking facsimiles of a person/persons out of water. Decoy(s) cannot move or make sound, but can be generated in any pose. If physically interacted with, Decoy(s) will disperse into a puddle of water.
- Undertow Water thickens the air and pulls at the target(s) making it more difficult for the target(s) to move and stay upright. This can even affect the ability to cast magic, and at the very least slows the target(s) down.
- Water-Make Barrier: Whereas Water Dome is for camouflage, this spell creates a barrier out of water that remains in place and carries an extreme current. The current is strong enough to prevent weak magical attacks from penetrating it, and makes it extremely difficult for things to cross the barrier. It is not impossible to break through, and it requires dedicated magical energy to maintain. If the caster falls unconscious or runs out of magical energy, the barrier will fall. Barrier can be made into many different forms, but generally seen as a wall or dome.
- Obscuring Mist: Through concentrated focus on condensing the water molecules in the air, the caster creates a fog cover to obscure vision around them and their allies. Range grows with practice, use, and magical force applied and can vary from a 20 foot radius to a 50 foot radius. With effort, the caster can allow individuals the ability to see through the mist clearly, but it is extremely strenuous and exhausting to do so. Mostly used as a diversion to escape dangers.
- Water-Make Cage: User creates a cage out of water sized to trap the target(s). The bars are extremely high current water cycling around the structure, making it difficult to break out and can lead to injury if one tries to escape.
- Neptune’s Dance: Two or more waves of water rotate around each other and form a helix that blast the opponent into the air with tremendous force.
- Water-Make (weapon): User concentrates water into the form of a weapon. Water weapon can deal damage like a normal weapon of that type, but only for as long as user has hold of the weapon (in the case of bow/arrows, user must continue contact on the bow). If contact is lost, weapon disperses.
- Geyser: User shoots boiling hot water from hands at target, which can hit to cause blunt damage and potentially scold the target.
- Water Slicer: By swiping their arm, the user sends scythe-like blades of water at their intended target, which are powerful enough to cleanly slice through solid rock. It can also be used as a form of defense to intercept an attack.
- Cyclone: The user forms a circular torrent of water in front of their hands and uses the cyclone of water to attack their target. The size and power of the cyclone is dependent on how much magical energy the user puts into the attack. Attack can knock the target off their feet, but is mostly aimed to do blunt damage.
- Tsunami: The user curls in on themselves, drawing water from the area around them, or just simply creating it themselves. After a few seconds, they unfurl, raising their arms up high. A wall of water rises before them and moves forward in a massive wave of destruction, knocking over and washing away anything in its path. This spell consumes a lot of magical energy and has the potential to level small towns.
History: Ria didn’t just grow up with just a family, or in a village. The village was populated by a single clan - the Ocenades. Everyone had a role to play in the village - from farmers and bakers to guardsmen that took shifts patrolling to make sure the village was safe. Those of the clan not born with magic were relegated to menial tasks such as being the farmers or seamstresses or craftsmen or educators of the clan, but everyone had a purpose. Children went to school and learned, and they helped their families with tasks when schoolwork was complete.
Her father was the head, the direct descendent of the original founding father of the clan generations ago. As such, it was expected his children would take over and lead when it was time. Born the older of two, it wasn’t a surprise that her brother was the one expected to fill this role. He was strong, smart, charismatic, and an ice mage like their father and mother - just like pretty much every other mage in the clan.
Except her.
Ria wasn’t just the female - and would have been passed over for leadership of the clan should her brother have been born second anyway - but she also couldn’t use Ice magic. While being gifted with water magic should have still been fine - she was still born a mage, after all - her father was disappointed, and thus her mother was too. She was raised to be prim and proper - the best thing she could do for the clan was to learn all she could about being a good wife and mother after all - in hopes she would marry another strong line of the clan and bear powerful offspring; it was the best her parents could hope for given the only blessing they had in her birth was that she did have a knack for magic according to many of the clansmen. Regardless of what the task was, she never performed it right as far as her parents were concerned. No matter how skilled she was at her magic, she would never be as capable as one of the others. She tried and tried to do better, to be what they wanted her to be, and every time kept coming up short. Never good enough no matter how much better at her lessons or her trials than the other children she was.
She struggled with a lot of issues as a child, and clung to validation wherever she found it. Thanks for melding most assuredly only temporary fixes to problems until one of the ice make mages or craftsmen could repair it more permanently, or an instructor telling her she had exceeded their expectations were manna from heaven when needed. It should have been that the daughter of the clan head was popular, but instead she was typically left on her own with only the ones required to socialize with her actually doing so. So as she grew older, she developed her own hobbies - ones she could do apart from the others - and flourished in those tasks on her own. Freetime was no longer spent trying to see what tasks she could do to help the village and seek the mediocre accolades she could, but in developing further on her other interests - painting, reading, gardening. But that was how she began to struggle to meet expectations. Her desire to find things that made her happy caused her to create an imbalance in maintaining the things she was previously performing properly. So she strove to apply herself better in the public tasks and the increased expectations of her as she grew older, while still trying to give herself time to do things she enjoyed in her diminishing freetime. Missteps and failure were more harshly critiqued, but she still desired the praise and continued her best, and eventually had to give up any attempts to do the things she enjoyed in the desire to regain her lost ground of approval.
Through it all, her brother did his best to support her. It was why she managed the free time she could, and how she continued without utter despair. He trained with her and it was only in matches with him she ever managed to not make a wrong move in the combat or fail to get the proper spell cast. She may have given up completely without her brother’s support. It was his support that drove her to make a believed to be an impossible move. The summer of her 16th year, they were coming back from a training session in the northern fields when they saw the village beginning to empty. The water had pulled back from the beach near the village and a colossal wave could be seen headed for the village. They couldn’t evacuate everyone in time, and the ice-maker mages were advising their wall was not high enough to negate the swell of water raging toward them. Despite her parents trying to stop her, she managed to get to the top of the ice wall built to defend the village. It was from there, she cast a counterspell and clashed her own massive tsunami with the one inbound. The wave that smashed back into the wall was enough to splash against her face like mist against a cliff, and the ocean settled back to its normal depths.
Only her brother had praised her effort, and noted her as the one to actually save the village. It was then Ria decided she could not remain there. Despite his best efforts to get her to stay, her brother resigned and sadly parted with her as Ria took her leave with few goodbyes. She had no direction when she first set out, until she saw the calls for Pergrande. She migrated there and helped with the small things they would let her - helping create rain for farmers in villages she passed through during a particularly dry growth period, and helping fill an irrigation pond for someone. Eventually she found her way to Rembrandt, and furthermore Rising Starborn, and found it to be the perfect place to settle and rediscover herself while still being able to help and feel rewarded for using her powers.
Personality: The first thing most people notice about her is that Ria tries to always be courteous and cheerful, loving to be around people almost as much as she likes reading. A fan of anything upbeat, she can often be seen dancing or heard singing to herself as she goes about her business, and generally moves with a skip in her step. She’s generally reliable, cares about the wellbeing of others regardless of whether she knows them or not, and is willing to do anything for her friends. She doesn't like to see people upset and will often go out of her way to try to cheer someone up.
She often seems like a bit of a ditz - forgetful, aloof, and perhaps even a bit naive. There are still simple things that are common sense to others she often overlooks - like privacy and personal space; some see it as her ditzy ways, but it’s more the childish naivety of not understanding other people may have different comfort levels than her, and her desperate desire to be around others. While not everyone gains automatic trust, Ria seeks to find the good in people and will often trust those that are shown kindness/trust from those she is friends with. She tends to give chances to people that many don’t believe should get chances, and has been led astray by kind words and gestures even if they are given with ill-intent.
Guild and guild mark location: Rising Starborn, Right tight - Turquoise Team Members: --
Three Strengths:
Hydromancer: Her water magic allows her to manipulate water around her as well as magically generate water. That is not the sum of it though. There are a few water spells that come naturally to her, casted like flexing a muscle. Spells of note for this are mostly just self-impacting ones, that help her swim deeper and stay under for extended periods of time. Water responds a bit more fluidly to her than other water casters, and with a bit of studying of the mage’s spells she can eventually manipulate water cast by others too; she hasn’t had the opportunity to see if she can manipulate Celestial’s or Dragon’s water magic, but she’s interested to see if that’s the case too.
Friendly: Ria loves to make friends, and just generally be around others. Whether it’s seeing someone looking down and wanting to cheer them up, or just giving them a person to be with, she doesn’t like seeing others alone. She likes to do things for others, and generally enjoys participating in whatever activity friends or those she chooses to associate with at the moment are doing.
Supportive/Helpful: She likes to help others, whether it be with supporting them in difficult decisions or sticking to getting better with spells. Despite her ditzy/aloof appearance, she understands a lot about the core concept of how different types of magic work, and techniques to make a particular type of magic work better. She’s not as effective at teaching, say, a wook-maker mage at casting as another wood-maker mage might, but she certainly knows enough to help the other wizard improve. She also just generally likes helping out and working with others, whether it’s just dealing with day to day things or a job or whatever. She feels it’s everyone’s job as part of the guild to help one another out, and it’s just being a good citizen to help when help is needed.
Upbeat/Positive/Cheerful: Believe it or not, like it or not, Ria is a metaphorical ray of sunshine. It isn’t just being friendly. She rarely is seen without a smile on her face or a bounce in her step. She always tries to look on the bright side of things even in the most dire of circumstances. This energy she does try to share with others, and is ever willing to help with figuring out what’s good about a bad experience.
Skilled Combatant: Trained for many years to fight alongside her family, Ria is just as skilled in hand to hand as she is with weapons and magic. She can improvise weapons based on her environment, use the terrain to her advantage, and is quite skilled in using her lithe and agile figure to her advantage. This skill allows her to strike fast, in vulnerable locations, and use her opponent’s attacks and mass against them in her own attacks, dodges, and counterattacks. As a molding mage, she’s developed upon this further to create a fighting style mostly unique to her and her creative style of magic.
Three Weaknesses:
Ditzy/Trouble Focusing: She appears to be an airhead. She generally has a lot of things going on in her head, that she can be a bit forgetful. She means well, and definitely doesn’t want to forget important things, but some things just slip through the cracks. Not just dates and times of important things, but maybe not paying attention to her surroundings (not necessarily to trip, but not notice someone flirting, or being uncomfortable because she got too close, etc). She usually apologizes, but it doesn’t keep it from happening again. So she leaves notes to herself, and - while there is an organizational system for everything she writes down - it kinda looks just as chaotic as her thoughts. While she does know a lot about a lot of topics given how much she reads, it’s not always reliable for her to relay the information she has stored in her head. Most of the time it just seems like she’s full of useless or unrelated information when she offers up things that come to mind during a particular topic she didn’t realize people had moved on from - or connected in her own head without when it apparently didn’t seem to connect to anyone else. When she’s on a roll with a topic that she’s interested in, if no one keeps the conversation focused, there’s a chance she’ll lead whomever she’s talking to on several different tangents before getting back on topic. Then there’s times where it seems like she can’t pull a thought from her head, despite having talked about something with a person already.
Insomnia/Nightmares: She doesn’t like to talk about it, to the point of refusal if someone won’t allow her to just brush off the concern, but she has trouble sleeping. She’s always had trouble sleeping ever since she was little, and Ria avoids dealing with it - chalking it up to something she will eventually grow out of rather than face the root of the problem head on.
Repress the Bad: Negative emotions and misbehaving wasn’t acceptable from her; she had to be the good child, the quiet one, the one that no one had to think about twice. Good wasn’t because people were looking at her, good was because the focus was somewhere else and there wasn’t time to deal with a child being a child. So she suppressed sadness. She made herself believe that she was happy. She won’t let herself dwell on the negative and buries anything that makes her feel anything but happy beneath layers of telling herself it’s fine. It’s second nature to her at this point, to shrug off a wrong done against her with a smile and a carefree “don’t worry about it”; what’s one more thing buried deep down? Because of this, she doesn’t allow herself to cope with her own negative feelings. Whenever something starts to creep up, feeling angry or sad, she shoves those feelings down into the “doesn’t bother me” zone. There, all the bad feelings go to - well most would hope - die, but really they just fester. Sure, one day they may break through the carefully crafted cage, but for now - it’s holding strong so no need to try to process the bad.
Workaholic: Perhaps workaholic isn’t the proper term, but Ria doesn’t like to sit idle. She constantly pushes herself to stay busy, whether it’s helping a neighbor or friend, gardening, drawing, reading, cleaning...she tries to always be doing something.
Selfless/Low Self-Worth: While some would find being Selfless a strength, she understands it’s not. She puts others before herself, and sometimes (okay, most times) neglects her own wellbeing while being concerned over how someone else is doing. Whether it’s making sure everyone else has eaten before she finally serves herself, or helping someone even if she really should probably sit and rest, or pushing herself beyond her limits to stop someone else from getting hurt. Some of this reckless behavior could be mitigated from others noticing what she’s doing and convincing her to think of herself first, but it’s been a long time since anyone’s noticed. But if she smiles, it means she’s fine, right?
The Yips: For as skilled as she is, all her other weaknesses tend to creep up on her and as the fight continues, she starts to lose touch with her ability to function in combat. This is most common when she is fighting in front of a group or knows there is some level of judgment involved, even in life and death situations. The more she fails, the worse it can get. It isn’t consistent, as she has had instances of sheer gut instinct pushing her to thrive, but it is common enough she will eventually have to face her demons to overcome this.
Appearance: 5’3 She prefers skirts and dresses to pants; in fact, she only has two pairs of pants and two pairs of shorts in her entire wardrobe. Everything else is skirts, dresses, and nice blouses/tops to go with them. She generally avoids dark colors, but not to the point of exclusion.
Additional Details: She collects shiny stones.
She loves gardening, especially for growing fruits and vegetables. Her favorite food is strawberries.
She likes to paint and draw, and enjoys reading. She will read virtually anything to help deal with her insomnia.
Name: Markovis Penderghast Age: 19 Birthday: August 6th
Magic: Thermodynamic Conversion & Abyssal Body Magic Level: A
A magic that is designed to affect the temperature of targeted things - be it an area, a person, or an object. Because of this, there’s a neutral balance in the air directly around those that are skilled users and makes them immune to hot and cold environments. Those that use this magic tend to make do using only a handful of spells with varying degrees of precise applications to utilize it to its highest degree.
Chilling Touch: This spell removes all heat from the area around the caster’s hand. When the caster touches an object, this spell acts as a vacuum for the heat in that object, pulling it into the space around the caster’s hand to instill a “chilling” factor. When used on an item, it runs the risk of freezing the object. When used on a living being, it lowers the body temperature to potentially dangerous levels; living beings tend to reach with much the same way as being out in freezing temperatures - feeling sluggish, sleepy, with reduction in strength and mobility from muscles condensing from the cold. This feeling will last until the body is brought back up to proper temperature, either by the addition of heat or over the course of time in a warmer environment.
Encompassing Freeze: Caster extends their hand toward a target, and encompasses them in a nearly invisible sphere of air in which all heat has been removed. Those that do become trapped in it will instantly experience a reaction to the extreme cold environment and suffer from the usual effects of the lack of heat the longer they are in there, ultimately putting the target into a stasis like state that can be reversed by warming the target back up to standard temperature. This spell has a natural limit of a few minutes when cast, but can last longer if the caster maintains concentration on it.
Burning Touch: The opposite of Chilling Touch, this spell increases the amount of heat in the area around the caster’s hand. When the caster touches an object, this spell causes the object to act as the vacuum for the heat, pulling the heat from around the caster’s hand to cause a “super heated” factor. When used on an item, it will leave a burn mark and runs the risk of setting the object on fire. When used on a living being, it raises the body temperature to dangerous levels; living beings tend to react with much the same way as if they had spiked a fever - sweating, potential delirium, and trouble concentrating. This feeling will last until the body is brought back down to proper temperature, either by the removal of heat or over the course of time in a cooler environment.
Encompassing Heat: Caster extends their hand toward a target, and encompasses them in a nearly invisible sphere of air in which heat has been increased drastically. Those that do become trapped in it will instantly experience a reaction to the extremely hot environment and suffer from the usual effects of being in excessive heat the longer they are in there, ultimately causing the target’s organs to start shutting down. This is a far deadlier version of Encompassing Freeze as the actual effects can only truly be reversed with healing magic, though can be lessened by removing the target(s) from the extreme heat. This spell has a natural limit of a few minutes when cast, which will not inherently do much more damage than making someone experience heat exhaustion, but can last longer if the caster maintains concentration on it and thus will cause worse effects.
Thermal Blast: The caster increases the heat around one hand, and decreases the heat around their other hand. After they’ve reached a proper imbalance between the two temperatures, they slam their hands together to create a sudden vacuum of negative pressure that ultimately will create a shockwave out away from the caster. Shockwave will travel for up to 20 feet before fully dissipating, getting weaker the further from the caster it travels; within a foot or two it is strong enough to send someone flying back away from him.
Thermal Shift: This spell allows the caster to either increase or decrease the temperature of the area surrounding them, up to a 100’ radius from the caster. How hot or cold depends on the caster’s target, but is generally used as a utility spell to help negate negative effects from being stranded in extreme conditions.
Thermal Reaction: The caster reactively adjusts how much heat, or the lack thereof, is in a 5’ radius of them in order to stave off an attack. The heat increase is generally done to an extreme, which is likely to cause 3rd degree burns if the attacker tries to get closer; conversely the heat decrease is generally to an extreme, making the attacker feel sluggish and start to freeze up to not be able to press the attack further. It’s an innate defense practitioners of Thermodynamic Conversion have, as this magic doesn’t lend itself to defense very well.
Thermal Activation: Supercharging the heat property of the air around an object will drive the heat into the object, thus causing it to glow - or, in the case of flammable objects, catch fire - from the thermal radiation.
Abyssal Body draws on the properties of Dark Matter, a corrosive substance that is visible to the naked eye as a mass of swirling black and indigo, as well as powers from an extradimensional realm known as the Abyss. This magic is not just an unnatural magic, drawing on dark powers thought to be beyond the reach of Earthland - or its sister dimensions, - but is one that is thought to be a lost magic, forgotten for its potentially dangerous and uncontrollable properties.
Abyssal Sight: A body enchantment, this allows the caster to allow others to see in pitch darkness. It can be cast on multiple people at once, with each additional person costing more energy to cast. Requires the caster to physically touch the target’s forehead. Enchantment lasts for an hour, unless dedicated focus is to holding it longer. Exposure to bright light while this enchantment is in place will temporarily blind the users.
Consuming Abyss: Caster raises a hand - palm flat - toward a target, and summons up a sphere of total dark matter, snuffing out all light and holding the target immobile. The air within the sphere gains weight, to feel a bit oppressive and give a sense of claustrophobia, dread, and abandonment to the target by shutting out all ability to sense the world outside the sphere. This spell can be held for longer than the normal end time, which can cause the corrosive nature of the dark matter to start eating away at clothing and organic matter within the sphere. Will last for up to 5 minutes (unless held longer by the caster), though it can be dismissed by the caster, or overpowered either from the target trapped within the sphere (via magically attacking the sphere) or a magical light strike against the sphere from an exterior source. (An exterior force attacking the sphere will not damage the target trapped within. Simply dissipate the sphere itself.)
Abyssal Reach: Caster thrusts a hand toward the target. Tendrils of dark matter shoot out at the target, and despite their apparent weightlessness and translucency they are quite tangible; these tendrils can be cut and otherwise blocked by solid objects. They can be used to attack a target, striking an opponent with fast and powerful strikes over the course of several minutes - or for however long the spell is concentrated on - and delivering painful caustic burns in addition to any blunt damage when they come into contact with bare skin. These tendrils can also be manipulated to be used to pick up and move objects out of reach. They can squeeze into small spaces and be used to manipulate objects - such as slipping under a door and disengaging a lock - so long as the user knows where the tendrils are moving unseen. The tendrils can only lift and move things that the caster would be able to move - so objects the caster could not lift cannot be lifted, but could be pushed - similar to other forms of interaction with objects. In any capacity, the tendrils have a maximum distance they can reach, which is roughly 100 feet.
Abyssal Imprisonment: Caster summons up several tendrils of dark matter, shooting up from the ground - or from behind - to wrap around the target (depending on if they are standing on the ground or flying). These tendrils shoot up and latch around the limbs and body of the target, restricting movement and restraining the target. They can be cut, or destroyed with the application of magic. They also will cause caustic burns that will slowly start to eat away at the person should any of the tendrils touch bare skin.
Leeching Abyss: Caster extends their hand toward the target. A multitude of dark matter tentacles race forth, forming hands that attempt to grasp the intended target. These tentacles will attempt to restrain the target, and should any make a solid grasp against the target’s bare skin or a source of magic (lacrima infused item and/or holder item) will slowly drain the ethernano from the target and transfer to the caster. While they may seem intangible due to the translucent nature, much like other Abyssal Body spells they can be deflected with weapons and other solid objects, as well as destroyed. The more skill the user has, the faster the tentacles move and respond to adjustments in the target's position, as well as the more tentacles are summoned.
Abyssal Destruction: Caster forms a sphere of dark matter in their hand that is then released at the target in the form of a large beam, or thrown as a destructive orb that explodes upon contact. The destructive capability depends on how long it is charged up for - a few seconds is weak compared to ten minutes which could level a mountain - and the longer it charges, the larger the diameter of the attack (beam or sphere) is.
Into the Void: Caster becomes intangible to magical and physical attacks, disappearing from sight and able to reappear at a different location, or in the same location after the attack being avoided is finished. Unable to spam this attack, as it wears on the caster the more it is used.
Void Step: An evolution to Into the Void, this spell allows the caster to take others with them. How many depends on how experienced and powerful the caster is, and starts with only being able to take up to 2 people that they are touching with them to a new location. The new location can be anywhere, so long as the caster knows of it and can picture it clearly. As the caster progresses in both experience and power, they can take more people and will not need to actually be touching the individuals traveling with them.
Fury of the Abyss: Caster gains a swirling haze of a black and indigo glow. While using this spell, caster is able to move at incredible speeds that allow the user to land powerful melee attacks. The speeds are generally fast enough that it can be difficult to trace his trajectory and thus difficult to defend against. There are traces of heat left in the wake of the caster’s movements, heating up the area more and more. Users cannot cast other spells while this is enabled.
Crushing Void: Caster crosses their arms above their head to begin casting the spell. A sphere of dark matter swirls into being, pulling light into it as it grows in size - to a maximum of a 6 foot diameter. Caster then unleashes the orb toward the target, with the same apparent gravitational pull as a miniature blackhole. The pull has the potential to suck light objects into the dark matter vortex - destroying those objects instantly - and can cause balance issues for heavier ones (including people) as the pull tries to suck them in as well. The swirling vortex also will start to suck in light sources, dimming the room. The sphere will disperse when it impacts either the target (dealing blunt damage, knocking the target backward, and dealing caustic damage to skin and corroding inanimate objects), or the first solid object (such as a boulder or wall or other object at least 3 feet in height and 2 feet in width - said object may be destroyed or partially corroded, depending on what it is made of.) Smaller objects in this path may be destroyed in the process.
Hex of the Abyss: Caster thrusts a hand out toward a magical source. An invisible force pulses out from the thrust hand forward toward the source, dispelling any spells that may be in effect by the target. This attack is typically used to target an opponent in battle, and can dispel magically equipped armor/weapons that are summoned up from Requip, or temporarily nullify the magical properties of holder items; when dispelling caster magic it is instantaneous, but items unequipped in this manner - as well as holder items that are nullified - cannot be reequipped or have that magical property reactivated again for a few minutes. This spell can also be used against static magical effects, such as magical barriers or traps, to dispel the magic in place. Against sentient magical items, it acts more or less like a stun attack, temporarily causing the item to be in a semi-conscious state and partially unresponsive.
History: One would expect someone like Markovis to have some isolated and gloomy upbringing to create such an emotionally void individual. That was not the case. While, yes, he was an only child, his parents were neither too busy to bother with him nor overbearing. They supported him in whatever interests he wanted to pursue when younger, gave him his freedom to pursue them at his own pace, and even never pushed him to do better than he wished. But he wasn’t happy with just being mediocre when it bored him. He skipped grades and was seen as a bit of a prodigy in his youth - gaining a great understanding of Thermodynamic Conversion magic quicker at a younger age than many believed would be able to master such a rare magic, and furthermore graduating at a very young age.
The drive for it was all his own. It wasn’t exactly an external force from his parents, but the accolades of the achievements from those around him - relatives, teachers, the ire of fellow students that were older and placing lower in the class than him - that truly drove the desire to excel. He pushed himself to keep achieving bigger and better, looking into various other magics that eventually led to finding an ancient tomb from which he learned Abyssal Body, as a way of distracting from others around himself. This led to him also entering university on full scholarship at age 14. But upon completing his first year, he found he was losing his drive, despite focusing on theoretical magics and magical applications. He was very capable of exploring the new magic and still making time for his studies, but ultimately found he had no clue what he wanted to do with himself, and professions that require a degree were starting to seem more and more like just attempts to continue receiving accolades instead of something that interested him.
Halfway through his second year, he finally decided it wasn’t worth it. The only thing he did enjoy in all of it was magic and figured that was the better pursuit. He dropped out and decided to focus entirely on developing his magic. The guilds in Fiore held no draw for him, mostly focused on gearing toward particular skill sets that he felt would limit his expansion and exploration. So he looked to other nations, which is how he found Pergrande. While it didn’t seem to boast the same hospitality toward mages as other nations seeking them, it certainly presented its own form of challenge that melded well with his current interests. He spent a while traveling the land on his own, trying to find challenges to his magic but continually falling short on any willing to employ him for such ventures. Eventually, he came across the Rising Starborn guild and settled in with them. While he continued to fall short of things he felt were a challenge, at least he could put other interests to use and be around fellow mages.
Personality: Generally stoic and impassive, Markovis doesn’t generally rise to the occasion for most things. It’s not an easy task to incite anger or sadness, or even a smile, out of the man. He prefers being task oriented, focusing on work and keeping to himself when there isn’t a job of interest on the board. While he may not train to become stronger, he does enjoy challenges and often takes jobs that can be difficult for a single person to do by himself. Deep within this mask of impassiveness is someone that does care. But he doesn’t quite understand how to show it. So, he doesn’t bother. It’s far easier to work if you don’t have the bothersome voice of compassion whispering in your ear. This causes him to not try to pursue close connections with anyone, and generally views anyone as an associate or an acquaintance with no real feelings of familiarity toward any one individual beyond that.
Guild and guild mark location: Rising Starborn, Right pectoral - dark gray
Three Strengths:
Large Magical Reserves: Markovis started training his magic young, and has learned to build up even larger reserves for his magic to cast more spells or continue casting after using a high consumption spell. He tends to recover his energy faster being in darkened conditions, and benefits from the fact that he acts with restraint - preventing him from expending power he doesn’t need to.
Fearless: That’s not to say he doesn’t have anything he’s afraid of, but when faced with death or torture, or even the same of his allies, he is unyielding and unblinking in his position. He’s not looking to sacrifice himself or others, but he will not bend his position or even break just to see no suffering befalls anyone. The same is said for his pursuit to complete a job, willing to push himself past the limit and risk his very life to ensure the task is completed.
Intelligent: Let it not be said that one who holds their tongue be proven ignorant. It is clear from the look in his eyes and the words he chooses when he speaks that he is far more intelligent than many give him credit for. He understands finer nuances of conversations even if he lacks the emotional wisdom to feel their impact, and can be quite manipulative if he desires; it usually isn’t the case as he sees most interactions with others as a means to an end. Most jobs end up as simple games of chess to him, mapping out the moves of himself (and often able to predict the moves of partners he chooses to accept) and the opposition before the job is even underway.
Three Weaknesses:
Dispassionate / Emotionally Inept: While there is a part of Markovis that does care about others, he has difficulty not only showing it but also acknowledging it in himself. This especially is seen in the middle of dangerous jobs, should someone get hurt - they should have thought better about what to do to prevent it, or not come on the job to begin with, because an injured partner isn’t something he can allow to interfere with completing a job. He also appears a bit listless and with no true preference over what job type he takes. Though he can be found reading and fond of it, it’s not like there’s a particular focus to anything he does and it shows through with generally a very vacant expression and distant tone.
This all mostly comes from the fact he doesn’t quite grasp emotions. Either his own or others. They aren’t tools, they aren’t generally helpful, and - more specifically - they generally get in the way. He often doesn’t understand humor of others, which generally either kills the joke or fails to deliver on the perceived outcome (not to say humor being made at his expense to laugh at how he failed to grasp it is not the desired outcome) which ultimately will result in him disengaging from the conversation in lue of better prospects.
Task Oriented: When it comes to taking a job or doing work, he doesn’t allow himself to get distracted. It also tends to mean he has trouble switching gears if necessary. The job comes first, and he will see it through whether it means his partner is injured and he must continue on alone or not. While he does take in information from his surroundings, and will weigh someone’s advice or thoughts on a topic, he generally will demand they follow the most efficient means of completion rather than let the job potentially get botched because of using a plan that may reduce risk of injury.
Poor People Skills: While self-evident, despite an intelligence to help him get through difficult tasks, the one thing he cannot always work out is how to be delicate about someone’s feelings. He prefers succinct conversations that end quickly to be able to continue on his day, and can oftentimes curt to ensure the interaction ends if necessary.
Greatest Love: His gray tabby cat, Penelope Motivation: To find something he is truly passionate about
Additional Details: He dislikes nicknames, but not enough to complain should someone insist on using one for him. He will correct once and then just ignore any future improprieties should they arise.
He prefers his personal space, and has issues with people being within arm’s reach. He gets defensive, sometimes tensing up, if touched by most people; it can completely derail his train of thought and will shut him down in a conversation if touched.
Markovis is quite fond of animals and plants. He has led him to foster several stray cats and even nurse a pigeon back to health, though he only kept the one cat. He also has several houseplants - all of which are pet safe should his cat decide to eat them - which he tends to as well. He can name many plants without more than a single glance, and is quite content for long strolls in the park to see the flowers cultivated in the gardens.
Theoretical magic and magical theory, as well as other intellectual ventures of all kinds spark an interest even if he may not seem like it does. Even in college, he enjoyed his classes regarding magical research and theoretical application of lost or ancient magics.
While he isn’t exactly going to always accept a drink, Markovis is also rarely seen without something alcoholic nearby. He argues he’s not an alcoholic, despite the fact his blood is likely 90 proof (or higher). Perhaps that is why there are times he becomes a bit short on longer missions,
Markovis’s love of consumables isn’t just limited to liquor, and is quite fond of cooking as well. While it is easier to simply use the appliances provided to cook, there are times he uses his Thermodynamic Conversion magic to cook.
While he may not look like much, or even really rise to the occasion often, Markovis is a skilled fighter both with weapons and without. He doesn’t “fist fight” per say but does have a great deal of skill in countering opponents' attacks by using their momentum and strength against them. He is a talented swordsman, knowing how to utilize multiple different sized blades from daggers to long swords and even glaives in various sword fighting styles; it seems his most comfortable form is glaive fighting which he uses both at full length and choked up to utilize as a sword. All his movements tend to be much more fluid than strength based with a focus on dodges, counterstrikes, and feints that have him moving like a dancer.
Name: Astoria “Ria” Ocenade Age: 18 Birthday: June 9th
Magic: Water and Water-Make Magic Level: B
- Water Bubble: The user creates bubbles of water with oxygen trapped inside that enable those who put their heads in the bubbles to breathe underwater.
- Water-Make (structure): This is mostly used as an unnamed spell. The user is able to create structures out of water, the top layer of which is condensed to be solid enough to support weight.
- Rejuvenating Waters: The user conjures a ball of water into their hand and offers it to the recipient. The person that drinks it will feel their magic restored like they rested, as well as minor injuries will be completely healed and they’ll feel generally well rested and relaxed; moderate to severe injuries are also healed to a degree, becoming less severe than previously, but it is not healed much. The amount of healing done by this spell is dependent on how much magic the caster directs into the water. This cannot be used on the caster.
- Rainstorm: The user summons up rainstorms. The duration, size, and strength depend on a lot of factors, not the least of which are the caster's magical capabilities and intent. It generally siphons - though if nature decides to keep the storm going, it can linger for longer naturally - from the user's magic and can allow for it to be shaped in size and power. Casters that aren't well versed in controlling the storm can only summon smaller ones that are barely useful for watering plants. The more practice that goes into it, the larger and more powerful the storm can be.
- Water Lock The user creates a large sphere of water that can be used to attack their target while they are trapped inside it.
- Water-Make Decoy: User generates realistic looking facsimiles of a person/persons out of water. Decoy(s) cannot move or make sound, but can be generated in any pose. If physically interacted with, Decoy(s) will disperse into a puddle of water.
- Undertow Water thickens the air and pulls at the target(s) making it more difficult for the target(s) to move and stay upright. This can even affect the ability to cast magic, and at the very least slows the target(s) down.
- Water-Make Barrier: Whereas Water Dome is for camouflage, this spell creates a barrier out of water that remains in place and carries an extreme current. The current is strong enough to prevent weak magical attacks from penetrating it, and makes it extremely difficult for things to cross the barrier. It is not impossible to break through, and it requires dedicated magical energy to maintain. If the caster falls unconscious or runs out of magical energy, the barrier will fall. Barrier can be made into many different forms, but generally seen as a wall or dome.
- Obscuring Mist: Through concentrated focus on condensing the water molecules in the air, the caster creates a fog cover to obscure vision around them and their allies. Range grows with practice, use, and magical force applied and can vary from a 20 foot radius to a 50 foot radius. With effort, the caster can allow individuals the ability to see through the mist clearly, but it is extremely strenuous and exhausting to do so. Mostly used as a diversion to escape dangers.
- Water-Make Cage: User creates a cage out of water sized to trap the target(s). The bars are extremely high current water cycling around the structure, making it difficult to break out and can lead to injury if one tries to escape.
- Neptune’s Dance: Two or more waves of water rotate around each other and form a helix that blast the opponent into the air with tremendous force.
- Water-Make (weapon): User concentrates water into the form of a weapon. Water weapon can deal damage like a normal weapon of that type, but only for as long as user has hold of the weapon (in the case of bow/arrows, user must continue contact on the bow). If contact is lost, weapon disperses.
- Geyser: User shoots boiling hot water from hands at target, which can hit to cause blunt damage and potentially scold the target.
- Water Slicer: By swiping their arm, the user sends scythe-like blades of water at their intended target, which are powerful enough to cleanly slice through solid rock. It can also be used as a form of defense to intercept an attack.
- Cyclone: The user forms a circular torrent of water in front of their hands and uses the cyclone of water to attack their target. The size and power of the cyclone is dependent on how much magical energy the user puts into the attack. Attack can knock the target off their feet, but is mostly aimed to do blunt damage.
- Tsunami: The user curls in on themselves, drawing water from the area around them, or just simply creating it themselves. After a few seconds, they unfurl, raising their arms up high. A wall of water rises before them and moves forward in a massive wave of destruction, knocking over and washing away anything in its path. This spell consumes a lot of magical energy and has the potential to level small towns.
History: Ria didn’t just grow up with just a family, or in a village. The village was populated by a single clan - the Ocenades. Everyone had a role to play in the village - from farmers and bakers to guardsmen that took shifts patrolling to make sure the village was safe. Those of the clan not born with magic were relegated to menial tasks such as being the farmers or seamstresses or craftsmen or educators of the clan, but everyone had a purpose. Children went to school and learned, and they helped their families with tasks when schoolwork was complete.
Her father was the head, the direct descendent of the original founding father of the clan generations ago. As such, it was expected his children would take over and lead when it was time. Born the older of two, it wasn’t a surprise that her brother was the one expected to fill this role. He was strong, smart, charismatic, and an ice mage like their father and mother - just like pretty much every other mage in the clan.
Except her.
Ria wasn’t just the female - and would have been passed over for leadership of the clan should her brother have been born second anyway - but she also couldn’t use Ice magic. While being gifted with water magic should have still been fine - she was still born a mage, after all - her father was disappointed, and thus her mother was too. She was raised to be prim and proper - the best thing she could do for the clan was to learn all she could about being a good wife and mother after all - in hopes she would marry another strong line of the clan and bear powerful offspring; it was the best her parents could hope for given the only blessing they had in her birth was that she did have a knack for magic according to many of the clansmen. Regardless of what the task was, she never performed it right as far as her parents were concerned. No matter how skilled she was at her magic, she would never be as capable as one of the others. She tried and tried to do better, to be what they wanted her to be, and every time kept coming up short. Never good enough no matter how much better at her lessons or her trials than the other children she was.
She struggled with a lot of issues as a child, and clung to validation wherever she found it. Thanks for melding most assuredly only temporary fixes to problems until one of the ice make mages or craftsmen could repair it more permanently, or an instructor telling her she had exceeded their expectations were manna from heaven when needed. It should have been that the daughter of the clan head was popular, but instead she was typically left on her own with only the ones required to socialize with her actually doing so. So as she grew older, she developed her own hobbies - ones she could do apart from the others - and flourished in those tasks on her own. Freetime was no longer spent trying to see what tasks she could do to help the village and seek the mediocre accolades she could, but in developing further on her other interests - painting, reading, gardening. But that was how she began to struggle to meet expectations. Her desire to find things that made her happy caused her to create an imbalance in maintaining the things she was previously performing properly. So she strove to apply herself better in the public tasks and the increased expectations of her as she grew older, while still trying to give herself time to do things she enjoyed in her diminishing freetime. Missteps and failure were more harshly critiqued, but she still desired the praise and continued her best, and eventually had to give up any attempts to do the things she enjoyed in the desire to regain her lost ground of approval.
Through it all, her brother did his best to support her. It was why she managed the free time she could, and how she continued without utter despair. He trained with her and it was only in matches with him she ever managed to not make a wrong move in the combat or fail to get the proper spell cast. She may have given up completely without her brother’s support. It was his support that drove her to make a believed to be an impossible move. The summer of her 16th year, they were coming back from a training session in the northern fields when they saw the village beginning to empty. The water had pulled back from the beach near the village and a colossal wave could be seen headed for the village. They couldn’t evacuate everyone in time, and the ice-maker mages were advising their wall was not high enough to negate the swell of water raging toward them. Despite her parents trying to stop her, she managed to get to the top of the ice wall built to defend the village. It was from there, she cast a counterspell and clashed her own massive tsunami with the one inbound. The wave that smashed back into the wall was enough to splash against her face like mist against a cliff, and the ocean settled back to its normal depths.
Only her brother had praised her effort, and noted her as the one to actually save the village. It was then Ria decided she could not remain there. Despite his best efforts to get her to stay, her brother resigned and sadly parted with her as Ria took her leave with few goodbyes. She had no direction when she first set out, until she saw the calls for Pergrande. She migrated there and helped with the small things they would let her - helping create rain for farmers in villages she passed through during a particularly dry growth period, and helping fill an irrigation pond for someone. Eventually she found her way to Rembrandt, and furthermore Rising Starborn, and found it to be the perfect place to settle and rediscover herself while still being able to help and feel rewarded for using her powers.
Personality: The first thing most people notice about her is that Ria tries to always be courteous and cheerful, loving to be around people almost as much as she likes reading. A fan of anything upbeat, she can often be seen dancing or heard singing to herself as she goes about her business, and generally moves with a skip in her step. She’s generally reliable, cares about the wellbeing of others regardless of whether she knows them or not, and is willing to do anything for her friends. She doesn't like to see people upset and will often go out of her way to try to cheer someone up.
She often seems like a bit of a ditz - forgetful, aloof, and perhaps even a bit naive. There are still simple things that are common sense to others she often overlooks - like privacy and personal space; some see it as her ditzy ways, but it’s more the childish naivety of not understanding other people may have different comfort levels than her, and her desperate desire to be around others. While not everyone gains automatic trust, Ria seeks to find the good in people and will often trust those that are shown kindness/trust from those she is friends with. She tends to give chances to people that many don’t believe should get chances, and has been led astray by kind words and gestures even if they are given with ill-intent.
Guild and guild mark location: Rising Starborn, Right thigh - Turquoise Team Members: --
Three Strengths:
Hydromancer: Her water magic allows her to manipulate water around her as well as magically generate water. That is not the sum of it though. There are a few water spells that come naturally to her, casted like flexing a muscle. Spells of note for this are mostly just self-impacting ones, that help her swim deeper and stay under for extended periods of time. Water responds a bit more fluidly to her than other water casters, and with a bit of studying of the mage’s spells she can eventually manipulate water cast by others too; she hasn’t had the opportunity to see if she can manipulate Celestial’s or Dragon’s water magic, but she’s interested to see if that’s the case too.
Friendly: Ria loves to make friends, and just generally be around others. Whether it’s seeing someone looking down and wanting to cheer them up, or just giving them a person to be with, she doesn’t like seeing others alone. She likes to do things for others, and generally enjoys participating in whatever activity friends or those she chooses to associate with at the moment are doing.
Supportive/Helpful: She likes to help others, whether it be with supporting them in difficult decisions or sticking to getting better with spells. Despite her ditzy/aloof appearance, she understands a lot about the core concept of how different types of magic work, and techniques to make a particular type of magic work better. She’s not as effective at teaching, say, a wook-maker mage at casting as another wood-maker mage might, but she certainly knows enough to help the other wizard improve. She also just generally likes helping out and working with others, whether it’s just dealing with day to day things or a job or whatever. She feels it’s everyone’s job as part of the guild to help one another out, and it’s just being a good citizen to help when help is needed.
Upbeat/Positive/Cheerful: Believe it or not, like it or not, Ria is a metaphorical ray of sunshine. It isn’t just being friendly. She rarely is seen without a smile on her face or a bounce in her step. She always tries to look on the bright side of things even in the most dire of circumstances. This energy she does try to share with others, and is ever willing to help with figuring out what’s good about a bad experience.
Skilled Combatant: Trained for many years to fight alongside her family, Ria is just as skilled in hand to hand as she is with weapons and magic. She can improvise weapons based on her environment, use the terrain to her advantage, and is quite skilled in using her lithe and agile figure to her advantage. This skill allows her to strike fast, in vulnerable locations, and use her opponent’s attacks and mass against them in her own attacks, dodges, and counterattacks. As a molding mage, she’s developed upon this further to create a fighting style mostly unique to her and her creative style of magic.
Three Weaknesses:
Ditzy/Trouble Focusing: She appears to be an airhead. She generally has a lot of things going on in her head, that she can be a bit forgetful. She means well, and definitely doesn’t want to forget important things, but some things just slip through the cracks. Not just dates and times of important things, but maybe not paying attention to her surroundings (not necessarily to trip, but not notice someone flirting, or being uncomfortable because she got too close, etc). She usually apologizes, but it doesn’t keep it from happening again. So she leaves notes to herself, and - while there is an organizational system for everything she writes down - it kinda looks just as chaotic as her thoughts. While she does know a lot about a lot of topics given how much she reads, it’s not always reliable for her to relay the information she has stored in her head. Most of the time it just seems like she’s full of useless or unrelated information when she offers up things that come to mind during a particular topic she didn’t realize people had moved on from - or connected in her own head without when it apparently didn’t seem to connect to anyone else. When she’s on a roll with a topic that she’s interested in, if no one keeps the conversation focused, there’s a chance she’ll lead whomever she’s talking to on several different tangents before getting back on topic. Then there’s times where it seems like she can’t pull a thought from her head, despite having talked about something with a person already.
Insomnia/Nightmares: She doesn’t like to talk about it, to the point of refusal if someone won’t allow her to just brush off the concern, but she has trouble sleeping. She’s always had trouble sleeping ever since she was little, and Ria avoids dealing with it - chalking it up to something she will eventually grow out of rather than face the root of the problem head on.
Repress the Bad: Negative emotions and misbehaving wasn’t acceptable from her; she had to be the good child, the quiet one, the one that no one had to think about twice. Good wasn’t because people were looking at her, good was because the focus was somewhere else and there wasn’t time to deal with a child being a child. So she suppressed sadness. She made herself believe that she was happy. She won’t let herself dwell on the negative and buries anything that makes her feel anything but happy beneath layers of telling herself it’s fine. It’s second nature to her at this point, to shrug off a wrong done against her with a smile and a carefree “don’t worry about it”; what’s one more thing buried deep down? Because of this, she doesn’t allow herself to cope with her own negative feelings. Whenever something starts to creep up, feeling angry or sad, she shoves those feelings down into the “doesn’t bother me” zone. There, all the bad feelings go to - well most would hope - die, but really they just fester. Sure, one day they may break through the carefully crafted cage, but for now - it’s holding strong so no need to try to process the bad.
Workaholic: Perhaps workaholic isn’t the proper term, but Ria doesn’t like to sit idle. She constantly pushes herself to stay busy, whether it’s helping a neighbor or friend, gardening, drawing, reading, cleaning...she tries to always be doing something.
Selfless/Low Self-Worth: While some would find being Selfless a strength, she understands it’s not. She puts others before herself, and sometimes (okay, most times) neglects her own wellbeing while being concerned over how someone else is doing. Whether it’s making sure everyone else has eaten before she finally serves herself, or helping someone even if she really should probably sit and rest, or pushing herself beyond her limits to stop someone else from getting hurt. Some of this reckless behavior could be mitigated from others noticing what she’s doing and convincing her to think of herself first, but it’s been a long time since anyone’s noticed. But if she smiles, it means she’s fine, right?
The Yips: For as skilled as she is, all her other weaknesses tend to creep up on her and as the fight continues, she starts to lose touch with her ability to function in combat. This is most common when she is fighting in front of a group or knows there is some level of judgment involved, even in life and death situations. The more she fails, the worse it can get. It isn’t consistent, as she has had instances of sheer gut instinct pushing her to thrive, but it is common enough she will eventually have to face her demons to overcome this.
Appearance: 5’3 She prefers skirts and dresses to pants; in fact, she only has two pairs of pants and two pairs of shorts in her entire wardrobe. Everything else is skirts, dresses, and nice blouses/tops to go with them. She generally avoids dark colors, but not to the point of exclusion.
Additional Details: She collects shiny stones.
She loves gardening, especially for growing fruits and vegetables. Her favorite food is strawberries.
She likes to paint and draw, and enjoys reading. She will read virtually anything to help deal with her insomnia.
Name: Markovis Penderghast Age: 19 Birthday: August 6th
Magic: Thermodynamic Conversion & Abyssal Body Magic Level: A
A magic that is designed to affect the temperature of targeted things - be it an area, a person, or an object. Because of this, there’s a neutral balance in the air directly around those that are skilled users and makes them immune to hot and cold environments. Those that use this magic tend to make do using only a handful of spells with varying degrees of precise applications to utilize it to its highest degree.
Chilling Touch: This spell removes all heat from the area around the caster’s hand. When the caster touches an object, this spell acts as a vacuum for the heat in that object, pulling it into the space around the caster’s hand to instill a “chilling” factor. When used on an item, it runs the risk of freezing the object. When used on a living being, it lowers the body temperature to potentially dangerous levels; living beings tend to reach with much the same way as being out in freezing temperatures - feeling sluggish, sleepy, with reduction in strength and mobility from muscles condensing from the cold. This feeling will last until the body is brought back up to proper temperature, either by the addition of heat or over the course of time in a warmer environment.
Encompassing Freeze: Caster extends their hand toward a target, and encompasses them in a nearly invisible sphere of air in which all heat has been removed. Those that do become trapped in it will instantly experience a reaction to the extreme cold environment and suffer from the usual effects of the lack of heat the longer they are in there, ultimately putting the target into a stasis like state that can be reversed by warming the target back up to standard temperature. This spell has a natural limit of a few minutes when cast, but can last longer if the caster maintains concentration on it.
Burning Touch: The opposite of Chilling Touch, this spell increases the amount of heat in the area around the caster’s hand. When the caster touches an object, this spell causes the object to act as the vacuum for the heat, pulling the heat from around the caster’s hand to cause a “super heated” factor. When used on an item, it will leave a burn mark and runs the risk of setting the object on fire. When used on a living being, it raises the body temperature to dangerous levels; living beings tend to react with much the same way as if they had spiked a fever - sweating, potential delirium, and trouble concentrating. This feeling will last until the body is brought back down to proper temperature, either by the removal of heat or over the course of time in a cooler environment.
Encompassing Heat: Caster extends their hand toward a target, and encompasses them in a nearly invisible sphere of air in which heat has been increased drastically. Those that do become trapped in it will instantly experience a reaction to the extremely hot environment and suffer from the usual effects of being in excessive heat the longer they are in there, ultimately causing the target’s organs to start shutting down. This is a far deadlier version of Encompassing Freeze as the actual effects can only truly be reversed with healing magic, though can be lessened by removing the target(s) from the extreme heat. This spell has a natural limit of a few minutes when cast, which will not inherently do much more damage than making someone experience heat exhaustion, but can last longer if the caster maintains concentration on it and thus will cause worse effects.
Thermal Blast: The caster increases the heat around one hand, and decreases the heat around their other hand. After they’ve reached a proper imbalance between the two temperatures, they slam their hands together to create a sudden vacuum of negative pressure that ultimately will create a shockwave out away from the caster. Shockwave will travel for up to 20 feet before fully dissipating, getting weaker the further from the caster it travels; within a foot or two it is strong enough to send someone flying back away from him.
Thermal Shift: This spell allows the caster to either increase or decrease the temperature of the area surrounding them, up to a 100’ radius from the caster. How hot or cold depends on the caster’s target, but is generally used as a utility spell to help negate negative effects from being stranded in extreme conditions.
Thermal Reaction: The caster reactively adjusts how much heat, or the lack thereof, is in a 5’ radius of them in order to stave off an attack. The heat increase is generally done to an extreme, which is likely to cause 3rd degree burns if the attacker tries to get closer; conversely the heat decrease is generally to an extreme, making the attacker feel sluggish and start to freeze up to not be able to press the attack further. It’s an innate defense practitioners of Thermodynamic Conversion have, as this magic doesn’t lend itself to defense very well.
Thermal Activation: Supercharging the heat property of the air around an object will drive the heat into the object, thus causing it to glow - or, in the case of flammable objects, catch fire - from the thermal radiation.
Abyssal Body draws on the properties of Dark Matter, a corrosive substance that is visible to the naked eye as a mass of swirling black and indigo, as well as powers from an extradimensional realm known as the Abyss. This magic is not just an unnatural magic, drawing on dark powers thought to be beyond the reach of Earthland - or its sister dimensions, - but is one that is thought to be a lost magic, forgotten for its potentially dangerous and uncontrollable properties.
Abyssal Sight: A body enchantment, this allows the caster to allow others to see in pitch darkness. It can be cast on multiple people at once, with each additional person costing more energy to cast. Requires the caster to physically touch the target’s forehead. Enchantment lasts for an hour, unless dedicated focus is to holding it longer. Exposure to bright light while this enchantment is in place will temporarily blind the users.
Consuming Abyss: Caster raises a hand - palm flat - toward a target, and summons up a sphere of total dark matter, snuffing out all light and holding the target immobile. The air within the sphere gains weight, to feel a bit oppressive and give a sense of claustrophobia, dread, and abandonment to the target by shutting out all ability to sense the world outside the sphere. This spell can be held for longer than the normal end time, which can cause the corrosive nature of the dark matter to start eating away at clothing and organic matter within the sphere. Will last for up to 5 minutes (unless held longer by the caster), though it can be dismissed by the caster, or overpowered either from the target trapped within the sphere (via magically attacking the sphere) or a magical light strike against the sphere from an exterior source. (An exterior force attacking the sphere will not damage the target trapped within. Simply dissipate the sphere itself.)
Abyssal Reach: Caster thrusts a hand toward the target. Tendrils of dark matter shoot out at the target, and despite their apparent weightlessness and translucency they are quite tangible; these tendrils can be cut and otherwise blocked by solid objects. They can be used to attack a target, striking an opponent with fast and powerful strikes over the course of several minutes - or for however long the spell is concentrated on - and delivering painful caustic burns in addition to any blunt damage when they come into contact with bare skin. These tendrils can also be manipulated to be used to pick up and move objects out of reach. They can squeeze into small spaces and be used to manipulate objects - such as slipping under a door and disengaging a lock - so long as the user knows where the tendrils are moving unseen. The tendrils can only lift and move things that the caster would be able to move - so objects the caster could not lift cannot be lifted, but could be pushed - similar to other forms of interaction with objects. In any capacity, the tendrils have a maximum distance they can reach, which is roughly 100 feet.
Abyssal Imprisonment: Caster summons up several tendrils of dark matter, shooting up from the ground - or from behind - to wrap around the target (depending on if they are standing on the ground or flying). These tendrils shoot up and latch around the limbs and body of the target, restricting movement and restraining the target. They can be cut, or destroyed with the application of magic. They also will cause caustic burns that will slowly start to eat away at the person should any of the tendrils touch bare skin.
Leeching Abyss: Caster extends their hand toward the target. A multitude of dark matter tentacles race forth, forming hands that attempt to grasp the intended target. These tentacles will attempt to restrain the target, and should any make a solid grasp against the target’s bare skin or a source of magic (lacrima infused item and/or holder item) will slowly drain the ethernano from the target and transfer to the caster. While they may seem intangible due to the translucent nature, much like other Abyssal Body spells they can be deflected with weapons and other solid objects, as well as destroyed. The more skill the user has, the faster the tentacles move and respond to adjustments in the target's position, as well as the more tentacles are summoned.
Abyssal Destruction: Caster forms a sphere of dark matter in their hand that is then released at the target in the form of a large beam, or thrown as a destructive orb that explodes upon contact. The destructive capability depends on how long it is charged up for - a few seconds is weak compared to ten minutes which could level a mountain - and the longer it charges, the larger the diameter of the attack (beam or sphere) is.
Into the Void: Caster becomes intangible to magical and physical attacks, disappearing from sight and able to reappear at a different location, or in the same location after the attack being avoided is finished. Unable to spam this attack, as it wears on the caster the more it is used.
Void Step: An evolution to Into the Void, this spell allows the caster to take others with them. How many depends on how experienced and powerful the caster is, and starts with only being able to take up to 2 people that they are touching with them to a new location. The new location can be anywhere, so long as the caster knows of it and can picture it clearly. As the caster progresses in both experience and power, they can take more people and will not need to actually be touching the individuals traveling with them.
Fury of the Abyss: Caster gains a swirling haze of a black and indigo glow. While using this spell, caster is able to move at incredible speeds that allow the user to land powerful melee attacks. The speeds are generally fast enough that it can be difficult to trace his trajectory and thus difficult to defend against. There are traces of heat left in the wake of the caster’s movements, heating up the area more and more. Users cannot cast other spells while this is enabled.
Crushing Void: Caster crosses their arms above their head to begin casting the spell. A sphere of dark matter swirls into being, pulling light into it as it grows in size - to a maximum of a 6 foot diameter. Caster then unleashes the orb toward the target, with the same apparent gravitational pull as a miniature blackhole. The pull has the potential to suck light objects into the dark matter vortex - destroying those objects instantly - and can cause balance issues for heavier ones (including people) as the pull tries to suck them in as well. The swirling vortex also will start to suck in light sources, dimming the room. The sphere will disperse when it impacts either the target (dealing blunt damage, knocking the target backward, and dealing caustic damage to skin and corroding inanimate objects), or the first solid object (such as a boulder or wall or other object at least 3 feet in height and 2 feet in width - said object may be destroyed or partially corroded, depending on what it is made of.) Smaller objects in this path may be destroyed in the process.
Hex of the Abyss: Caster thrusts a hand out toward a magical source. An invisible force pulses out from the thrust hand forward toward the source, dispelling any spells that may be in effect by the target. This attack is typically used to target an opponent in battle, and can dispel magically equipped armor/weapons that are summoned up from Requip, or temporarily nullify the magical properties of holder items; when dispelling caster magic it is instantaneous, but items unequipped in this manner - as well as holder items that are nullified - cannot be reequipped or have that magical property reactivated again for a few minutes. This spell can also be used against static magical effects, such as magical barriers or traps, to dispel the magic in place. Against sentient magical items, it acts more or less like a stun attack, temporarily causing the item to be in a semi-conscious state and partially unresponsive.
History: One would expect someone like Markovis to have some isolated and gloomy upbringing to create such an emotionally void individual. That was not the case. While, yes, he was an only child, his parents were neither too busy to bother with him nor overbearing. They supported him in whatever interests he wanted to pursue when younger, gave him his freedom to pursue them at his own pace, and even never pushed him to do better than he wished. But he wasn’t happy with just being mediocre when it bored him. He skipped grades and was seen as a bit of a prodigy in his youth - gaining a great understanding of Thermodynamic Conversion magic quicker at a younger age than many believed would be able to master such a rare magic, and furthermore graduating at a very young age.
The drive for it was all his own. It wasn’t exactly an external force from his parents, but the accolades of the achievements from those around him - relatives, teachers, the ire of fellow students that were older and placing lower in the class than him - that truly drove the desire to excel. He pushed himself to keep achieving bigger and better, looking into various other magics that eventually led to finding an ancient tomb from which he learned Abyssal Body, as a way of distracting from others around himself. This led to him also entering university on full scholarship at age 14. But upon completing his first year, he found he was losing his drive, despite focusing on theoretical magics and magical applications. He was very capable of exploring the new magic and still making time for his studies, but ultimately found he had no clue what he wanted to do with himself, and professions that require a degree were starting to seem more and more like just attempts to continue receiving accolades instead of something that interested him.
Halfway through his second year, he finally decided it wasn’t worth it. The only thing he did enjoy in all of it was magic and figured that was the better pursuit. He dropped out and decided to focus entirely on developing his magic. The guilds in Fiore held no draw for him, mostly focused on gearing toward particular skill sets that he felt would limit his expansion and exploration. So he looked to other nations, which is how he found Pergrande. While it didn’t seem to boast the same hospitality toward mages as other nations seeking them, it certainly presented its own form of challenge that melded well with his current interests. He spent a while traveling the land on his own, trying to find challenges to his magic but continually falling short on any willing to employ him for such ventures. Eventually, he came across the Rising Starborn guild and settled in with them. While he continued to fall short of things he felt were a challenge, at least he could put other interests to use and be around fellow mages.
Personality: Generally stoic and impassive, Markovis doesn’t generally rise to the occasion for most things. It’s not an easy task to incite anger or sadness, or even a smile, out of the man. He prefers being task oriented, focusing on work and keeping to himself when there isn’t a job of interest on the board. While he may not train to become stronger, he does enjoy challenges and often takes jobs that can be difficult for a single person to do by himself. Deep within this mask of impassiveness is someone that does care. But he doesn’t quite understand how to show it. So, he doesn’t bother. It’s far easier to work if you don’t have the bothersome voice of compassion whispering in your ear. This causes him to not try to pursue close connections with anyone, and generally views anyone as an associate or an acquaintance with no real feelings of familiarity toward any one individual beyond that.
Guild and guild mark location: Rising Starborn, Right pectoral - dark gray
Three Strengths:
Large Magical Reserves: Markovis started training his magic young, and has learned to build up even larger reserves for his magic to cast more spells or continue casting after using a high consumption spell. He tends to recover his energy faster being in darkened conditions, and benefits from the fact that he acts with restraint - preventing him from expending power he doesn’t need to.
Fearless: That’s not to say he doesn’t have anything he’s afraid of, but when faced with death or torture, or even the same of his allies, he is unyielding and unblinking in his position. He’s not looking to sacrifice himself or others, but he will not bend his position or even break just to see no suffering befalls anyone. The same is said for his pursuit to complete a job, willing to push himself past the limit and risk his very life to ensure the task is completed.
Intelligent: Let it not be said that one who holds their tongue be proven ignorant. It is clear from the look in his eyes and the words he chooses when he speaks that he is far more intelligent than many give him credit for. He understands finer nuances of conversations even if he lacks the emotional wisdom to feel their impact, and can be quite manipulative if he desires; it usually isn’t the case as he sees most interactions with others as a means to an end. Most jobs end up as simple games of chess to him, mapping out the moves of himself (and often able to predict the moves of partners he chooses to accept) and the opposition before the job is even underway.
Three Weaknesses:
Dispassionate / Emotionally Inept: While there is a part of Markovis that does care about others, he has difficulty not only showing it but also acknowledging it in himself. This especially is seen in the middle of dangerous jobs, should someone get hurt - they should have thought better about what to do to prevent it, or not come on the job to begin with, because an injured partner isn’t something he can allow to interfere with completing a job. He also appears a bit listless and with no true preference over what job type he takes. Though he can be found reading and fond of it, it’s not like there’s a particular focus to anything he does and it shows through with generally a very vacant expression and distant tone.
This all mostly comes from the fact he doesn’t quite grasp emotions. Either his own or others. They aren’t tools, they aren’t generally helpful, and - more specifically - they generally get in the way. He often doesn’t understand humor of others, which generally either kills the joke or fails to deliver on the perceived outcome (not to say humor being made at his expense to laugh at how he failed to grasp it is not the desired outcome) which ultimately will result in him disengaging from the conversation in lue of better prospects.
Task Oriented: When it comes to taking a job or doing work, he doesn’t allow himself to get distracted. It also tends to mean he has trouble switching gears if necessary. The job comes first, and he will see it through whether it means his partner is injured and he must continue on alone or not. While he does take in information from his surroundings, and will weigh someone’s advice or thoughts on a topic, he generally will demand they follow the most efficient means of completion rather than let the job potentially get botched because of using a plan that may reduce risk of injury.
Poor People Skills: While self-evident, despite an intelligence to help him get through difficult tasks, the one thing he cannot always work out is how to be delicate about someone’s feelings. He prefers succinct conversations that end quickly to be able to continue on his day, and can oftentimes curt to ensure the interaction ends if necessary.
Greatest Love: His gray tabby cat, Penelope Motivation: To find something he is truly passionate about
Additional Details: He dislikes nicknames, but not enough to complain should someone insist on using one for him. He will correct once and then just ignore any future improprieties should they arise.
He prefers his personal space, and has issues with people being within arm’s reach. He gets defensive, sometimes tensing up, if touched by most people; it can completely derail his train of thought and will shut him down in a conversation if touched.
Markovis is quite fond of animals and plants. He has led him to foster several stray cats and even nurse a pigeon back to health, though he only kept the one cat. He also has several houseplants - all of which are pet safe should his cat decide to eat them - which he tends to as well. He can name many plants without more than a single glance, and is quite content for long strolls in the park to see the flowers cultivated in the gardens.
Theoretical magic and magical theory, as well as other intellectual ventures of all kinds spark an interest even if he may not seem like it does. Even in college, he enjoyed his classes regarding magical research and theoretical application of lost or ancient magics.
While he isn’t exactly going to always accept a drink, Markovis is also rarely seen without something alcoholic nearby. He argues he’s not an alcoholic, despite the fact his blood is likely 90 proof (or higher). Perhaps that is why there are times he becomes a bit short on longer missions,
Markovis’s love of consumables isn’t just limited to liquor, and is quite fond of cooking as well. While it is easier to simply use the appliances provided to cook, there are times he uses his Thermodynamic Conversion magic to cook.
While he may not look like much, or even really rise to the occasion often, Markovis is a skilled fighter both with weapons and without. He doesn’t “fist fight” per say but does have a great deal of skill in countering opponents' attacks by using their momentum and strength against them. He is a talented swordsman, knowing how to utilize multiple different sized blades from daggers to long swords and even glaives in various sword fighting styles; it seems his most comfortable form is glaive fighting which he uses both at full length and choked up to utilize as a sword. All his movements tend to be much more fluid than strength based with a focus on dodges, counterstrikes, and feints that have him moving like a dancer.
Pokédollars: 3,000 Egg in Egg Case 1x Potion Camping backpack with a cold weather sleeping bag with a sleeping pad added to it, waterproof canvas tarp, 50 ft of rope, mess kit, extra clothes, a week of food (granola, jerky, a few canned soup, pokemon food for Sage, etc), water purification kit and canteen, compass and maps of the region, magnesium fire starter, multi-tool knife, and a camping saw.
♂
Species: Eevee Type: Normal Level: 6 Status: Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Growl, Sand-Attack Ability: Adaptability - Increases STAB from 1.5x to 2x Held Item:
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Species: Rowlet Type: Grass/Flying Level: 5 Status: Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leafage Ability: Overgrow - Powers up Grass-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Held Item:
The dinner was absolutely delicious. Faye hadn't expected it to taste awful by any means, but it tasted even better than it looked - and it had already looked very delicious to begin with. After many compliments to the chefs, Faye figured it might be good to set out. But her only stop was the Daycare, and it was getting late. When did it close?
She realized more and more quickly she'd done it again. She'd headed off on a journey without actually properly figuring everything out. So now she'd gotten sidetracked from her task and set back. If she left now, they'd probably be locking up by the time she got there. So she'd be camping out pretty much outside their house.
Welp, that kinda settled it. As much as she was interested in finding out about the nightlife around these parts, she supposed her team needed a bit more rest after today. Might not be best to do without properly rested pokemon and - shoot! - more pokeballs.
So, with little other choice, Faye accepted the offer to stay the night. She offered to help clean the dishes from dinner and otherwise help out with anything else they'd let her help out with to repay for letting her spend the night. At first light, she'd set out on the road to hit the daycare - offering to Tristan for him to travel with her so their pokemon could continue to socialize.
I'm an adult with a family and responsibilities that take priority, as well as mental health issues that can cause me to not get on this site for periods of time. Just know I will get back to you within a few days. If I had something going with you at some point, and you're interested in either starting it back up or starting something fresh, just reach out.
I recently started working on getting published, and have self published one story so far. Check it out on Amazon - Into the Night by Alexia Wynd.
You can also check out more of my work - short stories and the like - at my recently started Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiestocaptivate
Also found on Twitter: @AlexiaWynd
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I'm an adult with a family and responsibilities that take priority, as well as mental health issues that can cause me to not get on this site for periods of time. Just know I will get back to you within a few days. If I had something going with you at some point, and you're interested in either starting it back up or starting something fresh, just reach out.<br><br>I recently started working on getting published, and have self published one story so far. Check it out on Amazon - Into the Night by Alexia Wynd. <br><br>You can also check out more of my work - short stories and the like - at my recently started Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/storiestocaptivate" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">patreon.com/storiestocaptivate</a><br><br>Also found on Twitter: @AlexiaWynd</div>
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