shagranoz

Tales of the SDF, Episode One: Operation Thunder Crack

Name: Penelope Martin

Age: 20

Race: Human... mostly.

Appearance: Penelope is a petite blonde with rather cute blue eyes. Physically, she's rather unremarkable, save for her palms, which are heavily scarred from ritual bloodlettings

Ability type: demonic

Equipment: A steel knife made with a silver inlay, used in rituals. She also carries a notebook that contains her list of already known spells, as well as variations and improvements thereof.

Personality: Penelope is a charismatic character with a flair for the theatrical. She loves to be noticed and be the center of attention.

Bio: Penelope was born in a bad part of Chicago, in a dimension where the existence of the supernatural was well-known. She looked on with envy as some of her friends started levitating objects, conjuring fireballs, and basically showing off all sort of cool powers. Yet try as she might, she remained stubbornly mundane. Until one night, two years ago.

She was walking home from her job working nights at a pawn shop when she was jumped. Two guys demanded her money, but when she handed it over, it wasn't enough. One of the men pulled a knife on her. Penelope wasn't sure if she was going to be lucky and they would just kill her, or whether they'd make her suffer further indignities before that.

She was angry. She was terrified. And all that rage and terror let itself loose in a scream.

Next thing she knew, the two men were writhing on the ground in unspeakable agony, black fire burning them to a crisp. Penelope was stunned. That was Hellfire. That was demonic magic. She'd never shown any supernatural capabilities, nor had any of her family. She called in favors from friends and spent long nights doing research, trying to figure out where she got this power. Eventually, she got an answer, and it wasn't pretty.

Somewhere in the dim and distant past, an ancestor of Penelope's had made an infernal bargain with the demon Anduriel: her soul for a child. This hellspawn's demonic lineage had been passed down through the ages, diluting each time, but never quite disappearing. All it would take was the right set of genetics and the proper circumstances for the power to manifest fully once again. Penelope had been the genetic marvel necessary, and the attack had fulfilled the circumstances.

This knowledge shook Penelope to the core, but she refused to let her ancestral legacy of evil define her. She sought out organizations dedicated to using magic to help others, and that led her to the SDF. She's a raw recruit now, and poorly trusted, due to the source of her magic, but she's eager and willing to do her part.

Tales of the SDF, Episode One: Operation Thunder Crack

Name: Penelope Martin

Age: 20

Race: Human... mostly.

Appearance: Penelope is a petite blonde with rather cute blue eyes. Physically, she's rather unremarkable, save for her palms, which are heavily scarred from ritual bloodlettings

Ability type: demonic

Equipment: A steel knife made with a silver inlay, used in rituals. She also carries a notebook that contains her list of already known spells, as well as variations and improvements thereof.

Personality: Penelope is a charismatic character with a flair for the theatrical. She loves to be noticed and be the center of attention.

Bio: Penelope was born in a bad part of Chicago, in a dimension where the existence of the supernatural was well-known. She looked on with envy as some of her friends started levitating objects, conjuring fireballs, and basically showing off all sort of cool powers. Yet try as she might, she remained stubbornly mundane. Until one night, two years ago.

She was walking home from her job working nights at a pawn shop when she was jumped. Two guys demanded her money, but when she handed it over, it wasn't enough. One of the men pulled a knife on her. Penelope wasn't sure if she was going to be lucky and they would just kill her, or whether they'd make her suffer further indignities before that.

She was angry. She was terrified. And all that rage and terror let itself loose in a scream.

Next thing she knew, the two men were writhing on the ground in unspeakable agony, black fire burning them to a crisp. Penelope was stunned. That was Hellfire. That was demonic magic. She'd never shown any supernatural capabilities, nor had any of her family. She called in favors from friends and spent long nights doing research, trying to figure out where she got this power. Eventually, she got an answer, and it wasn't pretty.

Somewhere in the dim and distant past, an ancestor of Penelope's had made an infernal bargain with the demon Anduriel: her soul for a child. This hellspawn's demonic lineage had been passed down through the ages, diluting each time, but never quite disappearing. All it would take was the right set of genetics and the proper circumstances for the power to manifest fully once again. Penelope had been the genetic marvel necessary, and the attack had fulfilled the circumstances.

This knowledge shook Penelope to the core, but she refused to let her ancestral legacy of evil define her. She sought out organizations dedicated to using magic to help others, and that led her to the SDF. She's a raw recruit now, and poorly trusted, due to the source of her magic, but she's eager and willing to do her part.

(Props if you caught the reference, by the way)

Tales of the SDF, Episode One: Operation Thunder Crack

I'll have something up later tonight, but I need one question answered for my backstory: does everybody know about the supernatural, or just a select few?

Montagne Academy for Aspiring Mages!

I assumed Vera's plants were in bad shape, but not quite all the way gone. I've seen many a poor piece of greenery in similar condition, and with proper care, you can get them back to reasonably functional.

Montagne Academy for Aspiring Mages!

Vera had been moving so quietly, Alicia hadn't noticed her, so she got the fright of her life when the other girl spoke up. "Eek! Don't do that, you startled me!" She recovered enough to respond to Vera's questions about her powers.

"Yes, plants are my magical specialty, but what about yours? We don't get a chance to talk much, despite sharing a dorm." Alicia saw Vera looking over a patch of flowers with dismay, deeming them beyond salvation. Alicia reached her consciousness out into the flora in question, and found that the root system was still kicking, albeit barely. "No, they're still alive. Let me see what I can do. No promises, though."

Alicia put her hands on the flower's stem and concentrated, willing her magic into the plant. This was just like making a flower bloom, albeit much, much harder. The young witch started to shiver from the mental effort, and after twenty seconds, her willpower ran out. The flowers were looking... well, still not healthy, but there was a trace of green in the leaves, and the petals were showing a little bit of color.

"I did what I could, and I think they can still be saved. They'll need heavy doses of water and fertilizer, though. Get them back up to speed." Alicia weakly smiled at Vera. "And before you say anything, it was no problem. Much better test of my powers than working with healthy plants; that's pretty easy."

Montagne Academy for Aspiring Mages!

Alicia was finally starting to get the hang of life at Montagne. The classes both academic and mystical were tough, but she had managed to get through them relatively unscathed. She had come down to the garden to speak with some of the flowers and work on her magic. A runner of ivy had escaped its trellis and was making a break for freedom, so she used that for practice, bending it into new shapes with her spells. Idly, Alicia wondered if any students were going to wander by.

Journey of the Planeswalkers (A Magic: The Gathering Role Play)

Name: Brigid Grigsholm

Titles or Aliases: Jal-Touched

Home Plane: Mjolgung: A land of savage cold, rocky coasts, and hard-living people.

Race: Human

Magic: Blue. Brigid is a hydromancer with few peers anywhere in the Multiverse. For power level, she'd probably lose to Kiora, but only by decision. She's not very good at summoning creatures, but hey, nobody's perfect.

Appearance: Brigid stands five-eleven and weighs about 190 lbs, with storm-grey eyes, blonde hair, and a fair degree of muscle. Brigid is a woman given to little finery. A rough-made gray fur riding cloak is her only ornamentation. As far as weapons go, she carries a steel longsword.

Backstory: Brigid is the daughter of farmers from the small coastal town of Sigsland. She'd shown a talent for water magic, but nothing to write home about. At an early age, her family took her to the small local shrine to Jal, goddess of the seas. When she entered the chapel, Jal appeared. Not in a vision, but an actual physical manifestation. The goddess told her that she was destined to bring glory to herself, and carry the goddess' words to places even she could not go. Brigid was skeptical to say the least- what place could a goddess not go to- but she kept the knowledge that she was bound for glory in her heart.

With the blessing of Jal, securing a place for her among the Seaspeakers was a mere formality. The Seaspeakers are a group of water mages who serve on Sigsland's ships. In peace, they silence storms and defend the ships from sea serpents. In times of war, they swamp enemy vessels and wash away coastal fortifications. Brigid sailed on several missions, serving with distinction and earning a reputation as the magically strongest of the Seaspeakers. Then came a disastrous voyage to the far north.

It happened while she slept. A giant serpent attacked the ship, wrapping it in constricting coils. She was roused from her berth to protect the vessel, but it was already too late. By the time she reached the main deck, the ship was already badly damaged and taking on far more water than she could bear. Brigid called forth a massive jet of water that broke the serpent's neck. It was, she thought, her final achievement. As the ship sank, Brigid was thrown into the seas. Normally, breathing water was a simple spell for her, but the icy seas were so cold that she couldn't concentrate enough to use her magic.

She was drowning.

She was dying.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of light. Was this it? Was this Jal taking her into her eternal halls? No. She found herself on an ash-blasted plain, a place utterly unknown to any on Mjolgung. She was alone, confused, and frightened, but alive. That was a start.

Montagne Academy for Aspiring Mages!

I assumed Conner was still holding his sketchbook, since he had been discussing his drawings when Alicia bumped into him. My apologies if I was incorrect in this regard.

Montagne Academy for Aspiring Mages!

"Oh, I'm quite alright. How about you; are you hurt?" Alicia glanced at the young boy and saw a sketchbook in his hand. A-ha! A possible connection! "Oh, you like to draw too? I do a lot of pictures of animals, myself. I've even heard there are some magicians who can bring their artwork to life, though I can't do that myself."

She managed to catch herself and give a proper introduction. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot my manners. I'm Alicia Sanders, first-year Bratus mage."

Journey of the Planeswalkers (A Magic: The Gathering Role Play)

I've got an idea for a hydromancer from an original Viking-themed plane, so just keep that in mind