Solaris

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

Dragon In The Slums

Brizzi and his compatriots were at the least disturbed by what they saw, but being seasoned criminals, they shook it off. The members of the crew then mounted their horses and followed the heretic to the central bank. As they rode, the heretic barked commands “Brizzi, use your connections to gather a crowd! Send rumors that the bank will run out of coin soon so that many will flock here! Edith and Claudette! Once the crowd has gained sufficient size, use your magic to cause a riot! Oscar! Wait near the rear gate! We will open it for you! Elia! You’re with me!”. As they approached the bank the Dragon spoke “I hope that you realize that you didn’t need to kill those people… Although it was likely for the better.” His voice was mellow compared to its usual boom. “After seeing the degeneracy… suffering… and despair first hand… I knew for sure.. That you are right” His tone was solemn. The dragon then spoke softly “do not fret my child, for you are but a fledgling warrior, and you are not used to drawing blood. Howerver, with time your mind shall become calloused, and you shall gain the power that will attain everlasting peace, as it is in our homeland.” The heretic smiled softly “A homeland that I don’t even know” a seed of doubt re-emerged, is he being fooled? Is he really doing the right thing? He studied the maps and continued to form his plan as he rode onward.

Brizzi broke off the formation as the Heretic and his pendant conversed. “What a quack” he muttered as he rode to a small building. When he went inside he disturbed a congregation of opium addicts. He waddled to a corner and lifted one of the floorboards, revealing a stash of marks, which he promptly snatched. He returned to his horse, riding to an orphanage. He walked inside and a tall, fit middle aged man with a moustache stared at him blankly “Hello Brizzi” His voice was hostile. “Save the attitude, I need something done NOW” He slammed the bag of marks on the table. “Send your quickest runners to the merchants and let them know that the first fifty to spread the rumor that the bank’s coffers are about to run dry will receive one token of imperfect electrum.”. Looking at the bag for a second, the man reluctantly accepted and sent his children off to the markets. Soon rumors spread through the slums and middle district that the bank will soon run out of coin and the mark will crash. Brizzi left the orphanage, and rode off to attend some other business before returning to spectate the raid on the bank.

“If you must kill again, do not fret. This place is corrupt, no matter how you look at it, so do what you must to gain influence” spoke the dragon. As they finally reached the bank they all stopped at the same location, where they would retrieve their horses when done. The mages waited at the courtyard for the crowd to gain mass “Come to the rear entrance when you’re finished” the heretic said to them. Oscar walked to an area where he could see the rear entrance. Elia and the Heretic went to the side of the building, waiting for the chaos to begin.

---

@aqutanama

Dual paths

There was a man outside the library, nearly seven foot tall, and heavily muscled. He wore the armor of the city, and had an arming sword at his hip. He had strong features, and had long, slightly curly hair that was just beginning to grey. He was accompanied by others who wore the same type of armor that he wore. His face was filled with rage, eyes widened with insanity, teeth bared. He snarled as he delivered a crashing punch to a lieutenant’s face who fell to the ground, clutching his visage, in agony.

He stormed off, kicking down one of the doors to the library. As he entered, all froze. He began to pace back and forth muttering all sorts of profanities that were unknown to Jonathan. He had just received the news of the attack on the Ahlret-Liu company’s representative, and the loss of some very valuable commodities, he was absent for the raid and knew that the failure would fall onto him. His fist fell onto the table which the outworlder was sitting at, causing it to jolt. The large man did not make eye contact at first, but hyperventilated due to the stress he was experiencing. His attention was then grabbed by the man’s equipment, clothing and hairstyle, which was when his look of rage and insanity shifted to one of utter perplexment. He then said in a firm, but condescending tone “By existence, who the fuck are you?”

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

@Letter Bee I can co-gm

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

@Letter Bee yeah, Heretic will probably be hunted by the church of inquisition at some point.

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

Too much was said

The Heretic listened to Brizzi's words with intent as he spoke. The crime boss’s body language caused that stink of pride to wash away, erasing the boy's facade of bravado. he became more serious as he realized that things would not be so simple in this coming raid. By the time Carlo finished, his predatory gaze stared into the void as he was immersed in his own thoughts. Without shifting his eyes he said "give me a moment to think" contemplating two concerns that he developed as he listened to, and observed that fat geezer. First he reasoned that since he was dealing with a seasoned con man and probably told him more than he should have, about the ring, which had obvious value, and what his possession of the ring could possibly imply about himself. Though he couldn't judge the others who sat at the table, he knew for certain that he couldn't fully trust Brizzi. He decided that he would play along with his schemes for now, he quickly devised a protective measure for if things go wrong. Second, he had no way of disarming the magic traps with his spells alone. with this he sat in thought for a couple of minutes, contemplating his options. "Thats impractical... No I can't do this. That type of spell wouldn't be there. I could try this, but it would be bad news if it fails........... think.... think... That voice talked about that inscription thing, but i doubt I'd have time to learn.... oh.... I see..." His heart sank when he realized that he only had only one feasible option. He cringed visibly and despair poured out of his eyes which he squinted subtly. He whispered something inaudible, then said in an apathetic monotone "I know what to do".

He knows what he must do

He stood up, emitting a strange and terrifying magical aura, and walked towards the doorway, stopping in the frame "give me five for preparations, and don't even try to stop me, and don't leave this room while I'm out there either" he spoke as sternly as a veteran officer. He then called in all of Brizzi's "employees" to the backroom in the same manner he just scolded those who were already there. After they piled into the room, fearing the brand of "Heretic", the boy shut the door. What happened then could not be fully described in the languages of mortals, only that those sorry patrons left in vegetative states by their addictions so severe that there very souls were shambles, found their salvation in their slaughter. As the heretic did his rounds, reluctantly plunging his dagger into the hearts of those wretched fools, he prayed an ancient prayer.

The dragon feasts

When he was finished, he held a flask full of a glowing orange and volatile substance, of powerful magic, and the main room was littered with ash and embers, and every last patron had “disappeared”. The Heretic was whispering something into the ear of a man who was pale with fear, handing him a letter as he was grabbing his shoulder. The moment he let go, the man stumbled off, running out the door as fast as he could. Afterwards the Heretic walked outside “Lets get a move on!” he shouted to those inside. He then cloaked himself in a black robe and wrapped bandages around his face to conceal his identity. Afterwards he "Borrowed" a black stallion, mounting it, the horse rearing as he awaited his comrades.

---

@Rune_Alchemist

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

Sorry for the inactivity. will probably post tonight

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

The Backroom at Carlo Brizzi's House of Sin

When he saw the portly man signal to him he smirked, knowing that his brash monologue succeeded. Then in his confidence and pride, the aura of the dragon's heart emanated from his soul, so he followed the man into the back room. When he entered the man introduced himself as Carlo Brizzi and presented the other members of the team which he will be joining. The Heretic gazed at each of them intently, almost as if he was peering into their souls, appraising their worth. His focus was so great that he didn't even notice the bag of money being thrown at him, until he heard its metallic contents rustle, which is when his eyes locked with the bag and with seemingly inhuman speed his arm snapped into form, clamping down on the bag full of precious coin. He then heard the fat man speak "so, are you in or out?".

The Heretic's Plight

The boy retorted "Of course I'm in.. How could I pass such an... interesting opportunity." chuckling a bit near the end. Still standing he thought for a moment and then began to speak "Sorry to ask.. but I do need a favor after this deed is finished..." he raised his left hand, and fingers agape, he pointed to a ring on his index finger. "This is a ring of perfected electrum, which was formerly enchanted. Now it is cracked and unusable... Worse yet due to my standing as "heretic" I can not go to the normal places of business to have my ring refurbished. For they will either turn me down or attempt to swindle me. So at my humble request..." he paused for a second, bowing, arcing his left arm to the side and putting his right hand on his chest, pausing for a second "please guide me to an individual who can help me with my... inconvenient... situation, and I of course apologize for my earlier... outburst... " as he spoke he slowly raised his head, eventually making eye contact with the crime boss. With that he sat down, taking up cutlery and voraciously sinking his fangs into some of the accommodations that were prepared. Before his new boss could respond, however, he said, in a lighthearted tone, slightly muffled from the food he was devouring, "What's the plan then?".

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

Atop a church tower, deep within the slums of Venedig

The boy groaned a little as he opened his eyes, a bump having emerged from his head. "do not worry mortal, you were not robbed, it was merely your ailment that took hold" an ancient baritone boomed from his sternum. "How long was I out for... and the thief? Any news of him?" he replied in a casual tone, his soul reanimating after his unplanned slumber. "Oh.. The Rat? yes.. I spoke with him not long ago. He claimed his haul was mere silver, for other ..rats had the same idea... However he also spoke of a rumor, that if true would be most.. entertaining" the baritone was calm, slow and wise in his manner of speaking, though when he uttered the word rat, for a moment his tone picked up with aggression and contempt. "Oh really?" the heretic grinned, the voice's statement having grabbed his attention, he paused for a moment "come on big guy, what's this rumor then?" he spoke mockingly. The deep baritone let loose a jolly chuckle "ragh agh agh.. I see that your interest has been piqued.. Boy. Very well. I shall tell you of this... rumor. In a place where people choose to kill their own minds, bodies and souls, some wretched den owned by a particularly disgusting worm, there is a plot to rob this city's bank of its gold, taking advantage of today's disgustingly... Mortal.. Occasion." the heretic did not answer immediately, and the voice waited eagerly for his response. The boy stopped grinning and spoke softly "Friend, such hubris does this Reich have.. That they would put their own kin in chatel. Don't they know how quickly the world can be turned on its head? When the master becomes the slave and the slave becomes the master?" he paused for a moment "perhaps not..
or they just don't care. I know that seeing such Hubris fell would be as best put by you.." he deepened his voice and grinned"Entertaining.". Again he paused "We should be quick then" with that he jumped from the tower, and across the flat roofs of the dilapidated tenement halls of the slums to the Den of Thieves which is a mere few blocks away.

running across rooftops

As the heretic's stride crashed on each roof he continued "Hey friend, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't refer to that kid as a rat by the way, sure there are plenty of rats and worms alike sulking about in this shit hole, but that kid isn't one of them." the voice replied "very well... I gave you the authority to judge, so I shall trust in your judgement. Also do not forget, that you are being hunted, and the longer it takes for you to finish this task, the greater the chance of your capture" Heretic grimaced. "I can't say that I believe everything that you've told me so far, but to be honest you haven't proven yourself to be wrong yet, but I cant see a lot of what you're saying being true, for example, although a lot of my equipment seems to be valuable, I can't see myself as being a" the voice cut into him "do not fret, boy, for you were not born into that family" the boy smiled a bit "yeah, and hopefully when if that rumor proves to be true, I'll be able to afford putting this electrum to use" his face straightened. He sped up until planting both of his feet on a rooftop, contracting, like springsteel he compacted his muscles, then flexed. His leap was mighty and his landing heavy. He skid across the roof adjacent the building he just launched off. "Looks like we're here" he told his friend as he came to a standstill atop the roof of the most infamous opium den and whore house in the slums.

outside the den of thieves

He stood atop the building and paused for a second, closing his eyes, calming his nerves. The voice waited with anticipation, to see how he'll be entertained next. Heretic opened his eyes and took a deep breath, jumping off the building landing on his feet, compressing his legs to break his fall, he groaned, regretting his decision, whereas the voice chuckled mockingly. He stood himself up, bones creaking, and the people on the street fell silent, gawking at this eccentric display. "Wait a minute, isn't that the heretic?" said one of the towns folk, "black robes, black grimoire, yeah I think he is" "what a fool, why was he up there? does he know who knows that building" some gossiped in this manner. Though many left when he was identified, not wanting to associate with a man in his standing. Some stared at him, frozen with fear, or burning with hatred, others smirked inquisitively. The Heretic pursed his lips and smiled uncomfortably, he stretched the joints on his legs before arching his back and stretching his arms in the air. When he was done, he swore under his breath "I need some fucking milk". he spun on one heel and walked into the building, those who were still in the crowd watching the young foreigner left.

inside the den of thieves

From the first step inside, he found it to be the most disgusting scene of debauchery which he had ever witnessed, even if he had retained his memories. many simply sat where they were eyes widened like saucers devoid of anything, unaware of anything, slowly wasting away due to their dependence. Others were dancing about, uncoordinated and sloppy, filling the venue with a disturbing crazed laughter, some were even selling their bodies in the open, and performing vile acts for all to see. The boy recoiled at the stench of sin and the voice snapped "disgusting worms" snarling in a deeper tone than usual. "Did you say something?" a large man said in a threatening tone. The boy replied "no" and the large man stared at him for a second before walking away. "Calm yourself friend, I don't need to be in any more trouble than I'm already in" said the heretic, his friend replying "very well, then I shall observe." "thank you" the heretic finished. He took a deep breath and with the strongest voice he could muster he boomed "ATTENTION MORONS!! ANYONE WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE RAID ON THE CENTRAL BANK WHICH HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR TODAY PLEASE STEP FORWARD!! FOR I AM THE SO CALLED "HERETIC" WHOM THIS CITY HAS FORSAKEN, AND TO THOSE WHO WOULD RAID ITS COFFERS I CAN LEND YOU MY STRENGTH!! in exchange for some of the spoils of course, for I am low on coin. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION SPEAK UP QUICKLY!! DO NOT ALLOW ME TO MISS THE FUN!!". The voice burst into laughter, the room however, fell silent.

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

@Letter Bee sorry about that

Intrigues of Venedig - High Fantasy Mature RP

Heretic

Name: The Lonesome Heretic

Age: Twenty

Physical Description: His skin is fair, thus burns easily, therefore he developed a farmer’s tan on his pursuit to Venedig. His hair is dirty blonde, quite brown, but with streaks of gold that seldom appear near its ends, and though it has slightly grown out, it is cut to a length and style appropriate for a man of his status in the current times. His eyes are like little suns, burning with voracity, appraising those who meet his gaze. His stature is not imposing, though he’s a far cry from a half man, most bands of highwaymen would see him as easy prey. Underneath the black robes which he wears are his muscles, his greatest ally, which are lean, yet extraordinarily dense, which also causes him to be much heavier than he appears to be. He usually wears black mage robes and a cloak.



Important items:

Black Dragon’s Grimoire: Black leather-bound book with the mark of the dragon, maroon in color, stained on its cover. Within it is inscribed a foreign alphabet and tongue, which describe many spells that in Reich der Goldenen Grahles would be considered taboo. The nature of the spells contained in it describe the consumption and transmutation of the souls of the living, which can be used to grant the user of this magic great power, knowledge and ability. Though in order to achieve this the sanctity of the human spirit must be violated, as in this book, the souls of mortals are seen merely as food to be consumed.

Black Dragon’s Gospel: Religious text that contains the story of the Black Dragon. It details the covenant and law which he gave to his followers which they must abide by, as well as many folk tales and parables. This too is written in the Dragon's tongue.

Heretic’s Journal: contains the details of his life and travels up to the point where he lost his memories. He avoids reading this since he does not want to be tied to a past which he never lived. Even though he may need to read it in order to gain the answers which he seeks. It is in the same language as his grimoire

Weylin Krueger’s Treatise on Physiological Draconic Transmutation: A book written by a biologist from the Reich who became a Draconian citizen. The book is a study on the effects that the dragon’s blood has on different species after prolonged exposure. This is written in the common tongue.

Cracked electrum ring: A destroyed enchanted ring that was forged from electrum.

Dragon amulet: A steel amulet of a dragon with an orange crystal imbedded in it. After being examined by scholars they discovered that it is enchanted with the magic of space and time. It is also the source of the voice which he hears.

Living Dagger: An ancient dagger made of the still living ivory of the black dragon. It has an iron hilt adorned with silver and the part which is bone lacks a blade, being conical in shape leading to a sharp point. By killing people with the dagger, it consumes their souls giving them to the Dragon which he worships. In exchange for souls the Dragon may grant either his aspect or his blood to the wielder of the dagger. When the dragon gifts his blood or aspect it drips from the tip of the dagger and can be collected simply with a glass bottle.

Short Bio: One day he woke up having been marooned on a rocky isle, dazed, with a few strange possessions, and at best, a hazy recollection of his past. He seemed to be going insane. He had constant headaches, would often space out, and had fits where he would experience temporary blindness and vertigo. On top of these he heard a voice that hurled insults at him and explained matters of gods, dragons, souls, dragon gods, vengeance and sin that seemed lofty and above his station. Fortunately for him he found a small fishing settlement on the other side of the island after wandering about for a while. There, he received what little amenities that the villagers could afford to give him. Their kindness appeased the voice and helped the nameless man learn of his situation. Though the reasons why he was there remained a mystery to him, once he knew that he was within the borders of Reich der Goldenen Grahles, he knew that he was on the right path. He stayed there for a while Thus when the strongest men of the village were about to set sail to Venedig’s port to find work in its whaling fleet, the young man joined them. He befriended them, learning that his sailing skills weren’t half bad in the process.

when he arrived at Venedig he did one thing. He went to a place of study where he could learn of the strange items and books that he brought with him. There he studied, learned and asked many questions. He for the first time delved into the books he brought with him, having mustered the courage to see what was detailed inside of them. One seemed to be his journal. He avoided it, some will within him stopped him from discovering his past. The other was quite large and seemed to contain only spells, detailing their mechanics. When he read the spells from the second book to the scholars, they scoffed at him. Giving him the name “Heretic” and “race traitor” they threw him out. Word spread of this new heretic and the forbidden magic that he possessed, and even those who were not in scholarly communities began to avoid him.

The only people in town who remained by his side were those fishermen from the village who befriended him. They managed to get him a job on a whaling ship so that he could make some coin, putting in a good word with the captain who reluctantly agreed to employ him. They helped him some more, disguising themselves as nobles fetching books from places of study for him. Thus, he managed to relearn some magic. Though even that came to an end, for his friends had to return to their village, for the whales began to migrate as the season ended. The Heretic contemplated joining them, seeing that the city would never accept him, but the knowledge that he gained while there intrigued him, so he decided to remain. Unfortunately he had to live in the slums, due to his cursed knowledge, not a single respectable establishment would allow him to take quarter there. The slums did have its perks however. He learnt That the slums are home to some shady folks that do not care how forbidden the magic you possess is, only how gold the coin in your pocket is and how difficult are those tasks you desire to be fulfilled, and so the Lonesome Heretic began to make mischief in Venedig.

Starting Faction: Regnum Draconiae – A petty kingdom on uncharted islands in the northern sea, secluded by it’s thick fog and treacherous waters, few bother to venture there, and all who have never returned. The Kingdom of Draconia was founded when a wounded dragon fell from the heavens and formed a covenant with seventeen shepherds who came to his aid and restored his faith in mortal-kind. They offered the dragon their prayers and vowed to treat their subjects justly, and in exchange the dragon gifted the shepherds with his blood and power. The shepherds used their mighty magic to erect a temple to this dragon, where in its deepest crypt he would reside, and built the port capitol of Harwich, the only city in the kingdom. After the chieftains who worshiped the old Gods were expelled one of the shepherds was elected king and the others served as his loyal vassals.

The church of the dragon was soon after founded when the dragon inscribed his knowledge with fire in nineteen books, Grimoires of The Black Dragon, and used the bone from his wing, which was severed from his body by his foe, to create nineteen living daggers. One of each was given to each of the noble houses, one to the royal family, and one to head of the church, who was elected as the most just soul of the nobles. The last pair was kept by the Dragon. The first iteration of the Black Dragon’s gospel included only the Dragon’s origin, motivation, as well as the covenant formed between Dragon and Shepherd, though later iterations had other folk tales and parables added, with the approval of the dragon. The gospel was first entrusted to the first dragon priest, the head of the dragon’s church, who had it copied and distributed to all the households of the land, and as the noble's job was to protect the people from outside threats it was the church's job to protect the people from themselves.

Many Millennia have past since the country’s founding and through the moral foundation laid out by the church and the harsh punishments delivered to the wicked, the country had never found itself at war, nor experienced civil unrest. This was due to the hard work of those who call themselves “Agents of Draconia”. They who gather droves of texts and information from the great empires of mortal-kind, and sow seeds of doubt and discouragement in any explorer ambitious, or mad enough to venture into the northern sea. There were also those who sought those who were blessed by the dragon who were born outside the kingdom. The Heretic was one of these individuals (born outside the kingdom).

He is currently being pursued by agents of Draconia who wish to return him to his country. Despite his amnesia, he will remain loyal to Draconia when he once again learns of its existence, for it is the only nation which will accept him.

Spell List:

Spirit forge (high): a spell that allows him to manifest a melee weapon with a finite volume. The weapon can take any form of the set volume, being white hot, emanating flame. The weapon is his soul manifested in the physical world. Its major flaw is that if the weapon is destroyed, Heretic will become permanently brain dead.

Devour soul (high): when a foe is incapacitated and near death, he can rend the still living soul from it’s body and devour it. When he devours a soul he can choose to consume it, adding to his mana capacity or strengthening the spells that he already knows. If he decides not to consume it, it can be used in powerful enchantments and rituals, which he has not yet learned.
Current number of souls devoured(0) consumed(0)

Exceptional Skill List:

Ex strength: Combat training made him strong

Ex agility: from the strength of his muscles, and honing his reflexes, his muscle memory which wasn't erased. his speed is unmatched

Ex endurance: from rigorous training, his mind can force his body to surpass its limits, despite the pain and physical price he will have to pay.

Ex: Magical Aptitude: the ability to use magic and learn new spells comes to him with ease. This is one of the blessings of the Black Dragon.

Flaws:

Major head trauma: memory loss, periodic headaches, symptoms of vertigo and blackouts, negatively effects magic usage.

Talking amulet: insults that are usually directed at him can be misinterpreted by others, the cherry on top of his pariah status

Pariah status: devouring the souls of living beings is very taboo in the Reich

Whimsical: tends not to think before he acts, says and does the most idiotic of things at the most idiotic of times.

Intrigues of Venedig [Reboot, Lore-Rich, Mature]

Would soul/spirit magic be considered underworld magic or high magic?