The Savant

The Nameless City [Long-term, sandbox, flexible]

If anyone wants to join the discord for the RP, it is up! discord.gg/xFJhxQ9Et. Come discuss!

The Nameless City [Long-term, sandbox, flexible]

I will add this for the sake of adding direct contact. If you have any questions and want quick replies to DM me! If you want easier communication back and forth, my discord is Mayflowers3161. You can add me and ask all the questions you want about lore the world, characters, or whatever your heart desires!

The Nameless City [Long-term, sandbox, flexible]

​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​ ​🇳​​🇦​​🇲​​🇪​​🇱​​🇪​​🇸​​🇸​ ​🇨​​🇮​​🇹​​🇾​

Dₒ yₒᵤ ₕₑₐᵣ ₘₑ wₕₑₑₚᵢₙg fₒᵣ yₒᵤ? Fₒᵣ ₑᵥₑᵣyₒₙₑ?

ₗₑₜ ₜₕₑ dₐᵣₖₙₑₛₛ bₑcₒₘₑ wₐᵣₘₜₕ...
Wₐᵣₘₜₕ ₜₕₐₜ wᵢₗₗ cₒₘfₒᵣₜ yₒᵤ.
Cₒₘfₒᵣₜ yₒᵤ ᵢₙₜₒ ₑₜₑᵣₙₐₗ ₛₗₑₑₚ

Dₒ yₒᵤ ₜₕᵢₙₖ yₒᵤ cₐₙ ₑₛcₐₚₑ fᵣₒₘ ₘₑ?
Yₒᵤ ₐᵣₑ ₗₒₛₜ wᵢₜₕᵢₙ ₘₑ.
ₗₒₛₜ wᵢₜₕₒᵤₜ ₘₑ.

Dₒ yₒᵤ ₕₑₐᵣ ₘy ₛₒᵣᵣₒw?
Dₒ yₒᵤ cₕₒₒₛₑ ₜₒ ₙₒₜ ₗᵢₛₜₑₙ ₜₒ ₘₑ?
ᵢ bₑg yₒᵤ ₜₒ ₗᵢₛₜₑₙ.
Fᵢₙd cₒₘfₒᵣₜ ᵢₙ ₘₑ.
ₙₒₜₕᵢₙg wᵢₗₗ ₑᵥₑᵣ ₕᵤᵣₜ ₐgₐᵢₙ.
ᵢ ₚᵣₒₘᵢₛₑ.

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From the darkest depths of the curse-ridden storm that surrounds the city to the gracious lights of the heavens upon the central tower, where do you find yourself? The once beautiful city is flooded with chaos from the populous and tension from the royals and the council of the Great King. Each Regia, the physical vessel of the god of light, has been passing earlier and earlier. The last Regia known passed away at a mere glance of fifty.

The city is centuries old, and the storm is older than that. Once the city was proud with seven rings and valleys and foundations past the seventh wall. Now the city finds the encroaching darkness from the storm past the wall that separated the fifth and fourth rings. Roughly ten years ago a storm surge that was seen like no other consumed the fifth and shadowed beats, storm beasts, rampaged through the Wardana and Regia Guard’s defenses. A handful of Wardana were lost. The population of the fifth was immense though the fourth’s population only increased by double if that.

Everyone in the kingdom, especially the outer two rings, the fourth and the third pray to the Great King. The god of light. The savior of the city is to protect them from the storm surges and to keep them safe from the storm's touch. After the last major storm surge took over the fifth ring, prayers were not enough for people, and a revolution blossomed like a beautiful lotus flower. A flower of fiery power. A power that the royals and the council fear. A threat that the first and second rings want to squash out like the butt of a finished cigarette. It leaves a sour taste in their mouths.

Where does your story begin?

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𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫 ℜ𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰

Each ring of the city is an ancient stone wall that was built before anyone in any part of the city was born. They are hundreds of feet high and about a few hundred feet thick. Starting from the central ring and going to the outer rings, you have to pass through large iron-enforced gates that spiral down cracked stone stairs. Riddled with guards that will pull you aside and question you at any moment if you are unlucky.

All seven rings stood strongly and miles upon miles away from the storm but each year the storm encroaches. No one ever thought that it was an issue. That they needed a solution till the seventh ring itself was consumed by the storm beasts and darkness.

There were seven rings, and each ring had a purpose. The seventh was the ring that allowed protected farmlands and waterways to develop around the city. The ring supplied the most food and safe drinking water while holding the most livestock and animals of the nameless city.

The sixth ring was a production ring, everything from the seventh ring was sent to this ring to go through protection by specialized ikonomancers. The industrial ring they called it. It had the second-largest population out of all the rings.

As the storm consumed the seventh and the sixth, everyone that survived each consumption was forced into the rings that were closer to the center ring. The central ring or the first ring, is the home of the Regia, the beautiful leader of the city. The leader sacrifices their body for the Great King to have a physical vessel. The leader that most look up to. They pray to.

Fourth Ring

𝔄𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔱𝔥 ℜ𝔦𝔫𝔤
The fourth ring is the most current outer ring and holds survivors from the fifth ring. Everyone from the seventh and sixth ring surges has passed over the decades, yet the storm seems to consume even quicker in current times. As the surviving population was forced into the fourth ring, the living, and morale decreased. A semi-beautiful smaller ring that was used for finer productions, rationing, and finer statues of the Great King for prayer, and leisure. This ring is now threatened without its outer wall of stone and has an outer wall of darkness. A storm that is miles high. That blocks the sun from shining in.

The storm is encroaching into the fourth ring and will continue to spread fear throughout the population and taunt the inhabitants of the fourth ring with the sugary metallic taste that the storm supplies. The quaking earth is caused by storm surges. The beasts run rampant and destroy buildings. Those buildings are being consumed with thick yellow moss. That yellow moss grows thicker the closer you are to the storm and the darkness that threatens your life and the lives around you.

The yellow moss is a multi-purpose material that is used by the fourth ringers and on occasion by the third ringers. As the moss has been discovered to be harmless and overgrows, people have used it for many reasons. A few being clothes, beds, bed coverings, pillows, bandages, washcloths for dishes, and so much more.

Clothes being made out of the moss tend to be very heavy and unkempt looking and it might not help that the access to water is very troublesome in the outer ring. Clothes being washed is rare and being bathed yourself is something that only happens every few months unless you go out of your way to work or find a hidden bathtub that no one is making you pay for or broken or has a usable ikon.

Being in the fourth ring is a more difficult life than the others, individuals are always the last for everything that comes from the first and second rings. Access to necessities is lacking in the fourth ring and beginning to lack in the third ring as well.
Rations are given weekly, and fourth ringers are given items that are edible, yet they are not pleasant items, per se. The typical environment in the fourth ring is not comfortable. The beds are stiff and hard. Usually, cots are made out of moss that is not very flexible to one's weight or a board with a moss-filled pouch to lay on.

The fourth ring is home to the most storm-touched individuals as well.

The atmosphere in the fourth ring is thick with moisture because of the storm. Everything is constantly damp and there are always puddles in the street because of the darkness and the clouds it brings. The reason is that thicker clothes are more reasonable and that moss is used to make such clothes. It helps keep the dampness out of your lungs and away from your body. It gets cold, especially at night. One does not want to be caught outside at night for their own safety as well.

𝔓𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔢𝔰 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔱𝔥 ℜ𝔦𝔫𝔤
° 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕪 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕥 is a place that hides from the Wardana and the Regia Guard. A place that most do not know about and if one does, they know the specific three-finger hand sign that gets you in. The gray market never is in the same place though the same few people help guide you to the entrance each time. If you want to get into the Gray Market, you better know someone who knows the hand sign or know the hand sign yourself. Plus, the signs you need to spot to find the people to guide you.

If you are trying to find something or someone, the Gray Market has someone with the information. Sometimes when one is digging for something that is touchy, they might not answer for any payment, especially when it comes to the whereabouts of where the Wardana or Regia Guard take people.

One can find anything from simple knickknacks to actual ikons to learn ikonomancy depending on if you know the right people for the right price type of deal. Most are swindlers. Ikons usually don’t work very well. Most items are not as valuable as what they are sold for.

There are people who know Ikonomancy and specialize in such practices as face changers. They are rare though they love to do their work. They can change the way you look which is a painful procedure. Do you want to look like a third ringer? A second ringer? Maybe trick someone into loving you. Your face can change with the right price though you have to have the willpower to not allow your face to change into the original one.

Do you want to learn ikons and get better at ikonomancy without signing yourself away from the Wardana? That’s possible. Unauthorized usage of ikonomancy gets the Wardana’s attention and the Regia Guard’s attention so be careful!

° 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕤 belong to everyone. No home is truly owned by anyone in the fourth ring. Everything is overflowing with capacity and multi-family and people's homes are pretty much what you get. The streets are sometimes full of people sleeping on the edges or in the alleys. It’s too cold to do that without layers upon layers of clothing. People get sick when not sleeping inside the safety of a building.

Buildings that are frowned upon are ones with storm-touched individuals. Regular people try to stay away from the curse in fear that being around them or touched by them will cause misfortune. It's fifty-fifty if someone will accept you into their home as a storm touch or want to seek safety in your home if you are a storm touch. Some people rather be eaten by the storm beasts during a surge than find safety beside the cursed.

Ikon-lanterns are the only accessible light that the fourth ringers get. These are used during the night and days, especially after storm surges.

Third Ring

𝔄𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔡 ℜ𝔦𝔫𝔤
Fourth ringers can only access the third ring during certain days of the year or once a week during rations. Rations are when everyone that is eligible goes to a third ring access point (everyone that is included in the fourth and third ring) and they have rations given to them. It’s a hierarchy system meaning that the first ringers get the best items to the fourth ringers getting the scraps. Everyone in between gets everything else.

There are levels to the third ring and the three shifts in the third ring are indicators for the fourth ringers. They are not allowed up to the second shift. The Wardana will stop them and possibly remove them from the third to the fourth ring. It is possible that causes the individual to miss rations for the week.

Along with being the home of the ration location for two rings, the third ring is home to the Wardana Academy. The Wardana Academy is on the highest level closest to the second wall of the city. Anyone can attempt to go to the academy to learn ikonomancy and more about ikons in general along with being trained to be a future Wardana or possibly a future Regia Guard. This causes the third ring to be the most protected ring along with the ring with the highest authority figures per populous.

Individuals that go to the academy are usually found in white and black clothing that is softer than most third and fourth-ringer wear. Nicer in creation as well. The Wardana themselves can be found in multiple different types of armor that are created to fit the form. Heavy when first put on but once the ikon is activated, it becomes skin-tight in a comfortable way, and as light as a feather. Almost similar to someone giving you a hug. There are plenty of different versions of the Wardana armor, yet they are all in the Wardana red color. From the tip of the gloves and ikon-enforced gauntlet that brings out the chosen weapon (such as a spear, bow, etc…) to help the Wardana fight against the storm beats to the boots. There is padding all around the hips and thighs of the pants along with padding that is all around the torso and shoulders. Some Wardana can be seen wearing helmets as well.

Unlike the fourth ringers, third ringers have scarce vegetation and no moss. The vegetation that the third ringers have supplied some fruit in the spring months and the autumn months called Eyota and Surocouri. Eyota is a fruit that is produced in the springtime and is almost flavorless with a tinge of sweetness. Usually, a soft-skinned heart-shaped fruit that comes in coral colors — leaning from orange to pink in color. Surocouri tends to be very vibrant reddish pink in color and is produced in the autumn months, Surocouri tends to be robust in flavor and quite sour. The plants that these fruits are produced on are vines that crawl up the sides of buildings and all around the balconies of second stories.

The third ring is an upgrade from the fourth ring's living situation. More necessities are accessed in this ring and the usage of ikons increases tenfold. People have ikons for everything in these rings. Tying shoes. Running bath water and heating it up. Straightening clothes. Having sugar doves fly, a dessert you can get from bakeries around the third and second rings. There is an ikon for everything and people continue to make more!

A big difference is that other materials are used in the third ring for clothes that are not as long as the fourth ring and are not as heavy. Blankets and beds are softer as well though they are not as soft as the second or the first ringer's beds and clothes.

Along with things being upgraded the streets themselves are cleaner and brighter. People from the third ring know what sunlight feels like even if it is shadier sunlight compared to the higher rings. With each ring people's skin becomes darker. This is because of the access to sunshine which the fourth ringers have none of and are pale in comparison to the other ring’s inhabitants.

Second Ring

𝔄𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔡 ℜ𝔦𝔫𝔤
The second ring is made up of the aristocratic families and the only ones allowed in these rings are the inhabitants themselves, merchants from the third ring, people from the first ring, the authorities, or the individuals attending the Wardana Academy. The Wardana Academy students get a card that shows their identification, knowledge of ikonomancy and ikons, and who they are apprenticing under, and this allows them to access the second ring all day and the first ring once a day.

Most families that occupy the second ring are established in this ring by centuries of ancestors. It is hard for any lower-ring individual to access the second ring, especially in the sense of living there. The people of this ring tend to be the darkest and most beautiful, yet it is not odd for light-skinned individuals to be in the ring as well, genetics, and personal tastes about being in or outside. Individuals with this ring tend to wear their hair longer than third ringers or fourth ringers. Third ringers tend to wear their hair shoulder length or shorter while second ringers, male or female, are known to wear their hair past their shoulders. It is said to be an elegant look that most second-ringers strive for. Elegance. Beauty. Grace.

In this ring everything is better and only dreams of fourth and third ringers. The streets are cleaner. The average individual is more educated in ikons and ikonomancy along with other subjects. They get to learn history that is centuries old and participate in the most leisurely activities of arts and crafts.

The beds would be considered too soft for all fourth ringers and even the majority of third ringers would consider the clothes and beds too soft as well. Second ringers are higher on the food chain. Pampered compared to the other rings. The typical behavior of a second ringer is not to care about anyone but yourself or your family crest. How can you make yourself and your family's name better? Not worrying about the lower lives of the third and fourth ring. Typically, you will find that they have rude and negative outlooks to anyone that does not derive from the second or first ring. They are the individuals who have fought for storm touch to not be considered humans or eligible for the weekly rations.

Elegance and beauty are what come from the second ring along with the majority of food.

First Ring

𝔄𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱 𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤
The first ring is where the royals, the extended family, and a select few are allowed to live. The best of the best in ikonomancy. Healers. The Regia themselves. The Regia Guard. The Regia Guard’s close family. Very few are allowed to visit from the outer rings. Second ringers are allowed to frequent more than third ringers and anyone from the Wardana academy is allowed to frequent more than third ringers themselves.

The first ring is home to the Regia, the physical vessel of the Great King, and is home to the access points to the Forgotten City. A city that has tunnelways and access points all around the nameless city. It is very unlikely to access the Forgotten City from anywhere else and the first ring seems to have the most secretive rooms, especially in the tower that is the center and heart of the once great kingdom of seven rings.

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𝔐𝔞𝔤𝔦𝔠 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔩𝔡

Ikons and Ikonomancy

The magic of this world comes from what is known as Ikons. These are basic geometric symbols to complex multi-symboled systems to fix, create, build, heal, and destroy. Most people specialize in certain ikons and practice harnessing the abilities of ikonomancy from the Wardana Academy in the third ring. The majority of individuals do not know how to actually form ikons or create new ones but they are easy for non-ikon-influenced individuals to use.

Unauthorized ikonomancy especially in the lower rings is frowned upon and can get one in trouble with the Wardana or the Regia guard themselves. Third ringers and above are allowed to use ikons and ikonomancy for leisure, unlike the lowest ring inhabitants. They are able to use ikons in bakeries and other areas to help improve morale and create new beautiful works.

First and second-ringers automatically begin learning about ikons and attempting ikonomancy in their younger years because of the education they receive. Third-ringers do not get that as much but they have access depending on how wealthy their family is. Fourth ringers are only able to get their ikons from the gray market or unauthorized learnings such as generational hammy downs.

There are ikons for almost everything and if they do not have them, someone is trying to figure out a new one, and so on. There are ikons used in bakeries to make pastries like sugar doves fly and edible roses to form when a cookie is broken with that specific jelly and ikon carved into it.

An ikon to tie shoes when you put them on.

To run bath water and heat it up instead of doing it manually on the stove.

Ikons for battle. Offensive and defensive.

Fourth ringers are only allowed to use ikons that are already established and even sometimes are not allowed to do that. Depending on if they are secret passages into other rings and so on. Not all passages are known. It’s only a problem when you are caught!

Ikonomancy is a very versatile magic and is quite hard to master. People who are naturally born with the understanding or seem to have an easier time learning tend to be herded into the Wardana Academy though can choose to not go and not learn about Ikons. Most would see that as a foolish thing especially if you come from the lower rings. Anyone from any ring is allowed to go to the Wardana Academy even if it is harder for fourth ringers to present their case or have already established Wardana take them as apprentices.

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𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔬𝔩𝔲𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫

Information

The revolution was brought to light before the sixth ring fell victim to the storm and has continued to have stragglers stay a part of it till current times. In the past decade, it seems to have become a rising threat to the higher rings, especially towards the first ring that holds the Regia, the Regia guard, and the third ring that houses the Wardana.

Most of the revolutionists come from the fifth, fourth, and third rings. After the surge that took the fifth ring happened over a decade ago, the revolution seemed to gather more followers. More people believe that the “Great King” is the god to blame for their suffering, their loss, and everything evil that happens in the world. If he was so great, why wouldn’t he stop the storm? Why wouldn’t he change things for the better? The Great King in their eyes is a failure who has allowed suffering to go on too long because of his selfishness.

Everyone that is a part of the revolution and is caught stands trial. The majority of individuals who go through the trials do not live yet there are a few. Mainly stories. Folk tales. Living through the trials is a rarity. They have not had a trial go on in about half a decade though the Regia Guard are trying their best to find the leader(s) of the revolution and put them to trial.

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𝔉𝔬𝔠𝔲𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 ℜ𝔬𝔩𝔢-𝔓𝔩𝔞𝔶

I use the term “sandbox” role-play very loosely since this is not a choose-your-own story but is to a point. There are things happening in the bigger picture for this whole idea. Some character(s) will have more influence than others. No matter what you are, fourth ringer to first ringer, your character(s) decisions will influence the story in some way. Somehow. Decisions have consequences no matter how small they are.

Character-wise, you have the freedom to go for whatever you want. Currently, there are no restrictions though there are recommendations for some character(s) who will have more difficulties because of rings and so on. It creates difficulties and causes people to have creative ways of jumping over those hoops and hopefully not getting caught by the Regia Guard or Wardana!

At the beginning of this role-play, everything is in chaos or at least everything to do with the royal family, Regia, Regia Guard, and the royal council is in chaos. The higher-ups in the kingdom are trying to figure out solutions because the storm surge past the fourth wall has shaken everyone.

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ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯 ℑ𝔫𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫

The slots that have an unlimited amount of access to anyone are inhabitants of the fourth - second ring and apprentices or academic students of the Wardana Academy. There is no cap on characters for an individual player as well. I will probably have quite a few character(s) that are not NPCs running around.

Character(s) positions that are capped are the Royal family, the Regia, the Regia Guard, and the Wardana.

- No character under the age of twenty-five will be allowed to be a Regia Guard.
- Characters that are apprentices of the Regia guard have to have at least two to four years of the academy under their belt and be the highest in their ranks
- No character under the age of fourteen can apply and participate in the Wardana Academy
- Wardana leaders typically are late teens to late forties in age

- Regia is a position that will most likely be filled by an NPC unless an individual makes a great claim as to why they want this position for it is not very active. The Regia is a lifeless husk because the Great King (who is an NPC) speaks through them and uses their physical form which makes it very difficult to write and I will not allow this to be anything above a secondary character for anyone.
- Regia Guard are individuals that protect the Regia and step on the bounds of morals when it comes to protecting the city and hushing the revolutionists and not caring for the storm touched. There are only six slots opened for the Regia Guard including the leader. These are individuals who have excelled during their academics, were Wardana (leaders or not), and were able to become apprentices to the Regia Guard. The Regia Guard are only allowed to take on one apprentice to replace them except for the leader who is able to take on two.

[0/6] Regia Guard slots are taken.

- Wardana Leaders are a part of the Wardana Academy and tend to work as trainers. Wardana leaders are able to have up to five apprentices under them. There are eight slots for Wardana leaders in the symbolization of cardinal and intermediate directions. One for each to protect the city and the people against storm surges and storm beasts.

[0/8] Wardana Leaders slots are taken.

Wardana leaders have to have at least one apprentice under them at all times.

- Storm Touch character(s) are individuals who are touched by the storm. Storm beasts however do not cause curses to happen. The storm herself causes curses to befall individuals and generational curses happen as well. If a character is touched by the storm, they will develop a curse. That curse can be practically anything. Snakes for hair. Owl characteristics. Rock skin that slowly consumes the body. Cat-like features. Anything. Nothing is considered fortunate when touched by the storm. The individual becomes ineligible for rations and the majority of people fear them.

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Character Application Requirements

You can decorate this however you please but you have to have the included list down below:

• Name (not everyone has middle or last names, especially fourth ringers)
• Age or age range. Age ranges that are not allowed are anything going from minor to adult.
For example:
Age ranges that are appropriate: 12-14. 25-30.
Age ranges that are inappropriate: 16-20. 17-19.
Your character either has to be a minor or an adult. Not an in-between for obvious reasons.
• Description or/and character reference. References will not be anime or real photography.

Example references for characters (not items and so on)

• Is your character cursed? Were they storm touched or generational storm touched? It is more likely that you are a fourth ringer or come from the fifth ring destruction as a storm-touched or genetically based character. If your character is a third to central ringer that is storm touched or generational-cursed, you will have to explain. The reason, why this could be, is that the character themselves were Wardana and got touched by the storm. They could end up living in secret buildings in the third ring or second ring. The same goes for generational storm touched if your character resides in an upper ring but is a generational storm touched. They are currently a Wardana. Maybe they were adopted? Who knows. Give a good reason to explain how they got from the outer ring(s) to the inner ring(s) by being cursed.
• What ring does your character come from? The last storm surge that took over the fifth ring was roughly a decade ago meaning they could have been fifth ringers. Meaning they see life as an upgraded tragedy. They live in a better place but only from the loss of loved ones and their birth home and so on. They are part of the royal or aristocratic families? How do they view the world? How do they view the people of the lower rings?
• Active Role. Explain! Are they active or inactive Wardana? Are they a part of the Regia guard? Are they average day third-ringer citizens or are they signing themselves up for the Wardana academy to learn more about Ikons and figure out if they can harness ikonomancy? Are they a revolutionist? Explain the whys and how they got there. Did they join the revolutionists or were they born into it? Influenced by parents?
• Biography. Write about their family members and where they come from. What got them from point A to point B and if they trying to get to point C or D?

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This Role-play is inspired by the "Darkening" book by Sunya Mara. There will be no canon character(s) apart from this role-play. All original character(s).

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One of the character(s) who will be played by the GM:

The head of the revolutionists

_{Ergen Ilkin}

Name Ergen Ilkin
Aliases Our Faith, Head of the Revolutionists, Asik, The fourths savior
Age Twenty-four

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Physical Description Because of his thin and slender body, some people may mistake him for a shadow at night or during the day. Ergen is second to none when it comes to physical activity, as he doesn't have the average or superior musculature that most Wardana exhibit. Dominant shoulders and a slender waist, these two traits of his might not associate him with the higher rings, but his skin tone and beauty do. The only scars that have kissed his body are his past as Wardhana and his childhood tragedies. His green eyes are rare in the city and eventually, link him with most families in the upper ring. Two families are known to have such pale green, lifeless eyes. The Ilkins are one of those families and cousins to the royals ​​who act as ships for the High King.

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Storm-touched His views on Stormtouch tend to differ from those of most high ringers. In his eyes, they are human, and in his youth, he was punished for thinking so. The Ilkin family is a noble family known for supplying most of the food to all rings. Naturally, they advance in ikons related to growth and food.
His resentment towards most of the higher rings began when he was a child, about 12 years old, and his father took him to the lower rings to do business there. They were in the fifth ring and met a girl, he thought was the most beautiful. She had big black doe eyes and silver hair. She looked like a porcelain doll. Then he touched her and she broke down and started crying. She was a child at the mercy of the storm. Her skin was like porcelain. He tried to patch the cracks he caused to her cheek with ikons and Ergen found himself alone with the girl. Fatherless. Foolish. Eventually, he found an ikon that healed her damaged cheek and he received a faint smile from her instead.

I'm Ergen.

I'm Ceren. You aren't afraid of me?

No. Why would I be?

I'm cursed from the storm...

Why would I care about that?

With that alone, Ergen felt a grab on the back of the collar of his shirt pull him away from the girl. He saw a gust of wind from an ikon pin her to the ground and split her hand and her arm from the pressure. Her skin began to burst like falling snowflakes. A storm of voices from her father rained down. He was dragged back to the first ring, smeared, ripped, and utterly battered. His father was angry for days, but Ergen didn't understand what he did wrong, why, and what the girl did wrong. He was locked in his room for a week, only healers coming to make sure he wasn't cursed. Ergen was a stubborn child, so he decided to eat very little. When he found out that Stormtouch is allowed to starve to death at someone else's fault. Because of his family. Because of him. The seeds of fate began to change his views.

---

Ring Ergen came from the first ring and spent most of his life in the upper rings. After the incident, when he was twelve years old, he was banned from stepping into the third ring without a guard or chaperone. His father set a strict rule that no young man should ever give in to the fifth or fourth filth ringer. He also didn't want his son to have a bad life and thought he was protecting him.

Everything changed when Ergen entered the Wardana School of Ikonomancy at the age of fourteen. Since he had previously studied Ikons, he was at the top of his class and it seemed easier to move up the ranks. At sixteen, he became an active member of Wardana, living in the third ring. During his apprenticeship and academic years, Ergen sneaked into the lower rings to help his Storm touch peers with growing food and other necessities.

Problems arose late one night when another Wardana caught him sneaking into the lower ring. The alarm was raised, and the Regia Guard and Wardana were alerted. No one knew it would be Ergen. He only remembered the dismay of his cousin's voice when his name was called. Ergen. That was when Ergen had to make a decision. A quick one. One that would change his whole life.

Don't take this personally, I'm sorry.

He then cut his finger and deliberately misguided the ikon. Ergen knew that if the wind direction wasn't right, there would be explosive dust and debris storms. A dark cloud envelops the Wardana and the entire Regia guard. Ergen was not acquitted, as the leader of the Regia Guard at the time used his own symbolism to stop him. Disappeared through a tunnel that he knew very little about, and indeed only he used. Ergen found himself in the Forgotten City beneath the Ringed City.

He spent two weeks there, mostly eating oddities and trying to recover from what the Regia Guard leader had done to him. He was in excruciating pain, vomiting blood, and his body continued to bruise. Without enough knowledge to further weaken the ikon's effect, he would die, and could not remove it from his skin. Then he found his way to the gray market and someone helped him. Since then, Ergen has been hiding somewhere in the Fourth Ring.

The ikon used on him was so evil and complicated that it took the people who helped him a whole week to get it under control. They unraveled it, but it scarred his left ribcage and a beautiful geometric pattern was kissed to his body. Beauty and suffering. The scars caused not only physical pain but also emotional pain that made it impossible to return home. He would never see his siblings again. If he wanted to, he would have to be tried for being a traitor to the Upper Ring.

Then there were moments when he didn't walk away from the gray markets protection and didn't go out at all. In the end, he decided to go for a face changer. A person who takes advantage of a false understanding of ikons to change his face. The woman in charge of the procedure was sad to ruin such a beautiful face he gave her a present, but he paid her full price. Sometimes it was difficult to get money. She had to take it, but she kept frowning throughout the process. She bleached his hair. She changed his countenance. It hurt. The pain of change was immense, but it was worth it, but she warned him nonetheless. Only his will can keep the change from fading, but the body will change over time to know the truth.

After a while, he no longer wanted to hide or hide his face. He will fight. He will fight for what he thinks is right. Ergen removed the façade with an ice storm, ripping his skin apart and ripping the falsehood from him. Another painful change occurred, but only a reminder of what he was fighting for. Who was he protecting. He would never feel a quarter of her pain and suffering.

Notable NPCs for this character

Family

---

Gunhan Ilkin, 54 years old, head of the Ilkin Family and brother in-law of the Regia.

Gunhan is an advanced Ikonomancer who specializes in creation and growth. Food production is what the side of the family advances in.

---

Asya, 19 years old, is the only daughter in the Ilkin family.

Asya joined the Wardana Academy to follow in her older brother's footsteps, she wanted to be like Ergen, even though she struggles with Ikons. She is not at the top of her class, but she is a wonderful student. She has been a part of the Wardana Academy since the ripe age of fourteen and has dedicated her life to protecting the city.

---

Kadir, is 14 years old, and the second eldest son of the Ilkin Family.

Kadir has recently come of age and has joined the Wardana Academy to learn Ikons like his ancestors before him. He is not as fluent as his eldest brother Ergen though he is learning quicker than his older sister Asya. Quickly becoming an apprentice to a Wardana leader.

---

Koca is the youngest child of the Ilkin family and is only 12 years old.

Being the only family member except for his mother who has not participated in the Wardana Academy. Koca finds himself being a mischievous trouble marker around the second and third rings. Only in the third when he can sneak out of the second and away from everyone who is trying to "ruin" his fun. His parents worry that Koca is following in Ergen's footsteps and have applied strict boundaries for this child's life. They don't want him to follow Ergen and go by his own fate.
Through the basic and advanced schooling that he is provided as a second ringer, Koca has shown that he is almost on par with learning Ikons and Ikonomancy like his eldest brother Ergen was at his age. Koca might not be the closest to his eldest brother out of all his family members, but they share the same eyes. Those pale green lifeless eyes like their father.

Yₒᵤ ₕₐᵥₑ ₕᵢₛ ₑyₑₛ.
Wₕₐₜ bₑₐᵤₜᵢfᵤₗ ₑyₑₛ.

Wₕₒ ₐᵣₑ yₒᵤ?

Yₒᵤᵣ bᵣₒₜₕₑᵣ cₐₙ ₕₑₐᵣ ₐₙd ₜₐₗₖ ₜₒ ₘₑ ₐₛ wₑₗₗ.
Wₕₐₜ ₐ bₑₐᵤₜᵢfᵤₗ fₐₘᵢₗy.
Wₕₐₜ ₐ bₑₐᵤₜᵢfᵤₗ cₕᵢₗd ₒf ₘᵢₙₑ.

Wₕₒ ₐᵣₑ yₒᵤ? Yₒᵤ dᵢdₙ'ₜ ₐₙₛwₑᵣ ₘₑ.

Yₒᵤ ₖₙₒw wₕₒ ᵢ ₐₘ.
Wₕₐₜ ᵢ ₐₘ.
Wₕₐₜ ᵢ cᵣy fₒᵣ.
Dₒ ₙₒₜ ₚₗₐy ₖₒᵢ!

Another Prodigy in the Family

_{Koca Ilkin}

Name Koca Ilkin
Age Twelve

---

Physical Description Unlike the middle children of his family, Koca, and Ergen share the same eyes and very similar faces. If they were not over ten years apart, they would most likely be mistaken for twins. These two brothers share the green eyes, darker skin, and raven black hair of the Ilkin family. Their siblings however sport the maternal genetics of the line of the Regia. Sun touched skin most call it.

Koca is the youngest child of the Ilkin family and like his brother is on the slightly taller side of the average height for his age. Standing about one inch over five foot and weighing approximately ninety pounds. He has that similar slender build that will grow in a beautiful maturity when he is older. Most could describe Koca as scrawny because of how slender he is. It allows him to fit into smaller spaces.

---

Storm-touched being young allowed his influence of the storm touch to be negative. His parental influences along with his two older siblings influenced fear into the young man. He has never come across someone who was storm-touched and if he did, he didn't know they were. Koca is young enough that his view isn't necessarily negative or positive yet curious, cautious, and fearful.

The partial influence from his eldest brother, Ergen, kept the young boy's mind open to possibilities but he doesn't want to be exiled from the family like Ergen was. Fear drives his caution and motives. There is truly no answer to how Koca would respond to a storm-touch individual.

Let go of me Kadir!!!

You keep wanting to run off and wander without father! I'll bring you to the fourth ring so a storm touch can curse you!

You wouldn't! Father would be mad! Let go!

Then behave yourself and get back to the second ring!

---

Ring being the youngest child of the Ilkin family causes quite a weight to be put on your shoulders. He is the last child and the last son of this specific line and was born to the second ring. The second ring is where he calls home and tends to sneak off from it. That be up to the first ring or down to the third. Koca has never been to the fourth and none of the children have been on casual terms after the incident with his eldest brother and a storm touch child years ago.

Being born into the royal line, into the second ring, and being close family members to the Regia has allowed Koca to have a wonderful and easy upbringing. Everything has been handed to him for his natural advancement in ikons and ikonomancy even at the young age of twelve. Two years too young to participate in the Wardana Academy though he will continue to harness his skills. Maybe one day get as good as his older brother.

An aristocratic child with a bond to adventure and mischievousness. Koca can be found getting himself into everything and anything. Mainly places where he is not allowed and can face consequences for even going near. Again, his parents fear that he will become another Ergen, and they try their best to restrict him from most things especially activities they allowed Ergen to participate in. They don't' want their youngest son to go down the same path.

Notable NPCs for this character

Family

---

Gunhan Ilkin, 54 years old, head of the Ilkin Family and brother in-law to the Regia.

Gunhan is an advanced Ikonomancer who specializes in creation and growth. Food production is what the side of the family advances in.

---

Asya, 19 years old, is the only daughter in the Ilkin family.

Asya joined the Wardana Academy to follow in her older brother's footsteps, she wanted to be like Ergen, even though she struggles with Ikons. She is not at the top of her class, but she is a wonderful student. She has been a part of the Wardana Academy since the ripe age of fourteen and has dedicated her life to protecting the city.

---

Kadir, is 14 years old, and the second eldest son of the Ilkin Family.

Kadir has recently come of age and has joined the Wardana Academy to learn Ikons like his ancestors before him. He is not as fluent as his eldest brother Ergen though he is learning quicker than his older sister Asya. Quickly becoming an apprentice to a Wardana leader.

---

Escape from the Prison Mine

One of our group has been banned lol damn

Anyone else aside from Expendable and Zora still playing?

@Saiyan

I am still interested! I am just kind of lost and just finished up with the last day of the summer semester, so I am free to sit down and think of a post now! Also the bear was banned? WHAT!?!

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

As he began to wander around to find Estella, Tommy found himself quickly blocked by the volunteer from this morning. Time… Tim. It’s Tim. He thought to himself while staring at the man who had a bright smile and a stack of papers in hand. “Hey Thomas, aren’t you supposed to be up on stage?” The man acted curiously but both of them knew that Tommy was supposed to be up on the stage. Tim flipped through the papers and had a copy of the whole festival outline, even the date auction.

Sighing at the man’s question, he didn’t have time for this, but he wasn’t going to be rude. Was he? “Time. Aah mean Tim. Tim. Aah'm busy at the moment. Aah caint go back up onto the stage. Aah've to find someone,” Thomas was trying to be polite but he was on a mission. He needed to make sure Estella was okay before driving back to Nixie’s house and making sure he didn’t drop that letter anywhere around her house. A sickening feeling overwhelmed him. What if he dropped it around the festival? His eyes might have got a little wider with that thought while he looked distractedly around at the other people.

“Is everything alright sheriff?” Tim asked while being on the page of the date auction, showing the other man that he was next in line to get auctioned off. That he needed to be up there because he signed himself up.

Stroking a hand through his hair, he sighed, “Everythin' is fine. Aah just need to do other stuff right now,” That was a lie. Everything was not alright. He was probably going through withdrawals today. It felt like it. He thought the withdrawals that he experienced almost a week ago were bad. God… this felt horrible. He felt physically sick at this point. He could tell that he wasn’t keeping his behavior under control or his attitude in check either. Cursing himself, he should have just gone home earlier. This is what happens when an alcoholic just randomly tries to stop drinking for the twelfth plus time in eight years. He has almost made it two weeks. He can keep going. Can’t he?
Tim smiled in somewhat of an awkward way when Thomas responded, clearing his throat, “My son junior is a part of the boys and girls club and he really loves it there. More donations would give you a bigger budget to play around with…” Dammit, Tim! Why did you have to bring up the kids? Now the man was conflicted and he grabbed his jaw, covering his mouth with his hand while thinking. Staring at Tim. The man was being difficult. Thomas was being difficult. He shouldn’t have left the stage like an idiot.
“Aah'm just overwhelmed beh-cuz aah got a few texts about a friend. Aah forgot somethin' back at a friends hahss as well. If ya want meh to go back onto the stage, can ya find Estella Serrano fo-wah meh? Text meh if ya see her. Just the location, so aah know she is okay?” This man was somewhat annoying because he knew the man wasn’t going to quit trying to get him back on stage.

The other man seemed to smile when being able to help, “Yeah, I can text you when I see her!” Tim was someone who always seemed to want to help. Volunteering for everything. He was somewhat of an annoying parent to the point where he put padding on his kid if they were playing dodgeball. He would put his kids in helmets as well. Thomas understood safety but it felt a little too much sometimes.

“Great. Text meh. Aah really appreciate it,” The man gestured in a way that said thank you as well while he began to go back to the stage. Tim waved him goodbye with that typical smile he had on his face. It reminded Thomas of those old store clerks in the old western movies. Almost to a point where it was fake like Tim was hiding behind a mask. A little eerie sometimes.

Thomas made it back onto stage and got back into his place. Then he noticed Nixie standing there, but he didn’t say anything at all. He looked away from her. Maybe it was because of the gifts he left at her house or the possibility of her finding that letter. It might be that he felt like the woman ignored him all day. Like everyone else. Thomas was in his own head but he didn’t see any of his friends except Levi and he had no idea how to feel about that. Not seeing Levi the whole night either then getting a text message about Estella from him was bothersome. Could the cowboy say he was upset with all his friends? Yes. Yes he could.

No one cared to hangout with him after he got off his shift, he searched around for people and it seemed like he looked everywhere twice before giving up. Thomas knew he wasn’t in a good state right now. If he had been drinking, he would have been calmer and not overthinking everything. He just needed a drink at this point. Maybe he should have had a few before getting up on stage. All those thoughts about his friends disappeared as alcohol filled his mind.

The cold truth of not having anyone truly there to support you was hitting him again. Everytime he tried to stop drinking, he found himself alone, and he felt like he couldn’t tell anyone about his problems. That they would just leave. That’s what people did when his father started drinking. He was scared of being alone but he was alone. All these false connections with people were not true connections nor would they ever be especially if he continued drinking.

Thomas wished he never came back to Sanctuary. This was sober Thomas’s mind talking. The man did truly wish that he never came back. Wishing that he didn’t pick up the phone to get the message from his grandparents on his father’s side. How they guilt tripped him into coming back and taking care of his siblings even though his grandparents, aunts, uncles, or someone else could have. Thomas ruined his life on that day. Making that decision. A decision that he regretted.

It ruined everything for him. Dropping out of college to switch to online as he tried to support his younger brothers. Roy hated him. Almost every day from school a, How was school today, or whatever comment of positivity or support Thomas gave those boys. Junior would stay in his room and sometimes talk. Roy would explode on him. Throwing things. Throwing hands. Breaking stuff. Just explosions of emotion that a twenty-one year old Thomas did not know how to handle and practically allowed to happen. He allowed Roy to be the way he was and he hated himself for it but he didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t supposed to be a parent for teenagers in his early twenties.

Moving back killed the relationship he had as well. They were going strong and for a little over a year, she was extremely good-hearted, and she loved being around Thomas. Thomas loved being around her. She was a biology student who was planning on specializing in farm animals. If he never came back, the stress of long distance wouldn’t have ruined it for them.

His whole plan was to stay a year longer in the big city for her to graduate with her bachelors in biology before going wherever she wanted to for veterinary school. They knew each other for a little while before getting into a relationship which was nice. They started out as friends and got closer. Probably didn’t help when she came to the house and that was a disaster. She wanted to surprise him for his birthday while attempting long distance and her experience was horrible. Roy was awful. Junior got jealous and pretty much fought for all of Thomas’s attention. The boys just wanted attention even if it was good or bad. Thomas was so stressed out. Roy was a brat and began to ask so many inappropriate things or say crude comments. It was awful. About two weeks after that with no communication, he got a paragraph of texts explaining that long distance wasn’t working out. That she really does care and love for him but she has a hard time with the long distance. How she hopes they could still be friends. Maybe try again in the future? But she wanted to live life. Thomas understood and didn’t fight about those texts. It however did make him heartbroken. With all the stress of Roy as well. That was the first night Thomas drank heavily and locked himself away in his room. Ignoring the world. Ignoring everyone and everything.

Why was his mind wandering so much? About what could have been. He came back. He fucked up. Everything is fucked. Thomas hated it and he kept his arms crossed, putting a barrier between him and everyone else, as he stood there silently and stared at the floor. Trapped in his thoughts. A part of him hated being sober because it allowed him to think of everything and he didn’t want to think of everything.

Stop thinking… You don’t have to think at all. Think about dogs or horses or something. You always wanted dogs. Maybe you should go adopt one. It might make this process easier for you. Having something there with you. Something that will listen and not judge you for being awful and depressed and lonely, That’s what he should, he should just get a dog. It would probably help. Pandora helps a lot. Thomas will go out to the barn and talk to her all the time. It always felt like she was supportive. Unless he was drinking then she would break the bottles no matter if he was holding them in his hand or not. They would be breaking if he was drinking by her.

---

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

POKE!

Looking over his shoulder his phone went off and that was odd. No one really texted him. Most people knew he appreciated calls more than texts. Sighing, since he assumed it was a spam number or something. One of those running text types of deals.

POKE!

Taking a second look over his shoulder because that was abnormal. Why was someone texting him right now? Maybe it was one of his officers trying to be funny. He could see it. Looking around in the crowd, he was trying to see if he could spot any of his officers on their phones. There were two almost in the front row and they waved at him. Not seeing any others, he gestured to them to say hi as another POKE! rang out in his eyes.

Fine. Tommy reached into his back pocket and for some reason in that instance, he moved his hand across his other back pocket. Wallet. Wallet… Keys. Wallet. Only wallet and keys. OH GOD. WHERE THE HELL DID THAT LETTER GO!?! Pure panic began to sink into his chest and a wave of hopelessness faded into his existence. It should be there. The letter should be in his back pocket.

Grabbing his phone and opening it up, his thumb moved across the screen as it unlocked. Reading the texts. Texts from Levi.

Hey dude,
Sorry, this is really random, but if you see Stella can you let me know? I have her phone.
Her and I were drinking, but I didn’t know she was such a lightweight! Miguel told me after. She took off without her phone.

Why did reading these texts make him feel sick? What the fuck were you planning with Stella, Levi? his eyes sharpened at his phone and those stormy blue could pierce through anyone. Tommy could feel his blood pressure rise and his breathing became deeper than usual. He could feel himself begin to shake. Those weren’t all of the details. He knew his old friend. There was something that was being left out. That bastard better not have gone after Stella, his mind was thinking of the worst. Why wouldn’t Levi go after younger girls? Naive. Sweet. Innocent. They didn’t know his games.

No. Don’t think like that Tommy. Levi wouldn’t do that. Would he? Would he go after Stella… this was a difficult thought to process. He was unsure. Biting the inside of his cheek, he was trying to calm himself down but he could feel his body heating up from shards of anger. The anger wasn’t all about Stella. It had been shards of anger that have been lingering throughout his body for years.

You don’t know this man anymore. He became a city boy… They are never up to any good… Tommy thought to himself and began to send a text.

— I’ll keep my eyes out, Levi. Don’t come back to town and start breaking all the girls' hearts I care about again… —

No don't’ send that… The man erased the words of that text before sending it.

— I’ll keep my eyes out, Levi. I better not find her crying. — SEND

Tommy decided this was his time to leave the stage, he walked right off and hopped off the platform, and began to wander around the festival. Find Stella and make sure she is okay. Get the story from her. You trust her. She will tell you what truly happened right? If she tells you at all. He needed to find her to figure things out so he wasn’t mad at Levi for any reason. Through her story, he would figure out if he had a reason or not. Then he had to rush back to Nixie’s house. He must have dropped that letter. He needed to get that letter back. He needed to get that letter back.

As the man wandered through the crowd, everyone could see that he was on a mission. He was trying to find his little sister, well, she wasn’t really his little sister but he felt like she was a part of his family. Tommy needed to make sure she was okay.

---

Interaction Texting Levi @The Muse

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Thomas Fischer & Doctor Fitkau

---

Doctor Fitkau noticed three men up on the stage more in the back, but he could tell there were three and they were males. How interesting… he thought while writing something down in his pocketbook since he was taking observations and notes at the moment. Men were usually more confident but he was surprised not a single woman had stepped up on the stage, not yet at least. He wondered if any women would be participating in the charity event tonight or night.

Thomas Fischer stood there inside of his own head since Archer wandered away to take a phone call and no one else was keeping him busy. Looking out to the crowd of people who were most likely going to have a good laugh from the playful evening. It should be fun. Usually the authority figure placed himself in charity events each and every year and usually tried to organize more money for the Boys and Girls club.

He knew some of his officers were going to make the bidding fun for him. They already told him that they were going to bid a few dollars to raise the charity funds for the heck of it. Make the process more exciting. The police force in Sanctuary was all about making it a better place for the community but they really wanted to go over and beyond for children who needed that extra support. It might be a self projection of his failed childhood. He wanted to make sure others didn’t have it so rough.

Glancing over to the other individual that spoke, his voice sounded familiar, and he noticed it was Talie’s coworker. The one that usually hid behind the counter as the sheriff brought Talie her coffee around lunch when he would visit. He was somewhat surprised that the man was up here but he did find the man quite flamboyant. Should he be surprised? Probably not. A faint yet warm smile was offered to the other man when he commented about lunch, “She would probably bury meh somewhere if aah stopped bringin’ coffee,” Thomas joked and lightly laughed at his own words, there might be a little truth to those words.
He would bring Talie coffee quite a lot for lunch time check-ins and whatnot. If he stopped bringing coffee, Talie would probably say something about it. Probably be disappointed. Tommy was a people pleaser, to a point, but he tried his best to keep his friends happy. He didn’t want people feeling how he constantly felt, so he smiled most of the time and would go out of his way to see positivity light up on their faces.
As Manuel began to officially introduce himself, Thomas held out his hand to shake the other man’s, “Thomas Jay Fischer,” It was odd to think about it but he has never been officially introduced to Talie’s coworker even though he comes around to the geology department quite a lot. Maybe she didn’t want him knowing the man or becoming close to Manny? Did she not really like her coworker? He wondered what could have kept her from introducing them weeks ago and those thoughts faded quickly.

Laughing at the other man’s request as he sighed, should he get into a friendly payment of alcohol? Would that be a good idea? Shrugging his thoughts off, physically, he deserved to have some fun sometimes, “Let’s make it a competition. Whoever makes the least pays but whoever loses the drinkin’ competition has to bah lunch fo-wah the next work week,” That seemed fair and he was trying to have more fun than he usually allowed himself to have.
Tommy was not known to be one to really drink in public or allow himself to let loose. Why the hell not? It was an annual festival and everyone was having fun and he was able to get off the payroll early today. He should allow himself some slack so he could enjoy his life a little more and have a bit of stupid fun from time to time. Everyone else was doing it while forgetting about him. The man has barely seen anyone he would consider himself close to all night. He knew Nixie was around but she seemed to be a ghost for the time being.

The man hasn’t spotted Stella the whole time and thought he would at least see her a handful of times and chat. Nope. Levi was back in town and the man felt like a stranger to him. They were childhood friends. They haven’t spoken in years, You need to get over yourself Tommy… he probably could care less about you. It’s been over a decade… Those thoughts hurt but he knew it was true. At least he believed it was true.
He has seen Nixie only once today and that was only in the morning. Maybe she was avoiding him. Levi was back in town. Those two always seemed to forget about him and the plans they would make together when they were back on. He wouldn’t be surprised if he hears how they are back together by the end of the night. Forever a third wheel with those two.

Who else could he hang out with tonight? Not many. It wasn’t like he had many friends to do things with. These thoughts made him realize how lonely he truly was. The only person that might possibly do something with him later, the only person that tried to make plans with him was Talie. Asking him to save a dance but she was even busy with Reya and others doing her own thing. With all the excitement, he wouldn’t blame her if she forgets.

Everyone was doing their own thing and he was just dwelling at this point. The man was planning to go home and get wasted tonight anyways. What a sad and pathetic life the sheriff of Sanctuary truly has. “A drinkin' competition sounds fun if ya are up fo-wah it. Not scared are ya?” Thomas got playful with those words and was trying to egg the man on. Why not socially drink and have some fun with it? It would probably make his night a little brighter than usual. The usual of being alone at home.

---

Interaction Thomas Fischer @PrinceAlexus Manny

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

Thomas Fischer, Archer Graham, Moxi, & Doctor Fitkau

---

Both men seemed to have the exact same idea and began to move towards the stage when they heard the mayor's assistant, Jewel, announce the date auction. That the people who were being bid on needed to find their places. Everyone was beginning to move and people seemed interested in the announcement. Next thing they knew they were bumping into each other while trying to stand on the first step of the stage, “Ope! Apologies!” Sheriff Fischer instantly began to apologize to whoever he ran into. Noticing the newer face right away. A few people have talked about the doctor.

“No, no, I think it was my fault. I was busy trying not to bump into others, I didn’t notice you either,” Archer gave a reassuring smile that he took nothing to heart in the situation and he was friendly. Both of them chuckled at each other’s reactions before almost going at the same time, again.

That was when Tommy stepped back a few steps and gestured for the coppery maned man to go before him. “Thank you, Sheriff,” Archer gestured his hand up as an extra thank you to the sheriff before he walked onto the stage first and went over into the positioning area.

“Ya're the doctor that aah've bin' hearin' so much about. How do ya lak the town?” Tommy wanted to interact with the man a little bit. He was new to Sanctuary and he wanted to give the doctor somewhat of a warm welcome even though he slacked on it for a little while. The sheriff and chief of Sanctuary were not one to visit the hospital unless need be.

Archer nodded his head while standing to the side, “Yes, and you are the sheriff? Sheriff Fischer? Also the Chief, I have heard. I have been enjoying your small town quite a lot. The medical field here really keeps me busy,” Archer kept a light tone with somewhat of a playfulness at the end of his sentence. The hours made it difficult to find sleep sometimes and the lack of employment would have been stated as outrageous from the cities he has worked in before. Everything was fine otherwise and he was adjusting. Being one of the only doctors with multi-specialties in the medical field in this town seemed to be rare. There was barely a nurse at a head turn. It sometimes caused nightmares or sleepless nights, but he knew it would begin to turn around. It will get better.

Tommy seemed to force a smile to say keep your hope up, “Aah'm both. Aah can assure ya this isn't mah town. Aah just look after it. Aah try mah best to make it a little better,” The man felt like he was bragging to a point and glanced at the ground while rubbing the back of his neck. They were standing side by side and it was somewhat awkward for him. You would think the chief and sheriff of Sanctuary was more confident in certain aspects of his life but he was more broken than this town.

“That makes both of us,” Archer playfully nudged the man and gave another warm smile since he noticed the man’s sudden change. Maybe the other was thinking? It was hard to tell but he seemed to busy himself with thoughts or maybe worries of some kind. “I bet we will be seeing each other more often. I notice your officers bring quite a few to the ER,”

Chief Thomas and his officers were constantly bringing people to the ER for DUIs, drugs, or other injuries or issues when pulling people over or answering house calls. There was a bunch they had to do before processing them if they were injured and so on. “Aah hope we don't have to see each other while we work,” Tommy joked back since he didn’t want to visit on the payroll. That wouldn’t be fun to always see the doctor while they were both in uniforms.

“Maybe we should get lunch together sometime. I need to become a little personal with others around this town or it’ll get lonely, maybe that’s the reason I am up here. Why are you up here?” Archer was one to keep small talk and it was easy for him to do so.

Thomas shrugged, “Aah love mah, kids. Aah've to be up he-yah fo-wah 'em,” The man didn’t have kids of his own but he felt like all the kids in the Boys and Girls Club along with his little champions of the hockey teams he coached were as close as he would ever get in the sense of family.

“You have kids? What’s that like?” Archer seemed interested. He had wanted kids when he was younger and he still did but he found himself way too busy to have time for a family. Most of his relationships were great in the past but he has heard the line, you work too much or you don’t have enough time for us, a few too many times.

Tommy laughed, “No, aah don't have mah own kids. Aah don't even have a missy friend... Ya know. Aah coach the hockey team 'n volunteer fo-wah the boys 'n girls club. That's probably the closest aah will git to havin' kids. Ya know? busy 'n stuff,” Thomas felt like he was rambling and he felt somewhat stupid doing so. He couldn’t keep a relationship because he couldn’t truly commit. He was an idiot. He probably could have been married by now with children if he actually said yes and allowed himself to not be stuck up in the sense of being intimate with someone else.

Archer nodded his head, “I understand. My career path keeps me busy. It’s hard to think about someone else in career paths like ours. They are community-based and communities end up becoming our families if we allow them to instead of having personal ones,” Archer smiled and that reminded him he forgot to call his sister a few hours ago. Shit… The Scottish man took out his phone and looked at the several missed calls from his little sister Ari and the handful of texts asking if he was okay. That he usually texted or called around this time. “I’m sorry, I have to do something really quickly. Talk to you later sheriff,” Archer stated before going and stepping off the stage and instantly calling his sister. She sounded worried and he was only to the side of the stage but he was trying his best to keep quiet and not be stared at while speaking with her. That was when he noticed a familiar man with blonde hair and those icy blue eyes. Moxi.

Moxie gave the doctor a faint smile while he stepped into the crowd of chairs, moving past people, and his usual look of unamused interest peered through the crowd. Those cold eyes froze anyone in their grasp. Archer waved though he pointed at his phone and the Russian man dipped his head to show he understood, “Vhat a pleasant man…” He mumbled to himself while finding a spot in the crowd to keep his eyes on this playful date auction that was happening at the festival. It caught his interest, so he decided he would at least watch. It would pass the time for him at least and keep him out for a little longer.

Sitting down and getting comfortable, Moxi caught sight of a man walking down the middle of the aisle of chairs. What an odd mustache the man had. He hasn’t really seen the man before but he did not look like he truly belonged to this small town. They both were eye sores and their eyes met. Moxi’s sharpened as he looked away and onto the stage to notice the sheriff. Rolling his eyes. Why was he not surprised that the sheriff was participating in something so trivial and stupid? Pathetic.

The man with the unique mustache raised a brow at the blonde hair man as he found the man interesting. He swore he saw the other smoking on the outskirts of the festival earlier but his memory could be failing him. “I wonder where he is from,” The psychiatrist whispered to himself while going into the back of the crowd and disappearing in the waves of chairs that were available. Going to the second row from the back and a few seats in before sitting down. “This should be pleasant to watch. Such silly things make a good laugh and possible research.” Doctor Fitkau took out his pocketbook and a pen, so he could write down what happened during the dating auction and if he saw any strange behaviors or whatever. For research and self-interest research about the town of Sanctuary.

---

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

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Upon getting home, Thomas went over to his couch and set the stuffed dog down. A part of him wished that he had an actual dog. With the other toy, he went over and set it down on the dining room table with all of Nixie’s birthday gifts that he got her this year. Glancing at them, he didn’t want to take too much time from the festival, but he found himself staring at them. None of these matter now that Levi is back in town… In his mind, he doubted she would even notice them if he left them at her house. For some reason, negative thoughts were creeping in. He couldn’t push them away. It was difficult and he felt like he was going to do something stupid.

Walking away from the presents with a sigh and stroking a set of fingers through his hair, Tommy was trying not to take too much time at his house or take a shower for too long because he knew he would get wrapped up in his thoughts and probably miss the rest of the festival. He already won the bear for Talie and he won something for Nixie and himself, he hoped they both liked what he won them. How Talie reacted caused him to be uncertain about her feelings for the bear or possibly him. That was a weird interaction. He didn’t know how he should feel about it. She’s never thanked him like that before.

As he stepped into the shower a sharp inhale was created and it sucked wind through his teeth from the hot water hitting his body. “Aahhh~” There was that sharp pain again and his face winced. For some reason that shoulder decided to kill him today. Ever since he woke up this morning it was a pain and he found himself naturally grabbing that shoulder in an attempt to coddle it or ease the pain. The man had no idea why it was hurting so badly from the simplest things though he wasn’t committing to any decision that would lead him to the hospital, not yet.

Attempting to be quick once his shoulder settled down and became tolerable, Tommy needed hot water to combat how internally frigid his body became from the ice water in the dunk tank. His feet ached under his weight and they were wrinkled and discolored from staying in soggy socks for so long. “Dunk tanks suck…” Mumbling to himself as he washed his hair. He didn’t need to be smelling like a wet dog or anything while dancing tonight.

Tommy spent longer than he anticipated he would in the shower, about thirty minutes, and he turned it off while grabbing a towel. Starting to dry himself as he stepped out and found himself looking at a broken mirror in the master bathroom. A distorted and shattered reflection of Tommy peered back through all the pieces that stayed up on the wall and he sighed. That broke almost a year ago when he was drinking heavily one night and slammed his fist into it. It was around his father’s death date. That wasn’t an excuse though that week usually had him fucked up in more ways than he could ever explain to someone.
He remembered how Nixie asked him how he got the cuts on the outer side of his palm and pinky finger on his right hand and he told her that he must have done it while riding Pandora or working around the house, he had no idea. A lie. He shouldn’t lie to her, but he didn’t want her to see him as anything else but a support system. The mirror needed to be replaced but no one came into the master bedroom or bathroom so he was not in any rush.

Shrugging his shoulders as he completed the drying process as well as he could before quickly getting dressed. Going over to the cabinet in the bathroom and grabbing out an ibuprofen bottle. Dumping a few pills into his hand before throwing them into his mouth and swallowing them dry. Tommy put the bottle back and closed the cabinet before he continued to do what he needed to do.

As he walked around the house and was making sure he had everything, he glanced at the presents on the dining room table, and he knew he needed to get things done before returning to the festival. Knowing he might be drinking and possibly do something stupid later, Tommy made the decision to drop Nixie’s presents off tonight. If he didn’t have them anymore, he couldn’t do anything stupid and regretful, and Nixie’s birthday wasn’t more than a few days away. Early birthday presents wouldn’t hurt anything. His heart began to race at the thought of what he was doing. Am I doing something I will regret? was repeating in his mind but he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, pushing those thoughts into the back of his mind. No, he wasn’t going to regret this… no matter the outcome it caused. Inhaling deeply once more, he needed it, before walking towards the dining room table and grabbing his hat that hung on one of the dining room chairs.
Grabbing his boots as he sat down and began to put his socks on. Putting his boots on as he grabbed his jacket and slid that on as well. Standing back up and stretching in an attempt to rid him of his nervous energy. It helped a little bit. Only a little. Adjusting all of his clothes and accessories, Tommy felt way better out of a work uniform and in his everyday wear. Most of the time he was wearing something like this to work.

Walking over to the living room, Tommy grabbed a cologne and put it on before leaving the house. The cologne was called gunslinger or that was the brand. He could not remember where he got it. It was something that Nixie’s moms got him for Christmas a few years back if he remembered correctly. He didn’t really buy colognes for himself. It made him smell very earthy and it wasn’t in an overwhelming way along with a tint of cherry wood and a light fragrance of evergreen trees. It was an interesting cologne but he would wear it because it was a gift. Plus he didn’t care to waste people’s presents.

Grabbing the presents and stepping out the door, Tommy made sure it closed behind him as he went over to his jeep and fired her up. Making sure he set everything nicely on the passenger side seat. As the lights were on and the engine rumbled, he couldn’t help but feel the chill of the air before closing the door behind him. Sitting in the driver's seat as he rolled down the window. At least he was wearing a long sleeve, he didn’t know how cold it was supposed to get tonight or if he was still chilly from the dunk tank. A shaky breath came from him as he asked himself, “What are ya doing?” The man kept his eyes on the variety of gifts he got for Nixie’s thirtieth birthday.

These gifts were all something he knew she would like. Possibly. One of them was something he won for her tonight at the carnival game because he knew she would love it or at least he assumed she would love the stuffed pegasus toy. His nervousness was building up in his chest as he continued to stare at her presents in thought. The other items were two movie tickets to a movie she brought up since it was coming out. He didn’t even know if she truly wanted to go see it but he was trying to show that he listened to the things she would say. Then he felt like an idiot. He could have just bought her one. Tommy bought two in hopes that they could go together but he didn’t even care for movies. Nixie knew that. Why would he even buy two? No. She would most likely take someone else. For some reason this was relaxing and a painful thought at the same time. It was a scapegoat present, he was already thinking of explanations if she questioned anything. Stop that… Don’t think like that… Closing his eyes and puffing his cheeks full of air. He held his breath before letting the air out slowly. For some reason that calmed him even when he was a little kid. It was something that his mom would make him do if he was having any overwhelming emotions or whatnot. It allowed him to not focus on whatever was bothering him.

The other presents sitting on the seat had a lot more thought put into them since he purposefully had the items handcrafted for the woman. The item that he thought she would enjoy the most was a decorative knife that had her name carved into the one side of the blade, Nixie. The other items were handcrafted dark chocolates since he knew she didn’t like the sweeter things. These were specially requested and made with dark chocolate, Himalayan salt, and buttery caramel. Ingredients that would combat the small tastes of sweetness that the chocolate and caramel had naturally. He didn’t think they were overwhelming in any aspect of flavor but he found that they were somewhat bitter before they turned into a buttery flavor with a mild sweetness to them. These gifts were too much, weren’t they? He was going to make an ass out of himself. What if they upset her? Why would they upset her? He sighed in frustration as he kept overthinking about all of this.
With those thoughts, he turned on the radio, and the typical country music station that he listened to came on. The man reserved before coming to a stop and putting the jeep into gear and going forward. Making his way to Nixie’s house, Tommy turned the vehicle off and stepped out. Grabbing the items and walking up to the woman’s house as he put in the spare key she gave him a while back. He entered without an issue. She had a spare key to his house as well.
Only being in her house for as long as he needed to be when she wasn’t home. He did not want to intrude on her space. The cowboy set all of the items up on her table so she could see them when she got home and he rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at the cream-colored envelope which was not the usual type you got from the post office. Conflicted feelings flooded him while he stared at it. Setting it down amongst the beautifully wrapped presents except for the festival toy. Biting onto his lip as he looked at the envelope amongst the gifts. “Aah caint leave this…” He mumbled to himself as he went to grab the letter. Stopping himself. Thinking. She had enough gifts, right? She didn’t need this letter right before her birthday explaining his feelings for her. What if she retracts his invitation to her birthday because of the letter? Why is this so damn hard… His one hand began to shake from the nervous anxiety that blanketed his body.

Breathing in a deep and shaky breath and breaking a shaky breath out, "Everythin’ will be fine even if ya leave the letter…” Trying to give himself some type of words of encouragement which helped slightly. Turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. He made his way to the door before he decided to instantly turn around and grab the letter.

Quickly grabbing the letter and walking out of Nixie’s house, he shut the door and made sure it was locked. This time in a way sealing his fate that he would not leave the letter on the dining room table. Slipping the letter into his back pocket as he stepped off the porch. The crunches under his boot and the sound of his weight covered the silent noise of that letter falling onto the porch. The front of it is his beautiful handwriting. Beautiful for a guy most would say. People teased him for how nice his handwriting was. Nixie was written on the front of the envelope and he could barely hear a thing from how high his blood pressure escalated and the overpowering noise of his heartbeat in his ears distracted him from realizing that letter wasn’t even in his back pocket.

Getting back into his vehicle and making his way to the festival, Tommy decided to spend more time at the police station booth. He was working with the K9 officer and teaching kids about what Shaggy the K9 officer does. Allowing children to try to work with the canine to find treats and everything else. He spent an hour or two playing cashier for the food part of the police booth as well. Then he was able to get off the clock and begin wandering around the festival.

It was around sunset and he was looking around, admiring the beautiful colors that were beginning in the sky, and he found himself in conversations with plenty of people. Most people bring up how his being dunked earlier was hilarious or kids reminding him of the canine officer and certain things Shaggy could do. Tommy loved kids and animals. He wanted dogs. He just never felt encouraged enough to get them for some reason and his past self would have thought he would have been married by now with kids.

That letter you write to yourself or at least one of the teachers in Sanctuary would make you write to yourself and would send it about four years after you left high school. He wrote something to himself, what he hoped he would be at. Moneywise. Life wise. Family wise. Tommy’s younger self would be so disappointed knowing that he was drinking and wasting his life away instead of having the family that he wanted. The dogs that he wanted. The life that he wanted.

In a way, the canine officer was a dog he had to work with a lot. In other ways, he had many kids. He would participate in the Boys and girls club after-school program for children who needed it. He coached all ages K-12 in hockey. Tommy was substituting those things instead of actually creating a family life for himself. The man had a life. Just not the life he thought he would have.

Tommy found himself at one of the carnival games, playing another one alone, since he had nothing else to do. He couldn't find Nixie. He didn't spot Levi. That definitely put thoughts in his head. Everyone else that he would want to talk to didn't seem to be out in the open. It felt like everyone was hiding. He was on his own for the time being. Deciding that he would attempt to amuse himself with games, he threw the ball at the cups. Knocking three of them down instantly.

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Location At his house - Went to Nixie's house - Back at the festival
Time Festival Evening
Mood Content

~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

---

Thomas’s face seemed to twist into confusion when Talie responded with a tongue that he did not understand. He did not realize that she could speak other languages and that was a surprise in itself. Trying to decipher the words, he allowed it to repeat in his head a few times but he only came to the conclusion that Tomasz might be his name. Other than that he had no clue what she said. Somewhat dumbfounded by her tongue, his lips parted so he could reply, but he instantly closed them in thought. What was he supposed to say to that? Rubbing the back of his neck in the sense of feeling odd and confused, he only offered a polite faint smile.

The man smiled more towards Reya, “Reya,” Dipping his head, he was somewhat confused about what Reya was doing but he didn’t want to ask.
It felt like forever though it was only thirty seconds later and she was breaking the silence between them. For some reason, the energy of this interaction was feeling different than the usual ones they had. It could be that they were outside of their payroll. He only visited her when he was on the clock. He hasn’t ever really seen her or interacted with her heavily outside of work. That could be it. Talie seemed flustered and he was becoming flustered though that all went away with her next two lines of words. “Don’t mention it. Ya just seemed upset earlier about the bear…” What was he saying? WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS!?! The man knew he shouldn’t state the obvious or bring things up. He might just embarrass her. Now he felt weird. He was weird. This was weird. Why is everything weird right now?
You should have just asked her about what she wanted… He thought because of her words behind her appreciation. This was not how he thought the interaction would go. Maybe he shouldn’t have won the bear but he promised so he had to. Save me a dance, Smurfy, a dog or an octopus would have been enough. Did… did she not want the bear? That seemed to cause all the energy to fade away and become neutral. You fucked up… Thomas thought to himself and really focused on those words. Next time don’t make a promise… idiot. Allowing his eyes to fall to the ground since he didn’t know how to respond to that sentence at that moment in time. He really felt dumb. This made him realize he should have come and found Talie first and asked what she wanted instead of going trigger-happy with the game booth and winning a bunch of stuffed animals.

A light pressure was on his cheek and that seemed to pull him out of thought and the realization of Talie kissing him on the cheek even if it was barely alarmed through his mind. Wait… Did… She just. Talie just kissed my cheek? His brows slightly knit together while he was thinking that and his eyes seemed to focus on hers. Opening his mouth to say something and closing it instantly.

As Talie was cutting the conversation short, Tommy just stood there in confusion and was utterly tongue-tied with this whole interaction. He didn’t realize that others were thinking that Talie and he could be having a romantic moment. That was not what he wanted to come off from this at all. He was completely oblivious to it though so he wouldn’t know till someone made fun of him for it or brings it up later. Talie began to wander away and he could actually function, “Aah need to go. Aah. Aah might. Aah'll try. Aah'll talk to ya later…” The man’s cheeks were dark red from more surprise than anything. He wasn’t expecting to get a kiss even if it was a light one from Talie. He wasn’t known to be very affectionate unless you were family or a close friend. Tommy decided that he would just walk as fast to his truck instead so he could go home and take a shower.

Out of that whole situation, he felt like Talie was disappointed because he didn’t get her what he wanted because he didn’t ask her what she actually wanted. That she was trying to be overly nice and appreciative about his gesture anyways and that he just disappoints himself more than he wants to on a daily basis. “At least she still wants to talk to meh later after that…That was weird…” The man whispered to himself as he opened up his door and put the two other stuffed animals in the passenger seat before getting in and shutting it. Turning the vehicle on and beginning to leave the festival to go home, take a shower, and change before coming back.

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Location Driving away from the festival
Time After 3 PM
Mood Confused - Conflicted - Disappointed - A lot of mixed emotions
Interaction @PrinceAlexus @The Muse