tl;dr - There's my spiel of silliness, take it with a grain of salt or use it to inspire you :D
I'm honestly glad I took the time to read all of that, LOL.
Raze didn't murder that first guy, he simply saw him stumble out of an alley already injured. Now that he's killed a guy though, that would probably make him a prime suspect if the dead mugger was ever connected back to Raze.
Raze hasn't been in is true form yet either. Sorry if I didn't make it clear, but Raze looks totally normal. He only sees himself as a burning skeleton in his reflection. His monstrous reflection gives away his new nature as an avatar of Hecarim #deep
@Ambra are there any important plot events you have planned? So we don't go and completely derail the whole story, LOL
Even over the roar of wind whipping against his face, Brooder recognized a distressed citizen calling him by his moniker. Immediately, Brooder detached his grapple from the top of the building. His momentum continued to carry him upwards for a second or two, giving Brooder time to quickly analyze the situation from high above the street.
The cry came from the top of a nearby building, but he could only make out the slight shape of a human on one of the adjacent roofs. Down below though, two figures were tussling amongst the crowd. One was a normal looking adolescent or young adult that appeared to try to be stripping a well-dressed man in a trenchcoat. Brooder had a soft spot for others with sensible fashion choices.
However, upon closer inspection, the well attired man had a lump on his shoulder. This man wasn’t a man at all: he was an android!
Brooder adjusted his posture just as his ascent reached its zenith, pointing both heels diagonally away from the ground. With his body positioned with his head pointed straight at the robotic assailant, Brooder activated his leg-mounted jump-jets. He rocketed headfirst to his new target, steeling himself against the sudden change in motion. Mid-flight, Brooder pulled out a metal baton, pressing a button with his thumb to cause it to extend into a staff.
Brooder smashed into the android with his staff, causing it to be knocked to the ground and have its trench coat ripped off by the grip of the helpful young man in the crowd. Brooder smoothly swung his waist and legs underneath his torso, allowing him to land right on top of the android’s chest. The force and momentum of the tackle caused Brooder to “surf” on the android for a few meters, sparks flying in every direction from underneath the android's scraping back.
”The night reveals everyone’s true nature.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. And it’s not nighttime, the sun’s still out,” some snot-nosed punk yelled out from the crowd.
Whew, okay, I went a bit overboard with my intro post, but I had to play catch up while setting up a nice intro for the characters!
Whoever goes to Matt & Liam's place next, feel free to have my character just walk into the elevator with you. I'd rather not type up an awkward post, saying how I managed to slip into the elevator with you, y'know?
This...This was the feeling that Vicki lived for. The coursing adrenaline in her blood, the elastic spring of the canvas, the weight and heft of her gloves, the rush of imminent competition. This was how the modern warrior did battle: boxing. The stench of sweat and musk filled her nostrils, but all Vicki could focus on was sizing up her opponent.
Stepping through the ropes was a lithe Black American, his muscles rippling beneath a charcoal tank-top. The young man began to bounce from one foot to the other, his red and white jersey shorts whipping from the motion, and shook his arms and shoulders to loosen up. The swagger and confidence from the new guy was palpable. This was Vicki’s first time seeing him, not to mention her first time sparring against him, but she was sure she could take him out.
The trainers placed the face protectors on Vicki and her opponent Don, red on Vicki, blue on Don, and the two stepped forward. Vicki lead with her right foot, elbows glued to her chest, her fists guarding her face. Don slowly advanced, forcing Vicki to back up. He threw a few swipes, testing how Vicki would respond. She easily dodged each hit by bending her back backwards, then shifted her weight onto her left foot, getting in a low jab to Don’s right set of ribs with her left arm. He recoiled in pain, visibly wincing.
“Nice shot,” Don commented, backing off.
Vicki smirked at the newbie, “Yup.”
A few strands of Vicki’s snow-white bangs fell in front of her eyes. Deciding to fight through the obstruction, she stepped forward, striking at Don’s forearms guarding his chest, trying to goad him into counterattacking. The inexperienced young man took the bait, sending a wild haymaker at Vicki, opening up his left side. Vicki sidestepped to the right, punching at his head. The hit connected, the force echoing up through Vicki’s arm. Unfortunately, Don didn’t reel back in pain like Vicki expected. Instead, Don rolled with the hit, his right arm primed for a swift uppercut, and hooked it straight into Vicki’s gut.
He got her good. Vicki shuffled back, her body bent forward in agony. As she was trying to hold back vomit, Vicki could hear Don laughing. She got cocky, and now he was getting cocky.
Vicki gave out a small giggle,”Yeah...yeah, that was good. Nice hit.” She threw her head back, grinning wide, with one eye still winced from the pain. Her open eye seemed to sparkle with something...scary.
Vicki put her gloves up and began to approach, her gait full of menacing purpose. She began to strike multiple blows at Don’s guard again, pushing him back towards the ropes. He tried to punch at Vicki’s openings, but she simply sidestepped each attempt and began a flurry of jabs on his lower torso. Desperate to get in a hit, Don pulled back his right arm and shot it forward like a cannon. Vicki ducked underneath the massive attack, the powerful blow grazing some of her hairs on top, and released a savage uppercut to Don’s chin. Her fist connected like a rocket smashing into the moon. The young man was hanging on the ropes now, blood pouring from the corners of his lips. Don's arms moved instinctively to protect his injured jaw, leaving his chest wide open.
Vicki pulled her right arm back as far as she could, priming it like a slingshot. Focusing all of her weight and momentum into the balled fist, Vi swung forward at the center of Don’s chest. In mid-flight, Vicki could a sort of energy, a sort of power, fill her arm, as if water was being poured into a glass.
Her fist collided like a car slamming into a wall, a blast of wind seeming to emanate from the point of impact. As if in slow motion, Vicki saw Don shoot back away from her, breaking the ropes completely. The flailing boy flew across the room, barely missing gym goers, sending equipment flying in every direction. Don broke through a window on the far side of the gym facing the street.
Vicki’s eyes went wide, still leaning forward with her arm tensed, extended out. Every face in the gym turned to look at her, jaws dropped in confusion. From an office in the back corner, a large hulking figure entered the room. Vicki’s father.
“Vicki?”
Raze Colter
4 in the building. There’s at least 5 more out there.
Across the street from the apartment building, a lone figure stood atop a building, his face and dress exceedingly average in appearance. From his perch, Raze had a clear view of any one that would enter and exit the building. Only workers and employees of the building could use the back entrance at this time of day, so to find who he wanted, Raze would spot them if they went into the building.
------
The prior day was a strange one for Raze. Every morning before heading to his private practice, Raze stopped by a little cafe. He always felt uncomfortable going in, Raze was usually the oldest person in there by far. The awkward tension was worth trudging through though: Cafe WiHi sold the best coffee in Darkwell. Yesterday though...on his usual route, an injured man stumbled out of a nearby alley, startling Raze. He chased after the injured man and witnessed him fall through the front door of the cafe. Stopping across the street, Raze observed from a distance, concluding that running in after a dying man would look incriminating.
Watching through the cafe’s doors, he saw what most would consider as impossible: a glimpse of a shield with a ram carving, the icy wings of a cryophoenix, and the distortion of a man’s figure, all in one small, closed location. Any other person would have passed it off as just seeing things, or maybe even cosplayers, but it was too much of a coincidence that Raze began manifesting powers of his own that day.
------
Raze was awoken that morning by one of his clients requesting an emergency session. Grudgingly, Raze agreed to meet the client at his office. This man disgusted Raze at his core; he refused to acknowledge he was a terrible husband and father, and has been cheating with a teacher’s aid at the local university. This man was sickening, a manifestation of the plight of humanity. He deserved to be stamped out, obliterated from the face of the universe.
Raze kept fuming over this pitiful man, dreading the two hours he would have to spend listening to him make absolutely no progress. Standing in front of his mirror, Raze’s anger reached a climax: he raised his fist to strike the wall. Instead, a spear appeared in a flash of pale-green balefire, embedding itself into the wall. Awestruck, Raze looked into the mirror, further astonished by his reflection's new, gruesome visage: a burning skull wrapped in a sickly inferno stared back at Raze.
------
As soon as Raze saw the others in that cafe, he knew he wasn't alone. He had to join them and reveal that he was a kindred soul, displaying his new powers for them to see.
Before he could rush into the cafe, sirens began to approach. Wishing to avoid suspicion, Raze melted into the shadows of a nearby alley. The man with a distorted outline left the cafe, seeming to shift and teleport from one place to another like a flipbook, rather than running in one smooth motion.
Raze waited around to see what the others would do. From his hiding place, Raze spotted one man, a blonde in his mid- to late-twenties, handing out business cards before leaving the cafe. Obviously, he wanted the powered bunch to keep in contact. Once the blonde was far enough, Raze emerged and tailed him.
Raze followed him all the way to an apartment building, likely where the blonde man lived. Raze concluded that he could either wait to see if any one else from the cafe showed up here, or wait until the blonde left and Raze could continue tailing him. Buying snacks and a blanket from a nearby store, Raze began his long vigil atop a building.
He didn't even go home that night. Raze fell asleep for a short time, but was quickly awoken by a scuffle down on the street. Raze peered over the ledge, seeing a man assaulting a woman, trying to steal her purse.
Raze stared for a few seconds, pondering what to do. Here was another fine specimen of human filth that deserved to be punished, and Raze finally had the power to act on this judgement.
------
Raze heard the shattering of glass from down the street. Was that the gym? It might have been the local hiking equipment store, it was hard to say. Regardless, Raze didn’t have time to investigate; he could see some other people from the cafe walking towards the apartment building, likely here to meet with the other powered people. All he would need to do is take the same elevator as them, or walk the same staircase, and he could find where the others were.
Taking one final glimpse over the edge, Raze stared at a green dumpster in the alleyway. Hopefully no one looks in there any time soon. Hidden from sight, Raze had stored in the dumpster the corpse of the mugger, ravaged by an otherworldly spear.
I was waiting for a response from @Whitewind, but I can have Goth stop mid-lift and investigate @DocTachyon's robot with @knighthawk. Sound good with you guys?
Everyone started off in different places. We all need to converge on the same place. Most of the action is happening in Uptown, we should start making our way there.
Hey all! Happy to say that @Ambra informed me via PM that I'm accepted into the RP! I'm looking forward to interacting with you guys.
In case you've missed it, I will be controlling two characters. Their sheets are below:
Raze Colter
Username: XxDarkKnightxX Age: 28 Gender: Male Main: Hecarim
Appearance: Raze is a tall man, standing at approximately 6’3”. Despite his height, Raze’s build is fairly average. He is neither skinny nor heavy, neither scrawny nor muscular.
His hair is jet-black and wavy. It is long, extending down below his ears, and is typically unkempt, even while he is at work.
Raze always looks exhausted. Not from lack of sleep, but from world-weariness. He looks like a man that has given up on life, his neck and head tilted down. As he walks, his fists are always clenched. Not tightly, but just enough to cup his thumbs.
His usual attire consists of wrinkled suits, mainly of black or grey colors.
True Appearance:
Powers: Warpath: Raze is naturally able to run faster than normal, topping out at 60 mph. Rampage: Raze is able to summon Hecarim’s glaive at will, using it with Hecarim’s skill and experience. Additionally, the longer Raze is in combat, the stronger his blows become. Spirit of Dread: Raze absorbs the prana of nearby beings, using it to restore his own prana, as well as heal his injuries Devastating Charge: Only able to use this in his True Form, Raze boosts his running speed even further, gathering more momentum for a devastating blow. Only sufficient force or an immovable object could hope to stop his charge. Onslaught of Shadows: Only able to use this in his True Form, Raze summons Ghost-warriors to fight by his side. If Raze activates this while already using Devastating Charge, his velocity will increase to sound Barrier-breaking speeds, and end his charge with an explosion of spectral energy. Only an immovable object could hope to stop this move.
Personality: Raze is extremely distrusting of people, only seeing the bad in the world and the people that inhabit it. He is a short-tempered individual, becoming a loud and outspoken man after years of keeping quiet under his parents and peers. Raze never made the conscious decision to be selfish, but typically only takes action if it will benefit him in some way. He is impatient and tackles conflict head on, hating to leave anything unattended to.
Raze is indeed a cynicist and keeps people at arm’s length, but some small part of him deep down inside hopes that there is good somewhere in humanity.
Short Biography: Raze’s past has been fraught with backstabbing and betrayal against him. At every turn, his attempts to forgive, forget, and reconcile have been met with more and more reason to distrust those around him, leading him to conclude that man was selfish and untrustworthy, and that Raze should simply respond by acting in kind.
Raze’s parents were both very successful and accomplished professionals in their fields. This allowed Raze to live a very comfortable childhood, but left them with hardly any time to actually spend together. One day, Raze came down the stairs to find all of his belongings packed into bags. He was unceremoniously being shipped off to a private school on the other side of the country.
With his underdeveloped social skills and care for others, Raze had a difficult time making friends. The one person he thought would be his friend ended up leading him to some back alley to be mugged.
Finishing with high school, Raze went off to the University of Darkwell, studying Psychology, and earning his doctorate and certification by age 26. He opened his own practice to help others escape from their suffering, but he only became more and more jaded as people shared the terrible things they had done with him.
Things looked like they would turn around when he finally met the love of his life. At age 27, he proposed, and she said yes. The month before their wedding though, Raze caught her cheating on him with one of her coworkers.
Using entertainment as a means of escape, Raze has been an avid gamer since a young age. Upon its release, Raze became enthralled with the game League of Legends and plays it to this day.
Vicki Victory
Username: punchbuggi Age: 24 Gender: Female Main: Vi
Appearance: She has a muscular, well-toned build and stands at around 5’7”
True Appearance: Vi’s gauntlets appear on her arms, as well as a metal pack on her back connected to the gauntlets. This pack helps Vicki suspend the gauntlets, and they also have jet boosters sticking out to propel her quickly, as well as allowing for short-term flight. Vicki’s hair also grows longer with more streaks of pink appearing.
Powers: Blast Shield: Vicki can slam her fists together to temporarily create a force barrier. Usable outside of her True Form. Vault Breaker As Vicki winds up a powerful punch, her gauntlet increases in size before blasting forward for a single, devastating blow. Only usable in True Form. Denting Blows Vicki gains superhuman strength and durability. This doesn’t use up Vicki’s prana, but she’s still prone to fatigue and exhaustion like anyone else. Usable outside of her True Form. Strength is vastly increased in True Form. Excessive Force Vicki punches a foe or object, damaging it, as well as sending out a shockwave that damages anyone or anything behind it. Vicki can also punch the ground to send out a shockwave all around her. Usable outside of her True Form. Assault & Battery Vicki boosts forward as she winds up a powerful punch, activating her shield for protection during the charge. Her gauntlet increases in size before letting loose a powerful uppercut. Only usable in True Form.
Personality: Vicki oozes with confidence, this is her defining characteristic. There are very few things she has failed at in life, but not from things being handed to her. She has worked for and earned everything she owns and has accomplished.
Vicki is never content with herself. She must always push herself further, become better. Not just in boxing, but in every area of her life. She must be funnier, more likeable, prettier, a better, more efficient business woman, she must be more loving and caring, more selfless, more everything.
Constantly seeking out challenges for herself leads to Vicki being knocked down by life very often. She is not the type to simply lie down and give up, she will always rise up to the occasion. Her hard-headed attitude can get her and those around her into unnecessary situations, though.
Vicki has exceptionally high standards for herself, and expects everyone else to be their best as well. Her constant pushing of herself doesn't detract from her personality though. She is magnetic, charismatic, and easily liked by everyone. Curiously, she keeps everyone at arm’s length. She’s warm and friendly, but isn’t known for being open and intimate with others.
Short Biography: Vicki is the daughter of retired, world-renowned boxer, Victor Victory. He won't tell his daughter if that's their real name or not, but Vicki’s certain it isn't. Her father always did have a penchant for the theatrical.
After retirement, Victor opened up his own boxing gym, teaching others the ways of a champ. Vicki never bothered going to college after high school, as she works in and helps run her father’s gym. She has also taken after her father’s passion for boxing, spending even her free time there to hone her skills.
Being the daughter of a legend, most people would feel crushed under the weight of the pressure to accomplish something equally as amazing as their celebrity parents. Vicki simply looks at it as an opportunity to cast her own shadow further than her father ever did.
Due to the competitive nature and high learning curve of League of Legends, Vicki took to the game very easily and plays at least one game a night. Her main? Obviously Vi.
Hey, uh, I think @Nightknight's gonna get shot at by a robot.
Yay, finally some action! If we can get @Poke and @Whitewind in the fight, we can start this off with a sweet showdown between heroes and villains. It would be pretty...spectacular
@Darkmatter Thanks! Below is the full, completed submission with the justice system blurb. Lemme know if anything needs changing, or if it's accepted. I'm looking forward to RPing in this! =D
Vidril of Truths
The Vidril of Truths is the arm of Vrent’s government charged with law & order. As its namesake suggests, the highest priority of the Vidril of Truths is seeking out the truth of criminal situations, and doling out punishments based on the circumstances.
Hierarchy
Just as any organization, the Vidril of Truths has its own hierarchy, each tier handling different responsibilities. The higher the tier, the more responsibility and known accomplishments are required of an individual.
Unlike the Speakers of each Vidril however, familial influence and combat proficiency are not the main determining factors in advancing in the Vidril of Truths. Rather, individuals may be promoted based on their ability to root out criminal activity, as well as their thoroughness in bringing the truth to light. If nominated by another instead of submitting themselves, individuals may reject the nomination if they so desire.
Shown below is the hierarchy of the Vidril, starting from top to bottom.
Speaker
At the top of the totem pole is the Speaker of the Vidril, charged with overseeing all current servants of the Vidril of Truths. The Speaker has the authority to overrule the decision of any Tribunal, although this power has rarely ever been put into practice. Additionally, the Speaker may serve on a Tribunal if he or she so chooses. This typically occurs in accusations involving high-profile figures or high-ranking government or religious officials.
Whenever the title of Speaker must be passed onto another, they must be nominated by a fellow Triune and have their qualifications, history, and accomplishments listed out. Once a list of potential candidates has been finalized, every Triune casts their vote to elect a new Speaker. The candidate with the majority vote must then be approved or rejected by the current Listener. A candidate has only been rejected once in the history of Vrent.
Triune
The Triune act as judges in Vrent’s courts of truth. Their name is derived from the fact that each case is handled by a board of three Triune, called a Tribunal. After hearing from the Inquisitor of the Accused and the Offended, the Tribunal convene to first discuss if the Accused is indeed guilty of the proposed crime or not. If at least two of the three Triune find the Accused guilty, they then discuss an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
When not serving on a Tribunal, the Triune mainly handle administration in the Vidril, handling and assigning the multitude of charges that pass through the Vidril.
An Inquisitor may become a Triune in one of the following ways: applying for advancement to Triune, recommendation by at least three of their peers, or recommendation by at least one Triune. The promotion of a Triune is handled similarly to a court case: one Inquisitor represents the candidate by proving why they are qualified to be a Triune, while another Inquisitor seeks out reasons to hold them back. Finally, a Tribunal deliberates on whether to accept the new Triune or not.
Inquisitor
Inquisitors are the primary individuals charged with gathering evidence and piecing together the truth of each situation. Inquisitors are assigned cases by Triune, regardless of their prior experience. Inquisitors do not specialize in any particular field of crime, as all Inquisitors are equally as likely to be assigned various cases. Due to this, Inquisitors are expected to have a sufficient amount of knowledge of the entirety of Vrent’s Truths, their system of laws.
Inquisitors technically have the authority to arrest and accuse individuals of breaking a Truth, as well as many of the other responsibilities and powers of the Bulwarks and Sabers. However, between constant study of the Truths and serving in court, Inquisitors rarely exert this authority.
Bulwarks may only become Inquisitors by applying for the position. Once they have submitted themselves for consideration, Bulwarks are assigned an Inquisitor to see if they have accomplished enough to prove their dedication to Truth. After receiving approval by said Inquisitor, Bulwarks must then take and pass a lengthy exam designed to test their knowledge of Vrent’s Truths.
The reason that only Bulwarks are allowed to submit themselves for consideration as an Inquisitor is because of the drastic change in responsibilities, moving from the streets of Vrent to its courts. If a Bulwark desires to stay amongst its citizens and Sabres, they may do so.
Bulwark
Whereas Sabers are the reactionary force of Vrent’s Truths, Bulwarks are the proactive force.
Bulwarks act as detectives and captains among the Sabers, each managing a small group of Sabers (5-10 Sabers) and their activities. Bulwarks are responsible for the activities of their Sabers, but mainly concern themselves with rooting out established criminals and criminal organizations, based on the evidence and information gathered by the Sabers. Bulwarks also approve the arrest of citizens if they deem a sufficient amount of evidence as being present.
Similar to Inquisitors, Sabers may advance to Bulwark either by submitting themselves for consideration, nomination by their peers, or nomination by a Bulwark. Once put into consideration for the position, the candidate is represented by a Bulwark of their choosing who writes a lengthy letter of recommendation and conducts an interview with an Inquisitor on behalf of the candidate. The Inquisitor then decides if the candidate is Bulwark material or not.
Saber
The bulk of the Vidril of Truths. Sabers perform most of the legwork for the Vidril, gathering evidence and information as instructed. Their main responsibility is to patrol the Ard and Ishil roads, and the narrow streets and alleys around each Citadel. If a Saber suspects criminal activity but cannot prove it based on current evidence, they submit their concern to their Bulwark to investigate further.
Almost anyone is allowed to become a Saber. Upon their application being accepted, Sabers are placed under a Bulwark for a three-month probationary period. There are no initial requirements simply to apply, but if, during this probationary period, a Saber doesn’t demonstrate enough knowledge of the Truths to know what they are and aren’t allowed to do, or if they are so physically unfit that it impedes their ability to perform their duties, they will be rejected from serving further as a Saber.
If rejected, one may only reapply after one year from the day they were rejected.
Courts of Truth
Ethics & Truth
Within the Courts of Truth, actual evidence and testimonies presented to the Tribunal will present the heaviest influence in determining an Accused as being Innocent or Guilty. However, the Courts of Truth do allow Inquisitors to include arguments based in the philosophy of ethics. The Vidril of Truths believes that the motivations behind a crime are just as important as the actual breaking of the Truth.
As such, Tribunals take this into consideration when deliberating on an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
Roles of Participants
In Vrent’s many Courts of Truth, only six individuals participate: the Accused, the Inquisitor of the Accused, the Inquisitor of the Offended, and the three Triune serving on the Tribunal. The only exception to this is when the Accused is a group of people accused of breaking the same Truth.
The Accused is the person or the people charged with committing a crime, known as breaking a Truth. At the beginning of the court proceedings, the Accused may either plead themselves as being Innocent, Innocent-by-Circumstance (explained below), or Guilty.
The Inquisitor of the Accused is the Inquisitor charged with protecting the Accused. They accomplish either by proving they are Innocent, or Innocent-by-Circumstance.
The Inquisitor of the Offended is the Inquisitor charged with proving the Accused as being guilty of breaking the Truths. If a the Accused pleads guilty, they question the Accused to reveal their intentions and reasons for breaking the truth. This Inquisitor either represents the individual/group that the Accused offended, or the Truths of Vrent.
The Triune listen to the evidence and arguments provided by both Inquisitors to deem whether the Accused is indeed Innocent or Guilty, or, if they plead so, Innocent-by-Circumstance. If they consider the Accused as Guilty, they also decide on an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
Pleading Guilty or Innocent-by-Circumstance
Technically, both of these are the Accused pleading as guilty of committing the crime. However, if the Accused pleads to be Innocent-by-Circumstance, this means that the Accused acknowledges that they broke a Truth, but they did so with sufficient enough moral and/or circumstantial reason. The Inquisitor of the Accused then presents their evidence and arguments for why the circumstances of the situation allow them to break the Truth. The Inquisitor of the Offended, on the other hand, attempts to reveal that the Accused did not have enough reason to break said Truth.
The main difference between these two pleas is that a person, if proven to be Innocent-by-Circumstance, is absolved of any and all punishments, where one pleading Guilty accepts whatever punishment the Tribunal impresses upon them.
Most pleas of Innocent-by-Circumstance occur in relation to business-related Truths, but they also happen frequently in cases of theft and murder.
Fox O’Donovan
Alias: Malcolm DuBeaux, “The Gentleman Bounty Hunter”
Race & Gender: Human Male
Age: 39
Appearance:
Approximately 5’6”, with a stocky build. Due to the nature of his work, Donovan exercises regularly and keeps up strength training, making him fairly muscular for his stature.
Donovan has a jagged, rough face with tanned, pink skin. He looks permanently sunburnt, but it’s simply a combination of his natural complexion mixed with the sea air and sun of Throngale (Throngale info below.) He has a large, square jaw that juts out at the chin.
He has eyes the color of murky ocean water, hidden under the shadow of a protruding, straight brow ridge. His eyebrows are thick and bushy, always filled with flecks of white. This is easily confused for dandruff, but it’s salt from his proximity to the ocean.
Donovan has light, greasy black hair. On his head, he keeps it somewhat short, slicking it back on all sides, the ends trailing into a curl at the back of his neck. In order to conceal his appearance, he has recently grown thick mutton chops that connect into a mustache. He keeps his beard and goatee neatly combed, matching the appearance of his hair.
Despite life as a bounty hunter, Donovan has an approachable face. He isn’t constantly smiling, but he gives off an easy-going air, his eyes bright and alert as if he knows something you don’t. The bridge of his nose curves inward, ending with nostrils and a nose pointed slightly upward.
Hardly anyone ever sees it, but he has a tattoo of the silhouette of a murkroot. The bulb and leaves start at his elbow, while the roots grow and spread out all along his arm, snaking their way up to his shoulder to a wild mass of tendrils.
Inventory
Clothing / Armor:
Donovan has two stand-out items in his usual wardrobe: a black bowler hat and a dark, indigo suit jacket with coattails. On both sides of the front of his coat are a column of 4 gold-colored buttons with ornate carvings. These have no function, being more for show than anything else.
Beneath the coat, Donovan wears a maroon vest, buttoned-up completely. The vest is worn over a wrinkled, white dress shirt, as well as a black tie. Lastly, Donovan dons a pair of black dress pants, accessorized with a reptile-skin belt, colored a speckle of brown, black, and white. The buckle is an copper, oval plate with spindly carvings around the outside.
Donovan doesn’t wear dress shoes. Instead, he wears black leather boots for durability, comfort, and ease of movement.
Donovan hides the fact that, underneath his clothes, he wears chainmail armor to protect his torso at all times (except when he sleeps and bathes). Aside from this, Donovan wields a buckler (explained below), and wears an iron armguard on his right forearm.
Weapons & Equipment:
Cane Blade - “Th’ simplest approach is usually th’ best approach.” A standard issue weapon of the Sabers, Donovan still holds onto his own cane blade, but he has modified its appearance to conceal its origin.
The cane blade is a long, thin shortsword, approximately three to four feet in length, being tailor-made to its user. The blade is concealed within a simple black, wooden scabbard that doubles as a cane. At the end of the scabbard is a brass tip, while two brass rings circle around near the sheath. The handle of the blade itself is also simple and made of brass.
Donovan has had the handle replaced with an ornate carving of a wolf’s paw, made of silver. The toes of the paw curve slightly, allowing for an easier grip. The scabbard has been painted over to resemble a mahogany finish.
Flintlock Pistols - “Reloading these things is a right pain in the arse, butcha only e’er need one shot.” To complement his blade for close combat, Donovan carries with him two flintlock pistols.
The flintlock is the latest in modern warfare. Rare weapons only seen among the wealthy or among government officials, Donovan still carries his flintlock from his time as a Saber. His second flintlock was purchased from a black market merchant that harbored in Throngale for a night.
His main flintlock is kept in a leather holster on the left side of his hip. The secondary is kept on a chest holster, laying across his left breast.
Donovan’s preferred firearm, hiis Saber-issued flintlock is simple design, made primarily of wood. The structure indicates cheap production over fanciful decoration.
His secondary flintlock, purchased from an illegal vendor. The exquisite ornamentation and metals probably mean this was stolen from some noble. It also has the exotic quality of containing three separate barrels.
Donovan does not dual-wield both flint-locks like a fool. He keeps two on his person in case he needs a quick second shot.
Flintlock Rifle - “I prefer my work done up close, but sometimes, you don’t get to choose yer circumstances.” A specialty weapon, Donovan has had experience using these before while on the Sabers. However, these were not standard-issue due to their expensive costs to produce, only being requisitioned for specific operations. Donovan has purchased this one legally from a weapons store in Throngale.
Donovan rarely ever brings, let alone uses, this rifle, but he is still a skilled enough marksman to land a shot from a distance. He has tied a strap to the barrel and stock, allowing him to carry it on his back.
Derringer - “Don’t let people know yer the most dangerous man in th’ room.” Another exotic weapon purchased off a seedy merchant through illegal means, this is a miniaturized version of the common flintlock pistol, it only measures three inches from barrel to butt. Donovan keeps this hidden up his right sleeve, attached to a spring-loaded mechanism. By pressing down on a switch near his right elbow, Donovan can release the spring, extending the Derringer directly into his hand from the sleeve.
The spring was custom-made and set Donovan back a Lily and a Blood, and he has only actually used it once, but the one occasion saved him in a barfight turned fatal. Donovan would argue that his life is definitely worth more than that.
Buckler - “This thing has saved me life more’n once...it always leaves me with a sore wrist, though.” A simple iron buckler Donovan wears on his left forearm, attached by two leather straps. The buckler is thin and light enough to wield with some agility in combat, while large enough to cover Donovan’s face and neck.
However, its thin design means it’s not going to block any heavy weapons such as axes or longswords, as they’ll simply break through the metal. Arrows are able to pierce through, but the buckler should prevent them penetrating through completely. It is strong enough to block distant shots from flintlocks as well as the common shortsword, including the cane blade.
In combat, Donovan typically uses his buckler to deflect or glance blows, rather than outright taking the hit. Additionally, he can use the buckler to unleash a backhand swipe powerful enough to knock out most people.
Other Equipment -Iron dagger he keeps strapped to his left thigh (“Y’always need a back-up.”) -Bag of ammunition for his flintlock weapons -Kept in his coat pocket, a silver flask filled with…(“It’ll knock yeh on yer arse, s’all ye need t’know.) -Leather satchel, strapped across his shoulder and hanging on his right side. Filled with necessary equipment, such as...
-Parchment and charcoal sticks for writing/drawing -Set of simple lockpicking tools, nothing fancy. (“Fer when a swift kick o’ th’boot is too loud.”) -Counterfeit ℘ragon's Heads (“Hopefully I never meet ‘em again.”) -Cloths and rags -Whetstone -Bandage wraps, healing ointments, and herbal medicines for minor injuries -Canteen of water -Drawings of his family, kept safe in clasp of boiled leather -A loaf bread -Various cheeses -Salted meats
Wallet: “That’s none o’ yer damn business now, is it?” (Donovan is by no means wealthy, but his savings from life as a Saber, the farm he currently owned, and success as a bounty hunter has kept him living comfortably.)
Skills:
Swordsman: Years of practiced combat as a Saber and a bounty hunter has left Donovan as a highly advanced swordsman. He’s not nearly as fast as he was in his youth, but he’s a smart fighter, not a ferocious nor a fast one.
Marksman: When close-up work isn’t an option, Donovan is a deadeye with a gun. He prefers using his pistols, but Donovan’s able to snipe from a few hundred yards away with his rifle.
Detective: Still able to use and hone his Saber skills as a bounty hunter, Donovan knows how to obtain, understand, and piece together evidence. Actual hunters thrive on pursuing creatures in the wilds, while Donovan is a hunter of civilized men.
Scholar of Truths: Donovan still has a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Vrent’s Truths and how they all interact with one another, allowing him to get through loopholes wherever they are.
Interrogator/Charmer: More skills he picked up as a Saber and utilizes as a bounty hunter, Donovan knows how to make a man talk through carefully applied pain and psychological torment, as well as how to steer a friendly conversation towards the information he wants.
Amateur Sneak: Donovan can’t move around as deftly as a practiced thief, but he can remain quiet and still when it counts. He’s also able to lockpick his way into poorly guarded buildings, such as small stores and households. Anything with a serious lock is out of his league. Or he just tries kicking it down.
Fabricator: With almost a decade of lying about his identity under his belt, Donovan is a convincing liar.
Brawler: Don’t challenge him to a fistfight. He’ll lay your @$$ out.
Personality:
Let’s first address Donovan’s life as a new man. He prefers the “hiding in plain sight” approach. Donovan is cautious with every step he takes, but he’s not a hermit, nor is he excessively secretive. He has a completely made up history for his new identity and will stick to it, trusting that he won’t be discovered unless he comes face-to-face with old friends or family. He is open about owning a farm, and about being a bounty hunter.
Donovan is a charismatic individual, known to be very friendly and approachable. Even with total strangers, Donovan makes those around feel as if they’ve known him all their life. This is partly due to his natural self, as well as a necessity to keep anyone from suspecting him of being more than Malcolm DuBeaux. This makes him a good drinking buddy!
Despite such a devastating betrayal in his life, Donovan still believes in upholding justice. He just needs to go about it differently than he had been for 12 years of his life. He acknowledges that the justice system is not perfect, but it still needs to be in place for the people of Vrent. A few corrupt people doesn’t make the whole system corrupt.
Life has given him a more realistic perspective on the world, but he’s still optimistic about humanity.
He dearly misses his old life, especially the family he left in Isthia, but Donovan has accepted his new life as Malcolm DuBeaux.
Donovan acts excessively chivalrous and well-mannered as part of his Malcolm DuBeaux persona.
History:
Donovan grew up happily in a farming community. He wanted to be a hero like the ones from stories he heard every night. Him and his family saved up to send him off to Vrent. On his first day, Donovan was mugged by two guys, then saved by Bulwark Finnigan (a Bulwark is a cop basically.) Donovan immediately idolized Finnigan, and wanted to become a Saber (Saber is a normal cop, Bulwark is a captain/detective.) Finnigan adopted Donovan and became like a father. Finnigan payed for Donovan to go to private school, studying to become a Saber. Donovan graduated, applied to become a Saber, and was accepted. Finnigan had Donovan transferred to his unit, and they served together for years. Eventually, Donovan was nominated to move up and be promoted to Bulwark. Finnigan represented Donovan, explaining to the higher-ups why Donovan should be a Bulwark. Donovan was accepted, becoming a full-fledged Bulwark. Early on in his career as a Bulwark, Donovan picked up on a conspiracy, finding evidence that Finnigan, his adopted father, was helping criminals get out of punishment. Donovan brought this to the court with a mountain of evidence, but Finnigan got off free, probably pulling some strings. Finnigan threatened Donovan’s life, so Donovan fled to a far away city, where he lived as a bounty hunter for years.
Fox O’Donovan was born in and grew up in one of the many farming communities that made up Isthia, fifth out of seven children. Both of his parents worked as workers tending to the fields of murkroot, who have literally spent more than half of their lives toiling in the water and muck. The O’Donovans never struggled to survive, but every member, including the children, had to put in more than their share of hard work to put food on the table. Donovan remembers working ever since he was able to walk.
A hardy, leafy bulb that only grows in shallow marshes. The bulb is similar in taste and nutrition to the common potato, with large, oar-shaped leaves growing off the top of it that are also edible. The bulb floats on the surface of the water, with thick tendrils of roots reaching down through the water, planting itself in place.
As a child, Donovan’s parents would read stories to him and his children every night. Being farmers, they couldn’t afford many luxuries without risking food being absent for a few days. Thankfully, a passing merchant traded a musty storybook for a few of their murkroots. And so, the O’Donovan family would hear about the many adventures and triumphs of fictional heroes, the Vindicators of Truth, battling against the malevolent spawn of darkness.
The young Donovan grew up happy and content in his childhood. His family loved him, there was usually food to eat, and he made friends with the other farmers’ children. He wanted more out of his uneventful life though; he wanted to fight evil just like the heroes from the stories he heard every day. Donovan would run around the marshes and rivers of his village, slashing at invisible monsters with a stick.
With the help of some of his older siblings, Donovan eventually saved up enough to travel to the Citadel, the best place to pursue his dream of fighting evil. Donovan gave a bittersweet farewell to his family, and left for Vrent’s Citadel.
Donovan arrived at the gates of Vrent, young, idealistic, and wide-eyed. He had never seen anything as big as the towering stone, never seen so many people crowded in one place, never experienced anything like the cultural melting pot that was Vrent. Neither had he experienced the cruel side of humanity. The naive young man approached some gentleman with the appearance of having lived in Vrent for some time, asking them for advice for a new resident. These two gentlemen eagerly agreed to show him around, and promptly escorted him to a nearby alley where they proceeded to beat him and take his belongings. Just as the muggers were taking the last of Donovan’s belongings, a couple of Sabers happened upon them, chasing off the muggers.
Enter Bulwark Finnigan, the man that fended off Donovan’s attackers. At that moment, Finnigan had engraved himself in Donovan’s mind as the ideal everyman’s hero. As Finnigan turned to pursue the muggers, Donovan stopped him, begging Finnigan to take him on as an apprentice. Finnigan was visibly confused, so Donovan explained to him his dreams and his situation. Finnigan took him in, unofficially becoming his new guardian.
Finnigan became like a father to Donovan, teaching him to adjust to life in the city. He also helped Donovan understand the darker side of man, due to his lack of real social experiences. Eventually, Finnigan used his own ℘ragon Heads to put Donovan into the Academy of Truth, a highly prestigious school for training those interested in joining the Vidril of Truths.
Donovan passed through the Academy with flying colors, eager to achieve his dream of fighting criminals and protecting the innocent. He applied to join the Sabers immediately upon finishing his schooling, and was promptly accepted, getting through the probationary period without any trouble. Donovan was officially a Saber of the Vidril of Truths. Proud of his adopted son, Finnigan requested to have Donovan transferred to his unit, continuing to mentor the young Saber.
Donovan excelled as a Saber, defending the Truths of Vrent and its citizens from crime, big and small. However, as he served through the years, he noticed every now and then that the Tribunal would let go criminals he had caught, despite having overwhelming evidence and eyewitnesses pointing towards them obviously breaking a Truth. Donovan simply dismissed it as the Tribunals being careful to not condemn an innocent man.
Due to his success and zeal in the line of work, Donovan was an obvious candidate to move up to Bulwark. Initially, Donovan suspected that Finnigan had been the one to nominate him, but he later found out that it was actually his fellow Sabers. This was especially surprising, considering that Donovan was both the youngest member of their group, as well as the one on the force for the shortest amount of time. Finnigan may not have been the one who recommended Donovan, but he was the one who represented Donovan. Finnigan never revealed what he wrote in the letter of recommendation, nor what he said in the interview. Regardless, Donovan was approved, advancing further in his dream career...Bulwark O’Donovan.
Unfortunately, Donovan’s career would be cut short as a result of him doing what he loved: his job. He was unrelentless is hunting down the most secretive of criminals. The years as a Saber had transformed Donovan into an efficient, well-oiled machine, a bloodhound that always sniffed out its prey. One of Donovan’s hunts had him catching the scent of a criminal on the inside of the Vidril of Truths. Everything started coming together for Donovan, why suspected criminals had gotten off without a conviction, why evidence seemed to go missing or go completely disregarded, everything.
Every crook he interrogated, every document he screened, every undocumented financial transaction he caught pointed to one logical conclusion, with one man at the center of it all: Bulwark Finnigan, likely with the help of others in the Vidril of Truth, would help criminals that paid him off get released without a conviction. Donovan didn’t want to believe it, but he did have to fulfill his duty. He gathered together all of the evidence he had and pushed the case forward to the Courts of Truth.
Donovan was given special permission to witness the Inquisition of Finnigan. The Inquisitor of the Offended let loose an unending torrent of proof, presenting every shred of proof without any possibility of refuting its validity. The Accused’s arguments were pitiful, only stating that this was possibly an elaborate conspiracy to frame Finnigan. The long-time Bulwark and father figure to Donovan was obviously guilty, and yet...the Tribunal declared Finnigan as innocent.
Dumbfounded, Donovan wandered into the hall outside the Court, staring at the wall. How could he have missed it, Finnigan would have needed accomplices working as Triunes to get criminals off scot-free. Now, he was using those same connections to get himself out of trouble. While Donovan continued to stare at the wall, Finnigan strode over to him and whispered,”I will kill you if I see you again.”
Those were the last words Donovan ever heard from Finnigan. Wasting no time, Donovan gathered all of his belongings and money, fleeing to Throngale, a backwater port town. For the past few years, he has lived there amongst the pirates and outlaws making a living as a bounty hunter, still pursuing his one-man war against crime.
Fearing that Finnigan would send someone to silence him, Donovan completely changed his identity. He changed his name, started growing a massive beard on his clean-shaven face, and remade his image.
Donovan ditched his uniform, trading it with some backwater tailor for an old suit and hat. With the money that he had, Donovan purchased a small, barely self-sufficient farm near Throngale, and hired a steward to watch over the farm while he worked on making a new name for himself as a new person. On the deed for the land, Donovan signed as his new identity: Malcolm DuBeaux.
A little less than a year into the farming business, Malcolm’s farm had barely made any progress, with no return on investment at all. He needed more capital simply to obtain the equipment and labor needed to start turning a real profit. Not exactly a business tycoon, Donovan walked the streets of Throngale, pondering over ideas. He couldn’t turn to loans, as it would draw attention to him if he wasn’t able to pay them back. No investor in their right mind would put money down on an almost failed farm. Donovan needed a lot of money, fast.
Strolling down the line of warehouses on Throngale’s docks, an idea was literally hanging on a wall, as if sent from heaven: a Wanted poster with a hefty reward at the bottom. Suddenly, Donovan’s old passions were rekindled. He would build the foundations of his new life on the skills of his previous self. The farm would be saved by his ability and desire to punish the wicked. And so began the successful career of the mysterious Malcolm DuBeaux; plantation owner by day, bounty hunter by night. And also day.
Years later, after building up his reputation as a famed bounty hunter, he was contacted by an unnamed individual, recruiting Donovan (Malcolm) for a lucrative job. The catch?
It was back in Vrent.
Throngale is a backwater port town, neighboring the far more successful, and far more orderly, Sfel. Throngale primarily deals with smaller ships and barges that are simply passing through, rarely handling any serious imports or exports aside from food and supplies for the town. Throngale is littered with taverns, brothels, casinos, theaters, and all other manner of ways for a sailor to let loose from days at sea. Just as any port or harbor city, Throngale is a hodgepodge of the many different cultures that pass through. Aside from shady “entertainment,” Throngale is actually well-known for its food and music. Chefs, cooks, and musicians from all around have settled in Throngale, enjoying the debauchery readily available, and set up their own restaurants and clubs. While not a large city like the Citadels near the mountains, Throngale has a thriving night life. While there are set Truths that citizens and visitors are expected to follow, Throngale does not have any Sabers that regularly patrol. Instead, citizens are expected to police themselves, punishing criminals not with jail, but with fist, gun, or blade. The closest thing Throngale has to an organized police force is a rag-tag band of militiamen and bounty hunters that look to punish known criminals.
Age 16 Sets off for and arrives at Vrent Gets mugged Gets saved and adopted by Finnigan Finnigan puts Donovan through school
Age 18 Donovan applies for the Sabers and is accepted
Age 25 Nominated for and becomes a Bulwark
Age 27 Begins to suspect a conspiracy involving Finnigan
Age 29 Pushes the case against Finnigan to the Courts of Truth Finnigan is declared Innocent, then threatens Donovan’s life Donovan flees the Vrent Citadel
Age 30 Donovan settles in Throngale, initially doing odd-jobs
Age 31 Donovan begins his career of bounty hunting.
Age 39 Donovan is contacted by an anonymous figure, promising an exceptionally well-paying job.
Other:
Amongst the farming communities of Isthia, each village has their own slang, common phrases, and tweaks in the accent. Overall though, Isthians have what we would consider an “Irish” accent.
Finnigan is 10 years older than Donovan. Finnigan had been helping out criminals since before he met Donovan, and was hoping to have Donovan “join the family business.”
Thanks! Below is the full, completed submission with the justice system blurb. Lemme know if anything needs changing, or if it's accepted. I'm looking forward to RPing in this! =D
Vidril of Truths
The Vidril of Truths is the arm of Vrent’s government charged with law & order. As its namesake suggests, the highest priority of the Vidril of Truths is seeking out the truth of criminal situations, and doling out punishments based on the circumstances.
Hierarchy
Just as any organization, the Vidril of Truths has its own hierarchy, each tier handling different responsibilities. The higher the tier, the more responsibility and known accomplishments are required of an individual.
Unlike the Speakers of each Vidril however, familial influence and combat proficiency are not the main determining factors in advancing in the Vidril of Truths. Rather, individuals may be promoted based on their ability to root out criminal activity, as well as their thoroughness in bringing the truth to light. If nominated by another instead of submitting themselves, individuals may reject the nomination if they so desire.
Shown below is the hierarchy of the Vidril, starting from top to bottom.
Speaker
At the top of the totem pole is the Speaker of the Vidril, charged with overseeing all current servants of the Vidril of Truths. The Speaker has the authority to overrule the decision of any Tribunal, although this power has rarely ever been put into practice. Additionally, the Speaker may serve on a Tribunal if he or she so chooses. This typically occurs in accusations involving high-profile figures or high-ranking government or religious officials.
Whenever the title of Speaker must be passed onto another, they must be nominated by a fellow Triune and have their qualifications, history, and accomplishments listed out. Once a list of potential candidates has been finalized, every Triune casts their vote to elect a new Speaker. The candidate with the majority vote must then be approved or rejected by the current Listener. A candidate has only been rejected once in the history of Vrent.
Triune
The Triune act as judges in Vrent’s courts of truth. Their name is derived from the fact that each case is handled by a board of three Triune, called a Tribunal. After hearing from the Inquisitor of the Accused and the Offended, the Tribunal convene to first discuss if the Accused is indeed guilty of the proposed crime or not. If at least two of the three Triune find the Accused guilty, they then discuss an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
When not serving on a Tribunal, the Triune mainly handle administration in the Vidril, handling and assigning the multitude of charges that pass through the Vidril.
An Inquisitor may become a Triune in one of the following ways: applying for advancement to Triune, recommendation by at least three of their peers, or recommendation by at least one Triune. The promotion of a Triune is handled similarly to a court case: one Inquisitor represents the candidate by proving why they are qualified to be a Triune, while another Inquisitor seeks out reasons to hold them back. Finally, a Tribunal deliberates on whether to accept the new Triune or not.
Inquisitor
Inquisitors are the primary individuals charged with gathering evidence and piecing together the truth of each situation. Inquisitors are assigned cases by Triune, regardless of their prior experience. Inquisitors do not specialize in any particular field of crime, as all Inquisitors are equally as likely to be assigned various cases. Due to this, Inquisitors are expected to have a sufficient amount of knowledge of the entirety of Vrent’s Truths, their system of laws.
Inquisitors technically have the authority to arrest and accuse individuals of breaking a Truth, as well as many of the other responsibilities and powers of the Bulwarks and Sabers. However, between constant study of the Truths and serving in court, Inquisitors rarely exert this authority.
Bulwarks may only become Inquisitors by applying for the position. Once they have submitted themselves for consideration, Bulwarks are assigned an Inquisitor to see if they have accomplished enough to prove their dedication to Truth. After receiving approval by said Inquisitor, Bulwarks must then take and pass a lengthy exam designed to test their knowledge of Vrent’s Truths.
The reason that only Bulwarks are allowed to submit themselves for consideration as an Inquisitor is because of the drastic change in responsibilities, moving from the streets of Vrent to its courts. If a Bulwark desires to stay amongst its citizens and Sabres, they may do so.
Bulwark
Whereas Sabers are the reactionary force of Vrent’s Truths, Bulwarks are the proactive force.
Bulwarks act as detectives and captains among the Sabers, each managing a small group of Sabers (5-10 Sabers) and their activities. Bulwarks are responsible for the activities of their Sabers, but mainly concern themselves with rooting out established criminals and criminal organizations, based on the evidence and information gathered by the Sabers. Bulwarks also approve the arrest of citizens if they deem a sufficient amount of evidence as being present.
Similar to Inquisitors, Sabers may advance to Bulwark either by submitting themselves for consideration, nomination by their peers, or nomination by a Bulwark. Once put into consideration for the position, the candidate is represented by a Bulwark of their choosing who writes a lengthy letter of recommendation and conducts an interview with an Inquisitor on behalf of the candidate. The Inquisitor then decides if the candidate is Bulwark material or not.
Saber
The bulk of the Vidril of Truths. Sabers perform most of the legwork for the Vidril, gathering evidence and information as instructed. Their main responsibility is to patrol the Ard and Ishil roads, and the narrow streets and alleys around each Citadel. If a Saber suspects criminal activity but cannot prove it based on current evidence, they submit their concern to their Bulwark to investigate further.
Almost anyone is allowed to become a Saber. Upon their application being accepted, Sabers are placed under a Bulwark for a three-month probationary period. There are no initial requirements simply to apply, but if, during this probationary period, a Saber doesn’t demonstrate enough knowledge of the Truths to know what they are and aren’t allowed to do, or if they are so physically unfit that it impedes their ability to perform their duties, they will be rejected from serving further as a Saber.
If rejected, one may only reapply after one year from the day they were rejected.
Courts of Truth
Ethics & Truth
Within the Courts of Truth, actual evidence and testimonies presented to the Tribunal will present the heaviest influence in determining an Accused as being Innocent or Guilty. However, the Courts of Truth do allow Inquisitors to include arguments based in the philosophy of ethics. The Vidril of Truths believes that the motivations behind a crime are just as important as the actual breaking of the Truth.
As such, Tribunals take this into consideration when deliberating on an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
Roles of Participants
In Vrent’s many Courts of Truth, only six individuals participate: the Accused, the Inquisitor of the Accused, the Inquisitor of the Offended, and the three Triune serving on the Tribunal. The only exception to this is when the Accused is a group of people accused of breaking the same Truth.
The Accused is the person or the people charged with committing a crime, known as breaking a Truth. At the beginning of the court proceedings, the Accused may either plead themselves as being Innocent, Innocent-by-Circumstance (explained below), or Guilty.
The Inquisitor of the Accused is the Inquisitor charged with protecting the Accused. They accomplish either by proving they are Innocent, or Innocent-by-Circumstance.
The Inquisitor of the Offended is the Inquisitor charged with proving the Accused as being guilty of breaking the Truths. If a the Accused pleads guilty, they question the Accused to reveal their intentions and reasons for breaking the truth. This Inquisitor either represents the individual/group that the Accused offended, or the Truths of Vrent.
The Triune listen to the evidence and arguments provided by both Inquisitors to deem whether the Accused is indeed Innocent or Guilty, or, if they plead so, Innocent-by-Circumstance. If they consider the Accused as Guilty, they also decide on an appropriate punishment for the Accused.
Pleading Guilty or Innocent-by-Circumstance
Technically, both of these are the Accused pleading as guilty of committing the crime. However, if the Accused pleads to be Innocent-by-Circumstance, this means that the Accused acknowledges that they broke a Truth, but they did so with sufficient enough moral and/or circumstantial reason. The Inquisitor of the Accused then presents their evidence and arguments for why the circumstances of the situation allow them to break the Truth. The Inquisitor of the Offended, on the other hand, attempts to reveal that the Accused did not have enough reason to break said Truth.
The main difference between these two pleas is that a person, if proven to be Innocent-by-Circumstance, is absolved of any and all punishments, where one pleading Guilty accepts whatever punishment the Tribunal impresses upon them.
Most pleas of Innocent-by-Circumstance occur in relation to business-related Truths, but they also happen frequently in cases of theft and murder.
Fox O’Donovan
Alias: Malcolm DuBeaux, “The Gentleman Bounty Hunter”
Race & Gender: Human Male
Age: 39
Appearance:
Approximately 5’6”, with a stocky build. Due to the nature of his work, Donovan exercises regularly and keeps up strength training, making him fairly muscular for his stature.
Donovan has a jagged, rough face with tanned, pink skin. He looks permanently sunburnt, but it’s simply a combination of his natural complexion mixed with the sea air and sun of Throngale (Throngale info below.) He has a large, square jaw that juts out at the chin.
He has eyes the color of murky ocean water, hidden under the shadow of a protruding, straight brow ridge. His eyebrows are thick and bushy, always filled with flecks of white. This is easily confused for dandruff, but it’s salt from his proximity to the ocean.
Donovan has light, greasy black hair. On his head, he keeps it somewhat short, slicking it back on all sides, the ends trailing into a curl at the back of his neck. In order to conceal his appearance, he has recently grown thick mutton chops that connect into a mustache. He keeps his beard and goatee neatly combed, matching the appearance of his hair.
Despite life as a bounty hunter, Donovan has an approachable face. He isn’t constantly smiling, but he gives off an easy-going air, his eyes bright and alert as if he knows something you don’t. The bridge of his nose curves inward, ending with nostrils and a nose pointed slightly upward.
Hardly anyone ever sees it, but he has a tattoo of the silhouette of a murkroot. The bulb and leaves start at his elbow, while the roots grow and spread out all along his arm, snaking their way up to his shoulder to a wild mass of tendrils.
Inventory
Clothing / Armor:
Donovan has two stand-out items in his usual wardrobe: a black bowler hat and a dark, indigo suit jacket with coattails. On both sides of the front of his coat are a column of 4 gold-colored buttons with ornate carvings. These have no function, being more for show than anything else.
Beneath the coat, Donovan wears a maroon vest, buttoned-up completely. The vest is worn over a wrinkled, white dress shirt, as well as a black tie. Lastly, Donovan dons a pair of black dress pants, accessorized with a reptile-skin belt, colored a speckle of brown, black, and white. The buckle is an copper, oval plate with spindly carvings around the outside.
Donovan doesn’t wear dress shoes. Instead, he wears black leather boots for durability, comfort, and ease of movement.
Donovan hides the fact that, underneath his clothes, he wears chainmail armor to protect his torso at all times (except when he sleeps and bathes). Aside from this, Donovan wields a buckler (explained below), and wears an iron armguard on his right forearm.
Weapons & Equipment:
Cane Blade - “Th’ simplest approach is usually th’ best approach.” A standard issue weapon of the Sabers, Donovan still holds onto his own cane blade, but he has modified its appearance to conceal its origin.
The cane blade is a long, thin shortsword, approximately three to four feet in length, being tailor-made to its user. The blade is concealed within a simple black, wooden scabbard that doubles as a cane. At the end of the scabbard is a brass tip, while two brass rings circle around near the sheath. The handle of the blade itself is also simple and made of brass.
Donovan has had the handle replaced with an ornate carving of a wolf’s paw, made of silver. The toes of the paw curve slightly, allowing for an easier grip. The scabbard has been painted over to resemble a mahogany finish.
Flintlock Pistols - “Reloading these things is a right pain in the arse, butcha only e’er need one shot.” To complement his blade for close combat, Donovan carries with him two flintlock pistols.
The flintlock is the latest in modern warfare. Rare weapons only seen among the wealthy or among government officials, Donovan still carries his flintlock from his time as a Saber. His second flintlock was purchased from a black market merchant that harbored in Throngale for a night.
His main flintlock is kept in a leather holster on the left side of his hip. The secondary is kept on a chest holster, laying across his left breast.
Donovan’s preferred firearm, hiis Saber-issued flintlock is simple design, made primarily of wood. The structure indicates cheap production over fanciful decoration.
His secondary flintlock, purchased from an illegal vendor. The exquisite ornamentation and metals probably mean this was stolen from some noble. It also has the exotic quality of containing three separate barrels.
Donovan does not dual-wield both flint-locks like a fool. He keeps two on his person in case he needs a quick second shot.
Flintlock Rifle - “I prefer my work done up close, but sometimes, you don’t get to choose yer circumstances.” A specialty weapon, Donovan has had experience using these before while on the Sabers. However, these were not standard-issue due to their expensive costs to produce, only being requisitioned for specific operations. Donovan has purchased this one legally from a weapons store in Throngale.
Donovan rarely ever brings, let alone uses, this rifle, but he is still a skilled enough marksman to land a shot from a distance. He has tied a strap to the barrel and stock, allowing him to carry it on his back.
Derringer - “Don’t let people know yer the most dangerous man in th’ room.” Another exotic weapon purchased off a seedy merchant through illegal means, this is a miniaturized version of the common flintlock pistol, it only measures three inches from barrel to butt. Donovan keeps this hidden up his right sleeve, attached to a spring-loaded mechanism. By pressing down on a switch near his right elbow, Donovan can release the spring, extending the Derringer directly into his hand from the sleeve.
The spring was custom-made and set Donovan back a Lily and a Blood, and he has only actually used it once, but the one occasion saved him in a barfight turned fatal. Donovan would argue that his life is definitely worth more than that.
Buckler - “This thing has saved me life more’n once...it always leaves me with a sore wrist, though.” A simple iron buckler Donovan wears on his left forearm, attached by two leather straps. The buckler is thin and light enough to wield with some agility in combat, while large enough to cover Donovan’s face and neck.
However, its thin design means it’s not going to block any heavy weapons such as axes or longswords, as they’ll simply break through the metal. Arrows are able to pierce through, but the buckler should prevent them penetrating through completely. It is strong enough to block distant shots from flintlocks as well as the common shortsword, including the cane blade.
In combat, Donovan typically uses his buckler to deflect or glance blows, rather than outright taking the hit. Additionally, he can use the buckler to unleash a backhand swipe powerful enough to knock out most people.
Other Equipment -Iron dagger he keeps strapped to his left thigh (“Y’always need a back-up.”) -Bag of ammunition for his flintlock weapons -Kept in his coat pocket, a silver flask filled with…(“It’ll knock yeh on yer arse, s’all ye need t’know.) -Leather satchel, strapped across his shoulder and hanging on his right side. Filled with necessary equipment, such as...
-Parchment and charcoal sticks for writing/drawing -Set of simple lockpicking tools, nothing fancy. (“Fer when a swift kick o’ th’boot is too loud.”) -Counterfeit ℘ragon's Heads (“Hopefully I never meet ‘em again.”) -Cloths and rags -Whetstone -Bandage wraps, healing ointments, and herbal medicines for minor injuries -Canteen of water -Drawings of his family, kept safe in clasp of boiled leather -A loaf bread -Various cheeses -Salted meats
Wallet: “That’s none o’ yer damn business now, is it?” (Donovan is by no means wealthy, but his savings from life as a Saber, the farm he currently owned, and success as a bounty hunter has kept him living comfortably.)
Skills:
Swordsman: Years of practiced combat as a Saber and a bounty hunter has left Donovan as a highly advanced swordsman. He’s not nearly as fast as he was in his youth, but he’s a smart fighter, not a ferocious nor a fast one.
Marksman: When close-up work isn’t an option, Donovan is a deadeye with a gun. He prefers using his pistols, but Donovan’s able to snipe from a few hundred yards away with his rifle.
Detective: Still able to use and hone his Saber skills as a bounty hunter, Donovan knows how to obtain, understand, and piece together evidence. Actual hunters thrive on pursuing creatures in the wilds, while Donovan is a hunter of civilized men.
Scholar of Truths: Donovan still has a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Vrent’s Truths and how they all interact with one another, allowing him to get through loopholes wherever they are.
Interrogator/Charmer: More skills he picked up as a Saber and utilizes as a bounty hunter, Donovan knows how to make a man talk through carefully applied pain and psychological torment, as well as how to steer a friendly conversation towards the information he wants.
Amateur Sneak: Donovan can’t move around as deftly as a practiced thief, but he can remain quiet and still when it counts. He’s also able to lockpick his way into poorly guarded buildings, such as small stores and households. Anything with a serious lock is out of his league. Or he just tries kicking it down.
Fabricator: With almost a decade of lying about his identity under his belt, Donovan is a convincing liar.
Brawler: Don’t challenge him to a fistfight. He’ll lay your @$$ out.
Personality:
Let’s first address Donovan’s life as a new man. He prefers the “hiding in plain sight” approach. Donovan is cautious with every step he takes, but he’s not a hermit, nor is he excessively secretive. He has a completely made up history for his new identity and will stick to it, trusting that he won’t be discovered unless he comes face-to-face with old friends or family. He is open about owning a farm, and about being a bounty hunter.
Donovan is a charismatic individual, known to be very friendly and approachable. Even with total strangers, Donovan makes those around feel as if they’ve known him all their life. This is partly due to his natural self, as well as a necessity to keep anyone from suspecting him of being more than Malcolm DuBeaux. This makes him a good drinking buddy!
Despite such a devastating betrayal in his life, Donovan still believes in upholding justice. He just needs to go about it differently than he had been for 12 years of his life. He acknowledges that the justice system is not perfect, but it still needs to be in place for the people of Vrent. A few corrupt people doesn’t make the whole system corrupt.
Life has given him a more realistic perspective on the world, but he’s still optimistic about humanity.
He dearly misses his old life, especially the family he left in Isthia, but Donovan has accepted his new life as Malcolm DuBeaux.
Donovan acts excessively chivalrous and well-mannered as part of his Malcolm DuBeaux persona.
History:
Donovan grew up happily in a farming community. He wanted to be a hero like the ones from stories he heard every night. Him and his family saved up to send him off to Vrent. On his first day, Donovan was mugged by two guys, then saved by Bulwark Finnigan (a Bulwark is a cop basically.) Donovan immediately idolized Finnigan, and wanted to become a Saber (Saber is a normal cop, Bulwark is a captain/detective.) Finnigan adopted Donovan and became like a father. Finnigan payed for Donovan to go to private school, studying to become a Saber. Donovan graduated, applied to become a Saber, and was accepted. Finnigan had Donovan transferred to his unit, and they served together for years. Eventually, Donovan was nominated to move up and be promoted to Bulwark. Finnigan represented Donovan, explaining to the higher-ups why Donovan should be a Bulwark. Donovan was accepted, becoming a full-fledged Bulwark. Early on in his career as a Bulwark, Donovan picked up on a conspiracy, finding evidence that Finnigan, his adopted father, was helping criminals get out of punishment. Donovan brought this to the court with a mountain of evidence, but Finnigan got off free, probably pulling some strings. Finnigan threatened Donovan’s life, so Donovan fled to a far away city, where he lived as a bounty hunter for years.
Fox O’Donovan was born in and grew up in one of the many farming communities that made up Isthia, fifth out of seven children. Both of his parents worked as workers tending to the fields of murkroot, who have literally spent more than half of their lives toiling in the water and muck. The O’Donovans never struggled to survive, but every member, including the children, had to put in more than their share of hard work to put food on the table. Donovan remembers working ever since he was able to walk.
A hardy, leafy bulb that only grows in shallow marshes. The bulb is similar in taste and nutrition to the common potato, with large, oar-shaped leaves growing off the top of it that are also edible. The bulb floats on the surface of the water, with thick tendrils of roots reaching down through the water, planting itself in place.
As a child, Donovan’s parents would read stories to him and his children every night. Being farmers, they couldn’t afford many luxuries without risking food being absent for a few days. Thankfully, a passing merchant traded a musty storybook for a few of their murkroots. And so, the O’Donovan family would hear about the many adventures and triumphs of fictional heroes, the Vindicators of Truth, battling against the malevolent spawn of darkness.
The young Donovan grew up happy and content in his childhood. His family loved him, there was usually food to eat, and he made friends with the other farmers’ children. He wanted more out of his uneventful life though; he wanted to fight evil just like the heroes from the stories he heard every day. Donovan would run around the marshes and rivers of his village, slashing at invisible monsters with a stick.
With the help of some of his older siblings, Donovan eventually saved up enough to travel to the Citadel, the best place to pursue his dream of fighting evil. Donovan gave a bittersweet farewell to his family, and left for Vrent’s Citadel.
Donovan arrived at the gates of Vrent, young, idealistic, and wide-eyed. He had never seen anything as big as the towering stone, never seen so many people crowded in one place, never experienced anything like the cultural melting pot that was Vrent. Neither had he experienced the cruel side of humanity. The naive young man approached some gentleman with the appearance of having lived in Vrent for some time, asking them for advice for a new resident. These two gentlemen eagerly agreed to show him around, and promptly escorted him to a nearby alley where they proceeded to beat him and take his belongings. Just as the muggers were taking the last of Donovan’s belongings, a couple of Sabers happened upon them, chasing off the muggers.
Enter Bulwark Finnigan, the man that fended off Donovan’s attackers. At that moment, Finnigan had engraved himself in Donovan’s mind as the ideal everyman’s hero. As Finnigan turned to pursue the muggers, Donovan stopped him, begging Finnigan to take him on as an apprentice. Finnigan was visibly confused, so Donovan explained to him his dreams and his situation. Finnigan took him in, unofficially becoming his new guardian.
Finnigan became like a father to Donovan, teaching him to adjust to life in the city. He also helped Donovan understand the darker side of man, due to his lack of real social experiences. Eventually, Finnigan used his own ℘ragon Heads to put Donovan into the Academy of Truth, a highly prestigious school for training those interested in joining the Vidril of Truths.
Donovan passed through the Academy with flying colors, eager to achieve his dream of fighting criminals and protecting the innocent. He applied to join the Sabers immediately upon finishing his schooling, and was promptly accepted, getting through the probationary period without any trouble. Donovan was officially a Saber of the Vidril of Truths. Proud of his adopted son, Finnigan requested to have Donovan transferred to his unit, continuing to mentor the young Saber.
Donovan excelled as a Saber, defending the Truths of Vrent and its citizens from crime, big and small. However, as he served through the years, he noticed every now and then that the Tribunal would let go criminals he had caught, despite having overwhelming evidence and eyewitnesses pointing towards them obviously breaking a Truth. Donovan simply dismissed it as the Tribunals being careful to not condemn an innocent man.
Due to his success and zeal in the line of work, Donovan was an obvious candidate to move up to Bulwark. Initially, Donovan suspected that Finnigan had been the one to nominate him, but he later found out that it was actually his fellow Sabers. This was especially surprising, considering that Donovan was both the youngest member of their group, as well as the one on the force for the shortest amount of time. Finnigan may not have been the one who recommended Donovan, but he was the one who represented Donovan. Finnigan never revealed what he wrote in the letter of recommendation, nor what he said in the interview. Regardless, Donovan was approved, advancing further in his dream career...Bulwark O’Donovan.
Unfortunately, Donovan’s career would be cut short as a result of him doing what he loved: his job. He was unrelentless is hunting down the most secretive of criminals. The years as a Saber had transformed Donovan into an efficient, well-oiled machine, a bloodhound that always sniffed out its prey. One of Donovan’s hunts had him catching the scent of a criminal on the inside of the Vidril of Truths. Everything started coming together for Donovan, why suspected criminals had gotten off without a conviction, why evidence seemed to go missing or go completely disregarded, everything.
Every crook he interrogated, every document he screened, every undocumented financial transaction he caught pointed to one logical conclusion, with one man at the center of it all: Bulwark Finnigan, likely with the help of others in the Vidril of Truth, would help criminals that paid him off get released without a conviction. Donovan didn’t want to believe it, but he did have to fulfill his duty. He gathered together all of the evidence he had and pushed the case forward to the Courts of Truth.
Donovan was given special permission to witness the Inquisition of Finnigan. The Inquisitor of the Offended let loose an unending torrent of proof, presenting every shred of proof without any possibility of refuting its validity. The Accused’s arguments were pitiful, only stating that this was possibly an elaborate conspiracy to frame Finnigan. The long-time Bulwark and father figure to Donovan was obviously guilty, and yet...the Tribunal declared Finnigan as innocent.
Dumbfounded, Donovan wandered into the hall outside the Court, staring at the wall. How could he have missed it, Finnigan would have needed accomplices working as Triunes to get criminals off scot-free. Now, he was using those same connections to get himself out of trouble. While Donovan continued to stare at the wall, Finnigan strode over to him and whispered,”I will kill you if I see you again.”
Those were the last words Donovan ever heard from Finnigan. Wasting no time, Donovan gathered all of his belongings and money, fleeing to Throngale, a backwater port town. For the past few years, he has lived there amongst the pirates and outlaws making a living as a bounty hunter, still pursuing his one-man war against crime.
Fearing that Finnigan would send someone to silence him, Donovan completely changed his identity. He changed his name, started growing a massive beard on his clean-shaven face, and remade his image.
Donovan ditched his uniform, trading it with some backwater tailor for an old suit and hat. With the money that he had, Donovan purchased a small, barely self-sufficient farm near Throngale, and hired a steward to watch over the farm while he worked on making a new name for himself as a new person. On the deed for the land, Donovan signed as his new identity: Malcolm DuBeaux.
A little less than a year into the farming business, Malcolm’s farm had barely made any progress, with no return on investment at all. He needed more capital simply to obtain the equipment and labor needed to start turning a real profit. Not exactly a business tycoon, Donovan walked the streets of Throngale, pondering over ideas. He couldn’t turn to loans, as it would draw attention to him if he wasn’t able to pay them back. No investor in their right mind would put money down on an almost failed farm. Donovan needed a lot of money, fast.
Strolling down the line of warehouses on Throngale’s docks, an idea was literally hanging on a wall, as if sent from heaven: a Wanted poster with a hefty reward at the bottom. Suddenly, Donovan’s old passions were rekindled. He would build the foundations of his new life on the skills of his previous self. The farm would be saved by his ability and desire to punish the wicked. And so began the successful career of the mysterious Malcolm DuBeaux; plantation owner by day, bounty hunter by night. And also day.
Years later, after building up his reputation as a famed bounty hunter, he was contacted by an unnamed individual, recruiting Donovan (Malcolm) for a lucrative job. The catch?
It was back in Vrent.
Throngale is a backwater port town, neighboring the far more successful, and far more orderly, Sfel. Throngale primarily deals with smaller ships and barges that are simply passing through, rarely handling any serious imports or exports aside from food and supplies for the town. Throngale is littered with taverns, brothels, casinos, theaters, and all other manner of ways for a sailor to let loose from days at sea. Just as any port or harbor city, Throngale is a hodgepodge of the many different cultures that pass through. Aside from shady “entertainment,” Throngale is actually well-known for its food and music. Chefs, cooks, and musicians from all around have settled in Throngale, enjoying the debauchery readily available, and set up their own restaurants and clubs. While not a large city like the Citadels near the mountains, Throngale has a thriving night life. While there are set Truths that citizens and visitors are expected to follow, Throngale does not have any Sabers that regularly patrol. Instead, citizens are expected to police themselves, punishing criminals not with jail, but with fist, gun, or blade. The closest thing Throngale has to an organized police force is a rag-tag band of militiamen and bounty hunters that look to punish known criminals.
Age 16 Sets off for and arrives at Vrent Gets mugged Gets saved and adopted by Finnigan Finnigan puts Donovan through school
Age 18 Donovan applies for the Sabers and is accepted
Age 25 Nominated for and becomes a Bulwark
Age 27 Begins to suspect a conspiracy involving Finnigan
Age 29 Pushes the case against Finnigan to the Courts of Truth Finnigan is declared Innocent, then threatens Donovan’s life Donovan flees the Vrent Citadel
Age 30 Donovan settles in Throngale, initially doing odd-jobs
Age 31 Donovan begins his career of bounty hunting.
Age 39 Donovan is contacted by an anonymous figure, promising an exceptionally well-paying job.
Other:
Amongst the farming communities of Isthia, each village has their own slang, common phrases, and tweaks in the accent. Overall though, Isthians have what we would consider an “Irish” accent.
Finnigan is 10 years older than Donovan. Finnigan had been helping out criminals since before he met Donovan, and was hoping to have Donovan “join the family business.”
