Za Warudo

Redacted (2/5)

*Sad piano music plays*

Redacted (2/5)

@Dogematix

Ooooo! Another knight! Though, using a shield for some reason. :P Lennart and Florian are gonna have some good interplay there. Oh, since they are both from the Northern reaches, though, not the same Kingdom, I think it would be interesting to have them follow similar religions, if not just the same exact one only with perhaps slightly different names for the Saints. Would you be cool with that? It could make for some interesting interactions as Lennart is a secular knight who has religion but doesn't put great weight in it aside from just its cultural importance.

@Big Dread

"I smell heresy"

Could be fun.

Redacted (2/5)

All done! Can't think of any more aspirational abilities right now, but any criticism is welcome.

Lilith Valentine

Lilith 'The Heartbreaker' Valentine

Race: Human
Archetype: Rogue
Dark Shadow: Fugitive
Gender: Female
Age: 25

Appearance: A few inches above average height for a woman, Lilith carries herself with a lithe playfulness. Wavy light blonde hair falls to her shoulders, complimenting her fair complexion. The woman seems to have a permanent crooked smirk, with large, piercing blue eyes, Lilith comes across as a very charming young woman.

Lilith's typical attire consists a blouse, the frillier the sleeves and collar the better, a tricorn hat with some description of plumage (the feathery the better). Breeches, leather riding boots, corset, an ornate doublet or coat, and a cloak. Hanging at her side is usually a cutlass, or sabre of some sort, as well as several small blades concealed on her person.

A typical day in the life of Lilith

Personality: A sly half smile here, a cheeky wink there, the young woman's initial impression is that of a lovable scoundrel. And so it should, for a scoundrel is what Lilith is. A charming, intelligent scoundrel, but one nonetheless. Lilith is a joker, she is rowdy, and often crude. She can be the calmest, most calculated person at the gambling table one second, the next she will be the first throwing punches and words that would make a sailor blush. She can mingle effortlessly with the highest born in society, as well as the lowest. She is both reckless, and cautious, depending on what side the coin that is her personality lands on that day.

At a basic level, however, Lilith is a kind person, protector of the underdogs of society, just trying her best to balance the playing field in her own messy, morally grey kind of way.

Backstory: Born into a wealthy merchant family, Lilith never wanted for anything growing up. While they were not quite nobility, they brushed shoulders with the high born of society often enough that the young girl had airs and graces thrust upon her, a mantle she would thoughtlessly wear for much much of her formative years. It was not until she was older that the young woman started to notice the world outside her gilded cage.

One act of kindness was all it took to shake her worldview.

Lilith has accompanied her father and three older brothers into town for a day at the market. The young woman was perusing the stalls selling more expensive trinkets, as she often did, hoping that this month's shipment of foreign trinkets was greater than, frankly, the last shipment's abysmal display. She wasn't paying much attention, as her eye had been caught by finely crafted deck of ivory playing cards.

"'Scuse me miss." Lilith felt a tap on her shoulder, as she turned she almost immediately repelled from the figure before her. Messy red hair, rags for clothes, one dull, grey, sightless eye, and more scars that Lilith could count. The middle aged woman before her was truly... worn. "Believe this belongs to ya."

Lilith down at the coin purse in the woman's open palm. That was her purse! The scarred woman chuckled, the shock on Lilith's face must have been obvious. "Ye, was 'im." The woman looked and nodded further down the street. Lilith followed the scarred woman's eyes, well, eye, and saw a finely dressed gentleman leaning against the wall of a building, his finery not so fine anymore as he clumsily tried to regain his composure and move on like nothing has happened, but not without throwing a piercing glance back at the red head.

"You'd reckon one as fancy as that wouldn' need it, ah well." Before Lilith could muster the words to respond, the woman had already handed over the purse and was on her merry way, whistling a jolly tune as she continued up the street and into a crowd, out of sight, leaving the girl in a shocked stupor.

It took a few days for what had happened to sink in, this wasn't the way things were supposed to be, knaves and guttersnipes were not known for their honesty, especially when it came to money. The woman obsessed over this for weeks, until she mustered the courage to seek out answers.

Lilith spent hours scouring the town, seeking out the scarred woman. Venturing into parts and back alleys, that in hindsight, were probably a terrible idea, given that she hadn't even made an effort to look 'not rich'. After many a strange look, and near run in or two, as well as a couple of bribes, she eventually found the woman in a tavern called the Iron Maiden.

After an initial conversation that even the scarred woman was surprised to see Lilith again, she later revealed her name as Monroe, yes, as in that Monroe. Lilith had no idea who that Monroe was supposed to be, which kind of hurt the red head's pride somewhat. Had her infamy faded already? Apparently Monroe used to a thief, a rogue, a highwayman, a burglar, a duellist, and a dozen other trades and characterisations that Lilith couldn't remember. Retired now, but still feisty! She was keen to remind everyone in the room of this, often and loudly, much to the eye rolling of the other patrons. This was a common occurrence it seemed.

Monroe began regaling young Lilith with tales of her adventures, of how she took from those who had everything to give to those who had nothing, how she fought against the injustices of those who abused their power, those who trod on the weak to benefit themselves. They were all great stories, stories that kept Lilith coming back for more.

Several months passed, and there appeared to be no end to Monroe's tales, not that Lilith was complaining, the young woman was enraptured with the idea, and in her time in the poorer parts of town, she had grown very fond of the common folk, despite all their hardships, they still managed to make the best of what they had. After one particularly good story involving pirates, a priest, and a sordid love affair with said priest, Monroe looked at Lilith, her heavily scarred mouth curling into a smirk.

"So, young miss Valentine, fancy a go at makin' your own adventures, eh?"

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Until Monroe disappeared.

Dark Shadow: Fugitive

"Larceny, arson, forgery, piracy, impersonating a nun, impersonating a priest, assault, unlawful killing, sabotage, breaking and entering, disorderly conduct at a royal function, specifically..." The judge paused from reading the list of charges against the defendant, closing his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, a sigh escaping his lips. "Groping King Lombardi in a wholly inappropriate manner."

"To be fair, your honour," Lilith chimed in, raising her bound hands slightly. "His Royal Majestical Highness didn't seem too perturbed with that last one." She glanced over at the stand containing members of the royal family, narrowing her eyes as a sly smile curled her lips. The King in question smiled back, almost raising his hand to wave before being elbowed in the ribs by the Queen, forcing him to look away.

The judge peered over his spectacles at the young woman. "Yes, well, regardless, the number of accusations levied against you, as well as an uncountable number of eye witnesses to your crimes, of which you seem to show no remorse for, I am forced to impose the greatest punish-"

"Trial by combat, your honour." Lilith interrupted. The judge blinked a few times, before clearing his throat and placing his papers on the stand, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

"How many times is this now, Miss Valentine?"

"The sixth, your imperial honourableness."

Lilith has made many enemies in her years of crime, several bounties on her head, from several different nations, assassination attempts, yet she always managed to keep just one step ahead. This has come at a cost however, Lilith has been forced to completely disassociate from her family. Even finding a safe place to sleep is an ordeal, she is forced to look over her shoulder every moment of every day.

Strengths:

Tools of the Trade - Lock-picking, sabotage, detecting/setting traps, and general skulduggery, there are very few places and people that Lilith can not gain access to.

Derring-do - Lilith is gallant, charming, and available for thrilling heroics at every possible opportunity.

Social Chameleon - Monroe's training, as well as her upbringing, has given Lilith the ability to blend into any social setting, whether that be the fanciest of balls, or the rowdiest of harbour gambling houses, she can adapt and thrive.

Weaknesses:

A Good Heart - On a basic level, Lilith is a kind soul, and in this world, kind souls are tested to breaking point.

Recklessness - Lilith is prone to bouts of endangering herself, sometimes to help another, other times because it seems like the fun thing to do. Either way, these kinds of acts have a habit of eventually catching up at the worst of times.

Impudence - Lilith believes respect is earned, not given simply because one demands it. A cutting remark here, a sarcastic retort there, this belief has gotten her in trouble with a lot of important people.


Aspirational Powers/Abilities:

Determination - Power of will is not something that can be learned or taught, Lilith has courage and resolve, a pure indomitable spirit, strength of character, and a complete refusal on a fundamental level to give up.

The More the Merrier - Lilith's proficiency in combat has reached a level whereby she can manipulate and confuse those around her, with a series of feints and ripostes, as well as a bit of dirty fighting here and there, she can disarm, trip, or trick an opponent into hurting an ally.

Silver Tongue - You can convince anyone to do anything you want, you just have to find the right combination of words.

Lucky Devil - A little bit of luck can go a long way, it can turn misfortune into fortune, and defeat into victory.

Thrilling Heroics - Whether they agree with her or not, word of Lilith's deeds have set the rumour mill alight, every child wants to be her, every man wants to bed her, and every woman wished the former two would shut the bloody hell up talking about her.

Master of Disguise - In Lilith's line of work, hiding in plain sight is a necessity.

Redacted (2/5)

Totes interested, should get a sheet up this weekend at some point

Deregulated: A space colonization roleplay

Looks good!

Reforged

Soooooo, nothing new?

Reforged

<Snipped quote by Dogematix>

More like covered in overpowered itching powder.

@FoxFire

Reforged

Posted a collab between myself and Dogematix

As a note, just because Ed is willing to fight, doesn't mean she necessarily has to be the one to do it, I'm just setting up the scene more than anything, for the lulz

Reforged

Fancy a game of cards?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a35l5lKYkvo

Lost among the heaving crowds that had packed into Dagan's Drought for warmth and company on this bitter winter night sat Edwina Swift and Calador the drafter. An odd looking pair among dozens that had cosied up to each other during this party. The two had spent the winter months slogging their way through one battle for the walls after another, learning each other's combinative quirks as they fended off waves of barbarian attackers.

However Calador insisted on finding other words to call their besiegers. Constantly knit picking and arguing that these were simply a different society of people trying to make their way in the world the same as everyone at Mournhold. Just with a different set of societal norms and values (and no doubt resources) that had lead them into conflict with the people of this young holding. All the respect he insisted they get didn't stop him blasting them to pieces with sorcery but whenever someone pointed that out he'd insist it was immaterial since their two groups had come to a violent impasse.

It was the pay for those fights that was funding the fun both he and Edwina felt they'd earned themselves now. And it was the loot from their last fight he was playing with at their table. Spread out on its surface was a deck of playing cards Calador had found on the body of a champion he'd decapitated. Made from finely shaved bone and painted with berry juices he'd excitedly claimed it a relic from old Gaerth.

How the bastard had gotten it he had no idea but he was now in the process of teaching young Edwina how to play "Worker and Parasite" a game that was created in the slave pits by some enterprising slaves that refused to let their minds be caged.

"Now you see, Young Edwina, if I play my hanging Jotun in combination with my third shackle card and that's... three points stolen from you and given to me, AHA!" He cheered completely oblivious to the strange look his loud instructions had gotten him from a nearby Jotun who managed to spy the grizzly picture on the playing card.

Ed furrowed her brow in concentration, or was it confusion? She hadn't figured that out yet. Despite the rowdiness of the establishment, there was a cosiness to it all, and something she'd grown accustomed to since leaving her more docile Holding. One thing was for certain, she was glad Calador, or Dory as she affectionately referred to him as, had joined her. It was good to have a friend with her in this strange part of the world, and she had learned so much! Like the dumb game they were currently playing, that she definitely understood the rules of.

Biting her bottom lip thoughtfully, the girl looked between the cards in her hand, and those in play on the thoroughly used table. "I will..." Her hand hovered over a card hesitantly for a few moments. "I will play Cellvan's Vigour, with Flagellation, and take 5 points!" She slammed her cards on the table, a triumphant smile brightening her eyes. "I am so good at this game!" She loudly proclaimed.

"No no no, young Edwina!" Calador scoffed, shaking his mop of white petals. "Those cards are of a different suit. And each others counter to boot. Now I'll give you a tip, you want to play the whip." He leaned over the table, craning his neck to take a look at Edwina's hand and tapped his fingers along the top of some of her cards to point them out. "And something with a slaver's band."

The two played on for a little longer, Calador going easy on her for this practice game and keeping an eye out for the food they'd ordered. "So what do you think of this trip to Ashfoot we're to start out on tomorrow, Edwina?"

"Stop it." The girl mumbled in irritation. "You know it annoys me." Rubbing the back of her neck, Ed let out a frustrated huff and tossed her cards onto the table, sitting back in her chair before crossing her arms sulkily. "You're not my mum, so stop calling me Edwina, also this game is stupid."

Ed was never the best person to play games with, as her siblings could attest to.

"This game was made by the creative souls forced into bondage to help lift their spirits and free their minds." Calador chided her with a click of his tongue to punctuate the point. "And one's name is something to take pride in, the foundation of our identities." And since Calador was the closest thing to a guardian she had away from Plent Calador was determined to treat Ed like, and encourage her to conduct herself as, a respectable young lady.

"And you are avoiding my question. Do you feel ready for the road tomorrow?" He hoped she was, this was the kind of thing she'd been devouring stories of all her childhood. But it wasn't too late and all it would take was a word for Calador to help Ed get home to the safety of her Hold.

"Yeah, yeah, Dory." Ed rolled her eyes, putting her hands behind her head as she began rocking her chair back slowly. "It'll be good to get outta here." she chuckled slightly. "Hopefully somewhere warmer." Plent had cold winters, but they were like sunbathing in the fields compared to Mournhold.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it?" Ed smirked, "Has mum been sending you messages again? I told her 'Stop worrying, I'm with the old man', but apparently that didn't make her feel better." She narrowed her eyes playfully at Calador "I wonder why that is?"

The Cellva set to bristling, leaning all the way back in his chair as he retreated before Ed's playful accusation. "Yes well... you know. Anything can happen out there on the road! Miles away from home and comfort. Surrounded by dangers. You handled yourself admirably during the siege but doing the same in the wilderness is a whole other beast. Not everyone is made for it."

As if to help punctuate his point his statement was followed up by a bellowing roar, as if some beast had been set loose in the building. "It can be very scary out there." Suddenly there was a great crash as a table was sent toppling over. "It can feel like the whole world is against you out there." And the crowd on the other side of the room started exploding as well. The place was already loud and rowdy but this sounded like something else. What was going on here.

Bottles went flying overhead and a smaller Ukanuq by the looks of it. Ah... a brawl was breaking out. Lovely. Fist fights and spots of violent acrobatics were springing up all around them.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Cried a diminutive human girl who looked a few years Edwina's junior amid all the chaos. A furious feline patron hot on her heels with claws drawn.

"See, like this. That could be you everyday out there." Calador waved sagely.

"Everyday, huh?" Ed draped an arm over the back of her chair as she looked on at the quickly developing situation curiously. The feline Ukanuq was looking for some serious retribution, what could this waif of a girl had done to upset him so much? Whatever it was, it surely didn't deserve a mauling.

"I'mma help her, Dory." Ed's eyes brightened with excitement as she glanced at Calador.

"Leave nature to its work, my dear. It is a delicate balance you risk upsetting." Calador called over the din, gathering up his precious antiques before the brawl could claim them. He'd never get his food order now.

Ed nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, you're right, I should definitely help her." She winked at the Cellvan as she got to her feet, kicking her chair out from beneath herself.

"Oi!" She called out to the feline Ukanuq, "Don't be so catty, if ya..." She trailed off for a second, before quickly looking back at Calador, her brow furrowed. "Is that racist? It sounds like it might be racist."

"It wasn't the best option you could have gone with, no." Calador sighed, just glad no one was paying enough attention to see him cringe. "Perhaps focus your attention on the girl you're saving instead?"

"No, no, you're right, I can do better!" Ed quickly thanked her mentor before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "Oi!" with one hand on her hip, she pointed at the pair. "Don't be so..." Ed frowned as she tried to think of a better pun, damn it! These things were always so much harder on the fly! "I think you should... no, that doesn't work" Shit! She was blowing her big moment to shine! Getting visibly frustrated, for a few moments, the girl shook her head quickly. "Nah, fuck it, this ain't working." Quickly regaining her composure, she coughed slightly.

"OI, PUSS, FUCKIN' FIGHT ME YA BIG WUSS!"

With a big grin, she looked back at Calador for approval, ridiculously proud of her rhyming skills. "Yeah? Yeah that works, right?" She silently mouthed to the Cellvan.

The look he gave back to her said it did anything but, as Calador fought the urge to retreat further into his robes. "Just get on with it!" He mouthed back at her, shooing the girl on and mourning for the noble company he'd once walked with.

Reforged

Of course the other option is nobody rescues her. Valya ain't exactly a damsel, she has the capacity to turn her foe into bloody chunks smeered onto the wall. (Then again capacity to do something and the skill and experience to pull it off are two very different things.) She's just not a grizzled soldier/adventure, and so has a habit of panicking in actual combat scenarios. But if push comes to shove she should be able to deal with her current situation mostly okay. Hopefully. Maybe.

Butttt, I'm certain she wouldn't mind the help.

@Tessaract

Also quick question, what are your thoughts on musical links? Just in terms of setting tone etc, because quite frankly, I have the MOST HEROIC SHIT planned.