Zeroth

Cozy Fantasy Village-Life RP

The blacksmith is going to need lots of ore. So what's everyone's preferred mining strategy? I build ladders and go straight down!

Blackguards!

@Red Wizard Right, so our characters likely wouldn't have any impressions of each other before being brought together at the start of the game then?

Blackguards!

@Red Wizard Would the characters have been kept in individual, isolated cells of some kind, or would each of us have been within eyesight/earshot/etc of each other within the Maw?

Or is it one of those "you can freely wander around, you just can't escape because Magic/Sheer cliffs/Miles of shark infested waters/etc" kind of SuperMax Prisons?

Cozy Fantasy Village-Life RP

Now back to working on that OOC which I'm totaltly not feeling pressured to get up because SUDDENLY a HUGE group of people just roll on in and start hanging around my apartment, eating my snacks and fiddling with my stereo. Yeah, no, it's cool guys, I totally said "close but casual", but hey, large and loud works too... *Grumble*

@Xaltwind

Look on the bright side! It just means you're such a great DM who comes up with such great ideas that EVERYBODY wants to be part of it! Just look at them all! *gestures over the balcony towards the frothing, savage masses filling the streets and hanging from rooftops, all fighting to climb over one another*

Isn't it great!? :D

Cozy Fantasy Village-Life RP

@Xaltwind Oi, I just took a second look at the "tier list," and realized I got Adept and Expert swapped around. Is it cool if I give Aki's swordsmanship and jujutsu the ol' switcheroo?

Cozy Fantasy Village-Life RP

... If only to get the MONKEYS of my back...

@Xaltwind

OOK EEK OOOH AH AH!!
_{ting tang wallawalla bingbang}

The Blacksmith

Name: Yasunami Akitsugu
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Appearance:

Height: 5' 8" / 173 cm
Eye Color: Light brown/amber
Hair Color: Red

Description:
Akitsugu has wide shoulders, but still has that youthful litheness of a man who hasn't quite grown into his bulk yet. His hair seems naturally unkept, though he keeps it quite clean, and likewise he maintains a neat and clean-shaven countenance. Most of the clothes he currently owns don't look like they're suited for outdoor labor, but he doesn't seem to have a problem tying up his sleeves and girding his robes. He bears all the signs of athletic training, but from how little he moves one wonders how he could've ever built that muscle. He often appears deep in thought, looking down at the ground or up at the ceilings, and has a habit of turning away from people to do other tasks even if he's genuinely interested in what they're saying, or speaking directly to them.

Personality:
Akitsugu is the type that gets an idea and can't stop working on it until they've figured out all the nitty gritty details. However, anyone else who looked at his workspace would see "orderly chaos," and God help you if you move something out of place.

When complimented, he becomes flustered and nervous; but no matter how biting the criticism he always seems to let it roll off his back. He clearly hates asking anyone for help, but will give his own freely whenever it's requested. However, one should beware being too specific, or not specific enough. If you ask him to dig a hole but don't tell him how deep, you'll soon need a ladder to get him out.

He's quite morally upright in terms of his values, but also very respectful of privacy and doesn't abide gossip. He doesn't have any inkling of desire to "police" others' behavior, save in instances where they're clearly overstepping their bounds or committing some direct offense towards another. He's quick to jump to the defense of children.

He likes savory foods over sweets, meat over bread, and bitter tea rather than coffee or milk. His tastes in music are soft and melodious, favoring wind instruments over drums or strings. He dislikes people that interrupt others, but also people who talk to much.

Quirks:

• If confronted or questioned, he gives away any insecurity by over-explaining.
• He will mutter, scribble on a napkin, or leave himself various "clues" to organize his thoughts.
• Sometimes he writes secret poetry.

Brief History:
Akitsugu hasn't been the most forthcoming about his past. His family, the Yasunami Clan, live in a nation far from The Hamlet, and seem to be some form of nobility or knighthood. However, they were apparently not happy with Akitsugu's desire to become a blacksmith for some reason. It's not clear whether he was forced out or left on his own, but before he departed he stole a rare and valuable heirloom from the family vault: a blade named Miyusahime.

He traveled for some time, rarely stopping until after his supplies ran out. He began to do hard labor for coin, but many villages were rightly suspicious about a lone, foreign wanderer with a sword. Sometimes, they thought it even more suspicious that Akitsugu asked for work that didn't involve using said sword. Whether because he couldn't find enough friendly faces, or wanted to get further from his family's reach, or for some other purpose, he just kept walking...until he heard a new voice Calling him. It rang in his ears, like a hammer on hot steel.

He had been walking a long disused, rocky trail, said to lead to a mine now abandoned, when he came across the hamlet. Again, he heard the ringing, but now it was different. Direct. Perhaps...perhaps this was to be the place, then. A place where he could finally settle down, and get to some real work.

-- Skills/Spells, Stats & Items ---

Occupation: Blacksmith

Social Status: Foreigner

Skills:

• Swordsmanship (Expert): Can wield swords for a variety of techniques up to Expert level.
• Jujutsu (Adept): Unarmed combat suited to throwing, disarming, and grappling up to the Adept level.
• Blacksmithing (Apprentice): Knows how to smelt and process basic metals, and make simple tools/objects such as hammer and axe heads, ploughshares, nails, etc. The quality is only up to Apprentice level.

Equipment:

MIYUSAHIME

In Akitsugu's homeland, there is a belief that the most skilled craftsmen imbue spiritual power into their creations, and also that as objects age they accumulate spiritual power of their own. The Yasunami Clan is an old bloodline, and Miyusahime is an old sword. Yet the blade's "power" has nothing to do with how well the edge cuts, nor how it channels any kind of supernatural spell or ability.

"Eugh! Your hands are cold! Hey, are you sure that choji oil is fresh?!"

Basically, she talks. More specifically, Miyusahime can somehow speak, hear, and--within only a short distance of herself--perceive her surroundings as a human would. And unfortunately, she has an attitude to go with it.

Otherwise, she is a "normal," albeit absolutely beautiful sword. Her hamon pattern appears like dappled sand dunes, uneven in height yet smoothly flowing down the blade. Her sheen is such that, if tilted just right in the light, she scatters rainbows against the walls. The silvery, mirror-like surface of her steel is unblemished, and her tsuba is of finely wrought and embossed gold depicting a dragon curling over itself. Ivory white rayskin wraps her hilt first, then a criss-crossing black cord, which threads into the gold, rounded pommel at its end. Her scabbard is lacquered in a glossy, midnight blue with more vibrant slashes of white-froth-tipped, watery waves--like the ocean's surface on a dark night.

• Tarnished Copper Hatchet
• Smith's Hammer
• Simple Hunting Bow
• Simple Backpack

Spells:
None known yet

--- My House ---

Until the RP actually starts and you guys get a feel for what the village looks and feels like, please leave this section alone.

Location: Where in, or outsde, the village is your home located.
Type: Is it just a residence? SOme kind of shop? A facility of some kind?
Floors: Is it a single or multi-storey building?

Description:
Here you can describe the out and inside of yoour building, along with any special or notewrothy aspects of it. If you're feeling articularly creative, you could even include a floor-plan for others to look at, if you're into the artsy drawing biz.

Blackguards!

@Zeroth That is perfectly suitable! How would you feel about Auguz having been captured by the Warden herself, after having murdered the regiment King Tyronde sent to capture him?

@Red Wizard

That would work perfectly, given the creep-factor the Warden seems to give off---she's the kind of "abstract" opponent that things like strength and skill don't seem to matter against, which would make Auguz salty as all hell because whenever he's "helpless" he flashes back to that moment the old orcish swordmaster had him publicly beaten as a child. I was planning for one of his long-term goals to be "can I find some way through swordsmanship to surpass magic?" and that would only be reinforced by having one of the Kingdom's most prominent magic users be the one to personally bring him down.

Blackguards!

@Zeroth Love it! You'll fit in perfectly. If I could make one wish, however, it would be that you elaborate just a little on Auguz most recent history prior to the Maw; what happened when he came to the Westerlands, why did he kill those knights, and how was he captured? Just something to tie him to the game world a bit more. Now, I understand that you could be saving some of that information for in-game revelations, and if that's the case, it's a-ok!

@Red Wizard

The idea is that he's a more berserk take on the classic Miyamoto Musashi trope: the wandering warrior always looking for a challenge. In his personality section, it talks about how he likes "breaking down" his opponents; that's all due to the tragedy of how his origin played out and influenced how he sees people in general. He set out after leaving his clan and essentially just always wanted to fight whoever he heard of that was "the strongest" or who had some kind of reputation as a swordsman, to prove that he was better than them.

A tavern minstrel sings about how Sir Whosoever felled the Bandit King and his 40 thieves? Auguz demands to know where Sir Whosoever lives, and tracks him down. A tournament is held by some local lord who likes watching duelists do their thing? Auguz joins up and wins, but then also tracks down the guys he didn't get to fight. A veteran mercenary captain decides to retire and open up a fencing school? Auguz comes knocking and fights his way through the students, the assistant instructors, and finally the old man.

Even if dueling is legal in the context of the world, Auguz just goes about it in such a way (likely killing a lot of people who just "got in the way" in the process) that he's essentially become a serial killer. He also wouldn't be above taking unsavory jobs for coin whenever he racks up too big a bar-tab.

He could've been captured in a number of ways---weigh him down with numbers, or heavily armored/mounted/ranged warriors that'd be less susceptible to bladed weapons, or use magic since he basically has no answer to that if he can't close the distance between himself and a mage.

Would this be suitable? If you need something more specific, like another story with named characters or something, I'll have to come up with it---it'll take a while and may need further re-writes.

Blackguards!

Hello, I'm interested in this! I'm not actually sure I've ever participated in an Advanced RP before, so I hope my writing would be up to standard and would appreciate any feedback. But I have a character draft that I'm hoping would be satisfactory. Let me know if anything needs to be tweaked, improved, etc!

Orc Blademaster

Auguz the Manslayer

^{Image Credit to GreyRat84 of DeviantArt}

---

---

Name

Auguz Son-of-Ugum, of Hokur (Red Iron) Clan of Zimalzagh (Black Mountain)

Race

Orc

Gender

Male

Age

(Upper End of Middle Age by Orc standards; what kind of lifespan do they have in this world?)

Appearance

Standing at 7' 6" and weighing just shy of 300 pounds (Unless Orc size is different here), Auguz is an ideal specimen of an orc warrior. He speaks with a gravel-filled, roaring voice that could easily be mistaken for that of a tiger. It can be even more shocking to hear because, unless he's fighting, he can be eerily stoic. His eyes are a burning wolf-yellow, though they are often hidden beneath the shadow of his furrowed brow. A lattice of old scars covers the majority of his body--save for his back, which aside from a few puncture wounds originating on the other side, is relatively unblemished. He favors simple clothing; garments that are easy to fight in, fastened with old ropes or bits of bone.

Personality

"He who stands in the end is righteous."

Auguz believes in a broad form of "might makes right," recognizing that there are many kinds of "power" to obtain. If you are stronger, you can do whatever you want until someone with greater strength stops you. If your arm is greater, the strength of numbers or strategy may still overcome it. If your strength is unbreakable, strength of cunning and subterfuge may poison it. Yet despite this acknowledgment of nuance, Auguz stands by his own brand of strength---the open, bare-chested might of a warrior and his skills---and seeks to overcome all others with dogged stubbornness. The utter shame of his current predicament is a raw and festering subject, but ultimately, so long as he is contained by a greater power, he has no choice but to survive in the hope that he will one day surpass his oppressors.

He enjoys the revelry of good food and fine drink, and the debauchery of fair maidens, but nothing excites his blood more than using his blade. It is not wanton slaughter that drives him, though he is not above taking life in a trivial or cold blooded manner; the stronger his opponent, the more thrilling it is to bring them down. The more they boast, the more he enjoys to see them beg. The more they pretend to refinery, the more satisfying it is to see them seethe with rage and impotence. He doesn't just want to prove his skill and power, but to break down the opponent's sense of self.

Auguz spits on those who think ideals such as "law" will protect them, or who try to control others through social expectations, religion, and other abstracts. That form of strength can only survive in the presence of weak minds---even if, say, a religious leader had the strength of an entire theocracy backing him, a single person in the congregation could decide at any time to simply break the fool's neck in front of all his sheep. As one can imagine, this outlook makes him ill-suited to diplomacy, debate, or compromise.

Background

In the Hokur Clan, status is decided by strength, and strength by blood. The strongest take the strongest for their mates, and those of lesser stock are made to provide for the clan while the warriors train or march for war. Individual families within the clan compete in both tournaments and what passes for orcish politik, constantly seeking to prove themselves in order to rise up the ladder.

Auguz was born to a pair of, essentially, slaves. Their duty was to plough, and to sow, to pluck weeds, and reap harvest. In seasons when little would grow, they were made to break rock and chop trees to clear new fields for the next year, or make new paths in the treacherous terrain. Most of what they produced went to feed those above their station; Auguz still remembers the hunger he slept with as a child.

Yet one day, as he passed from one end of the clan's great fortress to the other on some errand, he happened to pass by a prominent family's courtyard. They were training several younglings, older than him at the time, in the way of swordsmanship. The master prepared a demonstration for the students, and though he had to climb the wall to peek over, Auguz couldn't help his curiosity. A lit candle was brought out, and the master explained some concept of "subtlety and control" of one's blade. Then, with a masterful movement that seemed to come out of a painting, the elder orc swept the candle's upper half away from its lower. The flame never went out, and wavered only a moment in the air. The lower end did not fall from the stand, and the other was perfectly balanced on the flat of the man's sword, held delicately at arm's length. Yet the cut had happened so fast, if Auguz had been able to blink he would have missed it.

Then someone saw him, and he had to scamper away before he could be caught. But like that flickering candle flame, a passion had been ignited in the runty orc. When his chores were done, he picked up a shaved stick, and began to mimic the motions he'd seen. When he carried water, or took the harvest to the storehouse, or brought repaired tools from the smiths, he would stop by the courtyard again. By mere enthusiasm and mimicry, he began to learn. His parents noticed a new brightness in their child, a strength of life and happiness at finding one's calling, but had they known his secret they most assuredly would've punished him. And perhaps, if they had, the Manslayer would've never come to be.

It was only a matter of time. The first time he failed to escape, the students dragged him before the master. Accused of stealing their techniques, or spying for another family, and most of all for daring to look above his own family's status within the Clan, the old orc ordered the youngling to be soundly beaten and sent away with dire threats. But Auguz did not cease his self-taught training. Again, he was caught---this time in a dark corner of the fortress, by three adolescents from the same family. They had found him with the stick in his hand, and held wooden training swords of their own. To humiliate him, break him spiritually as well as physically, they taunted him as they struck, over and over and over... Until Auguz fought back.

By the end, his stick was broken, and the three youths were dead. He took their wooden swords. When news spread, the other students began hunting him down---and he hunted them in return. Those who survived were crippled, no longer able to hold a sword. The family he'd offended was outraged, but even when his parents were imprisoned, Auguz managed to evade capture. When he killed an adult warrior---again, with only a piece of wood---the old swordmaster deigned to step up. It was time for this farce to end.

Their duel took place under a bright moon. In that pure white light, the old master finally saw this runt for what he was: a talent unbound by blood or status. A heart filled with love for the way of the blade, the art of the warrior---a heart that had been tainted and blackened by unforgiving tradition, cruelty, and bloodlust. What could this young orc have become, if that talent had been nurtured? How many like this had the Clan ignored, or even punished? As he was brought to his knees, the old swordsman felt tears pricking his eyes. He yielded to the youth, and begged for forgiveness. He declared that he would adopt Auguz, and train him, and---

Auguz smashed the orc's skull with the splintered wooden sword, and stole his first real blade. He left the Hokur that night, and began to carve a bloody trail across the lands... Until he was finally brought to justice, in a kingdom far from his home, for murdering a score of knights, fencers, and other proclaimed fighting masters...

Talents

• Immaculate Swordsmanship
  If everyone has a "thing," Auguz's thing is the way of the blade. He lives for it, loves it, in a way only great painters or musicians might understand, not soldiers. Everything else he has attained has been for the sake of the sword. He calls his personal, self-made style the Eighteen Demon Blades.
• Expert Martial Artist
  To master the blade, master one's self. Though one might argue his understanding of this proverb given his general hedonism, Auguz's physical talents and experiences have allowed him to mimic a number of martial arts techniques. Because this benefits his swordsmanship and athletic ability, he considers it a required secondary skill for any warrior. Fisticuffs, footwork, and wrestling techniques all factor into his personal style to varying degrees---he's probably best with his hands, but his heavy kicks can be devastating even if he's not doing a bunch of flexible flippy-dippy nonsense.
• General Weapon Skill
  To defeat one's enemy, you must know your enemy. Auguz may not give a crap about getting to know other people, but in order to best other weapons with only a sword, he's had to learn a great deal about them. While he couldn't match up to someone who has done specialized training, he can generally pick up a spear, an axe, so on and so forth and wield it with above average ability.
• Made of Iron
  Not in a literal sense, of course. Auguz's stamina and toughness, even for an orc, are extremely well developed---but so is his mental strength. You might be faster than him, but he's going to keep plodding after you. You might even be stronger than him, but he's going to figure out your weak point. If you're more skilled than him, he's going to refuse to acknowledge that. With an unhealthy amount of determination, he has resolved that if he's going to die, he's going to do two more things as well: die standing upright, and swing his sword one last time as his head rolls off.

Flaws

• Run The Fade
  Auguz will prioritize his ability to enjoy a duel over anything else. He can be forced to do whatever stupid thing he has to do instead of fighting, but it will breed deep discontent and he will always look for a way to avenge such interference.
• Gambler
  Auguz can be suckered by games of chance, because he believes that luck is a skill too. He doesn't understand how to cut his losses or quit while he's ahead, responds impulsively to dares and challenges, and gets violent when he feels he's been cheated. If someone's trying to dissuade or calm him during these moments, though, at least it's not as difficult as it would be to keep him out of a "proper" fight.
• Glutton
  When he's not fighting, Auguz enjoys eating, drinking, and...carousing...to great excess. Maybe it's because he remembers having nothing back at home, and hasn't learned how to reign in his over compensation. Maybe it's just because he lives every moment to the fullest. But if he's allowed to indulge, he's going to wake up with a hangover, eat so much he vomits the next time he gets gutpunched, and so on.
• Seasick
  He hates boats. And you will too if you ever have to be on one with him.

Equipment

• Northern Gale
  A well made, and well used, steel katana. Its hilt is white rayskin wrapped with a deep blue cord, and the tsuba is a golden mitsudomoe pattern.
• Western Storm
  A wakazashi that has been well-maintained, but is old enough that there's a lot of visible wear and tear. The flaking layers of steel from its spine give it a damascened appearance. Its hilt is also white rayskin, but the cord is a faded green. The tsuba is a simple bronze disk, but a golden horsehair tassel is tied to its pommel.
• Southern Breeze
  A kabutowari---a thick dagger with a truncheon hook near the base of the blade, meant to pry open armor. Its short grip is solid wood, but has been painted a deep, blood red.

Miscellaneous

• While brutish and straight forward, he has a surprising intellectual side. He enjoys reading about military history in particular and has an appreciation for "old soldier's poems."
• He has a tendency to steal blades from fallen opponents, and blames their workmanship if his rough usage damages them.

Cozy Fantasy Village-Life RP

@Xaltwind
WHAR CHARACTAH SHEET?! >:O