[quote=@Shorticus] May I put ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ as my character's gender? Also, going to make my sheet in the morrow. I'm pooped. [/quote] My answer, of course, is ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ [quote=@vietmyke] [hider=Hadar the Windwalker][IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/70yfxt.jpg[/IMG] [color=khaki][b]Name:[/b][/color] Hadar Mizrahi - The Scholar Swordsmaster - Hadar the Windwalker [color=khaki][b]Age:[/b][/color] 40 [color=khaki][b]Gender:[/b][/color] Male [color=khaki][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] A tall and lean man, Hadar is a man in his prime. His posture is decidedly casual, but his build is obviously of one used to travelling. His coarse, dark hair is pulled into a ponytail, his tanned skin is set off by his hazel eyes, his beard is rough, but maintained, and his mouth is often curled into a wry grin. His body is marked by numerous scars, the most obvious of which crosses his face. His garb is comprised of white and purple robes, loose fitting and easy to move in, and of the traditional Iiram and Sand Kingdoms style. [color=khaki][b]Personality:[/b][/color] Confident and charismatic, Hadar appears outwardly jovial and warm-hearted. His lazy and carefree demeanor, combined with his near perpetual times of thought is occasionally mistaken for a lack of spacial awareness and carelessness. Underneath his relaxed persona lies an innate brilliance, a highly intuitive and calculative mind. Highly perceptive and logical, Hadar shows an almost insatiable appetite for knowledge and learning of any kind, be it scholarly or practical to the point that his lazy and carefree demeanor is broken by a manic, almost obsessive disposition when presented with relics or tomes that are magical in nature. Despite his lazy demeanor, Hadar is a dedicated scholar boasting considerable knowledge of geography, and alchemical theory, though not a practitioner of the divine craft himself. Hadar possesses a well developed moral compass, and can be fairly protective of his students. [color=khaki][b]History:[/b][/color] Hadar was born the eldest son to a wealthy merchant in the city of Edessa. Having long been regarded a central 'stopping' location between the trade routes of the Iron Kingdoms to the west and the Jade Kingdoms to the east. As a major commercial hub between the east and west, Edessa enjoys the benefits of a fruitful commerce and near continuous growth, making it one of the larger great cities of the Sand Kingdoms. Regarded as one of the Sand Kingdoms as one of its brightest jewels, Edessa is a melting pot of cultures, trades, and traditions. As a child blessed with both a wealthy family and a prosperous city, Hadar had no want or need for anything, and was afforded some of the best education and tutoring by his family. Proving himself at a young age to have an incredible appetite for learning, he learned quickly and became both literate and proficient in mathematics at an early age. His desire for knowledge wasn’t strictly limited to his books however. His parents found that young Hadar often had a penchant for sneaking off when he wasn’t supposed to in order to explore the city. While he certainly had the knack and capability to inherit the family business, it was clear as day to his family that the sprightful Hadar had no desire to relegate himself to a career in business. Encouraging his younger brother to take over the family business, Hadar instead opted to travel throughout the Sand Kingdoms for a while, with the intention of discovering more markets for his brother to exploit. Instead, Hadar found himself avoiding marauders and delving into old ruins of Iiraminian cities. Here he discovered tomes and books of the lost arts of Alchemy studied by the old empire of Iiram. It was also around this time when Hadar first learned how to wield a blade, in order to defend himself from the various hazards of the desert and outside world. Taught by Elijah, one of the great swordsmen of Edessa, Hadar proved to be quite competent with a blade, and would eventually be regarded as one of the most talented young swordsmen in Edessa. Eventually, Hadar decided to head out into the greater world, and with his family’s blessings- in the form of a pair of finely crafted sabers, left the deserts of the Sand Kingdoms in favor of the lands of Borea and the Iron Kingdoms. As Hadar explored the Iron Kingdoms, he often found that he had little to offer the people of the Iron Kingdoms outside from his sword arm. As a result, Hadar resorted to mercenary work in order to fund his education. Traveling alongside trade caravans as a guard, Hadar travelled from town to city, seeking knowledge wherever he went, before joining up with another caravan and heading towards another town. Occasionally, while staying in the various homes of charitable individuals, Hadar would impart upon children and youths knowledge and learning, from basic letters to the fundamentals of mathematics. Word of the scholar-swordsman who travelled from town to town trading his sword arm for books eventually began spreading through the Iron Kingdoms. The swordsman who could move faster than the wind trading the glory and spoils of battle for dusty scrolls and ancient trinkets. As the years went by, many would approach the Windwalker in order to learn the way of the blade, to which all were turned down. Instead, Hadar took on a trio of acolytes, three who would value learning as much as he did. The oldest of the acolytes, Hadar would eventually relent and begin teaching the ways of the blade, but even then only in limited amounts. [color=khaki][b]Journey:[/b][/color] Hadar's calling is arguably the simplest- the pure pursuit of knowledge of any kind. Hadar is not satisfied unless he has learned at least something new each day, and as a result scours the world for books he can read, people who can teach, and things he can learn. This knowledge is not limited to scholarly learning either- Hadar also has interest in learning different forms of swordplay, different types of cuisine, dialects. In particular Hadar has the desire to explore the world to rediscover the lost/dying arts of Alchemy. [color=khaki][b]Ideals:[/b][/color] Hadar values knowledge, learning, and personal growth. He constantly seeks to better himself, and encourages those around him to do so as well. While outwardly lazy and carefree, Hadar holds compassion towards those who also embody his values. Though selective in his students, he believes teaching to be one of the ultimate methods of learning. Hadar also values freedom, and the ability to pursue growth at ones own pace. He doesn't like the idea of being stuck in any one place for too long, and is commonly afflicted with wanderlust. Compassion is also a core value of Hadar. While one can argue how much compassion a man who so easily fights with a sword may be, Hadar truly values human life and dignity- though his displays of 'compassion and dignity' may not always coincide ideals held by others. [color=khaki][b]Holdings:[/b][/color] A traveler by nature, Hadar holds a precious few things. On his person he carries a satchel, filled with various tomes, scrolls, artifacts, and objects of knowledge and learning, several are of magical or alchemical nature, others are of more mundane. For arms, Hadar carries on him a matching pair of Orichalcum sabres. Not technically holdings, but accompanying him are a trio of students, the oldest is his first and only pupil whom he teaches in the way of the blade, the other two students are a pair of incredibly bright and perceptive twins. Collectively, the four of them share a large beast of burden (imagine large water buffalo) named Clavat, which they use to carry their more mundane belongings- spare clothes, food, water, cooking implements, and trade items.[/hider] It is super late, and I was getting really tired towards the end. I'll go over this again with a fine tooth comb after class tomorrow, in the meantime, feel free to point out where in the lore/general I've dun goofed! [/quote] Notes placed in a hider for the convenience of other players. [hider=Notes] My primary issue is that Hadar seems to have led an easy life, relatively free of conflict. This is not something that really works for someone from Iiram, which arguably suffered the worst fate among the kingdoms destroyed in the Years of Dusk. There's very little in the way of civilization left in the majority of the Sand Kingdoms, so I really can't abide the existence of a prosperous trade center, as though nothing had ever happened. The wealth of Iiram has been stolen and scattered by the Lemurians, so there's really nothing left of riches of the ancient empire. Furthermore, nothing about Hadar's backstory leads me to believe that he'd be anything more than a run-of-the-mill sellsword with a penchant for reading old books and things; he doesn't really seem to live up to the idea of a heroic figure. Basically, I would put more weight and conflict into his character as a whole. For instance, his skills could be hard-won from living on the razor's edge of survival in the Sand Kingdoms. His compassion and humility, and his appreciation for learning, would be all the more meaningful when practiced by a man raised in savagery. Hopefully you get the point I'm trying to make. If he were a nobleman or general of some kind, my stance on this would be different, but he is supposed to be a lone warrior, so having been raised in the lap of luxury really doesn't work. Also, the verb relating to Iiram is "Iiramite." Just thought I'd mention.[/hider] [quote=@Savage] You've peaked my interest in this as well. I saw the Interest Check thread but figured since the OOC was created I will just post my desire to participate here. I wasn't around in the old days I here people talking about, but I would love to be apart of this reboot and maybe offer something different than what you had before. As for a character, I must admit that after reading the initial post in the Interest Check I only skimmed through the posts from others so far, so I do not have a character concept in mind yet. I will go back later today and see what other people have either posted or plan to build, and try to create something that offers skills different or complimentary to what we already may see. [/quote] Righto, feel free to shoot character concepts my way. [quote=@babbysama] Saw the IC as well and thought it looked great. Count me in, I love a good high fantasy yarn, as much as I appreciate the grim gritty zeitgeist too. Can I be a grappler warrior-philosoph who chokeslams his enemies while reciting poetry [/quote] Just as long as your execution is not quite as absurd-sounding as your concept. [quote=@Aristo] [@Dead Cruiser] The interest check led me here; I was really interested in the premise and world you presented, and it's been a while since I've done much other than NRPs. I have a very loose character concept at the moment. The first thing that came to mind was a Joan of Arc-type warrior maiden, rising to prominence in the wake of some rebellion or other conflict. She could hail from one of the fractured kingdoms of Thule or Borea, or even be a Hyperborean. She could have latent magic power that she hasn't learned to control yet, but her connection to the art (and maybe otherworldly entities as well) has given her a cult following. [/quote] That sounds perfectly reasonable, though the latent magic power could use some clarity or specificity. [quote=@Sonatina] I also followed the IC here and was hoping to join. My character idea is a female wanderer or sellsword, who's subtle use of control over metal would give her an advantage over stronger, faster fighters. I think I'd give her a knack for getting herself in and out of trouble so it'd be easy to fold her into any overarching plot. Would my metal magic fit in with your worlds definition of magic? It would fall under the category of natural talent I believe. [/quote] Concept sounds alright, though I hope there's a bit more depth to her. The metal magic would work as a subtle power, really nothing obvious or flamboyant. I would appreciate it more if it were tied to the rest of her character thematically; say if she were a smith or something like that. [quote=@Gunther] Now I'm glad I read the older OOC thread and some of the IC posts from over two months ago. Now I have a clue. I should be able to have Gunnar Fisker wrapped up by the end of the day today. [/quote] Good show.