[OOC] Iris Ascendis

[Nanaya]

Right, Nanaya, you got an idea of when you're gonna start the IC?

@ERode

I was thinking Monday. I'd like to give time for players up to the cap of five to build their sheets and start off at the same time. If sheets aren't ready by then, we'll get started on Monday and let the remaining people join when they're approved and ready.

[ERode]

Aighto, good to know.

[Estylwen]

I'm interested if you still have a spot available! I can have a CS ready for approval within 24 hours.

[ERode]

It's two spots left, ye.

[Estylwen]

Sweet, then I'll get started. :>

(Good to see you again btw, @ERode.)

[Sifr]

Alright, reading through the lore, my main question I think pertains to technology. Obviously this is an alternate universe from our own given the, well, everything. But some locations (Eg; Vaalin Union) seem to have some very modern looking areas, whereas other places seem to be more clockpunk in its aesthetics, and transportation is specified to be by carriage in one of the descriptions. In short; where are we at exactly, technologically? What do we have VS what we do not have. Is it one to one with the technology of our universe's year of 1526?

And in the particular case of dwarves, if they exist in this setting, are they mostly metal workers, or do they tend to skew towards technological (mainly clockwork) skills?

Expect a character sheet or two in a bit, and apologies if this was answered and I missed it ^ ^"

[ERode]

@EstylwenNice to see you too, but also, remind me of where we've RPed together before? If that happened at all.

@SifrThe vibes I'm getting here (so take it with a grain of salt) is that in terms of technology, most of it is modern-era tech that's accomplished via magitech. Which comes up with problemos because environmental magic is running out. At this point, one can expect that places that used to be abundant in magitech are now prioritizing the rich and powerful over the poor, while those places that never had that magitech (I'd imagine that'd be non-Vaalin Union places) either figured out some regular tech (the clockwork nation with the immortal bitch) or exist in a general fantasy-medieval vibe.

[Sifr]

Welp, here goes one (1) character. I had three in mind, but one of them I decided against by looking at the group's already existing characters and worrying they'd be too same-y, and the other one I can't finish until my question is answered, since technology is intrinsically linked to her background and such (thank you ERode, what I've written so far is working off of that assumption but I do wanna wait for the GM). Once the question is answered I'll let the group vote on who they want in most I guess, if both are approved by the GM.

Anywhom. Here we go.

Hildegunde Nachtnebel

Info

Basics

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 19

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Appearance

Hildegunde is a tall, lithe woman, with angular features, tanned skin, piercing green eyes, and long, brown, scruffy hair. Her attire tends to skew dark and neutral in coloration, and plain and unassuming in design, as if to help her blend into her surroundings. Curiously, her hands always have pen marks on them.

(I'll be drawing her or whoever is selected later, note that my styles tend to skew relatively cartoony but I can try to do a more anime-esque one)

Personality

Hildegunde is a fairly quiet woman, preferring to listen rather than speak for the most part. Let it not be mistaken, however, that Hildegunde is a polite woman, or that she is a reserved one. While she might not be much for words, she is by no means shy; her actions are bold, and her words, when spoken, are said without much shame or hesitancy. She's a bit of an eccentric, and has a disregard for rules ranging from societal norms to legal law. 'Quietly unhinged' might be the best way to describe her.

She's got a sharp eye, a sharp tongue, and a sharp mind, as well as something of a stubborn streak. Her people skills are somewhat lacking, thanks to her upbringing.

Speaking of people, she tends to keep people at an arm's length; not because she prefers solitude, but because she is afraid of two things. The first is being unable to use her Ethos freely in an emergency, and getting herself hurt or killed as a consequence. The second is accidentally getting someone she cares about hurt, or god forbid killed. Given the nature of her Ethos, and indeed, the history of its discovery, it isn't much of a surprise that she decided to keep herself from getting too attached.

Backstory

Born to a family of hunters in a small lodge not too far north from Seer's Loft, Hildegunde learned how to shoot a gun before she learned how to read or write. Fairly disconnected from society, Hildegunde's main source of social interaction outside of her family were visits to Seer's Loft, in which Hildegunde's family would shop, as well as trade and sell their wares; hides, furs, meat, sinew, beads of bone, and the like. In lieu of social connection, she became deeply connected to the natural world, in tune with the rhythm and cycles of the earth, and in time learning its magic.

That is not to say that she was a lonely child growing up. Indeed, she was quite close to her parents, as well as her older brother, Gunther, whom she was equal parts full of admiration and envy of. In classic younger sibling fashion, she felt slighted by her brother having more perceived priviledges than her, as well as his perceived unfair advantages. He was smarter than her, quicker than her, stronger than her...it felt as if he simply did everything better than her, with little room to ever surpass him.

That is, with one exception; marksmanship.

Gunther was by no means a bad shot; indeed, he was, at the time, better than her. But the space between them in skill wasn't as steep as it was in other areas, and Hildegun began to dedicate herself to becoming the best shot she could be. It turned towards obsession; she had to make her mark. She had to be better at this one thing, or she would live in his shadow forever. Perhaps it was this obsession with hitting her mark that manifested her Ethos. Perhaps she would be a happier person if it didn't.

It was an accident, of course. She became addicted to praise, to power. It wasn't as if she knew the ins and outs of her Ethos yet; all she wanted was for her to continue to hit with each shot. She knows her gun wasn't pointed anywhere near him when it happened. But alas, Gunther paid the price for her hubris, and in a way she never wanted, she was forced out of his shadow.

The two were hunting alone when it happened, and to this day she has not admitted to anyone the truth, instead framing her accidental murder as his intentional suicide. The guilt, along with the fear of hurting someone again, has made her a lone wolf. She became well known for her skills; skills that she now honed exclusively outside of the use of her ethos. But it lays there, in wait, of course. Her emergency button.

As her skills increased, she became more and more reclusive and her mental health deteriorated. Her parents began to worry for her. Eventually, the decision was made to abandon their fairly self sufficient and secluded way of life and emigrate to the Vaal Shakta, hoping to get her professional help, as well as hoping that a more social lifestyle may help her recover. This has had mixed results; if nothing else, being overwhelmed by city life has at least alleviated a lot of the guilt and gloom that once hung off her.

She has applied to Wingram since, in hopes to hone her primal magic, and maybe even her Ethos. If nothing else, the idea of being a hero of any kind appeals to her ego, even if her personality isn't quite yet worthy of such a title.

Prime Essence, Ethos, and Magic

Marksman - Freikugeln

It was said that, once upon a time, a marksman made a deal with the devil. He was granted seven magic bullets; the first six would serve the will of the marksman, but the last of which would be at the will of the devil. While Hildegunde has (presumably) never made such a deal, the concept from the fairy tale rings very familiar. Maybe she had made such a deal in a past life.

When Freikugeln is evoked, two bullets will meet their mark with pin-point accuracy. The third, however, is one that Hildegunde lacks total control over - but will always hit something. Perhaps, with time and dedication, she will be able to sway the devil's favour, and gain the fabled six shots.

For obvious reasons, she tries to avoid actually using this outside of emergencies.

Outside of her Ethos, she has primal magic, gained through a connection to nature.

Miscellaneous Skills

Marksmanship - Hildegunde's got a pretty good aim with guns, with rifles being her specialty.

Survivalist - She's also got a fair amount of general knowledge that has served her well when roughing it out outdoors. Foraging knowledge, how to set traps, fire making, knot tying, that sort of deal. And, of course, hunting.

Butchery - Likewise, she also knows how to butcher an animal, as well as use different parts of it for various uses, such as skinning, bone carving, etc.

Stealth - Hildegunde 's got a very good knack at keeping herself out of the sight and mind of people and animals alike, able to blend in, keep still, and keep quiet to alarming efficiency.

Discerning - Years of hunting has made her very attuned to slight movements, sounds, etc.

Endurance - Hildegunde can go a long time without getting tired, and is very good at handling hunger, thirst, and pain.

Inventory

Hunting rifle

Bullet brick

Pen and inkwell

Swiss Army Knife

Dried venison

Additional Notes:

-The Ethos is drawn from the folkloric figure of Der Freischütz, or The Marksman.

-The earliest iteration of what would become the fabled figured of Freischütz was actually an archer and not a marksman, making him an arrow ace. Hildegunde is, similarly, an aro ace. (You may now throw tomatoes at me).

-Hildegunde's biggest weakness is her pride. It's a quiet pride; she is not boastful or arrogant, so it might not even be apparent to most that she even has a massive ego. But she does indeed, and it fuels many of her actions; her refusal to ask for help, her belief that she can do it better than others, et cetera.

-Her biggest strength is, similarly, her confidence. Hildegunde is not one to doubt; she is decisive, quick to act, and not easily swayed or made to falter.

-The pen marks on her hands are to keep track of what metaphorical 'bullet' she is on.

Hawine Jibari

--TBA--

[Nanaya]

Alright, reading through the lore, my main question I think pertains to technology. Obviously this is an alternate universe from our own given the, well, everything. But some locations (Eg; Vaalin Union) seem to have some very modern looking areas, whereas other places seem to be more clockpunk in its aesthetics, and transportation is specified to be by carriage in one of the descriptions. In short; where are we at exactly, technologically? What do we have VS what we do not have. Is it one to one with the technology of our universe's year of 1526?

And in the particular case of dwarves, if they exist in this setting, are they mostly metal workers, or do they tend to skew towards technological (mainly clockwork) skills?

Expect a character sheet or two in a bit, and apologies if this was answered and I missed it ^ ^"

@Sifr

What ERode said is pretty much correct, some parts of the world are simply more dense in essence than others, and what that's resulted in is a lopsided setting, technology-wise. The Vaalin Union is one of the most concentrated areas of essence worldwide, so they've quickly risen to a modern day quality of life through usage of essence manipulation and the powerful natural leyline that they've built their cities upon.

Rekordia, meanwhile, is comparatively low in its essence density, and being the oldest nation on the planet, has seen a lot more usage of its natural essence. They get around this with their clockwork technology, reverse-engineered by studying the construction of the Sacred Record they hold ownership over. It can't quite meet the convenience and ease of use of the Kastrix Leyline's power in the Union, though, and with their reclusive "us vs them" mentality instilled by their queen, they primarily focus their technology towards building weapons of war. Things like their tanks or guns that primarily run on construction alone with minimal essence use required, or Gearveins that directly drain a pilot's prime essence rather than taking in essence from the world around it.

Mirris finds itself in the middle, having decent essence flow and in bountiful rolling hills, plains and lakes such that they don't have a desperate need to fight for survival - but also without clockwork tech in their backyard to research and build upon. They find themselves closer to a traditional high fantasy setting because, without a significantly powerful country-wide leyline and no advanced technology to research, a Mirrisian's study of essence is primarily around using it to enhance their martial abilities. They do of course trade with other nations, but no amount of trade can compensate for the sheer geographical advantage that the Vaalin Union has, in terms of essence.

Transportation is primarily still bound by horseback or carriage simply because other means have not yet been figured out. Vaal Shakta does have an alternate means upon which one of their archmages has a 24/7 obligation to levitate and transport magical metal crates across the city for faster transportation, but that can only be accomplished within the city's walls. Rekordia would have the means in theory, but Queen Carmine sees no need to focus on advancing their transportation beyond that of carriages, with how small their nation is in size and how that time could be put to better use constructing more Gearveins for their country's defense.

Basically, essence and leylines are cheat codes, and places that are more abundant in them have more opportunities to go beyond the technological limitations otherwise given to others. Technology is all over the place for that reason, and countries with the means to achieve higher tech, at least on the continent of Vein, aren't keen on sharing with their rivals. Technology for many nations can be considered to be like the 1500s of the real world, with variables significantly impacted by essence or the presence of things like the Sacred Record to assist.

Also, Hildegunde is approved! You can either put her in the characters tab, or decide if you'd rather go with the other character you have planned. But as you've made a character, you are locked in for a slot regardless of whether it's Hildegunde or another character you have planned. :)

[Estylwen]

Here you go! Please let me know how it looks. :>

The Hunger

Ciara Ventura

5’2 | Human | Female | 16

Appearance:

Alignment: Neutral Good

Personality:

Being treated a bit harshly in her early years caused Ciara to be somewhat of an empath. Without much regard for rules or society, Ciara is more inclined to help someone in a vulnerable position because she was there once upon a time. She has a slightly mischievous nature, being the type to break curfew just for the sake of it. Her Hunger sometimes causes her to question her own morals, but she has promised herself she isn’t what people might think she is, and she condemns any notion of Umbrialism.

Backstory:

It’s not a long shot to say Ciara had a tough upbringing. Thrown out of her home at a young age at the thought of her manifested Ethos having anything to do with Umbralism, Ciara was pushed from one orphanage to another in Vaal Kastrix. This caused CIara to be somewhat of a recluse, finding more company in the essence she could feel around her than the other unwitting children.

This gave the Voices in her head more free reign, and she eventually conceded to her Hunger, tasting the essence of a plant. It was delicious, though the shriveled husk of the plant that remained… left something to be desired.

When she was old enough, she supplemented her studies with a part-time job, offering her services to clear away excess plant life that plagued residents’ homes at a fraction of the cost of official essence eradication treatments. This allowed her to move out of the orphanage and into her own run-down apartment at the ripe age of 12. Yes, she had to forge an ‘adult’s’ signature to get the place, but the landlord didn’t ask questions for someone to fill his vacant suite with holes in the roof, finally.

At the age of 14, she had evolved her part-time job to also include package running. She could manipulate and hop from shadows at break-neck speed and deliver packages faster than horses. This made her skills heavily sought after. She used these extra funds to move to the big city, Vaal Shakta. This city's overwhelming amount of essence caused her to lie quietly on the floor of her new apartment for some days before her Hunger adjusted.

It was soon after, at the age of 16, she received an auspicious letter of invitation from Wingram Academy.

Prime Essence: The Hunger

Ethos: Ciara’s Ethos can be broken down into fragments.
- The Voices
- The Light
- The Shadows
- The Night
- The Visions

The Voices

A voice in her head was one of the reasons Ciara discovered she could eat light and essence. It almost continuously comments in the background like a child, reminding her of her hunger. It gets terribly excited when she comes across significant sources of light that are within consumable distance (i.e., being able to ‘breathe’ it in.)

She thinks it is these voices in her head that emerge in physical form when she uses the Shadows.

The Light

A person, place, and thing all exude a bit of essence. Some have more than others. The essence, or light of people, can be especially eye-catching, appearing to Ciara as a warm, radiating, mouth-watering glow. The better a person is, the more light they naturally carry. If a plant is like warm buttered toast to Ciara, a person rich with essence and light is like a lobster or steak meal, with a dash of addictive qualities. Until now, Ciara has never given in to her Hunger cravings for prime essence from a living person.

Too much light can overwhelm Ciara. Standing under the sun is something she can manage. However, she doesn’t like it. She also can’t stand purifying magic due to its high amount of light.

The Shadows

Her own shadow can come to life when she embraces her Ethos, manifesting black tentacles or shapes that can reach up to 10-20 feet. They have enough strength to knock a horsedrawn carriage over on its side. However, they have nerve endings and can't be used as a shield with which to hide behind.

Any shadow that she can see can also be brought to life. She hasn’t yet figured out how to manifest tentacles or create shapes of other shadows. However, she can use her own shadow as a portal and hop from one shadow to the next as a type of shadow manipulation/teleportation technique.

Her emotions, unbridled, can cause strange reactions. Emotions like extreme agitation can cause dark mist to rise off her. Fear can cause her shadow to quiver visibly. Her Ethos may also react and manifest to a subconscious will, such as the repressed desire to strangle someone.

The Night

All shadows blend into one during the night, especially a New Moon. By extension, Ciara’s shadow becomes one with everything she sees around her, allowing her to create tentacles and shapes from further away.

The Visions

On occasion, whether she's walking through city streets or slumbering fast asleep, she'll get hit with vivid, unexplainable visions that usually leave her pondering in silence, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Magic: Primal

Miscellaneous Skills:

- Nimble dexterity
Ciara can move up and across buildings in a nimble, stealthy way that she developed during her years of package-running. This includes safe landings, such as breaking her fall with rolls.

- Silent movement
From the dislike of being seen when she came to and from the orphanage, she can move quietly, knowing how to feel out the quietest parts of the floor and how to keep her clothes from shifting noisily.

- Daggermanship
Ciara knows how to manipulate short daggers as a means of self-defense, which she has needed to use a number of times in the rough-and-tumble streets of Vaal Kastrix.

Inventory:
- Two leather-handled short daggers tucked away in the sheathes on her hips, hidden under her jacket.
- A small satchel of dried grass she keeps on her person to stave off her Hunger. She uses it as an emergency stash, preferring other, more rich sources.

---

@EstylwenNice to see you too, but also, remind me of where we've RPed together before? If that happened at all.

@ERode

I'm sure it happened, but unfortunately, I can't remember the name. ^^;

[Nanaya]

Here you go! Please let me know how it looks. :>

The Hunger

Ciara Ventura

5’2 | Human | Female | 16

Appearance:

Alignment: Neutral Good

Personality:

Being treated a bit harshly in her early years caused Ciara to be somewhat of an empath. Without much regard for rules or society, Ciara is more inclined to help someone in a vulnerable position because she was there once upon a time. She has a slightly mischievous nature, being the type to break curfew just for the sake of it. Her Hunger sometimes causes her to question her own morals, but she has promised herself she isn’t what people might think she is, and she condemns any notion of Umbrialism.

Backstory:

It’s not a long shot to say Ciara had a tough upbringing. Thrown out of her home at a young age at the thought of her manifested Ethos having anything to do with Umbralism, Ciara was pushed from one orphanage to another in Vaal Kastrix. This caused CIara to be somewhat of a recluse, finding more company in the essence she could feel around her than the other unwitting children.

This gave the Voices in her head more free reign, and she eventually conceded to her Hunger, tasting the essence of a plant. It was delicious, though the shriveled husk of the plant that remained… left something to be desired.

When she was old enough, she supplemented her studies with a part-time job, offering her services to clear away excess plant life that plagued residents’ homes at a fraction of the cost of official essence eradication treatments. This allowed her to move out of the orphanage and into her own run-down apartment at the ripe age of 12. Yes, she had to forge an ‘adult’s’ signature to get the place, but the landlord didn’t ask questions for someone to fill his vacant suite with holes in the roof, finally.

At the age of 14, she had evolved her part-time job to also include package running. She could manipulate and hop from shadows at break-neck speed and deliver packages faster than horses. This made her skills heavily sought after. She used these extra funds to move to the big city, Vaal Shakta. This city's overwhelming amount of essence caused her to lie quietly on the floor of her new apartment for some days before her Hunger adjusted.

It was soon after, at the age of 16, she received an auspicious letter of invitation from Wingram Academy.

Prime Essence: The Hunger

Ethos: Ciara’s Ethos can be broken down into fragments.
- The Voices
- The Light
- The Shadows
- The Night

The Voices

A voice in her head was one of the reasons Ciara discovered she could eat light and essence. It almost continuously comments in the background like a child, reminding her of her hunger. It gets terribly excited when she comes across significant sources of light that are within consumable distance (i.e., being able to ‘breathe’ it in.)

She thinks it is these voices in her head that emerge in physical form when she uses the Shadows.

The Light

A person, place, and thing all exude a bit of essence. Some have more than others. The essence, or light of people, can be especially eye-catching, appearing to Ciara as a warm, radiating, mouth-watering glow. The better a person is, the more light they naturally carry. If a plant is like warm buttered toast to Ciara, a person rich with essence and light is like a lobster or steak meal, with a dash of addictive qualities. Until now, Ciara has never given in to her Hunger cravings for prime essence from a living person.

Too much light can overwhelm Ciara. Standing under the sun is something she can manage. However, she doesn’t like it. She also can’t stand purifying magic due to its high amount of light.

The Shadows

Her own shadow can come to life when she embraces her Ethos, manifesting black tentacles or shapes that can reach up to 10-20 feet. They have enough strength to knock a horsedrawn carriage over on its side. However, they have nerve endings and can't be used as a shield with which to hide behind.

Any shadow that she can see can also be brought to life. She hasn’t yet figured out how to manifest tentacles or create shapes of other shadows. However, she can use her own shadow as a portal and hop from one shadow to the next as a type of shadow manipulation/teleportation technique.

Her emotions, unbridled, can cause strange reactions. Emotions like extreme agitation can cause dark mist to rise off her. Fear can cause her shadow to quiver visibly. Her Ethos may also react and manifest to a subconscious will, such as the repressed desire to strangle someone.

The Night

All shadows blend into one during the night, especially a New Moon. By extension, Ciara’s shadow becomes one with everything she sees around her, allowing her to create tentacles and shapes from further away.

Magic: Primal

Miscellaneous Skills:

- Nimble dexterity
Ciara can move up and across buildings in a nimble, stealthy way that she developed during her years of package-running. This includes safe landings, such as breaking her fall with rolls.

- Silent movement
From the dislike of being seen when she came to and from the orphanage, she can move quietly, knowing how to feel out the quietest parts of the floor and how to keep her clothes from shifting noisily.

- Daggermanship
Ciara knows how to manipulate short daggers as a means of self-defense, which she has needed to use a number of times in the rough-and-tumble streets of Vaal Kastrix.

Inventory:
- Two leather-handled short daggers tucked away in the sheathes on her hips, hidden under her jacket.
- A small satchel of dried grass she keeps on her person to stave off her Hunger. She uses it as an emergency stash, preferring other, more rich sources.

@Estylwen

Approved! You can post it in the characters tab when ready.

[Nanaya]

With that, all current slots for the RP are filled until a player either drops out, is removed for inactivity, or their character dies. Thanks to those who showed interest, and apologies if you didn't make it this time.

The IC will begin on Monday!

[Sifr]

Thank you for the explanation, and for the approval! I'll post Hildegunde in there for the time being, but I'm still gonna consider throwing someone else in there, especially after looking through the new character added. I'll try to have the other candidate(s?) before Monday rolls around.

Edit: I think there's enough contrasting personalities that I'll stick with Hildegunde. Gonna draw her in a bit.

If anyone wants I can draw their characters too since I'm trying to get back into drawing for fun since animation school's burnt me out a bit. Let me know any details or changes if you do.

[Nanaya]

@ERode@AThousandCurses@Psyker Landshark@Estylwen@Sifr

The IC has been posted! You can join in when ready.

[ERode]

Was tempted, really, to just have Otis go whip out his gun and blast off the kneecaps of the first six people in his vicinity.

Was also tempted to have him bomb the bridge, but alas, it's probably invulnerable.

[Estylwen]

A little bit of high-speed freefalling never hurt anyone. I imagine there may be a bit of a race to the auditorium.

[Psyker Landshark]

Will get a post up soon.

Also edited in something under skills that I realized I forgot to put in a week ago. Leaving it here for quick reference in case Nanaya wants me to take it back out.

Unyielding: Through a combination of conditioning, armor, and sheer, unrelenting tenacity, Iraleth is hellaciously stubborn, able to power through wounds that would take lesser warriors out of a fight.

[Sifr]

Hi, going to be off for like a day or two,

sad irl stuff ig

friend of mine had their dog die this morning and I'm being there as emotional support.

Just wanna give a heads up so it doesn't look like I just, disappeared.

[Nanaya]

Will get a post up soon.

Also edited in something under skills that I realized I forgot to put in a week ago. Leaving it here for quick reference in case Nanaya wants me to take it back out.

Unyielding: Through a combination of conditioning, armor, and sheer, unrelenting tenacity, Iraleth is hellaciously stubborn, able to power through wounds that would take lesser warriors out of a fight.

@Psyker Landshark

Yep, this addition's totally fine!

Hi, going to be off for like a day or two,

sad irl stuff ig

friend of mine had their dog die this morning and I'm being there as emotional support.

Just wanna give a heads up so it doesn't look like I just, disappeared.

@Sifr

And sounds good, thanks for letting us know!

[Estylwen]

Posts are looking great so far!