Hate to "well actually," but the Cyberpunk ttrpg franchise actually predates Shadowrun by one year. Shadowrun first published in 89, Cyberpunk was in 88.
But the genre is older than both, and it's just a difference in slang. I just happen to be familiar with one and not the other.
Quick thanksgiving day response, there's a good chance I won't reply again today.
I'm trying to get back into RP. Your orcs sound awesome. I am also bad at plotting heavy duty story, but people have said my characters are fun. So that's something.
Tell me what kind of character you would play in a game with Fazra! Don't worry about what story they might have, we can think of that later.
If you happen to have a sheet to post, even if it's from a completely unrelated roleplay, feel free. That's all I did in the opening post lol.
I can see a plot where a desperate, down on her luck ripper-doc finds E13, who is certainly valuable, but also sentient, bringing weird ethical dilemmas.
A quick note, I'm not familiar with Shadowrun, so some of your terminology is different from what I know from Cyberpunk 2077.
This is an unusual check, as I don’t have a story or game in mind. Rather, I have a few characters that I’d like to re-use. These are all characters that either I really liked and want to play again, or didn’t even get to play at all.
Obviously, these characters were all written for specific settings and specific stories, but I’m interested in more of the general vibe of these characters, so a lot can be changed. There’s a lot of little details, but the big picture is more important. I’ll leave a little note above each hider about the kind of RP they were in, and the kind of things I’d like to do with them. These notes are not the only options I’m willing to listen to just about any idea. The worst that can happen is I’ll say I’m not interested.
What I’m looking for: Either a 1x1 or a small group, no more than five players. A small group is my preference, I’ve had a lot of fun on this site with small, dedicated groups of three or four. I’m looking for partners rather than just players, though. I’d like to build the story and setting together.
Honestly, bonus points if you bring your own recycled character to the table. It might be fun to try to beat the concepts together until something new comes out of them.
I’m looking for a heavy focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. That can mean friendship, romance, familial kinship, as long as the characters are actually connected to each other in a way(whether that be from their histories, or due to the circumstances of the story).
I’m loose about post length expectations, but I’d like to see one round of posts in a week at least. I have no upper end to posting speed expectations; if we post multiple times a day that would be great! But it usually won’t work out that way.
As far as quality standards go: My measure of quality is based on whether what you said made sense or not. As long as we’re writing the same story, and you’re not ignoring lore in every post, I won’t get on you about grammar or spelling(unless you ask me to). Posts should move the story forward, or introduce new information.
NOTE: These character sheets have been copied and pasted almost exactly as they were in their original threads, and so contain story and setting elements that I did not write. I didn’t want to change these things until I knew what I was changing them to, so I left them intact for now. If you recognize a setting or concept that you made in here, rest assured that I won’t be using it.
~~~~~
Billy was written for a game where a loose social group all reunite for a high school reunion, and accidentally get super powers. While I think he has a really cool power, this character isn’t locked into being involved in a super power based roleplay(but it totally can be!). He was originally written to be a mundane character getting sucked into an extraordinary adventure, so things of that nature are on the table. He obviously seems like he’s primed for a band roleplay. I’ve never done one, but it might be interesting. Maybe band gets super powers? Maybe “retro 70’s cartoon revamped for the modern age” style story where a band frequently and inexplicably deals with supernatural threats and mysteries? I did like the reunion story, so I’d be willing to retread that ground a little, though definitely not the same setup. Combining with the previous idea, there could be something in reforming an old band or something like that.
► Age - Twenty-Five ► Gender - Male(Cis) ► Sexuality - Pansexual ► Nickname - Billy ► Occupation - Goddamned Rockstar ► Qualifications - High school diploma. He can play the guitar, piano, and cello. Does that count? ► Residence - Seattle, Washington
▼ PHYSICALITY
► Scars - A dog bite right on his butt, from mooning the neighbor's yorkie. ► Tattoos - Oddly enough, none ► Piercings - None ► Style - His clothes tend on the expensive side, even when they don't look it, and he usually dresses in layers, to allow for multiple pieces in any given "look." During the day, sunglasses are ever present. Most outfits are form-fitting, skinny jeans are common. Likes various colored v-necks, or else button down shirts with crowded, busy patterns(flowers and plants are common, but so are occult symbols or text).
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LIFE AT RITMAN
A middle school band geek, Billy had to defy his parents pretty hard to drop the cello. He compromised by joining the musical theater program. He was already in the choir at church, so he had a good voice, which only improved under the vocal coaching he received at Ritman.
By sophomore year, he was already an ever present star of shows the school put on. Billy found that he liked the spotlight, and wanted to take it with him. He became sort of a class clown, though his jests were typically good natured. He wasn't the highest performer academically, but he was well liked. Billy was friendly, and had the odd quirk of remembering everyone's name, regardless of how often he interacted with them. He was the sort to drag more introverted people into the center of attention, thinking they would want to be there too(even when he was wrong).
PSYCHE
Billy is the sort of person who can charm even as he annoys; he makes it endearing. He considers himself larger than life, and sometimes even manages to fit that description. A gregarious person by nature, he likes, and tends to be liked by, crowds, particularly those of the drunk variety. He is a people-pleaser, and though this often leads to altruism and even true compassion, the root of that desire is in the quest for attention.
He has an addictive personality, and likes to share his vices. He can be a bad influence, but he's usually generous, and if you stick by him, he won't let you down.
Billy's current persona is the logical evolution of who he was in high school, the most surprising part of him is how successful he managed to become.
Kinetic Theft. Billy absorbs the kinetic energy of anything(and everything) that touches him. The energy is stored, and can be released at will from his body.
There isn’t a specific limit on how much energy he can store or release, but there is on how much he can absorb at a time.
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- ▼ STRENGTHS
►He is extremely resistant to anything based on kinetic energy. ► The energy he emits can become quite powerful, depending on how much he has absorbed. ► He is always absorbing energy passively, so he will never run completely out.
▼ WEAKNESSES
►Billy creates an enormous drag on any vehicle that tries to carry him as his power sucks up the force of acceleration. ► He cannot turn the power off, and no longer feels touch or pressure from most sources. ► He can't play guitar normally anymore. His power absorbs the vibration of any string he has his fingers on.
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He is the frontman of a very popular pop-punk band. The band is called Still Life Gospel.
They are known for frequent use of subversive religious imagery. They recently made the rounds in social media because fans jokingly called their most recent album "Godsend" a Christian rock album, and way too many parents believed them and bought it for their kids.
Godsend is their first platinum album, but a lot of people dismiss it, claiming that it's only because of the social media circus. It has still led to an enormous bump in album sales, as well as merch and general public knowledge, so no one is complaining.
Billy's family are catholic, and quite strict. He doesn't talk to them anymore. They still live in Delton, but he has no intention of seeing them while he's in town.
Billy is publicly out as pansexual.
Billy is addicted to coffee and cigarettes. The former he will seek out coffee shops for(he bought a very expensive espresso machine, but sucks at using it), the latter he carries home rolled in a silver case. The case also usually has two or three spliffs.
He has no pets and is chronically single. His condo in Seattle is often empty as he spends time either touring, or traveling for the fun of it.
He drives a blue 1975 Camaro Z28 that has been expensively converted to an electric vehicle.
He was able to shake the cello and band life at school, but took private piano lessons until he was 18 and left home.
His guitar skills are more or less self taught, and he hasn't played cello in over a decade, but he's a classically trained pianist and vocalist. And has a strong musical education thanks largely to Ritman's performing arts programs.
He moved in with this nascent band's bassist(Mark Gethers) immediately after graduation, as his parents refused to let him continue his music career under their roof.
Billy formed his first band, called the White Crosses, while a Junior in high school. Most of his members jumped ship to pursue steady careers after graduation. Mark wanted to try to replace them, and Billy agreed and was actively looking for new members, but he also quietly auditioned to join an up and coming band in Portland.
When Mark found out, he kicked Billy out, and Billy ended up surfing couches for a few months while his new band tried to gain traction.
In no small part because of Billy's persistence and talent, the band became locally successful within the year, at least enough for Billy to get his first apartment. The rest is history.
~~~~~
Cyberpunk can be a grim genre, but I’d like to keep things a little more light-hearted. That doesn’t mean clean and peaceful. I’d love some good old fashioned hyper-violence, but I don’t want to get angsty about it, you know? I’d prefer the tone of Borderlands to Cyberpunk 2077. This character can fit in a lot of places, and other than that tonal preference, I don’t have any real limitations, though the character is meant to be days old at the start of the story.
Name: Epsilon Thirteen.
Gender: None.
Age: 17 months since completion, though they are functionally an adult in most respects.
Occupation: None.
Family: Ostensibly, there ought to be at least Epsilons One through Twelve, but they are not sure.
Vehicle: None.
Equipment: Pseudo-Dragon: A wholly unique system that mimics a cyberdeck that a human netrunner might use. To other machines they will appear as a human user, and they are also capable of utilizing any cyberdeck upgrades as if they were a human.
Cybernetics: Technically all native equipment in their body.
Redundant Safeguards: Every critical system has some form of backup or bypass, and as a result the Epsilon series of synths can sustain what would appear to be catastrophic damage and still be able to function on some level. The problem would come when it is time for repair, as the Epsilon Series was never publicly released and the technical knowledge to repair them is not available to the public. It would take a skilled technician to even patch them up without the opportunity to examine them in their fully repaired state.
Electro-Magnetic Induction Interface(EMII): A system that can read and manipulate trace electromagnetic signals from inside all but the best shielded electronics. With the EMII, E13 can connect to computers and networks without needing a hard line, even if the system has no native wireless capability. This does require physical contact with some element of the device in question.
Superior Robotics: Their body is designed to be faster and stronger than all but the most highly conditioned humans, giving them the capabilities of Olympic level athletes across the board(at least, when fully repaired and fully charged). On average, their robust battery needs to be charged for 24 hours at least once every 29 days, though they can charge for shorter periods more often instead if available. Extreme activity will necessitate earlier charging, and conversely low activity will delay the need.
Advanced Sensorium: The Epsilon has auditory and optical sensors on par with state of the art cybernetics(circa a year and a half ago). They can see in infrared and hear minute sounds. Their auditory capability has no upper limit(whereas a human might cringe at loud noises), but their optical sensors can be dazzled and confused by particularly bright ultraviolet light. A cool pair of shades can alleviate this somewhat.
Basilisk Protocol: A virulent, and supremely destructive worm hidden in the code of all Epsilon series synths. If activated, it will destroy their mind, as well as any other software it comes in contact with, spreading as far as it is allowed. Luckily for E13, at present no one living is even aware that this code exists, let alone how to activate it. If activated in any kind of proximity to an urban center, this worm would cause incalculable and catastrophic damage.
Skills: They speak several languages fluently, but have no slang database, and will not understand most metaphorical language when first presented.
Inhuman Mastery: Each model in the experimental Epsilon Series was purpose built, and E13 was made to protect Corporate interest against the typical street samurai scum. They were programmed with a highly advanced swordplay module. They can read moves from countless styles, and counter such things with their own skills. The odd weakness to this is that the program only has protocols for known styles. While the module does have a robust capacity to extrapolate to account for human error, this does break down after a certain point. Less skilled(or even completely untrained) combatants will tend to make moves that E13 has difficulty accounting for. In short, the more skilled the opponent, the harder E13 is to fight. But the inverse is also true, and a complete novice might defeat them by dumb luck.
Personality: Calm in nature by default, but their learning protocols encourage mimicry of those around them. They do have distinct beliefs that they developed on their own, however. Chief among them is a strong respect for consciousness and freedom of thought. They would always prefer to avoid lethal force, despite being a weapon by design.
Likes/Dislikes: They do not yet know.
Backstory: Doctor Caroline Cadmus was a cybernetic wizard, contracted by Yamagata Zaibatsu to design a new line of synths. Towards the end of her project, when they believed her best work was already their intellectual property, Yamagata Zaibatsu fired Dr. Cadmus, and demanded she turn over all proprietary technology. She did not. Thinking she could outmaneuver the corpos, Cadmus hid all completed products, as well as her latest notes. She encrypted these, and changed time and date stamps so that the remaining research data looked recent. The Epsilon Series Synths were well hidden throughout Nova City and beyond, and instead YZ received what was now labeled as the Zeta series.
Though impressive, the Zeta series is not quite as advanced as Epsilon(despite the designation being deceptively later in the alphabet), but with the doctored research notes, YZ was none the wiser. Cadmus had intended to retrieve the Epsilon series after a little while, but she did not count on how far the corp would go to keep their tech proprietary. She was murdered, and never told so much as a soul what she had hidden around the city.
Whether through accident or design, it is not clear, but Epsilon Thirteen's sleep mode was incomplete; their body was disabled, but their synthetic mind has been conscious these long months since their being hidden away. They have had a great deal of time to think, but much of their knowledge lacks any context, and when finally woken, they will have a good deal to learn.
~~~~~
Princess Fazra is a particular favorite. She was written for a roleplay centered around a school for badly behaved royals, the gag being that she was a perfect heir who was sent there by accident. She’s a fun character, easily misunderstood by casual acquaintances. I’m going to be pretty strict on what orcs are like if I use this character, so be prepared for that. She can fit in a lot of medieval roleplays, and there’s a lot of fun tropes that she can fit into pretty easily.
Name: Princess Fazragragarim of Horschnell Age: 23 Sexuality: Pansexual Place in line for the throne: First in line.
Kingdom: Orsima
Basic Kingdom History and climate: Orsima's land in general is sparsely wooded plains, mixed with some marshland and rocky, barren mountains. The Orsim people are orcs. Orcs as a people came down from the mountains on the edge of the known world nearly a millennium ago, and have long been considered a barbaric people. They are nomadic hunters, traditionally speaking, and have never had the same cultural trappings that many of the local peoples had. The Kingdom itself wasn't formally founded until just a generation past.
Fazragragarim's grandfather was warchief of their clan, and through enormous political effort, he managed to make peace with a neighboring nation. In the peace, they regained a great deal of land that they had traditionally hunted and traveled, and were even gifted a proper castle: Horschnell. Built by civilized folk, and strong enough to withstand a siege, it was the first castle occupied by orcs(for longer than it took to capture and pillage it…).
In exchange, however, Gragar(then just the warchief's cub) was forced into an arranged marriage with a princess(something like fifth in line for the throne of the neighboring kingdom).
Despite their less than stellar reputation amongst humans and the like, the Orsim are traditionally a highly disciplined and organized people. They have a strong sense of honor, and though combative by nature, they typically are not bloodthirsty. They have a strong medical tradition, with the best healers in the world(if anyone would bother to ask), and despite rumors to the contrary, they care for their sick, elderly and disabled people(oftentimes better than some more traditionally "civilized" nations).
They take very good care of their hair, which is typically a point of pride, and keep both clothing and equipment in immaculate repair. After all, a stray lock can distract at the moment one would strike. A loose belt may catch the arm when one moves to swing their sword.
Their warrior tradition has a heavy focus on mounted combat, particularly archery. They fight with a short, curved bow, or else a spear or large curved sword. Orcs have a metallurgical secret in their "orcish steel," which is dark in color, with a wavy pattern. It is strong and light, but not very flexible, making it difficult to use in swords(but good for armor or spear/arrowheads).
An orc of Orsima is given a first name at birth. During adolescence(typically before thirteen years of age) they will be taken as an apprentice, at which point their mentor's name will be appended to their own, as from that point on, until they make a name for themselves, they represent their mentor. So Fazra, as the princess, is apprenticed to her father, the king, and is called Fazragragarim. King Gragar, in turn, was once called Gragargreshrim. Isabelle could never pronounce this, and was roundly embarrassed for the first few years of their arranged marriage until Gragar was allowed to carry his own name alone.
Orcish steel Rather fine silk. Furs, particularly of big and exotic game. Between these three luxuries, Orsima has become quite wealthy in its short history as a "proper kingdom."
Royal Lineage: King Gragar of Horschnell(father) Queen Isabelle of Horschnell(step mother) Lady Lilt Frameshaker(mother, the royal concubine of King Gragar) Lord Markus(no direct relation, royal consort to Queen Isabelle) Prince Frederik(adoptive/step brother. Son of the Queen and her consort)
By royal decree(and in agreement with their allied neighbor), in the event that a mixed-species marriage cannot conceive a child naturally, the children of consorts and concubines are given the same royal status as if they were true-born children. So though they share no blood, Fazragragarim is treated as Isabelle's true daughter(at least legally speaking), and Frederik is treated as Gragar's true son.
Reason for Being Banished Sent to the Academy: It was an accident. Her parents wanted her to socialize with other "civilized" royalty. King Gragar misunderstood what the school was even for, but it may be that Isabelle was fully aware...
Likes: +Riding +Competition(even if she loses) +Fellowship with equals
Dislikes: -Unfairness/cheating -Being cooped up indoors -Swordplay(she's bad at it)
Pets: None Family Heirloom: Her grandfather's bow, Hartseeker(when spoken aloud, people assume it is Heartseeker, but actually her grandfather was just a prolific hunter)
Notes: Fazragragarim is 6'11". She has a severe and disciplined demeanor, but is secretly a naive cinnamon-roll.
After dropping their "apprentice" name, Orsim will usually have a title or epithet appended in its place. This "deed name" will relate to how they earned it. Fazragragarim's grandfather was Gresh the First(he was the first Orcish king to be recognized by the wider international community), her father is Gragar Friendmaker(his marriage to an Ashglade princess cemented a very important alliance).
Receiving a deed name is paradoxically informal, and yet of incredible import. Anyone can declare your deed name, but it’s a matter of great honor, and one must decide if it is truly worthy before accepting it.
Hartseeker, Gresh's bow which Fazra inherited, is a composite recurve bow, made from dragon horn and yew. It has a titanic draw weight of 220 pounds. Fazra uses a thumb draw, and wears a thumb ring to protect the digit. She used to have one made of antler, but the first time she fired Hartseeker, it cracked and the string bit into the pad of her thumb. She still has a scar. She replaced it with one of orcish steel. When not in use, she wears it backwards, to keep it out of the way.
Fazra sleeps naked, but recognizes that most people prefer modesty, and she does have a robe for if she needs to get out of bed in the middle of the night. The robe is silk, sky blue on the top half, with a mountain motif in black, grays, and browns on the bottom half.
The robe is long sleeved, goes past her knees and buttons up to the throat.
Jean-Marie Allard Female | 26 | Doumerc Templar of ELEMENT HERE
_______________________________________________ ”Did you see the look on her face when the Bishop tripped? I thought she was gonna… she’s right behind me, isn’t she?” ________________________________________
”You may do as you like, brother. As for me, there is duty.”
Appearance
Standing at five feet eleven inches, Jean-Marie is tall, but quite slim. She's plain, and doesn't do anything to accentuate her appearance. She wears no makeup, and does nothing to her hair other than keep it clean and untangled. LIkewise, her clothes are lacking in frills, but typically kept immaculately neat(a trick for which she has some magic to thank). Her mode of dress is reminiscent of formal military garb, but not quite in the exact style of any kingdom’s uniform, which would of course be inappropriate in a Templar.
Her left arm has a few very fine lines, almost indistinguishable, that belie its artificial nature. Seams that can be opened when maintenance is needed. The point on her upper arm where it meets her real flesh is much more obvious for its scarring, but almost always covered by her clothing.
Personality
Some might say "disciplined," some might say "rigid." Jean-Marie lived the life of a soldier, and it shows. She is uncompromising in her pursuit of following orders and regulations, but hasn't had the freedom to develop many of her own interests or passions. On the positive side, she is cool under pressure, and generally unflappable. Insults bounce right off her. At least, those directed at her specifically.
Her pronounced military bearing is at odds with a kind of quiet piety. Military service finally did what no tutor or philosopher could manage, and taught her the value of peace through diplomacy. Unity through fraternity.
Biography
Jean-Marie is the youngest daughter of Duke Alphonse Allard. He is a dyed-in-the-wool Doumerc nobleman; a patron of sciences and scholarship, and even a little bit of the arts(as frivolous as that may seem!). Jean-Marie was not at all like him. Where he was a stoic and reasonable father, she was a wild girl from the time she could walk. Duke Allard is a very patient man, but found himself at a loss as to what to do with her. She gained a reputation for scaring off tutors, and always wanted to be out of doors instead of cooped up with books or pens.
When Jean-Marie was fourteen, her father despaired so much what to do with her, that he even threatened military school. He hadn’t meant it, really. It was so uncouth, for the poor and the simple, not a Duke’s child. He should have predicted that she would take to the idea just fine, and indeed became so excited over the prospect that she had to talk him into making good on his own threat.
After four years at the Academy, she graduated, almost completely unrecognizable. Duke Allard couldn’t decide whether to be proud or not. Certainly she had finally applied herself to something, and that was ostensibly an improvement. He had never imagined, however, having a child take an officer’s commission and join the cavalry.
Jean-Marie Allard served with what distinction one can in Doumerc, a nation that does not place a great deal of value on martial prowess or accomplishments. This never much bothered her. Indeed, if accolades had ever meant anything to her, she would have gone into scholarship as most of her siblings did. Most of her service consisted of expeditionary missions; scouting and patrol. What “real” action she saw was mostly border skirmishes with Kaudus forces, although on one memorable occasion her battalion was chased off by Rodion infantry, charging them on foot like lunatics. Protocol when encountering Rodion forces is to avoid firing, as they are ostensibly friendly, and Doumerc is loath to harm diplomatic relationships.
As repetitive as these duties can be, Jean-Marie was very happy during this part of her life. She took on even the most trivial duty with a will, and would have happily served for years to come. Incepta had other plans. She was the first over a hill on a fairly routine patrol, but Kaudus cannons had been set in ambush, and fired upon her battalion as they came over. Jean-Marie lost first her arm, then her horse. Her lieutenant called the retreat, but it was the battalion’s chaplain that stopped long enough to pull Jean-Marie out of the mud, and away from harm.
Though the technology certainly exists to restore a lost limb, her superiors would not pay for one of a quality that would allow her to continue service, and her father simply couldn’t afford it. So she returned home, bitter and despondent, but not at all for as long as she expected. The very same chaplain who had pulled her from mud had floated her name upwards in the church; an excellent soldier, free now of obligation, and needing only a minor token of help to be returned to service. She jumped at the offer, and has served as a Knight of the Church for three years, before being picked for a Templar position.
Weapon of Choice
She carries both a sabre and a revolver, but has a strong preference for the former.
Misc.
Has a lovely voice, but only knows hymns and marching tunes.
Her prosthetic arm is of Doumerc make, and very fine. She maintains it meticulously, and can use it just as well as her original. It has only one special feature; a hidden compartment in her forearm, large enough for a scroll of paper, or perhaps a slim dagger.
Jean-Marie Allard Female | 26 | Doumerc Templar of ELEMENT HERE
_______________________________________________ ”Did you see the look on her face when the Bishop tripped? I thought she was gonna… she’s right behind me, isn’t she?” ________________________________________
”You may do as you like, brother. As for me, there is duty.”
Appearance
Standing at five feet eleven inches, Jean-Marie is tall, but quite slim. She's plain, and doesn't do anything to accentuate her appearance. She wears no makeup, and does nothing to her hair other than keep it clean and untangled. LIkewise, her clothes are lacking in frills, but typically kept immaculately neat(a trick for which she has some magic to thank). Her mode of dress is reminiscent of formal military garb, but not quite in the exact style of any kingdom’s uniform, which would of course be inappropriate in a Templar.
Her left arm has a few very fine lines, almost indistinguishable, that belie its artificial nature. Seams that can be opened when maintenance is needed. The point on her upper arm where it meets her real flesh is much more obvious for its scarring, but almost always covered by her clothing.
Personality
Some might say "disciplined," some might say "rigid." Jean-Marie lived the life of a soldier, and it shows. She is uncompromising in her pursuit of following orders and regulations, but hasn't had the freedom to develop many of her own interests or passions. On the positive side, she is cool under pressure, and generally unflappable. Insults bounce right off her. At least, those directed at her specifically.
Her pronounced military bearing is at odds with a kind of quiet piety. Military service finally did what no tutor or philosopher could manage, and taught her the value of peace through diplomacy. Unity through fraternity.
Biography
Jean-Marie is the youngest daughter of Duke Alphonse Allard. He is a dyed-in-the-wool Doumerc nobleman; a patron of sciences and scholarship, and even a little bit of the arts(as frivolous as that may seem!). Jean-Marie was not at all like him. Where he was a stoic and reasonable father, she was a wild girl from the time she could walk. Duke Allard is a very patient man, but found himself at a loss as to what to do with her. She gained a reputation for scaring off tutors, and always wanted to be out of doors instead of cooped up with books or pens.
When Jean-Marie was fourteen, her father despaired so much what to do with her, that he even threatened military school. He hadn’t meant it, really. It was so uncouth, for the poor and the simple, not a Duke’s child. He should have predicted that she would take to the idea just fine, and indeed became so excited over the prospect that she had to talk him into making good on his own threat.
After four years at the Academy, she graduated, almost completely unrecognizable. Duke Allard couldn’t decide whether to be proud or not. Certainly she had finally applied herself to something, and that was ostensibly an improvement. He had never imagined, however, having a child take an officer’s commission and join the cavalry.
Jean-Marie Allard served with what distinction one can in Doumerc, a nation that does not place a great deal of value on martial prowess or accomplishments. This never much bothered her. Indeed, if accolades had ever meant anything to her, she would have gone into scholarship as most of her siblings did. Most of her service consisted of expeditionary missions; scouting and patrol. What “real” action she saw was mostly border skirmishes with Kaudus forces, although on one memorable occasion her battalion was chased off by Rodion infantry, charging them on foot like lunatics. Protocol when encountering Rodion forces is to avoid firing, as they are ostensibly friendly, and Doumerc is loath to harm diplomatic relationships.
As repetitive as these duties can be, Jean-Marie was very happy during this part of her life. She took on even the most trivial duty with a will, and would have happily served for years to come. Incepta had other plans. She was the first over a hill on a fairly routine patrol, but Kaudus cannons had been set in ambush, and fired upon her battalion as they came over. Jean-Marie lost first her arm, then her horse. Her lieutenant called the retreat, but it was the battalion’s chaplain that stopped long enough to pull Jean-Marie out of the mud, and away from harm.
Though the technology certainly exists to restore a lost limb, her superiors would not pay for one of a quality that would allow her to continue service, and her father simply couldn’t afford it. So she returned home, bitter and despondent, but not at all for as long as she expected. The very same chaplain who had pulled her from mud had floated her name upwards in the church; an excellent soldier, free now of obligation, and needing only a minor token of help to be returned to service. She jumped at the offer, and has served as a Knight of the Church for three years, before being picked for a Templar position.
Weapon of Choice
She carries both a sabre and a revolver, but has a strong preference for the former.
Misc.
Has a lovely voice, but only knows hymns and marching tunes.
Her prosthetic arm is of Doumerc make, and very fine. She maintains it meticulously, and can use it just as well as her original. It has only one special feature; a hidden compartment in her forearm, large enough for a scroll of paper, or perhaps a slim dagger.
My current thought on the subject is: You have been told that this is a finishing school of sorts, shared by a handful of loosely allied kingdoms. It is held in a temple to a defunct god, in an ancient city that is widely credited as the "Birthplace of Royalty." You are tutored here by priestesses of aforementioned defunct god, but discipline and supervision are surprisingly lacking from them.
Students will quickly discover that escaping the school itself is relatively easy, but leaving the exotic(and rather quaint) city proves basically impossible. Nothing is compelling the students to attend to their lessons, and there has not been any mention of how long the curriculum will last.
In short, it seems you've just been sent here to get you out of the way.
Here's the thing, because my muse is fickle and I have another drastic about face in mind. I'm considering (almost) completely abandoning the structure of this, and instead running a game that focuses on a group of troublemaking royal siblings. I say almost completely, because it will still revolve around the royals receiving a new tutor that's there to try to get them back in line.
I like the tone of the original post, is that the sort of vibe you're sticking with? In terms of humour etc.? Potentially interested!
I definitely like a more lighthearted vibe, so you can expect that to stick around.
Regarding differences from the original:
I'm in pretty early planning stages, I also don't remember how much of the plot was common knowledge. So I might spoil some of the original idea on accident here, but I'm kind of gutting the plot(sorry @Maiden of Mist if you turn up to see this) to make it more my style.
A few changes I'm specifically considering:
Originally the students were going to arrive to discover that they are alone, cannot escape, and the school is much more sinister than expected. I don't think they will be completely alone in my version. There will be some kind of authority, but it might just be a handful of priestesses or something of the like. There probably won't be formal classes in the way you would expect from a typical academy roleplay, regardless.
I'm also toying with the idea of putting the academy in a more populated location, instead of in an inaccessible middle-of-nowhere. But I also have some #reasons why I might not, it depends on where I land on a few internal plot details.
If there is a town or whatever, your character would be forbidden from it and would have to sneak out, for which there may very well be consequences.
If you have preferences about setting, plot, or themes, or even suggestions, this is a good time to bring them up, when I haven't solidified anything yet.
By that same token, though: I'm not 100% in on this yet, I want to have my plot nice and straight in my mind and I just don't yet. Not trying to put a damper on things, I just don't want to get people excited just to disappoint them.
Izurich,
Fading Memory,
Crimson Flame,
Ersa93,
Lewascan2,
False Prophet,
Meleck the Grey,
Yankee,
FourtyTwo,
Abstract Proxy
LIFE AT RITMAN
