[hider=Kerl]
Name: Kerl

Age: 35

Race: Human

Appearance: Kerl is short (5'4), and so he wears borderline ludicrously thick-soled boots to add an extra inch and a half to his height. He has tanned skin from a life spent outdoors, and his face is dappled with fading freckles. He has curly, sandy-brown hair that falls in a mess around his ears, and he generally wears a loose, light brown coat that doesn't quite look like it was made to fit him. His unkempt appearance, however, is put off by the warmth of his face; he has a wide, genuine smile, and he often looks like he's on the verge of laughing, but in a way that makes you feel like you're in on the joke. His eyes are hazel, but seem to shift between brown and green in different lights. He has a muscular build and thick, calloused hands. 

Common skills: Kerl is a rather exceptional cook, and knows how to work with humble ingredients and make them into something that the pickiest of eaters could stomach. He also knows how to sew, although it is difficult for him because his hands are far from delicate. He knows some basic things about construction, and can build small, safe shelters on his own, but that's about where his knowledge ends. He also has a strong affinity for theatre and loves to quote his favorite playwrights; and he has some knowledge of reading and writing, but not much.  

Fighting skills: Kerl knows how to fight with a broadsword and a spear, but he is best when fighting with his bare fists.

Magical skills: Because Kerl is firmly religious, he made an attempt to learn Divine magic; but he [s]failed[/s] lost interest and didn't learn much beyond basic healing spells. So he can heal minor wounds and numb some of the pain from more severe injuries, but anything worse than that makes him extremely nervous and he generally avoids the wounded person. 

Languages: Kerl mainly speaks Imperial, and any knowledge he has of other languages comes from exposure; so he knows basic phrases like "Hello," and "It costs (x amount)" in several languages, but that's about it for Kerl. 

Personality: Kerl doesn't always know when to turn his personality off. He makes jokes often and will laugh at just about anything, and his avoidance of all things sad or emotional makes him a not-so-great listener when you have a problem, but he'll do his best to make you laugh and forget about what's bothering you for at least a second. Kerl expresses himself with his body, and makes wide, sweeping hand gestures whenever he speaks. He's a hard worker, able to dedicate himself completely to a single task, but only when it holds his interest. His faith is important to him, and he becomes visibly uncomfortable around people who don't believe in anything. In spite of his faith, he doesn't seem to be the most morally upright person, but this seems to stem more from his lack of impulse control than a bad personality.  

Bio: Kerl is married, with two daughters and a son who was on the way when he left to join the military. His life is a bit of a mess. He was born into a middle class family, but lost any standing he had when he ran away with a peasant woman (his current wife) and tried to make it as an actor. Long story short, he failed. He decided to settle down with his wife and start a family, earning wages through a combination of honest and not-so-honest labor. Buried in debt and cut off from any inheritance money he would have received from his parents, Kerl decided his only option left was to join the military and explore the new world, in hopes of finding a place where his family could start over. He doesn't talk about any of this, though; and his copious flirting with the women on the ship has led people to believe he was never married at all. 

Equipment: Kerl carries a bag of equipment that's almost as tall as him on his back. It contains spices (for cooking), non-perishable food items, a quilted blanket, an extra change of clothes (for when people start to complain about his smell), an expensive-looking comb that he almost never uses, bandages and gauze, a folded up letter from his family, and some simple, lightweight tools. He carries a knife at his side, and a flask of "water" in his coat, and a broadsword that he seems to hate carrying around with him. 

Why did you join?: It's mentioned in his bio, but basically he joined so that he could get a fresh start for his family [s]and escape his debts[/s].[/hider]
  

[hider=Vanimon]
Name: Vanimon

Age: 23

Race: Elf

Appearance: With a name that literally means "beautiful", it's understandable why Vanimon is so concerned with his appearance. He has naturally good looks, but he is also severe; he is tall, fit, with flaxen blond hair that he keeps neatly groomed back, and the symmetrical features that are typical of the elven race, but his blue eyes are like little beads of ice, his sharp cheekbones and pointed nose give him a haughty expression, and his expression is best described as impassive. He likes to wear light blue clothing, but for practicality he has settled for a standard army uniform, wearing only a light blue amulet around his neck to keep his personality in tact. He also wears tall boots that tend to click when he walks. 

Common skills: Vanimon has had the luxury of an in-depth education, and is therefore well-versed on mathematics, sciences and literature. He is a gifted hunter and has an odd knack for crafting jewelry.

Fighting skills: Vanimon likes to fight at a distance, so bow-and-arrow is his weapon of choice. He prefers to use a crossbow, but he will sometimes use a longbow for the sake of "looking impressive." He has been trained in martial arts and will use it if forced to fight in close quarters, but he prefers not to. 

Magical skills: Vanimon took a strong liking to Elemental magic, specifically fire, and takes great satisfaction in using magic to light his arrows on fire while practicing archery. His powers are still weak, and he can do little more than light flames in the palm of his hand or increase the temperature of the room he's in, but he practices often and has been incrementally growing stronger. He wears three rings on his right hand, embedded with gemstones, that he uses to store his elemental magic. He also stores some in the amulet on his neck, but avoids using it too much for fear that the fire magic will "make it lose it's perfect blue color." 

Languages: Elvish is his native language, but he is fluent in Imperial and near fluent in Dwarfish. He speaks a good deal of most other languages that exist in the Empire, but his knowledge of them is simpler and he often confuses words between them. While he was receiving his education, he focused heavily on learning ancient languages that no one speaks anymore, and while this is virtually useless to him, it gives him a better understanding of the modern ones. 

Personality: Vanimon is actually rather shy and lives more in his head than in reality. His quiet demeanor comes across as standoffish and disdainful, but the truth is that he just doesn't really know how to talk to people. He keeps everything businesslike and practical, and beyond that he doesn't know how to have meaningful conversations. This can lead to people being uncomfortable around him (there have been more than one occasions where a group he was in became collectively worried he was plotting to kill them), but Vanimon prefers to prove his loyalty through actions rather than words. He has a very deep voice that somehow manages to cut through whatever other noise is in the room, being perfectly audible despite his seemingly putting no more effort into it than a mumble. He uses this power sparingly. 

Bio: Vanimon was born into a wealthy family and had just about anything he could have wanted or needed growing up. He got tired of it very quickly. At the age of eighteen, having learned all that he cared to learn from his high-end education, he decided to leave home and travel the Empire for a few years. He lived off of his parents' money for most of it, but they slowly started to refuse spending any more on it, saying he was wasting his education and his potential. Vanimon saw it differently; he felt his first eighteen years had been a waste of time, and it was only when he experienced the world for himself that he truly learned anything. So he started working odd jobs to earn meals and places to stay, and near the end of his fourth year of traveling he ran into Kerl--or rather, Kerl ran into him, quite literally, while trying to run away from some shady debt collectors. Vanimon decided to help Kerl out by paying the collectors with what was left of the money his parents had given him, and after that they parted ways. A year later, Vanimon decided to join the military, and was surprised to find Kerl on the same ship. Kerl latched onto him, as he often does with quiet people, and they've been forming a friendship ever since. 

Equipment: Archery equipment, clothing, food, a knife, and a small pouch of shiny things that he collects like a weird dragon. 

Why did you join?: Despite five years of traveling, Vanimon has never felt a strong sense of belonging to any place or group of people, so he figured, maybe if I go to this brand new place I'll finally find my home. He doesn't really understand how difficult this job will be, because nothing in his life has ever really challenged him; he expects things to just magically work out for him. We'll see how that works out for him in the new world. [/hider]