The following will be the contents of the first characters I had made for the old thread as well as slight updates to their sheets. [Hider=First Guard Characters] [Hider=Franz Blau] [h1] [center] [color=#003153]Franz Blau[/color] [/center] [/h1] [center][img]https://puu.sh/BIEv8/354826d4b8.jpg[/img][/center] [h3] [color=#115DA8] Gender [/color] [/h3] Male [h3] [color=#115DA8]Age[/color] [/h3] 17 [November 7th, 1897] [h3] [color=#115DA8]Sexuality[/color] [/h3] Heterosexual [h3] [color=#115DA8]Race[/color] [/h3] Imperial(Mother)/Gallian(Father). Darscen Descent. City of Hafen. [h3] [color=#115DA8]Appearance[/color] [/h3] A very light shaded man with an athletic build and various scars around his body. Most are found on his back, although a few long scars can be found running across his arms and legs. Sharp facial features, clean upkeep, and somewhat closed uninterested eyes while neutral. Naturally has a bit of a frown to his mouth. Dark blue hair and light blue eyes. Butch cut on formal ocassions [Although he will wear it consistently once he has made peace with himself.]. As a token of friendship, he always wears a sapphire ring on his left index. [h3] [color=#115DA8]Height[/color] [/h3] 5' 8" [h3] [color=#115DA8]Personality[/color] [/h3] A somewhat friendly, although standoffish person. While he may keep quiet he is observant of others and often works to support others. His upbringing and daily life have weighed down on him, keeping an otherwise loud and energetic personality buried underneath hard coded discipline and silence. On the field is where he feels most lively, using the roar of the battle to expose the man within the shell with an aggressive lighting. Often times this is where boiling anger is released even if he asks mostly as a dog on a leash. He acts within the boundaries of his orders, but without specification he may very well do things with technicalities as justification. Even still he is selfless, providing himself as a shield for others when needed and putting the lives of others before his own in most situations. Off duty he is a depressed and quiet loner. Although he tries not to show it, he has a weak will to live for himself. Books, art, and music give him joy even if he is critical of the hobbies he pursues which results in him destroying the things he creates. Self loathing is evident as he rarely ever talks well of himself and compliments, if ever received, are unnerving. However, he is mostly content with living life in this way. Even if he believes he is free from oppression, his true nature is still locked behind caution and conditioning. [h3] [color=#115DA8]Rank[/color] [/h3] Private [h3] [color=#115DA8]Role[/color] [/h3] Rifleman [He is willing to fill any role, but close quarters combat is his specialty. Until he has made peace with himself, he will attempt to simply follow rather than do what he is capable of: leading.] [h3] [color=#115DA8]Equipment[/color] [/h3] [Standard Equipment based on class.] [color=#115DA8]Potentials[/color] [Hot Blooded] He has found that many emotions that he was forced to hide away in his youth has now bottled up into a tightly constrained funnel of seething anger. Playing with his emotions too harshly will result in an explosive man who is reckless and focused in bringing pain to others. Even the sight of a Gallian may trigger past memories, ruining his mood of the day. --> [Equilibrium] (Locked) [Gallian Hater] Hating his father and Gallians who showed merciless remarks against him, he has nothing but hatred for many Gallians. While he is aware that he has made some Gallian friends, within his emotional state he believes Gallia to be a worthless stain on the world map even if he was not treated perfectly in the Federation. Given the chance, he just might take himself up on the offer to eliminate a couple throne rats. [Darcsen Bond] His best friends were Darcsen. While he did have other friends, none did he feel closer with at the time than the boys and girls with dark hair. He will always prioritize protecting those who made life worth living before anyone else. [Aimless Idealist] Without purpose and with thoughts swirling he finds himself distracted from time to time in battle and without a strong will to live he doesn't try very hard to fix such a flaw. However, his idealistic thoughts keep him in check and preforms much of what other soldiers may have issue or hesitation with without as much of a struggle. An army is nothing without unity. As such, he will act if the interest of the nation no matter how much it might hurt in most situations. [h2] [color=#115DA8]Biography[/color] [/h2] [h3] [color=#115DA8]Early Life[/color] [/h3] As a child he was taught that Imperials were the enemy. He was taught that no other race of people were so lowly and foul by a man who was bitter of memories which he never spoke of. For whatever reason, the man he called father had an undying hatred and bias against the autocracy. He boasted of Gallian superiority and often times spoke ill of his mother. With only his father in his life and a restricted schedule with defined boundaries of where he could be and when, the boy only knew that being quiet and whining little would yield a man that his father could be proud of. Or so he told himself. In what free time he had in the park with Amber he was a loud and happy child, enjoying his time with her immensely before one day he stopped seeing her. He would stop receiving the hot meals she brought, the warm smile she gave, the joyous games they played, or even the friendly loving attitude she presented. [h3] [color=#115DA8]Adolescence[/color] [/h3] Life continued. Routine after routine was drilled into him and with his continued education he came to learn more about the world around him. Year after year he listened to his father drone on about Imperial inferiority. Year after year he dealt with being told that he was never going to be the son he wanted. When he rebelled he was met with hand and leather and any free thought was eliminated for a period of submissiveness. Even if it made him an efficient student, being a child forced to grow up early and dealing with the crushing hand of his abusive father had damaged him with cynicism and hatred swelling inside. He was orderly, developing himself as an individual who could often be identified as a loner but with the aspirations for something other than the life he lived in. Reading book after book about the Imperials and Gallians he found much to love and hate of both, but due to his father's aggressive methods and abusive behavior, the teenager found that Gallian failures were emphasized in his mind and heart and Imperial achievements were graced upon his shoulders. Even mistakes and failures that the Empire had made were dismissed with a forgiving and understanding attitude. This mentality would only grow with each year further he stayed with his father. Fear began to turn to hatred and in a time where he had reached his lowest thus far, he saw Amber again. Still a delivery girl and still as friendly as ever. However, it would not last. For a year they enjoyed time together and he often went home late just to spend hours with the friend he had made. Once more she brought him meals, smiles, love, and friendship. Under the night sky they would talk for hours and for a time it had seemed as though life was finally turning around. After the year was up, she had explained with a heavy heart that she would be moving away. Life in Gallia was over. With a teary goodbye they shared one last moment before Amber left to the Atlantic Federation. Franz was devastated and the punishment delivered by his father had become numb to the touch. Life had become more dull than before and his ever growing depression ate at him. Gnawing at the young man he found releases in his life. His art of which was the most commonly practiced. While drawing a uniform based on a military book he borrowed he realized something that would pivot the direction of his life. IF he could escape to the Federation and join the army he could provide himself a living while giving himself time to find Amber. At the age of 15 he arrived on the Federation's shore after months of planning. [h3] [color=#115DA8][1912 - 1913] The Atlantic Federation[/color] [/h3] Life in the Federation was different. Yet despite how different it was he found himself falling into old habits and keeping a schedule for each day. He often wore long sleeve clothes all year round to hide the scars and trauma and enrolled as soon as the Federation allowed. Time in boot camp was enjoyed, finding what was often painful for his comrades to be far less intimidating for himself. Even if not the best soldier, he was grades above the average green soldier through his own work. In mock battles he was always strongest when provided corridors and tight spaces. Out in the open he faced the issue of being outmaneuvered and vulnerable due to not thinking ahead or paying attention at all times. However, he often held down ground for allies, covering flanks, and being a general team player that was strong when fighting in urban areas under the command of others. His goal is to simply follow orders and fight. He currently cares not for if he ranks up or not. [h3] [color=#115DA8][1914] The Atlantic Federation[/color] [/h3] After two years of searching not one person had told him the whereabouts of Amber. Not a single soul knew of who she was or what she had done. After two years of checking, calling, and writing none had given him the answer he had hoped for. After two years his depression finally ate away at what drive he had in finding her. Now, with war on the brink and an aimless future, the young man moves to live life as a soldier. To victory or death. [h2] [color=#115DA8][Bonus][/color] [/h2] [h3] [color=#115DA8]Infancy[/color] [/h3] Even if he only knew her briefly, he remembered her warmth. He remembered the sounds of men yelling with his mother breathing heavily. He remembered the sounds of struggle. He remembered the gunfire that occurred and the sound of his mother crying. He remembered the sound of his father saying those slurs that he would eventually come to understand. Even if very little, it is what he remembered about his infancy. [h3] [color=#115DA8]Federal Neutrality[/color] [/h3] Adopting a "just war" policy, Franz finds himself neutral of patriotic feelings towards the Federation and does his best to block out feelings for the empire. After all, it is just war. [h2] [color=#115DA8]Affiliations[/color] [/h2] [color=#D2B55B]Henry Hammer (Father)[/color] ----- [color=#115DA8]Erwin Blau (Father-In-Law)[/color] [color=#115DA8]Emma Blau (Mother)[/color] [color=#115DA8]Erika Blau (Half Sister) [Born January 23rd, 1896][/color] [color=#115DA8]Heinrich Blau (Half Brother) [Born December 12th, 1894][/color] ----- [color=#FF69B4]Amber Longblade (Friend)[/color][Born 1896] - A friendly delivery girl and childhood friend. [h2] [color=#115DA8]Relationships[/color] [/h2] [Civilian] [color=#FF69B4]Amber Longblade - Childhood Friend[/color] [/hider] [Hider=Franz "The Reaper" Blau - Changes ] [h2] [color=#115DA8] Changing of The Guard Part I - Personality Shift[/color] [/h2] Time in the war has changed Franz. From hopelessness and despair with anger as the only fuel to drive him to the faint feeling of a warmth that was once beyond him. In new love he has found new resolve, though skeptical of it he may be. It has yet to give health and healing from the traumas he has endured from his early days to the death of many. The cold truth remains that in some circles he is seen as a stoic reaper, coming to collect all who are to perish in the darkness of night. There is yet a sense of duty and an urgency to help his fellow soldier with the intention of simply getting them to the end of the war. While still unwilling to express his many monarchistic thoughts or his love for the empire's past glory openly, he acknowledges the lives of others while beginning to value his own. Still, there is nothing quite as numbing as burying the dead. It's a job that not many wish to take, but Franz is always first to volunteer if only to give himself time to think. Though he has gotten faster at his hobby of giving final life to the dead by giving a sketch of healthier times to paper and shipping out documents to the families that had lost their precious children, spouses, or otherwise. Hours upon hours doing what he can. But it seems like the blood never washes off. Though not hopeless like before, Franz has become used to the death around him, but he does not gloat about living in the dark. He looks forward to the end of the war, new lines drawn and the likelihood of a period of peace so that he can think before war crawls to them once more. End it quickly so that families have more time to grieve the lives they can never have. And yet- the thought drives him to question who he is. Could he live in a world without war? Could he be content without endless conflict? It becomes normal to fight for your life. It becomes normal to feel that at any given time your life can end. It had almost happened before. A woman had given her life trying to save them both. The nightmares never cease. The gasman has never once left him. But if he could make it to the end with most of his crew and a hand to hold... maybe... maybe that would be enough. [/hider] [Hider=Senja Penttilä] [h1] [center] [color=#50c878]Senja Penttilä[/color] [/center] [/h1] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ace2zeu.png[/img][/center] [h3] [color=#50c878] Gender [/color] [/h3] Female [h3] [color=#50c878]Age[/color] [/h3] 17 [December 12th, 1896] [h3] [color=#50c878]Sexuality[/color] [/h3] Heterosexual [h3] [color=#50c878]Race[/color] [/h3] Eastern Nord [h3] [color=#50c878]Appearance[/color] [/h3] A pale skinned woman standing at a brief 5’ 4”. No stranger to dressing conservatively, Senja often boasts a collared shirt with pants or a dress when the time is appropriate. Blessed with natural beauty, make up is unnecessary and her eternal youth makes her the envy of many. Typically speaking, she wears a simple steel crucifix over anything she wears as tribute to her faith. [h3] [color=#50c878]Height[/color] [/h3] 5' 4" [h3] [color=#50c878]Personality[/color] [/h3] A loving and caring hunter. Sympathy filled and emotionally driven, the Nord of the east often seeks to help others through the harshness of their struggle. Faith and empathy serve to drive the woman to new heights, inspiring her heart with devotion to the just cause of salvation from the ugly hands of death. [h3] [color=#50c878]Rank[/color] [/h3] Private [h3] [color=#50c878]Role[/color] [/h3] Rifleman [h3] [color=#50c878]Equipment[/color] [/h3] -Standard Issue -Nordic Axe -Crusader's Helmet [Used for Morale] [color=#50c878]Potentials[/color] [Lay of Hands] Known to give others more time, when Senja lays hands upon any, it is as though strands of life tug them further from the pull of death. It matters not who you are, but the size of your heart. Swallow pride and call for the maiden and surely she shall come. [Cruxian Crusader] Dire times demand the rallying of faith. When all is dark and the light grows dim, it is the duty of all light bearers to rise upon the mound and leave the light's glory in their wake. Through the strength of faith, Senja bolsters the faith of all who believe and doubles her own bravery and resilience when there appears to be no other light. Glory and morale spike while wielding a blade and helm in the name of faith. [Winter’s Delight] A lover of the snow, she moves, sees, tracks, and fights far better in the cold and especially the snow. The sight of snow alone warms her heart. [Huntsman of The North] Having needed to hunt to survive for both herself and her family she has grown adept at picking off prey with rifle, blade, and trap alike especially as the initiator. When a marked target is most vulnerable, her attacks are most critical. [h2] [color=#50c878]Biography[/color] [/h2] One could have said that Senja was born with a heart of gold and the exaggerations may have been proven true with a simple dissection. From her youngest years to her time in the war she has shown kindness and love in accordance with her faith that she adopted so very early. The sands of time have proven her character true and pure. From rescuing her father from a failed hunt to dragging men from the pits of death she has put forth every effort to instill the love of God and the fellowship of man into every person she has come across. Time has proven her productive, not a single year wasted in idleness. She has sought training and education where possible while remaining humble in craft. School a simple distraction as she graced her mind with her heart's desire to save lives. Graduating early, she devoted much of her time to understanding more of faith, medical science, and fighting between volunteering to help others with a warming smile. She attended church early and found herself captured with the benevolence of a loving god without doubt in her mind. Through her love she adopted training in its word and in the martial practice of its crusaders. Though ancient as the practice of swordplay may be- it proved to be fundamental to growing her faith and character. Through rigorous training she became a warrior priestess, knowing how to wield the might of blade and book for use in the defense of others. In stark contrast to Franz, she has earned the reputation as something of an angel. As a medic, she has given attention to many a patient while seeming to whisper words of life into them. Upon the same fields as The Reaper she has passed beyond him with death firmly gripping at the throat of a dying man only to break its cold grasp with words and action. It is generally a good sign to see her even for as disheveled and exhausted as she can be from hours of endlessly running back and forth with every intention of bringing one home safely. Though she opposes the idea that Franz is cursed with death, there is little that can be done about the words of the masses. [/hider] [Hider=Senja Penttilä - Maiden in The Dark] [h2][color=#50c878] Changing of The Guard Part I - Observations[/color][/h2] Time in the war has done little to affect the heart of who Senja is. It has proven to be trying, a harsh reminder that she cannot be everywhere at once and that life will slip through the cracks. Still, her prayers and study prove effective at keeping her strength high and her spirits even higher as she moves to understand the struggles of her fellows. But perhaps action to the whole is not always enough. Sometimes it takes a steady hand that guides the individual life to ensure that the hopeless find hope and the lonely find companionship. But something within tingles. Detached from her siblings in faith she feels herself tested more than ever. The dark around her prying at the armor of her faith, looking for any sign of weakness to cripple her strength. [/hider] [/hider]