I revised Eryx's backstory a bit, but I'm still stumped about his parentage. I'm going to put my suggestions to his relations.
He looks like this in build, but some features are a bit different. He has blue eyes instead of gold and purple eyes. His outfit is different to fit the time period, but it's the same color palette.
Born into a sea of siblings, he was neither the heir nor the prodigy, nor the troublemaker worth scolding. Any ordinary child might have buckled under the loneliness, the isolation. But Eryx wasn’t ordinary. He twisted that neglect into a license to drift through life without consequence. If no one expected anything from him, then there was no need to try. No risk of failure. No pain of disappointment.
He made very few friends in the Collegem Yllustre, still remaining unseen. However, he trusted the few friends he made with his life.
He picked up the spear—not out of passion or strategy, but out of convenience. Too dangerous to wield a sword. Too precise to master a bow. A spear was simple. Especially the light ones, which didn’t strain his arms or demand real endurance. He studied magic when spear fighting required too much, hoping it would be easier. It wasn’t. If anything, higher-level casting required even more discipline than spearwork. So he circled back to the spear, the least demanding of all his choices.
He never graduated. He never awakened an Aura. He never distinguished himself in any way. War broke out, and he fought as a faceless footsoldier. He told himself he didn’t care. That he didn’t need status or praise. But on the front lines, something changed. People gravitated towards him.
Unlike the Collegem, the battlefield didn’t care about bloodlines or family politics. The soldiers beside him were raw and real—laughing over stolen rations one day, sobbing over their dead the next. Eryx found a camaraderie he’d never experienced before. It broke something in him. Softened him. And then it hardened him, again and again, every time another friend fell.
Each death left behind a mission, a final wish. And he accepted them all.
He told himself he would fulfill them. Every single one. Not out of pride, but desperation. He had to prove that he mattered. That he could do something. That he could carve a legacy from his previous apathy.
But for every friend he buried, three more fell. He began to ask himself why he was surviving. He wasn’t the strongest. He wasn’t the smartest. He wasn’t brave. He fought like a coward—striking once, then fleeing.
He threw himself into battle, driven not by honor, but by guilt. Self-hatred was his only fuel. He fought harder. He trained belatedly, feverishly, and pointlessly. He was a man chasing redemption he didn't deserve.
He made more friends. He made more promises. And he watched them all die.
In the end, his final act was the only one that ever came from real effort.
He died trying to save someone.
And he failed.
The Shield Spell flickered and shattered. The spear was too slow. All his broken promises, all his wasted years, all his could-have-beens collapsed into that one moment.
Regret was the only emotion he could find as the world faded to black.
Until he woke up.
Biggest failure: Allowing his comrades to die, when he could've saved them if he just trained harder.
Biggest regret: Living his life by following the wishes of the dead, instead of following his own ideals.
Biggest obstacle: His lack of motivation.
Greatest achievement: Every battle where he survived was an achievement. Even if his comrades died, he was alive. And that was a triumph in its own right. He didn't view it that way though.
Driving hope: Fulfilling the wishes of his dead comrades.
Equipment
A light-weight, golden spear
Simple leather armor
Abilities
Physical Strength: 2nd Rate
Aura: 2nd Rate
Magic: 2nd Circle
Shield Spell - Creates a visible barrier in front of the user, blocking a single attack.
Light Spell- Creates a quick flash of light. This affects everybody in a ten foot radius, including him.
@Rune_Alchemist Eryx would definitely attempt to befriend Ophelia at the Collegem.
@ERode Since both Eryx and Ferrucio fought on the front lines, they could have fought together. They also could have been friends. @Teyao Eryx would also try to befriend Rowan, but would probably be bothered by the way he fights. Other than that, I can't think of much for their relations.
@SilverPaw Eryx would attempt to befriend Isana. I don't know if she would accept.
@Zeroth Eryx would connect with young Vincent, but slowly drift away as he develops.
@Silver Carrot@OwO I don't have any ideas for Sherry or Estelle. I doubt they would acknowledge Eryx though.
The slot of the last person he tries to save is open, if anybody wants it. If not, I'll just make an NPC. That's all I got. I'm not good at this stuff.
Eryx would attempt to befriend Isana. I don't know if she would accept.
She was hella suspicious in her first life, but I think she could appreciate his quiet presence. Besides training and meditation, some of her hobbies would have been drawing, painting, finding hidden nooks and crannies to hide and chill in. Esp. if he was Ophelia's friend, they could have definitely hung out.
@Atlas946 Mhm, unsure if he would befriend Ophelia once he got to know her enough from reading his profile. She would have 100% dragged him to training and would repeatedly attempt to get him to set higher expectations for himself. Well, supposing she was able enough.
@Atlas946 Mhm, unsure if he would befriend Ophelia once he got to know her enough from reading his profile. She would have 100% dragged him to training and would repeatedly attempt to get him to set higher expectations for himself. Well, supposing she was able enough.
But if thats fine, then sure.
I anticipated something like that. He would "train", but he would do the bare minimum. That's why his strength is 2nd rate and not 3rd rate. And I should probably add this: He's stubborn as hell.
He’s training with the sick girl. That’s basically the same thing as chilling. ;3
In any case, don’t really think that Eryx and Ferrucio would’ve become battle buddies or anything. Back in the war, Ferrucio was basically just one foot soldier out of many, before eventually being brought up to be a part of the Royal Guard during the fall of the capital due to lack of many other fighting-shape individuals. He wouldn’t have been in too much of a mood to make friends either way.
I finally have a mostly complete (I think the only important thing missing is the picture) character sheet!
[INSERT IMAGE, USE HIDER IF BIG] [INSERT THEME SONG URL LINK IF YOU'D LIKE]
Lucas Zeno Kaides
Age: 15 [25] | Height:6' | Voice:Baritone
First Life
Lucas was his mother's last child, a disappointment like all the rest. Lucas could never shake the bitter feeling that had he been born to a lesser family his lot in life would have been better, all his problems were the unreasonable expectations of the Kaides, he was smart, he worked hard, he listened to the instructors, but he lacked natural talent, every ounce of muscle the result of hours of excercise, every strike or block the result of constant practice. At first it wasn't so bad, he was treated rather kindly, tutors supportive of hard work, praising his occasional successes as often as critiquing his failures, childish games and stories often mixed between proper lessons. Around the age of 10 things changed, he was never told why, but an overheard conversation about spoiled half-siblings certainly gave him an idea. his instructors became stricter despite his best behaviour, and what scant praise he used to treasure dried up.
Collegem Yllustre was worse, the instructors seemed to have something against him, or perhaps it was his family for they were already being called a disappointing generation when he arrived. Even when he bested other students in the sparring grounds he received no praise, only a list of mistakes that a better opponent would have exploited to defeat him, there it was again, the unfair expectation that he somehow rise to perfection just to be worthy of the family name, apparently the failing of his (half-)siblings just made them more desperate for at least one success rather than buying him some breathing room. When he stayed up late to write careful essays on military tactics, history or natural philosophy, he received not a single word about what he did well, just red ink outlining every last little flaw.
This began to make him bitter and unmotivated, why bother to try so hard if noone will ever be happy with him, he thought. And so he stopped trying so hard, at least not for them. He kept up most of his physical training, he may not be able to make the tutors or his family happy, but holding his own in the practice bouts is a more personal goal and hard as the work was, he did enjoy it. Other areas were allowed to slide, getting on the bare minimum of effort, why put work into lessons on leadership and tactics when his family will never allow a failure to command anyone, why focus on these odd anatomy studies that are only useful to those who will awaken their aura.
He turns 21 in the year 1013 and leaves without graduating, a strong 1st rate guisarmier by the standards of most knights, but merely failure by the standards of House Kaides. By this point Lagentym has fallen, with soon to follow, so rather than being cast out on his own or sent somewhere quiet and out of the way where he could do no further harm to the family line, he's sent to the front lines. Luzia needs every able warrior more than House Kaides wants to hide its failures.
He's initailly assigned to a batallion composed primarily of men-at-arms and lead by a knight from one of the vassal familiies. The fighting was worse than anyone had expected, despite their heavy armour they took serious casualties in every battle, mundane steel simply could not stand up to the brutal force behind an ogre's club. Things really went to hell when their leader was among the slain, there was no time to bring in a replacement from elsewhere and the men-at-arms were mere retainers to a vassal house, they had neither the tactical education nor the family name to lead, and thus Lucas was placed in command. Lucas who had given the last three years of tactical education only the most cursory of efforts, in a war that was seeing experienced commanders lose time and time again. Within a month the unit had suffered such severe casualties that it was deemed impractical to reinforce and the few survivors use to replenish other fighting forces. Lucas never received any formal reprimand or acknowledgement of his failure as a leader, what was one more fallen batallion among the many losses of this war, but he didn't need one, he had failed and there was noone to blame it on. The next year or so is something of a blur to him, he's blaming himself now, quietly of course, decorum is one thing he actually managed to learn, but that doesn't actually give him, but that doesn't make him any less bitter, doesn't bring back motivation. They march, they fight, they either win a temporary victory or once more retreat. Some of the other soldiers probably notice his generally miserable demeanor, but who among them has much to smile about. Things take a positive turn for Lucas, at least on a personal level, in 1015, another scrapping and restructuring of units as yet more of them fail, this time he's under the command of one Sir Justinian Lascaris, an older knight from one of the branch families, with an awakened aura and the charisma of a true leader, the kind of man who inspires his troops in battle, drinks with them afterwards and believes in fostering camaraderie among them. It's one of these post battle, half-drunk, bonding experiences where the topic of childhood and training comes up, as Lucas comisserates with one man's tale of early morning drills where every failed block got him smacked with a thick wooden training blade by recounting his own tutors and their relentless criticism that Sir Justinian interjects, to general agreement, that he'd have killed for that sort of detailed feedback on exactly where he was going wrong rather than simply being told to watch closer and practice more when he was trying to earn a knighthood, ending with the comment that kids these days don't know how easy they have it. The rest of the men don't really bring it up again, to them it's just onother conversation, memorable only in so far as Lucas usually doesn't have much specific to say, but he can't stop thinking about it, criticism is helpful? Other people would still want the life he was born to after learning what it actually means? The introspection does him some good, takes some of the bitterness away, brings back that drive to improve he'd practically forgotten, he even starts trying to make friends with some of the men and women fighting beside him. Of course there's still years of war left, it takes its toll the same as ever, comrades fall to the demons, but Lucas mourns them as friends taken too soon, rather than numbly pressing on. He even finds something more with a lady named Felicia a year younger than him with a knack for making him smile despite the world falling apart. Sleepless nights of constant watchfulness combine with thoughts of what he could have been had he only done better and the ever present sight of better warriors wielding their aura leads to strangely lucid dreams of what his own might be and in the final month of 1016 his own aura finally awakens. An awakened aura is certainly a boon, but he can never shake the feeling that it came too late, humanity's chances had been nosediving ever since Ylliastrum fell over a year ago. 1017 comes, Kaidisyum falls, news comes that many of the tutors he once blamed for his own failures fell in battle delaying the demons, hard to hold a grudge against a man for his teaching style while one of the few refugees is describing his part in the diversion that let them escape. Felicia falls in battle mere weeks before Hadrum, the truly gut wrenching fact is that if Lucas had had just a little more stamina in his Aura, he's sure he could have slain the high orc that clove her in two. He joins the others gathering at Hadrum despite his ever growing misery, he has no intention of bording the escape ships, no he'll die delaying the demons, perhaps that might make him in death the Kaides he never quite managed to be in life.
Biggest Failure: Two stand out, but they're so intermixed he'd struggle to pick: the constant, self-pitying need to blame every hardship on anything but himself, chiefly blaming his family's expectations and the poor reputation his siblings saddled the generation with, and how he allowed that bitter attitude to sap his motivation. There were other mistakes, but this is something he can, quite ironically though he may never see it that way, blame only himself for.
Biggest Regret: He wishes he'd not been too caught up in his pre-concieved notions of unfairness to see that the criticisms of his tutors were their way of telling him how to improve himself, that such a harsh attitude was not some personal torment, but a desperate attempt to see him realise his full potential rather than squander it as so many others had. Some of the blame certainly lies on the instructors and even his mother, who never thought to explain this to him, but he'll always wonder if perhaps he might have actually succeeded had he listened rather becoming ever more defensive. Maybe he still wouldn't have graduated, but would he have awoken his aura earlier, could that have made the difference in battle?
Biggest Obstacle: Might skip this one, I like the idea of his biggest failing being his own attitude, rather than someone else.
Greatest Achievement: An awakened aura and Felicia at his side were a brief bright spot in a miserable war.
Driving Hope: Prior to the war it was less hope more resignation, he had no choice but to finish his time at the Collegem and hope whatever task the family had lined up for him wasn't too unpleasant. In the war it took many forms, at first he simply wanted to survive (fleeing never even occurred to him, whatever his flaws, he was never a coward). After his disastrous command he was decidedly unmotivated, beyond a vague idea that continuing to fight was the least he owed those he failed. Then came those he fought alongside, how could he let Sir Justinian down, hwo could he abandon his battle brothers, would life even be worth it if he wasn't fighting by Felicia's side. Finally, in those last miserable weeks was a mixture of spite and a reignited desire to finally live up to the family name, he would die with his weapon in his hand, spitting in the demons' eyes.
@Teyao With regards to Rowan and Ferrucio also being more closely related, I was thinking that they'd basically be entirely unaware of each other, or diametrically opposed to each other back in school. Rowan's pretty fiery, after all, while Ferrucio is like the 'bangs-over-his-eyes' kinda character who's kinda dull-witted and doesn't do anything without orders.
Rowan is more kind of aloof being honest, at first I wanted to make him a Himbo but it didn't feel right. Thought I like the dinamic of the both of them just not getting each other.
Eryx would also try to befriend Rowan, but would probably be bothered by the way he fights. Other than that, I can't think of much for their relations.
Rowan would have been slightly starved for social interaction so it won't be strange if he considered Eryx 'Someone I can trust', probably as a cousin.
Also, note, what are the current parentages? I want to update the Diagram but I can't seem to find who descended from whom
Do you know what is awful about being a half-elf? On one hand a half-elf is more attuned to magic than a human, but on the other hand they were less attuned than full blooded elves. Half-elves were also more attuned to aura than full blooded elves, but less so than full blooded humans. They can only be described as genetically mediocre and that can also describe Rodin or at least that was his excuse.
He was born to an adventurous nobleman of the Kaides' house, son of Deividas Kaides, who came back with an elven wife of noble status or equivalent and baby Rodin in his arms, which must've been a sight that nearly gave her father a stroke. Five years later, Rodin's twin younger siblings were born and like any elder brother he was told by his parents that it was his duty to look after and protect them. Of course, like any other enthusiastic elder brother he took to it like a bee to a flower.
Once he was old enough he took on the training placed upon him by the family tutors with great earnestness and without complaint, something that carried forward into the Collegem Yllustr. Rodin was naturally talented in using polearms, but none felt as comfortable in his hands as the simple yet elegant glaive and his elven heritage attuned him to magic than his peers. Rodin was a model student, exemplary in both his dedication as a warrior and fealty towards his family, a promising role model for the future generations of Kaides.
And then it came to a halt, his progress suddenly came to a near stand still. It was as if he hit a wall and no matter how hard he trained, no matter how hard he smashed that wall he never made so much as a crack because talent was overrated and hard work without direction was pointless. His magic was laughable and he was nowhere near able to squeeze out a droplet of aura from his body. There was no help because why would there be? He was a Kaides; you are either strong or you are not. If he could not break through himself, then this was his limit.
"Of course this was all he could amount to. What did you expect from a half-breed?"
Those were the cruel words he would suffer from those within the academy and the worst part was that he was beginning to believe it. Why even try anymore?
At some point he was brought by his parents to a function as he was the eldest child, surrounded by dignitaries from within Luzia and from other kingdoms. An awkward night of gossip and sneers though that was not what he remembered mainly of that night. With a racing heartbeat and flushed cheeks he saw her from across the room, a noblewoman that he could only describe as such:
"Of all the people and finery in this room, the kingdom, and beyond she is the loveliest."
And yet, he could not dare approach her. She was surrounded by those so much more competent than him, those deserving of so much more respect than him. He was a disgrace of a Kaides whose blood was watered down. All he could do was admire her from afar.
This was the cycle of Rodin's life; watching others surpass him as he pined for a girl that he never even spoke to before, something that he would admit is kinda creepy, and was just a general disgrace to his family. This was the life of a bonafide loser.
Eventually, Rodin just couldn't take it anymore and at 19 years old he just left it all behind. It would've been better if he died in a ditch forgotten by his own family, by everyone. To make ends meet he worked in a small mercenary group that traveled around the kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms. No matter where he went and what he did, his past life would always linger in the back of his mind along with his regrets. At the same time though, for the first time in a very long time he was... happy? The people he traveled with cared not of his past or of his heritage; they treated him like a real person. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.
In a short amount of time he met so many different kinds of people and in many different places. Sometimes, depending on the duration of their stay, Rodin would teach the village children how to fight with a polearm for self defense against bandits and some magic to help with daily tasks. Watching these kids perform these tasks so clumsily was like looking at a mirror; he could see his own faults and his own shortcomings. It allowed him to see where he needed improvement and to break out of his own bad habits, something that the Collegem never allowed him to do.
Two years later, it all came to an abrupt end; the demons were invading Luzia and Rodin and his fellow mercenaries were soon conscripted into what would be known as the Demon War. Forcibly reunited by fate with his family, Rodin would fight alongside them in a bloody, horrible war. One by one, comrades and family were slain on the battlefield. Those who mocked him were torn to shreds and those who he swore to defend were left in the piled bodies of mass graves because there were not enough people to bury their dead. The irony certainly was not lost in him that he somehow survived while those more capable had not.
Rodin had buried his mercenary companions by his own hand and he could only ask himself why he was still fighting; his father was dead, his friends were dead, the entire bloody world was going to be razed by burning winds and demon malice. Maybe it was his own penance for being such a disgrace to his family, maybe it was seeking atonement, maybe he wanted to at least protect the small part of his life that once made him happy, or maybe he was already dead and was too much of a coward to just die.
The final day came, the stragglers and dregs made their symbolic last stand. Rodin fought like hell, but ultimately fell. He laid on the battlefield with a broken body, bleeding on the scorched earth and the only thing he could do was weakly laugh a blood garbled laugh. How could one single man have so many regrets and failures?
He could've once again cursed his watered down bloodline, but he knew the truth of the matter. If he worked just a bit harder, a bit smarter, instead of blaming an absurd inferiority complex fueled by those that did not matter then maybe the day would have been so different. Maybe everything would have been different. He could've stayed in school, he could've stayed with his family, he could've approached her...
His final thought as he looked up at the burning sky was, I wonder what my first words to her would've been?
And then he woke up in his bed, ten years earlier.
Equipment
Steel glaive
Throwing knives
Plate armor
Abilities
Physical Strength: 2nd Rate
Aura: 1st rate
Magic: 1st Circle
Arcane Hand - Allows the wizard to telekinetic abilities strong enough to lift up and interact with small/light objects.
More like Grandma decided enough was enough, and announced this decision to Grandpa in such a way that the younger generation seem to have decided polygyny was a safer reproductive strategy XD
@KazemitsuAs of your most recent edits, here's what I've got for feedback:
His appearance image is fine for his "future" self, but there's no way he looked like that at 18 XD I'd appreciate something that's a little more accurate to his second-life self, even if only a few lines of text pointing out the differences (like, "at 18 the beard is only a persistent 5'o clock shadow" or something).
Remember that right now your Equipment section is mostly a placeholder for your preferences; you won't be able to keep the fancy gear unless you make the effort to recover it in the second life.
Experiences add up, so no issues there!
And I know we already discussed backstory on Discord, so get on that!
@Thunder999999 Excellent work! I can tell you incorporated some of the more obscure lore stuff, like the lucid dreams, into his backstory. I always worry that I overthink way too much with my worldbuilding, so I appreciate seeing it put to use. Also really liking the mention of various NPCs, I'd like to see some of them show up in some capacity in the second life. Just get us either a text description or an Appearance Image and he'll be good to go!
@Remram Very nice exploration of his inferiority complex! Everything else adds up, so we can add him to the pile of pre-approved!
Here's what we seem to have thus far, if it helps anyone. I have included some suggestions, but they're not set in stone:
987 - Estelle born to Patriarch's 2nd Wife
988 - @TeyaoRowan born to ??Patriarch's 3rd Wife??, @Silver CarrotSherry born to ??Patriarch's 1st Wife??, Isana born to Patriarch's 2nd Wife (likely w/difficulty)
989 - @KazemitsuKaesos born to ??Patriarch's Mistress or Fulvya Kaides??
990 - @Atlas946Eryx born to Deividas's OtherOtherSon+Wife, Ferrucio born to Deividas's Daughter, Ophelia born to Patriarch's 2nd Wife
991 - Rodin born to Deividas's Son+Wife, @MooiEenLucille born to Deividas's OtherSon+OtherWife.
992 - @Thunder999999Lucas born to Patriarch's 3rd Wife (No more children for her)
993 - Vincent born to ??Patriarch's 1st Wife?? (no more children for her either), Ophelia Poisoned, Lucas's Felicia is born somewhere
994-1000 - Events Unknown
1001 - Estelle enters Collegem.
1002 - Events Unknown
1003 - Isana, Rowan, and Sherry enter Collegem.
1004 - Kaesos enters Collegem.
1005 - Eryx, Ferrucio, and Ophelia enter Collegem.
1006 - Estelle was poisoned at 18 years old. Isana, Rowan, and Sherry are 17. Kaesos is 16. Eryx, Ferrucio, and Ophelia are 15. Rodin is 14, and enters Collegem. Lucas is 13, ??possibly about to turn 14??. Vincent is 12, about to turn 13.
1007 - SECOND LIFE BEGINS HERE. Lucas has probably been in Collegem for 1 semester; Vincent has just turned 14 and is preparing to enter Collegem. Estelle is close to completing her recovery, and now chooses whether or not to leave again.
1008 - Estelle's first life drifts, possibly finding the orphanage?
1009 - Isana fails to graduate at 21, leaves in search of Estelle. Sherry fails to graduate, is sent off to marry her fiancé, Unnamed Duke's Son. Rowan fails to graduate, ??is sent to the military??
1010 - Rodin leaves Collegem at age 19 before even attempting to graduate. Kaesos fails to graduate at 21 (likely shortly after his birthday) and leaves Collegem.
1011 - Ophelia fails to graduate at 21, leaves Collegem. Eryx and Ferrucio either do the same, or have one more semester due to their birthday dates falling differently. By his 18th birthday this year Vincent has the conversation with the Patriarch that finally breaks him.
1012 - Lucille fails to graduate at 21, leaves Collegem. WAR STARTS. Eryx, Ferrucio, and Rowan are sent to (different parts of?) the front lines. Ophelia tries to take part in evacuations and logistics. Isana's Adventuring Party, Rodin's mercenary unit, and Estelle's orphans are all conscripted. Lucas is 19 ??about to turn 20??, Vincent is 18, about to turn 19. Both are likely struggling a great deal in Collegem due to most of the supportive members of their family no longer being around.
1013 - ??Estelle meets the Old Berserker?? Ophelia is confirmed at Lagentym. ??Eryx, Ferrucio, Rodin, Lucille, and Rowan are all possibly present at the Fall of Lagentym?? After Lagentym, Lucas is sent to the front lines almost immediately after failing to graduate. Kallyva is Occupied during Late Summer.
1014 - Events Unknown/Unaccounted for
1015 - Vincent fails to graduate at 21. The Patriarch's 2nd Wife is killed shortly before the invasion of the Royal Capital. Sherry is involved in strategy meetings in the Royal Court; after Ylliastrum falls she deserts and is captured by the army, ???including Any of the PCs??? Ferrucio is a last-resort pick to join the Royal Guard after this.
1016 - Events unknown/unaccounted for.
1017 - Rocks fall, everyone dies.
I have most assuredly missed some things, but I tried to hit most of the major events; events that would've affected multiple siblings; events that we'd all remember; so on and so forth. Adding in every single minor detail, such as the Awakenings of those who finally achieved it or Allied NPC deaths, would probably bog us down too much. With that said, though, feel free to chip in wherever you think there's a potential for more story threads!
Since we have 11 characters currently in progress, most of which are fairly far along if not pre-approved, let's work on making our finalizations. I will be working on the first IC post soon and should have it done either tomorrow or Thursday; however, it may not be posted immediately.
No rush, just wanted to check in with everyone we haven't heard from in a bit. If anyone needs anything clarified or wants to discuss plot-stuff, please let me know or drop a PM!
Hello again! I've been working and couldn't get here as much as I wanted. But I've finally been able to finish checking and deciding how to use the experience we got! I'm leaving the character sheet here too, to finally migrate from the other thread.
Her life wasn't easy at all, but also couldn't be considered difficult. Indifference would be the word to describe it, to describe her life, her parents, her relations. Growing up in a rich home, with tutors, with everything and the touch of her fingers. Everything except someone to trust, someone to love her.
"Be careful and don't mess up your dress"
Her parents didn't really want kids, they wanted an heir. All they imagined and dreamed of was a perfect heir, a son with amazing abilities with the sword and strategy, or a perfect daughter, beautiful, all soft smiles, someone to marry off for a good price. Instead, they got Lucille: she was a good kid, nice and loving, but never enough. She wasn't beautiful enough, smart enough, cunning enough. She just wasn't.
"Lucille, darling, I don't have time for this"
Growing up, she spent far more time with her tutors and servants than her parents. Her father was always travelling, trying to be as far as possible from his wife and daughter, her mother busy maintaining an image of the perfect lady, even though her husband wouldn't even talk to her. Meanwhile, little Lucille had to find ways to entertain herself, isolated from the world so her family could keep playing the perfect little noble family. The only thing she could do with her time was training archery, being an art that one of her tutors enjoyed teaching her.
"Why don't you go out and stop being a bother?"
And that she did. Soon she started training, spending all of her free time, almost all of her waking hours, shooting arrows in the backyard, improving day by day. Some servants even started going with her, enjoying the spectacle that it was, whispering about how she could easily win most of the tournaments, even with people older and wiser than her. Everyone in the palace would go see her one day or the other; everyone but her mother.
"Don't ask for attention, that's unbecoming of a lady"
When it was finally time to go to the academy, Lucille didn't have any idea of how to talk to people her age. She got to her classes, did her tasks, but never showed her real ideas or opinions. Her mother always told her she was supposed to be seen, a beautiful flower, and she had to let the others be the ones to think and explain. She never showed her talents, stopping her training and focusing on being the perfect average noble, just as her mother wanted. She wouldn't let others get in her heart either, even if that hurt her sometimes. She was still nice, all smiles and helping acts, but no one ever knew if that was real or not. She even gained herself the title of Ice Princess: cold, unattainable, pretty to look at, fragile. Something you couldn't touch unless you wanted it to melt and go away. She got through the academy as the wind blowing softly: maybe you noticed it, but it wasn't relevant enough, it didn't change a thing.
"You are supposed to be seen, not heard"
When the war started, she decided to take a stand and go with the other archers. Her mother didn't agree at the beginning, until al counselor said that it would always be good publicity. When the demons got to the palace and Lucille was called with the others, her mother didn't even say goodbye. She was already trying to run away through a tunnel. It was the last straw: she was trying her best, keeping the face of her family, all their responsabilities in her shoulders, while her mother ran away like the worst of the traitors. But she couldn't get angry then, didn't have time for vengeance or regret, only cared about trying to save her home and her people, the only ones that cared about her. They deserved to live, and she deserved too, now that she understood that she had to really live instead of just moving to her mother's song.
"At my mark! Aim... Tense... Shoot!"
They did what they could, but soon the palace was surrounded. There were demons everywhere, chaos, smoke and screams getting to the place where the archers were. It was almost a massacre, blood every place Lucille looked, people falling over the wall, everyone falling over corpses and forgotten victims of the attack. Lucille fought with all she had to try and find a way out, helping out the others, but they couldn't make it. Thankfully, the axe that got her was merciless, but quick. It all faded to black, but it didn't even hurt.
@Zeroth Sorry for the small delay, I don't have a lot of time on the weekends for rp. Here is what I've got going for my app. I went with the concept I mentioned to you before. He was a talentless spellcaster, given a magical rod only capable of strange novelty effects. I had fun making spells that fit thematically, and I tried to stick with your vision for magic. I gave each spell a clear, fixed use and tried not to make anything too powerful. Let me know if you want me to make changes to anything!
Allan was a noble, yet physically unimposing member of House Kaides. He had always been weak, and aura control seemed totally beyond him. But Allan was noticed for his intelligence, and it was hoped that he would become a respectable wizard. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to master any spells either.
"Yet." That's what he always had to tell them, the expectant ones - his father and the tutors who pressed him so hard. The young man lived his life under intense scrutiny and pressure, and because of that he struggled to find any confidence. He was smart, but the spell requirements were exacting, and something just wasn't clicking for him.
He pushed through classes at the academy with excellent test scores. Finally the time of his graduation drew near, and it was decided that something would have to be done with him. In the end, he was assigned to the research core. The most powerful teachers and relics were reserved for those with real promise, of course. Allan was given a riddle: a mysterious artifact known for its frivolous spells - the rod of playful delights. The magic formulae it made use of were very old indeed, and hard even to understand for a modern mage due to how greatly they differed from contemporary incantations.
But that was just it - throwing away everything he'd worked with before and starting with a fresh, admittedly arcane, foundation was incredibly relieving. After half a year, he could already cast The Green Round - it was his first spell. Not long after, he managed the second. This was infinitely valuable to Allan's self-esteem, although the effect was moreso deleterious for his reputation. He was essentially becoming more and more of a "conjurer of cheap tricks". But there were some who could appreciate his accomplishments. In particular, there was a woman named Minerva who vouched for him and became something of a mentor to him. She was only five years his elder, but a much more accomplished magician. Allan's fledgeling abilities were mostly a historical interest for her at first. Her own more traditional spells were formiddable in battle, and because of this she was one of the House's greatest assets. The two became closer over the years, and often shared meals together wherein they would bandy learned conversation and witticisms in a friendly way.
A lot of things changed when the war started. Allan's research continued, but he also had to make himself useful to the armed forces in the meantime. He acheived Gem Spray early in the war. It was the last known spell contained in the rod, and unlike the others it had a tenable use case in battle. Though its attack power wasn't incredible, the spell became his bread and butter during those years. He would join the ranged core, and support the powerful aura users from affar with his multicolored gemstone bullets.
The fall of Ylliastrum was a drawn out affair. Allan and several other wizards took part in the defense of a fortress in the midlands. It was thought that they could hold there until reinforcements arrived, and that would prevent the demons from being able to march directly on the capital. Unfortunately, the enemy forces were far greater than expected. The fortress was rocked by siege equipment, and most decisively, their most powerful combatant, Minerva the wizard, was cut down in battle by a demon with powerful aura. Allan saw this happen with his own eyes, and was powerless to stop it. The demon was practically unaffected by his gem spray - all Allan could do in the end was run like a coward. The fortress was lost. The capital would be lost. And the awful images of Minerva's death would haunt Allan for the rest of his life.
He forgot his research for a time and threw himself purely into the war. He was full of desperate and fruitless rage. He wanted more than anything to avenge his closest friend, but the situation only grew worse by the day. Several months later, he joined a scouting party which aimed to track the movements of one of the demon legions. Following in the army's wake, they discovered some ancient ruins which had been unearthed and partially destroyed by a recent battle. It was there that Allan discovered inscriptions that looked very similar to the Rod of Playful Delights. Much written there in an ancient language, including evidence of several more spells contained within the relic. The stone tablets were broken to pieces, but Allan made detailed notes of everything relevant he could find. He ended up abandoning his contract with the scouting party to follow up on these new revelations.
The inscriptions gave him the foundation he needed to understand the ancient magics at a deeper level. He learned of the item's likely true name, and there were even partial instructions for the next spells. It took time, but in 1016 Allan achieved Crackling Counter. The other spells he knew weren't worth much compared to modern magic, but this one proved to be a top tier defensive arcana. He didn't have to stand far back with the archers anymore - he could go toe to toe with powerful fighters - at least for a critical few seconds. That was often enough to decide an engagement. But it wasn't enough. Allan knew he needed to dig deeper and unlock more of the rod's power, but humanity's situation had become incredibly dire in those days, and there was no time.
Allan did manage to master the spell of fourth circle, Diamond Cutter. But that was in 1017, and it was far too late for anyone to turn the tide. He burned through swathes of demons in the final days, but finally met his end at Kaidysium with so many of his allies and relatives.
Equipment
The Rod of Playful Delights - A short wooden rod with a sphere of amber at the head. It is an ancient relic of mysterious origin, and the subject of Allan's research after an official assignment from the academy. It received its lighthearted name because the only spells it was known to contain were dazzling but practically useless trifles. In his first life, however, Allan made breakthroughs in working with its archaic magic formulas, and he discovered that there was much more to the relic than that. A broken tablet from an old ruin clued him in that the relic's true name might be something like the Rod of Land and Lightning.
Abilities
Physical Strength: 3rd Rate
Aura: 3rd Rate
Magic: 4th Circle [4 EXP]
Spells:
The Green Round [0th Circle] - For flavor, remove if necessary. Causes grass to grow in a 15ft radius around Allan. Naturally occuring grass instead grows to several times its current size.
Blue Kaleidoscope [1st Circle] - Allan conjures a swarm of very large blue butterflies that briefly flutter about and spread sparkling wingscales. This temporarily dazzles and obscures the vision of everyone nearby, including the caster.
Gem Spray [2nd Circle] - Fires many conjured gemstones from the rod at high speeds. These serve as damaging projectiles at close to medium range. The conjured gems are permanent once created, but they are usually common unworked jewels that are only worth a few coins each.
Crackling Counter [3rd Circle] - A lightning spell that can only be used defensively and at close range. The spell quickly produces a powerful amber lightning bolt, which strikes an incoming attack with enough force to neutralize it. Multiple projectiles can be crackled out of the air at once. Though it is a purely defensive spell, the attacker may be inadvertently damaged by the counter; for example, the thunderbolt may break an opponent's sword, or it might strike their body if they were going for an unarmed punch or kick. If a very powerful attack is countered by this spell, it may cause the rod's amber orb to go dim until enough mana can be regained, leaving Allan without access to its abilities.
Diamond Cutter [4th Circle] - The rod emits a concentrated beam of amber light, which is capable of burning through even the hardest materials. If Allan holds the rod still, it burns a large mysterious symbol into the ground before him. The usual use case is to instead aim the cutting beam at enemies, making this a deadly ranged spell. It is quite mana intensive.
Plot Hooks
Allan wants to save Minerva this time. She was his senior wizard, mentor, and closest friend.
Might it be possible to kill the demon captain responsible for her death? Allan could never forget his appearance after such a trauma.
If Allan can make it to the ruined temple before it's destroyed by the demon army this time, he might be able to learn the origins of his magic rod and the full extent of its power.
No rush, just wanted to check in with everyone we haven't heard from in a bit. If anyone needs anything clarified or wants to discuss plot-stuff, please let me know or drop a PM!
I've just been trying to work out what exactly I want the personality to be and the details of her time in the war. Also finding fc that properly fits what I want. I'll have it up once I figure that stuff out.
@MooiEen Lucille's pre-approved, everything still looks good! Feel free to chime in with how she would have related to the rest of the cast we've got so far; the updated timeline should hopefully give everyone a better sense of who they might've been sharing classrooms and cafeterias with during their formative years!
@Olive Fontaine Go, wizard boy, go! I'm loving the app as a whole, just got a few things to ask about/iron out:
The Rod of Playful Delights - I know it hasn't come up until now, but the typical fantasy practice of "carve magic runes into object, get enchanted gear," is a little different in this setting. Because Magic Formulae require the sense of Mana in the environment, every time a Spell is cast the user has to do things a little differently---because not every environment, even in the same biome or habitat, has the exact same amounts or types of Mana. Your Spell might be based on a Formula like the Pythagorean Theorem, but every time you try to cast that spell you're working with a different Triangle's measurements...if that makes sense?
Given that establishment, "enchanting objects" isn't like engraving the Magic Formula itself---you can't "pre-load" a wand with spell ammo, so to speak, nor could you imbue a sword with a quality like "bursts into flame" solely with some kind of fire Spell (the Dwarves' Auric Infusion works a little differently in this regard as well). Now, what you could do, is engrave an object with the "base" Magic Formula just like it can be written in spellbooks, on paper, etc. But, that doesn't allow you to cast the spell FROM the object---there are no "charges" to be expended, the object itself has no inherent Mana (although Mana CAN be stored in certain materials), and so forth.
So as far as researching the Rod, it'd be fine if the Rod itself, or the materials it was found with, the records of previous study left behind, etc had the "information" needed for the Spells. But when Allan casts them, they're coming from him and the Mana he himself manipulates in his environment---not from the Rod.
You mentioned Minerva being a member of House Kaides, but we know she's not one of the Failed Generation and you say that she's five years older than he was, which means that if she had survived she'd have been 33 at the time of the reset. So if it's alright with you, could we pin her as the Last and Youngest Child of Deividas Kaides? This would make her an Elder Cousin to most of the PCs, or an Aunt to the other PCs who are Deividas's Grandchildren.
That, of course, brings up the question of who Allan's own parents are---if he's one of the Patriarch's kids it might be kinda hard to fit him in at this point, lol, cause we're getting to the point where that 9-month period has almost overlapped a couple of times XD But if you would, take a look at the updated Timeline and let me know if you need any help figuring out which line of the family he'll come from!
If you already have an NPC in mind for the demon captain that killed Minerva, feel free to use the NPC Sheet that was added to the opening OOC post! If not, I actually have a few concept-characters stored up that we could use for such a purpose. As for your Plot Hooks, YES, ALL OF THEM, EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR!!!
Once all these are addressed, I'm ready to call him pre-approved!
I think the Patriarch's 3rd Wife fits best for Lucas, the last son of the last wife fits nicely. I was intending for Lucas to be about a year older than Vincent, so the timeline looks good to me.
I have also found a pair of suitable images.
First, one that's pretty close to his current age, perhaps a bit too old but it gets the look across Secondly an older version.
Lucas Zeno Kaides
Age: 15 [25] | Height:6' | Voice:Baritone
First Life
Lucas was his mother's last child, a disappointment like all the rest. Lucas could never shake the bitter feeling that had he been born to a lesser family his lot in life would have been better, all his problems were the unreasonable expectations of the Kaides, he was smart, he worked hard, he listened to the instructors, but he lacked natural talent, every ounce of muscle the result of hours of excercise, every strike or block the result of constant practice. At first it wasn't so bad, he was treated rather kindly, tutors supportive of hard work, praising his occasional successes as often as critiquing his failures, childish games and stories often mixed between proper lessons. Around the age of 10 things changed, he was never told why, but an overheard conversation about spoiled half-siblings certainly gave him an idea. his instructors became stricter despite his best behaviour, and what scant praise he used to treasure dried up.
Collegem Yllustre was worse, the instructors seemed to have something against him, or perhaps it was his family for they were already being called a disappointing generation when he arrived. Even when he bested other students in the sparring grounds he received no praise, only a list of mistakes that a better opponent would have exploited to defeat him, there it was again, the unfair expectation that he somehow rise to perfection just to be worthy of the family name, apparently the failing of his (half-)siblings just made them more desperate for at least one success rather than buying him some breathing room. When he stayed up late to write careful essays on military tactics, history or natural philosophy, he received not a single word about what he did well, just red ink outlining every last little flaw.
This began to make him bitter and unmotivated, why bother to try so hard if noone will ever be happy with him, he thought. And so he stopped trying so hard, at least not for them. He kept up most of his physical training, he may not be able to make the tutors or his family happy, but holding his own in the practice bouts is a more personal goal and hard as the work was, he did enjoy it. Other areas were allowed to slide, getting on the bare minimum of effort, why put work into lessons on leadership and tactics when his family will never allow a failure to command anyone, why focus on these odd anatomy studies that are only useful to those who will awaken their aura.
He turns 21 in the year 1013 and leaves without graduating, a strong 1st rate guisarmier by the standards of most knights, but merely failure by the standards of House Kaides. By this point Lagentym has fallen, with soon to follow, so rather than being cast out on his own or sent somewhere quiet and out of the way where he could do no further harm to the family line, he's sent to the front lines. Luzia needs every able warrior more than House Kaides wants to hide its failures.
He's initailly assigned to a batallion composed primarily of men-at-arms and lead by a knight from one of the vassal familiies. The fighting was worse than anyone had expected, despite their heavy armour they took serious casualties in every battle, mundane steel simply could not stand up to the brutal force behind an ogre's club. Things really went to hell when their leader was among the slain, there was no time to bring in a replacement from elsewhere and the men-at-arms were mere retainers to a vassal house, they had neither the tactical education nor the family name to lead, and thus Lucas was placed in command. Lucas who had given the last three years of tactical education only the most cursory of efforts, in a war that was seeing experienced commanders lose time and time again. Within a month the unit had suffered such severe casualties that it was deemed impractical to reinforce and the few survivors use to replenish other fighting forces. Lucas never received any formal reprimand or acknowledgement of his failure as a leader, what was one more fallen batallion among the many losses of this war, but he didn't need one, he had failed and there was noone to blame it on. The next year or so is something of a blur to him, he's blaming himself now, quietly of course, decorum is one thing he actually managed to learn, but that doesn't actually give him, but that doesn't make him any less bitter, doesn't bring back motivation. They march, they fight, they either win a temporary victory or once more retreat. Some of the other soldiers probably notice his generally miserable demeanor, but who among them has much to smile about. Things take a positive turn for Lucas, at least on a personal level, in 1015, another scrapping and restructuring of units as yet more of them fail, this time he's under the command of one Sir Justinian Lascaris, an older knight from one of the branch families, with an awakened aura and the charisma of a true leader, the kind of man who inspires his troops in battle, drinks with them afterwards and believes in fostering camaraderie among them. It's one of these post battle, half-drunk, bonding experiences where the topic of childhood and training comes up, as Lucas comisserates with one man's tale of early morning drills where every failed block got him smacked with a thick wooden training blade by recounting his own tutors and their relentless criticism that Sir Justinian interjects, to general agreement, that he'd have killed for that sort of detailed feedback on exactly where he was going wrong rather than simply being told to watch closer and practice more when he was trying to earn a knighthood, ending with the comment that kids these days don't know how easy they have it. The rest of the men don't really bring it up again, to them it's just onother conversation, memorable only in so far as Lucas usually doesn't have much specific to say, but he can't stop thinking about it, criticism is helpful? Other people would still want the life he was born to after learning what it actually means? The introspection does him some good, takes some of the bitterness away, brings back that drive to improve he'd practically forgotten, he even starts trying to make friends with some of the men and women fighting beside him. Of course there's still years of war left, it takes its toll the same as ever, comrades fall to the demons, but Lucas mourns them as friends taken too soon, rather than numbly pressing on. He even finds something more with a lady named Felicia a year younger than him with a knack for making him smile despite the world falling apart. Sleepless nights of constant watchfulness combine with thoughts of what he could have been had he only done better and the ever present sight of better warriors wielding their aura leads to strangely lucid dreams of what his own might be and in the final month of 1016 his own aura finally awakens. An awakened aura is certainly a boon, but he can never shake the feeling that it came too late, humanity's chances had been nosediving ever since Ylliastrum fell over a year ago. 1017 comes, Kaidisyum falls, news comes that many of the tutors he once blamed for his own failures fell in battle delaying the demons, hard to hold a grudge against a man for his teaching style while one of the few refugees is describing his part in the diversion that let them escape. Felicia falls in battle mere weeks before Hadrum, the truly gut wrenching fact is that if Lucas had had just a little more stamina in his Aura, he's sure he could have slain the high orc that clove her in two. He joins the others gathering at Hadrum despite his ever growing misery, he has no intention of bording the escape ships, no he'll die delaying the demons, perhaps that might make him in death the Kaides he never quite managed to be in life.
Biggest Failure: Two stand out, but they're so intermixed he'd struggle to pick: the constant, self-pitying need to blame every hardship on anything but himself, chiefly blaming his family's expectations and the poor reputation his siblings saddled the generation with, and how he allowed that bitter attitude to sap his motivation. There were other mistakes, but this is something he can, quite ironically though he may never see it that way, blame only himself for.
Biggest Regret: He wishes he'd not been too caught up in his pre-concieved notions of unfairness to see that the criticisms of his tutors were their way of telling him how to improve himself, that such a harsh attitude was not some personal torment, but a desperate attempt to see him realise his full potential rather than squander it as so many others had. Some of the blame certainly lies on the instructors and even his mother, who never thought to explain this to him, but he'll always wonder if perhaps he might have actually succeeded had he listened rather becoming ever more defensive. Maybe he still wouldn't have graduated, but would he have awoken his aura earlier, could that have made the difference in battle?
Biggest Obstacle: Might skip this one, I like the idea of his biggest failing being his own attitude, rather than someone else.
Greatest Achievement: An awakened aura and Felicia at his side were a brief bright spot in a miserable war.
Driving Hope: Prior to the war it was less hope more resignation, he had no choice but to finish his time at the Collegem and hope whatever task the family had lined up for him wasn't too unpleasant. In the war it took many forms, at first he simply wanted to survive (fleeing never even occurred to him, whatever his flaws, he was never a coward). After his disastrous command he was decidedly unmotivated, beyond a vague idea that continuing to fight was the least he owed those he failed. Then came those he fought alongside, how could he let Sir Justinian down, hwo could he abandon his battle brothers, would life even be worth it if he wasn't fighting by Felicia's side. Finally, in those last miserable weeks was a mixture of spite and a reignited desire to finally live up to the family name, he would die with his weapon in his hand, spitting in the demons' eyes.
@Zeroth Thank you! And right, regarding the magic I think I understand what you're saying. I knew that the mana was coming from the environment, not the rod. But I hadn't fully worked out how the spells are related to the rod, compared to a spellbook or something similar. Maybe we can say that the rod contains some of the formula for each spell in the form of inscriptions/sigils. I suppose it would only be a small portion of the spell, given their complexity. But the amber orb also acts as an important material focus for the spells, so it's not an entirely optional element. Or whatever works for you, really. I wanted the item to be important, but I can rewrite it a bit if that doesn't ultimately make sense in this verse.
I think making Minerva the last child of Devidas makes sense, and will help connect her with the other characters and the world. I am having a little trouble figuring out where Allan fits on the family tree. The image someone made before helped a bit though. I wouldn't mind having him be from one of the other shoots of the family. A child of Austenos or Fulya perhaps? I didn't touch much on his family history apart from saying he had a strict father. He is on the younger side of the generation, I think? Probably not the child of a mistress. His shame was due to personal failings rather than his own illegitimacy.
I'm totally down to use one of your concepts for the demon captain. Later on you could give me a brief description in PM so I can keep an eye peeled for him!
@Olive FontaineYes, the rod having partial inscriptions of formula would be along the lines of what I was getting at, that part's fine. And as far as the rod/amber orb being a focus, that's also fine; wood, bone, and many other natural materials are used as spell foci because they're conductors of Mana. I was just more getting at the fact that the rod itself wouldn't have like, a battery to store these spells he learned from it or anything--it doesn't contain Mana.
Lol I completely forgot about Austenos, I had originally gone back and added Fulvya but somehow skipped over him! Yes, he'd be a good choice for any Players who still haven't decided their parentage!
Gotcha! I will send over what I've got once I organize it along with the rest of the chaos, lol.
