[CHAR] The Hearts of Azalore (Fantasy, Grim-dark, Rp)

[Roughdragon1]

Saga Berenike

“What use is a shield if I no longer have anything to protect? I would rather focus on killing with both hands."

Saga Berenike

Age: 41

Sex: Male

Race: Human



Personality: Disgruntled, paranoid, distant. These words, and many more similar terms describe Saga in a fairly accurate way. After deserting his former kingdom, he developed an intense distaste for people who abided by codes of honor, etiquette, and other such rules because he believes that people use these codes to mask their true feelings and manipulate others. Because of his mannerisms, or lack thereof, he usually is not looked upon favorably by others because of his brashness and blunt honesty. The only companion he trusts is the one inside his head.

Backstory: Saga hails from a faraway kingdom, in fact, so far away, that whether one goes north, south, east, or west, it makes no difference in the duration of the unhindered journey. This particular kingdom was known for its Knights; their honor, their chivalric values, and their loyal devotion to the cause. He was one of them: Diligent in his service, unyielding, and a stalwart soldier. However, Saga was betrayed by the very values he had treasured so much. He casted away his shield, no longer content with protecting himself. Instead, he now wields his sword with both hands. Fleeing to Silvershire to escape his former kingdom, he took his newfound safety to be a rare blessing. But then again, maybe it wasn't.

Equipment

His old plate armor, once shining with a proud gleam and polish, an armor once thought to be impenetrable by his old enemies, is now dirty, rusted, and worn with age. It holds well against most attacks, but it is still very far from what it used to be.

His sword, a sturdy blade as tall as himself, is the only piece of his equipment he still keeps in relatively good shape. Useful for beating back the opposition, it is just as you would expect from a sword, and often, the ordinary blade is all a soldier needs.

When he was a child, he was given a “mind companion”, a certain voice only he can hear. This voice has a personality of its own, and is meant to act as a “sixth sense”, telling him relative information in regards to his surroundings.

[Utrax]

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[Kalleth]

Broggan Hrafnstunga

The Priest of the Æsir

Name: Broggan Hrafnstunga (Ra-fins-toon-ga)

Age: 60

Sex: Male

Race: Dwarf

Broggan's Appearance

"And Odin's wisdom guide you, and though if you should falter, I will wield Thor's strength, and Loki's cunning, to try and help you, may Odin's wisdom guide us all."

Personality: Low Openness, low neuroticism, medium agreeableness, high conscientiousness, low extraversion.

Reverent, chaste, and even-tempered, Broggan is an oddity of a dwarf, however he's always liked reading books, performing rites for the gods, and preaching their wisdom to those who need it. Broggan is also not opposed to having a good time, however he strongly disapproves of letting loose, and would prefer people indulge in their vices and passions with a measure of respect for what is dignified, and civilized. He is a strong proponent of civilization, and good decent manners, and believes that because the potential to maintain civility over savagery exists in the sentient races, one of his duties is both to set an example for that very thing, as well as to engender and encourage it in others.

Backstory: Born and raised in a secluded farmer's temple, became a devout novice of the cult of the Æsir when he was still a child. Eventually became the Head Priest when his uncle died. Broggan was very aware of the beginnings of corruption when it started to seize the land, and he was not surprised when a crew of brigands burned down his chapel.

Ever since then, Broggan's been the wandering preacher. The lost soul, trying to gather other lost souls into the welcoming arms of the gods. A holy man by trade, practice, and demeanour, he has never allowed himself to sink into destitution, and has no qualms about getting dirty doing good honest hard work. Many's been the time he's weeded a garden for a copper, or cleaned the stables, or emptied chamberpots. Broggan's philosophy has taken him all the long way from his idyllic childhood into the grim present day, where the man of faith occupies himself currently as both a street-preacher and waiter at the Bloodied Wolf.

Equipment:

Cult of Æsir Robes

Ashwood Staff

Medallion of Odin (Enchanted; Grants the wearer additional wisdom and mental acuity.)

Ring of Bragi (Enchanted; Charms the wearer's voice to more easily persuade, diminishes in power with every additional attempt to persuade.)

Bandolier (Holds Broggan's Pouches and Kit)

Rituals; Catalyst Pouch (Contents; Pig Blood, Incense, Holy Water)

Rituals; Component Pouch (Contents; Fulgurite, Agate, and Peridotite Crystals, Raven Bones, Poppy, Yarrow Seeds)

Books (Blank, and copied volumes)

Ink

Pen Nibs and Twine

Herb Pouch (Contents; Medicines and Healer's tools)

Trauma Kit (Contents: Bandages, salves, medical adhesive)

Flint & Steel

Magic:

Rituals

Storm of Asgard -

A ritual which brings down a torrential storm which washes away all opposition, striking down resistance by mighty bolts of lightning, and deafening the screams through thunder, while winds tear at all that stands a few scant inches above the earth. Once a ritualmaster activates the storm, they too must flee or else face the wrath of the gods.

Requirements: Fulgurite Crystal, splashed with Pig Blood, taking 10 minutes to prepare. Requires incantation, as well as use of specific activation gestures that resemble a rain dance.

Bifrost Conveyance -

Allows the wielder to transport items and/or people from or to a location of their choosing. Constraints; The ritual needs to have been prepared in both places, so this spell is effectively useless without forward planning. In addition, the odd nature of the ritual means that either items or people can be transported at one time, but not both. The upper limit of this is one's clothes and limited personal effects, but it increases the danger of using the ritual. Furthermore, the magic is not instantaneous, merely much, much quicker than travelling through the physical space and time in reality, thus a cooldown period and re-working of the ritual will be necessary with each additional use.

Requirements: Pentagrams of incense must be drawn up in chalk in two separate locations, and two halves of a Raven's Fingerbone must be divided between the two sites, taking 20 minutes to 24 hours to prepare. Burning the incense activates the ritual, but requires the ritualmaster to continuously chant to keep the portal open.

Elixirs of Vanaheim -

Ritual restores the energies of an Ability Magic wielder, or reinforces an Enchantment, or prolongs a ritual (other than Elixirs of Vanaheim of course).

Requirements: Poppy Seeds mashed into a pomace and blended with Holy Water, applied to an Ability Magic wielder, Enchanted Object, or Ritual, takes 5 minutes to prepare. Once the mixture is applied, the ritualmaster must activate the substance by burning incense and using activation gestures, and the focal points of the influx of magical energy, be they pressure points on a Magic Wielder, binding points on a Magic Weapon, or the focal item in a Ritual, must all be coated in the substance, and invoked by the ritualmaster's gestures.

Tremors of Jotunheim -

A ritual which causes a miniature earthquake in a localized area.

Requirements: Pig's Blood is splashed over Agate Crystal, and then hammered into the ground at a precise angle in time with a chant, takes 5 to 20 minutes to prepare. Once inserted into the ground, the crystal must be covered in incense, and the incense must be burned in time with the chant.

Light of Alfheim -

Provides illumination (always, with following options being mutually exclusive to each other), cleanses wounds, repels Draugr (undead), and can provide a weak shield (more dilution) against combative magic.

Requirements: Begin by dousing Yarrow seeds in Holy Water, then rub the seeds on the item in question, takes 2 minutes to prepare. Then a special chant and gesture is performed, and when the item is in close proximity to burning incense, the command phrase is uttered, and the item will activate and the ritual begin.

Winds of Niflheim -

Ritual unleashes a torrent of wind that blows foes away in a specific direction.

Requirements: Soak Peridotite in Pig's Blood, dust the side from which the Winds are to blast with incense, takes 2 minutes to prepare. Burn the incense, and utter the chant.

Misc: Broggan is intended entirely as a support character, and is incapable of defending himself when casting any of the above rituals. Naturally, some of these rituals have a very offensive potential, however it should be borne in mind that each offensive ability is a ritual that requires ample time and warning to prepare, activate, and re-apply.

Broggan can Hurry his ritual prep, halving the time needed to prepare, but multiplying the chance of the ritual failing by 1.5x. If the ritual fails, the components are still consumed.

Broggan can Rush his ritual prep, quartering the time needed to prepare, but multiplying the chance of the ritual failing by 3.0x. If the ritual fail, the components are still consumed.

Broggan's pouches have room for approximately ten ritual focus components, and their accompanying catalysts.

[semicolon]

Falan L'tar

Falan L'tar

72 - Male - Elf

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Personality:

He is silent and keeps to himself. As an elf, he's had years of biases put into him that it makes him harder to consider those other than elves allies. Biased against other races, he is deeply wary of them and will be on the defensive, leaving no vulnerabilities exposed. However, he is a deeply caring individual and works to protect anything he values - which would be the flora and fauna, the world. Feelings of protectiveness for the state of the world is rooted in his mind and will continue to be so. This is also one of the reasons his biases won't be easily expelled. Still, he wishes no bloodshed of any kind.

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Backstory:

Falan lived in a secluded sanctuary, like most of his kin do. His world revolved around caring for the forest and its creatures. Every threat to the forest and its inhabitants, he eliminated without hesitation. It earned his the title of protector of the forest, along with others. He stood out among them his peers, using his magic and skills to restrain and get rid of invaders and any who bore ill will that entered their domain without shedding a drop of blood.

At least, it started that way. As the decades passed, more and more had come and been ejected from their forest. His methods weren't working as he'd hoped. Sure, he got rid of them fast, but more still kept trespassing, slowly destroying their long exclusion from the outside world. Thus, he has turned to training himself in using weapons that will harm. Through time, he grew as a fighter and was good at it. The change in him and his fellow protectors' approach deterred any more evil from to entering.After more years of peace, he realized he'd better end the source of torment if they were to truly enjoy this peace.

Leaving his sanctuary, he set off to seek the source of the bane of their peace, and eliminate it. But he didn't know what awaited him and that he'd have to take up his weapons and harm more than he wished to do.

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Equipment:

Chakram

Pair of daggers

Dur's Chains - he uses the chains he's used to restrain trespassers for decades and is enchanted by his magic, increasing its durability and range
Fallhaven Claws - this is the standard weapon given to Falan's unit, a pair of silver gloves and bracers used for clawing and slowly making the enemy bleed and weakened.

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Magic:

Ritual

Mists of Fallhaven - A thick fog will envelop the area around Falan, emanating from where its magic circle is engraved. As known with fog/mist, visibility can be very low but along with it, the five senses will be dulled if they're in the circle, meaning, less pain is also experienced but death quite possible.

This takes a short time to prepare and must use his twin silver daggers as conduit and engraving tool but is actually done slower due to the requirement being that he's actively engaged in battle while slowly drawing the points of the magic circle and putting them altogether with threads of magic. The magic circle will serve as the origin of the mist and will be present within the circle. The mist will only spread if he channels his magic to it. Once the channeling of magic is done, it's range will extend and will remain like so with a steady supply of his mana.

Allies of Fallhaven - Falan syncs his soul and magic to that of his allies, helping him sustain the Mists longer.

Syncing one another's soul and magic requires Falan and the other individual to have known each other adequately. They must meditate with one another for at least an hour a day and have fundamental knowledge of each other. It works best if they know each other inside and out, making the sync easier and the supply of magic to Falan less taxing. While synced soul and magic to Falan, they can enter the Mists without getting lost and will sense danger unlike enemies who'll take the full effect of the mist.

There is only one known side-effect that Falan knows. It drains magic (or stamina if the person doesn't have magic) passively when their inside the Mists. The draining effect is absent if they are not within the mist.

Another backlash, unknown to Falan, is there are times when his thoughts are actually his allies' thoughts. This occurs rarely but he won't know it wasn't his, at all. The real danger is that when those thoughts that seem to become his own is so vastly different to who he is, it ends up straining his mind, slowly pushing him to the process of insanity. He has no way of knowing this and his allies do not experience it. Messing with the soul is dangerous.

Enchantment

Dur's Chains - Dur was Falan's master. He passed onto Falan his pair of enchanted chains. These silver chains can extend their range and are more durable than the material they're made of. By storing his magic inside the chains, the effect cast by Dur activates, strengthening them and have them extend Falan's fighting range. Once Falan stops supplying it with magic, it will return to just being normal silver chains.

Ability

Augmentation - He can increase his senses and other physical abilities two-fold for several minutes. He can only choose two specific abilities upon casting and the upon next cast should be the other abilities left. This is good with short to medium-length battles but he can't use it frequently in drawn out battles.

Vector - Falan can move those who enter an unseen ring of magic around him that starts 5 feet to 10 feet with him as point of origin. Upon stepping inside the ring, if Falan chooses to activate this ability, his eye brightens for a second and moving a single unit within the circle in one direction. The force and efficiency relies on the magic resistance and magical capability of the unit. It will, at best, move the target three feet away. At worst, it will only give a feeling of being pushed/knocked back three inches.

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Misc:

Hider

Falan prefers to end fights immediately. He can fight drawn-out battles, but the magic at his disposal can't be used to their utmost potential. He can learn to improve them, but it will take time and effort, and a great deal of experience.

Vector is cast instantly and will only be delayed or suppressed if the target unit has strong magic resistance or has a counter spell. They will be moved, even just a few inches. It also has potential moving several units, with practice and experience.

Falan believes he can cast Augmentation with his allies if he comes to know who they are and what their abilities are. But first, he needs to lengthen its duration being cast on himself.

He is deeply biased but when he comes to know someone fundamentally and respects them, he will be a friend for centuries.

While having quite the magic ensemble, he is a melee fighter and Vector is more used to avoid fighting every enemy at once. He prefers restraining but will harm if there's no other way.

[Zelosse]

First character - Status: Alive

"Watch your mouth. The dark has ears only the light can destroy."

Name: Grimlock Lifesbane (Formerly Randolph Beuller)
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Charismatic and light hearted, trained to honor the living and dead alike, Grimlock strives to uphold the values of the temple even after he has walked away from it. While he is often considered an angry or violent individual at first glance due to the appearance of his armor, Grimlock is a very friendly person. Self sacrifice and determination are the cornerstones of his life now.

Rarely backing down from an opponents challenge, Grimlock is known to be a bit of a boaster.

Backstory: A denizen of the underground city known as 'Avernus', built in a massive cave system below the fetid swamps far to the north. Rarely do people venture from to/from this place teeming with monsters and brigands. It is one such being that changed the path of Randolph when the weakened man wandered into the cavern systems.
Found collapsed on the smooth stones covered in wounds, young Randolph ignored the dangerous looking armor and focused on the dieing person inside. Three months it took for this silent man to heal from the many terrible wounds, every day he was treated with respect and no judgement by the clergy.
Their talks often became one of the darkening skies outside their home. Deaths on the roads, blades clashed on the regular, and assassins were hired to kill what an army could never approach.

Clad in armor made of wood, steel, and bone, Grimlock was one such assassin who had taken life for coin. In the darkness of the caverns is where the light had finally found him. Indebted to the kindness of the people and those of the faith in their slumbering gods he would teach the willing to wield a blade to defend their home, protect their families. Randolph studied the way of the sword alongside the ways of his faith.
When the man in strange armor fell silent for good he mourned the loss as one would a brother.

When the same fate took the life from his father it was time to make a decision. The temple needed a new high cleric to fill the position and it was Randolph left to decide what path he would walk.
The path of his father or the advice of his father.

Randolph dawned the outsiders strange armor and left the city under the mans name, determined to make the world remember a good mans name. Armed with the miracles of his faith and the strength of his arms he would meet destiny many times on the road.

Equipment:

• Faithful - More of an executioners chopping blade than a true sword but as Grimlock shows, it can be put to deadly use. Heavy as it is sharp this weapon can just as easily crush a foe as split them. Can be used effectively in one hand but is slower without two hands.
• Eternal Sun - A sacred piece of holy cloth worn by the highest ranking members of the sunken temples. It is their symbol of status, easily distinguishing them in the crowd with the pure white silk and gold thread. The piece of cloth is stained with dirt and a bit of old blood around its edges but retains its color.
  Grimlock can cast two spells with the use of his sacred cloth.

Blessed blade - swiping the edge of his blade with Eternal Sun activates the holy magic imbued into the weapon, creating a trail of dancing sparks across its surface that shock enemies hit.

Blessed body - Kneeling down and placing the Eternal Sun against his forehead, Grimlock releases a portion of the stored energy to increase his own strength temporarily along with a very minor regenerative effect.

Only one of these two spells can be cast at a time.

Misc:

Click me!

Second character - For when the first one dies!

Appearance

"In the fires of my hate you will be sundered from this world in body and soul, to be reborn again from the ashes when at last your stained soul is pure again."

Marcus Krueber

Age: 35
Sex: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Marcus is a blunt kind of person. Utterly unafraid of confrontation or humiliation, given or received, and will tell you his thoughts when he feels it is appropriate. Most obstacles are approached with a calm mind and a rational train of thought, but anyone who has spent time with him on his travels will tell you there is a darker creature lurking in his heart. It thrashes against his sanity relentlessly when the fighting is over. This is a man who teeters on the razors edge of insanity.

It is manifested in his often self-destructive use of magic.

Backstory: Fate. Everyone wishes to believe they are destined for greatness or dread the idea of wallowing in despair and depravity as they lick the boots of their betters. Your role in this lifetime, this universe, is nothing more than the plaything of a god. A deranged being of unlimited power and knowledge that sees past, present, and future, simultaneously with ease as they determine where you fit on the grand chessboard that is.. Fate.
Life and Death.
Some come to accept that they are predetermined to die and eagerly run into battle without fear of what will steal their life forever. The corruption of this world has destroyed the fates so it seems, my predictions often speak of ghastly ends and dark times. People have begun to break under the weight of their hopes shattering around them and now rush headlong into their deaths with reckless abandon.

In my youth I have tried to divine my purpose through the cards and rarely was the same answer given, never is the future clear. Circumstances can change in an instant. All it takes is one person.
When the corruption took the lands I learned of my future. The cards speak of my fate as the end of fire. Does that mean the magic I wield will be lost forever, or does it mean my life will end? There is no way for me to know. Countless times over the years since this premonition was first shown to me and still the answer has not changed. It is the same cards over and over to the same question..

All it takes is one person to change everything.

I will not fade away quietly.

Equipment:

• 2 sets of Tarot cards, and one set of standard playing cards. The standard cards are incredibly worn as they have seen the most use over the years, with random cards from other decks found in his travels having been added to it to refill the cards he has literally thrown away.
• The first set of Tarot are used to foretell the future of companions and strangers alike. They dance to his command, drawing the eye inevitably to them as he reads of fate.
• The second set is more valuable. These cards are relics from history, found on the skeletal remains of some poor soul more than a century ago. Yet whatever magic blessing these ornate cards has kept them pristine through the years and use. Rarely will Marcus allow others to see these beautiful cards. They are used for personal tellings exclusively.
• Marcus' armor is incredibly resistant to fire, preventing it from being damaged by his reckless use of wild magic. The same cannot be said for his scarred and burned body.

Spell list: Enchanter / Ability mage

• Immolation
  True to its name, Marcus imbues an item with endless fire that burns the item and everything around it.
• Volatile flame
  Imbues an item with living fire. After a set time, the item will explode dealing fire damage in a small area. Multiple instances of volatile flame can be stacked on top of each other for a greater effect.
• True fire
  A runic enchantment placed on all of the tarot and playing cards in Marcus' possession. The effect is similar to immolation, except it does not injure the wielder and object imbued with fire, but still does a moderate amount of damage to an enemy.
• Regeneration
  An enchantment placed upon both rings he wears. When activated, they will slowly heal his wounds until the magic stored is depleted. At such a point it is a matter of restoring the rings as well.
• Attuned cards
  expending a small amount of his mana, Marcus can control his cards with a few simple hand gestures. The more cards used this way means drains his magical power very quickly so it is usually limited to only a few of his cards at a time.