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Karim can be described as a curious soul. Always wanting to learn more about the world and about the reclusive Yasoi that his parents trade with. He has always been a friendly person, tends to be polite to those he meets for the first time, and treats others well that treat him well. It is a hard thing to make Karim lose his patience with someone. Normally it takes a concentrated effort or just excess laziness to make him lose his patience. Which Karim is someone that tends to be observant with people, a trait that was encouraged by his parents for making better trade deals or learning about potential trader partners. Another trait encouraged by his parents that he learned the hard way was to be careful. Not wanting to make the same rash mistake his father made and will not just rush into a situation.
L A N G U A G E S
Inipori: Fluent Yasoi: Basic Avincian: Fluent
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Tall for someone of his age and has an above-average build. With dark tan skin and with black hair that has been shaved at the sides and is growing back. Sporting blue eyes with a long scar over his left eye. Along with henna tattoos on his forearms. Karim tends to wear practical but elegant clothing. Making clear what social class he belongs to. Though sometimes, he does wear more casual clothing that would betray his merchant heritage when he feels like not drawing attention to himself.
T H E G I F T
Landing on the higher average of the RAS but not quite a prodigy. That and able to afford the cost of Ersand'Enise by being from a wealthy merchant family. Karim had a private tutor teaching him magic before he enrolled and is eager to learn more. Preferring to use magnetic and chemical magics, liking the defensive abilities that come with magnetic while still putting up a solid offense. For chemical magic, he tends to favor spells that can either heal or buff his allies. Maybe not as powerful as Binding magic, but it gets the job done. While he is attempting to create original spells starting with making a magnetic spell.
B A C K G R O U N D
Born to the wealthy Nazeri merchant family in the Kingdom of Paggon. Karim, even at birth, was interesting. For he was the youngest of a set of triplets by only three minutes. This not only ensures that he had siblings to play with but can be somewhat annoying to their parents with their combined antics. However, Karim was never bothered by the fact he was the youngest, and he always had a good relationship with his siblings. Up to a point anyway.
For when Karim was twelve, it was discovered that he not only had the ability to use magic but, strong enough to be taught it. Which changed things for him as his parents managed to get him a private tutor that would teach him the ways of magic. Lessons went well enough, and he liked learning about magic, among other things. He did note how his siblings started to view him because of this since his parents began to favor him as he was the second person in the family to be able to learn magic. A feat that only his great-grandmother had. While his siblings never hated him or anything that he could gather. They did start to hang out with him less and sometimes have fights with each other over petty things. Drifting away from him.
By the time he was fourteen, his father started taking Karim with him on business trips. Which meant that he did he learn more about the world and learn some new languages. But, it never compares to him when his father would take him to trade with the Yasoi nation of Yarsoc. Karim loved traveling there and learning more about the Yasoi, and even learning their language. Though he did note how the Yasoi that his family traded with even with Yarsoc being somewhat aligned with Passon. Still were insular and closed off to them. Cutting straight to the point and rarely talking pleasantly with them. Something that Karim would ponder to why the Yasoi were like this as had learned that the Yasoi used to be more open and travel the world in his books. That and his father told him that they were becoming more and more like this in the decades since they had been trading with them. Still, it was a question that while Karim wanted an answer to, he had more pressing things to worry about.
For just a year later, during a business trip with his father that Karim learned never to be careless or rash. For despite his father's judgment, he made a reckless decision to accept new trade contact that he would personally oversee and travel with the caravan to his new trader contact. Which unknown to him was actually a trap set up by one of their rivals to kill him and anyone he was traveling with. Said trap that failed and left Karim with a long scar on his eye and the first time he people die and his father killing someone. A trip that while they made it home fine and the culprits found out. It left Karim at first hesitant to be near new people or fellow merchants before it got over it just before enrolling at the Ersand’Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy when he was sixteen. But even though he is thrilled about finally coming to this place to learn about magic and meet new people. Some part of him is still wary and watchful of people. Just in case something like the trap happens again.
M O T I V A T I O N
Karim is motivated by learning more about the world and magic. To harness his potential of a mage and to create at least one new spell before his life is over. That and sticking it to the nobles that not just them can harness and learn magic. That and blood does not mean everything. Something parents would tell him as he learned magic from his tutor. Seeing magic as somewhat as an equalizer when it comes to power since a poor commoner with magic could take on a noble mage and win. However, he does secretly fear betrayal from his fellow students and hopes that will never happen here.
I N V E N T O R Y
A silver pendant bearing the symbol of Vashdal, the Dreamer. A Yasoi styled ring, a ring bearing the symbol of the Yasoi faith. A modest amount of coin, a journal with quill and irk, a second journal for drawing, Paggon styled staff, spyglass, and tools and supplies to make and maintain his henna tattoos.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Knowledgeable ❖ Good Artist ❖ Perceptive ❖ Well Travelled ❖ Poltie
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Stubborn ❖ Somewhat paranoid about betrayal ❖ Disrespects nobles but does not show it most of the time ❖ Can be too curious for his own good ❖ Cold towards people his dislikes
A born-explorer, Ilannaq takes after her adventurous father more than her bookworm mother, although she does inherit her intelligence. The half-Eskandish half-Rettanese girl embodies the spirit of ancient Eskandish adventurers, one who embraces dynamic change over the boring stagnancy of the status quo. She has little issues in learning new information and adapting to progress, be they mundane or magical. In fact, she easily gets bored if her studies are restricted, especially if it's due to some silly notion such as tradition, "Oh it's forbidden because some wrinkled old fart says it's dangerous... boo hoo", what a bunch of horseshit. Which brings us to the other side of her personality, her boundless curiosity and strong ambitions combined with a lack of life experience make for one reckless young mage with a rebellious streak. Much like a cat, telling Ilannaq that she mustn't do something - especially if it's by an older figure - will just make her want to do said thing more.
A candle burning bright, but as the saying goes, the candle that burns twice as bright will burn half as long.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Full Body
Sans Robe and Hat
Standing at 155cm (5'1") tall, the adolescent girl is around average height for someone of her age and her penchant for arduous explorations keeps her body athletically slim. Born to an Eskandish father and North Rettanese mother - both people of the subarctic climates - leads to her possessing extremely light hair to the point of being silver-white and the fairest skin complexion that a healthy human can naturally have. She may justifiably be mistaken for an albino, but two things set her apart from true albinos: one, her skin - while very pale - still possesses a level of creamy hue that albinos don't, and two, her deep blue eyes that signify the presence of melanin in her irises whereas real albinos will have reddish or pinkish eyes due to their ocular blood vessels giving color in lieu of their transparent irises.
Anna usually clads herself in garments that are quite functional and show her status as a middle-class individual. Her favorite outfit is a set of white blouse, brown vest, and knee-length magenta skirt (which is considered quite risque for Revidian culture among others, but she couldn't care less), and when outdoors, she dons her dark brown magus robe and hat. The latter two are enchanted with moderate protection against wear, tear, and heat in particular due to the fiery nature of her magic.
L A N G U A G E S
Due to her heritage, Anna is fluent in three distinct languages; Eskandish from her father's side, Rettanese from her mother's side, and Avincian from both. She's equally fluent in all three languages, but can't understand, speak, or write anything else.
T H E G I F T & B A C K G R O U N D
Ilannaq's introduction into the world of magic was rather... unusual to say the least. Unlike most mages, she wasn't actually born with a high RAS potential. Sure, when considering the whole population of the world, she's among the lucky 6% to be able to perform parlor tricks, something she found out during one of her father & daughter travels in which she made a candle's fire swayed like a snake charmer to his cobra, much to the amusement of other sailors on the ship. In that moment, it seemed like Anna's path in life would be a merchant and explorer, just like her father, little did the young girl know that fate would take her elsewhere.
One day, Anna was happily diving into the sea in search of underwater trinkets to collect; corals, clams, and the like, then she noticed something highly unusual at the corner of her eyes. Upon turning her gaze there, she saw what could only be described as a pitch-black coral. As big as she's tall, the object stood like a sore thumb as unlike its vibrantly colorful fellows, this particular coral seemed to reject light itself, being a void of coral-shaped darkness. It was ominous, exuding an aura of eldritch fear as even sea critters steered clear of the thing.
However, being a curious young girl with perhaps too much courage for her own good, Anna approached the thing... and touched it. At that very moment, the shadow coral seemed to vanish into her hand, seeping like gas infusing itself into her body. She panicked for a split second, but the primal fear of drowning settled her mind as she surfaced into land first before trying to analyze just what in the name of the Pentad just transpired. In the end, she still couldn't make sense on what happened and decided to keep the incident to herself since it was so strange, she assumed no one would believe her anyway.
That very same night, Anna dreamt of being visited a... man? Well, he vaguely looked like a man... except made out of shadows, just like that coral. The umbral figure drew close to her, gently whisked locks of her white hair, and lovingly caressed her neck, tingling her, then he put his mouth right beside her ear, whispering sweet nothings into her before he locked their lips together. She whimpered as pleasurable tingles caressed her adolescent body, not yet an adult but had already experienced puberty, then they laid, just like a husband and wife would.
The following morning, Anna woke up all sweaty and bothered, but most importantly, she felt heat in her very soul, practically begging to be released. She surrendered to her instincts and unleashed a jet of flame from her hands, casting an Arcane spell before she even knew what an Arcane school of magic even is. She was dumbfounded... then followed by a jolt as her mattress caught on fire.
It was an incredibly unusual dream and furthermore, though most of them are impossibly difficult to recollect, Anna still vividly remembers that specific dream to this very day. It must be a sign from the gods, from Eshiran-Zept specifically. The Bringer of War had blessed her, empowered her, and it's her duty to seek more of his blessings. That day marked Anna's new path in life as she started seriously pursuing magic as a career. Her parents are of course proud of her, that their only daughter had The Gift even though both of them are just ordinary folk. They showed their support by hiring a personal tutor for her.
It was through the tutor that Anna learned that she possessed a 'Redblood' primary mana type coupled with a 'Fireblood' secondary, making her naturally talented at offensive magic that revolves around fire and heat. Well, that certainly explains everything. Furthermore, she found out that she has a knack for the Arcane and Chemical schools of magic. All of these discoveries reinforce her belief that she's indeed empowered by Eshiran-Zept, after all, isn't that what the clergy say? "Eshiran empower you." Although she keeps her divine encounters with the The Destroyer a secret from everyone, believing it'll sully the god's blessing through arrogance.
Over the next few years, Anna's knowledge and competence over her two chosen schools grew, and while not an outright genius prodigy, she's quite intelligent, enough to make her reliably progress in her studies without major setbacks. In between her lessons, she continued regularly exploring the world under the guise of field studying, and while not a complete lie - she really was field studying - she had an ulterior motive of searching for more of "Eshiran's Blessings". She felt them calling to her and it's only her god-given duty to fulfill her pilgrimage.
As it turned out, she did find more of those umbral entities, they took many forms, often mimicking mundane objects and people aside from their pitch-black texture. Each time she touched them, they vanished inside her and then she'd get another vivid dream with Eshiran-Zept. What always comes next is an increase in her RAS value, something that befuddled her tutor as he believed that it was unheard of for a Redblood to have a rapidly growing RAS. Of course, Anna knew why, but she didn't need to tell her mentor that.
In fact, it was this perceived rare talent that pushed the tutor recommend Anna for enrollment at Ersand'Enise because someone of such talent shouldn't have anything less than the best magical academy in the world. Safe to say, she managed to nab herself a spot amongst the student body.
Indeed Ersand'Enise is undoubtedly the finest academy for aspiring mages, but Anna also found it an oppressive establishment that clings to useless traditions and hinders progress by placing unnecessary restrictions on learning, who are they to stand in the way of progress?
Heh, no matter, by her own hands under the guidance of Eshiran the Destroyer, she'll destroy the status quo and usher a new age of unchained knowledge, of boundless horizons!
M O T I V A T I O N
Ilannaq firmly stands on the side of progress and views tradition as nothing but ill-fated attempts by the old to maintain their status quo. She believes that the so-called 'aberrations' that she met are actually Eshiran's physical manifestation and that she has been chosen - empowered - by the God of Destruction to bring about change by dismantling the old so the new may prosper. She has been given a divine purpose in life and by the Pentad, she's going to fulfill them.
Her greatest fear is being chained, confined with nowhere to grow. She abhors following rules that she herself doesn't agree with and stuffy ceremonies and rituals are nothing but suffocating. Due to said belief of being 'chosen', she thinks quite highly of herself and thus hates being belittled.
I N V E N T O R Y
Most notably from her personal possessions are two arcane foci, a magus' tools of the trade. The first takes the form of a broom, except it's actually a staff and the 'broom' end contains pockets of phosphorus powder in which she can ignite to provide both heat and rapid chemical reactions for her to draw from and eventually cast her spell through it. The second one is a wand, but with a thicker grip than average, it's functionally similar to her staff in that it contains powdered phosphorus for her to use as a Drawing and Casting aid.
Aside from these items, she loves to collect various trinkets and souvenirs from her travels and those sent to her by her parents. She keeps a journal to record personal notes and sketch things she saw. She isn't the type to flaunt wealth much so she rarely carries a lot of money on her person, just enough for her to get by while she stores the rest at Ersand'Enise's local bank.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Well-traveled and street-smart, you can count on her to take care of herself just fine. ❖ Self-assured and courageous, resulting in a strong mental composure. It'll take a lot to genuinely scare her. ❖ Diligent and ambitious, rarely slacks off from her studies. ❖ Proactive contributor and confident decision-maker, any group she's in will not be burdened by stagnancy. ❖ Great swimmer, a given considering her maritime traveler background.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Casting Addiction: One of the side-effects of her seeking out "Eshiran's Blessings" is her mind developing a peculiar urge to cast spells, destructively offensive spells to be exact. She derives pleasure from flexing her arcane muscles and the bigger the spell, the more pleasurable it is for her, not unlike a drug addict. If she doesn't get to do this, she'll fall into withdrawal with symptoms ranging from restless fidgets to an overwhelming, uncontrollable compulsion to cast a fireball or two, right then and there regardless of the consequences. ❖ Lack of respect toward authority figures, deserved or not. ❖ Deluded sense of superiority, believes she has been chosen by a god. ❖ Poor repertoire of defensive spells, the method of defense is to explode your enemies first before they can act. ❖ Weak against the cold, which is a bit ironic considering her ethnicity.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ Her faceclaim is Elaina from Majo no Tabitabi. ❖ Her character's concept draws inspiration from Megumin (Konosuba), Illidan Stormrage (Warcraft III), and Enrico Pucci (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure). ❖ Color Code: e783a4
" Knowledge is key, but what have you sods done with it? Hoarded it all to yourselves, treasuring it for generations like the wyrms of yore my father told me about.
So, help me by Shune's light, if I have to hear one of you snobs preaching at me again about the sanctity of magic, I'll shove my bascinet up your arsehole."
Proud, quick with sarcastic barbs and having an almost fetishistic tendency to wear his bascinet no matter the situation, Onarr's witticisms and quirky habits disguise a highly inventive mind that constantly races with countless theories and conjectures about every facet of the natural sciences and the Five Magics. This primarily stems from exposure to a potent combination of Stresian philosophy from his mother and the emerging school of New Rationality which was birthed in the Republic of Joru. It is such that he can find himself entering fugue states for days on end, stuck in his laboratory with little to no human communication.
However, beneath his thirst for invention and progress, Onarr is primarily an individual who seeks knowledge for the sake of benefiting the many, most notably his family and his younger siblings. As such, he has a notable distaste for nobles and those of higher stature, looking down upon them as anti-intellectuals that have purposefully obstructed the teaching of the Gift to the vast majority of the lower classes. His observation of the strife between the Republic of Joru and the Empire of Belgazzir have also made him extremely suspicious of any matter involving military affairs, believing that the Gift should be used for the benefit of study instead of being used to erect mass graves across Constantina.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
With the assistance of his heirloom pig-steel bascinet, Onarr easily reaches the shoulders of the tallest adolescent bachelors in the Ersand'Enise. Without his bascinet, however, Onarr is liable to drown himself at the shallow end of any pond if he is not cautious enough. He compliments his most emblematic fashion accessory with a yellow-dyed leather cloak, a linen shirt and rawhide leather boots. When he's not in his mage apparel, Onarr typically wears simple practical vestments made of cloth, camel leather and roughspun flax
Underneath his helm, Onarr believes he looks likes the spawn of a fishmonger and an emaciated moose. However, the reality is far less horrifying for this adolescent than he truly believes. Onarr's dark skin is pocketed with burn scars and raised welts from his childhood misadventures involving the unlimited power of lightning. His left eyebrow has been completely singed off alongside his right sideburns and most of his hair, leaving a solitary chestnut mop in place. His dimpled smile and mischievous grin still remain, however.
L A N G U A G E S
His time spent under the tutelage of the local Stresian order in Joru and operating his father's smithy has bequeathed him with the budding talents of an multi-linguistic. He is fluent and well-versed in his local dialects of Joruban alongside two or three common dialects of Belzaggic. No matter his attempts at trying, Mezogolese has escaped his grasp, only having managed a rudimentary intermediate level consisting of a creole of several dialects. Additionally, he has academic understanding of various Avinician dialects, although he prefers to use the most common form used throughout Constantina.
Onarr doesn't prefer to admit this to anyone but he also knows various swear words, slang, insults, innuendos and profanity picked up from his father's customers in over a dozen languages from Yasoi to Rettanese.
T H E G I F T
Onarr's talents lie in the school of magnet magic, being considerably more versed and creative in its use than other students of his age, thanks to his blessed Thunderchild lineage from his mother and a decade of practice underneath the tutors of the Stresian Order and a six moon apprenticeship under Dioha, the Magnet Master of the local Joru Mage Guild. He prefers drawing on chemical and arcane sources to perform his magnetic magic and can draw on ambient environmental charge in a pinch if he needs to.
His most accomplished recorded feats in the Joru Stresian Order are his ability to mimic other schools of magic through ingenuity and application of scientific theory. His most famous (and often destructive) discovery which earned him entry into Ersand'Enise is what he refers to as "The Phlogiston Pummel". His other, less memorable (but no less academically important to the annals of Stresian journals) feats include increasing the temperature of objects by focusing current through them, managing to levitate 1 feet in the air courtesy of his helmet and manipulation of his own skeletal muscle neurons via conduction of bio-electricity.
However, in spite of his aptitude in magnet magic, no one has ever seen Onarr throw a visible bolt of lightning or channel any lightning spells since he was 8. The excuses provided by Onarr are always changing and always performed with a stretched smile that nobody can see.
Onarr's other preferred school of magic is the art of Chemical Magic. He does not possess a natural talent for it but thanks to countless drills enforced by him in Dioha and endless nights of sifting through dusty tomes, he is what many in the art would consider an excellent user. he mainly focuses on applying it in a utilitarian manner in most of his experiments and for his own cooking. He is woefully out of practice, much to his embarassment, when it comes to the art of applying chemical magic in combat.
His father has also attempted to impart some of his talents in Arcane magic to Onarr, much to both of their frustration. He has only managed to learn several basic cantrips which were rudimentary enough to assist his father in the smithy.
B A C K G R O U N D
Somnes the 24th, Dami-Zept 53
Finally, I have some time to myself to reflect in peace. Dahoi always told me that a good mage always writes at the end of the day, but, alas steady decks are impossible to find when you embark on the Constantin seas. Being on land is far more preferable to suffering from sea-sickness.
The road to Revedia is a long one but perchance, I found a yam farmer willing to ferry me to the border of where Ersand'Enise is supposedly located. There were many reasons that factored into my decision: namely, the sturdy breed of famed albino Revidian steeds that he has tamed, the excellent craftsmanship of his ride and miraculously, his recipe for baked sliver yams that I must try again on the morrow once I finish writing.
I find myself in recent times reflecting on where it all began. It is important that I retrace my steps now, lest, I lose sight of my past at Ersand'Enise. I reckon too many mages forget where they came from and how they became who they were now.
Father tries to deny it but the blood business of war bade him to travel from Eskand to the ports of the Republic of Joru. He gambled his savings and I suppose it paid off. Lucky him. Most people of his station would have died had they attempted that endeavor. Volu, a principality of Jeru, had fallen to a combination of Belzaggic economic pressure and hired sell-sword companies. The carrion fields, rich with steel and sliver, were ripe to be reforged by blacksmiths and were in demand by the various principalities of Joru. Joru was not the Joru it is now. It was untamed, feral with new ideas that blossomed into the embers of the revolution, rich and stoked by the aggression of the Belzaggic neighbours. This flame, wild and intoxicating, attracted various groups like moths to candle-light.
It was how my father met my mother. She was a Stresian philosipher from East Constantina and was part of a missionary group to Joru. My father won't tell me much of the details but their first encounter, if I remember correctly, was a theological argument over the existence of Shune. What followed after that were more vigorous arguments in the privacy of their bed-chambers.
And that was how I and eventually, Aldrr, were born.
I scarcely remembered when I first manifested the Gift. Mother says it was on the midseason of Stresia, on a rainy day, that I cried and a lightning bolt split the willow tree in front of our house in twain. Father says it was when he tried to spank me for being a little shit for trying to touch the coals and I sent him to the apothecary with a headache.
Needless to say, I was attracted to the art of magnetry. I wouldn't discover why until I visited a sanctioned body chemist mage in the Stresian guild but it was the primacy of it, the chaotic energy flowing and ebbing all around me. I moved my first nail when I was five and eventually graduated to anvils at the seven. Father wanted me to be enrolled at the Iluran Public Academy in Joru whilst Mother wanted me to study under the Stresian Philosiphers. One was worried I was going to end up becoming a preacher whilst the other was worried that I was going to be lost in a tide of other gifted children like me.
So, I chose both.
Past that decision, I remember little but cherished memories that I have. I can't tell which ones were my favorite. When I wrote my first disassertion of Kurtz's theories of ferrous magnetism at nine? When I won my local Ziggurtal spitting competition? When I kissed an apple farmer's daughter and was chased out of her father's orchards? If I were to write them all, it would take several days.
I wish Aldrr
Ersand'Enise took immediate notice of my publications when I was 13. They sent one of their Zenos to observe me and within a year, I received my invitation to study at the academy.
The rest is history and that is how I am currently stranded halfway across Revedia with the present company of yam farmers.
Supper awaits me now. I wonder how they make those baked yams so chewy.....
M O T I V A T I O N
Onarr's motivation is the progression of science underneath the auspices of the Five Magics and using its developments to assist and enlighten the people of Constantina, no matter the cost to himself. He believes that the hallowed halls of Ersand'Enisem, its parties, its ancient tomes and the local Zigguretal spitting scene will help him in his endeavor to help both his family and humanity as a whole.
He has considerably mixed feelings towards the institutions of the Quentic Faith, viewing those of Shune in a fairer light than those of the others. In his own words, most Quentic religious institutions are "barmy cults of the Old Gods made anew who only serve to pilfer gold from those who have little and prop up the satchels of the unfaithful".
I N V E N T O R Y
On his person, Onarr's always wears his triple-forged fabulous steel cone bascinet which acts as the primary focus of his magnetic magicks. Many attempts have been made by his tutors and his family to replace the helmet with a traditional rod of castle-forged steel or brass that magnet mages use but Onar stubbornly refuses, claiming that the dimensions of his helmet help in the conduction of ambient currents (Or whatever excuse he wants to make). Other foci that he uses are a oil wick lantern for the Arcane School of Magic and a elm spoon for the Chemical School of Magic.
Onarr's other belongings include.....
- A bag of Zigurattal seeds, freshly harvested and cured. - A set of smithing tools - A poultice of whale oil - A pickled salmon wrapped in clam cloth - A Shune phycaletery necklace given to him by his Mother - A personal journal with charcoal - Various tomes about the natural sciences and the Five Magics - A pouch of sea salt, red pepper and dried Joru root - A set of magnifying glasses
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Skilled smith under the tutelage of his father. Has the calluses to prove it. ❖ Stressian junior philosopher and scholar. Recognized as an aspirant of the School of Magnetism. ❖ Versed in cooking Joru and Constantin cuisine. ❖ Ziggurtal Spitting Afficionado* ❖ Fleet-footed from time playing tag with Aldrr in Joru's forests.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ High Strung Temperament ❖ Zealot of Science/Extremely Suspicious Of Religion In General ❖ Stubborn ❖ Highly recalcitrant towards usage of spells on living beings ❖ Phobia of Great Gulls ❖ Issues With Being Vertically Challenged
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
*THE RULES OF ZIGURATTAL SPITTING ABRIDGED
Zigurattal Spitting is a sport originating from the ancient tribes that originally formed Belzagg and has since been modernized, changed and has split into various sub-types across the continent of Severa. The gambling scene on Zigurattal Spitting rivals that of ostrich jousting and the Alchemist's Award. Several prominent Belzaggic nobles have promoted the sport and have engaged in it. The Republic of Joru has attempted to ban the sport on more than one occasion but after the appearance of illegal zigurattal spitting scenes, numerous protests and various letters of concerns from apothecaries about exposure to toxic crops of zigurattal, the republic has since legalized it.
Zigurattal spitting revolves around the Zigarattal bean which is grown in the south of East Severa. It is notoriously fickle to grow and can only be harvested once a year. The bean is heated to remove the outer shell and a striped green seed is removed from the core. This is the Zigurattal, the core of Zigurattal spitting, and has several properties which distinguish it from other seeds. Of note by scholars, Zigurattal seeds possess a mixture of elasticity and brittleness, having parallel capabilities to that of a rubber ball. However, upon reaching a certain number of bounces, Zigurattal seeds lose this property and become extremely fragile, breaking upon impact. It has been the subject of scholar's debate for centuries over what causes this to occur. Due to its small size, the only way to achieve locomotion with the Zigurattal seed is to use one's mouth to launch the seed.
Zigurattal Spitting is typically operated with a total of 3 competitors standing 20 paces away from a series of 50 differently colored wooden posts. Different colors correlate to different amounts of points, with red being the lowest and gold being the highest. Players must take turns spitting and hitting these posts to collect the most amount of points. Skilled players are able to bounce their seeds between multiple posts. However this runs the risk of breaking the Zigurattal, leading to what is known as a "crack". Therefore, players must manage the durability of their chosen Zigurattal and how many points they want to accumulate.
A young man of simplicities, Bongo is happy with little in his life. A drink and friends to laugh with, reasons to keep busy, Bongo knows what he wants out of life and how to get it. Bongo likes people to be comfortable around him, and is always there to listen to those who need an ear. Though he might not always understand things, he tries his best and rarely is discouraged by the results. He loves his family, his friends and is willing to give his father a chance.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
A mountain of a young man, Bongo is not just tall, but wide as well. He has a strong, cut body of muscle built over years of physical labor that is covered in a patchwork pattern of scars, ranging from accidents to brawls. His skin is reasonably tan from work in the sun, and his hair has yet to have been cut even since his birth, leaving him to often tie it away from his face in a loose ponytail. He has a kind smile and is extremely animated, often moving and gesturing with every other word. He prefers durable clothing meant for work, but his recent noble status has added to his closet. A strange young man to see, especially given his ethnically different appearance from many in East Severa, though the fact he takes very heavily after his father who is Torraggonese, and his mother his is also of mixed race and of a lighter complexion.
He wears two rings and a necklace at all times. The necklace comes from his mother, one of the more expensive things she owned before being risen alongside him to noble status, and a gift to her son. While simple, the silvery necklace is something he holds dear. The first ring is simple, and made of iron with a cheap gem embedded in it's surface. The ring had been a gift from him to who had once been his betrothed, all he had been able to afford at the time, the ring had been little more than a show as at the time they both knew she would not survive the illness. The final and third ring is much more expensive, made of gold and with a sizable chunk of obsidian in it's surface. A gift from his father once he had been discovered... "For my new heir, and a physical apology for not having known your childhood."
Though he is a blueblood and a Leadvein, Bongo has not even thought of the use of magic since his birth, he had been far too busy for that. Though now that he has a place at the school, he finds two things interesting. He designates his primary focus as Kinetic, making great use of his ability to change his own momentum and increase the force of his physical attacks, with everything else being a bonus. Binding also gave him great interest, able to aid people through creation and healing. Bongo is a very durable young man, Leadvein making him just that harder to put down, not to mention his defensive usages of both Kinetic and Binding magic.
B A C K G R O U N D
He was raised a commoner, of no specific trade and destined for a life of hard labor and farming. However, unknown to him his mother's refusal to speak of his father would eventually catch up with them. Bongo was the bastard son of a nobleman, something he would learn years later, after becoming a known figure in his village and after losing his childhood love to sickness. Though he holds a few grudges about the man now calling him son, Bongo had never been able to hold onto things like that for very long. His father seems kind enough, and more than happy to find he had a son not only of such impressive physical form, but of magical aptitude, something Bongo himself had been surprised at as well. As the world opens up around this simple young man, he almost wishes it would just close back up again and let him pretend that things aren't as complicated as they really are.
M O T I V A T I O N
If Bongo is to be known as a nobleman's heir, he will do as he always has, and try his hardest. He seeks to perfect his magic, and later his ability to lead others. He wants to help people with his newfound power, both magical and otherwise. Outside of this he has little other motivations, other than a drink and a laugh.
I N V E N T O R Y
Iron Ring / Silver Necklace / Obsidian, gold ring
Sweetie Kinetic Trained Raven The last thing you hear before a cup flies across the room and hits you.
With an RAS level of around 4.8, (impressive for a bird) Sweetie knows only a handful of magic from his school, but the first few early years of his life spend around the school paired his intelligence and curiosity means that he knows those few things by heart.
Capable of using Solid Telekenisis, Siphon Momentum and Impart Momentum all at low levels, While he isn't a real mage by any definition of the word, he can be extremely annoying to find paired alongside Mara.
He posesses little of else value save the jewelry he keeps on him so often, save perhaps his journal. A confusing mess, it contains everything from short passages on important events, to recipes and even shortstories.
❖Slow Reader ❖Stubborn ❖Headstrong (Once he finds a goal, he rarely strays from it and this can often be dangerous for him) ❖Deadened nerves (Possibly due to many factors, he has some issues feeling not only pain, but many things such as cold and touch. This obviously can be dangerous.) ❖Heavy Drinker (Once he starts drinking, he rarely stops until he passes out)
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Anything not covered above goes here. You can leave this blank if you like.
Vyrik comes off as quite a simple mind. He says what he’s thinking and does what he feels like. He is strongly driven by his emotions more than careful thought, or any thought. Despite his own hardships he holds a positive outlook on life, always pressing forward, moving on. Some might consider it avoidant or running away. He is friendly and kind hearted to nearly all. He grew up on the docks working on sailing ships, meeting people from all nations. He genuinely enjoys helping others. He holds little malice in his heart except towards Eskan nobility.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Vyrik likes to adorn himself with trinkets. He puts them in his long dark hair. Ties them to his many belts. Is always wearing loose flowing scarves and many other unnecessary accessories. Why pick one thing when you can wear them all? Not that ‘all’ was ever much for him. Like the sailors he admires his shirt is always open. He is slightly taller than average and of a lean build. There are muscles hidden beneath his loose clothing. His infectious care-free and daring attitude only adds to his well practiced charming roguish grin. But it’s the eyes that draw people in. Those piercing orbs containing an unusual red hue, the colours seemingly shifting or undulating within through shades or crimson and maroon on their own accord. He has a tattoo of a bird on his left shoulder/arm and often wears the feathers he has found.
L A N G U A G E S
His native tongue is Revidian, with a working knowledge of Eskandish and the lingua franca: Avincian. His reading and writing are passable, Avincian his strongest, Revidian not far behind but Eskandish is a slow struggle.
T H E G I F T
Vyrik barely got into the school. Beyond his natural gift for ‘slow-falling’, his magical talent doesn’t seem that great nor are his grasps on the basic concepts. His step mother tried to pass on a little of what she knew but it didn’t really stick. So far he has had most luck in drawing from sound or his own momentum. Right now only utility magic is available to him. He has managed to use kinetic energy to move slightly faster, change direction quicker or enhance a sound when absolutely needed. He is now currently focused on trying to learn how to ‘dull’ a sound in a controlled calm environment.
He knows a few little alchemical tricks spawned from his step mothers teachings that can only be obtained with assistance from correct and measured chemicals. He creates minor childish nuisances like smoking pipes, clapping stones or sun sticks.
His most proud trick, not just for its utility but its complication and execution, also his highest level of demonstratable skill involves a mix of magnetic and kinetic as he uses the two to unlock a door from the other side. He shows absolutely no aptitude for anything beyond those three schools. Kinetic, Chemical, Magnetic
B A C K G R O U N D
Vyrik grew up in the ports of Revidian but he is likely the first of his family to do so. Not that he knows much about his true family or the complicated matters that brought him to be. He is blissfully unaware of all the dark secrets that surround his past. All he knows, and all he cares about is that he was raised by an Eskandish woman who was always the mother to him that she claimed to be, that is until some Eskandish soldiers came and took her away. He knows he is a little different to others, and he believes his mother when she told him that it was because his father was a sailor from an exotic land and had to go back.
It was those lies that moulded Vyrik’s childhood. He developed an obsession with the sea, wanting to meet and talk to every sailor that came on by. Counter intuitive to the hiding his mother always did. They lived the simple life of peasantry. Never quite starved but always with room in their stomach for more. All their clothes were simple and none without tears or holes. Life was just what it was. Vyrik saw many less fortunate than himself.
Vyrik got up to much trouble and mischief, for a time he grew greedy and ran with some pickpockets and thieves, as did most kids in the slums. Only he was good at it, really good. But he had some close calls and saw how much it hurt his mother. It was always her expressed dream that he would one day go to Ersand'Enise. It was never his dream, and he couldn’t imagine how he would get in anyway. No amount of optimism saw an entry path. They hadn’t the money, fame and he definitely didn’t have the skill. Yet a week after his mother’s unruly abduction two letters came. One was passage and entry to the school, the other a note begging him to go saying that she would find him on his 21st name day.
It left Vyrik with many questions but knowing not what else to do, he obeyed.
M O T I V A T I O N
Vyrik lives in hopes of seeing his mother again. He wants to do well to make her proud, also if he gets kicked out of the school he has nowhere to go. Besides that he needs to get stronger so he can protect those important to him. He has to undo what he considers his greatest failure. If his mother does not come to him by his 21st birthday he will go and get her.
He likes to aid those who are different or grieven with misfortune. He also likes to indulge in new experiences and collect shiny things for trade and gamble.
I N V E N T O R Y
Tattered coin pouch possessing a menial amount of worthless coins. A filleting knife in a makeshift belt. A hidden small dagger strapped to his shin. A coil of fishing wire and a few hooks. A few lock-picking pins. A satchel of spare clothes. A flint and steel A sleeping bag Hooded cloak 2 items of jewellery One belonging to his step mother An Eskandish book on chemical magic and chemistry. 2 sun sticks (used to make a bright chemical flash) 1 smoking pipe (used to unleash a chemical reaction that produces a lot of smoke.)
-Vyrik is of really rare blood. Probably the first and only half Yasoi, sky walker mooncaster. -Vyrik was kidnapped at birth. -His real mother is a cruelly ambitious Eskandish high noble. -He has a twin sister that he doesn’t know about. -Vyriks Yasoi father was a prisoner of his real mother. -Vyriks step mother worked for but betrayed his real mother because she cared for his father, becoming wanted and hated by the Eskandish nobles. -Vyriks stepmother traded her freedom to get Vyrik into the school. Telling only only one person in the school of his true lineage and letting them claim the bounty on her head.
From east constantia Revidia Father Mycormi, Mother noble Escand
An Eskand woman, devoted and loyal to the dream that Eskand will rise once again was sent to Revidia to monitor and manage their trade. Her eyes, which had been trained to spot thieves an anomalies over her years of service, noticed such a thing one day where all others did not. A young Yasoi stowaway. She couldn’t believe it and instantly her ambitious mind went to ways in which she could benefit her station from it. All paths and conclusions fell to kidnap and interrogation. So at some expense and disappointment to others the ship was commandeered and became the Yasoi’s sea prison. The ambitious Eskand woman would travel out often to see and interrogate her prisoner with a small loyal coterie of mages. She had a growing obsession with what he might know. What he might offer. How he might save her. It was rooted in and grew from lost hope and desperation, one that he cruelly continued to feed. On many occasions it cost him much pain, even to the point of near death where he balanced upon that frail line, only unwillingly coming back by the force of a binder. Other time it offered pleasures as she tried to bribe or trick him.
After a year of this brutal game in isolation a twisted relationship formed along with an unplanned pregnancy. The now pregnant Eskand woman foolishly believed this child would undo all the cruelties she had bestowed upon her yasoi prisoner. They did not. There were a few things her keen senses missed due to the dulling caused by her obsession. 1 was the failing of her official duties 2 was the Yasoi’s utter disdain for her. 3 was the betrayal of her closest confidant who had a ‘real’ relationship with the yasoi. 4th and most prevalent to the upcoming story, was the fact she was pregnant with twins.
It was the Eskand woman’s (un)loyal confidant that delivered the children. One, a female, was born seemingly dead and needed reviving. The other was a tiny boy who was lighter than should be and was stolen away unnoticed in the commotion of the girl.
The Yasoi escaped that night. The girl was revived, her skin forever pale as is her hair. She went back to Eskand with her mother, summoned after her failings. The traitorous confidant fled with the baby, never again seeing the Yasoi and fearing she too was used. She raised the child on her own, hiding in the slums. Unable to defend herself, much blame fell to her for all failings at the docks and she became a wanted fugitive of Eskand.
The young girl, with much mentoring and strict coaching grew to be a powerful mage.
While the boy, beside his troublesome floating, showed little aptitude or hope of being a powerful mage. Except on nights of a full moon.
Have some NPCs. For those wondering, they won't take up any character spots. No worries.
Marlijn (Marlynn) Vaanse
You will never freeze in Ersand'Enise. In fact, I've found you're unlikely to sneeze. You might even think that it's not a big deal, but if you were Eskandish, you would know how I feel.
Marlijn is the oldest daughter of an Eskandish viscount and has a twin brother, Owain, who she's older than by half an hour. He never hears the end of this. In general, Marlijn is much for clever quips and quick comebacks. She plays the cultured young lady quite convincingly and is well-heeled enough to understand her duties and ultimately, with some grumbling to confidantes, abide by them. She's a bit of a wild child deep down, though: not quite a tomboy, but treads right on the edge of that. She has a soft spot for animals and spends as much time out in the forest or putting her horses through exercises as is socially appropriate. Then, she returns to her studies with perhaps less diligence than she should. She's the kind of person who tends to fall right in the middle of the pack academically. She isn't dumb; she just can't be bothered to jump through all of those hoops with any real enthusiasm. She saves that for the physical and social sides of things.
Though she's a quick talker, good liar, and a bit of a charmer, Marlijn isn't much for gossip and even less for people who talk down to her. Being a low-middling noble is not always easy. Those below you look up jealously and seek to challenge your authority and those above you are the most snobbish sorts who enjoy looking down on you. The world is annoyingly complex and, though Marlijn usually feels as if she's up to the challenge of it, it's oh-so tiring at times and she'd rather things just be simple. Her facade of demure noble feminine virtue is less-than-perfect in these moments and she has the reputation of being a serial eye-roller. She once told her brother, only half-jokingly, "I'm over it, you know? All the being a show pony and smiling and curtsying and talking to people who don't really wanna be talking to me either. Just like... let me find a decent husband who isn't twenty years my senior or smells like turnips and sweat. Set me up with a nice little keep somewhere not-awful. I'll pop out a few kids, get deep into my cups with the other local ladies, yell at my servants a bit, and then just get to do the things I wanna. That'd be nice. That's a happily ever after, right?"
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Simply put, Marlijn is very pretty and, in her less insecure moments, she knows it. She's tall and slim, with bright blue eyes, long auburn hair, and a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She looks a couple of years older than she is and most people are surprised to learn that she's only sixteen. There's usually a twinkle of something mischievous in her expression, and you sometimes wonder what must be so funny in her head. Spoiler: it usually isn't what you think.
When she doesn't have to be presentable for others, Marlijn dresses for comfort: a simple tunic and loose, light ankle-length skirt in earthy tones. The ensemble is completed with a cloak and riding hood held together with a gold clasp in the shape of a bee, some sturdy boots, and a belt with pouches. Her hair is usually draped over her shoulder in a loose braid or double ponytails. Of course, Marlijn all dressed up aims to impress. While she isn't much for frilly dresses and prefers clothing that leaves her unencumbered, she'll happily wear ostentatious jewellery. She likes bold and striking patterns, particularly in her house's colours of sapphire blue, gold, and white.
L A N G U A G E S
Marlijn finds sitting with a tutor and learning languages to be just about the most tedious thing in the world. She's fluent in her native Loh Eskandish, of course, and passable in Avincian. She's also picked up a few Revidian and Perrench words and phrases from her regular visits to the port of Pesperdam on family business. That's about it. Secretly, she feels a bit intimidated by the northern nobles with their flawless Avincian and self-conscious about her accent and less-than-perfect way with the language since she's used to being quite clever with words in her native tongue.
T H E G I F T
Marlijn is above average but not exceptional in terms of The Gift, kind of like she is with most things. She prefers drawing from kinetic and arcane sources and favours two styles of magic: the practical things that'll help her look after her horses, make her life easier in small ways, and allow her to augment her performances, as well as illusion magic. She shares a tutor with her brother and, for reasons unknown to either of them, finds it the most amusing thing in the world to just appear in places or pop out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of people. It's not as if she has any ambition to do sinister things. Being able to alter what people see and turn literally freakin' invisible is just cool, she supposes. As long as Marlijn stands still in a place where the light isn't changing too much, she can actually already go invisible. How awesome is that!? For what it's worth, she isn't bad with Magnetic casting either, because lightning is cool too.
B A C K G R O U N D
Marlijn sometimes feels as if she's not even the main character in her own life. Her upbringing has been, for the most part, utterly unremarkable. Her father is a typical lower-middling noble (a viscount) who looks after his lands, holds court twice per week with the commons and representatives from Pesperdam Town's guilds, and has various little projects going. He complains at not being high-ranking enough to be invited to the college of electors, and tries to petition a friendly great house every once in awhile to bump Pesperdam up to full County status. He funds port improvements when he's had a good harvest and tightens the purse strings when he hasn't. He goes hunting and riding with some of his knights and men-at-arms and, in a non-traditional move, sometimes brings not only Owain, but Marlijn along too. She's quite good with a snaphaunce, able to take a rabbit reliably from 100 yards, though she secretly thinks that bunnies are kinda cute.
Of course, the viscount makes up for that bit of a break from the expected by maintaining a regular search for suitable suitors for his daughter. He hopes to have her marry up as part of his long-term project to get into the college of electors (spoiler: the poor guy has no chance). To serve this ambition, Marlijn spends a considerable amount of time on her needlework, sitting and chatting with her ladies-in-waiting and the neighbouring baron's daughter, Tannifer. She's also expected to maintain musical interests and it's here that she actually has some passion. While, secretly, she prefers tunes more like the bawdy ones that she heard when her party stopped by a tavern in Pesperdam Town one evening a couple of years ago, the viscount had a harpsichord imported at great cost from Perrence for her to play. Marlijn is indeed passable on the 'Scalloped Beast' as she calls it, but she much prefers the lute and making up clever little rhymes to go with her original compositions. While she doesn't stand out as a player, her lyrics are considered quite amusing by most, and she has quite the performer's flair.
In terms of important formative experiences, Marlijn's had few that stand out. There was a pilgrimage to the Verdant Throne when she was eight years old, where she began climbing the tree before being fished out with one of the fruits already in her mouth (she actually lost a baby tooth while biting into it). She also traveled to Ersand'Enise when she was twelve and it was apparent that she and her brother were fairly strong in The Gift. Marlijn decided that she wanted to go there. It sounded ever so much more exciting than her everyday life in Pesperdam: repeating Avincian phrases and practicing calligraphy with her tutors, gossiping with Tannifer, needle and thread in hand, or slamming away at a harpsichord for hours to sheet music brought over from Revidia. In light of this, perhaps it's not surprising that being accepted to Ersand'Enise means a helluva lot to Marlijn Vaanse. She doesn't come from a bad place. In fact, her life is quite privileged and she knows it. She doesn't have a pain or trauma-filled past, and she's never really even been particularly unique or special. What this place is, though, is agency. She wants some of that, deep down, more than anything else.
M O T I V A T I O N
Um... I may have actually answered this under 'Background'. Oops? Basically, Marlijn's a bored, smart, slightly underachieving creative type who prefers to either be the centre of attention or to be left to her own devices, with little in between. At the end of the day, she wants some agency and control over her life and to be able to chart her own course towards a 'happily ever after' with, perhaps, a not so small dose of fun and adventure along the way. To her, Ersand'Enise represents her first step on that path, and she's both nervous and excited.
I N V E N T O R Y
Marlijn regularly carries a small notebook to write down her wittier ideas and was gifted a big, pretty, gold-winged staff as a going away present. She twirls it when she's bored and uses it to help her cast. She also has quite a bit of jewellery, two nice gold chains, and multiple pairs of shoes and boots. She has a satchel full of focus words for illusory spells that she's trying to master and dozens of pages of sheet music. There is a fine lute and a less-fine lute leaning against her night table or slung over her shoulder at times and her wardrobe is packed full of dresses organized from 'really fancy' to 'plain Jane'. She'd kind of like to train and keep a bird since there are so many here and it's kind of a tradition. She finds magpies rather adorable little pests. Perhaps she'll add an animal familiar at some point.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ quick-witted ❖ great horseback rider and good with animals ❖ musically talented ❖ kind of has some feminine wiles, actually ❖ very good with illusions
Marlijn's just honestly pretty good at being a competent young noble girl, likeable, and morally somewhat decent despite herself. She's often been only half-jokingly described as 'a little bit above average in everything'. In particular, though, she's good with illusion, animals, and music, and usually pretty socially put together.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ kind of spoiled, to be honest ❖ not as worldly as she thinks she is ❖ not the most diligent student ❖ has a need to be seen as interesting and fun - can be approval-seeking ❖ pretends to be cynical but honestly just kind of a dreamer who's become a bit afraid to dream
Marlijn can be a bit of a suck. If she's not good at something or doesn't enjoy it, she doesn't really try. She also tends to seek external validation and likes to be a bit of a performer, but only on her own terms. In a practical sense, she sometimes overestimates her own competence and can embarrass herself or get into hot water. Her most common response is to react with stubborn pride, hold it together because Eskandishwomen don't cry, and then go home and ball her eyes out while having a near-anxiety attack. Finally, while she's not a snob, she's still more or less a typical young noble with much of what that entails.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Marlijn will simp for pretty boys. She'll never admit as much and act indignant if you accuse her of it but, deep down, she's a typical thirsty teenager. Colour Code: D2691E
Penelope 'Penny' Pellegrin
"I admit to being more than a little distracted by the...wit and depth of the conversation at this table."
"It seems mother wishes to turn me into some sort of lifelong penitent for sins I've not committed."
Most of Penny's life has been defined by being the family disgrace. She was born without a left leg and with a moderate form of ectrodactyly in her left hand and this was cause enough for her superstitious mother to see her birth as divine punishment for the sins of her and her husband. This would be quite a bad state of affairs in most families, but is only magnified due to the fact that Penelope's parents are King Rouis XI of Perrence and his wife, Queen Mathilde. Unallowed to attend balls, public functions, or even to venture past the palace gardens, Penny is a young woman stifled. She reads, she paces (crutch in hand), she grows things and draws and writes. She pretends to hate those formal family dinners when both father and mother are home, but secretly, she loves them. She is a forgotten middle child in many ways, with no prospects for marriage despite her station and no hope of amounting to much, so she is not one to hold back on pithy observations and cutting commentary and it is oh so amusing (often not only to her). The Gift is sometimes her plaything. When she's bored or sucky, she uses it to play tricks on her siblings, particularly if they're being obnoxious (at least one always is). A laugh at someone else's expense is still a laugh. Besides, they deserve it.
However, deep down, beneath many layers of snark and resigned cynicism, there's a curious, big-hearted girl who has dreams of seeing the world, meeting new people, and being valued instead of either pitied, stared at, or avoided with whispers, stolen glances, and sad shakes of the head. Because you place your right hand on your left hip, pointing to your left leg when you honour Oraff (the creator) while making the sign of the Pentad, religious superstition holds that Penny's missing limb is a mark of that God's disfavour. She does not believe it. She refuses to. She has a private tutor and she practices Binding Magic for hours on end, quietly determined to prove that she isn't what they say she is. On some warm Dorrad nights, though, as she lies awake in bend, staring at the swirling patterns on her ceiling and wishing for sleep, she worries that they're right and that she'll fail. She wonders why she couldn't just be whole and normal. She tries to dream that she is, but even in her dreams, she remains stubbornly the same person who she knows and does not love.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Were it not for her birth differences and their prejudices, most people would consider Penelope quite beautiful. Tall and statuesque, with a light dusting freckles, bright green eyes perhaps just a bit too large for her face, and a resting smirk, she is the spitting image of her mother. Her hair is a rich copper-chestnut brown and, when not styled in the fashion of the courts (even though she does not attend them), can usually be found pulled back in a Perrench braid. Since she was young, it has displayed a remarkable resistance to maintaining any sort of cohesive style or form for long and appears almost preternaturally tousled.
Penny wears long, light dresses. They vary in colour and she has many - some, hand-me-downs from her older sisters. She likes things that are lacy but feel solid and protective, so lacy hems and collars abound but not much else. She enjoys buttons, for whatever reason, and will often fiddle with those running down her sleeves. She also wears gloves. The left one is modified to fill in the gap in her palm and it has a dummy finger attached by a thin string to the one beside it. Out of habit, she does not take her gloves off unless sleeping or bathing. She has a pair of crutches (a handful of pairs, actually), but doesn't like how they fill her hands. As a result, she often gets around with only one. She's rarely in a hurry anyway. There's nowhere to go and not all that much to do.
L A N G U A G E S
For a noble lady of Penelope's station, languages are a must. For her, they're also something to do, and she has numerous correspondents all across the twin continents who she writes to. She is fully fluent in Perrench, Avincian, Revidian, and her mother's native tongue of Kerreman, and at least conversant in Eskandish, Torragonese, Joruban, and Belzaggic. Once you learn one language from a family, the others come easily. She sometimes practices her calligraphy and is looking to correspond with someone in Oiyac or Mycormi, but yasoi are so much more reticent in real life than they are in all of her old books.
T H E G I F T
Penny approaches prodigious levels in her use of the Gift - unsurprising for a blueblood of her pedigree. With little else to do but read, write, and learn, she also trains all day, memorizing focus words and inventing little spells of her own that she gives funny names to. While she's practiced with all five canonical schools, it is Binding that she puts most of her effort towards. She spends a considerable amount of time on Arcane as well, mostly the illusory branch, works with Kinetic to help ease the difficulty of walking long distances, and with Magnetic because it's her tutor's favourite and there's something peacefully destructive about watching fingers of electricity writhe and snap. Guiltily, she dabbles in internal Chemical spells and tells herself it isn't so that she can make people like her. That's what a madwoman would think. Penny isn't mad and will not let herself go mad. She simply won't. Besides, Binding Magic is her preferred school. If she can't heal herself, she reasons, she can at least heal other people. Then, she cringes at the thought of how melodramatic and self-indulgent such a statement would sound aloud.
B A C K G R O U N D
Penny remembers the looks most of all: the first looks when people see her or the second ones when they make sense of her. It first really registered when she was around four years old. Until then, she was blissfully unaware of her differences and what they would mean. She grew up playing with her siblings - there were many and they were close in age. There were servants' daughters and cousins too. They always told the most wonderful stories and she used to like to hear them until she realized that those were stories of a world that was being kept from her. They're now a weird, resentful kind of addiction. She still needs to hear them, but they no longer bring her joy.
When she was seven, her parents attempted to arrange for her a marriage with the second son of a Torragonese lord, but instead of making arrangements by proxy, he decided to visit. Penny played with the boy and they laughed and smiled and she teased him that they'd be married someday and that he should listen to his wife. Then, he and his father left.
One time, when she was ten, there was a ceremony at the Cathedral de Ste. Defrois. She rode in a carriage through the streets of Relouse, listening to the clatter of the horses' hooves and the church bells ringing. She remembers leaning out with her little tiara and waving with her right hand at the commonfolk. They were loud and dirty and shouted, and she was a bit scared, but they waved back, and there were kids her own age in there too.
She hasn't traveled since. She hasn't done much of anything since and wasn't going to be allowed to. That is, until her brother Arcel intervened. She is to attend Ersand'Enise under an assumed name, as the invented daughter of an unremarkable merchant paid a sum by her brother. She is to be his agent there. She is to meet with people and exchange letters with them. She knows Arcel: he is not vile, but he is ambitious and underhanded. Penelope - Penny Pellegrin now - doesn't much care. It's a species of freedom, at least, and she'll take it, even with all of the risk and the fears.
M O T I V A T I O N
More than anything, Penny wants to spread her figurative wings. She wants to live an actual life. She wants to prove to herself, at least, that her mother is wrong about her. There is a deep well of bitterness there, though she shakes her head to clear it and simply tries to appreciate that she has never hungered nor wanted for any physical need a day in her life.
Penny is eager to be at Ersand'Enise and to make something of herself, but she is deathly afraid of the real, actual, wild people out here. How will they react to her? Will they laugh at her jokes? Will they just see her: Penny - a girl from Perrence, or will it be pity, awkwardness, or avoidance? She knows it will. It'll have to be, like it always is. What if anybody finds her out - or learns of whatever her brother is up to? Will she be able to play a merchant's daughter convincingly? She feels like a fraud when it comes to life. She hasn't lived very much and knows it. Still, sometimes she takes a deep breath and counsels herself that she can do this. She is a princess of Perrence. Her forebears earned the crown at some point. They were capable people. So is she... she hopes - she really, really hopes.
I N V E N T O R Y
Penny almost always carries a satchel slung across one shoulder, with some basic jewellery, a small journal, letters and wax, and a comb (partly as a joke) inside. She uses one crutch the majority of the time, to keep a hand free, and two when she knows that she'll have to do a lot of walking that day. They're made of light, lacquered wood with soft pads on top for her armpits. She'll never be found using a wand or staff as a focus object, having practiced freecasting from a young age. For spells absolutely requiring one, a crutch is very much like a staff when held a certain way. Penny's recently taken to wearing a spare garter even though she already has one to hold up her stocking. She uses it as a strap to tuck secret correspondence for her brother into and spends the next while paranoid that it'll slip out and Black Rezaindians will come for her in the night.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ funny and clever ❖ grudgingly kind-hearted ❖ excellent courtly manners ❖ good memory ❖ skilled in language and literacy
At the end of the day, Penny falls on the side of being a good person. Her acerbic comments are more than just a cover, but also not her entire story. She's well-heeled and it shows. She can wield etiquette like a weapon if need be and generally has very good recall for obscure trivia and details. This carries over into languages and the written word, where she can speak seven languages, at least to a degree...at least usually.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ anxious and insecure ❖ not very worldly at all ❖ proud and paradoxically judgemental ❖ tires quickly when walking ❖ questionable self-awareness and victim complex
Penny's upbringing and the constant feeling of being unwanted has done a number on her mental health. She's not a wreck or a basket case, but she struggles with intense flashes of anxiety and self-doubt. She worries about how people will perceive her and tends to assume the worst, though she actively counsels herself not to. She can be a bit of a stepford smiler at times.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Penelope of Perrence is here incognito, as a lowly merchant's daughter named Penny Pellegrin. It would be unusual for anyone but the high-ups in the school establishment to know who she really is. Also, see here for a demonstration of how she walks on one crutch. Beware that I may have had to go into the weird part of YouTube to dig this up. Colour Code: F7976A
Manfred Hohenfelter
When asked by a member of the Aesthetic Society, "What do you feel when you shoot some poor mage?" his reply was, "Recoil."
18 | Male | Kerreman | Noble | 6.14
P E R S O N A L I T Y
❖ Intense ❖ Professional ❖ Cold ❖ Work Hard, Play Hard ❖ Religious
Manfred is a consummate professional. Despite his parents' doubts about his chosen path, or perhaps because of them as well as his experiences in war, he's dedicated himself to his craft with the utmost conviction. In his approach to others, Manfred will always treat them with decency and professionalism unless they have done something to deserve differently. However, practically speaking, to those who don't know him, this behaviour can come across as cold and, in all honesty, it often is. Manfred isn't a shell of a man, but he's seen things that most people his age haven't and he doesn't feel much connection to his peers as a result. Besides, he knows that these are all monsters in the making and he doesn't have the energy to try to save them all. If he knows someone well, that would be another matter, but he prefers not to get attached. Things are less complicated that way and he doesn't like complications.
Manfred also prefers people who are what they claim to be. He has little time for liars, manipulators, and decadent types. Being honest and useful and maybe subtly stroking his ego without seeming sycophantic is the path to getting Manfred to like you. If he catches you in a lie, he won't hate you. He'll just stop trusting you and you'll never see any side of him beyond the professional. Betray him and, for all that he seems cold, this is one of the few things that tends to make his blood run hot. Manfred will appear to shrug it off. He'll wait. Sooner or later, he believes, Dami-Zept balances everything out. He will take his revenge and it will be decisive and deserved.
In general, Manfred is a devout Quentian, who carries a pocket-sized copy of the Ruhrich (the Menana) on him at all times, but he also appreciates the wisdom of the Angic Philosophy of Rettan. Despite being a member of the nobility, he views the regular lording of their powers over ungifted people and the violent and unaccountable excesses of most mages with deep distaste but, in the name of his faith, he counsels himself to keep an open mind. It isn't easy and it's only getting harder.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Manfred is slightly taller than average height for a Kerreman. He has dark brown hair usually tied back in a short ponytail and grey-brown eyes. He's not bad looking, but doesn't stand out as exceptionally handsome. He's old enough that he's grown a but of stubble and has to shave. As a member of the nobility, he has access to fine clothing and will dutifully wear it when appropriate, taking pride in his appearance. However, he prefers a simple doublet and vest of quality materials, with a leather belt, breeches, and sturdy boots for his everyday wear. His clothes often show evidence of cat hair, despite his best efforts to keep them clean. He has four of the exact same outfit and a fifth, slightly more styled, for the day of worship. He launders his clothes on the fourth day of the week and lets them dry on the fifth. He believes in doing this himself and will only hire a washerwoman if she's especially pretty his schedule is especially busy. Manfred can also sometimes be found in a uniform of military cut, complete usually with a coat in the Navy Blue of the Kerreman Crown. When in the field, he wears a bandoleer with ammunition pouches, a rapier at one hip, a wheel-lock pistol at the other, and a marksman's rifle slung over his shoulder.
L A N G U A G E S
Manfred speaks Kerreman as a mother tongue, as well as fluent Avincian. He knows Perrench as a matter of practicality and can understand some Holmanian because it is more or less mutually intelligible with his native language. Besides, it's useful to know the tongue of your enemy. He'd like to pick up some yasoi too, for similar reasons. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a tutor these days.
T H E G I F T
Manfred's use of the Gift is rather pedestrian. Technically, he falls within the lower average range for a magus, but his family has a strong martial tradition and, as a second son, he is expected to take an officer's commission in the army. The problem is that he would rather be anything but a mage and, even if he were to be one, he'd be only a middling mage at best. The graveyards of Constantia are full of middling mages. To this end, he has decided to eschew tradition and train as a magusjaeger. In this capacity, Manfred's use of the Gift is wholly practical. His primary school is Kinetic, which helps him guide bullets, provides an abundant drawing source, and can help stop incoming projectiles. He has enough capacity to function at a higher defensive level than the average magusjaeger. His secondary schools are Arcane and Magnetic. The first is for the magnification, stealth, and low-level illusion abilities, which he is quite good with. In a dim space and if he's more or less still, Manfred will be effectively invisible. Meanwhile, Magnetic provides some manipulation of metals - useful on a battlefield - as well as protection against internal chemical spells and an alternative way to alter the course of his shots and others'. He has precisely zero interest in magic beyond what it can do for him in a practical sense. He has grown up around practitioners of the Gift and is inured to its uses. He finds no wonder in it - just a tool.
B A C K G R O U N D
Manfred comes from a long and distinguished line and, while none of his forebears have been famous mages, many have been respectable or even notable. His family are Reichsgrafs (imperial counts), outranking all other nobility with the exception of dukes, and hold stewardship in the Queen's name over a large swathe of mostly rural farmland in Meckelin-Thandau. It is good and rich land and a portion of it is reserved for the estate that Manfred grew up on and its surrounding hunting grounds. From an early age, Manfred enjoyed hunting with his two brothers, Jurgen and Klaus, and his wolfdog Fritz. They would spend hours outdoors in the warm months, often on horseback and sometimes joined by their sister, Nina.
Manfred grew up, in many ways, as a normal boy of his country and station. Then, the Holmanians attacked. Seeking to take advantage of Kerremand's distraction, desperate, bony bands of yasoi launched raids over the border as well. Jurgen was old enough to be attending Ersand'Enise up north, Klaus was but a boy, and Nina a young girl, but Manfred had entered his teens and joined his father on the fields of battle. Only beginning to develop his talents at that age, he was given a largely ceremonial posting as morale officer.
It started simply enough. He would go out to meet the troops in their camps or on the march and speak with the non-commissioned officers - sergeants, corporals, and the like. He'd encourage them, sing some marching songs while they politely watched, and go report back to the higher ranking officers - most of them magery or cavalry. Then, the army saw battle. It was against the Holmanians under General Gerd Von Mikkelstern of Albesatz-Zuber: the Iron Duke, and they outnumbered his forces by double. Yet, Manfred could do little but survive and hope. The heavens crackled with thunder. The air reeked of blood, shit, and ozone. Did you know that human flesh, when slightly cooked, has a sweet smell? A sickeningly sweet smell? Manfred will never forget that smell. And so he watched mages fling thunderbolts across the sky. He watched knights roasted alive inside their armour by Arcane magic. Great chains, their iron links caked with rust and old blood, scythed across the battlefield, breaking human bodies. Soldiers - men he knew - who he had sung and marched with, who'd called him 'little lord' and laughed and patted him on the back after giving him a swig from their flasks... he watched them fed into the meat grinder of the enemy's magery - and their soldiers fed into his.
And nobody gained an inch of ground. A soft rain began and the two armies retired from what had been a grassy field and was now a wasteland. All night, he heard the voices: calling for their mothers, praying for Oraff-Zept to save them, for Ahn-Eshiran to take them, crying. Grown men were not supposed to cry and Manfred couldn't take it. He wandered out of his tent in the darkness, right to the edge of the battlefield, and there they were: crawling and dragging torn, boiled, and ravaged bodies through the muck. Manfred recoiled. His heart beat faster and the pressure mounted in his eardrums. Grey Rezaindians shuffled along, lanterns swinging in the blackness, gathering the dead. It did not matter whether they were Kerreman Grey Rezaindians or Holmanian Grey Rezaindians. They were all Grey Rezaindians. The wails rose, carts shambled past, and eventually, the greys gave way to White Rezaindians who drifted in like ghosts in a fog. A lick of flame it'd be. Every once in a while, they'd stop and there would be a wail, and brief, intense burst: Ahn-Eshiran's gift to the maimed and the dying.
The armies met the next day. Manfred huddled by his father in the magery. The cavalry was dispatched to distract the enemy mages and there was a twinkle in the graf's eyes when he told his son 'you won't want to miss this, my boy." The magery of Kerremand eliminated the King's Own Lassanzee Fusiliers in less than a minute and, with it, almost every grown man from the Holmanian village by that name. There was scarce time to celebrate. The enemy had not been idle. A pair of Internal Chemical Mages had light-bent to slip behind Kerreman lines and he saw people melt from the inside - their eyes bubbling out of sockets, the skin sloughing away in sickly colours, and a foul yellow gas seeping like death across the battlefield. Then, one looked at him and he felt the start of a pinch and knew that, at age fifteen, it was time to make his peace with the gods.
Only, it wasn't. The cruel grin on the mage's face froze in a mask of shock and he fell face-first, dead, a smoking hole through the back of his head. Moments later, the second mage fell. Nobody saw the magusjaegers who'd done it. They worked silently. They did not ask for accolades. They just did their jobs, and that had saved Manfred's life.
For the very first time, the Iron Duke lost in open battle. Truly, it was a Pyrrhic victory, for he had bled the Kerremans just as dry as they had bled him but, around that time, Kerremand had a bit more than its neighbour in the way of young men. That night, Manfred joined the commanders of the army in the general's tent, drinking, feasting, and singing songs about how Holmanian women are whores and how their men make good fertilizer. Most of them were mages. They weaved their hands through the air as they described how they'd cut this guy in half or blown that one's head up like a firework. At some point, pumped full of beer as a sort of mascot, they boy excused himself from the tent on the pretense of having a piss. Some of the soldiers were singing and drinking too. Some were not. The ones who were dead certainly were not. There was one particular group that drew his attention, though: small, aloof, and dressed in dark clothing. They sat in silence in the night, the embers of their pipes and tips of cigars burning like fat orange fireflies. The magusjaegers were cleaning their rifles. They spared glances out at the battlefield, already preparing for their next fight.
M O T I V A T I O N
Manfred is at Ersand'Enise out of obligation. As a Hohenfelter, he was signed up for the school from the moment the previous cohort entered, and there was never any option not to go. He hides his utter hatred for mages and what they represent behind a mask of cold professionalism, ever worried about slipping back into the comforting normalcy of a decadent noble lifestyle. He still feels a sense of duty to his family and country, however, and will do nothing to shame or disgrace them. Regardless, aside from what he can learn of light-bending and countering internal chemical magic, he would rather be just about anywhere else.
I N V E N T O R Y
Manfred has a chest full of clothes. He carries a ring with the seal of House Hohenfelter, a quill, some ink, and a small journal. The customary coin purse is there, and his is well-stocked. Try to sneak up on Manfred and pickpocket him. See what happens. Finally, he carries a magnifying glass on him. This item serves two purposes: one is for practice with light-focusing and the other is as a light to amuse his cat. A large orange Ragamuffin, Kürbis is given free reign of whatever Manfred's current living space is and is an excellent mouser. Aside from his wolfdog Fritz, who is quite elderly now and could not travel with him, Kurbis is also just about the only thing that you will ever see Manfred show affection for. Also, he has guns - lots of them, and they are very good ones. Swords and knives too.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Preternaturally accurate with a rifle or any sort of projectile: don't mess with him. ❖ Pinpoint etiquette and manners: he has all of the training of a high noble. He can make you shrivel with an outwardly polite smile. ❖ Hard worker: Manfred puts in the work. No excuses. Not having much of a social life helps. ❖ Hardened: Your social politics and jibes really, actually don't bother him. He's seen some shit. ❖ Kerreman: He can really hold his drink. Don't get into a drinking contest with him. You'll lose.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Distant and detached: Manfred just sort of sees people as... not bad, but just 'there'. Nobody really means much of anything. ❖ Morally Superior: Manfred really does believe that he's better than you, filthy mage. He won't say it, but he'll let you know. ❖ Stubborn: He can become very set in his ways, mostly for the sake of his pride and because he hates admitting when he's wrong. ❖ Hardened: Manfred had a sense of humour once. He was fun and talkative. He's pretty unlovable now and convinces himself that he likes it that way. ❖ Kerreman: Sometimes, he will drink too much, and you might not want to be around him then unless your name is Fritz or Kürbis.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ He's not a revolutionary or anything, but Manfred listens to what The Traveler has to say and agrees with some of it. Still, he thinks the guy is a madman overall. ❖ Manfred loves a hearty meal. ❖ He's actually kind of looking for a wife if he can find one. That way, he won't be legally obligated to obey his father's commands as a member of his household. ❖ Colour Code: 2E8B57
Jomurr Ikon III
I don't think I'm better than other people. I know it.
Jomurr's a second son and he has complexes. He's powerful, rich, and handsome, but he's a second son. His father is an arch-conservative duke under Emperor Jobanzaggah IV and the mindset has rubbed off on him. To some degree, his snobbishness is reactionary and a response to the threat of the other classes' rise. A lot of it stems from a genuine belief that Dami chose people like him to govern, though. Jomurr looks at himself and rightly perceives that he's better at magic than 99.9% of the population. He's healthy, he's smart (even if it's more due to a good education), he's good-looking, and he's physically capable, perhaps even more so as he gets older. In a sense, he feels as if Ersand'Enise is a battleground where the lesser classes are trying to challenge the nobles' right to rule and that, if they win, the consequences for society will be genuinely disastrous. It is also a place where he can let loose. He can learn and unleash his full potential without restraint or compunction, and he can prove himself the better heir to his father. Zemon's RAS is only 7.82, after all.
Look at the pic. There's your answer. He dresses in light, loose cloths, like most Belzaggic people. He'd show off his muscles if he had a bunch, but he's still a bit scrawny. Impeccably dressed, though. He just screams 'noble'.
T H E G I F T
Jomurr is a prodigy with the Gift and has the goal of either becoming an Arch-Zeno someday or returning to his house and usurping his firstborn brother to rule over the Duchy of Zowenga in his stead. Jomurr practices with all schools and knows the fundamentals of all. However, his favourite is Chemical and he's learning Atomic from a Zeno hired to be his tutor. He also has a thing for Kinetic because it's just so damned fun tossing plebs out your castle window with but a flick of your finger. Alas, this school only allows for two specializations. He should have his father talk to the Zenos about that. Arcane is pretty dope too. Binding? Hah! Binding magic isn't used for offense, and who needs healing? You have some pleb to follow you and heal you, of course!
B A C K G R O U N D
Jomurr's a second son and he has complexes. He's powerful, rich, and handsome, but he's a second son. His father is an arch-conservative duke under Emperor Jobanzaggah IV and that mindset has rubbed off on him. To some degree, his snobbishness is performative and a reaction to the perceived threat of the other classes' rise. A lot of it stems from a genuine belief that Dami chose people like him to govern, though. Jomurr looks at himself and rightly perceives that he's better at magic than 99.9% of the population. He's healthy, he's smart (even if it's more due to a good education), he's good-looking, and he's physically capable, perhaps even more so as he gets older. In a sense, he feels as if Ersand'Enise is a battleground where the lesser classes are trying to challenge the nobles' right to rule and that, if they win, the consequences for society will be genuinely disastrous. It is also a place where he can let loose. He can learn and unleash his full potential without restraint or compunction, and he can prove himself the better heir to his father. Zemon's RAS is only 7.82, after all.
M O T I V A T I O N
"I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was!"
In all seriousness, see the above bit on 'background'. Basically, like everyone else, Jomurr's here to become the person he's going to be for the rest of his life. He's also here to flex, though.
I N V E N T O R Y
Tons of outfits, a coinpurse full of Kizans, Coronas, and some Neskals because that's what all of the cool kids are paying with. There's no bigger flex than rolling up to some merchant, purchasing a papaya, and asking if he can make change for your Great Neskal. Jomurr also carries the signet ring of his house and a Teddy Lion that he sometimes sleeps with.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Magic prodigy ❖ Quick and athletic ❖ High noble and well-connected. He can pull some strings when he needs to. ❖ Quick with words, usually. ❖ Good liar
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Honestly just kind of a jerk ❖ Insecure, deep down ❖ Overconfident ❖ Not quite as quick with words as he thinks he is ❖ Does not handle failure well initially
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Unless they're from Belzagg and/or a high noble from at least a neighbouring region, other students are unlikely to know that Jomurr is a second son. Colour Code: 800080
One wouldn't find it surprising if Carmillia was a princess, given the way she carries herself. Carmillia appears to be a model noble: elegant, soft-spoken, and well-mannered. It is clear she is conscientious of her outward appearance yet others can't help but fall for her charming nature. People are often surprised when they realize she isn't even a noble, much less a princess, and actually of the merchant caste. However, this tends to aid her charm instead. Instead of coming off as pretentious, Carmillia instead exudes dignity. Despite being of the merchant caste, who tend to be a tad bit unscrupulous, she's all but that. As if this wasn't enough, Carmillia tops it all off with her intellect, not only academically but wise in the ways of the world as well.
In reality, the real Carmillia is far from her outward appearance. It wouldn't entirely be accurate to call her outer personality entirely fake as it would be closer to consider it a rose tinted lens placed upon her real personality. Instead of being eloquent and charming, Carmillia is instead... persuasive and beguiling. Those that have caught a glimpse of her with her facade down have all immediately realize how terrifying it can be to cross her. Instead of for good, Carmillia prefers to use her intellect to scheme and plan to her own benefit. The only trait she has that is entirely false would be her seemingly generous nature. Carmillia doesn't believe in helping others unless it's ultimately for her own gain; for people who can't climb out of the holes they've dug themselves, don't deserve a helping hand.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
On the job
Carmillia stands at 166 cm which puts her at a slightly above average height compared to your typical Perrench female. She has your stereotypical Perrench features; a thin nose, almond-shaped eyes and thin lips. She has a pale but blemish free complexion. Her most unique features would be her light and silvery—almost white—hair and her her crimson eyes. However Carmillia is neither a natural albino nor a bloodchild. In fact, Carmillia was born with auburn hair and chestnut colored eyes, inherited from her parents. In order to give herself a more regal appearance, Carmillia has used her finely tuned chemical magic to regularly induce the destruction of the melanin pigments in her hair and eyes. Normally such an act would come with its fair share of dangers, particularly ocular damage—but Carmillia's unnatural control has allowed to do so without any negative side effects.
As for her clothes, surface Carmillia tends to don garments that fit into noble fashion, preferring to look prim and proper. She typically wears dresses and errs on the modest side. She particularly likes the color red and it reflects in her fashion.
When she doesn't have to maintain appearances, Carmillia prefers functional clothing, often wearing form fitting tights accompanied by a coat. She's found the latter to be useful in a multitude of ways; fading into a crowd, concealing weapons and best of all, keeping blood off herself.
L A N G U A G E S
Carmillia is fluent over multiple languages, a necessity for any merchant who has intentions of rising through the social ladder. She's best in Avincian and Perrench. She was able to pick Torragonese easily enough with it's Avincian similarities.
With the Empire of Belzagg being a trading powerhouse, Carmillia has learned several of the more common dialects. In terms of Rettanese, Carmillia can only speak a single dialect but she's found it to be more than sufficient to communicate with traders. As for Eskandish, she has limited working proficiency with it but as of yet has no intention to further practice the dying language. She has a similar fluency with Inipori but unlike Eskandish, she intends to improve her proficiency.
As much as she would like to improve her Yasoi which could be considered at an elementary level, the scarcity of Yasoi language tutors and the various dialects make it difficult.
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being able to ask simple questions and 5 as it being akin to your native language): Avincian: 5 Perrench: 5 Torragonese: 4 Rettanese: 3 Inipori: 2 Eskandish: 2 Yasoi: 1
T H E G I F T
Carmillia is redblood with a RAS score of 4.8 and no secondary mana type. She also suffers from a below average drawing range even when compared to other practitioners of similar scores. The one upside is that she possesses a prodigious amount of control.
Under normal circumstances, even within the chemical school of magic—the most energy efficient school—a magic practitioner with such a low RAS score is unable to accomplish much. However, that is when you're accessing one's capabilities using conventional means. Take one of the rudimentary spells of the chemical school; Blessing of Joy. A conventionally skilled magus would employ it to send their target into a stupor of happiness even against their will. Carmillia is unable to execute the spell to such a degree. Nonetheless, execute it she can. Taking advantage of her superior control as well as innately low RAS score, Carmillia is able stimulate the production of hormones such as dopamine or endorphins but at much more diminished level, allow her to gently push or pull on an individual's emotions. A fitting analogy would be that of picturing a standard magus as a ten-meter tall giant. Now trying picturing that giant trying to pick up a small cat without harming it. Whereas Carmillia can do so with no difficulty whatsoever.
Though such a feat might initially sound meagre, a tool's worth lies in how you use it. By carefully drawing the most miniscule amounts of energy and manipulating it at a high degree of efficiency, Carmillia is able to influence the emotions of others without their knowing. She is able to avoid detection from all but the most skilled of mages and even then only if they were paying close attention.
Such a basic spell. Such a small effect. And yet when combined with either her charm or guile, the merchant Carmillia becomes a silver-tounged devil that always gets her way. She uses it to form connections with established and more powerful noble families. She forces other merchants to willingly give her favorable terms. She even uses it casually just to make people like her more. Her employees are completely loyal and constantly motivated to be of use to her. None of her victims any the wiser.
What are emotions if not simply the ever changing balance of one's own hormones? Happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and a plethora of other more specific emotions such as motivation or shame. Carmillia is able to play with your emotions without you ever even knowing. The worst best part? Without knowing the possibility of foul play, consistent interaction causes one to admire, respect or fear her even more as everything is attributed to her natural charisma.
Though hormone manipulation is her specialty and honed over years of use, Carmillia is capable of other spells. Despite her shortcomings, her prodigious control means Carmillia is able to pick up magic extraordinarily fast. The downside is that their effects are often negligible. Take for instance the arcane spell Lich's Touch; Carmillia is unable to siphon any significant amount of heat from the target, causing them to feel chilly at most instead of weakening them, let alone killing them.
B A C K G R O U N D & O R I G I N
To explain the story of Carmillia Carbonneau, we must first start with her father, Tristan Carbonneau. To put simply, Tristan was a garbage of a human being. He took no traits after his own father, Matteo Carbonneau, who was an upstanding man with both the intellect and diligence required to rise from being a small merchant to overseeing a large trade guild.
Tristan was vile. He was violent, conceited and a self-indulgent fool. His parents had been aware of that and were contemplating whether or not to renounce his right to the inheritance. So he had them removed. Despite being neither academically talented nor possessing any experience in the business, his arrogance led him to believe he would rise higher than his father ever could. Using his new found wealth, Tristan courted Carmillia's mother, then known as Juventia Baudelaire, a young, widowed viscountess. Their interests aligned; she was a beautiful woman who would not only serve as a trophy wife but gain him both status and a magic capable heir and he was a rich fool who would allow her to spend to her heart's desire.
Carmillia's eventual birth had not been to Tristan's liking. He had wanted a son. To make matters worse, Juventia was without child despite their attempts over the next few years. Tristan relented to having a heiress instead of a heir but to his dismay, Carmillia demonstrated a low RAS score when she was first tested. It should have not been surprising, given that his own RAS score was a meager 2.9. Even with Juventia possessing an above average RAS score of 7.3, it was unlikely any of their offspring would reach such levels. But Tristan was angry nonetheless. Carmillia was his only child, she had to become a mage. He wanted status and a child who couldn't perform magic was an embarrassment for a merchant aspiring to ascend to noble status. Even from a young age, he forced her to under go rigorous training under several tutors.
Despite her best efforts, Carmillia was unable to meet his standards. Her RAS score had barely improved and her limited drawing range remained the same. Her tutors had told Tristan she simply didn't have the aptitude but he dismissed their concerns. Carmillia was made to learn the basics from all the schools in hopes she might excel in one. Though she picked up the basics quickly, she did not excel. No matter how much effort she put in, she simply didn't—couldn't—achieve a satisfying level of magical proficiency.
The failing business added to his frustrations. Tristan was squandering his wealth away by constantly getting involved with bad trades and Juventia was constantly asking for lavish gifts. He turned violent. He would hit Carmillia with his belt, making sure to avoid her face to maintain public appearances. Juventia who was aware of it, did nothing. Her concern was on enjoying her own life. Time and time again, he would beat her while shouting "Work smarter, not harder!" as if she could somehow cast powerful magic if she just changed her approach.
It was during one of these beatings that Carmillia discovered her unique abilities. In hopes that he would stop hitting her, she had cast Blessing of Joy out of reflex on Tristan. Tristan, unawares of what she did, stopped the beating soon after, satisfied at his work. Carmillia began testing the waters, realizing she could use it on her magical tutors as well in order to have an easier time during lessons. Even they could not detect she was casting magic on them. She even used it on her mother who would then occasionally acknowledge her presence instead of ignoring her as usual. In her mind, she thought, This was what father must have meant.
Time passed and Carmillia became used to the beatings. Her tolerance for pain had increased, the beatings weren't as severe and it felt like her parents were showing her more love, even if it was a result of her magic. In her mind, life was getting better.
That quickly came to an end when Tristan was ousted from the trading guild. He was an incompetent head and they were no longer going to tolerate him. This was bad news for Juventia as well because it meant they no longer had any income and any money Tristan had from his inheritance was long gone. This time, Juventia joined in on the beating. It was the worst beating of Carmillia's life. Tristan didn't hold back this time, using his fists and no longer avoiding her face. Juventia didn't physically harm her but instead used her magic during Tristan's beating on Carmillia's nervous system, amplifying the pain. Throughout the beating, they hurled insults at her, blaming everything on Carmillia. That somehow, if she was more capable, that none of these things would have happened to them.
How much could a thirteen year old girl take? Carmillia broke that day. As she lay battered and bruised on the floor, she remembered her father's mantra. "Work smarter, not harder." What did Carmillia truly want? She wanted to be happy. She thought that in order to be happy, she needed to earn approval from her parents along with their love. But they didn't love her, it merely her own deluded misunderstanding. Earning their approval wouldn't make her happy. "Work smarter, not harder." She wouldn't be happy as long as they were in her life and she was stuck with them for the foreseeable future. "Work smarter, not harder." She needed them gone.
Tristan Carbonneau and Juventia Carbonneau would never have considered the possibility that their timid and weak daughter would ever dare harm them. They realized their mistake that night as they lay in their bed, struggling to keep the blood from flowing out their slit throats.
When she was orphaned at thirteen, young Carmillia had nothing other than her Gift. Though there was some semblance of her wit and charm that the current day Carmillia possessed, at the time she was nowhere close to being the silver-tounged charmer she would come to be. In order to survive on the streets of Perrence, she joined a thieving crew of young kids managed by a local gang; The Crimson Hand. Though she was initially inept at pickpocketing, she came to realize she could cause her victims to be more easily distracted through manipulating their estrogen levels, causing them to be more easily distracted. It did not take long her to become the most 'skilled' in the crew and for her to catch the eye of her handler.
She was introduced to the main gang within the year. The Crimson Hand specialized in organized theft though they dabbled in other lucrative affairs such ranging from commissioned 'intimidation' to opium. There was much skepticism when she was recommended for a more prominent role by her handler but Carmillia quickly proved her worth. She was a quick study and was aided by the fact she easily weaved through the inner politics through use of her Gift. She was no stranger to violence, having murdered her own parents. As a result, her seniors were more than happy to guide and teach her. By the time she was fifteen, Carmillia belonged in the upper echelons of the gang and had amassed a small fortune as a result of being offered generous shares whenever they accomplished a job. Now with much more wit and street smarts, Carmillia felt it was time for her to leave the nest. She was no longer satisfied hiding in the underworld.
Remembering the stories the servants used to tell about her grandfather, Carmillia wanted to recreate his achievements. She wanted to back to the life of a merchant.
Textiles was the industry she chose to dabble in, simply because she liked the idea of fashion. A fifteen year old girl wanting to purchase her own shop and sell textiles was an odd sight but she was happily and willingly aided by established merchants who had felt compelled to help her out. Similarly to how she climbed up the hierarchy in The Crimson Hand, she quickly rose up. She educated herself in the art of business through enlisting tutors and guidance of other merchants. She studied various languages in order to expand her operations to deal with foreign merchants. Carmillia was like a tiny storm that dazzled those around her. As her influence grew, she started encountering more roadblocks. Merchants who would interfere with her trades, merchants she couldn't directly influence as they never met. People who were jealous of her success employed underhanded tactics such as spreading rumors or vandalizing her ever expanding shops.
She dealt with it in the most pragmatic way she knew of; she went back to The Crimson Hand. The difference this time, was that she was a patron. She was met with open arms. Her old comrades were happy to see her again and she had lucrative jobs to offer them. Learning from her enemies, Carmillia fought fire with fire. She even joined in with the gang on occasion, taking joy in their expressions when they realized who was attacking their businesses. She was careful, making sure to discredit them so no one would believe their claims against Carmillia.
At seventeen, Carmillia was the proud owner of nine shops spread around Perrence. However, the growth of her small empire was slowing. Negotiations were harder and deals were becoming less favorable. There was only so much her gift could do; it had to work in conjunction with her own charismatic influence. She lacked the status that came with being a powerful magus. Though she was confident there was still room for her business to grow, the rate of progress was frustrating.
This was when her interest in Ersand'Enise began. There was a certain amount of prestige that came with being an alumni of Ersand'Enise. It would also be easier to form connections with young prominent nobles. To top it all off, rumors of the Traveler were spreading. She could sense opportunity approaching. The world was changing and Ersand'Enise was the center of the magical world.
Though it was unlikely someone with an RAS score of 4.8 would be accepted into the academy, Carmillia simply had to pull a few strings. She dropped a decently sized donation. She charmed the RAS testers to look the other way as she leaked energy during the test, allowing her to score a 5.0. Lastly, she made sure to impress the interviewers with her achievements. She was in.
M O T I V A T I O N
Contrary to eventful past, unique Gift and extensive personality, Carmillia's motivation is simple. Abstract even. She believes in order to achieve happiness, she needs to possess money and power which is why she constantly moves forward with those goals in mind.
I N V E N T O R Y
The only item Carmillia is currently attached to and brings with when she travels is the knife she used to slit the throats of her parents. Though the knife itself appears mundane, it is of good quality and was once part of her father's collection. It holds sentimental value for her.
S T R E N G T H S & W E A K N E S S E S
❖ Specialized Thaumaturgy
Carmillia's unique magical constitution allows her to apply internal chemical magic in unconventional ways. Her ability to manipulate emotions without her target's knowing is a versatile tool that has opened up countless doors for her.
This exact magical constitution is also the reason she's fundamentally a failure of a magus. Though her emotion manipulation magic is powerful, her potential for other magics are abyssmal. Carmillia is vulnerable in the sense that she's unable to employ other spells to an effective degree. Her combat ability in magic battles is effectively zero.
❖ "Work smarter, not harder."
The mantra her father has ingrained into her has resulted in her being extremely pragmatic. In all aspects of life, Carmillia deals with things in the most efficient manner. This has allowed her to essentially rise up from nothing into a relatively prominent merchant with both wealth and power, a significant feat given her age.
Carmillia doesn't put in effort needlessly but what deserves effort or not can be subjective. Carmillia's accomplishments are astounding given the time frame in which she has achieved them but there are always opportunity costs. In order to achieve her current status, Carmillia has forsaken a lot of experiences that would have contributed to her emotional growth.
❖ Greed
Greed; an intense and selfish desire to obtain more. To say Carmillia is greedy would be an understatement. Her desire to possess money, power and even people has served an integral role in her achieving her current lifestyle. Carmillia's greed serves as the fuel that pushes her ever forward.
As powerful as greed is as a motivator, it is also a curse. Carmillia is never satisfied with what she has and constantly craves more. She is constantly taking dangerous paths in order to satiate it, paths that would not only harm her but those she might eventually come to care for as well.
❖ Psychopathic Tendencies
Carmillia isn't technically a psychopath. She has emotions. She has the capacity for love. But she also lacks a lot of moral inhibitions a regular person might have due to her childhood. This has ironically served her well. Carmillia feels no remorse from violating ethics or being underhanded. There has yet to be a time where doubt arises in her when she does something for her own benefit, even at the detriment of others.
Carmillia doesn't realize her psychopathic tendencies is the reason she hasn't achieved happiness even after escaping her parents. It is the source of her sadness and why she can't quell her loneliness or desire to be loved. She doesn't realize how self destructive her behavior is.
An irresponsible child without the dignity expected of a noble and wholly unworthy of such a title. Nerio’s heard it and worse, and for the most part he’s happy to flip off those who badmouth him. Where he lacks in the gravitas, he makes up for it by being easy going and fairly inoffensive to get along with. Well unless the other people are bothered by a devil-may-care noble getting to enjoy life because he was born into it.
After all, he wasn’t born poor. He’s never been hungry, and he’s certainly never been forced to kill or steal to survive. He chose that lifestyle for himself for the glory and plunder, and he admits it without any shame. There’s nothing wrong with doing what he was interested in, and plus it helped him learn quite a lot. He’s definitely the sort that learns better through application and repeated practice over studying theory.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Despite his nationality, Nerio’s appearance is distinctly Arrundan and it comes largely from his mother’s side of the family. At 5’8, he has a rather lean build as one might expect of a sailor and swimmer. His dull amber eyes have been called lifeless by some, but they’re usually narrowed by a cheerful grin. Aside from his callused hands, his body is otherwise unmarked or scarred by his time at the sea.
Even now that he is attending the Academy, he prefers to stick to his well-worn and casual attire. He may be noble, but it may as well only be in name as he has never tried to play up that aspect. He does accessorize with a few pieces of jewellery like his earrings and a bracelet or two, but they aren’t of any importance or sentimental value.
L A N G U A G E S
Revidian is his mother tongue. He is fluent in Avincian as a maritimer and “noble”, and Perrench from his various “interactions” with their merchants and navy. His Inipori has fallen out of so much use that it would take some active effort in order to relearn it, but he still remembers it faintly.
T H E G I F T
A blackblooded Skyborn with an average RAS, Nerio focuses on speed, efficiency, and precision when it comes to his Gift. It doesn’t take much for him to fill up his capacity, and he can draw and release at a moment’s notice. Everything about his use of magic points towards a capable battlemage in the making, and it’s really all Nerio’s studied and honed his skills for. Although most of his abilities are self-learned, his foundations were laid by his father. Cirio may not have been a Skyborn, but he was an experienced battlemage in his own right, and he passed on not only the Gift to his son, but his knowledge as well.
Naturally, Nerio favors the Kinetic school of magic as a compliment to his swordplay. Infusing himself with a constant draw of energy to speed himself up and prevent enemies from simply freezing him in place. He has some familiarity with the Magnetic school as well. He has some mastery over the defensive aspects to counter Internal Chemists, but has also begun to experiment with using it alongside his Kinetic magic and swordplay. The act of trying to split his focus between several swords while fighting at the same time is something that’s proven to be an incredibly taxing strain though. It's much less taxing to simply use them as projectiles, but that's not nearly as interesting as a visual spectacle nor a challenge!
His use of Internal Chemistry is rather basic, but fairly effective. Familiarizing himself with it allows him to recognize the signs for when he needs to throw up some Magnetic defences, and being able to induce adrenaline rushes is sometimes just what is needed to tip the scales in a melee.
B A C K G R O U N D
The strangeness of his heritage is not lost on Nerio. His mother, an Arrundan merchant, while his father, one of Revidia’s most infamous privateers? There had to be some sort of story there, and he was often regaled with tales of how his father Cirio had rescued and won Chaya’s hand from some honorless pirates. It was all very vague and only made his family situation.. confusing and messy, to say the least. His father never had an official wife, but he did have a fair number of lovers. This meant all manners of older and younger siblings and a family dynamic that was hard to grasp at the best of times.
Neither of his parents were around very often for his earliest years. His father only started to settle down by the time he was growing out of childhood, and his mother’s wanderlust still burns bright to this day. She has seemed to have made Revidia something of a home base, and there does seem to be some affection between his parents, but it’s hard for Nerio to be sure. For all that Chaya may be his biological mother, it’s hard for him to truly see her as that given the disconnect.
Given a large part of Cirio’s success came from being a powerful mage, it wasn’t a surprise that at least a few of his children inherited the gift as well. Some manifested it on their own, others were discovered during testing, and Nerio’s blood made it quite clear that he had an inclination for the gift.
As for what drove Nerio to the life of a privateer? No doubt seeing the hero’s fanfare and welcome Cirio received each time he returned to port was one of the driving forces. Growing closer to his father as his other siblings turned to other tutors and teachers was certainly another. He enjoyed the various stories and tales his father had through a rather eventful career and life on the seas.
Then there was the ever complicated situation at home. His father was still healthy and had a long life ahead of him, but there were factions being drawn among his siblings. Some of them were now old enough to hold stations of importance and were consolidating their influence and power beneath their father. It was a situation he did not want to find himself entangled in, and so he took an easy route out into the open oceans.
So he took it. His father’s old crew had continued their ways after he left, and there was always room for a mage in the ranks. Maybe he should have realized that stories from the man in charge were a shite comparison to the average sailors, but it was a bit too late for that after the ship had sailed out. Fast forward a few years later, and Nerio’s finally hit a point of stagnation in his life. He’s served and been of service to Revidia, and would very much like for a letter of recommendation to Ersand'Enise if they would please.
M O T I V A T I O N
Nerio may not have any grand dreams or truly know what he wants from his life yet, but he does know it should be more than doing the same old routine over and over again. He may be young, but he has no desire to be a privateer for the rest of his days. The familiar waters no longer fill him with a sense of adventure and counting the days or even weeks before a mark is chosen fills him with lethargy.
If the lack of fulfillment wasn’t enough, time spent aboard a ship is not exactly conducive to furthering his abilities with the Gift. There’s only so much self-study can help him before he needs to seek out people more skilled and knowledgeable to learn from. While he has never been much of an academic and even dreads the prospect of dreary and droning lectures, he’s never shied away from a bit of suffering for the sake of self-improvement.
I N V E N T O R Y
Whenever allowed, Nerio does carry around a sword on his person. It is quite similar to a scimitar, but blade that is both thinner and less wide. It also serves as one of his foci. He also tends to have at least one knife on him as a habit from being on a ship. A compass is another hold out from his time as a sailor. Also it’s just nice to have when people don’t trust his ability to find north. What sort of magnetic mage would have trouble finding north? A few pieces of jewellery in addition to a coin pouch. Enough for a week or so of daily necessities, or one good night out on the town. A challenge coin from the Astral. It’s something of a sentimental piece for him, and it’s pretty thick and solid for a coin. Not bad for nailing someone in the head if necessary. He doesn’t carry it on his person, but he has a rather large tome in his room. It’s probably in poor taste, but he has collected various insignias and other markers on its pages. A little trophy case of his own so to speak.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ General seamanship. He wasn’t on a pleasure cruise after all, and everyone’s gotta pull their own weight. ❖ A bit more than general swordplay. Considered a skilled practitioner of Destreza, if not quite an expert yet. ❖ Iron stomach. He’s seen a lot, eaten possibly even more, and has yet to be sick from any of it. At least as far as he can remember. ❖Tireless. Being a Skyborn certainly helps in this, but Nerio was never one to shy away from the night’s watch. He can work for a solid day and night straight before he begins to feel any sort of physical or mental fatigue.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Hedonistic and materialistic. It’s easy to enjoy the finer things in life as a noble and mage, and Nerio is certainly one to indulge when he can. Been drinking as a babe, or so the stories go, and he certainly doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon. ❖ Slightly infamous. Comes with his line of work, but there’s at least a few merchants and nobles from Perrence and its allies hostile to him. ❖ Vainglorious. Why yes, he was part of the crew that returned the merchant vessel Alsea to Perrence. Thanks for the gold in exchange! ❖ Adrenaline junkie. He can produce his own supply, but it’s a bit different from being in situations that get the blood pumping.
s ᴇ ᴠ ᴇ ɴ ᴛ ᴇ ᴇ ɴ ʏ ʀ s ▲ ғ ᴇ ᴍ ᴀ ʟ ᴇ ▲ ᴇ s ᴋ ᴀ ɴ ᴅ ɪ s ʜ ▲ ʜ ɪ ɢ ʜ ɴ ᴏ ʙ ʟ ᴇ ▲ 8 . 2 B ɪ ɴ ᴅ ɪ ɴ ɢ ᴍ ᴀ ɢ ɪ ᴄ ɪ s ɴ ᴏ ᴛ ᴜ s ᴇ ᴅ ғ ᴏ ʀ ᴏ ғ ғ ᴇ ɴ s ᴇ
[ ᴘ ᴇ ʀ s ᴏ ɴ ᴀ ʟ ɪ ᴛ ʏ ]
▲ Private ▲ Charismatic ▲ Arrogant ▲ Disciplined ▲ Lost
Who Am I? The question haunts her thoughts more than any other. She doesn't know. No one knows. But she does know the role handed to her with birth. She has played it almost to perfection, ironing out the cracks in the façade behind a steady smile. She is both worldly and sheltered. Displayed at her mother's side to dignitaries and royals, but she can't remember the last time her mother let her speak, truly speak. And while she may falter for her mother's whims this is not a dominant trait expressed around others. It has definitely not disrupted her confidence, of which she has an abundance. It has honed her eloquence and observation skills, her ability to stand seamlessly amongst the rulers of this world. She is hopeful now too; hopeful that for the first time she will be able to answer that burning question away from her mother's ever judgmental gaze.
[ ᴀ ᴘ ᴘ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴇ ]
When your first kiss in life comes from death himself it leaves a sort of taint upon your vessel, and from this affliction she was not immune. While her skin showed that the grip of life had not completely lost its grasp, her other features were a startling reminder. Her eyes were the mirror of glacial ice, intensely piercing. Her hair too claimed the pallor of emptiness; a startling white so devoid of hue that it seemed to leech it's tint from the colors around her. A pale white strip was tattooed from her lower lip down to her chin. A flagrant display of acceptance for her condition, for she surely was not self conscious about it. To touch death and walk with the living was nothing to be ashamed of.
Her attire speaks of unrepentant wealth. Her clothes were, of course, custom made to be either utilitarian or heavily flattering. She was accustomed to the chilly coastal weather of home, and so often adorned furs and sweaters, but silk dresses and lace tops would do in the heat. It wasn’t just the clothes that reflected her high born status, her stature as well seemed to follow suit. She was a lean 5’11”, already towering over her mother and many of her tutors and staff.
[ ʟ ᴀ ɴ ɢ ᴜ ᴀ ɢ ᴇ s ]
She is fluent in verbal and written Eskandish and Avincian. She has a notable grasp of conversational Perrench and Revidian. She can read Belzaggic, but has rarely had an opportunity to speak it.
[ ᴛ ʜ ᴇ ɢ ɪ ғ ᴛ ]
Binding magic is not used for offense. As a blood child she naturally inclined towards binding. She began passionate and favorable towards the idea of being a healer. She spent lengthy amounts of time scouring over anatomy text books, dissecting animals, and occasionally bodies donated for science. She practiced the removal of the vile things that destroyed us from within, but really had not yet had the opportunity to dig too deep. Given the chance she was ready to learn. It was her sacred duty to heal. She practiced the destruction of pebbles thrown at her. She practiced harder when they became stones. Barriers and burrowing were still difficult and exceedingly taxing, but she practiced. It was her sacred duty to protect. Magic was a high she would never grow tired of. There was never enough magic. Binding magic is not used for offense. But she also knew death. The first time she practiced a blood mark it came from a single hair and a sweet caress. And really, destruction was easy, if not tiring. What she really enjoyed was when she was allowed to attempt the Mark of the Basilisk. She was diligent, and tireless, her palor grew, and the rat population decreased.
[ ʙ ᴀ ᴄ ᴋ ɢ ʀ ᴏ ᴜ ɴ ᴅ ]
Born a Bjelke of Eskand. That one chance of fate has defined her entire life. Of course, it was her mother's title she would inherit. As far as she knew her father did not have one, though she had never met him. He had been assassinated prior to her birth and her mother refused to talk about it. Her father's absence had not left a noticeable gap in her life. Her mother was overbearing enough to account for two parents. Though as a child she would wonder about him. Perhaps he had been kind. Perhaps he would have cuddled her, given her pet names and carried her about on his shoulders. Perhaps her mother would not be as cold as the Country they call home if he had not died.
The large estate that she grew up in was dug into the side of an impressive mountain range. The most impressive in Eskand if her childhood memories were to be believed. Spires carved upwards until they blended into the mountain that continued higher, trying to devour the sky. Hot springs curled at the base of her estate. Within she had a dark room, a stone encased cage that displayed a rug that had once been the fur of a large pale bear. A fireplace was the central focus, decorated with gold and whale bones. It was here that she sat, everyday they were not traveling, at her desk. Across from her the faces changed; different mages, tutors, diplomats. In the end their faces would blend together as their lessons did. Taking root and entwining to be the representations and base of her myriad of knowledge. And then there were the books. Oh, the books. She must have read thousands. They too bled together. Time bled together, here in this cavernous cage. But really wasn't it all a cage?
Even when her mother took her traveling she was an owl with clipped wings. When she graced the halls of nobles from distant lands and toured their varied gardens and heard their varied plights and politics, even when surrounded by laughter at decadent parties, everywhere the question followed her. Who is she? But, there was no answer louder than the everlasting drone of who she was born to be. Her name. Her title. Her responsibilities. Her cage. But, there was always magic. It lived with her, grew with her, and that was a steady and constant comfort.
There were moments when she forgot about her cage. While disconnected from her people due to her station she was afforded a few of their past times. She learned to fish in the warmer months, when the whales would drive the schools into inlets and make for easier catching. She hunted in the winter, a rifle resting almost frozen against her cheek while only her breath and the timid creatures moved. From these things she learned patience. She learned death.
Magic had always been very opposed to death for her as a binding practitioner. She knew magic. She knew death. She knew a stone cage. And then, for her twelfth birthday she received a key to the crypt. The cold bowels of the earth beneath her hearth. The place where she really began her training. But that room doesn't exist. Binding magic is not used for offense. She thought she knew magic. She thought she knew death. She spent years learning everything they could teach her until her mother allowed her to pursue school; a choice mainly dictated not because she wanted to allow her daughter freedom, but because she could no longer afford to lose the connections school would provide for their family.
[ ᴍ ᴏ ᴛ ɪ ᴠ ᴀ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ ]
She has been prepped for this her entire life. This was never a choice, it was the choice. There was not a time she did not awaken and work for this moment. And now that she is here? Well, an even greater motivation beyond being what she must has arisen. Now, away from her ever watching mother and advisors she can figure out who it is she is meant to be. What her place in this world means to her. But with no watching will she falter? Will she rise to be the one she is expected to be?
[ ɪ ɴ ᴠ ᴇ ɴ ᴛ ᴏ ʀ ʏ ]
▲ Money ▲ Talisman made of fishbone, gravestone and silver ▲ Hunting Knife carved with runes ▲ Assorted jewelry ▲ Pendant with the Crest of the Bjelke ▲ Small Notebook ▲ Sack filled with trinkets that she had been gifted (Promise of Ahn-Shune)
[ s ᴛ ʀ ᴇ ɴ ɢ ᴛ ʜ s & s ᴋ ɪ ʟ ʟ s ]
▲ Perfectionist ▲ Superb Hostess ▲ Hunting ▲ Relentless ▲ Knowledge of Ancient Lore
[ ᴡ ᴇ ᴀ ᴋ ɴ ᴇ s s ᴇ s & ғ ʟ ᴀ ᴡ s ]
▲ Perfectionist ▲ Vindictive ▲ Low Impulse Control ▲ Bias/Misestimation of others ▲ Superstitious
[ ᴍ ɪ s ᴄ ᴇ ʟ ʟ ᴀ ɴ ᴇ ᴏ ᴜ s ]
▲ Unaware of her mother's actions prior to her birth. ▲ Half Yasoi, but that is guarded knowledge and she may have her suspicions, it has not been confirmed. ▲ color & color
"As young children, we learnt that it is wrong to put out the light of another. Yet inevitably, innocence will be lost over time. And all became but means to an end, even as the voice in our heart kept telling us that it's wrong."
Eun-Ji is a rather quiet individual, possessing a calm and contemplative demeanor. For the most parts, she is an individual with little personal ambitions. She would have been completely fine continuing to live a normal life as a commoner like her parents, yet instead her gift caused her to be what she now is, far away from a mundane and peaceful life. Thus she saw her gift in rather of a melancholic light; like destiny having a bit of fun out of her life. Furthermore, she's naturally honest and possessed of strong aversion towards lies and deception. Considering her line of work often necessitated the usage of such dishonest means, this made it even more of a dilemma for her.
Still, she's not in reality one of melancholic disposition, and thus had decided to still live her life as best she can; she saw no point in dwelling upon circumstances that are now out of her control.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
General Outfit
Design Details
Of purely Tan Keoulian heritage, Eun-Ji generally possessed the typical physical features of her people. At 158cm tall (5'2), she is of average height for an adult female Tan Keoulian. She is rather on the slim side and is well-toned, mostly owing to the athletics and martial arts training she received upon becoming a Lotus Sentry. This can be a bit difficult to perceive due to the way that she dresses, mostly wearing clothes inspired by the traditional clothing of Tan Keoul called Hanbok which are baggy dress that covers most of the wearer's upper body. Most of the clothes that she wears were brought over from Tan Keoul due to the fact that it was hard to find a tailor in Revidia who knew how to properly make Tan Keoulian clothes. They were all confused by the significant differences and complexities of what were basically very exotic fashion to them.
Her significantly long hair is typically done quite simply with a single front braid and a pair of pig tails on the back, giving it a more intricate look than it really is. A notable physical trait, if it is to be called as such, would be her much paler complexion in comparison to most other people of Tan Keoul.
L A N G U A G E S
Eun-Ji is completely fluent in Tan Keoulian, owing to it being her native language. Additionally, she is also fluent in Avincian as a matter of necessity. Furthermore she is semi fluent in Kanjikish and Rettanese, being able to hold conversations in the two languages quite well although not as capable of writing and reading the letters.
T H E G I F T
Eun-Ji's gift in magic pretty much defined what her life had ended up becoming. Born to a family of simple farmers, Eun-ji's life took a significant turn upon the discovery of her being a Skyborn; an already rare lineage made even rarer by the fact that she's not East Constantian. While her RAS score is rather average, it combined with her Skyborn lineage made her the perfect candidate for the Tan Keoulian's Lotus Sentries; the country's equivalent of a special operations force tasked with the protection of the country's internal stability via clandestine operations. In practice, she doesn't really need an extraordinary RAS score.
Eun-Ji's natural talents with magic are highly specialized. First and foremost, she is a Kinetic mage with a strong disposition toward Liquid Telekinesis. This natural specialty then became the focus point of her entire magical repertoire, as even the training she received upon her induction into the Lotus Sentries was centered on it. Given the best instructors that the organization can provide, these same instructors guided her to learn from the Arcane school of magic as her secondary specialization, specifically the utilization of illusion and misdirection that are unique to the school. Combined, these two specializations created something unique to Eun-Ji's magic: Illusion based not only on light, but reinforced by actual substance and corporeality in the form of liquid (most often water) instead of merely a trick of sight. She's even able to cause the illusion to vocalize thanks to the Kinetic school's manipulation of sound waves. All of these combined practically allowed her to create liquid clones of herself, her own unique spell: Mirage of Lotus.
Her training continues heavily along this line, with Eun-Ji constantly working on perfecting the Mirage of Lotus. However, due to this specialization (which can be argued as overspecialization) in liquid manipulation and illusion, she's not much good at anything else. She is able to conjure elementary spells such as creating licks of flames or the average fireball thanks to her Arcane training, or somewhat strengthen the impact of her physical strikes thanks to her Kinetic training, but such things are not her specialties and indeed remained at rather elementary level.
Being a Blackblood-Skyborn, Eun-Ji is middling in regards to the many determinants of spell power. She is much or less average in drawing efficiency, containment efficiency, and conversion efficiency. However, as part of her specialized training as a Lotus Sentry, she received intensive training in the practice of Freecasting, making her of considerable skill in being a Freecaster.
B A C K G R O U N D
Born to a family of farmers, Eun-Ji's life prior to the discovery of her gift by the government was very much mundane and not unlike most other commoners. She went to a typical Gwanhak (public government school for commoners) for her education, helped with working in her family's farm, and played with her friends as all common children does. There are many that would consider such a life boring, but Eun-Ji was completely content with such a life. It was mundane and filled with hard work, but it was also honest and humble; a simple yet idyllic life. Her weird natural ability in manipulating liquid itself was no secret, it first happened when she were 8 years old, helping move containers of water around the farm. Somehow, she were able to make the water move by themselves, which were very convenient as far as watering the farm plants went. Yet the simple family and their friends didn't think much of it beyond that; they were simple people with simple aspirations. It simply made her especially helpful as a farmhand as far as everyone were concerned. In everyone's eyes including her own, her ability was no different from those parlor tricks that the not-quite-mages are able to do. Compared to that, it was then no surprise that the fact of her seemingly being far more agile, light-footed, and tireless compared to most other children weren't at all considered as anything unusual.
Of course, this all changed upon her gift coming to broader light. As part of the Tan Keoulian government's efforts in discovering talents like Eun-Ji's own, examinations were done for all children attending a Gwanhak once they reached the age of 15. Turned out the extend of her potential went far beyond "moving water around for watering farm plants". Being that Eun-Ji's RAS score very nearly reached the mark of 7, the government officials in charge of the examination knew immediately that they had found a valuable asset among the commoners. They took her aside away from the rest of her peers, performed more in-depth examinations on her, and found something even more intriguing. The things with her being far more agile, light-footed, and tireless than most other? Those were no fluke either. Those were because of Eun-Ji being a Skyborn. From there, things developed quite rapidly. The government officials immediately explained everything to Eun-Ji, offering her to work for the government with promises of wealth and elevated social positions and all such other benefits that would be nothing more than dreams for most commoners to ever possibly achieve.
And yet she refused, a humble life was all that the young Eun-Ji had ever wanted. All these things about greatness and magic and so on intimidated her; she didn't want to lose her peaceful life. No further promises of prosperity were able to change her mind... So the promises quickly changed to subtle threats of harm to herself, her family, and her friends. Underhanded remarks of how easy it would be for a village such as the one she lived in to disappear, how unfortunate it would be for that to happen. Eun-Ji quickly realized that the "offer" wasn't one that she can refuse. Left with no choice, she resigned herself to it. And so her blissful simple life promptly ended. What came next were things she would never even had thought of learning or doing at all before. Martial arts training, athletics training, magic training, espionage training, political indoctrination, training training training training training. "Long live the emperor, All hail Tan Keoul, For the prosperity of the Lotus we live."
Three years passed. Long enough of a time for a child to lose the innocence of her mind. "Fighting" every single day, not knowing when her own light might go out. Once an innocent crying child, now sharpened into a knife to pierce the heart of the emperor's enemies. The child's training with her appointed instructors were done, there wasn't anything left to learn from them. Yet there are others still that can help sharpen her. And where best to do so than in the school boasted to have the highest quality of education in the arts of magic?
M O T I V A T I O N
Long resigned to her "destiny", Eun-Ji is motivated simply by the fact that she have no other choice but to continue doing her best. In her mind, there is clearly no way for her to be able to get away from her current path. Even attempting to do so will likely bring upon terrible consequences upon herself and her family and potentially even the village she once called home. Faced with such possibility, what else can she possibly do? Fear is as strong a motivation as any, if not even more than most others.
Thus continue doing her best she will, as such is what the great emperor and the prosperous Tan Keoul requires of her.
I N V E N T O R Y
- As far as monetary wealth is concerned, being government funded meant it isn't really an issue for Eun-Ji. The money's not actually hers, so to speak, but regardless she will find no trouble in funding her study and daily life in the academy. - Paper Talismans: Commonly used across Rettand in place of staff or wands, these paper talismans were specifically made to aid a mage with the process of Preservation. While Eun-Ji generally have little use of these due to her skill in freecasting, she still keeps them around just in case. - Blank Talismans and ink pens: Tools to make more of the above talismans. - Waist Case: Wooden ornamental case serving as Eun-Ji's bag. - Books: Mostly philosophical tomes. She always bring at least one with her in her case, while the rest would be stashed in her dorm room. - Meditation Mat: An otherwise simple linen mat, with intricate patterns and Tan Keoulian letters drawn upon it. As the name implied, this is used for meditation.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Athletics: As a Lotus Sentry, Eun-Ji were trained to be considerably athletic. Specifically for her, she is given even more intensive training in regards to physical speed, agility, and flexibility to take advantage of her lineage as a Skyborn. ❖ Martial Art: Similarly, Eun-Ji were trained in the Tan Keoulian martial art of Seun-chi-go up to an adept level as per Lotus Sentry standard. The martial art takes advantage of quick and precise movements among other things, fitting quite well with Eun-Ji's athletic capabilities. ❖ Calmness: Eun-Ji is in general capable of remaining calm under pressure and even in intense situations. ❖ Honesty: Due to Eun-Ji being very honest, people are more likely to trust her. ❖ Philosophical Knowledge: Due to her natural predisposition towards philosophical thought, Eun-Ji is quite knowledgeable in regards to philosophy.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Resignation: As a result of her background, Eun-Ji possessed a kind of proneness towards being resigned. That is to say, she kind of gives up easily if she believe that something is out of her control. ❖ Lack of Ambition: Eun-Ji lacks personal ambition, believing that she is at the mercy of destiny. As such, it is quite unlikely for her to pick up on new skills out of her own will. ❖ Calmness: Being calm meant that she is also bad at being spontaneous. In situations where impulsive action would net better results than a carefully measured one, Eun-Ji is at a clear disadvantage. ❖ Honesty: Being honest also meant that Eun-Ji is horrible at lying or performing other forms of deception. Even without considering her line of work, the inability to lie can be a serious disadvantage in certain situations. ❖ Street-Blind: That is to say, she's the exact opposite of a street smart individual. For someone that were supposedly trained as a clandestine agent, she's horrible at dealing with shady individuals or situations.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
- Eun-Ji's true role as a Lotus Sentry for Tan Keoul is unsurprisingly being kept a secret from the people in the academy excepting those that need to know it. The cover story given to her was that she's just a cadet of the Tan Keoul Army's Mage Division. - Eun-Ji's hobby is, unsurprisingly enough, reading. Additionally she also enjoyed fishing, which was accomodated by Tan Keoul being a heavily maritime country. - Eun-Ji is fond of animals, partially influenced by her experiences in taking care of farm animals. - She loves sour food but can't handle spicy food at all. Kimchi, which is basically a traditional Tan Keoul pickle, is a serious dilemma for her due to it generally being both sour and spicy. - Eun-Ji and her family members are not religious, although they do follow a system of belief heavily based on the karma aspects.
Changelog: - January 27th, 2022: Changed learned martial art to Seun-chi-go. - February 12th, 2022: Updated RAS because ate "something" accidentally.
“Whenever you’re down, life likes to kick you, just in case you didn’t get the message. So just keep that in mind, that it can always get worse – somehow. Whenever it gets better or whoever is offering to pick you up? Won’t be for free.”
Linah burns with the desire to prove herself as capable, important, and worthy of respect. She’s always believed in herself, regardless of criticisms and secret doubts. Though experience has confirmed her belief, she yet yearns for recognition – not empty praise, but something more tangible. She is both realistic and sensible enough to realize that she will likely never be free of making uneasy quid-pro-quo alliances; no one ever is. She does however wish to stand on equal ground to others, at the very least. For that, she will do what she can, even if it is via exploitation and manipulation. From what she’s seen so far, it’s not as if there’s a way to advance without opportunistic cooperation with those beneficial to her goals or ruthless preying upon those who cannot cover for their weaknesses.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Linah stands at 5’4, and is lithe and wiry, if still somewhat thin and gangly due to a recent growth spurt. She has a warm, light brown complexion that gets darker during the summer. Her eyes are hazel, and her hair a deep walnut. She used to wear it short, but had to grow it out as that is supposedly more befitting of a ‘lady’. After years of taking proper care of it, it is thick, lush, and wavy, not at all resembling the mess it’d been in her youth. She has been told that it is deeply unfortunate that a scar mars her face, but she truly does not care. Lin has learned a variety of gaits; confident ‘I belong here’, shuffling ‘Don’t pay me any mind’, slow ‘I’ve no care in the world’ among them. She is not naturally expressive, and does well at regulating her emotions, but enjoys putting on expressions that fit the current situation. As far as clothing is concerned, she now tends toward the kind of attire that a lower or middling merchant could afford. Though, she will sometimes adopt what others may term ‘rags’ if it suits her purposes. As long as it’s practical and not too showy, she doesn’t care much for the style, colour, or cut of her clothing.
L A N G U A G E S
Torragonese – mother tongue. Avincian – upper intermediate, though with a noticeable accent. Revidian – elementary, learning.
T H E G I F T
Linah has a natural knack for (primarily) the Arcane and (secondarily) the Kinetic schools of magic; she discovered and nurtured the talent herself, if to a limited extent. Because she initially learned on her own, she is an adept Freecaster, and generally forgoes instruments or focus points. Even now, after having studied under another mage, she prefers subtle spells that aid her or disrupt the enemy. In the Arcane school, she is most practiced at blinding an opponent, precisely regulating heat or light to get exactly the intended effect, casting invisibility, and using illusions. As for Kinetic magic, she prioritizes self-empowerment and manipulating sounds so as to confuse opponents. She employs telekinesis when necessary, but isn’t particularly creative with it. While familiar with the very basics of other schools, she has so far taken to certain spells within the Chemical school (Gazes of: Sloth, Terror, Agony, and Deception, Blessings of: Joy, Vigor, and Expulsion), and not much besides.
B A C K G R O U N D
Born to commoners down on their luck, Lin was one of the many inhabitants of the slums on the border of a large city. Her parents were both manual laborers hired for cheap, and hadn’t quite planned for a child either. Still, they took care of her as best they could. However, Lin’s mother died while she was young, and Linah has precious few memories of her. Her father grew despondent, but persisted for her sake. Still, he did dip into alcohol more than he’d before, and the older Linah grew, the more she had to fend both for herself and her father. She did what she could and what she had to; begging, stealing, working a ‘job’ as a courier for some seedy folk who were just fine hiring a slum kid, and the like. It was after a failed risky robbery that she spontaneously manifested magic out of a desperation to escape. After that, she dedicated whatever free time she had, even sacrificing some sleep for it, to practice. She discovered she could take heat from another to use it herself, and often did. Whenever she needed a boost to her running speed, or needed to reach just a bit farther to jump onto the roof, she could do that too.
She isn’t sure when, how, or due to whom, but her magic capabilities were discovered. Of course, she had no idea that was the case until she was snatched. After an uncomfortable journey, she was brought before a certain person by the name of Na’ir Yazath. He offered her great things in exchange for her loyalty. Reluctantly, she agreed – on the condition that her father be brought to the estate as well. A few days later, while still settling in, she was informed her father had been found dead. Disbelieving, she ran off to confirm the truth for herself. Her former home (a dilapidated shack shared by several people) had no trace of her father left. Asking around, she was told that after she disappeared, her father had committed suicide. Whether that was true, or whether Yazath’s men had done the deed themselves, it was clear where the blame lay. However, she returned to Na’ir regardless, and accepted his offer. The following several years, she was taught, tutored, and trained in many subjects, magical and mundane. Her patron even attempted to apprentice her to a well-paid Black Rezaindian, though that soon proved to be futile, as Linah resisted being made into a tool for murder, of all things. In the end, it was decided she’d attend Ersand’Enise. Lin doesn’t mind, but is wary as to whatever may come after she finishes schooling.
M O T I V A T I O N
As someone who started near the bottom of the social ladder, Linah’s always had to struggle simply to survive. Rather than become satisfied with merely getting by, however, she has become covetous of power – precisely because she herself has so often lacked it. While it is true that she has gained many comforts that she’d only been able to dream about in her childhood, they’ve all come with a price attached; the kind of price that may very well take her years and decades to repay. Yet, Lin doesn’t want to spend her whole life beholden to someone else. She strives to be free; free of those who would use her without (equivalent) recompense, free of unwelcome obligations, and free of being hobbled by desperation.
I N V E N T O R Y
A short sword, sheathed at her left hip.
A knife, sheathed at her back.
A shiv hidden within a boot.
A pouch with a small sum of coins, resting in an inner shirt pocket.
A decoy pouch with a smaller sum of coins (plus a few stray bits and bobs that make a similar jingle, to make it seem a tad more substantial), tied to her belt.
A fine leather travelling satchel, which she usually stores under lock and key (or otherwise hides) whenever she is staying somewhere.
A few sets of clothing, some finer and intended for ‘better’ company, some worn and second-handed for when she’d rather pass as a commoner.
A piece of flint tied to a gray string around her neck (weak enough to tear if someone attempts to strangle her).
An assortment of hair ties; those not used for her hair are often wrapped around her wrists or ankles.
A hooded travelling cloak which can double as bedding and/or a blanket.
A seal of the Yazath family engraved with her name, which she has been granted by her patron, and which she is most paranoid about losing.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Slum Kid. A life in poverty meant doing whatever one could to live to the next day. As many children did, Lin turned to thieving. She isn’t one to grow rusty in what is useful, so her aptitude remains. She can walk quietly, blend into the crowds, act unassumingly, choose appropriate locations and targets for her crimes, snatch purses with no one the wiser, and most importantly, run and hide quickly when necessary. ❖ Code of Honour. She will keep to her agreements, and won’t break her promises. She knows fully well what awaits traitors after all. Those who deal with her do have to be aware of what she is promising, however, so as not to get swindled due to ambiguous wording. ❖ Light-footed. She is agile, flexible, and quick to react, her natural athleticism shaped by need during her childhood and diligently honed during her adolescence. Her past on the streets has made her frightfully skilled at navigating urban terrain. ❖ Dirty fighting. A remnant from the occasional physical quarrel between fellow slum-dwellers. Though she’d been tutored later on in the art of sword fighting, her style of dueling (if it could be called that) is considered uncouth, and she prefers knives and short swords besides. ❖ Merchant’s Patronage. Though Lin isn’t exactly fond of her patron, and certainly not obsequious toward him, she appreciates the doors his influence opened. Any and all knowledge that those born into this life take for granted, she is pleased and proud to have acquired.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Mistrustful. She is always questioning the motives of others, especially as to how they might pertain to her. Her heart is closed to others; this makes it difficult to form genuine friendships. ❖ Underhanded. Though she does have a particular (mainly self-serving) manner of fairness, it is a very finicky one. She is willing to trick, steal, lie, cheat, and more if it gets her what she wants – and while she’s now more subtle about it, that kind of thing (if discovered!) may quickly tarnish one’s reputation. ❖ Underdog. Used to getting used, she is very susceptible to being taken advantage of by those with more power than her, even if she detests it. Those unscrupulous enough to wield their influence while disregarding their principles can cow her into submission easily enough – as long as they convince her that she has no viable avenues of opposition, that is. ❖ Self-destructive. Linah truly does value her own life and safety; however, she is willing to gamble with both if she judges the benefits worthwhile enough to take the risks. She is also highly suspicious of kindness, and doesn’t believe there is such a thing as ‘no strings attached’. She is perfectly willing to be as unpleasant as necessary to deter people she views as soft-hearted fools. ❖ Class Conscious. While she has learned how to conduct herself in polite society, she doesn’t feel as if she belongs there. Oh, it is a much more comfortable position compared to her humble beginnings, but she can’t help those pesky twinges of dissonance whenever her memory lingers on the past to compare it with the present. Though she presents a confident façade, the societal hierarchy makes her deeply uncomfortable – she is so much half-this, half-that, it’s almost as if she is in some separate category of her own.
Raised in an orpanage, Mayu understands the hardships of life despite her young age. Since for as long as she can remember, Mayu has lived for others. Be it acting as a maternal figure for the younger kids in the Sugarplum Orphanage or demonstrating filial piety towards her new adoptive parents. Mayu is extremely empathetic, taking on the emotional burdens of others whenever she can.
In spite of the implications that come with her self imposed responsibility for others, Mayu maintains her cheerful nature, always looking for silver linings. It is no surprise that people easily develop a fondness for her and often want to protect her innocence. Behind her bright personality, Mayu is full of insecurities. She suffers from low self esteem and constantly belittles her own accomplishments. Being too humble can be a negative thing; Mayu finds it hard to articulate her true opinion, often letting others dictate her decisions when push comes to shove. Most of all, Mayu doesn't believe she's contributed enough to those around her.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Full Body
Playing With Cats
Mayu stands at just 148 cm, which makes her petite even for her age.
Though Mayu's true heritage remains a mystery, she possess distinctive Rettanese features, particularly those of the Kanjikish. Mayu has a light complexion with pale ivory skin. This is complemented by her warm, honey brown eyes. She has a round face and a cute stubby button nose. The one exception to her Rettanese features would be her strawberry blonde hair, indicating one of her parents might have been Eskandish or Perrench. She often braids the left side of her hair.
In spite of her new status as nobility, Mayu appreciates modest looking fashion, preferring not to stand out. She often dresses in plain skirts, preffering to choose from various tops when she wants to switch things up. Mayu is always spotted wearing her signature daisy hairpin, a gift from her adoptive mother that she treasures greatly.
L A N G U A G E S
As she was originally a Rettanese citizen, Mayu is fluent in both Rettanese and Avincian. She is able to speak multiple dialects of the former. Since her adoption, Mayu has put in a considerable amount of hard work to pick up Perrench which she can speak fluently, albeit with a slight accent.
T H E G I F T
Mayu's RAS score stands at 6.1. Though her RAS score is not particularly noteworthy, Mayu is talented in drawing. She was able to do so as a child without any tutelage nor arcane foci at a respectable range.
Mayu is primarily a chemical mage and takes on arcane magic as her secondary. Her particular choices in her schools lie not in conventional reasons such as their exponential nature, efficiency or combat potential but rather the applications of these schools in molecular gastronomy. Mayu is a chef! Any capable chef undersands the importance of temperature and chemistry in cooking. Through use of chemical magic, Mayu is able to induce a plethora of effects to enhance her cooking. She can amplify the chemical reaction between leavening agents and acid, allowing her to make extra fluffy pastries without hindering the taste. Transglutaminase is often used to bind meat together and Mayu is able rapidly speed up the binding process while simultaneously hindering bacterial growth.
The ability to manipulate temperature allows Mayu's cooking to be essentially immaculate. As opposed to using an open flame which varies in temperature, Mayu can steadily output heat to cook ingredients to their exact doneness. Steak can be cooked to be exactly medium rare, her carrots are always tender yet not mushy and eggs! Perfectly poached eggs or creamy omelets that are never dry. With her studies in magic far from complete, Mayu's potential in the culinary world has yet to be fully unleashed.
B A C K G R O U N D
Mayu was orphaned at birth at the Sugerplum Orphanage. When the caretaker to the orphanage had found her at their doorstep, whoever had left her there were nowhere to be seen. The Sugerplum Orphanage was a small orphanage located in Sarazu, a mid-sized city in Rettand. Managed by a single caretaker, the orphanage survived through donations from various good Samaritans. Mayu's childhood, while rather uneventful, was a good one. Though the orphanage could not offer them much, the children were for the most part, happy.
This all changed when Mayu awakened to her latent magical abilities on her ninth birthday. It had been a particularly cold Hundri and donations to the orphanage were at an all time low, leaving them unable to afford firewood. Unable to watch her fellow children freeze, Mayu subconsciously began drawing heat energy from the surrounding buildings in order to warm up the orphanage. Everyone, including herself, soon started realizing what she was doing. News soon spread and scouts from various academies and noble families swarmed the orphnage in hopes of acquiring her for themselves. It soon became apparent to Mayu that she would be taken against her will; away from those she cared about and likely forced into servitude. It was a terrying prospect for a nine year old.
Things looked grim until the Iovina House approached the orphanage. Thomas Iovina and Julliete Iovina, a Count and Countess hailing from Perrence, had been passing through Sarazu whilst celebrating their ninth anniversary when they heard their servants chatting about the local gossip. Thomas had found it amusing Mayu's age coincided with their ninth anniversary and proposed the idea of taking Mayu under their entourage to his wife. She was very much for the idea as it felt like a symbol of good luck. Unlike the other scouts who seeked Mayu's potential for their own gain, the offer the Iovina's gave to Mayu was far more enticing. She would be treated humanely as a servant. She would be given a degree of freedom; she could write to the orphanage and stipulated amount of free time. She would even be allowed to visit the orphanage once a year. They would also drop a relatively significant donation to the orphanage out of goodwill. Given her situation, even the nine year old Mayu realized it was not an offer she could refuse.
Mayu's story doesn't end here. Over the course of the next year working for the Iovina House, Mayu's affable personality and new found magical cooking grew greatly on Julliette. In spite of their attempts, the Iovina House had remained without child and Mayu was like the daughter she never had. She proposed formally adopting Mayu to Thomas. He had initially found the idea preposterous; adopting a commoner and declaring her their heiress? They were not only nobles but a Count and Countess! But even tradition could not stop him from giving into his wife. Years of frustration and depression had eaten at her and yet Mayu's presence made her smile like the Julliete of old. His wife's happiness meant more to him than gossip from fellow nobles.
One would not be surprised if the windfall of becoming a heiress to a noble family would have tempted Mayu with ambition or greed and yet... it did not. She never forgot her humble origins and made use of her new found privileges to visit her previous foster family more. Mayu put in hard work in order to adjust to the life of a noble in order to do her new parents proud. Even Thomas Iovina himself found himself treating her as if she was truly his own.
The decision to enroll in Ersand'Enise, much to her parents surprise, came from her. Mayu was ready to take first step into the second phase of her life and they were all for supporting her.
M O T I V A T I O N
Mayu's motivations mostly revolves around others. She's aware that the decision her parents made in adopting her has sparked much controversy and gossip amongst fellow nobles. Though her parents don't seem to mind, Mayu believes it's her responsibility to become a distinguished magus in order to not shame the Iovina House. The prestige and power that come with would also allow her to help the less fortunate.
She dreams of one day setting up her own magical culinary school. She envisions it as an environment where like minded mages can share their culinary innovations. A place where magic can be used for the joy of others and not conflict.
I N V E N T O R Y
❖ A daisy hairpin, given to her by her mother, Julliete Iovina. ❖ A luxurious fountain pen engraved with her initials, given by her father, Thomas Iovina. ❖ A small, custom-made magical wand that doubles as a whisk. (Really, it looks like a whisk). ❖ A well worn pair of mittens from the Sugarplum Orphanage, the mittens that kickstarted her interest in cooking. ❖ A small notebook that she uses to jot down inspiration for new dishes. ❖ Numerous culinary books, their contents ranging from basic all the way to advanced techniques and applications. ❖ An array of compact cooking utensils, ranging from knives to pots and pans.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Mayu is gifted in the culinary arts, particularly pastries. ❖ Mayu is humble and a hard worker. ❖ Mayu possesses the patience of a sage. ❖ They say animals can sense the nature of a person which would explain why Mayu has an affinity with them. ❖ Mayu has innately high drawing range as well as relatively good energy control through consistent use of her magic while cooking.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Her innocence and naivety have landed her in trouble numerous times. ❖ Mayu is full of insecurities and is prone to breaking down in stressful situations. ❖ Mayu has a below average constitution. She tends to fall ill easily. ❖ She dislikes conflict, a less than ideal trait as mages are primarily combat focused. ❖ Mayu has a strong fear of abandonment. It has resulted in her being a people pleaser.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ Mayu's character design is actually from an eroge. Some color correction was done to fit the lore (Can't have pink hair now, can we?). ❖ Mayu is unsurprisingly fond of all animals, particularly cats. ❖ Stresia is Mayu's favorite season. She enjoys joining culinary competitions. ❖ Color Code: FCFE8F
Chosen of the Sun Champion against Dark Magic Traveller's Bane The Magnificent The Splediferous
The One The Only
Leon Solaire
"You are a wonderful audience, you really are. I love each and every one of you. Espiecially you, random commoner! May we all bask in the glorious light of the sun."
Leon lives life by the moment. He is a world-renowned performer with a reputation, and personality, to match. Praise and adoration from commoners to nobles, to even a king has inflated his ego to a breaking point. He is charismatic so at the very least his words can match his reputation if nothing else.
Leon is bothered by not knowing who his parents really were or the simple origin of being a performer. So he surrounds himself in myths and legends that he himself created. He finds a great deal of comfort in being a larger than life figure to distract from how inconsequential himself and his unknown bloodline is in the grand scheme of things.
L A N G U A G E S
The group of travelling performers he is in are Revidian, so Revidian is his primary language. Revidian - fluent Avincian - fluent The majority of other languages - little outside of greeting and his routine speech
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Leon dresses magnificently in exorbitantly priced clothing. All symbols and colors reference a tale he has told about himself.
❖ The yellow represents him being 'Chosen of the Sun'. ❖ Off his shoulder hangs a symbol of Ipte, the Lover. This is for no greater reason than he likes the name. ❖ Capes. Leon is big on capes. He thinks they make him look more heroic. ❖ Depending on what performance he last did. He could have many varying types of additions to his clothes.
In the average moment, Leon is smiling. This is not to say that in the average moment he is happy. Instead, the smile is a learned behaviour of performance. His demeanour and posture also compliment this. He has excellent posture and every movement blurs the line between normal action and dance.
It is difficult to pinpoint the nationality of Leon. He doesn't seem to have any glaring features that suggest an area he comes from outside of his tanned skin. But then again he also spends a lot of time in the sun. This is a sore point for Leon, as he also wants to know where he came from.
He stands at 5'10"
T H E G I F T
Counter to any assumptions about Leon's character, he is rather studious in his free time. He has gathered books on magic from all around the world and is set to read them. It is not as if Leon has a mentor with him, so he needs to rely on the books... and a little bit of experimenting.
Leon is most at home working with the Arcane and finds he has a good amount of talent working with it. This is incredibly useful for his profession as a performer. He often incorporates the use of lights and other Arcane emissions each time he takes the stage. Although he is great at emitting the energy needed for the Arcane, he is particularly bad at drawing it. This is why he feels a particular affection for the sun. He often spends hours just taking in its incandescent glory so he is charged for a show.
Binding was another thing Leon took particular interest in. He had an idea, a very stupid dumb idea. So he spent time studying Binding just to do one thing. The performance he gave after that was legendary, and he sought to do it more often. What Leon had done was contain a simple spell within his cape. When it started flowing too much (as if he were dancing) it would ignite, burning from the bottom up to the top near his neck. It was safe of course, Leon was drawing from the power of the flames. Once it had fully burnt, he unleashed the energy into one hell of a lights show. It impressed the Revidian Doge for sure. While Leon would love to do that trick more, good capes were expensive. So he decided he would only do it for special events.
Still, the ability to bind small Arcane spells is a skill he uses regularly now. Not just for performances with capes.
Leon is not particularly gifted on a RAS score. But he is far greater at casting than he is drawing it.
Most would not say his 'gift' comes from magic. He got into the magic school with ease on reputation alone.
B A C K G R O U N D
"I met the Traveller once. No its the truth, down in Joru. He was raving on about all this revolution business. So I said to him, 'ok Mr Traveller. I can see you are big on your beliefs. So I will join your cause... if, you can beat me in knucklebones.' He was taken aback by the statement and asked what did I stand to gain. So I said 'well, if I win. You have to burn your pants.' So we played, and let's just say the Traveller was running home pantless. True story, the Traveller has had a grudge against me ever since."
"Dark magic? It's real I tell you. Evil cultists all around the world try to harness it to bring about the end of the world. Or at least I think that's what they said. Point is, they're some nasty guys I wouldn't go near them. Let the professional handle them, like me!"
"The Doge of Revidia eh. Yeah we're good friends, after a performance of mine he invited me to dinner. To be honest with you I think he wanted to adopt me. But I am a man of the people. I can't spend my life in a castle when there are people who have yet to see me."
All except the last one is a lie. With the last one being a half truth.
Leon doesn't remember his parents. From the time he could first remember, he was with the travelling performer's caravan. Stories from the older ones around him only mention they found him abandoned on the roadside. He has been with the group ever since. All Leon has known is the life on the road and keeping people entertained.
Before Leon demonstrated magical ability, he liked the sun. Only after knowing his affinity did he know why. Without a last name, the caravan gave him the name Solaire in reference to this.
Pretty early on Leon demonstrated magical ability. Most in the group didn't know what to do about that. But an old woman, Granny Eleanor, had been a magician in the past with her abilities lost to age. She started Leon on his journey of learning the Arcane.
Eleanor passed away peacefully in her sleep when Leon was 12. He saw her as a kind of mother figure to him so it hit him hard, but was glad it was peaceful. He decided to carry on from her teachings by picking up books at the various cities he visited. From then on, he developed his talents alone.
Leon continued to develop his magical skills in tandem with his performance skills. It reached a peak when he gave one of the best performances of his life in front of the Revidian doge. The doge had mentioned that his talents were wasted in the caravan and he should be enrolled into the Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy. Leon was anxious about leaving the people he had grown up with. But a doge's orders were not to be ignored. There were mixed feelings about it from the caravan, but they eventually agreed he should go.
In regards to the stories and legends Leon made about himself. The common people absolutely believe them, a lot of people do. Some in the Academy are particularly dubious about his claims. They often default to the assumption that his reputation cannot just be from nowhere, although they must be greatly exagerated. In fact, it is all from nowhere.
M O T I V A T I O N
Leon is driven by a desire for attention. He has grown up with people gazing in awe at his abilities. So he doesn't wish that to stop just because he is at the Academy now.
Leon wishes to bask in the sun. It isn't a big aspiration or anything, but it makes him happy.
I N V E N T O R Y
❖Books on Arcane and Binding ❖Lavish jewellery and clothing ❖A collection of capes ❖A lot of marbles ❖Signs of various gods and other insignia of significance. ❖A hand mirror
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖Charismatic ❖Great at dancing and performance ❖Good looks and knows how to use them ❖Brilliant storyteller... and liar ❖A huge reputation and following
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖Compulsive liar ❖Egotistical ❖Not particular good at fighting ❖A huge reputation and following
Elrand’luun'ithan'tensii
"They keep talking about an upcoming war and fighting for your country. Well I’ve already been at war and my country is lost." ♫
19 | Male | Tanso | Clergy | 7.94
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Elrand can be surprisingly cheerful. He loves to drink, gamble, and party. One could consider him a prankster of impressive skill with a roguish personality. He does not mind petty crime and is perfectly happy to do it for fun. Although scratch beneath the surface and you will see this is a habit of extremely reckless behaviour that holds his own life in low regard. At least he is having fun with it. One might consider him Zastian in a sense.
The subject of Tarlon or Vyshta will turn his mood very sour. He doesn't like to talk about it over small talk but one could gather its a point of hurt for him and a source of grim purpose.
He is short for a male yasoi at 6'4" with a slim build and angular features. His dirty blonde hair is generally unkempt due to lack of maintenance. His clothes are the opposite of flashy, in fact, it seems almost purposefully chosen to be unremarkable and to blend in with the crowd. When he does dress for leisure though, he favours loose-fitting, comfortable clothing of traditional make.
T H E G I F T
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
6.83
7.94
20
Redblood, Restbreaker, Worldbinder
n/a
School
Speciality
Tier
Magnetic
n/a
0.
Arcane
Luminescent
II.
Binding
Healing: Corporeal
III.
Chemical
Internal: Deceptive, External: Corruptive
VII.
Kinetic
Stasis, Enhancement
V.
Atomic
n/a
0.
Blood
n/a
0.
Temporal
n/a
0.
Dark
n/a
0.
Command
n/a
0.
Primordial
n/a
0.
Extra
Description
Fruit:
n/a
Other:
n/a
B A C K G R O U N D
"When I apprenticed under my mother, she used to tell poor children tall tales. She would say that, much like the sixth moon, Vyshta wasn't always visible but she was always there. She would say Vyshta would watch over all the children who only knew misfortune in their lives and she would take them to a world where they would only see good luck and happiness. I think about that more and more lately. I know she was telling them a lie but I can't help but take comfort in it. I think about it and I know I'm going to be alright."
Tanso was not a nice place: abusive leadership, mana addicts, poverty, and hunger plagued day to day life of the commoners. Elrand could see it but was largely shielded from the worst growing up. Being part of a family dedicated to the worship of Oirase, they were overworked and under-supplied but the members of the faith were always looked after. He grew up under his mother's tutelage and eventually took the oath of Oirase's servants. He could not do harm and would dedicate his future to preserving life. His first middle name granted was Luun such that his name would mean spring flower.
This wasn't to say he was an angel. He would often favour kinetic magics over binding and grew quite the reputation as a prankster in his earlier years. But he was raised right, he served others first and foremost. Despite Tanso's current state, he knew of the pride their country once held and worked toward restoring that history.
Then the Tarlonese came.
Forbidden from fighting, Elrand was conscripted as a field medic tending to the injured. It took a toll on his mind working there. Working at the temple of his home town, there were plenty of injuries to heal. Most of the time these would be accidents or disputes that had already been resolved, that was easy. It was different in war. Mangled body after mangled body rolled into the medic tent with the hopes of being saved. He did his best, but there were some far past helping. But what got him, what tore at him, was that the people responsible for this harm and brutality were just on the other side of the tent.
The Tarlonese were still on the warpath causing harm and crimes against Oirase to their fellow yasoi. He could do nothing about it. His oaths to the god of life prevented him from taking part. He felt shackled to the hospital, only reacting to the harm being done instead of trying to stop it. How many of the people he healed were sent back to the front line to die? Was it not serving Oirase's will more to put an end to these killers instead of just cleaning up their messes? He broke his oath in the final battle of Solcuura and it was a blur from there. The next thing he remembered, he was being dragged out of the city walls and was missing his right pinky.
In the coming months, a legendary freedom fighter became the subject of rumour among the folk of Tanso going by the name Sairax’Solcuun. To some, he was a Robin Hood-type figure who stole from the Tarlonese and gave to the poor villagers under their thumb. To others, he was a stain of the past against the rapidly improving country, named after the tower of oppression used by the aristocracy. In truth though, it was not a lone man but a group of resistance fighters who were unable to accept the Tarlonese occupation.
Elrand found himself among the group. After the war, he could see the country improving under Tarlonese rule but he couldn't accept their victory. How could he sit back and accept the people that swept his country's legs when they were weak? How could he accept a people who caused such bloodshed to usurp power? The answer was he couldn't. His mother had met him once, she tried to tell him that despite breaking his oath he could rejoin the new society built by their invaders but he didn't listen.
The group continued a series of relatively successful raids against Tarlonese patrols and encampments under the leadership of a military veteran they had all come to call Sairax’Solcuun in reference to the group's namesake. But not much of actual worth was achieved. The hope of recovering their country rapidly diminishing. More and more decided to splinter off and the spoils became less about helping their countrymen and more about spending a night drinking and partying. They were little more than bandits with the loose rule of exclusively targeting Tarlonese. At that point, Elrand didn't mind at all.
When it came to a head, the resistance decided to go for one last heist. The battle for Tanso had been lost, they all knew it. They were only looking for the funds to escape the country with their lives.
M O T I V A T I O N
Elrand wishes to kill Tyrel'yrash'dichora, the lap dog and prime enforcer of the Tarlonese military. He understands that he is nowhere near strong enough to do this head-on so he needs to be clever about it. It also causes him a crisis of faith as he does truly believe her to be the avatar, but he can't let himself allow the ascension to transpire.
On a wider and more unachievable game plan, Elrand wishes for the end of the Tarlonese occupation in the 'liberated lands' and the sovereignty of Tanso.
N O T E S
- Elrand lost his right pinky to a Tarlonese blade. - Elrand became an aberration addict at the resistance fighters' camp. He would eat aberrations and be strapped to a table for the madness symptoms to subside. All for 'the cause' of course.
She has been previously seen wearing dresses and attire typical of a Revidian merchant girl her age. Recently, she has taken to wearing loosely military-resembling coats passed around the Revidian nationalist group. Yes, she is larping.
She stands at 5'5"
T H E G I F T
5 2 2 3 3
Magnetic specializations: Ferromagnetism, Ionic
B A C K G R O U N D
Born to a humble merchant family that traded in lumber, Arianna's life has hardly been a tale worthy of romanticisation but not one of tragedy either. She began learning her father's trade at a young age and when she developed her magical abilities with slightly higher capability than expected, she was sent to Ersand'Enise.
She studied relatively normal classes that would benefit a merchant and she never succeeded enough to be sent on missions of consequence. One could overlook her very easily until the tensions between Perrence and Revidia came to a head. She joined a Revidian student group and while she wasn't very capable or of high standing, her clear love and fervour for Revidia brought her to being one of the group's heads.
During the revolution, the group had intended to sit back and watch the Sovereign Pact students fail at a foolish attempt on the tower. But a speech from Leon Solaire won over the group and convinced them that the 'true Revidian action' was to join this revolution. Locking away Princess Penelope was an unjust action and wasn't one that the performer was going to let Revidia be defined by; Arianna agreed and joined the fight with the majority of her fellow Revidians. She killed two mercenaries.
There is now a split among the Revidian group. Some that support Leon Solaire's actions during the revolution and see him as a trailblazer for the future of their country while other still firmly believe he caused the group to betray Revidia during the revolution. With Arianna's full support, Leon Solaire's side has won almost entirely.
M O T I V A T I O N
Arianna simply wishes to serve Revidia and bring more reputation to her family through success.
N O T E S
Leon knows her simply and only as 'Ari'.
Cawuio-Zast
“Fame, fortune, its free to those willing to cast the die first.”
❖ [Audacious] Nothing ever good came from playing things safe, Cawuio-Zast knows this better than anyone. Inaction and passivity result in a stagnating life void of spice. Cawuio-Zast is well aware of the life he would be living if he hadn’t been daring. Now he swears his life by that virtue. ❖ [Adventurous] What lies beyond the horizon? Wealth? That sounds nice. Danger? He could only hope. A new chapter in the legend? Now that is worth dying for. Cawuio-Zast welcomes the dawn of a new day, whatever it may bring. He is unusually fond of bogs and swamps. ❖ [Roguish] Cawuio-Zast is not above breaking the law to achieve his goals although it not usually in a malicious manner. In his mind he is just having a bit of fun. What a boring world it would be if everyone followed the rules all the time. ❖ [Greedy] Cawuio-Zast loves the glint of gold and the feeling of a valuable item dropping on his lap. ❖ [Charitable] Cawuio-Zast was, at one point, the biggest donor to the Grønhalle to the bewilderment and respect of the local Eskandish student body. Money is made to be spent and enjoyed. So although he has made a lot in his endeavors, Cawuio-Zast always seems to have shallow pockets.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Cawuio-Zast has the stance of a proud, if not a little short, Cazenax. His chin is rarely seen below the horizontal line, not from a need to look at those around him, but simply a matter of pride.
In terms of attire, he does not immediately come off a Cazenax. Some have even mistaken him for a unusually thin and poxy Hegelan on this fact alone. Cawuio-Zast dresses like a swashbuckler, for lack of a better term. His threads mainly consist of custom-made Perrench clothing and not the cheap kind. Although, time spent on the open ocean and in the strangest places known on Sipenta has given them a well-worn feeling.
But the standout feature of Cawuio-Zast is his green skin. This is an unfortunate side-effect of the Festerblood he developed. But he doesn’t look too bad for his condition due to his Mender secondary blood type. He still looks chipper and not diseased by any means.
L A N G U A G E S
Avincian Cazenax Perrench
T H E G I F T
Contrary to his Ersand’Enise contemporaries, Cawuio-Zast learnt dark magic first. Due to this, he is unusually proficient in that school. His following studies were made on a need to know basis. If he saw a need for a spell in his adventures, he would learn it.
The exception to this is the Chemical school from which Zast learnt self-defense spells. He particularly favors the gaze and touch spells.
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
8.4
8.6
16
Festerblood & Mender
Flintlock and 2 daggers
School
Speciality
Tier
Base
Offensive
Defensive
Magnetic
Novice
D4
-
-
Arcane
Luminescent
Apprentice
D5
-
-
Binding
Healing: Medical, Material: Creation
Journeyman
D8
-
-
Chemical
Internal: Disruptive, External: Corruptive
Apprentice
D10
-
-
Kinetic
Novice
D4
-
-
Atomic
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Blood
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Temporal
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Dark
Summoning: Energy & Matter
Journeyman
D8
-
-
Command
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Primordial
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Extra
Description
Fruit:
Other:
B A C K G R O U N D
Born poor, weak, and starving in the lowest classes of An Zenui, Cawuio-Zast thought nothing of it when he began to encompass a green rash across his skin. Disease catches up with everyone, particularly those without the spare funds to buy medicines. He would either pull through this plague or perish to it, that was life. Death catches up with everyone one day.
But it persisted, neither killing him nor ever recovering from it. To make things stranger, no one else in Zast’s immediate circles caught the disease either. Even laymen in the study of medicine could tell that this was strange and it drew the attention of Cazanax scholars.
Cawuio-Zast was told that he had Festerblood. He was about to say he knew where he caught that from, before he was promptly informed that it was a mana type he was born with. Due to its rarity and the extra magic capabilities it provided, the young Cazenax was promptly taken away from the slums he called home to the top academy in An Zenui. At the academy, he would study dark magic and be treated for his affliction while being studied in turn.
Zast was not much for books or studying at all really, but he took to dark magic pretty quickly. To manifest anything he wanted from nothing, that was the lap of luxury. Endless opportunity, endless results, a wandering mind could picture anything. It was only a matter of time before he got a genius idea. Zast began to religiously summon items from the VOID with a particular result in mind: a cure to the Festerblood. Tnen day he found it. Zast pulled his arm out of the VOID to find a slice of creamy cheese in his hand. Not knowing the consequences of its consumption, he ate the entire thing immediately.
The next day, Cawuio-Zast woke up completely fine. Aside from the green skin, he felt completely healthy to a state the scholars of the academy could never achieve. Finding new ability and freedom in his cure, the Cazanax took to the nearest ship out of Calanast. The rest is history for the making.
“Did I ever tell you about that duel I had with Snattlejake Rake? A top agent of a mysterious assassin group, I’ll have you know. The man was expecting me to cast spells or something, but I just shot him instead. Only took one bullet. Funnily enough, they’re weak to bullets just like you and me.”
“Did I ever tell you about that time I did a panty raid on a temple of Ahn-Eshiran? There I was, trying to run from a bunch of nuns wielding scythes and, let me tell you, they were gaining one me. That was when I got a brilliant idea, I summoned a tipped-over barrel at the top of a hill.”
“So there I was, dancing on top of this barrel, just trying to stay upright while it keeps getting faster. Meanwhile, I look behind me and then nuns are practically tripping over themselves trying to keep up. Death couldn’t catch me that day.”
M O T I V A T I O N
Cawuio-Zast is out for money, danger, and legacy. Not necessarily in that order.
I N V E N T O R Y
Cawuio-Zast travels light. He has his daggers, his lucky flintlock, and the clothes on his back. Anything else can just be conjured after all.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖Good Eye: Cawuio-Zast is a good-shot. ❖ Charm: Speaks for itself really. But his internal chemical magic doesn’t hurt his odds. ❖ Lucky: Always seems to find himself making it out of dangerous situations by the skin of his teeth. ❖ Gift of Gab: Has a way of getting good deals on things. ❖ Man of the Road: Zast is well versed in traversing unknown destinations.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Poor judgment: Never learnt what it means to make a safe decision. ❖ Impulsive: Will do things on a whim constantly. ❖ Criminal: And has the record to prove it. ❖ Vagabond: Should his travels meet him with a bad fate, he has no place to return to and no place to run for safety. ❖ Royal lineage?: He could be the son of King Rouis of Perrence. While it is considered a rumor, this could land him in hot water very soon as he decides between serving in his father’s war or sailing the high seas to create his own dream.
If Yimu’s personality were to be described in under ten words it would probably be something along the lines of, obsessively driven to learn and a compulsive shit-stirrer. On the one hand, first and foremost since the moment, she learned to read and discovered her knack for academics, acquiring new information has always been her foremost goal. On the other hand, Yimu is the kind of person that feels the need to stir up trouble wherever she goes, namely trouble for anyone who she deems deserving of it and while minor slights and accidents aren’t alone enough to put one on her shitlist, other things, like being born into too much money or demanding her respect certainly are.
Stemming from a childhood filled with praises for her intelligence and later on reinforced by her own successes, Yimu has a very inflated sense of self-worth when it comes to her intelligence and looks down on those she perceives as having had their own successes simply handed to them. She is overconfident when it comes to her ability to deal with her problems and subsequently tends to be dismissive when it comes to the costs, risks and consequences of her actions.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Yimu would best be described as having a very plain and somewhat messy appearance, clearly of Rettanese decent, though perhaps with a little something else mixed in there, hard to say for certain. If anything were to stand out about her at all, it would be just how little effort she put into keeping her appearance up, with simple cheap clothing and tangled brown hair she clearly cut herself with the same lack of consideration that determined the rest of her appearance.
L A N G U A G E S
Yimu grew up speaking Rettanese and this is the language she is most comfortable speaking. Her mother made sure she was also capable of speaking Avincian, and though she still has a bit of an accent, Yimu’s fluency has rapidly improved since she started using the language more regularly.
In addition, to speaking the languages, Yimu can read both Rettanese and Avincian, and thanks to her love of books, she can also read a little Inipori, though only to a basic level.
T H E G I F T
Looking at Yimu’s innate magical talents most mages wouldn’t be impressed, if anything they’d think her magically crippled, a truecaster with a RAS below average for even a normal mage. An astoundingly rare occurance, and not for the better. What truly makes her stand out in spite of her shortcomings, is just how good she is at using what she has. A prodigiously quick learner with an above-average control of her magic, Yimu has excelled at what little magical training she has received thus far.
Yimu favours no particular school, finding the idea of specialising to be both self-limiting and a wasted opportunity to learn, and thus, wholly intolerable.
B A C K G R O U N D
Yimu was raised in her early years by her mother. She never really had any idea who exactly her father was and given her mother’s line of work, it could have realistically been nearly anyone, though considering that her mother always described her as their ticket out of the lower class while she was alive and the fact that she later manifested magic, Yimu suspects her mother knew exactly who her father was, presumably some noble or merchant.
Owing to her mother’s belief that Yimu would pull the two of them out of poverty, Yimu was provided with an education. Certainly, it was nothing compared to what most nobles had, or even what some merchants received, but it was a far cry better than what the average commoner received, which is to say, any education at all. Unfortunately, funding that education wasn’t exactly cheap and her mother’s work wasn’t without its risks, and when Yimu was 9 she was promptly orphaned.
Yimu managed to avoid sleeping on the streets for the most part, especially once she got used to surviving on her own. Most of the time she made do by selling her help to any inns or merchants that would accept it in exchange for food and shelter, it certainly helped that she had some measure of education and that she very quickly learned to pick up on the kinds of people would feel bad for her and the kinds that she shouldn’t approach.
During this period she spent most of her free time immersed in reading whatever she could get her hands on, often over and over again when she didn’t have anything new to read. She acquired new reading materials whenever the opportunities presented themselves, often as payment from merchants carrying them, or occasionally, quietly slipped away with after they were left behind at an inn she was working at. It was in this way that she first discovered magic, in the contents of a book left forgotten by a wealthy patron at some inn. She’d tried it out on a whim, a simple arcane drawing of the light and heat from a candle, not really expecting anything of it, magical aptitude was reserved for the elite after all. Except it had worked. The candle had dimmed and flickered, before snuffing out entirely, only to be returned to its original state after a little further reading and some trial and error.
It didn’t take long after that for Yimu to be outed as a mage, no doubt in large part due to how blatantly she practised and studied magic in public places, and her brazen self-advertising of her magical capabilities as a means of getting more and better work for herself. Not that she was particularly trying to hide it really, if anything it afforded her an opportunity, one which she happily leveraged when she was eventually approached, using it to get herself some basic training and eventually a spot in the Academy.
M O T I V A T I O N
Above all else Yimu desires to learn, something she thought she’d never get the opportunity to do in earnest and fully intends to capitalise on now that she has such an opportunity. Secondary to that is the fact that she’s now surrounded by the sorts of people she views as having had their successes handed to them on a silver platter, she simply isn't willing to fall behind in such an environment and showing up the competition would just be icing on the cake.
I N V E N T O R Y
Yimu’s possessions are relatively straightforward, the bare necessities needed to survive for someone that moves around a lot. Her clothes are cheap, but not so cheap as to simply fall apart and not so sturdy as to outlast Yimu’s growth.
She also has books, lots and lots of books. The contents of the books vary greatly from fiction to more academic works, though the newest of them tend towards the latter, specifically detailing magical theory. Regardless of genre all Yimu's books appear well-read and loved.
"In this place, you can either get ahead or get behind. I see too many others just stepping back to bask in how that Gift of theirs makes them feel, and then not even noticing when it starts withering like some plucked flower. They’re getting behind… I’m getting ahead."
In contrast to his somewhat undeserved reputation at home as a layabout and a scoundrel, Selio is a rigorous academic that will go to almost any length to see the task in front of him through. It is this determination to succeed that saw his entry to the Ersand’Enise Academy in the first place. This dedication to learning goes hand-in-hand with a ruthlessly competitive spirit and a compulsion to move up in the world. The trouble lies in his reaction to all the stress and pressure that comes with the work he tends to accumulate. At the best of times, the youth has a short temperature and volatile emotions, and he is liable to crack under pressure, making spur-of-the-moment, irrational decisions. In order to burn off stress, he sometimes will make impromptu trips to the seediest part of town he can find and disappear for hours at a time.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Selio often desires approval and attention, and he relies on others more than he believes himself to. Those who can tolerate the occasional outburst will find in the young noble a steadfast friend.
At heart, Selio is a healer, but his desire to succeed sometimes trumps his somewhat underdeveloped sense of empathy and he can needlessly complicate situations where his help is unwanted.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
A slight and gangly youth, Selio has already grown to be 5’11” and doesn’t seem to be quite finished growing just yet. He has the typical Torragonese complexion - deeply tanned skin, dark brown eyes and thick black hair. His hair is worn long and usually gathered at the nape of his neck. Selio’s face is long, angular and solemn, which would conceal his emotional nature if not for the near-permanent furrow in his brow.
Late into his childhood, Selio’s strong affinity for Binding manifested itself when he accidentally drew magical energy from his surroundings during a game in the sands outside of his family’s estate. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the young Selio was immediately provided with a tutor - the only mage of similar talent in the area, an old and often drunken man who also took over the majority of the boy’s education in mathematics and sciences. Over time, the youth showed a prodigious talent for healing given his magical capacity, and he received rudimentary training in medicine as well. Finally, in the final years before the fateful day when his brother was found murdered, Selio began his studies into chemical magic and the effects various chemical reactions had on the natural world around him. After his brother’s murder, he was no longer able to study magic in his own home, and so upon his enrollment at Ersand’Enise, he promptly took up right where he had left off previously. His primary school is Binding, with a focus on healing, with a secondary study in Chemical Magic, focusing on offense to complement his primary magical weaknesses.
B A C K G R O U N D
At first glance, the nation of Torragon seems daunting in its size and power - a monolith, complete in the function and motivation of all its parts, moving inexorably towards the goals of the crown. From his vantage point in the Torragonese noble class, however, Selio came to have quite a different understanding of his home country - one in which Torragon is a nest of vipers; serpents eating for their own in a climb towards the top of the pile. Selio’s family, the modest House of Taraves, had, over the years, worked its way to the bottom of the pile by accumulating debts and hemorrhaging wealth and territory. Located near the passes into the arid northern sands, the Taraves’ territory had few subjects and little in the way of natural resources. They had managed to stay afloat, unlike those sent to settle the desert itself, though just barely.
There was one hope for redemption for House Taraves: Selio’s eldest brother, Imeran. Though young, Imeran showed immense political acumen and was all but ready to take the reins of leadership of the house from their aging father. Tragedy struck in a particularly cruel way, however, when the scion of the family was found senselessly murdered on the street in the midst of a routine trip to a nearby town. No motive other than assassination was determined, no culprit found. The method was particularly heinous - death by blood magic.
As a talented practitioner of binding magic, Selio found himself beset by suspicion from those outside his family, even longtime friends that he trusted. From within the confines of the Taraves estate, he was met by thinly-veiled disdain from his parents, who had always compared him to his brother and looked with scorn on both his preference for study over politics and his tendency to get into trouble and mischief. Behind closed doors, it was determined that the ‘troubled’ youth could not hope to carry on the house’s legacy, and so Selio was sent away. His parents were not totally unsympathetic - they recognized the importance that becoming a skilled mage held for their son, and so they sent him to study somewhere where his practicing of binding magic would not stir up hushed, frightened whispers of fratricide.
Selio, for his part, has struggled to cope with his brother’s sudden death. Despite the pain that his parents’ scorn brought him, he loved his brother. He has resolved to make a name for himself in his new life, by any means necessary, but he hasn’t forgotten his home, or resigned himself to move forward without finding the truth.
M O T I V A T I O N
Selio first set foot on the grounds of Ersand’Enise with two distinct goals in mind.
First, to become the greatest mage and healer that he possibly can, for fame, glory, and influence. Attending such a world-renowned place of learning is a unique opportunity for the young noble from a down-on-their-luck family to make a much larger impact on the world.
Second, to learn more about forbidden magics such as, for instance, blood magic, and to see justice brought to those who misuse said magics for abhorrent purposes. Particularly, to find out if there is any way to locate the person that murdered his brother.
I N V E N T O R Y
A well-crafted waterskin: old habits die hard. Water is a precious thing in northern Torragon, and the young Selio still carries his filled waterskin on his person to most places, as a measure of security against a scarcity rendered uncommon so far from home.
Yatagan sabre:
All of the Taraves children had some training at arms, as befit noble persons in a hostile environment. Selio received rudimentary, yet thorough training in swordplay, archery, and marksmanship. Out of these, he showed a particular affinity for blades. When he was hastily packing for his trip to Ersand’Enise, he was permitted to take a weapon from the armory, should he need it. This older sabre in a slightly out-of-fashion style was one of the few that could be spared, but nevertheless its light weight, good balance and slender, sinuous blade suit Selio’s fighting style rather well. It is somewhat ornate, yet this is offset by signs of age and wear.
Belt knife: Single-edged, with a slight curve to the tip, with a polished and heat-treated black palm grip. Selio has carried this knife for years, and it comes in handy for a variety of purposes (though most commonly, it was used to trim quill pens and peel fruit).
Others: A modest sum of coins, mainly Torragonese but with a few new additions from currently closer locales. Several changes of clothes, ranging from the formal to the practical, several in-progress quills, and a small pin with the sigil of his house.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Work ethic: Selio’s discipline and work ethic are incredibly strong. He will devote however much time and energy is needed to see his tasks through to completion. ❖ Affinity for horses: As with nearly all Torragonese, Selio is a born rider. In addition, he has a fine eye for good horseflesh, which he owes to his family. One of the few points of pride and wealth for House Taraves was their fine breeding stock of horses for all purposes, and Selio grew up learning how to judge any such specimens with an exceptionally discerning eye. ❖ Medical skill: Selio’s tutor educated him in the medicinal arts alongside his typical schooling after his magical affinity had manifested itself. While not a fully-fledged doctor, the youth can diagnose and take steps toward treating a remarkable number of injuries for his age, disregarding binding magic. ❖ Curiosity: As many a librarian can attest: the young scholar is willing and able to upend a library in search of the truths that he’s looking for.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Privilege: Selio, as a noble, is blind to how good he has it, even coming from a disgraced family. He is generally unaware of the regular, everyday struggles that commoners may face. ❖ Temper: Selio has a short fuse. This can damage relationships, complicate tasks and put his reputation in constant jeopardy. ❖ Burnout: That incredible work ethic comes with a big downside: Selio is prone to burnout in the worst way. ❖ Righteous anger: The struggles of House Taraves have instilled in the youth a sense that magic can be used for specific rights and specific wrongs, and it will take much to change his mind once he sees it used for ill.
Under a beguiling smile and a jovial voice, lies a demon. Desmond is a soul who seeks out many things: freedom, happiness, and hope, and wishes to gift that to others. Desmond's heart bleeds for others, for those who find themselves in misfortune, and for those who are mistreated. Even with his jokester-like attitude, Desmond has a level of seriousness that could cut steel. A focus and dedication that points him forward, to a world he wants to see, and one day live as free as could be.
During great times of stress, such as a life-or-death situation, Desmond can be pushed too far as his emotions will sometimes spill out like a broken dam. Turning Desmond into something akin to a demon, often throwing away every worry and doubt, and throwing himself into whatever is happening, often wearing a smile.
And like any demon when crossed, he will go to the ends of the earth against the one who crossed him. Often times hitting twice fold what was done to him and that which he holds close.
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Desmond stands at 5'10 and weighs 173 pounds, he is a much stronger and solid frame. His body is like a worked machine running at top efficiency, he has low fat on his body and is quite prone to being cold. Desmond has longer dark brown hair that he lets down and keeps stylized with different accessories. His eyes are these darker brown eyes that seem to always have a sharpness to them. He has many scars across his body, the most numerous being on his back, his torso, and on his legs, many of which look quite nasty as many were never properly treated but easily hidden by simple clothing.
Desmond is a simple man, now even with coming into money, he spends very little of it on clothing. He has mostly stylized and tailored much of the clothing he had or was given from his 'family' or from those he is close to. He does spend more money on clothing than he used to as he still needs to look respectable, however his clothing is still able to handle any fight or brawl.
L A N G U A G E S
Desmond has multiple languages under his belt: Agrarian, Enthish, Kerremanic, Holmanian, Crisian, Perrench, Eskandish, Yasoi, Virangish, Nikanese, Revidian, and a few others. Most of these are only passable at best, being just good enough to use for work as most of these countries often employ services of mercenaries and work is always plentiful in the area. Desmond's most fluent in Avincian and Kerremanic as they seemed to have been the most favored languages of his people and the people he was closest to in his work.
T H E G I F T
Redblooded with no secondary mana type Desmond is nothing special, his RAS score is higher than that of the parlor tricks most would expect of a commoner having magic, however, this did not mean he was gifted with the power to easily become a mage. He had to harness what he could, may it have been the knowledge of those around him, or the battlefield he has studied for most of his life. He will normally watch mages with great intensity, in hopes of pulling knowledge through them, understanding and trying to cultivate the information into applicable skills. This has led to a skill set wholly designed in the aspects of combat and survival.
Yet he has a few skills that allowed him to shine above his station his first being his much more refined use of Freecasting. This skill was not gifted to him, it was hammered into his brain by those training him, as the best friend of a mercenary is flexibility and adaptability, which is the life motto of Desmond. However, Desmond has much more interesting things as his ability in Drawing is quite exceptional and his understanding of energy and the ebbs and flow of it. These abilities by themselves are not too interesting, but it's what he does with it that is so special as with his fast and efficient drawing coupled with his efficient use of his understanding of energy allows him to lightly draw from at a distance from people to almost see what other mages are doing around him. This gives him an almost sixth sense of the magic being used around him and being held within and controlled by people. However, this is a very new development in his skills and requires a decent bit of concentration just to fully use, however it does give him an upper hand in knowing what is about to happen.
Desmond has used skills in many different schools of magic and thought, as he has often used spells and skills in each type of magic to best suit his needs, but he is also a man who plays favorites. Among them, the one that reigns supreme for Desmond is Chemical Magic, as he often uses it for the incredibly powerful and efficient effects that it creates. Desmond has a great focus on External Chemistry rather than Internal Chemistry, causing chemical reactions within areas to create a domino effect, allowing him to continually manipulate small amounts of energy to cause greater effects to make up for his lesser capacity, such as with his use of Inferno bullets and Quick Silver bullets. This does not mean he doesn't use Internal Chemistry, however, as often he uses it to manipulate his Internal Chemistry. He has often dabbled in the use of it in a more offensive manner but finds it is better used in the case to assist himself or those around him.
Desmond's other favored schools of magic are Kinetic and Arcane because of their interesting effects that can be used. Taking the knowledge he has, he siphons heat and kinetic energy from people and their attacks to redirect them back, taking the philosophies of Magnetic fighters and using them in a much different way. His skills were often tested as he has used his skills to take the kinetic energy away from bullets and larger projectiles as he then either converts it into something more useful or he will use the energy to start setting up for a large counterattack on someone. Or when someone tries to take in Thermal Energy, Desmond will often quickly steal their heat from them or from the area they are trying to, to force them to try and convert other sources as he can attack before they could.
His more counter skills can often be duds when faced with people who either have a greater understanding and skill in magic or when he is overpowered by literal magnitudes, which forces him to go into a more offensive position. This doesn't make him slouch as often when something like this happens he will switch to his more Magusjaeger stance. As a Magusjaeger, his skills are quite potent, using the most basic skills he is a powerful sniper. However, using his more customized bullets from his firearms allows him to even fight while going toe-to-toe with other mages. His bullets allow him to use Chemical Magic and cause different effects most aren't normally prepared for.
B A C K G R O U N D
Born in a place he had no remembrance of, Desmond was to live a quiet life in a village tucked away from anywhere important. With a family he would love dearly, knowing everyone you live with, surviving the cold together, famine, and all hell this world would have. Desmond was to find a cute girl he would settle down with and bear children, all in this village far away from anywhere important. Yet life was not so kind, as this was a place that has been forgotten, with the faces of people long lost and of a home Desmond only remembers as blurs and smells. A raid occurred in his village, everything was covered in flames and was burned to nothing. In this village tucked away from anything important, the men were slaughtered, the village and women were pillaged, and those who were left were all taken as slaves. Desmond was left with the smells of sweet apples from the time before flames occurred, then the sickeningly sweet aromas of burning wood and flesh, with the putrefaction of slaughter grasping at the lungs. This village was gone, as anything important here was left with the fires, to be tucked and buried beneath the land and time. All those memories that would have and should have been, burned in the flames of war, with the smoke of death and apple trees.
Desmond's early life was much more like a blur, as his years being a slave was something much akin to becoming a machine. He had spent much of his time working fields, moving, and surviving on the bare amount able to find. They fed the slaves below just enough, and the slaves had lost their minds to fear and hunger. Desmond had been beaten for his ration, had been stepped on and abused by those around him and above him, and left to die on more occasions than he could count, yet he kept getting back up. He wanted to live, something was calling to him and having him take that next step, keeping his comfort through the hunger, and kept him alive through the cold. Soon when he became old enough to be used in some other way, Desmond was sold off to a merchant with a wicked grin. He did horrible things to Desmond, scarred his body, his mind, abused him, overworked him, and set him near the edge of despair. Yet a voice within him screamed out, like a brewing storm it told him to wait as if something would change. So, Desmond waited and endured the torture and pain, after all, he had survived this long.
When Desmond was 9 years of age, the manor was broken into as people let out yells and screams as this roaring occurred, like the fires he remembers from his childhood. Smoke filled the air, as explosions and yelling filled the corridors, with blood strewing the walls. Desmond moved, trying to leave, but his body felt weak, his vision always being blurry, the smoke made it even harder to see, as all he could do was feel his way through the darkness and smoke until he reach the stairwell, where he saw light. An orange glow filled the stairwell as the heat was much too intense for any person to willingly enter, but Desmond did, this was his chance. Through the smoke and fire, Desmond moved slowly while staying close to the ground as he knows inhaling the smoke can kill him. His eyes were blurry, his vision being obstructed, yet he continued to move, he knew this manor well enough to be able to move without the worry of needing to see. He just needed a chance, and this was it. Desmond had finally made it through the manor, he just needed to move forward, yet the moment he made it out of the manor, he had felt his knees become unbearably weak, as each step became inexhaustibly heavy. He needed to make it a few more steps, and then he would have left the manor, but when he made it maybe 10 feet away from the door, he felt his body collapse. His consciousness waned, as his eyes opened and closed slowly, feeling the grasp of hands upon his body, he saw for a split moment a shadow had grabbed him and whisked him off into the night.
Desmond woke up with the sun bearing down on him, as it felt like he was moving. As he arose he saw he was in a cart with multiple cloaked individuals, each with face coverings that made deducing their identity quite difficult. They watched Desmond with intent as they tossed him a piece of bread and told him to eat. Desmond began eating the bread, but with the eyes on him, he was wondering why they were doing this. They looked to him with much intensity as when he ate too quickly they slapped the bread out of his hand and told him to go slower, as Desmond understood the message, he was going to be trained by them. Desmond began his new life with this mercenary band, they were each skilled Mages who have taken to the life of a Sellsword, they sold their skills and services for certain fees. Desmond was going to be their little errand boy, he would take care of their gear, keep up their camp, and do other things. Desmond wasn't displeased with this arrangement, he was being fed ample food, he was treated okay, they didn't do much to hurt him, but they were distant with him. After a year of traveling with them he began growing attached, they were some of the first in a very long time to treat him well. This loyalty came through as when they were traveling the caravan was jumped as multiple mages began attacking the mercenaries, a few were heavily injured but Desmond was the one who was most severely injured. When a mage came over to check who was in the cart, Desmond jumped out and attacked the mage, as his magic manifested, as even with his small frame, he was able to take down the mage and kill him through a surprise attack.
After this event, the mercenaries began training Desmond to use magic, training him to become something of a child soldier. Desmond felt no remorse nor hatred for the idea, in the end, to him they were doing this to give him something more he can do and secure his future. They began dealing in a great many things, as there was no shortage of work for a mercenary, and ones with magic can be quite useful. During these years Desmond began training and learning to harness his Gift, as the first way he was taught was in ways similar to the Magusjaeger, the use of firearms and stealth. Hiding in plain sight and slowly and efficiently drawing energy from the area, and then smoothly clearing the head off of some poor mage's shoulders. Most never really mention his existence, most assume the mercenaries have a quiet type Magusjaeger in their corner. Yet little did they know Desmond, the kid that the mercenaries have around as their helper, is the same one who just saved their asses. As Desmond grew, he began showing his true talents and began becoming a much more proficient mage of being a Mage killer.
Over the years, the distance between the mercenaries that once took him in and himself shortened. As they moved through battles and work, they became much closer. Desmond had witnessed comrades die, had to fight side by side with them, they became close enough to one day call him one of their own. They watched the boy grow into something of a strong man who they believe is something of a child of their own. Yet once these sentiments came, they realized that they have a feeling of guilt, they did rob this child of his youth. They weren't the ones to enslave him and rob him of his innocence, but they did have him fight in wars, kill men, and witness horrible things. Yet watching him smile made them make up their minds, they will be sending him somewhere in hopes he might find something more than just a life of combat. They began asking him about his different likes as they realized that he has little things he liked to do other than read, learn magic, and explore. At first, they were worried that they couldn't do much until they thought about sending him to a magical institution to learn from. Some knew a few places, however, some thought that Desmond had what it took to attempt to join Ersand'Enise.
Once Desmond made it to Ersand'Enise he had to show his stuff as a mage. Here he showed the skills that he had cultivated for the near past decade, he wasn't a shoo-in to make it, however, through his skills and dedication, he barely slipped by and entered Ersand'Enise. Upon entering the school, Desmond has kept his nose out of most affairs, mostly doing his own thing and living life as he chooses: Learning magic, reading, and roaming around when he can. It seems, however, with the school starting to stir, he's going to be finding himself into trouble again.
M O T I V A T I O N
The reason Desmond is here is to learn and become stronger. When he believes he has accomplished that he wishes to return to his 'family', where he will spend his days as a mercenary. However, beneath this guise and even his awareness, he wishes to find something more, something that gives reason to his existence. He has survived literal hell, going from a slave who was beaten, abused, and had horrible things done to. To then become a mercenary who has more blood on his hands than he knows could exist. He wants to know what kept him going, what is on the other side of the rainbow, he wants to have something that tells him why he's here.
His biggest fear is him finding out, this world is cruel, everything that has happened came about for no reason other than 'just because. He fears the loss of his 'family' and he fears most of all, him becoming something he could not even live with.
Desmond finally understood something after a year of otherworldly encounters, Life has no purpose. And he has accepted, that life doesn't need a purpose, in this world someone shouldn't live their life in accordance with some false idea of fate. One should live their life however they choose, and for Desmond, his motivation to live his life like this is to give this same choice to many others.
In a world full of monsters, demons, otherworldly forces, and even fellow men controlling the world, many are unable to make even a simple choice on how to live their own life, and Desmond wishes to fix that, by any means necessary.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Through years of use, Desmond's use of a gun has become quite proficient, his most notable skills being that of a sniper. This does not mean he is unable to use his skills in close range, as he has become more efficient even in a fight. He can use guns and using modified bullets to assist him as he uses Chemical Magic to shift and cause reactions most aren't ready for. ❖ Desmond is a fighter who preps in advance for fights. He will often have Phosphorous bullets and mercury bullets on standby when normally out in more open areas. Sometimes he prepares many different concoctions to best use with Chemical Magic, after all, the best fighter is the one who is the most prepared. ❖ Desmond is an excellent combat strategist, his skills constantly being honed in combat, as he can acutely see the flows of battle and know best how to capitalize upon it. ❖ Desmond is a student of war, and combat is his teacher, he has learned the fundamental basics of multiple different combat styles, including that being many Hand-to-Hand styles. He is good enough to them in fighting while using magic to make himself a much more dangerous opponent. ❖ Desmond is a Tinkerer by nature, he loves to mess with the many guns, mechanical items, and other such things that land in his lap. Which is where he came up with his hollow bullets that he is now well known for.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Cynical to the idea of the future, the world has been only so kind to him, however at any moment it can take away from him again. ❖ Desmond is inept at the idea of romance and friendship, he will often keep people at a silent distance, often making it feel as if no matter how he or they interact, it almost feels like there is still a distance he keeps. ❖ Desmond is quite an educated man in the studies of magic and combat, however, this left little time nor want to study other things like history, philosophy, languages, and even some forms of reading comprehension and mathematics. If it did not directly assist in his life up to this point, he never learned it. ❖ Desmond does not handle failure well, as often failure results in terrible things, and to him, the fear of failure is worst than death. ❖ Desmond has a deep fear of abandonment, he is afraid to be left alone, and often struggles with it as he is away from his 'family'.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
- Color Code: Gold - His hair is kept down because he was called cute once because of it, didn't know how to feel about it, and never changed it since he will normally keep it exactly as is. Because of this, he has become a good barber for himself and others. - He is a good cook, this came out of the need to survive than anything else, everyone else in his 'family' creates war crimes and call it food. - Desmond likes animals with his favorites being cats, he isn't fond of dogs as they bring up bad memories. - His last name is Catulus as he has no last name he remembers, they gave him the last name Catulus as it means whelp.
❖ Money- Desmond started off with quite a bit of money, enough to set himself up for some time without much worry, and enough to allow him to experiment and tinker, but not enough to allow him too much more. Yet as when he had taken up the mission set by Hugo, he gained quite a bit more to the point where he had gained enough to now be very well set for him to continue to go to Ersand'Enise for 2 more years and still be well set.
-Ỽ500 Magus debt +Ỽ1600 Magus after selling a Forabas Dragon Egg illegally -Ỽ40 Magus for Silas for helping Desmond sell his Dragon Egg -Ỽ5 Magus for living costs and prepping cheaper meats and food for later use. +Ỽ1000 Magus after selling his large Ruby
Auction of the Melon derby: Two Prime shots -Ỽ40 Magus Desmond The Pyrite rock sold to Ingrid for Ỽ15 Mags Desmond gave -Ỽ7 ⌘5 Magus Hydra skull sold to Desmond for -Ỽ6 Magis
Part-Time Work: +Ỽ3 magus for 3 weeks of work as a Lamplighter(1 Magus a week) +Ỽ3 magus as Salary for cleaning the Sewers with Yalen Castel +⌘4 Incantor and ✤5 Owls for 3 weeks of work in the library (✤7 Owls per day of work)
Desmond sold his 1000 carrot Ruby to Ingrid's family for +Ỽ4200 magus
Auction at the End of the Trials: Kaempe Ko coat bought for Ỽ15 magus but was given -Ỽ7 magus back 1 bottle of Ellermane Blue sold at auction for +Ỽ300 magus Trident of the Ocean Lord bought for -Ỽ400 Magus A small chest of a dozen 'breathing rocks' for -Ỽ50 Magus A mysterious old book (illuminated and handwritten) entitled “A Mage’s Guide to Unscrupulous Magics” split 4 ways for -Ỽ150 Magus 2 Pescoberry tablets for -Ỽ70 Magus The Burrito of Infinite Power for -Ỽ1200 Magus
+Ỽ10050 Magus from the Ruby Mine
Current Total: Ỽ14698 Magus
I N V E N T O R Y
❖ Bad Day- A rifled musket Desmond has been carrying with him since he was still a young boy. This weapon has seen countless retrofittings, has seen many battles and has scars across it to prove it. However, it has been as trusty as the day Desmond was first given it. This is one of Desmond's prized possessions as it is the first gift he was ever given.
❖ Officer's bane- A pistol that Desmond had picked up off of a dead officer. Honestly, it is one of his more prized possessions as it has saved his life countless times, and he sees the weapon as an extension of his fighting now. He is, however, thinking about upgrading, as often reloading can be a major hassle while in the middle of a fight.
❖ Bad News (Rifle)- A 48-inch long firearm of unknown materials made by the Sirrahi that was gifted to Desmond. This rifle is made of lightweight materials of unknown origins only known by the Sirrahi giving it an almost weightlessness in comparison to firearms found in this day and age. This rifle fires shaped bullets from metal casings that seem to hold not only the projectile, but the propellent needed and an ignition device held by the metal casing. The Rifle has an internal ammunition storage to allow for quicker follow-up shots before needing to properly reload the rifle's internal magazine of 10 round.
❖ Dragon's Law (Shotgun)- A 46-inch long firearm of unknown materials made by the Sirrahi that was gifted to Desmond. This Shotgun is made of lightweight materials of unknown origins only known by the Sirrahi giving it an almost weightlessness in comparison to firearms found in this day and age. This firearm fires multiple metal pellets from a casing made of a strange strong and thin material that also holdsthe propellant and ignition device within the casing. The firearm has an internal ammunition storage tube to allow the weapon to hold up to 8 shells and can allow for quicker follow-up shots before needing to reload.
❖Devil's Hand (Pistol)- A nice and compact 9-inch long firearm of unknown materials made by the Sirrahi that was gifted to Desmond. This pistol is made of lightweight materials of unknown origins only known by the Sirrahi giving it an almost weightlessness in comparison to pistols found in this day and age. This pistol fires shaped bullets from metal casings that seem to hold not only the projectile, but the propellent needed and an ignition device held by the metal casing. The Pistol has an external ammunition storage to allow for quicker follow-up shots before needing to properly reload the pistol's external magazine of 10 rounds before the user can quick eject the magazine to load a fresh magazine.
❖ Thunderstorm (Machinegun)- A 42-inch long firearm of unknown materials made by the Sirrahi that was gifted to Desmond. This firearm is made of lightweight materials of unknown origins only known by the Sirrahi giving it a great amount of durability, yet it is quite heavy at a whopping 23 pounds when fully loaded. This repeating fire rifle fires shaped bullets from the cylinder magazine that holds each of the bullets in a tight encased solid chemical propellant that is loaded and fired using electricity. The Repeating Fire Rife has an internal ammunition storage cylinder being able to be loaded with a cylinder that holds up to 100 rounds and automatically loads the next rounds to allow for a constant stream of bullets fired before needing to properly reloaded where the cylinder can be ejected to put another one into the magazine.
❖ Mystic Clouds (Gas Gun)- A strange 30-inch long firearm of unknown materials made by the Sirrahi that was gifted to Desmond. This weapon is made of lightweight materials of unknown origins only known by the Sirrahi giving it a lightness not expected of its size. This weapon fires small shaped canisters from metal casings that seem to hold not only the projectile, but the propellent needed and an ignition device held by the metal casing. The weapon has a rotary cylinder magazine that will turn itself everytime it fires and line up the canister to fire again in rapid succession. Desmond has multiple canisters of smoke gass, sleeping gas, tear gas, and asphyxiation gas.
❖ An Old Amber. An amber containing an ancient insect. Said to be very valuable to collectors! Or even some questionable scholars ...
❖ The world's last remaining cask of Château Morcand Ellermane Blue, vintage DZ45, a rare wine produced in only two vineyards on the Isle of Ellermane before it collapsed into the sea. Also considered the best Morcand vintage. 40 of 50 bottles left.
❖ A small chest of a dozen 'breathing rocks'.
❖ Pugalist's Gloves- A pair of high-quality leather gloves capable of unleashing quick kinetic strikes and draw kinetic energy a tad faster
❖ 2 Pescoberry tablets - condensed ground pescoberry. Each tablet, for about twenty-five hours after being consumed, stimulates the drawing, sensing, and casting range of manas, roughly doubling it. Afterward, range may shrink for about ten hours to 50% of normal.
❖ A mysterious old book (illuminated and handwritten) entitled “A Mage’s Guide to Unscrupulous Magics”.
Most of the book is tripe and self-help garbage, but buried in there are a few gems, such as the steps to the two spells below.
Shune-Zept's Sight: Warps infrared and ultraviolet light to make them visible to the caster. At high levels, this extends to allies. (Utility: tiered 2-4)
Supercooling: Keeps a substance liquid below its freezing point, allowing for near-indefinite storage, survival in extreme temperatures, and flash-freezing. (Utility: tiered 3-5)
Ahn-Oraff's Furious Creation: fuses elements together to create heavier elements. At its highest skill levels, it can create complex shapes and fuse multiple elements. The heavier the element, the more difficult its creation and the more energy required. (Utility/Offense: tiered 4-7)
There is also an allusion to a mysterious dark spell, but you have to buy Part Two for it!
❖ Great Hat of the Bandit Mage - A hat that disguises its user as any other person that they can form a mental image of.
❖ Thunderbrewers' Bottomless Bottle - A flask enchanted to be able to recreate any liquid the manas within are programmed to create. As this flask was programmed to create Prime mana shots. Each full Prime mana shot is made every 2 days, and is able to be stored until use. [Upon consumption this item raises your capacity by 65-128 points. You will first roll a d64 to determine how much effect it will have, with a 1 equal to 65 and a 64 equal to 128.]
❖ Plainsman's Rifle- The Plainsman's Rifle: a state-of-the-art flintlock sniper rifle, imbued with runic manas. Dark, sleek, and simple in design. This weapon has three additional effects:
a. It acts as a sensory cloak, rendering its bearer invisible to sight and sound.
b. It acts as an energy cloak, reabsorbing energies used and displacing them elsewhere as cover.
c. It temporally displaces bullets by up to two seconds either forward or backwards in time.
❖ Kaempe Ko coat - Really warm and totally resists dragonfire!
❖ The Burrito of Infinite Power- This truly unique food item endlessly replenishes itself so long as it is not all consumed at once. As it attunes, it will follow its user's flavour and content preferences. Will boost mana capacity when consumed at the same level as a mana brew, but with no risk of throwing up. Can be used as a casting focus, for a boost of 18%. [Upon consumption this item raises your capacity by 17-32 points. You will first roll a d16 to determine how much effect it will have, with a 1 equal to 17 and a 16 equal to 32.]
❖ A large black banner that has a red sun that hangs on his wall, this is a banner from his mercenary group. He is quite proud of it and often makes sure to take care of it.
❖ In his desk, he has many tinkering tools, miscellaneous parts stuffed into the drawers, schematics that seem to be the drawings of a man who has lost his mind as most are partial scribbles with some coherent drawings underneath. There is also one drawer that he informs everyone in his room to neer touch. It was quite a surprise within.
Safe-T Bullets
Safe-T Bullets- Desmond has created special equipment for him to be able to create bullets made of Seal fat. This equipment is made to create a sphere of Seal fat that will then be hardened through intense cooling to create a hollow ball with a small hole that can be used to fill them. When it is filled a small amount of seal aft is then placed to cover the hole before it undergoes another freezing process to fully seal the bullet.
When these bullets are fired, they will travel at around the same speed as a normal bullet but will shatter on impact with even the softest of objects, like skin. Having the most damage it deals with the target is leaving a large bruise and breaking of the skin, but nothing that would be life-threatening if it was to hit the target in a nonlethal spot, but if it hits one of these spots it can still be deadly: in the head, on the neck, or on the chest near the heart. These bullets allow Desmond to create nonlethal/less-than-lethal bullets and bullets that can carry the things he needs to create chemical reactions for nonlethal effects.
Arcane:
Lich’s Touch- Desmond can draw the heat from targets, either stunning, weakening, or killing it depending on how much is drawn. This can also be used on other objects to chill them to a very high degree. (tiered 1-3)
- Lich's Curse- Having Supercooled liquid Oxygen held within, upon impact the thin titanium ball will dig into the target and flatten, or break upon impact if it hits a hard enough surface. This will allow the release of the liquid Oxygen which Desmond will then cause the liquid to be turned into a super cold gas to surround the target in intense cold. This can also be used to chill and freeze things very quickly. However, something horrific happens when introduced to intense continuous heat, as it will cause a very intense and violent explosion. As the Oxygen will expand very quickly and ignite and cause an explosion. If Desmond uses Dragon's Rage, the explosion will become the size of being able to kill someone within a 5-foot radius with ease and within 10 feet if they are not expecting it. This also has the extra effect of instantly putting out fires around it as it takes all the oxygen in the area and instantly consumes it.
These bullets will be made of titanium walls, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollow titanium ball. As he has another titanium tube that he will constantly be drawing heat from to make it become supercooled. Once it becomes cold enough, a liquid will start forming at the bottom, which is the liquid Oxygen. After which Desmond will pour the liquid Oxygen into the titanium ball. After which he will place a small cone wedge into the hole, which after everything cools, will seal any tiny cracks from the expansion of the titanium become super cold. When the titanium is this cold, it must be held within a sealed titanium container that can keep the Bullets cooled for up to 24 hours. After which will need to be disposed of quickly as it will begin to expand and explode and will cause major injury. These Bullets are very expensive to create, but can these can be made anywhere Desmond is, as using heat to both supercool Oxygen and superheat the titanium to help him form the proper bullets and wedges to seal them, allow them to be able to be a very explosive and dangerous bullet, similar to his Hellfire Bullets, but being able to be made anywhere.
Kinetic:
Deadstop- Stops a target completely, rendering it motionless and filling the caster with energy. (tiered: 2-3)
- Death's Promise- This bullet is one of the stranger ones Desmond made, but it was made with the express purpose to take care of pesky mages who try to control his bullets or stop them from hitting their mark. As this is a hollowed-out lead bullet with a small thin cage that holds a steel ball within. When this bullet is fired, Desmond will take control of the steel ball within to control the bullet, as with this, he can still manipulate the bullet as small nudges will not make the steel bullet break the lead shell, but if someone was to try and take control of the bullet, they will normally take control of the surrounding area to stop the bullet. Allowing for the surprise of Desmond's control of the more dense and stronger steel bullet to break through the lead, and away from their control. Which would give Desmond the extra moment he needs to take out the target he needs to.
These bullets will be made of lead, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form two hollow lead ball halves before fitting them with a small metal cage that holds a steel ball within them. He will make these bullets with a thin lead ring that surrounds and seals the two halves together, which also allows him to know which bullet this is.
Solid Telekinesis- Allows the caster to manipulate solids, moving them where they wish. (tiered 1-3)
Mountain Shaker- Desmond creates an extra-large bullet made of depleted uranium core with a lead outer shell, making the bullet about 3 inches long with a hollowed back that is packed with black powder to provide additional propulsion for this ludicrously heavy bullet. Upon firing Desmond will use his chemical magic to make the explosive force much more powerful, after the bullet leaves the barrel Desmond will begin to use kinetic energy to control and speed up the bullet to reach a much faster velocity than could naturally be created from Modern Technology. When this bullet makes an impact Desmond will then use his Kinetic magic to use the energy from the impact of the bullet to shift physical energy quickly. When using it on earth and soil he can shift it to make a wall of about 6 feet tall 5 feet wide and about 6 inches thick from a decent distance away.
Also, this bullet is pretty good at punching a hole through most defenses as most forms of basic armor crumple to the unrelenting force this bullet can produce.
Chemical:
Inferno- Desmond mixes substances in a target within his magic range and adds heat in order to cause combustion and fire. Can amplify, intensify, and spread the fire. Given enough energy and the presence of the right fuel, can result in a hellish inferno. (tiered: 1-3)
- Inferno Bullets- Having Phosphorus held within, upon impact the lead ball will dig into the target and flatten, or break upon impact if it hits a hard enough surface. This will allow the release of the Phosphorus which Desmond will then cause to react and ignite, creating an intense flame in the air or inside the target which will either burn the person from the inside or start catching others around on fire.
These bullets will be made of lead, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollow lead ball before filling it with phosphorus and then properly sealing it. He will make these bullets with the copper disc that covers and seals the hole that was formed, which also allows him to know which bullet this is.
Cloud of Corruption- Desmond is able to chemically imbalance liquids to make them highly reactive to the air. Allowing for nasty effects like forcing certain liquids like acids and poisons to become gases and inhalable, but still has the same dangerous potency as if it was in its liquid form. (tiered: 2-3)
- QuickSilver Bullets- Having Mercury held within, upon impact the lead ball will dig into the target and flatten, or break upon impact if it hits a hard enough surface. This will allow the release of the Mercury which Desmond will then cause to react and turn into a gas, causing anyone near the gas to begin to experience acute Mercury poisoning. Causing perfuse sweating, increased heart rate, skin discoloration, muscle weakness, vomiting, and because inhalation is almost guaranteed, if the person is unable to be treated by magic to take out the mercury within about an hour, those affected by the Mercury have a high chance of dying, with each passing hour raising the lethality chance.
These bullets will be made of lead, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollow lead ball before filling it with Mercury and then properly sealing it. He will make these bullets with the silver disc that covers and seals the hole that was formed, which also allows him to know which bullet this is.
Dragon's Rage- Alters the chemical composition of target substances or combines them in such a way that an explosion results. This explosion can be amplified, intensified, spread, and perpetuated based on the availability of combustibles and the skill of the mage in improvising them and controlling the results. Under the right conditions, it can level an entire block. (tiered: 2-4)
- Hellfire Bullets- Having a duel layer bullet, with the first holding black powder and the second holding a form of thermite, upon impact the lead ball will dig into the target and flatten, or break upon impact if it hits a hard enough surface. This will cause it to react and ignite, creating a small explosion, and when this explosion occurs, it will cause immense inward force that will burst the inner layer and cause the thermite to explode, which will cause an intense explosion to occur, with enough force to explode a human target with ease. At this point Desmond would use Dragon's Rage to amplify the explosive force to an extreme degree, making it become something near a large bomb able to clear a 30-foot radius with ease.
This is Desmond's most volatile bullet to date. As this is a bullet that is actually 2 layers the first and outer layer of the bullet is of steel and lead and is filled with black powder and metal oxide to cause a spark when it deforms. While the second and innermost layer is a steel ball that holds iron and aluminum oxide that was made into fine dust akin to that of silt and fine sand. The primary purpose of the outer layer is to cause enough explosive force to break the inner steel and cause immense pressure on the iron and aluminum oxide. Upon this point will ignite and explode with intense force creating a vacuum-like explosion, with even the half-inch ball of this mixture under the pressure that would be able to blow a large hole in a human-sized target.
This bullet is something of an endeavor to make, as it requires many steps when making the inner core. Needing to go through the arduous process to make a fine iron and aluminum oxide dust mixture. As this can take a few hours on its own, he can make large batches while doing this but needs multiple pieces of safety gear just to do it, as inhaling the dust can kill you. After this, he needs to form an iron ball because this mixture can be very dangerous when met with too much electrical charge, and steel is very stable for acting as a casing while holding it. After this, sealing takes much time, as he needs to cold forge and form a thin casing around the steel ball. After which he will need to make a hollow lead ball that he will fill with gun powder and seat the steel ball in. After sealing this one with a second cold-forged steel casing around the lead to properly seal it all together.
This is not only the most time-consuming bullet, but also one of his more expensive to make, as he will be able to make 5 Hellfire Bullets within a 16 hour period, and would not be one he could make easily without the right tools. Meaning if he was to try and create one of these while he's away from his many specialized tools and machines, it would be impossible to make one.
Touch of Volatility- Desmond is able to turn normally inert and stable substances violently reactive or corrosive by rendering them highly acidic or basic. (tiered: 2-3)
Ahn-Shune's Light- Having metal powder and salt held within. Desmond will cause the mixture within to become volatile and fuse together. When it reaches the maximum energy the ball will explode producing a loud explosion and bright light, which is a blinding flash of light that can stun, disorient, or even permanently blind a target.
These bullets will be made of lead, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollow lead ball before filling it with metal powder and salt and then properly sealing it. He will make these bullets with an iron disc that covers and seals the hole that was formed, which also allows him to know which bullet this is.
Cloud of Corruption- Desmond is able to chemically imbalance liquids to make them highly reactive to the air. Allowing for nasty effects like forcing certain liquids like acids and poisons to become gases and inhalable, but still has the same dangerous potency as if it was in its liquid form. (tiered: 2-3)
Devil's Tears- Having a very concentrated chemical compound held within, the Safe-T bullet will break upon impact if it hits a surface. Allowing the release of the compound held within, which Desmond will then cause to react and turn into a gas, causing anyone near the gas to begin to experience intense pain. As it will begin to cause their eyes to water, making their throat sting, making it hard to breathe, and in the case of their continued exposure, more long-lasting effects as it will begin to cause long-lasting lung damage, and impairment of vision and if exposure is long enough lasting it might even cause permanent damage.
These bullets will be made of Seal fat that is then hardened, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollowed-out bullet of this hardened fat before filling it with the chemical compounds he uses by breaking down Seaweed into an oil. He boils the Seaweed, then introduces acids to break it down into its oil, as he then combines the oils with magnesium powder that turns it into a gel. For one bullet he needs about 2 pounds of seaweed and 10 grams of magnesium powder. Yet the stability of the substance is quite good as once within the bullet it can last up to 1 year before becoming less than effective.
Cloud of Corruption- Desmond is able to chemically imbalance liquids to make them highly reactive to the air. Allowing for nasty effects like forcing certain liquids like acids and poisons to become gases and inhalable, but still has the same dangerous potency as if it was in its liquid form. (tiered: 2-3)
Mother's Breath- Having water held within, Desmond makes a larger Safe-T bullet that is about 2 inches long to allow for it to hold more water. Upon impact the Safe-T bullet will break upon a surface, allowing the release of the water held within, which Desmond will then cause to react and turn into a gas, which can help put out fires, cool things down, and in very special cases, like if he uses his Lich's Curse bullet, freeze things.
Cloud of Corruption- Desmond is able to chemically imbalance liquids to make them highly reactive to the air. Allowing for nasty effects like forcing certain liquids like acids and poisons to become gases and inhalable, but still has the same dangerous potency as if it was in its liquid form. (tiered: 2-3)
Snake Bite- A highly concentrated mixture made from Wolfsbane held within, Desmond stores the mixture within one of his Safe-T bullets. Upon impact the Safe-T bullet will break upon a surface, allowing the release of the mixture held within, which when on the skin will begin to stick to the skin and begin to get absorbed quite quickly. After a few moments, the area will begin to feel numb, and tingly, and begin to form a rash. After a bit of time, the mixture will be fully absorbed and will make the entire area, such as a limb, begin to become completely numb, rash-covered, and almost impossible to properly move. If enough time passes, more symptoms will start appearing across the target: vomiting, sweating, frothing at the mouth, confusion, dizziness, numbness, tingling around the face, mouth, and limbs, and a burning sensation in the abdomen. These symptoms appear within an hour of exposure and death follows within 6 hours.
Desmond can also use his Chemical Magic to turn the mixture into a gas, making it a much more lethal form of its use, rather than numbing a body part, it will begin to expedite the process to cause Wolfsbane poisoning within those who inhale the gas.
Cloud of Corruption- Desmond is able to chemically imbalance liquids to make them highly reactive to the air. Allowing for nasty effects like forcing certain liquids like acids and poisons to become gases and inhalable, but still has the same dangerous potency as if it was in its liquid form. (tiered: 2-3)
Blessing of Rest- A high concentrated Opium is held within, and Desmond stores the mixture within one of his Saft-T bullets. Upon impact the Safe-T bullet will break upon a surface, allowing the release of the mixture held within. The opium within will begin to absorb into the area and begin to numb the area of impact to either make a grievous wound from far away stop hurting as much or make motor control for the individual hit by it. When Desmond uses his Chemical Magic, he will turn it into a gas that can easily be inhaled, as it will begin to dull the senses of those who inhale it, pain starts to disappear, the many chemicals within them, such as endorphins, adrenaline, and other such things will begin to be slowed, as with enough of a dose those who inhale the gas will find it difficult to stay awake.
Binding:
Gift of Ahn-Oraff- Surrounding energies that could be used by enemies to draw from are instead turned into matter and rendered useless to other schools of magic. (tiered 2-3)
Dragon's Will- Having Iron oxide, iron dust, salt, and water held within a Safe-T bullet that is about 3 inches long, it holds quite a bit of these substance, as the Safe-T bullet will break upon impact if it hits a surface. Allowing the release of the compound held within, which Desmond will then cause to react with a little heat energy and ignite, with this causing an intense release of light, heat, and sound. From here either he can use this as a way to quickly give people energy to do many of their different spells, or he can use it to increase his range and act as a focal point for him to start to convert the energy in the area of it to useless matter and rendering it useless to most schools of magic, like converting fires, converting electricity, and even some more intense heats into sputtered wisps.
These bullets will be made of Seal fat that is then hardened, using special tools designed by Desmond, he will form a hollowed-out bullet of this hardened fat before filling it with the chemical compounds he uses then putting more Seal fat in the hole and cooling it down as well to harden it. As when this mixture makes the impact it normally has enough force to cause the reaction needed, but not always, so Desmond will normally use magic to make sure it will have the proper effect every time.
Gift of Eshiran-Zept: A magic-user draws offensively from a projectile or other physical object, destroying the threat that it represents. (tiered 1-2)
Embrace of Eshiran- A projectile made of 9 thin 2-inch iron rods with Seal fat covering them attached together with metal wire also covered in hardened Seal fat and a thin metal sheet encasing it all. When this projectile is fired, Desmond can at any point use some basic drawing from the projectile to destroy the metal casing surrounding the projectile, allowing it to open and turn into a thin metal net. Once it makes contact with a target the metal wires will enclose the target and capture them. The Seal fat that is on both the rods and the wire is meant to soften their impact of them and dampen the cutting force that they have, allowing this to be a less than lethal option for capture, but it does not dampen all the force, so aiming for more clothed opponents is a much better idea.
Desmond also uses this to disrupt many different types of attacks, may it be projectiles, thrown spells, and even to trip up people who are trying to do attacks and the such.
Magnetic:
Negative charge- A foundational skill that causes a target to become negatively charged, making it highly susceptible to magnetic and electrical attacks as well as magnetism and self-damage. (tiered: 1-2)
Positive charge- A foundational skill that causes a target to become positively charged, making it highly susceptible to magnetic and electrical attacks as well as magnetism and self-damage. (tiered: 1-2)
Attract- The mage uses an opposing charge to pull a charged target towards them or any appropriate conductors in the area. (tiered: 1-2)
Hundrian's Arrow- A projectile with a cone tip, a thin cylinder shaft, and then ending with a flat bottom, like an arrow, made of iron that is around 3 inches long. In the center of both the cone and the shaft, Desmond has put a copper ball and a copper rod in to keep hold of the magnetic charge for much longer. As once Desmond is ready to fire the arrow he will either negatively charge or positive charge. When it hits, it will dig into the target and imbed itself into it, most likely bending the shaft and squashing the cone head inside making it very difficult to take out.
If he is fighting something and it survived the arrow, he will then switch to steel balls that he will do the reverse charge on them, to then begin to allow him to fire them to track and home in on the arrow, allowing for Desmond to use less energy to keep track and turn corners to hit targets.
If he uses it on a large object like a cart or the such that he needs to keep track of, the arrow would make great work as it can hold its charge for a good bit of time meaning the main thing he would need to do is make sure he has the opposite charge on an object and use it to track it.
This is Desmond's Magical Table showing his favored Schools and spells, will also have a receipt which will also have where points go and where they come from.
Desmond's Magic Table
School
Level
Tier
Favored Use
Signature Spell
Arcane
Novice
1st
Illusions
Magnified Sight
Magnetic
Apprentice
2nd
Repelling and Attracting
Repelling Slide
Kinetic
Adept
3rd
Telekinesis
Solid Telekinesis
Chemical
Adept
3rd
Offensive External Manipulation
Touch of Fury(Block Buster)
Binding
Novice
1st
Material Deconstruction(Binding Drawing)
Gift of Eshiran-Zept
???
Novice
1st
???
Influence Reality
Receipt:
The 4* first levels distribution:
Arcane- 1 Level
Magnetic- 1 Level
Kinetic- 2 Levels*
Chemical- 1 Level
Binding- 0 Levels
*(Desmond was given an additional level in Kinetic from his years of experience in actual combat so he started with 5 points)
+1 Level after completing the mission arc which included the entirety of Black Flag/Into the Depths, as well as the final act of Deserted where we fought the Royal Sand Wyrm.
Chemical- + 1 Level
+1 Level to 2 schools after completing the Trials arc which included the entirety of the Trials, Bloody Victendes, and Potentially Lucrative.
Kinetic- + 1 Level Chemical- + 1 level
+1 Level to 2 schools after completing the School arc which included the entirety of Nox Arcanum, Caldores, and The Madman's Dash.
Magnetic- + 1 Level Binding- + 1 level
??? +1
This is stuff for Desmond not only to explain his skills in combat but also to help me write and figure out how he would fight in different situations.
I will be using this chart to actually be ranking where I see skills Desmond uses and such. This is not an official list but is meant to help with understanding what I'm saying, and also gives me a much easier time explaining it now rather than having to explain it every time I am trying to talk about his skills.
Neophyte You have no prior use of or learning in this certain skill.
-A peasant who just picked up a spear for the first time.
Novice This is an amateur level, you dabbled in the ideas of skill for about a few weeks, but you haven't spent much time in either working with the skill nor have you seen much of it.
-A peasant who is being trained to hold a spear in a spear line.
Apprentice- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for about 6 or so months, at this point you have been creating habits, learning the fundamentals of the skill, and even developing your own ideas in a skill. There are some things that aren't instinct or second nature yet, but you can still rely on the fundamentals taught.
-A Militiaman who has completed training to be a part of a functioning spear line.
Adept- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for about a year or two, at this point you have been developing muscle memory. At this point, you can start relying on the skills that you started learning to still be with you without you needing to mentally figure out the maneuver you are doing, you can just do it.
-An inexperienced squire, who has been under the care of a lord, and training and sparing against other squires.
Journeyman- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for about 5 years or so, at this point, you have been tested in your skills. You have gained and lost multiple habits, you have started figuring out certain things that have been less efficient and starting to create your own skills to best fit you.
-A fresh-faced Knight, who finally finished his years of training and is now to go to war for his lord.
Expert- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for about a decade or two, at this point you are starting to refine your skills and making a name for yourself with certain 'signature' skills. At this point, you have seen many different things, and started to create and form new measures to best combat certain faults and counters you have seen through your time.
-A Knight/Mercenary who has seen years of battle, and has been now refining skills to best combat the many things you've seen.
Master- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for multiple decades or more, at this point you're skills have been honed to some of the greatest degrees they can be. Few can match you in your skills, as you have seen many different styles, many different skills used, and have taken meticulous care to make sure your skills have been brought to a level that nothing really surprises you anymore.
-A Greater Knight who has seen decades of battle and has now been honored for his skills as he has now passed on many of his skills to his successors.
Grandmaster- This is the level of someone who has been practicing a skill for multiple decades or more, at this point you're skills have been honed beyond what could even be thought of as possible. At this point, few can say they are able to even equal you. Your skills seem otherworldly, you are seen as the pinnacle and few can even imagine equaling you let alone surpassing you.
-A Grand Knight who has defeated foes thought beyond possible by ones self. Few can challenge a dragon on their own yet a Dragon's head is on your mantle for that very reason.
Thought Processes
When Desmond is working with others around him, he is quite an efficient tactician and team player. Desmond has learned how to work with many different people, may it be with other Magusjaegers, knights, to mages, Desmond had to play ball with them. Often he was seen as a child at best, however, showing skills on the battlefield helps people reconsider their position.
He normally takes the role of a small-scale tactician and supportive role, making sure people are able to do their jobs. If a Mage is giving some people trouble he will deal with them, knights are pushing too close, he will force them back, and if he notices another Magusjaeger, he will track them to make sure that there is only one set of eyes over the battlefield.
Desmond will oftentimes pick out certain plans to best allow for everyone's abilities to come forth, or what he thinks they can be. He hates it when he needs to give some control away to someone else, however, to use the resources you have is the utmost priority, after all, they could possibly find something that he himself could never see, like a more equipped Chemist being able to pick up on a faint internal change or other things like that.
However, when Desmond can have control over the majority of the operation, that's when he is most at ease, as it will give him the most he can work with and how they will work.
When Desmond is by himself, his thought process when doing missions is much more methodical. By himself, he needs to fight and think smarter than most. As the only things he can rely on are his skills, his wits, and his will to get through. Yet this makes him at ease, cause it gives him the most control making him the sole cog and the easiest to control.
Often he will be on a constant watch of things, he will more often than not hide among what he can, often trying to blend in the best he can no matter where he is. Even when walking the streets he will often hide in the crowd, slowly and methodically planning his route and all possible way to escape.
He is a constant vigilant alert, as he will often plan days if not weeks ahead, often learning the environments he will get himself into, the dialects, and even some simpler mannerisms. Because of his looks, he has learned how to blend in, changing parts of himself to best fit the bill, maybe even sometimes living somewhere nearby for some time creating an alibi before moving to his objective.
Desmond will often put his own safety above all else, except when it comes to someone he cares about. Where he might compromise himself, the mission, and all else in making sure they survive. Yet if that is not to occur, his skills were formed to allow him to move like a ghost, even able to shift through crowds to find his target or complete his objective. After which, he will quietly complete it before he disappears back and almost as he disappeared off the face of the earth.
Ranged Weapons
Skill Level- Expert
When Desmond is at a far range and out of notice of his enemies, he takes up his gun in a slow and methodical approach to assassinate targets from extreme ranges. Here he will use his long gun exclusively as it is the only of his weapons that can reach out far enough for his use.
With the use of methodical and stealthy movement to find good fields of view to get clear lines of attack. He uses calm and incremental drawing from the area, he will start finding anything around him to draw from, the swaying of leaves, the ambient heat, or even small things he does with his body and he draws from the movement.
From there he converts it slowly to the energies he needs them for. Such as transforming it to form low-level light magnification to better help him differentiate between targets. Uses Kinetic energy so he can increase the velocity of his bullets to reach out further. As well as converting it to Magnetic energy so he would be more able to guide his bullets and make sure they fly in a much more controlled and precise way.
Once he fires a shot, he will begin moving to one of his next shooting areas, as he will continue to do so until his objective is done, or he needs to leave in preparation for being overwhelmed.
Desmond will often use his many different bullets during this to deal with as many as he can as quickly as possible. Using explosives to deal with swaths of enemies, Inferno bullets to quickly start fires and cause chaos, and using QuickSilver bullets to poison people in areas where they are hiding.
If he needs to leave because he could be overwhelmed, he will use many of his bullets to start causing an area of denial. Chilling areas and then having ice forming there, using QuickSilver bullets to form poison clouds and many other less-lethal bullets, but having wide areas of effect to buy him time against pursuers.
Skill Level- Adept
When Desmond is at the range but is noticed by his enemies, he changes his fighting tactics to a much more defensive and manipulative style. Uses the flow of combat to cause greater effects and opportunities, manipulating forces to create bad situations for the enemy, and using counter-offensive tactics to take down his enemies. Here he will use his long gun and pistol in tandem to increase his rate of fire and combine bullets together to cause devastating effects through different reactions. He will use magnetic magic to help him load his guns to increase his speed of reloading and fire rate, as often he will have both his hands occupied and unable actually reload his guns.
With the use of fast movement and defensive use of cover, Desmond will constantly be shifting away from his opponents, making sure he keeps some form of cover between himself and his enemies if they have ranged weapons as well. If he is facing off against enemies without any ranged counters, he will make sure to destroy all cover the enemy can use to make fights much easier.
In the midst of fighting, he will begin to pick out everything the enemies have at their disposal, from there he will begin creating strategies to combat what every they have. As a matter of what kind of objective he needs to achieve, he will change how aggressive or defensive he will be. As if he knows he can win he will get a little more aggressive to ensure victory, however, if the fighting does not look like a winning fight, he will often try to be much more defensive or even try to escape to prompt a cat and mouse chase where he has a bit of an advantage with the use of guerilla tactics and stealthy takedowns.
Desmond will use his specially made bullets more often, as many will often be used for area denial to cause his enemies to move according to his own wants, setting up large reaction explosions to take out swaths in an instant and cause disarray, or using very specific bullets against certain mages to take them out efficiently and with as little effort as possible, because a drawn-out fight with a mage is a death sentence.
Skill Level- Apprentice
When Desmond is at close range while fighting enemies, he changes his fighting style to a much more frenetic and aggressive style. Mixing in different ranges of attacks to open many different opportunities and openings to take down his enemies. Here Desmond will both use his long gun and pistol in tandem, to fire off multiple bullets in a short period of time. Often times he will use magnetic magic to reload one gun while using the other as a club to fight with or shooting the bullet it was loaded with.
With the use of fast movement and aggressive shifting footwork, Desmond will constantly be shifting his position to be near his opponents for fast elbows, knees, and strikes using his pistol. Then he will shift away to do kicks, strikes with his long gun, and fire off a shot from his pistol. Finally, he will shift just far enough away to fire off a shot from his long gun and begin to use it as a one-handed spear to jab and keep his opponent at a slightly farther distance.
While Desmond uses this constant shifting and aggressive style, he will draw kinetic energy from attacks he does, some of his movements to change his movement patterns to mess with his opponent, or from some of the attacks, he would sustain. From there he will often use the kinetic energy he draws to either increase the force of his attacks or convert it into magnetic energy to set up for devastating counterattacks or to reload his guns as he is fighting.
While in this range, he will normally use lead rounds to fight with, or very specific bullets to assist him against certain pesky foes. He will sometimes use certain bullets that can cause area denial effects to force certain adversaries to either make distance from himself or keep within close range. After which he will continue to use led bullets or if up against a skilled Kinetic or Magnetic mage he will use his Death's Promise to take them out when they least expect it.
Skill Level- Apprentice
Desmond has learned how to throw many different types of weapons, may it be knives, sharpened needles, and spears, Desmond is quite good at throwing them. Desmond will use these less often than his guns, but when he gets into close-ranged combat he will use them often like throwing daggers and the such.
Desmond will sometimes use throwing weapons in fights, however, he does not carry them on him often enough to matter. So often he will find objects he can improvise as throwing weapons and using them when he can.
Desmond will normally use throwing weapons more for 'fun' in a fight rather than as an essential weapon for his fighting. Often he views throwing weapons as a less efficient projectile than other ones, but it can be useful when caught in a bad situation.
LOL!!! Who uses these things?
Stay seething Knife Ears
Melee Weapons
Skill Level- Journeyman
Among most of the Melee weapons, Desmond has practiced, the Polearm is one of his most used. A large wooden pole can be found anywhere and can make a great weapon. A spear, a bo staff, or mattering on what you affix to it, a hammer, an axe, or a large pick. However, when fighting in melee range, the most important things are often range and speed, as the spear is well known for both, with fast and strong strikes that can reach out farther than almost any other melee weapon.
Desmond had become quite skilled with Staves and Polearms, as whenever he is found without any ammunition, he will often need to rely on his gun to become an impromptu short spear, bo staff, or even a club. This soon changed to becoming a weapon skill he wished to foster as now he has become quite efficient at using Polearms and staves, to the point where if he needed to choose a melee weapon to fight with, he would take a spear knowing he can probably take on a Knight with it.
Skill Level- Apprentice
Desmond is practiced in swords and 2-handed blades, however less so than most of the weapons he has normally used. His skills with swords and 2-handed blades are fundamental skills, and he will often use them when it is one of the few things in his hand, however, it is not his favorite weapon. He will often use a mixture of blade attacks and kicks and mixing into close range for shoulder bashes, elbows, and headbutts.
Desmond sees the sword as more of a tool to use as a finisher rather than as a weapon he will use more, but he does think it's cool. This is why he has learned it a bit, but for the sake of fighting, he finds it less efficient than his other weapons.
Skill Level- Journeyman
When Desmond uses a short blade or dagger, it can often be akin to a surgeon of the Dordian Order. He will normally use a dagger with a mixture of martial arts, yet his blade will often swing fast and with precision. Uses the blade to parry and deflect blades as he strikes from the other side with kicks, strikes, or getting them into a grapple.
However when using his blade while sneaking is that of an assassin, his skills to hide as a Magusjaeger, transferred almost seamlessly to sneaking as a silent blade and taking the lives of those he was tasked with. He silently moves around, almost making his presence unknown, until the blade is already through the abdomen of his target. He knows the areas on the body that will either instantly kill his target, or push the air out of them before they are able to scream.
When caught in a fight, Desmond will normally use his blade to disable a certain part of his target before going in for the kill. Slicing the wrist to deactivate the hand, slicing ligaments to stop the use of a limb, or even making large slashes over large arteries to bleed the person out in a fight.
Skill Level- Apprentice-Journeyman
When Desmond is pushed to the point where no other weapons are able to be used, his fists are the things that come out.
Desmond has learned some of the fundamentals of multiple different unarmed Martial Arts, many of which he either learned through sparring against other mercenaries, soldiers, and his 'family' or through watching them be used so many times by different practitioners. Which makes Desmond formidable on first contact, as he can very quickly figure out what style to use to give himself an edge over his opponent.
But this is only often times a short-lived advantage, as if an actually studious practitioner of Martial Arts was to go up against Desmond, they can find his skills are lacking. His fundamentals are solid, but when it comes to the more nuances of certain styles he is an amateur at best. Yet when he gets pushed into an extended bout, Desmond pulls out his most practiced Martial Art, Kastäng.
Kastäng is the Eskandish traditional martial art. Desmond will normally not use it from the start of a fight because of its very long drawn to nature, it focuses on breaking not only the body but the opponent's spirit. This point can lead to Desmond facing off for multiple minutes, yet Desmond will switch to it when faced off with multiple opponents or when faced with an opponent who seems to be much strong than himself.
It was taught to him by the man he sees as a father figure from his Mercenary group, a man named Danyel, he taught Desmond a martial art he developed that combined many different aspects of different martial arts into one greater form.
Using Vai-to and their mentality of 'All the Way In' and 'All the Way Out' style to constantly transition ranges that will change and alternate between unexpected ranged kicks, pseudo-feints, and lunging step-ins to go into close range hooks, elbows, holds, and takedowns, all while trying maximizing the bodies force. Yet the moment a full step-in happens the transition changes to using more Kastäng traditional mentality, making use of holds, grips, angles, and the body's weak points to break opponents physically and mentally. All the while the practitioner will be drawing from the kinetic energy to amplify the force of their attacks, the speed of the throws, the speed of movements, and the speed of the feints to make them seem almost blurs of speed.
Yet because of Desmond's RAS, he can only moderately use this ability, so he modified it for himself to introduce new moves in multiple different grapples, while still using the teachings Danyel had shown him. Forming new standing strikes that lead into shifts and range changes more easily that lead into grapples and hold that seem to lead in from one to another to make use of every ounce of energy and strength he can create. Sometimes closing the gap a bit in the differences in power can be found when facing off against Mages who use kinetic magic in their martial arts.
Out of Options
This is for when he is out of mana, ammunition, his weapons are broken, and he is left exhausted.
He's Never Out of Options
Desmond has gotten involved with the ruby mine near the Mørkstein Castle in Eskand Ath that he discovered during Roses and Neskals and has taken on a more ongoing commitment to oversee the mine and receives 25% cut of every ruby derived from there while it's active.
During each month skipped in IC time of operation 2 Rubies will be brought out and sold. While every Cycle one shall be derived and be sold.
The Rubies being sold happen 1 month into the time skip as Desmond and the Lord of the land will need to talk and start operations.
Black Field Arsenal is one of the first Arsenals Desmond is producing as he starts to build a brand name for Lemegeton Industries. A brand he wishes to form into not only a company but also one of research and development.
Desmond has seen what technology can become from the Sirrahi and now wishes to see if the world can produce it if not surpass it.
Desmond is now making his first Arsenal and his first line of guns to be the test and challenge to the world. Firearms, as they are now, are slow, take too long to produce, and are subpar to his standards. So he aims to cut the time to a third of the man hours needed per musket without losing any integrity or style, even then Desmond made a few modifications to make them more effective and stylish.
This is not a business he is making to make a profit, he is aiming to keep the prices low to allow even the most basic laborer to be able to arm themselves with a weapon to even the playing field between a Mage and a Normal man.
While worried about her family and their situation while she’s been sent away, Wvysen figures the best she can do for them at the moment would be to make the most of her opportunity and take the time to learn. She keeps herself content and upbeat, a façade she’s loathe to let drop, only falling when she’s engrossed in a task, or while she tosses and turns in her sleep. Perhaps not the best way to handle her problems, but one she’s decided to use, nonetheless. In short, the mask only drops when she doesn’t need to fake a good mood, or when she sleeps, and rarely else.
Her family’s position is not all there is to her, though. In truth, she’d prefer to remain as divorced as possible from the realm of politics, and be allowed to simply research magic. With the predictable and consistent nature of magic, she could spend her whole life looking into the correlations between the types, and the process by which it worked, and die content. While she’s learned a few things perhaps not too widely known, Wvysen is aware of how much she does not know, and plans to look into. Be it Chemical, Arcane, or even Temporal, she’s sure that there are concepts that can be brought over and applied between schools. After all, the nature of the gods is separate, but friendly, right? Why wouldn’t that apply to the five schools of magic?
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Standing at 163 cm, Wvysen is neither terribly soft, nor terribly athletic, used to exercise, but never focused on it. Wvysen’s fashion is simple, but not plain. A red coat, with a brown button up blouse, white undershirt, and red bow on top, with a knee-length black skirt, stockings, and simple shoes on the bottom. While those aren’t her only clothes, those are the ones she prefers, only changing on the rare whim, or when there’s a pragmatic reason to swap.
She clearly takes good care of herself, between her smooth and silky hair, and clear skin. She prefers to either put her tail in two twintails, or allow it to mostly hang loose, with two smaller twintails hanging in front of her, reaching down about midway down her back either way. While there’s no real one feature that defines Wvysen, if she decided to do her hair up differently, go a day without her glasses, and walk about in a different outfit, one would not be faulted for not realizing exactly who she was. While she could be described as quite pretty, nothing about her is particularly notable. No birthmarks or scars, the oddest thing about her would be her fingers, showing her frequent use of them while she tinkers, perhaps a rather unexpected trait for the mage.
With an above average RAS of 6.977, Wvysen is just under the threshold of hitting that esteemed 7, something she is both annoyed about, and grateful for. On the one hand, being just under 7 was a bit annoying. On the other hand, she would prefer not to be eligible for the Legion of the Sacred Flame. With a natural aptitude in Binding magic, it may be a surprise to hear that it’s the class of magic she’s least interested in, instead choosing to focus her efforts primarily on Kinetic magic.
One trick that Wvysen discovered, and enjoys keeping to herself, is a quite reliable way to refill herself on magic when she pleases. That being the kinetic energy all around her: Gravity. Drawing kinetic energy from a projectile and letting it fall harmlessly to the ground is the basic of defending oneself with Kinetic magic, why let it fall at all? Gravity constantly pulls an object down. Thus, it can be drawn from for a consistent source of energy. Expanding on that little trick, it would be no surprise that Wvysen has a particular knack for telekinesis, drawing and giving objects energy as she pleases to shove them about, tending more towards precision than power. Though the subtleties of manipulating sounds escapes her at present, her control is impressive enough to have a grasp on liquids and gasses, and a lesser grasp on solids.
Contrasting her control over the finer points of kinetic magic, her secondary school of Magnetic is significantly more rudimentary. Initially looking into the school of magic both as one of the specialties of her teacher, and as a possible field that could assist her in other ways, Wvysen has yet to get too far into the school. At present, her progress is limited to the basics of manipulating a positive or negative charge into a target, attracting and repelling those charges, and… curiously, grounding for the specific purpose of repulse. She doesn’t much like the idea of chemical magic being able to manipulate her body, and as such, learning a defense against that seemed like a wise choice once she heard of it.
B A C K G R O U N D
Daughter of the Arsican marquis, Wvysen’s life was neither coddled nor terribly rough. A middle child, having an older brother and younger sister, the title wouldn’t immediately pass to Wvysen in the case of her parents’ death, but as a daughter, Wvysen is well aware of what her own typical role would be, and it’s one she’s not terribly enthusiastic about. Arsica being in the middle of Redivia as it is, the position is a tenuous one diplomatically, with both Perrence and Redivia wanting it for themselves, and a marquis’ duty is as important as ever.
Arsica is a rather odd place, Perrencian to be sure, but surrounded completely by Redivia, and the control over the territory only shifting in the past few centuries, it’s inevitable for the territory to be a mixture of the two cultures, leading to Wvysen’s command over the local dialect, the common tongue of the nobles, and both Redivian and Perrench. While perhaps neither the people nor the nobles have a particular urge for war, the territory of Perrence being in the midst of Redivia is an eyesore for the dominant coastal force, and almost a smug acquisition for the Wolf that was Perrence, and the tension is an undeniable scent on the wind.
Wvysen’s potential was discovered rather early in her life, and while schooling was a bit difficult to obtain in her family’s territory, it wasn’t impossible. And as such, her childhood was busy; A mixture of the duties of a noble and a marquis, on top of honing her skills as a potential future mage. This left, however, not much time for the more pragmatic skills, or even social ones, past those required for diplomacy. A lonely childhood, Wvysen didn’t mind much, seeing it as merely her duty, and never much craving friendship. While nothing tremendous, her skills were undoubtedly to the point that she would be sent to Ersand’Enise eventually, and sent away she was, before things got too politically tempestuous.
M O T I V A T I O N
Somewhat overwhelmed by the freedom afforded by the school, Wvysen is quite interested in learning what she can of her Gift. While her primary focus is in Kinetic, followed by a secondary in Magnetic, Wvysen is curious about what she can learn from all of the schools. And while knowing rationally that temporal magic is nothing more than a myth, there’s some part of Wvysen deep down that’s still curious as to whether something as fundamental as moments passing can be harnessed for magic.
When it comes to the future, Wvysen is rather uncertain of her plans. Her older brother is likely to inherit the marquis title, and while she fully expects herself and her sister to be the latest in a long history of political marriages throughout the realm, it’s not something she looks forward to. Truth be told, her ideal life would be being left alone to research and learn. However, she’s aware of the rather tempestuous political circumstances of her family, and worries about them while she’s safely away, and has resigned herself to the fact that her desires will likely be consumed by her duties.
I N V E N T O R Y
-Clockwork Collection: Wvysen’s personal hobby, she has a fascination with Kerremand’s mechanical contraptions, and it’s no surprise that she’d bring it with her to school. From windup toys, to clocks and pocket watches, you can almost always find Wvysen either tinkering with one, or with one nearby.
-Pocket Wvytch (Pronounced ‘Votch’): A particular matter of pride for Wvysen, and the most common object kept on her. It’s value is more sentimental than valuable, being a watch crafted by Wvysen after dissembling and reassembling clockwork throughout her youth, tinkered with and improved through the years. A silver pocket watch, with the face of the watch having the symbol of her house engraved in the background, and the back, a meaningless, but intricate symbol on the back, meant to invoke a feel of supernatural mystery than actually do anything. Besides the standard functions of a watch, she likes to use it as a focus for her Gift. While unnecessary for her casting, it’s a comfort for her to use, due to her near total knowledge of the properties of it, making it a reliable source of energy to draw a consistent amount from in certain fashions.
-Glasses: While the lens do serve as minor vision correction from a distance, Wvysen is more than capable of functioning without them. That said, she does like them, believing them to add a bit of ‘cute’ flair to her outfit. Curiously, they seem to be made of an odd crystal rather than glass, reflecting more akin to a prism than glass, but they still function as glasses.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Clockwork Tinkering: Perhaps not an engineer, but Wvysen has gleaned what she could from Kerremand clockwork, capable of repairing, dissembling, and reassembling clockwork constructs. ❖Intellect: A necessity for mages, Wvysen is particularly good at noting patterns, and while her memory isn’t perfect, it doesn’t take her much time to learn a new concept. ❖Polite ❖Observant ❖ Focused
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖Fidgety ❖Easily Stressed ❖Socially Inept ❖Slow to trust ❖ Averse to combat
Curiously, while she holds a fear of chemical users manipulating the processes in her body, she has a passing interest in the concepts of meditation and mesmerism, one that might develop further should a reason come up to. Text color: #a3183b
❖ [ Proud ] ❖ [ Hard working ] ❖ [ Stingy ] ❖ [ Direct ] ❖ [ Pragmatic ] [ Overly caring ]
In many ways, Dorothea is a typical young noblewoman from Feska: proud, practical, and driven by profit. She isn’t afraid to put in the work to get the results, but she very much expects the results. While she comes across as quite a diligent learner, she doesn’t study for the joy of it but rather with a specific set of goals in mind.
Profit is king in Feska and she hopes to increase her family’s margins through the use of advanced magical techniques learned at the Academy. Raised in such an environment, Dorothea can’t help but be quite stingy, despite her considerable wealth. She finds that this often comes into conflict with the mandate she has been given by her domineering mother and great aunt.
While at the school, she is to socialize and make connections with other young nobles whose families might make worthwhile allies. The issue is that Dorothea isn’t much of a socializer. The fine speech of a noblewoman is lost upon her for the most part. Summers out in the paddies with her father have equipped her with the blunt and direct speech of a Spratzfreiherr. She knows this and will often hold her thoughts close, not voicing them for fear of sounding rude or provincial. This can unintentionally lead to her coming across as rather cold and aloof.
After the events of Lorintine Queen, Dorothea has opened up quite a bit to a closed circle. She is rather more friendly than how she was upon arriving at Ersand’Enise. This might become quite the hassle once coming back to Feska.
L A N G U A G E S
As a very Mercantile nation and to the request of her mother, Dory learned all the languages of Dami’s eye. She still has a great many languages she wishes to learn.
Kerreman (Feskan) - Fluent. Avincian - Fluent. Perrench - Near-Fluent. Kressian - Semi-Fluent. Yasoi - Passable. Revidian - Currently studying, only got the hang of a few words.
Languages to learn: Torragonese, Different Yasoi dialects, Enthish, Joruban, Virangish, Eskandr.
T I T L E S & N I C K N A M E S
❖ Countess of the Hohnstein lands ❖ Spratzmuffin ❖ Dory
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
With her long, chestnut brown hair and bright blue-green eyes, Dorothea is rather pretty and her family knows it. While she isn’t an exceptional beauty, she’s certainly what her mother and aunts would refer to as… marriageable. Seventeen years of age and very much not a child, she stands slightly above average height, with a light, healthy complexion and a face that settles best on a slight smile that belies the distance she usually keeps with other people. Her hands are surprisingly rough for those of a noblewoman, legacy of plenty of tree-climbing and root-pulling as a rather rambunctious child. She usually keeps them covered in elbow-length gloves.
Her clothing choices are what one might expect of a middling Feskan noble. Dorothea’s hair is partially tied back in a nod to practicality and an otter fur shawl covers her shoulders. She wears a necklace with a carnelian centerpiece, passed down through seven generations on her mother’s side of the family. The only thing that stands out is the white dress that she is fond of and often wears. That is a boast. Feska is an almost unnaturally muddy place. The sons and daughters of spratzfreiherrs are expected to direct their fieldworkers. Wearing white sends a message that she is not one to work in the fields, that her family’s status is higher than that.
Of course, there are nods to practicality too: her dress is only mid-shin length and she can most often be found wearing a pair of sturdy leather boots unless attending some function that requires more formal wear.
T H E G I F T
Seeing as Dorothea’s family never really put a focus on magic, her prowess with her average abilities are on a rather novice level. Her family never expected her to be a prodigy with magic but her father did support her cause of trying to find ways to discover magic that will help the crop growth as a way to solidify her position as his heir as family head.
One of the main helping hands he gave her was enough funds to buy her way into Ersand’Ernise despite her lackluster magic potential.
Seeing as her main goal is to find techniques to improve on crop growth, her main two schools of magic were selected as Arcane and Chemical as she saw this as the best way to discover what she was looking for. Her RAS has increased quite some bit and so has her output in terms of effective magic. Magnetic: Novice: A required school to continue in the ways of a magusjaeger
Arcane: Journeyman: A school she feels comfortable with, although Illusions are still somewhat awkward for her, she has started to master the other sections of the school
Chemical: Journeyman: The magic she has most aptitude with strangely enough. Most of her study has been focused on the internal, incapacitating people with quite the ease. If she focused on it more she might even be adept with it rather quickly.
Dark: Adept: After certain events Dory has gotten more adept at using Dark magic.
Kinetic: adept: A new favorite. Proved to be quite useful to her in the most dire situations.
The Mark of Clairmont:
An advanced Blood Magic Curse that increases drawing and containment inefficiency, but in turn amplifies cold-based Arcane abilities. The cursed will feel easily cold in areas that aren't explicitly hotter than average.
This mark has pushed the girl into pursuing more of the colder aspects of Arcane.
Shune-Zept's Sight: Warps infrared and ultraviolet light to make them visible to the caster. At high levels, this extends to allies. (Utility: tiered 2-4)
Supercooling: Keeps a substance liquid below its freezing point, allowing for near-indefinite storage, survival in extreme temperatures, and flash-freezing. (Utility: tiered 3-5)
Ahn-Oraff's Furious Creation: fuses elements together to create heavier elements. At its highest skill levels, it can create complex shapes and fuse multiple elements. The heavier the element, the more difficult its creation and the more energy required. (Utility/Offense: tiered 4-7)
Blood types: Blackblood
Unique skill: The Devil's Embrace Through her connection with the crown she has gained the ability to be a intermediary for granting it's wishes.
1. Only the devil or his chosen representative may determine if the conditions have been successfully met. 2. You may not kill any person or any demon outright with a deal. 3. You may not make a deal that surpasses the ability of the devil to bring it to fruition. 4. No refunds, no matter what.
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
7.61 (103 manas)
8.18 (151 manas)
24
n/a
Sword of Eschiran-Zept
School
Speciality
Tier
Base
Offensive
Defensive
Magnetic
Ferromagnetic
I. Novice
d4
3d4 (1d2 3d4/4d4 sword attack)
3d4
Arcane
Thermal: Pyromancy
IV. Adept
d8
3d8 (1d2 3d8/4d8 sword attack)
3d8
Binding
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Chemical
Internal: Disruptive, External: Explosive
IV. Adept
d8
3d8 (1d2 3d8/4d8 sword attack)
3d8
Kinetic
Ehancement
III. Apprentice
d7
3d7 (1d2 3d7/4d7 sword attack)
3d7
Atomic
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Blood
Dissolution
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Temporal
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dark
Dimensional
V. Journeyman
d7
3d7 (1d2 3d7/4d7 sword attack)
3d7
Command
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Primordial
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fruit:
Medlar: Raise your attacks that do significant or grievous damage one level. Lower attacks that do grievous or lethal damage one level. Wolf’s Tooth: negate flees, weaken all negations to flees, your flee will always have full effect
Other:
Lil' Red: Granting one free use of a skill above your magic level per cycle +2 on deception checks and intimidation checks
B A C K G R O U N D
The Hohnsteins were not always a little speck of dust on Feska’s map, in the past they were a house with enough power and influence to rally smaller nobles together to avoid being integrated by the Kerreman menace.
From this the League of Dami’s Eye was born with most of the coastal counties and duchies joining under the banner of Heinrich the Great, Lord of Hohensteiner castle and founder of the current house of Hohnstein. He set out for a nation where all counties and duchies would have an equal voice, this dream did not last forever. Kerremand pushed the League back further and further until they could barely be called anything more than a Duchy. After the last war with Kerremand the other houses demanded a restructuring of the system, seeing the current government as bloated and ineffective. After several years the League was abolished and a ellective Duchy took its place, now electing six great houses to rule over different powers so that no single house would have absolute power. The Duchy is named after an ancient tribe that once settled around the river, the Veski. From now on they were Feskan and distanced themselves from Kerremand more and more.
This peace did not last forever as the other houses plotted another restructuring of Feska, or rather a structure without the Hohnsteiner influence. The houses were too anxious to force them to abdicate from the six houses system, calling in the help of a Kerreman mercenary group led by the Rednitz family. The family was utterly destroyed, now only being kept around as a figurehead, something to remind the people that things haven't truly changed.
Five years after the Hohnstein massacre, the Furth family rebelled against the system and decidedly got the same treatment as the house before them, however this time around the mercenary group settled in the land of the dealt with house, turning themselves in the new fifth house. Peace seemed to have returned to the nation as the current Kerreman queen did not show hostility against it. This facade was quickly ended upon the coronation of Annalie Rednitz as the Matriarch, quickly expanding her influence into the other houses, controlling the previous neutral capital and coming closer to having all of Feska in her grip each year whilst not lifting a single finger.
Born from a family that strives for past glories to return to them. Dorothea was already groomed for greatness from the moment of her birth. She would have to fit in one of two molds and shall learn them both. The girl would either be a proper noblewoman that will marry someone with influence in the eyes of her mother and aunt or she would succeed her father and become the family head.
This has not come without criticisms from the branch families as they were not pleased at the thought of a woman being the family head. Yet the girl is determined to follow in her father's footsteps and surpass her ancestors, bringing back glory to the Hohnsteins.
M O T I V A T I O N
One of the main factors she wanted to focus on during her time in the school was to try and advance her knowledge of arcane magic to help her family’s export of the Spratzpepper. House Hohnstein was once considered the sixth great house of Feska, and aims to be so again. That will require some growth in their fortune, and this is often foremost in Dorothea’s mind.
Her newly acquired interest in chemical magic has kept her very intrigued in the lessons, although most of her thoughts are on how it could help improve her family’s crop yield.
Although her goal remains the same, new friendships have gotten her to think less and less of her goals only to have it replaced by thoughts about her new friends. Own interest: ❖ Make more friends. ❖ Improve baking skills further. ❖ Investigate Marceline. ❖ Keep an eye on Manfred. ❖ Test what the strange device can do.
Political: ❖ Discover more about her heritage. ❖ Talk to the Queens of Kerremand and Huulendam ❖ Make more contacts for trade. ❖ Rule over Feska and make it thrive for all, not just the nobles. ❖ Look for potential allies.
H E A L T H
❖ 24HP
20 base 4 gained from Mandelein mission
I N V E N T O R Y
❖ Books on growing crops. ❖ Hohnsteiner Licht - A ornate flintlock pistol passed down the family, it never truly got a name although Dory claims this was the title and not something she made up herself.. ❖ Small boxes of baked goods to give to friends. ❖ A book with written down recipes. ❖ A cloak made from her first hunt kill. ❖ one strange device that looks like it has a small black glass window. ❖ cinnamon-brandaeble cider recipe. ❖ The Tale of the Laughing Knight:
A book with many illustrations of the famous Laughing Knight, and the story of his eventual fall. Many pages are missing, however a few renditions remain somewhat intact. One looks eerily familiar.
❖ Lord of the Mosquitoes: a musical box that emits a sound that draws all mosquitoes and many biting insects within a hundred yard bubble. ❖ Clairmont’s Cracked Broach:
Increases Arcane-based cold attacks casting power by 3% and illusionary power by 3%. This was a Broach that was once commonly used to represent certain families during famous Garden Parties in Relouse.
❖ A high-quality pair of glasses, runically imbued: allows one to see in ultraviolet and infrared, as well as true yellow. They focus light and allow for night vision.!
❖ Cufflinks of the Suave Demon - +5 for any social interaction that requires rolls
Name: Chemist's Gloves Item Description: A pair of long black gloves made of a strong yet soft cloth. They are not only stylish, yet effective.
Special: Through the use of Catalyst (Agitator) manas, it increases the power of chemical spells by 1.5 times. (Increasing the users effective RAS by 1.5 times)
Name: Mask of the Wandering Witch Doctor Item Description: An ornate and decorative steel mask that is able to protect the user from chemical attacks entering their system through the respiratory system or afflict the eyes.
Name: Nightshade's Embrace Item Description: A cloak make of a dark black cloth that is both strong and warm. It has a darkened puff lion fur lining the neck area and hood, that gives it a slight warm and comfy feel. It is enchanted to be strong and tough making it able to handle most basic physical trauma with it being resistant to basic cuts.
Special:
Stoneskin- Any ailments, afflictions, or internal magical attacks will be neutralized by the cloaks manas.
Sound dampening- Any sounds the user produces are dampened and reduced, making the user much quieter.
Pressence Dispersal- The cloak can be activated to start taking the energy signature the user and the cloak produces and disperses it away from the user to. The more of an energy signature the user makes the more energy in the area there will be.
Self repair- The suit is enchanted to take energy from the surrounding area to repair itself. Such as heat from the sun, the kinetic energy of the wind or the suit moving, or even from the earth.
Name: Sky Witch's Boots Item Description: A pair of black and stylish boots that seem to be made of a sturdy and strong Dragon skin with metal fixings. They are made to allow for fast flight and a bit of style.
Special:
Sky burning- The boots are enchanted to produce a mixture of gunpowder and a high proof ethanol mixture at the heel of the boot and near the ball of the foot. When this concoction is ignited it produces a violent explosion that produces a large amount of force that when focused can launch the user into the air or act as a close range explosive attack.
Kinetic Absorption and Reflection- The boots are also enchanted to absorb external kinetic energy the user would feel from the boots and will reflect it back in the direction the user received it from. Allowing the user to increase many things, such as their kick power, jump height, running speed, and can even be used for defense to try to negate the energy of a strike.
Name: Venom Fang Item Description: A wicked looking curved dagger made from a dragon fang and steel handle. The blade is made to be not only sharper than a razor, but also able to rend through metal.
Special:
Burning Wound- The blade is able to be activated to begin producing a viscous chemical compound that when introduced to water will quickly seep outwards. As it will quickly cause excruciating pain and loss of motor functions in the area that is afflicted.
Razor Fang- The blade is enchanted to be increadibly sharp to the point of being able to cut through hard materials, such as stone and steel.
Name: Flüsterrose Item Description: A gorgeous and ornate rose patterned musket, this rifle is more akin to a ceremonial weapon than a service one, yet never let a rose fool you that it has no thorns. Using advanced tech and magic, even looks can kill.
Special:
Repeating Rounds- Any time the gun would fire, the weapon is enchanted to recreate any ammunition and propellant fired by it through using energy the wielder provides.
Bloody Thorns- The rounds produced by the gun is changed and enchanted for when they pierce a target with blood they will begin to grow and start shooting lead spikes through
Kinetic Payload- Anytime the rifle is fired it will draw from the sound, light, and even straining kinetic energy to enhance the bullets travel speed to almost double it's normal speed, while also making it not only silent but near impossible to see coming.
Kinetic Enhancment- The rifle is filled with Juggernaut manas which augments the user's effective casting power with Kinetic by x1.50 times by not needing to defend themselves from the effects of Kinetic magic.
❖ A 10 year paid VIP visa to Luuntiil, combined with an already rented private property.
❖ Yuri's sampler
A massive rifle used for killing Skuggvars. It can now hit any large target guaranteed, and only requires above 1 in a d5 to hit normal sized targets.
Attacking dice: 5d12
This cute black bonnet may only be worn by women. Once per cycle, it may manifest any dark or harmful thoughts that its wearer has into reality so long as they do not directly result in the death or dismemberment of a sentient being. Once per arc, if two positive (2) coinflips in a row are met, this rule may be broken. Some bosses may be immune to this. Provides 12 manas.
A sleek long black rifle with deep set aggressive crimson red etchings that seem to almost glow and shine. Gives the user a +1 to RAS and Skill Tier when used for an attack, and anytime the user deals damage, all damage is increased by 1 tier. On defense, the user is able to [FLEE] after seeing the outcome of the defense rolls once. This [FLEE] will still take up the user's next turn and the user must have a [FLEE] to use. The rifle gives 8 manas.
Provides 16 manas and ignores normal mana limits. Can only be worn by female characters. Has pockets that provide VOID storage for up to three non-living items, no questions asked. Also makes you look stacked.
Dory receives 38 magus worth of assorted Mycormish, Oiyacan, and Kerreman coinage. There are some nice coins in there, as well, but nothing that a collector would really pay for.
From the lockbox, she retrieves a small sealed paper, folded many times over. It is a set of instructions detailing an obscure chemical spell called Gaze of Sensation: a spell that will stimulate the nerves of its target to feel a sensation of touch or temperature of the caster's design in a place of the caster's choosing. While some of the basic description is in Avincian, the majority is in Mycormish and will need to be translated by someone fluently literate in the language.
❖ Dualist's Halberd A weapon that changes forms between a spear and poleax unpredictably. Will add +3 to the user's defense and attack rolls, respectively, and this bonus rises by +1 each time it shifts per scenario, up to a max of +8
❖ Leather Dragon Riding Saddle: Made from reformed canvas and gum dragon leather, this durable saddle is designed for comfort and security. Only dragons large enough to be ridden by humanoids can use this.
❖ Antique Doll
❖ Moneymuncher A stylish wallet by Isabella Lowell, that immediately absorbs any money placed inside of it. Boons will be dispensed from the VOID based upon the amount of magi eaten per cycle and will last for one cycle unless otherwise stated. 1-2: the cozy feeling of having wasted money. 3: a free plushie 6: +1 to movement rolls 10: +1 to perception rolls 25: +1 temporary skill point in a random magic school 100: 2 free rerolls per cycle 200: A free negate and a flee 500: a free refresh of all mana, divine fruit, and item abilities 750: 5 points of foresight 1000: free upcasts and d2 passes 2000: advantage on all rolls3000: full unbreakable unpredictability5000: Permanent bonus skill point in a magic school of your choosing 10000: Permanent Reshta's Mercy after two rolls 20000: Free mana type, permanently
Ỽ 4572 -500 to Rina -500 coldfire class -150 A Mage’s Guide to Unscrupulous Magics -100 rifle nose croc gift for Manfred -140 for the greastest guy ever, Alf. -35 for a shared gag gift. 3147 -Ỽ1844 ⌘2 ✤11 ∝10 for the Hegelan items Ỽ1303 ⌘7 ✤13 ∝15
B E S T I A R Y
❖ Mrac: An Albino Schluckodil
❖ Brünhild: Diamondscale Thresher. Her dear little protector, Dory's notes from the Eeaiko during the trials have given her some idea how to raise it as a mount
❖ Spritzen: Drudgunzean Gold Thresher. Her dear little alpha speedster, Dory's notes from the Eeaiko during the trials have given her some idea how to raise it as a mount
❖ A more or less trained brandtudse named Alf - he’s very cuddly, I promise. May eat small creatures. May be slimy. May be intensely loyal. Slime may have hallucinogenic effects.
❖ A Lionbear: Ferocious, adolescent bear found in southern Constantia with particularly thick fur. Few have been able to fully tame these, although their massive build makes them effective mounts. Their kinetic strikes are strong enough to harm big dragons.
While its true form is that of a hulking, slavering hellhound with writhing tentacle-esque tails, a stonecrushing bite, and highly acidic drool, it normally appears as a large, adorable, shaggy puppy. Loves tummy rubs. Can gain up to 16 RAS by gnawing on a demon bone
❖ Floofles
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Agricultural knowledge: As a Spratzfreiherr, Dorothea needs to know about agriculture as it’s essential to her family’s success and further strife. ❖ Through quite a couple familial disputes, the girl got used to dueling and thus refuses to leave it behind just in case. ❖ Usually sees potential opportunities in her favor. ❖ Good situational awareness from protecting the crop from thieves and animals. ❖ Strong swimmer: befits someone who lives on a houseboat. ❖ A very good baker: Her skills with sweet delicacies are no laughing matter for she could make the most stoic of men smile from the taste of her baked goods. ❖ Picks up languages quite well: Due to the focus on being taught languages, the Feskan is now able to pick up bridges between languages, getting a feeling for them rather quickly.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Too occupied with her family business at times. ❖ way too trusting of a person. ❖ impatient. ❖ Rather average knowledge and potential in magic. ❖ Can get too excited. ❖ Has a hard time acting in a formal manner for a long period of time.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Hermann Hohnstein von Albesatz-Danzau: Dorothea's father. A kind yet somewhat weak-willed man, letting himself get trampled over by the other nobles and his own wife. Hermann would have preferred a quiet life with no politics but the situation he has been born into would rob that fate away from him. He has shown his spine on several occasions however, one of which was keeping Dorothea as his heir after the birth of Floris.
Marie Hohnstein de Herbeumont: Dorothea's mother. A woman of many desires, desire for riches, for family but most importantly for influence. She was promised all of these when betrothed to Hermann, soon discovering that her final desire was not being quenched with this small county. Her daughter taking most of the brunt from this frustration, being groomed into someone to marry off into a family she can provide from herself.
Floris Hohnstein von Albesatz-Danzau: Dorothea's younger brother. A sweet boy that has an even weaker heart than his father to the point Hermann almost considered sending him off to the clergy for his own safety. His gift would almost be enough to replace his sister if people pushed the idea further.
Karl Jena: Dorothea's personal servant and childhood friend. Dorothea thinks highly of the girl but has never much thought about what she truly wanted. This soft neglect might lead to conflict at some point.
Manfred Hohenfelter: Someone rather... close to her. Her feelings have been somewhat conflicted after the mission on the Lorentine Queen. Mostly thinking he might have been busy with school at the time, however it did sting he did not visit once. This feeling has been starting to fade as he has been more proactive around her.
Ingrid Penderson: Her best friend since coming to the school. Always having a friend close to talk about all sorts of things has kept her from going too far with her self loathing. Dorothea always thinks the way Ingrid reacts to her sometimes rather funny, although wonders why she feels weird around her at times.
Ayla Arslan: Another good friend and resident hug giver, bonding after the events of the sob pillow. Dorothea feels extra comfortable with her.
Rina: A girl she met during the events of Roses and Neskals. She decided to support her future enterprise and will keep in check with her through letters.
Guild: Society of the Gift Societies: Drudgunzean Union, Pumpernickel, Mage Hunters, Needle & Thread, Egalite Fraternite
Secondaries
Fiske Flachstrauch
“I ain’t a thief! I am an artist of my craft… Which I use to steal, but still!”
Fiske loves to trick everyone, from the richest of the rich, to the poorest of the poor. It all depends if they’re gullible enough to let him take advantage of them. He claims his family is from Helbahn and immigrated to Huulendam for better trading opportunities. He will always proudly proclaim that his name is due to his family’s origin as fisherman… and that he is not, in fact, a fish.
Snot-nosed like no other, he will always try to hide his inexperience in front of others. The only thing working against that is his smug and general show-off behavior.
T I T L E S & N I C K N A M E S
❖ The great, almighty Fiskalius Maximus of Avince ❖ Martijn de Mol ❖ Leander Keraunos ❖ Raghild Rauch ❖ Oswald Osborne ❖ Reynard Danneman ❖ Isaac Lischka ❖ Manuel Amador ❖ Osman Kocak ❖ ██████ █████████ ███ ███████████████
Standing at a proud 171cm. His pale skin shows a life of leisure, a smug expression that is almost glued to his face. His clothing is rather well kept for being from a rather poor merchant family. His physique is rather unimpressive, having no experience with any physical confrontations. He himself states that he has “A graceful amount of muscle.” yet truthfulness of that statement is questionable.
T H E G I F T
Arcane: Expert: Fiske’s bread and butter, The boy loves making Illusions and works to perfect his craft. The harder people fall for it, the harder he can laugh about it. His aptitude with the heat side of it is not as strong as the illusions are, yet they are sufficient
magnetic: novice: his handy tool to use whenever he really wants someone’s good-looking necklace or other jewelry. His skill with it is limited as he shows no interest in furthering it.
Kinetic: Adept: Mostly picked up for the sonic aspect of the school... although the other sections have their own benefits...
Chemical: Adept: After seeing Marlijn show the effect Chemical magic has on illusions if wielded well gave Fiske the drive to show her he can do it better than her.
Blood types: greyborn, Manatracer, Sensemaster
OLFACTORY ILLUSION: Subconsciously, while partaking in visual and auditory illusions, the caster will include olfactory illusions, allowing them to confuse and convince the third of the five human senses.
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
8.37 (175 manas)
8.62 (207 manas)
20
Greyborn, Manatracer
n/a
School
Speciality
Tier
Base
Offensive
Defensive
Magnetic
Ferromagnetic
I. Novice
d4
1d2 3d4(4d4)
1d2 3d4(4d4)
Arcane
Illusory, Luminescent
VI. Expert
d10
1d2 3d10(4d10)
1d2 3d10(4d10)
Binding
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Chemical
Internal: Deceptive, nternal: Disruptive
IV. Adept
d7
1d2 3d7(4d7)
1d2 3d7(4d7)
Kinetic
Sonic, Telekinetic
III. Adept
d7
1d2 3d7(4d7)
1d2 3d7(4d7)
Atomic
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Blood
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Temporal
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dark
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Command
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Primordial
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fruit:
Red Apple: gain five free advantage rolls per cycle. Cancels out other advantage rolls except for cycle and arc ones. Raven’s Treasure: steal the powers of another nearby fruit for (d4) turns twice per scenario
Other:
Lucky Lou: Granting them one extra advantage roll per cycle
B A C K G R O U N D
There is not much known about the kid’s family and he prefers it that way. Everytime people ask him about his background he will have told another absurd story.
Like that one time he tricked the Traveler with his incredible super cool illusions and wits, keeping all of Huuledam from its clutches.
Or the time the Iron Duke awarded him with a medal to show his honor. (The medal he shows of is of Revidian origin)
However when he is not sharing his grand backstory to others he will just tell them he is a basic merchant’s son.
M O T I V A T I O N
Fiske’s main motivation wishes to further his arcane craft, wishing to become the world’s best illusionist and be able to trick even Hugo and people of his caliber.
I N V E N T O R Y
Empty
A couple hand mirrors. A prism he is very fond of. Some stolen jewelry.
The Fat Hat: A very large and puffy hat that will instantly make its bearer appear equally obese. This is only half illusion. WA
50 Feast Kits 25 Medium Bandages 10 Wall Packs 10 Small Shelters 10 Zenobuck Cure-alls 5 Pocket holes 5 Medium Shelters 1 Strong Bandage 1 Tiny Golem of basic Service 1 Tku's grand Yalı
Hissing Snakes
A pair of throwing knives forged by Hojo Noriaki, disciple of Kagemitsu Kenshin. Many consider them to be his masterwork. These blades cast shadow clones that are indistinguishable from the real thing until they hit. They also fly with a resonance that disrupts mana communion, rendering all of their target's magical items and mana enhancements null. Finally, they may be coated in any magical poison, incorporating it and applying it to any of their successful strikes.
Any enemy defending the Hissing Snakes will have to outroll the attacker in perception once for each blade. Otherwise, they will roll defense with disadvantage.
Twice during the fight, when used in an attacking capacity, they may force a reroll of both attack and defense.
Wand of the Last Thunder King:
an ornate and ancient wand, Zaqhory in origin and inscription, but with an unusual type of craftsmanship that appears to be both Hegelan and Nikanese. Boosts spells in all schools by +2. Boosts Arcane spells by +1 for each dice rolled, and boosts Magnetic spells by +1 for each dice rolled, and gives them exploding dice. Provides 16 manas.
Four black throwing knives made from Virangish Black Steel:
a rare allow found in top Virangish elite troops, made via a process that few have ever mastered. Very reactive to magnetism and barely loses conductivity from heat.
Obsidian Dice of the Fortunate Man - randomized effects, mostly buffs
(Roll a 2d6 and get two effects. If both hit the same effect, effect is enhanced) -RAS tier down for the next three turns (if double landed double down) -+2 on any action the next three turns (if double landed +4) -d3 for a potential Double action on your turn (if double landed gives the double action advantage, given it is achieved with the d3) -Free upcast for one roll (if double landed upcast up to two levels -Disadvantage (if double landed double disadvantage) -RAS tier up for the next three turns (if double landed double up)
A Huge VOID Diamond to use in crafting.
Yuri's sampler
Mask of the Great Pretender
Item Description: A sleek mask made of dark steel and padding to provide comfort and protection. This mask purifies toxins the user would breath, change the voice of the user, and allows the user to breath underwater. This mask is made with interlocking plates that can be shifted in expectation of the user growing.
Special:
Clean Breathing: With Maladyshield manas within the mask it allows the user to breath in air that may be poisonous or caustic.
Self repair- The mask is enchanted to take energy from the surrounding area to repair itself. Such as heat from the sun, the kinetic energy of the wind or even the mask moving.
Water breathing: The mask is enchanted so while underwater, it will undergo the constant chemical process to break down the molecular structure of water to create breathable air for the user.
Voice Alteration: The mask is able to alter the sound and loudness of the users voice, the pitch, the frequency, and many other things to recreate a voice the user can think of.
Item Description: A stylish coat made for a smaller gentleman. This coat is made with the expectation of growth, having multiple pieces of cloth tucked into multiple folds and spots hidden away. This coat is made with a high quality dark black leather that is both strong and durable.
Special:
Self repair- The coat is enchanted to take energy from the surrounding area to repair itself. Such as heat from the sun, the kinetic energy of the wind or the coat moving, or even from the earth.
Pressence Dispersal- The coat can be activated to start taking the energy signature the user and the coat produces and disperses it away from the user to. The more of an energy signature the user makes the more energy in the area there will be.
Light Feet- The coat will constantly draw from the user's gravity to make them lighter and faster, making the user 25% lighter and about 50% faster.
Hypershift- This coat is able to speed up or slow down the user by forwarding or slowing the user's flow of time by 1 second.
Item Description: A stylish pair of dark dragon leather boots made to be fitted and sturdy. These boots are made to make the user both quick and quiet.
Special:
Kinetic Absorption and Reflection- The boots are also enchanted to absorb external kinetic energy the user would feel from the boots and will reflect it back in the direction the user received it from. Allowing the user to increase many things, such as their kick power, jump height, running speed, and can even be used for defense to try to negate the energy of a strike.
Sound dampening- Any sounds the user produces are dampened and reduced, making the user much quieter.
A stealth hat that gains power the more rotten you are. Your stealth bonuses will increase according to the amount of law breaking of significant consequence, betrayal, or behaviour in a cowardly/dishonourable manner will gain you 1 charge of phasing, and will up your stealth rolls by +1. When you phase, you also phase through your clothes. 24 manas.
A longbow still in use by the Tarlonese military, originally designed as a way to slay the various dangerous megafauna that inhabited their island home. Through thorough research, they have created the "Or'Azithan" as a way to keep it competitive with the firearm, utilizing arrows with six different types of payloads. Instructions on the construction of these payloads are included, though only one of each type may be carried. Grants 24 manas. Dii'eloam'azithan (The punishment of no magic) - A glass arrowhead designed similar to a St. Rupert's drop that has a pressure point that breaks when it is shot with velocity strong enough to enter flesh. Once it does, it will break and release the payload of plushtail oil imbued inside glass shards, quickly removing a person's magic. Dii'coleth'azithan (The punishment of no escape) - A glass arrowhead designed similar to a St. Rupert's drop that has a pressure point that breaks when it is shot with velocity strong enough to enter flesh. Once it does, it will break and release the payload of paralytic poison imbued inside glass shards, quickly paralyzing the muscles of the target. Thoial'Azithan (The punishment of being caught) - An arrowhead coated in an extremely sticky glue-like substance that is notoriously hardy towards binding/blood magics that explodes around the target once the velocity of the arrow hits flesh, causing them to be encased and trapped. Ohmoad'Azithan (The punishment of death) - A radioactive arrowhead that can easily be imbued with an atomic spell capable of unleashing a [Heavenly Lance] in the form of an arrowhead. On the other hand, it can also be used to [Infinity Loop] and kept in the air until sufficient velocity is achieved. Luun'Azithan (The punishment of the rose) - A living wood arrow that is specifically designed to hunt those utilizing magic once fired. An anti-magusjaeger round, if you would. Soa’zexei'azithan (The punishment of pestilence) - The cruelest of the six rounds, a hollow round filled with kneebiter eggs. Once it pierces the skin, it disperses the eggs throughout the body.
Bumps any one magic school to the next skill tier in both rolls and actual skills. Bumps all half-levels up to the next level. Provides 16 manas.
1.5 carat Kaleidostone
Binding tallyweave with Reverse dice
Large bit of godswood.
Mama Nucci’s Special sauce (boosts chemical magic by one tier for a cycle - two uses)
[BELT OF ETHEREAL AMMUNITION] This bandoleer empowers ammunition stored in it with the ability to shoot targets through dimensional barriers and dark magic disruptions.
Completely Convincing False Moustache Will reliably add four years to your apparent age, no matter what. For women, it will make you look like a man.
"Nutritional Supplements" + 2 to movement, health, perception, and melee attacks for one arc, must be used once per scenario or withdrawal symptoms may occur
❖ inflexible ❖ Closed off ❖ One-trick ❖ Perfectionist ❖ bad temper
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Fiske also singlehandedly saved the princess of Segona, two days before he turned 10. He also bedded the Queen of Kerremand at 12. At the age of 16 he tamed a Royal Sand Wyrm by the sheer greatness of his presence alone.
color code:#FF00FF
Yvain de Berbignon
“My home forever, you have shaped me strong and true”
A high noble from head to toe. Yvain values the nobilitas he was born with, however he does feel a desire to prove that he truly is worthy of said privilege, be it through his words or through his actions. When it comes to diplomatic matters he tends to use his gift to it's fullest extent to the point he might start coming over as flirtatious. He however disdains using it on people that are truly committed to their partner, feeling that it would be an unforgivable sin. Not even requests from his father, the Duc de Berbignon will be accepted on this matter.
T I T L E S & N I C K N A M E S
❖ Heir to the Berbignon lands ❖ Grand Master
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Standing at an impressive six feet, Yvain has no qualms of his height. His Blonde hair, blue eyes and wearing the ruby that was said to be a gift of Benedict the Blessed to his son. have gotten his family to see him as the new Benedict. To subvert this however, Yvain has chosen to wear more darker colored clothing.
L A N G U A G E S
Being a product of two truly prestigious bloodlines, Yvain got nothing but the best tutors from around the lands. Giving the boy a perfect fluency in Perrench and Avincian, Revidian and Enthish were taught to the boy from a young age to prepare him for the coming political discourse he will be a part of. Out of intrigue and curiosity of the eastern people's cultures Yvain picked up Thalak, Budesrnish and Warlish so that he may send himself on diplomatic missions to these nations.
T H E G I F T
Blueblood(Unburnt), Rosebud
❖ Magnetic - Novice
❖ Arcane - Journeyman
❖ Kinetic - Journeyman
❖ Chemical - Novice
❖ Atomic - Journeyman
As a person of high standing in both class and capacity, Yvain's usage of magic is as sophisticated as he is. Having mastery of the telekinesis element of Kinetic magic to the point he uses it in his way of life without much thought. These points however is not to say that he would not enjoy abusing his power from time to time just to prove a point, getting quite the kicks from seeing his opponent's face as he forces them to the ground with the use of gravity
He prefers not to use Atomic and Arcane as much as he likes using Kinetic more, the sensation of being burned by what some would describe as hellsfire. Yvain can not fully grasp it but his own fires feel much hotter than before.
[Unburnt]: due to persistent exposure to powerful thermal forces, the mage's manas have selectively bred to resist heat to a degree approaching that of firebloods. The mage will roll as if his skill tier in all heat-based spells is one higher than it is.
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
8.70 (217 manas)
9.07 (273 manas)
20
Rosebud
Eisenkraft Robes, Épée Assoiffée
School
Speciality
Tier
Base
Offensive
Defensive
Magnetic
Electrostatic
I. Novice
d4
1d2 3d4/4d4
1d2 3d4/4d4
Arcane
Thermal: Pyromancy, Transmissive
V. Journeyman
d8(d10 when heat-based)
1d2 3d8(d10)/4d8(d10)
1d2 3d8(d10)/4d8(d10)
Binding
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Chemical
External: Explosive
I. Novice
d4(d5 when heat-based)
1d2 3d4(d5)/4d4(d5)
1d2 3d4(d5)/4d4(d5)
Kinetic
Gravitational, Enhancement, Telekinetic
IV. Journeyman
d8
1d2 3d8/4d8
1d2 3d8/4d8
Atomic
Destructive
VI. Expert
d8(d10 when heat-based)
1d2 3d8(d10)/4d8(d10)
1d2 3d8(d10)/4d8(d10)
Blood
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Temporal
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dark
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Command
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Primordial
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Extra
Description
Fruit:
Penguin’s Feather: negate touch, melee, corrosive, and adhesive attacks, +1 RAS vs heat{Description}
Other:
Unburnt:due to persistent exposure to powerful thermal forces, the mage's manas have selectively bred to resist heat to a degree approaching that of firebloods. The mage will roll as if his skill tier in all heat-based spells is one higher than it is. Brooch of Abnegation: detects internal chemical magic up to tier 5 and automatically fights it off. Also adds 18 manas. Burning Eye: an artificial eye that allows one to focus an intense electromagnetic wave beam (yes, a laser) through it. Twice per scenario, they may roll 12d3 Eisenkraft Robes: made of Ghulthite and Haureenium thread, provides +4 resistance against heat-based, kinetic and material spells as well as 24 manas. Also looks evil as hell.
+2 to Negotiation
[CERTIFIABLE] - Proof of precise forklift use. Provides a +2 to any action involving moving cargo, using a forklift or crane, and has become savvy with anything involving a steering wheel. He also gains a +3 to any perception involving cargo.
BLOOD OF THE SUPREME Called simply Supreme, a Primary blood type. A new bloodtype only existing in Yvain de Berbignon. After being restored from a near-death state in the Abyssal Forge, the many mutations in the nobleman's system have melded together to create a new and cohesive super-organism.
Supreme Commander: A marriage of Rosebud and Laurelblood. The latter mutated into a more aggressive variant where his defenses against influential magics wavered in favour of a more aggressive variant of the manas. Rosebud-like abilities are enhanced and he gains access to 1 Command point.
Supreme Adaptability: Yvain's resistance to great heat has become a permanent boon to him and has extended to cold as well. He gains advantage to any defense against the elements and is immune to any secondary effects from heat and cold based abilities/environment (that are very specifically heat and cold based). He maintains the offensive powers of torchblood.
Supreme Being: He gains +1 to EVERY action outside of combat, stackable no matter what.
Supreme Metabolism: Every time he is incapacitated (mechanically, 4 HP or below) he will rapidly recuperate (mechanically, will heal to 5 HP in his turn). Essentially, he cannot be kept down unless killed or sealed.
B A C K G R O U N D
Being the child of Duc Jacques de Berbignon and Margaret de Perrence-Beauneux gave the boy quite a lot of privileges growing up. Always getting the best tutors for Language, sword fighting, etiquette and magic among others. He got all that was needed for the heir of a great ducal house. His relationship with his siblings have been quite strained ever since he could remember, being the golden child distanced him from them. Soon enough being proclaimed as heir apparent during his younger years when it was clear that the others would not grow as far as him.
Ever since then Yvain has had to deal with a pit of vipers, trying to use his naivety for their own personal gain. In truth the boy had a mixed feeling about these vile people, at first there was disdain. Feeling pure disgust for the minor nobility wishing to use a child for borrowed prestige. And then there grew another feeling in his later youth, pity.
Yvain has always envied the main branch as no matter how worthy they truly are for the position, they will inherit the throne while he will never be looked at as a successor. This envy has caused him to have quite the dislike for Arcel de Perrence, whom he deems to as sorely to meek to lead Perrence.
Coming to Ersand'Enise has been a refreshing time for Yvain, having been away from the viper's pit back home gave him plenty time to think.
M O T I V A T I O N
The young lad came to Ersand'Enise to mingle with the high society of other nations, building up his personal influence past his family's so that one day he might be chosen the rightful adviser of the Perrench crown. Although his family wished for him to marry a woman from the Herbeumont family, the candidate however was too meek for his standards. Ersand'Enise is a prime opportunity for him in this sense.
The main fear of Yvain is of ending up as a puppet instead of the puppeteer. The feeling in the back of his head that eats away at him is the fact his family would have the gall to use him as a tool to further their ends. He is the useful one, he should be the one to profit the most.
Another person he would love to find is a worthwhile rival to match his skill in dueling, giving him further drive to better his skills.
I N V E N T O R Y
D¤2
❖ Vailant Noir: A shield made from the scales of the Gehenna from the times of the Eskandr invasion of his home.
❖ Cufflinks with the crest of the Berbignon imbued on them.
❖ Seagoat cheese: creamy and exotic, imported from Meatu, will boost your RAS by 17-32 manas
❖ Yuri's Special Sauce: 'motivates' you. Provides +6 buffs to any three rolls within a scenario x 1
❖ Illuminated Skull of the Demon Priest: A human skull said to be able to enslave demons of tier 3 or lower and bend them to its master's control.
❖ Three Little Pigs: matching hats that allow uses to speak into each other's minds within one kilometer
❖ The Sultan's Carpet: an imbued flying mount, not quite as durable or destructive as a dragon, but highly maneuverable and far more convenient.
❖ Void Waders: demonic shoes that can anchor one within the VOID, allowing use of voidwalking spells +2 levels.
❖ Dark Tome of Shaz-Gouruth: a dark tome containing an uppity tier 4 demon
❖ Irresistible Charms Potion: makes you far more attractive to other people. May have unintended consequences. x4
❖ Perrench Vanilla: will remind Perrench characters of home. Will give any buffs, combo defenses, or healing done between them advantage. x4 (And sadness)
❖ The Revidian: will allow one more consecutive use of a school before the predictability penalty kicks in. x2
❖ Baby's First Blankie: an imbued blanket with a powerful illusion. Makes anyone it's draped around look like a toddler.
❖ Flying Dreams: From two platinum necklaces hang beautifully carved pieces of Ivory, enameled with bright glass streaks of deep blues and light yellows, swirling and gliding past one another. When worn when going to sleep, the necklace stores and sends a part of your dream to the other that way when the other sleeps, they can receive it and send their own.
May the coming day be kind and your nights rest under their protection.
❖ Eisenkraft Robes: made of Ghulthite and Haureenium thread, provides +4 resistance against heat-based, kinetic and material spells as well as 24 manas. Also looks evil as hell.
❖ Spear of the Colossus Slayer: 14 manas. Once per scenario, if using kinetic as your primary school, ignore all armour, negates, and defense bonuses.
❖ Brooch of Abnegation: detects internal chemical magic up to tier 5 and automatically fights it off. Also adds 18 manas.
❖ Shinigami's Tome: they say that writing someone's true name in here will cause them to die.
❖ Strange Picture-Making Device: sirrahi junk dredged up from a recent shipwreck. Makes instant images of people!
❖ Burning Eye: an artificial eye that allows one to focus an intense electromagnetic wave beam (yes, a laser) through it. Twice per scenario, they may roll 12d3.
❖ Blue Boomcherry Buster: an incredibly sour but incongruously sweet liqueur from Nashibansek. Will sell for MUCH more in Ersand'Enise. Will also reduce three incoming attacks by 2 points in a scenario.
❖ Épée Assoiffée: This sharp, lightweight stabbing sword gains a +1 for every attack on a particular target that draws blood, without limit. However, every attack that fails to score will lower its attack by -1. Provides 16 manas.
❖ Boss’ Bowler: This slick black bowler will do one thing and one thing alone: its 48 brutalist manas will make you hit like a charging rhinoceros. +10 to any three direct melee attacks per cycle. Provides 48 (brutalist) manas.
❖ Fibonacci brand stable broom: The best broom in the market to clean stables and animal menageries. Better hygiene leads to happier animals. Can be used to brush bigger animals too. All animals get an extra bonding level for this arc.
❖ Kilij of Killing - Upon successful strike, this curved sword will remove all active strengthens and negate bonuses (aside from divine fruit effects) from its victim for (d3) rolls. If it scores a maiming wound, it will raise the healing threshold needed by one point and return half of the damage done to its bearer as healing. Provides 24 manas.
❖ Sous le Pêchier: purported to be a lost Guy Marchand painting, some have called this a fake as its style and content differ significantly from his earlier work. The unsteadiness of the brush strokes point to an older artist, but Marchand only lived to be fifty-eight. Could it be a student or a copycat?
❖ Akuma 7
The seventh Masterwork of Kagemitsu Kenshin, this haureenium katana exudes a faint glow and a subtle aura of heat. It begins with 24 manas and enjoys the following effects:
[HEATING UP]: The sword constantly draws heat from its environment, boosting all heat-based offensive and defensive magic (arcane, some chemical, some atomic, and some magnetic) by one RAS modifier tier and gradually strengthening itself by gaining two manas per use, up to a total of 32. These extra manas can exceed the normal limit of 32 available from items.
Each successful defense also builds a charge of [INFERNAL WRATH]. Once the Akuma 7 builds five, it will release their power into the VOID, drawing (roll a d5 with advantage) tier 2 demon sprites into reality. If the blade has finished [HEATING UP], it will summon tier 3 demons instead.
This weapon allows its user to be an [IRRITANT], forcing an enemy to prioritize them as target when rolling to decide.
It generates fiery obstacles by fiery slashes (Rolls a d2 if he generates one and then a match off d4 granting advantage with each consecutive slash and d3 for how long it lingers.) or by giving up an action to carve fiery runes into the ground (will be locked next round.). If the fiery rune is cast, will count as two slashes and counts as two uses of [HEATING UP]
If the d4 matches, dx (x is equal to the combined level of arcane and dark) for the damage it takes.
❖ Zazzy Fiesta Birfday Cup (LIMITED EDITION) - An ornate Coffee cup with a fully coloured Zeno Bucks logo on it. Capable of preserving the effects of goods it contains (so long as the lid is on) for five times the duration. Can also be sold for a very good price. Said to only accrue in value as it is the only cup of its kind. [QUALITY]
❖ Essence of Hugo
❖ Menana, Abridged (now, with all of the wise-sounding quotes to help you stay motivated and win debates, with none of the other pesky stuff)
Egg = instant fog kraken that is temporally sealed and will grow to adult size in minutes. (Roll when summoned)
Picture = Picture Sindya drew before being taken away from family. Skygge turned her into a Sang. (Ties into Ingrid quest.) (Will have to roll once for attacks or defenses with disadvantage.) If returned it will grant an extra cycle and arc reroll.
Demon king's kimono = free negate against thermal or dark once per scenario. Sugegasa = gives advantage to any perception roll related to dark or thermal. flipflops = Gives one free stealth attack once per scenario. Devil King's Sensu = Every explosive spell used (arcane or otherwise), may roll a d5 for the chance to create an immediate shockwave. If a 4 is rolled, +5 will be added to the roll. If a 5 is rolled, the shockwave will count as an immediate second attack on your target or another nearby target using the same dice. Devil King's Tanto:
] The tricorn's powers and limitations are as follows: 1. Each time that the hat's bearer emerges victorious from a battle, event, or scenario in which the hat was worn, he will gain a [RANK TOKEN]. 2. For each rank token, he will be perceived as one rank higher than his true rank by others around him. 3. Once he has collected five rank tokens, he will gain a free skill point in any magic school that he used during those battles. 4. If he loses a battle, event, or scenario, he will be filled with [SHAME] and will temporarily lose one skill point in a magic school of his choosing until he wins a battle again. [SHAME] may stack indefinitely.
] The sombrero's powers and limitation are as follows: 1. Any threshold that it meets exactly on the number will count as a critical success (nat 20 or equivalent). 2. A natural 1 rolled while wearing the sombrero will result in immediate death. This can be mitigated in two ways: - Through any roll manipulation the character possesses. - By killing another person within the scenario in the next two minutes. 3. For each person killed while wearing the sombrero, a [DAREDEVIL'S TOKEN] is acquired. These may be spent to lower a threshold roll by 1 for each spent.
Long, scaled gauntlets resembling the claws of a black dragon. The scale formations lock tightly onto any who wish to wield them, initially coming off as uncomfortably but eventually settle in quickly. Intrusive thoughts of battlefield glory seep in the longer they are worn, echoing memories of wars and skirmishes long passed. They're never pleasant to remove.
Slaying of a worthy adversary while wearing these gauntlets will provide a stacking +1 to the entire arc for any combat roll. +1 can also be gained after destroying large groups of lower fighters - the notion of a carnage is meant to be achieved here. If wounded, the user can beat their own would with their claws to to either gain +4, advantage or a guaranteed counter to their next combat action. They will roll a d6+2 for every time they do this with the added number increasing by one after every use. Direct damage using the claws will impose the victim to roll d3, with a 1 incurring an disadvantage. This weakening lasts for two turns and can be refreshed. The more these gauntlets are used, the more the user will be dissatisfied with the use of other weapons except the claws. Their patience will run thin and allies will begin to resemble free sources of power.
[JETSTREAM SCABBARD] - A scabbard fit for Katanas and some Nagamaki, crude in appearance but adaptable to different sizes thanks to advanced parts and engineering skills. The gun-trigger at the very top allows for rapid ejection of the sword, making it perfect for quick-draw styles of sword fighting. Functions without magic if loaded with gunpowder.
[IAIDO JETSTREAM SLASH] - A charge slash requiring the sheathing of a blade. This attack can either be released the next turn or when attacked. If the latter, the slash must be directed at the attacker. A powerful slash that is too fast to combo-defend and can make full use of two magic schools. Additionally, it serves as defense to any attack coming the way of the user, allowing for a potential counter called [DOUBLE IAIDO BREEZE] where they can combo with themselves. If they fail to beat the attack's threshold, they get hit but the slash still lands.
B E S T I A R Y
❖ Stormchaser named Fulguris: a midsized dragon, soon to be rideable. Powerful electric generation.
❖ Three puffhounds named Aife, Elaine and Igraine: Igraine is a runt
❖ A slefish named Lupin.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Know-how around courts
A given for a noble of his caliber. Yvain has been taught how to deal with courts ever since he can remember, giving him the gift of feeling natural in a court of nobles.
❖ Trustworthy
Yvain is not a man that will easily back down from his words and if made a friend will be a very loyal companion towards those he trusts.
❖ Great Fencer/Duelist
The Perrenchman has loved sword fighting ever since a young age, taking it up as a hobby and being quite known for his swordsmanship in the Perrench courts.
❖ Great memory
Yvain has a great memory, he will not forget a favor he gave someone even well past a few years time. His ability to remember faces upon a single instance is something he has found to be quite useful within the ambitious viper's pit he usually resides in.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Might makes Right
Yvain is a believer of the philosophy that the strong should lead and the weak should follow. This believe set is somewhat twisted in the sense that he feels only the nobility deserves to be strong, causing him to have disdain for any strong commoners.
❖ cruel
Although he is not the sort to truly get violent if listened to. However, if he is pushed over the edge he will show no concern for the pain he might inflict on the target of his anger.
❖ Stubborn
Some may come to find it difficult to change his perspective on things once Yvain has made up his mind on a subject
❖ Petty
Although he is a man nurtured around the ideas of fairness he can not help himself from being rather petty from time to time.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ He has a soft spot for cute animals
❖ He has a pet dog named Perceval
❖ He secretly has an incredible intrigue for regions outside of Constantia. He will however never admit to it.
Standing at a tall 5’6, Charlotte was able to fake being a man for most of her life. Nowadays she decided to grow her hair out and dress more femininely as her task was no longer necessary after Manfred. She does still feel most comfortable in her old clothes yet that is starting to change. Almost always with her sword on her hip.
L A N G U A G E S
Being an aide of a mercantile noble forced her to be well taught in many languages. She has perfect fluency in both Avincian and Kerreman. Revidian, Perrench and Kressian have been taught well enough to be spoken. She has been trying to learn both Enthish and Torragonese.
T H E G I F T
Base RAS
Augmented RAS
HP
Blood Types
Items
7.43 (92 manas)
7.43 (92 manas)
20
Greengrowth
n/a
School
Speciality
Tier
Base
Offensive
Defensive
Magnetic
Electrostatic
I. Novice
d4
2d4
2d4
Arcane
Luminescent
III. Adept
d7
2d7
2d7
Binding
Material: Creation
III. Adept
d7
2d7
2d7
Chemical
Internal: Disruptive
I. Novice
d4
2d4
2d4
Kinetic
Sonic, Enhancement
III. Adept
d7
2d7
2d7
Atomic
n/a
0. Neophyte
d2
n/a
n/a
Blood
Witchcraft
II. Apprentice
d5
2d5
2d5
Temporal
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dark
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Command
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Primordial
n/a
0. Neophyte
n/a
n/a
n/a
Extra
Description
Fruit:
n/a
Other:
n/a
B A C K G R O U N D
It was her duty as a Jena to serve the head of the family with her whole existence, to repay this insurmountable debt they owe the Hohnsteins. Charlotte, as the firstborn, had been assigned the task, always thinking it was unfair that she had to be their ideal while her siblings were barely taught.
In past times the name Charlotte is almost foreign to her, having been under the guise of “Karl” almost a decade now. As a retainer Karl never opened up about anything as just seeing Dorothea smile was enough for her. Charlotte, however, has begun to feel doubts if she is truly her own person still or if Karl has consumed all that she was.
Now with Dorothea seeing no true use for her aide any longer Charlotte decided to tread her own path, supporting her lady whilst she becomes her own person. She grew her hair long, began to wear dresses and overall a slight more feminine appearance.
M O T I V A T I O N
Charlotte initially joined Ersand’Enise to keep an eye on Dorothea for Marie de Herbeumont, making sure she would not do anything scandalous that could tarnish her name. After not being needed by her lady Charlotte has put her all in proving herself and become a prodigious mage. Having joined the Blood magic classes after following Dorothea to it. She doesn’t specialize in one specific school as she specializes in using many minor spells.
Charlotte still fears that she is not enough to please her family and her ever-growing ambitious lady. However, something about her lady has been different since the trials. She will figure out if it is natural change of a person or that perhaps something else might be at work.
I N V E N T O R Y
❖ A book on Torragonese and a book on Enthish.
❖ Her trusted sword.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Loyalty: Charlotte's chivalrous nature and sense of duty make her fiercely loyal to those she cares about. She'll go to great lengths to protect and support them even if they themselves should not be protected..
❖ Swordsmanship: Being almost always seen with her sword, Charlotte possesses combat skills and swordsmanship necessary for a guardian.
❖ Resourcefulness: Being in a noble’s shadow, managing her daily meetings caused her to have a lot of connections.
❖ Disguise and Deception: Given her history of disguising herself as Karl, Charlotte has a talent for disguise and deception. She however does not enjoy using any deceptive means.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W
❖ Short Temper: Her tendency to have a short temper could lead to impulsive decisions or strained relationships, potentially hindering effective communication.
❖ Identity Crisis: Charlotte's struggle with her dual identity as "Karl" might lead to moments of self-doubt and confusion, affecting her self-confidence.
❖ Rebellious Nature: it leads to conflicts with authority figures or resistance to conforming when necessary.
❖ Past Obligations: The weight of her past obligations to her family and the Hohnsteins still haunts her every decision.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ Went by the name Karl in the first year
❖ Has a family member at the Vermillion swirl named Alise
"Being normal is so overrated, to be normal means to never achieve, never evolve. I would rather fade away right now then ever be normal."
16 | Male | Perrench | Noble | 7.73
P E R S O N A L I T Y
❖ Extroverted: Zarra is not afraid to approach others, engage in social activities, enterprise a team activity, and be part of the spotlight. ❖ Deadpan: He loves poke fun at others, himself, and the situation. He knows how to be relatable to a primal level, and he can and will find ways break tensions with a well placed quip. ❖ Headstrong: Absolutely refuses to be seen as a lesser, and competes with others on all fronts. He also refuses to be told what destiny is, and detests those who would threaten any freedom him or his peers have. ❖ Unphasable: Zarra is nearly incapable to anger or sadden, unless under extreme circumstances. He actively challenges the intimidation of others and sees himself as a paragon of anti-social engineering. ❖ Imaginative: He's addicted with experimenting and doing things nobody has yet to try. He hopes to progress the applications of magics beyond what the close-minded nobles default to.
L A N G U A G E S
Avincian & Perrench
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
Zarra is 5' 7 (1.7m), weighs about 120 pounds (54 kg), has dirty blonde hair, and visibly violet eyes, a byproduct of his heritage. A tradition in his family is to have a thunderbolt tattoo across parts of their body, Xara's on his chest, not visible unless wearing thin clothing or shirtless.
T H E G I F T
His gift is excelling in defensive magics, shields, walls, and artificial equipment are some of the things he's capable of providing. What makes him standout is that Xara is capable of turning that pure defense into unbridled offense, when given an apt opportunity, through combinations of binding, kinetic, and magnetic magics.
B A C K G R O U N D
Zarra was born into the Travendour family, a relatively low-laying noble family of Thunderchildren. However, after his discovery of being a Grayborn, they quickly realize their son will likely not outlive most of his elder family. As to compensate for their son's disfortune, they put all their extra assets into his education, as such, he was let into only the most prodigious of Perrench schools.
There, he quickly blossomed. He found fun in the process, choosing to always shoot for the highest marks, never failing any of his classes, and especially determined to be the top percentile of his class. Despite all attempts at bullying, he's saw it as an opportunity to break the social meta, verbal abuse is simply just another game to win.
M O T I V A T I O N
He simply wants to prove that he can change the future in the little time that he's been given. He also wishes to journal all his achievements as to preserve what he's gathered. Despite coming off as such, Zarra is not inherently ambitious, instead choosing to adapt to the status quo rather than set his own. He's also learned that trust is a double-edged sword to be wielded with foresight, and attempts to establish it on all occasions.
I N V E N T O R Y
Art, sigil and calligraphy kits A plethora of empty tomes Custom utility belt to hold said tomes Clothes, obviously Some fake jewelry including bracelets, rings and collars.
S T R E N G T H S & S K I L L S
❖ Problem-solving: Zarra doesn't view the world in can and can'ts, Only issues of complexity. The harder the problem, the more time he puts into a solution. ❖ Surgeon's Hands: Zarra can draw, write, and sleight of hand with consistent accuracy and skill. If you need something that requires fine motor skill, he's your man. ❖ Elusive: He uses Greyborn background as a gift more than a curse, he's not against running through walls, phasing into the ground, or stalking his enemy. ❖ Friend to All: A benefit to his outgoing personality, Zarra finds himself extremely entuned with animals, even to normally aggressive ones.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Hollow: Despite all the achievements that Zarra has behind his back, he always this self-doubt that he isn't good enough, that he hasn't earned what he's given. He often feels lost and that his work will be for nothing. ❖ Invulnerable: Zarra is not an empathetic person by any means, while he can maintain a sense of casualty, loyalty, and security, he often won't see the point of tact and instead play the antagonist ❖ Unscrupulous: in Zarra's mindset, advantage is all that matters. Manipulating friends, enemy, situations, it's all fair game to him. ❖ Marked: As a consequence of his very out there personality, other nobles see him as impossible or even dangerous. He has to be cautious as to not hang himself with his own rope. ❖ Frail: Due to Zarra's weak physical stature and years of standing up to the bigger man, Zarra bruises easily and has a low pain tolerance, one solid shot will likely take him out of commission, if not stun him beyond expectation
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
❖ Family dynamic: Despite their goodhearted natures, the Travendour family is sadly one of unsung angers. Due to each family having really not great understanding of how to deal with conflict, breaks quickly and frequently break out. Zarra is condescending, Arreon is confrontational, Atlas is passive aggressive, and Millenia is people pleasing. While like any family they still value each other, the children pretty obviously got out of the situation at first hook they could grab.
Trypano is what many would describe as a true woman of science, that science of course being magic. She's clinical, deliberate with her words and able to think both deeply and quickly. Her mind is sharp, able to capture fine details and analyze them. This has the unintended effect of making her fairly frank towards others and even somewhat socially awkward. While most would emote appropriately her face is a relative mask of concentration. She's difficult to disrupt or fluster as well. This works well into the art of spell casting. This is somewhat less helpful for the art of making friends. She's still able to hold her own in a conversation though.
Beneath the surface she peels away the world, looking at it a compilation of formulas and elements. Everything that exists is the causal interactions of elemental forces at play. All problems arise from humanity's inability to control that others would see as inevitable, such as death. The answer lies in the blood. Mana lives in close relation to blood after all. In order to unlock the full potential of magic she believes blood holds the answer. Her drive to conquer this ultimate mystery gives her righteous determination, her goals serving the greater good for all.
She's not unrealistic however. Someone with a bloodline such as hers should know that her kind are treated with suspicion. Blood children are naturally attuned to Binding but those in the upper echelons fear that could blossom into a lust for blood magic. As such she's often seen with great suspicion by the authorities of Revidia and this reflects in her behavior. She's learned well that speaking her mind could get her imprisoned or worse. Everything she says and does is thusly designed to obfuscate her true intent.
In her own words: "I detest trickery. But, if we ourselves are to suffer deception, our hands are no longer tied."
C H A R A C T E R A P P E A R A N C E
She is something of a marvelous specimen of humanity. Her form is both lithe yet toned and she stands at an impressive two hundred centimeters tall. Though she does not look it she is quite heavy for her form. This weight is almost entirely muscle. She treats her own body with scientific precision, her diet and exercise routine all measured carefully to yield optimal results. Due to her blood type her skin is as pale as snow and her eyes are a bright red. Unusual for albinos however is her shockingly crimson red hair which hangs down to the middle of her back like long, gently curved ribbons.
Keeping to a singularly chromatic theme her clothes all trend towards starkly red pallets. Her dresses though quite elegant and elaborate are oft strictly varying colors of red. Interestingly though her family is wealthy her only jewelry is a medallion with a single ruby set in the middle. This is largely because she dislikes clothing that weighs her down or impedes her dexterity, especially when it comes to her hands.
L A N G U A G E S
Revidian, Avincian and some Paggonian, Kerreman and Mycormish.
T H E G I F T
Trypano, being a binder, focuses first and foremost on the human body. She's studied well since before she was admitted to the academy in the medical arts, practicing on animals and even cadavers when not under scrutiny. Being a blood child might of painted her into a stereotype in the eyes of the public but it also laid out the path she'd end up walking. It was a path leading straight up to the front gates of the academy, especially given how potent her RAS score is. The only reason she wasn't admitted sooner was largely just due to the fact that few would believe this amount of potential out of a red-blooded merchant class girl. Often only blue-bloods and black-bloods would see RAS values as high as hers.
As for how she uses the gift she is a healer up front. She mends flesh and neutralizes threats, simple stuff really. Where her focus truly shines is in doing more than just mending flesh. She applies her knowledge to alter flesh in order to improve upon it, grant new features and more. She's still learning and largely keeps a majority of her experiments confined to mice until it's clear there's no harm resulting from it but her focus and drive to learn more has given her a definite leg up on her peers in the field most would never dare dabble in. After all, it's terrifying to consider just how mutable a living form can be.
B A C K G R O U N D
Since her birth Trypano's life has been marked with blood. Her mother had complications during child birth. During the incident a binder was called for to aid them but it was too late for the mother. Only Trypano, the child, could be saved. Since then people have all pointed at this as a clear sign of why she was born a Blood Child. Pale skin and red eyes marked her as clearly different from everyone else. She was never truly able to shake the stigma this birth title held for her, constantly isolated from her peers as she was "strange".
Her family were not of nobility, simply merchants who owned several trading ships, trading regularly with Paggon and Feska via the Isle de Mirabeau. They used to trade with Mycormi but due to their (relatively) recent recession they've lost valuable trade ports over these last few years. Her father is the head of the business, constantly talking about trade, money and politics as it's always at the forefront of his mind. She always found it a bit exhausting to talk to him since that's almost all he goes on about. As a result of her unusual birth and predilections however her father put a lot of money and effort behind getting Trypano trained as a mage, seeing the potential for magic as a marvelous opportunity for their family to rise in status.
The one she always looked up to was her older brother. He was being raised to take over their father's business but he was always able to take a step back and keep his mind more in the moment making him far better company. He is partly what inspired her to take up such a lofty cause with her research. He always encouraged her to follow her ambition and not let others tell her what her limits are. This is what began her aims to tackle the greatest mystery of life: Mana itself.
M O T I V A T I O N
Trypano's motivation is to unlock the mysteries of mana. She believes that blood is the key to unlocking it's secrets and she pursues this study with steely focus. If it weren't for the state of the world being as it is with all the violence and what-not she wouldn't even bother with a lot of her forays into defensive/offensive biological alterations. Due to the scrutiny of the nobility she has to tread carefully in her research too as any appearance of working towards unshackling magic from the control of nobility would paint a target right on her back.
I N V E N T O R Y
Mainly she carries a purse with her essentials. Stuff like money, makeup, a book she's currently reading through, bandages and her trusty knife. The knife is of a slender, straight variety that's clearly made to into flesh with ease. It's a little longer than a scalpel and it's handle is custom made for her grip. A left grip, to be precise.
Trypano's sheer focus and determination combined with her keen mind and high magical potential make her a force to be reckoned with. Her every motion is deliberate and measured, her mind able to concentrate amidst chaos while also being able to delve deep into complex topics when needed. Her mind is as tightly sculpted as her body and everything she is has a reason to be. Little to nothing is left to waste and her caution makes her fairly meticulous with even minute details.
W E A K N E S S E S & F L A W S
❖ Social Stiffness. ❖ Cold Exterior. ❖ Needs for Secrecy. ❖ Unusual Appearance. ❖ Disturbingly Clinical Sensibilities.
Trypano has always been marked by the fact that she's a Blood Child. It had not only decided her career but set her apart socially from others. As such she's not terrifyingly social, often times coming across as cold or clinical. This need for secrecy has made her mildly paranoid and thus she's always suspicious of the intents of others. Any truth spoken in confidence could quickly turn into a visit from agents of the upper class. In addition her largely medical view of biological might make her unafraid of things that would traditionally horrify others but that might make her more horrifying as a result. She sees little issue in distorting the living form for greater utility after all, pragmatism taking a front seat to squeamishness. She's not so foolish as to make obvious changes when that would out her but subtler changes, changes within are open territory.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
If not already gleamed she is left-handed. Her Hex Code is Crimson:DC143C
Items:
Ankle Bracelet of the Shameless Dancer: The wearer of this bracelet benefits from double advantage in movement rolls and advantage in stealth rolls, a general increase in skill modifiers to magic schools above novice tier by one, and the threshold for a counter is reduced to 7. If the wearer is wearing only this ankle bracelet, they will be able to enter stealth automatically three times per fight. This item has no effect if you are wearing a mana-providing item, an enchanted item, a consumable item or any sort of clothing that would be considered heavier than daily clothing. 8 manas are provided.
Vinewolf: The Vinewolf is a type of vine-like writhing plant found in Tarlon. They move actively, behaving more like an animal in most respects. These cat and dog-sized pseudo-animals work in packs, slowly migrating to locate sunny areas and prey. When they find an open space, they will stack to form a ‘false tree’, put down a rudimentary root system, and photosynthesize. After some time gaining and storing energy, they will disassemble into smaller component plants and begin to move again. They are aggressively predatory towards other plants, literally climbing and shearing off the limbs of taller trees to replace them in the sunlight. They will opportunistically prey on animals as well, making use of their primitive light-sensing ‘eyes’ similar to those of jellyfish. They possess five of these, at their front, rear, each side, and on top of their small and dense bulb-shaped woody ‘core’. When hunting, they are primarily ambush predators, and can spring forward quickly using built-up tension. In some cases, vinewolves can even move at the top speed of a light jog over short distances. They immediately release pheronomes upon detecting potential prey, and a pack of vinewolves will attack at once, surrounding its prey. Due to the way that their shearlike ‘mouths’ work, they can only ‘bite’ a couple of times each day with their full force, so they need to work cooperatively. Once prey is killed, they will cluster over its body and each other, inserting sharp-tipped roots into its form and quickly digesting it. Reproduction takes place around the ‘mouth’ area, where bulbous flowers grow until they obstruct the shears. They are then snipped off in an area with rich soil and sunlight, preferably close to other bulbs, forming the beginnings of a new pack once they are large and developed enough to move on their own.
At the cost of your life and soul, you may sacrifice yourself to temporarily achieve your full potential. When this is done, you will have 25 minutes to enact your will before you burn to ashes and dust.
Materials: Face Devourer Mana Colony Sample, Stoneskin Mana Colony Sample, Rare Clothing Sample Box, Begemot Ivory, Sandwyrm claw, Sandwyrm Bone, Sandwyrm acid gland, Sandwyrm misc organs.
Standard Currency: 150 Credit. Special Currency: 1 Chaos Exploit, 1 Diamond Exploit.
Signature Spell 1 Name: Disseminating Touch of The Medicant (Custom) School: Binding Skill Tier: GrandMaster+ Description: This spell does as the spell "Exchange of Eshiran and Oraff" does in weaving harmful substances and damaged flesh back into healthy flesh but instead of a single target this spell applies to multiple targets.
Signature Spell 2 Name: Gift of The Maggot School: Blood Skill Tier: GrandMaster+ Description: The caster's knowledge of a living target is absolute, allowing for replicas to be made.
Signature Spell 3 Name: Gift of The Living Golem School: Blood Skill Tier: GrandMaster+ Description: The caster may create simple living things, larger and more complex depending on skill level.
Signature Spell 4 Name: Gift of the Bat School: Blood Skill Tier: GrandMaster+ Description: Allows a caster to disintegrate a target in one place and reconstitute it in another, effectively resulting in teleportation.
