[CHAR] Under the scorching sun (Fantasy western)

[Milkman]

Important non-player characters

Katelyn Smith

Katelyn Smith

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Katelyn Smith
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤: Swift hands Kate
𝔸𝕘𝕖:33
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤:Human
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣:Female
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Outlaw
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: neutral/evil

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥:1.72m
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕:Slender
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤:Yellow
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣:Long black hair generally worn in a braid
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖:White but tanned by the sun
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: None
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: Katelyn has a strong preference for practical clothing, especially when she’s traveling. She’s generally seen traveling the frontier regions wearing a green long sleeve cotton shirt, a brown tight fitting leather vest, a pair of sand colored trousers, riding boots, a leather belt , brown scarf around her neck and brown hat.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Confident * Bossy * Calculative * Driven * charismatic * Though

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤:Single
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: Katelyn comes across as very driven, focussed and determined. This makes her often more professional and distant in her relationships with others. She is not the one to talk about herself or share her feelings. Kate strongly believes that she’s destined for greatness and will stop at nothing to achieve it. This makes her often act bossy and others might perceive her as a bit arrogant. However she’s a girl that gets shit done regardless of the odds.
ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Chewing tobacco
• Humming

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Studying the former imperial family’s history.
• Target shooting
• Drinking tequilla

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Katelyn fears that she will remain an anonymous nobody for the rest of her life.
• Losing her independence
• Snakes

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Wealth and notoriety
• Wild parties
• Reading
• Attention from others
• Being in control

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• The life of poverty she lived before becomming an outlaw.
• The republic and the revolutionaries who overthrew the last emperor.
• Being looked down upon.
• Losing control of a situation

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Excellent reading, writing and mathematical skills
• Solid horseback rider
• Very perceptive of her surroundings
• Very quick on the draw and an excellent shot
• Speaks and reads most of the other languages
• Smart
• Knows how to throw a punch
• Excellent liar

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Enchantment magic: Katelyn inherited a natural born talent for enchantment magic from her mother. Even though her mother never mentioned it or trained her, she left a note with contacts where Katelyn could get formal training. Through her enchantment magic she can influence the minds, feelings and behaviors of others. These effects are only temporary.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Colt Single action army revolver
• First part of Hadrian Augustus diary that documents his trip through the desert. Some pages are missing. They appear to be ripped out.
• Leather notebook containing names, contacts and what services they provide. It is written in the same handwriting as Hadrian Augustus’s diaries.
• Large knife
• Lucky, her horse
• Blanket
• Long leather coat
• Tinderbox
• Cooking utensils
• 3 Canteens with water
• Spare ammo
• Can with chewing tobacco

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: Katelyn Smith is a mystery. Up until 4 years ago nobody had heard of her in the desert regions. If you would mention her name in any town or village it would not ring any bells. They would tell you they know a lot of Smiths and none of those Smiths have any connection to Katelyn. Yet she somehow stormed the scene to become a notorious outlaw.

Kate would go into saloons to pick fights with established gunslingers only to beat them in the duels. She would chase after dangerous bounties that other, more experienced bounty hunters might think twice about and yet somehow she managed to succeed. Every action the girl seemed to have taken was to build up her skills and fame.She would eventually become known as Swift Hands Kate for her godlike drawing speed.

It took Katelyn some years to build up the notoriety required to attract the people for her one true objective. The retrieval of former Emperor Augustus’s lost gold. Many have searched for it, no one was ever able to find it. Some would say the gold does not exist. That it is just a legend from the civil war. However, Kate knows better as she is in possession of Hadrian Augustus’s diary detailing a part of his journey through the desert and how to find the next part.

However, the Kharakhi desert is a dangerous place and it is ill advised to travel there alone. If you are ill experienced in navigating and surviving the place, going there is a death trap. Even when you know what you are doing, then there are still many dangers that might kill you. Going alone is a good way to die. That is why Katelyn is recruiting a gang of outlaws. A group of people who have the skills, wit and grit to go hunt down the biggest treasure ever and become filthy ass rich.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: It doesn’t matter how I die but it does matter how I live!
𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

Lore

The legend of Hadrian Augustus’s gold

The legend of Hadrian Augustus’s gold

For hundreds of years the emperors of Iridia have ruled the empire with their iron fists and expanded the borders in all directions. Many of the emperors had been great politicians who understood statecraft, however that was not the case with Hadrian Augustus, the last Emperor.

Hadrian came to power when his father died in 1829. He was the only child of Felix Augustus, his progenitor. Where Felix was a smart and capable statesman, his son was the opposite. He preferred to throw lavish parties and was more concerned with his image than with affairs of the state. Under Hadrian’s rule, the economy declined, poverty rose and the court increased taxes to fund a new preposterous palace. It only took Hadrian 5 years to drive the empire into the ground.

Fed up by the mismanagement of the court, the ever increasing taxes and the absolute disconnect between the emperor and the rest of society, a group of powerful industrial elites plotted a rebellion. Riding on a broad wave of discontent, many of the commoners and military joined hands to overthrow the Emperor and create a new Iridian Republic ruled by elected officials with a president as head of state.

However Emperor Hadrian decided that he would not go down without a fight. He assembled what loyal military he had left and ordered them to march on the stronghold of the Republicans. The battle was short and deadly. It ended in a decisive defeat for the imperial faction. Running out of options to thwart the rebellion, he grabbed the state's coffers and made a run for the kingdom of Adaigo.

He formed a party consisting of his wife Adriana, his then 20 year old daughter Aurora, some retainers and around 30 men of his personal guard. Rumors say he took at least 2.5 million imperial gold coins and numerous other treasures with him as he left the capital. In today's Republican dollars, that would amount to something around 25 million. A huge fortune. With access to the sea cut off, his only option to reach Adaigo was to travel south through the Kharakhi desert. An inhospitable and hard to travel place. It is unclear where Hadrian and his party entered the desert but well known that they never made it to Adaigo. It is assumed that they all perished in the Kharakhi desert and that the gold is still somewhere waiting to be found.

Iridian Republic

The Iridian Republic

The Iridian republic was founded 1834 as the successor state to the Empire with the disposal of Emperor Hadrian Augustus. Under the emperors the country slowly expanded from north to south, creating a frontier region at the outskirts of the Kharakhi desert. In the frontier it is not really clear where the republic ends. Most of the towns and villages in this area are predominantly self governed and some are even unknown to the republican government. They mostly live and operate by Iridian law but if no government official comes to collect the tax they would not notify anyone.

The north and east coast is mostly urbanized and industrialized. Here the Republican rule is the strongest while the southern lands near the Kharakhi desert mostly consist of small towns, farming communities and ranches. Due to the climate cattle herding is one of the main agrarian enterprises in this region.

The border region between the Kharaki desert and the Iridian republic is formed primarily by the Kharakhi mountain range that runs from east to west across the continent. Together with the great north-south mountain range these mountains effectively block most rainfall coming in from the sea.

With the start of the Republican era many migrants have arrived from all across the world and settled into the Republic. Many stayed in the larger cities up north to work in the factories but others went south to acquire lands for cattle herding and created new communities in the borderlands. Two of the larger settlements in the border region are Christiana town and New Hope.

[Hellion]

Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal

Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 25
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Goliath
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: F
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Warrior Shaman
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: Lawful Neutral

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 6’9
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Tall, lean, well-defined muscles inherent to her people
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Iridescent emerald that almost glow in low light.
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: Dark walnut brown
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Reddish-brown to Sepia
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: A few ornamental and cultural tattooed symbols adorn various parts of her upper body, partially obscured by fragments of chest armor.

Vah’lux is slightly below average height for her race of people, standing at just under seven feet tall, with lean, defined muscles, reddish-brown skin color, and emerald eyes that seemingly glow in low light under a furrowed brow. Dark, walnut hair is about as disheveled as one would imagine from her kind, cut uneven in some areas, and the longest part braided in a thick ponytail and secured with beaded string and fabric remnants. While the woman may be in her late early twenties, years of harsh weather, blows to the face, scars that never healed properly, and other factors have made her seem older and quite "rough" in appearance, stripping away the beauty she once held as a youngling.

Her armor consists of light reinforced leathers and pelts, fastened with iron pieces and strips of treated leather over vital areas of her neck, chest, pelvis, thighs, feet, and forearms.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Strong-willed • Confident • Respectful • Honorable • Suspicious • Organized • Perceptive

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Single

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: The Goliath gleans with a genuine confidence that very few seem to have in this current age. Whereas her demeanor may come off as coarse, it couldn't be further from the truth. Her rough exterior is balanced by a warm, humble approach, and generally friendly disposition, as even when things may seem dark, she manages to lift the mood of the people she encounters.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤: ?

• Humming an old tune from her childhood, usually when she is thinking or anxious.
• When opportunity permits, Vah’lux gives thanks to the land with a short prayer.

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Collecting/Documenting various flowers and herbs which can help in medical practice.

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Technology and the greed of humans will swallow up the beauty of the world
• The extinction of her people and society

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Those who are honorable
• Communing with the land and nature.
• People who respect the land.
• Honey Ale.

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• She holds a great distrust and suspicion of technology.
• Those who trample and take from the land without returning and restoring it.
• Dishonesty.
• Indiscriminate killing.
• Loud and obnoxious people.

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Melee combat (glaive).
• Hand-to-hand combat.
• Above average athletics and stamina.
• Knowledge in Field Medicine/Herbalism.
• Can withstand heat better than average due to her upbringing in the desert.
• Knowledge of the terrain.

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Laying hands via spiritual guidance to heal
• As the Spirits will, they may augment healing to a certain degree.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Nearly unbreakable seven foot spear made of cured hardwood and leather, with ancient Kharakhi symbols carved along its length, and a leaf-shaped blade. Twin, curved daggers, secured in a belt sheath behind her lower back.
• Satchel of healing herbs, bandages, incense, flint stones & tinder, and charcoal block (for drawing glyphs)
• 5 days of rations
• Waterskin

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:
An oral history of Vah'lux Ki-ao’uthal of the Kathaal tribe.

Twenty-five years prior, Vah’lux Ki-ao’uthal was born in the northernmost reaches of the Kharaki desert, home to a handful of nomadic tribes -including the Kathaals- all of which learned to survive the harsh climates, and extreme altitudes. As resources became scarce, as was the case from time-to-time, certain groups broke away to migrate to the four corners of the land, hoping to find new resources and a livelihood.

The youngling’s upbringing was not much different than most children born within a Goliath tribe, learning the ways of her people through oral histories passed down countless generations. Hunting and gathering was a staple activity for most at a later age, and both male and female learned everything that was needed to maximize their strengths and contribute to their own growth and, more importantly, the needs of the community. Honor and family were held in the highest regard, and very few Goliath would ever jeopardize that by putting themselves before their tribe. Survival was paramount.

Late adolescence found the young female hunting quite a distance from the village and alone for the first time since taking up the longbow and spear years before. Perhaps it was a curious mind that evening or the need to increase the challenge and compete against herself, but she kept moving further into unknown territory even as the sunlight hours began to fade. Moments later, she heard a call for help in the common tongue, and cautiously headed toward that direction only to find a human male sitting on a rock tending a wound on his leg, cold, hungry, and tired. Further inspection revealed lash marks along his back. A slave?

While suspicions were on high, she gave assistance nonetheless, bringing the young man back to her village, where they fed and cared for him. Over the course of the stranger’s two days of being looked after by Kathaal healers, Vah’lux stayed near, assisting when she could and inquiring about many things in distant lands. It also became the first time she had grown to adore another of a smaller, foreign race, perhaps drawing dangerously close to him as well beyond what she had expected.

"Kuli ananaka kulae aulaka", she would say when excitement crept up, meaning “My heart is in my head.”

But the joy would not last, as days after the stranger left the village, a swift and indiscriminate raider attack converged onto the encampments. Goliath scouts were all but slain, leaving very few aware of the impending dangers, which took the lives of countless warriors, elders, and younglings. Those who weren’t killed were taken captive and thrown into heavy shackles, including Vah’lux.

Adding salt to the festering wound of losing her parents and many of her people, she spotted the human who only a few moons earlier she had helped nurse back to health. He stood on the sidelines next to another of the vile raiders, his face bloodied and expression full of shame, as the vile grin and smugness of the creature standing next to him mocked the Goliath. But while the rage built up within her, it was not directed toward the feeble human boy, if anything, she pitied him. Rather her ire was toward the invaders who treated everything and everyone in their path as worthless, stepping on corpses and pillaging, as the survivors were led away from their home.

Guilt such as this could never be erased. Vah'lux foolishly allowed an outsider in, and while she could not bring herself to harbor ill-will toward the young human pawn, she had to carry the thought that she was responsible for the slaughter and enslavement of her people. A mistake she silently vowed to never make again.

Over five years had passed, and none too quickly either, as she was used and abused as a slave to raider encampments throughout the region, tasked with various physical and medicinal duties. Her only company most of the time, a dire wolf, black as midnight, amber eyes, and at least twice as large as a normal wolf. Vah'lux always had a heart for the creatures that blessed the lands and would not hesitate to share her meager portions, or perhaps all of it, if it meant the beast would be satisfied above her own needs. However, it took a good part of a year to get to that point in their relationship, as the Dire Wolf was abused at the hands of the Raiders so often, it had very little trust in anyone. But, with time came healing, and the creature felt much more at ease with her new friend, learning to acknowledge and obey words and commands in Gol-kaa that would solidify their bond even further.

Their relationship had also urged the Goliath woman to push for a way out of captivity. Her and her tribe.

*** UPRISING ****

Freedom. For years it had become a fading thought, and the hope that went with it dwindled over time. She was only one of a handful of her tribe held by the Raiders, and even they were dying away. But a dream of her lost people the night before urged the Goliath on, resolved to escape from under the filthy heel of her oppressors and seek out her tribe once again. Whispers to other slaves she trusted carried throughout the stronghold. Many were in agreement, and then the evening fell, so the revolt started. Chaos ensued, fires broke out, and the screams of Raiders and slaves alike echoed throughout the night sky. Vah'lux ushered many of the others to safety, keeping watch to ensure they cleared the gates. Enemy archers picked off who they could; stragglers were the first to go. As the last group of captives fled to the outside of the walls, the Goliath followed.

Vah'lux was flanked and knocked over by a hulking Raider in spiked armor, one who was nearly her size and mass, in fact. The same Raider who tormented her for the years during her time spent in captivity. And, the very one who stood by the human boy as her people were pulled from their home. Just as the Raider’s crude spear was raised above his head to make the final killing blow against the prone woman, the dire wolf lunged at the vile creature, teeth clenched onto the monster's wrist, causing him to relinquish the weapon. It was just enough time for Vah'lux to stand, grab the dropped spear, and plunge it into the Raider's abdomen, bypassing the meager protection of the leather armor, which brought the creature to its knees in pain. His presence lit up a rage that boiled inside the Goliath woman, as she turned the spear head around, tearing and crunching cartilage and tissue.

"You always be animal!" The Raider exclaimed in broken common language while spitting blood toward the Goliath. "You will die animal!"

Vah'lux stared at her captive. The anger harbored toward him was great, but the words she wished to say to him were just not worth the time spent.

"Then perhaps that is all I will be!" She growled in response. "S'trey'kor!" Uttering the command to kill in Gol'kaa, as the wolf did not hesitate to tear the flesh from the Raider's neck with massive jaws and razor sharp teeth.

Vah'lux turned and ran. Never to look back. Never to return.

*** OUT OF THE FRYING PAN ****

Days turned into weeks in the desert, and many of the others who escaped either went their own ways, perhaps back to their homelands, or died off through disease, malnutrition, or wounds that never healed properly. It eventually came down to the Goliath and the Wolf. Through hunting and resourcefulness, Vah’lux managed to acquire components to create a few pieces of hide armor to help with protection as well as staving off the elements along her journey, and weapons were crude, but usable. She had very little idea of where her travels would take her, as the lands grew darker and more harsh, challenging not only her skills as a hunter and gatherer, but her wits.

It was also time for the Wolf to return to its pack, as the land spoke mysteries that only the animal would understand, and so it left, but not without looking back at its friend one last time before departing into the darkness.

“Ak’loc kano ekta” Vah’lux whispered in her native tongue.

May we meet again…

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: When you move away from land and nature, the heart becomes hard.

[Milkman]

bill

Bill the beast

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Istaqa of the Tekuantin Tribe, Bill
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤: Bill the beast
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 28
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤:Shifter/beastmen
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣:Male
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Desert guide/animal handler/Hunter
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: Neutral

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 6’0
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Muscled
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Yellow
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: Bill has long, thick black hair that is usually tied behind his back. His facial hair consists of similarly black sideburns to a relatively long beard.
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Bill’s skin tone could best be described as a reddish brown. Like most shifters Bill has much more profound body hair then his human counterparts
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Bill has a distinct clawmark shaped scar under his left eye. This is known as the mark of the banished in his tribe.

Shifters are often called beastmen by the more civilized folk from the north due to their distinct animalistic features. This is especially prominent in their faces. Their noses are more flat, eyes larger than usual and ears are pointed like many animals. Also their teeth are sharper and more carnivorous compared to humans.

Bill tries his best to fit in as much as possible in the predominantly human society of Christiana town. His clothes are distinctly for the frontier culture and consist of a simple gray cotton shirt, a brown vest, simple cotton trousers, riding boots, a worn purple bandana, brown wide brimmed hat and long brown leather coat. Furthermore he wears a belt with holster for his pistol, a knife and spare ammo. When out hunting or in the desert he also wears a bandolier containing his rifle rounds.

Bill only wears one piece of jewelry. A distinct tribal necklace that the girl he loves gave him over 10 years ago. He still wears it to this day.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Honest * Blunt * Sarcastic * Loyal * Curious * Caring

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: It’s complicated really. Can you still speak of a relationship after not having seen each other for 10 years?
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: For some time he has lived a double life, a lie that has brought ruin to him and his tribe. Once that lie was out, he and many others had to suffer the grave consequences of his actions. For him personally it meant being banished from his tribe. Bill decided that from that day, he would bear the consequences, live an honest life and undo the damage through hard work. This meant that the man would become brutally honest. He would give his opinion without hesitation or consideration of other people’s feelings. He would not sugarcoat the harsh truth or lie to spare someone's aching hearth. The best he could do for you was to remain silent.

His honesty would not always be well received. Many people prefer to hear what they like rather than the words of an honest man. This occasionally leads to conflicts with the people around him as his bluntness would rub people the wrong way. However those who manage to put up with him learn that he’s deeply caring for the few people he loves and will take his responsibilities regardless of the challenges ahead.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Tends to disrespect authority and conventions
• Smokes a lot

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Gazing at the stars
• Playing the harmonica

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Not seeing the only girl he loved ever again.
• Giant desert worms
• Ghosts

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Gambling
• Drinking
• Earning money
• To be treated with dignity and respect

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Being banished
• The traditions of his tribe
• People bossing him around
• People calling him a lowly tribesman/desert native
• Lying and secrets

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Cooking
• Hunting
• Decent shot with a pistol
• Animal handling
• Expert long range marksman with his sharps rifle
• Decent at poker

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Desert navigation
• Desert survival
• Tracking
• Bill has the ability to tap into the power of his totem of the Coyote. By connecting with his guardian spirit Bill can temporarily increase his senses such as eyesight, hearing and smell. When deepening the connection, his body begins to change. Bill’s head becomes more coyote-like and his body morphs into an even more animalistic form. His hands become claws, his teeth become fangs and his body becomes covered in coyote fur. When in this state his strength, speed and agility become greatly enhanced. However due to neglecting his tribal practises, Bill's connection to his totem has become severely weakend.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Colt single action revolver
• Sharps model 1874 single shot breech loading rifle
• Knife
• Tools for navigating the desert
• Compass
• Binoculars
• Tinderbox
• Cooking Utensils
• Several canteens for water
• Food rations
• Blanket
• Stray, his trusty horse

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: Bill, it has a nice ring to it. Everybody outside of the desert is named Bill, or at least a lot of guys. It’s a name that just oozes Iridia and not the shifter desert tribe where he was born. It’s a name the townsfolk of Christiana Town can actually pronounce , unlike his birth name Istaqa of the Tekuantin tribe.

28 years ago Bill was born under the scorching Kharakhi sun as a member of the Tekuantin Tribe. The Tekuantin are a shifter tribe living west of the great Kharakhi lake along the banks of the Uey River. The Tekuantin mostly live as hunter-gatherers or small farmers. They often travel and trade with other nearby tribes or Irridian traders. Being a Tekuantin means to live in harmony with the desert.

The Tekuantin have many traditions and customs that must be followed by their members. There are traditions for when you wake up to honor the deserts and the spirits of your ancestors. There are customs for what you do and become in life. Born the son of a hunter, then you will become a hunter as well. Born the son of a merchant, then you will become a merchant as well. Being a Tekuantin means living the life of your ancestors, that is non negotiable. Basically Istaqa’s life’s path has been determined from birth before him. Straying away from this path will lead to much turmoil in the tribe and will anger the spirits of the ancestors.

Bill’s or Istaqa's early life went actually pretty fine. His father taught him to hunt, prepare the food and navigate the desert. He learned the essential skills for desert survival and how to provide for his future family at a young age.

However, the older Istaqa got, the more questions about the world and his place in it would arise. Why couldn’t he learn healing or the mystics of the shamans. Or why could he not go out with the warriors to train? Or with the merchants to trade? There was a whole world to explore and yet he was destined to be a hunter from the moment he was born. The strict traditions started to feel evermore confining for the young Istaqa and he became ever more rebellious against the traditions.

Due to Istaqa rebelling against the social norms of his tribe, he connected with the totem of the Coyote. A powerful guardian spirit that is considered a bringer of change, a challenger of conventions but also a trickster that walks the line between wisdom and foolishness. The shamans say that those who connect with the Coyote are the bringers of change but have to learn their wisdom and teachings through hardships and self-induced suffering. Years later Istaqa would learn what the words of the shaman ment.

Things would finally explode when he was close to undergoing his rites of passage and leaving his boyhood behind. During his late puberty Istaqa had fallen in love with Yaretzi, the daughter of the chief of the Tekuantin tribe. At first people did not put too much thought in both younglings spending time together. Their paths in life were already determined including their partners for marriage and no one dared to stray away from those traditions. However Istaqa and Yaretzi had other plans. Occasionally they would sneak away from the prying eyes of the tribe members to spend some time alone together intimately. However in a close knit community such as a desert tribe it was only a matter of time before their secret would be exposed.

Infuriated, the chief of the Tekuantin summoned Istaqa and his father to the tribal council. Not only had the youngling disrespected the sacred traditions, he had also tarnished the honor of his family, tribe, ancestors and the chief’s daughter. His actions made sure that Yaretzi could no longer be married off to the son of a chief from a neighboring tribe to cement the alliance.

With a deal made nearly 18 years ago broken, the neighboring tribe demanded compensation in the form of 100 horses. That would be nearly all the horses in the tribe. An outrageous amount but a price that must be paid nonetheless. If the Tekuantin would refuse they would risk war with a much larger and more powerful tribe that would spell the end of their people. Without horses, the Tekuantin still had a chance to survive.

The damage was done and the tribal council had to decide what to do with Istaqa, a young man who had brought ruin to his people, shame to his family and angered the spirits of the ancestors with his selfish and irresponsible behavior. Some of the elders argued that the spirits could only be calmed when the source of the anger would be carved out of their society forever through ritual sacrifice. However the chief decided against it. He would banish Istaqa from the tribe, force him to renounce his name and lineage and would only allow him to come back and to marry Yaretzi if he would bring 100 horses. That was 10 years ago.

Istaqa wandered the desert alone for a while, separated from Yaretzi by the seemingly impossible task of acquiring 100 horses for his tribe. He eventually wound up in Christiana Town. Trying to integrate in this alien society, Istaqa found out that it was very difficult to overcome the prejudice of the people from the north. He started calling himself Bill, wear the clothes that were common in the region and trying as hard as possible to get rid of his native accent while speaking in the common tongue. Slowly but surely Bill disconnected from his ancestral practices, losing his connection to his totem spirit.

Bill took up as many jobs as he could possibly find, in a frantic attempt to earn enough money to buy 100 horses. However horses ain’t cheap and with herding cattle, hunting or accompanying merchants into the desert he would never earn enough money to repay his debt. Now suddenly a mysterious gunslinger named Katelyn Smith approached him with a proposition. To help find the legendary treasure of the late Emperor Hadrian Augustus.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: Speak the truth or keep your mouth shut.
𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

[Abstract Proxy]

"True" Persona:

Lis

Lis

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Lis
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤: Lis has a seemingly endless collection of past and prepared aliases. Currently she calls herself Lisandra the Actress or Dylis depending on which persona she is wearing.
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 25
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Changeling
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: Female
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Currently posing as traveling wizard, turned actress and a thief.
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: True Neutral

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 5' 7''
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Lis possesses a dancer's build, hiding strength born from agility beneath a gentle, pleasant appearance.
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Her eyes are ever changing to match many forms, but in her true form her eyes are a stark, entirely empty white.
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: Lis has long silver cast a light shade of silver. Usually tied in an elegant bun using an ornate set of silver hair pins, they conveniently work exceedingly well as lockpicks.
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: She has pale gray skin.
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Considering her ability to change forms, Lis has little interest in marking her true form with ink, instead she takes great pleasure in adorning her assumed forms with scars and tattoos as befitting these intriguing forms.
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: A chameleon, Lis changes her clothes to fit the mask or persona she wears, however in the rare times that she remains in her natural form, she favors well fitting garments of a distinctly older elven cut.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Careful * Curious * Deceptive * Ever-Changing * Observant * Subtle

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Unattached
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Lis is a thousand faces and a thousand personalities. She is whoever she thinks other people want her to be. She is whoever the job needs her to be. And in each moment, she is exactly who she wants to be. Or so she would claim. Not that she has ever told anyone as much. Not that she would ever tell anyone half as much. She is a walking, talking ambiguity, a paradox wrapped in the cloak of constant change. She knows that she is who she is...and who she seems to be, all at once.

She wears many masks. Fleeting creations, driven by need or whim, and discarded without hesitation. Faces with simple names. Names without identities. A serious faced soldier. A pleasant severing girl. A dour faced constable. A dangerous looking bandit. She crafts ambitious personas. Not just faces. Not just names. But people. People that she cares for. People that she loves. People with their own pasts. People with their own lives. People with their own fears. People with their own ambitions. People with their own hopes. People with their own families. People with their own friends. And people with their own beliefs.

Lis keeps a handful of personas, suitable for a range of situations and applications. Some she has played for years. Some she knows better than herself. Some she has had to retire ahead of their time. Lis recalls such moments with sorrow and bitter regret. But she knows hard choices are necessary. She knows that sacrifices have to be made. She has had to disappear, she has had to allow her compromised identities to perish, so that she might assume another of her personas.

Within the endless Matryoshka doll created by her masks and personas, Lis feels increasingly lost. Beneath each discarded layer a new person emerges, another mask suitable for the moment or an invented persona for her to embody for long stretches of time. Trapped in performances, Lis is consumed by a gnawing sense of dread that there will be nothing real, nothing true, when she gets to the last little doll inside of her.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Eavesdropping - Lis, the Changeling, has a habit of eavesdropping. There are few better ways to discover useful information than to discreetly overhear a conversation or four.
• Compulsive Liar - By profession, Lis has found herself becoming something of a compulsive liar. She is loath to reveal anything that could be considered true about herself, no matter how seemingly unimportant or harmless any sliver of information about her might be.
• Pacing - When subject to intense excitement or anxiety, Lis tends to pace, although mercifully for anyone lodging below her, she is somehow a most quiet pacer.

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Reading - Few things are regarded with as much affection from the Changeling as books, particularly rare and old ones.
• Visual Arts - Lis takes solace in drawing in a small journal she keeps. Less often she will take time to execute a full painting. Her artistic persona, a tiefling painter, is known to have a small but dedicated following of admirers and collectors.
• Calligraphy - Enmeshed in creation, Lis will spend hours writing admirable calligraphy in the many languages she commands.
• Sewing - What began as simply a way to insure that the clothing required for her many roles would pass muster, soon became a genuine passion and Lis is quite proud of her skills with thread and needle.
• Singing - Part profession, part pleasure, Lis still finds singing to be an amusing way to spend her time.
• Tobacco - Despairing of drinking, Lis instead finds smoking tobacco, preferably in a pipe, to be quite amusing.

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Stagnation - Chief among the fears that assail the Changeling is the fear of settling down, of becoming too comfortable, and of forgetting that each role can only be played for so long.
• Commitment - Stuck with permanent wanderlust and a lust for life, Lis is notably afraid of the mere idea of a committed relationship with one or several people (she’s not one to judge).
• Imprisonment - With a long list of crimes behind her, Lis is understandably worried about ending up in a small prison cell.
• No More Great Roles - Although she considers it a distant worry, Lis can’t help but fear that one day there will be no more great roles for her to play, whether on or off the stage.
• Self Less - Jumping from adopted role to role, Lis fears that one day she might not be able to recall her true self.

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Acting - Taking a broader view of acting, Lis takes immense pleasure in successfully playing a role, particularly when she manages to convince someone that one of her masks or personas is a real person.
• Money - Fond of the things that money can buy, Lis is keen to make a tidy profit, regardless of how ethically this profit is acquired.
• People Watching - Lis enjoys watching people across all the domains of life, all people, from the lowliest guttersnipe to the most elegant socialite. What better way to further her craft and gain inspiration?
• Social Events - Fond of festivities and people from all walks of life, Lis will do her best to find any reason to be social and has been known to successfully converse with even most cantankerous settlers.
• Art - Lis adores all forms of art and all manners of artistry. Music, literature, paintings, drawings, and craftwork, all happily occupy her attention. And if she has the coin to spare, she is more than willing show her appreciation in cold hard cash.
• Cleverness - A schemer at heart, the young changeling appreciates a clever quip, witty comment, or complex plan.

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Interruptions - On or off the stage, nothing angers Lis more than unwelcome interruptions.
• Fear of Changelings - Understandably, but perhaps hypocritically, Lis loathes the fearful, distrustful view that most people have of Changelings.
• Poor Manners - Seeing herself as more than a little refined, Lis takes great offense at poor manners and has been known to plot a lengthy con simply to spite someone who forgot to offer her the proper salutations.
• Conservatism - A creature of endless flexibility and constant change, Lis holds little interest in the status quo or keeping things forevermore as they currently are.
• Orders - Happiest when free to make her own choices, Lis internally bristles as at being told what she to do. She can listen. She can follow orders, but she doesn’t like it, and if possible will offer a snide comment or two, provided it doesn’t break character.
• Violence - Lis takes no pleasure in violence and sees no appeal in physically harming others. She’s no saint, but she’s no killer, robbing people of their burdensome wealth is plenty enough for her, she has no interest in stealing lives.

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Actress - Lis a talented performer, able to perform plays old and new of almost any genre. She has a talent for single mannerisms and a sharp ear for voices, able to mimic a wide range of accents. Generally presents as a woman, but more than capable of assuming a masculine role.
• Languages - Perhaps due to her nature as a Changing and Actress in equal measure, Lis is gifted when it comes to the many tongues spoken across the lands and she shows great ease learning new languages.
• Passable Shot - Uninterested in violence, Lis is nonetheless capable of proficiently using a firearm.
• Riding - Although Lis far prefers to ride in a comfortable carriage, she knows how to ride a horse.
• Athletics - To prepare for the stage, Lis has engaged in long hours of practice over many years, and she has the athleticism that one might expect from a seasoned performer.
• Acrobatics - At times, a role requires feats of physical strength, balance, or agility. Lis has spent some time tumbling, tightrope walking, and performing other entertaining feats for coin.
• Insight - In order to create her masks and personas, Lis has had to cultivate an insight into others. She often manages to deduce how others might think, how they might act, and what their intentions are towards her.
• Investigation - Lis has a knack for finding out information or the location of items that she might like to steal.
• Perception - Acting that Lis observe the world and the people around her. The beginning of every mask and persona that she creates lies in the careful observation of others.
• Deception - The bread and butter of most changelings, deception is perhaps Lis' oldest friend. She is able to convincingly hide the truth. She can mislead other through ambiguity, or as often, by telling outright lies. She fast-talks officers of the law. She cons merchants. She passes herself off in disguises that compliment her shapeshifting. She dulls suspensions with false assurances. And she maintains a straight face while telling blatant lies, lies that shape her very person, and her very soul.
• Persuasion - In all her roles, Lis finds persuasion to play a critical role. To sell a story, for a range of purposes, she is wields tact, her social graces, and assumed nature to influence and beguile.
• Performance - Beyond her deceptions, deep beneath her own conceptions and hangups, Lis is a performer. She lives to delight an audience with an truly extraordinary performance and to draw attention from potential patrons.
• Stealth - If worst comes to worst, Lis is no stranger to vanishing from sight, and quietly escaping.

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Shapeshifting: A changeling, Lis has the magical ability to change her appearance. She can alter her facial features, skin (coloration/texture), hair (length/color), apparent race, sex, size (height/weight), within the limits of a human and halfling scales. Her transformations take several seconds, but Lis is able to change her form as often as she likes and her new appearances last until she changes her form again. Far from a minor illusion, shapeshifting for Lis is a physical transformation. Given her shapeshifting talent, Lis is rarely seen in her true form, and she instead prefers to adopt all kinds of humanoid shapes. However, unlike some changelings, she does not treat her forms as mere clothes to wear and discard haphazardly, but roles to cleverly portray.
• Illusion Magic (Wizard): A proper wizard, Lis has been trained by some of the finest wizards and arcane tutors that can be found in the land. Her travels have afforded her many opportunities to pursue knowledge hidden in ancient tomes. Although she is capable as a spellcaster, her specialty is doubtlessly the school of illusion. The Changeling shows great talent when it comes to creating illusions both big and small.
• Thievery: Off the stage, Lis lives a life steeped in the shadows. She sneaks. She picks locks. She lightens pockets and empties all manner of containers. She performs sleight of hand tricks to beguile. And her trade in this maleficent role is to liberate the property of others for her own profit.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Props Appropriate to the Role - Aware of the dangers of keeping her own personal possessions, Lis keeps only items that belong to her current masks or personas.

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:

The only child of two changeling parents, Lis grew up among a traveling troupe of changelings. Harmless religious fanatics, her parents were cultists of sorts, Becomers, changelings that believed that the the essence of being a changeling was to possess different shapes, different identities, and different lives. They taught Lis that her purpose, her true purpose, and the way to enlightenment was to keep changing.

Enmeshed with a merry band of performers, Lis came to embrace such ideas. She grew up seeing her parents change appearances at a whim. She learned to call them by different names. She learned to recognize them with different faces. She learned new pasts. She experienced new presents. And she accepted new futures. Lis remembers her childhood as happy. She recalls her excitement at learning how to shapeshift.

She remembers her first mask, a reflection of joy. She remembers her first persona, a street urchin raised on the streets of the old Imperial city. She remembers her first performance, playing the youngest daughter of King Gawain in the classic Elven tragedy Aramil.

In time, convinced that she had learned what she could as a member of the traveling troupe of changelings, Lis struck out on her own, accompanied by the the happy and proud encouragement of her parents.

Exploring new depths, Lis found herself studying at one of the few sanctioned arcane institutions that remained. She was Emmeline, an idealistic human, full of love and loyalty to the Iridian Republic. Unfortunately despite her success, Lis lost the permit sanctioning her official use of magic when she discarded the persona following a storied romance, but controversial romance with her evocation professor and the subsequent theft of the noblewoman's sizable dowry.

In the years that followed, Lis experimented with a number of different personas. Enamored by the work of long dead painter, she became Nija, a young tiefling woman from the distant city of Daklan, far to the east across the Northern Sea. Trying her hand at painting, Lis discovered that an unexpected natural talent, and soon found herself selling paintings for outrageous prices. Commanding a small following of devoted admirers and collectors, Lis found herself mingling with the upper-crust of Iridian society. Pleasant summers spent painting the children of the aristocracy ended dramatically when Lis decided to attempt to channel her visions of change into her art, resulting in an highly abstract series of paintings that were quickly deemed heretical by the artistic gatekeepers of the young republic.

Fleeing the capital with bitter tears in her eyes, Lis changed into Sedilia, a serving girl in a brothel. Quickly growing bored with this role and the unwelcome advances of her customers, Lis created two new personas. Lisandra, the half-elf actress, and the half-elf thief, Dylis.

Seeking out a new challenge, Lis decided to play these two roles in parallel. And so, Lisandra, bastard daughter of an elven nobleman, began a meteoric rise to the top of the theatrical world. Concurrently, Dylis, guttersnipe of no repute, turned into a skilled thief, well regarded by her swift fingered peers. In time, Lisandra would come to loathe the established world of theater, the predictable schedule of plays demanded by the common citizen, and the profitable ventures supported by the investor. At the same time, Dylis would find herself under growing scrutiny from the local constabulary, following a string of infamous thefts that culminated in the theft of a golden bust of Emperor Hadrian Augustus from the newly renamed Iridian Museum of Art.

Convinced it was once again time for change, Lis decided to travel west. Soon after, Lisandra announced the creation of her new one woman show and her intentions of traveling west to spread her art beyond the stiffing metaphorical walls of the capital. And conveniently, on the very same night, Dylis sold her most recently acquired valuables to her favorite fence, purchasing new papers and a seat on a train traveling west.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖:

“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.” - As You Like It by Shakespeare

𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

---

Invented Personas:

Dylis the Thief

Dylis

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Dylis
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤:
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 25
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Half-Elf
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: Female
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Thief
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: True Neutral

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 5' 7''
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Dylis has the lithe, slender build best kept by a professional thief.
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Dylis has pale green eyes.
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: The young half-elf has auburn hair that rests a short distance above her shoulders.
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Dylis has light skin, reflecting her wood elf heritage.
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Dylis bears the many familiar reminders of a life spent in constant motion. A noticeable scar, likely from a blade, cuts across her collarbone and down her chest.
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: Dylis goes to great pains to blend in, wearing the simple outfits expected from a woman of meager means. Unassuming and meek looking, she favors outfits with many convenient and subtle pockets.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Timid * Nervous * Kindhearted * Sweet * Stealthy * Nimble

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Unattached
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:
The sweet thief of your dreams, blessed with a golden heart and a kindly demeanor. Dylis seems far from an expert thief. Instead, there is something helpless about the young half-elf. She seems to be a young woman caught up with the wrong crowd and in the wrong place at the wrong time. An unfortunate soul forced by circumstance rather than desire to commit a long list of crimes. Unaided by sweet wine, Dylis is a timid mouse, nervous, but not unsociable. With the fire of alcohol burning through her, she can manages to be far more confident and direct.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Superstitious - Like many a thief, Dylis is exceedingly superstitious, and firmly convinced that the appropriate personal ritual is an important part in her ability to remain unnoticed.
• Coin Flipping / Sleight of Hand Tricks - When bored, Dylis can often be found flipping coins along her fingers or performing a wide range of sleight of hand tricks with said coins.
• Fingernail Biting - To her own embarrassment, Dylis bites her fingernails when nervous, a habit not even her parents could get her to stop.
• Snacking - In quiet moments, Dylis likes to snack on small treats, often fruit or sweet candies. And while she often makes sure to bring her own supply with her, in a pinch she is not above stealing to satisfy her sweet tooth.

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Games - Dylis enjoys playing board games and games of chance whether for money or simply fun.
• Carving - Handy with a knife, Dylis is fond of carving wood into various shapes that take her fancy.
• Dancing - Blessed with nimble feet and a natural sense of rhythm, Dylis will dance if there is opportunity to do so. Music helps, but is not needed.

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Pain - Dylis is no gunslinger, she is no bounty hunter, and she is no soldier. She recoils from the very idea of pain and does her best sidestep any great amount of suffering, for herself as well as others.
• Imprisonment - A thief since her earliest years, Dylis maintains a healthy fear of imprisonment.
• Starvation - A product of her upbringing, Dylis struggles with constant worry about her next meal. She keeps her hunger at bay by keeping small snacks on hand.

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Music - If you like to dance, you like music, and Dylis is no exception.
• Drinking - Drawn to others, Dylis finds drinking only serves to make her more social and silences any gnawing nerves she might experience among strangers.
• Money - What thief doesn’t like money?
• Food - Having grown up hungry, Dylis takes immense pleasure in eating food, and shows an adventurous spirit when it comes to trying out new cuisines.
• Animals - Dylis loves animals, small or big, friendly or not. She claims no great expertise, other than an ability to find animals very cute.

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Classism - Dylis holds a particularly negative view of the classism that still prevails in the Iridian Republic. Having grown up on the streets, having starved, having clawed her out of the gutter, and having been forced by circumstance into a life of crime, Dylis sees the Iridian Republic with clear eyes.
• Braggarts - Surrounded by criminals, Dylis has grown rather tired of others boasting about how much money they have made.
• Rain - Early years as a street urchin has left Dylis with a strong dislike of the rain. She remembers far too many nights spent soaked and shivering in the mud filled streets.
• Officers of the Law - For understandable reasons, the young half-elf has little positive to say about officers of the law. She views all constables, sheriffs, marshals, and assorted lawmen as inevitable opponents.
• Evangelists - An unfortunate encounter with a wandering preacher trying to encourage her to turn a new leaf and pursue a nobler life of virtue has convinced Dylis that the religiously inclined, in a professional capacity, are probably best avoided.
• Violence - Interested only in profit, Dylis positively abhors violence, and will do anything she can to avoid having to harm or kill others.

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Athletics - Keen to enter through second story windows, Dylis is an accomplished climber.
• Acrobatics - Catlike in her movements, Dylis moves easily and stealthily, managing agile bounds, well-timed dodges, and finding or staying on her feet in remarkably tricky situations.
• Investigation - An old hand at robbery, Dylis has by necessity learned to discover clues that may aid her deductions, particularly when it comes to figuring out where valuables might be hidden.
• Sleight of Hand - Quick with her hands, Dylis is capable of effortlessly performing acts of legerdemain or manual trickery.
• Stealth - Keen to perform her ill deeds without being seen or heard, Dylis has a talent for sneaking, concealing herself, slinking past guards, slipping away without being noticed and sneaking up on others.

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Thievery - Dylis is a talented thief. She is an experienced burglar. A gifted pickpocket. A speedy lockpick. And a quiet sneak, lightfooted and hard to detect.
• Illusion Magic - Although no wizard, Dylis claims she has a modest talent for magic and merely picked up some tricks along the way. Wizards and others of a magical persuasion may discover that Dylis seems far more capable as a spellcaster than she lets on.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Derringer (.41) - For her own protection, Dylis keeps a small, sleek two shot derringer hidden somewhere on her person.
• Blackjack - As a last resort before lethal violence, Dylis relies on her blackjack. A short, easily concealable club, consisting of a lead weight attached to the end of a short wood shaft, the small club allows Dylis to bludgeon as needed.
• Dagger - Less of a weapon and more of a tool, the young half-elf is nonetheless fond of the unremarkable dagger that she carries in a sheath attached to her belt.
• Thieves’ Tools - Dylis keeps a well-used set of so-called Thieves’ Tools in a canvas tool roll carefully secured to her lower back. Dyis favored set of tools consists of a small file, a set of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers
• Colt Single Action Army Revolver (.44) - Dylis keeps enough questionable company to know that it is in her own best interest to openly carry a firearm. The Colt Single Action Army revolver she wears in a holster on her hip, is reliable, cheap, and gets the job done.
• Backpack - Dylis keeps a packed bag with the assorted tools needed for travel and enough supplies (food and water) for a couple of days spent in the wilderness.

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:

Dylis was born in the great port city of Meldryn, in the northernmost reaches of the Iridian Republic.

She knows precious little about her parents. Save that her father was an elf. She never met him, the man was gone, lost in yet another peasant uprising before she was even born. And her mother, the proprietor of a small tavern, died from an unnamed plague during her early childhood. With no relatives to speak of, Dylis found herself sold to a textile merchant, Harol Wellby. Regarded as a mere servant, treated poorly, and suffering no small degree of abuses, Dylis ran away at the age of seven, promising to never again be dependent on anyone else.

She became just another street urchin, just another orphan that prowled the streets of Meldryn in one of the countless gangs of children that afflicted the poorer districts of the city. Still, she learned from the older children. She learned to lie. She learned to sneak. She learned to steal. She learned to hurt. And she learned to kill.

Guttersnipe became thief as years passed and Dylis joined the ranks of the true criminals that threatened the purses of the honest citizens of Meldryn. In short order, she found Meldryn had become too small her. There was only so much to steal. There was only so much to rob. And her reputation had begun to catch up with her.

In search of greener pastures, Dylis traveled to the capital. She found a new racket. She found a new gang. She found new friends. And for some time, she found a paramour. At least until the law caught up with the infamous Black Boot Gang and its leader, Thrice Hanged Jarsali outside the Iridian Republic National Bank. Escaping the fatal shootout that followed, Dylis returned to more discreet crimes, acquiring a respectable reputation among her fellow thieves.

Things were good, until a sudden ambition saw Dylis completing a daring set of jobs targeting a loosely distributed collection of priceless artwork depicting the Emperor Hadrian August and his family. What had been more of a caper than proper job, brought unwelcome attention, as law enforcement grew concerned that a potential imperial conspiracy was afoot, given the thematic link between all the stolen artwork. To her great horror, Dylis discovered that that an entire department of lawmen were now dedicated to finding her and bringing her to a justice.

Hounded by the law, Dylis acquired new identification papers at a premium cost and burned her last favors with the old fence One-Ear to purchase an escape. Boarding a train, she fled west, eventually finding herself the Kharaki desert. Far from the reaches of the law, she began to offer her unassuming services in Christiana Town and New Hope.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: "Sssshhhh!"
𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

Lisandra

Lisandra Thervan

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Lisandra Thervan
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤: Lisandra the Actress
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 25
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Half-Elf
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: Female
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Traveling Actress, Occasional Wizard for Hire
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: True Neutral

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 5' 7''
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Lisandra has a slender build, with the right amount of curves to perfectly fill out the tantalizing attire expected of a professional actress.
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Lisandra has captivating gray eyes
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: She has long dark brown hair that reaches just past her shoulders. Lisandra goes to great pains to ensure that her hair is well kept and spends a noticeable amount of time grooming.
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Her skin is fair, light, and untouched by anything as imposing as manual labor.
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Earning her living by acting, Lisandra has made sure that her skin is unmarked, unblemished, and largely untouched by the harsh sunlight, following the practices of the ancient nobility when it comes to always carrying an umbrella.
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: As Lisandra, Lis catches all eyes, dressing in only the most elegant and fashionable attire, leaving many observers to conclude that she must, at the very least, be the wayward daughter of a wealthy land baron.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Charming * Passionate * Entertaining * Daring * Spontaneous * Rebellious

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Extremely Unattached
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: A pleasant glass of sweet elven wine, Lisandra wields the practiced charm and grace of an actress. Full of stage honed confidence, she speaks easily, and is happiest when she is in the center of attention. She is daring in her art, holding great confidence in her own abilities, and this belief has carried over into her behavior off the stage. She holds no regards for tradition, seeing rebellion against the status quo, be in art or life as completely necessary. She is meticulous in her craft, but decidedly fond of debauchery in her private life, a trait she deems most fitting for an entertainer.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Daydreaming - When faced with particularly boring situations, Lisandra is unapologetic about her habit of daydreaming.
• Name Dropping - Lisandra enjoys casually or not so casually mentioning the names of famous entertainers that she has worked with or wealthy patrons that she has entertained, professionally and socially.
• Lip Biting - In moments of great anger, Lisandra tends to bite her lip rather than fall prey to distasteful habits like yelling or cursing.

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Art Appreciation - Holding herself to be a cultured woman, Lisandra spends much time appreciating the arts.
• Socializing - It does not take much to convince Lisandra to attend a social event or gathering.
• Entertaining - Lisandra is fond of holding private salons, consciously aiming to please or to educate.

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Being Boring - Lisandra is deathly afraid of being boring, by her own measure or that of others.
• Lack of Fame - For all professions regarding her dedication to the art of acting, Lisandra wants to be famous and she wants to be remembered. Fading into obscurity is simply not something she is willing to accept.
• Poverty - Desiring a comfortable life full of expensive things and many homes, Lisandra sees poverty for herself as a true horror.

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Music - Lisandra adores music and everything related to music. She sings. She dances. She plays instruments. She happily listens to others sing or play. And she pleasantly watches others dance, never poorly judging even the worst of dancers.
• Art - An art appreciator through and through, Lisandra fancies art in all forms.
• Social Events - Something of a social butterfly, the half-elf actress is drawn to others, finding renewed energy from engaging conversation, and especially when it involves big parties.
• Finer Things - Claiming a refined taste and noble origins, Lisandra enjoys the finer things in life. Expensive food, expensive wine, fine jewelry, priceless furniture, and exquisite accommodations are all things she desires.

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Drunkenness - Despite her love of parties, long experience has taught Lisandra that drunkenness leads only to boorish behavior and violence.
• Impatience - A woman of the stage, Lisandra holds it as a great sin for others to be impatient, particularly when she is speaking or performing.
• Physical Labor - A lady in her heart, Lisandra firmly believes that physical labor is best left to other...more capable individuals.

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Performing - Few can compare to Lisandra when it comes to performing. She is a gifted singer, a talented dancer, a wonderful actress, and a noteworthy musician.
• Persuasion - Full of charm, Lisandra is quite capable when it comes to influencing others.
• Perception - Lisandra is an astute observer, quick to note important information about other people.

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Acting - Lisandra is an actress’s actress, she can play any role, simple to complex, ancient to trail blazing modern. She has a talent for single mannerisms and a sharp ear for voices, able to mimic a wide range of accents. Gender is merely a passing thought for her, and she can convincingly play a man if production requires it. Unlike her more common colleagues, Lisandra seems to not just play a role, but to become the very character that she is portraying.
• Illusion Magic (Wizard) - As part of her show, Lisandra utilizes minor illusion spells. When asked, she claims that she is in fact a state trained wizard, quickly producing an authentic looking document sanctioning her use of magic and a letter from, Lamlis Varis, the well-known head of the Actor's Guild of the Iridian Republic explaining that one Lisandra Thervan is a close...very close personal friend, and great friend of the arts.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Elegant Dress - Ignoring all matters of pragmatism, Lisandra wears long, elegant black dress.
• Matching Elegant Hat - Lisandra has an elegant hat (more even) that matches her dress.
• Fancy Boots - Showing a surprising disregard for the terrain found out west, Lisandra has donned a pair of fancy boots.
• Umbrella - Wary of too much sunlight or rain, Lisandra takes care to always bring an umbrella suitable for the weather.
• Large Suitcases - Lisandra has brought several large, heavy suitcases with her. Full of clothes, personal items, and props for her performances, the collection of luggage has proven the bane of more than one valet.

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:
Lisandra Thervan was born in Cedarspire, the product of a brief dalliance between an elven noble, rumored to be the scion of the wealthy Quillathe family, and Imelda Balmont, a famed courtesan from Eshkrigal, city of the brilliant flowers. Having accepted a sizable sum of money for her silence, Lisandra's mother never spoke of her father, much less uttered his name, and instead set about to raising Lisandra in the brothel where she worked. In large part, this choice was made due to the largess of the brothel madam, who had taken a liking to Lisandra's mother and her newborn, and the coin that the exotic woman she brought in every week.

Growing up among the gentle ladies of the night, Lisandra came to understand much about the world.

In her early teens, Lisandra was taken in by a distant cousin,

performances all over the Iridian Republic. It was at this time that she first began to sing and act in public. She encountered many companions and admirers, growing her confidence.

She was discovered by the theater house owner Jeremias Van Brock, who persuaded her to act in a play performed by the then unknown Dwarven playwright Duergath Urshar. A role and play that saw both actress and playwright receive unprecedented acclaim and attention. Leveraging this unexpected success, Lisandra secured a roll as the understudy to the great elven actress Melisende Galerne. Under the watchful eye of Galerne, Lisandra developed her craft, blossoming into a true talent. Lisandra established herself as a formidable actress, highly regarded for her theatrical instinct, her ability to with a mere indication to understand a role, and successfully perform it. As her roles increased in prominence, Lisandra's career continued to grow in pace with her growing fame. Her rise, as far as the critics of the capital was concerned, culminated in the memorable performance she gave as the Princess Tiaathque in a modern rendition of the classic elven comedy Two High Elves of Jhakala. After this performance, she was called the natural successor to Galerne
a statement her mentor accepted generously.

Success on the stage, brought Lisandra many rich rewards. She earned a significant amount of money. She mingled with the nobility. She dined with the wealthiest citizens of the capital. She gained devoted admirers. She received a bounty of gifts from those seeking to catch her attention and to hold her favor. Less reported on was her intimate association with the gnomish wizard, Duvamil, from whom Lisandra claims to have learned all her magic.

Eventually, tiring of the burdensome aspects of fame, repeated roles, and seeking a new creative outlet, Lisandra announced her intentions to journeyed west, and embarked upon a thus far mostly well received one woman show. Critics willing to brave the lawless territories beyond the comfortable reach of the Iridian Republic have noted her wide range of expertly, some say impossibly well played roles, and her clever usage of illusions to create sets that compliment her elaborate performances.

Despite her artistic endeavors, Lisandra has also offered her services as a wizard for hire in between performances, finding the extra coin useful for her continued comfort. To some fanfare she has also occasionally joined theatrical productions performed by lesser known colleagues, partly out of amusement and partly because of the generous pay offered.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: "Surely you must have heard of me? I'm Lisandra Thervan."

[Lord Wyron]

Vilhelm Lundström

Vilhelm Lundström

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Vilhelm Lundström
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤: None
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 50
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Human
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: Male
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Adventurer / Big Game Hunter / Amateur Archaeologist; Army Field Officer (Honorably Discharged); Amateur Boxer (Disgraced)
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: Lawful Good

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 6'3" (192cm)
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Large and exceptionally well-built, with a broad top-heavy physique that emphasizes his chest, arms, and shoulders.
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Dark Blue
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: A thick mane of white hair parted down the middle and braided into a ponytail, with a well-groomed beard-and-mustache covering the lower half of his face.
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Caucasian, tanned from exposure to the Sun.
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Vilhelm has no tattoos or piercings, disapproving of nearly all forms of body modification. His face, however, shows signs of thick scar tissue around the eyebrows from his boxing days.
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: A Dandy in all respects, Vilhelm dresses the part of the quintessential gentleman, even when delving into dust-filled crypts. His typical outfit consists of a slim-fit double-breasted suit that accentuates his physique, worn beneath an embellished leather overcoat and fedora with a scarf draped across the shoulders. While adventuring or performing fieldwork, he switches to a lighter vest-and-trouser ensemble or a safari suit with tall brown boots and a Wolseley-style pith helmet.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Honorable * Well-Mannered * Amiable * Prideful * Restless * Short-Tempered

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Single
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: A descendant of Northern Barbarians famed for their brawn and battle-rages, Vilhelm has spent the better part of his life attempting to defy the stereotype of primal savagery associated with his lineage.

An impeccable gentleman both in manner and speech, Vilhelm is gracious and considerate, if somewhat stoic and strait-laced, carrying himself with an air of refined dignity. He is intelligent and well-educated, particularly in the humanities, excelling in: history, literature, philosophy, and the social sciences.

A natural athlete and amateur boxer in his youth, Vilhelm is a lover of all contests of physical strength, believing them necessary skills for any well-rounded gentleman to have. He holds that a soft life is not a life worth living, and regards the pursuit of strength in all its forms as one of life's highest callings.

Carrying more of the Barbarian in him than he would care to admit, Vilhelm possesses a restless, adventurous spirit that seeks new and greater challenges despite his advancing age. He is proud and easily offended, gloating in victory, and bristling in defeat. Mercurial, prone to sudden melancholy, and possessed of a violent temper, Vilhelm's capacity for anger stands in direct contrast with his otherwise gentlemanly demeanor, and has persisted over the years despite his best efforts.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Strokes his beard and mustache when deep in thought.
• Frequently cracks his finger and knuckle joints, clenching and unclenching his fists to ward off stiffness.
• Tends to fret over his own appearance: habitually dusting off his coat, fixing his sleeves, straightening his collar, or adjusting his hat, among other tics.
• Refers to people by their full first names, even if asked to use nicknames.

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Reading (Favorite genres include Classic Fiction, History Books, Romance Novels, etc.)
• Attending the Theater
• Clothes Shopping
• Sports (Boxing, Hiking, Rowing, Singlestick / Canne de Combat, Horseback Riding, etc.)
• Big-Game Hunting
• Adventuring / Treasure Hunting

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Vermin (Insects, Rodents, Certain Reptiles & Amphibians, etc.)
• Sudden Loud Noises
• Great Heights / Falling
• Losing Control of his Anger
• Dying Alone and Forgotten

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Reading
• Domesticated Animals, particularly Dogs and Horses
• The Arts (Music, Ballet, Theater, Picture Shows)
• Good Morals
• Honorable and Dignified Behavior
• Sweet Things (Sodas, Candies, Pastries)
• Fine Clothing
• Beautiful Things (Paintings, Landscapes, Natural Landmarks, Flower Gardens, etc.)
• Drinking with Pleasant Company
• Sports & Athletics
• The Outdoors
• Hunting
• Adventuring

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Uncouth / Rude Behavior
• Degenerate or Immoral Actions (Stealing, Unjust Killing, Cruelty, Scheming, Substance Abuse, Gambling, Excessive Body Modification, Deviant Behavior, etc.)
• Dirty Fighting
• Elitist Attitudes
• Sudden Loud Noises
• Coffee
• Vegetables
• Magic* (General Distrust more than outright Dislike)
• Growing Old

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Physical Fitness - Naturally hardy since youth, Vilhelm is in remarkable shape for his age, able to keep up with much younger men with relative ease. His strength, especially, is near-superhuman, and a source of great pride.
• Bare-Knuckle Boxing - An amateur boxer in his college days, Vilhelm left the sport in disgrace decades ago, but his skills have stayed with him. While not as fast or agile as he used to be, he is still a veritable brawler, able to take on several untrained opponents with little trouble.
• Cane Fighting - To the unwary, Vilhelm's cane is little more than an accessory of sophistication for the aged gentleman, but it is his most dangerous weapon outside his own two hands. With a swiftness that belies his stature, Vilhelm can aim a well-timed blow at the head or extremities; use the cane's metal handle as a deadly blunt instrument; or turn an opponent's momentum against them for grabs and restraints.
• Bartitsu - A fighting style he adopted after a fatal boxing mishap, Vilhelm favors Bartitsu for general self-defense and light skirmishes, incorporating elements of jujitsu, his old boxing techniques, and his ever-present cane to distract, discombobulate and immobilize street thugs or other low-level threats without resorting to the more brutally straightforward fisticuffs or cane fighting.
• Sword Fighting - As part of his army officer training, Vilhelm learned how to fight with a Field Officer’s Sword. Though he no longer carries a saber due to its unnecessary weight, Vilhelm incorporates many of the stances and maneuvers into his cane fighting technique.
• Riding - Highly fond of horses, Vilhelm has been riding since his time in the Army and enjoys it both as a recreation and form of exercise.
• Marksmanship - A capable shot – though a poor hand at the quick draw – Vilhelm is skilled with most firearms, but is more comfortable hunting animals than shooting men.
• Big-Game Hunting - A hobby he picked up from his superior officers, Vilhelm is an experienced white hunter, having tracked and killed a variety of dangerous creatures in his travels. Despite its inherent brutality, Vilhelm is a firm believer in fair and ethical hunting behavior, valuing a quick, clean kill with as little suffering as possible.
• Archaeology – Though something of a side-venture to supplement his adventuring lifestyle, Vilhelm is nonetheless an accomplished treasure-hunter, having taken on jobs for archaeological institutes, universities, museums, private sponsors, and even the odd Republican official. Known for his independent and hands-on approach, Vilhelm lives onsite and works with a minimal crew, personally overseeing nearly all steps of the process.
• Diplomacy - As a well-dressed man of fine breeding, Vilhelm is a skilled diplomat. Stately and eloquent, he can affect both a commanding authoritativeness or a more grandfatherly disposition depending on the situation.
• Literacy & Language - Born with a natural talent cultivated by his upper-class education, Vilhelm is a gifted writer and orator, fluent in Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, Giant, and the Illuskan language spoken by his Northern ancestors.

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Rage - While it can hardly be considered a "skill", Vilhelm's temper does indeed have its uses. When sufficiently angered, wounded, or in times of great danger, the dam holding back Vilhelm's anger breaks, and he enters a state of primal fury. Though lacking the Berserker-like quality it had in his youth, Vilhelm’s Rage is still terrible to behold. His already-immense strength heightens to superhuman levels, he becomes highly insensitive to, if not outright immune to pain; and his fighting style becomes much more ferocious. As powerful as these Rages are, however, they are short-lived, leaving Vilhelm weak, exhausted, and remorseful upon regaining his senses.
• Danger Sense - An uncanny ability to detect when things may not be as they seem, Vilhelm has a knack for identifying danger moments before it appears – something that has saved him more times than he cares to admit.
• Feral Instinct - A lifetime of close brushes with death have honed Vilhelm’s instincts to a fine point. He is highly intuitive and has a good sense for people, able to pick up on deception and determine whether a situation feels “right” or not.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Brass-Topped Walking Cane
• Double-Barrel .500 Nitro Express Elephant Rifle
• Winchester 1886 Repeater Rifle
• Colt .45 Single-Action Army Revolver
• Leather Field Diary w/ Fountain Pen & Inkwell
• Canvas Tent
• Travel Backpack (Containing a Bedroll, Mess Kit, Tinderbox, Spare Clothes, a Lantern w/ Extra Oil, 10 Days Rations, a Waterskin, Spare Ammunition, and 50 Feet of Hempen Rope)
• Wallet Containing $100
• An Old Bronze Ring, once belonging to an ancient Northlander

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: Explorer, Archaeologist, Soldier, Hunter, and Pugilist – Vilhelm Lundström has been all of these things, each a chapter in a long and storied history. Over the past two decades, Vilhelm has been credited with dozens of exploits both throughout the Republic and its neighboring kingdoms.

Born into wealth the year the Empire collapsed, Vilhelm was never one for idleness; driven by a constant, almost wild restlessness. Passionate for history and athletics even as a youth, Vilhelm excelled in both sports and academia, reading and exercising voraciously in his spare time.

Despite receiving an excellent home education, Vilhelm never finished college, enlisting in the Republic Army when he was twenty years old.

Serving in the Iridian Expeditionary Forces for the next ten years, Vilhelm was finally able to indulge his lust for adventure: traveling to the wild, untamed parts of the Old Empire and scoring his first big-game kill as a young officer.

Receiving an honorable discharge for distinguished conduct, the death of Vilhelm’s father left him with a sizeable inheritance that he would use to fund his adventuring career over the next twenty years.

In that time, he has plundered tombs, uncovered rare and valuable artifacts, fought brigands, and shot game in the most remote wildlands, cultivating an image of refined masculinity, tamed by civilization into law-abiding but adventurous living.

Now a gentleman of fifty, Vilhelm hasn’t let age slow him down. Working with the Iridian Archaeological Association, he continues to hunt for historical artifacts and buried treasure, amassing both fame and fortune with no end in sight.

Receiving a most intriguing letter requesting his expertise, Vilhelm has made the few days journey to Christiana Town on the border of the Kharakhi Desert, where he faces his greatest challenge yet.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖: "Seek Strength. The rest will follow." -King Vendrick, Dark Souls 2

𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

[Expendable]

Jake

Jake

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪

ℕ𝕒𝕞𝕖: Elfir Jacob Horne
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕤:Jake, The Medicine Man
𝔸𝕘𝕖: 29
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤: Half-elf (half-human)
𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣: Male
𝕆𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Doctor, Handyman, Antiques, Divvy
𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: Chaotic Good

𝔸𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: 5' 7" (67 inches)
𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕: Wiry
𝔼𝕪𝕖𝕤: Gray, like two silver coins.
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣: Black, although in bright sunlight one can see a blue sheen
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕠𝕟𝕖: Tanned
𝕋𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕤/𝕊𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕤/ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: Birthmark on their back, small splotches that collectively looks like a dragon in a s-curve, many assume it's a tattoo because of the details.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖:

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:

Soft spoken * keeps his back to the wall * Pessimist * Honor before reason * can build or put together just about anything * Scruffy

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕤: Single
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪:
As the fatherless half-human child of a lady of the evening, Jake's been looked down at for much of his life by all the "decent people." He pays them little mind, usually, so it doesn't interrupt his sleep for taking them for a small ride with a pretty picture or a lovely 'antique' that's only a month old, still smiling that same small smile.

That being said, he has a fondness for the ones like himself on the other side of the street, trying to scratch out a living by any means they can.

But the one true light in his life are the genuine artifacts, the true antiques. A rare bit of honesty in a world full of pain and lies.

ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤:

• Slouches
• Avoids eye contact (bordello clients don't like to be stared at)

ℍ𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤:

• Woodcarving
• Painting
• Reading

𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤:

• Flying (it's not the fall that kills you, it's the ground)
• Open, high places (see Flying)
• Brutes

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Antiques
• Eating
• Freedom
• Organization
• Warmth
• Animals and small children

𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤:

• Damaging antiques
• Starving
• Confinement
• Mess or clutter
• Extreme Cold
• Animal Cruelty

𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟:

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

• Carpentry
• Furniture restoration
• History (Antiques)
• Rigging (knots, splices, block & tackle)II
• Animal Handling II
• Lock Picking (found in The Devil's Journal and The Bullet Catcher's Daughter)
• Painting (Portrait & landscapes)

𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝/𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪 𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤:

Psychic Healing II

Can heal by touch by imagining the injury and reversing it in their mind.
- A minor to moderate injury or defect will tire them out, requiring at least 4-5 hours of sleep to recover.
- A major injury or defect can exhaust them to the point of unconsciousness, lasting up to eight hours.

Psychometry I

Identify an antique (but not why) within the same room (10-15'), know the history of an object by touch, especially if marred by some violent event.
- a dinner plate made a month before and put in a shop window last week has almost no perceptible history
- a knife made a month ago and used to repeatedly stab someone has a perceptible history.
- a table made over a century before by children sanding each piece smooth until their fingers bled has a very perceptible history.

Medicine II

- Knowledge and trained in the medical arts of the 19th century

Herbalism II

- Knowledge and trained in the medical use of plants.

𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

• Daisy, cart horse
• Delivery cart with harness
• Medical kit
• Apothecary chest
• Tool chest (with block and tackle)
• Bed roll with two changes of clothes, jacket, gloves.
• The Devil's Journal of Andre Robertson's travels
• The Bullet Catcher's Daughter - manual of stage magic, illusion, lock picking, fakery, chemistry formulas (fireworks, gun powder, small explosives, smoke bombs, fireproofing).
• A week's supplies for Jake and Daisy
• A library box with an assortment of books, including medicine, dentistry, black smithing, history, carpentry, an atlas, seamanship, furniture, a mail-order catalog, and some penny dreadfuls.
• Knife
• Shotgun with cartridges
• money hidden in the linking of the medical kit and in secret compartments of the chests and wagon.
• Lock picks hidden in the seams of his clothes.

ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪:

𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪:

Summary

Elfir Jacob Horne is the bastard child of Fannie Horne, a scarlet woman at the Rotwater's Desert Flower Saloon and Bordello, renowned for her adventurous pursuit of pleasure. He was three when he made friends with the neighboring shopkeeper's daughter, Daisy - although her family never approved of him. It irked him that many of the children grew faster than he did, even Daisy, but Doc Rose assured him and Fannie this was normal. Besides his size, the kids would pick on him for not knowing more than a few words of Elvish, so he made up his own version.

Following a fight in the gambling parlor, Dusty Pete the bartender snagged one of Jake's pointed ears and told him to grab a bucket of water and a scrub brush to clean up after a dead patron whose draw wasn't as fast as the other guy's. Under the table, he found a journal belonging to "Andre 'The Devil' Robertson," full of illustrations and strange tales of lost cities, maps, hidden knowledge, strange rites and odder creatures. There was also a tarot card of a grinning devil with a cane, wearing a black tailcoat, top hat and a monocle in between the pages. Since he was deceased, Jake kept the journal and would read it regularly with a weird fascination.

He was twelve when a visiting fortune teller offered to tell him his future in exchange for a silver, which he slipped over. The strangely-dressed woman took his hands, her eyes rolled back in her head, and in a weird sing-song voice told him he had very special gifts that would serve him well. He would become a doctor, she said, then frowned, warning him that he would not see success as one for many years, and would need to take up a different trade for a while, spending some time on the road. After scolding the fortune teller, Fannie made an arrangement with Doc Rose for him to take Jake on as his apprentice. And Jake did have the healing touch, although it left him exausted. However, patients were reluctant to see him even in mundane matters, preferring the experienced Doc Rose than this "young kid." The fortune teller was right.

Following a shoot out in the Desert Rose that killed his mother Fannie, Jake took off, leaving Rotwater behind. He eventually found a job in Rich Springs, in a second-hand furniture store, restoring old furniture and even pictures for resale. Edward Day quickly noticed Jake had a knack, able to tell the genuine apart from the fakes - even if he didn't know why. Edward sought to improve Jake's knowledge of furniture and antiques so he'd have something other than a feeling. Word of Jake's gift reached the leader of a burglary gang, who needed an appraiser. He agreed to help them after they threatened to go after Edward if he didn't. It took a while, but he discovered the actual head of the gang was the mayor of Rich Springs, Jordan Russell, or "the Reverend" as he was affectionately known. Some of the stolen items wound up in the store, where they were discovered. When Edward was threatened, Jake told them about the mayor's gang, and a riot soon followed.

Edward told Jake to grab his few things while he hitched Penny the mare to the store's delivery cart, and told him to get out of town quickly before the gang came looking for him. Since then, Jake's been making a living in the cart as a tinker, handyman, sometimes doctor, traveling from place to place, not without a few brushes with the law.

𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖:

• I never hit a man when someone can do it better.
• A great fake must be better than the original.
• When you see somebody hit their thumb with a hammer, do not offer any advice on how to hammer nails! Simply walk away without saying anything!
• Eréhâ isën udmën niën oúrŷth ŷeéth! (Here is mud in your eye)

𝔸𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔼𝕝𝕤𝕖:

Bittersweet Symphony

Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

Strangers