Hank

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@The Dow Dragon That's fair. That the odds are stacked against us is a deliberate decision on my part. I look forward to reading your finished second sheet.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@The Dow Dragon You are welcome to try. I can't begin to understand why anyone would even want to play a character so ridiculously fearsome and overpowered and I'm not sure what it says about you as a roleplayer, but I'll judge any new sheet you submit on its own merits.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@Asura Feel free to wing it if it's somewhere in the last two years.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

While you're all thinking about your characters, I've added Hector's sheet to the first post of the Characters tab to give you all an idea of the quality (and detail) I'd like to see.

Additionally, I would prefer it if most of you used the last two years in the timeline (between 4E205 and now, the summer of 4E207) to have your characters meet Hector. If you think it's better for your character to have met Hector longer ago, just ask (like Peik did).

EDIT: Another thing; enchanted items are allowed, but no more than one or two per character, and keep in mind they have to be powered to be used. Items with a passive enchantment don't have this problem, of course, but those enchantments will be significantly weaker.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@Snowminx No, our characters aren't exactly beginners. Hector Sibassius himself is, for example, a distinguished veteran of the Imperial Legion during the Stormcloak Rebellion and experienced operative of the Penitus Oculatus. The quest we're going on isn't a happy-go-lucky adventure either. On the other hand, our characters don't hold a candle to the demigods and prophesied Heroes (like the Nerevarine or the Dragonborn) of the Elder Scrolls either. Think somewhere in between. A healer is a great idea.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@DepressedSoviet

No, I'd like to stick with my original missive if possible. Go ahead and PM me, I prefer tailor-made solutions over generalized ones.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@DepressedSoviet I'll say to this to everybody once. Anything can work, but you have to remember the mantra of why are they here? every step of the way. This is, essentially, a covert military undertaking by the Empire entrusted to Sibassius. Creating a plausible reason for him to take your Dunmer bureaucrat with him is key.

That said, it just occurred to me that disguising the whole mission as an eclectic treasure hunting expedition isn't a bad idea.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@DepressedSoviet Not to detract from your idea in any way, but it would be prudent to inform you that Jbcool will (probably) be playing the group's Bosmer scout and pathfinder. I don't mind characters with overlapping roles in the group at all but I know some people prefer for their characters to have distinct and unique roles, so I thought I'd mention it. And yes, you're more than welcome to apply.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@Peik You know, that's not a half-bad idea. Let's run with it. I'm going to write Sibassius' sheet right now and I'll definitely incorporate that in the history somewhere.

The Elder Scrolls: Heart of Darkness

@Turboshitter Alright, about magic. I'm not a big fan of adapting the system of the games with clearly identified spells with codified effects to the art of prose. I prefer to leave the actual functioning of the magic a little more relaxed and vague; instead of "casting Wall of Flames", your character "sprays the ground with liquid flames that eat away at the rotting undergrowth fiercely, flaring up as tall as a man and forming a fearsome barrier of heat and light". Use the spells of the videogames as an inspiration for the kinds of things that can be done with any given school of magic. As for power levels; think no further than Expert-level stuff in the videogames. No blazing infernos and bone-chilling blizzards.

Two more things I want to note. Some things in the game don't make any sense when translated to the 'real world'. Being resistant to frost as a Nord doesn't actually help you resist the physical damage caused by being impaled with a spike of solid ice, but it could definitely help you shrug off less corporeal frost magic. Try to apply that kind of logic when determining what magic can and cannot do. The other thing is that I would like for healing magic to be less effective in this roleplay than in the videogames. In the heat of battle, Restoration can close shallow wounds, reduce severe hemorrhaging or set a dislocated shoulder, but it cannot mend broken bones or sew organs back together -- unless you have a team of dedicated Temple Priests at the ready or something like that. The same goes for treating illnesses. It always bugged me that everything can be cured with a single potion or a quick visit to a shrine. Why is there even a healer in Kynareth's temple in Whiterun? Stuff like that.

@Dismas Every group needs a coward. The only comment I have is to remember the cardinal rule: why are they with the group?

@Asura Yeah, expensive and rare materials are off-limits. Cultural equipment like elvish and orcish is allowed if it makes sense for your character to own it. An Altmer or a Bosmer is more likely to have an elvish blade than an Argonian. I'll judge that on a per-character basis.

@Peik Balen is more than welcome to make a return, but once again: why are they with the group? That matters most.

@Iuniper Your appreciation has been appreciated.

PS. I added Birthsign to the character sheet. Can't believe I forgot that.