Inlaa

Mass Effect: Omega Serenade

Olan Bol has been fleshed out more. I haven't added character relations yet, but I will.

EDIT: Gave him a pistol. Just in case.

Europa: Dawn of the Middle Age

I'm not good with names for the region this character is from, so if I do a bad thing... help me make it not a bad thing.

EDIT: By the way, is sorcery a thing at present date? The page on Maraboutism mentions them being magicians. If it is, I'd like Izem to know some very basic magic of some kind. Perhaps some control over fire, as typical as that is?

Izem ibn Tarif

Name: Izem ibn Tarif

Age and Gender: 24, male

Appearance: Izem is a tall young Berber man wearing a simple but well-made robe. He has a full beard, bright brown eyes, and an easygoing look. He's a little plump and definitely eats well, but a quick look at his arms shows he's strong, though not Herculean.

Izem has a leather satchel stuffed with books, a light backpack with a bedroll, various traveling supplies on his belt, and a well-made Suevian falcata dangling from his sash.

Picture

Izem's Falcata

Culture and Religion: Berber, Maraboutism

Backstory: As the fifteenth son of a virile Mauretanian warlord, Izem had no real hopes of possessing any real authority among his people. His brothers, uncles and cousins were already vying for as much power as they could obtain, whether it be control of the people or control of the warriors, so Izem felt it wisest to separate himself from those squabbles. He wanted to live a long life.

Since Izem was a healthy youth, he was schooled at an early age in swordplay and warfare. He took faster to books than to battle, however, and expressed an interest in becoming a Marabout. He was educated by those storytellers of his people. The stories he learned were a mixture of the old ways and of Islam's teachings, and he became very familiar with both of those worlds, hearing of both distant lands and close lands. He drank from this font of knowledge as much as he could.

When that was done, the young prince approached his father again, expressing a desire to go to one of these places told of in the stories: Hispania. Izem had heard stories of the splendor of their cities, much larger and grander than Marrakech or Sijilmasa, and he knew it was not far from his home. Eventually, after much arguing, his father relented, but warned him not to let himself be changed by the place. Izem was fourteen.

Izem spent the next several years in and around Qurtubah, studying science, history, and really any subject he could. He knew better than to speak of magic, and he studied the tenets of Ilm Islam though he did not embrace it (even if he pretended to do so).

Izem enjoyed a strange feeling in Hispania: it hardly mattered that he was a chief's son whereas it was a matter of much discussion and interest in Mauretania. He felt liberated, like shackles around his feet had been cut away. It was a good feeling.

While Izem returned to Mauretania every year for Ramadan, he came back to stay at twenty-two years of age, having learned Latin, Arabic, complex mathematics and much more while abroad. At home, though, he felt stifled. Even though he was traveling the Dunes once again, he felt like he wasn't going anywhere, like he was only seeing things he had already seen. So, over the next couple years he prepared himself for a journey abroad, careful to keep it a secret from his father, who believed Izem would stay in Mauretania to an adviser to one of his brothers.

About a year after he began his preparations, Izem was back in Hispania. He equipped himself with a sword he bought from a Suevian merchant and set off someplace new and different: Toletum.

Izem is a scholar, priest and prince searching for a means of making a living while on the road. After all, a Marabout should wander rather than remain in one place. He is a capable enough swordsman, highly educated in science and history, and he speaks three languages (the Berber tongues, Latin and Arabic). With such skills at his disposal, he believes he can find easy employment as a mercenary or find a band of adventurers looking for another sword arm. He tries not to reveal his bloodline to strangers, both because he does not want perceptions of him to be skewed and because he feels it could prove disadvantageous to him.

Mass Effect: Omega Serenade

Got some work done. Will add more detail later.

Mass Effect: Omega Serenade

Olan Bol

Short. Stumpy. Unassuming. This volus is not much to look at. His suit is rusting and dinged up and he smells of cheap food paste.
It's all a ruse. Only a special few know that he is...

Olan Bol

The Whiz

Civilian Information

Species: Volus
Age: 60 is the official number, but this is a result of fabricated documentation. His actual age is unknown, but must be roughly twice the official number.
Gender: Male
Height: 2'1"
Weight 100 pounds with suit.
Class: Engineer
Biotic potency: N

Military Background

Years Spent in Active Combat: While Olan has little experience in actual combat, he has been hacking ships, corporate facilities and more for at least 40 years while working for various mercenary crews. He has mentioned idly that he participated in the Relay 314 Incident on the side of the Turians, but nobody knows whether that's true or not.
Armaments: Though he only packs an M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol, Olan has all the tools necessary to link up with his colleagues and to hack devices from remote locations. He also has a small number of spy drones - roughly fist-sized flying mechanical devices - that provide no offensive capabilities but make great scouts and spotters. They come equipped with a variety of different sorts of scanners and are linked to Olan at all times when in the field.
Armor: None. Olan doesn't fight.
Advance Specializations: Operative
Skillset: When it comes to hacking, Olan is one of the best people in the field. This Volus has been hacking ships, corporate facilities and more for at least forty years. He's also flown a number of ships, though he needs to customize the piloting mechanisms for Volus hands to be effective. He's not much of a hardware guy, however, being much more skilled at manipulating data and hacking systems from remote locations than at fixing a broken commlink with an omnitool.

Psychological Analysis

Traits:

• Meticulous - "If you're going to do something, you should do it right," Olan says. He's a perfectionist at his core, executing whatever course of action he takes with precision and an almost paranoid level of care. He can spot details others can't and has contingencies for his contingencies.
• Actions, Not Words - Boasting is something Olan is not prone to do. As he sees it, only fools would ramble on about their conquests or their successes. He prefers just show how capable he is by actually doing what he's good at, and he sees no reason to prove himself to naysayers.
• Calm - Staying composed and polite even when threatened with certain death is a unique ability of Olan. Indeed, he seems difficult to anger at all, and if he does get angry he doesn't show it. There's a story that floats around: they say Olan was able to give careful instructions for a complex hacking algorithm while his suit was leaking breathable air after a Carnifex shot breached his suit and pierced his stomach. Needless to say, he doesn't mind such rumors floating around whether they're true or not.

Flaws:

• Greedy - The allure of wealth is beyond captivating for Olan: it's practically an aphrodisiac for him in massive amounts. He will risk quite a lot for the sake of a few credits. It's his entire motivation behind becoming a vigilante after all: making money. While he's extremely good at his job, Olan just might be willing to take a few risks that could hurt the team if it means raking in some extra cash on the side.
• Deceptive - Olan has a tendency to lie. Okay, let's be honest: he's a pathological liar. If he thinks he or the team can benefit from a small lie - or a big one for that matter - then he's more than willing to tell one. He's gotten a bit of a reputation for being untrustworthy as a result.
• Cowardly - There's a reason Olan doesn't join the others in the field. Intelligent he may be; a masterful hacker, true; calm and composed and observant, all of these words describe him. However, he would rather not get caught in a firefight. Risking other people's hides is one thing, but the prospect of putting himself anywhere near gunfire is a thought he does not relish.

Pysch Profile: A methodical intellectual, Olan loves to see what his limits are, but more than that he has a love for credits. Every job is a new chance to pit his skills against someone else's, even if the battle he fights is one very different from his teammates' own struggles.

He's not a very personable man, even for a Volus; his relationship with others is best described as formal and businesslike. He's also not prone to using more words than necessary; while he'll provide useful commentary and give directions, he tries to keep things simple and easy to remember. He doesn't always succeed.

To call Olan a bad man would be wrong. To call him a good man would be a very large stretch. He is a man that believes the law is an ineffectual tool that is bound to be broken. Because the law explicitly sets boundaries and because boundaries are meant to be broken, it is only natural that the law is broken. But, Olan notes, philosophy is for wishful thinkers; science is for men of action. He couldn't care less about the philosophical ramifications of what he does and instead focuses on the consequences, whether they be good and bad.

Backstory: Most of this Volus' backstory is unknown to his peers. Piecing bits of his "official" background with small anecdotes he's made from time to time, however, gives a history something like this:

Olan was at one point employed by Elanus Risk Control Services, and did a lot of work in the field of software design (producing some incredibly high quality firewalls). He also spent some time aboard Elanus' mercenary vessels, and it was during one of these missions that he came into contact with a Turian that offered him vast sums of money for certain information in Elanus' database. Olan took the job, stole the data from his employer, sold it to the Turian, then promptly fled to the Terminus systems before his former employers could catch him in the act.

The Volus found a lot of employment in the Terminus systems, though he also found a lot of danger as well. He quickly decided he didn't want to be the one getting shot at, so he started finding ways to skirt around having to get in the line of fire. Still, he was very good at his chosen profession - so good, in fact, that he got into trouble with the local thugs. He wound up fleeing again, this time back to the Citadel with a fake name. Upon hearing of a war to be had with some backwater species called 'humans,' he decided to join the military for a brief stint to make some easy money. The money wasn't as easy as he suspected.

After the Relay 314 incident, Olan returned to the Terminus systems and started work again. However, he managed to align himself with the wrong group of mercenaries and quickly found himself in a room, the sole survivor of Nikusiil's most recent battle against the crime in Omega. He surrendered willingly and made several convincing arguments for being allowed to live: namely, that he had only just joined the group and that he could be far more useful to the Drell alive than dead.

Since then, Olan has been working for Nikusiil, working as far away from the action as possible while still assisting the team. With his drones and his ability to hack things remotely, he's proven to be an asset thus far... but his loyalties are questionable.

Denouement

Character Motivation: Profit is the chief reason Olan is in this mess... besides being on Nikusiil's shit list should he ever try to quit the job prematurely. He's eager enough to help the team and weasel a few credits his way by planting worms in criminals' bank accounts. While some of the money from such "side jobs" goes toward outfitting the team, an almost equal share goes toward Olan's own finances. You know, for emergencies.
Significant Relations: If Olan has important relationships, he doesn't tell anyone about them.
Opinions on Others: For the most part, Olan is cool and polite when speaking with his teammates. He doesn't really dislike them, nor is he especially attached to them.

Nikusiil Vos

While he respects his leader's skills, Olan worries that he is, perhaps, too driven. Olan thinks his plans to eliminate crime on Omega are ludicrous, but he sees no harm in helping so long as he's not the one getting shot at. He doesn't have any particular loyalties to him, but he certainly harbors no ill will toward him either. Nikusiil could have killed him before, after all.

Olan generally follows Nikusiil's orders. If he disagrees with him, however, he'll just do whatever it is he thinks ought to be done rather than argue with him. Actions speak louder than words.

Penoraya T'mivus - Raya

Olan knows fully well what Raya thinks of him. She doesn't hide her contempt for the Volus style of doing business, and she certainly doesn't trust him. He understands that, and truthfully he doesn't blame her. He just also doesn't see how her disapproval should concern him at all.

All that said, Olan is incredibly glad Raya is on the team. She's a powerful Biotic with long years of experience. He sees her as a deadly weapon that needs to be pointed in the right direction, though he couldn't care less if said weapon breaks.

Olan is also afraid she'll kill him if he steps out of line, but that's what contingency plans are for...

Hazan

While Olan doesn't get very personal with most of the team, he has stated once or twice that he sees a bit of himself in Haze. Some might take that as an insult, but Olan appreciates his mindset and his focus on the mission. He worries, however, that he's getting too attached to the others. Such attachments are bad for business.

Olan is happy to teach Haze a few tricks of the trade, perhaps enjoying the respect and the eagerness the Turian shows. He has, however, made it clear that he won't teach him everything. If someone knew all his tricks, Olan might just be out of business.

Haze is the member of the team Olan has been the most up-front about his past with. That's not saying much, however; most of his history is still a big unknown.

Daro'Shuris nar Konesh

Maybe it's because she's so young, but Olan is a bit softer spoken when dealing with Daro. He's exceedingly patient with her. However, Olan has made it very clear to the Drell that he thinks the Quarian doesn't belong on the team. He doesn't doubt her capacity to learn - indeed, she's incredibly intelligent, and she's picking up skills fast - but he thinks she's far too young and is going to end up getting herself killed, and possibly Haze or the human with her. As long as she's on the team, however, Olan is careful to make sure one of his drones is hovering near her constantly, making sure nothing sneaks up on her.

Madran Deltis

Like Olan, Madran is a mysterious figure with some legend around him, though he's built his legend in a very different way. Olan doesn't quite see him as an equal - he is, after all, much older than the Turian - but he definitely thinks he's an asset to the team and gets along with him just fine.

Ryland 'R' Dilham

Olan doesn't like Ryland, though he won't tell him as much. He's polite and cool with him as he is with just about everyone. He also hasn't explained his reasoning for not liking the man. He just doesn't.

It's possible that, if the stories about Olan having participated in the Relay 314 incident are true, the Volus has some bad blood with humanity after the war. Olan also is known to hate rash decisions, and Ryland is certainly one of the rasher individuals around. Whatever the case, Olan speaks cordially with him, but keeps himself distant. It's because he keeps his distance that Ryland hasn't seen him yet.

Awesome Theme Song: Runners Eternal from Shadowrun Returns
Other:

Battle of Kingdoms

I work fast. I love designing settings.

But yeah, if you have any requests for a type of nation, region or the like to make, I'll be happy to draft something up. I plan to create a few more things as I find inspiration.

The next thing I have in mind is the undead-infested forest I mentioned earlier, the site of a great battle between elves and orcs: The Ghostwood. ...Yeah, I like descriptive names for landmarks. The Daggers, Blackfire Peak, etc. are easier to remember than, say... "The Kithmun Wood" or "The Angarash Mountains."

As an aside, Red River Valley is a great name for that very reason. It's an easy-to-remember name that probably describes the color of the river that runs through it. Makes it memorable.

Battle of Kingdoms

This should be done save for the friends/enemies section, but that can't be covered without other nations floating around.

So, here it is: the Commonwealth!

The Ogdaren-Torvelli Commonwealth

The Ogdaren-Torvelli Commonwealth

Ogdaren and Torvell are two distinct city-states, one dwarven and one human, located in the mountainous region known as The Daggers. While the dwarves have built a massive fortress in the mountains themselves, the humans of Torvell have settled in the foothills, enjoying the privilege of being the main "gateway" to Ahn-Karag. A third city, the dwarven port city of Kaloch, is a vassal to Ogdaren and serves as the second entryway into this dwarven realm.

Approximately seventy years ago, the two city-states found themselves beset by invaders on all sides. After managing to repel those invaders, they have since chosen to form a Commonwealth, the better to pool their resources for defense, industry and trade.

Dwarf Commoner

Religion: The dwarves of the Commonwealth worship Bruen, the god of writing, law, runic magic and trade. They tout him as the father of the dwarven race, though non-dwarven sects of the religion often disagree. The dwarves use a runic writing system based around this religion.

Most humans worship the Traveler's Star, a star that serves as a guide to any traveler at night. Their legends say that the star shows the way to their homeland, long since conquered by all manner of beasts, and they will one day reclaim it. Many humans have started worshiping Bruen, however, as the years of not returning home pass on by and their homeland becomes a distant memory.

Ruled By: Merchant Republic - The bourgeois wield great power in both city-states, especially in the human land, but power ultimately rests in the hands of a number of Merchant Princes. These Merchant Princes elect a Crowned Prince, who by law must be "of dwarven blood," to rule the Commonwealth for thirty years. Thus far, two Crowned Princes have ruled the cities, one ruling for fifty years until death and the second, present ruler, Crowned Prince Amglam Forisen, is still in the midst of his rule.

Enemies/Alliances:To Be Determined

Education System: As trade comes first and foremost in the Commonwealth, the studies of mathematics, writing and foreign cultures comes first and foremost. Astronomy, calligraphy and cartography are highly valued as well, and are the subject of several higher education institutes (which, of course, are by and large only accessible to those with wealthy backgrounds). Thus, among the populations of Torvell and Ogdaren, literacy is rather high (roughly 60-70%). The port city of Kaloch is comparably uneducated (roughly 20-30% literate); fishing and hard labor come before schooling there.

Defense/Weapons: The first defensive advantage of the Commonwealth is its natural barriers. With mountainous terrain and an ocean as natural barriers, most invaders would be hard pressed to find a good foothold. Furthermore, dwarven stonework being what it is, the walls that protect the three cities of the Commonwealth are mighty and firm. Even more damning for any would-be conquerors: there are enough ranches, vineyards and mushroom farms behind the walls to keep the defenders sustained for a long time.

The real weakness lies in the defenders. While the troops are well-equipped to hold the walls for a long time, most of the professional soldiers are mercenaries whose loyalties lie with their coinpurse and their families, not to the Crowned Prince. Assassins-for-hire are also plentiful. Invading forces, therefore, might be able to exploit this lack of unity in the professional ranks and turn some of them against the city itself.

Still, the mercenaries and militiamen of the Commonwealth are not to be underestimated. Dwarven crossbowmen are said to be impressive sharpshooters, and human militia mixed with dwarven Houseguards - those who protect the wealthy merchant houses - made for a sturdy frontline.

One of the unique weapons used by the soldiers of Ogdaren is the Wyrmfire: a magical tube with a dragon's head that spews fire from its jaws when its trigger is pulled. Coupled with burning oil, ballistae, and runic enchantments along the walls, this merchant's realm is prepared for a siege.

Caravans originating from the Commonwealth typically have crossbowmen and spearmen in their employ as guards.

Commonwealth Crossbowman

Commonwealth Spearman

Houseguard

Runepriest

Landmarks:
Ogdaren - An impregnable fortress-city dug into a mountain in the mountain range known as the Daggers. The populace is chiefly dwarven, though some humans and a rare few half-dwarves (derogatorily called "Halfmen") are among the populace. Its outer walls protect the ranches and vinyards this place is famous for.

Torvell - A walled, hilly human city at the base of the mountain. Streams of water from the mountain peaks flow together to form a river which sidles between the hills and down toward the forest below.

Kaloth - A rather poor port city known for its pubs and for being a mercenary hub. It has a higher crime rate than the other two cities in the Commonwealth. Surrounded by mountains and the ocean on all sides, this small, coastal port is connected to Ogdaren thanks to a well-constructed tunnel network; it is impossible to walk from Kaloth to either of the other cities without using the tunnels.

Blackfire Peak - Scorched black by dragonfire, this mountain is home to the terrible wyrm known as Vraul. Over two centuries ago, this black-scaled dragon came to the region and destroyed another dwarven city-state, a kingdom as Ulrund, and plundered it for everything it had. He has been a menace to the region ever since, burning farmlands, stealing cattle, killing peasants and plundering manors; only regular tributes of gold can stay his wrath. The Crowned Prince awaits the coming of heroes to slay this terrible beast and promises to reward such warriors handsomely.

Special Information: The politics within the Commonwealth are perhaps the deadliest within the world. There is even a saying based around this: "Never shake hands with a smiling dwarf lord." Great disputes are sometimes settled by duels, but assassinations, poisoned wine and strange "accidents" are much more common. Even the duels often have a dash of devilry to them; duelists have a habit of poisoning their swords and axes, the better to assure their victory. This may be the reason why dwarves are so resistant to poison.

Thankfully, most disputes do not require such overt acts of murder. Most are settled in the courts or with bribes and blackmail. Some Princes are prone to kidnapping the family of their rivals and using them as leverage to make another Prince vote in a way that is favorable to them. Wealthy families have adapted to this over time; kidnapping is not as traumatic to the people of the Commonwealth as it is for other peoples, and some view being kidnapped as a sort of vacation from the drudgery of day-to-day life. There is a sort of formal air to it, and the prisoners are often given reasonable quarters and a servant to assist them. Nevertheless, angering a rival may lead to the summary execution of these souls in gilded cages.

Assassins are honored members of dwarven society. These individuals do not dress in black leather and wear clothes that belong to men of the night; rather, they dress like ordinary citizens of the Commonwealth, the better to blend in with the people and go unnoticed. They are trained in the use of poison, explosives, and various forms of weaponry, especially the crossbow. Some are trained in runic or illusion magics. While their identities are secret, stories of an assassin's endeavors are spun everywhere, and it's a well known fact that the Merchant Princes employ assassins regularly. Still, some of these assassins tire of their work and become adventurers - a profession just as honored among the dwarven people, and one that lets the former assassin be adored by the public.

The bear is a favorite animal of the Commonwealth and is depicted in a great many of their works of art. They also have a fascination with keeping bears as pets and wearing bearskin cloaks.

Dwarves have three names: a given name, a last name, and a family name. Family names are carefully hidden from outsiders, and dwarves never introduce themselves to anyone but family with it. Their last name is usually a reference to their father. For example, Amglam Forisen's last name, Forisen, means "Son of Fori." His family name, which is unknown to outsiders, is a reference to the history of the family.

Battle of Kingdoms

Still working on my sheet, but I had a question: which of these flags do you think is better? Having trouble deciding.

Flag 1 - Orange and Blue

Flag 2 - Red and White

Mass Effect: Omega Serenade

I'll make a sheet some time today. Been working on other projects.

It'll be done before tonight for a fact. It's 11 a.m. where I am, so...

Battle of Kingdoms

Here's what I have so far.

The dragon has yet to be mentioned, but will be given a character sheet and a mention in the Landmarks section.

This dwarf-human Commonwealth is meant to draw themes from both Renaissance Italy and Medieval Scandinavia. I'll be adding stuff about political intrigue in this realm in the Special Information section. The idea is this: dwarves have the most cutthroat of politics, literally cutthroat politics. Assassins are going to be the norm in politics.

Open hider for page, etc.

The Ogdaren-Torvelli Commonwealth

The Ogdaren-Torvelli Commonwealth

Ogdaren and Torvel are two distinct city-states, one dwarven and one human, located in the mountainous region known as The Daggers. While the dwarves have built a massive fortress in the mountains themselves, the humans of Torvel have settled in the foothills, enjoying the privilege of being the main "gateway" to Ahn-Karag. A third city, the dwarven port city of Kaloch, is a vassal to Ogdaren and serves as the second entryway into this dwarven realm.

Approximately seventy years ago, the two city-states found themselves beset by invaders on all sides. After managing to repel those invaders, they have since chosen to form a Commonwealth, the better to pool their resources for defense, industry and trade.

Religion: The dwarves of the Commonwealth worship Bruen, the god of writing, law, runic magic and trade. They tout him as the father of the dwarven race, though non-dwarven sects of the religion often disagree, and use a runic writing system based around this religion.

Most humans worship the Traveler's Star, a star that serves as a guide to any traveler at night. Their legends say that the star shows the way to their homeland, long since conquered by all manner of beasts, and they will one day reclaim it. Many humans have started worshiping Bruen, however, as the years of not returning home pass on by and their homeland becomes a distant memory.

Ruled By: Merchant Republic - The bourgeois wield great power in both city-states, especially in the human land, but power ultimately rests in the hands of a number of Merchant Princes. These Merchant Princes elect a Crowned Prince, who by law must be "of dwarven blood," to rule the Commonwealth for thirty years. Thus far, two Crowned Princes have ruled the cities, one ruling for fifty years until death and the second, present ruler, Crowned Prince Amglam Forisen, is still in the midst of his rule.

Enemies/Alliances:To Be Determined
Education System: To Be Determined
Defense/Weapons: To Be Determined
Landmarks: To Be Determined
Special Information: Dwarves have three names: a given name, a last name, and a family name. Family names are carefully hidden from outsiders, and dwarves never introduce themselves to anyone but family with it. Their last name is usually a reference to their father. For example, Amglam Forisen's last name, Forisen, means "Son of Fori." His family name, which is unknown to outsiders, is a reference to the history of the family.

Battle of Kingdoms

I am. Just wanted to throw out the fact that I can make cheap, not-really-that-cool flags really quickly. Someone else would be better for the job, but yeah.