"Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when you are seriously injured, it will keep you awake and angry, and remind you to finish the job and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain? It lets you know you aren't dead yet!"
Perhaps the bloodiest conflict in human history, a war filled with suffering on a global scale. A black mark in human history that couldn't be washed away with any amount of bleach or steel wool. Blood and suffering on a scale that large doesn't go unnoticed, not by our world and not by the other side.
Whether or not we choose to see it or believe it, humanity is involved with a war against an opponent that defies the laws of nature itself. An enemy that prefers to stay within the shadows and go unseen, only rearing it's ugly head at the pinnacle of human suffering. When blood is spilled, the other side gains strength. An enemy who's borders aren't measured in miles or feet but fear and souls. World War 2 nearly gave the other side enough power to drown the light of our world. Were it not for the actions of a brave few, mankind would have drowned in evil.
As you could probably tell from the lovely opening, this story will be set in World War 2 and will be following characters of a supernatural background, characters who were fighting a war not only against the Nazis but against the unseen enemy from the other side.
Your character is a former member of the OSS who was first recruited for a new and secret organization created by FDR. With the Nazis' Thule Society searching for ways to win the war with the occult, FDR founded the group known as B.A.T., short for Bureau of Arcane Technology; a group comprised of occult experts, historians, and OSS agents. Their mission was similar, research the occult for ways to stop the Nazis and disrupt their efforts if possible. Your character is tenacious and has a talent for finding correlations where others may see nothing. With that skill, she was able to stumble on an American conspiracy that dates all the way back to Andrew Johnson concerning a man who had been a vampire that was personally pardoned from a death sentence from the President himself. Subsequently, she began finding other heavily redacted reports that she began realizing involved this vampire. That's when she gets summoned by the President himself...and that is where our RP will open.
Our ancestors told us stories of the world our people had once inhabited. The fae refer to it as "Thysyrael Jhal", the dwarves referred to it as "Warrev Had", and mankind called it "The Lost Lands". A place that was lush, where one could see massive oceans of water and need not worry about blistering heat or scorching deserts. A place that sadly had to be abandoned. No one is certain how these creatures came to be. All that is known is that they were mindless and monstrous beings that only existed to spread their sickness and spread death like a wildfire. The "Shyr Polaes", the Blood Drinkers. Our ancestors were desperate, fighting a losing battle and losing more and more ground to these demons everyday. They couldn't fight this threat alone and so, they did the only thing they could do. They prayed. They prayed to the Gods, prayed for the Sunriders to intervene and save their loyal subjects lest their world be consumed by the Shyr Polaes.
The Gods answered in kind, leading those seeking to escape to what the ancestors collectively referred to as “The Conduit”, an ancient structure believed to be as old as the Gods themselves. With the combined efforts of the old magic, the most powerful of the ancestors shamans and mages awoke The Conduit, opening a portal to new and unfamiliar lands, a place that the Shyr Polaes could not survive and where our ancestors could perhaps survive and start anew.
“Aezoli Jhal”, The Exiled Lands. A place of shifting sand and sun beaten stone, seemingly comprised only of deserts and rocky canyons. A place seemingly inhospitable to any form of life, especially the Shyr Polaes as our ancestors forced them into the Deep Desert where they were exiled to die. Little else is known of the time after the Exodus. What is known is that our ancestors began spreading out in search of places to call home. The dwarves took to the mountains, digging deep and thriving despite the harsh world as they constructed massive citadels. Many fae took to the deserts, becoming nomadic tribes that wandered the shifting sands. Tribes of man took to the deserts in search of more hospitable lands, others settling on the first sources of water they could find, and others settling on in the ruins of what were once Sunrider cities. However, the ancestors were not the first to settle these harsh deserts; nor were the Sunriders for that matter.
From the deserts came the monstrous reptile men, the Gleekon, barbaric raider tribes that have been witnessed to be thousands strong. Tribes that live only to spread and kill. The gleekon brought war to our ancestors for hundreds if not thousands of years, none suffering quite as much as the dwarves as tribes united to throw themselves at the mountain citadels of the dwarves. Though dealt major defeats, the gleekon are by no means defeated. The nomadic fae tribes wage constant war with gleekon raiding parties and the larger tribes still are a very real problem for the dwarven citadels
Hello!
I am assuming because you have gotten this far that I have gotten your attention and you wish to know a little more about what exactly this story and setting have in store for us. After all, I did say that we would be playing both heroes AND villains in this story, did I not? Well, the story is fairly simple from the heroes perspective. In this world, these desert colonies require precious resources from time to time that they themselves do not have. So to aid these colonies, the Runner's Guild was formed. Our characters would be a pair of these runners, yours being a green recruit who has joined up for whatever reason you please and mine would be the grizzled veteran who shows them the outside world and teaches them how to survive in it. That is, until they take a job that puts them on a path that will effect the very world itself.
Our villains however, their a bit more complicated. Your character is an ancient sorceress known as Ne'hekara, The Black Empress and Queen of Tombs. She has been imprisoned in the Deep Deserts since before the Exodus and before the spreading of the Shyr Polaes. She would be awoken by the slaves of my character, a descendant of the Shyr Polaes and lord of what are now known as "The Wamphyri", a race of highly intelligent predators that lurk within the Deep Deserts and seek to spread out and take revenge on mortal kind.
However,
I'm afraid I cannot divulge anymore lest I give away too much story. What goods a story if you have all the interesting bits? Want to know more? Want to explore the Deep Deserts and explore some Sunrider vaults? Then you simply need to do one thing and one thing only...
Sunset City Channel 3 _______B R E A K I N G__N E W S_______
Television programs all across Sunset City were turned to Channel 3 news as the usual 2 o'clock anchor, William Knight (of the Knight Report) turned to the camera. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"I am William Knight. We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you breaking news as there is an armed robbery in progress at Sunset City Federal Bank. The perpetrators are Australian criminals, Jamison Fawkes and Mako Rutledge; known more famously by their aliases Junkrat and Roadhog"he said.
As he spoke, images of the criminals' mugshots appeared in the top right corner.
"Their spree of mayhem and chaos has caused untold millions in property damage around the world. Last year these deranged criminals managed to steal the Crown of London and have appeared to set their sights on Sunset City. I'm being told now that the Channel 3 Chopper is currently in the air following the high speed pursuit. We go now live to Rob Frost in the Channel 3 Chopper, Rob?"he said.
Cut to live footage of a sprawling city, camera pointed at the streets below as an armored truck barreled through traffic with no regard for the safety of others, police cars following close behind.
"Thank you Will. We are currently following the pursuit below as criminals Junkrat and Roadhog have made off with an estimated 35 million in cash. The police are in hot pursuit and...wait a minute. The back door is opening"he said.
From the back of the vehicle, a short figure climbed onto the roof and seemed to be carrying something. A weapon. He fired it at the oncoming police cars and a bright explosion occurred, opening a hole into the sewer below that sent the nearest cars crashing into it.
"My god! They appear to be armed with some sort of explosive weapon and are slowing the police down considerably. It appears...."he began.
Suddenly the anchor noticed it. A pair of miniature projectiles with smoke trails. Rockets. Rockets that hit the choppers tail and sent it spinning out of control and careening toward the street below.
"We're going down! We're going down!"he said.
Just before it seemed the channel was going to cut back to Knight, a figure leaped out of nowhere and landed on the front of the helicopter. It wore a cybernetic suit of armor that had a pair of 'ears' on either side of the head, perfect rectangles that were at least a foot long and it was holding on tight, using a series of jet bursts to stabilize the spin before pointing an arm out and firing some sort of metal chord at a nearby building. With a sudden jolt and the sudden roar of jets, the helicopter swung to a halt and landed safely on an open stretch of road. The figure let go as the chord whined back into the arm. It wasn't hard to recognize who it was. The Jack Rabbit.
"Well, wasn't that fun kids? Please exit the helicopter and remember, hugs not drugs!"The Jack Rabbit said in a synthesized voice as it was backing up, giving a piece sign (or bunny ears) to the camera before turning and running after the truck, jets propelling it up and forward at incredible speed and velocity as it leaped over vehicles and swung with the grappling gun.
The camera shakily turns to Rob, clearly shaken.
"B-b-back to you..."he said
Wanna know more? PM me and we can trek down this rabbit hole together!
NOTE: I am fully aware Junkrat and Roadhog are Overwatch characters, I merely added them because I figured they would be a fun addition to the stories universe. I am an avid Overwatch fan if my avatar wasn't perfect evidence of that
STR 11 (+0) | DEX 14 (+1) | CON 13 (+1) INT 11 (+0) | WIS 15 (+2) | CHA 15 (+2)
Saving Throws: DEX & CHA Skills: Acrobatics, Slight of Hand, Insight, Deception, Mobile Tools: Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Pan Flute, Lyre Languages: Common & Elvish
Arms & Armour
Armour | Leather Duster Weapons | Rapier | Lute
Appearance
Age: 25 | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 182 lbs.
Varrus is a man of average height and lean build, often described as looking as though he could be royalty were circumstances different. Varrus's chocolate brown hair is often in the style of an undercut with neat facial hair the same length as the short hair it connects to. He often has an eyebrow raised as though he is constantly intrigued and often has a powerful gaze that could seemingly see into one's soul.
More often than not, he sports a blue leather duster with orange accents and a pair of fine leather boots, a gift from a former lover. On his hands he wears a pair of brown leather gloves and beneath that he wears a silver ring on his left index finger. Across his back is always his prized lute and on his hip he carries his rapier, ready to strike at a moments notice should things turn sour as they always seemed to do
Name: "Charlotte" | Age: 15 | Size: 3 ft. long | Weight: 4 lbs.
Varrus was a lowly street rat growing up without a copper to his name. He did whatever was necessary to survive and earn his coin. The moment he could afford it, he bought himself a lute and taught himself to play. Charlotye has been by his side since he was 15 years old and has seen him through both good times and bad. Charlotte has helped him earn the few coppers he'd need to stave off starvation and warm the hearts of the downtrodden. A life without music is a life not worth living...
Personality
Main Mood: Jovial | Fave Food: Bread and Jam | Pet Peeve: Boredom | Style of Battle: Dirty and Fast
Varrus is an adventurer at heart with a love for life, believing that one should experience all that life has to offer whether good or bad. You have to look for the good but always be prepared for the bad. We are born free and should live our lives as such. No boundaries, no regrets. When push comes to shove, Varrus has no problem playing dirty. He'd rather be a living scoundrel then an honorable dead man.
Origin
Varrus was only a boy when he took to the streets, merely 8 years old to be precise. He knew even at a young age that his mother could only get him so far in his life. He wasn't destined to be someone who faded into the background, not destined to grow up and die in the same hamlet he'd been born. The world was too big for such things and Varrus didn't intend to live a small an uneventful night. That was when young Varrus gathered what meager possessions he had and ran from home. It was fun at first, an adventure as he roamed into the strange wilderness. It was then that young Varrus learned a hard truth. The world was not a kind place and didn't often reward people, especially motherless boys with a want for adventure...
Varrus learned to survive anyway that he could. Pickpocket, eavesdrop, smuggle, but most importantly he learned how to fight to keep his riches. After saving his coin, he eventually sought to buy himself a lute and teach himself to play. At first, it was merely to pass the time and keep his mind busy. As he learned, he found he had a real knack for playing and an even better knack at telling stories. He started off playing on the street, earning the coin of passersby. Soon, he was called upon by minor lords and ladies to play. In time, he didn't need to steal to survive; he was living a life of luxury. Still, it didn't stop him however from stealing anyway. Nothing beat the thrill of a successful con. Even so, Varrus never stayed anywhere for too long. The world was huge and Varrus intended on exploring every nook and cranny and experiencing adventure till he couldn't possibly venture anymore.
Writing Sample
Varrus met Sebastian one night while in Baldur's Gate, more specifically outside a tavern by the name of 'The Spoiled Princess'. Varrus had been passing through Baldur's Gate in search of a new adventure when he found his way into 'The Spoiled Princess'. He'd settled down for a hot meal and drink when he'd noticed a few eyes from across the tavern. Not Cassandra or Sebastian mind you, no. When you were someone like Varrus, you didn't get to where you were without stepping on a few toes and cheating a few people who deserved it. Varrus had made the mistake some time ago of taking off with a valuable artifact he'd been tasked with smuggling. When Varrus saw what it was, he couldn't resist. He swapped the artifact, turned tail, and took off with the gold he was owed in hand. Needless to say, his 'previous employer' didn't take kindly to being cheated. That was were the goons who'd eyed Varrus came in.
"You have something our boss wants, bard" one of the goons said. Varrus sat back and with a goblet of wine in hand, smiling as though he didn't realize he was about to be beaten to death by 2 men who were much larger and much stronger than him.
"I honestly don't know what your talking about. I'm merely a weary wanderer looking to rest his bones and fill his belly with a hot meal and wine. Perhaps I can offer you both some and we can talk" Varrus replied. One seemed to consider it and was about to speak but quickly thought better as he took an elbow in the rib from his associate.
"Stuff it Varrus, The Spider wants what you owe him. Now, you can either give us the artifact and we can be on our way or you can give us your life" the goon said. Varrus sighed in agitation and sipped his wine. The price he had to pay he supposed.
"Boys, I don't have the artifact. I sold it weeks ago. Now if you want my life, fine. You can surely try and take it. Outside of course, I'd rather not get blood all over the table" he replied with a sip of his wine. The goons smiled crooked smiles, clearly getting an answer they'd been hoping for. They led the way outside, unaware that something was missing from the table. Varrus followed and the goons smiled at the bard, one holding a dagger and one an ax. Varrus smiled. "Come on boys, you are clearly stronger and bigger than me? Do you really need a knife and an ax to do me in? How about fight me like men?" he said. The goons smirked and shrugged, dropping there weapons and sliding them aside.
"Your call bard, just means you'll die slower" he said. Varrus smirked.
"I'll certainly die my large friend, but it isn't tonight and it isn't by two inbred thugs who can't seem to use their eyes" he taunted. That was when the largest of the goons charged at him, head down like a bull in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Varrus spun, coat flourishing in the wind, a flash of silver against the light as the goon dropped to his knees. He clawed at his throat and sputtered, choking. The thug who hadn't charged Varrus looked at the two and saw why his friend was choking. Varrus had palmed a knife from the table inside and used it to slash open the brutes throat.
"BASTARD!" he yelled before Varrus flourished the knife and threw it into the man's crotch, bringing him to his knees.
"Oh shit! I am so sorry! I was aiming for your foot!" he said as he approached slowly. He finished the ordeal with a knee in the brutes face and a finger pointed at him. "I don't OWE your boss anything. YOU owe ME your life! So, I'm gonna let you keep it if you complete a small task for me. You go to The Spider, you tell him what happened here, and you tell him I'm not to be disturbed. Am I clear?" he said. The thug nodded furiously as Varrus smiled and pat his cheek. "Smart man" he said as he stood. That was when he saw that a man was watching him. A man dressed in blue and black with a red cloak who eyed him. Varrus looked embarrassed and offered a slight bow.
He apologized for what he had seen and he had smiled and told him it was quite alright. In fact, he was looking for someone like him. Someone who clearly could handle a sticky situation and didn't mind getting his hands dirty. When he offered Varrus a chance at adventure, the bard leaped on it like a stray on scraps. He didn't need the promise of gold, merely the promise of adventure. Varrus offered his rapier, his wit, and his lute to service this man on his quest and all those involved. THAT, was how Varrus Viccarian met the mysterious Sebastian.
Features & Traits
Defiant Luck - Reroll a saving throw or cause an enemy to reroll a critical hit confirmation against you
False Identity - You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.
Spellcasting - You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations Cantrips - You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table. Bardic Inspiration - You can inspire others through stirring words or music. To do so, you use a Bonus Action on Your Turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, Attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls The D20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Your Bardic Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.
Prepared Spells
Spell Save DC 12 | Spell Attack Modifier +4 | Max Spells Prepared 4
Vicious Mockery - V, 60 feet , Instant - Wisdom Save throw or take 1d4 psychic damage
Dancing Light - V S M (a bit of phosphorus or wychwood, or a glowworm), 120 feet , Concentration, up to 1 minute - Action
Charm Person - V S, 30 feet, 1 hour - Wisdom Saving Throw
Unseen Servant - V S M (a piece of string and a bit of wood), 60 feet , 1 Hour - Action
Sleep - V S M (a pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a cricket), 90 feet , 1 Minute - Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures this spell can affect
Other
Set of fine clothes Signet ring of an imaginary duke Belt pouch containing 15 gp