Sisyphus

Gods: Redux: a Deity RP

Ooh, could I also score the subdomain madness? If that's not super important to anyone else's conceptual space?

Gods: Redux: a Deity RP

Interested. Could I reserve the god of seas?

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

I must say, whoever was in charge of training us to be loyal and devout did a very poor job of it. I think Stina is the only one that actually fits the bill - the rest of us are apathetic, agnostic or even closet rebels.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah I like the angle of their slight antagonism - I think it would contrast well with the way he ribs everyone else for him to largely stay out of her way because she's, y'know, terrifying. My one note is that I figure it would just make more sense for the sparring match that he got injured in to have been meant to be an unarmed match, only for her to accidentally slip or get mad and blow him into a wall and break his arm. Just because I can't imagine anyone responsible for training them thinking that having Hassan and Ziotea spar with her allowed to use her powers would be a good idea or really end any other way than with Hassan smeared on the wall - that's the very definition of bringing a knife to a gun fight.

Ooh, unless they made him do that as part of the punishment for Hassan's bad attitude. That could be a cool dynamic, maybe even one that Ziotea was unaware of: their trainers threatened Hassan with going another few rounds with the human rocket launcher in order to bring him into line, and he resents her for that? Let me know what you think.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah I mean, the power level of the inquisitors as a rule seems to be 'Very high, but specific'. If Ziotea is the team's Heavy Weapons platform, I expect she would be able to basically just blow stuff/people apart, especially because it seems like a game more about RPing than combat anyway. I mean, look at the lineup so far - Rodion has invented a golem that is, functionally, a robot, Astraea can make any injury just sort of go away, Stina is a massive slab of muscle and metal who can run a three minute mile, Hassan is terrifying if you actually think about it, there's no telling what Tatiana could cook up... there ain't no wusses here.

As for how I think Hassan would get along with Ziotea... I have no idea. On one hand, he probably wouldn't mess with her too much on account of her being an angry human rocket launcher who's immune to his powers, and I doubt he'd really want any relationship with her beyond basic familiarity and friendliness, but at the same time she seems like a very anti-subjugation character and he is, by his nature, the ultimate subjugator, but maybe they'd get along in a work-sense due to their shared callousness towards their job? I don't know.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@deathbringer I really like the idea of Astraea being the keeper of Hassan's inner secrets, and the idea that that's kind of a source of tension and discomfort between them. I don't know about the 'allowing him to compel her' thing; it's a cool idea, but the way I imagined the player immunity to Hassan's powers is that it's more like a magic immune system rather than something that can be consciously turned off, and I think it'd make for better drama if the two were still more on edge about the whole thing anyway. Just a thought, though.

@OppositionJ I think Hassan would probably get along great with Tatiana - they're the most casual of the inquisitors so far, and I think they'd have a lot to bond over with their mutual insecurities about their roles and their tendency to avoid people outside of the squad. I'd even go so far as to say he's probably have some (possibly unrequited) romantic attraction to her that he has a great deal of trouble with. I think it'd be a fun challenge to his character, seeing as how he struggles sometimes with interacting with people he can't simply command. Of course, that's only if you're comfortable with it, of course - if you don't like it, they can be just good friends.

@The Angry Goat I am already hype for this bromance.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Alright, here're my thoughts on character relationships so far. I'll type these up more fully if you guys like the way they sound.

@Lovejoy Obviously, I don't know much about Ragnar yet, but I really like the little-big brother dynamic you described. Hassan probably feels pretty protective of Ragnar, but he'd be likely to express that in a standoffish way - he wants the kid to be his best and really come into his own, and that means having expectations of him.

@The Angry Goat Tying into their potential roles as Ragnar's surrogate big brothers, I think Stina and Hassan could potential be really good friends, if in a very opposite, vitriolic way. Though they're temperamentally very different, I think they'd respect each other's capabilities and willingness to go to extreme lengths to do what needs to be done. Either way, Hassan would probably spend a lot of time trying to get him to lighten up, if in a playful, friendly way.

@deathbringer I'm not sure about Hassan and Astraea. On one hand, they both seem like basically friendly people, and Hassan could probably understand Astraea's internal conflict better than most. On the other, Astraea might take issue with Hassan's severe coldness and his tendency to use people without a second thought, as she seems like an empathetic person while he has trouble remembering sometimes that normal people are, y'know, people. I think there's a lot for us to discuss here.

@Drakey Man, Hassan is gonna love messing with Rodion. I don't know yet whether it will be just friendly teasing or some actual rivalry, but I can already tell that he'll often be the target of Hassan's ribbing, and Hassan might also have some rivalry with him due to the diametrically opposed nature of their talents. We'll see.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Hey, question: What do people, like, eat? I can't imagine there's much agriculture in a frozen world. Are there, like, huge ether-powered indoor farms where all the food comes from? I think that'd be the way to do it.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Name: Hassan Qureshi

Age: 21

Height/Weight: 6’4”, 195 lbs.

Race: T’sarae

Appearance: Hassan is tall and thin, as well-muscled as an Inquisitor should be but with an emphasis towards lean mass. His skin is tanned (moreso than in the image – good art of non-white steampunk characters is hard to find), befitting his heritage, and his black hair and beard are kept closely trimmed. His face is almost never without its characteristic smirk, his eyes always glinting as though at some joke he hasn’t told yet.

Picture

As far as clothing is concerned, Varyan inquisitors wear a black form-fitting coat, with light armour covering the shoulders and chest. Smaller armoured pieces are worn over the wrists and boots. There is subtle red stitching lining the cuffs and outer flaps of the Inquisitor's black coat. Lastly, the symbol of Lord Varya, a red phoenix, adorns the breastplate. Males and females wear the same uniform.

Personality: From an outside perspective, Hassan is best described as a bit of a goofball – he’s quick-witted and friendly, always cracking a joke for his friends or playing a prank on those who annoy him. He’s almost incapable of taking anything seriously, a tendency that caused him a great deal of trouble in the Red Seminary. He exudes an aura of casualness and ease in almost any situation, and he has a confidence in his own abilities that borders on an ego problem. He prefers not to trouble himself with matters of deep religious thought, paying adequate respect to his god with no particular devotion or zeal, though that has not stopped him half-jokingly titling himself ‘The Word of God’.
Of course, all of that is something of a veneer. Underneath it, Hassan is a troubled person, deeply frightened of his own coldness and desperate to be the master of his own destiny. His casualness is born from a feeling that he is in control of any situation he enters into, and nothing makes him more unsettled than feeling that control taken away. He fears his fellow ether-manipulators due to his lack of power over them, yet at the same time he feels desperately a need for their companionship and approval due to his severe difficulty empathizing with anyone else – he relies on his powers totally in any interaction with anyone who can be affected by them in a way that makes it very difficult for him to have inter-personal relationships, which of course has resulted in him largely avoiding such interactions when possible. He’s funny, he’s charming, he’s always thinking, and yet he has a lot of trouble interfacing with a world that will not simply Do As He Says, and he knows it.

Background: Hassan was born the only son of two naturalized T’saraeni, scientists who had risen far in the government of Varya through their contributions to military technology – it was his father that designed the modern iteration of tanks used by the Varyan military, the armored backbone of the nation’s warmachine.
It was only natural that his etheric abilities would be noticed before long, with his family’s close proximity to the seat of power – especially because, as a child, the young Hassan quickly found himself with more power than he could handle. Upon the first manifestation of his abilities, he spent about half a day tyrannizing the Varyan palace’s kitchen staff before a squad of priests broke down the barricade he had ordered put up and pulled the child kicking and screaming away from his pile of pastries. From that moment on, he was identified as a great asset to the priesthood and taught to master his gifts in the Red Seminary, despite his attitude problems.
Hassan has long since lost count of the amount of times he nearly died during training, for a bewildering variety of reasons. Eventually, he learned to be compliant with his instructors, if not exactly a model student, and persevered through the training thanks to his cunning, his reflexes, and, of course, his powers.

Talents/Ethereal Abilities:
The Word: Hassan can imbue his voice with etheric energy in a way that affects the mind of anyone who hears it. Commands must be obeyed, from the simple such as ‘sit down’, to the complex such as ‘lead us to your hideout, unlock the door, and don’t tell anyone we’re coming’ – though of course instructions with multiple steps or which will need to last a long time eat up his ether reserves fast, so on the whole he greatly prefers being concise. Questions must be answered immediately and honestly to the best of the answerer’s ability. This power is inelegant, however, and as a result it’s quite easy for anyone skilled in etheric manipulation to counter it – oftentimes, they won’t even realize that they’re doing it.
Infiltrator: For the most part, Hassan relies heavily on his powers in the line of duty – however, he has also received a good deal of training in the arts of stealth over the course of the Red Seminary, from how to quietly enter a fortified location to slipping through a city street or a dark night without being seen. In combat, he prefers to use either his compact officer’s pistol or one of the several short knives he keeps on his person, though he absolutely detests fighting fair and will try to gain an advantage by any means necessary.

Personal Seal: A yellow symbol from the ancient T’saeran language on a white background: قول, meaning ‘word’.

Character Relationships: Once the cast is chosen, we're going to collaborate on creating the shared histories between the different people of our group. Your characters can be anything from friends, enemies, lovers, ect. Remember, you've all spent your time years training in the Red Seminary together and have suffered and bled throughout your time there, so your relationships must be forged of your experiences during that time together.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Name: Hassan Qureshi

Age: 21

Height/Weight: 6’4”, 195 lbs.

Race: T’sarae

Appearance: Hassan is tall and thin, as well-muscled as an Inquisitor should be but with an emphasis towards lean mass. His skin is tanned (moreso than in the image – good art of non-white steampunk characters is hard to find), befitting his heritage, and his black hair and beard are kept closely trimmed. His face is almost never without its characteristic smirk, his eyes always glinting as though at some joke he hasn’t told yet.

Picture

As far as clothing is concerned, Varyan inquisitors wear a black form-fitting coat, with light armour covering the shoulders and chest. Smaller armoured pieces are worn over the wrists and boots. There is subtle red stitching lining the cuffs and outer flaps of the Inquisitor's black coat. Lastly, the symbol of Lord Varya, a red phoenix, adorns the breastplate. Males and females wear the same uniform.

Personality: From an outside perspective, Hassan is best described as a bit of a goofball – he’s quick-witted and friendly, always cracking a joke for his friends or playing a prank on those who annoy him. He’s almost incapable of taking anything seriously, a tendency that caused him a great deal of trouble in the Red Seminary. He exudes an aura of casualness and ease in almost any situation, and he has a confidence in his own abilities that borders on an ego problem. He prefers not to trouble himself with matters of deep religious thought, paying adequate respect to his god with no particular devotion or zeal, though that has not stopped him half-jokingly titling himself ‘The Word of God’.
Of course, all of that is something of a veneer. Underneath it, Hassan is a troubled person, deeply frightened of his own coldness and desperate to be the master of his own destiny. His casualness is born from a feeling that he is in control of any situation he enters into, and nothing makes him more unsettled than feeling that control taken away. He fears his fellow ether-manipulators due to his lack of power over them, yet at the same time he feels desperately a need for their companionship and approval due to his severe difficulty empathizing with anyone else – he relies on his powers totally in any interaction with anyone who can be affected by them in a way that makes it very difficult for him to have inter-personal relationships, which of course has resulted in him largely avoiding such interactions when possible. He’s funny, he’s charming, he’s always thinking, and yet he has a lot of trouble interfacing with a world that will not simply Do As He Says, and he knows it.

Background: Hassan was born the only son of two naturalized T’saraeni, scientists who had risen far in the government of Varya through their contributions to military technology – it was his father that designed the modern iteration of tanks used by the Varyan military, the armored backbone of the nation’s warmachine.
It was only natural that his etheric abilities would be noticed before long, with his family’s close proximity to the seat of power – especially because, as a child, the young Hassan quickly found himself with more power than he could handle. Upon the first manifestation of his abilities, he spent about half a day tyrannizing the Varyan palace’s kitchen staff before a squad of priests broke down the barricade he had ordered put up and pulled the child kicking and screaming away from his pile of pastries. From that moment on, he was identified as a great asset to the priesthood and taught to master his gifts in the Red Seminary, despite his attitude problems.
Hassan has long since lost count of the amount of times he nearly died during training, for a bewildering variety of reasons. Eventually, he learned to be compliant with his instructors, if not exactly a model student, and persevered through the training thanks to his cunning, his reflexes, and, of course, his powers.

Talents/Ethereal Abilities:
The Word: Hassan can imbue his voice with etheric energy in a way that affects the mind of anyone who hears it. Commands must be obeyed, from the simple such as ‘sit down’, to the complex such as ‘lead us to your hideout, unlock the door, and don’t tell anyone we’re coming’ – though of course instructions with multiple steps or which will need to last a long time eat up his ether reserves fast, so on the whole he greatly prefers being concise. Questions must be answered immediately and honestly to the best of the answerer’s ability. This power is inelegant, however, and as a result it’s quite easy for anyone skilled in etheric manipulation to counter it – oftentimes, they won’t even realize that they’re doing it.
Infiltrator: For the most part, Hassan relies heavily on his powers in the line of duty – however, he has also received a good deal of training in the arts of stealth over the course of the Red Seminary, from how to quietly enter a fortified location to slipping through a city street or a dark night without being seen. In combat, he prefers to use either his compact officer’s pistol or one of the several short knives he keeps on his person, though he absolutely detests fighting fair and will try to gain an advantage by any means necessary.

Personal Seal: A yellow symbol from the ancient T’saeran language on a white background: قول, meaning ‘word’.

Character Relationships: Once the cast is chosen, we're going to collaborate on creating the shared histories between the different people of our group. Your characters can be anything from friends, enemies, lovers, ect. Remember, you've all spent your time years training in the Red Seminary together and have suffered and bled throughout your time there, so your relationships must be forged of your experiences during that time together.