Skull

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ

Here’s my character. @LordOfTheNight I’ll be pming you in a bit about his backstory to clear it for lore’s sake.

Vardi Zaitsev

s p e c i e s: Human

a g e: 32

h e i g h t / w e i g h t: 5’10”/ 193 lbs

g e n d e r: Male

Attributes

s t a t s

• Strength - 14
• Agility - 14
• Endurance - 20
• Will - 10
• Intelligence - 10
• Charisma - 6

s k i l l s

• Battle Instincts: Vardi is well-versed in weaponry and martial combat, an earned skill from his Battlerage days. He can grasp the strengths and weaknesses of an individual soldier, or an entire army’s stratagem, but he doesn’t have the tact, or the patience, to detail it to others.
• Basic Magic: Most Battleragers are trained in the basic principles of learned magic. Vardi, while a natural in physical combat, needs enchanted armor pieces to amplify his efforts on this front. Vardi can summon basic fire, ice, and wind spells, all of which can only ignite from the clawed-tips of his magic gauntlets.
• Superior Stamina: I know not what devices spur his relentless savagery, but pray he never holds a grudge against you.
• Basic Enchanted Armor Smithing: Vardi is a pragmatist that only smiths to maintain his armor—especially the gauntlets—and his alone. This skill was birthed by necessity, for he grew tired of being at the whim of an unreliable blacksmith whenever his armor broke down. Vardi’s smithing is uninspired, crude, and often inconsistent, but it works well enough for his standards. On the rare occasion he needs the expertise of a Master Blacksmith, it will be, without a doubt, an unpleasant business transaction for all parties involved.

Inventory

w e a p o n s

• Devil's Teeth: These Battlerage mementoes are an ambitious design, the result of a tumultuous collaboration between fae and dwarven inventors. While these items can’t produce magic independently, it can amplify its user’s abilities. In order to maintain elemental influxes, the gauntlet’s durability also increases when magic is activated via alchemical reaction. The gauntlet’s clawed-finger tips are the primary emission sources; Vardi can activate these claws when summoning magic or for melee purposes. Even with these enchanted gloves, Vardi can’t summon elemental projectiles; he can only supercharge the gauntlet’s claws with whatever element he uses. Therefore, whatever he touches will be effected by the magic currently activated.

a r m o r

• Head - None
• Chest - Hepatizon Cuirass
• Left Arm - Devil's Fang Gauntlet
• Right Arm - Devil's Fang Gauntlet
• Left Leg - Leather Boot
• Right Leg - Leather Boot

e q u i p m e n t
Note: These items are kept in pouches strewn along his utility belt.

• Painkiller Vials: Sure, it dulls the pain, but it mainly prevents him from succumbing to rage, especially when in the thick of battle.
• Mana Vials: This is used to cool down his gauntlets at the end of battle, or when he’s rapidly switching elements without delay. These prevent combustive overreactions between its special metals and magic-boosting properties.
• Dwarven Armor Repair Kit: Uncommon smithing tools meant for on-the-go repairs. Their imbued metal properties allow for mending of slight indentations, cracks, and breaks.
• Currency: 10 silver and 10 copper.

Info

a p p e a r a n c e
This man is not a towering beast, but a dangerous one nonetheless. The cold grey in his eyes, the left, slightly mangled by a tragically healed scar, are portals to savagery. His rugged, dark brown hair is kept at neck length; Strands that grow any further are cut with the sharp ends of his gauntlets. Facial grooming is based on however he feels, shaving only when growing a thick beard becomes a nuisance. His long-sleeved brown tunic is made with the same breathable leathers as his slacks and boots, but it also has a fur-capped hood for colder climates. The Hepatizon cuirass and gauntlets, vestiges of his past life, look beaten and weathered down.

p e r s o n a l i t y
Vardi was always a crude vagrant. He was a menace then, before The Night Twins branded the left side of his face with fire acid, and he is a menace now, perhaps more than ever, because of it. What stands before you is a man subdued by vengeance and anger. It is permanently creased into his demeanor, constantly brewing, waiting to be unearthed. Whatever goodness is left in his ashen heart is kept, sparingly, for a select few. This comes as no surprise, what with having been burned (figuratively & literally) by those who were once close to him. Vardi’s softer side is usually exclusive towards people who remind him of the good from his past. His accent has a southern drawl. It reverberates with his deep voice like the hull of a wooden ship, groaning in turbulent seas.

l i k e s

• Fighting
• Any thrill-seeking situation that involves physical risk.
• Destroying things
• Drinking
• Gleekons
• Hunting Gleekons for sport
• Sand sledding

d i s l i k e s

• The Night Twins, Zephrot & Icom
• Authority - more so being told what to do
• Formalities
• Snooty personalities
• Fixing his equipment

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ

Should have my sheet up by tonight.

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

@LordOfTheNight Thanks again for being patient and answering all of our questions. Looking forward to this!

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

I also forgot to mention, there is a way to navigate but maps are kinda useless. The sands are continually shifting so the best way to navigate is by the stars themselves

@LordOfTheNight

Oh sorry, my question was about whether you’ll have information in the OOC that will detail geographic areas like cities or factions and kingdoms like Scrivener mentioned, you know like a map or layout for players to get a better sense of the area.

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

I’m in agreement with the graded stat system for attributes/abilities.

Also, will there be a map or locations description of major cities/areas?

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

I’m all for a detailed cs but how in depth with stats would you plan to take it?

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

Wow, thank you for the quick and detailed response! I like the natives you described. I was thinking of coming up with a reptilian race, but looks like you got that covered. So, just confirming: Boga are the main source/only source for ground transportation, and there are no airships?

@Guardj Don’t see why Egyptian-influenced locations wouldn’t be welcomed. I figured the look of the rp would have an aesthetic variety inspired by Egypt, Persia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan etc., and just so happens to have dwarves and fae.

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

The concept is pretty interesting and got me thinking up some questions regarding the lore:

1. How much does the general public know about the Makers? Are they an active, unseen force, and do they govern any territories? Do they hold any influence over how magic is used in this world?

2. How long ago was it since the ancestors migrated to these lands? Also, did they do a Noah’s Ark kind of thing and try and bring animals, seeds and stuff, with them?

3. Is the Conduit at a sacred known location, or is it buried in the sand like a lost artifact?

4. Are there any preexisting natives that were born there, unlike the ancestors?

5. What’s the technology like in association with magic, and magical artifacts? Are there airships, vehicles, etc.?

6. Is there a standard currency?

That’s all I can think of for now!

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Father Solim Vimat

Character Name: Father Solim Vimat

Age: 19

Height/Weight: 5’10” (178 cm)/160 lbs (73 kg)

Gender: Male

Race: Omestrian

Physical Description:

The most striking thing about Solim are his light amber eyes. Aside from their irregular chroma, they can at times elicit emotion that doesn’t require words. His lanky build and gaunt facial features are accentuated by taut, brown skin. Save the clean shaven face, his entire body is covered in scars. The sandy brown hair on his head is long and curly on top, and kept shaved close to the skin at the sides. While his eyes are clear identifiers of his ethnic background, the turbaned cloak he dons over his Inquisitor uniform punctuates it rather boldly. This garment matches his outfit’s black and red color scheme, symbolizing the union between Lord Vayra and Omestris.

The more traditional version is only worn off duty. The patterns and choice colors symbolize many things: The base, parchment color represents the white sands of the afterlife, with the layered blues and reds signifying the ancient battle between fire and ice. Lastly, the waves patterned from the left shoulder and down, is water that trickles to The Left Hand, an homage to the Omestrian-Vimat tribe’s beliefs. The beads stringed from the collar are a representation of Solim’s family tree. The string of beads and trinkets snaking around the turban piece, represent his life’s journey up to this point.

The garment worn with the inquisitor uniform is simpler by comparison. It isn’t accessorized with beads and trinkets, or intricately patterned, like the traditional version. Its basic design matches the uniform with its black base color, mildly accentuated by a red trim. The front side of the turbaned cloak is kept draped away, making his inquisitor attire more visible, and identifying him as a proper authority.

Personality:

Neither the icy hell of our world, nor the cruelty of man like The Great Bear himself, can dilute the kindness in Solim's heart. He is a lantern in the void that burns with spirit, curiosity, and child-like wonder. Unlike the truth seekers and pursuers of knowledge spurred by status or elitism, Solim is motivated by simply absorbing, analyzing, and reflecting all things within the ether.

Yet, underneath all of his zen-like sanctity exists a fun-loving goofball. A good prank or two (or three) is never beneath him, befitting of a humble (if not peculiar) mystic, one who’d never claim to be holier-than-thou (unless it’s on the topic of making animal sounds, for which he is the self-proclaimed, undisputed master).

Solim is passable when socializing within the Inquisition hierarchy. His genuine charm can be mistaken for ignorance or cultural misunderstanding, and his peculiar ether gifts, though useful, tends to keep cohorts at arm's length. Despite the reservations his peers and colleagues might have, Solim's ability as a teammate within the Goliath Warband is recognized as a valuable asset.

He is guided by an open minded belief system, one that is adopted from an old philosophy of his origin tribe. He acknowledges Lord Vayra as a deity, but viewed more as an integral piece in the grander picture. While this is can be debated as a heretical way of thinking, Solim doesn’t believe another figure is higher in authority. It is a nebulous loop hole that the church doesn’t bother exploiting, mostly because of his asset value within the Inquisition, further vouched for by the likes of Father Gregoroth and Father Antonin.

Background:

My people, disenfranchised and shackled, are the life force of this world; A drop of our blood grants reprieve from the endless cold, a vaccination to sustain life. They say we our tainted, an abomination, yet the ancient feud that gave us our cursed blood is what turns civilization’s wheel. Whether as slaves or lab rats, our free will is dust at the feet of our ancestors, dust to which you use to keep warm at night. I speak on this so that you may understand an Omestrian’s pain, anger, and frustration, but to also understand that he is not like us. In fact, he is not like us in many ways, but at the same time, he represents the very best of us. How this came to be, I will never understand - not with what he’s been through, how he’s suffered.

He was birthed from the commune breeding pools of a T’sarae research facility. His mother cried as he cooed in peace, then quickly sang one song, and one song only. When she finished, they pried her away from her seed. She tried to kiss his forehead as they did, but they yanked her away before she had the chance. So she prayed for their reunion in the afterlife, said her last good byes, then disappeared to the breeding camps, never to be seen again.

The child was meant to be a battery, hooked to T’sarae devices that powered steam experiments and nothing more. Yet, the ether called to him in ways not seen before. Drawn to its many frequencies, the boy could sense when someone overflowed with ether, or was on their very last drops. The T’sarae lab coats jumped at this opportunity and made him their bloodhound; a child on a leash, searching for test subjects with high ether potential. Through trial-and-error, one which I do not have the heart to detail, the T’sarae soon discovered that the bloodhound can also absorb and redistribute ether to another source. Again, hooked to devices like a piece of the cog’s machinery, made to fulfill... research quotas. And when that piece malfunctioned, damaging precious T’sarae research beyond repair, the bloodhound was scheduled to be put down.

I couldn't let this happen. He was loved, not just by me, or the prisoners, but by some of our T’sarae captors as well. Despite the treatment he received, the boy’s kindness never waned. It was like he saw through us, no, saw deep inside of us, and found something worth the warmth and affection he gave so willingly. In a bleak prison camp, the boy reminded us of something we’ve all forgotten about: Happiness...The boy was too special...pure...and he had to be protected, no matter the cost.

So we staged a coup.

The boy slipped away with one of the T’sarae as we rioted. She housed him for a short time, preparing his documents for the Red Seminary, where he eventually joined the Goliath Warband. There was much concern about this. Their Warleader, Father Gregoroth, is known to be a sadistic man. It pained me that he wouldn’t have peace like I hoped, but I knew he would be okay. The boy survived far worse things than a man claiming to be some Great Bear. Earning the respect of someone like him speaks volumes. Even the White Necromancer has taken him under his wing, who no doubt guides his path along the ether.

The boy eventually became an investigator. I believe this a more fancier title than bloodhound, though instead of a leash, he now wears a black and red uniform. The T’sarae woman who aided in his escape tells me he’s doing well, solving puzzles the Vayra otherwise scratched their heads at. This fills me with pride. To know that he’s risen to such a status is one thing, but the true joy that overwhelms my heart is that he is given a name. Solim Vimat.

This....this brings tears of happiness, because it is the native name we gave him in secret. Solim, the peaceful, and Vimat, the tribe of my people.

I will die in peace knowing he carries on our legacy, free from this wretched place. My son, if you ever find this, know that your mother and I will embrace you again. We will walk together, hand-in-hand, across the white oasis, and etch our footprints into eternity. All that I ask is that you never forget who you are, and where you come from...

- OV

Talents:

• Gift of Gab: Solim has the ability to speak with confidence, to the point of persuasion. Part of what makes him effective is that he also has good listening skills, and knows how to make people feel welcomed.
• Close Quarter Disarmament: This is a skill he learned under the brutal tutelage of Father Gregoroth. While not great with firearms, or even melee weapons that aren't pole arms or staffs, Solim is a wizard when it comes to redirecting and neutralizing an attacker's momentum in close quarters.
• Animal Onomatopoeia: Making animal sounds is an odd skill that Solim takes pride in. He mainly uses it as a distraction, or a clever signal to communicate to his Warband on the field. It also makes for a very amusing sound effect for storytelling.

Ethereal Abilities:

• The Ether's Guide: Solim hears, sees, smells, and touches varying wavelengths across the ethereal spectrum; interpreting the residual ether of an ability used in an area, the lingering essence of the dead, or the quantity of ether a person has, to name a few. The ether itself has been known to speak to him, though it isn't made clear as to whether that is his interpretation, or if he's actually interacting with ghostly apparitions.
• Fortress of the Mind: Through deep meditation, he can visualize the finer details of the ether he interprets with his senses. This brings much clarity as he's able to organize the clutter of energies the world gives off. On rare occasions, he can meld with others who are open minded to the experience. By joining hands in meditation he can emit what he visualizes into their thoughts.
• The Ether Phantom: During his meditative state, he can transcend his body in the form of an astral projection. In this form he is even more susceptible to the ether around him, and can even roam within a 100 yard radius uninhibited by physical walls or obstacles. However, he can only be an observer in this form, and cannot manipulate anything in the physical realm while in this state.
• The Funnel: Residual ether that lingers in the environment can be absorbed to refortify another person's abilities, amplifying their powers for a short time. This is an unstable ability best used as a last resort. The after effects can place harm on both Solim, and whoever he funnels ether to.

Personal Seal:

Character Relationships:

Mother Indira: For better or worse, Indira assisted with Solim’s transition into the Red Seminary. In the beginning, Solim was obedient. He absorbed most of her strict instruction without fail, but proved to be a slippery slope when it came to complete Vayra subjugation, and suppressing his Omestrian heritage. This wasn’t driven by rebelliousness, or oppressed anger; Solim’s motivations were based entirely on a pacifist’s view, one that focused on the grander scheme of things. This became a source of conflict she couldn’t rein in. And when Father Gregoroth and Father Antonin started granting him leniencies, Solim’s relationship with Mother Indira quickly went from sour, to hostile. He openly represents his heritage by wearing traditional garbs in public, even with an Inquisitor uniform on. Because of this, Indira views Solim as a selfish fool, one who puts other Omestrians at risk by bringing attention onto himself. This is a growing dilemma for her Omestrian students, who have a hard time figuring out their own identity within the Seminary. Indira regrets ever helping Solim, and goes to great lengths to disassociate herself from him. Solim is saddened by their fallout, but while he understands her views, he cannot go against his spirit and change who he is.

Father Antonin: Solim owes a great deal to Antonin, a man who nurtured his development, and truly cared for his wellbeing. The two shared an affinity with the ether that most couldn’t understand, and it opened up realms of learning between master and apprentice. Antonin’s scholarly enthusiasm pushed Solim’s mind like never before, unlocking potential he never knew existed. While Solim feels indebted for Father Antonin’s teachings, it was his kindness that he appreciated the most, especially after his grueling sessions with Father Gregoroth.

Father Gregoroth: While Father Antonin has a special place in his heart, Solim would say he keeps Father Gregoroth as the heart’s outer surface, a scarred, protective layer. At first, Gregoroth felt no different than the T’sarae oppressors, who seemed to relish in his pain and misfortune. It’s natural to harbor resentment, or even hatred for this kind of behavior, but Solim had faith in the process. Every beating was taken in peaceful silence, every insult was acknowledged with a humble nod. You see, Solim saw the ether in Father Gregoroth, the same way he saw Father Antonin and Mother Indira’s, and the same way he saw the T’sarae that tortured him. Their ether were varying and different, but they oscillate with life that’s meant to endure and improve. “Iron sharpens iron,” is what Gregoroth always barked, and Solim believed it true. While Gregoroth is known to be feared, Solim respects The Great Bear for teaching him a valuable lesson: To endure pain, even past trauma, and wear it as armor branded onto the soul, so that nothing can truly hurt you.

Theme Song

ꇙ ꒤ ꋊ ꋪ ꒤ ꋊ ꋊ ꏂ ꋪ ꇙ : Desert Fantasy (SIDE CHARACTERS WELCOME!)

Potentially interested!