@Spiffy Thanks! I was gone for awhile because I had been really focused on studying for exams for a certification at my job which ate up all my time. I recently passed though so I've got lots more free time :] Plus I hadn't found anything that really intrigued me enough to motivate me to write for awhile, but this RP seems like it could be a lot of fun.
Hi There! I'm super interested in this RP. :] Hopefully this Character sheet will be okay:
Name: Nylah Aldaos
Age: 26
Height: 5'5
Weight: 125
Class: Mercenary
Race: Wood Elf
Weapons & Equipment: Weapons: Bow & arrows which she can infuse with light magic (limited by her low skill in magic), two hidden dirk daggers (typically strapped to the inside of her thigh highs), an assortment of lethal poisons. Satchel: Holds her lethal poisons, a variety of herbs chosen for their specific medicinal and some lethal qualities, bandages, waterskin, golden locket necklace, 57 Silver and 5 gold.
Skills and Abilities: Nylah is a high level archer, rarely missing her mark. She is proficient in stealth, hand-to-hand combat (though she prefers to avoid it) and can be extremely charismatic. She can use very few light spells, but is not skilled in the art and usually only dabbles with it when she needs the extra punch in her arrow shots (the use of magic often shows itself in intricate golden design on her skin).
Bio: The only home Nylah can remember is a damp, cold shack in the middle of the lovely Knight Islands Port towns, raised by a gruff bastard of a man called Terk. He was tough, as Dwarf's typically are, and would often tell her that she ought to be grateful towards him. According to Terk, Nylah had been abandoned in the middle of the frostwood forest of Ispar when she was only four years old. Of course Nylah had no memory of that, so she took his word for it. Terk would go on to take Nylah home with him, though not out of the kindness of his heart. He had no desire to care for a needy child the rest of her miserable life, he had other plans. When Nylah was of age, 8 years old to be precise, Terk could cash in and sign her up for a life of mercenary work. Young ones donated to the "school" could bring in at least 100 gold if not more. Nylah would never know what Terk received for her, but after he handed her over to the training program that was the last she ever saw of the old dwarf.
The school was very obviously illegal, especially to work children to the bone as they did, but no one in the Knight Islands seemed to care. They were all criminals of some sort, so it seemed. The children were just working to fit in. To survive there, really.
Nylah would prove to be one of their top trainee's, showing her skill with a bow and arrow very early on. They honed in on this skill and over the years would mold her into a killer. Someone who could take an assassination contract and not bat an eyelash, as long as they got paid. At first they would send you out on simple things; steal a couple jewels, threaten a noble family, get some information out of people. The school would benefit 100% of the profit from these contracts. Eventually, at age 16 for Nylah, they would send her out on her own and expect her to find her own contracts. To bring in the big money for them, which meant find someone who wanted someone else "eliminated". She did it, and she gave the school 50% of the profits for the next 5 years of being on her own. After that they trusted her enough to take less of a cut, knowing she was a reliable source of income. She learned from other examples that if you didn't bring in the money, or tried to separate yourself from them, you'd be met with a cold steel blade against your throat in the middle of the night.
Today, she continues to take contracts and travel across the world. She has grown to enjoy her work, despite every so often when whats left of her conscience reminds her of how many lives she's ended whether they were corrupted or not.
Hi there! I'm interested and will also be writing up a CS within the next day or so.
Question for you, are there kingdoms in this setting? I was pondering on my character being a royal type who had this task thrust upon her, but I'm not sure on the culture dynamic yet.
Hey all, sorry for the disappearance. My life got really freakin hectic all of a sudden. I'm planning on posting later tonight if anyone is still interested, I've had like half a post written for awhile, I just haven't had a lot of time. :/
@Kitty Ah, my bad. I'll have edit my post in just a sec. :]
Also, don't worry about posting if you can't immediately. I want to try to get everyones first posts in and then I'll post with Damon to bring us all together haha
"She's possessed father! I swear it. You should listen to her when she speaks to no one and stares at nothing." The eldest Princess of Adlan pleaded with her father, interrupting him in his study. "It's... well, it's frightening!" Her voice raised then and her father shushed her, he had asked her to keep her voice down only a few minutes ago when she entered the room and started speaking obscenities about the girl who had been taking care of his daughter for over six years.
Eavesdropping around the corner, Ariella leaned in as close as she possibly could to the door which had not been fully closed.
"Fine. If not possessed, she is certainly unwell. She was reduced to tears just the other night, saying her head felt as if someone was hammering a nail into it! That's not normal father, even you cannot say it is."
The king made an exaggerated sigh, "Sarina, dear, if it will make you feel at ease then I will send her to be evaluated by the priests. Okay? First thing in the morning, I'll have a carriage waiting for her."
Horrified, Ariella leaned away from the door and felt her heart drop into her stomach. It was true she was unwell, the Princess had spoken honestly, but she couldn't see the priests. Even Ariella had begun to believe she had been possessed by some demon in the night. The priests would surely cast her out if they didn't decide to kill her first.
Before Ariella could hear anything else, she took off running down the hall towards the servants quarters. Filled with panic, Ariella hastily grabbed a knapsack and rushed to her small room to grab anything of importance. A few changes of clothes, snacks she had stashed into a nightstand, what little coin she had left, and the purple hooded cloak and gold set ring that had been left behind by her parents.
CAAWWW
Ariella jumped and nearly screamed when a raven appeared outside her window. She stared at it for a second, feeling uneasy about the way it stared back at her. Slowly, she turned to leave the room, hoping to forget that odd experience.
CAAW!
It was squawking at her again, and this time it began to tap the window glass with its beak. She turned back to look at the raven, now noticing that it clutched a small scroll in one of its talons. "A message?" She thought, her heart racing as she opened up the window for the persistent bird. The large raven immediately dropped the scroll inside the window and then flew off into the night.
As Ariella finished reading the message, her heart raced faster. Was this a trick? A ploy to get her alone in the middle nowhere? A test of her sanity? She bit her lower lip in thought, weighing her options. Unfortunately she didn't have enough time to think things through - she suddenly heard voices and footsteps coming down the stairs. Surely it was the other servants retiring for the night, but if Ariella wanted to leave the kingdom she needed to think fast. Being seen by one of the other servants with all of her belongings in a knapsack wouldn't do well in her favor. Surprisingly to herself, she made the snap decision that she would meet whoever wrote this letter at the tavern.
Quickly, Ariella closed her bedroom door, donned the purple cloak, and put the scroll into her knapsack. With a deep breath for courage, she took one last look around her room and then wiggled herself out of her bedroom window.
May 15th
It had only taken Ariella about a week to arrive at the tavern, but with no where else to go, she decided to take up a room there until it was time to meet her mysterious letter writer. Luckily she had thought to take her coin with her when she left the kingdom, but by the fifteenth of May she would certainly be broke. She could only hope this would be worth it and this person could make all her problems go away. Then again, anything was better than being "evaluated" by priests.
To pass the time Ariella made friends with the tavern owner and workers. She even offered to help out with their daily chores every so often in exchange for a smaller room fee for the night. They got along well enough, but there was no hiding that they thought her an odd girl. She was still seeing things, just as she did in Adlan. The ghostly forms of those who have died would appear to her, sometimes speak to her. It was unnerving to her and to those around her who witnessed her strange behavior. She still had excruciating migraines, but the nice thing about staying in the tavern was that she could retreat to her room to be alone and unbothered by the silly demands of a Princess.
"It's all going to end today." She thought, reassuring herself. It was finally May 15th, which filled her with both excitement and anxiety.
Tonight was a busy night for the tavern, busier than most days she had been here, so she had been helping out by serving drinks behind the bar. Everything had been going fine, but then things got worse when a group of ruffians arrived and began shouting about the God Dionysus, pouring their drinks straight onto the tavern floor. It was typical, according the tavern owner, but it certainly put Ariella on edge. She felt bad for the girls who would be cleaning it up later tonight.
Her concentration on the group broke as a burly man entered the tavern and sat down at the bar, asking for a drink. As fast as her hands could move, she made the drink and handed it to him. "Bottoms up." She offered him a faint smile as he took the drink, though he seemed distracted by his own thoughts. Her eyes followed his which seemed to scan the tavern. Was he looking for her? Was he the letter writer? She was too afraid to ask.
Before Ariella could turn her gaze back onto the man, her eyes locked onto a dark haired woman who entered the tavern alone. Ariella's blue eyes followed her, just as many of the patrons who she walked past. The woman was strikingly beautiful and walking in alone made her sorely out of place. Women didn't normally travel alone in these parts, especially so close to Haventis, unless they were mercenaries or ladies of the night and had someone to meet. "An escort, perhaps?" Ariella thought, wondering if the girl would strip her cloak and make her way onto the lap of some man who had hired her for the night. Surprisingly she took a seat alone in a dark corner of the tavern. Feeling a slight ping of worry for the woman, Ariella left her place behind the bar and approached the woman with a bright smile.
"Good evening miss. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" She felt the obligation to befriend this woman, not wanting her to be taken advantage of by any of the ruffians across the room. It was certainly odd for a woman to be here alone, especially in the middle of the night, but Ariella wanted to make sure she at least didn't feel alone. @Kitty