vietmyke

Valhalla Chronicles

"Tommy was..." Talesin said softly. The already quiet room seemed to hush a bit more, a few heads turned their way. "Before he worked corporate, he was one of us." From the way Talesin said 'us', it was easy to tell he was talking about more than just some sort of club member at this seedy bar.

"We do work for a variety of people, some of them corps, usually outside of the more legal side of things." That statement itself was rather innocuous, in this day and age, people did things outside the legality of law all the time. Bureaucracy was slow and law cared little for anyone without a fat wallet, so most people skirted around the law from time to time to get things done in order to survive- small companies and stores, even Ray's Bar went outside the law occasionally. Most were fairly minor infractions, so the police either ignored them, or charged a small fee to pad their own pockets along with it. However, the meaning behind that statement was something Hisano was vaguely familiar with.

"We've been called a variety of things- freelancers, mercenaries, thugs, hitmen. Tommy was one of us, a bit too bleeding heart for his own good, but he was good at what he did. After joining up with Vitality Macrotech, he's been out of touch, this is the first I'd heard of him in a year."

Talesin shook his head as she mentioned that she couldn't stay. "You walk out that door and there's a 70% chance you die before the sun rises. After they kill you, they trace your tracks back to the Fixer's Hope and then we burn too. You staying here is better for you and for us."

Looking around, Talesin gestured for Hisano to follow him. "We'll figure our your next move tomorrow, for now you should get some rest. You'll need to be on your A-Game if you want to survive the next few days."

---

^{Fixer's Hope - Safehouse}
Music

Sitting on top of the bar that was Fixer's Hope was a small apartment building- much like her own home. Space in the city was scarce, so it wasn't surprising that even seedy, poor areas like the Chinese Quarter built themselves up. The outside of the apartment room door was as unremarkable as the rest of the doors in the hall, the light in its section of the hallway conveniently out of order, leaving the door almost completely shrouded in darkness. As Talesin opened the plain wood door, Hisano could hear the magnetic hiss of high-tech mag-locks, something Hisano had never seen outside of Vitality Macrotechnology's high-security office or a bank vault.

As the door opened, it was plain to tell that the shoddy wood on the outside of the door was just a panel, and the door itself was some sort of reinforced metal. The apartment itself was small, similar in square footage to her own home, though it was considerably less crowded. Despite that, there was still clutter in every corner of the room- though not the type of clutter Hisano expected of a home. Instead of dirty laundry and ramen containers littering the tables and floor, there were medical supplies, handguns and empty weapon magazines. A suit of traditional japanese armor- which must've been worth a small fortune sat by the door, and a katana leaned against the desk with a computer. A bed sat next to the desk, with a ladder heading up to possibly the roof of the building, and next to the bed were several long, olive drab military crates and a guided missile launcher almost casually leaning against the wall nearby.

Talesin sat down onto the nearby couch and picked up one of the firearms on the table, inspecting it. He gestured towards the bed, "Rest, Fixer's Hope is safe enough for now."

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@OppositionJ Ooh a summoner. Galahad would probably find her abilities incredibly interesting.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Drakey Galahad isnt unemotional, he experiences and shows plenty of emotions, primarily irritation and exasperation. But yes, he's not incredibly outspoken, unless he's criticizing someone.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah I imagine their 'spells' works with similar principles. They could probably use each others ammunition in a pinch. Galahad prefers to use them at medium-short range though, launching multiple slugs sort of like a shotgun

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Whoop, Galahad's CS has been updated with spells and shifted to char tab.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Galahad Quaid

Age: 21
Height/Weight: 6'4", 185 lbs
Race: Assimilated Lanostran

Appearance:

Standing in at over six feet tall, Galahad is a lithe and sinewy individual with the appearance of one who is used to continuous physical exertion, without some of the bulk of his fellow Inquisitors. As expected of an Inquisitor, his physique is in top shape, and his thin, but broad shouldered body is akin to the triangular build of that of a swimmer. His skin is a light and pale; and his body, while bearing an abnormally large number of scars compared to the average individual, when compared to a fellow Inquisitor, is relatively unscathed.

Galahad has strong and prominent facial features, with strong cheekbones and brow. His platinum blonde hair falls in graceful waves around his head, charming many a stranger, and his eyes are a palm icey green, possessing a piercing, almost chilling gaze. His sense of style outside of his Inquisitor uniforms is modern and minimalist.

Personality:

Cool and collected, Galahad is a confident, yet soft-spoken individual. His calm and collected demeanor is often mistaken for an uncaring and aloof disposition, and his cynicism and pessimistic/realistic attitude does little to change the opinions of others. Underneath his quiet persona lies an innate brilliance, a highly intuitive and calculative mind. Highly logical and orderly, Galahad is efficient and analytical, but often accused of lacking outward compassion. He is a competent tactician boasting considerable knowledge of theory, though lacking in field experience. Strong willed and possessing an air of determination, Galahad can be highly critical and will rarely hesitate to call others out on their shortcomings, often leading to him butting heads with others.

Direct and to the point, this sharp witted Inquisitor avoids beating around the bush and doesn't mince words. Galahad likes to maintain awareness over every situation he's in and is quick on the ball, able to make snap judgements in combat and react to a constantly changing situation. Capable of operating at peak efficiency, even during times of great stress, Galahad has a very analytic attitude and can be very perceptive and intuitive in regards to people.

While a devout servant of Varya, Galahad is easily the least zealous of many of his compatriots, preferring calm rationale and reasoning to blind religious fervor. Though cold and solemn, Galahad possesses a well developed moral compass, and cares deeply for his fellow Inquisitors, though his tone and callousness might suggest otherwise. While Galahad is quite loyal to the Varyan state and his diety, the loyalty he shows towards his fellow Inquisitors is near unshakable, rivaling and often surpassing the bonds he feels towards his own blood relatives.

Background:

A child prodigy hailing from the former Capital city of Lanostre, Galahad is the only son of General Quaid, a prominent leader in the Lanostre secular military, and after the war, the Varyan secular-military. General Quaid is well known amongst his peers, and waged many vicious and successful campaigns against the Varyan state before the capitulation of Lanostre. Galahad's childhood was strict and rigid, and consisted of private lessons, tutors, fencing lessons, marksmanship, and statescraft among other things. Throughout his childhood, Galahad proved to be exceptionally bright, and often outperformed his tutors after periods of months, causing the Quaid family to have to cycle through professors and military instructors from all over Lanostre. An underspoken yet brilliant child, Galahad completed courses rated for adolescents several years older than him before he turned 10.

After his fifth birthday, Galahad's latent ethereal abilities began to rise to the surface. So prominent was the ether within him, that the Priests of Varya were quick to notice his abilities. When Galahad reached the age of 9, The Priests approached Galahad and his father, offering the young Quaid a place in the Red Seminary, to join the illustrious ranks of the Inquisitors. Though the offer was but a formality, General Quaid nevertheless gave them and his son his blessings, sending Galahad off to the Red Seminary to begin, and hopefully survive his training.

At the Red Seminary, Galahad excelled, and despite his physical shortcomings compared to his fellow trainees, easily propelled himself to the top percentiles of his class. His natural brilliance and aptitude with ether, along with his martial training as a child gave him an edge compared to some of the other trainees. Despite his advantages, training to become an Inquisitor was the single most grueling and difficult challenge of his young life. Galahad considers himself and his compatriots extremely lucky, and extremely skilled to have made it through their training alive.

Talents/Ethereal Abilities:

• Ether Manipulation: Ether Well - While Galahad is capable of basic forms of ether manipulation, much like most soldiers, he lacks any particular talent in manipulating his own ether. However, Galahad's ether pools within his own body are surprisingly deep, allowing him perform powerful battle magic to support his allies. Despite this edge, he still supplements his own ether with vials of extracted ether.
• Battle-Mage - A magic specialist in all definitions of the phrase, Galahad takes his place among his peers as one of the best mages in class. What allows Galahad to stand out is his ability to manage multiple destructive elements simultaneously, changing spell type, and form to fit his needs in the current situation. He can form and propel tiny chunks of stone, ice and metal like bullets, call down lightning from the sky, and loose a blinding flash of light without missing a step. While capable of shows of great power, Galahad prefers to make his magical attacks relatively small, precise and concentrated, favoring the preservation of energy and smart use of resources; and reserves flashy displays of power for intimidation and destruction of enemy morale.
  Galahad's Current Spell Repertoire

  Low Effort Spells

  • Telekinetic Projectile - Using a blast of telekinetic force, Galahad can launch small rocks, bits of metal, or chunks of ice like a bullet towards his foes. To facilitate this process, Galahad often carries a satchel of lead slugs on his side.
  • Thunderclap - A spell concentrated as a small orb in the palm. Upon making contact, the orb explodes away from the palm, sending a human sized object flying back a few yards, along with producing a loud, thunderous noise.
  • Cutting Light - Typically guided with the edge of a hand or blade, this spell creates crescent of blue light that flies through the air to cut into foes.
  • Frigid Gale - A strong gust of cold wind that pushes at Galahad's back, granting him momentary agility in a single direction, allowing him to run faster and leap further.

  Mid Effort Spells

  • Lightning - A powerful spell that calls down a large bolt of electricity from the sky. Capable of puncturing the armor of Varyan armored vehicles and frying or injuring most of the crew inside. Cannot be cast underground, indoors(without damaging the building's structure) or without sufficient cloud cover.
  • Etheric Artillery - Galahad conjures and propels a large ball of arcane energy towards his foes, capable of killing or damaging foes and vehicles within a 5 yard radius, and creating minor wounds within a 8 yard radius. (Writer's note: comparable to the deadly radius of a 40mm grenade or hand grenade but lacking the shrapnel and more powerful in a concentrated area.)
  • Stalagmite - A pillar of ice or stone roughly bursts from the ground, damaging people and vehicles at the epicenter, and disturbing the surrounding terrain, making it more difficult for vehicles and infantry to maneuver through.

  High Effort Spells

  • Bitter Cold - A powerful spell that Galahad can only cast using his own pools of Ether. A massive storm of biting cold ravages the local area, reminiscent of the bitter blizzards that cover the frozen oceans. Capable of overwhelming most Aegis and decimating local wildlife, the only safe area is the center, where the eye of the storm- about 15 yards in diameter offers a safe respite from the cold.
• Hybrid Fencer - While normally preferring to conduct combat from a safe distance, Galahad is not out of place on the frontlines with his comrades, saber in one hand, and magic spell in the other. Darting in to deliver a few quick blows with his blade and then pulling back, Galahad is a nimble fighter when on the front lines, fully aware of his lack of bulk when compared to some of the other frontline fighters, and as such rarely stays in one place for too long.
  Galahad's personal weapon

  
  A blade torn somewhere between modernity and the styling of the past. A gift from the esteemed General Quaid to his son upon completing his training as an Inquisitor. Despite its purpose as a gift and styling as a ceremonial weapon, in true Lanostre fashion it was designed as a weapon first and a symbol of prestige second. Housed in a scabbard of dark wood, wrapped in leather, with subtle veins of gold in such a subdued way that it undersells the fact that the scabbard alone probably costed as much as some vehicles. The blade is forty seven inches in length and seems to weighted perfectly to the hand. Running along the underside of the blade the barrel is designed to be as unpronounced as possible as to not interrupt the fine silhouette of the blade. The trigger and loading for the weapon lies on the hilt below the hand guard where also the chamber exists for loading into the equivalent of a handgun bullet.

Personal Seal:


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)

@Draken Are we doing the separate class thing? I thought we were all going to do the same class and I'd just wing it in terms of history with other characters

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

oh my, a lot happens when you take a nap. I'll update my character in a bit

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Lovejoy ooh fun. Will fix that. Though as far as being from a different class... That kinda just makes these 2 outsiders to the rest of the scooby gang. One of the bigger draws to this rp for me at least was the idea of everybody being fairly close knit. The character connections are what I like about these types of RPs.

I understand that everyone had already made up relationships with each other, so I was planning on kinda just winging it as far as relationships go. Kinda just writing about their past as it came up in relevant ic posts, sending a quick pm while writing to such and such saying 'oh hey, would it be cool if X' as opposed to predetermining it right from the get-go.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah Hallo frand

@Mercenary Lord Yes, I've been looking for a beautiful steampunk. Though I wasn't aware that submissions were closed- 8 pages of OOC is a decent chunk to go through and I was still making my way through. Thats unfortunate..