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Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE
Welcome to the world of Novus. A world on the brink of a new era. For centuries bronze was the metal of choice, but now unknown to the world in the far north a few dwarven smiths are experimenting with a new metal, iron. Soon a technological revolution that will change the world forever will be unleashed, and you are sitting unknowingly in the calm before the storm. Across the great continent kingdoms jockey for supremacy, while people with supernatural power known as Archons pursue their own agendas. You might be an archon, someday, but today you are someone of no great import, waiting for the opportunity to use your luck and talent to make your way in the world. When the chance comes, will you be ready to carve your name onto this world’s history?



Game Premise

This game will be all about you rising from nobodies to potentially becoming archons and perhaps even greater. How exactly one becomes an archon, and what exactly that means are known only among the ranks of the existing archons, and they keep that secret dearly. It is something you will have to discover as the game progresses. Regardless, this will be a game about your rise to power and what you do with that power, how you shape the world and how it shapes you. This will be run in the tradition of smallgods games like Hikaizer’s Rising Gods, and to be upfront, yes you might potentially gain divinity down the road. In the meantime though you’ll need to deal with the world and the existing people in it.


Characters

You are a nobody, well not a nobody exactly, but you are not a person of great import. You might be a peasant, a soldier, a new Justicar, etc. You can be part of an organization that has importance and cachet, but if so you are a relatively junior member. This doesn’t mean you're not talented or ambitious, it just means you’re not famous or well known, not yet anyways.

Your character should consist of [+8] in mortal qualities. Your mortal qualities can be pretty much whatever you want them to be, are you great with a sword, very strong, handsome or pretty, know lots of esoteric lore, etc. You can be any of the races of the world: Human, Orc, Dwarf, or Formosian(lizard-person).

Note: If you want your character to know one of the known Runes, your background should involve one of the organizations that teach it, as the various schools and orders guard the secrets of their respective rune closely.

Lastly, your character should have a two [-2] drawbacks. This is some sort of inherent character flaw. It is important that this be something you would be able and willing to invoke.

System

I’ll be using PDQ for this game. It’s a pretty simple and rules light system. I’ll be doing all of the DC setting and rolling behind the curtain.

The only major change to vanilla PDQ will be with using drawbacks. When you as a player or I as the GM invoke a character’s drawback, I will give you a bonus point. BP can be spent to add +2 to a future roll. This means it's important to pick drawbacks you’ll be comfortable using.

App Format

What I want from you:

A name- I feel like this goes without saying. However, of note please don’t pick a name that is exceptionally long or exceptionally hard to spell. A rule of thumb, if I can’t read your character’s name out loud without a pronunciation dictionary it is not a workable name.

A Picture - While not strictly required, your application will be at a distinct disadvantage without one.

Description - Tell me about your character, what’s your story? This is where you lay out your character’s history, tell me who they are and what they want. Generally speaking, your qualities should be reflected in your background so if you're good with a blade, this is where you’d explain why. Feel free to use this space to flesh out the portion of the world your character is familiar with.

Mortal Qualities - What’re you good at, what sets you apart? Feel free to spread out your [+8] any way you want. Anything your traditional fantasy hero could do can be used as a mortal quality. Do you have a silver tongue, know how to handle yourself with a blade, can you sneak with the best of them? All of these are potential qualities, ways to define who your character is and what they can do. You can take magical skill as a starting quality, though you should peruse the info on how magic works on the world first. My only real ban here beyond really super-human attributes is no starting qualities that denote fame or influence, you’re starting off low on the totem pole.

Drawbacks - What is your character’s biggest flaw, either personality-wise or physically. Make it something you would be comfortable invoking, and know that I reserve the right to invoke it for you when I feel it's appropriate. Also, this can change over the course of the game as your character changes, so don’t feel stuck with this.

Starting Location - Where is your character’s story going to begin?

What do you want out of the game? Give me an idea of what sort of gameplay experience you're looking for. What do you want your character to accomplish, what sort of things do you enjoy?

If you have any questions or need advice on Qualities or Drawbacks, feel free to ask me about them.

Other Business

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via PMs. You can also often find me in #ohgod on synirc. I’m happy to help with questions about the game or your character.

I am looking for 6-8 players. Deadline for apps will be 11:59pm EST on Sunday the 12th .

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Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE
Races
Humans
The most common and most populous race on Novus. Humans make up a majority of most of the kingdoms on the continent. In general they are between 5 and 6.5 feet in height, and live roughly 70 years. Their commonness has made humanity something of the stick against which the other races are compared against.

Orcs

Residents of the central desert, Orcs are in many ways similar to humans. However, they tend to be slightly stronger and hardier. The average orc has a height of 6 to 7.5 feet, with lifespans similar to humans, around 65 to 70 years. Orcs generally require less water than a similarly sized human, allowing them to survive in places in the desert where humans would not be able to. Their physical strength and toughness make them excellent warriors, and having orcish bodyguards is seen as a status symbol in many kingdoms.

Dwarves

The Dwarves generally live in the Tsarate of Landse in the northeastern part of the continent. They tend to be significantly shorter than most other species, usually no taller than 4 feet. Beyond that what largely sets them apart is their significantly longer life-spans. The average dwarf can live for up to 200 years.

Formosans

Despite their lizard-like appearance, Formosans are warm-blooded. Unlike the other mammalian races on the continent, they do hatch from eggs. They tend to a similar height and lifespan to humans. Their scales vary in color, most commonly green, brown, or red. Though the royal line of Sidon is famed for its pitch black scales, and the trait has become a shorthand for identifying members of the royal family.

Novus



At the moment there are eight major nations on Novus:

Holy Empire of Djikstera - A theocratic empire in the center of the continent. It’s people live regimented lives focused on serving the Church of the One God and accruing honor for their family. The Empire has soft caste system, with profession designated based on lineage. It is a land infused with a feeling of destiny, their conquest of the world preordained. To spread God’s truth to the world their holy mission. With the Archons of Fire and of Truth at its head, Djikstera is a power that few dare trifle with.

The Merchant Republics - Not really one nation so much as a combination of four city states that while they fight amongst themselves will unite against outside forces. The people of the Republics focus on trade and business, and with enough gold you can get your hands on nearly anything. There is no real unified government or culture, each city largely stands alone.

Southport - Despite being on its far eastern coast, Southport is the crossroads of trade on the continent. For even when kingdoms won’t trade with each other, they will regularly trade with southport. A city with thriving markets in every corner, every sort of rare good from across the continent can be found.

Rivercross - Located at the merging point of two branches of the Aurum river, Rivercross is the crossroads of the Republics and the unofficial capital of the loose alliance between them. When Djikstera invaded 50 years ago, it was here the delegates of the four cities met. It is said that Rivercross has the continent’s best jewelers and craftsmen as it acts a middle ground between the markets of Southport and the academies of Aum.

Aum -Aum is the center of magical learning on the continent. After the revolution in Halstead, the few surviving mages fled north eventually settling in Aum, where they were welcomed with open arms by Evylnn Biartes, the Archon of Water. The city is home to many philosophers, mages, artists, and academics. It is perhaps the only place where you can regularly encounter the various types of mages mixing with any sort of regularity.

Ceriston - The breadbasket of the Republics, Ceriston is surrounded on all sides by prime farmland as far as the eye can see. With help from Green Adepts from Sidon they grow a variety of foodstuffs. Many a merchant has made their fortune trading in livestock and though the stockyard district is hardly pleasant, it is a veritable goldmine for those who are interested.

The Orcish Emirate - A desert kingdom, the Orcish Emirate is a mix of two disparate lifestyles. Katran, the capital is a bastion of wealth and the center of art, scholarship, and diplomacy on the continent. In the wider deserts the tribes live a more nomadic lifestyle. The Emirates is home to agents and artists from every kingdom and the continent, and the single greatest source of copper, an essential component of bronze.

The Kingdom of Leonis - To the west, separated from the rest of the continent by the Shield Mountains, Leonis is a land recovering from a long war. Once two kingdoms, the oppressive nobles of Resdis almost succeeded in taking over the entire land, before they were destroyed from within by the Hero-King Sigmund. Now, the former foreign enemies, and the newly freed peasantry work with their new king to try and build a better kingdom. In the meantime though, they’ll need to fend off bandits, monsters, and the eyes of eastern powers looking to gain control over the weakened west.

The Northern Kingdom - In the snowy north live hale and hardy folk. Living in spread out holds across forests and mountains, the northerners have a respectable sources of tin as well as other resources. Now, the once respected king is dead, and in the coming days the Jarls will jockey for power as the claimants are tested. All the while, they will have to keep Djikstera at bay with a projection of strength, and fend off possible interference from their ancient enemy Landse.

The Tsarate of Landse - The dwarven kingdom of the north, and land of snow, tin, and intrigue. Family oriented dwarves, perfect their crafts, selling their goods southwards to the merchant cities. The foremost workers of bronze, they also mine not insubstantial amounts of tin, gold, and silver from their mountain mines. While the low born work, the nobles play games of power, for the Tsar is old, decrepit, and without an heir. Now, they marshal their agents, their resources, and their influence for the conflict that is to come. At the same time, the death of the king of the hated northmen give them a chance to destabilize their rivals and corner the market on tin.

The Grand Duchy of Sidon - In the warm and human south the Formosan nation continues to prosper. It’s humid climes filled with dangerous monsters, the remains of which possess important alchemical and medicinal properties. A land of slavery, where inside the walled plantations human and formosan slaves alike engage in the backbreaking work of cultivating and harvest cotton and a variety of spices. A nation supporting the overthrow of Leonis, and defending against an invasion from Halstad to the east.

The Kingdom of Halstead - Once Halstead was a land ruled by magic, the center of knowledge on the continent. The mages who ruled the land cared not for the fates of the people, and were content to exploit them to further their own ends. This ends as all such tyrannies do, in bloody revolution. The mages were cut down, the mighty colleges destroyed, the libraries burned. Today Halstead is a land where magic and learning are despised, where mage and scholar alike fear to tread. The continent’s largest producer of salt, Halstead does a brisk trade with the Merchant Republics and secures more than enough gold to . It is currently at war with Sidon, declared after a series of raids by Sidonese slavers.

Technology

Novus in on the brink of the iron age. For the moment, bronze is still the hardest normal metal in wide use. It can be seen in all aspects of life, from construction to war.

Transportation
The primary mode of land transport for the average person is still by foot. Generally, major kingdoms will invest in roads of varying quality between major settlements, and well trodden paths can be found between most smaller villages. Most villages are at most no more than a day or two away from each other, and on the main roads in more developed lands inns and rest houses are a common sight. For the average person traveling long distances from their place of birth is unusual and difficult, but not impossible. Merchants often ply the roads in groups, using horse drawn carts to carry their goods. For the more well-off or at least well supported, travel by horseback is common.

On the sea, ships are still somewhat limited. Sailing ships are common, but few are able to travel against the wind, and thus virtually all ships rely on oars for significant parts of their journeys. Most costal villages rely on small locally built fishing boats that never leave view of the shore. The eastern and southern coast of the continent see larger cargo ships following well known trade routes between the merchant cities along the Aurum river, down to Iristh, onto Sidon, and occasionally across the Inner Sea to Jadis.

Construction
The division between small villages and major settlements on Novus is fairly sharp. Villages tend to be fairly small collections of buildings. They tend to be constructed of local materials, often wood and thatch. A mix of houses and a few other functional buildings. Generally village buildings will hold up against local weather fairly well, but they are rarely sturdy. In a central area for any particular cluster of villages it is usual to find the manor house of the local noble who rules the area. These tend to be far sturdier, having in many cases developed from small local fort. Their architecture and material vary depending on the wealth and status of their owner, and the kingdom in which they are located, but they universally possess sufficient space for the lord as well as a core of armed retainers.

Towns and cities on the other hand tend to have a mix of wooden and stone buildings, and will be more varied in terms of architecture and available services. Unlike villages, it is not uncommon for towns to have wooden or stone walls, and virtually all major cities have significant defenses and fortifications.

Weapons & War
Weapons on Novus vary between cultures and military doctrine. Outside of items affected by magic, bronze is basically the material of choice for virtually any and all weapons that are anything more than makeshift. Swords, maces, spears, a variety of types of melee weapons have been created and entered into wide use over the centuries. As for ranged weapons, outside of magic, bows or slings are the only options available.

Armor varies, but is often primarily composed of leather, with heavier armor being supplemented with plates of bronze. Djikstera is famed for its widespread use of scale armor among its soldiers. Mail armor has not yet come into any widespread use, though some of the dwarven nobility have recently started to acquire it.

Siege weapons are generally fairly simple and only deployed for large scale mobilizations. Catapaults and other stone throwers are the most common, though both Djikstera and the Merchant Cities have fairly reliable Ballistae. Magic often plays a significant role in siege-breaking, with attack spells of sufficient power and complexity able to act in a role similar to more mundane siege weapons.

From an organization perspective most states rely on levies as the core of their forces, supplemented by small corps of noble cavalry. The only state with a continuous standing professional army is Djikstera. The closest things to professional troops elsewhere would be the Long-Guards of the Northern Kingdom, the Hunters Guild of Sidon, and the Mercenary troops of the Merchant Republic, but all of these are not truly comparable to the Imperial Army in terms of size or organization and tend to be used as a core to build a levy army around.

Magic

Magic is performed via the use of runes, these runes allow a caster to alter some feature of the world. These runes can be combined and intermixed to define the shape and power of the spell they will be used to cast. Though their designs may seem simple, learning to carve them onto the fabric of reality itself and empower them is long and arduous. The more skill a caster possess, the more effect they can ring out of a rune for less, and the more other modifying rune they can add.

Core Runes
The basis for every spell is at least one Core Rune. These runes represent the basic effects that serve as the foundation of the spell that will be cast. For example, whether kindling a torch or calling down a fiery inferno, one would use the Fire rune as the base. There can be no spell without a Core Rune, and all other types of runes only modify how the effect of the Core Rune will express itself. It is possible to gain more complex effects, by combining Core Runes, and the most complex magic might contain several Core Runes along with many modifiers, however certain runes are more or less compatible with each other.
Known Core Runes
Fire, Water, Life, War, Truth, Wood, Sand, Gold

Archons
Archons are people who possess significant supernatural powers that cannot be explained by the use of rune magic. No one is sure what the cause of the existence of Archons is, but it is known that they have appeared throughout the world’s recorded history. Legendary heroes, mages, conquerors, diplomats, merchants, craftsmen—Archons come from every walk of life, every profession. Each Archon’s power is different, which makes classification of them difficult. One common trait is the creation of a new Core Rune, but there are those who have clearly been Archons who did not create new Runes. The other trait that seems to unite the Archons is their extremely long life-spans. To date, no known Archon has died of natural causes, all have died due to outside forces be they murder or accident.

Archons and Runes
Archons and the development of magic on Novus are inextricably linked. In fact, new core runes only come about with the advent of a new archon. Whether they discover them or create them is unknown, no Archon to date has ever revealed what exactly is entailed in the appearance of a new core rune. Of course, not every Archon develops a new rune, and not every Archon teaches other to wield their associated rune. As such, there have been far more archons throughout history than there have been core runes.

Modifying Runes
Modifying runes define the scope and type of the effect the Core Rune. Modifying Runes are much easier to learn than Core Runes, and tend to be simpler in design. They are designed to be stacked atop the Core Rune to create the spell. Most schools of magic are able to teach their adepts a full suite of Modifying Runes that go along with their Core Runes. Modifying Runes are far easier to combine than Core Runes, but each addition increases the amount of Anima needed to cast the spell.
Sample Modifying Runes
Attack, Area, Aid, Curse, Small, Large, Intense, Weak, etc.

Anima
To carve a rune onto the fabric of reality requires energy. That energy is contained within everyone, and it is known throughout the world as Anima. Each person has a naturally refilling reservoir of Anima, though the size of the reservoir varies from person to person. With some training, most people can learn to sense their own Anima, and develop an intuitive understanding of how much of the energy remains within them. In fact, the first step to learning to cast is to learn to read one’s own Anima. Additionally, just as with any other muscle, it is possible to increase the size of one’s anima reservoir. Interestingly, the amount of Anima required to cast a rune is not fixed. The more knowledgeable one becomes about a rune and the process of carving it the less anima is required. Of course, more complex combinations of runes require more anima, with combinations of Core Runes requiring far more than combinations of Modifying Runes.

Spells
Spells are a combination of one or more Core Rune and one or more Modifying Runes. The act of casting a spell involves the Adept focusing their Anima and then carving the runes of the proposed spell either into the air or onto an object. The act is easily visible, as the runes glow with their own light. Note a combination of Core Runes and Modifying Runes is required. A spell with no Core Rune will do nothing, and a Core Rune without Modifying Runes will simply leave a glowing rune hanging in the air for a few seconds before it fades.

Schools
Of course, learning Core Runes is no easy task, made harder by how closely guarded a secret such knowledge is. Since Core Runes start with a single person, the Archon that created it, they have a great deal of control over how it is initially spread. Thus, most runes are controlled by a single organization. These organizations, sometimes known colloquially as schools are in most cases the only way to learn to cast one of the Core Runes, and they tend to be choosy about just who they teach it to.

Magical Items
Runes can be inscribed upon objects as well as space. This is most often used to provide temporary effects based on the initial anima of a spell. However, it is possible with a sufficiently complex rune script to create an item that draws from the wielder’s anima as opposed to the mage’s. Such runes can persist indefinitely. However, they are tightly regulated by the various schools, for a simple reason. A persistent rune is a rune that can be captured, analyzed, and studied by those outside an order. The intricate details of a Core Rune is an order’s closest guarded secret, and the source of its power. They have no interest in leaving runes anywhere they might fall into the wrong hands. As such, creation of a persistent rune is something that is watched very closely, and losing one tends to have extremely severe repercussions for both the mage who created it and the wielder who lost or stole it.

Artifacts
There are some items that have effects far beyond what can be associated with rune magic, they are the stuff of legend and are often associated with Archons. These items vary, but are colloquially known as artifacts. How they function, how they are made, these facts are not known, but their existence is certain.

Schools:

The Priesthood of Fire (Fire) - In the extremely religious Empire, being a member of the Priesthood of Fire is the most prestigious role one can hold. Founded by the Emperor himself, the priesthood are the teachers and enforcers of the One God. Able to largely go where they please in the Empire, they are trained nearly from birth, and only the most zealous are permitted to ascend to the priesthood proper. The Fire Rune is one of the most versatile runes, and that is reflected in the priesthood. Their roles range from the village priest using his magic to aid his parishioners, to the army’s war-priests cutting burning swathes through the Empire’s enemies. In all their roles from the most humble to the most prestigious they are awarded supreme respect by the Empire’s subjects be they noble or peasant. Visitors to the Empire quickly learn that disrespecting a priest is perhaps the fastest way to destroy oneself. The priest will for the most part do nothing, but everyone who hears of such an event will at best shun the offender until they repent, and at worst such a person might find themselves on the receiving end of the rage of a mob.

The Justicars (Truth) - The Justicars are disciples of the Archon of Truth and servants of the Church of the One God and the Empire. Justicar candidates are selected at a young age and undergo extensive training and indoctrination. They learn to use the Truth Core Rune, and cast spells that prevent people from lying and determine facts from objects. The final initiation involves having the Truth rune tattooed upon their forehead with special ink. This tattoo enhances their ability to use the truth rune, but also prevents them from speaking anything but the truth. Justicars are assigned to travel in specific areas, dispensing justice and resolving disputes in their territory. Their orders are final and without appeal, and backed by the full force of the Imperial Army if necessary.

The Rain-Bringers (Water) - Students of the Archon of Water, the Rain-Bringers are a common sight in the Merchant Republics. They, like their patron, are a largely mercenary order with little in the way of creeds beyond the need to protect the school’s secrets. Hiring a Rain-Bringer is just good sense for anyone travelling the river, and you’ll rarely find important cargo carried without one. They are equally useful for farmers, although not quite as in-demand as Green Adepts, they tend to be called in when rains are scarce.

Desert Sages (Sand) - Followers of the Archon of Sand, this mostly orcish order resides in the great desert of the Emirate. The sages support an aesthetic outlook on life, and tend to live fairly simple lives. However, only a fool would mistake their humble lives as making them weak. Sages hold great weight in Orcish society, and their power in the desert is unrivaled. They were key in repelling the Imperial invasion, for even the mighty imperial army was worn down to nearly nothing by the scouring sand storms and raiding parties that popped up from the sand. They have also proven themselves crucial in enhancing the Emirate’s tin mining, helping to locate new veins that are near the surface and protecting the mines from the desert's harsh weather.

Forgemasters (Gold) - It is because of these craft-mages that gold weapons are feared on Novus. Trained by the Archon of Gold, Arteyon Vaski, they wield the Gold Rune, allowing them to craft impossibly strong and sharp blades from the precious metal. In Landse, their homeland, a gold weapon is a symbol of status and wealth, as well as a deadly weapon. As armorer’s to the Tsar’s personal retinue, named the Golden Legion in honor of their golden weapons and armor, they are never short on resources. Training takes a lifetime, and in order to move past the apprentice stage candidates are expected to learn to forge more mundane metals as well.

The Lifebringers (Life) - Once they had a splendid home in Halstead, where rumors were that they performed all sorts of forbidden experiments. Then the revolution came, their patron Basila Reythul, the Archon of Life was killed, their college burned to the ground their order smashed. It was a sobering experience for the wielders of the Life Rune. Those that escaped sought to learn the lesson of Halstead. They dedicated themselves first and foremost to the healing arts, and spread themselves far and wide. Now a days, you can find Lifebringers in every land but Halstead. They have earned a reputation for both neutrality and virtue. Lifebringers are less an organization than a loose-knit association. Masters train apprentices and the order quietly polices itself. Becoming a Lifebringer is not signing up for a life of wealth and glamor, but their services are forever in such need that people look up to them all the same.

The Hero’s Order (War) - The newest school of magic, formed by the newest Archon. Still in it’s infancy, the Order’s rules and traditions are still in flux, but they have already started to resemble the somewhat idiosyncratic nature of their founder. The Order’s name is derived from Sigmund’s sobriquet, first he was the hero-general and now the hero-king. Once he had developed the War Rune, Sigmund selected those from his closest lieutenants he felt would uphold his ideals of justice and taught them how to carve it. He tasked them to only to teach it to others who would uphold justice and promised swift and terrible retribution to anyone who abused its power. Other than that vague proscription, the rules of the Order at the present time do not exist, but that cannot remain true for long. Just as Sigmund attempts to build a kingdom, so to the will the Order become an institution, but in its infancy it can still be molded and shaped. So many are drawn not just to the power of the new rune, but the chance to shape what will no doubt become one of the great schools of magic.

The Green Adepts(Wood) - Users of the Wood Rune, the Green Adepts are essential to the smooth running of Sidon and their skills are in wide demand across the continent. Trained and based at the College of the Green in Sidon city, they are masters of manipulating plant life. Primarily formosians, there are human adepts as well. Their primary tasks involve encouraging crop growth in various lands, especially on Sidonese plantations. They also help keep the roads clear by creating wooden walls that run their length through the more untamed area of the jungle.

Mechanics
Casting a spell is an action. Casting a spell requires a quality that would grant a character knowledge of how to cast at least one Core Rune. The DC for the spell will be modified by the situation, as well as the number of Modifying Runes used.

Example Spells:
Fire (Core) + Direct (Modifying) = A Fireball or some other ranged fire attack.
Fire(Core) + Direct (Modifying) + Area (Modifying) = A ranged fire Area of Effect spell.
Life (Core) + Aid (Modifying) = A healing spell.
Fire (Core) + Water (Core) + Direct (Modifying) + Area (Modifying) = A steam explosion.
Truth (Core) + Area (Modifying) + Curse (Modifying) = Create a zone where you can’t lie, etc.


Religion

Church of the One God: The official faith of the Holy Empire of Djikstera with some adherents in other kingdoms as well. Founded by the Archon of Fire, Basilus who is its current head. The Church believes that there is a single all powerful being watching over the world. This being created the world and all the things within it. Additionally, they believe humans are God’s chosen people. Expects adherents to live upright and honorable lives, and to spread the faith. The Church places great significance on the Towers, which they view as monuments erected by God.

The Pantheon: For those outside of Djikstera, the primary religion is a polytheistic pantheon of half a dozen gods and goddesses each representative of a pair of major elements of facets of the world. The Pantheon is a mixture of religious traditions from the various places on the continent, this leads to a sometime mixed and contradictory mythology, as Nyss and Kaltas were originally primarily worshipped in Sidon, but have been slotted into the wider Pantheon over the past two centuries due to increased trade with southern nation.
  • Kimir, God of the Sun and of Flame
  • Deltai, Goddess of Time and Earth
  • Ris, God of War and Wind
  • Uste, Goddess of the Moon and Water
  • Nyss, God of Death and Darkness
  • Kaltas, God of Life and Light

Nature Spirits: The Emirates traditional religion focuses on the worship of spirits representing aspects of nature. The method of worship tends to vary from clan to clan, but spoken prayers, songs, and offerings are fairly common. Nature spirit worship is also the primary belief system in Leonis, where the general separation from the rest of the continent due to the Shield Mountains and distaste for the former Resdisian nobility have caused Pantheon worship to have difficulty gaining a hold.

Northern Ancestor Worship: In the north, the people primarily practice a form of ancestor worship. They believe that their ancestors watch over the world of the living, warding their descendants against evil, and punishing those who betray their ideals. Most households in the Northern Kingdom have a small shrine where small offerings and gifts are left to honor those who have passed beyond the veil of the world.

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE
[Reserved for Future Use]

JamezBfod
Jun 13, 2003

there may be people who
find a blender sexy - I
would do well with a more
humanoid model, myself
A name- Bonur Ruknamal, though he finds humans refer to him as “Bo”

A Picture -

Description - The Youngest son of a minor Dwarven House Bo has dedicated the first third of his life to his own education. Anything in writing he could get his hands on from contacts with the Merchants to the South, old legends from storytellers far and wide. News from travelers. In the end, he decided the place to be was to go to the Merchant Republics. At home, he had no power and leverage. Perhaps, if he did well enough, there was a slim chance he could return home and take by wealth and cunning that which birth had dispossessed him.

Mortal Qualities -

Literacy +2 : Having been a fly on the wall at so many functions and taking to chatting up the scribes Bo knows several languages in writing and can speak them well enough to get his point across.

Confident +2 : A positive outlook can be an important thing, and people tend to follow someone who seems to know what they’re doing.

Business Acumen +2 : The House of Ruknamal has been doing progressively better the past two decades, making better use of its assets, its people, and its trade connections. Of course no one gives any credit for this to their youngest scion.

Inconsiderable Wealth +2 : Between a slight control of the family’s business in the Merchant lands and what he carries with him, Bo has a tiny amount of goods and money to swing around.


Drawbacks -


Stranger in a Strange Land -2 : Outside of his House’s holdings Bo tends to be outside his comfort zone as well. Whether the issue is cultural or due to his being a virtual nobody sometimes he just has a really hard time of things.

Altruistic -2 : When someone is in need, and Bo can use what he has to help them, he finds it difficult to resist doing so even if it might hurt his own interests here and now.


Starting Location - Southport - A more Cosmopolitan city with transfers of goods and information from all over the continent.

What do you want out of the game? Build a business, build an empire. God-Emperor, maybe? As long as I can be humorous and clever.

JamezBfod fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Feb 5, 2017

TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?

Hildegard ‘Weiss’ Schultz

Description
Hailing from the Northern Kingdoms, Hildegard (or Weiss, as some back home call her) has seen what the image of strength can do, and its use in keeping foes like the Holy Empire at bay. But real strength, real power, is what interests her most as she watches her homeland be caught between two mighty nations. When Hildegard heard of the emerging Hero’s Order, of the potential that laid in its infant Rune, she couldn’t help but be curious. It was a long journey to Leonis, but if it was for the sake of acquiring power, then surely it would be worth it?

Mortal Qualities
Initiate of the Hero’s Order [+2] - One of numerous students of the newly founded School of War, Hildegard has begun to follow the path paved by the Hero-King. Though its central tenet of upholding justice has no special meaning to her, she nevertheless follows along… for the time being, at least.
Calculating [+2] - Though she may lack in physical and political power, Hildegard makes up for it with a shrewd and deliberate mind that utilizes what she does have to the best of her advantage. Even the sharpest tool is worthless if used improperly, after all, and vice versa.
Imposing [+2] - Born to a family of great height and quite proud of it, Hildegard towers over most women and many men, and cuts a fearsome figure as a result. It is not uncommon for strangers to find her form intimidating, even threatening, though Hildegard hardly seems to care.
Silver-Tongued [+2] - If there is one talent that Hildegard possesses and has cultivated, it is her ability to manipulate and convince others through word and presence. While few would call her charming, or even likable, there is an undeniable charisma that compels others to listen.

Drawbacks
Merciless [-2] - Having seen for herself what problems a position of weakness can cause, both from the Northern Kingdoms and the Kingdom of Leonis, Hildegard has no desire to stay powerless forever. As a result, she shows little sympathy to those who stand in her way, stepping over them without a second thought.
Uneducated [-2] - While her mind is keen and her tongue sharp, the fact is that Hildegard has received no proper schooling in her lifetime. Although she has made efforts to rectify this since joining the Hero’s Order, it is a slow and arduous process, and one that holds her back in numerous fields.

Starting Location
The Kingdom of Leonis - Northerner by birth, Hildegard has since made her way to Leonis so that she might learn directly from the Hero’s Order.

What do you want out of the game?
Acquire power, probably ruin a whole lot of lives while doing so.

TheFireMagi fucked around with this message at 01:37 on Feb 6, 2017

HiKaizer
Feb 2, 2012

Yes!
I finally understand everything there is to know about axes!


Meat (Lambur)

Life as a slave is hardly pleasant. There is the whip of the taskmaster, the threat of losing food and sleeping in the elements, the danger of being punished for disobedience. Then there is Meat's life. Meat is one of the miserable wretches who get sent out to flush out the great beasts of the Duchy. His lot in life is to be a combination of bait and a wall of flesh. Should he fail to rouse beasts to amuse his lords and ladies, then he is punished. Should one be injured, or worse...well Meat only saw that happen to other slaves and they were not heard from again. To other slaves his lot might not seem so bad, he gets fed better and has a small measure of clothing to keep him from getting sick or diseased immediately in the swamps. But he just trades in the promise of a slow death for the uncertainty of a quick one.

But in his heart Meat dreams of freedom, and cradles the flame of his future. For he was not always meat and one day he will be Lambur again, holding his head high and property and slave of no man or woman.

Strong [+2]
The slaves that get sent out to flush out beasts come in two types, the nimble and the strong. Meat tended to the latter as a kid, and that was what got him picked for his lot in life. Most of Meat's time involves manual labour of brute strength when he's not wrestling with a dangerous beast twice his size and weight. Currently out of all the slaves in his lord's keep, Meat can boast to being the strongest...at least when he's properly fed.

Hard to Notice [+2]
Life as a slave teaches you to keep your head down and to avoid notice. If the taskmaster never sees you, then you won't get punished. For slaves like Meat there is not only the danger of your masters ire, but also of beasts and monsters. If you cannot tread softly and move without drawing attention, you don't move for much longer.

Resilient [+2]
Meat's life weeds out the weak and vulnerable. His time in the jungles, working, and sometimes eating meagre meals means that Meat has had to become tough and hardy to survive. Some might call it a will to live, others a desperate need. Meat is inclined to think it's desperate when you're eating a raw frog to make up for a lost dinner last night.

Beast Lore [+2]
The wilds are as much Meat's home as his pen. As such to live this long, Meat quickly learned which animals and plants were safe to eat, which were poisonous, the habits and behaviours of great beasts and monsters. Knowledge is shared amongst the slaves, but there are some things that Meat knows that others do not; a secret contingency to survive.

Sapphire Scaled Slave [-2]
Meat is a slave, and his body is marked indelibly as such. But even worse than this, is that his blue scales make him a memorable slave.

Untrusting [-2]
Life amongst slaves teaches you not to trust others. It is too easy to be betrayed, or for someone to lie and sell you out to save themselves. Meat might not always be unfriendly or betray others, but there are none that he could honestly say that he trusts. It is just too dangerous to allow himself that luxury.

Starting in: Grand Duchy of Sidon
Where else would a slave of the duchy be? In Meat's case, it is one of the camps belonging to the Harrowers. Those that lend their slaves to nobles for their hunts and for back breaking labour when needed, or when money is tight.


Goals
I want to escape and see Meat claim for himself enough safety and security to use his name. Will he rise up against the oppression that led to his slavery? Or find himself in a position to ascend to the role of master and become part of what he currently hates?

HiKaizer fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Feb 6, 2017

Theantero
Nov 6, 2011

...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....
Natasha [last name redacted]


Ignore the flying rocks

Description
The Tsardom is known, within its borders and outside of it, as a breeding ground of high intrigue and games of ruthless realpolitik between its ruling elite as the nobles vie for power. But it's not as if the Crown is defenseless against such incursion. For under the service of the Crown there are the Eyes, the premier intelligence organization of the realm. Natasha works for the Eyes, and has been groomed for the task from what was basically birth. And indeed, she rose through the ranks fairly fast, and has already attained the rank of Commissar, and as such has a bit of pull and the authority to command a small number of the Blackguard (the militant wing of the Eyes). She is ruthless, competent, and ambitious to the decree that when she watches the squabbling of nobles, that she can't help but think that perhaps she could do a better job herself...

Mortal Qualities

Underhanded [+4]
A smear campaign, fabricated land claim, or a knife in the dark if need be, Natasha shies away from nothing to achieve her tasks as Commissar of the Eyes.

Political power [+2]
The Eyes are more than just a clandestine group of sneaks. They're also the Tsar's secret police and political officers, and as such Natasha can call on a fair number of strings and political authority should she ever need to.

Eyes everywhere [+2]
"The walls have ears", they often say in the Tsarate, "and the Eyes miss nothing." Natasha is a trained spy and organizer of spy rings, and liable to find out most hidden secrets if given time.


Drawbacks


Feared and mistrusted [-2]
The Eyes are competent spies, infiltrators and agents, but they do chiefly rely on intimidation, intrigue and rough-housing to get their way. For any of their members to ever count on goodwill of others to get their way would be foolish to the extreme.

Paranoid [-2]
Constantly wary and afraid of capture due to the nature of her work, Natasha is careful and deliberate in her actions to the point of paranoia.


Starting in: Norgrad
The seat of the Tsar, and the headquarters of the most important offices of the crown. The place where Natasha spends most of her time.

What do you want out of the game?
The Dominion v2.0, with less Golems and more Ruthless Police State :v:

Theantero fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Feb 6, 2017

Platonicsolid
Nov 17, 2008

Interesting, may work something up.

Theantero posted:

Natasha [last name redacted]

Nogoodnik?

Theantero
Nov 6, 2011

...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Almost went with a corrupt Djiksteran judge instead, but the part with the Truth tattoo forcing you to be always honest kinda ruined that plan :v:

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE

Theantero posted:

Almost went with a corrupt Djiksteran judge instead, but the part with the Truth tattoo forcing you to be always honest kinda ruined that plan :v:

Probably a good choice. Corruption is extremely rare in Djikstera because (1) pretty much anyone in any position of power is a legit true-believer in the teachings of the Church of the One God which encourages upstanding and honorable behavior, and (2) corruption is ultra-high stakes because the penalty for official misconduct is being burned at the stake (because it's essentially viewed as heresy) and the Archon of Truth got his start rooting out corruption in the Imperial Army. Ensuring that the Holy Empire is completely pure of any self-dealing or injustice (for a given definition of that word) is the Archon's personal crusade and that zeal has been passed on to the organization he created.

Feedback coming shortly.

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE
OK, question and feedback time for everyone:

JamezBfod posted:

A name- Bonur Ruknamal, though he finds humans refer to him as “Bo”



Literacy +2
Confident +2
Business Acumen +2
Inconsiderable Wealth +2

Stranger in a Strange Land -2
Altruistic -2
Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine
  • Good mix of Traits between emotional, physical, and circumstantial. I'd normally not require a trait for literacy if your backstory included it, but I'll use this for Bo being able to read and write several languages which is rarer.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: Tell me about Bo's House and how they reacted to his plan to leave the Tsarate?

TheFireMagi posted:


Hildegard ‘Weiss’ Schultz
Initiate of the Hero’s Order [+2]
Serenity [+2]
Statuesque [+2]
Bold [+2]

Ambitious [-2]
Stubborn[-2]

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Your traits are generally pretty passive, and a bit bland. All of them are descriptors of something Hildegard is like rather than something she can do. A good character should have a mix of both.
  • Your drawbacks are pretty samey. They could work, but both are basically variations on Hildegard will do too much of something even when its not in her best interests. Maybe switch one out for something unconnected to that. I'm sort of blah on Ambitious as a drawback in these small-godsesque games anyways. If you want to have it being about lack of scruples or something make it more specifically about that. Also, this is a good place to work in backstory or other quirks.

Question: Tell me about your mentor in the Order, and why did he/she think you were worthy to join?


HiKaizer posted:


Meat (Lambur)

Strong [+2]
Hard to Notice [+2]
Resilient [+2]
Beast Lore [+2]

Sapphire Scaled Slave [-2]
Untrusting [-2]

Feedback
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Good mix of Traits. Enough varied skills to get off to a good start.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: Tell me about your owner, why did he leave you with the Harrorwers and what was your life like before that?

Theantero posted:

Natasha [last name redacted]


Underhanded [+2]
Apprentice 'Justicar' [+2]
Ruthless [+2]
Eyes everywhere [+2]

Overambitious [-2]
Paranoid [-2]
Feedback
  • Backstory is a bit of a stretch. As I mentioned above the Justicar's are a Djiksteran religious order with the slight whiff of human chauvinism that entails. Also, I'm not sure Natasha would have been able to know she was a double agent, as you can expect the Justicars to use the Truth Rune on their trainees early and often to determine their motivations and whether or not they're a true-believer in the teachings of the Church of the One God. Not saying that it's not doable, but you'll need to provide some explanation as to why they accepted a dwarf, and how Natasha managed to keep that this was a setup on the DL.
  • Traits are pretty good. Ruthless is sort of a worse version of underhanded though, as ruthlessness is best defined as the absence of scruples. Traits that are the lack of something are generally hard to use. Other than that the other three traits are all on point and useful.
  • Drawbacks are so-so. Paranoid is a good fit, because Natasha would definitely have a lot to be paranoid about and I can tap it both for jumping at shadow and for people actually going after her. I'm less clear on over-ambitious, I'm not really sure it's a drawback in terms of this game.

Question: Tell me about your time being trained as a Justicar. How did the intensive indoctrination they undergo in the values of the Church and the Empire affect Natasha?

Fathis Munk
Feb 23, 2013

??? ?


Hajra, the Desert Witch

Description
Hajra grew up as an orphan in one of the Emirate's nomadic tribes. Without parents to take care of her she had to get by on what other families could or would provide her with. She wandered from tribe to tribe, fearful of being seen as a burden and being left behind in the desert. After years of this life as a drifter she met an old Lifebringer who had recently lost his apprentice to the rigors of the desert. He took her in and started teaching her his skill but died before completing her training.

Since that day she lives in the desert, without a tribe, trading her healing gifts for sustenance. She has built a small shack near an oasis and surrouding tribes have taken to calling her the Desert Witch. They bring her their wounded and sick and she performs strange rituals to cure them.

Apprentice Lifebringer[+2]
Even though her training was not completed, Hajra knows how to use the Life rune.

Mystic[+2]
Hajra's master had an unconvential view of magic, heavily impacted by his own faith in the spirits of the desert. He imparted his beliefs on Harja and as a result she tends to perform elaborate rituals that inspire a certain awe and fear in the spectators. She believes in the importance of the rituals but has also become adept at adding some flash and dazzle from time to time to impress others.

Strong Willed[+2]
Years on her own have taught Hajra that you have to stand for yourself because no one else will. Once she sets a goal for herself, it is exceedingly difficult to divert her from it.

Presence[+2]
Hajra has that certain air to her, the one that suggests that there is more to her than you might think. The way she speaks and carries herself implies that she has some sort of knowledge or power that others don't. When she speaks, people tend to believe her.

Superstitious[-2]
Her belief in the primal desert spirits is not for show, Hajra thinks they rule over every action, every event, every person. You should respect the good spirits and you definitely need to ward off the evil ones.

Outcast[-2]
Having switched clans more often than she can count, Hajra never really belonged. She was always that one girl that had joined recently and up to this day, something in her behavior makes other think of her as a foreigner.

Starting in: An oasis, about midway between Katran and the Central Range.

What do you want out of the game : Start a cult of personality Rasputin-style, for the good of all people of course.

Fathis Munk fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Feb 14, 2017

Theantero
Nov 6, 2011

...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Valhawk posted:

Feedback

Right, I changed Natasha a bit. Felt the whole rune thing a bit forced (which is not surprising since I very much tried to force it in while writing :v:), so I replaced it with her having political pull instead. Changed 'Overambitious' to 'Feared and Mistrusted' and merged Underhanded and Ruthless.

JamezBfod
Jun 13, 2003

there may be people who
find a blender sexy - I
would do well with a more
humanoid model, myself
He can also pass as a polyglot, though his pronunciation needs work.

The Minor House of Ruknamal has a handful of mines and a smattering of timber and other reserves. Their holdings are not especially great, but when well-managed they suffice to make Ruknamal one of the more prosperous Minor Houses. They tend to be fecund, leading to Bo's Dilemma. The vying between houses is at times rivaled only by the machinations within them. With so few titles to inherit and such a prodigy for a younger brother the current generation is all too eager to have him leave. The Elder generation was somewhat appalled by the notion of actually leaving the lands of their ancestors, but mostly understood that this was better than joining them early.

Zeppelin Insanity
Oct 28, 2009

Wahnsinn
Einfach
Wahnsinn
Cassandra Viseri



Description

The House Visieri is a modestly successful trade family within Southport. They have next to no influence; their name carries no weight; their vaults are near empty, nearly all income immediately spent on supporting the “proper” lifestyle and keeping up appearances. The family finds itself in the middle; disliked by the population as wealthier than them, and looked down on by other families.

This is the world Cassandra was born into. The youngest child, and least favoured. No hope of inheritance, and no way to make her own fortune – all the family’s funds used by her older siblings in their schemes. The family is not cruel, but in a culture with pretentions to meritocracy and an obsession with shows of status, respect is impossible to earn without assets to leverage.

And so Cassandra grew bitter. Her feelings towards her family are complicated; she does not hate them, but resents their ineptitude.

Cassandra knew that she would have to make her own way if she wanted more. She began to make preparations and sharpen her mind into a weapon.

She wanted to rule. Reshape the Republics into a different society; a strong society that can defend itself against a determined enemy, a fairer society where gender and name did not dictate your future, a more prosperous society that wouldn’t be left behind by the progress of technology.

To rule, she needed to study administration and logistics. She began to work closely with the network of craftsmen, dock hands and shipmasters the family relied on. As her older siblings travelled on trade missions and signed contracts, she moved goods.

She needed to make people recognise her greatness. During parties and banquets, while her family fought for scraps of influence and played at intrigue, she studied people. She learned to read them and manipulate them.

Driven by the pursuit of knowledge, she began to look into magic theory. However, she had little patience for dedicated study, and was not one who could listen to rules and decrees of decrepit men. Frustrated, she began to seek information about a different, more intuitive kind of magic. Thus, she began to read occult writings. Much of it turned out to be made up drivel, but she felt deep in her heart and mind that there was an answer. She would just have to find it.

Cassandra will not settle for money, or fame, or political influence. She wants to be feared, loved and worshipped, and use her “friends” to create a better world.


Mortal Qualities

Inspires devotion [+4]
Cassandra is both beautiful and charismatic. At lavish banquets and in humbler settings, she has spent years purposefully training herself to enthrall.

Administrator [+2]
The stewardship of manufacturing and shipping requires a skillset sorely lacking among glory-seeking merchants. Cassandra knows how to organise things effectively, and who best to delegate tasks to.

Flair for drama [+2]
The difference between forgettable and memorable is largely in the presentation. Whether through appearance or actions, Cassandra knows how to make an impression that sticks.

Drawbacks

Fascinated with the macabre [-2]
Blood gives us life. Emotions shape how we see the world. Desires drive us. There must be power there. Whether misguided or not, Cassandra is fascinated with the idea of dark magic and can rarely resist the chance to learn about it or experiment with it - even if it proves to be a waste of time. In social settings, she can occasionally forget herself and come across as cold, cruel, or plain creepy.

Life of luxury [-2]
Servants, silk sheets and good wine make you soft. Cassandra is very unused to any form of physical hardship, lacks stamina, strength and agility, as well as often finding herself highly annoyed and unable to focus if her surroundings are not up to her standards.

Starting in: Southport. Her birthplace, and a major hub of trade - what could be a better seat of power?

What do you want out of the game? Start a cult! Cassandra also has strong opinions on how a society should be, and has in mind many progressive reforms. This isn't really a "the ends justify the means" situation, though. She feels a strong sense of manifest destiny and creating a better society would increase her personal glory.

Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Feb 7, 2017

HiKaizer
Feb 2, 2012

Yes!
I finally understand everything there is to know about axes!

Valhawk posted:

OK, question and feedback time for everyone:

Feedback
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Good mix of Traits. Enough varied skills to get off to a good start.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: Tell me about your owner, why did he leave you with the Harrorwers and what was your life like before that?

Meat was in his late teens when he got dumped with the Harrowers, and dumping really is the truest word. His mother worked on a plantation and he was a child born from the union of two slaves. While his mother named him in hope, he was born without any and his name was taken in favour of whatever epithet the taskmaster felt like at the time. "Boy" was a nuisance, playing too much when he thought he could and sneaking around, "Nameless" was found snacking on some berries that he had found that by a miracle turned out to not be poisonous. But it was really "Idiot" that finally crossed a line. His owner sometimes took slaves he fancied to his manor for the evening, and one day he seemed to have eyes for Meat's mother. She, like her son, had blue scales as well that made her stand out from others. When Meat tried to stand up for his mother, knowing what happened to the other slaves that came back from their owner's pleasures, their master saw the fear in his mother's eyes when Meat might get punished.

"So, boy. You like to fight do you? You want to challenge something bigger, better, more important than yourself?" The owner had smiled nastily. "I have just the place for troublesome slaves like yourself."

Meat never saw his mother again, and that was almost ten years ago. He does not hold out much hope that his mother is still alive and well, but if there was one thing that would cause a burning fire in his heart it would be a chance to win her freedom.

Apocron
Dec 5, 2005
Edit: actually, as much as I'd like to participate now probably isn't the best time.

Eddard



Which was worse? Living under the callous tyranny of the mages or living in the chaos that had come under the revolution? Eddard remembered the blood that had been shed. Waves of people storming the ivory towers and being consumed in waves of fire that rolled over them like water. He had even put a shaft through the eye of one mage who was in the middle of some incantation designed to release fresh hells upon the peasants. But for all the anima the mages could muster it wasn't enough to exhaust the peasant hordes. The people had torn down their edifices brick by brick and gleefully tore the mages limb from limb. But once their rage was spent Halstead had been left with no leadership. So the peasants each went back to their own hovels fearing and dreading what new master would come to fill the void.

Soon enough the Sidonians had come raiding to pick the carcass of the once mighty Halstead. Without any kind of government the only news was the rumors spread by passing travellers of whole villages being overwhelmed by slavers. Those who resisted were flayed and the rest chained and dragged from the lands their fathers' fathers had been ploughed since memory began. Well Eddard wouldn't stand for that, he managed to round up those men in the village with fight left in them and organised patrols. A few slaving caravans had come by but it seemed that even a little bit of organised resistance was enough to send them elsewhere to look for easier pickings.

Then one day a large force of Halsteadan fighting men had turned up. It seemed that there was a general who was looking to organise and take the fight back to Sidon and bloody their nose. Maybe that way all of the caravans would find somewhere with easier pickings. Eddard was skeptical, but the captain seemed to be more interested in drafting his village rather than negotiating. So now he leads his small band of comrades, hoping that they can rescue some of their lost brothers and sisters, and praying that the general doesn't enslave them in turn.

Hunter [+2]
Eddard's role in his village had been as the local skinner and forager. He wandered the woods around his home hunting small game and picking berries to try and supplement the meagre crop that had been left after their taxes were paid to the liege lord. Thus he is handy with a bow and knows a thing or two about tracking and stalking prey.

Tactics [+2]
Watching the revolutionary hordes pour thoughtlessly into the traps of their superiors had sobered Eddard up. Now he realised the importance of planning and working with his comrades to make sure they were able to use their skills efficiently and hopefully to minimize casualties.

Laconic [+2]
Eddard isn't a great rhetorician. He doesn't make passionate speeches that rouse the hearts of crowds. But when he does speak, he commands the attention of the people around him. So he was able to draw his fellows into organising patrols for the common good. He believes that good sense will win out in the end.

Revolutionary [+2]
Despite all the flaws of the revolution Eddard believes that overcoming tyranny is a worthy cause. His blood boils when he sees people caught under systems of oppression and he is driven to act. He had brought his bow and been a part of the slaughter of the academies. He still hopes that they can establish a better future for the people of Halstead and maybe even peoples in other states.

Flashbacks [-2]
Eddard has seen perhaps the worst massacres of recent history. People burning like wild grass. Mad mobs losing their humanity in the glee of execution. When he witnesses great loss of life or great cruelty his mind is thrown back into the midst of the horrors and he must struggle to control his nerve.

The needs of the many [-2]
Eddard's philosophy has been shaped to minimize the worth of the individual. This means that even should he need to sacrifice those closest to him for the greater good that he will grit his teeth and bear it no matter the cost to his own soul.

Starting in: The Kingdom of Halstead
Eddard and the small fighting band from his village were recently forced to join a larger fighting force whose goal is to force Sidon to cease sending their slavers into the Kingdom.


Goals
Short term he wants to get his men through the war with Sidon and for the army to succeed in preventing more slaving caravans entering their territory. Beyond that he wants to learn who is in charge of the Kingdom currently and try and ensure that a fair government is put into place. Perhaps in the future, if they establish such a state, other countries will also cease their oppression?

Apocron fucked around with this message at 10:35 on Feb 6, 2017

Rhjamiz
Oct 28, 2007

Jian - Vagabond


Background


The Temple of the Moon; it had stood in the lands of Tiran for nearly 1000 years. A place of communion with the spirits, it was maintained by the monastic order, the Yueh, that dwelt there. Their teachings promoted a oneness of mind and body, flesh and spirit. Simple meditation and contemplation was not enough; the body, too, must be strengthened and taught to work in concert with the mind. Nature was Balance, and so in order to comprehend Nature and the spirits, one must first achieve balance in oneself. Every year, the Yueh accepted new Initiates in order to maintain both the Temple and their own numbers. It was at the age of sixteen that Jian joined the Temple of the Moon. For the next eight years, Jian lived and trained among them, and would attain the level of Custodian upon the completion of his tenth year and the end of his Initiation period.

But then the Kingdom of Resdis attacked.

The Yueh were, as a rule, unconcerned with the political goings on of either Tiran or Resdis. The Resdisians, however, were not so unconcerned. They had little respect for the Yueh, who as far as they could tell, lived as beggars. They occupied the Temple for use as a fortress, though its position offered no strategic value. Any Yueh who resisted were put to death. When the uprising occurred, and the Great General Sigmund turned against his masters and pushed the conquering armies back, the Resdisians did not leave quietly. Determined to cede nothing to the traitorous General and his peasant army, the Resdisian garrison razed the Temple of the Moon to the ground. Fighting broke out within the monastery, and while The Old Masters stayed behind to save what they could, many Custodians and Initiates attempted to flee the slaughter. Jian was one of the lucky few.

Since then, Jian has lived as a beggar and vagabond, doing whatever hard labor or odd jobs he could get to feed himself. Charity was in short supply in the newly formed Kingdom; all were in need. Jian, like the other Yueh, was now merely one of the many peasants struggling to survive in a war-ravaged land. The only thing that separated him from the rest was the small mark on the inside of his right wrist; three short lines radiating from a central point, equidistant.

Mortal Qualities

[+2] Strength of Body: As an Initiate, Jian underwent intense physical training meant to strengthen his body. He maintains the routine even as a beggar, performing intense labor in order to earn scraps.

[+2] Strength of Will: Where the body fails, the spirit endures. Meditation focuses and strengthens the mind. Jian has been taught how to push himself beyond pain. Beyond exhaustion.

[+2] Anima-Ka: As an Initiate, Jian was instructed in the basic principles of the Martial Art, Anima-Ka; the oneness of mind, body, and spirit. Practitioners of Anima-Ka utilize their latent Anima to boost their fighting potential beyond what strength alone is capable of.

[+2] Spirit Lore: As an Initiate, Jian was tutored in the lore of the spirits and the Spirit Realm.

Drawbacks

[-2] Reckless: Jian harbors much guilt and anger over the events of the war, and while these can be useful emotions, they also tend to drive Jian to rash action.

[-2] Vow of Poverty: While no longer bound to the vows of a dead order, Jian still has some attachment to these last vestiges of his old life. Worse, he looks the part; like an unwashed beggar looking for a handout.

______

Starting Location: The Kingdom of Leonis

What do I want from this game?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsjCWNXtRE

Rhjamiz fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Feb 7, 2017

PyroDwarf
Aug 24, 2010
Withdrawing character

PyroDwarf fucked around with this message at 22:43 on Feb 8, 2017

LLSix
Jan 20, 2010

The real power behind countless overlords

Justiciar Catriona



"The world is not perfect. Slavers wait patiently to our South. Prevented from raiding our villages only by the Imperial army. Nomad bandits lurk in their deserts to the South East. The Priesthood of Fire keeps them at bay, but burning a desert is like trying to warm a man with snow. Brother kills brother to the West and all manner of bandits have been loosed by the savage civil war in Leonis. To the East, you can buy a kind man's life for a weeks worth of bread or hire a Rainbringer to wash away the home of an honest man for only a little more. To the North, the strong rule over the weak but both huddle together around a fire in wooden huts while they pray to their gods that the Dwarves will not kill them tonight. They do not dare to dream of asking to live through tomorrow as well. Their survival is always uncertain. You know what I say is true citizens; for the Rune on my forehead means I cannot tell a lie."

"The Holy Empire of Djikstera has not only the strongest armies in Novus, but also the strongest commitment to truth and the welfare of all its citizens. That commitment is what has brought me to your village today. The two men tied to stakes atop the piles of wood behind me gave shelter to bandits from Leonis. The bandits have preyed on you and on passing caravans for weeks while those two grew rich from selling the goods the bandits stole. The world is not perfect, but we can make it a little more perfect each day. Today, you can make the world a little more perfect by using the torches I have given you to burn these two men alive."

I stepped aside as the gathered villagers rushed the stakes to which their elders were bound. Elders who'd led them well. Elders who'd wisely re-invested the proceeds of their criminal enterprises back into their village. Now that Bronzeheart and I had killed the bandits, the village would be poorer. Some of the men and women rushing to set their elders alight would be jobless within a fortnight. Some, surely, were afraid of what I would do if they did not hurry to obey. Most, probably, had no thought for the consequences of their actions. As the men on the stakes began to scream, I reminded myself that the world is not perfect. We have to make it a little more perfect each day.

Journeyman Justicar +2
A recently tattooed Justicar, Catriona wields the rune of truth and her authority like cudgels to bludgeon the nation towards a more perfect future.

Deep Anima Reservoir +2
Catriona was born with an unusually deep anima reserve, allowing her to draw more, and more powerful runes than would be expected of someone with her experience.

Shield Mountain Veteran +2
Bandits. War Refugees. Ex-soldiers. There isn't much difference when your soldiers are peasant levies and their farms are destroyed in the fighting. Even honest men have to eat and when the only skill they can practice is murder for profit... Well, lets just say a lot of unfortunate souls started looking at everyone they met as a bag of gold just waiting to be claimed. The civil war in Leonis spawned hundreds of bandits, and then thousands more when the army was disbanded and the ex-soldiers realized they didn't have anywhere to go home to. Many of them spilled across the border into the Holy Empire of Djikstera. Catriona's mentor, Bronzeheart, had her serve two years along the border hunting for bandits and worse with him. Travelling from small village to small village taught her wilderness survival skills. Hunting down bandits and rooting them out from their hiding places among the villages and farmers honed her tracking and fighting skills. What she saw and did there will be forever etched into her mind. Such evils are exactly what the Empire exists to prevent.

Swift +2
Catriona is swift in thought and deed.

No Rest For the Wicked -2
The wicked do not rest from their evils; so Catriona pushes herself not to rest either. She restlessly hunts for the truth late into the night, long after good folk have gone to bed. Then she rises before the sun to resume her hunt. Her insomnia often leaves her sleep-deprived and prone to mistakes.

Progressive -2
Catriona firmly believes in the Empire. A better version of the Empire. With the current version of the empire having been laid down by the One God, that's not a popular belief. Not a safe belief. It is however a belief that Catriona is willing to die for. It's the only way she can justify to herself all the other people she's made die for it.



Starting Point
A small village near the Golden Mountains.

What do you want out of the game?
In the short term I want to get to play a bad-rear end, wandering Judge Dredd. I want to arbitrate disagreements, investigate crimes, and punish the wicked. In the longer term I want to explore the tension between the safety/prosperity a large unified state like the Empire provides and the oppressive/Orwellian methods necessary to maintain that stability.

Rhjamiz
Oct 28, 2007

PyroDwarf posted:

Old-man Johan

Goals: Continue his journey [to the] West

:getin:

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE

Theantero posted:


Natasha [last name redacted]

Underhanded [+4]
Political power [+2]
Eyes everywhere [+2]

Feared and mistrusted [-2]
Paranoid [-2]

Feedback:
  • Ya, backstory is much cleaner without the Justicar bit. It was an interesting idea, but you'd have sort of needed to make your entire character about it for it to have really been worth it.
  • Traits look fine.
  • Ya, the social stigma one is much better than ambitious for this character. Both work.

Question: The Eyes are renowned for their blind devotion to the Tsar, it is rumored most would rather slit their own throats than speak anything negative about him. How true is this rumor, and how does Natasha feel about her liege lord?


Fathis Munk posted:


Hajra, the Desert Witch

Apprentice Lifebringer[+2]
Mystic[+2]
Quick Learner[+2]
Presence[+2]

Superstitious[-2]
Self-Righteous [-2]

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine. No problems there.
  • So Mystic is not so much about magical effect as the razzle-dazzle show of it? If so, that seems fine and in character. Quick Learner, while flavorful seems like it would apply to way too much. You'll get new qualities as you learn new skills anyways. I'd switch this out for something else. Other than that the rest of them seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem to overlap a bit. Both are about how she's a true-believer in the desert spirits and their ways. Can you name some circumstances where one would apply, but not the other?

Question: The Lifebringers are spread far and wide, but they generally like to keep in touch with their brothers and sisters. What's Hajra's relationship with the wider order like?


Zeppelin Insanity posted:


Cassandra Viseri

Inspires devotion [+4]
Administrator [+2]
Flair for drama [+2]

Fascinated with the macabre [-2]
Life of luxury [-2]

Feedback:
  • timg is your friend, that picture is giant.
  • Backstory seems fine if a bit threadbare.
  • I'm not clear on the effective difference between Inspire's Devotion[+4] and Flair for Drama[+2], it might be better to swap Flair for Drama out for something else that would widen the types of actions available to Cassandra. Other than that, they seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: What got Cassandra involved in the occult? Also, if given a choice between gaining a core of worshipful devotees and keeping her fortune, which would she choose?


Rhjamiz posted:


Jian - Vagabond

[+2] Strength of Body:
[+2] Strength of Will:
[+2] Anima-Ka:
[+2] Spirit Lore:

[-2] Reckless:
[-2] Vow of Poverty:

Feedback:
  • Backstory is pretty good. Good fit for Leonis.
  • Traits seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: As a refugee from Tiran, how does Jian feel about the Hero-King and his new kingdom?


PyroDwarf posted:


Old-man Johan

[+4] Dwarven Master:
[+2] Golden Forgemaster:
[+2] Aspiring Performer:

[-2] Getting on in Years:
[-2] Pursued by Forgemasters:

Feedback:
  • I'm sort of so-so on this backstory. It's definitely pushing the limits of the conceit that you shouldn't be important at the start. Maybe tone back Johan's former rank in the Smiths.
  • Dwarven Master falls under the same problem as what I have above. Other two traits are fine.
  • Drawbacks are fine.

Question: What rune did you imbue into your instrument, and why?


LLSix posted:


Justiciar Catriona

Journeyman Justicar +2
Deep Anima Reservoir +2
Shield Mountain Veteran +2
Swift +2

No Rest For the Wicked -2
Progressive -2

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Good traits, nice all around coverage.
  • Drawbacks are fine.

Question: What does Catriona think of the Church of the One God? Does she believe in the Faith's teachings?

JamezBfod posted:

He can also pass as a polyglot, though his pronunciation needs work.

The Minor House of Ruknamal has a handful of mines and a smattering of timber and other reserves. Their holdings are not especially great, but when well-managed they suffice to make Ruknamal one of the more prosperous Minor Houses. They tend to be fecund, leading to Bo's Dilemma. The vying between houses is at times rivaled only by the machinations within them. With so few titles to inherit and such a prodigy for a younger brother the current generation is all too eager to have him leave. The Elder generation was somewhat appalled by the notion of actually leaving the lands of their ancestors, but mostly understood that this was better than joining them early.

Question: What sort of business has Bo come to Southport to run?


HiKaizer posted:

Meat was in his late teens when he got dumped with the Harrowers, and dumping really is the truest word. His mother worked on a plantation and he was a child born from the union of two slaves. While his mother named him in hope, he was born without any and his name was taken in favour of whatever epithet the taskmaster felt like at the time. "Boy" was a nuisance, playing too much when he thought he could and sneaking around, "Nameless" was found snacking on some berries that he had found that by a miracle turned out to not be poisonous. But it was really "Idiot" that finally crossed a line. His owner sometimes took slaves he fancied to his manor for the evening, and one day he seemed to have eyes for Meat's mother. She, like her son, had blue scales as well that made her stand out from others. When Meat tried to stand up for his mother, knowing what happened to the other slaves that came back from their owner's pleasures, their master saw the fear in his mother's eyes when Meat might get punished.

"So, boy. You like to fight do you? You want to challenge something bigger, better, more important than yourself?" The owner had smiled nastily. "I have just the place for troublesome slaves like yourself."

Meat never saw his mother again, and that was almost ten years ago. He does not hold out much hope that his mother is still alive and well, but if there was one thing that would cause a burning fire in his heart it would be a chance to win her freedom.

Question: What does Meat think about the professional Hunters, tell me about a time he interacted with one.

Zeppelin Insanity
Oct 28, 2009

Wahnsinn
Einfach
Wahnsinn

Valhawk posted:

Feedback:
  • timg is your friend, that picture is giant.
  • Backstory seems fine if a bit threadbare.
  • I'm not clear on the effective difference between Inspire's Devotion[+4] and Flair for Drama[+2], it might be better to swap Flair for Drama out for something else that would widen the types of actions available to Cassandra. Other than that, they seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

The idea is that Inspires Devotion is more meant for direct persuasion, gaining of allies and followers. Flair for drama is sort of the flip side of it - sending a negative message, causing fear in theatrical ways. Horse head in the bed kind of thing.

My intent with the character was that she'd have to rely heavily on her followers to interact with the world, and would be fairly powerless when isolated from them, only able to rely on charm and wits.

Valhawk posted:

Question: What got Cassandra involved in the occult?

My first brush with the occult was... twelve years ago? I was barely a girl, then. I saw a play about the Lifebringers. Before the massacre. The experiments they performed, finding out ways of bending life force to their will fascinated me. The fact that the Lifebringers allowed themselves to be brought to their knees by scared rabble, and abandoned that area of research made me angry. Knowledge cannot be evil, and the pursuit of knowledge is a noble cause.

The seeds planted by that play matured in my mind. There has to be more to magic than the Schools let on. If knowledge is forbidden, that means someone is scared of it. They're scared it can break their monopoly on power. And they should be.

Valhawk posted:

Also, if given a choice between gaining a core of worshipful devotees and keeping her fortune, which would she choose?

I don't have a fortune. My family does. I refuse to be defined by them. For now, I use them, but not for much longer. I will forge my own path and make a new name for myself. I will give power to those who follow me and together we'll reshape the Republics.

Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Feb 7, 2017

LLSix
Jan 20, 2010

The real power behind countless overlords

Valhawk posted:

Question: What does Catriona think of the Church of the One God? Does she believe in the Faith's teachings?

I have met many members of the Priesthood of Fire during my training. They were all upright citizens and honest. Aside from my brethren, they're the most honest group of people I've ever met. They're not even bound by the Truth Tattoo as we are, but still, they rarely stray outside the bounds of complete correctness. Having one at my side would be a great blessing as I administer the Emperor's justice in these remote regions even though their zeal sometimes drives them to excess. I mete out justice, not mercy; but sometimes it seems to me that the Priesthood is happy to settle for revenge.

The Church is the unifying thread of the Empire. If we did not have the word of the One God, we would prey on each other as the men and women in Leonis do. Truly, we are the chosen people. One day we will liberate all the humans outside our borders from their false masters and shield them from the monstrous humanoids who kill and enslave them.

I do not understand why the One God created the world this way. Leaving Humans vulnerable to the depredations of the other races. Bedeviled by monsters. Weak, and prone to folly. Ultimately it does not matter. The world is not perfect. I will make it so. One day at a time.

LLSix fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Feb 7, 2017

HiKaizer
Feb 2, 2012

Yes!
I finally understand everything there is to know about axes!

Valhawk posted:

Question: What does Meat think about the professional Hunters, tell me about a time he interacted with one.

Most of what Meat does is harrying for nobles that want to play big game hunters. Of them, and their personal retainers that are hunters, he has nothing but scorn and hate. It is their indulgence that endangers him and his fellow slaves, just for some show at a trophy, and when they get hurt by their own stupidity and hubris it is always the slaves that suffer.

As for real hunters, the sort that go out and hunt the beasts to keep the local townsfolk and merchants safe if pressed for an answer Meat would probably give an apathetic grunt of acceptance. Mostly he does not have the luxury to care about things but he does acknowledge that they want to get out alive and safe as well, and the few times he has worked with them they have used him sensibly and not endangered him by being deliberately stupid. Meat thinks he knows a few more things about the creatures than them, but that could just be a tiny shred of pride he allows himself to have.


That said the times that Meat has worked with real hunters, have been at the commission of a merchant family or rich nobles looking to avenge the loss of a family member. Most of the time hunters work does not pay well enough to bring along slaves, after all the people most at risk from monsters and beasts are the slaves. Slaves are replaceable, and cheap. But there was a time that a caravan of expensive goods and slaves had been waylaid by a great reptile. The Kath were known for their tough hide and their foul toxins; their bites caused a rapid and painful death and they seemed to exude an aura that caused the weak to grow sick. Troublesome was their great size and strength, they could push over tall trees if they put their minds to it. It was a mother and three hatchlings that needed to be hunted and killed, and a great bounty was put on their heads. When the hunters arrived to collect their slaves from the Harrowers, they looked like real hunters. They had leather armours, proper boots for tracking in the swamps, scars and one or two had missing eyes or fingers, one had a stump instead of a hand.

Hunting with the hunters was a different experience for Meat, they used traps and bait effectively. They were careful, cautious, quiet to avoid rousing more beasts than just their quarry. When they used Meat and they slaves, they gave specific instructions and were careful to avoid getting them hurt unnecessarily. He knew this was as much out of a desire to afford having to pay a penalty to the Harrowers for the loss of their property, than it was out of genuine concern, but it at least was a better lot than much of what they got. In the end they killed the Kath, two hunters and three slaves lost to keep the trade road safe. Meat ended up having to wrestle one of the hatchlings down himself while a hunter could make the kill, having a bronze blade sharp enough to actually pierce its hide. This earned him a surprised eyebrow raise from the human, but no other words of thanks or approval. Not that he expected such things, Meat was a slave, property, and that institution runs too deep in Sidon for anyone not a slave to show them real kindness. But a lack of callous disregard and a lack of torment for the sake of it was enough for Meat at the time.

Viscardus
Jun 1, 2011

Thus equipped by fortune, physique, and character, he was naturally indomitable, and subordinate to no one in the world.

Venn, Shadow of the Black Rose


Backstory:

Where money flows, crime follows, and nowhere does more money change hands than in the city of Southport. Every city has its thieves and its thugs, but Southport has more than that – its underworld boasts a sophisticated web of money and intrigue that rivals the politics of the merchant princes that officially rule the city. But where the Council of Princes is often consumed by petty rivalry and bitter division, the city’s underworld is – rather ironically – somewhat more orderly. This is chiefly due to a single woman: a secretive individual generally known as the Black Rose of Southport.

The Black Rose is not, contrary to what some might believe, an absolute ruler for the city’s criminals. Her influence is significant, however, and in some parts of the city her sprawling criminal enterprise operates as a parallel authority to the city’s legal government. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the case of the Shadows – a group of operatives who exist separately from most of the Rose’s criminal empire, reporting to her directly. In wealthier parts of the city they are feared as spies and assassins, but that is only a small part of their duties. In some ways they operate more like a secret police force, tracking down those who have wronged the Rose in some way and dealing with them appropriately. In the slums of Southport, where the City Watch maintains only a nominal presence, the Shadows do far more to maintain peace and order than anyone in the service of the Council. It is telling that victims in certain parts of the city would prefer to appeal to the Rose and her Shadows for justice than the City Watch – provided, of course, they have a valid claim to the Rose’s protection.

Like many of the orphans of Southport, Venn turned to crime at an early age. Unlike most, she was good enough at it to get off the streets and graduate from pickpocketing to burglary. By the time she was a teenager, she was living in relative comfort (by the standards of her upbringing, at least, given how many of her early peers were dead or destitute) as a member of a small gang of cat burglars. That ended when they made the mistake of robbing a gambling house under the Black Rose’s protection – and taking money meant for her, to boot. It wasn’t long before the Shadows tracked them down, and shortly thereafter Venn was the only member of the gang still alive. She evaded the Shadows for days, and when she could run and hide no longer, managed to set a trap for the first one who found her, killing him. The next two were not so easily tricked, but, much to Venn’s surprise, they had been ordered to capture rather than kill her. She had impressed someone – whether a senior Shadow or the Rose herself, she’s never found out – and was offered forgiveness on the condition that she agree to work for the Rose and train as a Shadow.

Years later, Venn is officially a Shadow – and quite loyal to the Rose, despite the circumstances of her initial employment. Like all Shadows, she performs a variety of tasks, though her skills make her particularly suited to tasks that require stealth and subtlety. Her youth and rather junior status within the organization mean that she has yet to be trusted with any tasks of great significance, but she has every confidence in her ability to prove herself to her superiors – and eventually surpass them.


Mortal Qualities:

Shadow in the Night [+4] – Venn has been sneaking and skulking her entire life, from her earliest days as a pickpocket, through her time as a cat burglar, to her current profession as a Shadow. She knows how to move quickly and quietly, whether on the streets, the rooftops, or somewhere in between. Whether she’s tailing someone through a crowd, picking the lock to a strongbox, or even sliding a dagger between someone’s ribs, she knows how to get it done without attracting attention – and vanish before anyone notices.

Sharp Mind [+2] – Venn never had a formal education, but she’s always been clever. More than her physical skills, what set her apart from most of her childhood peers were her observational skills and ability to learn and synthesize information quickly. She tends to notice things others don’t, and, more importantly, react and adapt without missing a beat.

Servant of the Rose [+2] – Venn never cared much about politics or intrigue – criminal or otherwise – before she began working for the Black Rose. Since then, however, she has come to appreciate the tangled social webs that connect everyone from beggars to merchant princes, not least of all because she now has an appreciable role in her particular corner of it. Despite the name, there are times that Shadows must operate in the open, whether that means dealing with other agents of the Rose, petty criminals, average working folk, or even wealthy merchants. Doing so requires not only the ability to wield the Rose’s influence, but also the knowledge of how best to do so.


Drawbacks:

Acquisitive [-2] – Venn has never been satisfied with what she has, perhaps because she has rarely had much. But even taking such things into account, she has always displayed a strong desire for material possessions: money, primarily, but anything valuable will do. It was that desire that tempted her into participation in the heist that led to the death of the rest of her gang, and it was part of why she was willing to work for Rose despite that. Wealth is not the only thing she cares about, but it has a propensity to tempt her into inadvisable actions more than anything else.

Sweat over Blood [-2] – Venn has worked hard her entire life, and she considers herself to have earned everything she has – even if most of it was at the expense of others. She has great sympathy for the less fortunate, but only insofar as she does, in fact, consider them less fortunate. She does not believe in charity for its own sake – if she is to help someone, she must feel that they truly deserve that help. More importantly, she has nothing but disdain for nobles of any variety, or anyone else who is simply given wealth or power without working for it. There is, of course, the rare person who is born into privilege and proves to deserve it through their actions, but it is difficult for Venn to muster any respect for the rest of them. This rather cold attitude toward anyone who does not meet her harsh standards has proven useful in justifying her less ethically-straightforward actions to herself, but is less helpful in contexts where good relations are more important than moral judgement.


Starting Location: Southport (although it’s entirely possible that the whole thing could be transported somewhere else if necessary)

What do you want out of the game? I’m particularly partial to politics and mystery myself, and I’m interested in exploring how a person like Venn would react to gaining power and how it might change her (because I’m honestly not sure at this point). In terms of what Venn wants, she’s more interested in wealth than power, but she’s adventurous enough that she would not be afraid to use power if she gets it. She’d certainly be interested in cutting plenty of people down to size – not to mention getting rich.


Replaced.

Viscardus fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Feb 13, 2017

Rhjamiz
Oct 28, 2007

Valhawk posted:

Feedback:
  • Backstory is pretty good. Good fit for Leonis.
  • Traits seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem fine.

Question: As a refugee from Tiran, how does Jian feel about the Hero-King and his new kingdom?

Jian has mixed feelings on the topic of Sigmund and the war. On the one hand, he and the rest of the Yueh agree that the Resdisian treatment of Tiran was abominable. On the other hand, Jian harbors a great resentment and anger toward Sigmund and his comrades who turned traitor; what took them so long? Why let it go so far? If Resdis had not been allowed to penetrate so deeply into Tiranian territory, the Yueh might not have been cut down or scattered to the winds, and the Temple of the Moon might yet be standing. Jian holds Sigmund somewhat responsible for the fall of the Temple and the destruction of the Yueh.

Theantero
Nov 6, 2011

...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Valhawk posted:

Question: The Eyes are renowned for their blind devotion to the Tsar, it is rumored most would rather slit their own throats than speak anything negative about him. How true is this rumor, and how does Natasha feel about her liege lord?

The rumors are not in entirety false, but not completely correct either. However, the high leadership of the Eyes sees no need to correct these rumors as it views them as a convenient fiction.

See, the Eyes are an office in service of the Crown, and just as all such offices, they tend to continue as usual when power shifts. Thus their allegiance tends to be more to the office of the Crown itself, than to whatever Tsar is currently in power. Indeed, the high leadership of the Eyes tends to discourage such personal allegiance to the Tsar, mainly because that would make periods of transition more difficult than they need to be, and dwarves tend to appreciate stability. Even the nobles tend to grudgingly appreciate this fact, since they usually refrain from purging the Eyes if one of them actually manages to seize power. It is an arrangement that goes both ways: The Eyes try to stop the nobles from disrupting the plans of the Crown, but if they fail and the Crown is passed, they will work for the new Tsar without complaint, and as such no grand purges of the office are necessary (well, some people might have to hang for show, or if they've really managed to piss off the new Tsar somehow, but the death toll tends to be surprisingly limited) and the Eyes get to keep their expertise.

Now that is not to say that there are not those within the Eyes that hold more personal allegiance (they tend to be groomed from a fairly early age after all), but those sorts of people tend to be shifted into the field duties, to be the burglars and sneaks and Blackguard enforcers: the people both most at direct risk (their disregard for their own lives is useful here) and the ones that deal with the general populace most often (thus giving birth to the rumors as the people see them as a more representative sample of the organization than they actually are). This also keeps the parts of the organization that might cause trouble when a new Tsar arises low in the hierarchy, unable to cause real trouble and easily purged if need be. Indeed, such evaluations of character play a large role when the Eyes determine who gets assigned what duties.

Natasha, then, as might be expected from a member of the officer corps, holds a rather dispassionate view of the current Tsar as a person. She views him as perfectly passable a Tsar, yes, but also recognizes that he's starting to get decrepit and probably fairly likely to lose his throne soon, even if she still tries to keep him on it (it is her duty after all). But regardless, far more than she worries about him specifically as a person, she worries about the inevitable transition of power and how smooth it's going to be. And personally? She feels the nobles are a bit of a pointless boondoggle anyway, since it's really the officials behind the Crown that keep things running anyway. So why not just dispose of the irrelevant bit?

She has kept these thoughts to herself of course, since she is not a moron.

PyroDwarf
Aug 24, 2010
I'm thinking of a way to reconcile the "lifetime study of guarded secrets" and "don't be anyone important". Johan never technically reached the rank of master and earned himself an exile for what he did. I also figured that a lifetime of mining and smithing would rate a +4 in that area. I'll keep thinking. I could see breaking up the +4 into a +2 mining type skill and a +2 smithing type skill. And in that case I'll probably drop the gold oath backstory and go with some form of innate connection to the rune via music.

AJ_Impy
Jun 17, 2007

SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
Yam Slacker
Magroth the innovator



Magroth grew up in relative poverty upon the streets of the merchant republic of Aum. Whilst it is said of the region that with enough gold you can get your hands on nearly anything, the reverse is also true, and for one left to fend for themselves as a youth it can be a harsh place indeed. Magroth has no memories of a father, and what brief flashes he can recall of his mother do not paint an edifying picture: In all likelihood he was a byblow of some merchant with greater wealth than social grace, and a lady whose affection for a night was easily procured. In any case, He survived hardscrabble upon the streets of the slum district, falling in with insalubrious company just to get by, learning to make do with next to nothing. It was not a pleasant way to live, and it seemed like it might well be cut short.

Illness and disease strikes at the destitute harder than it does the wealthy: unsanitary living conditions, untrustworthy food scraps and the privations of hunger and exposure tend to take their toll. He had no name for the ague that took him, no knowledge of how to describe it when his skin felt not his own, especially not when sense fled and he collapsed in what was surely a terminal delirium. Terminal, save for the fact he woke up again afterwards.

He woke up in clean and well-appointed, if modest, surrounds. Whatever it was that had ravaged him was gone, as if by magic. Given that this was Aum, as he was soon to learn the city of mages, that was pretty much an accurate take on what had happened. 'Brother Fenstrom' a kindly man with old eyes in a young and healthy face, had proven to be his saviour, having witnessed his collapse after his fevered wanderings had taken him to a better part of town. Lifebringer magic had saved him, and offered itself as an opportunity for his continued survival, given that Fenstrom wished to take on an apprentice to teach the art. He had already been old for a human when he had learned at the feet of Basila Reythul, so with time short he could ill-afford to be too picky when it came to students.

Magroth took to the art swiftly, learning quickly and well of the life rune and its modifiers. It was to his future detriment that Fenstrom cleaved closely to his original teachings, and whilst he did not demonstrate the forbidden ways that had brought about the fall of their Halstead holdfast, he showed how they were possible, and encouraged Magroth to be creative. Compared to his prior years, this time of education was truly a near-heavenly, halcyon timebut such things never last. Fenstrom took his final breath as he slept , and Magroth sent out the call to other Siblings of life in the city to pay their last respects to one of their own.

Inheriting Fenstrom's dwelling-place and duties, this is where we find him now, upraised from the streets, trained well, but trained dangerously, having had a scant few months to settle himself into the role. He has begun to push the boundaries of the Lifebringer's art, experimenting and extrapolating with all manner of modifying runes. He shies away from creating the legendary horrors or misshapen beasts that brought ruin in Halstead, but doubtless some of his 'siblings' would be leery if they caught wind of the full extent of his research.

Mortal Qualities
Lifecrafting Prodigy +4 - The Student of Fenstrom (For his peers yet think of him as a footnote to that wise elder) has not yet proven himself to the world, but he learnt from a master and has considerable talent and ambition lurking untapped. Will it be channelled for weal or woe?

Lifecrafting Maestro +6 - The Healer in White has proven himself, and his talents have blossomed massively. On the surface, everything he has used them for has benefited others, technically speaking.

Scrounging Gleaner +2 - If he wasn't able to make the best of what was to hand, he'd have been another too-small body blocking a slum gutter. He learned the hard way to waste nothing and profit from the wastefulness of others, and took the lessons to heart.

Cunning innovator +2 - His wits were sharpened by hunger and danger, always seeking new answers to intractable problems like basic survival in a hostile world. This has only broadened in scope in the years of being able to think beyond food and shelter, his mind always looking for the unthought, the unconsidered, the overlooked. When presented with a dichotomy, he will always, always look for a third way forward.

Drawbacks
Dubious teachings -2 - Not all that Fenstrom bequeathed was beneficial. If not for his venerable age and his former proximity to their lost Archon, the Lifecrafters might well have placed him under greater scrutiny or censure. That's just for the things of which the siblings are aware. Magroth has neither of those, and is aware of the full gamut of his tutor's excesses. This could well prove problematic.

Envious Ambition -2 - Magroth started with less than nothing, yet has clawed his way up to the verge of respectability. So many started with far more, have done far less, and have wasted so much. He is bitter at their profligacy, and has a deep-seated drive to surpass those he sees as having spurned the opportunities they were gifted.

Starting Location
The quarters inherited from his saviour and educator Fenstrom, in the city of Aun in the Merchant Republics, though he is already considering going further afield.

What do you want out of the game?
Magroth wants to poke, prod and pry at the limits of the possible in his chosen field. He wants to eventually become a true master, daring to aspire even unto archonic power. Perhaps he succeeds, perhaps he climbs so high his wings melt and he comes crashing down, but the fun is in the attempt and the ascent.

In terms of gameplay experience, I'm flexible. I love a good bit of back and forth, facing intriguing challenges and digging out crazy plans that just might work. Who my character becomes, be it heroic, villainous or gently between, is something I like to develop over time and through circumstance.

AJ_Impy fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Jul 17, 2017

Platonicsolid
Nov 17, 2008

I've started writing up a Navigator's Guild leader with a focus on populist rabble rousing. As I reread the setting, that may be overly nautical and a different profession would make more sense?

Rhjamiz
Oct 28, 2007

Platonicsolid posted:

I've started writing up a Navigator's Guild leader with a focus on populist rabble rousing. As I reread the setting, that may be overly nautical and a different profession would make more sense?
A Navigator's Guild, you say?

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE

Platonicsolid posted:

I've started writing up a Navigator's Guild leader with a focus on populist rabble rousing. As I reread the setting, that may be overly nautical and a different profession would make more sense?

There's trade and stuff via sea, but naval technology is in the trireme phase. Also your character probably shouldn't be the leader of anything at the start. The general conceit of the game is that you start out as a relative nobody.

Fathis Munk
Feb 23, 2013

??? ?

Valhawk posted:

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine. No problems there.
  • So Mystic is not so much about magical effect as the razzle-dazzle show of it? If so, that seems fine and in character. Quick Learner, while flavorful seems like it would apply to way too much. You'll get new qualities as you learn new skills anyways. I'd switch this out for something else. Other than that the rest of them seem fine.
  • Drawbacks seem to overlap a bit. Both are about how she's a true-believer in the desert spirits and their ways. Can you name some circumstances where one would apply, but not the other?

Yes, mystic is very much about the showmanship aspect of it. I figured quick learner might be a bit too general yeah.

To me superstitious is about Hajra being afraid of curses, evil spirits and in general going against religious traditions. She firmly believes that these things play a huge role in the lives of everyone.

The self-righteousness is more about her not even considering her actions might not be the right thing to do or be flawed. What she does has to be done for the good of everyone and everyone who would tell her otherwise or criticize her ways is obviously wrong.

If you feel this is too redundant I guess we can switch out one of them for Alienation/Outcast, having lived on her own for this long Hajra has trouble fitting in anywhere she goes. People instinctively categorize her as a foreigner. I guess that might clash with Presence from time to time though (or just play into the charismatic foreigner thing.)

I'm a bit short on time tonight but I'll try to come up with something else for Fast Learner and another drawback until tomorrow evening.

quote:

Question: The Lifebringers are spread far and wide, but they generally like to keep in touch with their brothers and sisters. What's Hajra's relationship with the wider order like?

Hajra's master had always been considered as a bit of a loony by the rest of his order, what with all the weird spiritism he steeped his magic in. Since Hajra follows the same belief that her way is the true way of Life magic she would also be kind of an outcast, one of the weirdos. So far she did not have a the opportunity to meet other members of her school since she lives in the middle of a desert, She knows there is a whole organisation out there even though her master didn't really tell her that much about them for obvious reasons. When she inevitably stumbles upon her brothers/sisters she will probably dismiss their simplistic view of magic and the world in general, which won't lead to a really great relationship.

TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?

Valhawk posted:

Question: Tell me about your mentor in the Order, and why did he/she think you were worthy to join?

Zan’Drel. Formosian. My senior and my mentor in the Hero’s Order. Green-scaled and short in scale, he nevertheless carries himself and his role with pride and enthusiasm. Too much enthusiasm, in my opinion, but he’s undeniably dedicated to his work. His positivity and general cheer have earned him a number of friends and fans in Leonis, although his natural talent with the blade has garnered quite the deal of envy and rivals. There’s a clever spark to him too, no doubt about it. Takes one to know one, as they say.

As for why he vouched for me… hah. Because I sold myself well, if I must be honest. See, we had a chat, Zan”Drel and I, before I had properly joined the Order. Found him entertaining a bunch of locals with tales of battle, tall and real. Man has a way with words himself, have to say, though in a different sense than my own. Anyhow, I introduced myself after he had finished, complimenting him on his little storytelling. Figured it’d be wise to make a good first impression. Must have worked, because he invited me out for drinks after a bit of back and forth.

I accepted, obviously, and off we went. Drinks were downed, conversation was made, and I possibly hinted here and there that I might or might not be interested in seeing what this Hero’s Order business was all about. He, of course, asked a similar question as to why I should be chosen when there were so many other potentials. And I… told the truth. That if all the Order needed was simply another warrior, that they should look elsewhere. That if all the Order needed was another blade to put on the frontlines and face off against bandits or monsters, there were more suitable men and women for that role. But the world is all too full of blades and warriors willing to use them, I said. There are better ways, better methods, than simply lashing out violently until one side falls down. Sometimes, a sword kept in its sheath is just as powerful as a sword drawn. End a battle before it could ever truly begin. An alternative use of power than extreme force.

And he laughed. It wasn’t the reaction I expected, but that’s what he did. It was a boisterous laugh, one that filled the room, the streets, and even the city, I felt. Then he turned back to me and replied, “If your bite is anywhere near your bark, then the Order has found itself a promising initiate indeed.” And that, it seems to him, was that. Reflecting back on that evening, it occurs to me I cannot recall how many drinks in we were when I went on that small speech of mine...

Zeppelin Insanity
Oct 28, 2009

Wahnsinn
Einfach
Wahnsinn

I've beefed up the backstory a bit. I wrote the initial one while having the worst headache.

Valhawk
Dec 15, 2007

EXCEED CHARGE

Zeppelin Insanity posted:

The idea is that Inspires Devotion is more meant for direct persuasion, gaining of allies and followers. Flair for drama is sort of the flip side of it - sending a negative message, causing fear in theatrical ways. Horse head in the bed kind of thing.

My intent with the character was that she'd have to rely heavily on her followers to interact with the world, and would be fairly powerless when isolated from them, only able to rely on charm and wits.

My first brush with the occult was... twelve years ago? I was barely a girl, then. I saw a play about the Lifebringers. Before the massacre. The experiments they performed, finding out ways of bending life force to their will fascinated me. The fact that the Lifebringers allowed themselves to be brought to their knees by scared rabble, and abandoned that area of research made me angry. Knowledge cannot be evil, and the pursuit of knowledge is a noble cause.

The seeds planted by that play matured in my mind. There has to be more to magic than the Schools let on. If knowledge is forbidden, that means someone is scared of it. They're scared it can break their monopoly on power. And they should be.

I don't have a fortune. My family does. I refuse to be defined by them. For now, I use them, but not for much longer. I will forge my own path and make a new name for myself. I will give power to those who follow me and together we'll reshape the Republics.

New backstory is a definite improvement.

Question: Is there a particular scholar or a particular occult philosophy that has caught Cassandra's eye?


LLSix posted:

I have met many members of the Priesthood of Fire during my training. They were all upright citizens and honest. Aside from my brethren, they're the most honest group of people I've ever met. They're not even bound by the Truth Tattoo as we are, but still, they rarely stray outside the bounds of complete correctness. Having one at my side would be a great blessing as I administer the Emperor's justice in these remote regions even though their zeal sometimes drives them to excess. I mete out justice, not mercy; but sometimes it seems to me that the Priesthood is happy to settle for revenge.

The Church is the unifying thread of the Empire. If we did not have the word of the One God, we would prey on each other as the men and women in Leonis do. Truly, we are the chosen people. One day we will liberate all the humans outside our borders from their false masters and shield them from the monstrous humanoids who kill and enslave them.

I do not understand why the One God created the world this way. Leaving Humans vulnerable to the depredations of the other races. Bedeviled by monsters. Weak, and prone to folly. Ultimately it does not matter. The world is not perfect. I will make it so. One day at a time.

Question: There are some non-humans that live in Djikstera, generally for them to be granted permanent residence they must prove to be true believers in the Faith of the One God to the Priesthood's satisfaction, this often involves questioning in the presence of a Justicar to ensure that there can be no deception. Tell me about a time when Catriona was involved in one such questioning, and what she did when she discovered that the non-human in question was a true zealot in his belief in the One God and the Church.


HiKaizer posted:

Most of what Meat does is harrying for nobles that want to play big game hunters. Of them, and their personal retainers that are hunters, he has nothing but scorn and hate. It is their indulgence that endangers him and his fellow slaves, just for some show at a trophy, and when they get hurt by their own stupidity and hubris it is always the slaves that suffer.

As for real hunters, the sort that go out and hunt the beasts to keep the local townsfolk and merchants safe if pressed for an answer Meat would probably give an apathetic grunt of acceptance. Mostly he does not have the luxury to care about things but he does acknowledge that they want to get out alive and safe as well, and the few times he has worked with them they have used him sensibly and not endangered him by being deliberately stupid. Meat thinks he knows a few more things about the creatures than them, but that could just be a tiny shred of pride he allows himself to have.

That said the times that Meat has worked with real hunters, have been at the commission of a merchant family or rich nobles looking to avenge the loss of a family member. Most of the time hunters work does not pay well enough to bring along slaves, after all the people most at risk from monsters and beasts are the slaves. Slaves are replaceable, and cheap. But there was a time that a caravan of expensive goods and slaves had been waylaid by a great reptile. The Kath were known for their tough hide and their foul toxins; their bites caused a rapid and painful death and they seemed to exude an aura that caused the weak to grow sick. Troublesome was their great size and strength, they could push over tall trees if they put their minds to it. It was a mother and three hatchlings that needed to be hunted and killed, and a great bounty was put on their heads. When the hunters arrived to collect their slaves from the Harrowers, they looked like real hunters. They had leather armours, proper boots for tracking in the swamps, scars and one or two had missing eyes or fingers, one had a stump instead of a hand.

Hunting with the hunters was a different experience for Meat, they used traps and bait effectively. They were careful, cautious, quiet to avoid rousing more beasts than just their quarry. When they used Meat and they slaves, they gave specific instructions and were careful to avoid getting them hurt unnecessarily. He knew this was as much out of a desire to afford having to pay a penalty to the Harrowers for the loss of their property, than it was out of genuine concern, but it at least was a better lot than much of what they got. In the end they killed the Kath, two hunters and three slaves lost to keep the trade road safe. Meat ended up having to wrestle one of the hatchlings down himself while a hunter could make the kill, having a bronze blade sharp enough to actually pierce its hide. This earned him a surprised eyebrow raise from the human, but no other words of thanks or approval. Not that he expected such things, Meat was a slave, property, and that institution runs too deep in Sidon for anyone not a slave to show them real kindness. But a lack of callous disregard and a lack of torment for the sake of it was enough for Meat at the time.

Question: What is it that keeps Meat going? Also, what does he think about his fellow slaves?


Viscardus posted:


Venn, Shadow of the Black Rose

Shadow in the Night [+4]
Sharp Mind [+2]
Servant of the Rose [+2]

Acquisitive [-2]
Sweat over Blood [-2]

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Traits are fine. Good mix.
  • Drawbacks are fine.

Question: Tell me about a time Venn had a run in with the City Guard while on the job as a Shadow.


Rhjamiz posted:

Jian has mixed feelings on the topic of Sigmund and the war. On the one hand, he and the rest of the Yueh agree that the Resdisian treatment of Tiran was abominable. On the other hand, Jian harbors a great resentment and anger toward Sigmund and his comrades who turned traitor; what took them so long? Why let it go so far? If Resdis had not been allowed to penetrate so deeply into Tiranian territory, the Yueh might not have been cut down or scattered to the winds, and the Temple of the Moon might yet be standing. Jian holds Sigmund somewhat responsible for the fall of the Temple and the destruction of the Yueh.

Question: What has Jian done since the end of the war, how does he occupy his days?


Theantero posted:

The rumors are not in entirety false, but not completely correct either. However, the high leadership of the Eyes sees no need to correct these rumors as it views them as a convenient fiction.

See, the Eyes are an office in service of the Crown, and just as all such offices, they tend to continue as usual when power shifts. Thus their allegiance tends to be more to the office of the Crown itself, than to whatever Tsar is currently in power. Indeed, the high leadership of the Eyes tends to discourage such personal allegiance to the Tsar, mainly because that would make periods of transition more difficult than they need to be, and dwarves tend to appreciate stability. Even the nobles tend to grudgingly appreciate this fact, since they usually refrain from purging the Eyes if one of them actually manages to seize power. It is an arrangement that goes both ways: The Eyes try to stop the nobles from disrupting the plans of the Crown, but if they fail and the Crown is passed, they will work for the new Tsar without complaint, and as such no grand purges of the office are necessary (well, some people might have to hang for show, or if they've really managed to piss off the new Tsar somehow, but the death toll tends to be surprisingly limited) and the Eyes get to keep their expertise.

Now that is not to say that there are not those within the Eyes that hold more personal allegiance (they tend to be groomed from a fairly early age after all), but those sorts of people tend to be shifted into the field duties, to be the burglars and sneaks and Blackguard enforcers: the people both most at direct risk (their disregard for their own lives is useful here) and the ones that deal with the general populace most often (thus giving birth to the rumors as the people see them as a more representative sample of the organization than they actually are). This also keeps the parts of the organization that might cause trouble when a new Tsar arises low in the hierarchy, unable to cause real trouble and easily purged if need be. Indeed, such evaluations of character play a large role when the Eyes determine who gets assigned what duties.

Natasha, then, as might be expected from a member of the officer corps, holds a rather dispassionate view of the current Tsar as a person. She views him as perfectly passable a Tsar, yes, but also recognizes that he's starting to get decrepit and probably fairly likely to lose his throne soon, even if she still tries to keep him on it (it is her duty after all). But regardless, far more than she worries about him specifically as a person, she worries about the inevitable transition of power and how smooth it's going to be. And personally? She feels the nobles are a bit of a pointless boondoggle anyway, since it's really the officials behind the Crown that keep things running anyway. So why not just dispose of the irrelevant bit?

She has kept these thoughts to herself of course, since she is not a moron.

Question: That the Tsar will die in the next few years is a virtual certainty. The likely claimants are all well known and have begun to quietly put the pieces to their own ascension in place, including lobbying for the support of the Eyes. Who is Natasha's preferred candidate?


AJ_Impy posted:


Magroth the innovator

Lifecrafting Prodigy +4
Scrounging Gleaner +2
Cunning innovator +2

Dubious teachings -2
Envious Ambition -2

Feedback:
  • Backstory seems fine.
  • Traits seem fine.
  • I'm a bit confused by Dubious Teachings. Is that meant to represent that some of the knowledge passed along was essentially bunk, or is it the catch all for the fact that Magroth isn't necessarily going to be aware what is and is not considered taboo among the Lifebenders?

Question: What is the most taboo experiment Magroth has ever performed?


Fathis Munk posted:

Hajra's master had always been considered as a bit of a loony by the rest of his order, what with all the weird spiritism he steeped his magic in. Since Hajra follows the same belief that her way is the true way of Life magic she would also be kind of an outcast, one of the weirdos. So far she did not have a the opportunity to meet other members of her school since she lives in the middle of a desert, She knows there is a whole organisation out there even though her master didn't really tell her that much about them for obvious reasons. When she inevitably stumbles upon her brothers/sisters she will probably dismiss their simplistic view of magic and the world in general, which won't lead to a really great relationship.

Question: The Desert Sages are greatly respected among all the orcish clans, and their advice is given great deference. Tell me about a time a Sage came to the village where Hajra is staying.


TheFireMagi posted:

Zan’Drel. Formosian. My senior and my mentor in the Hero’s Order. Green-scaled and short in scale, he nevertheless carries himself and his role with pride and enthusiasm. Too much enthusiasm, in my opinion, but he’s undeniably dedicated to his work. His positivity and general cheer have earned him a number of friends and fans in Leonis, although his natural talent with the blade has garnered quite the deal of envy and rivals. There’s a clever spark to him too, no doubt about it. Takes one to know one, as they say.

As for why he vouched for me… hah. Because I sold myself well, if I must be honest. See, we had a chat, Zan”Drel and I, before I had properly joined the Order. Found him entertaining a bunch of locals with tales of battle, tall and real. Man has a way with words himself, have to say, though in a different sense than my own. Anyhow, I introduced myself after he had finished, complimenting him on his little storytelling. Figured it’d be wise to make a good first impression. Must have worked, because he invited me out for drinks after a bit of back and forth.

I accepted, obviously, and off we went. Drinks were downed, conversation was made, and I possibly hinted here and there that I might or might not be interested in seeing what this Hero’s Order business was all about. He, of course, asked a similar question as to why I should be chosen when there were so many other potentials. And I… told the truth. That if all the Order needed was simply another warrior, that they should look elsewhere. That if all the Order needed was another blade to put on the frontlines and face off against bandits or monsters, there were more suitable men and women for that role. But the world is all too full of blades and warriors willing to use them, I said. There are better ways, better methods, than simply lashing out violently until one side falls down. Sometimes, a sword kept in its sheath is just as powerful as a sword drawn. End a battle before it could ever truly begin. An alternative use of power than extreme force.

And he laughed. It wasn’t the reaction I expected, but that’s what he did. It was a boisterous laugh, one that filled the room, the streets, and even the city, I felt. Then he turned back to me and replied, “If your bite is anywhere near your bark, then the Order has found itself a promising initiate indeed.” And that, it seems to him, was that. Reflecting back on that evening, it occurs to me I cannot recall how many drinks in we were when I went on that small speech of mine...

Question: The Hero's Order is a relatively new school and its membership is limited to Sigmund's inner-circle and their apprentices. Tell me about the time you encountered the Hero-King.

Rhjamiz
Oct 28, 2007

Valhawk posted:

Question: What has Jian done since the end of the war, how does he occupy his days?

Jian, lacking marketable skills, spends his waking hours begging, performing the odd job that requires only a strong back, and training both physically and mentally. When he can afford it, he sleeps indoors and buys food that doesn't spoil. When he cannot, his diet mostly consists of hand-caught fish and stale bread, and he sleeps outside. When work dries up, he moves on to avoid the resentment a familiar beggar might receive.

HiKaizer
Feb 2, 2012

Yes!
I finally understand everything there is to know about axes!

Valhawk posted:

Question: What is it that keeps Meat going? Also, what does he think about his fellow slaves?

Like most people there is not a single answer to this. People are complicated and their motivations varied and many. For Meat there is a great deal of anger, hate and resentment that simmers under the surface. It is barely controlled and he does not dare acknowledge it. Sometimes it rises as a desire to lash out and hurt those that hurt him, or to break down the system that leads to slavery. Other times Meat just wants to get by unnoticed so he can eat his next meal (plain and disgusting as it might be), or hope for a day that a more kindly owner might buy him. That is the big wish of most slaves, to be purchased by a kindly owner who will treat them fairly. Most slaves hope for freedom, but it is an unacknowledged hope that will only bring pain if thought about.

Beyond such things Meat has other goals, such as making a break for his freedom if the chance arose. By now he is sure he could survive in the Sidonese wilderness if he had to. If his mother is still alive he would like to rescue her, but he remains tragically cynical that his previous owner has since used his mother and discarded her dead body as with his other slave brides. But aside from that there is not so much for a slave to worry about. Life is hardly sweet, but it is neither so foul that Meat would wish to end it yet.

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Zeppelin Insanity
Oct 28, 2009

Wahnsinn
Einfach
Wahnsinn

Valhawk posted:

Question: Is there a particular scholar or a particular occult philosophy that has caught Cassandra's eye?

There is no particular scholar. Due to tight grip on magic that the Schools have, publishing things that have the potential of breaking their monopoly is tempting fate at best. Writing about forbidden knowledge is far from best. Therefore, most writings are anonymous.

There are three core ideas that Cassandra is particularly interested in:

First and foremost, the idea of drawing anima from more than one person. Some writers seem to think the principle that allows rune-carved objects to draw anima from the wielder rather than the carver may be applied in other ways if properly understood - such as by appropriately structured rituals, or room-sized permanent rune carvings. As with all occult writings, there is no evidence of success other than the word of the author - and most seem to prefer writing about theory rather than risk experimenting and being found.

Second, Cassandra feels that blood, as an intrinsic component of life, must have magic potential - either as a source of anima, carrier of effects or something entirely new. So far she has not been able to find any writings on the subject and is working on her own intuition.

Thirdly, the darker past of the Lifebringers is something she is very keen to find out about. As mentioned before, she feels that knowledge in itself is inherently good and suppression of knowledge is inherently evil. She feels angry that the Lifebringers didn't defend themselves adequately and instead changed their practices to suit the whims of (as she sees it) weak-minded rabble. One of her plans is to engineer a downfall and expulsion from the Order of a Lifebringer, and use his\hers enmity towards the order to obtain information and encourage further research. If she ever learned the Life rune, she would definitely experiment with Attack and Curse modifying runes.

Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Feb 8, 2017

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