Eversnow: The Curse of the Ice King

Started by Darkmoon, February 16, 2014, 08:58:16 AM

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Darkmoon

Quote from: MolotovXsugaR on March 12, 2014, 04:34:46 PM
I haven't had a chance to read through it all, you know me best of anyone on this site. If you have a suggested role for me let me know. I'll check it out in a little while and read through it (:

Whatever happens, there is always a slot for you, my dear.  :-)

Darkmoon

Quote from: Joslyn on March 13, 2014, 12:08:52 AM
I was wondering the same thing myself. I'd thought perhaps a year or two had passed since the kidnapping and open warfare had begun--and before that, the Snow Queen gathered her forces mostly in secret in a Sauron-ish sort of way. But I kept Anna's background pretty simple and I could age her up a few years if our GM decides on a longer timeline.

It might be helpful to get an OOC discussion thread going, so everyone who is accepted can come up with ideas on setting details and how the characters get along without cluttering up this thread. Also an ETA on actually starting the game would be good since we've been the recruiting phase a while now.  :P

I will create an OOC thread once an IC thread has been established, which is when there are sufficient characters accepted to begin. I think we are near that point. I just need to vet the submissions so far. I am quite busy during the week so expect more GM activity during the weekend.

Shjade

Thanks for the general heads up, Dark. n.n
Theme: Make Me Feel - Janelle Monáe
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Conversation is more useful than conversion.

Vlexia

Name: Lady Divijah Xar
Race: Frost Elf Witch
Role: Ice Witch; Snow Queen

Age: 2,000 + (You lose count when you have eternity to live....)

Appearance: The woman is stunning to the eye; her height is one that stands at 5'10”, tall for a woman but not overly so. She has a slender body, a lean figure that stretches from her slender ankles, and trails up her rounded thighs, hips, taut abdomen, modest breasts, a long neck, and cheekbones that give her face a defined look that are surrounded by a thick mane of white locks. Perfection? Almost; but it isn’t her physical appearance that makes her deadly. When she is calm, her eyes are the deep color of chocolate. But when her anger is flared, she feels threatened, or is in
the heat of battle, they crystallize into an icy hot blue. Her skin is cool to the touch and very pale, and her lips are pallid blue as if frozen.

Background: Lady Divijah, back in the olden world, was a simple elven woman of noble birth. Back when the harmonious Elves ruled Eversnow, the land was gorgeous in its environment, and rich in its culture and language, with unity was between every race of elves. The Orcs had been fended off from the borders, and humans could roam through Eversnow with little fear of anything corrupt or evil befalling them.

The young Divijah was the youngest born of 14 children, an often overlooked child because she killed her mother during her birth, ripping the woman in half as she was brought into the world. A curse was placed upon her, a rejection from her father and sisters, and thought to be condemned by the Goddess of Light for killing one of her kind, a darkness crept into her heart with the knowledge that she was born a murderer, had taken away the countess her father loved more dearly than life, and the love incarnate for her sisters.

This hatred for herself, for her family, for the Gods that brought her into the world, unlocked something deep inside her frosted heart, a power that was always meant to be kept in the darkness. Soon after it came to the light that her mother actually cheated on her father with a dark fey, the mysterious man's genes, combined with her immortality and deep cruelty that had been wound inside her heart for many years, Divijah came into knowledge of extreme power that she wielded inside her, and she slowly....slowly took revenge on the emotional pain upon her own family, her own allies, every death she did nailing another sickle of ice deep into her heart, objurgating her from any spiritual deliverance from the Goddess. Finally, she approached the height of power itself, corrupting the King at the time with her power and her body, taking away a member of his family to ensure his loyalty, and cursing the land into an eternal winter, hardening the ground, preventing it to produce, erasing the borders, allowing orcs to roam free, freezing the rivers and killing lifestock.

“Many gauge their success on the amount of friends they have; I gauge mine on the amount of enemies. I am -very- successful.” ~Lady Divijah, during the 27th rule year of King Japheth II

Millennials passed, her power growing with her increased abhorrence for life, her greed for power, her vanity, and her desire for being worshiped and feared. She loved it. Loved the death, loved the cruelty, loved the pain. Their fear, anxiety, and pain only increased her powers, her influence. Kings rise and fall, and she has feasted on their illustrative flesh, consuming them in their own desires and needs, holding her influence over them so as to continue her rule over Eversnow.

“No, no, my sweet. Do not cry. It only makes me want to hurt you more.” ~Lady Divijah to Caira, captured hostage sister of Prince Holon, heir to throne.


Powers: These powers are originally from strong genes from her Fey Father whom her adulteress mother slept with, becoming pregnant with his child. Over time, these powers became more defined with her growing hatred and frozen soul, making her stronger and stronger in the process.

A particular power she has, is the ability to control water, dropping the temperature suddenly into sub-freezing temperatures and using it as a weapon. This can range from making an actual spear, to actually freezing the internal organs and water in a living creature, and freezing him/her from the inside
out into an ice sculpture. Her domain is littered with such ornaments of ones who have tried to “triumph” over her and are now decorations in her dark cave.

As powerful as this is, it is very exhausting to maintain, so she cannot do this all day. Whenever she is under attack, though, she can use the temperature in the air, crystallize it into physical matter, and make weapons from it, or create barricades.



The Golgothan


“There is nothing more sinfully delicious than to scream to the rafters above in agony, while riding a demon below in pleasure.” ~Lady Divijah, when asked about her only living son.

The Golgothan was an unforeseen beast that almost killed her whilst carrying him after an extremely violent escapade with an Orc Cheif named Shum Gro-Yarug. Like a black widow, The White Queen killed him after he served his purpose when he had successfully reached her frigid domain, thus earning her respect for a brief moment.

His seed, combined with her womb, crafted an immortal half-orc beast named Dragor-Dumag, that she keeps chained in a pit to further exact fear on any of her prisoners. A thick chain links him to the pit as he is an immense creature. He gained none of his mother's powers but all of his father's strength and veracity. To anyone at first, he seems to be just a pet for the Ice Witch, but upon further look, it can be seen that they share the same eyes.

Dragor-Dumag's hands alone could crush the skull of any human, he feeds of the flesh his mother feeds him on a daily basis, and he is extremely feral, only answering to the Witch as she wields a power over him through their shared blood. He stands at a massive 9'7” height, and weighs more than a thick boulder.


_________________________________________________________

Yeah so I assumed A LOT in this bio, (historical names, events, the NPC half-beast that is her son, etc)) but this is not my final draft and so I can definitely change anything in it. Just let me know!!

If you cannot honor a No, then you certainly could never honor a Yes.

Joslyn

Quote from: Rave on March 13, 2014, 12:39:36 AM
If it's within the realm of possibility, I'd like to create a captured Snow Elven Woman that has been assigned to be a handmaiden/bodyguard type to the captive princess. If more detail were to be put into it, I'm considering having her family bloodline to be royal. So, perhaps she is an heir to the Snow Elves and that is why the Ice King keeps her captive instead of killing her in the first place.

I don't think Anna would really need a handmaiden since she doesn't have any royal duties, but a bodyguard would make sense with all the orcs about. I suppose she could also use help with her responsibilities as a healer.

It could be that the bodyguard is loyal to the Snow Queen and Ice King--or at least has managed to keep up the pretense that she is.


Regarding the timeline, I'd personally prefer five years since the kidnapping rather than ten. After an entire decade some sort of secret rebellion ought to have long since organized, which would deny the player characters working against the Snow Queen the chance to get in on the ground floor of the resistance themselves.

MolotovXsugaR

#80
Not quite sure how I feel about her yet. I'm in a bit of a silly mood today so the CS reads as very silly, despite my being serious =/


Name: Dax, little else is known


Age: 32


Race: Humae (Derogatory term for Human and Fae)


Role: Unlikely Hero….for now.


Alignment: Chaotic Neutral; Dax is not particularly evil, though she has done evil things. She is not inherently good, though she has done good things. She does whatever benefits her the most, but often favors the underdog when it comes time to choose an alignment.


Appearance: Standing at 5’8’’; 5’11 3/4’’ in her fabulous boots, her height can be imposing to some. Though there is no question that she is female, a long torso with a slender waist, curvy hips and an impressive bust quickly identifies her as such. Her features are angular and narrow, a heart shaped face, with a slender nose and lush, full lips. Her hair is platinum in color, bleached by many days of harsh sunlight, her skin lightly bronzed yet still retaining a milkiness. She doesn’t have any issue with dressing provocatively, so as long as it asserts her status as Captain- and any man who mistakes her garb for an invitation is likely to lose a hand.


Strengths & Abilities:

+Trickster; It’s simply in her nature to be cunning. Her Fae mother was a trickster and pickpocket, allowing her the skills of a near silent step, and a natural affinity for guile and deceit. +Invisibility+ While Dax cannot literally go invisible, she possesses the ability to allow her presence to go unnoticed for a short time. A person perhaps will see her, and simply forget that she is there, allowing her access to many- rather inaccessible places. This requires intense concentration however, and cannot be sustained for long periods of time and if she becomes distracted her presence is slowly acknowledged.


+Tactician; Dax is extremely intelligent and a tactical thinker. She is always considering viable options whether it be for war, assault, partnerships, relationships; life favors the prepared and she prefers to remain one step ahead. Well-learned in geography, and studying the tactics of the greats she makes an excellent warlord, particularly in seafaring ventures.


+Speed; Another gift bestowed upon her by her mother. She possesses better than average speed, is light on her feet and graceful.


+Swordplay; Under the tutelage of her father and his crew for many years, she has become well versed in various styles of swordplay and hand to hand combat.


+Plundering, Pillaging, Captaining- yo, ho.


+Flora/Poisons; Extensive knowledge of plant life, crafting and using poisons- alternatively, she is knowledgeable of antidotes, and remedies and first aid. 


Weaknesses:


-Pride; It is hard for Dax to admit when she is wrong. It is not unheard of for her to refuse to accept help even when she is in dire need of it. This has led her into rather unsavory situations.


-Magic; Despite having some magical abilities endowed to her by her mother, Dax cannot stand magic. She is fearful of it and respects the power it holds.


-Strength; she is stronger than the average woman due to endless duties that come with keeping a ship running, but she is still a woman and easily overpowered if she loses the advantage of speed and endurance.


-Temper; She is particularly angered when people bring up her heritage, she is not ashamed of being a Fae, but is fearful of losing face in front of her crew- this often leads her to extreme measures.


-Cillian; don’t bring him up. Ever.


History:


Dax grew up primarily in Batrouge, more commonly referred to as the Pirate’s Den, and aboard The Devil’s Pride. She is as close to royalty as one could get in Batrouge with her father being the infamous Captain Calles. A pirate with a fierce reputation and a fiercer hand for punishment. All that had changed when he had captured Syleena, her mother, a Fae from Corinth. She warmed his heart, he experienced love and out of that love came Dax. Tragically, Dax never knew her mother- who died during childbirth and though evident that her father would have preferred a son- there was something about her cerulean eyes that reminded him of Syleena. She was a Daddy’s girl- a reputation she had to shake as she grew older.


Dax was never in want of anything, in fact, she had more than she could ask for. While other girls her age were learning how to hold a fork properly, Dax was taught the ways of a pirate amidst the Seas of Osirion. Seafaring, plundering, pillaging and swordplay and they always had a home to come back to. She was respected well enough, though it was not uncommon for her to get in skirmishes with boys her age in attempts to assert herself.


By the time she’d reached her twenties, Calles thought it was about time to retire. After spending years as his first mate, she was given the honor to Captain The Devil’s Pride. Things were good for several years, her father had all but disappeared in his retirement and even she didn’t know his location and she had made a solid name for herself as vicious and calculating… until she met Cillian. He was handsome, charismatic, roguish- trouble. She allowed him onto her ship as first mate, into her heart and into her bed, and before she knew it she was mutinied against, marooned on an island and left to die.


Depending on who you ask, there’s talk of using bamboo to create a raft, using coconuts as a flotation device and creating a sail out of her clothes- or she was picked up by a passing vessel- the details get a bit muddled, nevertheless, Dax was not one to give up. She spent the next 5 years enacting her plan for revenge, just as Ivan was coming under the influence of the Ice Witch.


Many had assumed her dead, she used this to her advantage, refusing to seek out her father for council. She stole back her ship by tricking Cillian, marooned him on an island as punishment and had all of her former crew flayed alive, left to hang for three days amongst the mast, and then thrown to the sea as a warning for all who ever dared to mutiny against her again. He still remains her greatest embarrassment, it’s a sensitive subject though her lust for blood afterwards has not gone unnoticed- she renamed her vessel to The Devil’s Vengeance.


As Ivan’s influences began to spread, Batrouge was targeted by his armies for resources. It was surreal to Dax to be on the receiving end of pillaging and it made the matter of his rise personal. She hadn’t cared much about the goings on of the mainland, she could care less who was in power- as a pirate, they made their own rules and lived by their own law and code of ethics. Her home had been burned to the ground, the ice was spreading to the Seas of Osirion and their way of life had begun to die out. The seas too vicious to sail, their home reduced to smolder and ash, Dax seeks one thing- vengeance.





♥ It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything - Tyler Durden ♥

Belisuavious

Name: Jhaqair “Jhaq” Muulain

Appearance: Jhaqair is a tall man standing six feet tall,and used to have too much padding on his thin frame. He has only recently began venturing out of The School, and by the time he has come to the north, he has managed to shed many of the excess pounds he used to pack on. His skin is darkly olive coloured due to the climate of his homeland, though it has paled somewhat due to his time in the colder darker north. His face is clean shaven, and his shoulder length dark hair is pulled back from his face and secured with a small band of gold.

Biography: Jhaqair was born the third son of the second wife of Tamur of Qanth. He grew up among twenty two other brothers and sisters, competing viciously for their both the favour of their father and the position of favoured heir. Jhaq was one of the lucky ones, and by the time he left for The School at fourteen, only twelve of his siblings were left alive.

At The School Jhaq studied both the administrative and warfare parts of the brutal curriculum, which made the competition amongst his siblings seem tame in comparison. Again, Jhaq was one of the lucky ones, surviving his first two years, before his talent manifested itself and he was moved to the Mage’s Wing of The School.

For five long years Jhaq studied among the best mages of the southern kingdoms. His proficiency was in the destructive forms of magic, and he swiftly became one of the best manipulators of fire in the Wing. Unfortunately, aside from learning to heal his burns, Jhaq couldn’t seem to master the rest of the healing arts, or anything that had nothing to do with flames.

After he had learned as much as he could from The School, Jhaq left to begin wandering. He found occasional employ in the service of the petty warlords and generals of his homelands. However these small jobs never lasted long and Jhaq was constantly short of money. His poor luck continued when he was found in a compromising situation with one warlord’s daughter. Finding himself unwelcome in the majority of his homeland, and being actively hunted through most of it, he found he had no choice but to leave.

He has only just recently arrived in the North, still unsure of what to do now that he is here, knowing only that he seems to be beyond the reach of Southern bounty hunter.

Abilities: Jhaq has a mastery of fire manipulation, able to hurl fireballs or make a delicate flame dance to music with equal ease. However, aside from being able to heal his own burns, he isn’t able to do much else magically. He also has some knowledge of how to use a sword, though he is not even close to an expert, and is middling at best. Due to his time spent wandering, he is also skilled at living off the land, scrounging what he needs and stealing what he can.



Melange

I've updated my character's background, and she should now be consistent with the timeline of the Ice King's corruption.

I don't suppose any heroes or heroines would be interested in joining the rebellion? We have tiny caves etched into frozen mountainsides, plenty of unwanted attention from orcs, soldiers, and the Golgothan, and are constantly in danger of being killed or enslaved. Who's in? :-)

MolotovXsugaR

Quote from: Melange on March 13, 2014, 10:39:28 PM
I've updated my character's background, and she should now be consistent with the timeline of the Ice King's corruption.

I don't suppose any heroes or heroines would be interested in joining the rebellion? We have tiny caves etched into frozen mountainsides, plenty of unwanted attention from orcs, soldiers, and the Golgothan, and are constantly in danger of being killed or enslaved. Who's in? :-)

Viva la resistance



♥ It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything - Tyler Durden ♥

Ontan

#84
Count me in.

I actually had the rebellion in mind when I added a few of my character's weaknesses (racial prejudices, dubious loyalties). After all, the whole point of having such flaws is to spice things up a bit, and they kind of go to waste if he just spends to whole time hanging out with other humans.

Melange

#85
Quote from: MolotovXsugaR on March 13, 2014, 10:52:16 PM
Viva la resistance

Quote from: Ontan on March 13, 2014, 11:00:00 PM
Count me in.

I actually had the rebellion in mind when I added a few of my character's weaknesses (racial prejudices, dubious loyalties). After all, the whole point of having such flaws is to spice things up a bit, and they kind of go to waste if he just spends to whole time hanging out with other humans.

Assuming that all our characters are approved, perhaps we could arrange for them to meet at some point. :-)


MolotovXsugaR

Quote from: Melange on March 13, 2014, 11:27:09 PM
Assuming that all our characters are approved, perhaps we could arrange for them to meet at some point. :-)

Still waiting on Dark as to whether or not my character is even viable in this setting. I feel like it could offer us some resources later on in the plot line, having a bunch of pissed off pirates could come in handy, no? =P I still feel like she's too silly though, I may have to go over her a couple times before I'm adequately happy.



♥ It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything - Tyler Durden ♥

Belisuavious

I wouldn't mind being part of the rebels, though I'm not quite sure how Jhaqair would end up joining them. Maybe he figures they'll be a good place to hide from the bounty hunters he is sure will be following him. Assuming I'm approved of course.

Darkmoon

The weekend approaches. Thank you for your patience. I know there's a lot of excitement for things to get going.

Kekec

#89
Quote from: Shjade on March 12, 2014, 10:34:49 PM
I'm not the GM, but something from Kekec's sheet stood out to me:
Is there any clear indicator of how long the Ice King's been around? I looked back through the OP but didn't see one. If the princess is only 19 and her kidnapping was what prompted Ivan to chase down the Snow Queen to become corrupted into her King, the King being around for more than 10 years would make her 9 or younger at the time of the kidnapping.

Some kind of brief timeline might be helpful for sorting out character histories.

QuoteAs the old, innocent denizens of this land struggle to survive, the varied old kingdoms that exist in this frozen empire have struggled to find ways to appease or defeat the Ice King. Some have attempted war outright, with armies ending up frozen or devoured in the icy mountains.


I'm guessing that this would take a long time, so I simply put 10 years, even assuming that my character arrived to Mount Volcan in the middle of it all. But I'm confident we'll receive further exposition soon enough.

Darkmoon

Quote from: CarnivorousBunny on March 09, 2014, 07:07:20 AM
I still really, really want to do this!  I just need to see if I can fit this in, but I have already decided on playing a sacrifice.

Submit a character sheet when you have the time.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Ontan on March 09, 2014, 11:13:14 AM
My proposed character sheet - unfortunately I'm a sucker for character creation, so it ended up being longer than intended. That notwithstanding, let me know what you think!
Edit: Made a few small changes, mainly for readability.

***

Name: Sir Landred Villiers
Race: Human
Role: Wandering Hero

Age: 27
Sex: Male
Height: 186cm (6’1”)
Weight: 78kg (171 lbs)

Appearance:
Landred seems to defy the frozen misery that’s gripped so much of the realm, which is small wonder given his skills as a warrior are in high demand. Where so many others appear sickly and malnourished, his body has maintained its toned muscle and measured grace, and his chestnut hair remains fashionably trimmed. Both his equipment and warhorse are similarly cared for, and if anyone resents the show of wealth they’re usually wise enough not to act on it.

Were one to see him up close, a few flaws might come to their attention. His dark eyes carry a laziness and impatience that hint of resentment, and his smile is only truly warm when presented with drink or dice. The knight-errant seems to swagger around with unassailable confidence, but beneath the fine clothing his pale skin is marred by a handful of ragged scars along his ribs and right shoulder, telling of prior defeats and a few near misses. Perhaps most telling of all is his equipment. When parading into town Landred is all pomp and ceremony, clad in burnished armour and bearing his family’s pennant atop a hefty spear, but a sharp eye might spot a few things amiss: the stock of a crossbow poking out his saddlebags, a bundled mass of fur and hide armour designed for camouflage rather than head-on fights, and a few other tools more befitting an assassin than a knight.

Personality

At first glance, Landred almost appears to be the gentleman and noble he claims to be. Those meeting the knight-errant for the first time would be greeted with a pious and gallant veneer, and it is all too easy to be seduced by his assurances of honour and valour. Most people only catch a glimpse of his true nature once the warrior has his reward safely in hand, and only a select few are perceptive enough to see his true colours in advance. 

A paragon in name alone, Landred is in fact a rake and a fatalist at heart, and only performs his knightly duties in pursuit of more coin with which to drink or gamble. He’s quick to smile and quicker still to celebrate, but his infectious cheer is of the superficial kind: to him, happiness and fulfilment are things to be found in cups of wine, gambling dens, and occasionally brothels. He’s seen much of the world in his recent travels, but his journeys have just convinced him that liars and cheaters always win, and that it’s better to be the winner than loser.

For all his vices, Landred nevertheless retains a slither of nobility at his core. Beneath his failings as a traditional hero there is still a talented fighter, a cunning tactician, and a sharp intellect that adapts quickly to his surroundings. Surprisingly, he even accords to a chivalric code of sorts – he’s yet to resort to outright banditry, and despite his penchant for deceit, exaggeration and shameless carousing he typically does what he’s paid to do.

Background

To understand Landred, it’s necessary to start with his childhood… and that, unfortunately, involves a brief mention of his father, Lord Roterem Villiers of Briarvale.

Lord Roterem had a rightly earned reputation as a vicious tyrant, belligerent neighbour, and harsh parent. Barely tolerated by his king and fellow nobles, Landred’s father was a man who measured success in brute force and the coins he wrested from the subjects of his tiny fiefdom. It went without saying that his children’s sole purpose was to extend his grim legacy. His two oldest sons were raised to be lordlings in their own right, groomed to one day take his place in ruling over the miserable little fiefdom, while his daughters were little more than chattels to be sold off in arranged marriages. By the time Landred was born, his father already had two sons – effectively an heir and a backup – and so Landred was raised to become a knight-errant, a wandering champion who would garner repute for his family in neighbouring realms. His childhood was one marked by wealth but not luxury; the cold halls of Briarvale Keep might’ve been home, but under his father’s oppressive gaze they were a place of hard work and painful lessons.

Everything changed when Landred came of age and was unleashed upon the world to seek fame and fortune for his family. Suddenly there were no more dour-faced tutors or snarling instructors: there was wine, and dice, and women, and song, and a hundred other opportunities waiting for a jumped-up swordsman who could charm a crowd.
He also discovered there were assassins – enchanting, clever creatures that had Landred smitten the moment he met them. His obsession started almost by chance when Landred sought to hire one to help with a risky bounty, and he was suddenly awakened to a breed of fighter who could rig traps to kill without ever putting themselves in danger, or slip through locked doors and cut throats in the dead of night. Fascinated, Landred seized upon their trade with a somewhat worrying zeal, spending the long winters pouring over their tomes or studying at their guilds. It was nothing short of a revelation to Landred, who found the ways of the assassin to be a perfect counterpoint to the knightly form of combat he’d been taught back home. Just as there was day and night, or masculine and feminine, there was also the knight’s lance and the assassin’s crossbow… two forces of equal but opposing power.

Things changed once more when the Ice King’s madness dragged the realm into darkness, though in some places it wasn’t quite the tragedy it should’ve been. It is joked that when Landred’s homeland of Briarvale was overrun by the Ice King’s marauding armies of monsters and blackguards, the local peasants actually breathed a sigh of relief at the change of administration. Landred would never admit it for anything short of torture, but he had much the same reaction when he found out his father’s realm had been conquered and that the old man himself was assuredly dead in a ditch somewhere.

Abilities:
There's no denying Landred’s value as an adventurer, and he has much to show for a childhood spent slaving under expensive tutors, grizzled trainers, and a cruel father.

  • Noble upbringing: His tutors might’ve skipped the parts on chivalry and honour, but Landred’s courtly upbringing has gifted him with a silver tongue and reassuring presence. He has a talent for charming a crowd and earning their trust (and coin), though the subtleties of a commoner’s life will forever remain a mystery to him.
  • Aspiring assassin: Though typically seen as the craft of back-alley thieves and brigands, the simple truth is one does not master (or even survive) the art of poisons and booby-traps unless they first have a sound understanding of physiology, mechanics, and mathematics. Luckily, Landred’s educated upbringing has enabled him to pick up their craft with only a couple of near-death accidents along the way. He is still occasionally caught out by the difficulties of estimating dosages or the complexities of setting tensions on tripwires, but his skills sharpen a little more each passing week.
  • Knight-errant: As a child Landred was drilled in the arts of horse riding and battle, and he’s since had plenty of time to hone these skills against real opponents. Over the years he has grown to become a competent horseman and lethal swordsman.

Weaknesses:
Landred has his share of character flaws, but there are also some genuine failings which occasionally cripple his efforts. It remains to be seen whether these weaknesses will get better or worse with time.

  • Vulnerable to magic - Every student has one subject they struggle with, and Landred’s was undoubtedly the arcane. Neither repeated lessons nor the tutors’ cane could correct his inability to grasp even the basics of magical lore, and to this day his otherwise intuitive mind can’t spot the tell-tale warning signs of magical effects. On a couple of embarrassing occasions he’s even returned from a quest with some useless bauble instead of the magical artefact he was sent to retrieve, necessitating a return trip.
  • Fear of beasts – A recent near-death experience has left Landred a little shaky when it comes to facing down the monstrous beasts of the land, such as wargs and dire-boars… which is a problem, because slaying such creatures are an adventurer’s bread and butter. He’ll still happily face down ogres, drakes, and demons, but confronting big-game creatures requires a skinful of liquid courage and the use of his longest spear… or, better yet, the use of his crossbow from a safe distance.
  • Dubious loyalties – Landred isn’t the tyrant his father was, but he still inherited the old man’s fixation with military might, and consequently Landred can’t help but admire some aspects of the Ice King’s conquest. Combined with his love of coin, it’s not entirely certain whether Landred will continue to help the downtrodden populace if things keep getting worse.
  • Racial prejudices – Opinion’s divided whether this is Landred’s biggest or smallest flaw, but either way there’s no getting around the fact the just doesn’t like elves… or frost giants, or goblins, or just about anything which isn’t human. He makes a slight exception for orcs on account of their military prowess, but given they’re servants of the Ice King or Snow Witch, this concession isn’t particularly redeeming.

All around a good character, with a well written description. I am nervous about the fact that he is both a competant swordsman/horseman and has roguish leanings. In my opinion, at an early stage and in the company of other players, these things should not be joined together, so as to prevent an overpowered character and to reduce the usefulness of other characters. You're taking a fighter and a rogue slot in that sense. To make up for the double focus, I can give you an average chance at success for actions related to both skill sets to begin. If you prefer to specialize in one direction or another over time, or to start, I can give you advantages in roguish talents or fighter/strength talents. You can role-play however you wish, of course, but I want to reduce over-powered characters.

Either way, your character is a great addition and I've added him to the first post as included in the game.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Vaulera on March 09, 2014, 04:19:58 PM
Name: Grimna Blackheart

Species Half-Breed (Explained in story!)
Role Orc King, Kind of
Age 19
Height 9,5" or 190 cm
Skin: Pale White
Eyes Dark Yellow
Hair Jet Black, but not silky or terribly neat

Supernatural Abilities: Grimna isn't possessed of a great number of abilities beyond mortal scope, and is no great sorcerer or magi. The only qualities of her that could be described as beyond normal are her ability to control animals, and her complete disregard for the cold, or snow. She is lighter dressed than a great deal of her burlier, fatter orc brethren, but never shivers or bemoans the cold. Her remarkable resistance to the weather is what spawned the rumors that she is half devil, or half frost giant, or half of each. Though Grimna does not speak of her abilities often, her ability to control animals is more akin to telepathic powers, establishing empathetic links with the different animals, not an overt domination of their wills.

Physical Abilities: The physical side of Grimna is what strikes fear into the hearts of all. Raised by Kato the Render: greatest of orc warriors, she is possessed of legendary skill with her adoptive father's axe, and wields it with a bloodthirsty fervor that is even more terrifying than her ability. Combined with her immense physical size and strength, she becomes a nightmare on the battlefield surrounded by her three armoured, horse-sized wolves. Her reputation is reinforced by her sadistic duels with human sized opponents, dropping her axe and fighting them with her bare hands, inevitably knocking them down and then ripping their heart out the messy way with her hands, or ripping them limb from limb.

Beyond the physical sides of her, Grimna is possessed of a vast education, but focused only in the matters of war, as well as its logistics and strategies. Despite the focus on war and its faculties, she makes herself a devilish opponent in the game of intrigue, knowing how to slight a man or woman in court without betraying it with words. Although not in command of the vastest intellect, Grimna employs her cunning, ferocity and ruthlessness in combination to overcome any obstacles she can't chop into with her axe.

History: There was no history detailing the siring of Grimna. Who was responsible, or even what the two parents were. The only true fact known about Grimna is that she earned her title, watering the ground with the blood of any who opposed her, no matter their station. Her recorded history began when she was only eleven years old. The rip-tooth clan of orcs was a moderately sized band of orcs, prone to all of their regular behaviours and more feral desires. Orcs were always known for their love of wanton destruction, making small raids on settlements and generally destroying anything resembling a cohesive society small enough to be preyed upon. This was before Grimna.

Eleven years old, clad only in a cloak of rough fur, Grimna was found at one of the fires on the outer ring of the orc encampment. She was covered in blood, the three orcs assigned to the watch murdered, throats ripped out where they stood. She was feasting on the meat they had been cooking over a fire, tearing into it with sharp teeth, three massive dire wolves at her feet, fur as white as snow. Also known for not being the bravest of creatures, the first orcs to see this reported it to the leader of their clan, an uncommonly wise orc known as Kato the Render. The report confused him, more than anything, and curious, he made his way to the edge of the fire, where the three wolves were snapping orc bones with their teeth. With the standard disregard for his fellow orc, Kato sat on a log opposite Grimna, and had a conversation with her, wolves growling at him the entire time. Details on the conversation were never recorded, and Kato took the secret with him to his grave, but the results sent them both down a path that would carve their names into the history of the north.

Grimna was raised by Kato and his band of savage orcs, and quickly became a symbol for their rising clan. Possessed of a kindred spirit, Grimna had command over the more savage tundra animals, including her three wolves, who were named Urga, Denethar and Kinra, her own royal guard. This ability lead to the brutal inter-species wars between the rip-tooth clan and several others. Their chieftans were found, throats missing, eyes gouged out, badly mauled or even just plain never seen again. One by one, Kato and Grimna, something of a daughter to the orc people, subjugated the entirety of the orc clans that resided in the broken chain of mountains. This took eight years of her life, and on the last year, Kato the Render died, living to be 41 years old, one of the longest lived orcs in his whole clan.

The matter of succession came up, and in traditional orc fashion, it came to a fight. In the eight years Grimna was raised, she came to be massive and feminine in her appearances, but Kato the Render had taught her well. Wielding Kato's own battle-axe, North-Fang, she hacked into eight different clan leaders, before feeding their bodies to her wolves. The acceptance of Grimna as chieftan was unanimous in approval. Grimna, obviously being more reasonable than all of her predecessors, began forging alliances. Frost giants, pale-orcs, goblins and even a clan of ogres, all treatised with Grimna, and so she forged a dangerous alliance of the most terrifying and monstrous races of the north, headed by the rip-tooth clan of orcs, and Grimna the Blackheart.

(Decided on a picture to go with her, and just completed the character sheet. Give me a heads up on if it's good or not!)

Vaulera, I am in love with this character. A delightful take on the orc chief concept and nice and savage. This role is yours. Added to the first post.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Drake Valentine on March 10, 2014, 11:18:55 AM
Name:    
Gorgrim (Allick Silverstar)
Species: 
Abomination (Formerly Human.)
Role:       
Queen's Pet/Guardian (Former Champion of the Arena)

Age:
Unknown (Deceased at his late twenties.)
Height:   
6'0"
Body:    
Muscular. Gorgrim is a chiseled brute and the stories of the monstrosity are not far fetch. From his former life in the arena, his body has been toned and sharpened through rigorous training. Large hands capable of gripping and crushing a being's skull. Strong and long athletic legs which allow room for acrobatic feats.  The only thing that shies him from being as hard as stone are the scars that can be found etching all over his fit figure. 
Hair:
Ebony, long and braided.
Skin:       
Holds a green pigment. (Once was tan.)
Eyes:     
Crimson (Once were Green.)


Background:
From War Orphan to Warrior

Allick Silverstar, not a birth name mind you. He can vaguely recall his name in his younger years. Back then there are short memories of running and playing in the wilderness or on the rooftops from his birthplace; he does recall coming from a poor family, a quiet village which was put to the torch from the cruelty of war. Many were killed, those that survived were taken prisoner and some taken or sold into slavery, such happened to the barbaric child who would later be deemed Allick.

The boy was ‘adopted’ by a noble who gained his famed in arms dealing. Silverstar was a blessing name, many of the wares that were sold carried a similar title for businesses sake; however, Allick wasn’t the most treasured of boys. The child could never do anything right, he was wild and as expected, barbaric. There were various instances that he was whipped, many times that he escaped traditional teachings of proper etiquette. Frustrated, his caretaker decided for a better demonstration of business and soon had his adopted son sent off to the arena to make a name for himself or die in the process to get rid of him.

Allick was given a talented teacher, a man renown in martial skills and weapon combat. The boy wasn’t simply thrown out to the lions, no, his adopted father did wish for him to make a name for himself and even let the trainer know to do what needs to be done so that the child would be broken in.

Growing up was rough for Allick, he was beaten mercilessly, forced to train under extreme conditions. He was taught the cold truth that no one is born a genius, that one had to strive themselves every day to get better or that they would be the ones faced down in the sand bleeding to death. The growing man was forced to watch various arena bouts between other contestants, forced to witness the cruel reality that happened to those that were defeated. Allick never wanted to be one of the ones lying lifeless and forgotten. He was told that the victors will grow famous, that one day many would scream the champion’s name. That one could even become ‘God of the Arena’ and be worshipped maybe even inspired other nobility and royalty alike.

The youth slowly climb the ladder of renown within the arena. He was likely one of the youngest competitors as well, fighting at an age of fifteen against various grown men. He wasn’t outright thrown to the lions, even new blood was not tossed to seasoned fighters. There was even some disapproval in the crowd to see such a ‘boy’ fighting, but Allick managed to surprise them all with his consecutive victories which went on for a good decade.

Allick the Bold, Allick the Fearless, the young man had various titles within the arena. He was always pushing himself, even after he became champion at the youngest of sixteen. Within that decade he held the title, broadening himself by fighting multiple opponents as well. How else could he impress Queen with just one on one bouts in the arena? It gave the crowd what they wanted, he trained himself against seasoned men and prisoners set to execution. He had already carved his name through the history of the arena and his bouts kept drawing attention, inevitably catching even the Queen to observe his matches.


Even grown, Allick was still a ’boy’ in means of wanting to show off. He boldly went up against a rival school three to one, something his master had forbid him to do. It wasn’t ’noble’ to generally show off against other well known gladiators, and since the Queen was there watching this event the man went farther in humiliating his opponents by fighting them unarmed. It was a sight to behold for that age, him swaying and rolling, flipping and avoiding various swipes of his opponents swords. Countering by moving in and unleashing a fury of punches and kicks against his competitors. Two were disarmed and disemboweled by their own blades, the other fallen was mercilessly put to the sword when Allick climbed over his body and withdrew the blade, heaving it through the poor gladiator‘s skull.
The Fall of a Gladiator, Rise of a Beast


If only he knew how furious the rival school were and how far they would go for revenge, he might of taken a different approach that day. They went after Allick fully by setting up his adopted father first, making it appear like the man was secretly giving weapons off to the rebel forces and soon leaking this information to the Queen’s informants. They further left more incriminating evidence by sneaking in Allick’s master’s home and leading more information that he was a part of the rebel forces and had been training Allick and the other students to one day take up a sword against the queen by tricking her to enter their compound with a small garrison of solders.

One could only imagine the sparks these believable lies confounded.

Enraged, the Queen had Allick’s adopted father hung, his manor ransacked of all valuables and burned to the ground and his business fully compensated. Allick’s master was left to interrogation. There was a belief that he had some information with the rebel forces so he was victimized and tortured, never saying a word, always telling them that he was faithful that this was a mistake. Unfortunately that man inevitably died in the dungeons. Allick’s fellow ’brothers’ and ’sisters’ were taken and added to the experimentations of the Queen’s magical followers; along with Allick being the last on the list.

Allick didn’t put up much of a fight, many of his fellow comrades did, but he didn’t offer any resistance. Even when confronted on the possibility of treachery, given the chance of being ‘spared,’ if he told were the rebels were hiding, he merely shook his head and answered that he was no traitor. “Why would I betray the one I wish to make my woman?” He never expected things to end that way, being ignored, being bound for a dark ritual to come. He wasn’t sure what hurt the worst; not being believed, not able to tell the Queen how much he respected and loved her, or the blade ending his life.

Something happened during that ritual though, it could have been the late possibility of one of the Queen’s informants barging in in hopes of stopping the unholy ritual. Although that much was too late and to save themselves to not end up on a similar table and strapped down for their impudence, they apologetically told her that they found later proof that Allick’s master was innocent along with the rest of the currently deceased, falsely accused ‘rebels.’ That they were deceived by a rivalry feud.

While the best solution to handle the situation was debated over, Allick’s corpse underwent a change in pigment. His spirit was returning to his lifeless form and shockingly enough the man came back to life. Although, he couldn’t be considered as ’human,’ any longer; he had done lost the luster of his green eyes. There was nothing but a deep crimson about them, even his tanned flesh took a greenish hue. There were other changes of his body from the twisting from dark magic, some may expect a demon might as well possessed the host and violated it as such, making his teeth sharper along with manipulating other proportions of his body; whiles others may argue that it could be the entity of a higher plane being.

The informant advised the Queen to kill the monstrosity, but she ignored it. Maybe there was some intrigue to the dead coming back to life. Perhaps she was feeling confident enough of her own abilities as well if hostilities came. Though they didn’t when Allick was unbound, questioned of his loyalty. His manner of speech was mostly broken, vague then as it is today. Though actions spoke better than words and she had one task for him to initiate him as a guardian.

The rival school, well a lesson had to be made on them. She boldly called them out in their false claims and gave them an easy option. She would ‘let them get away with it’ only if they defeated her new ‘pet.’ There would be no interference either from her or her guards that accompanied her that day. If they did win, they would have to leave the city and they would be unmolested in doing so as well. The options appeared more in their favor, they even thought her as blatantly insane to throw something as random as that at them. Not to mentioned a cloaked and lone individual.

The cruelty of reality was farther from the truth of what they had expected or assumed to be up against. The first rival student was disemboweled in one fluent movement from the shrouded advisory. Only shock silence fell from the remaining students and their master when they found their comrade laying in half on the ground and blood dropping out from the clothing of the deceased pupil. It all had happened in a flash, but for those that watched closely, the inhumane being had swiped his curved blades through his victim’s torso to give him ample time to lower and shroud them in his clothing before the body hit the sandy floor.

From there it was a complete bloodbath and the more his destined enemies fell, the further he grew intoxicated by bloodlust. His adrenaline went haywire that day; and he suffered many wounds along his body, but none of them stopped him. Thankfully the only thing he lost in that bout was his cloak, having flung it into an opponent to stall their interference from him hacking apart another’s limbs. What he did to the leader was far more gruesome than the bodies of the students. It was enough to even sicken several of the soldiers there. The phantom of ‘Allick’ skewered the mastermind of the plot, just enough to keep him alive, before proceeding in eating his destined prey before the Queen and her warriors.

From then on the Queen gave him a new name and made him her personal pet. There were a few that spoke against this, but those that did later vanished from the Queen’s unit. Gorgrim had proven his skill so far and his loyalty is unquestionable towards the Queen. Live and serve, he doesn’t question his duties nor is he one to hesitate in stepping out on the battlefield when it comes to uprooting other rebels. Gorgrim has killed many that the Queen has directly told him to and boldly enough he has even ignored commands of doing similar from other rank individuals. There is only one voice he follows and that is the Ice Queen.
 
Strengths:
Meelee Prowness: In his former life he was a formidable adversely in both unarmed combat and dual wielding.
Acrobatics: Allick was always a natural acrobatic, in his younger years he was that kid playing out in the wilderness like a wild beast. His time spent in the arena only increased his acrobatics skill. His fighting style heavily relies on the use of various rolls, flips, and also turning the environment(or his opponents) into his playfield.
Throwing:  A later trait that he picked up in his former life, Allick has a tendency to heave a melee weapon into the body of an opponent with deadly accuracy and proficiency.
Spiritual Aptitude: In his new life, Gorgrim can detect things and people holding a hint of magic about them. Therefore simple illusions are wasted on him and more importantly should the Queen ever desire magical items or individuals to be in her possession, he is usually the first sent on the errand.
Bloodlust: Gorgrim feeds off of it, in the heat of battle he forgoes his feeling of pain, fear, and mercy. For him, it is a severe adrenaline rush, his strength, speed, and reflexes are greatly heightened.  He completely indulges his beastly side and what survivors that may flee the scene will easily recall the horrors of the Queen’s monstrosity.
Weaknesses:
Beserker: Gorgrim is generally sent alone to quell small rebel forces. No one knows what twisted him so, but on the battlefield he becomes a beast unable to distinguish friend from foe once a large amount of blood is shed.  Not to mention he becomes very brutal and extreme in his killings.
Broken Language: His manner of speech and understanding isn’t perfect. He only retains vague memories in his past life and he does have minor knowledge of the meanings to certain things now.
Queen Devote: (If this can be consider a weakness) Gorgrim will outright attack anyone who blasphemous speaks of the Queen or anyone who as blatantly considers themselves to be the Queen. With that in mind, he won’t take orders from anyone other than her, not even the Orc Chieftain nor the Ice King has any control over him.
Past Name: He doesn’t like the mentioning of Allick Silverstar and if someone were to confront him with this identity, he might assault them in anger.
Lack of Armor: A small difference from arena life and his new life, although Gorgrim doesn’t limit his body movements with armor. This is both a good and bad thing, the plus side to it is the fact he can easily and freely move and doesn’t have to deal with the limitations upon his body(more flashy acrobatic movements,) the bad of course is that he is practically defenseless.

An interesting character. Sounds perhaps a bit overpowered, but for a villain that is acceptable. I do love my adventurers to suffer so. ;) Given his position as a servant of the Queen and his tendency to be sent out like a solo hunter, I imagine he could be a handful for an entire party on occasion. Your submission is approved. Please don't slaughter everyone on day one.

Darkmoon

Quote from: CarnivorousBunny on March 11, 2014, 08:52:43 AM
This is not yet finished.  Will be editing in more in the personality and abilities section.

Rosal Pangarap
Role: Sacrifice
Age: Eighteen
Race: Human
Height: 5'3
Weight: 130 lbs
Build: In one word Rosal is an endomorph. She is no slender beauty; her curves are full and soft.  Luckily the extra fat she retains is evenly (and discreetly) distributed throughout her body.  The excess weight she has padding her face only adds to her naturally youthful aura. Her healthy glow and voluptuous body are a reflection of her happy and easy life.
Hair: Black, thick and wavy.
Eyes: Brown
Skin Tone: Due to the endless winter creeping in to her formerly sunny homeland, her once golden brown skin has turned in to fade in to a light mocha colour.

Background: The Pangarap family is from a tropical country far away from the heart of Eversnow.  For decades it was safe from the icy grip of the evil monarchs.  Those were good times; many of its citizens had never even worn anything warmer than vests and short pants, and closed-toe shoes were unnecessary for day-to-day life.

Rosal's father and his family started from rock bottom; her mother was a noble woman.  Rosal's father was diligent, intelligent, and persevering; her mother was headstrong, cunning, and even more intelligent than her father.  Even before Rosal's father amassed his vast fortune as a merchant her mother already saw the man's potential.  Despite her own mother's vehement objections, Rosal's mother married the lower-middle class man.

Not long after the union Rosal was born. 
From day one Rosal was raised to be the perfect lady.  Her mother had been disowned as a noble lady, but that did not mean that the young girl was going to grow up to be a barbarian.  Being a good hostess, entertainer and homemaker was a must, but understanding feelings and using it to one's advantage was an absolutely essential skill for a truly successful woman.  Rosal proved to be a promising pupil, but her true talent was in the arts.  She was an extremely gifted dancer, singer, and musician.  So much so in fact that as soon as they could afford it, her father hired a very reputable bard to be her private tutor.
 
Rosal's private lessons started when she was eight.  By then the eternal winter skies were already visible in the horizon and a noticeable chill stung in the night air.

On Rosal's tenth summer the leaders of her country started sending sacrifices to the Ice King in hopes of buy slowing down the approaching winter.  To their relief it worked, but only every time the frosty monarchs was satisfied with the sacrifices sent. 
Soon the desperate practice of sending three to seven girls at a time would start, and girls would be hidden from the public eye for their own protection.

At twelve, Rosal's mother birthed twins; two little boys who would become Rosal's whole world.  By this time their family wanted for nothing and had reconnected with her mother's family, giving them political pull as well.

Thanks to their reconnecting to the world of politics, the Datu, or the monarch of her homeland, eventually heard of Rosal and her gifts as a bard and her loveliness as a girl.   
On Rosal's seventeenth summer The Sandata, the Datu's special army, marched in to town, as they did every three years since the sacrifices started.  They tried to take Rosal away but a friend convinced them that she would only be lovelier as time passed.  Did not women of true quality only grow better with age?  Her mother's blinding beauty was a testament to what she could and would grow in to.

The Pangarap family counted their lucky stars that the desperate gamble had worked.
At the very least they had bought the Pangarap family one last year to be together and say goodbye.

When they came back Rosal nor her parents put up a fight.  Rosal had watched the winter clouds creep closer just as she had watched her younger brothers grow up in a world with a fading sun.  It was her duty as their older sister to protect them in any way she could, and she would do just that even if it cost her her life. 

Personality: Despite her sheltered upbringing Rosal is not one to complain or whine.  If anything she resents being treated like a spoilt child, and sees anything outside her small sphere of experience as a challenge that needs to be conquered.  However her lack of worldliness is very evident when she is made to interact with people who have lived in extreme hardship and poverty. 


Abilities:
Rosal is a well trained lady; her skills focus mostly on the art of entertainment.  When she puts her mind to it she is quite the considerate hostess and proficient performer.  While she is no warrior or trained assassin, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.

Captivating Performer: Rosal has been performing for as long as she can remember.  Due to her extensive bardic training she has learned a few special songs with interesting effects.  From inducing drowsiness, to enthralling her audience, to inducing agitation or even frenzies, Rosal has a good deal of control over atmosphere as long as she continues performing.

Silent Presence: Even when she isn't trying to be sneaky there are times when Rosal manages to surprise people with her presence.  Perhaps it is because she is able to control her emotions very well, but for some reason she has the strange ability to fade in to the background when she does not wish to socialise.  Her childhood nickname at home was Bubwit, or Little Mouse. 
This is no full-proof technique or skill that can be used on the battle field.  It simply allows Rosal to move around without being noticed when people have their guard down.

Uncanny Empathy: Call it women's intuition if you want, but Rosal has a knack for knowing what people are thinking or how they are feeling.  It's nothing like mind reading, but it is fairly remarkable in its own right.  Normally it would be a handy trait for bluffing, gambling and interrogation, and in its extreme form Rosal can sense if someone significant to her is experiencing very intense feelings despite being separated by great distances.  The range of the effect is defined by the intensity of the feeling or experience.
Rosal herself is unsure what this ability actually is, but she is pretty sure she inherited it from her mother.

Rosal is a warm and welcome addition, and I'm adding her to the list.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Drake Valentine on March 11, 2014, 10:44:32 PM
Name:    
Xander Rhurivir
Species: 
Half Snow Elf (Claims to be ancestor of a God; then again he claims many things.)
Role:       
Phantom Thief

Age:
Unknown (Appears in mid thirties)
Height:   
5'7"
Body:    
Frail. Maybe it is due to his elven heritage, but Xander is not the tallest of men nor is he the strongest. His frame is quite limber and only falling short from lanky if it wasn't for his average height. Physically he is blessed with the elven traits, skin possessing a subtle smoothness to it in texture and it is from that same bloodline that keeps his features with a rather youthful appeal to them.
Hair:
Short, wavy and possesses an unnatural ivory pigment. (Although many believe it to be dyed.)
Skin:       
A light tan complexion given from the snow elf blood.
Eyes:     
Gray


Background:
  Lazeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Strengths:
Magick:
Illusion:
Conveyance:
Alteration:
Cunning:
Persuasion:
-
Weaknesses:
Magick:
Illusion:
Conveyance:
Alteration:
Combat:
Physical Strength:
-

I can make room for you for a second character if you think you can keep do double the posts, but I recommend going with one only.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Kekec on March 12, 2014, 06:28:20 PM
Name: Viktor

Age: 32

Race: Human

Role: Personal Guard

Appearance: Body--190 cm, 95 kg, pallid complexion and muscular; Head--Long, brown hair, high cheekbones, deep-set, grey eyes, thin lips.

Background: It is said that Viktor's parents escaped the north when he was but a babe. They settled in the warmer lands of the south where the taint of the Ice King had not yet oozed.  Growing up, Viktor was oft-maligned by the environment. Those should've been signs enough for his parents to recognize the aberrant mind taking place within their child's head. Then he killed his friend's--as many had perceived them to be--mongrel. A little while later, his friend was found dead, his body opened from sternum to groin. The precision of the incision intimated at a skilled hand, but everyone suspected Viktor, and it had proven true when his parents followed the stench and found rotting organs in his strongbox. They sat him down and tried to see where this evil was coming from, but all they could see was a grinning boy who had just recently entered manhood. Even his eyes, those deep pools of insanity, couldn't betray him to his parents. All he said to them was that he would soon be gone and that their lives would go back to normal.

When he left, some deep sense of self goaded him north. Before he had arrived to the frozen wastes, he knew not that he longed for the cold, for he had never before felt it upon his skin. All he knew was that where he had been living did not make him whole. By word of mouth, he knew what Mount Volcan was and what it harbored.  He wanted to smell this power of the Ice King. He wanted to see what opportunities it held and if there was room for his ambition. The journey north was plagued with a wide range of dangers, which he overcame with sheer luck at first, and with sword and skill later. His body had turned into indefatigable iron. He was confident he could brave the presence of the Ice King.

When he stood before the Ice King, he offered an amicable smile. Yet his eyes belied the horrors he was capable of. He presented the King with his rusty, chipped sword, and pledged his service.  The Ice King, perhaps seeing untapped use in a being such as Viktor, or perhaps something more, took him on as a soldier. Throughout many trials, and some within the ranks would say privileges, he decided to make Viktor into his personal guard, to spend every waking moment by his side.

Almost ten years passed since.


----------------------------

I took some liberties with the Ice King, so if you want me to edit something, let me know.

Your character is approved. Be prepared for court interaction with Shjade's character Nikita, the Ice King, and the Queen, among others.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Melange on March 12, 2014, 10:22:11 PM
This is a work in progress, as I seem to have misunderstood the backstory. I was under the impression it had taken place over a longer period of time, but it appears the corruption happened quickly? And the Snow Elves are elves that lived in the kingdoms that formerly made up Eversnow, and were magically changed?

I'll revise my character's background once the timeline of events is clearer.


I've updated her history. Though it's subject to change depending on our GM's additions.





Name:  Mirien, daughter of Esgalnor
Role:    Heroine/Revolutionary
Age:     100+ years, depending on how long-lived snow elves are (human equivalent of mid to late 20's)
Race:    Snow Elf

Appearance: Mirien is slender, like most elves, and is of average height at 5 foot 7. Her blonde hair falls just past her shoulders, and her eyes are blue. She is usually dressed in long, flowing robes and a hooded cloak. She is never without the rune-carved wooden staff that she needs to wield her magic to full effect.

Background: Mirien can trace her ancestry to the first elves that came under the Snow Witch's influence. She was born and raised in the volcanic glow of Mehethelon. Her mother perished of an illness when she was 3 years old, and her father, Esgalnor, was a soldier in the queen's army and away for months at a time. She was raised, as many snow elf children are, by the surrounding community, in the equivalent of an orphanage.

Mirien learned from an early age that there is no place for childhood innocence in Mehethelon. She learned to sneak about, to scavenge for food, and to spy on anything and everything of interest. And the subject she found most interesting was magic. She would follow elderly mages on their routes, and watch as they lit magical flames in the braziers that warded Mehethelon from the bitter cold outside. After months of persistence, she convinced one of the mages to try teaching her a simple spell, and it was then that her aptitude for magic was discovered. The mage took her on as an apprentice.

Mirien had no talent for Water or Wind, and no interest in Earth. But she learned to wield Fire. After decades of study she became a feared warcaster in the Snow Witch's legions, enforcing her will with fire and flame.

Shortly after the Ice King's ascent, after defeating an army sent from the south, she was searching a dead mage's tent for battle plans and discovered a cache of books. Many of the titles were banned in Mehethelon, but for some inexplicable reason she arranged to have them secretly transported to her rooms there. Within their pages were ideas she had never dreamed of. Treatises on law, government, philosophy, and natural rights. Histories of war with the Snow Witch, from the southern kingdoms' perspective. Tales of heroes long past. With the insight gleaned from her reading, she began to see the king and queen as they really were: tyrants. And there was blood on her hands, so much blood. How could she ever redeem herself?

Her plan began by studying Earth magic, which she proved unusually adept in. And then, her campaign against the Ice King's tyranny began.

Her first act of treason was to write a manifesto regarding the responsibilities of a ruler with respect to their people. She had copies made and posted them in prominent places throughout Mehethelon.

Her second act of treason was to begin a campaign against the king and queen's army. Bridges mysteriously collapsed. Boulders fell onto supplies, crushing them. Stairs became so smoothly worn that patrols tumbled to their deaths.

And her third treasonous act was to use her mastery of Earth magic to create statues, sculptures, and murals that depicted the king and queen in unflattering light. They might appear with distorted facial features, bulbous noses and crossed eyes, with their faces grafted onto snails to represent lack of progress. Often she would leave these near the 'accidents' she caused, but of late she has become bolder, leaving them etched onto hillsides or beside roads. Always they are signed with the words Edledhio uin ndoren, an ancient elvish saying that translates as 'I banish you from my land.'

These caricatures, if allowed to continue, might undermine the king and queen's authority and cause more elves to join the rebel cause. Already, the elves call the mysterious rebel the Trastor, the elven word for troublemaker, and regard them as a folk hero.

Abilities

Elven Vision: Like most elves, Mirien can see quite well at night. Moonlight is as daylight to her.

Wind and Water magic: Mirien is considered very weak in these two elements, unable to do more than stir a gentle breeze or condense a few droplets of water from the air.

Fire magic: Mirien is considered above average in this element. She can create small orbs of light or flame that will linger for hours. She can throw fire from her hands or staff, raise a blazing wall of flames, melt ice, and heat metal until it turns white-hot.

Earth magic: Mirien is strong in this element. She can cause stone or earth to explode with bone-rending force. She can make the ground tremble, as in a moderately strong earthquake. She can cause stalagmites to rise from the ground, or create a barrier of stone. And she can shape stone with the precision of a master sculptor.

Weaknesses

Focus: Mirien's magic requires a focus, the runed staff she always carries. She can perform only the most basic of magics if she isn't holding it in her hand.

Wonderful. Well written and charming in her folk hero mythmaking, like a regular Robin Hood. Submission approved. NPCs will be created as necessary to complement your activities, where other players don't join in. I want to give you plenty of interaction if your character is physically apart from the other forces present.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Rave on March 13, 2014, 12:39:36 AM
So I'm going to jump on this RP's bandwagon before it's too late!

I'm thinking of my own unique character to bring in here, so I'm looking for a little bit of input from any who would give it.

If it's within the realm of possibility, I'd like to create a captured Snow Elven Woman that has been assigned to be a handmaiden/bodyguard type to the captive princess. If more detail were to be put into it, I'm considering having her family bloodline to be royal. So, perhaps she is an heir to the Snow Elves and that is why the Ice King keeps her captive instead of killing her in the first place.

I think she would have some basic magic abilities, but I don't intend for her to be an overly strong and powerful warrior.

I'd just love some input or thoughts so I can complete this picture and put up a character sheet :-)

I'm not opposed to this idea, however I'll have to leave the imaginative progression of who this character is to you. You can use the heiress role as needed.

Darkmoon

Quote from: Ontan on March 13, 2014, 01:56:39 AM
Well, you did say any.

Obviously the decision is down to Darkmoon (and Joslyn, who’s playing the captive princess), but going off what I’ve read so far I don’t see why the handmaiden concept would be an issue… in fact, it fits in pretty neatly with some of the lore. In addition to the various references to offerings, captives and slaves in general, there’s also this titbit in particular:

      Agnost himself is said to have a great lust for Snow Elves, and some suspect he keeps one to himself at all times for his own pleasure.

Even if you’re not playing the Ice King’s hypothetical concubine, it still sets a pretty solid precedent for snow elves being dragged back to the fortress. It also makes sense that the princess would have a handmaiden of some description: as the sister of the Ice King she’d probably get some small concessions; as a valuable hostage to the Snow Witch, it’d be prudent to assign someone to look after her, especially in a fortress infested with brutes.

The bodyguard / mage bit might be a little trickier because it’s hard to justify why a potentially dangerous prisoner would be assigned to guard a fellow captive. There are a plenty of workarounds, though. Maybe she’s only moderately powerful, just enough to protect the princess from the odd drunken soldier, but too weak to instigate a full-blown jailbreak. Or maybe she’s found a way of keeping her magical aptitude a secret from her captors. At any rate, I don't see it being a huge problem. The bigger issue, though, is the royalty thing. That particular card has already been played, and while kidnapped princesses are a staple of the fantasy genre, Darkmoon might decide having both a human and elven princess is getting a tad excessive. On the other hand, if there were two princesses, it'd make sense that they were being held hostage in the same parts of the fortress. It's really down to GM preference.

Anyhow, that’s just my two cents… from a guy whose own character hasn’t been approved yet, no less. Feel free to disregard all the above  ;)

All good input. There are enough creatures around that it would not be unusual for a sister's handmaiden to have a certain amount of liberty here roaming the place, especially as a sort of hostage after the manner of medieval/George R. R. Martin setting where they provide political protections. In this case, the heir of the Snow Elves' monarchy would be a good hostage against open rebellion.