Feychaser (Original fantasy freeform)

[Kadigan]

Still very much hoping this game goes forward.

[Giantmutantcrab]

Player Name: Giantmutantcrab
Character Name: Bjorn
Concept: Barbarian
Race (Age): Human (25)

Place of origin: The Valley of Bones, West Lands
Appearance: Björn is a Westerner and stands around 6’2” tall (190 cm) and weighs about 220 lbs (100 kg) nude. As most of his kin, Björn’s eyes are blue and his full mane of thick hair is somewhere between blonde and brown in color. He usually keeps his hair in a half-ponytail to prevent it from getting into his eyes. A lifetime of harsh living conditions and brutal combat has forged Björn’s body into a powerful frame with a dense musculature over thick, solid bones. His impressive frame moves with the sensual ease of a great cat, sculpted muscles rolling fluidly with each gesture. Traditional tattoos of his homeland decorate his torso and upper back. Björn possesses a rugged handsomeness to his visage and a lean, primal quality that can be quite alluring. His voice is clear and deep, with an accent of the West.

Björn usually carries a massive two-handed sword strapped to his back, sheathed in a leather scabbard that hangs from his fur-lined shoulder harness. His leather boots are covered with bear fur. His thick pants are held up by an intricate girdle, over which he wears a heavy leather kilt and steel leg plates. His twin war-axes are worn at the hips on his weapon belt, though he carries them in his hands when running or moving in stealth. A thick dagger is sheathed on the left side of the same weapon belt. Torcs of embossed steel are wrapped around his massive biceps. Björn rarely carries coin. Instead, he wears a gem-studded gold bracelet on his left wrist. For the folk of Valley of Bones, carrying coin is a noisy and clumsy affair; a stumble, a poorly closed pouch, a cut purse-string and one’s money is lost. Jewelry in the Valley of Bones is normally molded with predetermined weak points. In case of a mercantile exchange, simply snap off what is needed and keep the rest.

Mannerisms: Björn is usually direct in his approach and his intent. He has little patience for the forced, often disingenuous flourish of etiquette and social niceties that is expected of civilized folk, especially in formal settings. He is straight-forward in his speech without being intentionally abrasive; only an idiot passes off insults for honesty. However, this bluntness has often landed him in trouble. Björn has a sense of humor, although it is sometimes grim. He is an individualist who values freedom, both of himself and of others; few things make his savage blood boil more than slavery. It is the responsibility of the powerful to help the powerless. Why bother being strong if you do not use that strength to help those without it? He views laws as necessary in society but they are often confining and usually favor those who are already in positions of power. Björn is stubborn, loyal and dependable. His word is his bond and he does not swear an oath lightly. He does not hesitate to ask or offer help when it is needed. Björn adheres to high principles, his barbaric code of honor, and is a positive force for helping others. He has no tolerance for those who use their abilities to abuse or dominate others. Björn judges people on what they do and what they say, not what they look like or where they come from. For Björn, life is simple; people make it complicated. He knows that he is not a Chosen One, or even someone with a great destiny chosen for him; whatever will happen in his life, he will carve it out with his own two hands. He trusts his instincts and rarely second-guesses his intuition. He has a fire in his soul and an untamed heart. Björn lives furiously and passionately.

Background: Björn was raised in the savage, unforgiving West, also known as the Primal Lands or the Wild Lands. It is a place of untamed primordial flora and fauna, where only the smartest and strongest survive. The Valley of Bones, Björn’s place of birth, draws a jagged border between the Dune Sea to the far south and the Western lands proper. His village was built along the spine of what would have once been a cyclopean, long-dead beast’s skeleton. According to scholars, the whole southern sub-continent, including the Dune Sea and the Valley, had once been a deep inner sea, but the water somehow suddenly rescinded, trapping all aquatic life within to its communal doom. Over generations, those innumerable skeletons turned to dust and became the bone-white sands of the Dune Sea. The bones of certain gigantic creatures were left intact, giving the Valley of Bones its rather distinctive environment.

In the West, time and evolution seems to have been brought to a screeching halt ages ago. Animals and monsters, both mundane and ancient, can be found here. The Wild Lands are inhabited by several different races; Centaurs hunt wild game in the vast plains, while Minotaurs stalk prey within the deep, ancient woods that skirt the Valley’s westmost bone walls. Both races live side-by-side with Humans and Orcs within the Valley of Bones, forming a strange but functional community. Wild Elves, taller and stronger than their woodland counterparts, explore the Dune Sea upon light and sturdy catamarans, commercing with the “port” cities that dot the Valley of Bones. Until three Human generations or so ago, the people of the Valley lived as primitives, hunting and gathering and using bone-arrows and onyx-tipped spears to hunt and defend themselves. That all changed when fourteen Dwarven clans that abandoned their northern homelands to escape the persecution of the Empire added themselves to the eclectic Valley society. They dug into the mineral-rich soil of the earth, teaching the Valley-folk about stonework and metalwork. The Dwarven craft changed the Valley of Bones and within a single Human generation, nearly everyone was outfitted with tools and weapons of steel. This allowed the Centaurs, Minotaurs, WIld Elves, Orcs and Humans to fight and hunt with an efficiency unknown to them up until this point. Gunpowder was impossible to make in the Valley, so Dwarf engineers instead focused on composite bows and repeating crossbows for long-range combat.

Then, the Cull happened.

Magic, both arcane and divine, were fairly unknown in the Valley of Bones. The peoples there were hardy, strong-willed folk that rarely, if ever, bothered themselves with gods. One dark day with a blood-red sun shining in the sky, Wild Elves returned from the Dune Sea with prophecies of doom. They spoke of venerable Orc shamans that turned into the Weeping Sages. They spoke of eldritch tears within the air and the earth. They spoke of daemons, misshapen and fueled by the hate of all Life,  pouring out like so much toxic pus from a festering wound. And they spoke of the slaughters. Hundreds, thousands. The darkness seeping through all, moving in all directions with the speed and strength of Chaos undivided. Within the hour, the fastest volunteer runners were sent out to all corners of the West Lands with a single, clear message.

“The Valley of Bones readies for war. Unite with us to defend the West.”

Since that day, peoples have approached the Valley to find it preparing for war unending. All those capable of participating in the war effort do so. From children to the elderly, all do their part to prepare against the coming tide that threatens to wash all Life from the surface of the world into the Abyss. And if it is not the nightmaring daemons that will destroy them, then the Empire’s soldiers would trample all those that disobey beneath steel-toed boots. Perhaps the gods have forsaken this realm, perhaps they are powerless to stop it. Whatever the case may be, the Valley of Bones will fight the Culling and the daemon-spawns it vomits up.

Björn, having been one of the couriers charged with bringing the rallying call to a tribe of Centaurs in the north-eastern part of the central plains, knew that for all its willpower and strength of arms, the Valley alone could not both defeat a foe that seemed all-powerful and be hardy enough to resist the Imperial armies trudging down from the North simultaneously. So he set sail with the Wild Elves, crossing the sea of sands, and upon finding the shoreline, searched for a ship to reach Reamsul, the Jewel of the East, in hopes of speaking to its leaders so that an alliance can be hashed out, a union of the East and the West. To his shock and awe, he learned of Imperial ships that were boarding non-humans to travel back to the harsh North and the even harsher Empire. They promised food, shelter and protection for a simple payment; servitude. The true horror that visited Björn was the fact that refugees, both human and non-human, were lining up to board these Imperial vessels.

He turned away from the sight, wishing to find a fast ship heading towards the East.

The ship he boarded that day was the Feychaser.

Skills:
Combat style: Versatility (Journeyman) He use any weapon, but will never become a weapon master. He is at his most dangerous when fighting multiple opponents simultaneously
Combat style: Unarmed (Journeyman) Björn is trained by both Dwarves and Minotaurs in hand-to-hand combat and can grapple with opponents that are bigger than himself
Knowledge: First aid (Basic), Geography (Basic), Monster lore (Intermediate)
Profession: Hunting and skinning (Journeyman), both mundane animals and monsters
Stealth (Intermediate) Björn can hide and move silently very well for a man of his size and bulk

Strengths:
Born survivor: Life in the unforgiving West Lands has taught Björn a plethora of skills to survive in the wilds. He will thrive and survive, regardless of where he is and what equipment he does or does not possesses. His survival skills are such that he can also help others in such situations, but scarce available resources may make this difficult or downright impossible.
Might of the West: Björn possesses physical skills that surpasses anything “civilized” men can hope to achieve. He was taught strength by Orcs, learned swiftness and speed with Wild Elves and gained endurance with his Dwarf and Minotaur combat mentors.
Untamed heart: Björn has the strength of character and willpower to survive the hardships of life, as well as being difficult to frighten or intimidate.

Flaws:
- Mistrust of gods (gods and their minions are strange, difficult to comprehend and dangerous)
- Mistrust of magic (magic and its minions are strange, difficult to comprehend and dangerous)
- Primitive (unused to modern technology)
- Savage (ignorant of formal settings and the etiquette expected therein)

Connections: Open
Ons and Offs: See my On/Off page.

[Dys Astyr]

O_____O Those torcs tho...

They really need to come back in fashion, torcs are awesome. ;D

[Giantmutantcrab]

O_____O Those torcs tho...

They really need to come back in fashion, torcs are awesome. ;D

Björn is a delicate flower, those torcs are as petals upon his willowy arms.

[Dys Astyr]

Björn is a delicate flower, those torcs are as petals upon his willowy arms.

Now I wish I would have done one of my stereotype amazonian barbarian types so this could be a running gag. XD

[Kadigan]

I can't think of torc's without thinking of Eddie Drood any more.

[Giantmutantcrab]

I can't think of torc's without thinking of Eddie Drood any more.

Who dat?

[Wolfling72]

This is such a cool idea.

[Ontan]

Wolfling: The idea is okay, but it'll be the players that make it amazing  ;)

GMC: Before we get too caught up in torc talk, there are a few teeny tiny adjustments needed for Bjorn's skill set. He has one too many, so you'll need to ditch a skill of your choice to bring the total down to five (on that note, "knowledge" can count as one skills, but it'll be proportionally weaker given it covers three different fields). Also, please list Bjorn's level of competence for things like knowledge and survival. I know I'm being picky, but there's a method to the madness.

[A Painter]

I sent a PM with a character sheet  ;D

[Ontan]

GMC: Thanks for making the changes - Bjorn is approved!

A Painter: Read and replied  :-) 

[TheHangedOne]

I mean, if we turn into an amazing adventuring band, we could all have torc's with a guild insignia sort of thing on them.  ;D

[Dys Astyr]

I mean, if we turn into an amazing adventuring band, we could all have torc's with a guild insignia sort of thing on them.  ;D

I am 100% behind this idea.

[Giantmutantcrab]

I am 100% behind this idea.

Torc's, torc's torc's...

Green iz best!

[Wolfling72]

Wolfling: The idea is okay, but it'll be the players that make it amazing

Truth. This will be yet another group game that i shall stalk with impunity.

[MisoThe Mouse]

Torc's, torc's torc's...

Green iz best!

*Google Torc* *Realizes I have been searching for a snake one for years*

So thaaaaats what their called....I'm in.

[Giantmutantcrab]

Truth. This will be yet another group game that i shall stalk with impunity.

You... can also join, you know. Plenty of room for characters and the GM is very permissive with the setting and the PCs in general.

I welcome you to join us, should you ever have the inclination to do so. :)

[Dys Astyr]

Truth. This will be yet another group game that i shall stalk with impunity.

You... can also join, you know. Plenty of room for characters and the GM is very permissive with the setting and the PCs in general.

I welcome you to join us, should you ever have the inclination to do so. :)

Yessssss, join us... >_> More members for the Torc Gang.

[Wolfling72]

You... can also join, you know. Plenty of room for characters and the GM is very permissive with the setting and the PCs in general.

I welcome you to join us, should you ever have the inclination to do so. :)

Ach, i want to, very friggin much. The idea just hits every one of my yes points. * nods* The issue is not having internet as yet and using my phone to make posts. I do not want to hold up an excellent premise.

Yessssss, join us... >_> More members for the Torc Gang.

Ah...but do you also offer cookies? This is very important.

[Dys Astyr]

Ach, i want to, very friggin much. The idea just hits every one of my yes points. * nods* The issue is not having internet as yet and using my phone to make posts. I do not want to hold up an excellent premise.

Ah...but do you also offer cookies? This is very important.

Ah, phone posting is the worst... I say from my phone. XD

[TheHangedOne]

Well, the game has been in the planning process for quite some time, and it doesn't have a definite start date (this is not intended as a poke, just stating a fact); when will you be able to get internet, Wolfling? Depending on how close dates match up, you might be able to hop in after all.

[Wolfling72]

Ah, phone posting is the worst... I say from my phone. XD

Oooh cookies.

I am posting to a large group game sooo it is do-able.

Well, the game has been in the planning process for quite some time, and it doesn't have a definite start date (this is not intended as a poke, just stating a fact); when will you be able to get internet, Wolfling? Depending on how close dates match up, you might be able to hop in after all.

My interwebs will be up to par in a little more than 2 weeks. Such a large outlay of cash means that i have to divide it up out of two paychecks. ( blah). I am checking now to see what character types the group has thus far as i do not want to copy someone else's concept.

So tempting.

[Giantmutantcrab]

Oooh cookies.

I am posting to a large group game sooo it is do-able.

My interwebs will be up to par in a little more than 2 weeks. Such a large outlay of cash means that i have to divide it up out of two paychecks. ( blah). I am checking now to see what character types the group has thus far as i do not want to copy someone else's concept.

So tempting.

You could completely copy someone else's concept and make it your own. "Orc woman" "Barbarian male", etc... are fairly vague concepts anyway

[A Painter]

@Wolfing:Plus it says in the rules it's alright to have some overlap with character concepts.

But if it helps with your brainstorming I shall post my sheet here:

Player Name: A Painter
Character Name: Lyna Steele
Concept: Diplomat and Alchemist with a Roguish touch
Race: Half-elf, Thirty-seven

Place of origin: Reasmul
Appearance and Mannerisms: Lyn is proud and dignified, and it shows in the way she carries herself. While she stands at a merger 5’3”, she appears taller because of her confidence and posture. While she can be intimidating at first glance, she has a gentle manner of speaking and generally comes off as non-threatening, but has an oddly impish twinkle in her eyes.
Background: This Changeling never did get to know her Seelie father, he passed away when she was very young. Lyna and her mother lived with the rest of the Steele family, helping with the family business of smithing. It was here she became exposed to the manner of which their king liked to rule and nitpick. Some people found it irritating, but Lyna appreciated the crown’s involvement in its people’s lives.

Lyna inherited the human gift of adaptability. With observation, mimicry and her charisma she would find a way to act as a go-between for local businesses and the crown. Her job was to make sure the crown’s orders and micro-managing was well received by its people, and reporting back to the court. Being half-elf and a descendant of a respectable merchant family’s made her perfect for the job. Her only complaint would be her lack of involvement with the councils and the royalty due to her heritage.

Being a part of a family of craftsmen gave her access to a network of people with materials and knowledge, her status as a diplomat for the castle gave her extra pull in that network.
Once she left her family’s forge she picked up alchemy in her spare time. Lyna never did pick up smithing, but alchemy had a subtle art to it that appealed to her. Now, in a time when magic is dying, medicine and alchemy seem to be coming in to fashion. 

Skills (3-5):

• Diplomacy and Charm (Adept): Lyna deals with people of all walks of life. She can relate to nobility, the middle class and even the poor. Because of her manner of speaking and dress she does have some trouble with those of the lower class, that is until she gets over her pride and starts emulating her cousins.
• Alchemy (Adept): Poisons and healing salves are her specialty. She carries a small collection of herbs with varying purposes on her person at all times.
• Sleight of Hand (Apprentice): Lyna never would have volunteered to help on the Feychaser if she didn’t have a few tricks up her sleeve. Slipping sleeping potion in to drinks or hiding a poisoned needle in her hand when going for a handshake are a few things she can do. It helps that some of her jewellery are actually containers for these concoctions of hers.
• Proficient(ish) with Knives (Novice): The knife is a last resort if she was to be cornered. Her cousins taught her how to wield one, but she’s no expert.

Strengths:

• Charm: Lyna is good at empathising and charming people. Under the right circumstances she can intimidate as well, but she leaves that as a last resort. She believes it’s easier to catch flies with honey.
• Manipulation: Because Lyna is physical weak and acts naive and sweet, she sets up the platform to be taken for granted by friends and foes alike. She takes full advantage of that.
• Steadfast: Duty is important, and she committed herself to aiding those trapped in the war, and she is loyal to the refugees and her party.

Flaws:

• Combat: Nipping conflict in the bud is what she’s good at, be it through charming people or underhanded means. She isn’t  an actual fight.
• Chaotic: For all the effort she puts in to being proper and a voice of reason, her morality is quite confusing, even to her. Sometimes she wonders if she is actually part Unseelie.
• Wrath: As a diplomat she is used to handling difficult personalities, but there is still a line that can be crossed. When she feels slighted, revenge becomes a priority and clouds her judgement.

Connections: Open
Ons and Offs: o&o

[Ontan]

@Wolfing:Plus it says in the rules it's alright to have some overlap with character concepts.

But if it helps with your brainstorming I shall post my sheet here:

Excellent timing - I was just about to PM you. Lyna is approved!

I am checking now to see what character types the group has thus far as i do not want to copy someone else's concept.

So tempting.

What GMC and Painter said.

When it comes to duplication vs diversity of character roles, I really feel there’s no wrong answer. If characters have duplicate skill sets, it means they can actually do stuff together, and they have something to bond over. On the other hand, some people like to have an area of exclusivity (such as being the primary party healer), as it can make the character feel more distinctive, and also expands the party’s range of abilities.

It’s one thing when you’re playing a systems game, where certain checkboxes needed to be ticked for a balanced party… but that’s not a problem in this case. Your character could have no useful adventuring skills whatsoever, and still make meaningful contributions to the story solely through their social interactions, so don’t stress too much about character concepts.

Well, the game has been in the planning process for quite some time, and it doesn't have a definite start date (this is not intended as a poke, just stating a fact)

Consider me poked nonetheless  ;)

I’d really like to get things started sooner rather than later; there comes a point where we risk losing early players because things are taking so long. Thankfully, the story lends itself well to people joining at later points: given the number of unspecified volunteers, crewmen, and refugees, there’s no reason why people can’t drop in after the game starts. And on that note...



GM Announcement:

The OOC thread is now up and running!

In anticipation of the game launch, can all approved players please post there with their character’s start location – it’ll be aboard the Feychaser for most, if not all characters. However, this also allows me to double-check that everyone’s still active.