Travellers on the Queen's Road - fairly gritty fantasy based RP

[Gremlyn]

Travellers on the Queen’s Road

A fairly gritty fantasy setting. No overt character types. Magic takes great effort and is less impressive, magic items are few if at all and the emphasis is on character and storytelling. Influences: Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie, Brent Weeks, Peter Brett, Brandon Sanderson et al.

I'm looking for maybe half a dozen solid writers who can work together and write a team who have known each other for years, they are a family.

A fantasy tale.

When the Empire of Caymar disintegrated after the Mad Emperor Jartok III, the land became rife with war, plundering reavers and lawless folk. The fierce Ogres of the north, the Svartalfheim and the Koboldin all ran rife and the world was a place of anarchy and ruin.

Out of the ashes of the north-eastern empire, Tir, one of the descendants of the old dukes managed to forge a small haven of peace and mutual protection far away on the eastern coast. Over time this grew into a small kingdom that came to be known as Tirland. The modern Kingdom of Tirland was formed from the amalgamation over many centuries of a number of city states and duchies which were all once part of the empire.

Now the realm extends a hundred miles north and south and four hundred miles westwards to beyond the Usk Mountains. But the kingdom is not without its troubles. The borders are dangerous palaces. Ogres and kobolds still raid from the northern Darkpeaks, Svartalfar from the Dimwoods attack unwary travellers and reavers and brigands plague the roads.

Beyond the borders, numerous small kingdoms, duchies and coalitions emerged. Many of them intent on plunder and conquest. Some attack overtly while others rely on stealth and cunning.
The armies of Tirland are strong, but are spread thinly. And sometimes subtlety and guile can succeed where force of arms would fail.

That’s where the Emera come in.

The Emera are wandering bands of minstrels, players, acrobats and more. They travel the Queen’s roads entertaining and enlightening wherever they go. But some are more than they seem.
Almost one hundred years ago the Queen’s Great grandfather did a great service to the Emera people. The Emera swore an oath of service to the crown and a deal was made. The Emera have the freedom of the Kingdom and, in return, they act as the eyes and ears of the crown, secretly watching, gathering, spying and, upon occasions acting as the hand of the Queen.

You will take the part of members of a band of Emera travellers. You are first and foremost entertainers, but when the Queen calls, you answer your life debt and act.

Notes:


Available Races

NOTE: The Emera is a way of life. A philosophy, as such Emera clans can be drawn from any race or stock. That said, many Emera travelling bands are literally an extended family. We’ll see how you choose and decide which pattern fits when you draw up your characters.

Tirlander – Basic human types with natural colourings form dark to pale skin, black to blond hair, brown to blue eyes.

Fey – At some point in the past, one of your ancestors was Ljósálfar. You may have some traits such as feline eyes, pointed ears or delicate fingers. You may be able to see better than most in the dark, or you may be able to move more stealthily than most. You will most likely be shorter and more slender than average.

Norlander – You are of the rugged, hardy northen stock. You will tend to fairer skin and fairer hair colours with piercing blue eyes. You will be slightly larger and more well-muscled than the average.

Typical Character Templates:
Acrobat: skilled in entertaining with tightrope. Expert at leaping, landing, balance and swinging. In your other role you are very useful at getting over walls, climbing etc.

Conjuror: Stage magician (no real magic in the act). Quick fingers and a sharp mind with a flair for the dramatic. In your other work though you may have some real magical talents. (think small scale effects like petty magic in many games. Small gusts of wind, lighting a candle, moving small objects etc.

Knife Thrower – skilled with blades, accurate to a fault. Could be with bow rather than knife.

Minstrel – musician and songsmith you are good at distractions. – could have some simple low key bardic magic such as inducing moods such as romance, tiredness or anger.

Strongman – incredible feats of strength and endurance – useful in a fight!

Actors – acting out scenes from famous plays or stories. – Acting skills, disguises, costumes and impersonation. (could be supplemented with magic from the conjeror?)

Prestidigitator – slight of hand, card tricks – thieving skills, pick pockets and locks.

Animal handler – trained birds, cats, dogs – could in actuality have minor beast mastery – telepathic linkage and control.

Feel free to come up with alternatives that would feet in this setting.

What you have to do:

Come up with a character concept and post it in your reply. I wont accept everyone I am afraid, so submitting a character is not a guarantee of a place in the game. Its my first ever GM role here, and I want it to work.

Minimum you need to submit

Name of Character
Race
Gender
Age
Physical Description
Typical attire
Role in the Troupe
skills and specialities
Background notes
At least two strengths
At least two weaknesses

I'll see how things go with applications, feel free to PM any questions.

[AndyZ]

Going to keep an eye on this, but also wanted to tell you that your image isn't working.

https://elliquiy.com/wiki/Special:Upload is a great place to throw up pictures and have an easy link to them ^_^

[Bekah Boo]

Name: Nuelina Tasurite
Race: Fey
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Physical Description: Nuelina stands at 5'2 with a slim build making her appear much younger than she is. Her skin is a warm hue of caramel with striking blonde hair she wears to her shoulders and when performing ties up. Her most alluring trait however is her crimson eyes which are always wide with excitement, as a half fey herself her eyesight is quite above average allowing her to see in darkness as well as spot over great distances.
Typical attire: Black Leotard, Black and Gold arm warmers,Gold bands and black leg warmers, Trademark scarf
Role: Acrobat
Skills and Specialties: Nimble and flexible Nuelina is quite skilled on any surface whether it is on the ground or in the air, her balance almost unnatural as she has the uncanny ability to scale almost anything to make herself airborne. Using various flips and turns she can leap in extensive bounds over large areas of heights, which can also be used for hand to hand combat as she is masterful in disarming or dodging. Her fey heritage allows her to see great distances and in low/night environments, as in darkness they tend to give off an eerie glow which can be quite unnerving.
Background notes: Being half fey Nuelina struggles with a sense of belonging, though she feels the Emera is truly her family she lives with the troubling fear that they too will eventually leave her behind as well. Her previous life is as much as a mystery as her beginnings with the Emera, though normally carefree and spontanious Nuelina finds even now she can't reveal her past and does her up most to keep it that way. Also she loves flowers.
Strengths: Over energetic, Fiercely Loyal
Weaknesses: Can be seen as childish or not serious enough, Fears of being left behind

[yesiroleplay]

This is a brilliant idea, somewhat reminiscent of the Family D'Alembert series by Goldin & Smith.
Anyway, count me as interested!  I'll have to think on a character.

[Gremlyn]

I must admit, this is part Name of the Wind and part Doc Smith. I do red those books. My dad had everything doc smith wrote I think from lensman to skylark of space.

[yesiroleplay]

Tentatively, I'm considering playing a Conjuror.  A stage magician with very minor real magic - about on the level of a nerfed prestidigitation cantrip from D&D.  Very minor effects that take almost more effort to perform magically than doing whatever task you're attempting the normal way. 
She's in an act with her brother, who is the headliner even though she's better at the illusions than he is.  Only thing is, she is also much better at keeping everyone's eyes on her, so it's easier for him to do his slights of hand or other tricks while she distracts.  I doubt that long legs in fishnet stockings fits the setting, but a low-cut peasant dress and a pretty face still have power to distract.

[Gremlyn]

I'm aiming for  sort of late medieval vibe so you know what, a s GM, you want fishnets, you can have em.

[yesiroleplay]

I'm aiming for  sort of late medieval vibe so you know what, a s GM, you want fishnets, you can have em.

LoL  - I just might!  But I wasn't seriously proposing it

[yesiroleplay]

[BitterSweet]

Tentative but significant interest!  Diego Luna play-by.

Likely character; a knife or bowman who sometimes sidelines in the acting troupe as the villain of the skit due to his looks and generally sullen expression.  Does a great mustache twirling villain at need ... and well, can do some of the needful things that get done in the bloody shadows.


Name: Rui Tiago
Race: Fey-ish; underized and less than bulky, Rui is exceptionally quick and quiet on his feet when he wants to be.
Gender: Male
Age: late twenties
Physical Description: Rui is lean and undersized, with high cheekbones, deft hands and a tendency to scowl.  His dark hair is usually chin to shoulder length, accompanied by a short, often scruffy beard and dark, suspicious looking eyes.  He tans easily and hangs onto that tan through the year and has a few ritual tattoos hidden under his shirt, along with knife scars on his hands and arms.
Typical attire: Extremely casual, to the point of being scruffy and unkempt; brown shirt and padded leather jerkin, over the knee boots for a bit of protection, a canvas and leather padded coat which hides a disturbing number of knives.  During shows, of course, he has his costume: black velvet (less impressive close up when the wear can be seen), spangled in red and gold, a red cape, polished black high boots and a red leather bandolier of throwing knives.
Role in the Troupe: Knife artist and spy.
Specialties:  Not only can Rui throw knives, he can twirl, swallow, flip, and otherwise do a huge number of tricks involving them.  He can run and throw knives, dance and throw knives, eat knives (supposedly) and generally entertain the crowds with sharp pieces of metal.  Like most knife artists, he has an assistant - generally a lovely young, scantily dressed thing - that stands as a target for his work.  He does a ‘pauline in peril’ type show, dragging the woman on stage, tying her up, then ostentatiously throwing knives at her (which end up cutting the ropes binding her and freeing her to his melodramatic frustration).  Sometimes he’s a villain stand-in for the acting troupe, playing a one-note melodramatic villain, who usually faces defeat and death at the hands of the hero.
Background notes:  Rui was born and raised in the Emera.  His mother was a card reader and actor, his father ... well, there are a few options.  He was a child acrobat, but ended up apprenticing to the old knife thrower; a woman of prodigious size and talent.  She also taught him less savory skills when he showed an aptitude for working in the dark.  Both his mother and his teacher died when he was a teenager in a fire that nearly wiped out his troupe and the survivors were adopted into several other Emera groups.
He worships, fairly privately, Mother Death - an underworld figure that rules fate, prophecy, and death.  While not an ‘evil’ goddess per se, many are uncomfortable with a personal relationship to the end of their life and followers of the goddess face ... social challenges if their faith gets known.
Strengths: Markedly observant and a steady temperament, Rui rarely forgets even seemingly unimportant bits of information.
Weaknesses: Comes across as ‘suspicious looking’ with unfortunate frequency which makes him suspicious in turn, and reinforces the entire cycle.  Bright sunny days can leave him headache-y and nauseous, something that is soothed by smoking opiates, and when on them he sleeps very heavily and is not inclined to be adventurous.

[Bekah Boo]

Oooo very nice choice for a play by ;3
Love me some Deigo Luna any day ;3

[BitterSweet]

Oooo very nice choice for a play by ;3
Love me some Deigo Luna any day ;3

LOL - as do I.

[yesiroleplay]

I really should put up a serious character (sans-fishnets) 
Given that most carnival/circus/small troupe ensembles play multiple roles, I think it would be fun for my Conjuror to also be the 'damsel' in Rui's act.  Would that be okay with you BitterSweet?

[BitterSweet]

I really should put up a serious character (sans-fishnets) 
Given that most carnival/circus/small troupe ensembles play multiple roles, I think it would be fun for my Conjuror to also be the 'damsel' in Rui's act.  Would that be okay with you BitterSweet?

Yup, that would be great!  Lots of overwrought acting and eeeevil laughs from my character.  Heh, to be honest, I really like the idea that the characters are part of a carnival/traveling entertainer troupe -  those folks are pretty interesting even without a second career.

[Gremlyn]

I'm loving the interest levels. thank you so much. I am also working on some intersting game mechanics which I will reveal soon.

Hopefully we'll get around half a dozen players.

[TheBlackThrone]

I like this idea. I am going to make a male Tirlander who is an actor. He plays a very convincing woman.  ::) I see him being an amazing conartist.

[TheBlackThrone]

Name: Bando Marmond
Race: Tirlander
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Physical Description: Bando has a slim and lean figure with milk coffee skin. He maintains such a lean figure because he impersonates several characters to include women. His youthful appearance and gift with maquillage allows him to be almost whoever he wants to be: a painter, prince, guard, bellydancer, whore…His hair is dark brown and his eyes a honey hazel. He keeps his body hair to a minimum so that he can match the beauty of a lady—if not stereotypically so. Stereotypes made the best roles at times because they were what society always expected one to be. When Bando isn’t wearing one of his disguises, he’s a beautiful fair-skinned man. It is no wonder that even men tend to fall for his strange allure.

Typical Attire:

The actor wears a myriad of clothes and no one ever knows who or what he’ll show up as. He tends to catch his comrades by surprise, and he typically does it on purpose. He’s always testing himself to see if he’s still convincing. His con artist lifestyle has him wearing numerous and various hats, pants, skirts, and who knows what else.

Role in the Troupe: Actor and Conman

Skills and Specialties:

Costumes – They aren’t all costumes. They may mostly be stolen clothing. Who knows when Bando is ever out-of-character?

Impersonation – You want a prince? You got it. You want a fat bastard of a merchant, you got it? You want an exotic dancer? You got it. He is a man with many faces and voices. He never shows his true identity even after his shows. The audience departs believing him to either be the man or woman he was playing.

Persuasion – He is so believable. You never really know what is a lie or what is the truth until mistakes are made such as wardrobe malfunctions or, well, when they realize la-la-la-Lola is actually a man. You need to convince someone? Send the convincer! You need information, he’ll get it. You need an item and don’t want the city patrols to get involved? He’ll get it. He can talk his way in and out of nearly any situation.

Background and Notes:

Bando’s fascination with acting became an obsession at an early age. As a boy, born and raised to a noble name in Tirland, he always enjoyed racing into the markets to gather around the Emerian bards, dancers, actors, and performers. The stories! The fun! It was almost toxic to a child’s imagination. Bando would stay out late in the streets, playing with the other boys and girls—some who were nowhere near the status of his house. He was a warrior, he was a mage, he was a thief, he was a prince, and sometimes the princess. Back then, the boys teased him and said he looked like a girl and instead of cry about it, he actually decided to give it a try. He shocked the other children with how well he played a damsel in distress for the dragon slayer. When his parents learned of his activities, they immediately put him under house arrest. A noble playing with street urchins? It was absolutely disgusting. Who knows what diseases or vermin he might catch from them?

For a day, Bando was upset. He wasn’t allowed to play outside or see the Emerian plays. He was trapped…like…like a prisoner. Yes, and he needed to escape before they executed him in the morning! The boy never left his imagination. He continued to play and when he ran out of ideas, he would venture down to his father’s library and read stories, poems, and plays. He memorized them all!

As Bando grew older, his peculiar mannerisms were a hit at balls. He could recite sonnets to woo any crowd. He was well-spoken and the tales he wove were so convincing that other nobles started to believe them. His father, Angelo, abhorred the false reputation his son had built for himself. He had grown tired of other nobles praising him for raising a con artist; however, the nobles could not see the truth that his son was actually a nobody. He was mentally ill! Not even he knew who his son was anymore!

The frustration; the inevitable embarrassment, humiliation, destroyer of the Marmond name! What were they to do once the other houses discovered how big of a fool his son was? They would be ruined! Bando was 17 when his father in an exasperated fit over dinner demanded that he leave. He didn’t care where he went, he just wanted to take his lies with him. His mother, Livia, tried to convince his father to take back his words. But Angelo wanted desperately for Bando to be out of his life. Bando left his house with only a satchel full of clothes, his more expensive things he left behind and took only what he could use to make some money. Returning to the streets was like venturing into a foreign land. He could go as far as he wanted and stay out as long as he wanted. No one would demand that he return.

His story would have began how most stories did. Alone and not knowing where to go, boo hoo. No; Bando knew exactly where he wanted to go. He had been wanting to go to this place for years. He returned to the market and he never returned home.

Strengths:

Convincing – He is so convincing that people find him hard to disbelieve.

Confident – His confidence is what makes him believable.

Witty – He might be a little insane, but most geniuses are.

Gifted Actor – Bando really becomes his roles from the clothes, wigs, and makeup he wears to the voices he impersonates.

Weaknesses:

Schizophrenic – Bando finds himself losing touch with reality. He often doesn’t even remember if Bando is his actual name or if it is one of his many pseudonyms. It disturbs him at times. He actually fears losing himself entirely.

Blown Cover – If his cover is ever blown, then he’s screwed and will more than likely have to flee whatever situation he found himself in. There’s nothing more scarier than someone not believing his ruse.

[AndyZ]

I messed up my arm and the number of games I'm joining will be limited as a result.  Sorry to display interest only to leave but you know how it is.

[Elven Sex Goddess]

Here is a character for submitting for the game.

Name of Character  Tove Helgadóttir
Race  Norlander
Gender  Female
Age  28

Physical Description  Tove is of Norlander stock.   An she is no different then the usual other Norlanders.    She stands a full 6' in height.   Weights approximately 11 stones (154 pounds).   Long wavy strawberry blonde hair with deep blue eyes.   Her skin is of a fair complexion.    A gorgeous tall muscular curvy Norlander beauty.

Typical attire  Prefers to be dressed in leathers.   Usually with a lot of skin showing.   Such as in halter tops,  vests and usually a loincloth.   Leather knee high boots.    She also for traveling will be adorn in a hooded long bear full coat. 

Role in the Troupe  vǫlva of the galdrar  (Minstrel – musician and songsmith)

skills and specialities

Galdr  -  Singing incantations

• Calm
• Enthrall
• Frenzy
• Inspire
• Lust

Knowledges - Lores

• Heroic Norlander sagas
• Tirlander Nobility

Lore of Steel - Proficient in swords.   

Background notes  Tove family has had numerous  members of the family in skaldic tradition in both as skalds and those of the vǫlva, singers of the galdrar.   Magical incantations through the harmonious of their voice.   Tove followed such ancestors with a musical sing song voice.   

With such a gift of her voice in song.    Tove can calm a angry crowd with the soothing melodies of her voice.   Enthrall them in a memorizing spellbinding fashion.   Or incite them into a frenzy of blood lust for war.   Inspire them to greatness or accomplishing the impossible task.  She can instill lustful urges upon her listeners with the sultry tones of her voice.  Driving the crowd into lust. 

Tove's   travels took her to the land of the Tirlander.   The kingdom of Tirland at the age of sixteen.   Through such had not been planned.   Her bad sense of direction would be the cause of such.  Already trained in the verses of Norlander epic sagas.   It was not long before her skill set found her joining a band of Emera.   For the next twelve years she has traveled with her band.   Which has become a extended family to her.   During that time she has gained the lore knowledge of Tirland nobility.   Yet her sense of direction has not improved

Her honor and sense of family obligation and loyalty to the Emera is unshakeable. 

Strengths

Animal Magetism -  A wild provocative untamed side from her Norlander blood.   That causes her to draw attraction in a room and stand out.

Enchanting Voice  -  A sing song  musical voice that has a wide range from soprano, mezzo soprano and contralto.  Allowing her to reach high notes and low sultry tones.

Edetic Memory -  Ability to learn and memorize something to memory.

Weaknesses

Wild - Despite having been traveling within the kingdom of Tirlander for a dozen years.   There is still a barbarian side to this woman.   An civilize customs are often overlooked. 

Dysorienta - Despite traveling with the troupe.   Tove has horrible sense of direction. 

Dyslexia - Just as Tove has a bad sense of direction.   She has never been able to learn to read and write.  The letters become garble when she looks at them.  To teach her a new song or verse.  It must be read to her.   

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

Hi there!  I find myself highly intrigued.  I need to sit down and put it all to paper, but I think I could easily put together a Norlander strongman... The brute force muscle of the group as needed.  6'6, maybe even taller and just tons of muscle... and perhaps an axe to match. :)  Would go nicely with ESG's character she just made. *winks*

Hopefully in the next day or two I can take this post and edit it to match.

Do you have any age limitations?  Could an older gentleman (ha!) find his way in?  Family needs uncles and father figures, after all...

[Gremlyn]

Loving the characters so far. This is working out nicely.

Older characters are fine.

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

working on my character.  gratuitously stole ESG's template.  Should have something done in the next day or two.

[Kythia]

This is a lovely setting idea and I find myself returning to it.  How frequent is posting going to be?  I don't want to commit to anything more than 2 ish posts a week

[Gremlyn]

I can't imagine it being any faster than that to be honest due to my own commitments.

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

Name of Character  Greven 'The Mountain' Drace
Race  Norlander
Gender  Male
Age  45

Physical Description  Greven is the quintessential Norlander, powerfully built.  He stands nearly 7 feet tall, and though he would claim he's still in the prime of his life, is starting show his age.  'Snow on the mountain' is the joke as people see his silver hair and beard, the former worn long over his shoulders and the latter trimmed short around his jaw.  Greven usually will wear servicable leathers that share similarities with old military garb, but he never talks about any military background.  He's also sporting quite a few scars, which are often seen when he performs (bare chested for the ladies).


Role in the Troupe  Strongman

skills and specialties  Greven is understandably, a powerful man, and well skilled in many forms of hand to hand combat.  When performing, Greven has been known to wrestle against large groups in an attempt to 'bring down the mountain'.  He's well skilled in blades, axes and staves, though in general he'd rather not kill a man if he doesn't have to.  He has a bit of an iron stomach, and is able to put away quite a few pints without really feeling a thing.  On a military level, he has a grasp of tactics, another part of his past that he dislikes mentioning.

Background notes  The parts of Greven's background that he discusses involves a wife and child that he lost nearly twenty years ago.  Bits and pieces put together suggest that he was in one war or another, and he has the garb, training and scars to prove it, but if pressed, he'll say that he left that life behind.  Before that, he's happy to discuss a time when he was a farmer, though admittedly, not a very good one.

Strengths

Strength, of course -   Strength and stamina as befitting his size.  He's experienced injuries in his past that would have killed others (at least one of those scars looks like a through-and-through from a spear.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Considering that Greven is a towering brute-looking man, he tends to come off as very gentle.  Maybe it's the age, and he's also a handsome man, so he seems more of a 'gentle giant'.  This has come back often in a bar fight... especially if he needs to protect the 'family'.

Weaknesses

Ashamed - it's obvious when speaking to him that there's something in Greven's past that he does not like talking about.  While this isn't really a detriment to his activities, there is a weight there that no one can get out of him, that hinders him, especially when it comes to violence.  He is more than willing to defend the family, but it would take something terrible for him to bring lethal force to bare against someone.



((good?  bad?))

[pdragon]

Name: Bellheim The Beggar
Race: Fey
Gender: Herm
Age: 27
Physical Description: Bellheim is an olive skinned woman of fey descent standing taller than average for a fae at around 5'6 and weighing around 145lbs. Like most Fey she has a naturally lithe and slender frame, further honed by her time spent in the military, however years of poor diet and neglecting any sort of regular training regiment have robbed her of most of the muscle definition she once had along with severely diminishing her agility and flexibility. This has caused her figure to fill out however, giving her a more shapely and curvy body than most fey born. Her most prominent fey traits are her elongated ears, though they provide no improved hearing over that of a regular human. And while her brown eyes might appear normal at first, they are actually slitted like a cat's, granting her tremendous eyesight in both light and dark areas. She is also a full functioning hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female genitalia, though whether this is some quirk of her fey heritage or just a birth defect is unknown.

Typical attire: Bellheim tends to adorn herself in rather cheap, plain, and shabby clothing. Usually a simple pair of slacks with a belt along with a cotton tunic. When either performing or performing her scouting duties she will usually wear her old leather armor, though only the chest and a single shoulder pad remain, along with her ranger cloak. Bellheim is the type of person to wear a piece of clothing until it falls apart, and thus most of her clothes are rather old and show obvious signs of wear and tear in various places, and only very rarely will she buy new ones.

Role: Marksman/Trick Shooter & Scout

Skills and Specialties: Having undergone formal military scout training she is well versed in long range tracking, observation, and stealth, as well as rudimentary hand to hand combat training. However her true talent lies within her bowmanship, a skill she has mastered to the point of being a savant. Not only can she accurate shoot at range and from horse back, she is capable of nocking multiple arrows at once and performing rather impressive "trick shots" which she incorporates into her act. Her experience and muscle memory for archery is so high in fact that she is capable of performing when completely drunk without hindrance, in fact some have observed that she actually seems to be slightly better when intoxicated, as her hands shake less.

Background notes:
Bellheim was born in a small kingdom to the west outside of Tirland. For as long as she could remember she was an orphan living off of the streets, vaguely remembering her parents when she was very little, though whether they had died or had just abandoned her she really couldn't say. Growing up she begged on the streets and tried to do odd jobs to feed herself, sometimes resorting to thieving if the situation called for it. When she got a bit older she even tried to sell her body a few times, however she was unsuccessful due to her unique anatomy making her unappealing to those she tried to proposition. 

Eventually she was caught stealing from vendors in the marketplace, and was given the ultimatum to either serve time in prison, or work off her sentence with military service, she didn't think twice before enlisting. Due to her fey heritage and exceptional talent for archery she was selected for the scout ranger corps, and for the next 5 years they trained, housed, and fed her giving her the structure and discipline in life that she never had growing up. She was a loyal soldier, seeing the army as saviors that pulled her up from the slums rather than a punishment for her crimes, and skilled scout. However when patrolling around the border of a neighboring country one day, she discovered a force amassed and poised to launch an attack on her country. She quickly fled back to inform their main forces, but was spotted by the enemy and in the process led them right back to their camp. The battle that ensued was long and bloody, their side barely managing to eek out a victory having been caught so off guard, but  even in victory the losses were many. It was soon after that that she started to develop her fondness for drinking.

After that things started to spiral out of control, mostly because of her drinking. She spent most of her time inebriated, severely hampering her ability to perform her duties. Even after her commanding officers tried to force her to go clean she continued to sneak booze whenever possible, eventually getting into a fist fight with a captain over it. She was promptly court marshaled for insubordination, and fearing execution she fled the army and the country, finding her way to Tirland, seeking refuge there ever since.

Her crimes not severe enough for her to be actively hunted down, she never the less could not return home, and thus had to restart her life all over again. Having fallen out of her military discipline and deeper into a drunken stupor she fell back on what she knew best, begging. It was at this point she earned the title "Bellheim The Beggar", going around from town to town seeking charity, until said charity (and patience for her continued presence) dried up. While traveling between cities one day she was beset upon by bandits, finding herself quickly overwhelmed by their numbers. She only survived the encounter thanks to the aid of a traveling band of entertainers who happened by the scene by pure luck and happenstance, and ever since then she has pledged herself to serve them, and by extent also pledged herself to serve the crown. Similar to her time in the military, the strict rules and firm structure of the minstrel trope has helped Bellheim get a handle of herself once more, and for the most part work her way out of her slump, however she still struggles with her old demons on a regular basis.

Strengths:
-Has a sharp eye and steady aim even when under pressure
-Insanely high alcohol tolerance
-Has a sort of "jerkish" charm that while not easy to like, is equally hard to completely hate
Weaknesses:
-Raging alcoholic
-Lazy: suffers from horribly low motivation, and takes considerable coaxing to do just about anything. She will usually go through roughly 2-3 times the effort to get out of doing something before actually caving in and doing it.
-Functionally Illiterate: While she learned to read and write (and even decode ciphers) as part of her scout duties, she spends so much time drunk that she usually can't properly make out or read most words.
-Crass: her "jerkish charm" tends to make her come off as, well, a jerk. She tends to be vulgar, crude, and sarcastic when conversing with others, something only made worse when she's drunk, and even worse than that when she's sober.

[Gremlyn]

We're getting close to optimal fill out.

I'll think about closing applications soon and we can assemble the first scene probably by the end of the week?

[yesiroleplay]

Name of Character Yvette Bethawlk
Race Tirlander
Gender Female
Age 21

Physical Description Yvette is a pretty, short, curvy brunette with hazel eyes and a dimpled smile.  Only five-foot-two, she manages to pack a full set of curves along her petite frame.  Her hair is a honey-brown, and worn long, just past the shoulder.  She has a mole on her upper lip and and her skin is otherwise fair and flawless.

Typical attire Casually, she wears a outer leathers over a cotton blouse, high boots, and often sports a wide-brimmed hat.  This is a version of her stage costume, which varies only by being of plush materials embellished with more ruffles and tassels.  In other acts - she wears costumes appropriate to a tumbler, or a trapeze artist, or a clown - whatever needs be.  Wearing a mask helps with her social anxieties, and also aids in maintaining the illusion for the audience when the same people keep showing up in different acts.

Role in the Troupe Conjuror: her main act is the lovely assistant of her brother Jules, who is a stage illusionist.  She also acts as the helpless damsel in some acts or in stage plays.  And is an accomplished acrobat, tumbler, tightrope walker, and aerial trapeze artist.  On missions unrelated to entertaining an audience, she does cat-burglar type 'entry' work, and sometimes acts as backup or muscle, putting her sword skills to good use.

Skills and specialties Intimate knowledge of illusionist stage tricks, the use of mirrors and distractions to fool an audience.  The ability to squeeze herself into tiny spaces, acrobatic and tumbling skills, remarkable fencing skill with paired rapier and dagger.  And finally a willingness to work hard at dirty jobs like cleaning up after the horses.

Background notes  Yvette and her brother grew up in the troupe, and she's never really known any other life, though she listens avidly to stories told by those with more cosmopolitan experience.

Strengths

Athletic - Yvette is very nimble and dexterous, she is also quick in both mind and body. Limber, lithe, and flexible, she can fit into tight places or walk a slack rope with ease.  She's also an accomplished swords woman.  She's not going to hack off limbs with a great sword, but she excels in the art of fencing.  Feint, party, riposte, and press, counter and thrust.  She can hold her own with a blade.  Gods help her though, if her opponent is cute and flirts while he fights (see gullible).

Brave - This might seem odd for someone with her insecurities.  But it takes real courage to walk out on stage when you suffer her level of stage fright.  Also, she has no problems with open spaces or heights, or enclosed spaces, constriction, or the dark.  Spiders, snakes, or small scurrying animals don't bother her.  But the bravery that is her real strength is her respect for danger countered by her willingness to face it to protect or defend those she loves.

Magic - Actually, this is more a parlor-game novelty than a real strength.  Rarely, Yvette is able to affect the physical world in a way that simply can't be explained by ordinary means.  These effects are minor.  She can't make a rope rise from a basket by magic, but with enough concentration she might be able to make a knot slippery enough to be more easily untied.  Minor shifting of light and shadow, changing the color of some small item, producing a spark without flint and steel are within her power.  Even these minor effects take a toll on her, and are usually better accomplished through ordinary means.

Weaknesses

Gullible - Yvette isn't stupid, and if you try to fool her by distraction or physical misdirection she will most likely quickly see through the ruse.  But she has a somewhat naive view that people are generally honest, and she really wants to believe that they mean what they say.  Even with evidence or certain knowledge that someone is lying to her, she tends to spin their motives in the most favorable light given the circumstances.

Insecure - While she knows her own capabilities and can act confidently and even brashly on occasion, Yvette suffers from several irrational fears that sometimes affect her performance, both on stage and in the field.  These fears are all social in nature, the most notable being stage fright, which she battles every time she appears before a crowd.  Medical marijuana is one tool she uses to battle the panic attacks arising from this phobia.  Pre-perfomance sex also helps her relax and fend off her fears.  These fears have kept her from taking the lead in the Conjuring act even though she is technically more apt than her brother.  As the lovely assistant she doesn't have to speak before an audience.

[Gremlyn]

I'm going to try and review and give feeedback if necessary on all current submissions in the next 24 hours.
Thank you all so much for your input so far.

[Elven Sex Goddess]

Fingers Crossed. 

[Gremlyn]

I'm sorry I might not be on for a while. MY mum is in critical condition after an accident. I'll be back when i can. Sorry.

[yesiroleplay]

I'm sorry I might not be on for a while. MY mum is in critical condition after an accident. I'll be back when i can. Sorry.

I am sorry to hear that.  My father had a health crises about a month back so I can relate. 
My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[BitterSweet]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that!  I hope things go well for your mother and you.

[Captain Whitebread]

Name of Character: Cujo
Race: Firlander
Gender Male
Age: Mid-twenties to early thirties - he isn't certain
Physical Description: Dark skinned. Ravenhaired.  Dark eyed.  Clean-shaven.  (Cannot grow facial hair) Just short of six feet tall, with a dancer's build
Typical attire: When working, half naked and dressed like a bird.  When not working, usually the only skin showing is on his face and hands
Role in the Troupe: Fire Dancer/Juggler/Eater and, when necessary he will reluctantly play the role of a Fortune Teller and read people's future in a candle flame.  He can fill in as a tumbler or knife thrower but he's not as good as those he would replace.
Skills and specialities: Juggling (which includes not just flaming torches but also knives and other objects that can be thrown with devastating accuracy.  He has any number of props to use in his fire act, fans, whips even cages on the ends of chains.  He can provide assistance to acrobats or tumblers and is more than willing to play the target for knife throwers (including occasionally catching them and throwing them back).
Background notes: Cujo joined the troupe when his last one fell apart due to alcohol, infighting and too many alpha personalities clashing.  He's been a steady member, reliable and dedicated.  Clearly entertaining is in his blood. He can cook passably well and shows a strong taste for spicy southern food, although he doesn't cook it out of respect for northern palates.
Strengths:
Endurance - Cujo can (and has) danced for days at a time.  He is physically and emotionally exhausted at the end of it and will sleep for days afterwards but while awake he can perform incredible feats of endurance (digging or cutting wood for hours without rest).  It is oftern hard to get him to stop, as if he were in some form of trance.

Fireplay -Cujo has learned to play with fire and not get burned.  He has no greater resistance than the next man but his understanding of how the fire works makes it appear that he is immune to the flames.  He can also use it therapeutically, to help accelerate healing.

Cold Reading - Cujo can read small ticks and changes in expression and uses those to make his fortune telling more accurate.  He does not like doing this because he knows he has no true ability to fortell the future and feels he is cheating people.

Weaknesses:
Herd Stallion Jealousy - Cujo is quite possessive of all the women in the troupe, despite the fact that he is not in a relationship with any of them.  He is like an overprotective brother, questioning the motives of any who seem attracted to them or to whom they seem attracted.  No one is good enough for them in his opinion.  It has led to more than one fight and hard feelings between himself and the women.  The jealousy comes from the attraction he feels to them, attraction he is too shy to act on.

Quiet - Cujo doesn't like to talk.  He rarely ventures an opinion unless asked.  The only time he seems willing to speak up is when he thinks somebody is trying to take advantage of one of the women, a time when he should usually just keep his mouth shut.

Disagrees with Oath - Cujo doesn't see why the troupe needs to be beholden to the Queen.  He has obviously not voiced this but it colours much of his attitude.  He is a reluctant spy at best.