[E X A L T E D] Pseudo-Modern Action Fantasy; Recruiting a Full New Team!

[Aethyrium]

Welcome to the wild, no heroes and villains
Welcome to the war, we've only begun, so
Pick up your weapon and face it
There's blood on the crown, go and take it
You get one shot to make it out alive, so

Higher and higher you chase it
It's deep in your bones, go and take it
This is your moment, now is your time, so

Prove yourself and...

RISE, RISE

Welcome friends!

This is E X A L T E D! A pseudo-modern fantasy story in the Light category; The content of this game can be violent and graphic, but does not veer into sexual extremes.

E X A L T E D is a game set in the fictional world of Toil, and focuses on the adventures of teams enrolled in the world's Battle Academies on their road to becoming the next generation of Champions. The characters are students who have overcome the odds, and for their own reasons, made the choice that they will be the line of defense against the Hollow. They will be the protectors of those who cannot protect themselves, and the defenders of life as it is known. And along the way to this admirable end, they will come to know the larger world, and become embroiled in vast and ancient secrets that have been playing out for millennia. They will have no choice but to get stronger, rely on one another, forge alliances, and make decisions with far reaching impact... Whether they're ready to or not.

World Map

Full Scale Version

Why yes, Toil does use cliche naming conventions and borrow 'sets' of things from other stuff.

Savage Academy	Hammer Academy	Instinct Academy	Equinox Academy	Light Academy	Dragon Academy

Take 1 free dot of Soul

Want more about Humans? Read here!

Take 1 free dot of Shimmer

Want more about Elves? Read here!

Design a unique advantage

Want more about Silenus? Read here!

So. You want to be a Champion, huh? You’re going to stand up and be the thin line that separates humanity from the clutches of the Hollow? Well then, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to Hammer, squire. What, you have questions? You’re in luck, I have answers.

What is a Champion? Now that’s a loaded question, but to be brief, they’re elite warriors who train and graduate from one of Toil’s famous Battle Academies. That should naturally answer your next question, Hammer is one of those great institutions, located in Onyx. It has four siblings - cousins, might actually be a better term - named: Savage, Instinct, Equinox, and Light. That word I used to describe you, squire, that’s what we call new Champion’s to be. If you survive, over the next four years you’ll become an adept, a knight, a master, before graduating and entering the ranks of Champion. That’s when you’ll get registered into The Index, and that’s when it gets good. See, that certification puts you above most laws, defense forces, militaries, and lets you traverse the borders of Toil’s kingdoms autonomously.

Why would anyone let you do that? Well because you’ll be a defender of the world. And what are you defending it from? Whatever it needs defending from. Sometimes that’s people, but most commonly it’s the Hollow, the greatest threat to life that has ever existed. What are the Hollow? Well, you’ll take a whole class on that, but to summarize they are creature’s from the Infinite Black, the twisted, malicious children of the Dark God.

Want to know more about the Hollow? Read here!

You want to know about the world? Eager. I like that. Okay, well, five kingdoms exist across Toil, you are, obviously, in Onyx, capital of Johtan and home of Hammer. We’re a proud people, with the greatest military in all of Toil. No other kingdom compares to our might. Our lands are rich with ore, and we do not lack for local mines of Arcanite.

Want to know more about Onyx? Read here!

Kantos is to the east of us, and is ruled from Emerald, and that’s where you’ll find Savage. The people of Kantos are known for their resilience. Not surprising since the Dark God’s realm existed there, and the whole region is filled with some of the oldest and most powerful Hollow. They’d tell you that’s why Savage produces the best Champions. Ha! Then there’s Unovia and Pearl to the south. Bunch of rich pricks if you ask me. Unovia is richer in Arcanite than we are in ore, and supplement basically every kingdom at this point. That’s where you’ll find Light. Go further east from Kantos and you’ll run into Hoenan, Ruby, and Instinct. People call them enlightened. Lawless is more like it, they’re a bunch of mercenaries and lowlifes. Suppose that’s why they’ve got such good relations with the Silenus though. Finally if you look north, you’ll run into Sinnat, and find your way to Sapphire which is where Equinox is located. We may have the greatest military, but they’re the tech. Most of what makes society what it is today comes from Sinnat.

Now, north of Johtan, there once was another kingdom. Kalanos, and it had a city we called Opal, and there was a sixth Battle Academy, Dragon. But about a hundred years ago, around the time of the Great War, it was lost. Now it’s… Well it’s out of the way and we don’t go there.

Want to know more about the Great War? Read here!

What about the elves and the silenus? Well, there’s not much to tell. Toil isn’t ours alone. If the Hollow are the twisted children of the Dark God, then the elves are the blessed children of the God of Light. But they’re a lot more like us than our cousins. They bleed, they sleep, they eat, you know, everything that the Hollow don’t. You could call them our older sibling. While humanity is known for having the strongest soul, the elves are in touch with magic more than we are; they’re more intune with their shimmers. No way to quantify that really, but that’s what they say. Silenus are… Well that’s a really long story and we don’t have enough time to get into it. Suffice to say that everyone’s got an opinion about them. Some people call them hybrids on account that all of the silenus have an animal trait, and they’re as varied as the wildlife they emulate. Cats, dogs, birds, fish, hell even scorpions. Some have ears, eyes, or tails, and others have wings and gills. You name it, there’s probably a silenus with it somewhere. If the elves are our older sibling, then the silenus are our younger. They haven’t been on Toil very long, comparatively, but they sure have been involved in a lot.

Want to know more about the Gods? Read here!

Arcanite? How do you not know about that? Jeez, alright, well, it’s all around you. All of our technology is powered by Arcanite. But it’s more than just a power source, it’s our tie to magic. Our legends tell us that in ancient times, before the Gods left Toil, we were able to perform magic on our own. But these days, you’ve got to tap into Arcanite for the power. It comes in a bunch of types, but there are six major ones: red for fire, blue for water, white for air, green for earth, black for lightning, and yellow for sonic.

Want to know more about Arcanite? Read here!

Now I mentioned it before, but everyone on Toil has a Shimmer, a power inside of them. You don’t need Arcanite for that, that’s an echo of whatever we used to be able to do. But if you want to use power outside whatever gift you were born with? You’re going to need yourself some Arcanite. You can use it in all sorts of ways. Champions use it to infuse their weapons all the time. We craft it into ammunition, and to inscribe, infuse, and power all sorts of things, from clothes to weapons, to elaborate matrices that generate powerful magical effects. Some people, would-be sorcerers, use Arcanite to perform so-called spells. Though that’s an old art.

Want to know more about Magic? Read here!

[Aethyrium]

E X A L T E D makes use of timespans to execute gameplay. Each timespan lasts 2-3 OOC months (or thereabouts), and typically covers 1-3 IC weeks. The range of the timespan is a series of dates prior to the current chapter, and we identify each timespan by the chapter it is attached to. Therefore the 1.01 timespan covered the IC dates of 9.27-10.6, with the actual chapter scene taking place on 10.6; the 1.02 timespan covered the IC dates of 10.7-10.18, with the actual chapter scene taking place on 10.18; etc etc. If this doesn’t make immediate sense, don’t worry, we keep a live, color coded, calendar that tracks each timespan and every scene that takes place in the game so you can easily reference what happened when!

With this in mind, we make use of 3 “thread types” to organize the game. They are as follows:

• [Chapter] threads are the games “main story” threads. They are guided by the storyteller to tell specific events that forward the plot. There is exactly one of these per timespan, and they always mark the end of a given timespan, to ensure that the potentially meaningful and impactful things that happen within them can be concluded before you’re expected to play past them. Chapter participation is mandatory, all characters/players are expected to take part in these (though the occasional missed round is no concern). These scenes move at a pace of about 1.5 posts/week or every 4 to 5 days; each storyteller post contains the date of the next post. Their start and end marks the beginning and end of any given timespan on an OOC level - rather than any fixed period of time. Thus far they have averaged about 80 posts per chapter, or around 11 rounds, or around 2 months - but they could be longer or shorter, depending on content.
• [Interlude] are like chapters in that they are mandatory participation, but they are intended to be shorter. These never take place at the same time as a chapter, and rather, are meant to highlight story significant moments that don’t necessarily need the level of detail / extensive exploration that a chapter provides. They take place during the course of timespan, and are not limited to one per timespan. They will be worked through in order of IC date, until eventually we arrive at the chapter. You could think of these as mini-chapters, content that's important to have on screen/interact with for some reason, but not nearly as significant as a chapter.
• [Sandbox]’s are where the bulk of gameplay happens outside of the chapters. These are open threads where you can write with the other characters and freely interact with the world. You’re welcome to call on Storyteller assistance to tell a story, or explore an aspect of the world you want to interface with, or associate with any of the myriad available storyteller characters. This is for your everyday social stuff, character’s individual growth and storytelling, and setting the stage or exploring the surroundings of the very much alive world that the characters are part of. How many side scenes you take on, and how quickly they move, is entirely up to you and those involved. We do not enforce that side scenes must be concluded as timespans progress - though we do encourage it, so you are always writing in the most current focus of time.
  • One sandbox thread we have is called Reflections. The intent of this thread is two fold - one, for you to write any scenes that happened prior to the games IC start date, in case the characters had interactions before that. Two, and more important, for you to engage in solo storytelling about your character’s past. We have had great success, and highly encourage players to write solo-scenes to explore their character and showcase them for the other characters. Let us see important backstory moments in action, or current moments stolen alone that detail a character's evolving thoughts! Likewise, storyteller cutscenes that showcase the living world go here.
  • Another special thread we use is called Snippets. This thread is for, typically, small interactions between characters that aren’t really full scene worthy, but are better actually played out than just handled OOC. Maybe character A asks character B an important question, and the answer is easy enough but what specifically the character says is important for some reason. Well, that makes a great snippet! Just a quick glimpse into a specific interaction.

If you’re looking to join the game, you may be wondering how you will be able to catch up on everything that has happened thus far. Well, the reality is that you don’t have to. E X A L T E D takes place at the Battle Academy, which is, in a sense, a college of sorts. And IC speaking, it’s only been a month. It’s beyond feasible that characters haven’t met or had a chance to interact with everyone yet, so there is no suspension of disbelief needed on that front. Likewise, the structure of the squire teams means that, mostly, you operate within your own little bubble. So you do not need to have read any of the posts that have happened in order to synchronize with the game.

But there are some things you should know, because the characters would! And some very light reading I encourage you to do surrounding those things. Plus we have some excellent tools to help you understand what’s been going on and relevant. First, as mentioned, we have a full timeline calendar that tracks every scene that has happened in the game and gives a brief description of what it was about - if you’re recruited, you’ll have access to this and you’ll be able to get an idea of everything that has happened in the game at a quick glance. There is also a timeline in this post that details the sort of major events that have happened since gameplay started, with links to the relevant posts.

To smooth onboarding though, allow me to summarize the most important bits (all dates are IC):

• On 10.6, gRAVIty (that is the current player character team), got caught up in an arcanite heist at a business called Dazzle & Dust. The shop was destroyed, one of their team members - Mila - was kidnapped, and subsequently their team leader - Namid - left the academy.
• On 10.12, two new students - Meena and Vesper - were admitted to Hammer and placed on gRAVIty. This was unusual, as after selection new students are rarely if ever brought into the academy.
• The Hollow make an unusually aggressive attack against Onyx on 10.19
• 10.22 sees a group called the Freebirds launch a protest against the Onyx military.
• A military shipment of Arcanite is stolen on 10.28 and blamed on the Red Fangs - a silenus group that are framed as terrorists.

…And that’s it! That gives you a pretty solid understanding of the major, non-gravity specific events that have taken place and sets the stage for what’s happening in the game right now. While not necessary, I do suggest players to read the scenes from the timeline linked above specifically: Crime Spree Broadcast, Unity Tournament Announcement, Hollow Attack Onyx, Freebird Uprising, and Arcanite Heist. These are each single storyteller posts, self-contained scenes, so they should be pretty quick and easy to get through.

Likewise I encourage you to read the various articles (specifically those under Lore of Toil in the post linked above) in the World of Toil thread, as they will likely answer a lot of the questions you have about the setting. But you absolutely do not need to, this post should give you sufficient enough knowledge to get you going, and you can peek at those posts when you have time/interest.

All of this is to say that while lots of stuff has happened in the game so far, it has happened largely specifically to the team of characters, and not on a broader scale that would require you to come into the game with ~800 posts of knowledge. Yay!

[Aethyrium]

Why do characters have stats?
Largely to provide distinction between different styles. There are no “right answers”. Think of these as the stats you might assign to a professional athletes, rather than TTRPG stats. We might say that George Foreman is ‘stronger’ than Muhammad Ali, but Ali is ‘faster’. They’re intended to be an abstraction of general capability and ability to learn. They may get used behind the scenes to dictate fair outcomes in non-trivial combat.

You don’t need to roll dice, or likely ever refer to your stats again after character creation - except, perhaps, to improve them. They’re a GM tool.

It’s worth noting that characters (and all squires) are considerably more skilled than the average person. Each character is given a free 2 dots in each stat, and this represents a skill level that is above 95% of people. Characters are intended to be bad ass already, and on a road to refining that and getting better. But remember! Just because they’re already skillful does not mean they are masters or prodigal, and such concepts should probably be avoided without talking to me first.

How many players are you recruiting? Small group, is it though?
E X A L T E D currently has 5 players, plus myself. I am looking to add a full team of 6 new characters. However, I am prepared to take as few as 4 if that’s all we get, which will have a story impact that will be discussed upon selection. The ultimate decision between 4 and 6 will be made once I see the concepts submitted.

In total this will bring us to 12 players. However, it is important to remember that the characters are separated into teams that operate largely independently. What this means, practically, is that you will have the freedom of having lots of players to explore the sandbox of the world with, but most commonly, you will be operating in tighter groups when it comes to playing the games “main story” in the form of chapters and interludes.

Though that may get mixed up from time to time!

I’m a broody loner and don’t want to play nice with people! I’m such a bad guy, with such dark desires!
That sucks, go find another game.

Really these concepts just don’t have a place here. While having an edge is fine, the core conceit of this game is a group of people coming together and doing the things. If you don’t wanna be a part of that, or make a character who is unwilling (read: resistant is not the same as unwilling) isn’t going to fit in here. You will be told to fix it, if it comes up, and removed if you don’t. The same goes for being a bad guy. The characters here are heroes, they’re white hats, largely, and while there is room to express nuance and more, veering too far away from this is going to lead to unfun complications.

This is the game you are signing up for. Don’t try to go against the grain, it won’t work out for you.

Teams have leaders! And the other characters have squads. And cool names! What is all of ours?
All of this can only be determined once characters have been selected. Once I have the selected roster, I will be able to tell you what characters are paired into squads, what those names are, who the team leader is, and what its name is. As well as where it performed in the original team challenge. Stay tuned.

I want to come from somewhere other than Johtan/Onyx, may I?
The short answer is no. In fact, ideally, all characters from this round of recruitment will come from Onyx specifically. Traveling around the world is rare, and in the first round of recruitment we already (unintentionally) opened the door to a lot of characters who came from far away. Most people, unless they are Champions, don’t ever leave the place they are born.

If your concept requires so deeply that you be from somewhere else, you’re welcome to pitch it to me. But a few notes… First, this is not a challenge. Do not try to pitch ideas to be from elsewhere just because you can. Secondly, if you are going to be from somewhere else, you really need to be a very story-relevant reason why you’re not there. Something I can play with and is interesting, so you’ll need to bring your best work.

What is the general tone of E X A L T E D
The game is intended to be heroic, but there are and will be consequences to actions. The characters will have plenty of triumphs, but they’re also going to have failures - ones you can’t avoid. Some born from their own doings, that they will have to confront and own being responsible for. You won’t win every fight, and you’re going to lose people - not characters, they’ll always manage to get out alive, but I make no promises that you won’t get maimed and have to adopt robot parts! Things that are important to the characters will be challenged, and you should not come into this game assuming that everyone and everything will come out unscathed.

On the other hand, the central idea of the game is the rise and triumph of heroes, and that will be showcased. Characters are going to be allowed to excel and be badass, and kick bad guy ass. You’ll save the day sometimes, and maybe have to fall back to fight another day other times.

From a story perspective, the game is getting darker. Peace has existed for a long time - historically, pre-game - but there are forces conspiring to undo all of that. So expect that, over time, things will escalate and bigger puzzle pieces will crumble.

The world of Toil is vaguely anime and uses that in its expression. Things are over the top, characters are encouraged to do neat stuff like eccentric combo attacks. Expect to see and indulge in beyond realistic portrayals of action. Characters are shielded by their Soul, so they can take gunshots, and generally heal pretty quickly. They can get thrown through walls and stand back up. You might have an epic battle in the middle of a magma cavern that is in the process of erupting, without getting burned alive.

What is the world like, from an in-character perspective?
Dangerous and tense. The Hollow are an ever present thread, drawn to humanity. Travel is difficult and dangerous, and largely inaccessible. Most of Toils people live in the great cities (Onyx, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, and Pearl) - just about 88% of Toil’s entire population can be found within one of these five locations. While settlements elsewhere aren’t unheard of, and there are a few less major cities, living outside the great cities is a huge risk. Small villages are dotted across the landscape, but they’re never more than a bad day from being reduced to ruin - and the number of failed villages is far greater than successful ones.

Cars exist, but they’re a luxury most people do not have. Cellphones (or devices like them) exist. But technology on Toil evolved through the use of Arcanite - there isn’t electricity as we understand it. Things that would be impossible in our world are very possible in Toil - like weapons having modes they can easily transform between. But other things are not the same, such as there being no space travel in Toil, thus no satellites, thus cellphones are made effective by a different type of communications network that relies on grounded towers within the five great cities. Global networks are much less stable, and though the world is at peace this does not make the kingdoms allies, further making situations turbulent.

Everything is powered by Arcanite, there are no fossil fuels on Toil. Tech is both greater in some aspects, and lesser in others, than what we might see in our own world. Toil is a hostile world, and it is out to kill you. The life of the average person is not comfortable, and most efforts are spent to get by and defend against the Hollow - this is even more true if you’re not in a great city. Education is not of paramount importance, people learn skills and trades, rather than being educated generally and given the ability to pick their path. Because of the rampant destruction of the Hollow, written text is hard, thus history is recorded and lost by word of mouth in a lot of cases - though that has started to shift in the last 100 years or so, as the kingdoms have become even more grounded post the great war.

If a player leaves the story what happens?
We mourn them, I am sad, and then I take over the character as an NPC, using them to further the story to whatever end. I will then attempt to find a replacement character to take their place, and come up with some narrative reason to make it all work out.

How do I submit a sheet?
Grab the code, fill it out, and post it in this thread for discussion!

The current plan is to keep recruitment open until 4.28 4.30 (or so, there's time, and we'll wait for good submissions!), and then select characters. Then have some time to work with the players who are selected as a group to work out some details and get them ready for play. It’s currently assumed that the 1.04 timespan will be around 5.5, and the plan is to spend time getting players ready to jump in with the fun happenings of that chapter. Details to be revealed after selection and as we get closer to that.


Important Creation Notes; must read

Unlike the game's original recruitment, this is happening when the IC world has already progressed some. We’re not coming up with a contrived reason to introduce the new cast of characters, instead, assuming that they’ve been in the background this whole time doing their own things.

This requires you, as the writer, to make some adjustments and buy-in. Most of this can be found on the updated character sheet below, but I want to talk about the specifics of what you should keep in mind and be angling toward.

Your characters joined Hammer Academy on 9.27. They were made part of a squad on 9.29. The three squads were combined into a team on 10.2. The first IC date you will be playing in is 11.7. This means your characters have been operating as a unit and more or less living together for one month prior to you when you will first write (if you choose to write historical scenes, that’s completely welcome) in the game. This has implications and impact that you should be prepared for, and make room to facilitate, including but not limited to:

• Characters should already have a generally established rapport with one another. This does not need to be perfect, harmonious, or otherwise flawless. But major breakdowns in communication, unwillingness or resistance to cooperation, or other “rough around the edges” things should already have been solved by the group, or be on the way to being solved. If your intent is to try this, you will need to be very communicative with your peers so they know what their character’s already know, and how they have learned to cope and still move forward together.
• Your character should have already established some bonds with some or all of their teammates. They have been doing stuff together for a month, and living in close proximity, it is inevitable that they will have - at bare minimum - started to come together.
• Enough time has passed that the other characters of your team should have a general idea about you. They’ve gotten to know each other. This does not mean that you cannot have secrets or things that are still unknown - it’s only been a month - but does suggest that you should be forthcoming with sharing details with your teammates. If you want to be total mysteries to someone, there’s an entire 6 other characters that you can write with who don’t need to have any of this already established stuff.
• Each player is going to be expected to create a ‘bonding event’ that they shared with one or more characters on the team. We’ll discuss these as a group, once characters are selected. The intention is that these are like ‘scenes’ you might have written in the last IC month, had the characters been in the forefront. This will help give them some grounding and let them come together more naturally. Likewise, it’s going to be strongly encouraged that players talk about moments characters have shared and what they’ve been up to in this last month - so expect a fair few group questions from me to help you get settled in! So please come prepared to engage and do some brain fun stuff with everyone!

And, finally, let’s take a quick glance at the character’s already in play, team gRAVIty!

diLeMMA

Lyreilynn (played by FyreFoxx) and Marlowe (played by Aethyrium)

Lyreilynn comes from a wealthy family with an important name across Toil, much to her displeasure. She’s at Hammer to make a name for herself that doesn’t rely on the clout that she was born into. Often timid, she’s a bit of a bookworm, with some self confidence issues. Marlowe is a small town girl with big dreams, who came from nothing but isn’t content to settle for that. She came to Hammer to make a name for herself. Good spirited and eager, Marlowe is all heart and no brains, with a distinct lack of understanding about personal space, and her own personal identity.

MoFeTTE

Farrah (played by Envious) and Meena (played by Crash)

Farrah’s history is still unfolding, and is a convoluted mess filled with a healthy sprinkle of personal tragedy. Her arrival at Hammer is a promise to a lost friend manifested in a life she never intended to live. Embodied by boldness and a strong punch first, ask questions later attitude, Farrah’s the team's resident firecracker. Meena traveled to Onyx from a far away land in Hoenan, all because she had a dream to be a Champion. A combat medic with a heart of gold, Meena is trying her best in a world that keeps telling her it can’t be done.

ConViCT

Chee (played by shengami) and Vesper (played by Intimate Ink)

Chee is a recent addition to the team, picked up on their last mission where Haimehen was lost. Formerly a new mercenary, Chee was biding his time to enter Hammer when the opportunity suddenly presented itself. He’s an adrenaline junky, with a love of exploration, and a dislike for talking. He’s at Hammer to become the very type of person that he idolizes. Vesper is a backwater swamp boy who has run away from his responsibilities to take up a mantle meant for his brother. Driven by logic and rationality, Vesper is a steady compass still figuring out who he should be.

The current players might swing in and ask questions about characters, and I encourage everyone to reply! This can help facilitate some plotting and understanding across the teams!

Code (Character Sheet) Select Expand

[float=right][font=courier]Strength ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Soul     ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged   ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

[center][b]Elemental Affinity | Weakness[/b]
? | ?

[b]Terrain Specialty | Weakness[/b]
? | ?

[/float][float=left][center][size=12pt][b]CHARACTER NAME[/b][/size]
[img]https://dummyimage.com/225x300.jpg[/img]
[color=black]WRITER NAME[/float]
[b]Ancestry[/b]: ?
[b]Gender | Pronouns[/b]: ? | ?
[b]Sexuality[/b]: ?

[b]Age[/b]: ?
[b]Height[/b]: ?
[b]Body Build[/b]: ?
[b]Hair Color[/b]: ?
[b]Eye Color[/b]: ?

[center][b]Weapon[/b]
?

[b]Shimmer[/b]
?

[b]Special Trait - ?[/b]
?

[/center][b]Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?[/b]

[b]What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?[/b]

[b]Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?[/b]

[b]How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?[/b]

[b]What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?[/b]

[hr]
[b][i]Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?[/i][/b]
(Note: You don't need a lot of details here, but just enough to give people an idea of the sort of person they met initially. You'll work out specifics with the team/squads once characters are selected. Delete this note, and replace with your answer)

[b][i]List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.[/i][/b]
(Note: These should be deeper than surface level things, but do not necessarily need to be dredged from the depths of the characters soul, either. These should be things that others can use to inform what they know about a character, and inspire situations that might have come up. On that same note, these should be generic enough truths that they wouldn't require someone special digging to find it out. An example might be that Marlowe doesn't care about her family, because they turned their back on her! Doesn't that make you want to know more? Yeah, like that! You can be as detailed as you think is applicable. Delete this note, and replace with your answers)

[b][i]List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer[/i][/b]
(Note: These should be notable that they stood out enough that people might form a distant opinion. For instance, Lolo is extremely touchy feely and sexually forward with basically everyone - whether they invited it or not. Delete this note, and replace with your answer(s))

[b][i]List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?[/i][/b]
(Note: What have they gotten up to in the last month that isn't going to classes and learning to be a better Champion? For instance, Marlowe went to a secret underground brawling club and beat the champion, winning 5,000 cor (the money of Toil)! You don't need to detail every moment, but you should include enough details for me (or others) to build off of. Feel free to leave this open ended that you did it with <someone>, to create spots where other characters might have gotten involved with you! Delete this note, and replace with your answers)

[b][i]List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.[/i][/b]
(Note: For instance, Marlowe appreciates wealth and high society, fashion, and climbing trees. You should assume that your teammates will be aware of everything listed here. Delete this note...)

[b][i]Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.[/i][/b]
(Note: This could be anything! You could have more than one. Think of these plot hooks as things for other players to grab onto and engage that preemptively excite you. Delete...)
[hr]


When you're looking to create your character these are the things to know.

Every Champion is broadly evaluated in eight categories, which are rated on a scale of 0 to 7. To qualify to enter a Battle Academy, an individual must meet a minimum of 2 in each category - this is why each of your stats has 2 dots already filled in. Beyond that you may spend an additional 16 dots across these categories, distributed any way you like. While some of these should be self explanatory, Soul acts as a defensive tool that absorbs damage but also is what allows you to make use of Arcanite. If you plan on making use of a lot of elemental effects, higher Soul means more reliability in that regard. Shimmer determines the strength, reliability, and consistency of your Shimmer and gets used to determine if it can accomplish any given task, or how it stands up to whatever random situation.

All people in Toil are born with an echo of magic, this is their Shimmer. A Shimmer is a magical ability that does not require Arcanite to power. Shimmer's can be basically anything, but they should be specific. You're welcome to design any ability you'd like, but be prepared to discuss with the GM and dial it based on feedback if needed. A character's Shimmer can be passive or active, beneficial or harmful, combat oriented or story oriented, there are no specific restrictions - they are as varied as the people who wield them.

A Champion is a weapon, and to that end they must have a weapon themselves. Each character should design a weapon that they use - it can be anything, as fantastical or as mundane as you like. Each weapon can (but does not need to) have two modes (such as a staff that is a staff, but transforms into a sniper rifle; or a katana that folds and reveals a six-shot revolver). The only limit here is your imagination, want a rocket launcher? Take a rocket launcher. Just be prepared to adhere to the generally associated fantasy (a rocket launcher is strong! But also slow!). Additionally you may give your weapon a property. These properties are like semi-minor magical effects that typically play into how it gets used / the Champion's style. The property should also be specific - something that has lightning should be a stun gun or throw a lightning bolt, but not both... At least until you earn an upgrade somewhere down the lines!

There are six elements in Toil. These are primal forces, like we might describe gravity or electromagnetism - Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Lightning, and Sonic. Like Shimmers, all people are born with a natural affinity and aversion to one or more of these. You will need to pick one or two elements to be strong with / against, and one or two elements to be weak with / against. These also impact your ability to manipulate Arcanite of a specific color - it's always doable, but working with Arcanite for an element that you are weak against is, for instance, much more difficult and more likely to go wrong. If you select only 1 element it is considered a "major" positive/negative, whereas if you have 2 elements, they are both considered "moderate". You can, if you desire, select one affinity and two aversions or vice versa.

Champions all develop fighting styles, and places that they are most familiar with. Being in a terrain that favors your style, comfort, adaptability, familiairty, etc is going to benefit you and make you look even more keen. Whereas being in one that is hard for you for some reason, or unfamiliar, is going to penalize you. You'll need to pick, just like elements, one or two terrains to be skilled in and one or two to be bad with. There are eight types of basic terrain - Mountain, Forest, Desert, Swamp, Urban, Aquatic, Arctic, Grassland.

Each race has a specific benefit as noted above. This is simple, unless a Silenus, which should note what their animal trait is (every Silenus has one or two; such as ears, tails, claws, fur, etc) and then also a unique advantage based on that animal. This trait can be manifested as a "+1 dot" in any stat other than Shimmer or Soul, with whatever justification (a pair of horns might give +1 Brawl, for instance). But they may also be more abstract, such as a feline Silenus with enhanced grace, or who always lands on their feet.

Finally, each character has a special trait. This is assigned by the GM, influenced by the person you make. It's a sort of honed natural talent that your character unexpectedly developed that will aid them to varying degrees during gameplay. But you're welcome to make some suggestions that inspire you!

[Aethyrium]

[Crash]

Join us!

[Amarlo]

I have decided to come out of my long hiatus with interest in Exalted. ^^ I plan to offer up a Silenus. It might take me a few days... possibly even until the due date -- because I am an annoying worrywart perfectionist -- but I will get something up!

[Crash]

Amarlo!!!!!!

And a fellow Silenus!  <3

What animal species traits are you looking at?

[Amarlo]

I'm thinking either cat or corvid.

Hello again, Crash. ^^

[Crash]

Ooo.  Both nice.

[shengami]

Hi! An avian would be neat. Looking forward to whatever idea you have even if I don't know you... heh

[Miss Nyx]

It’s like week of the awesome games or something! I’ve been creeping on Exalted since it started, I love the lore and world building you put into it Aethy. If I wasn’t up to my neck in dues, I’d so try to snag a spot… but it feels only fair to let people who can keep up with your story have at it, I’m slow these days.

Just thought I’d say again this one is RP gold! 🤩 

[Crash]

Hi Miss Nyx.  The games main plot is one post every 5 days or so.  The other posting is optional.  I usually post to my optional scenes weekly or once every couple of weeks. Not sure that makes a difference for you, but thought I would let you know as someone in the game already who has a lot of time constraints.

[shengami]

It's true! Crash and Ink both keep up while posting weekly. It'd be awesome to get more time with you, Nyx!

But you know your limits. And respecting a game enough to consider whether you can really contribute (timewise) is a good quality in a player.

[Aethyrium]

I have decided to come out of my long hiatus with interest in Exalted. ^^ I plan to offer up a Silenus. It might take me a few days... possibly even until the due date -- because I am an annoying worrywart perfectionist -- but I will get something up!

You? Snuggling up to a deadline to make a sheet? I cannot imagine.

Though on that note, for everyone interested, I say the 28th, but there's a non-zero chance we'll extend it a bit past that. The goal is to try and sync the new team coming in and the current timespan the active players are, as closely and smoothly as possible. I'll make an update in the faq to reflect this.

Excited to see what you come up with!

It’s like week of the awesome games or something! I’ve been creeping on Exalted since it started, I love the lore and world building you put into it Aethy. If I wasn’t up to my neck in dues, I’d so try to snag a spot… but it feels only fair to let people who can keep up with your story have at it, I’m slow these days.

Just thought I’d say again this one is RP gold! 🤩

Awww, thank you so much Nyx! <3 Darn being eaten by other stuff. But I appreciate the cheerleading regardless!

[VVitch]

Very interested, as you know!

[Crash]

Welcome VVitch!

[VVitch]

Welcome VVitch!

Hi, thank you!

[FyreFoxx]

It’s like week of the awesome games or something! I’ve been creeping on Exalted since it started, I love the lore and world building you put into it Aethy. If I wasn’t up to my neck in dues, I’d so try to snag a spot… but it feels only fair to let people who can keep up with your story have at it, I’m slow these days.

Just thought I’d say again this one is RP gold! 🤩

This is a shame! I'd love to steal you for this place.

Though, like it's already been stated, we have a few who aren't super active but still keep up where it counts! That could totally be you, too! *nudge nudge*

[shengami]

This is a shame! I'd love to steal you for this place.

Though, like it's already been stated, we have a few who aren't super active but still keep up where it counts! That could totally be you, too! *nudge nudge*

Steal Nyx from me for me? I'm conflicted. There's too many people I adore involved...

[Aethyrium]

Oops!

It appears that the section that details how to make a character - like, how to assign stats, and elemental affinities, and all of that - accidentally got left out yesterday while constructing the post.

That has now been remedied so you know how to do that. It's beneath the character sheet where it was always meant to be. Sorry about that!

[Miss Nyx]

Okay, between the three of you I can’t resist…  I also had a dream about creating a character for Exalted so I’m gonna take it as a sign and trust in my muse to be able to pull this off with the rest of the things I’m writing! 🤣

I’ll have a CS for you in the next day Aethy!

[Lyrical]

early submission / WIP / looking for feedback

also, not sure if i copied the code wrong but at first it was all centered and I had to fiddle with it to move it around

first draft

Strength ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● |  ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Earth & Water | Fire (major)
Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Forest & Mountain | Dessert (major)

Bri'elle "Bri" Whitewater

Lyrical

Ancestry:  human
Gender | Pronouns: she | her
Sexuality: heteroflexible

Age: 18
Height: 4'11"
Body Build: slim
Hair Color: black
Eye Color: dark brown

Weapon
Gun/Sword worn across her back = It's a double bladed two-handed great sword [180 cm (71 in)] with two blades, one shorter than the other, and a sort of cylinder/barrel up the middle that has filigree all over the blade and cylinder. It has a robust but ornate cross guard and handle. The gun fires a high powered round (like a .50 caliber)

Shimmer
Can pull up small mounds of earth/rock that can be used as a couple steps or something to hide behind but she has to put her hand on the ground to do it. Because she also possesses an affinity to water she is able to breathe under water.

Special Trait - ?
?  (i think this is assigned by GM?)


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Born in Onyx Prairie, Bri's family lived outside the city as they owned large tracks of land dotted with farms. Her family has since moved into the city but still owns the land and farms that are leased out to farmers for sharecropping. Bri has a large family with several older and younger siblings as well as extended family members including aunts, uncles, and cousins that also live in the same homes that she grew up in. Her family has a large compound in the city with multiple family dwellings all within the same home. The home is a large structure that takes up a small city block, walled on the outside, and has a large center courtyard only accessible by going through the home. All of the residences look out over the courtyard. They are not the richest family but are well respected in the community and considered a powerful family due to their size and wealth. Each head of the separate families all have different business mostly connected to food/farming in some capacity; production, transportation, and sales. There is a total of twelve families. The food business side of the family is all from her mother with her father's side of the family being military members going back many generations and having served with honorable distinction.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Bri's family believe that all of their children should work on the farms to learn hard labor so she often spent planting and harvest seasons with the crops and working on various family businesses doing physical labor. Though she did receive a certain amount of more formal education through junior cadet courses and such due to her father's families tradition of military service. Due to her small stature it was decided early on that a life in the military was not going to be for her, however she still continually insisted on training and learning fighting, shooting, and strategy as much as she could.

Her father understood her need to join and her mother accepted it, supported it but there was/is an underlying hope that she'll fail out and come back home, "where she belongs."

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Bri entered Battle Academy as a way to bypass size restrictions that are in place for military service. She wanted to do her part to help protect Johtan and Onyx. It was a call that she couldn't resist. The Hollow needs to be stopped and she has the gifts to do it.

The goal and reason is simple; protect Johtan and the world to keep it from falling to The Hollow.

Fear is that she won't be strong enough, that the military is right and that she really is too small and too weak to fight.. but most of all it's the fear that those things will get someone else hurt.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Physically, most of her practical skills came from junior cadet training and messing around with her brothers, sisters, and cousins as they played war games when not at junior academy. But Bri was fortunate enough to have a couple trainers that recognized her shimmer and helped with the early encouragement and training of that. IN fact, she's pretty sure that it was them that gave her the internal recommendations for going to Battle Academy.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

In her last year of junior cadets, Bri's squad captured the tournament war game flag. It was a big moment for her and came with a commendation even as they were telling her that she'd never be allowed to go to the next level and join the military. Which is also her biggest failure, she tried to argue it and made an appeal case but the rules were strict and she was never going to be allowed in.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Bouncing with excitement at being partnered up and teamed. If anything, her over enthusiasm might have been annoying to some people. Bri is both friendly and engaging most of the time.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

1)  Bri is a middle child and felt a little lost as both she has a big family and she's sort of the runt of the litter.
2)  Bri has never dated.
3)  Bri is obviously a bit pale. She doesn't do well in the sun when it's hot out.
4) Her weapon is a family heirloom

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

1)  Pale and usually wears black and red  (back in cadets they called her a vampire)
2)  She's very short, people often mistake her for a child or don't take her seriously

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

?  (WIP)

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

1) Loyalty to country and family/friends
2) Deep respect for the rules
3) Admires effort and intent
4) Always dresses well, very neat, clean, and orderly. (Her belongings are fashionable and well taken care of)

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

The smol girl with the big gun/sword - gets her ass handed to her by a bully = Bri's fears come true in the first months of Battle Academy and she is made to feel that she is too small and doesn't belong here.

See new post here for updated and submitted character sheet:
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=357953.msg16712391#msg16712391

[Crash]

Hi Lyrical!  Nice to see a WIP go up.  I was curious.  Did Bri excel at the junior cadet level?  You mentioned she got a recommendation from trainers.

Smol girl w a big gun sounds fun.  Are there areas you were looking to flesh out still on her background?

[Crash]

Okay, between the three of you I can’t resist…  I also had a dream about creating a character for Exalted so I’m gonna take it as a sign and trust in my muse to be able to pull this off with the rest of the things I’m writing! 🤣

I’ll have a CS for you in the next day Aethy!

Yay for positive peer pressure! 😆

[FyreFoxx]

Okay, between the three of you I can’t resist…  I also had a dream about creating a character for Exalted so I’m gonna take it as a sign and trust in my muse to be able to pull this off with the rest of the things I’m writing! 🤣

I’ll have a CS for you in the next day Aethy!

YES! IT WORKED!

*starts plotting in the background*

[Lyrical]

Hi Lyrical!  Nice to see a WIP go up.  I was curious.  Did Bri excel at the junior cadet level?  You mentioned she got a recommendation from trainers.

Smol girl w a big gun sounds fun.  Are there areas you were looking to flesh out still on her background?

yes, everything is a wip on it really. I posted that late at night for me. I think I need to totally rework her shimmer and weapon in some way.

As for her junior cadet training, I should probably mention that she excelled at things like shooting. I think Aethy mentioned that everyone in Battle Academy is already well ahead of the curve compared to average citizens in all stats.

Also if you (or anyone) are looking for any sort of a connection,  let me know, I'm happy to start incorporating stuff.

[shengami]

Finally, each character has a special trait. This is assigned by the GM, influenced by the person you make. It's a sort of honed natural talent that your character unexpectedly developed that will aid them to varying degrees during gameplay. But you're welcome to make some suggestions that inspire you!

I want to come from somewhere other than Johtan/Onyx, may I?
The short answer is no. In fact, ideally, all characters from this round of recruitment will come from Onyx specifically. Traveling around the world is rare, and in the first round of recruitment we already (unintentionally) opened the door to a lot of characters who came from far away. Most people, unless they are Champions, don’t ever leave the place they are born.

If your concept requires so deeply that you be from somewhere else, you’re welcome to pitch it to me. But a few notes… First, this is not a challenge. Do not try to pitch ideas to be from elsewhere just because you can. Secondly, if you are going to be from somewhere else, you really need to be a very story-relevant reason why you’re not there. Something I can play with and is interesting, so you’ll need to bring your best work.

@Miss Nyx - Uhmm, Aethy assigns Special Traits. That might put a little wrinkle in some of the work you put in. Also, Tabor isn't in Onyx that I am aware of. But he looks cool! There's some interesting lore going on with elves at the moment.

@Lyrical - Hi! Cool concept. Tiny girl/Massive... tracts of land. Er. Haha. Here's a pair of fun questions, most humans/Silenus go their entire lives never learning what their shimmer is. How did you learn yours. When? Is there a story? Also, how would she have handled both unlocking that special talent and learning to wield her Soul in combat? Most people can't do either of those.

[Miss Nyx]

@Miss Nyx - Uhmm, Aethy assigns Special Traits. That might put a little wrinkle in some of the work you put in. Also, Tabor isn't in Onyx that I am aware of. But he looks cool! There's some interesting lore going on with elves at the moment.

Gotcha shen, though it won't be terribly hard to work around. I didn't put too much depth into it so that's an easy tweak, thanks for the heads up. :D And I don't think I read where exactly Tabor was located, just that it was one of two hidden elven cities, but let me give the lore another run through to see if I happened to miss that. I went ahead and assumed that it's not anywhere near Onyx. Easy edit there as well though.

@Lyrical Oh and if you're having issues with CS formatting like I do, I suggest hitting the toggle source view button, the little paper button at the end of the format bar! Without that, it seems like simple machines adds in wonky coding or just disrupts the code in general so I copy/paste it offsite onto a document to work on then place it afterwards with Toggle Source in effect so it doesn't make the format go bananas and mess everything up!

[Lyrical]

Miss Nyx - pm sent for connection

@Lyrical - Hi! Cool concept. Tiny girl/Massive... tracts of land. Er. Haha. Here's a pair of fun questions, most humans/Silenus go their entire lives never learning what their shimmer is. How did you learn yours. When? Is there a story? Also, how would she have handled both unlocking that special talent and learning to wield her Soul in combat? Most people can't do either of those.

those are good questions, I'm still struggling a bit with understanding the core concepts of soul and shimmer, so I have a lot of reading to do this evening after work

[Crash]

And Meena’s shimmer has no direct combat effect, but it is why she is a good combat medic.  So your shimmer can be a lot of things.  Some people have made it a combat thing and others more of a utility thing.  Basically you have a lot of room to play there.

@Miss Nyx - Raevyn looks like a fun character.  I will dig into him more today.  Not that I approve characters or anything, I just love reading what people come up with. 

Also, yes you will be another team at the academy not part of Gravity, but I would guess we will all have plenty of options to interact.

@Lyrical - I see a number of character traits that she shares with Meena who is generally a sweet, slightly naive person and a cuddly giant of a woman. 😁

[shengami]

Miss Nyxx - pm sent for connection
those are good questions, I'm still struggling a bit with understanding the core concepts of soul and shimmer, so I have a lot of reading to do this evening after work

Hrmmm, they are tricky. I'll give you that.

As best I can figure, Shimmer is a little magic trick you can do. One person in the game can 'pulls things toward her' another can "make plants and medicine work better' a former player could 'make little hard light platforms in the air' and used them to run around in the sky. A very specific trick. Can be directly potent or very utilitarian. My current character can make these goo things that, when stuck to other things, mutes all sound coming form the surface they attach to. See, very specific tricks. A bit of magic.

Soul is way more important. It's like force of will made manifest. Soul is used to do magic, kinda but not really. Like, when you use arcanite to do certain things, then your soul does that work. But Soul also acts like a shield for those who have learned to wield it. When you get hit, at absorbs the damage. heh, It even goes from green through yellow and orange down to red before it breaks. it's how champions can take some much hurting and keep ticking. I highly recommend reading... er, 1.02 probably if you want to see how that works. Or, From this post to current post. Either are good examples.

Hope that I helped at all!

[Miss Nyx]

Miss Nyx - pm sent for connection
those are good questions, I'm still struggling a bit with understanding the core concepts of soul and shimmer, so I have a lot of reading to do this evening after work

Don't feel bad, I've been reading for like a day and still scrambled it up a little LOL.

I'll hit you back here in a moment on your PM!

And Meena’s shimmer has no direct combat effect, but it is why she is a good combat medic.  So your shimmer can be a lot of things.  Some people have made it a combat thing and others more of a utility thing.  Basically you have a lot of room to play there.

@Miss Nyx - Raevyn looks like a fun character.  I will dig into him more today.  Not that I approve characters or anything, I just love reading what people come up with. 

Also, yes you will be another team at the academy not part of Gravity, but I would guess we will all have plenty of options to interact.

@Lyrical - I see a number of character traits that she shares with Meena who is generally a sweet, slightly naive person and a cuddly giant of a woman. 😁

I noted a lot of practical application Shimmers so I went direct combat... tbh looking through the NPCs and PCs I went full in on trying to make Raevyn an opposite to what was already present. :D Take your time reading him over, he's still in baby creation mode so I'm sure I'll change things yet, especially after Aethy chimes in. I think I've got him mostly on the right track and seriously it's crazy helpful having you current players chime in. Y'all are awesome!

[Crash]

Don't feel bad, I've been reading for like a day and still scrambled it up a little LOL.

I'll hit you back here in a moment on your PM!

I noted a lot of practical application Shimmers so I went direct combat... tbh looking through the NPCs and PCs I went full in on trying to make Raevyn an opposite to what was already present. :D Take your time reading him over, he's still in baby creation mode so I'm sure I'll change things yet, especially after Aethy chimes in. I think I've got him mostly on the right track and seriously it's crazy helpful having you current players chime in. Y'all are awesome!

Yeah.  I came in mid-game and mid-team.  I created Meena to be mostly a support character trying not to step on any toes. It has been fun trying to think of ways to make her effective in combat and that caused some evolutions in her I hadn’t expected but am enjoying.

[LanaN]

I can't take this game on, but I wanted to drop in and say the lore and presentation is lovely!

[Crash]

quote author=Lyrical link=msg=16712017 date=1713785539]

Also if you (or anyone) are looking for any sort of a connection,  let me know, I'm happy to start incorporating stuff.

“2)  Bri has never dated.”

There is a non-zero chance people read that and think…challenge accepted. 😆

[Lyrical]

“2)  Bri has never dated.”

There is a non-zero chance people read that and think…challenge accepted. 😆

she leans towards males mostly but she admires both men and women physically... although she will probably not openly admit anything ... except how they should be concentrating on training... never mind how bright red her pale cheeks turn..  It's SUNBURN..  stop staring   X.X

[Crash]

she leans towards males mostly but she admires both men and women physically... although she will probably not openly admit anything ... except how they should be concentrating on training... never mind how bright red her pale cheeks turn..  It's SUNBURN..  stop staring   X.X

You haven’t met Lolo yet. 😆

I just noted it and found it a fun thing to drop in terms of plot potential. All fraught with wonderful misunderstandings. 

I like seeing people drop little nuggets of story potential in their character design.

[Lyrical]

Character Submission for approval

Strength ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● |  ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Air | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Forest & Mountain | Dessert

Bri'elle "Bri" Whitewater

Lyrical

Ancestry:  human
Gender | Pronouns: she | her
Sexuality: heteroflexible

Age: 18
Height: 4'11"
Body Build: slim
Hair Color: black
Eye Color: dark brown

Weapon
Gun/Sword worn across her back = It's a double bladed two-handed great sword [180 cm (71 in)] with two blades, one shorter than the other, and a sort of cylinder/barrel up the middle that has filigree all over the blade and cylinder. It has a robust but ornate cross guard and handle. The gun fires a high powered round (like a .50 caliber). Bri also wears a bandolier of various arcanite ammo for special occasions.

Shimmer
Can move with sudden bursts of inhuman speed over short distances

Special Trait - ?
pending GM approval/creation

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Born in Onyx Prairie, Bri's family lived outside the city as they owned large tracks of land dotted with farms. Her family has since moved into the city but still owns the land and farms that are leased out to farmers for sharecropping. Bri has a large family with several older and younger siblings as well as extended family members including aunts, uncles, and cousins that also live in the same homes that she grew up in. Her family has a large compound in the city with multiple family dwellings all within the same home. The home is a large structure that takes up a small city block, walled on the outside, and has a large center courtyard only accessible by going through the home. All of the residences look out over the courtyard. They are not the richest family but are well respected in the community and considered a powerful family due to their size and wealth. Each head of the separate families all have different business mostly connected to food/farming in some capacity; production, transportation, and sales. There is a total of twelve families. The food business side of the family is all from her mother with her father's side of the family being military members going back many generations and having served with honorable distinction.

Family Relations & Ties

Immediate Family
Elle Whitewater-Aspen, mother (45) - matriarch of the Aspen Farms Corporation
Capt. Ang'atlan Whitewater, father (54), Hammer Academy Graduate (Air affinity)
Sgt. Amos'atlan Whitewater, brother (25)
Lt. Ali'elle Whitewater, sister (23), Hammer Academy Graduate (Air affinity)
Zara'elle Whitewater, sister (21), works as Elle's personal assistant manager
Tig'elle "Tigga" Whitewater, sister (17), the sibling that Bri is closest too*
March'atlan Whitewater, brother (15)
Gigi'elle Whitewater, sister (12)
Bo'atlan & Ty'atlan Whitewater, twin brothers (8)
Kara'elle Whitewater, sister (6)

Note: There are Twelve aunt's/uncles on mother's (Aspen) side of the family and they all live with their families in the family compound inside the city of Onyx, each with their own residence. (too many first cousins to list here)

Cousins of note:
Astor Aspen, cousin (17), brother of Macy, close friend to Bri & Tigga due to closeness of ages
Macy Aspen, cousin (18), sister of Astor, close friend to Bri & Tigga due to closeness of ages

Whitewater (paternal side of family)
Colonel Bri'atlan Whitewater (retired), Bri's paternal grandfather (73),
Alicia Whitewater (nee: Arlington), Bri's paternal grandmother (74)
Uncle - Captain Jam'atlan Whitewater (married + 5 children)
Aunt - Colonel Tan Whitewater-Thorum  (married + 1 child)
Aunt - Mara Whitewater-Clems (married + 4 children)


What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Bri's family believe that all of their children should work on the farms to learn hard labor so she often spent planting and harvest seasons with the crops and working on various family businesses doing physical labor. Though she did receive a certain amount of more formal education through junior cadet courses and such due to her father's families tradition of military service. Due to her small stature it was decided early on that a life in the military was not going to be for her, however she still continually insisted on training and learning fighting, shooting, and strategy as much as she could.

Her father understood her need to join and her mother accepted it, supported it but there was/is an underlying hope that she'll fail out and come back home, "where she belongs."

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Bri entered Battle Academy as a way to bypass size restrictions that are in place for military service. She wanted to do her part to help protect Johtan and Onyx. It was a call that she couldn't resist. The Hollow needs to be stopped and she has the gifts/shimmer to do it.

The goal and reason is simple; protect Johtan and the world to keep it from falling to The Hollow.

Her fear is that she won't be strong enough, that the military is right and that she really is too small and too weak to fight.. but most of all it's the fear that those things will get someone else hurt.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Physically, most of her practical skills came from junior cadet training and messing around with her brothers, sisters, and cousins as they played war games when not at junior academy. But Bri was fortunate enough to have a couple trainers that recognized her shimmer and helped with the early encouragement and training of that. IN fact, she's pretty sure that it was them that gave her the internal recommendations for going to Battle Academy.

Bri first discovered her shimmer while playing with her brothers and sisters in the courtyard of their family home. She was running away from someone and suddenly found herself moving from point A to point B so fast that no one could keep up with her. At first it was clumsy and not that fast but by her teens she was able to use the ability with accuracy and travel like a blur. Thanks in part to her trainers that assisted as much as they could.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

At junior cadet training, Bri excelled in most aspects of the courses and was routinely at the top of all her classes with the exceptions of wrestling and boxing where she still did very well but her small size always meant there were at least a few people in the course that were able to easily best her. Although she never used her shimmer in those classes.

In her last year of junior cadets, Bri's squad captured the tournament war game flag. It was a big moment for her and came with a commendation even as they were telling her that she'd never be allowed to go to the next level and join the military. Which is also her biggest failure, she tried to argue it and made an appeal case but the rules were strict and she was never going to be allowed in.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Bouncing with excitement at being partnered up and teamed. If anything, her over enthusiasm might have been annoying to some people. Bri is both friendly and engaging most of the time.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

1) Bri is a middle child and felt a little lost as both she has a big family and she's sort of the runt of the litter.
2) Bri has never dated.
3) Bri is obviously a bit pale. She doesn't do well in the sun when it's hot out.
4) Her weapon is a family heirloom

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

1)  Bri is extremely focused on her education and training - obsessively
2)  Everything she owns is always neat, folded, and has it's place. Even her clothes are tightly creased with boots cleaned every evening

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

1)  Left the Academy one night, although she had ever intention of studying that evening. A well spoken and frustratingly smooth Elf named Raevyn convinced her to go out on the town. That ended up with them (maybe as a pair or a group?) at a seedy gambling den where they basically got into a bar fight and took out some local criminals. Bri wanted to hand them over to authorities but given where they were, she was convinced that it would be wiser to get out of there before getting caught. As a side note: Bri was personally scandalized by the whole situation and couldn't believe that she allowed herself to get into that situation. So the next time she went, she was planning on setting some very clear boundaries... which she promptly seemed to bypass and found herself in a similar situation all over again. In her defense thse people are criminals and they need to be dealth with.

2) Attended a Military Officer's Ball at the behast of her family. It was an annual welcome for the new recruits and outside guests are encouraged/allowed to attend provided they meet the security requirments. IE: They have relations there, or are members of another respected institution like the Battle Academy. It was a night of lots of awkward moments for Bri. (Perhaps it was better for your character if you came along? Because you better believe she invited all of her new friends along so she wouldn't have to do this alone.)

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

1) Loyalty to country and family/friends
2) Deep respect for the rules
3) Admires effort and intent
4) Always dresses well, very neat, clean, and orderly. (Her belongings are fashionable and well taken care of)

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

The smol girl with the big gun/sword - gets her ass handed to her by a bully = Bri's fears come true in the first months of Battle Academy and she is made to feel that she is too small and doesn't belong here.



Extra Notes:

Personal sword-fighting style - due to the fact that her sword is about a foot taller than she is and it's very heavy, Bri has had to adapt her style to the weapon.

Bri is fast but the weapon is heavy. So when she swings they are usually large, wide arcing swings with a lot of body movement on her part.

As an example when she is blocking, she will often pin the point on the ground then move her body to one side while tilting the blade in the direction of the intended block. Effectively moving herself behind the blade sometimes instead of moving the blade between herself and the attack.

When attacking, she will sometimes make wild jumping leaps, an acrobatic flip or kicking motion to build up momentum and then the blade will quickly come flying in an arc to attack.

Another personal trick is to fluidly kick the blade up into the air then thrust it while it's in mid motion to stab at her opponent.

It should be noted that she has become very adapt at this sort of melee fighting with the sword. But if she has to "hold back" for sparring purposes it becomes a lot more difficult for her because once the momentum of the blade is going it is nearly impossible for her to pull it back to minimize damage. This constant fighting the swords momentum is also her biggest hindrance to getting better. With that said, don't go trying to block her over-sized sword with a dagger or something.

[Crash]

In game soul adds a layer of “magical” defense.  It also allows you to use arcanite.  If your souls is damaged to the point it isn’t functioning you cannot activate arcanite for cool magical attacks and other arcanite shenanigans.

[Lyrical]

In game soul adds a layer of “magical” defense.  It also allows you to use arcanite.  If your souls is damaged to the point it isn’t functioning you cannot activate arcanite for cool magical attacks and other arcanite shenanigans.

I have a message out to Aethy about it to see what/how I should utilize Soul & Arcanite.

I also updated my sheet a bit to rework her shimmer and her affinities. Plus not sure if i should have done this but I added a little blurb on the bottom for flavor about her fighting style. Which I can remove if Aethy wants me to.

[Crash]

Amusingly our tiny slip of a “mage” is the tankyist character on team Gravity with max dots in Stamina and Soul. Not that anyone knows that yet.  Not even sure she does.

[Miss Nyx]

Dropping this here lovely final draft, woo! :D

Strength ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Soul     ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Ranged   ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Fire | Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Mountains, Grasslands | Urban, Aquatic

Raevyn Lionel Iylensarri

Miss Nyx

Ancestry: Elf.
Gender | Pronouns: Male | He/Him
Sexuality: Pansexual.

Age: 19.
Height: 6’1”
Body Build: Lean, Athletic.
Hair Color: Charcoal.
Eye Color: Pale Blue.

Weapon

Dragon’s Blood Bow | Dragon’s Fang Blade

Primarily used in its impressive longbow form, it can triple its raw power by its seamless transformation in Raevyn’s hands to a five foot long dual-edged sword. It is surprisingly light, for how massive it is. This weapon is a family heirloom said to have been forged by materials from a fallen star and dragon fire eons ago, descended for generations through the Iylensarri royal family. Raevyn uses the edge of his Shimmer to turn its arrow heads into dangerous flame laced projectiles and engulfs enemies caught beneath the edge of the obsidian blade. Despite its feather weight by comparison of its sheer size, Dragon’s Fang is still a large and bulky blade and therefore takes time and strength to swing in order to strike with. Practice with the Dragon’s Fang has proven that it is better used to parry or shield against attacks (unless his team have given him an opening to be able to swing it, in which case it deals devastating strikes and has the range to catch multiple enemies in a stroke) while the Dragon’s Blood allows him impressive range. He crafts his own arrows and lines them with raven feather fletcher.

Shimmer
Inner Ember
Raevyn is one with the element of Fire, and he takes great pride in this. He seems to vibrate with collected kinetic energy, warming him at his core. Tied to his very Soul, Raevyn digs deep into this gathered energy to summon and manipulate flame from his hands in order to lace his weapons with ember; this adds a burning edge to the Dragon's Fang and ignites the arrowheads fired from Dragon's Blood.

Special Trait - TBA
…

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Raevyn was born in Cordes sur-Ciel, the youngest son in a brood of eight with four older brothers, two older sisters and one younger sister. The second eldest, Zaezelian, fell in combat when he was around ten years old.

It has been repeated until his ears have bled the glory of elven purity and that he descends from Royal blood, as well as the importance of preserving their ways of life and their ancestral knowledge. But nothing has been more repetitive from his father than the importance of one day recovering their home continent of Kalantos from the Hollow and restoring the elven race to its prior glory. The thought alone of braving harrowing dangers and threats to attempt to reclaim the lost continent causes Raevyn’s skin to crawl, but the fear of disappointment is greater than the fear of a thousand enemies. With some not so gentle prodding from his older brothers, Raevyn has followed in his father’s footsteps in the pursuit of becoming a Champion.

All of his brothers are active militants, and his father has long since retired, but still operates as a weaponsmith and honored consultant of the Onyx Military. There are few weapons Sir Mythos Iylensarri is not familiar with and even fewer he can not improve upon. Of his siblings his brothers Kelevendar, Malkai, and Noirex are very much like their father toward Raevyn–overbearing, condescending and a little on the intense side when it comes to making certain he doesn’t stray from their patriarch’s path. Of them all Raevyn is believed to be especially gifted in the way of Shimmer, as the only one among them with a talent that lies in a raw element. His sisters Merrai, Constante and Lotus are kindly and considerate and have all followed their mother’s artistic path in the crafting of glassworks—his eldest sister works as architects for Onyx City who crafts sky-ward towers of glass while his younger make their living as promising artisans working small trinkets, vases and other beautiful items of glass decor at their mothers seaside business in Cordes sur-Ciel.

His mother, Kevaltiare, would sooner see him put his Shimmer talent to fantastic use as his ability to create glass and even precious gemstones with fire and raw material under pressure in his bare hands, which she deems highly impressive, but the men in his family would hear nothing of it. His relationship with his brothers and father to this day are still very much tense as they view him as a spoiled, privileged prodigy who squanders his talent for leisure and comfort while his sisters are supportive and encouraging for Raevyn to follow his heart and find his way in the world, in his own time.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

There really wasn’t much of an option, he’s following in the footsteps of generations of Iylensarri men and women who’ve stuck out as warriors, military officers and agents in hopes of helping protect the world of Toil from the ever mounting threats of darkness and ruin. He breezed through classes and took very little seriously before the thought of attending a Battle Academy ever crossed his head, enjoying his carefree and rather privileged young life, spending time among his peers in a leisurely way. Attending a Battle Academy was admittedly never something Raevyn truly wanted for his life, yet as of lately, he’s seeming to accept the fact that not only is it pleasing to his family patriarch… It's also something he’s good at. Before he came to Hammer Academy, he was taken underwing by his eldest brother, Kelevendar, at fifteen years of age.

His father was stoic and placated by his thoughts of attending Hammer Academy, as an alumnae of Hammer himself. Only one of his brothers, Zaezelian, had attended and he did not rise as a Champion before instead enlisting with the military where he tragically fell to the Hollow. His mother was disheartened by Raevyn’s decision to set out to Hammer Academy, primarily for the ominous superstition she’s connected to the Battle Academy—her husband was gravely injured after his time there, once joining the military, and she lost her second eldest son who was also an attendee of Hammer. For this, she was adamant that Raevyn remain home and tried her best to convince him there was no shame as her youngest son to embrace his clear talents as an artist and devote his time and skillset to glassworks.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Raevyn initially joined Hammer to appease his father and older brothers, all of whom had nearly abandoned their belief that he would ever be more than a short-sighted miscreant squandering his life away in pursuit of trivial happiness. He set out to prove himself worthy of the royal Iylensarri title and to make his father proud. In the modern era descending of Elven royalty over a homeland which perished long before he was even thought of is about as impressive as juggling as far as Raevyn is concerned, but he hoped at the very least not to be disowned by his father and older brothers and branded a hopeless deviant.

After the time he’s spent at Hammer he’s grown more confident in his place and proud of his natural affinity with both his weapon and his ability to operate with a team of like-minded youth, and so Raevyn has gone full focus into becoming the best Champion he can be at Hammer. His fears, outside of having to face the Hollow alone or ever venture to the Elven homelands, would undoubtedly be losing anyone he cares about. He’s made friends while at Hammer Academy, the sort that both inspire and terrify, because he’s not sure what he would do if anything happened to any of them.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

When he announced his intentions of enrolling with Hammer Academy he was met with skepticism and disbelief from almost his entire family (except for little Lotus, who might believe the sky was rainbow colored if you told her it was so). To prove true to his promise of enrolling, he requested his eldest brother Kelevendar to tutor him before he departed, and was taught the basics and anatomy of weaponry, the purpose of Soul and Shimmer applied to combat, and finally gifted their family’s greatest heirloom; Dragon’s Blood. Imagine Kele’s surprise when Raevyn did something both amazing and unexpected. He manipulated the anatomy of the weapon with the aid of his Shimmer and summoned the Dragon’s Fang blade from the bow, which according to both his brother Kelevendar and his father Mythos, had not been done since the time of the Great War in the hands of Everendar, his great grandfather.

He was tutored with Dragon’s Fang beneath his third eldest brother, master swordsman Malkai, once his skill with Dragon’s Blood beneath Kelevendar was deemed acceptable. Handling the great sword though proved worlds different than handling the bow, and Raevyn is still to the day learning how best to weird Dragon’s Fang, due to the sheer size and might of the weapon it proves better as a shield. His signature designation is switching between bow and blade seamlessly, but he's also learned to be quite proficient with use of the longsword, broadsword and rapier in addition to how best to wield the mighty Dragon's Fang before disembarking for Hammer Academy. He made impressive use of this ability when facing off against Malkai’s rapier combat and fencing techniques with Dragon's Fang.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

His greatest accomplishment has been manning his family’s historic weapon with surprising success. Raevyn does not consider himself to having a monumental failure yet and hopes he will never have to experience such shame or humiliation.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Raevyn has always been sociable and outgoing, and so to be partnered and teamed were not essentially speed bumps to him, but he has discovered a few things about himself through his short time at Hammer Academy. One–he is incredibly competitive and is not at all a fan of losing, or being one-upped. He’s never been placed in the position to be competitive before, most everyone in his social circle back home tended to act much more in the role of follower than leader. He can’t help but to playfully antagonize his peers, especially if he considers them worthy opponents.

And Two–he has much more patience and adaptability than his father might have assumed. His ability to learn quickly and to step aside and allow others a chance to shine when their skillset is better suited to a task has made him feel both fulfilled and proud to have such adept teammates.

List three (or more!) notable truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Raevyn is the youngest son of his family but he is treated as the eldest, because of his Shimmer and natural talents with combat. Only his second eldest brother, Zaezelian, showed such similar promise, and he was lost to them. The pressure can be overwhelming at times. Because of this he’s prone to depressive or angry mood swings even as he settles into this path more willingly, he doesn’t feel it’s fair to have such weight placed on him. Raevyn attempts to distract himself and keep himself busy so he’s not in his head so much and can be seen scribbling down chaotic thoughts in a black leather bound journal when his negative mood gets the better of him. He carries a sketch book of a similar make as well but it's not quite a secret anymore that Raevyn is an avid journaler... don't touch his journal--seriously, he won't like that!

After an unfortunate incident with a masked character at a birthday party in his young life Raevyn really can’t stand elaborate masked individuals, even more so if they’re meant to be ‘funny’, they creep him right the hell out and make it so hard to focus! He’s not a fan of any kind of mask anymore really, he prefers to see people’s faces. Not even masquerade masks may be deemed acceptable, he will screech an unearthly sound and probably run away.

Raevyn is a slacker… he can be easily distracted by promises of fun or mischief, and can at times be a very bad influence on his peers by convincing them to run off and get into harmless trouble with him. He enjoys cuddling up for naps, day-dreaming, cloud-watching and fiction novels—anything to distract himself from harsh reality, really. His easy going nature can be corrected however if the thought of threat or his friends or loved ones in danger is brought to his attention. He’ll immediately snap to and get to business but his default setting seems to be based on leisure.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Raevyn is competitive, and he enjoys teasing. It can often be described ‘in good fun’ but sometimes Raevyn doesn’t realize when he’s gone too far and his playfully antagonistic behavior can go from a mutual moment of entertainment to a heated argument really, really quickly. Fortunately, he’s never been the sort to let negative feelings linger, and he’s not at all against apologizing if he’s really hurt someone’s feelings or feels he’s genuinely wronged them. He can also be a shameless flirt and yes, he will absolutely weaponize that to his advantage or use it to weasel out of trouble.

He can be a bit of an elitist, and has a habit of talking down to other people—not on the basis of his family heritage or anything, but he does tend to favor Elvish company. This is something he’s slowly breaking out of though, now in a place that allows him to experience all sorts of individuals from all walks of life, with interesting personalities and talents. To be honest, Raevyn likes to be proven wrong and he loves to discover humans and Silenus are just as capable if not more than Elves in many ways.

While he seems to be very well in tune with his emotions and regulating feelings in positive and mature ways, Raevyn can be angered and when he is pissed off it’s damn near impossible to calm him down. What’s worse, an angry Raevyn is a terrifying Raevyn because his calm, easy going, carefree nature seems to fly right out the window and is replaced with malicious, spiteful, vindictive Raevyn who wants nothing more than to make his enemies suffer. He won’t even feel bad about it either because it takes so much to push him there… if you’ve pissed him off, then you pretty much deserve whatever’s coming to you.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

He's drawn to trouble-making like a moth to flame--so when Raevyn heard there was a local den where all sorts gathered to gamble over card and tile games, he couldn't resist. And naturally he dragged a few of his teammates along with him to check it out. And of course none of the local thugs appreciated a bunch of young, bright Hammer Academy attendees easing in on their turf so any of their potential wins were seen as questionable. A bit of drinking and one too many wins ended in a hell of a brawl to retain the cor they'd won, though Raevyn has his suspicions those thugs are frequently up to no good and it seems like a surefire way to find some entertainment to slip in and stir up their operation more frequently.

Quick action in the middle of Onyx City during an outing saved a lot of lives when a hot air balloon show went south and the main attraction began to rapidly go off course. As it turns out the heating mechanism destabilized and with the help of a few new friends he and the small gathering were able to scale a nearby tower and get into the basket to help--a bit of Arcanite in the right hands allowed the balloon to quickly refill with hot air and float down to a rough crash landing in the middle of a local park, instead of crashing into a variety of buildings through the middle of Onyx and landing in a crowded street. They might've made the papers as amateur heroes!

Unsanctioned partying at the Hammer Academy? Oh absolutely, yes. If there's a universal language between young people across Toil, Raevyn has quickly realized it's partying, and after a fun filled night he's definitely more confident in his place at the Academy and it's been nice to find that the other teams are just as interesting as those who are on his own!

List a few (3-5) things that you value and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
- Raevyn appreciates when people are genuine. He likes when people are themselves and follow their passions and dreams, nothing quite excites him like watching someone get really worked up about something they love, and nothing quite inspires him to want to defend than finding someone worth fighting for.
- He loves art in all of its forms, especially since it seems to struggle in the world of Toil today to be seen as necessary or valuable. It might also does indeed stem from his own easy-going talent surrounding glass-crafting. Raevyn has taken to acquiring raw material like sand or ore and using it to spin pretty glass trinkets, figures or amulets for his friends. That aside, he tends to take an interest in anyone who has artistic talent or skill be it painting or tinkering--gadgets especially are not only typically attractive but also practical and that's crazy impressive!
- Green spaces are sanctuaries for a young elf like Raevyn, and he finds himself having a harder time than he realized he would in the city of Onyx so when he needs time to gather his thoughts and reset he'll head to the nearest free-green space. Something about so many buildings and people clustered into an industrialized space can be a bit overwhelming and there's nothing quite like dozing off in a quiet meadow filled with wildflowers.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Raevyn is downright obsessed with mountains, but given that travel is scarce he's only ever ventured out to the foothills of the tip top of the mountain chain when his brothers were visiting home from Onyx. There's not much a group of military officers can't handle during a two day trip to the mountain ridge and back. That small taste of wilderness has stuck with him and he'd sorely love nothing more than to make an adventure to the mountains with a few friends. He'd also like to visit Seabreeze at some point, as he imagines the waters are warmer than Cordes sur-Ciel where he grew up. Basically, Raevyn would love to see more of the world with his team and see what good they can do for the rest of Johtan, not just Onyx City.

[FyreFoxx]

Amusingly our tiny slip of a “mage” is the tankyist character on team Gravity with max dots in Stamina and Soul. Not that anyone knows that yet.  Not even sure she does.

*cackles quietly in the back* Totally unintentional! And no, so far, no one seems to realize that, especially not her. Though it still fits her narrative of pushing herself past her limits and refusing to give up. Tiny little thing, always being protected, and in the words of a certain famous genie (with some alterations!): "It’s all part and parcel, the whole [mage] gig. Phenomenal cosmic powers! Itty bitty [dainty elf]!”

[Aethyrium]

Sunday and Monday are my typical "sorta kinda maybe probably sometimes but not always" not around days. So I've not had a chance to review the sheets, but count on that coming. Lovely to have two already! And will circle around to answer questions (you both have me on discord, feel free to ping if needed).

Anyone else who is looking at the game, dip your toe in, let me hear! If you have questions, or feel overwhelmed, just toss your hat in. I'm available to help make it an easy thing, and I think you'll love it here. We've got lots of good stuff going on and planned for the future.

[Miss Nyx]

Shen and co. did a phenomenal job filling in a few blanks and catching early hiccups I had so I think I've got a pretty good grasp of things. Take your time Aethy, by all means! :3

[Aethyrium]

I think Aethy mentioned that everyone in Battle Academy is already well ahead of the curve compared to average citizens in all stats.

Yes, this is correct. The average squire is decidedly more capable than the average individual - even those with some level of formal training. A squire-candidate who could pass the entrance evaluations would generally be considered more capable than even, say, rank and file military personnel. They may not (in fact likely don't) have the organization/experience/logistical know how, but in terms of raw capability? No contest.

This comes a lot just from knowing how to create Soul shielding. I've gotten some questions about Soul shielding before, so sharing with everyone... The Soul doesn't naturally protect people. It's a technique that some people learn, and it's an active thing. But it's a simple enough technique that, once mastered, it's like breathing. You just do it, unless you're actively making yourself not do it. And mastery of this technique is a basic requirement for anyone who wants to be a Champion, so all characters are considered masters of it. They learned how to do this somewhere along the way.

And then there is the natural talent/training/potential in all 'rated aspects'. Most people have 0 dots in everything, that's average. So you immediately begin to see why squire-potentials are so much superior.

Uhmm, Aethy assigns Special Traits.

It's okay! I told players they could throw out ideas for their trait.

And I don't think I read where exactly Tabor was located

You didn't miss anything! It's in Kantos, which is known OOC on the map, but otherwise it's location is quite well guarded. Farrah happens to know, she's from the area.

Soul is way more important.

I'd say Shen's little description of the two is pretty close. But I would not say this is accurate. This will entirely depend on the role your Shimmer plays for your character, and how they make use of Arcanite. Soul does have defensive qualities that Shimmer does not, but your Shimmer is something you can make use of even when your Soul is broken. And doesn't come with any of the risks associated with Arcanite.

I can't take this game on, but I wanted to drop in and say the lore and presentation is lovely!

Well... Sad! But thank you so much. <3 I appreciate that it's being well received.


Onto... The character review. Momentarily ish!

[Aethyrium]

@Lyrical | Let's take a look at Bri.

Oh, the centered text for weapons and the original questions was a feature of the sheet, not a bug! We can fix it in post if need be. XD

Stats look good. Tiny girl. Neat weapon! Useful Shimmer.

We have had a sore lack of characters that want to be Champions because it's the right thing to do. So I really appreciate this aspect. Neat history overall, actually. I like the farming bits - gives me something fun to tug at.

Her pain point about wanting to join the military is a fun addition - and plays a lot into her attendance of Hammer. Champions who graduate the battle academy are allowed to join the military with a rank comparable to an officer. So she found the loophole... Just has to survive the next four years.

I think I'd like to see your answers to - List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer - get changed up. You cover her being pale in the question above, and her height is right there on her sheet! Maybe look at mannerisms, habits, things liked, or things avoided. Class engagement? Other things, a little deeper than surface level stuff!

Wonderful answers to thing's she's gotten up to in the last month. That's exactly the kind stuff I'm looking for.

And your extra blurb at the bottom is totally welcome. More information is great. Plus, fun fighting style notes.

Okay... I really like your offering here Lyrical, she's awesome. I think just the changes to that one question noted above, and I'll be perfectly content with where she's at. Awesome job!


@Miss Nyx - Let's see what we see about Raevyn!

Tall elf! Guy - always need more of those. Stats look good - I like the distribution that favors versatility. Weapon is awesome!

Shimmer... Mmmm. Okay, so here's sort of the situation. Shimmers are really intended to be fairly specific effects, and there's a lot baked into this. It's more akin to "fire bending", and I think I want to avoid that. I realize that we technically have one such ability - water bending - on a character as is, but if I were to go back in time that's not a Shimmer I would approve a second time. So while any of the individual effects - throwing fireballs, conjuring fire walls, igniting weapons to have fire enchantment damage effects, immunity to fire, spontaneous fire generation, active fire control - would be applicable, they are not universally so. There might be pairs of these I'd be willing to have in tandem (like, say, throwing a fireball and using that same fire to ignite a weapon), but in general you should be narrowing that down to a singular specific effect.

Interesting history. Large family. I see you've been plotting with shen. This is a better route than Tabor for sure, I think. I'll need to ponder on this a little bit. Ultimately I don't think it's an issue, so no worries about changing anything right this second.

In the question about things people might have noticed outside your team, you list that he has a big ol' anger and super spiteful 'n stuff. I am curious, what do you think happened that let people see this? What's the tea?!

Overall, I really like what you've done here. Raevyn is a great character offering, and I can imagine would fit right in with the game. I think with some dialing in on the Shimmer - and we can try to be flexible a bit so you can keep the mystique of it that his story implies, but I do need it to get brought more in line with what they're intended to be. I can ponder on this a bit myself, too, if you're not sure how exactly you want to dial it.

Otherwise, awesome submission, thank you!

[Crash]

We have had a sore lack of characters that want to be Champions because it's the right thing to do. So I really appreciate this aspect.

Yes! Don’t make Meena be the only one! 😆

[Miss Nyx]

Yes! Don’t make Meena be the only one! 😆

I'm a sucker for developing plotlines... I'm sure Raevyn wants it, he just doesn't know it yet. XD

[Crash]

Haha.  Meena is such a goody goody.  It has interfered with her partners less than above board ideas.

Meena is a friendly extroverted Silenus who would be happy to get to know anyone. 

[Miss Nyx]

In the question about things people might have noticed outside your team, you list that he has a big ol' anger and super spiteful 'n stuff. I am curious, what do you think happened that let people see this? What's the tea?!

I was just thinking... he's such a chill and relatively lovable lazy-head, wouldn't it be epic if he just went volcanic level spaz on someone?!

SO... my guess is it would have been an absolutely public situation--a challenge gone wrong/rigged or a case of bullying toward one of his new friends? Maybe some sort of antagonistic behavior in a 'boys will be boys' sort of way that just escalated insanely quickly, and probably required some official intervention and/or earned everyone involved a stern talking to. But yeah case in point for most everyone involved: let that kid nap and don't make him angry 'cause that's flippin' scary.

Those Hollow better watch out! XD

Haha.  Meena is such a goody goody.  It has interfered with her partners less than above board ideas.

Meena is a friendly extroverted Silenus who would be happy to get to know anyone. 

I've been reading her lately, she seems like a sweetie for sure. :3 Epic heroine is definitely a good look for her.

[Crash]

I've been reading her lately, she seems like a sweetie for sure. :3 Epic heroine is definitely a good look for her.

Such a fine like between believing the good in everyone and coming off as sanctimonious.  Not sure I have always managed that but trying!

 

[Miss Nyx]

Such a fine like between believing the good in everyone and coming off as sanctimonious.  Not sure I have always managed that but trying!

 

Hey, I get a feeling growing pains are a thing most are going to go through on their path to being righteous defenders of the world. Hopefully Meena's not hard on herself for having a sound moral compass...

Raev might learn a thing or two from her, that pompous miscreant. XD

[Envious]

@Aethyrium

You just do it, unless you're actively making yourself not do it.

I has new plot idea now xoxo

[Crash]

@Aethyrium

I has new plot idea now xoxo

This isn’t about Meena smacking Farrah around the training room with Heart of the Mountain to test her soul is it?

[Aethyrium]

SO... my guess is it would have been an absolutely public situation--a challenge gone wrong/rigged or a case of bullying toward one of his new friends?

GIRL DO I HAVE THE STORYTELLER CHARACTER FOR YOU.

If you're feeling froggy, take a read of this post.

[Miss Nyx]

GIRL DO I HAVE THE STORYTELLER CHARACTER FOR YOU.

If you're feeling froggy, take a read of this post.

Ohhhhmahgawwwd oh no he didn’t—Poor Lolo! She totally doesn’t have to take that. And also he is just the perfect little punk lmao! 😱🤣 Methinks he’d be perfect for a Raev explosion… especially if he and Lolo end up friendly.

Honestly she seems absolutely capable of holding her own so Raevyn wouldn’t cramp her style coming in with the whole damsel/knight routine… unless she wanted that… then ArtanASS will be promptly challenged to fisticuffs and he better hope he can put his money where his mouth is! 😤

[shengami]

Ohhhhmahgawwwd oh no he didn’t—Poor Lolo! She totally doesn’t have to take that. And also he is just the perfect little punk lmao! 😱🤣 Methinks he’d be perfect for a Raev explosion… especially if he and Lolo end up friendly.

Honestly she seems absolutely capable of holding her own so Raevyn wouldn’t cramp her style coming in with the whole damsel/knight routine… unless she wanted that… then ArtanASS will be promptly challenged to fisticuffs and he better hope he can put his money where his mouth is! 😤

TBF, Artanis did just pull an epic move and saved Meena. But he is an ass.

[Miss Nyx]

TBF, Artanis did just pull an epic move and saved Meena. But he is an ass.

Mmmmhm, heroic with good intentions? Or so he can brag/gloat about it later huh?!

Let me dial it back srsly, Raevyn isn’t even close to as confrontational as I am. 🤣

[Crash]

Mmmmhm, heroic with good intentions? Or so he can brag/gloat about it later huh?!

Let me dial it back srsly, Raevyn isn’t even close to as confrontational as I am. 🤣

It wasn’t because he likes Meena that’s for sure.  Maybe dislikes her less than others and probably more so because he likes her Partner, Farrah. 😆

[Rashol]

Is the team recruited? Is there anything I should avoid or lean towards to help my application?

Kind regards.

[FyreFoxx]

Is the team recruited? Is there anything I should avoid or lean towards to help my application?

Kind regards.

You still have a few days for an application! Have at it!

You are welcomed to go peep at the current cast here if you want to get an idea of what's already in play (with a few no longer here). Brief synopses of the teams were listed in the first few posts.

[Crash]

The recruitment is still open.  I think at this point it is a make what you want to play sort of thing and Aethy will determine what characters make the most sense when everything is submitted.

[shengami]

Agreed. Make what your passions want. That's going to please the Aethy more than trying to fill gaps.

[Lyrical]

@Lyrical | Let's take a look at Bri.

Oh, the centered text for weapons and the original questions was a feature of the sheet, not a bug! We can fix it in post if need be. XD

Stats look good. Tiny girl. Neat weapon! Useful Shimmer.

We have had a sore lack of characters that want to be Champions because it's the right thing to do. So I really appreciate this aspect. Neat history overall, actually. I like the farming bits - gives me something fun to tug at.

Her pain point about wanting to join the military is a fun addition - and plays a lot into her attendance of Hammer. Champions who graduate the battle academy are allowed to join the military with a rank comparable to an officer. So she found the loophole... Just has to survive the next four years.

I think I'd like to see your answers to - List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer - get changed up. You cover her being pale in the question above, and her height is right there on her sheet! Maybe look at mannerisms, habits, things liked, or things avoided. Class engagement? Other things, a little deeper than surface level stuff!

Wonderful answers to thing's she's gotten up to in the last month. That's exactly the kind stuff I'm looking for.

And your extra blurb at the bottom is totally welcome. More information is great. Plus, fun fighting style notes.

Okay... I really like your offering here Lyrical, she's awesome. I think just the changes to that one question noted above, and I'll be perfectly content with where she's at. Awesome job!

I made the modification to the written section as requested in my last post now. Hope that works

As for the formatting, i tried it centred again and it doesn't seem to play well with my sheet. Maybe you would have better luck? It keeps centering the whole upper middle and below on me and just looks terrible..help please mighty coding wizard

[Rashol]

Thanks everyone! I'm tempted to resurrect my old shimmer on a new application and see where it goes.

[FyreFoxx]

Thanks everyone! I'm tempted to resurrect my old shimmer on a new application and see where it goes.

Oh, I remember now! You had the fisher boy!

Welcome back? :D Come play with us! Do whatever you think is best for the new application!

[CurvyKitten]

Flail!!!!! Timing I was wanting get back into E. Would there be room for one more still? 

[Crash]

Flail!!!!! Timing I was wanting get back into E. Would there be room for one more still?

With Namid again or someone new?

Recruitment is still open so I don’t see why you couldn’t submit something.

[Miss Nyx]

To anybody who's lurking and on the fence about writing up a CS... I say dooooo itttttttttt! Top notch writing crew here. I've been loving what I've read of the game, I'm not even in yet, it's so exciting. XD

[Crash]

Aethy is the best GM.  Especially if you don’t mind tormenting your characters in the best drama inducing ways. 😁

[FyreFoxx]

To anybody who's lurking and on the fence about writing up a CS... I say dooooo itttttttttt! Top notch writing crew here. I've been loving what I've read of the game, I'm not even in yet, it's so exciting. XD

Absolutely adore the people here. Had never written with any prior, love to write more with them all. Top notch, for sure!

Aethy is the best GM.  Especially if you don’t mind tormenting your characters in the best drama inducing ways. 😁

I couldn't agree more! This was my first group game ever and I've been absolutely spoiled by our wonderful GM.

[CurvyKitten]

With Namid again or someone new?

Recruitment is still open so I don’t see why you couldn’t submit something.

Not sure. Reading her sheet trying to get a feel for her again as we speak. See if the muse speaks to me. I know I didn’t get to do much with her story. 

[Aethyrium]

Is the team recruited? Is there anything I should avoid or lean towards to help my application?

Kind regards.

Hello again, Rashol! Awesome to see you and a second round of interest ^^

The team is not recruited yet. Plans are to keep recruitment up for several days yet before making selections. So if you'd like to Thomas another go - or make someone new - you're certainly welcome to!

Flail!!!!! Timing I was wanting get back into E. Would there be room for one more still?

Well, what a most unexpected surprise. There is still room. I need at minimum 4 characters to even recruit the new team at all, and have space for up to 6. Right now we only have the 2 actual submissions. So, very much room to submit.

Right now the plan is to keep recruitment open until the 30th (a small extension cause I got delayed unexpectedly) and then make final selection for characters, provided there are sufficient submissions then.

As always, not first come first serve, but I would love to see all of the offerings to pick from!

[Aethyrium]

Not sure. Reading her sheet trying to get a feel for her again as we speak. See if the muse speaks to me. I know I didn’t get to do much with her story.

Someone new would be easier for me. But I'm not necessarily opposed to a return of Namid. But in case of recruitment, we would need to work out how she ends up returning.

Ultimately I'd prefer a new character, but am open if Namid ends up pulling on you really hard.

[CurvyKitten]

New character it is then. :) we shall see what the muse can come up with.

[Aethyrium]

I made the modification to the written section as requested in my last post now. Hope that works

These are better! Thank you ^^

And we'll sort out of the coding nonsense if selection is done. :D

[CurvyKitten]

Ok just listen to a few songs and had a concept begin eating my brain. Hehe muse awakened. Now just to see if I can get it focused enough to do this sheet things again lol.

[VVitch]

Maria beckons so sweetly. (5 points if you get it.)

Strength ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Lightning | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Mountains | Desert

Maria Rex-Astra

VVitch

Ancestry: Silenus
Gender | Pronouns: Femme Nonbinary | She/They
Sexuality: Pansexual

Age: 20
Height: 6'1"
Body Build: Lean, Toned
Hair Color: Blue
Eye Color: White

Weapon - The Sister Sabres
A pair of blue-silver sabres that lock at the hilts, forming a large pair of scissors.

Shimmer

Thunderstrike - Maria can energise her body and anything she's holding with electrical energy, imparting the energy to the next thing she touches to send a huge jolt of electricity through it.

Maria's Silenus heritage has let her inherit the natural swiftness of the Hearthdeer of the wild norths of Sinnat. (+1 Speed)

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like? Maria Rex-Astra was born to her mother, Ameldia Astra, and her father Nicolash Rex. Her parents both live in Onyx. Her mother runs Astra Industries, a vast manufacturing company while her father is a politician. Astra Industries began producing energy systems, and her mother is a genius in the field, but it has recently pivoted towards arms manufacturing. She has a strained relationship with her parents as they wanted her to follow her mother's footsteps but she had no interest in the life of a businesswoman despite the huge headstart she inherited.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision? Maria was raised in wealth and privelege. The money earned by her mother bought her just about anything she could have needed, though she didn't get nearly as much attention from her parents as she ever wanted with her father being so busy with his political career. She was never quite happy or content, a continuous rebel despite her fortune, and her parents quietly disapproved of her decision to attend a battle academy as it wasn't the life they had tried to set out for her.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears? Maria wants to do good in the world and she's more comfortable doing so with her own two hands, her parents having pushed her away from things like board rooms. She wants to help other people, increasingly to make up for the discomfort she feels at her parent's questionable morality. Maria fears that she's being naive or foolish and that she ought to be biting the bullet and running her parents company and that the most mature way to do good would be to run the family business better in future.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you? Living a life of privelege, Maria requested to be trained as a hobby and her parents hired an exceptional tutor who made sure to give Maria frequent lessons on dueling and honourable combat. Her skills are very academic, practised and precise but lack real world experience. Maria's tutor was a grey-haired man who was once a famous and well-liked champion who now tutors in his retirement. His name is Gehrmun Jaeger.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most? Maria is most proud of the day she finally equalled her tutor in a duel, having worked for years to reach the level where they could stand toe to toe without the older man holding back significantly. She constantly lives in fear that abandoning the family business is a failing on her part and dreads that she may come to regret the path she's taking in life, wondering if someone else may take her role and make the company even worse.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging? Maria was prim, proper and carried the mannerisms of her high-class upbringing at first. After that, though, she gradually began to melt the icy exterior and became more friendly, funny, playful and carefree. It didn't take too long, the shell she had at first being relatively thin and easy to crack. She was eager to learn about the others, to work with them and to form bonds she's not used to having.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Maria's parents are extremely wealthy but she doesn't get on with them anymore.

Maria's mother is a Silenus who came from Sinnat to Johtan as a teenager.

Maria seems to care more about animals than people, or at least finds expressing care for people difficult.

Maria hasn't really had many friends before, save for shallow friendships with the children of social elites.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer Maria has noticeable belongings of extreme value but gets awkward, flustered and almost ashamed when they are highlighted by others. She's avoidant of touch and a little awkward about it at times. Maria's very graceful and carries herself with a noticeable serenity - she sometimes seems like she thinks she's above others even if she doesn't due to her high society mannerisms. Maria's austere exterior is seen to break when she sees an animal, and she's much more comfy touching them than people.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning? Maria, in a moment of rebellion, broke into the facilities of a company that does animal testing and freed the wildlife there that were being experimenting on. She wasn't caught and has kept what she did quiet. It was the biggest moment of rebellion in her life so far and a huge adrenaline rush. She had help from others from the Academy, but just a tiny group.

Also, Maria took a group of friends on a shopping trip using her family card. She still feels guilty over using the family wealth given her discomfort with her parents but it has been the norm in her life until this point. Maria has often used her familial wealth to make friends, excusing that she's putting the money to good use and being friendly but feeling uncomfortable about the depth of those friendships and the source of the money.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world. Maria values good food and drink, particularly hearty home cooking over fine dining. She values the outdoors, especially running or climbing, and loves to breath fresh air. Maria loves clothes, with most of hers being self-tailored. She is a natural rebel and appreciates causes or people who are ready to question authority and the status quo. Maria adores animals and will go out of her way to befriend any she can.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Maria's mother is an ultra-wealthy elite who built up a vast fortune however her company is involved in significant shady business. She's not a very good person, or moral, and Maria knows better than most that she's almost definitely breaking laws or at least doing things most would frown on.

Maria's father is a politician growing in popularity. He is likely tied into her mother's shady business practices and she knows his political career is selfishly motivated.

Maria is moving further from her parents and high-society upbringing. She needs to meet others who are rebellious and who take issue with aspects of the status quo and elite of society.

Maria wants, and needs, to get more practical experience and to be out in the world more. She wants to see how other people live, to understand for herself as best she can what the world is like outside of the bubble she's been in. She also needs more combat experience as well as general life experience.

[shengami]

@VVitch That is a cool CS. Just got two tiny tiny questions.

Why mountains as the favored terrain? Is there some logic or story behind it?

The Sister Sabers are cool! (Kill la Kill?). What function do the big scissors serve? How would they work in combat?

Just trying to poke a bit.

And a fun little note: there's a group of PCs that does charity work at a food line. Might Maria have joined such or shown interest?

[VVitch]

@VVitch That is a cool CS. Just got two tiny tiny questions.

Why mountains as the favored terrain? Is there some logic or story behind it?

The Sister Sabers are cool! (Kill la Kill?). What function do the big scissors serve? How would they work in combat?

Just trying to poke a bit.

And a fun little note: there's a group of PCs that does charity work at a food line. Might Maria have joined such or shown interest?

Mountains are due to familial heritage. Her mother came from a mountainous region, she has an affinity for them.

I don't know what Kill la Kill is so that didn't play a factor here. Kind of like a finishing move. In reality they would be completely impractical but they'd be for things like decapitations, taking off a limb. Very much a coup de grace type of thing.

I think that could be something she could get roped into, yes.

[Yukina]

Interest noted! Starting on a new one tonight. :)

[Crash]

Maria looks great VVitch!

[VVitch]

Maria looks great VVitch!

Thank you! She's been being mused on for a long while now.

[Miss Nyx]

Awesome Silenus you’ve got there VVitch! I think her fondness for animals is adorable heh heh! And I love that she’s pushed away from her family’s success and questionable reputation to pursue her own destiny doing good in the world. 

[Yukina]

Strength ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Stamina  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness

Air/Sonic | Lightning/Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Mountain/Urban | Aquatic

Torina Squall

Yukina

Ancestry: Silenus (Raven)
Gender | Pronouns: Femme | She/They
Sexuality: Sapphic
Age: 21
Height: 5'4"
Body Build: Lithe, yet a hint curvy
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Red

Weapon - Sawsher Scythe

A long and sharp war scythe. The blade is able to flip to convert the weapon to deploy a serrated blade imbued with white arcanite, resulting in what looks like a cross between a staff and a chainsaw. The air arcanite is purposely designed to create gusts of propulsion for her wings. These gusts are not a viable method attack however.

Shimmer- Reverb
Torina has the ability to create lasting impressions of her movements, resulting in a trail of hollow after-images that create confusion for foes that target her. 

Silenus Advantage - Take Flight!
Torina's most notable feature (besides her grand grin of course) are the raven-like wings attached to her back like an angel that she bares open that allow her to glide!

Special Trait - ?
?

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?
 Torina Squall was born to Georges Squall (a owl silenus) and Nana Verde (a raven silenus) into the country of Mirat. Her parents are both very loving with the book shop they run. Georges is a historian, while Nana inherited the store as part of the family business. However, the pair are worried about their child's desires to explore the world since it is far from safe than their current home. Hence, about every letter to her has the constant reminder that she's always has a home with them.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Torina has always been the perky sort. When she wasn't learning about the business from Nana, she was always weirding out the other kids with strange beetle she found interesting or another weird thing. With a whole life around books, it came with ideas, a hunger for learning, and inspiration. It was a hunger that scared her parents when she declared her desire to join the world far out of the safe haven of Mirat's city life. Most of her friends found her insane and her parents were constantly reminding her that were other options even as she left for the boat.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Personally, Torina is aiming to be a champion less for the responsibilities, but more for the perks that come with the title. To her, it means the freedom to explore as she desires. Meet the people she wants to meet. Eat the things she wants to eat. Get a look at every single last flora and fauna on the planet. As much as she seems to disregard her parents' worries though, it's so they know the rank will protect her and they can hopefully feel at ease. She truly does love them and she fears that, if she fails one of the likely grim ways silenus do in the outside world, she'll break the hearts of the ones that gave her such a lust to live in the first place.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Torina, ever eager to be prepared to explore, joined a martial arts dojo in town passed down from one of the veterans from the war. Some of her fellow friends sought to travel doing the good work as part of the Red Fang and they led her there in the assumption that just maybe it would either make her quit or join the path of theirs they deemed somehow safer. Her desire for the champion position attracting the attention of a teacher that had an immense hatred for the Hollow did not factor into those plans.

Having lost an arm to the hollow, the former champion by the name of Bojack (a crow silenus) was more more than happy to train the spitfire in the art of his scythe in a bid for spiteful revenge by proxy. If that wasn't enough in the way of failure for her friends' plans, the vengeful soul was very insistent on getting her into the academy of Hammer with his scythe at her side with his connections. Her friends had succeeded in getting her into the Red Fang, but with the last person that would keep her in Mirat.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Torina is truly the most proud of the collection of books she has amassed over the years. It's maybe only a quarter of the four hundred her mother bares, but it's hers. While she doesn't mention it though, she regrets just how much she's scaring her parents in pursuing her immensely risky dream.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Torina was absolutely ecstatic to meet a whole bunch of new faces! Her life's dream was to learn and consume of course! She found a few of them stick-in-the-muds, but she was more than happy to keep on trucking. She had to learn anything and everything to mark it in her brain after all!
 
List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.
-Torina ultimately does fear failure despite her chipper attitude.
-Torina also happens to be able to play a killer flute solo and has amazing pipes for singing.
-If Torina has a type, it is definitely a woman that can make a wonderful meal, is buff, or both.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer
-Torina is the epitome of a happy goth in the way she walks around in dark hooded robe as her main outfit while humming tunes from rather grim songs without missing a beat.

-Torina speaks almost as fast as her chainsaw.
-Torina is very much a hugger.
-Unless she is paling around with friends, she doesn't touch the ground the moment she leaps out of the dorms.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
-Torina has started hosting weekly karaoke nights every Thursday evening.
-Torina has managed to badger Hammer Academy's librarian enough with her enthusiasm in order to get some part time work at the library.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
-Knowledge takes place front and center as both Torina's personal drug and anti-drug of choice. She will go quite far out of her way to get it.

-Said lust for knowledge has made quite the open-minded person. After all, she needs to be a good listener if she hopes to learn as much as she can.

-However, it has resulted her being quite the hedonist as she loves to "taste" the world. She started that karaoke night for the party atmosphere and excitement!

-Torina is very open to helping her friends. Despite how much she pries for information and prides it highly above a lot of things, she cherishes what she learns and her friends are ever-growing representations of those memories she's made.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.
In her first year at Hammer Academy, Torina hopes to make a massive "Book of Friends" detailing all the wonderful people she's met and everything about them. Hopefully at least a good fifty souls if she can help it. However, that is quickly devolving into a "Book of Culture" in general is she keeps building subsections regarding the features, foods, and locals of the academy in Toil as she gets lost in her wanderlust. In short, she could really use a guiding hand to keep her on track before she ends up expelled or found dead in a back alley for knowing "the wrong thing" as she tries to complete this endeavor.

Her first task is to get involved in looking into the Free Bird Protests since she sees an opportunity to be one of the first record this bit of history as it goes on. If she does not have a friend guiding her way though, she is as good as dead. Especially when she have a few letters Bojack wants her to deliver.

[shengami]

@ Yukina

Hi~~! Torina is cute. As a fellow knowledge-phile, I can relate to that thirst to know. I like how it has lead her to be a bit heedlessly hedonistic. She wants to try all the things she read about. The tension of wanting to fulfill her personal desire to explore while also feeling responsible for her parents is a nice tension for the character. Also, love the chainsaw staff...

But I wanted to poke you on a couple things.

I want to come from somewhere other than Johtan/Onyx, may I?
The short answer is no. In fact, ideally, all characters from this round of recruitment will come from Onyx specifically. Traveling around the world is rare, and in the first round of recruitment we already (unintentionally) opened the door to a lot of characters who came from far away. Most people, unless they are Champions, don’t ever leave the place they are born.

If your concept requires so deeply that you be from somewhere else, you’re welcome to pitch it to me. But a few notes… First, this is not a challenge. Do not try to pitch ideas to be from elsewhere just because you can. Secondly, if you are going to be from somewhere else, you really need to be a very story-relevant reason why you’re not there. Something I can play with and is interesting, so you’ll need to bring your best work.

I think you considered this, but i just wanted to poke it. Cause, Mirat is on the other side of the world from hammer/Johtan. If all she wanted was to be a champion, why not go to Instinct much closer to home? Why travel sooooo far? Did she just wash up here? Or was Johtan where she was when she decided to assuage her parents' worry a bit? I think it makes sense for her to have traveled, it's a big part of her backstory. But... you know. Just poking.

The other thing I wanted to poke was the book:

In her first year at Hammer Academy, Torina hopes to make a massive "Book of Friends" detailing all the wonderful people she's met and everything about them. Hopefully at least a good fifty souls if she can help it. However, that is quickly devolving into a "Book of Culture" in general is she keeps building subsections regarding the features, foods, and locals of the academy in Toil as she gets lost in her wanderlust. In short, she could really use a guiding hand to keep her on track before she ends up expelled or found dead in a back alley for knowing "the wrong thing" as she tries to complete this endeavor.

I like this idea but it's a little hard to interact with as a fellow player unless she is seen writing in this tome frequently or has made it known... So, what is one event or person that has made it's way into the tome? Ermm, like, an entry for Marlowe Ashe or Meena Tor or even a professor as an example?

Hope my poking is not too overbearing! Lovely CS. Look forward to your thoughts.

[Rashol]

Ooo ooo ooo can I ask a question then. Coming from in and around onyx. Doesn't that limit our favoured terrain options?

Since onyx isn't say an arctic climate, or a desert they might be rare/banned for this recruitment?

EDIT: there's a whole blank area to the south that could feasibly be desert or jungle depending on requirements so maybe..

[FyreFoxx]

Ooo ooo ooo can I ask a question then. Coming from in and around onyx. Doesn't that limit our favoured terrain options?

Since onyx isn't say an arctic climate, or a desert they might be rare/banned for this recruitment?

EDIT: there's a whole blank area to the south that could feasibly be desert or jungle depending on requirements so maybe..

I don't think it would. Example, Lyra is from Unovia, and while this current line up should be from Johtan, Lyra's terrain options have nothing to do with where she's from. Her affinity is Aquatic and Arctic, with Urban and Mountain as weaknesses. Unovia was described as more of a desert continent, similar to Australia. So it's more based on her design and elemental choices, with her affinity being Water and one weakness being Earth, than where she's physically from. Terrain affinities were described to me as, quoting Aethy, "just familiarity with how to best utilize it / fight in it / adapt to its specifics" and "a knowledge / comfort / familiairty / adaptability / etc in fighting in a specific type of location."

Hope that helps!

[Rashol]

@FyreFoxx It does thanks. 

I'm really struggling to come up with a character... ;_;

Part of me wants to use my old shimmer in some form.

But it doesn't fit the character in my head anymore, but I don't know how to make the character in my head more interesting because right now they are boring and simple ;_;

[shengami]

@FyreFoxx It does thanks.

I'm really struggling to come up with a character... ;_;

Part of me wants to use my old shimmer in some form.

But it doesn't fit the character in my head anymore, but I don't know how to make the character in my head more interesting because right now they are boring and simple ;_;

That old shimmer was super neat.

Talk the character out some them. We'll brainstorm with you. What's the core concept? Got some neat art? An idea for a background? Shoot!

If it helps, here's some concepts that don't exist currently (as Pcs, some of these are prepped by NPCs):
A thief type
A paragon type
Techie type
Nautical type
Pair Type (something like Kiba?)
Support Type
Sonic Focused Type
Martial Artist Type
Face/Social Type
Cook Type
Epic Swordsman Type
Mounted Type
Twin Type (if that's a concept that Aethy would accept)

Anyway, like I said, we can brainstorm!

[Rashol]

@shengami
I'm not really married to any particular thing just yet. So the list really helps, but I have to limit myself because I can't do everything ;) in the time I have.

Current tiny germ of idea.
Desert based (maybe)
Travelled around with his family transporting arcanite the capital

Weapon... Umm.. yeah stuck here Umbrella/Heavy Machine Gun, maybe... I think we may have two martial arts type people in the current crop of submissions so I was really uncertain which direction to take this.
(Though I did think just a pair of tonfa, no transformation; as in they are literally a pair of metal struts from the old arcanite transport.)

[shengami]

@shengami
I'm not really married to any particular thing just yet. So the list really helps, but I have to limit myself because I can't do everything ;)

Current tiny germ of idea.
Desert based (maybe)
Travelled around with his family transporting arcanite the capital

Weapon... Umm.. yeah stuck here Umbrella/Heavy Machine Gun, maybe...
I think we may have two martial arts type people in the current crop of submissions.

Wip

There is an NPC that has an assault rifle/pistols combo, but not many other gun types.

I am unsure just how MUCH Aethy has filled in the map, but there could be a patch of desert somewhere on Johtan. Do recall she'd prefer if everyone was from Johtan/Onyx this round.

Thinking about machine guns, that's a type we don't have. Like a heavy support type. Grenades, rockets, heavy suppressing fire. Hmmm, there is a thriving mercenary scene in Johtan. Groups that specialize in protecting those who travel from village to village? After all, everywhere in the world other than the big cities is dangerous as hell.

As for what's in the current group, don't worry about it. Make a better version. Haha. The gam focuses heavily on combat types. We're champions. But a logistics type or support type or like that could be fun. A shimmer where you get a sort of HUD display of the immediate area like a form of super perception?

For fun, since I was one of the main Johtan natives... the cuisine of the are is very American based. Lots of meat, barbecue, bread, stews, etc. Could be a southwester type region somewhere. Don't be afraid to put something like that in your CS. Makes things fun.

And finally, the list was just meant to give some brain babies. If one stuck out to you.

[Rashol]

@shengami
The point of my original shimmer was in came with a whole ton of baggage and wasn't exactly flexible. I tried to make sure it only did one thing otherwise it was going to be too strong.

So it didn't detect hollow weaknesses. It wasn't danger sense it just literally did "hollow that way" but the point was it did "hollow that way" all the time (and had a range like half the planet)

I suspect when the hollow attacked onyx (if I use this one)  he would literally have collapsed unconscious just before the attack started, because his shimmer detected everything all at once and overrode his ability to cope with it.

But... Still doesn't help the rest of the concept... ><

Map mode sounds fun though :)

[shengami]

@shengami
The point of my original shimmer was in came with a whole ton of baggage and wasn't exactly flexible. I tried to make sure it only did one thing otherwise it was going to be too strong.

So it didn't detect hollow weaknesses. It wasn't danger sense it just literally did "hollow that way" but the point was it did "hollow that way" all the time (and had a range like half the planet)

I suspect when the hollow attacked onyx (if I use this one)  he would literally have collapsed unconscious just before the attack started, because his shimmer detected everything all at once and overrode his ability to cope with it.

But... Still doesn't help the rest of the concept... ><

Map mode sounds fun though :)

Oh right, forgot that shimmer.

Also, could use robots. That's a thing in this setting. There's even an underground robot fighting ring...

That's another cool idea. A shimmer that lets you link up to and control a robot...

[Yukina]

@ Yukina

Hi~~! Torina is cute. As a fellow knowledge-phile, I can relate to that thirst to know. I like how it has lead her to be a bit heedlessly hedonistic. She wants to try all the things she read about. The tension of wanting to fulfill her personal desire to explore while also feeling responsible for her parents is a nice tension for the character. Also, love the chainsaw staff...

But I wanted to poke you on a couple things.

I think you considered this, but i just wanted to poke it. Cause, Mirat is on the other side of the world from hammer/Johtan. If all she wanted was to be a champion, why not go to Instinct much closer to home? Why travel sooooo far? Did she just wash up here? Or was Johtan where she was when she decided to assuage her parents' worry a bit? I think it makes sense for her to have traveled, it's a big part of her backstory. But... you know. Just poking.

The other thing I wanted to poke was the book:

I like this idea but it's a little hard to interact with as a fellow player unless she is seen writing in this tome frequently or has made it known... So, what is one event or person that has made it's way into the tome? Ermm, like, an entry for Marlowe Ashe or Meena Tor or even a professor as an example?

Hope my poking is not too overbearing! Lovely CS. Look forward to your thoughts.

Hey, Shengami. :) Glad to hear you like my smiling sociological slasher.

Oh, both. :) On one hand, it ensures that she at least gets to ride on a long boat journey with a bunch of majestic views. On the other hand, she picked it because it looks (relatively) safe(r) for her parents.

Seeing as the book is very much devolving into her personal scrapbook, it always seems to be on her person as Torina scrawls in new sights, sounds, and smells! :) Farrah Tinkerspan most likely had one of her first entries because she just had to draw those muscles in her book! She was very distracted by them.

I definitely don't mind the poking. It helps me flesh out stuff :)

[Rashol]

Oh right, forgot that shimmer.

Also, could use robots. That's a thing in this setting. There's even an underground robot fighting ring...

That's another cool idea. A shimmer that lets you link up to and control a robot...

I would argue too broad. It's technically one thing. But it could lead to a while bunch of other things. As in oh I need to link to a big stompy robot. No problem.
I need to link to a robot that flies. There we go.

 I know I that it relies on having those robots.. but I'm not sure I want to go down that road.

[Crash]

If it helps, here's some concepts that don't exist currently (as Pcs, some of these are prepped by NPCs):
A thief type
A paragon type
Techie type
Nautical type
Pair Type (something like Kiba?)
Support Type
Sonic Focused Type
Martial Artist Type
Face/Social Type
Cook Type
Epic Swordsman Type
Mounted Type
Twin Type (if that's a concept that Aethy would accept)

I really wouldn’t worry about this too much.

Meena is the very definition of a support type character, but she isn’t on this team so it opens things up for others to play their version of it.

Overlap isn’t bad either.  There are 4-6 members in a team.  Everyone will know how to do a little of everything.


Find a character you just want to play.  Personality, interesting background, fun secrets they have.  Build that.  Weapons, fighting style and shimmer can be informed by that later.

Maybe that will help with any analysis paralysis you might have.

[Aethyrium]

@VVitch let's talk Maria...!

Actually I don't think I have (m)any notes for you. Lol. Stats look good. Weapon is neat. Shimmer is solid. I think you've got a really good story built here, and it just so happens to fit in with some of the scenes that are happening/building up right now. If taken, I have lots of ideas that come very easily to mind for Maria.

All in all, fantastic submission. Really excited about her.


Let's see what you've got for me this time, @Yukina!

So first note (and this is my fault, I realize I didn't include it in the updated recruitment, oops) real quick is the image. We only use art here, so I'll need you to find some art that fits and change the image out. Sorry about that!

Stats look good. Chainsaw staff is neat. Really like her Shimmer, that's a fun ability, super visual.

Tell me a little bit about her wings - how are you envisioning them? Are they independent wings, like a typical rendition of an angel? Or more like, feathery wings attached to her arms? Silenus traits like this do exist, but they're pretty rare - and full flight is a lot to pump into a ribbon ability. This might fit better as a gliding ability, or a "falling with style" ability, making use of air Arcanite... Hrm. I'll need to consider on this a little more, so I encourage you to start thinking tweaks or other traits and I'll let you know what the verdict is once I've woken up more.

Overall, I think Torina is a neat concept and I'm happy to see her. There is one semi-large note though, and that has to do with her coming from Mirat. I talked about this in this post (bold question #5).

While you have done a good job of weaving Mirat into her story, I don't think this meets the burden of being a very story-relevant reason why you're not there. Traveling to Johtan would have been infinitely more dangerous than just going to Ruby and attending Instinct. Not to mention harder, more expensive, less accessible... The list really goes on and on. In fact, your story has this bit about her being a Champion specifically so she can travel and do what she wants - but by being from Mirat and having literally already spanned the globe, she's more traveled than most (99%+ of all people) will ever travel in their entire lives.

So, I think I'd like to see that part changed up. Oooor, finding a very story-specific reason that this has happened.

How long are you thinking that Torina has been away from home and in Onyx? This dojo that she joined, is this in Hoenan, or in Johtan?

And finally, the last question. Her book is fantastic! But that's a very personal journey she seems to be on. I'm not sure it's hooky enough for other players to be able to grab onto and actively do something with. Or maybe a better way to say this is that, it's very broad, which makes it feel very intangible. So I'd like to see this changed up... But I think you can do that by drilling down and maybe presenting a couple of very specific things that she wants to experience for recording in her book. Just make sure that these are actual hooks and not things like, "I want to try pasta" or "I want to meet an elf".

Really, she's a great concept Yuki, and I think with a few tweaks you're gonna be right on the money. ^^

[VVitch]

@VVitch let's talk Maria...!

Actually I don't think I have (m)any notes for you. Lol. Stats look good. Weapon is neat. Shimmer is solid. I think you've got a really good story built here, and it just so happens to fit in with some of the scenes that are happening/building up right now. If taken, I have lots of ideas that come very easily to mind for Maria.

All in all, fantastic submission. Really excited about her.

Awh, you charmer. Thank you! I'm excited for her too.

[Aethyrium]

Ooo ooo ooo can I ask a question then. Coming from in and around onyx. Doesn't that limit our favoured terrain options?

Nope! Favored Terrain can be explained in a lot of ways. A terrain might be favored because you have experience there. Or maybe just because your fighting style is complimented by it. Maybe because it clicks well and it's comfortable. There are a host of reasons a character might favor a terrain they've never actually had access too.

And in general, we just broadly wanna limit people down like that! So go wild, no justification needed. But you're more than welcome to self impose those limits. Also Johtan to the south is largely plains and what have you.

I'm really struggling to come up with a character... ;_;

Well we can fix that! Sorta. XD

Current tiny germ of idea.
Desert based (maybe)
I think we may have two martial arts type people in the current crop of submissions so I was really uncertain which direction to take this.

Like shen said, I wouldn't worry too much about there being other fighting types. That's... Sorta the nature of the game. We're all fighting types.

Taking a quick glance at the sheet's submitted there's a very heavy lean toward speed-based characters vs. strength based characters (18 total strength dots compared to 27 total speed dots). Now this isn't an issue in anyway, but if you're looking to lean into something that's not present you might consider a strength based option.

And I think you've got some solid ideas right there. There is a desert on the far side of the mountains in Johtan, and it extends a bit on the eastern side as well. Someone who trasports Arcanite back to Onyx seems very feasible. And gives me fun "bulwark" style combat vibes. We haven't seen like a big defensively focused character yet, a "tank", so that could be a fun direction to go.

[Envious]

@Yukina

Some of her fellow friends sought to travel doing the good work as part of the Red Fang and they led her there in the assumption that just maybe it would either make her quit or join the path of theirs they deemed safer.

This is a neat idea! Did she end up joining the Red Fangs?

@Aethyrium Is that possible? Cause that would be very fun with current plot points.

[Aethyrium]

This is a neat idea! Did she end up joining the Red Fangs?

Is that possible? Cause that would be very fun with current plot points.

This is a neat idea, and something I was mulling over as a good reason for her to be here. Tis why I wanted to know how long she's thinking she's been in Onyx.

I do think that this is feasible. It'd come with some story burden that would need to be played into, but I could absolutely some plotting. It solves the Mirat origin question of why this is, and also would give some immediate tie into some things that are happening in game right now. I think it could be a cool route to go, if @Yukina wants to have that sort of narrative weight added right out the gate!

Also, after some consideration @Yukina, I do think we need to make adjustments to the Silenus trait. I've been tossing it around in my head, and it's just bigger than the PC traits were ever intended. These are minor(ish) traits, worth around "1 dot". Total flight is just, unfortunately, way above it - this is like a Shimmer level ability, which is where the issue stems.

But I'm up for the wings as her feature, and a gliding trait could be neat - that could be posed as she's entirely immune to falling, provided that she's not unconscious. And that has some fun implications that give her an edge. Also might give her the ability to recover from otherwise precarious situations (falling with style sure would have helped some characters in the current Chapter! XD)

Oh, and an idea about your book. Turning it into something specific that other people can interact with is the goal. So having a specific thing she wants to do. Like say (if you wanna tie it to current plot things), Torina might want to get in with the Freebirds so she can get in and record the social division that's happening in Onyx right now.

It needn't be that exactly, but that's the sort of thing that other players can more readily grab onto and run with and help with, that the question is really trying to get at.

[Yukina]

This is a neat idea, and something I was mulling over as a good reason for her to be here. Tis why I wanted to know how long she's thinking she's been in Onyx.

I do think that this is feasible. It'd come with some story burden that would need to be played into, but I could absolutely some plotting. It solves the Mirat origin question of why this is, and also would give some immediate tie into some things that are happening in game right now. I think it could be a cool route to go, if @Yukina wants to have that sort of narrative weight added right out the gate!

Admittedly, I already finished her edits to start in Oynx, so that works with me. :) Do you want me to edit it back so she was at least born in Mirat though?

Also, after some consideration Yukina, I do think we need to make adjustments to the Silenus trait. I've been tossing it around in my head, and it's just bigger than the PC traits were ever intended. These are minor(ish) traits, worth around "1 dot". Total flight is just, unfortunately, way above it - this is like a Shimmer level ability, which is where the issue stems.

But I'm up for the wings as her feature, and a gliding trait could be neat - that could be posed as she's entirely immune to falling, provided that she's not unconscious. And that has some fun implications that give her an edge. Also might give her the ability to recover from otherwise precarious situations (falling with style sure would have helped some characters in the current Chapter! XD)

As for the wings, I've already edited them down to gliding purposes.  In turn, I've made the air arcanite in the scythe generate gusts of air she tries to ride on (though I can edit it back if you desire).

Oh, and an idea about your book. Turning it into something specific that other people can interact with is the goal. So having a specific thing she wants to do. Like say (if you wanna tie it to current plot things), Torina might want to get in with the Freebirds so she can get in and record the social division that's happening in Onyx right now.

I looked a bit into the Freebirds post and that would definitely be the first task on her list to start. (She might even be passing some correspondence for the Red Fangs?)

[Aethyrium]

Admittedly, I already finished her edits to start in Oynx, so that works with me. :) Do you want me to edit it back so she was at least born in Mirat though?

If you've already updated things for her just being an Onyx native, then you can totally stick with that. The Red Fang bit was just an optional thought to make being from Mirat story relevant.

So I suppose it's really up to you, which way you'd like to go!

As for the wings, I've already edited them down to gliding purposes.  In turn, I've made the air arcanite in the scythe generate gusts of air she tries to ride on (though I can edit it back if you desire).

To make sure I'm understanding, you're saying that the weapon has a property which allows it to generate gusts of wind?

[Yukina]

If you've already updated things for her just being an Onyx native, then you can totally stick with that. The Red Fang bit was just an optional thought to make being from Mirat story relevant.

So I suppose it's really up to you, which way you'd like to go!

I'll edit it back then. I'll just edit it as well so Bojack is the worst Red Fang support option if they were wanted to keep her in Mirat among other things.

To make sure I'm understanding, you're saying that the weapon has a property which allows it to generate gusts of wind?

Correct. Enough to generate lift, but not enough to be a viable attack option.

[Yukina]

Edits made. :)

[Juggtacular]

Fine. I'll put my app in tomorrow.

[Aethyrium]

Edits made. :)

Let's see here...!

New image is workable, thank you for that. Do you mind if we do some cropping so it fits the 225x300 framework typically used? I can take care of edits and hosting for you, if that's easier. I just really prefer more or less uniformity from player headers.

Okay so this updated weapon with the air power enough to glide but not attack. This seems a reasonable property for it to have. I want to kind of get a feel for what you're thinking about her everyday use. I assume your intent is to tie this to her combat style, and have it be semi-aerial and mobile. But on the daily, I wanna make sure that we're clear that... People flying around is not really a thing that happens. If she like, tries to go gliding through town there are liable to be issues (remember that Silenus discrimination is a real thing, and this is a surefire way to draw very negative attention)... I guess the thing I want to make sure here is that the tone doesn't suffer a hit - her using her wings as a combat trick, and generally in the course of her role as a champion is one thing. But what I don't want is the weapon being used as this omni-present wind generator that has her may-as-well-be-flying all the time. Wings are a decidedly rare Silenus trait that weren't really intended for player use... So I wanna balance letting you do your fun thing with also having told other Silenus concepts that they had to stick to the script.

Alright, so her origins, looks like you edited back to the Mirat bit. So if I'm understanding, she was trained by Bojack, and then her friends finally convinced her to go join the Red Fang, and then... That would have been when the Red Fang assigned her to go travel with some of their people to Onyx. And Bojack approved of this, and used his connections at that point to help her get into Hammer? Which implies Bojack is a member of the Red Fang (which is fine by me). Am I tracking this right?

If so, then I think we're good. If Torina ends up being selected, you and I will need to do a little plotting about the Red Fang and figuring out some timing and stuff.

[Aethyrium]

Fine. I'll put my app in tomorrow.

Ooo, hello there! Looking forward to seeing who you pop out for us!

[CurvyKitten]

Would kick boxing be brawl or melee?

[Aethyrium]

Would kick boxing be brawl or melee?

Brawl!

[Amarlo]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○

Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness

Sound, Lightning | Fire, Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Urban, Forest | Frost

Mugi Stone

Amarlo

Ancestry: Silenus (Crow)
Gender | Pronouns: Cis-female | She/her
Sexuality: Hetero

Age: 19 soon 20
Height: 5’1”
Body Build: Curvaceous
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Heterochromatic Silver & Purple


Weapon




Upon first glance it just looks like some old rusted Kanabo, almost like a five and a half foot long spiky baseball bat, but this thing is a thing of beauty. When gripped, the device reads the details of her hands before the border of every spike lights of a malevolent purple. Every swing provides amplified force, taking her strength and multiplying it until her opponent is turned into ground beef. On the flip side it can also provide a much needed safe haven, pulsing to life from the very tippy top, hard light flares out in a large circle like a translucent umbrella. Soul can be added to amplify these effects even further.

Shimmer
Freeze Frame - An ability which allows her to freeze people and/or things within 20 feet range of sight for a single second at a time. This is not a time based ability so much as telekinetic, making people aware they were frozen.

Special Trait - ?
Suggestion: Mugi has True Grit which allows her to grit through the pain when receiving wounds and emotional trauma. It’s not that she doesn’t feel it but she can shove it into the back of her mind until it's safer to open that hellhole box later.

Silenus Advantage

Uncanny Equilibrium
Represents a crow's ability to adapt and adjust to competing extremes of motion and sometimes even pressure. Thus a crow with this ability can balance all of these external factors so as to always maintain a regulated sense of pressure and balance. Such as during flight. Thus, Mugi is capable of adjusting her position by instinct, enabling her to balance herself on surfaces as narrow as a pencil.



Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

It’s assumed that Mugi was born somewhere in Onyx city. She was found wandering somewhere in the eastern quarter when she was turned into the state. She was never claimed, assumed the surname of the city’s abandoned and spent the majority of her childhood between orphanages and foster homes. As such she doesn’t actually know her genetic lineage. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have people she considers important to her like family, however. She has many ‘siblings’. Note: Stone is the last name the city gives children who have been surrendered to them but not adopted out.

Medina Guerrero - 72  – Dead – Foster Guardian
Virginia Mason - 24 – Eastern Quarter PD - Bunk Sister
Arata Stone - 18 – Black Lotus, Western Quarter - Bunk Brother, Mongrel Brother
Missy Zynthean - 19 – Dead - Bunk Sister, Mongrel Sister
Aine Stone – 17 – Foster care, Eastern Quarter – Bunk sister
Emmette Stone – 15 – MIA, Eastern Quarter – Bunk Brother, Mongrel brother

Emmanuel Jorsen – 31 – Black Lotus, Central – Mongrel Sponsor
Whitney Ashida – 29 – Black Lotus, Western – Mongrel Sponsor
Xyxel Dane – 21 – MIA – Mongrel Brother
Keira Drake – 20 – Black Lotus, Eastern Quarter – Mongrel Sister
Jorge Gaines –  20 – Black Lotus, Southern Quarter – Mongrel Brother
Lance Kuso – 19 – Black Lotus, Southern Quarter – Mongrel Brother
Seiza Loveless – 18 – Dead – Mongrel sister
Jackson Imperial – 17 – Dead – Mongrel brother

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?
…That is one long complicated story. As far as what’s on paper? Mugi was abandoned as a toddler and taken in as a ward of the city. She spent much of her childhood dealing with rotten children and rotten adults while moving in and out of foster homes, orphanages and state funded group homes they used to toss their older wards into.

At one point she was almost convinced she was born from a hollow. After all, if you grow up hearing it enough you start to believe it. Her Silenus resemblance to one of Toil’s most well known hollows had many dumb kids, and even some dumb adults, taking out their fear, grief and anger on her. She was eventually tired of being bullied and started fighting back with a vengeance, getting her into all sorts of trouble throughout her teen years. Then even more so when she and some friends were sucked into gang activity. Maybe that was why everyone was so shocked, and in some cases felt betrayed, when she decided to break away and become a champion. But after what happened? After everything blew up in her face? Who could blame her for trying to claw her way out?

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
Guilt and duty. Guilt is a constant companion pushing her towards her goals, which are best served as a champion. There are people she failed and lost. That she helped lead into disaster in the first place that she feels she owes a debt, and this seems like the best way to repay it. Additionally, she grew tired of feeling sorry for herself. She was ashamed that she allowed herself to feel so victimized she let it turn her into a monster. A monster every bit as similar to the hollow they accused her of being.

As such it is her goal to prove otherwise, both to herself and those idiots. She wants to help create a world where less children have to grow up like her and her fellow deserted.She wants to figure out a source for the hollow. She wants to study their reproductive habits, and perhaps help find a way to stunt their population to more manageable sizes. She wants to lead by example, so those friends she once fought beside know that they can make something more of themselves. That they can leave that life they thought they had to live. She also wants to personally have a hand in the Black Lotus's destruction.

That said, she’s afraid she’ll never know where she came from. That she’ll never know why she was wandering the East quarter alone, or who her family was. She’s afraid she’ll get sucked back into her old world. That she will forever feel like an imposter among heroes. More than that, she’s afraid of making another mistake.


How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
It started in her early childhood. As you can imagine many of the kids trapped living together under one roof had some behavioral issues, considering they were either abandoned or grieving the death of their parents. Bullying ran rampant. Children were little shits. The facility’s rules were unproductive. Cliques became a thing early on – more like packs. They protected their own. She learned to fight through experience either defending herself or those of her little pack. She grew very close to her bunk siblings.

However, her skills didn’t truly start blooming until she was in her mid teens. A year older than her, one of their pack was tempted into a honey trap that became a domino effect for the rest of their bunk. Each year new orphans were recruited into the Mongrels – a gang name definitely created by dumb teenagers. It was a junior cell meant to eventually graduate into full fledged Black Lotus. They had two sponsors, mentors of sorts, from the Lotus’ that were given the task of raising these pups into beasts.

Meanwhile, she was being fostered by her third wanna-be guardian. Except this woman was…special. Instead of chaining Mugi down with attempts at discipline and punishment, she gave her something else to focus her energy on. She kept Mugi on her toes, helping her harness the relentless tension gripping her for something more productive. Guerrero was a retired Champion, you see. She had Mugi under her belt for two and a half years before she passed.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
The first mixed martial arts competition Mugi ever won was as the student of Guerrero, Jorsen and Ashida. The thrill. The rush of excitement. The proud knowing the old woman seemed to have in her eyes. It wasn’t even a major competition! But it was the first time anyone looked at her like she could make something of herself.

She let Guerrero die alone while she was being rebellious, destructive and angsty with her fellow Mongrels. It still haunts Mugi to this day.




Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Mugi was very nervous, and although her voice was quiet and she didn’t talk much, she tried her best to be amiable.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Mugi claims to have 11 siblings, but also has the last name Stone.

Mugi brought a blanket with her that she is very protective of and sleeps with every night. She once thought it went missing and looked ready to slaughter everyone in the entire building. Including her team. After finding the blanket she mumbled an apology and wouldn’t look anyone in the eye again for the rest of the night. She did, however, crawl straight into bed with her blanket and a book.

Mugi can be bought with good food…but can’t cook worth a damn. Her favorite meal to cook in the dorms is what she calls “fancy ramen”, a doctored up version of instant ramen.

Mugi reacts more dramatically to loud noises or being snuck up on than your typical pretty princess.

Her hair isn’t actually hair, but is made of the same downy barb fibers as on feathers. 

She gets distracted by cool toys, both for kids and gaming.

Don’t talk to her in the morning until she gets her first cup of coffee.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Mugi will drink you under the table.

Mugi will try to turn any sort of studying into some kind of game or a stupid song. She hates normal book studying. On that note, she also likes to make terrible puns when the opportunity presents itself.

Did I mention Mugi can be bought with food?

Threatened to gut another student in the first week of classes, for apparently touching her earwings.

Thinks obstacle courses are playgrounds.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
Mugi took some of the stipends each student is allowed during attendance, left the island and went to the Eastern Quarter. There she went grocery shopping, bought a bunch of groceries but didn’t return with any of them.

Mugi took some of the stipends each student is allowed during attendance, left the island and went to the Eastern Quarter. There she went supply shopping, but didn’t return with any of them.

Mugi largely stays up on the island as much as she can, not that she hides from people. She will go out in groups, but she tries to busy herself with fun thing in the safety of the academy grounds.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
Mugi is very interested in gathering money itself.

Mugi has an instinctive urge to perch in high places…

She really loves to play.

She wants to make friends, but she’s terrified of how they’ll react if they find out about how much of a wretch she is.

Mugi has an intense protective streak when it comes to females. This isn’t a sexual thing.

HATES the Black Lotus with a passion.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.


WaNnA KnOw hOw I gOt ThEsE sCaRs? Ask.

Hey Mugi, why did you come back to the dorms with a busted lip?

Hey Mugi, if you help me do ____ I’ll give you _____ food/money?

Oh no, Mugi is sick! Come baby her.

I WANNA PLAY!

Let’s go on an adventure!

Mugi knows some pretty bad people. She's trying to stay out of sight and out of mind. What if someone recognized her?

Hey Mugi, what are you spending all your money on? You are just eating ramen at home and you're not buying anything else. So what gives?



 

[Juggtacular]

Ooo, hello there! Looking forward to seeing who you pop out for us!

I look forward to your forward looking.

[CurvyKitten]

Brawl!

Excellent! I picked right! Working on sheet as we speak. May get it done before I sleep we shall see. Will at the very least get a w.i.p posted. 

[Envious]

@Amarlo  Hi, boo.

[Miss Nyx]

Idk why the smol girls are just so adorable. 😂

[Amarlo]

@Amarlo  Hi, boo.

Hi bby. ;3 Missed you.

[FyreFoxx]

Lyra might not be the tiniest anymore!

(For reference, she's the shortest currently on team Gravity at 5'4")

[shengami]

@Amarlo Neat character. not sure that High School is a thing though. Haha. That shimmer is kinda powerful! But neat. Adore the Silenus trait! I see she is already making problems for us...

@CurvyKitten Looking forward to it!

[Amarlo]

@Amarlo Neat character. not sure that High School is a thing though. Haha. That shimmer is kinda powerful! But neat. Adore the Silenus trait! I see she is already making problems for us...

Got rid of the high school parts. I meant to remove them earlier but missed a few by accident. ^^;

[shengami]

Got rid of the high school parts. I meant to remove them earlier but missed a few by accident. ^^;

Coolio!!

Another orphan... heh.

Chee (PC) and Velvet (NPC) also orphans. so, my have points of connection.

[Amarlo]

Coolio!!

Another orphan... heh.

Chee (PC) and Velvet (NPC) also orphans. so, my have points of connection.

I am very open to points of connections. I love building them and plotting. With that I must confess it would be a little harder to connect them with him growing up in Seabreeze. Not through the orphan route, at least. As I understand, people don't travel much, if at all, due to the hollow situation. With that said, they can still very likely relate to each other at least. I think Chee is pretty neat. Mouse Silenus was a good pick. He's adorable too. 

[shengami]

I am very open to points of connections. I love building them and plotting. With that I must confess it would be a little harder to connect them with him growing up in Seabreeze. Not through the orphan route, at least. As I understand, people don't travel much, if at all, due to the hollow situation. With that said, they can still very likely relate to each other at least. I think Chee is pretty neat. Mouse Silenus was a good pick. He's adorable too. 

Rat-born but I understand the image and his size speak Mouse. Haha.

It was less a history/background connection and more something they might discover IC. Chee has not been around Hammer before now. He's also new! So, it's something they might discover once they he shows up.

Velvet has been around campus and might have connection to Mugi. Velvet is Chee's 'sister' via the orphanage they lived in.

That said, Chee moved to Onyx when he was thirteen and lived in eastern quarter with his mercenary adopted father.

[Juggtacular]

Strength ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Stamina  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Soul     ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Melee    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged   ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Earth | Sonic

Terran Specialty | Weakness
Urban, Forest | Arctic, Grassland

Axellion "Axel" Volündr

Juggtacular

Ancestry: Silenus
Gender | Pronouns: Male | He/Him
Sexuality: Heterosexual

Age: 19
Height: 7'
Body Build: Muscular, Athletic
Hair Color: Black w/ Colored Highlights
Eye Color: Gold

Weapon
Brute Rhapsody

Axel's weapons exist as a pair of gauntlets and greaves worn over his forearms/hands and shins/feet, as well as a tail covering known collectively as "Brute Rhapsody". They are branded with his family crest, and each piece is fitted with a pressurized piston that can be "fired" on impact, drastically increasing the force of his blows and even causing damage through armor.

The tailpiece doesn't have a piston and can instead project stone spikes along its length to increase the lethality of Axel's swipes and slams with his fifth appendage. In place of an alternate form, Brute Rhapsody can launch grappling chains that allow Axel to maneuver around his environment faster or even temporarily incapacitate opponents.

Shimmer

Axel's Shimmer allows him to access the primal nature of his lizard Silenus ancestry. When he taps into this ability, his adrenaline and endorphins spike to levels off the charts, and he can actively shut off the limiters the brain puts on the body to utilize greater levels of strength and speed while ignoring pain and injury due to the surge of chemicals.

Silenus Trait - Van der Waals
Like geckos, Axel has thousands of imperceptible tiny hair-like structures on his hands, feet, and other portions of his body. These allow him to cling to and scale across practically any surface, even walls and ceilings with ease through the use of "Van der Waals Force". The attraction is even strong enough for him to carry people and objects with him.

Axel is a Dracolisk Silenus, a race of lizards who are said to be descended from dragons.

Special Trait - ?
?

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?
Axel was born into wealth in the Northern Quarter of Onyx to wealth and opulence as the eldest son of Bellion and Zirena Volündr, the current co-heads of Blüdwing, one of the oldest and premier Silenus-led mercenary corps in the world. There are also his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and several younger siblings in his family, most employed with Blüdwing in some capacity or retired. Axel hails from a long line of Silenus' tracing their family heritage all the way back to the original appearance of the Silenus.

His several times great-grandfather Bellicus fought in the Great War and was one of the first Silenus to rebel and help break the yoke of oppression the elves and humans had placed on their people. Once they had their freedom, he established Blüdwing, gathering the greatest Champions and warriors the Silenus had to offer to not only give them a place of belonging and acceptance, but a way to provide for themselves and their families for generations to come, doing what some of them did best.

Axel has been raised from childhood with a mixture of love and discipline as his parents knew he would take over for them as soon as he was born. He has not only accepted this responsibility, but embraced it, and has put his all into training and learning all he can so he can make them proud when his time comes. He has worn the weight of responsibility and being the "chosen" son on his shoulders since his youth, and while he's butted hands with his parents like any child would, he has toed the line for the most part, seemingly eager to take his place and make his family proud.


What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Axel has lived a life not only of wealth, but of hardship, adventure, and harsh training to prepare him for being the Commander of an entire Mercenary Corp. While he has enjoyed the finer things in life, vacations, and the like, from a young age Axel has also had to endure and understand the sacrifices that come with making such a lifestyle possible. From childhood he's had to wake up early for drills, spend hours training in combat each day, studying, listening to strategies and tactics, you name it.

 He rarely had free time, and the free time that he did have, he had to earn and use wisely. In a word, you could call his life and upbringing "structured". As he got older, his father and uncles even began taking him on missions so he could get first-hand experience of what life was like in the field. He's done everything from recon and security to seeing direct combat against other forces and Hollows.

His decision to join Hammer was more of a foregone conclusion, as becoming a highly-skilled Champion would only add to his accolades and make him a better fit to lead Blüdwing in the future. His parents were proud, but it was expected as they and many more of his family had graduated from an Academy and become Champions themselves. After what happened to his brother, he and his siblings were rarely allowed to go out without an escort or some family member with them, which added another layer of frustration to his life, even if he understood the reasoning behind it.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
While becoming a Champion is essentially a prerequisite to taking over the family business, Axel has grown up hearing stories about their tales and adventures and he wants to experience that for himself. He wants to help people. He wants to kill Hollows.

He wants to make the world a better place and knows he has a much better chance of doing that with the title "Champion" in front of his name. It will also make his family proud, which is one of his biggest wants in life, even knowing he's already done everything they've asked of him. A deeper, more personal reason is that he wants to personally stop things like what happened to his little brother from ever happening to anyone else.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
Axel has received training from multiple instructors over the years in various forms of combat, but his primary teachers have been his parents, his uncles, and his grandparents. All of them are current and retired Champions with multiple battles and victories under their belts. His father and grandfather have been his two most influential Masters, and his fighting style of unpredictable unarmed combat is heavily shaped around their own personal up-close techniques.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
During one of his deployments, he helped his father and uncle Zefros fight off a pack of Hollows and landed the killing blow against a Nevermore. He wears the scar over his eye and the scars on his chest with pride, and the brothers still tell the story of their victory that day whenever the family gets together or they have a rowdy night at the Mess Hall.

Axel's biggest, more regretful failure is the day that the Black Lotus abducted his younger brother Veyron. They were out enjoying the city(one of the rougher areas admittedly) with some of their friends when the girl Veyron had been dating drew him away from the rest of them. Axel believes she used her Shimmer to make him leave the group as the brothers were each others best friends and he never would've left without telling him. By the time he realized his brother was gone and caught up to him, he saw him being restrained and loaded into a car followed by his "girlfriend" while surrounded by armed men. He tried to find out what was going on, but was told it was none of his business. He immediately attacked the group, but he was outnumbered and outgunned. He managed to escape, but he couldn't get to his brother. The only thing he knew was that he'd seen a Black Lotus tattoo on one of the men. Since then his family have spared no expense trying to find Veyron, but have still had no success. He blames himself and has thrown himself into training ever since so one day he can bring his brother home and bring the Black Lotus down.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Axel grew up in a big family as well as an even larger extended family with Blüdwing, so he is used to working with partners and as a team. He's pretty sociable and likable, gets along well with everybody and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He does like to tease as a form of affection though.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

1. Axel is the heir apparent of Blüdwing and a child of privilege but isn't arrogant or stingy with his wealth. He has no problem using it to help himself or those close to him if they need it.
2. He is hard on his teammates and even harder on himself because of the guilt he feels at what happened to Veyron. He wants the people around them to be able to protect themselves so nothing bad can happen to them.
3. Axel is openly antagonistic toward the Black Lotus and anyone who supports them in any fashion.
4. He hasn't had much time for a real social/dating life, so he's making up for lost time.
5. He spends so much time training that when he doesn't have to, he can be found lazing or napping in a comfy spot with lots of sunlight.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

1. He trains. A Lot. And he enjoys sparring given the chance.
2. He is somehow confident and flirty while also shy and withdrawn when the same energy is returned in the beginning. It's a conundrum.
3. He can randomly be found stuck to walls and ceilings all over the place.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

1. He busted up a Black Lotus hangout during a drunken bender, injured multiple members, wrecked the place, and took any information he could find...he also chundered everywhere. (With a friend if interested)
2. He convinced his uncle to take him and some of his friends on a joyride(flight) around the city and the surrounding landscape.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

1. Axel is extremely loyal and caring to family and friends. He will put his life on the line for them without hesitation and square up with anyone or anything if someone he cares about is in trouble.
2. He loves animals and has several pets, including a few he's brought to Hammer with him.
3. Axel probably has the biggest appetite you've ever seen and eats a seemingly impossible amount of food per day.
4. He takes duty and honor almost to the extreme because of how he was raised.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.


Axel has been following every trace, lead, and rumor about the Black Lotus he can find since his brother was abducted. He's willing to delve into Hell itself to find him and will stop at nothing until he does.

He is a proud member of the Red Fang and helps spread their message and does what he can to further their goals in Onyx.

Axel likes to get away from the prim and proper part of society he is born into and get down and dirty when he has the chance. It's also a mental exercise because that same activity is what lost his brother.

TBD

[Aethyrium]

@Amarlo Oh let's see what we see about Mugi, shall we?

Stats look good. Shimmer is neat. Silenus trait seems on point.

Weapon is... Maybe neat. Lol. Okay if I'm understanding here, the idea is that the hard light umbrella is the weapons second mode - it's a stationary, bubble shield? And the amplification of the attack is it's property, which empowers consecutive swings. But it is purely a 'damage' bonus, not say, a shifting of the weapons weight?

Actually, I think... That's my only question. Mugi's a great addition, and I love the natural tie ins your built to the world.

[TheFluffyOne]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Air | Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Forest | Aquatic

Hulta Elderfond

TheFluffyOne

Ancestry: Elf
Gender | Pronouns: Cis-Female | She/Her
Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 19
Height: 5’9
Body Build: Slender yet toned
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Brown

Weapon
Staff of Metis – A thin smooth staff that has small elvish carvings down the body. The staff can be slotted into one single form or be released into two arm length wooden staffs. When channelling her shimmer through the staffs, they seem to sing with an ethereal light hum.

Shimmer
Hulta can manipulate thin tendrils of air, roughly the size of thick ribbon. She can soften them to gently distract, and she can sharpen them to slice through objects. She cannot use them to bind people or grab and drag objects or individuals.

Special Trait –
The whispers of her kin
The knowledge that Hulta has sapped up regarding the Elf race has her reasonably wise in regards of the ‘known’ knowledge. After years of lessons, she has gained the uncanny ability to remember names especially those of elf origin.

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?
Born to Perdan & Torfina Eldenfond, Hulta was a happy accident. Her parents are incredibly intelligent and easily settled into academic roles with their community in Tabor. Perdan and Torfina craved answers to the questions that the texts left unanswered. They were easy candidates for the Jade Summer. Hulta was raised partly in the community of Tabor and partly in the Jade Summer. Knowledge was everything to the Eldenfond family and Hulta quickly learned to greedily take in whatever information came her way.

She has no siblings yet other children who grew up with her in the Jade Summer became her siblings. One in particular Miayra Aldermoon was someone that Hulta would class as a sister. They were inseparable as children and their friendship remained solid even after Hulta was taken for her lessons.

Hulta’s relationship with her parents is closer than expected. While the two academics might come across as cold and lifeless to others, they cherish their only daughter. She has excelled in their expectations and Hulta does whatever she can to keep them happy and safe.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?
Life before her 10th year was carefree. She lapped up any wisdom that her parents gave her, but she still played like a child. She was carefree and naïve. Her shimmer meant that she could sometimes be a terror for her parents associates as she frequently liked to ‘brush’ their papers off the table.

Around the beginning of her tenth year, she started to notice that the adults were talking more. Their voices low and hushed. The words stopped when Hulta came within earshot. An idea had been floated amongst the Jade Summer. There was hidden knowledge. The Champions. Instructions came to her parents, and they explained her new task. She was to become a champion. Learn. Return. The knowledge could be adapted for their kin. That knowledge could prevent another loss to their history. The fate of all that her parents held dear was placed heavily onto her ten-year-old shoulders.

The next nine years felt like they were the same repeated year over and over again. Lessons. Lessons on defensive training. Lessons on Elf history. Lessons on hand-to-hand combat. Lessons on fighting with a staff. Lessons on the importance of retaining Elf Heritage. Lessons after lessons. Little time could be gained for being a teenager, but she had her ‘sister’ to help her with that.

It was expected that she would attend Battle Academy…nay it was required. Her parents are proud of her, those within the Jade Summer are proud of her and Miayra…well, she just wanted Hulta to be her own person and not a tool created for one purpose.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
As much as it was required of her, Hulta has always wanted to aid her people. Not only through information but also as a physical protector. She was often sent to sleep with stories of the Great War. She needs to stop another loss like that from happening in her community. She wants to protect her family, her home and her people.

Hulta is terrified that she will fail. That she will not get the information required or that she will forget details. There is so much riding on her shoulders that the pressure makes it hard to breathe.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
Ser Luran. An elf in his late forties. Trained as a soldier and determined to train Hulta to the same standard. She began lessons with him in her tenth year and continued until she left for Battle Academy. It was through his tutoring that she learned her skill with her staff and how to utilise her shimmer with her weapons.

Lady Trina. An elf in her sixties. She aided Hulta in channelling her shimmer and utilising her abilities. It was through Lady Trina that Hulta developed the ability to sharpen her ‘ribbons’ and use them to slice through objects. First pieces of paper, then fruit and onto larger items. The largest she got to with Lady Trina’s tutorage was a large oak tree that had rotten.

Hulta views Lady Trina as an additional grandmother, whereas Ser Luran is that grumpy yet kind Uncle.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
Immense pride comes from the belief that she is special enough to be selected for such an important task. Her greatest accomplishment was the day that she scaled one of the oldest oaks in Tabor to gain the branch needed for her own staff. It took all of her skill, but she succeeded and her staff is a testament to what she can achieve when her mind is put to something.

Hulta regrets the day that she left her family home for the academy. She couldn’t bring herself to saying goodbye to her parents. All she left was a note and a final glance. Sometimes when she is alone, she wishes that she had that final embrace to make her feel at peace.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Hulta knows that she probably rubbed people up the wrong way when she arrived at the academy. She can be eager and can often ask the wrong question. Having only really had one true friend, Hulta can be seen as desperate for companionship. There are so many new people and so much untapped information hidden in their heads. She probably came across as ditsy or ill-prepared for what was to come but the first example of her skill proved to many people that she was worthy of her placement.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.
Hulta adores her mother and father. She has her mother’s hair but her dad’s eyes.

Hulta will do nearly anything for sweeties. She has a notorious sweet tooth and always has a stash of lemon drops in her pocket.

Her time at the Battle Academy is her first time outside of her home, Tabor, and she feels a little overwhelmed at things that are normal for others. She will also try everything that she can, wanting to experience the world even if it is sometimes rather scary.

The words on her staff are her name, her parents name, her ‘sister’s’ name and the small circles are meant to represent lemon drops.


List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer
For someone so graceful in their fighting, Hulta is clumsy. The more excited she is, the more her feet get tangled underneath her.

Hulta will frequently re-curl locks of her hair with her shimmer. Twirling them around and around until they form the perfect curl.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
Every night, she returns to her room and records every one of her notes in a set script. These notes are then either hidden under the floorboards or attached to the ankle of a carrier pigeon named ‘Smidge’. These notes are normally a strict record of what was completed that day though sometimes she will just write letters to her parents.

On one of her first trips outside of the academy, she had the bad luck to find her pockets emptied by a small gang of pick pockets. The dastardly foes stole every last sweetie that she had on her person. While she was initially petulant and downtrodden, she realised that many of the other students were losing out on cor every time they left the academy. Enlisting a small group of fellow students, Hulta managed to slice through the pick pocketing group and bring a tiny bit of safety back to the streets. It was the first real event that had her showing her skill to her fellow students. She is still very proud of that accomplishment because it actually did something good and lasting.

It didn’t take long for her fellow students to realise that Hulta had never attended a dance or even snuck out late at night. These were both quickly rectified by a late-night sneak out to a dance in a dingy parlour down an even dingier alleyway. Hulta finally achieved that little taste of true freedom. Of doing something that she shouldn’t and feeling free to be just a teenager. The night ended with a sore head from the noise of the music, hiccups from the number of drinks that she downed and a smile that refused to budge even when they narrowly missed being caught.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
Hulta values information and friendship. She wants people to like her for her. She loves being outside and climbing. If she is missing, she will probably be in a tree somewhere. She appreciates people who are confident in themselves and people who treat everyone with respect. She is 100% a teachers pet and will blindly follow orders.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.
Hulta is used to being in full control of her situation. She was trained to be independent, yet she is steadily learning to be a team player. The dire need to rely on someone else to save her would be enough to solidify that she does not need to walk through this life alone.

Hulta is like a hot cup of tea, a teaspoon of optimism, a swirl of blind obedience and a dash of doubt. She will not be everyone’s cup of tea. There will always be someone who is jarringly different to her, but she has yet to meet anyone who has felt like a solid brick wall against her attempts at friendship.

[VVitch]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Air | Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Forest | Aquatic

Hulta Elderfond

TheFluffyOne

Ancestry: Elf
Gender | Pronouns: Cis-Female | She/Her
Sexuality: Bisexual

Age: 19
Height: 5’9
Body Build: Slender yet toned
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Brown

Weapon
Staff of Metis – A thin smooth staff that has small elvish carvings down the body. The staff can be slotted into one single form or be released into two arm length wooden staffs. When channelling her shimmer through the staffs, they seem to sing with an ethereal light hum.

Shimmer
Hulta can manipulate thin tendrils of air, roughly the size of thick ribbon. She can soften them to gently distract, and she can sharpen them to slice through objects. She cannot use them to bind people or grab and drag objects or individuals.

Special Trait –
The whispers of her kin
The knowledge that Hulta has sapped up regarding the Elf race has her reasonably wise in regards of the ‘known’ knowledge. After years of lessons, she has gained the uncanny ability to remember names especially those of elf origin.

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?
Born to Perdan & Torfina Eldenfond, Hulta was a happy accident. Her parents are incredibly intelligent and easily settled into academic roles with their community in Tabor. Perdan and Torfina craved answers to the questions that the texts left unanswered. They were easy candidates for the Jade Summer. Hulta was raised partly in the community of Tabor and partly in the Jade Summer. Knowledge was everything to the Eldenfond family and Hulta quickly learned to greedily take in whatever information came her way.

She has no siblings yet other children who grew up with her in the Jade Summer became her siblings. One in particular Miayra Aldermoon was someone that Hulta would class as a sister. They were inseparable as children and their friendship remained solid even after Hulta was taken for her lessons.

Hulta’s relationship with her parents is closer than expected. While the two academics might come across as cold and lifeless to others, they cherish their only daughter. She has excelled in their expectations and Hulta does whatever she can to keep them happy and safe.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?
Life before her 10th year was carefree. She lapped up any wisdom that her parents gave her, but she still played like a child. She was carefree and naïve. Her shimmer meant that she could sometimes be a terror for her parents associates as she frequently liked to ‘brush’ their papers off the table.

Around the beginning of her tenth year, she started to notice that the adults were talking more. Their voices low and hushed. The words stopped when Hulta came within earshot. An idea had been floated amongst the Jade Summer. There was hidden knowledge. The Champions. Instructions came to her parents, and they explained her new task. She was to become a champion. Learn. Return. The knowledge could be adapted for their kin. That knowledge could prevent another loss to their history. The fate of all that her parents held dear was placed heavily onto her ten-year-old shoulders.

The next nine years felt like they were the same repeated year over and over again. Lessons. Lessons on defensive training. Lessons on Elf history. Lessons on hand-to-hand combat. Lessons on fighting with a staff. Lessons on the importance of retaining Elf Heritage. Lessons after lessons. Little time could be gained for being a teenager, but she had her ‘sister’ to help her with that.

It was expected that she would attend Battle Academy…nay it was required. Her parents are proud of her, those within the Jade Summer are proud of her and Miayra…well, she just wanted Hulta to be her own person and not a tool created for one purpose.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
As much as it was required of her, Hulta has always wanted to aid her people. Not only through information but also as a physical protector. She was often sent to sleep with stories of the Great War. She needs to stop another loss like that from happening in her community. She wants to protect her family, her home and her people.

Hulta is terrified that she will fail. That she will not get the information required or that she will forget details. There is so much riding on her shoulders that the pressure makes it hard to breathe.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
Ser Luran. An elf in his late forties. Trained as a soldier and determined to train Hulta to the same standard. She began lessons with him in her tenth year and continued until she left for Battle Academy. It was through his tutoring that she learned her skill with her staff and how to utilise her shimmer with her weapons.

Lady Trina. An elf in her sixties. She aided Hulta in channelling her shimmer and utilising her abilities. It was through Lady Trina that Hulta developed the ability to sharpen her ‘ribbons’ and use them to slice through objects. First pieces of paper, then fruit and onto larger items. The largest she got to with Lady Trina’s tutorage was a large oak tree that had rotten.

Hulta views Lady Trina as an additional grandmother, whereas Ser Luran is that grumpy yet kind Uncle.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
Immense pride comes from the belief that she is special enough to be selected for such an important task. Her greatest accomplishment was the day that she scaled one of the oldest oaks in Tabor to gain the branch needed for her own staff. It took all of her skill, but she succeeded and her staff is a testament to what she can achieve when her mind is put to something.

Hulta regrets the day that she left her family home for the academy. She couldn’t bring herself to saying goodbye to her parents. All she left was a note and a final glance. Sometimes when she is alone, she wishes that she had that final embrace to make her feel at peace.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Hulta knows that she probably rubbed people up the wrong way when she arrived at the academy. She can be eager and can often ask the wrong question. Having only really had one true friend, Hulta can be seen as desperate for companionship. There are so many new people and so much untapped information hidden in their heads. She probably came across as ditsy or ill-prepared for what was to come but the first example of her skill proved to many people that she was worthy of her placement.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.
Hulta adores her mother and father. She has her mother’s hair but her dad’s eyes.

Hulta will do nearly anything for sweeties. She has a notorious sweet tooth and always has a stash of lemon drops in her pocket.

Her time at the Battle Academy is her first time outside of her home, Tabor, and she feels a little overwhelmed at things that are normal for others. She will also try everything that she can, wanting to experience the world even if it is sometimes rather scary.

The words on her staff are her name, her parents name, her ‘sister’s’ name and the small circles are meant to represent lemon drops.


List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer
For someone so graceful in their fighting, Hulta is clumsy. The more excited she is, the more her feet get tangled underneath her.

Hulta will frequently re-curl locks of her hair with her shimmer. Twirling them around and around until they form the perfect curl.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
Every night, she returns to her room and records every one of her notes in a set script. These notes are then either hidden under the floorboards or attached to the ankle of a carrier pigeon named ‘Smidge’. These notes are normally a strict record of what was completed that day though sometimes she will just write letters to her parents.

On one of her first trips outside of the academy, she had the bad luck to find her pockets emptied by a small gang of pick pockets. The dastardly foes stole every last sweetie that she had on her person. While she was initially petulant and downtrodden, she realised that many of the other students were losing out on cor every time they left the academy. Enlisting a small group of fellow students, Hulta managed to slice through the pick pocketing group and bring a tiny bit of safety back to the streets. It was the first real event that had her showing her skill to her fellow students. She is still very proud of that accomplishment because it actually did something good and lasting.

It didn’t take long for her fellow students to realise that Hulta had never attended a dance or even snuck out late at night. These were both quickly rectified by a late-night sneak out to a dance in a dingy parlour down an even dingier alleyway. Hulta finally achieved that little taste of true freedom. Of doing something that she shouldn’t and feeling free to be just a teenager. The night ended with a sore head from the noise of the music, hiccups from the number of drinks that she downed and a smile that refused to budge even when they narrowly missed being caught.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
Hulta values information and friendship. She wants people to like her for her. She loves being outside and climbing. If she is missing, she will probably be in a tree somewhere. She appreciates people who are confident in themselves and people who treat everyone with respect. She is 100% a teachers pet and will blindly follow orders.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.
Hulta is used to being in full control of her situation. She was trained to be independent, yet she is steadily learning to be a team player. The dire need to rely on someone else to save her would be enough to solidify that she does not need to walk through this life alone.

Hulta is like a hot cup of tea, a teaspoon of optimism, a swirl of blind obedience and a dash of doubt. She will not be everyone’s cup of tea. There will always be someone who is jarringly different to her, but she has yet to meet anyone who has felt like a solid brick wall against her attempts at friendship.

So happy I poked you! Always excited to write with you.

[Aethyrium]

A Fluffy One has appeared! What a glorious day! I'm so excite to see your character. And finally, not another Silenus, woooohooo!

I'll get back to you and Jugg with thoughts and feedback... This eveningish probably!

[Rashol]

This is a work in progress. Nominally "He" but I have to change the name to stop confusion. And could easily be she.  Other bits of the submission will also have to change in light of other submissions. ;)

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

He was initially a bit concerned about being partnered, but as soon as he got over the initial shock of it, he became quite open, and even more so once he was in a team.

He was eager to record names and get photos taken and all sorts. If quizzed on it. “I have to remember the people, just in case nobody else does.”

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

He is very carefully neutral about gangs and their activities because nearly every Tomb Drive has some illegal cargo on it.

He cares very much about his ‘family’ and the Tomb or engine he used to ride and work on.

He collects things about people. He doesn't steal but a lot of work has gone into his collection, the newest items are sportswear with the Hammer logo on it, but there are quite a few mercenary company badges there too.

He is something of a trainspotter regarding arcanite transporters. And knows a lot about said transporter routes.

He knows a lot about unrefined arcanite, mostly how to transport it. And has demonstrated a skilled hand at engineering, building working model transporter toys

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

He is superstitious and religious to a certain degree and seems to have lots of “lucky charms”

His gear is utilitarian, mostly, and lacks refinements that come with wealth.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

He attended the engine wake at central station and met his parents there briefly before they had to travel again.


He was almost born on the heavy haulers that travelled to the mines west of onyx and along the mountain chain and back again, bringing arcanite to the city for processing.

Hauling is a dangerous job with potential for attacks by raiders and hollows entirely possible. So the haulers are frequently heavily armed, and companies usually employ mercenaries to help keep them safe. Every so often, for particularly important hauls, champions from Hammer itself might take an interest in protecting the cargo routes 

His ‘family’ are a mix of miners, mercenaries and haulers. With so many different types of people together professionalism can become blurred.

He is brawny and tough looking but if you catch him off guard, there is a shadow under his eyes. His ‘family’ has seen terrible things done, and done terrible things. To lose arcanite transports to hollows, or even militant attacks is not uncommon, and he can only thank whatever stars he has that he survived as long as he has.

 His father and mother both worked on Engine 6, “Old Reliable”, like all transport units it’s heavily armoured and heavily armed, with an everchanging crew of mercenaries, miners and other arcanite specialists. One day, He cheekily asked the mercenary captain if he could have a company badge to remember them by. The captain laughed at the young lad, but then asked why. He said “They call these assignments tomb drives, because we always get attacked, and yet they have to keep bringing the arcanite in. and just hope that we aren’t the ones attacked. All the faces change around here, and I just want to remember at least the mercenary company, in case no-one else does.”

 The Tomb Drivers are a superstitious lot. Seeing the aftermath of hollow attacks, they developed a habit of carrying good luck tokens, and thanking the transport and the gods for a safe journey. These little rituals persevered with Alex, even as he attends the academy. He also has something of a don’t look, don’t ask questions outlook. It’s not because he’s necessarily stupid, but because his father told him. “It’s the arcanite that’s important to everyone, not the people. So what happens is.. sometimes someone wants to load something on the train that ain’t arcanite, might be people, might be weapons. The important thing is, don’t see, don’t ask, don’t look. More than a few Driver families disappear because of that. We aren’t important enough for people to care about.

He has a fairly practical exposure of handling arcanite, how it’s stored and transported. His father also took him aside and showed him another side of unrefined arcanite. Arcanite bombs. He said that Alex had to understand why they were attacked as well as who might attack. He also is fairly well versed in the various transport routes into and out of onyx for arcanite.

[CurvyKitten]

Strength ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Melee    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness

Lightning, sonic | Water
Terrain Specialty | Weakness
urban | Mountain

Aurora"Roar"Torvoe

curvykitten

Ancestry: Human
Gender | Pronouns: She | They
Sexuality: Pansexual
Age: 19
Height: 5'8"
Body Build: leanly muscular, lithe, and well tone
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue

Weapon

Two bands(bracers?) , one on each leg, are now permanently around Roar's ankle and lower shins. They were keenly developed to work with their quick kickboxing style. These bands have places held within them that can have different Arcanite placed within it to have different effects take place. The tech developers at the academy are working on figuring out what Arcanite to use and what effects it has. But they are realizing rather quickly they are having to be very careful of the strain this particular weapon is having on the wielder.

Shimmer

Roar's shimmer comes with the roll of thunder but its the flash of lighting that is the real power. She moves through it with speeds nearly unseen before now. And then strikes with the force and energy of a lighting strike. This ability takes time to build up over the course of a encounter.(think having to build up energy or static to fill a battery)

Special Trait -

Roar has studied opponent after opponent for the past three years straight. Roar has learned to study an opponent for a short period of time during a battle and become able to figure out their weak points. 

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Even in a place like Unovia there are those that are less than fortunate. Those that get walked on and live in the area that are "bad" neighborhoods. Her family being of low worker social standing. She has five six younger siblings all of which she has been taking care of since her parents' passing. She has been taking care of them, acting as the adult even before she was one herself.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

It was a rough life despite living in the richest of cities. Aroura and her family were the working class that supported that grand city. After her parents died she became the breadwinner for the household. When the opportunity came up to join the academy it seemed too good to resist. Yes it meant time away from her family, but it meant she could support them better. She could send them money and support them in ways that wouldn't be possible if she stayed with them. And honestly Roar knew it was just a matter of time before she died in those pits under the city.

Aurora found herself becoming a champion in the pits, taking on the show name Roar. And fighting with these boots augmented to be weapons that worked perfectly with her enhanced speed and kick boxing style. With these weapons and the need to support her family she faced bout after bout and took endless punishment to support them. So when Brice Aldrin watched one of her fights and approached her about possibly joining the battle academy, Roar jumped at the possibility.   

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Roar's main reason for becoming a champion is her family. They are her main driving force, she would face the world for them. Her only fear is letting them down, and not being enough to protect them. Failing them, and having them face the darkness of the world ill prepared.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Her ability to fight all started with her fathers need for her to learn to defend herself. And to attend the best school possible. Granted to do that she needed a scholarship. Which she gained by becoming a track star. She held many records for her school and the city when it came to her times. But when her parents died everything fell apart. She had six siblings to take care of. So she dropped out of that fancy school, and started working odd jobs trying to keep up her family. She hates having to leave her friends behind at school, but most of all she hates giving up on the all that potential she had before. 

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Open, easy to get to know, but clearly determined. Roar would want to get to know their team. Knowing all too well it takes a village. And more than anything missing her village. It's probably way too quiet for her here. Especially in the dorms. As tough as Aurora seems...cuddles they need cuddles.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Roar has six younger siblings that they love dearly, pics and letters roll in and out all the time. Most of the money she gets goes to the family. So Arcanite isn't something she gets really often. So Roar's trains to fight without it while having to fight who knows what is coming her way. She'd ask to spar against you or any other students whenever she had a chance.

They would eventually see countless scars on her body from the pit fights. She'd dance around the subject for a long while. Saying she'd do what needed to be done to help her family survive. But if probed a bit more later on, she'd open up eventually about getting into some fights. And how some were paid for, the cash helped when the money was really tight.

She has never been outside of the larger cities, so in all honesty survival in the outdoors is not her thing. Bugs, dirt, no indoor plumbing, weird animals. Give her the concrete jungle any day and Roar will survive anything you throw at them. But through them in the middle of the woods they would be lost for days.

She pinches every penny! But not because she wants to be cheap, but because she has a lot of responsibilities to pay for. 

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Roar is protective of her teammates, and she is a little quick to anger when it comes to do so.

Roar is a hard worker, constantly challenging others to spar and is known for learning what makes you tick.

Roar is a bit of a player and a flirt, but doesn't seem to be committed to anyone. And doesn't seem eager to change that.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

Roar knew she needed to send as much money as possible home, but she also needed money for school, arcanite, and food...yeah food would be nice. Thankfully Roar had a source of income that she could always fall back on. And it was one that she could easily find her way into. After a few phone calls Roar had the location of the underground fights within the area. Not wanting to get kicked out of school. She wears a hoodie and mask, most think of it as a gimmick, but Roar it's a way to keep the two worlds separate. Roar has quickly been working their way up the ranks till finally just recently taking on and taking out the champ! The bulk of the winning she sent home of course.

Hanging out, kicking back (secretly healing) and hanging out with her teammates whenever they were just around to do so. Roar wouldn't have the funds to just go about and paint the town red. So she is very much a homebody, not used to being able to go. Having a family to look after, six siblings to wrangle, and finances to worry about. This is all so strange and going to take a lot of getting used to. She still sleeps with several pillows around her.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

Family - It's easy to see that family means the most to Aurora. It kills her to be away from hers, but with regular check-ins, the fact that she has a team by her side helps.

loyalty - Roar admits that once you are part of her unit or family that she is utterly loyal. But she also admits that it goes both ways.

effort/work ethic - Roar is no stranger to work. Working hard was something her family always instilled in her of course. But after her parents passed she had to take on everything just to keep her family together. And she did it, Roar fought, figuratively and literally, she worked and fought for them all. And still does. So she hates lazy people or people who won't even try.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

OK So Roar is still going to underground fights to get extra money for school and her family. So she probably has mystery bruises and so forth.  Would love to play with that.

Anything with her family, or the fact that she feels lonely now. Sleeps with six pillows, and writes letters home all the time, calls or gets calls, even late at night when the youngest can't sleep, sort of deal. Or the fact that the team may be becoming a sort of family itself. <,<...>.> this is totally not an excuse for cuddles...totally.

The fact that her weapon does at the moment take a toll on her. As her ankle bracers are still under development.

[Crash]

Welcome @TheFluffyOne Love her.  Sort of want Meena to be one of the people at that dingy parlour.

@Aethyrium - Meena won’t know what to do with herself being suddenly surrounded with Silenus. 😁

She needs someone to fangirl over Professor Beach with!

[Amarlo]

@Amarlo Oh let's see what we see about Mugi, shall we?

Stats look good. Shimmer is neat. Silenus trait seems on point.

Weapon is... Maybe neat. Lol. Okay if I'm understanding here, the idea is that the hard light umbrella is the weapons second mode - it's a stationary, bubble shield? And the amplification of the attack is it's property, which empowers consecutive swings. But it is purely a 'damage' bonus, not say, a shifting of the weapons weight?

Actually, I think... That's my only question. Mugi's a great addition, and I love the natural tie ins your built to the world.

High praise coming from you! Thank you. :O

As for the weapon, I guess in a way it does transform. Think of the kanabo as the shaft of an umbrella. When it goes into hard-light panel mode the 'umbrella' opens. It doesn't turn into a bubble, although it could if she feeds it soul. It's attached to the top of the kanabo itself and looks like the canopy of an umbrella. So yes, it's the second mode. Also, attack amplification is indeed its property, as you said. And yes, it is a damage bonus, not a weight change.

I'm also open to changes and suggestions as far as the weapon's abilities go. ^^

[Aethyrium]

More sheets! You love to see it.

@Amarlo Okay, so yeah. I wanted to make sure that the hard light shield wasn't another property, but an actual mode of the weapon. So two notes on the weapon then.

1. How does it inflict more damage, like, what's the... "Damage" doesn't exist in the game world. So while mechanically you say something like, "every time it hits consecutively, it does +2 damage" or whatever (as an example to illustrate the concept, not actual numbers) but what is it doing in the narrative of the world? You mentioned glowing, so my intuition says that it's heating up by absorbing some impact and creating extra damage. But it doesn't need to be that... I just wanna get a feel for what the vision is.

2. Weapons don't really channel Soul to have increased effects. Typically. I would say that this is another property. It would need to be tethered to a single thing, so like "this weapon has a property that allows channeling of the soul to increase the power of the hard light" or "this weapon has... to make the increased damage more effective", but each of those would be a property unto themselves. And the weapon already has a property in its increased damage, and character's weapons may only start with one property. So this can be something she wants, and gets obtained sometime during game. Or you can change this out with the increased power property. But I don't think we can sneak both of them in there right away.


@Rashol goodness! Once again you have really fun ideas that anchor so nicely to the world. I really appreciate the idea of Tomb Drives and I feel like you did a wonderful job of incorporating the feel of the setting into the story, staying true to it.

You really have a great start here, and I am very eager to see the rest of the sheet. Keep at it, awesome job so far!

[Crash]

@Amarlo As an example.  Meena’s weapon, Heart of the Mountain, is a two-handed hammer that changes its density as she swings it.  So the damage increase of her weapon is due to it increasing its density as it impacts someone or something.

[Aethyrium]

Alright, let’s see what we can do about some sheet feedback since we have some all nice and lined up.

@Juggtacular let's see what we see starting with you!

Stats look good. Shimmer seems fine. Weapons are neat!

Let's talk Silenus trait and tail. As I pointed out with Yukina's design, the Silenus' traits are meant to be somewhat minor - in the scope of "+1 dot". I think the Van der Waals, as written, probably go past that. Right now it feels very much like a Shimmer level ability (in fact, there is a Shimmer in an NPC that does exactly this). I think we can fix that very easily just by saying two things: it's not strong enough to carry other people, and he needs to maintain full four-point contact. This is something he can use utilitarianly, but if it's beyond that it really starts getting beyond the scope of silenus traits as designed for player characters...

...However, this buts up with his tail. In addition to their advantage, all Silenus have traits (like his tail, or Torina's wings, or ears, eyes, horns, etc). Most Silenus have one, some have two, but these are almost always aesthetic differences, rather than practical ones. If his tail is so strong and capable that it can be readily used as part of his fighting style, it needs to be his Silenus Trait. Which, I am perfectly happy with - a totally functional tail that can be used to assist in combat and other things makes for a very interesting trait.

Either way, either the tail and it's practical use need to be removed, and Van der Waals needs to be dialed back, or the tail can replace Van der Waals as is.

* On a bit of a personal note, I'd like to say that there's a lot of overlap here with Marlowe. While they are on different teams, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue, if you had a secondary idea for weapons, or fighting style, that might be neat to explore. Lolo also uses punching gloves with the same kind of piston hammer system, she is also a dedicated brawler, and she also has a shimmer that acts as speed/strength "limit break". This is by no means a requirement, but a thought that I figure is worth sharing since you may not know it exists!

While no change is needed, I have a big question about Bludwing. If they were all about recruiting Silenus and their freedom... Why are they in Onyx, and not Mirat? It seems like the sort of institution that would have found a very nice home building up there. What's your vision for this, and why they stuck where they did? I think in particular, there's the line about gathering the best the Silenus had to offer - but I think in general, the best the Silenus had to offer went to establishing their city. Not that some could have stayed, it's just an interesting question of why this happened the way it did that I'm interested in!

Another note (though this isn't necessarily you specific and tailored to anyone who reads this part) is that we have a number of concepts that live in this "world elite" class bubble. I won't mandate anyone change this, but it's something to consider, if you have another route to go. It's important to remember that Toil isn't very large, and 'global' anything is... Rare beyond rare. Which is to say that, I'm probably not going to select a bunch of rich characters to all be present. In part to avoid a ton of overlap, but also because there just aren't that many rich folks. If you're really drawn to it, ignore this entirely, just offering some preemptive selection food for thought.

Interesting that you have him poised as a member of the Red Fang. If selected, we will definitely need to do a bit of plotting regarding that. But it's an excellent way to be grounded!

All in all, I think Axel is a cool submission, thank you! Great attention to detail. I think only the Silenus Trait & Tail bits are my only concern. So if we can straighten that out, I think he'd make a fine addition.

[Aethyrium]

@TheFluffyOne Let's take a peek at Hulta shall we?

Stats look good. Weapon is neat (love that it has some play with her Shimmer). Shimmer is fun!

...And past that I don't think I have any specific notes for you. This is a really well put together sheet. She's got great anchoring to the world, so I love that. You did an awesome job having her be from somewhere else, but having a story-relevant reason for being here instead of that, so thank you for that. And I've got some very fun thoughts about ways to play with that. Seems like she has a fun personality, that'll play nice with others, and I appreciate that.

All in all this is an awesome character you've put together, and I think she'd make an amazing addition to the game. Thank you so much for submitting her.

Actually I do have a note. Smidge the pigeon. I think this is a very cute idea, and I don't necessarily want to see it change, but just as a point of reference Onyx is ~480 miles away from Tabor. So while she can definitely get messages there in secret this way, that's a long way. It's going to be both slow, and, well, run the risk of poor Smidge getting eaten by a Nevermore or some other nasty critter in the wild. Just something to keep in mind!

Actually actually... A pigeon can apparently fly like ~700 miles a day. So this... Is not as far fetched as I first believed. Huh... Who knew.

[Aethyrium]

And then we have @CurvyKitten with a whole new idea for us. Let's see here...

Stats look good. Shimmer seems solid. Yay a human!

Weapon looks good, but I have a question about them. You say they are now permanently around her legs - why? How? What's going on there?! The weapon places some kind of strain on Roar, what is it? Is this the weapons property, what does it actually do?

I think you have a lot of good bones here. But we do have some things.

First is that she's from Unovia. There doesn't seem to be a strong story-relevant reason why she's not there. Pearl has a Battle Academy - Light - and it would have been much easier and less dangerous to attend there. You say the opportunity came up, but what kind of opportunity takes her across the world in such a dangerous world? I recognize that the desire here is to separate Roar from her siblings to have that longing, but we need a stronger reason for her to have left Unovia if they're going to be from there.

This also is complicated about her wanting to send things back to her family. Toil isn't well connected. Getting things from one kingdom to another is not as easy as sticking something in the mail. Most transit like that is military oriented. So her being so far away is kinda shaky that she wants to get things sent to them - remember, travel is extremely dangerous, even for the mail man. So they just don't have mailmen! XD

It's fun that you point her to underground arena fighting, we just recently had a neat scene involving this. So there's very solid grounding for her in that to be enjoyed.

The other big thing is that you have her having attended a fancy school that she dropped out of. Toil doesn't have generalized education like that, people learn specifically the skills they need - "on the job" training, of a sort. Now this is easy enough to glance over and just assume it was a "school" dedicated to whatever it was she was learning, but I think that distinction is important to keep in mind. Might be worth specifying what it was she was learning there.

Things to just know, for your potential IC knowledge. The actual money needed to attend the Battle Academy is covered by the city. And each champion is given a stipend (assumed to be used for supplies/weapon upkeep/arcanite/etc) during their time there (though nothing is stopping her from trying to stockpile that). But food is provided free of charge. So, this is probably pretty cushy for her.

I like what you're building here, really. I think the Unovia bit is really my largest concern. If a character is going to be from somewhere other than Onyx, they need a really compelling reason to be in Onyx presently.

[Juggtacular]

Alright, let’s see what we can do about some sheet feedback since we have some all nice and lined up.

@Juggtacular let's see what we see starting with you!

Stats look good. Shimmer seems fine. Weapons are neat!

Let's talk Silenus trait and tail. As I pointed out with Yukina's design, the Silenus' traits are meant to be somewhat minor - in the scope of "+1 dot". I think the Van der Waals, as written, probably go past that. Right now it feels very much like a Shimmer level ability (in fact, there is a Shimmer in an NPC that does exactly this). I think we can fix that very easily just by saying two things: it's not strong enough to carry other people, and he needs to maintain full four-point contact. This is something he can use utilitarianly, but if it's beyond that it really starts getting beyond the scope of silenus traits as designed for player characters...

...However, this buts up with his tail. In addition to their advantage, all Silenus have traits (like his tail, or Torina's wings, or ears, eyes, horns, etc). Most Silenus have one, some have two, but these are almost always aesthetic differences, rather than practical ones. If his tail is so strong and capable that it can be readily used as part of his fighting style, it needs to be his Silenus Trait. Which, I am perfectly happy with - a totally functional tail that can be used to assist in combat and other things makes for a very interesting trait.

Either way, either the tail and it's practical use need to be removed, and Van der Waals needs to be dialed back, or the tail can replace Van der Waals as is.

* On a bit of a personal note, I'd like to say that there's a lot of overlap here with Marlowe. While they are on different teams, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue, if you had a secondary idea for weapons, or fighting style, that might be neat to explore. Lolo also uses punching gloves with the same kind of piston hammer system, she is also a dedicated brawler, and she also has a shimmer that acts as speed/strength "limit break". This is by no means a requirement, but a thought that I figure is worth sharing since you may not know it exists!

While no change is needed, I have a big question about Bludwing. If they were all about recruiting Silenus and their freedom... Why are they in Onyx, and not Mirat? It seems like the sort of institution that would have found a very nice home building up there. What's your vision for this, and why they stuck where they did? I think in particular, there's the line about gathering the best the Silenus had to offer - but I think in general, the best the Silenus had to offer went to establishing their city. Not that some could have stayed, it's just an interesting question of why this happened the way it did that I'm interested in!

Another note (though this isn't necessarily you specific and tailored to anyone who reads this part) is that we have a number of concepts that live in this "world elite" class bubble. I won't mandate anyone change this, but it's something to consider, if you have another route to go. It's important to remember that Toil isn't very large, and 'global' anything is... Rare beyond rare. Which is to say that, I'm probably not going to select a bunch of rich characters to all be present. In part to avoid a ton of overlap, but also because there just aren't that many rich folks. If you're really drawn to it, ignore this entirely, just offering some preemptive selection food for thought.

Interesting that you have him poised as a member of the Red Fang. If selected, we will definitely need to do a bit of plotting regarding that. But it's an excellent way to be grounded!

All in all, I think Axel is a cool submission, thank you! Great attention to detail. I think only the Silenus Trait & Tail bits are my only concern. So if we can straighten that out, I think he'd make a fine addition.

@Aethyrium okay here we go

Aggggggh the choices, they burn!!! I didn't even realize an NPC could cling to walls and such. I actually picked VdW as a trait because geckos climb over my kitchen window at night all the time and it's fascinating to watch them scurry by and just chill under the A/C for no reason other than they can. As fun as the concept is, it was primarily so he could just be a cool lizard guy and climb on walls. But if I have to choose, his tail is far more useful as a weapon and another "arm" so I'll stick with that.

The reason I had them in Onyx was primarily because the rules bit about people only being from Onyx.

"I want to come from somewhere other than Johtan/Onyx, may I?
The short answer is no. In fact, ideally, all characters from this round of recruitment will come from Onyx specifically. Traveling around the world is rare, and in the first round of recruitment we already (unintentionally) opened the door to a lot of characters who came from far away. Most people, unless they are Champions, don’t ever leave the place they are born."

I just assumed that was a hard rule as I was basically reading everything all at once to get Axel done before it got too far along in the recruitment. But since that isn't the case I can easily change their base of operations to Mirat and Axel is a transfer student. It would also add to the difficulty of finding his brother since Bludwing would have a presence in Onyx, but not a power base like back in Mirat. And the primary logic behind them is that Bellicus(super great granddad) experienced not only the awful treatment of the Silenus, but the horror of the war and he wanted to guarantee that if anyone ever tried anything like that again, there would be a bulwark there to stop them. So while Bludwing are indeed a mercenary corps and fight for anybody who pays them, if the Silenus as a race are threatened, they'll be the first to stand against their people's would be oppressors no matter who they are. So they want the strongest and most skilled Champions for their cause just in case. 

*I did notice the overlap with Marlowe. It's actually kinda funny how similar they are since Axel is basically a rehash of a Faunus character I played in a RWBY game years ago. I didn't think it would be an issue to have such close styles but if it's an issue I have one or two other ideas I can go with. One is that his style focuses more on using his claws and talons than punches and kicks but is still primarily up close/melee focused since that's my favorite type of character. The other is a staff/spear combo that I'm still workshopping where he'd mix in martial arts along with the weapon.

I'm not married to the idea of him being a rich kid. Just most private militaries get paid a lot because they can act in ways and do things proper militaries can't, so I figured with Bludwing spanning several generations and being so successful, they'd be decently well off by this point. I could easily edit it so it's a "His family is rich, but he's not rich" type of thing where part of his growing up away from home is that he has to get used to supporting himself and whatnot so he doesn't have access to his family funds. Or they live modestly and put most of their excess funds back into strengthening the Silenus as a whole and giving Bludwing the best equipment and tech possible.

Also yes, he is extremely proud of his heritage and respects the hell out of Red Fang for doing what they're doing. SO he joined up as soon as he could.

I think I covered everything, so if you tell me what sounds good I can make revisions ASAP.

[Amarlo]

More sheets! You love to see it.

@Amarlo Okay, so yeah. I wanted to make sure that the hard light shield wasn't another property, but an actual mode of the weapon. So two notes on the weapon then.

1. How does it inflict more damage, like, what's the... "Damage" doesn't exist in the game world. So while mechanically you say something like, "every time it hits consecutively, it does +2 damage" or whatever (as an example to illustrate the concept, not actual numbers) but what is it doing in the narrative of the world? You mentioned glowing, so my intuition says that it's heating up by absorbing some impact and creating extra damage. But it doesn't need to be that... I just wanna get a feel for what the vision is.

2. Weapons don't really channel Soul to have increased effects. Typically. I would say that this is another property. It would need to be tethered to a single thing, so like "this weapon has a property that allows channeling of the soul to increase the power of the hard light" or "this weapon has... to make the increased damage more effective", but each of those would be a property unto themselves. And the weapon already has a property in its increased damage, and character's weapons may only start with one property. So this can be something she wants, and gets obtained sometime during game. Or you can change this out with the increased power property. But I don't think we can sneak both of them in there right away.

1. Originally I just wanted it to multiply her strength in general, but I can see how my description came off otherwise. However, with the way you talk about it I kind of like it better. The idea would be that each Hit absorbs and stores a percentage of the impact energy of the last attack. Up to x amount of times and/or before x amount of time passes between hits before it resets.

2. oh, well. I suppose we will just have to nix the part about soul then!

[Rashol]

@Aethyrium 
Thanks.

Unfortunately the avenues I was relying on for my stats/shimmer/weapon have closed again. So a lot of what is in my head is going to have to get edited again.

My back up shimmer still works but not with the weapon I may now have to use.

[Aethyrium]

Haha, I know they do @Juggtacular, I know they do. I'm so sorry!

And it's totally fine. I don't think there's a way you could have known that without poking me. But that's fine. Even if the NPC wasn't there, it's still too big an ability just for a Silenus trait - at least as is.

If you're happy with the tail as an extra arm, I am happy with it too!

Oh, yeah, I didn't necessarily mean like... Why isn't your character from Mirat. You 100% did the right thing by having them based in Onyx. My question is more from a narrative perspective - a world building one. Why did they choose to do that, instead of going to Mirat. It's entirely fine if you don't have an answer - I may come up with one if it ever becomes relevant. This was totally just curiosity about what your thoughts on that were.

So no need to change anything in that regard! Or on the family wealth level either. Like I said, that was more something for you (and anyone else) to consider. It's just a reoccurring theme that I've picked up on and I like to set out those road flares so no one is surprised if/when they come up.

In regards to the overlap with Marlowe, I'm happy with you staying where you. Overlap isn't a thing that bothers me any, it was entirely a heads up for your benefit. So if you're happy, I'm happy.

I think then, only edit needed is the tail being moved down! With that, I think you're good to go. He's an awesome submission. Thank you for taking the time, I appreciate it.

Just... Hangout now until deadline and final character selection!

[Aethyrium]

1. Originally I just wanted it to multiply her strength in general, but I can see how my description came off otherwise. However, with the way you talk about it I kind of like it better. The idea would be that each Hit absorbs and stores a percentage of the impact energy of the last attack. Up to x amount of times and/or before x amount of time passes between hits before it resets.

2. oh, well. I suppose we will just have to nix the part about soul then!

Oh oh. You meant like, her physical strength, not her... Okay. I see. Well, either way, if you're happy with that update, so am I. I like the idea of it "holding onto" impact and reusing it. Kinda like Marlowe's shimmer in a weapon sorta! Neat.

And yeah, drop that in an edit and you're also good to go! Time to chillout and relax until submission time is closed and wait for character selection. Thanks so much for your effort, I really appreciate it! ^^

Unfortunately the avenues I was relying on for my stats/shimmer/weapon have closed again. So a lot of what is in my head is going to have to get edited again.

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that!

You can have overlap, just so you know. There's nothing that forbids it. I get not wanting it though. Any way that I can help?

[shengami]

@Aethyrium
Thanks.

Unfortunately the avenues I was relying on for my stats/shimmer/weapon have closed again. So a lot of what is in my head is going to have to get edited again.

My back up shimmer still works but not with the weapon I may now have to use.

I really really wanted to see how that premise played out so so so much. It was really cool. Show us what you got! Who knows, we may absolutely love it!

But if you don't, I get it.

[CurvyKitten]

And then we have @CurvyKitten with a whole new idea for us. Let's see here...

Yup, hopefully you like it?

Stats look good. Shimmer seems solid. Yay a human!

hehe yup, and oh good I was worried about the stats you know I always fidget with them forever.

Weapon looks good, but I have a question about them. You say they are now permanently around her legs - why? How? What's going on there?! The weapon places some kind of strain on Roar, what is it? Is this the weapons property, what does it actually do?

I was trying do make a down side really, make them a little even on the power scale? Is that right? or ok? or was I thinking wrong?

I think you have a lot of good bones here. But we do have some things.

First is that she's from Unovia. There doesn't seem to be a strong story-relevant reason why she's not there. Pearl has a Battle Academy - Light - and it would have been much easier and less dangerous to attend there. You say the opportunity came up, but what kind of opportunity takes her across the world in such a dangerous world? I recognize that the desire here is to separate Roar from her siblings to have that longing, but we need a stronger reason for her to have left Unovia if they're going to be from there.

This also is complicated about her wanting to send things back to her family. Toil isn't well connected. Getting things from one kingdom to another is not as easy as sticking something in the mail. Most transit like that is military oriented. So her being so far away is kinda shaky that she wants to get things sent to them - remember, travel is extremely dangerous, even for the mail man. So they just don't have mailmen! XD

Yeah I wanted to really separate her from her family. But I can always keep it in the same city and make it rp possibility that the players meet them sometime. Or hell they get messed with ~cough GM Hint cough~ or something. lol I will make that edit. will take a moment but that is totally fine for me.

It's fun that you point her to underground arena fighting, we just recently had a neat scene involving this. So there's very solid grounding for her in that to be enjoyed.

Woot yeah she is definitely still involved in that.

The other big thing is that you have her having attended a fancy school that she dropped out of. Toil doesn't have generalized education like that, people learn specifically the skills they need - "on the job" training, of a sort. Now this is easy enough to glance over and just assume it was a "school" dedicated to whatever it was she was learning, but I think that distinction is important to keep in mind. Might be worth specifying what it was she was learning there.

Things to just know, for your potential IC knowledge. The actual money needed to attend the Battle Academy is covered by the city. And each champion is given a stipend (assumed to be used for supplies/weapon upkeep/arcanite/etc) during their time there (though nothing is stopping her from trying to stockpile that). But food is provided free of charge. So, this is probably pretty cushy for her.

No worries here I can take that bit out, that wasn't a bit deal to me. I 'm not to attached to that bit. :)

I like what you're building here, really. I think the Unovia bit is really my largest concern. If a character is going to be from somewhere other than Onyx, they need a really compelling reason to be in Onyx presently.

Sweet! I shall work on that and get her reposted today hopefully. :)

[Rashol]

@shengami
@Aethyrium
Well the hollow sense shimmer doesn't feel right for this character. Though it may still work if I move some other things around/find another angle.

Current thoughts are:
SandStorm: His shimmer allows him to create a local "sandstorm" for a few seconds or so using a handful of gravel/soil/dust. On its own, not impressive and this bit might be a bit gamey.

But, arcanite could theoretically maybe be powder. So it his shimmer activates and he throws arcanite powder. Maybe the arcanite he throws influences what cloud he actually gets. So red arcanite gets fire, black arcanite gets a burst of light, etc. But his shimmer effect is still "create a sandstorm from dust"

I was thinking of tonfa/shotgun to lean into this, so he loads an arcanite cartridge into it, triggers his shimmer as he fires it, so he can give it direction, instead of all around me.

If I go with the hollow sense power . Maybe I'll Have to go heavy machine gun or something. But then he probably won't be able to lug many more weapons around.

[shengami]

@shengami
@Aethyrium
Well the hollow sense shimmer doesn't feel right for this character. Though it may still work if I move some other things around/find another angle.

Current thoughts are:
SandStorm: His shimmer allows him to create a local "sandstorm" for a few seconds or so using a handful of gravel/soil/dust. On its own, not impressive and this bit might be a bit gamey.

But, arcanite could theoretically maybe be powder. So it his shimmer activates and he throws arcanite powder. Maybe the arcanite he throws influences what cloud he actually gets. So red arcanite gets fire, black arcanite gets a burst of light, etc. But his shimmer effect is still "create a sandstorm from dust"

I was thinking of tonfa/shotgun to lean into this, so he loads an arcanite cartridge into it, triggers his shimmer as he fires it, so he can give it direction, instead of all around me.

If I go with the hollow sense power . Maybe I'll Have to go heavy machine gun or something. But then he probably won't be able to lug many more weapons around.

Oh, still noodling the Hollow sense? It is a neat one. The fear variant or the minimap?

I think shimmers that have variable effects and interreact with arcanite like that have been softly nixed. While potent, it should be a single trick. Simple, straightforward rules but the varations lie in how it is used. Like Farrah's? If she focuses, uses her Shimmer dots, she pulls bigger things. But all it does is pull things towards her. Still, she's used quite creatively. She just used it to collapse a roof! It was destabilized and on fire, but still. There's also more passive Shimmers like Meena's that enhances plants and medicines. Or like Haim's Shimmer which allowed him to 'see' sounds like ripples in the air. Always on. It affects how he did everything. Anyway. Simple but potent effects seems the idea.

So, SandStorm, maybe just whips up air in a localized space? Tears up and flings about whatever is around. If it's in the desert, sand. In a city, bit of concrete and garbage. In a forest, leaf litter and soil. Really strong winds if he focuses?

For a heavy type, that sort of effect localized on them could work quite effectively to clear out anyone that gets too close?

And the type with the heavy machine gun usually doesn't have anything else other than a side arm. But the heavy machine gun could also break apart into a pair of submachine guns or pistols or whatever. Modularity like that is very fair game for weapons. Could even incorporate a back mounted third arm type system to aid in hauling it. But I played too many trolls in Shadowrun! heh.

I just know one NPC in the game has a pair of pistols that he can sort of rearrange into an assault rifle. Another has a staff the rearranges into a sniper rifle. So, there's a lot you can do with the machine gun.

[FyreFoxx]

Yeah I wanted to really separate her from her family. But I can always keep it in the same city and make it rp possibility that the players meet them sometime. Or hell they get messed with ~cough GM Hint cough~ or something. lol I will make that edit. will take a moment but that is totally fine for me.

Figured I'd chime in here a bit. Instead of having her family be in Unovia, a completely different continent that is causing distance issues, why not just have them be from outside the city? That way they are still in Johtan, can still be seperated, have that longing to be with them again and see them, but they live somewhere else, so it's more feasible to manage.

Examples are people like Marlowe, who come from Evergreen just northeast of Onyx Prairie, or Velvet and Chee, who originally hail from Seabreeze to the east. Even Haimehen is from Cordes sur-Ciel, off in the far northwest. All far outside the city, but all still on the Johtan continent.

Maybe she hails from the far south (or north or wherever) and had to travel a long way to attend Hammer. Just.. not as far as two entire continents away, where attending Light would have made more sense if her goal was going to a battle academy to provide for them.

Just some thoughts!

[Juggtacular]

REVISED

Strength ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Stamina  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Melee    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Earth | Sonic

Terran Specialty | Weakness
Urban, Forest | Arctic, Grassland

Axellion "Axel" Volündr

Juggtacular

Ancestry: Silenus
Gender | Pronouns: Male | He/Him
Sexuality: Heterosexual

Age: 19
Height: 7'
Body Build: Muscular, Athletic
Hair Color: Black w/ Colored Highlights
Eye Color: Gold


Weapon
Brute Rhapsody

Axel's weapons exist as a pair of gauntlets and greaves worn over his forearms/hands and shins/feet, as well as a tail covering known collectively as "Brute Rhapsody". They are branded with his family crest, and each piece is fitted with a pressurized piston that can be "fired" on impact, drastically increasing the force of his blows and even causing damage through armor.

The tailpiece doesn't have a piston and can instead project stone spikes along its length to increase the lethality of Axel's swipes and slams with his fifth appendage. In place of an alternate form, Brute Rhapsody can launch grappling chains that allow Axel to maneuver around his environment faster or even temporarily incapacitate opponents.

Shimmer

Axel's Shimmer allows him to access the primal nature of his lizard Silenus ancestry. When he taps into this ability, his adrenaline and endorphins spike to levels off the charts, and he can actively shut off the limiters the brain puts on the body to utilize greater levels of strength and speed while ignoring pain and injury due to the surge of chemicals.

Silenus Trait - Tail
Axellion is a Dracolisk Silenus, a race of lizards who are said to be descended from dragons. While he doesn't have wings, he does have a fully controllable tail just above his butt. He can and does wrap it around his waist like a belt so it doesn't drag, but he can also use it as a personal stool and as a third arm since it's prehensile. It measures a bit over 2 meters(roughly six feet) in length and he has trained to the point where he uses it in combat as an extra method of attack as well as using it like a rudder to make quick course corrections while moving at high speeds.


Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?
Axel was born in the Northern Quarter of Onyx as the eldest son of Bellion and Zirena Volündr, the current co-heads of Blüdwing, one of the oldest and premier Silenus-led mercenary corps in Toil. There are also his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and several younger siblings in his family, most employed with Blüdwing in some capacity or retired. Axel hails from a long line of Silenus' tracing their family heritage all the way back to the original appearance of the Silenus, and while their power base is back in Mirat being run by his uncle Zefros, they have expanded to Onyx in recent years and have a headquarters just outside the city as well.

His several times great-grandfather Bellicus fought in the Great War and was one of the first Silenus to rebel and help break the yoke of oppression the elves and humans had placed on their people. Once they had their freedom, he established Blüdwing, gathering the greatest Champions and warriors the Silenus had to offer to not only give them a place of belonging and acceptance, but a way to provide for themselves and their families for generations to come, doing what some of them did best.

Axel has been raised from childhood with a mixture of love and discipline as his parents knew he would take over for them as soon as he was born. He has not only accepted this responsibility, but embraced it, and has put his all into training and learning all he can so he can make them proud when his time comes. He has worn the weight of responsibility and being the "chosen" son on his shoulders since his youth, and while he's butted hands with his parents like any child would, he has toed the line for the most part, seemingly eager to take his place and make his family proud.


What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Axel has lived a life not only of means, but of hardship, adventure, and harsh training to prepare him for being the Commander of an entire Mercenary Corp. While he has enjoyed the finer things in life, vacations, and the like, from a young age Axel has also had to endure and understand the sacrifices that come with making such a lifestyle possible. From childhood he's had to wake up early for drills, spend hours training in combat each day, studying, listening to strategies and tactics, you name it.

He rarely had free time, and the free time that he did have, he had to earn and use wisely. In a word, you could call his life and upbringing "structured". As he got older, his father and uncles even began taking him on missions so he could get first-hand experience of what life was like in the field. He's done everything from recon and security to seeing direct combat against other forces and Hollows.

His decision to join Hammer was more of a foregone conclusion, as becoming a highly-skilled Champion would only add to his accolades and make him a better fit to lead Blüdwing in the future. His parents were proud, but it was expected as they and many more of his family had graduated from an Academy and become Champions themselves. After what happened to his brother, he and his siblings were rarely allowed to go out without an escort or some family member with them, which added another layer of frustration to his life, even if he understood the reasoning behind it.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
While becoming a Champion is essentially a prerequisite to taking over the family business, Axel has grown up hearing stories about their tales and adventures and he wants to experience that for himself. He wants to help people. He wants to kill Hollows.

He wants to make the world a better place and knows he has a much better chance of doing that with the title "Champion" in front of his name. It will also make his family proud, which is one of his biggest wants in life, even knowing he's already done everything they've asked of him. A deeper, more personal reason is that he wants to personally stop things like what happened to his little brother from ever happening to anyone else.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
Axel has received training from multiple instructors over the years in various forms of combat, but his primary teachers have been his parents, his uncles, and his grandparents. All of them are current and retired Champions with multiple battles and victories under their belts. His father and grandfather have been his two most influential Masters, and his fighting style of unpredictable unarmed combat is heavily shaped around their own personal up-close techniques.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
During one of his deployments, he helped his father and uncle Zefros fight off a pack of Hollows and landed the killing blow against a Nevermore. He wears the scar over his eye and the scars on his chest with pride, and the brothers still tell the story of their victory that day whenever the family gets together or they have a rowdy night at the Mess Hall.

Axel's biggest, more regretful failure is the day that the Black Lotus abducted his younger brother Veyron. They were out enjoying the city(one of the rougher areas admittedly) with some of their friends when the girl Veyron had been dating drew him away from the rest of them. Axel believes she used her Shimmer to make him leave the group as the brothers were each others best friends and he never would've left without telling him.

By the time he realized his brother was gone and caught up to him, he saw him being restrained and loaded into a car followed by his "girlfriend" while surrounded by armed men. He tried to find out what was going on, but was told it was none of his business. He immediately attacked the group, but he was outnumbered and outgunned. He managed to escape, but he couldn't get to his brother. The only thing he knew was that he'd seen a Black Lotus tattoo on one of the men. Since then his family have spared no expense trying to find Veyron, but have still had no success. He blames himself and has thrown himself into training ever since so one day he can bring his brother home and bring the Black Lotus down.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Axel grew up in a big family as well as an even larger extended family with Blüdwing, so he is used to working with partners and as a team. He's pretty sociable and likable, gets along well with everybody and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He does like to tease as a form of affection though.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

1. Axel is the heir apparent of Blüdwing and a child of privilege but isn't arrogant or stingy with his wealth. He has no problem using it to help himself or those close to him if they need it.
2. He is hard on his teammates and even harder on himself because of the guilt he feels at what happened to Veyron. He wants the people around them to be able to protect themselves so nothing bad can happen to them.
3. Axel is openly antagonistic toward the Black Lotus and anyone who supports them in any fashion.
4. He hasn't had much time for a real social/dating life, so he's making up for lost time.
5. He spends so much time training that when he doesn't have to, he can be found lazing or napping in a comfy spot with lots of sunlight.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

1. He trains. A Lot. And he enjoys sparring given the chance.
2. He is somehow confident and flirty while also shy and withdrawn when the same energy is returned in the beginning. It's a conundrum.
3. He can randomly be found stuck to walls and ceilings all over the place.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

1. He busted up a Black Lotus hangout during a drunken bender, injured multiple members, wrecked the place, and took any information he could find...he also chundered everywhere. (With a friend if interested)
2. He convinced his uncle to take him and some of his friends on a joyride(flight) around the city and the surrounding landscape.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

1. Axel is extremely loyal and caring to family and friends. He will put his life on the line for them without hesitation and square up with anyone or anything if someone he cares about is in trouble.
2. He loves animals and has several pets, including a few he's brought to Hammer with him.
3. Axel probably has the biggest appetite you've ever seen and eats a seemingly impossible amount of food per day.
4. He takes duty and honor almost to the extreme because of how he was raised.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.


Axel has been following every trace, lead, and rumor about the Black Lotus he can find since his brother was abducted. He's willing to delve into Hell itself to find him and will stop at nothing until he does.

He is a proud member of the Red Fang and helps spread their message and does what he can to further their goals in Onyx.

Axel likes to get away from the prim and proper part of society he is born into and get down and dirty when he has the chance. It's also a mental exercise because that same activity is what lost his brother.

TBD

[CurvyKitten]

Figured I'd chime in here a bit. Instead of having her family be in Unovia, a completely different continent that is causing distance issues, why not just have them be from outside the city? That way they are still in Johtan, can still be seperated, have that longing to be with them again and see them, but they live somewhere else, so it's more feasible to manage.

Examples are people like Marlowe, who come from Evergreen just northeast of Onyx Prairie, or Velvet and Chee, who originally hail from Seabreeze to the east. Even Haimehen is from Cordes sur-Ciel, off in the far northwest. All far outside the city, but all still on the Johtan continent.

Maybe she hails from the far south (or north or wherever) and had to travel a long way to attend Hammer. Just.. not as far as two entire continents away, where attending Light would have made more sense if her goal was going to a battle academy to provide for them.

Just some thoughts!

Oh good idea thank you!! I shall steal it! Heheh

[Rashol]

@shengami 
"Oh, still noodling the Hollow sense? It is a neat one. The fear variant or the minimap?"

Either/both. I find if difficult to give up an idea I like. But it feels so detached from the arcanite transporter guy/girl.

[Aethyrium]

I just know one NPC in the game has a pair of pistols that he can sort of rearrange into an assault rifle.

Had. HAD a pair of pistols he could combine into an assault rifle. Until YOU dropped it down a bottomless pit!

[Juggtacular]

Had. HAD a pair of pistols he could combine into an assault rifle. Until YOU dropped it down a bottomless pit!

[FyreFoxx]

@shengami
"Oh, still noodling the Hollow sense? It is a neat one. The fear variant or the minimap?"

Either/both. I find if difficult to give up an idea I like. But it feels so detached from the arcanite transporter guy/girl.

If you think about it, Hollow Sense would make perfect sense on a transporter, helping to make the way ahead clear. Just perhaps work on dialing in its range and efficiency?

[Juggtacular]

Hollow Sense is cool. They could get a cold shiver down their spine and the world around them goes quiet in their own perception.

[CurvyKitten]

Strength ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Melee    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness

Lightning, sonic | Water
Terrain Specialty | Weakness
urban | Mountain, forest

Aurora"Roar"Torvoe

curvykitten

Ancestry: Human

Gender | Pronouns: Female | She / They
Sexuality: Pansexual
Age: 19
Height: 5'8"
Body Build:  leanly muscular, lithe, and well tone
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue

Weapon
Two bands(bracers?) , one on each of Roar's ankle and lower shins. They were keenly developed to work with their quick kickboxing style. These bands have places held within them that can have different Arcanite placed within it to have different effects take place. The tech developers at the academy are working on figuring out what Arcanite to use and what effects it has. 

.
Shimmer
Roar's shimmer comes with the roll of thunder but its the flash of lighting that is the real power. She moves through it with speeds nearly unseen before now. And then strikes with the force and energy of a lighting strike. This ability takes time to build up over the course of a encounter.(think having to build up energy or static to fill a battery)

Special Trait  

Roar has studied opponent after opponent for the past three years straight. Roar has learned to study an opponent for a short period of time during a battle and become able to figure out their weak points.

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Even with the city of Johtan there are those that are less than fortunate. Those that get walked on and live in the area that are "bad" neighborhoods. Her family being of low worker social standing. She has five six younger siblings all of which she has been taking care of since her parents' passing. She has been taking care of them, acting as the adult even before she was one herself.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?
Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears? 

It was a rough life despite living in such a grand city like Johtan. Aroura and her family were the working class that supported that city. After her parents died she became the breadwinner for the household. When the opportunity came up to join the academy it seemed too good to resist. Yes it meant time away from her family, but it meant she could support them better. She could send them money and support them in ways that wouldn't be possible if she stayed with them. And honestly Roar knew it was just a matter of time before she died in those pits under the city.


Aurora found herself becoming a champion in the pits, taking on the show name Roar. And fighting with these boots augmented to be weapons that worked perfectly with her enhanced speed and kick boxing style. With these weapons and the need to support her family she faced bout after bout and took endless punishment to support them. So when Brice Aldrin watched one of her fights and approached her about possibly joining the battle academy, Roar jumped at the possibility.   
Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears? Roar's main reason for becoming a champion is her family. They are her main driving force, she would face the world for them. Her only fear is letting them down, and not being enough to protect them. Failing them, and having them face the darkness of the world ill prepared.






How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Roar gained her skills from her father and her lifestyle. Her father was her couch of course. It started as learning to defend herself. But then as her skills and love for the sport of kickboxing grew he leaned into it and began teaching her on how to really compete in the fighting sport. With her family being her biggest cheering squad and her father her main trainer she was thought to become a champ! But after her parents died everything fell apart. Everything fell onto her shoulders, and she failed so badly it hurt. Her family had to move outside the city to survive. Roar began traveling into the city every night and battling in the underground bouts to make the money she needed to support her six siblings.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Open, easy to get to know, but clearly determined. Roar would want to get to know their team. Knowing all too well it takes a village. And more than anything missing her village. It's probably way too quiet for her here. Especially in the dorms. As tough as Aurora seems...cuddles they need cuddles.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.
Roar has six younger siblings that they love dearly, pics and letters roll in and out all the time. Most of the money she gets goes to the family. So Arcanite isn't something she gets really often. So Roar's trains to fight without it while having to fight who knows what is coming her way. She'd ask to spar against you or any other students whenever she had a chance.

They would eventually see countless scars on her body from the pit fights. She'd dance around the subject for a long while. Saying she'd do what needed to be done to help her family survive. But if probed a bit more later on, she'd open up eventually about getting into some fights. And how some were paid for, the cash helped when the money was really tight.

She has never been outside of the larger cities, so in all honesty survival in the outdoors is not her thing. Bugs, dirt, no indoor plumbing, weird animals. Give her the concrete jungle any day and Roar will survive anything you throw at them. But through them in the middle of the woods they would be lost for days.

She pinches every penny! But not because she wants to be cheap, but because she has a lot of responsibilities to pay for. 

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer
Roar is protective of her teammates, and she is a little quick to anger when it comes to do so.

Roar is a hard worker, constantly challenging others to spar and is known for learning what makes you tick.

Roar is a bit of a player and a flirt, but doesn't seem to be committed to anyone. And doesn't seem eager to change that.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
Roar knew she needed to send as much money as possible home, but she also needed money for school, arcanite, and food...yeah food would be nice. Thankfully Roar had a source of income that she could always fall back on. And it was one that she could easily find her way into. After a few phone calls Roar had the location of the underground fights within the area. Not wanting to get kicked out of school. She wears a hoodie and mask, most think of it as a gimmick, but Roar it's a way to keep the two worlds separate. Roar has quickly been working their way up the ranks till finally just recently taking on and taking out the champ! The bulk of the winning she sent home of course.

Hanging out, kicking back (secretly healing) and hanging out with her teammates whenever they were just around to do so. Roar wouldn't have the funds to just go about and paint the town red. So she is very much a homebody, not used to being able to go. Having a family to look after, six siblings to wrangle, and finances to worry about. This is all so strange and going to take a lot of getting used to. She still sleeps with several pillows around her.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

Family and friendship - It's easy to see that family and friendship means the most to Aurora. It kills her to be away from hers, but with regular check-ins, the fact that she has a team by her side helps.

loyalty - Roar admits that once you are part of her unit or family that she is utterly loyal. But she also admits that it goes both ways.

effort/work ethic - Roar is no stranger to work. Working hard was something her family always instilled in her of course. But after her parents passed she had to take on everything just to keep her family together. And she did it, Roar fought, figuratively and literally, she worked and fought for them all. And still does. So she hates lazy people or people who won't even try. 

FOOD! Aurora has a hell of an appetite due to the strain her powers and her training has on her body. So she can pack away the food. So gives her the yummy food and she will be your friend forever. 

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.
Anything with her family, or the fact that she feels lonely now. Sleeps with six pillows, and writes letters home all the time, calls or gets calls, even late at night when the youngest can't sleep, sort of deal. Or the fact that the team may be becoming a sort of family itself. <,<...>.> this is totally not an excuse for cuddles...totally.


 As her ankle bracers are still under development.

That fact that she still participates in the underground fights to send extra money to her family. Though she gets a stipend from the city. That was for her gear, and even if she was to send it all to her family. It wasn't enough to support seven people. So Roar turns back to the best and fastest way she knows how to make money. And with a few phone calls she is back into the underground fighting ring. 

[Yukina]

Let's see here...!

New image is workable, thank you for that. Do you mind if we do some cropping so it fits the 225x300 framework typically used? I can take care of edits and hosting for you, if that's easier. I just really prefer more or less uniformity from player headers.

Okay so this updated weapon with the air power enough to glide but not attack. This seems a reasonable property for it to have. I want to kind of get a feel for what you're thinking about her everyday use. I assume your intent is to tie this to her combat style, and have it be semi-aerial and mobile. But on the daily, I wanna make sure that we're clear that... People flying around is not really a thing that happens. If she like, tries to go gliding through town there are liable to be issues (remember that Silenus discrimination is a real thing, and this is a surefire way to draw very negative attention)... I guess the thing I want to make sure here is that the tone doesn't suffer a hit - her using her wings as a combat trick, and generally in the course of her role as a champion is one thing. But what I don't want is the weapon being used as this omni-present wind generator that has her may-as-well-be-flying all the time. Wings are a decidedly rare Silenus trait that weren't really intended for player use... So I wanna balance letting you do your fun thing with also having told other Silenus concepts that they had to stick to the script.

Alright, so her origins, looks like you edited back to the Mirat bit. So if I'm understanding, she was trained by Bojack, and then her friends finally convinced her to go join the Red Fang, and then... That would have been when the Red Fang assigned her to go travel with some of their people to Onyx. And Bojack approved of this, and used his connections at that point to help her get into Hammer? Which implies Bojack is a member of the Red Fang (which is fine by me). Am I tracking this right?

If so, then I think we're good. If Torina ends up being selected, you and I will need to do a little plotting about the Red Fang and figuring out some timing and stuff.

I'll gladly accept your cropping expertise, Aethy. :)

Perfectly understood with the wings. Her combat still is a mix of gliding and super good parkour, so no need to worry about flight being too constant or attracting to much bad attention :)

You're on point about Bojack.

I'm looking forward to hopefully talking about the Red Fang with you if that occurs then. :)


OT: There are so many familiar faces I've seen from game old and new I've been in and it fills me with joy!

[Rashol]

@FyreFoxx 
Oh the original was never efficient. That was sort of the point. It could never be relied on in a pinch.

I'll think more. But I guess I just need to cast up what I have. And leave out what I haven't. And see if I can come up with anything at all...

[shengami]

@CurvyKitten The City is Onyx. The Continent is Johtan. But neat edits.

[Amarlo]

Mugi Stone 2.1 == refining stuff on hooks. Well, the last two inquiries, actually.

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Sound, air | Fire, Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Urban, Forest | Desert

Mugi Stone

Amarlo

Ancestry: Silenus (Crow)
Gender | Pronouns: Cis-female | She/her
Sexuality: Hetero

Age: 19 soon 20
Height: 5’1”
Body Build: Curvaceous
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Heterochromatic Silver & Purple


Weapon




Upon first glance it just looks like some old rusted Kanabo, almost like a five and a half foot long spiky baseball bat, but this is a thing of beauty. When gripped, the device reads the details of her hands before activating, causing the border of every spike to light up with a malevolent purple. With every impact it absorbs the energy, taking her strength and multiplying it until her opponent is turned into ground beef. On the flip side it can also provide a much needed safe haven. Pulsing to life from the very tippy top, hard light flares out in a large circle like a big translucent umbrella.

Shimmer
Freeze Frame - An ability which allows her to freeze people and/or things within 20 feet range of sight for a single second at a time. This is not a time based ability so much as telekinetic, making people aware they were frozen.

Special Trait - ?
Suggestion: Mugi has True Grit which allows her to grit through the pain when receiving wounds and emotional trauma. It’s not that she doesn’t feel it but she can shove it into the back of her mind until it's safer to open that hellhole box later.

Silenus Advantage

Uncanny Equilibrium
Represents a crow's ability to adapt and adjust to competing extremes of motion and sometimes even pressure. Thus a crow with this ability can balance all of these external factors so as to always maintain a regulated sense of pressure and balance. Such as during flight. Thus, Mugi is capable of adjusting her position by instinct, enabling her to balance herself on surfaces as narrow as a pencil.



Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

It’s assumed that Mugi was born somewhere in Onyx city. She was found wandering somewhere in the eastern quarter when she was turned into the state. She was never claimed, assumed the surname of the city’s abandoned and spent the majority of her childhood between orphanages and foster homes. As such she doesn’t actually know her genetic lineage. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have people she considers important to her like family, however. She has many ‘siblings’. Note: Stone is the last name the city gives children who have been surrendered to them but not adopted out.

Medina Guerrero - 72  – Dead – Foster Guardian
Virginia Mason - 24 – Eastern Quarter PD - Bunk Sister
Arata Stone - 18 – Black Lotus, Western Quarter - Bunk Brother, Mongrel Brother
Missy Zynthean - 19 – Dead - Bunk Sister, Mongrel Sister
Aine Stone – 17 – Foster care, Eastern Quarter – Bunk sister
Emmette Stone – 15 – MIA, Eastern Quarter – Bunk Brother, Mongrel brother

Emmanuel Jorsen – 31 – Black Lotus, Central – Mongrel Sponsor
Whitney Ashida – 29 – Black Lotus, Western – Mongrel Sponsor
Xyxel Dane – 21 – MIA – Mongrel Brother
Keira Drake – 20 – Black Lotus, Eastern Quarter – Mongrel Sister
Jorge Gaines –  20 – Black Lotus, Southern Quarter – Mongrel Brother
Lance Kuso – 19 – Black Lotus, Southern Quarter – Mongrel Brother
Seiza Loveless – 18 – Dead – Mongrel sister
Jackson Imperial – 17 – Dead – Mongrel brother

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?
…That is one long complicated story. As far as what’s on paper? Mugi was abandoned as a toddler and taken in as a ward of the city. She spent much of her childhood dealing with rotten children and rotten adults while moving in and out of foster homes, orphanages and state funded group homes they used to toss their older wards into.

At one point she was almost convinced she was born from a hollow. After all, if you grow up hearing it enough you start to believe it. Her Silenus resemblance to one of Toil’s most well known hollows had many dumb kids, and even some dumb adults, taking out their fear, grief and anger on her. She was eventually tired of being bullied and started fighting back with a vengeance, getting her into all sorts of trouble throughout her teen years. Then even more so when she and some friends were sucked into gang activity. Maybe that was why everyone was so shocked, and in some cases felt betrayed, when she decided to break away and become a champion. But after what happened? After everything blew up in her face? Who could blame her for trying to claw her way out?

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?
Guilt and duty. Guilt is a constant companion pushing her towards her goals, which are best served as a champion. There are people she failed and lost. That she helped lead into disaster in the first place that she feels she owes a debt, and this seems like the best way to repay it. Additionally, she grew tired of feeling sorry for herself. She was ashamed that she allowed herself to feel so victimized she let it turn her into a monster. A monster every bit as similar to the hollow they accused her of being.

As such it is her goal to prove otherwise, both to herself and those idiots. She wants to help create a world where less children have to grow up like her and her fellow deserted.She wants to figure out a source for the hollow. She wants to study their reproductive habits, and perhaps help find a way to stunt their population to more manageable sizes. She wants to lead by example, so those friends she once fought beside know that they can make something more of themselves. That they can leave that life they thought they had to live. She also wants to personally have a hand in the Black Lotus's destruction.

That said, she’s afraid she’ll never know where she came from. That she’ll never know why she was wandering the East quarter alone, or who her family was. She’s afraid she’ll get sucked back into her old world. That she will forever feel like an imposter among heroes. More than that, she’s afraid of making another mistake.


How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?
It started in her early childhood. As you can imagine many of the kids trapped living together under one roof had some behavioral issues, considering they were either abandoned or grieving the death of their parents. Bullying ran rampant. Children were little shits. The facility’s rules were unproductive. Cliques became a thing early on – more like packs. They protected their own. She learned to fight through experience either defending herself or those of her little pack. She grew very close to her bunk siblings.

However, her skills didn’t truly start blooming until she was in her mid teens. A year older than her, one of their pack was tempted into a honey trap that became a domino effect for the rest of their bunk. Each year new orphans were recruited into the Mongrels – a gang name definitely created by dumb teenagers. It was a junior cell meant to eventually graduate into full fledged Black Lotus. They had two sponsors, mentors of sorts, from the Lotus’ that were given the task of raising these pups into beasts.

Meanwhile, she was being fostered by her third wanna-be guardian. Except this woman was…special. Instead of chaining Mugi down with attempts at discipline and punishment, she gave her something else to focus her energy on. She kept Mugi on her toes, helping her harness the relentless tension gripping her for something more productive. Guerrero was a retired Champion, you see. She had Mugi under her belt for two and a half years before she passed.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?
The first mixed martial arts competition Mugi ever won was as the student of Guerrero, Jorsen and Ashida. The thrill. The rush of excitement. The proud knowing the old woman seemed to have in her eyes. It wasn’t even a major competition! But it was the first time anyone looked at her like she could make something of herself.

She let Guerrero die alone while she was busy being rebellious, destructive and angsty with her fellow Mongrels. It still haunts Mugi to this day.



Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?
Mugi was very nervous, and although her voice was quiet and she wasn't the most chatty, she tried her best to be amiable.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Mugi claims to have 11 siblings, but also has the last name Stone.

Mugi brought a blanket with her that she is very protective of and sleeps with every night. She once thought it went missing and looked ready to slaughter everyone in the entire building. Including her team. After finding the blanket she mumbled an apology and wouldn’t look anyone in the eye again for the rest of the night. She did, however, crawl straight into bed with her blanket and a book.

Mugi can be bought with good food…but can’t cook worth a damn. Her favorite meal to cook in the dorms is what she calls “fancy ramen”, a doctored up version of instant ramen.

Mugi reacts more dramatically to loud noises or being snuck up on than your typical pretty princess.

Her hair isn’t actually hair, but is made of the same downy barb fibers as on feathers. 

She gets distracted by cool toys, both for kids and gaming.

Don’t talk to her in the morning until she gets her first cup of coffee.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Mugi will drink you under the table.

Mugi will try to turn any sort of studying into some kind of game or a stupid song. She hates normal book studying. On that note, she also likes to make terrible puns when the opportunity presents itself.

Did I mention Mugi can be bought with food?

Threatened to gut another student in the first week of classes, for apparently touching her earwings.

Thinks obstacle courses are playgrounds.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?
Mugi took some of the stipends each student is allowed during attendance, left the island and went to the Eastern Quarter. There she went grocery shopping, bought a bunch of groceries but didn’t return with any of them.

Mugi took some of the stipends each student is allowed during attendance, left the island and went to the Eastern Quarter. There she went supply shopping, but didn’t return with any of them.

Mugi largely stays up on the island as much as she can, not that she hides from people. She will go out in groups, but she tries to busy herself with fun thing in the safety of the academy grounds.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
Mugi is very interested in gathering money itself.

Mugi has an instinctive urge to perch in high places…

She really loves to play.

She wants to make friends, but she’s terrified of how they’ll react if they find out about how much of a wretch she is.

Mugi has an intense protective streak when it comes to females. This isn’t a sexual thing.

She is protective of her fellow "siblings". Even if she is disappointed and disagrees with some.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Mugi knows some pretty bad people. She's trying to stay out of sight and out of mind. What if someone recognized her?

Hey Mugi, what are you spending all your money on? You are just eating ramen at home and you're not buying anything else. So what gives?


Got some dramatic adventure? General drama you wanna suck people into? Sign me up!

Medina Guerrero was once an accomplished Champion who actually managed to survive long enough to retire. It would be nice to have her remembered, if only at Hammer, to some semblance. Have little signs of her presence throughout the school.

Mugi has a terrible relationship with Black Lotus and their subsidiaries. Though limited, she has some inside knowledge to their inner workings. She also has an avid disgust for their leadership. Something happened between them and her Mongrels over the last year to change the nature of their relationship altogether.

[Aethyrium]

Tossing out that final countdown warning. I'll be making decisions the morning of the 30th; ~11am CST. Your sheet does not have to have gone through a feedback round to be considered, but it does need to be mostly complete so we can do last minute touch ups.

If you've been looking at the game and considering tossing out a submission, now is the time! No decisions have been made yet, so even though there are a handful of sheets already out there, you could still end up playing with a strong submission!

And I wanna just thank everyone who has taken the time to write a sheet. It's going to be tough to make decisions, there are a lot of great characters here. I really appreciate everyone's time, and am hyped to write with you ^^

[Rainbae]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Lightning | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Urban | Artic

Koko Gero

Rainbae

Ancestry: Human
Gender | Pronouns: Trans Woman | She/Her
Sexuality: Pansexual

Age: 18
Height: 5’8”
Body Build: Hourglass but curvy. She definitely isn't muscular and has a good bit of chub to her even though she maintains her waistline through training.
Hair Color: Blonde/Blue
Eye Color: Green

Weapon
Power Gloves - Koko’s power gloves are inventions of her own making. These elbow length gloves are part tool and part weapon. They have as many functions as Koko can think to add to them and the list grows practically daily. She uses them to arc weld, for torque when driving in bolts and screws, as well as tools to cut any number of materials. Their other primary use is as medium ranged weapons that shoot high energy blasts of lightning to defeat enemies. When doing so she aims by pointing her hand into a finger gun and then “pulling the trigger”. They also contain various other weapons like mini rockets and lasers as well as rudimentary melee weapons, although she rarely uses them. They basically never leave her hands and even have integrated comms functions as well as a cupholder!

Shimmer
Gravity Manipulation - Koko has the ability to manipulate gravity in a short radius around her. She can make objects as well as herself heavier or lighter at will. This ability requires a decent amount of concentration and is very difficult for her to use during combat as such. However it is exceptionally useful to her for engineering things as well as use for moving through difficult terrains or doing something like clearing debris.

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Koko was born in Johtan. Specifically in Onyx to Dr. Mahandi Gero and his wife Dara. Their relationship was always a tumultuous one to say the least. Dara’s father worked for the Onyx military and desperately wanted Mahandi’s knowledge and inventions for his cause and as such he made his daughter marry him. Mahandi was kind to his wife but always distant. He never gave her much love or affection but he was respectful and caring still. His primary focus however was always his work. Even after Koko was born he still focused primarily on his work. Left without much love and with a child who wasn’t even expected to live through its first year of life Dara left Mahandi and Koko and hasn’t been back since. Koko will occasionally receive a postcard or a trinket from random places however. They never have a return address and they never say more than simply, love Mom.

She has no siblings or other major family ties however Mahandi did hire a maid to deal with home chores after his wife left him. Chandra was Koko’s only friend as a child even though she is mute. She was a warm, caring person to her and someone she loves deeply. She goes to visit Chandra more often than her father even on her days off from the Academy and always comes back bearing gifts for her teammates, usually in the form of baked goods or a casserole.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Koko’s life before the Battle Academy was quite random and tumultuous. She was certainly someone who took whatever path she felt suited her at the time and strode boldly down it without fear. She followed many different routes before eventually landing at the Academy. Random jobs and careers that tickled her fancy at the time. She was a clockmaker, an architect, a dentist, a firefighter and briefly a seamstress as well as many other random and odd jobs. Nothing ever grabbed her fancy quite like working with her father in his lab however. Working with arcanite and building tech seemed to be where her talents lay. And although she was incredibly bummed out that she would be so boring as to follow in her father’s footsteps like everyone in her life had expected of her she reconciled that she wouldn’t prevent herself from doing something just because of the negative expectations of other people so why should she allow herself to be bogged down by positive reaction as well, even if it irked her slightly.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Koko decided to become a champion for the simple reason that she wants to be allowed to travel more. Her goal in life is to make herself the best version of her she can be. She’s always working towards self improvement and betterment of her mind, body and soul and so she constantly looks to those around her for ways she can be better. If and when she finds someone who’s better than her at something or has a quality or trait that she deems to be superior Koko’s immediate goal becomes discovering a way to either augment herself to achieve the same results or better, or to surpass those results by circumventing them altogether. Her method of achieving this most often comes down to using her creativity to invent something that allows her to bypass physical limitations. With all of that said Koko wants to travel the world as a champion because she believes that without seeing all the people of the world she’ll never be able to reach the pinnacle of her existence. Without being able to see what great feats others around the world have achieved she won’t be able to know where the bar is to continue to surpass them. 

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Although it is quite commonly thought that Koko was taught by her father, her smarts and technical know-how are mostly self taught. Although it is not entirely true that her father had no role to play in her development. Her mind is an analytical one and without her mother around to guide her learning as a child and with her father so focussed on his work Koko ended up learning by studying the things her father created. Even the junk he threw out and discarded became something for Koko to learn from. She learned how things went together and what processes created what results not through being taught directly but by simply analyzing her father’s work and coming to conclusions on her own with her own logic. This method of learning has allowed her to be a very out of the box thinker and thus create strange inventions and tech that most people would not think up within common conventions.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Koko’s greatest accomplishment is creating the body which she wished to live in. Her form as well as its internals are an ever expanding, ever evolving project and although some of the work she’s had done has been purely aesthetic she still considers it a triumph. When Koko was born her heart was incredibly weak and as such her body did not develop properly at all. Her father saved her life as an infant by replacing her weak heart with a mechanical one but the rest of her body was left damaged as well. She was barely able to walk as a child and her body was very weak and scarred. Koko has slowly requested her father work on and augment her ever since, with occasional aid from herself. She has mostly had him work to replace weak interior pieces like her lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach etc. with synthetic mechanical parts as well as using chemistry and Arcanite she’s been able to be augmented into the body she’s always wanted. As such a large portion of her body is synthetic. During training or even in the changing rooms others would be able to see easily that she has a patchwork of metal plates and wirings and such across her body. Most notably across her back are metal links in place of her spine. However with these improvements she was able to eventually turn a frail boy who didn’t have much potential in life into a woman who was able to be strong enough to make it into Hammer Academy.

Koko’s biggest regret is not living a proper childhood. Because of how she was born and the fact that her father had a reputation around town Koko never spent any time with other children as a kid. Not only could she not go out and play but many parents warned their kids not to go anywhere near Dr. Gero’s lab. As such her life was mostly spent indoors, with books and projects that her father had created. Because of this she never had much chance to be social or to have fun. She never really developed socially as well causing her to often miss quite obvious social cues and beats that might be obvious to others. She did have her maid Chandra but with her being mute Koko got very used to silence. She’s trying her best to make up for lost time now that she has a team to rely on and friends surrounding her which is cause for her goofy and silly personality. However her regrets still lay as they are, buried in her mind as distant memories that she wishes she could do something about. However not even Koko and Dr. Gero have found a way to experiment on the human mind just yet.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Koko was exceptionally happy and excited to be paired with her team and probably quite a handful for her other team members. She was energetic and super friendly. Although she probably overdid it like crazy she should have been generally endearing and likeable. There might have been some feelings hurt and some toes stepped on when first meeting however as Koko’s immediate thought would be to try and upgrade everyone in her team. Although helpful, there’s a chance she might have insulted someone by not being gentle enough with her comments about what they lacked and how she could help them circumnavigate those deficiencies.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Koko would be very forthcoming with the fact that not only was she born a boy but a very frail and weak one. It’s not something she goes around announcing to people but she wouldn’t be worried about telling her teammates. It might come as a shock to others but she herself wouldn’t think much about it. As far as she’s concerned she simply achieved the form she wished to have without thinking about the social barriers and conventions that surround that.

Something people would have learned about Koko is that she is incredibly reliable and loyal. She says what she thinks and when she says something she makes it happen. Her single mindedness towards achieving her goals can be very admirable although sometimes worrisome as her ability to take care of herself when attempting to complete a task can become worryingly low. However it is one hundred percent a truth that when Koko says something you can take her at her word. She never adds subtext or asks you to read between the lines. She simply states facts always. This can sometimes run her into trouble especially when talking to those above her in the food chain as her inability to mince words can get her into hot water.

Koko requires regular infusions of Arcanite to keep her synthetic parts functioning. The fastest and easiest way to achieve this that doesn’t end up with her having to have open heart surgery on the regular is to have her part charged through the use of black Arcanite and lightning. Unfortunately this is as painful as it sounds and so Koko definitely has a day on the regular where she just kind of gets bummed out because she knows it’s “get electrocuted day”. Even worse is that although Koko is decent with soul like any Academy student her ability to effectively channel it for her “charging purposes” is lack luster and as such probably ends up with her asking someone else to do it for her. If anyone in her team has lightning affinity and wishes to be her charging station I’d love to work that in. The amount she requires as well as how it all affects her isn’t something she’d really divulge readily. However, her teammates would be very right to be worried about the possibility of her organs shutting down if she was ever in a situation without Arcanite to charge up with for too long.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Something that would be very easily seen and incredibly evident to everyone and anyone that saw Koko is that she is incredibly messy. Her tools and materials can be found strewn around her workspaces haphazardly and her room is like a display of modern art with how many jenga towers of random clutter are found inside it. She refuses to clean up and when she makes a mess by one of her creations exploding or malfunctioning she wants to analyze why and get to work fixing it much more than tidy up whatever just occurred.

Another very obvious trait that people would notice about Koko is her incredibly chaotic streak of pranks and goofs. She has a very mischievous mind and the ability to set elaborate traps. As such even in just a month spent in the Academy she would have already earned the title of prank Queen and probably also been reprimanded for it several times. If there are any other fun loving characters as a part of her team or otherwise who’d want to get in on causing havoc with her within the school she would almost certainly be willing to have accomplices to her shenanigans.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

Koko recently entered into a Robot fighting tournament of sorts called the Steel League. She engineered and designed a machine to beat all the competition but she is not the kind of person to be the operator for it. She would have almost certainly asked one of her teammates to operate it for her, with the caveat that they are aware that as with most things she makes there’s always a chance it might explode. The fights are decently dangerous as interfering with other’s bots is not uncommon as the league is an illegal operation. Whomever the operator is, their skills as a fighter would be put to the test alongside the crazy contraption that Koko created. It would have many fun and ridiculous tools to help them win fights and she would design it with the operator's abilities in mind as well to try and augment their natural fighting style.

Koko has an incredibly strong sweet tooth and as such has been attempting to find the best desserts in town. She would have certainly gone to a bakery or a cafe with one or more of her teammates and tried every cake or parfait that they serve. Her ability to down food would have been impressive to her teammates and the question of how her anatomy works exactly in terms of food and rest and other things of that nature would have been raised as a question.


List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

Koko believes that if something isn't how you want it to be you can always and should always change it. She absolutely despises waiting around for things to change or hoping they get better. As far as she's concerned you should always strive to live the best possible life you can and being ambitious towards that goal is her driving force. No matter your limitations you should simply break right through them and ignore what others perceive as the status quo if you truly want something.

Koko has zero tolerance for social conventions and limitations getting in her way. If someone tells her she can’t do something because it's disrespectful or bad manners she would get incredibly angry. She does not care for people’s perception of her and she refuses to bend to peer pressure. She also conversely hates these traits in others. Someone who holds themself back or is very fake because of how they wish to be perceived by the social hierarchy of the world would really grate on Koko. She takes people at their word and she expects them to do the same to her so lying to her or even just not telling the full truth or simply trying to manipulate her with choice words is the easiest way to get on her bad side.

Koko values challenge. Someone who can best her in something is someone she wishes to be around. This is good for most all her teammates and fellow students as there is certainly something that each and everyone of them is better than her at and that is one of the reasons she’s so enamored with being in the Academy. She wants to be put to the test and lose. Losing to her is the greatest feeling in the world because it means she has something she can work towards improving. As such anyone with a similar mindset focussed on improvement would be fast and quick friends with Koko and she would be infatuated with them immediately. Vice versa anyone who refuses to try and improve and simply wishes to coast along would bother her slightly.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Koko’s thirst for improvement is ravenous. She wants to become the best version of herself she can be. This can and will lead her to taking incredibly dangerous actions and pushing the limits quite hard. Her ability to put limiters on herself and worry about her own well being are incredibly poor and as such she will need wrangling probably quite often. Which leads me to the main point of this hook. All of her augmentation at this point has been done by her father and as such is very high quality and stable.  That being said it's almost certain that Koko is going to try and open herself up and put something new inside of herself and when she does the chances of that going well are not good. Lots of potential ways this hook could go

Already went over this with Aethy in PMs but I thought I would post this here just so everyone can see ^_^

[shengami]

And a wild Rainbae appears with a whopper CS.

I cannot tell if her and Chee will get along. He's the type to challenge himself, yes. But I think they would disagree on how that is best achieved. He does have a lightning proficiency though. Haha.

But neat CS!

For techie PCs? Two left us. The closest is Lyra but she's more magic than tech.

[Lyrical]

Tossing out that final countdown warning. I'll be making decisions the morning of the 30th; ~11am CST. Your sheet does not have to have gone through a feedback round to be considered, but it does need to be mostly complete so we can do last minute touch ups.

If you've been looking at the game and considering tossing out a submission, now is the time! No decisions have been made yet, so even though there are a handful of sheets already out there, you could still end up playing with a strong submission!

And I wanna just thank everyone who has taken the time to write a sheet. It's going to be tough to make decisions, there are a lot of great characters here. I really appreciate everyone's time, and am hyped to write with you ^^

so many amazing characters to choose from... hoping that Bri gets selected so she can start making connections

there seems to be a lot of intense team activities; does it make sense for cross team members to know each other well outside of competitions and classes?

I also noticed that some people list out their familiar relations, is that something that I should be adding to my CS? And/or also, should I be re-posting my sheet if I've made new edits to it?

[shengami]

so many amazing characters to choose from... hoping that Bri gets selected so she can start making connections

there seems to be a lot of intense team activities; does it make sense for cross team members to know each other well outside of competitions and classes?

I also noticed that some people list out their familiar relations, is that something that I should be adding to my CS? And/or also, should I be re-posting my sheet if I've made new edits to it?

I can't speak to the rest of that, but all team attend classes together, live in dorms in the same area of the school, and are among a small group of people populating the Academy itself. There's lots of crossteam connections.

[Lyrical]

I can't speak to the rest of that, but all team attend classes together, live in dorms in the same area of the school, and are among a small group of people populating the Academy itself. There's lots of crossteam connections.

thanks for the reply

i was a little unsure how the dorms worked. If I read it correctly the team shares a dorm or maybe it was just 2 sets of characters

your character is adorable by the way, he's too cute to be a badass pick pocketing former mercenary

[shengami]

thanks for the reply

i was a little unsure how the dorms worked. If I read it correctly the team shares a dorm or maybe it was just 2 sets of characters

your character is adorable by the way, he's too cute to be a badass pick pocketing former mercenary

Each dorm is the full team. Within the dorms, in the standard setup, there are three sets of bunkbed for each squad. A team is three squads. However, most teams heavily personalize their dorms. There's a schematic of it in the discord.. haha.

Bri is also cute! Tiny girl, big sword. Chee might be cute, but he's a hyper-competitive, adrenaline junky. He can't help what genetics gave him being rat-born. Haha. And he tries not to pickpocket anymore. The 'former' in former mercenary is also somewhat debatable! haha.

Couple more days until selection! I am sure everyone is crossing their fingers.

[Yukina]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Lightning | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Urban | Artic

Koko Gero

Rainbae

Ancestry: Johtan/Onyx
Gender | Pronouns: Trans Woman | She/Her
Sexuality: Pansexual

Age: 18
Height: 5’8”
Body Build: Hourglass but curvy. She definitely isn't muscular and has a good bit of chub to her even though she maintains her waistline through training.
Hair Color: Blonde/Blue
Eye Color: Green

Weapon
Power Gloves - Koko’s power gloves are inventions of her own making. These elbow length gloves are part tool and part weapon. They have as many functions as Koko can think to add to them and the list grows practically daily. She uses them to arc weld, for torque when driving in bolts and screws, as well as tools to cut any number of materials. Their other primary use is as medium ranged weapons that shoot high energy blasts of lightning to defeat enemies. When doing so she aims by pointing her hand into a finger gun and then “pulling the trigger”. They also contain various other weapons like mini rockets and lasers as well as rudimentary melee weapons, although she rarely uses them. They basically never leave her hands and even have integrated comms functions as well as a cupholder!

Shimmer
Gravity Manipulation - Koko has the ability to manipulate gravity in a short radius around her. She can make objects as well as herself heavier or lighter at will. This ability requires a decent amount of concentration and is very difficult for her to use during combat as such. However it is exceptionally useful to her for engineering things as well as use for moving through difficult terrains or doing something like clearing debris.

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Koko was born in Johtan. Specifically in Onyx to Dr. Mahandi Gero and his wife Dara. Their relationship was always a tumultuous one to say the least. Dara’s father worked for the Onyx military and desperately wanted Mahandi’s knowledge and inventions for his cause and as such he made his daughter marry him. Mahandi was kind to his wife but always distant. He never gave her much love or affection but he was respectful and caring still. His primary focus however was always his work. Even after Koko was born he still focused primarily on his work. Left without much love and with a child who wasn’t even expected to live through its first year of life Dara left Mahandi and Koko and hasn’t been back since. Koko will occasionally receive a postcard or a trinket from random places however. They never have a return address and they never say more than simply, love Mom.

She has no siblings or other major family ties however Mahandi did hire a maid to deal with home chores after his wife left him. Chandra was Koko’s only friend as a child even though she is mute. She was a warm, caring person to her and someone she loves deeply. She goes to visit Chandra more often than her father even on her days off from the Academy and always comes back bearing gifts for her teammates, usually in the form of baked goods or a casserole.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Koko’s life before the Battle Academy was quite random and tumultuous. She was certainly someone who took whatever path she felt suited her at the time and strode boldly down it without fear. She followed many different routes before eventually landing at the Academy. Random jobs and careers that tickled her fancy at the time. She was a clockmaker, an architect, a dentist, a firefighter and briefly a seamstress as well as many other random and odd jobs. Nothing ever grabbed her fancy quite like working with her father in his lab however. Working with arcanite and building tech seemed to be where her talents lay. And although she was incredibly bummed out that she would be so boring as to follow in her father’s footsteps like everyone in her life had expected of her she reconciled that she wouldn’t prevent herself from doing something just because of the negative expectations of other people so why should she allow herself to be bogged down by positive reaction as well, even if it irked her slightly.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Koko decided to become a champion for the simple reason that she wants to be allowed to travel more. Her goal in life is to make herself the best version of her she can be. She’s always working towards self improvement and betterment of her mind, body and soul and so she constantly looks to those around her for ways she can be better. If and when she finds someone who’s better than her at something or has a quality or trait that she deems to be superior Koko’s immediate goal becomes discovering a way to either augment herself to achieve the same results or better, or to surpass those results by circumventing them altogether. Her method of achieving this most often comes down to using her creativity to invent something that allows her to bypass physical limitations. With all of that said Koko wants to travel the world as a champion because she believes that without seeing all the people of the world she’ll never be able to reach the pinnacle of her existence. Without being able to see what great feats others around the world have achieved she won’t be able to know where the bar is to continue to surpass them. 

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Although it is quite commonly thought that Koko was taught by her father, her smarts and technical know-how are mostly self taught. Although it is not entirely true that her father had no role to play in her development. Her mind is an analytical one and without her mother around to guide her learning as a child and with her father so focussed on his work Koko ended up learning by studying the things her father created. Even the junk he threw out and discarded became something for Koko to learn from. She learned how things went together and what processes created what results not through being taught directly but by simply analyzing her father’s work and coming to conclusions on her own with her own logic. This method of learning has allowed her to be a very out of the box thinker and thus create strange inventions and tech that most people would not think up within common conventions.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Koko’s greatest accomplishment is creating the body which she wished to live in. Her form as well as its internals are an ever expanding, ever evolving project and although some of the work she’s had done has been purely aesthetic she still considers it a triumph. When Koko was born her heart was incredibly weak and as such her body did not develop properly at all. Her father saved her life as an infant by replacing her weak heart with a mechanical one but the rest of her body was left damaged as well. She was barely able to walk as a child and her body was very weak and scarred. Koko has slowly requested her father work on and augment her ever since, with occasional aid from herself. She has mostly had him work to replace weak interior pieces like her lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach etc. with synthetic mechanical parts as well as using chemistry and Arcanite she’s been able to be augmented into the body she’s always wanted. As such a large portion of her body is synthetic. During training or even in the changing rooms others would be able to see easily that she has a patchwork of metal plates and wirings and such across her body. Most notably across her back are metal links in place of her spine. However with these improvements she was able to eventually turn a frail boy who didn’t have much potential in life into a woman who was able to be strong enough to make it into Hammer Academy.

Koko’s biggest regret is not living a proper childhood. Because of how she was born and the fact that her father had a reputation around town Koko never spent any time with other children as a kid. Not only could she not go out and play but many parents warned their kids not to go anywhere near Dr. Gero’s lab. As such her life was mostly spent indoors, with books and projects that her father had created. Because of this she never had much chance to be social or to have fun. She never really developed socially as well causing her to often miss quite obvious social cues and beats that might be obvious to others. She did have her maid Chandra but with her being mute Koko got very used to silence. She’s trying her best to make up for lost time now that she has a team to rely on and friends surrounding her which is cause for her goofy and silly personality. However her regrets still lay as they are, buried in her mind as distant memories that she wishes she could do something about. However not even Koko and Dr. Gero have found a way to experiment on the human mind just yet.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Koko was exceptionally happy and excited to be paired with her team and probably quite a handful for her other team members. She was energetic and super friendly. Although she probably overdid it like crazy she should have been generally endearing and likeable. There might have been some feelings hurt and some toes stepped on when first meeting however as Koko’s immediate thought would be to try and upgrade everyone in her team. Although helpful, there’s a chance she might have insulted someone by not being gentle enough with her comments about what they lacked and how she could help them circumnavigate those deficiencies.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Koko would be very forthcoming with the fact that not only was she born a boy but a very frail and weak one. It’s not something she goes around announcing to people but she wouldn’t be worried about telling her teammates. It might come as a shock to others but she herself wouldn’t think much about it. As far as she’s concerned she simply achieved the form she wished to have without thinking about the social barriers and conventions that surround that.

Something people would have learned about Koko is that she is incredibly reliable and loyal. She says what she thinks and when she says something she makes it happen. Her single mindedness towards achieving her goals can be very admirable although sometimes worrisome as her ability to take care of herself when attempting to complete a task can become worryingly low. However it is one hundred percent a truth that when Koko says something you can take her at her word. She never adds subtext or asks you to read between the lines. She simply states facts always. This can sometimes run her into trouble especially when talking to those above her in the food chain as her inability to mince words can get her into hot water.

Koko requires regular infusions of Arcanite to keep her synthetic parts functioning. The fastest and easiest way to achieve this that doesn’t end up with her having to have open heart surgery on the regular is to have her part charged through the use of black Arcanite and lightning. Unfortunately this is as painful as it sounds and so Koko definitely has a day on the regular where she just kind of gets bummed out because she knows it’s “get electrocuted day”. Even worse is that although Koko is decent with soul like any Academy student her ability to effectively channel it for her “charging purposes” is lack luster and as such probably ends up with her asking someone else to do it for her. If anyone in her team has lightning affinity and wishes to be her charging station I’d love to work that in. The amount she requires as well as how it all affects her isn’t something she’d really divulge readily. However, her teammates would be very right to be worried about the possibility of her organs shutting down if she was ever in a situation without Arcanite to charge up with for too long.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Something that would be very easily seen and incredibly evident to everyone and anyone that saw Koko is that she is incredibly messy. Her tools and materials can be found strewn around her workspaces haphazardly and her room is like a display of modern art with how many jenga towers of random clutter are found inside it. She refuses to clean up and when she makes a mess by one of her creations exploding or malfunctioning she wants to analyze why and get to work fixing it much more than tidy up whatever just occurred.

Another very obvious trait that people would notice about Koko is her incredibly chaotic streak of pranks and goofs. She has a very mischievous mind and the ability to set elaborate traps. As such even in just a month spent in the Academy she would have already earned the title of prank Queen and probably also been reprimanded for it several times. If there are any other fun loving characters as a part of her team or otherwise who’d want to get in on causing havoc with her within the school she would almost certainly be willing to have accomplices to her shenanigans.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

Koko recently entered into a Robot fighting tournament of sorts called the Steel League. She engineered and designed a machine to beat all the competition but she is not the kind of person to be the operator for it. She would have almost certainly asked one of her teammates to operate it for her, with the caveat that they are aware that as with most things she makes there’s always a chance it might explode. The fights are decently dangerous as interfering with other’s bots is not uncommon as the league is an illegal operation. Whomever the operator is, their skills as a fighter would be put to the test alongside the crazy contraption that Koko created. It would have many fun and ridiculous tools to help them win fights and she would design it with the operator's abilities in mind as well to try and augment their natural fighting style.

Koko has an incredibly strong sweet tooth and as such has been attempting to find the best desserts in town. She would have certainly gone to a bakery or a cafe with one or more of her teammates and tried every cake or parfait that they serve. Her ability to down food would have been impressive to her teammates and the question of how her anatomy works exactly in terms of food and rest and other things of that nature would have been raised as a question.


List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

Koko believes that if something isn't how you want it to be you can always and should always change it. She absolutely despises waiting around for things to change or hoping they get better. As far as she's concerned you should always strive to live the best possible life you can and being ambitious towards that goal is her driving force. No matter your limitations you should simply break right through them and ignore what others perceive as the status quo if you truly want something.

Koko has zero tolerance for social conventions and limitations getting in her way. If someone tells her she can’t do something because it's disrespectful or bad manners she would get incredibly angry. She does not care for people’s perception of her and she refuses to bend to peer pressure. She also conversely hates these traits in others. Someone who holds themself back or is very fake because of how they wish to be perceived by the social hierarchy of the world would really grate on Koko. She takes people at their word and she expects them to do the same to her so lying to her or even just not telling the full truth or simply trying to manipulate her with choice words is the easiest way to get on her bad side.

Koko values challenge. Someone who can best her in something is someone she wishes to be around. This is good for most all her teammates and fellow students as there is certainly something that each and everyone of them is better than her at and that is one of the reasons she’s so enamored with being in the Academy. She wants to be put to the test and lose. Losing to her is the greatest feeling in the world because it means she has something she can work towards improving. As such anyone with a similar mindset focussed on improvement would be fast and quick friends with Koko and she would be infatuated with them immediately. Vice versa anyone who refuses to try and improve and simply wishes to coast along would bother her slightly.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Koko’s thirst for improvement is ravenous. She wants to become the best version of herself she can be. This can and will lead her to taking incredibly dangerous actions and pushing the limits quite hard. Her ability to put limiters on herself and worry about her own well being are incredibly poor and as such she will need wrangling probably quite often. Which leads me to the main point of this hook. All of her augmentation at this point has been done by her father and as such is very high quality and stable.  That being said it's almost certain that Koko is going to try and open herself up and put something new inside of herself and when she does the chances of that going well are not good. Lots of potential ways this hook could go

Already went over this with Aethy in PMs but I thought I would post this here just so everyone can see ^_^

Such a lovely character! I honestly hope both Koko and Torina get picked so they can drive the more serious of their teammates ragged with their eccentric-ness. (My birb would gladly encourage a "bakery crawl"! :))

[Miss Nyx]

Fantastical flood of fresh characters, ohhh yes! Loving all the creativity and originality, and it's always awesome to see quite a few familiar faces.

Now... for the oh so patient wait for team selection.

[Crash]

thanks for the reply

i was a little unsure how the dorms worked. If I read it correctly the team shares a dorm or maybe it was just 2 sets of characters

your character is adorable by the way, he's too cute to be a badass pick pocketing former mercenary

In the main plot thread for your team there won’t be much interaction likely.

However, it is a school and side scenes are open for anyone and everyone to interact.  Meena from Team Gravity does charity work with Velvet from Team Mockery on the weekends.  So I imagine there will be lots of interactions outside the team plot thread.

[Crash]

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Soul    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Lightning | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Urban | Artic

Koko Gero

Rainbae

Ancestry: Johtan/Onyx
Gender | Pronouns: Trans Woman | She/Her
Sexuality: Pansexual

Age: 18
Height: 5’8”
Body Build: Hourglass but curvy. She definitely isn't muscular and has a good bit of chub to her even though she maintains her waistline through training.
Hair Color: Blonde/Blue
Eye Color: Green

Weapon
Power Gloves - Koko’s power gloves are inventions of her own making. These elbow length gloves are part tool and part weapon. They have as many functions as Koko can think to add to them and the list grows practically daily. She uses them to arc weld, for torque when driving in bolts and screws, as well as tools to cut any number of materials. Their other primary use is as medium ranged weapons that shoot high energy blasts of lightning to defeat enemies. When doing so she aims by pointing her hand into a finger gun and then “pulling the trigger”. They also contain various other weapons like mini rockets and lasers as well as rudimentary melee weapons, although she rarely uses them. They basically never leave her hands and even have integrated comms functions as well as a cupholder!

Shimmer
Gravity Manipulation - Koko has the ability to manipulate gravity in a short radius around her. She can make objects as well as herself heavier or lighter at will. This ability requires a decent amount of concentration and is very difficult for her to use during combat as such. However it is exceptionally useful to her for engineering things as well as use for moving through difficult terrains or doing something like clearing debris.

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Koko was born in Johtan. Specifically in Onyx to Dr. Mahandi Gero and his wife Dara. Their relationship was always a tumultuous one to say the least. Dara’s father worked for the Onyx military and desperately wanted Mahandi’s knowledge and inventions for his cause and as such he made his daughter marry him. Mahandi was kind to his wife but always distant. He never gave her much love or affection but he was respectful and caring still. His primary focus however was always his work. Even after Koko was born he still focused primarily on his work. Left without much love and with a child who wasn’t even expected to live through its first year of life Dara left Mahandi and Koko and hasn’t been back since. Koko will occasionally receive a postcard or a trinket from random places however. They never have a return address and they never say more than simply, love Mom.

She has no siblings or other major family ties however Mahandi did hire a maid to deal with home chores after his wife left him. Chandra was Koko’s only friend as a child even though she is mute. She was a warm, caring person to her and someone she loves deeply. She goes to visit Chandra more often than her father even on her days off from the Academy and always comes back bearing gifts for her teammates, usually in the form of baked goods or a casserole.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Koko’s life before the Battle Academy was quite random and tumultuous. She was certainly someone who took whatever path she felt suited her at the time and strode boldly down it without fear. She followed many different routes before eventually landing at the Academy. Random jobs and careers that tickled her fancy at the time. She was a clockmaker, an architect, a dentist, a firefighter and briefly a seamstress as well as many other random and odd jobs. Nothing ever grabbed her fancy quite like working with her father in his lab however. Working with arcanite and building tech seemed to be where her talents lay. And although she was incredibly bummed out that she would be so boring as to follow in her father’s footsteps like everyone in her life had expected of her she reconciled that she wouldn’t prevent herself from doing something just because of the negative expectations of other people so why should she allow herself to be bogged down by positive reaction as well, even if it irked her slightly.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Koko decided to become a champion for the simple reason that she wants to be allowed to travel more. Her goal in life is to make herself the best version of her she can be. She’s always working towards self improvement and betterment of her mind, body and soul and so she constantly looks to those around her for ways she can be better. If and when she finds someone who’s better than her at something or has a quality or trait that she deems to be superior Koko’s immediate goal becomes discovering a way to either augment herself to achieve the same results or better, or to surpass those results by circumventing them altogether. Her method of achieving this most often comes down to using her creativity to invent something that allows her to bypass physical limitations. With all of that said Koko wants to travel the world as a champion because she believes that without seeing all the people of the world she’ll never be able to reach the pinnacle of her existence. Without being able to see what great feats others around the world have achieved she won’t be able to know where the bar is to continue to surpass them. 

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Although it is quite commonly thought that Koko was taught by her father, her smarts and technical know-how are mostly self taught. Although it is not entirely true that her father had no role to play in her development. Her mind is an analytical one and without her mother around to guide her learning as a child and with her father so focussed on his work Koko ended up learning by studying the things her father created. Even the junk he threw out and discarded became something for Koko to learn from. She learned how things went together and what processes created what results not through being taught directly but by simply analyzing her father’s work and coming to conclusions on her own with her own logic. This method of learning has allowed her to be a very out of the box thinker and thus create strange inventions and tech that most people would not think up within common conventions.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

Koko’s greatest accomplishment is creating the body which she wished to live in. Her form as well as its internals are an ever expanding, ever evolving project and although some of the work she’s had done has been purely aesthetic she still considers it a triumph. When Koko was born her heart was incredibly weak and as such her body did not develop properly at all. Her father saved her life as an infant by replacing her weak heart with a mechanical one but the rest of her body was left damaged as well. She was barely able to walk as a child and her body was very weak and scarred. Koko has slowly requested her father work on and augment her ever since, with occasional aid from herself. She has mostly had him work to replace weak interior pieces like her lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach etc. with synthetic mechanical parts as well as using chemistry and Arcanite she’s been able to be augmented into the body she’s always wanted. As such a large portion of her body is synthetic. During training or even in the changing rooms others would be able to see easily that she has a patchwork of metal plates and wirings and such across her body. Most notably across her back are metal links in place of her spine. However with these improvements she was able to eventually turn a frail boy who didn’t have much potential in life into a woman who was able to be strong enough to make it into Hammer Academy.

Koko’s biggest regret is not living a proper childhood. Because of how she was born and the fact that her father had a reputation around town Koko never spent any time with other children as a kid. Not only could she not go out and play but many parents warned their kids not to go anywhere near Dr. Gero’s lab. As such her life was mostly spent indoors, with books and projects that her father had created. Because of this she never had much chance to be social or to have fun. She never really developed socially as well causing her to often miss quite obvious social cues and beats that might be obvious to others. She did have her maid Chandra but with her being mute Koko got very used to silence. She’s trying her best to make up for lost time now that she has a team to rely on and friends surrounding her which is cause for her goofy and silly personality. However her regrets still lay as they are, buried in her mind as distant memories that she wishes she could do something about. However not even Koko and Dr. Gero have found a way to experiment on the human mind just yet.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Koko was exceptionally happy and excited to be paired with her team and probably quite a handful for her other team members. She was energetic and super friendly. Although she probably overdid it like crazy she should have been generally endearing and likeable. There might have been some feelings hurt and some toes stepped on when first meeting however as Koko’s immediate thought would be to try and upgrade everyone in her team. Although helpful, there’s a chance she might have insulted someone by not being gentle enough with her comments about what they lacked and how she could help them circumnavigate those deficiencies.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Koko would be very forthcoming with the fact that not only was she born a boy but a very frail and weak one. It’s not something she goes around announcing to people but she wouldn’t be worried about telling her teammates. It might come as a shock to others but she herself wouldn’t think much about it. As far as she’s concerned she simply achieved the form she wished to have without thinking about the social barriers and conventions that surround that.

Something people would have learned about Koko is that she is incredibly reliable and loyal. She says what she thinks and when she says something she makes it happen. Her single mindedness towards achieving her goals can be very admirable although sometimes worrisome as her ability to take care of herself when attempting to complete a task can become worryingly low. However it is one hundred percent a truth that when Koko says something you can take her at her word. She never adds subtext or asks you to read between the lines. She simply states facts always. This can sometimes run her into trouble especially when talking to those above her in the food chain as her inability to mince words can get her into hot water.

Koko requires regular infusions of Arcanite to keep her synthetic parts functioning. The fastest and easiest way to achieve this that doesn’t end up with her having to have open heart surgery on the regular is to have her part charged through the use of black Arcanite and lightning. Unfortunately this is as painful as it sounds and so Koko definitely has a day on the regular where she just kind of gets bummed out because she knows it’s “get electrocuted day”. Even worse is that although Koko is decent with soul like any Academy student her ability to effectively channel it for her “charging purposes” is lack luster and as such probably ends up with her asking someone else to do it for her. If anyone in her team has lightning affinity and wishes to be her charging station I’d love to work that in. The amount she requires as well as how it all affects her isn’t something she’d really divulge readily. However, her teammates would be very right to be worried about the possibility of her organs shutting down if she was ever in a situation without Arcanite to charge up with for too long.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

Something that would be very easily seen and incredibly evident to everyone and anyone that saw Koko is that she is incredibly messy. Her tools and materials can be found strewn around her workspaces haphazardly and her room is like a display of modern art with how many jenga towers of random clutter are found inside it. She refuses to clean up and when she makes a mess by one of her creations exploding or malfunctioning she wants to analyze why and get to work fixing it much more than tidy up whatever just occurred.

Another very obvious trait that people would notice about Koko is her incredibly chaotic streak of pranks and goofs. She has a very mischievous mind and the ability to set elaborate traps. As such even in just a month spent in the Academy she would have already earned the title of prank Queen and probably also been reprimanded for it several times. If there are any other fun loving characters as a part of her team or otherwise who’d want to get in on causing havoc with her within the school she would almost certainly be willing to have accomplices to her shenanigans.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

Koko recently entered into a Robot fighting tournament of sorts called the Steel League. She engineered and designed a machine to beat all the competition but she is not the kind of person to be the operator for it. She would have almost certainly asked one of her teammates to operate it for her, with the caveat that they are aware that as with most things she makes there’s always a chance it might explode. The fights are decently dangerous as interfering with other’s bots is not uncommon as the league is an illegal operation. Whomever the operator is, their skills as a fighter would be put to the test alongside the crazy contraption that Koko created. It would have many fun and ridiculous tools to help them win fights and she would design it with the operator's abilities in mind as well to try and augment their natural fighting style.

Koko has an incredibly strong sweet tooth and as such has been attempting to find the best desserts in town. She would have certainly gone to a bakery or a cafe with one or more of her teammates and tried every cake or parfait that they serve. Her ability to down food would have been impressive to her teammates and the question of how her anatomy works exactly in terms of food and rest and other things of that nature would have been raised as a question.


List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

Koko believes that if something isn't how you want it to be you can always and should always change it. She absolutely despises waiting around for things to change or hoping they get better. As far as she's concerned you should always strive to live the best possible life you can and being ambitious towards that goal is her driving force. No matter your limitations you should simply break right through them and ignore what others perceive as the status quo if you truly want something.

Koko has zero tolerance for social conventions and limitations getting in her way. If someone tells her she can’t do something because it's disrespectful or bad manners she would get incredibly angry. She does not care for people’s perception of her and she refuses to bend to peer pressure. She also conversely hates these traits in others. Someone who holds themself back or is very fake because of how they wish to be perceived by the social hierarchy of the world would really grate on Koko. She takes people at their word and she expects them to do the same to her so lying to her or even just not telling the full truth or simply trying to manipulate her with choice words is the easiest way to get on her bad side.

Koko values challenge. Someone who can best her in something is someone she wishes to be around. This is good for most all her teammates and fellow students as there is certainly something that each and everyone of them is better than her at and that is one of the reasons she’s so enamored with being in the Academy. She wants to be put to the test and lose. Losing to her is the greatest feeling in the world because it means she has something she can work towards improving. As such anyone with a similar mindset focussed on improvement would be fast and quick friends with Koko and she would be infatuated with them immediately. Vice versa anyone who refuses to try and improve and simply wishes to coast along would bother her slightly.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Koko’s thirst for improvement is ravenous. She wants to become the best version of herself she can be. This can and will lead her to taking incredibly dangerous actions and pushing the limits quite hard. Her ability to put limiters on herself and worry about her own well being are incredibly poor and as such she will need wrangling probably quite often. Which leads me to the main point of this hook. All of her augmentation at this point has been done by her father and as such is very high quality and stable.  That being said it's almost certain that Koko is going to try and open herself up and put something new inside of herself and when she does the chances of that going well are not good. Lots of potential ways this hook could go

Already went over this with Aethy in PMs but I thought I would post this here just so everyone can see ^_^

I have a little bit of concern with the shimmer.  Difficult to use in combat in this game could easily mean it happens all the time in combat. I would not be surprised if on the final pass it is changed to not used in combat.

Her weapon also seems to be highly transformable where there is usually two forms at most for a weapon.

All that said, I do really like Koko. Her story looks fun and her image is adorable.

[Rashol]

;_;

Just as I think I've got my character worked out.  I guess I just submit anyway.  Has to be later though ^_^

[Aethyrium]

there seems to be a lot of intense team activities; does it make sense for cross team members to know each other well outside of competitions and classes?

I also noticed that some people list out their familiar relations, is that something that I should be adding to my CS? And/or also, should I be re-posting my sheet if I've made new edits to it?

If by intense team activities you mean the "things people have gotten up to in the last months", I think that makes sense! If everyone had been recruited in the first wave, those all would have been scenes that gotten written out. So yeah, it's exciting to see that people have done stuff, and I think it's super fitting.

As Shen said, yes, cross team members super duper can know one another fairly easily. There are 48 students per year, and 4 years. So there's only around 200 students. Plenty that, with only a month past, it's very easy that you haven't met/interacted with everyone, but also easy enough that you can have.

All students of the same year share the same class schedule (which is listed in the World of Toil thread, in the Hammer Academy article). So they've been witnessing one another for about a month. Though most activities are "team locked" in that you're going to be assigned to do stuff with your partner, or with someone on your team. But in a lot of cases, you'd get to witness other teams, too.

In terms of actual writing. Chapters (the "main story" threads) will usually be team locked (or some division thereof), but all the sandbox time during a timespan is entirely open to be played with anyone you want - that's open time and you're welcome to run scenes with anyone. Other teams. Storyteller characters. The sky's the limit.

There is a map of the general dorm layout (the rooms). They're not super spacious, but have enough that everyone can kind of add something to them. And the dorms are all near one another. With each year having a hallway - so all the squires are on one strip.

As for familiar connections... I will need a list of those / the important people that matter to a character from all characters chosen. But you don't necessarily need to do that preemptively - though if you wanna, you're just ahead of the game. There's an article in the World of Toil thread called Background Characters. These are the names and relations / importance of people. Mostly this is for me so I can randomly hurt you with them easily reference and make use of stuff when there's an appropriate moment.

Also, no, you don't need to repost your sheet. If you've been editing the one here, that's well enough. But I don't mind newer posts with updates if that's comfy for you.

;_;

Just as I think I've got my character worked out.  I guess I just submit anyway.  Has to be later though ^_^

Looking forward to seeing it! You got this.

[Aethyrium]

@Rainbae We already did the first passes over this, so you know things are in line!

Stats are in line.

Weapon has neat stuff - finally seeing an elemental based weapon. I do wanna talk about the various things it can do real quick. So long as the tinker stuff is flavor, not intended to be combat bits, I think that's fine. The "lightning gun" is a mode, and it looks like a second mode would be "rockets", and the laser is something that she uses for her work? So it's a weapon with two modes and no property, if I'm reading that correctly? If so, cool.

Shimmer question about concentration in combat. How difficult are you imagining? This is one of those nebulous player facing descriptors that could be one thing one place and another in another. I'm fine with the restriction existing (far be it from me to stop self limiting, and I think it's neat to do). Her high shimmer accounts for making things very heavy, or very light, so I'm not so much worried about that. But since the hard concentration limit is there, I wanna know what you envision that looking like / being played. Is this like, if she does it, that's the only thing she could do on that round?

Also, regarding shimmer. It's listed as a radius around her. Just to confirm this is... She can make a radius around her lighter or heavier, not manipulate individual things within that radius. She creates a zone where whatever effect she's doing is in place, am I following that correctly?

Everything else seems to be in order! I think you've got a lot of good stuff here, and Koko is an awesome submission.

[Rainbae]

@Rainbae We already did the first passes over this, so you know things are in line!

Stats are in line.

Weapon has neat stuff - finally seeing an elemental based weapon. I do wanna talk about the various things it can do real quick. So long as the tinker stuff is flavor, not intended to be combat bits, I think that's fine. The "lightning gun" is a mode, and it looks like a second mode would be "rockets", and the laser is something that she uses for her work? So it's a weapon with two modes and no property, if I'm reading that correctly? If so, cool.

Shimmer question about concentration in combat. How difficult are you imagining? This is one of those nebulous player facing descriptors that could be one thing one place and another in another. I'm fine with the restriction existing (far be it from me to stop self limiting, and I think it's neat to do). Her high shimmer accounts for making things very heavy, or very light, so I'm not so much worried about that. But since the hard concentration limit is there, I wanna know what you envision that looking like / being played. Is this like, if she does it, that's the only thing she could do on that round?

Also, regarding shimmer. It's listed as a radius around her. Just to confirm this is... She can make a radius around her lighter or heavier, not manipulate individual things within that radius. She creates a zone where whatever effect she's doing is in place, am I following that correctly?

Everything else seems to be in order! I think you've got a lot of good stuff here, and Koko is an awesome submission.

Yea her weapon having a bunch of forms was primarily intended to be more goofy than actually explicitly useful. I wanted her to almost have an inspector gadget set of silly things popped out of it during downtime moments hence the cupholder comment. But in actual mechanical form. It shoots lightning, it has a anime rocket type thing where a bunch of rocket silos all fire at once Gundam style. That was all.

As far as her shimmer goes I really intended not to use it in combat that much at all. The idea was more that she used it often in her work. You know having to install an engine block in a vehicle and she just makes it float. Or maybe she needs to work on the under side of some massive robot and so just makes herself float instead of rigging up a harness with tools just floating around ready to be grabbed from the air at any moment. That was really more of the intended result than any combat utility. I was also hoping it could be useful in kind of like missiom scenarios that aren't exactly combat based. Something like we're transporting a caravan and there's a giant tree down on the road that she ends up able to float out of the way. Or perhaps there's a bunch of rubble from a building collapse and there's people trapped inside. Maybe she needs to save a kid from the top floor of a burning building and just floats up there. Once again its all utility based stuff. I don't intend to squish anyone into the ground with it in combat. I just wanted it to be a really strong problem solving tool. Also no, I did intend for her to be able to manipulate individual things within the radius around her not just the whole radius. I assumed with her having so many pips in it that was ok.

[Aethyrium]

Yea her weapon having a bunch of forms was primarily intended to be more goofy than actually explicitly useful. I wanted her to almost have an inspector gadget set of silly things popped out of it during downtime moments hence the cupholder comment. But in actual mechanical form. It shoots lightning, it has a anime rocket type thing where a bunch of rocket silos all fire at once Gundam style. That was all.

As far as her shimmer goes I really intended not to use it in combat that much at all. The idea was more that she used it often in her work. You know having to install an engine block in a vehicle and she just makes it float. Or maybe she needs to work on the under side of some massive robot and so just makes herself float instead of rigging up a harness with tools just floating around ready to be grabbed from the air at any moment. That was really more of the intended result than any combat utility. I was also hoping it could be useful in kind of like missiom scenarios that aren't exactly combat based. Something like we're transporting a caravan and there's a giant tree down on the road that she ends up able to float out of the way. Or perhaps there's a bunch of rubble from a building collapse and there's people trapped inside. Maybe she needs to save a kid from the top floor of a burning building and just floats up there. Once again its all utility based stuff. I don't intend to squish anyone into the ground with it in combat. I just wanted it to be a really strong problem solving tool. Also no, I did intend for her to be able to manipulate individual things within the radius around her not just the whole radius. I assumed with her having so many pips in it that was ok.

All noted!

And okay, I have a much clearer picture about your Shimmer goals here. Thank you. Totally fine. As for the individual objects, that's good too. I think the idea of a radius just seemed to imply to me that she created a zone of effect, but I'm totally good with it being a per object thing. Can always weigh that against her Shimmer score if need be. And with it being combat-limited / based in utility, I'm quite happy with that.

Thank you for the clarity! All seems well then.

[Rainbae]

I have a little bit of concern with the shimmer.  Difficult to use in combat in this game could easily mean it happens all the time in combat. I would not be surprised if on the final pass it is changed to not used in combat.

Her weapon also seems to be highly transformable where there is usually two forms at most for a weapon.

All that said, I do really like Koko. Her story looks fun and her image is adorable.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm also in love with her art ^_^

I think I addressed your concerns in my reply to Aethy just now but if not lemme know.

Such a lovely character! I honestly hope both Koko and Torina get picked so they can drive the more serious of their teammates ragged with their eccentric-ness. (My birb would gladly encourage a "bakery crawl"! :))

Thank you as well! Koko would definitely be down to go bakery crawling. If both end up being picked she’d definitely give Torina first dibs on any baked goods she brought back as well.

And a wild Rainbae appears with a whopper CS.

I cannot tell if her and Chee will get along. He's the type to challenge himself, yes. But I think they would disagree on how that is best achieved. He does have a lightning proficiency though. Haha.

But neat CS!

For techie PCs? Two left us. The closest is Lyra but she's more magic than tech.

Thanks for the kind words Shen! Depending on who gets picked she may need a charging buddy so I'll keep that in mind. Also yes I was hoping to fill that gap of there being no real tech savvy PCs.

[Yukina]

Thank you as well! Koko would definitely be down to go bakery crawling. If both end up being picked she’d definitely give Torina first dibs on any baked goods she brought back as well.

Sweet! :) Torina would definitely write down bakery name recs from what she scopes out for them. 

(Also, nice to see a fellow gal that knows Gundam :) )

[VVitch]

Maria V1.1 - expanded and updated !

Strength ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● | ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ● ●
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ● ● ○
Ranged  ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Water | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Mountains | Desert

Maria Rex-Astra

VVitch

Ancestry: Silenus (Hearthdeer)
Gender | Pronouns: Femme Nonbinary | She/They
Sexuality: Pansexual

Age: 20
Height: 6'1"
Body Build: Maria is remarkably tall with a lithe, toned physique. She has distinctive horns but they are not particularly sharp and do not make for practical weapons.
Hair Color: Blue
Eye Color: White

Weapon - The Sister Sabres
A pair of blue-silver sabres that lock at the hilts, forming a large pair of scissors. The Sabres have very unusual handles with enables a quirky, hard to adjust for fighting style but limits her skill when using more conventional weapons as she's so used to the oddities of her own. The sabres are an older weapon used by her instructor, Gerhman's wife Meileen whom he lost many years ago. They are designed to be used to slash and cut enemies to slow them down before, if needed, delivering single devastating strikes when locked together.



Shimmer

Coup de Grâce - Maria is attuned to cuts she causes on her foes, provided the wound is bleeding. Maria can activate her Shimmer to rupture all wounds, forcing them to tear open and bleed rapidly for a short time and causing massive, sudden blood loss.

Maria's Silenus heritage has let her inherit the natural swiftness of the Hearthdeer of the wild norths of Sinnat. (+1 Speed)

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like? Maria Rex-Astra was born in Onyx to her mother, Ameldia Astra, and her father Nicolash Rex. Her parents both live in Onyx. Her mother runs Astra Industries, a vast manufacturing company while her father is a politician. Astra Industries began producing energy systems, and her mother is a genius in the field, but it has recently pivoted towards arms manufacturing. She has a strained relationship with her parents as they wanted her to follow her mother's footsteps but she had no interest in the life of a businesswoman despite the huge headstart she inherited. Though her mother, a Silenus like her, lives in Onyx she immigrated from Sinnat.

Maria has a very close, familial bond with the nanny who raised her, Agnes Stoutwall. Agnes is a relatively poor, even-tempered woman who is bluntly honest at all times but remarkably loving and kind. She tries to see Agnes when she can despite the fact Agnes no longer works for her parents. Generally Agnes encourages Maria to be herself, to be free and to live her life as she sees fit.

While she wouldn't describe him as family, Gehrmun the man who trained her to fight and who taught her about the Path of Fallen Leaves is someone Maria greatly admires and appreciates. She still sees him when she can, though that is far less often since joining the Academy. She respects him a lot, though the two have a playful banter between them and she's not above teasing him.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision? Maria was raised in wealth and privelege. The money earned by her mother bought her just about anything she could have needed, though she didn't get nearly as much attention from her parents as she ever wanted with her father being so busy with his political career. She was never quite happy or content, a continuous rebel despite her fortune, and her parents quietly disapproved of her decision to attend a battle academy as it wasn't the life they had tried to set out for her.

Maria had the opportunity to explore many avenues of life when she was younger. Though countless things caught her interest over the years nothing ever really sank in. She's squandered a good deal of money on abandoned hobbies that she has toyed with. Maria has a passable talent for a wide array of sports, forgotten instruments she spent less than a month learning and many other notes on a long list of things she thought might be for her.

One interest that did stick was her love of nature. Maria became a vegetarian at a young age, then a vegan shortly afterwards. She's well-read on the topic of plants and learning more about animals as she can. Maria is very at home out in the wilderness.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears? Maria wants to do good in the world and she's more comfortable doing so with her own two hands, her parents having pushed her away from things like board rooms. She wants to help other people, increasingly to make up for the discomfort she feels at her parent's questionable morality. Maria fears that she's being naive or foolish and that she ought to be biting the bullet and running her parents company and that the most mature way to do good would be to run the family business better in future. It is important to Maria that she makes Gerhman, the man who trained her, proud and that she becomes a champion in his name. Maria also finds it vital that she sticks to the Path of Fallen Leaves in her time at the Academy and that she conducts herself with honour.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you? Living a life of privelege, Maria requested to be trained as a hobby and her parents hired an exceptional tutor who made sure to give Maria frequent lessons on dueling and honourable combat. Her skills are very academic, practised and precise but lack real world experience. Maria's tutor was a grey-haired man who was once a famous and well-liked champion who now tutors in his retirement. His name is Gehrmun Jaeger and he and Maria remain close even now.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most? Maria is most proud of the day she finally equalled her tutor in a duel, having worked for years to reach the level where they could stand toe to toe without the older man holding back significantly. She constantly lives in fear that abandoning the family business is a failing on her part and dreads that she may come to regret the path she's taking in life, wondering if someone else may take her role and make the company even worse.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging? Maria was prim, proper and carried the mannerisms of her high-class upbringing at first. After that, though, she gradually began to melt the icy exterior and became more friendly, funny, playful and carefree. It didn't take too long, the shell she had at first being relatively thin and easy to crack. She was eager to learn about the others, to work with them and to form bonds she's not used to having.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

Maria's parents are extremely wealthy but she doesn't get on with them anymore.

Maria's mother is a Silenus who came from Sinnat to Johtan as a teenager.

Maria seems to care more about plants and animals than people, or at least finds expressing care for people difficult. She wants to put house plants in the dorm.

Maria hasn't really had many friends before, save for shallow friendships with the children of social elites.

Maria is a vegan and does not eat meat. She is uncomfortable around cooking meat, or watching people eat it, but tolerates that discomfort quietly.

Maria's eyesight is in decline, she does not yet need corrective eyewear but that day is coming. She is, however, blessed with extraordinarily sharp hearing. Due to her hearing, she tends to hate very loud noises.

Maria is not very streetwise and doesn't know much about the life of an average person.

Maria has access to a fund from her parents but they monitor what she purchases.

Maria has never really done much dating.

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer Maria has noticeable belongings of extreme value but gets awkward, flustered and almost ashamed when they are highlighted by others. She's avoidant of touch and a little awkward about it at times. Maria's very graceful and carries herself with a noticeable serenity - she sometimes seems like she thinks she's above others even if she doesn't due to her high society mannerisms. Maria's austere exterior is seen to break when she sees an animal, and she's much more comfy touching them than people.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning? Maria, in a moment of rebellion, broke into the facilities of a company that does animal testing and freed the wildlife there that were being experimenting on. She wasn't caught and has kept what she did quiet. It was the biggest moment of rebellion in her life so far and a huge adrenaline rush. She had help from others from the Academy, but just a tiny group.

Also, Maria took a group of friends on a shopping trip using her family card. She still feels guilty over using the family wealth given her discomfort with her parents but it has been the norm in her life until this point. Maria has often used her familial wealth to make friends, excusing that she's putting the money to good use and being friendly but feeling uncomfortable about the depth of those friendships and the source of the money.

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.
1. The Path of Fallen Leaves - A spirituality followed by warriors of a now near-dead order. It is a loose code of honour that focuses on respect for one's foes, for life and for nature. Most practitioners are expected to be vegan, to be kind to all animals and gentle to nature, and to only wound or take a life when it is truly necessary. The faith was largely abandoned by more modernised warfare making honour too much of a liability for most.

2. Refined Tastes - Maria has an excellent palette after a life of fine dining though she prefers hearty, loved home cooking. She enjoys beautiful clothing and does her own tailoring when possible.

3. Wild Child - Despite her high  class roots Maria was the kind of youth always covered in mud and her love of the outdoors is just as strong now. She likes running, climbing, fresh air and adores animals and plants equally. She'll always try to befriend animals.

4. Rebel - Maria is something of a rebellious spirit, though she finds it hard to voice and embrace. She habitually questions those in authority after having to learn to question her own parents as she came to understand the true nature of their business and the flaws in their own morals.

5. Respectful - While rebellious, she has a lot of respect for other beings as individuals and she values being shown respect in turn. She never touches others without permission and she likes to be asked before being touched in turn. She speaks with flowery, outdated language often as her mother tried to adopt that manner to fit into high society. She doesn't like crass language or generally disrespectful behaviour.

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

Maria's mother is an ultra-wealthy elite who built up a vast fortune however her company is involved in significant shady business. She's not a very good person, or moral, and Maria knows better than most that she's almost definitely breaking laws or at least doing things most would frown on.

Maria's father is a politician growing in popularity. He is likely tied into her mother's shady business practices and she knows his political career is selfishly motivated.

Maria is moving further from her parents and high-society upbringing. She needs to meet others who are rebellious and who take issue with aspects of the status quo and elite of society.

Maria wants, and needs, to get more practical experience and to be out in the world more. She wants to see how other people live, to understand for herself as best she can what the world is like outside of the bubble she's been in. She also needs more combat experience as well as general life experience.

Maria is a practitioner of the Path of Fallen Leaves. This is a rare spirituality in the modern age and one she would like to share with others if they are willing to listen.

[Juggtacular]

Koko is definitely a Heavy Arms fan.

[Crash]

"Or perhaps there's a bunch of rubble from a building collapse and there's people trapped inside."

You must have been reading the IC threads. XD

[Rainbae]

You must have been reading the IC threads. XD

I've been skimming them definitely! ^_^

[Yukina]

Koko is definitely a Heavy Arms fan.

*high fives*

[Lyrical]

so much activity here, the engagement is fantastic.

@Aethyrium - made my latest edits, descrip of weapon (no changes to function/form), added in some family relations, modified the lists of things people might have noticed/truths for on team and/off team.

also fixed the centering thing for the top section

hope i didn't miss anything? feedback welcome... there was a couple things mentioned before - hope i made the correct changes on that as well

Strength ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Stamina  ●● |  ● ○ ○ ○ ○
Speed    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Shimmer  ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Soul    ●● | ● ● ● ○ ○
Brawl    ●● | ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Melee    ●● | ● ● ○ ○ ○
Ranged  ●● | ● ● ● ● ●

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Air | Fire

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Forest & Mountain | Dessert

Bri'elle "Bri" Whitewater

Lyrical

Ancestry:  human
Gender | Pronouns: she | her
Sexuality: heteroflexible

Age: 18
Height: 4'11"
Body Build: slim
Hair Color: black
Eye Color: dark brown

Weapon
"The Whitewater Blade" (formerly belonged to her grandfather, Colonel Bri'atlan Whitewater) - a Gun/Sword worn across her back = It's a two-handed great sword [180 cm (71 in)] with two blades running in parallel, one slightly shorter than the other, and a sort of cylinder/barrel up the middle that has filigree all over the blade and cylinder. It has a robust but ornate cross guard and handle. The gun fires a high powered round (like a .50 caliber rifle). Bri also wears a bandolier of various arcanite ammo for special occasions.

Shimmer
Can move with sudden bursts of inhuman speed over short distances

Special Trait - ?
pending GM approval/creation

Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Born in Onyx Prairie, Bri's family lived outside the city as they owned large tracks of land dotted with farms. Her family has since moved into the city but still owns the land and farms that are leased out to farmers for sharecropping. Bri has a large family with several older and younger siblings as well as extended family members including aunts, uncles, and cousins that also live in the same homes that she grew up in. Her family has a large compound in the city with multiple family dwellings all within the same home. The home is a large structure that takes up a small city block, walled on the outside, and has a large center courtyard only accessible by going through the home. All of the residences look out over the courtyard. They are not the richest family but are well respected in the community and considered a powerful family due to their size and wealth. Each head of the separate families all have different business mostly connected to food/farming in some capacity; production, transportation, and sales. There is a total of twelve families. The food business side of the family is all from her mother with her father's side of the family being military members going back many generations and having served with honorable distinction.

Family Relations & Ties

Immediate Family
Elle Whitewater-Aspen, mother (45) - matriarch of the Aspen Farms Land Corporation
Capt. Ang'atlan Whitewater, father (54), Hammer Academy Graduate (Air affinity)
Sgt. Amos'atlan Whitewater, brother (25)
Lt. Ali'elle Whitewater, sister (23), Hammer Academy Graduate (Air affinity)
Zara'elle Whitewater, sister (21), works as Elle's personal assistant manager
Tig'elle "Tigga" Whitewater, sister (17), the sibling that Bri is closest too*
March'atlan Whitewater, brother (15)
Gigi'elle Whitewater, sister (12)
Bo'atlan & Ty'atlan Whitewater, twin brothers (8)
Kara'elle Whitewater, sister (6)

Note: There are Twelve aunt's/uncles on mother's (Aspen) side of the family and they all live with their families in the family compound inside the city of Onyx, each with their own residence. (too many first cousins to list here)

Cousins of note:
Astor Aspen, cousin (17), brother of Macy, close friend to Bri & Tigga due to closeness of ages
Macy Aspen, cousin (18), sister of Astor, close friend to Bri & Tigga due to closeness of ages

Whitewater (paternal side of family)
Colonel Bri'atlan Whitewater (retired), Bri's paternal grandfather (73),
Alicia Whitewater (nee: Arlington), Bri's paternal grandmother (74)
Uncle - Captain Jam'atlan Whitewater (married + 5 children)
Aunt - Colonel Tan Whitewater-Thorum  (married + 1 child)
Aunt - Mara Whitewater-Clems (married + 4 children)


What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Bri's family believe that all of their children should work on the farms to learn hard labor so she often spent planting and harvest seasons with the crops and working on various family businesses doing physical labor. Though she did receive a certain amount of more formal education through junior cadet courses and such due to her father's families tradition of military service. Due to her small stature it was decided early on that a life in the military was not going to be for her, however she still continually insisted on training and learning fighting, shooting, and strategy as much as she could.

Her father understood her need to join the Hammer Academy and her mother accepted it, supported it, but there was/is an underlying hope that she'll fail out and come back home, "where she belongs." Her one great supporter was her grandfather, Colonel Bri'Atlan Whitewater who gave her his weapon to take to the Academy.

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

Bri entered Battle Academy as a way to bypass size restrictions that are in place for military service. She wanted to do her part to help protect Johtan and Onyx. It was a call that she couldn't resist. The Hollow needs to be stopped and she has the gifts/shimmer to do it.

The goal and reason is simple; protect Johtan and the world to keep it from falling to The Hollow.

Her fear is that she won't be strong enough, that the military is right and that she really is too small and too weak to fight.. but most of all it's the fear that those things will get someone else hurt.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

Physically, most of her practical skills came from junior cadet training and messing around with her brothers, sisters, and cousins as they played war games when not at junior academy. But Bri was fortunate enough to have a couple trainers that recognized her shimmer and helped with the early encouragement and training of that. In fact, she's pretty sure that it was them that gave her the internal recommendations for going to Battle Academy.

Bri first discovered her shimmer while playing with her brothers and sisters in the courtyard of their family home. She was running away from someone and suddenly found herself moving from point A to point B so fast that no one could keep up with her. At first it was clumsy and not that fast but by her teens she was able to use the ability with accuracy and travel like a blur. Thanks in part to her trainers that assisted as much as they could. After talking with her Grandfather Whitewater, he also assisted with her training but mostly in how to use his sword along with her shimmer.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

At junior cadet training, Bri excelled in most aspects of the courses and was routinely at the top of all her classes with the exceptions of wrestling and boxing where she still did very well but her small size always meant there were at least a few people in the course that were able to easily best her. Although she never used her shimmer in those classes.

In her last year of junior cadets, Bri's squad captured the tournament war game flag. It was a big moment for her and came with a commendation even as they were telling her that she'd never be allowed to go to the next level and join the military. Which is also her biggest failure, she tried to argue it and made an appeal case but the rules were strict and she was never going to be allowed in.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Bouncing with excitement at being partnered up and teamed. If anything, her over enthusiasm might have been annoying to some people. Bri is both friendly and engaging most of the time.

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

1) Bri is a middle child and felt a little lost as both she has a big family and she's sort of the runt of the litter. So she is always striving to do better, studying longer, no matter how good she is at something it is never good enough.
2) Bri has never dated.
3) Bri is obviously a bit pale. She doesn't do well in the sun when it's hot out. - Like she almost fainted once in a very hot overheated area during a training exercise. (fire is her enemy!)

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

1)  Bri follows the rules, which could be used against her. She is extremely focused on her education and training - obsessively
2)  Everything she owns is always neat, folded, and has it's place. Even her clothes are tightly creased with boots cleaned every evening
3)  Bri is a big fan of General Apple Blossom and the military in general. She is not sympathetic to the uprising.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

1)  Left the Academy one night, although she had ever intention of studying that evening. A well spoken and frustratingly smooth Elf named Raevyn convinced her to go out on the town. That ended up with them (maybe as a pair or a group?) at a seedy gambling den where they basically got into a bar fight and took out some local criminals. Bri wanted to hand them over to authorities but given where they were, she was convinced that it would be wiser to get out of there before getting caught. As a side note: Bri was personally scandalized by the whole situation and couldn't believe that she allowed herself to get into that situation. So the next time she went, she was planning on setting some very clear boundaries... which she promptly seemed to bypass and found herself in a similar situation all over again. In her defense these people are criminals and they need to be dealt with.

2) Attended a Military Officer's Ball at the behest of her family. It was an annual welcome for the new recruits and outside guests are encouraged/allowed to attend provided they meet the security requirements. IE: They have relations there, or are members of another respected institution like the Battle Academy. It was a night of lots of awkward moments for Bri. (Perhaps it was better for your character if you came along? Because you better believe she invited all of her new friends along so she wouldn't have to do this alone.)

List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

1) Loyalty to country and family/friends
2) Deep respect for the rules
3) Admires effort and intent
4) Always dresses well, very neat, clean, and orderly. (Her belongings are fashionable and well taken care of)

Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.

The smol girl with the big gun/sword - gets her ass handed to her by a bully = Bri's fears come true in the first months of Battle Academy and she is made to feel that she is too small and doesn't belong here.



Extra Notes:

Personal sword-fighting style - due to the fact that her sword is about a foot taller than she is and it's very heavy, Bri has had to adapt her style to the weapon.

Bri is fast but the weapon is heavy. So when she swings they are usually large, wide arcing swings with a lot of body movement on her part.

As an example when she is blocking, she will often pin the point on the ground then move her body to one side while tilting the blade in the direction of the intended block. Effectively moving herself behind the blade sometimes instead of moving the blade between herself and the attack.

When attacking, she will sometimes make wild jumping leaps, an acrobatic flip or kicking motion to build up momentum and then the blade will quickly come flying in an arc to attack.

Another personal trick is to fluidly kick the blade up into the air then thrust it while it's in mid motion to stab at her opponent.

It should be noted that she has become very adapt at this sort of melee fighting with the sword. But if she has to "hold back" for sparring purposes it becomes a lot more difficult for her because once the momentum of the blade is going it is nearly impossible for her to pull it back to minimize damage. This constant fighting the swords momentum is also her biggest hindrance to getting better. With that said, don't go trying to block her over-sized sword with a dagger or something.

[Crash]

I cannot wait to plot connections with people!

[Crash]

So close…the anticipation. XD

[Juggtacular]

So close…the anticipation. XD

[Yukina]

*passes out assorted popcorn buckets*

[Rainbae]

*passes out assorted popcorn buckets*

Can I get the Caramel Corn pls ^_^

[Yukina]

Can I get the Caramel Corn pls ^_^

Gladly. :) *hands some*

[Crash]

A day left for any stragglers!

[Envious]

Just remember there are now more applications than slots open ;_;

[Crash]

Yeah.  Sorry you won’t all be able to njoin.  Aethy is going to look for good fits between these characters and maybe even existing characters. 

Also, it may not be the end.  People drop sometimes and new champions rise from the most unlikely of places. 😆

My character is a perfect example of that!

[Amarlo]

[Rashol]

Strength ●● | x x o ○ ○
Stamina ●● | x x o ○ ○
Speed ●● | x x ○ ○ ○
Shimmer ●● | x o ○ ○ ○
Soul ●● | x x x x x o
Brawl ●● | x x o ○ ○
Melee ●● | x x ○ ○ ○
Ranged ●● | x x ○ ○ ○

Elemental Affinity | Weakness
Earth | Water

Terrain Specialty | Weakness
Desert | Aquatic

KAROLIN (KAROL)

RASHOL

Ancestry: Human
Gender | Pronouns: She | Her
Sexuality: Bi

Age: 19
Height: 5’7”
Body Build: wiry heading to brawny
Hair Color: brown
Eye Color: Brown

Weapon
Long range heavy machine gun. It's a former “light” mounted machine gun spare from her family's engine. It has been heavily converted and closes down into a heavy spanner that can be swung as a rather ungainly melee weapon. It takes time to switch between modes and to load the ammo feed properly.

Shimmer
Dread Approach. She is able to detect hollows over a short distance. This is just their presence, and is not precise enough to detect specific attacks or weak points. Stronger or more numerous hollows create a stronger “feel”

Special Trait - ?
?


Where were you born? Whom, if anyone, do you consider family? Where are they, and what is your relationship with them like?

Karolin was born in Onyx and spent about two years there before she was introduced to the family business, working on huge arcanite transports, called Tombs by those who lived in them.

As she grew, she was shown more and more of the systems, met countless aunts, uncles and cousins and came to understand the important rules of life on a Tomb. ‘Don't look Don't see’ and ‘Everyone fights’.

She learned that on the Tomb, there was two types of people Family and Outsiders. Mercenaries mostly fell into the family category. But there were frequently strangers who would appear for the length of a drive, and then disappear again. Asking her dad earned her a cuff around the head and a repetition of the “don't look don't see” rule.

In general her relations with her father and mother were generally good. They were caring if brusque people, which could be understood when inattention on a Drive might get everyone killed. They were called Tomb's for a reason.

Semi regulars on the drives include Archimedes Quinn who tries to recruit for the Red Fang. Zadie Lenar his equivalent for the (?) and several other recruiters for other various militant factions also change intermittently. The actual Tomb crew try to remain neutral, but they also can't easily refuse the presence of such people because nearly every drive, out of matters of practicality, includes some form of illegal cargo, be it people, or items.

With close proximity to the arcanite mines, she has seen, and spoken to, an unusually high amount of Silenus. The mines being a place that the city can ship them off too without being too concerned for their welfare or conditions. This also makes the mines and Tombs prime recruitment grounds for militant factions.

Torregon Thule is Watch Sergeant of the Onyx based mercenary group Midnight Return. She joined Midnight's training program that supposedly produces potential recruits for Hammer, but in reality, few make the grade.

What sort of life did you have before you decided to attend a Battle Academy? How did people react to your decision?

Life for her was always eventful and tense. Apart from the inherent risk of transporting unrefined arcanite any distance, hollow and militant raids are fairly regular occurrences. So while combat, bloodshed and death were harrowing, it also unites tomb drivers in grief and understanding. Hence the rules, “don't look, don't see” and, “everyone fights.” effort wasted in squabbling aboard damages the chances of success for everyone. So she fought who she had to, and stood and mourned the losses with everyone else.

Beyond that she was taught how to watch for signs of arcanite mutations in the beds and how to spot repair the huge machines.

Due to the frequent deaths, she also started a collection of memorabilia from various factions and people who fought on the Tomb Engine.

Karolin’s decision brought mixed reactions, she was betraying the family by leaving the engine, she was breaking her parents heart, while at the same time. Equally, they recognised she would be leaving into theoretically a much more stable life instead of one where death was just one raid or bad accident away.

When the day came. Her family presented her with her weapon. “We wrote letters, to everyone in your collection asking for donations to help you with a weapon. We got quite a lot, and of course everyone on the engine added a bit too.” Her father said “Even Ida that.. that.. over at Mine 27, she got the other pit bosses to chip in. So, you're carrying the weight of all of us there. And this old girl, of course, a proper gunsmith made this for you out of her spare parts. And well, you see here..”. He showed Karolin the modified brass plaque on the inside “Engine 6 ‘Old Reliable’ “

Why have you decided to become a Champion? What are your goals, your reasons, and your fears?

She didn't see that many champions. Only occasionally did the Tomb play host to any, and usually only one or two at a time. But each time they made a lasting impression, able to drive back the common Hollows on their own.

Her view of them was conflicting. On the one hand they mostly rebuffed her attempts to get closer to them and she resented them for their power and aloof attitude. On the other, she fully respects their rights to have that attitude because strength to overcome hollows could not have been easy to acquire.

Quite simply Karolin wants the strength to fight the hollow. There is nothing more to it than that. If, along the road she is able to protect people with that strength that is a fair price, but she wants the power to overcome her greatest fears. The hollow themselves.

Her biggest fear is quite simply, that every time her parents leave on Old Reliable, that she is never going to see them again. Tomb Driving is dangerous, even for experienced hands and the pull to go with them is strong.

How did you acquire your skills before coming to Hammer? Who taught you?

She mostly learned on the job and gathered a wide range of basic skills relating to the safe storage of arcanite and engineering enough to make small repairs to Engine 3.

One day, her dad took her aside and showed her how to store arcanite “unsafely” and how to make it safe again. In other words how to recognise and defuse common arcanite bombs. Something which she studiously follows up on in Hammer, even if she hates to admit it.

Gunnery she learned by necessity, having to man gun ports during hollow attacks. And a certain amount of rough and ready close in work was just picked up over time through various militant assaults and raids.

When she joined Midnight Return’s training program. Her combat and fitness took on a more formal edge, rather than the hodge podge acquisition of the past.

What is your greatest accomplishment or thing you are most proud of? What is your greatest failure or thing you regret the most?

She is most proud of actively making it into Hammer, she sees it as a justification of everyone's effort and trust in her. Though she knows she has a long way to go.

Sometimes, Karolin still regrets not giving up her dream. She regrets not riding out on old reliable with her family, and still has nightmares about not being there to save them.

Briefly talk about your character's initial reaction to being partnered and then teamed. Were they excited? Hard to work with? Distant? Friendly and engaging?

Karolin was initially a bit concerned about being partnered, but as soon as she got over the initial shock of it, she became quite open, and even more so once she was in a team.

She was eager to record names and get photos taken and all sorts. If quizzed on it. “I have to remember the people, just in case nobody else does.”

List three (or more!) notably truths about you that your teammates have learned over the last month together.

She is very carefully neutral about gangs and their activities because nearly every Tomb Drive has some illegal cargo on it.

She cares very much about her ‘family’ and the Tomb or engine she used to ride and work on.

She collects things about people. She doesn't steal but a lot of work has gone into her collection, the newest items are sportswear with the Hammer logo on it, but there are quite a few mercenary company badges there too.

She is something of a trainspotter regarding arcanite transporters. And knows a lot about said transporter routes.

She knows a lot about unrefined arcanite, mostly how to transport it. And has demonstrated a skilled hand at engineering, building working model transporter toys

List one or more (different!) things that people outside of your team might have noticed about you while attending Hammer

She is superstitious and religious to a certain degree and seems to have lots of “lucky charms”

Her gear is utilitarian, mostly, and lacks refinements that come with wealth.

List two or more things that you have done in the last month, beyond going to classes and learning?

She attended the engine wake at central station and met her parents there briefly before they had to travel again.

 She met the recruiter for Midnight Return and updated them of her progress

 List a few (3-5) things that you values and seems to play a role in how you interact with the world.

 Karolin's views are generally that the corporations and government institutions, including the academies strangely, are generally greedy and callous, but doesn't see the militant factions as being any better.

 She mostly wants to protect those closest to her and is willing to add others to that list fairly easily.
She hasn’t really experienced the ‘high life’. Even the academy is more luxurious than she is used to.

 Finally, come up with one plot hook that you would like to explore with your teammates. Something about your character / their story that you're very eager to showcase or have play an early role in their experience.
Karolin attends a high society event.

They have to protect a Tomb Drive.

She makes a model engine for a child (or even another Hammer student)

 What will happen if she has to choose between her values as a Tomber and her values as a champion.

[Lyrical]

*passes out assorted popcorn buckets*

Thank you, much appreciated...

[Crash]

Be real.  How much refreshing is going on? 😆

[Juggtacular]

Be real.  How much refreshing is going on? 😆

A.B.N.N.R. [Always Be Never Not Refreshing]

[Juggtacular]

*high fives*

*belated high five*

[Aethyrium]

Hello friends!

It is time to do the selection of the characters. This was hard. I think harder than the first round of recruitment, even. We had a lot of very well written characters, who had solid grounding into the world. Unfortunately, there are just 6 slots available, for nearly a dozen submissions. I did briefly consider the idea of going two teams, but it's just not in the cards right now (who knows down the line though >.>).

Selection ultimately came down to small details, and how characters resonated with plans already in play and inspired new ideas for me. I think all of the submissions were extremely well done. So thank everyone for that!

With all of that said, here are the selections:

Maria, played by @VVitch
Bri'elle, played by @Lyrical   
Hulta, played by @TheFluffyOne
Mugi, played by @Amarlo
Koko, played by @Rainbae
Torina, played by @Yukina

The six of you should expect a PM from me with some details shortly.

For everyone else who applied, thank you so much for your efforts and time. I really appreciate it. If I had more space, I absolutely would have taken every character presented. This really did come down to the finer points. I don't know if we'll ever have another full team recruitment like this (but never say never!) but we have occasionally found ourselves in need of a player, so I will definitely keep everyone in mind should that come up again - for these characters, or future ideas!

It was a lot of fun to read everyone's stuff, I had a great time reading everyone's submissions, and seeing the general excitement for this game. It is deeply appreciated! <3

With that, this thread will be locked once everyone's character sheets have been grabbed. So if you have stuff in here you'd like, please grab it nowishly!

Thank you again, everyone, and I look forward to playing with those who were selected soon - and everyone else, hopefully in the near future.

-Aethy

[Crash]

Congratulations everyone!!!!!

I am looking forward to writing with all of you.

I am sorry we couldn't take everyone.  You all did a wonderful job on your characters.  <3

Crash

[Rashol]

Congrats everyone. 

Honestly I don't think I was the least surprised with the selections. Well done everyone.