The Empress's Own (historical, culture clash, all welcome, still recruiting)

Started by IrishWolf, December 29, 2016, 06:34:40 PM

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IrishWolf



It is the year of 1655 of the Fourth Era, in the world of Feria. Or at least, that is how the civilized nations of the Osor continent see it. For several centuries, they had been the center of scientific, industrial and cultural advancement, their armies welding the most modern of arms, although tactics might be outdated at this point. For years now, their explorers had mapped in the dark interior of the southern continent of Erslya and they have colonised several points along the coast, to bring enlightenment to the dark skinned natives there. Or so they’ve claimed, conditions in the colonies are not, as the intellectual thinkers hoped they would be, although the bankers and colonial governors grow wealthy.

However, their view of the world has changed. For years untold, they thought the world was just Osor and Erslya, with the rest empty ocean. They knew the world was round, thanks to math and the calculations of learned men but since time began, they could not explore the rest, for there was a great natural barrier preventing this. The Doldrum a massive belt stretching vertically around the world, where the wind doesn't blow and waters are choked with thick beds of floating seaweeds, where terribly destructive shipworms breed. No wooden hulled sailing ship could penetrate, to see what lay beyond.

Now though, there is a new kind of ship upon the seas. Launched just four years ago, in the middle of a terrible war with the Kingdom of Tauacia, the Sesal Republic possesses a squadron of ironclad steamships, the first to be armored and the first to be driven by engines, rather than sail. With the end of their war with Wesal, the Naval Department find that they had a great number of bold and daring captains, eager for danger and glory, some of whom, are urging to see what lays beyond The Doldrum, using the new ships.

Three years ago, a fleet of exploration sailed west, bound for The Doldrum. The Ironclads, their keels armored to protect them from enemy torpedoes, should keep the vessels safe from the hordes of shipworms, towed barges of coal behind them. The bottoms of the barges sheathed in copper, in what would hopefully be a cheaper method, of keeping the wood worm-free. Three quarters of a year later, they returned, the first ships from Osor to ever do so and they carried shocking news. Not only were their lands beyond the The Doldrum but they were inhabited, mostly by barbarians but there was at least one great civilization.

The ship’s officers and crews told of tales of vast landmass beyond the windless sea, peaked with cloud covered mountains and forested by strange trees. Odd, warlike people lived there. Some have darker skins and others had fair skin, much like those of the Osorens and many have slanted eyes. Almost everywhere the ships tried to land, groups of men appeared, waving swords, spears and weapons unfamiliar to the sailors or firing arrows at the longboats, forcing the men back to the protection of the armored hulls of their ships. It was as if the whole of this continent was inhabited by savages, until the three ironclads followed a large number of tiny fishing vessels into a large bay, between a pair of mountains.

Behind the shield of the tall mountains and beyound the clear, shallow waters of the bay, was the grand city of Kōzu, the base of power for the Araki Empire. As the Ironclads approached, a boom of iron chain, wrapped with bindles of a strange wood, was raised, as the last of the fishing vessels slipped past. Two of the three Ironclads slowed to a stop but the third, under the command of a young captain named Elie Gohier, steamed ahead, smashing through the boom with her armored hull and into the bay. Sailing across the clear waters, until her keel was rammed into the white sand of the bottom, Captain Gohier climbed to the foredeck and watched, as hundreds of armored clad warriors assembled on the docks and beaches before the city. After an hour, without the natives launching arrows or spears towards his ship, he ordered a small boat lowered and called for enough volunteers to man the oars, to row him ashore.

This tiny party of bold seaman was met in the surf by wary eyed warriors, as the other two Ironclads sailed into the bay. Although words could not be understood, after a time, gifts were given by both sides, leading to a month long stay for the small fleet of exploration. During this time, some translations were made and some dialogue established before the fleet had to head for home, their coal running low and supplies of rum short. Their hulls were stuffed with strange spices, artwork and a wonderful new kind of cloth, called silk.

When the fleet returned to the Sesalian port city of Guirec and word spread of their adventures and what they had found, silk became the most sought after trade good, the nation had ever seen. Sailors from the fleet, who had been given little more then enough to make a single shirt, sudden found themselves rich beyond their dreams. Scores of merchant ships were outfitted with steam engines and sheathed in copper, for the long voyage across the Doldrum, sailing forth from ports all over Sesal, for the nation jealously guarded the route across the sea, eager to acquire whole shiploads of silk and other Arakian goods.

Over the past two years, as trade between Sesal and Araki grows, diplomacy stagnates between the nations. Much of the Imperial Court is opposed to having any interaction with outsiders, other than war. Araka merchants, while happy to make money selling to Sesalians, are rude and distant with them. Any attempt by a Sesalian to see the country beyond the city of Kōzu, is blocked. It would seem, that the whole country wants nothing more to do with those from across the sea, then to quickly swap good and sent them away at once. However, there is one person within the Empire, who is enthralled by them, the Empress Satsuki.

The Ironclad fleet arrived on her eighteenth birthday, on the day she was suppose to ascend the throne, which was put off until the strangers left. As much as the court has attempted to keep her separated from the Sesalians, she has become obsessed with them, sending out her servants to secretly bring Osoren clothing and books back into the palace for her. However her most recent desire, were fueled by one of the rare times she got to meet with the Sesalian ambassador and was given a demonstration of of Sesalian weaponry by a company of marines. She now wants a regiment, equipped and trained in Sesalian style.

The Ambassador, seeing an opportunity but not overly hopeful, sent to the request back to Sesal. To his surprise, the Secretary of the Army responded at once, agreeing to the venture and began organizing a military mission. You see, he had hundreds of thousands of rifled-muskets, uniforms, haversacks, cartridge boxes, belts, tents and all the other equipment of war to spare, along with hundreds of officers and sergeants in need of posts. After the war, the volunteer regiments had disbanded, leaving their equipment in government armories and the regular army officers and NCOs that had trained and then led them on the field of battle, without commands or postings, suited to their ranks, even after they reverted back from breveted promotions.

While the Empress was overjoyed to hear the news, brought by merchant ship, her Court was not so pleased. Not only would this mean more of the outsiders dealing with their folk and polluting their country but it was a direct attack on the power of the nobility. Since time unknown, the great lords of the Arakian people, called Daimyo, had been granted their strength through their ability to wage war. They lived upon the borders, forcing those lesser lords from the safe, protected interior of the country to send them huges taxes of rice and gold, to support their war making. It was their warriors, their armies and their victories, which maintained the nation. If the Empress was adopt the Sesalian model, it would not longer be their warriors but her soldiers, not their armies but her army and their honors and glories, would belong to her.

So they can only hope this experiment in outsider methods, fails. Of course, should they get an opportunity to help it fail, they’ll take it. Already, even before the Empress’s heralds ride from Kōzu, announcing to the whole country, that she is looking for warriors to assemble at the capitol, they have sent out their own messengers, back to their domains. None of their true warriors from the borderlands will come and those lesser lords sworn to them, will not send what few warriors they have to serve. At best, Empress Satsuki may get the dregs from the least powerful of families, whose swords have not been drawn in generations.




Alright, well that was a long read and I’m glad to see your still with me. Hopefully, you're wondering about characters and what plot I’m going to take this background setup from, about what kind of adult aspects the story will have, how I was inspired to come up with this and that you want to join.

Inspiration

Now in the title, I said said this was a historically inspired story and it is, mostly by the French Military Mission to Japan of 1867-68 and by the Onna-bugeisha.

So, after Commodore Perry opened Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate sent out an emissary to Europe, who requested military missions from the United Kingdom and France, to train modern troops. The United Kingdom refused but Napoléon III agreed, sending over a dozen officers and NCOs to Japan. These men were from the infantry, cavalry, artillery and engineers. When the Boshin War broke out and the Shogunate was defeated, the military mission was ordered by the restored Imperial government, to return back to France. However several men in the mission, lead by Jules Brunet, a lieutenant in the Horse Artillery Regiment of the Guard, promptly resigned from the French Army and joined with several thousand sailors, soldiers and samurai from the defeated Shogunate, who formed the Republic of Ezo, continuing to teach them Western Tactics and leading soldiers into battle. While noted for holding the first election in Japan, the Republic of Ezo was defeated in about six months.

The Onna-bugeisha, are warrior women, from Japanese history. Before even the samurai class was formed and right up to the Edo period, the women of the warrior and rules classes were taught how to weld weapons. This training allowed the women to protect towns, castles and other settlements, whose men were either away waging war or which lacked fighting men. However, with the Edo period and the end of war in Japan, for over two hundred and fifty years, saw the Onna-bugeisha nearly fade away, as even the Samurai changed from warrior to bureaucrat. There was a slight resurgence during the Boshin War, at least in the Aizu Domain. During the Battle of Aizu, Nakano Takeko led a small band of women armed with naginatas. During the same battle, Yamamoto Yaeko defended Aizuwakamatsu Castle with a Spencer Repeating Rifle.

Plot

Now for the loose plot. Now nothing is set in stone and it can be changed as the story evolves but my plan at this point is to start the story with the Military Mission arriving in Kōzu, early in the night. When they disembark, they are met by the Sesalian Ambassador, to brings them to his house for the night, while the crates with uniforms, rifles, ect are unloaded into a warehouse. While this is going on, Less than two dozen young nobles answering the call of the Empress arrive in a camp near the city, with retainers and levies from their homes.

In the morning, a few of the Empress’s chosen officials arrive at the Ambassador’s home and led the Mission about to the camp, followed by laborers carrying the crates, while another official arrives at the camp, telling the nobles and their followers to get ready to hear why the Empress as called for them. The Mission arrives and the officials announce that the Empress wants this strangers to teach them how to fight with new weapons and in the stranger’s tactics. Confusion breaks out.

The Sesalians are disappointed to find a little less than six hundred are there to be trained, to them, a newly mustered regiment is at least a thousand strong and they were told to expect more than that. They are then shocked to find out that something like have of the recruits are women.

On the flip side, the Arakians are shocked as well. Being from in the middle of the country, they hadn’t heard of the arrival of the Sesalians and knew nothing about them. The fact that they are to be armed and trained by barbarians (for all outsiders are barbarians) confuses, insults and shames them. Many assume that because their families haven’t been defending the country on the borders, that the Empress no longer has any faith in their skill with sword, spear and bow and feels that they must be taught new ways of war.

Over the next month, maybe a month and a half, the Sesalians are going to have to force these feudal warriors into becoming modern soldiers. The sergeants drilling the levies and retainers in marching, forming formation, shooting and bayonet, while the officers oversee the sergeants and try to teach the nobles in how to led a modern force. Until word reaches the city about a series of raids along the border, many of them coming out a mountainous region, where there is suppose to be a medium sized barbarian fort.

Seeing an opportunity, the noble members of the Imperial Court pressure the Empress to send her barely trained regiment to deal with the fort, promising to send levies of their own to support her new troops. At first it seems like they will keep their word, as the regiment marches out but when they reach the foothills of the mountains, their support melts away in the night, just in time for raiders to find the regiment.  A surprise attack in the early morning sends the regiment into panic. The Mission, which came along with the regiment as advisors, rather than to continue training them, knowing that the inexperienced officers will never be able to reorganize the green troops, wade into the fray, to take command and hopefully save the regiment.

Even if they do, there is still the mission to take the fort or they could return in shame and defeat to the Empress.

Characters

I will be accepting characters from the Military Mission, the Regiment or as Court officials.

Now, if you want to be part of the Military Mission, your character will be male and an Osoren in the Sesalian Army or one may play was a Seasalian woman with some sort of connection to someone in the mission, perhaps a soldier's wife or mistress. There should be between three and four officers, either Captains or Lieutenants (first or second). The Mission will be commanded by my character, a Major. These men would have moved from Regular Army units during the war and given breveted (temporary) higher ranks to command volunteer regiments and after the war reverted back to their permanent rank in the Regular Army, only to find that there isn’t a place for them in any of their old units.

There should also be between four and six NCOs. These men would have already been sergeants when the war broke out and were moved to volunteer regiments like the officers, to help train them and then to have veteran, senior NCOs in such regiments. Unlike the officers however, their promotions to ranks like Sergeant Major, Colour Sergeant, Ordnance Sergeant and the like, were not breveted but permanent promotions.

The Sesalians would appear the same as western europeans with French sounding names. Mustaches, beards, sideburns and muttonchops are highly encouraged. The Sesalian Army is based off the French Army (1850-1870), so they should be wearing uniforms like them and I will provided examples below and I will make a little list here to help out making up a uniform. Different regiments could have very different uniforms.

Headgear: either a kepi or a shako

Jacket: either a knee length frock coat or a hip length shell coat, both should be single breasted (one row of brass buttons) and have epaulettes. Some shade of blue.

Trousers: Baggy or straight legged, shades of blue, red or black, with a differently colored stripe along the outer seam.

Footwear: Black leather ankle high boots (officers may have thigh high boots), hobnailed and wore with white spats (canvas covers wore over the boot and around the ankle) or gaiters (canvas covers wore over the boot and up to the calf ).

Under the uniform, men would wear shirts (any color or pattern), vests (any color or pattern), drawers (lightweight cloth pants, reaching down to knees or ankles, with a drawstring) and socks.

Examples of French and French inspired uniforms





















If you want to play a character that is part of the Regiment, I would ask that you play as either a noble or a retainer. Characters can be of either gender and must be Arakians. Nobles should be young, late teens or early twenties and will become the Regiment’s officers, ten captains, one Major and a Colonel. The retainers on the other hand, can be of any age. Their the few professional warriors serving the lords of the interior of the country and will become the junior officers (lieutenants) and sergeants of the regiments. The levies are farmers called up to fight and will become the enlisted men of the regiment. If you do want to play as such, I would prefer it if your character would be someone who proves themselves during the Regiment’s first action and get promoted.

As to those who might want to play as Court Officials, they can be either gender and any age, as long as their Arakians. They lived in the capital city all their lives and serve the Empress, not a Daimyo. After introducing the Sesalians, they will stick around as translaters and to try and keep the peace between the two groups.

Arakians should looked East Asian. Names and clothing should be heavily influenced by Japanese culture, with an undercurrent of Hans Chinese. I will be honest, I’m not overly familiar with clothing for them but I will try to help with that, with what I have been able to find out. If anyone knows this subject better, feel free to speak up. Now, after the beginning, those in the Regiment, will be issued with Sesalian uniforms but feel free to mix and match those uniform with traditional clothing, like the image at the top.

Kimono: should be the simpler men’s style. Juban, a thin undershirt like garment, inner robe called a nagajuban, outer robe, attachable sleeves and a narrow sash called an obi. They also can be worn with a hakama, a pleted, divided skirt.

Samue: work clothes, waist length robe with loose trousers that tie around the ankle.

Kosode: basic robe, can be worn as undergarment or overgarment. Loose fit, worn with an obi and often with a hakama

Clothing examples

Kimono






Juban


Samue




Weapons

Pattern 1640 Bosc Rifle

Invented fifteen years ago, the Bosc is a muzzle loading rifled musket, using percussion caps. Firing a .58 caliber Bosc ball (this world’s version of the Minié ball), at a rate of 3-4 shots a minute, by a well trained rifleman, this rifle is four feet and ten inches from butt to muzzle. Weighing nine pounds, it has an effective range of one hundred to four hundred yards with a maximum range of a thousand, although hitting anything over five hundred is up to luck. Comes equipped with a socket bayonet, with a triangular blade, eighteen inches long. Issued to all Sesalian enlisted and sent with the Military Mission to arm the Empress’s regiment with.



Le Hir Revolver
Invented nine years ago, the Le Hir is a five shot, cap and ball revolver. Coming in .44 caliber, they are double action, meaning that it take a single squeeze of the trigger to cock the hammer and fire the weapon. The chamber can be popped out and replaced, allowing those that carry it to quickly reload. Effective at thirty-five yards, the revolver has a maximum range of one hundred yards. They are general issue to all Sesalian officers and flag bearers, although the officers are allowed to purchase their own weapons, so long as they were .44 caliber and a number of these side arms are being shipped with the Military Mission for the officers of the Regiment.



Pattern 1630 Infantry Officer’s Saber
Standard issue to all Sesalian officers, although regulations allow for officers to purchases other style of swords. Thirty-two inch, slightly curved blade, with brass guard and wire wrapped leather grip, they come with steel and brass scabbards. These swords are not being sent with the Military Mission, as the native Arakians have their own styles of swords.



Pattern 1620 Noncommissioned Officer’s Sword
Issued to sergeants, flag bearers and musicians in the Sesalian Army. Twenty-six inch, straight blade, with cast brass grip, which resembles the more expensive wire wrapped grips of officer’s swords. They come with leather scabbards. These swords are with the Military Mission, as the military minds back in Sesal were unsure if the common people in the Araki Empire are allowed swords.



The men of the Military Mission may also be carrying personally bought weapons, such as knives of various styles and lengths or non-standard revolvers or single shot pistols. Arakian officers are carrying native swords of different types and native polearms, if they choose to, such weapons include but are not limited to katanas, ōdachi, nagamaki, naginata and yari.

Adult Aspects

This has been asked of me before in stories before, where the plot isn’t something akin to that of a porn (not that such stories are bad, I love them). This story will contain violence in battle, training or scuffles between characters. There is room for romance and rape in the story, with sex that can be played out in the IC thread but might work better in a separate thread between those players and linked so the rest can know what happened

Characters

Code (Character Sheet) Select

[b]Player[/b]:
[b]Group[/b]: (Military Mission, Regiment, Court Official)
[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Rank[/b]: (Military Mission or Regiment)
[b]Highest Rank Held[/b]: (Military Mission only)
[b]Social Standing[/b]: (regiment only)
[b]Sexual Preference[/b]:
[b]Appearance[/b]: (pics are acceptable but there must be a written description)
[b]Weapons[/b]:
[b]Extra Gear[/b]:
[b]History[/b]:




Current cast

Gerard Meresse

Player: IrishWolf
Group: Military Mission
Name: Gerard Meresse
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Rank: Major
Highest Rank Held: Brevet Brigadier General
Social Standing: NA
Sexual Preference: heterosexual, dominant   
Appearance:
Gerard Is a man of decent height, standing at five feet and ten inches tall, with a lean, athletic build, from years of fencing and from serving in a four year war. He is fair skinned and lightly tanned, which is slightly darker on his face. His hair is a soft brown color, cut to a few inches long and combed back. His facial hair matches that on his head and is neatly trimmed into a pair of thick muttonchops, bridged by a mustache. His green-brown eyes command his face, staring over a once straight nose, which has been broken at least once. He carries a scar on his left leg, from where a bullet went right through the muscle and nearly killed him. There is also a scar on his right ribs, from a shallow cut from a bayonet. As he has yet be reassigned, he still wears the uniform of the 5th Carlipa Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, loose but straight legged red trousers, with black stripes on the seams, a deep blue, single breasted shell jacket with gold epaulettes and a red kepi with gold trim. There are several campaign metals or metals for bravery on his right breast, when he is wearing his uniform in parade fashion.
Weapons: Le Hir Revolver and a personally engraved Pattern 1630 Infantry Officer’s Saber
Extra Gear: bruyère wood smoking pipe, pipe tobacco, silver pocket watch, comb and brush, straight razor, extra cylinders for his revolver, a black and tan Shorthaired Shepherd dog called Chasseur
History: Born in 1625, Gerard is the son of a successful factory owner and growing up, received a good education. As a young man, he worked for his father, who hoped he would take over but when he came to manhood, he applied and was accepted into the military academy, in the old fortress of Malix. After graduating, roughly in the middle of his class, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 12th Infantry, at the age of twenty-two. Barely a year later, war broke with the Kingdom of Tauacia, after the Tauacian Army opened fire on the border forts. At the battle of Blomard Farm, he took a ball in his left calf, as his regiment advanced through a field of ankle high wheat. Nearly bleeding to death, he was carried off the field, to the regimental surgeons. Luckily, it was a flesh wound and his leg bone wasn’t broken. Recovering, he rejoined the regiment several weeks later, he would survive the Battle of Cornillac, where his regiment suffered heavy casualties and was promoted to captain, to fill the spot of his dead company commander.

A month later, he received a letter, giving him a breveted rank of Major and ordering him to report to the muster of the 5th Carlipa Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. Unknown to him, an uncle of his was serving on the board of staff officers, choosing field officers to train volunteers. Two months later, the 5th marched out, with Gerard as it’s second in command. During the defense of Cauna Hill, he took command of the regiment, when Colonel Antonin Thorel was shot off his horse. Promoted to Major in the Regular Army and breveted to Colonel of Volunteers, he commanded the 5th until the battle of The Old Forest. The Sesalians were trying to drive the Tauacians from an very old forest and the brigade the 5th was in, was assigned to the left flank. The 5th was placed on the end of the line and as the army advanced, easily punched through a light screen of Tauacian skirmishers.

Despite this easy victory, Gerard was uneasy, as he could plainly hear heavy fighting off to his right. Instead of driving the Tauacians before him, he ordered his regiment to wheel right, forcing their way through heavy undergrowth, until they found the battle proper. The rest of the brigade was being slaughtered, as they assaulted a Tauacian position, set in the remains of an abandoned farmhouse, which had collapsed slightly and the tumbling over stone walls around it. Finding that he had flanked the enemy, he ordered his men to pour fire into the rear of the Tauacians, until they routed from their farmhouse. At this point, more Tauacian regiments began to fall back and their flank started to roll up. However the battle would last a further three days, as the thick woods turned maneuvers into quagmires and often prevented orders from arriving in timely manners.

After the battle, it was found out that the brigade command had been killed and Gerard was breveted to Brigadier General. Until the War’s end, a year and half later, he would led the brigade into battle, gaining a reputation for being able to flank through the roughest of terrain, his men nearly always using light infantry formations and tactics, which seemed to work, even with their colorful uniforms, most likely because enemy commanded didn’t believe men could march through the rocky hills or forests on their flanks. His brigade would earn the nickname, The Devil’s Chasseurs.

After the War, he reverted back to his rank of Major, only to find that his regiment (and the rest of the Regular Army regiments) had no need of a Major. He was put on half pay, like many of his fellow officers and assigned to a border fort. When his former regiment, the 5th Carlipa Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, disbanded. The men took a vote and gave the regimental mascot, a one hundred pound shepherd dog, to him as a parting gift. For the past three years, he has slowly going crazy from boredom in the fort, throwing himself into saber fencing to hold off the boredom and playing with Chasseur. He was thrilled, when he was offered the chance to lead the Military Mission to the Araki Empire, which was once again, thanks to his uncle.

Sylvain Laflèche

Player: HannibalBarca
Group: Military Mission
Name: Sylvain Laflèche
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Rank: Captain
Highest Rank Held: Brevet Colonel
Social Standing: Once very minor nobility
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual

Appearance:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

The youngest of four brothers and two sisters, Sylvain is a fairly gaunt-faced man just into the second half of his twenties, although he bears himself with the experiences of one who has lived through more than his years indicate.  He, like most men of his family, is fairly tall, at 6'4".  He wears his facial hair as in the second picture, with a waxed moustache and full beard.  Aside from his striking blue eyes, Sylvain sports several scars from past cavalry engagements, mostly saber blows that managed to pierce his jacket--he has two on his upper left arm, one on his right forearm, one on his back left shoulder, and a long, thin one across his abdomen that only missed gutting him.  He has a Bosc ball scar on his upper right thigh that went deep but did not strike his femur, and a hatching of scar tissue on the right side of his neck where a ball narrowly missed taking away his carotid during his last charge in the Tauacian War.  He wears a uniform as in the third picture, of the 2nd Chasseurs Chevalier Regiment.

Weapons: Le Hir revolver and Pattern 1630 cavalry officer's saber.  His sword was presented to him by the commander of the 2nd Regiment for bravery in battle on his attaining Brevet Major, and it is very important to him.  He was trained in the use of the carbine cavalry version of the Bosc rifle, but he did not bring one personally.

Extra Gear: Aside from extra ammunition and minor toiletries, he brought three journals for writing in, and several historical works; some of old-world nations and some of the only books available on Arakia.  A lone journal contains images of his family, particularly his deceased brothers Olivier and Jean.  His oldest sister Delphine is very close to him, and the journal contains pressed rose petals she sent him when he received his officer's commission.  He has a locket he wears around his neck with pictures of his parents, and his siblings as children. 

History: Sylvain was born into a minor noble family with a long history in Sesal, although it has had its travails.  Hundreds of years past it was of greater import, but the vagaries of time have stolen away much of the standing of the Laflèches.  Regardless, it is a proud family with a long military tradition, and many names in gold on the family crypt as befits those who died in the service of their country.

More than one of his ancestors served in the Army decades ago as Garde Impériale, and his family has offered up many of their men in the cavalry.  From his enlistment at seventeen to his final day of combat in the Tauacian War, he served in the 2nd Chasseurs Chevalier Regiment, a very colored and decorated cavalry unit.  Sylvain, in many ways, made up for what his two older brothers could not, as they died in early engagements during the war.  His third brother, as eldest son, served in the Navy and survived several of his own harrowing engagements, but none of the male members of his family received the acclaim Sylvain did during the war.  Combat attrition saw him promoted by war's end to Brevet Colonel, although his marked bravery and skill in leadership was not enough to see him over the various political movements that saw other men maintain their rank after the war.  Still, he accepted his post-war rank of Captain, as he very much loved his men and brothers in arms.

Still, Sylvain is more than just a soldier.  His interests tend to lean heavily towards history and geography, particularly foreign nations.  With the crossing of The Doldrum, Sylvain found a great interest in the newly-discovered lands, and after the war, although stationed in the same fort as Major Meresse (in the cavalry detachment), he found himself wishing for an opportunity to visit Arakia.  While often practicing his swordplay with his fellow officer, when he heard the Major was up for the leadership position for the Mission, he practically leapt to offer himself for a position as well.

Aurora Dupont

Player: SweetSerenade
Group: Military Mission/Ambassadorial Party
Name: Aurora Dupont
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Rank: Civilian - Translator - Ambassador Dupont's Daughter
Highest Rank Held: Translator?
Social Standing: (regiment only)
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual?
Appearance:
Aurora Dupont


Definitely the daughter of wealth, Aurora takes care of herself quite well. Though her maids think her absolutely insane, she bathes nearly every day and clears her body of all hair every four nights. She has smooth clear skin, lovingly cared for many years. She believed she would become the wife of a wealthy man, be the mother of his children, but her accident changed all that. Despite that, Aurora is quite clearly a woman that keeps a heavy hand in her own personal care.

Her lean frame is definitely the frame of a lady to be. Her inset waist, high perky breasts, and flaring hips. She would have made a perfect mother, but the doctors say there will be no chance of that. As is her 'cycles' happen so infrequently, and she has come to start accepting her fate as being unable to wed and produce an heir.

She stands at 5'2'', and her weight is something she never discusses. Weight discussion is just not something anyone would ask a proper lady, anyways.

She wears a variety of clothing, but she prefers clothing that do not inhibit movement too much. She is known to wear trousers, when needed, as the clothing of a male is much easier to pursue scholarly pursuits in. This has caused a bit of contention at times, with her father, but he came to accept it more easily when he started to see how intelligent his daughter was - and how quickly she began to learn languages.

Weapons:N/A - she does not possess weapons as of this moment. Unless you count her umbrella, or Fan. Ladies do learn how to deflect unwanted advances with them.
Extra Gear: Research tools, leather bound books - compendiums of language translation. Anything she needs for her new station.
History:
Aurora Dupont was the youngest of two children, that Ambassador Dupont and his wife were gifted with. Aurora and her  brother Philip, but he died when she was merely a toddler. Her parents became very protective of her, because of it. Later, she discovered that her brother had drowned, while out on a little boat with the servants. It was after that point that Aurora realized that as the only Dupont child... there was a major weight on her shoulders.

She took up the lessons a lady would need, and also began to show an interest in languages. Her father approved of this, and dotted upon his only remaining child. When Aurora was twelve her mother died in childbirth. The boy that was born died within a week of living. Aurora realized that her father would remarry, but she tried to continue to be who she was meant to be. She was preparing to be the wife of a man of status. That was what her father expected of her.

Then the accident happened. She was out horseback riding on a hunt with some other young women. She was thirteen at the time, and the hunt was to celebrate her friend Minerva's marriage. Aurora's horse threw her. She landed across a log, and passed out. She woke up in her bed, and doctors hovering over her. She could hear her father cursing up a storm in the background. When he rushed in the Doctors gave them the terrible news. The damage was so extensive that the chances were she would never conceive a child.

With her one major marriageable trait gone... She turned to other things.

She began to study to be a lady of state, much like her father was an Ambassador. When the recent developments came about she begged her father to take him with her. There was no way she was going to stay, when she could learn so much more. Which was exactly what she was going to do. There was no life for her in Sesal, with the way people looked down on a Scholar woman. With the way she heard the sly whispers, reaching her ears through trusted servants, about the pretty girl that would grow up to be an old maid. No man wanted a woman for a wife, that would never produce a child.

She could become some Royal's, or Noble's, Mistress or  Bed Warmer - But that was not a life she wanted for herself, she wanted a life  - a real life. She couldn't get that where she was. She desired a life of knowledge, understanding, growth. She desired to be treated for her merit, not her gender. She desired to travel, like her father.

She begged her father and he began to flood her with items from the Araki, and she started to learn the language. The Translator her father found to teach her, found her to be such a fast study that she was soon as fluent as many of the men that had been learning to work for the Military or even in her Father's Retinue of employees. It took a lot of pleading, and God was it frustrating, but finally her father agreed for her to come over. Unfortunately, the Ambassador was very protective of his last remaining child - so he asked for her to be brought over with the Military Mission.

Aurora stripped herself down to the bare needed items, a single trunk of clothing, and the rest of her allowed luggage was nothing but her learning materials. She had also been allowed to bring her Maid, one of her best friends, with her, and she planned on building a life for herself in Araki. She was a learned woman, and because of this, she hoped she could find a place for herself.

Ada Sanchez

Player: Lustful Bride

Group: Mercenary hired by the Empress's officials since she just happened to be there.

Name: Ada Sanchez.

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Rank: Mercenary.

Sexual Preference: Anything, usually dominant.

Appearance:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Ada Sanchez is a young, light haired, tanned skinned woman from the land of Ersyla. She has a few scars upon her body from fighting in the revolution, the most prominent of which is on her leg where a bullet grazed her. Her hair is black as a crow’s feather and her eyes are a light shade of brown, like that of the rest of her body. Her frame is not very muscular for a woman who fought in a war, mostly due to her having joined the revolution near its end phase and for usually choosing to stay inside and read as a girl instead of playing in the fields as well as skipping out on field work when she could.

She seems to always have a smile on her face and never seems to get angry, annoyed yes but never angry. Her hair is usually shoulder length and she rarely cuts it, just not finding the time to do so in her line of work, but at the very least she is able to keep it clean.

Weapons: Revolver rifle (ball and cap) and a machete.

Extra Gear: Two revolvers (which require those fancy new capsules, or bullets as some call them.)
and her 3 ammo belts for them. Small bits and pieces for her to do maintenance on her weapons, as well as clippers and a bandanna she uses to help hold her hair.

History:
Born in 1632, Ada is a descendant of colonists from Soadorien.(this world's version of Spain and was neither enemy nor truly friend to the Sesalian people.) Ada’s family lived in a colony called Eblar in a land known as Erslya. A wide and fruitful continent full of much land and which most nations tried to colonize, in one way or another, and carve out their own piece of the pie. To varying degrees of success.

Five years ago, there was an attempted revolution by the peasantry of Erslya against their mother nation, having finally been pushed to the brink by their abuses and mistreatment of the many workers who shed endless drops of blood, sweat, and tears to farm and colonize the arid land.( Though the crimes will always be downplayed and denied as falsehoods)
Sadly, despite the bravery and many successful battles, the revolution failed miserably, seeing most of the colonists dead or scattered and the colony placed permanently under military rule to prevent further rebellions.

The irony was that Ada herself had been among the few loyalists of Eblar. But her twin sister Cathrina was a devout rebel supporter and fighter. She was even hiding weapons in her own home when the soldiers of Soadorien searched the town for any of the rebel sympathizers. They decided to make an example of Ada’s sister, making the entire town watch as they brutalized her and beat her to death before hanging the woman naked with a sign around her throat that read “Rebel whore”.

The very next night after burying her sister, Ada was part of the rebel retaliation party which set fire to the nearby Soadorien fort and left no survivors. For the next two years Ada fought and shed blood alongside her rebel brothers and sisters, never giving the enemy an inch until  they were expelled in one final push from their home nation. But it mattered little for Ada, she had nothing to go back to and turned mercenary. Working anywhere except her old home of Eblar and for anyone except for Soadorien.

Most recently Ada was hired by a Sesalian merchant going across the Doldrum, to try to open trade with some of the other nations there. Her job was to protect this man and ensure his safe arrival to land. However, after crossing the Doldrum, the ship was wrecked. By a miracle Ada somehow survived and managed to get the other survivors down the coast to the Araki Empire without much incident, where they were escorted to Kōzu. While in the capital, Ada was hired by one of the Empress's officials to join the regiment and even offered a nice contract for her work, and since she wasn't getting paid for her last job, there was no way she would turn down a job, especially not from royalty.

Rieko Hayashi

[Floatright][/float]
Player: Clear Skies
Group: Court Official
Name: Rieko Hayashi
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Rank: Handmaiden to the Empress
Social Standing: n/a
Sexual Preference: Bisexual

Appearance: When most people see Rieko the word that comes to mind is: deliberate.  Despite her youth she carries herself with surprising confidence.  The fluttering of her lashes, the curve of her half-hidden smiles, the smooth practiced motions of her hand as she pours tea, everything Rieko does seems carefully and calmly calculated.  This is not to say that she never lets her hair down, but when she does there is almost certainly a reason.  She often dresses in a simple, though finely made, kimono or yukata appropriate for one of the Empress' handmaidens.  She is considered tall for an Arakian girl though at 5'5” she is still shorter than many of the foreigners, and is quite slim at that, hardly needing the Sarashi she wears underneath her clothing.  Underneath the silk Rieko is surprisingly toned in comparison to the typically soft members of the court, a hint that her duties include more than simply steeping tea and helping the Empress dress.  Just beneath her throat small beauty mark lies on her right collarbone, the only marking on her otherwise clear skin.

Weapons: Wit, Cunning, and typically a small knife with a pearl-white hilt hidden within her clothes.

Extra Gear: Rieko owns very few things, her needs being provided by the court.  Seemingly her only  treasured personal item is a small silk lotus flower with white petals, its bright pink partner is in possession of the Empress, symbols of friendship the two exchanged as children.

History:  The fifth child of a rather minor governor from one of Araki's rural farming districts, Rieko had the distinction of being born on the same day as the (then) future-empress Satsuki.  Given that the governor and his wife already had two older girls, Rieko was sent to the capital to join other daughters of the court as friends and companions for the young Satsuki.  Rieko and Satsuki became fast-friends, and before long the two were inseparable.  As a child Rieko had a penchant for pranks, often pulling Satsuki into her schemes and tormenting the stuffier members of court.  This playful nature eventually gave way to her current reserved attitude, however, as she came to understand her responsibilities as a handmaiden to Satsuki.  As a diamond is formed from the weight of the earth, so the weight of her duties have shaped Rieko into a young woman completely dedicated to her Empress.

Besides the normal functions shared by all of  the Empress' handmaidens, Satsuki has also claimed another promise from Rieko: to always speak the truth.  Rieko is deadly serious about this vow, even when it means the Empress things that will certainly draw her ire.  This surprisingly blunt way of speaking has sometimes shocked and confused visitors to the Imperial Court, though Rieko is careful not to disagree with her in public unless Satsuki explicitly asks for her opinion.  Among these opinions is a mistrust of the Sesalians, and disapproval of her obesession with their culture.  Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Empress has tasked Rieko with observing the military mission and regiment training.

While Rieko brings with her no great dowry or titles, her older siblings likely to claim most of her family's modest estate, she is still a refined and lovely young woman with close ties to the Empress, and would prove an excellent bride for a distinguished officer or court official.  She is indifferent to this however, more concerned with her duties than a personal life.  She has occasionally pursued brief romantic trysts however, as long as they do not interfere with her responsibilities, and is attracted to aggressive strong-willed men and women.

Rieko is trained in all of the typical tasks of a handmaiden to the Imperial Court, such as proper etiquette, ceremony, and presentation.  She is highly literate and is a fair hand at calligraphy.  Besides these more overt functions she also has some understanding of the intrigue and politics that pervade the court.  Rieko is a excellent rider and a capable, if reluctant, student of the 4-stringed Biwa.  As a confidant of the Empress, and someone who is frequently in the presence of Satsuki at her most vulnerable, Rieko has also had some training in self-defense and is capable of defending herself with bare hands if necessary though she is no soldier.  She is also a surprisingly competent archer, and can frequently be seen practicing alongside the Imperial guards dressed in a Hakama, much to the dismay of more traditional members of the Court.

Takahashi Fujiwara

Player: Juggtacular
Group: Regiment
Name: Takahashi Fujiwara
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Rank: Regiment
Highest Rank Held: N/A
Social Standing: Noble
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual
Appearance:
Takahashi is surprisingly tall for his race, standing at 6'2 when fully upright. Despite being a noble, as the firstborn son he is constantly training. Swordfighting, staff fighting, hand to hand, bow and arrow, etc... As such his body as been honed to seeming perfection, with strong yet toned muscles. He has a handsome face that looks slightly older than it is due to stress and pressure. His eyes however are young and sharp, a hazel color that seems to draw ones attention.

He keeps a bit of stubble, at times shaping it into a goatee before letting it grow too "wild" as his father calls it. His hair is pitch black with a slight sheen, and he tends to keep it short and around his ears. Sometimes he gets it shaved on the sides. He has a light scar over his right eye he received during a duel, starting slightly above his eyebrow and ending just below his cheek bone. It doesn't impair his vision however. When expected to be presentable or receiving guests, Takahashi can be seen in the ornate and traditional garb of his people.

Usually a finely tailored kimono. However, when nothing is expected of him, or when he's about to partake in a battle he can be seen dressed in a Shōzoku(sans the mask), as it provides much greater range of movement and comfort. If given enough time, he may don armor for combat. He is always seen with his blades, his Katana on his left hip, and it's Wakizashi pair on the small of his back.
Weapons: Like most warriors, Takahashi's main weapon is a Katana, one that has been in his family for generations and carefully maintained. It is paired with a Wakizashi. While the blades are his favorite, he is skilled in the use of the Naginata and the Yumi Bow as well. As a last resort, he employs two Shinobi weapons. He keeps a small number of shuriken and kunai on his person at all times in case he needs something unpredictable in a fight.
Extra Gear: A sake bottle  he keeps on his person and full, a whetstone, a concealed Tantō, concealed Shuriken/Kunai

History: Takahashi Fujiwara is the 1st son and heir to Lord Tenro Fujiwara and his wife, Lady Aiko Fujiwara. He was born 21 years ago in 1634, and the entire region under the Fujiwara banner rejoiced as Tenro and Aiko had been trying for some time to have a child. What was funny was that after Takahashi, three more children were born. A boy and two girls. As the eldest though, the attention was mainly on Takahashi; not because he was the favorite as Tenro and Aiko loved all their children equally.

However as the firstborn, responsibilities and expectations fell on Takahashi, so he was pushed. Physical Training, Swordplay, Studying, Archery, Diplomacy, everything under the sun a noble would be expected to know was drilled into his head day in and day out. This continued well into his teenage years, until one day he rode into battle at his father's side. The Fujiwara had long been seen as the Right Hand the Royal Family, and as such she called on them when a show of might was needed, or an important battle won. They were supposed to eradicate a large group of bandits hiding in the mountains, and were promised aid from the Saika family, a family which had been friends with the Fujiwara for generations.

The help did not come that day, and Fujiwara lost many men, a great deal more than was necessary. They won the day however, and Takahashi earned his father's gratitude when he felled a warrior who'd broken their lines and tried to assassinate the Fujiwara general(Tenro). It was in that fight that he received his scar, due to slipping on a wet rock while trying to block a sword strike. After decimating the bandits, his father was forced to report what had happened at the battle.

As a result, the Saika family name was dragged through the mud and worse by the time the news had spread around the kingdom. Life after that seemed to go back to normal, until the Queen sent missives about needing warriors for her cause. Many of the other Daimyo and Feudal Lords would refuse, especially those with higher echelons of power. However, Fujiwara had always been loyal to the Royal Family, and they would not change that. Tenro with a heavy heart sent Takahashi along with all of the warriors he could spare to answer the Empresses' call. He hopes to make his father proud.

Kaguya Fujioka

Player: Tokyorose627

Group: Originally Court Official, then admitted into Regiment

Name: Kaguya Fujioka

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Rank: Regiment/Training Assistant

Highest Rank Held: N/A

Social Standing: Noble/Related to Imperial Family

Sexual Preference: Straight



Appearance: Standing at 5'8, Kaguya has always had a more athletically lithe and toned body, taking on the family tradition of the first born male of the family to take on he responsibility of all of the tasks that needed to be done by such gender. Despite his status as a Royal, and even related (to some degree) to the Imperial Family, Kaguya sees himself as a man that works hard to get results, rather then taking the easy life. Training in the ways of martial arts, sword fighting, and simple hard labor, his body has gained a good amount of muscle, and has allowed him to have long amounts of stamina to be used for whatever tasks he's required of.

With ebony black hair, and chocolate brown eyes, Kaguya has no distinguishing features, however many have stated that he is rather handsome, something that he never really catches on to or doesn't seem to care about.

In the time that Kaguya trains, he wears a simple Kimono when he trains in hand to hand combat, or with wooden weapons with other regiment participants. However, Kaguya usually prefers taking off his kimono shirt, training in only his hakama pants for better movement.

Weapons: Being trained by the Royal Family's guards available, Kaguya has been taught in the ways of sword fighting with a Katana, as well as the use of other metal weaponry such as the Naginata, kunai and shuriken. One of his most trusted weapons that he's perfected is the use of the Yumi Bow, and has gotten so much practice in that he can shoot a target from 30 yards away, however his succession on hitting the target varies greatly from live combat.

Armor in regards to battle had been made for him, however he's never had the chance to use it until the moment true fighting is waged.

Extra Gear: Kaguya keeps with him a small container filled with a medicinal paste, as well as cloth for bandaging wounds in case he or another were to be injured. As well, he keeps his shuriken concealed on his left hip, and a small knife that's attached to his ankle in case a situation arose where he has no other weapons.

History: Kaguya Fujioka was born to his father, Saito Fujioka, and his mother, Uzuki Miyamoto, both of whom were of royal status. His mother was from a small royal family that knew the ways of trading goods and textiles, while his father was in reality related to the Imperial Family and was in charge in rgards to military, allowing Kaguya to be born and being named the third cousin to Empress Satsuki. As a young boy, Kaguya never really noticed the way that people treated him, being given things whenever he wanted, or being given much respect despite being only the third cousin. He'd visited the Imperial Family before, and had been to dinners and matters of state with them, but as a child, he never understood why being of royal status allowed you to do so many things without consequence. It wasn't until he was much older that his father had taught him the responsibilities of hard work and labor, having been shown how many people work hard to keep their country protected and safe. Despite his semi-royal status, Kaguya began to work hard to do things that any royal would be allowed access to.

As a teenager he worked hard, training in combat to become the man that his father wished to be, and having to take over many of the familial duties de to his father becoming sickly when he had turned 13. Taking over meant making him grow up at a much faster rate then other children, and as a result, most of Kaguya's childhood was overshadowed by training regiments everyday of his life, while also learning military tactics and even some political policies that came along. At the age of 18, his mother had died from pneumonia, leaving Kaguya to look after his aging father who could no longer fight, but merely teach. Learning more and more tactics and lessons from his father, he died of old age when Kaguya turned 20, and merely 6 months later, word had spread to the Empress's call for warriors to come forth for her cause.

It wasn't until a week later after the declaration that court officials from the Empress's court had visited Kaguya's home, and asked him to come to the Regiments to overlook their training as a court, and royal official, due to his families ties in training and military combat. Having no choice  to refuse the Empress's request, Kaguya agreed to go to the Regiment's Training camps to overlook their progress. However, once seeing the state of the trainees and their lack of knowledge in regards to proper training and techniques, Kaguya decided the best course of action would be to stay and join himself, so that he could stay longer and properly train the brave souls coming in to aid the Empress's request.


We now have an IC thread and an OOC Thread

SweetSerenade

You know I am definitely in on this again. I'll do generally around the same thing for my character, just will be upgrading and rebuilding the profile to my new standards. xD Also be having her handled a little more...appropriately.

Bakemono Shiki RP(Lovely Siggy Layout is thanks to Amaris)

Juggtacular

Player: Juggtacular
Group: Regiment
Name: Takahashi Fujiwara
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Rank: Regiment
Highest Rank Held: N/A
Social Standing: Noble
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual
Appearance:
Takahashi is surprisingly tall for his race, standing at 6'2 when fully upright. Despite being a noble, as the firstborn son he is constantly training. Swordfighting, staff fighting, hand to hand, bow and arrow, etc... As such his body as been honed to seeming perfection, with strong yet toned muscles. He has a handsome face that looks slightly older than it is due to stress and pressure. His eyes however are young and sharp, a hazel color that seems to draw ones attention.

He keeps a bit of stubble, at times shaping it into a goatee before letting it grow too "wild" as his father calls it. His hair is pitch black with a slight sheen, and he tends to keep it short and around his ears. Sometimes he gets it shaved on the sides. He has a light scar over his right eye he received during a duel, starting slightly above his eyebrow and ending just below his cheek bone. It doesn't impair his vision however. When expected to be presentable or receiving guests, Takahashi can be seen in the ornate and traditional garb of his people.

Usually a finely tailored kimono. However, when nothing is expected of him, or when he's about to partake in a battle he can be seen dressed in a Shōzoku(sans the mask), as it provides much greater range of movement and comfort. If given enough time, he may don armor for combat. He is always seen with his blades, his Katana on his left hip, and it's Wakizashi pair on the small of his back.
Weapons: Like most warriors, Takahashi's main weapon is a Katana, one that has been in his family for generations and carefully maintained. It is paired with a Wakizashi. While the blades are his favorite, he is skilled in the use of the Naginata and the Yumi Bow as well. As a last resort, he employs two Shinobi weapons. He keeps a small number of shuriken and kunai on his person at all times in case he needs something unpredictable in a fight.
Extra Gear: A sake bottle  he keeps on his person and full, a whetstone, a concealed Tantō, concealed Shuriken/Kunai

History: Takahashi Fujiwara is the 1st son and heir to Lord Tenro Fujiwara and his wife, Lady Aiko Fujiwara. He was born 21 years ago in 1634, and the entire region under the Fujiwara banner rejoiced as Tenro and Aiko had been trying for some time to have a child. What was funny was that after Takahashi, three more children were born. A boy and two girls. As the eldest though, the attention was mainly on Takahashi; not because he was the favorite as Tenro and Aiko loved all their children equally.

However as the firstborn, responsibilities and expectations fell on Takahashi, so he was pushed. Physical Training, Swordplay, Studying, Archery, Diplomacy, everything under the sun a noble would be expected to know was drilled into his head day in and day out. This continued well into his teenage years, until one day he rode into battle at his father's side. The Fujiwara had long been seen as the Right Hand the Royal Family, and as such she called on them when a show of might was needed, or an important battle won. They were supposed to eradicate a large group of bandits hiding in the mountains, and were promised aid from the Saika family, a family which had been friends with the Fujiwara for generations.

The help did not come that day, and Fujiwara lost many men, a great deal more than was necessary. They won the day however, and Takahashi earned his father's gratitude when he felled a warrior who'd broken their lines and tried to assassinate the Fujiwara general(Tenro). It was in that fight that he received his scar, due to slipping on a wet rock while trying to block a sword strike. After decimating the bandits, his father was forced to report what had happened at the battle.

As a result, the Saika family name was dragged through the mud and worse by the time the news had spread around the kingdom. Life after that seemed to go back to normal, until the Queen sent missives about needing warriors for her cause. Many of the other Daimyo and Feudal Lords would refuse, especially those with higher echelons of power. However, Fujiwara had always been loyal to the Royal Family, and they would not change that. Tenro with a heavy heart sent Takahashi along with all of the warriors he could spare to answer the Empresses' call. He hopes to make his father proud.


SweetSerenade

Player: SweetSerenade
Group: Military Mission/Ambassadorial Party
Name: Aurora Dupont
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Rank: Civilian - Translator - Ambassador Dupont's Daughter
Highest Rank Held: Translator?
Social Standing: (regiment only)
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual?
Appearance:
Aurora Dupont


Definitely the daughter of wealth, Aurora takes care of herself quite well. Though her maids think her absolutely insane, she bathes nearly every day and clears her body of all hair every four nights. She has smooth clear skin, lovingly cared for many years. She believed she would become the wife of a wealthy man, be the mother of his children, but her accident changed all that. Despite that, Aurora is quite clearly a woman that keeps a heavy hand in her own personal care.

Her lean frame is definitely the frame of a lady to be. Her inset waist, high perky breasts, and flaring hips. She would have made a perfect mother, but the doctors say there will be no chance of that. As is her 'cycles' happen so infrequently, and she has come to start accepting her fate as being unable to wed and produce an heir.

She stands at 5'2'', and her weight is something she never discusses. Weight discussion is just not something anyone would ask a proper lady, anyways.

She wears a variety of clothing, but she prefers clothing that do not inhibit movement too much. She is known to wear trousers, when needed, as the clothing of a male is much easier to pursue scholarly pursuits in. This has caused a bit of contention at times, with her father, but he came to accept it more easily when he started to see how intelligent his daughter was - and how quickly she began to learn languages.

Weapons:N/A - she does not possess weapons as of this moment. Unless you count her umbrella, or Fan. Ladies do learn how to deflect unwanted advances with them.
Extra Gear: Research tools, leather bound books - compendiums of language translation. Anything she needs for her new station.
History:
Aurora Dupont was the youngest of two children, that Ambassador Dupont and his wife were gifted with. Aurora and her  brother Philip, but he died when she was merely a toddler. Her parents became very protective of her, because of it. Later, she discovered that her brother had drowned, while out on a little boat with the servants. It was after that point that Aurora realized that as the only Dupont child... there was a major weight on her shoulders.

She took up the lessons a lady would need, and also began to show an interest in languages. Her father approved of this, and dotted upon his only remaining child. When Aurora was twelve her mother died in childbirth. The boy that was born died within a week of living. Aurora realized that her father would remarry, but she tried to continue to be who she was meant to be. She was preparing to be the wife of a man of status. That was what her father expected of her.

Then the accident happened. She was out horseback riding on a hunt with some other young women. She was thirteen at the time, and the hunt was to celebrate her friend Minerva's marriage. Aurora's horse threw her. She landed across a log, and passed out. She woke up in her bed, and doctors hovering over her. She could hear her father cursing up a storm in the background. When he rushed in the Doctors gave them the terrible news. The damage was so extensive that the chances were she would never conceive a child.

With her one major marriageable trait gone... She turned to other things.

She began to study to be a lady of state, much like her father was an Ambassador. When the recent developments came about she begged her father to take him with her. There was no way she was going to stay, when she could learn so much more. Which was exactly what she was going to do. There was no life for her in Sesal, with the way people looked down on a Scholar woman. With the way she heard the sly whispers, reaching her ears through trusted servants, about the pretty girl that would grow up to be an old maid. No man wanted a woman for a wife, that would never produce a child.

She could become some Royal's, or Noble's, Mistress or  Bed Warmer - But that was not a life she wanted for herself, she wanted a life  - a real life. She couldn't get that where she was. She desired a life of knowledge, understanding, growth. She desired to be treated for her merit, not her gender. She desired to travel, like her father.

She begged her father and he began to flood her with items from the Araki, and she started to learn the language. The Translator her father found to teach her, found her to be such a fast study that she was soon as fluent as many of the men that had been learning to work for the Military or even in her Father's Retinue of employees. It took a lot of pleading, and God was it frustrating, but finally her father agreed for her to come over. Unfortunately, the Ambassador was very protective of his last remaining child - so he asked for her to be brought over with the Military Mission.

Aurora stripped herself down to the bare needed items, a single trunk of clothing, and the rest of her allowed luggage was nothing but her learning materials. She had also been allowed to bring her Maid, one of her best friends, with her, and she planned on building a life for herself in Araki. She was a learned woman, and because of this, she hoped she could find a place for herself.

Bakemono Shiki RP(Lovely Siggy Layout is thanks to Amaris)

Lustful Bride

Buenos Dias Todos! Me extrañaron?

*tackle hugs both Jugg and Sweet Serenade*

Time to bring back Ada!

Ada Sanchez

Player: Lustful Bride

Group: Mercenary hired by the Empress's officials since she just happened to be there.

Name: Ada Sanchez.

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Rank: Mercenary.

Sexual Preference: Anything, usually dominant.

Appearance:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Ada Sanchez is a young, light haired, tanned skinned woman from the land of Ersyla. She has a few scars upon her body from fighting in the revolution, the most prominent of which is on her leg where a bullet grazed her. Her hair is black as a crow’s feather and her eyes are a light shade of brown, like that of the rest of her body. Her frame is not very muscular for a woman who fought in a war, mostly due to her having joined the revolution near its end phase and for usually choosing to stay inside and read as a girl instead of playing in the fields as well as skipping out on field work when she could.

She seems to always have a smile on her face and never seems to get angry, annoyed yes but never angry. Her hair is usually shoulder length and she rarely cuts it, just not finding the time to do so in her line of work, but at the very least she is able to keep it clean.

Weapons: Revolver rifle (ball and cap) and a machete.

Extra Gear: Two revolvers (which require those fancy new capsules, or bullets as some call them.)
and her 3 ammo belts for them. Small bits and pieces for her to do maintenance on her weapons, as well as clippers and a bandanna she uses to help hold her hair.

History:
Born in 1632, Ada is a descendant of colonists from Soadorien.(this world's version of Spain and was neither enemy nor truly friend to the Sesalian people.) Ada’s family lived in a colony called Eblar in a land known as Erslya. A wide and fruitful continent full of much land and which most nations tried to colonize, in one way or another, and carve out their own piece of the pie. To varying degrees of success.

Five years ago, there was an attempted revolution by the peasantry of Erslya against their mother nation, having finally been pushed to the brink by their abuses and mistreatment of the many workers who shed endless drops of blood, sweat, and tears to farm and colonize the arid land.( Though the crimes will always be downplayed and denied as falsehoods)
Sadly, despite the bravery and many successful battles, the revolution failed miserably, seeing most of the colonists dead or scattered and the colony placed permanently under military rule to prevent further rebellions.

The irony was that Ada herself had been among the few loyalists of Eblar. But her twin sister Cathrina was a devout rebel supporter and fighter. She was even hiding weapons in her own home when the soldiers of Soadorien searched the town for any of the rebel sympathizers. They decided to make an example of Ada’s sister, making the entire town watch as they brutalized her and beat her to death before hanging the woman naked with a sign around her throat that read “Rebel whore”.

The very next night after burying her sister, Ada was part of the rebel retaliation party which set fire to the nearby Soadorien fort and left no survivors. For the next two years Ada fought and shed blood alongside her rebel brothers and sisters, never giving the enemy an inch until  they were expelled in one final push from their home nation. But it mattered little for Ada, she had nothing to go back to and turned mercenary. Working anywhere except her old home of Eblar and for anyone except for Soadorien.

Most recently Ada was hired by a Sesalian merchant going across the Doldrum, to try to open trade with some of the other nations there. Her job was to protect this man and ensure his safe arrival to land. However, after crossing the Doldrum, the ship was wrecked. By a miracle Ada somehow survived and managed to get the other survivors down the coast to the Araki Empire without much incident, where they were escorted to Kōzu. While in the capital, Ada was hired by one of the Empress's officials to join the regiment and even offered a nice contract for her work, and since she wasn't getting paid for her last job, there was no way she would turn down a job, especially not from royalty.


IrishWolf


SweetSerenade

We can take our time with getting things going, grab several players and characters. :3 Three of the old crew is here, now we just have to wait and see if the others pop in. If not, I am sure there is plenty of people that would be interested! ;3

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HannibalBarca

I am tenatively considering this game.  I've been looking for some time for one group game, and this seems to tickle my counterfactual history/steampunk/fantasy spot.  I'm considering a Sesalian Captain, a youngest son from an old noble family, perhaps around 26-30.  Something about the land of Araki enflames his curiosity...he's always been an historian and intellectual when his nation wasn't sending off to do brave and heartless deeds.  The hardest thing right now for me is finding a good avatar for him.  I was considering Richard Armitage, but pics of him young enough aren't as easy to come by.  I suppose I could go true French and pick a young Vincent Cassel...I'm not sure :P
“Those who lack drama in their
lives strive to invent it.”   ― Terry Masters
"It is only when we place hurdles too high to jump
before our characters, that they learn how to fly."  --  Me
Owed/current posts
Sigs by Ritsu

IrishWolf

We'd love to have you join us.

Unfortunately, picking an avatar is not something I can help with. It takes me ages to find something I can be happy with, for my own characters,

Tokyorose627

This looks really interesting, but there's so much to read... O.o

So to make sure, is this a freeform game? Or what exactly?

IrishWolf

I may have gone a little overboard creating the setting but my muse loved it.

The game will be freeform, no dice rolls, stats or action points.

SweetSerenade

Yep! Completely freeform. Most of the information involves the use of the money systems, as well as the information on how the Military works in this game. :3

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Tokyorose627

Quote from: IrishWolf on December 30, 2016, 10:35:52 PM
I may have gone a little overboard creating the setting but my muse loved it.

The game will be freeform, no dice rolls, stats or action points.

Ah, alrighties! So for characters, how far can we make them in regards to families? For instance, could we make a character part of a royal family, or even a Prince or Princess? Or would it simply be lower family members that enlist into the military?

SweetSerenade

Well as this is set in Araki... I think the only 'Royal' family there is the ones tied to Empress Satsuki? Am I wrong, Irish? xD

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IrishWolf

Quote from: Tokyorose627 on December 30, 2016, 10:36:58 PM
Ah, alrighties! So for characters, how far can we make them in regards to families? For instance, could we make a character part of a royal family, or even a Prince or Princess? Or would it simply be lower family members that enlist into the military?

With the Arakians, you could make a character who was related to the Imperial Family but it would have to be a distant relation. Nearly all of the powerful families in the Empire want nothing to do with the Empress's new Regiment or the strangers training it and only the lesser families (with one exception) have sent warriors and young nobles to lead them

Tokyorose627

Quote from: IrishWolf on December 30, 2016, 10:54:41 PM
With the Arakians, you could make a character who was related to the Imperial Family but it would have to be a distant relation. Nearly all of the powerful families in the Empire want nothing to do with the Empress's new Regiment or the strangers training it and only the lesser families (with one exception) have sent warriors and young nobles to lead them

Ah, I see! So for example, if I wanted to make a character that was related to the Empress and her family, would my character have to be like a cousin or some sort like that?

IrishWolf

Quote from: Tokyorose627 on December 30, 2016, 11:01:07 PM
Ah, I see! So for example, if I wanted to make a character that was related to the Empress and her family, would my character have to be like a cousin or some sort like that?

Yes, preferably a third cousin or greater in separation

Tokyorose627

Quote from: IrishWolf on December 30, 2016, 11:07:39 PM
Yes, preferably a third cousin or greater in separation

Ah, ok! Thanks! I'll get started then! :D

IrishWolf


SweetSerenade

Should we have an NPC profile format? Throw one together for Ambassador Dupont?

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IrishWolf


Tokyorose627

Player: Tokyorose627

Group: Originally Court Official, then admitted into Regiment

Name: Kaguya Fujioka

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Rank: Regiment/Training Assistant

Highest Rank Held: N/A

Social Standing: Noble/Related to Imperial Family

Sexual Preference: Straight



Appearance: Standing at 5'8, Kaguya has always had a more athletically lithe and toned body, taking on the family tradition of the first born male of the family to take on he responsibility of all of the tasks that needed to be done by such gender. Despite his status as a Royal, and even related (to some degree) to the Imperial Family, Kaguya sees himself as a man that works hard to get results, rather then taking the easy life. Training in the ways of martial arts, sword fighting, and simple hard labor, his body has gained a good amount of muscle, and has allowed him to have long amounts of stamina to be used for whatever tasks he's required of.

With ebony black hair, and chocolate brown eyes, Kaguya has no distinguishing features, however many have stated that he is rather handsome, something that he never really catches on to or doesn't seem to care about.

In the time that Kaguya trains, he wears a simple Kimono when he trains in hand to hand combat, or with wooden weapons with other regiment participants. However, Kaguya usually prefers taking off his kimono shirt, training in only his hakama pants for better movement.

Weapons: Being trained by the Royal Family's guards available, Kaguya has been taught in the ways of sword fighting with a Katana, as well as the use of other metal weaponry such as the Naginata, kunai and shuriken. One of his most trusted weapons that he's perfected is the use of the Yumi Bow, and has gotten so much practice in that he can shoot a target from 30 yards away, however his succession on hitting the target varies greatly from live combat.

Armor in regards to battle had been made for him, however he's never had the chance to use it until the moment true fighting is waged.

Extra Gear: Kaguya keeps with him a small container filled with a medicinal paste, as well as cloth for bandaging wounds in case he or another were to be injured. As well, he keeps his shuriken concealed on his left hip, and a small knife that's attached to his ankle in case a situation arose where he has no other weapons.

History: Kaguya Fujioka was born to his father, Saito Fujioka, and his mother, Uzuki Miyamoto, both of whom were of royal status. His mother was from a small royal family that knew the ways of trading goods and textiles, while his father was in reality related to the Imperial Family and was in charge in rgards to military, allowing Kaguya to be born and being named the third cousin to Empress Satsuki. As a young boy, Kaguya never really noticed the way that people treated him, being given things whenever he wanted, or being given much respect despite being only the third cousin. He'd visited the Imperial Family before, and had been to dinners and matters of state with them, but as a child, he never understood why being of royal status allowed you to do so many things without consequence. It wasn't until he was much older that his father had taught him the responsibilities of hard work and labor, having been shown how many people work hard to keep their country protected and safe. Despite his semi-royal status, Kaguya began to work hard to do things that any royal would be allowed access to.

As a teenager he worked hard, training in combat to become the man that his father wished to be, and having to take over many of the familial duties de to his father becoming sickly when he had turned 13. Taking over meant making him grow up at a much faster rate then other children, and as a result, most of Kaguya's childhood was overshadowed by training regiments everyday of his life, while also learning military tactics and even some political policies that came along. At the age of 18, his mother had died from pneumonia, leaving Kaguya to look after his aging father who could no longer fight, but merely teach. Learning more and more tactics and lessons from his father, he died of old age when Kaguya turned 20, and merely 6 months later, word had spread to the Empress's call for warriors to come forth for her cause.

It wasn't until a week later after the declaration that court officials from the Empress's court had visited Kaguya's home, and asked him to come to the Regiments to overlook their training as a court, and royal official, due to his families ties in training and military combat. Having no choice  to refuse the Empress's request, Kaguya agreed to go to the Regiment's Training camps to overlook their progress. However, once seeing the state of the trainees and their lack of knowledge in regards to proper training and techniques, Kaguya decided the best course of action would be to stay and join himself, so that he could stay longer and properly train the brave souls coming in to aid the Empress's request.

Clear Skies

#22
Hey everyone!  I love the sound of this story and the excellent characters I've seen others submit, and felt inspired to write something myself!  She needs a little more development I think but I am waiting for now because her background features the Empress Satsuki fairly prominently, although I tried to include as few assumptions about the character as possible, and if I've overstepped my bounds a bit too much it is only a rough draft and I am happy to revise.  Let me know what you think!

[Floatright][/float]
Player: Clear Skies
Group: Court Official
Name: Rieko Hayashi
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Rank: Handmaiden to the Empress
Social Standing: n/a
Sexual Preference: Bisexual

Appearance: When most people see Rieko the word that comes to mind is: deliberate.  Despite her youth she carries herself with surprising confidence.  The fluttering of her lashes, the curve of her half-hidden smiles, the smooth practiced motions of her hand as she pours tea, everything Rieko does seems carefully and calmly calculated.  This is not to say that she never lets her hair down, but when she does there is almost certainly a reason.  She often dresses in a simple, though finely made, kimono or yukata appropriate for one of the Empress' handmaidens.  She is considered tall for an Arakian girl though at 5'5” she is still shorter than many of the foreigners, and is quite slim at that, hardly needing the Sarashi she wears underneath her clothing.  Underneath the silk Rieko is surprisingly toned in comparison to the typically soft members of the court, a hint that her duties include more than simply steeping tea and helping the Empress dress.  Just beneath her throat a small beauty mark lies on her right collarbone, the only marking on her otherwise clear skin.

Weapons: Wit, Cunning, and typically a small knife with a pearl-white hilt hidden within her clothes.

Extra Gear: Rieko owns very few things, her needs being provided by the court.  Seemingly her only treasured personal item is a small silk lotus flower with white petals, its bright pink partner is in possession of the Empress, symbols of friendship the two exchanged as children.

History:  The fifth child of a rather minor governor from one of Araki's rural farming districts, Rieko had the distinction of being born on the same day as the (then) future-empress Satsuki.  Given that the governor and his wife already had two older girls, Rieko was sent to the capital to join other daughters of the court as friends and companions for the young Satsuki.  Rieko and Satsuki became fast-friends, and before long the two were inseparable.  As a child Rieko had a penchant for pranks, often pulling Satsuki into her schemes and tormenting the stuffier members of court.  This playful nature eventually gave way to her current reserved attitude, however, as she came to understand her responsibilities as a handmaiden to Satsuki.  As a diamond is formed from the weight of the earth, so the weight of her duties have shaped Rieko into a young woman completely dedicated to her Empress.

Besides the normal functions shared by all of  the Empress' handmaidens, Satsuki has also claimed another promise from Rieko: to always speak the truth.  Rieko is deadly serious about this vow, even when it means telling the Empress things that will certainly draw her ire.  This surprisingly blunt way of speaking has sometimes shocked and confused visitors to the Imperial Court, though Rieko is careful not to disagree with her in public unless Satsuki explicitly asks for her opinion.  Among these opinions is a mistrust of the Sesalians, and disapproval of her obesession with their culture.  Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Empress has tasked Rieko with observing the military mission and regiment training.

While Rieko brings with her no great dowry or titles, her older siblings likely to claim most of her family's modest estate, she is still a refined and lovely young woman with close ties to the Empress, and would prove an excellent bride for a distinguished officer or court official.  She is indifferent to this however, more concerned with her duties than a personal life.  She has occasionally pursued brief romantic trysts, as long as they do not interfere with her responsibilities, and is attracted to aggressive strong-willed men and women.

Rieko is trained in all of the typical tasks of a handmaiden to the Imperial Court, such as proper etiquette, ceremony, and presentation.  She is highly literate and is a fair hand at calligraphy.  Besides these more overt functions she also has some understanding of the intrigue and politics that pervade the court.  Rieko is an excellent rider and a capable, if reluctant, student of the 4-stringed Biwa.  As a confidant of the Empress, and someone who is frequently in the presence of Satsuki at her most vulnerable, Rieko has also had some training in self-defense and is capable of defending herself with bare hands if necessary though she is no soldier.  She is also a surprisingly competent archer, and can frequently be seen practicing alongside the Imperial guards dressed in a Hakama, much to the dismay of more traditional members of the Court.

IrishWolf

Excellent Characters Clear Skies and Tokyorose627, welcome aboard!

It seems I will also being doing an NPC profile for the Empress today as well.

Tokyorose627

Quote from: IrishWolf on December 31, 2016, 02:55:55 PM
Excellent Characters Clear Skies and Tokyorose627, welcome aboard!

It seems I will also being doing an NPC profile for the Empress today as well.

Yay! I'm glad it was ok! ;A;

HannibalBarca

#25
Here's my Sylvain, a captain and comrade in arms of the Major:



Player: HannibalBarca
Group: Military Mission
Name: Sylvain Laflèche
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Rank: Captain
Highest Rank Held: Brevet Colonel
Social Standing: Once very minor nobility
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual

Appearance:
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

The youngest of four brothers and two sisters, Sylvain is a fairly gaunt-faced man just into the second half of his twenties, although he bears himself with the experiences of one who has lived through more than his years indicate.  He, like most men of his family, is fairly tall, at 6'4".  He wears his facial hair as in the second picture, with a waxed moustache and full beard.  Aside from his striking blue eyes, Sylvain sports several scars from past cavalry engagements, mostly saber blows that managed to pierce his jacket--he has two on his upper left arm, one on his right forearm, one on his back left shoulder, and a long, thin one across his abdomen that only missed gutting him.  He has a Bosc ball scar on his upper right thigh that went deep but did not strike his femur, and a hatching of scar tissue on the right side of his neck where a ball narrowly missed taking away his carotid during his last charge in the Tauacian War.  He wears a uniform as in the third picture, of the 2nd Chasseurs Chevalier Regiment.

Weapons: Le Hir revolver and Pattern 1630 cavalry officer's saber.  His sword was presented to him by the commander of the 2nd Regiment for bravery in battle on his attaining Brevet Major, and it is very important to him.  He was trained in the use of the carbine cavalry version of the Bosc rifle, but he did not bring one personally.

Extra Gear: Aside from extra ammunition and minor toiletries, he brought three journals for writing in, and several historical works; some of old-world nations and some of the only books available on Arakia.  A lone journal contains images of his family, particularly his deceased brothers Olivier and Jean.  His oldest sister Delphine is very close to him, and the journal contains pressed rose petals she sent him when he received his officer's commission.  He has a locket he wears around his neck with pictures of his parents, and his siblings as children. 

History: Sylvain was born into a minor noble family with a long history in Sesal, although it has had its travails.  Hundreds of years past it was of greater import, but the vagaries of time have stolen away much of the standing of the Laflèches.  Regardless, it is a proud family with a long military tradition, and many names in gold on the family crypt as befits those who died in the service of their country.

More than one of his ancestors served in the Army decades ago as Garde Impériale, and his family has offered up many of their men in the cavalry.  From his enlistment at seventeen to his final day of combat in the Tauacian War, he served in the 2nd Chasseurs Chevalier Regiment, a very colored and decorated cavalry unit.  Sylvain, in many ways, made up for what his two older brothers could not, as they died in early engagements during the war.  His third brother, as eldest son, served in the Navy and survived several of his own harrowing engagements, but none of the male members of his family received the acclaim Sylvain did during the war.  Combat attrition saw him promoted by war's end to Brevet Colonel, although his marked bravery and skill in leadership was not enough to see him over the various political movements that saw other men maintain their rank after the war.  Still, he accepted his post-war rank of Captain, as he very much loved his men and brothers in arms.

Still, Sylvain is more than just a soldier.  His interests tend to lean heavily towards history and geography, particularly foreign nations.  With the crossing of The Doldrum, Sylvain found a great interest in the newly-discovered lands, and after the war, although stationed in the same fort as Major Meresse (in the cavalry detachment), he found himself wishing for an opportunity to visit Arakia.  While often practicing his swordplay with his fellow officer, when he heard the Major was up for the leadership position for the Mission, he practically leapt to offer himself for a position as well.
“Those who lack drama in their
lives strive to invent it.”   ― Terry Masters
"It is only when we place hurdles too high to jump
before our characters, that they learn how to fly."  --  Me
Owed/current posts
Sigs by Ritsu

IrishWolf

Excellent.

I'm working on a few NPC profiles and I think I'll add a cast of characters to the first post. Hopefully we snag a few more players.

SweetSerenade

After you get Satsuki going I'll work on Ambassador Dupont - since I'll know how they work. xD

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IrishWolf

Alright, so here we have a profile for NPCs, which are warranted as important

[b]NPC[/b]
[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Age[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Appearance[/b]:
[b]History[/b]:


And that of  Empress Satsuki

NPC
Name: Empress Satsuki
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Standing at a mere five feet tall, Satsuki is nearly the living definition of petite. Slim, nearly to the point of being lithe, not that one could tell, given the many layers of clothing forced upon her by tradition, at least when she is seen by any but her very immediate household. Her long hair is so black, its nearly blue and almost constantly styled, tucked up and folded into elebrate headdresses of gold and gems. Her smooth skin is pale, as she is rarely allowed outdoors, at least not without many colorful parasols to protect her.
History: Born in 1635, at least by the Osoren calendar, Satsuki was the second child of then Emperor Kiyoshi and his first daughter. For most of her life, she was not the heir, that honor going to her older brother, Ryuunosuke. However, that all changed when she was sixteen, when her brother took ill and died suddenly and rather strangely, a tragedy which seemed to sap the life from her father, bringing about his own untimely death nearly a year later. For the year before she reached her majority and could ascend the throne, her mother, the Dowager Empress Manami ruled the Arakian Empire but has since gone into seclusion.

As a child, Satsuki was rather serious, until her growing friendship with Rieko Hayashi, one of the children brought to be her companions, broke her out of that shell, leading to what many court officials deemed a reign of terror, given the pranks the pair pulled. As time went one, it seemed that her best friend took on the serious nature the future Empress had thrown off, at least in public, leaving many to consider their ruler to be rather silly and harmless, especially given her fascination with the strangers in the iron ships. Many in the court have gone out of their way to keep the influence of the outlanders well away from her majesty.

The truth of the matter couldn’t be further from the truth or at least, things have changed in the two years she has “ruled” the Empire. Like many Emperors before her, she has found that her real powers are rather limited and more troubling, rumors have reached her, with enough proof to be believed, that her brother did not die of natural causes and may have been intended as a warning to her father, not to try to reclaim the true power of his office.

She does enjoy a genuine fascination with the Sesalians and more so with their clothing. However, she does believe that their arrival on the day she was to take the throne, was a sign from the Heavens. They may yet be the key to restoring her family.

SweetSerenade

Any good suggestions for Ambassador Dupont? I remember that Aurora got her red hair from her mother, so he can have just about any appearance?

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IrishWolf

Lets see, if I remember correctly, the last time we had a description of Ambassador Dupont it was; An older gentleman with a great beard, which was graying nicely

SweetSerenade

That's what I remember as well. He was a bit on the larger side, but not not massive. Kind of on a 'fluffy' side of things? Obviously he's done well in his position as an Ambassador. :3

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IrishWolf

As an Ambassador, one must go to many parties and state dinners. Its part of the job, dont you know? A sacrifice for diplomacy

SweetSerenade

Exactly, so figuring out who to have as his playby, as most of his profile is just a little bit of information. A basics on his Personality, those sorts of details.

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IrishWolf

Well, I think we'll opening the story tomorrow afternoon (EST), recruitment will still be open.

Tokyorose627

Quote from: IrishWolf on January 02, 2017, 04:25:43 PM
Well, I think we'll opening the story tomorrow afternoon (EST), recruitment will still be open.

Awesome!

SweetSerenade

Awesome, I think recruitment should stay open anyways. :3 This is the kind of game that people can come into pretty much at any point, and still have fun. I'm weighing the possibility of making a male Arakian - to try to help balance things out. Though I'm debating it still. xD

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IrishWolf


HannibalBarca

“Those who lack drama in their
lives strive to invent it.”   ― Terry Masters
"It is only when we place hurdles too high to jump
before our characters, that they learn how to fly."  --  Me
Owed/current posts
Sigs by Ritsu

SweetSerenade

#39
NPC
Name: Adrien Dupont (Ambassador Dupont)
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Appearance:


Ambassador Dupont is obviously a man that has had a lot of laughter and joy in his life. Just looking at him you can see he is a man that smiles easily - and laughs just as easily. Standing at a good 5'9'' he is a man that often stands above his peers. His easy smile, and cheerful demeanor is easily what makes him highly desired as an Ambassador by his people.

His dark hair is graying considerably, and he has a rather 'doting father' or 'elderly uncle' sort of air to him. Most people enjoy his jovial look, and the twinkle in his dark eyes.
History:
Adrien Dupont started life as the oldest son of lesser Nobility, his parents had three other children - of which two died in infancy. His surviving sibling is his younger sister, Celeste, who married into a higher noble home. From a young age he showed to have an adept mind, and because of it he easily began taking up work of the State. Which eventually lead him towards his course of being an Ambassador. He has done a lot of work for his country, in this regard.

When he was about twenty years old he married the daughter of an old family friend. Seraphina, was a woman he had admired for a long time. Her fiery personality matched the fire of her hair, and he loved her with every fiber of his being. She gave him three beautiful children, though only survived to this day. The first, Philip, died in a boating accident with servants. His middle child; Aurora, is not marriageable, shows promise with her mind - and as a doting father, how can he deny his only surviving child anything her heart desires? His youngest child, was not able to be named, as the boy died with Seraphina in childbirth.

Ambassador Dupont has only recently started looking for a new wife, as he knows he will need to produce a male heir at some point. He loves his daughter, but Aurora cannot carry on the family duties that need to be carried on, he is hoping though that she might be able to establish herself a position within the Arakian Court - through her astounding linguistic skills. He can't hope for much of a future with her in their home country, due to the nature of her inability to be proper marriage material, but he can hope for a future in this strange place that he has come to love so much.


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