Hogwarts: More Than Magical (Full)

[TheHangedOne]

Name: Gustav Raubriter
Nationality: German
Blood Status: Pure, seven generations.
Age: 18
Year: 5th
House: (Leave Blank)
Description: One inch shy of being six feet even, and weighing in at 180 some odd pounds, Gustav is a tall, lithe man, with a tendency to move in a distinctly predatory fashion.  He maintains a perfectly groomed mustache of the long, thin variety, and goatee. His hair is black, and on his head, it is kept short and neatly quaffed. He has blue eyes, and fair skin.
Personality: Cold, calculating, and threatening are good words that describe Gustav, and probably the most noticeable of his traits. However, he is also a patient man. He enjoys carefully analyzing and scrutinizing his environments and those around him; coming from Durmstrang as he does, this "paranoia" is actually a genuine survival skill, given the harsher environment.
Background: Born in  Sachsen-Anhalt, germany, Gustav comes from two pure blood families: The Raubriter and Derstahl's. Both families have a history of producing fine dark wizards and witches, as well as a history of politicking.  He was carefully groomed as he was raised, to be a fine, upstanding man that would make families proud.

He attended Durmstrang where he was inducted into House Atticus, a rare honor amongst the students of the school; but not surprising, given his pedigree. Both of his parents, after all, were upstanding members of that House.

Currently, his immediate family is seeking asylum in Britain due to an ongoing blood feud that recently killed the surviving members of his mother's side of the family (the Derstahl's), including Gustav's uncle, Artyom. Because of this, he has transferred to taking his classes at Hogwarts.

Though confident in his skills, he knows the value of not overstepping his bounds. He will bide his time; he will get better. Then, he will return to the lands of his birth, and exact bloody vengeance against those who have dared to sully his family's good name.
Interesting Facts: Will be a new student to the school as play begins; some other students may know about him and the situation going on, if they A) pay attention to pure blood families, or B) pay attention to international wizarding news. Otherwise, it might be seen as very odd for him to be here.

He will be wearing the Hogwarts uniform and robes, of course, but he is also known to possess a set of dark green with black trim robes, which bear the symbol of House Atticus (A Thestral). During the colder months, he wears a wolf fur cloak, which is traditional for those attending Durmstrang.

The wand he uses is a potent weapon that is very dangerous, and also extremely picky about who uses it. It has been in the Raubriter family for five generations; only a worthy member of the family may properly use it, without risking the wand backfiring in a potentially lethal manner.
Wand: Foot long wand made from pale cherry wood, which is rare in the western countries, and known for its power. The core of this special wand, which is known as Umbra (Latin for "Shadow"), is a mixture of runespoor fang, and Banshee hair.  The mixture of core materials produces a frighteningly powerful, difficult to use wand; it is highly aggressive, and well-attuned to the Dark Arts.

As an aside note, Umbra is a peculiar wand which has bonded tightly to the Raubriter family. It will function well for any of them, though always does best with the current heir to the family (which Gustav is).  It is also likely to backfire if someone not of his family attempts to use it. Because of Umbra's peculiar personality, it refuses to cast healing spells or the spell Lumos (these spells automatically fail when cast). In addition to this ban, rolls for Charms and Transfiguration spells are at a -1 penalty, although Curses and blasts of energy are at a +1 bonus, due to its aggressive nature.
Pet: None. He did not bother to have a Familiar at Durmstrang, considering it a weakness and vulnerability that could be used against him.

Gustav by the numbers

Agility: 2
Athletics: 2 - Strength 1B
Awareness: 4 - Notice 1B
Cunning: 4
Deception: 3 - Bluff 2B
Endurance: 3 - Stamina 1B
Fighting: 2
Magical Expertise: 4 - Curses 1B
Magical Projection: 4 - Curses 1B
Marksmanship: 2
Persuasion: 2
Reflexes: 2 Quickness 1B
Status: 2
Stealth: 2
Will: 3

Classes

Major: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy: 3
Minor: Potions, Herbology, History of Magic: 2
Others:Astronomy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination: 2

Qualities:
Keen Senses
Treacherous

[TheHangedOne]

Name: Edgar Crowley
Nationality: Irish
Blood Status: Pure, one generation (parents are both half-bloods)
Age: 17
Year: 5th
House: (Leave Blank)
Description: At 5'8 and 240 lbs, Edgar is a large man. Not fat, mind you, though he certainly has a pot-belly; he has broad shoulders, thick arms, and legs built like a warhorse.  His long, hazelnut hair is some times tied back in a ponytail, and he sports a massive beard that covers his neck and face fully.  Said beard is wild, and unkempt. His eyes, the same color as his hair, are often said to possess something akin to a feral glint.
Personality: Shy and socially awkward around others, he mostly just likes to be left to his own devices. He is fond of animals, which he understands intuitively. When he does take a liking to a person, he will usually follow them around, much like an animal might, and becomes exceedingly protective over them. Because of his attitude, some people joke he must be a Lynx that can change into a human (rather than it being the other way around).
Background: His parents, Moira and Shaun, were both half-bloods that attended Hogwarts; Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively. They now operate a ranch and veterinarian service for magical creatures, as well as a kennel and other facilities for breeding animals.

Because his parents were always busy, Edgar had a tendency to play and interact with the animals as a child. It is from this odd childhood that his ability to interact with, and understand, animals comes from.

Mori has been with him since he was five years old; when the half-lynx was old enough to get around on its own, it instantly took a liking to the young Edgar, and absolutely refused to be parted from him. Consequently, the two have an intrinsic bond that supersedes what is traditional for a Familiar and Witch/Wizard.

His time at Hogwarts has been marked by occasional scuffles, though nothing serious enough to get him kicked out.
Interesting Fact: Just about everyone should know he's an Animagus.
Wand: 9 inch wand made from applewood, which favors those with a more "outdoorsman" personality, and which is said to be particularly good with herbology. The core material is kneazle whiskers, taken from Memento Mori's father.
Pet: Memento Mori (half-lynx, half-kneazle)

Edgar by the numbers

Agility: 2
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 3
Cunning: 2
Deception: 2
Endurance: 4 - Fortitude 1B, Stamina 1B
Fighting: 4 - Unarmed 1B
Magical Expertise: 3 - Transfiguration 1B
Magical Projection: 2
Marksmanship: 2
Persuasion: 2
Reflexes: 3
Status: 2
Stealth: 2
Will: 4 - Discipline 1B, Dedication 1B

Classes

Major: Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology: 3
Minor: Potions, Divination, Muggle Studies: 2
Others:History of Magic, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy: 2

Qualities:
Animal Cohort (Memento Mori, half-lynx, half-kneazle)
Animagus (Lynx)
Unarmed Combat I

Drawbacks:
Insubordinate

Memento Mori by the numbers

Agility 4
Athletics 3 Climb 3B, Jump 2B
Awareness 3 Notice 2B, Empathy 1B
Cunning 2
Endurance 2
Fighting 3
Reflexes 4
Stealth 4 Sneak 1B

1 DP

Dmg if in combat alone: 2

Memento Mori, ready to pounce

Edgar's Animagus Form

[Teo Torriatte]

Name: Veronica Ravenshire
Nationality: British
Blood Status: Pure
Age: 18
Year: 6th
House: tbd
Description:
She is 5' 8" with a slender, wiry build and pale, creamy skin. Long, midnight black hair drapes down her shoulders, and she has blue eyes that seem to pierce like icicle daggers when she is upset or frustrated, and shine like sapphires when she is amused or aroused.
Personality:
She tends to be very tidy and serious, and takes her studies extremely seriously. She is not so great in social situations, although sometimes she does take on the burden of interjecting herself into her younger sister's affairs, mostly to attempt to clean up the other girl's messes.
Background:
The Ravenshire sisters come from a long line of witches. They are actually half-sisters, sharing the same mother but with different fathers. Ravenshire women have never been the most powerful nor the least, but always seemed to rest somewhere comfortably in the middle, and performed dependably if not remarkably in times of trouble. Both sisters are looking to surpass their mother in ability and reknown. Veronica wasn't born with any exceptional magical talent, but she strives to excel through intense study and an almost obsessive eye for detail.
Wand: tbd

Her numbers

Agility: 2
Athletics: 2
Awareness: 4 Notice 1B
Cunning: 5 Decipher 1B, Logic 1B
Deception: 2
Endurance: 2
Fighting: 2
Magic Expertise: 4 Charms 1B
Magic Projection: 2
Marksmanship: 2
Persuasion: 2 Bargaining 1B
Reflexes: 2
Status: 3
Stealth: 2
Will: 3 Discipline 1B

Classes:
Majors(Divination, Muggle Studies): 3 Ancient Runes 1B, Arithmancy 1B
Minors(Arithmancy, Astronomy, History of Magic): 3
Others(Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Potions): 3

Qualities:
Well Studied(Ancient Runes)

[kckolbe]

Tydorei, glad to have ya and looking forward to seeing what you have in mind.

Kdyami, he would be a mudblood.  A non magic child to two magic parents is a squib, but a non magic child to a single magic parent and a muggle is a muggle.  Given his higher stats in magical combat, I fear his 3b1 in fencing will be wasted and never used, but I have no problem with it.  He's good, though.

Turning your wand into a necklace (and back) would be a simple DC 9 spell, but since you'd be doing it without a wand it would be 5 higher, so DC 14.  If you did it silently it would go up to 17. 

HangedMan, both chars approved.

Luna, Veronica is approved

[AmberStarfire]

This is what I have so far:

Penelope Blackthorn
Nationality: English
Blood Status: Full-blood
Age: 17
House: Ravenclaw
Description: 5'6 with long dark hair she wears tied back in a ponytail. Penelope has speckled green eyes, light colouring and a rather petit figure.

She doesn't stand out that much among her classmates on first glance, but she's very good at whipping up potions and this has made her popular. As has her taste for quidditch.

Personality: Another serious person, who's more 'naturally good at class' than a compulsive studier. She doesn't seem to put in a lot of time, other than potions - she's building up quite a stockpile, and some have wondered just what she's up to. She's more animated when she's playing sports, but she definitely prefers more male activitie than traditionally female ones.

Background: Her father works at the ministry of magic (a minor clerk in the department of mysteries, so it's all hush hush) and her mother has a broomstick crafting business. It's just one reason Penelope has been a good flier since a young age. Neither of her parents were into potions quite the way she is, so it's something she really came to on her own. Aside from that, she's very good at herbology and care of magical creatures.

She has her own snake - a lazy brown constrictor of some kind named Bo.

[kckolbe]

Soundsgood, Amber.  I was actually just thinking that we didn't have nearly enough Quidditch types.

[AmberStarfire]

Cool. Would it be possible to play a parseltongue?

[TheHangedOne]

I'm getting excited for this. 

[kckolbe]

I will add a quality for parseltongue, so yeah. 

I'm excited, too.

[Blinkin]

I have come.

Nice to know... you cleaned it up, right?

[Kdyami]

why is it waisted?  The thought was to use the skill to dual closer then most wizards would prefer i.e. use sword and wand in a wizards dual

[kckolbe]

Oh, the intent was to "dual wield?"  I'd not thought of that.  I shall write more rules then.  In the old system, magic combat and physical combat were so different that it would have been impossible.  Now it is just a matter of additional rules.

Speaking of rules, a link to Rules and Setting Info are at the top of the first post, and have all the new Qualities added (except dual wielding)

[Blinkin]

why is it waisted?  The thought was to use the skill to dual closer then most wizards would prefer i.e. use sword and wand in a wizards dual

I think because at least half of the time, unless you're going to sneak up on a dual, you're ging to get blasted well before you can emply an inclose weapon like a sword... If *I* saw someone coming at me with a sword, if I couldn't put them down, I'm not letting them get that close to *me*

[Kdyami]

I agree. But thats what dodging, blocking, and my own wand are for.  Most people give a gun the advantage over a knife; but look at the 21 foot rule.  Using a sword in a longrange battle isnt going to work. But i dont plan on being in many long range fights and the ones that start out long range i dont plan on leaving that way.

[kckolbe]

Casting a spell while attacking with a sword would result in a penalty, just a matter of how much of one, and how much to offset it with a penalty.

[kckolbe]

Right now I am leaning to a -2D penalty on attack rolls with both wands and physical attacks while using both in the same round.  A quality would lower it to -1D.

EDIT: I want to point out that using a weapon, or even fists, in school sanctioned duels would be against the rules.  Of course, there are many things against school rules that happen when teachers aren't looking. 

[TheHangedOne]

Sounds fair to me. Maybe an advanced quality that requires the first one, that completely removes the penalty?

[kckolbe]

I'm not opposed to that, Hanged.  After all, losing 2 DP is a penalty in itself.

[JamesSureWould]

On a lark, I decided to read through the entries on Wandlore int the HP wiki and it is facinating. I think my character might actually take a turn. Instead of wanting to be writer, he;ll be more interested in Wand making.

So, what classes/skills should someone who's interested in wandlore take?

[Blinkin]

I'm not saying that a sword couldn't be a viable option in a battle with a wand, just that getting close enough to use it may be academic in many situations. Then, if you use one, a sword wound, even on a dead body is hard to cover-up and unless you want to transmute everyone to gravel or some such, then someone wondering what happened to all of those students, there will be a limited number of swords laying about.

regardless, the 21 foot rule only really applies if you want to really follow the law, and even then it's full of loopholes. Not even the most diligent of prosecuters are going to say, "You're Honor, the accused shot a man at 25 feet!"  Even if the attacker was only holding a knife, distance is deceptive and a "I was in fear of my life!" may still trump it. The attacker doesn't have to be armed if you're a woman and the attacker is male, much less within 21 feet.

Anyway, you asked why not, and I offered a potential why not. You have to stay alive, and upright long enough to get within 3 or 4 feet to use it. That's not as easy as it sounds sometimes.

[kckolbe]

James...you might get your chance.  PM coming soon.  By the way, much of the wandlore stuff (and some of my own entries) are in the setting info thread.  You can see why I wanted to hold off on wand design now.

There are multiple downsides to Kdyami's fighting style, but it does offer quite a bit of flavor and offer the means to do a great deal of damage once up close.  I think it will be interesting.

Hanged's second character appears to want to fight while in lynx form, which has almost all the same drawbacks, yet met with far less resistance. 

[TheHangedOne]

Yeah, if Edgar got into a situation where it would work, he'd go Lynx form. Depending on how lethal said combat is to be, he could pretty easily rip someone into bloody chunks (especially with Mori helping him).

[Tydorei]

Name: Desiree Elvire Guillory
Nationality: French
Blood Status: Muggle Born
Age: 17
Year: 4th
House: RavenClaw
Description: Desiree has black shoulder length hair that is parted in the middle. Her face sports large green eyes, full luscious lips and a prominent nose. She supports a rather large rack for her thin frame.
Personality: Desiree is a rather charming individual. She takes great care in her appearance and try's to keep it up when she can. But doesn't fret if unable to. Though she has loner tendencies, she rather lax and easy to approach. When being social she is seems to enjoy being a bit teasing and goading, though only in what she considers good fun. Despite that, she is easy enough to get along with due to her nonchalant attitude and willing enough to help others who ask.
Background: Desiree grew up as a twin to two muggles while living in france. Shortly after her tenth birthday her sister was taken from in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Though the entire family mourned, Desiree seemed traumatized. Taking the advice of a child psychologist, the family relocated to the UK with hopes that moving away from bad memories would help their daughter. And it seemed to work for a time. The letter from Hogwarts only made her better. If magic was real, than anything was possible.
Interesting Fact: During the end of her first and throughout her second year Desiree was a TOTAL loner, quick to anger and impossible to approach. They only thing she ever did was study and study hard.
Wand: 9'in, Bull-Oak Kraken Heartstring
Pet: Ombre, a chameleon.

Agility 3
-1 Fly
Athletics 3
Awareness 3
-1 Notice
Cunning 3
-1 Decipher
Deception 3
-1 Bluff
Endurance 3
-1 Fortitude
Fighting 2
Magic Expertise 4
Magic Projection 4
Marksmanship 2
Persuasion 3
-1 Seduce
Reflexes 3
Status 3
Stealth 3
-1 Sneak
Will 3
-1 Discipline

Classes:
Majors: 3 Ancient Runes and History of Magic
Minors: Potions, Herbology and Care for Magical Creatures
Others: The Rest

Qualities: Determined Caster, Talented (Cunning)
Drawbacks: Lascivious
Destiney Unspent: 1

[kckolbe]

Craft and Decipher?  Not a common combination.  What do you have planned for her?

[Codexa]

Still putting my ideas together!

:)

Question, How do you feel about a Metamorphmagus? KC?
I am not sure if this has been asked before... I don't recall seeing it.