Wolves of the Sea - a mythic Viking era game (closed)

[Juggtacular]

The young Egyptian warrior bound to Torstein by honor and blood, who would be the Pharaoh, Amun Akmenhotep at your service.

Due to how indebted he is to Torstein, the two are very close, and by extension his lovely(not blood crazy at all wife).

He is open to other connections as well. :)

[RedPhoenix]

This just keeps getting better and better. :)

[Vlexia]

The young Egyptian warrior bound to Torstein by honor and blood, who would be the Pharaoh, Amun Akmenhotep at your service.

Due to how indebted he is to Torstein, the two are very close, and by extension his lovely(not blood crazy at all wife).

Oh, god he’s lovely.

And no, no, of course not! Tøva isn’t blood-crazed at all....

[Juggtacular]

Oh, god he’s lovely.

And no, no, of course not! Tøva isn’t blood-crazed at all....

Don't worry. He's cool with it. Keep in mind his culture has sacrifices as well as stuff like weighing peoples hearts. He can get down with the blood swirl. 

And I'm glad people seem to be liking him so far.

[Kuroneko]

Awww, thank you, and I assure you the same is true for me!     I can't wait to see what you come up with, and once I get "the nod" we can work on some conections!

That's very kind of you to say, thank you!

Yrsa is now finished. I've edited my previous post, but also added her finished sheet here under the tag for convenience ;-)

Yrsa Erlendöttir

[Vlexia]

A raven-shifting scout is so ingenious...

[RedPhoenix]

So when do we start?

[Vlexia]

So when do we start?

Daddy GM needs to make us an OOC!

[Kuroneko]

A raven-shifting scout is so ingenious...

Thanks, I'm glad you like it 

[bubby]

Ok I updated Ulfhild; she's ready to go!!

[Cypher]

Lest it be said I'm lazy or flaky I'm going to toss down what I have for my chap's personality thus far. If anybody wants to conjure a connection up - particularly the more zealous or war-hungry souls - one that can be slid into his yet to be worked out background just say.

Blunt, wanton, even arrogant, NAME is a warrior moulded by violent experience and guided in large part  by a fervent belief in the gods, albeit through his own hot-blooded perspective. He fights because that is what he’s good at and if it pleases the gods that he does just that? Well, what kind of cretin would ever deny them their fill? Surprisingly cynical, NAME has seen enough aspiring warriors struck down seemingly at random to put little stock in anything but himself, however he also sees it as both a duty to ensure many of his kin ascend to their rightful place in Valhalla alongside him - there’s blood and glory enough to go around for those willing to claim their share.

To call him temperamental would not be an undue remark, but bitter experience has given him reason to be conscious of his own ANGRY nature and although he still looks to draw upon incited rage as well of strength he’s known many souls who were lured to humiliating ends by keener minds anticipating just what a enraged beast of a man would do. Now however, there are more lives than his own relying upon his diligence and whilst a glorious death may well be its own reward, he has no intentions of dragging his men to a senseless, wasteful doom.

With that being said, NAME is no font of patience and in more ways than one, NAME’s company is a reflection of himself, comprising many of the most bloodthirsty, zealous and impetuous souls, wrangled together by sheer force of will and coalesced by a fever for the fight, they lack no few Berserkers and there is a damn good reason why the Swift Hart cuts through the waves ahead of the hird’s skieds or else comprises the vanguard of advances upon land.

[Cold Heritage]

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=320939.0

^OOC thread. Run amok, my postlings of war.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=320940.0

^Approved character thread.


@bubby: your character's approved. Please post your character in the approved thread.

@Kuroneko: character approved! Go ahead and post in the approved thread.

@Deamonbane: Looks good thus far. Let me know when you're done.

@Hex: You're good to go. Post in the approved thread when you're ready.

@Cypher: No worries! Concept looks grand.

@Swashbuckler: Looks on point. Let me know when he's finished. Is he going to have the gold hand or is that just the best image for your purposes?

@Juggtacular: Homerun, my friend! Please post your dude in the approved thread when you've got the time.

@RedPhoenix: Aiming to get things kicked off this weekend.

Hope I addressed everyone! Hit me up if I missed you. Wasn't intended as a slight.

[TinCanTalos]

Aw joyous day, we have both a fantastic scout and wonderful skald already!

Well, since I'm not sure if overlap will be allowed, I'll put up what I was working on for a character. If he doesn't fit I'll be more than happy to scrap him. Sorry on the delay, reeducating myself on pre-Christian Irish music and religion was muuuuch harder than I thought it would be. The problem with druidic knowledge is... no one knew... who they were... or what they were doing.

Fin the Bard

Name: Finlaith Beag O'Lugh
Epithet: Long Fingered Fin
Role: Skald and Scout
Place of Birth: The Banks of the Lough Gur, Ireland
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Appearance Standing at 5'4” with a particularly lithe frame and skin that almost mirrors the snow of his new icy homeland, Finlaith Beag O'Lugh is possibly one of the least physically imposing, yet still somewhat unnerving, members of the Hird. Separating the shoulder length hair of a highly faded blonde from the unnaturally pale skin of his face typically rests a tall bronze circlet rendered in Celtic knots, the warm metal contrasting starkly against its cold backdrop. His face is made up of smooth and fairly soft features with a set of thin pale lips usually resting in a neutral expression below sunken amber eyes with what is typically a half open and seem to portray a constant disinterest with his surroundings. What had once been flawless skin is marred by a series of scars collected from horrendous treatment during his tenure as a servant in the forced service of  Thegn Geirbrandr Blood-Shirt.

In traveling and scouting, Fin typically adorns himself in a black tunic beneath a long white woolen cloak beneath typically white furs above a pair of loose fitting cloth trousers. At his waist a brown leather sheath holds a rarely drawn Irish scian dagger. Strung across his back on his travels are a small quiver of a steel tipped arrows, a short bow, and light toned spruce lyre with copper strings.

History:
It was always a matter of some difficulty for young Finlaith to take as fact the word of his father, the transient story teller and self proclaimed bard Cowan O'Heffernan, especially in regards to Finlaith's mother. Cowan had an uncontrollable compulsion to sensationalize the smallest of detail from its lowly position in the world of the mundane to the lofty heights of celestial merit. While this made him well regarded in the field of singing ones praises or tearing down the reputation of another, it also had the unfortunate effect of making him a poor source of straightforward information. From the earliest years of childhood to the threshold of adulthood all Finlaith could pull from his father was the assured exaggeration that was, “No fairer woman has there been than your mother, for such transcendent a presence is not within reach of those outside of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and among them even the most peerless of the divine kind shrink at the splendor emanating from those of Lugh's clan.”

While Cowan's tenuous relationship with the truth often irritated young Finlaith, he would be a liar to say that he didn't delight most of the time spent in his father's company. Between utterly enthralling stories of the land's ancient gods and music that could bring a man from spirited dance to wailing sadness in a matter of measures, young Fin rarely allowed for the hollowed stomach that often came with being a wandering minstrel's apprentice from keeping him of good cheer. Even as the pair was dogged by those attempting to clamp down on the noble tradition of the wayfaring bard, even as cold wet wind buffeted his small frame , even as his father continuously pocketed and frittered away the coins that were far more often than not intended for Finlaithe, there was little that could dampen the young musician's elan before the Norsemen came to the shores of his homeland.

Whether it was the sight of his father fleeing into the distance as the Norse raiders drug the now adult Finlaith back to their ship with a host of other prisoners, or any number of cruelties he experienced in the following years of servitude to the dread whims of Thegn Geirbrandr Blood-Shirt that broke Finlaith's vivacious spirit and boundless optimism,  it was uncertain to the young aspiring bard. What was known to Finlaith was that in the company of such misery, the only music he managed to muster through voice and harp were mournful and eerie dirges that forcefully wrenched tears and wails of despair from even the most strongest willed of individuals in the company of the Blood-Shirt. Permitted to keep his hands, tongue, and life only that the Blood-Shirt might show off the young musician's soul hollowing cries as an exotic curiosity to those visiting his demesne, there were few occasions in a day in which Finlaith found himself without gag or bind.

Worse than the coldest winter night or the most painful assault against him was the soulless uniformity of his existence in chains. Every day his sight was blocked by the same walls of unchanging wood and stone. His ears took in foreign words that Finlaith was quick enough to learn, but that failed to vary from what felt to be an increasingly mundane savagery. Worse still, his own efforts at escaping his situation through creation was marred by the ever foul taste of the cloth placed against his tongue and the never dulling sting of pain and anxiety that radiated from the iron shackles laying ceaselessly cold against his wrists. Even the sight of other prisoners coming from horrendous stories before vanishing into harrowing ends ceased to evoke emotion in the aspiring bard as their arrival and departure became as commonplace as the tide lapping against the shore.

This malaise of inspiration seemed unbreakable as the days went by to the point that Finlaith barely acknowledged the twice heard caw of a crow, and the escape of the witch known as Völva. However it was the direct result of this event that rekindled the thirst for life within the long bound musician. It was as a colossal warrior waded through the camp of the Blood-Shirt with what Fin had previously thought to be an unreachable fury that the dormant story teller within the displaced bard awoke. The beast he was witnessing must surely have been a figure comparable to the likes of Fionn mac Cumhaill, a man whose story would inspire all who heard it as the sight of it inspired Finlaith in that moment. While utterly terrified that his neck might be instantly relieved  of his head's weight should Torstein find him in the midst of his wrath, Finlaith did not hesitate to follow him back to his holdings, introduce himself, and swear himself to the Hird's service should it please.

Personality:
Despite the vast range of emotion and theatricality Finlaith pours into every performance regardless of venue or prestige associated with his audience, he has a tendency to display what many unfamiliar with the bard might take as a palpably strong disinterest in anything except his artistry due to the often passive seeming expression dominating his out of stage presented countenance. In reality Finlaith has an unquenchable curiosity regarding the world around him, especially when it comes to the various fascinating characters that cross his path and the possible myriad stories they might uniquely bear. While there are those that might doubt the minstrel's capacity for powerful bonds due to their being based in what Fin views as theater, Fin will give his all to insure that those who rouse his passions through heroic deeds are, to the best of his abilities, allowed to flourish to their utmost during their shared time with the bard.

Connections:
Torstein Torbjørnsen: From the very moment Finlaith laid eyes upon Torstein Torbjørnsen in his rampage through the warriors of Geirbrandr Blood-Shirt, Fin gained a immense fear and respect towards the colossal warrior that has not ceased to this day. Having unintentionally granted Finlaith his freedom, Torstein placed a debt upon the young man that Finlaith doubts any amount of service or dedication will ever be able to repay.

Völva of the Hird: Upon regaining his presence of mind and taking his place among the Hird, Finlaith has grown to feel a great shame in regards to his inability to provide even a shred of aid or comfort to Völva during her imprisonment and treatment at the hands of the Blood-Shirt. While this in no way hampers his ability to serve at her whim should she require it, there is no mistaking Finlaith's inability to meet Völva's gaze or his unintentionally curt yet polite replies to her requests of him.


Family of Note:
Cowan O'Heffernan: Finlaith's father and the self-proclaimed last true bard of Ireland. Refuting the requirement for bard's to cease their traveling ways in exchange for permanent residence with a lord or chief as an attempt at stamping out Ireland's history, Cowan continues to scratch out a living playing his music for taverns before fleeing local authorities through swift horsemanship, skillful deception, and deft archery.

Ebliu: The daughter of Lugh and rival of her father in the art of musical composing and performance. Having divorced her immortal husband for his having abandoned her during the deluge and transforming into a salmon, Ebliu was briefly infatuated with roguish nature and clever tongue of Cowan O'Heffernan on a Samhain 24 years prior to the start of our story.

Extra Information:
-Finlaith's divine blood affords him the uncanny ability to learn and recall local customs, especially involving music, with ease. With only a day of immersing himself in a new type of music, he is able to replicate it, and in the following days, meld it with the remainder of his repertoire. Given a long enough familiarity with an instrument he is able to, almost without fail, invoke extreme emotional states in the minds of his listeners as the echoes of his voice and instrument carry with them a faint chorus of unseen musicians and the listener's own memories falling harmoniously into the composition.

-While Finlaith's watered down divinity extends him no further supernatural abilities outside of his musical prowess, he was taught to be a fairly skilled archer, and has since been further honed by training alongside the Hird.

-Fin feels a great deal of pain and dread wash over him whenever iron comes directly into contact with his skin. As a result of this all of the metallic fixtures on his clothes tend to be of bronze or copper.


Sexual Ons: Dominant and aggressive partners, receiving pain contrasted with tenderness, the pageantry of a romance. Fin is largely willing to try most things at least once for the rush that novelty brings.  
Sexual Offs: Any type of restraint, bathroom play, vore, gore.

[Cold Heritage]

Overlap will be allowed! I'm legalizing it!

Besides, I think Fin's bringing a lot to the table to set him apart and roles are just frameworks to build on. I like the little guy. I want him in the game.

[bubby]

Overlap will be allowed! I'm legalizing it!

Besides, I think Fin's bringing a lot to the table to set him apart and roles are just frameworks to build on. I like the little guy. I want him in the game.

Agreed! Fin needs to be in!

[Swashbuckler]

Fin looks great, you should 100% bring him in!

I have some other concepts I will look at instead...

[Vlexia]

Fin looks great, you should 100% bring him in!

I have some other concepts I will look at instead...

Don’t think you need to, boo. I think both characters are necessary

[Swashbuckler]

No worries!  All on me, I did a terrible job of reading what players were considering, and then I topped it off with a concept (in my mind) of a character who would be probably a bad fit.

*fires up the old drawing board*

[Deamonbane]

Kal is finished, although definitely open to any connections near and far. :)

[TinCanTalos]

No worries!  All on me, I did a terrible job of reading what players were considering, and then I topped it off with a concept (in my mind) of a character who would be probably a bad fit.

*fires up the old drawing board*

Ack! I'm sorry Swash! I definitely didn't intend to railroad you into having to make a new character!

I was actually planning on having Fin be somewhat more socially reserved outside of his performances and duties to set him as being a bit reliant on Dagfinn's more outgoing personality. Additionally I can see a vast amount of potential for two seasoned embellishers of truth to bounce stories off of eachother until they reach their utmost potential. I can see their names strung up in... err... lamb's... blood... now! The Brothers Fin(n) - One Night at Stonehenge!

At the same time I don't want to pressure you in the other direction if you're feeling strong about Dag not fitting. Either way I'm very much looking forward to writing with you in whatever form your character takes. 

[Juggtacular]

We've got multiple shapeshifters with different strengths(scouting v combat). No reason we can't have 2 bards with different skills and focuses.

[RedPhoenix]

Yeah FWIW the presence of two bards seems totally fine to me, we have many scouts, bersekers, etc. But ultimately it is the player's choice of course! :)

Also my spellcheck wants to replace berserker with beekeeper and that amuses me. :)

[Swashbuckler]

Noooooo no no no no, TinCanTalos!   I cannot say STRONGLY enough you did NOT railroad/push/nudge me at all!  I really should have read more as it's not that I refuse to be one of however many bards, it's that I would have probably made him differently if I had paid adequate attention and saw your idea.   You have no idea how embarrassing that is too, as I am not guilty of one of my number one pet peeves lol.

Anyway, I may just tweak my character or make something else new.  Like everyone has said, there are lots of characters in each others wheelhouses, so that would be ridiculously petty of me to rewrite because of that.  It's really just a matter of "fit" more than "role."

Of course, that being said, now I want to make a Beekeeper just to mess with Red's spellcheck. 

[RedPhoenix]

I mean, the hird could use fresh honey.

[Juggtacular]

Amun - Makes a garden and instagrows flowers for the bees- Honey you say?