Fantasy The Crooked Lands (Characters)

This is just a guideline...


Name:

Appearance: (Optional)
[Picture in spoiler tags]

Alias: (Optional)

Gender:

Age:

Description:

• Height -
• Build -
• Etc.

Affiliation:
[Kovosian / Vetic / Loner / Bandit / Other (specify)]

Personality:

Backstory:

Skills: (In order of proficiency)

• Like so

Shard Power: (refer to lore)

• [Name] - [Description] (Primary Shard)
• [Name] - [Description]

Starting Equipment:
(in spoiler tags and alphabetical order)
Armaments:

Attire:

Inventory:

Extra: (Optional)

• Enkerzed - Arbo | Bosca​
• xrakkax - Gerrick | Drystani​
• The One Eyed Bandit - Deirdre Huxley​

Name: Arbo

Appearance:

Alias: Sir Arbo

Gender: Male

Age: 25

Description:

• Height - 5'9
• Build - Muscular
• Eye Colour - Brown
• Hair Colour - Dark brown
• Skin Colour - White
• Special Features - Scarred hands

Affiliation: Kovosian

Personality:
A knight with a conscience. Not so common in the army of the Kovosian Empire and its expansionist policies. Though trained to kill with sword and lance, Arbo is compassionate enough to grant mercy to those he can, but wise enough not to for those he can't. Careful not to allow others to mistake his kindness for weakness, Arbo tries to present himself as more headstrong and assertive than he actually is. Though despite knowing the dangers of giving trust too readily, the only people he has ever known are fellow soldiers and he is therefore quick to develop bonds of camaraderie with. Arbo does not yet know the sting of betrayal and is all too aware of his own naivete in this regard. He expects this to change should he survive the Crooked Lands, but hopes it does not and that if it does, it would not taint his ideals too much.

Backstory:
Though a knight of the Kovosian Empire, Arbo has no lands nor patronage of any lord or noble and only recently inherited his knighthood from his mentor who had lived long enough to give it before dying to wounds after a battle with Vetic skirmishers.

Born to a castle maid, all Arbo knew for most of his childhood was life in a castle. When he was old enough, he'd help clean the kitchens and when he was big enough, he'd help out in the stables. Enamored with tales of knights and their glorious deeds, Arbo aspired to become one himself as many boys did and often volunteered as a sparring partner for the squires. At first, he could not so much as strike a blow against any of them, but after enough practice sessions and bruised body parts, it soon became readily apparent that he had a talent for swordsmanship. Eventually, it was not an uncommon sight for him to emerge the victor after a training bout.

Seeing the boy's natural aptitude for fighting, one of the castle's knights took a liking to Arbo and made him a squire. After that, he learned how to ride a horse and wield a lance too, and then eventually it was off to war against the Vetes. By the time Arbo had become a full grown man, he had stood on over a dozen battlefields and though his skill at arms improved, he was no longer the boy who dreamed of adventure as a knight in shining armour.

Embittered by years of warfare, Arbo is under no illusion that the empire he is fighting for is an invading force in the Vetic territories and despite the loss of comrades as well as his own fair share of killing, he holds little enmity towards the Vetic people as they are only doing as they must.

Now after his knighthood and the death of his mentor, Arbo travels to the Crooked Lands so that he might obtain the power to heal the wounded, no matter what nation they are from. Though officially a knight of the Empire, Arbo's true allegiance lies with those who have suffered from conflict with the real foe being war itself.

Skills:

• Swordsmanship
• Riding
• Wrestling

Starting Equipment:

Name: Gerrick

Appearance:


Alias: (Optional)

Gender: Male

Age: Mid 30's

Description: Stands 6 feet 3 inches, mesomorphic build, muscular. Shaggy hair, colored a dingy rust. Five o'clock shadow due to his shaving skills, but he can grow an epic beard. Amber eyes.

Affiliation: Loner

Personality:

Backstory:

Born an only child to a caravan that traveled the boarders of two great nations, Gerrick Wynstorm lived the rural life of a family of loners. Officially they kept to themselves, roaming the woods where they could, but the Travvies (as they were called), could be found doing odd jobs for money, goods, and supplies. During hard times his band of Travvies came across a scraggy town with an equally scraggy looking Travvie clan specializing in performing. They were quite good. Too good to be this scrawny. Gerrick found out that they had been a bigger clan, but the war had devastated them. Feeling a sense of compassion, the two Travvies became one. This was when Gerrick met Drystani. They became close friends growing up.

To anyone observing him, Gerrick was a physical laborer of different trades. But, more often than not Gerrick was throwing punches for gold in makeshift arenas where he could find them. From time to time he had to take up the sword. Not his favorite, but he was passably good. Due to being a Travvie, he had great hunting and tracking skills, but those were occasional necessities. Hand-to-hand combat was his badge of honor.

At some point in their late teens, an attack sent their families scattering to the winds. They did not know who this was, or where they came from, but it was definitely a shard-user-- they were burning everything, human and wagon alike. Gerrick's family had pick-pocketed and occasionally bought shards, and he did his best to save them to aid the remaining clan members. They barely escaped alive. For a time Gerrick and Drystani cared for the surviving burn victims, but all but one died. And this one was so badly burned that they did not know who it was, nor did the person have the ability to say so. Their arms had to be amputated and their tongue was gone. They did not last.

Then, it was just Gerrick and Drystani. They scraped a life out in town until Gerrick found they could make more money as guards for people wanting to travel the crooked lands. This is their current job. In-between times Gerrick will work at the docks or a warehouse.

Skills: (In order of proficiency)

• Hand-To-Hand
• Tracking
• Sword

Shard Power: (refer to lore)

• Enhances medicinal qualities : Even mundane herbal tea can have the innate qualities of healing advanced a thousand fold.
• Animal Bond : By holding the shard, touch the animal you wish to possess. Find a safe place to lay down and your mind will leave your body into the animal; like a puppet. This shard does not tame creatures. Once deactivated, a wild animal will likely leave.
• Imbue Teleport : While holding the shard, give the ability to teleport to any inanimate object to vanish from one spot to another, limited by what you can physically see. Blind people are out of luck, blind folded people are as well, and not more than a mile.

Extra:

Name: Drystani

Appearance:


Alias: (Optional)

Gender: Female

Age: Early 20's

Description: About 5 feet and 4 inches, built like a ballet dancer. Honey blond hair, grey eyes, fair skin. A light vertical scar on her right eyebrow.

Affiliation: Loner

Personality:

Born second oldest to a caravan that traveled the wealthy towns, Drystani Ardini lived the 'sophisticated' life of a family of Traveling performers. In between shows they could be found doing odd jobs for money, goods, and supplies. Normally they had a good repour with people, but war had caused fear and caution, and greed. A dispute with the Ringmaster and the towns Lord ended up shutting the door on them to other towns. Their caravan split down to two families-- the Ardini's and the Ghafa's. During a desperate attempt to perform at a cheap town, a band of Travvies came and saw their sorry clan. They were kind, though, and the two Travvies became one. This was when Drystani met Gerrick. They became close friends growing up.

Drystani was no stranger to tracking and hunting, but she preferred the arts. She danced, sang, and specialized in archery. Her greatest love, though, were animals. Drystani spent so much time taming and training creatures. They lost many of their supplies and animals in schism. However, a raven she called 'Sirius', whose leg she healed, kept at her side; an old feathered friend. It was her love of performing that had been the cause of an accident that nearly took her life, but a gift of a shard of an old Travvie in Gerrick's clan saved her life. They inserted it into her body, rendering the use of other shards useless, but this one was nothing to sneeze at. Other than all this, Drystani did her best to be charming and took jobs that could benefit her strengths, such as being a good hostess of a tavern for a day or singing on the streets for gold. Drystani also had no shame and would dance with a burlesque group at any local business who had one.

When an attack sent their families scattering to the winds, Drystani and Gerrick did their best to keep on their feet. The anonymous attacker had taken so much of their lives, she held a secret thirst of revenge. Gerrick rather not track and fight a pyro-shard wielder, and this was the only reason Drystani kept it to herself. Gerrick suffered loss, and even though they didn't know who the latest dead burn victim was, she imagined he may have wished it was someone close to him who he had the chance to say a last goodbye.

At the end of it all, it was just Gerrick and Drystani. They scraped a life out in town until Gerrick found they could make more money as guards for people wanting to travel the crooked lands. This is their current job. In-between times Drystani will work her charms in the streets, or dance in taverns. She found a love of swimming and took many trips to deep dive.

Skills: (In order of proficiency)

• Marksman (Arrows, Bolts, Knives)
• Animal Handling
• Swimming

Shard Power: (refer to lore)

• Phoenix Revival : A hairs breath from death will activate this shard, and you will be brought to full health.

Extra:

+The raven called "Sirius" has been with her ever since she healed his leg. Often he will show appreciation to her by giving her little trinkets he finds around town. She's made a bracelet out of some of them.

Name: Bosca

Appearance:

Alias: Blackwolf, The Nuvian

Gender: Male

Age: 61

Description:

• Height - 6'2
• Build - Lean
• Eye Colour - Brown (Right eye), White (Left eye)
• Hair Colour - Grey
• Skin Colour - Dark brown
• Special Features - Tribal tattoos on face

Affiliation: Bandit

Personality:

Backstory:


Skills:

• Swordsmanship
• Pugilism
• Survival

Shard Power:

• Foresight - His blind eye can always see a second into the future.
• Last Hour Revival - Whilst holding onto this Shard, the bearer is restored to life in the original state they were in an hour before dying.

Extra:
Owns an 8 year old brown palfrey mare called 'Siggy'.

Name: Deirdre Huxley
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Affiliation: Kovosian

Description: A ragged looking woman. Deirdre has had a history of particularly poor health, and it is evident to even the least astute of viewers. Heavy, dark rings have found a permanent home around her eyes, her breathing becomes labored by even the slightest of exertions, and her bones are only barely concealed by the scant excuse for flesh and muscle that clings to them. She more closely resembles a diseased beggar, than the daughter of nobility that she is.

To worsen matters even further, she has long since abandoned any measures to conceal her condition. Her hair, once a soft, strawberry blonde, has degraded into a greying mess. Her skin has followed suit, taking on a sickly, discolored pallor in recent years.

Personality:
The young Huxley is a miserable sort of person. She has wallowed in the cesspools of self-pity for a very long time, and finds herself deeply stained. An undertone of spite shadows her every breath. She has suffered much at the hands of the world, and remembers every slight that's ever been dealt against her. Once, she was a much more hopeful young woman, her heart filled with a passion for the mysterious and the unknown. Beneath the deluge of self-pity that mires her today, there is still a spark. One that drives her to strive to unravel the mysteries of the world, but it is buried deep. She instead, is consumed by a desire. One to usurp the destiny that was doled out to her, and place herself at the top of the proverbial food chain.

Backstory:
A firstborn Kovosian blue-blood, Deirdre was once set to be the inheritor of a hefty deal of authority. Her mother and father were a Duke and Duchess both, lording over a small county along the Kovosian borders. Relatively speaking it was a small stretch of land but its location made it into a bustling center of trade, bringing the pair many fortunes.

For the better part of Deirdre's life, she was groomed to inherit their land once she came of age. In both economics and proper political etiquette, she was quite thoroughly trained. It wasn't the most rose-tinged way to spend one's childhood, but when she looked to those her age who already found themselves in roles of servitude, Deirdre decided that she had little to complain about. That wasn't an attitude that would last.

As it would turn out, when Deirdre was first born she had been on the verge of death. Due to some complication in her pregnancy or delivery, her health had been especially poor. Worse even than the beggars who lined the county's back alleys. She'd been saved by a passing Shard Bearer, enchanted by the magics of the magics of the Twisted Lands and allowed to lead a happy, healthy childhood. But on the eve of her tenth birthday, the magic ran out. Her health begun to deteriorate rapidly. She was struck by near constant headaches and fevers, regardless of how well she rested or how perfectly she bathed.

There was a short time where she managed to hold onto her parents' pity. After all, she was their daughter. Their very own flesh and blood. For the first year of her affliction, they sought out another form of assistance. Famous doctors, sly snake oil salesmen, even the odd Shard Bearer when they would answer their call, but none could provide a solution as long term and reliable as the one that had come before. So, they decided that they needed to move on.

By the time the next year came to a close, Deirdre had a brother and a new heir had been chosen.

Part of the girl wanted to be happy. Her family had grown, and in a few short years she'd have a beloved younger brother who she could tease and play with. But whenever his wails would fill the manor walls, she'd only feel sick to her stomach. Anxiety and paranoia would slowly but surely creep its way into her life, and by the time that the boy was old enough to recognize the relationship that the two of them should have had, Deirdre had long since withered away into a shadow of the sister she should have been.

A tried and true shut in, Deirdre whiled away her time within the confines of her room. Both her parents and siblings would only ever see the young woman once in a blue moon, when her weekly expeditions for medicine or preserved food came earlier into the night than the norm. As miserable as her condition was though, she was left to her own devices. Her parents were both very busy people, and her brother was far to young to even think of helping a woman he barely even knew. Her time in that stuffy, dust riddled room was not wasted, however.

The state's accounts would occasionally find themselves charged for a shipment to the Huxley's doorstep. Books, field reports, newspapers, ranging in origin from one side of the Empire to the other. During her time in isolation, she'd dedicate as many of her waking hours as possible into finding a way to cure her affliction. At first, she was on the hunt of miracle workers. Healers like the one that'd aided her in her youth, but that well came up dry. After that she begun to hunt down the Shards themselves.

She turned every stone in the Empire, but any Shard she could find for sale was always out of her reach. Her parents pockets weren't quite deep enough to afford something so wild and exotic. Finally, she had her back to the wall. She couldn't see any way out but to seek one out herself, or die trying.

So one night, for better or worse, she vanished. The family vault was pilfered for as much as her pockets could carry, and Deirdre paid her way straight to the Twisted Lands.

Skills:

• Medical Knowledge
• Trapping
• Geographical Knowledge

Shard Power:

• N/A

Extra:
She has a provision of various medicines on her person to ease the burden of her journey through the Twisted Lands. There is enough to last her at least two months, and up to three if she is conservative.

Starting Equipment:

Name: Ove.

Appearance:


Alias: N / A.

Gender: Male.

Age: 32.

Description:

• Height - 5'8.
• Build - Average.
• Eye Colour - Brown.
• Hair Colour - Brown.
• Skin Colour - Light Brown.
• Special Features - Scar on right cheek.

Affiliation: Yjartan.

Personality:

A hardy soldier. Ove pushes on where others give up. He knows what must be done and he does it. He never stays in one place, he's always on the move. He makes plans, he prepares, he's relentless in his preparation. He lives and laughs and takes the present for what it is and not what he wants it to be. He does not tolerate the spirit of failure, he quashes it and replaces it with the spirit of success. He's never afraid to take bold risks as danger is part of life and pain and death is part of life. In the face of uncertainty he talks to the spirits and consults the book of wisdom. His ancestors guide him, sustain him and make him strong. Never is he far from Yjarta, his home kingdom, for he holds it in his heart always.

A pagan. Ove lives in a world where the earth, the ground beneath him, is a monster that eats people. They call that monster Sepp, the gluttonous beast that dwells in all the lands of men and beyond. Sepp has a brother, Senta, the oceans and the many waters that comprise it. Senta too eats people but he doesn't eat their bodies he eats their souls (which explains why dead people float). Up the skies is a world of its own, an alien world, a netherworld, that will one day come down and eat everything in the world. To prevent the sky from falling down and eating everyone up, people burn down forests to create smoke, specifically designed to push the sky away. Ove believes in all these and more tall tales from the village witch and shaman. Essentially, Ove lives in a terrifying world, a beautiful world, a living world full of imagination, not one based on fact but on superstition and an ever-growing imagination.

A man of virtue. Ove believes in righteousness. Every man, woman and child has a place in this world. And it is their duty to stay where they belong and do their best according to their ability. All death, all pain, all misery comes from disrupting this established order. A person through lack of will or ignorance disrupts this order and brings a whole world of hurt for himself. This pain isn't a punishment, its a signal to change. And so this pain should be endured and listened so that man may change for the better and thus attain virtue.

A deceitful character. Ove lies, cheats and steals. When his life is on the line you can get him to say anything. When he's on his last chips, he makes things up. And he covers up all these lies with a web of deception, one leading to another and the other to infinity and so on. This he accomplishes with great skill born out of desperation. Few know they were ever lied to in the first place. Ove can be that tricky.

A lawkeeper. Ove pursues justice. He doesn't wait for it. He doesn't let evil happen. He does the right thing to do with respect to the law. For once the law is broken evil spreads and disaster follows. People kill each other for fun and sell their mothers for a fistful of coins. Crime becomes normal. Ove doesn't want any of that to happen in the first place, so he makes the extra effort it takes to prevent lawbreaking. He believes that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

A wrothful bastard. Ove is quick to anger. One misplaced insult will be met with a straight right to the face. He takes things personally and it makes him lose his head real quick. And he finds it convenient to solve things with a brutal beatdown rather than thinking things through. This behavior has led him to more trouble than he can remember, but its not something he'll be dropping anytime soon.



Backstory:

Ove's a no-name peasant from a little no-name village (it's simply called 'the village') in the County of Collina, the Kingdom of Yjarta, a land of rolling hills and endless mountains. He worked as a laborer by taking care of those small hill-farms, tending to the flocks of sheep, doing construction work and being hired for odd jobs. The first twenty years of his life were peaceful and mostly uneventful, he just got along with his old friends and family who lived with him and loved him for what he was. That all changed when King Raoul Tommaso died (of old age) and his many sons and vassals sparked off a series of civil wars that still continue to this day.

(Dropping names: Jorde's the father, Tierra's the mother, Pier's the elder brother and Lurra's the kid sister. Oggie, Aran, Hobz, Chleb are his laborer friends. Munka's the boss. Gwaith's his merchant friend. Obair's the cobbler. Orad's the tailor. Prace's the traveling bard. Monda's the old quack and witch. Ermundo's the shaman. Querella talks to everyone and everything. Glauco's the brewer. Jahni's the poor blacksmith. Ramo's the hermit. Costan and Dul hunt for a living. Tranto's the crank. Trebal's the village chief.)

The village was required to provide men and arms for their lord, Vespaciano, to take them to war for Princess Ylenia Tommaso who was supporting her brother Prince Savio Tommaso, the second eldest son, to take the throne. As Ove received training in martial arts just for this occasion, he was strong, healthy and of the proper age, he was among the first to be chosen for the levy. The Vespacianos (named after their leader) being taken from thirteen villages in Collina totaled seven-hundred-and-seventy-two men, most of them given proper arms and armor for light infantry. This unit joined the Army of Durante Sibil, a grand company that numbered just over eleven thousand men. And its commander, Durante Sibil, had a reputation as a brute, a sadist and a genius that utterly dominated his opponents in battle.

In two years of service the Durante Army laid siege to the counties of Edwig and Anakoni, fought in the battles of Azzurra, Teunis, Balbino and Alayna, earned many battle honors, killed eight thousand of the enemy and lost six thousand men of their own. Prince Savio Tommaso won and now he held the throne. His elder brother, King Andoni Tommaso, died under suspicious circumstances (found dead in bedchambers). His other brothers and sisters vying for power were dead, imprisoned or exiled. The war was over and they were the winners.

Ove returned to his village a war hero, free to share his exploits with the community. They threw parties and feasts and introduced Ove and the other veterans to the local women. For the first six months, everybody was happy that the sons that came home were alive, as for the rest they grieved for their lost sons, brothers and fathers that died in the war. It was a time of intense emotions beyond words, there was sadness and happiness, there were serious moments and there were absolutely scandalous moments, there were times that people snapped, times that people broke out and cried for no reason, times when people weren't themselves.

Whatever this was, it was clear that the war hit everyone hard and it showed. Everybody just did their best to cope with the pain. Half of the returning soldiers suffered some disfigurement, a physical, mental or moral one. They lost limbs, they lost their mind or they lost their moral compass. The other half came back pretty normal. For Ove, he was one of the veterans that not only came back in one piece but came back even better than before. He had a stronger sense of purpose, he moved faster, he was stronger, healthier and he always knew what he was doing. A marked improvement compared to his past self who had a habit of loafing around being a good-for-nothing.

After a year of peace it all ended abruptly with the death of King Savio Tommaso who fell to his death from the balcony (the wooden floorboard broke). Next in line was Prince Amato Tommaso, who was an exile in the Kingdom of Arbejde, married to a countess named Elana Aditi. Few in court liked the man, he was not the one they fought and died for. He was not as strong, decisive, quick or more accomplished as the last king. They always compared him to his older brother and found the new King Amato Tommaso wanting in every respect. Other less scrupulous courtiers seized this opportunity to defame the king, put him in embarrassing situations and mock him at every turn.

Soon after losing everybody's respect, every one of his vassals demanded more rights, increased privileges, more council power. King Amato resisted. There was war. It lasted barely more than three weeks before he surrendered in the face of overwhelming force. Ove and his fellow soldiers barely got to the battlefield before King Amato's 'Little War' ended. It was a bloodless conflict fought more with insults and threats than with skill of arms. In the end, the biggest casualty was the king's bruised ego.

Five counties were seized (Pakao, Tuul, Birre, Cervesa and Bjor) from King Amato and given to Achim, Malte and Rudger, the very courtiers who shouted the king down and made him surrender. For three years, this man was a joke, the laughing stock of the kingdom. People wanted him dead, so they devised all sorts of plots against him. They poisoned his cups, they made objects fall on his head, they devised traps and hired men to kill him. All failed due to some inexplicable miracle or as everybody liked to call it "sheer dumb luck". They tripped him up, threw shit at him, tore his clothes and more. Until one day, King Amato just disappeared, vanished without a trace. It was as if he simply ceased to exist and nobody knew why. People went so far to say that it was divine punishment.

And it was. Immediately after the king's disappearance foreign armies arrived by sea and land. All of them exiles, invaders, adventurers that came to conquer the land of rolling hills and endless mountains, the Kingdom of Yjarta. The response was rapid, for every Yjartan was skilled in battle. The levies were summoned, the lords and commanders were called and they formed one massive army to protect the crownlands. Battle after battle was fought, wars raged, kings died, princes rose and fell, soldiers lived and died by the sword. All this happened with no end in sight. Peace became a dream, a heaven beyond the reach of men.

(Short version: Ove fought in two more civil wars before deciding to get a Shard.)

All gave up hope except for Ove.

Skills: (In order of proficiency)

• Throwing Rocks
• Survival
• Running
• Stealth
• Knives
• Spears (fighting and throwing)
• Swords
• First Aid

Shard Power:

• N / A - This man doesn't need shards. He has rocks. Plenty of them.

Starting Equipment:

Name: Garb.

Appearance:


Alias: (Optional)

Gender: Male.

Age: 41.

Description:

• Height - 5'5.
• Build - Average.
• Eye Colour - Brown.
• Hair Colour - Black.
• Skin Colour - White.
• Special Features - N / A.

Affiliation: Bandit.

Personality:

A haughty man. Garb talks big and acts big and often bites off more than he can chew. Whenever he opens his mouth he talks up storm after storm and does not stop. He is a walking chatterbox. Everything he says is total bullshit but it is quite entertaining. His stories are long, far-fetched but it captures the imagination. For instance, he claims that he's been to the moon and claims that its made of bread and cheese. He's fought gods and lived to tell the tale. He's been to the bottom of the deepest ocean and talked to all the little fishies. He once ate the whole world and spat it back out when he was full. He claims the earth is round. Worse still, the earth revolves around the sun.

Batshit insane. This man is crazy. You have to see it to believe it.

Kleptomaniac. Garb is the kind of man that breaks into your home and steals everything that isn't nailed down. He then proceeds to hide it in a cave or bury it in the ground if he has the time.

Patient.

Diligent.



Backstory:

Skills: (In order of proficiency)

• Sword and shield
• Marksmanship (bow, crossbow)
• Survival

Shard Power: (refer to lore)

• [Name] - [Description] (Primary Shard)
• [Name] - [Description]

Starting Equipment:
(in spoiler tags and alphabetical order)
Armaments:

Attire:

Inventory:

Extra: (Optional)