Fantasy Children of Dawn || ༺ Character Sheets ༻

[Isolus]

Both Groups

ROBIN AERYN | LAGOSI'S SONGBIRD

HOPE | noun | a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; a feeling of trust.

FULL NAME: Robin Aeryn
NICKNAME(S): Bird, Little Red
AGE(S): 9 Years Old
GENDER: Non-Binary (Gender Fluid)
PRONOUNS: She/They

RACE: Half-Elf
ETHNICITY: Glorian/High Elf

CLASS: Bard
AFFILIATIONS: Lagosi's Traveling Theatre

INTRODUCTION. . .
Their mother was a human knight pledged to the King of Gloria. Their father was an elven outlaw who preyed on merchant caravans in the riverlands. Or so she's been told. How exactly the union of these two foils came to pass is unclear even to Robin. Yet what she does know is that her mother never returned from war, believed to have been slain at the Siege at Sterling Shore. Her father traded her to a traveling theatre to fulfill a lost wager and now the little half elf's closest memory became that of painted tents and twirling streamers. Yet with all they've seen, Robin never gave up hope that one day they'd be freed from their cage; One day they'd see the world and find all the lost stories to rekindle again. And perhaps, she may find herself with them.

BACKSTORY | ONE CHILD, TWO WORLDS

THE KNIGHT AND THE ROGUE . . . Robin's earliest memory was a songbird's nest nestled upon a high wooden banister. They're not sure where this place is or why they remember it so distinctly. But young Robin is certain that its because this is where they last saw their mother. Her face remains blurred, her voice uncertain - Robin is unsure if the knight was kind or cruel, dull witted or sharp tongued, soft spoken or bearing a thunderous tone. Robin knows nothing else of her mother other than the words spoken by her father, which aren't entirely reliable. One instance, he claims he was arrested for smuggling narcotics and was able to seduce the knight into releasing him. Another time, their father said they were two drunks alone in an inn with too much time on their hands. And yet another tale goes that they were childhood sweethearts torn apart by the thralls of war, only to be briefly re-united. But the elf was renowned liar and Robin was left with little more than their own imagination to put the pieces together.

THE MARVELOUS VICTOR LAGOSI . . . In her early years, Robin traveled with her father's outlaw group where she was mainly used as a pickpocket. It turns out that children are unassuming criminals and their father was quick to use Robin's charm to lure their targets away from their coin purses. It was when Robin picked the pocket of one Victor Lagosi that their life would change forever. Robin's father owed Lagosi a pension from a time when they were partners and

PERSONALITY | THE DREAMER

SKILLS AND TALENTS:
‣ Slight of Hand (Novice) Now you see it, now you don't!
‣ Musically Gifted (Natural) Can make up songs off the top of their head
‣ Agile (Natural) Call it Elven grace or thank her time in the theatre.
‣ Imitation (Intermediate) Can imitate bird songs, howls and some human voices.

STRENGTHS:
‣ Ray of Sunshine A very smiley child. Robin's positive attitude can be contagious!
‣ Optimistic Tomorrow's looking grim, but sometimes tomorrow is all they have. Never give up!
‣ Supportive Robin will always remind their friends that they believe in them.
‣ Curious They just want to know how something works and why things must be a certain way, that's all.

WEAKNESSES:
‣ Day Dreamer Sometimes they can't discern fact from fiction.
‣ Mischievous They get bored easily and that often leads them into trouble.
‣ Stubborn This kid just doesn't know how to give up, even when they're wrong.

LIKES:
‣ Oranges Their favorite food!
‣ Ravens They're not dark omens, they're Robin's chatty friends.

DISLIKES:
‣ Cats They don't like how cats kill their bird friends... They made a point to always shoo them away from the caravan, much to Lagosi's annoyance.
‣ Deep Water So long as they can see the bottom, they're fine. But deep water gives them anxiety.

INVENTORY | TRAVEL GEAR

FULL REFERENCE SHEET
art (c) me​

SPARROW. . .
Their beloved oud. It was gift made by a Scalesmen strongmen named Bicar soon after Robin became part of the traveling theatre. He used to be a carpenter before he was sold to Lagosi. But Bicar grew fond of the little half elf with their sweet tales of undying hope and brighter tomorrows, so he made them this on their 8th birthday. Robin made a promise to him to practice Sparrow every day.

NIP. . .
Her father's dagger. It's a little dull at the tip, she's not sure how to sharpen it. But she does know how to use it.

TORCH BUG LANTERN. . .
A lantern made on quick notice. Her bug friends are all named; Dip, Polly and Bo.

RIPPED PATCH. . .
A torn patch bearing the emblem of Gloria. The only item they have from their mother

TRILL. . .
Their first instrument. It was handmade by the elf themselves when they began to learn carpentry from Bicar. Now, it's very worn and falling apart so it's mostly kept for sentimental value.

HANDMADE SLINGSHOT. . .
Usually tucked in the back of their belt - Robin's has pretty good aim too!

LAGOSI'S COMPASS. . .
Swiped off his desk before Robin made a run for it into the woods. She's not entirely sure what its pointing at, as it seems to change directions at its own will. Perhaps it's enchanted!

RAGNI. . .
A patchwork raven doll resembling her favorite bird. It's the oldest momento she has from her infancy that's almost guaranteed to help her sleep - she would be very upset if anything were to happen to it. .

 

[Larry]

Star Group

Senán Árdfeld
Name: Senán Árdfeld.
Age: Twenty-years old.
Gender: Male
Occupation/Class: Scholar with the Children of Ember.
Virtue: WISDOM| noun | the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement.
Backstory: Senán would have had a somewhat tumultuous start to his would-be career as a scholar. Born the son of a blacksmith named Daithí and a dutiful wife called Caoimhe in Meridia, the central holding ruled by the House of Verayne. Senán, even from a very young age, was less interested in conversing with children his own age and, to a given extent, actively avoided any occasion that would force him to do so. Not only this, but the young Meridian often found himself spending a large proportion of time in the library at the primary school he attended (a facility shared with a seconday school that most primary school students would move into after graduation), whereby his interest in reading and mathematics was nurtured by the diligent librarians present there. His father, being dismayed at his child's proclivity for reading and spending what little currency came his way on furnishing this interest, increasingly tried to nudge his son towards the more practical and, in a cruel sense, ever-necessary role of as a blacksmith. However, despite the young child often being discouraged by his father's less-than-on-the-nose mockery of his reading-habit, Máire would secretly pitch a few extra coins in order to bolster her son's hobby, consoling him that his father wasn't upset that he showed an interest in reading, but rather that he worried for his son's future and viewed the life as a scholar as being prone to volatility, whereas being a blacksmith would always involve a certain degree of stability. ​

Viewing the feelings of his father in a different light, Senán would find himself helping his 'oul fella when he got the chance, secretly compiling notes and illustrations on all the various techniques that his father showed him and, with his permission, distributed it to persons who may and may not have the ability to read, so as to get them interested in the craft, being able to do since the young lad, unbeknownst to his parents, was hyperlexic and keenly interested in writing. As a result, within a year or two of his sixteenth birthday (two years post-publication), a guild had been established due to streamline the work allocated to blacksmiths across Meridia, due in no small part to Senán's book, with the new guild members pitching in something of a commission to the young man for the troubles he went through. Over time the commissions eventually ceased as Senán continued his education at the local secondary school up until the day he graduated, whereby the young man decided to devote his time to the Children of Ember, a scholar's guild devoted to the goddess Enya. The young man would spend a good amount of his time in any one day, once prayers had been said, at the scriptorium to ensure the safe transference of ancient texts, which included secular works as well alongside theological ones, for future generations.

Personality (w/ weaknesses & strengths included): Senán is quite the observant young adult, never too brashly inserting himself into a conversation he so happens to stumble upon or would be considered a participant in. Though somewhat reserved in character, Senán isn't particularly afraid to be quite assertive in his confutations when he feels is being deliberately deceitful or when they're supposing an illogical conclusion to an argument and well trace back the various syllogisms and premises that got to the point, only to show what was the proper finding from that particular instance. Still, despite his quiet yet confident exterior, the young Meridian is quite easy to approach and will not mind chatter so long as it delves into deeper conversation at some point, despite an initiative on his part to appear more talkative, though he usually defaults to is taciturn manner. The young man has a proclivity for speaking his mind on things that interest him, whether the person on the receiving is wont to know such things because Senán will no doubt keep talking much to their annoyance! Given that that he undertakes the role of a scribe and is constantly with the words of past generations in his mind, Senán has developed a fondness for people's thoughts and their words, should they share them, and will come across as interested listener should he happen to overhear a conversation worth his paying attention. Therefore, the young man always tries to be courteous of the few people he interacts with, and to never be dismissive of what they might be feeling or thinking about, though he can struggle with being acerbic at the best of times.
​

Yet, Senán is not without his flaws. Sometimes, even when a person would be talking in a ill-favoured but innocent manner, Senán inclination towards emendation of all flawed arguments causes him to burst out in anger, sparing little thought for the feelings of the person he'd critique. The young Meridian is not the most vociferous person when it comes to offering help and often only did as such when he was younger due to being enjoined by his father to help him at times. Therefore, do not expect Senán to offer a helping hand of his volition, even if you were struggling quite visibly before him. Despite having a great many interests, Senán usually doesn't extend that tendency to people as quickly; the young man might become even more retrenched depending on the impression certain persons make on him. Therein lies the problem, that if a striking first impression isn't made, Senán relegates that person to being unimportant, despite the efforts of the other person to remedy that feeling. His most divisive personality trait would be the expediency that logic can sometimes bring about in a person; if the death of one person sufficed to save the life of two, it's a decision Senán would make in a heartbeat and therefore, the young Meridian can come off as being ruthless as well as heartless, should such circumstances thrust themselves upon him.

​

Outfit & Inventory: Senán is attired in the robes (see link for a visual description!) that are bequeathed to all incoming monks at the monastery in Meridia to ensure uniformity and the idea that everyone attending is of equal character, however true that maybe in reality. The robe itself is a light-grey in colour, with three black stripes winding their way around the lower end of the sleeve with a girdle fastened around the waist; the lower portion of the robe also ends at the shin, where a pair of brown, leather ankle-boots with an assortment of straps to ensure tightness to the wearers content, are supplied.
As regards to things kept on his person, Senán has with him:
i. A willow backpack fastened with a leather strap to carry the various assorted items in.
ii. A journal, usually accompanied by an extra in case something should happen to the first.
iii. Various inkwells bound by a metallic lid emblazoned with the symbol of the monastery, a Unicorn.
iv. Equipment used for camping i.e., bedroll, ropes, flint.
v. A small dagger, crafted by his father with the symbol of a horse rearing up (Árdfeld family crest), stored within a leather pouch attached by a strap to his girdle.

 

[Fred Colon]

Star Group

Noun

valiance - the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger

Name: Marina Campbell

Nickname: Silverheart (This name is much more widely known than her real one)

Class: Knight

Age: 42

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Glorian

Affiliations: Knights of the Silverheart, The Glorian Military

Gender: Female

Background:

Marina’s life has been one of sacrifice, all the way back to the day she first drew breath, but she believes she’s never the one to pay the sacrificial cost.
Her mother died in childbirth, and her father took great pains to raise her alone in the little village she grew up in, often starving himself to keep her well fed when the soldier’s from Gloria requisitioned their crops for their many wars. Marina and her father were poor, and she couldn’t quite say their lives were happy ones, but she loved her father, for Mr. Campbell was a jovial, caring man who’s self sacrificing actions deeply informed the foundation of what would become Marina’s moral code. But it wasn’t to last.

In an event that Marina would claim to be tragically typical of her existence, her father gave his life protecting Marina from bandits. Shielding her with his body, and hiding her beneath him as he died in their home the day the bandits razed most of it to the ground.

Only eight years old and alone Marina wandered from town to town until she settled in Gloria at ten, becoming a street urchin, running with a pack of nearly feral other children. She wasn’t good at, or willing, really, to steal, but Marina was tough and strong and the other kids relied on her to protect them from the other near feral packs of street children, and so she received a share of the spoils. They avoided the slave masters whip by mere virtue of being too hard to catch for too little profit.

She was eventually taken in by an old shoe maker who took pity on Marina. He saw that Marina, despite the company she kept, could never quite steal with the unconcerned ease of the other kids. She still ran with the other children. The old man couldn’t completely provide for her though he tried, and Marina supplemented his resources with what she could take from the other street rats.

But one day, the urchins managed to steal an urn from a rich looking woman who was moving through the streets, completely unaware of her surroundings. They beat her and took the urn from her. It was a beautiful urn, and the score of the kids lives, but Marina, as ever, couldn’t feel the same satisfaction they all seemed to.

It quickly came out that the urn contained the woman's fathers ashes, an important member of the clergy, and the woman had been delirious in mourning. A call was sent out, asking for the return of the urn.

Moved, Marina, who had never felt much motivation for anything before this, stood against the other children and demanded they return the urn. She knew the pain of losing a father, and could not stand by and let this happen.
When they refused, she launched herself at them, a brawl ensuing. Marina, surprisingly, emerged victorious, beaten and bruised. She staggered, urn in hand, towards the woman's estate, but was stopped by one of the guards prowling the street for urchins and urns, happily discovering both. She tried to explain that she was returning it, but the guard refused to believe her, and neither did the woman who recognized her as the girl who stood by as the children mugged her.

She was certain she would be executed. She was beaten again, and rendered unconscious, already badly hurt. But when she awoke she was back in a Slave Kennel, a locket that had belonged to the shoe maker hidden in the folds of her clothes. Inside the locket a picture of his late daughter.
Asking around she found out that the shoe maker had taken responsibility for Marina’s ‘evil’ actions. She hadn’t been killed, and instead enslaved, but the shoemaker had certainly been executed for the desecration of a holy man’s remains, though she never found out for sure.

She drifted from place to place, passed from slave master to slave master, until eventually she was sold to the army, to help pad out the ranks of a platoon that had taken too many casualties during the wars in the north with the elves and orcs.

She quickly proved herself an able soldier, fearless and brave, prepared to risk her life for her allies and, most importantly to the higher ups, her commanding officers in Gloria. A little stiff, with a penchant for moaning too much about other dead soldiers, but competent.
A few grueling campaigns later, and Marina was appointed captain of her own squad, no longer a slave.
Marina was glad for the change. She had noticed her fellows growing more and more depraved. Taking liberties…. Liberties and enslaving the populations of the areas they conquered even if promises were made that they wouldn’t. Far above the realm of the common soldier, Marina had almost been court martialed several times for calling out wrong doings of her immediate superiors, but she was the apple of commands eye. First into the breach, the slayer of more than one enemy commander, a sort of local folk hero that other soldiers flocked to. A propaganda piece about the heroism of the valiant Glorian soldier. And so she was protected.
Marina was unaware of this, and considered the lapse in discipline to be thanks to a lack of information on commands part. She believed that she was providing information command was unaware of, not quite realizing that they were purposefully turning a blind eye to this wrong doing.
But in control of her own soldiers Marina could make changes. Those who broke the laws of war, or the laws she set, were punished severely. Repeat offenders could be executed. But despite these harsh penalties Marina earned the respect of her men for her fair if heavy hand, and the soundness of her tactical decisions. She never wasted men, treating every soldier as a vital member of her force, which couldn't be said for some other leaders, and as a result soon had a battalion full of experienced, elite soldiers instead of the new bloods the other battalions had to constantly recruit.
She won a suit of enchanted silver armor from an enemy commander that earned her the nickname Silverheart, and was gifted an enchanted sword and shield from command, given to her by a man named General Malus.
Her battalion was known as one that could be trusted, not just by her own forces, but by the enemy as well. A town would surrender to Silverheart, because they knew she would keep her promise of fair treatment during their occupation.
More, she became a national hero to many people in Gloria, known as the last ‘true’ knight in the land, and held up by the government as an unwitting piece of propaganda.

Her real, shining moment, however, came at the Battle of Hallan Heights, where Silverheart was to be have been believed slain in an ambush by a much larger force. The rest of the army, being chased by a more numerous, better armed force, sent Silverhearts battalion, bereft of their leader, back to hold off the enemy forces in a suicide battle. She returned to the main army, alive, and they told her that they were in full retreat and that she needed to come with them. But she refused to abandon her battalion, rode at a breakneck speed back to her soldier’s, and in a stunning reversal managed to beat back the enemy despite being heavily outnumbered. It was here she was stabbed in the face by an enemy soldier, splitting her cheek lips and jaw and shattering several of her teeth.

The reality was she’d taken advantage of a choke point in the mountains and had a battalion of elite, hardened soldiers at her side, but the stories grew every time they were told, until children in the capitol were telling the story of how Silverheart single handedly beat the enemy back, surviving even being stabbed through the head, the gods healing her immediately so she could keep fighting!

Spoiler: I write too much

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1scv-Fkcr0oi1H_SbwVLYVS8TDep0StYixZqiTd6AgCM/edit?usp=drivesdk

Spoiler: I write too much

(I wrote a story about the battle on Hallan Heights! It would make me super happy if people read it! It would also give insight into Marinas character! But it’s definitely not a requirement) **The story is not a perfect fit with the lore. I imagined it actually happened in this story, but with changes to make it lore friendly to this world, such as changing the dwarven character to an elf, changing the city names, zombies are enemy soldiers ect. ECT.**The Battle of Hallan Heights

The Battle of Hallan Heights

Marina lost many friends during the wars. Each of their names she wrote down in her locket, alongside the names of her parents, the shoe maker, and the other good people she knew who hadn’t made it.
Their deaths weighed heavily on her. She had been in command. She was responsible. She could have done better. But she kept going, believing that she owed it to her men. Believing that command saw the good she was doing and she could make a difference.

But like children, the men and women back at the Capitol grew bored with Marinas high mindedness and success. The sheen of her silver armor faded, especially after the War in the North ended and the crusades began. Marina could not condone the slave taking and racial subjugation that seemed to be the point of the war. She used her status as a hero of Gloria to viciously oppose command in the political arena, and she had begun to gather a following amongst the common folk. What was more, such was her celebrity that her battalion was less a part of the Glorian army, and more a seperate, Gloria aligned fighting force led by Silverheart herself.
Unaware that this might be seen as a threat, Silverheart treated her men as if they were separate from the main army too, calling them the Knights of Silverheart. People joined to serve under her, not to serve the Glorian military. It was swiftly becoming a problem that outweighed Silverheart’s usefulness as a military leader and propaganda piece.

So they enacted a ploy.

They abused the trust Marina had earned.

They sent men out under her banner, towards the territory of House Corvus and had them wreak havoc. Then, they would ask to treat with the leaders of each city they sieged.
The trust Marina earned from her previous actions was so strong, that they almost always agreed. Then, when they met with 'Silverhearts' representatives, their commanders would be brutally cut down.
Command did this for months before people at home began to notice, before Marina noticed.
But by that point it was too late. House Corvus was calling for Marina and her men's heads on spikes.

Command claimed they had no idea she was performing such heinous acts, that she was a rogue agent that had been given too much power and run away with it, no better than a common bandit.
They bemoaned how such a bright star had fallen, and agreed to apprehend and hand over Marina and her men as a gesture of goodwill. They hoped to rid Gloria of its problem child and help bind House Corvus to them.
Marina was shattered. Confused. She pleaded with command. There had to be a mistake! But to no avail. So instead she begged; ''Take me. Only me.'
And command, not interested in losing an entire skilled battalion, convinced the other armies to accept Marinas lone head instead.
But Marinas knights were having none of this. They had been taught to do what was right by the captain, and that's what they intended to do. They wouldn't allow their commander to die for crimes she didn't commit, so they let flee any of their number that wished to do so, ambushed the prison train carrying Marina to Corvus, rendered her unconscious and sent her away.
Then they, led by one of Marinas lieutenants, an elf name Gaz, attacked the forces coming to reclaim Marina. Gaz himself wore Marinas armor and weapons, making the enemy believe she still stood at the head of the army.
A losing battle ensued, and as a last resort, Gaz ordered a combination of magic and explosives to be detonated, destroying both sides. Gaz died in the explosion, his body burnt badly enough that he was unrecognizable.
The enchanted armor and weapons all that remained, command assumed that it was Marina who had died in the explosion. Gloria gave the leaders of Corvus her enchanted armor, sword and shield as a gift and as proof of her death.

Miles away, a lost, grieving Marina awakes, her reputation destroyed, her friends slain and branded as traitors, and her home gone. As far as the world is concerned Silverheart really is dead, leaving only poor, cowardly, selfish Marina, who constantly lives when others do not.



Personality: Marina is dependable, straight forwards and while serious (perhaps a bit too serious) she is gentle with everyone unless they’ve given her a very good reason for her not to be.

While she constantly projects a self assured, if exhausted, aura of surety she has surprisingly little real self worth. She believes she’s capable, she knows she is, but she constantly doubts her own ultimate worthiness. At the same time she knows people rely on her, and doesn’t believe that she deserves to rely on other people, so she never lets her outer shell of confidence waver.

Marina believes that she has two personas. Marina Campbell and Silverheart. She considers Silverheart a lie she puts over her weaker self, little realizing that Silverheart is not a lie, just her justification for believing in the imposter syndrome she often feels and a way to deal with the trauma and survivors guilt she is afflicted with.

Marina considers herself to be selfish, overly sentimental and foolish. Silverheart to be brave, strong hearted and just. Any success she achieves she attributes internally to the lie of Silverheart, sure that one day everyone will find out about her deception.

Strengths:
Sword and board: Marina is a master swordsman. While she’s more used to fighting in formation, her extensive experience in combat has made her an extremely deadly single combatant. When using her shield as well as her sword, there are scant few that can match her.

Weapon proficiency: Not as good as her sword and shield, a life of conflict has made sure Marina still knows how to wield almost any other weapon with professional efficiency, be that a bow and arrow, a pair of daggers or her own fists.

Tough: Marina’s main claim to fame is how difficult she is to kill. Knock her down and she’ll get back up over and over again until it's all finished. First into the fight and last out. Add that to her heavy plate and she’s an unflagging engine of metal and stubbornness. She’s been knocked down over and over again in her life and it hasn’t killed her yet. She’ll hold on as long as she can.

Conviction: Marina knows one thing to be true. She is an outstretched hand to the fallen, an unshakable shield to the helpless, and a fast approaching sword to the wicked. It can be difficult in situations where morals become more nebulous, but for the most part it's a strength that makes her laser focused and incorruptible.

Tactician and Unifier: Marina has extensive battlefield experience. Her men looked to her for direction, for inspiration, and she learned to give it to them. It’s a duty she takes very seriously, and if you look at her campaign record you’ll find that she was very good at her duties.


Weaknesses:
Hopeless: Marina fights for what is right. Not because she believes right will prevail, but because it’s right and she couldn’t do anything else. Marina believes, in her heart of hearts, that it’s all for nothing. She’ll fight against the tide of darkness as hard as she can, but will eventually be overwhelmed. She can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Imposter Syndrome: Marina believes that she’s deceiving everyone. That she puts on the persona of Silverheart as deceit. She is no great hero, just a woman who has to pretend because too many people have given their lives to her for her to just run away from her duty. She separates Marina and Silverheart, pretending her real self, Marina, is cowardly and selfish, while the lie, Silverheart, is greathearted, loyal and just.

Survivors Guilt: Marina has come out relatively unscathed from hundreds of battles and conflicts that killed men and women she considered better, kinder, stronger and braver than her. She’s ordered men and women into battle, and as happens in war, many of them die. Often, people gave their lives to protect hers. The weight of this is constantly something Marina considers. She feels she can’t disappoint the people that died for her, and every time she loses someone, be it a friend, or a soldier, or even someone she met recently, the moral expectations she believes they hold her to become ever more unreasonable and extreme, far beyond any expectations the individuals in real life might have had for her.

No understanding of Magic: She always had mages in her army for that. Her job wasn’t to understand the intricacies of magic, but to know where to employ her spell casters on the battlefield. The minutiae of Magic bores her to tears.

Too Serious: Marina tries to be light hearted. She really does. But she’s just not good at it. She approaches fun and games as she might approach a battlefield, something to plan extensively for and be a little afraid of. She has made occasional forays into the realm of humor, always with disastrous results, and other people's jokes often go over her head as she simply assumes that they’re being serious. She does not eat sweets or drink alcohol lest it makes her soft. Marina seems to be almost afraid of truly enjoying herself.



Starting Inventory: Marina has her trusty Sword and Shield at all times. They aren’t anything more than well crafted metal implements.

She also possesses a set of Plate Armor belonging to the Knights of the Silverheart. It's not her iconic enchanted armor, but one of her men's, given to her when they took her armor to save her life.

Marina has a heart shaped locket with a tiny hand written list of names in it. Names of the people Marina believes died for her. A list of the people she can’t disappoint.

Basic camping supplies. A tent, ropes, flint and tinder.

Armor polish and a grind stone for her sword.


Likes:

Gloria - The land she fought for and was born in. A place she believes could truly be great.

Sleeping and eating - on campaign good food and a comfortable place to sleep is a luxury. She appreciates it when she can get it.

Honesty - Marina is straightforward, she appreciates the same quality in others. Mincing words is not for her.

Dislikes:

Gloria - The land that betrayed her, the land that was the source of so much pain and conflict in the world.

The church - Never terribly devout, Marina considers the church to be the source of Gloria's corruption and dislikes it's officials and it's gods.

Politics - Marina isn't built for the power jockeying and secret meetings. Drawn into it more than once, including just before her betrayal, she has a strong dislike of 'games' as she feels it reduces the common people to playing pieces.

Spoiler: Image

 

[Hanarei]

Star Group

Basics

Name: Karuna
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Affiliation: The Oathbound
Class: Druid/Cleric
Virtue: Kindness

Personality

Karuna is a very kind and caring person often concerned about the wellbeing of others. She can be relatively swift on her feet to act often able to throw together a plan on a whim. Despite lacking a typical education, she is quite bright able to pick up on things relatively quickly. She has a great degree of empathy for others, able to very easily connect with them even with spending only a short bit of time with someone. She has been at times called 'motherly' the way she can act towards those who might be in need both trying to comfort them but also gently scold them. She is relatively patient in part due to her training as an Oathbound, though a bit of her own old personality peeks through were the patience can be tested particularly if it gets in the way of helping others.

Her strong sense of empathy can be a detriment, allowing herself to be manipulated or used quite easily despite the fact in many cases she might know better but be far too inclined to want to believe someone. She is very emotional, to the point of having difficulty hiding her feelings or to start crying if something is upsetting for her to see. She tries her hardest to hide any of her own problems not wanting to tangle others into her own issues. On the other hand her need to help others is quite likely to cause her to jump into danger potentially dragging others with her into trouble. She can be a bit absorbed in her work having trouble just taking some time to rest or have fun for herself.

Backstory

Karuna is one of a large slew of orphans who inhabit Meridia. Her actual parents are all but lost to her, whether deceased or out there somewhere its impossible to say. Being only a baby when she was left in the streets she was picked up and raised by a gang of orphans. Going by the affectionate name "The Little Rats", the group itself consists of children of varied ages with some of the oldest members being in their mid teens. The children had all grown up learning from each other on how to survive on the streets. They would often roam with many of the younger children begging for food or coin, pickpocketing passersby, or going in as a group to rob a store at once running away with all the goods they can whether its food to share and eat or items to sell to buy goods they need.

The group made their home in various spots, often in hard to get to abandoned places or even in the sewers finding a nicer spot to bunker down in. They would stay in the spot as long as possible until their spot would be discovered forcing them to quickly scatter avoiding being captured and sent away to the local orphanages most considered to be a much worst fate or in the case with the older teens sent off to prison in the best case scenario. Very rarely did one of the orphans last long enough to become an adult with those few often electing to try and find normal work to send back some to the kids though many after not long would never be heard of again whether striking it off on their own or simply vanishing without a trace. It turned the notion of becoming an adult instead considered to be a funeral for the little rats. In truth many who did even reach the point weren't long for the world.

Karuna had grown up feeling a sense of comradery with her fellow orphans. Having learned much about the world through them including how to speak to the less 'virtuous' acts such as pickpocketing. To her they were all family and with most of the orphans it was a feeling that they all mutually shared. While she was younger she was rather talented when coming to begging. Being a bit emotional as she was it wasn't hard to get her to cry and come off rather pitiful managing to scrape quite a few bits of coin or scraps to share with her 'family'. When begging wasn't enough, she wasn't half bad at stealing from others, though she was always the odd one out always feeling the need to apologize and often start crying going down a rabbit hole worried about the one she pickpocketed imagining her thievery caused them great strife. Still, despite her dislike for doing it, it was what she had grown up learning she had to do. The orphanage wasn't an option. How crowded it was and the cruel treatment, not to mention all the rumors of many of the kids simply disappearing.

As she got older nearing her teen years she began to really stand out in the group. She would often elect to try teaching the younger children that were found and brought into the group. Rather then getting others tangled up in crime she tried her best to do it herself, often caught running through the streets crying saying sorry as she held some stolen item feeling it was the only way to be able to help feed her family. It was a trait she was often teased about being called "Crybaby' among the other orphans. Despite the teasing she was part of the gang and she was rather well loved by her 'siblings'. No matter how bad it might be she could never just leave them, and there was no other way of being able to help support them and all live without resorting to more criminal acts. It was roughly just after she turned twelve (her actual birthday being unknown, giving it a few month range in which she might of been born) that she ran into someone who would change her life.

For her it was just another day of thievery. Their usual spots had tried up forcing them to change locations to a more well watched place in the city. The area itself was ripe with traffic with many merchants or travels would venture through. A much nicer area then the slums making it much more risky. Still it had been a few days since they had brought enough to feed everyone with Karuna's stomach particularly grumbling having elected to wait to eat till she was the very last. A few of the slightly older kids had nearly been caught early making the guards particularly watchful. She was desperate to get something though doing her best to sneak around narrowly evading the town guard. She had finally spotted what she thought was an easy mark. A man sporting a rather simple black garb with gold looking metal adornments on his upper arm with a black rigid cap with a brim in front and a white feather on the left side. Carrying a satchel to his side it seemed like an easy steal from someone to her that seemed like they had some wealth.

On her approach and her hand attempting to fish its way into the bag she suddenly found another hand grasping lightly onto hers. Sure enough the man who had seemed almost to be day dreaming looking at her with a smile. Noticing it Karuna panicked, yanking her hand away grabbing hold of a small sack of something she wasn't sure darting off. Her sudden sprint was quick to alert the guards who chased her down. Her time living on the streets made running away from guards not an overly difficult task albeit the ones in the area were far from slackers too able to keep up to a decent extent. It was near when she was about to escape what seemed at the time bad luck struck as she turned down an alley only to bump directly into a guard who had split off to try to cut her off managing to pick just the right path she went down to run directly into her.

She was quickly accosted, the guards kicking her down and speaking harshly to her. She was swiftly pulled up to be cuffed when the man from before she had stolen from suddenly came up. A bit heavy breathed he told the guards he had offered her some money to quickly bring a batch of herbs to one of his clients to help treat them, not having intended to make her seem guilty of a crime. Checking the bag the guards noticed it to contain various herbs seemingly confirming his story. The guards allowed her to go with a bit of a grumble leaving her alone with the man. Being the crybaby she was, Karuma broke down crying and apologizing feeling extra terrible for trying to steal from him. He simple laughed offering her a hand back up.

The man was named Abner Treoir. A member of a group known simply as The Oathbound. He traveled the world offering healing and aid to those who needed it. He had followed her intending to simply let her off the hook and go though seeing the way she reacted it had instead put some interest in her seeing her as a potential disciple for his guild. He offered her a chance to get out of the place she was and to be trained by him to help others. She refused, much to his surprise unwilling to leave her family no matter how much greener the pastures might be with his offer. Seeing her reluctance he brought her to a rather nice tavern of which he managed to treat the man's dying wife from what seemed like a fatal disease. Grateful he had offered Abner anything but he had refused just asking for a room and some food to stay at first, though wanting Karuna to join his cause asked for him to help supply the Orphans with some food every few days to help them get by. The innkeeper while not the most enthused about helping what was deemed as 'troublemakers' agreed electing for Karuma to accept his offer.

Karuma returned to her 'family' crying like a big baby as she was and wishing them farewell. The two of them set out as the girl followed willingly crying for what Abner would claim was 'three days, three nights, and a few minutes the very next morning'. Abner helped to educate Karuma more teaching her how to read and write. She learned the use of alchemy acting in many ways as his assistant as they moved from town to town providing aid for others. She learned about the Oathbound seeing the need to try and keep focused on providing aid and not interjecting into others affairs. It was a rather uneasy thing for the girl quick to get emotional to some of the bad things she witnessed but as she was taught sometimes to help more you had to practice patience and hold your tongue.

Just shy of four years passed when Abner felt that Karuma was prepared to take the trial to become a full member of the Oathbound. Traveling out to a remote monastery it was there she underwent the trial. She was able to show her talent with alchemy instilled into her by Abner and the many teachings. Her body was physically pushed to see what she was capable of. Most of all though, the trial was testing her own resolve and just who she was as a person. It was with the final test done and the elder now set to judge her that he deemed her worthy of the gift possessing the compassion and sense of self sacrifice needed to inherit it. Upon his blessing the elder himself planted himself upon the dirt as his body whithered and disipated into soil of which a new sapling sprouted with a single fruit bore upon it of which upon eating Karuma was granted the power of the gift.

Possessing the gift Karuma now was capable of using magic, given long ago to the founders of the Oathbound to bring healing and restore life to the world. Upon the center of her back a tattoo of a flower formed as a symbol of the gift. Now possessing the gift it was Abner's turn to now teach her how to use it further expanding on his training as they await for who would be the new Elder to venture forth and return back. It was just short of ten months of training in which Karuma learned how to use the magic and gain a strong understanding for how it works. Lessons she was taught earlier before about it now able to be put to use coming to fully understand some of the things that had puzzled her before.

With the arrival oft he new Elder she traveled with Abner back to the nearest town of which it was time to set off on her own way. With a rather embarrassingly tear ridden farewell she said goodbye to her mentor and set off to travel the world on her own, the Gifted destined to head alone in order to better spread the blessing of their gift to more people in the world in need. She felt lonely, but at the same time a sense of purpose filled her heart as she knew there were plenty of people in need who could use her help and she would do her best to save as many people as she could before one day she might meet her own end.

Items

Backpack
A rather simple pack designed for traveling.
Containing
Spare Uniform x1
Casual Clothing
Bedroll x1
Blanket x1
Soap x1
Small Iron Pot x1
Alchemy Kit x1
First Aid Kit x1


Belt Pouch
A decent quality pouch designed mostly for carrying herbs and ingredients scavenged through the world The belt itself contains various little pouches to store a few small viles for various alchemic mixture as well as a Flask for water.
Containing
Water Flask x1
Empty Vials x6
Panacea x2 (Used to cure lesser poisons and diseases while slowing the effects and symptoms of a more serious one)
Various Medical Herbs

Pocket Knife
A knife from her childhood. Despite it being there in part for protection she had never drew it as a weapon, though she has used it for utility purposes before. Even if in danger, she isn't going to go pulling it out anytime soon even to protect herself.

Skills

Medical Diagnosis (Expert)
Her training to become an Oathbound has helped her greatly in learning to understand sickness and helping to figure out the general cause even when an exact malady is unable to be diagnosed. This knowledge gives her the ability to figure out what is exactly causing a sickness whether it might be poison, disease, curse, or perhaps some internal injury. It allows her to know how to best treat people whether with alchemy or more recently better utilizing her Gifted abilities with magic to heal them more effectively.

Alchemist (Advanced)
Karuna has learned a great deal about alchemy able to proficiently mix various solutions and identify medical herbs for the creation of mixtures for treating ailments. While incredibly skilled she does still have room to grow not as knowledgeable about more exotic types of herbs or particularly advance mixtures that a Master Alchemist with much more experience might be able to pick out or quickly come up with using their advance degree of experience. She is a little slower in mixing and the art of alchemy then others of her 'rank' though her knowledge over the process is enough to carry her through despite the small disadvantage.

Perceptive (Advanced)
Living a life stealing from others and then further learning to be quite precise with the choice of herbs in treating others, Karuna has a quite honed degree of perception in order to spot things out.

Sleight of Hand (Intermediate)
While a bit more on the rusty side, Karuna's childhood involving so much pickpocketing and slight of hand in general to take what she needed. She can still quite easily swipe from someone if they aren't aware so long as its nothing too obvious.

Deception (Novice)
Being a street urchin, its quite often a lie needs to be told or an act put on to hide ones intentions. Its something she was taught to do... but to say she is great at it would be a horrible lie. Karuna's natural inclination to be rather emotional and to feel bad if she wrongs others makes her very poorly suited for the act often giving away her dishonesty quite easily to most who might see her. Still, it is something she knowns how to do, even if it should be the last place you ever look for someone to do it whether for being very unconvincing, or the amount of apologies and feeling remorseful she might feel afterwards for doing it.

Worldly (Novice)
Through much of her teenage life Karuna has traveled around from place to place getting a general experience over various locations. While its more then most her knowledge for the most part is quite basic only really knowing some basic information a simple traveler might not be aware of though much less then all but the most oblivious local might know.

Singing (Novice)
Karuna tries to sing. She isn't that great with it. Her singing voice isn't completely bad, though actually following the notes or creating a melody is something she isn't very good at doing. At best she might be able to roughly pull off mimicking someone or singing along to something and being able to blend in that way.

Languages
Common

Magic

Healing Magic
Karuna through her Gift is able to use various healing magic. Being nature based in power, her magic is able to regenerate damage taken. Ailments such as poisons and diseases can be cured so long as the right level of magic is applied, though particularly potent ailments may require stronger magic taking time to channel or even special ingredients to cure. Healing magic has the potential to cleanse even magic effects such as curses or other dark arts though often requiring more advance means to do so. Besides healing,

While healing magic in itself is meant to mend, for the undead or those of 'anti-life', healing magic can instead cause harm to them. Often causing a reverse effect rather then repairing wounds the spell will instead inflict damage upon its essence weakening it. Damage inflicted on such creatures often come off looking like decay, with potentially potent spells even allowing the spontaneous growth of plant life or other such things of which the spell connected.

Nature Magic
While her Gift gives her access to Healing magic, the spells themselves are very much nature aligned giving her access to various spells related to earth and plant life. The spells themselves vary in nature though for the most part consist of magic meant to restrain or provide forms of utility such as creating earthen bridges or purifying dirty food or water. Other such spells might give the caster the ability to converse with certain animals, detecting corruption, blending in place, hiding ones presence from nature, and many other various forms of spells.

Limitations

Undead/Anti-life
While she is able to heal the living, her abilities can't apply to those who oppose life. While often such beings tend to go against what the Oathbound are about, it isn't impossible to come across one who might not be malicious of which their aid is impossible.

Mana
While their magic is gained through what is considered a blessing, it is still tied to their own essence (Mana). There is only so much they are capable of doing before they will reach their limit being unable to cast anymore spells. As part of their magic, a Oathbound has the such a strong bond of magic to their very soul that they can tap into their very own life essence, however doing so is quite dangerous, both being uncertain if it might work as well as shortening the users life. Simply possessing the power they do, a Gifted's lifespan is shortened beyond its maximum potential.

 

[Maverick.]

Star Group

Mylo Ferenc
23 years old
Male (He/Him)
Human
Mercenary of The Iron Circle

Freedom (noun): The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Backstory
Mylo's story was always meant to end on the battlefield. His mother, a farmer in Meridia, died during childbirth. This left Mylo with his father, a knight of Meridia renown for his ruthlessness both with his enemies and the young soldiers he trained for battle. As soon as his father chose his name, Mylo's fate was sealed. He would be raised with a sword at his hip and a shield at his chest. Born at the price of his mother, Mylo's father harbored resentment for the child long before the boy's behavior became an issue.

As a young child, Mylo's thirst for adventure could not be quenched. He could often be seen running through the town-- but only for a moment, as he traveled as fast as his bare feet could take him. He developed a natural love for animals, and he spent as much time as he could at the stables, learning to ride and train horses. He learned quickly, and soon became a skilled rider. With each year that passed, Mylo began travelling farther and farther away from the kingdom, testing his boundaries both geographically and with his father. Mylo soon met Finnian, a boy his age for which his affections grew quickly and boundlessly. The two had each other's backs since day one, working together to sneak out and get into as much trouble as they could.

As Mylo's acts of rebellion and sense of independence grew stronger, the punishments from his father became more severe. A couple days locked in a poisoner cell by the hand of his father was not an uncommon occurrence. Soon, the father and son had become so combative that they could scarcely be in the same room, and save for mandatory training sessions, the two avoided each other whenever possible. Most of Mylo's teenage years were spent sleeping in the forest at night and skipping as many training sessions as he could during the day so that he and Fin could go get into trouble elsewhere. Mylo found his peace in the wilderness, away from the kingdom and the expectations that weighed him down like heavy shackles.

Once he turned eighteen, Mylo was drafted into his first battle. Having grown up with a sense of disconnection to his home kingdom and the others who lived there, he had always struggled to find a sense of purpose and patriotism in connection with his homeland. Left without a choice, he prepared for the battle, merging with the group of his fellow young knights who were going to fight for Meridia for the first time. During the battle, Mylo realized that Fin had left his side and was lost somewhere in the thick of the conflict, out of sight. Mylo cut his way through, searching for his friend. When he did find him, it was too late. Mylo found Fin's body discarded in the middle of the battleground, kicked and trampled as the surrounding knights fought. Mylo cut his way through the battle to reach his friend, swinging his sword wildly to forge a path, indifferent to those he struck and what side they were on. He picked up Fin's body and carried it away from the battle without a second thought, leaving the army of Meridia behind him.

Mylo carried Fin's body back to the forest where they used to play as kids. Once night fell, he lit Fin a pyre and watched as the flames mirrored the spirit of his fallen friend-- bright, warm, and flowing whichever way the wind led him. Mylo never went back to the kingdom, not that he would be received with open arms. Now that he had fled the battlefield, he would have no home there anymore. Not that he ever felt much belonging there, anyway,

Running low on resources, Mylo joined The Iron Circle and began work as a mercenary. With his youthful and mischievous spirit gone, he carried the black cross of a mercenary tattooed on his neck while he made his wages in murder. Now, he spends his time travelling through the outskirts of the Meridia territory, living a nomadic life in the wilderness, save for the business trips back to civilization.

Personality
Mischievous at his best and combative at his worst, Mylo has a propensity for breaking rules and acting on his own whims. Because of this, he has trouble getting along with others and forming social relationships. Mylo generally comes off as cold and aloof, which can evolve into vehement defiance if challenged. When in the face of opposing authority, Mylo would sooner resort to subversion, rather than listen to reason. His guarded nature and checkered past keeps him well away from others and pushes him into seclusion. In instances where he puts his guard down, however, Mylo can take on a sort of youthful energy, and his love for adventure and the outdoors can shine through the cracks in his stony personality. He's found it much easier to be on his own, and he pushes people away so that he's not weighed down by their needs-- or his own emotions.

Strengths
Navigation (Advanced): Mylo has spent years exploring the forest, giving him a close relationship with nature and an understanding of geography.
Combat (Intermediate): Because of a childhood full of training to be a knight, Mylo is no stranger to weapons, nor is he unequipped to use them. However, all those skipped training sessions didn't help to hone his skills.
Horseback riding (Advanced): Mylo has spent countless hours at the stables in his youth, and he feels at home when he's in the saddle.
Trapping (Novice): Although Mylo sets animal traps regularly to hunt, his luck isn’t the best.
Independence: Mylo can look out for himself, and he has little trouble being on his own.
Adventurous: He is not afraid to set off into the wilderness on even the most dangerous trek-- just as long as he can make his own path.

Weaknesses
Uncooperative: Mylo has great difficulty working with others, and due to his obstinate nature, he has a habit for getting into arguments.
Claustrophobia: When Mylo feels trapped, he often first resorts to panic. This can make it hard for him to think rationally or listen to others.
Callous: He can be uncaring, and he has a habit of leaving others behind.
Impatient: Constantly restless, he has a tendency to take action before fully thinking things through.

Starting Inventory
Light black armor and hood
Sword and sheath
Leather backpack
Compass
Bedroll
Flint
Iron cup
Water flask
Golden bear claw amulet

 

[MouseDuke]

Diamond Group

Diamond Group
Savvel Keverne | The Sea's Bounty

FORTITUDE | noun | Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

A young sailor turned slave, turned freeman from Eo. The child of a human sailor originating from Gloria and a Meridian refugee fleeing south during the war. Savvel was mostly raised by his mother as his father was mostly off sailing around Ardunia often gone for months on end. And while his childhood was an uneventful one, other than being an outcast due to his lineage, but he was never really bothered by that. Still, in his later years, Savvel would follow in his father's footsteps and set sail as a deckhand at the age of 12 where he was considered a natural-born sailor like his father. This talent allowed Savvel to brave the harshness of the open seas until one fated day years down the line.

FULL NAME: Savvel Kaverane
NICKNAME: Green eyes
AGE(S): 20 Years Old
GENDER: Male
PRONOUNS: He/Him

EYE COLOR: Green
HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown
SKIN COLOR: Tanned

RACE: Half-Elf
ETHNICITY: Glorian/Meridian
CLASS: Swordsman

Backstory | The Natural Sailor and the Foreign War

From the Ocean... During his years as a sailor, Savvel sailed all along the southern coast of Ardunia from Aria to Gourne, Sercosa, and on rare occasions Neorn. As mentioned before he had to brave the horrible conditions at sea which few men could endure. From cold and wet living conditions, diseases, malnutrition, spoiled food, and not to mention the long grueling hours of hard work with little rest. Still even with all of the hardships involved Savvel felt at home upon the sea as the blood of sailors and captains ran through his veins. Though, this simple yet challenging lifestyle would be stolen away from him around the age of 16 when on a voyage from Aria to Seracos a large storm had torn his ship apart. Now for sailors on the southern coasts, they'd rather see a watery demise than being picked up by The Keepers. Though for Savvel fate was a cruel mistress and the next time he opened his eyes he was on foreign soil with his hands and feet tied. After going in and out of consciousness over what seemed like days his mind became clear as he felt the burning sensation of hot metal upon his skin, he was now branded, marked right at the base of his neck right above his collar bone. He was now the property of The Keepers.

To War... Savvel was corralled with other poor souls who were marooned on the beastman's land. They were inspected top to bottom before being separated into different groups. He wouldn't find out where the other group went, but he soon found out where he was going, the battlefield. Savvel had only heard of the War of the Three Kings it was hard to imagine a war raging just across the Arian gulf but some news trickled into Eo. Still, he could never imagine how much hell he'd endure on the battlefield. Savvel along with other slaves, criminals, and prisoners were used as disposable pawns on the battlefield. They were barely given any equipment, training, or support. Given suicidal tasks, these 'soldiers' were expected to die for a country they were never a part of to begin with. Savvel was expected to die, but he didn't, no matter how terrible and hopeless things got he kept pushing forward no matter the cost. Against all odds he somehow pulled through, and while his comrades coward and awaited death Savvel raised his sword in retaliation. His tenacity and resilience began to attract the attention of his captors and he began to gain their respect. Savvel was still a dehumanized slave in their eyes, but one that lived up to its worth. This sense of respect would lead to Savvel's 'freedom', a captain who was tasked with guarding the slave soldiers had released Savvel and "turned a blind eye" to his escape and saying that Savvel had died in a recent battle.

To home... Savvel was free from the battlefield, at least physically. The hell he had endured for 4 years was still fresh in his memory, and with only the clothes on his back, Savvel couldn't afford to sail home (Plus he didn't want to run the risk of crashing again), so he began the long trek around the Sea of Gold. While the only thing Savvel had on his mind was home and his mother, a place he and yearned for since he first got on that ship four years ago.

Personality | The Stoic

SKILLS AND TALENTS:

• Swimming (Natural) At least every sea fairing being has to swim.
• Sailing (Natural) Savvel has spent enough time on a ship to know how it works.
• FIshing (Intermediate) A fresh fish is way better than the molded crackers they serve on ships.
• Swordsmanship (Novice) Fights purely on instinct without any form of training, a somewhat unorthodox approach.
• Singing (Intermediate) While he can't sing like a professional, he can do some good ol' shanties.

STRENGTHS:

• Constitution A tough and rough exterior, Savvel can take a beating without much feedback. His endurance is as strong as his will.
• Willpower Savvel seems to have extreme control over himself mentally, while there are slip-ups he seems to have the strength to carry out his goals and wishes.
• Courage He rarely flinches in the face of fear, Savvel can push himself to face fear and stand up for what's right no matter what his peers might think.
• Perseverance No matter how much Savvel gets knocked down or fails he'd get back up and try again and again.

WEAKNESSES:

• Night Terrors Savvel often suffers from nightmares of his past, leading to him getting little sleep.
• Anxious He often feels anxious and nervous in some situations, causing him to be on edge and jumpy.
• Startled Easily Sudden noises or people approaching him from behind could cause Savvel to be jumpy or startled, especially when someone wakes him up suddenly.
• Lack of any training While Savvel is a swordsman his swordsmanship lacks any sort of form of training, it's often described as an "animal wildly swinging a sword".

LIKES:

• Fish Nothing beats a fresh fish on the open ocean.
• The Ocean The wide blue sea, the salty breeze, and the rhythm of the waves.

DISLIKES:

• Arid Environments Places that lack water.
• Sudden Noises Often puts him on edge or reminds him of his past.
• Talking about the past Most time Savvel will only mention that he was a sailor and a soldier but not in much detail.

Equipment

• Iron Arming Sword A sword Savvel scavenged from the battlefield, it's in relatively good shape despite how much it's been used.
• Gambison Jacket A thick wool jacket used as cheap armor, it's in a rather poor condition and has been patched back together multiple times.
• Antique shield A rather unique shield that Saveel has scavenged, one that has saved his life many times.
• Leather Knapsack A leather bag that holds a number of essentials such as food and maintenance items for his equipment.

 

[spiralingheretic]

DIAMOND GROUP​

BRUK WILDGRUBE ​

Valiance | noun | boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery​

BASICS​

Name: Bruk Wildgrube
Age: 18
Race: Half-orc
Ethnicity: Auberginian
Gender: Male (he/him)

Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Shepherd

APPEARANCE​

Height: 6’8”
Skin color: light green
Eye color: black
Hair color: dark green

BACKSTORY​

Bruk was born to a human father and Orcish mother. His mother died in childbirth and his father, too overcome with grief, ran off, leaving Bruk to be raised by his three Orcish aunts on their farm in a remote agricultural village. Growing up on a small secluded island off of the mainland, Bruk faced little discrimination for his heritage, but was often lonely. As his aunts grew older and could move around less, it became Bruk's responsibility to tend to the sheep. Their little island was still for the most part rugged and uninhabited, and often Bruk had to defend his flock from predators. Mostly it is just coyotes and hawks, but there are also a pair of owlbears which roam the island and have been the catalyst for two out of three of the near death experiences he's had in his young life.

The third he can attribute to the son of a merchant, one of the island's few monthly visitors. Typically the few people who came over to buy the village's wares were nothing but respectful to its inhabitants, if a bit smarmy. However, when one of the merchants, an older hobgoblin cheesemonger, was drafted in the war to invade Seracosa, he sent his son in his stead. The son was a headstrong teenager with very clear ideas about who stood where in the world. When he tried to bully one of Bruk's aunts into offering lower prices, Bruk fought back. Of course at the time, Bruk was eleven and much much smaller than the hobgoblin, who laughed at the efforts of the half-human child. This was the last straw for Bruk, who in his anger socked the teen in the stomach. It didn't do much except knock the air out of the other boy and send him into a flying rage, and immediately the hobgoblin was on top of Bruk, trying to strangle him. It was only through the interference of his aunts that he survived. (The hobgoblin's son never came back.)

Since then, aside from various wildlife encounters, Bruk hasn't experienced a whole lot of excitement. He grew up to be strong and quick and fearless, but supremely bored and restless. Bruk aches to go out into the world and explore, has dreams of being a soldier or a pilgrim or a journeyman. The only thing holding him back is the deep sense of obligation he feels to his family and his village.

PERSONALITY​

Skills and Talents:

• Animal Handling (Natural) -- This is a given. Bruk practically grew up with cows and sheep and chickens. He's gentle toward animals and (metaphorically) speaks their language
• Survival (Intermediate) -- Life as a shepherd has meant Bruk has spent many nights out on his own in pastures, alone but for his flock and sheepdog, and has had to keep himself well fed and protected from the elements.
• Fiddle (Intermediate) -- Taught by one of his aunts, Bruk has learned quite a few songs and performs at occasional village gatherings. He'll never be a true master but he sure has fun with it!
• Knife-work (Novice) -- Typically when defending against predators, Bruk's inclination is to go for his crook, but after a few more brutal attacks, he started carrying a crude dagger with him as well, though he has only had to use it a few times
• Brute Strength (Natural) -- I mean, he's half Orc. 'Nuff said.

Strengths:

• Courage -- Bruk is fearless. He'll put himself in danger without hesitation.
• Chivalry -- Not only did his aunts raised him to be polite and courteous to all, but he is determined to protect those weaker and more vulnerable than him. He takes his responsibilities very seriously and never breaks a promise.
• Loyalty -- Bruk doesn't necessarily feel allegiance to his country or race, but will do anything to protect the people he cares about.
• Moral Code -- Bruk has a very keen sense of right and wrong, and refuses to compromise his principles under any circumstances.

Weaknesses:

• Recklessness -- Bruk tends to act without considering possible consequences, especially in regards to his own safety and wellbeing.
• Impatience -- He's just. Not very good at waiting. Particularly when it comes to things not within his control.
• Naivety -- With the amount of people he's interacted with in his life numbering under twenty, Bruk is unfamiliar with social intricacies and takes almost everything said to him at face value. He also has very little knowledge of current events.

Likes:

• Any kind of jerky -- Yom.
• Star-gazing -- What's out there? There's got to be something else out there. Gods, he really hopes there is.
• Warm weather -- Living in a somewhat frigid climate, Bruk loves those precious few days out of the year where he can bask in the sun.

Dislikes:

• Boats -- He has been on one once and immediately got seasick.
• Bullies -- There's literally no reason to be mean to people smaller than you. Like, c'mon man.
• Card Games -- He always loses :-(

STARTING INVENTORY​

• Shepherd's crook
• Dagger bought from local blacksmith at a discount
• Fiddle passed down for generations
• Small portrait of his mother
• Lantern to guide him through the night
• Wool sweater made lovingly by hand

 

[voracity]

DIAMOND GROUP

wisdom: “the capacity, the desire, and the active endeavor to realize what is of value in life, for oneself and others.” ¹
NOTES
¹ - Nicholas Maxwell
² Many people have spoken of similar sentiments throughout history, this specifically comes from Here
³ Another quote from a great author I admire, unsure if it came from someone else, Here
⁴ I don't know if lighters are too advanced for the world, even for all the innovations that snow elves have accomplished.

Neriphine Faerwyn

NAME: Neriphine Faerwyn
AGE: 33
GENDER: Female
RACE: Elf
ETHNICITY: Snow Elf/Vyrthurian
CLASS: Mage
AFFILIATION: Faerwyn Royal Family

Secondborn to the noble house, and royal line, Neriphine was no stranger or bystander to the strife that divided her people.The throne would never be hers, but the role she was expected to fulfill was no less important: a pedestal that would draw the eyes and sway the hearts of their people when her brother took the throne. She has spent years listening, learning, and remembering all that has passed - and found no qualities or ideals worthy of being hoisted before their people. Even now, after being acquainted with loss, and all of the terrible demons that followed it, she would rather find a better answer beyond their walls than to support the poor, thoughtless choices left to them.

Backstory

Very little was denied to a young Neriphine. She took books from every library across their Northern Empire the way a child swiped treats or sweet milk before supper. She learned the dates and names of those who came before them, cherishing each and every one the way a mother might fondly recall their child's birth date. When she sought an audience with those who claimed to have been gifted with Sight, she found herself taking up art to try and capture the unfolded future passed on in whispers from the celestial bodies overhead. Since Neriphine could count, she had been enamored with the past, and the future.

Yet, in her early adulthood, she decided to give up both chasing the enlightenment of the past, and the long shadows of the future. In a fashion. Although she took to debate with a gentle ease and enjoyed intellectually stimulating conversations with her father's advisors, the Faerwyn's Spymaster had been the one who revealed her weakening position, of word that had spread of her naivety and inexperience. The words she had chosen had been borrowed from another time, the ideas she proposed failed to represent their people, and that left an important question that would decide whether or not people would come to approve of her: "What will you bring for us, Neriphine Faerwyn?"

She had chosen to support and nurture the present with everything she had come to hear, and learn, and remember. Although sadly, her efforts and studies were not enough to turn the tides when the Greygore Invasions breached their lands. Without King Galedar, with their remaining people angry and bitter, both Neriphine and her brother were quick to grasp onto the empty spaces in powerful roles, even if the people were reluctant to listen and heed. Nobody else had the heart to claim command over what was left of their armed forces, not when it meant that they would be responsible in presiding over the most devastating loss in all their long history. Nobody else had a spirit strong enough to withstand the despair that came with questions and very few answers on how to ensure the survival of their dwindling population; how they could escape extinction.

Following an disagreement between the two siblings, Neriphine set out from Neorn with the intention of finding answers, resources, and aid, for her people. Her brother had made a decision that she could not agree with - and yet she had no way to refute him when he confessed it was something he came upon after recalling the words she had spoken to him in their youth. There was surely an answer out beyond their walls that could give them the happy ending they so desperately wanted; and she had grown old enough, well-read enough, and experienced enough to yearn for such desires without the youthful naivety she had as a lass.

PERSONALITY

"People often talk about changing things in negative terms, in removing unwanted or undesirable influences, but you cannot remove darkness from a dark room - you can only bring in a light." ²

SKILLS:

• Composed (Natural) : She is well spoken and polite to anyone she meets. You will soon find that at times, she may not actually understand everything that goes on, but she's good at pretending like she's attentively listening.
• Balance (Natural) : She lives on ice for a long while, it's relatively hard to sweep her off her feet.
• Languages (Intermediate) : Neriphine cannot speak every language known to Ardunia, but she can read and translate most common languages and a select few Old Languages into the common tongue with surprising accuracy.
• Magically Inclined (Intermediate) : She learned ice magic in her youth, and as an adult she is adept at making brittle constructs with her magic.

STRENGTHS:

• Inquisitive: Eager to learn and experience that which she may not have heard or seen before. She often doubts the things she hears, and learns, and will always find herself lured back to people and places to see whether answers she had found before have changed with time.
• Optimistic: Many have succumbed to despair when they unearth unsavory truths, or unpleasant answers. But to be wise is to find the good in all change ³.
• Patient: Neriphine will not settle for anything less than what she has envisioned or asked for, and will see to it that her desires fulfilled in spirit and in letter, even knowing it takes longer to get the exact desired result.
• Prudent: She is careful when making decisions and judgements, drawing from experiences learned and shared, and easily disguising restraint, caution, and discretion as inquisitive thoughtfulness.

WEAKNESSES:

• Night Blindness: Poor eyesight in the dark.
• Selfishly Optimistic: She often refuses to do things while believing that she can find a better solution, even if it means those in the present must suffer for her selfish explorations. The kingdom had suffered through several conflicts where she taken an uncompromising stance, the people will suffer from her departure as she tries to find 'something better'.
• Spoiled: Life in the North could be hard at times, but she was born into a powerful and influential family. Cooking isn't a skill she learned, and you can tell from her useless looking arms, soft hands, and neat nails she hasn't ever really had to personally get her hands dirty.
• Uncreative: Art was a skill lost to her when she began to serve the crown. In the present time, she has a lot of difficulty in indulging in the unknown, or impossible. She could never create a broadsword taller than the tallest snow elf in their kingdom, for she vehemently rejects the idea of it.
• Unstealthy: Neriphine is unsuited to sneaking around, and garners a lot of suspicion and hostility without saying a word already.

LIKES:

• Tomato soup!
• Reading of any kind
• Collecting pens

DISLIKES:

• Spicy food
• Alcohol
• Black cats, specifically.

STARTING INVENTORY

Thick Fur Lined Cloak x1
Crude Map and Compass x1
Leather Gloves x1
Water Flask x1
Paper x5
Pen x1
Rope x1
Lighter ⁴x1​

 

[plague rats]

Diamond Group

Freedom |noun| the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

Name: Hati Makhno
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/Him

Race: Wolfman
Ethnicity: Gourian
Affiliations: Formerly The King of Bones' army
Class: Ranger

Backstory:

Constant civil unrest creates a great deal of orphans. Children old enough to work but too young to be a threat could find a place among whatever army tore through their town and that’s exactly what Hati did at the age of eight. Most of his time was spent on grunt work- digging trenches, repairing weapons, cleaning armor. Honestly, he didn’t mind it. They kept him fed and filled his heads with stories of the glory of the King of Bones. After his habit of wandering got him in trouble a few times one officer decided to take advantage of it and Hati became a popular choice for a messenger boy. He was quick and good at sniffing out the best routes and as he grew older he was often sent out on scouting missions, eventually becoming a bowsman when he was old enough to enter combat.

Since his time in combat was spent mostly around the edges, it was easy for him to desensitize himself to the realities of war. As far as he knew he was doing the right thing- Daodurn Bloodbone was the rightful king of Gourne and once everyone accepted that the country would be at peace. The people he fought beside were his friends, they shared meals and stories, they’d grown up together. They were good people fighting for a just cause and he was proud to count himself among their numbers.

Doubt began to creep in near his twentieth year. He was still chosen to deliver more sensitive messages that couldn’t be trusted to boys and he’d been tasked with taking a letter to the commander of a force that had just conquered one of Urvos’ villages. The journey had been a pleasant trip away from the noise and chaos of his main camp and he was in high enough spirits when he arrived to stop and offer an apple left over from his breakfast to a young boy he passed on the street.

Before the boy could accept it his mother came rushing out of their home, shouting at him for going outside. Hati could see her face tighten in disgust when she saw the Bloodbone crest on his armor. She swore at him as she dragged her son away, spat at his feet and called him a monster, told him she would rather see her son dead than end up like Hati. It stunned him too badly to protest as they disappeared back into the house and he spent the rest of the day slightly dazed. Normally he would’ve spent a night in town but this time he left right after delivering the letter, suddenly aware of the hate in the eyes of every villager he passed.

Those eyes were everywhere he went. In enemy soldiers, in villagers as they marched past their homes, in the slaves that bolstered their numbers. Even in sleep he could feel them watching him and most worrying of all he could feel their bitter seed taking root. He found himself hating the friends that rejoiced in their violence, the commanders who sent those friends to their deaths without a second thought, the king for whom all this blood was shed. With talk of wars spreading across all of Ardunia it suddenly felt almost silly to fight his own kin over what? Glory? Land? A man he’d never met who wouldn’t pause to mourn his inevitable death?

Worse still was the response to his doubts. Questions were met with eye rolls at best and punishment at worst. All of them fed the anger that had sprouted and his rebellions were small at first. He’d miss an easy shot in battle, slip extra rations to slaves, lie in his scouting reports, loosen a strap on the armor of a particularly cruel officer. It meant nothing in the grand scale of things but it felt good to finally act of his own will and he continued his subtle sabotage for a year. It was another messenger trip that broke him for good. A town controlled by Bloodbone was protesting the heavy taxes forced upon them to support the army and the letter regarded plans to assassinate the woman leading the rebellion. Hati had made camp alone in the woods when he read it but as soon as he finished, he packed his things and made his way to the town, the Bloodbone crest left as ashes in his fire. After he slipped the letter under her door he set off for the north, away from his camp and the war.

The wild was as much of a home as he had ever known and after a few lean months he settled into his routine as a hunter. Aside from the occasional trip into Daerin to trade game for supplies or brief encounters with traders and travelers, he lives a solitary life. Despite the simple happiness he’s found living amongst nature he rarely stays in one spot for more than a week, driven by fear, shame, and restlessness.​

Skills
-Bushcraft/Survival (Natural): dude lives in the woods. While there are the occasional things he has to trade for everything else is foraged, hunted, or made.
-Combat (Advanced): he’s rusty with hand to hand combat but a talented archer.
-Stealth (Intermediate): turns out being a treasonous deserter living on the edge of a war zone keeps your guard up.
-Sewing (Novice): it’s not pretty but he can do semi-competent repair jobs and he’s stitched himself up once or twice.

Strengths
-Free-spirited: Hati’s greatest joy in life is being able to wake each morning and chose exactly what he wants to do. Living alone has made him extremely comfortable with himself.
-Egalitarian: Despite his mostly solitary lifestyle, Hati generally likes other people and wants the best for them. There are a few exceptions but he’s more than happy to share a fire and a meal with just about anyone.
-Resourceful: Where other people see garbage, Hati sees a meal and a weapon all in one convenient pile.
-Passionate: Hati’s beliefs are sacred to him and he will fight tooth and nail to uphold them. The most core of these are his love of nature and hatred of authority.
-Quick-witted: What he lacks in conventional intelligence he almost makes up for in speed. Lies and plans jump to his tongue like he didn’t stop to think at all.

Weaknesses
-Uncompromising: Passion can be dangerous. His stubborn nature can make him difficult to work with and occasionally overzealous.
-Shortsighted: Going from having his entire life dictated to him to aimless wandering left him unable to think more than a few hours in advance.
-Opportunistic: If he sees an opening he’s going to take it and he’s not against theft, manipulation, and violence if the ends justify the means.
-Proud: He’s self reliant to a fault and nothing is more humiliating than being offered help.
-Crude: Who would’ve guessed a child soldier turned hermit would have such terrible manners?

Likes: seafood, arguing, running, whittling, afternoon naps, poetry

Dislikes: nobles, rain, sweets, crowds, wearing shoes, being called a dog

Inventory
-Camping supplies- tent, bedroll, cooking pot, etc
-Bundle of twine
-Bow+Arrows
-Huntsman axe
-Sewing kit

 

[alabast]

“KINDNESS: the quality of being generous, helpful, and caring about other people.”

BASICS.
NAME: Ferris Haidins
AGE: 30 (elven equivalent)
GENDER: Cis male | he/him
SPECIES: Wood elf
CLASS: rogue/paladin
VIRTUE: Kindness


PERSONA.
+Resourceful: he’s always on his toes and is quite flexible. Ferris is never above using whatever options available to do good, given that most foes he fought in the past almost always fought dirty.
+Sincere: only when necessary does he lie, and you can expect him to keep his words. To him, there’s no point to words with no weight.
+Cooperative: when help is needed, he always tries to lend a hand and do his part. Ferris often puts himself aside in order to help others needs, and tries to dis-escalate conflict when possible.
+Sympathetic: he’s a supportive listener to a stranger and a loyal friend, he’s always quick to make sure those around are alright. Even to the worst, he always gives a second chance.
-Reserved: to most, he is quiet unless addressed and even to friends, tends to draw into himself when he is overwhelmed. Struggles with expression at times, a trait picked up from his mother.
-Paranoid: years of watching backstabs, betrayals, and kindness is taken advantage of left him wary even when he tries not to.
-Insecure: mistakes from long ago haunt his steps, and he fears when another critical moment comes, he won’t be able to change his future. After his charge died, he became hesitant with risks out of fear- something that is constantly at war with his reactive and kind nature.
-Book-smart: as much as he tries to make up for it through digging through any tomes available in his spare time, his experiences of life beyond castles and wars are limited.


HISTORY.
Born to the knight captain known in public as the Knight of Pynriel, to friends as Risalie Haidins, and to Ferris as a mother, his childhood days were often spent in the castle of the duke his mother serves. Growing up alongside the duke’s son of two years younger, Wrenn, he knew for as long as he could remember that one day, he shall guard the other as his mother guarded the duke. Always eager to please, he never questioned it despite having little idea of what such a role truly meant back then. Though he always enjoyed saving a poor bird whose wings were hurt or helping the servants, he rarely wondered if duty truly is everything like his mother said.

Still, those early days, somewhat isolated from society, gave a false illusion of peace despite Glorian conflicts at the border. He had his problems, of course: Wrenn had always been rebellious and dragged him along to troubles as well, and his mother was stern in training and rarely affectionate. The only bond the two shared was an interest in various weapons, and perhaps that’s why Ferris remains fascinated to this day. But, nonetheless, they seem so small now, looking back. Back then, he’d consider even just secretly learning a variety of fighting techniques from castle guards out of curiosity as a betrayal. (to his mother’s teachings)

As the two grew older, the bubble had to burst at one point as well. While young, Wrenn was ambitious as well- eager to prove his worth, and too impatient to wait for his inheritance from a family name that’s known to be in decline. With little land or people to his own, the young noble decided then, to try to offer to serve under the Vrythurians against their Orcish invaders. Ferris, now, almost wanted to laugh at his blind idealism, no, both of theirs. Back then, Wrenn hoped that perhaps, if the war was won, he’d help establish both his influence as not just his father’s son, but praise for establishing better relations between Del Varde and Vrythur as well.

Thus, despite his own doubts against choosing a foreign nation to defend instead of their own, feelings he didn’t dare to voice, Ferris accompanied the other further North, and soon, was drawn into the war efforts alongside his charge. Despite his own dismay at warfare and its cruelties, he protected the other dutifully as he rose in rank as an officer. However, such cannot be said for the war’s state. As the orcish invaders advanced closer to the capital, his pity and anger grew, watching soldiers continue to fight for what is certainly a lost cause, and ravaged land stretched on by the miles. Though it was never addressed, he and Wrenn’s relationship soured as well as the latter refused to give up on a dream that’s already cold and dead

By the time word came of the fall of Sterling Castle, however, even Wrenn could ignore it no longer. But, it was too late. As they retreated further up north against enemies who chased after, a fight inevitably broke out near a village. In the chaos of it all, he fought his hardest to keep Wrenn safe, but in the end, it was not enough. Knocked out cold by a hit from the side, he was mistaken as dead among other bodies. By the time he woke up, however, the fight was over, and over him laid only bodies, among them, Wrenn.

As the Greygore troops marched on, he dragged himself to the woods, finding the survivors from the fight and the village there and barely surviving through the night. As the ragtag group made it back to Vrythurian allies, he helped as best as he could, the only thing he could do while overwhelmed by grief and guilt. As the war drew to a close and the snow elves retreated, he resigned and left for the track back home.

When Ferris returned, however, he found only greater misfortunes. Learning that his mother went missing in the Sterling Castle conquest and exiled for his failure in his roles, he was left to wander alone. After a year of fruitless searching for where his mother disappeared, he resigned himself to a fate of aimless travels, wondering if he’ll deserve a worthwhile purpose again.


SKILLS.
Insight: (Intermediate) scouting for traps and lies are the usual routine, and he’s too used to hidden intentions at this point from court politics.
Acrobatics: (Intermediate) climbing trees when young and dodging attacks when older, he’s spent the better half of his life mastering what, you know, keeps him alive in combat.
Medicine: (Novice) in case there isn't a medic or a healer, he knows enough to keep someone alive until one can be found. Ultimately though, it was not his original training.
Disguise: (Intermediate) To see through lies, you’d have to know how to tell ones too. Literal ones aside, he’s also skilled in changing mannerism, speech, etc. to create a false image.
Weaponry: (Advanced) his swordsmanship is well-trained, but isn’t exceptional; however, he has a wide knowledge of all sorts of weapons, often their history too, to make up for lack of gift in strength.


INVENTORY.
- Shortsword. It's usable but unideal. He scavenged it after losing his own.
- Pebbles. Ferris collects a handful or two... just in case.
- Leather armor. He tossed any insignia-bearing clothes but kept the protective wears.
- Basic medical supplies. Needles, bandages, etc. It's half used up.
- Odd dagger. Too dull to use, has odd deep grooves. A trinket turned to a final gift from Wrenn.
- Waterskin, matches, etc.


EXTRA.
- Used to have much shorter hair. Given that he has no backup now, however, he’s not too inclined to let someone put a razor so close any time soon.
- Has trouble sleeping on a bed, and tends to be a night owl.
- Has the first impression is the stoic soldier, is actually just a wary cryptic who insists learning about some “legendary butter knife” might be useful one day​