All The King's Men

[Dipper]

Mihai gives me a headache, but there he is.

I'll take the one on the right. I like things on the right.

 

[Dusk]

I'll take the one on the right. I like things on the right.

They do seem like the right choice.

 

[malina]

Q: What separates Inguz from regular humans appearance-wise? I'm assuming they look more bestial with tails and stuff?

How are Wardens chosen? Do they all have to be good at fighting or can some be more diplomat/blacksmith/fletcher/cook/etc focused? Is it like a volunteer kinda thing, conscripts, do they have to take a test/exam/trial/etc, etc?

 

[Dusk]

Q: What separates Inguz from regular humans appearance-wise? I'm assuming they look more bestial with tails and stuff?

That's correct. They're like humans with additional animalistic features. Avian's always have wings. Bestial ones almost always have tails and/or ears. The exact degree varies somewhat. Here are two images drawn specifically for ATKM inguz.
Here is an avian inguz
And here is a WIP of Saga, who is a leopard inguz

How are Wardens chosen? Do they all have to be good at fighting or can some be more diplomat/blacksmith/fletcher/cook/etc focused?

They can serve a multitude of different roles. Most of the Wardens are fighters-- but individuals useful in other fields are both necessary and present. However, a lot of these roles (fletcher, cook, blacksmith) wouldn't actually attend field missions and would remain at Lingerhold for the most part.

Is it like a volunteer kinda thing, conscripts, do they have to take a test/exam/trial/etc, etc?

The Wardens have recruiters who seek out recruits to serve in the force. Volunteers (who seek the Wardens out) also are fairly common and won't be turned away (without very good reason). Many Morcrestian soldiers/guards were also assigned to the Wardens. There are other ways an individual might come to join the Wardens-- Hunted mages/slaves are granted asylum among the Wardens (potential exceptions to the former case being present). Finally, there are some oddities-- two current members, Wicker and Hiya-- joined the as pardon for their crime.

Most Wardens are also paid for their services.

 

[malina]

thx

Could you also give me some brief insight on ethics/morals/culture (maybe some irl influences if that's easier)? General tolerance/views of sexuality/gender/ethnicity/etc? I think I have the race part down. Gender restricted roles/jobs y/n? I'm assuming all of these vary by state/kingdom/region or are there some universal views? Is there an official stated religion? General tech level (bows - crossbows - iron - steel - etc)? Can I make shit up like town names in my character's history (what's the limit of making stuff up for muh history - events, local customs, E t c )?
If it helps you answer, I'm thinking of having a character from Morcrest so all of the answers can be Morcrest centered.

sorry if I'm asking too many questions lol. I just wanna get a better hold on the background before attempting a character.

 

[Dusk]

sorry if I'm asking too many questions lol. I just wanna get a better hold on the background before attempting a character.

No worries, I encourage questions!

Could you also give me some brief insight on ethics/morals/culture (maybe some irl influences if that's easier)? General tolerance/views of sexuality/gender/ethnicity/etc? I think I have the race part down. Gender restricted roles/jobs y/n? I'm assuming all of these vary by state/kingdom/region or are there some universal views? Is there an official stated religion? General tech level (bows - crossbows - iron - steel - etc)? Can I make shit up like town names in my character's history (what's the limit of making stuff up for muh history - events, local customs, E t c )?

So, first thing first is that yes, things are different by region/culture-- several nations share similar cultures. I'm working on compiling a resource answering these questions in detail, however it is far from completed. For the time being I'll answer these specifically for Morcrest.

General tolerance/views of sexuality/gender/ethnicity/etc?

Sexuality: People of higher standing scrutinized far more than those of no or lower standing. Extramarital affairs and non-heterosexual (the latter more so than the former) relationships are discouraged and frowned upon, but you're not going to be murdered. It could definitely ruin a reputation or ostracize someone. The common and lower class people are less likely to be frowned upon mostly because people don't care that much. It's not uncommon for discreet affairs to take place among the upper class. Within marriage sexual encounters are considered healthy and encouraged for procreation (rather, not performing one's spousal duties might be viewed suspiciously).

Gender: Gender restrictions in Morcrest (along with most upper Ellirian human countries) are present but minimal. Much like sexuality, the station of an individual makes a difference. Among the common folk, there isn't too much of a difference. Among the upper class and nobility it's a bit more noticeable, women of higher standing are generally encouraged to marry into another family to further a line and establish alliances. Women of standing often help to manage households and it's not entirely uncommon to see them in political or court roles. Both men and women belonging to a noble family are held to the standards of the head of the household who arranges things such as marriage and grants various other permissions.

Another exception are women in the military, especially regarding aggressive positions such as among infantry. There are not any technical restriction preventing it, but it is slightly discouraged as a whole (and possibly more discouraged among nobility and by family). Furthermore, it just isn't exceptionally common.

Ethnicity: A non-issue. Humans are humans, there are much bigger reasons to hate someone different from you in Elliria. The main note would be that certain appearances are more likely to suggest an individual belongs to a particular background-- but even that isn't concrete.

Religion: The official religion of Morcrest is the same as throughout most of central Elliria. It is a religion where there is our seven gods, a single divine Creator and six "devils" who influence humankind with negativity and lure people toward vice to hopefully create a large enough army to finally rid the world of the Creator. There exist churches/religious dwelling honouring the Creator where one might seek protection from these devils and evils. Holy servants are priests all faithful to the Creator, managing of holy housings, and some choosing to become holy warriors against one of the particular devils.

Can I make shit up like town names in my character's history (what's the limit of making stuff up for muh history - events, local customs, E t c )?

Go wild with town names and other location names. If it's something bigger like a county it might be something that needs to be changed, but otherwise it's not likely to be an issue. Local events and customs on a small scale are also do as you please. If it's something you'd like to work on a larger scale, you can always run it by me first or go ahead and create it and wait to see if it works (if it doesn't contradict already establish facts, some of which are unfortunately not written down yet, I've little reason to not allow it).

Apologies if any of this borders gibberish-- I'm a bit tired. I can clarify if you don't understand anything.

 

[Jehuti]

[fieldbox="Ludivine Lachance, red, solid"]

Ludivine Aglaia Lachance
Female, aged 22, human.
Tall and slender. Blond hair, green eyes, fair skin. Pierced ear.
A friend of the people, whose youthful fire is a sight to behold.​

A lively woman of the stage, Ludivine lives to please the crowd, but longs to shine on her own merits. She doesn't deal well with having to rely on others, or being disliked, and will go the extra mile to gain favor, whether they be a noble or a commoner, human, elf, or inguz. Elliria is her stage, as she says, and if she can't meet the crowd's eyes with a smile, she doesn't deserve to stand upon it.

In spite of her noble upbringing, and especially due to her familiarity with the struggles of commoners, the magic-unable, and the homeless, Ludivine is a hard worker who is unintimidated by unskilled or hard labor. She is very much in shape and capable of pulling her weight: carrying her own equipment, preparing food for everyone, and maintaining their armor and weapons. Even at home, she couldn't sit still, and why do pushups when there is so much work to be done that the maids sometimes work without sleep? She may be "Kalico's hottest woman," but sitting around looking pretty is for portraits, not people.

Ludivine is accustomed to being the center of attention, for more reasons than just her looks. She is openly, proudly, and joyously magic-able, and loves to flaunt it. She will use it anywhere, all the time, for any reason, especially to help people. Cold? Stiff shoulders? Tired of walking? If a problem exists, there is magic that can solve it. For millennia, humans have stolen from nature to make tools. Magic is a tool like any other, in her mind. It should be treated with respect, but it exists to be used, and if there exist people that oppose her use of it, those people are blind fools.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Wardens' Record, goldenrod, solid"]

Qualifications Personal History Character Traits

•  
• Age 1-7: Childhood, raised in an Artanese noble house. Did very little besides household chores.
  Age 8-15: Studied magic at an Artanese arcanium.
  Age 12-15: Studied Artanese theatre.
  Age 15: Death of her father, by becoming a bane. Several of her siblings are killed. Loses her home and reputation.
  Age 15: Outed locally as a bastard child with a non-mage mother. Survives by the graces of only her most adoring fans.
  Age 16: Picked up by Duke Avremarus, who was by now familiar with her performances, and desired her for himself.
  Age 16: Given a new name by the Duke. Starts using the name, Ludivine, as her stage name.
  Age 16-22: Performances across central Elliria, including Kalico, Artana, and Morcrest. Serves as the Duke's mistress.
  Age 16-22: Continues to study magic and perfect her art while abroad. Assists the maids with their work while at home.
  Age 17: Birth of Ludivine's first child, Ignace.
  Age 19: Birth of her first daughter, Eirene.
  Age 21: Gives birth to a second daughter, Jeanne.
  Age 22: When the Duke passes away, Ludivine is exiled from her home, and acquired by the Larkins.
  

  Biography

  
  Ludivine was born in Artana, under the noble family of Michelakis. Her father, Andreas, named her Hestia, and she was recognized as a child of the Michelakis family, despite being born outside the family wedlock. The biological mother, whose name was known only to Hestia and her parents, was a rumored non-mage, a trait that was heavily undesirable for Artanese children. This secret was kept from the public, but was well known within the family. As a result, Hestia was never quite held in the same value by her mother and siblings. Her closest relationship was with her father, who was an accomplished Mystic. Hestia took a very early interest in magic, helped him with his experiments whenever possible, and became well acquainted with the Michelakis family's secrets.
  
  Her siblings would often tease her, because her becoming a mage was not a given. Her patience and her curiosity were rewarded, however. One day, when one of her brothers took the running joke of her never learning magic a bit too far, Hestia found her anger boiling over. The tea in the cup held in her hand started to boil, as well, and this was seen as a sign that she would soon become a mage.
  
  Hestia was sent to the arcanium to study magic. Her life was about to change forever, but in her mind, her life had only just started. Only now did her mother seem to love her. Only now that she had magic was she worth something to the family. Only now were there any expectations that she could become something. These expectations were both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, now she had to become something. On the other hand, she had leverage. Her magic was like a tool. She could use it to get her siblings to stop teasing her. She could use it to get rewarded for her hard work, where until now her maid-like chores at home had been taken for granted. She could finally help her father with those experiments that interested her so much. All of this became possible because she had magic.
  
  These benefits didn't come easily. The Michelakis family was infamous for producing a lot of banes, which did her very few favors. She felt scrutiny coming her way from students and teachers alike. All eyes were on her, which did mean that she got plenty of attention from the arcanium staff, and her dedication to learning did not go unnoticed. Unfortunately, the students did not take so kindly to her. Hestia had many siblings, none of whom shared her father's blond hair. The rumors practically spread themselves. Fortunately for Hestia, none of this affected the quality of her education.
  
  Hestia found herself drawn to Illusory magic. In some ways, it was easy to see why. For a nobleman's child, it was important to keep up appearances in general, but for her, manipulating others' perception of her was paramount. Letting her beauty shine through all the nasty rumors was just the icing on the cake, though. With everyone's eyes always on her, her only coping mechanism was to relish in it--the attention, both praise and scorn alike--the curiosity and the expectations. Just like that, Hestia decided she was going to study Artanese theatre and become an actress. Her mother was ecstatic.
  
  Hestia's success grew, but she saw diminished returns. Her father had conflicting feelings when she received personal instruction from one of his favorite teachers, who had previously refused to tutor him in Profane magic, due to his family's history. As Hestia's success in her acting grew, so did her mother's bitterness toward her husband for not gifting her with this child. Previously, she had cared little for the girl, but now that Hestia held some kind of value to her, her status as a bastard child had suddenly become a sore spot, and her jealousy was a force to be reckoned with. Hestia's siblings now had to work extra hard to show her up, where they had previously been content to score well above average without trying too hard. The stress of having their parents suddenly bicker and demand more from them was sudden and extreme compared to their peaceful and comparatively easier life prior.
  
  Lacking success in his experiments and feeling pressure from all sides both at work and at home, her father snapped. He retreated to his lab and would see no one, not even his daughter. Eventually, he emerged a changed man, and at first, he seemed joyous. He had finally succeeded, or so everyone thought--but this was just a facade. Hestia's father had become a bane, and no one would realize this until it was far too late. One day, he went on a rampage throughout the city, apparently searching for Hestia's biological mother. When he failed to find her, he came back to find his daughter instead. With the help of her mother, all of her siblings, and many magic-able bystanders, they took him down.
  
  Several of her siblings died in the battle along with her father, and her mother blamed her for it all. He had come for her, not his real family. Their deaths were Hestia's fault and no one else's--she herself found it hard to deny. Hestia watched her family fall to pieces in front of her. She was exiled from her home, and outed locally for what she was--a commoner's bastard, with only one magic-able parent: a father who had succumbed to the influence of a demon and become a bane, ravaged the city, and attempted to murder his own family in cold blood. When she attempted to appeal to her doting instructors from the arcanium, she found herself suspended. Even her magical talent held no leverage anymore. The man she had been arranged to marry no longer wanted anything to do with her--she was on her own.
  
  Hestia lived on the streets, and her only sympathy came from what little remained of her local fans. It was fortunate that she herself was such a talented actor, and could tell those who genuinely wanted to help her from those who sought only to exploit her current weakness. She was scorned, but not to the degree that anyone was going to gather a mob and go after her. Her fans kept her safe and fed, but that was all they could really offer. Gone were the funds she needed to rent a big stage, even if she had enough fans left to turn a profit, which was unlikely. The only silver lining was that what little success she got was hers alone. Her accomplishments could no longer be "claimed" by her parents. She was no longer a trophy daughter. However, as she would be reminded, she was no one's child.
  
  Her biological mother, whom she knew the name of but had still never met, suffered consequences of Hestia's scorn as well. After all, her father had been looking for her when he was rampaging through the city. The mother had been the maidservant of another noble, an owner of a nearby Artanese gem mine. That is to say, she had been a maidservant; now, she was nothing. Upon hearing this, Hestia lost her resolve to finally meet her. Her mother's own life had worsened as a result of her actions, and she lacked the funds to support her--as she saw it, that was the bare minimum recompense. Whether her real mother blamed her for her misfortune, she'd never know.
  
  Hestia was at her wit's end. Her life was in shambles, and going nowhere. To top it all off, there were the night terrors, and the sleep paralysis. Her entire family was very acquainted with spirits, and she knew that these might be signs. All of this was just the beginning of her end, or so she thought.
  
  Then, just when all hope seemed lost, a rumor: Duke Avremarus was coming to Artana to plan some business deals. The Duke was familiar with Hestia's performances, and it was a celebrated fact in her family that the Duke wouldn't leave until he got one. Her insecurities would have to wait on the back burner for a while; she couldn't leave this world until she performed one last time, she decided--and perform for him she would, on a stage rented with money out of the Duke's own pockets. Once it was decided that she would perform, the nightmares abruptly ended. She had rediscovered her "youthful fire" that the Duke so adored. At the time, it was but an ember lingering in the ashes, but the Duke, smitten with her passion, had a proposal. He would take her with him to Kalico, and give her both a new name and a new life. Her story would spread like wildfire. A downtrodden woman of the streets, working hard and rising to the top of society? The Kalician common-folk would love it. No, even past the borders of Kalico--all of central Ellria would enjoy her performances. The Duke was offering to hold her up until she found the strength to stand on her own again. All she had to do was become his.
  
  Perhaps the Duke felt real sympathy for her, or perhaps he saw an opportunity to acquire a potential asset, and keep her in his gilded cage near the Etvian border. It didn't really matter. She was offered her old life back, and then some. Right now, in Artanese society, she was the equivalent of unwanted trash, but in Kalico, she would become a celebrated cultural icon. Her youthful fire would become the passion of the people. In that moment, Hestia became Ludivine, and she became his loving mistress. Breaking off her betrothal was a small price to pay. Her husband-to-be had surely just been biding his time waiting for her to do it so that he wouldn't suffer the backlash himself--and besides, Ludivine was leaving this life behind. What of the opinions of those who had already scorned her? Let them rot.
  
  Was her new life ideal? It was difficult to say. Even if she had accepted it willingly, she'd lost some of her freedom. In her new home near the Etvian border, she was made to wear a collar that prevented her from using magic. The Duke argued that this was for her own safety. Ludivine was hard-pressed to deny it. A free mage was a novelty, but also a terrifying weapon, and being one of only a handful of magic-able women close to any of the Dukes gave her a lot of leverage--at least, in theory. Ludivine found that, actually, she had very little power, and was nearly helpless without the Duke at her side.
  
  Even simple arrangements like transportation were difficult. Many citizens refused service to mages who were completely unchecked like she was. The Duke gave her anything she wanted, but only so long as she was obedient and met his expectations with a smile. She was not wealthy; she received funds from the Duke. She was not powerful; she made arrangements with the Duke. She didn't make love to the Duke; she tended to the Duke. She didn't have heirs; she had children. These distinctions were, in effect, small, however, and she would often tell the Duke, quite truthfully, that she loved him.
  
  The Duke was kind to her, but also cunning. Any happiness she received was received from him. Her performances were for him. She would only be allowed to use her magic while abroad with the Duke, so her magic was for him. She, herself--Ludivine--everything she was, is, and ever would be, was for him, and no other man, Duke or otherwise, could have her. Even her beloved children were gifts from the Duke. He had given her this life, and he would make sure she knew it. Ludivine, however, did not hold this against him--far from it. If she had held any regrets that her "rise from the ashes" story was a farce, that was on her. She had tried and failed to shine on her own merits, back in Artana. The Duke was blameless in this regard. She was picked up, cleaned up, turned into a product, and sold to the people of Kalico--but that was what she had chosen. Any failure, past or present, was hers to keep.
  
  Her life as an actress was successful, however. The reception in Kalico was mixed, but the positive reception in Kalico was the most positive of all. Her freedom as a mage was a point of contention, but that only played to her act as a strong, independent woman of the people. Her loudest critics would be quickly and mysteriously "quieted" if their protests ever started to stray into "dangerous activism."
  
  That is to say, her loudest critics were silenced. Her harshest critics were closer to home: the Duke's wife, and other jealous mistresses. Since Ludivine was a mage, and doted on so thoroughly, rumors spread that she had bewitched the Duke. It wasn't entirely unbelievable; Ludivine was most proficient in Illusory magic, and an accomplished actress to boot. Ludivine herself had no real retort. If she had wanted to, she could do it. Maybe she did. Perhaps not just the Duke, but all of central Elliria was "bewitched?" The Duke would hear none of these rumors, and treated them as a joke, just like that.
  
  Unfortunately, this "joke" brewed like poison, and everything came to a head when the Duke became gravely ill. All eyes were on Ludivine, and she knew those looks all too well. Fearing for her children's lives, she pleaded with the servants of the Avremarus estate. Whenever Ludivine had been forced to stay home without the Duke, she would often help the maidservants with their work. She had to stay in shape somehow, and she pitied the maids, who were sometimes forced to work without sleep--and they pitied her, unable to practice the arts she loved so much at home. She had strong rapport with the maids, and it was about to pay off. Ludivine had her daughters sent off to the church, under the pretense of getting them away from the "awful state of affairs at home," to live safely under the watch of Grand Cleric Clelia. Her firstborn son was out of her reach; she could only pray for him as the Duke's condition worsened. Up until the very moment he passed on, she did not--could not--leave his side, and she mourned his passing.
  
  As expected, Ludivine was blamed for his death. If the constant traveling hadn't given him something nasty, then perhaps he had been haunted by spirits, which were no doubt roaming the streets freely in Artana, where people practice the dark arts. Perhaps Ludivine herself had practiced Profane magic in the presence of the Duke. A free mage, flaunting her magic everywhere? She was a bane magnet.
  
  As long as she remained by the Duke's side, she had been safe, but as soon as his wife entered the picture, it was decided what would be done with Ludivine. She would face public trial, her reputation would be destroyed, and only then would she be allowed to be executed--made an example of for all. Free mages like her, even in the iron grasp of the most powerful man in Kalico, couldn't be trusted. It was a devastating blow to Ludivine, who had spent nearly a quarter of her life trying to show her fans in Kalico that magic wasn't something as scary as that. "History" was about to prove her very wrong.
  
  Who else would come to her in her cell but the Larkins? Watchdogs of Kalico's underworld, they were the antithesis of her youthful fire. Cold and calculating, it would only be fitting for them to snuff her out right then and there. However, they were not there to chauffeur her to a public trial. They were here to collect. The Duke had gone to great pains to make sure Ludivine's old identity was never discovered, and that she was never taken from him, either by the Inquisition or by another Duke. A public trial and execution would cost money, but more importantly, it would cost them an asset: Ludivine. She had spent six years in close proximity to the Duke. Very close proximity, in fact. The information she may have was potentially more valuable than any price the Inquisition was willing to pay to acquire her. In fact, not only did they intend to twist some arms to save her life, they had a new job lined up for her.
  
  She was to join something called "the King's Wardens."
  
  Ludivine knew she was getting a raw deal, whatever it was. She knew it so well that she had veritable flashbacks to her downtrodden life in Artana, before the Duke gave her a new life in exchange for her freedom, turning her into a political asset, and a deliciously scandalous conversation piece amongst the nobles. Now, the Larkins were going to do the same--make use of her. Only this time, she couldn't even refuse. Even if she wanted to choose death, it was beyond her power. The Larkins knew where her children were--the Larkins knew everything. If she ever disobeyed them, "accidents" may occur.
  
  There was no need to sign a contract. The Duke had already done it for her. Ludivine felt betrayed to learn that she had been "on loan" to the Duke the entire time they were together. Perhaps his death had been no accident, after all--but Ludivine had no time to think about that. There was work to do.
  

• +A strong woman, despite her subversive tactics. Could physically take down a frail mage.
  +A cultural icon of Kalico, and a compelling actress. May be able to defuse dangerous situations and forge strong alliances.
  +A strong work ethic and a surprising number of practical skills. If there is work to be done, she'll do it.
  +Well-traveled throughout central Elliria. An informed woman. Speaks Common, Southern, and Old Tongue.
  +A walking campfire. No one freezes to death with Ludivine in their company.
  -Form over function. Her flashy moves will impress a novice, but a trained fighter will see every move coming.
  -A control freak who relies on Illusion magic for comfort. Her insecurity runs deep. If she can't use her magic, she can't relax.
  -Despite her strong work ethic, she has still lived nearly her entire life in nobility. Her survival skills are almost nonexistent.
  -Deathly afraid of her family's legacy. Spirits terrify her, and she has frequent and vivid nightmares of banes.
  -Spiders and cobwebs disgust her deeply. If there's one near her, she won't be able to concentrate or sleep comfortably.

[/fieldbox]

 

[MYTH*]

​

​

Rayn Mormont | 20 | Human | Pro-Magic​

Time with the Wardens: 2 Months


Fea-Bow: (Archer X Spellsword)

The marriage of keen marksmanship and magical prowess. By altering the properties of munitions or crafting arcane arrows the Fea-Bow executes combatants from afar. Supporting allies with precise and deadly covering fire. Granting these archers a fabled reputation. They are named Fea-Bows due to lore suggesting that the first practitioners of this combat art used it to hunt fairies and spirits. Magic used by these archers are only taught through oral tradition. Roughly a dozen Fea-Bows remain in the world. Some serve in militaries, while others hunt Banes or seek to simply preserve its teachings.


Equipment:

Armor

• (Mormont Cowl) The family cloak passed down to the firstborn sons of the Mormont. A sleek blue cloth decorated with a layer of raven feathers. This cowl wraps around the head and neck before sliding down the back to end in at an acute angle.
• (Diamond Eye) The monocle device Rayn uses for improved vision. This miniature spy-glass uses several lenses which allow Rayn perception outside the scope of normal men. A brass cylinder houses the inner workings. Its length is roughly 2 inches.
• (Cloth and Leather Mesh). A collection of blue-dyed cloth and leather for his normal armor. It's light-weight, allows him to be agile and mobile.

Weapons

• (Grace) A long-bow painted black with a polished finish. Not often used in direct combat but for more traditional 'sniping' with heavy arrows.
• (Talons) A shortbow dyed Mormont colors. Rayn's most used weapon, used in closer ranges than a longbow.
• (Quiver) Holds up to 20 arrows.
• (Throwing Knives) Up to 10 small projectiles
• (Whip) 15 Ft Long

Gear

• (Parchment) 5 Sheets
• (Charcoal Pen) 3 thin sticks of charcoal. Used for fire or writing.
• (Bag of Mix) 1 pouch of mixed berries and nuts.
• (Water and Wine Skin) 1 Water skin, 1 Fire-Water skin
• (Medical salves) 4 Basic medical salves
• (Grappling Hook) And 30 feet of hemp rope.
• (Tinkering Tools) Several sets of small tools.

Spells:

Mana Pool - Low

Major Proficiency - Offensive (Arcane)

• Mana Bolt- A powerful bolt of arcane energy forms and launched at high speeds.
• Pure Barrage- A collection of mana is stored and fired in a single direction. This single bundle of mana releases several dozen small projectiles in a wide cone. Traveling up to 100 yards in a circular wall of 10 feet in diameter.

Minor Proficiency - Alteration (Arcane)

• Ironize- Any object is taken and becomes iron temporarily.

Strengths:

• Bilingual-- Can read, write, and speak in Common and Dwarvish.
• Educated-- Knowledgeable in multiple areas of study. Mostly science and arcana related.
• Noble-- With the Mormont name, he has limited renown. Knowledge of other houses.
• Crafty-- Capable of devising creative solutions quickly and is generally creative.
• Designer— Strong talent for aesthetic and productive design, color coordination, and the like.
• Keen Trajectory-- Using both mathematics and physics factors to enhance his archery.

Weakness:

• Susceptible Conditions -- Rayn is easily discomforted if his surroundings aren't ideal.
• Fading vision— Vision in his eyes have started to gradually worsen.
• Immunity-- Catches colds and flues easily.
• Oblivious-- Normal social ques aren't fully understood.
• Close Quarters Novice—Poor combat capabilities when in close range combat. I.E. swordsmanship, hand-to-hand, ect.

Appearance: Standing at five foot - eight inches and with an average. He has a simple build with athletic that does not suggest above-average strength or impressive features. Rayn has tanned skin due to genes and his time practicing outside. His eyes are bright blue, yet his left appears slightly hazy and gets gradually worse as the years go by. His hair is dark like raven feathers and meets his upper back. Aside from his armor, he likes to wear grays and blues. Normally jerkins.

Personality: Rayn is a well-mannered, well-meaning member of society. However, he doesn't like interacting with society too much. He is focused on his work more than he is forging bonds. Yet he isn't apathetic towards anyone -- no matter their race, magical beliefs, or kingdom of origin. Though at times he does feel superior to many others due to the knowledge he holds.


Biography: Rayn Mormont was born into House Mormont, in the nation of Ketweland. The fifth child of Bastyn Mormont, Rayn would not provoke interest until much later in life. His older siblings would go on to notable roles, a man of political intrigue, a knight, one a naval captain, and yet another was a masterful sorceress. All contributing to Mormont's' tradition of producing leaders and warriors. Yet Rayn had far fewer physical capabilities than any of his siblings demonstrated. Paired with the near-blindness of his left eye, Bastyn questioned what he could do with his son. Banking his hopes into Rayn developing a strong intelligence.

For the majority of Rayn's younger years, the Mormont cub was tutored from noon to dusk. To everyone's pleasure, Rayn didn't struggle or resisted any effort put into his education. The boy hungered for knowledge and would grow into an intelligent adolescence. It was in his tenth year that Rayn drew the first design for a monocle to improve his vision. It would also allow the boy to watch people from afar. For the boy was very shy and would be reluctant to involve himself with others his age. A fear born of nothing, yet strong as faith.

A dwarvish tutor by the name of Juhi took interest in Rayn. Rayn sought aid from the dwarf to improve his monocle-spyglass. It amused the dwarf; seeing a human boy coming up with such ideas. The dwarf aided the boy in his quest to construct this tool. After some time Rayn and Juhi were successful. After the construction and display of Rayn's first gadget, Bastyn Mormont would celebrate his son's enthusiasm and hard work with a hunting trip in the western Kingdom of Keth.

While in the country, Bastyn and Rayn spent several days stalking and hunting elk and boar with acquaintances of Bastyn. Most of them being expert trackers. Rayn was uncomfortable with the experience at first but grew to become accustomed to the environment. One of his Bastyn's oldest friends, Kolin Draft displayed an unusual form of archery. Infusing magic into his arrows in order to strike down a game from further distances. The art of Fae-Bow. Rayn grew so interested in the practiced that the child spoke with Kolin and asked to be taught.

Kolin humored Rayn and instructed the boy on the basic principles of archery. The child was enveloped instantly, sadly he demonstrated no natural talent or skill. Bastyn made an offer to pay Kolin as an instructor to Rayn. Kolin did not agree at first but realized he was growing old and the number of those that practiced the art was growing smaller. This reality caused Kolin to agree. For the next several years Kolin instructed the young Rayn in the art of magical archery; Juhi taught Rayn mathematics and sciences. Through Kolin, Rayn learned how to command his limited mana, developed exquisite archery skills, and learned the lore of the Fae-Bows. Learning the belief that first practitioners developed the form of combat to kill mischievous fairies, spirits, and other magical beings that sought to do harm. Through Juhi, Rayn learned mathematics and physics, and how they were used effectively. Through their use, he became an acceptable tinkerer and used his knowledge of physics to improve his other field of study. In addition, Juhi's sponsored Rayn's entry into the Guild of Craft and Science.

By the time Rayn grew into young adulthood, The King's Wardens had come seeking to enlist Bastyn – a renowned swordsman and charismatic man. Due to his age, Bastyn declined humbly, yet offered his son as a replacement. Responsibility was something the young man wasn't used to having. Paired with the concepts and ideas the Warden's held, however, Rayn took the change to his life in strides.

 

[Dusk]

Alright, I've changed signups to closed. If you've expressed interest prior to this-- regardless of sheet or not, you can still submit your application.

I'll be busy for the rest of evening, so I'll review sheets tomorrow.

 

[Lethe]

---

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[/hr]{25} | {Female} | {Inguz (Ursine)} | {Neutral} | {2 Months}

---

---

[/hr]

Equipment:

• Light leather chestplate
• Necklaces with wooden carvings
• Leaf-bound bundles of natural healing salves
• Bag of food

Strengths/Weakness:

Strengths

• Strong
• Capable of handling heavy damage
• Caring
• Passionate
• Sharp sense of smell

Weaknesses

• Impulsive
• Short attention span
• Informal in front of authority
• Clumsy
• Terrified of heights

​

Appearance:

Fairly short and stout, Karhu stands at around 5'3" with a notably thick build. Her body is heavy with muscles sculpted from days of labor, which are often on show due to her preference for less constringent clothing. A warm honey color, her eyes frequently glow with a gentle mirth. Karhu's hair is a thicket of dark brown locks and seldom tied back, save for small side braids threaded with beads, feathers, or whatever catches her eye. Her skin is well tanned with the faintest of darker freckles splashed across face and body. Several scars pepper her body, centered mostly on her torso and arms. Several patterns of traditional tattoos cover her chest and back, a marking mimicked on her fur whenever she becomes a bear. Karhu's most notable feature is the coarse, brown fur on her arms, which extend from her elbows to the needle sharp claws on her hands. Similar in ursine-like design are her teeth, with canines a bit more sharper than an average human's.
​

​

Personality:

What Karhu lacks in height, she makes up for greatly in heart. She's an empathetic soul who's quick to claim protective care over those she sees as weak or helpless. Along the same lines is Karhu's reliance on impulse than thought to judge her actions. Her nonchalant attitude and tendency towards napping have led many to perceive her as lazy. In actuality, she holds a short attention span to things that are of very little interest to her. But when her mind is stuck on an idea, it's stuck. Karhu is fiercely passionate about things she believes in, and will stubbornly stick to it until it gets done. She's honest, at times harshly so, as well as curious and inquisitive. Though Karhu enjoys company, she doesn't actively seek it out, instead preferring the comfort of her lonesome. Whenever she's caught in these moments of solitude, she tends to be more quiet and calmer than usual.​

​

Biography:

Spoiler

Raised in a remote community in the north-eastern areas of Keth, Karhu was raised under more humble circumstances. Her family was traditional and held tight to the tribal customs of the Ursine tribe of the Wildlands from whence her ancestors came from. Though life wasn't exactly extravagant, it was simple and full of fond memories.

When Karhu was eighteen, she was tasked to complete her Daysleeping Travel -- a tradition that marked one's coming of age. Karhu was to travel for a month, relying solely on her skills and wits, in order to find her 'True Dream' before returning. Whatever that meant. It was a task of monumental importance and danger. However, from the tales her family weaved of their travels and satisfaction of finding their True Dreams, it was something Karhu was more than eager to take up. So, with goodbyes brief but emotional, the young Inguz set off.

The first week of travel yielded optimism for the coming days ahead. The second week gave hardships, but its own share of silver linings as well. By the time the third week rolled along, Karhu was beginning to question everything. Around that point in her travels, Karhu's supplies were beginning to dwindle. She avoided settlements like the plague, as her last trips to one had ended with a couple fights and bitter threats. Hunting had proven fruitless, scavenging led to upset stomachs, and still, there was no sign of whatever this 'True Dream' was. The only thing keeping Karhu going was her fear of her family's disappointment.

Then Karhu met her first human.

She had made it as far as the western area of Keth, close enough to the border to see the tall fortresses looming just in the distance. It was an area she had been told to avoid if she could, but curiosity (and the temptation of kind soldiers handing out meals) had lured her near. Karhu was taking shelter in the surrounding forest when she came across him: a human laying face first on the ground. His clothing was nothing more than rags, but there was a foreign scent on him that Karhu was sure was Artanese. Still, he was bleeding and unconscious, and Karhu had learned to never leave another unaided. Besides, if worst came to worst, she could always chuck him to the Kethian soldiers to deal with. She took pity on the man and, though still a bit suspicious, nursed him back to health in the secrecy of the forest. When the man awoke, he was justifiably more than a little panicked at finding a clawed hand dabbing sweat from his brow. After a few moments of panicked yelling, terrified hitting, and scrambling around, Karhu finally managed to calm down (or at least pin down) the man long enough to explain that she had been the one to save him.

The man introduced himself as Cirris, a former mercenary with the luck of being captured and turned slave. He had been in the forced servitude of an Artanese general, brought along to the border as help when he saw his chance to escape. Cirris fled in the night, just barely managing to sneak past Artanese lines when he was spotted by Kethian forces. He had been chased and clawed relentlessly, and it was at the mercy of the fates that he had just managed to hide long enough for the soldiers to leave. That was when Karhu had found him.

Hearing this, Karhu grew angry and spiteful at such treatment. The notion of enslavement made little sense to her. Why imprison a fellow being, especially one of weaker values? There was no honor in it. From this, she made a deal with Cirris: if he helped her complete her Daysleeping Travel, she would help him find a boat and make it to safety. It was an ambitious endeavor, but both parties were in agreement.

And so began the start of an unusual friendship. It was rocky at first, of course. Cirris was a man who had learned to get by on trickery and deceit; Karhu believed in a more honest approach to situations. They often butted heads, with the promise the reason they stayed together. Tensions lessened as weeks passed. The two found steady roles in their travels. Karhu hunted, Cirris searched for roots and berries, and, if unpleasant company were to come their way, both would eagerly fight.

Stories were also shared between them. Cirris talked about his travels prior to his enslavement, and how odd some of the jobs he had to take were. In return, Karhu talked about her family, the old tales they had, and their traditions. Then, after a good amount of time and trust had passed between them, she explained about her journey. She revealed that she was meant to find her True Dream, but not once managed to figure out what that meant. They were nearing the end of their travels, and still, she had no clue of what that was, or how to achieve it, or if her family would still accept her after not finding it. Then Cirris talked about his past. That he believed he was an awful person. That he wanted to change. That he wanted to stop caring about the coin and end being a mercenary. Maybe even put his skills to good use by joining those King's Wardens blokes he'd been hearing about. So, the two made a second deal. If Cirris still wanted to change and Karhu still felt incomplete, they would leave. They would meet up at Morcrest, join the Wardens, and do whatever accomplished good people did.

When Karhu returned to her family, there was much rejoicing. Questions and suspicion about the strange human with her, of course, but a quick explanation sorted out any trouble. A celebratory feast was held, and life was joyous. But not completely. Though Karhu laughed and danced and embraced her missed family, deep inside she still did not know her True Dream.

The following morning, Karhu escorted Cirris to the ports. A few ships were headed to Etvia to do some trading with local tribes. The plan was for Cirris to catch a ride on one of them, and from there head towards Morcrest. He insisted Karhu come along, but she refused. She had a family to take care of now. The two embraced, cried, and parted ways for the last time.

Years passed. Karhu watched siblings and cousins grow up, take their journey, and return utterly changed. She pretended that she had found her journey's goal. She used Cirris' tricks to lie her way through celebrations, forcing a smile as she watched others so much happier than her. She hated it. Jealousy was petty, Karhu knew that much. But three years of it builds up. She grew short-tempered and spent more time alone. Others noticed as well. Finally, her grandmother cornered and questioned her change in attitude. Karhu broke down. She admitted to never truly knowing what they meant by True Dream, and that she felt like the journey was a failure. Karhu braced herself, certain that she was in trouble. To her surprise, her grandmother merely smiled and hugged her. "The True Dream is the acceptance of who you are," she had said. "The journey is merely the realization of it. And some journeys just take longer than others."

The next day, Karhu boarded a ship headed to Etvia. She kept close to the less civilized areas, as towns didn't exactly take kindly to her race. After a few months, Karhu found work under an elderly farmer. Desperation and bad eyesight were her saving grace. She proved a hard enough worker, and her only pay requirement being a place to sleep kept her around. When the farmer died and passed his property onto his son, Karhu was quick to leave towards Morcrest. She had no interest in finding out if the son was as kind to Inguz as his father.

Her travels came to a head in a small town in the southern parts of Morcrest. Need for food and a place to rest lured her in, but it was the announcement of Warden recruiters compelling her to stay. Karhu was reminded of the promise she had made to Cirrus so long ago. It had been years since she'd last seen him -- she didn't even know if he was still alive -- but she signed up nonetheless, a small part of her hoping that this was her True Dream. Karhu has been with them ever since.
​

FINALLY! Read over this several times, so hopefully everything in order. Just let me know if I need to fix anything.

 

[malina]

b4 i start on a cs is it possible to cut off an avian's wings (without having the inguz die)? what effect would that have on their transformation (would their bird form have wings still/would they even be able to transform)? would the wings regrow every time they transform or would they be crippled forever? would body parts from inguz (like tails, ears, eyes, wings, claws, etc) be of any use in alchemy/magic?

 

[kixinorbit]

@falk It would be very much akin to having an arm or a leg cut off. Once that appendage is gone, it's gone for good. Rook would have to give you the specifics of transforming into their animal form, but I can confidently say they would not regrow after transforming back into their human forms. I don't know that they would be particularly useful for magic, but it is possible someone would want them as a trophy? Perhaps as a sign that an inguz has been slain?

Rook can clarify, but there's that for now.

 

[Dusk]

4 i start on a cs is it possible to cut off an avian's wings (without having the inguz die)? what effect would that have on their transformation (would their bird form have wings still/would they even be able to transform)? would the wings regrow every time they transform or would they be crippled forever? would body parts from inguz (like tails, ears, eyes, wings, claws, etc) be of any use in alchemy/magic?

This:

It would be very much akin to having an arm or a leg cut off. Once that appendage is gone, it's gone for good. Rook would have to give you the specifics of transforming into their animal form, but I can confidently say they would not regrow after transforming back into their human forms.

The inguz would still be able to transform-- their animal form would just be missing the corresponding appendage. So an avian with removed wings wouldn't be too useful.

would body parts from inguz (like tails, ears, eyes, wings, claws, etc) be of any use in alchemy/magic?

There aren't any real magic/alchemy uses. There have probably been tests done in the past-- but it's not a worthwhile use of resources in the modern world.

but it is possible someone would want them as a trophy?

It's actually common in some places. Etvia, Artana, and Norboro (countries at war/soured relationships with inguz) keep inguz trophies. However, it's unlikely they would leave the inguz alive after removing a body part (and more likely they would take it after the inguz died).

Morcrest has a strict law prohibiting the collection, keeping, or acquiring of such "trophies". Exceptions are made for certain historical trophies from bygone ages when Morcrest was at conflict with the inguz (however, public display of such items is restricted).

 

[Dusk]

Rayn Mormont
@MYTH*
Rayn appears to be a solid character without a lot to complain about. I like his build, especially with his lean toward support elements. There are a few points I need to touch on. One such point being the notable number of typos and

It would be appreciated if you replaced his image with an original art piece. It can be somewhat immersion breaking when an OC uses a very popular FC. I am more than willing to help you find something new, if desired.

Strengths:
Bilingual-- Can read, write, and speak in Common and Dwarvish.
Educated-- Knowledgeable in multiple areas of study. Mostly science-related.
Noble-- With the Mormont name, he has limited renown. Knowledge of other houses.
Crafty-- Capable of devising creative solutions quickly and is generally creative.
Gentleman-- Has all the traits of an honest and kind man.
Keen Trajectory-- Using both mathematics and physics factors to enhance his archery.
Weakness:
Susceptible Conditions -- Rayn is easily discomforted if his surroundings aren't ideal.
Creature of Habit-- Interruptions in his routine throws him off balance.
Immunity-- Catches colds and flues easily.
Oblivious-- Normal social ques aren't fully understood.
Arcane-- Limited arcane knowledge beyond basic spells and theory.

I wouldn't particularly consider Gentleman a strength, more just a personality trait. I'd also rather like to see one more solid weakness which isn't so easily ignored/situational. Ideally as a replacement for Creature of Habit or Susceptible Conditions.

Fea-Bow: (Archer X Spellsword)

I appreciate this unique class, I would like a bit more information about it. Such as are there Fea-Bows other than Rayn and why do they call themselves that?

Rayn Mormont was born into an old noble family, House Mormont, in the nation of Ketweland.

Karhu
@Lethe
As I already mentioned, I quite like Karhu. She's solid and your did some excellent contributing to the world without breaking anything already established. Any comments I have on her are more "for your information" than they are anything else.

Fairly short and stout, Karhu stands at around 5'3" with a notably thick build

Karhu is very short for a bear inguz in particular. Inguz are generally the tallest race. And it varies from specific variety-- animals which are naturally bigger tend to have larger inguz counter parts. There are always exceptions to rules, however.

Actually, is she a specific type of bear?

The next day, Karhu boarded a ship headed to Etvia. She kept close to the less civilized areas, as towns didn't exactly take kindly to her race. After a few months, Karhu found work under an elderly farmer. Desperation and bad eyesight were her saving grace. She proved a hard enough worker, and her only pay requirement being a place to sleep kept her around. When the farmer died and passed his property onto his son, Karhu was quick to leave towards Morcrest. She had no interest in finding out if the son was as kind to Inguz as his father.

This isn't outright impossible and even in Etvia there are those who don't agree with the nations vehement racism against inguz. However, if someone found out about her there is a good chance they would tell someone and she would be hunted/killed/ousted-- aside from very rare trading stations (because Etvians want their fancy wares), inguz are considered enemies unless they have special permissions to enter Etvian borders.

Karhu is accepted!
Please add her to the character index.

 

[Dusk]

Ludivine Lachance (Part I)
@Jehuti

Alright... So, Ludivine is definitely something.

First thing first is that she has a very modern atmosphere about her, which doesn't fit well with the rest of ATKMs theme.

Hit me with the wall of changes that need to be made to the biography, too. I'm expecting it.

Alright, so I'll start by picking apart her background.

Miner, no wages - four years in Artana.
Waitress, part time - three years in Artana.
Blacksmith's assistant, part time - one year in Artana.
Librarian's assistant, part time - two years in Artana.
Maidservant, full time - three years in Etvia.
Show business, full time - four years in Kalico.

These numbers seem a bit off.
What I'm getting is--
5-9 Miner, no wages - four years in Artana.
9-12 Waitress, part time - three years in Artana. (Waitress is a very modern term, wench is more appropriate.)
12-13 Blacksmith's assistant, part time - one year in Artana.
12-13 Librarian's assistant, part time - two years in Artana.
15-18 Maidservant, full time - three years in Etvia.
18-22 Show business, full time - four years in Kalico.

Okay, moving on in chronological order--

Regarding Balefall:

To speak aloud outside of a city's walls is the beginning of a death sentence, the end being horrific and pointedly gruesome. Perhaps it is all coincidence or perhaps there is something more to it...

Unchecked mages become banes almost without fail. Because of this tendency, all mages in Balefall are kept under close watch. Anyone discovered as being a mage is sent to the capital. Once it is proven they are not possessed, they are sent to a special section of the city where they are kept and trained.

This isn't suggested superstitions-- bad things happen to people in Balefall, especially out in the desert. Speaking in the desert is going to get you killed. While practising magic-- profane or not-- even in cities is really dangerous. Nearly all mages in Balefall become banes, perhaps one or two out of a thousand unchecked mages survives longer than a couple years once their magic kicks in. Both Ludivine and her father would have died in Balefall.

Balefall is absolutely the worst place to go to practise magic. Even if you're not planning to cast any magic, it's still a pretty bad idea for a mage to enter Balefall/Balefall's desert. Even Norboro and its "best kill that mage child on sight" attitude is a better place to practise magic. Statistically it's probably safer to practise magic in a templar's house.

Speaking of magic. Magic doesn't manifest immediately. The usual age range a child develops magic is from 8-13i, with extremes being from 5 to 17.

Where she intended to go, I have no idea. I'd have called out to someone if I knew what she was doing. It was practically inevitable that we got caught by a Sotese slave caravan. And unlike my father, she was dirt poor. We had nothing to offer, and we wanted out of the desert. She had no choice, at least not at that point. People can be awfully idiotic when they're afraid of something they don't understand.

So... I'm not entirely sure what happened here? It sounds like maybe Ludi's mother sold themselves in exchange for passage out of the desert? And... While I can maybe see a mother selling herself into slavery for her daughter-- but would she really subject her daughter to the horror of slavery? I mean... It's not a cakewalk, her child would become property. By all rights, the slavers could kill her just then and it would be roughly the same as discarding trash.

Another overall point I'm going to make moving on-- slavery seems very tame throughout Ludivine's sheet. While Artana is one of the worst slave countries out there.

She wanted me to be a good girl, so that I wouldn't have to do physical labor, and so that we could stay together. I was having none of that, though. Physical labor suited me just fine compared to the other "jobs" they had on offer. I struggled, and spit, and screamed, and landed myself a job in the Artanese gemstone mines. Perhaps they recognized my heritage, and found my "homecoming" funny. Perhaps they expected me to break under the intense workload. I didn't, though, and that's where my father did me a service, passing his workaholic nature on to me.

It sounds like you're implying she took to working the mines instead of sexual work? Which isn't unreasonable, but... According to your list she was five when she started working in the mines?

Also, it sounds like she was sold from Sotis to the Artanese mine? Good behavior wouldn't convince a buyer to keep them together. This buyer knows nothing about these people is what the seller tells them about the goods. If someone only wants one adult slave, they're going to buy one adult slave.

You also never mention Ludi's mother after this?

Yeah, I learned how to use magic without a teacher. I first found out about this when a local manager started giving me an exceptional amount of grief. Every day, he would demand that I get him a cup of tea, then scold me for serving it cold. For various reasons, this was an impossible request, and he knew it. My anger boiled over, and the water eventually started to boil, too. Once I realized I could do this, I should have just said so, but instead, the best use I could come up with for it at the time was to heat up a nice warm bath for myself, in an abandoned branch of the shaft nearby that had hit water. That's when the accident happened.

Manager should be overseer. It seems rather odd that he would ask for a cup of tea? There would be different slaves serving as personal assistants/house slaves vs those put to work in a mine.

I don't remember clearly what happened, but from what I can piece together after the fact, water wasn't the only reason that branch had been abandoned, so I must have set fire to something nasty. I caused thousands in damage, or so I'm told. I'm sure if there had been an actual inspection of the damages,

She caused thousands* in damage but there was no actual inspection?

*I'm assuming you mean thousands in money? Thousands in what...? The standard currency throughout Elliria is 1 gold = 100 silver = 1,000 copper.

I would have been better off. The manager, who had by now pieced together that I was magically gifted, offered me a choice. I could be taken to court, or I could leave the mines behind, learn to control my magic, and (most importantly!) work, to pay off my conveniently newfound debts.

... Slaves wouldn't be taken to court. It would be entirely up to their owner (or overseer) to decide how they are to be dealt with.

After leaving the mines, I existed in a strange legal limbo. I was entitled to a bare minimum quality of life, and it was required that I finish my education.

Education is a privilege throughout Elliria. And someone would have to be paying for it. The exception is that arcaniums do allow mages to perform labor/janitorial type of work for basic magic training in lieu of money-- however, if someone was slacking too much or breaking rules, they would be kicked out.

Also, the arcanium wouldn't accept slaves as students.

I studied magic, sometimes into the late hours of the night at home, and napped through their stories of how the elves stole Christmas, or whatever.

Christmas doesn't exist in this world. I don't actually have too much on holidays, but solstice would probably be more accurate.

And of course, I studied Profane magic. As a slave who was four years behind on their education, it was one of the few ways I could earn respect, as I quickly learned.

There is no set age when a mage "starts" their education, partially because there is no precise curriculum of schooling.

should talk about my owners, I guess. After the accident, I went from being company property, to the district manager's personal property. We hadn't met back when that decision was made. All I knew was that he lived in Kalico, and presumably, all he knew about me was that I'd turned out to be a mage, and caused trouble for him down in Artana.

Okay. So it is unlikely a Kalician noble would own an Artanese gem mine-- he might have a share in it, but it's very unlikely he would even have majority share.

And since (human) slavery is considered atrocious throughout central Elliria, I asked Mite (who is in charge of Kalico) if there were any laws. He said:

There are laws against human slaves in Kalico. Very serious. Capital punishment.

He also mentioned that while Kalico is fairly neutral toward magic, they aren't accepting of profane magic.

He must have felt guilty for treating me like trash. The Artanese seem to see magic as some kind of divine gift that entitles you to a better life. He'd often tell me how, "if the company just shelled out for some proper employees, we wouldn't need so many babysitters working in such a stressful job environment."

This goes back to the slavery seems a bit too comfortable point. Furthermore basically all hard labor and intensively menial work is slave labor. Which is how it has been for centuries. That comment is not the kind an overseer should have-- especially since overseers would be paid pretty well, considering how much money is saved by slave labor.

What I got was something in between being a slave and a worker. Jobs came "heavily recommended" to me, and I had little say. I worked as a waitress at some classyrestaurant, which I guess is where I got used to the ridiculous outfits, and the stares. Everywhere, from everyone, always with the staring. At school, and at work.

More like wench at a nice tavern? If she was a slave, she wouldn't be paid for any sort of job she did, magic or not.

When I eventually pestered the local master into letting me get a job at a smithy, it only got even worse there. I was only allowed to work as an assistant, of course. Those who could or would have to settle for weapons crafted by humans would never buy one made by a woman's hands.

I think the issue would be more from the fact that she has no experience and lacks an apprenticeship than it would with her being a woman. Blacksmiths serve as assistants/are apprenticed to better blacksmiths for years before being able to be successful in their trade.

I took a job at a library instead.

Libraries-- especially in Artana-- would be highly selective in who they higher. Books are worth more than slaves due to the lack of printing/mass production.

He wanted me to serve in his house. Specifically, his vacation home in Etvia, which, as I came to learn from eavesdropping, existed solely so that he could keep human servants, which was illegal in Kalico.

Why Etvia? While it's true they're pretty lax with any indentured servitude standards, if enough people complained the government would move to end some of the activity. Why not just keep a vacation house in Artana? Where it's actually legal to keep human slaves?

Sure enough, when I became of age, his ulterior motives became apparent. He was having a lover's spat with his "useless trophy wife," and wanted to take me instead.

Why did he wait? If he basically owns her? In addition "of age" means different things throughout various countries in Elliria. There is also a difference between legal "of age" such as in cases of ruling and politics versus marriage age. In most cases, the latter is around 16.

several years into our marriage

There is technically nothing against it, but marrying a former slave as a noble would probably be considered a negative move in terms of popularity.

I'm not sure if it was because he really did love me after all, but was simply bad at showing it, or if it was to spite his ex-wife.p/quote]
Ex-wives aren't a thing. Human marriage is primarily a big deal among the upper class/nobility and is usually much more about politics and alliances than about love. Marriage until death.

---

Okay! I'll get the rest done tomorrow.

 

[Jehuti]

These numbers seem a bit off.
What I'm getting is--
5-9 Miner, no wages - four years in Artana.
9-12 Waitress, part time - three years in Artana. (Waitress is a very modern term, wench is more appropriate.)
12-13 Blacksmith's assistant, part time - one year in Artana.
12-13 Librarian's assistant, part time - two years in Artana.
15-18 Maidservant, full time - three years in Etvia.
18-22 Show business, full time - four years in Kalico.

It's not clearly explained, but all of the part time jobs happened over the span of 3 years. Added numbers:

Age 8-12: Miner, no wages - four years in Artana.
Age 12-15: Waitress, part time - three years in Artana.
Age 12-13: Blacksmith's assistant, part time - one year in Artana.
Age 13-15: Librarian's assistant, part time - two years in Artana.
Age 15-18: Maidservant, full time - three years in Etvia.
Age 18-22: Show business, full time - four years in Kalico.
​

If these still seem off, I can change her age to compensate, and maybe remove/add some work years.

As for her having a modern "atmosphere," does that refer to the language being used in her biography? That section was done the way it is mostly for fun. If it's the picture (her outfit?) I can change it, but I'll be sad.


Regarding Balefall:

This isn't suggested superstitions-- bad things happen to people in Balefall, especially out in the desert. Speaking in the desert is going to get you killed. While practising magic-- profane or not-- even in cities is really dangerous. Nearly all mages in Balefall become banes, perhaps one or two out of a thousand unchecked mages survives longer than a couple years once their magic kicks in. Both Ludivine and her father would have died in Balefall.

Her father definitely has no idea what he's getting himself into, and that's intentional neglect on my part as far as not explaining what happens to him. I'm not implying that he's "just that good;" I certainly intended for him to have become a bane very soon into his journey, perhaps even before he found himself a mistress. Presumed dead by the time Sigrid even starts working in the mines. I suppose it's more than a bit of a stretch that he'd live to see his daughter to age 8. I can kill him off early and have her taken out of the country for other reasons, if that's a suitable compromise. The father is not a legend; he's a talented moron.

Speaking in the desert is going to get them killed, by a fearful populace, is what I assumed. I also assumed that whatever makes Balefall such a dangerous place would be down with evil people doing evil things. Does nature itself just wipe anyone who speaks in the desert off the face of the earth? I also made an assumption that her father would still pursue Profane magic after becoming a bane, in particular, taking it further than he wants, against his will. Do banes just not care about anything but killing people? I assumed they'd be down for evil experiments, since they're evil spirits that possess mages. I assumed a lot, is what I'm saying.

Balefall is absolutely the worst place to go to practise magic. Even if you're not planning to cast any magic, it's still a pretty bad idea for a mage to enter Balefall/Balefall's desert. Even Norboro and its "best kill that mage child on sight" attitude is a better place to practise magic. Statistically it's probably safer to practise magic in a templar's house.

I read into it as "mages are indoctrinated and watched if they're caught, but only killed if they become banes and are discovered as such" and interpreted that as better than "kill mages on sight regardless of proficiency, and their children too just to be safe." I chose Balefall because if it were ever discovered that she was from there, and had those things done to her, people would be very wary of her, perhaps assuming that she's been a bane her whole life (perhaps justifiably, or perhaps out of ignorance for what a bane actually is). In a trend that I'm sure is very apparent by now, I wrote her biography in first person because I thought it'd be fun to hear her (very biased) perspective on it. But I've put implications where there should have been explanations.

Speaking of magic. Magic doesn't manifest immediately. The usual age range a child develops magic is from 8-13i, with extremes being from 5 to 17.

I'm chalking this up to rushed writing on my part; Sigrid is decidedly not a mage at this point. Anything that she experiences is her father's doing. The implication is that he conjures spirits into her, which is what she means by "go wild and lose control." It wouldn't have lasted long, as I imagine the spirits would reject her because she's not a mage, and therefore unsuitable to become a bane. He would definitely have been a bane by this point, though. What's he trying to do? Unlock her magic potential early? Create a child bane? Even I don't know, I just thought it would make her suspicious later down the line. Despite her perspective of what was happening being "fun," those two were most certainly not performing magic together; the most she'd have been doing is hauling her dad's stuff around. "Go wild" wasn't necessarily meant to imply that they were being loud and obvious about it, either. (And again, I'm aware that this isn't written clearly at all.)


So... I'm not entirely sure what happened here? It sounds like maybe Ludi's mother sold themselves in exchange for passage out of the desert? And... While I can maybe see a mother selling herself into slavery for her daughter-- but would she really subject her daughter to the horror of slavery? I mean... It's not a cakewalk, her child would become property. By all rights, the slavers could kill her just then and it would be roughly the same as discarding trash.

I'm sure she would have tried, but I'm assuming the slavers wouldn't keep their word to only take the mother, and let poor Sigrid go. She has no means of negotiating with these terrible people. Like you say, there's nothing stopping them from just leaving her there. I'll take it as a plus that my assumption that Sotese slavers would even be in the desert at all worked out, though? At least partially?

Another overall point I'm going to make moving on-- slavery seems very tame throughout Ludivine's sheet. While Artana is one of the worst slave countries out there.

Something I'd expected by the time I was done, more or less, but I was impatient to get thoughts on her. A combined result of me trying to reel in my usual grimdark in aspects that I probably shouldn't have, and Ludi herself understating it a lot because she wouldn't want whoever is reading to pity her.


It sounds like you're implying she took to working the mines instead of sexual work? Which isn't unreasonable, but... According to your list she was five when she started working in the mines?

Well, she'd have been 8, but yes. There are some unfortunate implications here. I made some assumptions (imagine that) about what kind of debauchery the less scrupulous nobles get up to when lower society isn't looking, but left some plausible deniability in there in case I was very, VERY wrong. I'm more than happy to change this if it's completely over the top and outside the scope of how dark you want ATKM to get.

Also, it sounds like she was sold from Sotis to the Artanese mine? Good behavior wouldn't convince a buyer to keep them together. This buyer knows nothing about these people is what the seller tells them about the goods. If someone only wants one adult slave, they're going to buy one adult slave.

She's deluded, desperate, and exercising what little control she has over the situation to give herself a sense of security. Sigrid has no means of understanding that at the time, though.

You also never mention Ludi's mother after this?

Nope. She's presumed alive, but who knows where she is. I've added a line to that effect.

Manager should be overseer. It seems rather odd that he would ask for a cup of tea? There would be different slaves serving as personal assistants/house slaves vs those put to work in a mine.

Will edit the language soon after I post this. This would have also happened in the mines. Yes, his request is very odd; he's amusing himself by making her walk all the way out to get it, and it's cold by the time she gets back, with no practical way to heat it aside from magic. I can clarify this if it's not too absurd. I can also have him get her stuck in a shaft with no light source, and be baffled when she makes it out alive, but that would mean upgrading her first, completely untrained magical nothing from "boiling a tea cup through sheer hatred" (which I already thought was pretty over the top) to "an actual flame held in her hand without burning herself, somehow." I guess it's worth asking how magic in Elliria works and whether or not I have that backwards. The theory is that she'd be more inclined towards Profane magic as a consequence of whatever her father did to her back in Balefall, but if Arcane magic is a required starting point, this won't work.

She caused thousands* in damage but there was no actual inspection?

*I'm assuming you mean thousands in money? Thousands in what...? The standard currency throughout Elliria is 1 gold = 100 silver = 1,000 copper.

Thousands in whatever the highest unit of currency is, but that's just their unfounded claim. The overseer just found the damages to be a convenient way to keep her, when keeping a mage a slave would be most likely frowned upon in Artana otherwise? (If it's not outright illegal, that is?) The debt makes it okay, somehow? I can add an inspection to the timeline if I've taken the corruption of the business world too far for your liking.


... Slaves wouldn't be taken to court. It would be entirely up to their owner (or overseer) to decide how they are to be dealt with. Also, the arcanium wouldn't accept slaves as students.

The idea is that her being a mage and a slave creates interesting problems, because it should theoretically be a rare occurrence that their legal system isn't specifically prepared to deal with except on a case by case basis. This is kind of a recurring theme. Nobody is sure what to make of her, or how to treat her, basically throughout her entire story. It's why her life as a slave sometimes seems too good and sometimes not. I might have taken one of the GM's "a slave in Artana being found out to be a mage creates a dilemma" comment as encouragement when I should have been asking questions... a lot of them.

Education is a privilege throughout Elliria. And someone would have to be paying for it. The exception is that arcaniums do allow mages to perform labor/janitorial type of work for basic magic training in lieu of money-- however, if someone was slacking too much or breaking rules, they would be kicked out.

She wouldn't be receiving education for free, of course; she'd be working for it, and working hard. How basic is basic, though? I'm assuming what you mean by that is "Profane magic is out of the question," in which case, I'm not sure. The district overseer(?) would have to be very interested in how exactly a slave girl who's barely of the age to use magic at all somehow caused so much trouble with it, and be willing to invest in her training out of sheer amusement? When I write nobles, at least, they do weird things with their money out of boredom. At this point, I may be overstepping the bounds of exactly how loaded an owner of one mining district would be. The easiest solution might just be to "upgrade" her status to "indentured servant" earlier.


Christmas doesn't exist in this world. I don't actually have too much on holidays, but solstice would probably be more accurate.

It was a joke, recycled from Discord even, and it fell flat this time. Disregard it; it's been removed.


There is no set age when a mage "starts" their education, partially because there is no precise curriculum of schooling.

I was referring more towards her general education here, unless "general education" is just not a thing that exists, which I should have considered. I feel the facepalms coming from across time and space; I'm going to have to apologize frequently for being a pain, if I'm accepted at all. I don't usually do classical fantasy, and I'm sure it shows as I continue to fail reeling in themes of grey morality, legality, and general corruption.


Okay. So it is unlikely a Kalician noble would own an Artanese gem mine-- he might have a share in it, but it's very unlikely he would even have majority share.

The noble in question being Kalician isn't necessarily critical to the story. I can change this if Mite thinks it's too ridiculous (even if he owns smaller shares in a lot of mines). I'd have to come up with a different reason to get her into Kalico, if I wanted to keep her a politically interesting figure, but that shouldn't be too hard. I made an assumption that what I call "Artanese drama" (parallel to Greek tragedies) is also done in Kalico, since they're so "showy," and seem open to the idea of borrowing from other cultures to achieve that (architecture).

And since (human) slavery is considered atrocious throughout central Elliria, I asked Mite (who is in charge of Kalico) if there were any laws. He said there are laws against human slaves in Kalico. Very serious. Capital punishment.

Sigrid is free by the time she reaches Kalico, unless you meant that owning a slave (even in another country) would be grounds for capital punishment. That being said, her story isn't publicized through her shows until the Kalician noble is already dead. I'm aware that what he's doing is illegal.

He also mentioned that while Kalico is fairly neutral toward magic, they aren't accepting of profane magic.

I'm certainly aware of the stigma attached, as is she. I'm hoping her fame as an actress (established before with shows that didn't involve magic) would pardon her at least a little in the eyes of the Kalician public, and her (admittedly tentative) ties to a noble would have the law looking the other way, at least until she decided to leave the country and join Morcrest, at which point she would cease to be an amusing sideshow and become a palpable threat. I know I'm reaching extremely far for this, but this is one of the most crucial traits of her character, and changing her fire magic from Virulent to Arcane would defeat the purpose. Failing that, would it be patently obvious to anyone watching her show that her fire magic is Virulent in nature, if the fact that she was a Mystic went unadvertised? The intent was that her shows made Virulent magic look as pretty as any Arcane fire would. If only the nobles knew, then maybe she could get away with it?

This goes back to the slavery seems a bit too comfortable point. Furthermore basically all hard labor and intensively menial work is slave labor. Which is how it has been for centuries. That comment is not the kind an overseer should have-- especially since overseers would be paid pretty well, considering how much money is saved by slave labor.

Took the "corporate corruption" aspect too far again, made assumptions about how well he would be paid, etc, etc... wanted to humanize him a bit, but I took the wrong angle I guess. I don't necessarily want to make him less empathetic, because his seemingly conflicting nature teaches Sigrid something important. I'll just have to find a better way to do it.

More like wench at a nice tavern? If she was a slave, she wouldn't be paid for any sort of job she did, magic or not.

Pardon my filthy modern tongue; I will change the language. She'll need to get paid for the original "legally free but in debt so actually not" idea to work, so she'll have to be "technically freed" earlier, as mentioned above... somehow. Is having magic enough to warrant legally enforcing her freedom in Artana? I'm presuming not, based on the above sentence, so... I'm stumped. Is the idea itself dead? Thematically, I wanted her to experience the full spectrum of "people as property," first as a slave, then an indentured servant, finally, as a wife (coerced or not). Furthermore, freeing her early puts her slavery a lot more than 7 years ago, which is a range I wanted to fall into, unless being an "indentured servant" still counts? I'm just going to need help here.

I think the issue would be more from the fact that she has no experience and lacks an apprenticeship than it would with her being a woman. Blacksmiths serve as assistants/are apprenticed to better blacksmiths for years before being able to be successful in their trade.

I expected the idea of her working at a smithy at all to be absurd, noted the absurdity, and tried to have it make sense (and actually not work out, for a change of pace). Her idle conjecture about women making swords not being realistic will be removed; the important aspect here is that she's worked with dwarves.

Libraries-- especially in Artana-- would be highly selective in who they higher. Books are worth more than slaves due to the lack of printing/mass production.

Yeah, maybe not hire the slave that nearly burned down a mine shaft with no actual magic training, somehow, to work in your library. Good one, Jay. That's actually depressing levels of stupid. I'll axe it immediately.

Why Etvia? While it's true they're pretty lax with any indentured servitude standards, if enough people complained the government would move to end some of the activity. Why not just keep a vacation house in Artana? Where it's actually legal to keep human slaves?

Etvia was closer to Kalico, really. I was under the impression that Kalico and Morcrest were on flaky terms with each other, and going from Kalico to Artana might be a bit more of a pain than it already is (and I wanted the character to do legally grey things, because reasons). What I will probably do is have her be owned by an Artanese noble, which makes more sense, and "bought" (paid a dowry) by a Kalician noble instead.

Why did he wait? If he basically owns her? In addition "of age" means different things throughout various countries in Elliria. There is also a difference between legal "of age" such as in cases of ruling and politics versus marriage age. In most cases, the latter is around 16.

Fair point. My reasoning is a bit silly. It basically boils down to "I'm acknowledging that coerced, underage sex is a thing that could have happened to this character, but it didn't, because I'm not the same as I used to be." Places I've been to in the past haven't appreciated me touching on "trigger warning" level subject matter, so I reeled it in this time. If you want me to go all-out, I guess I can.

I also considered the possibility that marriage age would be 16, but decided to go with 18 based on the few past fantasy RPs I've been in not straying far from modern sensibilities in that regard. Having the marriage age be 16 helps with the number fudging I'll need to do, though.

There is technically nothing against it, but marrying a former slave as a noble would probably be considered a negative move in terms of popularity.

Is Kalico quirky enough to excuse it if he's rich, she's hot, and it's oh so deliciously scandalous? Actually a legitimate question for Mite. Inquiring minds want to know.

Also a legitimate question: do Sotese slavers "spay their wares," so to speak? I read that breeding slaves was illegal in at least one place and decided to roll with the idea that the slavers would keep their options open as far as what buyers their slaves would appeal to, since they're big on sending them everywhere. If this is not the typical practice, that's an easy change to make. I ask because of comments you've made above about "spousal duties" and figure being unable to procreate is probably not a great selling point. (Believe it or not, this thought did in fact cross my mind before, but now it's become more important.)

Ex-wives aren't a thing. Human marriage is primarily a big deal among the upper class/nobility and is usually much more about politics and alliances than about love. Marriage until death.

Alright, I'd be lying if I said that one caught me off guard. I went a bit nuts near the end. Axe the ex-wife; will do, she wasn't important anyway. Neither is Ludivine's marriage, actually. I was hoping that this particular noble's marriage wasn't so important, but if even the lower nobles have to show some kind of restraint, how about a not-so-secret mistress? He's still going to die, though. Maybe his actual wife will blame Ludivine for it, and that'll turn into something later. As for his dying will, if that would be straight up forbidden by the surviving family, I can just give her the house and other stuff she bought with it while he's still alive.

If at any point during that rambling diatribe I seem resentful, that's at myself, not you. If anything, I wouldn't have expected anyone to put this much effort into considering her instead of rejecting her outright, when the original pitch is so antithetical to the established lore, and honestly, common sense medieval fantasy tropes. I'll wait for feedback on my proposed changes before doing anything too drastic. Despite anything you read above though, I'm not gonna have time to make those "immediate edits," because I'm dead tired. Consider them as good as done, though.

 

[malina]

holy fuck i hate codes like .

based my charrie on don quixote + cersei + other characters in the back of my head
UH theres like a huge quality dip during the bio and all but i just wanted to get it up seeing how im the last person i think looool (i might have rambled lmao). i'll edit after u pick it all to pieces ya + idk if my character is even lore friendly l o l. but you might have to wait a bit for my edits b/c like... im kinda busy atm (but HEY i can make a post at least every 2 weeks yea).

TBH i might have to change my character b/c she's kinda a shit fighter lol. But the Wardens have diplomats and shit right?! but i suppose they wouldn't let a fresh recruit be one of those lol.

Jone of Black Wynnick​

Age: 24
Gender: Female
Race: Inguz
Class: Avian - Corvus
Position on Magic: Undecided
Time with the Wardens: A week
Equipment:

• A rapier, smaller than average
• A helm
• A fine cloak
• Clothes made of fur, leather, silk, and her own feathers
• Cloth used as a binder, though sometimes she goes without
• Medicine meant as a painkiller. She carries it in the form of crude bars.
• A coin pouch affixed to her belt

Her loyal steed carries the following:

• Blankets, a hard pillow, and a tarp that can be used for a crude tent.
• A lantern and three candles.
• Waterskins and pouches for keeping bread dry.
• A rarely used pipe.
• Various pots and pans.
• Whetstones, polishing rags, brushes, and flints for fire
• Soap and other cleaning utensils
• Underclothes and an extra pair of boots
• A small mirror
• Makeup and varying perfumes
• Leather cords varying in width
• The Hymmbook

Spells: N/A
Strengths: Swift, Keen Sight, Stealthy, Perceptive, Crafty
Weakness: Addict, Poor Stamina, Poor Strength, Moody, Illiterate

Appearance:

Joan stands at around 5'7" tall. Her boots don't add much to her height, much to her dismay. She has a somewhat lanky build and still retains the softness of one who shirks training. Her black hair is kept long, like the knights errant of old, and it is kept clean whenever possible. Jone keeps it from peeking out underneath her helm by tying it up. Despite Jone's efforts of appearing human, there are a few tell-tale signs that she's deeply uncomfortable of. On her back lie two humps of scarred tissue - the remains of her great wings. Black feathers speckle these wounds and spread along her shoulders. Jone plucks them out whenever she can, leaving white scars pockmarked all over. Downier feathers sometimes has the habit of sprouting on her body but Jone removes these too.

Her skin is relatively pale but flushes heavily when she drinks. Besides her heavily scarred back, it is relatively clear. Two tattoos mar her thigh and lower belly. Her tongue often has open sores from all the medicine she takes and if one gets close enough, they can sometimes smell the blood on her breath. Her fingernails are tattered but have the appearance of being taken care of once. Jone has both the clumsy gait of a man acting twice his size and the sultry strut of a port-town whore. Her eyes also betray her Inguz heritage - they are most decidedly not human in nature. They are pure black with a tiny white speck in the middle. Jone is fond of make-up and applies it liberally. However, she retains her helm in many occasions due to her aforementioned eyes. She has a somewhat chirpy voice but she tries to make it sound deeper than it is.

Biography:
Jone spent much of her life in the port-town of Langpol. Located in the deep south of Morcrest, close to the Artana border, it wasn't an ideal place for a beggar child to live; let alone an Inguz one at that. The vagrants of Langpol weren't any different from those in other cities - they knew that numbers meant safety. Jone learned early on which groups overlooked her Inguz heritage but even the tolerant ones made sure to cover up her wings before they let her in. When her wings grew too large to hide, however, there were none that took pity on her. It was bad luck to be associated with a monster like her and beggars couldn't afford to lose whatever small fortunes they held.

During her time of living alone, Jone discovered that as an Inguz, she could transform into a crow. She liked it - for a while. To fly was a special gift and for once, she felt free from the confined alleyways. When she was especially hungry, it took less food for her to feel full. It also let her explore the areas she would never have been allowed in as a humanoid - noble estates held so much gossip. The most disconcerting thing was, however, the way humans treated her better as a bird than they did as a humanoid. As a "human", they chased her away from their scraps. As a bird, they praised her cleverness and tossed her breadcrumbs. But as good as the treatment felt, Jone knew that she could never live as a bird. It just wasn't her - she knew that she was more than a crow.

She'd always been a little angry over the fact that she was different. But that was before she'd known just how good humans had it. As a crow, she'd been able to treat the world as her theater. It was a tantalizing glimpse of the world she'd never know - made all the worse by the treatment she'd gotten for being "such a smart bird". But even this small pleasure of hers couldn't last for long. As she grew older and taller, so did her crow form. The window of being able to pass as a large crow had closed. There was no purpose to her transformation anymore - humans knew that she was an Inguz in both forms. At least in her humanoid state she could pass for a hunchback (though more often than not, her disguise was seen through in a manner of seconds).

It was the port brothels where she first thought she'd found acceptance. She had ventured there by accident - she'd ventured there for the fish they had left out as garbage that night. Upon seeing her wings, a crafty brothel keeper had coaxed her into his facilities with promises of food, drink, and a bed to sleep in. They were a curious thing, brothels. They made a man lose his inhibitions more than a drink ever could. Men who would spit on her outside would caress her inside. Sailors from all countries loved her - or at least, loved that she wasn't another sailor. It didn't take much to convince Jone to become a regular commodity. Whereas she was a freak outside, here she was an Crusader.

Life remained hard for Jone - but least now she was getting paid for the world fucking her over. Once, she even had a priest as her patron. He seemed especially pleased with her wings, remarking that they had come straight out of a mural. Sometimes, she had to deal with raids, the brothel-keeper, or terrible customers. Along with her clipped wings, her room had bars to prevent her from flying away. They were unneeded. Here, she could at least pretend that someone loved her. Her "Crusader" moniker granted her much patronage.

But even her naivety couldn't last forever. As she grew older, Jone grew to become more bitter of her situation. Although she tried to deny it, she knew that she wasn't anything more than a whore. Worse - she was an Inguz whore. She'd tried to buy her way out before but her request had been denied. In the end, it was the brothel keeper's decision to kick her out - just as he'd brought her in. Jone's wings had never recovered from an infection she'd caught and as a result, she was bleeding the brothel dry. Or so he had said.

Jone returned to her life of vagrancy. The new laws that had passed allowed for a few coins to fall in her lap every week but it was better than nothing. She would have died there in the streets if not for a sympathetic clergyman. Taking notice of her withered wings, he took her in to a nearby temple for treatment. Despite his best efforts, however, they were too far gone to save. Her apathy had allowed the wounds to fester and the rot had spread through much of her wings. It was not an easy recovery and she spent many months resting in the temple.

In return for her treatment, she was to help maintain the temple grounds and to listen to the choirs recite from their holy book. It was here where her more pious self was awakened. Religion had given her life a new wake and she was determined to make whatever amends asked of her. She had been a Crusader for much of her life - with her newfound knowledge, she could continue to be so. She took on the title of Black Wynnick to symbolize how the Faith had helped her overcome the brothel from which she was raised. She joined the King's Wardens to help her spread the word of her newfound faith.

Personality:
There isn't a word that can accurately describe Jone but if there is, it's conflicted. Her motives are largely centered around her identity as an Inguz and her attempts to rid herself of it. However, there are days when the skies look particularly tempting - when Jone wants nothing more than to leave the squalor of the Earth. Mornings when she wakes up to what's left of her wings, only for her to dissolve another painkiller underneath her tongue. Not that anyone would know - Jone isn't one to really open up to strangers about her issues. Instead, she finds solace in drink, religion, and... medicine which, in theory, is meant for her back.

She's rubbed elbows and more with dirt her entire life. Ever since her "rebirth", however, Jone's been trying to rise above it all. A small rebellious streak in her has led to her subverting her "Crusader" past. She tries to embody the true values of these religious figures in her work. In practice, however, Jone's more of a common mercenary. Though her reputation is that of an honourable man, Jone's achieved many of her victories with trickery and exaggeration. She likes the idea of being the protector of the common-folk but it's often too much of a hassle to actually be a proper vigilante.

Jone likes to keep a fairly organized schedule and she is very strict with her coin. There is an implicit agreement between addicts and those who serve them. Jone will always have her coin ready to replenish her stock - the problems lay with the herbalists who don't care enough to restock in time. It is at those moments that Jone is at her morally weakest -when this agreement is broken- that she is liable to do terrible things. Things that she'll mull over while her medicine dissolves under her tongue, of course. And eventually forget (or rather, push to the back of her head). In this matter, she's a hypocrite and not as far away from the dirt as she'd like to be.

Emulating a Crusader isn't the only thing she's been preoccupied with. Jone's picked up a habit of rejecting what she was. She acts accordingly to whomever is her correspondent. Humble and subservient to Lords and Ladies, chivalrous and kind to the peasants who hire her, and domineering and rough to the prostitutes she visits. Jone likes to think of herself as a man in all but form and has let others think likewise in her travels. This desire of hers can be seen as an example of running away from her problems - as a man, Jone can be free from the troubles she had as a woman.

 

[Mite]

Yo. Since I'm in charge of Kalico, I believe I can help a tad bit on how Kalico works (and take these mistakes as yet another reason why I should start posting up the details of Kalico to the public...)

SENT ON MY PHONE
Problems galore.

The district overseer(?) would have to be very interested in how exactly a slave girl who's barely of the age to use magic at all somehow caused so much trouble with it, and be willing to invest in her training out of sheer amusement? When I write nobles, at least, they do weird things with their money out of boredom...

While I'm all for a Kalician Noble using his pocket money on whatever he fancies, a magic slave in another nation might cost a bit more than something he can spend on without raising a few eyebrows. In addition, magic education - especially in Artana - might be a bit more expensive than a inconsequential side-project. I'm not saying it's impossible, but the noble should figure out a darn good reason why he would spend his family's funds on this foreign slave.
...Or else, that "illness" may not have been entirely unexpected.

Overall, Nobles have their own special castes. The Sovereign is at the top, then the Dukes. Those two groups are above the law and free to do whatever they want, though other Dukes might object to one Duke's silly antics. Below them are the Counts and Margraves, then the Barons.

The noble in question being Kalician isn't necessarily critical to the story. I can change this if Mite thinks it's too ridiculous (even if he owns smaller shares in a lot of mines). I'd have to come up with a different reason to get her into Kalico, if I wanted to keep her a politically interesting figure, but that shouldn't be too hard. I made an assumption that what I call "Artanese drama" (parallel to Greek tragedies) is also done in Kalico, since they're so "showy," and seem open to the idea of borrowing from other cultures to achieve that (architecture).

I don't have any qualms with a Kalician Noble owning a mine, but I believe the problem lies with the mine being a pretty good distance away from Kalico in another nation's land.

Disregarding all the problems distance will cause in a medieval world (bandits, month-long travels, corruption, oh my!), the gem mining industry is major source of Artana's income. I don't think it'd be too hard for Artana to figure out a way to completely take over the mine, or at least control enough of it that maintaining it from two borders away costs more than it produces.

Kalico adores culture and takes as much as they like from others, though they will defend their own culture to the death. An Artanese drama making its rounds across Kalico is quite likely.

I'm hoping her fame as an actress (established before with shows that didn't involve magic) would pardon her at least a little in the eyes of the Kalician public, and her (admittedly tentative) ties to a noble would have the law looking the other way, at least until she decided to leave the country and join Morcrest, at which point she would cease to be an amusing sideshow and become a palpable threat.

In Kalico, Profane magic is just as taboo as cannibalism or murder of kin. It's heretical, and is considered to forsaking the Creator herself to acquire power from the Devils.

To Kalico, it is bad. Profane magic exists to do bad things. The only reason to use it above normal magic is to make sure your victim suffers, or to ensure a quicker descent into Banehood. Whether or not this is true, this is what most Kalicians believe.

This opinion is supported by the neighboring Etvia, in particular the Inquisition based there. It also doesn't help that Vardendale isn't too picky about using Profane magic in battle, so Kalico often gets the short-end of the stick with it.

I feel like the public would feel very betrayed that one of their beloved icons performs Profane magic, and it's not something the nobles, especially the higher ones, would turn a blind eye to. Which could be a very good reason why she decided to leave Kalico and join the Wardens~

Took the "corporate corruption" aspect too far again, made assumptions about how well he would be paid...

If I may be so bold, I believe the level of corruption isn't lacking. Rather, there should be even more!

Profits is the name of the game, and replacing an overworked slave is far cheaper than hiring and training a new employee. Plus, slaves don't get wages, so no wasting money on salaries or the like.

As for humanizing him, there's always the idea that he's not comfortable with slavery, though one might wonder why he's a slavemaster then. He could potentially be afraid of mages since mages are generally a higher caste than non-mages in Artana, and upon realizing one of the slaves he worked was actually a mage it could've terrified him.

Etvia was closer to Kalico, really. I was under the impression that Kalico and Morcrest were on flaky terms with each other, and going from Kalico to Artana might be a bit more of a pain than it already is (and I wanted the character to do legally grey things, because reasons). What I will probably do is have her be owned by an Artanese noble, which makes more sense, and "bought" (paid a dowry) by a Kalician noble instead.

Kalico's lands are fertile and wealthy, so Kalico is understandably distrustful of all its neighbors. It is warmer towards Ibrance due their numerous trade deals and their lack of southern ambitions, but it can't say the same for Morcrest and Etvia's ambitions.

As for a Kalician buying a human slave... There'd need to be a pretty good reason because he can lose a lot if he's ever caught. It'd be more likely if the Artanese seller somehow included the slave girl into a contract too good for a low noble to pass up.

Is Kalico quirky enough to excuse it if he's rich, she's hot, and it's oh so deliciously scandalous? Actually a legitimate question for Mite. Inquiring minds want to know.

Kalico's marriages are always about influence and prestige, and heirs from that union are a nice bonus. However, if only for fun and children, a noble would opt for a mistress instead. In Kalico, bastards are legitimate if the noble parent acknowledges them, and there are cases where adopted children are made legitmate heirs as well. Marriage between nobles is celebrated, but difficult - It is far too easy for an ambitious noble to push his spouse as a claimant and do something drastic.

There isn't too much about marrying slaves in Kalico, since most of the slaves are Inguz (pets) or elves (filthy elf-lover!), but it'd be considered exotic, and not in a good way. There's plenty of willing Kalician women to choose from, and to choose a slave over them might say something about the groom.

Not to say it's impossible though. I'm sure some Kalicians would definitely enjoy the tale of a kind noble finding love under the unjust shackles of an Artanese mining guild.

I was hoping that this particular noble's marriage wasn't so important, but if even the lower nobles have to show some kind of restraint, how about a not-so-secret mistress? He's still going to die, though. Maybe his actual wife will blame Ludivine for it, and that'll turn into something later. As for his dying will, if that would be straight up forbidden by the surviving family, I can just give her the house and other stuff she bought with it while he's still alive.

Mistresses are quite common, enough to the point that it's expected of nobles.
Unfortunately, there's no real way to prevent an heir from inheriting his property, only the choice of which heir. If there is no heir, the next of (noble) kin inherits the property, usually their siblings or the previous generation.

Unfortunately, I'm sure the new noble will find a way to completely cut out a faceless ex-slave mistress from any of the property.

Christmas doesn't exist in this world.

B-but what about the dreaded St. Claus who rides around in his monster-chariot to strike out at the naughty children along with his army of evil snow-elves?

 

[Dusk]

Apologies about the delay, I've been dealing with a rather annoying rodent issue.

Rayn Mormont
@MYTH*

They are named Fea-Bows due to lore suggesting that the first practitioners of this combat art used it to hunt fairies and spirits.

I am getting strong elfish vibes from this class. Especially faeries almost exclusive exist in traditions. I am thinking perhaps it was originally an elven class that the humans stole? They like to steal things from elves, like most a continent, for example. Obviously by the modern day, it wouldn't really be an "elf class" anymore. however, perhaps it is still more common in Vardendale and there are several uncounted Fea-Bows there? Special class titles and such are entirely for aesthetic and background purposes, and this one seems to have a very "mythic" feel to it, which would fit nicely with what I'm suggesting (at least I think).

• Pure Barrage- A collection of mana is stored and fired in a single direction. This single bundle of mana releases several dozen small projectiles in a wide cone.

I forgot to comment on this the first time around, apologies. I was wondering if I could get a bit more specification on what you define as a "wide cone."

Otherwise, barring potential notes regarding Pure Barrage--
Rayn Mormont is accepted.
Please add him to the character index.
I suggest him for Kalico's Favour.

Jone of Black Wynnick
@falk
First thing first is that I quite like Jone, she's a particularly interesting character with some uncommon aspects. You do not have to change her, I am fine with characters who aren't great fighters and overall the Wardens are not too picky either, as she has other strengths and benefits.

it wasn't the best place for an Inguz child to live

Alright, keep in mind that even before King Akard ascended (~9 years ago), Morcrest wasn't the worst place for inguz to live. Towns in the south (closer to Artana) tend to be harsher, so I would suggest placing Langpol there. It sounds like most of the especially harsh stuff happens before his reign, however (exempting the prostitution stuff, perhaps) .

During her time of living alone, Jone discovered that as an Inguz, she could transform into a crow. She liked it - for a while. To fly was a special gift and for once, she felt free from the confined alleyways. When she was especially hungry, it took less food for her to feel full. It also let her explore the areas she would never have been allowed in as a humanoid - noble estates held so much gossip. The most disconcerting thing was, however, the way humans treated her better as a bird than they did as a humanoid. As a "human", they chased her away from their scraps. As a bird, they praised her cleverness and tossed her breadcrumbs. But as good as the treatment felt, Jone knew that she could never live as a bird. It just wasn't her - she knew that she was more than a crow.

Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest issues which I definitely need to add to the inguz race tab-- inguz animal transformations are larger than their normal counterpart. She probably could have passed as a normal crow when she was younger, however, the older she got the older it would have been to hide her inguz heritage. It's also very unlikely she would have fit in any cage later in her life. The main issue on this point is the part with the sellsword.

Whereas she was a freak outside, here she was an Angel.

This is slightly inaccurate imagery. The primary Central Ellirian religion doesn't have angels in the sense of winged beings. The closest they have resembling traditional angels are the Crusaders, individuals recruited by the Creator to help in the fight against Evil. It's quite possible that some interpret these warriors as having wings.

Along with her clipped wings, her room had bars to prevent her from flying away.

Isn't both a bit excessive? It seems like bars would be enough to keep anyone from escaping, regardless of race.

Related to this is the subject of her wing loss-- as she wouldn't be able to pass as a normal crow at that point (even if she was a small transformed inguz). Mite did offer this suggestion:

I feel like if they are willing to clip her wings, couldn't they have just painted / dyed them? It'll be messy and definitely not healthy, but if they were gonna cut them off anyways... She'd break them on the bars because her wings deteriorated from all the toxic dyes, and eventually found out they were poisoning her hence cutting them off? I'm sure most Inguz would die with their wings and pride, but she's already a broken dove so what point is there to having pride in broken wings?

 

[MYTH*]

Rayn is now active. Woot! He will be joining the forces heading out to deal with Kalico's Favour.