Once Long Ago ~ Out of Character/Sign-up (Gothic Horror)

lostfaith · May 8, 2017

"Coloured by shadow, yet I am light
Painted by blood, yet I am purity
Stalked by death, yet I am healing.

I walk the ruins of the world, seeking the Once Long Ago.

Hunted by fear, yet I am unafraid
Wracked by pain, yet I stand resolute
Felled by evil, yet my oath will never die.

There is no peace or tranquility in the world, only justice, and judgement
From the Once Long Ago."
- The Seeker's Mantra

Don't speak to me of history, child. Of what things were like once, long ago. You were not there when the Arbiter closed the skies and cast his Judgement upon the world. You have scarce seen a score winters; You don't know what those days were like, when every other man was changed by the god's shadows, twisted into a beast inhuman. These old bones were there; aye, seventy years, I've lived. I still remember that day, when the world ended, and indeed the days that came before it, when there were a thousand cities on the earth instead of a half dozen. When we lived in comfort. Plenty to eat, no constant threat of the Judged on our borders. But we tampered with forbidden power; we took what wasn't ours. The Archangel had already given us the keys to heaven, but fools we were, we insisted on conquering hell as well. And as punishment for our tampering with the natural orders, the Arbiter blighted our cities, cursed our temples, and Judged our people. Oh yes, every one of those monsters in the Old Cities, every crawling beast and creeping umbra, they were all people once. Like you or me. Oh, don't worry, you're safe here in the Mountain City; the Judgement doesn't touch this haven. No, it's only down in the Old Lands where ordinary men are changed into monsters, anymore. The Arbiter only spares those touched by the angel, the Seekers. He won't dare interfere with his counterpart; that's why they can venture there. The Archangel watches over them. Oh, you boast, swagger and claim that you're not afraid of the Judged, that you would slay them with that sharp bit of steel at your waist. But have you faced your neighbor as the shadows took her, watched as her skin tore, her bones splintered, her blood turned black? Stood paralyzed as spines ripped out of her arms and her back, then fled as she turned on you, intending to rip your heart out?
No, don't speak to me of history, child. Because you weren't there.

Imera: A Judged World
It was a golden age. The legendary Thousand Cities, each an independent state, were wealthy and prosperous. Although quarrels and small wars broke out, peace largely reigned. Temples to the Archangel stood proudly in every city, and kings and queens held regal rule over cheering citizens. Merchants made their coin and paid their taxes. Scientists and enlightened scholars developed new technologies and challenged the old ways of thinking; governments were reformed and radical ideas such as equality of race and gender were spreading across the world. A few cities had even developed rudimentary steam power, and gun powder, that revolutionary weapon of war, was being secretly sequestered by the rulers who had it. It was a Victorian era at the peak of its power. But among the new ideas and new technologies, a few questions were asked that shouldn't have been uttered. A few lines were crossed that shouldn't have been touched. A few voices whispered in the dungeons beneath the cathedrals. "Why should we rely on the Archangel's power and the fate written in the stars? Man can write his own destiny." These people said. For a long time, that was it all it was; murmuring in the underworld of the church. But it became more than that. In order to write their own destinies, a few of the Faithful cast ancient, forgotten spells, opened books of changing magic, dark arcana. They forsook heaven and reached down to the Arbiter in hell, and stole his power.

The Arbiter's vengeance was swift and terrible. He closed the skies above each of the Thousand Cities, cutting off the light, and he used his ancient deific power to change people, common and lordly alike, into terrible, insane beasts that preyed on those who were still human. He blighted the fields so that nothing could grow, and the stones of the old temples fell. This act came to be known as the Judgement, humanity's just punishment for taking what wasn't theirs, for claiming vain mastery of the world below. The survivors, those who had not been Judged or slain by the Judged, fled to the edges of civilization, taking with them what little they could. There, slowly, they rebuilt their cities, replanted their fields, and stacked stone upon stone again to build new temples. But even then they were not safe; although the dark clouds and changing curse of the Judgement did not pursue them there, the Judged did. Monsters threatened to destroy all that humanity had remade.

Then the Archangel, our eternal guardian, entered the world again in the form of a select few individuals who bore her marks as Brands on their skin: The Sword, the Wings, and the Tower. These blessed warriors created weapons capable of harming the terrible Judged, and they stood as the last defense against the end of everything. Slowly, that first, huge wave of monsters was pushed away, and these warriors returned triumphant. But their work was not over; as the only ones capable of battling the Judged and venturing into the Old Lands, they founded the New Faith, which worshiped the Arbiter as well as the Archangel, and took the holy role of Seekers. The Seekers journeyed to the Old Lands to reclaim the knowledge that was lost in the Judgement, the Old Lore. And on their first expeditions they discovered something even more important than ancient history and lost technology: The Seraphic Relics. They found that when the Judgement had come, the oldest and most powerful temples of the Old Faith had survived, barricaded by the Archangel, and their most ancient relics and altars had been inscribed with a halo symbol that shed holy light and banished the Judged. Returning these relics to their cities, they discovered how to use that power to push back the darkened skies and withered fields of the Judgement, purifying the old world.

It has been thirty years since the world ended, and still the Seekers continue to venture into the ruins of the Old Cities, braving the curse and the Judged, in a slow effort to Imera. Time will tell if that effort is in vain.

The Archangel and the Arbiter
The Archangel and the Arbiter are the two greatest powers on the world of Imera, the goddess of light and the god of darkness. They are said to rule heaven and hell, respectively, but despite the events of the Judgement and their opposite portfolios, they are not enemies; rather the New Faith teaches that the two created the world by combining their powers in harmony, setting the day as the domain of the Archangel and the night as the domain of the Arbiter. The worship of the Archangel is as old as time itself; the beginnings of the Old Faith lost in time. The Archangel's symbol is an up pointed white sword with spreading wings for a handguard and a crenellated hilt that represents an inverted tower. Since the discovery of the Seraphic Relics, the New Faith has also added a ring that encircles the blade of the sword, the halo mark that appeared on the relics. The Arbiter's symbol is a black circle with six pointed projections, representing both his unchanging nature in the circle and the change he inflicted on mankind with the random jagged projections.
Although the Old Faith worshipped only the Archangel, the New Faith fears both gods, respecting the power and justice of the Arbiter as much as the guiding light of the Archangel.

Seekers

Seekers are the holy acolytes of the Archangel that challenge the Old Cities in hopes of salvaging history and pushing back the lines of the Judgement. Each one bears a Brand, a fragment of the Archangel's symbol burned in white light into their skin. All Seekers bear either the Sword, the Wings, or the Tower, and their magical powers are determined by what Brand they carry. Additionally, the Seekers are divided by training into three classes: Warriors, Hunters, and Keepers. A Seeker is referred to by both their class of training and their Brand; for example, a Warrior of the Tower, or a Keeper of the Sword.

Warriors

Warriors are Seekers who focus on martial training, most closely emulating the original guardians who drove back the Judged when humanity first escaped to the edge of the world. They forsake arts of stealth and subtlety in favour of brute force, carrying multiple weapons and knowing how to use them with deadly skill. They are the only Seekers to wear heavy armour, commonly wearing chainmail. A few warriors are equipped with full plate, but due to the expense of its creation, the order only grants this to warriors who show great promise or who have already proven themselves on successful expeditions. On expeditions, warriors serve as the fighting backbone of the group, fending off the Judged and defending the keepers. Although they have the least knowledge of the Old Lore of the three classes of Seekers, they still know how to recognize relics and technology worth salvaging.

Hunters

Where warriors are a heavy hammer, hunters are a razor-sharp dagger. They train in the arts of stealth and mobility, usually wearing only suits of hardened leather for protection and favouring precise, lethal weapons such as knives and rapiers that can dispatch Judged monsters with a single quick strike from the shadows. They are also the only Seekers commonly trained with longbows, as those weapons require years to master. A hunter perched on a rooftop and armed with a bow is a nightmare to the Judged creatures that threaten an expedition. Hunters are agile individuals who learn to scale the structures of the Old Cities, using the high ground to attack from and to gain a bird's eye view. They often carry tools such as climbing pitons and grappling hooks that make getting around easier and faster. Hunters serve as scouts for groups of Seekers, stealing ahead to survey the terrain, search for temples to the Old Faith, and clear the way of Judged.

Keepers

Keepers are the scholarly branch of the Seeker order. They train in the tenets of the New Faith, learn the ancient languages still used in Old Faith holy books, study the technologies of steam power and gunpowder, and keep the history of the Old World as well as the new. They focus the most on the powers of their Brand of any Seeker, using it as their sword and shield to make up for their relative lack of training in weapons and armour. Although keepers are not as adept in the arts of war as warriors or hunters, they still learn how to swing a sword and throw a knife, and some keepers also train in exotic weapons that they can use to disable Judged and allow the other Seekers in the group to dispatch them. Nets, whips, and garrotes are common self defense tools carried by keepers. Keepers are the only Seekers who have the expertise to carve glowlines in weapons and draw Glyphs (see Weapons and Tools). The keeper's role in an expedition is to identify important pieces of Old Lore worthy of salvage, search the texts of the Old Faith for information, and draw holy Glyphs to protect the group while they rest or study.

Seeker Expeditions
The expeditions mounted by Seekers into the Old Cities are dangerous affairs. Nothing under the darkened skies of the Judgement can grow, and everything that moves has long been twisted into one of the Judged. All of the closest cities to the edge of the Judgement have been swept clean, so to reach unexplored ruins Seekers must venture far on journeys of days or weeks. Therefore, they must prepare and plan well if they are to survive even to reach their destination.
The most pressing problems of any expedition are food and water. A group of Seekers can only carry so much, and even though they can subsist on much less than ordinary men, they must still ration every scrap of food and every drop of water to ensure supplies hold out for the entire journey. Seeker rations are dried meat, oats, and other light meals that will keep for some time on the road. Supplies for shorter trips are carried in backpacks, but Seekers on longer expeditions must pack their loads into small wooden carts that must be pulled along the old roads. For these journeys, horses are sometimes taken to ride and pull the carts, but animals can last only three to five days under the Judgement before being transformed, so as soon as they begin to become Unformed, the Seekers put down their horses, cut out the usable meat, and load it onto the carts that they must now pull by hand.
Upon reaching a city, a group's first goal is always to find a fortified position such as intact mansion or guard barracks, and ward it with Glyphs against the Judged. Then the Seekers make their way to the temple at the heart of the city, searching for Seraphic Relics, and expand their roaming in a circle out from the center of the town until they have once again reached the walls, and then they return home, if they have not already been slain by the Judged. Besides relics, Seekers search for tomes of the Old Faith, books of history, and remnants of old technology, anything useful that can be carried back to the New Cities.
Every expedition includes at least four Seekers, with at least one warrior, one hunter, and one keeper.

Brands and Arcana

Brands are the holy manifestation of the Archangel's power that qualifies one to become a Seeker, grants magical powers that make members of the order faster and stronger than ordinary men, and protects them from the changing effects of the Judgement. Brands are faintly glowing white marks that appear on an individual's skin around the age of twelve or thirteen and are small enough to fit on the back of their hand, although they can appear anywhere on the body. There are three types of Brands, each representing a different aspect of the Archangel; the Sword, the Wings, and the Tower. The powers granted by a Brand are called Arcana (singular Arcanum), and different choices are available to each Brand. Every Seeker has the ability to use three Arcana of their Brand, as well as having access to the following two universal Arcana:

Angellight: Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).

Archangel's Blessing: Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.

Brand of the Sword
The Brand of the Sword appears as an up pointed blade with a cross-shaped handguard. It represents the Archangel's power and the Seeker's duty to destroy the Judged. The Arcana of the Sword focus on fortifying the strength of its bearer and channeling power through their weapon strikes.
Many of them require discharging a glowcarved weapon's charge to be used; see Weapons and Tools for an explanation of charge.

Arc of Light Flaming Smite Reach for Heaven Feel No Pain Killing Hands Glowing Blur Chain to Earth Angel's Strength Spiraling Blade

When a Seeker strikes a Judged with a glowcarved weapon, they can use Arc of Light to discharge it and cause rays of angellight to streak out from the weapon and seek out other Judged nearby, curving to strike their intended targets and causing damage. Many Hunters of the Sword favour this Arcanum, charging multiple arrows or throwing knives in advance and using Arc of Light on each ranged attack.
When a Seeker strikes a Judged with a glowcarved weapon, they can use Flaming Smite to discharge it and create a pillar of holy fire around the creature struck, damaging them and possibly blinding or igniting them.
Reach for Heaven is a passive Arcanum that empowers a Seeker's leaps, causing them to jump roughly double the distance they could otherwise, commonly used by Hunters of the Sword.
A Seeker can activate this Arcanum to numb and fortify their body, causing them to feel no pain, regardless of the severity of the injury, and continue to fight at full ability even with injuries such as fractured bones or punctured lungs. This Arcanum provides no actual protection from the injuries; it simply allows the Seeker to fight on in spite of them. A Seeker with a punctured lung will still drown in their own blood, they will just continue to fight until the moment they drop dead.
Killing Hands allows a Seeker to empower their hands, charging them in the same manner as a glowcarved weapon and making them lethal weapons against the Judged. Any other Arcanum that discharges a charge functions normally with Killing Hands.
A Seeker who activates this Arcanum pushes their speed to the absolute limit of their ability, causing them to move and attack so fast that they become a blur of movement. However, this tires the user extremely quickly and makes them very hungry, which can be dangerous on expeditions where supplies of food are limited.
When a Seeker strikes a Judged with a glowcarved weapon, they can use Chain to Earth to discharge it and create a glowing bond between the nearest fixed structure (usually the ground) and the creature struck. This rope of light is about two meters long, and if the affected Judged stretches it taut moving away, it tightens and burns the target. This bond lasts only as long as the Seeker concentrates; being struck or turning to a different target is enough to break concentration.
A Seeker who activates this Arcanum pushes their strength to the absolute limit of their ability; under the effects of Angel's Strength, a Seeker is strong enough to rip muscles apart or break bones with their bare hands, even crushing weakened stone with effort. However, this tires the user extremely quickly, and overexerting oneself while using this Arcanum can damage one's muscles.
A Seeker can activate this Arcanum to hurl a melee weapon, such as a sword or axe, and turn it into a glowing projectile that spins through the air and curves to strike its intended target. If the Seeker chooses to discharge the weapon when it strikes, they can cause it to fly back to their hand after the attack.

Brand of the Wings
The Brand of the Wings appears as a pair of outstretched wings. It represents hope and the mercy of the Archangel, and the Seeker's duty to be beacons of light for the people. The Arcana of the Wings focus on damaging effects that cover wide areas to disable or destroy multiple Judged at once.

Star Blossom Glowing Shackles Holy Fire Shining Beacon Seeking Arrow Spiritual Blade Pillar of Light Flame Stars Favoured Soul Bright Rain

Using the Star Blossom Arcanum, a Seeker can create a marble-sized orb of angellight that explodes into a spiraling burst of damaging light after a brief delay. The explosion is only deadly to Judged, so Seekers themselves are immune to the blast. The blossom can be thrown a fair distance or held until it explodes.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create a glowing chain of angellight that lashes out to wrap itself around a Judged creature within a range of twenty meters. This shackle lasts while the Seeker maintains concentration on the target and slowly burns it, immobilizing and damaging the creature.
The Holy Fire Arcanum allows a Seeker to create globs of searing white fire in their hands, deadly to the Judged. While they hold the fire, the user can ignite creatures with a touch, and the fire can be thrown at enemies or sprayed in a stream like a flamethrower.
When a Seeker activates this Arcanum, they cause cone-shaped beams of angellight to shoot out from their palms. This light damages Judged creatures, burning those caught in its area and eventually setting them on fire. Seekers also commonly use Shining Beacon to signal the rest of their group, by pointing it straight up in the air.
The Seeking Arrow Arcanum can be used to create an arrow-shaped projectile of angellight which is then launched at a specific Judged creature. The arrow strikes its target unerringly, curving its trajectory and even following the target around corners, weaving around any obstacles in the way. It can also be fired blind, in which case it flies in a straight line until it passes within ten meters of a Judged, at which point it locks onto that creature and attempts to find a clear path to it, striking a wall if there is no way to reach the target.
A Seeker can use the Spiritual Blade Arcanum to create a glowing sword-shaped projection of angellight. The sword moves in response to hand gestures by its creator, and cuts the same as a charged glowcarved sword. It requires concentration to maintain and cannot move more than ten meters away from its creator.
A Seeker can use this Arcanum to call down a pillar of shining angellight, so long as they have line of sight to the sky. The pillar can serve as a beacon, and it ignites any Judged creatures caught in the area. Any glowcarved weapons in the pillar are automatically charged, and recharge instantly if discharged by another Arcanum. The pillar requires most of the Seeker's focus to maintain, and while they can move while maintaining it, if they use another Arcanum or shift their focus enough to perform a task such as fighting with a weapon, the pillar fades.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create up to six small star-shaped blades of angellight shrouded in white fire, holding up to three in one hand. The blades ignite Judged creatures on touch and disappear after striking. They can be used as a short range melee weapon in the hand or thrown.
A Seeker who activates the Favoured Soul Arcanum can manifest glowing, insubstantial wings of light. These allow the user to fly short distances and act as solid barriers against Judged, allowing them to be used as shields against their attacks. While it requires little focus to maintain, it tires the bearer quickly while in use.
A Seeker can use this to create an orb of angellight that hovers at a location, illuminating the area. The orb fires beams of brilliant light at Judged creatres that pass within ten meters of it as long as the Seeker concentrates. However, the orb can also be applied to an active Glyph, in which case its duration matches that of the Glyph's.

Brand of the Tower
The Brand of the Tower appears as a crenellated tower. It represents the Archangel's watchfulness and vigilance, and the Seeker's duty to serve as a protector of mankind. The Arcana of the Tower include spells of defense and fortification.

Wall of Light Destructive Glyph Retributive Aura Shine Gravity Ring of Blades Quick Charge Immovable Shield of Light Sacrifice

This Arcanum allows a Seeker to create a shining opaque wall of angellight, up to ten meters long and five meters high. Seekers can pass through it without harm, but it blinds and ignites any Judged creature that touches it.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can charge a glyph in much the same way that one charges a glowcarved weapon. The first time a Judged creature passes within three meters of a charged Glyph, the Glyph erupts, creating lashes of light that strike all Judged creatures within ten meters of the Glyph. After being discharged in this way, the Glyph disappears. See Weapons and Tools for an explanation of Glyphs.
Upon activating this Arcanum, a shining aura of angellight surrounds a Seeker. If a Judged creature touches the user, it is forced backward by a blast of force and ignited, but maintaining the aura tires the bearer quickly.
A Seeker can use the Shine Gravity Arcanum to cause a Judged creature within twenty meters to glow with angellight. While the Seeker concentrates, any projectile based Arcana that pass within ten meters of the target curve and strike it unerringly, moving around obstacles to find the quickest clear path to the affected creature.
When a Seeker uses this Arcanum, every glowcarved weapon within thirty meters that the user has a clear line of sight to and that is not carried by another Seeker flies toward the user to hover in a ring around them at a distance of half a meter. While concentrating, the Seeker can telekinetically direct one weapon at a time (although it still must be in hand to be charged) up to a maximum range of thirty meters. Hunters of the Tower often use this Arcanum to recover arrows and throwing knives, while warriors of the Tower commonly carry multiple small swords and then use Ring of Blades to create a defensive circle of weapons around them.
While concentrating on this Arcanum, any glowcarved weapon the Seeker holds in their hand is instantly charged. Additionally (whether concentrating or not) the user can charge a weapon normally at a range of ten meters, instead of being required to hold it. Seekers often use this Arcanum to support bearers of the Sword, recharging their weapons after their companion discharges them, and hunters of the Tower utilize Quick Charge to instantly charge arrows and other projectiles, saving the time of charging the weapon before every shot.
While concentrating on this Arcanum, a Seeker cannot be moved against their will; for example, if a large Judged creature attempted to pick up the Seeker in a claw, it would find its victim rooted to the ground. If it tried to knock it over with a swipe, its attack would inflict the same injury but bounce off and leave the Seeker in the same place. This Arcanum puts no restriction on the user's own mobility.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create a glowing heater shield that seems to be made of angellight but is as solid and durable as if it was made of steel, and that burns Judged creatures on a touch. The shield lasts for one hour without concentration, but any time the user concentrates on this Arcanum doesn't count against the duration. Additionally, while concentrating, the shield can be made to hover in front of the user and block attacks automatically, freeing the Seeker's hands.
Sacrifice is the only Arcanum available to Seekers which allows them to heal wounds instantly. The user can mend any physical injury by touching the target, closing wounds, knitting broken bones, etc. However, the user immediately suffers an identical injury to the one healed. Seekers who can use Sacrifice command great respect in the order for their selflessness and courage.

Brand of the Halo
Many keepers theorize that it would be possible for a Seeker to develop the Halo symbol of the Seraphic Relics as a Brand. However, in thirty years, this has never been documented to happen, and what powers a Brand of the Halo would bear is unknown. Since the relics marked with this symbol are capable of pushing back the lines of the Judgement, it is speculated that any bearer of a Halo Brand would be incredibly powerful.

Weapons and Tools
Seekers use a variety of equipment. They wield weapons carved with intricate patterns called glowlines, draw protective magic glyphs, and create holy water called Angel's Tears. Every Seeker carries at least one weapon, a pack of food and other supplies, and commonly an Angel Lantern.

Glowcarving
Ordinary weapons cannot harm the more powerful varieties of Judged, and are less effective even against lesser creatures. So the first Seekers developed the craft of glowcarving, etching patterns of swirling lines into all of their weapons. These patterns are drawn from texts of the Old Faith, and they have the power to carry the light of the Archangel. Any Seeker can charge a glowcarved weapon by holding it in their hand and illuminating it with angellight. This process takes about three seconds and can be interrupted if the Seeker's concentration is broken. The angellight traces the patterns, called glowlines, up the weapon, igniting it with the Archangel's power. Charged weapons are capable of harming Judged creatures, and lesser monsters instinctively fear their light. They retain their charge until an effect such as the Arc of Light Arcanum discharges them, or until they are separated from a Seeker for more than a few seconds. It is tradition for the crafter to also give a name to the weapon when the glowlines are carved, although this is forgone for expendable weapons such as throwing knives or arrows.
Besides traditional weapons like swords and knives, Seekers often carve glowlines into other tools, allowing them to be charged and used as weapons in a pinch. Grappling hooks, climbing pitons, shields, and gauntlets all commonly bear glowlines.
Keepers are the only Seekers trained in the art of carving glowlines.

Glyphs
In the same vein as glowlines, Glyphs are detailed patterns that bear the Archangel's light. However, a Glyph is drawn with a special kind of shimmering white paint onto any flat surface instead of being carved into a weapon. Rather than enhancing a weapon, a Glyph, drawn correctly, shines with angellight and serves as a barrier against the Judged. Lesser monsters find the sight of Glyphs loathsome and will not willingly draw near them unless compelled to by a more powerful Judged, and Judged creatures that actually touch a Glyph find it searing hot. Rings of Glyphs drawn on doors, walls, and the ground are used to create protected areas where Seekers can rest and study in areas under the Judgement. However, a Glyph burns out and disappears after several hours and must be reapplied, and are ineffective against stronger varieties of Judged.
Only Keepers are trained in the complex symbols used to create a Glyph, although once it is drawn, any Seeker can activate it with angellight.

Angel's Tears
Seekers can charge sufficiently pure water in the same manner as a glowcarved weapon, creating a thick substance called Angel's Tears. Angel's Tears are opaque, shed light, and burn Judged creatures. It is usually carried in fragile glass vials and used as a grenade weapon or poured into a cylindrical structure of metal and glass with a latch for hooking on a belt or being carried, called an Angel Lantern. If imbibed by a Seeker, Angel's Tears provide none of the usual sustenance of water, but instead invigorate the drinker, giving them a brief burst of energy and fighting exhaustion. Because the substance does nothing to aid dehydration, Seekers must carefully consider how much of their water supply they can afford to charge on long expeditions.
Any Seeker can create Angel's Tears using the Angellight Arcanum.

The Judged

When the Arbiter cast his Judgement upon the world, about half of humanity was twisted by his changing shadows, becoming inhuman beasts called the Judged. After the surviving humans fled, those areas covered by the Judgement were afflicted with a curse that caused anyone who dared re-enter them to beome one of the Judged. Over time, animals were also transformed, and the curse affects them as well. There is no single category that all Judged fit into; there is a great variety of them, of all shapes and sizes. Some humans and animals slowly changed into huge monsters that command lesser Judged and control entire cities, while others stayed in lesser forms. Invariably, the Judged are dangerous and hostile, attacking humans on sight and hating Seekers by nature. It is unknown exactly how much intelligence formerly human Judged retain, but regardless of form they are not capable of speech, although some of the stronger creatures seem capable of limited reasoning and strategy.
Although most Judged cannot be categorized, there are a few distinctions that the Seekers have made over the years:

The Unformed
When a creature is first touched by the changing shadows, they take the shape of an Unformed. The Unformed largely resemble the original creature, but their features morph into blank patterns, and they grow claws, spiked tails, sharp teeth, or some other trait they can kill with. The Unformed are the weakest of all Judged, but they only remain in their shape for several days before morphing into a more powerful creature. They are a rare sight in the Old Lands nowadays; the only Unformed a Seeker might encounter are humans who left the New Lands, as a form of suicide or manifestation of foolish bravery or suicide, or animals that strayed too far for too long into the Judgement.

Umbras
When priests of the Old Faith were transformed, most of them became one relatively uniform type of creature: The umbra. Umbras are humanoid but have many bestial traits, such as claws, black fur, fangs, cat's eyes, scales, wings, etc. While still incapable of speech, they seem more intelligent than other types of Judged and are often just as curious of Seekers as they are afraid and hateful. They form packs and never fight alone, and while they are not deadly foes, small groups of Seekers can be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, as invariably every umbra in a city bands together. Temples of the Old Faith are their usual haunts, and they hoard religious artifacts with an odd reverence, although the power of the Seraphic Relics prevents any sort of Judged from touching them.

Warlocks

Warlocks are the rarest and deadliest variety of Judged, formed when the Judgement touched the traitorous priests who dabbled in dark magic. No caster of changing shadows escaped the shadows themselves when the skies closed, but even so many Seekers go their whole lives without facing a Warlock. They take many forms, but inevitably they are huge, towering over other Judged and sometimes even buildings, with alien features such as twin heads, multiple tongues, tentacles, etc. They retain a limited form of the magic they once wielded and have the power to transform objects or shapeshift in restricted ways. They can also puppet lesser Judged or unleash the changing shadows on humans, but Seekers are as immune to their magic as any other form of the Judgement. Warlocks lurk in the underground dungeons where they first practiced magic, as well as the temples they once served, sometimes even prowling the surrounding streets. Many Seekers do not survive their first encounter with a Warlock, and they are indubitably the most lethal foe a warrior could ever face.

The Forsaken

It is a fact taken for granted among the order that all Seekers are immune to every form of the Judgement, blessed by the Archangel to never be touched by the changing shadows. However, ten years ago, the first Forsaken was discovered in a city where a group of Seekers had gone missing. Forsaken are Seekers that are somehow transformed by the Judgement. They retain mostly human forms with alien or bestial features such as projections of flexible bone, wings, tails, etc, and they are the exception to the rule that the Judged cannot speak. However, Forsakens' minds are utterly shattered, and they speak only to babble incoherently or spout incomprehensible riddles. Their Brands go dark, but a shadowy and twisted fragment of their power remains, allowing them to use corrupted versions of the Arcana they wielded while human. They are not always hostile toward Seekers, but they are timid as mice and usually flee or hide if confronted. There is a standing order among the order not to harm Forsaken except in self defense, since the fact that they keep their Brands and power of speech gives hope that they might be restored using the Seraphic Relics. However, to this day, no expedition has ever succeeded in capturing a Forsaken alive and returning it to the New Lands.

The New Lands
When humanity fled the Judgement, they escaped far from the plains, lakes, and coasts where the Thousand Cities dotted the land. They came to the edges of the old world, places that had not seen civilization for hundreds of years. Only in these havens of isolation was mankind safe; only there could the changing shadows not touch, and the grass grew green and healthy instead of withering black and dying. There are six New Cities, all scattered over the outside borders of the Judgement. These cities trade for resources, and Seekers venture across the edges of the Old Lands to deliver some goods and return with others. However, in the Old Cities, Seekers from different civilizations are enemies at heart. The Seraphic Relics are rare and powerful, and no city will willingly see another settlement take one, and nor do they wish to see their rivals regain the technology of the Old Times. Skirmishes between Seekers are very rare, because of how vast the Old Lands are and how unlikely it is to encounter another expedition, but they are bloody and tragic when they do happen.

The Mountain City

One of the most powerful New Cities is the Mountain City, situated on the slope of a massive tower of stone to the east of the Judgement. It is home to perhaps twenty thousand people, and a Seeker order numbering about two hundred. There is a fertile crescent of grassland at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the Old Lands, and there the people of the City grow their food and graze livestock. Deep within the stone itself there are deposits of iron, silver, and other metals, and with these the Seekers craft their tools and glowcarved weapons. Metals are also the Mountain City's primary export. The Church of the New Faith rules the city, occupying a huge stone temple with its back to the mountain. The Church is in turn governed by a council of five high priests; three Seekers and two mundane clerics. The Seeker order is a branch of the Church and is headquartered in a vast network of caves connected to the temple. In the thirty years since the Judgement, the Mountain City has recovered nine Seraphic Relics, each one pushing back the shadowed boundaries and expanding the amount of land available for expansion and farming, and its population and Seeker order are the second largest of the New Cities, surpassed only by the Azure City that sits on the southern coast.

The City of Tenemous and the Legend of the Tower

A recent Seeker expedition from the Mountain City returned with texts of the Old Faith never before discovered. They were weathered and brittle with age, but most of the pages were still legible. They told the history of the creation of the world told in every holy book, but these stories included another detail: A mention of a massive tower of white stone and metal that extends into the air and down into the ground, a symbol of the making of the world representing both Arbiter and Archangel, and within the upper floors of this tower, the holy altar where the two gods convened, and the legendary sword wielded by the Archangel herself. If the legends are true, the keepers said, then that sword may be the most powerful Seraphic Relic of them all; surely when the Judgement came it would have been emblazoned with the Halo symbol. Perhaps even within that tower, a balanced place of light and darkness, a Seeker could commune with the two deities, or end the Judgement entirely. Even with the chance of the story being true slight as it is, the Seeker order of the Mountain City could not ignore the possibility, with the reward so sweet if the tower could be found.

The books also mentioned a city called Tenemous, far to the north and as of yet unexplored by the Mountain City, which was the site of a grand temple to the Archangel and a massive royal library of religious tomes. There, it is possible, more information could be found about the Tower, perhaps even a hint as to locating it, and besides, it is likely to contain a Seraphic Relic, so the perilous northern journey would not be wasted if the Tower was not found. So the order called together a general meeting, and called for volunteers, and the bravest, most proven, most capable of the Seekers who answered them were chosen to mount an expedition to the holy city of Tenemous.

They do not know it, but these Seekers are about to encounter the deadliest threat and the greatest opportunity that the New World has ever faced. If they keep to their mantra and stand resolute, they may change everything. But if they fail, the world will see a darkness the likes of which has not come since the Judgement.

~

Congratulations, you made it to the other side! You've conquered seven thousand words about Imera, the Seekers, and the Judgement. If you made it this far, I'm assuming that you're interested, right? That, or you just really, really like backstory and description.
I'm looking for four to six players, although I can work with a little more than that. Your characters will be the Seekers sent to Tenemous; keep in mind that these are the best the order has to offer, so whether your character is young and full of promise or old and experienced, they are capable. The order has no reason to send anyone but its best.

I don't have much in the way of rules; just three simple directions I expect you to follow. Respect what I lay down as the GM, use common sense (in other words, if it seems like a bad idea, avoid it; god-modding, attempting to take control of the story, etc all fall under this), and treat your fellow players with respect. If you can do these things, we'll get along just fine here.

I expect realism to a reasonable degree (hence the realistic physics tag); wounds are dangerous, infection is a risk, food and water are important, etc. However, as far as your character's ability to jump, climb, fight, and so on, remember that even though we're working with realistic physics, Seekers are superhuman and can accomplish feats that even the best human athletes couldn't attain.

The character skeleton is below. I don't have any expectations on the length of your bio; so long as it makes sense and it has the information I need, it can be as concise or as full of fluff as you desire.

Code:

[font=gothic][b]Name:[/b][/font] Your character's name.
[font=gothic][b]Age:[/b][/font] 18+, as younger Seekers are still in training and do not leave the city. Keep in mind a character without at least a year or two of experience seeking (a fresh graduate of the church's academy) would have to be truly extraordinary to be chosen for the Tenemous quest.
[font=gothic][b]Gender:[/b][/font] The gender your character identifies as; feel no need to restrict yourself to binary or cis genders (and feel no need to restrict yourself to nonbinary or trans genders, either; write what you want to!).
[font=gothic][b]Appearance:[/b][/font] Your character's physical appearance, including details such as hair and eye colour, stature, height and weight, and the design of their clothing and armour. Pictures are allowed but not required, and you need to write a description even if you use a picture. Art, not face claims, and make sure it fits with the style of the pictures in the first post (I'm flexible about this; just look at the art that I used to get the general idea). No anime, please.
[font=gothic][b]Personality:[/b][/font] How your character acts and thinks; their opinions, their dreams and hopes, their attitude toward their colleagues, etc
[font=gothic][b]History:[/b][/font] Your character's past prior to the Tenemous expedition, including details of their childhood before their Brand appeared and notable events from past expeditions.
[font=gothic][b]Class:[/b][/font] Your character's class of Seeker training; warrior, hunter, or keeper.
[font=gothic][b]Brand:[/b][/font] Your character's Brand (Sword, Wings, or Tower), and their known Arcana. Every Seeker knows Angellight and Archangel's blessing, and three of your choice from the list available to their Brand. If you want to write a custom Arcanum, ask me and I'll help you design one fitting your concept, so long as it's not overpowered and it fits the concept of whatever Brand your character bears. When it's finished, I'll add it to the list on the first post.
[font=gothic][b]Equipment:[/b][/font] What your character carries on the Tenemous expedition, besides basic supplies such as food. Include weapons, armour, tools, and amount of Angel's Tears carried.
[font=gothic][b]Other Notes:[/b][/font] Anything that you feel needs to be said that doesn't fit into one of the other categories.
[font=gothic][b]Player:[/b][/font]

lostfaith · May 9, 2017

Character Index

Name: Imogen Volimera
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Imogen has a lithe, muscular frame and pale white skin. She weighs about 70 kilograms and stands at 167 centimeters. She has wavy brown hair so dark as to appear black in most lights and steel grey eyes that can't stay focused on any one thing, perpetually flickering about to survey everything around her. She has a splash of freckles across her nosebridge and cheeks that also run down her chest and upper arms, and about a dozen notable scars across her arms, legs, chest, and back. Her Wings Brand adorns the front of her neck, wrapping around to either side. Her expression is commonly one of guarded blankness, but in light-hearted situations she has been known to smile, her eyes twinkling with humour.

In the City, Imogen favours simple, unadorned garb of black and grey, and she customarily travels light for a Seeker. However, due to the gravity of the Tenemous expedition, she has commissioned a brand new suit of steel and leather armour. Her set includes a hardened black leather tunic, tight trousers, boots, and gloves, and a grey scarf. Above the leather armour she wears a steel breastplate with an angled gorget short enough to allow her neck full mobility while still providing protection, steel bracers and greaves crafted of interlocking plates resembling a series of arrows, and a heavy black cloak that clasps under her gorget. Her bracers and greaves are crafted with thin cloth in the seams to muffle their noise, and she wears a brown leather brace of throwing knives above her right bracer. Her sword, Ilivera, is worn sheathed at her belt on her left side, and opposite it is a grappling chain that doubles as a weapon called Heartrender. Beside her scabbard is a cloth bandolier to carry Angel's Tears, covered with a small hood so that their light doesn't betray her presence.

Personality: Imogen is cold, confident, and intelligent. She approaches every situation with a careful eye for detail and a quick mind. When most people look at an alleyway, they see nothing but an alleyway. When Imogen looks at an alleyway, she sees a map of cover, escape routes, places to climb, and strategic positions. She treats everything as a competition against herself, constantly striving to improve. While this means that she is always bettering herself, it also makes her a risk-taker as she pushes herself to overcome her limits. Imogen is her own worst enemy; to her, even a partial success is a total failure, and her every shortcoming is a source of bitter internal shame. She'll do anything to accomplish a goal once she sets her mind to it, straining the abilities of even her superhuman body and putting herself in any danger for the sake of the mission. She's the type of fighter who will take an enemy's sword to the side just to open an opportunity to counterattack or break her own wrist to escape a monster's grip. Although she is very, very good at what she does, the price she pays for every hard-fought victory is high. In her own mind she is the least valuable member of every expedition, and she will readily sacrifice herself for any other member of her party.

Imogen treats her comrades with respect and even courtesy, considering them friends, valuable allies, and worthy of trust until proven otherwise. When someone stumbles or falls, she's there to pick them back up. When supplies are scarce, she is the first person to give up her share of the food. When someone is in danger, she considers it her duty to keep them safe. While she does care about her compatriots, her motivation is not entirely selfless. Imogen is always striving to prove to herself that she's deserving of her high place among the Seekers, and ridding herself of that doubt is more important to her than her own well-being. She carries scars both physical and emotional, and an old guilt lies on her heart like a dark stain, a mark against her perfection.
She would do anything, including die, to atone for it.

History: Imogen was born to a family of smiths in the Mountain City. her surname means "the making at the beginning of the world" and her grandfather is a survivor of the Judgement. It is a fact of great family pride for her mother that her family once worked metal for the king of an Old City and now crafts weapons and armour for the Seeker order. Imogen helped her mother at the forge since she could hold a hammer or a pair of tongs, and she started her education in the craft at a young age. Before she was strong enough to shape metal, Imogen often carried messages back and forth between the Seekers and her mother, mostly requisitions. The twisting pathways leading to the Church were always packed with people; Seekers and priests going to and fro, ordinary people bringing matters for the government, other traders delivering goods, and others. Imogen was in constant danger of being trampled underfoot as she made her way, and was perpetually pushing and slipping through the crowd. So one day, she decided that she would climb the rough slope of the mountain instead of following the carved path like everyone else. Tucking the scroll she carried into her belt, she jumped, skipped, and scaled her way up until she reached a point just above the entrance to the Church. Then she met her dilemma: She was perhaps three meters above the walkway now. To solve this problem, little Imogen took a daring jump onto the archway above the door of the Church, then slid down the side and swung down right into the doorway among the people. It took her half as long to climb as it did to walk, so she began to take that route every day, until its nooks, crannies, handholds, and footholds were as natural to her as any road in the City.

Then one day when she was thirteen, she was hammering a new sword at the forge when her mother looked up at her and gasped. Afraid she had shaped the steel wrong, Imogen met her eyes and opened her mouth to ask, but at the elder Volimera's awestruck expression she had no words. Her Brand had appeared, the mark of the Archangel's Wings spreading over her neck. The next day she left the smithy to live with the order, trading the hammer and the bellows for the sword and the dagger. Her first two years of training were in the general skills all Seekers learn, and when she was fifteen years old and it was time to choose her area of expertise, her mother and instructors urged her to become a keeper, putting her intelligence to use and taking the next step as a smith by learning to etch glowlines into weapons. Imogen surprised them all by giving up metalwork forever and taking the path of a hunter. She learned to step without a sound, fire a bow, throw a knife, and fence with a rapier, and she was already a natural at climbing and acrobatics. Her Arcana developed along a destructive path, giving her the power to create holy fire and sweeping blasts of angellight. As she became accustomed to the tools of a hunter, she settled into the kit that she would ultimately use on every expedition: Sword, throwing knives, and grappling hook. In training exercises, she was fond of entangling her opponent with the grappling chain before lunging forward and striking a "lethal" blow with her padded practice sword. Although she was often calm and ruthless, she was also one of the most boisterous students at the table, making friends easily, challenging other Seekers to duels, and cracking jokes.

Imogen set out on her first expedition shortly after turning eighteen. She carried with her her blades, glowcarved grappling hook, and a light-hearted spirit. Her party discovered a mostly intact library and brought many Old World volumes home with them, including a book on steam power, and the rare find gained her renown and bolstered her confidence. Her companions sung her praises for her prowess and quick thinking, and Imogen was happy to bask in the glow of their compliments. She thought, then, that she had never belonged anywhere else. Imogen Volimera, the blacksmith's daughter who liked to climb around on the rocks, was gone, giving way to Imogen the Seeker, a fearsome warrior wielding sword and knife.

Her confidence lasted for another four expeditions. Then, when she was nineteen, a routine recovery from an already explored city turned disastrous: Her party encountered another group of Seekers. The rivals were from the Azure City to the south and were after the same pieces of technology as Imogen's group. They fought a pitched battle on the streets, but Imogen was not the only one with a penchant for climbing. She met the enemy hunter on the rooftops above the skirmish, cutting the other woman's bowstring with a thrown knife and forcing her into melee combat, sword against double daggers. They twisted, whirled, and fought furiously across the roofs, slowly ascending to even higher ground. Finally, at the top of a clock tower, Imogen, wounded and bleeding and exhausted, disarmed the hunter with a swipe of her blade and pushed her off to fall to her death on the cobblestones below.

By the time she reached the ground again, the rest of her party had finished the fight; one of their own number lay dead, but they had routed the enemy Seekers. None of her companions were happy about it, but Imogen took it to heart, holding onto the grief and shame that festered within her for killing another Seeker. She changed, lost some of her unbroken arrogance and her good nature, becoming all hard edges. She became a risk taker pushing the bounds of superhuman capability, hoping to atone and secretly wishing to die if she could not. Selected for the Tenemous expedition, she sees the pursuit of the Tower as the ultimate challenge. Maybe, just maybe, if she can recover the Sword and end the Judgement, her soul will be able to rest and her hands will finally be clean of the blood she spilled.
Class: Hunter
Brand: Brand of the Wings

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Star Blossom Holy Fire Flame Stars

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
Using the Star Blossom Arcanum, a Seeker can create a marble-sized orb of angellight that explodes into a spiraling burst of damaging light after a brief delay. The explosion is only deadly to Judged, so Seekers themselves are immune to the blast. The blossom can be thrown a fair distance or held until it explodes.
The Holy Fire Arcanum allows a Seeker to create globs of searing white fire in their hands, deadly to the Judged. While they hold the fire, the user can ignite creatures with a touch, and the fire can be thrown at enemies or sprayed in a stream like a flamethrower.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create up to six small star-shaped blades of angellight shrouded in white fire, holding up to three in one hand. The blades ignite Judged creatures on touch and disappear after striking. They can be used as a short range melee weapon in the hand or thrown.

Equipment: Imogen wears a light, thin steel breastplate over a suit of hardened black leather armour, steel bracers, and steel greaves. She carries a glowcarved sword named Ilivera, after one of the angels in service to the Archangel. Ilivera is slightly shorter than a longsword, has a blade that thins noticeably toward the point, a short silver swept hilt over the cross-shaped handguard, and a grip of soft black leather embedded with tiny bits of metal to aid gripping. The last three inches of the blade are sharpened, as is the point, and it is designed for delicate thrusts and slashes rather than heavy hacking. Imogen also wears a brace of eight glowcarved throwing knives on her right arm just above her bracer, and a grappling hook at her belt opposite her sword. The grappling hook is made of lengths of steel chains, and both the chains and the head are carved with glowlines. The last six links of the chain are barbed, and the hook itself has thin sharpened blades jutting parallel to the three prongs on each side. The prongs are deadly as well, each one sharp as a rapier. The weapon's name is Heartrender.

While Imogen forgoes an Angel Lantern because of the impracticality of carrying one while climbing, she does wear a bandolier on her belt carrying four vials of Angel's Tears, with a cloth hood that can be fastened so as to conceal them from view and darken their light.
Other Notes: None
Player: Valentyne

Name: Eleanor Mikos
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Eleanor is a woman reaching 179cm of height with a lean and acrobatic build and weighing around 79kg. Her skin is tanned with scars strewn across in a chaotic manner. The biggest one is located on her abdomen two inches to the left of the navel and is roughly an inch and a half in diameter. There are numerous smaller marks in form of slashes across her back and forearms. Most of these were never too deep to cause tissue to scar but are clearly visible due to the discoloration. Her hair is onyx black and often a messy pixie-cut. It is very fluffy to the touch when not covered in sweat and oil. Two dark brown eyes are located under thin eyebrows; Left of which has a small scar that stops just before the eye. She has very accentuated cheekbones and small chin adorned by a set of plump pink lips and a beauty mark bellow the right corner of her mouth.

When in the City Eleanor spends most of the time training and perfecting her skills and as such she can often be seen in her training outfit which is a cheaper version of her actual armour that she uses when she heads on expeditions. It consists of hardened leather chest-piece and bracers over a dark tightly fitting clothing alongside dark leather boots and custom made gloves to maximize dexterity. She also has a belt with various carabiners. She uses it to carry various things including her Angel Lantern, various pouches and other important things that she needs quick access to. The main reason for similarity is to ensure same maneuverability and weight of the equipment as when in the field. When she's not busy training she dresses very casually in simple tunics and long skirts. No matter whether she's at the tavern with fellow Seekers or going to visit her parents she always has the same kind smile across her face. Welcoming demeanor has become almost synonymous with her, especially as she occasionally spends time playing games with the children or drinking alongside childhood friends at the tavern.

Personality:

Eleanor takes great pride in her position as a Seeker, seeing herself as someone who was given a chance rather than one who was chosen. She stubbornly pushes on even at the expense of her own health desperately clawing at whatever obstacle she is presented with until either of them gives in. Chasing perfection she learns from experience, both her own and that of others often listening to their stories and advice even after the moment had passed. Almost always her face is adorned by a smile full of hope showing the will to go the extra mile for someone else, her credo of what it means to be a Seeker. To give your body and soul in service of others; To protect the powerless and suppress the darkness. She is always ready to give just that if it means accomplishing something meaningful. A Seeker better serves the people alive rather than dead, she always said.

When on the field with other Seekers she is focused on her job unless they are resting at which point she always tries to bring up the mood by making cheeky remarks or sharing personal stories. She made it a habit to try and keep her friends motivated and safe from the dreadful doom that threatens to consume the minds of the weary. Having been forced to leave people behind on more than one occasion she grew apathetic towards it. So long as their sacrifice is not in vain she will be able to carry on. If anything it further motivates her to survive and complete the mission. If however nothing's been achieved and her allies are to fall she will do everything in her power to prevent that even going so far as to trade places with them.

Despite her fascination with Seekers she maintains a strong sense of justice often questioning the need to combat other Seekers. If only the Cities worked together they would be able to cure the repugnant land ten times as fast. That way of reasoning didn't seem to apply to the world and she hated it. To see such a simple solution that no one wants to follow. The selfishness of it all was quite the opposite of what she idealized the Seekers to be. She strongly believes that she could never claim the life of another Seeker, not even if they came at her with killing intent.

Having once been terrified of the Judgement and all its inhabitants she had come to experience a strange sort of respect and curiosity regarding them and the Arbiter. In a way she takes the Archangel for granted when she walks through the Judgment focusing too much on how the world came to become a pool of disgusting slog. The stories she was forced to memorize seemed to ring hollow with her. She couldn't possibly imagine that a being as powerful as Arbiter would be so spiteful to create such a disaster and leave it unfinished. For some reason, perhaps to justify it, or perhaps to gain a better understanding of the forces that rule her world, she believes that there is a different truth about what happened when the Judgment came.

History:

"They appeared before I was born; In a way, I owe them my life. Within them I saw angels in human form; Standing against the darkness bathed in light."

Eleanor never knew the world that once was. She never felt how close the Judgement was to swallowing humanity. Her first memories are of the Seekers leaving for an expedition and returning with smiles on their faces; Covered in filth, blood and injuries, but still smiling. Even when they returned in lesser numbers people still rejoiced. Compared to her peers Eleanor was fascinated by the Seekers, often trying to be there when they set off on an expedition or return from one. With curiosity like that she couldn't help but make a few friends among them.

While the Seekers scarcely told her horrifying nightmare-inducing tales, they also never seemed to give her fluffed up heroic tales. Perhaps dry and realistic would be the most accurate way to describe it. Days and days of walking, progressing slowly while avoiding confrontations, managing rations. Where most children would probably find those stories boring, Eleanor found them captivating. She wanted to know more and seemed to spend more time listening to what the Seekers could tell her rather than playing with her friends. It had gotten to a point where her parents were concerned that she might try to venture out into the Judgment on her own.

Trying desperately to explain to her that this obsession with Seekers was unhealthy, mostly through reasonable arguments and calm conversations they hoped to dispel any desire for adventure she might harbor. It wasn't until they admitted they are afraid of losing her to the Judgment that she explained how terrified she was. How every now and then she would wake up from a nightmare of being lost in the shadows of Judgment with no hope of survival.
To know that there are people risking everything to prevent it from growing stronger and even suppressing it by bringing back relics gave her that lost hope. For a time that was the new norm. A young bubbly farmer's kid that seemed a bit too eager to listen to the Seekers rant about this or that.

You can imagine the excited yelp she produced when she noticed the brand while doing the washing up after a meal; The Brand of the Tower inscribed across her left palm as if to fit the handle of a sword. Her cheer was only matched by the distress of her family who had to see their only child leave and become a Seeker. There was pride in their eyes but still the sadness slipped through the facade of stoicism and Eleanor couldn't help but feel like she brought this upon them. She never wished to hurt them, but to deny the brand would be wrong and unimaginable. If she was given a chance to stand alongside the 'angels' in human form then she would grasp it and hold on like her life depended on it.

Living and training with the Seekers was an arduous task, yet she remained determined to be the very best. Despite that will to push on she kept running into obstacles such as book learning and body training. She compensated where she could by learning from experienced Seekers and listening to their explanations and stories; Where she couldn't, she simply pushed on stubbornly until either her body improved or gave up. By the time she had to choose which area to specialize in she wanted to become a Warrior, a bulwark against the darkness to shield her allies. Other Seekers had a different idea. Picking up on a skill she didn't even know she had, an acute spatial awareness, they had her train to become a Hunter. Just like the stories she loved hearing about, it would be her job to look and find the best way through the Judgment while avoiding as many encounters as possible.

Training was not easy, no one told her it would be, for that matter. As a farmer's daughter she had little to no predisposition to be a Hunter. With only slightly more stamina then the rest of her peers she had to train almost twice as much, sometimes pushing on with nothing but sheer spiteful refusal to stop and rest for a bit. She was trained to use a Longbow, a grapple, a shortsword and her Brand. She learned how to move without making a sound, how to spend hours in a crouching position without moving a muscle and slow down her breathing, how to make herself undetectable. What was perhaps the hardest for her to learn was how to climb. She was simply too stiff and too weak to be able to do it properly. Only after years of training she managed to overcome even those obstacles. Little by little, her body adapted and she gained more and more confidence with each cliff and wall scaled. By the time she was 18 she was prepared to head out.

Her first mission was a mild success; The expedition brought back a handful of books but nothing of real note. What was more important there, was the experience and confidence that Eleanor gained. Heading into the darkness for the first time can be shocking, even paralyzing. Especially for someone who was wracked by nightmares of being lost in it. When her knees grew weak she found solace in her allies who kept pushing on just like her. When her hands started to shake she remembered years of her training and drew confidence from there. When she returned to the Mountain City her fear was all but gone. Vanished into the ether and replaced by a sense of confidence and fearful respect for the power of the Judged.

Many expeditions followed as she grew more and more confident and proud of her skills and experience. Sometimes she returned hurt, sometimes without a scratch; Sometimes with relics and knowledge, sometimes empty handed. Somehow no matter the outcome she always had the same hopeful smile on her face. The same smile she often saw in the older Seekers, an inspiring glow to calm to hearts of the weary. And she never let that smile waver; Not even in the face of utmost danger and uncertain odds.

Most notable accomplishment that people ascribe to her she views as a partial failure. A seraphic relic was detected in a Temple within one of the Old Cities. After some careful consideration a decision was made to have her enter the place and leave undetected through a horde of Umbras. In a way the plan worked, to a point. As unfortunate as it was her original exit strategy was rendered useless when a small pack of winged Umbras gathered near the window. Instead she took a risk and went underground through the sewers. It was then that things started to go horribly wrong.
Something stirred beneath the ground, something massive and dangerous. With a thunderous roar and the rumbling of the earth around her, she ran for her life as the decrepit tunnels started to collapse. Just in time she made it out of the underground and headed straight for the rendezvous point. After rejoining her allies the real suffering began. Their escape was blocked off by a swarm of Umbras and Unformed while the remaining part of the horde was quickly advancing on them. The situation was bad enough and yet the earth shook once more and started to crack beneath their feet. An enormous maggot burst forth from the ground, a Warlock, the size of a small house and length unknown. From it's body jet black bone like spikes burst out ready to meet those too slow to react ending the life of a single Seeker. In the chaos Umbras advanced onto the remaining Seekers ready to tear into them. Outnumbered and stuck in hostile land a Keeper of the Wings gave it his all to carve a path to salvation. They ran slaying everything that stood between them and the way home. The Keeper fell, leaving only Eleanor, a Warrior of the Sword and a Hunter of the Wings. During their travel back to the City they were attacked few kilometers from their home. The pack attacking them was too large to fend off, but running was not an option either. The other Hunter was the first to fall; He used his last ounce of strength to create a massive Pillar of Light and take out as many Judged as possible. Without his sacrifice they would have all fallen for sure. Instead when the dust settled and the last growls of the corrupted were silenced, Eleanor was still alive. She suffered minor injuries, the sort that would only become a problem if left open for too long. The warrior however was not as lucky. There was a sizable wound in his gut; It was obvious he wouldn't make it to the city. Rather than leave him behind and take only the Seraphic Relic back to the City, Eleanor made a decision to use Sacrifice and regenerate his wound if only halfway. Between the two of them sharing the injury and the Warrior's Arcana taking away his pain they somehow managed to return alive and smiling like always.

Feeling responsibility for awakening the Warlock that brought doom upon her party she has since spent most of her free time further training her body and mind to avoid such missteps in the future. More expeditions followed as soon as her body was fully healed. Now she prepares for one of the most important expeditions the City had ever sent out. Refusing the call was not an option and definitely not the one she would have taken even if it was. If it weren't the one to Tenemous she would have surely jumped aboard the first next expedition to leave. Just like she had done so far.

Class: Hunter
Brand: Tower

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Ring of Blades Shield of Light Sacrifice

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
When a Seeker uses this Arcanum, every glowcarved weapon within thirty meters that the user has a clear line of sight to and that is not carried by another Seeker flies toward the user to hover in a ring around them at a distance of half a meter. While concentrating, the Seeker can telekinetically direct one weapon at a time (although it still must be in hand to be charged) up to a maximum range of thirty meters. Hunters of the Tower often use this Arcanum to recover arrows and throwing knives, while warriors of the Tower commonly carry multiple small swords and then use Ring of Blades to create a defensive circle of weapons around them.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create a glowing heater shield that seems to be made of angellight but is as solid and durable as if it was made of steel, and that burns Judged creatures on a touch. The shield lasts for one hour without concentration, but any time the user concentrates on this Arcanum doesn't count against the duration. Additionally, while concentrating, the shield can be made to hover in front of the user and block attacks automatically, freeing the Seeker's hands.
Sacrifice is the only Arcanum available to Seekers which allows them to heal wounds instantly. The user can mend any physical injury by touching the target, closing wounds, knitting broken bones, etc. However, the user immediately suffers an identical injury to the one healed. Seekers who can use Sacrifice command great respect in the order for their selflessness and courage.

Equipment: For protection Eleanor wears hardened leather chest-piece, bracers, boots and gloves. Most of the pieces were custom made to ensure maximum mobility without sacrificing protection. She also sports a quiver on her back that is often filled with three dozen arrows. Her belt does more than just hold up her pants and has numerous carabiners where additional equipment can be attached to. She always carries about half a dozen pitons and at least four vials of Angel's Tears. She holds them in a special pouch with a flap that covers them to hide the light. From one of the carabiners on the backside of the belt she often hangs a small Angel Lantern with flaps that she can close to dim or completely hide the light. For weapons in addition to the bow she also has a simple glowcarved gladius style shortsword lovingly named Domina for it's sharp edge. The sword hangs on her left hip within its sheath while on the opposite side resides a coil of rope with a grappling hook on the other end. The base of the grapple has a socket where an arrow might be inserted if one wanted to use a Longbow to shoot the grapple across a sizable gap or a wall.

Other Notes: Eleanor has a strong desire to meet and talk to a Forsaken.
Player: @Snowflake

Name: Arden Cadria
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Appearance:

Arden was a young man standing at 170 cm and is of a fairly average build, weighing in at 70 kg. He had hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair that frequently was swept back when it fell out of place. He had relatively tanned skin, still owning the paleness of childhood. Somewhat refined features had began to form, oftentimes in the forms of laugh lines and eye bags; the former of the two would not learn to fade. Arden is scar fee per his careful nature during training, and his lack of harm during his first expedition. His brand rested upon his forehead, directly in the center, present for all to see when uncovered.

The first piece of cloth that Arden had been recognized for was his headband. Holding no overwhelming pride for the location of his brand, he hid it away under a wrapping that formerly served as a sleeve from his childhood, and the grey band of cloth had been around his head ever since the beginning of training. His whitish cloak was worn more like a garb, being cut rather short to prevent snagging or needless flowing. He wears hardened leather boots and pads on his shins for hard landings from above, something that he had frequented during his training. His brown trousers bloomed below the knee due to his shin guards, and a light leather vest is worn atop his garb with a sash for holding his tools of the trade, including a journal for small details to be written, and the joy of recounting those smidgens of detail to another.

Personality:

Arden had always been the outlier within his own family. He had taken interest in the Seekers at a young age, looking up to them as heroes and almost as idols. Aside from his admiration, he had been one of the more unpredictable children in his household. Arden was either jovial and energetic in conversation, or reserved as the scholar he had aspired to be. When he had become a Seeker, and then a Keeper, he had shewn his jovial and juvenile nature, and this had taken the majority of his image when in the casual and safe places of the world. When lost in his interests though, knowledge and discovery, he becomes more reserved and silent, dedicating those precious moments to that craft.

As he matured, his jovial nature hadn't been dulled, but instead, had been embraced by the maturity of his nature as a Seeker. Arden found himself surrounded by others shedding their natures or hiding them away. That in addition to is studies had cultivated his sense of self, and he had carved a niche within his own mind for who he would be. Knowledge would always carve itself to be of import, though it would shift on layers with the importance of allies and self preservation.

When on his first expedition, Arden had been reserved just as he would have been in study. When the Forsaken had come into view however, he had reverted to his more jovial and eccentric nature regarding research and lines of questioning. 'How does it work? Why did they get corrupted, and how? Can they be cured?' When engaging the other Seekers however, a feeling of dead seemed to cloud his judgment, and even thoughts of combating his own turned his nature sour. He had thought the darkness beyond the New Cities to be enough of a threat to unite them all, but instead it served only to divide and breed mistrust and petty rivalry.

Comrades of his were treated as equals, regardless of their case or demeanor. While not a ray of light, Arden served as an equalizer between the more glum and optimistic ends of groups. Relating to the glum by stating his distaste for conflict with Seekers, and relating to the optimistic by sharing his interests and curiosity.

History:

Arden had a knack for his own curiosity and reading books, two things that his adoptive mother said should never go together. He was raised with those words and many more being flung over his head, in a way that attempted to inspire foreboding and fear about the Judgment. Naturally, it was there, but it all seemed to go over Arden's head just like Mother's words about curiosity and books. However, being the youngest out of triplets, he was able to get away with most things. The eldest of his brothers, Erwin was more personable, making friends and trading secrets as soon as he learned that such things existed. Alan, the brother only seconds older than him, was more reserved of a person, often joining Arden in his readings, but leaving when he tried to explore. Arden was in the middle of those two spheres as a child, a jovial heart when approached, but reserved yet confident when none elected to bother. The boy carried this along with his curiosity until he began to delve into the new faith and began to become curious of the Seekers and their journeys.

Like Erwin, he was astonished by Seekers, and harboured great admiration for them- as much as a child could, that is. He saw them as the stereotypical heroes of the city, and of course they were, whether or not they actually met that image when in the Judgment did not matter. If one or two didn't come back, Arden knew what to expect when he asked where they had gone, for he had learned quickly that heroism and safety do not often go hand in hand kindly. Arden held this in the back of his mind for years to come, cultivating what it meant to truly be a Seeker, a hero to Humanity.

One day however, he received an answer to his question. Per his usual fascination with the Seekers and their return from an expedition one of the more observant members broke their façade of weary mirth and replaced it with a mask of sullen awe. Arden did not understand the change in tone, but in the dim reflection of the Seeker's armour had shewn the boy the cause for the Seeker's loss of mirth. The Brand of Wings, shining brightly upon Arden's forehead, hiding beneath the gentle tangles of his hair. After that moment, he was told to tell his mother and any others of his kin that he would train to become a Seeker.

Training did not find itself to be training for Arden, for he had been guided towards the path of a Keeper, a scribe of both the Old and New. He took to them eagerly and easily, and saw the teachings as more of the same lot he had in life before. Physical training caused Arden to become rather lackadaisical within the moment, though he had began to grasp the elementary subjects of combat. How to swing a sword, how to dodge. They were important concepts, but Arden's interest had always laid in the frailties of his future duties.

He certainly did not question the duties of a Keeper, a Seeker. He had questioned his own duty to understand the Judgment and what laid within and beyond. Arden had wondered many things; Why did foreign Seekers wish to fight, when they could unite? How could a Forsaken be tainted- nay, how could they be cured? Again, what did it truly mean to be a Seeker? His brand and duty said that it meant being a symbol of hope, and a student of both Old and New. Arden had come to accept his own purpose. Knowledge would bring hope, and hope would bring a light to the future; a future that the world would share through the Archangel's grace.

As his training continued, his new vigor had began to fester, and he began to drive himself to meet and then surpass the normal benchmarks that had been set upon him. Due to his dedication, he had found a weapon to call his own. A weight and chain, lighter in nature than the others, requested by Arden himself. He had called it Gavel, the tool with which he would come to judge the Judged unworthy of existence- regardless of how virginal they may have been in a life before the Judgment. With his Gavel in hand, he had began to find himself more capable than most Keepers, especially with the Arcana granted to him through his brand. The gift of flight.

The end of Arden's training was met with him carving glow lines into his weapon, and carving inklings of hope and bravery unto his heart, for he was to undertake his first expedition. He was ready in spirit, though his mind still carried the questions of a juvenile. What did it truly mean to be a Seeker?

And so, he had come to learn what the title of Seeker meant. To stand against the choking darkness that sought to grip Humanity. The Juvenile had crept to a safe place within Arden, awaiting a chance to question the world within the darkness. They had soon come upon their destination; an old settlement, replete with the remains of former homes, and the bodies of felled Umbras, unburnt by Angellight. Arden followed from within the group, standing between two Warriors and a Hunter. He and they had found themselves in the company of a Forsaken. It had not fled from them, instead, it seemed to beckon to them with half-riddles and near-mute musings. They had only followed at Arden's request. With begrudging nature, the troop followed after Arden, who began to pose questions to the Forsaken, only to be answered with more musings and the occasional moments of catatonic state.

Arden would credit the discovery to the Forsaken, while the others of his group would credit it to him. Regardless, a Seraphic Relic was recovered with the alleged aid of a questionably lucid Forsaken. The journey back however was not so clear cut, as a rivaling group of Seekers from another New City had come seeking the same bounty. Much to Arden's dismay, the Forsaken had fled at the introduction of other Seekers, only to be lost within the darkness. Both groups of Seekers met one another in combat, Arden being the target of the majority of the attacks, for he held the relic. The Keeper however, had utilized his Brand to escape the persecution of those without range. Those that did meet him with range were charged by the remainder of his group while he dodged, and incapacitated like the rest of their lot. Neither side had any casualties, only injuries and marred resolve.

With the relic in hand, they returned to the Mountain City. Arden had returned relatively unchanged by his experience outside the city. He had kept the same ideals, the same mindset and the same questions. Even the same resolve had coursed through his veins. Knowledge was the key to hope, and only death would smother his light and prevent him from seeking what he craved.

The Tenemous expedition came as a pleasant surprise to Arden, as someone of his status seemed underqualified for the expedition. However, he had not known of the true power of his skill. Deconstruction and reasoning were in dire need for dire times. A young and inquisitive mind would have been best to do so. Arden, simply was the perfect match.

Class: Keeper
Brand: The Wings

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Favoured Soul Holy Fire Bright Rain

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
A Seeker who activates the Favoured Soul Arcanum can manifest glowing, insubstantial wings of light. These allow the user to fly short distances and act as solid barriers against Judged, allowing them to be used as shields against their attacks. While it requires little focus to maintain, it tires the bearer quickly while in use.
The Holy Fire Arcanum allows a Seeker to create globs of searing white fire in their hands, deadly to the Judged. While they hold the fire, the user can ignite creatures with a touch, and the fire can be thrown at enemies or sprayed in a stream like a flamethrower.
A Seeker can use this to create an orb of angellight that hovers at a location, illuminating the area. The orb fires beams of brilliant light at Judged creatures that pass within ten meters of it as long as the Seeker concentrates. However, the orb can also be applied to an active Glyph, in which case its duration matches that of the Glyph's.

Equipment:

Arden chose to wear his normal garb on the trek to Tenemous, that short white cloak, his headband, the leather padding in the form of a vest and armour for his lower body, and a sash across his chest to keep the more personal tools of his close at hand. He had additionally brought a pack to carry the more essential parts of a traveler's commodities. In his sash he held his journal, parsed and cleaned for new notes for Tenemous, a writing utensil for such notes, and three vials of angel's teas, along with a full canteen pinned to the lower side of the sash. Arden also carried the essential materials for painting Glyphs and carving glow lines into weapons or other objects that could be used as weapons. Arden lastly carried his weight and-chain, Gavel. While it was originally seen as a flail, Arden had added links to it and made the head more cylindrical in an attempt to make it a longer ranged weapon. He was successful, and the weapon rested with its haft in a proper holster, and its chain and head curled into a more convenient configuration.

Other Notes: None, at the moment.
Player: @Cloudburst

Name: Nikolai Lazarev
Age: 27
Gender: Male

Appearance: Nikolai is 6'4" and 207lbs with a bulky and athletic build. He has hazel colored eyes and a distinguished scar on the underside of the right hand side of his chin. He has a ruddy skin color with a stern and squared face and thick eyebrows that only accentuates his no-nonsense attitude. He keeps a clean shaven head at any time he can, but during expeditions will generally let it grow so as not to waste time. When it does grow it is a thick, jet black stubble. The mark of the Sword manifested on his inner left forearm, and he wears it proudly when possible.

While not on an Expedition he will wear conservative, inexpensive, practical clothes in no particular style. The only conscious choice he tends to make when dressing is to dress clean, professionally, and to keep his brand exposed for when the necessity arises. With the exception of in private, he will always hold himself professionally. Otherwise he relaxes greatly with his features also drooping as a result. When he leaves for an expedition however his attire changes greatly as described in equipment.

History: Nikolai's life in the city walls started much like any others. A sheltered life of careful growth and learning before the day one is eventually aware enough to realize the dangers and pains of the Judgement. Growing up his family were still worshipers of the Old Faith; undeniable love and worship for the Archangel and all the good they have done for us all. Were it not for the Archangel's protective nature and guidance the human race would have been wiped out by the Judgement cast on the planet by the Arbiter. Being part of the Old Faith his family also made a point of upholding old traditions like honour, nobility, and strength in training. Even as a child Nikolai viewed the strength of his family's values with pride and saw the Seekers as the epitome of the Archangels faith in humanity. Along with faith, this included strength in body as well as his family was one of the few he could remember that knew of the ancient martial art of Bajiquan. Once he was old enough to train with his father in the art of Bajiquan as well as minor physical training. He spent very little time with any of his younger peers, fearing that a life spent for fun or enjoyment belittles the life granted to them by the Archangel. It wasn't until early adolescence that he started his extreme physical training for the sole purpose of preparing his body for his Brand. While many of his peers feared that his wings would melt upon realizing he wouldn't get chosen, he ignored them and focused on the light of the Archangel and his training. He would become a warrior for light and the doubts of those around him would not falter him.

At the day of his 13th birthday his brand appeared; namely as soon as he struck down an ally in training. A knowing grin passed Nikolai's mouth as he gathered his things and bid farewell to his kind and loving family. They supported him in his training all these years and now it has finally paid off. His father couldn't be prouder, with his mother knowingly concerned for his safety. With the Archangels guidance however, he had nothing to be afraid of. When it came time for his training he chose what fit him best, and that was the path of the Warrior. Though the training was rigorous and demanding it was what Nikolai had prepared his entire life for and so took to the training with ease. The only oddity in his training was the use of multiple weapons, because his training lacked such things. He however learned their use happily as he started his career wielding the Morning Star, Loryg. In training he would use this in tandem with his Bajiquan, creating a devastating up close offensive that could easily drop his peers during training. It wasn't long before he was ready to go on his first Expedition with three allies. It was short, it was trying, and it gave Nikolai his first taste of being a Seeker. The end result was he learned first hand the power of those affected by the Judgement, and that he had the power to destroy them. It was an exciting expedition and his faith in the Archangel and the choices he made in life swelled at his first and coming successes for many years to come. All the work he had put in his entire life had finally paid off and he was working in the Archangels glory.

The latest of his expeditions however finally shook his resolve, and changed how he had viewed the Judgement from then on. Initially, he fought with grace, flair, and arrogance; destroying the Judged swiftly and efficiently while his allies picked off those he could not see or reach as well as gathering what they came for. They were in a Lost city checking a mausoleum for a relic that was said to be there as they were ambushed. At first Nikolai feared nothing as he took them straight on as blow after blow they fell. He had never felt the thrill of adventure so heavily as he did on that day, regardless of the damage taken. It wasn't until he had heard a cut off scream come from Anna the Hunter that he turned his head for a moment. The first thing he saw was her composite bow drop to the ground followed by a stream of blood coating the front of her leather armor. A bony claw had ripped through the back of her throat, and she was surely going to die. The Judged in question had found another way in along with others and they were fighting in close quarters with his allies. How could he not have noticed, how did they… His thought was interrupted by a blow to the underside of his chin, a deep gash left in its place as he fell to the ground with his morningstar clattering away. If it were a quarter of an inch closer his carotid artery would have been punctured, and he would have died. The Judged loomed over him with Nikolai's blood dripping from its claw as it moved in to finish him. Swiftly however Nikolai grabbed an arrow that Anna had dropped and drove it through the beast's head; the arrow snapping as a result. He rolled away from its collapsing corpse as, without thinking of it, pocketing the broken arrowhead of Anna. His heart was racing now, as there were far too many. How could this have happened? How could they have planned such a well thought out ambush? Now was not the time for questions as his hands lit up and he started to fight his way back to the others. Johnson, another hunter, had his back to a corner with only his knife as he was trying to fend off several at once. Nikolai had to get over there and help, but it was no use. The Judged were insurmountable in such a small place as even as he got painfully close Johnson too died before him. In a fit of rage Nikolai's muscles swelled as he violently burst through a number of the Judged shoulder first, killing all who stood around Johnson. What was left of Johnson however turned his stomach, so all he could manage was grabbing his dagger. He would not be forgotten for his sacrifice…

Sacrifice, that word was spoken often throughout his training and among his peers. It was considered one of the highest honors, to sacrifice oneself for the greater good and to not let their sacrifice be in vain. Well, he would not let the death of his two allies go forgotten. Turning to Amy he noticed she was faring quite well with her exotic bladed whip, Annaliesse. Even she could be seen growing tired though as he called out that they should retreat. Tossing her satchel filled with their findings, she called out for him to leap for the exit and that she would clear a path for herself. Balling her hands he could see her Star Blossom form, and with a knowing nod he gathered what little strength he had left and leapt through the doorway, collapsing a number of Judged in his path as he stood at the doorway destroying any Judged that dared to escape. Looking around the way was clear, all she needed to do was cast her light and they could leave this place together. With an ear shattering crunch however, he saw a portion of the mausoleum give in as many more Judged walked through towards her. It was many more than she was prepared to deal with, and they both knew this. With a final glance Amy gave Nikolai a smile, and mouthed "I'm Sorry." With that she focused the blast upward, and with the structural stability of the building already in question it came crumbling down around her, consuming her and Judged alike. Spending only a moment in shock, Nikolai grabbed his belongings and made the slow trek back to the City.

Sacrifice: an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. This is the definition he grew up with, this is what he regarded as a good thing. Everything he knew was wrong. Sacrifice is an excuse given when ones allies are not strong enough to help them. For them to trade their lives for his? It was inexcusable. Sacrifice may sound good to those dying, but to those left behind it was pure torture. From that day on he felt no joy, he felt no peace, he felt no light. All he felt was a pit in his heart where his weakness festered like an infected wound, telling him that had he stayed down there with her that she wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. When he returned he was regarded a hero, that their sacrifice was not in vain. Those people were naive and knew not what sacrifice truly was. From then on he tried his hardest to not go on two expeditions with the same group. He could not afford to grow attached again. On the field he now acted only to protect his allies and himself in all respects, as any sacrifice from that point on was no longer an option. While he considered getting a new weapon to replace his Morningstar, he instead simply got his Gauntlet carved and named in its place and commissioned a set of plate mail armor. He would not lose his weapon in the middle of combat again. Instead, he would fight as if he was a weapon simply to protect those around him. With the most recent expedition he was asked to go on his thoughts were the same. Keep those around him from dying at all costs, because being left behind is the greatest form of torture...

Class: Warrior
Brand:

AngelLight Archangel’s Blessing Reach for Heaven Killing Hands Angel’s Strength

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
Reach for Heaven is a passive Arcanum that empowers a Seeker's leaps, causing them to jump roughly double the distance they could otherwise, commonly used by Hunters of the Sword.
Killing Hands allows a Seeker to empower their hands, charging them in the same manner as a glowcarved weapon and making them lethal weapons against the Judged. Any other Arcanum that discharges a charge functions normally with Killing Hands.
A Seeker who activates this Arcanum pushes their strength to the absolute limit of their ability; under the effects of Angel's Strength, a Seeker is strong enough to rip muscles apart or break bones with their bare hands, even crushing weakened stone with effort. However, this tires the user extremely quickly, and overexerting oneself while using this Arcanum can damage one's muscles.

Equipment: During expeditions in which mobility is necessary his torso is adorned primarily with a thin chain mail, with leather armor worn over the shoulders and leftmost chest, with the rest covering his entire left arm with the exception of his hands. His left bracer is made to open on the undermost side in order to expose his brand when necessary, but otherwise is tightly wrapped. His left hand only has leather wraps that extend to his knuckles, whereas his right is equipped with a light metal gauntlet named Precium. His legs consist of standard hardened leather with additional support on his calves and feet. In his pack however he carries a set of Plate Mail that he had commissioned that is built for utmost defense while leaving joints more exposed so as to allow him freedom of movement. One day he plans on adorning it with further armor or blades as the need arises, but for now this will do. On his back is a specialized, mounted backpack that is tied at multiple points along his back and belt. With its design the weight management is much easier as it helps to counterbalance with his shifting weight. In a pinch however with a single pull at his belt loop the backpack drops to the ground and lands on its flat bottom. Along with his regular expeditionary supplies he also stores the dagger Spero, and the arrowhead Percu. Otherwise he wields no other personal weapons with the exception of his own fists.

The majority of the equipment he carries is less useful in combat, and is more so for out of combat utility. This includes rope, a small vial of acid, a dozen pitons, flint and steel, tiger claws for hands and feet, some clearwater tablets, a tactical knife, strips of cloth and a small vial of oil. The rest is reserved for room to carry home relics, as well as food and water. Nikolai does not carry any Angel Tears, and if necessary will simply make them in the field.

Other Notes: At present time he is making a point to try and earn enough favor to upgrade his armor. The heavier the better in his view. At present his plate mail armor is suitable, but soon he hopes to get strong enough to comfortably wear Double Plate and still practice his Martial Arts.
Player: Moonbow

Name: Rue Caligo
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Rue has a rather stout body, well built with muscle and intimidating in stature. She stands at 183 cm and weighs 80 Kilograms. She is fair-skinned and has short, straw-colored hair that is pulled back into a short ponytail. Her expressive green eyes carry a subtle sorrow that is hard to detect beyond their normal bright exterior. She bears no significant scars despite her experience, betraying her skills. Rue's mark is located on the back of her neck, sloping down with her spine.

Although Rue rarely takes off her equipment, her casual clothing consists of simple and comfortable garments that usually feature dark greens accented by red. Rue's armor is simple but effective. It consists of a chainmail suit reinforced by several pieces of steel plate armor and leather straps, complete with pauldrons, grieves, breastplate, and bracers. Completed by a black tunic with the Archangel's symbol on its front. This combination of armor types helps provide good protection without sacrificing too much mobility. Angel tears and other such items are stored in her two side pouches.
Personality:
"Take heart friend, for no matter how long the night seems to last, the sun will always rise again."
Rue has taken it upon herself to align her behavior to that of the venerable knights that existed long before the world went to hell. She aims to reach that idealic image of bravery, hope, and loyalty that those warriors represented in the distant past. As such she holds herself to a strict set of morals and does her best to treat others well. Rue is a rather humble being overall, only giving herself as much credit as her station of power garners. Her one source of pride is in her own symbolic purpose as a symbol for hope in the new world.

Rue's somber side is well hidden by her rather convincing Jovial facade. It is sometimes so convincing that she believes in it herself on occasion. It is all for the purpose of keeping a high morale, as she considers that just as important as good health. In times of great stress her true nature can slip through and reveal a quieter and more soft-spoken person hidden underneath the bright exterior. These times are few and far between however, as her renowned vigilance prevents many personal mistakes.

Although Rue has experienced her fair share of tragedy and hardship like many others in the occupation of a seeker, she has never let that shake her core values or let her willingness to strive forward waver. If anything the hardship she has faced over her many trips into the old world have served to only further solidify her will. She often claims that the source of her willpower comes from her faith in the Archangel, which is partially true. She also derives a great deal of strength from the other seekers she works with. The strong loyalty she feels for them makes Rue ignore any lingering doubts and fears that would normally chip away at her competence. While this makes her quite a formidable opponent, her psyche can become rather fragile if something puts her faith into question. All it would take is another few friend meeting a quick end for her mind to slip into a deep madness.
History:
The early days of Rue's childhood were not unlike that of the other residents of the mountain city. Although she and her family weren't especially well off, they could afford to live normally. The capacity to lead a normal life was no common commodity, which Rue was often reminded of when she found life under a set of blue collar workers to be dull. "Dull is good" the two of them would say, " Better than living day in and day out with your life on the line." She understood what they meant and respected their words, but she couldn't help but feel as though there should be more to life than simply surviving. Rue craved change more than anything, day to day life in the mountain city came to be as predictable as the sun's path across the sky everyday. Something, anything, would be better than the existence she lived. In the years to come she came to wholly regret those feelings.

Not long after her twelfth birthday, Rue's parents left home for another days work in expanding the city. That was the last time she ever saw them. She waited alone in the darkened house for a very long time, patiently awaiting their return. Minutes stretched into hours and hours stretched into days. A knock at the door finally came, but it wasn't who she was hoping for. It was another worker, who had come to deliver grim news. Her parents, along with a few others, had been slaughtered by one of the judged while out gathering building materials near the base of the mountain. It was unclear how a judged creature made it so close to the city, but the damage had already been done. She was allowed to attend their funeral before being carted away to an orphanage.

Conditions at the orphanage were not ideal, food was minimal, the attendants were largely apathetic, and chances of adoption were slim. Rue was back in the cycle of living for the sake of survival. Though just as all hope seemed to be lost once again, the hands of fate guided her out of the cycle and into a new direction. Months after life in the orphanage, the mark of the tower appeared on the back of her neck. This led her to being taken under the wing of an elderly seeker, one of the original few no less, who had retired from an active position in the scouting force. He took it upon himself to turn Rue into a seeker worthy of replacing him.

Seeing her as a an unmolded piece of clay to be sculpted into a masterpiece, he subjected her to hellish training. Her skills didn't align well with that of a hunter or a keeper, so she focused on honing her body to its peak condition. Rue would be worked until she neared the edge of death, time and time again until he was satisfied that she was ready for practical training. He took her out to untouched wilderness, where they sparred for several weeks. He was old, but relentless. It seemed as though the moment her eyes drifted shut from exhaustion, he would appear in front of her with a knife poised to slit her throat. These free-form battles in the forest served not only to further solidify her skills with weaponry, but also strengthened her cunning and vigilance. Eventually Rue became an even match with the old seeker, and was able to sweep through the seeker training with ease.

Once she was a fully fledged Seeker, her adoptive mentor passed on his weapons and rainment to her and gave her his blessing in her future expeditions. Overwhelmed with a new sense of hope and drive, she took on her first real trip as a seeker at full strength. The grueling training she undergone throughout her adolescence prepared her for the physical struggles of the journey, but nothing could have saved Rue from the mental strain that Seeker's faced on their quest.

Rue's first mission was supposed to have been a simple one. They were to sweep through a largely clear city in search of small group of seekers that had been sent to the area a while ago, who had yet to return. Her group was wary, but confident that it would be a simple-search and rescue. There was little sign of the seekers around the city, and they were beginning to lose hope of finding them. Just as they were about to give up, Rue found one of the missing seekers holed up in an old church. She had been dead for a while, long enough to have gone stiff and for her blood to have dried up. The only thing Rue could find on her was a hastily scrawled note that read "leave the cellar." Rue called the others and they searched the immediate area for the 'cellar', quickly finding a heavy steel hatch that was hastily sealed. They mulled over their options and decided to search the Cellar, seeing it as their only real lead towards finding the rest of the seekers.

Upon going down into the humid room below the hatch and lighting up the area they found a sprawling system of catacombs that went far underground and opened up into a very large chamber. Once they lit up the final chamber they discovered the fates of the remaining Seekers. They were all there, torn into unrecognizable pieces by an amorphous warlock who seemed to have formed to the walls. Before they could escape the room, the warlock slid from its position and covered the entrance with its body. The group threw everything they had at the warlock, trying to overwhelm it enough to get it to retreat from the exit. They succeeded in wounding the warlock, but not without significant cost to the team. Rue's fellow warrior had been beheaded and a hunter was impaled by multiple spines. Rue and a keeper of the tower had both sustained minor injuries, but were still in action. She was rapidly losing her grip on reality as everything had gone so catastrophically out of hand. Rue went forward and attacked the warlock head on in a last ditch effort to escape.

The fight was brutal, faced between two different kinds of beasts that were both running on instinct. In the end Rue was able to defeat the wounded warlock, but she had ended up covered in countless wounds and several punctured organs. As she laid down in a pool of her own blood, vision quickly fading, she started to feel a great sense of peace. Her death wasn't in vain, another seeker would live on because of her. She closed her eyes and waited for everything to fade away, but it seemed that this was not the end. Rue felt all of her strength return and her pain fading away. She looked around in confusion before realizing what had happened, a cold and heavy stone settling inside her stomach. The keeper was curled up on the ground, heat already having left him as he slipped away into death.

Rue stood amid the carnage, feeling a heavy mixture of guilt and betrayal. She was trained to be a knight , and to be cheated of an honorable death felt horribly wrong. She couldn't imagine going back now, knowing that she failed all of her comrades. Suffering no injuries no less. Rue held shaking hands over her face and wailed miserably like a child.

Eventually she calmed down enough to leave the area and return to the mountain city with the news of their complete loss. Though they were devastated by the news, she was surprised to see that they didn't blame her for the loss. Rue only felt worse at this, feeling like she was getting off scot-free for a terrible failure on her part. They allowed her to take a break from service for a while, leaving her to reflect for what felt like an indefinite amount of time. With all of this excess time to think things over, Rue was eventually able to come to terms with the failure and use it as a grim reminder to keep her from forgetting her mistakes. With it always in the back of her mind she could find resolve to always keep improving to ensure something like that never happened again. Her will to keep on living would no longer be her survival, but for others.
With this new mantra, she slowly rose to become one of the top seekers.
Class: Warrior
Brand: Tower

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Wall of Light Quick Charge Shine Gravity

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
This Arcanum allows a Seeker to create a shining opaque wall of angellight, up to ten meters long and five meters high. Seekers can pass through it without harm, but it blinds and ignites any Judged creature that touches it.
While concentrating on this Arcanum, any glowcarved weapon the Seeker holds in their hand is instantly charged. Additionally (whether concentrating or not) the user can charge a weapon normally at a range of ten meters, instead of being required to hold it. Seekers often use this Arcanum to support bearers of the Sword, recharging their weapons after their companion discharges them, and hunters of the Tower utilize Quick Charge to instantly charge arrows and other projectiles, saving the time of charging the weapon before every shot.
A Seeker can use the Shine Gravity Arcanum to cause a Judged creature within twenty meters to glow with angellight. While the Seeker concentrates, any projectile based Arcana that pass within ten meters of the target curve and strike it unerringly, moving around obstacles to find the quickest clear path to the affected creature.

Equipment: Rue's equipment consists of two glow-carved weapons and a steel heater-shield, along side her suit of armor and set of four Angel's tears. Both weapons were old pieces of equipment first used by her mentor. One is a large, double-edged broadsword named Old Scratch. The other is a steel partisan, named God's Call, that is strapped to her back alongside her shield.
Other Notes: None
Player: SolarFlare

Name: Guinevere Laskaris
Age: 20 Years of Age
Gender: Female

Appearance:

Standing at 5'4", Gweyn, as her peers called her, weighed around 140 pounds. She was lithe and nimble, enabling her to move with ease and grace, almost as if her feet never touched the floor. From young, her grandmother had thought her the etiquette of the old world; how the aristocrats carried themselves, how they movements were as graceful as a swan, how quiet their footsteps were. These teachings proved to be an asset to her when she became a seeker.

Her ocean blue almond shaped eyes were always full of curiosity and hunger to learn more about the world around her, eagerly absorbing every details and knowledge presented to her. Silver hair framed her oval like face, falling short of her shoulders, her bangs hid the brand that formed on her forehead. She would not say she was not proud to carry the brand, no. She was simply self conscious for it would attract too much attention to her and she didn't like that.. She was not beautiful to begin with, only blessed with fair and flawless skin. Thus, she preferred to keep it hidden and not let it be on display. She would only trim her bangs enough so that it would not hinder her sight but the length would be adequate to hide the brand.

Other than that, she was plain in all ways, down to the way she dressed. She usually simple dark coloured tunics, matching with the soft cotton pants she often used. They were nonrestrictive and easy to move in, lessening the amount of unnecessary actions she would make as she transited from one to the other. She may not be heavily combative, but she valued practicality and time over anything else. The less time used to do something, the more her time could be used to acquire knowledge.

Personality: As was said, Gweyn was always hungry for new knowledge and seeking the answers to her questions. She was curious over how humans had lived before this and the stories from her grandmother was never adequate, in her opinion. Not even books could satiate her. She wanted to live and experience it herself! She wanted to be there and see with her own eyes. She could not help but wonder how it would be like if she was born then. Her curiosity was ever boiling and filled her to the brim. She wondered why they were so greedy and what drove them to do such an incorrigible action. Did they not think of the consequences? Did they not think that they would not be judged? Were they courageous or just reckless? Why would they risk it all? These were the reasons that drove her to be a seeker. She desired understanding of their life, their behaviour and their reasons. Becoming a seeker was the only way she could go out on the field herself.

Her drive for knowledge however, had caused to become a loner. When she first entered the academy to train, her snobbish attitude towards the warriors and hunters were not exactly received well. She thought they were loud and rowdy brutes who did nothing but swing swords and brag about their achievements. Time wasters, she thought they were. She could not deny that they were important to ward away the judged, she simply could not stand their rowdy behaviour.

After her first expedition though, her attitude had changed and she became more friendly and approachable, realising the importance of teamwork and the different factions of seekers. She was more aware of the significance of their hard work and why they would brag about it. They were not easy feats after all.

History: From the day she was born, Gweyn was brought up and raised by her grandmother. She had never known her parents but according to her gramps, her mother died because she was weak and the child birth took a toll on her. Shortly afterwards, her father killed himself, unable to stand the grief of his wife's death.

Despite that, Gweyn was not hung up on not having any parents for she had a fruitful life with her grandmother who taught her everything she knew, from reading to writing and bits and pieces of the olden days. Her grandmother encouraged her curiosity and with their limited resources, she tried her best to raise Gweyn well and feed her interest. She was loved by her grandmother who doted on her and to her, her grandmother was both her mother and father as well. She was who fed Gweyn the dreams to become a seeker, telling her of their extra ordinary feats and their achievements; the relics they found and their expeditions in the world below.

She was eleven when her brand first appeared, excitement coursing through her upon receiving it. Her dreams were then within reach. She packed the meager belongings she had and bade her grandmother farewell before getting herself admitted into the academy where she focused on magic training and scrolls rather than weaponry, only taking basic classes like dagger throwing. Throughout the years, she devoted herself to her studies, finding fascination at creating gylphs and polishing her wall of light.

Her first expedition was not impressive and went badly. Due to her uncooperative attitude and arrogance, her team got into massive danger and almost everyone got badly injured. By activating two Arcana at one time, her energy depleted quickly and they could not be sustained. She could do nothing but stood with fright as the judged came upon her, leaving her teammates to fend against the creature. Despite managing to secure the relic and defeat the Judged, the blows they received were fatal. They came back bloodied and bruised. It was a sombre victory and her teammates cursed at her upon their return.

With lesson learnt, the female started being more serious on taking up the dagger and crossbow as well developing Sacrifice as an atonement for her sins. It took her two years before she went on her second expedition, the last still fresh in her mind. Despite not excelling and not being the focus of attention, she became the core of defense, feeling the responsibility of the life of her teammates upon her shoulder. While activating the the Wall of light herself and letting another seeker to activate the glyphs she drew, they managed to reduce the usage of energy and increased the efficiency of defence. The victory was more joyful as they managed to finish the expedition with little to no casualty. Praised for her solid defense, the female secured a position in the Tenemous expedition.

Class: Keeper
Brand: Tower

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Wall of Light Destructive Glyph Sacrifice

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
This Arcanum allows a Seeker to create a shining opaque wall of angellight, up to ten meters long and five meters high. Seekers can pass through it without harm, but it blinds and ignites any Judged creature that touches it.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can charge a glyph in much the same way that one charges a glowcarved weapon. The first time a Judged creature passes within three meters of a charged Glyph, the Glyph erupts, creating lashes of light that strike all Judged creatures within ten meters of the Glyph. After being discharged in this way, the Glyph disappears. See Weapons and Tools for an explanation of Glyphs.
Sacrifice is the only Arcanum available to Seekers which allows them to heal wounds instantly. The user can mend any physical injury by touching the target, closing wounds, knitting broken bones, etc. However, the user immediately suffers an identical injury to the one healed. Seekers who can use Sacrifice command great respect in the order for their selflessness and courage.

Equipment: Other than the basic necessities, the female brought along her flying daggers, crossbow and arrows as well as three vials of angel tears.
Other Notes: none
Player: @Esmeralda Blackheart

Snowflake · May 9, 2017

You wouldn't be opposed to accepting someone as new to the forum as myself, would you? Provided I satisfy your standards with the CS that is. This may perhaps be a silly and unnecessary question, but it's better to ask than to assume.

lostfaith · May 9, 2017

Doesn't matter to me; have at it!

Cloudburst · May 10, 2017

Ah, hello there. Since you seem to embrace the admittance of newer members, I have taken interest in this. Do please expect a character from me at a later date, though if all goes to plan, I would likely have it ready by the end of to-day.

lostfaith · May 10, 2017

Great; I'll most likely be on this evening to look it over.

Please don't feel intimidated by my 2400 word profile; I'm a very fluffy writer. Like I said in the first post, so long as the quality is up to par the quantity is irrelevant.

Snowflake · May 10, 2017

Let's give it a good ol' college try.

Name: Eleanor Mikos
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Appearance:

Eleanor is a woman reaching 179cm of height with a lean and acrobatic build and weighing around 79kg. Her skin is tanned with scars strewn across in a chaotic manner. The biggest one is located on her abdomen two inches to the left of the navel and is roughly an inch and a half in diameter. There are numerous smaller marks in form of slashes across her back and forearms. Most of these were never too deep to cause tissue to scar but are clearly visible due to the discoloration. Her hair is onyx black and often a messy pixie-cut. It is very fluffy to the touch when not covered in sweat and oil. Two dark brown eyes are located under thin eyebrows; Left of which has a small scar that stops just before the eye. She has very accentuated cheekbones and small chin adorned by a set of plump pink lips and a beauty mark bellow the right corner of her mouth.

When in the City Eleanor spends most of the time training and perfecting her skills and as such she can often be seen in her training outfit which is a cheaper version of her actual armour that she uses when she heads on expeditions. It consists of hardened leather chest-piece and bracers over a dark tightly fitting clothing alongside dark leather boots and custom made gloves to maximize dexterity. She also has a belt with various carabiners. She uses it to carry various things including her Angel Lantern, various pouches and other important things that she needs quick access to. The main reason for similarity is to ensure same maneuverability and weight of the equipment as when in the field. When she's not busy training she dresses very casually in simple tunics and long skirts. No matter whether she's at the tavern with fellow Seekers or going to visit her parents she always has the same kind smile across her face. Welcoming demeanor has become almost synonymous with her, especially as she occasionally spends time playing games with the children or drinking alongside childhood friends at the tavern.

Personality:

Eleanor takes great pride in her position as a Seeker, seeing herself as someone who was given a chance rather than one who was chosen. She stubbornly pushes on even at the expense of her own health desperately clawing at whatever obstacle she is presented with until either of them gives in. Chasing perfection she learns from experience, both her own and that of others often listening to their stories and advice even after the moment had passed. Almost always her face is adorned by a smile full of hope showing the will to go the extra mile for someone else, her credo of what it means to be a Seeker. To give your body and soul in service of others; To protect the powerless and suppress the darkness. She is always ready to give just that if it means accomplishing something meaningful. A Seeker better serves the people alive rather than dead, she always said.

When on the field with other Seekers she is focused on her job unless they are resting at which point she always tries to bring up the mood by making cheeky remarks or sharing personal stories. She made it a habit to try and keep her friends motivated and safe from the dreadful doom that threatens to consume the minds of the weary. Having been forced to leave people behind on more than one occasion she grew apathetic towards it. So long as their sacrifice is not in vain she will be able to carry on. If anything it further motivates her to survive and complete the mission. If however nothing's been achieved and her allies are to fall she will do everything in her power to prevent that even going so far as to trade places with them.

Despite her fascination with Seekers she maintains a strong sense of justice often questioning the need to combat other Seekers. If only the Cities worked together they would be able to cure the repugnant land ten times as fast. That way of reasoning didn't seem to apply to the world and she hated it. To see such a simple solution that no one wants to follow. The selfishness of it all was quite the opposite of what she idealized the Seekers to be. She strongly believes that she could never claim the life of another Seeker, not even if they came at her with killing intent.

Having once been terrified of the Judgement and all its inhabitants she had come to experience a strange sort of respect and curiosity regarding them and the Arbiter. In a way she takes the Archangel for granted when she walks through the Judgment focusing too much on how the world came to become a pool of disgusting slog. The stories she was forced to memorize seemed to ring hollow with her. She couldn't possibly imagine that a being as powerful as Arbiter would be so spiteful to create such a disaster and leave it unfinished. For some reason, perhaps to justify it, or perhaps to gain a better understanding of the forces that rule her world, she believes that there is a different truth about what happened when the Judgment came.

History:

"They appeared before I was born; In a way, I owe them my life. Within them I saw angels in human form; Standing against the darkness bathed in light."

Eleanor never knew the world that once was. She never felt how close the Judgement was to swallowing humanity. Her first memories are of the Seekers leaving for an expedition and returning with smiles on their faces; Covered in filth, blood and injuries, but still smiling. Even when they returned in lesser numbers people still rejoiced. Compared to her peers Eleanor was fascinated by the Seekers, often trying to be there when they set off on an expedition or return from one. With curiosity like that she couldn't help but make a few friends among them.

While the Seekers scarcely told her horrifying nightmare-inducing tales, they also never seemed to give her fluffed up heroic tales. Perhaps dry and realistic would be the most accurate way to describe it. Days and days of walking, progressing slowly while avoiding confrontations, managing rations. Where most children would probably find those stories boring, Eleanor found them captivating. She wanted to know more and seemed to spend more time listening to what the Seekers could tell her rather than playing with her friends. It had gotten to a point where her parents were concerned that she might try to venture out into the Judgment on her own.

Trying desperately to explain to her that this obsession with Seekers was unhealthy, mostly through reasonable arguments and calm conversations they hoped to dispel any desire for adventure she might harbor. It wasn't until they admitted they are afraid of losing her to the Judgment that she explained how terrified she was. How every now and then she would wake up from a nightmare of being lost in the shadows of Judgment with no hope of survival.
To know that there are people risking everything to prevent it from growing stronger and even suppressing it by bringing back relics gave her that lost hope. For a time that was the new norm. A young bubbly farmer's kid that seemed a bit too eager to listen to the Seekers rant about this or that.

You can imagine the excited yelp she produced when she noticed the brand while doing the washing up after a meal; The Brand of the Tower inscribed across her left palm as if to fit the handle of a sword. Her cheer was only matched by the distress of her family who had to see their only child leave and become a Seeker. There was pride in their eyes but still the sadness slipped through the facade of stoicism and Eleanor couldn't help but feel like she brought this upon them. She never wished to hurt them, but to deny the brand would be wrong and unimaginable. If she was given a chance to stand alongside the 'angels' in human form then she would grasp it and hold on like her life depended on it.

Living and training with the Seekers was an arduous task, yet she remained determined to be the very best. Despite that will to push on she kept running into obstacles such as book learning and body training. She compensated where she could by learning from experienced Seekers and listening to their explanations and stories; Where she couldn't, she simply pushed on stubbornly until either her body improved or gave up. By the time she had to choose which area to specialize in she wanted to become a Warrior, a bulwark against the darkness to shield her allies. Other Seekers had a different idea. Picking up on a skill she didn't even know she had, an acute spatial awareness, they had her train to become a Hunter. Just like the stories she loved hearing about, it would be her job to look and find the best way through the Judgment while avoiding as many encounters as possible.

Training was not easy, no one told her it would be, for that matter. As a farmer's daughter she had little to no predisposition to be a Hunter. With only slightly more stamina then the rest of her peers she had to train almost twice as much, sometimes pushing on with nothing but sheer spiteful refusal to stop and rest for a bit. She was trained to use a Longbow, a grapple, a shortsword and her Brand. She learned how to move without making a sound, how to spend hours in a crouching position without moving a muscle and slow down her breathing, how to make herself undetectable. What was perhaps the hardest for her to learn was how to climb. She was simply too stiff and too weak to be able to do it properly. Only after years of training she managed to overcome even those obstacles. Little by little, her body adapted and she gained more and more confidence with each cliff and wall scaled. By the time she was 18 she was prepared to head out.

Her first mission was a mild success; The expedition brought back a handful of books but nothing of real note. What was more important there, was the experience and confidence that Eleanor gained. Heading into the darkness for the first time can be shocking, even paralyzing. Especially for someone who was wracked by nightmares of being lost in it. When her knees grew weak she found solace in her allies who kept pushing on just like her. When her hands started to shake she remembered years of her training and drew confidence from there. When she returned to the Mountain City her fear was all but gone. Vanished into the ether and replaced by a sense of confidence and fearful respect for the power of the Judged.

Many expeditions followed as she grew more and more confident and proud of her skills and experience. Sometimes she returned hurt, sometimes without a scratch; Sometimes with relics and knowledge, sometimes empty handed. Somehow no matter the outcome she always had the same hopeful smile on her face. The same smile she often saw in the older Seekers, an inspiring glow to calm to hearts of the weary. And she never let that smile waver; Not even in the face of utmost danger and uncertain odds.

Most notable accomplishment that people ascribe to her she views as a partial failure. A seraphic relic was detected in a Temple within one of the Old Cities. After some careful consideration a decision was made to have her enter the place and leave undetected through a horde of Umbras. In a way the plan worked, to a point. As unfortunate as it was her original exit strategy was rendered useless when a small pack of winged Umbras gathered near the window. Instead she took a risk and went underground through the sewers. It was then that things started to go horribly wrong.
Something stirred beneath the ground, something massive and dangerous. With a thunderous roar and the rumbling of the earth around her, she ran for her life as the decrepit tunnels started to collapse. Just in time she made it out of the underground and headed straight for the rendezvous point. After rejoining her allies the real suffering began. Their escape was blocked off by a swarm of Umbras and Unformed while the remaining part of the horde was quickly advancing on them. The situation was bad enough and yet the earth shook once more and started to crack beneath their feet. An enormous maggot burst forth from the ground, a Warlock, the size of a small house and length unknown. From it's body jet black bone like spikes burst out ready to meet those too slow to react ending the life of a single Seeker. In the chaos Umbras advanced onto the remaining Seekers ready to tear into them. Outnumbered and stuck in hostile land a Keeper of the Wings gave it his all to carve a path to salvation. They ran slaying everything that stood between them and the way home. The Keeper fell, leaving only Eleanor, a Warrior of the Sword and a Hunter of the Wings. During their travel back to the City they were attacked few kilometers from their home. The pack attacking them was too large to fend off, but running was not an option either. The other Hunter was the first to fall; He used his last ounce of strength to create a massive Pillar of Light and take out as many Judged as possible. Without his sacrifice they would have all fallen for sure. Instead when the dust settled and the last growls of the corrupted were silenced, Eleanor was still alive. She suffered minor injuries, the sort that would only become a problem if left open for too long. The warrior however was not as lucky. There was a sizable wound in his gut; It was obvious he wouldn't make it to the city. Rather than leave him behind and take only the Seraphic Relic back to the City, Eleanor made a decision to use Sacrifice and regenerate his wound if only halfway. Between the two of them sharing the injury and the Warrior's Arcana taking away his pain they somehow managed to return alive and smiling like always.

Feeling responsibility for awakening the Warlock that brought doom upon her party she has since spent most of her free time further training her body and mind to avoid such missteps in the future. More expeditions followed as soon as her body was fully healed. Now she prepares for one of the most important expeditions the City had ever sent out. Refusing the call was not an option and definitely not the one she would have taken even if it was. If it weren't the one to Tenemous she would have surely jumped aboard the first next expedition to leave. Just like she had done so far.

Class: Hunter
Brand: Tower (I don't know how to make the fancy tabs yet... Will this do for now?)

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Ring of Blades Shield of Light Sacrifice

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears (see Weapons and Tools).
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
When a Seeker uses this Arcanum, every glowcarved weapon within thirty meters that the user has a clear line of sight to and that is not carried by another Seeker flies toward the user to hover in a ring around them at a distance of half a meter. While concentrating, the Seeker can telekinetically direct one weapon at a time (although it still must be in hand to be charged) up to a maximum range of thirty meters. Hunters of the Tower often use this Arcanum to recover arrows and throwing knives, while warriors of the Tower commonly carry multiple small swords and then use Ring of Blades to create a defensive circle of weapons around them.
Using this Arcanum, a Seeker can create a glowing heater shield that seems to be made of angellight but is as solid and durable as if it was made of steel, and that burns Judged creatures on a touch. The shield lasts for one hour without concentration, but any time the user concentrates on this Arcanum doesn't count against the duration. Additionally, while concentrating, the shield can be made to hover in front of the user and block attacks automatically, freeing the Seeker's hands.
Sacrifice is the only Arcanum available to Seekers which allows them to heal wounds instantly. The user can mend any physical injury by touching the target, closing wounds, knitting broken bones, etc. However, the user immediately suffers an identical injury to the one healed. Seekers who can use Sacrifice command great respect in the order for their selflessness and courage.

Equipment: For protection Eleanor wears hardened leather chest-piece, bracers, boots and gloves. Most of the pieces were custom made to ensure maximum mobility without sacrificing protection. She also sports a quiver on her back that is often filled with three dozen arrows. Her belt does more than just hold up her pants and has numerous carabiners where additional equipment can be attached to. She always carries about half a dozen pitons and at least four vials of Angel's Tears. She holds them in a special pouch with a flap that covers them to hide the light. From one of the carabiners on the backside of the belt she often hangs a small Angel Lantern with flaps that she can close to dim or completely hide the light. For weapons in addition to the bow she also has a simple glowcarved gladius style shortsword lovingly named Domina for it's sharp edge. The sword hangs on her left hip within its sheath while on the opposite side resides a coil of rope with a grappling hook on the other end. The base of the grapple has a socket where an arrow might be inserted if one wanted to use a Longbow to shoot the grapple across a sizable gap or a wall.

Other Notes: Eleanor has a strong desire to meet and talk to a Forsaken.
Player: @Snowflake

lostfaith · May 10, 2017

Absolutely accepted! I love the direction you took. Maybe Eleanor is onto something about the Judgement...

On a mobile device at the moment, I'll add her to the index when I get home.

Your Arcana don't need to be in tabs, but it does look nice; here's the code for it if you want to edit it in:

Code:

[tabs][tab=example 1]insert text here[/tab][tab=example 2]insert text here[/tab][/tabs]

example 1 example 2

insert text here
insert text here

Snowflake · May 11, 2017

Much appreciated. It does look pretty swanky with tabs. I'll have to get around to scouring all those tutorial threads for tips tricks and more.

It's a good pastime while waiting for the party to start.

lostfaith · May 13, 2017

@Cloudburst How goes your character?

Cloudburst · May 13, 2017

Sorry for the failure to uphold a deadline. Events beyond my control had come up, but hopefully I will have it done by the end of to-morrow.

lostfaith · May 13, 2017

No problem; I was just wondering.

Cloudburst · May 15, 2017

Apologies on my part, I will need another short moment. I am nearly done, however.

Cloudburst · May 15, 2017

Name: Arden Cadria
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Appearance:

Arden was a young man standing at 170 cm and is of a fairly average build, weighing in at 70 kg. He had hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair that frequently was swept back when it fell out of place. He had relatively tanned skin, still owning the paleness of childhood. Somewhat refined features had began to form, oftentimes in the forms of laugh lines and eye bags; the former of the two would not learn to fade. Arden is scar fee per his careful nature during training, and his lack of harm during his first expedition. His brand rested upon his forehead, directly in the center, present for all to see when uncovered.

The first piece of cloth that Arden had been recognized for was his headband. Holding no overwhelming pride for the location of his brand, he hid it away under a wrapping that formerly served as a sleeve from his childhood, and the grey band of cloth had been around his head ever since the beginning of training. His whitish cloak was worn more like a garb, being cut rather short to prevent snagging or needless flowing. He wears hardened leather boots and pads on his shins for hard landings from above, something that he had frequented during his training. His brown trousers bloomed below the knee due to his shin guards, and a light leather vest is worn atop his garb with a sash for holding his tools of the trade, including a journal for small details to be written, and the joy of recounting those smidgens of detail to another.

Personality:

Arden had always been the outlier within his own family. He had taken interest in the Seekers at a young age, looking up to them as heroes and almost as idols. Aside from his admiration, he had been one of the more unpredictable children in his household. Arden was either jovial and energetic in conversation, or reserved as the scholar he had aspired to be. When he had become a Seeker, and then a Keeper, he had shewn his jovial and juvenile nature, and this had taken the majority of his image when in the casual and safe places of the world. When lost in his interests though, knowledge and discovery, he becomes more reserved and silent, dedicating those precious moments to that craft.

As he matured, his jovial nature hadn't been dulled, but instead, had been embraced by the maturity of his nature as a Seeker. Arden found himself surrounded by others shedding their natures or hiding them away. That in addition to is studies had cultivated his sense of self, and he had carved a niche within his own mind for who he would be. Knowledge would always carve itself to be of import, though it would shift on layers with the importance of allies and self preservation.

When on his first expedition, Arden had been reserved just as he would have been in study. When the Forsaken had come into view however, he had reverted to his more jovial and eccentric nature regarding research and lines of questioning. 'How does it work? Why did they get corrupted, and how? Can they be cured?' When engaging the other Seekers however, a feeling of dead seemed to cloud his judgment, and even thoughts of combating his own turned his nature sour. He had thought the darkness beyond the New Cities to be enough of a threat to unite them all, but instead it served only to divide and breed mistrust and petty rivalry.

Comrades of his were treated as equals, regardless of their case or demeanor. While not a ray of light, Arden served as an equalizer between the more glum and optimistic ends of groups. Relating to the glum by stating his distaste for conflict with Seekers, and relating to the optimistic by sharing his interests and curiosity.

History:

Arden had a knack for his own curiosity and reading books, two things that his adoptive mother said should never go together. He was raised with those words and many more being flung over his head, in a way that attempted to inspire foreboding and fear about the Judgment. Naturally, it was there, but it all seemed to go over Arden's head just like Mother's words about curiosity and books. However, being the youngest out of triplets, he was able to get away with most things. The eldest of his brothers, Erwin was more personable, making friends and trading secrets as soon as he learned that such things existed. Alan, the brother only seconds older than him, was more reserved of a person, often joining Arden in his readings, but leaving when he tried to explore. Arden was in the middle of those two spheres as a child, a jovial heart when approached, but reserved yet confident when none elected to bother. The boy carried this along with his curiosity until he began to delve into the new faith and began to become curious of the Seekers and their journeys.

Like Erwin, he was astonished by Seekers, and harboured great admiration for them- as much as a child could, that is. He saw them as the stereotypical heroes of the city, and of course they were, whether or not they actually met that image when in the Judgment did not matter. If one or two didn't come back, Arden knew what to expect when he asked where they had gone, for he had learned quickly that heroism and safety do not often go hand in hand kindly. Arden held this in the back of his mind for years to come, cultivating what it meant to truly be a Seeker, a hero to Humanity.

One day however, he received an answer to his question. Per his usual fascination with the Seekers and their return from an expedition one of the more observant members broke their façade of weary mirth and replaced it with a mask of sullen awe. Arden did not understand the change in tone, but in the dim reflection of the Seeker's armour had shewn the boy the cause for the Seeker's loss of mirth. The Brand of Wings, shining brightly upon Arden's forehead, hiding beneath the gentle tangles of his hair. After that moment, he was told to tell his mother and any others of his kin that he would train to become a Seeker.

Training did not find itself to be training for Arden, for he had been guided towards the path of a Keeper, a scribe of both the Old and New. He took to them eagerly and easily, and saw the teachings as more of the same lot he had in life before. Physical training caused Arden to become rather lackadaisical within the moment, though he had began to grasp the elementary subjects of combat. How to swing a sword, how to dodge. They were important concepts, but Arden's interest had always laid in the frailties of his future duties.

He certainly did not question the duties of a Keeper, a Seeker. He had questioned his own duty to understand the Judgment and what laid within and beyond. Arden had wondered many things; Why did foreign Seekers wish to fight, when they could unite? How could a Forsaken be tainted- nay, how could they be cured? Again, what did it truly mean to be a Seeker? His brand and duty said that it meant being a symbol of hope, and a student of both Old and New. Arden had come to accept his own purpose. Knowledge would bring hope, and hope would bring a light to the future; a future that the world would share through the Archangel's grace.

As his training continued, his new vigor had began to fester, and he began to drive himself to meet and then surpass the normal benchmarks that had been set upon him. Due to his dedication, he had found a weapon to call his own. A weight and chain, lighter in nature than the others, requested by Arden himself. He had called it Gavel, the tool with which he would come to judge the Judged unworthy of existence- regardless of how virginal they may have been in a life before the Judgment. With his Gavel in hand, he had began to find himself more capable than most Keepers, especially with the Arcana granted to him through his brand. The gift of flight.

The end of Arden's training was met with him carving glow lines into his weapon, and carving inklings of hope and bravery unto his heart, for he was to undertake his first expedition. He was ready in spirit, though his mind still carried the questions of a juvenile. What did it truly mean to be a Seeker?

And so, he had come to learn what the title of Seeker meant. To stand against the choking darkness that sought to grip Humanity. The Juvenile had crept to a safe place within Arden, awaiting a chance to question the world within the darkness. They had soon come upon their destination; an old settlement, replete with the remains of former homes, and the bodies of felled Umbras, unburnt by Angellight. Arden followed from within the group, standing between two Warriors and a Hunter. He and they had found themselves in the company of a Forsaken. It had not fled from them, instead, it seemed to beckon to them with half-riddles and near-mute musings. They had only followed at Arden's request. With begrudging nature, the troop followed after Arden, who began to pose questions to the Forsaken, only to be answered with more musings and the occasional moments of catatonic state.

Arden would credit the discovery to the Forsaken, while the others of his group would credit it to him. Regardless, a Seraphic Relic was recovered with the alleged aid of a questionably lucid Forsaken. The journey back however was not so clear cut, as a rivaling group of Seekers from another New City had come seeking the same bounty. Much to Arden's dismay, the Forsaken had fled at the introduction of other Seekers, only to be lost within the darkness. Both groups of Seekers met one another in combat, Arden being the target of the majority of the attacks, for he held the relic. The Keeper however, had utilized his Brand to escape the persecution of those without range. Those that did meet him with range were charged by the remainder of his group while he dodged, and incapacitated like the rest of their lot. Neither side had any casualties, only injuries and marred resolve.

With the relic in hand, they returned to the Mountain City. Arden had returned relatively unchanged by his experience outside the city. He had kept the same ideals, the same mindset and the same questions. Even the same resolve had coursed through his veins. Knowledge was the key to hope, and only death would smother his light and prevent him from seeking what he craved.

The Tenemous expedition came as a pleasant surprise to Arden, as someone of his status seemed underqualified for the expedition. However, he had not known of the true power of his skill. Deconstruction and reasoning were in dire need for dire times. A young and inquisitive mind would have been best to do so. Arden, simply was the perfect match.

Class: Keeper
Brand: The Wings

Angellight Archangel's Blessing Favoured Soul Holy Fire Bright Rain

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
A Seeker who activates the Favoured Soul Arcanum can manifest glowing, insubstantial wings of light. These allow the user to fly short distances and act as solid barriers against Judged, allowing them to be used as shields against their attacks. While it requires little focus to maintain, it tires the bearer quickly while in use.
The Holy Fire Arcanum allows a Seeker to create globs of searing white fire in their hands, deadly to the Judged. While they hold the fire, the user can ignite creatures with a touch, and the fire can be thrown at enemies or sprayed in a stream like a flamethrower.
A Seeker can use this to create an orb of angellight that hovers at a location, illuminating the area. The orb fires beams of brilliant light at Judged creatures that pass within ten meters of it as long as the Seeker concentrates. However, the orb can also be applied to an active Glyph, in which case its duration matches that of the Glyph's.

Equipment:

Arden chose to wear his normal garb on the trek to Tenemous, that short white cloak, his headband, the leather padding in the form of a vest and armour for his lower body, and a sash across his chest to keep the more personal tools of his close at hand. He had additionally brought a pack to carry the more essential parts of a traveler's commodities. In his sash he held his journal, parsed and cleaned for new notes for Tenemous, a writing utensil for such notes, and three vials of angel's teas, along with a full canteen pinned to the lower side of the sash. Arden also carried the essential materials for painting Glyphs and carving glow lines into weapons or other objects that could be used as weapons. Arden lastly carried his weight and-chain, Gavel. While it was originally seen as a flail, Arden had added links to it and made the head more cylindrical in an attempt to make it a longer ranged weapon. He was successful, and the weapon rested with its haft in a proper holster, and its chain and head curled into a more convenient configuration.

Other Notes: None, at the moment.
Player: @Cloudburst

lostfaith · May 15, 2017

Accepted~

I'll add it to the index tonight when I'm on my PC.

I hope to get this up and running by the end of the week, but that of course depends on someone else joining (hopefully playing a warrior since we've filled our keeper and hunter quotas).

Silver · May 15, 2017

I might be interested in playing. (It depends on my amount of ambition by Wednesday) But I was thinking of a warrior and keeper sibling set. How often would you need a post from us?

Moonbow · May 16, 2017

Joining along with my friends I'd love to give this a try too if you'd allow me^^

Name: Nikolai Lazarev
Age: 27
Gender: Male

Appearance: Nikolai is 6'4" and 207lbs with a bulky and athletic build. He has hazel colored eyes and a distinguished scar on the underside of the right hand side of his chin. He has a ruddy skin color with a stern and squared face and thick eyebrows that only accentuates his no-nonsense attitude. He keeps a clean shaven head at any time he can, but during expeditions will generally let it grow so as not to waste time. When it does grow it is a thick, jet black stubble. The mark of the Sword manifested on his inner left forearm, and he wears it proudly when possible.

While not on an Expedition he will wear conservative, inexpensive, practical clothes in no particular style. The only conscious choice he tends to make when dressing is to dress clean, professionally, and to keep his brand exposed for when the necessity arises. With the exception of in private, he will always hold himself professionally. Otherwise he relaxes greatly with his features also drooping as a result. When he leaves for an expedition however his attire changes greatly as described in equipment.

History: Nikolai's life in the city walls started much like any others. A sheltered life of careful growth and learning before the day one is eventually aware enough to realize the dangers and pains of the Judgement. Growing up his family were still worshipers of the Old Faith; undeniable love and worship for the Archangel and all the good they have done for us all. Were it not for the Archangel's protective nature and guidance the human race would have been wiped out by the Judgement cast on the planet by the Arbiter. Being part of the Old Faith his family also made a point of upholding old traditions like honour, nobility, and strength in training. Even as a child Nikolai viewed the strength of his family's values with pride and saw the Seekers as the epitome of the Archangels faith in humanity. Along with faith, this included strength in body as well as his family was one of the few he could remember that knew of the ancient martial art of Bajiquan. Once he was old enough to train with his father in the art of Bajiquan as well as minor physical training. He spent very little time with any of his younger peers, fearing that a life spent for fun or enjoyment belittles the life granted to them by the Archangel. It wasn't until early adolescence that he started his extreme physical training for the sole purpose of preparing his body for his Brand. While many of his peers feared that his wings would melt upon realizing he wouldn't get chosen, he ignored them and focused on the light of the Archangel and his training. He would become a warrior for light and the doubts of those around him would not falter him.

At the day of his 13th birthday his brand appeared; namely as soon as he struck down an ally in training. A knowing grin passed Nikolai's mouth as he gathered his things and bid farewell to his kind and loving family. They supported him in his training all these years and now it has finally paid off. His father couldn't be prouder, with his mother knowingly concerned for his safety. With the Archangels guidance however, he had nothing to be afraid of. When it came time for his training he chose what fit him best, and that was the path of the Warrior. Though the training was rigorous and demanding it was what Nikolai had prepared his entire life for and so took to the training with ease. The only oddity in his training was the use of multiple weapons, because his training lacked such things. He however learned their use happily as he started his career wielding the Morning Star, Loryg. In training he would use this in tandem with his Bajiquan, creating a devastating up close offensive that could easily drop his peers during training. It wasn't long before he was ready to go on his first Expedition with three allies. It was short, it was trying, and it gave Nikolai his first taste of being a Seeker. The end result was he learned first hand the power of those affected by the Judgement, and that he had the power to destroy them. It was an exciting expedition and his faith in the Archangel and the choices he made in life swelled at his first and coming successes for many years to come. All the work he had put in his entire life had finally paid off and he was working in the Archangels glory.

The latest of his expeditions however finally shook his resolve, and changed how he had viewed the Judgement from then on. Initially, he fought with grace, flair, and arrogance; destroying the Judged swiftly and efficiently while his allies picked off those he could not see or reach as well as gathering what they came for. They were in a Lost city checking a mausoleum for a relic that was said to be there as they were ambushed. At first Nikolai feared nothing as he took them straight on as blow after blow they fell. He had never felt the thrill of adventure so heavily as he did on that day, regardless of the damage taken. It wasn't until he had heard a cut off scream come from Anna the Hunter that he turned his head for a moment. The first thing he saw was her composite bow drop to the ground followed by a stream of blood coating the front of her leather armor. A bony claw had ripped through the back of her throat, and she was surely going to die. The Judged in question had found another way in along with others and they were fighting in close quarters with his allies. How could he not have noticed, how did they… His thought was interrupted by a blow to the underside of his chin, a deep gash left in its place as he fell to the ground with his morningstar clattering away. If it were a quarter of an inch closer his carotid artery would have been punctured, and he would have died. The Judged loomed over him with Nikolai's blood dripping from its claw as it moved in to finish him. Swiftly however Nikolai grabbed an arrow that Anna had dropped and drove it through the beast's head; the arrow snapping as a result. He rolled away from its collapsing corpse as, without thinking of it, pocketing the broken arrowhead of Anna. His heart was racing now, as there were far too many. How could this have happened? How could they have planned such a well thought out ambush? Now was not the time for questions as his hands lit up and he started to fight his way back to the others. Johnson, another hunter, had his back to a corner with only his knife as he was trying to fend off several at once. Nikolai had to get over there and help, but it was no use. The Judged were insurmountable in such a small place as even as he got painfully close Johnson too died before him. In a fit of rage Nikolai's muscles swelled as he violently burst through a number of the Judged shoulder first, killing all who stood around Johnson. What was left of Johnson however turned his stomach, so all he could manage was grabbing his dagger. He would not be forgotten for his sacrifice…

Sacrifice, that word was spoken often throughout his training and among his peers. It was considered one of the highest honors, to sacrifice oneself for the greater good and to not let their sacrifice be in vain. Well, he would not let the death of his two allies go forgotten. Turning to Amy he noticed she was faring quite well with her exotic bladed whip, Annaliesse. Even she could be seen growing tired though as he called out that they should retreat. Tossing her satchel filled with their findings, she called out for him to leap for the exit and that she would clear a path for herself. Balling her hands he could see her Star Blossom form, and with a knowing nod he gathered what little strength he had left and leapt through the doorway, collapsing a number of Judged in his path as he stood at the doorway destroying any Judged that dared to escape. Looking around the way was clear, all she needed to do was cast her light and they could leave this place together. With an ear shattering crunch however, he saw a portion of the mausoleum give in as many more Judged walked through towards her. It was many more than she was prepared to deal with, and they both knew this. With a final glance Amy gave Nikolai a smile, and mouthed "I'm Sorry." With that she focused the blast upward, and with the structural stability of the building already in question it came crumbling down around her, consuming her and Judged alike. Spending only a moment in shock, Nikolai grabbed his belongings and made the slow trek back to the City.

Sacrifice: an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. This is the definition he grew up with, this is what he regarded as a good thing. Everything he knew was wrong. Sacrifice is an excuse given when ones allies are not strong enough to help them. For them to trade their lives for his? It was inexcusable. Sacrifice may sound good to those dying, but to those left behind it was pure torture. From that day on he felt no joy, he felt no peace, he felt no light. All he felt was a pit in his heart where his weakness festered like an infected wound, telling him that had he stayed down there with her that she wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. When he returned he was regarded a hero, that their sacrifice was not in vain. Those people were naive and knew not what sacrifice truly was. From then on he tried his hardest to not go on two expeditions with the same group. He could not afford to grow attached again. On the field he now acted only to protect his allies and himself in all respects, as any sacrifice from that point on was no longer an option. While he considered getting a new weapon to replace his Morningstar, he instead simply got his Gauntlet carved and named in its place and commissioned a set of plate mail armor. He would not lose his weapon in the middle of combat again. Instead, he would fight as if he was a weapon simply to protect those around him. With the most recent expedition he was asked to go on his thoughts were the same. Keep those around him from dying at all costs, because being left behind is the greatest form of torture...

Class: Warrior
Brand:

AngelLight Archangel’s Blessing Reach for Heaven Killing Hands Angel’s Strength

Using the Angellight Arcanum, a Seeker can shed a soft white light from their hand to illuminate their surroundings (with a maximum radius of around ten meters) or concentrate to create temporary glowing stars about the size of their fist, which shed the same illumination and can be carried or caused to hang as a fixture in the air. This star requires most of a Seeker's focus to maintain, and cannot be sustained while doing anything else that requires one's concentration, such as fighting or reading. Angellight is also used to charge glowcarved weapons and create Angel's Tears
Archangel's Blessing is a passive Arcanum that grants several benefits that define all Seekers. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and speed that allows Seekers to match the inhuman abilities of the Judged, immunity to the curse which hangs over the Old Lands and transforms normal humans and animals into monsters, and a healing factor that allows Seekers to recover from wounds quickly. This regeneration can close flesh wounds in a matter of minutes, as well as restoring more serious injuries, such as broken bones and deep cuts, in several hours. Seekers can still die from blood loss if the flow isn't staunched long enough for the wound to close, and although they can heal damaged internal organs with time, they still die if, for example, their heart is destroyed.
Reach for Heaven is a passive Arcanum that empowers a Seeker's leaps, causing them to jump roughly double the distance they could otherwise, commonly used by Hunters of the Sword.
Killing Hands allows a Seeker to empower their hands, charging them in the same manner as a glowcarved weapon and making them lethal weapons against the Judged. Any other Arcanum that discharges a charge functions normally with Killing Hands.
A Seeker who activates this Arcanum pushes their strength to the absolute limit of their ability; under the effects of Angel's Strength, a Seeker is strong enough to rip muscles apart or break bones with their bare hands, even crushing weakened stone with effort. However, this tires the user extremely quickly, and overexerting oneself while using this Arcanum can damage one's muscles.

Equipment: During expeditions in which mobility is necessary his torso is adorned primarily with a thin chain mail, with leather armor worn over the shoulders and leftmost chest, with the rest covering his entire left arm with the exception of his hands. His left bracer is made to open on the undermost side in order to expose his brand when necessary, but otherwise is tightly wrapped. His left hand only has leather wraps that extend to his knuckles, whereas his right is equipped with a light metal gauntlet named Precium. His legs consist of standard hardened leather with additional support on his calves and feet. In his pack however he carries a set of Plate Mail that he had commissioned that is built for utmost defense while leaving joints more exposed so as to allow him freedom of movement. One day he plans on adorning it with further armor or blades as the need arises, but for now this will do. On his back is a specialized, mounted backpack that is tied at multiple points along his back and belt. With its design the weight management is much easier as it helps to counterbalance with his shifting weight. In a pinch however with a single pull at his belt loop the backpack drops to the ground and lands on its flat bottom. Along with his regular expeditionary supplies he also stores the dagger Spero, and the arrowhead Percu. Otherwise he wields no other personal weapons with the exception of his own fists.

The majority of the equipment he carries is less useful in combat, and is more so for out of combat utility. This includes rope, a small vial of acid, a dozen pitons, flint and steel, tiger claws for hands and feet, some clearwater tablets, a tactical knife, strips of cloth and a small vial of oil. The rest is reserved for room to carry home relics, as well as food and water. Nikolai does not carry any Angel Tears, and if necessary will simply make them in the field.

Other Notes: At present time he is making a point to try and earn enough favor to upgrade his armor. The heavier the better in his view. At present his plate mail armor is suitable, but soon he hopes to get strong enough to comfortably wear Double Plate and still practice his Martial Arts.
Player: Moonbow

lostfaith · May 16, 2017

@Silver If you can manage at least a couple posts per week, you're good.

And damn it. I knew I forgot something in the first post. And that would be number of characters.

I only want one main character per player; however, side characters and NPCs are fine. While a side character wouldn't go on the Tenemous Expedition, part of the RP will be spent in the Mountain City itself, and they could play a role then.

@Moonbow Looks good! Minor note, though--Brands manifest no later than thirteen. It's unheard of for one to appear at twenty (except for the very first Seekers, but those were the exceptions as they were created as a direct response to the Judgement). Also, the Seekers going on the Tenemous Expedition are getting the best that the order has because of their importance; Nikolai would have no problem commissioning a set of custom plate mail.
Accepted, I'll add it to the index when you fix the age thing.

Moonbow · May 16, 2017

Aah, my apologies, I guess I missed that portion ^^; I'll go ahead and change that and commission the Plate mail post accident.

Edit: Successfully Edited

lostfaith · May 16, 2017

Updated the index.

I'm going to to start writing this, planning to see it posted on thursday, but I can delay to friday or saturday if @Silver or anyone else who turns up by that point needs more time to write their characters.

（‐＾▽＾‐）~♪

Once Long Ago ~ Out of Character/Sign-up (Gothic Horror)

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