Winter's Wings: A Tremian Tale (Original ttrpg-Inspired Quest)
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Rufus - Rain Barrel
A/N: Warning! Contains depictions of child abuse.
"C'mon, c'mon" Rufus quietly pleaded with the rain barrel but, stubbornly, it refused to budge. Rufus turned and braced his back against the rough wood. He screwed his eyes shut and pushed with all his might, hoping that desperation would give him the strength he needed. Instead, his feet slipped in the early spring mud, and he went tumbling to the mushy ground.
He popped up, spitting out mud. "Stupid barrel," he grumbled.
Stupid Rufus, was what he was thinking, though. Weak Rufus. You're already 8 years old and you can't knock over a dumb old barrel. Any of the other boys on the farm would have tipped it over already, no problem.
The other boys hadn't wanted to help Rufus, though. When he'd told the others his plan earlier in the day, they'd looked at him like he was crazy. He'd been cuffed upside the head a couple times, too.
"Well, they're all just chicken," Rufus muttered as he squared up with his nemesis, the barrel, again. This time, he made sure his feet were firmly placed before he renewed his efforts. Thirty seconds of straining later, Rufus collapsed against the side of the barn, gasping for breath. The barrel still hadn't budged.
Frustration and desperation was mounting in his chest, welling up at the corners of his eyes. Rufus sniffed once but, with a force of will, that was all. He wasn't going to give the barrel the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Still, he wasn't going to tip it over by pushing, that was clear. The same rains that had turned the ground around the barn into mud had filled the barrel and it was simply too heavy for him to budge at all.
"Okay, okay, okay," Rufus just didn't know how much time something like this took. If he didn't act fast, maybe he would miss the whole thing. Then the ridicule this morning and the thrashing he'd catch tonight for skipping out on seeding would have all been worthless. Rufus pressed the back of his head against the barn and screwed his eyes shut, forcing himself to think.
A thought came to him.
Hurriedly, Rufus ran inside the barn. He didn't even stop to greet his favorite sow as she snorted in surprise at the sudden intrusion into her domain. Rufus made a beeline for the tools hanging from the wall and, after a moment's consideration, yanked down a pitchfork. Rufus picked up discarded length of wood too and sprinted back out, calling "Bye, Sacha!" behind him because, really, she'd be upset if he'd said nothing at all.
The mud yielded easily to the tines of the pitchfork as he slipped it under the barrel. Grunting, Rufus raised it up slightly and kicked the piece of wood underneath the shaft. He stepped back and, for a moment, admired the makeshift lever he'd created. Unfortunately, making the thing meant he'd still have to use it. If this doesn't work… Rufus shook the thought from his head and rolled up the sleeves on his tunic. He gripped the shaft of the pitchfork and heaved downward with all of his might!
Nothing.
The barrel hadn't shifted an inch. Rufus almost screamed in frustration. He'd come so far, risked so much, spent so much time. He knew he wasn't strong or fast or tough but he'd thought he'd had his mind. If that was going to fail him when he needed it most that meant he had… nothing. He was… nothing. Just a poor little orphan, dropped off on someone else's farm. Unwanted. Unloved. Worthless.
No. I've come this far, I can go further.
Unsteadily, Rufus climbed up onto the pitchfork. His weight swayed wildly under him as he slowly rose to standing. He could see the open top of the rain barrel now and the dark water that sloshed inside, filling it to the brim. Rufus took a breath to steady himself, then another. Then he jumped.
As his feet came back down on the shaft of the pitchfork, there was a sharp krak! and his world went sideways. The wood gave way and Rufus was falling again. His world exploded in white and shock as he slammed into the side of the barn, headfirst.
Rufus came to his senses a moment later, sprawled out in the mud again. A sharp ache was spreading across his forehead and something wet was tickling the side of his nose. He was on his back, staring up at the heavy, grey sky. His brow furrowed. What am I doing he- the confusion passed and Rufus popped up as fast as he could, scanning left and right to see if his plan had worked.
There was the side of the old barn, pitted and rotted in places but still very sturdy as his battered forehead could attest. There were the woods, stretching out for miles beyond the edge of the farm. Rufus had chosen this barn, this rain barrel, because it was on the edge of the property. He'd hoped that this was the last place people would look for him when they realized he was missing. Rufus didn't see the rain barrel.
"No, no…" Rufus looked around frantically, but it was nowhere to be seen until he happened to glance downward. There, on its side with the water gushing out, was the barrel.
"Yes!" Rufus allowed himself a small cry of triumph and immediately regretted it. If someone heard and came looking, it would still ruin everything. Tipping over the barrel, after all, had only been the start of the plan, not the whole of it.
Conscious of the time he'd already wasted and pointed not looking at the broken pitchfork, Rufus hurried over the barrel and begin to roll it away. It moved with almost insulting ease, now that it was on its side and the water drained out.
He didn't have far too go but still, the trip had Rufus's heart pounding in his ears. No one should have been on the ill-used paths through the woods that Rufus rolled the barrel down but there was always the off chance that someone else was skipping out on work too.
Luck was on his side, however, and Rufus met no one on the path or when he came out of the woods again behind the chicken coop. The chickens, which had all been displaced to the yard around the coup, startled to see him but Rufus leaned in and whispered soothingly, calming them before they made too much of a racket. Animals are easy, Rufus mused, if only people were too. Sometimes, Rufus thought that he could even understand them, animals that is, and that they could understand him. That was silly, of course.
Leaving the barrel behind for a moment, Rufus pressed his ear up against the side of the coup. On the other side of the wooden boards, Rufus could make out, ever so faintly, whispering and the low labored breathing of the farm's only arouchs. His heart leapt into his throat. She was still doing it! Fear and excitement mingled in his chest and it took only a moment for excitement to win. As quickly as he could, Rufus rolled the barrel into place, stood it up on its side and climbed atop it.
From his high vantage point, he was just tall enough to peak into the tiny window near the roof of the chicken coop, if he stood on his tiptoes.
The space in the center of the chicken coop had been cleared and laying in it was Ansel the aurochs, his huge flanks heaving and slick with sweat. In the darkness of the coup, Rufus could make out the stark white of his eyes as they rolled wildly in their sockets. The sharp awful tang of his sickness filled the air, even from as far away as Rufus was. His heart ached for the poor creature. When Ansel had first fallen sick, it had taken Rufus days to realize that everyone else was worried about what his death would mean for their livelihoods, not that their friend was suffering.
Rufus blinked. The coop should have been almost completely dark. He shouldn't have been able to see Ansel at all. Then he noticed them, the tiny witch lights which hovered and danced like story tale sprites. In their silvery light, Rufus could also just make out the dark shape of someone crouched over Ansel, wearing long cloak.
The witch! Rufus's heart thrilled.
Low muttered words flowed out from beneath the cloak, their meaningless syllables seeming to echo into Rufus's head. He could almost taste them on the air, a clean, buzzing flavor that undercut the deathly smell of Ansel's sickness.
Magic! She's using magic!
Rufus shifted position, slightly, to get a better look. Under the cloak, he could see hands! Her long, crooked fingers were hovering just above the festering wound in Ansel's side. They were moving but she didn't seem to be touching the wound. What is she doing? Her hands were moving, fingers forming shapes, as if she was kneading dough in some queer manner, but there didn't seem to be anything there…
Rufus squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look. He focused, the pain from where he'd hit his head on the barn, the hammering of his heart in his chest, it all slipped away. For a moment, Rufus thought he saw it. There was light. Skeins of subtle color radiating out from Ansel, from the floor of the coop, from the cloaked witch herself. With those hands, she was touch them, molding them into… something. There, just above Ansel's open sore, she was weaving a pattern from the skeins of half-visible light.
Unbidden, a sigh slipped from Rufus's lips. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And, somehow, it made sense. Not wholly, not completely, but something about it seemed familiar, intuitive even. It's going to close the wound! Rufus realized, she's going to heal Ansel! She-
"There you are, you little shit"
A hand, large and calloused, grabbed Rufus by the hair and yanked him off the barrel, into the air.
Rufus screamed in surprise and pain. His hands flew up to try to pull the fingers away from his head but their grip was like iron. Rufus was spun around and found himself staring into the furious face of Losef, the owner of the farm. Then the back of Losef's other hand smashed into Rufus's cheek and he saw only stars.
"Shut the hells up," Losef hissed in his ear, "Shut the hells up and listen. Can you do that for once in your fucking life?"
Rufus hung limply from the man's grip, too afraid to move despite the pain. He tasted blood in his mouth.
"Well?" Losef's voice dropped even lower, carrying the promise of much worse violence.
Rufus nodded, not trusting himself open his mouth.
Apparently that wasn't good enough, as Losef shook Rufus slightly, causing the pain where his hand gripped Rufus by the hair to flare savagely. Rufus choaked back a gasp of pain but managed to croak, "Yes."
"Yes? Yes, what?"
"Yes, Losef, I can listen. I can listen, sir!"
"Keep your fucking voice down, you rat." Losef began to drag Rufus away from the chicken coop. "It's too late to start listening now. Why weren't you listening when we told you all the witch was not to be disturbed! If you fucked up whatever ritual she's got going on in there and Ansel dies, I'll personally make sure you go with him!"
"But I was just-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! This is the last time you skip work. All the other kids are with the program; why can't you get it too? No! You've gotta run around, poking your little fucking nose where it doesn't belong. We took you in, damn it! And this is how you repay us?!"
They'd gotten out of sight of the coup now. Rufus knew what was coming. He'd been here before… but this was the first time he'd seen Losef this angry. There was nothing Rufus could say, nothing he could do, to prevent the beating that was coming. He'd hurt for days, maybe weeks, and be expected to work without complaint or the beatings would come all over again. All to see a handful of seconds of magic… was it worth it?
The answer came to him immediately, from somewhere deep within him.
Yes.
For that one moment where he'd seen the witch twisting on the threads that underpinned reality, where he'd seen her shaping them into something powerful, where he felt like he'd almost understood… that was worth anything.
With bloodstained teeth, Rufus smiled.
The farmhouse had a sort of… rustic charm, Mia supposed. Sturdy furniture and a large hearth. She smiled to see the extra-large table which still had a scattering of plates and cutlery on it.
Losef and his wife were good people. After the recent troubles, they taken in many of the orphaned boys and girls to raise as if they were their own. That was most of the reason why she'd agreed to take on the job in the first place.
That, and she had been impressed when one of the villagers had managed to work up the courage to knock on her door at all. She had garnered something of a reputation in Truud as a wild witch of the woods, after all these years. Maybe they even told stories about her to frighten their children.
Mia smiled to herself as she waited for Losef to return. The thought, she had to admit, wasn't without appeal. Reputation was the Dominion's first defense, why shouldn't a lone elf such as herself use it too? Her smile soured, turning into a grimace. On second thought, maybe I should start thinking about moving on. A reputation was a blade that cut both ways. She'd seen enough torches and pitchforks in the Spearswood to last her a lifetime, even one as long as hers.
The door to the farmhouse banged open and Losef strode inside. A young human boy trailed in behind him. The boy was small and skinny and looked like he'd just lost a fight. Badly. Losef pointed to a stool in the corner and the boy hurried over and sat. He kept stealing glances at her though… Weird, Mia thought and then dismissed it immediately.
"Sorry for the delay," Losef rumbled as he settled in the chair next to Mia.
She waved off his apology, "Running a farm is hard work, I imagine. Especially with all those children running around." Something crossed Losef's face that Mia couldn't quite parse. Human expressions often confounded her.
"Yes…" he hesitated for a moment, "Is it done?"
Mia nodded, "Simple spell, really, but time consuming. The infection had spread into his bloodstream and from there into several organs. I had to design something that would seek out…" Losef's eyes had taken on a slightly glazed look but the boy in the corner was staring at her openly now… huh. "It doesn't matter. Your cow's good as new. Well, he should be soon. Make sure he gets water and rest, as much as you can spare."
A burden visibly lifted from Josef's shoulders. For the first time, he seemed to relax in his chair. Mia noted the sheer size of the man. He was big, even for a human… knuckles bruised, too… huh… Losef opened his mouth to say something but Mia interrupted him. "Hey, mind if I ask you something. What happened to that kid over there?"
"Him? He… got into a fight with some of the other children. Poor boy, he hasn't adjusted to life on our farm as well as the others."
"Huh."
There was a moment of awkward silence. "It's not important. Ansel will be well, then? I cannot begin to thank you enough. Or to dream of how I can repay you. We have little here but all you have to do is ask and it is yours."
"How about the kid?"
[] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
[] Rufus stays on the farm and teaches himself magic. He will be a generalist caster.
[] Rufus runs away from the farm and joins the Longwinter Association. He will learn extensive healing magic but will never use offensive spells.
[] Write-in.
I like both options.
On the one hand, we get a highly specialized nature magician who traveled with an elf.
On the other hand, we get a universal magician who probably knows how to understand people and has stealth skills.
[X] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
[X] Rufus stays on the farm and teaches himself magic. He will be a generalist caster.
And yes, for a medieval society, this is not a very cruel punishment.
Rufus was very lucky that the witch turned out to be decent. And there really was no serious ritual. Plus, if the peasants work in the field, then absolutely all hands are needed. "Summer feeds all year round." Although it would be better to leave at least someone to look after the animals in the pens.
On the one hand, we get a highly specialized nature magician who traveled with an elf.
On the other hand, we get a universal magician who probably knows how to understand people and has stealth skills.
[X] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
[X] Rufus stays on the farm and teaches himself magic. He will be a generalist caster.
And yes, for a medieval society, this is not a very cruel punishment.
Rufus was very lucky that the witch turned out to be decent. And there really was no serious ritual. Plus, if the peasants work in the field, then absolutely all hands are needed. "Summer feeds all year round." Although it would be better to leave at least someone to look after the animals in the pens.
Last edited:
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
Because this is the story that interests me the most.
Because this is the story that interests me the most.
Character Creation: Stage 2: Classes and Species
We're going to lock up the conclusion to Rufus's story here, I think. The winning is the following option:
[] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
You are a member of the Elder species, who specializes in Trickery and Light Weapons. Despite your skillset, you have an Honest personality. The task of the next stage of character creation is to refine those basic traits further, or to add to them.
There will be four parts to this stage of the process.
[] Dwarf
Deep below the surface, Tremia is riddle with a network of tunnels and caverns referred to as The Vaults. Long, long ago, the Dwarves emerged from this network. In the early annuls of history, Dwarves built for themselves high-mountain fortresses, however, all have since fallen or been lost. In the modern era, Dwarves tend to integrate well with communities of other races. With long lives to perfect their skills and a tendency towards craftsmanship, Dwarves often become prized citizens and pillars of community. Like all Elders, Dwarves must contend with lives that far exceed the scale of the people and societies that typically surround them. Traditionally, Dwarves will focus on the perfection of a craft to maintain purpose and focus throughout their lives. In the Malgravian Wingtip, many dwarves displaced by persecution in the Spearsgrave have made themselves new homes in the nation of Conacht, where their expertise with stone and metal has made them well-suited managing the mining operation on which the nation thrives. Many Conachtan cities are even built within the mountains, fashioned after fallen dwarven citadels of old.
[] Elf
The elves are, in many ways, the quintessential Elder subspecies. Certainly, it is the Elves that most humanoids picture when they think of Elders. This is because Elves are the most visible of the Elder, on an international scale. While other Elder have made small homes for themselves within or alongside other species, the Elves are the only ones who have been able to maintain their own nations. Two Elven nations exist on Tremia, the Aelvesh Dominion in Malgravia and Siluatar upon the Green Thumb of Vaakish. The Aelvesh Dominion is of particular importance to the Wingtip, as its has had major political ramifications in recent years. The Dominion is an ancient polity that maintains strict controls over outside influences. Foreigners are only allowed within specific border provinces that are largely populated by a caste of half-Elves specifically bred to interact with humanoids. The Dominion maintains a stance of strict neutrality regarding affairs outside its borders but responds with incredible violence at the merest hint of a threat. While Elves within the Dominion have cultivated a society that operates on a time-scale which suits them, those outside of it do not have that luxury. In general, Elves form attachments to things more permanent than the Fleeting or their works. Usually, this comes in the form of natural features. Often, the Elves encountered in Malgravia have appointed themselves as guardians of a particular forest or an entire species of creature.
[] Gnome
The diminutive Gnomes are an oddity among the Elder. Most Elder struggle to maintain a place for themselves in a world which is not built for them. They distance themselves from others to avoid lives which quickly become unbearable from under the weight of loss. Gnomes, conversely, tend to embrace attachment, embrace loss, and, consequentially, embrace madness. Gnomes tend at once to be the most and least well adjusted of the Elder subspecies. Fleeting that encounter them often find them personable and relatable, often appearing to think and act much like themselves. However, as they give freely of themselves, they inevitably lose more and more. The caprice and whimsy that many identify with gnomes turns into madness.
[] Halfling
Family and routine are the cornerstones of Halfling society. Halflings fall broadly into two categories, nomadic and sedentary. Sedentary Halflings form small, agrarian villages with their extended relations at the edges of humanoid society. They farm, fish, and cultivate, taking joy in honest work and its fruits. Nomadic Halflings tend to be caravanners, also living in familial groups, but taking to the roads instead of staying in one place. Halfling nomads often know the landscape better than any humanoid could hope to, as they have been plying the back trails since before roads were introduced to the land. While some see Halflings as simplistic or lacking in ambition, this does not make them any less an Elder. Ancient Halflings are just as capable of boiling oceans and leveling cities as any Elven or Dwarven antediluvian, although most would not bother unless it was their hearth or kin under threat. Halfling villages are not terribly uncommon in the Wingtip. In fact, Hessen was built quite near to a halfling settlement called Sweetwing Village, which has been beekeeping atop Sistefjersken Fjord for nigh on a millennium.
[] Merfolk
While Elves have the only nations upon Tremia, that does not account for the Merfolk who have long maintained kingdoms in the seas beneath. Merfolk are ill understood by land-dwellers and the two have little contact. The Merfolk have their own concerns and do not often trouble themselves to borrow those of the air-breathers. Merfolk dwellings are seldom found anywhere near the coasts, as they prefer the deeper ocean waters. However, some arctic varieties have settled beneath the Tzeket Sea, where they wage a war against the Leviathan Chorus that goes unnoticed by the surface world. In the south of Tremia, Merfolk Kingdoms surrounding the Song Islands come into more frequent contact with Fleeting than anywhere else. The Islanders frequently deal with Merfolk and stories of great loves and great wars cross the ocean's surface are a staple in most cultures of the Islands.
Bard's use the power of performance to bolster their allies and confound their enemies. Bards combine a wide variety of skills with intermediate magical proficiency into a highly versatile package.
[] Hedgewitch
A hedgewitch is defined by the paths that they follow. Hedgewitches may pursue a wide variety of different specialties, from the exorcism of spirits to the manipulation of shadows. By choosing the right paths, Hedgewitches can mimic or supplement the abilities of other classes.
[] Hunter
Hunters are masters of beasts and nature. They specialize in acting in concert with an animal companion while taking on animal features themselves. Together with their beast, bolstered by their magic, Hunters can be quite formidable.
[] Inquisitor
Divine magic is not only the holy light but also the shadow that it casts. Inquisitors combine sacred magic with dishonorable tactics. They use keen insight and extensive knowledge to find their targets and deliver judgement upon them.
[] Investigator
Investigators use intelligence and deductive reasoning to solve problems. An investigator may know some amount of magic or alchemy which they use to supplement their impressive minds. In combat, Investigators study foes closely to deliver deadly attacks.
[] Mesmerist
Wielding a potent, hypnotic stare, a powerful mesmerist can render their foes helpless with little more than a glance. All mesmerists use a wide variety of tricks, backed up with subtle charm and psychic magic, to overcome their challenges.
[] Rogue
The Rogue is the quintessential trickster. Rogues have a wide variety of skills and can choose between being a generalist or specializing in a particular area. Whatever the case, Rogues also excel at striking enemies where they are distracted or unprepared with devastating results.
[] Technician
Magic is a wild and wonderous thing but it is not the only path to power. Technicians embrace the wonders of science to achieve similar ends. A technician maintains a certain number of inventions, improved version of other items, and supplements them with impromptu gadgets such as tasers and shaped charges.
[] Troubadour
Troubadours inhabit characters so fully that they take on the skills of their invented identities. Troubadours can craft cover identities for themselves with whole other skillsets than their true identity. With this capability, they excel at both infiltration and at utility coverage, if they build identities to fill in gaps in the party's capabilities.
[] Wraith
Wraiths have the unusual power to shed their physical form and walk incorporeally or possess certain things. Some wraiths focus on inhabiting and controlling other people while others choose to animate objects or elements instead.
Armigers are able to use a wide variety of styles and tactics by customizing their weapons to suit themselves. Switching between different weapons allows an Armiger to bring different specialties to bear.
[] Armorist
Magical warriors capable of summoning weapons and armor, the Armorist is a highly versatile combatant. Armorists are capable of creating any armament they can wield but also curate a small stock of fixed weapons that are far more powerful.
[] Conscript
Conscripts are one of the most versatile of fighting classes. They can excel at any manner of combat that they put their mind to, from dual-wielding to fencing to weaponized thievery. The conscript is a versatile, powerful class that can become anything its user wants it to.
[] Crimson Dancer
Combining blood magic with fencing techniques, Crimson Dancers have an unsavory reputation that is well deserved. Their style is at once elegant and savage, alternating between slowing bleeding enemies to death and swiftly ending them with powerful finishing moves.
[] Fighter
Fighters are among the most technically masterful of all classes. They possess a wide array of feats, allowing them to access advanced techniques with their chosen style. Fighters also excel at mastering particular types of weapons to a degree that other classes cannot match.
[] Mageknight
The Mageknight is a warrior who knows a small number of magical spells to augment their capabilities. Mageknights also can select from a list of unique magical abilities that are uniquely suited to the battlefield: quick, short-lived effects that can still change the course of a duel.
[] Magus
Magi trade some of a mageknight's skill at arms for a broader mastery of magic. They are spellswords with the ability to cast spells directly through their weapon to deadly effect.
[] Ranger
Rangers use magic, martial prowess, and wilderness lore in potent combination. Rangers specialize both in fighting styles and in the terrain that they fight in. When Rangers are allowed to use their preferred weapons in their preferred location, they are difficult to match.
[] Slayer
Swift death is the art that the Slayer perfects. They combine a ranger's mastery of a specific fighting style with a rogue's lethality when striking at a vulnerable target. Slayers make excellent ambushers and assassins.
[] Swashbuckler
Charm and wit are just as integral to the fighting style of a Swashbuckler than technique. Swashbucklers favor fast piercing weapons to augment an acrobatic fighting style which incorporates impractical, flashy moves that somehow become deadly tools in the graceful arsenal of the Swashbuckler.
Vote for as many of the following Personality traits as you'd like. The trait that receives the most votes will be selected as the first of your character's personality traits.
[] Affable
[] Cruel
[] Extroverted
[] Generous
[] Hopeful
[] Insecure
[] Introverted
[] Jaded
[] Kind
[] Lighthearted
[] Materialistic
[] Naïve:
[] Patient
[] Peaceful
[] Pessimistic
[] Puns
[] Proud
[] Reckless
[] Confident
[] Serious
[] Violent
[] Write-in
[] Aenen Urui: The Grifter
Half-elf Troubador // Prodigy
Unwelcome in the Spearsgrave, hunted in the Dominion, Aenen heads west to find friendlier faces, but trouble seems to be keeping pace.
Party Role: Skill Monkey, Utility/Versatility
[] Murrak Smiling Fate: The Illusionist
Gnoll Fey Adept // Hedgewitch
Murrak had believed that growing up in the halls of High Heresy had prepared him for every kind of magical trickery in the book. However, no one is ready to be accidently teleported to the other side of the continent. One day, everyone's gonna have a good laugh about this one.
Party Role: Battlefield Control, Stealth
[] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
Human Conscript // Scholar
Fritz had his "one last job" about a decade ago. Turns out "set up for the rest of your life" doesn't mean much if you don't die young. Retirement was growing stale, anyways.
Party Role: Skirmisher, Debuffer
[] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
Human Mageknight (Warrior of the Holy Light) // Commander
A devout Arkyrian from the Spearsgrave, Yskla has instructed young war mages at a convent for many years. However, a ghost from her past has been sighted near Hessen and honor demands she meet it in person.
Party Role: Tank, Support
[] Rufus goes with Mia, the elven witch. He will learn magic that focuses on manipulating nature.
Character Creation: Stage 2: Classes and Species
The initial stage of character creation has concluded! The general shape of the character has been determined!You are a member of the Elder species, who specializes in Trickery and Light Weapons. Despite your skillset, you have an Honest personality. The task of the next stage of character creation is to refine those basic traits further, or to add to them.
There will be four parts to this stage of the process.
- Subspecies: All species of Tremia are further broken down into subspecies. Subspecies is analogous to race in a ttrpg system and carries with it long-reaching implications for your character, including their morphology and the culture that they likely come from.
- Classes: Having selected the skills that your character has, you will now go on to select the classes which give them those skills. There will be two lists provided which feature classes appropriate for the selected skillsets, please choose at least one option from each list.
- Personality (2 of 3): The defining of your character's personality traits continues here. From the list provided, an additional trait will be selected.
- Companion Sidestory: Alongside personality, this section returns from the last phase of character creation. Choose one of four possible companions to receive a sidestory during character creation and priority placement once the story begins.
Subspecies Selection
There are five subspecies of Elder that are common on Tremia. You will find brief descriptions of each below. The descriptions will be designed to convey an idea of what the typical member of that subspecies is like, however, adventures are anything except for typical. These descriptions are intended to inform what your character's background might be like, not to dictate it. In the next stage of character creation, the actual details of the background will be decided.[] Dwarf
Deep below the surface, Tremia is riddle with a network of tunnels and caverns referred to as The Vaults. Long, long ago, the Dwarves emerged from this network. In the early annuls of history, Dwarves built for themselves high-mountain fortresses, however, all have since fallen or been lost. In the modern era, Dwarves tend to integrate well with communities of other races. With long lives to perfect their skills and a tendency towards craftsmanship, Dwarves often become prized citizens and pillars of community. Like all Elders, Dwarves must contend with lives that far exceed the scale of the people and societies that typically surround them. Traditionally, Dwarves will focus on the perfection of a craft to maintain purpose and focus throughout their lives. In the Malgravian Wingtip, many dwarves displaced by persecution in the Spearsgrave have made themselves new homes in the nation of Conacht, where their expertise with stone and metal has made them well-suited managing the mining operation on which the nation thrives. Many Conachtan cities are even built within the mountains, fashioned after fallen dwarven citadels of old.
[] Elf
The elves are, in many ways, the quintessential Elder subspecies. Certainly, it is the Elves that most humanoids picture when they think of Elders. This is because Elves are the most visible of the Elder, on an international scale. While other Elder have made small homes for themselves within or alongside other species, the Elves are the only ones who have been able to maintain their own nations. Two Elven nations exist on Tremia, the Aelvesh Dominion in Malgravia and Siluatar upon the Green Thumb of Vaakish. The Aelvesh Dominion is of particular importance to the Wingtip, as its has had major political ramifications in recent years. The Dominion is an ancient polity that maintains strict controls over outside influences. Foreigners are only allowed within specific border provinces that are largely populated by a caste of half-Elves specifically bred to interact with humanoids. The Dominion maintains a stance of strict neutrality regarding affairs outside its borders but responds with incredible violence at the merest hint of a threat. While Elves within the Dominion have cultivated a society that operates on a time-scale which suits them, those outside of it do not have that luxury. In general, Elves form attachments to things more permanent than the Fleeting or their works. Usually, this comes in the form of natural features. Often, the Elves encountered in Malgravia have appointed themselves as guardians of a particular forest or an entire species of creature.
[] Gnome
The diminutive Gnomes are an oddity among the Elder. Most Elder struggle to maintain a place for themselves in a world which is not built for them. They distance themselves from others to avoid lives which quickly become unbearable from under the weight of loss. Gnomes, conversely, tend to embrace attachment, embrace loss, and, consequentially, embrace madness. Gnomes tend at once to be the most and least well adjusted of the Elder subspecies. Fleeting that encounter them often find them personable and relatable, often appearing to think and act much like themselves. However, as they give freely of themselves, they inevitably lose more and more. The caprice and whimsy that many identify with gnomes turns into madness.
[] Halfling
Family and routine are the cornerstones of Halfling society. Halflings fall broadly into two categories, nomadic and sedentary. Sedentary Halflings form small, agrarian villages with their extended relations at the edges of humanoid society. They farm, fish, and cultivate, taking joy in honest work and its fruits. Nomadic Halflings tend to be caravanners, also living in familial groups, but taking to the roads instead of staying in one place. Halfling nomads often know the landscape better than any humanoid could hope to, as they have been plying the back trails since before roads were introduced to the land. While some see Halflings as simplistic or lacking in ambition, this does not make them any less an Elder. Ancient Halflings are just as capable of boiling oceans and leveling cities as any Elven or Dwarven antediluvian, although most would not bother unless it was their hearth or kin under threat. Halfling villages are not terribly uncommon in the Wingtip. In fact, Hessen was built quite near to a halfling settlement called Sweetwing Village, which has been beekeeping atop Sistefjersken Fjord for nigh on a millennium.
[] Merfolk
While Elves have the only nations upon Tremia, that does not account for the Merfolk who have long maintained kingdoms in the seas beneath. Merfolk are ill understood by land-dwellers and the two have little contact. The Merfolk have their own concerns and do not often trouble themselves to borrow those of the air-breathers. Merfolk dwellings are seldom found anywhere near the coasts, as they prefer the deeper ocean waters. However, some arctic varieties have settled beneath the Tzeket Sea, where they wage a war against the Leviathan Chorus that goes unnoticed by the surface world. In the south of Tremia, Merfolk Kingdoms surrounding the Song Islands come into more frequent contact with Fleeting than anywhere else. The Islanders frequently deal with Merfolk and stories of great loves and great wars cross the ocean's surface are a staple in most cultures of the Islands.
Class Selection
The chosen skillsets for your character are Trickery and Light Weapons. Presented below are the lists of associated classes recommended for each of these skillsets and brief descriptions. As a Gestalt character, you will progress with two classes simultaneously. To that end, please vote for any number of the classes presented below but vote for at least one class from each category. The two options with the highest votes from each category will be your character's classes.Trickery Classes
[] BardBard's use the power of performance to bolster their allies and confound their enemies. Bards combine a wide variety of skills with intermediate magical proficiency into a highly versatile package.
[] Hedgewitch
A hedgewitch is defined by the paths that they follow. Hedgewitches may pursue a wide variety of different specialties, from the exorcism of spirits to the manipulation of shadows. By choosing the right paths, Hedgewitches can mimic or supplement the abilities of other classes.
[] Hunter
Hunters are masters of beasts and nature. They specialize in acting in concert with an animal companion while taking on animal features themselves. Together with their beast, bolstered by their magic, Hunters can be quite formidable.
[] Inquisitor
Divine magic is not only the holy light but also the shadow that it casts. Inquisitors combine sacred magic with dishonorable tactics. They use keen insight and extensive knowledge to find their targets and deliver judgement upon them.
[] Investigator
Investigators use intelligence and deductive reasoning to solve problems. An investigator may know some amount of magic or alchemy which they use to supplement their impressive minds. In combat, Investigators study foes closely to deliver deadly attacks.
[] Mesmerist
Wielding a potent, hypnotic stare, a powerful mesmerist can render their foes helpless with little more than a glance. All mesmerists use a wide variety of tricks, backed up with subtle charm and psychic magic, to overcome their challenges.
[] Rogue
The Rogue is the quintessential trickster. Rogues have a wide variety of skills and can choose between being a generalist or specializing in a particular area. Whatever the case, Rogues also excel at striking enemies where they are distracted or unprepared with devastating results.
[] Technician
Magic is a wild and wonderous thing but it is not the only path to power. Technicians embrace the wonders of science to achieve similar ends. A technician maintains a certain number of inventions, improved version of other items, and supplements them with impromptu gadgets such as tasers and shaped charges.
[] Troubadour
Troubadours inhabit characters so fully that they take on the skills of their invented identities. Troubadours can craft cover identities for themselves with whole other skillsets than their true identity. With this capability, they excel at both infiltration and at utility coverage, if they build identities to fill in gaps in the party's capabilities.
[] Wraith
Wraiths have the unusual power to shed their physical form and walk incorporeally or possess certain things. Some wraiths focus on inhabiting and controlling other people while others choose to animate objects or elements instead.
Light Weapons Classes
[] ArmigerArmigers are able to use a wide variety of styles and tactics by customizing their weapons to suit themselves. Switching between different weapons allows an Armiger to bring different specialties to bear.
[] Armorist
Magical warriors capable of summoning weapons and armor, the Armorist is a highly versatile combatant. Armorists are capable of creating any armament they can wield but also curate a small stock of fixed weapons that are far more powerful.
[] Conscript
Conscripts are one of the most versatile of fighting classes. They can excel at any manner of combat that they put their mind to, from dual-wielding to fencing to weaponized thievery. The conscript is a versatile, powerful class that can become anything its user wants it to.
[] Crimson Dancer
Combining blood magic with fencing techniques, Crimson Dancers have an unsavory reputation that is well deserved. Their style is at once elegant and savage, alternating between slowing bleeding enemies to death and swiftly ending them with powerful finishing moves.
[] Fighter
Fighters are among the most technically masterful of all classes. They possess a wide array of feats, allowing them to access advanced techniques with their chosen style. Fighters also excel at mastering particular types of weapons to a degree that other classes cannot match.
[] Mageknight
The Mageknight is a warrior who knows a small number of magical spells to augment their capabilities. Mageknights also can select from a list of unique magical abilities that are uniquely suited to the battlefield: quick, short-lived effects that can still change the course of a duel.
[] Magus
Magi trade some of a mageknight's skill at arms for a broader mastery of magic. They are spellswords with the ability to cast spells directly through their weapon to deadly effect.
[] Ranger
Rangers use magic, martial prowess, and wilderness lore in potent combination. Rangers specialize both in fighting styles and in the terrain that they fight in. When Rangers are allowed to use their preferred weapons in their preferred location, they are difficult to match.
[] Slayer
Swift death is the art that the Slayer perfects. They combine a ranger's mastery of a specific fighting style with a rogue's lethality when striking at a vulnerable target. Slayers make excellent ambushers and assassins.
[] Swashbuckler
Charm and wit are just as integral to the fighting style of a Swashbuckler than technique. Swashbucklers favor fast piercing weapons to augment an acrobatic fighting style which incorporates impractical, flashy moves that somehow become deadly tools in the graceful arsenal of the Swashbuckler.
Personality Selection (2 of 3)
This section is a continuation of the selection begun in the first stage of character creation. Please refer to the initial post, if you require clarity.Vote for as many of the following Personality traits as you'd like. The trait that receives the most votes will be selected as the first of your character's personality traits.
[] Affable
[] Cruel
[] Extroverted
[] Generous
[] Hopeful
[] Insecure
[] Introverted
[] Jaded
[] Kind
[] Lighthearted
[] Materialistic
[] Naïve:
[] Patient
[] Peaceful
[] Pessimistic
[] Puns
[] Proud
[] Reckless
[] Confident
[] Serious
[] Violent
[] Write-in
Sidestory Selection
This section is a continuation of the section found in the first stage. If you require clarity, please refer to the initial post.[] Aenen Urui: The Grifter
Half-elf Troubador // Prodigy
Unwelcome in the Spearsgrave, hunted in the Dominion, Aenen heads west to find friendlier faces, but trouble seems to be keeping pace.
Party Role: Skill Monkey, Utility/Versatility
[] Murrak Smiling Fate: The Illusionist
Gnoll Fey Adept // Hedgewitch
Murrak had believed that growing up in the halls of High Heresy had prepared him for every kind of magical trickery in the book. However, no one is ready to be accidently teleported to the other side of the continent. One day, everyone's gonna have a good laugh about this one.
Party Role: Battlefield Control, Stealth
[] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
Human Conscript // Scholar
Fritz had his "one last job" about a decade ago. Turns out "set up for the rest of your life" doesn't mean much if you don't die young. Retirement was growing stale, anyways.
Party Role: Skirmisher, Debuffer
[] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
Human Mageknight (Warrior of the Holy Light) // Commander
A devout Arkyrian from the Spearsgrave, Yskla has instructed young war mages at a convent for many years. However, a ghost from her past has been sighted near Hessen and honor demands she meet it in person.
Party Role: Tank, Support
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Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Elf
[X] Hedgewitch
[X] Inquisitor
[X] Mageknight
[X] Magus
[X] Hopeful
[X] Kind
[X] Patient
[X] Proud
[X] Aenen Urui: The Grifter
[X] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
[X] Hedgewitch
[X] Inquisitor
[X] Mageknight
[X] Magus
[X] Hopeful
[X] Kind
[X] Patient
[X] Proud
[X] Aenen Urui: The Grifter
[X] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
[X] Gnome
[X] Elf
[X] Hedgewitch
[X] Slayer
[X] Ranger
[X] Swashbuckler
[X] Materialistic
[X] Reckless
[X] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
I really like the combination of Swashbuckler and Hedgewitch. One specializes in showiness, the second provides this showiness. Perfect synergy.
[X] Elf
[X] Hedgewitch
[X] Slayer
[X] Ranger
[X] Swashbuckler
[X] Materialistic
[X] Reckless
[X] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
I really like the combination of Swashbuckler and Hedgewitch. One specializes in showiness, the second provides this showiness. Perfect synergy.
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SleepyCaterpilar
Just a Rapariga
[X] Merfolk
[X] Crimson Dancer
[X] Slayer
[X] Mesmerist
[X] Materialistic
[X] Proud
[X] Murrak Smiling Fate: The Illusionist
[X] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
[X] Crimson Dancer
[X] Slayer
[X] Mesmerist
[X] Materialistic
[X] Proud
[X] Murrak Smiling Fate: The Illusionist
[X] Ganymede Fritz: The Mercenary
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[X] Elf
[X] Investigator
[X] Fighter
[X] Focused
[X] Patient
[X] Investigator
[X] Fighter
[X] Focused
[X] Patient
An Elven Inquisitor could be a follower of any religion or faith. Since most religions are dominated by the Fleeting, they'd likely have a much different perspective on it than the typical follower.
The Arkyrian sect of the Arravites dominates the Spearsgrave and Elves are still unwelcome there. However, mainline Arravite tradition doesn't hold any special stigma against the elves.
The Aelvesh Dominion is officially atheist but does have a sort of... hero-cult thing going on which can bestow the equivalent of divine powers.
One second, one second.
Can we choose Izgoroki and become a prophet of a new god?! Or are some religions tied to races?
Yeah, that's 100% a possibility. You'd have to be a pretty kick-ass elf to impressive a horde of goblins, though!
Izgrokian is tied to Goblinoids, in that it was invented by them and hasn't spread far outside of Skeigolth but there's nothing that says an Elder can't become a prophet.
[X] Elf
[X] Bard
[X] Rogue
[X] Slayer
[X] Swashbuckler
[X] Proud
[X] Reckless
[X] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
The path of a flashy Elf here we come.
[X] Bard
[X] Rogue
[X] Slayer
[X] Swashbuckler
[X] Proud
[X] Reckless
[X] Yskla Anakvei: The Chosen One
The path of a flashy Elf here we come.
Voting on Stage 2 of character creation will end in 24 hours.
Currently, the following results will occur:
Subspecies: Elf
Classes: Slayer//Inquisitor
Personality: Honest, (one of Proud or Reckless, chosen randomly), ???
Companion Sidestory: Yskla Anakvei, the Chosen One
Companion Disqualified: (One of Menek Smiling Fate, The Illusionist, or Aenen Urui, The Grifter, chosen randomly)
Currently, the following results will occur:
Subspecies: Elf
Classes: Slayer//Inquisitor
Personality: Honest, (one of Proud or Reckless, chosen randomly), ???
Companion Sidestory: Yskla Anakvei, the Chosen One
Companion Disqualified: (One of Menek Smiling Fate, The Illusionist, or Aenen Urui, The Grifter, chosen randomly)
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Stage 3 of character creation will revolve around unifying what has been decided in the previous two stages into a cohesive narrative.
Agent of the Aelven Inquisitor is certainly going to be one of the options! However, honesty will make a... poor... character trait for one of them. Although having a story about an honest person who is forced to deceive the people around them could be very interesting! It also makes Yskla, who comes from institutions founded in direct response to action of the Elven Inquisition, a very interesting companion choice!
There will be other options, as well, such as an Arravite elf or even a Tzeket defector.
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Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
The Reckless trait for such a character looks much more out of place, in my opinion. Especially with the Slayer part. And this trait actually has a chance of winning. The risks of free voting, I suppose.
But what about a hot headed rookie
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
It sounds like something that happens in spite of the Inquisitor's methods, not because of them. Most of the work of a police officer is incredibly boring and methodical. This should be even more true for an inquisitor, since apostasy is much more difficult to detect than theft or murder.
But we're not just an Inquisitor, we're a Slayer. A dagger cutting the throat of heretics in a dream. Probably more peaceful activities are entrusted to owners of other skills.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
And it's certainly not a job where you can be impatient if you want to live long. Moreover, someone from the race of centenarians should have died a long time ago from this. Unless it was unjustified killings of civilians, of course.
It's funny, but by elven standards, we don't live long. It is likely that we were simply tolerated, and since the elves live for hundreds and hundreds of years, they have serious patience. Rather, it suggests that we are so obnoxious that we were sent on a solitary mission to the most unnecessary region. Or we ourselves ran away and our former colleagues are hunting for us.
Why were we tolerated? Perhaps a family, perhaps connections, perhaps there is an exam that we passed well and we had no right to be expelled as long as we remain at least within some limits. Tradition and elves. Synonyms.