Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
Oh, of course, almost any such combination can be justified. Doesn't make this combination any less inappropriate, though.
Winter's Wings: A Tremian Tale (Original ttrpg-Inspired Quest)
- Thread starter CoatRackRanger
- Start date
- Original Mature Fantasy
-
- Tags
- original
Oh, of course, almost any such combination can be justified. Doesn't make this combination any less inappropriate, though.
I agree.
And yet it is less out of place than the Greek colony on Socotra (Island off Somalia). What doesn't happen in life?
P.S. An interesting fact that I accidentally found out today. I pass it on.
That's a lot of the fun of it, for me. I'm excited to see which of the interpretations of the combinations of chosen attributes interest you the most. I also am very excited for the prospect of a character whose personality is at odds with their skillset. Having an honest character who needs to lie or a reckless character that needs to be patient sets up very interesting internal conflicts. There may even be a point where they have to decide which is more important: duty or staying true to themselves.
Two hours left in the vote. It's very close on a lot of the classes! Just one or two votes could have a huge impact.
Voting for Stage 2 is closed!
Species: Elder
Subspecies: Elf
Skillset: Trickery, Light Weapons
Class: Slayer//Mesmerist
Personality: Honest, Proud, ???
Companion Sidestory: Yskla Anakvei, The Chosen One
Eliminated Companion: Murrak Smiling Fate, The Illusionist
In Class, there was a three way tie for the Trickery class and in Sidestories, there was a two-way tie for last. Given that, I'm going to roll to determine the selected and eliminated results respectively.
Class Roll-off
1. Hedgewitch
2. Inquisitor
3. Mesmerist
Companion Roll-off
1. Aenen Urui, The Grifter
2. Murrak Smiling Fate, The Illusionist
3. Roll Again
Edit: The dice have spoken!
Species: Elder
Subspecies: Elf
Skillset: Trickery, Light Weapons
Class: Slayer//Mesmerist
Personality: Honest, Proud, ???
Companion Sidestory: Yskla Anakvei, The Chosen One
Eliminated Companion: Murrak Smiling Fate, The Illusionist
In Class, there was a three way tie for the Trickery class and in Sidestories, there was a two-way tie for last. Given that, I'm going to roll to determine the selected and eliminated results respectively.
Class Roll-off
1. Hedgewitch
2. Inquisitor
3. Mesmerist
Companion Roll-off
1. Aenen Urui, The Grifter
2. Murrak Smiling Fate, The Illusionist
3. Roll Again
Edit: The dice have spoken!
Last edited:
Ufff.
Mesmerist.
The least preferred option for me of all.
We need to think about the third trait so that our hero does not have a psychosis on the first turn. The inquisitor would be easier to win back (((
Mesmerist has some exceptionally cool abilities!
They have assess to some amount of magic, including Mind magic. They can focus a debilitating stare on targets which can debuff them in all sorts of ways and make them take more damage. They can implant hypnotic suggestions in themselves and/or their allies for a nasty surprise. They can remove negative conditions with a touch. They get plenty of other things besides!
That being said... I like Mesmerist but Hedgewitch is hands-down my overall favorite class... I'm not above a vote off between the three options if that's generally desired.
They have assess to some amount of magic, including Mind magic. They can focus a debilitating stare on targets which can debuff them in all sorts of ways and make them take more damage. They can implant hypnotic suggestions in themselves and/or their allies for a nasty surprise. They can remove negative conditions with a touch. They get plenty of other things besides!
That being said... I like Mesmerist but Hedgewitch is hands-down my overall favorite class... I'm not above a vote off between the three options if that's generally desired.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
I do not mind. Maybe make it part of the next round of voting?
Hypnosis is literally the last resort of an honest person. And an honest and proud person will choose the very, very, very last.
Of course, I don't know the relationship in your world to Mesmerist, but if I were the ruler, then choosing who to start persecuting: demonologists, or people who are able to control my mind... Let's just say. Demons are less dangerous and creepy. At least they won't make me smother my son with a pillow.
I'll tag it onto the companion sidestory, which I'll have up tomorrow.
Hm... I was aiming for Reckless for our last personality trait, but considering our second class is Mesmerist, your points are valid.
How about we go for Naive? I think it will blunt the negatives provided by Honest, and Proud. Where I think we would mostly follow every other Mesmerist teaching's without question, which is most likely being subtle, but to those close to us we just brag all day about how great we are.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
I'm looking for a good trait, like justice or compassion. It's pretty unusual for a assasin, and, well... The character must have at least one positive trait, right?
Like Compassion more than Justice. Because with the combination of Honest and Proud along with Compassion, we still did what we did because we care about others in the end, and have no shame in them because we thought we are doing a good thing no matter the method. With Justice though? I think it would more likely lead to 'My Way is Always Right' personality. Which is too edgy and forceful for me.
A naive adventurer sounds even worse than an insane adventurer. This will definitely explain our choice of classes, but the difficulties we will have until we get rid of this trait ...
I don't want to lose my companions just because we were cheated on the difficulty of the mission.
I'm actually glad we got Mesmerist. It forces us to have to make do with what we have, and it can create fro so,e pretty interesting interactions. I don't want to go back on the established chance of dice and voting, just because we didn't get the (heavy quotations because I know it's not) "best option". At the very least, try it before you slam it, you know?
Besides, bygones are bygones. If it's happened, it's happened. Look forward into the future and walk, instead of backtracking and trying to change the past.
Besides, bygones are bygones. If it's happened, it's happened. Look forward into the future and walk, instead of backtracking and trying to change the past.
It's just that from my point of view, playing an honest hypnotist is about as easy as a cowardly berserker. Sort of. How?
If we had any other trait besides Honest, it would work just fine. If we didn't have Pride, which in my understanding reinforces honesty, it would work with little effort. How to make it work with this combination? I hope the author knows, because I - don't.
I have a couple of ideas. In the most positive application, your character uses their hypnotic talents in a sort of… therapeutic way. They are more about autohypnosis to prevent self-deception than they are breaking the minds of others. They have tricks to sharpen their own mind and the minds of their allies.
Slightly less sunshiny, they might use truth and clarity offensively on their enemies. Their stare might overwhelm the senses instead of clouding them. It might bring hidden doubts to the surface instead of whispering lies. I think this modus operandi ties well into pride too. Other mesmerists lie but you achieve more using only the truth.
Lastly, we could embrace the dissonance. Maybe your character has a natural talent for mind manipulation that their circumstances forced them to cultivate. They dislike dishonesty, they try to tell the truth when they can, but their powers often force their hand.
Yskla - Unready
A/N: Contains some gore.
A/N 2: This piece is set in the Arkyrian Convents of the Spearsgrave, which are covered in the Magic of Tremia section. That information is reproduced below.
Arkyrian Convents
In 5:147, Augdunna Tryggvisdottr, The Queen of Spears, was magically assassinated before her assembled troops on the eve of their invasion of the Aelvesh Dominion. As her young empire swiftly crumbled, anti-elven and anti-arcane sentiment swept across the region. In the face of an increasingly violent power vacuum, the Arkyrian sect of the Arravite faith used this as an opportunity to consolidate power and secure their influence against the oncoming chaos. Old religious divides were set aside as a mass proclamation was made that arcane magic was a curse from the Blind Titans and those who would practice it required the proper religious education for the good of others and their own souls.
In all nations in modern Spearsgrave, Arkyrian Convents are the only institutions legally allowed to teach arcane magic. Not only do they educate and indoctrinate promising children, there are also policies in place which require those who display sorcerous potential to be remanded to the convents as wards of the church. As befits the grim, militaristic dogma of the Arkyrian faith and the persistent civil wars of the Spearsgrave, most who receive their education from a convent are war wizards, specializing in the most destructive applications of magic.
As was perhaps intended, religious control of war magic has kept the Arkyrians relevant and powerful throughout the Spearsgrave's history of turmoil, forcing nobles to court the church for the ability to compete with each other on the fields of battle.
The cobblestones of the road that the pair of wagons clattered down still showed signs of scorching from when Chastrune had burned twenty years ago. On either side of the road, the charred wreckage of buildings loomed, jutting out from the snowy ground like a forest of blackened ribs. Their destination stood tall above the wreckage, an untouched fortress in the center of the devastation. The Convent of the Final Dawn had withstood the conflagration that consumed Chastrune and rebuilt but the city had not been reclaimed. The new rulers of Imiland wanted the former capitol to remain as a monument to their power.
Yskla Anakvei watched the wagons approach from atop the ramparts of the Convent. She remembered well the view from the inside. She'd been six when she'd arrived at the Convent and now, twice that time later, if she closed her eyes, she could still hear the rattle of the wagon wheels, see the flash of dappled shadows and smell the odor of old smoke. At the time, she'd been terrified and it had seared the experience into her memory forever. Yskla was certain that the new crop of initiates within the wagons were feeling much the same as she had then.
When she had been an initiate, Yskla had come here as often as she could. Back then, the burned-out city on the other side of the Convents walls might as well have been on the other side of the Treste. Even with a curse as minor as her, she was too much of a danger to be allowed outside in the world. But now… now that she was a Sister of the Final Dawn herself, Yskla could walk outside the gate the guards would not question her about anything more than when she intended to return, let alone try to stop her.
It didn't feel like she'd expected it to. For most of the last twelve years, she'd worked towards this moment. Initiates who graduated, and those who were made Brothers and Sisters in particular, were supposed to have complete mastery over their Curse. But Yskla felt… the same. Awareness of the magic all around her thrummed just on the other side of conscious awareness. If she listened, she could hear the pernicious song of the Titans, calling her pervert creation to her own ends. Worse, she was still tempted to do it.
Yskla's attention shifted back to the pair of wagons. Looking inward was too confusing, for the moment. Later, in the quiet of the shrine, she would meditate under the watchful gaze of the Chosen. Perhaps answers would become clear then. The wagons were nearing the gate now. From somewhere below, Yskla heard a muffled cry as the guards on duty called out to each other to begin opening the gate. Soon, the ramparts started to shake and the air filled with the sounds of rattling chains and groaning metal as the process begun.
The wagons disappeared out of sight. The world shook again as the gates were lowered. Yskla was still atop the ramparts when Brother Superior found her.
The Brother Superior was disarmingly ordinary in his appearance. He was neither large nor muscular. He wore only the most minimal of armor and a faint smile. Faith was the strength of the Brother Superior, Yskla knew, and part of her envied him for it. The magic he wielded was pure, drawn from the Arkyrians themselves. The best that those who carried the Titan's Curse could manage was to wield foul power for holy purpose.
"Yskla," the Brother Superior's voice was warm, patient, even as he chided her lightly, "what is troubling you?"
"Nothing, Brother Superior," she responded automatically.
The Brother Superior tsked, "Yskla, I've known you since you could run under a horse without stooping. You only come up here when something is on your mind. You might as well come out with it."
She hesitated for a long moment and the words fought to be released. "Brother Superior, I… I was not ready to be made Sister. My faith is weak. Wanting. I am having doubts about my control."
"Oh?" The Brother Superior quirked one bushy eyebrow, "It was my personal decision to induct you into our order? Are you questioning my judgement?"
Yskla stiffened. "No, Brother Superior!" it came out much louder than she had intended. She continued in a much quieter voice. "It's just that… you did not have all the facts. You could not have known what is in my heart."
"Can I not? You must think yourself a master of deception to have hidden your true nature from me." This tone was still light but his words made Yskla's heart thud painfully in her chest. He was right. Deception was the chief tool in the arsenal of the Titans, and, no matter how far she had come, she was still one of their puppets.
"Yes, Brother Superior. I am Cursed. I am the mouthpiece of the Titans' lies." Yskla's voice sounded pathetic, even to her own ears.
"Yskla… do you see any initiates around?"
"What?" Yskla blinked in surprise, momentarily drawn out of her fugue of pity.
"Do you see," he repeated slowly, "any initiates around?"
"No, Brother Sup-"
"You are a Sister of the Final Dawn, Yskla, just as I am a Brother. That makes you family. When there's no little ones to impress, I prefer that my family calls me by my name. I would like it if you would call me Osryn."
"But…"
"But you have doubts, I know. You don't think you're worthy, you've told me. Yskla, what is the first duty of an Arkyrian?"
The answer was past her lips before she had processed the question. "To face the trials set before us with courage! To seek greater trials should we live!"
The Brother Superior smiled kindly, "You are cursed, Yskla. I can see how it weighs on you. But you should rejoice! Your trials will never end. You will be drawn to the darkness again and again and each time you choose the light it will bring glory to the Arkyrians anew."
"Brother Superior, I know this…" She did. All initiates were taught something similar, although hearing it directly from the lips of the head of the Convent, it was easier to believe somehow. Still… "But I will fail. My will is not strong enough to always stand strong. My mind is not clear enough to know always when I am being deceived."
The Brother Superior nodded, not in agreement but in understanding. He would not give her that mercy. "You will not strengthen your will nor sharpen your mind by spending another decade as an initiate, Yskla. There is still much you can learn at the Convent but very little of it is something that your fellow Brothers and Sisters can teach."
Yskla wished she didn't understand what the Brother Superior was getting at. As the pregnant pause stretched between them, she wished that he wasn't making her say it out loud. Still, she had to make him understand that she was not ready. If it was only her soul at stake, perhaps the matter would be different. But she was being asked to shepherd the souls of others, as well! "To teach is to be a student of the perfection of creation," Yskla mumbled then continued hurriedly, "but what if I lead the initiates astray?"
The Brother Superior did the unthinkable then. He shrugged and chuckled. "You won't."
Yskla was struck speechless.
"Don't ask how I know you won't. I don't know, Yskla. But faith isn't about knowledge. You're forgetting a key part of the first precept. Courage. We are commanded to be courageous, Yskla. There can be no courage without uncertainty. If we knew what path was right, choosing it would be no choice at all. Courage requires accepting personal risk on the chance that it might lead to a better future. Who is more courageous, Yskla? The man who strikes down every enemy without mercy or the man who extends his hand to a fallen foe, offering both friendship and the chance to hurt him again?"
"The… the man who offers his hand, Brother Superior." Her voice started out unsteady but was firm by the time she finished the sentence.
"Make no mistake, Yskla, the Titans are my enemy and those who bear their curse are their pawns. But you? I believe in you. I think you can accomplish great things as a Sister. You will understand the Cursed better than any of our order before. You will save souls." The Brother Superior sighed and met Yskla's eyes. The look he gave her was at once sad and hopeful. "If you truly don't believe in yourself, I will not force Sisterhood on you. You are more than skilled enough to serve a noble house as a battle mage. There is no place for you among the initiates but can still do good in the Final Dawn's name."
"I would not question your judgement, Brother- Osyrn. Or dishonor your bravery in giving me this chance."
"Good!" Osyrn clapped his hands. "Very good, Sister Yskla, because you will be taking charge of the new initiates that arrived today."
She had thought that nothing could surprise her more than Brother Superior Osryn admitting ignorance. Yskla had been wrong. Still, her spirit still sung with the fervor of her Brother's words. "Of course, Osryn! It would be my honor."
"Excellent, excellent. There are only two of them, but both are powerfully Cursed. Their names are Garve and Eudon. You will find them in the dining hall." Yskla thought she briefly caught a glimmer of mischief in Osryn's eyes. "They've been told to expect you."
Flame consumed the Convent of the Final Dawn, staining the midnight sky red.
Yskla's breath came in ragged gasps. Her greatsword trembled from numb fingers.
"Out of my way, Sister Anakvei." Eudon's voice rumbled with power. Magic rolled off of him like a heat haze, so dense that was truly visible to the naked eye. Garve stood a step behind, scanning the courtyard of the Convent for anyone who'd managed to escape the conflagration already. Shadows curled around his feet, twinning between his long legs like a loving pet.
They had grown into dangerous young men. The rigorous physical training Yskla had put them through day after day honed their bodies into weapons and each wielded Curses of incredible strength. Yet, when Yskla looked at them, all she saw were the scared boys huddled next to each other in the dining hall ten years ago.
"Last warning, Sister. We don't want to hurt you…" Eudon raised a cupped hand, that begun to overflow with flame.
"We don't have time for this, Eudon." Garve hissed as something shifted and crashed within the Convent behind them. But neither moved a muscle.
"Please, Eudon, Garve, this isn't you! You're letting the Titans' Curse control you. There's still time to make this right. You can turn around. You don't have to be the Titans' pawns."
"The titans aren't real," Eudon spat. "The Arkyrians aren't real. They're just a story someone made up to control people like us. Like you! You should be on our side!"
"How can you say that? The evil you're doing now is their work! Look around! Can't you see that they've tricked you into destroying their enemies?"
"No one has tricked me into anything! You talk like someone is whispering in our ears but we both know that there is only silence!" Eudon pounded on his chest, splashing eldritch fire across his torso. It ran off him harmless like rainwater. "No voices! No gods! No Titans! Just us!"
Yskla allowed herself a moment of despair. "I'm so sorry, boys. I've failed you," she whispered.
It had not been the right thing to say. Eudon's howl of rage shook the courtyard. It wasn't just a physical sound but ripple in the fabric of Reality. "I'm not your failure! I'm not some Titans' plaything! STOP TELLING ME WHAT I AM!"
A gout of screaming flame roared from Eudon's hand as he flung it towards Yskla. Despair was seared away as heat boiled towards Yskla ahead of the fireball. In an instant, she reached for her own Curse. It was there, as always, waiting with the patience of the immortal monsters that had created it, certain in the knowledge that Yskla would call on it again sooner or later. Awareness of magic pressed upon Yskla like an oily weight, permeating her whole being down to her marrow. She pressed down the wave of revolution, as she shaped the spell with her voice and the upward arc of her sword.
A light brighter than the burning Convent bloomed in the courtyard's as Yskla's blade was transformed into the pure radiance of her conviction. Wicked power to turned holy ends.
Her glowing sword met screaming flames and turned them aside. The shadow that Yskla cast against the wall behind her was the size of a giant.
From that shadow, came a storm of flashing blades. Garve stepped out the shadow, already swinging for Yskla neck.
It was a move that would have taken the head off of anyone not ready for it. Yskla had spent the last decade training the boys. She had known where the attack would come from before it had even begun. Still, even if she had trained them, she had trained them well. They knew as well as she did that no one wielding a weapon the size of her greatsword could block an attack that fast at that close a range.
Garve's shortsword was less than inch from her neck when it met her upraised forearm. The blade cleaved through the leather of her gauntlet and stopped when Yskla felt it scrape against bone. A look of surprise crossed Garve's face a split second before Yskla punched him in it. Garve staggered back clutching a broken nose. One of his swords was still lodged in Yskla's left arm.
There was no time to follow up on the attack, however. Yskla's shadow lengthened underneath her and she dove to the side, just in time to avoid a flame-wreathed Eudon who crashed fist-first into the space that she had just been. The courtyard cratered.
Yskla danced back, dodging a flame-propelled kick as Eudon spun on her. "You're not our sister!" Eudon screamed as he advanced, "You're the ones who stole us from our families!"
"So that you wouldn't hurt them," Yskla struggled to get the words out. All her attention was on dodging and parrying Eudon's frenzied attacks. She was winded and flagging by the second. The weight of her sword was growing with every passing instant, worse now that she could only swing it with one arm.
"That wouldn't have happened! We were fine! I was happy!" Rage contorted Eudon's features. Out of the corner of her she saw Garve pick himself up and toss his remaining shortsword into his right hand. She knew that, in a moment, he'd begin to circle, watching for the perfect moment to strike when her guard was down. She needed to end this now.
Eudon always struggled with control. That was the root of all of this. She'd tried to help him as best she could, tried to pass on the techniques that she'd learned herself. They had not stuck. And now she has going to use the flaw she hadn't been able to help her student with to kill him. First, she need space. Yskla leapt back as far as her aching legs would take her. For an instant, Eudon paused, surprised at the move, considering what it meant.
"You'll never be more than a slave to the Curse," Yskla spat and consideration fled from Eudon's thoughts.
"There is no Curse!" Eudon roared. Fire erupted from his feet, searing the courtyard below him as he blurred forward.
Yskla was ready. She raised her left hand. The sword was embedded in her forearm. Her hand was too weak to hold her sword but she didn't need strength to make the sigils. Will was more important, anyways. Light erupted from her palm, for a brief instant glowing a thousand time brighter than her sword. It only blinded Eudon for an instant as he flew towards Yskla but, in that instant, Yskla spun, using the her momentum and the last of her strength to bring the heavy blade down into the space where she'd been a split second before.
She'd timed it perfectly. Everything seemed to slow as first Eudon's outstretched fist blurred past her, beneath the descending arc of her blade.
Then his forearm…
Then his shoulder…
Yskla greatsword bit into the top of Eudon's head.
Yskla descended the stairs from the upper hallway into the dining hall. There were two boys, ten years old at most, alone in the cavernous room. They sat so close together they were practically in each other laps. Bowls of steaming porridge sat untouched in front of each of them. They looked so small… so fragile…
She must have made some sound because, as one, they looked up and met Yskla's eyes.
Yskla screamed, letting out the grief she'd been holding back and, somehow…
She turned the blade.
Her glowing sword skipped off of Eudon's skull as the metal twisted in the flesh of his scalp. She caught the briefest glimpse of meat pulling away from bone in a ragged strip then Eudon was passed her, shock and pain robbing him of all control. The outer wall of the Covent shook as his insensate body crashed into it, unconscious but alive.
"EUDON!"
Then Garve was on Yskla, remaining shortsword flashing in the firelight as the Final Dawn burned behind them.
There was nothing that Yskla needed to say to make Garve abandon control. For a decade, he'd been Eudon's loyal shadow. She'd already done the worst thing imaginable to him. Still, he was fresh and she tired and injured. Once, twice, three times, his blade scored shallow cuts across Yskla's ragged body. Then, their swords met directly and Yskla's greater strength sent Garve's last blade flying from his hand.
He paused eyes, flying wide, glued to his numb, empty fingers. Yskla pulled his other sword from her forearm and advanced. Panic seized, Garve and he backpedaled wildly away from Yskla. Something caught under his foot, and he sprawled backwards. Their brief clash had brought them in a half circle and, by some twist of fate, Garve almost fell into the crumpled form of Eudon where it had come to rest against the wall.
Yskla's shadow cast by the burning Convent loomed over them, Garve's blade clutched in her one working hand. Whatever she must have looked like to them, it caused a small whimper to escape the boy's lips. He looked like he wanted to run but Yskla knew him better than that. Garve threw his arms around Eudon's unconscious body and pushed it behind him. He met Yskla's gaze and…
She must have made some sound because, as one, they looked up and met Yskla's eyes.
They were scared. Unshed tears glistened in their eyes. One of them, was biting their lip, just a little. She knew how they felt. She had felt it herself, years ago. In that moment, something in Yskla's chest shifted.
Osryn was right. She could help them. The poor boys huddled together like they had no one else in the world aside from each other.
But they were wrong.
They also had her.
Yskla swallowed the lump that formed in her through and started down the stairs.
Garve's shortsword fell from Yskla's fingers.
"Stay. Please, stay," Yskla pleaded. "I can help you."
Garve bit his lip, just a little, but when he spoke there was no yielding in his voice. "We can't. Eudon will die if he stays."
He was right. Even if Yskla somehow convinced her Brothers and Sisters to let the boys live after tonight, Eudon would try again. He would try to escape again and again until it killed him. And wherever Eudon went, Garve would follow, even if it was into death.
"Then go." Yskla rasped.
In the long moments it took Garve to perform the incantation, Yskla could have grabbed his hands and broken the spell apart. When it came to shadowjumping with more than just himself, he was still just to slow. As the shadows swallowed the two boys, it truly dawned on Yskla that she would never see him surpass that limitation.
As they rematerialized on the other side of the gate, Yskla let exhaustion take her. She fell to her knees as Garve fled, carrying Eudon into the night.
Six years later
"A report crossed my desk that you should be aware of, Sister Anakvei" Brother Superior Korentyn mentioned with false ease.
Brother Korentyn had been made Brother Superior officially after Osryn's charred remains had been found during the rebuilding of the Final Dawn. Before the body had been found, many, including Yskla, had held onto hope that he had survived the fire.
"The guardians of Sigisvulta have put out a call for aid. It seems that a new leader has risen up among the lycanthrope tribes that are always pestering their border. He seems more competent than most and an Accursed to boot! From what the report says, he led the sack of Fort Foremost… personally burned most of the garrison alive, apparently… hundreds dead! Funny thing, they say he calls himself Eudonis the Wendigo!"
Before dusk fell, Yskla had packed her meager possesses and set out upon the road. Before she had left however, she stood upon the ramparts of the Convent of the Final Dawn and she swore an oath.
[] Yskla swore to put an end to Eudon and Garve. She would not make the same mistake she had years ago. Yskla will be an offensive tank/support, able to deal considerable damage and buff allies attacks.
[] Yskla swore to return Eudon and Garve to the path of light. She would not fail her charges again. Yskla will focus on social skills in addition to tanking. She may act as the party face.
[] Yskla swore to protect the innocents from Eudon and Garve. Her own vengeance or redemption was less important. Yskla will focus on being a tank. She will excel at intercepting attacks meant for others.
I'm going to leave up the poll for abiding by the random roll that decided Mesmerist as your second class or holding a run-off between the tied option for the time being. Maybe close it tomorrow? I'd like to think that more than two people (myself included) have an opinion on the matter.
SleepyCaterpilar
Just a Rapariga
[X] Yskla swore to return Eudon and Garve to the path of light. She would not fail her charges again. Yskla will focus on social skills in addition to tanking. She may act as the party face.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Yskla swore to return Eudon and Garve to the path of light. She would not fail her charges again. Yskla will focus on social skills in addition to tanking. She may act as the party face.
Going to be closing up on the Sidestory vote and poll here soon.
Soon may have been a lie. This post is fighting me.
Sorry to everyone who voted to save the result. It is very painful psychologically, every time you go to the quest page to see 1/3, the hand reaches out to make 2/2. I gave up, sorry((( 
(If this is already not taken into account, everything is in order, the main thing is that there is a beautiful result)
(If this is already not taken into account, everything is in order, the main thing is that there is a beautiful result)
Had a stroke of "inspiration" in the shower. Gonna handle appearance like personality. Which is to say, choosing three from a list of descriptors over a couple votes. That had been the sticking point before. I'm getting back to writing the new vote now. I'll check in on what the result of the poll is at that time. If its still tied by then, I guess we're rolling off to decide the fate of the roll off?
Character Creation: Part 3a: Background: Beginnings
Locking up Yskla's vow and the result of the poll now. The following vow was chosen:
[] Yskla swore to return Eudon and Garve to the path of light. She would not fail her charges again. Yskla will focus on social skills in addition to tanking. She may act as the party face.
In the poll, with another tie regarding the manner of tiebreakers, the dice have decided that the dice shall stand. For randomly generated numbers, they sure are showing impressive solidarity! Which is to say that Mesmerist has been chosen as your character's second class!
We're just about halfway through character creation! Thanks for sticking through it so far! We've made some major mechanical decisions and now it's time to take a step back and engage in some story elements. During this phase, we'll tie together some of these choices into what I hope approaches a cohesive narrative. However, first, a recap of the shape of your character so far.
You are an Elf, a subspecies of the long-lived Elder. You are a talented warrior, who values efficiency and lethality in your techniques. In addition to your combat prowess, you are possessed of potent psychic magic which allows you to manipulate the minds of yourself and others. You are a Slayer // Mesmerist. Despite this skillset, or perhaps because of it, you are Honest and Proud by nature. You are a paradox: a killer who values their honor and a mentalist who values truth.
After struggling with this voting block for most of the day, I've decided that I'll split Stage 3 into two parts, a and b. It has two advantages. One, smaller, more manageable votes are probably a good thing. Two, I don't want to sit with this half-finished over the weekend when I'll be busy. Still, we'll be getting most of the stuff out of the way here in part a. That being said, here is what is one the schedule:
Age
Elders are broadly considered to be adults at 100 years of age. Before they reach their first century, Elders are still developing physically and mentally. At this age, they are roughly the equivalent of a 17 year old human. Once mature, Elders will say in the prime of their lives for a millennium. After that benchmark, they begin to deteriorate and show physical signs of aging, however, it is not widely known, even among Elder, what age their kind can reach before they naturally expire. As an adventurer who is just starting their career, only a narrow band of ages is available for selection. Any younger than 100 and you would not be up to the rigors (and technically a minor). Any older than 200 and having just begun your adventure becomes implausible.
[] Blush of Youth (100 years old)
[] Young Master (150 years old)
[] Bicentenarian (200 years old)
Gender
[] Female
[] Male
[] Non-binary
[] Write-in
Name
Elves tend to use mononyms that are between three and five syllables. They tend to be vowel heavy or vowel-consonant balanced. Elvish families will often denote themselves with prefix or suffix syllables in common between descendants, however this is not always the case. Elves do not substantially differentiate names between genders. Examples of Elvish names include Siagosia, Fiotaros, Ebisuil, and Mianeiron. Keep in mind that, just because your character is an elf, that does not necessitate a traditional Elvish name. Feel free to write in any kind of name you'd like!
[] Write-in
You were born in the Aelvesh Dominion, an isolationist Elven ethnostate in south-central Malgravia. The Dominion is a dictatorship that offers few true freedoms to its citizens but has access to magical sophistication the outside world would scarce believe if it ever saw. Which it hasn't.
[] Further Afield
You do not hail from any of the regions directly surrounding Orskeath and the town of Hessen, where this story begins. You have travelled from far away, perhaps even from a continent other than Tremia. If this option is selected, the exact location of your origin will be the subject of another vote.
[] Malgravian Wingtip
While most Elves within Malgravia joined the Dominion, Elder enclaves, such as the one you were born in, have existed in the Malgravian Wingtip for millennia.
[] Mirror Marches
The northern coast of Therexia faces the Spearsgrave across the Bay of Treste and is called the Mirror Marches. The Mirror Marches are steeped in the traditions of arcane magic and a great deal of the long-lived, magically-gifted elves find positions of prominence here.
[] Spearsgrave
You were born in the Spearsgrave, in southern Malgravia along the Bay of Treste. A century ago, pogroms against the Elders in the region pushed out the vast majority of the Elvish population.
As a noble of the Dominion, you lived a life of unimaginable luxury but crushing expectation. Perfection was demanded of you at every turn and you provided. Your reward was more difficult tasks, more impossible standards. If you are to serve the Dominion in your family's name, you must be better than perfect. You have the best of training and vast resources but both your family and the Dominion expect unquestioning loyalty. Disloyalty to either will have dire consequences.
[] Dominion Ward
You were selected for exceptional talent at a young age by agents of the Aelvesh Dominion. You were educated, trained, and indoctrinated to serve and protect the Aelvesh Dominion. You never knew your parents, if you had any, and were instead raised by your instructors. The Dominion has honed you into a fine weapon but expects your unquestioning loyalty. Disloyalty will be punished severely.
[] Elven Enclave
You grew up among your people, within a small community within a humanoid-dominated state or outside of their borders. During this time, you were allowed to learn and mature at a rate appropriate for an Elder. You are relatively well-adjusted and learned magic and martial arts at the feet of ancient powerful beings but the ways of the Fleeting are difficult for you to understand.
[] Integrated Family
Most Elves live in Enclaves but your family chose to settle among the Fleeting when you were growing up. Your family was valued by their chosen community but could not help but be other. By the time you were an adolescent, a generation of the Fleeting had come and gone. While you couldn't help forming bonds with the Fleeting, those bonds could not last. You are more than familiar with the experience of watching friends outgrow you and die. You are well-versed in the ways of the Fleeting but already struggle somewhat with the repercussions of your near-immortality.
[] Integrated Orphan
For reasons you may struggle to remember, you found yourself alone at a young age, living in a Fleeting settlement. There are few more dangerous places in the whole of Tremia but, somehow, you managed to survive. On the streets, the young and weak are vulnerable. As a natural outsider, you struggled to find protection. As an Elder, you remained physically a child for more than five times longer than those around you but inside, you grew up quick. You have a towering strength of will and immense capacity for violence but the scars of what was done to you and what you had to do run deep.
[] Spearsgrave Refugee
When the Dominion assassinated Augdunna Trygvissdottr, Queen of Spears, you were in the living in her young empire. As it collapsed around you and your family, the impotent rage of the humanoid populous at the actions of the Dominion was directed to the Elder that lived beside them. Elder, you included, were driven from their homes for fear of bloody retribution. Many were killed regardless. You have been exposed to terrible hardships from a young age. You are stronger for it but it has hardened your heart.
[] Wild Child
Your first memories are of being alone in the wilderness. For you, there was no loving family, no sheltering community, not even a harsh city. For decades, all you were was prey. The desperate fight for survival is in your blood and your bones; it is the core of who you are. In the years since, you have learned to wear the mask of civilization but a part of you, one that is never far from the surface, will always be a beast.
[] World Traveler
Among Elder other than Halflings, those who choose to neither settle in Enclaves or among the Fleeting and take to the open road instead are the rarest of all. Yet, that was you. You spent your early years travelling the width and breadth of Tremia and, perhaps, even venturing beyond. Bonds formed on the road end when the trail splits. You've seen Fleeting cities rise and fall. You've walked side-by-side with loss already but it hasn't yet found its way into your heart. You're well-adjusted to the Fleeting and know much about the world but may have trouble forming close bonds.
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
[] Introverted
[] Jaded
[] Kind
[] Lighthearted
[] Materialistic
[] Naïve:
[] Patient
[] Peaceful
[] Pessimistic
[] Puns
[] Reckless
[] Confident
[] Serious
[] Violent
[] Write-in
Your character's appearance may change over the course of the story but this will describe their baseline. In the end, three adjectives are not enough to cover all of a character. Other than the attributes covered by the adjectives selected, your character's appearance will be what is typical for an Elf from their region of origin. In addition, your characters physical ability scores will affect their appearance. A Toned character with a low strength score will be ropy rather than bulky while a Soft character with high strength will pack serious muscle under their padding.
[] Beautiful
[] Dark
[] Disarming
[] Fair
[] Hirsute
[] Misshapen
[] Noble
[] Scarred
[] Short
[] Slender
[] Smooth
[] Soft
[] Striking
[] Tall
[] Thick set
[] Toned
[] Unblemished
[] Unremarkable
[] Unsettling
[] Weathered
[] 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
[] 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
[] Matthias Moss: The Backwoodsman
Halfling Hedgewitch // Technician
As a scion of the nomadic Moss halfling clan of The Wingtip, Matthias knows the Rimewild Woodlands better than any living soul. More importantly, he knows where the good treasure is buried and wants just a little help in digging it up.
Role: Utility, Transportation
Tassis: The Wanderer
Caribourne Ranger (Nature's Blade) // Armiger
Tassis follows a wind that no one else feels. It took her from her home in Lestabjorn and driven her across the breadth of Orskeath. This winter, it's blown her into Hessen. Come spring, it'll likely blow her out again.
Role: Ranged DPS
[] Yskla swore to return Eudon and Garve to the path of light. She would not fail her charges again. Yskla will focus on social skills in addition to tanking. She may act as the party face.
In the poll, with another tie regarding the manner of tiebreakers, the dice have decided that the dice shall stand. For randomly generated numbers, they sure are showing impressive solidarity! Which is to say that Mesmerist has been chosen as your character's second class!
Character Creation: Stage 3a: Background: Beginnings
As the purpose of this section is cohesion, let's try Approval Plan voting for the Basics and Early History parts of this stage!We're just about halfway through character creation! Thanks for sticking through it so far! We've made some major mechanical decisions and now it's time to take a step back and engage in some story elements. During this phase, we'll tie together some of these choices into what I hope approaches a cohesive narrative. However, first, a recap of the shape of your character so far.
You are an Elf, a subspecies of the long-lived Elder. You are a talented warrior, who values efficiency and lethality in your techniques. In addition to your combat prowess, you are possessed of potent psychic magic which allows you to manipulate the minds of yourself and others. You are a Slayer // Mesmerist. Despite this skillset, or perhaps because of it, you are Honest and Proud by nature. You are a paradox: a killer who values their honor and a mentalist who values truth.
After struggling with this voting block for most of the day, I've decided that I'll split Stage 3 into two parts, a and b. It has two advantages. One, smaller, more manageable votes are probably a good thing. Two, I don't want to sit with this half-finished over the weekend when I'll be busy. Still, we'll be getting most of the stuff out of the way here in part a. That being said, here is what is one the schedule:
- Basics: In this section, you will decide on some fundamental aspects of your character, including name and gender.
- Early History: This section will include votes on your birthplace and the circumstances of your early childhood. Almost any combination is valid but some might have... consequences. Choosing to be born in the Dominion, in particular, then not selecting a Dominion upbringing will make your life very difficult. In addition, all Elves of a certain age born in the Spearsgrave may have to contend with certain events in that region. In 3b, we'll work on how you acquired your skillsets and what is bringing you to Hessen, as well as some other notable occurrences during your 1-2 hundred years of life already!
- Personality (3 of 3): The defining of your character's personality traits concludes here. From the list provided, your final trait will be selected.
- Appearance (1 pf 3): Similar to Personality, you will select an appearance descriptor from a provided list. During each of the next three stages of character creation, you will have the opportunity to add a new descriptor.
- 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. The character who receives the least vote will not appear in future selection options.
Basics Selection
Please vote via plan combining options between this section and the next, Early History! If someone else has a plan you fancy, don't worry! You may propose your own plan and vote for any number of other plans as well! However, there can only be one winner.Age
Elders are broadly considered to be adults at 100 years of age. Before they reach their first century, Elders are still developing physically and mentally. At this age, they are roughly the equivalent of a 17 year old human. Once mature, Elders will say in the prime of their lives for a millennium. After that benchmark, they begin to deteriorate and show physical signs of aging, however, it is not widely known, even among Elder, what age their kind can reach before they naturally expire. As an adventurer who is just starting their career, only a narrow band of ages is available for selection. Any younger than 100 and you would not be up to the rigors (and technically a minor). Any older than 200 and having just begun your adventure becomes implausible.
[] Blush of Youth (100 years old)
[] Young Master (150 years old)
[] Bicentenarian (200 years old)
Gender
[] Female
[] Male
[] Non-binary
[] Write-in
Name
Elves tend to use mononyms that are between three and five syllables. They tend to be vowel heavy or vowel-consonant balanced. Elvish families will often denote themselves with prefix or suffix syllables in common between descendants, however this is not always the case. Elves do not substantially differentiate names between genders. Examples of Elvish names include Siagosia, Fiotaros, Ebisuil, and Mianeiron. Keep in mind that, just because your character is an elf, that does not necessitate a traditional Elvish name. Feel free to write in any kind of name you'd like!
[] Write-in
Early Background History
Please vote via plan combining options between this section and the previous, Basics! You may propose a plan and/or vote for any number of others.Birthplace
[] Aelvesh DominionYou were born in the Aelvesh Dominion, an isolationist Elven ethnostate in south-central Malgravia. The Dominion is a dictatorship that offers few true freedoms to its citizens but has access to magical sophistication the outside world would scarce believe if it ever saw. Which it hasn't.
[] Further Afield
You do not hail from any of the regions directly surrounding Orskeath and the town of Hessen, where this story begins. You have travelled from far away, perhaps even from a continent other than Tremia. If this option is selected, the exact location of your origin will be the subject of another vote.
[] Malgravian Wingtip
While most Elves within Malgravia joined the Dominion, Elder enclaves, such as the one you were born in, have existed in the Malgravian Wingtip for millennia.
[] Mirror Marches
The northern coast of Therexia faces the Spearsgrave across the Bay of Treste and is called the Mirror Marches. The Mirror Marches are steeped in the traditions of arcane magic and a great deal of the long-lived, magically-gifted elves find positions of prominence here.
[] Spearsgrave
You were born in the Spearsgrave, in southern Malgravia along the Bay of Treste. A century ago, pogroms against the Elders in the region pushed out the vast majority of the Elvish population.
Childhood
[] Dominion Noble (requires Birthplace: Aelvesh Dominion)As a noble of the Dominion, you lived a life of unimaginable luxury but crushing expectation. Perfection was demanded of you at every turn and you provided. Your reward was more difficult tasks, more impossible standards. If you are to serve the Dominion in your family's name, you must be better than perfect. You have the best of training and vast resources but both your family and the Dominion expect unquestioning loyalty. Disloyalty to either will have dire consequences.
[] Dominion Ward
You were selected for exceptional talent at a young age by agents of the Aelvesh Dominion. You were educated, trained, and indoctrinated to serve and protect the Aelvesh Dominion. You never knew your parents, if you had any, and were instead raised by your instructors. The Dominion has honed you into a fine weapon but expects your unquestioning loyalty. Disloyalty will be punished severely.
[] Elven Enclave
You grew up among your people, within a small community within a humanoid-dominated state or outside of their borders. During this time, you were allowed to learn and mature at a rate appropriate for an Elder. You are relatively well-adjusted and learned magic and martial arts at the feet of ancient powerful beings but the ways of the Fleeting are difficult for you to understand.
[] Integrated Family
Most Elves live in Enclaves but your family chose to settle among the Fleeting when you were growing up. Your family was valued by their chosen community but could not help but be other. By the time you were an adolescent, a generation of the Fleeting had come and gone. While you couldn't help forming bonds with the Fleeting, those bonds could not last. You are more than familiar with the experience of watching friends outgrow you and die. You are well-versed in the ways of the Fleeting but already struggle somewhat with the repercussions of your near-immortality.
[] Integrated Orphan
For reasons you may struggle to remember, you found yourself alone at a young age, living in a Fleeting settlement. There are few more dangerous places in the whole of Tremia but, somehow, you managed to survive. On the streets, the young and weak are vulnerable. As a natural outsider, you struggled to find protection. As an Elder, you remained physically a child for more than five times longer than those around you but inside, you grew up quick. You have a towering strength of will and immense capacity for violence but the scars of what was done to you and what you had to do run deep.
[] Spearsgrave Refugee
When the Dominion assassinated Augdunna Trygvissdottr, Queen of Spears, you were in the living in her young empire. As it collapsed around you and your family, the impotent rage of the humanoid populous at the actions of the Dominion was directed to the Elder that lived beside them. Elder, you included, were driven from their homes for fear of bloody retribution. Many were killed regardless. You have been exposed to terrible hardships from a young age. You are stronger for it but it has hardened your heart.
[] Wild Child
Your first memories are of being alone in the wilderness. For you, there was no loving family, no sheltering community, not even a harsh city. For decades, all you were was prey. The desperate fight for survival is in your blood and your bones; it is the core of who you are. In the years since, you have learned to wear the mask of civilization but a part of you, one that is never far from the surface, will always be a beast.
[] World Traveler
Among Elder other than Halflings, those who choose to neither settle in Enclaves or among the Fleeting and take to the open road instead are the rarest of all. Yet, that was you. You spent your early years travelling the width and breadth of Tremia and, perhaps, even venturing beyond. Bonds formed on the road end when the trail splits. You've seen Fleeting cities rise and fall. You've walked side-by-side with loss already but it hasn't yet found its way into your heart. You're well-adjusted to the Fleeting and know much about the world but may have trouble forming close bonds.
Personality Selection (3 of 3)
This section is the conclusion 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
[] Introverted
[] Jaded
[] Kind
[] Lighthearted
[] Materialistic
[] Naïve:
[] Patient
[] Peaceful
[] Pessimistic
[] Puns
[] Reckless
[] Confident
[] Serious
[] Violent
[] Write-in
Appearance Selection (1 of 3)
What do others see when they look at your character? Over the next three stages, you may select any number of adjectives from the list provided below. These adjective describe salient features of your character's physical body. After each stage, the adjective that receives the most votes will be selected. Adjectives are often provided in pairs, such as Scarred and Unblemished. When one of the adjectives in a pair is selected, the other is also removed from subsequent votes.Your character's appearance may change over the course of the story but this will describe their baseline. In the end, three adjectives are not enough to cover all of a character. Other than the attributes covered by the adjectives selected, your character's appearance will be what is typical for an Elf from their region of origin. In addition, your characters physical ability scores will affect their appearance. A Toned character with a low strength score will be ropy rather than bulky while a Soft character with high strength will pack serious muscle under their padding.
[] Beautiful
[] Dark
[] Disarming
[] Fair
[] Hirsute
[] Misshapen
[] Noble
[] Scarred
[] Short
[] Slender
[] Smooth
[] Soft
[] Striking
[] Tall
[] Thick set
[] Toned
[] Unblemished
[] Unremarkable
[] Unsettling
[] Weathered
[] 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
[] 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
[] Matthias Moss: The Backwoodsman
Halfling Hedgewitch // Technician
As a scion of the nomadic Moss halfling clan of The Wingtip, Matthias knows the Rimewild Woodlands better than any living soul. More importantly, he knows where the good treasure is buried and wants just a little help in digging it up.
Role: Utility, Transportation
Tassis: The Wanderer
Caribourne Ranger (Nature's Blade) // Armiger
Tassis follows a wind that no one else feels. It took her from her home in Lestabjorn and driven her across the breadth of Orskeath. This winter, it's blown her into Hessen. Come spring, it'll likely blow her out again.
Role: Ranged DPS
