[Other OPEN] Other Side of the Wilds [M]

[PastelPhoenix]

Other Side of the Wilds​

​

"These woods are deep, and never seem to end
These woods are dark, and monsters hide in the shadows
These woods are sick, and yet they will not die"​

Minach, the Kingdom of Lakes, exists on the boundary of two worlds. A fertile land with a great expanse of forest in the western half of the nation, the settlers of Minach had little knowledge of the true nature of the forest. The people of Minach lived for over a century under the rule of the Asteran Empire, only occasionally brushing up against their neighbors in the woods.

Everything changed when the fae emerged from the woods and offered their support for Minachian independence. Deals with them brought a new kingdom to power, but ties Minach forever to cooperation with them. The fair folk would always have a spot in the new king's court, and the deepest parts of the forest will be Fae.

However, this alliance has been troubled recently. The fae also brought enemies: cruel and twisted versions of themselves that have no qualms with treating the people of Minach as test subjects or playthings. Amidst fears that the forest is slipping entirely from their hands, the leaders of the fae have ordered the forest to be reclaimed, or else.

With the wrath of the Elder Court over their heads, the fae look for assistance from the mortal side. Cleansing the forest of its illness will require more access to the mortal world than they can currently managed. Champions must be brought to the cause, willing or not.

But what does this have to do with you?

This concerns you because you have already broken their laws, whether you know it or not. The situation in the woods is worsening, and soon the Fae will be forced to accept outside help. They'll look towards collecting on debts owed soon.

The Two Worlds

Minach

The most striking feature of Minach are the two vast lakes in the center of the nation. The lakes and fertility of the Minach region is what initially drove the Asteran Empire to target it early in their conquest of the continent of Akosh. Interest in the Viernette forest began merely as lumber materials, but rumors of odd happenings in the forest lead many of the settlers to fear fully venturing into their depths. Not that it stopped some from trying, but the world behind the forest hides itself from those without Fae blood. Endlessly retracing your steps is a common fate for those who attempt to breach the depths of the forest, at least until you give up and return home.

Discontent with Imperial rule over generations reached a boiling point, and a sympathetic local noble rallied the people against Astera. While the rebellion suffered great initial losses, the Fae revealed themselves to the future King Odric to negotiate a deal. The alliance with the fae turned the tides of war, Odric and Minach now forever owing a debt to the fae of the Summer Court. The two separated, the fae returning to the forest and the people to their lives.
It has been 300 years since Minach has gained independence, and the kingdom has become a regional power in its own right. King Odric III now leads Minach in a period of peace, but disappearances from villages near the forest alongside troubling reports of monsters hiding within the trees lead him to fear this peace will not last. The fae have been quiet, his own advisor clueless to the situation in the Glade. With incidents within the forest ever increasing, the king wonders if more drastic action is needed.

Viernette Forest

The largest forest on the continent of Akosh and the majority of the South-West of the Kingdom. Minach claims the entirety of the forest as sovereign territory, but portions of the forest lie in the Asteran Empire and the neighboring nations. Areas of logging before the alliance with the fae leave outer areas of the forest thin, but great amounts of old growth exist just beyond the tree line.

The most striking feature of the forest was also its greatest secret. At the heart of the forest, responsible for the sheer size of the forest in the first place, is a tear in reality itself that leads to the fae world of the Eternal Glade. This rift in the reality connects Telorin and the Eternal Glade, allowing the overflowing life energy of the Glade to escape to Telorin, promoting rapid and occasionally strange growth. Passage of living beings between the two worlds via the rift is possible. Travel between the two is managed by the fae themselves, who have formed communities on the Telorin side of the forest to watch for potential intruders across the several mile-long boundary line.

The rift is not easy to guard, largely due to the sheer size of it. The Ward was created to turn away the bulk of intruders. An intruder without fae blood are unable to even reach the Fae communities on the Telorin side; the magic of the Ward disorients and twists the path of potential intruders to make them walk endless circles. The Ward is powerless against other fae and Telorins with fae ancestry, necessitating the need for guards.

The Eternal Glade

A world parallel to Telorin, inhabited by the fae. Little is known of the Glade, as the fae guard its access zealously. The few reports about the Glade report it as a land of life unyielding. Strange trees bear exotic fruit, environments bleed from one extreme to the next with little rhyme or reason, and the ever-present threat of Winter hangs overhead. There are areas not even other fae go within the Glade, areas completely claimed by Winter that are taboo to speak about openly, much less to non-fae.

The citizens of the Glade arrange themselves in great social structures known as Courts. For the fae, court is everything and affects their philosophy, duties, and even their laws. Fae join a court when they come of age and will often remain for life. Movements between courts during a single life is rare, but not unheard of. Species of fae tend to have a preference in court, but no species is a monolith, and most species can be found among all the courts. Some species have such slight preferences that they are nearly evenly spread in courts.

Some of the most populous species of the fae (further racial descriptions later on): fairy, pixie, naiad, dryad, centaur, faun, hags, sprite, satyr, and countless others.

Courts of the Fae

The Court of Summer:
Also known as the Elder Court. Summer is the largest and most powerful Court, tasked with leadership of the Seelie Alliance in entirety. They are the court of Laws, Justice, Fairness, and Knowledge. The court is also known for being diplomatic, just, and compromising, but also unrealistic, secretive, and self-righteous. Fae of Summer are more likely to make (fair) deals with mortals, usually in exchange for new knowledge of any type, and are forgiving of minor breaches in their laws by mortals (usually lecturing the mortal about why it is law). They are unafraid to use force to enforce their laws, however.

The Court of Spring:
Spring is a playful time; the trials of winter have passed, food is aplenty, and life springs anew. They are the court of Beauty, Art, Nurturing, and Instinct. The court is known for being creative, playful, and compassionate, but also mischievous, short-sighted, and arbitrary. Fae of Spring are likely to take an interest in mortals, often without interest in making deals. The deals they make can be one sided, but usually not out of malice, just a trick. Enforcement of their laws is often arbitrary, with inconsistent scales of punishment for most rulings depending on the fae's mood or whims.

The Court of Autumn:
Autumn is the harvest and a celebratory time, but also a time to plan for the future and keep wary of the coming trials of winter. It is the court of Protection, Wisdom, Self-Reliance, and Fraternity. The court is known for being reliable, honest, and capable, but also stubborn, distrusting, and hesitant. Fae of the Autumn Court tend to be isolationist and avoid deals with mortals but will make practical deals when necessary. They uphold their laws fervently, but forgiveness is given for first time minor offenders.

The Court of Winter:
Little is known about this court, the fae are secretive of this court's function and operation. It is spoken of with scorn and fear, but also treated as a natural function of the Glade. They often refer to the court as the "Traitor Court", and confirm the court was once part of the Seelie. Relations with this court appear to have fallen to active hostility between them and other three courts long before their involvement in Minach.

Laws of the Fae

Working with the fae, you have to obey their laws. The circumstances developing will grant you leeway with the minor laws, but some of the major laws the fae will still expect you to follow. Basic laws such as murder and theft remain the same in both worlds.

Current list of fae laws is:
- Do not accept a favor or owe a debt to a fae. Do not give gifts that can be taken as an obligation. Just don't give gifts the fae are not expecting.
- Do not consume the food or drink of the Glade.
- Do not enter the Glade unattended, especially at night.
- Show no disrespect to guests.
- One's word is their oath. One's oath is their purpose.
- The destruction of beauty is a paramount crime.

The People of Telorin

There are a great number of people on Telorin, more than can be realistically represented here. The following 6 player choices represent just the races with the most significant presence in Minach especially.
Several species call their heritage back to the Lost Ages. This is a period of time of unknown length in Telorin's past where memory of these events just does not exist, even in creatures old enough to live during these times. Most scholars of history agree that major events during the end of the Lost Ages appear to have destroyed the existing civilizations of Telorin and allowed the current races to gain the power they have. What exactly caused this cataclysm or why memories of this event are missing is unknown.

Elves

The origins of elvenkind have been lost with time, stolen alongside all other memories of the Lost Ages. What they did emerge with, however, was a city from which to base an empire in Osiac. Claiming kinship with Essolin, God of Justice and the Sun, elves have been hailed as both arbiters of righteousness and haughty imperialists. The elvish-lead empire of Emdrassin has a troubled history of deciding other nations require their guiding hand, which lead to elves being perceived as haughty and scheming, particularly in the nations of Akosh. Despite this, elves can be found as citizens of all nations, although those with ties to the Church of Dawn are often under close watch. Elves value fairness talent (particularly in the arts and magical pursuits), although elvish perceptions on what's "fair" often go beyond fairness of the individual.
Elves are considered of age at 20 but are expected to experience the world and its many sensations in their youth before they settle down. Here the elf explores their talents and find their passions. Most elves settle down around 40-50 and live to 250 on average. Some elves have been known to breach 300 years of life.

+ Wood Elves: A large number of elves have turned away from traditional High Elven society and returned to a simpler way of life. These elves tend to venerate deities of life and the wild alongside nature spirits, many becoming full druid circles in their own right. Wood and High Elves remain close, both seeking to preserve and protect Telorin, but differences in opinion have caused the relationship between the two to turn more towards cold mutual benefit over shared kinship. Wood elves value empathy and wisdom but are far from a pacifistic society and are willing to back threats with action.

Human

Humanity's oldest memories are that of the cruelty of the Frost Giants and the bitterness of eternal winter. While the elves started building the first stages of their empire, humanity was rebelling against the old masters of Akosh to claim theirs. Human ambition is well known, as is their often-fierce individualism (not even the human-lead Astera was able to unite humanity). Humankind is often perceived as brash and naïve, although quick learning.
Humans are considered of age at 16 but usually live with family until married or established in their career. Humans typically go off on their own at 23. and live to 85 on average. A particularly old human may live to push 110.

Dwarf

A people long displaced from their home. When the underground Empire of Deephome was conquered, the dwarven diaspora spread to the surface world, the great clans founding a second home in the mountains of Dhor'Rhodaen. Not all are content to return to the old veneration of ancestors, however, and a growing number of dwarves have abandoned clan life to found new societies or integrate into the societies of other species. Dwarves value dedication and innovativeness but are often perceived as stubborn and grudgeful.

Dwarves are considered of age at 15 and traditionally look towards apprenticing for several more years. Most have established themselves by 26 and live to 120 on average. Particularly sturdy dwarves have been known to live past 150.

Floren

Also called halflings by many cultures on Telorin. A diminutive race of humanoids who make up for their size with bold personality. Florens tend towards one of two extremes, homeliness and wanderlust, from the meekest of milds to the truly insatiable. Florens tend to put this wanderlust to use through becoming merchants, allowing them to fulfill the need to explore alongside making a profit. Regardless of temperament, florens tend to value cleverness, and either responsibility or the spirit of adventure, but rarely both. Negative views of florens may paint them as foolish, impulsive, or unassertive.

Florens are considered of age at 15, although wanderlust can develop well before then. Some Floren may be independent and able to make it on their own from then, but this varies wildly from floren to floren. Florens live to 75 on average, and occasionally pass 100 years of age.

Orc

Either violent or misunderstood, depending on who you ask. Orcs hail from the land of extreme scarcity, the bitter cold North-East of Akosh known as the Iron Thorns. Orcs are a pragmatic sort, survival in the brutal landscape of the Iron Thorns requires nothing more. Spiritual nomads, their society is ruptured between the destructive nature of the Old Orcish Gods and the nurturing of the New. Orcs value practicality regardless of affiliation. Orcs of the Old Faith are more likely to value power and intimidation versus the New Faith's preference towards community and sacrifice. Regardless, orcs are often perceived as violent and savage by outsiders.
Orcs are of age by 16 and can live to 100+ if they don't lose their life in the Thorns. Orcs tend to stay within close knit communities their entire life, be them warbands or caravans. Orcs occasionally make it past 120 years of age.

Nyxti

A batlike species, the Nyxti are a secretive people. With the passing of the Lost Ages, the Nyxti were poised to create an empire alongside the elves but instead retreated to operate from the shadows. The true number of Nyxti in the world are unknown, their own communities are hidden away from the prying eyes of outsiders. Nyxti seek to arm themselves with knowledge, be it magical or mundane, making them excellent librarians, researchers, or spies. This furthers their negative view as being secretive and untrustworthy.

Nyxti are of age by 20, and usually take to further studies or leave to integrate themselves into outside communities. Nyxti tend to live to be 150, occasionally pushing 200.

Nyxti are roughly 6 feet tall on average (regardless of sex), although some of that height is lost through their slightly stooping stature. They posses a short snout with a flat, heart-shaped pink nose and very large and thin ears with full muscular control over their positioning. Nyxti possess both a set of vestigial wings and human-like arms. The wings are too thick to fly with (and the Nyxti far too heavy to be carried by them), but fold in front of the Nyxti in a cloak-like appearance, often giving Nyxti a "regal" appearance. Nyxti possess fur on their entire body, usually white, brown, or black in color with several hues.

What about half-[blank]

For the above races, all but Nyxti are considered capable of having children together. The child takes after the mother's species, but with traits similar to the father's species. A Human-Elf child could appear to be a normal human with delicate features and a slight point to their ears while an Elf-Dwarf child could appear as a shorter elf with bold features and a penchant for smithing. Fae influence in the bloodlines is trickier, and often more the result of curses, gifts, and fae-mortal entanglements long ago.

Magic in Telorin

Magic is exerting your own will on the malleable universe itself, fueled by the primal energy of Change that keep the universe running. The amount of reality you can influence is dependent on your ability to process this energy, which the act of converting to power takes a huge strain on the body (the mind in particular). This strain is great enough that mortal beings are unable to withstand being in the presence of magic in its purest state. Telorin is surrounded by what is known as the Shroud which protects life from the worst of magical exposure. Powered through the will of Melchaizek, the creator of Telorin and God of magic, the Shroud breaks magic into Essence, a lesser form of magic capable of being processed by the inhabitants of Telorin. Essence can be captured and preserved by Telorin as well, stored in the fruit of strange trees or trapped in stone or crystal.

How does one cast a spell?

The main roadblock for most spellcasters is learning how to process essence in the first place. Magic is not something that can taught perfectly, it is an instinct that can only be discovered within oneself or created through bonding with a patron who loans you their magical prowess. Most magical awakenings happen via:
Scholarship – You studied magic at some point, although it may not have been your greatest passion. This is the most difficult way to learn, as theories on the limitations of magic do little to help with manifesting magic at all. One thing everything clicks for you, however. Like a radical shift in worldview or the final piece of a puzzle sliding into place, it suddenly makes perfect sense to you, although others may not understand how the revelation lead to your power.
Bloodline – Magic is part of your existence, and it being missing would be like missing a sense. Through contact with powerful beings such as angels or powerful fae, exposure to a great source of magic, or just the great magical power of your ancestors has left your very body suited to converting essence.
Patronage – Extremely powerful magical beings are able to divert a portion of their power to another being they've created a magical bond with. Using magic through a patron significantly lessens the physical toll of converting essence, but the patron is also capable of stopping the flow of magic at any time. Those who access magic through a patron often have to abide by a specific set of guidelines set by their patron, whom may not always be honest with their intentions.

The limitations of magic

Although the exact limitations of what is theoretically possible with magic is unknown, the practical limitations of magic are fairly limited comparatively. In general, the difficulty of any feat of magic is proportional to how much change that action will require. Creating a pillar of rock from thin air is a nigh miraculous feat while pulling a pillar of the same size from the earth: creating something from nothing requires more change than moving something somewhere else. Converting essence into raw energy is even easier: expelling a weak blast of concussive power is incredibly easy, while throwing a fireball is more difficult as it requires conversion of energy to heat.

I am leaving interpretation of your own characters limits to yourself rather than trying to gamify magic, just try to keep a realistic limitation. The average spellcaster can manipulate physical properties (like speed, weight, and strength) create barriers and minor spectral manifestations, animate objects, manifest elements, heals wound and disease, and even influence emotions and occasionally nudge fate itself. The average mage is dangerous but they are not godlike.

Faith in Telorin

Faith in Telorin is diverse and countless minor gods and spirits invoke worship somewhere. For the sake of not making this intro longer than it already is, I'll avoid a large worldbuilding dump here right now. If there is interest in some of the churches on Telorin I can elaborate more on them in an additional post, or just DM me.

Sign Up Sheet

Name:
Age:
Heritage (species):
Appearance:
Personality:
History (Brief please, just a general overview of the character's life. We are allowed to keep our secrets.):
Talents and Weaknesses:

They sit and judge from thrones of oak;
Their word is oath, so law they spoke;
They waste away their little lives;
And dread the day the Fifth Court arrives.

​

Now for the other stuff (Imma speak on rules for a moment):
I am intending for this to be a very plot driven RP. This will unfortunately mean a fair amount of Joint Posts to keep everyone on the same page, and I'll have a discord server for helping to organize that soon. The story is fairly exploration and mystery based, as to what is causing the illness in the forest and the fae themselves. For this purpose, I am not allowing full-Fae characters. If you have an idea and there's not really a species or other outline that fits it, just ask. This is far from comprehensive, as this is a world still very much in development right now.

As for explicit game system, I am leaving most things free flowing and open to interpretation. Just please give a heads up for anything large that would cause a massive effect on the story.

I'm not putting in any time requirements. Just please give heads up for super long (month+) inactivity.

I put the M on there for safety and swear words. Please keep it tasteful, no smut or excessive gore. Don't be that person.

Did I mention communication?

I don't have a set limit. My hopes are 8.

I am requiring fun. Have it.

Also every other PC and RPT rule applies still.

I will get a map soon. I need to rework it to only really focus on the forest.

 

[Jegretis]

I'm pretty much done my SU! :)

Name

Hainer Adhan Moradi

Age

29

Heritage (species)

Human

Appearance

Hainer stands tall, being a few inches above 6 feet at around 6'3". Working in a local mill and the docks by the lakes from a young age, has given Hainer a rather strong and burly build at around 18 Stone, give or take. His hair is black and mainly in an undercut style, with the sides of his hair being very short, almost cut right to the skin. He is generally clean shaven on the face, rarely growing out his beard. In terms of imperfections, there are no real or overbearing blemishes or acne on his face, however, he has one long scar that extends from his left eye, to the side of his head due to an accident when he was younger. His eyes are dark in colour, and his skin is swarthy.

Working as a Guard of Minach, Hainer can often be seen in his work clothes. Although he does indeed have 'formal' armour as do all the Guards, he opts to go for a simpler route with his uniform. Firstly, he were the standard tunic that all guards are obligated to wear. A vibrant red-coloured long sleeve tunic, with one half of the tunic being white. The sleeves of the tunic are cuffed, and the tunic itself stops right at the waist, rather than go further down his body. Instead of wearing a breastplate or bulkier armour, Hainer opts to wear short-sleeved chainmail on top of his tunic, which many guardsmen do, since the rules state only the recognizable red and white tunic has to be showing. On his forearms, he wears steel bracers/gauntlets while on shift, as well as a sword belt that slings around the front of his body, and around his torso. This is where he carries his standard Minach-issued longsword, as do most guardsmen. For his bottoms, he sports slightly-baggy, light brown pants with dark brown boots.

When Hainer isn't working, he can be seen wearing a button up, white-coloured long sleeve tunic, similar in style to his work uniform. The sleeves are cuffed, and the tunic stops at the waist similar to his uniform. On top of this white tunic, he wears a short-sleeved, light blue tunic with white trim. which goes down slightly past the waist. As for the bottom portion of his body, he generally sticks to his usual light brown pants, with the same dark brown boots.

Personality

Growing up working in different labour jobs, Hainer understands the discipline needed to work hard, and more importantly, to make a living. This is usually made apparent in his day to day life, where he generally helps out people who need it. Whether it be running an errand for someone, or helping elderly folk with something. He enjoys sparking up conversation with random people, and more often than not, gives people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to certain things. Because of this, there have been many times when he has been ripped off, or has the wool pulled over his eyes and taken advantage of. Despite this, it can be said that he is a rather just person by nature when it comes down to it, especially when it comes to his job. For example, dealing with people everyday, he definitely runs into a few bad apples who break the law. He will try to deal consequences accordingly on his own, depending on the situation.

Hainer is generally a logical person, however, he can be rattled easily if one were to push the right buttons. He often gets into physical altercations with those who act disrespectful, or otherwise are looking for a fight. Although this happens more so when he's working, there have been several times where certain townsfolk will probe or egg him on when he's off shift, in an attempt to rile him up. Because of this, he tends to stay to himself most of the time, his only friends really being the other guardsmen.

If its another major fault that Hainer has, is his ability to follow orders without question. Although this may not sound all that bad, it is worth noting that he will follow the orders of his superiors without asking too many questions, simply considering it to be apart of his job. For example, if he were to give someone a warning for stealing, and his superior stepped in and commanded him to throw the suspect behind bars, then he would generally go with his superior's orders. This is due to his immense respect for the Kingdom, King Odric, his superiors, and his peers. It can be said that he believes everything the Kingdom does, is for the good of the nation and the people.

All in all, Hainer does strive to be a good citizen, and does take his work seriously. Although he can find it hard to distinguish the line at times, it would be lying to say that his personality doesn't leak through to both his work and personal life more often than not. This is something he has been working on, and needless to say, is harder than it sounds.

History

Hainer has a lived a very average life. His father and mother came to Minach from an eastern nation over 30 years ago as a young couple, where they settled down in their new home. His father quickly found work at the local lumber mill, where Hainer would find himself often spending his days there doing whatever his father told him to do, whether that be chopping some wood, moving wood pieces, etc. Whatever he could muster up to keep his son busy. His mother had left when he was just a young boy, which meant that if Hainer wasn't outside playing with other kids, he was at work where his father could keep an eye on him. It was at his mill that Hainer would be spending much of the next phase of his life, before alternating between the two jobs and also working at the lakeside docks whilst doing work at the mill. Tough labour work definitely shaped his work ethic to what it is today, knowing the value of working hard to earn a living.

It wasn't until around reaching adulthood, where his father would succumb to a disease. Despite his father having many brothers and sisters, they did not live within close distance, leaving Hainer all alone in the world. It was around this phase, where Hainer fell into some hard times, trying to grasp and navigate the world on his own. It took a bit of adjusting, but the days of working in the mill and docks never felt the same once his father had passed, and thus pursued something different, leading him to work as a Guard of Minach. Not only did he find the work to be more rewarding, the extra coin he was making definitely improved the quality of life for him, as the days of working long sweaty hours was behind him. As of right now, he lives by himself in a small house by the edge of town.

Talents and Weaknesses

- He is rather skilled with a sword
- Has rather good perceptive skills, and problem-solving

- Can be easily riled/hot-headed
- Does not know any magic

Other

Hainer is the name given to him by his mother, and that's the name he is generally known by. Adhan is also his name, and was given to him by his father. His mother's current whereabouts is unknown, even to Hainer.

 

[gimmepie]

If you'd posted this a few months ago, I'd be hard at work on an SU right now. Unfortunately though, I really can't juggle any more RPs.
Just wanted to say how good this looks though.

 

[Songbird]

Spoiler:

A cat.

She's a cat, just shy of a year old. She currently does not have a name. She's a soft and fluffy kitty, with pretty, silver-gray fur and shiny blue eyes. Like, addictively fluffy, the kind you could brush and pet all day and never get tired of it.

A noticeably intelligent kitty, she's fully capable of understanding language, responding to inquiry, and following directions. She can use manmade tools and follow complex, multi-step processes.

Despite this intelligence—or maybe even because of it—she demonstrates a distinct curiosity and lack of caution toward most things, including people. She's also quite playful, and tends to follow or stalk things that catch her eye.

Something else of note is her high proficiency and capacity for magic, likely lending to her aforementioned lack of caution. For some reason, however, attempts at translating her meows into something intelligible or directly reading her mind result only in inexplicable white noise.

 

[Kitty]

t e m p t
but i stalk first :eyes:

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Sliding this in here early:

https://discord.gg/ZffZkCQ

 

[Simply Dunsparce]

I am looking into this. Hopefully nothing gets in the way because I would like to joint.

 

[Sonata]

I may well be putting a SU in for this

 

[Jegretis]

My SU is more or less done! I may add to it a bit more, but I think It's good to go :)

 

[PastelPhoenix]

I apologize for the delay on the map, but here's the current version. More will be added as the RP progresses.

Emnise is the capital of Minach. The RP will start in the much smaller town of Banesse, however. Other countries are included for the sake of showing the scale of the forest, and are potential locations in the RP themselves.

For the sake of scale, the entirety of Akosh and the north coast of Osaic. (This is a map I created some time ago and won't have much impact on the RP other than a pretty reference for how big Minach actually is.)

Spoiler:

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Emrys Madoc || The Witch of Kheridwen || 23 || ♂️​

​

Heritage: Half Elven, but passes as human.

Appearance:

Emrys is a slightly short man with a thin build. Years of study in the pursuit of greater magical prowess have not exactly encouraged living a physically fit lifestyle. His hands are often injured in some way, be it from papercut, thorns, the slipping of a kitchen knife, or any other myriad injuries. He's rather unremarkable in body aside from a simple tattoo in the shape of a stylized owl over his heart.

The most eyecatching feature of his would have to be the dark tangle of curls that is his hair. His hair has a rather "bird nest" like quality that frustrates him (especially since his mother has no such issues with her hair, it curls effortlessly). His nose is small and slightly upturned with thin lips to match. His eyes are narrow, giving him a grumpy, but not particularly mean, expression.

He usually wears a traditional "witch" style hat, a light brown in color. It's both practical for keeping sun out of his eyes and he thinks it just feels right to wear. Robes are less frequent (they snag too easily for his taste). He prefers simple cloth shirts and pants with a simple cloak over top.
Personality:

History:

Rumors of a witch living deep within the woods near the Minach-Asterian border have persisted for years. Few have ever met the Witch of Tawny Feathers, but those who have regale with tales of their great mastery over magic and wonderous healing remedies alongside their stunning looks. Even fewer people know that the Witch of Tawny Feathers has a son.

Emrys could have been a prodigy in his own right, were it not for the brilliance of Riannon Madoc, The Witch of Tawny Feathers. He grew up in his mother's shadow, learning the same skills she knew and even taking the same patron as her. Upon coming into the service of Kheridwen he gained his own familiar, a cockatiel, and took his own title of Gray Feather. He shunned the outside world, delving deeper into his studies in an attempt to surpass his mother. Their house's location further isolated him from the world.

That is until he was tossed out of the house a few months ago. Kheridwen, in her infinite vague ways, has called Emrys up north. His mother has locked her house until the spirit's request is completed, in a shocking betrayal. Disgruntled, Emrys heads north in search of a vague life lesson.

Personality:[/h2]
Emrys is generally unpleasant person. There's no simpler way to put it. He's short tempered, thinks too highly of himself, and is quick to dismiss ideas not his own. His overestimation of his own abilities alongside his own impatience is more often than not the cause of his own undoing. The chip on his shoulder works wonders at keeping others at arms distance from him, not that he really minds being on his own.

That said, there's a kind Emrys hidden somewhere inside there. He can hold a perfectly pleasant conversation about the topics that still interest him, particularly magic, herbalism and medicine, the nature of spirits, and shamefully trashy romance novels. He has a good eye for people's talents, although those wasting their talents are likely to earn his ire. He wants what he believes is best for people, but his own lack of leadership skills often prevent him from realizing that vision.

The largest source of stress for him is his relationship with his Patron. The Watcher of the Woods is a difficult patron to work with, all nature spirits tend to be. Kheridwen is particularly vague for even a spirit, but is discerning when it comes to disciples. Her followers tend to regard her with an equal mix of reverence and annoyance, praising her power and caring nature but cursing her vague instructions that may or may be entirely for the amusement of the spirit.

Talents and Weaknesses:

He's rather hopeless in terms of physical ability. He's too clumsy to be much good in a straight up fight.

His pact with Kheridwen and the mentorship of Riannon gives Emrys a solid basis of magic to make up for his lack of physical prowess. This has also unfortunately limited his range of spells, as he excels in magic that is favored by his mentor and patron. He favors manipulation of the plants, wind, and stones, in line with his ties to Kheridwen. He's also a fan of illusions, particularly those meant to confuse or bewilder his foes. He is often limited in his approaches to specific problems due to this over-specialization, but has gained some skill in improvising with what he does know.

His familar bond with Luned allows him some ability to cast his spells through her as an intermediary. This is largely limited to simple illusions or other similarly small spells, but greatly extends his range. Both witch and familiar are able to sense a vague estimation of one's health and emotions regardless of distance, but cannot be used as a form of communication or locating the other party.

If all else fails, he has a knife.​

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Luned || Feathered Servant of Kheridwen || ?? || ♀​

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Luned is a small cockatiel that serves as Emrys' familiar. Her face feathers and ridge feathers are a bright yellow with blood-orange "cheek" spots. Her body feathers are a deep gray with a slight blueish tint save for her wings, which fade to white about halfway down. Her yellow feathers have a small ring of white before fading to the gray.

Luned is generally better natured than Emrys, but he's still probably a bad influence on her. She's excitable and easily surprised, likely to be flitting around Emrys at any given time. She is the one who usually pushes her Witch to action, knowing exactly how to hit him where it hurts to get him off his ass. She does have a tendency for sass, many times at the completely wrong time. This trait of hers has only become more common the more she hangs around Emrys. Her mouth also moves faster than her brain pretty frequently.
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[PastelPhoenix]

With my own SU posted I'm going to make a PSA as well that I'm going to be checking in with people who have posted interest over the next few days to move towards getting started.

 

[Quest]

Here's my SU. I will be changing a bit of stuff as this SU currently does portray him wrongly due to some poor wordage (i.e. he is not quite as hot-headed as it indicates). Hopefully, other people will get some inspiration by seeing another character posted.

Caedan Izamas

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"What can I say? The only crime I'm guilty of was having a good time."

A traveler at heart, Draeth was a man who spent much of his time trading across the country of Minach and, when able, the entirety of Akosh. Not one to settle down, he found himself on the road time and time again. It was during these travels that he met a woman in Tres'Val, a High Elf from the Izamas minor house that inhabited the colony since its first landing on the continent.

The younger elf, Vestelle, was considered … A bit "free-spirited", despite already being from a noble family with a bit of a laxer nature. From one meeting to another, the two's relationship grew and after several years, a child was born to the pair. The child, a son named Caedan, was loved by his parents, though an obvious amount of disdain came from his mother's family.

The relationship had been tolerated by the family, but the thought of a child was devastating. The family may have been outside the jurisdiction of Emdrassen, but they were still elves, and noble ones at that. Preferring to hide the scandal that was Caedan, the Izamas family gave Draeth and Vestelle an ultimatum. Vestelle would marry the son of another noble house and Draeth would leave Tres'Val along with their son.

For the safety of his new family, Draeth took his son from Tres'Val. Over the next eighteen years, Draeth taught his son the trade of … Trading. This, of course, led Caedan to be skilled at horseback riding as well as defending himself with knives and spears.

The boy and his father eventually parted ways, choosing to expand their trading business to more than just the one route at a time. It was during this time that Caedan chose to go back to Tres'Val in the hopes of meeting his mother. He succeeded, seeing his mother from afar, but was stopped from interacting with her by his younger brother.

His brother tried to convince him that their mother was better off not knowing of his status and that she was happy now. Caedan wasn't the biggest fan of that idea, but despite attempting to throw a punch or two, the magic his brother used stopped him in his tracks. His brother used this as an opportunity to insist on his Elven superiority, but the same magic that flowed through his blood was in Caedan too.

Retaliation from Caedan in the form of magic, though unrefined and full of anger, meant nothing to his brother, who left Caedan with several small wounds down his arm.

Caedan once again left Tres'Val, looking to deepen his own power. Over the next twenty years, Caedan became well-versed with the continent of Akosh. He learned many things about the world around him, gaining knowledge that surrounded both the good and bad things out there, though this knowledge only began to grow as more time went by.

From greedy and conniving trading partners to polite and lovely patrons at the local tavern, Caedan saw it all. That said, people tend to get a sense that he is an understanding and funny individual, albeit immature when it comes to taking certain topics seriously. He is good at finding and remembering the little details about people. However, those who look closely realize that Caedan can be quick to distrust others.

It could be that Caedan himself tends to improvise using the knowledge he has at hand because of this distrust. In this way, he avoids planning ahead too much aside from simple and flexible outlines. He even prefers to handle friendships in a similar manner, helping both friends and acquaintances alike when it is needed but prefers not to spend too much of his time building the friendship if he does not think it will amount to much.

While understanding of other people and their emotions, Caedan tends to avoid emotional intimacy that involves himself, preferring physical relationships over those focusing on love and care.

Despite his general understanding of others, Caedan can appear as fairly antagonistic towards those he finds against him to the point of being downright ruthless. In these situations, the immature and funny Half-Elf loses his usual immature and funny tone to one that is dangerous and sarcastic. Though he will deal with the situation if needed, any caution or distrust may be pushed to the brink.

Now at the age of thirty-eight, Caedan has a mostly youthful appearance with generally delicate features, such as a lithe, defined body, clean, dark skin, and bright, hazel-colored eyes. Clean, dark red-brown hair sits on the top of his head, pulled back into a folded ponytail. A few longer strands from his bangs tend to come loose, though he can usually keep them swept to the side.

Assumedly from his human side, Caedan has an essentially ever-present stubble that hugs his otherwise clean face.

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[Kikpanther]

Needle​

50 // Elf​

Needle is a confident, friendly elf. He possesses a welcoming, making him quite easy to meet and even easier to speak to. This is especially true with other elves as he enjoys speaking to his kind more so than others. This isn't to say that Needle rejects non-elves. He is just as quick to introduce himself to them as well which can sometimes seem strange as he was born and raised in high elf territory. To be so easy when greeting decidedly lesser beings is a bit unusual, but it has never been something that has held Needle back when meeting a new person. He doesn't go out of his way to insult other races either. He sees no point in harping on the natural incompetence of non-elves. It's like admonishing the deaf for not being able to describe the nuances of ancient orchestra. Pointless and they probably wouldn't understand what you're saying anyways.

Needle's more lax view of other races has made it much easier for him than others to find company or make friends while traveling beyond Emdressa. And friends he certainly did make. Whether a night in an Inn or a month living and working in a city, Needle never fails to find someone to create a relationship with. It has led him to have many connections around Minach and many favors to call upon if needed.

Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Though not many have witnessed it, Needle can be quite cold to those he feels have slighted or betrayed him. And though he is generally nice to everyone, he is quite capable of delivering a verbal lashing to lesser beings when they act beyond their position. He is also not fond of people approaching from or standing too close behind him. In fact it seems that he has an almost hyper-awareness of what is behind him, making him hard to sneak up on.


As far as elven features go, Needle sports the long, pointed ears and smooth, soft skin free of imperfections as with any elf. He sports long, wavy orange hair that shines with the sun and sharp, intelligent eyes that can be both gentle and dangerous. What stands out about Needle, at least by elven standards, are his feminine features. Though mostly androgynous in appearance, it isn't uncommon for someone to take the gamble and assume Needle is a woman. His soft voice, graceful gait, and lithe frame don't help the situation either.

At this point, the gender confusion doesn't bother Needle at all. Though he fully identifies as a man, he doesn't flinch when called a woman and sometimes goes along with it.

Needle most usually wears his hair in a high pony-tail, but it isn't rare to see him wear it down.


Needle was born in Emdressan and spent most of his formative years there. As he remembers, the vast majority of his childhood was spent outside the major cities and instead in the forests around them. He lived with his uncle and as far as he was aware at the time, there was no particular reason they were out there except the fact that his uncle didn't want to pay property taxes. They lived in a hut that Needle's uncle had built himself and spent most of their time in the forest catching and skinning game, fishing, gathering raw materials, and enjoying their time in nature. Of course, Needle had plenty of time in the city itself. They frequented the city to sell meat and furs when they had excess, buy their own goods, or for his uncle's part time work in one of the shops. This gave Needle more than enough exposure to the hustle and bustle of elven cities big and small as well as much needed respite from his uncle. Needle had a strained relationship with his uncle for most of their time together. Though the end of their relationship, at least in Needle's mind, ended positively.

Their time together ended when Needle's uncle joined a party to hunt big game in the far off regions of Emdressan. Needle was not permitted to join, but before he left Needle's uncle revealed that his mother was still alive and lived only a few cities from them. He could travel there, introduce himself, and stay with her until he returned.

After a few days of travel, Needle arrived and met his mother for the first time. Though he stayed with her for a few months he never introduced himself as her son and instead lived as a friendly guest in her home. She was nothing like he expected and being so aware of a connection in his life that he was stranger to, Needle felt it was time to discover more of his world. He was of age and with new experiences, knowledge, and talents under his belt he could come back and reintroduce himself to his mother, this time as her son.

Needle's travels took him around Emdressan before traveling outside of Elven territory and into new lands.


In his childhood, Needle learned a variety of skills such as hunting, fishing, skinning, and making (a few) herbal remedies. After some years of mentorship during his travels, Needle became experienced with the rapier and prefers to use it over other weapons when it comes to combat, though he is also well versed in using the bow and arrow. Though not particularly skilled at these things, Needle is competent in a variety of other areas such as stitching, sewing, applying remedies and gauze, bartering, and working with farm animals.

As far as magic goes, Needle is not a skilled magic user. He has bloodline magic, which makes the act of using magic easier for him, but he doesn't know any advanced techniques nor is he interested in learning them. So far his use of magic has been for casual everyday or convenience purposes such as lighting candles or turning on the faucet from a distance. Combat wise he prefers to use just his weapons, but may use magic to put power behind his blows, speed behind his arrows, or to heat or cool objects to make them more potent or to create utility. He has dabbled in the idea of making heavy weapons lighter for his use, but prefers to use weapons that are already light.​

 

[Ozymandias]

"The Eager Apprentice"
Name: Lucatiel Myrr
Age: 22
Heritage: Human
Image: https://imgur.com/ZnbuDoV

Appearance: With her short stature and slight figure, Lucatiel is often mistaken to be a mere child. Her innocent disposition combined with the bright grin perpetually plastered upon her face lend themselves quite heavily to this perception. Though she may seem delicate, years of traversing Telorin has taken its toll on the young woman, resulting in a multitude of scars and bruises that litter themselves along her pale skin. Her dark hair is always kept around shoulder-length for convenience, and it is only on rare occasion that she dons anything besides her traditional hunter attire.

Personality: Bright, cherry, and perpetually optimistic, Lucatiel is the antithesis of the jaded attitudes held by her master and other veteran hunters who have weathered the years. She holds an undeniable charisma and even the most hardened of hunters have enjoyed having her stay at their camp. Her child-like temperament paints her view of the world, only ever seeing the good in others and the world around her. While certainly a valuable trait to hold, this has resulted in a widely known reputation for gullibility that has followed her through each market she stops in to sell her goods at. Besides her optimism, the most defining trait held by the young woman is her eagerness to learn. Despite her lack of natural born skills, she has continually trained and persevered into an admirable hunter, an attribute that carries on into every aspect of her life.

History: Abandoned or perhaps orphaned at an early age, Lucatiel was discovered by an aged hunter on the outskirts of an abandoned campsite shortly after her birth. With no family of his own, the man took her in, raising her within the wilds of Telorin. He was hard with her, as he had no other way of being, but the girl loved him as a father and endeavored each day to make herself useful to him. Though it was obvious she had no natural aptitude for their line of work, her attitude and refusal to ever relinquish ingratiated her to the old man and thoughts of leaving her behind during their stops into civilization began to fade. She soon proved herself adequate with a bow and as his steady hand began to decline, hers would often take his place. Though money was never abundant, the pair was well-liked among those of their occupation and made a name for themselves as reliable suppliers within the markets of Telorin. Until recently, it seemed that the pair were inseparable, a partnership that would last until one or the other fell. Upon the day they were to celebrate her twenty-second birthday, the old man disappeared. Vanished from their campsite, he was nowhere to be found. The young woman spent the following weeks desperately tracking her mentor, only to no avail. Almost a year has passed and between getting swindled at the markets and hunting down prey, the search has continued.

Talents: Though it took much training, she is quite skilled with a bow and her aim is true from a respectable distance. Her ability to track prey has also improved substantially through the years.

Weaknesses: Gullible and liable to a wide array of airheaded decisions, her tendency to only see the good in others can often result in trouble. She has no aptitude for magic whatsoever and her ability in close-quarters combat pales quite heavily in comparison to her skill at range.

 

[Sephear]

Buckland Hayvers, Paladin of Grace

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Age: 19

Heritage: Human, muddled with blood from who-knows-what other races

Appearance: Buck stands at an imposing but not gigantic 6'4 and is never seen without his armor, even going out of his way to not eat in front of anyone else when he must lift the visor on his helmet. His armor is always pristinely clean but is never without its scuffs and scratches either.

Personality: A man on a mission. One who is not nearly so altruistic as his "quest" wants him to be. Buck is always ready to help people with things that really matter, but at anything other than the best of times he's never happy about it. The only occasions he ever shows any passion are when his adrenaline is pumping and when he's eating good food and drinking good beer. At all other times he's gruff, reserved and just generally seems slightly annoyed with the world.

While thankful to his patron for everything she's done, and somewhat impressed by her apparent dedication to 'bringing light to those left with none', Buck is as suspicious of her as anyone else with power. He is quick to criticize her orders, ideas, or suggestions when they strike him as too naive or trusting in "the good nature of mortals". Thanks to dealing with his patron, Buck has little patience for anyone who is overly optimistic, naive, or nosy and forceful.

History: Hayversdale was a group of farms big enough and healthy enough to be a staple food source for many towns in the western half of Minach, mostly thanks to how much of the Hayvers' land was around or on the rim of Lake Baywid. Other than being fairly successful as farmers the Hayvers are a very unremarkable family. Their blood is as muddled as it gets and none of them have ever gone off and become heroes, magnates, or anyone particularly special.

Around 8 years ago Hayversdale came under attack by a small group of monsters, which were fought off with relative ease. However, the week after the first attack a second one followed, this time with foes both more numerous and ferocious, killing several guards. This continued on, worse and worse until several Hayvers were killed and an entire farm was damaged beyond reasonable repair. Buck left home after the worst of the attacks and disappeared for five whole years before a man in full plate introducing himself as Buck Hayvers began to appear at towns all over Minach. This man who claimed to be the "First Paladin of Grace, the Lady of Light" healed the sick and wounded wherever he went and offered to slay any monsters troubling townsfolk for a pittance, seeking little more than food and lodging.

Talents: Buck is a fairly skilled swordsman, especially proficient at defense with his unbreakable tower shield: Grace's Protection.

Spoiler:

He has access to powerful holy magic, including healing capable of undoing most wounds not immediately fatal and curing illnesses that aren't terminal or too deeply rooted for mortals. He can also bless his weapons to be lighter or heavier as long as he's touching them and make them burn anything demonic or undead. Buck can also use minor light magic, such as floating were-lights and bright flashes. The most unique thing about Buck's abilities are their cost efficiency, as long as they remain in close proximity to him they use up much less of his energy than they reasonably should, even with a patron's assistance.

Weaknesses: None of Buck's magical abilities can extend more than a few feet from his body without immediately losing all their efficacy, even his powerful healing is useless for anything more than a scratch unless he lays his hands directly on his target and takes time, as well as barely affecting Fae at all. He is also disallowed by his patron to learn any type of magic that isn't either holy or light-based and has virtually no talent to learn them even if he wanted to. Buck isn't very educated aside from reading, writing and a good grasp of geography, his knowledge of history and politics are especially lacking. Worst of all - in Buck's own mind - is that he cannot turn down any earnest request for assistance from another person if he has any reason to believe he could actually be of use, especially if it involves battling monsters or healing.

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Okay, finally going to close this out.

I apologize for taking so long. Although I initially planned only for an even number of players, I am going to accept all of the current applicants.

Welcome aboard:
Lucatiel, Buckland, Needle, Caedan, Emrys, A Cat, and Hainer!


When is the IC starting?
More or less as soon as it is approved. I'll be submitting it right after this post goes up.

 

[Jegretis]

Posted! It was a small post, but I think it should suffice for now :)

 

[Ozymandias]

good news, i got hired to work on a campaign! bad news, that leaves me with like no time to be a part of this anymore :') apologies but i must drop. i'll try to lurk whenever i get some free time! good luck everyone!