[M/OOC] Shadow of the end

[trouble.muffin]

I have such split ideas, but I promise to finish my sheet after this bit of feedback. Would you prefer most of us to play humans, or are you hoping for a wide variety of races? I have ideas for both elf and human characters, but I've only ever played one character per RP and am not feeling brave enough to change that today.

[Underblank]

And so, it begins!

Name: Minevra

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Height: 5’7”

Race: Human

Area of Expertise: Medicinal Arts/Healing. Minerva has years of experience with working with many different herbs and reagents to make her medicinal library impeccable. She is also well trained with daggers and throwing knives.

Appearance: Minerva has a soft, innocent complexion with a petite figure. She has Long flowing rose-colored hair with emerald green eyes. She has a scar under her right eye and many visible scars running down her arms. For clothing, she wears an emerald cloak with gold accents with white leggings. A white blouse, and a pair of knee high leather sandals.

Personality: Minerva is a very optimistic in nature, always looking for the positive in every situation. She is very friendly and can talk to almost anyone (very charismatic). She is fearless and protective, but can have a heart of ice in certain situations.

Background: Minerva was a very spoiled child as she grew up in the wealthy district of the small town of Hylin. The town was known for its many healers and herb vendors, making this a set destination for anyone who became ill. Her father was one of the most well-known healers throughout the land and one of the best teachers of the craft. He spent countless hours teaching Minerva about: herbs, how to mix then to make antidotes and poisons, and how to treat many various wounds.
Her mother was a master combatant when it came to daggers and throwing knives, hence Minerva’s skills with the weapons. Her mother had no mercy on her daughter when it came to training, as it prepared her for the world outside the walls of Hylin.
When Minerva was about 18 years old, things began to take a toll for the worse. Many people gained knowledge of the town and flocks of people flooded within the gates, and along with that came trouble. Many bandits of evil content stormed the shops, killed the villagers, and murdered her father. After months of raids and murders, the town was left in shambles, only to shelter half the population. With her father dead and her mother missing, Minerva had to rise to the occasion and be the new healer. She developed a heart of stone and much knowledge about the world and its ailments over her many years as a practitioner.

Other: She carries a messenger bag with many different herbs and medical supplied. On her belt, she has two dagger her mother had left her and a thigh strap for her throwing knives.

[Numbers]

Name: Alessia Zurbank

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Height: 4'9"

Race: Kitsune

Area of expertise: Assassin. She is skilled at the tracking and hunting of her targets. She has a knowledge of herbs in order to make medicine and poison. She is skilled in combat using her katana and her longbow. Has a high ability of stealth and is able to scavenge for items to progress her mission forward.

Appearance:

Spoiler: Pictures 

Spoiler: Alessia 

Spoiler: Soyoka 

Personality: Alessia is slow to trust others and slow to act on an action. She likes to weigh the outcome of several different actions to figure out which one would best suit her in getting to her goal. She only trusts two people full heartedly. Her mentor, and then Soyoka, her spirit sibling. On the outside, she can seem cold and cruel, but once she starts to open up to someone, she is seen as warm and considerate. She finds joy in exploring new places and seeing what the world has to offer.

Background:

Alessia was born to a poor farming family in the small farming town of Aeroff. The kind of town that needed no guards since no trouble ever popped up. However, her birth was strange compared to those of her brothers and sisters in the family. When she was born, she was not born alone. At birth, a nature spirit in the form of a wolf appeared in the birthing chambers. When the child was born, on her stomach was a birthmark bearing the symbol of nature's mark.

From that day forward, Alessia had been marked as an assassin for the Kingdom of Kitsune, Neriak. She was allowed to be raised among her family in the farming village, but only stayed there until she was ten. Being different, the other families in the farming town treated her with fear and suspicion. Once she turned ten her parents decided that although they loved her, it would be better to send her to be raised in the capital with others like her.

From that point forward she was assigned another assassin as her mentor and lived and trained with him until she twenty years old. At that age, she was considered an assassin and she started to do contracts for the kingdom. She spent the next few years honing her trade as an assassin for the kingdom, and slowly rising the ranks to the point where she could take contracts that let her travel to other lands.

Other: Carries a Katana on her hip and as well as her longbow and sheath of arrows on her back. Soyoka, her spirit sibling, is able to fight as well through biting or suffocating its enemies. As a spirit, it's able to have its form in the world switch from a black smoke, to a slightly solid form of tar in the shape of a wolf. It's head and face is able to disappear into its own body and able to emerge from another part of its body. Around Alessia's neck is an amulet with the sigil of her noble house.

~~~~

Here is some basic information on the Kitsune race. I'll be adding onto it and expanding it as I can :P

Kingdom of Neriak:

Spoiler: Bried History 

The Kingdom of Neriak was formed together from the different clans of Kitsune back in the ancient ages. Since then they have had many different royal families and have participated in many different major wars. One notable war was that between the humans and the kitsune. The war, which was so major. resulted in humanity having all of their kings temporarily unite under one banner as well as having them call all of their allies in the war against the Kitsune. This was was due to the Kitsune possessing their unique assassins. These assassins were called Nature's Arrows. The assassins, with their partners from the spirit world, were deadly combatants who served as commanders in the Neriak Military.

The war between the two sides though ended in a stalemate as the two forces eventually signed a peace treaty. However, the damage that was caused by the war would never be forgotten as a sense of distrust and suspicious was ingrained into the other races of the Kitsune. Kitsune became known as a race of human-like monsters. A race that made pacts with the spirit world in order to commit dark acts on the other races. This was born due to the races limited understanding of the spirit siblings.

As time would go on, the war would always be told as a story to kids of most of the races. To the races that weren't kitsune, the story would be that of the monsters the Kitsune are. How, if you ever met one, you were not to trust them because they would lead you down a dark path of thievery and murder. That story was born due to the danger that the Nature's Arrows brought. For those of the Kitsune race though, the story is very different. It tells of the heroicness of the Nature's Arrows, and their sacrifice to protect the kingdom.

As more time would go on, the amount of assassins that would be born into the kingdom would lessen as the need for them lessened as well. In the current age, the Kitsune race still holds peace treaties with the other races as well as trade agreements. Diplomatic relations are still unstable, and the others races still view the Kitsune as dangerous creatures, especially those who possess spirit siblings. Most races refuse to serve any Nature's Arrow that may appear at their establishment.

As such, many Kitsune that are seen outside of their own kingdom, are those that have gone rogue and work with some bandit group.

*Religion:

Spoiler: Religion 

The religion of the Kitsune is known as the Three Goddesses. Each goddess posses a different idea. One is the goddess of light, the sun, and life. Another is the goddess of darkness, the moon, and death. Then there is the last goddess, the goddess of balance, shadows, and nature. This third goddess is the primary goddess of the Kitsune. One sister handles giving new life to the race while the other guides the dead to their final resting place. The goddess of balance handles everything else. It was this goddess, called Lel' Ruth, gave the gift of the Nature's Arrows to the Kitsune race. She is the goddess who chooses which child gets marked, as well as giving each marked child their spirit sibling.

There is a prophecy among the religion as well, but the secrets of the prophecy are kept under tight security with the religious texts, guarded by the Nature's Arrows. As such, those who are assassins in the kingdom, are treated as soldiers that carry the words of the goddesses, and the queen who rules the kingdom.

* The religion teaches that those who serve other gods are considered heretics. They admit that the other gods do exist but that despite that they are to worship only their three gods. Those who switch over from heretic gods to the three sisters are welcomed with open arms in Neriak and are simply called no tails, or in their language, Tēru nashi. Due to the fact that they have no tails to represent status they usually work the lower end jobs. However, despite this, they are still given the respect of their age.

*Spirit Siblings:

Spoiler: Spirit Siblings 

Spirit Siblings are given to those who are marked to become Nature's Arrows among the Kingdom of Neriak. They are known to stay with their partner until their partner dies and eventually goes to the next life with their partner. Spirit Siblings can be quite different from each other. They can take the form of any animal, and possess the traits of any of the three goddesses. The only trait they share with each other is the bond they have with their partner and the fact that they have two forms. A sort of liquid/solid form, and a form of gas.

* The internal workings of Spirit Siblings is strange to the say the least. The amount of space they take up appears much smaller from an outside view. On the inside, unknown qualities are at work as the spirits are able to hold much more inside of them than the amount of space that is there. It is normal even for spirit siblings to hold the gear and weapons of their partners inside of them. How it all fits inside of them is known only by the gods.

Nature's Arrows:

Spoiler: Nature's Arrows 

Those who are born with the mark of the goddess and posses their Spirit Sibling are destined to become assassins for their kingdom and to join the group called Nature's Arrows. They are holy soldiers that answer only to the queen and the high priestess who together, interpret the messages from the goddesses. These assassins are responsible for taking out targets they deem as threats to the kingdom, spying on other kingdoms and organizations, procuring artifacts the kingdom wants, eliminating Kitsune that have gone rogue, and fixing internal threats. Often enough they are trained from a young age to become assassins and spend most of their life working as assassins.

*Culture:

Spoiler: Kitsune Culture 

* The culture of the Kitsune is filled with all kinds of different art and style. Their culture is fluid like water and holds beliefs in nature and religion. Their art and music tend to revolve around celebrating nature and everything it gives while the construction part of their aspect seeks to be surrounded by nature.

Likewise, with the Kingdom being that of a monarchy, the status of a kitsune is decided by a multitude of factors. Those with more tails are higher in status than those with lesser amount of tails. Likewise, the length of one's tail and the quality of the fur of the tail also represents different status. Those who have shorter tails and lower quality fur tend to be in the more poor and medium wealth area, while those with the longer tails and higher quality tend to be in the rich wealth area. Then those who are noble are not only represented by the quality of their tails but by an amulet that each have around their neck with the sigil of the noble house they belong to. Each original clan of Kitsune possesses a noble house and as such, fourteen noble houses exist. If the line of royalty is killed off for some reason, then a new line of royalty is picked from one of the fourteen noble houses.

Thirteen of the noble houses represent a clan. The clans are Wind, Earth, Fire, River, Heaven, Thunder, Mountain, Void, Spirit, Time, Forest, Ocean, and Music. Each clan specializes in a different aspect of the kingdom. Those from the wind clan are known for being quick messengers. Those from the Earth Clan are known for being Blacksmiths, From the fire clan are those who specialize in cooking. From the river, clan are those who are masterful swimmers and fishers. From the Heaven, clan comes those who are primarily made of priests. Those from thunder serve in the military as superior ranged combatants. From the mountain, clan are those who are superior in the mining of the earth for materials. Those from the spirit clan represent the medical area of the kingdom. Those in the time clan keep track of the history of the kingdom and the history of the world. Those in the forest clan are known for their ability to hunt and gather in nature, making use of even the simpler of materials to make complex devices. From the ocean clan comes the sailors, and the navy of the kingdom. From the music, clan comes culture, art, and the masters of festivals. The void clan is different than the rest though. They are considered the lowest clan in status but also the largest clan in population and representation. Their clan is made of those who fill the jobs left untouched. They are the clan of primarily middle and low weath kitsune.

The fourteenth noble house is the noble house of the three gods. This house is purely represented by the Nature's Arrows. Only those who belong to the gods belong in this house and out of all the houses, they have the lowest population, but the highest status. Their word is able to turn the tide of opionons in the other houses with ease.

[Namingtoohard]

I have such split ideas, but I promise to finish my sheet after this bit of feedback. Would you prefer most of us to play humans, or are you hoping for a wide variety of races? I have ideas for both elf and human characters, but I've only ever played one character per RP and am not feeling brave enough to change that today.

Truth be told, it makes virtually no difference to me. Originally I had intended for humans to be the most common race, but there's really no limits on how the main party turns out. I left so many of the world-building aspects free intentionally so that everyone would be able to design and play their characters however they liked, and this is no exception. Just play whatever you feel like you would enjoy most, without regard for what the others pick.

In any case, it seems that we finally have a healer in Under's character, which is certainly going to be a real plus with some of the confrontations that are planned.

As for you, Numbers, its good to see someone taking full advantage of the world's open aspects. I love the lengths you've gone to in designing the kitsune race's religion and the likes. Its really encouraging to see.

[Numbers]

Oh there is a lot more trust me xD I just had to stop because my friend got home and he wanted to play some of the multiplayer of the new cod xD Also I feel like I know where your set is from.... I'm pretty sure its from League, but im trying to remember the exact character now xD Lux maybe?

[trouble.muffin]

Name: Dhosarvia; Dho for short (sounds like "doe")
Age: 142 - by D&D standards, this means she has reached emotional maturity, but is still a young adult.
Gender: female
Height: 6'1"
Race: wood elf
Area of expertise: As a former scout and ranger, she can typically detect another presence from afar and if it is determined to be a threat, her archery is proficient enough to pick them off from a hundred yards off. She can also move silently through the forest and leave barely any trace of her passing through.

Appearance:

Spoiler: photo for reference 

Personality: Integrity and tenacity are the two qualities Dho prides herself in most. Embracing these traits is the only way to live with no regrets or missed chances. With just under a century and a half experience under her belt, she is wise enough to validate the full confidence she has in her abilities. However, she is still young by the standards of most forest elves, so she does not see herself as anything out of the ordinary.

Decades of spending a majority of her time alone or with an assigned team, has made her social skills in informal situations a little rusty, to put it lightly. Dhosarvia has grown accustomed to the solace of her own company, and is not eager to group up with others unless it is the most logical course of action. It isn't that she dislikes others; she just can't quite connect with them the same way anymore.

Background: While patrolling her assigned area of the forest, Dhosarvia came upon a falcon with an arrow through its wing. She brought the injured bird back to the secret village of the forest elves to rehabilitate it and reported her suspicions that a poacher had set up camp. Forest elves rarely hunted, and would never be so careless as to wound a falcon.

The elders were shocked, more so than what seemed appropriate for a simple poacher. Dozens of poachers were chased out of the forest each month, assuming they were allowed to leave with their lives. Dhosarvia asked what their true concern was, and they reluctantly told her that a falcon with an arrow through its wing was an auspicious sign of oncoming hardship. It was no coincidence that this omen came just days before the Shadow of Consumption reached their area of the forest.

The forest elves sent their most skilled warriors to face the oncoming destruction, but to no avail. None returned, and the High Council had no choice but to call for total evacuation. Even the most elderly in the city fled, though not all made it out of the forest in time. After being forced to make contact with other civilizations for the first time in centuries, elves now live as refugees among humans. There is a name for the darkness among humans, too-- Ruin. Dhosarvia is determined to find a way to regain their forest and lead her people home.

[Crazywolf]

So cool seeing everyone else post up their characters.

[Stormcast]

Hoping to join with a chance to use a character who only saw a single post in his previous adventure! It has been a while since I gave this a go but some feedback would be lovely.

Name: Morthos 'The Fatebinder'

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Height: 6' 8"

Race: Human

Area of Expertise: Gravewarden, A Paladin of the Everqueen. Morthos is a trained fighter. His aggressive fighting style and skill with heavy armoured combat makes him a potent and prominent figure on the field of battle. Outside of bloodshed, he is a well traveled man and often offers his words of wisdom about the religions that cover the world.

Deity: The Everqueen, Goddess of Mortality and the Cycle of Life.

Noteworthy Equipment: War-scythe, Platemail Armour , Prayer Book, Brass skull pendant. (His Holy symbol)

Appearance: A Paladin of the Everqueen is often a sight to behold. Coal black armour, stylised in great ridges that form into a grim set of rib cages and bones strike unease into the simple folk. His pauldrons are shaped into a great skull on the left and an open book on his right whilst his helm forms a bone-white, emotionless mask.

His skin is rough and slightly tanned from the exposure to the elements. He stands at an impressive 6'8" and his broad shoulders offer a clear first glance to his militaristic background. His hair is short, unkempt and a dark, almost black, brown. His eyes differ, one a pale green whilst the other a deep, unnatural purple that hints towards a divine connection to his deity.

Spoiler: Rough Idea 

Personality: Morthos is reserved, yet fervent. He is cautious, yet reckless. All depends on the task at hand and the will of the Everqueen. His devotion to the Goddess' ways and his undying fealty to her name often see his stance shift from passive to aggressive. Yet he is not one to resort to death as the first port of call.

His loyalty is as strong as his armour and his sense of duty and honour come above all else. Yet should you stray into darkness; it is this call of duty that will pit him against you. None can escape fate. And your fate will be sealed by the Gravewardens.

Flaws: Unyielding faith in the Everqueen is a fickle thing. At times it is a boon yet in others a terrible curse. His oaths demand self sacrifice and his fealty will see it through. Moments of zealotry bring fearlessness at the cost of reason.

Background: A recent arrival to these lands, Morthos has taken his time over the last two years attempting to reconnect with his brother. They have always been close, despite both devoting themselves to separate gods. Yet only a handful of years ago, the paladin's usual weekly letter never arrived. Not a single word has been sent since. His search has lead him far away from his home and further away from the people he sought to aid in their goals. In time, Morthos began to find less leads and fewer clues to the whereabouts of his brother's fate. That was until he saw the frantic request for help against Ruin itself. The Cycle of Life has been threatened. Duty, dedication and fury will answer.

He now travels onward with the belief and hope that his sibling continues to fight in the name of the gods.

Other:

Spoiler: The Cylirrion Empire 

Far to the west in a land of sand and mountains as red as blood sits the Cylirrion Empire

Spoiler: The Gravewardens 

Founded centuries ago, the Gravewardens have long been protectors of mortality and the sanctity of death and rebirth. Their zealotry towards The Everqueen often holds no bounds and devotion builds them to become strong bastions of faith amidst the Cylirrion Empire. Many pledge their lives to the temples, yet only a few will be chosen to become one of the three hundred and sixty five Gravewardens of The Everqueen.

To many outside of the Empire, their appearance is that of nightmares. The imagery of death flows through every armour piece, every weapon and every icon and temple. It is seen as bad luck to have a paladin walk into your home or business, as they herald the end of you or a loved one. Yet the truth is far from it. Each Gravewarden has taken oaths to protect those who's time is threatened to be cut short. The cycle of life and death is a precious thing that is sacred to them. Only the wicked will find their end at the hands of one of these holy warriors.

Yet even they can be mislead. A mere decade ago, before the limit was cast upon the number of Gravewardens to be trained, one such paladin was lead astray. The man now known as the "Carrion Lord", began to believe that human lifespans were more sacred than any. His radical behaviour saw many of the Wardens flock to his side until his madness over spilled into action. What followed horrified the Empire and the lands beyond. Races of extended lifespans, elves, dwarves and many other, were butchered by the hundreds. A mass genocide that would shock the world for years to come.

This era of darkness was finally ended when the Carrion Lord was confronted by his fellow Wardens. Although the battle was ferocious, he was finally cast down. Since then, there has only ever been one Warden for each day of the year.

[Namingtoohard]

Oh there is a lot more trust me xD I just had to stop because my friend got home and he wanted to play some of the multiplayer of the new cod xD Also I feel like I know where your set is from.... I'm pretty sure its from League, but im trying to remember the exact character now xD Lux maybe?

Yeah, its the splash art for the Elementalist Lux Skin. I totally noticed that you had wolf as your little spirit partner, I just refrained from mentioning it because I had no idea if you actually played or just found the picture while browsing for one to use and liked it =P

In any case, with Trouble's character and Storm's character both up now, I think that makes for everyone I knew was thinking about joining in. I might give it another day or so, just to give anyone else thinking about jumping in a chance, but then I'll probably go ahead and throw up the IC thread.

Of course, people are still welcome to join after then, but they'll have to be treated as late arrivals, or perhaps even find some other reason or way to meet up with everyone else, depending on how far in we are.

[Namingtoohard]

whoop, my net derped and I accidentally double-posted. Nothing to see here