Closed Duskbound (A Dark Fantasy Role-Play)[The Sign-Up Thread/OOC]

[JSJ_2004]

"They scour the lands, plaguing it with their presence and reaping the only thing they know how to do – devouring humans. Disgusting beings, these 'monsters' or 'demons' are. Where they come from is unknown. Recorded in mankind's history as being devils or a way to 'cleanse' our world from humans according to some religions. These beings cannot be reasoned with, nor tamed, and whether they produce any sort of benefit to the world is unlikely. Judging my notes, I can come to the conclusion that their sole reason for existence is nothing more than to burden mankind with their presence and to eat our children until their gluttonous stomachs can eat no more."


- Father Joseph

The country of Arandia would be so considered by many people, an ideal place to start a life. Great weather, decent politics, and it has been relatively neutral in terms of wars for many years. With a temperate climate, the weather can change here and there depending on where someone ravels to within the country. Vast forests, mountain ranges, and fantastic coastlines fill the province, and can be great for travellers and adventurers of the like. Despite this seemingly pleasant facade on the surface, not everything is what it seems.

The city of Ivesburg. A large, dark, dreary, gloomy town that is fun as it is lawful. Located towards the northern part of the country, its weather can be rather bipolar at times. Sometimes sunny, with an added amount of rain and the occasional chilly weather. The citizens of this city have persevered and learned to work with they have. Its numerous businesses that help the city function and tick properly, with anything from bakeries to cafés, to street-vendors that can be found here, alongside a farm located just outside the city. The streets for the most part are clean and well kept (save for certain parts of districts of course), with some trees planted about to add some green as well as a few street lamps to keep the city well lit in the evening. Although the city itself may seem okay at first, upon living here it becomes clear there is something much more sinister going on. The Mayor of the city, Donol, prides himself in making the city run to his liking, and it goes without saying, he doesn't care what other people think. With Ivesburg currently undergoing its "Witch Trials", that is finding and executing those practicing magic and witchcraft outside the Church of Dawn, it is safe to say that Donol takes no chances to ensure his city is well whipped. Although with good intentions, Donol himself is not a bad person, just a bit too ambitious for his own good. If anything, his son Dimeris is the truly wicked one, calling the shots behind the scenes, convincing and coaxing his father to regulate the city in ways he deems fit. Going from door-to-door to houses and businesses often collecting unpaid tax money, or simply abusing his power, the man is not liked by many. In fact, he is best known for 'supposedly' framing those who he doesn't like, in an attempt to have grounds to punish them. His disdain for poorer people and the middle class in general is well known, and he expressing this disgust openly. Speaking of classes, the city can be divided into these areas, otherwise known as districts:

The Bunberry District
This is where the wealthy or noble citizens reside. Located on the northern end of town, this area is generally smaller than the other districts, comprised of large manors and gated communities. Although not uncommon to see non-wealthy citizens around here, there is not much to do other than look at houses or simply take a walk around.

The Hive District
The largest of all districts. The Hive is the name given to the entire district of this city. This district houses everything such as businesses, residential neighborhoods, and the local church is also located here. This district is the one area anyone can be seen at because of the multitude of things to do. The blacksmith is also located here, as well the theatre where actors will perform and participate in plays for the public to enjoy. The central market place is usually the busiest in this district, where street-vendors will be located alongside smaller businesses and children playing around near the city fountain. It also in this central marketplace where Mayor Donol will make announcements and often execute or hang criminals for everyone to watch.

The Willows
The worst district in Ivesburg. Here is where the poorer citizens reside. Although some areas in this neighborhood are not that bad, much of it is filled with crime and shady activity. Generally speaking, the people here do not make much money and some are pushed into this district when they cannot pay enough to keep living in the other districts. Rumors also state that a certain powder-like drug known as Salva is also being made here and distributed.

The Outfields
Although outside the city, it is still technically a part of the city due to its location. Here is where the farmland is located, where crops grow and the local farm produce for businesses and vendors to buy and sell. There is also a mine located out here, where the miners work. It should also be noted that there is a cemetery located out here. Other than that, there is not much else here, and it is essentially this area that cuts off Ivesburg from the rest of the world. What lies beyond, is a grassy landscape with few trees littered about.

Preying upon people, and ultimately capable of wiping out humanity, Demons are considered to be the absolute worst form of life in the world. They are also widely regarded as Monsters by a majority of the population, because of their often grotesque appearances that don't depict common animals. Their history is shrouded in mystery as it is unknown when exactly they appeared in the world, however some documents state that they originally showed up after humanity made their mark, whilst others claim they have been here before humanity. However, they have had an impact on humans' bloody history, terrorizing, hunting, and eating anyone or anything they come across. Although for the most part, they thrive in the wilderness, they are the main reason why many people do not venture out alone. They are not however, invincible. Like any living being, Demons can be killed, although it may require a bit more effort than a simple mountain cat, and may require more than one person. Like animals, Demons often have species as well. It is not known how they reproduce, however, it is a generally known fact that they do reproduce in some manner or another.

An organization within the city, the teachings from the Dawn Church extend across the country of Arandia. Well-known, and rather respected (at least by most people), members of this religious organization practice the art of performing "Miracles", otherwise known as "Magic". Although some people consider them to be a sort of cult and actually practice witchcraft, the church has stated that their miracles only help people. Supposedly 'healing' illnesses, curing sicknesses, diseases and also fending off demons and spirits with magical attacks, their claims are still murky. However, they are a generally peaceful bunch, rarely resorting to violence for any reason. Many of the members are willing to help those out in need, and do not except payment unless it is a donation to the church itself. Father Jospeh, the founder of the church, preaches that The Creator originally intended for Demons to walk this earth, however, upon seeing how wretched and ugly the beasts had become, The Creator created humans to dispose of the beasts. Although many people agree with Father Joseph in that demons must be rid of, many find his preaching too be a bit much.

It should also be noted, that disciples of the Church of Dawn are able to use Magic. Magic is dangerous, and volatile in nature and must be used with caution. They are also given access to the library which not only has books on Magic, and how to use it, but also books on history. This is where a lot of information is passed on through the city, in regards to the world. It should be noted, reading books on Magic is not permitted by outsiders, however, the public is free to use the general studies section of the library. Learning magic is a difficult, gruelling process, and is not for the faint of heart. It can take years just to learn one spell and sometimes even longer to master it.

Note: Members of the Dawn Church are the exception to the Mayor's Executions. The Mayor does not like criminals, and those who practice magic that are not apart of the Church.

Magic
As mentioned before, Magic is a dangerous thing. Not only can it be used to inflict harm, but it can be taken advantage of. Likewise, Magical books and teachers are hard to find, and as such, restrictions are set in place to ensure information on the arcane does not fall in the wrong hands. Firstly magical books are usually in the confines in libraries or offices of sorts. Magic is considered to be a privileged practice, and as such, many lesser people would never get a chance to even read a book of that nature. Secondly, learning magic on one's own in incredibly challenging. Many people would often need to seek someone who also knows about the practice and is willing to teach. And thirdly, Magic is not able to be performed by everyone. Although this one is a more natural restriction, majority of people would never be able to do any sort of Magic, even if they studied for years. This is solely because many people believe that Magic is an internal attribute, and is dependant on many factors that are not as black and white as many people believe them to be, such as personal traits, mindset, etc. Magic can be combined into these categories:

Offensive: Offensive magic includes all spells that inflict some sort of damage directly. Examples of this include a standard Fireball spell, etc. Essentially if it will harm someone or something, then it counts as Offensive Magic.

Defensive: Magic in this category includes spells that don't do damage. Generally speaking, Defensive Magic usually fall under one of two criteria: 1) The spell protects the user or someone else from harm 2) The spell will incapacitate someone or something without directly harming them. Examples of each could include some sort of barrier than ward off foes, or a spell that may stun a foe.

Healing/Miracle: Healing magic is also referred to as Miracle Magic by some in the world, especially religions. Doctors often use this to help with their medicine, and treat their patients. It is fairly straightforward, in the sense that this type of Magic heals the user or target, or helps ailments. Please note, no Healing Magic will ever 100% repair wounds or damages. Same goes for illnesses. It is not always possible to cure diseases through magic.

Support: Support magic is anything that does not fall under the above categories. Examples of Support Magic include reinforcing an object, blessings, to possibly even some sort of combat boost. Examples of each can include possibly reinforcing an iron arrow to become stronger, or a blessing spell to keep someone awake or even sleep for that matter.

It takes a lot of effort to perform Magic. Energy to perform Magic is not indefinite, and one can get tired very easily from it. Likewise, it can also be fatal to keep performing magic when your body is not complying with it.

If you haven't guessed it already, your character starts off in the city of Ivesburg. What your character does is up to you, whether they are some sort of laborer, performer, etc, its your decision. In terms of the setting of the RP itself, I would say it is stuck somewhere in your typical fantasy/medieval era. With that said, I should note that this roleplay is not heavily focused around combat or fighting, but more so interaction between characters and story progression. Obviously there will be combat, but please do not sign up and expect there to be fighting right off the bat. This story will start off in Ivesburg and build upon there. The characters will eventually be leaving the town, so be prepared for that.

And one more thing: To make things a bit easier, and flow better, I am going to be splitting this roleplay into 'chapters'. For example, we will start in
Chapter 1 obviously, and when the little bit of plot is done for that chapter, we can just move on to the next chapter. This is done for these reasons:

1. If people want to find a specific post, they can simply find the post that started the chapter and search it from there rather than keep going through pages
2. Easier to transition between certain situations and cut between events
3. Easier to focus on the plot, since each chapter will have their own clear sub-plot
4. Keeps things clear and concise by focusing on a chapter at a time
5. It allows for players to create their own chapters, where everyone can partake in

Rules + World Rules

1. All Forum Rules Apply
2. This is a rather darker roleplay, so I guess I rate it "m" for all the usual stuff (swearing, some gore, adult themes). Please don't abuse this, and use it as an excuse to swear excessively or be crude or vulgar. I rated it this, to give a bit more freedom with writing.
3. No godmodding. As said before, this is not an RP about fighting, but make the fighting realistic. If your character got hit, make sure you describe they actually got hit and not just shook it off like it was nothing ( a punch to the face does hurt).
4. No having multiple characters
5. Magic is only available to characters who practice it. Not everyone has access to it, and not everyone has the aptitude to perform Magic, even if you study it. Magical aptitude is dependant on the person themselves. If your character knows any Miracles, make sure it isn't overpowered. Things such as bringing back the dead, stopping time, moving mountains, etc are forbidden. With that said, if I find that your magic is overpowered, then I will let you know. A character who does not know magic, should still be able to kill one who does. Magic is not some invincibility barrier.
6. No bunnying other characters without permission. However, something I do allow, is for you to bunny my character if you need to (you don't have to ask me, unless you think it is something out of the ordinary for my character to do).
7. Not really a rule, but please give me critique if you don't like something. For example, if you guys absolutely hate the whole chapter thing, then please let me know and I will most likely scrap it. With that said, if you have an idea for a chapter or want to have one revolving around your own character or whatever, please let me know.
8. Once again, not really a rule, however, I should note that this roleplay is not based around any existing franchise of the sort. It is simply my own creation.


The Sign-Up Sheet

Name
(Straightforward. A First name and middle or last name (if they have one)).

Age
(Age doesn't generally doesn't matter in this roleplay. Could play as an old man, middle aged woman, etc. Just have it make sense please.)

Gender
(Again, straightforward.)

Appearance
(Good description of your character. Picture does not substitute for writing. Only human characters.)

Personality
(Explain their personality. Their traits, habits, how they behave etc.)

Background
(Probably the most important section. Detail anything here, from their origins, social class/status, occupation, family, or anything else that would fit in here.)

Magic
(This is optional. List out magic that your character has, if they have any. Max 2 for now)

Weapon
(Your character will be getting a weapon, as per story. Choose a basic one for now. They don't have to start off with it as the RP begins, unless they have good reason to. As I said before, the story will give them a weapon anyways per plot).

Other
(Anything else you want to add?)

~


I will only be accepting about 4-6 players or so, mostly because I don't want to be overwhelmed with so many players/participants. But this will not be first come first serve, but rather, I will be picking based upon how well the characters are written, and if they would be a good fit. But if there seems to be more interest and people want in, then I will try to accommodate

 

[Belineth]

Hi there! I just joined today, so I'll apologize for not having a clue before I even get started LOL
I hope this is the right place to post a sign-up sheet. I'll just go for it and if you're full already its all good. :) Okay, here it is...

Name: Vel Camerius aka Derision (stage name)

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Appearance: 6'3, lithe form, appears thin but has honed his muscles in such a way that they are more dense than bulky. Typical thief or rogue body type. Derision wears a tight, black and dark purple costume, with black and white, smiling face paint that makes him look creepy rather than the playful jester. His black jester hat hides his hair completely and is tipped with silver bells. His hair is tawny brown, his eyes a fiery amber, and his skin pasty from always wearing thick makeup. He keeps his hair short. When not in costume he tends to wear dark clothes that are easy to move around in and usually stays partially hidden behind a hood.

Personality: Vel has a very 'trust no one' outlook. He keeps none close, no matter what they might think, despite a seemingly outgoing nature. Having spent years in the slums of the Willows, Vel has a mild hatred for those in power and might not hesitate to kill those he considers to be worse than the Demons plaguing their world. The mayor's son Dimeris is a hit he often considers doing for free.

Though Vel isn't totally without a heart. He spends a lot of the money he makes performing on feeding needy kids in the Willows, buuut he also spends a lot of the money he steals on himself.

He's self centered and greedy, but has a soft spot for kids and animals, actually enjoys entertaining the masses and skillfully uses little bits of actual magic in his acts. Vel loves pushing his limit. Every show is just one fireball away from him being called out and executed as a witch.

Vel is somewhat of a fake hypersexual type and will hit on anything that breathes if it will give him the advantage in a situation. Despite that, he is unlikely to actually engage in any sexual acts and is somewhat asexual~ very rarely feels attracted to anyone. He loves to play tricks, joke, and comes off as friendly yet sneaky to anyone who is good at reading people.

Background: Apparently, he'd been born in the Hive, but Vel can't remember anything before the trauma of watching his aunt and mom get devoured by Demons. He was 5 at the time and spent years on the streets in the Willows with a pack of other kids before being rounded up by slavers. That situation ended in blood as Vel carved his way through the rich household that bought him.

Vel made a little bit of a name for himself killing weak/lesser Demons during escort/bodyguard missions. Avoiding the shadier underground of the Willows led him to later join a band of performers where he learned all he knows, including some weak magic. By combining a mild aptitude for offensive fire magic along with excellent slight of hand he soon became a successful one-man show.

Derision spends a lot of his time working the central market of the Hive for coin, entertaining the masses despite being disgusted by the fact that the thing the crowds seem to enjoy most is the public hangings. Luckily, that's always an excellent time to pick their filthy pockets.

Magic: Weak Fire Magic.

Weapon: Throwing knives.

Other: Jester, thief, killer for hire... Thinks himself a philanthropist.

That's it! Wow, I had fun writing that! All thanks to your awesome world idea. Even if you're full, creating a character was great all in itself. I should also warn you that I'm really new to this, so I'm probably not the best person to pick for the party, but I promise if you do have room for me I'll commit, follow the rules, and make it super fun! :) Thanks!

 

[JSJ_2004]

@Belineth : Hey! Thank you for the SU! And this is definitely the place to create the character :) You are actually the first person to create a character haha :) I will take a look more in depth at your character tomorrow when I get a chance, but so far he looks great!!

 

[Angel of Mercy]

Name: Caroline Dorinan

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Appearance: Caroline is a slim girl, with subtle feminine curves. She stands at about 5'7" in height and she has long, almost platinum coloured hair and light blue eyes. Despite her feminine look, her body bears many small scars and her fingers are calloused from hard work and physical labour. (Clothing will be described depending on starting situation.)

Spoiler: Caroline

Personality: Caroline is a tomboy true and true. She believes she can do whatever any man can do, and probably with more finesse, skill and efficiency. This is a direct result of growing up with three brothers, all children of a demanding blacksmith for a father. The girl is extremely proud and very curious about the world around her. She loves listening to stories about great warriors fighting beasts of all manner. She always tries to be one of the guys, and as a result she's had few female friends throughout her life. Because of her rather arrogant attitude she's had few male friends as well. Now that she's been an adult for the past few years, however her demeanour has softened somewhat. When she does make friends, she can be very protective of them. She's also a naturally generous person, whether it be giving of the few coins she has, an article of clothing or just her time, she's usually eager to help, especially those less fortunate.

Background: Caroline is the daughter of a blacksmith. When she was born her family lived in the Willows. Her family was rather poor, though her father at this time had been apprenticed to a blacksmith working in the Hive... Her upbringing was pleasant enough, though her parents were the strict sort, so beatings and harsh discipline was the norm. By the time she reached 10 her father managed to save enough to buy his own small smithy and he moved the family to the Hive. With his three sons and daughter helping with his craft, the smithy prospered. Though her mother tried her best to raise a proper daughter, Caroline spent more time fighting and roughhousing with her brothers or hauling wood to the smithy, or otherwise helping her father with his craft. She learned the kinds of skills a laborer and craftsman would, rather than that of a lady. Throughout her life Caroline looked up to her Uncle, who was a warrior with the Town guard and he told stories of the many battles he'd been in (mostly lies, exaggerations and embellishments). When the man passed away tragically and suddenly, he left his sword and armour to Caroline. With the help of her father she managed to modify some of the armour pieces to fit her smaller body. She's always had dreams of becoming a warrior and following in her Uncle's footsteps. Now at 21 she's on the lookout for work, as a guard perhaps or some other warrior type post. Until she can find such work she lives with her family, and she continues to help her father. She's gained some skills herself as a blacksmith over the years. Her mother tries to find a suitable man to marry her off to, but so far few has shown interest in a woman who prefers to act like a man. Caroline has a secret she's kept for many years, and that's her ability to use minor magic. No one knows her secret.

Magic: Caroline is capable of minor support magics. She can use a Telekinesis spell to move small objects weighing up to 5 pounds or so, and she can cast a spell to create a dim light. She knows there's more inside her, waiting to come out, but with no master or arcane books to teach her-her potential remains limited.

Weapon: Longsword (Thanks to her late uncle's tutelage, Caroline knows the proper form when using the longsword, as in how to hold it and swing it and some of the footwork involved, however she has little practical experience in fighting. She is quite athletic and acrobatic and she tries to incorporate these skills when she practices).

 

[Crijns]

Name
Nicole (technically 'Nicoletta' but she doesn't go by it often) Vivian Tili.

Age
26

Gender
Female

Appearance
Nicole is a fairly tall pale-skinned woman, standing at 5'9. She has fair, evidently cared for skin, sharp features with shallow cheeks and a somewhat pointy chin, and thin lips. Her hair is hazelnut-brown, curling around mildly from the top of her head to barely halfway her neck.

Being a Dawn Church member, Nicole usually wears well-made, silver-trimmed white robes. It's more decorated than the Church usually wears, but Nicole prefers hers with some shine. The robes fall from neck to below her knees, with a secondary layer over her shoulders and upper arms to provide mild cover in rain and substitute for a proper coat. Nicole takes care to wash her clothes often and keep them free of stains.

Nicole stands, or sits, very straight-up, with her hands visible (usually either touching the fingertips of her hands together to indicate she's at attention, or folding them across her lap when she's waiting or relaxing). She goes fluidly between near-motionless standing by, waiting for attention to move towards her, to moving more naturally when her time has come to command attention.

Personality
Nicole is a driven, dedicated, well-learned young woman. Befitting her station, Nicole is diligent and meticulous in her studies and duties. Small errors can have severe consequences. She's even-tempered, not losing her cool easily, and will usually cut her losses if something doesn't go her way. She's also often haughty and quite cold, not quite the nurturing figure her robes and talents would suggest. Her upper-class upbringing still shows in her every move. She's rarely actively insulting to anyone, but has a sharp tongue from time to time that not everyone appreciates.

Nicole was raised to be a 'proper lady' and still both exhibits proper etiquette to and expects it from those she's expected to converse with. She's respectful (at least on the surface) to people she doesn't dismiss as being 'low standing'. She knows how to straighten her back and demand her will be done, and when a polite bow and a soft voice get more done. Some would call her two-faced, she'll claim she just accepts how the world works.

As an acolyte of the Dawn Church, Nicole is quite pious. She deeply respects the church teachings, though she does not always succeed in living up to the preached virtues. She'll attentively nod during moral sermons, and get a gleam in her eye if the subject changes to the concept of demons and their extermination. She doesn't appreciate anyone badmouthing the Church in her presence, and it ranks above the city official government in Nicole's heart. That said, Nicole isn't entirely above using her robes to lean on people's emotions, should the situation require it.

Background
Nicoletta Tili was born the third of four children in the Bunberry district. Her family prides itself of having some 'noble blood' somewhere, but no longer holds any formal titles and has decreased in wealth over the last three generations. Once running a thriving business chain in fine clothing and fabrics, they were reduced to a few locations when Nicole was born and had to close two since. Still, her parents could provide much better for their children than the norm in the city, and Nicole received good schooling. She proved to be a clever student, be it with an insubordinate streak her mother had to beat out of her. Nicole lived a childhood of few material wants. Her parents let her pursue her studies as she wished in return for a strict upbringing in her behaviour, which primed her for the two paths she could ''choose from'': either she would become an agent in the family business, or she'd be married to a richer man to establish or strengthen ties with another family.

Nicole wasn't very interested in the bookkeeping, and the business planning she was being pushed towards. She could read a balance fine, but it didn't hold her attention, and she did not quite live up to the standards set by her older siblings. Nicole was sliding towards being designated a marriage chip and nothing more, but one thing consistently kept Nicole's interest far more than her family's: the Dawn Church. Her parents took the family there with some regularity since a few suppliers and many of the staff were believers, and it helped relations. Nicole, however, was transfixed. She listened to sermons, learned about the Creator, humanity, and how to live a 'good' life, so alike but so purer than how she was instructed. And she learned about magic as more than something unattainable. Before long, she spent many days hanging around the local Church, then did volunteer work, got more and more involved. And there, when she was only seventeen, one of the clerics instructed her a tiny bit about magic. She did no actual spells, of course, just information on how to perform it.

Where the sermons had captivated Nicole with the Church's morality, its access to power was the moment she was determined to be part of it. Soon, her volunteerism turned from errands and helping the disciples to selling her jewels in exchange for a little time with the cleric, a little time to learn. The cleric obliged, somewhat, Nicole was an outsider afterall so the cleric would not teach the young scion anything practical. Perhaps the woman knew what she was doing, perhaps it was just proper procedure. Whatever the case, Nicole announced her decision to abandon her works in the family business to become an acolyte in the Dawn Church. Her family was extremely unhappy, but after some mediation from the Church Nicole got away without being disowned.

Nicole moved into a neighbourhood on the edge of the Hive, one of the worse off in the district. There, she was expected to work for the church in helping the priests with their religious ceremonies, provide assistance to locals who wanted to hear the Church's teachings (that Nicole was now required to study intensively), and collect donations or help recruitment. Despite her perhaps not fully pure reasons to join, Nicole threw herself at her new career, and there her skills blossomed. She absorbed the religious texts and memorized speeches quickly, her skills from the business training turned the barely organized shopping of the priests to a carefully planned list of supplies delivered as-needed, and her manners let her court and coax her way around any minor city official complaining about the loitering or gatherings on the streets around the church.

As promised, Nicole got her magical tutelage. Though perhaps the Creator wanted to make sure she didn't forget the rules about using 'miracles' for the aid of others, because almost no school of magic worked well for her. Only one form of magic felt instinctive to her, did what she wanted as she wanted in her mind, and it was restoring magic. Nicole's betters in the Church were extremely happy to have a new 'gifted' person in their ranks. Nicole was slightly disappointed. She'd hoped to control fire or lightning. Something destructive. But the learning there was just so slow, and Nicole after a year or two realized that if she wanted to be good at any magic before she was old and grey, it would be in the restoring miracles. To her credit, once she did, she took up normal healing practices as well, learning to treat wounds, diagnose infections, apply bandaging, the works. She's no medical doctor by any stretch of the imagination, but the combination of magic and regular medicine makes her excellent at field making-booboos-go-away, even if some of the more strict members of the clergy consider it questionable to not respect the Creator's gifts enough to rely on magic talent alone.

Nicole has now been with the church for seven years, and has been ranked up to acolyte. She has been moved to another Church in the Willows, this time in a much better neighbourhood, something Nicole does not regret as her posh roots never wore off. She hopes to get a posting back in Bunberry one of these days. She has somewhat patched her relationship with her family (the fact that she was now a miracle performer helped), though her siblings continue to politely yet firmly refuse her Letters of Approval to come take a look if it's something for them as well. In the day-to-day, besides her religious and magical studying, she still takes care of the supply side of the church, and occasionally performs her miraclework for the needy.

Magic
Healing/Miracle magic. Nicole specializes in fleshmending, and can help wounds close and significantly speed up recovery from physical injury, doing in hours what nature would take two weeks to heal up. She has some other spells known to cure some diseases or combat blood loss, but currently lacks the skill to execute them with any reliability. While her magical prowess is impressive for her age, she is only 26, and does not compare to the church's seasoned practitioners of the healing arts. Don't expect her to save your skin if you get gutted, at least not magically.

Nicole cannot cast any spell on herself, because casting while injured is too risky. Her magic is unusable in combat. It works too slowly, unless the enemy agrees to hold a fifteen-minute break after every swordstroke that lands (and that only if it didn't land well).

Weapon
Shortspear. Obviously she doesn't own any proper weapon yet, it's for future reference

Other

I rolled the dice on making a character actively a member of the Church I had to fill in some blanks for, and a Miracle user at that. If it's unwanted, or the story of the Church here conflicts too much with yours, I can make changes or a new, nonaligned character.

 

[JSJ_2004]

@Belineth @Angel of Mercy @Crijns : Great SUs! All of your characters are accepted :) I will add my character as well soon, and I should have the actual IC roleplay up tomorrow, with instructions on what to do for your first post :)

 

[Ai-in Ayan]

A bit late but hoping to join in. Is there any room?

 

[JSJ_2004]

@Ai-in Ayan : Hey! Ofc, there's a spot if you would like to create a character :)

 

[JSJ_2004]

All done my character! :) I will try to have the actual role-play thread up by tomorrow!


Name
Hainer Adhan Moradi

Age
30

Gender:
Male

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 lake from a young age, has given Hainer a rather strong and muscular build at around 14.5-15 Stone, give or take. His hair is black and incredibly short, 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 Ivesburg, Hainer can often be seen in his work clothes. Although he does indeed have 'informal' clothes that he wears when he's not working, on most days he can be seen with his work uniform. He wears a standard long sleeved red tunic on his upper body, with a silver-plated breast plate that goes on top of his chest, with a silver fauld. His top look is finished with silver wrist gauntlets, and a belt that goes around the fault where he carries around his city-issued sword attached to the holster on his belt. For his bottoms, he wears brown-coloured trousers with a lighter shade of brown for 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. Although he does disagree with the Mayor and the local government in general at times, he understand that he needs to perform his job.

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 Ivesburg from an eastern nation over 30 years ago as a young couple, where they settled down in their new home, accompanied by his mother's younger sister (Hainer's Aunt). 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 this 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's Aunt, Mariam his only family. 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 Ivesburg. 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 and his Aunt, as the days of working long sweaty hours was behind him. As of right now, he lives with his Aunt 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

Weapon:
He carries around the standard-issued sword that the guards of the city use.

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 and his Aunt.

 

[linsen]

Also new account, so I'm inexperienced. I hope I'm not too late. Let me know if him being an acolyte of the church is too repetitive considering we already have one. I could just make him enlist in the army with more of a focus on the soldier dynamic than simple moral fastidiousness.

Name
Linus Murphy

Age
23

Gender
Man


Appearance

Linus is 5'7" tall, stockily built, neither lean nor portly, and has a moderately muscular build from the completion of church errands and ecclesiastical practices of physical discipline and optionally proscribed "upkeep of the physical vessel"



He has a solid, compact, and angular look to his face. His facial features would be considered plain, not in the sense of being unattractive, but not particularly standing out as memorable. Combined with his habitually tightly held face he exudes an aura of solidity and stern austerity. If one keeps a close eye on him, one can see him expose a compassionate and innocent gaze on his face, particularly at what he sees as the plight of the vulnerable. He, however, quickly slips back on a veneer of steely responsibility.



His hair is a mousy taupe, possessing a slight wave, and cut in a traditional acolyte's tonsure. Accordingly, he wears a well-mended and maintained simple white robes as his daily attire. His complexion is a light brown, with some depth in tone but pasty from cloistered monastic life, and his eyes are a deep umber.




Personality
In line with his appearance, Linus has a simple, blunt, and meticulous temperament. He has a withdrawn and pensive nature. However, most of his reflection is in simple practice and recall of the church's teachings. This is paired with a zealous idealistic black and white view on morality. Linus believes in good and bad. He has long carried questions that challenge the church's politics and official policies. This is largely due to his impoverished childhood and the ugliness and corruption he saw in the city firsthand. He compartmentalizes these doubts in the recesses of his mind and focuses his efforts on what he sees as the unambiguously charitable acts the Dawn Church provides for the city. However, these doubts have a way of bubbling up at unexpected times.

At his core Linus means well and believes in treating people kindly even if people find him prickly, and he finds this increasingly at ends with many of the Dawn Church's official mandates, especially regarding the poor. To bolster against this internal conflict, he zealously frames the demons as the source of humanity's plights.

He finds interacting with nobles and members of the upper echelons of society upsetting for both parties. He often is unintentionally offensive with his terseness and directness. Having grown up in the slums in the Willows he was enculturated in its culture and manners. The strict nuns and monks that afterward brought him up smoothed out most of his rough edges. Still, he retains a few peculiarities that have made him feel apart from his monastic peers. Accordingly, as part of his upbringing, he finds himself to have some unconscious resentment against wealth and those that possess it, tho his respect for authority and order will often contradict this. As a member of clergy he can be prudish, tho this does not mean he does not have desires.

A defining trait of Linus is that he is naïve about political workings and power plays, tending to interpret statements simply. He is hardworking and disciplined enough to tolerate academics and study, but first-hand experience and instinct are much more accessible and natural friends to him.



Background



Linus came from a tragic family, but in the Willows he did not find his story particularly unfortunate or notable against the similar backdrop of hardship of his peers' families. At the age of 12 his parents passed. The clergy who posthumously discern the cause of death described their death as from one of the various illnesses generically attributed to poverty. Without a home and means for providing for himself, Linus found himself wandering the Willows unsure what to do with himself, committing petty crimes to survive. He did not see himself surviving long without becoming embroiled in greater acts of crime. One day a wagon brought alms for the impoverished as part of the Dawn Church's Winter Solstice tradition. Out of this wagon came Oriana Dale, pristinely outfitted in the silver and white robes of the Dawn Church, with a gleaming silver medallion around her neck to show her status of higher rank in the Church. Linus waited in the line of the rag-wearing dead-eyed waiting for their loaf of bread. Without warning except for the stench of drink, a man rushed Oriana with a knife aimed at her abdomen. Linus instinctively stuck out his hand, and as his hands glowed, a golden sheet of light formed in front of Oriana's belly. To this day, Linus does not know how he worked his magic for the first time. Perhaps he thought it was because of Oriana's slight resemblance to his mother in the slowness of her gentle demeanor, or simply out of desire to not to see yet another meaningless act of violence in front of him. It had been enough to blunt the knife's penetrating power.

Once the wagon driver had come out to see the scene, she was brought quickly to a healer of the church. She was told that the street urchin's defense magic had saved her life. In a show of gratitude and appreciation of a precocious display of talent for defense magic. Oriana later found and sponsored Linus for attendance in a Dawn Church monastery to be trained to become an acolyte. Linus later learned that the man who had assaulted Oriana had a wife who had recently passed from pneumonia that the church had denied treatment due to his lack of funds.

In this monastery, Linus felt like he had a purpose for once, no longer focused on just survival or hardship. He made a vow to himself to devote himself to the alleviation of the suffering of others. Unfortunately for Linus, despite his earnestly wishing for it, and feeling stirrings of it in his fingertips, miracle magic never materialized for him. In the business of alms-giving and charity for the poor defense magic had little place. Linus begrudgingly accepted training for the church's program of cooperation with the military and law enforcement. He would frequently remind himself that the use of his defense magic to keep people alive in combat would still be helping an important cause. After more than a decade of applying himself in the study of defense magic and in the practice of rites and liturgy, Linus recently gained his status as a acolyte of the Dawn Church. He finds himself more and more distressingly alienated from his own inner life, as he prepares for a life in the midst of combat.



Magic
Miracle(desired and potential) and Defense(intermediate).



Feels stirrings of miracle magic inside, but despite much effort and consultation of church elders, nothing came of it. He feels there are vague internal obstacles to the use of healing magic, but can't seem to articulate what they might be. He has been trained in rudimentary first aid and basic remedies.

In great contrast, his tutors have told him he finds great natural affinity for magic of binding and barriers. He is able to summon barriers of light the size of a medium size shield that are able to stop a couple of arrows or a knife slash, or blunt a sword strike. With chains of light, he is able to slow down a person of great strength and able to immobilize those of weaker strength for short periods of time. These feats are standard basic competencies for a practitioner of the defense arts, but Linus feels like he has much more to learn about defense magic still.



Weapon

Wooden staff. Taught basics, has moderate strength and dexterity, but not well-practiced.

 

[Vasara Glyndark]

You say there is a gunsmith. What kind of gun technology is there? Is it closer to the musket era where it has to be reloaded via the barrel, the gunpowder packed in then the bullet put in? Or is it closer to the revolver of the cowboy days?

 

[Ai-in Ayan]

We're so overusing the acolyte. As per... I want to ask what happens to those excommunicated but the answer might be: "They are being hunted down" If not, I could rework the character into something else

Name
Salvia "Sage" Antirrhinum

Age
28

Gender
Female

Appearance
A penguin whose height only reaches 5'4" with very pale skin as she rarely stepped out under the sun. Blue-black hair cut short with two 'tails' up front that can be braided [Think of Hinata from Naruto's short hair]. To those who sees her, the term nosferatu will come into their minds. Baby-faced, she looks way younger than her actual age and her usual outfit does little to give out her age. Her face, riddled with freckles also makes her look less her age.

Sage is the only person wearing a dark sticharion and double orarion roaming around the structure. Her sticharion, or the flowing robe, usually is dark blue or green, with the famous silver lining on the sleeves and collar. The Orarion is usually wrapped from her right shoulder, around her waist and goes back to her right shoulder, the symbol of the Church of Dawn on the end. Underneath those heave garments are apparels consisting of fitting pants, belts of which where her ink and pens hang, and long sleeves as comfortable as the pants. If not those, the usual cassock is what she wears.

The sound of metal on wood or tiles and her light limp is the only indication of her injury from years ago. Covered by the flowing cloak of the church were a pair of metal blades [Gazelle from Kingsman: The Secret Service].

Personality
With the things happening around her, Sage had to make the best of everything. Rather cheerful and curios, the little lady will question everything - even the orthodox of which the church had taken its foundation. That curiosity is somewhat borderline crazy. New theories, new philosophies, new books, even new spells, she will read and learn - or listen to if possible. She will experiment and look through them deeper, creating connections and brewing up weird theories.

Sage is rather awkward in conversations outside the realm of books and the church, usually stuttering or pausing in the middle of a sentence to think through her words. Another is that she never finishes sentences, her mind all over the place. This always gave the impression that she has little attention span and easily distracted. Scatter-brained is what the others would tease her but they could never talk her down when it comes to her duties. Sage, though always seen reading or lounging about and has been rarely witnessed actually working, has always completed the tasks and roles given to her with diligence.

And with the majority of her life in the church, she took up some mannerisms from the people who brought her up. One of this was standing still at a given time of day, closing her eyes as if to pray. Another was singing solemn hymns when walking down the aisles. Surprisingly, people commend her voice as they say it was like listening to a siren calling forth the sailor to their doom. One other mannerism she has taken up from the church was making or gesturing the sign of the Church when she was ready to throw the teaching out of the window to bring forth punishment to those who perform sacrilege in her territory. At this time, she will use everything to maim the culprit, books included.

Background - WIP
[How dark can I go with this? And how dark can the church go? Are we talking Catholicism of the dark ages kind of dark?]

Hailing from outside the city, she was found in the Outfields surviving before the Church took her in. With her already showing the first symptoms of having magic, she was raised to become a paladin. That did not turn out well as her psyche could not take up the armors. Instead, she was proposed into an alternative - a scout. Agility was then her training as well as stealth. Here, she would get into enemy territories to learn valuable information and relay them to the higher ups.

With many mistakes comes ingenuity. Since she cannot actually use attack miracles as that will blow her cover, she came up and studied Defensive ones. Getting ahead, she will lay down the foundations of the barrier and later on use them appropriately. Usually, she would just trap the target inside and wait for those who are physically stronger than her to come execute or take the target.

Then came a mission going wrong. Lives were lost as well as limbs. Sage was one of the lucky ones who woke up back in the Church but with both feet missing. Being ordered to get some rest and adjust, she was deployed to the city of Ivesburg, getting into the field of classification information, she was based into the libraries there. She found her passion in the comfort of the written passages.

Magic
Never really been given the chance to take up healing magic and attack magic being useless in her previous profession, Sage delved into barrier creations. With the library as her new home, she has done almost everything to protect what it stores or what is hidden in the bowels of the scriptures. If one was adept in magic, the person can feel the humming of the barriers, interconnected even if from different floors. Sage has carved on the shelves and the floor the symbols used for specific barriers. This resulted with intricate patterns on the floors and shelves.

Though she has created quite a number in case of emergencies, she still has to speak their individual chants - the downside of not freshly made symbols. Limits to her barriers is that she has to circle around the area of effect, drawing of placing the appropriate symbols if they are new.

Weapon
A pen. For what has the philosophers have said in those books, 'The pen is mightier than a sword.'

If it is a real weapon, she has throwing daggers hidden somewhere in a bag around her waist

Other

• To appease this little gremlin, one just has to offer some sweets to her. Fruits count.
• She cannot be as agile as she was once as she is still trying to adjust to missing limbs.
• Already in the fourth year of living in the city
• When the libraries are closed, Sage would be spotted around the streets of the city, purchasing what she needs and sometimes drinking away

 

[JSJ_2004]

@Vasara Glyndark: Whoops! That is my mistake, it was supposed to just say blacksmith, I have no idea why I wrote that! Good catch! I'll make sure to get rid of that part!

As for everyone else that just made a character: I will have a look at them today when I get home from work. Yes we do have too many people affiliated with the church/magic, but I will take a look deeper into the characters to see how viable it is. If you want to make any changes before I take a look, now's your chance. I am going to close off SUs soon, so this will probably be the last batch of SUs now.

 

[Vasara Glyndark]

@Vasara Glyndark: Whoops! That is my mistake, it was supposed to just say blacksmith, I have no idea why I wrote that! Good catch! I'll make sure to get rid of that part!

In that case I have no interest.

 

[Belineth]

As for everyone else that just made a character: I will have a look at them today when I get home from work. Yes we do have too many people affiliated with the church/magic, but I will take a look deeper into the characters to see how viable it is. If you want to make any changes before I take a look, now's your chance. I am going to close off SUs soon, so this will probably be the last batch of SUs now.

If anyone is really set on having magical abilities I don't mind making my character non-magical to help even things out. I'm happy as long as he has his throwing knives lol

 

[JSJ_2004]

If anyone is really set on having magical abilities I don't mind making my character non-magical to help even things out. I'm happy as long as he has his throwing knives lol

I think you're okay! I think people think that magic is going to okay a bigger role than it really is haha. Either way it's okay, as per lore, it's not a big deal because magic isn't some sort of world-breaking power (at least, not to the extent our characters will have)

 

[Ai-in Ayan]

Same as what Benelith said, could do with removing the miracle since the character I was doing has yet to be approved. Just a question. How dark can we go with characters?

 

[JSJ_2004]

Same as what Benelith said, could do with removing the miracle since the character I was doing has yet to be approved. Just a question. How dark can we go with characters?

Up to you if you wish to remove it! And you can go as dark as you want, I don't really have any limits as it's hard to pin what would be my limit. If you are concerned, you can message me to see if it would be something I would allow :)

 

[JSJ_2004]

@linsen and @Ai-in Ayan : Your characters are accepted! I will update the the first post of this thread with the list of all accepted characters :)

The role-play thread is also up here: https://writerssanctum.com/threads/duskbound-the-role-play.27190/

Some things to note:
- There is currently going to be an execution at mid-day. Your character can be going about their business until we start with the execution.
- It's entirely possible your characters know each somewhat, or at least have heard of each other
- If you have any questions, or would like to interact with each other for the time being, feel free :) This is more of an introductory chapter than anything

 

[Angel of Mercy]

If someone wants to have a pre-conceived connection with MC before hand, let me know!