OOC - Character Workshop

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Lord Pravus
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Lord Pravus »

Name-Richard Smith
Age-21
Origins-A Tsuirakuan Mage that was once the top in his class, he was in his senior year and preparing for finals when his father was murdered by a Wraith. The assassin proceded to kill the rest of his family while he was watching then, with a final glance to show that he knew that he'd been seen, he escaped out the window. Richard finished his senior year with one motive on his mind, revenge on the one that had ordered the death of his family. The Wraith's were not the root of the problem so he had no intention of destroying them. He soon set out to search for the individual responsible for his families death and eventually found him. It was a distant uncle that had only hired the Wraith's so that he could inherit the vast riches of his family. After killing him Richard didn't know what to do next so he set out into the wilderness, his path not set for any destination and his mind broken from the stress of killing the last of his family. Several month's later he collapsed at the foot of a gigantic tower in the middle of an unnamed forest and was captured by trolls. Miraculously they decided to spare him and he spent several years in their tribe, the only human allowed to dwell with trolls. He is now wandering the world after leaving his "home" to find a new goal to strive for, something that he could work for without regret.
Physical Characteristics-Has had white hair from birth and stands at 5'11". Is a little messy and was once referred to as the slovenly genius. His most obvious characteristic is his long trenchcoat which he always wears, the inside of the coat is covered in runes and is as protective as steel-plate armor. His eyes are red which has led some people to mistake him for some kind of demon.
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Likes-Night, Magic, Women
Dislikes-Day, Warriors, Men
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Graybeard
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Graybeard »

Seems like a viable character; welcome! Where would you want to introduce him? Either of the threads currently running in Rinkaiel seem reasonable, maybe the Lorrel one slightly more than the Rinkaiel one.

Two small backstory things:
Lord Pravus wrote:Origins-A Tsuirakuan Mage that was once the top in his class, he was in his senior year and preparing for finals when his father was murdered by a Wraith. The assassin proceded to kill the rest of his family while he was watching then, with a final glance to show that he knew that he'd been seen, he escaped out the window. Richard finished his senior year with one motive on his mind, revenge on the one that had ordered the death of his family. The Wraith's were not the root of the problem so he had no intention of destroying them. He soon set out to search for the individual responsible for his families death and eventually found him. It was a distant uncle that had only hired the Wraith's so that he could inherit the vast riches of his family. After killing him Richard didn't know what to do next so he set out into the wilderness, his path not set for any destination and his mind broken from the stress of killing the last of his family. Several month's later he collapsed at the foot of a gigantic tower in the middle of an unnamed forest and was captured by trolls. Miraculously they decided to spare him and he spent several years in their tribe, the only human allowed to dwell with trolls. He is now wandering the world after leaving his "home" to find a new goal to strive for, something that he could work for without regret.
You might need to tweak the "murdered by a Wraith" part to explain how, because the Gewehr has never managed to penetrate Tsuirakushiti, either in Errant Story or in Errant Road. Or was the intention that he be "in the top of his class" somewhere other than in Tsuirakushiti? Kiyoka, maybe? That could actually be made to work (sort of), since my character Layla was trying to get a Gewehr presence set up in Kiyoka -- with deplorably little success, but one successful hit wouldn't break that pattern. However, it might be easiest to say he grew up in one of the Tsuirakuan expatriate communities ("Tsuiraku-towns") in some city in Farrel. Having it be Rinkaiel wouldn't work -- the Gewehr hadn't been active in Rinkaiel until just a few months back, a key point in the Rinkaiel threads -- but Lorrel would work (it surely has a Tsuiraku-town district, although we have not seen it), and so would the main city of Ysabel, which has not yet been a venue for Errant Road other than in the (sadly) abortive Airship Pirates thread. (Speaking of which, if you wanted to use this guy to revive that thread, something could surely be done -- that one had a light, comedic touch compared to the more serious threads now running.) Ysabel might work best, in which case he's already in Farrel to join any of the threads there (i.e., any but Umbertiel).

Second, and a minor thing, he isn't "the only" human ever to live among the trolls; indeed, the very first character ever introduced in Errant Road, Lucas Ravanel, had a similar background (and it made him enormous fun to deal with). His bio, which may give you some ideas, is here (the time in the Northern Confederacy was when he lived with trolls), and this segment from the very beginning of the game may give you a sense of how that backstory was used. No changes to the character are necessary, just be aware that there's been at least one other like him ... although Lucas can fairly be described as "unique" in numerous ways. :geek:

So welcome. It's also nice to see some art with one of these characters; wish I had the skill for that ...
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Browncoat
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Browncoat »

Name: Angrist
Half-Elf
Age: Late 30s or early 40s

Occupation: Wanderer, Odd jobs, Fighter

Description: 6' even, toned, grey eyes, black hair (shaved bald), expressive eyebrows. Looks like an average 20ish human. His ears are scarred and misshapen so he's often mistaken as a human. He wears magically weighted arm and leg bands as well as a weighted vest. He also has multiple amulets for inhibiting his magical abilities, but avoids flaunting them. Practical travelling clothing, but always barefoot.

History: A secluded offshoot of the Ensigerum found him a an orphaned toddler and adopted him. His ears were already scarred by this point so it took them some time to realize he wasn't actually human. The branch trains solely in unarmed combat. When it was discovered that Angrist was half-elf, only a few of the monks wished for him to leave. To make matters easier, he left on his own. However, most of the monks still welcome him for the occasional visit and he frequently borrows scrolls to continue his learning. During his travels Angrist accidentally killed a man during a friendly sparring match when his control of his speed slipped. Because of this mistake, he took a vow of silence and now wears inhibitors to hinder his abilities. Recently he discovered that his body was adapting to the magics in his weights and inhibitors, gradually reducing the effects. He needs to have "frequency" of the magic adjusted every few years to maintain effectiveness.

Skills: Besides his training, Angrist also has a perfect memory when he focuses, but most of it is filled with the effects of his bibliophilia. He also has developed a decent understanding of herbs and plants and their properties. He is adept with the usual Ensigerum magics, but his inhibitors severely restrict the abilities while he wears them. Angrist has been developing a way to see using magic instead of eyes, but progress is slow. He has no skill at all with any other magics.For some reason, translation spells go awry when used on him so he has been forced to master multiple languages, including elvish. His resistance to magic takes an odd path. Instead of simply throwing off the enchantment, his body will adapt so the effect eventually becomes useless.

Personality: His vow of silence limits communication, but this usually leads to others talking more and sometimes they say more than they mean to. This means that Angrist has developed an incredible degree of patience. He usually appears to be straightforward and practical, but he does have a kinder side (usually unobserved). Angrist isn't concerned by money of comfort, but just in improving his skills and seeing the world. The only material possessions he values are the scrolls he learns from.

Quotes: "..."
Last edited by Browncoat on January 25th, 2013, 11:41 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Graybeard
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Graybeard »

Interesting character. Where would you want to introduce him? There will be abundant opportunities in Goriel, but even better might be aboard the airship that's going to carry Jamie there (most of the party will be going via military airship that he wouldn't fit in on). It might be possible too to introduce him in the little set-to about to happen in Lorrel, but it would be difficult to get him from that to Goriel.

One thing:
Browncoat wrote:A secluded offshoot of the Ensigerum found him a an orphaned toddler and adopted him. His ears were already scarred by this point so it took them some time to realize he wasn't actually human. The branch trains soley in unarmed combat.
That might be hard to reconcile with the known fact that the Ensigerum don't like "offshoots", at least if they're perceived as in competition with the Ensigerum themselves. That actually has emerged as a plot item in Errant Road, as well as with the silliness with Chris in Errant Story. Can you expand on what you have in mind here? I'm sure something can be worked out.
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Browncoat
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Browncoat »

In regards to the Ensigerum issue:
What I had in mind was an offshoot that is not in competetion and is far removed from the main group. I mostly did it to allow for the fact that Angrist has trained exclusively in unarmed combat. If I have to, I could just make him an oddball from the regular Ensigerum.
As for introduction, I think running into Jamie sounds good.
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Graybeard
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Graybeard »

OK, we'll make it work. Details may need to be tuned as the backstory develops, but that can come in time.

As for running into Jamie, she'll (probably?) be on the airship shortly, so the paths will converge. Welcome aboard -- in more ways than one.
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Browncoat
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Browncoat »

Thanks. And honestly, I threw it in to build a more complete backstory even if it never comes up. After all, Angrist isn't going to talk about it ;)
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Browncoat
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Browncoat »

I probably won't use this character for some time, but I had the idea and wanted to put it here so it was ready

Human
Name: Mordan
Age: 23

Occupation: Mage, Earthwork, Defense

Description: 4'7, mud brown hair, forest green eyes. Usually grinning. Happy nature. Very energetic. Often mistaken as being younger than he is. Simple travel clothing under a brown robe (all of it dirty and stained with green)

History: Born the youngest child of four to a family of mid-level nobility. As the youngest, he had virtually no responsibilities and often spent his time outdoors, often in the company of animals. One of his teachers discovered Mordan's talent for magic and his parents ensured that he recieved proper training. Because of his size and youthful appearance, Mordan was frequently bullied by other students. This caused him to develop a serious interest in defensive magics. After graduation, Mordan spent some time in the military, but his happy personality was not conducive to such an environment. It wasn't long before he left; never experiencing any military battles. While far from home, Mordan took a blow to the head in a tavern and developed amnesia. Since then, he has wandered, searching. Though he doesn't know it, his family had hime declared dead when they couldn't find him.

Skills: Magic, specializing in earth magic and defensive magic. Fair understanding of military theory, but not practice. Excels at hands-on learning, but can't focus well on theory or books. Good at surviving outdoors. Excellent climber and swimmer. Handles animals well.

Personality: Mordan is somewhat like a child in the body of an adult. Along with the innocence caused by his missing memories, he chooses to enjoy the fun deemed "childish" and he sometimes uses his diminutive size as an excuse. He exudes an aura of sorts which lets wild animals know that he will not harm them. He prefers to sleep outdoors, and isn't bothered by rain. While his positive outlook is generally seen as a true virtue, some find his boundless energy to be trying. Mordan's hyperactivity is completely natural and odds are that the first person to give him chocolate or sugar will regret it.
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Graybeard »

Aargh. I had a big long biography written for "Thérèse," who's going to be joining the party in Goriel (eventually) as a "secondary" character, and the frickin' computer ate the thing. Will rewrite and get it up later today. Sorry.
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Graybeard
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Re: OOC - Character Workshop

Post by Graybeard »

Okay, let's try this again. Hopefully the #$%^& computer will let me post it this time ...

Name: Thérèse de Refuge-Nouveau, but just "Therese" will be used after this introduction, diacriticals being something of a pain in the ass; also called "The Flame" or "La Flamme"

Age: About 30; she herself doesn't know her exact age

Occupation: Knight of the Sisterhood, a semi-monastic order of female soldier-mages who have the single-minded mission of rescuing women who have got into trouble in Goriel; more on that below.

Appearance: Thérèse is unusually tall for a woman, at nearly six feet, and of slender build, although not exceptionally so. She has long, brilliant red hair, the source of her nicknames, that contains a single silver streak and is normally worn down around her shoulders, although when she is trying to pass as a man (which is comparatively easy for her because of her height, not to mention long practice), it is tucked up under a wide-brimmed men's hat that she carries everywhere. She has a heart-shaped face and gray eyes, the combination of which makes her age hard to guess; the face looks younger, and the eyes older, than she actually is. She usually wears light leather armor that is intended more to make her look a bit bulkier rather than to turn a blade. Clothes appropriate for a manual worker are worn over this when she is in Goriel, more frequently men's clothes than women's. She carries a short sword (with which she is skilled, although hardly an expert), openly when looking male, and carefully concealed when looking female. In general the character Bernadette from the "Flipside" webcomic represents her appearance quite well.

History: Her origins are a bit of a mystery even to Thérèse herself, because of the intense indoctrination she got when she joined the Sisterhood, which was so rigorous that she basically forgot her own childhood. She was born in a small Northern Confederacy town, but before she was ten years old, was given over to the Sisterhood for training, and has spent the rest of her life in their mountainous citadel-city. She proved a fast learner, and at an early age, started joining her new sisters on their rescue missions into Goriel, a place that she and her companions hate with every fiber of their being. She was on one such mission when first introduced, albeit a somewhat atypical one: usually, she serves as a scout within Goriel itself, identifying women who need help and reporting back to the Sisterhood, rather than doing the rescuing (and escorting to a place of refuge) herself. However, the Sisterhood knows that playing the scout role all the time is both emotionally taxing (it's a very dangerous job) and in some regards unsatisfying, so the scouts get occasional breaks to serve as rescuers, as she was doing.

Character: Outside the Sisterhood's sanctuary (where she is considerably more outgoing, but she prefers not to spend time there), Thérèse is quiet, calm, and soft-spoken, to the point of seeming aloof. However, this is largely a defensive mechanism that she has learned to help her blend into Goriel, and her actual personality is considerably more animated. Like essentially all members of the Sisterhood, she is utterly dedicated to her work, and like most of them, prefers being out in the field, away from the citadel, doing the rescues rather than planning them and helping the rescued women start a new life. (This doesn't keep her from occasionally tieing one on when she does go back to the citadel for a while, as a means of stress relief.)

She is bisexual and generally monogamous, but at the moment, is not in a relationship. Her religion, like that of the rest of the Sisterhood, is very unusual in human space and centers around worship of a group of goddesses they call the "Five Great Mothers." The practice of a religion like this, in terrain not too far from the troll homelands, might get one wondering, but in fact, the Sisterhood has nothing whatever to do with the trolls, and Thérèse doesn't have a drop of troll blood in her. (Her height and unusual hair color might suggest a little bit of half-elven blood, but she has none of that either, to her knowledge.)

She is a potent spellcaster, but can only use magic related to her profession: basic (if powerful) offense and defense, standard detection magic with no frills, and a bit of healing. In addition to proficiency with her short sword, she's reasonably good with firearms, but since a woman caught in Goriel with a gun would be put to death almost instantly, she doesn't carry one on missions. Her unarmed combat skills are very limited. In general, Thérèse much prefers to avoid a fight, but her combat magic is powerful enough that she will prevail most of the time if forced into one.
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