The Queen's Hellhounds {Lore}

Rae · May 6, 2018

In a land known as Eymia, monsters roam wild, slaughtering their victims as they please. These terrible beings are a new phenomenon to this world, and there is no benevolent god to save the innocent. They must fight for their survival or watch the world around them burn.

The world of Eymia is in chaos. Monsters such as dragons, Cerberus, and even banshees ravage the eight kingdoms, and only the Queen's Hellhounds from Donnwick stand a real chance against them. They are an elite force, defeating one monster at a time. But every time they seem to get closer to eradicating the threat, more monsters appear. No one knows where they have come from or who created them. It is only certain that they are here to utterly destroy everything you hold dear.

You are a member of the most elite company in the Queen's Hellhounds--the Rose Company. Your commander is Crown Princess Artemis Carrow of Donnwick. Although you have the confidence of Eymia, you know that the situation is only getting worse. And recently, the monsters have begun to attack like a well-trained army, where before their movements seemed entirely random. It is up to you and the rest of your company to save Eymia, but you're not entirely sure it's possible...

Hello! Welcome to The Queen's Hellhounds, a medieval fantasy roleplay set in the world of Eymia! This is a concept that I've been working on for over a year now, and I'm happy to finally get it off the ground! While there are many sandbox elements to this roleplay, there will be a definitive plot that our characters will follow. However, the decisions of the characters will play a major role in how this all plays out!

First and foremost, allow me to introduce my co-GM, @Joan! She's one of the first people that I dragged to the depths of Iwaku, and I like to think it was a marvelous decision. ~~#JoRu~~ That being said, let me note that if you have any questions about the setting or lore, you're probably better off asking me. While Joan has been with me through the entire creative process, I've come up with basically everything you see here. Some of the information might be bouncing around in my head, but probably not poor Joan's! She's mainly here to help me keep things running smoothly (and to tell me if one of my many ideas is just plain terrible). Please show her respect! Her word is law, as is mine.

Now, without further ado...a shit ton of information that hopefully doesn't kill your interest by the end!

For the past several decades, a variety of monsters have ravaged the land of Eymia. Some show formidable intelligence, striking their enemies when they are most vulnerable. Others appear to be mindless beasts, destroying and killing whenever they have the chance. In response to these threats, the previous Queen of Donnwick put together an elite military force comprised of the best fighters and sorcerers throughout all of Eymia. Now led by the Crown Princess of Donnwick herself, the Hellhounds have quickly evolved into the mortal realm's one and only fighting chance against the threat of monsters.

The Queen's Hellhounds

The Queen's Hellhounds, more commonly known as simply the Hellhounds, are a specially trained and small army of trusted individuals handpicked by Queen Adira herself. They are the only group able to take on the threat of monsters, and nearly all of the soldiers in this army are capable of high forms of magic. Crowned Princess Artemis Carrow leads the Hellhounds herself, and she has gained massive popularity through her efforts as their leader.

Before anyone can hope to join the Hellhounds, they must first be nominated by an upstanding noble from any kingdom or a member of the royal family. After nomination, Queen Adira chooses whether or not to accept them. Should they be accepted, they are then permitted to receive eight weeks of specialized training at the Hellhounds' training center in Cypress District. After training, they are then personally evaluated by Princess Artemis, who then makes the final decision whether they will join the Hellhounds. If they are rejected, they have a final chance to receive supplementary training (lasting four weeks) and a second evaluation by both the princess and Queen Adira. Should they fail the second evaluation, they are no longer permitted within Cypress District and are wholly rejected from the Hellhounds. Originally, there was no supplementary training or second evaluation. However, due to the high demand for able fighters, Princess Artemis decided to implement this "second chance" training for the sake of boosting the ranks of the Hellhounds.

There are slightly over 1500 men and women currently serving in the Hellhounds. Many travel outside of Donnwick to help the kingdom's allies. The ranks of the Hellhounds are as follows:

Grand Knight - the lowest rank, the equivalent of grunt status (called Grand so as not to confuse with Knights of the formal Queen's Army)
Paladin - achieved through bravery and commendation by one's direct superior, usually a captain
Lieutenant - achieved through promotion by a captain or higher, usually serves as the direct second-in-command to a captain
Captain - achieved through promotion by a marshal or higher, commands a company of 20-30 men
Marshal - achieved through promotion by the Commander or General, commands five captains and their men
Grand Marshal - achieved through promotion by the General, commands three marshals and all under them
Commander - achieved through nomination by the General and promotion by the Queen, second-in-command to the General
General - highest commander of the Hellhounds, currently Princess Artemis

In formal armies, it would take years for soldiers to climb the ranks. In the case of the Hellhounds, it is quite different. In the first place, each member was chosen for their elite skills, so there is almost no need for them to gain more years of experience. Furthermore, due to the alarming death rates of the Hellhounds, it is necessary for promotions to be given based on achievement rather than time. And there is plenty of opportunity for achievement. As it is, it can take less than five years for a Grand Knight to become a Marshal, if they prove themselves. However, attaining promotions also requires that there be an available slot. To prevent an imbalance of rank, the Hellhounds are currently limited to 60 lieutenants/captains, 12 marshals, and 4 grand marshals.

The Rose Company

Although peasants who join the Hellhounds are not officially allowed to rank above captains, the General can circumvent this, in a manner of speaking, by choosing them to be part of her personal company. Formally called the Rose Company, they are the elite of the elite. They have been chosen by the General for their skill, their dedication, and their achievements. Although they go on the smallest number of missions out of all the companies, they also go on the most dangerous. They have the highest survival rate, as well as the highest success rate. It is here that Princess Artemis truly shines as a leader, as her victories have more often than not been won by her superior strategies. Realistically speaking, the members of the Rose Company have far greater weight in their status than that of even a Grand Marshal.

Monsters

The exact origin of the monsters that threaten Eymia is not actually known, but the more superstitious speculate that they have been sent here by the gods as divine punishment. Whatever the case may be, most of these creatures possess little to no sentience or independent thought. Those that do still seem to be driven by bloodlust and animalistic instinct, their sole purpose to kill any mortal they come across. They include giants, dragons, cerberus, banshees, sea serpents, and Reapers.

Giants

Giants are perhaps the least intelligent species to ever walk in this world. What they lack in mind, however, they make up in strength. These monsters stand as tall as trees, with long limbs and hands the size of boulders. Their steps shake the earth beneath them, and animals flee from their presence. Thickly coiled muscles only add to the horror of their appearance. They have the twisted face of a man, with large noses and rotting teeth. Thick manes of hair often cover their face, chest, hands, and feet. Their eyes are surprisingly small, but they are able to see their prey with terrifying clarity. It is possible to escape from these monsters on horseback, but even then it would be a narrow escape at best. Only by outwitting these creatures can anyone hope to survive.

Dragons

Dragons have a far greater intelligence than might be expected of a monster, but they are fiercely territorial. Though few in number, they are capable of mass destruction. Small towns seems to dwarf in size when faced with these massive creatures. Because of their sheer size, they are one of the most difficult monsters to kill. Luckily, they rarely ever leave their established territory. Not even the Hellhounds are foolhardy enough to face these monsters unless absolutely necessary. They breathe fire, are equipped with claws and teeth as sharp as swords, and have wings capable of leveling whole towns. Although capable of communicating with mortals, they rarely ever do so in favor of slaughtering whoever dares to challenge them.

Cerberus

The infamous three-headed dog...cerberus are the second rarest of all monsters. With black fur and glowing red eyes, they appear to have been bred in darkness itself. Although intelligent, these creatures are most dangerous for their hunting capabilities. They will choose a single target and hunt that target across the world if necessary. No one knows for sure how they choose their prey, but it is certain that they do as they will ignore all other creatures during their hunt. They are only slightly easier to kill than dragons, as they are smaller in size and only equipped with claws and teeth. What makes them most dangerous is that they are able to quite literally blend into shadows, moving unseen and unheard until they decide to strike. Only powerful magic can force the cerberus out of hiding, so it stands that only powerful sorcerers can hope to defeat these creatures.

Banshees

Banshees are perhaps the smallest of the monsters, but they are still quite deadly. They stand at an average of six feet and are often dressed in strange clothes. They have long, curly hair and grey-tinted skin. The most defining aspect of their looks, however, is their face. Their eyes are completely white, as if the irises have been erased. Their teeth are long and sharp, capable of ripping through skin and bone. Their flesh smells and looks of rot, with their mouths hanging open in an eternal scream. The scream itself can be just as fatal as any other attack, and it is what they are most known for. High-pitched and wailing, banshees can shatter ear drums and drive even the most strong-willed of people insane. Protection against their screams is vital to defeating them, and it is not entirely easy to do so. Although no larger than a man, they are quick and can only be killed by piercing through their open mouth. All other parts of their body will regenerate almost instantly. Even if they lose a leg, a new one will appear in its place.

Sea Serpents

These monsters would be more aptly named giant eels than sea serpents, but the name does not change its monstrous qualities. These creatures are larger than even dragons, able to swallow whole fishing boats. Their long, eel-like bodies are capable of wrapping around and crushing ships and other objects too large for its maw. They see perfectly even in deep waters. Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of sea serpents, however, is their ability to almost perfectly camouflage themselves in the surrounding environment, even despite their size. Only those who live underwater, like merpeople, are able to see a difference. By then, it's already too late. The only fortunate facet of sea serpents is that they are limited to the open sea, and they are weak to the sun. Ships that stay close to shore and sail during the day will most likely come back unharmed. Nevertheless, their presence in open waters has forced the merpeople to flee onto land.

Reapers

The reapers are perhaps the most mysterious and most threatening of all the monsters. Even their appearance is only speculation, and anyone who claims to have seen one is a liar. This is because there has only ever been one encounter with these creatures, and it was a devastating one. Almost half the Kingdom of Kiallan was destroyed by a reaper, and the only reason the land survived at all was because it simply disappeared.

One thing is for certain. Should a reaper ever decide to make itself known again, it may very well bring the end of the mortal world.

The Five Races

After the creation of Eymia, there were six mortal races: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, merpeople, and dryads. Because of war and chaos, the dryads are no more. Hybrids of these different races are few and far between, as it is generally considered a taboo to have relations with the other races. This is in part due to social stigmas but mostly due to the fact that hybrid children generally suffer from deformities and fail to live past adolescence.

Humans

Humans are the typical race found on this world. As such, they have dominated most societies, and Donnwick is no exception. Although Donnwick is known for its diversity, humans still have the upper hand in politics, culture, and general society. They come in all shapes and sizes, from lean to obese. Males are typically 5'9" to 6'2", while females remain smaller in stature at 5'1" to 5'8". There are, of course, those who are shorter or taller than average. Because of the larger discrepancies with the other mortal races, there is no racism between humans themselves.

Human society is known not only for its innovation and ability to adapt but also for its corruption and lust for power. They have the most prominence in the world, and many of them are more than willing to "share" their wealth with the rest of the races. This has led to a history of oppression and, in some cases, outright slavery. In the last several centuries, the oppression has waned to common prejudice, and slavery has been outlawed in all known kingdoms. Human society has become split, with about half calling for the acceptance of most races and the other half believing in man's superiority.

Elves

Elves are the second most common race. For every three humans, there is about one elf. Although most elves live in the Elvish Kingdom of Laeva, mass emigrations centuries ago have led to a more widespread population. Donnwick holds one of the most concentrated populations of elves, with at least one elf for every two humans. As such, they have maintained a fair influence on society and have not received much prejudice, in part due to their ethereal grace and beauty.

Male elves are substantially taller than male humans, with the shortest among them being at least 6'3". Some have reached heights of almost 8", though this is not common. The women are only slightly shorter than the men, with their shortest at around 5'11" and their tallest at a little over 7". They have soft features, lean bodies, and the typical pointed ears. Most elves keep their hair long, although short-haired elves are not uncommon. Notably, many elves will get decorative tattoos on their face as a representation of their magical ability. It is usually considered taboo for non-magical elves to receive these tattoos.

They have the best propensity for magic among the races, especially nature magic, and typically live ten human lifetimes or more. The main reason they are not the dominant race is that most elven women cannot bear more than one child. The most damaging reputation for elves is that they are a detached and somewhat selfish people, quicker to protect their own than the lives of others.

Dwarves

Contrary to popular belief, dwarves are not dim-witted and greedy mountainmen. In fact, they are the most influential scholars in the world. With hoards of knowledge in their mountain keeps, dwarves are shrewdly intelligent creatures. Stout and quite hairy, their status as esteemed scholars saves them from the brunt of prejudice. However, they are not nearly as protected as elves, as they only number about one dwarf for every eight humans.

They are a predominantly isolated people, although some venture out into the human world as diplomats and advisers. The tallest dwarf, according to legend, reached a mighty 5'8", although this has never been confirmed. They have the weakest affinity for magic among the races, but it should be noted that those who do have magic most often prove themselves to be among the powerful. Their illustrious halls attract scholars from all around the world, as they are said to house the greatest wealth of knowledge. Consilium, the largest of these halls, is surprisingly found in Donnwick rather than Mirilind, the Dwarven Lands. It is located ten miles east of Delphos in the Siane Mountains, and most dwarves who guard that knowledge live in Delphos.

Although diplomatic, dwarves should not be mistaken for gentle. Those who do not dedicate their lives to knowledge go on to become fierce warriors, mainly protecting their kin against hostilities. The most notable faults of the dwarven race is that they have a tendency to be arrogant, if not openly condescending.

Merpeople

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Throughout history, merpeople were rarely seen by mortals living on land, although they did make appearances. Due to the mysterious nature of their society, some believe (and fear) that merpeople outnumber land-dwellers 10 to 1. This is, of course, outrageously false. While merpeople have a formidable population (almost as numerous as humans, in fact), they are deeply divided by strict hierarchies and warring families. Although they rarely resort to open violence, the perpetuated conflicts of the merpeople have prevented them from becoming a presence on land.

Although merpeople have the ability to take on a "land form" (which basically permits them to walk and breathe on land), they cannot sustain it for more than a few weeks at a time. As such, permanent residency on land has remained mostly impossible. However, with the relatively new presence of monsters in their waters, merpeople have suddenly appeared in droves, often shoved off to Fort Lancer where they have easy access to a large body of water.

When shifting to their land forms, merpeople still retain most of their features, which often includes fins and even scales on their face, arms, and legs. Because of this and other reasons, they have been heavily scorned on land, especially by humans. They are often seen as savages, and the description is not entirely inaccurate. Although merpeople society is entirely complex, they are a relatively primitive race in regards to technology and weaponry. They also tend to be rather volatile and distrusting, which has resulted in several violent encounters in the last several years (although it should be noted that, in most cases, the merpeople involved were not unprovoked). Folklore has only perpetuated the stigmas against merpeople, as old sailor tales paint them as murderous creatures luring innocent men to their deaths.

Orcs

The orcs are the most hated among the mortal races, even among those who have experienced prejudice themselves. If merpeople are seen as savages, orcs are seen as almost the equivalent of monsters. This is mostly due to the infamous Savage War that spanned nearly two centuries. The first major war recorded in history, the Savage War waged when the orc population outnumbered all others. In fact, until the end of the war, orcs had always been the dominant race. It was only due to their intense tribal traditions (akin to merpeople, in that respect) that humans still remained at the top of "civilized" society.

After the war, the orcs only had a few dozen left of each of their tribes. As the years went on, they lost much of their culture. Now, almost all of them have no idea why they divided into tribes, and their ancient traditions are no longer kept simply because no one remembers them. They breed their sons and daughters for a war that may never be fought, and they refuse to accept anyone who is not of their own.

Brutish in both appearance and manner, orcs are even taller than elves. Reaching an upwards of ten feet with thickly muscled bodies, they often decorate themselves with piercings and tribal jewelry that has lost its true meaning. Due to the constant fighting, there is rarely ever an orc that is not scarred. Orcs most commonly have grey or light brown skin, with harshly pointed ears and a tuft of dark hair on their heads. Although orcs do have males and females, it is almost impossible to find the distinction unless one grew up among them.

Orcs who find themselves outside of Griar are usually hated, although they can be legally accepted anywhere. These orcs rarely ever leave their homeland by choice. Instead, they are usually banished for one reason or another--often for defying tradition or refusing to fight a battle. Most have ended up in Donnwick, as it is currently the most diverse of all the kingdoms. They have also heard rumors of a lovely little river town where prejudice and fighting doesn't exist at all.

Dryads

Legend states that dryads used to rule over the natural world, being at one with the very essence of life. They were a peaceful and gentle race, almost never resorting to violence unless it was in defense of their charges (oftentimes a particular forest or group of animals). The other races originally believed the dryads to be immortal, but this was not true. Rather, their life force was irrevocably tied to their charge and its descendants. If they succeeded in protecting it, they could potentially live until the end of days, as their life force would be passed down generation to generation.

It was not meant to be. When Eymia first descended into the chaos of the Savage War, nature was left out of the fighting. But as the war dragged on, the other races--especially humans and orcs--began using vile methods to win victories, burning down whole forests in their warpath and slaughtering animals to feed their armies. As forests burned and animals died, so did the dryads. 200 years ended and so did the war, but the damage was done. Somehow, amidst the chaos, the dryads were no more.

History blames the extinction of this ancient race on the orcs. In reality, it was the fault of all mortal races, except for the elves who understood the importance of nature. Even so, they did little to stop the destruction. As the years went on, nature recuperated despite the loss, and the task of protecting nature was passed onto the elves by an unknowable force. However, even though elves can understand nature, they are not connected to it as the dryads were. It seems that the lesson has been learned.

Miscellaneous

Currency & Commerce
Commerce throughout Eymia has been stifled in recent years due to the monster threat, but life must go on at some point. Trade routes have been limited to reduce the chance of being attacked by monsters. Donnwick has become the main trader of goods among the kingdoms due to the diverse landscape of its land. They grow staple foods like potatoes and grain, as well as luxury foods like fruit. They are also known for their quality wines. Most importantly, however, they have access to the iron and precious metals in the Siane Mountains, which continues to keep the economy strong and the armory well-stocked.

In recent years, those who can afford to do so have paid quite handsomely for "magical blessings" that supposedly provide some protection from the monsters. It is not proven one or the other if these blessings actually work, but people have become desperate enough to try everything they can to save their own skin.

The currency of Eymia is the same throughout all the kingdoms, although bartering is common in smaller towns that have less coin. Listed below are the conversions for the coinage in Eymia.

One gold bar is equivalent to five gold pieces.
One gold piece is equivalent to twenty-five silver bars.
One silver bar is equivalent to five silver pieces.
One silver piece is equivalent to fifty copper pieces.

To put the currency into perspective, the following is a list of common items and their usual price. Due to the monster threat, common goods have suffered from inflation even in Donnwick. Following the usual price is the current inflated price of these goods.

One loaf of bread -- ten copper pieces -- fifteen copper pieces
One sack of potatoes -- fifteen copper pieces -- twenty copper pieces
Pint of ale (medium quality) -- ten copper pieces -- twenty copper pieces
Pint of ale (high quality) -- twenty copper pieces -- one silver piece
Barrel of wine (medium quality) -- two silver pieces -- one silver bar (or five silver pieces)
Barrel of wine (high quality) -- one silver bar -- two silver bars (or ten silver pieces)
Sword (low quality) -- one silver bar -- five silver bars (or twenty-five silver pieces)
Sword (high quality) -- two gold pieces -- one gold bar (or five gold pieces)
Annual Taxes (lower class) -- one silver bar -- two silver bars (or ten silver pieces)
Annual Taxes (middle class) -- two silver bars -- three silver bars (or fifteen silver pieces)
Annual Taxes (upper class) -- three gold bars -- four gold bars (or twenty gold pieces)
Annual Taxes (nobility) -- five gold bars -- eight gold bars (or forty gold pieces)

Those who fail to pay their taxes will have their property seized by the Queen's Army. If a family does not own property, they do not have to pay annual taxes. Unfortunately, the increase in taxes has resulted in many lower class and even middle class families losing their homes.

Religion
For several centuries, the influence of religion has waned considerably. Although most people believe that the world was created by several gods, very few actively worship these beings, and most only have a vague idea of what "god" really means. The ancient temples of old have long since crumbled to ruins, and those that still actively worship are labeled as fanatics.

Historical accounts suggest that the universe began with a group of five gods, each with separate tasks in the creation of Eymia. It is widely accepted that one of these gods bestowed magic upon the mortal races. Furthermore, most respectable historians agree that the gods have long since crossed over to the spiritual realm (i.e. the afterlife). The notion that any god still remains within the physical realm is most often dismissed as nonsense. More or less, there is no point in praying or worshiping these gods because they are no longer here.

Crime Syndicates
Every world has a darker side to it, and Eymia is no exception. In recent years, a variety of crime syndicates have risen to power, growing in their greed as chaos continues to ensue throughout the world. These criminal groups are involved in all manner of illicit activities, including thievery, murder, slavery, and dark sorcery.

The syndicates are known for their ruthless tactics and violent rivalries. Extremely territorial, they rarely ever allow members of a rival syndicate to trespass unscathed. Many skirmishes between these criminals has resulted in the deaths of the innocent.

Garas Harbor is the most notorious location for crime, as there are several syndicates who have risen to power there. Unfortunately, the monster threat prevents the Queen's Army from doing much to combat these criminals. For now, they run rampant, unchecked and dangerous.

The ancient queendom of Donnwick serves as the main setting for The Queen's Hellhounds. However, each of the eight nations is of fundamental importance to the plot and setting as a whole. As such, I've provided in-depth information below, although Donnwick will obviously be the most fleshed out. The five human kingdoms (i.e. predominantly ruled by humans) include Donnwick, Kiallan, Eredien, Baemar, and Rynal. Collectively, they are known simply as The Five Kingdoms.

Kiallan: General Information
Before the destruction of the Reaper, Kiallan was a prosperous kingdom built upon the strength of its rulers. It was well-known for the mysterious strength of its sorcerers, and Kiallan's famous Wistoria Academy trained the best magic-users in all of Eymia. Sadly, the academy was the first place to be utterly destroyed by the Reaper.

The previous king, killed in the chaos that ensued afterwards, was a shrewd and cunning man who was widely known for his decisive leadership. His son survived but is no more than a figurehead at fourteen years old. His advisers now hold the power, and they are a greedy lot corrupted by fear and self-preservation.

The people have suffered. With half of the kingdom in ruins, those that remain have either left the kingdom entirely or clawed their way through survival. The economy has fallen apart, and crime runs the daily lives of the citizens more than anything else. The only reason that any citizens still remain is because, since the destruction caused by the Reaper, most of the kingdom has remained relatively unaffected by the monsters that run rampant throughout the rest of the land.

Even monsters fear Death itself.

The Puppet King

Forced into the position of king at a young age, King Dorian of Kiallan holds little power, despite what his advisers espouse. Due to the nature of his inexperience, he's been easily manipulated by the officials of his court, and it has been many months since he's been outside his palace. Anyone who attempts to show the young king the reality of the outside world mysteriously disappears. As it is, he is under the strange belief that Kiallan is recovering splendidly. Rumor has it that he's under the influence of magic, but no one can be completely sure.

Oris: The Fallen Capital

Although the capital of Kiallan looks glistening and undamaged from the outside, it has long since lost the grandeur of previous generations. The people barely survive within its illustrious architecture, and even the nobility cannot ignore the constant smell of death and decay. The crumbling military of Kiallan is wholly dedicated to removing the dead from the city--a hopeless effort to prevent disease from spreading. Inexplicably, King Dorian remains blissfully unaware of the suffering that occurs outside his gleaming castle.

Point of Interest: Vedren

Vedren was the once-great "Sorcerer's City." It was home to the infamous Wistoria Academy, where the best of the best trained and graduated to become the greatest sorcerers in all of Eymia. It was also the first place where the Reaper appeared, and the devastation could not be described into words. Now, where the city once stood tall...it's like it never existed. From Vedren, the Reaper continued south, destroying every speck of civilization that it came across. Right before it reached Oris, the crown jewel of Kiallan, the Reaper simply disappeared. No one knows where it went or if it will ever return.
Eredien: General Information
Throughout its long and illustrious history, Eredien has been known for its rejection of traditional values. Along with Donnwick, it was the first of the Five Kingdoms to outlaw slavery, although the institution of slavery was remarkably uncommon even before it was outlawed. The country is ruled by the Royal Council, made up of three individuals hailing from the Founders.

The Founders consist of three separate families: Eris, Talon, and Vale. The Eris family typically trains the next High General of the Royal Council. The Talon family grooms the next High Sorcerer, and the Vale family produces the next High Governor. Although the positions on the Royal Council are hereditary, the people of Eredien have always retained the right to depose a member by majority vote if they are viewed as unfit. Oddly enough, this has rarely happened in the Royal Council's long history.

Since the monster crisis began, Eredien's economy has suffered due to their reliance on imports from the other kingdoms. However, they have managed to stay somewhat afloat due to their strong alliance with Donnwick. From the beginning, Donnwick agreed to pay any nation willing to send their best fighters and sorcerers to join the Hellhounds. Eredien managed to work this agreement even more to their favor, exchanging their fighters for valuable goods that Donnwick produced. As a consequence, the crime rate has increased all throughout the kingdom, simply because they lack the resources to fight against it.

The Royal Council

High Sorcerer: Beyne Talon
The High Sorcerer in Eredien deals primarily with magical laws, overseeing the academies, and ensuring that any dangerous sorcerer is quickly dealt with. They are the most powerful magic-user in Eredien, usually hailing from the Talon family. The Talon family itself produces sorcerers of great strength and intelligence, hence their tendency to produce the next High Sorcerer.

The current High Sorcerer of Eredien, Beyne Talon, is also the most talented seer that the world has seen for centuries. However, his Sight has inexplicably been blocked ever since the first monster attacked many decades ago. Perhaps most worrisome is the fact that he was unable to predict the threat in the first place.

High General: Zaria Eris
The High General manages the military of Eredien and oversees foreign diplomacy. Military infrastructure, such as forts and training facilities, are also managed by the High General. More often than not, the High General is capable of wielding magic, but it is not a requirement. Rather, they are chosen for their intelligence and leadership capabilities, usually groomed from a long line of war heroes in the Eris family.

Zaria Eris is the current High General of Eredien, and she is a true enigma. Unlike most candidates for High General, she married into the Eris family, being a full-blooded elf born in one of the many Elvish communities scattered throughout the kingdom. She served under the previous High General and climbed her way through the ranks of the Eredien army. When her engagement to a young man in the Eris family was announced, she used her established influence to achieve the position of High General. So far, she has proven herself well enough among the people, although the recent monster crisis has caused her popularity to decrease quite substantially.

High Governor: Maris Talon
The High Governor in Eredien is much like a queen or king but without absolute power. They act as both figurehead and legislator, managing the culture and the everyday laws of the kingdom. Their jurisdiction is perhaps the most direct in the Royal Council, as they usually act as judge and jury for high-profile cases. However, the High Governor holds no power over the army, and magical affairs are left to the High Sorcerer. In particular cases that threaten the stability of the whole kingdom, the Royal Council will make decisions collectively, but rumors suggest that the High Governor holds the most influence.

Maris Talon is the most recent addition to the Royal Council, and she is also the youngest. At the ripe age of 29, she's been forced into the position prematurely due to the mysterious death of the previous High Governor. Nevertheless, she has already accomplished impressive feats in her short time. It was her actions that led to the exchange of fighters and goods between Eredien and Donnwick, practically saving the kingdom's economy in the process. Still, the people begin to lose faith as more and more innocent lives are lost to the monsters that ravage the land.

Bellhorn: The Shining Star

Eredien's capital, Bellhorn, has been affectionately named "The Shining Star" for several centuries, but its reputation has diminished in recent years. The city is flooded with refugees from nearby towns and villages, leading to poverty and overwhelming crime. The army can do little about the chaos, as they have their hands full dealing with monsters in the countryside. However, the worsening conditions are a small price to pay for those who want to escape death, as Bellhorn has managed to evade destruction due to its high walls and substantial defense. As the fighting continues outside the city, however, many are beginning to wonder just how long this fading star can remain lit.
Baemar: General Information
For several centuries, Baemar has rivaled with Donnwick for the best trading routes and control of the iron and copper mines found in the Siane Mountains. War has broken out between the two kingdoms in the past, but hostile relations have since lessened to an unsteady peace. Due to the outbreak of monsters, Baemar has entered into a temporary alliance with Donnwick--if only for the valuable protection afforded by the Hellhounds. So far, the alliance has remained strong enough to last several decades, but the stubborn will of the king may put this into jeopardy.

Baemar managed to save its economy due to the value of its exports and the sheer size of the royal treasury. For many generations, the rulers of this kingdom have exhibited extreme miser tendencies, resulting in a treasury that overflows with wealth built up over centuries. Because of the crisis, the current king decided to open the treasury enough to keep Baemar afloat, and it has worked so far. As the monster threat continues, however, some are beginning to believe that the "generosity" of the king may not be enough.

The Miser King

Like his ancestors, King Asmar has rightfully earned the title of "The Miser King" in the land of Eymia. It took several years before he finally decided to open his coffers for the sake of his people, and even then it was only just enough. Some paint him as a wise ruler, giving only what is needed and saving the rest for the years to come. However, many view him as selfish, as he allows even his nobility to fall into poverty. Whatever the case may be, he has singlehandedly prevented Baemar's economy from completely collapsing, and only the future will tell if his choices will truly benefit his people.

Arvena: City of Riches

Before the monster crisis began, Arvena stood tall as the richest city throughout all of Eymia. Poverty was practically nonexistent, and even peasants could live comfortably. Merchants and dreamers gathered from all around the world to taste even a small piece of the wealth to be had in Arvena. Unfortunately, most would never find the chance to stay, as every person hoping to live there is forced to go through an intense application process. Only those who prove themselves worth having get the chance. Even the nobility must go through the process--albeit with a monetary advantage that usually helps things along.

Nowadays, this "City of Riches" has fallen from grace. It has suffered from several monster attacks, especially from giants and banshees. Although the damage is not massive, it is enough to cause panic and fear. Some have even decided to leave the capital altogether, despite the grueling process they had to go through to live there in the first place. Furthermore, poverty has now poisoned the streets of Arvena where before it hardly existed at all. Now, it seems to be just like any other major city in Eymia--tainted by crime and corruption.
Rynal: General Information
Legend states that the first king of Rynal caused the Savage War, but no one can know for sure. Whatever the case may be, the people of this kingdom have maintained their reputation as warmongers for centuries. Their army is well-known to be one of the fiercest, mostly due to the vigorous training. As a consequence, many outsiders view Rynal as violent, comparing their traditions to those of the Orcish tribes.

Regardless, the kingdom has remained surprisingly stable since the monsters first began to appear throughout Eymia. Their economy has barely suffered, and their army is self-sufficient enough that the Hellhounds aren't usually needed. In fact, it wasn't until the appearance of dragons and Cerberus that Rynal finally opened its borders to assistance from the Hellhounds. Since then, Rynal has sent some of its fighters to Donnwick, but they are rarely ever considered the best in their armies. In fact, rumor has it that those they send have been dishonorably discharged from service in the King's Army, though this remains just a rumor for now. Despite this, the fighters they send typically find success in the Hellhounds' ranks, mostly due to the nature of their training.

The Warrior King

King Gideon of Rynal has built his reputation around his uncompromising will and ability to command his army. He does not tolerate insubordination, but the people are rewarded with one of the best strategists throughout Eymia. Through his ingenious strategies, the damage caused by the monsters has been minimized for several years. His people live in relative safety in comparison to the rest of the world, due to the strength of Rynal's army and the intelligence of their king. Furthermore, his wife, Queen Camilla, is no small force to be reckoned with. She's rumored to be a skilled warrior and a powerful sorceress, willing to fight alongside her husband.

Mantes: City of Warriors

Built to withstand weeks of invasion, Rynal's capital functions as the center of military activity. The army is given precedence throughout the entire kingdom, but it is especially true in Mantes. Most of the residents are soldiers and their families, and the nobility that live there are required to raise at least one son or daughter to be an officer in the King's Army. Here, the Warrior King and Queen show their dominance, as they lead the army to victory. Or so they claim...
Laeva: General Information
Ruled by centuries of tradition, the Kingdom of Laeva is perhaps the most static out of all the nations, given that their current rulers have been around for over a millenia. The elders of this kingdom have been alive since before the Savage War, and they are often described as jaded creatures full of distrust for outsiders. Admittedly, their caution is not ill-founded, as they have seen whole civilizations fall to the destruction of mortals. Not much is known about Laeva beyond rumors of a strict hierarchy and an unforgiving king.

Since the monster threat began, they have closed their borders to all the other nations except Donnwick. However, trade routes between Donnwick and Laeva are still heavily monitored, and the elves are not known to be very welcoming to uninvited outsiders. So far, they have refused assistance from the Queen's Hellhounds, despite the rumors that the Elvish people suffer greatly from attacks.

The Volatile King

Rumors have widely circulated as to the nature of Laeva's king and queen. His rule over Laeva has not changed much since the kingdom's inception. King Theodas and Queen Elora have outlived many of their subjects, especially given the destruction of the Savage War. The king is not known for mercy, and rumor has it that he executed his own brother for disobeying a single order. Historical accounts suggest the king to be rather volatile, especially in comparison to other elves. More recently, speculation has arisen that King Theodas defeated a giant on his own, although anyone who has seen a giant will likely doubt such an outrageous story.

The Ethereal Queen

Unlike her husband, Queen Elora has traveled outside Laeva's borders in recent centuries. She advocated for diplomacy between the Elvish kingdom and Donnwick, and it was through her efforts that Fulbridge City came to be. Historical accounts describe the queen as domineering but kind, willing to compromise in most situations. Many think her to be the steady hand of the Elvish monarchy. Where King Theodas may be turbulent and demanding, she remains calm and logical.

The Eternal City

Like many of the towns and villages scattered throughout Laeva, Terrafell is built into the trees of Eridia Forest. The capital's main defense lies in its mystery; it is nearly impossible for any outsider to find and reach the Elvish city. Anyone who tries will be intercepted by the Royal Guard before they come within ten miles of Terrafell. The main problem that the Elvish people face are the monsters that constantly encroach upon their territory. Otherwise, for all intents and purposes, "The Eternal City" could be considered a paradise with low crime rates and a high standard of living. At least, that's what the elves claim.
Mirilind: General Information
Mirilind is a mountainous region with the largest hoards of knowledge throughout all of Eymia. Great halls filled with ancient texts are built into the mountains themselves, and the dwarves typically live outside in the cold climate. Some say they value books more than their own comfort. Such a statement is not entirely inaccurate. For generations, Mirilind has stood as the nation of pious scholars, as the dwarves crave knowledge more than gold and jewels. They have also produced many fine warriors whose lives are dedicated to protecting the precious knowledge held within their mountain halls.

Unknown to outside nations, the people of Mirilind are dying. Since the monster threat began, something has poisoned this land. Women have been unable to produce children, and young dwarves die without any explanation. It is only by leaving Mirilind that they can hope to survive. But something is barring their way, and the other kingdoms are too wrapped up in their own problems to wonder at the terrible silence coming from the great mountain kingdom.

The Obstinate King

Not much is known about King Dhufal of Mirilind. He is rumored to be stubborn yet wise, but even dwarves living outside of the kingdom are not entirely sure as to the character of the king. Given the disturbing silence of the last few decades, the people of Eymia may never really know.

Dunheim: City of Scholars

Built high in the mountains, Dunheim is connected to the largest of the mountain halls in Mirilind. It serves as the central hub for knowledge seekers and religious fanatics. Astounding legends have led to the strange belief that a god sleeps beneath the city, although no one has ever encountered evidence of these rumors. Regardless, pious dwarves from all over Mirilind have flocked to Dunheim since the sickness began, hoping to receive grace from the sleeping god.
Griar: General Information
Since the Savage War, the orcs have lost their culture and traditions. They perform rituals without understanding their ancient meaning, and violence seems to be the one anchor for this disavowed race. They do not remember their gods, and they do not remember peace. Instead, they constantly fight with one another, refusing to accept outsiders even in the midst of the new threat of monsters. More than likely, they will destroy themselves before the monsters ever get the chance. Only those orcs that leave Griar have a chance to survive the constant conflict.

The orcs divide themselves into three main tribes: Arkon, Vorgird, and Irgil. The exact meaning of the tribe names has been lost to the generations. It is yet another consequence of the cultural erasure and near-genocide that occurred many centuries ago during the Savage War. Regardless of this fact, the Orcish people have clung to what few rituals and ceremonies have survived, even though their importance is not truly known even by the elders of the tribes. One prime example is the "rite of passage" undergone by every orc in a tribe. Although slightly different between tribes, the ritual remains mostly the same with ceremonial combat and a demonstration of skills. History suggests that these "rites of passage" used to be far more complex and meaningful. Unfortunately, they have since been reduced to a glorified display of fighting and gore, perpetuating the impression that orcs are mere "savages."

Orcish Warlords

Each tribe has their own Warlord. Although the position used to be attained by completing a variety of sacred rituals, an orc now receives the position if they manage to kill the previous Warlord. This has led to intense distrust between the so-called "leader" and the rest of the tribe. The Warlord is the one who decides where the tribe will move to at a given time, since the orcs are a nomadic people first and foremost. He or she also conducts any rituals or ceremonies, although there aren't many left.

Life in the Tribe

Each orc is expected to "pull their own weight" in a tribe. If they prove themselves to be weak or lazy, they are usually banished altogether without mercy. Banished orcs can never find shelter in another tribe, as they would be killed immediately just for being an outsider. Instead, they must leave Griar altogether and seek a new home elsewhere. In recent years, the number of banished orcs has grown exponentially, and no one is entirely sure why. Rumor has it that the monster threat has terrified even the most fierce of orcs, but some think the situation to be more complex than that. No one except the orcs will ever know for sure, as they are not likely to talk about their banishment.

Donnwick has been established for hundreds of generations, evolving from a simple lordship of a long-forgotten region to the thriving queendom that it is today. Through the heavy influence of its strong queens and female propensity for magic, society became heavily matriarchal over the years, with gender equality only being realized after the efforts of a revolutionary queen. Influenced by both heavy tradition and the constant flow of ideas, lifestyles in Donnwick vary from radically new to traditionally ancient.

Nobility within Donnwick ebbs and flows with the generations, so much so that only the Carrow Family has stood against the sands of time. Because of this, they have settled themselves as the rightful heirs to the throne, and no one dares to go against their deep ancestry and deep pockets. Although each ruler is different from the last, they have almost all displayed a sense of power and wit. Carefully trained and bred for queenship, every daughter that does not meet expectations--regardless of birth status--is quickly cast aside to allow chance for someone who would surpass them.

For reasons not yet explained, not a single Queen of Donnwick has been faced without daughters to call heirs. Some owe it to a magical blessing given long ago; others whisper of scandalous affairs and daughters taken from their homes. In reality, the Queens owe their fortune to an eccentric sorceress who lived many centuries ago. Unfortunately, a debacle during the spell meant to bless them with female heirs also prevented the royal family from producing sons. Regardless, Donnwick has thrived not only due to the overall strength of its queens but also the ever-expanding wealth of its resources.

Queen Adira, Donnwick's current ruler, has been considered by many to be a weak ruler in comparison to her ancestors. Faced with the constant fear of monsters and usurpation, Queen Adira has placed her promising but young daughter Artemis in charge of the Hellhounds. In the span of two years, the future queen has proven herself both in battle and politics, aiming to be a formidable foe to anyone who threatens the safety of her subjects. Already, people across the queendom look toward Crowned Princess Artemis rather than the queen, and it cannot be known what poor fortune such favoritism will bring.

Main Locations

Evanis
As the capital of Donnwick, Evanis serves as a hub for trade and the elite upper class. Featuring the infamous Devas Square, merchants and artisans from all over the kingdom come to trade and haggle for the best prices. The city itself has three separate districts: Cosmos, Gardenia, Cypress. Cosmos District is barred from peasantry and the like, reserved for wealthy merchants, aristocracy, and the royal family. It includes Blackthorne Castle and the High Court of Donnwick. Gardenia District includes Devas Square in the "center." Many divide the district into Upper and Lower Gardenia, distinguishing between the lower and middle class. Any impoverished citizens live in Lower Gardenia or outside of the city altogether. Cypress District is home to the Hellhounds and can only be accessed by its members, prospects, the royal family, and those with permission from the Queen herself. Overall, wealth circulates through the city, but it suffers from a high crime rate and corrupt officials who take advantage of the monster threat.

Port Vosa
Port Vosa is the smaller of Donnwick's two major ports. Nevertheless, it remains a hub of activity. Sitting on the edge of land and backed by mountains and hills, the simplest way to and from Vosa is by water. With the Orynx Sea to the north and the Jade River to the east and south, the port maintains its wealth and riches. Overflowing with exotic imports, it is known most of all for its open-air markets where demand is high and prices remain relatively low. Poverty certainly exists in this well-known ship harbor, but it makes up for it with some of the lowest crime rates in the queendom. This is mostly due to the efforts of the citizenry and the Vosa Corps, which specializes in deterring crime.

Garas Harbor
Remarkably larger than Port Vosa, Garas Harbor acts as both a center of trade and a fortification. Featuring the second largest castle in the queendom, its sheer strength of appearance is enough to deter pirate ships and even formidable enemies. With the threat of the infamous Fort Siane some thirty miles to the south, Garas Harbor rarely suffers from hostile encounters, despite being one of the most strategic positions in the country. However, the true fears of the citizenry come not from outside but from within. With one of the highest crime rates and the highest monster encounters, Garas Harbor suffers greatly from the constant strife. It is a city that looks far stronger than it actually is, and it is a wonder that it has not suffered even more than it already has.

Fort Siane
Nigh impregnable, well-stocked, and surrounded by the unforgiving peaks of the Siane Mountains. Fort Siane has protected the Eastern borders of Donnwick for at least six generations, if not more. Located at the end of the only (known) navigable path through the mountains, it forces any hostile force to face its well-trained soldiers within--one way or another. None have yet succeeded to breach the walls of this fortress, and that is not likely to change. However, in more recent years, it has doubly served as a secondary headquarters for the infamous Hellhounds, as it places them close to Garas Harbor and other small villages where monsters have shown the most activity. The current commander of Fort Siane is Rolan Griel, an elf who has inspired the confidence of the fortress's 1000 soldiers. He is known for his unforgiving but genius strategies, as well as his willingness to use anyone who has proven themselves--regardless of reputation.

Fort Lancer
Functioning as both fortress and city, Fort Lancer in recent years has become less of a military outpost as it has a place for refugees from both Donnwick and their foreign allies to the west. It suffers from an average crime rate, but the main source of deprivation comes from food shortages, disease, and soldiers too busy with their own problems to deal with those of the refugees. Although much larger in size than Fort Siane, Lancer has become so overpopulated that poverty is the rule rather than the exception. Fortunately, Commander Rhea Griel, sister of Rolan Griel, has recently took up the helm at Fort Lancer. In a matter of months, the situation has drastically improved, although it will take many more months before the fort becomes a true and substantial place for the refugees constantly pouring in. Compassionate and wise, Rhea Griel is most known for her previous position as an advisor to Queen Adira and close friend of Princess Artemis.

Merriton
Merriton is a quaint river town known for its beautiful landscape and diverse inhabitants. Amidst the recent chaos of the world, it almost seems like a slice of paradise with its smiling citizens and pleasant weather. Although not bustling with trade, the town has succeeded in self-sufficiency, to the point where they hardly seem to rely on anyone but themselves. Here people seem to have abandoned prejudice altogether, as dwarves drink with men and elves are merry with orcs. The inhabitants seem to be blissfully unaware of the devastation happening outside their dirt roads and thatch roofs. Visitors often find themselves so enthralled with the peace that they hardly ever want to leave. It's a wonder as to why the town has remained so small despite the constant flow of new residents whistling as they build their own houses. Even nobles have become enamored with the charming town of Merriton, suddenly willing to work for their livelihood despite having never held proper tools in their life. Truly, this bit of heaven shines light on the darkness of the world.

Delphos
Delphos is the bustling home to the majority of dwarves living in Donnwick, although it does have other races scattered about. The town itself is fairly large in size, and it deals in enough tradable goods to house a middle class. Despite being full of dwarves, many nobles and sorcerers-in-training visit the town to seek knowledge. Only a few out of the hundreds coming in and out of Delphos are allowed to visit the Consilium in the Siane Mountains, but anyone who wishes to be considered scholarly vies for such a chance. The most interesting and inexplicable feature of Delphos is that it has not yet seen a single attack from monsters, even though the closest towns have. Because of this, the number of sorcerers visiting town has grown exponentially in the last few years. Rumors suggest the High Court is sending them to spy on the dwarves, suggesting that there could be foul play at work. Nothing has yet been concluded, and the town of Delphos remains an eerie mystery.

The Consilium
The greatest dwarven hall in all of Eymia, the Consilium lies deep within the Siane Mountains, guarded closely by the dwarves that live in Delphos. It only has one entrance, and anyone who tries to go in uninvited will quickly find themselves apprehended by the some of the most powerful dwarven sorcerers in Donnwick. And if that wasn't enough, the hoarded knowledge of the dwarves inside the Consilium cannot be read by just anyone, for everything is enchanted. Only the dwarves know the precise incantation to unlock each specific text, and it's impossible to remove a text from the Consilium without that incantation. Knowledge about history, magic, politics, society...everything one can think of is housed inside this illustrious hall. It is truly an honor to be allowed to venture within the Consilium.

Fulbridge City
Where Delphos caters to a predominantly dwarvish population, Fulbridge City is filled to the brim with elves. Located deep in the mysterious Eridia Forest, it is a prosperous city with buildings built into the massive trees. Although still under Queen Adira's rule, Fulbridge City maintains a sense of autonomy, being governed directly by the Bloodleaf Council. Humans and dwarves alike can visit and conduct trade, but they are never permitted to stay more than a week without permission or special jurisdiction (in the case of the royal family and a select few). As such, unlike Delphos where dwarves still mingle with other races, the elves have an entire city to call their own. It rarely suffers attacks from monsters, though it is not mysteriously immune like Delphos. Giants are the monsters to attack most often, usually about once a month. Despite this, the Bloodleaf Council proudly proclaims Fulbridge City to be the safest place in Donnwick for any elf who wishes to be among their own kind.

The High Court

The High Court in Donnwick is the leading authority about all matters pertaining to magic, although the Queen can overrule the High Court if she so chooses. However, this does not happen often. The High Court is led by the Chief Sorcerer, who is generally chosen through election by the members of the court. Once elected, the Chief Sorcerer usually keeps their position for life, although they can be removed by majority vote.

By traditional law, the High Court must have at least one sorcerer from every accepted school of magic, and there can never be more than 20 members at one time (not including the Chief Sorcerer). Generally speaking, only the Chief Sorcerer acts as a direct adviser to the Queen, but this has been circumvented before. The High Court directly oversees the activities of all the Lesser Courts. There are currently six Lesser Courts--one for each accepted school of magic. Before dark magic was outlawed, a seventh Lesser Court existed representing dark sorcerers. Rumors have circulated recently that this Dark Court still exists illegally, but the High Court has never found evidence one way or the other.

The High Court also oversees the three magic academies that currently exist in Donnwick: Presyce, Melrose, and Tresora. Located in Evanis, Presyce Academy is the most prestigious of the three. Melrose in Port Vosa and Tresora in Garas Harbor are on about equal terms, although more students have flocked to Melrose in recent years due to the high number of monster encounters at Garas Harbor.

The Queen's Army

The Queen's Army has existed for several centuries, although the current ranking system is fairly recent as the army's size has dramatically increased in the last century. Traditionally speaking, the Queen's Army has two main tasks: enforcing order in Donnwick and protecting the queendom from outside invasion.

In recent years, the army has become increasingly focused on fighting the monster threat, even despite the efforts of the Hellhounds. As such, the crime rate in Donnwick has increased overall, especially in highly populated areas. Although the threat of outside invasion is not currently an issue due to recent alliances, the Queen's Army would be wholly unprepared if it happened.

The current Queen of Donnwick acts as the formal head of the army, but the task of handling the day-to-day minutia usually falls to the Queen's General. To break things down, the ranks of the Queen's Army are as follows:

Knight - This is the equivalent of grunt status. Every knight belongs to a squad consisting of 10-20 men and women.
Sergeant - Acting commander of a squad.
Lieutenant - Acting second-in-command of a company, personally chosen by the captain.
Captain - Acting commander of a company, which is normally comprised of around ten squads.
Commander - Acting commander of a regiment (up to ten companies).
Lieutenant General - Direct superior to five commanders.
General - Direct superior of five to eight Lieutenant Generals.
Queen's General - Acting commander of the entire Queen's Army

Generally speaking, promotion in the Queen's Army occurs after years of service and personal achievement. In special cases, knights in the army may rise more quickly through the ranks if they prove themselves to be exceptionally capable.

Historical Notes

Timeline
The Ancient Era - Almost no historical accounts exist from the so-called "Ancient Era." The amount of time that this era lasted is also not known, although modern scholars speculate that it lasted for nearly a thousand years. From historical documents that have survived, historians have gleaned that the mortal races received magic as a gift from one of the original gods. Furthermore, Eymia used to be ruled by a single king, although the race of this king is unknown. However, civil war broke out, resulting in the eight kingdoms of today.

The Savage Era - This era began with the year 0 HD (Historical Days). It is widely accepted that the Savage War began in 5 HD after a psychotic blood mage murdered the Orc King. Falsely believing that their king was maliciously assassinated by the Five Kingdoms, the orcs waged war on the humans. Lasting for two hundred years, the war resulted in the near-decimation of all the races. The dryads were completely wiped out from the conflict, while the other races staggered and barely survived. At the end of the war, the kingdoms remained divided and closed off for five centuries. Blamed for the conflict, the orcs were forced to stay within their borders, and any banished orcs were quickly enslaved. The merpeople, who had sided with the orcs in the conflict, received similar treatment.

The Age of Freedom - After over five centuries of silence, Queen Eirlys Carrow made the first step towards diplomacy, starting with the Elvish kingdom of Laeva to the south. Her daughter, Queen Cassia, would later oversee the construction and completion of Fulbridge City in 1050 HD. The next queen, Lorian Carrow, radically overturned the matriarchy culture of Donnwick and was widely considered an unconventional ruler. She personally oversaw the construction and completion of the Consilium in 1080 HD, strengthening diplomacy with the dwarves of Mirilind. It wouldn't be until 1250 HD that slavery would finally be abolished throughout all of Eymia. Enslaved orcs and merpeople were finally freed and allowed to make their own lives outside of their home countries. For the next two hundred years, peace prevailed in Eymia.

The Age of Terror - The first monsters appeared in 1415 HD. Queen Elise Carrow formed the Queen's Hellhounds five years later, committed to combating the unprecedented threat. After her death, her daughter Adira was crowned in 1450, but she quickly proved to be far less capable than her mother. The Reaper first appeared in Kiallan in 1452, and half of the kingdom was decimated within a month. In 1455, a small river town in Donnwick begins to flourish, while distrust towards Queen Adira continues to take root. To save her reputation, the queen placed her promising daughter Artemis in charge of the Hellhounds. The current year is now 1470, and Princess Artemis has proven herself to be a capable leader during her two-year tenure as General.

Bestowed upon the mortal races of Eymia long ago, magic is the primary indication of power throughout all the kingdoms. Those with powerful control over magic usually find themselves in official positions as kings, queens, or well-paid sorcerers. There are several categories (also known as "schools") of known magic, and some of these categories have been outlawed for centuries. It should be noted that the main schools are mutually exclusive, and each sorcerer's magical school is inherent. Basically, they don't choose their school, and they cannot switch schools. There are currently no known cases of any sorcerer being able to use magic from multiple schools. Furthermore, nearly all sorcerers who manage to master their particular school of magic will find that they can use most of their magic "spells" indefinitely, although there are cases where an extremely powerful sorcerer will find themselves limited due to the raw power they possess.

Note: Characters cannot use any form of forbidden magic without prior GM approval. Once you get GM approval, please note as such in your CS.

Elementa: Elemental magic is the most raw and unfettered of all the schools. Casters do not have to perform spells or incantations to control the various elements, although some choose to do so for better control. In most cases, a sorcerer who can tap into the elements will only possess control over one, and they must discipline themselves mentally and physically in order to have complete control.

Elemental magic includes: Fire, Water, Earth, Air/Wind, Light, and Shadow.

In rare cases, a powerful sorcerer can possess control over several elements, although maintaining control over direct opposites is exceedingly rare (i.e. control over both fire and water). Those who are able to do so are usually in high demand for a position in the Queen's Hellhounds.
Vitalis: Sorcerers of this school have power over life or death, and they primarily use spells and incantations. Life sorcerers are usually dedicated to the art of healing, but only those with real aptitude for the art can heal major wounds. Although rare, some life sorcerers can even bring someone back from the brink of death--or even those who have recently died. It is considered a minor form of necromancy to bring someone back to life when they have recently died. As such, it is illegal in all kingdoms to do so.

Death sorcerers have the ability to inflict pain, both emotional and physical. Only those that are particularly powerful can actually kill another person with a simple incantation, but this ability is considered to be a form of dark magic and has been made illegal. These sorcerers are in high demand for use as interrogators and enforcers. For reasons unknown, no sorcerer with power of death can completely drain the life from a monster, although they are able to weaken it.

It is extremely rare for any sorcerer to have power over both life and death. It is almost always one or the other.
Illusio: Illusio sorcery bends the fabric of reality, allowing the user to create illusions that go against the physical limits of the world. They can affect a person's perception of sight, taste, smell, hearing, and even touch. The main drawback of illusion sorcery is that anyone with enough mental fortitude can break the illusion, although it should be noted that this can be exceedingly difficult depending on the skill of the illusionist. In rare cases, a sorcerer of this school can also affect a person's perception of pain and fear, similar to a Death sorcerer but without the real effect.
Alchemy: Usually passed off as a useless magic, the art of alchemy can have surprising benefits. Although most can only perform simple transmutations (transforming the base material of an object into a more valuable material--i.e. lead to gold, copper to iron, etc.), more powerful alchemists can mimic the magic of other schools, including Elementa and Illusio. However, alchemists can only be considered a jack-of-all-trades, so they will never reach the full power of other magics.

The best use for alchemy is the creation of golems, and the strength of these golems will greatly depend on the power of the alchemist. In extremely rare cases, a sorcerer can create a small army of nigh unbreakable golems. For the few that can do this, they are usually paid quite well to work for their monarch's army.

The magic of alchemy functions primarily through the use of runes and other magically-empowered symbols, although spells and incantations can be used as well. Alchemists are usually the sorcerers that provide magical blessings, especially towards an object. Blessed objects are in high demand, especially those that claim to protect a person's family or home.
Natura: Nature magic is fundamentally misunderstood by other schools. While most nature sorcerers do indeed control plants and speak to animals, there are many other applications that are mistakenly labeled as elemental magic. Powerful nature sorcerers can also control the weather, conjuring storms on a bright and sunny day. While this does seem to overlap with aspects of Elementa magic, it is fundamentally tied to nature and therefore defined as Natura sorcery. Furthermore, nature sorcerers must perform incantations and spells, unlike elemental sorcerers who usually do not. Nature magic also allows the user to control/cause natural diseases. Although this application borders into dark magic for many people, it is not yet outlawed.
Conjuro: The art of conjuring is one of the most complex and and difficult schools of magic. It is rarely mastered, and those that do master it can be considered extremely dangerous to have as an enemy. Conjuring sorcerers have the primary ability to summon legendary beasts and command them at will. It is impossible for another sorcerer to take control of a beast that they did not summon, although they can "send it back" (in a manner of speaking) if they know the incantation used by the summoning sorcerer.

Beasts can only be conjured by a unique incantation performed by the sorcerer, and the sorcerer must have enough latent magic to conjure successfully. Most sorcerers of this school focus on a particular legendary beast to summon, and that is all they will ever master. In rare cases, a particular sorcerer will have enough magical prowess to summon different beasts and even multiple beasts at once.

Conjured beasts include (but are not limited to): elemental cats (lion-like beasts capable of manipulating a single element), phoenix, unicorns, and giant eagles.

It should be noted that Conjuro sorcerers cannot summon any type of monster, although many have tried (and failed). Most conjured beasts are capable of raw magic. For instance, unicorns are capable of healing magic, and giant eagles are masters over wind magic. However, the magic of these beasts is usually uncontrolled and imprecise, so they are only ever useful for large battles.

No one is entirely sure where these beasts come from, but they have roamed Eymia since the beginning of time. Since the monster threat began, the population of magical beasts has decreased dramatically, even moreso than the mortal races.
Caedis: Blood magic is one of the most taboo of all forms of magic, and it is considered extremely dangerous. It was made completely illegal after a fanatic sorcerer went on a murder spree and single-handedly caused the Savage War. If not for the High Sorcerer of Eredien at the time, the sorcerer would have continued growing more and more powerful until they were practically invincible.

By definition, blood magic is the art of using blood to enhance spells, runes, etc. It should be understood as a powerful enhancer for a sorcerer of any school. For example, an Elementa sorcerer can use blood magic to enhance their power and, theoretically, allow them control over elements they previously could not use. More often than not, blood magic was used to enhance necromancy (also forbidden) and other forms of dark magic. By nature, blood magic requires sacrifice, and more blood used means more power for the sorcerer. This fact is what causes sorcerers who use blood magic to slip into insanity and resort to murder.
Necromancy: An extension of the Vitalis school, necromancy is the art of summoning the dead. The main reason that necromancy became forbidden is due to its natural ties to blood magic. Summoning the dead is nearly impossible without the use of blood magic, and it is a generally dangerous art besides this. Those who are brought back from the dead are extremely difficult to control. If a necromancer loses control, the summoned dead will usually go on a violent rampage, as the souls of those who died find themselves driven insane by the process of being ripped away from the spiritual realm. More than once, necromancy has resulted in dead souls committing mass murder before a powerful Vitalis sorcerer was able to send them back to where they belonged.
Umbra: The term "Umbra" refers to any form of dark magic. Dark magic uses spells and incantations to cause mass destruction. Necromancy and blood magic are both considered forms of "dark magic," but the term applies more specifically to the following:

Curses: This refers to using magic to curse an object, a person, a beast, etc. As implied by the name, curses are the opposite of magical blessings. Common curses include (but are not limited to): premature death, unhealing wounds, and ill fortune. The main reason that curses are so dangerous is that they are only limited by the imagination of the sorcerer, and blood magic is also often involved. Most curses are given by alchemists, as they have the greatest affinity for unique spells and incantations.

Sacrificial Magic: An extension of blood magic, sacrificial magic actually requires a sacrifice to be enacted. Sacrifices can range from small animals to any of the mortal races. First and foremost, it can be used to greatly enhance the effectiveness of a particular spell, but it also has a more deadly application. It is rumored that sacrificial magic was used for the genocide of the dryads. However, this implies that someone specifically targeted the dryads, and many are skeptical of such a claim. Regardless, sacrificial magic can be used to curse an entire family through several generations.

Possession: This is the act of using magic to possess another being, especially those of the same race (as this is usually easier). By nature, possession requires sacrificial magic to be enacted. When a sorcerer possesses another, their body is left in stasis, and particularly powerful sorcerers can place protective spells over their body to keep it safe from outside influence. Anyone who is possessed will not know that they are possessed, and they remain in control of themselves until the sorcerer decides to exert control. When they do so, the possessed believes that they simply blacked out inexplicably. Depending on where/when they wake up, they might figure out that they are possessed, but it is far too late at that point.
Other: There are many forms of magic that do not fit neatly into the main schools. This includes prophecy/seer magic, potions-making, defense magic, etc. The sky is just above the limit when it comes to magic, but most sorcerers will find themselves placed in one of the common schools. Those who do not fit will find it difficult to find another sorcerer to teach them, as their own magic might be too unique.

Note: If you have a particular idea for a magical ability that doesn't fit into one of the main schools, you must get permission from the GMs prior to posting your character.

This list includes major figures that will play an important role in the story of The Queen's Hellhounds. Keep an eye on this list, as it will be updated as the roleplay goes along.

Queen Adira Carrow II: Crowned at the age of 28, Queen Adira possessed neither the cunning nor the magical talent of her mother. In fact, she possessed no magic at all, a rarity in the Carrow family. In the midst of carnage caused by horrific monsters, she is forced to make decisions that she does not have the proper skills to make. As such, it has not taken long for rumors to spread about her inability to rule.

To save her failing reputation, Queen Adira placed her talented first daughter, Artemis Carrow, in charge of the now-infamous Hellhounds. Within two years, Artemis transformed the elite army into an even more powerful fighting force. Furthermore, she personally leads the most elite group of Hellhounds: The Rose Company. As her popularity with the people wildly increases, the jealousy of the Queen begins to brew.
Avior Hallis: Traditional and unyielding. Avior Hallis has been the Chief Sorcerer of the High Court for the past thirty years--since before Queen Adira's rule began. He is a powerful alchemist who is known for being able to make swords unbreakable and mimic practically every type of magic. More impressive, he is known to be capable of creating over a hundred nearly indestructible golems at once.

In recent years, popular opinion of his position as Chief Sorcerer has decreased. This is, in part, due to the continuing monster crisis (and his failure to solve the problem). Mostly, however, it is due to the rise of a talented young sorceress named Vania Florell. She's captured popular opinion rather quickly, and rumor has it that Princess Artemis supports her as the next Chief Sorcerer.
Vania Florell: Born to the noble Florell family, Vania remained a relatively unknown figure until 18 months ago when she almost single-handedly prevented a giant from rampaging upon Evanis. Her feat was performed in front of hundreds of ordinary citizens who were trying to flee. She is an extremely powerful elemental sorceress, able to command control over four of the six elements: light, shadow, fire, and air. After defeating the giant, her low-profile career was now over. She was asked to join the High Court and act as adviser to the queen herself, even though that position is usually only reserved for the Chief Sorcerer. The rivalry between her and Avior Hallis is no small matter, and some are beginning to see division in Evanis due to the supporters of each.

Vania is known for her skill in strategy and diplomacy, as most children of the Florell family are trained to become diplomats and ambassadors. In fact, her skill in magic is rather surprising, given that her family is not known for producing powerful sorcerers. Regardless, she has provided expert advice on how to deal with the monster threat during her eighteen months in the High Court. As a result, many influential sorcerers are beginning to look to her as opposed to Avior.
Luther Hallis: Younger brother to Avior Hallis, General Luther has been the acting Queen's General for the past fifteen years. He is known first and foremost for his uncompromising will and distinct lack of diplomatic skill. He has always been one to advocate for war over peace, leading to his unpopularity among the more pacifist nobility such as the Florell family. Despite this, he has earned great respect from the knights in his army, as he is always willing to recognize a person's skills. Furthermore, he is a master strategist on the battlefield, and he is well-known for several battles where the casualties were at a minimum.

Surprisingly, his popularity has only increased since the monster threat began, as he has personally led several victories in recent years. Additionally, he acted as the personal mentor to Princess Artemis since her childhood, and she credits her abilities to his ability as a teacher.
Rolan Griel: Born and raised in Fulbridge City, Rolan Griel left his Elvish home with his twin sister Rhea shortly after their parents both died from a monster attack. Around 16 at the time, they sought out work and landed themselves in the Queen's Army. The pay was barely enough to live, but it was more than they expected to get elsewhere. Rolan quickly rose in the ranks, proving himself to be a masterful tactician and a born leader. His sister, Rhea, was slower to rise in the ranks, but she found other connections by befriending the Crown Princess herself.

Around 12 months ago, Rolan was promoted to Commander of Fort Siane, and he has since continued to prove himself there. Recent visitors to the fort have noted that the efficiency and camaraderie of the soldiers has increased rather dramatically. It is in no small part due to the efforts of the fort's Commander, Rolan Griel.
Rhea Griel: Like her brother, Rhea Griel left her home in Fulbridge City after her parents were killed. Although she also joined the Queen's Army, her skills quickly proved more useful from a strategic rather than fighting standpoint, although she was a skilled warrior in her own right with her propensity for nature magic. She joined several other strategic officers in Evanis, personally advising the Commanders of the Army on several occasions.

Through pure chance, she met Princess Artemis, and the princess saw her worth beyond just a strategic officer in the Queen's Army. She was quickly promoted and chosen to be among the advisers to the queen herself, and it was hard not to notice how young she really was. At first, she encountered a great deal of prejudice due to her youth. However, she proved herself worthy of her position quickly. During this time, she developed a personal friendship with Princess Artemis.

After hearing about the worsening conditions at Fort Lancer, Rhea requested to be transferred there to act as an adviser to the Commander. Unexpectedly, the queen chose to not just send her there as an adviser but to actually promote her to Commander over the entire fort. Since then, the conditions at Lancer have drastically improved, although there is much work left to be done.
The Illusionist: Not much is currently known about the dark illusionist that attacked Princess Artemis and murdered the Lady of Garas Harbor. She is certainly not alone, backed by an army of crazed blood mages driven mad by their own power. However, she seems to have maintained her sanity despite the likelihood that she uses blood magic as well, making it highly probable that she is directly connected to the outlawed Umbra Court.

Whatever the case may be, she can be considered extremely dangerous. Furthermore, she appears to have a personal vendetta against the royal family, although it is unclear what her motives are.
Light and Shadow: The first of the four figures that appeared before Artemis and Tamsyn. Assumed to be feminine, her intentions are currently unknown. Regardless, she convinced Artemis to spare Tamsyn's life after an act of treason, and her appearance (along with the other three) saved Artemis from apparent destruction. For now, it seems that she is a benevolent being. It is unknown if she is one of the old gods written about in history...or something else entirely.
The Shifting Creature: The second of the four figures that appeared before Artemis and Tamsyn. It is unknown whether this "god" is feminine or masculine. Like the other three figures, they emanated a powerful but unidentifiable aura. Their appearance was constantly shifting and animalistic with a variety of colors and textures.
The Immortal Moral: The third of the four figures that appeared before Artemis and Tamsyn. The "god" appeared to be masculine and almost human-like, but it is clear that he is far more than human. Along with the other figures, he commanded Artemis to make haste to Arvena, imploring her to restore the "Balance" that had been destroyed by "Chaos." The exact meaning of these statements is not yet known.
The Living Flame: The Living Flame

The fourth of the four figures that appeared before Artemis and Tamsyn. The gender of this "god" is unknown, but their aura was unmistakably magical. Their existence brings into question the nature of magic itself--and whether or not they are its creator.
The Malignant Voice: The exact identity of this "voice" is currently unknown, but it can be assumed that they are the "Chaos" referred to by the four figures. Currently, Artemis is the only one who has actually heard the voice. Furthermore, they seem to the be one behind it all, pulling the strings towards an unknown endgame. Whoever they are, their intentions are clearly malicious. They crave destruction. Even more worrisome, they seem to be taking a personal interest in the members of the Rose Company--unbeknownst to them all.

Are you still interested? Fantastic! Please take a few more moments to read through the rules regarding character creation, roleplaying expectations, etc.!

Roleplay Rules: 1. Don't be rude to other players. Simple, yeah?
2. Put effort into your characters, your ideas, and your posts. I don't have a set "minimum," although it would be great if we could stay within 2+ paragraphs. Just give us something to work with, and it's all good.
3. Fade to black whenever necessary. Feel free to take it to PMs as you wish, but keep in mind that smexy times between underage users and adults users isn't allowed, period.
4. Respect your GMs, which is currently my lovely friend Joan and myself. If we ask you to change something, please do it. We will do our best to explain our reasons.
5. For any questions about the lore, setting, plot, etc...please ask me through PM or on the Discord server. While Joan has all the information, I'm probably better suited to answer your questions since I came up with most of it.
6. If you have a character concept that you want to get the OK on before posting, PM both GMs. One or both of us will tell you if you're good to go or not.
7. Try to post at least once a week, with the absolute max time being two weeks between your posts. I understand that life gets crazy, so just communicate with your GMs if you're going to be absent for more than a week. Note: If we get a dedicated group of slow posters, that's perfectly fine! I'm a slow poster myself, so the one-week rule probably won't be super enforced. Just try not to leave us hanging for several weeks without notice!
8. Your characters do not have invincible plot armor. Depending on the decisions your characters make, they have the potential to die tragically. Just keep that in mind. Note: No character will be killed without the owner's express permission, unless the owner has disappeared from the roleplay entirely.
9. You can have as many characters as you like as long as they are all equally fleshed out. This means that, if I notice that your nth character is not nearly as detailed as your other characters, I will probably not accept them.
10. Have fun! Seriously, if you're not having fun, let your GMs know how we can improve! We'd hate to see anyone leave due to lost interest alone.
11. Finally, please let your GMs know if you're going to be dropping the roleplay. You aren't obligated to give your reasons, but I ask that you at least tell us before disappearing. There won't be any hard feelings, I promise! We understand that life gets too crazy, or sometimes people just lost interest! :)
Character Creation: Please visit this link for sign-ups and the character sheet! Below are the rules specific to character creation. Please read them thoroughly! Any violation of these rules will communicate to me that you didn't read them.

1. Your character can be one of the following races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Orc. Hybrids are not allowed due to the nature of their existence in this world. However, relationships between races are definitely okay! Just keep in mind that it's a huge stigma, and that will reflect on others' perception of your character.
2. Please follow the prescribed magic system when describing your character's magical ability. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
3. Your character must be 21 years or older, and they probably wouldn't be older than mid-40s.
4. Please do not use real-life or anime faceclaims; use realistic art instead! At minimum, you need to have a good description of your character. I do prefer a faceclaim in addition to a description, simply because I'm a visual person by nature. However, this is not required.
5. Feel free to make your character sheets pretty with BBcode! However, it must be mobile-friendly. If it is not mobile-friendly, I will ask you to fix it or abandon the BBcode altogether.
6. Keep in mind that your character is going to be a member of the Rose Company--the elite of the Hellhounds, essentially. This means that you can make your character ridiculously powerful (within reason, of course)! Just remember that we'll be fighting dragons and other monsters, so they'll still be getting quite a challenge.
7. I do not care about gender ratios, so do not feel obligated to keep it balanced!
8. Our characters are not going to be newbies to the monster fight, so you are free to determine relationships with other characters. However, this is not required!
9. Have fun! :)
Links: Below I've listed all relevant links, including the link to the Discord. Although we do have a forum OOC, most chatting will occur in Discord.

Sign-Ups
In-Character
Discord
Forum OOC
FAQ: I've listed any questions asked by interested members. Please look at these before you ask us; your question might already be answered!

Can my character be a noble?
Absolutely! Just make sure to read up on the kingdom that you want your character to from, as a noble would be more involved in politics (probably). The only three exceptions would be Mirilind, Griar, and Kiallan. No character can be from Mirilind since it's currently off-limits. Griar doesn't have nobility. Kiallan's nobility are not in a position to leave, and they likely wouldn't want to.

How do you want [x] magic to function?
This is largely up to you! The only restriction is that, except for elemental magic, you must use spells or incantations (or runes, in the case of alchemy). Other than that, you're free to be creative! Just be sure to give a detailed description of what you have in mind on your character sheet, then I will let you know if there's something specific that you need to change.

Are sorcerers able to learn from multiple schools?
Nope! Just one! The "Other" section of magic applies to all magic that doesn't fit neatly into any of the main schools, but it doesn't allow characters to have magic from multiple schools.

Would a Death sorcerer be able to target specific areas of the body? Would the targeted limb be impaired?
Depending on their latent ability, yes to both! For our purposes, sorcerers that would be part of the Hellhounds (and the Rose Company) would be plenty powerful enough to be able to do this.

Would a banished orc have a particular word to describe their status?
I'm still working on this one (creativityyyy), but I'll let you all know when I've come up with something! But yes, there will be a word!

Would a banished orc have allegiance to Griar or wherever he's made his home?
You can note that they were born in Griar, but their allegiance would be to their new home.

Are there such things as enchanted weapons?
Yes! They would be "magically blessed" by alchemists and characterized by runes!

What rank can my character be?
Any rank below Commander! Just note that this rank would no longer be active, and they would have obtained it before being promoted into the Rose Company.

How many members make up the Rose Company?
This is entirely determined by how many characters we end up with, given that I don't plan on having NPCs in the Rose Company.

For an elf, what age would be equivalent to a human's mid-thirties?
Think in terms of human years but multiply by 10. So around 350 would be mid-thirties in elf years. Although, one difference is that elves are considered "full grown" once they reach 100 years of age.

Would a Laevan elf be accepted into the Hellhounds and, by extension, the Rose Company?
Yes! The members of the Rose Company can be from any nation with the exception of Mirilind, due to the fact that no one can enter or leave Mirilind at this time.

Are there ranks within the Rose Company itself?
Besides the General and Commander acting as the equivalent Captain and Lieutenant, there are no official ranks within the Rose Company, although more experienced members will have more sway than others.

Would Air magic allow you to fly?
Yes! Duration/height/etc. would greatly depend on the strength of the sorcerer!

Can we create our own small towns?
Yes!

Would two people be able to summon the same creature?
Two people can summon the same type of creature, but they would not be able to summon the same exact creature. That would be strange.

Is Wistoria Academy inside Oris (the capital of Kiallan)?
No, Wistoria Academy is currently destroyed! It was in a separate city altogether, and the Reaper first appeared in the same city as the academy. All the sorcerers who were there at the time died, unfortunately. They were some of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Eymia.

How long has the Rose Company been around?
The Rose Company has been around ever since the Hellhounds began, but it was originally just the elite company. It was Princess Artemis who decided to take personal control over it as its direct commander. How long people are in the Hellhounds before they end up in the Rose Company greatly depends on a number of factors. First, how powerful they are in the first place. Second, how many successful missions they've been on. Third, whether or not they know the General or Commander personally (if you want to go this route, you'll have to get GM approval). It can take several years before someone becomes notable enough to be promoted to the Rose Company. But in other cases, it might only take a year or even less. Once you're in the Company, however, shit just gets that much harder. You go from fighting banshees to fighting dragons and cerberus.

If and when our characters are accepted, should we start working out who knows who and general relationships and whatnot?
You are completely free to work those out prior to the start of the roleplay (if you're accepted, of course). However, as I know that there are many people who like to figure out character interactions IC, this is not a requirement--even if your character has been in the Rose Company for some time!

Can nature magic affect animals bones and fur?
Theoretically, nature magic could affect animal bones and fur, but I would say that anything that causes immediate death or brings back to life would be considered forbidden.

Can nature magic be used on clothing?
Yes, it can.

What's the current year?
The current year is 1470 HD.

How long ago was Kiallan destroyed?
Eighteen years ago, in 1452 HD.

Are banshees capable of using magic?
They are not capable of explicitly using magic, no. However, their screams could be considered "magical" as they require magical protection. Otherwise, you're basically going to die. Also, the fact that they can instantly regenerate any part of their body is an inherently "magical" trait. As a reminder, banshees can only be killed by piercing them through their open mouths, which is extremely difficult.

Can I use dryad remains for anything?
Everything that was connected to the dryads was destroyed back in the Savage War, centuries ago. Dryad bones do exist, but there's not really a conceivable way your character would know what they were.

How long have the Hellhounds been around?
For 50 years. They were formed in 1420.

Is it odd to have someone serve 10+ years before promotion to the Rose Company?
Not necessarily. Keep in mind Artemis has only been in charge of the Rose Company for two years, and the structure of the Rose Company has drastically changed in that time.

Is the Rose Company centralized somewhere under Artemis?
The Rose Company is basically a separate unit that reports directly to Artemis and Eriana (the General and Commander of the Hellhounds as a whole).

Are there Hellhounds at Fort Siane? Could my character have been promoted to a Hellhound and stayed at the fort?
Yes on both counts. Fort Siane acts a secondary headquarters for the Hellhounds, but there are soldiers from the Queen's Army stationed there as well.

How many players are you wanting to have in the RP?
Our current limit is 12 players excluding GMs.

Is there any indicator somebody is using spells, such as a glow or runes?
Runes are only used by alchemists, and they do glow. While runes can be associated with incantations, they don't necessarily have to be. For spells, there's no real indication other than the fact that the person is speaking. Being able to cast silent spells is extremely difficult but not entirely impossible.

Does the power of a spell correspond with the volume?
No.

Who can use blood magic?
Everybody can use blood magic, regardless of their school. Blood magic is based around making sacrifices for greater power, and can be considered an enhancer.

Is there a maximum on backstory?
Nope, no maximums!

When will we find out if we were accepted?
We will announce acceptances after the deadline.

How will you decide who to accept?
The GMs will discuss the applications privately and decide which ones are the best fit for the roleplay.

Should we worry about racial and gender ratios?
Nope! Even ratios are nice, but not necessary at all.

Wait, so if someone is born with Umbra magic, they aren't allowed to use it because its outlawed? That's...very ethically complicated.
Dark magic collectively refers to any magic that is outlawed, and this includes blood magic and necromancy. However, it more specifically refers to curses, sacrificial magic, and possession. Necromancy is an extension of Vitalis, so it is not a school in itself. Curses and possessions are usually performed by alchemists (typically speaking), and sacrificial magic can be considered blood magic's twisted cousin. All of these can theoretically be used by a sorcerer of any school. But, typically, alchemists are the most inclined towards dark (i.e. "forbidden") magic given the versatility of their magic. The illegal "Umbra Court" is basically comprised of a variety of sorcerers from different schools that like to specialize in these forbidden forms of magic, and they explore the deeper possibilities of "dark magic" that haven't even been expressly forbidden by law. But they aren't anything to worry about right now.

How common/uncommon is it for someone to have some magical abilities? How about great magical abilities?
In this world, Magic is inherently tied to the very nature of matter. Theoretically, everyone could have the power to wield magic because everyone is technically a "magical being." However, this is not actually the case because only about 25% of the total population can use magic, although the percentage varies between races. As mentioned, elves are more inclined towards magic, so they get numbers closer to 40%. However, dwarves have very little propensity for magic, so they come out to about 5%. When it comes to great magical abilities, only a small fraction of sorcerers have abilities that could be considered noteworthy. These are the people who usually end up in positions of power.

Do you prefer measurements in English standard or in metric?
Regarding measurements, I have no preference myself. But for consistency, let's stick with English standard. If you'd like, you can put both for those who are used to the metric system.

Would a sect of people who are anti magic be a thing?
There would definitely be people who are disgruntled about the imbalance of power between sorcerers and non-sorcerers. However, there are still non-sorcerers in high positions—the Queen's General being a prime example (that isn't hated like the queen herself). There isn't any organized "sect" of people who are anti-magic, and this is partially due to the fact that sorcerers are the best equipped to handle monsters.

Can I have a character without magic?
Yes, but please PM the concept to the GMs first, and keep in mind that not having magic will be a huge disadvantage for your character and adjust their strengths to account for it. We don't want your character to end up underpowered.

Other than the Hellhounds, are there any other organizations that have formed to hunt/kill Monsters at all? Would it be an odd thing for someone to hunt monsters on their own at all? Like if someone hired them to track one down, they'd go hunt it and such?
Originally, the various kingdoms did try to create similar organizations, but Queen Elise (the previous queen and the creator of the Hellhounds) convinced Donnwick's allies that a single group used internationally would be the most efficient. It was a power play on her part, but Donnwick had the resources and the people to support her plans. At first, there was resistance, especially from Rynal and Baemar, but it quickly became clear that the Hellhounds was the most well-equipped out of all the groups. With one exception...Rynal's army still manages for the most part due to its massive size and impressive training. But they've still agreed to send some of their fighters to the Hellhounds for the sake of diplomacy and other reasons.
And on that note, the various armies of each kingdom do still play a part in fighting the monsters, but that isn't their original role. The Hellhounds are unique in that their sole purpose is to fight monsters. When an ally of Donnwick can't handle a particular monster, they ask for the help of the Hellhounds. Except for particularly stubborn nations like Griar, Laeva, and Rynal. And Mirilind, but that's because they can't exactly get a message out at the moment.
There might be small-time mercenary groups who get paid to fight monsters, though! They'd probably be the types to go after banshees and giants, since they are the least dangerous (relatively speaking).

If our characters are declined are we allowed to ask why (in private) so we know where we need to improve in the future?
Yes, you are allowed to do that. Although, it might not be a simple "you needed to do this and this." It might just be that the other sheets were more along the lines of what we were looking for specifically.

Are giants capable of riding a cerberus into battle?
Unfortunately no. Cerberi are smaller than giants...they would be crushed!

What all can Alchemy imitate?
Alchemy is super open-ended, so most things should be fine. However, when imitating other schools, it will not reach the same level of power as normal spells from that school.

Would you prefer it if we kept the birth place of our characters with in Donnwick or can we pull from the more thought out kingdoms as well?
Your characters may be from anywhere except Mirilind.

Rae · Jul 17, 2019

Last Updated 07/17/19

Artemis Carrow (Kimberlyn): Artemis Carrow

General Information

Full Name:

Crown Princess Artemis Carrow

Nickname(s):

Ari, General

Gender:

Female

Age:

30

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Heterosexual

Allegiance:

Donnwick

Appearance:

Artemis Carrow, while certainly not ugly, is perfectly average for a princess--as far as appearances go, anyways. She stands at 5'6" with a lean and athletic build. In fact, she's practically all muscle, built for agility and speed first and foremost. She looks very little like her esteemed mother with dark hair, dark eyes, and lightly tanned skin. If not for her keen resemblance to her late grandmother, some might even question whether she was truly the daughter of Queen Adira.

Known for loathing the fancy silks of her court, she's much better off in chain mail and armor. Even when not in armor, the princess dresses in simple but elegant clothes. While her mother is inclined to show off her beauty, Artemis has never been one for the fashion spotlight, so to speak. She prefers a nice pair of pants and a loose-fitting tunic, and many see her likeness to Queen Lorian (who was known for rejecting femininity). Especially in her refusal to wear anything with a skirt.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Realistic and stubborn, Princess Artemis is well-known for her strict leadership. She refuses to back down from a fight, whether verbal or physical, and continually calls upon her soldiers to surpass her own skills (if they can). She has never been afraid to call anyone out for their faults, although she admittedly doesn't take others' criticism very well. Although willing to hear other ideas, she has a slight streak of arrogance by believing that her own strategies are usually the best. In all fairness, Artemis has certainly proven to be capable in the past two years, but that doesn't negate the fact that she can be a little egotistical at times.

One major aspect of her reputation is her tolerance. She will accept anyone who has proven themselves, regardless of their previous reputation. She despises prejudice, and she will usually go out of her way to ensure that her soldiers feel accepted and welcome. She's a born leader through and through, able to use her own natural sense of charisma to motivate those around her. She's also extremely intelligent and well-trained, as would be expected of the Crown Princess.

Although not unkind, people tend to notice that Artemis is a little rough around the edges, although this is partially out of necessity. After all, one doesn't have time to be nice when they're busy fighting monsters. That being said, when there isn't a dragon to kill, she tends to loosen up. But only a little.

Backstory:

It's hard to be born with the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. From a young age, Artemis Carrow was expected to do more, to be more, than her failed mother. By the time she could talk and write her letters, she understood that her mother was weak. Although her grandmother was still alive and well during her early years, it was already clear to the young princess that the people did not expect much from Adira. The few good decisions that her mother ever made were on the advice of someone much more capable.

When she was 10 years old, her mother was crowned queen, and Artemis became next in line for the throne. Only shortly after, she discovered her propensity for elemental magic. At first, she easily controlled fire, shadow, and earth. Later on, she would find herself capable of much more. Queen Adira, seeing the potential of her daughter where hers was lacking, started training the child immediately. Artemis was old enough even then to know that she was being groomed for a tragic death in battle, so her younger sister Iridessa would take her place as the future queen.

Nevertheless, she trained, trying her hand at nearly every weapon. It did not take her long to discover that archery was her niche. Combined with her magical prowess, she quickly decided that she would not die tragically like her mother secretly wanted. She would fight, and she would win. A year later, she was taken under the wing of Luther Hallis, who was well on his way to becoming the Queen's General at the time. He took it upon himself to broaden the scope of her training, teaching her military strategy and leadership. He was uncompromising and harsh in a way that her previous teachers had never dared to be. She liked him immediately.

Shortly after she began training with Luther, Eriana Kiryn joined them. She was stalwart and strong where Artemis was quick and agile. They complemented each other well, playing off each other's strengths and weaknesses throughout their training. The two quickly became friends, and Artemis made it a challenge to beat her companion wherever she could. Four years later, Luther Hallis finally achieved the promotion to Queen's General that he obviously deserved, and he declared their training complete. The two friends were separated. While Artemis was forced to stay in Evanis, Eriana moved on to the Queen's Army.

Life went on, and the Crown Princess grew in popularity. This was in no small part due to her constant efforts to protect the capital city from monsters, reportedly taking down giants and banshees as if they were regular beasts. However, it wasn't until six months before her appointment as General of the Hellhounds that she displayed her full power. For unknown reasons, a Cerberus had chosen none other than Artemis herself as its target.

She remembered the day clearly. She was walking through Cypress District, and she sensed that something was off. She wasn't sure what it was at the time, but the air tasted foul. It was only because of this that her life was saved. The monster came out of nowhere, morphing out of shadow itself with a howl unlike any other. Its claws ripped into her side, but she had avoided being impaled. Her obligatory entourage of guards were not so lucky. The monster disappeared immediately, toying with its new prey.

Blood dripping and incantations spilling from her lips, Artemis forced the three-headed dog out of the shadows, trapping it within her sight. The battle was fierce, but there was no one close enough to help. Or perhaps the queen was preventing them from coming. She would never know. By the end of it all, the Cerberus was dead, and herself nearly so.

She awoke three days later, kept alive by Vitalis sorcerers. They told her she was lucky to be alive. She wasn't entirely sure if that was true. Somehow, even the best of their healers were unable to do anything about the scars that mangled her body, but the princess learned to hide them well. Queen Adira seemed a bit disappointed by the whole affair, as if she'd expected her first daughter to die. Artemis could never be sure.

It didn't matter. News of her magnificent feat spread like wildfire. Even though she'd nearly died, she'd killed a Cerberus on her own. The people cheered for her all the more, and the queen could only begrudgingly accept that her talented daughter was a symbol for the people. A few months later, Artemis found herself appointed the new General of the Hellhounds after the previous one died mysteriously.

Two years later, her popularity has only grown, and so has her mother's hatred.

Strengths:

[+] Archery: Although trained with all manner of weapons, Artemis excels with her trusted bow and arrows. Her ability often times exceeds that of enchanted bows, which is part of the reason why she rejects enchanted weaponry in the first place. She's a firm believer that anything that can be done without magic should be done just so.

[+] Agility: She has natural agility and speed, able to weave through her opponents. She's also surprisingly stealthy, although it helps that she can use shadows to conceal her presence even further.

[+] Magic: Her raw magical power is unprecedented.

[+] Strategy: As a future queen and leader of the Hellhounds, her primary strength lies in her ability to assess a battle and come up with new strategies on the fly. Through years of experience and training, she's become particularly adept at leading the Rose Company.

Weaknesses:

[-] Physical Strength: Although she's nearly made of muscle, Artemis has honed her body primarily for long distance skirmishes. When it comes to close quarters, she is certainly no small force to be reckoned with, as she is usually able to outsmart her opponent and use speed to her advantage. However, if it came down to a battle of strength, she'd likely lose.

[-] Limited Magic: Unlike most sorcerers, her supply of magic is limited. She has a history of being completely drained in the midst of difficult battles, oftentimes incapacitating her and preventing her from defending herself. In most situations, she has plenty of magic to use, but battling a dragon does not fall into the category of "typical situation."

[-] Powerful Target: She's the General of the Hellhounds, the most powerful sorcerer in Eymia, and a future queen. Altogether, it makes it her a primary target for anyone with nefarious intentions. Not only does she have to watch herself during battles against monsters, but she's also in constant fear of assassination attempts.

[-] Arrogant: Although rational and fair-minded, Artemis has a definitive streak of arrogance that sometimes gets in the way of her ability to see things clearly.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Artemis is one of the most powerful elemental sorcerers currently living in Eymia, possibly to have ever existed. She is capable of maintaining control over all six elements, although she has the most control over shadow and fire. Although incantations enhance the strength of her magic, she is perfectly capable of controlling these elements without them. Most notable is her ability to force a Cerberus out of hiding, which is part of the reason why the Rose Company is in charge of killing the three-headed dogs.

The main weakness of her magic is that it is limited, and there have been several occasions where she has been completely drained in the midst of a battle. While most sorcerers have a latent ability that is nearly unlimited, the raw power that Artemis possesses prevents her from using the elements indefinitely. Furthermore, her control over the elements of water and light are only barely above average, limiting their usefulness in combat against monsters.

Weapon of Choice:

Bow and Arrows

Gear:

--Light armor
--Sword
--Longbow
--Quiver w/ 30 arrows
--Dagger
--Basic Medkit
--25 gold bars
Eriana Kiryn (Joan): Eriana Kiryn

General Information

Full Name:

Commander Eriana Kiryn

Nickname(s):

Eri, Commander

Gender:

Female

Age:

32

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Asexual

Allegiance:

Donnwick

Appearance:

Eriana Kiryn is not known for her beauty, but rather for her confident bearing and clever mind. She stands proud and straight-backed at 5'9", wearing her extra inches with confidence. She has a muscular build, built for strength and stability rather than speed, and although she can be surprisingly light on her feet, her natural strengths are definitely more suited to standing and facing threats head-on. Her blonde hair is often tied back in a tight bun, emphasizing a sharp face that often has a look of quiet, commanding determination to it. Upon the rare occasion she lets it loose, it falls in loose curls down to her chest. Her eyes are the same deep green as the ocean before a storm.

Eri is often seen in a custom suit of chain mail, designed to provide maximum protection while still allowing for freedom of movement. In notable contrast to the Crown Princess, her armor covers the top part of her pants in a way that can only be described as skirtlike. In the rare times she's seen out of her armor, Eri wears a simple hunter's tunic, pants, and gloves.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Eriana is a determined and clever woman, focused entirely on making sure her people are up to the massive task before them. Although she knows that death is inevitable and that the monsters are a threat like no other, every loss weighs heavily upon her, and she keeps a tally of the dead to make sure that their families get just recompense when it can be spared. She personally supervises the training of the Hellhounds when she can, and she often acts as sort of a mother bear to the Hellhounds, encouraging them to know their limits and hone their strengths. Though she is empathetic, she is not unrealistic. If necessary, she can and will make great sacrifices for the good of the many, though she will never forget the few, and she will only make these sacrifices if she is convinced there is no other way.

Along with her efforts to lose as few of the Hellhounds as possible, Eriana is known for her clever and unique strategies. Like the Crown Princess, she has a deep stubborn streak, which may be part of why she was appointed Commander. She often attempts to serve as a counterbalance to Artemis, pushing her to recognize her own limits and strengths, just as she pushes her soldiers. She also does her best to remind the Princess that the Hellhounds have limits too, and that it is better to be aware of them than to ignore them in the hopes that they'll just go away.

On the battlefield, Eri is entirely focused. She moves with determination and strikes hard and fast. She is light on her feet, but more often than not, stands her ground and does her best to pull the fight to her. She has been known to put herself in harm's way to defend another Hellhound many, many times, and she has proven time and time again that she is more than willing to take the hit if she believes it will save a life. She is very much a defensive wall against the monster threat, and she will do whatever it takes to ensure that the threat is stopped, up to and including sacrificing herself.

Backstory:

The Kiryn family, cousins to the Hallis family, have always been known for their strength in battle and producing powerful warriors. As such, it was no surprise when Eriana showed an aptitude for combat training at a young age. She was determined and a quick thinker who knew how to play to her strengths, and soon, she had surpassed her instructors. Not only that, but she showed a remarkable aptitude for Vitalis magic at a young age, and her power only grew with her. At age 13, her mother sent her to train under Luther Hallis, and Eriana found herself being pushed to succeed like never before. Luther pushed her to better herself, to play the long game, and to value the skills and lives of others.

During her training, Eriana met the Crown Princess, Artemis Carrow. Though she was somewhat awed by the princess at first, they became fast friends, and would often spar together and talk together. Artemis was always a bit more on the aggressive side, while Eriana was more cautious, but they balanced each other well. They trained together under Luther for four years, until his appointment as the Queen's General. Not long after Luther's promotion, he declared Eriana's training complete, and she was drafted into the Queen's Army at age 17. For the next thirteen years, she fought the monsters and showed incredible courage and skill, and she had achieved the rank of Captain by the time Artemis was placed in charge of the Hellhounds.

Artemis came to her personally to ask her to take on the position of Commander. Eriana was surprised, but she was overjoyed to see her old friend again, and she jumped on the chance to work directly with Artemis. They had both changed--Eriana had seen firsthand what the monsters were doing to the people of the five kingdoms, and she had watched people she fought alongside and people under her command die to them. She would not let more people die, not if she could help it. Since her appointment as Commander of the Hellhounds, she has focused on making sure all the Hellhounds are prepared for the threat facing them, on minimizing loss of life, and above all else, stopping the monsters before they do more damage than they already have.

Strengths:

Eriana's strengths lie in directing the flow of combat and pulling the fight to her. She is a clever strategist and makes sure to be fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses at her disposable. She is incredibly strong for a human woman, and has incredible stamina and durability even without her magic, allowing her to stand her ground and take quite a few hits. She is also light on her feet, allowing her to dodge a hit that might have downed her.

Weaknesses:

Eriana may be light on her feet, but she is not very fast. She will have some difficulty getting from one end of the battlefield to the other, especially when weighed down by her armor. She is also often blinded by her empathy, and will unnecessarily put herself in harm's way to keep others from having to take the hit. She also relies too heavily on her magic to keep herself going through a fight, and is greatly weakened without it.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Eriana is an incredibly powerful Vitalis sorcerer, and has demonstrated nearly unheard-of control over both life and death. Her talents lie primarily with healing, but she is entirely capable of causing pain as well. She is capable of healing major wounds, and has often healed the Hellhounds after a fight. However, her most commonly used spell increases her durability and pain tolerance, and she often casts it before any fight. She can cast this spell on others, although it decreases in strength the more people she has it cast on.

The main limit of her power is that she must perform incantations and spells to use it. This takes time, and every moment is precious in a battle. While some spells are simple (for example, healing a minor wound, or making an attack more painful), most are more complex, and since she often fights in the front, she often finds herself relying on spells already cast when she is in battle.

Weapon of Choice:

Eriana is comfortable with most weapons, although she favors a longsword and shield.

Gear:

-Chainmail armor
-Longsword
-Shield
-Longbow
-Quiver of 25 arrows
-Small axe
-Knife
-Backpack with basic survival gear (food, water, bedroll, fishing tackle, firestarting kit)
-Assorted coin worth 20 gold bars, hidden in various places on her person
Falles Sumarvil (Aero Blue/Shiz): { Falles Sumarvil }

General Information

Full Name:

Paladin Falles Sumarvil

Nickname(s):

Fal

Gender:

Male

Age:

29

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Homosexual

Allegiance:

The Queendom of Donnwick

Appearance:

Fal is a handsome enough man, strong features with a certain softness about them - perhaps compounded by the fact that he is completely and utterly incapable of growing facial hair. He is a powerful 6'5", although his formerly chiselled form has begun to soften in his indolence, and muscles have begun to marry with the burgeoning expansion of fat. There is a strange awkwardness to his proportions, his arms and legs skinnier and lankier than his robust torso would perhaps indicate. Hazel eyes and noble features are softened by languid expression to something almost resembling docility, although the done-up style of his hair perhaps point to a wildness derived from his worldly travels.

He is eminently comfortable in the shell of his chain armor, to the point where anything else seems almost unnatural. To the point, his seems to garb in ale-stained rags, greying and browning, whenever forced out of his armor.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Falles is, above all, horrifically depressed. He is cordial enough, but always speaks as if he is intending to end the conversation then and there. He is no coward, but fights with no steel, no will, as if a tired man who has resolved himself to die somewhere, someday, with today being the optimal date. He has forgotten happiness entirely, though also confesses that sadness, too, has left his mind. Anger and fear, as well, are long lost companions. Such sullen, dispassionate 'bravery' has made him an effective soldier in the fight against the monsters. He exists in a perpetual state of eerie calm, as if the world moves at a crawl around him; he speaks deliberately, and acts languidly.

For all his ennui and emptiness, however, Falles is not unkind. He has travelled far and wide, and his travels have killed any latent intolerance. He is eminently practical and pragmatic, and the one true nemesis left in his life that stirs him to feeling is perhaps irrationality; to that end, he is always willing to gently chide his comrades, serving as a voice of reason.

Backstory:

His is an old story indeed; "The monsters killed my family." Yet those who bore his name did not die by maw or claw, terrifying visage or shattering scream, did not die underfoot giants and Cerberi. Their village had seen a lone shadow in the distance, and Falles, the most youthful and eagle-eyed of the village patrol, glimpsed upon Her face, dirty porcelain and spectral white. And so they fled for safety. When Falles' father the farmer could at last return, the animals one and all had been torn asunder, and the harvest showered over with blood and rot.

Livelihood ruined, his father hung himself from the withered tree over the village grey. His mother, sickly and frail and overburdened, lost herself to the elements, lungs frosted over with weakness. His brother left, walking beneath the shadow of tree and rope, wordlessly into the night. Three lives, pressed insidiously and ground into dust beneath Her rotting finger and splintered nail.

Thusly did he remember Her face for the years to come, and thus - with bony visage in his mind - did he also leave the village remnants, beneath the shadow of that tree. Since his very early years an able hand at quarterstaff and blade alike, he joined 'the Red Tassel', a minor mercenary troupe that travelled through the lands Donnwick, Eredian and Rynal. Perhaps predictably, the Red Tassel - among other companies Falles would chance to join - would find their ranks dessicated, brought to ruin by monster or finance alike. It mattered little; all he required was to grow strong and able in his craft enough - both blade and magicks - so that Her death could be of purchase.

Years later, as fate would have it, he found Her - for it must have been Her, he remembered the visage so clearly - in Baemar, at the outskirts of the City of Riches. And so the mercenary set upon Her with purpose and finality; Falles had filled his own ears with conjured insects, and eventually ran the length of his spear through the banshee's mouth. It was not a particularly difficult battle, and Falles found that he had derived no joy in his victory, the fruit of years' labor. It disappointed him.

He would return to Donnwick, unsatisfied, to further ply the craft that he had learned in pursuit of vengeance. He began in the Queen's Army, listless and empty - it was perhaps the sullen bravery of boredom that made him excel beyond his peers, despite the weight it bore on him. Within the year, he was nominated to the Hellhounds, where he remains to this day. He has come to realize, now, a horrid truth:

In Her - no, her - ultimate insignifiance, and the meager manner of her death, she had killed him too.

Strengths:

Falles is a skilled warrior, whose greatest strengths have always been a great deal of agility and manual dexterity. Possessed of fine body control, he is capable of parrying and dodging at the very last moment in battle and then promptly re-adjusting his form, allowing for no glaring openings in combat.

Weaknesses:

With that said, Falles of the Hellhounds has grown indolent in his depression, coasting on the vestiges of experience and natural talent. He is more quick and agile than fast or explosive - in a full-on test of pace, he could even be considered as slow-footed - and well-honed stamina is no longer a trait of his.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Falles is a practitioner of Conjuro, being able to call upon what he refers to as 'the Swarm-Capricious', on the surface an intensely large rabble of butterflies. In truth, the Swarm-Capricious is a single entity, and each member of the rabble is as if an appendage of the creature. Its capabilities in the thick of combat are numerous when utilized in conjunction with the sorcerer's own physical abilities - through controlling its constituent parts en masse and forming them together it is capable of, for example, creating large appendages with which to hinder an opponent, a shield to guard from the elements, a shroud to obscure his approach, or a flying platform from which to attain a vantage point.

However, Falles is a dabbling sorcerer, and Conjuro is described by some as the most difficult of the magic schools. This poses a variety of difficulties. Falles' level of command over the Swarm-Capricious pales when it comes to fluidity and responsiveness (accentuated the further the Swarm is from his person), and diminishes even further the longer an engagement extends.

Weapon of Choice:

Spear

Gear:

--Light armor.
--Spear.
--A pair of daggers.
--Long-bow and a quiver of 10-20 arrows.
--A meager allotment of coin.
Ivalize Stralla (Aero Blue/Shiz): { Ivalize Stralla }

General Information

Full Name:

Grand Knight Ivalize Stralla

Gender:

Male

Age:

28

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Heterosexual.

Allegiance:

Rynal - Donnwick

Appearance:

Ivalize stands at about 5'8", his wholly unimpressive height rendering his presence a bit innocuous. His muscles are deceptively powerful, wiry sinew and easy posture giving him a pantherine sense of strength; there is a sense of potential about his nonchalant motions, of impetus withheld. His visage is boyish and fair, and notably unblemished given his profession.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Ivalize is all the brightness of geniality, the practised manner of aristocrats turned into veritable performance art. He is known by some as a master of acquaintances, his easy smile, unthreatening humor, and inviting body language like hearthfire in the storm. Seldom, however, do his acquaintances become friends; eventually, his first impression unravels into a quality that is rather 'other'. Gaze carefully enough, and one notes that Ivalize looks into and not upon, and that his words are pretty generalities masking incisive questionings - he is as if some sort of otherworldly chronicler, attempting to catalogue the various minutiae of one's character, their every drive and mandate.

Ivalize is also prone to romanticism and, indeed, falling for the idea of romance. The latter is the source of some angst, as he is incapable of consummation or the furthering of his family. Close ties with women are insecurity and turmoil for the knight, bringing to the surface feelings of shame, inadequacy and his endless longing for court-and-companionship.

His romanticism is secondarily captured by his idolization of 'the pinnacle', and those who have reached it in their respective craft, be they sorcerers of varied schools or singers and flutists. He considers his own foundational craft to be the craft of fighting monsters, one he finds doubly beautiful as a manuscript into the glory of humans, the glory of elves, the glory of orcs, the glory of dwarves and all those who stand within the shadow of terrors. Artfulness, panache and grace in combat is a particular mandate of Ivalize Stralla.

Backstory:

Life was easy, even pleasurable, for the second son of the Stralla family, a noble of Rynal. The first son had come years before him, pressed into military service to fulfill the family's obligation. Ivalize, then, was more or less free, although from a young age he had resolved to never fall prey to doldrums. Finding the ways of the world's polymaths to be aspirational, Ivalize took to scholarly endeavors as well as martial ones, before deciding that specificity held more spice than breadth - from then on, the young noble opted to pursue the attainment of martial prowess.

Strangely, such an endeavor was not accompanied by a compulsion to join his brother in the ranks of Rynal's armies; he preferred the field of combat as a sort of academia, the motions of skilled warriors as if treatises. His introduction into the martial world was detached from the horrors of combat, and perhaps his chosen vanity reflected as much; he indulged in a wholly esoteric style, more theater and dance than the grit and fundamentals required for war. With little else to do in his privileged life, he became a master of motion and, later, a master of illusion and imagery without having fought a single battle.

Eventually, Ivalize accepted that academia was a thing furthered by demonstration. Thus, he decided that he would become a warrior.

He was a prodigy, and shone brightly. It must be said, however, that Ivalize was almost coddled upon the battlefield, with lesser soldiers demonstrating an inordinate commitment to guarding his shadow, and skilled tacticians wracking their minds for battleplans to mask his various shortcomings. When utilized adequately, he was a whirling dervish of steel - illusory or otherwise - capable of carving through entire bandit brigades in moments. He found romance in his profession, of artisans matching their craft against one another.

Success in combat, however, seldom revolved around a single warrior, and Ivalize was not always the most able of his peers. He had been less guarded in a routine excursion to purge a particularly well organized band of brigands, the operation centered around a triumvirate of superior combatants. Though a maelstrom of blades unto himself, the enemy - sly and perhaps fortunate in equal measure - had come upon him, capturing the noble before making a fortuitous escape.

Held for ransom, he learned - perhaps later than even most nobles - that battle was bleakness. His father had agreed to paying the price, although had instead opted to personally lead an incursion to wipe out the 'presumptuous scum'. He, perhaps, had taken on the Warrior King's uncompromising will as his own mantra, even to the detriment of his son.

Ivalize was saved, his kidnappers found and killed. Before they had left the mortal coil, however, they cut him. Deeply.

Left dejected by his mutilation and, perhaps, the realization that battle was not simply a romance of artistes, Ivalize floundered in his craft and prowess. Momentarily, he had even taken on the mantle of retirement. He searched within himself, desperate to find rekindled light in his life's passion.

When he re-emerged, he decided that he would become a foremost slayer of monsters.

Some time before the present, the Kingdom of Rynal had sent Ivalize to serve the armies of Donnwick, considering him an expendable asset. Quickly, he leapt upon the welcome opportunity to earn his way into one of the greatest monster-slaying contingents in the known world.

Strengths:

In body control and spatial awareness, as well as overall natural athleticism, Ivalize is world-class. Even aloft, Ivalize is in total control of each of his extremities, able to adjust to developments in the space around him near instantaneously. He leverages his considerable natural gifts and training to partake he what he calls 'the Dance', a marriage of acrobatic movements with audacious tricks of the blade.

Weaknesses:

Ivalize's style of combat was not designed for doing battle with monsters - indeed, it was not even designed for doing battle with persons of more congruent stature. The Dance is primarily showmanship, ridiculously gaudy maneuvers and ill-advised juggling, tossing of blades that would be wholly unsuited for conflict if not for Ivalize's immense talents.

Despite the man's alterations, the fact remains that the style is flawed. Fundamentally, it is overtly rooted in outrageous feats of acrobatics, maneuvers that become impossible to perform as the muscles tire.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Illusio: Ivalize is an exceptional practitioner of Illusio, his prodigious talent in the craft informing his entire style of combat. His modus operandi invariably involves creating and maneuvering numerous illusory copies of himself and his blades - a rather one-note tactic on the surface, but with far more depth than often credited. As it happens, Ivalize is a practitioner par excellence when it comes to 'fine-tuning' his illusions and their effects on all five senses; aside from the obvious usage of inflicting illusory pain, he is able to portray minute details such as the scent of blood-stains on steel, or the intricate patternings of sunlight reflecting off a maelstrom of blades - in this way, his illusions are capable of finding purchase against even the monsters of the world.

With his high degree of spatial awareness, he engages in 'The Dance' with his various wraiths, mapping out the locations of his illusions and adjusting the fine movements of his intricate martial art to work in tandem, creating a seamless masquerade of phantom warriors. The level of detail his illusions require, however, are difficult to reconcile with the focus and concentration his martial art demands. There are limited periods of time, moments of prime alertness, magical potency and wakefulness, where he is able to make the best out of both - after enough time, his performance in one, if not both, of the disparate fields becomes noticeably sloppier.

Weapon of Choice:

Twin blades, curved in similar manner to scimitar or shamshir.

Gear:

His trusty curved blades, a variety of daggers fitted for easy throwing, rations, leather armor.
Vultog Ungagh (RJS): Vultog Ungagh

General Information

Full Name:

Vultog Ungagh, Paladin

Nickname(s):

Vul

Gender:

Male

Age:

34

Race:

Orc

Sexuality:

Heterosexual, unbothered by interspecies taboo

Allegiance:

Owes his allegiance to the Queendom of Donnwick, but was born and raised in Griar

Appearance:

Vultog stands at around 9 feet tall with a thickset build. His limbs are thickset with muscle and sinew, evidence of a life of brutality that is only supported by a huge network of scars. His left eye is a dark red from lingering damage caused by an Umbral sorcerer using blood magic, and the curse that resides within it prevents it from healing properly, leaving him in constant pain. His unkempt greasy black hair falls down to his shoulders, held back by a leather tie.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Vultog simmers with repressed violence and swings of mania. His speech often takes on an unusual cadence or rhythm and can sometimes meander or get caught up in unusual little bits of lyricism. He is quick to jump towards the violent solution to a problem, though has enough self control to restrain himself from it if his companions disagree. He takes a fierce joy in violence, frequently laughing in the middle of combat. Having spent much of his life as an outsider and an outcast, he has little regard for the conventions of polite society, complying so as not to cause trouble for his comrades moreso than out of any respect for the rules.

Though he will never show it, he has a fierce loyalty to his comrades in the Rose Company, who give him the kinship he never quite found in his formative years. He also has an unshakeable loyalty to Donnwick, as the country that took him in and gave him purpose. In spite of his menacing aura and threatening jokes, he would gladly put himself in harm's way for any of his compatriots.

Backstory:

Vultog doesn't talk much about his early years. He was born into the Irgil tribe and was raised amidst the brutality and savagery of the nomadic camp. From an early age, he showed great savagery and strength, and many considered him to be a warlord in the making. This did not go unnoticed by the incumbent warlord. Fearing for his position, he sought the advice of sorcerers both within the tribe and without, seeking to find some way to remove this impending threat. And so the tragedy that befell Vultog was set into motion.

The Trial of Golak is an important event in every orc's life. Those who pass are considered adults and 'welcomed' into the tribe, whilst those who fail are cast aside, left to die as weak children with no future. The children were paired off to fight, to show their strength. What Vultog did not know was that the warlord had contracted a Umbra sorcerer, who cursed that Vultog would never see his goals fully. As he stepped into the arena, his eye blazed with a savage fire, forcing the young orc to his knees immediately. He never felt the blows his opponent rained down on him, such was the intensity of the agony. He had no idea how long he suffered, but when he finally became aware of his surroundings again, the camp had moved on. He was banished. Tribeless. His home was no longer his.

Vultog took to wandering, using his strength to make a living by petty banditry, whilst never really staying in one place to avoid capture. Crossing the border into Eredien, he took advantage of the volatility to rob and raid at will. He meandered steadily eastwards, where eventually he was captured by a punitive expedition lead by Rolan Griel, who at the time was a mere Captain. Vultog fought ferociously, impressing Griel who offered him a place as a lowly knight. Vultog, having been welcomed by someone for the first time in a long time, accepted.

Being given an outlet to unleash his strength in a productive manner did much to help stabilise Vultog, giving him purpose that helped take his mind off the pain. To this day he speaks highly of Commander Griel, the one who gave him his chance. As he continued to impress, Rolan promoted him to Sergeant, and later recommended him to the Hellhounds. Successfully passing his evaluation, he achieved the rank of Paladin before the Princess recruited him to the Rose Company, where he has served for the past year.

Strengths:

-Intimitadingly strong: Being over 9 feet tall and built seemingly entirely out of muscle and sinew, Vultog is a pretty terrifying person to run into. This translates onto the battlefield where the same muscles are put to work generating a bloody harvest.
-Immense stamina: Vultog can keep running and fighting for much longer than most, fuelled by a combination of unshakable willpower and orcish stamina.
-Vicious cunning: While not really possessing a mind fit and competent at devising battle strategies, Vultog's brutal upbringing in Griar and a following lifetime of service in the armies of Donnwick have given him a brutish, instinctual insight into the brutal hack and slash of combat, making him a formidable foe to face.
-Pain tolerant: Living with the burning pain from his damaged eye has rendered him somewhat resilient to pain from other sources.

Weaknesses:

-Clumsy: Vultog is not one for fine details and fiddly work. Giving him anything delicate is a huge risk, as the odds of it being broken are better than not.
-Lingering pain: Vultog's left eye is a constant source of pain. That pain varies in its intensity, but at times the pain can be enough to cause him to lose focus, or even sometimes temporarily incapacitate him if he does not receive aid from a Vitalis sorcerer.
-Limited field of vision: Vultog still has some vision out of his left eye, but it is hazy and lacks colour. During a battle, as adrenaline begins to surge, blood rushes through his eye worsening the vision to a near blur.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Vultog is a sorcerer of the school of Vitalis...the less pleasant side. His incantations in the heat of battle inflict crippling pain in specific limbs, sapping the strength from them as lancing pains shoot through the muscles. Though incapable of completely disabling a limb, this pain might slow a strike...or cause a fleeing foe to stumble and fall. His ability to localise this to a specific limb is limited, and there is some bleedthrough into neighbouring body parts, reducing the overall intensity. In addition, he can only target one specific limb at a time, and must commence a new incantation if he wishes to target a different limb.

Weapon of Choice:

Anything he can get a "proper fookin swing' with, namely big two handed weapons. Prefers a battleaxe, but is reasonably proficient with a warhammer and a halberd as well.

Gear:

Vultog normally wears a set of very worn leather armour, with a metal breastplate and greaves over the top. He usually carries several knives secreted around his person, and his current weapon is strapped across his back. He carries a smattering of coins in a variety of pouches - currently 3 gold coins in a pouch around his neck, 4 silver bars tucked into a pouch on the right of his belt, and 30 copper pieces in a larger pouch situated at the back of his belt.
Verus Embr (Jays): Verus Embr

Profile

Full Name:

Captain Verus Caelum Embr, Viscount of Yglm

Nickname(s):

Veil, Veritas, Caleb, Captain

Gender:

Male

Age:

317

Race:

Elf

Sexuality:

Pansexual

Allegiance:

Lavea, and currently Donnwick

Appearance:

With piercing blue eyes, high cheekbones and delicate elven features, Verus Embr is the incarnation of striking beauty. His skin, while still fair, bears a healthy tan of perpetual exposure to the sun. Standing at a more-than-average 7'2", Verus' form is made up of compact muscle like coiled ropes, full of agile endurance. His fingers have an extra joint, making for a strange and disconcerting sight to see while also improving his grip somewhat.

Verus' wardrobe is made up of mostly dark shirt, pants, and not much else. He detests plate and mail armour, opting for light leather alternatives in battle, relying on his speed and tricks rather than hard defence, which makes him excel in combat against slow or smaller sized opponents.

Humanity

Personality:

Verus is an optimist in every sense of the word. Charming, pleasant and lively almost every hour of every day, he very much contradictes how Elves were perceived in Donnwick, amiable and jovial to their usual gloomy distrust. Smiles rarely leave his face, nor do witty and good-humoured remarks his lips.

Many would describe Verus as childish, an odd observation for one of his age, even more so an Elf. Easily distracted, inconsistently motivated and fascinated with the inconsequentials, these qualities fuel his optimism, making him seemingly more human than Elven. His unfocused, absent-minded personality makes for fun companionship, but troublesome soldiering elsewhen. It was one of the many reasons he only made Captain after decades of service.

In truth, Verus Embr is very much the incarnation of the Light he carries. Bright, joyous and beautiful, he is his very own Light, undefined or tarnished by the world.

Backstory:

Verus Caelum Embr found paradise as a child, and never grew up.

Born to the Viscountess of Yglm, for a long time Verus was the mirror image of a noble child, taught to be solemn, serene and ultimately reserved. His home was a mansion atop the highest hill overlooking Yglm, and his early childhood was quiet and tranquil. His father was distant, and his mother, the Viscountess hadn't much use for an adolescent boy. It was cold, perhaps even cruel, but it was their way. Verus was never taught to be a leader, never taught to be anything at all, because all knew his time to inherit the land would not come for a long, long time. No teacher, no parent, no purpose. Was it any wonder that their Kingdom seemed to waste away?

One bright morning, someone shattered Verus' aimless existence. A small boy, the seventeenth Rynalian Prince sent as lifelong ambassador, to live amongst the Elves and learn their way. It was not his disparate culture or his odd appearance that enamoured the young Elf, it was his heart. Their friendship was strange, the two of them so completely different, but it was a friendship nonetheless, and above all else it taught Verus Caelum Embr, the boy who was nothing, to smile. He learned to be kind, he learned to be happy. For years the Yglm hills' silence was replaced with laughter and joy, infusing the trees with vitality, the earth with life, and the air with delight. For a long, long while, the sun seemed so very bright, and the world spoke to him in light and music. It was his very own paradise, perfect moments in time.

But of course, it could not last, for he was Elven, and his friend was not. Happiness drained out of him with age, smiles replaced by wrinkles, laughters replaced with worry, while Verus did not change. Any lesser man would have resented it, but not his friend, the Rynalian Prince. They had a promise, Verus and the Prince, a promise to always be the very best they could be. Death would claim the Prince soon, so he had to live for the both of them.

The Prince was gone one day. Returned to home to die, so Verus would not have to witness his mortality. It broke his heart, it and the darkened landscape of his home and all the horror he witnessed in the years to come, but Verus Embr never lost his smile. He had a promise to keep.

Strengths:

Agile, quick and dexterous, Verus' greatest strength is his speed and graceful movement, even more so than other Elves. He could run, climb, jump and move with fluid deliberation, expending the perfect amount of effort for each motion. His high endurance further allow him to utilize his agility to the fullest.

Weaknesses:

Verus' abnormal finger joints are somewhat delicate and easier to be broken. Despite being agile, his height and weight cause his footfall to be heavy and audible, making stealth almost impossible. He also, uncharacteristically, has severe claustrophobia and becomes decapitatingly clumsy and panicky in enclosed spaces, which often resulted in him throwing Light around blindly without care.

Assets

Magic:

Verus is an adept Light sorcerer who can harness sunlight to strengthen his workings. He can bend and focus light into searing beams of energy, disrupting it to create dazzling mirages, or contracting and redirecting it to form blinding flashes. Night time weakens his abilities, limiting the source of power he could tap into, and each time he draws light from the atmosphere the area is heavily darkened.

Weapon of Choice:

A glaive forged from a long blade fixed to a spear shaft that's meant to be used mounting but wielded by Verus even on foot.

Gear:

The Glaive.
Hunting knife.
Leather armour.
Thessalia Wysamoira (Jinx): { Thessalia}

General Information

Full Name:

Lady Thessalia Wysamoira

Nickname(s):

Thessa, Alia

Gender:

Female

Age:

230

Race:

Elf

Sexuality:

Heterosexual

Allegiance:

The Eternal City

Appearance:

Thessalia's appearance is considered to be an oddity within her own family line. Her dark hair is an abnormality since both her mother and father have golden blonde curls. The rest of her appearance conforms with her family's standards, light blue eyes with specks of violet around the iris. Her almond shaped eyes, complimented by dark lashes, stand out against her creamy pale skin. Despite her refined appearance from a delicately upturned nose and dark pink lips, she often finds herself grinning from the heat of battle coursing through her veins or smirking at some inside joke that someone whispers to her during times when she's supposed to be stoic and serious.

Standing at 5'8", her lean figure is toned from years of training. She is built for speed and agility due to her elven nature. Despite her face being relatively unmarred, a large white scar cuts across her chest from a near fatal battle during her early years as one of the Queen's Hellhounds. Since then, she has found herself more careful and strategic in the battlefield. When on the battlefield, Thessalia can be found in light silver armor with a matching circlet made of leaves resting on her inky locks. Outside of the battlefield, she enjoys wearing her fine silk gowns and carefully polished silver jewelry.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Thessalia grew up in the court of the elven folk, creating in her a ridged and formal personality. Or at least, that is what her mother believes. When in court or around high ranking elves, she keeps her attitude distant and quiet as her mother taught her that her place was on the sidelines of their politics. The young royal had quickly learned the consequences of her passionate attitude. She was made to believe that she was born to only further an alliance with the nobility of their land through marriage, but her father taught her to try to find something more in life.

Traveling, reading history books and studying the stars became her passion in addition to learning how to fight and how to wield magic. Her curious nature eventually lead to an open-minded and kind demeanor. She has a passion for battle and helping those in need. Despite these traits, she can be vain and naïve. As she was never exposed to the darker and more manipulative sides of court, she often foolishly sees the best in everyone and can't see the hidden agendas that people may have or the lies that they may tell her. Her vanity is reflected by her constant desire for the finer things in life such as fine jewelry and long gowns.

As she became a Hellhound, she learned to appreciate the adrenaline that she felt on the battlefield. When fighting she relies mainly on her instincts to keep her alive. She swears that nothing feels better than the feeling of her blood boiling in her veins as she strikes down an enemy. Unfortunately, she can forget about her allies quickly as she becomes lost in the heat of battle. Her magic helps keep this in check, but she has often neglected her duty to aid her allies.

Backstory:

She was royalty without a reason…

Born of Princess Royale Oriphine, sister of the Volatile King Theodas, and raised as a future political tool, Thessalia was often kept from important political matters of court. Instead, her mother would teach her about the refined parts such as diplomacy, foreign customs and how to be a gracious host. Outside of court, her father, Sylris Wysamoira, trained her to be a dangerous warrior and proficient magic wielder against her mother's wishes. Since she has little claim to the throne, she was given more opportunities to travel once she reached the age of maturity for an elf. She accompanied her father on trips to Donnwick, and more specifically Fulbridge City.

Thessalia found fascination in traveling, her curiosity being the thing that kept her from falling into the monotonous lull that accompanies the daily affairs of court. It was the humans, however, that she found the most fascinating. Like a flame flickering in the wind, they blazed bright for only a short amount of time before they were extinguished. Although it was always difficult to see the humans slowly age and die, she found their existence to be the most meaningful of all of the creatures that roamed Eymia.

When she turned 216, she was given permission to travel independently and eventually was drawn to the elite group of Donnwick, The Queen's Hellhounds, despite her loyalty to her home country. She believes that this is the true solution to the monsters that are currently plaguing Eymia. Her father, sharing in this belief, was quick to nominate her despite her mother's protests. Her uncle quieted her mother, much to everyone's surprise, and announced to them that Thessalia was to act as a spy of sorts. She was ordered by her king to report everything from the inner workings of the Hellhounds to the movement of her company.

It was more difficult than she believed it would be at the beginning of her training to become a Hellhound, as her father's training was far different than what she experienced. The Cypress District was certainly different than her home in Laeva, but it was a welcome experience during that eight weeks. Becoming a Grand Knight was an experience that shaped her as a warrior. Overestimating her own abilities, she received her first life-threatening wound that still stretches from her lower left hip up to her right collarbone. This humbling moment allowed Thessalia to begin to rise through the ranks of the Hellhounds before she became a member of the Rose Company.

Now she faces the dilemma of balancing her loyalty to her country, to the Rose Company, and to her newfound allies. An eternal conflict now resides inside of her whether to disclose this information to her friends and face the consequences of court, or to continue to send reports to the Eternal City.

Strengths:

[+] Stamina

[+] Speed

[+] Agility

Weaknesses:

[-] Strength

[-] Reflexes

[-] Teamwork

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Thessalia is trained in the school of Vitalis by her father, as it is the power that she inherited from him. This magic causes her to pause and help her allies, even if every part of her is screaming to throw herself further into battle. The combination of years of studying and a powerful bloodline helped her to become a skilled and competent life sorcerer. She has the ability to heal both small and major wounds, although it takes a part of her energy to do so. Unbeknownst to most, save the few allies that she has the most trust in, she has the ability to bring someone who is barely clinging to life back. She discovered this when she found a half-dead rabbit in the woods and brought it back. Since it is illegal and power-draining, it is only the rarest occasions that she uses this.

The drawbacks to this power is that she uses a part of her own energy to heal her allies. The bigger the wound, the more energy is used to heal it. If she were to bring someone back from the edge of death, she essentially transfers all available energy into bringing them back. This magic also takes time to cast, essentially making her useless in battle for a few minutes.

Weapon of Choice:

[+] Shortsword

Gear:

[+] Light Armor

[+] Shortsword

[+] Silver Dagger

[+] Medical Supplies

[+] Coin Pouch
Morna Vaile (Jorick): Cinzel Decorative;

Morna Vaile

General Information

Full Name:

Captain Morna Vaile

Nickname(s):

Stormbringer (honorary title from her home that stuck among some of the Hellhounds when they learned of it)

Gender:

Female

Age:

304

Race:

Elf

Sexuality:

Bisexual

Allegiance:

Donnwick

Appearance:

Morna is about six and a half feet tall, fairly average for an elven woman. Her dark hair and grey eyes pair with her pale skin to give her a decidedly unlively appearance. Perhaps to offset this gloomy look, she is almost never seen without a few blue feathers stuck into the thick braid she usually wears her hair in. She is slender like most of her kind, but her years of fighting have given her body some obvious muscular definition that makes it impossible to view her as frail.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Morna is a creature of dual natures, and those who get to know one side of her often find the other to be a surprise. Most of the time she is very calm and unexpressive, the sort of person who seems a rock in a chaotic world. This isn't to say she's emotionless, for she makes plenty of use of dry humor and sarcasm to express humor or dissatisfaction, and it's possible to note hints of the variety of emotions being suppressed in her eyes or slight changes in her face, but she tends toward being very reserved. However, when those walls come down, they come down hard. When Morna lets her normally contained emotions take the wheel she doesn't go halfway with it. Whether it be in a fight to the death or on a night when she decides to let loose and enjoy herself (and alcohol tends to dissolve those reserved walls quickly), she throws herself into the activity with burning rage or endless hedonistic merriment. Nobody has ever gotten a straight answer as to why Morna suppresses her emotions so fiercely in day to day life, but she does and most people come to accept it as just her particular brand of strangeness.

Backstory:

For most of her life, Morna was nothing more than a mother and infrequent rain caller. She was born in Laeva, but in her youth her parents moved northward in Donnwick, first to Fullbridge City and then further north to a small farming town called Brannis. It was something of an offshoot of Fullbridge City, started by elves who ventured a goodly ways north of the bounds of the Eridia Forest, but quickly populated by humans as well, and it became a very peaceful place indeed.

Morna showed some natural aptitude for Natura magic from a relatively young age, the same magic her father knew, and so she began to learn its uses at an age when most children were still totally carefree. Her training focused on the more benevolent side of nature magic, speaking to animals and nurturing plants and calming inclement weather, but she was also given the basics of things like forming storm clouds and calling lightning. By the time she reached adulthood, she was adept with her magical arts and already surpassing her father's fairly unimpressive skills.

Those magical skills were used to the benefit of Brannis, and the people generally loved her for it. Morna was a bright and cheerful woman in those days, and it did not take her long after becoming recognized as an adult by elven standards to find a husband. Tamirel was a fairly simple man, but a kind and earnest one. He was a farmer who tended to large fields of wheat and bred oxen for farm work on the side, and Morna was content to join her life with his. She continued to develop her skills in Natura magic by aiding the growth of his crops and cattle, and after some decades of this peaceful life she discovered a knack for dealing with diseases of both plant and beast. There were a couple accidents as she learned to control this side of her magic, resulting in some blighted crops and one dead oxen, but eventually she got the hang of it and was able to guide natural diseases into harmless paths that left their would-be victims alive and well.

Things changed a bit when Morna became a mother. She was only 154, somewhat young amongst elves to have a child, but not indecently so. Morna became more serious with the duties of motherhood added to her life, but she still filled the lives of those around her with cheer. Vanir, the male child of Morna and Tamirel, was the only child of their union, as was normal for elvish couples. He was a wild child and got into all sorts of trouble, but being the son the greatly respected Morna the Stormbringer, so named for having once toiled in a summer of drought to keep all the farmland watered, allowed him to get away without too much trouble.

Life was good for nearly a century. Brannis prospered, peace and wealth flourished, and the rare problems were easily handled. This of course changed when the monsters appeared. A giant attacked Brannis in 1417 HD, and many lives were lost before men and women wielding farming implements and the few magic users in town managed to bring it down. Soon after, walls and other fortifications were built around the once-peaceful farming town, though they didn't do much to deter the giants that came to harass them every few months in those first years of the monster attacks. Things grew better once the army got more used to fighting these new foes and the Queen's Hellhounds were formed, but life was never quite the same. Morna got a lot of practice in the more violent side of Natura magic, and she became one of the primary defenders of Brannis when the Queen's soldiers were not available.

Vanir had discovered a talent for what seemed to be Alchemy, particularly an ability to reinforce tools such that a direct blow from an axe barely scuffed them, and after much consideration and discussion Morna and Tamirel decided that it would be best to send him to get a proper education. They had plenty of money saved, for they lived frugally and Morna received many gifts from folks grateful for her magical assistance, and so they decided to pay to send him to the place that seemed both safest and best for his magical education. In 1448 HD, Vanir set off for Wistoria Academy in Kiallan. He kept in frequent contact with them and sent evidence of his great progress when he could, and it seemed they had certainly made the best choice.

Four years later, news of the devastation of Kiallan had a similar effect on the bereaved parents. While Morna was stricken with grief, Tamirel was utterly broken by it. Two years after the loss of their son, Morna buried Tamirel next to the empty grave marked with Vanir's name; he had wasted away, and no matter how much Morna tried to save her husband it was no disease at all, just grief and a lack of will to go on. Morna knew she had nothing left to live for from that day onward, and so she vowed to herself that she would instead die for something worthwhile: she would fight and kill as many monsters as she could until they finally claimed her too, hopefully to rest with her departed husband and son in the afterlife.

Morna spent a few years in Laeva learning from some Natura masters who recognized her name from various stories that made their way south. After they deemed her skilled enough to use her magic to truly protect others, in much less time than she'd expected, Morna returned to Donnwick and joined the Queen's Army. She spent almost a decade with them, honing her combat skills in both magic and weaponry as well as learning the ways of war, and rose to the rank of Captain before being recommended to the Queen's Hellhounds by the Commander of her regiment. She was being considered for an unconventional promotion to Commander of her own regiment, considered for it despite being a peasant by birth because of her great accomplishments and tireless dedication to fighting the monsters that threatened the land, but the Commander determined that her skills would be better used in the Hellhounds than in the command structure of the army and sent her to Evanis with a satchel full of recommendation letters from himself and half a dozen other high ranking noblemen in the army who agreed with his assessment.

The training and evaluation required to join the Queen's Hellhounds proved to be of little challenge to Morna. Her ability to hurl lightning directly from her hands, rather than needing to build up storm clouds as many offensive Natura mages found necessary, was deemed particularly useful for combating monsters. In her three years and change with the Hellhounds, Morna rose to the rank of Captain once more before being selected for the Rose Company. Her reputation as a ruthless and effective warrior made her exactly the sort of person who someone would want at their side to fight a dragon, and she presumes that was precisely why she was chosen for the elite squad a few months ago. It is still fairly new to her, but she has taken to the work with the same ceaseless determination as she has displayed whenever fighting against the monsters who took everything from her.

Strengths:

Morna is very good at her particular style of magic, and it is undoubtedly her greatest strength. She is particularly deadly when she can get the drop on an enemy: few beings, man or monster, can react in time to do anything to defend themselves from a bolt of lightning already racing toward them by the time they see it. Speed and precision is her forte all around, and staying on the move with quick strikes of magic or weapon is how she's survived so long fighting the likes of giants and banshees. This style of constant movement has allowed her to build up an impressive level of physical endurance for fights, allowing her to keep going strong where men and women swinging around two-handed weapons would be on the verge of collapse. Her skill with a spear and shield is about on par with the average Hellhound, which is very good indeed, but those of a more martial inclination among the Rose Company tend to be better with pure weapon fighting and beat her in sparring without much trouble.

Weaknesses:

Morna is not particularly sturdy; if she takes a hit, it's going to hurt bad. This is in part due to her choice to wear lighter armor for the sake of mobility, and in part because elves are not known for their hardiness. While she's physically stronger than most people in general, she's not even close to a match for raw strength to most men in the army, let alone the Hellhounds or the Rose Company, and this again is in large part due to her fighting style emphasizing speed and precision over strength. She's better at hand-to-hand combat than the average person, but anyone with real training and skill (or overwhelming strength) can throw her around like a ragdoll if they get their hands on her. Morna has a reckless streak when it comes to children: if she sees one in danger she will throw herself at the threat, even if it's an obviously lost cause, and this has nearly cost her her life more than once. Though minor compared to some magic users, there is a delay in Morna's use of magic caused by the need to say a brief incantation, and for a speedy enemy that might be enough of an opening to exploit.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Morna is very skilled with Natura magic, particularly in controlling the weather and summoning lightning. Her ability with lightning is so advanced that she doesn't need any sort of natural storm or magically created one in order to call it, she can simply create it and cast it out of her own hands at will, and she has not yet found a limit to how often she can do it. She has gone hours and hours in training and in combat hurling lightning without much pause, but her strength in that regard never waned even as her body grew exhausted.

Morna's weaknesses are basically everything else to do with Natura magic. She's okay at talking to animals, manipulating plants, and both causing and manipulating natural diseases, but in none of those facets is she as skilled as she is with weather related powers. With animals she is capable only of simple communication, with plants she can speed their growth and ensure their health but cannot manipulate them in any unnatural ways, and for diseases she can just start them or accelerate them or soften their symptoms without much control of degree. Combat-wise, the greatest weakness of Morna's magic is that it is purely offensive without any useful defensive applications, other than to shoot lightning at nearby enemies and hope they back off. Another slight combat weakness is that each bolt of lightning requires a short incantation to be spoken and a hand motion to be made to direct it, just a couple syllables spoken and a pointed finger for the simplest of her spells in that regard, but it's enough to be exploited by very quick opponents. Weather manipulation requires long minutes to do anything major, and her lesser spells generally take at least half a minute for the words to be spoken to communicate with animals or similar.

Weapon of Choice:

Spear and light shield.

Gear:

Spear
Light leather shield
Leather armor
Knife in hip sheath (more for utility than combat)
Basic supply pack (bedroll, rations, waterskin, flint and steel)
Coin pouch (assorted silver worth 2 gold bars and 1 gold piece currently)
Three blue feathers, magically blessed to be immune to the wear of time and weather
Gamnuri Balgron (Jorick): Trade Winds;

Gamnuri Balgron

General Information

Full Name:

Gamnuri Balgron

Nickname(s):

Gammy

Gender:

Male

Age:

49

Race:

Dwarf

Sexuality:

Heterosexual

Allegiance:

Donnwick

Appearance:

Gamnuri is fairly average height for a dwarf, just over five feet tall. What he lacks in vertical presence, he makes up for in being physically bulky. He's been described as a boulder of a man before, and it's very accurate. His heavily muscled form is both stocky and craggy enough to fit the description, thanks to the scars that mark his face and body. Despite his otherwise ragged appearance, Gamnuri does make an effort to keep his long brown hair and beard nice and tidy.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

A grin and a laugh are never far from Gamnuri's mouth, even in situations where such things would be horribly inappropriate. He finds humor in all things, and as such he's generally unwelcome at funerals. For all his laughter though, he is not incapable of taking matters seriously, it's just very uncommon for him to take them so seriously that he wipes the smile off of his face. Even in battle he can be heard cracking jokes and laughing at his foes. He is, at the very least, a pleasant presence for the sake of morale.

One oddity that doesn't seem to fit in with Gamnuri's constant humorous demeanor, or modern society at all, is his religious beliefs. Religion is one of the few topics that can easily bring seriousness to his face, and he is indeed a devout believer in the divine. He has been known to blame the monsters on the fact that mortals turned their faces away from the light of the gods, that they are a punishment or test of some sort imposed upon a world turned astray. He vehemently rejects the notion that the gods are dead and gone, and he spends time each day in silent prayer to them.

Backstory:

Gamnuri was born and raised in Delphos, one of many children of the Balgron clan. His father, Dorin, was a scholar who worked to collect knowledge for the Consilium, and his mother, Marnis, was one of the guards of the grand library. She was a powerful Elementa user, and Gamnuri was the only one to inherit her gifts. His childhood was particularly unremarkable in a world filled with monsters, thanks to the fact that those creatures stayed away from Delphos entirely. His training in the use of his magic began when he was but a child, after accidentally burning the face of another kid he was fighting for no good reason.

As Gamnuri's great strength with the art of Elementa sorcery became obvious, the path of his life seemed laid out clearly before him: learn to control the power, become a guard for the Consilium, and live out his days in relative peace. He managed to make it through the first two steps with ease. His mother was a fine teacher, though she was also helped by a few others of the Consilium guards who were gifted with the affinity for Elementa, and two months before he reached his twentieth year Gamnuri was accepted into the ranks of the Consilium guards. He was mostly content with this for a handful of years, though he had some incidents of getting into pointless fights that earned him reprimands. Things started to change once he was granted permission to use the knowledge of the Consilium for his own good, to advance his sorcerous abilities in order to better guard the knowledge, and his superiors not-so-secretly hoped that it would cool his temper and improve his discipline. It did indeed, but not in the ways they hoped for.

For two years, Gamnuri kept his studies strictly to the works of Elementa masters and writers who focused on a more general magical theory. This helped him to better understand his magic and to figure out how to mix the elements to greater effect than could be achieved with a single element. In the course of these studies, he delved into some of the most ancient tomes available on the subject of magic, approved and encouraged by his superiors after seeing his diligent study lead to improved behavior as well as improved magical prowess. In one such book Gamnuri found a story that started him on a path that changed the way he viewed the world: a tale of how mortals were granted magic. A goddess, nameless in this telling of the tale, gave mortals a small fragment of her own essence so that they would be able to understand and interact with the power of creation that had been the domain of the gods alone. It was a simple story, presented as a mere factual aside, but it resonated with the sense he'd always had that magic was something special and precious.

Gamnuri spent the next few years seeking further information about the gods. With the Consilium at his disposal, this was not a difficult task. The challenge came mostly from trying to piece together facts while sifting out the fiction. He could never be sure which was which, of course, but he managed to piece together corroborated stories and some names, and over the course of it all it evolved from a curiosity into a matter of deep personal interest. By the time he finished those years of research, Gamnuri had a religion all of his own cobbled together, and he knew without being told that he would be viewed as a madman for it. Even so, he began praying to the gods each day, not asking for anything, just thanking them for all they had done to create the world he knew and loved. He thanked the god called Cateus for forming the basic essence of Eymia upon which all else was built; he thanked the goddess called Sinera most of all for her creation of life and granting mortals the use of magic; he thanked the goddess called Idia for her wisdom in imposing death upon the living for the sake of creating a natural order; he thanked the god called Pamus for granting mortal beings sentience and free will, a boon near equal in his mind to magic; and he thanked the god called Fasion for watching over the opposing forces of the world and ensuring lasting balance between them, particularly in the cycles of the sun and moon. Much of what he had read about the gods said that worshiping the gods somehow enhanced their strength, and if it was true then he was happy to contribute to what was certainly an unimpressive amount of worship being directed their way these days.

It did not take Gamnuri long to decide that the common thoughts that the gods were dead and gone were in fact lies. At worst he supposed they might be weakened to the point of no longer being willing to interact with the mortal world in an open fashion, but they had to still exist and have a hand in the operation of the world at large. The sun and moon still rose in the sky without fail, creatures and people were born and lived their lives until the natural order of death claimed them, and of course magic still existed. He could not fathom why these things would remain true if not for the gods making sure of it. Further consideration of the current state of the world brought him to a rather depressing conclusion: the monsters were the manifestation of the anger of the gods, set loose upon a world that had spurned its creators and caretakers. Who else but the gods would have the ability to create such horrifyingly powerful entities, especially the Reaper that decimated Kiallan? Gamnuri learned this was a very unwelcome point of view when he first voiced it to a colleague, and after word spread that he had become a religious fanatic the old problems of starting fights got worse than ever before. He stayed for less than a year after that first altercation over religion, and his departure was heralded with a mix of sadness and relief: sadness because he was a rather powerful sorcerer who added some extra weight to the defenses of the Consilium, but relief because his religious inclinations were seen as the product of a disturbed mind. He set out into the world with the intent to find others who could see the truths that he had seen.

Six years of wandering through the land turned up exactly zero others who were willing to accept Gamnuri's religious beliefs as more than a curiosity to be laughed at. Those few who still did believe in and worship the gods either had vastly different conceptions of who they were and what they did or utterly rejected the notion that they were alive and responsible for the monsters. The fiery fervor eventually settled into just a warm coal of belief in his chest, plenty to warm him but no longer demanding to be spread. There were a few run ins with monsters in those years, two banshees and a giant, but he managed to destroy the banshees and hobble the giant enough to escape without serious injury. Gamnuri never thought of these feats as anything special until one evening when he joined a crowd of armed folks in a tavern and shared his tale. The armed folk turned out to be a mercenary group that called themselves the Dawn Brigade, formed to help defend a handful of small towns in Donnwick from the monsters that plagued them. They didn't believe his stories about his encounters with monsters, so he joined them in order to show them what he could do.

Gamnuri spend two years with the Dawn Brigade, and in that time not a single non-combatant from their protected towns died by a monster attack. Their previous battles had often been forced into the towns themselves, which meant casualties, but the dwarven sorcerer was strong enough to prevent that. The Dawn Brigade dispatched a handful of banshees and three giants in those years, some with the help of the Queen's Army and some just by their own devices. They got to the point of actively seeking out monsters to kill rather than just protecting against those that came close to one of their towns, a strategy made possible by Gamnuri's presence. His efforts did not go unnoticed, and after they killed a giant just a stone's throw away from the local lord's estate he was forced to act as the face of the group when that lord requested to speak to his saviors. He offered the lot of them recommendations to join the Queen's Hellhounds, for their deed that day was proof of their worthiness. While Gamnuri would have liked to decline and keep on doing as he pleased rather than being beholden to the whims of some fancy army officer, his friends of the Dawn Brigade accepted on his behalf and eventually badgered him into actually making use of the recommendation. They managed to convince him that his abilities would be put to the best use in the Hellhounds. This was also helped a lot by the fact that they used his religion against him, saying that it was clearly the will of the gods that they happened to spot the giant and deal with it before it could destroy the lord's manor, thus this recommendation had to be their will as well. He couldn't argue with that, but he made it very clear that if he didn't get in he was going to come right back here and pummel the lot of them for manipulating him like that.

The process of joining the Hellhounds proved shockingly easy in some regards, but horribly difficult in others. Gamnuri breezed through displays of physical and magical aptitude, but discipline and taking orders proved to be challenging. Even so, at the end of the training period he was told he'd made the cut and was welcomed into the Queen's Hellhounds; apparently his abilities had been impressive enough to make up for the fact that he was less a soldier and more a rowdy bar brawler in temperament. He was, in the words of one fellow present for the evaluation, like a raw gem pulled straight from the earth and in need of some cuts and a good polish. That process took a few years, but it certainly worked: Gamnuri found that life as a soldier wasn't so bad, and that following orders was easier than trying to find his own path in life. When he was first offered a promotion, a good long while after most would have been made a Paladin due to all that struggle to learn proper military discipline, he rejected it with claims that he wasn't ready. The second time, he said it still didn't feel right. The third, he outright rejected it and said he didn't want to move up the damned ranks. Some of the officers tried to force it on him after that, but when he dug his heels in and said they could keep him as a Grand Knight or make him a Paladin and watch him walk out the door never to return they relented and allowed him to retain the lower rank.

Gamnuri remained a Grand Knight of the Queen's Hellhounds for a little over twelve years. He was absolutely capable enough to move higher, and he'd seen plenty of his superiors empty their positions by way of dying or being promoted themselves, but he didn't want it. He had come to the conclusion that he was there in the Hellhounds to fight the monsters in order to learn about them, and in so doing learn about the wrath of the gods and how to appease it. He felt he wouldn't be able to attain that understanding if he was burdened with responsibility beyond fighting when called upon, and so he did everything he could to avoid that burden. However, this dodging of responsibility was not enough to keep him down among the grunts forever. He'd earned a reputation among the Hellhounds, a mixed bag of praise for his skills and amusement regarding his distaste for promotion and disdain for the religion he didn't bother to hide, and it was apparently enough to catch the attention of Crown Princess Artemis Carrow not long after she took over the Hellhounds. He was quickly pulled into the Rose Company, a promotion of sorts that Gamnuri did not fight against for two reasons: as far as he could tell it did not include becoming responsible for ordering around other soldiers, and being part of the most dangerous and important missions seemed the best way to improve his understanding of the monsters and the reasons the gods set them loose upon Eymia.

He has been part of the Rose Company for nearly two years now, and he is still seeking answers regarding the monsters and the will of the gods.

Strengths:

Gamnuri is an Elementa sorcerer possessing such raw strength that, were it not for Crown Princess Artemis Carrow existing, he would be a contender for the strongest such sorcerer alive in a contest of sheer might. His skills with fire and wind are top notch, and he is also adept with earth, but the other elements elude him. However, it does come with some limitations, specifically that he trained all his life to use it almost exclusively in a melee-oriented fashion. Rather than hurling magic outward and wasting some energy in the process, Gamnuri prefers to condense it all around his fist and slam it right into an opponent's face, using his mastery of the elements to keep them from lashing back and hurting him as well. This means that so long as something get in range for him to punch it (which is made less of a struggle by his mobility-enhancing use of air magic), it's going to take a hell of a beating from fists and fire alike. Gamnuri is extremely strong and very skilled in the art of unarmed combat, to the point that he has been known to handily defeat armed foes without much of a struggle. His scars are proof of his hardy physicality, and it generally takes a lot of punishment to put him down for the count.

Weaknesses:

For all the strength he possessed, Gamnuri's lack of ranged offense is often a problem. While he can use his magical skills in a ranged fashion, they are significantly weaker than his melee uses, to the point that damn near any sorcerer worth their salt that has made it into the Hellhounds would beat him in a ranged duel of magic. While he is naturally very sturdy, he doesn't wear much armor into battle because it would hinder his movement, meaning that piercing teeth and claws don't have too hard a time finding a home in his flesh. His very straightforward fighting style is in large part a product of a lack of strategic skill: if something doesn't go down when hit with full force, Gamnuri's general approach is to just try to hit it harder. He also has a penchant for fighting in general and takes insults very personally, which has often lead to scraps with fellow soldiers who thought to mock his height. He also possesses a peculiar sense of honor, and while that doesn't preclude smashing someone over the head with a tankard in a bar fight, it does mean that he refuses to sneak up on enemies or ambush them rather than facing them in a fair fight.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Gamnuri is an extremely powerful Elementa sorcerer. He is a master of fire and air and moderately skilled with earth magic as well. His particular fighting style is anathema to the average magic user: he gets up close and personal with the enemy and quite literally punches them in the face with his magic. He has honed all of his great strength into reinforcing his natural inclinations as a brawler, and this is possible thanks only his extraordinary strength and skill allowing him to redirect the explosive impacts of his melee magic blows away from himself to avoid injury. Gamnuri uses his air magic in order to enhance his ability to get in punching range with an enemy by way of pushing himself along at high speeds only the ground or "jumping" great distances (which is really just throwing himself and cushioning the landing with more air magic).

Gamnuri is at his most dangerous when he makes mixed use of the elements under his command. The combination of two such aspects tends to have freakishly powerful impact. Air and earth do not combine well inherently, but they can make for one freakishly fast dwarf thanks to pillars of earth shooting up beneath him to launch him into an air-propelled dive toward an enemy. Fire and air are a devastating combination, with the air working to fuel the flames into more potency than mere flame magic would allow. The most deadly combination however is fire and earth, for the molten stone formed of such a combination is so hot that it can burn through steel in an instant.

The downside to such combinations of magics are that they are much more volatile than using one element alone. The combined aerial launches are not very volatile since they are a use of earth then air rather than a true combination, but they still tend to be less accurate than leaps made with air alone. The superior flames created by air and fire working together are damned hard to control, and given Gamnuri's style of fighting so close to the impacts of his magic that means that he tends to get hurt by each strike to some degree, moreso the more tired he is. Trying to punch someone with a fist covered in molten rock is of course suicidally stupid, and he has never actually attempted it. His melee-oriented magic is also a major downside in and of itself due to the lack of range and the difficulties that can cause in a fight.

Weapon of Choice:

Fists. Weapons are for chumps.

Gear:

Light leather armor
Knife (for cutting food and such)
Basic supply pack (bedroll, rations, waterskin, flint and steel)
Coin pouch (contains exactly 52 copper pieces)
Taria Barlen (Greenie): ~Taria Barlen~

General Information

Full Name:

Taria Barlen, Lieutenant

Nickname(s):

Tari, Ria, Barley

Gender:

Female

Age:

24

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Bisexual (demisexual)

Allegiance:

The Queendom of Donnwick, though she was born and lived most of her life in Oris, Kiallan

Appearance:

Taria isn't the tallest human around, reaching a mighty height of 5'3. Though she weighs about average for that height, she is stronger than one would expect, little fat and mostly muscle, a lean and wiry sort from all the training she has received from childhood. Despite this, she has a rather feminine countenance. Fair skinned with a touch of rose in her cheeks, she carries no blemishes or scars of a hard life, at least not on her face. Her eyes are a dark brown, surrounded by thick black lashes that give her a softer and more innocent look than she may actually be. As for her raven hair, Taria likes to keep it open and unhindered.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

To an outsider, Taria would seem as if she was a rather strict and unbending person, who abides by the rules and had no ambitions of her own. They would, of course, be wrong. While Taria strives to live by the law and do all she can to keep from breaking it, she still has her own opinions about what it right and what is wrong. A strong sense of honour keeps her actions in check... for the most part. Justice and mercy however may occasionally guide her to doing things she normally wouldn't.

Apart from this, Taria sees herself as simply someone trying hard to strive in the right direction, whatever that may be. As such, she is often quiet and thoughtful, to the point of seeming like a wallflower. Socializing is a skill she still needs to learn, treating others much more stiffly than would be the norm, even among those she is close to or considers friends. That being said, she does have a softer side to her which can be seen when caught off guard or flustered.

Backstory:

Taria was born to Rendyn and Seline Barlen, though she did not spend too much time with them. Her father had passed away due to a skirmish when she was a mere five years of age, and as for her mother, she succumbed to sickness when Taria was barely thirteen. Such a grim childhood would surely have been the death of her in a place like Oris, but she was lucky enough to have an uncle and aunt who took her in.

Gerrant and Merianne Barlen had often wished for children of their own but were unable to conceive due to health issues. There was no doubt in their mind when they took their niece into their home and adopted her as their own child. Taria may not have had her biological parents for long, but her uncle and aunt gave her all the love and support she needed whilst growing up. It helped that they were a wealthy family in such an impoverish land and that they needn't worry about the monsters that ravished the rest of the land.

Despite the love and affection she received, this in no way left her a pansy. Gerrant was very strict with her training, having grown up in a military family himself. As soon as she was under her new guardians her training began, and by the time she was fifteen she was proficient in most bladed weapons. She was also made to read more than the average child and as such had a good grasp of history.

It was during these years of training that Taria realized she had an apt for magic. It didn't surprise Gerrant as the Barlen family usually had one or two magic wielder every generation. As it turned out, she was like him in more than just her weapon prowess, being able to summon a creature like he could, though she brought forth a unicorn while his incantations brought forth a lion large enough to ride into battle

Despite his family and house servants being satisfied, Gerrant himself was not happy with the state of his beloved homeland. There was something not quite right, and he did not trust those who advised the King. Whilst there was a semblance that all was well, it was clear for anyone who lived in Kiallan that all was not well. Gerrant wished to do something, but he couldn't risk Merianne nor Taria's life. His attempts to have his wife move to Donnwick fell on deaf ears, but Taria understood his concern.

The Barlen name, while not the most famous was respected enough that a letter from Lord Gerrant would be taken seriously. Armed with a recommendation letter, Taria made the journey to Donnwick, ready to join the Queen's Hellhounds.

Strengths:

Having spent most of her life with a sword in her hand, Taria is obviously proficient at using blade weapons of any type, though she prefers a broadsword. She is not afraid to get herself in a dangerous situation, knowing she has years of training on her side.

Alongside this is Taria's own physical strength, strength and pain tolerance. She is able to lift and carry objects of considerable weight, can keep walking for long periods of time, and if need be will keep herself from sleeping all day if there is danger present. She takes her duties very seriously, and her stubbornness further strengthens her.

Weaknesses:

Despite her tolerance for pain, Taria suffers from osteoarthritis, causing pain when her knees remained in a locked position for a long time.

Her left hand is weaker than her right and prone to ache with both true as well as phantom pain from an accident that occurred some years ago in training. As such she keeps her hand wrapped under her gloves and usually uses her right hand for most affairs.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Conjuro- Taria has the ability to summon a large battle unicorn to her side when needed. Named Prongs due to the odd two horns on his forehead, he has been the one and only creature she has been able to bring to her side since her first time attempting to use conjuro. Whilst his horns and cloven hooves are deadly weapons, his speed makes it so that most of the time he seems like a blur to others.

[spoili]

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Weapon of Choice:

A broadsword (preferably an enchanted one)

Gear:
*Enchanted Broadsword - The sword has been enchanted to emit flames of blue and white colour.
*Leather armour
*A knife for personal use strapped to her waist
*Rucksack with basic travelling gear including extra clothes, a thin blanked and nonperishable rations
*Money bag containing one gold bar, ten silver pieces and twenty copper pieces
Jakob Junco (Eru): Jakob Junco

General Information

Full Name:

Marshal Jakob Junco

Nickname(s):

"Jak" ("But don't call me that!!")

Gender:

Male

Age:

30

Race:

Human

Sexuality:

Demiheterosexual

Allegiance:

Eredien

Appearance:

Jakob stands at 5'6" in height, slightly smaller than most human men of this world. His body is a self-described "lean, green, disconcerting machine". What Jakob may lack in build and stature, he assuredly contests with his boundless energy for assignments from the Crown Princess. There is a somewhat wild look ever-present upon Jakob's face, but those who know him are aware that underneath superficialities lies one of the bravest hearts among them, if not the wisest, by far.

A mock of windswept raven hair covers Jakob's head, covering the tops of his ears, one of which is pierced by a small gold earring. His face is clean-shaven, though stubbled when afield, and one of his eyebrows is oft-raised in an appearance of surprise.

Preferring to wear clothes of an adventurous air, Jakob will not forego fashion for function, and as such, his styles are a mixture of both. Typically, this manifests as a custom-made and color-coordinated combination of a vest, overcoat, breeches, and tall boots. Since Jakob's combat techniques rely not on heavy armor, the functional aspect is more for comfort, freedom of movement, and when required, climate.

Jakob has only one arm. His right arm was, at birth, found to have simply never grown. Upon magical probing later in life, it was also found that Jakob is missing a kidney. In spite of these birth defects, Jakob has pursued a life he found worthy of himself, that being to serve in the Rose Company of Crown Princess Artemis. As for practicality, he has adapted quite well to the loss of limb in both daily life and battle. While perhaps not as dexterous for the mundanities of sewing or alchemy, Jakob is able to substitute the elemental powers at his control in place of a limb.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Jakob has a reputation for being brash, even to the point of foolhardiness, and all for the sake of thrill. This is only one side of the coin of his leadership qualities, however; he didn't make the rank of Hellhounds Marshal for no reason. Though far from warmongering, Jakob is eager to take on any mission the Crown Princess has at hand. The quiet life of a citizen held no interest for him.

He has a wandering gaze, especially if he holds no interest in the topic at hand. Always aware of the whole situation, at the cost of missing what's right in front of him sometimes, Jakob is more likely to charge into battle with no plan apart from "hack & slash". Even so, such a frontal assault is not brutal, but drifting and powerful as a carriage under control of a drunkard. His movement unpredictable for lack of common sense makes it difficult for enemies to keep track.

The Hellhounds thought Jakob was a bit insane, but trusted the judgment of the Commander for his advancement. The Rose Company understands him only slightly better. He has completed all his missions dependably, successfully, and with a certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps it is the flair of the ever-burning spirit deep within, forever longing for something more exciting.

Backstory:

Born and raised in Eredien, Jakob spent his years in relative comfort as the son of a middle-class artisan. Nothing eventful to him occurred until his eleventh year of age. Jakob was kept overlong at school, and that night, fate saw fit to send a pack of roving giants on a rampage near the city walls. Terror erupted, and poor young Jakob was caught up in turmoil. He managed to find safety away from the monsters while they were subdued, but by the time he returned to his home, he found it had become nothing more than a pile of ash and bones. Traumatized by that night, Jakob found resolve in the strength of the knights who defeated the giants, and thereafter aspired to become like them.

Jakob had a natural aptitude for the school of Elementa, and powers that had begun to spark before the fateful night now burst into being. He was placed into a combined orphanage and school for gifted children using what remained of his family's bank savings, and taught control over the elements, as well as finishing his basic education. After graduation from this school, he became a butcher's apprentice, though he loved not the toil. Jakob practiced ever more and more with his powers, becoming stronger and more attuned to the ones he knew. Sometimes, at night, seeking even more power, he would venture outside of the city with a dagger and staff.

At least, until another giant arrived. As before, it attacked a city patrol at night, this time hunting alone, approaching dangerously close to the city. This time, Jakob thought he had the power to fight such a monster, and harnessed the power of wind to soar over the city walls, ignoring the lamentations of his mentor. Plunging nearly 100 feet, Jakob thrust his dagger into the monster's neck and rode down its side to carve a gory slit from the head to the feet. He landed safely, turned around, and was immediately knocked aside by a monstrous leg. Bleeding and with a broken leg, Jakob wove a spell of terrifying power -- coalescing from nearby rocks a meteor to crush the giant from above. He smiled weakly as he saw the fruits of his labor, and collapsed.

He awoke two days later in forced transport, in a carriage on the way to the Hellhounds. Apparently furious at his foolhardy attempt at protecting the city, his mentor had paid for his full healing, and then signed him over as a nomination to the Hellhounds. "If nothing else, you'll come to see you're nothing special, and let the rigor of the Hellhounds beat that into your empty skull." So read the butcher's last letter to him. Jakob stared at it, and then with a strange sensation of both terror and freedom, let it be whisked away by the winds of the world.

And yet, for some reason, Jakob took well to this rigor. The Hellhounds accepted him quickly when hearing of the circumstances of his arrival. He took the usual training, and passed the evaluation, but just barely. This, at the age of 20; now, 10 years later, he has become a trusted member of even the Rose Company. Presumably, the butcher, if he still lives, would be staggered.

Strengths:

Deft: aiding himself via wind and earth magic, Jakob can dodge easily the blows of many standard attacks.
Stamina: as long as he doesn't blow all his concentration on an enormous spell, Jakob can easily stay in the midst of battle.
Unpredictable: in single combat, Jakob is hardly matched, due to the unique battle style he's developed due to lacking his right arm.

Weaknesses:

- Two hands are better than one, undeniably. There are certain situations where another limb would help out, but Jakob makes do with what he can.
- Comparatively weaker to the other Rose Company members in raw physical strength.
- Foolhardy. More likely to rush into battle before a strategy has been developed.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Elementa: Air, Earth, Water, and Shadow. Jakob has extensive practice with each of these elements, though feels most comfortable with a combination of Air and Earth.

If he is not careful, Jakob is likely to blow his stamina on huge, reckless attacks at the beginning of battle, not pacing himself in the slightest. He must strive harder to keep himself in check, and not lose control. Nothing major has yet come of this, and none of his men ever fell in battle, but there were several close calls over the years.

Weapon of Choice:

Dagger

Gear:

[Runic] Silver Dagger - one edge is serrated, the other is straight. A rune is inscribed to each side of the blade, and a third to its pommel.
Light Armor - Though he prefers to wear no armor at all for battle, Jakob possesses a set of thin yet tough metal armor. https://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/file/Dark-Souls-3/wolf_knight_armor.png
Water flask
3 vials
Coin pouch: 10 gold pieces, 10 silver pieces
Tamsyn Trelawney (Applo): Tamsyn Trelawney

General Information

Full Name:
Grand Knight Tamsyn Trelawney

Nickname(s):
Tammy

Gender:
Female

Age:
Twenty-Five

Race:
Human

Sexuality:
Heterosexual

Allegiance:
Donwick and those everywhere who reject the use of magic.

Appearance:
If someone had to describe Tamsyn in one word it would almost certainly be scruffy. Standing at five foot and ten inches tall she has lean wiry frame and limbs that could most generously be described as gangaley. Her shoulder length red hair is untidily cut and after a few nights in the wild will often be caked with dirt and have twigs or other detritus tangled up in it. Her green eyes are normally surrounded by the dirt and grime that she uses as improvised camouflage.

Personal Attributes

Personality:
For the most part Tamsyn is an easy going and relaxed individual who tries her best to get on with everyone around her. She is confident enough in her abilities to not have a chip on her shoulder about needing to prove herself while at the same time being relaxed enough to not be arrogant. She tries to maintain a fairly sunny disposition and is the type of person who will inject a little humour into any situation no matter how dire.

That said everyone has their buttons to be pushed. For Tamsyn it's magic. Depending on the vagaries of her mood, the use of magic where she can see it might produce a huffy, disapproving silence or a tongue lashing that isn't easy to forget. Those who dare to use magic on Tamsyn will earn her lasting hatred and possibly shouldn't linger in open areas to often for a while.

Backstory:
Tamsyn was born and raised in a small and somewhat remote community on the western shore of Lake Larcer. Her childhood was as happy as it could be and largely devoid of incidents of note, the nearby Fort Larcer acting to help keep monster numbers low. What set Tamsyn's childhood years apart from those of almost every other child in the land was the deeply held belief of her community, namely the belief that the use of magic for any reason was gross breach of the natural order. People who believed otherwise were swiftly and forcibly if needed encouraged to find a home elsewhere.

Like any other child of the toiling classes, Tamsyn was put to work as soon as she was big enough to be more useful than a hindrance. Her parents owned a hunting lodge and she started her working life by helping her father prepare the carcasses her mother brought in. Having suffered from itchy feet almost as soon as she could crawl, Tamsyn found being stuck indoors boring and dull, living for the days when her mother would ask her to be her little helper.

Tamsyn took to hunting like a duck to water, and by the time her tenth birthday passed she was regularly accompanying her mother on hunting expeditions, lapping up everything that was taught to her. By her seventeenth birthday, Tamsyn was a tested and accomplished hunter in her own right. Even her own mother watched Tamsyn's exploits with a little envy. Life was good for Tamsyn and could have continued to be if not for her ever growing wanderlust.

Despite everything that she had going for her at home and the dangers of a world that Tamsyn now knew to be full of abominable magic users, the idea of being tied to this one small corner of the world chafed at Tamsyn. She tried accept the blessings she had been given, being able to live in a place free of magic, but still she wanted more. By the time she turned nineteen her hunting expeditions had grown excessively long, with Tamsyn spending weeks at a time in the forests around the lake. Sensing their daughter's unhappiness, her parents arranged for her to speak with the village chief. The chief encouraged Tamsyn to follow her heart and set out into the world, not just to wander, but also to spread the message of the absolution that abstaining from magic could bring. With a new purpose and fire in her heart Tamsyn set out into the world.

For the first couple of years, Tamsyn lived as a wandering missionary, hunting when she could and trading any excess for whatever else she needed at the time. For the most part, people were uninterested in the message she carried with her, although she would occasionally find a soul receptive to her message.

As the years rolled by, Tamsyn began to proselytize less and less. It seemed to her that the common folk needed magic as a crutch in what was a cruel and confusing world. Despite everything she knew about the evil of magic, she felt unable to ask them to give up anymore of what little they had. This lack of purpose left Tamsyn questioning what she was doing and she began planning to return home. Fate however had other ideas.

While she was making her way homeward, winter bit hard and Tamsyn soon found herself low on provisions and coin. With game of any kind scarce she found herself scanning village notice boards for any work that might make her a little coin. One scrap of paper that caught her eye offered a bounty for the destruction of a banshee that had been taking what little livestock still survived. Until now Tamsyn had left monsters to those who had sworn an oath to risk their lives but the gnawing hunger in her stomach was a powerful motivator. The knowledge of how to destroy the more garden variety monsters was something she understood well enough in theory.

That night Tamsyn baited a field near where the beast had last been seen and settled down amongst some scrubby bushes and waited for her quarry. All night she sat, battling cold and sleep till just as the sun's light had started to creep above the horizon her quarry came into view. The very sight of the creature so close by caused Tamsyn's blood to turn to ice far colder than nature could manage, and she had to suppress the urge to let her arrow fly and run for safety. It felt like an eternity but Tamsyn managed to hold her nerve until she could see the creature's mouth which was when she let slip her arrow.

When she deposited the creatures head at the local village elder's door she was met by a reaction of joy and skepticism. The elder found it hard to believe this slip of a woman's claim that she had brought down the banshee by herself. Still, the evidence was there, and pleased with the her work he offered Tamsyn a few more tasks that she completed with relative ease. Once the man had no more work for her, she set off on a new mission, collecting the bounties on the monsters that the authorities didn't have the time, manpower or will to deal with. It felt good to be helping those who had been abandoned by their protectors; Tamsyn often only accepted a token fee instead of the amounts promised.

The first time someone joked that she should join the Hellhounds Tamsyn dismissed it out of hand, but the suggestion planted a seed in her mind that slowly germinated. While she liked what she was doing, part of her wanted to do more. There were plenty of other bounty hunters chasing down the less powerful beasts of the world; Tamsyn realized that by joining the Hellhounds she would have the opportunity to hunt the monsters that she could never face by herself. Her opportunity to join came when a minor noble found themselves financially embarrassed in the face of Tamsyn holding a bag of giant fingers as proof of work done. After offering her a plethora of stuff, Tamsyn named her price as a letter of recommendation.

Joining the Hellhounds was a mixed experience. While she was able to cope with much of the training, the martial combat lessons were tough for a girl who had never swung anything heftier than a meat cleaver before, and Tamsyn had to scramble to make the grade of just good enough. Additionally she was now surrounded every day by people for whom magic was a way of life whereas on the road she had been able to avoid the majority of magic users. While their flagrant violations of the natural order rankled deep in her soul, Tamsyn also knew the Hellhounds was where she wanted to be. She tried to appease her sense guilt of joining an institution where magic use was so rife by reminding herself of all the good she could do and by drawing new red lines of what she would and wouldn't accept.

Her recent promotion to the Rose Company wasn't something she had expected but welcomed as it gave a chance to make the biggest difference to the world and a chance to prove that abominable magic wasn't needed to fight the good fight.

Strengths:
-Sharpshooter extraordinaire: Tamsyn has been hunting small, fast, fluffy things for the better part of two decades now and she got pretty good at hitting them. While other use magic to aid their shots, Tamsyn relies on skill and years of practice to hit her targets dead on with the first shot.

-Moves like a shadow: Both monsters and animals generally have keen senses and if you are to have a chance of hunting them then you have to move as softly as a shadow across the land. Such is Tamsyn skill a disappearing into the background some have speculated if she utilises some type of magic to aid her which in equal parts fills her with pride and irritates her.

-Lands on her feet: A strong sense of balance and good coordination make Tamsyn quite acrobatic. She doesn't get knocked down easily and often springs up quickly if she does.

Weaknesses:
-Prefers to keep her distance: While her technical close combat skills are more or less adequate to the task of being in the Rose company, she in no way matches the level of sheer physicality that most of her compatriots display and in a close quarters situation she can quite easily be overwhelmed.

-Deep seated belief: Not only does Tamsyn not have any form of magical ability whatsoever, she also has strongly held beliefs that magic and its use is an affront to the natural order of the universe. She will not knowingly use magically imbued items nor willingly allow magic to be used on herself, including vitalis magic. If she gets injured she will only use "natural" treatments to tend to her wounds.

-Sorry, say that again: From as early as Tamsyn can remember she has had a ringing in her right ear. Most of the time it doesn't bother her, having long ago got used to it. However the ringing also means that her hearing in that ear is significantly worse than it should be. Stress makes the ringing louder and her hearing even worse which is just really great for someone in battle situations.

-Barely educated: Outside of hunting, Tamsyn hasn't had much of an education. She can butcher a pig and just about balance a business ledger if she uses all her fingers and toes but that's about it. As far as she is concerned great treaties or works of literature are just well packed sources of kindling or toilet paper.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:
Like her parents, Tamsyn has no ability to channel magic, not that she's ever wanted or tried to. As far as she is concerned the use of magic is a flagrant violation of that natural order. However her experiences away from the community she grew up in have caused her to largely internalize her beliefs.

Weapon of Choice:
A bow. Any bow.

Gear:
~A reflex bow complimented with a quiver of forty arrows.
~A forty centimetre degen sword.
~A dagger.
~A leather Cuirass and Cuisse (torso and thighs)
~A chain Hauberk (usually kept tightly rolled in old fabric)
~A Bedroll
~A water skin
~A tinderbox
~A length of rope
Axilya Chadaen (Starlighter): { Axilya Chadaen }

General Information

Full Name:

Lieutenant Axilya Chadaen

Nickname(s):

Ilya

Gender:

Female

Age:

354

Race:

Elf

Sexuality:

Heterosexual

Allegiance:

Eredien

Appearance:

Ilya is short for an elf at just 5'11, but whatever strength of presence may be lost by her height she more than makes up for with the direct, intensely focused gaze of her deep brown eyes. Bestowed with fair, smooth skin and contrasting long dark hair, she might have been beautiful if her facial features had filled out to be sharper and more defined - but alas, nature saw fit for her eyes to be set too close to her nose, her cheekbones to fall flat, and her lips to naturally fall into a perpetual frown. Her posture is always straight and attentive, her build lean but compact. She tends to dress in muted shades of brown mostly comprised of light leather armour and heavily woven fabrics.

Personal Attributes

Personality:

Axilya has unwavering confidence in herself and her own abilities; she has a sort of fierce determination that will carry her through to a successful completion of whatever she sets her mind to. Not one to meddle, she will often let others find their own way through life and it's inherent mistakes without much comment, even if she has been known to harbor private judgments. Although the personal affairs of others are something that she considers to be beyond the scope of her business unless asked, when something does concern her, she will not hesitate to take necessary action.

Talking and planning are things that she deems to be better suited to others - she is a woman of deeds and physical involvement more than a great thinker or theorizer, and will accept even orders that make no sense if she trusts the one giving them to know what is best. While this can make her somewhat blind to the flaws of those she admires or is obligated by duty to follow, she is unerringly obedient to her superiors, and a tried and true loyalist.

Backstory:

Ilya's parents were countryside commoners of Eredien who led lives of no great repute. In all honesty, the only noteworthy aspect of their influence that has remained to shape the person she is today was their unrelenting dislike of even the tiniest religious indication. Throughout her early childhood, even the merest mention of gods or spirituality was vehemently quashed before she could properly grasp it, which led to an inevitable curiosity.

Her life might have followed in the common vein of her parents, but it would seem that fate had other plans. At a young age, her rare ability to command two opposing elements earned her the attention of several notable sorcerers who extended the offer of their tutelage, providing the opportunity for her to travel to Laeva and study her magic in earnest. With the blessing of her parents, she ventured out into the world and took to her training with aplomb as the apprentice of two sorcerers - one a master of fire, the other of water.

For the space of twenty years, she applied herself to nothing but the instruction of her mentors, developing remarkable skill and control. But, as the time and distance from her parents sank in, she found herself free to question subjects and ideas which had always been beyond her reach, and her curiosity grew. Resolved to determine the truth for herself, she abandoned her magical training in favour of seeking out religion.

The following decade became a defining period of her life. With all of her time and attention devoted to researching various religious practices, she eventually came to the personal conclusion that the gods were real, but gone from the world, and therefore not her concern unless they chose to reveal themselves once more.

With that as her answer, she began a new chapter in her life. Instead of returning to the study of magic, she applied herself to the service of her country by learning the art of combat and joining the Eredien military. For the next 200 years, she served in a variety of capacities, from keeping the peace to taking her place on the front lines in battle. While her disciplined, obedient nature never inclined her towards seeking promotion, her skill and experience were highly respected, and she was among the first to be sent to join the Hellhounds. Not long into her service, she was soon appointed to the Rose Company, where she has served diligently to this day.

Strengths:

Light footed - Axilya is incredibly light and quiet on her feet; she's very good at slipping by unheard, and has remarkable balance

Quick - Her reflexes are frighteningly swift, and deadly accurate

Fast - Through decades of training, Axilya has built up remarkable speed and endurance. If necessary, she can run far and long with minimal tiring

Calm - Axilya is an incredibly moderate person; it takes a great deal to upset or anger her, and few who have tested the boundaries of her patience have found it's limit

Weaknesses:

Physically Weak - While her legs are strong from running, her arms are not. As a member of a race naturally inclined to delicacy, it's far more difficult for her to build up muscle than it may be for others

One Track Mind - Over time Axilya has lost her ability to multitask as a result of her training; she can only focus on one thing at a time, and if something breaks through that to distract her, she can be temporarily very confused and disoriented

Poor Hearing - Due to a few fire related mishaps as a child, Axilya has notable hearing loss

Blind Follower - Axilya isn't one to question her superiors, and will blindly do whatever she is told by someone who is above her. As a result, she is also not particularly good at giving orders of her own, as she is used to habitually deferring to the judgement of others. Similarly, she has difficulty abandoning the structure of hierarchy even under extreme extenuating circumstances.

Magic & Equipment

Magic:

Elementa: Fire & Water
Axilya has rare control of two opposing elements - fire and water. Despite the apparently endlessly useful applications of such a talent, it poses an equal number of challenges. She cannot channel the two simultaneously, and will instantly lose control of one upon switching to the other. While this may sound simple in theory, in practice it requires an astronomical amount of focus to ensure she uses the right timing, and that everything she casts is stable and controlled enough to stand on its own before moving on. Through practice and discipline she has become adept at transitioning between her two elements, but in the heat of battle caution is still warranted, as if her focus is abandoned for even a split second, there could be disastrous consequences.

Weapon of Choice:

A pair of daggers, allowing for throwing at short range as well as hand to hand combat

Gear:
-Two silver pieces
-Light leather armor
-A heavy cloak that can double as a blanket if needed
-Sturdy leather boots
-Pair of daggers
-Waterskin
-Small leather-bound journal and pencil
-A whistle that hangs around her neck

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The Queen's Hellhounds {Lore}

Rae

Queer as Fuck

Rae

Queer as Fuck