Of Origin character/discussion thread

[Zhiel]

Figured we might want a thread where we can post our characters or ask questions/discuss about the rp itself. Anyhow, to start with here is my character.

Name: Teena Hartgold
Gender: Female
Age: 27

Personality: Teena is not the most likable of people, but then again this comes more from people approaching her wrong. She's obsessed with her work to the point of nearly being an isolationist and haaates being interrupted, something she doesn't take kindly too.

She's well-learned and knowledgeable and willing to share her knowledge with others though the manner in which she does it depends on the image she's painted in her mind of the person in question, for instance if it's someone who's recently interrupted her during her work it's likely to be said in a snapping or condescending manner. She's self-righteous and a bit lazy when it comes to everyday activities that don't involve her work, but even so she's helpful when it truly counts and not quite as much of a bitch once you get to know her.

Description: Picture made by Wavve

Teena has brown, nearly black eyes and blond hair that has a golden sheen in direct sunlight, along with this she has fair pale skin. Her physique is relatively slim though she has a bit more muscles than one might expect from a woman of her standing, and in fact she is quite athletic (though not in the back-flipping kind of way).

Short History: Teena was born into the Hartgold family, the ruling family in the city state of Arieleste. Their family was rich and powerful however not nearly as much as they once had been for many generations ago they had been the rulers of the entire Kingdom, but the death of the ruler and with the heir being just a few months old caused everything to come down upon the family and they were usurped by the current royal family. Since that time the Hartgolds have struggled to keep their influence from waning further, which is one of the reasons they readily accepted both magic and technology into their province. Well, until the Kingdom began to kill them all anyhow.

Teena herself as the heir to the family fortune was given expert tutors and was encouraged into learning about as much as she could, which lead her into developing a great interest in technology. As her parents thought technology was the way of the future they did not mind that she was learning about something so "unwoman-like". It was around the time of her seventeenth birthday that her gift for magic became evident, exactly what happened is unknown but in a fit of anger Teena had thrown a bunch of tools at a wall, without touching them... Luckily no one had been around, except her father who had witnessed it by sheer coincidence...

The Hartgold family had not taken a stance in the Kingdoms crusade, however they had also avoided helping the Magi so as to not appear an enemy, but Teena's father knew what would happen if it was revealed that the heir was a Magi, at best they would be forced to kill her or hand her over to the Kingdom, at worst it could mean they would use it as an excuse to eradicate a rival house. Because of this Teena was locked away in her room, her parents unable to kill her, but knowing she posed too much of a risk to simply leave alone for the time being. At least until she could learn to control her power so that she could hide it.

Naturally Teena was not all too happy about this and through cunning and wit was able to break out of her room and sneak out of the house after a few weeks of planning, at which point she started traveling away from the mansion of the family to pursue a life of adventure, or something. After a few months of travel she ended up in another sticky situation when her powers manifested in the middle of a shock-full tavern, the situation unleashed chaos and she was almost killed by a present Witch Hunter, but she was saved by one of the Magi who had been scouring the land for survivors of their people and afterwards was taken to the Magi Encampment. During their travel to the camp she learned that his name was Nyle and that he was one of the dozen survivors of Magi left.

Once at the camp Teena was questioned on her origins, skills and whatever else she could do to help them in their cause. Both being from the Hartgold family and having great knowledge in the new technology was a boon to the camp, as she was able to maintain their steam engines along with provide a bit of funding through her family once she re-established contact with them. Naturally neither she nor they wanted her to return to the Mansion, but they were willing to send money her way (naturally it was to other places and not the forest/camp itself) every now and again. As she studied both machinery and magic over the next couple of years she began to develop her deep obsession with the arts, along with a scheme forming in her mind.

Magic Specialization: Earth Magic, Magnetism:
Though Teena is capable of working with most forms of Earth magic the one she has specialized further into is the Magnetism aspect which allows her to manipulate and lift smaller objects made of metal, though at present not with a lot of force behind it so it's not very practical for combat.

Other: Artificer:
Being a glutton for knowledge Teena has also studied the art of Artificing, which while she only has novice knowledge of at present has allowed her to combine with her earth magic and technological skills to create magical gemstones that empower her magnetism around items they are set into, allowing her to use her magnetism in combat situations.

Gear: Teena carries a number of different objects on her person at all times, the most obvious being a long dagger that is strapped to the back of her waist on the right side, a one-shot flintlock pistol that hangs just above it and a leather pouch on her left side in which she carries whatever she finds she needs at the time. Under her "skirt" she has a sheath of sorts where she carries three double-bladed daggers of sorts, the blades are formed in a bent shape like if meant to be thrown and in the center is a gemstone with a rune etched into the middle of it.

[wavve]

Well, I better post my character as well then Since I'm not sure how well all this fits the setting or if I'm leaving important info out, I encourage any and all of you to tell me if something seems improper or so. After which I'll have it fixed of course


Name: Kiira Talic
Gender: Female
Age: 22

Personality:
Kiira is hard to get to know, to say the least. She is often quiet and whenever she speaks, she seems to be careful not to use too many words. Because of this, most people would get the feeling that she doesn't care much about them and think nothing of them, which leads many to keep their distance. Which works out well since Kiira often keeps to herself, seeming to be afraid to, in any way, rely on someone else. Even a small, yet humble, gesture such as bringing Kiira a blanket if it's cold would be enough to make her uncomfortable and she'd instantly try to find a way to repay the person.

Kiira is far from self-occupied though. She is the self-sacrificing sorta person, the one that always takes the smallest piece of the cake, and always choose to do the worst chores, and that'd take a hit to protect someone else without hesitation. This is her warm inside that manages to melt the outer layer of ice that is her depressed and isolated personality. The ones who know Kiira well also knows that the best way to melt that ice is liquor. She is also very superstitious, and keeps telling anyone using black-powder weapons that the smell will attract the ones that live in the fiery pits of smoke and death!

Description:


Kiira has blonde, almost white hair and blue eyes. She looks to be quite agile and kind of athletic. She stands a few inches shorter than the average woman, but would not really be considered short - light rather.


Short History:
Kiira hails from the very eastern outskirts, beyond the civilized and well-known parts of The Kingdom. She grew up on a small, isolated farm up in the mountains. She was raised by her uncle and aunt after her mother died in childbirth. Who her father was is unknown, chances are that he never knew about having a daughter in the first place. Their life on the mountain side was simple and poor. Few crops grew in the dry rocky and often frozen ground, no fruits or nuts was to be found in such a barren and harsh land. They survived by hunting, raising goats and any money her uncle would gain from selling whatever contraption he invented or crafted would go to buy tons of alcohol for him, and a sack of flour for baking bread. At the age of eight Kiira witnessed her aunt passing away in a severe decease.

With her aunt gone Kiira's uncle was left to raise her. But she was still very young and he had no interest or knowledge whatsoever to teach her how to be a good wife, which was expected by girl from these lands. But Kiira's uncle saw a future for her that none would've thought of. He put her to hard training, forcing her to survive on her own in the wilds for entire seasons at a time. Training her skill in marksmanship every day as well as long distance running.

In these parts of the land the Magi was uncommon and almost unheard of in many places. So Kiira never cared much to about the Magi being hunted across the Kingdoms during the Crusades. Little did she know that her father had been a Magi, and that she had inherited his abilities to influence the wind. And one day a pack of Witch Hunters came knocking on the door... But ironically enough it wasn't Kiira they were after, it was her uncle. The superstitions nature of the people in the lands had pointed in the direction of Kiira's uncle as they were interrogated by the Witch Hunter of the Kingdom. They did this because his inventions were so strange to them that they thought that nothing but magic could fuel them. This of course, was not the case. Magic contraptions or not, the Witch Hunters cared little and killed Kiira's uncle. Kiira, hidden under the bed, watched it all happen. As a final gesture of evil, the Witch Hunters set the farm on fire, and Kiira was left to fend for herself, all alone.

By this time she was 18 and her training had paid off. She was confident with her archery skills hitting every target on any range. She knew how to survive and knew that she wanted revenge. She had nothing in this place anymore, anyone she knew was either dead or an idiot, that's what she thought anyway. So she took the great crossbow that was her uncles latest invention, packed her things and headed towards the capitol parts of the Kingdom.

For four years she lived alone, by hunting, stealing or working temporarily at farms that she passed. During this time she learned that all the training she had gone through during her upbringing was to no use in cities. A good aim and knowledge of where to find shelter helped little on streets of cobblestone. She tended to take the roads that led through the wilds. And soon, she stumbled upon the Magi Camp...

Magic Specialization: Wind Magic, Guiding winds:
Kiira don't know much of her magic powers. Before she met the Nyle, Teena and the other Magi from the camp she barely knew that she was a Magi. The winds seemed to always blow in her favor. Always at her back when traveling, never affecting her aim. It's as if the winds guides her arrows to always hit. Kiira's powers are pretty much passive helping forces that doesn't affect her or anyone else more than the wind would already do. She doesn't create wind, it just acts in her favor around her.

Other: Ranger:
Kiira has honed her skills in marksmanship and archery every day in her entire life. There's few things she can't hit. She's got the patience of a sniper and the reaction of gunslinger. In addition to this she's great at surviving in the wilds and know where to find food, water, shelter and how to effectively hide and getting around unnoticed.

Gear:
Her main weapon, usually stripped on her back, is a sniper crossbow, fitted with scope and spring-mechanics that launches the bolts with such incredible force that it penetrates almost anything worth shooting at. It's been known to penetrate both plated armours and at a time the forehead of a charging bear, killing it instantly. At the tip of the crossbow is a big bayonet for melee fighting. In addition to this she always carries a dagger at her hip. She's got a leather outfit that allows her to move quite freely as well as it offers limited protection. She got a cowl and a scarf that can be combined into a mask, if she wants to stay unknown, or away from dust, snow and cold.

[GoldenKitten]

A map of the initial area, as I've been told I'm a terrible human being who doesn't explain things enough and has left you all without direction and that my family should know shame for five generations for this disgrace.

[Darkoda]

Let's get this up, hopefully we'll live long enough for it to matter xD

Name: Chrono Arcadia
Gender: Male
Age: 19

Personality:
Chrono is a usually quite person, who usually spends his time either studying, helping around the camp or off doing who knows what. He might be a bit shy but he also has an obsession with not seeing companions die around him and has a bad habit of following after them to keep an eye on things. He's trying to get better about that.


Description:
Chrono has black eyes and short, black hair, with a dark complexion. He looks and is fit and slim and doesn't really stand out much.

Short History:
Chrono comes from the Arcadia family, average, but at the time well known for being a family of mages. He was raised in the ways of magic from an early age, and all seemed well enough until the new ruling Kingdom decided to become genocidal.

The suddenness of the Purifications, their unpreparedness for such a massive assault, looking back at it, it was likely inevitable that their city would fall to the kingdoms forces. In the end barely anyone managed to escape alive, Chrono's clearest memory of the moment being when his bleeding out father entrusted him to a surviving adult before bleeding out.

Needless to say, he was not a happy camper, but his new guardian didn't want to see another mage die so watched over him. They moved constantly over the years, the man doing his best to teach Chrono on the go; he tried his best but there were a few very close calls, mainly due to Chrono holding him back - he never said it, but Chrono wasn't stupid. He did his best to learn how to sneak around like he could and they did somehow survive regardless until their luck finally ran out a few months ago.

They were being tracked for quite some time by that point and out of desperation, his guardian hid him under a tree root and went off on his own, ordering him not to follow. Chrono stayed like that for over a day, too afraid to wander out until hunger forced him to. As much as he held out hope, he knew what it meant when he didn't return.

From that point on, Chrono travelled alone, filled with regret that he actually let him go off on his own to die. If he'd been there, if he'd been a bit better, he might still be alive, he wouldn't have had to lead them away.....

It was during this aimless wandering that Chrono happened to stumble onto rumours of a mage encampment within a large forest, and with nothing better to do he went in the forest...

Magic Specialization: Ice Magic
Chrono's magic is use is fairly straightforward; he uses ice magic both to get around otherwise troublesome places and more commonly than he'd like, to get rid of people via instant hypothermia.

Other: Scouting
Chrono spent the vast majority of his life hiding out in the wilderness and sneaking about and is quite capable at it. He has a habit of managing to sneak away and up on people and animals, and the knives he keeps on him aren't for show. When stray wounds can easily kill he prefers to sneak away from conflict, or backstab if it comes to it.

Gear:
Chrono carries a couple of long daggers on him, along with a few throwing daggers. Beneath his clothing, he wears some body armor he 'appropriated' over the years.

[GoldenKitten]

Name: “Nyle” – This a reworking of his family, which includes the name of his hometown Nyllumehn. He long ago dropped his true name in favor of the simple moniker Nyle. This is because his real name is in the antediluvian tongue of the old era, and while a tradition in many magical family lines it was highly impractical as something that marked him out easily as a Magi. Another reason is for ease-of-use as his true name is over seventy-characters long.
Gender: Male
Age: 32

Personality
Having lived to see the world fall apart before his eyes Nyle is an intense cynic first, and anything else comes second. While most Magi were only witness to some of the Purity Wars when they eventually fled, Nyle saw much of it on the front lines. He bears the knowledge of just how far the hatred of their kind has pushed people to go, knows how immensely outnumbered and gunned they are; and he pays for it by being eternally skeptic, and mildly depressed

This is not to say he can’t have moments of levity, but they are rare. Comparatively he does not usually share his pessimism with others, for as a leader he realizes hope is an important resource. He internalizes his concerns and instead continues to focus on the task at hand, though you are unlikely to find Nyle in better spirits than a neutral poker-face at all times. In some occasions he can put his pessimism into snide comments if pushed too far either in the face of “foolish” optimism, or when things get bad, though it’s usually in a chiding manner, not full blown despair. And he always pushes forward despite it all, Nyle has sworn to himself never to give in until the end comes in all things; it’s just that he’s always ready for that time to be just around the corner.

Despite all this he remains an intelligent and generally well received leader. Though such a life is not for him he is able to put himself into the common individuals place, and see things through their eyes. Allowing him to be a voice for the Magi in their community that are not battle-focused, along with the families. He is also the most well-versed in general survival knowledge, having played a large part in the Magi’s survival in the early days of the nomadic group. He knows how to efficiently move groups of people of all sizes, and acquire the supplies necessary for their continued existence.

Beyond this Nyle is much as he seems. His youth was taken from him, and every day since has been in service to others, this means Nyle doesn’t have much of a personality outside those confines. If he’s not on the road, seeking out endangered Magi, or taking care of the commune he’s using what little time he has left for resting. Meaning he has no time for hobbies, fraternization, or other personal luxuries. Though he keeps most of his thought to himself this still means that what he’s thinking doesn’t diverge wildly from what he says, as who he portrays himself as is exactly what he is.

Description
Image provided by Wavve.

Besides what’s in the image Nyle is often seen dawning an entirely black set of clothing. If anyone is sent outside of the compound it is almost always Nyle, as he is a master at remaining unseen. These clothes are what he wears for such an occasion, though he carries a normal set (pictured) since sporting black clothing in the middle of the day would draw immediate attention.

Nyle has two short-swords, one at his hip, the other strapped on his back. He has several daggers hidden in multiple places in his clothing so he is never without weapon. Similarly he has a number of pouches and a single large backpack he normally carries filled with all the tools one might need to survive. Though he limits what he takes in order to maximize speed, there’s still a good chance Nyle has at least one of whatever he might need to survive.

Short History
Nyle is son to the adopted son of the king of Nyllumehn, step-heir to the Baxthra Nahl Nohr vex Nyllumehn bloodline. Nyllumehn was one of two completely magical kingdoms, the other being Lumeon; both places where magic ran deep, and was so prevalent as to be considered a perfectly natural part of life. The old king of Nyllumehn was almost seven-hundred cycles, one of the oldest living men in existence when he had still not had an heir, seeing his end coming he wisely chose to adopt. After many trials to discover the best stand-in Nyle’s father was chosen, and was then prepared socially, magically, and politically to be the next king.

Two cycles later the old kings’ fifteenth wife bore him a son, a miracle child, and Nyle’s father instantly became obsolete. Some of the followers his father had built over the cycles would follow him; others would bow to tradition and accept only the biological son. Knowing that any sort of political rift could tear a country of Magi apart Nyle’s father willingly bowed out while the young king was still a child, taking those loyal to him and departing before it could become an issue.

He would go on to study many of the ancient Magi ruins within less magically inclined lands that had gone unsearched (and mostly avoided by locals) for centuries. Along the way he developed a relationship with one of his female maids in service, Nyle was born shortly after. It was while the boy was still young that the Purification Wars began and Nyles father returned to their home state to aid in these trials. Nyllumehn was much closer to Remal than Lumeon, and as such was the obvious first target.

The Purification Wars of the North waged five cycles before coming to Nyllumehns doorstep. Utterly unwilling to give up their sacred homeland the Baxthra Nahl Nohr vex Nyllumehn decided they would wage one last battle, one that would decide their fate. It took four months of constant siege but the city eventually fell, in the final days when defeat was imminent Nyles father gave him to Abel Rhand. Rhand was one of the commanders of the Lumeon forces that had come to bolster their defenses, and one of his fathers longtime friends from before the war. With defeat close at hand Lumeon had demanded all its forces be withdrawn, before they could Nyles father requested that he take his son to Lumeon for safe keeping.

Rhand agreed for his friend’s sake, and the remaining Lumeon forces retreated under cover of darkness along with any remaining civilians the night before Nyllumehns fall. Rhand would officially adopt Nyle when they returned to Lumeon after word of his fathers death, though close they never shared a relationship of a familial nature. They got along well enough but Rhand had neither the time or experience to be a father, and Nyle was old enough at the time to understand what had happened, long distancing him from his pseudo-caretaker.

The boy was immediately enlisted in the Magi Academy of Lumeon where he learned much of the basis of what he is now. The wars ebbed and flowed for seven more cycles, at times you wouldn’t even realize there were conflicts, others war parties dotted the landscape. But eventually a long conflict (officially the seventh “war” of the Purification Wars) marked by loses caught up with them and Lumeon was directly threatened. In any other age Nyle would have been cycles from combat age, but in their current state very few Masters, or even Middlemen were left, and Apprentices were given the ok for active service.

Nyle would distinguish himself during several infiltration missions but toward the end of the war even victories were little cause for celebration. Even with small victories in hand the larger war was lost through sheer numbers, and Remal’s growing grasp of technology. It was an inevitability that Lumeon would fall, it was just a matter of time, and Nyle was there to witness it. It was there that he saw many of the atrocities he had only hear of until that time, and which would harden him in the future.

The Battle for Lumeon was harder fought than even that of Nyllumehn as the final last land of the Magi, but through a war of numbers and minds (openly torturing Magi on the street to dishearten others) many either gave up or ran. Nyle was eventually forced into the latter when his godfather Abel came to him, the last surviving member of the upper caste and forced the boy out, Abel knowing they had lost.

It was not out of fear, but survival. Abel understood that standing would be the end of Magi as a whole, and the only way to survive now was to move in secret, and save whoever they could. They were not the only ones thinking this way and Abel was able to bring together a large number of the surviving Magi of Lumeon under this banner, including many military personnel.

It was during this time Nyle would make a name himself, having a heavy hand both in saving many civilians, moving their considerable force undetected, and eventually finding places they could safely begin recreating some semblance of community. Minor battles and skirmishes would continue for the next two cycles as any remaining Magi were either purified, or rescued by the surviving Magi. Then twelve cycles ago the Purification Wars can to an abrupt halt.

Nyle intelligently suggested they make a more permanent if still nomadic life in the Southern forest of Ninwood. The land was feared by non-magical men and would serve as a deterrent for less determined pursuers. It seemed to work, perhaps fearing that guerilla warfare in the forest would be protracted and unproductive the Remal Kingdom backed off and made an official declaration that any sizable Magi forces capable of fighting them had been destroyed. Witch Hunters still came from time to time, and the Remal lands are still held in the tight grip of paranoia that was born of those wars, but the past twelve cycles have been one of a tenuous peace thanks to Abel, Nyle, and the other Lord Seniors.

Main Magic Specialization
Nature Magic
Nature magic, contrary to its name does not involve the things one would normally think of being part of “nature” like animals and trees. It is instead the magic of biology, the magic of one’s own body to be more specific. It allows complete control over most functions; this includes increasing strength, decreasing presence (such as decreasing the weight placed in footsteps to make them silent), one’s voice, natural reaction time, and can allow a person to go longer without necessities. It is one of several magics that when mastered can extend the users lifespan (though not to the levels the Magic of Life can), though Nyle is not at that level.

This does not mean it makes the user superhuman, but instead heightens all their abilities to those above a normal human of the otherwise same build. This means that direct confrontation with more than one opponent is unwise, and more than two or three is still just as deadly as for a normal man. Instead this magic is better suited to stealth, and has historically been the magic of scouts and assassins, as well as metal workers and other magic crafts that require strength. In fitting with this Nyle is the best infiltrator in the Magi’s group, and can play silent killer when need be, having been in war he does not flinch at taking life though he would prefer staying silent

Secondary Magic Specialization
Destruction Magic
The magic of…well….destroying things, usually via explosion. Some Magi of greater skill can cause mass distortions in the fabric of space; others suffice with giant fireballs. In Nyle’s case his own is far more humble, taking the form of a miniature blast that never exceeds the size of his palm. He most frequently uses this for blowing locks open if his cover has already been blown, or for instantly knocking a foe out if he has the drop on them as the concussive force created is greater than any fist.