SOF - People Thread

[Blackbird26]

This is all the character info and character creation rules:

Limited Roles:

Black Knights: 1

White Knights: 3

Shadow's Conflict: 10 (remember to PM Mr_Doomed in advance for this)

Blackpond Commander: 1 (Head of the Blackpond army)


READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR CHARACTER:

- Use the provided character sheets.

- Characters in this land are human. (the only exceptions to this are plot relevant, and I won’t be making any more)

- Only one enlightened ability per character. Enlightenments may be used in different ways and still consist in only one ability. If you have doubts as to what is or not allowed, ask me.

- Enlightened have normal human appearance. The only exception I will take to this is a change in eye color when the ability is in use.

- All enlightenments must have a side effect. That means something that happens, without exception, every time the character uses the ability and that limits its use.

- There are roles that are limited in number and I will not reserve these spots. If you want one, be quick and submit a character. If two people apply for the same character I will choose whichever I think is more fitting. So, it doesn’t matter how many people expressed interest in a role, until I accept a character, it is still available.

- For that reason, I will not accept characters that are still being edited. You may submit an unfinished character sheet, but I won’t accept until it’s completed.

- Make sure to contact the person/people in charge of your city/faction:

Blackpond and all related factions: Mr_Doomed
Newhaven: Trickster
Wolfpack, Crimson Shadows and White Shadows: Me.

[Blackbird26]

THE PEOPLE:

The Enlightened: There are people in the land of Valcrest that are born with a special ability that manifests when they reach the age 12. Those abilities can be anything from hearing other people’s thoughts to conjuring and manipulating fire. They have the appearance of regular people except that their eyes glow, very lightly or change colors, when they use their ability. That is why they have been named the enlightened.

No one knows where those abilities actually come from, although legends tell that the Enlightened are descendants of the Twins themselves, all that is known for sure is that they usually occur repeatedly amongst the members of the same families, although it is not guaranteed that a child of an Enlightened will have any ability, and there is no way of knowing for sure until the child in question reaches the age of 12.

OBSERVATION: Any character born in Valcrest may possess ONE enlightenment.

Blackpond: The people of Blackpond have been going through some really rough times lately. The crime rate in the city has gone sky high and nothing seems to have been done about it. Even though frustrated with their new king, the mass of Blackpond’s population has come to accept the fact that there is nothing they can do against the man. Every attempt to even lift a finger has been neutralized immediately. Most of the population has turned to criminal acts in order to survive and provide for their families, or simply because out of greed or kicks, and those acts seem to be completely ignored by the City Guard and the military in general. Wandering around the city streets unarmed is considered nothing less than suicide.

Shadow’s Conflict: The Shadow’s Conflict is probably the least known and most ruthless group in Valcrest. The only people who really know about them are either dead, or the Shadow’s Conflict has a reason to have themselves known by them. Truth be told, there are probably about fifteen people alive who know about them. Out of those fifteen people however, only a select few know the names of these people.
The Shadow’s Conflict is a group of assassins that went through a very harsh training from the Commander Hastings of Blackpond. They were Blackpond’s equivalent to the Black Knights in that they could do anything they wanted to as long as they got the job done. From a young age, they have been taught a moral system that makes them believe their actions, no matter how terrible they are, are still justified. Every single one has enlightenment and if they don’t, they would have had to keep it a secret while Hasting’s was still around or else they would be killed, like the many others who had trained to become an assassin, but never developed a power.
Out of the one hundred babies that were stolen at birth, only fifteen of them survived the training. Now there are only thirteen assassins in the Shadow’s Conflict.

OBSERVATION: If you wish to be a member of this group, please PM Mr_Doomed in advance.

Military Ranks of Blackpond:

Knights/Officers: The elite warriors of Blackpond. They usually lead the troops of soldiers into battle and are the closest to the ruler. They are usually the ones who advise the ruler in all matters of war. They are of noble blood and very well respected amongst the general population. They are currently the ones in charge of running the attack on Newhaven. They are known for avoiding confrontation, but it is said to be impossible to go against one of them in battle and live to tell.

Castle Guards: These are the best trained fighters and warriors in Blackpond. They are rarely ever seen away from the castle grounds, and are the ruler’s first line of defense. However, they can be called out to war as a last resort. The Captain of the CG is usually held in the same level of respect as any Knight would.

City Guards: The city guards are mostly citizens that have been arrested for committing crimes are granted pardon in exchange of joining the city guard. They are unorganized and known for leaving when confronted by stronger groups, such as Pack members or one of the many thieves that terrorize the streets of Blackpond. They offer more protection to certain homes in exchange for bribes, and are not opposed to killing or stealing themselves if needed be.

Soldiers: Soldiers: They’re the police, so to speak. The expendable ones that follow orders, maintain peace, and die first.

Military Character sheet (for civilian citizen, simply remove “rank”):

Code: Select all

[b]Full Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b] (18 minimum for soldier, 20 for Knight, 15 for civilian)

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Rank:[/b]

[b]City:[/b] Blackpond

[b]Ability (if Enlightened):[/b]

[b]Description:[/b] (pictures are optional, words are NOT)

[b]Theme Song:[/b] (Optional. Add as many as you like, provide a link. ex: [url=http://youtubelink]Title - Artist[/url])

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Likes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Dislikes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Equipment:[/b] (weapons and other personal items)

[b]Background:[/b] (Where you character was born, how you entered the military, how you learned of your special abilities, if any… Write a novel if you like. I’ll read it and love it.)

[b]Other:[/b] (anything else you'd like to add)

Newhaven: The people of Newhaven are slowly recuperating from the damages caused by the past attacks to the city. The Market area is still filled with abandoned and closed shops, and the increase in illegal gambling, prostitution and other minor crimes has made the area a little more dangerous than it once used to be.

Military Ranks of Newhaven:

White Knights: The White Knights are usually of noble lineage and enrolled in the military at a young age. They are the most skilled warriors as well as the highest military authority in Newhaven. They are also the ones in charge of all the bureaucracy and politics involved in the war. A force to be feared by anyone who stands against their city, in spite of being well-known, respected by all and admired by most, those who know the “Whites” up close know how vicious they can become when in confrontation; especially if such confrontation involves Blackpond in any way. The one thing that prevents them from gathering the same reputation as the Black Knights do, is the fact that are the ones who represent the city army inside Newhaven. For that reason, they take great care of their reputations as well as every existing precaution to ensure they are not seen by the general public as the same kind of psychotic killers their counterparts are known to be.
The title of White Knight doesn’t come easy, and the title of White Knight Captain is an honor only granted to some of the greatest warriors and leaders known to Valcrest. Not only are the White Knights responsible for the city’s defenses, they have a very big say in all matter involving the war. They are also the ones in charge of the mass of Newhaven’s army. Their armor, shields and helms are of a bright silver color, sometimes adorned with the engraving of golden sun, a tribute to their God of worship.

The White Knights were particularly important to Newhaven in the short period the city remained without a ruler. Not only by keeping some level of peace on the streets and actively participating in the city’s political decisions, but also by showing themselves as often as possible, in order to reassure the public that even without a King they remained under some sort of leadership. Even though it was a small gesture, it helped keeping things from getting too out of hand.

Black Knights: Aside from the Wolfpack, these are the most vicious killers known in Valcrest. Former mercenaries and/or criminals, these men and women are chosen for their skilled and offered a clean slate and a new life by pledging allegiance to Newhaven. They are trained under the best of the Newhaven Knights, as well as the Black Knight captain, and stripped of any trace of their pasts until they have nothing left in them but the will to protect their city. They answer only to their Captain; and the Black Knight captain answers to no one aside from the Captain of the White Knights or the city ruler personally. The Black Knights are known by many unofficial titles amongst the people of Valcrest (War Hounds, and Death Knights are a few examples) and hold a reputation for being unnecessarily vicious when not kept on a very tight leash. Their armors helms and shields are all Black, sometimes adorned by the engraving of a crescent moon; a tribute to their Goddess of worship.
There are five Black Knights, one Captain and four others; all of them skilled in all areas of combat, but each an expert in one. The BKs control a small group of no more than 50 soldiers, known inside the Castle walls as the Black Guard; identifiable by their black uniforms adorned with the characteristic crescent moon. These 50 soldiers are hand-picked and trained by the BK Captain personally, and are known to be, not only incredibly skilled, but extremely loyal.

Even though in the past years the Black Knights have been seen more often roaming the city and fighting out in the open, their true identities remain unknown to the public. Since they have never been seen roaming the streets of Newhaven without having their faces hidden by the dark helms, they could be just anyone. Several rumors and urban legends have been passed around throughout the city, encouraged by the city officers, concerning the identity of the Knights. Some people seem convinced that the Black Knights are undead, or immortal, warriors. While others seem to think it’s plausible that the White Knights themselves wear the black armor to avoid being identified (despite the fact that they are, on occasion, seen alongside the White Knights).

Despite all the rumors and their reputation for being capable of unspeakable acts, the one and only mission of these Knights hasn’t change with the passing of years: To protect Newhaven at all costs.

Castle guard: The Castle Guard is not only the city ruler’s last line of defense, but they are also in charge of maintaining order within the city dungeons. While they usually never leave the Castle walls while on duty, they may be called out into the city streets if there is an emergency situation.

City guard/ Soldiers: They’re the police, so to speak. The expendable ones that follow orders, maintain peace and die first.

Military Character Sheet (for civilian citizen, simply remove “rank”):

Code: Select all

[b]Full Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b] (18 minimum for soldier, 20 for Knight, 15 for civilian)

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Rank:[/b]

[b]City:[/b] Newhaven

[b]Ability (if Enlightened):[/b]

[b]Description:[/b] (pictures are optional, words are NOT)

[b]Theme Song:[/b] (Optional. Add as many as you like, provide a link, as such: [url=http://youtubelink]Title - Artist[/url])

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Likes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Dislikes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Equipment:[/b] (weapons and other personal items)

[b]Background:[/b] (Where you character was born, how you entered the military, how you learned of your special abilities, if any… Write a novel if you like. I’ll read it and love it.)

[b]Other:[/b] (anything else you'd like to add)

The Wolfpack: The inhabitants of the assassin camp are a very diverse group of people; they vary from skilled assassins to women and children. The laws of The Wolfpack are strict, and punishments vary from minor chores to death. There are usually always two leaders in the clan, and the command has been passed to members of the same family for generations ever since it was created until three years ago, when command was challenged and the clan gained a new leadership. Even though they are assassins, the Pack members are trained from a young age and taught to hit nothing other than the target, unless they are in a life threatening situation, which has happened very little in the course of history.

HIERARCHY

1st in command: The leader of the clan. The word of the leader is law unless it contradicts the 4 basic laws of the clan (stated below). Every living breathing human inside the limit of the Wolfpack’s territory is the responsibility of the leader. And it is up to the leader to keep the clan and its member’s best interest in mind at all times.

2nd in command: The main duty of the second commander of the Wolfpack is to discuss with the leader all matters referring to the clan and their members. Even though the 1st in command will always have the final say, it is a position given to someone the leader respects and trusts (since the leader’s death will immediately grant the 2nd commander control over the clan), therefore it is unlikely for the clan leader to make a decision without discussing it with the Second and reaching a solution they both agree to.

Instructors: Assassins who are experienced enough to train other's (Instructors can be as young as 18). Instructors are also the highest authority in the camp aside from the leaders, and are often used to pass the leaders commands along to the Actives and Recruits.

Actives: Assassins who have completed training and are ready to complete assignments (Actives can be as young as 15). Active assassins are those who have completed their training and are considered, by their Instructor as well as the clan leader, fit to fulfill assignments alone.

Messengers/Recruiters: Assassins who live outside camp, in the cities, and gather information from targets, meet with clients, and scout for possible recruits. There are usually two of them stationed in each of the two cities, working at the inn.

Workers: People who stand guard, cut firewood, gather supplies and such. Workers are civilians. Members of the clan who did not complete, or did not take part in, the assassin training, but reside and work in the encampment under the assassins’ protection.

Recruits: Those undergoing training. Recruits are the bottom of the food chain. The only thing that keeps them from being eaten alive is the protection of their instructors. Recruits born in the clan can be as old as 21, since they can only become Actives when their instructor decides they are ready to take on an assignment. After that age if they have not been considered ready to become Active they are kept in camp grounds and work as guards. People who aren’t born in the clan are given 5 years to complete training, if they are 15 or older.

LAWS AND PUNISHMENTS

4 General laws:
1. If two or more members are sent on assignment together, all must return to camp, dead or alive, unless all members of the party are killed. Leaving a companion behind is unacceptable. Violation of this rule may be viewed as treason, depending on circumstances.

2 .Any form of violence directed at another clan member is strictly forbidden. Seriously injuring or killing another member will be considered treason and therefore punished accordingly.

3. Deaths that are not authorized by the leaders will be considered a risk to the safety of the clan and will be viewed as treason. Unless the before mentioned death is a result of self-defense, or necessary for the preservation of the clan member’s identity.

4. Treason is punishable by DEATH (at the leader’s discretion).

Hierarchy:

- Instructors can only be punished by the leaders.

- Actives can only be punished by instructors or the leaders

- If a recruit has an issue with another member of the clan, he or she must report the problem to his/her instructor. No recruit is allowed to talk back to any other member of the clan, for any reason.

CHALLENGING COMMAND:
Any member of the clan (aside from recruits), at any moment, can challenge the leader for command. However once the challenge is set, the individual has only two choices: Fight the leader or leave the clan forever. The only on the other hand, has no choice but to accept the challenge or give up command.

In order to successfully take command of the clan through a challenge, a member of the clan must challenge the leader in front of witnesses, and the defeat the leader in a fair fight, in front of the whole clan. Some unspoken rules are applied to this particular battle:

- The challenging member must attack first. If he chooses to recant, at this point it is still a possibility. Once past the first strike, there is no turning back.
- The challenging member cannot attack until the leader has a weapon in hand.
- Interference from any third party is extremely forbidden and may be viewed as treason.
- The victor has the right to kill the opponent once the battle is over.

Other Rules:

- No alcohol is to be consumed inside camp grounds
- Anything a recruit tells his/her Instructor is confidential, except to the leaders.
- Shooting arrows/knives/darts inside camp (excluding the training field) is a big no-no.
- Recruits are not allowed to carry weapons outside of training and may be punished by any clan member if caught with one.


Punishments:

Suspension: Member has his/her weapons taken and is forbidden to leave camp grounds for a certain period of time. During that time the member might be confined to his/her chambers or ordered to do minor works.

Expulsion: Member is sent away and forbidden to ever step foot on camp grounds, or keep in contact with any clan member.

Execution: Self-explanatory; usually performed by the leader, publicly.


Character sheet (Wolfpack):

Code: Select all

[b]Full Name:[/b]

[b]Alias (if Active assassin):[/b] Name for which your character is known professionally (this name is the one used in clan records and similar documents instead of the Active’s real name)

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b] (15 minimum)

[b]Ability (if enlightened):[/b] All abilities must include a down side, or side effect to them. Also note that the younger your character is, the less control he’ll have over his ability, since they awaken at age 12.


[b]Description:[/b] (pictures are optional, words are NOT)

[b]Theme Song:[/b] (Optional. Add as many as you like, provide a link, as such: [url=http://youtubelink]Title - Artist[/url])

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Likes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Dislikes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Equipment:[/b] (weapons and other personal items)

[b]Background:[/b] Must include place of birth (any of the above mentioned cities, the camp, or smaller village which you may create), how your character arrived at the clan and at what age your character graduated (if active assassin).

[b]Other:[/b] (Anything else you’d like to add)


The White Shadows – The healers: The healer clan of the White Shadows has deeply felt the effects of the war. Not only has their leader left the clan, and soon after the Land itself, but the healers suffered pressures from Blackpond’s population, that for some reason decided they didn’t feel comfortable in allowing the healers to return to the plains, and would much rather have them as far away as possible. The Shadows remained in the desert for almost three years, assisting only those who managed to go see them for help, not many could, and trying without success to calm the tensions between them and the city’s population.

Eventually, the people from Blackpond simply silenced their protests and stopped their aggressions on the healers. However, many had been killed by the aggressors, and most of the healers have left the clan; their spirits broken by the violence. The peace that group once preached became harder and harder to believe in, and now: only a small number of healers (no more than fifty) remains, attempting to rebuild their encampment in the plains and take baby steps in the direction of what the clan once used to be.

Healer Clan – The White Shadows

HIERARCHY:

Leader: The leader is the keeper of all information regarding the clan’s history, methods and rituals. The leader is to choose a successor prior to his/her death, and train this individual personally.

Spiritual Healers: Theses are Enlightened healers who have the ability seal wounds by transferring part of their own energy onto the patient. It is said that other abilities are tied to this form of healing, but this information is neither confirmed nor denied by those that have come into contact with these healers. Spiritual healers are trained from a young age to manipulate their own vital energy and in some rare cases they have the ability to seal their own wounds. These healers are said be sent by Goddess Peace herself, mostly due to the fact that this is an extremely rare enlightenment and that, coincidentally or not, Spiritual Healers usually are born within the White Shadows clan. They are usually appointed as leaders the moment the ability is discovered, even though the current leader has no obligation to do so, it is how it usually goes.

Medicinal Healers: These are healers who have studied and mastered the use of several species of plants and other substances in order to make medicine, antidotes and, in some cases even, poisons. They are also knowledgeable in human anatomy and are the ones usually sent to assist the cities and the assassin camp in times of need. They are usually left unharmed by both armies as well as the assassins, therefore are free to roam the land safely. They are also usually the ones who teach the younger apprentices on how to properly identify plants, poisonous animals and properly treat wounds.

Apprentices: Apprentices are usually born into the clan. Outsiders are rarely accepted, and, when they are, they are usually viewed with suspicion by other apprentices. Apprentices born into the clan begin their studies at age 5, and are graduated at the age of 18. Outsider apprentices are usually older therefore, more severely trained in order to keep up with the others. Most of them don’t make it to the initiation and are asked to leave the clan, or stay in to work as assistants.

Assistants: Assistants are viewed mostly as tools. Most of them are apprentices who never completed their studies for some reason. Every graduated healer is entitled to an assistant although most of them don’t really see the use for one. Every assistant is the responsibility of his/her master, and therefore are bound to that healer unless dismissed. That basically means that if the healer violates to rules his/her assistant is bound to suffer the same punishment. (Assistants are NOT slaves. They work for the healer simply to be allowed to stay in the clan and learn the trade and they are free to leave at any time).

LAWS AND PUNISHMENTS

Laws of the clan:
1. No acts of violence are to be committed, if not in self-defense, and no weapons are to be brought into The Ruins. (Healers are now allowed to carry weapons outside of their camp)
2. No request for help is to be ignored under any circumstance.
3. No one is to be judged on their past.
4. Whatever is said by any patient is confidential.
5. Any information regarding the clan’s teachings costumes is confidential.

Punishments
1. Minor violations are punished with suspension, which forbids the clan member from leaving the Ruins. Chores may be added to this punishment, such as manual labor. Visitors may be inflicted such punishment if they are found with weapons or get into fights. If a visitor refuses to take the punishment he or she will no longer be allowed in the encampment in the future.

2. Taking a person’s life, or causing any harm to another human being, if not in self-defense, will immediately break all bonds between the healer and the clan, making him an outcast and forbidding him to communicate with the remaining of the clan or enter the territory. This was once applied to any form of violence, even in self-defense. The rule has been changed for the healers’ protection.

OBSERVATIONS: If you wish to apply as a healer, please PM me in advance and I will give more information and a CS to follow.

The Crimson Shadows (Mercenary group):
The Crimson Shadows are, in its core, the remaining of the people of Effort and Brightvale. Even if they add anyone that seems slightly worthy into their ranks, the majority is still of descendants of the ancient cities. They are mercenaries who have refused to aid any of the armies since the war has devastated their homes. Instead their offer protection to travelers and taking as many strays as they can, which made the group grow fast. They are not very organized and the only thing they are not allowed to do is hurt women and children. That, and “obey the leaders” are the only rules for these mercenaries. More into the business of personal protection and minor “victimless” crimes such as picking pockets and stealing horses, they will do almost any kind of work for those that can pay, and may, or may not, provide help to people who are in trouble for no compensation at all (although they always find a way to get the favor returned somehow).
The Crimson have reclaimed the territory of the ruins where the city of Brightvale once stood, as their rightful territory not long after its destruction and have worked for over three generations to make it a safe place. Anyone who wanders through the desert may reach out to them for aid; they are friendly and often welcome visitors with parties (and liquor).
No long ago a sect of some sort formed in the desert, and drove the mercenaries and other inhabitants away from the ruins. Most of them took a small piece of the Pack’s territory as their hiding place, with Dani Rivers’ consent. However, after the strange cult’s sudden disappearance, the mercenaries returned to the desert and reclaimed their homes.

Crimson Shadows character sheet:

Code: Select all

[b]Full Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Gender:[/b]

[b]Lineage:[/b] (Brightvale, Effort or other)

[b]Ability (if Enlightened):[/b]

[b]Description:[/b] (pictures are optional, words are NOT)

[b]Theme Song:[/b] (Optional. Add as many as you like, provide a link, as such: [url=http://youtubelink]Title - Artist[/url])

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Likes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Dislikes:[/b] (optional)

[b]Equipment:[/b] (weapons and other personal items)

[b]Background:[/b]

[b]Other:[/b] (Anything else you’d like to add)

[Essence]

Full Name: Essence V. Talon (Ess)

Age: Unknown/appears 25 but probably around 30yrs, she has been on her own too long to care to keep track of her age.

Gender: Female

City: Newhaven

Origin Outskirts of Blackhurst

Ability Ess calls it her "Mirage". She is not what she seems and can manipulate her form in an illusion to change her
round:[/b]shape and features. She still learning the extent of her powers and wishes she could create a mirage of a wolf as she has a stronger bond w/ her silver pawed friend, Tala than any human since her brother Ian... but who knows. If she uses her gift too often with in a a month, her eyes and/or nose will bleed profusely Other: (anything else you'd like to add)concluding to blackouts or perhaps one day worse. She does not know for sure. She is afraid one day she will lose herself. Upon display of her gift, her hair turns a deep auburn and the silver lining of her iris' the only thing giving her away. Her gift also makes it hard to determine her real age. She is quite older than she appears, but never reveals that secret.

Description: A small scar elongates her left eye vertically, which is darkened on purpose so that the stares of strangers isn't of discust, but uneasiness. Essence is unique and quite a mystery, standing about 5'7", hour glass figure usually draped in black and red silk gowns or grey tunic and trousers. Her deep Mahagony curls cradle her arms as she stares deep into souls
through violet, silver lined eyes. The longer she stares, the more her gaze glows an emanating light against her pale skin.

Theme Song:
I Am The One - Dragon Age: Origins Soundtrack
The Party Camp - Dragon Age: Origins Soundtrack
Lelianna's Song - Dragon Age: Origins Soundtrack

Personality:
Quick witted, sarcastic, very loyal and trustworthy except she can't trust others back.
She ironically tries to hide and not drawn attention to herself. Ess is a surviver first, sometimes lacking morale which can
get her in trouble at times. Ess won't sugar coat the truth and sometimes being blunt makes her seem heartless and cold, but she is quite the opposite. Alluring and saucy at times, usually proving deadly, she is mastering deception. Her demeanor is
just naturally a tempting flirt, her voice is soft and even in harsh moments it never rises, making her appear mocking and patronizing to others. She loves to laugh but finds it scarce. Her greatest weakness is empathy and how she can not always control her shifting.
She vows never to fall in love,(but longs for the companionship) and has few friends because she finds most creatures to be evil, although the friends she finds are for life. She holds many secrets...
Not many can resist her charms,deny her loyalty.
..Trying to outrun her violet stare, will only hypnotize one into her arms for eternity


Likes: Animals, men, light eyes and dark hair, a good laugh, liquor, drawing, sleeping under the stars, and a fair fight.

Dislikes: Men, people who let and watch bad things occur, any who will harm children or animals, people who cheat
or lie

Equipment:
Black silk hooded cloak, knee high laced boots, she carries an array of poisons, which she will use by themselves or applied to her throwing knives or silver-lined sword (falchion style) engraved in a forgotten language..the
meaning unknown to her, and several daggers hidden along her body.

Background:
It seems like she never is allowed to stay in one place for very long, as much as she tries. She was no more than 7 when she last saw her brother Ian. It was late one night in her tiny village of WhirlWind, on the outskirts of Blackhurt and her father Dirk had left their home in a panic at the stirring of women's screams. Dark armoured figures broke into their home, slashing wildly at her father. Her last memory of her father was his silent scream, eyes bulging as his head smacked into the wall, impaled upon the mounted deer's antlers. Ian tried to barracade Ess's door, but the wood split as they rammed into it full speed, knocking Ian to the ground, unconcious. Ess never knew if her brother lived. She was taken that night, as were the other girls of the town.

She was taken to Blackpond as a slave by mercenaries with a dark agenda. She first lost her innocense only after a week, made to be the sick fantasies of evil men and women, for a nominal fee. When she tried to rebel, they'd beat her. When she submitted, they'd beat her. When she thought she was broken, defeated, one of the girls introduced her to their "benefactor" Tye, who was even more evil than the rest. She had just reached a delicate age where her gift began to manifest. It lasted only for a few moments, as she lye in bed praying to the stars to be someone else...anyone else. To escape this secret life of the flesh. Ess began to cry and it frightened her so when she tasted that metallic iron upon her lips. Quickly she wiped at her eyes, blinded temporarily. A thick, sticky ooze streaked her pale skin. She jumped to the window, staring blankly at her reflection as it melted from the spitting image of her brother Ian, back to her sad features. That was the first time.

Tye was revealed Ess's gift after his nightly visit with her. He was startled into thinking she was a boy! He liked the idea at first and tried his damndest to teach her to use that gift at will for his own pleasure's. When she refused, he made a deep, vertical cut underneath her left eye.

"I know you didn't mean it," she whispered. Smiling sweetly as blood poured down her cheek, she reached between his legs with one hand, the other reaching for his short sword left lazily on the floor. She leaned in slowly to kiss Tye deeply and as he bit her lip, she thrusted the blade between his ribs, twisting hard.

"You like boys so much...", she teased, "I thought you wanted to know how it felt to be stuck like a pig!"

As soon as she retracted the blade, Tye's personal guards came rushing in and knocked a hilt of a sword into her head and all went black. When she had awoken, she was lying naked in a dark, cold room. Heavy breathy creeping from each corner as rough hands grabbed her and spat in her ear, "This will take the fight out of you...."
They beat her, raped her, and cut her so bad, she would never know the joys of being a mother. Her "owner" thought she was dead. Ebony was her name and she enjoyed Ess's torment just as much as the men did. But to Ebony's dismay, Ess lived.

Months went by as she healed, where she was put on "light duty" for her owner. She feared she'd never get that foul taste out of her mouth. But she had a lot of down time for once. She spent hours remembering Ian and her father sparring in the early evenings while she milked the cows and gathered water from the town well. Using a broken chair leg, Ess began to mimick those memories, attempting to teach herself those lost dances.

When she was allowed to go to the market for her master, Ess scowered the book shops gathering everything she could find on plant life and the healing and poisoning affects of each.

'Why don't I just make a run for it?', she thought. 'They'd find me..and I"m not strong enough.'

Years went by as she partook in her private lessons. One day, Ebony didn't wake up from slumber.

"Poisoned!", the streets rang out in mixed fear and glee.

Ess only smiled, even though she was not free, Ebony's brother took over the buisness.

Ess took advantage when the occassion arrised for her to flee about 15 years ago, escaping with only a few slit throats on her way. In the evening one dark, starless night, she heard the screams of war as Blackpond was attacked, yet again. The battle had spilled into the street in front of her "home" and she couldn't ignore the perfect distraction for her to slip away.

I wonder if it's Newhaven again, or another nameless army pissed off at this beautiful city, she thought sarcastically

Somewhere in the deep forests, beyond the city, she came across a silver-greyed wolf cub, trapped in a make shift snare. She took pity on the creature, thinking how it reminded her of herself. Ess calls her Tala, meaning wolf, and the loyal loving beast has yet to leave her side. She did find Newhaven before they closed off their gates. There, she kept to herself. Unfortunately all she has known is the business of flesh and continues her own personal solisitation, sometimes just robbing them blind. Ess longs for something more, like most do. She is always keeping an eye out for someone she may be able to trust, who may help her continue her studies with the sword and poisons alike.

[Trickster]

Hey all. So I'm putting up the bare bones of Mageria's camp, just kinda choose a forum to put it in.

Mageria has a training camp hidden in the woods about 30-45 min north of Newhaven. That’s where they’re going to be hiding out in. It once was a logging camp, was abandoned at some point, and then the Black Knights and Guard found it and fixed it up for their purposes.

The camp is in the middle of the woods, and actually was built to blend into the surroundings as much as possible. So even in the middle of camp there’s some of the bigger trees that were left alone and just worked around. It’s in the middle of really rough ground, lots of hills and tiny cliffs, sudden drop offs and such. Because of that, for the most part the cabins and such are built into the hills, similar to earth shelter homes. So you could easily walk right past one, if not for the fact that some of them have chimneys and windows. No glass on the windows, they’re all semi-transparent cloth and shutters. Mageria’s cabin is actually built into the hill beneath a huge old tree, the door framed by roots and a patchwork stone patio outside.

The camp is bordered on the North by a river, deep and fast towards the East, then it broadens out and is a bit slower as it flows to the West. On the narrow end it has a rope bridge with a path leading away from it through the camp. The wider end has a series of sapling poles driven into the area around the bank, all of them about 3 or 4 inches across and cut so that they’re flat. Ess is going to be very familiar with these, as they are part of agility training. Course, they're more fun during the summer.

The camp is in the middle of a large clearing and the surrounding woods is an absolute tangle of overgrowth, vines so old and tough that you can’t chop through them. There’s one obvious path in, guarded by people in tree perches. As you enter the clearing, you’re coming from the South, between two hills that have barracks and storerooms built into them. Once you get past them, ahead of you is the rope bridge, and to your left is the poles in the river. If you walk toward the poles, you go through the area that houses the Knights, small little cabins of about two or three rooms. Then you get to the training yard, about the size of one of the courtyards back at the Castle, with the grass beaten down in the center. Back towards the side of the training yard is where Mageria’s cabin is, along with a slightly smaller cabin for a medic.

The camp is build to hold about 30 people orginaly, so things are going to be uncomfortably crowded for a while, but during the month one of the Guard who is an earth and stone mover is going to be hollowing out more room. So even though it’ll be rough, eventually there will be enough room for everyone. I figure that Mageria will have the kids and maybe one of the wives of her soldier’s in her cabin, so she’ll have to offer guests the choice of sleeping in a tent or in one of the new buildings. These would be something along the lines of a deep room dug/sunk into the side of a hill, then a roof of interwoven branches built up over it, then sealed with a mud and clay mixture. It's rough, but weather tight and warm. They'd just have to sleep on the floor.

Mageria’s own cabin is built on two levels. When you go in the door, you’re on a landing in the middle of the stair case, with up to the left and down to the right. The upper level has a conference area and library/map/study area. Downstairs is a sitting area with a hearth in the middle of the room that has a chimney that goes up through the upper level. Towards the back is a bedroom with built in furniture; bed, drawers, cabinets, ect. All of the furniture is built from something you could find in the woods, branches woven together, the tables are all slabs of wood that have been smoothed and stained. The conference table is a huge section of a tree; cut so that you can count the rings. (It’s an abandoned logging camp, so everything’s built from what they could find in the area.) The other Knight’s cabins have similar type of furniture, just a bedroom and sitting room all on one level.

The medics cabin is built to shelter 6 or so injured at a time (they never needed more space than that before) in the front room, with a back room holding medicines and poisons (thin line between the two sometimes) and a basic distilling unit.

New People Include
Eve Kohr - aprox 5'2", tiny and full of fire, blonde hair and blue eyes, tends to dress very nicely, even in current conditions, somehow always manages to stay fairly clean no matter what. She's taken over running the day to day bits of the camp and if anybody tells her no she just glares them into submission.
Jess Tallot - heavily pregnate wife of one of the soldiers, she's living in Mageria's cabin for the moment. She decided to follow her husband out into the forest; when he threw a fit about it Mageria let her take the bed. She's currently helping ride herd on the children taking up space in the main cabin, they're living there because it has the space and it's the warmest structure at the moment. (It's good to be the Captain sometimes)

That's everything I can think of at the moment, but if you have questions go ahead and ask.

[Blackbird26]

The Order:

The Order is a cult, although they reject that label and prefer to be referred to as a brotherhood, of people whose ultimate goal is to ‘right the wrong of Enlightenment’. Their leader is an individual born with the unusual gift of granting magical abilities to others through their Enlightenment; every time a member of the family is born with the gift (referred to as ‘power-imprinting’), the title of ‘Master’ is passed on to the next generation and the identity of the Master of the Order is usually never known outside the highest ranks of the Brootherhood.

Hierarchy:

Lessers: Non-powered members (pure or tainted) who work as servants or lackeys. Mostly work at the Manor, serving the higher members, or at the brotherhoods' businesses. Are identifiable by their grey clothing.

Prospects: Non-powered members who wish to become Branded. Usually accompany the higher members on missions to assassinate or intimidate, but remain under the command of the Branded at all times. Are identifiable by their dark red (if ‘pure’), or brown (if ‘tainted’) clothing.

Branded: Powered members (pure) who are worthy enough to receive an imprint and be welcomed into the brotherhood as a full member. Are mostly given missions to intimidate, torture and interrogate, or assassinate, according to the brotherhood’s needs; are recognized by their black clothing and for having the mark of the order branded into their bodies; are usually imprinted with powerful and dangerous abilities.

Elite: Powered members (pure and usually female) who form the Master’s inner circle. They are usually imprinted with healing and passive psychic abilities (precognitive abilities, mind reading etc). Serve the purpose of finding spies and traitors, treating wounded amongst the Branded, and advising the Master, as an oracle of sorts; are recognized by their dark blue clothing (usually hooded cloaks).

* 'Tainted' is a term used by Order members for an individual of enlightened blood who hasn't manifested a magical ability.

Master/Mistress: Leader of the Order; only recognized by the brotherhood’s Elite members and a few hand-picked Branded.

The Manor

'The Manor' is the headquarters of The Order; it is a mansion located in a secluded area of the forest on the outskirts of Blackpond. The house is described from the outside as a 'creepy looking mansion', it is said to be owned by the Master's family for generations. The house has three highers floors and three underground levels, and even its inhabitants are unaware as to everything contained behind its locked doors. Even amongst Elite members of the Order, only the Master holds keys to all the doors and knowledge of what secrets they unlock. What is known:

Ground Floor: Main hall, kitchens/dining halls, armories, training areas/gardens, Lesser's sleeping quarters.

2nd Floor: Bath rooms, Prospect's sleeping quarters.

3rd Floor: Bath rooms, Branded sleeping quarters, Elite sleeping quarters, Master's personal chambers.

Underground: Presumably dungeons and 'interrogation rooms'.