At The Edge of the World - OCC

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Indri'Enis: The Year of the Roc - 1675.
Planet
Apart from being more oceanic, i.e. ¾ water, this world differs little from Earth. It is a similar size with the same density, gravity and atmosphere and has only a single sun. It does, however, have two moons – Isiah and Ortel – that orbit perpendicular to each other. Major constellations include the Little Cub, Hertius, and Lia’s Mirror. A bright blue speck marks the nearest planet – named Lorvas – and is visible during day and night.

Landscape
Most land = archipelagos of between 1 and 20 islands, scattered randomly across the globe. There are no continents, only Regions and Archipelagos. Landscape ranges widely like Earth, with forests, deserts, mountains, ice, etc. About 60% of the land is habitable (i.e. big enough and with a habitable landscape).

The story will take place upon Ista, the largest island of the Istan Region which contains six islands in total - in order of size: Ista, Galvos, Forten (uninhabitable), Mart and Ninia (uninhabitable). Ista is an extinct volcanic island with the main towns and cities huddled in the centre of the large (miles-wide) crater and surrounded by mountains. A pass created by an ancient glacier carves through the SE side of the mountain ring, opening out into the largest harbour in the world. Many beaches and coves can be found around the outer edge of the island and a large reef encompasses the whole of the N/E. Climate is the same as the rest of the world, though the major cities and towns are protected to some extent from the worst of it by the mountainous barrier that surrounds them.

Goat and sheep are the main farming practice, grazing on the rough mountain slopes, and cities often hold their own orchards. The mountains cannot be navigated during the winter and, during the blizzard month, even the large SE pass is often too dangerous to travel through. Forests – coniferous on the inner edge, tropical on the outer – can be found at the base of the volcano and are more clumped than evenly spread in the crater due to forestry.

At the centre point of the crater is a lake that is fed from several small tributaries from their sources on the mountain peaks to the estuary mouth at the sea, through the SE pass.

Climate/Tides
Climate is generally the same all over the world but with season extremes: Spring = monsoon season, Summer = drought season, Autumn = hurricane season, Winter = blizzard season. Extremes are predictable, with each season containing a full month of sporadic extreme weather, i.e. March-May = Spring (monsoons = April), June-August = Summer (drought = July), September-November = Autumn (hurricanes = October), December-February = Winter (blizzards = January).

Tides are extreme four times a year when the moons are closest to each other and correspond with the extreme weather: high tides in April and October (often resulting in floods) and low tides in July and January (land bridges form between some islands).

Animals
Teela are the sentient humanoid natives, having evolved from ape-like ancestors, and have been around for just over half a millenia. No other humanoid races as of yet, due to space travel only just being invented.

There are no magical creatures but some very large species are present – most notably Kraken (sea-squids), Morgar (sea-serpents) and Rocs (eagles) – as well as the endemic Eben-wolves (rock-wolves).

There is more than one type of Kraken and each subspecies varies in appearance and size: elongated to round, the size of a small fishing boat to a three-masted flagship and bigger. Kraken are only found on deep-sea voyages and as such, these are made with caution (leading to further segregation of each race).

Morgar are more common than Kraken and vary even more in size – from the size of a small viper to bigger than the width of a carriage and the length of ten – and vary in colouration depending on age. Young Morgar are more brightly coloured, indicating their poisonousness to predators, whereas older Morgar use more stealth in their attacks and thus are duller – often camouflaged.

Rocs - the giant eagles - come in a variety of colours from greys and creams, to blacks and mahoganys. Temperaments also vary between the extremes of hostile and friendly, and a soldier needing to tame a Roc must be wary of the eagle's volatile mood swings. However, Rocs are extremely loyal and once bonded share a very close relationship with whatever it deems its companion. Rocs, therefore can never be adopted once their companion has died. Roc lifespans vary little - most healthy birds living to between 90-100 years - however, lifestyle changes may reduce lifespans significantly e.g. Sky-fighters.

Eben-wolves - commonly known as rock-/cliff-wolves - are wild, secretive creatures that patrol the mountains throughout the globe. The rarely come down from the snowy heights, except in the extreme blizzard month where they can often be found scouring the forests for food. Females have between 2 and 12 cubs and the pack follows a matriarcal heirarchy, males ranging between packs to find mates and hunting singularly. They have been known to attack mounted couriers in times of low food.

Civilisation
Capital island = approx. 46,500,000. World population = approx. 2,000,000,000. Small town = up to 5,000. Large town = between 5,000 and 50,000. City = >50,000.

Cultural diveristy between native Teela is distinguished by their markings – both patterning and colour. More LEDCs than MEDCs (medieval-like era). Social heirarchies within civilisation are often based on colour. Differences in marking shapes often reflects race advancement (the larger and more irregular the markings, the less civilised the race is; can be a generalisation though).

Nb: The eldest sibling often takes on part of the mother/father's name (depending on sex), e.g. my character's older brother Leor takes his name from the first part of his father's forename 'Leortraeus'. Forename of child can be taken from part of parent's forename or family name.

Currency: 1 x Amber Imperial = 5 x Crimson Shillings; 1 x Crimson Shilling = 100 x Ivory Pennies.

Communication on the island is via messenger (usually single rider – rapid delivery) or courier (horse-drawn carriage – slower and more susceptible to bandits). Communication between islands is via Roc - which often only the rich can afford - or via boat. The only possibility of travel between islands in this world is by boat - of which there are all shapes and sizes - as Rocs are only available for travelling in certain occupations, e.g. militant, exploration, courier, etc.

Guilds:
1. Weapons: The most secrective guild of the three, the Weapons Guild has no determined base, though it is well-known across the island. Once a blacksmith establishes his business in weapon-craft, he is contacted by the guild who enforces a licencing fee, in return recieving protection and more high-class clientelle. A smith may also be invited to produce metalwork other than weaponry and is paid hansomly for the privilage. The weapons guild may also provide training to smiths if and when needed.

2. Militant: The Militant Guild is pretty self-explanitary and holds a base - known simply as the Citadel - on the SW side of Ista's crator, close to the pass entrance. Members are invited or can request admission and most are accepted as long as they agree to the training necessary. Different factions are often created through Teela markings, causing some rivalry to arise, however, healers entering the guild from the Academy are accepted and respected by all factions. 'Sky-fighters', 'Stealth' teams and 'Explorers' and are the only militant factions that can rise to the privilage of training and riding Rocs. Sailors are also trained under the militant guild's ageis.

3. Academic: The Academic Guild - also known as the Academy - tutors the poplace in all other aspects than those above. It is the most prominent of its kind and teaches a variety of Teela races, in everything from literature and law to art, theatre and alchemy. The Academy proper is situated on the opposite side of the crator to the Militant Guild, but has various oratoriums across the island - one in each major town.

Healers go through the Academy like the historians, artisits etc. Because healers are so essential, students are often taught in small groups of no more than half-a-dozen to ensure they get the correct training. I'd say a typical healer apprenticeship is around 3-5 years, but most stay on afterwards at the Academy as it can be used as a kind of hospital (people generally know that there will be a healer free if they go to the Academy).

Healing is done in the manner of the alchemists - in fact, it's actually a division of alchemy and both alchemists and healers often study together for their first year. Natural liquids, powders and herbs are used and are mixed to create new ones. Sometimes a healer will create something personal, i.e. not used by anyone else, and these become their trade-mark. Healers can either generalise their knowledge or choose to specify on a particular section of healing, e.g. wounds, burns, sickness, sanity, etc.


'Magic'
‘Magic’ is composed of alchemy or tribal-like rituals, depending on how civilised the race. Simple alchemy uses natural powders and liquids, occasionally bound with ritualisations, whereas complex alchemy used for weapons and flight involves the latter combined with a form of ore called Erythoril.

• Erythoril is a mirrorlike, apricot-coloured ore. It is heavy, smooth and extremely inflexible in solid form. Its melting point is very high, though combining it with other compounds can lower the melting point. Once tempered (like steel), it provides excellent protection from radiation and some insulation against temperature changes, as well as being very unreactive. The smell of sugar comes from this material in its crude form. When exposed to open flame, i.e. when tempered, it becomes paler and almost white-gold in color and is used in this state for metalwork, jewelery and weaponry. When the crude ore is exposed to acid, it explodes, and this has recently been used in the development of space-flight.

‘Magic’ used in rituals comes from personal willpower and is an inexhaustable resource, depending on how the rituals are undertaken. Fasting is more common than sacrifices in LEDCs but the latter do occur: mostly animals but sometimes with the shaman’s own blood or limbs. MEDCs have realised that neither fasting nor sacrifices are necessary for the rituals to work and often only use alchemy anyway.

This roleplay is a fantasy/sci-fi roleplay with the premise of exploration. Over the last 50 years, Ista's militant and weapons guild have been developing a ship like no other: a ship that will sail the heavens. Made and powered from the world's most precious ore - Erythoril - many have been skeptical but more recently, most have been intrigued. Now has come the time to send out an expedition far into the sky and in this venture, all three guilds have become involved in inviting and training individuals for the flight.

In terms of characters, each must have a purpose to the voyage. As an example, mine (below) has been employed from the militant guild to protect these few VIPs throughout the voyage and the exploration of any planets they'll find. Your characters can be anything from cartographers and geologists to historians and alchemists to weapon-smiths and hunters. However, if you wished simply to become a rich Lord/Lady with influence enough to secure a trip into space, then that's fine with me. If you wanted to become a stow-away... ask, maybe, and I'll see (I don't want too many tag-alongs otherwise there'll be no realism in security aspect). The decision is up to you.

As far as the storyline goes: we'll start off on Ista, approximately 2-4 weeks before the launch date, to allow characters to meet, greet and develop. Then there'll be a period 'in-flight', followed by a rather large section exploring a new planet (maybe even more than one) and/or the two orbiting moons.

ShadowWake's Character:
Name: Solstice “Sol” Aibhilín
Age: 35
Socioeconomic Level (child): Middle-class
Socioeconomic Level (adult): Working-class
Occupation: Sky-fighter
Income: Mid
Talents/Skills:
• Proficient with dual short-swords, knives and cross-bow (from Crya's back)
• Excellent climber, rider and flyer
• Dextrous and flexible
• Small-time artist
• Relatively decent survival skills
Birth order: Second child
Parents: Ffionen Aibhilín (nee Llambrae) (mother), Leortraeus Aibhilín (father)
Siblings: Leor Aibhilín (brother)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Significant Others (describe relationship): Crya (Roc – flight partner)
Relationship skills: Limited.
History: Born as the second child to Leotraeus and Ffionen Aibhilín, Sol was raised in a middle-class background in a small town near Ista's Academy. Her mother was a house-wife and healer, raising the two children - Sol and her brother Leor - while her father earned a reasonable living teaching history at the Academy. Her brother was clearly the mother's 'favourite', following the familial line of healing, though he always bore the favouritism with distaste and was more often liked among his peers for his unassuming modesty. Sol, however, never managed to grasp the patience of healing - nor the academia her father wished her to take up, and instead became a rather jealous and wayward child, seeking at every opportunity to better her brother in often less-than-peaceable ways.

Leaving home at a young age, Sol paid her way by serving as a courier for a higher-class citizen belonging to the militant guild - the isolated and strenuous hours suiting her. Her parents dispaired and no longer maintained contact, though her brother came to visit once a month in an attempt to heal the wound that had formed between them. She rarely treated him overly kindly, but his presence was always secretly welomed. Her wild habits - drinking, gambling and fighting - seemed to get away with her for a while, until her client saw her attempting to defend a friend from a tavern brawl one night and called her up on it. Instead of getting the beating she rightly deserved, Sol was instead offered a place at the Citadel - as long as she promised to limit her drinking and gambling in order to preserve the integrity of her client.

Having no other option but to lose her job, Sol agreed, finding that the militant training suited her far more than she originally expected. Gaining considerable skill in the field - mostly through honing her innate passion and bitter anger to a purpose - Sol was eventually offered the position of 'Sky-fighter' and was sent to retrive her own Roc. After many grueling climbs and treacherous falls, Sol eventually managed to gain the respect of a dark-feathered Roc she eventually named Crya. The Roc seemed to forge a bond between the siblings, gradually healing Sol's bitterness in her delight in discussing the bird when Leor made his regular visits.

However, not many years afterwards, a plague hit their hometown and the fever eventually spread into the household. Knowing nothing of the matter, it was only when Leor visited earlier than was expected to tell her that despite his efforts, their parents had perised, that she was aware of even the plague's existence. Angry at both herself for not being there to help and her brother for not protecting them in her stead, the bitterness flared up once more and, after a furious argument with the distraught Leor, her usually stoic brother refused to ever visit again.

Concentrating her anger and bitterness once more into her work, Sol has since gained a large amount of respect in her field and was recently invited to serve as the guard for the 'Star-flight' mission. She almost refused, unwilling to leave her sole companion behind, but after much negotiation, Crya was allowed to accompany her and she agreed to the position.


Physical Characteristics:

Height: 5’9”
Weight: 60kg
Race: Teela
Eye Color: Teal
Hair:
• Colour: Red/Auburn
• Length: To bottom of shoulder-blades
• Style: Naturally ringletted
• Worn: Loose or in a loose, messy bun
Skin color: Slightly sun-kissed caucasian
Shape of Face: Square
Distinguishing features:
• Sharp cheekbones,
• Fine, arching brows,
• Defined jaw,
• Teal markings (misshapen spots): down the outside of each limb, down the spine, and from the jugular notch down the breast-bone to the navel,
• Long scar from the top of left shoulder (trapezoid) down to the middle-right of her back (i.e. right kidney)
• Scar across the back of her left thigh, parallel to the one across her back,
• Dark, metal ear-cuff on the top cartilage of left ear and a feather from her Roc as an earring in the lobe of her right ear.
How does he/she dress?
• Loose, long-sleeved, v-necked (laced), white overshirt (cotton-like)
• Tight, long-sleeved, high-necked, black undershirt (thermal)
• Tight, full-length, russet-coloured britches (thermal, strong)
• Fitted, knee-length, 1-inch-heeled, black boots (lacing on outside leg around metal hooks)
• Black sleeveless breast-plate, reaching to navel (leather)
• Black, sleeveless neck-plate, high-collared, laced across upper ribs (leather)
• Black shoulder-plates, attached to neck-plate at trapezoids (leather)
• Black back-brace, buckled by two straps at the waist (leather)
• Black vambraces, buckled by two straps on the underside of the wrist (leather)
Mannerisms:
• Relaxed at home but often on edge in novel environments
• Sarcastic, dry sense of humour
• Antagonistic
• Skeptical
• Stubborn
• Competitive
• Proud
• Passionate
• Strong-willed
• Loyal
Habits: Fighting, drinking, arguing
Health: Good shape (muscular/toned), fit and healthy (drinking only occasionally)
Hobbies: Flying, fighting, climbing
Favorite Sayings: “Really...?” (with raised eyebrow); “I’ll believe it when I see it...”; “Touch me again and you’ll be carrying your fingers home in a jug...”
Speech patterns: Well-pronounced with a slight accented lilt
Disabilities: Old leg injury can cause a slight limp in wet weather
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): Practical but elegant fighting style

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Educational Background: Mostly combat training but with some historical tuition
Intelligence Level: High
Any Mental Illnesses? None
Character's short-term goals in life: Make money
Character's long-term goals in life: Travel the universe
How does Character see himself/herself? Confident, calm, efficient
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? See above
How self-confident is the character? Highly
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Mostly ruled by emotion and intuition but can be quite logical in certain situations
What would most embarass this character? Losing a fight

Emotional Characteristics

Strengths/Weaknesses: Loyalty, strength/Antagonism, stubborness, pride
Introvert or Extrovert? Extrovert
How does the character deal with anger? Both vocally and physically
With sadness? By ignoring it/becoming antagonistic/by drinking
With conflict? Verbal abuse and physical violence (though more sparring/challenge than brawling)
With change? With initial stubborness/refusal, then grudging acceptance
With loss? By becoming introverted/ignoring it/by drinking
What does the character want out of life? To find somewhere she belongs/ to prove herself
What would the character like to change in his/her life? Her combatitive nature
What motivates this character? The need to increasingly better herself/money
What frightens this character? The loss/death of her Roc, Crya
What makes this character happy? Flying, spending time alone with Crya
Is the character judgmental of others? Highly
Is the character generous or stingy? Generous
Is the character generally polite or rude? Rude – sometimes unintentionally, sometimes not.

Spiritual Characteristics

What are the character's spiritual beliefs? None/Death is inexistance
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? In part (brother believes in ‘Gaia’)
If so, what role does it play? Creates antagonism/argument between the two


Character Sheets:
Now, you can either follow mine (which I used to give myself a better impression of her personality etc.) or the more simpler version below. I encourage images as supporting material for descriptive text but please don't rely on them.

Name:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:
Appearance (inc. clothing):
Personality:
Background:
Other:

As far as the rules go, I'll only say FOG rules apply. Let me know if you have any questions!

Using modified version of the big sheet:


Diodri's Character:
Name: August Wind
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Socioeconomic Level: None (Nomad works too...)
Occupation: Hunter
Income: Low
Talents/Skills:
-Tracking
-Hunting
-Diplomacy
-Fighting
-Survival

Birth order: First
Parents: August Wind (Father), Grace Wind (Mother)
Siblings (In order of birth): Malce (Brother), Fillna (Sister), Klien (Brother), Yeven (Brother), Phaetor (Brother), Llanna (Sister), Wannu (Brother), Klare (Sister).
Relationship skills: In his family, he was considered the leader and the peacekeeper. His siblings would always argue and fight, and he would step in and defend.


Physical Characteristics:

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Race: Teela
Eye Color: Brown
Hair:
• Colour: Brown
• Length: Cut short, no more than 2 inches long. In some spots it varies, because it was cut with a knife.
• Style: None
• Worn: However it falls when he wakes up.
Skin color: Darkly Tanned
Shape of Face: Wide and tapered.

Tribal Markings:
• Dark Red markings: The start just above the solar plexus, and split into twp branches, which wind down on either side of his rib cage. He has two smaller splotches on his temples.

How does he dress?
His normal attire when it is warm enough, is to go topless. He wears only some loose trousers made out of Eben Wolf hide and fur. He wears a necklace made of animal teeth and various rocks and beads. When it is colder, he also dawns thick hides belonging to a variety of beasts, and wool moccasins.

When on diplomatic missions, he tries to dress appropriately for the situation. The clothing sometimes looks out of place on this wild man, and most prejudiced people would refer to him as a 'noble savage', not understanding his hidden wisdom.

When out fighting, his attire changes quite drastically. He wears black and red war paint on his face and chest, to bring attention to his natural marking. In addition, he wields a great battle axe, easily 40 pounds. He also wears on his person a number of bond daggers used mostly for hunting.

Personality:
August is a collected man, not prone to fits of rage, nor to sadness. He is in complete control of his own emotions. That said, he is a fierce protector of peace and order, and does what it takes to see to that. He is a strong negotiator, but when diplomacy fails, he is not one to shy from a fight.

He does not speak unless necessary, and some may think he is dull witted for that. It doesn't help that he is somewhat oblivious of some of the ways and customs of the more advanced societies.

Biograpghy:

August was born on a cold night in the dead of winter. His father named him for himself, as was the custom, that the first born of each family share names with the father. He was an only child, but not for very long. Also keeping with tradition, August and Grace ushered out a long line of children, so that the family could benefit and prosper. Nine children later, after giving birth to Klare, Grace took ill. It was decided that there were to be no more children in the Wind line, and for that August was saddened.

But that sadness gave way to frustration, as raising nine children will do. Each one a scamp in their own right. August always getting into fights. Malce always right behind his older brother. Fillna quickly learned was it was to be woman, being the oldest daughter, much to her father's frustration. Klien was much to adventurous for his age, always wandering off into the wilderness, imagining he was hunting Roc's and other such nonsense. Yeven was a recluse, and rarely left the house, much to the annoyance of his mother. Phaetor seemed to want to help himself to things that were not his, even at a very young age he received many spankings. Llanna was the stary-Eyed dreamer, mostly focused on boys, like her older sister. Wannu the gentleman scholar, the least of the headaches in the family. And lastly Klare, idolizer of her eldest brother, hunter, diplomat, and tomboy all in one.

Given the size of the family, it often fell to the eldest children to help keep the peace. When disputes between the siblings erupted, August was usually the one to settle it, either with a few harsh words, or a quick cuff to the back of the head. Each child seemed to fill a unique roll in the family, and that helped with the cohesion as they grew. Eventually, the children grew up, and began to grow apart. Each child choose a certain role in the village, as they did in the family. Again, it fell to August to be the negotiator.

War was no uncommon amongst the more 'uncivilized' tribes. August negotiated many treaties with neighboring clans, and prevented several wars. Of course, things would never go according to plan all the time. The call to arms was eventually raised, and August became one of the first to pick up the sword.He told himself it was no different than hunting. You saw your prey, you closed in, and you killed it.

This way of life continued for many years. Eventually, a tentative, unifying peace spread throughout the local tribes. Then whispers arose of a 'heavenly craft' to take men into the great darkness. It was decided amongst the collective village elders, that if there were other clans of people hidden amongst the stars, then the village people should be represented, and have a voice, and if needed, form an alliance. All the clans agreed that only one man had the skill to do this. August Wind.

Emotional Characteristics:
August is a calm collected person. He is difficult to befriend, but once a bond is made, it will never be forgotten. He is difficult to anger, but he gets in a rage, he can be like a berserker. He does not have much for education, and may seem simple minded, but he has insight like no other. He also does not understand humor and sarcasm very well.


Spiritual Characteristics
August believes in 'Lai'. The village term for 'connectivity'. Lai means that, the universe is connected in every way, shape and form. From the smallest mote of dust to the biggest mountain, they are all made of the same life force. Followers of Lai devote their lives to understanding the bond between people and nature, and strengthening that bond.

There is no set code for Lai, and each follower is to interpret the meanings for themselves. August chooses to pray once every 5 days. He sits in front of candle light, and drinks a mix of herbs and alcohol. This also him to imagine the thousands of possible connects to himself, life, his surroundings, and his future.

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Whoo. That took time. Let me know if this is okay.

Brilliant, Diodri: that's perfect (and also makes me remember that I need to put Sol's history in).

I only have one question: how would/did August get around the (unfortunately likely) prejudices of the higher class 'authorities', to get himself a place on the ship? I can see why he'd be useful and I can see why the elders would appoint him for the task, but how would he convince the snobs that he was right for the job?

Oh! And I wanted my charrie to carry the name "Luna" as a nickname! Ah, coincidences... *thinks of a suitable new name*


PS: working on it~

Why not Luna? Besides, nicknames don't count as real names, so she can be called something else and still keep the nickname 'Luna'...

Editing Sol's history now.

Found a better name, though... it was all about thinking, teehee! :3

I had to have dinner, so it'll take a bit longer! :p

By the way, I intended to make my character a healer, but there's little information on that. How many years would it take for someone to be a healer? And by which means does a healer heal?

Cool, lol.

Healers go through the Academy like the historians, artisits etc. Because healers are so essential, students are often taught in small groups of no more than half-a-dozen to ensure they get the correct training. I'd say a typical healer apprenticeship is around 3-5 years, but most stay on afterwards at the Academy as it can be used as a kind of hospital (people generally know that there will be a healer free if they go to the Academy).

Healing is done in the manner of the alchemists - in fact, it's actually a division of alchemy and both alchemists and healers often study together for their first year. Natural liquids, powders and herbs are used and are mixed to create new ones. Sometimes a healer will create something personal i.e. not used by anyone else and these become their trade-mark. Healers can either generalise their knowledge or choose to specify on a particular section of healing, e.g. wounds, burns, sickness, sanity, etc.

I hope that helps and it's not too restrictive! As always, if there's something you'd like to do and I've specified differently, let me know and I can consider changing it.

Great!! That's a great explanation, and it works good with my idea, so it's fine. I did guess it was done through alchemy or similar, but still wasn't sure, so I thought I'd ask...

As for the name, I wanted to go with someone that didn't start with "S", for a change, but in the end, I wasn't able to avoid it, but I think the name fits the character in a too great way to have her named otherwise.

I can tell you the name, so you start longing to know her... her name will be Stella! I'm finishing the last things about her... (and her biography, of course)

Oh! One more question! What are the precious stones here? Same as ours?

Stella's a lovely name! My Auntie Estelle has a similarly originating name. Now I'm intrigued... lol.

Yes to the same precious stones, but if you want to create your own, you can. A good generator to help with names and descriptions is on Seventh Sanctum: Descriptions and Names.

The only 'unrealistic' one I have so far is the Erythoril ore. That can be used for metalwork, as when it's heated (like steel) it can be moulded into shapes to set jewelery in. More info on that is in the intro paragraph at the top if you want it.

Looking forward to seeing your character!

Thanks!!

The origin is "STAR", by the way... Well, anyway, I haven't finished it today, and I'm going off to bed now. However, only the biography remains, so tomorrow I'll have her! I admit I'm highly thrilled by this one!

I know I could post what I have about her, since it's "only" the bio, but... I think I'll build the anticipation...

ShadowWake wrote:I only have one question: how would/did August get around the (unfortunately likely) prejudices of the higher class 'authorities', to get himself a place on the ship? I can see why he'd be useful and I can see why the elders would appoint him for the task, but how would he convince the snobs that he was right for the job?

I have a few ideas, but it's not something I considered too heavily. Would you like me to cover this during the RP, or add it into my history.

*Thinks about it*

Whichever you prefer, Diodri. The first part of the RP will be set a few weeks before we leave, so you'll have time then if you wanted to. However, if you want to do something else in that time, then stick it in his history.

And looking forward to meeting Stella, Hedya!

I'm almost almost done! (uh! again I say that!)

But now it's so true, because only one thing needs to be done... the markings!

I was wondering, SW, what are the colors for the social hyerarchy? I really wouldn't know, so I thought I'd ask... as for the shape and position, I have thought already, but I still need the color...hehe.

I know I'm asking so much... I must be a real pain in... the arm

Lol, no worries!

The social heirarchy is a matter of perspective to be honest. However, the darker/duller the colour, the lower down the scale, e.g. violet = higher than indigo, but bright violet = higher than pale violet.

For example, Sol has Teal coloured markings (a mid-level blue-green colour). Someone with brighter markings but a similar colour, e.g. turquoise, would be higher up the social heirarchy than her.

Hope that helps!

Thank you! It helped, indeed!

Well...there I go! Hope everything's alright. If it's not, tell me and it will be changed before you even realize!


Hedya's Character:
Name: Stella Ocmare; uses the name “Stella Oceane” to hide her family origin.
Age: 21
Socioeconomic Level (child): High-class
Socioeconomic Level (adult): Working-class
Occupation: Stealth, former Academic.
Income: Mid
Talents/Skills:
• Proficient with one handed-swords. (Particularly long swords)
• Agile and nimble.
• Good swimmer
• Knowledge gained from her time as an academic (including healing; did not specify in one kind of healing, but prefered general healing)
• Sharp senses (sight, hearing)
Birth order: First child
Parents: Asteri Ocmare (mother, née Siligh), Renz Ocmare (father)
Siblings: Ymber Ocmare (younger brother)
Spouse: None
Children: None
Significant Others (describe relationship): She had some friends during her time as an academic, but she has never had a lot of them or any one close to her.
Relationship skills: She was the first child of her family, and so, although she was not spoiled, she was consented a lot, which lead to her developing a strong personality, despite being calm. She has a good relationship with her family, and she has been always considered more sensible than her younger brother, Ymber.


Physical Characteristics:

Height: 5’4’’
Weight: 51kg
Race: Teela
Eye Color: Cobalt blue
Hair:
• Colour: Light brown
• Length: To mid back.
• Style: Straight, a bit wavy, just a little bit, but mainly straight.
• Worn: Usually loose, but sometimes will wear a ponytail or a long braid, when working.
Skin color: Caucasian, pale but healthy.
Shape of Face: Round
Distinguishing features:
• Slender figure
• Fine brows
• Beautiful
• Relatively small hands
How does he/she dress?
• She always wears a pendant with a small piece of Jade.
• She has a bracelet that is given to those who successfully pass the healing 4th year test. It’s made of silver.
• Fair coloured clothes, (almost always some kind of dress, instead of shirt and pants), usually tight at the top, and wider at the bottom, in order to allow for easy movement.
• When possible, she will wear either red or green complements, to add to her clothes.
• She likes looking good, and dressing as nice as she can.
Markings:
• Small markings outside her arm
• Mark down her back
• Colour is bright green

Mannerisms:

• She’s usually calm, everywhere.
• Warm sense of humour
• Friendly, although sometimes she can find it hard to trust people.
• Stubborn, but she doesn’t usually show that.
• Passionate
• Strong-willed
• Loyal
• When things go wrong, she can get overly nervous.
Habits: Studying, travelling, writting
Health: Healthy; although she is fast, she is not muscled, and doesn’t have good endurance.
Hobbies: Enjoying the nature, the landscapes, and calmness
Favorite Sayings: “You can’t heal your body if you can’t heal your soul” ; “There’s much more than what we can se”.
Speech patterns: Well-pronounced, polite speech.
Disabilities: None.
Style (Elegant, shabby etc.): At first she developed her swordplay as something beautiful, and then later adapted that style to be as practical as possible. Swift and precise moves.

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Educational Background: She was in a rich aristocrat family, so she was taught history, fine arts, and such, but she chose to be taught combat, as well.
Intelligence Level: High
Any Mental Illnesses? None
Character's short-term goals in life: Find a partner for her.
Character's long-term goals in life: Do what no one else has done before.
How does Character see himself/herself? Calm, silent, good-hearted.
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? Calm, silent, unsociable.
How self-confident is the character? Not very much.
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Ruled by emotion, so, knowing that, she tries to apply logic to her life.
What would most embarrass this character? Looking ugly, or being naked in front of someone.

Emotional Characteristics

Strengths/Weaknesses: Loyalty, calmness / Not self-confident, sometimes fear.
Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert
How does the character deal with anger? Mainly vocally, but can get to physically, if the situation is serious enough.
With sadness? Crying, locking her heart, searching for help desperately.
With conflict? Vocally, unless she feels menaced.
With change? With caution.
With loss? See ‘sadness’
What does the character want out of life? To lead a happy life, with someone.
What would the character like to change in his/her life? Some traits of her personality. Namely being shy.
What motivates this character? The search of the unknown.
What frightens this character? Fear itself.
What makes this character happy? Spending time with friends, being calm in a nice place.
Is the character judgmental of others? Medium-highly.
Is the character generous or stingy? Generous
Is the character generally polite or rude? Polite.

Spiritual Characteristics

What are the character's spiritual beliefs? The person’s energy comes back to Gaia, the person’s soul has some sort of “afterlife”.
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? In a way. She believes in Gaia, the mother nature.
If so, what role does it play? She believes every living being has a purpose for living, and that Gaia is the mother of all. She usually doesn’t talk about that with anyone.

Biography

She was born as the first child to the Ocmare family, a noble family from the capital. For this, she was raised in a high-class environment. Although Stella liked many things of what this meant, as soon as she grew old enough, she started to realize that it was false in a big number of ways.

During her childhood, she developed a liking for swords. At first it was just admiring their own particular beauty, and even imagined creating those, but as soon as she knew of the process, the idea was dismissed. Instead, at the age of 10, she decided she wanted to learn how to use them. Her father thought she was just being impulsive, and that eventually she would give up, but as time went on, she became a decent swordswoman, concentrating on the speed and precision, rather than strength.

But there was one thing she never forgot, and that was the injustices and falseness she had seen in her world. She then vowed to change that, for the upcoming generations; to do “what no one has ever done before”. She confronted her parents with this, and they thought she was losing the right direction, and thought that these ideas would be her own destruction. While Asteri, her mother, admitted sharing the same thoughts with Stella, she told her she should forget about them, because she would not be able to change society. Her father decided to send her to the academy, where, according to his plan, she was to learn that, although people in the lower classes were still people, their system worked a lot better. She would be sent as a future-healer. She was 16 years old, by that time.
In the end, after the 4 years it took Stella to complete her formation, she liked her new environment. Of course, she missed some of her old things, the things she liked of her origins, but she was happier now. After that, she decided to join the Militant guild. Since she had healing knowledge, she was taken in pretty easily. And after some physical and knowledge tests, she was sent to Stealth. In the last letter she sent to her parents, she didn’t mention where she was working, but she said that her job was one that suited her. During her time at the academy, she never stopped practicing with a sword, since she believed in hard work, more than in talent. In fact, she was given Ranz’s own sword, which he had used during his times as a high officer in the Militant guild.

She has been in the Militant guild for around half a year now, so she is still considered a rookie. However, when the star-flight mission was announced, and guards requested, she was invited, because of her healer experience, and her Stealth position within the Militant guild. She gladly accepted, feeling honoured to join such a trip, and also because this would mean going where no one has ever been before.

That's fantastic, Hedya! Both of you have thought about your character's histories really well (which has just reminded me I didn't say what happened to Sol's family)!

I only have one question: did Stella choose to specify in healing or is she a general healer?

Editing Sol's history now, lol.

So, will it just be the three of us to start then?

For now, yes. At the moment, though, I'm considering leaving the IC thread until Friday/Saturday to allow the other RPers that were interested time to add character sheets, as I know I'm often busy during the week with work and so other might not be albe to post until the weekend.

We'll see... depends on how impatient I get to start this thing...

I think that waiting is a nice idea!

Added and edited the little bit about Stella's healing! She did not choose a specific 'kind'. Instead, she uses general healing. Obviously she's not an expert in any of them, but can use all...

And thanks! I did really put a lot into her, to be honest...

Brilliant Hedya - it shows that've you've put a lot of effort in.

I'm flattered that both of you have taken such an interest in this! Really looking forward to starting it!

Oh, don't be silly, it's not brilliant, not at all... if something's brilliant, is your great idea!

Bumps the OOC, cuz I want to start! :p

I'll start this thing tomorrow - if you can wait that long! I'm going out tonight with a mate I haven't seen for ages so I don't have a lot of time to compose a decent post, therefore I will do it tomorrow when I have all day!

Patience, my little padawan... your time will come...

XD

Tomorrow I can wait until.

Patience my virtue is not, but my best I will do!

Lmao!

I've just got to tidy my room for when the house valuer's come and then I'll get the IC up and going! Not long now!

EDIT: Apologies for the lateness (maybe not for you, but it's 8.30pm here already) but I've been stuck with babysitting my little brother and haven't had a chance before now. As soon as I get him off to bed, I'll be writing up the first post of the IC thread. Woop! See you in Ista in a couple of hours!

The IC is up and running!

IC Thread

Looking forward to seeing you there!

*yawns a little*

*sniffs* I can't believe you would let our RP die, rest for a week, and do something new entirely. I'm totally appalled and how DARE you think that I would join THIS.

Actually, I'll join; it's pretty interesting. But I'm tired, I probably won't finish my character tonight. So you'll have to wait until tomorrow (woo) for my sheet.

So with that, I say, "Long time no see.". I'll have to see if I can't make an engineer that plots to wreck the ship for some higher purpose Either religious zealot or an uppity snob that wants his own fame not undermined by a floating death trap.

Oops, can't tell you I plan on ruining the RP! Quick, hide that statement!

Cheers, I'll try to have the character up and living asap.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Syste

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Birthplace: Galvos

Appearance: Syste is a stout individual encompassing everything from rugged testosterone to edges of frail estrogen. Both spheres of sexuality are explored, covered, and faceted in his deep, swirling haze of blueblack eyes that talk of days in the distant past as gentle hues of purple rings apathetically scar the full potential beauty of his ocular appearance. His cheeks jut proudly out of his face, but large seas of rosy color often their masculine accent.

His lips are thick, feminine, but pale in comparison to his flushed skin and purple eyelids. Leathery texture coats the fine oaken taint of his face, and set him apart from his surprisingly pale parents. Ornamental scars run in a humming blue shine from the midpoint just under his eyes to the edge of his jaw in a perfect parabolic descent. These are many-layered, as many as five such rings running from his eyes in slightly increasing arcs. The last two scars race down his throat and sharply end on his chest.

Overall, Syste wears the mask of a wise, weary man that has not seen the last of his days. His struggles are documented on the rough texture of his skin, but the pools of intellect, and perserverence are stored in the endless serenity of his eyes and peculiar smile. He never wears a frown convincingly despite his greatest efforts and, potentially, incredible rage.

A slender, muscularly toned, but not immediately visible under layers of clothes, body carries Syste to new places. His chest is adorned with swirls of equally neon-blue color as the rings on his face, but they are continuously interlaced with each other in no particular fashion other than the beauty of symmetry. His hands as well as the top of his feet feature these scars, and they even shine at night- a beacon in the dead of night.

Satorial Apparel: Syste prides himself on leather, furs, and whool of the highest quality. Furs and whool are less appreciated by his desire for quality than leather because of the useless slaughter of animals and the overabundance of texture in those materials. The coarse texture of leather appeals, and compares to, his own skin which he enjoys to feel whenever the need for it arises.

His sense of style also stems from his job which requires a very pragmatic school of thought. Therefore, sturdy pants, shoes and shirts cannot be forsaken, and Syste refuses to wear most of his prodigous clothes at mediocre occasions anyway. Instead, blue-colored shirts and pants are preferred and often slightly worn-out because of financial restraints prohibiting to buy replicas of the same article.

Besides the obvious needs of pants, shoes, and shirts, Syste also adorns himself with exquisite black leather gloves, or simple white gloves while working. Scarves are also debatedly a rare desire in his view, but do not come out of the closet too often. Necklaces bearing uncommon gems of caves long forgotten are worn more often, and one particularly heavy star sapphire never leaves his shoulders.

Personality: Syste is, as depicted by his physical features, a rough mortal around the edges, and not quite as liberated internally. He enjoys communication, but notes the fact that most people don't bother with communication a second time. Every time this happens he notes the apparent inflammatory statements he spouted, but refuses to stop on the basis that people should get to know Syste the truth rather than Syste the lie.

The need for truth and trust stems from an engrossing relationship with his parents and close relatives, good memories, and from several universities, professors and some other choice people, poor memories. Without it, Syste usually outright refuses, in speech and with gestures, to associate himself with the chosen individuals. Since, understandably, most people don't desire such an immediate intimate relationship with a stranger, Syste ends up with little to no conversation.

However, Syste is incredibly intelligent despite his age, and can usually tell the fruit from the poison before anyone else has the capability to even create a thought. His eyes focus on the posture, the gestures and the direction of the eyes before giving any thought to their words and actual appearance. Appearance, for that matter, is held in very low regard as any beggar can have the courage to conquer a mountain if given the chance. At least, that's what Syste thinks of himself, but the mountain has proven larger than initially perceived.

Sometimes, maniacal thoughts plague his mind. Often deranged alchemical plans 'must' come to pass because they even haunt his dreams- a fact that universities often use to deny Syste further study. As such, he has not been able to pass his third year of university study on Galvos. Syste thinks that these might have prophetic consequences- believer in fate, and destiny, but not strictly religious-, and would rather end his nightmares and give up further study than to stupidly ignore a blatant message. Nothing of the sort has come to pass yet.

Syste learned never to hide his emotions. If they come, then they come. Trying to deny emotions means trying to deny the very essence that gives consciousness. It's an inhuman act, and he vowed never to hide his emotions, no matter how 'weak' being truly able to express how you feel must be. Incindentally, showing emotions seems to take a lot more courage than hiding them, so the blatant contradiction is another factor why Syste doesn't even bother to hide them.

Proficiencies:
-Third-year alchemist.
-Proficient, but not nearly masterful, martial artist.
-Excellent chess player
-First experiences in piloting
-Knowledge of flora and fauna
-Speed-writing
-Knows how to create primitive bombs and molotov cocktails
-Beginner's knowledge in metallurgy
-Intermediate artist.
-Survival Skills
-Very good athletic skills (jogging, swimming, contorting)
-Fair cooking skills

History:

Random Information:
-Didn't scar himself; a master smith did it using gemstones Syste provided. Was pretty painful.
-Likes the color blue
-Feels he is suffering from mild dementia
-Hasn't been ill in over five years.
-His last illness nearly killed him.
-No children.
-Doesn't want children.
-Doesn't feel fit to be a father.
-Hasn't had a girlfriend for three years.
-Doesn't want one either.
-Suffered depression as a young teenager.
-Both parents are still alive.
-Saw his uncle executed.
-Thought they could have done it better.

Yay, SoulBeaver!

I was so sad to see that RP go!! I was simply so bogged down at the time, it was really unfair for me to let you wait weeks etc when I said I'd post. Now I'm working full time (so I still don't have too much time) but I'm determined to make this work (it was a story idea I've had for years and just never managed to write it alongside my other one). And Sol seemed to fit in pretty much perfectly!

So despite the rebellious thoughts... *makes note to keep an eye on SB* It's good to RP with you again! Looking forward to seeing your character!

P.S. I love these smilies so much!!